無職転生 ~異世界行ったら本気だす~ 4

無職転生: 異世界行ったら本気だす [Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu] #4

by Rifujin na Magonote, 理不尽な孫の手, Shirotaka (Illustrator)

突如として発生した魔力災害によって、魔大陸へと飛ばされてしまったルーデウスと暴力お嬢様のエリス。
2人は歴戦の勇者であるルイジェルドの助けを借りながら、故郷であるフィットア領への帰還を目指す。
中央大陸へと戻るため、やっとの思いでたどり着いた港町ウェンポート。そこで助けた少女は、なんと噂に聞きし存在の魔界大帝キリシカ!!
彼女から礼だと授けられた新しい力、“魔眼"とは……!?
憧れの“人生やり直し型"異世界ファンタジー、待望の第四弾がここに登場!

Genres: Light Novel, Fantasy, Fiction, Magic, Japanese Literature, Adventure, Audiobook

318 pages, Hardcover

First published August 22, 2014

Reviews

[Jon Ureña · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four and a half stars for an isekai.

Everything taking place in this volume is stuff that the anime adaptation hasn’t covered as of March of 2021, so obviously spoilers. But why would you read this review if you hadn't either seen this part of the anime in the future, and/or hadn't read this volume?

We last left our trio of main characters (Rudy, the perverted forty something years old guy from another world who is currently inhabiting a ten years old body; Eris, the twelve years old, violent redhead who can cut most people and creatures down with a sword; Ruijerd, the last member of a hated and feared race of demons, who is acting as those two children’s guardian) as they reached the city from which they would set sail to leave the demon continent. While the previous volume was something of a grindfest, with the protagonists making money through the Adventurers' Guild’s errands, lots of new, interesting stuff happens on this volume.

When they go figure out how much they are going to spend in securing a boat to cross the ocean, they find out that they’ll have to pay a fortune for Ruijerd, the Superd guardian, to accompany them. He’s classified as something of a terrorist, so the authorities don’t want to set him loose on another land then possibly pay the political consequences for it. So Rudy is worried about their options. They don’t want to abandon Ruijerd on the demon continent, but it would take them years to earn that much money.

Thankfully or not, the creepy, flamboyant man-god of this world comes to Rudy’s dreams again and he suggests that Rudy should buy a bunch of food and venture through a certain alleyway. Rudy isn’t eager to obey this god, given that the guy is clearly motivated by putting Rudy through nonsense that will make him react interestingly. This weird man-god’s suggestion leads Rudy to meet a succubus-like demon girl who is being led into her likely rape by a drunken man, who is promising to feed her. Rudy confronts the fellow, breaks his jaw and leaves him unconscious. After feeding the girl, she warms up to Rudy. She claims to be the demon empress from days of old who has been revived somewhat recently, and that she’s eager to pay him back for his kindness. Rudy thinks this is some chuunibyou demon child who’s had a rough time on the streets, so he plays along. She offers him to grant him the special power of a demonic eye. Among the options, he choses the eye of foresight, which would allow him to see a few seconds into the future. Without further ado, the demon girl plunges her finger into Rudy’s eyeball. Rudy begins to freak out, about to wonder if his magical abilities will be able to heal him from this sudden injury he never expected, when the demon girl finishes scraping the insides of Rudy’s eye socket. He’s left with an actual demonic eye which grants him foresight. Turns out that this demon girl was really Kishirika Kishirisu, the actual demonic empress that has lived for a thousand years or so, despite what her body would suggest (yeah, one of those “she told me she was an ancient being, your Honor” cases). Curiously, while anime adaptations tend to follow the illustrations chosen for the light novels to depict the characters, the anime of “Mushoku Tensei” ended up dropping the “young succubus” look of this Kishirika for a rather uncomfortable, completely childish look for this odd demon empress. When this scene gets animated, I’m sure it’s going to get weird.

I like this Kishirika person, though. There’s something compelling about a thousand years old demon empress who after getting revived can’t get anyone to believe her, and whose royal attitude and somewhat unhinged way of speaking makes strangers think she’s just a crazed orphan amongst many. She seems to be wandering the demon continent in search of some people, but can’t even secure food for herself, and isn’t cunning enough to realize that a lecherous middle aged man inviting her to his home to “feed” her won't feed her actual food.

