Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It doesn’t rain often in the Northern territories but when it does it pours. The year is K422. A little after dusk a young magician boy by the name of Rudeus Greyrat is currently sitting in his inn room. He has been here, in the coastal town of Whitburrow for about 4 months, now.  

A sigh escaped Rudeus’s lips as he gazed at the open book in front of him. The atmosphere around him was cosy and warm, in stark contrast to the wet and frigid hellscape outside his window. Despite his accommodations, Rudeus was exhausted.

It all started a little over 8 months prior. Rudeus was drinking quietly at a table when he was approached by a familiar face. A certain monkey-faced newbie had tracked him down to tell him some interesting news.

Rudeus’s mother Zenith Greyrat had been missing for half a decade, she vanished without a trace alongside the entire Fittoa region. Gisu came to Rudeus with something incredible, he had a lead on Zenith's location.

Rumour had it that a blonde healer was sighted disoriented near the coast of Neris, shortly after getting her bearings she formed a small party of adventurers and plunged into a dungeon. She was flat broke at the time of her teleportation.

She claimed to be S-ranked and her combat skills were enough to gain people’s trust. Soon after she joined a party of 4 delving into a nearby, newly discovered labyrinth. According to the rumour she needed the cash so she could travel back home.

The labyrinth itself was a beast all its own. Its entrance is only accessible at set times of the month, due to the tide and its rather unique first floor. making an exploration of its depths either short-lived or insanely dangerous.

Back to the current predicament. Rudeus was at an impasse. He had spent every opportunity over the few months repeatedly exploring and mapping out the first level of the labyrinth, with Gisu at his side.

Rudeus’s main issue was manpower. If he had Stepped Leader alongside him maybe things would have gone smoother. Unfortunately, Soldat and company were unavailable this time of year.

Stepped Leader is part of the larger Thunderbolt clan. For one month each year, Thunderbolt would hold meetings that all party leaders were required to attend. They use this time to discuss changes in strategy as well as where new labyrinths appeared.

Rudeus had instead tried to recruit a party from the nearby guild. Even with Gisu’s prodding, no parties wanted to head into a deadly cavern filled with unknown dangers. Especially with its reputation as a death trap.

The town of Whitburrow wasn’t known for its dungeons. Its main export is a special metal, mostly used in the smithing of arms and armour. As such the few adventurers that did live there were in no rush to die. Nearly all of them were town locals, most had stable work protecting miners and hunting down monsters for cash and food. The few that were travellers didn’t tend to stay long.

Whitburrow itself was out of the way nestled deep within the borders of Neris away from any major trading posts. The place is as typical as towns get in the northern territories, with no major attractions, nothing that even a tourist might be interested in.

Aside from the labyrinth of course. Labyrinths were a lot like living things, appearing, growing, and decaying or dying over the course of many decades.

The labyrinth in question, Flash-Freeze Cavern, was remarkably new and remarkably dangerous. Only a handful of parties had seen fit to delve into its depths and none had returned alive. No matter how Rudeus looked, no information could be found about the labyrinth. He and Gisu would have to be the ones to both map all the different floors and catalogue the monsters within.

Sighing to himself again, for the millionth time, Rudeus closed the journal in front of him and sunk into his chair. There was nothing he could do for now. He just had to wait out this rain then he could get back to his daily activities.

Perhaps he would go out for a jog once the weather cleared up a bit. The chance people would need help with repairs after the clouds cleared was decent perhaps, he would do that.

Before resting though Rudeus had one last all-important task to complete. Forcing his groggy body upwards he walked to the end of the room. Locking the door and muffling any noise with earth magic around the edges of its frame. To ensure he was not disturbed.

He deftly moves towards his goal, his travel bag. Carefully removing an ornate box from inside he set it down on the desk in front of him. Opening it slightly he took a few steps back, resting his knees on the ground.

The contents of the box weren’t what mattered. Rudeus was only concerned with what they represented. They were the only thing Rudeus had left with him to remember of his master.

Roxy had tutored him for slightly under 2 years. During that time, she taught him many important things. The importance of hard work, and an interest in academics. But most importantly it was with her gentle nudges that Rudeus was finally able to leave his home.

In his previous life, Rudeus was a shut-in. He spent over 20 years alone, in self-imposed isolation. He blamed overs for his misfortunes and refused to accept help.

Roxy was the one who changed him, Rudeus had no doubts about that. Roxy with her determination and earnestness was the person who allow Rudeus to begin to mature as a person. For that, Rudeus would forever be indebted to her.

Even now, it was his memories of times spent studying magic alongside her that kept him stable. Making it a daily ritual allowed Rudeus to centre himself, helping him from the beginnings and ends of each day.

“Please watch over me again tonight master” Rudeus whispered to himself in a low tone of voice.

Truly he was thankful. It was only because of her that Rudeus could live the way he did now. If he hadn’t been able to take those few steps away from home, would he have survived all the hardships he was faced with? Would he have been able to meet so many different kinds of people and have all kinds of experiences?

