Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 4 Review
It’s been two years since Rudeus returned to his former home, only to set out to find his Mom. More importantly, it’s been two years since Eris slept with him and left without properly explaining things. Now, he’s trying to move on with his life regardless, butโฆbeing unable to form romantic relationships due to trauma is hard. Then, a path forward opens as if by date or divine intervention. One that could end up fixing the damage Eris’ foolishness wrought.
Also, Rudeus is swole as heck.
Rudeus isn’t a Cute Boy Anymore. He’s a Man!
The first thing the episode makes apparent is what this time skip has done for Rudeus: he’s gotten stronger. Thanks to his magic, he can now take on a red dragon and kill it on his own. That’s a feat that would require several parties to pull off. In other words, he’s gotten stronger than he was as a kid.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Episode 4 opened with a pretty cool battle seen of Rudy helping Stepped Leader hunt a red dragon. #MushokuTensei
— DoubleSama | Anime Reviews (@DoubleSama) July 30, 2023
Secondly, at this point, Rudeus is now fifteen. In his new world, fifteen is the legal age of adulthood, and it shows. He’s gotten taller, his constant exercising has given him a body most guys would kill for, and his cute boyish looks are now handsome. To top it off, he’s becoming renowned throughout the land as Quagmire Rudeus. Life’s going well for him.
Exceptโฆdeep down, he’s still miserable. As I said last week, what Rudeus has is ED; impotence brought on the trauma he went through. Which stinks! He can’t get close to anyone in the romantic sense, so he’s essentially given up finding love. He’s channeled all that extra energy into bettering himself, but you can tell he’s not happy. He wants to regain what Eris took from him!
These goofy expressions made me laugh too much, apart from the context in which they occur๐
— Gadyuka_86 {CEO Of Sirin} (@Gadyuka86F) July 30, 2023
And that’s when two important things happen.
A Fateful Friend and a Fateful Letter
After returning from destroying the red dragon, who strolls into the bar Rudeus is at, but Elinalise Dragonroad. If you’ve read my recap on what Roxy was up to, then you’ll know three things about her:
She needs to have sex regularly because of her curse, but she also likes it, so she’s not too concerned.
Also, even if Rudeus could do it, Elinalise wouldn’t. She can’t stand the idea of being Paul’s daughter-in-law because something between them made her hate his guts. However, that doesn’t stop her from going after everyone in Soldat’s party.
The other, more important thing is that Rudeus gets a letter from the Vice Principal of the Ranoa Academy of Magic. AKA the school that Roxy went to, AKA the school that Rudy wanted to attend with Sylphie. The whole reason he went to tutor Eris was so they go together, so everything’s coming back full circle. Word of Rudeus’ skills has reached even their ears, and they want him to enroll as a special student. That means he doesn’t have to pay for tuition or attend any classes he doesn’t want to. In other words, he just got a full scholarship to the best magic school in the world.
While that offer’s enticing, Rudeus wants to join his father and Roxy and find his Mom first. That’s when the Man-God appears to him for the first time in years and gives some advice. If he wants to cure his impotency, he’ll find it at Ranoa University. He doesn’t say how, but he says that it will happen.
So, bet. Rudeus is going to school.
It’s Time for School!
Again, Mushoku Tensei is one of those series that is a slow burn, but when it gets going with the action or drama, it does a great job at showing it. And unlike many isekai that focus on the action side of things, Mushoku Tensei treats the slower moments with the same respect and gravitas that they’re entitled to. And that includes the Ranoa University arc.
Some people might see what’s about to happen as a boring slice of life and just want the action, but Mushoku Tensei isn’t a pure action isekai. At its core, it’s about a guy trying to live his second chance at life to the fullest, which includes the slower moments. In addition, to hammer home the importance of what’s to come, the final minutes of the episode depicts numerous people at Ranoa University that will come to play a role in Rudeus’ life. He might not have met all of them yet, but he’s connected to them in some form.
So, yeah. I’m looking forward to the next few episodes and seeing how they adapt what’s to come. This was a good start to this new arc.
By the way, the dub for the second season has started.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 3 Review
Let it go on record that I read ahead about what happens next in Mushoku Tensei. As such, I knew that this moment would happen, but I didnโt make things any easier. If anything, knowing what would happen in advance makes it more painful. Everyone who thought Rudeus was moving on from Eris, prepare for a bitter truth.
Darn You, Eris!!!
So, on the surface, it looks like Rudeus got his act together. Heโs building his rep as โQuagmire Rudeus,โ heโs been working a lot with Counter Arrow. As for Sara, it becomes obvious that sheโs falling for him. So when she asks him out, he agrees. It could be fun. And she does start sending out all the signs that sheโs into him like that. So, Rudeus decides to move on from Eris altogether and takes that leap.
It was at this moment, though, that his despair reached new heights. In that crucial moment, Rudeus realizes something terrible: his trauma over Eris leaving himโฆhas rendered him impotent.
Now you see why I made such a big deal about Eris leaving as she did. However unintentional, she hurt him to the point that he has lasting trauma. Regardless of how you feel about Rudeus, he doesnโt deserve not being able to find love.
Soldat Proves to be a Real Bro
What happens next reverses my opinion about another person completely: Soldat. Even though he acted arrogant and kept insulting Rudeus. But when Rudeus tries to drown his sorrow in beer, and Sol does that again, Rudeus just letโs all that anger burst out until he starts crying. Itโs here that Soldat proves that heโs a real bro.
Soldat lets Rudy vent about all of his problems and the trauma he got from Eris. Heโs watching the guy bawl his eyes out and asking why Eris left him! Then, like a real bro, he tries to give him a pick-me-up. Granted, taking him to a brothel to get โprofessional helpโ isn’t a good idea, but itโs the thought that counts.
None of it works, though. As the woman who tried helping notes, what happened with Eris has left him scared of women. He needs help from a girl he KNOWS wonโt laugh or run out on him. Thatโs part of the reason why I never liked Sara. Sheโs too much like Eris, too quick to judge people. Case in point, when Rudy gets drunk and starts bad-mouthing her, Sara overhears it and slugs him! So much for Counter Arrow.
Moving on to the Next Arc
So, this episode marks the end of the events of Volume 7 of the light novel. While itโs happening sooner than I thought, Iโm not going to complain about the anime rushing things. I never liked this part of the story, and I didnโt like Sara. In fact, I question why the promo material for this season put so much emphasis on her. She barely has any role to play in the story.