Rudy has a hard time controlling his foresight at the beginning, as he can’t stop from seeing the events that will come to pass in a few seconds, but he ends up modulating the effect with his magic. After a surprised and confused Ruijerd confirms that the weird demon girl must have been the empress of old, he suggests that Rudy should fight Eris to test his new power. Eris has always beaten him on sword fights, as she’s far better than him (and by this point probably a better fighter in her style than Rudy’s knightly father, despite her being twelve years old), but Rudy manages to evade all of her attacks. After Eris loses, she’s mortified. She’s always had a complex because she believes herself to be mostly useless (she didn’t want to learn how to read nor do math because she was convinced that it would just prove how stupid she is, and her violent attitude is a defense mechanism against how the surrounding nobles had been treating her for her generally unladylike ways), and sword fighting was her main strength. However, Rudy, who has grown to care a lot for this violent redhead he wants to do sexual things to, smooths things over.

Ruijerd convinces Rudy not to sell his staff to pay for Ruijerd’s passage on a boat. Instead they’ll try to find some smuggler. A thug that Rudy had helped before with his foresight (he prevented a flowerpot from landing on this thug's noggin) offers to smuggle Ruijerd, as long as they help him with some troublesome business. He wants to free some of the slaves that his organization is smuggling to the land on the other side of the ocean, for undisclosed reasons, and doesn’t want to get his own hands dirty. They agree.

Meanwhile, fan favorite Roxy Migurdia, Rudy’s master who taught him saint-level magic when Rudy was around six years old, has reached the same coastal city on the demon continent to look for the kid and the rest of his family. She’s accompanied by an excessively horny elf, as well as a stocky dwarven magician. Roxy manages to come across Ruijerd and Eris as they were training, but she only ends up getting scared by the Superd’s menacing looks. She never runs into Rudy, and while the protagonist’s party leaves the continent to cross the ocean, Roxy’s party travels deeper into the continent. I guess we will have to wait a long time for Rudy and Roxy to meet again. As the highlight of this sequence we get Roxy returning to her inn only to come across her elf party member getting very willingly gangbanged by a bunch of thugs. Turns out the elf has a fetish for getting roughed up by violent, dominant males, among many other fetishes. When the elf offers Roxy to join in, the magician, who hasn’t gotten any maybe ever, freaks out, runs to her room and pulls off a Megumin, destroying half the inn with a magical blast. It will be nice to see that animated.

When Rudy’s party finally abandons the demon continent, Rudy goes to the smugglers’ den to free not only Ruijerd, who had been blindfolded and tied up as part of the deal, but also the slaves, who ended up being children despite the smuggler’s assurances. They also captured some big, important looking dog or dog-like creature. After Rudy frees Ruijerd, the Superd, who won’t suffer child traffickers, proposes they murder every smuggler in the building. After they do and they free the children, all of them half-beasts, one of the children demands Rudy returns to free the dog-like creature. When Rudy goes back into the building and frees the grateful doggo, a party of adult half-beasts who had gone in to rescue the slaves take him for a smuggler (many child-looking adults in that fantasy world), and capture him in turn. Even though Ruijerd meets with one of the half-beasts adults and they agree to release Rudy whenever they get to it, they won’t do so for a week or so, because they’ll have trouble dealing with the aftermath of liberating the children and handling the rest of the smuggling operation.

Rudy is stripped naked and thrown into a jail cell in a village of half-beast beings. He doesn’t have that bad of a time, he’s mostly wondering why Ruijerd doesn’t come for him. Turns out the half-beasts considered that dog-like creature sacred, and when they found Rudy they thought he was fondling it with sexual intentions. They can smell his sexual arousal, but they don’t get that it’s due to the voluptuous half-beast females that have been acting as his jailers. In any case, still naked Rudy receives another prisoner, a monkey-faced adult guy, probably not a human being, who had swindled the tribe. Rudy proceeds to act like some street thug to assert dominance. They end up getting along, and their interactions are one of the highlights of this volume.

