Re:Beginning: A Job-Filled Reincarnation
Crimster
Chapter 17: Re:Beginning: A Job-Filled Reincarnation | Chapter Seventeen: When A Friend Isn't Enough and To Roa the Fortress City
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Chapter Text
Re:Beginning: A Job-Filled Reincarnation | Chapter Seventeen: When A Friend Isn't Enough and To Roa the Fortress City
Sylphiette
The winds never stopped howling outside my house. The winter was terrible, but the days passed by. Before anyone in the village knew, it subsided, and spring had come.
No one starved, no one froze, and no one even went hungry. I don't think any of us were doubting that we would live. Not after those supplies had been shipped to our village.
It didn't take long after for Buena to grow exceedingly peaceful. The memories of the assassination plot had long been forgoed from everyone's mind and instead were replaced with an exaggerated sense that everything would pan out in the end. Everyone continued to live and be at peace with where they stood… On the contrary, the only thing on my mind the entire time the winter winds howled outside my house was the boy I called my friend, who had changed irrevocably that autumn night.
It wasn't a lie to say Rudeus was my only friend. Our master, Roxy Migurdia, was a personal confidant, but I wouldn't necessarily call her a friend. During my time as her student, our relationship was relatively professional, or at least that's what Rudy would usually call it. However, if anything, I viewed the woman as something like an older sister.
However, Roxy was gone, and Rudy had changed with her departure. The once upbeat Rudeus that would avoid me occasionally was now placid and unmoving. For some reason, he stopped trying to avoid me, but instead, he simply didn't want to play that often. Of course, that still meant he would teach me magic occasionally whenever he had the time, but instead of the simple things he used to tell me, he now found himself willing to say to me his discoveries.
It was remarkable, really. Rudeus knew a lot about everything. I knew that already, but for some reason, I found the way he was teaching me was his way of imparting something. What that something was, I couldn't quite tell. At the end of the day, I was happy enough to talk to him, so I was proud that he found me worthy of his knowledge, but that didn't mean Rudeus was anything like how he was when we met. He wasn't the same, and I wanted to help him. But even with that in mind, I couldn't do anything for him.
I asked my father about it, but he gave me an answer that neither helped nor soothed my worry. I asked Rudeus' parents, and unfortunately, even they didn't know what their son was going through. Of course, at that point, the relationship between Mister Paul and Lady Zenith was already strained because of his infidelity.
Thinking that, a little thought invaded my mind. I wonder if Rudy will be like that when he's older? The idea intruded into my thoughts, and a vision of a house with Roxy, Rudy, and I appeared momentarily. I had to slap my cheeks to chase the thought away. "No, good Sylphie." I chastised myself. Thoughts like that wouldn't help me any.
The Rudeus I had initially met wasn't there anymore, but he was still nice. That should be good enough, but the simple thought that he was going through something that I couldn't help him with was something I couldn't abide. When his family was on the verge of breaking apart in the winter, he stood up and tried his best to resolve the situation. Even when blizzards wrapped around the village, he would be outside, ensuring everyone was okay and paving paths through the snow with his magic. He had changed, but he was still Rudy.
I wanted to help him, but it felt like I couldn't. So, instead, I trusted that whatever he was going through could be resolved by him. He was terrific, after all. I'm sure he would figure something out.
I decided to place my faith in Rudy.
"Violent Storm is a saint-ranked wind spell that can control—" Rudy's voice came out crystal clear as his eyes looked up into the sky.
A few months had passed, and spring was in full swing. Which meant we had returned to our previous area on the hill. On this particular day, I decided I would put some of Lady Zenith's teachings to the test.
What would that be, you might ask? Well, I asked Lady Zenith for some advice, and she informed me that letting the boy lay his head on my lap may help. His mother told me this tended to cheer up boys for some reason. Why, I didn't know, but I learned from my father that physical contact with someone you like tends to make you happy. So, at the very least, I found myself giddy today.
