Mushoku Tensei: A different path

{Rudeus POV}

Yes. This is the next step to my heaven. But it is yet incomplete.

Currently, Eris and I are eating some rice. Yes. Rice. After 12 years, I finally got my rice.

We are currently in the capital of the King Dragon Kingdom, Wyvern.

I knew long ago that rice was harvested here, but couldn't ever reach it.

When I saw it in the market being sold, I bought about 3 liters of it, a bit of salt and eggs.

Trying my best, I created a pot and bowls. It took about half an hour suppressing my magic enough to not make them explode in the process, which took a few tries.

Following the instructions the seller told me, I started immediately cooking it and was done before I knew it.

I bought another small bag of rice for later experimentation. Particularly, using Healing Magic to grow rice so that I can much my precious rice every day.

Thinking back, I remember that Roxy used Healing Magic to heal Zeniths tree back together after she snapped it. If it wasn't such a grave mistake of her, it would have been funny.

What I want to do is grow these seeds so that I can have rice all the time I want.

"Hey Rudeus. This is really good." Eris was happily eating another bowl of rice with me.

It appears to me that the shock of her parents using her as a tool has lifted. That or she temporarily forgot about it. She really needs to work on her memory.

I realized that Ruijerd wasn't eating with, even though he is standing over there. Truly a mature man.

What I made was definitely better than that terrible food that skull-face man made. No good establishment and a gloomy atmosphere. Not good points of that cook at all.

I let my sense of smells guide me too much and ended up already going there without even realizing it. I should've listened to Ruijerd, but my inner desires were too tempted.

Anyway, we already decided on a route, so there are fewer complications. And as we did, we arrived at the Kikka Kingdom.

***

When I woke up, I was in a white void. Looking before me, I saw the mosaic faced self-proclaimed god standing before me.

"Hello there... Rudeus?"

"YOU BASTARD!" I launched myself towards Hitogami, trying to choke that mosaic shit. But he just evaded, making me hitting the ground. But I wasn't done yet.

Getting myself back up again, a started glaring at him.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR DEAL? NOT MAKING ME REALIZE WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HOME. HAVING ME FIGHT PAUL. AND TO TOP IT ALL OF NEARLY LETTING ME DIE."

"Wait second-"

"WHAT KIND OF DEITY ARE YOU? ARE YOU JUST ENJOYING SEEING ME SUFFER? AND WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH MY PAST SELF APPEARING IN MY REFLECTION?"

"You really should-"

"YOU BETTER TELL ME THE LOCATION OF ZENITH, LILIA, AISHA, SYLPHY AND ERIS'S FAMILY, OR I SWEAR I WILL SLAUGHTER YOUR WANNABE GOD ASS."

"... you calm now?"

"NO!"

I can't let him slip from this at all. I need to make up for my mistake. Otherwise, I won't be able to look at Paul again.

"So this is what you look like, huh?"

"Don't you dare change the... what?" I started off irritated, but notice his weird comment mid-sentence.

I looked down and saw not the fat body of the shut-in NEET, but the 12-year-old body of Rudeus Greyrat.

Rubbing all places with my hands, I tried to confirm whether this is real or not. Yep, it's real.

"But how?"

"You died."

"I did what?"

"The large spell at Millishion was too much, and you ended up dying. The last astral body of yours was from when you died the first time. And since you died again, you seem to have taken this form on as your new one."

"So I died and came back to life? Am I a zombie? Is that why I'm seeing him in the reflection?"

I haven't developed the desire to eat peoples brains to compensate for my own lack of brain function, so that's good.

"No. Your soul just temporarily left your body and came back. The reflection of you is just some mental issue. I don't think I have ever seen something like this. It is suspicious how your body kept itself stable enough without your soul. Your luck is out of this world."

"Huh, luck." That word describes basically all my accomplishments. That and the fact that I am relying on others constantly.

Acquiring the ability of chantless Healing Magic could be the only exception.

"Oh, don't look so down now, buddy. I got good news for you."

"They better be. Otherwise, I will go back to my words."

I need to think past him more, or he might trick me again. Damn it, I always get irritated in his presence.

"Jeez. Keep that attitude, and Aisha will hate you even more."

"Huh? Hate me?"

We haven't met each other in five years. And besides, she was a baby back then, so she doesn't remember me at all. Did someone tell her something bad about me?

"Oh, you will find out soon enough."

He is doing it again. Trying to deceive me into a self sense of security.

"Don't look at me like this. You need to calm yourself if you wanna safe them."

"... fine, whatever. Just say your stupid advice."

"Are you sure? I might lie to you?"

I could fell some veins on my head pop. This guy has the audacity to say that out loud in front of me?

"Whether I can trust you or not will depend on how this advice will turn out."