Days later Rudy is only wearing the monkey man’s vest, and they realize that for some reason the village is on fire. They escape the cell. Plenty of human smugglers are attacking the half-beasts, trying to kill the adults and abduct the children. The smuggler that had helped the trio of protagonists before had played them: he had planned to allow the half-beasts adults to try to rescue the slaves, only to run into Ruijerd, who was expected to kill them all as the Superd demon that he is. With the village weakened, the rest of the smugglers should have had a smooth ride capturing as many half-beast younglings as they could; turns out that selling them to certain families of nobles is very profitable. One of those families of nobles is featured in a subplot both in the previous volume and later on in this one, and at least another one of those families of nobles is heavily implied to be none other than Eris’ family, who favor half-beast servants.

In any case, Rudy helps out of self-interest (he wants the half-beasts on his side). While naked from the waist down and perched on the monkey-man’s back, he turns into mobile, magic artillery to end as many smugglers as possible. I got Pieck Finger flashbacks for whatever reason. The thug who got him into this mess turns out to be very skilled, and even with foresight Rudy barely survives. In the end the smugglers get killed, and when Ruijerd returns with the rest of the half-beast adults after getting busy with not only the rest of the organization but also the bribed local authorities, the half-beasts propose that the protagonists live in the village until the rainy season passes. Not much of note happens beyond learning that the dog-like sacred being is intelligent and likes Rudy, and that Eris can make friends with strangers and then feel bad when they are left behind. And we also learn that fan favorite Ghislaine used to live in that village, although she wasn’t liked. As a child she was even more violent and troublesome than Eris at her worst. Her own family hates her. However, they grow regretful when they learn that Ghislaine has become a decent person. Here's a link to a video of the moment when Ghislaine became a legend for many/most followers of this series. It's from a couple of volumes ago, though.

When the protagonists leave the village to continue their journey back home (they still don’t know that the whole area was destroyed in the mana disaster), they are joined by the monkey-faced man, who is a pro at getting along with strangers. He becomes the party’s cook. It’s heavily implied that he was a member of Rudy’s parents’ party before it got dissolved. I don’t know how I feel about all these coincidences (meeting Roxy’s parents on the demon continent, Ghislaine’s parents on some other land, and then a former member of Rudy’s parents’ party). It probably contributes to making this fantasy world feel smaller.

Apart from the characteristic half-beast beings and the very undemonic “demons” (a variety of Onis from Japanese folklore), the world of “Mushoku Tensei” also features the usual Tolkien races, including hobbits. I don’t like that shit, but what can you do. Rudy’s party even stops at a dwarven settlement along the way, which is as generic as they come. In any case, the myriad of intelligent species in this fantasy world contributes to interesting interactions, so I won’t complain too much.

We are also treated to another part of a subplot labelled “extra”, a plot thread that started on the previous volume. We follow a beautiful Asuran princess who was enjoying a dissolute life, passing her days drinking tea with her guardians and also practicing her bisexuality through ravaging a variety of enslaved servants. She didn’t intend to fight for the throne, but the whole mana disaster happens and a monster gets teleported to her yard. Her esteemed guardian dies, but with his last words he pleads for her to fight for the throne to change the kingdom and shit. So she’s trying. In the part of the subplot that this volume features we meet her new guardian, who saves the princess from a night assassin. The guardian is a distant relative of Rudy, from the conflicting side of his family line, who also was teletransported in the mana disaster. I suppose that at some point Rudy will clash with this beautiful, perverted princess for some fun times or such. I find this subplot too detached from the main adventure, as well as too expository at times. I just don’t want to look away from Rudy’s party, unless we are following Roxy.

Great volume, though.

[ChandraShekhar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great World building, good tense moments and a dog ! Sadly, the protagonist is still a pervert. Needs to be read with an open mind. The magic system is excellent, intriguing at times. The sword style is not lost behind the magic system in which the protagonist is adept. Eris ( Protagonist's cousin) learns to improve her fighting from Ruijerd (the demon of nightmares). Rudeus, the protagonist gets a demon eye from the Queen of Demons and its a game changer for him. I have high hopes for the next volumes and i sincerely hope that the protagonist learns to view women as people and not through the eyes of a 40 year old pervert.

