Mushoku Tensei: A different path

(Rudeus POV)

"A rank, yeah, right. This was just a meager firewood gathering quest."

"But the size of that thing. Just how old was it?"

"I'm just surprised it did the same thing as Rudeus. Absorbing the life force out of its victims."

"For the last time, I didn't know it could do that." I protested on our way back from our mission.

We were just done with a slaying quest in which my capabilities were personally asked for.

A massive Icefall Treant was causing some trouble in of the forests, and as a result, made passing through that area slightly difficult.

I was asked to help with that because of my recent ranking up.

After that incident at the Ilbi Cave, we didn't do much of anything since as an S rank party the options for quests were limited but well worth.

My name has already spread around quick, but it won't hold long unless I put more accomplishments into it.

Soldat was so good and helped me, and that's when we came to the conclusion that I should use this spare time to get my ranks up a bit.

I haven't really picked up on the book with the Saint and King class incantation for Attack Magic ever since I got [Lightning].

But since getting my ranks up and using them for jobs as well as Soldat spreading the news of it around for me, people soon found out that I have reached Saint class at all the attack type magic.

When getting asked as to how I got my hands on this, I wasn't afraid to expose Pax's wrongdoings.

But, as agreed with the Shirone king, I simply said that a prince overexerted his authority against me and my family, so I got this as a consolation gift.

The expression on my face must've convinced them about my story, as they sent some signals of respect and appointed not to mess with me.

Not my fault that chubby dumbass caused trouble after he dared to slap Lilia and threaten to rape Roxy. I think he got off too lightly with his punishment of getting sent abroad.

Just a little more time and I could reach King class as well... maybe...

"Finally, we're here."

It was only two days since we've left, but the battle against that hill of wood was… anticlimactic.

The thing may have been huge but still weak in comparison to the Blizzard Dragon. Especially in terms of versatility.

Let a block of ice fall and then branch attack. That was its attack pattern. Simple as that.

Anastasia could've even dealt with it if she got a good Fire Spell on it.

Once we were inside the guild, we got greeted by some of the adventurers.

Something that I should've expected from my recent work clarified it for me that Soldat is taking some of my fame for him and his party.

There was even a different incident where his other means of getting attention got exposed.

I would be more annoyed by getting used like this, but the results said day speak for themselves.

With the amount of Treant wood we gathered from the quest, we got our reward and some extra thanks from the clerk for accepting the job.

"Alright, that's it for today. Good work everyone."

After Soldat's command, we all went to do our own thing for the day.

This was normal as we already made plenty of money from the Snow Drakes job.

I was the only one who had more losses than wins because of the drinks I reluctantly paid for, plus the damage I've caused.

The crystal and skin from the Blizzard Dragon? Both of those had their own problems to be sold for.

Even with their sheer size, the less than useful effects made them less wanted and wouldn't make much profit anyway.

And as for the skin, it was of such high rarity that I was told to keep for myself and perhaps make a new robe for me.

Both of those advises weren't from some random merchants, but rather a new friend I recently made.

He gave me advice many times before I tried to sell something, and it prevented me from getting rigged.

Yet, there was different good method for me to earn some extra cash.

"Excuse me."

When I was about to get out of the guild to go sell the Treant branches, I was consulted by another adventurer.

He was a few years older than me and had a few armor pieces on that allowed him to stay flexible.

"Is there something you need, sir?"

"A-Are you still doing services as a Healer?" He asked, the dark rings under his eyes making it obvious to me what he meant.

"That depends on the physical state and the necessary amount of payment paid upfront."

As part of my healing showcase on Timothy, I was getting hired by people for my services as a King class Healer.

I was only tasked three times before because the prices were set high.

Only paying small amounts would make me steal the money from those that also get a living by healing other people and aren't as high in Healing Magic as me.

Soldat was very insistent that I only give my services if a person has a missing limb or illness.

He may be rude when speaking out his mind, but he is a good guy and a capable leader at that.

"A member of my team lost her leg recently. We only managed to stop the bleeding and the lost limb was too damaged to reattach. As for the money, I have it right here."

The guy handed me a pouch, and I checked if the amount was correct.

He paid with a few silver coins and many large copper coins.

Given the amount and his current state, he must've done plenty of jobs to earn all of that money, nearly exhausting himself to death.

"Alright, let's go to the person."

A bit of light illuminated back into his eyes when I said that, having hope inside them.

I was guided to the inn he and his friends were staying at, and we arrived at the door of his room, where he knocked on it.

Seconds later and the door was opened.

A blond girl around his age came and took a look at him before looking at me.

Her expression changed into that of anger soon after.

"Figru, what the hell?! Why did you bring him here?"

"Yana, he is the only one that can help her."

"What are you talking about? He is a Demon!"

Oh boy. Not this again.

There are still some people who refer to me as a Demon race because of my prowess and appearance.