The good news is that next week, the animeโs getting into a portion that Iโm looking forward to. In the episodeโs stinger, we see the elven friend of Rudeusโ, father, Elinalise, looking for him. Without giving too much away, Rudeus is about to do something he’s kept on the backburner for a long time now.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 2 Review
It’s not every day when you’re fourteen years old and living on your own like Rudeus Greyrat is. Then again, Rudeus is technically close to fifty, and his life’s anything but ordinary, even by the standards of his new world. He’s already lost his home, his Mom’s missing, and his girlfriend left him, breaking his heart. Many people would give up after what he’s gone through, but Rudeus knows better than most what that can lead to. Thus, painful or not, he’s trying to get his life back together, one day at a time. Even if that means going out and dealing with obnoxious people who rail on him without knowing what he’s going through.
Rudeus is Trying to Live His Best Single Life
Now that he’s decided to try and move on from Eris, Rudeus has spent the last few months living his best life. He’s working out every day (and getting ripped), and doing everything job he can get to grow his rep so his Mom might hear about it. However, he’s still going through his lone-wolf phase, and it shows. He’s even taken to naming his muscles and talking to them!
It’s not like he’s fully alone, though. Ever since he met them, he’s been working with Counter Arrow on a part-time basis a la Batman and the Justice League. Sara still gives him a hard time, but he’s growing on her. Case in point, she invites him to join them on a job hunting monsters in some nearby ruins.
There’s one problem. This other party ends up taking a similar job and the two run into each other mid-mission. They don’t come to blows, but when everyone gets back, the leader of the other party shows up drunk and starts railing on Rudeus. He keeps saying how he hates arrogant guys like him who act humble but hide how strong they are and think Rudeus’ is making light of their jobs as Adventurers.
Those who know what Rudeus has been through know how uncalled for this is. He’s only doing this to find his Mom, and that requires working with more people. Despite this, Rudeus is still clearly hurt by what gets said to him, something even Sara picks up on. Thankfully, Rudeus knows the importance of staying humble so he doesn’t become lazy like in his last life.
He does get a good chance to flex later, though.
Becoming Sara’s Knight in Shining Armor.
Sometime later, during a blizzard, Rudeus sees Counter Arrow coming back from a job in low spirits. While they were out fighting, monsters ambushed them, killing of their members, Mimir. In addition, Sara’s missing, presumed dead. While the others plan to head out and find her once the storm lets up, Rudeus has no such compunctions. He leaves without another word, and, using his magic, proceeds to clear the storm all by himself.
What follows is essenitally a glimpse at how strong Rudeus’ gotten since his fight with Orsted. He’s killing monsters before they even have the chance to fight back, and all while questioning why he’s even doing this. Sara was pretty harsh with him and it’s not like he’s that close with her. Still, the fact that he rescues her from getting eaten by a plant monster, and then nurses her back to health before giving her his jacket to stay warm, speaks volume to how kind he is. Even at his lowest, Rudeus can’t help but emphasize with others; he’s become a good person.
His selfless actions end up being worth it, too. When he gets back and Suazanne berates him for doing something so dumb, Sara steps in and defends him. A tsundere she may be, but he’s wearing her down without even trying.
One Step at a Time
So, this episode of Mushoku Tensei might not be as exciting or as memorable as some people might like. However, that’s not the kind of story that Mushoku Tensei is. It’s a slow-burn. It trades a lot of little moments doing things like world-building and character development in exchange for isekai action. Once it does get to the real action and drama, though, it pays off in a big way. Not every story has to be filled to the brim with action when the little moments work just as fine.
Bottom line, don’t give up on this anime yet. It’s only getting started, and when it’s done, it’s going to leave people in tears. That, and the opening and ending are absolute fire!
While I was getting ready to watch the new season of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, something occurred to me. While my recap of the first season managed to cover much of what happened, there was one aspect I had to omit for length reasons. That aspect is what happened to Rudeus’ teacher, Roxy Migurdia.
Roxy is a significant character in the Mushoku Tensei series, and it’s not just because she’s Rudeus’ teacher. Nor is it because he worships her as a goddess by unironically praying to that pair of panties he took from her. Several episodes in the first season shift their focus from Rudeus’ odyssey home to Roxy’s journey as she tries to find his family. In the process, we’re introduced to various side characters that will play a role in the story as a whole, and also learn more about Roxy’s backstory. Since the anime decided to show what Sylphie was up to during Dead End’s trek back home, Iโm doing the same for Roxy. Given how much the second season will likely cover, she will become important in the second half.
Making the Mistake of Teach Pax Shirone
It’s already been stated, but after she finished training Rudeus, she left to continue her travels. She thought she reached her limits when it came to magic, but seeing how much Rudeus admired her despite seemingly surpassing him lit a fire in her. She wanted to become someone worthy of calling themselves Rudeus’ teacher. So, she started training.
Eventually, Roxy got a job as the court mage for the Kingdom of Shirone, where she ended up tutoring Prince Pax. However, while Pax was a good student, he wasn’t in the same league as Rudeus, and she wouldn’t stop comparing the two. That made Pax extremely bitter and resentful towards Rudeus.
Mushoku Tensei 7 La paciencia de Roxy llega a su lรญmite y decide abandonar al sรฉptimo prรญncipe Pax, y por ende al reino de Shirone. Aunque luego estas acciones pesarรญan mucho en Roxy…#็ก่ท่ปข็#MushokuTenseipic.twitter.com/fq0TcJ9Hi8
Not helping matters was that, like Rudeus, Pax kept simping for Roxy. Whereas Rudeus’ feelings were tempered by his genuine admiration for her, Pax openly lusted after Roxy. He kept trying to get handsy with her, and she kept setting him on fire for it. Eventually, it got to the point she couldn’t take it anymore and bailed. That decision ended up causing problems for Rudeus on his journey home.
Looking for Rudeus
Eventually, though, Roxy returned to the Fittoa region of the Asura Kingdom. A few years had passed, and she wanted to see how her student was doing. Instead of the reunion she thought she’d be getting, she found something worse. The entire region was in ruins, its population scattered, and too many people were missing or dead. And Roxy is like, “Oh my God, Rudy! That adorable little kid could be lying dead in a ditch somewhere! And his parents and Lilia! I gotta find them!” Fortunately, Roxy had some help in that regard. Rudeus’ dad, Paul, wound up being one of the first people to make it back, and he’d been leading the efforts to find as many people and get them home, including his family. And he got help from his old band.
In his younger days, Paul and his future wife Zenith were part of this adventurer’s party called Fangs of the Black Wolf. Ghislaine and Geese were also part of it, alongside a dwarf named Tallhand and an elf named Elinalise. They split up after Paul and Zenith settled down, and despite having issues with him, most of them reunited to help Paul find his family. With that in mind, Roxy chose to help them. She liked Rudeus’ family because of how nice they were when she was living with them, and she didn’t want to see her best student die.
