Mushoku Tensei — Chapter 43 - Norn — What Was Lost

"Th-this is... where...?"

That light appeared, and then I lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes again, I had no idea where I was. But I could feel familiar arms holding me. I looked up. It was Father, and standing beside him was Lilia-mama.

His face was pale with terror. Then he looked down at me and at Lilia-mama, and some of that fear left him. He stroked my head and smiled.

"It's all right. I'll bring you both home."

...

We spent half a year making our way back from that unfamiliar place.

When we finally reached our old territory, there was nothing left.

The village. The buildings. Even the grass and the trees. All of it was gone. Refugees sat scattered across the bare earth as if they'd given up waiting to die. At the village entrance, guards from somewhere were handing out food.

Father found one of them and asked around until he located a nobleman — apparently a distant relative of his. After they spoke, Father's expression turned darker than before.

He and Lilia-mama found the lists. The missing persons list. The death list.

I knew very few characters. I could only recognize my own name and the family name Greyrat. I searched as carefully as I could.

Father and Lilia-mama barely glanced at the death list. They kept their eyes on the missing persons list and searched through it line by line.

"F-found... found it..."

Father's voice trembled. But he was smiling.

All the news was bad. Still, Mother, Brother, and Aisha were listed as missing. Not dead. Missing.

After that, Father went back to the nobleman. I didn't understand what they talked about.

When the conversation was over, Father picked me up.

"Norn. Lilia. From here on, I'm forming a search-and-rescue party. We're going to find the missing villagers... and our family."

"Paul... I believe that if it's Young Master Rudeus... he will find his way back to us safely."

"I believe in him too. So for now, our priority is finding Aisha... and Zenith..."

Listening to them, I kept thinking that Brother must be someone extraordinary in their eyes.

He could come back on his own even through a disaster like this? But Brother was only ten years old.

I didn't say that out loud. Father believed it so completely that I was almost afraid to question it.

...

Nearly 2 years passed. The search-and-rescue party found nothing about Mother or the others.

Father had posted notices at almost every guild within reach of human territory. Still nothing.

About half a year ago, he started drinking. Lilia-mama would slip out late at night to be with him. They always seemed to think I was already asleep.

I started to be afraid. If we never found Mother, would Father just forget about me...?

What if Father and Lilia-mama had another child? Lately I couldn't stop thinking about things like that.

Then one day, Father swept me up laughing like a man who'd lost his mind. Beside him, Lilia-mama was smiling wider than I'd seen her smile in a long time.

"It's Rudeus! Rudeus sent a letter!"

Father tore it open right in front of us and read every word aloud.

[I am very sorry, Father. I only just saw your message, and I am writing back now. For the past 2 years I have been in the northernmost part of the Demon Continent. It took a great deal of time to get out.

Aisha is with me. You don't need to worry. In 2 or 3 months, I will reach the address you left in your message: the Holy Country of Milis, Milishion.

Rudeus Greyrat]

A few short sentences. Father read them again. And then again.

The smile on his face was the brightest, the most alive, I had seen in 2 years.

"The Demon Continent... Young Master Rudeus went somewhere like that... with Aisha... I hope he wasn't hurt..."

Lilia-mama's voice was quiet. Tears ran down her face.

Father pulled her into his arms.

"Don't worry. Rudeus is far more capable than I am. Aisha won't have a scratch on her."

"I'm worried about Young Master Rudeus... He always pushes himself past his limit..."

Father was quiet for a moment. Then he smiled.

"Don't overthink it. He's already told us he's safe, hasn't he?"

"Mm... Then you have to stop drinking. Young Master Rudeus won't want to see you looking like this."

Father ran a hand over the stubble on his chin.

"Fair enough. Starting today, I'm done."

Watching the two of them, I wanted so badly to ask one thing.

What about Mother?

But Brother coming home was still something to be happy about. Because if Brother was coming back, Father would never abandon me. I was sure of that.

That night, Father sat with me and told me about everything Brother had done over these years.

2 years ago I probably would have been too young to follow any of it. But I was older now. I understood.

I understood how remarkable Brother really was. I understood how dangerous the Demon Continent really was.

"Your brother... cares about family more than you can imagine. If anyone ever hurts you, he'll beat them senseless. Or... actually, he might just kill them."

"Th-that's a bit..."

"That's the kind of person he is. He once tried to kill the Sword King. Nearly pulled it off, too. And the Sword King was only trying to test him."

"That's incredible..."

"He's your brother. Of course he is."

Father ruffled my hair.

It was warm. So warm that I felt embarrassed about everything I'd been thinking. How could Father ever abandon me? He and Lilia-mama were husband and wife. It was only because I was still small, because Father had no one else to lean on, that they'd been that way together.

I let my eyes fall closed, and I tried to picture my brother's face.

Brother... he really is amazing.

➤ Next: Reunion — Tears Unshed