It doesn't help this situation as I can see this girl wearing clothes reminding me of the people in Millishion. Meaning, she is a follower of the Millis religion.

"Yana, I asked him to."

Another person's voice came from within the room.

"Heldega, I cannot agree with this!" The Millis girl yelled at the person within the room.

I tilted a little to the side, but then-

*POKE*

"Ouch!" I yelled and bend backwards while holding both of my eyes.

The Millis girl stabbed me in the eyes with her fingers, her fingernails sharp as if they were meant as claws.

"Perverted little brat. Trying to see her in her underwear, how could you?"

Well, that's something that didn't happen to me for a while.

The only difference that the victim of my staring wasn't hurting me. And instead of getting punched in the face, I was stabbed in the eyes.

"Yana! That was too far." The woman in the background yelled.

"Are you okay?" The boy asked while I was rubbing my eyes a bit.

"I'm alright."

Good thing she didn't use a sharp object instead. I already got my eyes slashed once.

There wasn't much damage to my eyes this time, so no healing was necessary.

When I recovered from this, I met eyes with the boy's anxious eyes.

"Please be at ease. Her action was reasonable. I shouldn't have peeked inside in the first place."

"B-But-"

"If your friend here doesn't want me to heal the one you asked me to, then I gladly give back the exact amount you just gave me."

Panic arose from him and his eyes went wide.

I turned towards the Millis girl and narrowed my eyes.

"Aren't ashamed of yourself?"

The coldness of my voice made her flinch and step back a little.

"Wha- huh?"

"I want you to look at your teammate over here."

She was getting a bit irritated, but I wasn't retaliating of her attitude.

"I said, look." The anger in my voice was obvious.

She started to look scared and finally did as I ordered.

"Do you see the state he is in? Do you see fatigue showing on his face? His eyes?

With the amount, he just gave me a few minutes ago, any idiot should be able to deduce how hard he worked to hire me.

And here you are making all of that time and effort spend into nothing but continues hopelessness."

I took out the pouch I received and held it before her.

"Here. I'm giving YOU the choice now.

You can take back that hard-earned money of his, and I leave you all alone, letting the person behind you slip away her opportunity of walking on her own without another one's help.

Or, you swallow that senseless pride of yours, get your friend dressed and let me do the job I was hired to do.

So, what will it be, lady?"

Shock coming from all over the place as I was loud and clear enough to let other people hear what's happening.

Meanwhile, the Millis girl had guilt emitting from her. But anyone who has listened to her and examined her face can tell that.

She was struggling to let out any word, not managing to bring out a proper sentence.

"Yana, please. It's for Heldega."

The girl snapped out of her trance before frowning.

She moved back but closed, but not before speaking.

"Give us a minute."

Closing the door on her way, I heard sounds of footsteps and sheets rustling.

I put the pouch back into my pocket dimension and waited, not moving from the spot.

"Hey, I'm sor-"

"Quit it. She needs to reflect on her behavior."

Although this also resonates with me because of my behavior earlier, I can't watch his hard work not be acknowledged.

There are times when people don't appreciate such work and say that they never asked them to do it in the first place.

Such moments can be more harmful to a person's mental health than others could imagine.

Just like…... just like I did... with Paul.

He looked so much worse than this boy, and I didn't even think about giving him comforting words for all the pain he went through.

No, I should shake off that thought. I need to do my part and be patient.

Eventually, news about a labyrinth will reach Soldat's party and I can concentrate on getting Zenith out.

And in the case of the vision not being true, I will continue spreading my name.

'Get it together, me.'

The door opened, and I was, albeit reluctantly, asked to come inside.

Finally, I saw the person I was brought here for.

A woman probably around Soldat's age, with black tied up hair, slit eyes and a petite nose.

She sat on her bed in more common clothes.

Part of me feels incredibly annoyed for not having seen more of it, but I knew exactly that she was not in the condition to be looked upon.

"Greetings. I am Rudeus Greyrat. Your friend has hired me to heal you here today." I bowed down as to be polite enough to barge in so suddenly.

"Oh my, what a formal and polite young boy you are. Tell me, are the rumors about you being violent against people who mock you true?"

I flinched at that question.

'Thanks a lot, Soldat.' I scowled in my mind.

"T-That was a one-time thing at the guild because I was intoxicated by my leader."

"Oh, I was actually talking about your first appearance in Rosenburg."

That's worse. She is talking about my state after the fight with the [Tri-Daggers]. I made sure to avoid showing any kind of blood on me since then.

"Anyway, my name is Heldega, and the boy who hired you is Figru, and the rude girl is Yana."

"Don't tell him my name."

The girl called Yana exclaimed, obviously not willing to become friendly with me after my ultimatum.

I clapped my hands together and changed the subject back.

"So~ let's get you healed up, then."

"Ah, right."

The Millis girl came over to help her move her body for me to see the stomp. Her right leg is missing up to her thigh.

