mushoku tensei: unplanned reincarnation

It had been a week since I started studying the theory of silent magic with Roxy. During this time, I finally began to better understand how she viewed magic—and, as a result, the difference between the two of us.

Roxy believed that silent enchantment was a rare feat, something that required a deep understanding of the magical formula and exceptional control over the flow of mana. To her, enchantments were an essential guide, almost like a track that allowed a spell to follow the correct path. Removing enchantments meant giving up that track and attempting to guide the magic solely with the power of thought.

For me, on the other hand, it was so natural. When I tried to explain it to Roxy, she became frustrated. "That doesn't explain anything!" she said, crossing her arms and giving me an irritated look.

Looking at it from her perspective, her frustration did make sense. It was like trying to teach someone to breathe consciously when they had been doing it effortlessly since birth. But over the week, I managed to better articulate my perception. To me, magic wasn't about words or formulas, but about visualizing the desired effect and letting the mana shape reality according to that will. Roxy still thought the explanation was vague, but accepted that it was a different path from hers.

In the meantime, I also continued treating Lilia's leg. At first, she seemed skeptical, as if she didn't want to get her hopes up. But over the days, I noticed small changes. Her gait was a bit firmer, and at times she seemed to forget the limitation and moved more naturally. It wasn't an instant cure, but it was working.

She didn't say anything about it, but one morning, when she saw me, she gave a small nod before returning to what she was doing. For someone who was usually so reserved, that was already a sign of acknowledgment. A small progress.

Now, sitting under the tree, I watched Sylphie right in front of me, testing her magic.

After a week of studies, experiments, and small victories, it was nice to simply sit and watch someone give their best. I smiled as I watched Sylphie cast magic in front of me.

'I'm thinking like an old man.'

It's even funny to think about. When she's 15, I'll already be 35 mentally, and Roxy, 49.

Thinking about it, over time, people tend to become attached to their own certainties. Maybe it's the comfort of experience, or the fear of being wrong after learning so much.

I wonder, at some point, will I start to become rigid in my thoughts, refusing to accept others' ideas?

Maybe that's what happens to adults. They learn so much that they become trapped in their own knowledge, not realizing that there are other ways to see the world.

That's exactly what I saw in Roxy. To her, enchantment had fixed rules, a path that needed to be followed. But what if there was another way? Could it be that, deep down, she was also closing herself off to new possibilities, just like I might end up doing in the future?

But this question can't be answered by me now. It will only be answered by me in the future, when I realize how flexible or rigid I was in my own thoughts.

After a moment, I decided to strike up a conversation with Sylphie.

"So, how's your magic practice going today?"

"Oh, look, Rudy."

She was trying to cast the Ice Blade spell, an Elemental-level magic. As the name suggested, the spell created a sword made of ice. The blade appeared unstable in the air, its structure trembling as if it wanted to fall apart, but Sylphie kept focusing, trying to control the mana and solidify the sword's shape.

However, the spell looked more like Water Blade; her control over the spell was still pretty weak. If you looked closely, you could see her magic turning to ice and then back to liquid water.

But she didn't seem shaken by the failure. She was smiling as she showed the spell.

"Well, take it easy. Everyone fails sometimes, and success comes with trying. And you know what's most important in life? It's trying as hard as you can." I could say that was one of the most motivational phrases I'd ever heard.

But the look on her face showed she didn't fully understand.

'Well, take it easy, Rudeus. You're still inexperienced when it comes to inspiring people.'

Seeing that motivation wouldn't help her understand, I decided to change my approach.

"Sylphie," I began, in a more serious and focused tone. "Look, the key to the 'Ice Blade' spell is precise mana control. You need to visualize the form of the ice blade from the beginning, but without rushing to solidify everything all at once."

I moved closer to her, watching the unstable spell floating in the air.

"First, imagine the blade clear and firm. Feel the mana flowing, but don't force it. Instead of pushing the mana into the spell, guide it, like a river, calm and steady. When you feel the mana's energy is focused on the blade's form, only then should you try to solidify it."

Pausing for a moment to let her absorb it, I added:

"Watch how I do it."

With that, I quickly conjured my own ice blade, the sword's structure appearing firm and stable. I kept my concentration, and the mana aligned with the desired shape, flowing calmly to form the solid ice.

"See? The difference is in the control of the magic. It's not about force, but about direction."

She looked at me, and moments later, her eyes sparkled with admiration. And being looked at like that wasn't too bad; I had to give myself some credit for being a good teacher.

