Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and Romance!

The next morning at breakfast, Zenith stared at Allen in stunned confusion.

The boy now seated at the table had freshly washed hair—his smooth brown locks slightly obscured his newly trimmed, straight-cut eyebrows. He was also wearing a pair of black rectangular glasses. The lenses had been removed, but unless you looked closely, it wasn't noticeable.

His clothes were borrowed from Paul and a bit loose, the collar hanging low in a way that made him look... comfortably lazy.

Allen smiled cheerfully at everyone at the table.

His whole aura had shifted from sharp-edged to warm and mild.

He nodded gratefully toward Lilia, who stood silently at the side, dutifully fulfilling her role as maid and not taking a seat at the table.

"Thank you."

Lilia blinked at him.

Last night, Allen had knocked on her door, asking if she had a pair of glasses. Said he thought his face might be too scary and didn't want to frighten Rudeus. She'd found the request odd but ended up giving him an old pair she no longer used after retiring from her former life.

Now, unexpectedly, they suited him quite well.

"No need to thank me. They suit you."

Allen smiled and nodded subtly.

This should help... I spent half the night in front of the mirror adjusting everything. Hopefully Rudeus won't find me so terrifying anymore…

...Wait, why does this feel like I'm playing a galgame?

He glanced over at Rudeus—

—only to see the boy staring at him in horror before ducking his head and eating furiously.

Disguised pervert!!

Allen's smile twitched. He wasn't sure what to do with that reaction.

However, it seemed he'd unwittingly struck directly into Paul's strike zone. The man was staring openly at Allen's glasses, then down at the well-defined muscles peeking out from under his loose collar. Afterward, he turned to Lilia and gave her a few approving nods, clearly satisfied.

[Congratulations, Host. You've once again increased Paul's favorability.]

Allen cheerfully dipped his spoon into his soup, scattering the system text like ripples on water.

This is absolutely fucking ridiculous.

...

All morning, Allen kept casually maneuvering near Rudeus. At lunch, he even employed the Franklin effect—deliberately dropping his spoon and asking Rudeus to pick it up for him.

He then thanked him with an exaggerated, deadpan expression.

But Rudeus, seeing this, gave him the same expression from the light novel illustrations—like he'd just come face-to-face with the Dragon God Orsted.

If anything, he seemed more afraid of Allen now.

By the afternoon, Rudeus had left the house entirely under the excuse of "scouting the terrain." Sword training? Skipped. Naturally.

Instead, Paul enthusiastically dragged Allen into a full-on man-to-man sword duel.

By the time Rudeus came home in the evening, Paul had gotten his fill of combat, and completely forgot to check whether Allen—the so-called "instructor"—had done any actual teaching.

That night, as the system once again jubilantly notified him of a rise in Paul's affection score, Allen collapsed into bed and sank into sleep with a look of profound despair.

...

The next day, early in the morning, Paul called Allen out for another bout of swordplay.

It was hard to refuse.

So Allen obliged.

This time, Rudeus actually stayed home.

The only issue: this "energetic" sword match lasted the entire day.

And throughout it, Allen noticed something disturbing—Paul, now long settled in the countryside, was clearly regaining his swordsmanship form.

That night, Allen once again fell into unconsciousness with a pained expression on his face.

What the hell is this life...?

...

Day three brought a turning point.

Rudeus finally had no choice but to face his swordsmanship instructor. After spending two days quietly observing, he realized that Allen might look like a delinquent, but he didn't carry the oppressive aura of a bully from his past life.

Still, Rudeus hadn't warmed up to him either. At best, he viewed Allen as a neutral NPC.

Sword training in the afternoon. A perfect chance to break the ice.

But fate had other plans.

During practice, Rudeus—clearly distracted—once again let his wooden sword fly from his hand. Paul, sitting nearby with a furrowed brow, shot to his feet.

He picked up the dropped sword… and lunged at Allen in full sparring mode.

Allen looked at him in shock, then darted a desperate glance toward Rudeus—

Only to see the boy watching Paul with a look of absolute reverence, as if witnessing a god descend from the heavens.

Then Rudeus turned and dashed into the house. A moment later, he re-emerged clutching his botanical field guide, and with an air of cheerful obliviousness, headed out the door—leaving Allen behind in total emotional ruin.

That evening, the system notified Allen that he had successfully strengthened the bond between Rudeus and Paul, and awarded him +5 points in his Mushoku Tensei Major Event Participation Score.

Later that night, Allen slapped his own face in agony and swore to himself:

Tomorrow. I will complete the Rudeus favorability quest.

Allen, what the hell have you become??

...

Day four.

More sword fighting.

...

By dinner, Allen was staring gloomily into his rice bowl, mentally at the breaking point.

[Rudeus – Countdown: 9:16:47]

[Come on, Host. If this keeps up, Paul might propose to you.]

Allen buried his face in the bowl in despair.

Zenith gave him a curious look.

"What's wrong, Allen? Are you feeling unwell?"

I feel horrible, ma'am. At this rate, I'm going to become your mistress before Lilia does.

Allen forced himself to raise his face, eyes askew, and offered a crooked smile.

"I'm fine. The food's delicious—I really like it."

"Really?! Oh, darling! Allen's been praising my cooking these past few days!"

Paul nodded with a pleased smile, looking proudly at Allen.

"He also compliments my swordsmanship all the time."

Please, Paul. Don't look at me like that. I'm scared.

Allen rubbed his forehead and glanced across the table at Rudeus, who was quietly eating.

Sensing his gaze, Rudeus looked up and gave him a sly, trollish little smile.

Allen, defeated, met his eyes and nodded.

Just then, Paul spoke up.

"Rudeus, I've noticed you haven't really been focused on sword training lately."

Rudeus's eyes lit up. He gave Allen a quick glance, seeming to realize the meaning behind that subtle nod. Then, with perfect timing, he replied:

"Father, actually, Allen-sensei is very skilled with the sword. It's just… I think most of my talents lie in magic. And with the weather warming up, there are so many plants growing outside. I can't help wanting to go out and identify them from my field guide. I'm sorry."

Hearing this deliberate effort to cover for him, Allen felt a surprising surge of appreciation for Rudeus.

[[Plot twist! Rudeus has gained favorability with the Host!]

Oh come on—kill me now. Immediately, please.

Paul rubbed his chin and stared at the ceiling. Then, after a pause, he said something shocking:

"Honestly, I didn't think so at first… but now that Allen's here, I can clearly see the difference. I really don't think you're cut out for swordsmanship."

Allen turned to Paul in horror.

Bro, I just barely got Rudeus to like me—don't ruin this!!

The steam from the dinner seemed to surge up all at once.

[Rudeus Favorability Quest Completed! Total Time: 86 hours, 31 seconds. Evaluation: Narrow escape, risky approach. Paul is absolutely a man you can entrust your life to.]

[Detoxification Magic Rune Slot Unlocked.]

Allen gawked at Rudeus. The boy gave him a quick side glance, his eyes full of gratitude, then widened his gaze and feigned innocence as he looked up at Paul.

With a tone of deliberate calculation, his mouth curling slightly under the lamplight, he said:

"Well then, Father… would it be alright for me to shorten my sword practice sessions, so I can focus more on magic studies? I feel like swordsmanship is only necessary for fitness anyway—and I'm clearly not suited for it."

Paul blinked and, without thinking, turned to look at Allen.

Allen's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish.

Rudeus, you little devil. That was masterful. I give up. But Paul—why the hell are you looking at me like you need permission?!

Shouldn't you be consulting your wife about how to raise your kid?!