People like Ruijerd who Rudeus respected and admired deeply or Ghislaine, his sword master who helped him improve his swordsmanship. Or Eris his….

The room’s mood, which had been steadily getting better, was now ruined. Rudeus felt a small prick of pain in his heart as his mind flashed through his time with the party Dead End. Those days were behind him now. Dead End would remain nothing more than a memory in his mind.

Clasping his hands tighter than before Rudeus muttered to himself once again “Thanks again master”

Closing the box and placing it carefully back in his bag, Rudeus made his way sluggishly to his bed before laying on it. His idle thoughts only occasionally interrupted pitter-patter on the window across from him.

Rudeus wondered what he would do after this was all over. He didn’t have any major ambitions or goals set. Regardless even of if Zenith was even alive at this point, Rudeus didn’t have a clear end goal.

A few ideas came to mind. He could try enrolling in the Ranoa University of Magic, that had been his plan from the start, though it seemed kind of useless now. Rudeus could already just make a living as an adventurer. Maybe he could try teaching there, although being so young they might not even take him seriously.

Random thoughts filtered through his head getting slower and less straightforward until Rudeus drifted off to sleep.  

Chapter Text

Roxy Migurdia was an outsider from the day she took her first breath. Born to the Migurd, a race of demons with the unique ability to transmit thoughts. Roxy alone was unfortunately born with a defect of sorts. 

She lacked the innate ability held by every other member of her village. So, when she fled her village at the tender age of 14 it was not really a surprise to anyone. 

Roxy had a talent for magic. After fleeing her old life, she lived as an adventurer. She made her living by doing battle against fearsome beasts. Despite her short stature Roxy’s presence on the battlefield was always felt. 

She is an expert at timing her spells in combat, letting them off just in time to cover her allies’ blind spots. But she wasn’t born with that ability, it was a skill she painstakingly developed over the course of many years, and plenty of mistakes. 

As time passed and she began to realize her own strength, Roxy grew arrogant. She let all the power she had gained go to her head. She rebuked her old magical master and left behind yet another place she once called home, the Ranoa University of Magic. 

Traveling southbound to Asura she was sure a mage of her skill would find a job in no time flat. Fate had different plans in mind for poor Roxy. Spending months hopping from city to city, interview after interview with nothing to show for it.

Eventually, Roxy found herself in the city of Roa, in the Fittoa region. Having just failed another interview for a position as tutor to a young noble girl, Roxy’s confidence was crushed. That’s when she saw a job posting.

“Help wanted, magic tutor of advanced rank or higher” The paper had the other details of course but what caught Roxy’s eyes were the words right underneath them “Our boy is a genius!” 

Surely those were the overly prideful words of a parent, Roxy had seen plenty of ‘geniuses’ during her time in Ranoa but none of them even came close to meeting her standards. But she was desperate, so she packed up her bags and a day later was standing in front of the Greyrat residence. 
That’s when she first met Rudeus. She was a bit put off by him by the boy. He hesitated even just to step outside. He fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair, taking quick alert glances around him. He seemed scared as if he would close his eyes for even a moment some monster would swoop down and devour him.    

But Roxy had a job to do, she had to size him up and figure out if this 3-year-old could understand the basics of magic. She began by demonstrating a water ball. It was the first spell she ever learned to cast. Roxy took aim at a tree ahead of her in the yard. She took her time slowly and clearly spoke the chant aloud. 

A perfect sphere of water formed inches in front of her staff. Sending a second jolt of mana through her arm she sent it flying. It slammed into its target ripping the young sapling in half. Moments later the boy was looking at her with concern in his eyes. 

“Hey Mrs., my mother loves that tree and spends every day caring for it. She is gonna be mad that you broke it” A cold sweat trickled down the back of Roxy’s neck. Gasping slightly, she raced towards the splintered stomp muttering a healing chant to herself. 
Thankfully the wood folded back into itself repairing the damage done. A sigh left Roxy’s lips as she returned from the tree. “You can use healing magic just like my mom!” The boy’s prior worried expression was replaced by eyes full of sparkles as if some sort of switch was flipped in his mind and he had completely forgotten his anxiety. 

“Anything up to the intermediate level” She brushed off his praise easily enough. 

“That’s awesome, you’re really talented!” The boy’s enthusiasm was starting to get to her. Getting praise of any sort, even if it was just from some kid felt kind of nice. 

“Anyone could do that with the right amount of training” Roxy responded dryly refusing to meet the young boy’s gaze. 

“Anyway, it’s your turn now” Roxy spoke sternly, the boy’s eyes regaining some of their earlier uncertainty. 

That seemed ridiculous in hindsight though. Rudeus was already capable of silent spell casting, something Roxy doubted she would ever learn to do. The water ball he fired, although weaker than hers was already better than most magicians she had met in her travels. 
He had hit the same target as her, his aim was dead on. A cry of surprise could be heard from inside the home. Zenith had come out to see what the noise was. Her surprise soon turned to righteous anger as she moved towards the fallen wood. 

