A Teacher's Proposal and Revised Conclusions

Re:Beginning: A Job-Filled Reincarnation

Crimster

Chapter 6: Re:Beginning: A Job-Filled Reincarnation | Chapter Six: A Teacher's Proposal and Revised Conclusions

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Re:Beginning: A Job-Filled Reincarnation | Chapter Six: A Teacher's Proposal and Revised Conclusions

"Miss Roxy, you think you can use wind magic over here?" Mister Smith, one of the villagers who lived in Buena, yelled aloud from the field adjacent to her. He was a rough-looking man, but from what Roxy knew, he was a very hard worker. He even went out of his way to help the other villagers with their fields.

"The creek's drying up again! You think you can do anything about it, Miss Roxy?" Mrs. Peters, a kind-looking woman, called to her from beside her house on the small creek's bank.

This was the life Roxy had been living for the past year. She was going from one menial task to the other. All seemingly pointless but essential in the greater scheme of things. She could make it rain when it would otherwise be dry, she could use earth magic to till the fields, and with wind magic, she could aid in the harvesting. Simply put, having a mage in a village was often so helpful that once you had one, you'd have difficulty returning to life when you didn't. More often than not, a town would hire another to give the aid the previous one did before they left. Of course, Roxy was paid for her work, but most villagers also gave a small portion of their crop to the Greyrats to allow them to use Roxy's services.

Of course, Roxy felt slightly guilty about charging for her services, considering Laws was the person she had an enormous debt to. The indebtedness, of course, was from saving her life, but the man himself paid no mind to her worries. He had no idea what she was talking about when Roxy told him about his presumed rescue.

"You're telling me Lord Paul's child threw magic at you!" Roxy was driven from her thoughts as the sound of yelling directed at another piqued her interest.

The sound of that sentence definitely didn't help ease Roxy's mind. It sounds like Rudeus did something he shouldn't have.

"Yeah, he saved that demon girl, and then they ran off!" Demon girl? For all Roxy knew, she was the only demon race here—unless…was that kid talking about Laws' child?

Roxy concluded that the girl's green hair had already given her a fair share of unwarranted trouble.

The mother—who Roxy concluded was Mrs. Eto—struck her son, leaving what would surely be a bruise underneath the boy's eye. "Well, let's go see Lord Paul right away then." She seemed almost confident in her feat. The boy didn't do much to resist his mother's forceful pull when they left.

I feel bad for him in a way. His mother is more interested in Mister Paul than him. Roxy dryly thought to herself. "Knowing how Rudy acts, I better get him before he gets dug too deep." She sighed as Roxy began to move.

The Migurd went unperturbed through the fields and back onto a path that weaved through the maze of farms across Buena. It was already late afternoon before she decided to leave the fields. Roxy was never obligated to help the village farmers; her main job here was to tutor Rudeus at the end of the day. So they did little to disturb or stop her whenever she left.

To think they'd see snow not too long from now is ridiculous, but Roxy guessed that showed her how different the Central Continent is from the Demon Continent. Of course, she lived in the northern regions of the Central Continent for a number of years, so she was in no way unaccustomed to the cold. "Still for Rudy to pick a fight with a kid… It's almost like he's a child himself." She spoke aloud, a quiet giggle escaping her throat as she did so. Her voice was soft, and the distance was wide enough that no one could hear her. If he wanted to, that kid would be a pile of ashes rather than unharmed—well, I guess his mother gave him a black eye now. So he isn't precisely unharmed per se. The thought of what her student could realistically do to a person if made angry enough slightly disturbed the tutor. However, it was equally likely that Rudeus would just talk his way out of whatever engagement he found himself in if it ever came to that. That was precisely what the boy would most likely do in a scenario like the one she had imagined.

At the end of her thought, Roxy kept walking toward where she thought she'd find her student. Of course, she wasn't surprised to see him on that same hill she had located him on when she followed him that night. For some reason or another, he said he wasn't interested in other areas whenever she asked him about it. So she had rightfully assumed he'd be here.

