Two months had passed since I married Sylphie.
The Magic University welcomed a new semester, and I advanced to second year.
Life had changed dramatically.
First, I moved out of the dormitory and started commuting from home.
Every morning, I wake up in the large bed in my room.
If Sylphie is sleeping beside me at that point, I give her a good-morning kiss.
Sylphie is an early riser, waking up at roughly the same time as me.
After that, I do my daily training.
I run a circuit around the town, then practice swings with the stone sword I used in my duel with Luke the other day.
As always, I still can't wrap myself in fighting spirit.
But the training can't have been for nothing.
During training, Bardigardi occasionally shows his face for some reason.
As usual, he laughs at the top of his lungs, which is a massive nuisance to the neighbors, but I don't treat him coldly.
Bardigardi sometimes spars with me as a training partner.
Technically speaking, he doesn't come close to Ruijerd or Ghislaine.
He's probably inferior to Paul or Eris too.
No, rather than "doesn't come close," it's more like he could do it but just doesn't bother.
He's obviously slacking off on defense.
Maybe it's because having an immortal body means he doesn't feel the need.
The advice he gives from time to time is surprisingly on point.
If he fought seriously, he might be quite strong.
When I get back from training, Sylphie welcomes me with breakfast ready.
After eating, Bardigardi disappears right away.
His behavior is always a mystery.
What's he thinking about?
...He doesn't seem to be thinking about anything, though.
On days when Bardigardi doesn't show up, we eat together while flirting.
Doing the "say ahh" thing and all that.
---
After breakfast, I head to the Magic University.
It's about a thirty-minute walk to school.
Zanoba said something about it being "a bit inconvenient," but it doesn't feel that far to me.
Running gets me there quick.
I arrive a bit before class starts.
I part ways with Sylphie in front of the dormitory.
After killing some time, I go see Cliff and Zanoba.
Cliff spends his entire morning researching curses.
He borrows a lab and takes apart magic-imbued items and magical tools, sifts through books to examine patterns.
Apparently, he's planning to start crafting original magical tools eventually.
"Even if I say I want to transfer curses, I don't have a lead on the method yet.
But if my hypothesis is correct, I should be able to make a magical tool that cancels out curses."
That hypothesis is:
"Magic-imbued items" and "curses" are the same thing.
If a curse placed on an object is a "magic-imbued item,"
then a curse placed on a person would be a "curse-infused person."
In other words, if you can somehow manipulate the effects of "magic-imbued items," you can somehow deal with "curses" too.
The fact that he keeps using vague words like "somehow" indicates that he's only just begun his research.
"For now, there's nothing I need you to help with. This is my research, so let me handle it.
Of course, I don't intend to neglect you, but I do have my pride, you know."
He said it in a tone like a child afraid someone's going to take his toy away.
Other than Nanahoshi, I doubt I'd make much progress even if I helped.
Incidentally, if I show up in the afternoon, there's a high probability he's being clingy with Elinalise, so I avoid that.
Zanoba is in the lab most of the day.
Basically, he deciphers documents found at the mansion, or nuzzles that automaton figurine.
Nothing's come of it yet, but that can't be helped.
Zanoba's passion for figurines is genuine.
Someday, he'll unravel the mystery of the automaton.
"Master, please focus on Julie. I shall handle things here."
I'm trusting Zanoba and leaving it to him.
But Zanoba seems terrified that I'll lose patience and interfere.
As if the research would be finished the moment I laid a hand on it.
Everyone overrates me way too much.
I don't know anything outside my field, you know.
Still, it does feel a bit lonely being left out.
Incidentally, he's also slowly progressing on crafting the red dragon figurine as a break from research.
Julie makes her own figurines alongside him.
She was given a work desk and practices diligently.
"Grand Masterr, today too, please."
Since I can no longer teach her magic at night, I teach Julie earth magic in the morning.
It's been almost a year since I met her.
Her growth has been remarkable, but we're still a long way from executing the mass-production plan.
For now, all I can do is have her diligently repeat her exercises.
According to Sylphie, if you keep having someone use the same school of magic from a young age, their precision improves.
I teach her nothing else — only earth magic, over and over.
If Sylphie's theory is correct, Julie will become an earth magic expert.
