Mushoku Tensei Redundancy (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter 5.3

Chapter 3:

Nina Britz

IT WAS DECIDED that Rudeus and the others would stay the night at the Sword Sanctum. They were given a room in the main training hall to sleep, while Eris alone was invited to Nina’s house. She’d intended to stay at the training hall with Rudeus, but Nina insisted. 

Nina’s house meant Gino Britz’s house. When Eris told Rudeus she was going to stay over by herself, he was worried and tried to delicately talk her out of it. He’d seen how the Sword Saints had acted; Eris had killed Gall, and they were out for blood. The atmosphere had gotten to Rudeus. Eris, on the other hand, remembered that the Sword Sanctum had always been like this. Sword fighters wanted to be seen as strong more than they wanted to be strong. There wasn’t anyone with enough guts to attack a higher-ranked opponent outside the training hall. Only Eris might have tried it, and only when she was much younger.

She left Rudeus and the others at the training hall and went along to the Britz household alone. They lived a short way from the hall in a little house that didn’t look like what you’d imagine for a Sword God.

“Here we are. Come in. This is when Gino does his training, so he’s not home yet.”

“Right, um, thanks.” Eris nervously went inside. Thinking about it, this might have been the first time she’d ever gone to hang out at a friend’s house. She saw Isolde, who lived in the Asuran capital, every time they visited the Asura Kingdom, but Eris had never visited her house. She’d been to the training hall attached to Isolde’s house, but that wasn’t quite the same thing.

“Hellooo!”

As Eris wrestled her nerves, a cheerful voice called out to greet her. There was a pitter-patter of footsteps as two children came bursting out from the back of the house.

“Welcome home, Mom!”

“Hi, Mom!”

One was a boy, full of energy, with a practice sword in his right hand and a big grin on his face. The other was a girl. She was still practically a baby and came hurrying after the boy with tottering steps. The two of them ran to the front door, only to stop short, gaping at the sight of Eris.

“This is my son, Nell, and my daughter, Jill. Kids, this is Eris. She’s a friend of mine.”

“Um, nice to meet you.” When Nina introduced her as her friend, Eris frowned a little, but she bowed her head.

When Nell heard her name, his eyes went wide. “You’ve got red hair! Are you Berserker Sword King Eris?!”

“Wed heah!” burbled Jill. She seemed like she didn’t understand and was just echoing her brother, though it seemed something had caught her interest. She approached Eris, her eyes sparkling. Maybe red hair was rare in the Sanctum. Jill’s little hand reached out for her wavy hair, but before she got there, Nina scooped her up in her arms.

“Stop that,” she scolded.

“Bwight wed!” Jill whined, kicking her legs up and down. 

Nell, seeing this, quickly said, “No, Jill! That’s the Berserker Sword King! If you touch her, she’ll gobble you up!”

“Bite?” Jill gazed fearfully up at Eris. At the sight, Eris let out a small laugh. The way they acted reminded her of Arus and Sieg a few years earlier.

“I won’t eat you,” Eris said.

“You’re just saying that to make them let their guards down before you snap them up.” Nina narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Eris. Eris scowled at her, at which point a smile broke out on Nina’s face.

“I’m only joking,” she said, holding out Jill. “Want to hold her?”

“Sure.” Eris took Jill. At first, the little girl looked scared, but she quickly perked up, perhaps sensing that Eris was much more accustomed to holding babies than her own mother. 

“Wed! Pwetty!” she said happily, grabbing a handful of Eris’s hair and stuffing it in her mouth.

“Oh, no, Jill! Don’t eat that!”

“Aw…” When Nina told her off, Jill immediately took the hair out of her mouth. Red or not, it was still hair, so it couldn’t have tasted good. Now, Eris’s hair was all sticky.

“Guess I’m the one who got eaten,” Eris said, smiling. She patted Jill’s head. 

A look of surprise came into Nina’s eyes. Is this the same Eris?

She’d seen this once before in the Asura Kingdom. Eris was a mother now, just like her; she knew how to handle children.

“That didn’t taste good, did it? So it’s not for eating. Okay?” Eris said to Jill.

“’Kay.”

She put Jill down, and the girl bounced away into the house.

“I’m Nell Britz!” Stepping up to take her place came Nell. He knelt, then bowed. “You’re the real Berserker Sword King, huh? It’s an honor to meet you!”