However, he wasn't alone when Roxy found him. Even from far away, she saw that he was playing with another child. One with green hair. Who would've guessed? She thought to herself cockily. Roxy knew from Laws that some of the village's kids had been bullying his daughter. So that confirmed that little Somal was one such person who had been, and Roxy could only assume that Rudy had stepped in to help. Of course, Laws had tried to talk to the parents, who were sympathetic to his plights. However, even then, the children weren't as considerate.

Ah, two children enjoying their youth. It's enough for his teacher to shed a tear.

When she saw them playing, it reminded Roxy of her childhood just a little. I wonder what kind of person I would be if another Migurdian child couldn't use telepathy. What if I found my own Rudeus in my village, just like Sylphiette has? She paused in her thought. I'd probably be more adjusted, and that's probably it. I would probably have left the village at some point, just like I did, but a childhood friend can go a long way for a person's attitude… Too bad I didn't have anyone like that.

Roxy kept quiet as she just stood there unseen. Already, her short time in Buena was something the girl knew she'd look back on. She'd be leaving at some point, but for now, she could enjoy times like this. Even now, after last night's happenings, there were still times of peace.

Roxy looked at the smiling girl as she chased after her friend. Maybe that's what Rudeus needs? A friend. Someone his age he can talk to. Not just his jaded teacher. Her thoughts stopped for a moment. Rudy's a child—yet all I've done is put him on a pedestal. The girl smacked her face and let out a quiet groan of displeasure with herself. Even Rudeus—the person who can do unimaginable things with magic can have nightmares—and yet I thought he could seriously be the reincarnation of Laplace? Yet he's infront of my eyes, playing with a girl his age, seemingly having the time of his life. She watched them frolic on that hill for a few minutes. They chased each other in a game of tag, then climbed the tall tree in the middle of the mound. The smile on Sylphiette's face never left her once as Roxy watched them. It was a nice view.

What Roxy was watching felt right to her. It felt like something Rudeus hadn't had but needed. She decided to let them continue for a while as she idly thought.

Rudeus had found a bracelet he had always worn since the morning after their argument. She interrogated him on it, but all he gave her in response was that he simply found it. She didn't believe him, so she probed further. Then, out of nowhere, he told her he made it with earth magic. She still didn't believe him but decided to trust him, considering how well the figurines in his room were made. His level of control has gotten a lot better over time, as well. As she thought, the two children never stopped playing.

Watching this brings a little bit of sadness to my heart. She eyed the two children as they lazily lay on the hill. I want to be the teacher Rudeus looks up to, but I can't if I stay in this village forever. I can't become worthy of his praise if I stay here. Not to mention that I'm running out of material to teach him and fast. The sun had begun to set at this point. Roxy hadn't even thought about the time as she watched the children. I'll come back to that thought later. I guess it's time for the both of them to go home and for Rudy to deal with the whole 'bullying' scenario. The bullying incident would get the boy into some unjust trouble if Mister Paul found himself believing what Mrs. Eto had to say.

"C'mon Sylphie! You got this!" Roxy heard Rudeus cheering. Looking up at the two, she thought whatever she saw had to be a daydream… Because there was no way that little Sylphie was trying to use magic—a moment later, water manifested in the little girl's hands. "You got it, Sylphie!" Rudeus cheered in delight at seeing his friend casting a beginner-level spell. Sylphie's smile on her face practically glowed. Roxy, on the other hand?

Did she just do that without an incantation?! Her mind practically screamed in frustration. What's with these kids nowadays?! I can't even do it with months of practice! That was when Roxy noticed that Sylphie teetered to and fro in a seeming haze. The woman could tell from one glance that Sylphie was currently undergoing mana exhaustion. Not to the point of passing out or her hair turning white, just evidently dazed by the mana she had output.