[Artavazdah · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Taufiq Candra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Di volume kali ini, Rudeus, Eris, dan Ruijerd berada di Wind Port yakni Kota Pelabuhan sekaligus kota paling ujung Benua Iblis sebelum akhirnya mereka bertiga berpindah ke Benua Milis. Diceritakan ketika berada di Kota Wind Port, Rudeus bertemu dengan Kaisar Agung Bangsa iblis, Kishirika Kishirisu. Akan tetapi, Kaisar Agung Bangsa Iblis yang ditemui Rudeus ternyata tidak sesuai ekspektasinya karena ia merupakan seorang bocah perempuan. Diduga hal tersebut terjadi karena Kaisar Bangsa Iblis tersebut baru saja terlahir kembali di dunia. Dari pertemuan tersebut, Rudeus menerima mata iblis pemberian Kaisar Bangsa Iblis setelah Rudeus mau berbaik hati memberikan makanan kepada Kaisar Bangsa Iblis tersebut ketika ia sedang kelaparan. Tindakan yang dilakukan Rudeus pun tak terlepas dari campur tangan Hitogami yang telah memberikannya clue di dalam mimpi. Lantas setelah menerima mata iblis yang dapat melihat masa depan, Rudeus membutuhkan waktu sekitar satu minggu untuk beradapatasi sehingga ia menghabiskan sebagian besar waktunya di kamar.

Selama seminggu berada di kamar, tanpa Rudeus sadari guru sihirnya yang benama Roxy berada di kota Wind Port juga. Selama Roxy berada di Wind Port, ia yang ditemani dua rekannya menghabiskan waktu untuk mengumpulkan informasi tentang keluarga Paul. Dalam pencarian tersebut, Roxy dan timnya menemukan informasi tentang kelompok petualang bernama "Dead End". Melalui pencarian tersebut, Roxy akhirnya mengamati anggota "Dead End" yakni Ruijerd dan Eris yang sedang berlatih. Namun, Roxy tidak berani untuk menghampiri mereka sehingga Roxy dan Rudeus tidak dapat bertemu di Wind Port. Roxy dan timnya akhirnya melanjutkan perjalanan untuk menyusuri Benua Iblis sedangkan "Dead End" melanjutkan perjalanan menuju Benua Milis.

Untuk melintas ke Benua Milis, "Dead End" bekerja sama bersama penyelundup untuk membawa Ruijerd berlayar ke Saint Port yang berada di Benua Milis. Hal ini terjadi karena dibutuhkan banyak uang agar dapat mengikutsertakan Ruijerd yang merupakan seorang Ras Supard. Segera setelah sampai di Saint Port, Rudeus dan Eris menyewa sebuah kamar di sebuah penginapan yang berada di lingkungan yang kumuh. Karena khawatir barang-barang mereka dicuri, Rudeus meminta Eris untuk tetap berada di penginapan sedangkan dirinya akan bertemu penyelundup untuk membebaskan Ruijerd.

Ketika hendak membebaskan Ruijerd, Rudeus diminta Ruijerd agar mereka dapat membebaskan anak yang turut dikurung di tempat penyelundup. Dengan setujunya Rudeus dengan maksud Ruijerd, mereka akhirnya memutuskan untuk menyelamatkan anak-anak yang diculik oleh penyelundup. Di misi ini, Ruijerd bertugas untuk menghabisi seluruh anggota penyelundup agar perbuatan mereka tidak diketahui oleh organisasi penyelundup dan tidak dianggap sebagai pengkhianat. Sedangkan Rudeus bertugas untuk menyelamatkan anak-anak yang sedang ditangkap. Setelah Ruijerd menyelesaikan tugasnya, Ruijerd, Rudeus, dan anak-anak yang mereka selamatkan pergi bersama menuju Saint Port. Akan tetapi, di tengah perjalanan mereka salah satu anak meminta Ruijerd dan Rudeus untuk turut menyelematkan Hewan Suci yang juga ditangkap bersama mereka. Mendengar hal tersebut, Ruijerd dan Rudeus berbagi tugas. Ruijerd bertugas untuk membawa anak-anak ke arah kota. Sebaliknya, Rudeus bertugas untuk menyelamatkan hewan suci. Ketika sedang menyelamatkan Hewan Suci, Rudeus ditangkap oleh ras hewan yang ternyata pelindung Hewan Suci. Akhirnya, Rudeus dibawa dan dipenjara yang mana penjara tersebut berada di Hutan Suci yang merupakan pemukiman Ras Hewan.

