Mushoku Tensei — Chapter 61 - Some Daily Life 4

About a week later, I made my way to the Magic University.

For some reason, the headmaster was fairly welcoming. After our conversation, he agreed to take me on as faculty without much fuss.

Probably Roxy's letter of recommendation. I'd have to thank her properly next time I saw her.

She really has helped me more than anyone else in this world.

As for Aisha and Norn, they'd need to pass the entrance exams. Though it wouldn't be the end of the world if they didn't, there aren't many problems money can't solve.

Sylphiette, though... she didn't seem to want to attend school or take a job. Probably because of her hair color.

For now, she was living at my place. Every day she cooked alongside the maids and Lilia.

Which raised the obvious question: why did I hire maids in the first place?

But every time I praised her cooking and she smiled at me like that, I couldn't bring myself to say "you don't have to do this."

...

Lately, Norn and Aisha had been at each other's throats.

No. That's putting it mildly. They were fighting.

I didn't know the cause, but it kept happening. So I went to find Sylphiette.

"Sylphiette, do you have any idea why Aisha and Norn have been so hostile toward each other lately?"

Sylphiette was stir-frying in the kitchen. She stopped when she heard me and turned off the flame.

She looked at me, genuinely puzzled.

"Rudeus really doesn't know...?"

"Please enlighten this ignorant one."

Sylphiette smiled and ruffled my hair.

"Rudeus, you're so oblivious~"

She pulled her hand back, pressed one finger to her chin, and took a moment like she was sorting out how to put it.

The sudden intimacy caught me off guard. Something tugged at my chest.

The Sylphiette standing in front of me now was nothing like the girl I remembered. Or maybe the way I looked at her had just changed.

"Mmm... Rudeus, you've been spoiling Norn a little too much lately, you know."

"Huh? Have I...?"

"Think about it. You're teaching Norn magic. You're coaching her for the entrance exam. You've even taken her outside for hands-on practice. And the most important part?" She tilted her head. "You never brought Aisha along~"

"But... Aisha already knows all of that."

"That's exactly the problem. Aisha feels like the brother who used to be only hers has been taken away by Norn. She likes you so much — so all that frustration ends up pointed at Norn instead."

Aisha. Frustration. At Norn.

Honestly, Sylphiette was probably exaggerating a little. Or deliberately making it sound serious so I'd take it more seriously.

Still, I pushed back.

"I don't know... Aisha is so mature. And all I've really seen is the two of them bickering. It can't be that bad, can it?"

Sylphiette smiled. Soft and warm. I lost track of myself for a moment.

We held each other's gaze for a beat too long. Then Sylphiette seemed to snap back to reality.

"Ah, I need to finish cooking. Rudeus, go wait at the dining table. It'll be ready soon."

"I'd love to say I'm happy to let Sylphiette cook, but I have to ask — where are the maids?"

"I sent them off to rest."

"You fired them?"

"Rudeus~ do you honestly think I'm the kind of person who would make decisions about someone else's household without asking?"

"I've always thought of Sylphiette as family. Could it be she doesn't feel the same way?"

"I, I, of course I do — I feel the same way too — now get out of here! Go talk to Aisha!"

Face bright red, she shooed me out of the kitchen.

I'd barely stepped out when her voice followed after me.

"I didn't fire them. I just gave them a couple of days off. Aisha and Norn are starting school soon, so I wanted to cook for them myself. To celebrate."

"That was thoughtful."

Over this past week, it almost felt like Sylphiette and I had gone back to being kids again.

No. That wasn't quite right.

The Sylphiette of our childhood had followed my lead completely, more like a shadow than a companion.

But now, when I looked at her, I saw someone captivating. A woman.

I liked her. There was no point pretending otherwise. But I probably wouldn't marry her.

Maybe it was the values I'd carried over from my past life. Or maybe it was my feelings for Eris.

Even though Eris had said she wouldn't mind if I found someone...

No. Not the time for that. Aisha first.

When I reached the dining table, Aisha, Norn, and Lilia were already seated.

I sat down. Looked at Aisha. Looked at Norn.

The tension between them hadn't budged.

Still at it.

If Sylphiette was right, and Aisha was picking fights with Norn out of jealousy, then acting now would only make things worse. Better to find a moment to talk to Aisha alone.

After dinner, Aisha slipped off by herself toward the backyard to water the plants. I followed.

