Mushoku Tensei: Sword, Magic Hats, and the Romance System [111]

By the fountain, beside the corpse.

A haze of dust rose before Allen, whose face was still stained with blood.

[Sauros knows Philip all too well—his temperament, his methods. From the way Philip acted and spoke, Sauros inferred there was more beneath the surface. Coupled with the rumors of your disappearance, he began to suspect Philip’s real motive for this trip... and grew wary of your identity.]

[If you truly are his grandson, then Philip bringing you back goes against the Boreas family’s ‘tradition.’]

[But Philip didn’t intend to reveal the truth. Without a legitimate reason to send you openly to the Capital, his plan was simple: as long as you were here as a ‘tutor’ and an ‘adventurer,’ all he needed to do was reject your role as tutor. Problem solved.]

[Clean. Efficient.]

[Just like that, Sauros could preserve the ‘righteousness’ of the Boreas family’s tradition.]

[You realized this, so you interrogated Thomas on the spot—dragged the names of Darius and his collaborators into the open. You forced Sauros to face the truth: that the heir he himself had chosen, James, was involved in the assassination plot. This was something Philip had only begun reconsidering along the way, though he’d planned to take his time and maneuver more subtly.]

[But you? You had no interest in playing this noble’s farce. The tests, the probing glances, the sudden and vicious assassination attempt—all of it dragged you out of the peaceful atmosphere of the Greyrat home in Buena Village. And deep in your heart, something had started to burn. A fire called ‘rage.’ You were not pleased.]

[Why leave for tomorrow what can be handled today?]

[You laid bare James’ intent to kill his own ‘son,’ using Thomas’ confession as judgment—and placed it right in front of Sauros. The tradition of Boreas taking hostages from within the family was meant to prevent bloodshed, yet now, expelling you would only throw you into greater danger. Father against son? That turns the whole tradition on its head—and shames the Boreas name.]

[So what choice would Sauros make, now that he understood?]

[The answer was already given.]

[Sauros chose to turn a blind eye—to pretend he saw nothing, to avoid a repeat of this broken tradition.]

[At the same time, your direct, unflinching way of resolving problems reminded him of his younger self—so different from Philip.]

[Even if he refuses to acknowledge you, even if the family tradition remains unbroken—he has accepted you, and within his gaze, you’ve left a mark.]

[Evaluation: Better to feign ignorance than to get involved. Keep the peace, and everyone benefits.]

[This is the solution that aligns with everyone’s interests. Even though the ‘future vision’ has been shattered, your foreknowledge of events—and your understanding of the Boreas family—allowed you to make the perfect judgment, and take the best action.]

[Participation rating: increased.]

While Allen glanced at the system interface, all eyes were still fixed on the body lying before them.

No—there was one gaze that hadn’t fallen on the already lifeless Thomas.

It was locked, unwavering, on Allen’s face.

Allen lifted his eyes.

Somehow, at some point, someone new had entered the scene.

She had fiery red hair, just like Eris, flowing elegantly down to her waist. Her eyes tilted up slightly at the corners, framed by graceful, distant-mountain brows. She wore a resplendent noble’s gown that trailed along the ground—though its hem was smudged and dusty, likely from hurrying over too quickly.

And her eyes—dark gray irises, identical to Allen’s.

She stood there, staring dumbfounded at Allen.

Hilda.

Allen’s biological mother in this life.

Standing silently by Philip’s side.

The fountain rose, sending water upward into the air.

It shattered mid-arc, embracing the sky it had never touched.

Then fell back into the pool, clear and crystalline.

She—

Was crying.

...

Beneath the fountain, Allen and Hilda’s eyes met.

“Milady! Milady! You ran too fast!”

Several beastkin maids came sprinting from afar, panting and flushed as they caught up to Hilda.

“Milady, why did you suddenly run off like that?”

Hilda blinked, wiping the tears from her face. Her voice was dazed, her mind seemingly adrift.

“What happened…?”

“I heard Eris had finally come back. She and her darling didn’t return all night, so I came to check on her… but then I saw a guest from afar. Is this the new swordsmanship tutor Eris mentioned? So young…”

Allen had already heard her approaching—he’d been quietly observing her for a while. Judging from her reaction, it was clear she hadn’t been informed of his arrival. And Philip, it seemed, had had no intention of telling his wife that their son would be coming.

He couldn’t control Hilda’s emotions.

So better not to tell her at all.

Her appearance here was nothing more than a coincidence.

The proof stood beside her—Philip, still staring blankly at Thomas’s corpse, as if lost in thought.

Allen lowered his gaze, watching Hilda as she wiped her eyes.

Maybe the seething rage that had built up all day had finally burned itself out. In that moment, he felt as if a spring breeze had passed through his chest, clearing the haze of agitation in one swift breath.

Mother, huh.

First time meeting her.

Doesn’t feel real yet.

Best not to stir up more trouble. That would be the kindest choice—for everyone.

Allen nodded and gave a polite bow.

“Yes, milady. I’m the new instructor who’ll be teaching Eris the Water God Style. Pleased to meet you—apologies if I’ve caused offense.”

Whether intentional or not, he made no mention of his name.

And Hilda said nothing either. It was only now that she seemed to notice the corpse of Thomas lying nearby. Her eyes shifted between Allen and the body, a faint look of confusion on her face, while the beastkin maids tidied her gown in silence.

Allen stepped forward, walking past her.

Their eyes met again—briefly.

Then they passed each other.

Allen headed toward Sylphy and Rudeus, intent on calming them down.

But then—

His steps faltered, just slightly.

A moment later, he was walking normally again.

The system interface he’d just conjured dissolved in the air behind him.

[Everyone was still processing the fact that you’d killed someone. They hadn’t yet recovered from the shock. Even if it was ‘justified,’ even if they knew you, even if they trusted you… in this instant, the image of bloodstained brutality still evoked a primal awe—a quiet, instinctive reverence.]

[If your actions had a ‘color,’ then right now, they would be a deep, coagulated red—dark and heavy, like dried blood.]

[Even so—]

[In whose eyes…]

[…does your figure shine as radiantly as the sun?]

[Human emotion truly is fascinating.]

[Participation rating: increased.]

[You have gained Hilda’s favor.]

---

T/N: a mother always knows

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!