It took some coaxing from me, but he eventually relinquished control of his head to me. Did it help him? I couldn't tell. He still had that distant stare he often wore nowadays. However, Rudeus found himself spouting some reasonably incredible things about magic. He often did this nowadays. Still, the topic we're on is something I didn't expect. Violent Storm…? A saint-ranked wind magic…? It's Rudy, so I'm sure he pieced something together and found it out. Still, I didn't know if I was as interested in this as he was. Not that it wasn't enjoyable.
I stroked his hair, and he stared at me. "Is there an issue?" I quickly withdrew my hand from his head when he looked at me with those eyes. It looked like he was staring right through me.
"N-No!" My shouting made his eyes widen from the sudden sound. "S-Sorry, I meant not precisely."
"Is there something else you want to talk about then?" His tone was flat all the way through as he spoke.
"Uhh, not really." Was there anything I did want to talk about? I think just being able to speak to Rudy is enough for me… Well, maybe that wouldn't be bad to talk about. "How about your sisters? Are Norn and Aisha fine?" Rudeus's sisters had been born just a little over a month ago. Coincidentally, they were birthed just a few weeks after Rudeus turned seven.
"They're doing fine. Not much else a baby can do besides cry whenever they want something, though." Was he annoyed? It sounded like he was just a tad bit annoyed.
"Well, how have you been holding up?" Was I pushing a little too much? Roxy always told me not to try too hard for something like this, but even Roxy didn't know everything. She even said she wasn't the best at dealing with kids or comforting people. Sorry, Master.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Umm, I dunno. Like, is everything going good?"
"About the same as usual." He responded to my question with a dry remark, and a sigh escaped him as he looked back into the blue sky. He scratched his chin a little later as if he remembered something out of the blue. "I guess… I might be leaving soon?"
Everything tensed when I took those words and thought about them as a shock ran through my body… Leaving? As in leaving Buena?
He looked back and spoke as he held eye contact. "I asked my father for a job." He was being blunt about it.
It hurt when he said that, but I held back my tears. I couldn't cry. I wouldn't let myself return to being that pitiful sniveling girl with green hair in Buena. "You're getting a job? What for? Do you even know how long you'd be gone?" His eyes widened slightly at my answer.
"For Ranoa, I figured you couldn't afford it, so I asked him about it. So I figured saving the money by getting a job would be easy… As for how long, Dad said I can't leave until I'm twelve. So, at the very least, until then." It sounded like he had already made up his mind on this subject. That meant there was no way I was convincing him to go in any other direction, but I still felt like he was working with another goal in mind. I'm not one to pat myself on the back, but I thought I could read Rudeus better than others.
"Well, I'll be waiting here for you then." I'm sure my face was bright red when I said that, but I didn't mind.
"Are you sure you'd be okay with waiting for five years?" He made an emphasis on how long it'd be.
Why is he being all pushy all of a sudden?
"Why wouldn't I be? It's for Rudy, and it's not like I'd be going anywhere." This conversation was taking that kind of a turn. I didn't know if I liked that or was immensely flustered just with the prospect.
"What if I don't come home or leave Buena altogether?" He continued to stare me down.
I thought for a second and came to a suitable answer. "I don't want to leave the village, but I'm sure I'd follow you." His eyes widened more at that, and in a moment, he shot up from my lap to look at me at eye level.
"What if I don't return because I'm avoiding you? What if I left without a trace and didn't want you to come for me?" I could tell he was trying to get to something, but I didn't understand what.
"Well, then I'd do my best to fix whatever I did wrong…" He was being weird. Weirder than usual, but this felt like some sort of test for some reason. "Then I'd chase after you." To me, these answers were the only right ones. To me, they were simple.
"Why would you? What would make you do that?" His voice wasn't soft-spoken anymore. He was on the fine line between talking loudly and shouting.
"Uhh, are you gonna make a girl say that, Rudy?" He staggered slightly after I spoke. Did I basically tease him there? I hadn't meant to if I did. I was just following Roxy's teachings about being blunt.
Without another word, he plopped onto the grass and spread his body as far as possible. "I just don't get it." He had a dejected look on his face.
"If you want to leave, I won't stop you." He didn't look at me. "I'll get stronger when you're gone. So that when you come back—or I have to chase you down—I'll be able to stand next to you, Rudy."
