Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [130]

Teaching Eris [Water Ball] with chant had one very immediate consequence:

Swordsmanship class hadn’t even begun, and everyone was already drenched.

It all started about half an hour ago—

Right after Eris successfully cast her first [Water Ball], and the atmosphere on the front lawn hit a euphoric peak.

Eris was in high spirits. The experience of playing with kids her own age—blended with the thrill of finally succeeding at something—had her emotions soaring sky-high.

Lost in the flurry of praise—“You did it!” “That was amazing!”—she slipped fully into play mode.

Rudeus, of course, tried to steer things back on track, urging her to move on to the next step: learning how to adjust the spell’s speed and size.

But Eris? She wasn’t listening at all. She just kept chanting and casting [Water Ball] after [Water Ball], each barely forming before it plopped uselessly to the ground.

Her chant speed got faster and faster.

Rudeus, seeing how quickly she was picking it up, kept coaxing her patiently, hoping to pivot into a proper lesson.

And that’s when she lobbed a [Water Ball] right into his face.

It wasn’t meant as an attack—more playful than anything else. But still, it caught Rudeus completely off guard. He wiped the water from his eyes, recalling how Allen’s “positive reinforcement” method had actually worked pretty well, and tried again to explain how to enhance the spell’s impact:

“Yes! Just like that! But unfortunately, it doesn’t hurt at all when it hits. If you want to really smack someone, you’ll need to add more mana to adjust the veloc—”

He never finished.

Because in that moment, with Allen watching wide-eyed, Eris grinned mischievously and splat—another [Water Ball], right to the face.

Well. That was what he got for asking.

And from there, it all descended into chaos.

Here’s what happened next:

Eris launched an all-out assault on the ever-nagging Rudeus.

Rudeus, realizing persuasion had failed, bolted, ducking and weaving in a frenzy.

They zipped past Allen, who watched the whole thing unfold with uncontainable amusement.

As they passed, Eris’s eyes sparkled. With a quick glance at Allen and a wicked grin, she tossed another [Water Ball]—this one aimed squarely at him.

Didn’t land.

Thanks to Allen’s flawless [Flow Technique], he redirected it midair.

And it hit Rudeus—who’d just turned to gloat over Allen’s impending doom—dead on the forehead.

Splat.

Rudeus, now soaked, was instantly transported back to the fond, chaotic memories of their endless sparring days—and instinctively retaliated.

He whipped out a high-velocity [Water Ball] and flung it at Allen.

But Sylphy, standing nearby, deflected it with a gentle [Blow] spell—only for her lack of control to let it veer off course and land…

Right on Eris’s head.

Eris, ever unbothered, squinted—and, under Sylphy’s startled gaze, chucked one right back at her face.

Sylphy opened her mouth to explain—but before she could say a word, a [Water Ball] splashed across her cheeks, soaking her from head to hem.

The water ran down her pale hair and dripped onto her clothes.

Now, it’s worth noting—today, Sylphy was wearing that white dress.

A very thin white dress.

Which got soaked very quickly.

And the sun was shining beautifully.

In that exact moment—

Sylphy froze.

Her red-brown eyes darted to the one person nearest her—Allen.

And… she covered her face.

Allen immediately panicked. His expression twisted in alarm, and even before the others had realized what happened, he leapt into motion.

With the reflexes of a top-tier Sword God Style swordsman, he practically teleported over to Sylphy, pulling off his outer coat and wrapping it around her like a cloak.

But in the middle of his chivalrous rescue—

Eris smacked him in the face with another [Water Ball].

Allen calmly shielded the now-blushing Sylphy and casually deflected the next incoming orb.

Unfortunately, it hit Ghislaine square in the face.

She didn’t flinch. The impact was nothing to her. Water trickled down her forehead, and she just smiled faintly, watching Eris—who hadn’t looked this happy in a long time—running wild.

Meanwhile, Rudeus had already formed a massive [Water Ball] in his hands and hurled it in a high arc toward Eris.

Ghislaine batted it out of the air with one effortless swipe, bursting it into spray.

The sun was shining bright.

But it was raining in the courtyard.

Eventually, Eris collapsed to the ground, legs wobbling.