“HONESTLY! Roxy, please don’t use my trees as practice dummies!” Roxy hadn’t been scolded like this in a very long time. She tried to argue back but recognizing she would have to blame the 3-year-old who had so earnestly complimented before made her hesitate. In the end, she accepted the responsibility and apologized. 

Rudeus didn’t just stand idly by though. Seeing his new teacher's rattled composure the boy took it upon himself to comfort her. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he reassuringly patted her. 

“Don’t worry Mrs. Roxy, you didn’t fail today. You just gained experience” The boy delivered these lines like he was reading off a script, a creepy grin plastered on his otherwise cute face. 

The words themselves resonated deeply with Roxy, for some reason it felt like this little kid was talking with some real feeling. Like he had some prior life experience to call upon. 
And so, from day one Rudeus and Roxy formed a special bond. That same day Rudeus’s family treated Roxy to a feast, it was a strange feeling for her. There was a certain warmth to it, something she had sparsely felt back in her old village. A sense of community, of family. Roxy felt indebted to the Greyrat family, not only for their warm welcome but also for how she was treated during her stay there as well. 

Neither Lilia nor Zenith ever poked at her to reveal her past or why she was traveling around on her own. She was never made to feel like an outsider in that home. 
Blowing away her expectations Rudeus quickly surpassed her. He would learn in a matter of weeks what took her years of diligent study and practice to perfect. Even more impressively he never let any of it get to his head.

Rudeus was polite to a fault, he never belittled anyone, and he was constantly looking for an excuse to help. whether he was out training in the yard with Paul or inside learning about history, Rudeus was always giving it his best. 

Seeing his swift progress made Roxy feel like nothing special in comparison and his attitude towards work humbled her. In 2 years had caught up to her completely, she no longer had anything to offer him as a teacher. 

On the day of his graduation, Rudeus was nervous. Unable to even walk outside on his own. Roxy set him down on top of the horse seemed so afraid of. Rudeus’s mood gradually rose over the course of the trip. By the time they returned he had completely let go of his fears. Not to mention the ingenuous way he implemented wind magic into his saint-ranked spell.

Rudeus was great, too great. By the time Roxy re-established herself as a teacher he was already making a name for himself. He had succeeded where Roxy herself had failed. He had managed to pass that same nobleman’s interview and had already managed to transform that noble girl from a flaming inferno into a prim and proper lady. 
It was success after success for Rudeus, so much so that it made Roxy a little scared of meeting him again. He would have grown and changed a lot, but she still wanted to see the man he would no doubt become. 

All those hopeful thoughts came crashing to a halt when the displacement incident occurred. In an instant, tens of thousands of people’s lives were upended. It was a lot like a natural disaster, indiscriminate. 

People’s homes were reduced to rubble. Rolling planes of golden wheat transformed into a barren wasteland. It took time for the shock to register in Roxy’s mind. But there was something she knew she had to do. 

Spurred into action by a letter left behind by Paul, Roxy formed a party of 3 with Elinalise Dragonroad and Talhand, an elf and a dwarf respectively. They were both old adventuring buddies of Paul and Zenith. Their party spent 2 years traveling together, even passing through the same cities as Rudeus’s party, unfortunately, a mixture of luck and poor planning caused them to miss each other on the way. 

Roxy’s group found many victims of the displacement incident on their journey. By far their most productive time there was their brief meeting with the demon emperor Kishrirka Kishirisu.
That was when Roxy finally learned all the locations of the different members of the Greyrat family. Lilia and Aisha were both safe and sound, having just reunited with Paul and Norn in the holy country of Milis. 

It was only later that Roxy discovered it was Rudeus who found them both held captive within Shirone royal palace. Rudeus had managed to befriend the third prince, save the two of them and banish her former student, Pax Shirone the seventh prince. All in a single day. 

Rudeus was also alright, according to the demon emperor he seemed worse for ware, but he was safe. It seemed he was left behind by his comrades, their party had dissolved. Roxy knew firsthand how hard losing your first part could be, but Rudeus was both stronger and smarter than she was at his age. No doubt he would be able to move forward.

  
That concerned Roxy somewhat, but it was nothing in comparison to the final member of the family. Zenith had it the worst. The demon emperor herself had expressed concern. Zenith was trapped deep within a labyrinth, frozen within a block of solid Crystal. She was still alive at the time of their meeting there was no guarantee she would hold out.

Her approximate location was the edge of the northern territories, within the country of Neris. Hearing this Roxy quickly gather her party and made haste to Paul’s group. After reuniting with him and reconfirming their plans, they set off once again. 

The journey itself was uneventful as traveling goes. All was quiet across the central continent, at least in comparison to the near-constant battle of the demon continents' roads. 

