Rudy looked at Sylphy, who still seemed timid, and couldn't help pursing his lips.
"I'm telling you, if you don't fight back against people like that, they'll only push you around more and more."
"I-I can't beat them."
"...What matters is having the will to resist."
Though I'm hardly qualified to say that.
"I usually fight back when it's younger kids, but today there were older kids with them."
As she spoke, she glanced at Allen.
Allen was far away, and Sylphy's voice was rather quiet, so he could not hear her clearly. Still, that did not stop him from smiling and nodding, a brilliant grin on his face.
Sylphy quickly looked away, her ears twitching.
Under the tree, Allen's expression suddenly changed. He frantically waved his hands before him as though shooing away something filthy.
Rudy did not see Allen's sudden strange behavior. He merely spoke earnestly to Sylphy.
"I see~ You heard what Allen said earlier, right? If they dare bully you again, Allen will twist their heads off."
Allen heard that part clearly. He had just dismissed the system panel floating in the air that had notified him of the change in affection, then he shot Rudy a gloomy look and could not help griping.
No, you're fucking five years older than me mentally! Is it really appropriate to hide behind me and throw your weight around? Wouldn't your magic look more impressive than me swinging a sword? Just toss out a big fireball like fireworks—you can pick up girls and scare them at the same time. Killing two birds with one stone, yet you're cowering there.
Forget it. I bear some responsibility too. This incident happened earlier than it should have. Rudy had only just escaped Lokkishi's protection, so he probably still had psychological scars around older kids. Being stripped naked and tied to the school gate for humiliation in his previous life was not something he could just get over easily.
When Rudy saw that Sylphy did not answer and was only tilting her head to sneak glances at Allen, he helplessly spread his hands.
"...Still, you've had it rough. You're being bullied just because your hair color resembles that of the Superd Race."
At those words, Sylphy shrank her neck and murmured.
"Y-you don't mind?"
"My teacher is from the Demon Race, and I don't know about him, but it sounded like he never thought you were a Superd Race from the beginning. How should I put it? Maybe that's a swordsman's sharp eye."
"I see... a swordsman."
Sylphy nodded.
Rudy, meanwhile, looked at her long ears and asked curiously.
"By the way, you have ears like an elf. Aren't you human?"
"No, I'm not. My father is half Long-eared Race, and the other half human."
"Oh? What about your mother?"
"She's human, but she has a little beastman blood mixed in."
Before Rudy could reach any conclusion from that, Sylphy suddenly began to sob.
"My father... Even though... I'm not from the Demon Race... my hair color is... different from everyone else's."
Rudy was a little dumbfounded and had no idea how to deal with Sylphy. But when he glimpsed Allen under the tree, who was equally dumbfounded, inspiration suddenly struck him.
"Don't cry. Allen hates it when children cry. Be careful, or he'll chop your head off!"
Allen: ???
The crying stopped abruptly, and Sylphy's expression instantly turned terrified.
Sylphy's affection for you has decreased slightly.
Allen was delighted to hear that.
Ah, right! That's it, keep it up. Keep at it. Pull the storyline back on track!
Rudy looked at Sylphy's expression and laughed inwardly.
"Is your father very strict with you? It feels like you're not good at dealing with strict people."
"...Yeah. Father is scary when he gets angry, but as long as I behave and listen, he won't get angry."
"Ah~ What about your mother?"
"Mother is very gentle."
"Ah, by the way, were you going to bring food to your father just now? I saw that basket full of bread. Ah, it got dirty from the mud. It's all Allen's fault!"
Sylphy, who had only just calmed down, immediately panicked again upon hearing that.
"Ah! I-I'm sorry! I'm terribly sorry! Please forgive me!"
Rudy: ???
Allen: ????
Rudy wore a blank expression.
"Why are you apologizing... Never mind. How about this? Take me to your father. I'll properly apologize to him on Allen's behalf. As for Allen, he's just terrible at getting close to people. He only knows how to stare at you with a cold face while constantly smiling. It's terrifying."
Allen: ?????
Sylphy nodded, then looked hesitantly at Rudy. After that, she turned toward Allen, lowered her head, and twisted her fingers together.
"Thank you... for protecting me."
Then she looked at Rudy again.
"And thank you too, for washing my hair."
"But then... the other people in the village will dislike you too, and you won't have any friends. Maybe... maybe you shouldn't bother with me anymore. I-I can manage by myself."
Sylphy was nearly crying as she spoke, but she forcefully held back her tears.
Because Allen disliked hearing children cry.
At that moment, Allen walked over. He stretched out both hands and rubbed Sylphy and Rudy's hair once each, then passed between them.
His indifferent voice drifted back on the wind.
"Rudy and I won't become friends with them. But speaking of friends..."
Then, without looking back, Allen held up two fingers and waved them. Like he was coaxing children, he casually said,
"Now the three of us each have two friends, okay~"
Rudy blinked as he watched Allen's back, then grinned.
He patted Sylphy's shoulder as she stood there staring blankly at Allen, speaking in a gentle tone.
"Come on. He may look fierce, but he's actually a pretty good person. He helped me before too. So that scary face is only on the surface. Don't be afraid."
Sylphy blinked her long eyelashes and gave a firm nod.
Allen, walking ahead, did not hear what Rudy had said clearly. He merely smiled and waved away the dust before his face.
Mushoku Tensei major event participation score increased. Current stage: Childhood. Total participation score: 50 points. You have gained the recognition of Rudeus and Sylphiette, and earned their friendship.
Behind them came the children's murmurs, scattered by the wind.
"...I forgot to ask your name."
"Syl... phy." Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, and the wind swallowed the end of it.
"...Sylph, huh? That's a nice name. It sounds like a wind spirit."
"Th-thank you. Is he called Allen? Then w-what's your name?"
"Yeah, that scary-faced guy is Allen. I'm Rudeus."
"Allen... That's a nice name. It sounds... like a savior who destroys the world."
Rudy: ??
"The one praising your name was obviously me... Still, that description is oddly fitting. If his surname were Yeager, it would fit even better."
"Huh?"
Before you continue