Mushoku Tensei Redundancy (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

A Day at the Office

I AWOKE FROM SLUMBER to a beautiful morning. Once, nothing had scared me more than this ­moment. If I were killed in my sleep, I wouldn’t wake up where I’d lain down, but in a dark forest. If I couldn’t find somewhere secure, I was too scared to rest my head. On the other hand, I’d died sometimes because I couldn’t concentrate due to lack of sleep, though that hadn’t been as much of a problem since I learned how to keep my guard up even as I slept…

In any case, I never imagined back then that I’d live and sleep in a place like this.

Focusing on my breathing, I headed for my office. A mountain of papers there documented the points of divergence between this loop and the usual. They concerned “fundamentals” and “divergences.” 

Fundamentals were history where I did nothing, and divergences were events and changed outcomes that resulted from my actions. I documented these things to defeat the Man-God. To that end, it was necessary to expend as little mana as possible. The Second Laplace War eighty years hence would be especially key. Keeping my mana expenditure to a minimum in that war would lead to the Man-God’s overthrow. I therefore had to utilize these fundamentals and divergences to alter history to preserve mana at all costs. Naturally, I could not bring these documents with me into the next loop, so I had no choice but to document all of my actions immediately before the loop, then read them over and over again until I had them memorized.

This time was different. This time, Rudeus Greyrat was here. Every time he acted, every time he interacted with anyone, the world changed. Originally, I had planned to simply document points of divergence, but at some point, it had become a sort of observation journal about him. His name featured on almost every page, and in such massive volume that I couldn’t document fast enough. I planned to keep documenting until the next loop, but I expected a lot of information would slip through the cracks. Truthfully, I saw little purpose in it. Something was strange about this loop, like something special was going to happen.

Given that the chances that Rudeus would be in the next loop were low, all these records might be for nothing. It could be that this was the loop in which I must defeat the Man-God. Perhaps that was my destiny.

I would build up my forces, then, saving my mana for the time that was to come, and defeat Laplace using as little of it as possible. After that, I would use it all in the final battle with the Man-God. That was my plan.

That said, there was no harm in making records. If I should be defeated in this loop and Rudeus was in the next loop, then this information would surely be a weapon that brought me closer to victory. However, I could not show it to Rudeus. I knew him. If he saw it, he would find some strange way to misinterpret it.

I started my work for the day. First, there was the information that had come via the contact tablet in the night. The tablet had made it significantly easier to gather information. In past loops, whenever I changed something, I had to go there to witness the changes firsthand. I was accustomed to it, but the curse I bore made it extremely challenging work. Now I could obtain ample information without leaving my chair—a marked difference from when I had to go through several loops to learn the result of one change.

On the other hand, if Rudeus did not exist, I would not require an information network of this extent. Things would never have changed this much if I were alone. So much had changed, I didn’t even know what my next move was.

I was also at a loss for what to do with the automaton that he created. I had seen the figurine that he named “Ann.” I never imagined human hands could produce such a thing. Perugius was surprised too. He said it was closer to human than his spirits. I could only speculate, but I believed it was what Maniacal Dragon King Chaos dreamed of. Chaos was dead and gone, but if he’d lived, he likely would have made the figurine with them.

If there was another loop, perhaps I would delay reclaiming the sacred treasure from Chaos.

“Hmm.” As I pondered this, I glanced at the contact tablet and saw some intriguing news. It was from Ariel. Isolde and Dohga had gotten married. To the best of my knowledge, those two had never become husband and wife before. The likelihood of Isolde marrying at all was next to nothing—to say nothing of children! This, too, must be the result of Rudeus’s involvement. What would I have to do to reproduce this? No answer came to me.

The attempt to reproduce it could wait until I saw what sort of person their child became and what part they played. Depending on what happened, I might end up stopping it from being born in the next loop.

I suspected Rudeus would object to that, which would be a shame. I did not want to lie or deceive him anymore, even if I went to the next loop and he forgot everything.

***

“Good morning!”

I had been organizing my papers when Rudeus appeared. 

“Mm,” I said.

“Paperwork today too? Boy, you sure are diligent, Lord Orsted!”

“It is what I always do.”

“Always doing something, that’s what counts! Life is long, after all! Slow and steady! Trust you to know that, Lord Orsted!”

Rudeus occasionally had strange turns like this. Usually, he was a little more composed, but there was a logic to his moods. When he became excited like this, it meant something good had happened. On the other hand, when he became furtive and guilty, it meant there was something he didn’t want to say. He was easy to read.

