For a first meeting between strangers, his actions could easily be deemed rude.
But Allen did it on purpose. On one hand, he had behaved a little like a creep just now.
On the other...
If things kept going this way, this would turn into one of those cheesy rom-com anime scenarios with a blonde-haired playboy lead. Sure, before transmigrating, he'd been head over heels for Roxy—constantly simping and calling her "Blue Mama"—but the cold reality was now right in front of him: to safely insert himself into the key events of Mushoku Tensei, Allen needed to rely on his foreknowledge from the novel.
He had to grow closer to Roxy, yes—but he also had to maintain a proper distance.
In this world of Mushoku Tensei, where information moved at a crawl and communication was mostly limited to letters or face-to-face meetings, relationships were simpler. So when Rudeus casually tossed out a few internet-grade pick-up lines or romantic clichés...
The feedback he got from women was absurdly intense—and overwhelmingly positive.
Ridiculous, yet true.
Allen didn't hesitate. His thoughts flashed by like lightning, but his body moved with clarity. He mimicked Roxy's somber expression, furrowing his sharp, blade-like brows and locking his gaze on her forehead.
"Of course," he said, voice low and edged, "if that really is a Demon Eye hidden there... then before you can devour me, I just might take your head off first. We are standing a bit too close, wouldn't you say?"
He added, almost offhandedly, "A single swing of the sword—that's all it takes, right?"
He tilted his head slightly toward the headless corpses of the four magical beasts nearby.
Roxy instinctively followed his gaze—and shivered.
Right. She was a mage... and she'd just tried to intimidate a swordsman at point-blank range.
In truth, her reaction stemmed from just having parted ways with Rudeus. Faced now with another young-looking boy, her subconscious had defaulted to her usual, Rudeus-mode of engagement.
But this wasn't Rudeus. And this boy wasn't harmless.
He was an adventurer wandering the woods in the dead of night, where monsters prowled. He had drawn his sword and slain four magical beasts in a heartbeat—and managed to cleave apart her high-output water spell midair, all while demonstrating a precision in spatial judgment that bordered on inhuman.
That casual display... surpassed even most A-ranked adventurers she'd encountered.
Intermediate swordsman? No, that didn't cut it. He was probably an advanced-level swordsman—at least.
Roxy regained her composure in an instant. She moved to stand and put some distance between them. But as her eyes flicked across Allen's expression, she stilled herself.
Because he had already lowered his gaze.
In a single beat, Allen's face had grown solemn. He extended his right hand in a noble's formal gesture and bowed his head deeply to Roxy.
She could even see the tiny hairs on the back of his neck bristle with tension.
His actions spoke louder than words: he meant no harm.
"My apologies," he said sincerely. "No more jokes. And... truly, thank you. Even if I managed to slice apart your water spell, I owe you my life."
He even used an honorific.
Roxy blinked and slowly sat back down, placing her hands primly on her knees.
After Allen's push and pull—his advance, then retreat—their interaction regained a proper tone.
Conversation resumed.
"What's the meaning of all this... and how do you know about the Migurd race?"
Allen calmly removed his sheathed sword from his waist and laid it across his lap, making it clear he had no intention to attack. At the same time, he pointed at the scabbard and lifted his gaze to meet hers, feeding her a lie with a straight face.
"As you can see, the sword technique I used earlier puts a heavy strain on my body. If you hadn't been here, I might've collapsed from my injuries. And if more monsters had been drawn to the light of the fire… I could've died."
He smiled faintly.
"As for the Migurd tribe—well, all swordsmen long for a blade that fits their hand. I may be young, but I've read Heroic Legends of the North God. Many of the legendary magic blades with special abilities came from the hands of a famous Demon blacksmith—Yurian Haris."
"To learn more about him, I read quite a bit on the Demon Continent. So I recognize quite a few demonfolk."
Roxy fell briefly silent.
