Mushoku Tensei — Chapter 157 - Paul, Keith — Heartbreak

Badigadi had been sealed.

We won.

Aisha returned the sword to North God III. He refused it.

"No need."

"Eh? Why?"

"You made a valid point. I rely too much on external things. Only when my own strength has grown further will I be worthy of wielding it."

Aisha smiled, said nothing, and tossed the sword to Orsted instead.

Orsted caught it and turned to me.

"Rudeus."

"Hm?"

"I consider us friends. Yet you still seem ill at ease around me."

"Do I?"

"Just now, when Aisha was struggling in the fight, that was the first time you thought to call my name. It wasn't until this moment that I realized — you have never once called me by name."

Uh...

Now that he said it, that did seem to be the case.

I had never directly called Orsted by his name. Not once.

"...I can't refute that."

"You don't need to be so reserved, Rudeus."

"I understand... Orsted."

He smiled at that.

Then Aisha came charging straight at me.

Just like when she was small, aiming to crash directly into my arms.

"Brother!"

"Oh!"

I spread my arms and caught her. Hm.

Felt a bit like hugging Eris.

A swordswoman's body really is solid.

"Brother."

"Hm?"

"You think my body isn't soft enough anymore, don't you."

Hm?

How does Aisha read my mind that fast?

Is this some kind of special power? She mentioned going off to find a secret treasure before, don't tell me that treasure was literally the ability to read minds.

"Brother... you're such a pervert. Still like this at twenty-eight~"

"I simply think a swordswoman's physique is sturdy. That's all."

"Hehe~ Sure, let's go with that."

"What do you mean, 'let's go with that.' That really is what I was thinking."

The hug lasted a short while before Aisha wriggled out of my arms and jogged over to my wives, already laughing and catching up with them.

It was only then that I noticed someone on the battlefield.

A figure holding a sword.

Standing in a stance I didn't recognize — some unknown school, or none at all.

It was Keith.

Aisha caught it too, glancing over from where she stood.

But she didn't move. Neither did I. Neither did anyone.

Maybe we felt he posed no threat. Maybe it was something else.

None of us made a move.

Keith waved in my direction and called out.

"Yo! Rudeus."

"Keith..."

"Ah~ well, nothing to be done about it. Other than Badigadi, not one of them was willing to listen to me. North God III betrayed us, the previous Sword God's fate is still unknown." He shrugged. "Nothing to be done now."

"Yeah... you did well, Keith."

I raised the Arrogant Water Dragon King, ready to end it.

He had burned through a lot of anti-magic scrolls earlier, but Gravity Magic wasn't something his body could resist. One application of pressure and he would die.

I was about to act when Paul's hand came out and stopped me.

"Let me."

He drew his sword and walked toward Keith.

Keith saw him coming and smiled.

"Paul. Long time no see. No, wait — we just saw each other a moment ago. But we didn't really get to talk."

"Yeah. Still feels like a long time. We haven't seen each other properly since my son's wedding."

Paul closed the distance one step at a time. Ten paces. Nine. Eight.

Keith talked the whole way, easy and loose, like he was catching up with an old friend.

"How's Zenith?"

"Healed."

"Your son did it?"

"Of course."

"Ah, I figured. You're the protagonist, after all. Your son is too. A protagonist's mother was always going to be healed."

"Is that so? I feel like we're just ordinary people enjoying an ordinary life." Paul chuckled. "Well. Maybe not that ordinary."

Keith exhaled slowly.

"Yeah. Zenith's healed, and you're happy. That's good."

"It is... Keith, why did you come after us?"

"Just repaying a debt. Honestly, I was hoping you'd win." The corner of his mouth twitched. "But I didn't want to lose, either. People really are walking contradictions."

"I have no idea what that means."

"Anyway. Paul." Keith rolled his shoulders. "Come on. Don't go soft on me just because we used to run together."

"I won't. Even if you surrendered right now, I still wouldn't let you walk away."

"Hahahahahaha."

One step forward.

Keith's sword never came up.

He wasn't a swordsman. He was a child who had picked up a sword because he wanted to become one.

The blade went through his chest completely.

Keith's last breath came out slow.

"Paul... ever since I was small... everything I ever tried... I was good at it..."

"Yeah. I could tell. Your logistics were flawless."

"I'm a genius...! So what if... what if my parents had just... let me train with a sword from the start... do you think I could have become like you..."

Paul said nothing.

Keith finished his last words and went still.

Paul caught the body before it could fall. He held it there, and when he finally spoke, his voice carried something that sounded almost like reproach.

"What a fool."

➤ Next: Wrap-up, If