Turning Point 1 [Part 1]

After a long night of delightful conversation with Rudeus and Ghislaine, I couldn't help but fall asleep. I didn't know exactly where but I dozed off quite comfortably. Because of it, I met up with the original Eris as usual.

"So, you're done goofing around?" she asked, harsh yet tamed.

I nodded, smiling shyly. "Yeah, I got carried away with the celebration meant for you."

"Tch, it's not like I care about that dumb birthday anyway," she grunted, looking frustrated.

Her comment made me frown, not because it disturbed me, but because I felt sorry for her. It wasn't anger—more like a longing for the life she couldn't fully live.

"Ah, forgive me," I apologized sincerely. "Just forget what I just said earlier."

"Whatever," she replied, waving her hand dismissively. "Do what you need to do."

"Y-yes," I complied, turning away from her.

When I glanced back, I saw a melancholic expression across her face. It was fleeting, quickly replaced by her usual demeanor when she noticed me looking. I quickly averted my gaze and walked away, waking up from the dream.

My eyes opened slowly, and I was taken aback to find myself still in Rudeus' room. Sitting up, I realized I had been lying on his bed the entire time.

Did something happen while I was asleep? Hopefully not... I guess.

Shaking my head, I hopped off the bed and left his room, heading to my own to change some clothes. Before I could do it myself, a beast maid insisted on helping.

After that, I went to find Rudeus throughout the manor. While navigating one of the hallways, I encountered a bizarre encounter—a beast maid with her uniform loosened and her hair was a complete mess. She looked panicked, her eyes wide with fear.

"M-milady?! T-this isn't what it looks like," she stammered, bowing frantically.

"Relax, I'm not going to scold you or anything," I reassured her gently before asking, "Anyway, have you seen Rudeus anywhere?"

"Lord Rudeus was at the top of that tower just ahead," she revealed, pointing behind her. "He was currently talking to Master Sauros."

I see now, it made perfect sense if he was responsible. However, given how the scene played out, I couldn't help but feel anxious about where this was going.

"Thank you," I acknowledged her response. "You can go now."

The beast maid nodded, bowing once more before quickly running away. As for me, I headed toward the tower and began ascending the spiral staircase. Once on top, I found Rudeus and Sauros gazing out the window.

"What are you two doing there?" I asked curiously.

Rudeus flinched, turning towards me. "Oh, Eris. We were just—"

"My granddaughter, come over here," Sauros interrupted, his tone unusually sober. "I want to show you something."

Apprehensive by his demand, I approached them, stopping in front of the window.

"So, what do you want to show, grandfather?" I pressed onward.

Pointing at the sky, he responded, "There, what do you think of that?"

Following his finger, my eyes widened in dread as they landed on something that only I could understand—a black orb ominously hovering in the sky.

Upon seeing that, I instinctively backed away, but Rudeus grabbed me.

"What's wrong, Eris?" he asked worriedly.

Shaking my head, I responded falsely, "I-it's nothing."

"Really? If something bothers you, just tell us," Sauros reassured.

As they continued to stare outside, only one thought gnawing my mind—the Mana Calamity.

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The Mana Calamity—a catastrophic phenomenon and a turning point in the Mushoku Tensei story. Its devastation would engulf the entire Fittoa region, leaving destruction and despair in its wake. The very idea of it made my skin crawl, so much so I could barely hear anything. 

"Milady?!"

My ears were ringing, preventing me to pick up the familiar voice calling out to me.

I had to do something. I couldn't just stand by and watch as catastrophe unfolded. But how? If I warned them directly, they'd surely be suspicious and question how I knew something so unprecedented, jeopardizing the ongoing facade I'd worked so hard to maintain.

There has to be another way to warn them without revealing everything.

"Focus, Milady!"

"?!"

Clank!

The clash of wood jolted me back to the present. I barely managed to block the strike aimed at me. Realizing I was in the middle of a sparring match with Ghislaine, I quickly regained my composure, gripping my sword tightly.

"Eris, quit spacing out," she scolded, her piercing gaze locking onto mine. "You won't survive a real fight if you keep that up."

Forcing myself to focus, I adjusted my stance. "Sorry, please continue."

Without hesitation, Ghislaine resumed her attack, her strikes precise and speedy. Each swing demanded my full attention, yet my thoughts swelled in the background. I blocked her sword swings as best I could, prompting my mind to stay present.

Eventually, she halted, lowering her sword as she curiously regarded me. 

"What's the matter, Milady?" Ghislaine asked. "You seem distracted."

Seeing this opportunity, I carefully voiced my concern. "Well, something has been bothering me, but... I don't what to do about it."

