Peak Between Two: Mushoku Tensei

-Third Point of View-

One day, Ryu was summoned to the elder's house.

When he arrived, he found Gustav, Gyes, Linia, Pursena, Rudeus, and Eris already gathered inside.

"I'm here, Elder," Ryu announced as he stepped in.

Gustav nodded. "Finally, you've arrived. Have a seat."

Ryu complied, taking a spot near Pursena, who looked unusually restless. The others sat in a half-circle, facing Gustav, who carried a serious expression.

Once everyone was settled, the elder let out a deep sigh and spoke.

"Now that we're all here, we can begin this discussion. Rudeus, what are your plans from here on?"

Ryu glanced at Rudeus.

Between him and Eris, only Rudeus had the kind of calm and rational mind needed for discussions like this. Eris, while strong, wasn't someone who planned long-term.

Rudeus nodded and replied in a steady tone.

"Yes. I believe we should return to the Fittoa Region in the Asura Kingdom. Because of that, we plan to depart once the floods subside."

Gustav nodded slightly, as if he had already expected that answer.

Before Ryu could ask anything, he turned toward the elder with a raised eyebrow.

"If that's the case, then why am I here? What does this have to do with me?"

Gustav held his gaze for a long moment before finally speaking.

"Because Linia, Pursena, and you… will be sent to Sharia Magic Academy."

"Hah!?"

The room fell into silence.

Ryu's eyes widened. Linia and Pursena looked equally stunned.

Sharia Magic Academy?

Ryu stared at Gustav, waiting for further explanation. He never expected the village to send him somewhere like that.

"Wait." Ryu finally spoke, his voice laced with confusion. "I understand that the village needs someone knowledgeable to replace Gyes one day. And I get why Linia and Pursena are being sent—they're direct heirs. But why me? Wasn't the village always skeptical of me?"

After all, Ryu wasn't a pureblooded Dedoldia.

The Dedoldia lineage had always been tiger beastmen.

But Ryu?

He was a wolf.

Gyes scoffed, crossing his arms. "Hah! Didn't think you could analyze things that deeply."

Ryu met his gaze calmly. "Why wouldn't I?"

Gyes opened his mouth to retort, but Gustav raised a hand, signaling them to stay on topic.

"Ahem," Gustav cleared his throat before fixing his gaze on Ryu. "I understand why you feel that way. But compared to Linia and Pursena, your achievements surpass them by far."

Gyes, despite his usual sternness, nodded. "You're not just strong—you're level-headed and can think things through. Even I respect your composure when we spar."

Ryu fell silent for a moment before nodding in understanding.

It made sense.

But it still felt too sudden.

Meanwhile, Linia and Pursena looked frustrated, their faces mixed with protest and dissatisfaction.

Ryu understood why.

They were better known as troublemakers than potential leaders.

But the decision had already been made.

Like it or not, they had to accept it.

Gustav continued, his voice firm yet steady.

"That's why, while you three travel to Sharia Magic Academy, you'll accompany Rudeus and Eris to the Asura Kingdom. At the very least, it will make their journey safer."

He then turned to Rudeus and Eris before asking,

"You two don't have any objections, do you?"

Rudeus immediately nodded. "No problem for us."

Eris, however, only scoffed and crossed her arms. "Hmph. As long as they don't slow us down."

Ryu watched them carefully.

Rudeus remained as calm and logical as ever, while Eris—unsurprisingly—was still straightforward and blunt.

But in the end…

The decision had already been made.

Still, "Academy life, huh…" Ryu thought to himself.

His mind drifted back to his past life—his school days on Earth.

Back then, he had been a troublemaker.

Fights were a daily occurrence, and his name appeared on every problem student list.

Only Kazuya had been able to rein in his wild nature.

Thinking about that, Ryu smirked bitterly.

"How the hell does someone like me—who used to live for fights—end up getting sent to an academy?"

But this was a different world.

And this time…

He would have to face school life differently.

###

Chapter Title: Shadows of the Trading City

Third-Person Perspective

As Luciel and his group traveled toward Wind Port, the atmosphere remained calm despite having been on the road for several days.

The clear sky stretched above them, and a warm southern breeze carried the scent of the sea—growing stronger as they approached their destination.

Luciel sat atop a giant lizard mount, steering the creature with one hand while occasionally glancing back to check on his younger siblings.

