Reborn in Mushoku Tensei

A/N My bad it took so long my phone had broken and I had to wait to get a new one also I had trouble relogging into my account.

What the hell was that voice yesterday?

This was the third time it had happened. It kept saying someone was going to die. Who? No matter how hard I tried to think it through, nothing made sense. When it got to the part about the death, the voice started speaking backward.

I was never good at riddles. Whatever it was trying to say, it was beyond me.

Something about it left a bad feeling, though. Still, I couldn't stop now. This was necessary. Darius needed to die.

Just in case, I'd keep Sylphie and Eris safe. Ghislaine could manage herself, but the girls needed extra protection.

The driver mentioned we were close to Ars. A few more hours on the wagon, and we'd be there. I shifted my focus to something more productive. "Ghislaine, what do you know about the Water God?"

She looked up, her expression serious. "Not much. I know she's extremely powerful. If we want to live, we shouldn't cross paths with her."

She paused before continuing. "Even if there were five of me, I don't think it would be enough. There's a rumor she can kill you from twenty meters away."

Sylphie frowned. "If she's that strong, why isn't she one of the world powers? Rudeus told me about them."

"I couldn't say," Ghislaine replied. "But if she fought the Sword God, I'm not sure who'd come out alive."

I stayed quiet, thinking about what she said. I assumed the Sword God was stronger, but there were too many variables. The Water God's technique could end anyone who couldn't overpower it, unless they were a monster like Orsted.

I decided to switch topics. "Ghislaine, what's our plan for killing Darius? I'd assume you'd have more experience with this kind of thing."

"You're overestimating me," she said. "I usually just run in with my sword and behead them."

I should've known.

"That's what I was thinking too, Ghislaine. Can you read minds?" Eris's eyes lit up. She looked way too excited about the idea of brute-forcing this. Both of them were useless.

"You know what? I'll make the plan." I cleared my throat. "First, we need to do some recon. Sylphie and I can handle that since we're small and can use magic. Once we find where he's vulnerable, Ghislaine and I will go in. Sylphie and Eris will stay outside to warn us if someone's coming or to fend off any guards.

"This could take a week or two. We'll need to avoid drawing too much attention."

"Wow, Rudeus. Who knew you could come up with such a smart plan? Hiring you as a tutor was a great idea." Ghislaine slapped me on the back, hard enough to leave a bruise.

"Does anyone think we need to adjust the plan?"

Everyone shook their heads. It looked like my plan was solid.

I glanced at Eris. She'd been training like a madwoman. Every day, every night. Ghislaine pushed her to the limit, and she never complained. Honestly, she needed rest, but if Ghislaine was fine with it, I couldn't say anything.

There wasn't much else to do for now. I'd been practicing swordsmanship and dual-wielding whenever I got the chance. I was improving, but it still needed work. For now, I needed sleep.

•┈┈┈••✦ ♡ ✦••┈┈┈•

"Rudeus… Rudeus, wake up. We're here."

I groggily opened my eyes and looked out. Gates towered ahead of us, marking the entrance to Ars.

This city was enormous. The buildings were leagues beyond anything back at the manor.

"Rudeus! Look at those buildings!" Eris was practically glowing. This was her first time seeing anything like this.

"I can't believe I've never seen a city like this before," I said. "What do you think, Sylphie?"

She stayed quiet, but I could see it in her eyes. She was just as impressed. "I'm glad I got to come. I never thought a village girl like me would see something this beautiful."

"Our first task is finding a place to stay," I said.

"We can stay at my vacation house," Eris announced.

A vacation house. Of course, she'd have something like that. At least that part of the plan was sorted.

The next step was recon. Knowing the Man-God, he'd already warned one of his apostles that I was on my way. I needed to figure out where Darius was and what his movements were.

I turned to Ghislaine. "I'll meet up with you at the house later. I need to scout the city. Sylphie, come with me."

"Are you sure? How will you find us later?"

I activated my demon eye. "I'll track your mana. It won't be hard."

"Okay, but be back by dark."

I took Sylphie's hand. "We will."

We hopped off the wagon and headed into the city.

Sylphie's eyes lit up with excitement as we ran through the bustling streets of Ars. Her gaze darted around at the stalls, shops, and nobles passing by. It was her first time in a city this big, and she looked like she wanted to see everything.

"Rudeus, can we stop at that stall?" She pointed at a food stand nearby.

"We really don't have time. We're supposed to be looking for Darius, remember?"

"Please? Just for a bit? I won't ask again," she said, giving me a look that could make anyone cave.

I sighed. "Fine, but only for a bit. We don't have much time to waste."

We walked up to the stall. It had a variety of baked goods on display, some which I could recognize. Sylphie's eyes scanned the options before she pointed to something that looked like a muffin.

"That one," she said.

"How much for the muffin?" I asked the clerk.

"Five copper coins," he replied.

Five? That was highway robbery! The capital was really taxing people down here. Begrudgingly, I handed over the coins, and Sylphie happily took the muffin.

She bit into it with a look of pure joy on her face. "This is amazing!"