If it turns out good, then nothing changes. However, if it turns out bad like the whole smuggler ordeal, then I will hunt his ass down to the end of the world.

"That's not very nice y'know."

"JUST SAY IT ALREADY."

"Okay. Listen well, Rudeus. Go take a stop at the capital of the Shirone Kingdom and write a letter to Roxy. You will meet a little girl once you have done that. Listen to her circumstances, and you will be able to save both Lilia and Aisha."

"Aaaaaaaaaaand just as always, your advice is nothing but suspicious."

I'm considering to never again doing anything he advises. I should have done that after his advice at Rikarisu.

"Come on. You can't blame me about your death and revival. Besides, I told you at our first meeting that the region got hit by a calamity. It's your fault for not listening"

Wait... did he? Crap. I think he did mention something about the Fittoa-region being caught in a calamity.

So, it was me who wasn't listening properly? Damn it all.

"Looks like someone finally decided to see the real problem." His words went off in echo as my consciousness slowly faded.

***

Just as Hitogami said, we made a stop at the Shirone Kingdom. After thinking some more about it, I told Eris and Ruijerd that my master Roxy was at the Shirone Kingdom last time I heard.

I honestly wanted to see her again and tell her so much, but the fact that Lilia and Aisha are there and haven't been contacting Paul was odd. Whoever keeps them over there must be too difficult for them to deal with.

Although I would prefer to settle it peacefully, I learned the hard way that being optimistic all the time isn't good at all.

I might actually destroy a country with my lately short fuse. Magic truly is something dangerous if used by a powerful, emotionally unstable child.

I may hate this power of mine, but if I wanna save Paul's family, I have to control myself and my magic again.

And as Hitogami said, we went to the Shirone Kingdom and I sent the letter I prepared for Roxy at the guild.

Eris and Ruijerd are actually looking around the city, trying to find some information about Lilia and Aisha.

While on my walk back, I thought about allot what we did so far.

My magic got a little better, with the spell being more under my control again. They were still oversized, but I could tell that I need less mana now to cast them than before I had my death incident.

Did I actually die back then, or was Hitogami just exaggerating? I heard that not even God class Healing Magic can bring back the dead.

So, what caused my sudden revival? Could there be someone who acts outside of Hitogami's sight? Like another Deity? One that is better at doing their job than Hitogami?

Thinking about that is pointless, so I should stop breaking my head about it.

In terms of my meditation training, it was successful. I can tell the movements of a person even if I won't look at them.

It even got so sharp that I might actually sense mana around me. Not just the mana next to my skin, but even further around me.

But both require a lot of concentration, so I haven't been able to use it outside of meditation.

The mana sensing worked the best when I tried to feel my own mana-pool. And to test that, I remembered how much mana I had at the beginning and started shooting spells at a safe place, where I wouldn't hurt anyone.

After about an hour, I went back into meditation and noticed that not only did I use just a small bit of it, but also that my mana regeneration was rather fast.

The feeling of my body absorbing the surrounding mana was too unpleasant to my sharpened senses. It felt like every part of my body got injected with something at the same time.

Maybe I could figure out how to accelerate the regeneration process? I may have a large mana-pool, but once I'm out of mana, I'm defenseless.

I may be going through some kind of mutation, or it is just an ability that needed to be unlocked through some kind of special means or sequences, like in a game.

Furthermore, I did manage to get the Beginner class Barrier Magic spell done. It merely formed a shield around me. Which, according to the book, can isolate cold and heat, as well as block magic attacks.

Since it's a Beginner class spell it didn't need to be drawn into a magic-circle like higher class Barrier Magic.

I can put it on chantless already. Stacking them on top of each over doesn't seem to be easy, but that's just another task to put on my list of things to do.

It was similar to that time when I suddenly put on a fin layer of mana around my skin. The difference was that the Barrier Magic was more sturdy.

I couldn't control the layered mana, and it didn't appear again after the first time, so further comparison was not possible.

Thanks to my new ability of chantless Healing Magic, I managed to get both Healing and Detoxification Magic up to advanced level. Now I am advanced on the six basics of magic.

If I manage to meet Roxy again, I have to ask her to teach me King class Water Magic.

We didn't do any progress into making the reputation of the Superd-tribe go better, because of my training.

Even my idea of making Ruijerd stone dolls had to be put on hold because of my uncontrolled magic. I only had the one I finished making at the Great Forest.

Out of nowhere, I noticed someone following me, thanks to my presence-sensing.

Because of the people around us, I went into a back alley. Jumping up to the roof with a little bit of Wind Magic after crossing the corner, I watched, or rather sensed, where the person goes.

The person still followed me and when they came into the alley, I used Earth Magic to trap them.

