Highlights
- Rudeus embarks on a quest to clear the Superd’s name, showcasing loyalty and dedication to past promises and allies.
- Sylphy’s pregnancy complicates Rudeus’ decision to save his mother, challenging his loyalties and priorities.
- Rudeus defies Hitogami’s guidance for the first time, making a choice that could drastically alter his life and fate.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2, Episode 18, “Turning Point 3”, now available to stream on Crunchyroll.
The past few Mushoku Tensei episodes have portrayed the new dynamics between Rudeus, his wife Sylphy, and his sisters Norn and Aisha. With the new episode, fans get to see Rudeus re-enact the original plan he had to help Ruijerd clear the evil and terror-inducing name of the Superds, Aisha’s willful and manipulative tendencies, and various new elements that make the story of Mushoku Tensei uncertain.
How Rudeus reacts to Sylphy’s surprising news and the developments of his mother’s whereabouts are brought to light, but the young mage must make a decision that could perhaps change the future of the series and his happiness.
The Superd’s Stigma
A Tale To Clear The Superd’s Name Is Set In Motion
Long before Rudeus met Ruijerd, a member of the Superd race, his master, Roxy, had taught him to fear them. Various continents treated the Superd as a race of irrational beings who attacked friends and foes, all thanks to the curse placed upon them by Laplace during the Great War.
Rudeus finally going ahead with his plan of helping the Superd by writing books about Ruijerd’s heroic adventures sits well with fans as it shows that even with new troubles, Rudeus still remembers his past promises and allies. Interestingly, Norn agrees to help Rudeus write about Ruijerd’s past and heroic tales, as he (Rudeus) is stuck on what and how to write. While fans know that Norn seemed enamored with Ruijerd, seeing her readily take up the mantle to write about Ruijerd comes as a surprise. However, as Norn seems to know much about Ruijerd’s past, she should be more than capable of crafting a story to clear his name alongside Rudeus.
Prelude To New Developments
A General Overview Of Everyone’s Life
Before focusing on any plot point, this episode of Mushoku Tensei portrays Rudeus’ daily life as well as his friends who advance in their respective fields. Firstly, Nanahoshi’s plan and advancement in her summoning magic circles are portrayed, and she mentions a mysterious ‘him’ who would be needed for further knowledge on teleportation and summoning.
The mysterious ‘him’ is most likely Perugius Dola, the Armored Dragon King, and the forebearer of teleportation and summoning magic circles. Zanoba, Julie, Cliff, and even Rudeus’ lives are also shown, but the way the scenes are portrayed implies that an arc will be rounding off and a new one will begin. Sure enough, this is proven true as Rudeus is set to go save his mother. However, before that, it seems the young mage is about to have a child.
Sylphy’s Pregnancy
Rudeus Is Set To Become A Father
Sylphy’s pregnancy is undoubtedly a source of joy for Rudeus; however, the timing with which it occurs leaves Rudeus at a crossroads. At the same time Sylphy gets pregnant, a vague letter requesting help in saving Rudeus’ mother also arrives. In normal circumstances, Rudeus would be expected to rush to his mother’s side immediately; however, with his child about to be born, his hesitation is understandable. Interestingly, Hitogami then appears to Rudeus and tells him not to go to Begaritt to save his mother but to stay with Sylphy instead.
Apart from Rudeus missing the birth of his child, few repercussions of Rudeus leaving can be conjectured; however, Hitogami seems particular about Rudeus not leaving. While many reasons can be thought up, Hitogami’s recent and past actions point towards him preventing Rudeus and Roxy from meeting. Hitogami has given Rudeus lots of ‘advice’ but that doesn’t mean his recent one can be trusted.
Apart from warning Rudeus not to go to Begaritt, Hitogami also tells Rudeus to mate with either Linia or Pursena during the next mating season. This brings up a lot of questions, as few benefits can be thought of with Rudeus getting together with a member of the Doldia tribe. Would mating with Linia or Pursena grant Rudeus the complete support of Ghislaine and the Doldia tribe? What could he possibly need their support for?
Meanwhile, while Rudeus is left undecided due to Hitogami’s ‘advice’, he consults his various friends for advice. Some tell him to stay, some to go, but two particularly stand out. These two are none other than Zanoba and Elinalise. Elinalise tells Rudeus to stay, as she will go in his place. For her relationship with Cliff, she decides to break up with the young boy, as a trip to Begaritt would take up to a year without considering the return trip. While her intentions are noble, would Rudeus allow someone else to sacrifice their relationship so he could sit at home with his wife as he wonders about his mother’s situation? Most likely not. From the onset, Rudeus would most likely never allow Elinalise to go while he stayed, but then, why did Elinalise seem so ready to forgo her relationship with Cliff? Has she always had some lingering guilt about being with Cliff? Or does she hold Paul and his family in such high esteem?
Meanwhile, Zanoba’s response to Rudeus’ indecisiveness is a quote;
Children Still Grow When Their Father Isn’t Watching Them. — Zanoba
While short, the quote shows that even though his presence is important, whether he stays or goes, his child will continue to grow. Moreover, Rudeus would never be able to watch his child all the time, and even then, the child would still grow. And so, if he is uneasy about his mother’s situation, going to her rescue is more important.
Picking Loyalties
Rudeus Defies Hitogami’s Guidance
Finally, Rudeus makes a choice. The last straw that breaks the camel’s back is him seeing Norn trying to go all by herself. While Norn’s outburst could be seen as childish, inconsiderate, and selfish, seeing her helplessness allows Rudeus to decide to go save his mom. While he ultimately decides to go, Rudeus’ decision puts him in a position where he’s not heeding Hitogami’s advice for the first time. How this decision would affect his life and Mushoku Tensei is yet to be seen, but without a doubt, this decision is capable of drastically altering his life, for better or worse.
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