The Theatre of Magi Semperhorti

by Natsume Kafka (pskkenneth)

Summary:

Rudeus Greyrat is trapped in a surreal theatre experience where he must watch himself grow and suffer before an audience of familiar faces, all while retaining self-awareness and contending with the emotional weight of his journey. His experiences shift between introspective, heartfelt, melancholic, and sometimes whimsical, offering a perspective on his life through a lens of conscious reminiscence.

Or...

Rudeus Greyrat (post-Light Novel Volume 15), upon awaking in a dimly lit theatre, is forced to relive his journey of self-improvement in the Six-Faced World along with his friends and family.

I'm sure you've all heard of "Watching Him Die Again and Again" (it's quite popular). Imagine that... but with Mushoku Tensei instead of Re:ZERO.

Also, Rudeus is conscious during the whole thing!

...

Natsumi Kafka strikes again!

Notes:

• Inspired by Re:Zero Watching Him Die Again and Again by Reactionist

Please note that I will most likely NEVER abandon this work. I WILL write for all of the episodes up until the end of LN Volume 15 (which, by the time I get to it, should be released as part of the anime).

If you're confused about uneven upload schedules, please note that I am a human being who has a life.

...

I write all of my chapters in one sitting...

Chapter 1: Prologue

Inside of a small graveyard was a young man crouching in front of a grave. This man had light-ish brown hair in the style of a middle part with a ponytail tied behind his head. He had eyes that shone an emerald hue with a mole under his left eye. The tomb which he was ranting his stories to belonged to someone he held very closely to his heart.

 

“I’ve come to terms when it comes to working with Orsted. Apparently, the guy’s working conditions aren’t even that bad.”

 

A small chuckle could be heard from the man as he closed his eyes to think about what to say next.

 

“The boss told me to meet him back in his hut tomorrow after he finishes reading the future diary. He even gave me this dagger and bag of crystals I can’t even begin to put a price on.”

 

As he was talking to the ground below him, the man displayed the dagger and sack he had mentioned. A soft sigh could be heard escaping his lips as he stored the items and slowly stood up. As he got to his feet, the man made a simple “oh!” as if he realized he forgot to say something important.

 

“I’ve got a third wife now, Father. Although she’s a bit of a handful, I’m sure Eris will be getting along well with Sylphie and Roxy in due time.”

 

After finishing his words, Rudeus Greyrat said his salutations to his father and exited the cemetery.

 

However…

 

---

 

Rudeus woke up in an unfamiliar room with an unfamiliar ceiling. As soon as his mind could process this, he jumped out of his cushioned seat and started feeding mana into his Demon Eye of Foresight.

 

Huh?

 

He didn’t feel his mana starting to drain. Worse. Upon further inspection, he couldn’t feel any mana at all. His abnormally large mana pool was nowhere to be found. Rudeus was sure that this wasn’t another visit from the Man-God since he remembered being awake when walking away from his father’s grave. Besides, the Man-God was basically starting to hunt him at this point. Furthermore, his surroundings were dark and dimly lit by a nearby screen, unlike the blinding white light he saw when being visited by that bastard. He remembered storing the dagger Orsted had given him inside of his coat. As quick as he could, Rudeus pulled out the blade from where he remembered storing it and assumed a stance.

 

I may not be able to use Touki, but I’ve trained my body to its limits for a situation like this. Can Touki even function in a mana-dry environment? Focus! Now’s not the time to ponder such meaningless thoughts. Your family could be in danger for all you know. All you have to do is get some information about where you are and- Wait… is that a cinema screen…?

 

“Rudeus!! Please calm down!”

 

Hearing the desperate, high-pitched voice followed by the sight of white hair, Rudeus slowly softened his stance and turned towards the source of the sound, his thoughts calming down as quickly as they arose.

 

“Sylphie? Do you know where we are? Where’s Lucy?!”

 

“Please, calm down! I’m trying to figure all of this out too!”

 

“Your child is safe. Don’t worry. I’m currently taking care of her as we speak.”

 

At the sound of the voice projecting itself into their heads, Rudeus and Sylphie both reacted in unison. Sylphie held out her hand and prepared to use her silent spellcasting. However, much to her dismay, she couldn’t feel any mana whatsoever. Meanwhile, Rudeus hardened his stance and held his dagger in his right hand, gripping it tightly.

 

I’ve had multiple encounters with higher beings before. I can definitely handle something as simple as this.

 

“Who are you and why are you holding my daughter captive?!”

 

“Like I said, she’s safe. I just found it a bit inconvenient to have Lucy present when considering what you all will be witnessing.”

 

Witnessing? Is that why there’s a giant screen to my side?

 

“How did you get access to this technology?! I know for a fact that no one in this world can even begin to comprehend electricity! Who are you really ?!”

 

Shit. Did I just give myself away as being an isekai victim?

 

“All this yelling is hurting my head, Rudeus.”

 

Hearing the voice from behind him, the mage turned around and saw a girl with long, black hair and Asian features that weren’t present anywhere in his current world. She didn’t have her usual mask on and was wearing plain clothes that were more accustomed to… Earth?!

 

“Your clothes…”

 

“This place has a nice wardrobe. That’s all.”

 

Breathing out in order to calm himself, Rudeus looked around and saw a variety of figures and faces that he knew very well. Roxy, Eris, Norn, and Aisha weren’t in the room, but Sylphie told him that they were cleaning themselves up.

 

Eris… taking a shower?

 

The thought made him shudder.

 

“I see you are in good health, Master. Me and Julie are overjoyed to be in your presence once again.”

 

Rudeus nodded towards the Blessed Child and the dwarf sitting on his lap.

 

“Likewise, Zanoba.”

 

Rudeus could see in the corner of his eye Cliff and Elinalise quietly bantering about something so he decided not to bother them. Rudeus put his dagger back where it belonged on his belt and relaxed. He was still wary of the voice he heard booming in his head, but seeing as all of his friends and family were in wondrous condition, he decided not to think about it.

 

“I’m glad to see you’re doing well, Rudeus. You’re certainly much quicker on your feet.”

 

“I can agree with that.”

 

Turning his head and body around once again, he was met with the approving faces of Ruijerd and Ghislaine. The two of them were sitting in their seats next to each other. Apparently, the two warriors recognized each other’s “aura” (not Touki) and decided to accompany each other.

 

“Ruijerd!”

 

“That’s me.”

 

The young mage ran up to his old mentor and hugged him. By now, Ruijerd had already stood up and welcomed Rudeus’s inviting presence. He was still wearing the same outfit Rudeus remembered seeing him in when they left each other. After the tight embrace, Rudeus turned towards Ghislaine and bowed his head slightly.

 

“I hope you’re doing well too, Ghislaine.”

 

Seeing her old student bow in front of her, Ghislaine couldn’t help but curl her lips upwards a bit. She had certainly missed the young boy’s personality during her time away from him.

 

“You should rejoin your family first. After all, I’m sure what has happened here could only be considered a miracle.”

 

Ghislaine pointed her finger towards the front of the theatre. Rudeus turned his head in the direction her finger was pointing towards and couldn’t help but feel his eyes watering. His mouth was slightly ajar, his breathing seemed to stop, and his body appeared to be frozen solid. In the front of the theatre, sitting comfortably in the cushioned seats, was a red-haired woman, a blond woman, and a brown-haired man. All three of them were looking back at him, making it impossible to deny who they were.

 

I’m glad Lilia is safe, but…

 

Rudeus took a slow, cautious step forward, placing his right foot in front of his left. His parents watched. Before he knew it, he broke into a run towards the front of the theatre and dove into his father’s arms, sobbing as he did so.

 

“That’s not how a man like you, someone who fought against Orsted, the Dragon God, should act.”

 

As his father comforted him, Rudeus gripped the cloth he felt against his skin as tightly as he could, refusing to let go. He didn’t want to lose his father again. The warmth he felt underneath his father’s clothes told him that he was still alive. By now, most of the theatre had turned their gaze away from the Greyrat family to give them some privacy and respect. As he continued crying his heart out, Rudeus felt a woman’s hand on his shoulder.

 

I don’t deserve this… Even Lilia is comforting me like I’m her-

 

“Rudy…”

 

The voice he heard wasn’t Lilia’s voice. No. This voice belonged to someone he knew much more personally. Although Lilia was like a mother to him, he knew it wasn’t her. He recognized this voice. It was a voice he had forgotten after spending so many years without hearing it. Although he would sometimes imagine his mother’s voice in his head, nothing could compare to the real thing.

 

Zenith…

 

“M-Mom…?”

 

His mother was awake and aware. His mother was awake and aware . Fresh tears flowed from Rudeus’s eyes as he stared at his mother’s gaze. The last time he saw her was only the day before. Although he had spent a large majority of his life searching for her after the Displacement Incident, when he finally found her, she had been reduced to a shell of her former self. Although she was, by definition, conscious, her mind was like that of a newborn baby.

 

“I’m here for you…”

 

That was enough for Rudeus. He continued weeping as his parents did their best to comfort him.

 

---

 

“Alright. So, where are we?”

 

Right now, Rudeus was standing up in the front of the theatre with his eyes still red from all the emotional turmoil he experienced. Roxy, Eris, Norn, and Aisha had returned to the theatre by now and were sitting in the second row. After Rudeus caught up with both of them, he concluded that what happened was similar to the Displacement Incident. However, instead of teleporting people in one place across the six-faced world, what happened was a mass-teleportation of people across the six-faced world into one place. The theatre.

 

Behind Rudeus, the screen was still illuminated in a white light and didn’t appear to be showing anything. In front of Rudeus were the people present inside of the theatre. Rudeus looked at the faces in front of him and counted.

 

There are three rows of seats. The people present are me, Sylphie, Roxy, Eris, Norn, Aisha, Paul, Zenith, Lilia, Ghislaine, Ruijerd, Zanoba, Julie, Cliff, Elinalise, Nanahoshi, Orsted, Linia, Pursena, and the Sacred Beast. God, I love that fur. Wait… What is the Sacred Beast doing here?

 

“This is quite the cast…”

 

Rudeus began muttering to himself as he thought about what his next course of action should be. If this were a complex labyrinth, he was sure that they would’ve noticed, especially those who have experience with exploring labyrinths such as his father and other members of their old adventuring party.

 

Rudeus looked around at the faces in front of him once again before plunging into deep thought.

 

Even Orsted can’t seem to find a way to escape this place. Ughhh. This is really starting to get to me. I’m grateful for Paul’s miraculous revival and Zenith’s conscious mind, but why would our captor do something like that? Furthermore, why can’t any of us recall any mana?!

 

“Alright, here’s the plan. We’re going to-”

 

Before he could continue speaking, an invisible force threw Rudeus into a seat in the second row, surrounded by his family. The rest of the cast’s attention shifts from the young mage and to the giant screen residing in front of them. Images began flashing on the white screen before a coherent video began playing, the light hum of the projector playing in the background. When the scene was shown, Rudeus could only curse under his breath.

 

“Fuck.”

Notes:

Lowkey... I have no idea what I'm doing. It's been a hot minute since I've read Mushoku Tensei and I don't even know how to write the beginning parts of the story in the style of WHDAAA.

Anyway, I'll see what I can do. The next chapter upload will most likely be either two weeks or a month from now since I've returned back to the education system.

Also... How the hell do I write Linia and Pursena?!?!!?!?!

Chapter 2: Episode One (Part One)

Notes:

To make sure you all aren't starved for content, I've decided to write episodes in separate parts.

The scene opens with the sound of ambulance sirens and a close-up shot of a man’s face. He appeared to be severely injured as an unknown voice asked if he was okay. This man was in his mid-thirties.

 

“What a tragedy.”

 

“He’s done for.”

 

“…hit by a truck, unconscious and in critical condition. The driver of the truck is unhurt.”

 

The screen pans around to show multiple people watching the scene and what appears to be a police officer talking into a weird object.

 

In the third row, Orsted, after seeing Nanahoshi’s eyes light up at the familiar scene, decided to give his few words to the world-hopper. He assumed that a “truck” is something that required human guidance considering how a driver was mentioned.

 

“What is a truck?”

 

Returning to the present moment, Nanahoshi ripped her eyes away from the scene to face her… mentor? Savior?

 

“It’s a vehicle used to transport things.”

 

Seeing how Nanahoshi wasn’t as willing to answer Orsted’s question, most likely due to the shock that came from seeing her home once again, Orsted decided not to bother her for a while.

 

The rest of the cast were just as confused, if not, more confused than Orsted. After all, this was a completely new world they were watching. As they watched, a few members of the cast were questioning why they were seeing such an event; a tragic one, specifically.

 

Rudeus placed his hands over his face and looked down at the floor.

 

Oh, yeah, I was hit by a…

 

The screen focuses on a drop of water falling towards the ground. However, as the water fell, time seemed to slow down as the distorted voice of a woman came from the screen. However, the slowed time resumed as quickly as it began.

 

Hearing his own voice in the theatre, Rudeus felt a sense of disgust. Sylphie, the one sitting to Rudeus’s left, noticed this and placed a hand on his shoulder, gently patting it while she redirected her attention to him.

 

The parents in the front row, Paul and Zenith, and their maid, Lilia, recognized that voice. However, they decided to not mention it since they didn’t want to bother the rest of the cast. What if they were wrong?

