Chapter Three: No, System, Are You Serious?!

After confirming that the visitor was Roxy, Allen's mind involuntarily recalled the original storyline.

There was no doubt that her appearance here at this time, still carrying a suitcase, meant she had just parted ways with Rudy's family, leaving Buena Village to embark on her adventure anew.

He had missed the chance.

Yet, it seemed he had caught it after all.

If so, then the question arose.

The Transmigration Guide System tasked him with participating in the major events of Rudy’s growth stages in "Mushoku Tensei," leaving behind “traces” in the eyes of protagonists and supporting characters to earn participation points.

Was there an opportunity now?

According to Allen’s reasoning, getting close to Roxy would definitely yield a large amount of points—again, because Roxy was an exceptionally important character in the original plot.

In Rudy’s growth trajectory, the conflict between humans and gods was the story’s main thread, and Roxy was the very cause of the gods’ appearance.

After the major shift, Roxy helped Rudy search for his family, during which they grew close; notably, their child, Lala, would become the key figure in sealing the human gods in the future. The shift altered causality, and the gods, using foresight, saw their own fate and thus intervened in Rudy’s life, setting the main storyline in motion.

Now the chance was before him, yet Allen hesitated.

Having read the book, his greatest trump card was his faux clairvoyance, followed by the system itself.

In other words, he shouldn’t allow his personal affection for original characters to overly interfere with the plot. It was best to participate in major events as a relatively strong background character.

If he caused too much impact and was discovered by the dragon god who drifted through reincarnations, he could very well be slain without explanation, dying on the spot. Judging by the system’s current development, confronting the dragon god was still a distant future.

His faux clairvoyance was more important… it could be used to avoid premature encounters.

Roxy watched Allen’s expression grow serious with some unease, twisting her calf nervously. She tugged at her blue hair falling over her forehead, fixing her gaze on the blood-stained grass nearby, as if wanting to say something.

At that moment, clouds of dust suddenly materialized in the air, blocking Allen’s line of sight between him and Roxy.

He blinked in puzzlement.

“Huh? Why is the system activating now? My swordsmanship shouldn’t have improved suddenly enough to require an update…”

Then, bold, underlined, and red-text lines formed in midair, causing Allen’s face to stiffen.

[Instant Mission Release for Mushoku Tensei Transmigration Guide.]

[First Encounter with Roxy.]

[Mission Background: The host has once again missed Roxy’s guidance of Rudy during childhood. At this point, Roxy has been separated from Rudy for two days. Encountering Roxy now is the host’s last chance to make amends.]

[Mission Introduction: Within one hour, gain Roxy’s favor. Within four days, gain Rudy’s favor.]

[Mission Reward: Healing Magic Slot—Unlock (2/4).]

[Healing Magic Slot—Four magical rune slots are engraved on the host’s Dragon Saint Martial Qi nucleus, corresponding respectively to four types of healing magic: healing magic; antidote magic; barrier magic; divine strike magic.]

[The host can acquire runes by physical contact with a creature that has cast any of these four types of magic within the past minute. Upon contact, the system copies and solidifies the magical fluctuations into the slots as runes. Activated runes can cast the corresponding magic effects on the host’s body in real time until the host’s mana is depleted. Note: Runes affect only the host’s body, not external objects.]

[Mission Start.]

[Roxy: Countdown 0:59:59. Completion unlocks healing magic slot.]

[Rudy: Countdown 95:59:58. Completion unlocks antidote magic slot.]

What?

Dude?

Favor???

Huh?

Is this system for real? Roxy’s favor is one thing, but Rudy’s favor? What the heck is that?? And you’re hiding 2/4 slots here? You can’t fool me! Even a fool knows the other two must be for the other female leads.

Seeing Allen’s face change dramatically, Roxy couldn’t help but scratch her cheek shyly and speak.

"Well… I was traveling by night and saw a fire in the forest, so I came over… I happened to see monsters attacking humans… I instinctively cast some magic, but I didn’t expect you to handle them yourself… Seems like I was unnecessary, nearly hit you by mistake…”

Her cute, stammering voice brought Allen back from his daze.

The system panel had dissipated into the air, allowing him to see Roxy’s appearance clearly again.

By the campfire’s glow, the goddess (a playful nod to Mushoku Tensei, as Rudy calls Roxy “goddess”) twisted her leg nervously. The black thigh-high socks on her calves were slightly loose, slipping a bit and revealing pale skin with faint red marks. Her cheeks were flushed, eyes darting anxiously as she glanced around.

But she would not meet Allen’s gaze.

At that moment, the martial energy surging in Allen’s body subsided, and he suddenly felt a warmth in his nose. Before long, blood began to trickle down. (No, it wasn’t because he was looking at her legs!)

He touched under his nose blankly, glanced at Roxy’s two pale blue braided pigtails, hesitated for a moment, then seemed to waver for a bit longer.

