Mushoku Tensei: The Mad Witch's Magical Redemption

I have one goal in mind, and it's helping the original Eris regain control of her body.

To make that happen, I'd need knowledge. To gain knowledge, I'd have to read books. And to read books, well—I'd need someone to teach me.

That someone was Rudeus, probably the smartest person I could think of.

Well, aside from Philip, of course.

Either way, it was clear—I had to track him down and convince him to be my tutor. But there is one question left—where the heck is he?

Normally, he was provided with a room to stay in the manor but when I went to check, it was empty. Next, I went to the courtyard where he and Eris trained in swordsmanship. Yet, once again, he wasn't there.

"Young lady, what are you doing here so early?"

Turning around, I saw Ghislaine standing nearby, her tall, muscular frame casting a shadow over the courtyard. At least someone else was around.

"Oh, good morning. Have you seen Rudeus today?" I asked as politely as possible.

The tall cat-woman tilted her head, momentarily puzzled, before shrugging. "I don't know."

"Well, could you help me find him?" I requested, keeping my tone courteous.

Without a word, Ghislaine nodded and began following me as we continued the find Rudeus.

We checked the garden, the hallways, and even the dining room, and yet there was still no sign of him. Just when I was about to suggest looking outside, we heard something startling.

"ERIS! GET OVER HERE!"

A boisterous voice reverberated in the air, calling for my name all over the manor.

"What the heck? Where did that come from?" I asked, shaken by the noise.

Ghislaine's ears perked up, scanning the area, before pointing a specific direction. "There."

The place she pointed at was on the other side of the manor. Surprised by how far the voice had reached my ears, I could only assume the person who could shout that loud was Sauros.

Speaking of which, I recalled a scene in the novel where he called Eris this way—it was when he, Rudeus, and Philip were in the mayor's office.

Without hesitation, I headed to the source of the voice, hoping that this unexpected summon would lead me to Rudeus. We ran as quickly as possible, passing through maids and servants who stepped aside as we went by.

Afterward, the entrance to the mayor's office came into view at the end of a long hallway. As we arrived, Ghislaine kindly opened the door for me, and upon entering inside, I finally found him—Rudeus. And as expected, he was standing along with Philip and Sauros.

Everyone turned, noticing my presence, and their eyes widened. "Ah—"

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[Rudeus' POV, earlier]

This is strange, very strange.

Ever since the kidnapping incident, Eris has been acting differently.

For starters, she doesn't seem to be angry by what happened to her and even pardoned my actions as if it were no big deal. To top it all off, she's been more mellow and, oddly enough, almost… caring. It was as if hitting her head turned her from a violent brat to a gentle angel.

But I shouldn't get ahead of myself. Maybe she's still shaken, still processing everything that happened. Maybe her usual aggressive self will return once she's fully back to normal.

Right now, I was in the mayor's office playing board games with Philip. He too was concerned by Eris' behavior and we were currently discussing it.

"Have you noticed anything odd about my daughter, Rudeus?" he asked, his eyes focused on the board.

I moved one of my pieces, sharing my opinion. "Well, she's calmer than usual as if she was a whole different person."

"Yes, I've caught it too," Philip concurred, considering my words. "Normally, she'd be furious after something like the kidnapping incident. But now, she's acting almost peaceful."

I nodded, feeling a little uneasy. "I thought maybe she just needed time, but it's hard to tell if this is temporary or…"

"Or perhaps permanent, if that's what you were saying," Philip finished, his gaze considerate as he studied the board. "Let's not treat this as if it was a bad thing, but rather a miracle."

A miracle, huh? If considering his daughter getting struck in the head a miracle, I would be a bit bothered by this. But if Eris has truly changed permanently, I might reconsider my opinion.

creak

The door gently opens, snapping me out of my thoughts. I turned to see a voluptuous woman with red hair and eyes, dressed in an extravagant dress. She looks like Eris but grown up and more refined, especially her figure.

"Good morning, darling," she greeted Philip with a loving tone.

In return, Philip nodded welcomely. "Ah, morning to you too, honey. What brings you here?"

"Nothing in particular," she responded calmly. "I was just checking if—oh..."

Her tone shifted upon noticing me, furrowing her brows and frowning grudgingly.

"Ah, honey, this Rudeus Greyrat," Philip interjected, introducing me to his wife. "Rudeus, meet my loving wife, Hilda Boreas Greyrat."

Following his signal, I bowed courteously, hoping to make a good impression. But despite the pleasantry, her frown remained. I couldn't understand why. What had I done wrong?

"You..." she finally spoke, her tone stern. "Because of you, my daughter had trouble sleeping last night. So much so, that she needed me by her side to calm her down."

Confusion swirled within me. I thought Eris had forgiven me—she'd said as much herself.

Philip, sensing the tension, gently intervened. "Honey, Eris herself told us she had pardoned Rudeus for his mistake. Perhaps she was just troubled by the incident itself."

Hilda's eyes eased slightly at his explanation, though her glare lingered on me as she turned and left the room without another word.

After the door closed, I let out a sigh of relief. "Phew, that was close."

"You know, you should be careful next time, Rudeus," warned Philip. "Another wrong decision and you will get kicked out of the Boreas estate."

I swallowed deeply, knowing that if I messed up again, they would send me back to my home and that bastard Paul would mock me for failing.

SLAM!

"WHERE IS THAT LITTLE BASTARD?!"

The door burst open, and a clamorous voice filled the room, making my stomach drop.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Several heavy footsteps echoed as a huge, towering figure stomped into the office.

