Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [147]

The beastfolk maids of the Boreas household were diligent with evening guest services.

So before night fully fell, each room in the estate was already lit with soft candlelight.

At this moment—

The flickering flame cast shifting shadows across Allen’s face—

Illuminating every shift in his expression.

Not a grimace of constipation-level angst like some self-important strategist. No—

His face was a mix of embarrassment, and something deeper—self-loathing.

He placed a folded letter on the desk—the one detailing arrangements for the Displacement Incident.

But he didn’t open it right away.

He simply stared at it.

The candle burned. Time passed.

Allen’s hand moved.

He reached into his collar and pulled out a necklace from beneath his shirt.

A blue mana stone glimmered in the light, swinging faintly before his eyes.

Its glow flickered—

Like the fire of desire still left unlit.

Smoke drifted into view.

[So this is what it means to act freely, with your heart and hands in sync?]

Allen shook his head silently.

Can you not be such a damn troll every single day? Is this how you treat your host?

The smoky letters wavered, as if chuckling.

[Oh? Still bitter? I was very well-behaved last night, wasn’t I? Answering your plea, showing you that long-lost profile of Roxy you’ve been pining for.]

[What, you dozed off before the good part? That’s hardly my fault now, is it?]

Allen pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated.

Act serious for once, you piece of—

The writing vanished in a dismissive flick, like it was offended.

Then—

It suddenly slammed right up to Allen’s face!

So close it might as well crawl into his eyeballs, forcing him to “see” even more clearly.

Overflowing with excitement!

Like a nosy classmate rushing to gossip after school, or a dog owner jumping with joy when their Shiba Inu starts flirting with the neighbor’s puppy.

One word after another burst into the air—fast and breathless.

[So then! Dearest Host~ what’s bothering you tonight?]

[Let me guess~]

[Is it the word “Hilda” you scribbled last night? A kind of long-distance blood connection? Hmm, understandable. It’s not weird to want to ‘see for yourself’ after so many years, really.]

[But since you already decided to see, why do you still look like this?]

[Is it the necklace?]

[Roxy?]

[But you just looked at Roxy last night. You’ve watched her all those lonely nights, writing draft after draft, scratching out every line she thought was inappropriate. After all that, don’t you know how she feels about you? So what’s the dilemma?]

[Ahh~ so it must be—]

[Sylphy!]

[What’s the matter?! You can’t keep pretending anymore? Finally ‘noticed’ how Sylphy looks at you, did you~? Oh nooo, what ever will we do~]

The smoke danced in front of Allen’s ever-darkening expression—

Then suddenly condensed.

[Simple. Accept her. What’s there to stress over? You’ve been isekai’d, haven’t you? Wouldn’t it be weirder not to build a harem?]

That line made Allen’s blood pressure spike.

He immediately tried to swat the system away, but this time, it didn’t vanish.

Instead, the smoke darted around his palm, floating steadily in his field of view.

[Oh? Got a moral dilemma? Or is it that trying to accept both women has you paralyzed? You want a second wife, but you’re afraid the first won’t approve. And if you force it, maybe you’ll lose both, huh?]

Shut up.

[Why shut up? Why stick to some old-school rules about who came first? Isn’t there already a template to follow?]

[In the original story, Rudeus marries Sylphy first. Use her unconditional love and forgiveness as leverage. Then, at the right moment, bring Roxy into the fold. Easy. What’s there to debate?]

Shut up.

[Why? Just because you have the locator doesn’t mean you have to rush back to Roxy. Leave her on the hook. Keep the online romance going. She’s already so fixated on you—hard to imagine she’d fall for anyone else now, right? Write her a letter every few months to keep her hope alive. Ten years, eight years—no big deal. She’s got the lifespan for it.]

[And since you’re trying to mitigate the fallout from the Displacement Incident, wouldn’t it be perfect to keep Sylphy close? Raise her by your side, let the bond grow. Fake some erectile dysfunction—let her ‘take initiative’ when the time comes. After all, it’s for your health, right?]

[Then, boom—marriage. Sylphy gets pregnant. And that’s when you find a ‘reason’ to go see Roxy. Delve into a dungeon or something. Old flames, sparks fly, you ‘make a mistake’—one all men supposedly make. What’s the big deal? Just go for it.]

[Use Roxy’s guilt, Sylphy’s compassion, bring Roxy to face Sylphy—who now has a kid and no room to run. Beg forgiveness. Propose divorce. Say it’s all your fault. Get her to suggest the idea of a shared marriage. And there you have it: harem achieved.]

[Perfect! Just perfect!!]

[Absolutely flawless!!]

[You see?! I even wrote you the script! So—]

[What the hell are you still hesitating for!?]

SLAM.

Allen’s palm came down hard on the table.

Shut. The. Hell. Up!

He jabbed a finger at his own eyes, enunciating each word:

If it weren’t for your damned “mission,” I would’ve left with Roxy back in Buena Village! I haven’t seen her in over a year, and now you want me to avoid her for another eight?! To grind some ten-year “dual romance” achievement? You think that’s fun? You think juggling women makes you impressive?!

He was fully breaking down now, dragging a hand through his hair in frustration.

You think this is some damn galgame?! You think this is a game? A novel?! I see Roxy. I see Sylphy. They’re not drawings! They’re not sprites! They bleed, they think, they feel! They’re living, breathing people! And you want me to “exploit their guilt,” “use their kindness”?! Are you even human?!

[I’m really not.]

Don’t care—STILL. FUCK. YOU!

[You’re mad.]

The words made Allen freeze. He sucked in a deep breath, trying to center himself.

The smoky interface hovered before his face, swaying as though pacing.

[Whether I’m human doesn’t matter.]

[What matters is—]

It swirled to his ear—

As if whispering softly.

[What do you do now?]

[You want to respect them? And respect yourself too?]

[Then what? Keep pretending you don’t notice the fire in Sylphy’s eyes? Or accept her feelings and write Roxy a letter to reject her outright?]

[Hmm? Which is it?]

Allen said nothing for a long time.

[The first time you wavered was in the ravine. The second, in the Greyrat estate. The third, under the morning light after that attempted assassination in the rain.]

[Three times.]

[Tell me, Allen. Just how many times does a scumbag like you need before you admit you’ve fallen for Sylphy?]

[Still hiding?]

[Then answer me this, Allen—]

The smoky text crawled slowly across his field of vision.

A question that seemed to reach deep into his soul—

[You—]

[Can you really keep hiding it?]

---

T/N: system gotta be my favorite character, they keep it reaaaaaaaaal

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!