Mushoku Tensei — Chapter 160 - if Route 4

A week passed.

I returned to Nanahoshi's lab.

When she saw me, she spoke first.

"Rudeus... the slaves are ready..."

"Don't talk like that. Yes, I hit you when we first met — but that was an accident."

"I'm just a little scared. Is that so wrong?"

"See, that's much better."

She immediately started muttering under her breath.

"How am I supposed to know if you'll hit me again..."

"I won't. I never liked hitting women."

"Then... are we friends? You're from Earth too. Different countries, but still..."

"Think whatever you want. Where did you buy the slaves?"

"You said you needed a lot, so I bought 20 to start. That's a quantity any slave merchant can handle."

"Fine. Which one?"

Nanahoshi handed me a business card.

---

I left the academy and walked toward the slave market.

Every slave there was unclothed.

Humans.

Demon Race.

Beastmen.

And others I couldn't easily categorize.

I found the merchant and said the name.

"Nanahoshi Shizuka."

His whole demeanor shifted immediately.

"An honored guest! Please, come in, come in!"

He led me to where the slaves were kept.

Twenty of them.

Almost all human.

"Can you swap them out for Demon Race?"

"Demon Race would run quite a bit more expensive... what does the gentleman think..."

I hadn't expected to be troubled by money. Not at this stage.

Maybe I really should go hunt a few Red Dragons at some point.

"The humans are fine. Deliver them here."

I gave him the address.

"Your name, sir?"

"Rudeus Greyrat."

---

The location was a basement Nanahoshi had purchased on my behalf.

Originally used by nobles for wine storage, then converted and reconverted over the years. It had held prisoners once. The walls remembered it.

It would do.

I waited there through the afternoon.

Then, finally, the sound of a carriage outside.

"Lord Rudeus..."

"Mm."

They were brought in one by one. All of them in wooden shackles.

Children, too.

Their eyes held nothing. No fear of death, no clinging to life. Just nothing.

"Lord Rudeus, I'll take my leave."

"Mm."

No point drawing this out. Let's begin.

---

Screaming.

Weeping.

Curses.

A few tried to hex me with their dying breath.

I didn't take any of it to heart.

Because I could feel it. The experiment was working. Every result confirmed it.

If I could just keep going, I could cure Zenith. I knew it.

The last one was a little girl.

I walked up to her and stopped.

I stiffened.

What...

Why...

Wine-red hair.

Green eyes.

And her age...

She looked so much like Aisha. So much it made something seize in my chest.

But this "Aisha" was trembling.

Because of me.

"What's your name?"

"Ai..."

What?

"Ai... sha."

➤ Next: If5 — What Was Lost