Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and Romance!

It was a long moment before Paul finally broke the silence, choosing his words with care.

"Allen, um… that letter came last year. I know this might be hard to accept, but the truth is—your father really is—"

"I already know James isn't my biological father."

Paul froze, glancing at Allen, who looked entirely unfazed.

"Well, that's… good. I'll write to Philip right away, let him know you've been found. That way you can return to Roa—"

"That won't work."

Paul blinked in surprise. Allen returned his gaze with a calm smile.

"Uncle, please sit. Hear me out."

With that, Allen gently pressed Paul back into his seat, then turned to fetch the chair by the door. Paul watched him blankly, unsure what to make of this sudden shift.

"First of all, the disappearance news was real—but my biological father deliberately left out the events that led up to it."

Allen rested his hand on the back of the chair, the coarse wooden texture rough under his palm.

"I was ambushed at the upper reaches of the Red Dragon Mountains."

Paul sprang to his feet with a jolt.

Allen turned with the chair in hand, facing him.

"The 'ambush' was my own arrangement. I'd already realized James wasn't my real father. Counting backward from my siblings' birthdates and gestation periods, I shouldn't have even existed in the Boreas household. I wasn't the only one, either—there was another brother, but he died of illness at five. Late last year, I secretly contacted a thief guild to stage a fake incident, hoping to break away from the Boreas family and escape to Fittoa."

Paul exhaled deeply and sat back down, misled by the implication that Allen had come to return to his true father's side.

Allen stepped closer, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"But something went wrong. The real assassins didn't match the ones I'd arranged. I was expecting five mid-level swordsmen—meant to pull their punches, stage a scuffle, and end with me 'falling off a cliff and disappearing.' But instead, eight elite fighters showed up. If I'm not mistaken, two were Water God Style Advanced, and one was a magician."

"…They were trying to kill you."

Paul sprang up again.

Allen stood before him now, expression calm and casual.

"So, I killed them."

Paul sat back down again, breathing heavily.

Allen took the seat across from him and met his eyes.

"After that, I slipped through the forest from the Red Dragon Mountains, faked traces of travel northward, and took over four months to loop around and reach Buena Village. I'd heard of Uncle Paul's 'glorious reputation' back in the capital, and figured you wouldn't have much fondness for noble brats. Buena's remote, perfect for staying hidden, so I came here. I only learned today that word of my 'disappearance' had spread—it must mean James believes I've successfully left the Asura Kingdom and wants to put the matter to rest."

Paul blinked at him.

"Glorious reputation? Huh, didn't know I had that kind of legend in the capital…"

Allen rattled off at top speed:

"Graduated noble school at ten, slept around with several women, then got caught when the ladies and their angry parents showed up at your house—"

"Stop!"

Paul jumped up and slapped a hand over Allen's mouth. Allen grinned, then gently pulled Paul's hand away.

"I believe those thieves sold me out to James. James, always wary of Philip, must've assumed I was sneaking back to help him. So he used the opportunity to make the staged act real—and tried to eliminate a potential threat."

Paul's awkward expression turned grim in an instant. He'd noticed something: Allen had never referred to either James or Philip as "father." He thought of his own fallout with his father and couldn't help sighing.

His supposed father tried to kill him. His real father he's never even met… No wonder he doesn't see either as family.

"You could always return secretly to Roa. Use a false name and meet only with Philip."

"No good."

"First, Sauros has deep control over Fittoa. He'd notice, and he wouldn't approve. I'd likely be sent back to James under the pretense of upholding Boreas family tradition. That would put me in even greater danger in the capital."

"Second, I'm sure James has people stationed in Roa to keep an eye on Philip."

Then Allen looked down and spoke sincerely.

"So I humbly ask Uncle Paul to take me in. In return, I promise to watch over Rudy's future. You won't always be by his side—but I'll be here, and we're close enough in age that maybe, in time, we'll become friends."

Paul glanced at the letter still resting on the table. After a moment's silence, he gave a slight nod.

Allen continued.

"Give it two years. Once I've grown a bit more and changed my appearance—trim the brows to look less fierce, maybe a gloomier hairstyle with bangs—even if someone who once knew me stood face to face, they'd hesitate to say for sure."

Unlike my old life, this world's information flow is slow. That's a good thing. Few enchanted items preserve appearances, either… Look at Ruijerd—change his hair color and he can walk into cities no problem. Two years is more than enough to study under Paul and push my swordsmanship to Advanced in all three styles.

"Of course, people like James or the capital household might recognize me—they watched me grow up. But as long as I avoid them, it should be fine."

Paul glanced at Allen again and sighed inwardly. He was sure Philip would recognize the boy instantly, but he didn't say it.

"You're right. And by then, your strength will likely be high enough that only Sword Kings or Sword Emperors could truly threaten you. As far as the public knows, you've only 'gone missing.' Even if they suspect something, they'll have to resort to assassins, not open confrontation… That's how Asura nobility plays the game."

Allen nodded.

"Yes."

At that moment, footsteps sounded outside. Both Paul and Allen fell silent. A moment later, the door was knocked three times.

Lilia peeked in, her eyes scanning Allen from head to toe. Then she spoke:

"Master, dinner is ready. Please come eat."

...

As expected, Zenith's cooking was proportional to her size.

Divine.

Allen looked over the steaming soups, the bread-like flatbreads similar to pizza, and the pot of slow-cooked, tender meat radiating an intoxicating aroma.

Rudeus sat directly across from him, peering at Allen through the rising steam.

Allen smiled reflexively.

Rudeus immediately turned his head and shut his eyes.

Allen's smile twitched.

Paul cleared his throat and tapped the table with his fingers.

"Alright. After speaking with him just now, I've confirmed Allen's ability to teach Rudeus. No trial period needed—he's Rudy's sword instructor from now on. Please treat him like family. Don't let my rank in swordsmanship lead you to dismiss his role in this house."

Lilia was the first to applaud. Though she'd originally seen no need for another instructor, as the daughter of a dojo master herself, she had no objection to Allen's display of Water God Style earlier. With his skills, he could serve as a palace guard—a high-level one.

Zenith clasped her hands near her face and smiled gently.

"Well, since the head of the house has decided, of course I welcome Allen. I'm sure Lilia wouldn't underestimate him just because of his age."

As she spoke, she busied her hands, dishing up food and placing it in front of Allen.

Paul threw an arm around Allen's shoulders, grinning as he introduced him to the family, his words brimming with praise.

Zenith nodded at him again and again, smiling with genuine warmth.

So different from the cold indifference of "family" in the capital.

Allen, who had rarely known warmth in either of his lives, found himself uneasy under everyone's affectionate gazes. He instinctively lowered his head. The aroma of the meal hit him square in the face.

The rising steam carried with it faint wisps of kitchen smoke, warming his cheeks.

[Current Phase: Childhood. Cumulative Participation Score: 40 Points. You've begun integrating into Paul's household—however, Rudeus himself holds a different opinion of you.]

[Pending Real-Time Mission: Earn Rudeus's Favor.]

[Rudeus – Countdown: 77:38:47]