Allen was once again on foot, making his way back at a brisk pace.
But this time, it was different. He'd just fought a brutal battle, and after running with battle aura for four straight hours, he could feel the fatigue setting in.
By noon, he gave up and collapsed into a roadside patch of tall grass, determined to get a bit of rest.
He was exhausted.
Sunlight filtered through the blades above, casting shifting shadows on his face. The grass danced in the breeze, tickling his cheeks, and his eyelids kept fighting to stay open.
That's when he suddenly remembered the feel of Roxy's hand.
System?
[Speak.]
This time, the system responded instantly.
Allen blinked his dry eyes, then hesitated, feeling strangely embarrassed. After a brief pause, he asked the question anyway.
Uh, so... before, even the tiniest thing would raise affection scores. But this time, I got along with Roxy the whole trip—well, I think I did—and there wasn't a single notification. No affection increase. What gives?
...Are you pocketing my affection points? You know what I mean, right?
He wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light, but the smoky letters that formed in the air seemed to flutter.
Like they were… laughing.
[The moonlight was nice last night.]
Allen's thoughts were fuzzy, but he nodded absently.
"It was."
[You held her hand for quite a while. The mood was even a little ambiguous. But no affection pop-up, and now you're wondering why?]
Allen froze.
"That's not it—I'm innocent! I was only thinking about affection points!"
[Oh? Were you?]
"Absolutely. Just tell me already—why didn't I get any points?!"
[Host, you must understand: human relationships have distinct layers and boundaries.]
[Strangers. Acquaintances. Friends. Lovers. Family. Each stage has a clear emotional threshold.]
[Once you cross into a deeper tier, further progression isn't triggered by small talk, casual gestures, or a simple wave goodbye.]
[Do you understand?]
Allen stared at the system panel.
His gaze lingered on the word Friends, swaying in the air like a banner in the wind.
He answered silently.
...I get it. Last night was just holding hands. Not even that. It was probably just an accident.
God, what is wrong with me? I've been so pure it's making me stupid. Like a grade schooler thinking his crush likes him back. Classic delusional male protagonist behavior. Yeah. That must be it.
Keep it together. Right now, Roxy's affection for me probably caps at "friend." Any hope of ambiguous tension or romance is still a long way off.
Oddly, that thought made Allen… relieved.
Almost as if it gave him room to breathe.
He let out a soft sigh, and Roxy's smiling face from their parting floated up in his memory.
Hah... If I really had crossed that line, I wouldn't know what to do.
In the original novel, Allen was practically a background character. If I ended up dating Roxy instead of Rudeus, wouldn't that completely derail the plot? What about all the major future events? Wouldn't I just be a confused side character stumbling through Rudeus's fate? And what about—
No. Stop. Stop spiraling. Don't go full self-insert delusion mode. How did I go from holding hands to imagining raising kids?!
He turned his face to the grass.
Silence.
Then sleep.
Roxy's already given me tons of affection points. The first encounter alone netted me twenty-three. That's enough. Don't get greedy. This is fine. This is plenty. This is good.
Roxy.
She's good.
Surrounded by the scent of wild grass, the tension that had been coiled in Allen's chest all night finally relaxed. He drifted into sleep.
But the system smoke still lingered, dancing gently in the breeze.
[Time and the future are funny things. What happens now often started at some past fork in the road. And what happens later—has its seeds already planted in moments like these.]
[Heh.]
[Your affection points with Roxy? They were spent early—back when you first met.]
[Allen.]
...
By the time Allen made it back to the Greyrat home, it was already mid-July.
Golden wind rippled across the rice paddies outside the village like waves on the sea.
At the entrance to the village, two small figures were practicing magic. Sylphiette was the first to notice him. She froze for a second, then beamed with joy and sprinted toward him, throwing herself into his arms.
Allen instinctively spun her around in a circle, catching the faint bounce of her pointed ears as she laughed.
Then he saw Rudeus.
Just a few steps away, Rudeus had initially smiled—but now his expression had shifted to quiet resentment.
Allen stiffened.
Oh... right. He must've noticed his underwear disappeared.
He coughed awkwardly and set Sylphy down, avoiding Rudeus's piercing gaze.
Sylphy lowered her head to fix her messy hair, her voice soft and flustered.
"Allen... Rudeus and I were both really worried about you this past month..."
Allen flinched. He could see from Rudeus's eyes that he definitely wasn't acting worried at all.
His smile turned a bit uneasy.
"Uh, Rudeus... about the underwear, I can explain—"
"Allen!!"
Before he could finish, a hulking man burst out of the nearby clinic.
Allen flinched, wide-eyed.
Paul?!
What the hell's he doing at the clinic again in the middle of the day?!
Before he could react, Paul lunged in and caught him in a headlock, dragging him away in a full-body grip.
Allen didn't struggle—he did feel a bit guilty for sneaking off.
But then Paul's arms tightened. His face got shoved into Paul's pecs. The manly musk filled his nose.
And Allen panicked.
He started flailing.
Eyes wide, he looked toward Rudeus, signaling frantically for help.
I don't want this kind of "familial warmth," help me!!
Rudeus understood the look—but just smirked.
He had pieced it all together.
The night he woke up in his room instead of Roxy's, the missing underwear, the memory of someone walking away and someone whispering to him...
