Mushoku Tensei: Reincarnated as a Beast Race-Chapter 161 - Thirteen Winters: Rudeus’ Journey

POV: Rudeus Greyrat

Today I was thirteen years old.

When I was reincarnated into a new world, I promised myself that I would strive and do my best in my new life.

After all, in my previous life, I was nothing more than a failure living off my parents, confined to a room, afraid of the world.

Thirteen years have passed since then.

Up until I was seven, you could say I'd had a peaceful life. Paul and Zenith could be considered relatively wealthy in Buenna Village.

I learned a lot during that time, especially from my master Roxy. She was the one who pulled me out of that dark world where I was hiding and took me outside the house for the first time.

Roxy showed me the sky, the horizon, and the warmth of walking down a road. She taught me much more than just magic.

With her almost infinite wisdom, she was my teacher in everything. And I felt, from the bottom of my heart, that as long as I followed her teachings, everything would eventually turn out all right.

Following Roxy's teachings, I met Sylphy. She became my first friend in this new world.

Sylphy was kind, patient, and accepted me as I was, despite all my flaws. We grew up together. And when we were seven, the mana catastrophe happened.

We were teleported to the Begaritt continent. Everything changed from that point on.

We joined the mercenary group Tyranny's Tempest, and it was around then that I truly realized how brutal this world could be.

We had to fight against gigantic, cunning monsters. Battles against bandits, situations where life was disposable.

It was at that time that I took someone's life for the first time. I vomited. I remember it as if it were today. The smell of blood, the horrible feeling deep in my chest.

But, looking back, I kind of feel grateful for Larax forcing me to do it. I needed to face the truth: this world was not like the previous one.

Sometimes, if you don't want to be killed, you need to kill. Protecting those you love often demands decisions we'd rather not make. It's an inevitable choice.

I believe it was, in part, because of that mindset that I managed to survive after escaping Rygar Adoldia.

We traveled through Milis, then crossed the Demon Continent. In each of those lands, someone had a price on our heads.

Somehow, we managed to come out on top...

Most of the reason was that my companions saved me, every time.

Sylphy, Hector, and later Ruijerd, on the Demon Continent. I depended on them. I always depended on them.

I was a mage, yes, and had more mana than Sylphy, but I didn't expect to beat her in a straight fight.

Maybe a few years ago I could have; Sylphy was very dependent on me, but in the last few years, she became strong.

I contributed ideas from my previous world, reasoning, cunning.

Compared to the incredible Sylphy, that was all I could offer.

And it was exactly why Sylphy lost her eye, and Hector died... all due to my lack of strength and that damned Iron Legion.

Not to mention Hector's death, harming Sylphy was my ultimate bottom line; if they came for me again, I would burn them to ashes.

Sylphy seemed to harbor a hatred even deeper than mine.

She always said I was very strong. Hector said something similar. Even Larax used to say that.

It gave me a bit of confidence, for a time. But that confidence was crushed when we fought Rygar.

I might be good at magic. But I certainly wasn't one of the best in the world.

It had been two and a half years since we met Ruijerd Superdia. He was a warrior of the feared Superd race, a race that my master Roxy had warned me to avoid.

However, when he helped us in a battle, effectively saving little Ajax, Vidette's son, we were in his debt.

Vidette and Sylphy were terrified of his presence at first—which I found a bit illogical, considering he had just saved our lives.

But in time, they got used to his presence.

The Superd warrior, despite his frightening demeanor, was extremely kind and paternal.

He always helped children—hence his decision to follow us after that day.

The only adult in our group was Vidette, and she was caring for her little son, so perhaps that made him feel even more responsible for us.

Besides, he visibly became enraged whenever he saw someone trying to harm a child.

Ruijerd was also the most formidable warrior I had ever met, surpassing even Larax. But I suppose that was to be expected—after all, he was over five hundred years old.