"Thank you, Rudy! Mom said you're very smart... and I think so too!"

"Well, that's true. You're not wrong. I'm handsome, smart, and of course, a genius mage."

I wonder if those feelings of gratitude are what make someone... narcissistic? Maybe I was starting to enjoy hearing that every now and then.

---

After some time training, we decided to head home. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky with golden and orange hues. We walked side by side, the light wind swaying Sylphie's green hair, which looked more relaxed than usual.

But the peace didn't last long.

Ahead, a small group of children appeared. As soon as they saw us, they exchanged glances and malicious smiles.

"Look, it's the weird girl again."

Sylphie hunched her shoulders. Her fists clenched the edges of her tunic, and her head lowered as if she were trying to disappear.

"Huh, still walking around with that weird hair? I thought you'd learned how to hide by now."

I sighed. Always the same taunts. But today, something was different. Sylphie didn't move. Her feet didn't tremble as much as before.

I decided to test something.

"Don't you get tired of this? Do you really want Sylphie's attention that badly?" I put my hands behind my head, pretending to be bored.

The boys frowned. "What? No one wants attention from that weirdo!"

"Uh-huh, sure." I smirked. "Then why is it every time you see her, you make sure to come talk to her? Deep down, you like her, don't you?"

The reaction was immediate. "What?! Shut up! No one here likes her!" One of them stepped forward, red with anger.

Sylphie looked at me, surprised. Maybe she expected me to just send the kids away or use magic to scare them. But this time, I wanted her to see something else: sometimes, all it takes is to turn the tables.

"I see, I see. If you really want to talk, why don't you try a less childish approach?" I crossed my arms. "Or is it that you don't know how to talk to a girl?"

Silence was the best response.

I grabbed Sylphie's hand and gently pulled her to continue walking. She squeezed my hand back. She was still tense, but something had changed in her. Her gaze, though frightened, had a different sparkle.

Maybe, just maybe, she was realizing that she didn't always have to lower her head.

But then, something flew through the air.

Before I could react, the mud hit Sylphie.

She froze. The smell of wet earth spread as the muck dripped down her hair and face.

The laughter exploded around us.

Another handful came. This time, I managed to pull her away in time. But there was more. I didn't see the second one coming.

Now I was the target.

The boys' laughter seemed to echo in my head. I looked at Sylphie. She said nothing. She just stood there, with mud dripping from her hair. Her chest rising and falling in a shaky breath.

I looked back at the boys and saw they were still laughing and pointing at us.

Seeing their smiles made me bite the inside of my cheek and clench my teeth, trying to keep my expression neutral to avoid giving them satisfaction. The slight pain helped keep my mind focused.

I needed to be rational here. I couldn't let myself be carried away by the emotions boiling inside me. If I let them guide me, it wouldn't just be them leaving there crying, they'd be coming back with injuries too.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!?" I shouted as loudly as I could. "You think you're going to get away with this? You really think I'm an idiot?" I stood firm, showing no fear or anger.

Their reaction was to stop laughing and stare at me.

"Or do you want me to do you a favor and start teaching you what happens when you play with fire?"

With that, I materialized a fireball in my hand and threw it into the sky. The sound of the crackling flame was brief but intense, and the air around me grew hot, lighting up their faces with a dancing glow.

The leader of the group, or what I thought was the leader, stepped back upon seeing the display.

And that was exactly what I wanted. I was going to scare them, make them think twice before getting close to Sylphie again.

But as the flame began to fade and the crackling of the fire distanced itself, other thoughts started to arise in my mind. What if, after this, they didn't stop teasing her? Or maybe they'd just get angrier? Perhaps they'd want revenge?

I fell silent. These were possibilities I hadn't considered.

"Y-you think I'll run away just because of this?" said the leader of the group, and the other two nodded in agreement.

"Somar, what are you going to do now?" one of the friends asked the leader.

I sighed and shook my head. I'd have to rethink the way I was handling this.

But before I could plan my next move, something made me stop. A green hair appeared in front of me—it was Sylphie, and now she was right there, right in front of me.

"Go away!" Sylphie shouted, her voice filled with nervousness.

"Ah, finally speaking up, huh? Scared little bunny?" said Somar, with a mocking grin.

My eyes didn't leave the scene. Sylphie, the girl who had always been so meek, was now protecting me?

To my surprise, she raised her right arm and, with a firm motion, formed a perfect ice spear before the boys.