It would be best if Roxy stepped in now. "Ahem!" The fake cough made both kids' heads turn on a swivel as they looked at the Migurd, whom neither knew had been watching. "You really shouldn't put your friends in such situations, Rudy!"

"Oh, Master?" Rudeus was the first to respond. "Sorry, have you been watching us?"

"Just for a little while, the two of you looked like you were having too much fun for an adult like me to interrupt the both of you." In this case, a little while ended up being just a bit longer than a while, but those were semantics. Her lifespan was more than double that of a regular human, so time passed differently for her than it did for them. The perks of being long-lived—I guess?

"Ah, Miss R-Roxy!?" Even though Sylphie was still relatively drained, she came out of her stupor practically screaming. "I'm sorry if I took Rudeus when it should've been his lesson time!" Was she always this antsy around her?

"You're fine, Sylphiette. He didn't have anything planned for the day, anyways." Roxy stayed silent for a while as she watched Rudeus pat the girl's head, presumably as a reward for casting magic. Should I worry that he knows how to approach the girl after only knowing her for a few hours? Roxy quickly dropped the thought; she was the only person he liked perving on from what she'd seen. So the girl should be fine. Roxy still didn't know quite how to feel about the boy. Especially after his—confession? It wasn't even a topic worth bringing up for Migurd, but the boy never seemed to drop it. She only knew that he'd have to wait a while before she even considered anything like that.

Still, the way he looked at Sylphie was somewhat—paternal? Roxy couldn't quite decipher what emotion he had on his face.

"Well, it's getting late, so I should walk the both of you back home before it gets too dark." It's her job to teach Rudeus and keep him safe, and considering he was with a friend, it would be unbecoming of his teacher to leave the girl to fend for herself. Of course, that wasn't even including Roxy's debt to her father.

"That's alright! I-I can walk myself back home!" Roxy could understand why Rudeus took an interest in this girl. She was cute when she was flustered, that was for sure.

"It's okay, Sylphie; we'll walk you home. That's what friends are for." Rudeus clasped the girl's hand as he led her past Roxy.

Roxy noticed the cheeky little wink he gave her from a mile away.

Nice save, you little scamp. Roxy thought as she led the two children back home.

The fanfare of Sylphiette's return was unbecoming of Laws. By the time the three of them had arrived, the man was about ready to round up half the village to search for his precious daughter, fearing the bullying had gone too far. So you can imagine his surprise when he realized his friend's child had heroically saved said beloved daughter from the bullies tormenting her for the past few weeks.

"Ask, and I'll do anything for your Rudeus!" Seeing a full-grown man prostrated infront of a child was something Roxy didn't reasonably expect from her outing today. Though it was a welcome one.

"Father, you're embarrassing me!" Sylphie desperately tried to pry her father from the floor by their home's entrance. The pout on her lips and the red that flushed her whole face only made this situation all the more comical.

"You don't need to thank me, Sir Laws. It's what anyone would do in that situation." Rudeus rubbed the back of his head as he moved forward and chimed in with his friend on the effort to upright the man.

"My, my, I'm sorry about him. He just gets so sentimental about our little Sylphie." Cecilia rubbed her husband's back as she smiled at the boy.

"I think it's fine, Cecilia. Seeing Laws like this is pretty funny." Roxy mocked. She had to get her entertainment from something, right? A moment later, Roxy watched in wide-eyed shock as Rudeus slowly uprighted the man roughly twice his size. All that training with his father was beginning to pay off. Though by everything else that Rudeus could do, this much was at least expected by Roxy. "I'm sorry about him, Rudy," Sylphie whispered to her friend, who walked back beside Roxy. To see the little girl hold onto her father, who was absolutely balling, was also something the Migurd girl would remember for a while. Most likely accompanied by a chuckle whenever she did so.

