Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [152]

The Asura Kingdom lay in the northern part of the Central Continent.

Because it was surrounded by the Red Dragon Mountains, the winter winds off the sea would climb the terrain and easily produce sharp, ceaseless terrain-driven snow.

Thus, houses here were built with pointed roofs, to let melting snow drain away more easily.

The manor housing the classrooms was the second-tallest building in the entire Boreas estate.

In the misty rain, its eaves loomed faintly.

It wasn’t winter now—there was no snow.

Even so, the rainwater should have poured down smoothly from the tiles of the eaves.

Yet in recent months...

Something had been in the way.

Right now, by the skylight at the roof ridge.

Rainwater flowed over the tiles, then split around an “obstruction” before falling.

That obstruction… was a pair of bare feet.

“One hundred ninety-seven!”

Beneath the curtain of rain, within the morning mist...

Someone was swinging a blade.

This was someone’s personal “truancy stronghold.”

“Two hundred!”

The blade came to a halt.

Allen exhaled deeply; the lingering breath was swallowed by the rain-curtain, smothered into silence around him.

Sheathing the blade, he lowered his gaze to take in the “view” in the fog.

The Boreas manor was already built on the highest hill in Roa, and standing here on the eaves of its second-tallest building naturally allowed a full view over the city.

Through rain and mist, the city’s main streets crisscrossed; far off, one could still make out dots—people—along with tiny, toy-like carriages.

Moving back and forth along the streets.

Roa’s “veins” were laid out before his eyes.

Even through rain and fog, they were clearly visible.

Allen had stumbled upon this spot—perfect for overlooking the whole city—four months ago.

It had since become his frequent haunt whenever he took “leave.”

Here, the view helped him seize that feeling of “domination,” to “correct” his Sword Heart.

He turned his head slightly, glancing toward the far end of the Boreas estate.

Through the rain, visibility was poor; even so, he could still make out a tall, dark shadow piercing the distance.

That was the highest tower in Roa.

Sauros most liked to stand there, looking down over the whole city.

When reading the novel, Allen hadn’t felt much from that description.

But standing here now, he understood why Sauros liked it.

It wasn’t the scenery from on high that he enjoyed.

It was the feeling of dominating and controlling the whole of the Fittoa region.

Allen narrowed his eyes, tilting his head slightly, fixing his gaze on the sky northwest of the tower.

Through the rain...

Only clouds and mist seemed to hang there.

What he wanted to see was obscured.

But on clear days, over these past four months, he had seen it countless times—its image etched deep into his mind, so that now, even within these clouds, his subconscious filled in what should have been there.

The magical trace left by the Teleportation Magic’s space-time rift.

A sphere wrapped in a ribbon of magic power.

Black and crimson in color.

So distant that without careful attention, one would miss it entirely.

But four months ago, the first time he climbed up here, he’d spotted it immediately.

He was particularly sensitive to this “marker” of the Great Teleportation Incident.

That day, he’d recalled the scene from the original story—Rudeus climbing that tower and barging in on Sauros “meow-meow-meowing” with Lier. In his past life, he’d mostly paid attention to the catgirl’s reaction, so he hadn’t followed the subsequent plot clearly. But upon seeing the trace of the space-time rift with his own eyes, it had come back to him.

After that in the story, Sauros had called Rudeus over to look at the teleportation trace together.

Right outside the window of that tallest tower.

And Sauros had mentioned he’d already been able to see that “orb” with the naked eye for several years.

That plot point took place the day after Eris’s tenth birthday.

Right now, Eris was nine.

When winter passed and spring came, It would be her tenth birthday.

And in another two years, it would be Rudeus’s tenth birthday.

Again, the day after—that “orb” would perform its “function.”

Time passes so fast. In the blink of an eye, it’s been half a year since I came to Boreas… two years and nine months until the Teleportation.

He looked at the blade in his hand, feeling the muggy air.

Then removed the glasses from his face, tucking them into his pocket.

He released his control over the Flow Technique.

In only a few seconds, rainwater sluiced down his body, soaking hair and clothing alike.

With it came a cooling sensation.

Calming the restless heart.

This was his attempt to shift his Sword Heart from following the heart, unity of knowledge and action to domination and control.

For now...

It had failed.

In these four months, his Longsword of Silence had returned to its peak.

Yet the final thin “windowpane” separating him from the Longsword of Light—the sense of distance—remained as unreachable as ever.

This Sword Heart didn’t suit him.

Or perhaps Sword Hearts simply could not be changed at will; in Ghislaine’s eyes, this detour of his was already a remarkable attempt.

From her observation, his return to peak Longsword of Silence seemed more the result of four months of relentless empty swings to polish fundamentals—learning from her—than any change of Sword Heart.

Allen looked at the sword in his hand, sweeping his soaked hair back behind his head.

A sharpness unseen for years flashed once more in his eyes.

Silently, in his heart...

Follow the heart, unity of knowledge and action.

He raised his wrist.

Swung the blade!

The soaked sleeve on his arm jolted once in that instant!

The rain-curtain before him still slanted down, seemingly unchanged.

Yet within Allen’s pupils, a single white trace through the rain—

Was already “fading.”

Still the peak of the Longsword of Silence.

Just then—the skylight beside him banged open with a thud!

A flash of paint-red hair “jumped” out from the window.

Allen nearly went cross-eyed from the shock, and in the speed of the Longsword of Silence stepped in a blink to the eaves below the skylight.

Fortunately, Eris didn’t fall—or roll down off the roof entirely.

Her crimson hair, which moments ago had bounced with life, was instantly drenched into a wine-red by the rain.

In Allen’s view, six months had left little mark on her—her height hadn’t changed much either.

But her expression… had grown steadier.

The corners of her mouth no longer held that constant downward curve from half a year ago—she looked almost calm.

She lifted her hand, level with the rain-curtain.

With a hand-blade, she cut slowly through the air toward the distant tower, through the rain.

Her pale hand split the falling water, like a white-tailed fish piercing the curtain of morning rain.

She drew her hand back.

The rain still fell.

It seemed like nothing special.

But as the motion ended, Eris suddenly lifted her head!

Her eyes locked straight onto Allen!

He met her gaze, then raised a brow—surprise flickering in his eyes.

“This time’s not bad. Using the perception of the rain’s fall to grasp the essence of Perception Flow? That’s some incredible swordsmanship instinct—and—”

“You’ve reined in a large part of your killing intent, and even combined the essence of Perception Flow with Sword God Style. Rapid progress. Very good.”

Eris’s expression remained calm at his words.

Under Allen’s gaze—

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

As he counted to three, her composure “melted” into the dull rain-curtain.

Color flared, stirring the misty air.

The rain itself seemed to brighten.

And, as always, that high-spirited tone rang in Allen’s ear:

“How about it! Impressive, right? Allen!”

Her arms folded naturally over her chest, chin lifted, utterly pleased with herself.

In both her body language, and the way her lips began to press into a smirk once more—

She was making one request very clear:

Praise Eris!

Don’t stop!!

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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!