mushoku tensei: unplanned reincarnation

When I opened my eyes, I was greeted by an intense light that almost blinded me. I blinked a few times, trying to adjust my vision. Slowly, shapes began to define themselves around me, but nothing seemed familiar.

After my vision finally cleared, I noticed a blonde woman looking directly at me. Sweat was dripping from her face, and she seemed exhausted, but her warm smile conveyed a strange sense of comfort.

Who is she?

Next to her, a man with brown hair wore a somewhat awkward smile. He had a sturdy build, with defined muscles, and an expression that mixed pride and relief.

This guy... he seems like the type of person I always wanted to be.

The woman looked at me again and said something. Her tone was gentle, but the words... were completely incomprehensible. The man responded in a low tone, and the tension on his face eased.

Who are these people? How am I still alive? Could I have been in a coma, and these two are my doctors?

Suddenly, a third voice entered the conversation from somewhere outside my field of vision. I tried to turn, but my body simply didn't obey me.

Is it because I've been in a coma?

I gathered all my strength to try to say something, anything that could clarify the situation. But the only sound that came out of my mouth was:

"Haaw! Aah!"

For a moment, hearing that sound unsettled me. It was sharp and... strange. A feeling of panic began to take over me. My head felt heavy, and the world around me began to blur. My heart raced as I continued making incomprehensible sounds:

"Bhaaah! Aaaah!"

It was then that I realized. That was... crying. My own crying.

Before I could process what was happening, everything went black again.

---

A month had passed since that day.

Finally, the truth became clear in my mind: I had been reborn. I was a baby.

Waking up and being greeted by the sight of a woman washing me was another shock. Before I could control my reaction, I cried again.

The first two faces I saw were apparently my parents. They seemed to be around twenty years old, almost my age when I died. At seventeen, I never imagined being reincarnated, but here I was, reborn as their child.

They don't look Japanese. Their features were Western, the language was completely unfamiliar, and the clothes they wore were old-fashioned. The woman who was cleaning the floor with rags looked like a servant. At first, I thought we were poor, until I realized that having servants didn't fit with poverty.

"Aaah" a grunt escaped my mouth. Looking at the ceiling was the only thing I could do most of the time. Processing all of this was difficult at first. No matter how much I wanted to believe it was a dream or that I was still in a coma, the smells, textures, and the pain from the daily reminders told me otherwise: this was real.

Why was I reborn? This thought hammered in my mind. I didn't have many regrets in life. My mother had already lost my father, and now, she was probably suffering from my death.

---

Five months later

Hearing my parents talk constantly increased my vocabulary. I remembered an article that said babies learn faster when exposed to a word-rich environment.

My parents told stories, talked about their day, and I secretly repeated the sounds, trying to mimic the tones. Finally, I began to crawl. Being able to move again was liberating.

Today, I wanted to explore the garden. My father had gone out and left the door ajar. My mother was busy in the kitchen. The idea of being outdoors, away from the window glass, was tempting.

I reached the door and saw that I would need to go down a small stone staircase.

"Urg..." I underestimated the challenge, but I descended carefully.

When I reached the grass, I felt something different. It was cold and slightly rough, while the moist earth gave a strange but pleasant sensation.

Even if it was only for a few seconds, feeling the fresh air for the first time made my heart race.

Lying on the grass, I looked up at the blue sky.

'So, this is what they call freedom?'

I still didn't know where I was. The house, both inside and out, gave a rural life vibe. We didn't have appliances or any sign of electricity. Our house was located in the countryside. When I looked at the landscape through the window, there was a peaceful view of grazing fields. The other houses were few, only two or three nestled here and there among the wheat fields. We really lived in the middle of nowhere.

Every detail felt like a reminder that this place was very far from the modern world I once knew.

Reaching my hand to the sky, I saw a baby's hand, a baby who had the memories of a seventeen-year-old teenager.

And if I told my parents that I had these memories? Would they believe me? Or would they think it was just a child talking nonsense? Or would they believe me and feel disgusted and repulsed by the fact that their son, whom they think is their son, isn't really their son?

These thoughts came and went each month that passed.

Did I make the wrong choice by pushing that old man? Should I have saved myself as the old man wanted? Are my two friends okay? What was my mother's reaction when she heard I was dead? Did she cry for me?

These thoughts came and went each day I spent in this unfamiliar place.

What was the purpose of me having another life?

This thought came and went every hour I stayed in this unfamiliar body.

"Frrrr"

Startled by the sudden noise, I quickly looked in the direction of the sound. What I saw there was a white horse. It was my first time seeing a horse up close.

"Frrrrr" It was looking in my direction and continued to snort. Maybe it was curious to see me.

"Hm? Rudy?" A voice interrupted my thoughts.

It was my father, coming through the open gate of the house.