“What happened?” I asked.

“Nothing gets past you, CEO! Nyeh heh, well, you know Lara? She said, ‘I want to be with Dada all day today!’ Heh. Chris is attached to me, but I didn’t expect to hear it from Lara. It’s gone to my head a bit.”

“Did you bring her?”

“I did. I put Lara and Sieg on Leo’s back.”

Sieg too? That was a little unexpected. The thought must have shown on my face because Rudeus’s expression changed dramatically.

“Um, I just mean, Sieg says he’s a fan of Alec’s! While all that stuff was happening the other day, I think Alec told him about the Biheiril Kingdom. He said, if the North God was going to be here, he’d come because he wanted to hear the story again. Alec’s with him now.”

“I see.”

“I, erm, I suppose I shouldn’t have brought my son to work…”

“I do not mind.”

Rudeus’s family was his weakness. They were important to him—his reason for living. He would do anything for them, and anyone who harmed them became his enemy. He would attack without thought of the consequences. Unfortunately, if it looked like he might lose, he’d change sides as easy as breathing, even if his opponent were the Man-God himself. He’d bow his head and forsake all pride, just to protect them.

I had known many such people. To retain Rudeus as an ally, I had to take care around his family. At the very least, treating them badly had to be avoided. I also kept an eye on them, protecting them as much as I could. So long as I guarded what Rudeus held most dear, he would not betray me. After all, the Man-God could hardly promise him the same. 

All such calculations aside, my curse did not seem to affect Rudeus’s children, and I liked them well enough. A little liveliness was not such a bad thing. It almost made me feel like a normal person.

“Your children are lovely,” I added, making an effort to smile. I thought I was complimenting his children, but Rudeus’s expression turned serious. Drat, I’d put him on his guard. This was a man who’d be smiling blandly one minute, only to launch into some outrageous scheme the next. I was fairly sure I would be fine, but it wasn’t impossible that I would find myself buried alive in my sleep. It would be easy to defeat him now, but if he caught me unawares…

“I’m not giving away my daughters, Sir Orsted, not even to you.”

“That is not what I meant.”

Rudeus’s expression returned to normal. “I’ll have them both come say hello to you later.”

“I do not mind either way. Such formalities are unnecessary.”

“All right. Lara can be rude at times, so that’s probably for the best.” With that, Rudeus sat down on the sofa.

“Right. Time for another day hard at work! What shall we do today? We could have a mock battle with the Magic Armor Version One, or should we calibrate the curse-suppressing helmet? I could do a progress report on the development of version three or the adjustments to version zero, too. We could have another meeting about our next moves…”

Everything he suggested was something he could take the lead on. Presumably, he wanted to look good in front of his daughter and son. But, while organizing my papers earlier, I had remembered something. It was minor, but it was better to have it done if we were going to go to war with Laplace.

“About that…” 

This year, a persistent drought would cause a famine in a country in the south of the Central Continent. Countless families would starve to death. Such was the natural order of things. What concerned me was one of those families in particular. There was nothing remarkable about this family except for their youngest son. He would grow up to be a talented commander. In the Second Laplace War, he would command the armies in the battle to defend Eastport. His exceptional leadership would allow the King Dragon Kingdom’s army to hold out for a long time. Usually, I did not let it come to war with Laplace, and out of consideration for my remaining mana, I left him alone. This time, there would be war with Laplace, and I had Rudeus. It was better to go now, while there was still time, and save his family.

“That is the situation,” I finished. Rudeus looked disappointed.

“I won’t be able to show Lara what my job is like if we’re on a business trip…”

“It can wait until tomorrow if you prefer,” I suggested. 

Rudeus shook his head. “No. If you can’t remember the exact day when this family starves, then we shouldn’t delay. I doubt we’ll be too late, but people are frail—you never know when they might drop dead. I always have supplies ready in case I need to travel. I can leave at once.”

“If you do not mind,” I said at last, persuaded.

“I’ll get things ready now.” Rudeus hurried from the room to get the equipment he kept in the office storage room. Around fifteen minutes later, he returned dressed for travel with a backpack, food, the scroll vernier, and an assortment of other things.

He turned to me, then put his fingers together and raised them up to his forehead in a snappy gesture. “I’m very sorry to ask this, but when you have a moment, please take my kids home. I’m sure they’ll be fine with Leo there, but I’d rather someone kept an eye on them.”

“Very well.” He hardly needed to ask. I was not about to disregard the reason for Rudeus’s loyalty. 