Aisha sang Rudeus’s praises near every time he was mentioned. She spoke about him like a saintly hero, even mentioning how he grabbed her as soon as he saw her and took her soaring into the sky using his magic. Norn on the other hand was less than pleased every time Rudeus’s name was mentioned. It seemed Paul and Rudeus had gotten into a fight when they first met back up. Roxy wasn’t informed of all the details but from what she understood it hadn’t been his fault. Thought Norn seemed to hold some serious resentment over it. 

Though Roxy was in no position to judge someone else. If only she had waited a few days longer she would have been there, maybe then Lilia and Aisha won’t have had to face such discomfort and cruelty. That was more than a little embarrassing for Roxy, so she kept her mouth shut and simply fulfilled her role at the party. 
There was some tension at first between Paul and the rest of Roxy’s group. However, after some well-deserved apologies, both Talhand and Elinalise were raring to go, in very different ways. 

Roxy had worried that their quick pace might affect Norn and Aisha negatively. The roads themselves weren’t the issue, Roxy was worried about the girls’ constitutions. Would a pair of 9-year-olds really be able to endure such constant travel?

Roxy’s fear thankfully never materialized. In fact, Aisha’s quick thinking managed to save them months of travel on more than 1 occasion. Her brilliant mind allowed them to travel far more efficiently reducing the need for long detours and mix-ups in travel. 
Covering ground at incredible speeds, they quickly reached their destination, the town of Whitburrow. Roxy was currently sitting inside of an inn, inside which Rudeus had been staying for the past couple of months. 

Their group had learned that Gisu got a tip on Zenith's location, tracked down Rudeus, and traveled here with him. Luckily for the party, this meant that their firepower would effectively be doubled.

Paul was annoyed that Gisu hadn’t sent word, but Gisu retorted that he did, but he sent his letter to the holy country of Milis. In other words, it was our fault for leaving so soon. Though under the circumstances I couldn’t really see our choice to set out immediately as a mistake.  Rudeus and Gisu had even been working tirelessly to explore the labyrinth on their own. They had succeeded in mapping and cataloging around half of the first floor with nothing but a party of 2. That alone was impressive enough to Roxy.

 
Roxy planned to wait outside first to allow for the family to meet first. It was Lilia who urged her to stay, she said the young master would be ecstatic to see her again. Roxy wasn’t so sure about that.

Roxy silently did a head count of the people around her. Aisha, Lilia, Norn, Paul, and herself. Gisu was upstairs right now, on his way to collect a no doubt surprised Rudeus. 

Rudeus

“97, 98, 99… 100!” I let out a full breath as I sat flat on my knees. I had been working out regularly for about a year now. I was getting to the point where the muscles all around my body had at least some definition. 

I had once heard a story about a man in my previous world. He had trained so hard to be the strongest that his hair fell out. I wanted to keep my locks if I could so I would have to work a bit harder than him. 

Throwing my feet forwards I hopped into a standing position. I walked over to a large basin and used water magic to rinse the sweat off my body. I lay in the makeshift bathtub I had created, living in such a cold climate had made me far more appreciative of bathing than I was in my previous life. 
Just as I was really getting comfortable a knock came at the door. “Hey boss, I got something you are gonna wanna see!” mildly annoyed I forced my tired body upwards. “I’ll be there in a second newbie.” 

Quickly drying and changing into a fresh set of clothes, I unlocked and opened the door. Meeting my gaze was a face that had become quite familiar to me over the past few months. The face of a smug monkey. Something exceptionally good must have happened this time for him to have this cocky grin. 
“Did something good happen?” I asked fully expecting a sly remark or a cryptic answer. “Something great! Wanna come to find out?” I sighed number my breath “Sure newbie, lead onwards.” 
I moved to reach for my coat and staff before being stopped by Gisu. “You won’t need that now. Our surprise is waiting for us on the first floor.”   Now that really dampened my mood. After I explained my sorry state to him, Gisu tried everything he could to make me get with women. 

He would arrange dates for me and even offered to be my wingman on many occasions. I would sigh and nod along every time, not wanting to disappoint him. It never went well, and he hadn’t really been forcing it too much recently so I kind of assumed he got the message. 
The last time I was even close to intimate with someone was back when I was still working with Counter Arrow. If I had either their manpower or Stepped Leaders, we might have already saved Zenith. 

“Right over here boss, I brought the sourpuss!” Gisu shouted out. I was still my head flooded with logistical thoughts about the mission. My eyes were fixed firmly on the ground as we turned a corner. 

“Rudy!” I heard a familiar voice, soft but still firm. And that nickname only one man in this world called me by that nickname. It was a surreal thing, but Paul really was just sitting there, at a table waving his muscly arms like he was a cheerleader holding pompoms. 
He looked different from last time. He was clean-shaven and had a wide smile pastured on his face. His clothes looked better too, he was wearing a dull green sweater of sorts and his boots were covered in snow. 

I instantly become more aware of my surroundings as I noticed everyone else staring at my startling form. I couldn’t really blame myself, I expected to see a cute girl when I rounded that corner, not some muscle head. 