So Close, Yet So Far!
With Elinalise and Tallhand accompanying her, one of the first things that the trio did was set out for the Demon Continent, where Roxy first came from. Despite not wanting to go back (they didn’t have any sweets), Roxy did it for the Greyrat’s sake.
As fate would have it, the group arrived in port at the exact same time that Rudeus and the party of Dead End made it there. Now, this is the perfect time for Rudeus and Roxy to reunite. And by doing so, it would make Rudeus and Eris’ attempts to get home that much easier. But no, it wasn’t to be. Through a series of events, Rudeus and Roxy miss each other several times. Roxy even stumbles across Eris and Ruijerd training on the beach while Rudeus is out on errands. However, as soon as she realizes that Ruijerd is a Superd, her fear of them kicks in, and she runs all the way back to where she and Elinalise are staying. What she finds is just as traumatizing, though.
A side note about Elinalise since she’s going to gain more prominence in Season Two. The thing about this elf woman is that she sleeps with a lot of guys, and while she does enjoy it, it’s not entirely of her own volition. Elinalise has this curse on her that make her mana levels rise to potentially fatal levels if left untreated. The only known solution is for her body to create these mana crystals, and the only way that can happen is by acquiring a man’s…reproductive DNA. In other words, she needs to sleep with guys, or she’ll die. And when Roxy comes back, she shows up right as she’s busy with a few guys. Roxy freaks the heck out and destroys their room. It’s like something out of a rom-com/doujinshi.
After that happens, Roxy, Elinalise, and Tallhand leave town and head further into the interior to keep looking for the Greyrat’s. It’s not until much later that they realize they missed Rudeus by that much and how it would’ve saved both groups a lot of time and energy.
Roxy Comes Face to Face With Her Past
As time passes and Roxy continues searching the Demon Continent for Paul’s family, she doesn’t find them. However, she does end up meeting several people from her past, and viewers get to know a little more about who she was before she met Rudeus. There’s also a spin-off manga that delves more into it, but this will cover the basics.
Roxy’s people, the Migurds, have more going for them than long lives and spending most of them looking like loli’s. They also have this ability to communicate with each other telepathically, so when it’s just them, they normally don’t talk. Unfortunately for her, Roxy was born without this ability, and while they were all very nice regardless, she felt like an outcast among her own people. So once she became a teenager, she ran away from home the first chance she got and became an adventurer. However, the first adventuring party she joined wound up disbanding after their leader died while doing a job. Eventually, she left the Demon Continent altogether.
Since this was the first time she’d been back in twenty years, Roxy was due for a reunion or two. She wound up reuniting with the only other member of her party that was still alive (who happened to have also met Rudeus) and caught up over drinks. After that, she eventually decided to return home for the first time in years and reconciled with her parents. Despite being born different from the rest of them, her Mom and Dad showed how much they loved her by going out of their way to help her learn how to read, write, and talk. They were good parents, and were just happy that their daughter was doing fine.
Roxy Be Like “Are You Kidding Me?!?”
Oh, and her Mom and Dad also dropped some big bombshells on her: first, they mentioned how their village regularly got visits from a Superd name Ruijerd. Secondly, they mentioned how two years earlier, he came into town with two human kids in tow, one a redhead and the other some boy saying that he was Roxy’s student. And Roxy is floored by this as she starts putting the pieces together. She realized, “Oh my gosh, that guy and the little girl I saw sparring on the beach must be the people Mom and Dad are talking about. And if they were at the port that day, then must mean that…”
And with that, Roxy realizes that if she hadn’t freaked out and run away like she did, then she would’ve run into Rudeus on that day. She and her group could’ve gotten them all back to the Central Continent way sooner. And, as a side note, that would’ve meant that Rudeus wouldn’t have had to deal with a laundry list of issues during his trip, like getting thrown in jail by the beast people, or that fight with his Dad, or getting captured by Pax Shirone. Granted, it all worked out for the best in the end, but it would’ve saved everyone a lot of trouble. And Roxy reacts like any calm, rational adult would in that sort of situation: by passing the heck out on the floor!
It’s still hilarious in hindsight.
On to the Next Adventure
Now that she knows that her student’s safe and is probably close to getting back by now, Roxy and her friends depart from her village after reconciling with her parents. From there, they keep scouring the Demon Continent looking for the rest of Paul’s family, until they come across a bar where this little demon girl dressed in stripper attire (Iโm not joking,) is drinking everyone under the table. And Roxy and Tallhand wind up getting into a drinking contest.
Well, Tallhand does; Roxy taps out way earlier. And despite being known for drinking everyone he meets under the table, Tallhand loses to this girl. Too bad she canโt afford to pay the bill. If Roxy hadnโt covered for her, she’d have gotten sold off to pay for everything.
As luck would have it, that girl wasn’t an ordinary girl, either. She was actually the immortal Demon Empress Kishirika Kishirisu. She could die, but she would eventually come back, with her last death being recent (to her), hence her small size. She also happened to have met Rudeus in that same town Roxy was in two years ago. Since she now owed Roxy a favor, she used one of her demon eyes to locate where the Greyrat family was for her. The good news was that most of them were safe. Paul and Norn had reunited with Aisha and Lilia. Rudeus was back in the Central Continent, albeit super depressed. He thought his girlfriend dumped him, after all. As for Zenith, Kishirika discovered that she was located in the city of Rapan on the Begaritt Continent, south of the Central Continent. So thatโs where Roxy and her party head next.
All Caught Up Now
At the time of this writing, thatโs where things stand in the anime regarding Roxy. While her importance to the main story remained minimal in the animeโs first season, she’s going to regain prominence as the show progresses. As Rudeus’ mentor/savior, the importance of Roxy in Mushoku Tensei cannot be underestimated. Sadly, at the pace that the anime adapts the light novels, it will likely not be until the second half of the season where we get to see the blue-haired mage once more. Until then, though, there’s always the figurine being sold by Crunchyroll.
When we last saw Rudeus Greyrat, he was at his absolute lowest since beginning his second life. He finally lost his virginity to his companion, Eris, and he thought they’d be together from then on. However, then Eris realized she relied on him too much, knew she had to get stronger, and left to train. The problem is, Rudeus doesn’t know this since the girl stupidly wrote a letter that didn’t explain anything. So now he thinks he got dumped! Thirteen years of improving himself almost go to waste because of his low self-esteem and Eris’ mistake.
Now all alone, Rudeus’ left his old home behind for good, because his Mom’s still missing from the teleportation incident and he has to find her. Before he does that, though, he needs to do something else first: remind himself what makes his life still worth living.
