Mushoku Tensei: the Apostle of God

Rudeus looked at Sylphie, who was still acting timid, and couldn't help but frown.

"You know, if you don't fight back against those kinds of people, they'll just keep pushing you around."

"I... I can't win."

"...What's important is the will to resist."

'Though I'm not really in a position to say that.'

"Usually, when it's just the younger kids, I... I try to resist. But today, there were older kids with them..."

As she spoke, she glanced over at Allen.

Allen was standing farther away, and Sylphie's voice was too soft for him to hear clearly. However, that didn't stop him from smiling brightly and nodding at her.

Sylphie quickly looked away, her ears twitching slightly.

Under the tree, Allen's expression suddenly changed. He waved his hands frantically in front of him, as if shooing away something unpleasant.

Rudeus didn't notice Allen's strange behavior. Instead, he spoke seriously to Sylphie.

"Well, you heard what Allen said earlier. If they ever bully you again, Allen will twist their heads off."

This time, Allen heard the words clearly. He had just dismissed the system panel that reminded him of the change in favorability. He then shot a glare at Rudeus and couldn't help but ridicule him in his mind.

'Seriously, your mental age is five years older than mine! Is it really appropriate for you to hide behind me and act all tough? Isn't magic way more impressive than me swinging a sword around? Just throw a big fireball or something. It's flashy, it'll scare the bullies, and it'll impress the girls. Two birds with one stone, and here you are, cowering...'

'Well... I guess it's partly my fault too. This event happened earlier than it should have. Rudeus just got out from under Roxy's protection, so he's probably still scared of older kids... After all, in his past life, he was stripped naked and tied to the school gate. That's not something you just get over easily.'

Seeing that Sylphie wasn't responding and was instead sneaking glances at Allen, Rudeus sighed and spread his hands.

"...But you really have it rough, huh? Just because your hair color resembles the Superd race, you get bullied."

Hearing this, Sylphie shrank back and mumbled,

"You... you don't mind?"

"My teacher is a demon race. I'm not sure about him, but it sounds like he never thought you were a Superd in the first place. I guess that's the sharp observational skills of a swordsman."

"I see... A swordsman, huh..."

Sylphie nodded.

Rudeus, meanwhile, looked at her long ears and asked curiously,

"By the way, you have ears like an elf. Are you not human?"

"N-no... My father is only half long-ear race. The other half is human."

"Oh? What about your mother?"

"She's human, but with a bit of beastman blood."

Before Rudeus could process this, Sylphie suddenly started sniffling.

"Father... says I'm not a demon... but... my hair color... it's different from everyone else's..."

Rudeus was at a loss for how to handle Sylphie's tears, but when he glanced over at Allen, who was also looking somewhat helpless under the tree, he got an idea.

"Stop crying. Allen hates it when kids cry. Be careful, or he'll chop your head off!"

Allen: ???

The crying stopped abruptly, and Sylphie's expression turned to one of fear.

[Sylphie's favorability toward you has slightly decreased.]

Allen was overjoyed.

'Yes! That's it! Keep it up, keep it up. Pull the story back on track!'

[...]

Rudeus, meanwhile, chuckled inwardly at Sylphie's expression.

"Is your father very strict? You don't seem good at dealing with strict types."

"...Yes, Father is scary when he's angry. But if I behave, he won't get mad."

"I see... What about your mother?"

"Mother... is very kind..."

"Ah... By the way, were you on your way to bring food to your father earlier? I saw you carrying a basket with bread in it. Oh, it got dirty from the mud. That's Allen's fault!"

Sylphie, who had just calmed down, immediately panicked again.

"Ah!... I'm... I'm so sorry! I really didn't mean to! I'm sorry!"

Rudeus: ???

Allen: ????

Rudeus looked dumbfounded.

"Why are you apologizing... Never mind. How about this? Take me to your father. I'll apologize to him on Allen's behalf. As for Allen, he's terrible at getting close to people. He just stands there with a cold face, staring at you and grinning. It's terrifying."

Allen: ?????

Sylphie nodded, then hesitated for a moment before turning to face Allen. She clasped her hands together and bowed her head.

"Thank you... for protecting me..."

Then she looked at Rudeus.

"And thank you... for washing my hair..."

"But... if you keep helping me, the other villagers will hate you too... and you won't have any friends... Maybe... maybe you should just leave me alone. I'll be... okay."

Sylphie was on the verge of tears but forced herself not to cry.

Because Allen didn't like it when children cried.

At that moment, Allen walked over, reaching out to ruffle both Sylphie's and Rudeus's hair before stepping past them.

His carefree voice drifted back on the wind.

"Rudeus and I won't be friends with them anyway. But speaking of friends..."

Without turning around, Allen raised two fingers and waved them casually, as if coaxing a child.

"Now, the three of us each have two friends~"

Rudeus watched Allen's retreating figure, blinked, and then chuckled.

He patted Sylphie's shoulder, who was still staring at Allen in a daze, and said in a gentle voice,

"Come on, don't let his scary face fool you. He's actually a really good guy. He helped me out before too. So, his tough exterior is just an act. Don't be scared."

Sylphie blinked her long lashes and nodded firmly.

Allen, walking ahead, didn't hear what Rudeus said. He just smiled and waved away the dust in front of his face.

[Jobless Reincarnation Major Event Participation Score Increased. Current Stage: Early Childhood. Cumulative Participation Score: 50. You have gained Rudeus and Sylphie's recognition and earned their friendship.]

Behind him, the children's whispers were carried away by the wind.

"...I forgot to ask your name."

"Sylphie..." Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum, the tail end swallowed by the wind.

"...Sylphie, huh? That's a nice name. It sounds like a wind spirit."

"Th-thank you... His name is Allen, right? What about... you?"

"Yeah, that scary-faced guy is Allen. I'm Rudeus."

"Allen... is a good name too. It sounds like... a world-destroying savior..."

Rudeus: ??

"I'm the one who complimented your name... But your description is pretty spot-on. It'd be even more fitting if his last name was Yeager."

"Huh?"