I Reincarnated to Another World as a Woman-Chapter 167: The Shape of Change

A few days later, Theo sits at the back patio, enjoying a slice of blueberry cheesecake, courtesy of Leila.

He’s been thinking a lot lately. About Thea. About himself. About how he should move forward. The thoughts circle endlessly, and he’s tired. He still hasn’t found an answer that truly satisfies him.

But he has to admit it. Continuing to live as Thea Montrose is not bad.

It is evident, beyond any doubt, that the Montroses love him.

He dares to think of himself as him, as Theo and not Thea, because he has been living as Thea for months now, and they still haven’t noticed anything. Not a single crack.

Theo takes that to mean something important. They have come to know and love the Theo that exists within Thea.

For now, that is enough for him.

But deep down, he knows he cannot continue living like this forever. If this goes on, the real Theo will slowly fade away, until only a version of him remains.

He still hasn’t found his purpose in this world.

How ironic it is for the strongest mage of Caelthorn to be stranded in a world where mana barely exists.

Even though Theo can feel himself growing stronger, it is still far from his days as an Archmage. Only inside dungeons does he feel like himself again.

Should I find a dungeon and live there? Theo thinks.

He immediately dismisses the idea.

Absurd. Insane. Erase that thought. Forever.

He sighs and chews the cake in his mouth. Back to square one.

Click.

The patio door opens.

Theo turns around and sees Leila carrying a tray filled with snacks.

He immediately stands and helps her.

"Mother, why so many snacks? I’ll gain a lot of weight if I keep eating like this," Theo chuckles, his eyes sparkling.

Leila laughs.

"Looking at your eyes, you want to keep eating. And don’t worry about your weight. Clearing dungeons will shed it all. You’ll be in great shape again."

Theo smiles. "True. Clearing dungeons is a complete workout."

Leila sits down across from him.

"I still can’t believe you’re really going to clear dungeons with your brothers. And that I’m letting you go," she says softly. "It’s insane, Thea. Why don’t you reconsider?"

She has been saying the same thing for days now, ever since Maurice and Arthur told her about Rhaenas.

Of course she is worried. But like Maurice, she trusts her children. And seeing how determined all three of them are, the only thing she can do is support them.

Theo puts down his dessert fork and takes both of Leila’s hands in his.

"Mother, I know you’re worried. I understand," he says gently. "But ever since I woke up, I’ve felt stuck. Useless."

He meets her eyes.

"Now Arthur and Julian need me. They really need me. They’re not doing this out of pity. They need me because I can help."

He smiles faintly.

"I’m not useless. I don’t want to stay at home, eat all day, and bloat like a pig. I want a purpose. And clearing dungeons... I know it’s hard for you to believe, but I’m good at it. Really good."

"Even Arthur and Julian were surprised by how good I am," he adds, winking.

He knows one thing for certain.

He has to go. He cannot stay behind.

And if Maurice and Leila had refused to let him go with the rest of Rhaenas, he would have run away just to be with them.

"Don’t worry too much, Mother. It’s not like we’re moving to another house or city. We’ll still come back here. We’re only going to clear dungeons, not leave home."

Leila chuckles.

"Alright, alright. You must be tired of hearing me say the same thing over and over," she says gently. "I’ve already decided to let you go, so I’ll stick to that. Just be careful, okay? You can promise me that at least, right?"

Theo nods. "Of course."

They continue chatting and snacking together.

------------------------------

That night, Rhaenas holds a video conference to update one another.

"I’ll go first," Liam says. "My father agreed to the test. One dungeon. Here in Solarys." He grins, clearly proud.

"Great job, Liam!" Arthur praises him.

"Don’t celebrate yet," Liam says. "We haven’t passed the test."

"True," Arthur replies, "but do you really think we won’t be able to?"

Julian interjects, "Look at you, so confident. Remember, Theo won’t be with us. This dungeon test will just be us, Rhaenas."

"And that’s how it should be," Arthur says calmly. "Do you really want to be treated like babies, constantly babysat?"

"Theo is our teacher," Arthur continues. "Not our babysitter." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

He glances at Theo and grins. "Besides, we have our secret weapon."

Julian blinks, then snorts. "You’ve changed, Art."

Arthur raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Before, you barely smiled. I mean, really smiled," Julian says. "And now you’re grinning all the time. You’ve become more expressive."

Arthur doesn’t deny it. He feels the change too. And he likes it. That’s why he hasn’t tried to suppress it.

It feels liberating not to be rigid all the time.

"And you’ve changed too, Jules," Arthur says. "Before, you were always ready to tease and joke around. But now you’re quieter. Steadier."

"Really?" Julian asks. "I don’t feel it."

"You might not," Arthur replies. "But people around you definitely do."

"It’s because of your elements," Theo chimes in.

Everyone turns toward him.

"Arthur is fire. Before, he was almost the opposite, which is why his change feels the most drastic. Fire resonance magi tend to have fiery personalities."

"Julian is earth. Earth is quiet. Stable."

"Liam is water. Water is calm and slow. Sometimes water magi are mistaken as lazy, but there’s nothing lazy about them."

"Maeve is light," Theo continues. "Light magi tend to notice things more. They see people more clearly."

He looks at Maeve. "Do you feel it?"

Maeve nods slowly. "A little. Lately, when people talk to me, I can sense whether they’re genuine or not. If they’re hiding something."

Theo nods. "That tracks with light."

Then he grins. "Why did this video call suddenly turn into a magic lesson? Let’s get back to the updates."

"Right. I’ll go," Maeve says. "Arthur, my teacher asked me to arrange a meeting with you. He doesn’t want to do it over the phone. Since you’re coming to Solarys anyway, I told him you’d meet him here. Is that okay?"

Arthur nods. "More than okay. Do you know why he wants to meet me? To discuss that deal?"

Maeve nods.

Julian sighs. "It feels kind of pointless, doesn’t it? I mean, Maeve is one of us. She’s going to clear dungeons with us whether her teacher agrees or not."

"That’s true," Arthur agrees. "Which puts him at a disadvantage in this negotiation. Maeve, do you think he has anything to offer us besides money or heartstones?"

Maeve blinks a few times. "I guess that depends on how much he’s willing to tell you about the Custodians."

"Knowledge," Theo says quietly.

All eyes turn to him.