Peak Between Two: Mushoku Tensei

-Third-Person POV-

The once peaceful night had turned into an unbearably awkward situation.

Luciel Greyrat remained frozen in place, staring at Roxy Migurdia with an expression that was difficult to describe—a mixture of panic, shock, and resignation.

Meanwhile, Roxy stood under the moonlight, her wide-open eyes still processing what she had just witnessed.

Plasma magic.

A sphere of blue-violet energy, something she had never seen before—a spell that did not belong to any of the four fundamental elements.

And the three-year-old child before her—her student's younger brother—had conjured it with his bare hands.

No chant.

No preparation.

And… with an insane amount of mana consumption.

But the thing that truly shook Roxy was Luciel's expression while controlling that magic.

He did not look like a child playing around.

He looked like… someone who knew exactly what he was doing.

Someone who had already mastered this magic.

And that… was terrifying.

Because even for an experienced mage like Roxy, what she had just witnessed completely defied common magical understanding.

Luciel's Internal Panic Mode: Activated

'Shit. I got caught.'

Luciel quickly glanced around.

Luckily, no one else was here.

If his idiot father or overprotective mother had seen this, he'd be in big trouble.

But did that mean he was safe?

No.

Because in front of him stood Rudeus' magic teacher—someone who could analyze situations deeply.

'Should I play dumb?'

'Should I pretend it was an accident?'

'Or… should I try to distract her?'

Inside his mind, thousands of escape scenarios were spinning at high speed.

However, before he could say anything—

"Luciel…"

Roxy's voice rang out again, this time with a serious tone that she rarely used.

Her sharp eyes locked onto him, and her expression was not that of a teacher scolding a child.

This was the expression of someone who had just witnessed the impossible.

Luciel stood straight, took a deep breath, and finally spoke—

"…Can we forget this happened?"

Roxy blinked. "What?"

"What you saw just now… let's just pretend it never happened."

Roxy narrowed her eyes.

"So you want me to act like an idiot?"

Luciel smiled slightly. "Wouldn't that be easier for both of us?"

Silence.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke.

Only the sound of the night breeze rustling through the trees filled the air.

Then—

Roxy closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then let out a small smile.

"Unfortunately, I can't do that."

Luciel felt his headache worsen.

Dogeza Emergency Mode: Activated

BAM!

Without hesitation, the three-year-old immediately dropped to the ground, pressing his forehead against the cold earth in a perfect dogeza.

"I BEG YOU, MASTER! FORGET THIS EVER HAPPENED! YOU SAW NOTHING!"

Silence.

Roxy stood there, stunned, staring at the tiny child suddenly bowing in desperation before her.

The cold night wind blew gently, making the atmosphere even more awkward.

Roxy blinked several times, wondering if she was hallucinating from exhaustion after a full day of teaching.

No. This was real.

Luciel Greyrat—normally quiet, somewhat mysterious, and far too observant for a child his age—had just thrown his dignity to the ground in an instant.

Meanwhile, inside his mind, Luciel was having a full-blown crisis.

'SHIT! WHY DID I GO STRAIGHT TO DOGEZA?!'

It had happened instinctively.

Back in his previous life, whenever he messed up big time—whether in research projects, facing angry sponsors, or dealing with the media—dogeza was the fastest emergency protocol.

But this is isekai!

Why was he still using Earth-based survival tactics?!

But… it was too late now.

Now, the only option was to ride this out and escape unharmed!

"Luciel…" Roxy's voice finally broke the silence.

Luciel remained pressed against the ground, refusing to meet her gaze.

"…You do realize that dogeza doesn't erase the fact that I saw everything, right?"

Luciel held his breath.

Shit. So it didn't work?!

He peeked up slightly, looking at Roxy's skeptical expression.

Okay.

New strategy.

His face instantly shifted into the most innocent, childlike expression he could muster—his round eyes blinking up at her as if he had no idea what was happening.

"Master…" he said in the most pure and adorable voice he could create.

Roxy raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Luciel tilted his head and widened his eyes further, forcing a confused expression.

"I don't know what happened just now…"

Silence.

Roxy's face remained completely blank.

Her sharp blue eyes stared into his soul with an expression that clearly said:

"Do you think I'm an idiot?"

Luciel instantly knew his act had failed.

"…Alright, that was a lie," he admitted, sitting back up with a defeated sigh.

Roxy exhaled deeply, rubbing her forehead.

"Luciel."

The boy tensed up.

'SHIT. SHE'S GOING TO INTERROGATE ME.'

-Third-Person POV-

The once peaceful night had turned into something far more complicated.

Luciel Greyrat remained silent, feeling the weight of Roxy Migurdia's sharp gaze piercing through him.

Her expression was unreadable—a mix of curiosity, suspicion, and undeniable intrigue.

"Luciel… who are you really?"

Luciel's entire body tensed.

Shit.

That was the hardest question to answer.

He could lie.

He could divert the conversation.

He could pretend to be clueless.

But Roxy was too smart.

She had seen too much.

The wind rustled through the trees, creating an eerie silence between them. The moonlight illuminated Roxy's face, her blue eyes glimmering with the same intensity as a scholar who had just discovered a phenomenon that defied logic.

She had taught many students in her lifetime.

She had spent years mastering magic herself.

But Luciel—a three-year-old child—had just created an entirely new magical element.

Without a teacher.