Northward Bound, Rudeus Travels Alone (Sort of)
Sometime after leaving the ruins of Fittoa behind for good, Rudeus starts traveling north to start looking for his Mom. That brings him to the land of the magical countries; ironically, he wanted to study at this big university there before the teleportation incident. Now that he’s there, though, he’s in no mood to enjoy it. He’s too busy feeling sorry for himself because Eris left him hanging.
While Rudeus has always been somewhat of a serious person, he’s remembered to enjoy his new life as much as possible, no matter what the circumstances. Throughout this episode, though, we see how badly Eris’ insensitivity affected him. He keeps sighing, he’s got this empty look in his eyes, and looks ready to give up on it all. It gets so bad that, during a job, he barely does anything to defend himself from monsters, like he’s ready to die. This is Rudeus at the absolute lowest since getting reincarnated.
The question, then, is what will he do now?
Meeting a New Party in Counter Arrow
Despite officially disbanding his old party of Dead End, Rudeus doesn’t start work alone. While traveling up north, this woman, Suzanne, who’s the co-leader of this party called Counter Arrow, sees how depressed he is. Feeling bad for him, she invites him to join them on a job killing grizzlies, and most of them are nothing but nice to him. Except for this one girl close to his age named Sara. Sara is a total tsundere to him, acting abrasive and getting annoyed with how, from her perspective, he’s ungrateful to Suzanne. And the whole time, it’s just making Rudeus feel worse, because she reminds him way too much of Eris.
From my understanding, Sara and Counter Arrow were created as original characters for the light novels; they weren’t in the web novels. So, Sara was made to be a lot like Eris: outspoken, abrasive to strangers, and has a hard time opening up to others. The problem is that she’s too much like Eris, and after the events of last season, that could rub viewers the wrong way. They could either see her as a replacement for Eris, or think she’s too much like her and find her off-putting. None of this helps Rudeus’ emotional state, though. He still looks like he wants to die.
Thankfully, he remembers how stupid it is to think like that.
Rudeus Remembers How Much He Still Has to Live For
It’s during this job with Counter Arrow where they’re surrounded by grizzlies and fighting for their lives that Rudeus starts to snap out of his depression. He’s about to throw away this second chance he got at life, something a lot of people could only dream of having, while everyone around him is fighting for the one life they do have. And he remembers how, when he got reborn, he wasn’t going to waste his life again. So, he snaps out of it, pulls up on the monsters, and wastes them like the badass that he is. Then everyone goes home victorious, and the whole adventuring guild starts cheering his name, and for the first time that entire episode, he starts smiling.
So, having hit rock bottom, Rudeus begins to make his way back up. It won’t be an easy task, and it’s not going to be done over the span of an episode or two, because that’s not how Mushoku Tensei works. It goes out of the way to show the effort Rudeus puts into being a better person. It’s worth it, though. And the first thing he does is burn the locks of hair that Eris left him. He misses her, but he can’t let it ruin his life.
So, the journey of Rudeus Greyrat begins anew. It’s not the most exciting start, especially compared to other isekai filled with a lot of action. However, Mushoku Tensei is a slow burn. Once it gets started, then it becomes interesting to watch. So, while not the most epic of reintroductions, this episode makes up for it with the emotional drama. This is going to be the isekai anime to watch for the summer season.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2, Ep 0 Review
After waiting for two years, fans of isekai anime can be happy because one of the best, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, has returned. Even though there are many anime in the market, Mushoku Tensei stands out because it is based on one of the light novel series that helped make isekai so popular in the last ten years. Since this blog has covered the anime’s first season extensively in recent weeks, new viewers are encouraged to read the four-part recap if they need to catch up. Unfortunately, those who expect season two to continue right where the story of Rudeus Greyrat left off might be disappointed. Additionally, the first episode of this season reveals things that are only discussed later in the light novels, spoiling what could have been a big surprise for anime-only fans. However, this episode, labelled as episode 0, focuses on Sylphie, one of the most important people in Rudeus’ life, who will have a major role in the upcoming season.
The Trials and Tribulations of Sylphie
For those who don’t remember or didn’t read the recap, Sylphiette, or ‘Sylphie’ for short, was Rudeus’ best friend/potential love interest from Buena Village. After he saved her from bullies and taught her how to use magic, the pair remained inseparable. It reached the point where Rudeus’ father, Paul, had to send him away to work as a tutor to keep them from becoming codependent. Unfortunately, like everyone else Rudeus knew, Sylphie fell victim to the teleportation incident that destroyed their home. Whereas Rudeus and friend/student/other love interest, Eris, got sent to the Demon Continent on the other side of the world, Sylphie wound in the royal capital of their homeland of Asura. After inadvertently saving the life of Princess Ariel Asura, Sylphie gets taken in to serve as her bodyguard. In exchange for protecting her under the alias of “Silent Fitz”, Ariel promised to find her lost loved ones.
On the surface, Sylphie’s circumstances seem far less dangerous than those that Rudy and Eris endured. Those familiar with medieval politics (or Game of Thrones), though, will know how cutthroat and dangerous court life can be. During the episode, Sylphie has to endure the barbs and scorn of the highborn silently without showing any weakness or fear. On top of all that, there’s the physical threat of assassins working for Ariel’s relatives, trying to end her life and eliminate a rival to the throne. To make matters worse, Sylphie has to deal with the reminder of her trauma on a physical and psychological level. Not only did the teleportation incident turn her once-green hair snow white, but it’s left her suffering from PTSD nightmares. She does everything she can, but it’s clear to Ariel and Luke, her fellow bodyguard, that this new life might be too much for her.
It would’ve been, too, if Sylphie didn’t find the best friend she could’ve ever hoped for in Ariel.
Ariel Becomes Sylphie’s New Foundation in Life
While not to the scale of what Sylphie went through, Princess Ariel also bears scars from the events that brought Sylphie to her doorstep. Right before that happened, she watched as one of her closest advisors died, powerless to do anything to help him. Despite her loss, though, Ariel has to keep a straight face at court, knowing that faltering for even a second could cost her her life. Despite everything, though, Ariel’s compassionate nature enables her to recognize the suffering Sylphie has endured. As a result, she goes out of her way to help Sylphie heal from these past scars, and it shows. By the end of the episode, their relationship’s evolved from that of royal and bodyguard into a genuine friendship.
Ultimately, though, life at the royal court proves to be too dangerous for Ariel, Sylphie, and Luke to handle on their own. Thus, the trio have no choice but to flee abroad and forge the connections they need to help Ariel become the next Queen. Despite offering to let Sylphie go, Sylphie refuses, vowing to help the woman who saved her at one of her lowest points. One can practically hear Rudeus in her voice when she affirms her resolve to protect Ariel from her tormentors.