His sense of justice was somewhat twisted, it's true, although he changed considerably after spending those years traveling with us.

Sylphy, interestingly, went from fear to admiration for him. She was the one who disliked him the most at first due to resentment and trauma, but after hearing his story, she better understood his pain.

Ruijerd had killed his own son with his own hands in his madness because of Laplace's spears... his story was profoundly tragic.

The discrimination against Superds was so intense that not even the truth could clear his reputation.

Sylphy, who had already been bullied for her green hair, ended up identifying with him. And gradually, the two grew quite close.

---

During our journey across the Demon Continent, we faced many trials.

When we finally reached Vidette's demon tribe, I had completely fulfilled the advice Hitogami had given me. My task was to find clues about my parents' whereabouts—and in a way, we did.

After speaking with a six‑eyed demon, we discovered a letter from Paul.

The handwriting was a bit crooked and poorly written; the sender was someone called 'Rotari,' but the letter itself said it was from "Pou Greyrat."

With that, there was almost no doubt; it was probably about my father.

The content of the notice was a plea for help. The message said he was imprisoned in the province of Gaslow, one of the most hostile and dangerous regions of the entire Demon Continent.

Extremely powerful and numerous monsters roamed that area, and from what we discovered, both he and Zenith were being held there—under the control of an entity beyond comprehension: the Immortal Demon King Atoferatofe.

A legendary, immortal figure who, it was said, had fought countless battles against the Armored Dragon Perugius during the Laplace War.

After talking to Sylphy about going there and properly saying goodbye to Vidette and little Ajax, we decided to head to Gaslow.

Ruijerd chose to continue traveling with us, saying we were still just children—even though he said something about recognizing me as a true warrior.

He stated that he couldn't defeat Atoferatofe in combat, and I... well, I also had no idea how to break the magical contract mentioned in the letter.

But even so, we decided to go ahead. Because abandoning my parents was not an option.

---

On the way to Gaslow territory, our group consisted of me, Sylphy, and Ruijerd. We were slowly approaching the region where my parents were imprisoned.

During the journey, Sylphy began intense training with Ruijerd. He guided her in both unarmed combat and general combat using magic.

I myself ended up being included in that training. After all, I didn't want to be left behind and strength was very important in this world.

During stops in some towns, we found records of the Black Wolf's Fang group passing through various adventurers' guilds.

Apparently, they had also read the letters left by Paul and were heading to Gaslow.

This information gave us some relief. At least they were on the same path as us.

The Demon Continent was becoming increasingly unique and hostile.

Despite the dangers, with our magical skills and Ruijerd's power, we managed to cross a large part of the territory with relative calm.

Even so, each city was a new challenge, and each village hid a different surprise.

It was during that journey that Hitogami appeared again in my dreams. His image disturbed me deeply.

I blamed him for Hector's death, even without being sure he had caused it.

Deep down, part of me thought that, if not for his previous guidance, Vidette would probably have died in Milis during the trip. It was a painful contradiction.

During the dream, I argued with him, and then I seized the opportunity to ask how I could break the magical contract that enslaved my parents.

Hitogami then instructed me: I should go to the tallest tree in our next town exactly at noon and help the little girl who would appear. Without understanding why, I obeyed.

Sylphy accompanied me. At the appointed time, we saw a purple‑haired girl being pursued by a warrior clad in threatening black armor. We intervened immediately.

After saving her, we discovered that the little girl was none other than the Demon Empress Kishirika Kishirisu.

Or, at least, that's what she claimed to be. Given the circumstances and the stories we had already heard, it was hard to doubt her.

After feeding her—it seemed she was hungry—she promised us a reward.

Knowing the legends about the All‑Seeing Eye, Sylphy was quick to ask for information about our relatives' whereabouts. And so, Kishirika revealed various truths:

Norn, my sister, was in Milis, of course. Paul and Zenith, my parents, were at Necross Fortress. Lilia was in the Milbotts region, in the Asura Kingdom.