Behind him, Norn and Aisha shared another lizard mount.

"Brother, when will we arrive?" Norn asked, her voice carrying a hint of exhaustion.

"Not much longer," Luciel replied with a reassuring smile. "Once we see the ocean, we'll be close."

Aisha, sitting beside Norn, crossed her arms with a pout.

"Hmph. I'm still annoyed that we had to leave the last city so quickly."

Luciel let out a soft sigh.

The last city… held many memories—some good, some bad.

Riding alongside them, Ruijerd remained silent, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings as if still on high alert. The cloth covering the red crystal on his forehead fluttered slightly in the wind.

"You should be grateful we left without more trouble," Ruijerd said in his deep voice. "The situation in that city… couldn't be ignored any longer."

Luciel nodded in agreement.

"Yeah… we were lucky to leave without getting into more fights than necessary."

For a moment, his mind drifted back—back to the events of that city.

When they first arrived, the bustling trade city seemed prosperous. Merchants lined the streets, the air filled with the aroma of spices and food, and the marketplace was alive with people bartering and selling.

But it didn't take long for Luciel to notice something wrong.

Too many beggar children wandered the streets.

And worse… more and more of them seemed to vanish without a trace.

His suspicions were confirmed when, in the middle of a crowded marketplace, a weeping mother cried out for help.

"Please… my child was taken! No one will help me!"

Luciel didn't act recklessly. He knew that the city's legal system was rotten with corruption. If he wanted to rescue the children without drawing too much attention, he needed to be smart.

Step One: Gathering Information

For several days, Luciel befriended beggars, street children, and marketplace workers. He played the role of a curious child, using his social skills and a mix of genuine empathy and subtle manipulation to extract information.

Eventually, he discovered the truth.

A criminal syndicate was running a human trafficking operation, with support from corrupt city officials. Children were snatched from the streets, never to be seen again.

Luciel had no intention of letting that continue.

But storming a mafia stronghold head-on?

That wasn't his style.

Step Two: Luring Out the Enemy

Instead of launching an immediate assault, Luciel spread a false rumor—one about a lost noble child wandering the city alone.

It didn't take long before a so-called "city guard" approached him, offering to "help find" the child.

Of course, it was a trap.

Luciel followed them silently, using high-level stealth magic he had developed from modern optical theories in his past life.

And just like that—he uncovered the human trafficking network's secret routes.

When the time was right, he and Ruijerd launched a silent assault, freeing the captured children without causing unnecessary chaos.

But that wasn't the end of it.

Step Three: The Mafia's Revenge

After the rescue mission, Luciel noticed a shift in the city's atmosphere.

Merchants—who once sold to them at fair prices—suddenly raised their rates sky-high.

"Five gold coins for a single sack of wheat?!" Aisha nearly shouted when they tried buying supplies.

The merchant sneered. "If you don't like it, go somewhere else."

Luciel instantly understood.

The mafia had pressured the merchants into extorting them—as payback for ruining their operations.

But Luciel wasn't the type to fight force with force when he had better options.

Step Four: Economic Warfare

Instead of attacking directly, Luciel chose a different battlefield.

His strategy?

Counterfeiting currency with magic to buy out supplies from neutral merchants and undercut the mafia's prices.

Spreading false rumors about an upcoming noble inspection, making the criminal groups hesitate to act openly.

Helping small traders smuggle goods outside the mafia's control, preventing them from holding a monopoly.

Within one week, market prices crashed.

The mafia was forced to abandon their extortion tactics as their own business crumbled.

Luciel smiled slightly as he recalled those events.

That city had been nothing but trouble.

Back in the present, he turned toward his sisters.

"So, Aisha… still upset that we left?"

Aisha huffed but hesitated.

"…Well, thinking about it now… leaving was the best option."

Norn giggled. "Good thing we had Brother and Ruijerd. Otherwise, we might still be stuck there."

Ruijerd remained silent, but a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

Luciel let out a breath.

"Honestly, I'm just glad we left before we got too involved with the mafia."

Aisha, still curious, tilted her head.

"Brother… if we had stayed longer, would you have dismantled the entire crime network?"

Luciel chuckled.

"Maybe. But I prefer not making big waves unless it's necessary."

Norn and Aisha exchanged glances before laughing.

Their journey was far from over.

But at least, for this moment, they could enjoy the simple joy of being together.