4 more figures entered my vision, all very familiar to me. First was Aisha her toothy grin facing me. Next was Norn looking more than a little annoyed by the whole situation. The third was Lilia her stance as calm and collected as ever, the smallest hint of small hiding behind her poker face. 
The last person I saw shocked me the most though. It has been an entire decade since we parted. But I would never forget her. Even when I was teleported to the other side of the world, I still thought about her constantly. My master Roxy was sitting there a warm smile crossing her awe-inspiring face.  

Gisu pushed my back making me stumble forward. In my dazed state I just barely missed the stool in front of me. As I fell forward, Paul caught me saving me from getting a face full of the wooden floor. 

“Huh?! Are you alright boss?!” I couldn’t really answer his question my mind was still all over the place. I felt Paul's warm body hug me tightly he felt a little smaller than last time, but that was probably just because I had gotten bigger. He was still bigger than me overall though. And so, I returned the embrace. 

1 Hour later: -

It was a bit chaotic but eventually, all the greetings were done. Aisha had thrown herself onto me pressing her face into my chest like a happy cat. Lilia quickly disciplined her but undermined herself by lightly hugging me too. That made Aisha a bit jealous, but she quickly went back to her devilishly happy self. Norn on the other hand was none too pleased with me it seems. She was glaring at me so furiously that it reminded me of Orsted.  
Paul quickly patted her head, and she mumbled out a few words under her breath “Hello Rudeus…” She just spent the rest of our reunion looking at the floor and begrudgingly responding when spoken to. 

Roxy was with us too, of course, I spent most of the family reunion talking to her. I wanted to thank her for everything, but I just couldn’t find the right words. She hadn’t changed a bit in the last 10 years, her Migurd blood meant she won’t grow much after a certain point. I had eclipsed her in terms of height, but I would never be able to surpass her in wisdom. 

Every time she would praise me, my heart would soar with pride. Truly it must have been a miracle, to be blessed enough to see my beloved master again.  

Mid-sentence I realized Aisha was pouting and Paul had a sullen knowing look on his face. I immediately understood that I had messed up. I had to fix this somehow. 
“Hehe” I heard Gisu chuckling behind me. I didn’t need to turn around to know what type of face he was making. 

The rest of the night went well. Norn although clearly not happy with my being there still flashed a few smiles and the overall mood of the room had improved tremendously. 
Both Paul and I understood that the important talk about our mission could wait for tomorrow after all it was already nearing dusk, and there would be no point in setting out right away regardless. 

I also met a few of Paul and Roxy’s comrades. First were the ones I was already acquainted with, Verria and Sheirra. The warrior lady and the book worm respectively. Verria was finally wearing something modest, so it wasn’t all too hard to keep my eye too myself. Sherria was different as well. it wasn’t that she was more confident or anything she just seemed less fearful of me.  

Next up were apparently members of Paul’s old part. An elf named Elinalise with a dangerous glint in her eyes and a straight-forward dwarf man named Talhand. The 2 of them looked like they walked right out of an RPG but that was par for the course in this world. 

Elinalise wasted no time chatting up a man at the inn. I was confused at first before Paul and Roxy explained her curse to me in hushed whispers. Apparently, Norn had a fondness for her but with the Milis church’s teachings, she might be disappointed if she found out the truth. 

I didn’t really care, either way, in fact, I wouldn’t mind helping her out with her problem if she ever approached me. Although Paul strictly warned me against it. Damn it, he read me like an open book. 

The night progressed well enough and by the end of it both me and Gisu were exhausted. I apologized to everyone before excusing myself from my room. I had planned to go to sleep after my bath anyways. I had a long day of planning and explaining what to do tomorrow anyhow, it was far more important to be well rested for the trails to come. 

Chapter Text

Rudeus: -

I woke up, feeling refreshed for the first time in a long time. I went about my daily rituals, careful as always not to damage my holy relic. I had been reunited with my goddess but that did not mean I would stop praying. In fact, this meant I would have to be even more fervent in my faith. Although I somehow doubted master Roxy would approve of my doing this.

I did my morning stretches and got into my training clothes. Paul’s group was here but that didn’t mean I could just slack off. I would train twice as hard today.

Due to the nature of the labyrinth, it would be impossible to take a crack at it now anyways. We would have to wait for our entry window. Pushing aside these idle thoughts, I headed out wooden sword at hand.

I swung my door open and marched forward. Only to be stopped in my tracks. There was a familiar woman in front of me. She looked startled. She must have been walking through the halls before I hopped out of my room.

It was Sherria. The less endowed sister, wait no that wasn’t how I should go about this. She was the magician woman who was so frightful of me before. I had never even held a conversation with her. We both sank into an awkward silence for what felt like minutes.

I tucked in my stomach and swiftly bent my body into a bowing posture. Every time I had spoken to this girl, she had hidden it from me. This seemed like a golden opportunity to patch things up.