She looked down at her empty hands, dazed.

Her mana was gone.

And with that, the chaotic “rain battle” finally came to an end.

Everyone was soaked.

Soon, hurried footsteps approached—the beastfolk maids had arrived, towels in hand.

Lyl, the cat-eared head maid, handed fresh towels to both Eris and Ghislaine.

Closest to Allen was the shyest of the four beastmaids—a bunny-eared girl. She first wrapped Sylphy up in a giant towel, then paused.

She’d noticed Sylphy’s trembling ears.

Her cheeks flushed.

The ears drooped.

“Um… Allen-sama, would you like to accompany Miss Sylphy and help her change clothes?”

Allen blinked, glancing at Sylphy—who instantly looked up, startled.

Realizing what the bunnymaid was really implying, Allen’s expression shifted dramatically.

“No, no! Please just take Sylphy to get changed.”

“Huh? You’re not going with her?”

“I’m not!”

“…It’s okay if you want to, though.”

“I really don’t!”

At that, a collective sigh of disappointment came from the surrounding beastmaids.

The bunnymaid stuck out her tongue, ears perking up again. She gently took Sylphy’s hand—who had been staring at her feet in total silence—and led her toward the manor.

Meanwhile—

“I don’t need to change!” came Eris’s defiant shout.

She roughly scrubbed her head and upper body with the towel, wiping at her clothing. Her outfit, finely made and tightly woven, resisted water well—drops clung to the fabric but hadn’t soaked through.

And even under the afternoon sun, the dampness didn’t turn transparent or revealing.

As for Rudeus—he was already dry.

He’d used [Heat Hand] to steam-dry his clothes, flicked the last few droplets from his hair, and strolled over to Allen.

He gave him a sideways look, smirking.

Allen twitched.

“You keep smirking like that, I’m gonna kick you.”

“Why kick me, Allen-sama? That was the perfect opportunity and you let it slip. Last night too—I was right next door and I—ow!”

“Get serious.”

Rudeus rubbed his backside after Allen’s well-placed kick and shrugged.

“Fine~”

Truth was, he’d been too caught up in trying to pelt Eris with spells to notice Sylphy’s wardrobe malfunction. It wasn’t until the beastmaid whisked her away that he realized what had actually happened.

Still, after two years of watching them, it was clear to him that Sylphy felt something special toward Allen.

So he couldn’t help teasing him a little.

As the self-proclaimed “most emotionally mature” among them, he always found it hilarious whenever Allen—who was otherwise ruthless, composed, and terrifying—got flustered around girls, especially Roxy and Sylphy.

It actually made him seem his age.

Unlike himself, a seasoned veteran of galgames and eroge.

Heh heh heh!

Heh—

Wait.

Rudeus suddenly froze.

Hold on…

He realized, with a growing sense of dread, that this so-called “romantic expert” was, in fact, the only one of them without a single shred of romantic luck.

Allen!!! Damn it!

He turned to glare at Allen.

Wait a second…

Does Allen even realize how Sylphy feels about him?

At that moment—

In Rudeus’s gaze—

Allen was watching Sylphy being led away, his eyes shimmering in the sunlight.

Who knows what he’s thinking…

After Sylphy left, Rudeus glanced at Eris—who was now sitting cross-legged on the ground with no semblance of ladylike behavior.

He cleared his throat and cautiously stepped closer.

He was worried she’d snap again and stop learning.

It had taken so much effort to rekindle her interest in magic. He couldn’t let it fizzle now.

“Your mana’s depleted. Maybe now’s a good time to learn some theory? That way, once your mana recovers, you’ll pick [Water Ball] up even faster. What do you think?”

Eris had had her fun, sure, but her first experience with total mana exhaustion left her physically drained. Her legs felt like jelly. She really didn’t want to study anything else—especially something as sleep-inducing as theory.

She looked up at the sun’s position.

Then turned to Ghislaine.

“What time is it, Ghislaine?”

Rudeus froze in horror, shooting a desperate look toward Ghislaine for help.

But she wasn’t much of a liar. She answered without hesitation.

“It’s already afternoon.”

“How long have I been learning magic?”

