Mushoku Tensei Redundancy (LN) - Volume 1 - Chapter 4.3

Chapter 3:

Lucie’s Family

MY NAME IS LUCIE GREYRAT. I’m the oldest daughter in the Greyrat family. My family is big. I have three mamas, three sisters, three brothers, two grandmas, two aunties, and three pets. Thirteen people and three animals in all. So big!

First, I’ll introduce my mamas. I have three. One has white hair, one has blue hair, and one has red hair. White Mama is the one who gave birth to me. She was my dada’s first bride. She’s the youngest of my mamas, and Dada says she needs the most attention. White Mama talks a lot. She says, “Making friends is important, and you must never bully the weak.” She told me how important it is to value your friends.

Blue-Hair Mama is Lara’s mama. She was Dada’s second bride. She looks younger than my other mamas, but she’s the oldest. Dada says she’s the most reliable. Blue Mama didn’t used to talk much, but she sometimes said, “Live the way you like, and if there’s ever anything you don’t understand, ask someone.” There wasn’t anything she’d taught me herself, but she knew everything and answered all my questions.

Red-hair Mama is Arus’s mama. She was Dada’s third bride. She looks the oldest of my mamas, but Dada says she’s the most immature. Red Mama isn’t very good with words, but she always told me, “Protecting someone—that’s what’s important. To do it, you have to be strong.” She said that, and she trained me up. 

I want to follow everything my three mamas taught me. I’ll make friends, then I’ll become strong so I can protect them. I will never bully the weak. If I’m in trouble, I’ll ask Blue Mama what to do. If I do that, I can’t go wrong, and they’ll praise me. Dada will too. He’ll say, “Aren’t you clever, Lucie? You’re such a good big sister.”

I have four brothers and sisters. The oldest is my sister Lara. She’s very kind. She has long hair the same color as Blue Mama’s that she wears in one braid. She’s kind of strange. She often talks to Blonde Grandma and our pet, Byt. Grandma and Byt don’t speak, but Lara can talk to them. Maybe because she’s always so out of it, kids tease her and pull her hair when we play in the square. I try to help her, but she doesn’t look like she minds much. It’s confusing.

She loves naps. She’s always falling sound asleep on Leo’s back.

My oldest brother is Arus. He’s a brave boy. His hair is the same color as Red Mama’s, but it’s short. He’s cheeky, but he always tries to look after me and Lara. I think he’s doing what his mama taught him, just like I am. Red Mama thinks he can do anything. Lately, they do running and sword practice every day. Arus is best friends with Auntie Aisha. He looks happy whenever they’re together.

My littlest brother is Sieg. He’s a crybaby. When he chases after Arus, he cries when he gets left behind. I scold Arus every time. After that, he takes Sieg’s hand and puts him on Leo’s back. When Sieg tries to get up on Leo’s back, Lara shifts back a bit and pulls him up in front of her. She holds on to him to make sure he doesn’t fall off, then falls fast asleep.

I’m actually the only one who knows about it, but Sieg is super strong. He can pick up really heavy boxes without any problem.

I have another little brother called Clive. He’s the same age as Lara, and he isn’t actually my brother. He’s White Mama’s Grandma’s son. Mama says that he’s like my cousin. I don’t know what to call him, but he’s my little brother. He comes to play at our house a lot, and he and Arus are friends. He’s always hugging me. When I pat him on the head, he smiles like he’s embarrassed. 

My littlest sisters are Lily and Christina. They were only just born. They’re tiny so I don’t know what they’re like, but they’ll be good girls.

I’m the big sister to all of them. Because I’m the big sister, my mamas always tell me I have to be grown-up. And I am. My little brothers and sisters are all very good, and I want to protect them.

I have two grandmas too. Blonde Grandma is Dada’s mother. Her name is Zenith. She’s very pretty, but she doesn’t talk, and she doesn’t say anything if you talk to her. She’s always in the garden with Byt, staring off into space. Whenever I’m sad or mad, she strokes my hair. She’s a strange grandma.

