Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [161]

Allen stared at Edna, stunned to see her actually shedding that professional smile welded permanently onto her face and replacing it with a solemn demeanor.

His expression blanked slightly.

Her words abruptly linked his thoughts to a particularly unpleasant storyline he remembered from reading Mushoku Tensei in his previous life.

The next instant—

An intuition struck him.

He lowered his gaze, trying to locate the source that had triggered those words.

On the table, all heads had turned—Eris and the others had uniformly twisted to stare at Edna, their attention completely captivated by her speech just now.

Beneath the candlelight flickering across the slightly yellowed pages—

The Noble Families' Crest Compendium lay open. Crafted by an artisan’s hand, the exquisite spread seemed poised to leap off the paper. The black-and-white family crest pierced Allen’s eyes.

It—was flapping its wings.

The black-and-white brush strokes vividly rendered each feather.

A pair of wings.

They weren't folded passively, but poised mid-flight, as though one glance could summon the whisper of a cool breeze.

A strong gust blew through, making feathers rustle and flutter within the drawing.

Allen recognized them.

These wings belonged to an eagle.

But why had Edna explicitly stated that Boreas differed from other noble families who typically used magical creatures or beasts in their crests?

Because—

The eagle’s torso had been replaced.

Replaced by something else entirely.

A heart.

A human heart.

The Boreas family's "Wings of the Heart."

Flying toward the future.

Outside the window, footsteps approached steadily. Just by the cadence of those steps, one could imagine the overbearing gaze, the commanding posture.

Eris instantly perked up at the familiar and cherished footsteps, immediately turning to peer outside—but just as she moved, her neck stiffened, and with tremendous effort, she forced her gaze back toward Edna.

Yet her eyes still wandered slightly, irresistibly drawn back toward the window.

A small smile tugged at her lips.

Following her movement, Allen tore his gaze from the “Wings of the Heart” on the table and turned to the window as well.

White hair blending into the night, Sauros passed by, his fierce presence unmistakable even in darkness.

Their eyes met briefly.

He had no intention of interrupting their lesson. He merely glanced, smiling gently at Eris, who was sneaking glances out of the corner of her eye. Sauros knew Eris struggled to maintain focus, so he refrained from speaking while she was in class. That was his “rule.”

In the next moment, the smile faded like ripples vanishing on water.

As if it were an illusion.

His gaze shifted, briefly touching Allen’s.

Their eyes collided—then parted immediately.

Sauros’s footsteps gradually faded.

Edna’s voice continued, naming the Boreas family crest.

But the name she spoke wasn’t the “Wings of the Heart” Allen had imagined.

“Heart of Iron.”

“That is the name of the Boreas family crest.”

It was already quite late.

Today’s etiquette lesson concluded after introducing the family crest, deliberately leaving a cliffhanger. The actual etiquette corresponding to it would be taught tomorrow.

This was Edna’s preferred teaching method.

She smiled, watching Eris, Sylphy, and the others chattering animatedly—discussing whether the wings were pretty or why the heart was grayish and unimpressive, and whether they should use dye to make it red.

She was quite pleased with today’s lesson.

She didn’t interrupt the children’s chatter. Instead, she nodded toward Allen, the "leader," performed a farewell curtsy befitting an adult noblewoman, then gracefully exited the classroom.

Beside Sylphy, Rudy suddenly raised his head, subtly exchanged a glance with Sylphy, who had also lifted her eyes slightly, and then shot another look at Allen, who was silently staring at the “Heart of Iron.” Grabbing his notebook, Rudy hurried after Edna.

This was typical for Rudy; he frequently chased Edna to ask about etiquette-related knowledge branching into other topics.

Everyone was already used to it.

Sylphy glanced briefly at Allen, then smiled softly and returned to her conversation with Eris.

Allen remained silent, staring down at the “Heart of Iron.”

His mind echoed the words Edna had spoken as Sauros passed by earlier.

“Fittoa Region existing on this land is a fixed reality, not the Boreas family's aspiration.”

“For the Fittoa Region to continue existing forever upon this land.”

“That is the Boreas family's aspiration.”

So eternal continuity is the Boreas ambition?

After the teleport incident, exhausting the family fortune to rebuild the territory...

Was it because of this?

“Allen, Allen, are you alright?”

Allen was pulled from his thoughts by a gentle voice. He turned toward the source.

“Hm? What is it?”

Sylphy blinked softly in his line of sight.

Outside the window, the scenery had already changed.

Yesterday could not be reclaimed.

The sunset’s glow now poured through the window, illuminating Sylphy’s face. Her reddish-brown eyes shimmered beautifully beneath the twilight.

It seemed Allen had spaced out just a moment—but a day had already passed.

Etiquette class had already begun again today.

The Noble Families' Crest Compendium had returned to its spot on the table.

“Since Edna-sensei talked about the ‘Heart of Iron’ last night, Allen, you’ve been looking so serious whenever you mention the Boreas family crest. Are you sure everything’s okay?”

Allen blinked, smiled faintly, and shifted his gaze from Sylphy’s lovely eyes back to the book.

“It’s fine. I was just thinking about some things.”

Footsteps echoed in the corridor outside, clicking crisply on the wooden floor.

Just from the sound, one could sense Edna’s composed and graceful pace.

Elegant, dignified—

Dignified?

Incongruous feedback from his senses pulled Allen back from his drifting thoughts.

Before he could raise his head, his Flow of Perception immediately relayed feedback about those beside him.

Sylphy’s body was slightly stiff; her heart was racing. It was as if someone who made her nervous had appeared.

Eris’s mouth hung open, uttering a bewildered, “Huh?”

Rudy was inexplicably flipping pages of his notebook without pause, rustling loudly.

Ghislaine straightened suddenly, her sheath scraping softly against her trousers.

And further away, outside the classroom door, the source of this initial “incongruity” completely stunned Allen.

He widened his eyes, jerking his head up, staring toward the classroom entrance.

Like glossy paint, a striking, dignified red stepped through the door and entered etiquette class.

Fiery red hair, deep gray eyes.

Graceful steps in high heels.

The newcomer carried a book, smiling warmly at everyone in class.

“Everyone, Edna-sensei had urgent family matters today and asked me to substitute for her.”

“Today’s lesson is about Boreas family etiquette, correct?”

In Allen’s vision—

A smile curved onto Hilda’s lips.

She met his eyes directly, as she spoke.

Sauros, it's your turn to come alive.

---

This is a fan translation of 无职转生：剑，魔法帽与恋爱系统 by 意外火灾 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!