Not long after the three went upstairs, various sounds, like a flowing stream, continuously washed over Alan, who was leaning silently against the staircase:
Zenith's hysterical roars;
The thud of kneeling on the floor;
Apologies laced with sobs;
The sound of Zenith bursting out of the room;
The rustling of clothes being pulled and torn;
The sound of fists hitting Paul;
Rudeus's voice pleading with Zenith;
The calming of the emotional outburst;
Paul and Lilia's judgment of themselves and their true feelings for the family;
Kowtowing in repentance, and promises for the future;
Finally, Rudeus's voice, asking Zenith to pass judgment on Paul and Lilia.
Silence enveloped the upstairs.
Downstairs, Alan couldn't help but squeeze his palm.
Then, a silence that lasted for ten long minutes.
Zenith began to cry. At first, it was a faint sob, then it grew into a mournful wail.
And finally, a hysterical howl.
The curtain fell on the Greyrat family's infidelity incident.
Zenith…
Chose not to leave.
Alan let out a long sigh of relief, sat down at the dinner table, poured himself a glass of water, and tried to calm his racing heart.
A family drama.
Truly stimulating.
—
An hour later, the crying upstairs had completely subsided.
During this time, Alan had been in a state of confusion. Logically, he had already participated in this infidelity incident, but no matter how many times he called out to the system, it wouldn't come out to give him a score.
He was a bit baffled.
Finally, the sound of chaotic footsteps came from the stairs. Alan turned his head and saw Lilia supporting Zenith as they came down. Paul, with a look of someone who had just survived a disaster, was scratching his head. When he saw Alan's face, even with his thick skin, he looked embarrassed, not knowing where to put his eyes.
He finally straightened up and reached out to support Zenith.
And was slapped away by the red-eyed Zenith.
Paul quickly glanced at Alan and sheepishly lowered his hand.
In short, Paul's authority as the head of the family was completely gone.
Alan couldn't help but smile inwardly. He looked up at Zenith. Her eyes were red and swollen like walnuts from crying. Lilia, beside her, was clearly filled with guilt, her eyes also red.
'Even though I helped Lilia out by relying on my foreknowledge from the novel… this is too much. They've become sisters just like that? Zenith is such a good person… I wonder what kind of good karma Paul has accumulated over his past lives.'
Alan shook his head inwardly and reached out to support Zenith as well.
But his hands passed by Zenith's outstretched ones.
She pulled him into a hug.
Zenith hugged Alan's head and started crying again.
??
Alan's face stiffened, and he froze completely. He blinked and awkwardly patted Zenith's shoulder as she clutched his collar, subconsciously raising an eyebrow in a questioning look at Rudeus behind her.
Rudeus squinted and smiled at him.
Not understanding, he looked over at Paul.
Paul scratched his head and, after a long moment, said.
"We told Zenith what you said earlier… Alan, you were a huge help."
Alan blinked, about to say some polite words.
But then, Lilia from the side hugged him as well. She opened her arms and embraced both Zenith and Alan.
Next was Paul. He was hesitant, awkward, but he opened his arms and hugged all three of them. Seeing that Zenith wasn't struggling anymore, he sighed in relief.
Rudeus was chuckling at the side, winking at the bewildered Alan, poking him in the arm, and giving him a thumbs-up.
At this moment, Zenith's voice finally came.
"Thank you, Alan. Really, thank you…"
In the human pile, Alan's mouth twitched for a long time. He wanted to smile but couldn't manage it.
A strange feeling welled up in his heart, making it impossible for him to feel any sense of mockery.
The last time he had faced this situation was in the forest during his reunion with Roxy… This strange feeling was…
A feeling of complete immersion and participation.
In everyone's embrace, in another major flap of the butterfly's wings, he felt that he was truly living in the world of Mushoku Tensei, not the feeling of playing a game or reading a novel that he often had before.
A strange atmosphere, a warm embrace, sincere words.
Unable to describe his current emotions, Alan only felt a warmth in his heart. After a long moment, he finally answered Zenith's words.
"You're welcome."
A system notification appeared before his eyes.
[There is only one path to 20 points, and the host is on it.]
[You have facilitated the self-salvation of Paul and Lilia and restored Zenith's dignity. You have won the heartfelt gratitude of everyone.]
[Evaluation: Only when the gap between hearts is closed is there the distance of family.]
[Childhood period participation has increased.]
[Current Stage: Childhood. Cumulative Participation Rating: 90 points.]
[A perfect score seems to be just one step away, but often the most crucial step is a great chasm.]
[Good luck, host.]
—
In the end, amidst Alan's dazed reaction, he received thanks from Zenith, Lilia, and Paul in succession. Even Rudeus came over and punched him in the side, saying things like "Well done, Lord Alan."
But he just felt dazed.