 

In the third row, Aisha’s eyes widened slightly as she heard her stepmother’s voice. She quieted herself and gave the screen in front of her undivided attention. This was getting interesting.

 

Sitting in the front row away from the parents, Linia was the first to speak at this scene.

 

“What the hell are we even watching?”

 

The rest of the cast, more or less, agreed with the words they heard. Ruijerd, Ghislaine, and (surprisingly) Elinalise were sympathizing with the man on the screen. If so many civilians were shown watching the accident, then they knew that the voice on the screen had suffered a tragic injury.

 

“Two high school students thought to have also been hit are currently missing. A search is underway.”

 

The screen showed multiple police officers with flashlights looking for said high school students. The sound of rain had become a backdrop ever since the images started flashing.

 

“Requesting immediate backup. Over.”

 

The screen went to black as the man’s voice appeared once again.

 

Did those three make it out okay?

 

The screen resumed playing and showed a boy in a black uniform with a towel over his head answering some questions from another man.

 

“-hk.”

 

Sitting beside Orsted, Nanahoshi, who was watching the screen with her undivided attention up until now, recognized that this was the night she had been transported to the other world. Orsted, recognizing the look on Nanahoshi’s face, stayed silent.

 

“He’s heavy! Be careful!”

 

You bet I am. I’ve been a recluse for 20 years. I just had to bang on the floor for food.

 

More raindrops were shown falling from the sky.

 

“What a wasteful way to live…”

 

Roxy couldn’t help but silently voice her thoughts as she sat to the right of Rudeus in the second row. The mage heard this and, undoubtedly, sank into a deeper depression.

 

Meeting the Man-God again would’ve been better than this… God, please spare me.

 

Rudeus was talking about Roxy being his God.

 

The raindrops slowed down once again as another voice appeared. This time, it was a man who had a hint of concern.

 

“Zenith! Anipa beyhebu! La took!”

 

The raindrops resumed their fall, just like before.

 

Hm?

 

Hearing his own voice talking to his wife, Paul knew for a fact that this moment was when Zenith was giving birth to Rudeus.

 

“Paul, why are you here~?”

 

The voice of Elinalise in the second row called out towards the front row, to which the one being questioned left unanswered.

 

Zanoba and Julie didn’t seem to care about what was being shown. Instead, Zanoba had tried to make Julie conjure some clay, which failed.

 

From the third row, Norn looked at her father in the front row for a moment. Up until now, she had been purposely avoiding him since she was afraid of what might happen if she did. It was childish self-doubt, really.

 

Sitting next to the left of Zenith, Lilia, someone who had personally witnessed this scene, began recalling her memories that she had left behind long ago. Zenith instantly recognized the scene herself, wondering how the birth of Rudeus was tied to this man’s unfortunate end.

 

“Oh.”

 

Nanahoshi, the only one who was taking everything shown on the screen with much more than a grain of salt, realized that this was the moment when Rudeus reincarnated.

 

To think that my dear friend was a hikikomori…

 

The rest of the cast, realizing something was tying this unfamiliar scene to their own world, leaned forward and watched.

 

The scene changed to a man being pushed on a bed by three nurses.

 

“Do you know where you are?”

 

Pipe down. You don’t have to shout.

 

The image on the screen began distorting with static as a new voice was made present.

 

“Epabuhia! Akunaja taku! La took!”

 

The image returned to normal.

 

Huh? What?

 

The beeping in the background quickened.

 

“Blood pressure dropping!”

 

“Prepare for a transfusion!”

 

The screen showed a group of nurses surrounding the man, showing a first-person view as it did.

 

“Can you hear me? Do you know your name? Can you speak?”

 

The screen began fading to black as if the man were dropping.

 

Huh? Am I dying? Oh, well, my life was basically over anyway.

 

Nanahoshi shuddered at the words her friend was saying. She had experienced a similar train of thought before.

 

Gazing at the screen from the third row, Ruijerd, being the righteous person that he was, couldn’t help but comment.

 

“This is an unfortunate end for someone with such a self-depracating mindset.”

 

Ghislaine, however, was the first person to speak about the other events that were shown.

 

“Zenith. That was you speaking, wasn’t it? Do you have any relations with this man on the screen?”

 

The son of the woman being questioned, Rudeus, couldn’t help but lightly chuckle.

 

I’m afraid she does.

 

Before Zenith could answer Ghislaine, Eris intervened. She was bored and didn’t understand what was happening. Of course, she understood that the Zenith was Rudeus’s mother and the man next to her was most likely his father. However, she couldn’t read the room well enough.

 

“Just shaddup and keep watching.”

 

Rudeus was… surprised by this. Did Eris already know about his secret? Why would she talk back to someone she revered so much?

 

This theatre will be the death of me.

 

A small breath could be heard from the second row.

 

Cliff, sitting next to Elinaliese and Zanoba, had been watching the entire chain of events so far with a silent, analytical gaze. He was sitting in the second row in front of Nanaoshi. He understood that this was Nanahoshi’s home world. However, there was one problem that remained. Cliff was aware that Rudeus and Nanahoshi supposedly knew each other from before their meeting at the University.

 

But, how was that possible?

 

Nanahoshi had stayed at the University for nearly a decade and, by the time Rudeus had arrived at the University, he was 15. There was no way a toddler could remember someone they supposedly only met for a short period of time. It didn’t make sense to the genius mage.

 

Elinalise, noticing her partner’s troubled gaze, leaned in to kiss his cheek. This snapped Cliff out of his inner rant. She pointed towards the screen, gesturing for Cliff to stop pondering about whatever problem he noticed.

 

The Sacred Beast was asleep at the feet of Linia and Pursena in the front row.

 

I wish I could’ve at least lost my virginity.

 

Rudeus made an audible “ugghhh” at the sound of his past-self’s thoughts. Those around Rudeus, notably Sylphie and Roxy, couldn’t help but see the parallels between the dying man on the screen and their husband.

 

Norn scowled at the words she heard.

 

The rest of the cast chose to ignore this line, save for Elinalise and the two delinquent beastfolk who were laughing their asses off.

 

The screen completely faded to black and a few unknown words were displayed on the screen.

 

“Heh. This is like an anime.”

 

Nanahoshi voiced her thoughts as she read the words that were presented. To think that her eventful life was just some show people watched.

 

Is it really…?

 

The voice of the same woman from before started playing.

 

“Epabuhia! Tauwka seio kwa! Pahail za!”

 

The voice of the unfamiliar man, seemingly full of joy, started playing as well.

 

“Ivin kav Zenith! Pahail za!”

 

The screen shifts to a first-person point of view to show someone opening their eyes.

 

Ow, my eyes! Am I still alive?

 

Cliff noticed the ‘still alive’ part. His mind was going down a rabbit hole.

 

The screen panned down to a couple, the woman had blond hair and the man had brown hair.

 

“Zevaiah bazalfben kifu zivaikah kwav!”

 

Hey, who’s this guy?

 

Everyone in the theatre was deeply interested in the familiar faces of Paul and Zenith on the screen. The one who showed the most interest, however, was Orsted.

 

Lilia was the one to speak up after the shocking turn of events. She had her suspicions up until now, especially with Rudeus’s younger years. She had assumed that it was the Greyrat genes, but to think that he was someone who reincarnated? It wasn’t out of the picture.

 

“This confirms it.”

 

Pursena, who had been stealing glances at the screen every now and then, finally decided to voice her very ladylike input on this.

 

“What the fuck?”

 

Yep. Very ladylike.

 

Linia nodded her head along with her companion. The Sacred Beast was still asleep at their feet.

 

In the front row, Paul and Zenith, the people who knew exactly whose point of view the screen was showing, turned around and faced Rudeus with an expression of bewilderment.

 

“Rudy-”

 

“Don’t.”

 

They were instantly shut down by their supposed son.

 

Roxy’s face went pale as she realized the implications as to what was being shown. Of course her student was so talented. He was from another world! This certainly wasn’t the birth of Norn or Aisha either. As she thought about it, Roxy remembered what she said earlier about Rudeus wasting his life. Was her husband mad? Slowly, Roxy turned to her left to look at Rudeus.

 

Rudeus had a neutral expression on his face as he glared at the screen and whoever had trapped them here. There wasn’t any emotion shown, but Roxy knew better that her husband was going through a lot at the current moment.

 

“R-Rud-”

 

She tried reaching out her hand toward Rudeus, but stopped herself. Instead, she opted to place her hand on her husband’s thigh. She then placed her hand onto her stomach, something that Rudeus noticed.

 

Shouldn’t Roxy be pregnant right now? What about-

 

“Your children are fine.”

 

The same voice from earlier appeared solely in the heads of Rudeus and Roxy, both of them looking at each other for a moment before returning their gaze towards the screen.

 

Sylphie, someone who also had her suspicions about Rudeus’s origins, breathed out a sigh as the truth was revealed to her. She had always wondered how Rudeus and Nanahoshi were from the same “home” if she had met him first when he was a child in Buena village. Not only that, but the two of them spoke fluently with each other in a language that she couldn’t understand whatsoever. This had caused her to narrow her eyes multiple times when the two of them would interact with each other. She decided to ignore the thoughts her husband displayed on the screen as she knew for a fact that her husband right now was not like how he was in his “childhood” (in other words, Sylphie is goated).

 

Although, did he really believe that I was a boy when we first met… or was he trying to score his first time with me…?

 

Sylphie giggled a bit as she rested her head onto Rudeus’s left shoulder. The man being questioned flinched a bit as he felt the intimate gesture.

 

Ruijerd kept his stoic gaze on the screen for a few moments before sighing. Although he didn’t have his suspicions about Rudeus, he now knew why Rudeus wasn’t terrified of him when they first met.

 

Norn and Aisha were visibly shocked at such a revelation, but Aisha was the one who calmed her sister down. She now understood why Rudeus was, well, Rudeus.

 

The brown-haired man on the screen lifted the “baby” with ease.

 

Seriously? I’m 100-plus kilos, and he lifted me like…

 

A hushed snigger could be heard from the third row, coming from the only one who understood the measurements.

 

“Bukay aiha naiboo!”

 

Woah! What the hell?!

 

The man leaned into the “baby” to kiss it.

 

Stop! That’s gross! What the hell? Give me a break.

 

“Zenith, tipen, eyuji, tawka paihail kwa.”

 

The man handed the baby over to the woman.

 

Woah. What’s she blushing for? Her tits are huge.

 

“Evun on. Nora iv aihen kap.”

 

What language is that? Wait, where am I? This isn’t a hospital?

 

The camera pans around to show the faces of Zenith, Paul, and Lilia. Paul starts goofing around, putting his hands up to his cheeks and squishing them together while making baby noises.

 

What the hell is he doing? I’m seriously injured.

 

The point of attention shifts back over to Zenith.

 

Still, she’s gorgeous. Is she European? If you leave yourself that open, I might cop a feel.

 

The baby reached out its hands, only to find stubby limbs.

 

Huh?

 

The screen goes back into a third-person point of view to show the shocked expression of a baby Rudeus being held by his “mother” in a candlelit room followed by incoherent baby noises.

 

Throughout the entire ordeal, Rudeus was burying his face into his hands. This was beyond embarrassing to him. He was basically lusting over his own mother.

 

The same was true for a large majority of the cast. Paul seemed somewhat offended while Zenith held a hand to her mouth, her cheeks reddening. Lilia, surprisingly, had a warm smile on her face as she watched the younger version of Rudeus.

 

Sylphie expected as much when it came to Rudeus. She was playfully poking Rudeus’s left cheek with her finger, completely unbothered by the idea that Rudeus was from another world. The one sitting to the right of Rudeus, Roxy, was mimicking her husband and looking away from the scene. Eris, meanwhile, was making loud jeers toward Rudeus from directly behind him.

 

Norn was about to scold Rudeus for having such lustful thoughts. However, she was quickly stopped by the hand of her sister covering her mouth.

 

Elinalise was muttering something about Rudeus truly taking after his father while Cliff spent the entire time theorizing about his friend’s reincarnation.

 

Linia and Pursena seemed unbothered by the scene, similar to how the Sacred Beast was still asleep at their feet. Zanoba and Julie were similar in that sense too.

 

The battle-hardened warriors (Ruijerd, Ghislaine, and Orsted) were smiling at the lighthearted behavior.

 

The scene cuts to Rudeus in a cradle holding his father’s finger.

 

It looks like I got reincarnated.

 

Nanahoshi was the one who couldn’t hold her laughter back anymore.

 

“No shit, Sherlock!”

 

“Who’s Sherlock?”

 

Orsted’s question was left unanswered. He assumed that it was another one of Nanahoshi’s antics that came from her home.

 

The Rudeus on the screen began picking his nose while continuing his thoughts.

 

I can’t believe something that crazy happened for real.

 

The screen showed Rudeus’s mother and father watching over him while a blanket was draped over both of their shoulders.

 

Paul and Zenith. In their mid-20s, I’d guess. I’m 34, so they’re practically kids to me. I’m seriously jealous of them, making babies at their age.

 

The Paul and Zenith on the screen began kissing each other in front of Rudeus.

