Reshaping Horizons: Mushoku Tensei

Death and Rebirth

We retraced our steps back home, following the same road we had taken to the village. However, this walk felt different. Perhaps it was because of the sun. The sky was painted in hues of red and orange as the sun set, casting a distinct mood over the landscape.

I might digress here, but this brings back an old memory of mine. People often think of sunsets as romantic: taking a girl to the beach, holding her hand, and sharing a kiss at just the right moment. For me, though, sunsets have always evoked a sense of nostalgia. I think it stems from an old game I played as a kid. For those who know what I mean, "bubbles shining over the sea" should ring a bell. For everyone else, I'm sorry for you. I always imagined that song playing in the background while watching a sunset, and it filled me with a nostalgic feeling.

But right now, that song wasn't playing.

The mood was different because neither Roxy nor I were talking. We simply walked home in silence. I couldn't understand why Roxy had suddenly become so quiet; she had been so talkative just a few hours ago. Maybe she was still in shock from what happened at the Emporium. As for me, I had no idea what to say to her. I know that silence is often awkward and makes me uneasy, but I couldn't find the words or the will to break it. Speaking out of the blue while the other person was ignoring me felt even more awkward than the silence itself.

So this was the mood for most of the walk: Roxy and I, silently making our way back home. The only time Roxy spoke was to greet back the farmers returning from their fields. To be completely honest, they greeted me too, recognizing me as Paul's son, but I'm too timid to respond to people I don't know. Instead, I just gave them an awkward smile.

If it wasn't clear enough, I'm not the social type.

All this silence got me thinking about what had happened just moments before, inside the shop. I might not be the best at remembering faces, but I'm certain the girl who hit me was the spitting image of A. Even their names started with the same letter.

Was she the real A? Considering that I was reincarnated into this world and Rudy shared a similar fate, it's possible that the girl could be A as well. However, this raises some questions: does this mean she died? I know I died in the previous world, and Rudy told me the same. So, to reincarnate into this world, you have to die. But I had no info about her dying in the previous world. She might have died after me, but still, it was hard to believe.

The second thing is, assuming she did die, how did she end up here? Rudy and I both reincarnated in this world, but he lived on the other side of the world back then. Why did she, who lived in my city, reincarnate here in Buena Village? The only other person who reincarnated here is a Japanese guy from the other side of the world. I have no idea.

Third, her face. I don't have the same face I had in my previous life, and I'm pretty sure Rudy's appearance changed too. So, how did she manage to arrive here looking the same as before?

Thinking about all this just made me feel more confused than before. I was already in a world filled with strange things-demons, magic, and such. Now, even this? Crazy.

As I was mulling over the situation, trying to piece together some understanding, I heard Roxy calling for me.

"Kael?" Her voice was barely audible, as if she wasn't sure whether she wanted to call me or not, but in the end, she did. I turned my head towards her and waited for her to continue. "Are... you feeling alright?"

"Oh... I think so. My head doesn't hurt anymore, and I can work with no problem whatsoever." I raised my thumb at her. "It's all alright."

I heard her sigh, breaking eye contact with me and lowering her head to stare at the ground. Her hands coiled around the stick of her staff, as if she needed it for support, feeling uneasy about something.