"Huh? What's going on? Ah."

I jumped down from the roof and landed in front of my follower, as I dispersed the stone walls.

It was a little girl in a child-sized maid outfit decorated with frilly embroidery.

She had auburn hair and green eyes. She kind of reminded me of Lilia with that outfit and hair.

She looked at me with fear as I stared her into her eyes.

I was intimidating to her so that she would learn to never sneak up on strangers. Kidnapping is a common thing in this world.

"What is your name and why are you following me?"

She just stared at me for a while, but soon put herself together and bowed.

"Greetings sir. My name is Aisha Greyrat and I have a request to make. I need to send a letter to my father, so he can save me and my mother. So, I would appreciate it if you could guide me to the next guild."

"...huh?"

What the hell? Is this real? How am I supposed to react? And how did she learn to speak so formal at such a young age?

Alright, think. You are currently in an alleyway. And just like Hitogami said, you met a little girl.

Aisha is the little girl he mentioned, and she asked you to guide her to the guild, so she can send a letter to her father.

But there is something important I just have to ask her.

"Might I ask why you are wearing a maid dress, little girl?" she started to frown a bit after a second.

"Well, you see-"

"There you are." The voice of a man called out and we both instinctively looked to the direction it came from.

They were two men, wearing what I remember was the Shirone soldier uniform. Their eyes were set upon Aisha, and she hid behind me. Then their eyes were set on me, which looked like they were suspicious of me.

I seriously hate standing out. Why did my hair and eye colors change so much? Nobody will keep their eyes away from a heterochromia with white hair.

"Young boy, please hand her over."

"So that you could keep her captive with her mother?" My voice came out more mockingly than I intended. The guards were growing irritated at my remark.

"We aren't keeping her captive. We-"

"He is lying.*Sob* They won't let me and mother out."

When I looked at Aisha, she was about to cry. Upon seeing her scared face, something inside me slowly started to crack.

Aisha looked up to me with water filled eyes and said:"Please, help me."

That was the last straw. The boiling feeling that I felt over the last year came rising out of me again as I looked over to the two soldiers.

Both of them looked terrified. One of them tried to grab something out of their pocket, but I used an oversized [Sonic Boom] to push him against the wall behind him.

His body went straight through the wall, making the rest of the now created hole crumble into dust.

"What was that? I didn't hear any incantation." The leftover soldier looked momentarily shocked but put his composure together as he gripped the hilt of his sword on his left.

"Could he perhaps be-?" before finishing his sentence, he went down to the ground. Not from a [Quagmire], but rather as if the air itself around them became heavier.

That was coming from me as well, but I don't remember using that. My body acted on its own, as if it went into auto-mode. What kind of magic I just used was unclear to me.

But we don't have time for that. We need to run.

I took Aisha into my arms and readied another spell.

"Hold on tight."

"What are you- KYAAAAA." her sentence was cut off from the [Earth Lance] I cast beneath my feet, as we were catapulted into the air, and she screamed from the sudden uprising.

I used a little Wind Magic to direct us to the inn I was staying at. As we landed, I tried using another Wind spell to soften our landing.

But it didn't soften it up much. That however wasn't a problem, since the weird layer of mana on my body appeared again and prevented my legs from breaking.

All that happened were a few cracks on the ground from our landing spot.

"Well, whatever." I would have been astonished by this at any other time, but right now, I have to get Aisha save and hear from her what happened to Lilia and her.

However, when I put the little trembling Aisha down, a jolt of pain ran through my legs.

It wasn't as bad as when I finished casting the [Bright Sky Wave], since it was only my legs that hurt. But it still hurt allot.

I stumbled down backwards, wincing in pain and immediately started casting Advanced Healing Magic on my legs.

"Are you okay, mister?" Aisha seemed to have calmed down and was now concerned about me. Such a sweet girl.

I couldn't help but pat her head when I was done healing my legs. Regretting now that I wasn't there for her won't do anything, so I have to be there for her when I have the chance.

"I'm fine. There is nothing to worry about." She looked down a bit, but ended up nodding her head anyway.

Anyway, we headed to our inn so that we could calm down for our little talk. By the way, Eris and Ruijerd to be still gone, so Aisha and I were alone.

I decided to start off my questions after we both took a set on the table in our room.

"So, could you please explain to me what happened, Aisha?"

"Yes. After my mother and I got teleported from Teleportation-Disaster two years ago, we went to the royal palace, so my mother could an old master of my older brother for help."

"I see." Lilia must have tried to ask Roxy for help. I wonder how she is doing, anyway.

"But the prince accused us of being spies of another nation and held us captive."

"He did what?" How can someone think that a little girl and a woman, both wearing maid outfits, being spies? Especially a 6-year-old girl, like Aisha.