"Looks terrible, doesn't it?" She said, rubbing her hand on the stomp. "Sometimes I feel like it's still there, as if it never went missing."

"Phantom limb."

"Huh?" She looked up at me, curious about the medical term I just said out loud.

"It's a state of mind that hasn't processed the loss of a body part yet and believes that it's still there. More often it happens to those that lost a limb or two."

She looked at me for knowing such obscure state of mind. Not just her, the two others as well.

"Y-You sound like you have experience."

As she said that, I started rubbing my left arm at the spot where I remembered it being cut off.

"I lost my left arm against a powerful opponent once. Through some kind of miracle, I managed to heal me a new one, along with another lethal wound."

Negative as my curse may be, that moment was life-saving.

"Well, let's get started. But before that, I need to know for how long you have been without your leg."

"Does that matter? She lost it and that's it. What, is your Magic not strong enough as you give to say?" Yana angrily said.

"20 days."

"Heldega!?"

"Have you been bedridden this whole time?"

"Yes. Could that perhaps complicate things?"

"Indeed it does. After I will heal you, you should take it easy. For the first few days, it's better if you don't go as far as running immediately. Massaging and stretching your legs should help should you get to your previous state. And in a short time, you should walk without a person's help."

"Ah, that makes sense."

Heldega seems to take that clinical advice perfectly. Meanwhile, Yana couldn't believe the yaw dropping advice I gave her.

Without further ado, I proceeded forward and kneeled.

"May I start?" I asked beforehand as to not come off as taking advantage of an immobile person.

She nodded, so I put my hands on her stomp and concentrated for a while.

"What's taking so long?"

Okay, now she is starting to get me angry again.

"Healing Magic is a tab bit more difficult for me to cast without the chant. I need to concentrate on it. I specialize more in Attack Magic."

I looked at her with a blank expression as to send her the message to shut her yapping. She looked away, and I continued to do it again.

Soon, a green light appeared, and a new leg started to sprout out of Heldega's stomp.

As the spell was done, she stretched her leg a bit and wiggled her toes.

"I… I-I can't believe it. It's back."

Standing up and stepping back a bit, I allowed her some time to process it a bit.

For whatever reason she was thinking of, she stood up, only to fall and get caught by me.

As I held her with both hands at the waist, I used a bit of Gravity Magic to lift her up but noticed something strange but expected and cancelled it.

As I sat her down on her bed again, I looked at her meekly.

"See? In that time you were bedridden, your left leg lost a bit of muscle and is currently causing you problems on getting your balance back."

"How did you lift me that easily?" She asked with a bit of blush on her face.

"At first, I was using a bit of Gravity Magic, but ceased that as you don't seem to weigh a lot, and I can clearly guess why."

She figured out what I meant as well and looked away in embarrassment.

Despair must've eaten at her in more than one way. Better than eating her way out of the darkness growing on her soul.

Turning my attention to Yana, I gave her one last medical advice.

"Please stop her from doing anything reckless. Oh, and help gain a bit of appetite again. She needs the nutrients."

"Y-Yes."

With all things settled, I excused myself and left the room. But not before Heldega gave me a "Thank you." with a warm smile and a single tear running down her face.

On my way out, I was chased by Figral.

"Wait."

I stopped on my step and turned around.

"No more thanks for healing her leg, or apologies for your other friend's behavior. You paid and I did my job. Speaking of which-"

I took out the pouch he presented me with and took out all the copper coins inside it. Next, I handed the pouch with the silver coins left inside it.

As he looked inside it, he couldn't help but be speechless.

And before he could say anything at all, I stood to the right of him and clapped him on the back.

"I totally get you, man. Working up some cash so that the people you care about can have a smile on their faces again while disregarding your own health? I would be a tyrant if I took all of that money away from you. So take that money and pursue that future you're aiming for."

"Wait, what future?" He looked at me, confused about my wording.

I nudged him with my elbow and had a teasing smile.

"Come on~. Anyone can tell that you have some special feelings for her to go THAT far."

He caught up with me now and started to blush. I stepped back and held out my hands with my palm towards him.

"But hey, it won't help anyone if you work yourself to death. She would feel guilty, so don't go too hard, okay? Go ahead and use that money to take her out to a nice dinner."

I then moved my right hand to the left side of my face.

"And you're probably hoping for some late night bedtime action, am I right?"

The moment he was getting too red was the moment I knew it had gone too far.

"I'm joking. Just make sure to spread my name as a King class Healer to people, and we'll be good."

He just nervously nodded, so I ended the conversation here and went on my way to my inn.

Another job done… well, just done.

This one was still better than the other ones I had. And because I at least earned some money, there is nothing to complain about.

"Hey Rudeus." The voice of Mimir reached my ears and I turned towards him.

Sara was standing behind him, giving me a complicated look.

However, the next thing Mimir said made my face crack up a bit.

"Another job in the red-light district?"

"...N-No... not this time."

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