Whims of Fate

"Divine Power, become a source of nourishment. Give those who have lost it the strength to rise again. Healing...!"

Despite feeling as though his head was splitting open along the central axis, Paul did his best to remain focused as he repeated the Beginner Level Healing Spell for what felt like the thousandth time.

Seeing Paul fail once more, the old woman teaching the class adopted a kind yet weary smile as she said, "We cannot be blessed in everything we do, Master Paul. I'm afraid no amount of positive affirmation will allow you to cast Magic when you lack the requisite amount of Mana..."

Though he was usually very polite to his teachers, Paul grumbled, "Who decided that...?" as he envisioned a pale-green light emanating from the palm of his hands and healing the fetal pig lying on his dissection table.

Exhaling a sigh, the old, nearly white-haired teacher mumbled, "Even geniuses have it hard..." before shifting her pale-blue eyes to Zhongli and Xiangling, adding, "Well, some do..."

While other students struggled to mend even tiny cuts, Zhongli's Healing Magic was so potent that she caused the long-dead wood of her table to sprout small branches and leaves. She was still at the Beginner Rank, but her aptitude and mana reserves all but assured she would reach the Rank of a Saint, maybe even higher.

Shifting her gaze to Xiangling, the aging teacher couldn't help revealing a grandmotherly smile when she saw the latter helping others. Her Healing Magic had a red hue, but that wasn't uncommon for those with an affinity with certain types of Magic. Those with a natural talent for Healing would often emit pure white, sometimes even golden light during the restoration process. In Xiangling's case, the color red indicated an inordinate affinity with Fire Magic.

A stark contrast to his two exceptionally talented attendants, Paul's palms wouldn't glow even if every light in the room were extinguished. It wasn't like he was saying the chants wrong or committing any apparent blunders; he simply didn't have enough Mana to support the spells he was casting.

"At least he has capable subordinates..."

...

..

.

Upon departing the Healing Magic Ward, Paul was moving even slower than the 84-year-old granny responsible for teaching them. Fortunately, even though he had tried to tell her it was unnecessary, Xiangling helped to support him until they reached the bench Paul typically rested on after any lesson pertaining to Magic.

"Thank you, Xiangling..."

With a faint smile on her face, Xiangling pulled out a leather thermos filled with cool water as she said, "Don't mention it. I'm just doing what I ought to do."

Accepting the thermos, Paul paused for a moment to stare at the petite girl standing next to him. The fact she couldn't even sit down without it causing problems bothered him, but without the power to enact change, there was little he could do about it.

Closing his eyes, Paul exhaled a sigh through his nose before removing the thermos' cap and quenching his parched throat. When he was done, he returned the thermos to Xiangling, asking, "What do you think of this world?"

Losing a fair amount of her usual vigor, a sad look appeared in Xiangling's amber eyes as she replied, "We haven't even left the Academy, and I can already tell it isn't a pleasant place to live. I can't even imagine how hard things must be for the peasants, serfs, and slaves that make up so much of this world's population..."

With laws such as peasants having to hand over 30% of the dowry when they married off their young, often younger than ten-year-old daughters, it would be an understatement to say Xiangling wasn't particularly fond of the Asura Kingdom. Compared to her home nation of Liyue, it may as well have been Hell on Earth.

Agreeing with Xiangling's views, Paul nodded his head before leaning it back against the wall and saying, "We'll just have to fix things...it won't be easy, but it can't be much harder than saving two worlds..."

Regaining a bit of her vigor, at least on the surface, Xiangling muttered, "I suppose so..." before turning to stare out the nearby window. In truth, she didn't see any way to fix the world of Mushoku Tensei. That might change if Paul managed to summon the Qixing, but it would likely take decades to effect lasting change. Decades spent not restoring her world...

Observing Xiangling's lonely profile, Paul couldn't help feeling as though he had wronged her by summoning her into this world. Unfortunately, he didn't really have a choice. There was no way he could save the world on his own. Even if he trained for fifty years and somehow managed to attain the title of Sword God, he wouldn't last more than a few minutes against someone like Orsted. Since the latter needed to repeat his life more than a hundred times to have a chance of defeating Hitogami, Paul's only real options were to make use of the Intersection of Fate or somehow ensure the birth of Rudeus. However, even if he bedded Zenith on the exact day as the original Paul, there was no guarantee of her giving birth to Rudeus. It would depend entirely on the number of loops Orsted had made...

Freeing Paul and Xiangling from their respective reveries, Zhongli arrived with a wicker basket filled with bread, various jams, dried meat, and a few varieties of cheese. When she saw the duo staring off into empty space, a faintly apologetic smile developed across her face as she asked, "I hope I wasn't interrupting something...?"

Shaking his head, Paul answered, "I was just thinking about the future. If we're lucky, our numbers will increase to around nine by the time of our graduation. That's two more than the maximum Party size authorized by the Adventurer's Guild, so we made need to start a Mercenary Company under the banner of House Notos. It ultimately depends on who pops out of the Gacha..."

"Hmmm..."

Though she had thought about their circumstances more than Xiangling and Paul combined, Zhongli supplied, "You shouldn't be concerned with such things. While it is good to plan ahead, focusing all of your attention on the future leaves you blind to the present. Instead of pushing yourself all the time, you should seize opportunities such as this to relax. It takes a clear and serene mind to make wise and rational decisions. Here."

