Mushoku Tensei: The Sword, the Magic Hat, and the Love System

Rigatte City was vast.

As a central hub of trade with the northern nations, and strategically positioned at the junction of the Red Dragon's Upper Jaw, it served as a major export node for the Asura Kingdom. Caravans from surrounding villages moved in day and night, transporting crops and handcrafted goods into the city.

It was one of the many reflections of Asura's thriving commodity economy.

Because of this, even though it was technically a border town, Rigatte's size had long surpassed that of the magical metropolis Sharia.

At sunset, Allen raised his head to look at the towering city walls, a sense of awe surfacing in his heart.

"One of the routes for the Asura royal succession war in the original work... It's even bigger than I imagined. Probably a quarter of the royal capital's size."

"A-Allen!"

He lowered his head, brushing aside the ahoge blocking his view, and met Roxy's upturned face.

Whether it was because of the sunset's glow or something else, her cheeks were red—like a ripe apple.

"You must be tired from the journey... W-would you like to rest a night here in Rigatte? Honestly, last night I just casually mentioned I was a bit hungry, and you went out in the middle of the night to hunt two magical beasts and didn't sleep at all... and tonight we were already going to arrive."

Her gaze wandered, never meeting his directly.

Allen smiled.

"No need. I'm heading back now. Luck was on our side this whole trip—no bandits at all."

Roxy blinked at him.

"...You're returning overnight?"

"Yeah, it's been more than ten days. Uncle's probably getting worried."

"I..."

Allen looked at her indecisive expression and reached out to flick the ahoge on her head, earning a white-eyed glare and a slap to his hand.

So cute.

During these past ten days—eating, sleeping, traveling side by side—their relationship had grown significantly closer. The previous sense of polite distance had all but vanished. Now, they could converse freely without formalities. Even when Allen teased Roxy for her occasional clumsy behavior, she no longer pulled out the senior-teacher persona on him.

Ordinarily, being thrown into close quarters with someone you barely know can be disillusioning—but for Allen, the opposite happened.

He found Roxy's true self even more endearing.

She would puff up in anger when teased;

Get burnt while impatiently eating roast meat, crying with puffed-up cheeks;

Fly into a flustered rage when her teacher-like airs were exposed;

Return from private needs blushing fiercely, ignoring him for a while;

Wake up each morning with sleepy eyes, deftly re-braiding her two aqua-blue braids.

All these chaotic, tiny moments flickered through Allen's mind. Different in nature, but all pointing to one truth:

She was a god who had fallen to earth, full of mortal warmth and imperfection—not just a flat character in a novel.

Coming back to reality, Allen waved a hand in front of Roxy's face.

"Well then, time to say goodbye again."

Roxy froze, then slowly nodded. Reflexively, she raised a hand and waved.

"...Goodbye."

Only to have Allen smack her hand down playfully.

She looked up in surprise.

He lightly tapped her palm a few times, grinning brightly.

"I'm not good at farewell speeches. So let's just say—see you in the future~"

With that, he withdrew his hand, gave a final wave, and turned away. His pocket bulged with the food Roxy had saved for him.

"Don't worry about meals. I survived in the forest for a long time, remember~ Later~"

Roxy stared at his retreating figure, then glanced down at her hand where he had touched her.

The last rays of sunlight coated her fingers in a soft glow. She instinctively clenched it.

Then a smile quietly appeared.

But before she could speak another word, Allen had already disappeared into the crowd. He didn't look back, just raised his hand once more in farewell.

His silhouette vanished quickly from view.

Roxy blinked, a trace of realization rising in her gaze.

"He was in a rush... almost like..."

"...he had something urgent to deal with."

Midnight. Mountain winds stirred the woods, rustling leaves onto the narrow road. Moonlight spilled down.

A footstep broke the silver light. Allen had arrived.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at the fence by the road.

A deep scar was carved into the wood. Nearby, soot and ash splattered into the grass, remnants of last night's campfire after he and Roxy hunted magical beasts.

Three hours had passed since their farewell.

He had run through half the night.

Back to the hunting site.

Allen shifted his gaze toward the forest.

"Finally... made it."

Darkness swirled thick among the trees. The moonlight touched the road but couldn't pierce the canopy.

Allen drew his blade and stepped into the woods.

The moment he entered, the moonlight dimmed. Fallen leaves layered the ground in a soft carpet, and the trees mirrored each other unnervingly.

Douki (battle aura) surged through his limbs. His senses sharpened.

His nostrils flared occasionally until—behind one tree—his eyes lit up.

A spot on the ground had a thicker pile of leaves than the rest. Beneath them, something white was barely visible.

A breeze passed, parting the leaves.

It revealed a human arm.

Allen smirked and kicked the pile away.

Three middle-aged men, their faces twisted in death, were exposed.

They glared at Allen with bulging eyes, as if wishing to tear him apart.

He crouched, mocking smile on his lips.

"Tch. If Rudeus were here, he'd probably get scared. Poor guys, still no comrades coming to fetch you? Pathetic."

No response. Their eyes still wide, unblinking.

Allen rested his chin on his hand, feigning disappointment.

"Didn't even get to interrogate you yesterday. Just where is your pack of annoying Fang Wolves hiding, huh?"

His murmurs drifted in the air.

No reply.

Because corpses don't talk.

(End of Chapter)

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