 

Rudeus’s father turned around to face his son, a curious look on his face.

 

“Is that really true? Do you view us as children?”

 

“I’ll admit that I still sometimes think like that. However, I will always love and respect you and Mom.”

 

Satisfied with his son’s answer, Paul turned back around to face the screen.

 

Norn, meanwhile, started to question Rudeus’s tastes if he viewed even his parents as children.

 

Rudeus’s face contorts into his signature, creepy smile. He began wiggling his fingers while daydreaming.

 

Still, getting to suck on a hottie’s tits for free rules.

 

Before anyone could comment, Rudeus was the one to speak out towards the general audience.

 

“Please ignore this. I swear on my own life that I’m not like this anymore.”

 

Elinalise was the one to grin while teasing Rudeus.

 

“At least not towards your mother. I’m sure you imagine doing the same thing with your wives now that you have them all to yourself~.”

 

A light laughter could be heard from everyone besides Rudeus, Sylphie, and Roxy. Eris, however, was the one who was laughing the loudest at her husband.

 

It didn’t turn me on, though. Maybe ‘cause she’s my mom?

 

“See! I told you!”

 

“You’re a baby at this point in time. I’d be surprised if your body understood how to get turned on.”

 

Rudeus’s arguments were shot down by his own wife, Roxy.

 

God, why aren’t you defending your disciple?

 

The student could only sigh.

 

The screen showed Rudeus crawling around the Greyrat household doing a variety of things. It revealed that Rudeus understood his new name and got a good grip on the new language he was presented with. Among the childish things that he’s been doing, Rudeus discovered a barrel of underwear. As if it were instinctual, Rudeus grabbed a pair of panties and began sniffing them.

 

Sylphie leaned forward from Rudeus’s left to look at Roxy, who was on her husband’s right.

 

“It’s the Greyrat genes.”

 

“Right…”

 

A very light blush could be seen forming on Roxy’s face. However, due to the lighting, it went unnoticed by Sylphie.

 

“Hey! Don’t I get a say in this?!”

 

A pair of arms wrapped around the mage’s neck from behind.

 

“Shaddup, Rudeus.”

 

Rudeus put the pair of panties over his head and crawled under a table, looking at Lilia.

 

Lilia the maid. She’s wonderfully endowed.

 

The screen got a close-up shot of Lilia’s breasts while Rudeus grinned, squealing as he did so. Lilia was visibly disturbed by this.

 

The Lilia in the front row of the theatre, unlike her screen counterpart, smiled. She had grown used to Rudeus’s behavior by now and found it refreshing to witness his younger years again.

 

“Disgusting.”

 

Norn, on the other hand, voiced the opposite thoughts from behind Rudeus, loud enough for her older brother to hear. Although she was aware of what kind of person Rudeus was, she still hadn’t truly come to terms with it. Sure, her brother was amazing… but still…

 

Eventually, Zenith had found her son crawling under the table. She picked him up, exchanged a few words with Lilia, and left Rudeus by the window. Rudeus got closer to the window and looked outside to see a beautiful countryside.

 

What a view…

 

Those in the cast who had lived in Buena village felt their heartstrings getting plucked. The scene they were looking at now was nothing like the one they know today.

 

I’ve seen photos like this. Is this Europe, like I thought?

 

Rudeus turned around to see his mother and Lilia cooking food.

 

Still, it’s definitely way too rural. No electricity or gas? What year is it? I might be reborn, but I still want to play with a computer.

 

The only one who truly understood the thoughts Rudeus had was Nanahoshi. There were many times when she wanted to have her phone with her so that she could message and/or talk to her friends, even though it was impossible no matter how hard she theorized.

 

“What is a computer?”

 

“I’ll explain later.”

 

Orsted, seemingly satisfied with Nanahoshi’s response, returned his gaze toward the screen.

 

“What’s a com-pyu-tah?”

 

With less-than-accurate pronunciation, Eris voiced her thoughts to Rudeus. She thought that if Rudeus found something like a “com-pyu-tah” fun and interesting, then she would too. Her husband, not wanting to get into the details of electricity and WiFi, held his hand up to gesture to her to stop asking.

 

Linia and Pursena were completely bored out of their minds. What the heck were they even supposed to do? As Pursena opened her mouth to curse, she felt her hand gripping something. Looking down, she realized that she was holding a large primal cut of beef. Carefully, she bit down on the meat and tore it off the bone with her teeth.

 

This is pretty good… I need to find out where this comes from…

 

Linia, seeing how much her companion was enjoying her meat, leaned in towards the absurdly large slab to take a bite.

 

“Mmmmphh!”

 

It took a few moments for Pursena to realize that she had competition. It wasn’t long before the two of them started wrestling each other on the floor in front of the theatre screen.

 

“Should we stop them…?”

 

Rudeus, the one who witnessed the whole scenario, couldn’t help but feel a bit worried. After all, one of his wives was pregnant. He’d hate to have something bad happen to her as collateral to the beastfolk’s brawl.

 

“Nah. It’s entertaining.”

 

Hearing his captor’s voice inside of his head saying otherwise, Rudeus felt a bit uneasy. But, who was he to tell a higher being what to do? As long as his family didn’t get hurt, he could turn a blind eye.

 

Ruijerd, seeing his disciple’s unwillingness to stop the fight, decided to stand up and stop it himself. However, he was stopped by a hand grabbing his wrist.

 

“No need. I doubt they’ll kill each other.”

 

It was Ghislaine who stopped Ruijerd from taking action. Reluctantly, Ruijerd trusted the beastwoman’s words and sat back down.

 

For some odd reason, Norn felt a strange feeling when looking at the Superd she had traveled with a decent amount of time before.

 

Upon hearing some noises outside, Rudeus returned his gaze back to the window. Outside, Paul was practicing his sword skills.

 

Hey, what? What’s he doing?

 

Rudeus, clearly shocked by his father’s skilled swordsmanship, lost his balance and began leaning back.

 

Oh crap.

 

A small thud could be heard as Rudeus fell onto the floor. Zenith, seeing her son injure himself, yelped and ran towards Rudeus. She picked up Rudeus and began hugging him, confirming whether or not he’s okay.

 

You’re not supposed to move people who’ve hit their heads, lady.

 

This time, Zenith was the one who turned around and faced Rudeus.

 

“Why’s that?”

 

“It could lead to serious health complications. Don’t worry, though! This world has healing magic, after all.”

 

After breathing a sigh of relief, Zenith decided to face the front once again, ignoring the fight that was still happening between the two beastfolk.

 

“Even after that, he isn’t crying.”

 

Lilia was clearly concerned about whether or not Rudeus had been possessed by some evil spirit.

 

Rudeus, who was watching his new life replay before his eyes, understood Lilia’s concern. After Lucy’s birth, he had begun to wonder whether or not his daughter had been reincarnated too.

 

“There, there.”

 

Zenith picked up her son and placed him onto the table.

 

“Just in case, I’ll do a spell to make the pain go away.”

 

She kissed Rudeus on the forehead before backing away, leaving her hand outstretched on top of his head. She closed her eyes as the atmosphere became more serious.

 

“Divine power is rich and nourishing…”

 

Hey, are you kidding me? This is this country’s version of kissing a boo boo? Are both of my parents delusional nerds? Did the fighter marry the cleric?

 

“…to those who have lost their strength. Healing.”

 

The entire cast (besides Linia, Pursena, and… Cliff?) were smiling at the scene, especially Rudeus. How could he forget something like this?

 

A light green glow came from the mother’s hand as Rudeus looked up in awe. His eyes were full of wonder as he experienced the first instance of magic.

 

“Well, it doesn’t hurt anymore, right? You wouldn’t know it, but Mommy used to be an adventurer.”

 

Paul barged into the Greyrat household with concern laced in his tone.

 

“What is it? I heard a loud-”

 

“Dear! Rudy fell on his head and…!”

 

“Calm down. He’s a kid. Of course he’ll fall down sometimes. Besides, if he gets hurt, you can just heal him.”

 

Toddler Rudeus was holding his head in amazement before looking down at his hands.

 

Don’t tell me I’m in…

 

Zenith’s voice could be heard piercing Rudeus’s train of thought.

 

“But what if he gets hurt so badly that I can’t heal him?”

 

Paul was the one who responded to his concerned wife’s words.

 

“It’ll be fine.”

 

Rudeus’s voice (his old-man voice) made itself present once again.

 

Actually, this pretty much confirms it. This isn’t Earth. It’s another world.

 

The scene pans outside, revealing Buena village’s beauty in its entirety as Rudeus’s voice was still present.

 

A world of sword and sorcery.

Notes:

Geez... how does Reactionist do it? I just spent 3-4 hours writing and I've only gotten the first 7 minutes of the anime done.

Anyway... I'll see you all again in maybe a month.

Chapter 3: Intermission I - Rice and the Fourth Wife

Notes:

This is just a short intermission chapter between Episode One (Part One) and Episode One (Part Two).

I'll be making these every now and then so that the fanfic doesn't feel too repetitive.

As the cast (excluding Linia and Pursena) viewed the screen with warm smiles, their viewing was stopped and a voice began playing in their heads once again. As always, there were those who flinched as the intruder made themselves known. Even the beastfolk’s wrangle at the front of the theatre had stopped.

 

“I’ve decided to drop a few more people off into this theatre. Although we had a nice prologue, I believe I forgot to bring a few people.”

 

There were many in the theatre who began wondering who these new people would be. Most notably, Rudeus was scared that it might even be his parents from his previous life. Not only that, but what if this ‘Warden’ brought back more people from the dead? He wasn’t complaining about his father being there with him, but what if it were people like Lord Sauros or Hilda? It would surely get complicated.

 

“I would prefer that these people do not know about Rudeus’s reincarnation when they first arrive here. After all, I would like to see how they would go about finding such information.”

 

The more rational-minded people in the theatre nodded their heads in agreement. Rudeus was one of these people. If any more people from his new world found out about this disgusting truth, he wasn’t sure that he would be able to handle it.

 

Suddenly, a voice called out from behind Rudeus.

 

“Excuse me. Do you think you could maybe-”

 

“No. It’s too complicated.”

 

The voice belonged to Nanahoshi, who wanted to reunite with her friends and family again. However, her question was shot down before she could even finish asking it. She wondered if it was truly because it was too complicated for her captor or if it was because they lacked the resources to do so.

 

“Don’t be too depressed about it, Nanahoshi. I want you to close your eyes and think about something else you want from your home; without a soul, if possible.”

 

Nanahoshi nodded her head and complied. She closed her eyes and focused hard on the one thing from her home that she couldn’t live without.

 

To her surprise, a rice cooker appeared on her lap. She was clearly distraught by the object. As she examined the device, she found no plug for the rice cooker.

 

“Open it.”

 

When Nanahoshi opened the rice cooker, as expected, there was rice inside. Her eyes seemed to light up as she beamed at the white wonder in front of her. There was a traditional, ceramic bowl inside as well as a rice paddle.

 

Her eyes flashed with an unreadable expression, something that bordered both joy and despair was evident in her eyes.

 

W-Was I really this h-homesick…?

 

There had been times when she was beyond desperate for something that felt familiar instead of foreign. Throughout her time in this inverted world, she would get homesick and cry herself to sleep in hopes that it was all just a complex nightmare.

 

Cautiously, she scooped herself a bowl of rice, to her shock, the pot inside magically refilled itself with more of the steaming grains.

 

Rudeus, seeing Nanahoshi’s sudden eagerness and elation, thought that he had misread her body language. Curiously, he closed his eyes and imagined a warm bowl of rice as well. However…

 

“Sorry, Rudeus. All I’ve got for you is an adult magazine.”

 

Cursing his captor in his head for a moment, Rudeus thanked them for not projecting their voice aloud. Wait… did they? Rudeus looked around and saw a large majority of the cast looking at him with sly grins, especially Elinalise.

 

“Alright. I believe I’ve wasted enough time.”

 

A loud rumbling ensued as the theatre they were in seemed to shift forward, the doors behind them seemingly became detached as the room shook. Seats began vibrating and the sound of stone grinding became the new backdrop. Before they knew it, an entirely new row of seats formed behind the third row.

 

Such overwhelming control over magic…

 

The mages in the theatre were aweing over the display, especially Cliff.

 

“Meet your new companions.”

 

In the fourth row, the unconscious bodies of Ariel (finally), Luke, and Sara were revealed. Rudeus thanked his stars as he looked at the new arrivals. He was sure that he got along well with Ariel and Luke. He also had tied up loose ends with Sara recently.

 

To the rest of the theatre, besides Rudeus and Sylphie, they were speculating on who the mysterious blond woman might be. They obviously knew who Ariel and Luke were, so it would be safe to assume that they were a bit concerned about how the blond tied into Rudeus’s story.

 

Oh no… Has Rudy taken in a fourth wife?!

 

The parents were concerned. Cliff had the same thoughts, although his thoughts were much more bitter due to his faith as a follower of Saint Millis.

 

“They won’t be waking up for a while. Now, let’s resume your viewing of Rudeus’s adventures.”

 

Many nodded along with the voice projected in their heads. Linia and Pursena, after losing sight of where their meat had gone during their dispute, returned to their claimed seats with sour expressions.