Moving on to the next stage can wait until she's grown more.
There's no need to rush.
---
At noon, I go to the cafeteria.
The idea of making a bento had come up, but various things happened and I gave up on it.
The far end of the cafeteria's first floor has become our regular seats.
"Our" meaning basically me, Zanoba, and Julie,
with Bardigardi, Cliff and Elinalise, or Linia and Pursena joining occasionally.
Plus, Luke or Sylphie shows up every day.
We don't eat together exactly, but they exchange a few words with us before leaving.
It's all about maintaining the appearance that Ariel and I have a social relationship.
I don't have much to talk about with Luke, but lately, "Fitz-senpai" has grown out her hair and become a touch more feminine, so I make sure to flirt a little.
That said, some people still think she's a man,
and there are those who make weird faces when they see us together.
When Sylphie is being "Fitz," she doesn't like being too lovey-dovey in public.
The one time I patted her on the butt, she gave me the most heartbreaking look.
Not angry, not glaring — just a deeply sad expression.
Apparently, she'd like me to refrain from perverted behavior where people can see.
Fair enough.
Sylphie isn't the type to care much about other people's eyes, either,
but she probably doesn't want her husband thought of as a monkey who goes into heat at the drop of a hat.
At the very least, I should try to look cool in front of her.
After lunch, I head to class.
Same as always — intermediate healing magic and intermediate antidote magic.
I sit next to Pursena and spend the time memorizing spells, casting healing magic on each other, and eating meat.
On days without classes, I teach Linia offensive magic.
"Boss's body contact has stopped lately, meow."
"His scent of arousal is insane, but the fact that he doesn't make a move is incredibly weird."
Both of them can't hide their astonishment at my self-restraint.
I've pledged my fidelity to Sylphie, so I don't touch other women.
Pursena sometimes makes little comments like "Oh my, how noble" while looking down on me, but I just ignore it.
Linia is careless about all sorts of things, so her panties are sometimes completely visible, but I try not to look as much as possible.
That said, there's no escaping one's innate nature — today they were light blue.
In the late afternoon, I visit Nanahoshi.
She's prickly as always.
Looking at her now that my libido has come back, there's a strong pull toward her pitiful aura.
Her features and body type are distinctly Japanese — not something you see much around here.
Now that I'm in this body, my tastes and preferences may have shifted, and I don't find her as attractive as I once might have.
But the nostalgia is definitely real.
"Just so you know, if you lay a hand on me, I'm telling Orsted and he'll come after you."
"Please, spare me."
She says things like that if I stare too long.
She knows I'm terrified of Orsted beyond reason.
Of course, I have no intention of making a move.
So this exchange serves as a sort of mutual confirmation to keep our distance.
"............Hmph."
Nanahoshi is constantly irritable, and she seems to carry a sense of urgency as well.
But over the past six months, the stockpile of magic circles she'd been hoarding has started to run out.
I feel like the time for her to move on to the next stage is approaching.
After Nanahoshi's experiments are done, I go pick up Sylphie.
Sylphie still serves as Princess Ariel's bodyguard, same as before.
Maybe Ariel was considerate about the newlywed thing,
but once Sylphie finishes her classes and attendances to the princess, she comes back home once.
That said, she also has night guard duty, so she eats dinner, does a bit of housework, takes a bath, and then heads right back to school.
It's a lot of back and forth.
I'm putting her through a lot.
But Sylphie doesn't seem to mind.
"Having a home to come back to just feels reassuring," she says.
---
Night guard duty — let me go ahead and call it a night shift.
Sylphie's night shifts are twice every three days.
Meaning she gets one day off every three days.
Considering it used to be every single day with no breaks, that's a significant reduction.
This is thanks to Elinalise.
She volunteered to take on the princess's guard duty.
I've never seen Elinalise and Ariel talk, but apparently they get along quite well.
You'd think the promiscuous Elinalise and the refined Ariel would be like oil and water, but apparently not.
...According to Sylphie, Ariel isn't all that refined.
She puts on a prim and proper act around me, apparently.
On her days off from night shifts, Sylphie stops by the market on the way home.
She stocks up on three days' worth of food.
Around here, it's mostly beans, potatoes, dried meat, and other preserved foods.
