Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and Romance!

"So good!"

Bright red pork, marbled with tendon and fat, had been evenly sliced into palm-sized square fillets, folded once over and skewered on water-soaked branches. They sizzled as they turned over the fire, the Maillard reaction painting their surface a tempting reddish-brown. Fat bubbled and cracked audibly, dripping down into the flames below.

Allen's bangs were still damp with water as he crouched beside the fire, grilling meat with total focus.

The voice of praise came from Roxy.

She had one cheek resting on her palm, the other puffed up with meat like a squirrel. Her face practically radiated satisfaction as she watched Allen sprinkle some strange powder over the meat.

"I've never tasted this kind of seasoning before."

"Ground seeds of the Batiels Flower. Slightly toxic—it triggers a stinging sensation on the tongue. But the seeds are naturally sweet. A spicy-sweet combo. I heard the Migurd tribe loves sweets. Seems the rumors were right."

Roxy nodded along with a muffled "mm-hmm."

Once all the meat was grilled, Allen laid it out in neat rows on a freshly washed leaf in front of her. He stretched, then stood.

His swordsman's uniform was still tattered, but thanks to Roxy, it had been washed and dried. Even if it was now a bit wrinkled, it was much better than being soaked in blood and grime.

Thank goodness the inner lining didn't get stained. At least I had a change of clothes while she was washing them…

Of course, Roxy had insisted on turning her back the entire time. She only helped wash his hair after he'd put everything back on.

Shy.

A far cry from the anime version who'd sneak peeks at Paul and Zenith's nighttime activities and come away drenched in sweat.

[Participation score in "Mushoku Tensei" Main Events has increased.]

[Current phase: Childhood Arc. Total Participation Score: 25 points.]

[Pending Instant Quest: Gain Rudeus's Favorability.]

[Rudeus Countdown: 87:02:37]

As the system message faded from view, a shaft of morning light broke through the trees, slicing between the fading letters and lighting up Roxy's face. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she looked up at Allen.

Dawn had come.

The first rays of sunlight stretched over the horizon, filtering softly through the tree trunks, cloaking the pair in a gentle haze.

In the glow, Roxy smiled.

...

Allen had no idea that just two kilometers south of their camp, the forest ended and the road began.

By the time Roxy led him out of the woods, he was a little dazed.

Under the morning sun, the road stretched between rotting wooden fences, flanked by wild, untamed grassland dotted with the occasional tree.

Instinctively, Allen pulled out his map to confirm their location.

"We're at…"

A pale hand reached over his shoulder and pointed to the southwest of the Fittoa Region—only a thumbnail away from the red-circled spot labeled "Buena Village."

Allen turned his head—only to get poked in the face by an ahoge swaying upright.

Roxy looked up at him.

In last night's dim light, the height difference hadn't felt noticeable. But now, in the sun, it was clear—Allen stood at least ten centimeters taller.

This was a goddess you didn't need to look up to.

The goddess spoke.

"With your physical stamina, if you hurry, you should… probably reach the village by tonight. S-Sorry. I delayed your journey."

Allen flexed his wrist, which still felt a little sore, and looked at her helplessly.

Roxy was practically buried in meat, all carefully wrapped in leaves and strung over her body. In her arms, she clutched the tin of Batiels flower powder Allen had given her.

She'd ended up taking the whole thigh, loin, and best ribs of the Terminate Boar—all grilled, of course. It had taken Allen nearly an hour to prepare.

"You sure you can eat all that? Once it cools down, it won't taste as good. Would've been better to cook it fresh as needed."

Roxy shook her head, eyes fixed on Allen's sword.

"My knife skills aren't that great… I can't slice meat that thin. This way, I can just reheat it with fire magic when I'm hungry. Thanks for grilling it all. And for the seasoning."

"…Fair point."

A strange silence fell between them.

After a moment, Allen looked up at the sky.

"Well, I guess this is it. I should get moving. The village—"

He didn't finish. Roxy suddenly interrupted, lifting her head.

"Maybe… you could come travel with me. You're already trying to lay low in the countryside, right? Why not leave the Asura Kingdom altogether? It'd make your trail even harder to follow. With your skills, you could hold your own as an adventurer. In a year or so, once you've made a name for yourself, you could return to the capital with your head held high."

Allen froze.

Roxy's cheeks were slightly pink, but it was clear she was being sincere.

And to be fair—her logic was sound. In Mushoku Tensei, it wasn't uncommon for ten-year-olds to set off on solo journeys.

Case in point: the terrifying woman standing before him. She'd left home at fourteen, without telling a soul, and never looked back. Her parents still didn't know if she was alive.

A little farther off the rails: Paul "Unrestrained" Greyrat, who at ten completed his coming-of-age ritual and soon after unlocked "noble multiplayer achievement" status at school. That... hadn't ended well. The girl's family filed a complaint, there was a blowout with his father, and he stormed off.

…Wait. Was this how Roxy was interpreting his story?

Both Asura nobles. Same surname.

Oof. Surely not. I'm a proper—

"And by then," Roxy added, "that girl will have given up on you too. She might've already found someone else. Her family will probably let it go."

"…???"

Allen, the Very Proper Person™, stared at her, mouth open in disbelief.

His first instinct was to fire back.

"Hold on. Aren't you just trying to kidnap yourself a free cook? A free child laborer kind of cook?"

"Wh—No!!"

Roxy puffed out her cheeks in protest.

"You may look young, but I'm sure you're already at least ten. Hardly child labor!"

Allen blinked.

"I'm nine."

Roxy froze. Her eyes widened.

"Nine—?"

Allen watched her expression freeze and furrowed his brows in thought.

This butterfly effect is coming a bit fast. All I did was meet one key character, and in just one night I've already gotten a tempting offer from the goddess herself. Whether it'll affect the future plot remains to be seen, but this could seriously mess with my event score…

Just as he was trying to find a tactful way to decline her, Roxy spoke first.

"…If you're only nine, then yeah, maybe it's too early. I think you should lie low for a while, then train in Water God Style swordsmanship at the capital's dojo for a couple of years. After that, you can go adventuring. Uh… You're a noble, right? Shouldn't you start preparing to inherit your family estate?"

She lowered her gaze.

"…Maybe this will be one of those meetings that never happens again. Like with Rudeus. And now with you."

"We'll meet again."

Roxy looked up.

In the sunlight, Allen smiled brightly.

"We'll meet again. Not just me—Rudeus too."

Roxy nodded slowly.

"Yeah… it's getting late. I should head out too. Otherwise I won't reach the village by nightfall."

"…Alright."

Allen turned to leave. He hadn't gone more than a few steps when he suddenly looked back.

"Life is full of chance encounters. As long as we're walking the right path—then we'll cross again."

He gave her a careless little wave over his shoulder, like it didn't matter.

Then took off down the road at a run.

Roxy watched him go, his figure growing smaller and smaller in the distance.

Somehow, she couldn't shake the feeling… that he'd fled.

Turning in the opposite direction, she started walking too.

"'Life is full of chance encounters,' huh…"

She smiled to herself and stepped into the dawn.