After a little bit, Cecilia coaxed her husband back into the house, causing Rudeus to pull on Roxy's cloak, signaling his desire to leave. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sylphie." As she nodded, the girl showed off what must've been an illegally cute smile.

With that, they left Sylphiette's residence. Of course, you could consider it the little girl's because the man of the house, her father, was such a worry wart that he was practically wrapped around his daughter's finger. Roxy knew that from the beginning, though. She remembered how, on her way to Buena with Laws, the wagon had a relatively high amount of children's clothes.

"Haah—" Rudeus yawned and stretched as they walked. From Roxy's perspective, it seemed he had a lot of fun today. That was good. It didn't even look like he had a harrowing nightmare the night before. Roxy wouldn't readily forget that, however. It still wasn't natural for a child to go through something like that. Or be seemingly so attached to her in such a short time. A person he had met not even a year ago, but that could be dealt with another day. Right now, he was happy, and that's all that mattered at the end.

Oh, wait—that whole Somal thing happened, didn't it?

"Rudeus, you saved Sylphiette from being bullied today, didn't you?" It was a no-brainer that he had, but better safe than sorry.

"Uh, yeah. I did; why're you asking?" Okay, safe—that would make the likely shitstorm with his father much smoother. "I may have thrown an Exodus Flame at them, though." Okay, well, scrap that—he was veritably screwed.

First, he goes and has a nonsensical nightmare; now, he's throwing magic that could kill a horde of beasts… Where did I go wrong? This was Rudeus she was dealing with, so she wasn't surprised about his actions, but she knew now how he dealt with the situation.

Roxy turned and flicked his forehead, nonetheless. It wasn't wise to go around threatening people with magic, especially kids who didn't know any better at the end of the day. Rudeus did look a little remorseful when he touched the now red spot on his forehead. "You have my thanks for taking care of Sylphiette." What he had done was a good thing. Even if other ways didn't involve almost turning children into ash.

"Does that mean you'll kiss my throbbing head to make the pain disappear?" He had a hopeful look on his face.

It's good to know he's still the same old cheeky brat.

"In your dreams." That felt kind of improper now, considering the nightmare he had.

He met Roxy's gaze as they walked. A look of defeat in his eyes. "I was going to tell your parents first, but it seems I could start with you." Roxy cleared her throat with a cough. "How'd you feel about having Sylphiette as a fellow student?"

Roxy watched as Rudeus staggered backward. "You'd seriously consider taking her?" He almost sounded like he was going to ask the same question. "I—I wouldn't mind." He struggled, clearly having tripped over the thoughts most likely running rampant in his head. "I think she could do with the boost in confidence from having a teacher such as yourself." There he went, gloating about her being his teacher again. Roxy couldn't understand why he appreciated her as much as he did.

"Hmm, as long as you're okay with it, I am as well. I'm being paid to be your tutor, after all."

"Yeah, I'm good—but speaking of tutoring little Sylphie…" To hear the word little to describe someone come from Rudeus's mouth was priceless. "You know her family can't reasonably afford your services, right?" So that's what he was getting at.

"That's a non-issue for me. I owe Laws an outstanding debt, so the least I can do is teach his obviously talented daughter." It was true that Laws would most likely go bankrupt if Roxy made him pay her for the services she'd provide, but even she would never do something as heartless as that to the man who unknowingly saved her life. Not that she was heartless by any measure.

The one issue Roxy faced now was Sylphiette's obviously low mana capacity. Rudeus said something about increasing your mana pool. It wouldn't hurt to figure out if that's the truth. It was humiliating for Roxy to learn so much in such a short time—and from a child, no less, mind you.