I'm starting to crave rice.
If we expanded the distribution route that Nanahoshi opened up, could we import rice from the south?
When I get home, it's dinner time.
Despite her athletic appearance, Sylphie is a good cook.
Her repertoire isn't that large, apparently, but she serves dishes with flavors that feel nostalgic.
Her seasoning is similar to what I ate in Buena Village.
She learned cooking from Lillia, so that makes sense.
Sylphie in an apron, bustling around the kitchen, is irresistibly adorable — I just want to wrap my arms around her from behind.
I tried to help with cooking once, but she gently turned me down.
It seems there's something she can't compromise on when it comes to making food.
It's not like she's a professional chef or anything.
I want to suggest something involving a naked apron at some point, but I have a feeling she'd refuse.
Occasionally, guests come over during dinner.
When I say "guests," it's basically the same twelve people who've been invited to this house before.
Cliff and Elinalise come most often.
Zanoba seems to hold back and doesn't come much.
Nanahoshi shows up about once a month to use the bath.
I think she'd like to come more, but she's being reserved.
Let me be clear so there's no misunderstanding: I do not peep on Nanahoshi in the bath.
Nanahoshi seems wary of that too, since she only comes when Sylphie is around.
---
Now then.
After dinner's over and the guests have gone, it's just the two of us.
Time for sweet moments.
The daytime Sylphie — "Fitz-senpai" — is sharp and dignified.
From a distance, she's so cute you'd want to wag your tail and run up to her.
But she demands dignity and coolness from me.
In contrast, the nighttime "Sylphie" is all lovey-dovey and obedient.
She'll do whatever I say.
Even when I accidentally blurt out extremely perverted and twisted desires, she fulfills them.
"Compared to the people in the Asura royal palace, this is totally normal," is Sylphie's take.
Sylphie never makes demands of me.
In fact, she says things like,
"Whatever Rudy wants to do is what I want to do too,"
trying to blow my self-control sky-high.
Honestly, there have been several occasions where my self-control did blow and I did whatever I wanted.
But if I let myself indulged in that, I'd end up treating Sylphie like an object.
Sure, I love sex.
I've dreamed of situations like this.
But Sylphie is my wife.
She's a person with her own dignity.
I can't just do whatever I want.
Her dignity — yes, I want to respect her dignity.
That's what I think, at least. But I can't resist temptation.
When she looks at me with glistening eyes and says, "You don't have to hold back, you know?"
Holding back just feels stupid.
I'm a weak person.
Words I always wanted to say once in my life, words I always wanted to hear once in my life.
Things I always wanted to do once in my life, things I always wanted done to me once in my life.
I feel like I've gotten through about half of that list in these two months.
I haven't forced her to do anything.
I haven't done anything she's opposed to.
But I want to do something for Sylphie too.
So I asked.
"Hey, Sylphie, is there anything you'd like me to do for you?"
"Hm? ...Then, do you remember what you promised me before?"
The moment I heard that, I immediately pressed my forehead to the floor.
"I'm terribly sorry, I don't remember."
I apologized honestly.
Sylphie quickly lifted my head up and forgave me with, "It was a year ago, so it can't be helped."
Maybe this is where I fall short.
"You were using it before, weren't you? 'Chaos.' I want you to teach me that."
"With pleasure. I'll teach you step by step."
And so.
After dinner, we started teaching each other magic.
Teaching each other.
"I can actually use healing magic up to the advanced level.
Rudy, you're taking a healing magic class, right? I'll teach you."
I teach Sylphie Chaos,
and Sylphie teaches me chantless healing magic.
That's the arrangement.
This doesn't serve any real purpose.
But apparently, just receiving instruction without giving something back doesn't sit right with her.
Sylphie must be the type who needs to give.
The type who doesn't feel settled unless she's doing something for someone.
The type who feels uncomfortable when something is done for her.
That said, chantless healing magic is something I've never been able to do before.
I'll gratefully accept the instruction.
Well, I can just keep observing Sylphie's behavior and suggest things as they come up.
Now then.
In theory, once you understand the concept, chantless healing magic should come easily.
I went through a period where I believed that too.
"Um, I don't think it's any different from other chantless techniques..."
