Re:Zero: No Job, No Magic, Just a Stupid Romance System

"Monster tide??"

Allen looked to his side in surprise. Sylphy was curled up in her plush collar, sitting on a stool with her legs dangling and swaying slightly. Her eyes met Allen's gaze—her long eyelashes trembled faintly, and her pointed ears twitched.

This winter, Sylphy had been "studying" at the Greyrat house. She was brought over by Lorz or her mother during the day and taken home at night.

In front of her was the book The Monster Ecology and Weaknesses in Fitoya Territory. Many parts had been marked with small notes, and expansion stories were added beside the margins.

This was a travel diary Lokis had temporarily left behind for a week, with Senis's prior approval. The original intention was to mark sections to help with nightly storytelling for the two children—to avoid getting stuck mid-story and embarrassing herself.

Mama Lan was serious about her role as a teacher.

Now, Sylphy had read through the book over and over again as extra material for her magical studies. She loved it.

"Father mentioned it a few days ago. I didn't ask for details, but his expression wasn't good."

Allen noticed a few strands of Sylphy's shoulder-length emerald green hair curled up by the collar. He gently tucked her collar and frowned, holding his chin as he thought.

"If I remember correctly, the original plot did mention a monster tide, but it happened during the tutoring period when Rudy had already left Buena Village. I recall the reason for the increased monster activity was…"

Allen's expression darkened.

"The summoning magic from the Great Teleportation caused major fluctuations in the Fitoya region's magic levels, leading to monster agitation. But that's supposed to happen later, not now. So why is it happening early?"

Sylphy's eyes followed Allen's hand as he reached over to take the book. She rested her chin on her hands, watching Allen's face quietly. Her childish features carried a maturity and calmness beyond her age.

As Rudy said in a letter, Sylphy had become much quieter this year.

That was largely due to Allen himself not being a talkative person. During this period—when children's personalities are especially malleable—Sylphy had unconsciously begun imitating Allen after spending so much time together.

Children tend to mimic those they admire or aspire to be.

Which one was Allen in her heart?

Who could say?

Just then, Rudy, who had been reading a magic tome, looked up at Allen with a thoughtful expression.

"When Uncle Lorz came to ask for help earlier, I overheard their conversation. He said that because of the incident involving Uncle Lorz last year, the villagers were scared and didn't push the monster clearing deep into the forest this winter. My father and Allen, who helped rescue people back then, couldn't participate in the monster clearing either. So even though we pushed deep last year, not many monsters were hunted."

Allen turned to look at Rudy, blinking.

"So the fallout from the whole 'cheating pregnancy' incident led to Paul staying home through the winter to care for two pregnant women. I guess this monster tide is another butterfly effect from my interference. But it shouldn't cause too much damage… right?"

Senis, who was nearby coaxing a child, overheard and looked embarrassed.

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have insisted he stay home last year to take care of us like he promised. It ended up delaying the monster-clearing operation. This is serious…"

Allen raised an eyebrow and glanced at Rudy meaningfully.

Rudy, who had grown taller and looked a bit more mature now, caught Allen's look and responded with a casual wave, silently assuring him he'd handle it.

He got up, walked over to Senis, made a funny face at Norn, and said lightly:

"Luai~ Clearing monsters is important for the village, but taking care of pregnant women is even more important for the Greyrat family, right?"

Senis froze, then burst out laughing. She reached out to ruffle Rudy's hair and pulled him into a warm embrace.

Allen adjusted his glasses, raised a thumb in Rudy's direction where Senis couldn't see, and Rudy gave him a confident wink in return.

This little scene played out in Sylphy's soft reddish-brown pupils. She blinked, glanced first at Senis and Rudy, then at Lilia across the room.

Lilia wasn't watching Rudy—she was gently playing with Aisha in the cradle while her gaze rested warmly on Allen.

Sylphy's lashes fluttered. A faint, restrained smile appeared on her lips, and she lowered her head to continue reading her book.

Just then—

Knock knock knock!

A loud, urgent knock came from outside the door.

All four turned their heads. Lilia stood up and opened the door.

A blond elf stood in the snow.

It was Sylphy's father, Lorz.

Snow was piled thick on his coat. He nodded politely to Lilia, greeted Senis, and then, under Lilia's surprised look, only cracked the door open—just enough to show his face and block the wind and snow.

He didn't come in.

"Father," Sylphy called gently, thinking he had come to pick her up early. She glanced at Allen and Rudy, closed the book in her hands, jumped down from the stool, and ran over quietly. "It's just past noon. Are we going home already today?"

Lorz sighed at her long, emerald hair. A year ago, she kept asking to cut it short. But ever since Allen came into her life, she hadn't made such requests. Her smile now resembled Allen's too.

Still, there were worse things.

He nodded, then glanced at Allen—who was just about to greet him—and smiled inwardly.

"Allen may still be a kid, but he really is dependable in every way…"

"Luffy, I'm not here for you today. I came for Allen. The forest's short on people. Lord Paul asked me to bring him over to help. I'll return him to you afterward, okay?"

Sylphy was still calm through the first few sentences, but when she heard the last part, her eyes widened. She raised her hands to wave in front of her father, trying to block his line of sight.

Lorz grabbed her arms with a playful smile, amused to see her panic like she had a year ago.