Setelah sekian lama berada di penjara, Rudeus memiliki teman baru yang juga dimasukkan ke penjara karena melakukan perjudian. Akhirnya mereka menghabiskan waktu bersama di penjara selama seminggu sebelum akhirnya Ruijerd dan Eris datang ke penjara untuk membersihkan nama Rudeus. Setelah berhasil menyelamatkan anak-anak yang merupakan ras hewan, akhirnya Ruijerd dianggap sebagai pahlawan dan tuduhan palsu yang diterima Rudeus menghilang.

Setelah nama Rudeus dibersihkan, kelompok "Dead End" menghabiskan waktu yang santai di pemukiman ras hewan yang berada di hutan suci. Karena hutan suci sedang mengalami musim hujan, kelompok "Dead End" menetap sementara di Hutan Suci sekitar tiga bulan penuh. Dalam kurun waktu tersebut, Rudues dan Eris mengetahui bahwa pemukimam yang mereka ditempati sekarang merupakan tempat asal dari guru pedang mereka, Ghyslane. Selama beberapa bulan tersebut pula, hubungan Rudeus dan Hewan Suci semakin dekat. Di lain sisi, Eris juga menjalin hubungan pertemanan dengan beberapa anak dari ras hewan. Dalam masa santai tersebut, kelompok "Dead End" turut membantu kesatria desa dalam membasmi monster yang kerap kali menyerang pemukiman.

Setelah musim hujan selesai, kelompok "Dead End" kembali melanjutkan perjalanan mereka. Namun, kali ini mereka ditemani oleh Gisu yang sempat ditemui Rudeus di Penjara dan dilengkapi perbekalan dan kuda pemberian ras hewan yang sempat mereka bantu. Dalam perjalanan tersebut, mereka menyusuri Jalan Pedang Suci yang merupakan jalan bebas hambatan buah karya Saint Milis (pendiri Gereja Milis).

Meskipun volume ubu sedikit bagian-bagian serunya, aku tetap saja senang bacanya. Aku sempat bertanya-tanya ketika Roxy juga berada di Wind Port apakah ia dan Rudeus dapat bertemu. Dan bagaimana jadinya kalau mereka bertemu. Tapi sayang mereka tidak ketemu. Oh ya di volume ini, ada juga sebuah spill dari Kaisar Agung Bangsa Iblis yang mengatakan bahwa Rudeus memiliki kekuatan sihir yang besar. Aku yakin banget kalau itu adalah clue bahwa kekuatan Rudeus bakal akan menjadi lebih besar kedepannya. Nice volume!

[Coyora Dokusho]

The Demon Queen amused me. It's sad that Redeus screwed up but... I think he needed the learning experience to maintain humility...