“I’ll be off, then,” Rudeus said, then ran straight off downstairs to where the teleportation circles were. 

Over the past few years, he had gotten faster at acting when he needed to, and he almost always followed through on the tasks I assigned. I’d had followers in previous loops; pawns. I had never had anyone who worked with such ease and competence, doing what I said so faithfully. I now understood a little of what it must be like for the Man-God and his disciples. At this, I frowned. Rudeus was dependable, but it would not do to rely too heavily on him. If nothing else, understanding the Man-God left a bad taste in my mouth. Still, I had few other options available to me at present. My alliance with Rudeus was no reason to be profligate with my mana. I’d already spent too much on this loop.

For the moment, I put on my curse-suppressing helmet and left the study. When I went past the reception desk, Faliastia twitched.

“Oh! It’s you, CEO!” she squeaked. It seemed I had startled her. Thanks to the helmet, though, she’d merely jumped. The difference between when I wore it and when I did not was indeed great. I had already documented the method of its construction. I might not have been able to improve it, but I could reproduce it. I would make it again in the next loop.

“Chairman Rudeus left just a moment ago. Will you be going out as well, Sir Orsted? Shall I accompany you?”

“That is not necessary. I am only going out briefly. I will be right back.”

“Very well, sir.”

When I stepped outside, I heard voices just off to one side.

“That’s when—slash!—Berserker Sword King Eris found a split-second opening and sliced off the third North God’s arm!” The theatrical voice came from a shaded area behind the office. “The third North God was one arm down. In front of him were North God Kalman II and Demon King Atofe! Behind him, Berserker Sword King Eris and Magician King Rudeus! Not one of them was interested in what he was saying! The time for words was over! The battle was over! Everyone thought the third North God was about to meet his end! But then, whoosh! He fled into the Earthwyrm Ravine!”

In the shade, a man was sitting on a rock with a young boy on the ground before him. He was Alexander Rybak, North God Kalman III. The boy was Sieghart Saladin Greyrat. He had grown considerably from when I last saw him. 

The years pass by so quickly.

“So, the third North God ran. He knew that if he could survive this, he still had a chance to win in the end. Into the ravine he went! Indeed, there were no humans there who would have jumped into the ravine. The only ones who could have done it were his father Alex or Demon King Atofe!”

“They aren’t human?”

“Not those two! They are fearsome warriors in whose veins flows the blood of the immortal demons! But the third North God was sure that if they came after them, he could outrun them! Then—kabam! With an almighty crash, a huge shape came flying through the air! Who could it be?! Was it the second North God? Was it Atofe? Was it the Berserker Sword King?! No! It was…Rudeus Greyrat!”

“Dada!”

Sieg was enthralled by Alec’s tale, but where was Lara?

I searched the surrounding area until I sensed a presence on top of the pile of straw in the office garden. I looked over and saw a young girl with blue hair sleeping comfortably atop the straw. A huge white beast wandered around the base of the pile, looking up at her. Lara Greyrat and Leo the sacred beast. Although the sacred beast had recognized Lara as the savior, she was an unpredictable child. I wasn’t sure what to make of this attitude from her after she’d said she wanted to be with Rudeus. It was less than an hour since she had left Rudeus at the entrance to the office.

Come to think of it, I had also heard she was fond of pranks. Perhaps she had used her father as a way to avoid the consequences of playing tricks. If so, then it was Rudeus I felt sorry for. He had been so pleased.

“The magic armor had already taken a pounding, but Rudeus fired it up and came after me alone! All alone! They were in midair, where the third North God couldn’t move! Ka-pow, Ka-pow! The massive fists of the magic armor hit again and again! Ka-baaaam! Rudeus and the third North God crashed into the floor of the ravine! Rising out of the dust came the third North God with only one arm and one leg left, followed by Rudeus in the cracked and broken magic armor! No one came after them! It was single combat!”

“Single combat!” Sieg repeated. Alec was telling him about the battle in the Biheiril Kingdom. I assumed that Lara, after bringing him here, had promptly fallen asleep, so Alec was keeping him entertained.

“But Rudeus was not powerful enough to defeat the third North God! His blows with his fists had caught the North God off guard, but it was not enough to end the fight. The North God thought that would be Rudeus’s downfall! He watched Rudeus closely, but he underestimated his opponent. He assumed that if it came to battle, the magician Rudeus would keep his distance and use his favorite attack, Stone Cannon. The North God wouldn’t lose to an opponent who was not willing to stand and fight! Then, Rudeus caught him by surprise! He ran in, Stone Cannon blasting! Now, the third North God might have underestimated Rudeus, but he was still a mighty warrior who had fought many battles! At once, he stepped back out of the path of the rock—only for it to disappear before his eyes! It was a feint!”