Without incantations.

Without any established knowledge.

That should not be possible.

And yet, he had done it.

"Luciel…" Roxy's voice softened, though her serious tone remained. "Who exactly are you?"

Luciel stayed silent.

His mind raced, calculating every possible answer.

Telling the truth was out of the question.

He could never reveal that he retained memories of a past life—that he was once a scientist who sought to understand the universe through logic and reasoning.

No one would believe him.

And even if they did, there was no guarantee that the world would accept him.

Which left him with only one option—

Deflection.

Luciel looked up at Roxy with the most innocent expression he could muster.

"What do you mean, Master Roxy?" he asked, his voice calm and unwavering. "I'm just… Luciel."

He added a small, harmless smile, playing the role of a clueless child.

Silence.

Roxy's expression remained flat.

She wasn't buying it.

Luciel knew she wasn't easily fooled.

Roxy sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Luciel…" she spoke carefully. "You do realize that no three-year-old should be able to do what you just did, right?"

Luciel remained quiet.

"I've taught many students in my life. I, myself, spent years mastering intermediate and advanced magic."

Her blue eyes locked onto his.

"But you…" she continued, "you just did it. Instinctively. Effortlessly. Without a teacher. Without a chant."

Luciel bit his lip.

Damn it.

Roxy was too sharp.

If she kept pressing, he wouldn't be able to keep his secret for long.

Before she could ask more questions, Luciel spoke first.

"I just…" he hesitated, carefully choosing his words.

"…was curious."

Roxy raised an eyebrow. "Curious?"

Luciel nodded.

"I always saw Mother using healing magic… I watched Rudeus use spells with ease… and I just wanted to know how it all worked."

He paused, letting his words settle into the air.

"So… I just started trying things out on my own."

Roxy remained silent.

She studied Luciel carefully, searching for any signs of deception.

Luciel knew that Roxy was intelligent—she could read expressions well.

But in this world, there was no guaranteed way to detect lies unless someone used specialized magic.

After what felt like an eternity, Roxy sighed deeply.

"Luciel…" she finally spoke.

Luciel tensed.

'Shit. She's still suspicious.'

But then—

To his surprise, Roxy let out a small smile.

"You really are… a strange child."

Luciel held his breath.

'Damn it. She's still not convinced.'

However, what surprised him even more was what Roxy said next.

"Alright," she said, sounding more relaxed. "I won't ask any further… for now."

Luciel kept his expression neutral, hiding his relief.

But before he could celebrate, Roxy added—

"But in exchange… I want you to show me your magic again."

Luciel froze.

"What?"

Roxy folded her arms. "Tomorrow morning. I want to see how you use magic firsthand. I want to understand what's happening here."

Luciel wanted to refuse.

But before Roxy could press further, he quickly added his own condition—

"But I still don't want my family to know."

Roxy frowned. "Why?"

Luciel shrugged casually. "Because it's a hassle."

Silence.

The wind blew softly, rustling the leaves around them.

Roxy blinked.

Of all the excuses she expected…

"Because it's a hassle"?!

Luciel stared back at her, his face completely serious.

Roxy sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Luciel, you do realize… most children would be excited if they had an incredible talent for magic, right?"

Luciel nodded. "Yeah, I know."

"But instead of being proud, you want to hide it?"

"Yep."

"…Why?"

Luciel let out a long sigh, his tone flat.

"Master Roxy," he began, "You know how my father is, right?"

Roxy blinked, then recalled Paul Greyrat—a powerful swordsman, talented in combat, but also an unbelievable idiot.

Then, she thought of Zenith, a loving yet overprotective mother.

And of course, Rudeus—Luciel's older brother, a genius in magic but also a legendary pervert.

Roxy slowly started understanding his reasoning.

Luciel continued, his expression dead serious.

"If my father finds out I can use high-level magic at my age… he'll start screaming, 'You're talented, kid! Let's train swordsmanship too!' and drag me outside for morning training until I can't walk."

Roxy nearly choked.

"If my mother finds out… she'll worry too much and say, 'You're still too young! You need to rest! Don't train too hard!' and I'll lose my freedom to practice."

Now Roxy was really trying not to laugh.

But Luciel wasn't finished.

"And if Rudeus finds out…"

He paused.

Then, his expression darkened, as if he had just imagined something terrifying.

"…I don't know what will happen, but I'm sure it will involve something I don't want to imagine."

Roxy blinked.

Then—

"PFFT—!"

She couldn't hold it in anymore.

The logic.

The absurdity.

The ridiculously accurate analysis of his own family.

It was too much.

Luciel frowned, crossing his arms. "What's so funny?"

Roxy wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, finally calming herself.

"Sorry… sorry…" she chuckled. "But you're right… your family is quite… unique."

Luciel scoffed.

"So?" he pressed. "You can keep this a secret, right?"

Roxy stayed silent, seriously considering his request.

After a moment, she let out a deep sigh before nodding.

"Alright. I won't tell anyone… for now."

Luciel narrowed his eyes. "On one condition?"

Roxy smirked.

"Tomorrow, you'll show me more of your magic."

Luciel sighed.

"…Fine."

Roxy's smile widened. "Then we have a deal."

Luciel said nothing.

He simply looked up at the starry sky, realizing one thing—

His life was about to get a lot more complicated.

And one thing was certain…

Roxy Migurdia wasn't letting this go.