A Great Episode, But Might Have Revealed Too Much Too Soon
One reviewer’s first impression of the season premiere for Mushoku Tensei points out how this episode 0 shows what makes this isekai stand out amongst all the others. It has heart, intrigue, and action comparable to Game of Thrones at its peak, but in anime form. While I will not dispute any of this, I had one issue with this episode: what it focused on.
While waiting for the new season to premiere, I read the light novels and the manga adaptation, and both of them revealed that ‘Silent Fitz’ was really Sylphie when ‘Fitz’ had already been around for some time. It wasn’t until the moments where the story shifted from Rudeus’ perspective to that of Sylphie’s that readers would realize the truth about who ‘Fitz’ was, making for a significant surprise. However, revealing that Fitz is Sylphie immediately removes much of the wonder that would’ve come from the revelation down the line. Now people who only watched the anime will just get frustrated at what’s to come.
Trust me; I read the light novels. You’re going to shake your head at a lot of what happens.
Issues aside, this was a solid start to Mushoku Tensei‘s second outing, and I hope that it keeps up this momentum throughout the season. After having to watch so many of its kind fail to live up to what it helped set the trend for, it’s refreshing to see one of the great isekai return. When the dub will come out, though, is another matter entirely.
A Candid Recap of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, Pt. 3
Last time on Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, that reincarnated NEET Rudeus Greyrat went to be the tutor to his distant relative’s daughter, Eris Greyrat. Otherwise known as the tsundere that makes all the other tsundere’s look mid in comparison. And even though their first meeting ends with her punching his face, Rudeus eventually manages to get through to the girl, and they become friends. But before Rudy can get the chance to take things even further, these two kids are hit by this massive pillar of light that sends them off to who knows where!
So, where have Rudeus and Eris ended up? How are they going to get home alive? Will there even be a home for them to return to? In part three of my recap of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, find out all this and more.
How the Heck Did We Get Here?!?!
First off, Rudeus ain’t dead. He’s alive. But when he comes to, he doesn’t understand that at first. All he knows is that he’s in this white void and back in his old body. He’s not alone, either. He’s greeted by this weird, featureless ghost guy acting like a troll. He says, “What’s up? Call me Man-God, and I’m here to give you a little advice, and you finna pay attention if you want to get your sorry ass home. Now, when you wake up, you’re going to meet someone. And even though they will look scary as Hell, trust them. They are going to keep you and that girl alive. Alright, later!”
So when Rudeus wakes up, it’s safe to say he’s not in Kansas anymore. He’s not even on the same continent anymore. Somehow, that beam of light teleported his and Eris’ sorry butts to the Demon Continent! Not only is that on the other side of the world, but it’s also the most dangerous part of the world. It’s home to all kinds of Demons, Monsters, and other races, and one of those Demons wound up finding him and Eris.
The Superd Boogeyman Stories are Fake
Meet Ruijerd, the Superd, and get ready for some backstory. Five hundred years ago, the Demon God Laplace tried to conquer the world until he got sealed away. However, while much of the world learned to put the past behind them, Ruijerd’s people, the Superd, were hated by everyone, even other Demons. Roxy told Rudeus stories about these green-haired people who killed anything that moved, even their comrades.
Turns out, though, most of that’s cap. While the Superd did fight for the Demon God, the whole “turning on their allies” thing wasn’t of their free will. Laplace gave them these cursed spears that made them go nuts. The only reason Rujierd snapped out of it was his son sacrificed himself to bring him to his senses. Ruijerd, who might be the last of his people, goes around helping people redeem their reputations and look for other survivors. He’s also got a soft spot for kids, so when he finds Rudeus and Eris out cold, he looks after them.
After coming to (and getting Eris to chill out), they realize it’ll take them years to make it back home. And they’re just kids in the middle of the most dangerous part of the world. So, yeah. Ruijerd decides he’ll help them get home. In return, they’ll form an adventuring party to help fix the Superd’s rep. Thus, the unlikely trio begins the long journey back to the Central Continent.
The Party of Dead End! Kicking Ass and Taking Names
Even though they’re still in the most dangerous part of the world, Rudeus and Eris are still kids. And, like many kids, they’re excited to see so many new places and people, which the Demon Continent has in abundance. They’re working as the party of “Dead End,” which is what people call Ruijerd when they’re trying to scare the daylights out of each other. Boogeyman or not, they start getting that sweet street cred and having the time of their lives…mostly.
Now, this isn’t some light-hearted story, and we keep being reminded of that. Like this one job to slay a monster. They compete with some other adventuring parties when they get attacked. And Rudeus thinks it’d be a good idea to wait until the last minute to save their butts. Guess how many adventurers got killed?
Another time when they have to smuggle Rujierd to the next continent over, they wind up relying on a group of slavers who’ve been capturing beast children. And Ghislaine’s people mistake Rudeus for one of them and throw him in a cell for a week! And this whole time, Rudeus’ been getting advice from this Man-God person, who looks sketchy as Hell.
Plus, Eris keeps beating up Rudeus whenever he starts acting pervy. Show a little restraint, man! It’s creepy!
Ups and Downs of Traveling
Despite the many hiccups, many good things happen for Dead End. They do help the Superd’s reputation and earn renown for themselves. Rudeus arrives in the village Roxy came from and meets her parents. And after clearing up the misunderstanding with the Beast People, Eris reaches the holy land of the furries. And she is over the moon. Not only does she get to spend a few months amongst the Beast People that her family loves so much, she even meets Ghislaine’s family.
Plus, in this one port, Rudeus comes across this little Demon girl who acts like she’s this chuunibuyo and calls herself the great Demon Emperor Kishirika (she’s not lying, either. She is a Demon Emperor). When he gives the starving lady some food, she’s so grateful that she gives him a gift. She rips out one of his eyes and gives him a new one. This one lets him see into the future!
The downside to that last part is that he misses his chance of reuniting with Roxy, who’s been helping Rudeus’ Dad look for him.
Most Awkward Family Reunion Ever.
Eventually, the party of Dead End makes it as far as the Continent of Millis. There, Rudeus has a run-in with what looks like this group of slavers trying to nab some kids. So while Eris is out hunting monsters and Rujerd’s doing his own thing, Rudeus decides, “Bet. I’m gonna be a superhero.” So he disguises himself by wearing panties on his head like a pervy luchador and goes to town on them. Until it turns out…it’s all a big misunderstanding. Those “slavers” were trying to help those kids out. And…they work with Paul.
Yep. Rudeus reunites with his Dad after five-something years, and it’s awkward as they come. And it gets even worse from there.
