Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [118]

Shirone Royal Palace.

Under the same moonlit sky.

Roxy, who appeared no older than fourteen, sat at her writing desk, composing a letter.

Her petite frame barely fit the chair—her feet dangled in the air, toes stiffly braced against the crossbar between the chair legs for balance.

Her posture was perfectly upright.

The soft scratch-scratch of her pen echoed through the quiet as words flowed onto the page.

Her handwriting, in stark contrast to her delicate size, was neat, structured—nothing “cute” or frilly. It lacked the elegant flourish of noble calligraphy, yet bore the refined precision of a hand-copied magical textbook.

It reflected the same attitude she held toward magic:

Meticulous. Disciplined. Perhaps even… rigid.

But the content?

It was another matter entirely.

Full of small flourishes and a certain quiet sweetness—mirroring the delicate charm of her outward appearance. Quite unlike the scholarly tone she’d once used to record monster sightings in the bestiary.

Dear Allen,

Ever since the letter you sent last winter, it wasn’t long before your next one arrived—even before I could send a reply.

Less than a month apart, in fact.

It… surprised me a little.

You usually wait until I’ve responded before writing back. But this time, two letters in a row...

If you have more to share, feel free to write me anytime. Hearing about how you three are doing helps me feel like I’m still part of your lives in some way.

It’s like reliving that brief time we spent together two years ago.

Strangely nostalgic.

As for what you mentioned—

You’ve already dealt with the root cause of the monster outbreak in Snow Valley?

That’s incredible.

The mention of the magical beasts near the Crimson Dragon Mountains brought back vivid memories for me. During the two years I taught at Paul’s household, every winter I’d watch the lord head out to subjugate monsters. He’d be gone for a week each time.

Zenith always looked so worried.

And while he was away, the entire house would fall into a quiet, uneasy mood until he returned safe.

Now that the threat has been cleared, maybe the next few years will be more peaceful for them.

I’m genuinely happy for them.

Even though you only briefly mentioned the details, I could still sense how dangerous the situation was.

You described wave after wave of monsters—so many you couldn’t see where they ended. Honestly, I’ve only seen something like that inside a labyrinth.

And from your words, it sounded like the entire valley was crawling with them. Honestly? There may not have been that many monsters even in the dungeons I’ve explored.

I’m curious what things were like that day.

If it’s not too much trouble,

Please tell me next time.

I know you probably left out the details so I wouldn’t worry—just like when you went hunting those Direwolves.

But still—

I like feeling like I’m part of it all. It brings me back to those moments we shared.

I hope you weren’t hurt.

When I read that Sylphy’s hair turned white due to accidental magical depletion, I was shocked. I immediately went to the royal archives here in Shirone and found one similar case—from decades ago.

That one involved a human, though.

Sylphy’s a half-elf, and her bloodline is quite different.

I dug deeper into studies on mixed-blood individuals. It turns out that compared to humans, hybrids often display greater aptitude in various areas.

Not just physically.

That person from the records lived a long, healthy life.

So I think Sylphy will be fine too.

Please don’t worry too much.

That said—when we meet again, I’d still like to examine her in person, just to be sure.

But what I’m more curious about…

What kind of event causes someone to burn through all their magic at once?

I get the feeling that whatever you three faced might’ve been even more dangerous than I realized.

So I’ll say it again—if you can, please share what happened that day.

I worry about you too.

Anyway—now that I’ve said all that, things are getting a little heavy.

Let me tell you about how I’ve been.

First, about my new student here in the palace.

He’s the seventh prince of Shirone, Pax Shirone.

Just as you predicted—he’s a real handful. A spoiled brat, honestly. He has a cute face, sure, but that only goes so far. Being pampered his whole life has left him with a lot of bad habits.

He’s already twelve years old…

And you’re only eleven. A full year younger than him.

Yet somehow, I keep comparing you two.

The difference is just so stark.

He still has this “cute” look to him, but no matter how hard I try, I just can’t associate that word with you—

Ah.

Sorry, I got off topic again. For some reason, whenever I write to you about my day-to-day life, I always drift a little...

Apologies.

Anyway, thinking of him reminded me of your teaching advice from your last letter.

And honestly, you were right.

More than once these past few months, I’ve caught myself comparing his aptitude to Rudeus’s. But remembering what you wrote helped me hold back.

Like you said—those kinds of comparisons could really hurt a child’s confidence.

To be honest with you, there was a time I felt like I’d lost confidence in myself as a mage—because of Rudeus and his chantless magic.

But meeting you made me think…

Maybe the Greyrat family really is a wellspring of genius?

Since we parted ways, I’ve encountered plenty of adventurers—swordsmen and magicians alike—but none of them had talent like yours.

Seems true prodigies aren’t as common as people think.

