Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [146]

“The day the [Longsword of Light] flashes—”

“Is the day your desire ignites.”

Eris stomped on the spot again, visibly frustrated.

“I don’t get it! But that sounded really cool when you said it, Ghislaine!”

Ghislaine’s expression stiffened slightly, and her tail froze mid-air—rigid and awkward.

She replied sheepishly.

“…Mm. When I first heard it, I thought it sounded really cool too.”

Eris blinked.

“Huh? That wasn’t your line?”

“No. I heard it back when I returned to the Holy Land of Swords to study the [Longsword of Light]. It was something a senior Sword Emperor said to me during personal training. It left such a deep impression that I still remember it after all these years.”

Eris didn’t look satisfied.

“So all that confusing stuff about ‘desire’ or whatever—that’s also not from you?”

“…Also not.”

“That’s just how everyone talks in the Holy Land of Swords.”

Ghislaine was being honest.

Eris clenched her teeth.

“Huh?? Then what about that ‘this stage is still far off for you, so just watch for now’ line?! I didn’t understand a word of it, but it felt really meaningful! That had to be from you!”

Ghislaine’s tail went even straighter.

Tense. Embarrassed.

After all, as Eris’s Sword God Style teacher, getting caught recycling someone else’s wisdom and being grilled by her own student—even with her muscle-brained pride—wasn’t exactly dignified.

She coughed lightly.

“…That one was mine.”

Eris gave a satisfied hum and tilted her chin upward in triumph.

“Then you’re amazing too, Ghislaine!”

“…I mean, I just changed the subject of the sentence from that guy to Allen, so it kind of counts as mine…”

Eris crossed her arms, wearing her usual haughty expression.

She had officially tuned out.

Years of tutoring had trained her into this exact mode—left ear in, right ear out. It was a battle-hardened reaction forged through countless attempts at forced learning. Even against Ghislaine, that muscle-memory kicked in effortlessly.

But Ghislaine was serious when it came to swordsmanship—and even more so when it concerned Eris’s future. She shot her a sidelong glance and pressed on.

“Back then, I had that same realization—watching a senior Sword King reignite his own desire. That spark was what helped me take that final step forward.”

“Now? He’s a Sword Emperor.”

“But isn’t your master the Sword God himself?!”

“He is. But all he ever says is, ‘Come at me, brat. If you beat me, we’ll go full deathmatch. Winner takes the Sword God title. You’ll get more gold than you can waste in a hundred lifetimes, and a lineup of women from slaves to princesses bent over waiting for you. Say your name, and the whole street’ll part like the Red Sea.’ That sort of thing.”

“…Looking back, I suppose that was his way of helping me find my desire. I just didn’t realize it at the time—same way you can’t yet see where your own desire lies.”

Ghislaine paused. She hesitated for a beat, holding back a certain memory—something about that Sword Emperor’s particular brand of “desire.”

Not exactly fit for Eris’s ears.

Because that man’s declared ambition was:

“I want to make a princess bend over in public and present herself for execution!”

...Yeah. Not exactly classroom material.

And as for how that “desire” eventually ignited?

Simple.

He actually did it. In broad daylight. In a war-torn backwater kingdom’s capital.

Yes.

Ghislaine was there.

Though, to be clear, she only followed him through the blood-soaked palace hallways. When the “grand finale” began, she tactfully waited outside.

For the record: he never advanced beyond Sword Emperor after that. His Longsword of Light plateaued permanently.

Also for a simple reason.

“Kinda underwhelming after all... Oh, and Ghislaine—don’t tell the Sword God about this, okay?”

That, too, had left a lasting impression on her.

And so—Sword God Style really was a different breed.

Everyone’s “desire” manifested differently.

At first, Eris was still half-tuned-out, rolling her eyes at the usual “money and women” chatter. But when Ghislaine said:

“Just like you don’t know what your own desire is right now.”

She paused. Then gave a nod of approval.

“That line was great!”

Ghislaine went silent.

...Yeah, probably better that I didn’t say more.

She looked at Eris again—her student had already returned to her usual prideful self, nose in the air, gaze sharp.

Ghislaine quietly exhaled in relief.

Yes, most of what she said had been for Eris’s future in swordsmanship.

But a little bit of it had been personal.

Since Allen had brought Sylphy and Rudeus to the Boreas estate, Eris’s spirits had clearly lifted. It was a change she hadn’t seen in years.

She didn’t want that pure joy to be clouded.

She didn’t want Eris’s admiration for Allen—her older brother—to be shattered.

If the two of them could maintain a strong bond, it would benefit the entire Boreas family.

With that in mind, she looked up at Hilda in the distance.

“Come on. Let’s go join them.”

“Okay!”

---

Allen quietly watched as Hilda, the rabbit-eared maid, and Rudeus all fussed over a thoroughly flushed Sylphy, inspecting her new outfit.

His expression was calm.

But the way his fingers kept fidgeting with the sword’s hilt said otherwise.

Footsteps approached.

He turned to see Ghislaine and Eris walking over.

He spoke first, apologetic.

“Sorry. I was supposed to demonstrate the [Longsword of Silence] for Eris today.”

“No worries!” Eris jumped in, as lively as ever.

Only—her gaze was a bit too intense, causing Allen to glance away reflexively.

When he looked back—

Her crimson eyes were fixed on him, unwavering.

The little lioness had begun her “observation.”

Allen blinked in confusion. He had no idea what she was doing now. Just as he was about to ask—

Ghislaine’s voice drew his attention.

“You alright, Allen?”

“…Yeah. I’m fine.”

“I figured you probably already know, but I’ll ask anyway. Do you understand what’s happening with you right now?”

“Yeah. I know what the problem is. Thanks for the reminder.”

Ghislaine looked closely at his face.

There was no sign of panic in his eyes.

She nodded and said no more.

Silence fell between them.

And at some point—Hilda, Sylphy, and Rudeus had also stopped talking.

Everyone was looking at Allen.

The noise had disappeared.

Only the sound of the wind remained.

...

After dinner, they were supposed to have history class.

But Rudeus still needed time to study the material and prepare lesson plans, so the class was postponed.

Before long, it was nearly time to sleep.

The three exchanged their usual “see you tomorrow” at the door.

The door opened, then gently closed.

Allen leaned back against it, silent for a moment.

He tilted his head.

His eyes drifted toward the desk by the window.

He walked over.

Opened a drawer.

And pulled out the paper he’d written on the night before.

---

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!