Allen, now holding his sword, walked to the door. Rudy followed.

"…Sorry to trouble you, Allen."

Allen smiled calmly. "It's my duty."

Lorz nodded, then hugged Sylphy, who had just realized Allen was already beside her. Her arms were frozen in midair.

"Luffy, have Rudy take you home today. We'll likely be in the forest overnight."

"It's fine," Allen interjected. "Let Sylphy and Rudy come with us. When dealing with a monster tide, wide-area magic from a magician is more effective than slowly clearing them with swords or bows, right?"

He casually ruffled Sylphy's hair and gave Rudy a pointed look as the boy behind him flinched.

"No way we're clearing this event without the casters. Plus, Sylphy clearly loves studying monsters. It's a good opportunity to show her something real. She's already a Senior Magician, and Rudy's Saint-rank. With more practical experience, their survival chances during the Great Teleportation will increase, especially for Sylphy—her landing scene in the original was too dangerous."

Sylphy blinked and glanced down at the book in her arms. She looked up at Allen—who blinked at her playfully.

Rudy scratched his head.

"Uhh, are you sure Sylphy and I can really come along? It's a monster tide, not a game. I know we listen well to our teacher, but still… and we'd have to sleep outside too. Not that I mind sleeping next to you, Allen—it reminds me of when our teacher came home—but wouldn't that be inconvenient—ouch! Sylphy, why'd you step on me?!"

"Sorry, Rudy, my legs are numb. I moved and stepped on you accidentally."

"Huh? I'm not even standing close to you—ow!!"

"See? Still works."

"???"

Lorz didn't notice the antics. He looked at Allen—only half a head shorter than him—and was struck by a sudden realization.

"He's just a kid… only four years older than Sylphy and Rudy… but already seems so reliable. Maybe I forgot that he's still reckless too."

He was about to decline Allen's bold idea, but Allen cut in:

"Sylphy and Rudy are more threatening to monsters than most adults here. Some adventurer teams aren't as strong. Wouldn't it be better to let them get experience now? A chick raised in a greenhouse won't grow properly, right, Uncle Lorz?"

Lorz hesitated. He looked past Allen to Senis inside. As a former adventurer, her opinion carried more weight.

To his surprise, Senis—though shocked—agreed with Allen's logic about growth. She thought back to her own naïve departure from home and gave a nod after a moment.

"I think it's fine. Paul used to tell me the same thing, but I always said no. Now I think… Rudy may be a child, but he's already more capable than many adult magicians. What he lacks is real-world experience. And if he's with Allen, I don't need to worry. Allen could easily be a frontline swordsman in an S-rank adventurer team. He's got Paul's adaptability and Ghislaine's sharpness."

Rudy: ??? ??? ???

Allen: ????

Recovering from the unexpected praise, Allen glanced at Senis—lost in thought—and turned to Lorz, swinging the hilt of his sheathed blade toward the cracked door.

The scabbard cut cleanly through the air, and the gust of wind reversed the snow spilling into the house. The flakes swept around Lorz and funneled back into the snowy world outside.

The move reminded Lorz of last winter—when that very same blade had saved his life.

He paused, then looked at Sylphy's eager face. Though still uneasy, he nodded.

"Alright."

And so, under the watchful eyes of Senis and Lilia, Allen, Rudy, and Sylphy followed Lorz into the snow—carrying extra bread made at home for the days ahead.

"Sir Knight! The monsters are attacking the barrier!"

A rugged villager stabbed through the vine mesh wall. On the other side, monsters swarmed densely.

As he pulled the blade free, blood sprayed out like a ruptured hose. Flesh and fur flew everywhere, dyeing the snow red.

Among the chaos, forest snakes and giant biting rats jumped out. Some lunged at the villagers, while many others fought and devoured each other, unintentionally damaging the protective barrier.

Despite this, the vines creaked ominously, on the verge of snapping.

There were simply too many monsters.

In just one spot, over a dozen types writhed in battle.

The villager dropped his blade and grabbed a fork to brace the barrier.

But just then—the snow in front of him burst apart!

A spiny rabbit monster, half the size of a man, shot out like a bullet. Spotting the unarmed villager, it aimed to leap the net.

The man panicked, raising his fork in defense—

Then a violent gust howled through the snow.

A figure barreled into view, tearing through the monster and snow alike. A deep trench was carved into the earth.

The monster's shredded limbs and guts rained down with the snow.

Paul stood there, sword in hand.

The villager collapsed in shock, soaked in gore.

Paul flicked the blade clean and glanced down grimly. The trench he'd carved revealed a network of black monster tunnels.

Several giant rats poked their heads out, but Paul slashed them to pieces.

"Damn it. Why are there so many this year?"

He hauled the villager to his feet and surveyed the area.

Nearly half the village's adult men were present. All looked exhausted, but uninjured.

Paul let out a breath and sat down in the trench, the snow around him shoulder-deep.

He was about to order a rest—

But a scratching sound echoed nearby.

Hard bodies scraped and squeezed through icy tunnels.

Paul's face darkened as he turned toward the trench wall.

Scarlet eyes lit up in the darkness.

The monsters had been waiting.

Starving.

And human flesh smelled divine.

Pssst! The Patreon is already past chapter 100! Join in and read ahead!

patreon.com/TonyTranslations