“My apologizes for anything I have done to offend you.” I spoke in a clear but low tone of voice. I was fully aware most people were still asleep. I couldn’t risk awakening my goddess prematurely.

“Eh?” Sherria seemed taken about for a moment. Her body language told me that she was struggling to respond. After fumbling over her response for a moment she finally spoke. 

“It- It isn’t an issue. I owe the c-captain a lot, think nothing of it.” At those words, I lifted my head back up.

“Alright, I’ll be heading out.” With the wooden sword still in hand, I turned to leave.

“Huh? Please, wait a moment!” Sherria said a slight panic rising in her voice. I spun around to meet her gaze.

“The captain said he wanted to see you. Verria is out right now. So, I was sent out to fetch you.”

“Oh, I didn’t think Paul would be up this early.” I commented. I followed after her. Evidently, Paul's sleeping habits had changed. At our last reunion he seemed at the end of his rope. His probably doing his best to set a good example for Norn and Aisha’s sake.

We stopped in a front of a set of double doors. In all my months of staying here, I hadn’t been to this part of the inn before. Sherria knocked before opening them and leading me inside. There was a large stone table in the center with chairs surrounding it. I had seen layouts like this before, but I didn’t think that this world would have conference rooms, at least not ones for average folk.

I spotted Paul almost immediately. he was slumped over the table fast asleep. Lilia was standing behind him, and Aisha was standing next to her. Her slightly sleepy face was adorable. Norn was probably still in her room. Roxy and Gisu were nowhere to be seen either.

“Good morning” I waved at Lilia and Aisha.

Lilia bowed slightly, Aisha on the other hand swung her arms wide to get my attention. I saw Aisha stiffen up as Lilia’s eyes bore into her. I chuckled a little as I took a seat opposite Paul. I laid my practice sword up against the table and waited patiently. Sherria chose a spot between the 2 of us.

It took about an hour for everyone to get there. Talhand and Gisu were the first to show up, after them, Verria arrived with a bundle of papers and torches. The last to show were Roxy and Elinalise, they shuffled in a few minutes after Verria.

My master's half-awake face brightened my day. It was more than worth skipping training. Everyone took their seats. It must have been around 8 am based on where the sun was.

“Master Paul, everyone has arrived please wake up.” Lilia spoke professionally. Paul raised his head and let out a loud yawn. He began stretching, scratching the back of his head. Yup, I was right yesterday. He was a little smaller than when he was in Buena.

“Everybody ready?” Gisu asked. Most of us nodded, Paul was still in the process of waking up.

“Alright, let's get into the details then.” I spoke up. Gisu was acting basically as our manager. He was great at planning ahead and coordinating groups. It was his job to keep us at our A-game in the Labyrinth and keep us on track.

Me and Gisu did most of the explaining. We had entered the Flash-Freeze Caverns about 6 times over the past 4 months. The 2 of us had already drawn out and searched the first floor. Based on its sized Gisu said it was safe to assume it had anywhere between 5 and 10 floors.

The Caverns had only been discovered around 4 years ago when a fisherman went missing. As it turns out his boat was caught by a tide and spun out near the shore. He just barely made it back when he saw monsters emerge from a hole in the cliffs and start ripping his boat apart. He reported the incident to the adventure’s guild.

Roxy began explaining her group's information. Soon after the displacement incident occurred, Zenith was teleported near the town of Whitburrow. She joined up with a party, delving into the caverns. According to Roxy, they met up with the great emperor of the demon world and were able to confirm that she was still deep within the labyrinth. 

Some kind of force acted as a jammer to Kishirika’s eyes of distant sight. As she couldn’t make out Zenith. Hearing that made me cringe internally. If I had known about the displacement incident earlier Zenith might be safe and sound now.

A cool feeling filled the room, as everyone tensed slightly. Everyone here knew Zenith, knew about how kind and warm of a person she was. I mentally punch myself in the face for all the dumb thoughts I had. All the times I nearly gave up.

Clenching my fist tight, I cleared the air.

“There is another issue. We can’t just charge in. The labyrinth itself is blocked off most of the month.” This drew confused faces from around the room. D-Damn it had been a while since I had this many people staring at me.

“The cave entrance is blocked off cause it's so close to the shore.” Gisu interrupted. “Basically, when the tide gets to high water rushes into the cavern and freezes the whole first floor solid. Its not possible to melt it all up either.”

“I and Gisu have been experimenting with different ways of keeping the entrance open for longer. But we can’t find a safe way of doing it.” That was all true. I had spent a considerable amount of time out by the cave trying out different ways I knew of keeping water out of an area. I tried building stone damns and even using water magic to keep the tide artificially lower. But it wouldn’t work.

I couldn’t stand there and cast the same spells for days. Most of the spells I know are attack magics. The only barrier spells I can use are earth wall and water wall. Both of which aren’t strong enough to keep the waves completely out, even I if poured as much mana as I could into them.

