Mushoku Tensei: the Apostle of God

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The dust settled, and for a while, nothing else appeared, as if the world itself was carefully assessing the situation.

After a moment, the scattered words began to flicker and dance again.

[The gap between you and a Water Saint-level swordsman is very small.]

[You're just one opportunity away.]

Allen blinked.

'An opportunity?'

[Perhaps it's a moment of enlightenment during a high-pressure battle, or maybe a sudden realization like the one you had during your morning spar with Paul. Honestly, I can't give you precise advice. Your level of improvement is based on a general assessment compared to swordsmen of the same rank. Swordsmanship itself can't be quantified accurately. For example, if you could counterattack while using your self-created secret technique, you'd definitely surpass the average Water Saint... Unfortunately, compared to the Water Saints of the Water God style, you're still lacking a bit of agility.]

Allen rubbed his chin.

'A counterattack, huh...'

Rudeus, who had been staring at Allen, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine as he watched Allen blink and rub his chin.

'You won twice, fine, but why are you looking at me like I'm some kind of trophy? Am I a wife you won in a barbarian tribe or something?!'

Although he had been defeated by Allen twice, Rudeus quickly adjusted his mindset and felt like he was back on track.

After all... they had fought pretty evenly, right?

'This is Allen we're talking about, someone who can spar with Paul!'

'I've done my best. If Roxy saw this, she'd probably just marvel at Allen's strength and wouldn't blame me, right? After all, Roxy is so good at encouraging people~'

Rudeus quickly justified his performance to himself, only to hear the sound of hurried footsteps coming from the hillside.

The next moment, Sylphie burst through the thick fog and into the battlefield.

"Al-Allen! Rudeus! Are you two okay?!"

Allen finally snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look at Sylphie's worried expression. He smiled gently.

"We're fine."

Rudeus narrowed his eyes at Allen.

'Why do you act so differently with her? All you did was blink and rub your chin at me!'

Sylphie walked up to them, first examining Allen and then Rudeus. Seeing that neither of them was injured, she let out a sigh of relief.

She patted her chest and said to Rudeus with a serious expression, "Rudeus, I think you should avoid such dangerous fights in the future. It's too easy to get hurt."

Then she pointed at Allen's chipped blade.

Under Allen's slightly awkward gaze, Rudeus's mouth twitched.

'You make it sound like I was the one beating Allen up, but that's not what happened at all!!'

Allen scratched his head awkwardly and looked at the foggy surroundings.

"Let's not talk about that for now. Let's clear the fog first. The hillside is too dark and gloomy—it looks like some kind of cult ritual site."

Rudeus replied sarcastically, "Sure thing, Lord Allen~"

After using fireballs to disperse the fog, Sylphie, Rudeus, and Allen all wore awkward expressions as they surveyed the scene.

The hillside was a muddy mess, with no clean spot to stand on.

If they planted rice now, they might have a golden harvest by late summer or early autumn.

But the problem was, this hillside was practically their secret base. It wouldn't be appropriate to invite villagers to farm here, and since it was far from the village, no one would take it over.

So Sylphie and Rudeus had to use healing magic to restore the grass in the most damaged areas, covering up the ugly mud.

This task kept them busy for most of the day.

In the afternoon, the group went with Paul to the village blacksmith to replace Allen's blade.

Fortunately, Allen's sword was just an ordinary sharp blade, so it was easy to find a similar lightweight replacement.

When Paul learned about the details of their spar, he couldn't help but click his tongue.

"You two were really going at it, huh? The precision of those tactics is no different from exploring a dungeon. And Allen, what was that swordsmanship technique? I've never heard of it before."

Allen scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"I learned swordsmanship at the Water God style dojo in the Asura Kingdom's capital. The inspiration for that secret technique came from Lady Reida Lyle."

Both Paul and Rudeus's eyes widened, while Sylphie looked on in confusion.

Rudeus immediately got excited.