I couldn't use chantless healing magic.
Even after hearing the theory from Sylphie and trying to put it into practice, I just couldn't do it.
"Rudy, could it be that you don't understand the sensations on the receiving end?"
Only now, or rather, only after she pointed it out did I realize —
For some reason, I can't perceive part of the magical flow in healing magic.
Healing magic works by touching the target's body and flowing your own mana through them.
The mana you send alters the target's mana flow, healing their injuries.
In other words, it's interfering with the target's mana to heal their wounds.
I don't have the sensation of being on the receiving end of that interference.
If I had to describe it, it'd be like touching the palm of your left hand with your index finger of your right hand, but only feeling sensation on the index finger side.
With offensive magic, I can sense it — like the flow of blood or something — so it's a bit mysterious.
It's probably not limited to healing magic; so-called support-type or buff/debuff magic likely can't be used chantlessly either.
This might be another thing unique to reincarnators, like the fighting spirit issue.
Or maybe it's just that healing-type magic happened to be my weak point.
"Somehow, that's actually a relief. So there are things even Rudy can't do, huh."
Sylphie said that with a shy smile.
It stings a little to be surpassed in one area,
but if she felt like there was nothing she could ever beat me at, that'd be rough for her too.
This is fine.
Regarding Chaos, which I'm apparently inadequate at —
Sylphie already has a rough understanding of it.
It'll probably take time before she can use it proficiently, but eventually she should be able to use it in actual combat.
Sylphie is an excellent student.
I've taught magic to Eris, Ghislaine, Zanoba, Julie, Linia — all sorts of people —
but Sylphie's growth speed feels like the fastest.
She might be a genius in her own right.
"But, this kind of feels unfair, doesn't it... If someone uses this on you, there's nothing a magician can do."
"Well, it was a technique used by one of the Seven Great Powers, after all."
"Huh? Really? Do you know someone among the Seven Great Powers, Rudy?"
"...No, not mine. They're Nanahoshi's acquaintance."
If I told her I was almost killed, she'd definitely worry.
And I probably shouldn't bring up Orsted's name either.
If I went and taught Chaos to people without permission, who knows if he wouldn't come after me again.
"Keep this between us. The Chaos thing too. If we ever end up facing the Seven Great Powers, there'd be nothing I could do either."
"Got it. It's a secret."
Sylphie nodded earnestly.
---
On days when Sylphie doesn't come home, I throw myself into cleaning and laundry.
Basically, doing Sylphie's laundry has become my job too.
Sylphie's laundry — including her panties and bras.
Of course, as a husband, I restrain myself from any perverted behavior.
I don't stuff them in my pockets and bring them back to my room, let alone use them.
The most I do is take a quick sniff.
The youthful libido I get from that is dealt with by Sylphie herself once every three days.
As for cleaning, I do it, but according to Sylphie, it's "sloppy."
Back in my adventuring days, I cleaned every new inn I stayed at,
but I was always better at making messes than cleaning them up.
Sylphie cleans on her days off too,
but the mansion is a bit too spacious for two people, with plenty of unused rooms, so it's a lot.
I know it's not ideal, but it really is too big.
Maybe I should hire a maid.
Speaking of maids — that reminds me of Lillia.
I wonder if Paul and the others have managed to meet Zenith by now.
Elinalise and the others found out where Zenith was three years ago.
Estimating one to two years to cross the Demon Continent from there to Millis.
It was on the Begaritt Continent... Lapan, the labyrinth city, wasn't it?
I don't think it takes a year from Millis to there.
I sent the first letter a year and a half ago.
If it's reached them, it should be about time for a reply letter to arrive — but maybe that's still premature.
Elinalise said not to worry, but I'm a little anxious.
Anxious, but Roxy is on it too.
Rather than me rushing out to search, it's better to wait patiently.
Come to think of it, Buena Village is gone, which means Paul and the others have lost their home too.
If they want to live in Millis, that's fine,
but if they come here, they could live in this house with us.
Me — a former NEET — supporting my parents.
What a deeply moving thought.
The love nest that's just Sylphie and me is hard to give up, though.
End of Volume 10: Adolescence — Newlywed Arc
Next Chapter
Volume 11: Adolescence — Sister Arc