“I’m, um, Eris Greyrat. You don’t have to bow.”

“Oh, no…! Um! It’s, um…! I’ve always…” Nell looked up at Eris, his eyes sparkling and his face full of excitement as he tried to get his words out.

“Nell, that’s enough,” interrupted Nina. “How long are you going to keep Eris standing in the entrance? At least wait until we’ve had dinner.” She put a hand on his head and ruffled his hair a little more forcefully than usual.

“Fiiine.” Nell cast his eyes down, looking disappointed. He wanted to hear more, to do his sword practice with her if he could…but his mom would definitely say no. She always said no. No matter what famous sword fighter came to the Sword Sanctum, she never introduced Nell to them.

Leaving the disappointed Nell behind, Eris let herself be led inside the house.

“Everyone’s changed, huh?” After dinner, Eris relaxed in the living room while talking to Nina. Gino wasn’t there. After they’d eaten, he’d taken the children to a different room. Based on the sound of children’s laughter, Eris assumed he was playing with them.

“I never expected things to end up like this.”

Out of Nina, Eris, and Gino, Gino had always been one step behind. He was the one who always looked sulky as he swung his sword and couldn’t answer the Sword God’s questions. That same Gino had married Nina and taken down Eris in a single strike. Eris couldn’t hide her surprise. She’d heard about it from Gall, but seeing him with her own eyes, it really was as though he were a different person.

“Nina, back at the training hall, you didn’t even pick up your sword.”

The same went for Nina. After she’d pushed herself so hard to become strong, she’d only watched Eris. Not only that, she’d let Gino do whatever he liked. Eris couldn’t imagine the old Nina ever doing that.

“Our next one is already on the way,” Nina said, stroking her stomach. It was hard to tell, but if you looked closely, the slightest swell was visible there. Ruefully, she added, “Gino told me to take the title of Sword Emperor, but I think I’ll probably retire.”

“And that’s enough for you?” Eris asked before she could stop herself.

Nina glanced down, but there was a look of satisfaction on her face. “Yes… I’m happy. Of course, I’d have liked to keep going with the sword a little longer, but I don’t know. Funnily enough, I don’t have many regrets. I think maybe I stopped being a swordswoman when I lost to Gino.”

“You lost?”

“Yes, before he challenged the Sword God, he told me, ‘If I win, be mine.’ I fought him without holding back, and I lost.”

“That’s a beautiful way to propose.”

“Isn’t it?” Nina laughed softly, thinking back on that day. Up until then, Nina had wanted to be the strongest sword fighter in the world—the Sword God herself. That desire had vanished in an instant. Gino was just that strong. He’d shut her down in a single strike, a pure mockery of her efforts, just as he’d done to Eris today.

If it hadn’t been Gino, if it hadn’t been her childhood friend whom she’d made follow her around when they were little, maybe she would have felt differently. She might have thrown herself into her sword training with tears streaming down her cheeks and renewed determination, just like she had after losing to Eris. 

Instead, it had been Gino. He’d become strong just to marry her. He’d beaten her, then gone toe to toe with Sword God Gall Falion and won. When he returned with the title of Sword God, he swept Nina up and kissed her forcefully, then pushed her to the ground then and there. That day, Nina had become Gino’s in both mind and body. Nina knew that it was impossible to become Sword God without extraordinary effort. Neither hard work nor talent alone was enough. Even both might not be enough. Up until then, Gino had let Nina lead him, putting in as much effort as she did. On top of that foundation, he’d gone even further than she had, pushing himself hard enough to spit blood.

He made it. He attained the rank of Sword God, reaching a place that vanishingly few ever achieved. Nina thought he ought to have a reward to match—in the words of Gall Falion, to do what he liked, so she said nothing. She had her own thoughts about it and things she’d liked to have said, and Gino would probably have listened. But she was gripped by the fear that if she did, he would suddenly become weak. Nina couldn’t get in the way of the person she’d come to admire. Thus, she decided to give up her sword and throw herself into her next challenge: being a mother.

“What about you, Eris? Are you happy now?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Even though you’re one of three wives?”

“Yeah. It’s normal. My father only married my mother, but my grandfather had plenty. Rudeus’s father had two wives too.”

