Mushoku Tensei — Chapter 119 - Zenith — Tears Unshed

Four days after the treatment ended, Zenith woke up.

Our whole family gathered around her. Sitting up in bed, Zenith stared at us with a blank, wondering look.

While she slept, I had used the magic scroll Orsted gave me to heal her throat and body, so there shouldn't have been any problems. After checking her multiple times, I hadn't found a single one. Zenith's body was in excellent condition. She could eat whenever she wanted, move however she liked, no rehabilitation required.

Still, I was a little worried.

"Mother, can you say something...?"

Zenith nodded and reached toward the top of my head.

The gentle stroke I was expecting never came. Instead, she gave me a light chop with the side of her hand.

Then she spoke softly.

"Rudeus..."

"Mother!"

I threw my arms around her. Zenith reached up and wrapped her arms around me.

Her voice was completely different from the one I remembered. But it was the voice I most wanted to hear right now.

When the embrace ended, Zenith turned to look at Paul.

"Paul..."

"Zenith! Hahaha..."

Paul rushed forward and hugged her, his composure crumbling.

Zenith smiled and beckoned to Lilia.

The three of them held each other. I stood back with my three wives and watched. The moment Zenith had spoken, Norn had started crying and hadn't stopped. Aisha was gently patting her back.

.......

After Zenith woke up, she told us what she had experienced all these years.

She hadn't thought she was sleeping. It felt more like a dream.

But this dream had been woven through with reality.

She knew I had married three wives, for instance. In her mind, she had even scolded me for it. She understood my daily treatments as me coming to talk with her every day. Paul and Lilia were present in her memory too, the three of them living an ordinary, happy life together.

The biggest contrast was Aisha and Norn. In her memory, neither daughter had grown up much at all.

"Roxy, Eris, Sylphie..."

Zenith beckoned them over.

My three wives walked forward together, hand in hand, and stood before her.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to offer my blessings at your weddings. May I give them to you now?"

"Of course." All three, at once.

"May your marriages be happy. And if Rudeus ever gives you trouble..." Zenith smiled. "Come tell me."

"Yes! Thank you... Mother Zenith."

Sylphie said it first. Then Roxy and Eris followed.

Zenith nodded, satisfied, and drew all three daughters-in-law into her arms.

Then her brow creased. She looked down at the slight curve of Eris's belly.

Eris was 7 months along now. It was starting to show.

"Hmm...? Eris, is that...?"

"Ah, Mother — I'm pregnant."

"Oh my! Congratulations!"

"Hehe..."

Eris grinned. Zenith glanced at Roxy and Sylphie.

"You two work hard too."

"Yes..."

They both nodded, a little flustered.

Then Zenith beckoned to me and my two sisters.

We walked over. Zenith immediately gave me a chop on the head.

"Rudeus..."

"Mother, what is it?"

"Sigh... I'm not even sure what to say to you. Looking at how happy my three daughters-in-law are, I suppose I'll let you off."

"Thank you for your mercy, Mother."

"Honestly... you're just like Paul."

Behind me, Paul laughed out loud.

That's not a compliment, Paul.

Zenith pulled my two sisters into her arms. Norn, who had finally stopped crying, started again.

"Mom... I missed you so much..."

"I know. I'm sorry, Norn, Aisha — I wasn't there while you were growing up..."

Norn wept. Aisha rubbed her back and answered quietly.

"It's okay. We always knew Mother Zenith was watching over us."

Zenith didn't say anything to that. She just looked at everyone and smiled.

"Alright. It's a happy day — what should we eat tonight?"

My three wives announced they wanted to show off their cooking. Zenith was delighted.

That afternoon, the girls headed out together to buy ingredients, leaving just Paul and me at home. I had wanted to go along, but Zenith had pointed at me firmly: this was a girls' outing, Rudeus was not invited. My three wives all agreed. I stayed behind.

So there we sat, two grown men across from each other, with nothing in particular to say.

"Uh... Rudeus."

"Hm?"

"This is a little embarrassing to say... uh..."

"Just say it. I'd rather not drag it out, Father."

"Tch. No patience for me at all."

"None."

Paul smiled.

"I'm grateful you're my son. I love you, Rudeus."

"What are you doing..."

"I just think you've really grown up. I don't need to play the stern father anymore."

"Was Father ever playing the stern father?"

"I wasn't? I always thought I was."

"Hahahaha... Yeah... I love you too, Father."

"Come on... still awkward in the end."

"So why did Father bring it up?"

"Yeah, well." Paul shrugged. "Awkward or not, I feel better having said it."

"Same."

We were still laughing when the girls came back. We all pitched in and put together a full, lavish dinner.

Around the table, we talked about everything, the years that had passed, things that had happened, plans for what came next. Toward the end of the night, everyone started throwing out names for the baby in Eris's belly. Nothing was decided, but there were plenty of good ones.

"We'll settle on one when the time gets closer."

That was how the day went, the day Zenith woke up.

Happy didn't quite cover it. It was more than that.

It was the kind of day that stays with you.

➤ Next: Leaving the Nest