Notes:

I promise y'all I'll start writing Episode One (Part Two) soon.

I just started my Medical Anatomy and Physiology class today and I'm currently willowing in despair. Tomorrow, I have two hours of Mandarin Chinese, two hours of English Honors, and two hours of AP European History.

Why did I sign up for so many competitive courses?

Chapter 4: Episode One (Part Two)

The screen showed an aerial view of Buena village, the land was covered in snow as a weird, rabbit-like creature flew in the air.

 

Zanoba, for the first time in a long time, decided to speak about his concerns.

 

“Why is it winter now?”

 

The cast was silent for a moment, wondering the same thing that the Shirone prince was wondering. Seeing Rudeus’s reluctance to answer, Nanahoshi was the one who responded. She was familiar with watching content on screens and how it flowed.

 

“It is to save time. You wouldn’t want to spend 12 hours watching Rudeus sleep, would you? Besides, why didn’t you bring this up earlier when we skipped two years after Rudeus’s birth?”

 

“I see. Very well.”

 

Zanoba, after getting a satisfactory answer, tuned out the rest of Nanahoshi’s dialogue.

 

The scene changed to the inside of the Greyrat household. The toddler on the screen breathed out a puff of air into his hands. The tips of his fingers were red from how cold the air was and he was wearing winter clothing.

 

I’m steady on my feet now.

 

“Still, magic, huh?”

 

Magic…

 

The boy was talking to himself as he got up and wandered about.

 

After Roxy learned about how much her student had been interested in magic, there was a hint of self-doubt resurfacing once again. Was she really the right teacher for such a brilliant world-hopper? Her experience as a mage was acceptable, but she still felt like she hadn’t given enough attention to her student.

 

That’s a word that’d even get a monkey excited. I want to try it out myself ASAP.

 

Rudeus crawled up the staircase of his home as he talked on and on about magic. Lilia could be seen doing the laundry in a large, wooden bucket as she got distracted by Rudeus’s climb for only a moment.

 

“What does ASAP mean?”

 

“It means ‘as soon as possible’ in a way.”

 

Surprisingly, Orsted wasn’t the one who asked this question. The question came from Sara, who was awake and sitting at the corner of the theatre.

 

Wait… Sara? Didn’t that ‘Warden’ dude say that he didn’t plan on waking the new additions up until much later?

 

Rudeus turned to his left and saw the archer gazing at him while expecting an answer. The entirety of the room, except for those who were still asleep, also turned their heads to look at the blond. Those who didn’t know about Rudeus’s old friend began analyzing her while trying to figure out how she played into the mage’s life. Sylphie, being the only one who wasn’t as interested, looked over at Ariel and Luke, who were in the opposite corner and still asleep.

 

“What?”

 

Sara seemed way more relaxed than she should have been. How could someone be so calm after supposedly being kidnapped? Being the only one who was familiar enough with her, Rudeus decided to speak up after staying silent for so long.

 

“W-Well, hello again…”

 

“Hi…?”

 

Elinaliese found herself holding her stomach to avoid laughing out loud while Nanahoshi and her mentor looked at Sara with mild interest. The same could be said for the warrior beastwoman and the Superd. Norn could only scowl while Aisha giggled a bit. Clearing his throat and ignoring the looks he got from Eris and Roxy, Rudeus took the initiative once again while the cast watched with caution.

 

“How have y-you been so far…?”

 

“Just get to the point.”

 

Eris seemed to growl a bit at how bluntly Sara was treating her husband. Why should someone like her talk that way to him?!

 

“R-Right.”

 

The blond in the back of the theatre had her arms crossed. She was still wearing winter clothing, most likely because she was hired to do some work with her new party in the more Northern regions. Rudeus looked around the room and found that all eyes were on him, besides the two delinquents.

 

Don’t get cold feet, man. You’ve already caught up with her not too long ago.

 

After reaffirming his courage, Rudeus spoke.

 

“Aren’t you concerned about where you are?”

 

Sara took a look around the theatre at the unfamiliar faces. Sure, they did seem hostile at a first glance. If this were any other time, Sara would’ve used their distraction with the screen to either sneak her way out or slit their throats. However, there was one person she saw in the audience that made her rethink that decision.

 

“No. When I woke up and saw you and your wife watching whatever’s happening through the large window, I assumed that I’m not in any mortal danger…”

 

A pause.

 

“…Besides, I just got back from a quest with my party only a few hours ago.”

 

Seeing how indifferent she was to essentially getting kidnapped , many in the audience were disturbed. Rudeus, more or less, was a bit concerned about how care-free she was.

 

Why isn’t she questioning the fact that my inner dialogue sounds like an old man? I know that Sara’s smarter than she lets on, so why? At least she doesn’t seem too aggressive right now. Maybe it comes with age?

 

“By the way, what are we viewing?”

 

As she said this, Sara quickly glanced at the two exit doors on either side of the theatre. She noticed that they both led to an endless hallway. Not so shockingly, it was Ruijerd who noticed this subtle behavior, though he didn’t speak up about it.

 

A nervous chuckle escaped a few in the audience. They remembered the agreement they had with their captor and weren’t so willing to break it. After seeing how everyone was acting, Sylphie spoke to the blonde in order to at least keep up some semblance. As calmly as she could, the quarter-elf responded.

 

“Our captor is letting us watch Rudy’s adventures.”

 

Looking back at the paused screen that had Rudeus’s toddler self mid-crawl on the wooden floor, Sara closed her eyes and sighed.

 

“I can understand that much.”

 

Cliff, wondering what his friend on the screen would do next in order to learn magic, bit his tongue and tolerated the growing anticipation inside of him. Seeing how her husband was acting, Elinalise patted his back affectionately.

 

In the first row, the three adults quietly watched the archer with cautious distrust. Sara, being as intuitive as ever, caught their gaze.

 

“I’m assuming those are the parents, Quagmire?”

 

Rudeus nodded his head, praying that Sara wouldn’t pry any further. Thankfully, she stopped her barrage of questions and held a finger to her chin.

 

The Sacred Beast could be seen yawning and sniffing the air. Linia and Pursena, after growing tired of their boss’s boring beginnings, fell asleep while leaning on each other’s shoulder.

 

That said, there’s not much I can do right now.

 

As Rudeus made his way down the upstairs hallway, he stopped in front of a room with its door wide open. Inside was a desk, chair, and large chest tucked away in the corner. Rudeus walked into the room and looked around curiously, his attention immediately going to the chest.

 

After examining the sides of the chest, Rudeus did his best to lift its lid. The toddler was eventually “successful” and gazed inside at the contents.

 

By successful, Rudeus had climbed inside of the chest through the small opening he managed to make. He then lifted the lid up from inside of the chest and spread his arms up high. He then placed his hands on his hips, declaring his success.

 

“I apologize for not attending to this matter. I should’ve at least checked and locked the chest while cleaning.”

 

Lilia commented on this matter to Zenith, who wasn’t fully paying attention as she looked towards the back of the room.

 

“It’s alright. As much as it hurts to say, this was what steered Rudy to become a mage instead of a swordsman.”

 

Seeing his wife’s focus elsewhere, Paul decided to step in and answer for her.

 

“Books?”

 

Grunting and exerting all of his strength, Rudeus lifted one of the books out of the chest.

 

There are only five books in the house. Either books are expensive in this world, or Paul and Zenith aren’t big readers.

 

“Huh?”

 

Looking back at his friend, Rudeus saw how confused Sara looked. However, when he opened his mouth to verify some things to her, he was suddenly silenced by a hand preventing him from doing so.

 

“Remember what we agreed to?”

 

Rudeus, returning his gaze to the woman on his left side, nodded his head.

 

I used to have nearly a thousand, so it’s hard to believe. All light novels, though.

 

“Rudeus. How is it that you owned nearly a thousand books while you were only a toddler yet there are only five books present in your home?”

 

“U-Uhhh…”

 

Sara started lightly tapping her finger on her arm.

 

“Not only that, but you call your parents by their given names? Isn’t that disrespectful?”

 

“S-Sorry… I can’t tell you…”

 

Please save me from this situation, God!

 

The God that the fanatic worshipped was currently petting the Sacred Beast. Apparently, it sat down next to her in an empty seat on its own volition. When Ghislaine saw this, her gaze lingered on the Sacred Beast and Roxy for longer than it should have before looking back at the screen.

 

A light chuckle could be heard coming from Aisha as she watched her brother’s embarrassing moment.

 

Sighing in defeat, Sara knew that she couldn’t force an answer out of the mage. So, knowing that the answer will eventually be revealed, she decided to play the long game.

 

On the screen, Rudeus could be seen dragging the tome out of the chest and placing it onto the floor, two fingers on his chin as he pondered intently.

 

“I can’t read it. I’ll have to learn to read first.”

 

The young boy opened the book and started scanning the pages even though he couldn’t fully understand the content.

 

About another year passed.

 

“Heh. So we’re really speedrunning this, huh?”

 

Nanahoshi felt a bit grateful at the prospect. Sure, it was interesting to see how her friend started off his journey in the new world. However, she didn’t want to spend hours watching Rudeus study a language she already learned.

 

Among the rest of the cast, they had expected something along the lines of this. Sara, still getting used to how the story flowed, had to spend a bit more effort in order to regain her grip.

 

Even with just five books, with the help of Paul reading to me sometimes, I can more or less read now.

 

The screen showed Rudeus laying on the floor while one of the five books his family owned was opened in front of him. The boy was skimming through the lines while crossing his feet behind him.

 

Although I do wonder if he expects a baby to understand what’s in these books.

 

Through the door, Lilia and Zenith could be seen watching Rudeus as he read his book. Lilia had a look of suspicion as she watched how naturally the boy read while Zenith had an expression akin to joy. They closed the door after watching Rudeus for a while, letting him read on his own.

 

“You were certainly mature for your age back then. Even the voice in your head sounds like an old man.”

 

Rudeus and his first wife, Sylphie, turned their heads toward Sara as she made that comment. Maybe it was guilt. The archer continued, tranquil to the gazes she received.

 

“I mean, I certainly wouldn’t go out of my way to read a book when I was your age, Rudeus. I would probably be outside laying in the grass and wasting my life away without a care in the world.”

 

The last sentence Sara spoke made Rudeus inwardly shudder. It felt kind of ironic to him.

 

Still, this book is fascinating.

 

The screen showed the book that Rudeus was reading. It was revealed to be a Magic Manual as Rudeus continued skimming through the pages.

 

I’ve seen some of this stuff in my old life. Like, there are two ways to activate magic: incantations and magic circles, but incantations dominate the mainstream right now, etc.

 

In the back of the audience, Sara made a quiet “ah!” as she realized what was going on. Naturally, she spun her head around to face Rudeus.

 

“You must have memories of your old life. That explains a lot about your behavior. Still, you didn’t know how to read… Were you a demon before?”

 

Hearing the casual acceptance coming from Sara, the one being questioned showed her an expression of shock. He blinked a few times, trying to see if she was being genuine about her deduction.

 

“T-That’s it…?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

If there were other people sitting right next to her, they would’ve realized that Sara was wetting her lips before speaking so that she wouldn’t stutter.

 

“Like, a-aren’t you concerned at all?”

 

A long pause commenced as the large majority of the audience tore their eyes away from the events happening on the screen. Cliff, as usual, was disappointed. Sara could be seen with a finger to her lips as she thought about the fact.

 

“No. I had my theories before coming here after seeing how skilled you were as a mage. But now, knowing that you used to be a demon in your previous life, I guess it’d make sense that you applied your knowledge from before to the present moment.”

 

She’s completely wrong, but at least she’s not dismissing the idea of reincarnation.

 

“I mean, I figured that you weren’t normal from the get-go. If you were a prodigy in this life, why not have a head-start from the last one? I’m sure the others here had similar theories, seeing how they weren’t at all shocked about the details not lining up. Whatever. It doesn’t matter. It fits.”

 

“R-Right…”

 

The mage could only pray to his God that his past life wasn’t exposed any further. He didn’t want anybody else to see how disgusting he was when he was back on Earth.

 

Aisha, meanwhile, grinned at how observant Sara was, even with pieces of the puzzle missing.

 

There’s a lot of background.

 

As Rudeus continued reading, he noticed something that caught his eye.

 

But I’m more concerned that, according to this, your magic power is basically set-in-stone at birth.

 

Understandably, a concerned expression took over the child’s face.

 

I’m worried. I doubt my genes are going to put in much work.

 

“Well, I guess I’ll give it a shot.”

 

In the back of the theatre, the tapping on Sara’s arm halted.

 

Was I wrong…? There’s no way Rudeus didn’t know about something as simple as that… Maybe the body of a demon is completely different than that of a human? Was that why he was so concerned?

 

Slowly, Rudeus stood up from the position he was in and extended his hand out in front of him.

 

“Umm… ‘Let the great protection of water be on the place thou seekest. I call a refreshing, burbling stream here and now. Water Ball.’”

 

Mana began gathering from Rudeus’s feet toward his head as a light mist began forming. After only a fraction of a second, that mist condensed into a ball of water, something that obviously brought joy to the boy’s face. However, as quickly as it came, the ball of water was no more as it dropped onto the floor.