So far, Roxy has been unable to cast magic without an incantation like her student could, and as disheartening as that simple thought is, it didn't mean she could just stop trying. However, she has been able to shorten the chants of some of her lesser-used spells, so that was enough for Roxy about just how much she had yet to learn. Rudeus said something like a mind-muscle connection was required to do silent casting. So, in his opinion, he told her to work on the spells Roxy hardly ever used to get this 'feeling' down. At this point, Roxy was still trying to make heads and tails of it, but she could tell she was making steady progress. The shorter chants on some of my spells proved that much. "Still, are you sure you want to take another student besides me? You've got your work cut out by relearning magic from the ground up." Yep, he was cheeky, alright.

"And you've got some nerve to back talk back to your teacher, pipsqueak." With a chop to his head, Roxy kept walking. She was angry, but all he did in return for her actions was laugh.

Damn, kid. Rudeus had a tendency to piss her off a little bit. It was all good fun, but how easily he could read her still irked the woman.

"Anyways, about your tutoring." Roxy started again. This would have to be talked about at a certain point. At the tone of her voice, he stopped rubbing his head and ran to catch up to her. Being met with a curt nod from the boy, she knew she could continue. "I've been running out of material to teach you for a while now." His expression suddenly soured. "I thought you'd react that way—but honestly, there's little more I can teach you, and your graduation only seems to approach faster and faster with every given day…" She paused to recollect her thoughts. "That's why I decided to bring the whole Sylphiette subject up." Rudeus perked up at the last statement.

"So you're basically forcing your hand in an attempt to stay?" His eyes gleamed.

He better not cry from just the notion of me leaving… I really have to ween him off of me—maybe I could use Sylphiette for that? It was a devious thought she didn't particularly like, but Roxy could think about it more. "More or less. It depends on how Zenith and Paul will handle the information." They were nearing the house, and in the distance, Roxy could see the man waiting for their return from where they stood. "Speaking of."

Paul sat on the steps leading into the house when they finally bridged the last distance between them and the Greyrat home. It was already dark outside and most likely time for dinner. It looked like they entered the actual battle for the day. "We're home!" Rudeus, with the glee of an oblivious child, was the one to run ahead of Roxy.

He has to know what's happening, right? Roxy stood there by the gate, stupified.

"Do you know why I'm upset, Rudy?" Paul stood up from his seated position on the stairs and slowly approached his son. He had his arms crossed and a slight frown on his face. He definitely wasn't happy about whatever he had been told.

I'll offer my assistance as required, my student. It was good to let this be a learning experience for the boy. Of course, if things got out of hand, Roxy would step in, but she doubted—

"Is it because I fended off three boys from throwing mudballs at Sylphiette?" Rudeus's tone was matter-of-fact and somewhat innocent. There wasn't even a shred of doubt or pause in his statement. It was almost as if he was on the stand in a trial pleading his case. It basically sounded rehearsed.

Oh, he knows precisely what's happening… I don't know if I should be surprised or scared right now. He was an almost obnoxiously weird kid, but at this point, the Migurd couldn't bring herself to care.

Paul seemed to stumble at his son's words, almost as if he lost any steam he had been building waiting for their arrival. He looked over to Roxy, and she looked back at him, offering the man a slight shrug. Paul seemed to deflate at that moment. Roxy could tell where he was coming from. To say Rudeus was an intelligent kid would be a significant understatement, but Paul had probably never felt like a real father to him because of that fact. He probably thought this was his one chance to act like one, but he got shot down as soon as he opened his mouth.

"Uhh—what happened?" Those were the only words Paul could muster, and with a decently quick explanation from Roxy and Rudeus, the dispute was resolved without so much as someone raising their voice.

"I'm sorry, Rudy." Paul slouched back down onto the steps. He quickly turned pitiful.

"You shouldn't be sorry, Dad." Rudeus slowly walked up to his father and patted him on his back.

I feel bad looking at this. Roxy winced at watching the sight infront of her.

"I'd do the same thing if I thought my kid hit someone unprompted like that. Hell, what you did was pretty parental coming from you." He's definitely coyly making fun of his father.

"Where'd you learn 'Hell' from?" Paul came off a little worried at his son's use of grammar.