So I’ll keep following your suggestions: praise more, criticize less. I’ll do my best.

But one thing still confuses me.

Why did you mention—twice—that if he ever does something inappropriate, like sexual harassment, I should use [Burning Place] on him immediately?

He has said some cheeky things, but he hasn’t done anything that extreme yet.

I think you might be worrying a bit too much.

Hmm…

Could it be… you're worried about me?

At that point, Roxy blinked rapidly.

She stared at her draft, looking a bit embarrassed. Ever since that incident—where she only had one sheet of paper and accidentally sent a very unpolished letter—she’d started drafting all her messages to Allen beforehand.

Even now, just thinking about it made her face heat up.

She had written “Dear…” and crossed it out right away. If anything, that probably made it more obvious what she’d meant to say.

At least Allen never brought it up.

Roxy scratched at her cheek, blue strands of hair slipping between her fingers.

She looked over the draft again, eyes scanning from top to bottom.

Then she set the letter down.

Her pen moved quickly, crossing out phrases like:

“Could it be… you’re worried about me?”
“I was surprised…”
“Sorry, I got off topic again…”

She also blacked out filler words like “hmm” and “ah.”

After going through it all—

She gave a satisfied nod.

“This should feel less clumsy, right?”

Roxy blinked, then smiled faintly, picking up her pen again.

About what you said regarding the roots beneath Shirone’s national flower—

I tried it. Soaking them in sugar water really does make them delicious.

Did you remember that I like sweet things? (crossed out)

I also received the ‘Snowflake from Buena Village’ you sent. I never knew flowers could be crafted like that—and they’re so easy to preserve. I wanted to use it as a bookmark, but I was afraid the pressure from the pages would ruin its folds, so I decided not to.

To be honest, I don’t want to damage it.

Seeing it always makes me think of you (crossed out)... I mean, of Buena Village’s snow.

Still—thank you. I’ll treasure it.

As for that “Evil God figurine”? What kind of name is that? Sounds insulting.

You don’t like the little figure I carved for you? I know it wasn’t very good, but I worked really hard on it… But the one you made for me? I actually like it a lot. I even hold it when I sleep. (Entire section crossed out.)

Lastly—

About when we’ll see each other again. You always write it like some kind of poetic farewell.

And yet… it’s oddly nice to read. Fits your style.

I wonder when I’ll get to hear your voice again. Summer? Or maybe winter?

Honestly… I haven’t had the chance to buy a gift for you lately. Haven’t left the palace in a while.

Sorry about that.

The Batils flower bookmark you made me is beautiful. I didn’t expect your hands to be so dexterous. Not like me—after all those national flowers of Shirone, I only managed one half-decent petal. (crossed out at the speed of light)

Roxy

And also—stop calling me “Blue Mom”!

Letter complete, Roxy lifted the page. It was a mess of ink and crossed-out lines.

Her face went blank.

Then, slowly, she collapsed onto the desk in quiet despair.

“What was I even writing…”

The candlelight danced across her face as her long, waterfall-blue hair spilled across the desk. Her awkward expression faded into mild exasperation.

Right in front of her—

Allen’s latest letter still sat, open on the desk.

The light of the flame licked at his careful handwriting.

Next time, send the letter directly to the lord’s manor in Roa. I think it’s a better environment for Rudeus and Sylphy than Buena Village. A city will offer more room for growth. They’re both standouts among their peers—it’s time they saw more of the world.

The manor should have the resources they need. I’ll talk to Uncle Paul about it when I get the chance. Plus, maybe we could work as tutors for the lord’s daughter while we’re there and earn some money for the household. Ever since Norn and Aisha were born, it’s been tight financially.

That means I’ll also meet my biological parents for the first time. I wonder what kind of people they are. Honestly, it still doesn’t feel real.

One thing’s certain though—I don’t plan on telling them who I am. I doubt they’d recognize me anyway. My appearance has changed a lot over this time.

Keeping some distance might be for the best.

See you in the letter.

—Allen

Allen’s home… Sent to the capital as a child. Never met his parents. He calls his own sister…

“The lord’s daughter.”

That’s… worrying.

At that moment, Roxy remained slumped over the desk. Candlelight flickered in her deep blue eyes.

And just for a second—

She thought she saw Allen’s face.

Not his usual carefree look.

But something more worn. Tired.

Roxy blinked, and the image faded.

She sat up.

The pen scratched softly against the paper once more.

Allen,

Are you doing okay lately?

If there’s anything on your mind—

You can talk to me.

I want to hear what you have to say.

Even if it’s only through words.

She set the pen down.

The silence stretched.

This time, she didn’t cross out a single word.

The candlelight flickered.

Her eyes glimmered.

And on the page—

In the shifting shadows of ink and flame—

Was his name.

Allen.

---

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!