Mushoku Tensei Volume 24 Chapter 260

Editors/Proofreaders : Jason Li, ETA.Alpha.Theta

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When I came to, I found myself in the white dimension.

I can count the number of times I’ve come to this place on the fingers of both my hands and yet this place remained the same empty white place every time.

And so whenever I came here, my appearance changed to that of my former self.

My body being helplessly overweight.

That irritating feeling that welled up from within my heart each time I came here was no longer.

I wonder if it’s because it’s been a long time since I’ve came to this place.

I didn’t remember having removed my bracelet after such a long time.

Despite that, just why was I in this place?

Huh.

I couldn’t remember doing anything like that before I went to sleep today.

Ten years felt like a long silence.

Within this white dimension, that guy was there as usual.

It was Hitogami.

But I wonder just what happened to him.

On top of that, each of his limbs were stitched up by a magic formation-like something, and it looked like he was tied up with translucent chains.

It’s like we have to bring down his right leg or his resurrection magic will be troublesome.

“.........”

What happened?

Just who is here except me?

“......Try looking behind you.”

When told to do so I turned back.

They were standing with their backs to me.

They were all unfamiliar people to me.

An unfamiliar Demon Race and an unfamiliar Human Race.

He never changes.

He didn’t have that black helmet.

Due to that scar, his face looked even fiercer than usual.

Orsted wore that same angry face as usual, but a slightly happy expression could be seen on his face as well.

Probably 17~18 years old.

That’s definitely the face of a Riajuu.

Still, that’s a nice smiling face he’s got there. I wonder if Orsted’s curse was ineffective on him.

When I was looking at him, one woman stood up from their group.

A girl with blue hair.

She looked like Roxy.

I am certain that she’s from the Migurd Race, but I could never mistake someone for Roxy.

Don’t tell me......Lara?

As I pondered, she faced towards me and waved her hand.

She’s probably waving her hand to Hitogami who was behind me.

When she did, the man beside her started talking with her.

She answered something to him and then that man turned this way with a surprised face.

People with faces like that were few in this world.

He might be in his 20s....doesn’t feel like he’s in his 30s.

He faced this way and quickly bowed.

Possibly.

In doing so, all of them now faced this way.

I thought that there were only 8 people at first, but it seemed that there was a whole crowd of them. Under the mist, it was hard to see.

Ah, I wonder if that person is Eris.

But she was a little different from Eris.....

Each of them faced this way and bowed in gratitude.

No, it’s a little different considering their manners.

All of them, suddenly vanished.

And then, after a while, the magic formation lost its light and disappeared as well.

Everything disappeared.

“All of them joined forces to persecute me. They did this, roughed me up, and then sealed me.

That’s obvious.

I will continue to live here alone with all of my powers sealed.

I can no longer see the world anymore. I can’t even talk with anyone.

I wouldn’t know if you ask me something like if I’m satisfied.

I simply wanted to live my life with Sylphy, Roxy, and Eris.

An ordinary......yep, an ordinary lifestyle.

Then, I’m satisfied.

If that’s what become of you, then I will definitely be happy.

“I see.....is that so.....that’s quite odious.”

I couldn’t understand Hitogami’s expression.

It just felt like he was wrapped up by sorrow.

A very large bed.

No one was sleeping beside me.

The blanket seemed a little too heavy.

While moving only my sight I looked at my surroundings.

Stern slant-eyes and a firm jawline.

But she had a docile braided hairstyle, and was far smaller than Eris. Her height and breast too.

The chair fell with a bump and as she was about to fall down I quickly supported her.

I wonder how I supported her even though I couldn’t move my body.

But the girl put both her hands on the ground while in mid-air, reorganized her posture that was about to fall, and after she tapped the floor with her feet, she immediately ran out of the room.

“Mama! Mama! Great-Gramps has woken up!”

As she noisily ran outside I saw the thing that she had in her hand before.

I didn’t remember removing it but it’s clear now. When I was sleeping, she removed it.

It was awfully heavy.

My hand had become so thin that it couldn’t even lift up one bracelet.

And then, I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror.

I could see the figure of an old man, whose body was sunken in the bed and looked like he could die at any moment.

With white beard and white hair.

The shadow of death floated on his entire face.

Ah, I remember.

But, huh.

Looks like my memories had taken a toll as well.

Probably 40 years old.

