Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [132]

Allen leisurely sheathed his sword and swept his gaze across the three people.

Eris and Rudeus both wore looks of obvious confusion, as if unable to grasp what the point had been of Allen drawing and sheathing his sword with his eyes closed. But Ghislaine froze.

That slash was fast.

But still a touch slower than the [Longsword of Silence].

By all rights, there was nothing remarkable about it.

And yet—in that very moment the blade had moved—

She hadn’t sensed a single trace of killing intent.

It reminded her of that night in the rain, when Allen had emerged through the downpour and delivered that beheading strike.

That one, too, had carried no killing intent at all—completely concealing the strike’s presence, slipping past Gard’s danger sense, fooling him into believing that the approaching figure with soundless North God footwork and no murderous aura was his own brother.

And so—

Right in front of Ghislaine’s eyes, Gard’s head had been severed.

Just like that leaf just now.

Back then, Ghislaine had assumed she was simply too exhausted to perceive the killing intent.

But now, she knew that wasn’t the case.

Because this time, she was very close to Allen. So close that even the faintest trace of killing intent—no matter how well hidden—should’ve registered, at least a little.

As long as the sword was swung with intent, it would always generate some feedback of killing intent.

Unless…

This wasn’t a sword swung with intent at all!

Ghislaine’s eyes widened.

“This is…”

Allen rubbed at his temples, a trace of weariness in his expression.

“One of the five great secret arts of the Water God Style—[Perception Flow].”

“It’s somewhat similar to the Sword God Style, but the former is based on passively receiving information from the environment, keeping its focus on perception. The latter, meanwhile, is about actively selecting a target and concentrating solely on the motion of the slash.”

“Honestly, it wasn’t until I comprehended the [Longsword of Silence] that I began to glimpse the entry point. Because the mental state required for both Sword God Style and [Perception Flow]… there’s some overlap.”

“The Sword God Style focuses consciousness, converging it into a single point—it’s an active strike. [Perception Flow], on the other hand, responds to sensed information. The intent rides on the change in awareness—it's a passive delivery of the blade.”

Ghislaine’s mouth dropped open—an exceedingly rare reaction. Her voice betrayed her shock.

“This description… it couldn’t be…”

“That’s right. A fusion of [Perception Flow] and [Sense Flow].”

Allen answered calmly.

“Sensing all information in the surrounding space, and the moment something changes—sending your blade through that change, automatically. Severing all that shifts.”

“That… is the [Realm of Severance].”

Ghislaine fell silent. She couldn’t find words for a long time.

Eris blinked, eager to learn, and raised her voice boldly.

“What’s the [Realm of Severance]?”

Ghislaine shot her a sidelong glance.

“The [Realm of Severance]…”

“It’s the signature technique of Her Excellency Reida, the Water God. No matter if the opponent is above, below, in front, behind, left, or right—if they step into the [Realm of Severance], she can deliver a killing blow from some position. As soon as the enemy moves, she reacts to that motion and severs the source.”

“Even the [Longsword of Light] wouldn’t work against it?”

“Unless you strike and sever her wrist with the [Longsword of Light] before she activates the [Realm of Severance]—then no. Because the moment you so much as lift your hand to begin the motion for a [Longsword of Light]—your hand will already be gone.”

Eris stole a glance at Allen and shouted, wide-eyed, “That’s amazing! How do you become a Water God?”

“The rules of the main Water God dojo state: if one masters three of the five great secret arts, they are eligible for the title of Water God.”

“[Realm of Severance] is three secret arts?” Eris asked.

Ghislaine shook her head.

“The Realm of Severance is a sixth secret art—Her Excellency Reida fused two of the five Water God secret arts and created a technique so transcendent it’s considered a miracle.”

“Huh? Then she only has two, right? Why is she the Water God?”

“…The two arts she mastered happen to be the most difficult among the five. Even so, there are five Water Kings at the main dojo, and all of them have mastered three. So why is Reida the Water God, and not them?”

Eris stared straight at Ghislaine, silently urging her to continue.

And Ghislaine obliged.

“The reason is simple. It’s not that Reida became the Water God and then learned the [Realm of Severance]—it’s that she mastered the [Realm of Severance], and that’s why she is the Water God.”

“That’s the true power of the [Realm of Severance].”

“It springs from the five great arts—but surpasses them.”

Eris’s eyes sparkled with raw admiration as she turned to Allen.

He merely kept rubbing at his temples, saying nothing.

---

Hilda’s “bedroom” was a sprawling suite. The moment Sylphy stepped inside, what greeted her was a floor-to-ceiling window. Unlike the dining hall, which featured beautifully enamelled glass, the window here was clearly made of ordinary glass chosen for better lighting.

Sunlight spilled freely across the living room floor, pooling in front of the fireplace.

Yes—this was a living room. Sylphy couldn’t even tell where the actual bedroom was.

There were four doors in view, presumably leading to other rooms.

The sunlight on the floor shifted.

A shadow seemed to rise from the ground itself.

Sylphy tilted her head toward the window.

The gentle-leaved Mengmeng tree swayed in the spring breeze. The shadow came from the tree branches, moving in and out of the sunlight now that the sun was beginning to sink in the west.

The scene reminded Sylphy of the hillsides back in Buena Village.

She didn’t stop walking; her eyes simply glanced aside.

Hilda led her to the nearest door on the left.

The door swung open—and the sight that greeted Sylphy made her pause.

Several tall, ornate wardrobes filled an entire wall, and next to them sat a weaving machine—more delicate and intricate than the one her mother used at home.

Fine fabrics in every color were neatly spread out across a nearby worktable.

While she was still taking it all in, the world suddenly went dark.

Hilda had seized the towel draped across her shoulders and pulled it up to wrap around Sylphy’s head, gently drying her hair.

Moments later, the light returned, and Hilda’s smiling face was inches from hers.

She rubbed Sylphy’s damp hair between her fingertips.

“There. At this rate, it’ll dry in no time.”

Turning, she opened half of one wardrobe door.

Over a dozen outfits designed for girls came into Sylphy’s view—her eyes went wide.

From left to right, the sizes clearly increased with age, forming a progression.

A pure white spaghetti-strap dress with a lace hem; a frilly, intricately shaped Gothic puff dress; a pale moon-blue gown with fine corset lacing; a soft blue off-shoulder blouse with a tasseled hem; and an elegant black-and-white over-knee skirt, paired with a charming wide-brimmed bonnet with ribbon ties…

And more outlandish still—

There was even a low-cut evening gown, the hanger adorned with a matching silver pendant and necklace.

It was gorgeous—exquisitely made, and utterly fashionable.

Sylphy couldn’t help but think—

Of course Eris would refuse to wear something like this.

The outfits were far too feminine—wearing them would only interfere with swordplay.

Then, as she watched, Hilda’s fingers hovered back and forth across the clothes, her gaze flicking slyly toward Sylphy…

And finally, right before Sylphy’s trembling eyes—

Her hand landed squarely on the evening gown.

---

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!