A one-day time limit after activation... I'll shelve it for now. I need to think about this more.
The panel dissipated.
Allen watched as Rudeus lowered his head, bringing the sacred relic so close to his own face that it nearly touched the tip of his nose. He quickly interrupted the ritual.
"But, when you go out to survey the terrain, you have to take me with you."
Rudeus froze, looking at Allen out of the corner of his eye. "Are you interested in plants too, Teacher?"
Allen pointed a finger at his own face and said, word by word, "I just told you. Because I want to be your friend."
He glanced at Rudeus's astonished expression, then turned and left the room.
Rudeus watched Allen's retreating back.
A friend, huh...
Come to think of it, this guy named Allen seems a bit more mature than the other kids his age. Maybe we'll have some common ground... but he looks like the type of kid who's starved for affection. Paul also seems to really approve of us becoming friends... and besides, his face, apart from looking a bit ferocious, is actually the ruggedly handsome type. He'll definitely be popular with girls in the future. If I become his best bud, maybe some of the romantic leftovers will fall my way...
Although my own looks aren't top-tier, if he's handsome enough, I'll look good just by being with him, right?
Rudeus nodded to himself.
Girls who lack self-confidence will probably aim for me. And compared to confident, aggressive girls, I prefer the slightly insecure type... they feel more suitable for training... no, for cultivating~
It'll work. Just like how a beautiful woman will bring along a plainer friend as a 'green leaf' to make herself stand out, I'll do the reverse.
Allen returned to his bedroom, collapsed on the bed, and let out a long breath.
Today's events were a bit sudden, and not entirely within my control. As expected, even having read the novel, adding one more person to the mix will create different, unexpected situations. The plot can't unfold exactly like it did in the book.
Fortunately, the general direction is still on track. As for Sylphie... should I intervene early to save White Mama? It's one thing not to think about it, but once I do, the thought of her getting mud thrown at her, being insulted, and even beaten by her peers every day gives me a stomachache...
Her childhood experiences directly led to Sylphie's future tendency to indulge Rudeus in everything. Even when she was jealous of his harem, she could still put herself in his shoes, think from his perspective, and even help him maintain harmony within the harem...
...and it's all because Rudeus became her light in childhood. Her only friend in the village.
As Allen mulled this over, he focused his attention on the Dragon Saint Touki nucleus inside him. Next to the green-glowing, tree-shaped sigil was a dim, brown, empty slot.
The Detoxification Magic slot doesn't have a sigil yet. I remember Zenith knows Intermediate Detoxification magic; she sometimes helps out at the village clinic. I should find a chance to acquire that sigil...
As for Sylphie... just one night with Roxy caused a butterfly effect. I wonder what problems might arise from interacting with Sylphie early... Could it make it harder for Rudeus and Sylphie to separate later on?
I need to think... think more...
His consciousness gradually faded, and Allen fell into a dream.
The gentle gurgling of flowing water trickled into Allen's ears, mingled with a disharmonious clamor.
Allen opened his eyes in a daze, feeling disoriented.
The sun was scorching, casting its brilliance over the patchwork of fields. The chirping of birds was incessant, and the shouts of children were right beside him. He turned his head. A small river, its surface shimmering like fireflies, meandered past his legs.
...What... what am I doing here? Why am I standing by a river so leisurely? Is it the weekend? ...Have I finished my work at the company? I shouldn't be slacking off like this, I need to get back to the office and work overtime...
"You smelly demon kid, get out of our village!"
"Get out of the village!!"
"Take this!"
"You suck, you didn't even hit him! Watch me!"
"I hit him!"
A cheer went up.
Allen turned his head in confusion towards the source of the noise. In a paddy field beside the small river, three mud-caked boys were confronting another child who was squatting by the riverbank.
Oh, right. I was reincarnated. I don't have to work anymore... Awesome... Wait... are these three being bullied by one person? No, the three who look pathetic are actually the bullies. They're covered in mud only because they went into the field to get it...
The shouting started again.
"Let's see who can hit his head!"
"Yeah, watch this!"
"Bullseye!"
"Hitting his head is boring, let's hit his face!"
"Hey, I got him, I got him!"
"Tch, this demon kid isn't fighting back at all... how boring!"
"Let's go, let's go, we'll come back tomorrow~"
Perhaps because they spotted the tall figure of Allen, the children scattered and ran back towards the village.
Allen's mind felt hazy. He didn't know why he was here, but watching the scene made his heart ache.
The bullied child was very short, so covered in mud they were practically a small mud-person, sitting dumbly by the water.
Allen cautiously approached.
The child's hair was somewhat long, completely matted with mud, obscuring their expression. Beside them was an old hand basket, and inside it were lumps of mud...
No, not mud. It was probably bread or some other food, just completely covered in it.
The child stared blankly at the basket, oblivious to the footsteps right beside them. Their hands were fumbling with something in front of their face, but because their body blocked his view, Allen couldn't see what they were doing.
Subconsciously, Allen wanted to help them up, but as he reached the riverbank and extended his hand, the reflection on the water's surface caught the corner of his eye. His hand froze in mid-air.
The clear river water reflected a filthy face.
The owner of the face was continuously pulling clumps of hair from their own mud-caked head, clutching them in their fist. A few broken strands would occasionally fall from between their fingers into the river. The motion was repeated over and over, and more and more hair collected on the water's surface. The strands, washed by the current, gradually revealed their emerald-green color.
Allen was suddenly wide awake.
Sylphie...
"...Don't do that... Sylphie."
Allen's hand trembled as he patted her shoulder. Sylphie turned her head.
On her mud-covered face, only a pair of reddish-brown eyes were visible.
Vacant. Numb. Empty.
Allen felt his throat go dry. He opened his mouth and struggled to speak.
"...Stop pulling your hair. It's all muddy... let me help you wash it..."
Sylphie stared blankly at Allen, not responding to his offer. She simply held up the muddy hair in her hand.
Allen followed her gaze.
In Sylphie's palm, freshly torn clumps of hair were tangled with mud into black, filthy clumps, like soiled weeds.
She said,
"...If I don't wash it... if it's covered in mud, it's not green anymore."
"Ah!"
A scream next to his ear jolted Allen awake. He tumbled out of bed.
The river was gone, but there was indeed a child in front of him.
Allen looked at the astonished Rudeus, now sitting on the floor, and let out a ragged breath.
It was a dream...
"...Seriously, what are you screaming about so early in the morning?"
Rudeus, who had come to wake Allen up, wore the indignant expression of someone who had been wrongly accused. The scream had indeed come from him, but the cause of it was, without a doubt, Allen.
He pointed a finger at Allen's hand.
Allen looked down.
His fist was clenched so tightly that splinters of wood were deeply embedded in his palm, the wounds so deep he could see bone. He had unconsciously activated his Touki in his sleep and crushed a corner of the bed frame.
Allen looked at his injured hand, was silent for a moment, then turned to Rudeus.
"Can healing magic fix a bed frame?"
Rudeus looked at his hand, then at the bed frame, his expression turning to one of shock.
"I... don't think so."
Allen's eyes fell.
Free Instant Quest—Obtain Sylphie's favor. Release.
[Confirm release? A reminder that the host will only have one day. It is best to wait until you have met Sylphiette before starting the quest. What if you can't even find her today...?]
Confirm release.
[Free Instant Quest—Obtain Sylphiette's favor—has been released.]
[Quest Start.]
[Sylphiette: Countdown: 23:59:59. Completion will unlock the Barrier Magic Slot.]
Allen lifted his face, looked at Rudeus, and held out his blood-stained, still-clenched fist.
"By any chance, do you know healing magic?"
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