Finally, he rolled his eyes and fainted straight away.

Of course, it was a feigned faint.

As for the nosebleed…

The “Twenty Slash” technique of the Hokushin style was a rapid draw-and-cut technique relying entirely on physical fitness and skill. In his current state, Allen was not fully developed enough to perform five consecutive strikes in quick succession. The excessive flow of martial energy caused capillaries to burst.

This was also why his Hokushin style rank was not high—he couldn’t sustain continuous combat using practical techniques. As for the Qiba style’s bizarre methods, he had mastered very few so far.

Not that he was incapable, but rather unwilling.

Some could really pull it off, like the North King in the novel’s Asura throne war who covered his body with mirror-like armor. Still, Allen didn’t want to look like a disco ball unless absolutely necessary.

By rights, the nosebleed was just capillary rupture, so Allen could have stayed conscious.

But… since the mission was issued and the countdown ticking, and the timing was perfect…

He wouldn’t hesitate.

In the short term, feigning a faint was the simplest, most effective way to gain Roxy’s favor:

Leveraging the Franklin effect/social psychology.

The most direct way to win a stranger’s initial favor was not by offering help, but by asking for help.

First, this gave the other person a sense of self-worth, making them feel important.

Second, during the act of helping, the subconscious desire to not waste effort would cause them to pay more attention and develop favor toward you in subsequent interactions.

In practice, it looked like: “Oh? You asked how I’m related to him/her? Well, since I once helped him/her, our relationship is quite good~”

Now was the perfect moment for the Franklin effect to take hold. Allen’s fainting naturally set up the precondition of “asking for help.”

On top of that, Roxy’s water magic nearly backfired on Allen, so she already felt a bit guilty.

Clearly.

This was the exact moment when help would not be refused.

With a thud, Allen collapsed.

“Franklin effect, show your power!… Blue mom… help your child! (A Mushoku Tensei fan joke—casual readers, no funny business!) You’re the only true god in Mushoku. Cast a spell to help Roxy tend to her loyal follower!”

Allen closed his eyes, silently praying for divine favor. Soon, he heard Roxy’s flustered mumbling and pacing footsteps nearby.

“Fainted… Fainted? Could the water magic have hit him after all? Wha… What… What do I do??”

Allen: Healing magic, please!!

“Should I… run away… run?”

Allen: Huh???

“W-Wait… Roxy, don’t panic, calm down, calm down.”

A cool hand touched Allen’s lips.

“There’s… still breathing. It’s an external injury. Using healing magic… at my healing level, it’s still possible!”

Allen: …Hang in there, thank you.

He silently exhaled in relief. Yet Roxy’s panicked reaction reminded him of her flustered expression in the novel when she used a water-based sacred-level magic—Summon Thundercloud—to strike the horse at Rudy’s home unconscious.

More real than anime or novel, the cold-faced Blue Mom seemed serious, but the mundane Blue Mom was utterly adorable in contrast.

Um…

Though her impulse to flee the scene was also quite realistic.

After all, she was an adventurer.

Roxy’s somewhat hurried voice sounded again.

“Oh, goddess of motherly kindness! Please heal this person’s wounds! Restore him to health! Healing magic!”

Allen had been waiting patiently. After the incantation, he immediately opened his eyes, lying flat like a salted fish, then sat up!

That was fast!

He swiftly reached out and grabbed Roxy’s hand. In her wide-eyed shock, shyness, bewilderment, and relief, he looked serious and earnest as he spoke.

“Thank you! Goddess.”

Roxy: Σ(°ロ°)!!

No sooner had he spoken than the system panel appeared before him.

[Successfully gained Roxy’s favor. Time elapsed: 2 minutes 47 seconds.]

[Rating: Fast guy, fierce, blond vibe.]

[Healing Magic Slot unlocked.]

[Detected host is in physical contact with Roxy, who cast healing magic within the past minute.]

[Detection successful. Rune engraved—Intermediate Healing Magic.]

Allen blinked, touched deeply, and stared intently at the blue-haired legal loli before him, who wore an expression of shock and panic.

She couldn’t immediately tell whether this sudden favor was due to the Franklin effect or simply because he had praised her.

But one thing was clear:

This was a “goddess.”

Generous, fair-skinned, beautiful, adorable.

Roxy’s cheeks flushed as she pulled her hand away, brushed her forehead hair aside, and averted her gaze once more.

“…Goddess is just an ordinary intermediate healing magic. Calling me a goddess is way too exaggerated…”

Yet she was easily pleased.

Allen looked at Roxy sitting close by, her sleepy half-closed eyes and faintly cold expression mixed with a trace of happiness from being praised as a goddess.

Such charming contrast.

Tch, Rudy, born of a thirty-four-year-old experienced otaku from Japan.

Truly no deception.