Did hearing that really make him this upset? I thought, if anything, it would've made him a little happier—
"Sylphie…" His arm covered his eyes as he dragged his speech. I don't know what could've prepared me for what he would say next.
"Why do I see things when they're done and gone." He wasn't asking me a question. I could see his face scrunch up beneath his arm, and I could tell that he was crying. I couldn't bring myself to speak.
"It's all my fault. If I just… If I was just better. Then none of that would've ever happened." His voice strained between his tears. I didn't know what to do besides offer sympathy as he lay there.
"I'm sure whatever Rudy did wasn't that bad. I'm sure you had your reasons, but I'd like it more if you talked about it. Then I could help you." I was practically pleading with him. This was the first time since the incident that he even remotely opened up to anyone. But just as quickly as he did, he closed his doors again. He wiped his face with his arm and looked into the sky.
"I might tell Sylphie at some point… Maybe." He didn't sound entirely sure about that to me—and he sounded more distant than I'd ever heard.
"We can just talk about magic if you don't want to." I shot myself into the conversation, trying to alleviate any tension in the air.
A weak smile pulled at his lips. "Sure, what do you wanna know?"
I lost my chance to help. For some reason, I knew that was an opportunity, but I squandered it, and now it felt like the distance between us had only grown wider.
I wonder how long it'll be before he leaves. How long will it be until he's normal again?
>Rudeus<
"Come on, Rudy! You can do better than that!" My father egged me on to come at him, but I stayed still. There were way too many North God techniques that could be used from going into your opponent haphazardly. Also, as much as Paul liked to only think with his sword or dick, he had an aptitude for combat.
Still, I couldn't stay put all day, but his current stance had too many openings. Which obviously meant it was a trap. One that I should be able to work around reasonably efficiently. I lunged towards him, a burst of wind magic aiding my speed. I made it to him, and I struck down on his shoulder.
Still, I wasn't nearly fast enough that Paul wouldn't be able to react.
Of course, he brought his sword up and parried it right before I made contact, but I expected as much from the man. The motion was smooth. Paul only really ever used the technique Flow from the Water God style. He didn't need much else, considering his strength mainly relied on his creative nature and instincts.
He used his weight to throw my sword to the side. Using a quick kick to his body to rebound off of him, I found myself at a crossroads I had expected. Now, he was going for the offensive. Exactly as I wanted. His strikes came in fast and quick. At some point, he decided that holding himself back during our training would only be a detriment to my growth. Of course, he could have no clue that I was already well-versed in Water God, but he was a good enough practice partner at the end of the day. His decision to try during our spars was hard on my still-growing body, as I had no touki. At least it was a good workout.
Every time a horizontal slash came in, I parried. Whenever an underhanded attempt at a hit flew at me, I avoided it with either wind magic or gravity magic. It was like this how we trained. At some point, Paul realized my potential in Sword God and North God was abysmal. Honestly, it wasn't like I could do much in that department. I was a coward in every right, so I only ever had any kind of talent in Water God because it was mainly about defense. I just didn't mesh well with the other two styles. So we focused wholeheartedly on Water God for me, so our training sessions mainly involved parrying anything and everything he could think of throwing at me.
Wish I could use the gauntlets, though. They'd definitely help out. His onslaught slowed after a few more strikes, and eventually he stopped.
"Haah, that should be good for now, Rudy. Let's take a break for right now." He waved his hand toward me. I wasn't all that tired. Most of the time, I would run my body haggard with magic at all times of the day. Gravity magic, elemental magic, anything that I felt would help, I tested. Everything I had was an avenue I could take to get stronger. I wasn't satisfied. I wasn't nearly strong enough to do everything I wanted to. That's why I couldn't allow myself to relax.
Not that I needed to worry about confidentiality for too much longer. Today was the day I would be leaving.
"Already here, huh? Maybe she finally learned how to be wise about her time?" Paul's voice let out in a quiet realization.
In the front of our house, a carriage pulled up. Honestly, it was closer to a stagecoach. The door on the back of it opened, and out came a tall, muscular woman. Tan skin, cat ears, a tail, and a much too revealing top that left no room for imagination. Yep, only one woman I had ever known fit that description.