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full spoilers

Even as we travel across the land, the world building continues to build upon its previously laid groundwork, while still trickling in fresh, new elements along the way. Among the new characters we meet in this novel, Demon Queen Kishirika Kishirisu is a grand standout. Though the encounter was brief, she leaves an undeniable impact on the story, as we continue to learn that there are legendary figures of history hiding right under our main man's nose. It's also great how even though Rudeus himself within the past year has put on many boistorous displays, announcing his Superd to the guild halls with style and flair, that when he's the one watching, he's just as quick to dismiss her based on her stature. He should know better than anyone at this point, between his experiences with Roxy, Ruijerd as well as himself, that physical appearance and mental age could be incongruant. My guess is that, in full contrast of her humble introduction, she will go on to be a key character in the later parts of the story.
As for Rudeus, his strange relationship with ManGod continues to serendipitously benefit him from every angle. Unlike the last encounter where Rudeus got very creative with the solutions to his problems, he decided to follow the advice he was given to the letter and not only managed to sidestep the overwhelming burden of paying their way across the sea, Rudeus lands himself yet another incredible weapon to add to his staggering arsenal in the form of a gifted Demon Eye from Kishirika. As a rare positive to Rudeus' current character, it's nice that he thinks often about how Eris is a prodigy in her field. Rudeus' incredibly quick mastery of his demon eye awes Ruijerd, but in the same sense, Rudeus is dazzled by Eris scoring a victory over Ruijerd. And the relationship between Eris and Rudeus only continues to deepen as the novel goes on, as they get very close over the time spent on the ship ride. Rudeus landed himself many wins this novel, but he had humanizing moments too. In the smuggler's den, Rudeus had to face head on the trepidation he feels towards killing other people, as opposed to just monsters. It's these moments of genuine inner turmoil that push Rudeus to grow as a character not just in his new world, but as his past self as well. However, during the time Rudeus spends in his cell, he can only think about why Ruijerd hadnt rescued him yet, and doesn't once think about Eris.
The humour in this novel was really good. Situationally, it's so amusing that in such a large world, Roxy got so close, and yet so far from Rudeus at Wind Port. If you like pervy humour even the slightest, Elinalise joins the cast as the horniest female character yet, as pure and innocent Roxy catches her with a staggering five men in her bedroom at once. Best though was the New Apartment - Free Rent scene. Rudeus takes being thrown in prison with the style and ease of a sunbathing cat. Then at the perfect moment, right when Rudeus is on the verge of losing his cool due to anxiety, he gets a roommate in his new apartment, Geese. Rudeus doesn't hesitate to have fun playing with his new toy and it makes for some really fun banter between two guys who don't care too much that they're in jail. For the rest of the novel, Geese gets along very easily with the main crew and the beast tribe. Having Geese in a scene lightens the mood without being overbearing.
Gallus, the villain of this novel, is both cunning and strong for Rudeus at his current level. As a kidnapper who would sink so low as to betray his allies for profit, he makes for the perfect villain for Ruijerd. And it's Rudeus that upholds Ruijerd honour against Gallus and his smugglers when he sides with the Beastfolk. Gallus is the first real test of Rudeus' strength after growing through his ordeal on the Demon Continent and it's thanks to his teamwork with the Sacred Beast and his faith in Geese that he was able to overcome it. Even though it was his first time fighting with this party, no less against an enemy that is stronger than them individually, Rudeus gained a quick grasp on the situation and it well portrays the potential Rudeus has as an adventurer to be flexible, dynamic and adaptable to parties of all kinds.
With all conflicts and disputes resolved, the time spent in the Beast tribe village plays out more like a slice of life chapter. Our main adventurers get to enjoy some well deserved down time while the plot of the story takes a break to focus on the culture of the Beast tribe and many of the characters living in this village. Much like they run into Roxy's parents in the Migurd village, here they meet relatives of Ghislaine. The world feels significantlly more fleshed out by the end of the novel, thanks in no small part to the contrast between the desolate nature of the Demon continent and the lush landscape of the Beast tribe village. Even though the cast keeps getting bigger as the novels go on, there are moments like these that develop many relationships at once. At the same time, every character has a clear and purpousful motivation, and it's apparent through the actions that characters take.

[Caleb Nischara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Out of all the volumes so far, this one gave me the most mixed feelings. What struck me immediately is that, unlike the previous three volumes, the story doesn’t unfold mainly in one setting. Instead, two larger locations—Wind Port and Doldia Village—share the spotlight, with the smuggler Gallus tying them together narratively. There’s also a larger backdrop driving the story: the rainy season. It's mentioned at the beginning and ends up being the reason Rudeus and his group have to leave Wind Port in a rush. It’s also why the smugglers are transporting slaves at that exact time and why they choose to attack Doldia then. The plot seems to follow Rudeus’s movements, but this makes sense given the external circumstances of the rainy season, and also his own decisions (he takes on Gallus’s task, which leads him in a specific direction). The fact that the rainy season forces them to stay in Doldia for months brings the story full circle. It’s a great example of how the world-building, plot, and character actions all mesh together naturally. Nothing feels like it just happens for the sake of the story—everything comes as a logical consequence of the broader context, and the characters' responses feel equally justified. Even with the changing locations, the book still has a cohesive structure that ties it all together.