So, Rudeus sits down with his old man and asks him why he’s in Millis, and Paul’s like, “Son, didn’t you get my letters? Those letter’s I left for you at the Guild?” And Rudeus is like, “I never got any letters, Dad. What are you talking about?” At any rate, Rudeus then gives the abridged version of everything that’s happened since they last saw each other. However, since he doesn’t wanna worry his Dad, he downplays how wild things got and makes it seem like some light-hearted romp. Right in the middle of doing this, though, Paul finally tells him, “So this whole time, you’ve been goofing around with your new girlfriend and super-powerful bodyguard? What the Hell is wrong with you?” And Rudeus gets confused because he doesn’t get what’s wrong, but Paul tells him to shut up. Then, Paul drops some big truth bombs on Rudy’s sorry butt. He and Eris weren’t the only ones teleported around the world.
What do You Mean, all of Fittoa’s Gone?
We already know about this from watching the anime, but that incident that sent Rudeus and Eris to the Demon Continent didn’t affect them. It hit the entire Fittoa Region, sending every last man, woman, and child to random locations around the world. Almost everyone that Rudeus knows is scattered to the winds. His Mom? She’s missing. Lilia and Aisha? Also MIA. Everyone that served Eris’ family? Who knows? Her parents and grandpa might not even be alive anymore! And Sylphie? She’s still missing, while both her parents are likely dead. In other words, Rudeus and Eris may not even have a home to return to.
So while Dead End’s been making their way home, Paul’s been running himself into the ground with the other survivors from Fittoa, trying to track down everyone still missing. They’ve had to rescue many people from monsters, slavers, and worse. So he left messages at Guild HQ for his son, thinking, “Hey, my son’s a genius. He probably realized all of this and is working on a way to find our family and friends. We can use his help!” And now Paul realizes that Rudeus never saw any of these messages; he didn’t even know the full extent of what happened, and he’s livid over it.
So Paul snaps and starts berating Rudeus for thinking he’s spent the last year or so wasting time and having fun with his maybe-girlfriend and Superd bodyguard. Meanwhile, he’s so stressed out he’s barely eating and sleeping and has to get drunk to keep himself together. And Rudeus is like, “Dad, what do you want from me? Do you have any idea how hard it was to get here? You don’t get to judge me for that shit when you’re running around with some half-naked woman!” He’s referring to one of his comrades dressed like Red Sonja, but that’s to distract guys so they won’t hit on her traumatized sister. But Rudeus doesn’t know that. And then the two start throwing hands, and Rudeus starts beating up his Dad and his face. That’s when the worst thing could happen. His little sister, Norn, who he hasn’t seen since she was a baby, walks in, sees the brother she never met beating up the only family she has, and tells him, “Stop beating up my daddy!”
That’s when Rudeus realizes he took things too far, and all that sense of inferiority and guilt hits him like the second coming of Truck-Kun. And just like that, he goes back to his friends to sulk.
Reconciling With his Dad
Now, let’s back up a little. During his stint in prison with the Beast People, Rudeus got himself a roommate, a man going by the name of Geese. It turns out that Geese is a friend of his Dad, with them and Zenith working at the same adventuring party back in the day. And after getting out, he joined Dead End on the trip to Millishon to meet with Paul. And when he finds out what happened between them, he chews Paul out for being a deadbeat Dad.
Firstly, Geese asks Paul if he could survive the Demon Continent when he was Rudeus’ age. When Paul says, “Probably, if I had a Superd with me.” And Geese says, “Bruh, no, you couldn’t. You’d die in five seconds. It’s the most dangerous place in the world. Everything from the monsters to the land itself wants to kill you. The fact that your boy managed to make it out of there is a miracle! So quit being so hard on him for not helping out! Your boy could’ve died trying to get here! And for that matter, he probably left out the gory details because if he didn’t, you would naturally freak the Hell out.”
And Paul finally realizes that he’s being a terrible excuse for a Dad and goes to reconcile with Rudeus. It works, but not before Eris tries to throttle him, and Rujerd says, “Hey, man. From one Dad to another, get your act together.”
So after all that’s done, Rudeus and Paul go their separate ways, with Rudeus promising to help find the rest of their family once he gets Eris home safe and sound. That, and he needs to ensure Norn doesn’t hate his guts.
Get Ready for the Next Big Moments in Rudeus’ Life
So, there you have it. Rudeus and Eris embark on this harrowing, potentially life-threatening trip to get back home, only to learn that there may not even be a home to return to. Nonetheless, they do not have any other options to work with, so they continue to press on. In the meantime, they’re getting stronger and stronger as they say goodbye to childhood and say hello to being teens and young adults. Tune in next time for the grand finale to this recap of the first season of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.
A Candid Recap of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, Pt. 2
Last time on Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, a fat, miserable shut-in got himself thrown onto the streets by his family. After saving a group of teens from the dreaded Truck-Kun, this bum found himself Isekaied and reborn into a world filled with magic, magical species, and more. Now going by Rudeus Greyrat, this guy’s ready to live life to the fullest and make the most out of this second chance. He starts learning magic, gets himself a waifu teacher that looks like a loli and becomes a certified badass. He even calls himself a best friend in the form of a cute elf-girl named Sylphie. But if he wants to succeed in life, he’s got to enroll in a big magic school.
Since his new Dad will only pay for him to enroll and not Sylphie, Rudeus decides he needs to get a job. So his Dad, Paul, pulls some strings and calls him a job working as a tutor at their distant relative’s home. He also knocks him out, lets their bodyguard/his former adventuring buddy, Ghislaine, take him, and leaves a letter saying, “Hey Rudy, don’t come back home for five years. You and Sylphie need to learn to be self-sufficient and not rely on each other. Otherwise, it isn’t gonna end well. Oh, and no writing letters either.”
So, Rudeus leaves home for the first time. How will he fare with his new job? Will this end up being too much for him? And will we learn how scary a tsundere can be? Find all this and more in part two of my recap of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation!
Eris, the Tsundere to End all Tsundere’s
Now, besides having to teach Ghislaine essential learning, Rudeus’ main job will be to teach the head of the Boreas’ house granddaughter, Eris Boreas Greyrat. Everyone tells her that Eris is “a little willful,” but nothing that Rudeus can’t handle…right?
Now, in anime, there are tsunderes. They’re characters that act harsh and abrasive before warming up to others. Then there’s Eris. She’s not just a tsundere. She’s a tsundere cranked up to eleven. She’s like if you fused Asuka from Evangelion with Jotaro Kujo from JoJo’s. She yells at Rudeus, talks down to him since he’s younger, and when retaliates her response. Beat the ever-loving crap out of him!