 

Rudeus, seeing the mess that he made, ran to get a large piece of cloth that covered his entire body and began wiping up the mess. After he freed himself from under the cloth, he looked at his hands with concern.

 

“Shouldn’t it go flying?”

 

Sara could be seen slowly nodding her head, reaffirming her own words once again.

 

Of course. If he were a demon in his previous life, he would’ve had much higher affinity with magic in general.

 

Cliff was the only one in the theatre who saw the entire chain of events in true awe. He instantly stood up from his seat and called out to his friend in the same row.

 

“Rudeus! You managed to cast your very first spell just by reading the incantation?!”

 

Not wanting to come off as arrogant, the mage being questioned put his hand behind his head and awkwardly scratched it.

 

“I mean… yeah?”

 

Cliff’s mouth hung open for a moment before sitting back down, and he was supposed to be the genius.

 

On the screen, Rudeus held his hand outside of the window on the second floor.

 

“One more try.”

 

Closing his eyes and concentrating, Rudeus prepared to do his Water Ball spell again.

 

It’s like practicing combos in a fighter. Concentrate, picture it over and over in your head, then actually do it.

 

There was a long silence as visible mana flowed from Rudeus’s feet all the way up to his head once again. However, the mana then redirected from his head down into his arms, eventually into his outstretched hand.

 

Opening his eyes, Rudeus was surprised as a ball of water appeared.

 

Huh?

 

Many in the theatre who understood the fundamentals about magic had their eyes filled with wonder. Roxy, among these people, instantly made a mental note about Rudeus’s first encounter with magic. Although she had tried it herself, nothing was better than getting to see how it worked firsthand.

 

“I’ll make a room for you to practice in later.”

 

Hearing the voice in her head, Roxy nodded along with her captor’s words. Her eyes glinted as she was filled with determination. She was going to master silent spellcasting.

 

As the person who understood magic theory the most, Cliff was about to argue about how everything he just witnessed should’ve been impossible. However, he closed his mouth after considering the fact that Rudeus was a special case.

 

“You’re learning how to read the room better. I’m proud of you.”

 

Turning to his left to see his wife, Cliff sheepishly smiled at the blond beauty.

 

However, Rudeus suddenly fell backward and the water splashed all over his body.

 

I didn’t do the incantation yet. What gives?

 

In the corner of the theatre, Sara began running her mind over the facts she knew over and over again.

 

Maybe this was just a boon to reincarnation? That’s probably why he was so surprised…

 

If anything, Sara was doing her best to convince herself that her theory made sense. Besides, there shouldn’t be any reason why Rudeus could be hiding something from her, right?

 

The boy on the screen raised his hand upwards to try the spell again. However, his face was visibly tired and his eyes were glazed over.

 

“Huh? This is all the MP I’ve got?”

 

Rudeus then passed out, evident in the fact that the screen had gone black.

 

““What’s MP?””

 

At the same time, Cliff and Roxy asked Rudeus the same question. Orsted was also curious about the strange acronym.

 

Sensing Roxy’s sudden movement, the Sacred Beast couldn’t help but stir a bit before resting its head on her lap.

 

“It’s a shortened way to say ‘mana points’ if I recall correctly.”

 

The two sisters sitting behind Rudeus were the first to realize what Rudeus said. Their mouths were slightly open and their eyes were wide.

 

There was a deafening silence among the cast. After hearing this, almost everyone present had their attention on Rudeus. Even Eris stood up. She understood what Rudeus implied.

 

“W-What is it? You’re all making me scared here…”

 

“Rudy! That’s all the mana you have?! How is that possible?!”

 

“How’d you even last against Orsted, Rudeus?!”

 

Sylphie herself was surprised by this, but she quickly connected the dots between her own experience training with magic. The wives and the rest of the theatre (besides Orsted) were completely stunned.

 

“I mean, a person’s mana isn’t fixed at birth. It can grow naturally, but only up until adolescence. So, I took advantage of this and trained myself early on.”

 

“H-Huh…?”

 

“What I’m saying is it’s a common misconception since no sane person would willingly allow their child to train with magic while they’re still young. That’s why nobody figured it out.”

 

“I-I see…”

 

It was Cliff and Roxy that had faces filled with regret. What if they had trained their mana from as young as Rudeus? Would they be at his level if they did so? Cliff’s pride as a genius was hurt and Roxy’s self-esteem was wounded.

 

As the theatre began talking amongst themselves, a voice caught the attention of all that were present.

 

“Still, I doubt anybody would reach Rudeus’s level even if they started training before he did. After all, his mana capacity is greater than Laplace as of right now with his current Laplace factor.”

 

…

 

Orsted. What the fuck?!

 

After being exposed by his boss, Rudeus could only slump in his seat as the rest of the audience yelled out a collective “HUH?!”

Notes:

The chapter was a bit short compared to Part One, but I compensated by leaving a cliffhanger.

To those who are interested in my current affairs...
1. I'm so glad I didn't take AP Pre-Calc early. My other classes require too much time.
2. I have a Chinese video project due this Friday, so I won't be able to update until the weekend.
3. My chemistry teacher isn't even that bad. Her class is fun (I think).
4. My English teacher will be gone for the entire semester and won't come back even after giving me a Science and Engineering Research Project (isn't she an English teacher?)
5. I've just realized the pain of taking Medical Anatomy and Physiology. Why is there a whole dictionary I have to memorize by the end of the year?
6. AP European History has a looming threat over it that I'm too afraid to think about.

I apologize for the yap. I'm afraid the Curse of AO3 has struck. I'll do my best to update this weekend.

As for the rest of Episode One, I'm afraid I'm only 10 minutes into the anime. I'd say you can expect around five parts for every episode.

Chapter 5: Intermission II - Nuclear Explosion

Notes:

I've returned.

As of right now, the Right Hand of the Dragon God is currently standing in a field of lush, green hills under a bright sky. There were hills stretching across the land as far as the eye could see. It was slightly windy, the light breeze hitting the mage’s face with tender sincerity. The mage closed his eyes and gently breathed in the fresh air. He then opened his eyes to look at his friends behind him before focusing his gaze towards the sky.

 

“So, how is this supposed to work?”

 

If one weren’t given any context about the situation, they would assume that the brown-haired man was going insane as he talked to the Heavens above him. However, context had already been given as the same voice the audience had heard only a few moments ago made itself present.

 

“It’s very simple. You will demonstrate to your friends and family how much your mana capacity has grown. This place and this place only will allow you to cast magic.”

 

Rudeus tilted his head a bit to glance at the people behind him. Evidently shown on their faces, they were all still petrified by the idea that someone like Rudeus had surpassed the Demon God in terms of mana. Of course, there were always outliers like Orsted, Nanahoshi, and the Sacred Beast who didn’t express these ideas.

 

“Alright… How am I supposed to do that?”

 

“Just go at it until your hair turns white. I’ll protect you and your companions from any collateral caused by you.”

 

Towards the front of the audience behind the mage, a quarter-elf shuddered at the idea of her husband’s hair turning white from mana exhaustion.

 

When Rudeus returned his gaze toward the endless fields in front of him, he noticed his reliable Aqua Heartia at his feet. The mage thanked his… friend? He would be needing his staff if he truly wished to showcase the peak of his power.

 

“Simple enough.”

 

Rudeus bent down to carefully pick up his Aqua Heartia and held it loosely in his right hand. Wiggling his prosthetic fingers in his left arm slightly, Rudeus began gripping his staff tightly in his other hand as he aimed it towards the grass miles in front of him.

 

The mage thought back to both of the times he fought Orsted, especially the second time. Rudeus had used this spell the first time in a desperate attempt to survive against Orsted. The second time he used it, its power was still enough to wipe a whole village off of the map, even when Orsted had lowered its power by opening the First Dragon Gate.

 

You really want me to show them this, don’t you? I’ve always been curious about its full potential… so I guess I’ll do just that!

 

Rudeus’s eyes narrowed, not in anger, as he focused his attention.

 

He steadily reaffirmed his grip on his staff and felt mana tingling throughout his entire body. The quiet hum of mana steadily intensified as the atmosphere surrounding his staff seemed to warp around it. The clouds parted slightly as if they were recoiling out of fear for what was about to happen next.

 

In front of Rudeus was a small ball of fire that continuously collapsed into itself. The small ball a few centimeters away from his staff continued swirling as its signature red-ish orange hue turned purple.

 

Just a little bit more…

 

As the mage continued pouring mana into the ball of fire in front of him, he sealed his eyes shut. Holding his Aqua Heartia in both of his hands now, Rudeus began exponentially increasing the amount of mana he allowed to drain from his body. It was like pulling the stopper out of an already-filled bathtub. The ball of fire at the tip of his staff instantaneously grew four times its size as the light in its center became blinding. Only a few moments later, what was once a “ball” of fire condensed and expanded to even larger size. The sheer amount of heat around the condensed mana was turning the green grass at the mage’s feet into dust as the surrounding air howled and whipped maniacally.

 

“Rudy…”

 

Out of all the people who were present, only the blue-haired Migurd was seen with tears forming at the corner of her eyes. Whether it was pride for her student or the fact that she knew for certain that she was incapable of protecting her husband any longer, Roxy felt a sense of completeness and inadequacy at the same time. She was confused. Her nose was stinging yet her chest felt warm.

 

The genius towards the back of the group could only hold his arm up toward his face if he even wanted the chance to witness the display.

 

Orsted… smiled.

 

The parents and siblings were expecting something grandiose, but never could they have foreseen the potential their Rudeus possessed.

 

Heh. Maybe I should add a little flair to it.

 

The mage, meanwhile, was thinking about how to flex his power in the best way possible. He understood that it was unlike him to do things for the vanity of it all. Under normal circumstances, he understood that long and flashy spells were absolutely unnecessary. One-hundredth of a second could be the difference between life and death. One-tenth of a second could determine whether or not one would be able or paralyzed for the rest of their life. However, he wasn’t using his magic for survival at the moment. He was using it for sport .

 

『Nuclear Explosion』

 

The world held its breath. Time stopped. In only a fraction of a heartbeat later, everyone was blinded by an impossibly white light and the entire direction in front of the Right Hand of the Dragon God no longer existed. The only thing that remained in front of him was an umbrella-shaped body of smoke that creeped into the Heavens above.

 

This is why… I, normally, will only use it as a last-ditch effort.

 

Rudeus Greyrat fell onto the grass behind him, letting go of his Aqua Heartia while doing so.

 

I wonder if Perugius saw that…

Notes:

I've decided to alternate between main reaction chapters and intermission chapters.

Essentially, I'll spend an entire session writing one of the main chapters. Then, the next chapter will be an intermission chapter that progresses the plot of the current characters without having to go through all of the reactions. I believe this will make it so that the story won't feel like it's following a flow-chart.

You can expect Episode One (Part Three) by the end of this week!

Chapter 6: Episode One (Part Three)

Laying down on the grassy field was the body of a great mage. With his staff resting in the field of green beneath him, the blank canvas of nothingness in front of him, and the rays of sunlight beaming down on his face, Rudeus was exhausted.

 

“Rudy!!”

 

Sensational…

 

Rudeus felt his head being held in his wife’s hands. More specifically, his first wife, Sylphie.

 

The quarter-elf was scared. If anything, she felt frightened by the showcase her husband demonstrated. Sylphie knelt down to inspect her husband’s hair, the roots of his hair turning white from mana exhaustion.

 

Seriously… How did you even drain that much mana in such a short amount of time?

 

Sylphie placed her husband’s head on top of her lap and began running her fingers through his hair. She then shifted her eyes from her husband’s face to see the clouds that were still rising in front of her. Was this really something that a water mage was capable of? She was overjoyed that he didn’t harm himself, but that much was expected when considering that their new “friend” had been watching over all of them.

 

The second wife, Roxy, could feel her heartstrings being pulled once again. She had already made up her mind about what to think about her student. The tears that were on her face were now streaming out of the corner of her eyes, her expression a mix of pride and joy as opposed to inadequacy and self-doubt.

 

You’ve surpassed me completely.

 

The teacher had just witnessed proof that her student had touched the stars.

 

Meanwhile, the Sacred Beast pouted slightly.

 

Eris was in a difficult predicament. On one hand, she now understood that she wouldn’t have stood a chance against Orsted if Rudeus hadn’t weakened him beforehand. On the other hand, she wanted to test her luck and duel the mage.

 

“That’s my husband right there!”

 

The red-haired woman held a fist up towards the sky as she proclaimed her husband’s relationship to her. She had initially been completely blown away at the scene. She was one of the first to have recognized the spell that Rudeus was about to perform. After all, it was her that was among the first to see such a marvel. Her eyes had gone wide and her pupils dilated when she saw the aftermath. However, instead of being angry, Eris felt excitement and admiration.

 

After seeing how overjoyed the red-haired Boreas Greyrat was, Ghislaine could only share the same sentiment.

 

He doesn’t even need a sword anymore.

 

The parents shared the same expression with one another. Paul’s mouth had gone dry as he gaped at the display. He didn’t have any words to say. The mother, Zenith, could be seen tightly wrapping her arms around her husband, a weak laugh escaping her lips. Both of them voiced the same thoughts.

 

“That’s… Rudy?”

 

You’ve grown so much… I can’t believe it’s really you.

