Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [145]

Eris stood frozen for a long moment before snapping out of it. She looked up at Ghislaine, face tightening in frustration.

Because she felt like she was being talked down to. Treated like a child.

But the moment she looked—

Ghislaine’s face was still as serious as ever, her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the four conversing in the distance.

Her expression was cold, austere.

It reminded Eris of those stern moments during sword lessons.

Ghislaine’s unmistakably crisp voice rang out again.

The same words as before:

“Allen is strong.”

She lowered her head to meet Eris’s eyes. Having spent years together, Ghislaine understood exactly why Eris was reacting this way.

“Eris, in your heart—do you feel like Allen has…”

She paused briefly, choosing her words.

“…let you down? Is that why you can’t accept it?”

Eris’s brow shot up.

“Huh? Let me down? What are you talking about?”

“You think Allen is incredibly strong. But what just happened didn’t live up to that image. So you’re angry, aren’t you?”

Rarely for her, the young lady was left speechless. Her cheeks flushed red. She wanted to argue—but under Ghislaine’s severe gaze, the words wouldn’t come.

Ghislaine watched her reaction, and gently answered the question she couldn’t articulate.

“Allen is strong. You can keep thinking that.”

Eris breathed a small sigh of relief—only for Ghislaine to continue.

“His fundamentals are solid. He has his own unique interpretation of Sword God Style. That’s what allows him to wield such a distinctive [Longsword of Silence]—and that’s something I truly admire. I understand how you feel.”

“But when he first used his [Longsword of Silence] just now, I felt something was off. Given his clear talent, even with Paul as his teacher, his [Longsword of Silence] should’ve been much more refined by now. But that wasn’t the case.”

“There’s still room for improvement. Especially in terms of speed. He was too slow.”

“That surprised me. It really did.”

“But someone else was just as surprised as I was in that moment.”

“Do you know who?”

Eris frowned at her.

“Huh? Who?”

Ghislaine interrupted her.

“Allen himself.”

“Why was he surprised?”

“Because the fact that his [Longsword of Silence] had slowed down was also something he didn’t expect.”

“As for why… I tested that during our match. And sure enough—”

“He tried to use his old habits to intercept my strike with the [Longsword of Silence]. And he failed. He had to switch to Water God Style at the last second, and that’s when my blade’s aura threw him back.”

“It wasn’t that he hadn’t mastered the technique. It’s that his blade had become slower. Just in these past few days. And from the look of it, he might not even have noticed himself.”

Eris stood dumbfounded, trying to piece it all together. She murmured without thinking:

“His blade… slowed down?”

Ghislaine nodded, looking down at her.

“I’d originally planned to talk to you about this after you reached advanced rank. But now’s a good time. Maybe hearing this will help push you further in your Sword God training.”

Then, she abruptly changed the subject:

“Do you think sword skills can stall—or even regress?”

Eris furrowed her brow like a little lioness.

“Of course! You’ve always made me practice shadow swings, haven’t you? Just like you said—what was it? Right! ‘A swordsman must till their field without rest!’ If I stopped training, I’d definitely regress!”

Ghislaine nodded again.

“Then what about Sword God Style’s ultimate techniques—the [Longsword of Silence], or even the [Longsword of Light]?”

“Can those regress?”

Eris paused, caught off guard. Her first instinct was to say no—how could something like that regress? Once you’d learned it, you’d learned it. It’s not the kind of thing you’d just forget.

But then—

Ghislaine’s earlier words echoed in her mind:

“It’s not that he hasn’t mastered the [Longsword of Silence]. His blade is slower.”

Her eyes widened.

“You’re saying Allen’s [Longsword of Silence]regressed?!”

Ghislaine nodded, keeping her explanation as clear as possible.

“That’s right. And the reason his [Longsword of Silence] regressed points directly to the core of Sword God advancement: desire. Or you could call it obsession.”

“Desire? Obsession?”

Ghislaine ran her fingers across Hiramune’s sheath.

“For a Sword God disciple, once they lose that burning desire—at best, their growth stops. At worst, their strength decays.”

“Just like Allen’s right now.”

“I don’t get it! So… what do we do then?!”

“You don’t need to get it, Eris. Not yet. This stage is still far off for you. So for now, just…”

“Just what?”

Ghislaine glanced toward Allen in the distance—now chatting calmly with Sylphy, Rudeus, and Hilda, his expression seemingly normal again.

A faint smile curved her lips.

“Just watch.”

“I don’t know exactly when Allen will reignite that desire within him. But one thing is for sure—”

“He’ll stand up again.”

“And next time, when he swings his blade at me…”

“It won’t be a [Longsword of Silence] you see.”

“It’ll be—”

“The [Longsword of Light].”

Eris’s eyes flew open, locking on Ghislaine.

The latter’s smile deepened.

At that moment—

As Rudeus, Sylphy, Eris, and Hilda each struggled with completely different emotions—

Each trapped in their own thoughts—

The person who had the most faith in Allen wasn’t his mother, still unaware of their true connection.

Wasn’t the friend whose life he had saved.

Wasn’t the girl who loved him but hadn’t voiced it.

Wasn’t the sister who admired him deeply.

It was Ghislaine.

The observer. The outsider.

The one who saw him most clearly.

Because she was objective. Because she’d once investigated Allen’s talent in depth. Because she knew his capabilities—and because she, too, had stood at the threshold of the [Longsword of Light] for many years.

She, too, had experienced the ups and downs of mastering the [Longsword of Silence].

So she understood Allen.

And she believed in him.

Ghislaine flicked her finger against the sheath of her sword.

It rang with a low hum—

Snapping Eris out of her daze.

“Eris, do you know how many years it took me to reach the [Longsword of Light]? To officially become a Sword Saint?”

Eris shook her head.

“One year!”

Ghislaine gave a wry smile and corrected her.

“Five years. So—what do you think? How long will it take Allen to reach that threshold? To become a Sword Saint?”

Eris crossed her arms and thought for a while.

“If it’s Allen… then just like you, Ghislaine. Five—”

She paused. The image of Allen being launched through the air flashed in her mind.

Her voice softened.

“Then… seven. Seven years. What do you think?”

Ghislaine reached out and ruffled her hair with a helpless smile.

“I’m not sure. But—”

“You’ll get to see it for yourself. Just how long it takes him to draw his [Longsword of Light].”

Eris pressed her lips together and turned her eyes back to Allen. The light had returned to her gaze.

“Mm!”

The two stood quietly for a moment.

Then—

“Um, that… desire, obsession… what does it mean?! I still don’t get it!”

Ghislaine looked down at Eris, who was now intensely watching Allen.

She gave a soft, voiceless laugh.

Then looked at Allen again in the distance.

And back to the girl at her side.

Her words fell, quiet and certain.

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

“Will be the day you ignite that desire.”

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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!