Like, for real, no cap; she’s so scary that even the adults are afraid of her. Despite the beatdown he’ll get, though, Rudeus refuses to go crawling back to his Dad and be like, “Wah, Dad! I couldn’t handle that demon spawn from the depths of Hell!” Nah, he’s got a better idea to get her to respect him: he pretends to get them both kidnapped.
No, I’m being serious. He talks to Eris’ parents, and they decide to hire some actors to pretend to kidnap them. Then Rudeus can save them both and show her the importance of knowledge. Except it goes haywire. One of their servants decides to kidnap them for real and sell Eris off to some pervert. Luckily, Rudeus still manages to bust them out, and then Ghislaine comes in clutch and wastes one of the kidnappers. She blows his head off, and there’s blood all over the ground in front of Rudeus. It’s traumatizing for him!
So, after his brilliant plan goes haywire, Rudeus decides to dip out, thinking he failed. But then Eris dials the tsundere back enough to admit that he’s not as worthless as she thought and that she’ll allow him to tutor her. Bet.
Being a Professional Tutor Comes With Perks
So after this rough start, Rudeus settles into the Boreas household, serving as a tutor to Eris and Ghislaine. He’s teaching them how to read, write and Eris how to use magic. And despite being utterly terrifying and using him as a punching bag when he’s being a pervert, the two become friends.
Eventually, the time comes for Eris’ tenth birthday. Now, in this world, birthdays aren’t celebrated yearly. The big ones are at 5, 10, and 15 when you’re considered an adult. So her Grandpa, Sauros, who Eris gets a lot of her personality from, throws this big bash to show Eris off to everyone…except Eris sucks at dancing. But Rudeus steps in and somehow teaches her how to dance and sweep her off her feet at her party.
Happy Birthday, Rudy!
Two more years pass, and it’s Rudeus’ 10th birthday. So Eris gets everyone to throw this big surprise party for him that he totally knows about. But he still acts like he’s moved to tears by the whole thing. He does get sad for real, though, when he finds out his parents couldn’t visit due to monsters acting up. But then, out of nowhere, Eris’ mom glomps on him and is like, “Forget about them, sweetie! We’ll be your family now, and you can marry my daughter to make it official!” And Eris and Rudeus are both like, “WHAT!?!?” Other than that (and Sauros saying he’ll kill Rudeus’ uncle and make him the head of his family branch), the parties are great. Eris even gets Rudeus this cool new staff called Aqua Heartia.
But then her Dad pulls Rudeus aside and says, “Hey, man. We were being serious about all that stuff before. Join our team, and we’ll help you become the head of your family’s branch. Heck, I’ll even let you have my daughter.”
Remember that Rudeus’ is only ten, and Eris is twelve. But this is a medieval world with Game of Thrones vibes, so they don’t bat an eye at this. Heck, Mr. Greyrat even tries to have Eris seduce Rudeus that night. Thankfully, since Rudeus pushes her too far, Eris acts like Eris and slaps him to his senses. They both apologize, and Eris says, “Look, Rudeus. Let’s put a rain check on this for now. We’ll return when we’re both adults in five years and see what happens.”
And Rudeus is like, “AWWW, YEAH!!! EVERYTHING’S COMING UP, RUDEUS!! MIGHT HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN ERIS AND SYLPHIE, BUT WHO CARES?!”
Too bad for him; his whole life changes the next day.
The First Turning Point
Now, I know what you’re all thinking: what’s so special about this Isekai? What sets it apart from the other light-hearted ones we’ve seen? While the show hasn’t had the highest stakes for the first seven episodes, that’s just to lull us into a false sense of security. Because, at this point, the story takes a complete 180.
So, for months now, this weird, magical sphere thing’s been hovering above the capital of the Fittoa region. And no one knows what it’s doing there. It just keeps sitting there, all mysterious, while these weird storm clouds gather around it. So, the day after Rudeus’ birthday, he, Eris, and Ghislaine head off to test out his new staff, and it hits the fan. First, this weird guy shows up and tries to kill Rudeus. Then, that sphere explodes into this column of light! Before anyone can figure out what’s happening, they’re all engulfed in this thing, with Rudeus barely managing to grab onto Eris before they get hit!
And this ends the first turning point in Rudeus Greyrat’s life.
Oh, You Thought this was a light-hearted Isekai?
So, if you thought this would be some light-hearted Isekai, think again. Everything that you just read or watched was setting up everything for what’s to come. From here on out, expect Rudeus’ life to become a lot more dangerous and filled with a lot more trials and tribulations. That’s part of what sets Mushoku Tensei apart from a lot of other Isekai. It’s a slow burn at first, but the story gets a lot more interesting once it takes off.
Please tune in for the next part as we cover what happened to Rudeus and Eris as they get thrust into an adventure neither of them expected as their lives are changed forever.
A Candid Recap of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, Part 1
If you’ve been watching anime for the past decade, then you know about the concept of an isekai. We know the idea: someone living their life when they get sent to another world cooler than ours. It’s a concept that goes back centuries, but the 2010s saw it explode in popularity. Next thing we know, there’s an isekai in every season of anime coming out, all trying to cash in on the hype. It’s gotten to the point where people are starting to get sick of it, and how many of them seem dime-a-dozen. Look at all the hate that Sword Art Online gets! However, a few isekai truly live up to the hype, and after years of wandering, I have found it. After all these years, I have reached one of the Seven Summits of Isekai, and it is glorious. I have discovered Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.
Now, I know the controversy surrounding Mushoku Tensei and how some people think it’s overrated. However, it came at the right time when isekai were starting to blow up in Japanese culture. Thanks to that, it helped pave the way for the genre’s explosion in the 2010s. And once I started watching it, I realized that it was good. Like, really good! And with the new season coming out, I thought it’d be fun to recap the first season in my own words. My own candid, hilarious words. This is Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.
In the Beginning…
So, this story starts out with this overweight, lazy, 34-year-old shut-in in modern Japan, and…he sucks. He’s a smart guy, but he started slacking off growing up, so he ended up in a bad high school. Then one day, he finna give this bully a piece of his mind. Their response? They beat him, strip him naked, and leave him chained out in public for the whole school to mock him.
Seriously messed stuff, I know. And then, he decides that he’s done with the outside world. He’s just going to live at home and mooch off his parents, spending his whole time watching anime and ogling waifus 24/7. He doesn’t even try and earn money off of YouTube or get remote work, something he is fully capable of doing!
Eventually, though, his parents die, and since this guy’s wallowing in self-pity, he doesn’t even show up to his parent’s funeral. When his family finds him, they find him ogling loli waifus. And they’ve had it, so they throw him the f out of his house. That’s when he finally realizes that he’s wasted his life and wishes, “man, I wish I had another chance to do things over.”
Truck-Kun Cometh!
