Reshaping Horizons: Mushoku Tensei

Lessons

"I'm Roxy. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Contrary to my expectations of an old wise man, when Paul opened the door, we were greeted by a surprisingly young girl. She appeared more like a child than a teenager, dressed in white and brown wizardly robes, with a big staff in one hand and a large bag in the other. Her blue hair was fashioned into two braids that cascaded down either side of her back, creating a striking contrast against her fair skin. On top of that, her drowsy expression indicated that she probably hadn't gotten much sleep during her journey.

Paul and Zenith were clearly taken aback and exchanged perplexed glances. It was evident that her appearance was quite different from what they had expected.

"Oh, uh, are... Are you the home tutor?" Zenith finally asked, with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

"Aren't you... Uhm..." Paul attempted to voice his concerns but seemed to struggle with his words. Luckily, Rudy chimed in to finish his sentence.

"You are little!"

"Hey, you're sure one to talk," she retorted with a tired sigh, glancing around. "So, where's this student of mine?"

"Oh? It's our boy right here," Zenith responded, gently shaking Rudy, who was nestled in her arms.

"Oh..." Roxy muttered under her breath. "This happens sometimes... Kids show signs of growing up a little too fast, and the damn parents get it into their heads that he's got a special talent."

"What?" Paul, who was holding me, inquired.

"It's nothing. I'm not sure your son would be able to understand the principles of magic."

"Oh, don't you worry," Zenith chimed in, oozing with motherly pride. "Our little Rudy here is brilliant!"

Once again, Roxy let out a sigh. "All right, then. I suppose I'll just have to do what I can." Her tone made it sound like she had already resigned herself, deciding it was futile.

And that's how I met Roxy.
----

Now we were outside the house, Rudy was about to embark on his first magic training session with Roxy. On the other side of the garden, Paul and I were ready to begin our own training. It was a bit disappointing not to be with Rudy and Roxy, as I was genuinely curious about her. She was the first inhabitant of this world I met besides Paul, Zenith and Lilia. Plus, having a girl around instead of an old, grumpy mage was something I found more appealing... And I must admit that spending extra time with Paul wasn't exactly something I relished. To be frank, I always found him a bit too simple-minded for an adult.

"So, for our first training session, we won't be wielding swords or any weapons, but I'd like to introduce you to the basics of swordsmanship and engage in some basic training."

"Really? There's a structured theory behind swordsmanship?" Paul's statement piqued my interest. I was familiar with some basic concepts, if they could be called like that, but I didn't realize there was a comprehensive theory behind it. The idea intrigued me.

"Absolutely! It's not only magic that has theoretical aspects. There's a lot more to it than meets the eye." Paul briefly glanced at Roxy and Rudy before refocusing on me. "I might not be as skilled at explaining things as an expert magician, but I'll give it my best shot."

"I'm eager to learn, Papa!"

It seemed that in this world, swordsmanship held immense importance. Even the heroes depicted in books were primarily depicted wielding swords. Occasionally, other weapons like axes or hammers were used, but they were the exception rather than the rule. Surprisingly enough, spears were hardly ever used, even though they virtually are the most effective weapons in this kind of reality as proven by Greek hoplites in Earth's classical era. It was even more puzzling how the spear had garnered a reputation as an evil weapon. Whenever a spear appeared in a story, it was typically wielded by the most nefarious villains: characters who would ruthlessly kill allies and enemies alike, showing no discrimination.