"…Still. If I hadn't cast that spell, you wouldn't have needed to swing with such strain. Compared to the monsters, wasn't my water spell the greater threat to you?"
She narrowed her eyes.
"You couldn't determine if the sudden burst of magic in the middle of a forest at night came from a friend or foe—so you eliminated the risk immediately, while showing your strength to intimidate the newcomer. Am I wrong?"
Allen stared at her, surprised. She had resumed her usual half-lidded, cool expression—yet there was no fear or suspicion in her gaze. She returned his goodwill with her own, sitting neatly, posture steady, her mage's robe taut with the pressure of her duck-like sitting style. Hands resting on knees, her demeanor was calm and neutral.
'No wonder she's survived for years as an adventurer across the Demon and Millis continents,' Allen thought. 'Despite the anime trying to play up the "moe" factor for marketing, the real Roxy is sharp—razor sharp. Probably only let her guard down because she's been living too peacefully in the Asura Kingdom.'
This woman had solo cleared dungeons with nothing but her mage's body. To treat her like some delicate flower would be an insult to the gods themselves.
Allen smiled slightly.
"You're not wrong. But the truth is, your water spell was meant to save me, not hurt me. That's why I didn't force myself to keep going. And later, when I fainted and you used healing magic… I'm grateful for that. Truly."
Roxy leaned forward slightly, gaze sharpening.
She pointed to the nearby corpse of a felled boar.
"Let me guess—fainting was an act too, wasn't it? A test to see if I meant you harm."
"You even kept yourself facing upward—so your sword arm remained free. If I'd done anything to you, I'd probably be headless right now, just like them."
Allen froze. Busted. He scrambled to cover it.
"I—uh, that was subconscious…"
Before he could finish, Roxy cut him off.
"It's fine. I can tell you're not on guard around me anymore. And your thanks just now felt sincere. Traveling solo... you need that kind of wariness."
"For someone your age, it's impressive. If anything, it's me who's gotten rusty after living too peacefully."
She sighed and tugged at her bangs, glancing sideways at her staff, voice softening.
"…Still. Smooth talker. Never says what he really means. That's a proper adventurer, alright."
Allen stared at her. In that moment, he genuinely felt her charisma—not some shallow beauty, but a profound warmth that radiated unconsciously.
She was... genuinely kind.
The thought struck him deeply. He looked straight at her.
Roxy seemed to sense the shift in his gaze and turned, puzzled.
Then she heard him speak—his voice youthful, but unwavering.
"Thank you. But I can't agree with the smooth talker part. Maybe what I said when I 'woke up' sounded like some absurd excuse, but every word I spoke was from the heart."
Roxy blinked, caught off guard by his intensity.
[Reminder to host: increasing Roxy's affection level repeatedly will not yield additional rewards. That said—]
Allen waved his hand frantically, dispelling the translucent system window before it could fully appear.
'So now even genuine gratitude gets called farming? Give me a break.'
Roxy watched his odd behavior, lips curling into the faintest, almost imperceptible smile.
"So... calling me 'Mama' was heartfelt too? You were clearly mocking my height."
"But I guess... no one would expect to see a demonfolk here on the Asura Continent. Small stature, mature voice—it is suspicious."
Allen: Be serious, Blue Mama. Mature voice? Really? The Migurd live for over 200 years—by human standards, you're still a teenager. Even your brain is probably still developing. And don't get me started on average demonfolk intelligence...
Just then, Roxy cleared her throat.
"Don't call me Mama. I have a name."
Allen nodded, following her cue.
"Then may I ask your name?"
"Roxy Migurdia. And yours?"
"…Allen."
He hesitated, then looked at her. Under the starlight, her blue eyes held nothing but sincerity.
He sighed inwardly. He'd lied enough tonight.
No more lies—not to Roxy.
She was the kind who, even if she heard rumors in the capital, would respect someone's wishes and not betray them.
After a slight pause, he gave her his full name.
"Allen Boreas Greyrat."
(End of Chapter)