Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and Romance!

Roxy turned her head toward Allen.

He held his blade in both hands, moving it through the air in an almost painfully slow arc until the tip finally rested against the grass.

Maybe it was a trick of the light.

But in that moment, Roxy thought she saw the edge of his blade shimmer, as if it had left behind a shadow.

And then, the few leaves floating in the air before him—

—fell.

And split cleanly in two.

"One twenty-six!" Sylphy's soft voice counted aloud.

Roxy blinked at the tip of the blade.

"…He cut through a falling leaf at that slow speed?"

Rudeus, seeing her expression, scratched his head in frustration, looking helpless.

"Sensei, don't just watch the blade—watch closely. Not the sword."

As he spoke, Allen raised the blade overhead once more and, with absolute precision, repeated the exact same arc.

From above his head, to shoulder height, down in front of his abdomen, finally halting perfectly still above a blade of grass fluttering in the wind.

Rudeus added calmly:

"Watch his arms."

As the blade moved, it shimmered again in the sunlight.

Roxy followed the movement up to Allen's arms.

There was a tremble—subtle, but unmistakable. His sleeves quivered, as though yanked upward by some invisible hand, then gently fell back down to rest against his skin.

Roxy's brows lifted, surprise flashing across her face.

"...Wait. When the blade hit the grass earlier… did he already swing once more? That's amazing."

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Allen, this supposed "amazing" swordsman, staggered forward with a sharp exhale, face pale. He dragged himself to Rudeus and muttered:

"Got any more left in the tank? Just one more… please…"

Rudeus: …

Roxy: …

A rapid chant later, a Healing Spell glowed to life.

Allen jolted like a corpse shocked back to life, gave a thumbs-up to Roxy, then turned around and immediately resumed practicing [Twenty-Fold Slash] stances with single-minded focus.

Rudeus groaned and facepalmed, glancing at Roxy, who still looked dazed.

"…Feels like Allen already has the strength of a top-tier adventurer," she murmured.

"Uh, isn't Allen an adventurer to begin with?"

Roxy blinked. Then she remembered—Allen had only revealed his identity to Paul and Zenith. He'd never formally told her.

She tugged her bangs nervously, eyes darting left and right.

"Ah—I mean, an S-rank adventurer. Allen's strength is way above what his rank would suggest."

Rudeus noticed her awkward fidgeting, and a mischievous thought crept into his head. He stole a quick glance at Allen, still absorbed in his training, and suppressed a grin.

"So, Sensei—you used to be an adventurer too, right? Ever meet… anyone you liked?"

Roxy froze. She scratched her cheek, flustered.

"Well, back in Milis, I was ostracized because of my hair color. I had nothing—not even a coin to my name. Thankfully, a fellow Migurd took me in and helped me get a job at a tavern. That's when… I fell for him. We even formed a party with a rather well-endowed young lady."

Rudeus stiffened.

"…And then?"

Roxy rubbed her ears in embarrassment before answering in a small voice.

"Then… those two ended up together."

Yes! A goddess who's never been in a real relationship!

Roxy blinked as Rudeus suddenly stood up, looking overly pleased with himself. Her face fell a little more.

"…No one would like a body like mine, right? Childlike and all."

But Rudeus answered without hesitation.

"Actually, Sensei, I think that's exactly what makes you so charming!"

Roxy's mouth twitched.

"Try saying that again ten years from now—maybe then it'll sound a little more convincing. Right now, you might still be into my body type, but that'll probably change in the future."

Rudeus declared, full of conviction:

"No way! I love your type, Sensei!"

Half-lidded eyes, loli figure, cool and aloof—she's perfect! A literal goddess!

"Liar."

Despite the word, Roxy's expression clearly showed she was secretly pleased by the praise.

Rudeus was just about to speak again when Allen staggered over, face pale once more.

"One more… I beg you…"

A flash of green light—Healing Spell—brought Allen back to life again. He gave his thanks and offhandedly asked:

"What's got you all fired up? I think I just heard something like 'I love that type'? Were you two talking about romance?"

"No—Sensei's just feeling insecure about her body. I was comforting her."

Roxy dropped her head and began drawing circles in the dirt.

So it was just comfort… T T

Allen gave her a sideways glance.

"If she's insecure about her body, then don't focus on her body to reassure her. Even if you mean it, she'll still interpret it as you trying to make her feel better out of pity."

At that, Roxy looked up at Allen. Her eyes widened slightly.

Sunlight filtered through the tree leaves, catching her pupils in a soft shimmer. Her lake-blue irises rippled like water touched by wind.

Allen paused, gaze lingering briefly on her eyes, then turned to walk away.

His voice floated lazily behind him.

"Her eye color's really pretty. Why not compliment that instead?"

As if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The sound of his blade cutting through air resumed, louder than before—somehow making the silence between the others even heavier.

Rudeus gulped and forced his gaze away from Allen, back to Roxy.

She was fiddling with her bangs again, cheeks flushed, mumbling under her breath.

"…Smooth-talking jerk…"

Her voice was barely audible before the breeze carried it off.

Rudeus stood frozen for a moment, then clenched his teeth and forcibly changed the subject.

"…So Sensei, when you leave in a few days, are you still planning to head to that dungeon near the Red Dragon Mountains?"

Roxy glanced toward Allen's swinging sword, then tilted her head back to gaze at the sky.

"Yeah… That's the plan."

Rudeus hesitated, then asked:

"Will you be staying on the Central Continent for the next ten years? Or…"

Roxy fell silent, pondering for a moment.

"Well, to be honest, there aren't many well-paying commissions for adventurers on this continent. I'll probably keep traveling, sharpening my magic skills, and picking up some tutoring work on the side to get by. Ten years is… a bit far off. Hard to say."

"I see… Well, I think you should stay on the Central Continent. That way, once I grow up, maybe I could join your adventurer team."

"…But I'd still recommend you go to the Magic University first, Rudeus. Deepen your studies. Then think about being an adventurer."

Rudeus lit up with a smile.

"Then it's settled! I'll go study at the Magic University, and afterward, we'll form a party!"

"…Let's talk about that after you graduate."

Rudeus grinned again.

"Still, why are you so fixated on dungeons and adventuring, Sensei? I feel like you could totally be a professor at the university. Maybe you'll even end up teaching me there!"

Roxy rubbed the tip of her boot in the grass, suddenly bashful.

"Fixated… Well, it's not like I don't have romantic dreams too, you know? Even with this body. Maybe someday…"

Her voice softened.

"…Maybe someday, in the depths of a labyrinth, a tall, strong young man full of quiet charm will rescue me… and we'll grow to rely on each other. From companions to lovers. And then…"

She trailed off.

Unconsciously, her gaze slid toward Allen.

Swish.

The blade cut through air again.

"One thirty-nine!" Sylphy called out in the distance.

Her elf ears twitched—she'd been eavesdropping the whole time. And now, she stared at Allen with a deepening seriousness.

Meanwhile, Rudeus stood in stunned silence.

He turned stiffly toward Allen, eyes wide and full of despair.

A tall, manly, slightly boyish-looking young adventurer… You've got to be kidding me. That's literally Allen in a nutshell. What're the odds?! Dammit! I never should've let Paul make him my sword teacher!

The courtyard fell silent.

Only the wind and the blade's slicing hum remained.

Allen was just about to resume his swings when he noticed the stillness. He paused and looked around.

Everyone was staring at him.

He blinked in confusion.

"...Huh? What? Why're you all looking at me like that?"