“I mean, I don’t follow the Millis faith, but I just… I can’t imagine being one of many,” said Nina.

Eris had her share of frustrations, of course. She wondered, sometimes, what it would be like to be Rudeus’s only wife. She’d be happy, of course. Just the two of them all day long, with no one to get between them. That was the thing, though—it’d be just her and Rudeus. What would that be like compared to the Greyrat household they had now? If there were no Sylphie and Roxy, that meant no Lucie, Lara, Sieg, or Lily. She’d still have Arus and Chris, and instead of the other kids, she might have had more children herself. But she couldn’t imagine ­better kids than the ones they had now.

Comparing what could be to what she had, there’d be no one to hand her a towel when she came in drenched in sweat after a day of training; no one to say “Take her into the bath with you” as a mud-covered Lara was pushed into her arms; and no one who’d leave a change of clothes and underwear for her when she came out after bathing the kids. 

They gave each other just the right amount of space, not clinging so tightly it got annoying, but not hesitating to share little tasks. Eris couldn’t imagine what her life would look like without Sylphie and Roxy—and life was good. Watching their children grow up felt fun and rewarding. Soon, she’d start more serious sword training with them. Lucie was more focused on magic than swords, and Lara was still a bit spaced out, but Arus and Sieg seemed keen. For that matter, Sieg was already learning North God Style. Thinking about how she’d teach them and how they’d grow filled Eris with happiness.

“You’ve changed too, Eris,” said Nina.

“I have, huh?”

“Back in the day, you’d have drop-kicked a kid out of the house.”

“Excuse you! I’d never kick a kid.”

“You were like a kid yourself back then. Now, you’re looking after them.”

“I’ve had two.”

“What about a third?”

“No, I’ve had enough.”

“Have you had enough of the fun part?” Nina asked.

Eris’s cheeks burned scarlet. “N-no, that part I want more of,” she answered honestly. It was feeling heavily pregnant and unable to move freely that she just couldn’t bring herself to like.

“You know, you’re much easier to talk to now,” Nina said.

“I like you better too. You were a bit of a pain in the butt.”

“I bet I was.”

The old Nina had been all sharp edges. She’d thought she was the best and could treat everyone below her however she liked. Being humbled by Eris had brought her down to earth a little, but marrying Gino had made a bigger difference.

Eris suddenly remembered another person. “Oh yeah, did you hear? Isolde got married too.”

Isolde Cluel, the master of the Water God school who now went by the name of Water God Reida.

“Yes, I got a letter about the wedding, but I was pregnant, so I couldn’t go.”

“What about her baby?”

“That’s the first I’ve heard of that. A girl or a boy?”

“A girl. She can’t have many kids as Water God, so she was disappointed that she didn’t produce an heir.”

“That’s rough. Isn’t her husband a North Emperor? Wasn’t he angry or disappointed that she had a girl?”

“Dohga would never say anything like that. He’s a good guy.” As she spoke, Eris rifled through her memories. 

The one who’d spoken up the most against Isolde and Dohga’s marriage was Rudeus. Dohga had saved Rudeus in the Biheiril Kingdom, so Rudeus owed Dohga his life and really trusted him. Dohga was innocent, honest, and seemed like an easy mark. When Rudeus heard he was marrying a superficial woman like Isolde, he’d wondered if she was after money or if she was going to cheat on him. He’d even secretly done a background check on her. Maybe he’d forgotten that Isolde had saved him as well.

In any case, there was no way he’d ever be disappointed about his daughter. Not innocent Dohga, whom Rudeus trusted so much. The last time Eris had seen him, he’d been smiling from ear to ear as his daughter, who was the spitting image of her mother, sat on his shoulders. Isolde said he even did the cleaning and washing and looked after the children, all of his own initiative. 

Even Eris, who didn’t do much around the house as a rule, couldn’t help but say to Isolde, “Shouldn’t you help out a bit too?”

She’d never forget how Isolde had looked away sheepishly and muttered, “But he’s better at it…”

“I hope our children can inspire each other to grow,” said Nina. 

Eris nodded in agreement. “Same here. If you like, you could send yours to study at the Magic University too.”

“I like the sound of that, but Gino wouldn’t allow it. He always wants to keep those he loves close to him.”

“In that case, they’ll never be able to leave the Sword Sanctum.”