Where I’m less sure is with the humor. Yes, Rudeus is a perverted character, and that wasn’t really an issue in the first three volumes because it felt in line with who he is. Maybe it’s because he’s more confident in this world and in his role, so he’s showing that side of himself more openly (which does subtly show his growth), but in this book, the sexual jokes come thick and fast. No female character, regardless of age, escapes his innuendos, and after a while, it got to be a bit much. While it’s still true to his character, the sheer volume of these remarks made them feel repetitive and a bit tiresome. I hope this kind of humor isn't as overwhelming in the next volume. Another thing I found disappointing was how little was done with Rudeus’s past and his traumas in this volume. When he’s thrown naked into a cage, it seemed like the perfect moment for him to reflect on his old bullies, who once humiliated him in a similar way. It could have been a stressful moment that triggered old memories, or a chance to show how much he’s grown by moving beyond those experiences. Instead, the past wasn’t touched on, and he seemed to be having the time of his life in the cage. Considering what he’s been through, it felt like a missed opportunity, and without this balance, the volume leaned too heavily on the perverted jokes, which made Rudeus feel a bit one-dimensional here—when he’s anything but.

On a brighter note, I really want to praise the extra chapter at the end. At first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but I ended up really enjoying how it told a short story completely separate from the main plot. It built directly on the extra chapter from volume three and, unfortunately, was a part of the story that had already been spoiled for me by the anime: the explanation of how Fitz came to the palace and befriended Princess Ariel. What I absolutely loved about this volume was how it kept Sylphie’s identity hidden. She’s consistently referred to as “Fitz” and “he,” with her appearance described as having white hair. Only small hints, like her master’s ability to cast magic without chanting, allow readers to start piecing it together. There are subtle comments that suggest she’s a girl, but nothing outright confirms it. The novel does a brilliant job of playing with perspectives, letting the reader see the world through the eyes of characters with limited knowledge. It makes the story feel much more immersive and alive, requiring you to actively engage with the text since so much is hinted at rather than stated directly. If I hadn’t known ahead of time that Fitts was Sylphie, I don’t think I would’ve guessed it just yet. This is where the written medium really shines, adding layers to both the volume and the series as a whole. Sadly, this is also where the anime adaptation falls short—it’s impossible to obscure Fitz’s identity in the same way on screen, which means one of the best elements of the book is lost.
All in all, while a few things bothered me more than usual, I still enjoyed the book, especially towards the end, and I’m excited to see what happens next.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting thing the author is doing here, kinda makes me wish I’d read the books before seeing the anime. He’s very good at concealing information that will later be important, and while there are some things I already now since we are in season 2 already, I’m really trying to pay special attention to all the extra information because I’m sure there’ll be quite a few surprises there. It’s a lot to remember, but the plot is getting very good. I love that we are keeping an eye on all other characters besides Rudy, and the little hints here and there of suspicious looking information are keeping me hooked. So far we are mostly with Rudeus, Ruijerd and Eris, but we are still following Roxy and a few others and I can’t wait to find some of Rudy’s family members as we get closer to the continent.

[Daniel St. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vol. 4 delivers one of the most emotional arcs in the early series. The focus on the Displacement Arc aftermath gives the story a heavier and more mature tone. Rudeus goes through real emotional struggle, and his internal conflict adds meaningful depth to his character. The sense of isolation he faces is portrayed with surprising nuance. The worldbuilding remains strong and introduces environments that feel distinct and memorable. The pacing slows at key moments, which helps the emotional tension settle in naturally. Character interactions carry more weight than usual and show how far everyone has come. Several scenes stand out as some of the most heartfelt moments in the series so far. The writing balances introspection and adventure in a way that feels more refined than earlier volumes. Overall, this volume marks a powerful turning point that left a lasting impression.

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid fantasy light novel, but it should be said that it is the direct source of both the manga and the anime by the same name. (English speakers, please present Jobless Re-incarnation).

Fun? Absolutely. This kid is a horny but still ethical kid that just so happens to be a fantasy reincarnation of a dirty middle aged man. Sound icky? That's kinda the point. He LEARNS. It's pretty wholesome.

Beyond that, this fourth volume is focused on leaving the Demon Kingdom, while on the way home, hijinx ensues, with a good long look at the Beastman Kingdom. I like how there's a lot of friendship-building going on.

Again, not my favorite story-arc, but better than the last, and definitely a built-up for the good stuff to come.