“A feint! A feint!”

“Shinnnnng! The North God’s sword slashed out! Not far enough! Because of Rudeus’s feint, because of his step back, he didn’t strike a mortal blow! All was not lost. He was about to jump back…when his foot floated off the ground! That’s right, Rudeus had one last trick up his sleeve—he could control gravity! He invoked magic equal to that of the King Dragon Blade Kajakut to lift the North God ever so slightly off the ground! Then—wham! Next thing he knew, Rudeus’s fists slammed into him! Wham bam bam bam! The hits kept coming! And coming! And coming! It was an onslaught! Rudeus’s almighty magical implement tore the North God to shreds! Ka-blam blam blam! The North God began to black out. His leg wouldn’t support him. With a clang, the King Dragon Blade fell from his hand. Rudeus had won!”

“Hooray!” Sieg cheered as Alexander finished the tale of his own defeat with an air of satisfaction. 

A heartwarming scene, I thought as I approached Alec.

“Alexander Rybak.”

“Oh! Sir Orsted! Are you going out?”

“No. Rudeus just left.”

“Indeed, he left the children with me. He asked that I take them home at a reasonable hour and explain the situation to his wives.”

So Rudeus had entrusted the children to Alec. In which case, there was no need for me to accompany them.

“Very well,” I said. “I leave them in your hands.”

“Yes, sir!” he replied. I nodded, then returned to my office.

***

It was late afternoon when, having completed a section of my notes, I left my office again. Alec still had not taken the children home. It was not long until sunset, so he ought to go soon. The reception desk was empty; Faliastia must have finished her shift for the day.

“Usually, your dad acts like a spineless loser. I believe he is a coward at heart. However, when he is angry, there is no one more terrifying.”

Alec was still talking when I went back to them, but he was no longer using his storytelling voice. Instead, he sounded like a lecturer. Sieg hung on his every word.

“He defeated me with his spirit. Sir Orsted experienced something similar, I hear. He wasn’t overcome like I was, of course, but he recognized Rudeus’s spirit, and I suppose that’s why he took your father as his follower. Can you guess why Sir Orsted and I admire your dad so much?”

“I dunno.”

“The answer, my lad, is that he is strong.”

“Dada, strong? But he always loses to Red Mama.”

“Yes, well. He is strong in a slightly different way than most.”

I was curious to hear what Alec thought of Rudeus, so I lingered, listening.

“Your dad has nothing going for him except his mana. He’s never been able to don a battle aura, he’s not especially good at reading situations, and he panics when things don’t go as he expected. His vision is mediocre. Even with the Demon Eye, he still just barely comes in a level below Sir Orsted and me. Even then, his reflexes are so slow that his body cannot keep up with what the Demon Eye sees. He struggles mightily with dealing a killing blow to flesh-and-blood opponents. Little stomach for it. His ability to cast magic silently is a saving grace, and the speed at which he casts spells is unparalleled among magicians, but he could still never keep up with a swordsman like me.

“Really, in the time it took him to fire off a Stone Cannon that could kill me, I could kill him three times over. If we wanted to, we could shut him down, no matter how many clever tactics he might have ready. And it’s not as though I’m the fastest in the world. In terms of raw speed, I’m a rank or two below the very best. He could carefully blast his opponent with magic so long as he could keep his distance from them, but that’s rarely possible. When you consider all the factors, your dad is just not made to be a fighter.”

“Dada…is weak…?” Sieg looked unhappy. Few children would be happy to hear their father spoken of with such contempt right in front of them, especially not those of such a loving father as Rudeus.

“Hey now, don’t look like that,” said Alec. “I haven’t finished yet, all right? Now, your dad’s strong point is this: he knows his shortcomings. Because of that, he came up with a way to cover his defects while capitalizing on his strengths.”

“What way?”

“He made the magic armor, which boosts his speed many times over. Now your dad can survive even if a swordsman like me gets the jump on him. We can’t shut him down anymore. It still wouldn’t be an even match, of course. The odds are against him, same as ever, but it brought him into our league—him, a magician who can’t don a battle aura, who has nothing going for him except his outsized reserve of mana. On top of that, rather than running away, he started standing and fighting. Sometimes he fights head on and sometimes he attacks from behind like a coward. Sometimes he has his allies help him. Sometimes he stands alone. Can you guess why he can stand up to us even when the odds are against him?”

