Mushoku Tensei: the Apostle of God

Allen stared silently at the tip of the sword pointed just an inch away from his eye.

Paul, with narrowed eyes, gripped his sword with both hands, his shoulders lowered, body tilted to the side, and stance firm as he stood before Allen in a thrusting posture.

On the ground, the shadows of the two remained motionless.

"Father won! Father won... Mmmph!"

From a distance, Rudeus had just begun to leap up in celebration when Zenith grabbed him mid-air, pulling him down and covering his mouth with her hand.

She took a nervous breath and looked down at Rudeus.

"Rudeus, don't shout and disturb your father!"

Rudeus, feigning innocence, looked puzzled.

"Huh? But Father already won! He even held back, or else he would've pierced that guy's head with his sword!"

Lilia, who had been watching intently, unconsciously wiped the sweat from her palms and turned to Rudeus, whispering,

"Young master, look again... Actually, the master is at a disadvantage. His aggressive attack was seen through by his opponent... What an impressive opening exchange... That young man doesn't look very old, yet his swordsmanship is so remarkable..."

Seen through? What does that mean?

Rudeus quickly turned his attention back to the courtyard.

The wind carried an unusual sound, like the continuous scraping of metal.

He widened his eyes as he observed the two figures in the courtyard.

By now, the sun had dipped slightly, altering the direction of the shadows.

From the shadow cast by Paul's shoulder, a glimmer of light emerged between the two figures.

It was a thin, gleaming blade extending from the hand of the disheveled, wild-haired man, piercing directly into the hollow triangular gap in the hilt of Paul's sword.

The blade trembled slightly, and the point of contact between the blade and the hilt emitted a faint grinding noise.

It wasn't that Paul had stopped his attack; rather, his advance had been halted by the blade.

The outcome was still undecided.

——

Paul leaned into the hilt of his sword, applying continuous pressure, while Allen silently channeled aura into his arm, resisting the thrust.

Paul chuckled.

"Sword God Style—Wrist Drop. Realizing you couldn't dodge my Sword God Style rush, you instantly reacted by targeting my wrist with a Wrist Drop, forcing me to block with the hilt. A beautiful counterattack."

Allen followed the length of Paul's sword to meet his gaze.

"Sword God Style rush? Not North God Style?"

Paul's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Oh? Are you saying I was sneaking an attack?"

"Wasn't..."

Allen had barely uttered a single word when, from the corner of his vision, a blur of motion shot toward his chest. His pupils contracted as he swiftly twisted his wrist, turning the blade to maintain its position against Paul's scabbard while flipping the edge outward. Simultaneously, he stepped forward, positioning his chest behind the blade's back.

The blade, connecting their bodies, formed a natural steel barrier using the force of their struggle.

In the next moment, Paul's foot came to a halt just before the blade.

Then, with a bent knee, he leaped back several meters.

Allen adjusted his stance, returning to his initial mid-guard position as if he had never moved.

He looked at Paul, who was now grinning, and curled his lip, finally finishing his earlier sentence.

"...that the case? From start to finish, it was all mind games. Even your opening high guard was a feint. If I had mistaken it for a slash and reacted hastily, your follow-up thrust would've decided the match."

Though Paul outwardly disdained the North God Style, he was actually quite skilled in it. Not surprising for a man who had once been in the same party as Ghyslaine and managed to score during a beastman's mating season... Wait, wasn't he also caught by Elinalise? And then ended up in a multi-person... situation?

The Black Wolf Fang had only three female members, the third being Zenith, now Paul's wife. The cunning of the North God Style was ingrained in his instincts, extending beyond swordsmanship to include impeccable timing in... other pursuits.

Paul chuckled, showing no trace of the frustration he had displayed during the fight—undoubtedly a ruse to mask his subsequent kick.

"Not bad at all. A perfect Water God Style defensive stance, precise sensing of killing intent—truly an excellent Water God Style swordsman. In that case..."

Allen didn't respond, his gaze fixed on Paul's right hand gripping the sword.

But then, Paul made an unexpected announcement.

"You're hired. Of course, there's a seven-day probation period. Follow me; I'll show you to your room."

With that, he turned and walked toward the house.

Allen, taken aback, sheathed his sword.

That's it? I didn't even break a sweat. Damn, I should've gone all out with the North God or Sword God Style for a more thrilling clash. This was so unsatisfying... And...

Allen watched as Paul was warmly welcomed back by his wives, while Rudeus, upon meeting Allen's gaze, quickly turned away and stiffly retreated into the house.

The fight had started abruptly and ended just as abruptly. Rudeus's tutoring job had come about in an oddly smooth manner...

After a moment of contemplation, a smile crept onto Allen's face, and he walked toward Zenith, who was gesturing for him to follow.

He brushed past the dust in the air.

[Jobless Reincarnation Major Event Participation Score Increased.]

[Current Stage: Early Childhood. Cumulative Participation Score: 35.]

[Immediate Task: Gain Rudeus's Favor.]

[Rudeus: Countdown: 79:13:21]

The task prompt had reappeared.

——

"Your name is Allen, right?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Zenith stopped at a bedroom door, opened it, and gestured for Allen to look inside.

"You don't look very old. May I ask how old you are?"

Allen glanced at the familiar room layout and smiled.

This was the room Roxy had stayed in.

"Nine years and four months."

Zenith blinked in surprise, turning to look at Allen.

"...I wouldn't have guessed. You're much taller than others your age... To already be an adventurer at such a young age... That's impressive..."

Not as impressive as your precious son, who was already touring the Demon Continent with a girl at the age of ten.

Allen looked up at Zenith, who stood half a head taller than him. Her expression was genuinely complimentary, her eyelashes fluttering with a feminine grace and understanding.

She had the look of someone destined to suffer...

Paul, you truly are despicable...

"You flatter me, ma'am... Children from poor families grow up fast."

Zenith smiled and pointed down the hallway.

"Paul asked me to tell you to drop off your belongings and then meet him in the study. I need to start preparing dinner."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Allen watched as Zenith walked away, then pulled out a map, compass, and other items from his swordsman's uniform pocket, placing them on the table along with his longsword. He then stepped out and glanced toward the other end of the hallway.

A small head quickly ducked back into a room, followed by the sound of a door slamming shut.