Page 240 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
“…Delicious,” Benedikte mumbled as she continued eating. “Indeed, it is.” Pax resumed his dining as well. Being a voracious eater, he requested extra helpings several times until the pot was completely empty. “Hmph, what do you think of that, Death God Randolph? We finished your entire stew. It was delectable.” “Yes, it is a great honor indeed to have you both polish off the entire pot.” Pax narrowed his eyes. “And? When will it kick in?” “When will what kick in?” “Do you truly think I didn’t notice? With that numb tingling on my tongue?” “Ooh! That. Yes, well, you should notice the effects any moment now,” Randolph answered with a snicker. Any moment, huh? Pax leaned back, gazing up at the sky. How long had it been since he last dined outside? Perhaps it had been the first time ever for Benedikte. No matter how coldly a member of the royal family was treated by their kin, it didn’t change how suffocating their life was. If anything, the ostracism meant the family was reluctant to let them outside at all, instead confining them to the walls of the palace. At least his last moments were beneath a sunny, blue sky, and he’d eaten a delicious meal before the end. There could be no more pleasant way to go. It was as if his very soul had been cleansed. “Feeling relaxed now, aren’t you?” Randolph asked. “Sanshok seeds have a strong tranquilizing effect.” “Sanshok?” Pax repeated, bewildered. “Yes. It’s the best spice for calming one’s emotions when they’re depressed or irritated. I truly did want the squires to try it as well…” “So it’s not poison?” “Poison?” Randolph blinked at him. “Oh, well, Sanshok seeds do have a poisonous color to them. Many people tend to avoid consuming it for that reason, yes. But you needn’t worry. Not a single soul has perished from Page 241 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
eating it. Hm? But you mentioned the tingling sensation on your tongue— does that mean you knew I had used Sanshok?” “N-no, I had a feeling you’d used something, but not quite that!” As Randolph tilted his head, the realization finally hit Pax—this man had truly only intended to treat those squires to a meal, nothing more. “Yes, I see, Sanshok!” Pax nodded to himself. “I was almost certain you’d taken the skin of a Kiban and added that to the stew.” “Ohh, yes, Kiban skin does make the tongue tingle as well. But you see, Kiban skin can’t give the stew that delectable purple hue, now can it?” Pax nodded thoughtfully. “True enough. Yes, your ingenuity was quite impressive!” “Heh heh, I appreciate you saying that. It was worth having that ingredient brought in all the way from the Demon Continent.” The way Randolph smiled almost seemed to suggest he had completely seen through Pax’s bravado. “Well, enough of this! Benedikte, let us be off!” Unable to withstand the man’s penetrating gaze, Pax shot to his feet. “I have my studies and magic practice to attend to this afternoon. I have no time to dawdle here, engaging in small talk!” “All right,” she mumbled. Pax straightened his shoulders and began to totter off with Benedikte close behind him. They didn’t make it too far before Randolph called after them. “Um, Prince Pax?” “What is it?” Pax glanced over his shoulder. Randolph sported his usual creepy smile. Yet he seemed a bit anxious, rubbing his hands together as he worked up the courage to ask, “Would it be at all possible for me to serve you a meal again in the future?” “Very well. Your cooking is delicious, after all.” Pax quickly delivered his answer and turned away to leave. Although he’d been unnecessarily anxious about the meal being poisoned, the stew itself was scrumptious. Those unusual flavors were unlikely to suit most people’s palates, but Pax Page 242 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
had never had anything like it. If Randolph was keen on serving him something like that again, he had no reason to refuse. He wasn’t lying when he said he was a gourmet with finicky tastes. “Thank you,” said Randolph, bowing his head low. After that, Pax began periodically eating Randolph’s cooking. *** “In hindsight, I really had resigned myself to death back then,” Pax mumbled, as he revisited the distant past in his head. He currently stood on a staircase landing. The nearby window gave him a glimpse of the world outside the castle. Fires dotted the landscape, smoke signals rising like pillars here and there. He heard no voices from here, but he could sense the crowds below. Pax was inside Shirone Castle, a place he’d arrived at after recklessly plunging ahead until he’d clawed his way onto the throne. “I would have preferred not to hear the truth until my dying days,” Randolph replied, standing beside the king and gazing down at the world below. He’d removed his eyepatch, and the eye underneath emitted a glaring light. “I was really happy, you know? To hear you say my cooking was delicious.” “Don’t start that. It may not have looked appetizing, but I wasn’t lying to you when I said it was good,” Pax said. “Hehe, it’s hard to believe you when I now know you thought I meant to poison you.” Their voices swelled with emotion as they conversed, gazing through the glass. Inconsequential happenstance had brought them together, and even after their initial meeting, nothing particularly exciting or significant took place. All that happened was that each time Pax and Benedikte sampled Randolph’s cooking, they praised its taste. They would chat a bit while he was concocting his odd dishes, but they’d go their separate ways once the meal was over. The cycle repeated numerous times until Randolph realized how often he was in Pax’s company. It would be a stretch to call Pax his Page 243 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
