Mushoku Tensei (LN) - Volume SS - Chapter 16

Short Story:

Rudeus Can’t Learn Silent Healing Casting

IT WAS A LITTLE AFTER Sylphie and I got married. After we ate, we went into the living room, then started smooching like we always did…um, I mean, we started our magic practice.

“I told you, Rudy. With silent healing casting, it’s like you’re knitting together the flesh inside the target’s body.”

This world had all sorts of entertainment. Board games, card games, theater… Well, not after the sun went down, but there were bards at the tavern. But since way back, when Sylphie and I were together, we always did magic practice. During the laid-back hours after dinner, rather than playing games or chatting, we naturally wound up teaching each other magic. At the moment, I was teaching her disturb magic, and she was teaching me silent casting.

“Okay, I’ll give you a demonstration,” she said. 

You could only use healing magic on someone who was injured, so I made a small cut in my finger, then held my hand out to her. Sylphie wrapped my hand in her own, then closed her eyes. No sooner did I feel a faint warmth in my hand than the cut was gone.

“Well?”

“I…you’re amazing.” I still got flustered when Sylphie squeezed my hand. I was pure of heart, you see.

“Save the flattery. You’ll be able to do it just as soon as you get the knack. Now, you try it.” Sylphie made a small cut in her pinky finger with the knife. Beads of blood rose from it.

Oh, no. Not a cut in such a beautiful hand. I’d better heal it quickly, I thought. I wrapped her hand in mine. Lately, I’d gotten pretty smooth when it came to taking her hand. In my previous life, I never would’ve taken a girl’s hand like this. Sylphie’s hand, though… So slender, but still soft and cool to the touch… Her hand felt so nice. I wanted to hold it forever.

“Rudy? Ruuudy?”

Ack, crap. Gotta concentrate.

I let mana flow from my hand, imagining flesh knitting together... 

Uh-huh...huh? Uh-huh...ah.

My eyes met Sylphie’s. She was staring right at me. Her cheeks were a little pink. Maybe it was because she was holding my hand... Definitely not. It could just be that the fire was burning a little hot. Anyway, concentrate.

Honestly, though, I didn’t know what I was doing. Offensive magic came relatively easily when I tried it, but I couldn’t get a feel for healing magic at all.

“No good?” Sylphie said eventually.

“Yeah... Seems so.” After concentrating for a while, I looked and saw that Syphie’s finger had stopped bleeding. There was still a mark where the cut had been.

“What next, Rudy? Do you want to try again?”

“Yeah.” There was always value in repeated practice. That being said, it was no good to have Sylphie cut her beautiful hands more just for me to practice on. You might say I should just use my own hands...but I wanted an excuse to hold Sylphie’s hand, all right? To which you might say, you’re married, you don’t need an excuse to hold her hand. I’d say so too. But you see, there was a subtle difference between how Sylphie reacted when I held her hand with an excuse compared to when I held it without one.

“Um, Rudy?”

“Hmm?”

“My hand. If you don’t let go, we can’t practice...”

“Ho ho. Your hand is so cold, my dear. Won’t you allow me to warm it with mine?” 

Sylphie went bright red at my attempt to be cheesy. Oh my gosh she’s so CUTE.

I could leave off here for the day, get us into a good mood, then into bed... But no, I had to practice. If I lost my hard-working ­attitude, Sylphie might cast me aside. And so, I let go of her hand.

“Tee hee.” Sylphie let out a giggle, like she couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“What?”

“Nothing, it’s just something about me teaching you magic, it’s sort of emotional. I mean, when we were little, it was always you teaching me, you know?”

“Yeah. That takes me back.”

“You don’t mind, do you, Rudy? Me teaching you.”

“Course not. If anything, I love it.”

“You do...ha ha.” 

It really did take me back. Back when we lived in Buena, Sylphie had been small and timid and oh so cute. Though you could barely tell her apart from the boys… Well, no. It turned out I was the only one who couldn’t tell.

“A lot has changed since back then.”

“It has. But there’s something that hasn’t changed, Rudy.”

“Huh?”

“The way I feel about you.”

That did it. Practice was over for today. I had to show her my perviness hadn’t changed since back then either. Wasting no time, I swept her up in my arms and headed for the bedroom—bada bing, bada boom.