“Sounds like we are gonna have to spend a lot of time down there….” Elinalise said, an uncomfortable expression took shape on her face. It took me a moment to realize what she was so worried about.

“We know that the Second level doesn’t get frozen over though. That’s good at least.” Gisu spoke dryly.

“Well, if Rudy couldn’t figure it out, I doubt there’s a way around it. We are just going to have to play by the labyrinth’s rules” Unlike before Paul’s eyes were wide awake. He had a serious face.

We continued to talk about strategy and formation for about another hour. Both Verria and Sherria would remain here as part of the waiting party. Paul And Elinalise would be upfront as the vanguard. Talhand would be mid-guard. As the last line of defence between monsters and the backline.

Both me and Roxy would be in the backline together, I would be in charge of most magic. Roxy Would act as a support for me. Covering blind spots and teaching me how to keep track of everyone in group encounters.

I had no complaints and we set our entry date for 1 week from now. That would be the earliest possible time we could enter. We would set off from Whitburrow in about 4 days from now. It is a 3-day trek from here to the Cavern.

And with that the meeting was over.

Rudeus

2 Days later: -

I was swinging my sword in the snow again. I didn’t feel all that cold in my training clothes. The constant exercise kept my body warm. I was nearly done with my daily training when Paul came outside. He had a wooden sword in hand.

“Hey kiddo. What are you doing out in the cold?”

“Just practice, what’s up?” I eyed Paul wearily as he stuck his practice sword in the snow.

“Well, I was just thinking. It’s been a while since we sparred right?”

“Huh?” I mean he wasn’t wrong. The last time we traded sword swings I was still only 7. I was now double that age. I did beat him too, but that was when he was at his lowest and running from his problems. I don’t count it as a proper win.

But if I said as much Paul’s ego might be hurt and I couldn’t do anything stupid right before heading into a dangerous labyrinth.

“What you scared I am gonna beat you?” Yup that was the final straw.

“Sure, I’ll just have to beat you up, again” I said smugly.

“You little!” Paul came at me. Despite his words he was smirking. This would be a straight up sword fight. I wouldn’t rely on silent casting, or dirty tricks to win.

We went for a total of 10 bouts. In short, I lost. All in all, I won 2 of them. Paul was just faster and strong than I was. I hadn’t stopped growing but this still hurt. Paul wasn’t even as strong as when we were in Fittoa.

I won the first round easily. Paul came at me quickly, but he was slower than Ruijerd and I could see his attack clearly. I simply stepped to the side and countered. After that Paul got a lot more careful, from what I could tell he was using either North god style or water god style attacks. His face had gotten a lot more serious after that first fight. Cause he basically beat me senseless till round 6 when he gotta a little overconfident again.

Sadly, the only way I could win again was by feinting a kick to the balls, after which I smacked him on the head with my sword. So much for no dirty tricks, though the mix of fear, panic, and disbelief on his face was fully worth the thrashing he gave me after.

I still remembered wanting to beat Paul in his prime when I was a kid. He was now 34, The same age I was at the end of my previous life. I felt that I could still improve but Paul would only get weaker from here on out. Nothing I could do would count for much anymore. I guess the displacement incident took away more than a few more opportunities from me than I thought.

“What’s with that sour look?” Paul said looking down at me laying in the snow, a wide stupid grin plastered on his face. He seemed pretty pleased with himself for a guy who had just beaten the crap out of his only son. Actually, thinking about what Zenith told me, I might have a few other siblings off somewhere in the world. 

Paul reached out an arm. I gripped it and pulled myself up. His hand was firm and sturdy, it was a welcome change from my life up until this point. I am don’t like exaggerating but ever since the displacement incident I have been on the move, unstable in a way.

I hadn’t once spent more than a month in the same spot. When Eris left me, I almost gave up on everything. This person I had spent years of my life with, training with, growing alongside. She had dropped me like a hot iron.

After that I wandered around, I couldn’t think straight. I went from town to town with a half-assed plan. If Gisu hadn’t shown up when he did, I might still be wandering in that foggy mess. I had staked everything on Eris and me being together. All of my thoughts were about how I could support her and what I would need to do to protect her.

So, when I was faced with that rejection it was overwhelming. I shut down because something I couldn’t understand happened to me. But things are different now. I have a clear goal again. With Paul here I have someone I need to answer to and rely on. I might just be distracting myself, but I do feel better now.

“No father. I am doing just fine.” My words came out way calmer than I expected. Paul just looked at me with concern in his eyes.

“If you say so I guess” Paul’s tone suggested he didn’t believe me, but that was fine for now. Its not like I was at 100% but everyone being here really did help a lot.

While me and Pauls stood together, enjoying the silence between us, a voice came from behind us.

“Master Paul and master Rudeus, please come inside. Lunch is being served.” Lilia approached us with a cloth in hand, little Aisha following closely behind her. Her ability to copy Lilia’s Posture was pretty impressive, it was like she had shifted from her cute sister mode to a cold machine.

