Mushoku Tensei — Chapter 116 - One Day

What exactly are memories?

Are they simply stored in the brain? Or do they get embellished, distorted, shaped by things we can't even name?

I'm not entirely sure.

At least, based on my experiments during this period, the memories people find most unforgettable tend to be the meaningless ones. They don't get embellished or distorted. They just stay.

Like an afternoon spent playing with a friend whose name you've already forgotten.

Like getting a beating from your mother for being too mischievous.

Or sitting at your own doorstep on a perfectly ordinary afternoon, staring at nothing.

Just that. And somehow it becomes the deepest memory of a lifetime.

The person themselves may never realize it. But that's what my experiments have recorded.

"Rudeus? What are you thinking about?"

Eris's voice pulled my drifting thoughts back to the present.

I lifted my head and looked at her.

Hmm. I glanced down at either side of me, where Roxy and Sylphie were still sleeping soundly.

"Just some experiment-related matters. You're up early, Eris."

"Yeah! Rudeus, are you getting up now?"

"It's about time."

"Then get up! I'm going to exercise!"

Having said that, Eris didn't leave. She stared straight at me.

"What?"

"Didn't Rudeus say he was getting up?"

"Technically, opening my eyes already counts."

"What kind of logic is that? Come on, get up and exercise with me~"

I really can't hold out when the usually assertive Eris decides to pout at me.

I got up without dragging my feet and put my clothes on.

Roxy and Sylphie were still dead asleep. After what I'd put them through last night, that wasn't surprising.

I leaned down and gave each of them a kiss, then left the room feeling thoroughly satisfied.

The moment I stepped out, Eris was already staring at me.

I knew exactly what she was waiting for.

I walked up to her, wrapped my arm around her waist, and kissed her directly on the lips.

When it ended, Eris's face had gone red.

"I didn't say I wanted Rudeus to kiss me..."

"I wanted to kiss you."

"Well, fine then! Rudeus really is willful."

"Mm-hmm."

I looked at Eris's rounded belly and found myself wondering whether swinging a sword counted as strenuous exercise for a pregnant woman.

I'd heard that moderate exercise during pregnancy is good for both mother and baby. But what exactly did "moderate" mean for Eris?

It's not like I hadn't tried to persuade her. She just wants to move. What is she, a little kid...

We reached the courtyard and Eris habitually drew her sword and started swinging.

My own swordsmanship is pretty terrible, but it does the body good, and it makes Eris happy. So when I have the time, I swing along with her.

"Rudeus, how is Mother Zenith doing?"

Eris asked it between strokes.

"Everything's going smoothly so far."

"Oh! Keep at it!"

2 months had passed since Zenith's treatment began.

Every afternoon I go to Paul's place and treat her for at least 4 hours. Zenith's case is similar to the 2 patients I treated before; the extended duration is purely a precaution. I don't want her bearing even the smallest risk, so I stretched the treatment period out to 5 months.

We're only halfway through.

"Good morning~ Rude!"

Roxy appeared at the window, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Good morning, Roxy!", two voices, together.

She smiled at our response.

"Sylphie wants to know what you two feel like for breakfast."

I finished a swing and answered, "Same as usual is fine."

Eris lit up beside me. "I want meat!"

"Who eats meat first thing in the morning?"

"I want it though... Rudeus won't allow it?"

She gave me that look. The pitiful one.

I'm completely helpless against it. Whenever she does that, the refusal just dies somewhere between my brain and my mouth. Sylphie and Roxy have figured that out too, by the way.

"Fine, we'll have meat..."

Roxy pressed a hand to her forehead.

"Rude~ you really do spoil us. During pregnancy it's better if Eris doesn't eat such — well, such greasy food first thing in the morning. It might affect the baby."

"Alright!"

Eris accepted that without the slightest resistance.

So that's all it took?

I set down my sword, walked over to Eris, and kissed her again.

"I'm heading inside."

"Yeah! I'll swing a little more!"

Sword training really is addictive.

Back inside, Roxy came to meet me.

"Want to take a bath, Rude?"