"WHERE IS HE? I DEMAND TO SEE HIM!"

The scary person in question was no other than Sauros Boreas Greyrat.

Oh god, have mercy on me...

Taking a deep breath, I bowed and prepared myself to respond. "O-over here, m-milord."

"Hmm?!" he grunted, turning his gaze towards me.

I flinched, feeling like a prey caught by a ferocious predator. Sauros stared at me—unblinking and unyielding.

"Tch," he clicked his tongue, finally blinking. "You're lucky Eris forgave your incompetence, or I would have thrown you out. I'll let it slide for that, so don't mess it up."

"Really? Thank you so much, sir." I bowed deeply, relieved he'd granted me another chance.

Afterward, the landlord turned away from me, marched over to a chair, and sat down. A maid poured him a mug of wine, which he downed in one go before speaking again.

"Another thing—Philip had told me that Eris considered hiring you as her tutor. I demand you to accept it immediately."

"Of course, I—"

I paused, reconsidering his proposal. The job itself was fine, but it felt a little forced hearing it demanded on her behalf.

"Would it better if Eris was the one asking for the—"

"—Huh?! What did you say?!"

"I mean, she did ask me," I clarified, "but it might mean more if she showed herself asking me in front of you."

Sauros furrowed his eyebrows, unable to understand my intention. Fortunately, Philip leaned in, whispering something to him, and the old man's gaze became thoughtful.

"I suppose you're right," he conceded, standing up and taking a deep breath before shouting, "ERIS! GET OVER HERE!"

His boisterous voice echoed throughout the room, maybe even beyond, causing a miniature earthquake that shook everything.

creak

A few minutes passed, and the door opened. We turned and our eyes widened, not because of Eris herself, but rather her appearance.

Right now, she was still in her nightgown from yesterday, but a bit messier. So much so, that one of her shoulders was showing. Her red hair was also tangled, giving her a sloppy look.

"Ah—"

"Good morning everyone~" Eris greeted cheerfully, seemingly unaware of her state.

Sauros was utterly taken aback, so Philip signaled to a maid, "You, fix her clothes at once."

"R-right away!" the maid complied, ushering Eris out of the room to get her properly dressed.

I could hardly believe what I'd just seen. Had she somehow become a… degenerate?

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After some time, Eris returned, dressed in the same young lady attire she wore when we first met. I used to remember her imposing stance—arms crossed, head held high, looking ready to challenge anyone. But now, she was… different.

Instead of her usual grimace, her expression was calm, almost peaceful, and her hands hung loosely at her sides. There was no fire, no intensity in her posture—just a surprising softness that made me do a double-take.

"Um, sorry about earlier. I didn't know I wasn't dressed for the occasion, hehe..."

Eris apologizing? That's new. Not only that, but she also had a good sense of humor for some reason. What's going on? Are we still facing the same person anymore?

I glanced over at Philip, and he seemed rather delighted, smiling widely. Sauros, on the other hand, doesn't look good. He was just staring blankly at the distance. They must have noticed the change in her too.

Was this the new norm? Was this who Eris truly was, or was this just some temporary shift in personality? Only time would tell, I guess.

She gazed at me expectantly, as if she was waiting for a response, and I felt a weird pressure to say something.

"Uh, no problem," I replied, unsure how to respond to the softer version of her. "You look nice this time around."

"Thanks, I was hoping you would say that."

Her smile in response was warm, almost timid, and for a moment I felt like I was meeting her for the first time all over again.

"Anyway, I've been looking for you," she continued, her voice laced with unexpected warmth.

Her intention surprised me, making me curious. "Why is that?"

"Well, I was hoping to recruit you as my tutor," she declared expectantly.

Hearing her response, Philip and I shared surprised glances. It was quite a coincidence that she was called for the exact reason—to request the job in front of us.

"WRONG! THAT'S NOT HOW YOU ASK SOMETHING, ERIS!"

Sauros suddenly bellowed, snapping out of his daze and causing the entire room to tremble.

Eris flinched, looking at him in confusion. "Uh… sorry, Grandfather? What did I do wrong?"

"The way you ask things!" he barked. "It should be done the Boreas way!"

"The Boreas way?" She tilted her head, puzzled by what her grandfather meant.

Sauros twitched, glancing at Philip and signaling for him to give him a hand. Philip, knowing what to do, approached Eris and whispered something to her ears.

After a while, the young lady blushed, looking at her father. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, Eris, do it," Philip insisted, forcing her to do something stupid.

With that signal, Eris grabbed a handful of hair from both sides of her head, creating a twin tail. Then, she stuck out her hip and with a cute expression, announced something in a very unique way.

"I-I was hoping to recruit as my tutor, n-nyan~"

The whole room went silent as everyone was charmed with Eris' performance, me included.

What the heck was that? Why does it happen so naturally?

"Yes, yes, that's it," Sauros praised as he petted her head. "He surely will. Right, Rudeus?"

"You should stick out your hip even more," Philip suggested nonchalantly.

While I was confused by what was happening, I noticed a butler entered the room. He took a single glance at the scene and immediately understood the situation.

"Young sir, I believe our masters have a fondness for beast people," he explained with a calm expression. "The young lady appears to be imitating one with drooping ears."

As the realization sank in, I turned back to Eris. She looked mortified, her gaze meeting mine as she silently whispered, "Help me..."

Understanding her desperation, I decided to spare her from further embarrassment. Taking a deep breath, I raised my voice.

"QUIT BULLYING HER! SHE ALREADY ASKED PERFECTLY FINE!"