"Alright, you've had your fun. Let's get moving," I said.

Just as we turned to leave, a girl with blue hair stepped in front of us. She had a sword strapped to her waist, and her posture screamed discipline.

"You there," she said, pointing at me. "You carry a sword, yet I've never seen you before. State your name."

Her tone was sharp, and her gaze was piercing. Who the hell was this brat? Was it really that unusual to see someone carrying a sword in a city like this?

"I'm Rudeus Greyrat. Is there a problem?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I've never heard of you. Come with me."

I groaned internally. This was the worst-case scenario. Why was this happening already?

I whispered to Sylphie, "Just stay close. If anything goes wrong, we run."

We followed the girl through the streets. "What's your name?" I asked.

She hesitated before answering, "Isolte."

My blood ran cold. Isolte. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed earlier. She looked just like her older self from my memories only younger.

"Where are you taking us?"

"To my grandmother's dojo," she said matter-of-factly. "She knows every swordsman in Ars. If you're a threat, she'll recognize you."

M

I felt my heart sink. Of course, she was bringing us to the Water God Reida. This was a terrible idea. But if I ran now, she'd report me. It was better to play along for now.

The dojo came into view, and my heart started pounding. The closer we got, the worse I felt. I could feel sweat forming on my forehead as my hand hovered near my sword. Sylphie had no idea how much danger we were walking into.

When we stepped inside, I was surprised to see only kids and teens sparring and training. The Water God wasn't here at least, not yet.

"She's not here right now," Isolte said. "You'll wait until she arrives. In the meantime, I'll test your skills myself."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked cautiously.

She nodded. "I need to evaluate you. And what about the girl? She carries a sword. Is she a swordsman as well?"

"No, she isn't. It's just for emergencies."

Isolte looked disappointed but said nothing. She led me to a sparring area and handed me a training sword. She took her stance, her movements precise and disciplined.

Her stance gave away that she was experienced, leaving very few openings. Water God practitioners rarely attacked first, so I'd need to make the first move. I adjusted my stance to mimic the Sword God style and charged at her with a quick slash.

She parried effortlessly, and I followed up with a flurry of strikes. None of them landed, but I saw a small opening near her legs. I aimed low, but she jumped back, dodging the attack.

Using a burst of speed, I closed the gap and aimed for her with a Long Sword of Silence. The force behind my attack caught her off guard, breaking her stance and leaving her open.

But she recovered quickly. Her counterattack came faster than I anticipated, forcing me to block and use Flow to redirect her blade. Her eyes widened in shock as my training sword connected with her side, sending her flying back.

She got up, her expression grim. "You never told me you could use the Water God style."

I chuckled. "You never asked."

She gritted her teeth and readied herself. Everyone in the dojo had stopped what they were doing to watch us. It seemed Isolte was the strongest here, and I was giving her a run for her money.

This time, she came at me with full force. Her movements were sharp and relentless, but I managed to keep up. I waited for an opening and used a final Long Sword of Silence, pouring all my strength into the attack.

Our blades clashed, but she used Flow to redirect me, leaving my body wide open. Her sword struck my shoulder, and it felt like I'd been hit by a boulder. My arm was numb and I fell back a bit. but didn't stop. Using my right foot to propel myself, I got behind her and launched another attack. She turned to block, but my strikes overwhelmed her guard. Her stance began to falter under the pressure.

I saw my chance and kicked her legs out from under her. She stumbled and fell to one knee. Before she could recover, I hurled my sword at her.

She flinched, closing her eyes—but the sword never hit.

In the next instant, I felt cold steel against my throat. My training sword was sliced clean in half.

I didn't even see her move.

I stumbled back, landing on the ground. Sylphie ran to my side, helping me up.

"Who is that?" Sylphie whispered, her voice shaking.

I looked up and saw her. The Water God herself, Reida.

"Oh, so you know me, brat," she said, looking down at me with disdain. Her presence was suffocating. Even Sylphie was trembling.

"Grandmother," Isolte said, recovering from the fight. "This boy… is he the one you told me about?"

Reida's sharp eyes scanned me from head to toe. I froze, unable to move. If I so much as flinched, I knew she'd cut me down.

"Yeah, this is him," she said. "So, kid, what are you doing here?"

I swallowed hard. "I came to train at your dojo," I lied.

Reida smirked, clearly seeing through me. "Hmm. Alright. You've already beaten Isolte, the strongest here. From what I've seen, you're talented in all three sword styles. I'll train you myself."

The room fell silent. Gasps echoed from the students.

"What about the girl?" Reida asked, eyeing Sylphie.

"She's… not that good with a sword," I said quickly, blocking her gaze from Sylphie.

"It's fine. She can train with the others. But you you're staying with me."

My stomach churned. This was getting more complicated than I'd hoped.

I grabbed Sylphie's hand. "We need to go. Our family is waiting for us."

As I turned to leave, Reida's voice stopped me.

"Wait… your name?"

I hesitated. "…Rudeus Greyrat."

She smiled faintly and nodded.

Without another word, I ran, pulling Sylphie with me.