Sieg shook his head.

“To protect you, his family. He loves you so much he wouldn’t hesitate to lay down his life to protect you.”

At this, Sieg’s eyes lit up. He clenched his fists in excitement, then beamed up at Alec. “Dada really is Cheddar Man!” 

“Indeed he is! Cheddar Man, a true hero!”

All of a sudden, they began using a word I did not know. What in the world did being a “cheddar man” imply? Was it perhaps the name of a person? Never in my however many thousands of years had I heard of such an individual. It might be something Rudeus had invented. He was always making up new words. I would ask him about it when I next saw him, I thought, adding “cheddar man” to my mental notebook.

“Mister North God, sir! I wanna be Cheddar Man too!”

“You can be. Through hard work, you too can become a true hero. I heard as much from my father, a true hero himself. Hasn’t your father told you?”

“Dada never said that.”

“Oh? Well, I’m sure he will when you get a little older.”

“How do you do hard work?”

“You get stronger.”

“How?”

“Through physical training and studying magic and the blade.” Alec told Sieg all this with perfect composure.

Then Sieg, seeming to pluck up his courage, looked up at Alec and said, “I understand. Mister North God. Please teach me sword fighting!”

“Huh? Me?”

“You…won’t?”

“Isn’t your mom teaching you Sword God Style?”

“I wanna learn North God Style! I wanna surprise Dada and Mama!”

“But, I… Well, I tried to be a good teacher, but I don’t think I have the knack. I was so hopeless that my apprentices usually wanted my father to teach them.”

North God Kalman III Alexander Rybak had painful memories of his youth. When he became North God, he had more than twenty students. In only a few years, they had all left him to pursue their own paths. Alec had not taken an apprentice since.

“But you’re so cool when you fight. I wanna learn North God Style.”

“I don’t know enough to teach anyone else…”

As I watched Alec dither, I suddenly found myself thinking of Rudeus. There was a man who, despite saying he had much more to learn, taught many things to a whole range of people, all of whom were grateful to him for it. Myself included.

“Alexander Rybak,” I said, “you will teach the boy.”

Alec looked up in surprise. It was as though he hadn’t noticed me come over. That was, of course, impossible.

“But Sir Orsted, I-I’m still learning to be North God.”

“That is why you must teach him. In the course of training a single apprentice, you will come to better under­stand both North God Style and what it is you need to work on in yourself.”

In the usual course of history, North God Kalman III Alexander Rybak changed his ways after losing to Sword God Gino Britz. Then, after losing heart, he took on only one apprentice. The child was not gifted by any means, but as Alec watched over him, he came to reexamine himself and thus grew into a true North God. The North God Kalman III who fought in the Second Laplace War was the greatest North God who ever lived. What became of that child in this loop I knew not, but Alec had already tasted defeat and changed his ways. It therefore seemed reasonable to move up the schedule and have him teach someone now. It also so happened that Sieg did have a gift for sword fighting. He was stronger than any ordinary child, probably thanks to the Laplace Factor. He might not have been as strong as Blessed Child Zanoba, but in the future, he would have no trouble twirling a two-handed sword with one hand. Being out of the ordinary, his natural destination would be North God Style. This would occupy him to useful ends.

What was more, Alec, it seemed, had failed to understand one thing: Rudeus’s mana was not his only strength. He also had friends who would rush to his side when he needed them. He did not forge those friends in battle. Perhaps it was difficult for Alec to see it after losing to Rudeus in single combat, but it might become clear to him if he spent time with Rudeus’s children. If he could see that strength and adopt it, he might grow into an even nobler and mightier North God than in the usual history.

“I will make some excuse to Rudeus,” I said.

“Well, if you ask it, Sir Orsted, I’ll do it.” Alec grinned, then turned back to Sieg. “Right, then, Sieg, your training begins tomorrow. If you want to surprise your mom and dad, you’ve got to keep it a secret, understand?”

“Yeah!” Sieg looked up at Alec, his eyes sparkling. 

Alec looked more excited about his tiny apprentice than worried. For the first time in a very long time, he would be teaching real swordcraft. They would surely make an excellent pair. Only one thing bothered me.

“Alexander Rybak, I wish to ask you a question.”

“Anything, sir!”