 

The pair looked away from Sylphie comforting Rudeus and looked at each other with faces showcasing their disbelief. There was no doubt that the two of them were proud. In fact, the two of them began reminiscing about the simpler times in Buena village.

 

I guess there’s no need to lecture you anymore, eh?

 

Zenith continued holding Paul in her arms. She needed someone to ground her after gazing upon the enormity of her son’s capabilities.

 

“THAT’S MY BROTHER?!”

 

Norn had a similar thinking process to her parents. The only difference was that she was more shocked than approving.

 

She wasn’t afraid of interacting with her father anymore. The young blond wasn’t afraid of what might happen if she talked to him after accepting his death.

 

“Hehe…”

 

The other sister, Aisha, couldn’t contain her grin as she thought about her half-brother. Her hands clasp together as she feels pride for… the Greyrat bloodline? Lilia, her mother, let out a shaky sigh as she held the young maid’s shoulders from behind.

 

“My lord! What splendor of art you have given me! My liege! What magnificence has graced my eyes! I’ve always known you had such a brilliant affinity for the arts!! MY MASTEEERR!!!!”

 

Zanoba was brought to tears as he kneeled before his master. Julie copied her fellow enthusiast's movements and kneeled beside him. A chuckle could be heard from the back of the group as they saw how noble the Prince of Shirone acted.

 

A certain genius could be seen in the distance with his hands clutching his head. He knew that it was humanly impossible for a human to be able to perform a spell of this calibre; this quality . Meanwhile, his wife had other thoughts as she did her best to heal her husband’s pride.

 

If the stamina Paul’s son has is anything like his mana…

 

Sylphie sneezed, but quickly recovered and continued with her affectionate actions.

 

Ruijerd and Orsted nodded their heads, clearly expecting their student’s power to be of such a level. They were silent as they agreed upon a common thought.

 

The future is bright .

 

A Japanese girl by the name of Nanahoshi Shizuka was utterly shaken. She understood the science behind atomic weapons, more or less. She understood the amount of power such a spell required if it even wanted to imitate what had just been shown. What she just saw was a recreation of a nuclear explosion from only mana and flesh.

 

That’s world-ending…

 

The girl felt grateful that Rudeus had become her friend after they got off on the wrong foot.

 

The blond archer in the back of the group masked her shaking hands by tightly crossing her arms. She was amused by Zanoba’s antics, but her general emotions told her that she was disturbed and troubled. On the outside, Sara looked composed as she forced herself to smile.

 

“Show-off.”

 

Inside, however, her mind was screaming with anxiety and distress.

 

---

 

When the cast returned to the theatre, they took their original seats. Linia and Pursena had slept through the entire showcase of Rudeus’s power, snoring quietly as they held each other in their arms. Rudeus was slumped over Eris’s body as they walked back inside. She then playfully threw him into his seat in front of her own. The Sacred Beast followed Roxy the entire way and rested its snout on her lap once again as soon as she sat down.

 

“I assume we’re all ready?”

 

Sylphie held up her finger as she interjected the voice of her captor. She needed insurance that her Rudeus wouldn’t be too fatally harmed.

 

“What about Rudy? Can’t you wake him up?”

 

Among the cast, the Greyrat family appeared to be the ones who agreed with this idea the most. They knew that it would be much more lively if Rudeus were awake, not to mention the fact that he could explain everything that was being shown on the screen if they were ever confused.

 

“No.”

 

After the brutal rejection, a few moods turned slightly sour as the screen came to life once again.

 

The screen resumed back to where it left off, showing a black image for a few moments before it was interrupted by the sound of an endearing voice.

 

“Honestly, Rudy. If you’re sleepy, you should go to the bathroom and then to bed.”

 

The screen then lit up to show a blushing Rudeus as his mother stroked his head to calm him down.

 

Damn it. I’m too old to look like I wet myself!

 

Ruijerd, Ghislaine, and Sara were the first to remember clearly where they had left off. At the current moment on the screen, Rudeus had conjured a ball of water that had fallen onto his pants. A few moments later, the rest of the audience realized this detail too.

 

On the screen, Rudeus was shown with his eyes tearing up.

 

Damn it. Damn it.

 

“Dumbass!”

 

The laughs coming from a blond, flat-chested elf and red-haired beast echoed throughout the theatre’s walls.

 

The scene transitioned to a ball of water falling into a large, wooden tub. It then panned up to show Rudeus with his arm outstretched, revealing the source of the waterball.

 

“Huh?”

 

The boy then casted two more waterballs that splashed into the tub.

 

A heavy sigh could be heard coming from the mages in the theatre. If only they had started younger…

 

The scene cut to winter as Rudeus filled up a jar with balls of water. A few moments later, it cut to springtime as he filled up more and more containers with water.

 

Out of everyone present, Roxy had the gloomiest expression possible for her cute face. She knew that her husband was telling the truth about mana capacity not being fixed from birth. The Migurd girl had witnessed the fruits of her husband’s labor herself many times over.

 

“But to think it was to that extent…”

 

The earlier feelings of joy were washed away by her recurring, low self-esteem.

 

Back on the screen, the boy named Rudeus continued his daily routine of creating water and letting it drop into containers.

 

I experimented for a while and learned a lot.

 

The face on the boy became more annoyed than excited.

 

“That book’s full of it!”

 

Magic power grows the more you use it, and magic works without incantations.

 

“I guess I can’t believe everything I read.”

 

The boy continued summoning a steady amount of water into the giant vase in front of him.

 

Among the audience, Sara was the one to allow others to become aware of her presence.

 

“I wonder… what did you do with all of this water coming out of nowhere if you weren’t suspicious of the demon upstairs?”

 

Many among the cast looked away, clearly not wanting to correct the archer about her slight misconception about Rudeus’s origins. Zenith was the one to respond to who she believed to be her potential daughter-in-law. She scratched the back of her head as she did so.

 

“I mean… it saved me a trip to go to the well… I’m not one to complain.”

 

Seeing the airheaded wife, Sara retracted her question.

 

On the screen, Rudeus’s face shifted to one of confusion.

 

But if it’s this easy, what’s even the point of incantations?

 

The flow of water coming from Rudeus’s hand slowed down as he pondered his own question. Then, he fainted from mana exhaustion.

 

Those among the cast who had practiced with magic thought back to their own teachings. Well, everyone besides Sylphie, of course. The one who was the most outraged by what the screen was showing them was the genius himself.

 

“Fucking-”

 

Cliff was knocked back into his seat by his elven wife.

 

The scene shown transitioned to a plate of meat, pickles, grains, and beans. In the background, Paul could be heard reciting a prayer for the food.

 

The follower of Saint Millis in the theatre was about to speak up, but was silenced by a certain elf wanting to share their tongue with him.

 

As Paul continued reciting the prayer, Rudeus’s thoughts were heard from the screen.

 

Maybe incantations are a system for automating magic. They do it all for you without the need to focus on every single spell.

 

When the prayer was finished, the happy Greyrat family recited a single line in unison.

 

“Time to eat!”

 

The voice representing Rudeus’s thoughts returned as he happily ate the food on his plate. As he continued thinking inside of his head, various scenes featuring Rudeus at different points of the day were shown.

 

If so, there’s a big advantage to them. First, they’re easy to teach. An incantation is all you need to cast, so as magic was taught, maybe over time people started to think incantations were necessary.

 

One of the scenes that were shown as Rudeus continued thinking was the boy naked and his mother cleaning his back.

 

Immediately, the wives, parents, and siblings of the nude boy on the screen looked away as their faces burned. Well, everyone in the Greyrat family besides Eris, who looked more intrigued than embarrassed.

 

The rest of the cast (besides the usual, stone-faced individuals) could only gawk at how the screen in front of them was showing everything about the boy they knew. Specifically, the blond in the fourth row had their face covered as soon as she saw the scene.

 

Second, convenience. Attack magic is probably used in combat, and saying an incantation fast would be quicker than closing your eyes to focus.

 

“My Master has truly grown. Not only has he wondrously mastered silent incantation, but he can even utilize it in close-range combat!”

 

A pause came from most of the people present as they stared at Zanoba. The genius sitting in the same row as him was the first to speak up.

 

“So, we’re just going to ignore the fact that we saw- mmpphh!”

 

Cliff was silenced once again.

 

On the screen, the background showed Paul reading to Rudeus as they sat together on the master bed. Suddenly, Paul closed the book and smiled at the boy.

 

“I think it’s your bedtime now, Rudy.”

 

The screen turned to black as very loud and feminine moans could be heard. It was quite obvious whose moans these were.

 

“Dear, I can’t take any more!”

 

The cock y voice of the husband could be heard as he continued ramming his wife.

 

“I’m just getting started!”

 

(A/N: I can’t find the original, uncensored scene that’s full-length. This is all you’re getting.)

 

The husband and wife sitting in the front row of the theatre looked at each other for a few moments before slowly bringing their hands to their faces. The maid sitting to the left of the couple suddenly remembered the problem that occurred after she had endured countless nights hearing their moans. Lilia closed her eyes and silently prayed that the scene between her and that animal wasn’t going to be shown.

 

Nanahoshi was the most uncomfortable during the viewing. She had been in the body of a pent-up, hormonal adolescent for years now, never getting a chance to relax since she’s so focused on finding a way back home. She resisted the urge to press her thighs together and-

 

“Should we really be watching this…?”

 

The Japanese girl’s thoughts were interrupted by a blond girl on the opposite side of the room. From the look on her face, it was evident that she was experiencing similar thoughts. She was also only a teenager in her youth despite being an adult in her world’s standards.

 

Surprisingly, Aisha was the one who slowly looked away while her sister, Norn, pretended to have her eyes closed. Was she about to see how she was conceived?

 

No. The age difference between me and Rudeus is still a bit large for this to be it.

 

Ghislaine and Elinalise scowled, clearly not wanting to witness Paul’s ravenous behavior.

 

“He’s such an animal …”

 

The faces on all three of Rudeus’s wives turned a deep crimson as they heard the two women’s opinion. The wives found the scene… mild when compared to their nights with their husband.

 

The scene changed to show Rudeus laying on his bed, reading the Magic Manual.

 

My growing magic power is another mystery. Could it be the result of my training? There’s supposed to be a cap on magic power, even if you work at it.

 

The boy rolled over on his bed to stare at the ceiling.

 

No, it’s too soon to draw conclusions. Yes. It could increase as I grow up, for example. Or maybe using magic at an early age dramatically increases my maximum.

 

The audience, still recovering from the events that happened only a few moments prior, shook their heads to get a good grip on themselves and listen in on the critical information that was being revealed.

 

A familiar ball of water was shown as Rudeus continued training his magic potential.

 

Oh, I shouldn’t discount the possibility that I’m unique.

 

The boy’s face contorted into a wicked grin as he laughed out loud.

 

“I’ve gotten into this!”

 

Becoming overly excited, the young mage cast even more balls of water, all of which splashed into the barrel in front of him.

 

A warm atmosphere was shared among the Greyrat family and many others as they thought about how truly special he was. Orsted thought about how Rudeus was special due to the fact that he believed the mage had a Laplace factor inside of him.

 

Suddenly, Rudeus held his arm as he breathed out some air.

 

Whoops. That’s no good. Cool it.

 

The boy then dumped the water inside of the barrel out of the window as he continued his thought process.

 

If that hypothesis is right, there’s only one thing to do: Train as much as I can while I’m still growing.

 

The usual mages in the theatre grimaced as their faces filled with regret. They truly wished to have trained themselves more while they were still young. Roxy caressed the fur of the Sacred Beast to calm down while Elinalise used other methods to calm down her genius husband.

 

On the screen, Rudeus was finally ready and prepared to take a big leap in his growth.

 

“Okay!”

 

Suddenly, the young mage looked down at his hands as he thought deeply about what to do next.

 

“Still, how do I make these fly?”

 

The scene changed to show Zenith tending to the Greyrat household’s garden while the noises of Paul training with his sword was heard. The young women of Buena village could be heard aweing at the man’s muscles from a distance.

 

Paul relaxed in his chair a bit as he looked up at the screen. Just as he was getting comfortable, he received a hard slap from his wife.

 

Once again, Ghislaine and Elinalise didn’t bother holding back their rude expressions.

 

In the second row of the theatre, Sylphie and Roxy looked at each other and then at the unconscious body of their husband between them. They then looked back at Eris, who had been sitting in her usual spot behind Rudeus.

 

“““It’s the Greyrat genes.”””

 

As Paul continued flexing his sword skills on the screen, the back of his head was suddenly washed over by a ball of water. His face showed that he was surprised for only a moment before it returned to his usual calm. He looked up at the sky, expecting rainclouds, but then found his eyes drawn to the open window on the second floor of his home.

 

“What?”

 

Inside of the Greyrat household, Rudeus could be seen breathing quickly in and out while holding his legs to his chest. He then looked down at his hands, his breathing not slowing down in the slightest.

 

Forming another ball of water in his hand, Rudeus launched it into the bucket he had placed across the room. When the ball of water landed inside of the bucket, all previous distress on the boy’s face disappeared.

 

“Yes! All right!”

 

Seeing how excited their husband was when casting his first spell properly, the three wives shared an expression of calm joy.