"Yo, long time no see, Ghislaine." My father offered a wave to the woman.
She didn't move or even bat an eye at the man as she looked at us. "Yeah."
I heard some shuffling within the house behind us, and a moment later, Zenith and Lilia came out, cradling Norn and Aisha, respectively. The two little girls were still toddlers. Which meant absolutely no coherent language came from their mouths. Honestly, it was weird seeing them like they are now when I practically only ever knew them when they were already grown.
"It's been ages, Ghislaine! Is everything going well?" The beast woman offered a small smile to my mother.
"This your kid?" Ghislaine brushed Norn's hair, receiving what must be a happy gurgle from the baby girl. "She looks like she'll take after you more than Paul. That's good." A dry chuckle came out from my father.
"I take it that everything is all set up and ready to go?" The beast woman nodded.
"Take care of Rudeus for us. Please?" My mother looked conflicted about what was happening.
To be fair, even though I already knew what would happen, I can't find myself minding the circumstances all that much.
Will this be the last time I see any of them? Will I end up helping Orsted perpetually and throwing away all my ties to my loved ones? At this point, I didn't even mind that prospect. As long as they lived, that was all that mattered to me. After all, they always did in every loop I wasn't born into. They could manage without Rudeus Greyrat in their lives.
Paul looked at me. "Rudy, what would you do if I told you that you wouldn't be allowed to see Sylphiette for a while?" His expression was oddly soft when he asked that question.
"I wouldn't really mind all that much. I'm sure she could get by without me." I answered truthfully. The Sylphie I've come to know isn't anything like the one I had known. She had a spine when dealing with people; Roxy and I taught her, and she had a goal. Even if said goal wasn't a particularly amazing one, I knew that Sylphiette would make it just fine, even without me by her side. She was still a big crybaby, sure, but she was strong. I'd go as far as to say she had a strength I lacked.
"I figured you'd say that." Paul's sword didn't move, nor did he try to react in any shocking way. "You see, Laws and I talked about this a little bit. Originally, I thought you'd take after your old man and try to seduce the poor girl." He dragged his hand across his face. "At the end of the day, your old man is a piece of shit that can't even handle keeping his dick in his pants for over a month." A couple of agreements were affirmed by the women beside him. "I'm not a good role model, so I thought the worst." He looked down at me. "That's why I'm proud of you."
The moment was sweet. Sweet enough, I almost forgot I was talking to Paul.
"You stepped in when I almost ruined everything. You fixed my fuck up, which you shouldn't have ever had to do, especially at your age." A blush grew on his cheeks as he swatted the air infront of his face. "Anways, uhh… Laws and I talked and concluded that you weren't a bad influence on Sylphie. Not one bit. I mean, you're the person who stood up for her after all. So we thought she would rely too much on you in the future, and well…" His voice dragged on as he shot his glance over to the gate. I followed and found a sight I couldn't really say I expected.
Laws, Cecilia, and Sylphie stood there. I'd never gotten to know Sylphie's parents like I do now. They were good people, and they appreciated me for helping Sylphie. Which only made me feel worse. Why did these good people have to die?
"Sorry for doubting you, Rudeus!" The elf bowed, and his wife followed as Sylphie stood awkwardly beside them, glancing between me and her parents. "I'm sorry for having you do my job as a father." His face was full of consternation.
"That wasn't what I meant by doing any of this—" I was cut off by the man's hand coming up.
"I know you didn't. You're a good kid. I was just worried about my daughter." He placed a hand on her head. "I thought she'd grow up and solely rely on you, but lo and behold, when I told her about today, she was okay with it." He laughed. "Who would've known that my daughter grew a spine?" What was he getting at?
"Of course, if I manned up and acted like her father, I could've stopped the bullying myself…" He bowed again. "So thank you for everything you've done for us, Rudeus! I really mean it!" The man's face didn't return to meet mine as he kept his head low.
"Father, what is all this?" I looked at Paul, and he looked back at me with questioning eyes as if he had no idea what I meant.
"What do you mean?"
