Mushoku Tensei — Chapter 135 - Variables — Face to Face

A few days after my mother-in-law returned to the Demon Continent, Orsted came to my house.

Rare enough that he visited at all. Rarer still that he came in person.

He sat in the living room, Lara perched obediently on his lap.

Lara genuinely seemed to delight him. No matter how she acted up, he never minded.

"Lara."

"What is it, Papa?"

"Take Daibai and go play in the yard for a bit. Your Uncle Orsted and I have some things to discuss."

"Oh!"

She hopped down from his lap, said a polite goodbye, and ran out of the living room.

Orsted smiled, then looked at me.

"So. That discussion you mentioned — do you have any thoughts?"

"I want to wipe out the Apostles of the Man-God in one sweep. They covet my family every single day. I won't have peace of mind until they're gone."

"Mhm. The problem is, wiping them all out at once is nearly impossible. They're scattered, and I can't confirm their locations."

He paused. Then shook his head.

"No. They will gather."

"Why?"

"The attack on your father-in-law and mother-in-law was already a desperate move. The Man-God will find a way to launch a final offensive. His target is Lara, or you."

"Didn't you say that Lara combined with the Sacred Beast possesses immense Fate Power? They..."

"Fate Power isn't invincible. There are always loopholes. Your Fate Power is extraordinarily strong, yet in the previous timeline, the Man-God still schemed against you and you were killed by me. That proves he has ways to diminish it."

"I can't refute that..."

Keith, huh.

So the Apostles of the Man-God would gather and launch a single offensive?

Wait. Didn't Orsted say the Man-God could only have three apostles at a time?

Keith, Luke. Those two were already confirmed to have little real combat ability.

"You mentioned before that the Man-God can only maintain about three apostles at a time. If Keith is one, then counting Luke, that's already two."

"Mhm."

"The last one... was previously Aisha. Which means only Keith remains?"

"That's probably the case."

"Keith and Luke don't have much combat ability. Even if they all gather..."

"It won't be that simple. There are also those who were once Apostles of the Man-God."

"I see..."

Former apostles who would still serve him.

That's what he meant.

"That Keith — he's very likely a key figure. He personally made contact with my family members many times, yet he never moved against them."

"Mhm. In previous cycles, I never noticed him either. He may very well be the Man-God's trump card."

"If we capture him, I can use magic to probe his memories. We'd learn a great deal."

Orsted nodded. He reached out and pressed his hand into the empty air, and when he withdrew it, there was a ring between his fingers.

"Rudeus. Wear this."

"Alright."

If Orsted was giving it to me, it had to be a useful magical tool. I didn't need to ask.

I slipped it onto my right hand. The left was reserved for my wife and my sister.

"Honestly, I have no leads on this Keith. I'll leave that matter to you, Rudeus."

"Leave it to me. If I need your help, I'll activate that spell."

"Mhm. As long as you have mana, it can be activated under any circumstances. I will arrive quickly."

"Good."

We had just settled on a course of action when Sylphie's voice came from the entrance.

"Rudy, someone's here to see you."

"Hm? Who is it?"

"He... says his name is Ruijerd. Norn is with him too."

Ruijerd? Norn?

What would they need from me?

...Don't tell me they're here to ask my blessing for an engagement.

The moment that thought surfaced, I was already out of my seat and moving toward the door.

But as soon as I reached the entrance, that thought dissolved.

Ruijerd's expression was stone-serious. Norn's was tight with unease.

"Ruijerd. What's happened?"

"Rudeus. Please help me."

Ruijerd lowered his head.

"Start from the beginning."

------

It was, in fact, a serious matter.

Ruijerd had found information about the Superdia tribe. Or rather, someone from the Superdia tribe had found him.

His reputation had grown considerably over the years. It wasn't surprising they'd tracked him down.

They had sent him a letter.

The contents: a disease had spread through the tribe. An infectious one. The entire village was struggling.

"Rudeus, I need your help. You know the locations of the teleportation circles."

I looked at the address on the letter and my head started to hurt.

There was no teleportation circle anywhere near that place.

Still, using one could cut down the travel distance at least somewhat.

Then Orsted's voice came from behind me.

"This too is a variable..."

The instant those words left his mouth, Ruijerd had his spear out. He shoved Norn behind him.

"Norn, run!"

His face had the look of a man prepared to die. Norn, for her part, did not move. She just patted him on the shoulder.

Her expression wasn't exactly relaxed either.

"It's alright, Mr. Ruijerd. Mr. Orsted is my brother's... friend?"

Orsted smiled and gave a small nod.

"Mhm. I am Rudeus's friend."

Ruijerd went still. He put his spear away and bowed.

"I apologize... I..."

"No need. That is simply the instinct of a living being."

Watching the exchange, I found myself thinking, maybe Ruijerd really did care about Norn. More than casually.

Whether it was protective, the way he'd treat a child, or something else entirely, I couldn't say.

Hm...

"I'll give you the teleportation circle map. It doesn't connect directly to the location in the letter, but it will get you meaningfully closer."

"Thank you!"

"I do have to be honest with you, though. A letter from that far out took at least several months to arrive. Your tribesmen..."

"I understand. Whatever the situation, I have to go and see for myself."

"Alright."

I went back inside, found the map, and returned to the entrance.

Ruijerd took it, and Norn leaned in to look alongside him.

After a moment, Norn's brow furrowed.

"It's still such a long way... Mr. Ruijerd."

"Much shorter than the original route."

"Then — may I come with you?"

"That won't be necessary."

"I know healing magic. It's only intermediate level, but I also have experience caring for the sick. Your tribesmen are all ill. You'll need extra hands."

"This..."

Ruijerd looked at me.

Hah.

As if I'd let Norn go somewhere like that.

An infectious disease. In the middle of nowhere.

"Norn. You are not going."

"Why?"

"It's dangerous."

"Brother, I'm already twenty. I don't want to say things that would hurt you."

"It doesn't matter what you say. I won't permit it."

"I don't need your permission."

Ruijerd reached over and ruffled Norn's hair.

"Your brother is right. It's too dangerous. I'll come back once everything is handled."

"But...!"

Norn looked at me again.

"Brother!"

Why...

Had I done something wrong, as an older brother? All I wanted was to keep my little sister away from something dangerous.

"Rudeus."

Orsted spoke.

"What?"

"You could go with him."

"Hm? What about Keith..."

"This situation could also be the Man-God's work. Something like this has never occurred before. To be precise..." He paused. "I have never once seen a member of the Superdia tribe other than Ruijerd."

When Orsted said it, even he looked slightly disbelieving.

So that was how it was.

A situation Orsted had never encountered across all his cycles.

Other than the Man-God's hand in this, I couldn't think of another explanation.

"I understand."

I turned to Norn.

"I'll go. You stay."

"I want to go too!"

"Why? Stop being difficult..."

"Brother, I want to help Mr. Ruijerd. I want to help the Superdia tribe. And you'll be there. You'll protect me, won't you?"

Fine.

I understood what Norn was thinking. It wasn't about proving herself, nothing that small. She simply, genuinely, wanted to help Ruijerd. Wanted to help his people.

And honestly, I was confident I could keep her safe.

If she felt that strongly about it...

"Alright. But you tell Father and Mother everything before we leave. All of it."

"Mm! Thank you, Brother!"

If it were Aisha, she'd have already thrown her arms around me.

Little sisters really are strange creatures. Same relationship, completely different people.

Though, the old Norn would have pouted a little, at least.

Damn it. It's all this Ruijerd's fault.

➤ Next: Departure, Once Again