"So you've really met the Water God? Is she a super strong, mature older sister type? Her name sounds like she'd be a blonde with blue eyes!"

'She sounds like the type from Claymore, like Teresa...'

Both Paul and Allen narrowed their eyes at Rudeus. After a moment, Paul scratched his face and said helplessly,

"Well... she is mature and strong, but blonde with blue eyes? Not really..."

'I guess he really is my child, always focusing on the weirdest details...'

Allen sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"She's an elderly lady, only slightly taller than Roxy. She's very dignified, but her taste... is a bit strange."

'I mean, she had a soft spot for Darius, that fat pig, and was willing to risk her life to repay his kindness... it's hard to take seriously.'

Each of the three had their own thoughts, but that was just the Greyrat way.

Rudeus was stunned by Allen's description, and Paul turned to Allen.

"Are you a direct disciple of Lady Reida?"

Allen looked up at him.

"Yes."

Paul nodded.

"No wonder your Water God style is so advanced at such a young age... It also explains why you're not as skilled with the Sword God style. The Water God style dojo is mostly filled with noble children who are training to become royal guards or knights. The Sword God style, which emphasizes offense, isn't suited for that environment."

Rudeus looked at the two of them.

"So is Allen a noble too?"

At this, Allen's expression stiffened, and he quickly tried to brush it off.

"Ah... well... sort of. I, uh... got into some trouble because I didn't follow the rules when it came to relationships, so I had to flee the dojo and become an adventurer."

Paul's face twitched at the overly familiar trajectory.

'You're clearly talking about me, you brat...'

Then, through gritted teeth, he said,

"...Yeah, yeah, this kid really doesn't follow the rules... haha, hahaha..."

Even Sylphie, who had been an outsider to the conversation, stiffened for a moment.

"Not... following the rules in relationships... what does that mean..."

The three of them exchanged awkward glances, falling into an uncomfortable silence.

Rudeus, however, narrowed his eyes as he watched them.

'There's something going on here... Is Allen really just a wandering adventurer? An ordinary person wouldn't have trained at the Water God style dojo... And Paul's attitude is full of red flags...'

Night fell, and the lights in the Greyrat household were extinguished. The moon was swallowed by dark clouds, and the village of Buena was enveloped in silence.

After two intense battles that day, Allen was physically and mentally exhausted. He fell asleep before the usual creaking sounds of the night could begin.

But in the middle of the night, a faint noise reached his ears—a soft, rhythmic tapping, like something elastic being repeatedly struck.

Allen frowned, but the sound kept coming, growing louder and more persistent, until he was fully awake.

Finally, he rolled over and roared in his mind,

'Can't the couple next door keep it down? Who can sleep with them playing ball every night?!'

But in the next moment, as his consciousness sharpened, he realized the sound wasn't coming from next door—it was coming from the crack in the window beside his bed.

Allen narrowed his eyes and pulled back the curtain.

In the dim darkness, a small figure was pacing cautiously on the steps in front of the house.

'A thief? Bold enough to target a knight's house in the village? That doesn't seem right...'

He watched for a while and noticed that the figure wasn't leaving—it just kept pacing back and forth, as if struggling to decide where to start.

Allen grabbed his sword, opened the window silently, and used his battle aura to glide down the wall into the yard.

The moment his feet touched the ground, the figure jumped in fright and turned around.

In the next instant, the cold edge of Allen's blade was pressed against their neck.

Allen was about to issue a warning, but when he saw the person's face up close, his eyes widened in shock.

A mountain breeze blew, and the clouds in the sky released the moon, allowing its silver light to pour down like a waterfall.

The figure was illuminated:

Two long blue braids swayed gently in the wind, and moonlight danced on the strands of hair framing her face. She clutched her magic hat, her expression a mix of panic and an odd sense of relief as she looked at Allen.

Roxy.

The divine light in her eyes needed no moonlight to enhance it.

It was enough to leave one speechless.

Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 70 on my patreon, go take a look.