Even now, at midnight, Alan was still staring blankly at the table.
And on the table in front of him was a crumpled piece of letter paper, the handwriting faintly visible in the flickering candlelight.
—
Dear (crossed out)
Dear Alan,
Sorry, I thought I had made a mistake, but it seems it was just my imagination. I don't have any new letter paper on hand, so I'll have to continue writing on this one…
To get back on topic!
It's been four months since we parted. I've been traveling along the border of the Asura Kingdom and haven't had a chance to write to you. It was only a few days ago that I temporarily settled down in the Ursl territory. Taking advantage of this rare moment of peace, I thought I would write you a letter.
It's a pity, though, that I probably won't be able to receive your reply until I find a more stable place to stay (crossed out).
Ah… you would want to write back to me, right? Damn it, I just started writing as soon as I picked up the pen. Even if there are parts I want to revise, since I only have one sheet of paper, I have to keep writing like this…
After this, I plan to cross the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw and go on an adventure in the labyrinth near the Wyrmroost Mountains. Don't worry, I won't go to the Disputed Lands, so you don't have to worry too much… You would worry, right? If not, please ignore that sentence.
Speaking of the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw, since it's close to the dense forest region, there are many broad-leaved forests there. I heard that in the autumn, the leaves in the forest are a mix of red and yellow, looking like a flickering flame under the mountain peaks. This reminded me of the forest where we met. Although the leaves were green then, they looked quite beautiful under the campfire at night.
I think the Red Dragon's Lower Jaw must have a similar scene.
When I pass by, I'll collect some leaves and send them to you.
Today is… let me see, September 30th. I don't know if this letter will reach you in time for your birthday.
It suddenly occurred to me that this is your tenth birthday… Hehe, it's funny, I often forget that you're still so young.
Along with the letter is my birthday gift for you. On Rudeus's fifth birthday, I gave him a magic staff as a gift, and when we parted, I gave him an amulet. But when it came to you, I hesitated for a long time, not knowing what to give…
So… I just casually bought a magic stone necklace from a street vendor. Unlike Rudeus's red magic stone staff, this is a necklace made of a blue magic stone…
I guess you might like blue?
But the craftsmanship of this necklace is probably not very good; the cord it's on is even a bit crooked… The circumstances being what they are, please just accept it. Please don't dislike it…
That's all for now. When I pick up the pen, I always feel like I have a lot to say to you, but when I put it to paper, I don't know what to say.
Alan,
How have you been lately?
When I settle down, I will write to you again.
I'm sure you'll be able to write back to me then.
Roxy.
—
Alan read the letter, which had arrived a few days ago via postman, one more time. He slumped over the table and pulled a necklace out from under his collar.
The necklace had an irregularly shaped blue magic stone. It was held in place by a net-like structure woven from a tough, thin cord made from a plant called thorn hemp. Although the design was simple, it shone with a deep blue light under the flame.
It couldn't help but remind Alan of Roxy's deep blue eyes.
As for the craftsmanship… it was indeed a bit rough.
'Is the artisan's skill really that bad? Maybe Roxy made it herself? And she didn't say so because she was embarrassed? …In the original story, she didn't lie when she wrote to Rudeus; she always spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. So it must be that the artisan's skill was poor.'
Alan dangled the magic stone in front of his eyes. The candlelight was reflected in his pupils, creating arcs of light.
"…A sense of immersion… The two times I felt a clear sense of immersion were both from the butterfly effect… The original plot, on the other hand, didn't stir much emotion."
The image of Zenith hugging him with tears in her eyes, and Paul patting his shoulder with genuine emotion, appeared in his mind again. He was silent for a moment, then tucked the necklace back under his collar. He took out a piece of paper from a drawer and wrote three lines of Hanzi:
「Great Displacement」
「Zenith Trapped」
「Paul's Death」
His deep gray eyes stared at the characters, his gaze flickering.
The night grew deeper.
—
A few days later, the snow stopped.
The aftermath of the infidelity incident set off a new butterfly effect.
Because Paul's promise included the idea of spending the winter at home to properly accompany the two pregnant women, Zenith and Lilia. It seemed that even in this world of sword and magic, there was still a risk of miscarriage in early pregnancy.
Especially after the major emotional upheaval Zenith had gone through.
Therefore, Paul did not participate in the subsequent monster hunt as he had in previous years, choosing to stay at home with his family instead.
A few days after the snow stopped, Alan's birthday arrived.
The Asura Kingdom places great importance on a child's fifth, tenth, and fifteenth birthdays. Therefore, under the secret planning of Zenith and Lilia, the Greyrat family threw a rather grand birthday party for Alan.
To be honest, when Alan came out of his bedroom early in the morning and saw everyone in a festive mood, he was baffled.
