Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [128]

A breeze stirred through the courtyard, threading its way between red and white strands of hair.

Eris looked down at Sylphy’s hand.

“Then why didn’t you learn swordsmanship?”

Her red-brown eyes flicked to the side, stealing a glance behind her.

Sylphy smiled.

She had once been fascinated with swordsmanship—thanks to Allen. That image of him beside the irrigation channel, flinging out hand-chops laced with battle aura, still lingered vividly in her mind.

But later, when she realized her own talent was more aligned with magic, she chose to follow Rudeus and study magic instead.

It had been a decision her childhood self made instinctively.

Looking back now, that choice—guided by Allen’s gentle persuasion—wasn’t just about ability. It had been the fastest way to become part of their little circle of friends.

What if I really had no talent for swordsmanship like Allen said? she wondered. What if I kept failing to wield the blade or replicate those complex moves he made look so easy? Would I have ended up alone again?

Now she knew—no.

Allen wouldn’t have let her continue being bullied by the other village kids.

That had nothing to do with swordsmanship or magic.

But even so, her younger self had made a choice that best fit her circumstances at the time—one that had allowed her to grow alongside them.

And now…

Where did Eris’s heart lie?

In that carriage, under the curtain of rain—

Just as hers once had, back beside that muddy irrigation ditch.

Which meant, the key to persuading Eris to accept magic lessons was right in front of them.

Think a little more. Reflect a little deeper.

The answer would reveal itself.

That, too, was something she’d learned from Allen.

Sylphy’s soft, gentle voice floated into Eris’s ear, carried on the wind.

“Because I came to understand the reason I wanted to learn swordsmanship in the first place… I realized I didn’t have to cling to it. As long as I can achieve what I want to do—whether it’s with swordsmanship or magic—it doesn’t really matter.”

The young lady blinked, visibly confused.

“Huh? ‘Reason’?”

“Yes. The reason. Eris, what was your reason for accepting us as your tutors?”

“The reason I accepted you as tutors?”

Eris frowned, thinking hard.

Logically, her mind should’ve gone back to the day the Greyrat family in Buena Village first invited the tutors.

But instead—

The image that surfaced was of the arrow struggling in Allen’s palm, inside the carriage, rain pelting down outside…

And the dazzling sparks flying between sword and dagger, crashing violently in the air—so close she could feel them.

That scene was burned into her mind.

That was the true reason she had fully accepted these “tutors.”

Arms crossed, Eris was about to blurt it out—

But her gaze drifted briefly toward Allen, and what came out of her mouth was:

“It was because of… [Flow Technique]!”

The classic pride of the tsundere pup in her younger days.

Sylphy, who’d been watching Eris’s face closely, smiled as if she’d achieved her goal.

She clapped softly—just once—as if to signal that she understood.

Then turned to glance at the two boys beside her: Rudeus and Allen.

The two of them froze for a beat.

Two-plus years of silent understanding from Buena Village kicked in instantly—they both knew what Sylphy was trying to do.

She was guiding Eris toward magic.

And her method? A blend of her familiarity with Rudeus’s magic… and Allen’s command of sword techniques.

Allen and Rudeus exchanged a glance.

Allen reached out casually and brushed the air.

Two leaves floated down into his palm.

He walked up to Eris and extended his hand before her.

She instinctively looked down at his palm.

In that instant—

The leaves in his hand… rose.

They spun and danced on a current of air, weaving through his palm like a pair of fish swimming through invisible water.

Eris’s eyes lit up with fascination.

Allen’s voice followed.

“The ultimate moves of the three major sword styles—at their core, they’re all expressions of their respective battle aura techniques.”

“Water God Style—[Flow Technique].”

“In essence, it compresses battle aura into a dense, heavy state, then releases it over the skin in a fluid form—like water. That gives it the property of [Flow], allowing the user to redirect force.”

“If you prolong this effect and keep adjusting the [Flow] with continuous aura control… you get what you’re seeing now.”

He pointed at the leaf-fish gliding in his hand—not floating of their own accord, but propelled and redirected by Allen’s high-density, finely controlled battle aura.

“You want to learn this—not because it’s powerful, but because it looks amazing, right? Like something cool and flashy.”

The red-haired pup nodded like a pecking chick.

“Yeah!”

“Wanna learn it?”

“Yes!”

“Then you need to reach the level where you can project battle aura. That’s the foundation for learning [Flow Technique].”

Eris raised an eyebrow.

“Battle aura projection?”

At some point, Ghislaine had wandered over and was now crouching slightly, intently watching Allen’s palm.

She knew exactly what she was looking at: this “simple trick” was rooted in expert-level aura control and density. No wonder he was the acknowledged top talent of the Water God main dojo’s next generation.

She narrowed her eyes and answered Eris calmly:

“[Flow Technique] is, at its heart, a way of controlling projected battle aura. If you can’t project your aura at all, there’s no way you can learn it.”

Eris started to panic.

“Then how do I learn aura projection?!”

“Keep training in swordsmanship. Once you reach Advanced level, you’ll gain the ability to project battle aura. Or rather—being able to do so means you’re at the Advanced level.”

Eris’s confident smile froze.

She knew very well she was only at the Beginner level in Sword God Style right now.

Allen saw the light dim in her eyes.

“There’s no doubt you’ll need a long time to build up your aura and refine your technique. That’ll take at least a year. And after that, learning [Flow Technique] won’t be something you can do in a few months either.”

Eris’s mouth drooped.

“…Then… how long?!”

“A minimum of two years. Could be five. Based on your current level—nine years old, beginner swordswoman.”

“…”

Allen blinked, watching the spark in her eyes vanish entirely and her lips curve downward.

The fish had taken the bait.

He changed tack.

“But—there is a way to shorten that process.”

Eris perked up instantly.

“What is it?!”

As her voice pitched upward, Ghislaine stole a glance behind Allen. A knowing smirk crept across her lips.

Allen’s answer rang out clearly:

“Magic.”

Eris’s fiery eyebrows shot up.

“Huh?!”

“To achieve this kind of result, you don’t need years of practice. Even beginner-level magic can pull it off.”

Allen smiled.

At the same time, he stepped aside to reveal the person behind him.

Rudeus Greyrat.

He stood with the same posture as Allen—hand raised, palm extended before Eris.

In the center of his hand—

Under the gazes of Eris, Ghislaine, Sylphy, and Allen—

A ring of leaves spun, each one linked to the next by their tips, coiling in a perfect circle. They tumbled and danced,

like children at play in the hand of a Saint-ranked magician.

“No years of effort.”

“Just basic magic—[Blow]—is enough.”

“This is the charm of magic.”

Eris stared at his hand, stunned.

Then, her brow furrowed. She looked up sharply.

But unlike what she’d expected, Rudeus wasn’t wearing his usual smug “I’m smarter than you” face. No lecherous grin tugged at both corners of his mouth.

He was simply gazing at his hand, calm and composed, his posture echoing Allen’s earlier bearing.

Radiating quiet confidence.

Why?

Because Allen had told him—countless times over the past two years:

“Rudeus, stop hiding. When it comes to magic, there’s no reason to hold back.”

“This is your gift.”

“This—this is your domain.”

At present, Eris and Rudeus were like oil and water.

The goal wasn’t to make her fall for him—but she did need to stop looking down on him.

Acknowledging another person’s strengths…

That, too, is a form of growth.

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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!