SWNOVELXO Chapter 48: Chapter 48: Beneath Fireworks, Within Her Eyes, Above His Heartbeat
Rudeus sighed inwardly.
But Allen's composed reaction earlier made it hard for him to keep playing the childish card just to vent his jealousy.
From Allen's expression, it was clear—he truly believed he would see Roxy again in the future.
So that's it… He really does plan to go find her one day, to travel the world with her as adventurers.
Honestly, I've said similar things before, but deep down I never prepared myself for that kind of life with Roxy. From that perspective, it makes perfect sense why she looks at Allen differently.
Maybe this is his charm. He says all these smooth lines… and somehow, they always hit the mark. If I were a girl, I might've fallen for him instantly.
Damn it, how does he pull it off so coolly? It's frustrating, but I just can't hate the guy.
Rudeus scratched his head, then turned toward the group with the tone of a teacher gathering kids:
"Alright, come here. Since Sensei's leaving tomorrow, fireworks do sound like the right mood."
Rudeus's house had a large window. The four of them stood side by side along the frame. He used wind magic to shield the walls, then conjured a massive fireball just outside, infused with wind elements, causing it to spin rapidly in his palm. Bathed in flickering flames, Rudeus's expression softened.
"Keep your eyes on the sky—don't blink~"
With a loud boom, the fireball shot into the sky. Then, one after another, smaller fireballs trailed behind like a rapid-fire volley.
They rose higher and higher, disappearing from sight. Roxy and Sylphy blinked, confused, and were just about to ask Rudeus and Allen what was going on—
When Rudeus smiled.
BOOM!
As if summoned by the future Magic King himself, the fireballs exploded one after another in dazzling succession, painting the night sky in radiant streaks.
The light reflected in Rudeus's, Sylphy's, and Allen's eyes.
Allen squinted with a content expression and clapped lightly.
"That was amazing, Rudeus. This really shows the beauty of magic."
Rudeus wiped his nose but didn't say anything—just looked up and laughed softly, watching the sky bloom.
The wind swirled around them, shadows flickering on their faces.
Roxy wasn't watching the fireworks.
Her deep blue eyes, rippling softly, were focused on Allen—his chin resting on one hand as he gazed skyward, smiling with childlike wonder.
Allen wasn't watching the fireworks either.
In front of his vision, haze and system text began to flicker:
[Your path of favorability isn't over yet. You have further increased your bonds with Roxy, Rudeus, and Sylphy.]
[Your score in the Mushoku Tensei Major Event has risen.]
[Current phase: Childhood. Total Event Participation Score: 70 points.]
[Keep it up. At this rate, you'll earn the full bonus reward.]
Bonus reward… right, I'd almost forgotten about that. The previous notice didn't even explain what it was.
『What's the reward, anyway?』
[Don't you think surprise is the best part of a reward?~]
No, I really don't. With how shady you sound, it better not be something out of a hentai game—like some magical 'affection bonus item' for sleeping with someone. Though… that's an idea… No wait! That'd mean I'd have to romance Paul first, since he was the first one to like me in this house?!
[...If that's your wish, I wish you happiness.]
Shut up. Just tell me the reward.
[Unlocking: Mushoku Major Event Character Locator.]
Allen froze. His face went blank.
Character Locator? Clairvoyance? Satellite tracking? Does this mean I'll be able to find others after the Teleport Incident?
[Yes.]
How do I use it?
[Method: Through system interface, the Mushoku World Map will appear, displaying the target's location. Accurate within a 100-meter radius.]
[Targets: Anyone you've earned points from.]
[Cooldown: Once per week per person.]
Allen's eyes lit up with joy. This system reward was a game-changer.
Post-Teleport Incident, it had always been a huge problem pinpointing character locations due to vague timelines. But now, with this locator, he could track Rudeus's whereabouts and gauge how far along the original story had progressed—giving Allen perfect opportunities to get involved.
No, he wasn't planning on jumping blindly into the chaos of the teleportation itself. If he ended up flung into the sea or dropped from the sky, that'd be game over.
[Do your best, host. Too bad about Mrs. Somar—you might have had another point opportunity there.]
...Get lost.
[As you wish.]
Despite the snark, Allen was thrilled. At this pace, scoring the full 100 points during childhood was totally possible. With over a year to go, there was plenty of time to farm favor with Paul's family.
There's that affair subplot coming up too. If I handle that well, it should be worth a lot. So far, points seem to come from influencing character behavior. The system loves talking about 'favorability', but clearly it's tracking divergence from canon.
Small butterfly effects yield small points—like Paul's decision to search for me, or Sylphy meeting Rudeus early, or Rudeus enshrining underwear early. Big points came from meeting Roxy—because that changed the timeline significantly. She stayed and reconnected with the Greyrats.
Just then, Allen felt a gaze on him.
He blinked and pulled his eyes from the last flickers of fireworks to glance to the side.
Roxy had just turned away from the sky, looking up at the ashes of the display.
Allen scratched his head absentmindedly.
In his eyes, as Roxy turned, a lock of her bangs bounced lightly, then settled right across her lake-blue eyes, rippling like a stone dropped into still water.
(End of Chapter)
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