"Spit it out," she urged, crossing her arms. "Keeping it in won't help."

Hearing that, I looked at the sky and searched for the black orb. Once I found it, I pointed in its direction and turned to Ghislaine.

"What do you make of that?" I inquired, waiting for her opinion.

Following my finger, she stared at the anomaly for several moments. "It's a black orb… What about it?"

"Do you find it odd or mysterious?" I insinuated, urging her to think more consciously. "Could there be a way to investigate it further?"

Ghislaine scratched the back of her head, pondering my question. After a while, she reached toward her eyepatch and removed it, revealing a strange-looking eye. Her gaze sharpened as she investigated the orb once again, and her brow furrowed in quiet concentration.

"There's a trace of mana in it," Ghislaine muttered, her brow furrowing as she gazed.

Aha, bingo!

"Mana? That sounds unsettling," I muttered, feigning surprise while uncertainty coiled tighter in my chest. "We should inform Rudeus about this."

Speaking of Rudeus, he hadn't been showing up for sword practice lately. He'd mentioned to me that he felt his physical abilities were falling behind us, so he was dedicating more time to studying new languages instead.

"Understood, let's end our training here," Ghislaine acknowledged, reaching out her hand.

Noticing her gesture, I handed the wooden sword over. "If I'm not mistaken, Rudeus could be either in his room or my family's library."

"Good, let's go," she conceded, her tone resolute.

With that, Ghislaine placed the wooden swords back into the weapon rack. While leaving the courtyard, I couldn't help but glance at the sky once more. That ominous black orb, small yet unnatural, loomed like a silent harbinger of what was to come.

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Once we began searching for Rudeus, we first headed to his room. I knocked on the door but no one responded. Ghislaine even took a sniff of the area, yet she couldn't smell him in there.

Afterward, we made our way to the library. As we stepped inside, we spotted him sitting at a table surrounded by piles of books, immersed in reading. He looked so calm and comfortable that it felt challenging to interrupt him with anything unsettling.

I turned to Ghislaine and caught her gaze, but she gestured for me to proceed. Taking a deep breath, I stepped closer to Rudeus, intent on discussing the anomaly with him.

"Good morning, Rudeus," I calmly called out.

He looked up from the book he was reading, his face brightening upon seeing me. "Oh, good morning, Eris. What brings you and Ghislaine in here? Have you two come to join me for some light reading about the Demon God language?"

"I'd love to join your light reading session," I replied, appreciating his invitation. "But I have to share something important with you."

Rudeus, hearing the seriousness of my voice, put down his book and shifted towards me. He understood the gravity of the information I was about to share.

"I'm all ears," he urged, his tone more attentive.

I hesitated for a moment, glancing at Ghislaine before speaking. "Do you remember the black orb that grandfather showed us on the tower window?"

"Yeah, I remember," he confirmed casually. "What about it?"

This is it. I'm about to tell him about the danger of the anomaly. Hopefully, this goes well.

"You see, I discussed this matter with Ghislaine a while ago and asked her to investigate it," I explained. "She used her special eye, and lo and behold, it had a trace of mana."

"A trace of mana, huh? That sounds disturbing," he remarked curiously. "Also, Ghislaine has a special eye? Show it to me."

Ghislaine, in response to Rudeus' request, flipped open her eyepatch, revealing her unusual-looking eyeball. "It's called a Demon Eye. Mine can detect mana wherever I look."

Astonished by the explanation, Rudeus took a moment to admire Ghislaine's demon eye.

"That's so cool—I mean, very useful," he stammered slightly before regaining his composure. "If the black orb has mana, then it's certainly worth investigating further."

"Exactly," I agreed, feeling relieved by his response. "The next step is to inform my father and grandfather about this."

"You don't need to," a familiar voice interjected from nearby.

Startled, I turned and saw Philip stepping out from behind a bookshelf.

"I heard everything," he continued with a calm tone.

His sudden appearance surprised me, though his expression remained composed. He walked towards us with an open book in his hand.

"Father? You've been eavesdropping on us the whole time?" I asked, feeling flustered.

Philip chuckled lightly, closing his book. "I was about to interfere, but the seriousness of your conversation made me consider otherwise."

"So, are you joining us in this investigation, Father?" I asked, drawing him into this situation.

Hearing my words, Philip walked towards me and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. 

"No need to worry, Eris," he reassured. "I will handle everything from here."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked anxiously. 

He let go of my shoulder and turned towards the door. "I shall hire researchers to investigate that anomaly, so sit back and relax."

With that, Philip gently placed his book on the table, his footsteps reverberating softly as he walked out of the library, leaving behind a sense of anticipation in the air.