There was only one conclusion:
The relic had been retrieved by the goddesses themselves.
Tragic.
Was it Allen's fault? Probably not.
But...
Why was my underwear in the shrine?!
Rudeus ground his teeth and grabbed Allen's hand, just as he was struggling free.
Allen looked up, grateful—only for Rudeus to gently shove him right back into Paul's chest, patting his back in fake sympathy.
It was the exact same expression Allen had made when he soothed Rudeus back to sleep that night.
"Father was really worried about you, Allen," Rudeus said, tone serene. "He's been waiting at the village entrance every day."
"Wha— Wait, hold on—?!"
Allen flailed again, but Paul's grip was iron. He was dragged all the way home, wailing and gasping.
Why didn't he use sword techniques to fight back?
Emotionally, he didn't want to duel Paul. Logically, he understood this wasn't the moment for that kind of drama.
He figured Paul was just genuinely angry about the disappearing act. He'd cool off once Allen explained.
Or so Allen thought.
But once they got home, things didn't go as expected.
Zenith wasn't at the clinic—she was waiting inside.
When she saw Allen, her face lit up with relief—but then immediately darkened.
She ignored his pleading look and followed Paul upstairs to the study. Lilia came too.
Click.
The door closed.
Paul sat cross-armed in silence, fury etched on his face.
Allen, breathless after finally escaping the muscle man's embrace, looked around the room.
Rudeus, Sylphy, Zenith, and Lilia all sat in solemn silence.
...This doesn't feel like a simple scolding.
Paul opened his mouth several times, then sighed.
"Allen... do you really think it's okay to leave without saying anything?"
Allen blinked.
Wait. Is this... the Rudeus-family confrontation event from the original plot?
Except now it's aimed at me?!
He looked to Rudeus for help, but Rudeus didn't seem angry—just quietly watching.
Zenith's expression was the same.
Sylphy looked worried.
"Allen... Uncle Paul got really upset a month ago. We were all really worried about you."
Allen flinched. Then it hit him.
He'd left in a rush. Just a quick note to Paul explaining he'd take care of the 'Assault Dogs' and be back soon.
He figured it was no big deal—after all, he wasn't really a hired hand.
But from the family's perspective?
It was like a worker sending their boss a letter saying:
"Hey, I've got personal stuff to deal with. Catch you in a month."
And then just vanishing.
Yeah... Not great.
Paul must've already told them everything—about his background, Allen's identity.
Even so, their expressions didn't match the tone of a mere scolding.
Paul stayed silent. Instead, Zenith leaned forward.
"Allen, I already told everyone the truth about who you are. That day, your uncle got really angry—there was no way to keep hiding it."
"I didn't see the point anymore. We already think of you as family. Rudeus clearly gets along with you. You're not just some tutor."
"But…"
"You ran off without telling anyone. Do you think that's how family treats each other?"
Allen swallowed hard.
Family...? But it's only been three months…
Just because I'm Philip's kid doesn't mean they should—
Then Roxy's voice echoed in his head.
"If it's dangerous, ask Paul-sama for help. He's advanced in all three styles. Everyone would worry. When you get back, you should apologize to them, okay?"
Allen froze.
Zenith wasn't done.
"We really do see you as part of the Greyrat family. I understand if you don't feel a strong attachment to us. But we worry. We care."
"Couldn't you have talked to us before leaving? That letter you left... It felt like... like we were some monsters from the woods you had to escape."
"Like you're just some outsider on contract."
She sighed, standing up and leaving the room.
Paul looked down at Allen, calmer now.
"I found the bounty notice in your drawer. I assume that's what you were dealing with. Your clothes—obviously washed after a fight."
"You're strong. I know that. But still, next time—say something. We might've helped."
"Family means support, Allen. That's what it's supposed to mean."
He patted his shoulder and walked out.
Lilia followed.
Rudeus hesitated, then tried to lighten the mood.
"So... you're like my long-lost cousin or something, huh?"
Allen didn't respond.
Rudeus gave a weak shrug and left too.
That just left Sylphy.
She hesitated, then quietly stepped forward and gave him a gentle hug.
"I was really worried, too. But... I'm glad you're back."
Then she left as well.
The sunlight through the window stretched Allen's shadow across the floor.
He stood there, dazed.
Dinner was awkward. No one spoke much.
That night, Allen lay on the bed Zenith had freshly aired out for him.
It still didn't feel real.
Like being yelled at by a character in a book.
Like a video game NPC stepping out of the screen to slap you across the face.
He stared at the ceiling in silence.
So... this is what it's really like.
I've been treating this like a game, like a self-insert adventure. But Paul and the others... they weren't playing.
"Worried about me...? After only three months?"
"Just because I'm Philip's son?"
Silence.
"…Being treated like family…"
"…Tomorrow… I'll apologize."
More silence.
Then a whisper.
"…Family."
But the next day, Allen never got the chance to say those words.
Because from that morning on—
Everyone just… went back to normal.
Laughter, sword training, magic lessons with Rudeus and Sylphy, nightly whispers from the room next door…
And his two silver coins. Always paid on time.
Yet Allen couldn't shake the feeling—
That something had changed.
Time passed.
Winter arrived.
Zenith was pregnant.