pupil or apprentice, but he did offer some advice on swordsmanship and magic. “In the end, you and Benedikte are my only allies,” Pax said as he watched the people gathered outside. They knew not all of the people out there were enemies; a knight had risked his life to venture out and bring back a scouting report. Yes, not all of them were against him, but Pax knew that they weren’t in support of him either. The vast majority of Shirone hadn’t welcomed his ascension to the throne. They could be his enemies under the right circumstances, but they could never be his allies. “Why do people hate me so?” It had been that way his entire life. No one ever allied themselves with him. Perhaps his appearance repulsed them; perhaps he simply had no talent for finding comrades. Pax honestly had no clue. He had tried his best in his own way, but for all his efforts, only Benedikte and Randolph had come to his side. Maybe if he had conducted himself better, Zanoba and Rudeus—and maybe even the knights that had died—might have been willing to stand with him. It was too late to reflect on that now. “Good question. People are often terrified of me as well, and I haven’t the faintest idea why either,” Randolph said, as if trying to comfort him. But in Randolph’s case, it was no doubt because of his appearance. If only he could do something about that skeletal face and that unsettling smile, things might change a little. Actually, even with those problems, Randolph had still gained the respect of the King Dragon Realm’s High General and numerous swordsmen. Pax had nothing like that. He’d become king, and now had both a wife he loved and an excellent subordinate. But alas, that was no way to run a country. He couldn’t win the recognition of the masses. Maybe he’d gone about this the wrong way, but the fact remained that had too few people in his corner. He no longer knew what to do to bolster his supporters. He needed comrades, but he had no clue how to get them. Pax was now at a loss for what to do. “Randolph,” he said. “Yes?” Page 244 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
“When I die, take Benedikte with you and escape from here.” Randolph swallowed a breath. In the dozen or so years he’d lived through numerous battles, never once had another person made him cognizant of his own breathing, but he suddenly found his awareness heightened now. “Go back to the King Dragon Realm. When my child is born, impart to them your swordsmanship and culinary talents.” Randolph said nothing. “Academia as well,” Pax added. “Given the parentage of our child, there’s no way they’ll appoint them a tutor. I’m entrusting their care to you.” Again, Randolph was silent. “And I’d ask you to compliment them as much as possible. I doubt Benedikte will be able to do that herself. Neither of us was ever complimented much.” Finally he found his voice and said, “Um, Your Majesty?” A rare expression crossed Randolph’s face, one he never displayed to others, neither before nor after he came to be called the Death God. In fact, after becoming one of the Seven Great Powers, he’d killed so many men— tens of thousands of them—that he stopped seeing them as people. In all his long years he had only made such a face on a select few occasions. This was the look of someone who didn’t want the other person to die. “What is it?” Pax asked. “You know, I like you,” Randolph said. But he couldn’t bring himself to ask Pax not to die. He was the Death God, after all. Being fifth of the Seven Great Powers, he’d seen countless men die. He’d seen numerous people choose a noble death over a meaningless life. He’d paid his respects to every one of them. The man before Randolph was a king. He had a stunted body, was unloved by his people, had suffered civil war immediately after his ascension, and would probably be forgotten in the long term, snuffed out from the annals of history. But he was a king, nonetheless. He’d done his part to earn the people’s acknowledgement and ascended to the throne. It made sense that he wanted to die as a king. His pride compelled him. Page 245 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
“That’s why I’ll be sure to carry out your order, even at the cost of my own life,” Randolph finished. “I trust you will.” Randolph Marianne may have been called a Death God by others, but a true god of death he was not. He knew of the man who’d carried the title before him. The former Death God would always listen to the words of the dying before they passed. He would honor their dignity and protect it until their last breath. This was why he had come to be called a Death God. Randolph had followed his example, because Randolph respected him more than any other—and had even inherited his name. “Well, it seems the sun is about to set.” Having gotten the answer he wanted, Pax tore his gaze from the scenery outside and headed toward his bedroom. “I’m going to go bid my farewell to Benedikte. It’ll be our last tryst. Will you make sure no one interrupts before we are finished?” “As you wish, Your Majesty.” Pax disappeared inside the room, and Randolph took up his position outside. After a while, he got tired of standing and went downstairs to fetch a chair. One he was seated, he propped his elbows against his knees and interlaced his fingers, resting his chin upon them. He kept his gaze locked on the stairs and the window that sat just beyond them. It was as though he wanted to burn the sight—Pax’s last glimpse at the city he’d ruled—into his mind’s eye. “To be honest, I rather wish you wouldn’t die,” Randolph muttered as he slowly closed his eyes. Page 246 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
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 web novel Mushoku Tensei. They instantly gained the support of readers, hitting number one on the site’s combined popularity rankings within one year of publication. “Never put your public image ahead of your own happiness,” advises the author wisely. Page 247 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com
Thank you for reading! Get the latest news about your favorite Seven Seas books and brand-new licenses delivered to your inbox every week: Sign up for our newsletter! Or visit us online: gomanga.com/newsletter Page 248 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com