The three of them froze in place. One of them widened his eyes and took an involuntary step back. The other clenched his fists, trying to hide his nervousness. Somar, in turn, frowned, his smile vanishing for a brief moment before he forced a look of disdain.

"Damn it! This is crap!" one of the boys yelled, kicking the ground in frustration.

"We're going to tell everyone that the knight's son is on the demons' side!"

"Don't get me wrong, we didn't lose to you." He fixed his eyes on Sylphie. "Let's go." He spat the words and turned, with the other two following quickly behind, still throwing nervous glances back.

But I couldn't be the helpless princess. I needed to make sure they never came near Sylphie again.

I moved forward without hesitation, my footsteps echoing on the ground. The boys, seeing me approach, quickened their pace, but I kept following them.

"If you show up in front of me or Sylphie again, I'll burn your houses down"

They stumbled, frightened looks returning to me.

"And if one of you tells anyone..." I raised my hand, conjuring an intense flame. "I will burn you."

Fear flashed across their faces, and without hesitation, they took off, running away without looking back.

I stood there, watching them disappear into the distance for a few seconds, until I finally let the flame die out.

"Mm... hmm... that's right. If they come back, I'll beat them up good."

"You're going to beat what, Rudy?"

"K-Kyah...!"

With a scream that sounded more like a schoolgirl's, I turned around in surprise. Behind me was the last person I expected.

Zenith.

She was crossing her arms and giving me a serious look.

"Rudy, can you repeat what you just said?"

I swallowed hard, seeing the intensity of her gaze.

"Err… I said that… I wanted to clap for Sylphie! That's right, clap!"

She raised an eyebrow.

"Rudy."

"I'm serious! Besides, Mom, you look really pretty today! You even look younger!"

Zenith sighed, uncrossing her arms. Her gaze shifted behind her to Sylphie, then back to me with an unshakable expression.

"Rudy… can you tell me what happened? And why are you both covered in mud?"

Well, looks like I was going to have a very long conversation today.

---

As we headed back home, I answered her questions.

"So, how did you end the fight?"

"Well, I was cornered, and when I thought they were going to hit me, Sylphie stood in front of me, saying that bad men wouldn't get away with it." What I said was a half-truth.

"Hey, Rudy…"

"Come on, Sylphie, you really saved me there."

Well, maybe I was exaggerating a little.

"And if it ended there, then why did I see fire in the sky and then hear you say you were going to hit them?" Zenith said, narrowing her eyes.

"Err... When did I say that?"

She sighed and, after a moment, a smile formed on her lips.

"But you did a great job protecting each other."

Sylphie, by my side, smiled as she tried to get the remaining mud out of her hair.

"Do you think they'll come back after all of this?" Sylphie asked, looking at Zenith.

"I don't know… But I'll have a good talk with their mothers when I see them."

"You don't have to, I already handled it. Had a man-to-man talk with them."

Zenith furrowed her brow.

"Man-to-man?"

"Exactly." I crossed my arms.

She looked me up and down, raising an eyebrow.

"... Rudy, you're three years old."

"That doesn't invalidate my argument."

Zenith sighed, massaging her forehead.

"I'm definitely going to talk to their mothers."

If she really did that, I doubted they'd have the courage to tell anyone what happened.

Those little punks… They dirtied Sylphie's clothes, and more importantly, her hair.

As we walked down the road, the house came into view before I even realized it. And that wasn't the only thing that appeared in my sight—Roxy was there.

Pulling the remaining mud out of my hair, I ran toward her.

But as I got closer, I saw she lifted her head, watching me with a curious look.

"Hey, Rudy, why are you all dirty?" Her expression quickly turned into a slight frown, as if she was seeing something unpleasant.

"Don't look at me like that, I wanted to be welcomed with a hug, you know?"

"Hm? And why would I hug you?"

"Well, students and teachers greet each other like that where I come from."

"But you've always lived here."

'She really doesn't want to hug me, huh?'

"Well, I know you get shy easily, but avoiding even a hug?"

"Huh? When have I been shy?"

I put my hand to my chin, pretending to reflect. Then, looking at Zenith, an idea came to me, and an involuntary smile formed on my face.

"When you were in front of my parents' door at tha—"

"Rudy!"

I dodged at the last second from her attempt to silence me and ran into the house.

I heard their shouts behind me, but I was already far enough to not even think about what Roxy was saying.

Today, for sure, was a day I wouldn't forget.