Peak Between Two: Mushoku Tensei

The evening sky was painted in golden hues, stretching far and wide over Buena Village. By the crystal-clear riverbank, the gentle sounds of flowing water blended with the chatter of children fishing. Their laughter occasionally filled the air, their conversations a mix of childish nonsense and exciting adventures only they could understand.

Among them, Luciel sat lazily on a flat rock, his fishing line submerged in the river. There was no serious expression on his face—just the usual look of indifference he wore when he wasn't particularly invested in the outcome.

Then, without warning, Somar—the loudest and most talkative kid in the village—threw out a sudden question.

"Hey, here's a dumb question. Do you like Sylphie?"

Luciel lazily turned his gaze toward him, clearly unenthusiastic about the topic.

The other children perked up, their eyes gleaming with curiosity as they waited for his answer.

Luciel simply shrugged. "Not right now."

They all stared at him as if he had just said something unbelievable.

"Hee~ So that means you'll like her in the future?" Somar teased with his usual grin.

Luciel sighed. "I said 'not right now.' Stop making weird assumptions."

"But you always play with her," another child chimed in.

"Because she's my friend," Luciel replied casually.

Somar crossed his arms, deep in thought. "Hmmm, but we're also your friends. Does that mean you like us too?"

Luciel stared at him blankly. "I don't know how your brain works, Somar, but I'm pretty sure that's one of the dumbest questions I've ever heard."

The other kids burst into laughter.

"Well, whatever," Somar said, turning back to his fishing rod. "But I still bet you'll be the first one among us to get married."

Luciel ignored him. Romance wasn't something worth thinking about right now.

After a while, the children refocused on fishing, yet not a single fish was caught.

"Why isn't anything biting?" one of the kids complained.

"There's usually plenty of fish," another added.

Somar nodded. "Yeah, the water is still clear, and there's no weird smell. The fish should still be here, right?"

Luciel, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke up.

"Have you noticed that the wind is stronger than usual?" he asked, still watching the water.

The other children exchanged glances.

"And what about it?" Somar asked.

Luciel pointed at the river's surface. "Look at the ripples. They're constantly flowing downstream."

They observed more carefully. Sure enough, the water's surface was more active than usual.

"Is that because of the wind?" one child guessed.

Luciel nodded. "Fish prefer calmer waters. If the current is too strong, they'll move to deeper parts of the river or seek shelter on the opposite bank where the water is calmer."

Somar furrowed his brows. "So, we need to find a different spot?"

Luciel nodded again.

Without any complaints, they all picked up their rods and moved to a more sheltered part of the riverbank.

It didn't take long before one of them finally caught the first fish of the evening.

"Wah! I got one!"

The children cheered.

Somar turned to Luciel.

"You're really smart, Luci! How did you know all that?"

Luciel simply gave a small smile.

"Logic."

The other kids didn't entirely understand his answer, but they were satisfied with the results.

For Luciel, explaining things like this had become second nature. Without realizing it, he had taught them something simple yet important: Observing your surroundings can change the outcome.

That evening, they continued fishing enthusiastically, unaware that they had just learned something usually reserved for older, more experienced individuals.

Luciel gazed up at the sky.

"Science really is useful anywhere, even in this world."

A woven rattan ball rolled across the dry ground, bouncing slightly before coming to a stop between Luciel and his friends. The sun was now high in the sky, casting light over the small field where they had gathered.

Somar, sweating and panting, sat on the ground while wiping his forehead. "But seriously, compared to your brother, who barely plays with us, you're a lot easier to approach. Here's another question—why?"

Luciel, sitting cross-legged with his arms folded, simply shrugged.

"Why do you think that?" he asked before lightly kicking the ball forward. "Maybe it's because life at home is boring. Sometimes, I just want to interact with different people. Or… do you not like having me around?"

"N-No, no!" one of the kids quickly waved his hands. "We're happy you're playing with us! You even introduced us to this new game!"

They all turned their eyes to the rattan ball.

It wasn't a new object, but using it for a team-based game—now that was something they had never done before.

Luciel smirked slightly. "Well, I noticed you all kept playing the same old games, so I thought this might be more fun."

The children nodded eagerly.

To them, Luciel wasn't just a noble kid different from Rudeus—he was someone who brought fresh, exciting ideas.

Once the game started, dust kicked up as small feet ran across the dry ground. The children played with enthusiasm, kicking and passing the ball with unpolished skills, but they were having the time of their lives.

Luciel quickly noticed something—

They weren't just playing for fun.

They were learning teamwork.

At first, they had all just chased the ball aimlessly. But as the game went on, they started figuring things out. Some focused on defense, some on offense, and some tried sneaky tactics to steal the ball.

Luciel was honestly impressed by how fast they adapted.

As one of the kids attempted to shoot the ball toward the goal, Somar instinctively leaped forward, blocking it with his foot. The ball bounced toward Luciel.

Seeing his chance, Luciel dribbled past two opponents and delivered a strong kick.

"GOAL!"

Cheers erupted. The children jumped around excitedly.

Even some passing villagers stopped to watch, smiling at the strange new game they had never seen before.

Unexpected Impact

From that day on, their small sport became a daily tradition.

Luciel wasn't just accepted by the village children—he had carved a special place among them as someone who introduced something new and exciting.

Every afternoon, more villagers began pausing their activities to watch the game. Some even started joining in—whether by cheering for a team or offering playful advice.

"These kids have gotten more energetic since they started playing that ball game," one villager commented.

"Yeah, at least they're not just swinging wooden swords all day," another replied with a chuckle.

Luciel simply gave a small, knowing smile.

He missed Ryusei.

And this game—soccer—was a piece of his past life that he would never forget.