hand. In the next second, his headband fell away, exposing the red jewel lying beneath. “Ruijerd. Ruijerd Superdia.” And he called himself Superdia. For some reason he didn’t have any hair, but there was no doubt in her mind that he was a Superd—the Dead End. And he was moments away from sinking his teeth into Norn. “Ah…uh…” Fear gripped Roxy, starting at the base of her feet and rising upward. Shivers raced through her body, and she felt like she might release her grip on consciousness right then and there. However, she had been entrusted with the task of protecting Norn. Lilia was sprinting up behind her. There was also Aisha back at the inn as well. No…it wasn’t just them. Everyone in this plaza was in danger. Roxy’s heart screamed at her, forcing her to steel herself and hold her staff at the ready. “L-Let that girl go! If you refuse, I shall be your opponent!” Silence fell. Ruijerd grew stiff, and Lilia froze. Norn actually clung to Ruijerd, glaring with hostility in Roxy’s direction. Roxy realized something was off, but her extreme anxiety stopped her from figuring out what it was. Still, she got a distinct sense that she was making a mistake right now. She’d made many up until this point, so she knew the feeling well. “Lord Ruijerd, it has been a while,” said Lilia, bowing as she strode up from behind Roxy. Shaken by how casually Lilia had greeted him, Roxy asked her, “Uh? Um, you know him?” “Haven’t you heard? Lord Ruijerd is the one who escorted Lord Rudeus back to the Asura Kingdom…” “Oh.” She had heard. In fact, she’d even heard that the Dead End she saw in Wind Port was the very same one who’d escorted Rudeus. But she’d never honestly believed that he was an actual Superd. “I have no intention of hurting her,” Ruijerd said, warily gazing over at Roxy as she brandished her staff. Roxy realized she’d completely misunderstood the situation. Her face turned bright red as she averted her gaze to her feet.
She really did hate the Superd Tribe. *** Ruijerd would escort the girls to Rudeus. When Paul’s group heard the news, their reactions were mixed. Lilia and Ginger, who knew his true strength and character, gave the plan their seal of approval, saying they could be assured that the girls would arrive safely if Ruijerd was the one escorting them. Vierra and Sherra both exchanged looks and nodded as if to say, Why not? They knew Ruijerd was the one who had protected Rudeus as he traversed the Demon Continent. He was strong enough to be reliable as well, so they saw no problems with it. Talhand was against the plan. Just like Roxy, he had grown up with scary stories about the Superd Tribe, and heard anecdotes about how their atrocities when he traveled the Demon Continent. There was no smoke without a fire. Talhand had no doubt in his mind that Ruijerd had done something terrible in the past. Even if he were on the path to redemption now, that didn’t mean he could be trusted with a complete stranger’s loved ones. Roxy was partially against it. She knew she shouldn’t judge people based on appearances or preconceived notions. It was just that… this was the Superd Tribe they were talking about. Even after she understood that Ruijerd didn’t present them any danger, she still remained cautious. No, “cautious” wasn’t the right word. She was afraid. The Superd Tribe was the embodiment of the fear she felt as a child, hearing all those stories. Even though her village no longer told such stories about the Superd Tribe, they’d been the best common way of disciplining children when she was young. That was why she couldn’t fully mask her terror. Although she intellectually understood that it was safe, the fear that had been instilled in her as a child still froze her in place and made her wary. So she said, “If you really think you can trust him, then go ahead.” So there were four opinions: strongly for, partially for, against, and
partially against. Paul considered them all. He didn’t know Ruijerd that well. The only time he’d had any contact with the man was when Ruijerd appeared alongside Rudeus, and even then, they’d hardly talked. At the time, he’d gotten the impression that Ruijerd was trustworthy. However, it’d been several years since then, enough to change a person. Paul knew this from personal experience. Heck, it didn’t require several years—a single day was all it might take. Thus the question: Could Paul really trust Ruijerd? Could he entrust him with the girls? As he weighed the decision in his head, he looked downwards. There, clinging to Ruijerd’s leg, was Norn. For a moment it was as if he were seeing double—an image of himself with Norn clinging to his leg superimposed over his vision. Norn was so shy with people that she hadn’t warmed up to any adults other than him. Despite that, there she was, leaning against Ruijerd as if he were her father instead. Then again, Ruijerd was the one who saved her. When that drunk came at her and she was crying, desperate for help, Ruijerd had stepped in as if it were his duty. No doubt it was much the same when he stepped in to save Rudeus as well. He moved without consideration for the consequences. Most likely, he hadn’t changed at all. “Can I trust you with them?” The words left Paul’s mouth before he even realized he was speaking. Ruijerd immediately returned his gaze. “Even if it costs me my life, I will deliver them to Rudeus.” His reply was both sincere and encouraging. Reflected in Ruijerd’s eyes was a sense of duty and determination. He had the face of a warrior, one earned over many moons, something that Paul didn’t possess. If this was deception, then Paul didn’t know what was real anymore. “Then I’ll leave it to you.” Paul extended a hand. Ruijerd took it and they exchanged a firm handshake. That was how Ruijerd became Norn and Aisha’s bodyguard.
About the Author: Rifujin na Magonote Resides in Gifu Prefecture. Loves fighting games and cream puffs. Inspired by other published works on the website Let’s Be Novelists, they created the webnovel Mushoku Tensei. They instantly gained readers’ support, and within one year of publishing on the website, became #1 on the site’s combined popularity rankings. “If you want to get married and be happy, it’s important to put in effort even after you get married,” said the author.
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