Brown-Hair Grandma is Aisha’s mother. Her name is Lilia. They say she used to work as a maid at Grandpa’s house. She still acts just like a maid. My three mamas like her, but when I was little, I didn’t understand how she could be my grandma. Once, on the street, I heard someone say, “The maid is your inferior. Order her around.” I tried it. Red Mama was nearby, and she got really mad at me. She spanked me until my bottom was bright red, then put me out of the house and told me to spend the night thinking about what I’d done. I sat huddled up against Leo until Brown-Hair Grandma let me back into the house. She explained what had happened to me. That was how I learned that she was a maid, but she was also my grandma, and I was not to order her around.

I also have two aunties. Both of them are still young, so they get angry when I call them “Auntie,” and even though they are my aunties, they feel more like big sisters. My older auntie is Blonde Grandma’s daughter and Dada’s little sister. Her name is Norn. She always tries her very best, plays with me a lot, and teaches me lots of things. I love her. When I grow up, I’m going to be just like her. A little while ago she got married, so she moved away. She barely ever comes home, and when she does, she’s always arguing with my younger auntie. It might look like they don’t like each other, but sometimes they smile while they argue. I think they’re playing.

My younger auntie is Brown-Hair Grandma’s daughter. They have different mamas, but she’s Dada’s little sister. Her name is Aisha. She always wears maid clothes, just like Brown-Hair Grandma, and she runs the house. Whenever I do anything around the house, she helps. She teaches me anything I want to know about cooking and washing. Mama says that she’s good at everything. I heard she even helps Dada with work. For some reason, Brown-Hair Grandma sometimes gets mad at her. It’s strange.

I have three pets. Leo is a big white dog and a guardian beast. He’s really clever and understands what we say. He watches over everyone in the family, and Dada says that if I’m in trouble, I should go to Leo. Lara is his favorite, and when he’s at home, he sticks to her like glue. 

Dillo the Armadillo is Blue Mama’s mount. He’s timid, and when he’s told off, he either rolls over to show his belly or curls up in a ball. When anything happens while we’re out, he sometimes growls and scares off whoever it is. In his own way, he tries to protect us too.

Byt the Treant protects Auntie Aisha’s vegetable garden. He’s a plant monster, so I have no idea what he thinks about. He’s often with Blonde Grandma and Lara. He has no mercy for anything that damages the garden’s crops. He gets nutrients from the little birds he catches stealing Dada’s favorite “rice.” He’s scary, but he’s never hurt anyone in the family. When we get close, he opens the gate for us and gives us fruit from the trees. He’s family too.

I have lots of people in my family. I have lots of mamas and lots of little sisters and brothers, but I only have one Dada. I really love Dada. I heard that when I was a baby, I used to avoid him, but now I don’t. The way he smells makes me feel totally safe. Sometimes his beard gets scratchy, but I like that too. Dada doesn’t let me touch his beard much. Sometimes it gets really shaggy, but when I try to touch it, he gently takes my hand and says, “Sorry, I’ll shave it now, okay?” Then he heads for the bathroom. I don’t know why, but I guess Dada wants to. I wish he’d let me touch his beard, but I like him anyway.

I feel like Dada doesn’t think I can do a lot. I’m not sure why, but it’s how I feel. He worries about me, and he loves me, but he thinks I’m really little.

I’m sure it’s because Dada is so amazing. I don’t know how he is, but everyone seems to think so. When he was my age, he could already do Saint-tier magic, and not only did he go to school, he ended up teaching. When I turned five and started to go out to play in the town and park, I started saying good morning to lots of different people. They all knew about Dada. The most important-looking people were the ones who praised him the most. My mamas are amazing too, but I’ve known since I was little that Dada is really special. 

Dada…doesn’t expect much from me, and I guess he doesn’t from anyone. But I want him to praise me. I do what my mamas teach me, and I protect my little brothers and sisters. My mamas give me lots of praise for that. I want Dada to praise me too. I’m already seven. Today, I’m starting school. It’s a school for grown-ups too, and it’s where White Mama and Blue Mama and Dada all went. Red Mama didn’t, but I heard she teaches sword fighting there sometimes.

Knowing you, Lucie, you’ll be fine. Remember everything we’ve taught you and you’ll do great. That’s what Blue Mama told me. But I’m still nervous. Will I do okay in a place full of grown-ups? Will I make friends? I’m happy, but I’m nervous. I’m sure if I do my best, Dada will praise me. “Amazing, Lucie. That’s my girl,” he’ll say. He’ll have high expectations for me, I bet. I’m going to work hard to meet them.