"What are you doing out here?" He said, picking me up in his arms.

'So, this is what they call restriction?'

It was just a few minutes, but being outside was something liberating. Staring at the same ceiling every day had drained my mind.

"Horse" I pointed to the animal.

"Oh! Caravaggio. You hadn't seen him yet, huh? How about it, do you want to ride him?"

'What? Are you out of your mind? I'm not even one year old, I can't even stand properly!'

I shook my head in denial.

"Come on, Rudy, don't be scared," my father said with a smile.

Ignoring my resistance, he held me firmly in his arms and began walking toward the stable where the horse was. The smell of hay and aged wood grew stronger as we got closer.

He reached for the stable door, but a sudden sound from the house entrance made him stop. When I looked in the same direction, I saw my mother. Her face showed concern, but when she saw me in his arms, she relaxed and started walking toward us.

"Rudy!"

Her eyes shone with relief as she reached out her arms to hold me.

"Nnn..."

She began rubbing her cheek against mine, a tender gesture that made me a little uncomfortable.

Please, ma'am, you're going to make me embarrassed.

"How did you end up out here?"

I'm sorry, my adventurous spirit seems to have taken over.

"Horse" I articulated with effort, pointing again at the animal.

"Wh-what? When did you start talking?" My mother seemed genuinely surprised and somewhat stunned upon hearing my words.

After a moment of reflection, I realized I had never said anything clearly in front of them until that instant.

"Why are you so surprised? It's completely normal for him to start talking already."

"I was starting to get worried," my mother admitted. "He always cries during clothes changes, and when he tries to speak, he only babbles."

Hey, babbling is totally normal for a six-month-old baby! Also, there was no need to bring up my completely justified crying.

My father, on the other hand, seemed more at ease hearing my first word. Maybe he wasn't as sentimental as my mother? I wondered if my parents in my past life had similar reactions when they heard my first words. Unfortunately, I don't have many memories of my father before he passed away in a car accident.

"Say 'Mommy'," she asked eagerly.

"Mommy" I obediently said. Yes, that's right. I'm a good son.

"Wooow!" She was amazed, as if it were the best news of the day.

"And me? Say 'Daddy'."

"Mommy"

Sorry, Dad. Today, I decided to be the obedient boy for Mom.

After this moment, we were taken back inside the house, my mother overflowing with joy and my father with an expression that seemed more like someone who had been stabbed in the chest.

In the kitchen, my father began recounting the events of the day to my mother. Meanwhile, I was in Lilia's arms, the housemaid, who had quite a peculiar behavior. In recent days, she had started performing some kind of ritual around me, something I didn't quite understand. Maybe she started doing this after seeing me babbling alone in my room.

"And then, Laws mentioned that a Lesser Treant monster was lurking in the forest, but I, strong as I am, went there and solved the problem."

Monster? The word immediately caught my attention. He really said "monster"? That sounded like something straight out of a fantasy story.

Is he the type of adult who still suffers from chuunibyou?

But what if that wasn't the case?

A lot of possibilities began flooding my mind. I didn't want to jump to conclusions.

"Monster!" I gathered all my strength and put as much intensity as I could into my voice.

Well, even so, the sound that came out was weak. Still, Lilia, who was with me, certainly heard it. Come on, Miss Lilia, explain this to me.

I tugged at her sleeve, hoping she would understand my unease, and gave her my best smile.

Her eyes landed on me, staring intently. Lilia was a woman with almost unchanging expressions, always with a stoic look. But perhaps, deep down in her heart, there was a spark of kindness.

"..."

Hey, please stop looking at me like that, as if I were a repulsive being. It hurts my fragile heart.

"Fuuh"

After a moment of staring at me, she let out a sigh. Then, she gently lifted me to her height.

"Monsters... are like animals that have changed because of mana. Some become bigger, stronger, or dangerous. When this happens, they may attack people."

She paused for a moment, as if assessing whether I was following, before continuing.

"And sometimes, over time, some monsters become smarter, almost like people. But even then, they remain dangerous."

She gave a slight nod, as if concluding the explanation, and resumed staring at me with those purple-violet eyes that seemed to pierce my soul.

"Do you understand now?"

I just gave a slight nod in return, still trying to process everything, and she turned her gaze forward again.

Monsters.

So that's it. I really wasn't in my world anymore. As much as a tiny spark of hope still flickered within me, believing it was just a different place on Earth, with each passing month, with everything I saw and experienced, that hope was fading.

I will never see my mother again.

Nor my aunt, my grandfather... nor my friends.

I will even miss that strong perfume, with a scent that irritated my nose, that my mother wore when she went to work. I'll miss the food I cooked for my friends, the laughter around the table, the smells, the flavors, the conversations.

All of that I experienced will be just a memory, untouchable, inaccessible.

Why am I here?