 

He looks so happy…

 

Among the wives, Roxy was the only one who felt a tinge of melancholy.

 

As Rudeus celebrated his discovery on the screen, inner voice became present once again.

 

I finally cracked how this incantation works. This spell goes: create, set size, set firing speed, activate.

 

As the boy explained the functions of the Water Ball spell, the screen showed multiple balls of water being blasted through the window with uniform consistency. It then showed Rudeus had been shooting these balls of water out of his finger, pretending it was a gun. He was now shooting these balls of water onto the wall, where a target had been drawn using more water.

 

Once again, Cliff thought about how his friend was breaking almost every known rule about magic. It was absurd in his mind. However, he didn’t dare speak nor show his disdain, clearly afraid about what the lustful woman sitting to his left might do.

 

Roxy looked at the scene once again as she examined the whole process that her husband used to cast magic. It had been so straightforward all along. Up until now, she had been relying solely on instinct and incantations.

 

I can do this…

 

Now that she understood the whole process of spells, the Migurd girl was refilled with a new sense of determination.

 

Towards the back of the theatre, sitting in the left corner, Sara began thinking about her theory over again. It was unusual that Rudeus couldn’t figure out how to properly cast spells if he was a demon in his previous life. Furthermore, mages became mages because of their natural instinct when it came to spellcasting.

 

Up until now, Rudeus looked like a total beginner. Could he be…?

 

The archer tried to think about more excuses to validate her theory that Rudeus used to be a demon in his past life, but all of her thoughts were shut down by herself.

 

Nanahoshi never had any interest in the magic system of the new world she had been transported to. All she ever wanted to do was find a way to get back home and resolve all the petty love conflicts she had with her friends while eating food that felt like home . But, she still felt a small amount of delight when seeing her friend celebrating in a place better than his old home.

 

I wonder what caused him to hate his previous life so much… I can understand that he had bad habits and wasn’t in his ideal form, but there has to be some other reason…

 

After successfully mastering the Water Ball spell, Rudeus jumped up and down while yelling in excitement.

 

That’s the process it follows. At least, I’m pretty sure that’s it. I didn’t set the firing speed, so it didn’t go anywhere.

 

Once he had grown tired of running around, the brown-haired boy collapsed onto the wooden floor with a satisfied smile on his face.

 

Seeing the mage’s glee after casting his first spell, Ghislaine and Eris thought back to the glory and triumph they felt when they did the same. The parents in the front row of the theatre along with the sisters in the third row felt warm inside as well.

 

Rudeus sat up and looked at the book that was on the floor.

 

I’ve got more magic power now, so it’s time I tried intermediate magic.

 

In the front row, Zenith’s eyes lit up as she realized what her son was about to do on the screen.

 

Picking up the book, Rudeus flipped through a few pages as he walked toward the open window.

 

“Umm… ‘Supple spirit of water and princess of streams that flow through the earth, sweep away all things with your hidden inner might. Splash Flow.’”

 

As the incantation was being read aloud by the boy, a small circle of dust began forming at his feet. Rudeus looked back at his hand and saw that a massive amount of water had gathered into a ball in front of him with more swirling into the condensed sphere. The pages in the book he held flipped wildly as the young mage gave a surprised gasp.

 

When Rudeus lost focus on the ball of water, the sphere completely destroyed the walls in front of him and a large, condensed bullet shot through the air. The pressurized water caused the air surrounding it to howl as it slowly reduced into a speck. The residual effect of the blast was a stream of water raining down from the sky and onto the villagers of Buena village.

 

Cliff bit the bottom of his lip. He was getting jealous, something that the elf sitting to his left decided to never forget.

 

The sisters in the third row were wonderstruck as they gazed in astonishment. This feeling was shared among the wives and the rest of the cast as a sense of awe was present throughout the theatre. They watched the humble beginnings of Rudeus Greyrat.

Notes:

We're only 14 minutes into the first episode...

Anyway, I might not be uploading until either Friday or Saturday of this week (it might even be pushed to next week). I'm debating on what I should do for the next intermission chapter. If you have any ideas that fit with the overall direction that the cast is heading, feel free to comment it.

I'm going to keep Rudeus asleep until after his past life is recounted in the anime. If the pacing remains the same, you can expect Rudeus to wake up again in (at the earliest) Chapter 20.

Chapter 7: Intermission III - The Happy Greyrat Family

Paul Greyrat was a man who considered himself to be confident with a hint of playfulness. Although, his playful personality would sometimes get in the way during social interactions due to his overall lack of manners. He was notably known for being a womanizer and a lot of his comrades that weren’t immediate family viewed him as scum.

 

When he saw how his son feared being seen using magic on the screen, the senior Greyrat brought his hand over to cover his eyes, falling deep into contemplation. What did his children think about him after his death? Paul was sure that they didn’t think too badly of him, especially with his son visiting his grave to tell him about his adventures. From the way Rudeus spoke to him, he knew that the grudges he saw within his son had dissipated with the flow of time. As always, there were nuances…

 

He was absolutely sure that his children heard vile things here and there during his absence in their lives.

 

What if Rudeus had simply pretended to not hold any grudges when talking to his grave out of guilt and superstition?

 

No. That can’t be right… He ran straight into my arms the moment he saw me alive.

 

What if his daughters had developed a deep sense of loathing toward him for leaving them behind?

 

Shit. I’m a great father, aren’t I?

 

Both of his daughters hadn’t even talked to him ever since the calamity that occurred when his fellow audience members found him awake…

 

---

 

The first people to wake up when they had been teleported into the theatre were Roxy, Norn, Aisha, Orsted, and Nanahoshi. Apparently, they were the only people who received a direct explanation from their captor. Nanahoshi had immediately understood the situation and interpreted the words to those present with relative ease, devising a plan as she did so.

 

The plan was to have the Japanese girl and Roxy stay behind to help explain to the rest of the audience when they woke up. Nanahoshi inquired about personal hygiene to the voice in her head, to which the pair of doors toward the back of the theatre opened.

 

Through the doors was an “endless” hallway. In actuality, the hallway was simply built to represent a loop. There was a large lounge, grand washroom, and snack bar located in the rooms situated toward the inner rim of the hallway loop. The rooms located on the outer rim were bedrooms meant for the cast to rest in. On the other end of the hallway loop, opposite to where the theatre was located, was another door that had an endless field of green behind it.

 

Once more members of the cast were awake (specifically, Sylphie and Eris), Nanahoshi entrusted the task of explaining to Roxy and left to take care of herself.

 

During the other-worlder’s absence, Aisha recognized a familiar shade of red hair in the front row of the theatre. Seeing her mother still unconscious, the young maid had begun making her way toward the figure before being stopped by her sister. When Norn was questioned by Aisha, the former pointed her finger toward the figure two seats away from Lilia.

 

Seeing their father again, both girls were understandably shocked, with the blond one being the one that was affected the most. She had already accepted her father’s death and was scared. What if her father had become a completely different man than the girl had remembered him to be? Would her father view her as an individual or merely a shadow of her older brother? She begged her sister to stay with her, at least until the Superd sitting to her left was awake.

 

After taking advantage of access to a means of personal hygiene, Nanahoshi had returned wearing clothes that the fellow audience members had never seen before. Not wanting to explain, she had decided to play it off as her own fashion sense. By now, the only people who weren’t awake were Rudeus and the parents in the front row. Linia and Persuna, being the delinquents they were, had to be given a specific talking-to from the being that ran the theatre.

 

When Norn looked at the Dragon God sitting a few seats away on her right, she had made a realization that the negative effects that people held had been completely nullified, whether it be curses or illnesses. Why else would they not be running away from Orsted? As if on cue, her mother woke up while groaning about not getting enough sleep, which brought startled reactions to those who were aware of her prior situation. This hanging sense of shock only amplified when the audience realized who the man sitting next to Zenith was.

 

---

 

“Are you alright, dear?”

 

Coming back to his senses, Paul pulled himself out of his reflection of facts. The whispered voice had come from the blond woman on his left who had her arm wrapped intimately around his own.

 

“Yeah, I’m better than ever! I was just thinking about some things, and…”

 

Realizing the screen in front of the couple had paused, the two turned their heads around to face the audience behind them. Zenith was the one to excuse herself and on behalf of her husband as well.

 

“My husband means well with his words, even though his mouth hasn’t kept up with manners in decades.”

 

“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

 

Was that who I think it was?

 

“Do you mind if we get a room? I’d like to talk to my husband about something.”

 

The group nodded approvingly at the couple, telling them not to worry so much like their son always does. Zenith was the one who initially stood up, gripping her husband’s wrist as she did so. To the outsider in the fourth row, it looked very weird seeing the man being bullied by his wife.

 

As the couple made their way to the doors located in the back of the theatre, the maid promptly following close behind, the wife gestured for the sisters in the third row to follow her. As Rudeus’s direct family exited, the mage’s wives nodded to each other and decided to follow them from behind. If it was something concerning their husband’s family, then they would have to involve themselves too. Once the wives joined the migrating party, they all walked themselves together into one of the rooms located along the outer rim, a deafening silence accompanying the group the entire time. When the Greyrat family found themselves cramped inside of the bedroom, they opted to head for the lounge instead. The parents were sat together on one couch while the rest of the group was sitting opposite to them. With the amount of people sitting on the piece of furniture, it should’ve been overwhelming. However, the small bodies of Roxy and the sisters said otherwise.

 

“I believe some introductions are due. I certainly know Sylphie and Roxy from when Rudy was younger, but I don’t think I’ve met you before, young lady.”

 

Zenith held out her hand toward the ‘Mad Dog’ who was sitting at the edge of the couch, smiling warmly as she did so.

 

“That’s Eris Boreas Greyrat. She was the one I assigned Rudy to-”

 

“Shut your trap! Let the girl introduce herself on her own!”

 

Once he received the wrath of his wife’s hand to his left, the senior Greyrat decided not to speak up for the remainder of the family meeting. A suppressed chuckle could be heard coming from the maid standing at his side.

 

“Feel free to sit down, Lilia. You’re part of our family now, aren’t you?”

 

Despite the initial jealousy and hurt that she felt when it was revealed ages ago that Lilia was pregnant with Paul’s child, she offered the maid something invaluable. The affair didn’t seem that important now that she thought about it.

 

“As you wish…”

 

The maid politely brought herself to sit down on Paul’s right.

 

“I’m so sorry about that. My husband is quite the inconsiderate bastard.”

 

The man could only droop his head.

 

“Anyway, back to you.”

 

Eris, frankly, didn’t know how she should introduce herself. Could she say that she was the one who accompanied Rudeus during his time in the Demon Continent? What about the fact that she’s his third wife? The red-haired girl didn’t know anything about the woman sitting across from her. Sure, she had seen her in the Greyrat household after reuniting with Rudeus. But, that was when her mother-in-law was still picking up the pieces of her fragmented mind due to some unknown illness. So, she decided to respond in the safest way possible. She didn’t want to make it seem as if she was unworthy of Rudeus. So, she stood up, drew back her left foot, made a circle with her right hand, and bowed.

 

“My name is Eris Boreas Greyrat, third wife of Rudeus Greyrat and his dearest companion. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

 

With the way she dipped her body, no one could see how tight Eris’s lips were as she spoke her words. However, that didn’t stop Roxy from seeing the girl’s clenched fist behind her back.

 

Understandably, Paul was absolutely gawking at how elegant the supposed ‘Mad Dog’ was. This was nothing like the Eris that he knew. This woman must be an imposter!

 

“There’s no need for Asuran formalities, dear. I’m sure you’re well-aware of this, but we shouldn’t consider ourselves nobles anymore.”

 

Realizing the grim implications of what his wife just said, mostly due to the fact that the Boreas Greyrat family was essentially wiped out, Paul quickly interjected. It didn’t matter if he would get a lecture from his wife, it was better than dying a second time.

 

“She didn’t mean anything behind her words! We just wanted you to be more comfortable with us!”

 

The Boreas Greyrat’s eyes were shining as her mouth parted slightly. She then composed herself by smiling at her in-laws and sitting down.

 

Zenith said her greetings to the other two wives, who she had known very well ever since Rudeus’s childhood. Then, she shifted her attention toward the sisters sitting on the right side of the quarter-elf who was sitting at the center of the couch.

 

“You two surely have grown, huh?”

 

This was the first time since they were toddlers that Norn and Aisha had the liberty to speak with their mother (specifically, Norn). Ever since the Displacement Incident had passed and left their mother unable to even speak, the two of them could only express their love by taking care of her alongside Lilia. It was like a surreal dream to be able to freely talk to her and know that she understood every word that they were saying.

 

Unable to handle it any longer, Norn got up from her seat and hesitantly embraced her mother. After only a few moments, she pulled back and looked at her father sitting nearby. Once she recognized the genuine look of pride (with a bit of cockiness) on her role-model’s face, she followed her older brother’s steps as her eyes stung and her nose clogged. The girl felt like a chaotic mess for being what she believed to be immature, but the satisfaction and wholeness pulled over her suppressed her doubts.

 

“DAADDDD!! I missed you sooo much!! Why was I so stupid?!?!!”