It was only at night, when the birthday party began, that he was stunned to discover it was for him.
And why was it grand?
Because after the continuous snowfall, there wasn't much food in the house to celebrate with. But even so, Paul had asked Rolls to find some demonic beasts with particularly delicious meat and had spent a long time at home stewing a pot of meat soup.
After dinner, he wanted to have a 'fencing performance' with Alan, which the latter flatly refused with a look of horror. Instead, he energetically performed a lively dance, which made Zenith and Lilia, who had been gloomy just a few days ago, laugh heartily.
Rudeus also used his exquisite magic control skills to create small fire magic displays on the side to liven up the atmosphere.
In this atmosphere, the slightly stiff-faced Alan received birthday gifts from the elders of the family.
Paul gave him a beautifully crafted sword hilt, taken from a sword he no longer used from his adventurer days. It had great sentimental value to him. According to Paul, he hoped that Alan would also become a capable adventurer one day.
But then Rudeus was heard muttering something about "it was probably just a sudden thing, and he didn't have a chance to go out and buy anything."
And was then scolded by an exasperated Paul.
Zenith had made a well-fitting swordsman's uniform for Alan. The stitching was a bit rushed, but the materials were quite fine.
As for Lilia, as a maid in the household, she seemed to have no standing to give a gift to a child in this situation. She just sat quietly to the side, smiling as she watched Alan receive the clothes and get awkwardly hugged by Zenith.
It was worth mentioning that since she had been truly accepted by the family, at Zenith's strong insistence, she was no longer treated as a maid. Everyone now ate at the same table.
At this moment, on this night.
Lilia lowered her gaze, smiling as she avoided the pleading look Alan sent her way when Zenith wouldn't let go of him.
She touched her belly and thought to herself.
'Alan only shows this flustered expression at times like this… He's usually so mature.'
'…Thinking back, on several occasions before, he had a thoughtful, cold expression when he saw me looking at Paul… He must have held this woman who interfered in someone else's marriage in great contempt.'
'But, at the moment the incident broke out, he was the first to speak up, and in the end, he was the one who saved me.'
'It's like a dream… Although he very directly exposed my despicable desire to escape and quickly face punishment, he didn't insult me or take the opportunity to drive me out. Instead, he gave me a chance, a chance to save myself, and also to save this family.'
'And Rudeus, who guided me to take the final step.'
'The children of the Greyrat family are all mature beyond their years.'
'But there is no doubt that Alan and Rudeus saved me and the child in my belly. To be honest, I used to dislike Rudeus, and I used to find Alan's gaze very uncomfortable… but now, I shouldn't think that way, because they are the saviors of me and my child, and they are both people I should respect.'
Lilia watched as Alan reached out to grab Rudeus, only to have the other laughingly dodge, and she smiled gently.
"…If the child in my belly is born safely… if it's a girl, I'll have her serve Alan well. It just so happens that there are no direct blood ties… if it's a boy, I'll have him follow Rudeus and become the sword that protects him."
On the night of Alan's birthday, as he was surrounded and hugged by Paul and Zenith, feeling utterly helpless, Lilia planned the future.
—
The birthday celebration didn't end until midnight. Alan finally escaped the persistent entanglement of the very drunk Paul and, under the gentle gazes of Zenith and Lilia, returned to his room.
But the moment the door closed, the smile on his face slowly froze.
"Alan, go to bed early, okay~"
Zenith's reminder came from the hallway behind the door. Alan leaned against the door and replied.
"Okay~"
The footsteps faded away. Alan turned and walked to the table, pulling out the 'memo' from the depths of a drawer, which he had looked at several times a day for the past few days.
The candlelight flickered in front of his face, and his figure seemed to be frozen.
Finally, just as the candle was about to burn down, Alan reached out and added a line next to the words 「Great Displacement, Zenith Trapped, Paul's Death」.
「Let go of the savior complex, respect the characters' fate」
After he wrote it, the candle went out completely, and the bedroom was plunged into darkness.
The thick darkness was like a beast that devours people, swallowing Alan.
After an unknown amount of time, a sneer suddenly came from the dark bedroom.
A short, mocking sneer.
The laughter stopped abruptly.
Alan relit a candle. When the flame lit up.
A cold voice passed judgment on himself:
"Savior complex? Respect the characters?"
"Hypocrisy."
He picked up the pen again and slowly crossed out 「Let go of the savior complex, respect the characters' fate」. Beside it, he wrote new words.
Only two words.
「Future Sight.」
After writing, Alan let out a long sigh, and the shoulders that had been tense for the past few days finally relaxed.
He slumped weakly into the chair, looked up at the ceiling, the candlelight flickering on his face, light and shadow intermingling, hiding his expression in the shadows cast from his chest.
It was impossible to see clearly.
Outside the window.
It began to snow again.
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