Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and Romance!

Roxy looked startled.

"...Boreas Greyrat? You—"

Allen grinned.

"A noble. Didn't expect that, did you?"

Roxy quickly shook her head, as if something had just clicked.

"Wait… are you heading to Buena Village?"

Allen raised an eyebrow, playing it cool.

"Oh? What gave me away?"

Roxy scrutinized his face carefully. But unfortunately, there wasn't much resemblance between Rudeus and Allen.

Rudeus had a delicate, soft-featured face. His hair fell neatly across his forehead and temples. The boy in front of her, on the other hand, had sharp, assertive features. His messy, dust-covered hair was swept back, with only a few strands hanging down his face.

Allen noticed her expression and found it rather amusing.

He and Rudeus weren't even from the same branch family. Forget looking alike—their entire genetic XP was different.

Take Paul, the Notos family poster boy—his well-documented preference for big boobs had been repeatedly confirmed across the novel's many plot threads.

Meanwhile, the Boreas line, best represented by Eris, had a known thing for beastgirls.

…Allen himself was proof enough of that.

Of course, Rudeus, being a transmigrator, probably didn't inherit those family tendencies entirely. Roxy, standing right here, was living evidence.

Wait. Something didn't add up.

Hold on—I'm a transmigrator too…

So why am I still a furry?!

That…

While Allen was stuck spiraling through existential crisis, Roxy spoke again.

"Truth be told… for the past two years, I've been employed by the local knight of Buena Village—Sir Paul Greyrat—as a private tutor for his son, Rudeus Greyrat."

She paused.

"Don't tell me… you're here to join their household?"

Allen snapped out of it and feigned delighted surprise.

"What a coincidence! To be honest, I got into a bit of trouble back in the Asura Royal Capital, so I came here to lay low with Uncle Paul. It's a remote place, you see… So, Miss Roxy, if you happen to pass through the capital—please, I'm begging you—don't mention my whereabouts."

He clasped his hands together in mock supplication.

Roxy actually looked relieved. She'd been worried—given how Allen had dragged himself through the wilderness in such a sorry state—whether he'd come to avenge something, not seek shelter.

So he got in trouble at home…

Boreas… still in the capital… Probably the heir to the Boreas line. If I recall, the mayor of Roa, Philip Boreas Greyrat, only has one child. Rumor says she's a handful…

What kind of mess would land him in this state?

He seems calm and composed, not the type to stir up trouble carelessly…

Then again, he's awfully smooth when flirting with girls. Did he cause… that kind of trouble? Maybe seduced someone and got chased out by her family?

Hmm… The Greyrat men are all incorrigible flirts. Must be in their blood.

Messy romantic entanglements are common among Asura nobles anyway. I've heard the culture there is… quite something. Aphrodisiacs sold in broad daylight, that sort of thing. Nothing like Millis.

If word got out, nobles usually deal with it by exiling the troublemaker until the scandal blows over. A year or two in the countryside, then quietly bring them back…

That explains why he's traveling alone. No guards.

Allen didn't know what Roxy was thinking, but judging from the shifting expressions on her face and the way she finally gave him a sidelong glance—equal parts judgmental and satisfied—it wasn't hard to guess.

He could almost hear her internal monologue reaching its conclusion.

Roxy's smart, and she loves to fill in the blanks. Honestly… that works out great for me. Saves me from explaining everything.

And as for being labeled trash?

Whatever.

Handsome men being called womanizers? Totally fine. Everyone at this table is a scoundrel anyway.

Then Roxy finally responded, her tone almost generous.

"I'm just passing through the capital to catch a coach—heading out to the Dragon King Mountains for a bit of traveling. Only the capital has a direct long-distance line, so I won't be staying long. I probably won't even hear any gossip about you. Don't worry!"

Too late, Roxy. You already filled in the entire scandal yourself.

"Thank you! By the way, I was trekking through the forest to stay off the beaten path. What about you, though? Why not take a coach?"

Roxy blinked at the sudden change of topic.

Allen raised a brow.

"Don't tell me… you couldn't afford one? Was Uncle Paul paying you under the table?"

Roxy immediately defaulted to her signature nervous habit—scratching her cheek.

"Sir Paul already paid me… but my savings still fell a little short. Long-distance coach fares are, well… expensive."

Allen's mouth twitched.

Goddess of poverty confirmed. Absolutely real. No wonder the Taiwanese translations call you "Roxy" with a "k." That extra "k" is probably for "kǔ"—as in "suffering."

Without another word, he dug into his swordsmanship tunic and pulled out three or four Asuran coins—one of them gold.

He held them out to her.

"Here. Consider this payment for saving me—and a little hush money. You know how nobles are: we've got too much cash lying around. Just take it and ride comfortably."

Roxy didn't accept.

"There's no need to pay for a rescue. And hush money? Isn't that a bit much? This doesn't feel right…"

"What do you mean, doesn't feel right?"

"I mean it's not right!"

"It has to be right."

"…Fine."

"It's not not right, right?"

Suddenly yielding, Roxy blushed and swiftly snatched the coins from his hand before he could start again—then averted her gaze toward the forest.

"I'll treat it as a loan. Honestly, traveling the world burns through money fast. The Asura Kingdom isn't too bad, but in Millis, someone who looks like me can hardly find paying work…"

"I spent everything on my studies at the Magic University. So I'm completely broke."

She glanced back at Allen, eyes slightly nervous.

"But I promise I'll return it. Just leave me an address, and I'll send it back."

Allen stared, a little dazed, at her flustered expression.

So the rumors were true—Roxy really is broke. Even here in Asura, Roxy still struggled to make ends meet. Anyone could hire her for just two silver a month. That said…

It wasn't entirely her fault.

Asura's economy was built on smallholder farming and trade goods. To protect citizens, the kingdom regularly purged monsters from nearby areas, leaving few real adventuring jobs. That forced someone like Roxy to take up tutoring gigs just to survive.

And beyond that—there was the prejudice.

People's bias against her hair color had never gone away.

Even here, far from the Demon Continent, the stares hadn't stopped.

Allen's gaze lingered on her as she held the gold coin, clearly still unsure whether to pocket it or not.

"You don't have to return it. In fact, I've got a request for you—think of it as the price of the loan. More than fair."

Roxy blinked.

The night wind rustled the leaves.

The firelight glowed softly.

Just the two of them.

"A loan, huh? In exchange… you wouldn't mind…"

Allen leaned toward her, eyes narrowing.

Roxy's eyes went wide as she leaned back on reflex.

And then—

Allen pointed at his blood-soaked clothes.

"You can smell me from here, right? Please use water magic to clean my uniform. And my hair, if you can dry it after, that'd be great. I really shouldn't show up at Uncle Paul's covered in gore and smelling like a corpse. Oh, and I need to wash the Terminate's pork too. I heard the meat's actually decent—"

Grrrrrrowl.

A loud stomach growl interrupted him.

Allen looked down at the legal loli clutching her belly and couldn't help but smile.

"Looks like—"

"You agree."