Holding a sandwich to Paul's mouth, Zhongli waited for him to accept it before shifting her gaze to Xiangling and adding, "You also need to stop concerning yourself with matters of the far future. Our reason for being in this world is to gather the strength necessary to save our own. Without it, there is no sense in even thinking about returning. Remember that."

Hanging her head and shoulders, Xiangling's usual vibrancy gave way to a depressive atmosphere as she muttered, "Right..."

Feeling that Zhongli had gone too far, Paul's expression morphed into a disproving look as he said, "There is nothing wrong with Xiangling missing her home. I mean, it's only been a few months before she was thrown into this situation. Give her some time to process things...not everyone can be like you..."

Returning a faint smile, Zhongli showed no signs of being offended by Paul's words. Instead, she just nodded her head, saying, "I understand." before picking up a piece of bread and biting into it. She didn't actually need to eat but did so in order to keep up appearances.

"..."

Feeling as though he had just tried to convince a wall it was in the wrong for blocking his way, Paul turned to Xiangling with an apologetic smile on his face. To his surprise, she just stared at him for several seconds before turning her head and whispering, "Thank you..." in a tone so quiet he could barely hear her.

"Uh...don't mention it..."

Convincing himself he was reading too much into Xiangling's behavior and response, Paul directed an inordinate amount of attention to his sandwich. Even if he wasn't imagining things, he had absolutely no intention of being involved with a member of the opposite sex until he was around 15-16. His status as the First Son of House Notos might make that impracticable, but that was a bridge he would cross when he came to it...

...

..

.

After enjoying a light lunch, Paul, Zhongli, and Xiangling decided to head home for the day. They typically only had 1-2 classes per day, so unless Paul felt like engaging with his fellow Nobles, they would spend the vast majority of their time inside, either studying or training.

Unfortunately, Paul was rarely the one to initiate his exchanges with other Nobles. More often than not, they came seeking him as it was considered lowering himself or showing favor if Paul were to approach others.

Waiting along the path Paul, Zhongli, and Xiangling typically took to return to their abode was a young, blue-haired girl the trio recognized from their magical studies. Paul was unable to recall her name, but Zhongli managed to save him a bit of face by whispering, "Her name is Sera Vale Whitehare, Third Daughter of House Vale. Due to her extraordinary aptitude for Water and Healing Magic, her parents allowed her to attend the Academy. They hope to market her up to the Royal Palace as an exceptional Maid with the ability to heal."

Though the final tidbit of information caused him to frown, Paul thanked Zhongli with a silent nod before approaching Sera. When she noticed his presence, she immediately curtsied before adopting a smile that didn't quite reach her amethyst eyes as she said, "Good afternoon, Sir Paul. I hope my being here has not caused you any inconvenience."

Shaking his head, Paul offered a polite smile as he replied, "You need not concern yourself with such things. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting, Lady Sera?"

Since Third Daughters and beyond were typically referred to as Miss or by their given names, Sera couldn't help smiling when Paul referred to her as a Lady. She was still only nine and a half years old, so it didn't take much to make her happy.

"You honor me with your words, Sir Paul. As for my purpose...if it isn't too imprudent of me, I would like to present you with a gift..."

Causing Paul's smile to cramp, Sera reached up and extended her fingers into her inordinately well-developed breasts. From within, she pulled out a tiny crystalline vial filled with a shimmering blue liquid, explaining, "This is a rare alchemical concoction known as Mana Draught. My parents gifted it to me with the hopes of increasing the amount of Mana I possess, but, due to a blunder on my part, I am no longer able to ingest it..."

Before Paul could ask what she meant, Sera adopted a self-deprecating smile as she explained, "My virginity was stolen from me near the end of my first year at the Academy. I didn't want my parents to force me back home, so I never told them about it. One of the conditions of consuming the Mana Draught is being a virgin, so I have held onto it in the hopes of forging ties with a powerful family..."

Realizing what must have happened, Paul asked, "Were you unable to get a job at the Royal Palace...?"

Adopting a forced smile, Sera, very softly, replied, "I did...just not within the main Palace. I was assigned as a second-grade attendant within the Palace of Concubines..."

Inhaling through his nose, Paul had to fight to keep his expression from morphing into a mixture of anger and pity. He had never witnessed it for himself, but he could imagine what kind of life Sera would have once she arrived. She would spend a few years healing broken and abused women while also experiencing abuse herself. In the end, much like Lilia had been in the original series, she would be thrown away the moment she became useless or irreparably damaged...

"I'm sorry..."

Shaking her head, Sera did her best to fight back her tears as she forced a marginally more sincere smile and said, "Just please remember me. I'm not sure if I will be of much use once my duty in the Palace of Concubines has ended, but I promise to do my best. Even if it's only for a few years, I believe I could die happily in the service of such a kind and hardworking Lord..."

Placing the vial of Mana Draught into Paul's hand, Sera took a moment to stare at Zhongli and Xiangling, adding, "I truly envy you..." before turning and walking away. Her words made it sound as though she wanted to be Paul's attendant, and, while that was true, the thing she envied most was Zhongli's and Xiangling's talent. If she was half as talented as they were, she might have been able to become a Guardian, the class of servants that personally attended members of the Royal Family. Instead, she was fated to spend the next seven to ten years mending the playthings of the extensive Royal Family until she, herself, was broken...

To those denied its favor, fate could be unspeakably cruel...