“What is on your back?” Alec’s back was covered in a large number of burrs, those things that human children often threw and stuck to one another’s clothes when they played. Little ones called them “hitchhikers.”

“Oh, these were from Miss Lara. She must have been bored. She kept sneaking up behind me and sticking them to my back.”

I absorbed this silently.

“It’s one of those things kids do. I’ll pick them off later,” Alec assured me.

Ah, yes. Lara and her pranks. It made sense.

“Where is she?” I asked.

“Didn’t she go into the office…?”

For a second, I worried that she had gone down to the basement and jumped onto a teleportation circle. Fortunately, when I searched for her presence, I found her exiting the office. She was with Leo and had a nonchalant look on her face. I also sensed Faliastia inside. Presumably, she had been entertaining Lara up on the second floor.

“Miss Lara! Master Leo! It’s time to go home!” Alec called.

“Okay,” said Lara. She took Sieg’s hand, then boosted him up onto Leo’s back before clambering up after him. Once there, she sat behind him with her arms around him.

“I’ll see them back now,” said Alec. He set off in the lead, with Leo trotting along behind him. Suddenly, as Leo passed by me, Lara looked at me with a triumphant smile and chuckled under her breath. I had no idea why. 

After they were gone, I went back into the office and found Faliastia at the reception desk. She must have escorted Lara down. I told her she could go home, then headed for my study.

“Hrmm.” That was when the meaning of Lara’s smile revealed itself to me. My chair, the chair I always sat on, was covered in burrs. They would have stuck to my backside had I not spotted them. This was a prank.

I felt the corners of my mouth turn up as I gathered up the burrs and put them into a bag. As I was about to shut the bag away in my desk, however, I felt something was off.

“Hrm.” It wasn’t a strong feeling. It reminded me of what I’d felt when I’d been poisoned by an assassin some time ago. As I was protected by a magic item and my Dragon Saint battle aura, the poison hadn’t worked, but I had still felt something.

Despite that, I casually opened my desk drawer, only to have five live grasshoppers leap out. It had been a two-stage prank: she used the burrs to put my guard down, then ambushed me. She had probably been hiding somewhere around the reception, waiting until I left to sneak inside and carry out the crime.

This explained her look of triumph. I thought for a moment. I really had no idea how Lara would turn out. Just what was it about her that the Man-God feared?

***

Rudeus returned several days later. He hadn’t just saved the family, he’d made rain fall on the entire surrounding area, putting an end to the famine. Competent indeed. Once I’d heard his full report, I brought up the matter of Sieg.

“I wish for Sieghart to come here regularly.”

“Uh, can I ask why?” Rudeus gave me a dubious look. 

I considered how to explain it. “There is something somewhat intriguing that I wish to keep a close eye on.”

Rudeus paused for a long pause. “Is it dangerous?”

“No.”

“Can I set a curfew?”

“You may.”

“All right. I’ll let my wives know.”

Despite my vague explanation, Rudeus agreed. Perhaps he trusted me or had given up on getting clear answers out of me.

“You have no other questions?” I asked.

“No. I think I know who’s going to be doing what for Sieg…though I’m not sure why it has to be a secret from me.”

“Ah.”

“I think it’s good. Tell Alec to take good care of Sieg.”

He had seen through the ruse. I felt grateful. Rudeus and I were going to continue to work together. The easier it was for us to understand what the other was thinking, the better. Transparency was desirable.

“Right, I’m heading home too.”

“Indeed. Good work.”

As Rudeus turned to leave, I suddenly remembered something.

“Rudeus,” I called after him.

“Yes?”

“What is Cheddar Man?”

For a moment, he gaped at me. Then, he said, “He’s a hero whose face is made out of cheese. He tears off bits of his face for hungry children to eat, takes out bad guys with one punch, that sort of thing.”

“Was…there such a hero in the world you came from?”

“In my world, it was bread filled with anko bean paste. But no one knows what anko is here, so I changed it to cheese. It’s a story I tell the kids to get them to sleep.”

Cheddar Man tore off pieces of his face and gave them away. Mystifying.

“Why do you ask?” Rudeus went on.

“No reason. I was merely curious.”

“All right. Well, I’ll be off.”

I watched Rudeus go, then returned to my study. The bag of the burrs Lara had left was on my desk. The grasshoppers were gone, having escaped to the outdoors. When Lara got home, I expected she would be roundly scolded for her pranks.

A sigh escaped me.

Lara and Faliastia, Alexander and Sieg, and now Rudeus and his Cheddar Man. This loop was full of surprises.