When I got there, she wasn't watering anything. She was standing with her back to me, still as a statue. Like she'd been waiting.

"Big brother~ why'd you follow me?"

"Just some family business."

"Oh~"

Flat. Cool. She wasn't wrong to be, if Sylphiette's read was accurate, I'd been neglecting her. I didn't love that word, but it fit.

"Nothing you want to say to me?"

"Not really, big brother."

I exhaled quietly.

"Why have you and Norn been fighting?"

"Big brother doesn't know why?"

She still had her back to me. Her voice carried that same chill.

I wasn't used to it. Not even a little. Having my little sister cold like this genuinely stung.

"I have a guess. But I'd rather hear it from you. I know lately I might have..."

I didn't get to finish.

Aisha took a sharp breath, turned around, and launched herself at me.

She drove her head straight into my chest and wrapped her arms around me.

"Big brother is so unfair! You always take Norn-nee's side!"

"I wouldn't say that... I think I've been fairly even-handed."

She squeezed harder in response, like a punishment. My ribs registered the complaint. Swordswoman, right.

"You only taught Norn-nee the material that might show up on the exam. You only took her out for practice runs. And then when the results came back, Norn-nee barely passed and you praised her like she'd done something amazing. I got perfect scores! Written exam and the magic practical, perfect scores on both! Why was big brother so flat about it when it was me?!"

I wanted to explain. I just didn't know where to start.

I'd done something wrong here.

I'd always assumed that for Aisha, achieving those things was just... natural. Expected. She was talented, so I'd taken her talent for granted. Never considered that she'd still worked hard for it.

What a lazy, arrogant way of thinking.

"Sorry. That was my fault."

"Hmph!"

"I'm new to this whole big brother thing too. Can you let this one go?"

I put my hand on her head. She buried her face deeper into my chest and held on tighter.

"Big brother... I'm sorry... for being so difficult..."

"Don't apologize. If anything, you've been way too well-behaved for too long. Seeing you like this is actually a relief."

"Really?"

"Really. You can be more demanding."

"Then I don't want to go to school!"

That was fast.

I curled my finger and flicked her forehead.

"No."

"But big brother just said I could be more demanding!"

"Skipping school isn't demanding. That's just being difficult."

"Tch."

"Did you just click your tongue? Where did you pick that up?"

"None of big brother's business!"

She pulled free and sprinted back inside. Then, barely through the door, her head reappeared.

"Big brother, one more thing!"

"What?"

"A week ago, at the front door, who was that blonde woman who kissed you?"

Blonde.

Lodis. Aisha had seen that.

"Don't you remember her? That was Lodis, the scout from Barn's party."

"I know her name! I'm asking if she's your girlfriend. Why was she kissing you?"

"She's not my girlfriend. And please don't mention this to Eris-nee."

"Then why did she kiss you!"

"...She was pursuing me. I turned her down properly. She ambushed me with that kiss."

"Oh. Okay then. I'll patch things up with Norn-nee! And I'll apologize!"

And she was gone again.

I stood in the yard smiling for a while, not really going anywhere.

Then, for no particular reason, I started wandering.

Come to think of it, where was that horse? Domi, wasn't it? Somewhere in the backyard?

I drifted around until I found Domi lying in a stable, well-built, well-kept.

Did Aisha put this together herself? She really doesn't sit still.

I shook my head with a quiet laugh and headed back inside.

The moment I stepped through the door, I almost walked into Sylphiette. She blinked in surprise, then smiled.

"How'd it go? You two work things out?"

"We did. Thank you, Sylphiette."

"Rudeus... don't be so formal with me."

"I'll try."

She paused, like something had just come to mind.

"Rudeus, can I ask you something?"

Just like Aisha.

"Go ahead."

"Where is Miss Eris?"

"Ah... she went to train."

"Is she reachable? Could you get a letter to her?"

A letter to Eris.

I hadn't written in years. Didn't want to interrupt her training.

But it had been a long time now.

"Should be possible, I think. Though I honestly don't know if she still remembers how to read..."

"I see~ There are some things I'd like to say to Miss Eris. Would it be alright if I wrote to her?"

"Of course. She's training at the Sword Sanctum. A letter sent there should find her."

"Good. Thank you, Rudeus."

➤ Next: Sylphiette — Tears Unshed