“If they want to leave, I’m sure they won’t wait for his permission.” Nina giggled a little. She couldn’t imagine ever having a conversation like this with the old Eris.

“Hm?” Eris, suddenly sensing someone, turned around. A child stood at the entrance to the living room. It was Nell, holding a book in his hand. When his eyes met Eris’s, he strode forward, looking determined.

“Um, Miss Berserker Sword King?” he said.

“Yeah?”

“Y-you know this person, right?!” He held out the book to her. It was The Superd’s Adventure, a book Eris knew very well. Norn had written it, Rudeus had turned it into a book, and Zanoba and Aisha had sold it.

“You mean Ruijerd?” she asked. “Or Norn?”

“Norn…? You mean you know the writer too?! Oh, right, I guess you have the same last name!”

“Norn’s my sister-in-law. Rudeus’s little sister.”

“Right, ‘Quagmire’ Rudeus! Number seven of the Seven Great Powers! Also known as the right hand of the Dragon God and Rudeus the Magician King!”

“That’s right. You sure know a lot.”

“I asked my mom about the Superd and about you, Eris! And I heard about the Quagmire and the Berserker Sword King from the bards! I wanted to meet you, even just once!” Nell looked up at Eris, his eyes sparkling. To him, she was a character from the songs of bards, straight out of a legend. 

Unlike his father, Nell was itching to know more about the “Outside World.” One day, he dreamed of venturing out into it and becoming someone the bards sang of.

“Did you? I’m honored,” said Eris. She felt a grin spreading across her face, but forced herself to look serious before nodding gravely, thinking she couldn’t ruin the boy’s dream. In her mind, she pictured Roxy’s serene expression. 

“Rudeus and Orsted are both here, too,” she added. “You should go see them before they leave. Oh, and North God Kalman III!”

“Can I?!” Nell’s head snapped up to stare at Eris. Number seven and number two of the Seven Great Powers, and Kalman from the Epic of the North God all towered as tall, if not taller, than his monstrously strong father in his mind. He’d never imagined that on such an ordinary day as this his dream of meeting them would come true.

“Um…” Nell tucked the book behind his back, then rubbed his knees together nervously. “You’ve traveled all over the world, right, Miss Berserker Sword King?”

“Yep, from the Demon Continent to the Millis Continent to the edges of the Central Continent. The Divine Continent too. I haven’t been to the Begaritt Continent, though.”

“If you don’t mind, I was wondering, if…if you’d tell me about your adventures…”

“My adventures? Not Rudeus’s?”

“Yes, I want to hear about the Berserker Sword King!”

As Eris nodded, a smile spread over her face. Thinking back, she used to love those sorts of tales, always begging Ghislaine to tell her about her adventures. She’d never dreamed she’d be the one telling the stories. Nowadays, she told Arus and Sieg lots of stories whenever they asked her, but this felt different. This time, she wasn’t being asked as a mother, but as a hero. 

Not that Eris thought of it like that. She just felt a bit pleased.

“Let’s see, then… How about the story of when I was teleported to the Demon Continent?” With that, Eris cheerfully began her tale.

Watching her, Nina felt a smile tug at her mouth. “So different,” she murmured.

Nina had changed, and so had Eris. They couldn’t claim to be inspiring each other to improve anymore, but she felt that if anything, she and Eris were closer now. When they first met, she’d been sure they would never get along. Even when Eris had departed the Sword Sanctum as a Sword King, Nina had respected her, in her way, but their relationship had been too confusing to call it friendship. This was new. Nina didn’t have the same level of admiration for Eris anymore, but she felt something she’d never felt back then. It’d been a long time since she’d seen Isolde. If they met now, perhaps she’d feel the same thing. It was an unusual experience for Nina, who’d hardly had any real friends.

“Eris?” she said.

“Then, just like that, Ruijerd cut off the head of the pet kidnapper, and—what?”

“Let’s take our kids to see Isolde together.”

Eris blinked, then nodded. “It’s a plan.”

After becoming Sword God, Gino had changed. With a Sword God like him, the Sword Sanctum itself would start to look different soon. Nothing ever lasts. For all she knew, someone might show up who’d defeat Gino just like that. That was part of being a sword fighter. They were fragile creatures.

However, Nina thought this friendship would endure. After all, she was no longer a sword fighter.