"I just thought you'd try to knock me out… Aren't you the kind of guy to do that?" Honestly, that was what I had been waiting for. Not some heartfelt farewell between everyone I knew in Buena.
"Why would I do that?" His stupified look completely took out any wind I had in my sails. "Sure, I might've done that a couple of years back, but ever since I've had you, I learned just how much more of a man I need to become." A giddy smile pulled at his cheeks, just like the one he had when I was born. "Because I had you, I can finally try my best at something. You know? I've got a family now, one that I love. So it's only right that I gotta do my best!"
This stupid idiot. I felt my eyes water, but I held back. This wasn't how Paul acted. He was brash and frankly an idiot, but the man infront of me? He was still an idiot, sure, but he was a happy idiot who decided not to rely on his sword for everything.
"The young master has done nothing but be kind to me in his time here, even though all I've done so far is show him contempt," Lilia said from beside Zenith. A pleasant smile sat on her face as she looked at me with fond eyes. "So all I can do in recompense is wish you luck and pray for your safe return."
Zenith butted in after the woman stopped. "You've had your troubles, but I'm sure you'll be able to pull through. You're my baby boy, after all." She sauntered up to me and placed a kiss on my forehead.
Norn reached her hands out to me, and I gave her my finger. "Ha haa! Baa, baa!" She pulled on my finger and gave a gurgly laugh.
Am I okay with leaving this behind? Did I have to? Couldn't I stay?
"I'll miss you, Rudy." Zenith's voice quietened. She was on the verge of tears, I could tell. "Your mother loves you."
It's not like I'm going to Millis or some far-away place or something. I'm just gonna be in Roa… After that—I guess I don't know.
"Uhh… Can I go grab a few things?" I looked at Paul again.
"I'm not stopping ya." With that as a go-ahead, I went into the house and to my room. It was a quiet affair gathering my things. I didn't think of much other than packing away what I couldn't leave. My robe, gauntlets, cannon, and pouch of magic crystals all fit into one bag with some organizing. I looked at the sword Paul gave me for my fifth birthday that I had propped against a wall and, with only a quick thought, decided to carry it down with me.
With a full bag on my back, a sword resting beneath it, and a wand attached to my hip, I left my house for the last time and went back outside.
"Get everything?" Paul called out to me after I came back out. I saw him smirk when he saw the sword on my back.
I walked up to my father. A man I hadn't expected any of this from. If he was going to fight me, I would probably not hold back, but then Ghislaine would get involved as well, making me less confident about my chances. Of course, I would've left, but I hadn't expected this action from the man. I feel this is the right way to go about this. This felt like something I would've done in my previous life.
"Yep." I looked at him, and he, in turn, looked down at me.
"If you wanna visit, you can go on ahead. I don't want to separate ya from your sister's or anything." I distinctly remember him doing the exact opposite last time around. "Of course, you're gonna have a job to do in Roa, so I figure you won't have much free time, but whenever you do, it'd be nice of you to come down. From what I hear about the girl you'll be tutoring, you might come home earlier than I expected, but I'm sure you'll figure something out!"
You're not making this any less awkward, Paul. What with your stupid embarrassed face.
Zenith came up and elbowed the taller man. "Just tell him already, you idiot." Her tone came out in a low hiss to not startle Norn. The girl was always a quick crier.
"Uhh… Well, you see. Ahh…" He fumbled around for a little while as we all looked at him. "I guess what I'm trying to say, Rudy, is that, umm…" It was a very long pause. His face contorted with his thinking, and eventually, he let out a long sigh. "Take care… I love ya, son…" His face was bright red after he was done.
A moment of silence washed over all of us as not one person spoke. That was until loud laughter resounded through the air. "Hahahahaha!" Even though Ghislaine was a woman, her laugh sounded fairly man-like. I wonder if she even trained her vocal cords? Well, that might be true, considering she was a beast person.
"C'mon, it's not that funny, Ghislaine!" Paul stomped his foot onto the ground like a toddler would while throwing a tantrum. "This is a super serious father and son farewell happenin' here!"
"Oh, lighten up, would ya, Paul? This shit is hilarious! I mean, come on! Paul Greyrat having a heartfelt farewell with his family instead of swinging his sword like a moron? I can't wait to tell Phillip about this." The once stoic woman wiped a tear away from her eye.