Aisha, my other sister, was at the Sword Sanctuary. I was confused and somewhat frustrated to learn that Aisha had parted ways with Lilia at some point, but at least they were alive.

Sylphy's mother was also alive, but her situation was delicate. She had been enslaved and was currently in the Biheiril Kingdom, in a noble's mansion.

The revelation shocked Sylphy, but the hope of reuniting and freeing her mother strengthened her determination.

We told Kishirika that our immediate goal was to rescue my parents from the Immortal Demon King Atoferatofe. Kishirika brightened at the mention of her name.

She was in a great mood and revealed a method to break the magical contract.

According to her, the magical circles inscribed on the armors were the work of Moore, Atofe's direct subordinate.

Only he could undo the contract, and it had to be done personally.

The problem was that Moore was known for his blind loyalty to his mistress, making it almost impossible to convince him to help. But at least now we had a path—something better than the previous void.

Kishirika was so pleased to know we were going to confront Atoferatofe that she gifted us two of her Demon Eyes.

I received the Eye of Prediction. Sylphy gained the Eye of Affection.

She warned us to be careful with the powers of these eyes.

Sylphy's, in particular, had a troublesome effect: people around her could fall in love compulsively if not careful with eye contact.

After that, the Empress bid us farewell, following her own path. Sylphy and I spent weeks training to adapt to using the magical eyes.

The adaptation was tough at first, especially for Sylphy, who needed to avoid unintended incidents with her gaze. But, with time and practice, we got used to the effects.

I was a bit quicker at mastering my Eye of Prediction, which allowed me to foresee enemies' future movements before they occurred.

It was a powerful tool but required concentration.

With this new advantage and a plan in mind, we continued toward the Gaslow province. Our focus now was to find Master Roxy and the Black Wolf's Fang.

After hearing about Atoferatofe's strength, we expected that they had not stormed the fortress alone. Although, if it were Master Roxy, she would probably find a way...

---

We traveled swiftly across the Demon Continent. Ruijerd had some incidents where he killed people who threatened us—actions that, although justifiable in his eyes, made me uneasy. I spoke to him about taking it easier.

Ruijerd's sense of justice was very rigid and ruthless.

Well, who was I to judge?

Still, I believed a bit of restraint was necessary, especially when there were alternatives. Ruijerd didn't see it that way, but he seemed to heed my words with some consideration.

Gradually, we approached Gaslow. When we finally arrived, we just had to make our way to Necross Fortress.

However, before that, we found information about Master Roxy.

She was in a dungeon along with my father's old group, Paul's. When we arrived, the group had just exited the dungeon and looked visibly beaten. I didn't see Roxy among them.

After some conversations and introductions, they explained that she had fallen to the lower floors of the dungeon.

They had only reached the third floor and didn't know her exact whereabouts.

They also said she had likely fallen to the boss floor of the dungeon; those traps usually work that way.

Without thinking twice, I entered the labyrinth. I advanced through the narrow, dark corridors, exterminating every monster in my path.

The dungeon was rank A—dangerous but not impossible. With the support of my newly acquired Eye of Prediction, I avoided all traps and ambushes.

I used magic recklessly, without hesitation. I reached the hole in the floor where they said she had fallen, and without thinking, I jumped.

I used earth magic to create a slippery ramp on the walls and wind magic to cushion my fall.

I reached the bottom, and although I didn't see Roxy immediately, I could feel her presence. In an inexplicable way, I knew where she was.

I used a spell I had learned over the last year, inspired by the one Rygar used: lightning.

I cast bolts in all directions, destroying walls until I cleared a path. Finally, I found my master. A huge drake—a monstrous lizard—was about to attack her.

There were corpses of other beasts scattered around, but she was still alive and intact, although injured.

I launched a lightning bolt with all the power I had at that moment, sending the drake crashing against the wall. I ran to her to check her condition.