"I'll rinse off quick. Worked up a bit of sweat."

"Mm~ I have a class this afternoon. I want to wash my hair."

"Together, then?"

"Of course~ Rude can help wash it~"

We headed into the bathroom.

I took a very proper shower, then carefully, thoroughly washed Roxy's hair.

Honestly, it smells incredible.

I settled in behind her and ran my fingers through the length of it. Such a petite frame, and yet she keeps her hair this long. She must have been growing it out for years.

Hmm. I think I really am the type who likes long hair.

All three of my wives have it, and I love that about all of them.

"Honestly! Rude, what are you doing!"

"Just touching it. And... smelling it."

"Rude... that's a little perverted."

"You don't like it?"

"I like it~"

Nothing further happened in the bathroom, of course. We'd handled everything that needed handling the night before.

After drying off, Roxy and I headed to the kitchen.

Sylphie was already at the stove preparing breakfast. From behind, she was the picture of a devoted wife.

Roxy settled at the dining table and picked up her teaching materials to review.

I walked up behind Sylphie and gently wrapped my arms around her.

"Rude, that's a little dangerous, you know."

"It really is. Having a wife like this is dangerous..."

I buried my face against the nape of her neck and breathed in.

A different scent from Roxy's.

I like both of them.

"Honestly... Rude is getting less and less proper..."

"I only do this to my own wives. Is that not acceptable?"

"It's very acceptable. I really like Rude like this~ It's just — I'm cooking right now!"

I let go and sat back at the table, watching Sylphie's back as she worked.

She hasn't even gotten pregnant yet, and still she gives off this warmth, this quiet maternal quality...

Hmm...?

"Rude~ breakfast is ready. Can you go call Eris?"

"Sure."

I went out and brought Eris in from the courtyard. By then, Aisha had gotten up as well.

The five of us sat down together and worked through breakfast, and somewhere in the middle of it I suddenly remembered that our household technically had maids.

After we married, Sylphie had wanted to dismiss them. "These are all things a wife should do," she'd said, with complete sincerity. But I didn't want my wives worn down by every little chore, and I didn't want two maids who weren't exactly young anymore to suddenly find themselves without work. So I talked it through with Sylphie.

She's kind-hearted. She came around immediately. I'm genuinely glad that kind of person is my wife.

So now the arrangement is this: the wives handle cooking, and the remaining chores go to the maids. I set them up with a place to stay nearby, and they come over at their scheduled hours to take care of the house.

"Brother~ after Eris's baby is born, I want to go on an adventure."

"Huh?"

Aisha dropped that casually at the breakfast table. I stared at her for a moment.

"Why?"

"Hmm... because I want to?"

"That's not a reason. Adventuring is dangerous. I won't allow it."

"Ehh~ Brother, I'm already 17, you know? A full-grown adult."

"So?"

"I want~ to find encounters, and I want to see the world!"

"Heh. See the world. You've already traveled halfway around it with me. Find encounters — can't you do that at school?"

"No~ it's too boring."

"Seeking out danger because you're bored? No."

Aisha went quiet for a moment.

"Fine. But Brother... hmm..."

She had the look of someone holding something back. I guessed she had something else in mind, something she wanted, or something she wanted to do.

"Tell me," I said. "As long as it's not dangerous, I'll agree."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Hmm... I'll wait until after Eris's baby is born... no, actually, I'll tell you after Mother Zenith wakes up. It's a very, very important matter!"

Aisha's trust in me still means a lot. I won't pretend otherwise.

And I don't expect any complications with Zenith's treatment.

"Noted. I'll hold onto that."

"Mm!"

Either way, Aisha's sudden plan was vetoed.

After breakfast, I took Eris out for a walk around the neighborhood. In the afternoon, I saw Roxy off to the academy, then headed over to Paul's place and started Zenith's session. When it wrapped up I came home, spent some time with Sylphie and Eris, and then we started on dinner together. Roxy came back, and we all ate again.

As for the night...

Mm. A happy day, passing just like that.

➤ Next: Mother, Memories — Heartbreak