"Uhh, from you guys—" He said it dumbly as if the answer was obvious. "You and Mom are constantly getting to business at night after all…" Hook, line, and sinker. Needless to say, Paul only sank even further to the ground, realizing he'd most likely corrupted his son with his overbearing nightly activities.

"I told Zenith to keep it down." Roxy proclaimed as she only offered a shrug to her employer. The two lovebirds that were her employers would more often than not go for a couple of hours every night. Even a child like Rudeus would take notice of them. Even Roxy noticed them, and Paul wasn't even her type. The blame for this landed squarely on the married couple.

"Let's get you up, Dad. I'm hungry, so we should forgive and forget and eat dinner." Rudeus helped his father get up from his slouched position. "That sounds good to you?"

With a quiet "Yes, sir." from his father, Rudeus and Roxy tagged along with Paul back into the Greyrat House for the night.

Dinner was primarily uneventful; both Rudeus and Paul didn't bring up their previous altercation from infront of the house. It seemed like Rudeus had gained some odd level of respect for his father after their little dispute—if you could even call it that. Paul, on the other hand, was certainly not taking that his son thoroughly whipped him in an argument that well, but he seemingly let it pass him by. He was probably pleased the discussion didn't get to him striking his son. That would've been one of the worst outcomes that could come with the territory of parent-child disputes.

Roxy waited to speak until everyone started eating, and the mood had settled down. "I have a request to make." The words came out flatly from her lips.

She could tell from the glances of Paul and Zenith that they were slightly taken aback by her proclamation. "What is it, Roxy?" Zenith's voice sounded as serene as ever, if not a little concerned at the sudden question.

"I was talking to Rudy about it, but it would appear that I'm beginning to run out of material to teach him." A sense of unease filled Roxy's voice as the table grew quiet.

"Seriously?!" Zenith sounded surprised, not in a bad way, but in one that exclaimed, 'Is my boy really that good?!'

"Yes, seriously. Rudy has already mastered all the advanced-level spells I've taught him, so his graduation could happen practically any day now." Roxy finished speaking, and Zenith stared at her with wide eyes. Then, without missing a beat, she excitedly jumped up from the dining table and clung to her husband, who caught her in his embrace.

Could you two not be lovey-dovey for a moment?

"Can you believe this, Honey! Our son's a genius!" Even if that sounded awfully cocky, Zenith wasn't incorrect about the statement.

"That's not what I wanted to tell—rather ask of you two, however." What Roxy said piqued the interest of both individuals in question. Even Lilia perked up a little from what she said. "It appears Laws' child Sylphiette also has a knack for magic—so I was thinking of staying a little longer to teach her… If you'd let me." The table went silent. Roxy didn't dare to meet Zenith or Paul's eyes for fear of how they might be looking at their hired tutor. The only thing the Migurd managed to see was Rudeus's smile as he looked at her.

"Is that really all you were worried about?" It was Paul who spoke. "If you already talked to Rudy about it, then I have no point in rejecting what you want." His voice held a levelheaded tone. "If you're asking if it's okay, I'm fine. Besides that, all the villagers appreciate your work, hell—" He paused at the word and slowly looked to his son, who beamed up at him. Paul grimaced slightly and continued, "They admire you, so I don't see any reason to stop you."

"I agree with my husband." Zenith placed her hand on her heart. "You've done a lot to help me around the house, Roxy. It's kinda like I had a daughter I never knew I wanted—or maybe a little sister, in your case? So, yeah, I don't see the harm in you staying here even after you're done teaching Rudy." Zenith approached her and, with a motion, put her arm on her shoulder to ease Roxy's heart and let her know she wouldn't let the Migurd woman escape. "To me, you're part of the family now."

These people really are too friendly for their own good. Roxy felt like she could cry. So she did just that.

It was a bittersweet moment for her.