When I saw the drake getting up, I summoned another continuous bolt. I poured a lot of mana until I was absolutely sure it was dead.

I managed to save her. Apparently, that drake was the dungeon boss.

Later, I found out that the group had been in that dungeon searching for a magic item capable of breaking contracts to free Paul and Zenith. The item, however, was no longer there.

Roxy had fallen into a trap because the group had no rogue.

I explained to everyone the method we had discovered with Kishirika to undo magical contracts. Roxy quickly came up with a plan.

She was very happy to see me—but I was definitely even happier to see her. I was now a little taller than her, which, I must admit, made me a bit happy.

With the plan in hand, we organized ourselves.

Our strategy depended heavily on the element of surprise. Ruijerd and I would be responsible for facing and containing Atoferatofe and the Celestial Kings who were with her directly, drawing the attention of her guards.

Meanwhile, Sylphy, Elinalise, Tallhand, and Roxy would attack Moore, the subordinate who could deactivate the contract magic circles. If they managed to defeat him and force him to undo the contracts, we could free Paul and Zenith.

And so our operation began.

We moved as fast as possible. Ruijerd was the first to go, marching straight toward Atoferatofe and challenging her to direct combat.

They clearly already knew each other. According to what he told me later, Atoferatofe had pursued him for years after his betrayal in the Laplace War—a time when he abandoned the Demons' side to take revenge on Laplace.

Atofe had also switched sides when Kalman I defeated her, but only after the war ended.

When they met again, she smiled like a beast unleashed from its leash and invited him to be her subordinate; the battle began with brutal violence.

Ruijerd attacked her with all he had, and she responded in kind, with powerful blows that shook the fortress.

Meanwhile, I had my own opponent: a woman named Calina of the Wind, one of Atofe's Four Celestial Kings. She was a North King—and very strong.

At the first moment of the battle, I managed to strike Kalina with a smaller lightning bolt that knocked her down, but she got up shortly after, laughing, excited by the challenge.

Her fighting style was aggressive, mixing brute strength with speed and technique, and it was a fierce battle.

I managed to maintain the advantage with my Eye of Prediction and flexible magic, foreseeing her moves and counterattacking with precision, but still, she was a dangerous adversary.

The fight continued until we finally received the signal: the mission had been accomplished. The plan had worked. It was time to retreat.

The escape was not easy—Atoferatofe and all her personal guard pursued us with fury. She roared orders, determined to capture us and make us her subordinates.

But we managed to escape.

Later, I learned the reason we succeeded. Sylphy had used the Eye of Affection on Moore.

Carefully controlling its effects, she managed to enchant him long enough to make him cooperate and undo the contracts.

An impressive mastery of her new ability. And with that, we managed to free my parents.

Another essential factor for our success was Paul. He was much stronger than the last time I saw him.

After more than four years of intense training to defeat Atoferatofe and leave Necross Fortress, he had become the strongest in the Fortress, surpassed only by Moore and the Demon Lord herself.

His achievements earned him the title of North King, and he had become a truly formidable warrior.

---

After reuniting in a safe location, we caught up on conversation.

It was a bittersweet reunion. Paul exploded at me, yelling for having let Aisha pass by me during the journey and for not having brought Norn with me.

I was hurt. Zenith, however, interrupted him with a slap and a long lecture.

She said he should be grateful, because besides saving them, I had confirmed everyone else's safety.

Instead, he was yelling at me after everything we had been through.

Sylphy also intervened, furious, unleashing even a sonic explosion that sent him flying. The tension was suffocating.

But, over time, we understood each other again. The wounds began to heal, and we got along relatively well again. Well, Paul always was like that.

We even did some sparring after Elinalise asked: Who would win between father and son right now?

That was enough to awaken my father's fighting spirit. I'd also love to slap my idiot father in the face a few times.

That day, I defeated Paul for the first time. Although I relied heavily on the Eye of Prediction. And then I lost to Ruijerd.

