The Girl by the Campfire
Allen found himself staring at the trembling ahoge atop the blue-haired girl's head before nodding vigorously.
"Hello. Hello. Blue Mom."
Roxy froze, stunned. Allen immediately clapped a hand over his mouth, realizing what he had just said. Her expression shifted from shock to irritation as she forced a gloomy expression.
"The reason I don't grow is because I'm a demon," she said flatly.
She lifted a lock of her hair to the firelight. In the warm glow, the tips shimmered faintly green. She leaned closer, peering into Allen's eyes.
"See it? Green-tipped hair. I'm a Migurd—one of the demon races. Call me 'Mom' again, and I'll eat you."
Allen blinked, finally snapping out of his daze. Her face was close—too close—and her blue eyes trembled slightly in the firelight.
"Then eat me. Right now."
Roxy faltered.
Before she could react, Allen flicked his fingers. A burst of fighting spirit cracked the air, scattering her bangs and exposing her smooth forehead.
With her momentarily dazed, Allen leaned forward and tapped her forehead.
"No red magic eye," he said calmly.
"You're not a Superd. You're a Migurd."
Roxy stared at him, speechless.
---
Allen Boreas Greyrat
What Allen did was undeniably rude—especially toward someone he had just met.
But he did it intentionally.
This couldn't be allowed to drift into a "blue-haired romance route." He had adored Roxy before reincarnating, but reality wasn't a game. He needed every scrap of foreknowledge he had from reading Mushoku Tensei to survive.
If he got too close to Roxy now, he might disrupt her future decisions.
That could alter the flow of the Great Teleportation Incident—and shatter his advantage.
If fate changed too much, his "cheat knowledge" would become worthless.
To avoid that, he needed closeness without attachment. Familiarity without intimacy.
A dangerous balance.
He sighed internally.
"In this world, relationships develop slowly. Letters and face-to-face meetings—that's it. That's why Rudeus was able to get away with all his cheesy MMO pickup lines."
He mimicked Roxy's earlier gloomy expression and stared at her forehead again.
"Of course, if you actually had a red demon eye, I'd cut off your head before you could eat me. We're far too close for comfort."
He nodded toward the decapitated monsters lying nearby.
Roxy followed his gaze and stiffened.
Right. She had gotten right in the face of a swordsman.
A swordsman who had killed four monsters in seconds.
A swordsman who had bisected her Water Sphere spell without hesitation.
No, he wasn't an "intermediate swordsman."
His speed and precision were closer to an Advanced-rank swordsman.
She rose on instinct to distance herself… but stopped when she saw Allen bow properly, hand over his heart—a respectful Asuran aristocratic gesture.
Her eyes widened. He had no hostility at all.
"Sorry. I won't joke around anymore. Thank you. Even if I cut your spell, I owe my life to your magic."
The atmosphere instantly shifted from strange to formal.
"…And how do you know about the Migurds?" she asked.
Allen unsheathed his sword and lay it horizontally between them—a gesture showing neutrality.
"The technique earlier strained my body. I fainted afterward. If monsters had followed the firelight, I'd have died. As for the Migurds—every swordsman dreams of a weapon suited to them. The demonic swords crafted by the demon artisan Julian Harvey—those come from your continent. So I studied a lot."
Roxy fell silent. Then she exhaled.
"If I hadn't used magic, you wouldn't have needed to push yourself so hard. From your perspective, my Water Sphere was more dangerous than the monsters—it appeared suddenly in the forest at night, and you didn't know if I was friend or foe. So you dealt with the threat immediately and made a show of strength to warn off a possible attacker. Right?"
Allen blinked.
Her eyes were half-lidded, calm, and analytical.
No fear. No aloofness.
Just experience.
As expected of someone who traveled the Demon Continent alone.
Allen smiled.
"You're right. But you did save me. After I fainted, you healed me immediately. That's an undeniable kindness."
Roxy leaned forward, analyzing him again.
"So you fainted on purpose. To test me. If I attacked you, you could still draw your sword. If I meant harm… my head would end up like those."
She pointed at the massive boar corpse.
Allen hesitated. "…That was subconscious."
"It's fine. That's normal for a solo adventurer. Your vigilance is impressive for your age. I'm the one who's gotten careless after staying in the Asura Kingdom too long."
She tugged on her bangs, embarrassed.
"Being able to lie smoothly is also a qualification for an adventurer."
Allen studied her seriously.
Not her beauty. Not her cuteness.
Her kindness.
Roxy noticed his intense gaze.
"…What?"
"What I said earlier might've sounded like smooth talk, but every word was sincere."
A system window shimmered beside him.
Allen swatted it out of existence.
"Excuse me? I'm being honest and you call me a fake? Your evaluation system sucks."
Roxy paused… then chuckled quietly.
"So when you call me 'Mom,' that was sincere? Don't call me Mom. I have a name."
Oh no.
Allen had forgotten to say it.
"Uh… may I ask your name?" he tried.
"Roxy Migurdia. And yours?"
"Allen."
He hesitated—then sighed inwardly.
No more lies. Not to her.
"Allen Boreas Greyrat."
Roxy's eyes widened.
"…Greyrat?"
---
The Price of Borrowing Money
Roxy blinked in surprise.
"Boreas Greyrat…? You?"
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