“About the time it takes to swing a sword full-strength 700 times—roughly three hours.”

“Mm. I’m tired. Magic class is over for today. Let’s start learning sword theory now!”

Rudeus’s expression twisted.

Before he could respond, Eris glanced at the approaching Allen—then back at Rudeus.

“Don’t give me that look! I am going to keep learning magic! It’s not that I don’t want to—it’s just that today is over! I’ll study more tomorrow!”

Rudeus blinked, tension easing from his face.

“Alright. We’ll do theory tomorrow.”

Eris narrowed her eyes.

That look again—the one Rudeus knew all too well. The look of a hunter locking onto prey.

He winced.

“…Half theory, half practice?”

“…Fine.”

“No theory at all isn’t an option.”

Only then did she nod.

As they spoke, Allen had walked over and, seeing Eris’s unrefined posture, gave a helpless little smile before sitting down cross-legged beside her.

Rudeus and Ghislaine exchanged a glance and followed suit.

Allen looked up at the sun.

“Tired, Eris?”

She blinked, glanced at the sword at Allen’s hip, and stiffened.

“Nope!”

“If you are, say so. We can adjust the schedule. A full day of classes is exhausting—and you still have etiquette lessons tonight, right?”

“…Okay. I’m tired.”

“Then just sit for a while. Since it’s your first day and I’m your Water God Style instructor, I want to get a sense of where you stand—like how Rudeus did earlier.”

He turned to Ghislaine.

“What does Eris usually study in her sword lessons? Only Sword God Style? I noticed during the rainstorm—you used North God’s [Four-Legged Form] to climb out of the swamp, didn’t you? Could you give me a brief overview of her current level?”

Ghislaine nodded and looked at Eris. Her expression turned serious.

Eris, too, shifted uneasily—like she wanted to speak, but held back. Her eyes locked onto the grass between them.

Ghislaine began:

“Eris is best suited for Sword God Style. I’ve tried teaching her some North God techniques, but compared to Sword God, her aptitude drops sharply.”

“Her body moves faster than her thoughts—ideal for Sword God. And she’s made good progress at the beginner level.”

A flicker of pride flashed in Eris’s eyes—but she didn’t show it. She was well aware of her weaknesses.

Ghislaine had pointed them out plenty during training.

Outside of sword practice, she indulged Eris’s whims. But during lessons, she became a strict, no-nonsense instructor—and always called her by name.

And sure enough, Ghislaine’s tone shifted:

“However.”

“She has obvious weaknesses. While she swings with strength and speed, she struggles with evasion, defense, counterattacks, and assessing combat flow.”

Ghislaine’s expression grew grave.

“Because of this, learning Water God Style may prove difficult for her.”

Rudeus tensed, bracing for Eris to explode in protest.

But none came.

He looked up.

Eris was still staring at the grass—but her darting eyes made it clear she was waiting…

For Allen to respond.

And if he wasn’t mistaken, Rudeus thought—

She looked a little nervous.

---

“This way, Miss Sylphy.”

Inside the manor, the bunny-eared maid led Sylphy through the hallway.

Her cheeks still flushed, Sylphy’s mind was stuck on the moment her dress got soaked—and Allen’s reaction.

Not to mention the bunnymaid’s strange “invitation.”

Her steps felt stiff, her hand limp in the maid’s grasp.

Red-brown eyes fixated on her shoes. Her lashes trembled.

The soft carpet creaked beneath her feet.

Maybe it was the whirlwind of emotions today—or maybe it was just that moment—

But the walk back to the teachers’ dormitory felt painfully long.

Window after window flicked past in her periphery.

Cool air from outside brushed against her flushed cheeks.

The stairs ahead felt endless.

Stairs?

Wait…

Sylphy blinked, suddenly snapping out of her thoughts.

The dorms are on the first floor… So why are we going upstairs?

She looked up, about to ask—

And stopped short.

Right at the top of the stairs—

A figure stood, facing away.

A long crimson dress trailed behind her like fire, reflected in Sylphy’s red-brown eyes.

It flared upward—

Ending at a slender, graceful neck,

And hair tied up in an elegant bun—dyed the same scarlet hue as the dress itself.

It was—

Hilda.

---

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!