She had run away from her home because she didn't fit in. It always felt like everyone was secretly judging her. All she wanted to do in those days was crawl into a hole and not leave it. Did I ever say goodbye to my parents? I didn't, did I? I should probably visit them when I can, but I think I'm okay with where I am—I have a family here.

"Thank you for your kindness." Roxy didn't bother to hide her tears from the family infront of her. It was useless to hide them from the people who could do nothing but watch the girl infront of them cry.

She felt a slight tug on her robe, and when she looked down, she saw the little boy who had almost certainly changed her life for the better in such a comparatively short period. "Even though you'll be graduating soon, it looks like our life together isn't going to end just yet." She gave the small boy a hug as she crouched down. One that he returned almost as quickly as she gave it. She could hear him sniffle a few times and grip her robe a little tighter as he did so.

This life in Buena is peaceful. So, while I'm here, I'll work harder to become the person you admire. That was the silent vow Roxy made that night.

>Rudeus<

"She had me worried for a moment there, bringing up my graduation." I felt relieved when I finally managed to get back to my room after the long day I found myself.

"To think she'd bring it up out of nowhere—only to go on about wanting to teach Sylphiette…" I was undoubtedly worried about the prospect of my graduation coming so early. I mean, I was four, so that would surely change things in the timeline, but then she went and mentioned tutoring Sylphiette, and all my worries washed away. That meant Roxy would probably stay for longer than she initially did, but I didn't much care for that fact. If anything, I thought it was a positive change.

I walked over to my desk and lit the candle by it. From one of my desk's drawers, I pulled out a journal I had been keeping. It was less like a journal and more like a rough sketch of what I had planned to do from my time in Buena to Sharia.

Of course, I knew that some of the events from here on would change. I already saw it happening with Roxy tutoring Sylphie. From what Orsted has said in his previous time loops, Roxy had apparently guided Sylphie in all of them. So it seemed fitting that she should be the one to teach her. A thought came to mind when I thought that. "It might even make me marrying her easier this time—" Doubt filled my heart at the statement.

Do I…want to do this? Do I really want to marry them—to love them? Why should I think about marrying them? Why did I start to plan to marry them again?

"—Is that even the right way to think about all this." I wasn't a child anymore. You could excuse my actions in my past life because of my demeanor and the degradation of my mind from closing myself off all those years. Even then, I was still a thirty-four-year-old in a child's body—even if I acted like a child, it still wasn't okay—now, though? I basically turned one hundred and twelve this year.

It's not okay to think about marrying a child in twelve years. Nor is it okay to act on my emotions that the other person doesn't share in kind with me. Even if I still love Roxy—if I still fall in love with Sylphie. All I'll do is lie to them.

"I've been manipulating them—this entire time, I've been lying to them." I looked at the open notebook on my desk, and a pang of fury hit my heart. I needed to do some heavy auditing on it. "I've been lying to them this entire time." The realization only made what I've been doing hurt more.

"I don't deserve to live the same life I did—they deserve better than me." I ripped out a page. Paper isn't the cheapest, but that page couldn't be saved. It detailed how I'd go around my arrival in Sharia. Sylphie deserves so much more than me—she always did… She deserves a husband that won't cheat on her. She deserves a happy life without conflict… I can't give that to her. Not this time.

I'll be her friend and give her a childhood she can remember, but that's all. After Roxy and I finish teaching her, I'll tutor Eris in Roa. That would be the end of my involvement with Sylphiette.

That's how it should be. How it ought to be.

I'll give her the tools to make her own path—Eris and Roxy too. The strength I'll impart to them will be for their use. So they can walk a path separate from mine.

So they can be happy in life without me.

Notes:

Author's Note: There you have it. Chapter six is finished and ends on a slightly bitter note. You can expect chapter seven on Sunday. The reason I normally keep this schedule is because some of the chapters were originally one large one, and I feel like it'd be better to not release them too far apart from one another.

As always feedback is appreciated.