After a moment, her laughter eased up, and she looked back at Paul. A look that held some kind of recognition in it. "Can't say I expected this. You changing and all." For the first time, the woman gave the man a slight smirk.
"I've tried." Paul looked back at Zenith and Lilia. "But, I gotta try a little harder." The beast woman nodded in agreement.
Finally, I made my way to the person who hadn't spoken yet.
"So you're really leaving, Rudy?"
"Yeah, I am. Do you not want me to?" Sylphiette shook her head.
"If it's something Rudy wants to do, then there's no way I can tell him otherwise." The girl reached up and patted my head. "So you should just do what you want from now on."
Thanks, Sylphie… I think—I know what I have to do.
"You've grown. I still remember when you just let people walk all over you." I gave her the best smile I could muster.
"That's because of Rudy and Roxy's teachings!" The girl brought her arm up in a motion of patting her bicep. "So you don't have to worry about me! I'll manage." She sounded so resolute in her speech. It was like she knew everything would work out in the end.
"That reminds me. I wrote a few things down for you, so you can just ask my parents to borrow the magic book if you want them." The girl nodded along. It wasn't much, really. It was all I could think of as a last farewell gift to the girl.
She'd be fine from here on out. I wasn't necessary anymore. So my job here is done.
Ghislaine finished talking with Paul and Zenith and walked past me back to the carriage. "I guess it's that time." I sighed.
Sylphie's face fought off a frown, and I could see the corners of her eyes moisten. "I'm going to miss you, Rudy." Leaving a girl like this behind still left me feeling completely hollow inside.
But a nice girl like her doesn't deserve an old fart like me.
"Goodbye, Sylphiette." My last words to her. They were simple. I intended that to be the last time I spoke to her. That was what I resolutely decided in my head.
I walked past her and went to Ghislaine, who was waiting at the back of the stagecoach. When I looked behind me, I was met with friendly faces—a few with tears and others with smiles. I took one last glance at Buena Village. I looked at the lush fields of wheat and houses that speckled the horizon. A few villagers were out in them working away. I didn't really know anyone here in my past life. I didn't care much then, but now I found myself doing the opposite.
This is all real. Everything I've been through has happened.
Buena Village was the place where I was born. It was my hometown and a place I held close to my heart. At one point in my life, I wanted things to return to how they were here. I wanted to have peaceful, uneventful days with my family and just live for the sake of living.
Now, I don't think I'm allowed that luxury. Not anymore, that is.
I waved to everyone before I entered the carriage, but I spared one last glance at Sylphiette. The girl who was my first friend and the same person I had mistaken for a boy, not once, but twice. She would become the woman I fell in love with, and I decided to share the rest of my life alongside starting a family, but now she was a child, and I just wanted to see her happy. She had tears in her eyes but never looked away from me.
I'm gonna miss this place. That was my last thought as I took my last ever glimpse at Buena Village.
Notes:
Author's Note: We've finally arrived at the last chapter of Buena. It's been one hell of a ride so far, but now we have finally entered into the next arc. I've been taking note of a lot of the comments I've received on both Ao3 and FF, so I can kind of understand how the majority of people feel about what I have written so far. I greatly appreciate all the comments as well. It helps me put into perspective some moments that I glossed over and they also fuel my creative process.
The upload schedule has, at this point, stalled to a chapter a week. This is where I've wanted to be for a while now, so it'll stay this way for the foreseeable future. I have college I attend and other things I like doing in my free time other than writing, so it should be fine. If anyone is worried about the upload schedule getting worse, you should be reassured that I have no intention of diminishing the upload to anything less than a chapter a week. That much is easy for me to write and keep up with. It also gives me time to develop some chapters further and make sure the cohesion going forward isn't ruined.
The next chapter is an interlude, so we get a bit of a break from the usual chapters, but it still holds reasonably large importance.
Anyways, that's all you'll get from me. I've been addicted to Baldur's Gate, so I've been spending most of my free time on it, but I'm sure you guys can understand. Until next week.