[Zebulon Griggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character is a terrible person, but this reads as a redemption story. You get to go on a journey with a weird creepy dude that is starting his life over and trying (sometimes failing) to stop from slipping into his old habits. The story is set in a world with magic and skills. There is plenty of sexual references and terrible internalized monologuing, but the actions of the MC are his attempt at redemption and thank goodness there are no actually graphically detailed scenes in the audio. Guessing by this having been released as a manga/graphic novel or whatever the correct word is for this type of asian comic book, I will absolutely not be interested in the visual imagery.

[Fernando Tarango · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volumen 4
Interesante, sigue mostrando como funciona el mundo, da más detalles de él, la relación de los actuales personajes que estan juntos mejora, aunque me hubiera gustado saber un poco más de otros o diferentes puntos de vista de ciertas cosas, pero esta bastante bien, me gustó más que el último y los personajes estan evolucionando con el paso del tiempo, sin power-ups ni cosas ridiculas, lo cual es otro punto a favor.
En general va bien y el worldbuilding me parece de lo mejor que tiene Mushoku Tensei.

[Dustin Szabo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent addition to the story

We’re getting closer to where the anime left off before season two starts later this year. There was so much more exposition and side story elements in this book that wasn’t covered in the anime so I highly recommend it for anime first watchers like me. So much more detail and interesting stuff happened in the great forest that wasn’t portrayed in that format. We also got another bonus chapter at the end covering characters that have not been seen in the anime at all. I can’t wait to see how they tie in to the story later.

[Haris Raza · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling read.
The mc’s... tastes were a bit more pronounced in this book, however it still couldn’t detract from the engaging story.
It’s all building to something

My only wish was to have more Fitz chapters. The political machinations and intrigue seem to be well thought out enough that they could be chapter wise narratives rather than “Extra Chapters” at the end, which I have found the most engaging since the last 2 books lol

A solid entry again

On to the next!

[Jesus · Rating 5 out of 5]

great job

I enjoyed this series. The details and how much it differs from the anime. I liked the growth of eris and that rudeus is still the same person. Can’t wait to continue on this journey with death end.

[Tomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was the worst book in this series and I am really fed up with the MC, the next book will probably my last.
Also most of the book feels like sections of summaries with an occasional dialogue (I'm exaggerating of course but nothing interesting happens).

[N A T Y · Rating 3 out of 5]

El volumen 4 de Mushoku tensei ocurré principalmente en el Territorio de la raza Feral, mi puntación final fue de 3,4 estrellas, y es que todo bien, pero la parte en la cuál salvaban a los niños me aburrió :(

[Kron Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Existieron partes que se me hicieron algo pesadas, pero en general estuvo muy interesante, demostró que cada semilla que sembro el protagonista tomos atrás, tenía una razón y un uso, así mismo evoluciona al personaje en su manera de actuar, dandole humildad cuando lo necesita.

[William Yip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rudeus had an excessive amount of perverted behavior and thoughts throughout. Overall, I enjoyed the book, I liked the party's sojourn in the beastfolk village including the rescue of the captured young, Rudeus's time in jail, and the fight against the human kidnappers.

[Manolo Tenorio · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was doubting between 4 and 5 stars but the dynamics and settings for this volume were amazing.
The quirky Demon Empress character that aided Rudeus, Eris as a whole, the relationships with the Doldia tribe, specially for Ruijeard, and the introduction of those 7 great powers guys.
Great volume

[EnDashVee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was done faster than the previous ones..... Felt more like a bridge than an actual volume..

[Lluis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rapido, divertido e ilegal

La cosa es que, aunque parece que es en clave ironica, misoginia mal. Se me ha quitado la curiosidad de seguir leyendo las novelas.

[Jakub · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/10

*tbd*

[Daniel Simón · Rating 5 out of 5]

Divertido, una transición de las dificultades del desierto a las maravillas del bosque y divertidas sorpresas de por medio, una experiencia completa que anima a seguir leyendo la colección

[Gabriel d'Matos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun but in the end is just a set up for the next volume. In general, nothing significant happen but as it´s interesting to see this world being formed with every volume.

[Alex Buchkovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing

[Brad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not easy trying to find a physical copy. Kindle has come in handy

[AB · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4

[Andy Febrico Bintoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Adventure continue, as usual, New friends and new abilities developed in the journey. Seems the limit still far away.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever feel like you aren't a good son, read this book and I am sure it will bring a tear to your eye.