After a while, we decided our next steps.

Paul would follow Claire Latreia's wish: he and Zenith would go to Milis to fetch Norn and then would head south to Asura.

Accompanying them would be Tallhand and Elinalise. He seemed more confident, more determined; I think it was due to his increased strength.

He didn't seem very affected by losing to me, but he might just have been hiding it well.

Anyway, Ruijerd, Sylphy, Master Roxy, and I would head north.

Our goal was to reach the Biheiril Kingdom to rescue Sylphy's mother, and then proceed to the Sword Sanctuary, where Aisha was.

Paul told us about a demon he had met in the Fortress, who mentioned a boatman in the Town of Kurasuma, located at the far north of the Demon Continent.

This man was capable of crossing the Celestial Continent's Edge by boat—a very rare feat—and charged a different price for each client. It was the fastest route available, so we took it.

Thus, our group split up. Each went a different way, on a distinct mission, but all with the same goal: to reunite our family and save those we loved.

When I mentioned that Lilia was in Milbots, Paul commented that she was probably fine, which gave me some relief.

We had won a battle, saved my parents, and gained allies. But we had also made a very powerful enemy. If possible, I never wanted to set foot in Gaslow again.

---

The journey was long and full of trials; we had happy and sad moments.

The Celestial Continent rose before us like an endless wall in the sky—a colossus of stone, ice, and clouds touching the heavens as if daring the gods themselves.

We did not climb it, but seeing it up close was enough to etch it into our memories forever.

It was an imposing landmark, witness to eras and legends.

The crossing to the Biheiril Kingdom was made possible thanks to the boatman from Kurasuma, an eccentric and mysterious demon, with a Magical Power Eye and a laugh that echoed like contained thunder.

He demanded as payment a liter of my blood and Sylphy's, justifying that our "ridiculously high and high-quality magical power" fascinated him.

He wanted to study our lineage, our mana, and its flows. We hesitated for a moment, but in the end we agreed.

Considering what he offered, it was a relatively cheap price. A direct and safe passage through the dangerous waters of the celestial border.

During the trip, Roxy became more comfortable with Ruijerd's presence.

Initially, Roxy showed some fear before the Superd, but, like Sylphy before her, she soon perceived the nobility hidden beneath the fearsome appearance.

In no time, they were discussing humanity's prejudice, strategies, and philosophy as friends.

It was a relief to see that harmony bloom amid our strange, improvised family.

And speaking of relationships... Sylphy declared her feelings for me.

It happened during a calm night on the boat deck, under the moonlight. She said she realized how I had been avoiding her—not out of disinterest, but out of fear.

Fear of losing her, fear of not being worthy. And then, with her usual frankness, she said she wanted to stay by my side.

That when we reunited with all our families, she wanted to continue alongside me. Her words touched me deeply.

I felt something ignite inside me, a mix of hope, tenderness, and insecurity. I didn't think I deserved her... but I wanted to try anyway.

And so my last three years passed: traveling, fighting, learning. I saved my parents in this world.

I made friends, experienced losses, and I can say I matured a bit.

Although we had made a powerful enemy—Atoferatofe—we stood firm.

We were now heading toward the city of Lakfu, where, according to Kishirika, we would find Liena, Sylphy's mother.

After that, our next destination would be the Sword Sanctuary, where Aisha, my younger sister, was waiting.

Our path would take us through the icy regions of the north, a difficult journey, but no more than we had already overcome.

And strange though it may seem... I was optimistic. Pleased with who I had become. I felt alive, whole, even happy.

But fate never seemed to allow us rest.

It was during a gray morning, as we crossed a dense forest near the northern border of Biheiril, that it happened.

We were distracted, discussing the next town, when he appeared.

He—the Dragon God.

Imposing, walking in the middle of the trail. A single look was enough to silence us all.

The end of the journey was near. But we still had some surprises ahead.

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