Or at least I thought so until our eyes meet, and she gave me a toothy grin. Drying off our sweat with a mixture of towels and the spell burn in place, we followed the 2 maids back toward the inn.  

When we got inside, we found that the group was split across 2 tables. On one side there was a table with the old members of Paul's group, Verria and Sherria included. And another table with my family members, oddly enough Roxy was sitting next to Norn. Roxy seemed slightly anxious but perked up once she saw me.

Her eyes lightened up a little and the edges of her mouth softened. Norn however had the exact opposite reaction to me. She just scowled at me and went back to eating her meal.

An hour passed and the snow had begun to come down harder. Aisha began complaining to me about how annoying it would be that we were going to get snowed in for today. She suggested that I stop the snowing with my magic.

“That’s not the best idea Aisha.”  I said, more than a little amused that my little sister would try and use me as a free snow removal service.

“Why not. You can do that with your magic right?” She just looked at me dumbfounded

“Well yes, I could. But messing with the weather isn’t always safe”

“I don’t get it, Ms. Eris told me about how you made it rain too in the great forest! Why won’t you do it again now!” Aisha began pouting. Glancing out of the corner of my eye Lilia seem just about ready to change the weather inside the inn, to that of a hurricane.

“Well, you see, that was an emergency. The great forest was on fire and the beast folk was being attacked. I only made it rain for a short while to put out the fires.” Aisha’s eyes lit up. I instantly regret saying that. What was going on inside that little genius’s head? Aisha is a smart kid. She wouldn’t try burning something to get me to put it out right?

“I am not surprised to see you still recall my lessons, you always picked up and retained things faster than me” Roxy’s voice bulldozed through my brain, demolishing any stray thoughts in its way.

“Well, I had an amazing teacher!” I saw my opportunity and I took it. I would never miss a chance to praise my dear master.

“We both know you did most of your learning on your own. Any half-competent magician could have taught you the things you know” Roxy’s voice almost seemed self-deprecating now. I had to fix this somehow.

“What!? That doesn’t matter at all! Nothing in this world can change the fact that Ms. Roxy is the person who taught me about magic.” I was actually kind of offended, Roxy wasn’t just a good teacher she was an excellent person all around. As a role module, there was there almost nothing more to ask for.

This back on forth went on until Roxy conceded that she had a major role in my growth as a magician. Honestly, I might have taken the whole thing too seriously, I had basically made it my job to defend Roxy’s image, even from her own criticism.

It would usually be considered heresy to go against the will of the goddess, however, I would make an exception for this. I would only allow her holiness’s humility to enhance her character not detract from it.

It didn’t help that every time I would complement Roxy, Gisu would shoot me an assumed look from the other table. It seemed Elinalise also found something funny about it. If either of them was bad-mouthing Roxy behind her back, I would immediately and ruthlessly be dealing out her divine wrath.

I went to bed that night tired. But in a different sense from the usual, I wasn’t just exhausted from training. It was a nice feeling, like that mood you often have after a long day hangout out with friends.

Paul

That Same Night: -

Something was clearly wrong with Rudy. I knew he wasn’t going to be in the best of shape, we had passed through the Fittoa refugee camp on our way up here. Alphonse had clued me into what had happened between him and Eris.

I can only imagine what that must have felt like. Rudy is still just a kid barely even 14 and he had spent more time than anyone with Eris. Being set aside like that must have been tough.

But when I finally caught up with the guy, he was hard at work. He hadn’t been sulking around and doing nothing like he was focused and gathering information on what came next. When I lost the people important to me, I just stopped trying, I got bitter.

Rudy was more like Zenith in that respect, never losing sight of what she wanted, and the steps to take to get it. Maybe I was giving both of them a little too much credit. Each of them could be pretty clueless in their own little ways.

The kid had always been stronger than me, and this was the final nail in the coffin to prove it. He beat me without magic. That demon eye of his is no joke. He might have employed some less-than-sportsmen-like behavior, but he still won without magic.

I don’t know what to do to cheer him up. I am sure that’s something he has to figure out himself first, but in the meantime, he seems to perk up whenever Roxy is nearby. The little jerk probably wants her teacher to think highly of him.

Still, I am not sure how to get Norn to warm up to him. Rudy is a bright kid, but I don’t think he will be able to break through her stubbornness. I can never be sure though, that brainiac never fails to surprise me.

Rudeus

Day Of Departure: -

The bags are filled with food to last a month. Our weapons are all sharpened, and our bedrolls are all packed up. All we would need is a jeep and we would look like the campers in all those Tv ads.

We said our goodbyes to the waiting party and set out. We had to leave 2 days early due to the nature of the labyrinth. It would be my first time exploring a proper labyrinth. Paul assured me this group is all highly experienced with them.

Roxy even explored a labyrinth all on her own before. I am sure that even if I mess up somehow, the people around me will be able to cover for me. It’ll be a good experience. The only thing to do now is to keep my eyes open wide and find Zenith. After that, I can worry about the future.