"I believe you said something about sending a letter to your father, right?"

"Indeed. I heard that he is actually in Millishion, trying to find us. I have attempted to send him a letter with our whereabouts. But the Royal Guards kept disposing my letters."

"Don't you know that it cost money to send letters. What would you have done if I guided you to the Guild?"

"My mother said if I just show them my cuteness, people will allow me to do everything." she looked at me with upturned eyes.

'What the heck? What are you teaching your daughter, Lilia? I thought you were the most responsible in the family.'

'People can show their true nature at the most random times.'

"Shut up!" Kagami appeared in the window's reflection again, making an obnoxious comment as always.

"What?" Aisha was startled and looked at the window again I was screaming at.

"Sorry. It was nothing."

'You shut up, Kagami.'

'Oh, you know I'm right. I am you, remember.' he had a disgusting smile on his face that made me want to vomit.

I really need some psychologist, but there aren't any in this world. Meaning, I have to deal with this myself.

"Anyway..." I stood up, walked over to her and pinched her cheek.

"Owww." she started to wince in pain, but I was careful not to hurt her too much.

"A girl should not say or do such things."

After this whole ordeal is over, I'm gonna have a long talk with Lilia about her parenting towards Aisha. She definitely developed into one cheeky girl.

"And before I go over there and deal with this prince-" I started patting her head again. She startled a bit and looked at me with wide eyes.

"It's good that you are alive, Aisha. You have no idea how much our father was worried about you."

"Wait. 'Our father'?" It seems that she finally realized who I am. But her face shifted into one of disgust instead of surprise. She smacked my hand away and got off the chair.

"So you are the perverted older brother of mine, whom I am supposed to serve as his personal maid." She was furiously saying some weird accusations to me.

"'Perverted'? 'Personal maid'?" How did she find out about me being a bit perverted? And what's that about becoming my 'personal maid'?

"Wait Aisha, is that why you are wearing a maid outfit? I never intended to make you my maid. Who was making you do that?" she looked a bit shocked, but recovered quickly.

"Mom trained me very early so that I would be your maid. But I don't want to be the maid of someone who worships his master's panties." I think I felt my face grow a few cracks.

"....Y-you know about the....." she must have found the panty I took from Roxy. I never got to take them with me when Paul send me to be Eris's tutor.

"Mom kept it save in a box. She intended to send it to you for your tenth birthday."

"Wait, she has it with her? I thought it would be gone."

"It's still with her."

Now it was my turn to be shocked. No, keep calm. There is something better to think about.

Why would Lilia do that to her daughter? Let alone my little sister.

Does she owe me something? Was there any event where I saved her and-

Some dots in my mind connected as the memory of a certain event kicked into my head. It might be because of her doing it with Paul and me saving her in the end.

"Oh crap. She is doing that because of that time." I facepalmed. "I hope I'm wrong."

"What time? What are you talking about?!" She started yelling at me. Of course, she doesn't know the reason nor the history behind her birth.

"We're back, Rudeus." coincidently, Eris and Ruijerd came back from their little shopping trip.

They both looked at Aisha and then at me. In their eyes, I could already tell what they wanted to ask, so I answer them.

"Eris, Ruijerd, this is my little sister Aisha Greyrat. It seems her and my other parent Lilia got teleported here. The prince of this kingdom accused them of being spies and held them captive."

"Wait, I thought you only had one sister." Eris seems to be under the assumption that Norn was my only sister.

"Aisha is the daughter of my father and former-maid. So, technically, she is my half-sister. But I don't like that. So, I simply refer to her as my little sister."

I tried to say that as honest as possible. But I know that I'm only her brother at the outside, but not the inside.

"You will still explain to me what you know about mom's reason for raising me to be your Maid." she had a serious face on.

I could see Eris getting slightly furious at Aisha's attitude towards me. Thankfully, Ruijerd put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Let's hear what they have to say." He looked over at me and I just gave him a thumbs up. I'm truly thankful for having him on my team.

I then looked back at Aisha to start off again.

"Aisha, I think it's better if we discuss this at another time together with Lilia."

"No. I want to hear it now." She wasn't giving in. An angered child never complies.

"It involves something rather personal, so I really think that-"

"Stop avoiding the subject already and talk."

I could fell the corners of my mouth twitch a little. I'm sorry Lilia, but I have to tell about you and Paul. It's gonna be for her own good.

"Fine. But you have to promise not to hate your mom for what she did, since it should've been all behind us now....I hope."

Talking about what happened before her birth in front of Eris and Ruijerd might be wrong, but she deserves the truth. I hope Paul and Lilia will forgive me.

We proceeded by all taking a seat and me telling all three of them how things turned out as they did.

///