That’s when the dreaded Truck-kun shows up, and today’s victims are a trio of high schoolers arguing on a crossway. So the man decides, “Screw it. If I’m gonna do one thing right in my life, it’s this.” Now he saves the teens, but Truck-Kun takes him instead. But since this is an Isekai, he doesn’t die. His life’s getting started.
The next thing this dude knows, he’s opening his eyes someplace else, and he’s surrounded by these smiling, good-looking strangers who are all happy to see him. And it doesn’t take him long to figure out that he’s been reincarnated. And once he sees the grown-ups using magic, he realizes… he’s been isekai’d.
So, sweet. He’s finna put this new life to good use.
Oh, and from this day forward, this man shall be known as Rudeus Greyrat.
Finna Take His First Steps
So this grown man has been reincarnated into a world of magic and swords in the body of a baby but with all his memories intact. And since this is an isekai, that’s basically like a cheat code to help him get a head start. So once he relearns how to walk, talk, and read, he gets down to business. He starts reading these books on how to do magic and begins practicing in secret. And he quickly learns something. Even though those books say he has to use these incantations to do magic, and that everyone has a set amount of magic, or mana, in them… that’s all bunk. He learns how to do wordless magic and trains himself so he never runs out of mana. So, he’s a badass, and he’s only three.
Rudeus’ so badass that his parents, Paul and Zenith, decide to get him his own magic tutor. Enter Roxy Migurdia. Instead of being some Gandalf type, she’s a cute demon loli with blue hair. She only looks young, though; she’s 30-something. Her people, the Migurdians, can live around two-hundred years, and spend 75% of them looking 13. In other words, she’s legal. Stand down, FBI.
Anyway, Roxy spends the next two years teaching him everything she knows. By the time they’re done, he’s already surpassed her. More importantly, though, Roxy manages to heal all that trauma Rudeus’ been holding onto from his past life. So when she dips on out, Rudy is a changed person. From that moment on,
He still keeps a pair of panties he stole from her, though, as like this holy relic. It’s slightly sweeter than it sounds.
Out There Making Moves
So now that he’s not scared of the world anymore, Rudeus starts living his new life to the fullest. He’s making moves and making friends, like his new friend Slyph, this green-haired part-elf he rescues from bullies. Because he can’t stand bullying, thanks to what he went through in his first life. After that, Sylph latches onto Rudeus like glue, following him around everywhere and thinking he’s the coolest person ever. Rudeus thinks they’re pretty awesome, too, not to mention quite the looker. Give it a few years, and he thinks the girls will be trampling over themselves trying to get at them…maybe even the guys.
So Rudeus and Sylph end up becoming best friends, and soon, Rudeus decides to teach them everything he knows about magic. Pretty soon, they’re able to cast magic without incantations, which is a bit of a blow to Rudeus’ ego. Still, now the two of them can go out, make moves, and woo girls as a badass magical duo.
All of that changes, though, when they come back home after getting caught in a rainstorm. So Rudeus decides, “Alright, let’s hop in the bath so we don’t get sick.” But Sylph’s like, “Um, no thanks, I’m good.” But Rudeus thinks he’s just being shy, so he ends up forcing the matter. That’s when he gets the biggest shock of his lives: Sylph…is a girl. Her real name’s Sylphiette. Her hair was just so short that his stupid ass thought she was a boy this whole time.
Morgan Freeman: It was at this point, Rudeus knew…he fucked up.
So, yeah. Rudeus might be a pervert, but he’s got standards. He doesn’t need the FBI coming into his house and arresting him for being a pedo. So, he tells her he thought she was a boy this whole time, like a dummy, which makes her cry. However, after they’ve got time to think things over, Sylphie forgives him for being an ignoramus.
So, bet. Now Rudeus got a potential future waifu for a best friend.
Finna Save the Family
Not long after, Zenith discovered she was pregnant with their next kid. Happy feelings for all. Exceptโฆ Lilia’s also pregnant. Now I know what you’re thinking: who’s the Dad? Well, the answer might surprise…Paul, it’s Paul. Everyone knew it was Paul!
Morgan Freeman: It was at this point Paul knew…he fucked up.
So, here’s the thing: Lilia plans to stick around to help Zenith give birth, but once that’s done, she’s giving her two weeks’ notice. The problem is that it’s a month-long journey to her hometown. With a baby to care for, that’s a death sentence. So, Rudeus pulls a big-brained move and resolves things. He throws Paul under the bus by lying and saying the whole thing was his fault, and Zenith buys this. Okay, I don’t think she does, but she uses it as an excuse because she doesn’t want to throw out Lilia since she’s her best friend. That, and this is Paul we’re talking about.
Full disclosure: it was Lilia that came onto Paul. She already had a crush on him from way back, and she had to spend years listening to them go at it after dark. There’s only so much a person can take, and no amount of maintenance can help. So, she did the only thing she could and cared for herself.
So, awesome. Rudeus has two baby sisters: Norn and Aisha.
Daddy Gets Rudy a Job
So, by this point, Rudeus is pretty happy with his life. He’s a badass magician, he’s got two adorable sisters, and his best friend Sylphie’s super cute. He’s finna enjoy his life the way it is. Except he gets this letter from Roxy, who says she’s been inspired by him to train to get even stronger and that she hopes to see how amazing he is once he’s grown up. She also got a job tutoring this Prince, but that’s for another day.
So, in his previous life, Rudeus was pretty smart and had all the potential to be successful. However, he let himself start slacking off, and everything went downhill from there. So instead, he’s going to make sure that doesn’t happen this time. So, he decides to enroll at Roxy’s alma mater and become a world-class magician. And when Slyphie begs him not to leave her alone, he decides they both should go. The only problem: how’s he going to pay for all this? His Dad won’t pay for both of them.
So, Rudeus decides there’s only one thing to do: he’s gotta get a job. And Paul pulls some strings and gets something that’s perfect for him. See, Paul’s not just some knight and former adventurer. He’s actually from one of the great houses that rules their country, and his cousin’s the heir to another great house that rules their region. Plus, his and Zenith’s old adventuring teammate, Ghislaine, who is the swolest-looking cat girl you’ve ever seen, is their bodyguard. So, he pulls some strings and gets Rudeus a job working as a tutor for the Boreas Greyrat family.
The catch is that he can’t come home, write home, or write to Sylphie for the next five years. They’re becoming co-dependent on each other, and that’s not good, so they need to be self-sufficient.
That’s All for Now!
And that is where we are going to end things for today. I meant for this recap to be done in one go, but it’s so huge that I had to split things up. Come back for part two as Rudeus starts his new life as a professional tutor and comes face-to-face with, quite possibly, the tsundere to end all tsundere’s.
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