Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [125]

Thanks to Allen’s warm and enthusiastic invitation—

Edna fled in a panic, her smile frozen on her face.

She didn’t even want to sit in on the afternoon’s swordsmanship or magic classes.

As for the reason, perhaps it was because in her eyes, Allen was just too unpredictable.

If she had to watch a few more swings of the sword this afternoon, she might end up throwing away the professional composure she’d maintained for decades.

And that was simply unacceptable.

Wasn’t it said that Water God Style swordsmen were supposed to be calm and refined?

This one not only spoke with elegance and acted with restraint, but according to rumor, Water God disciples were often appointed as knights by noble houses and royal courts throughout the world—known for their dignity and poise.

Then why did this one act like he was ready to draw his blade at the slightest provocation, just like Ghislaine when she first arrived at the Boreas estate?

Are all adventurers like this?

While Edna beat a hasty retreat and the others gathered themselves to walk toward the far end of the corridor—

There was still a small hitch.

“We’re heading to the servants’ dining hall for lunch, Eris. You can’t come with us.”

“Why not?!”

Thump thump thump.

Eris stomped on the wooden floor, expressing her discontent.

It was framed as a question, but she knew full well—she was supposed to have her meals with her grandfather, father, and mother.

So her lips curled downward in a visible pout.

Rudeus scratched at his hair helplessly and looked at Allen, silently begging for a save.

But Allen didn’t respond at all. As if he didn’t notice Eris’s sulking, he just walked ahead in silence, unbothered.

It was Sylphy who finally spoke.

“Eris is going upstairs for lunch, remember? You’ll see us again right after,” she said, her tone gentle, coaxing—like one might use with a child.

“I know that! I’m just walking up to the dining room door! Someone’s supposed to come get me—”

She stopped mid-sentence.

They rounded the corner of the hall.

Four beastgirls stood there.

They were lined up neatly, as if waiting there all along, smiles calm and radiant as they looked at Allen.

Allen locked eyes with the cat-eared maid in front, then glanced down.

“Eris, you’re eating with us today.”

“Huh? Really?!”

The cat-eared maid, Eris’s personal attendant, gazed at Allen with the same serene smile.

“That’s right. What Allen-sama said is true.”

“Allen-sama, Miss Sylphy, Young Master Rudeus.”

“Lord Sauros has invited you to dine upstairs.”

...

Under the beastgirls’ guidance, the group made their way to the dining hall.

The doors opened.

And immediately, the massive floor-to-ceiling windows came into view.

The table was set directly before them.

Sunlight poured through the enameled glass, cloaking the three figures at the table in a sheen of light and shadow.

Philip, Sauros, and Hilda were already seated.

Their silhouettes stretched long across the floor.

Philip and Hilda carried themselves with practiced elegance. The sunlight flickered across their faces, dancing with subtle shifts of color.

But Sauros reclined boldly in the central seat, legs spread, arms crossed.

He said just one word:

“Sit.”

His voice was deep and commanding—like a veteran military man from his years in service to the Asuran kingdom.

Aside from Ghislaine, who remained behind as a guard and wouldn’t be joining the table, the rest took their seats—Eris settling beside Sauros. Her typically wild posture now seemed oddly ladylike by contrast, compared to the one who’d likely taught her to sit like that in the first place.

After a respectful bow from the trio, they sat across from the family.

Rudeus had planned to let Allen sit in the center—directly opposite Sauros.

A king facing a king. That made perfect sense.

But as he was sitting down, Allen gently patted his shoulder and guided him into the middle seat.

It wasn’t until his butt hit the cushion and he saw Sauros’s beard directly in his field of view that Rudeus realized—

??

Why am I sitting here?

Where’s my king?

He turned his head.

The king had his eyes lowered, lazily stirring the wild vegetable soup before him, lips curled into a mysterious smile.

Rudeus’s mouth twitched. His eyes did a full loop in their sockets.

He took in the layout of the table:

Allen sat by the window, directly across from Philip—who was watching him with narrowed eyes and a mild, amused interest. Allen didn’t return the look, simply continuing to stir his soup.

Rudeus was center—facing Sauros directly. The lord of the house had his arms crossed, his gaze sweeping over the three of them with the presence of a battle-scarred lion who hadn’t lost an ounce of menace with age.

Sylphy sat near the door. She glanced at Allen, then gave a reserved nod toward Hilda. The latter was sitting slightly turned, her gaze seemingly fixed on the bowl of vegetable soup in front of Rudeus—but her eyes were unfocused.

When she noticed Sylphy’s nod, she blinked, then offered her a soft, pleasant smile in return.

Sauros waved away the maids who had come to serve them.

As the doors closed behind them—

“The matter with Thomas has been investigated.”

He was blunt, no preamble, turning directly to Allen and getting to the point.

“Good kill.”

Philip, seeing that Sauros had finished, waited a beat, then spoke with a smile, eyes narrowing:

“I concluded the investigation yesterday. Turns out, aside from colluding with high-ranking nobles in the capital, Thomas committed several other crimes—he shielded corrupt relatives, embezzled funds from the potion workshop, and had more than 700 gold coins in bribes and stolen money stashed in his home.”

“Originally, I was going to handle negotiations and stabilize the city myself, but Father ultimately decided to act directly. In a single afternoon, he 'cleaned out' all the retainers who’d been feeding off Thomas.”

“Hmph. You’d only have handled it with kid gloves.”

“Father is right to correct me.”

Allen’s expression didn’t change. But next to him, Hilda’s face faltered for the first time upon hearing the aftermath of Thomas’s death.

Cleaned out?

That meant—executed.

All the officials, power holders, and relatives tied to Thomas in Roa… easily over a few hundred people.

All corpses now, in the span of one afternoon.

Yesterday, she’d been preoccupied with her own emotional turmoil and hadn’t paid close attention to the fallout. Only now did she realize how severe the situation had truly been.

So when Allen snapped and killed Thomas… had it already been authorized?

But how could something like that fall under a private tutor’s responsibilities?

Private tutor?

Hilda blinked quickly, her brow twitching upward.

Her father and her darling husband—both seemed to be treating Allen in an oddly deferential way.

Could it be that what happened yesterday morning was yet another one of his darling’s little tests? Another scheme to assess Allen’s capabilities in preparation for future recruitment?

She instinctively turned to check Philip’s face.

And what she saw—

Was her husband, smiling serenely across the table.

Sunlight passed through the enameled glass, falling on his curled brown hair.

It shimmered with soft chestnut hues.

She drifted into a daze again. Just like earlier, when Sylphy caught her spacing out—her eyes fixed on the tabletop, seemingly out of focus—

Because in truth, her peripheral vision had been on Allen the entire time.

And now, across from her husband—

In the corner of her eye—

That same color.

That soft chestnut glow.

The exact same hair color.

---

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!