When her eyes met mine, she quickly ran up to me and grasped my hand beneath the blanket.

“Is it.....Sylphy?”

“Yeah.....yeah, I know.”

“Nothing. You just slept for a long time.”

I just slept.

I certainly felt a little sleepy.

“But I can’t move my body.”

She just kept brushing my hand as if to sympathize.

I have become senile?

Huh?

Even though age 74 isn’t an age like that.

I hadn’t aged a bit more or something, right?

Just how long have I been bed-ridden?

“I’m scared.....”

Just from that, my fear decreased by a little.

A child with red hair, a child with blue hair, a child with blond hair.

They stood encircling the bed that I was sleeping in.

“Yeah.......”

But I wonder why?

The person who was at the very back. She shut the door behind her and slowly walked towards me.

Her hair was in a braid.

“.........Rudi.”

The moment she saw me, she made a crying face only for a moment.

And then, she gently and slowly caressed my head.

“Rudi, thank you very much for your efforts.”

Tears started spilling out from Roxy’s eyes.

There, I raised one question.

“Where’s Eris? Is she not here?”

I couldn’t see the usual appearance of the woman who would come running to me the foremost.

“Rudi. Eris has already left, you know?”

“She’s waiting for you, Rudi.”

Ah, I see.

“Yeah. It’s alright. You cried for 3 days straight but you were nicely able to get over it, Rudi.”

Ah, as I recalled it came to me.

Then one day, after her usual morning-run and practise swinging, she came back home all tired and collapsed on the bed. After that, she didn’t wake up.

If I had realized sooner then I could’ve saved her by using healing magic. I cried a lot that day......

I didn’t even remember something like that.

“Yeah. It’s alright. Let’s see.....from over there, they are all our grandchildren. That’s Lucy’s child, Roland. The one next to him is─”

Sylphy started telling me by pointing her finger to each and every one.

Then just where did all of our children go?

Everyone now lived away from us.

“And, that red-haired child, who looks exactly like Eris, is Ars’s grandchild and Rudi’s great-grandchild, Ferris.”

She’s probably scared that I would get angry at her for taking off the bracelet.

Ah....

She was there among the crowd as well.

Indeed, she was there. She had grown a lot by that time but she was definitely there.

“Come closer.”

When I spoke, she came out from hiding and looked like she was about to cry.

“Were you the one who removed this?”

When I pointed my finger towards the bracelet, tears came falling down in large drops from her eyes.

“I see. Then, I’ll give it to you.”

When I said that, she looked at me with a puzzled face.

“Is it fine?”

“.......OK, I promise.”

Perhaps she might get a scolding after this but well I guess it’s fine.

“Yeah. We’re all lively.”

I was relieved after hearing that.

The surroundings got noisy.

Even I wouldn’t just drop dead like that.

A tall person.

“......Orsted-sama.”

The moment he entered the room, the surrounding atmosphere changed.

Vigilance?

It was relief and trust.

“Is it fine without the helmet on?”

Various voices flew out like ‘I won’t cry anymore, geez’ or ‘You were such a crybaby before.’

“So your normal face is no longer feared, eh?”

His scary face was still there but it could be said that it’s more relaxed now.

“Oh right, Orsted-sama.”

“Just now, when the bracelet was removed, I saw Hitogami in my dream.”

“Well, I wonder about that. It’s possible that it was just a normal dream.....if I have become an apostle, then what’ll you do? Will you just kill me like always?”

Because everyone started laughing, and Orsted wasn’t giving out any killing intent.

“That’s a nice dream.”

It felt quite real, but then again, dreams are quite fully filled with reality.

“Please work hard so that my dream comes true.”

Orsted nodded in earnest.

“Haha....it’s still too early for me to sleep, you know?”

I want to stay awake for a little while more.

I couldn’t move my body much, but the sunlight felt warm and pleasant.

“I’ll stay awake for a little bit more. Just a little bit more.....okay?”

Even if I stayed awake, it’s not like there was something in particular that I had to do.

That’s all.

So to speak.

It’s not like I had something to say to them.

Nor any regrets.

If I just stayed here for a little bit more, I’ll be satisfied.

They fell ever so gradually.

Then I saw Sylphy’s and Roxy’s face.

Finally, my eyelids shut.

Without change, my consciousness disappeared.

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Translator Notes and References

Also, it's no one's fault, I had this intention from the start.

Chapter end