Rudeus watched Sylphy still looking timid and couldn't help but curl his lips.
"I'm telling you, if you don't fight back against guys like that, they'll just push further and further."
"I-I can't win."
"...What matters is the will to resist."
'Even if I'm hardly one to talk.'
"Usually if the kids are younger, I resist. But today they had older ones..."
As she spoke, she glanced toward Allen.
Allen stood some distance away, and Sylphy's voice was a bit soft, so he couldn't hear clearly. Still, he nodded with a radiant smile.
Sylphy immediately averted her gaze, her ears trembling.
Under the tree, Allen's expression suddenly shifted, and he flailed a hand in front of him, as if warding off some unclean presence.
Rudeus didn't see Allen's odd behavior and just said seriously to Sylphy:
"Well, you heard Allen earlier, right? If they dare bully you again, he'll twist their heads off."
Allen heard that loud and clear. He had just waved off the floating system panel and now looked at Rudeus with a deadpan face.
'Bro, your mental age is five years older than mine! Using me as a scary figure from behind, really? Your flashy magic would be way more impressive than my sword! Throw a fireball or something, scare 'em and impress the girl at once! Why the hell are you shrinking back?'
'Fine... I guess it's partly my fault. The event got triggered early. Rudeus has just come out of Roxy's protective bubble and probably still has trauma with older kids. Getting tied up naked in front of a school will leave some lasting marks...'
Seeing Sylphy still sneaking glances at Allen, Rudeus helplessly shrugged.
"Anyway, it must be rough being bullied just because your hair color resembles the Superd Tribe."
Sylphy winced and murmured, "D-do you guys not care?"
"My teacher's a demon too. I can't speak for him, but I'm sure Allen didn't think you were Superd from the start. Maybe it's his swordsman instincts."
"I see... a swordsman."
Sylphy nodded.
Rudeus stared at her long ears, curiously asking, "You have elf-like ears. Aren't you human?"
"No, not really. My father is half long-ear, half human."
"What about your mom?"
"Human... but with a bit of beastfolk blood."
Before Rudeus could put that together, Sylphy suddenly began sniffling.
"My father... even though I'm not a demon, my hair doesn't look like his or mom's."
Rudeus was at a loss, but catching a glimpse of Allen under the tree with a blank expression gave him an idea.
"No crying! Allen hates it when kids cry. He might chop your head off!"
Allen: ??????
The crying stopped immediately. Sylphy looked terrified.
[Sylphy's favorability has slightly decreased.]
Allen lit up.
'Yes! Good! Keep this up, let's pull the story back in line!'
Rudeus chuckled inwardly.
"Is your dad strict? You seem scared of stern types."
"...Yeah. When he's angry, it's scary. But if I listen, he doesn't get mad."
"Ah~ What about your mom?"
"She's really gentle."
"Oh, were you bringing lunch to your dad earlier? I saw a basket of bread. Ah, it got all muddy. Totally Allen's fault!"
Sylphy panicked, bowing her head repeatedly.
"Ah! S-sorry! Really sorry!"
Rudeus: ???
Allen: ?????
Rudeus blinked.
"Why are you apologizing? Whatever. Take me to your dad. I'll apologize for Allen. He sucks at socializing anyway. Just stares at you and grins creepily."
Allen: ?????????
Sylphy nodded, hesitated, then turned to face Allen. Twisting her fingers nervously, she lowered her head.
"Thank you... for protecting me."
She turned back to Rudeus.
"And thank you... for washing my hair."
"But if you help me, people might start hating you too. You might lose friends... So maybe it's better if you leave me alone. I can... manage."
She looked on the verge of tears but held them in.
Because Allen hates kids who cry.
Just then, Allen walked over, ruffled both their heads, and strode past.
His voice floated back casually on the wind:
"We're not trying to be friends with the rest of them. But speaking of friends..."
He raised two fingers behind him without turning around.
"Now the three of us each have two friends~"
Rudeus watched his retreating back, blinking, then smiled.
He patted the stunned Sylphy's shoulder.
"Let's go. Don't mind the scary face, he's a good guy. He helped me before too."
Sylphy blinked, then nodded seriously.
Allen didn't hear what was said behind him, just swatted away the lingering favorability system window with a grin.
[Participation Score in Mushoku Tensei Major Event has increased. Current Stage: Childhood. Cumulative Participation Score: 50 points. You have gained Rudeus and Sylphy's friendship.]
Behind him, the children whispered in the wind.
"I forgot to ask your name."
"Syl... phy." Her voice was like a mosquito, barely audible.
"Sylphy, huh? Nice name. Sounds like a wind spirit."
"Th-thanks. His name is Allen, right? What about you?"
"Yeah, the scary-looking one is Allen. I'm Rudeus."
"Allen... sounds like the name of a world-destroying savior."
Rudeus: ??
"Hey, I'm the one who got praised... but honestly, that fits him scarily well. If his surname were Jaeger, it'd be perfect."
"Huh?"
(End of Chapter)
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