Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and Romance!

Paul didn't look at his wife. He tilted his head toward the ceiling, thinking about Allen's circumstances and something the boy had said before.

Allen had promised to support Rudeus's future—so maybe, just maybe, Rudy didn't need to pursue swordsmanship too seriously. With the way things stood now, the two of them together were already perfectly capable of tackling dungeons as adventurers. Still, Paul couldn't help feeling a little bitter. How could my child have no talent for the sword?

"Well…"

"Master Paul, it's perfectly reasonable. I don't know the first thing about magic. If Rudy focuses on magic and I on swordsmanship, we can cover each other's weaknesses. And rather than a student-teacher relationship, I'd much prefer to be Rudy's friend—or even his partner."

Paul blinked, glancing at Allen, who had suddenly straightened his back and now sat with an air of upright sincerity. Instinctively, Paul found himself agreeing.

"…Fair enough. Then let's shorten your sword training by an hour."

Allen turned to look at Rudeus. The boy blinked rapidly, then flashed a thumbs-up under the table.

...

"Thank you, Teacher."

Back in Rudeus's room, Allen looked at the little tuft of brown hair poking up from Rudy's head. He still couldn't shake the surreal feeling.

I struggled so hard just to raise your favorability. I almost gave up—was ready to lie flat like a salted fish… and now, suddenly, you like me?

Does this even make sense?

"Skillfully guiding my father's responses—something I do all the time. I didn't expect you to be a kindred spirit, Teacher."

"Ah… yeah."

"Please, I'm counting on you to keep at it. Make sure I never have to study swordsmanship again. You've seen it yourself—I clearly prefer magic over martial arts."

"Ah… yeah."

Allen paused.

Wait a second—you little bastard just want me out of your sight, don't you?

Rudeus noticed Allen's blank expression and gave him the same benevolent smile he usually reserved for Paul when he was being stupid.

Then, seeing Allen's gaze shift toward him, Rudy suddenly straightened up, his tone turning serious.

"I heard from Father that you ran into Roxy on your way here?"

Allen blinked.

"Sort of. I owe her a favor."

Rudy nodded so fast his head nearly bobbled off. But then his face scrunched with indecision—clearly torn between asking and bracing for disappointment.

"…Did she mention me?"

Allen gave him a sidelong glance.

"She did."

Rudeus lit up instantly.

"What did she say?!"

"She said you're a smooth-talking creep."

Rudy's smile collapsed.

"Huh?"

"She also said you stole her underwear."

The moment the word underwear left Allen's lips, Rudeus's head whipped toward the underside of his bed. Then he seemed to realize something, and slowly—painfully—turned his head back toward Allen.

Allen squinted at him.

"So you did steal her underwear."

"I can explain! Please don't tell Father or Mother!"

"Yeah, no."

Allen walked over to the bed while Rudy looked on, trembling.

Peeking down—

He spotted a pair of small white panties stuffed awkwardly between the floorboards.

Even though he'd braced himself mentally, the moment he saw it, Allen couldn't help but sigh.

This little shit is really a pervert.

His expression twitching, Allen turned toward Rudy's frozen face.

"…Where's the altar? Aren't sacred relics usually placed on an altar?"

Rudeus blinked, confused.

"Huh?"

Allen raised an eyebrow.

"There isn't one?"

Wait… maybe this is before he built the shrine. I misremembered the timeline.

He blinked, ready to make up an excuse—only for Rudeus to suddenly shout:

"GENIUS!"

Allen startled, jerking in place.

"Genius! Yes! Of course sacred relics need to be enshrined! Teacher, you're a genius!"

Allen stared at him, expression spasming.

God help me. I've just been validated… by a professional pervert.

[You've gained additional favorability with Rudeus. Clearly, your success is no fluke. Host's capabilities have now been verified multiple times.]

Get lost. Can we do something normal for once?!

Then Rudeus squinted at him suspiciously.

"This idea of a shrine… is that a custom in your hometown too?"

Allen clicked his tongue.

"Yeah, my village was really remote. Lots of weird beliefs and rituals. Every household enshrined the god they believed in."

Rudeus tilted his head, curious.

"...Gods?"

"For example—Maggie adores Ben Barnes. Contracts are governed by RNG. Abstract concepts are protected by Simone Weil."

Rudeus looked thoroughly lost.

"…These gods' names sound kind of strange. Is that your hometown's dialect or something? So, what god does your family worship?"

Allen gave him a sideways glance.

"We worship the Three-Color Mothers: Blue Mom, White Mom, and Red Mom."

Rudeus scratched his head. That time, he understood the words, but comprehension still eluded him.

What the hell is this guy talking about…?

Allen, meanwhile, was watching him intently. Thinking of the Three-Color Moms brought Sylphy to mind. He opened his mouth and asked:

"By the way, I've seen you running out a lot lately. Did you make any new friends? If so, you should invite them over sometime. I'm sure Master and Madam would love to see you making friends."

Rudeus blinked blankly.

"Friends? No, I've just been scouting the terrain."

"I see."

Allen studied his face. It didn't look like he was lying. Probably not an act. In his previous life, he got kicked out of the house—so maybe now he's training his outdoor survival skills just in case that happens again.

In the original story, Roxy had only just left when Rudeus met Sylphy—but there was a time gap in between. During that period, he was probably doing exactly what he was doing now.

As for meeting Sylphy, that would happen in summer—and right now, it was only the end of March, maybe early April.

So Sylphy's still being bullied…

Because of her green hair, Sylphy was often targeted. She'd likely been harassed ever since she was old enough to walk outside.

White Mom's tragic childhood runs deep. Her submissive traits during the wedding arc tie directly back to this…

Allen sighed quietly to himself.

If I guide Rudeus to meet her early, the butterfly effect should be minimal. The events stay the same—just with a head start of a few months.

"…Don't you hang out with the village kids?"

Rudeus tilted his head and scratched his cheek.

"Hmm… I guess we don't really get along."

Allen looked down at him.

"Hey—would you say we're friends?"

Rudeus's mouth twitched.

...I thought this scary little freak was more mature, but turns out he's just like any kid—putting a label on every relationship like a social badge.

He put on his signature good-boy smile.

"Of course we are! You're the one who just won me a shorter sword training session, remember?"

The next second, his cheek was poked hard by Allen's finger.

"Don't give me that fake crap. I really want to be your friend."

Rudeus blinked.

Allen gave him a quick glance, then turned and started walking toward the door. Before leaving the room, he turned his head and said:

"Tomorrow, I'll help you build that altar. And don't worry—I'll keep the underwear thing a secret too."

Rudeus's eyes sparkled.

"Okay!"

Smoke and dust danced in Allen's vision.

[Free Real-Time Mission: Gain Sylphy's Favor – now available for release.]

[Reward: Barrier Magic Rune Slot – Unlocked.]

[You may choose when to begin this mission, anytime before Rudeus encounters Sylphy in the original timeline. Upon activation, the mission must be completed within 24 hours. Would you like to release it early?]