 

Sylphie and Roxy both turned their attention toward the architecture of the room they were in, clearly feeling awkward about the intimacy being displayed by the loving family. Eris could only lower her gaze toward her thighs as she continued clutching her fists and averting her lingering gaze.

 

Among the Greyrat family, only Aisha and Zenith kept their gaze on the blond girl. The father could be seen with a face glazed with affection and relief as he returned the bear hug he received from his daughter. Aisha’s eyes eventually met her biological mother’s gaze, to which she simply waved her hand in glee, basically jumping as she did so.

 

The heartfelt reunion lasted much shorter than what was deserved. But for now, the Greyrats sat together, their fragile warmth shielding them from the cold truths that were going to be revealed in the theatre a few doors away.

Notes:

I've decided that the next reaction chapter might be a LOT more condensed since the pacing so far has been pretty slow in my opinion. If there are any objections, feel free to say them in the comments!!

Also... 100 Kudos! I didn't expect this fanfic to grow so much in only half a month.

I'll be "researching" (reading other reaction fanfics) to get a better grip of how to write. Stay tuned!!

Edit: I forgot to add the horizontal lines within the text. It has been fixed.

Chapter 8: Episode One (Part Four)

Notes:

I apologize for the late upload. Although I don't have an upload schedule, it was still a bit later than I expected.

Roxy averted her gaze from the sight of Norn and Aisha truly reuniting with their parents. Although the overall spectacle was heartwarming, she wanted to be respectful of the intimacy her husband’s family showed. Not only that, but the blue-haired mage couldn’t help but be reminded of her younger self and her own parents that she neglected during her youth.

 

“W-We shouldn’t be keeping the others waiting, should we…?”

 

In truth, she wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. She had no right to be sitting in between such a personal family reunion. If anything, she felt like she didn’t deserve it. Why should she be the one who got to see this and not Rudeus? She knew better than most how fragile the young man was when it came to issues regarding family, so such a heartfelt reunion between his sisters and parents would’ve soothed his heart much more than her own.

 

Feeling a hand on her thigh, Roxy looked to her right and found Sylphie gently smiling at her. She knew what it meant.

 

That girl’s heart is too big for her own sake.

 

Roxy nodded her head, the sounds of crying and teasing of the family in front of her still replaying inside of her head.

 

Sylphie leaned forward and looked to her left to get the attention of Eris, who had her hands between her thighs and her head slightly drooped. The ‘Mad Dog’ had been one of the core strengths of the younger Greyrat family, her bold and slightly dense personality being one of the main reasons why the household will never fall apart. As the one who self-imposed the idea of protecting her family, both physically and emotionally, Eris had evolved from blind rage into undying purpose.

 

Now, however, after realizing the sheer determination and loneliness her husband must’ve felt while they were traveling together in their childhood and when she left him back in Fittoa, regret was slowly creeping into her thoughts.

 

I could’ve at least been a better friend to Rudeus…

 

“Oh! What is it, Sylphie?”

 

I hate this.

 

Eris perked her head up when she realized that she was being watched by the most empathetic of her husband’s three wives. She wouldn’t allow herself to be seen cowering in a hole, for the sake of her family.

 

Sylphie initially believed that she misread Eris’s demeanor, but a small voice in the back of her head told her otherwise. However, it was still too early to make any judgments. This was Eris she was talking to. She understood how much her husband believed in Eris as both a warrior and his pillar of support.

 

I’ll be sure to ask about it at a more appropriate time.

 

Sylphie then whispered as discreetly as possible so that the unraveling of Norn in front of her wouldn’t be interrupted.

 

“Let’s head back for now. I’m sure they’ll need a lot more time with each other than we expect.”

 

Eris, understanding very well what her co-wife meant, was the first to stand up. She was followed by Roxy and Sylphie. The three of them respectfully tilted their heads downward and quietly excused themselves from the lounge.

 

Stretching her arms with interlocked fingers, Eris spoke up as the three wives made their way back into the theatre.

 

“Let’s see what Rudeus will show us next!”

 

---

 

And so, we decided to hire me a magic tutor.

 

“Woah. What did we miss?”

 

Inside the theatre, the people present were all holding a bowl of rice, even Orsted. The seating remained the same, but the only difference was that Nanahoshi was galloping in the center of the second row with a paddle in her hand, distributing the limitless amounts of grain from her rice cooker.

 

“Orsted asked me if he could sample some of my rice. I gave him the paddle, and once he tasted the divine food, he complimented it. The others got curious, so one thing led to another and my friend from the skies materialized more bowls for everyone!”

 

Naturally, Nanahoshi was the one who filled the wives in on the insanity of it all. She would be great at distributing propaganda.

 

Seeing the absence of the rest of the Greyrat household, Cliff wanted to speak up about it. This was proven to be a grave mistake since as soon as he opened his mouth to interject, his mouth was filled with the premastication of his elven wife.

 

Behind Eris, Sylphie and Roxy looked at each other for only a moment after seeing the “suffering” of their husband’s friend. Their thoughts aligned. They wanted to do the same thing to Rudeus.

 

The red-haired Sword King completely ignored the silent pandemonium happening behind her as she asked what she believed to be the more important question.

 

“Well, what about the screen behind you? Why is it still playing?”

 

Nanahoshi looked back at the screen as it displayed Roxy getting off of a carriage. As Roxy got off of the carriage on the screen, the voiceover of Rudeus’s thoughts were played as he explained the financial and social status of his father. He also complained about being born as a country bumpkin.

 

“I don’t think anything too important has been happening. While you were gone, all that was ever shown was Rudeus’s parents arguing about whether he should train with a sword or become a mage. We all clearly know which path he took.”

 

As the world-hopper explained what the wives had missed during their trip to the lounge, the blue-haired M. Greyrat smiled a bit. At least she helped her husband choose the path he was most-talented in.

 

The three wives took their place back in their original seats. To the left of the unconscious Rudeus was Sylphie, to his right was Roxy, and sitting directly behind him was Eris. Nanahoshi had already returned to her seat to the left of Orsted in the third row, quietly distributing more of her “propaganda” when needed.

 

Come to think of it, Rudeus did mention that he was trying to cultivate rice with his sister.

 

The Japanese girl grinned.

 

On the screen, the image of a visibly shocked Paul, Zenith, and Rudeus was shown. In the context of Rudeus’s monologue about how he had been expecting an old man whose looks screamed that he was a mage, the young boy was understandably appalled at the sight of a gloomy, blue-haired loli.

 

“I’m Roxy Migurdia. Pleased to meet you.”

 

Sara recognized that tone of voice that was being shown. She was familiar with it since she had seen the same attitude before when talking with Rudeus back when he had joined her party.

 

She sounds depressed, probably reluctant to teach Rudeus.

 

As the archer picked up grains of rice with her hand and guided them toward her mouth, she fell into deeper contemplation. The same could be said for the other side of the theatre, minus Cliff, who was more focused on surviving than pondering.

 

Zanoba, meanwhile, stood up and bowed at his Grandmaster . Julie simply copied the behavior.

 

On the screen, Rudeus looked at his father for a few moments before looking at his mother, his expression full of surprise. The screen then showed Roxy from a close-up shot, panning from her feet all the way to her head, her signature hat in her hand.

 

What the hell? Forget a beard; she looks like her bush hasn’t grown in yet. Maybe middle-school age?

 

In the second row of the theatre, Roxy started adjusting her bangs and averting her gaze to the Sacred Beast that was sitting to her right.

 

On the screen, the blue-haired Migurd began playing with her hair while averting her gaze.

 

Loli, scornful gaze, unsociable; three traits that equal perfection. I want to marry her.

 

“HUUUHHHGHGHGHGHHHHH?!?!!?!”

 

The gloomy loli realized that her husband was successful at his endeavours. Her sudden outburst was accompanied by chuckles coming from Sylphie and jeers coming from Eris.

 

“Don’t laugh…”

 

The rest of the cast were smiling, especially Zanoba. After all, his Master was able to succeed in his dreams of worshipping his God every day.

 

He knew the importance of the Holy Relic his Master keeps.

 

Master, will this work of brilliance show me your divine beginnings in the arts?

 

The Blessed Child could only fantasize about when the time came.

 

In the third row, Nanahoshi could only think back to her own experiences. There was a time when she had looked exactly like Rudeus’s soon-to-be wife did on the screen.

 

So, it’s the depressed ones that you’re after. A loli too? Geez, you really did mean it when you said you were trash.

 

What if Rudeus had chased after Nanahoshi too when he took care of her after her manic episode? The girl didn’t want to think about it.

 

On the screen, it was made apparent that both Paul and Zenith were questioning Roxy’s occupation as a mage. While they were trying to be polite about it, Rudeus voiced his thoughts.

 

“She’s tiny!”

 

A less-than-amused Roxy curtly replied back.

 

“You’re a fine one to talk.”

 

Maybe she’s sensitive about it? I didn’t mean her chest, though.

 

Doing the best she can not to burn up, Roxy continued to avert her gaze from the screen. She had always been the voice of reason within her family, balancing Sylphie’s empathy and Eris’s impulsiveness. But, what was there left to reason when she could hear the unfiltered thoughts of her husband?

 

If you’re going to talk about “tiny,” tell that to Sylphie.

 

Roxy turned her gaze over to the quarter-elf as she spoke. When their eyes met, the two of them turned around to look at the third wife’s… assets.

 

There has been a great disturbance in the Greyrat household.

 

Roxy looked between Paul and Zenith on the screen, and then to Rudeus. She was confused about who she was going to tutor, and when she realized that it was the literal toddler in his father’s arms, all she could do was sigh.

 

“You do see them sometimes. Idiot parents who think their kid has talent just because he’s an early bloomer. Looks like this one’s a dud.”

 

We can hear you, Roxy!

 

The girl on the screen clearly couldn’t care less.

 

In the audience, the blue-haired mage also sighed, but for a different reason. She was so wrong about her student being completely worthless. In fact, she knew better than anyone else that she was completely outclassed by him within only a few years.

 

After a short disagreement between Roxy and Zenith, the shorter and less endowed of the two (Roxy) gave in and sighed.

 

“I understand. I’ll do what I can.”

 

As she was saying this, she picked up her staff along with a suitcase of her belongings she had brought along with her. As she walked away, Rudeus quietly asked if they were going to practice outside. When he realized that there was no use escaping his fate, he hugged his father tightly.

 

Among the cast, no one thought too much about Rudeus’s small gesture on the screen besides Roxy herself and Nanahoshi. The Migurd girl had always wondered why her student had taken such a liking to her when they finally left his safe zone, while the Japanese girl thought a bit deeper.

 

Old habits die hard, huh?

 

She knew very well what her friend had gone through. She had experienced the same thing too.

 

The scene cuts to Roxy lazily, but efficiently explaining the theory of magic, something that Rudeus had practically memorized at this point. Although, that wasn’t the main problem. The young boy was panting, sweating, and frantically looking at his surroundings.

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

“Oh, no.”

 

“Alright then.”

 

Roxy held up her staff and pointed it at a tree housed within the Greyrat property. When she told Rudeus about repeating after her for the incantation, the boy asked if it was absolutely necessary, a question Roxy found completely stupid.

 

I thought so.

 

The blue-haired mage sighed once more and began reciting an incantation, one that Rudeus knew like the back of his hand. Once the incantation was finished, she launched a pressurized ball of water toward the trunk of the three she was aiming at, snapping it in half.

 

“What do you think?”

 

“Miss, my mom worked hard to raise that tree, so I think she’ll get mad.”

 

“Huh?! Th-That won’t do, will it?”

 

The Migurd quickly ran over to the tree she vanquished and struggled to carry the upper half back toward the lower half. As she did so, she recited the incantation for healing magic.

 

Within the theatre, there were those who knew Rudeus’s mother and there were those who didn’t. Those who knew Rudeus’s mother knew that she would probably be annoyed at first, but would accept the outcome if it was for her son’s training as a mage. Those who didn’t know the mage’s mother…

 

“Scary…”

 

They made a mental note to not accidentally piss her off when she returned.

 

After Roxy’s immense healing magic was finished, the tree instantly shot up straight without any sign of being tampered with. In fact, it even blossomed.

 

Oh, wow.

 

“You can use healing magic too!”

 

As Roxy walked back toward Rudeus, she responded to the boy’s statement.

 

“Yes, up to intermediate level.”

 

“Wow! That’s amazing!”

 

“No, anyone can do as much if they train properly.”

 

As the tutor looked up toward the sky while she talked, the cocky grin of Rudeus was shown.

 

She seems like a pushover.

 

Back in the theatre, Sylphie could only smile as she rocked her body from side to side. The embarrassment of her co-wife on the other side of her husband made her feel a pleasant feeling, not like she was a sadist or anything.

 

“Heh.”

Roxy leaned forward and covered her face with her hands. Unbeknownst to her, the praise that Cliff was about to give her was silenced by you-know-who .

Notes:

This chapter was about half the length of the previous reaction chapter.

I'm afraid that this was because I spent a large majority of the end of last week reviewing over my textbooks for the VERY absurd unit test I had.

The next upload should be soon... I swear...

...

Also, I decided to cut a bit of dialogue here and there. It helps with the pacing a bit. If I keep this up, the next reaction chapter should conclude Episode One.

Hey! I was right when I predicted five reaction chapters per episode!