Re:Zero: No Job, No Magic, Just a Stupid Romance System

The next day, Rudy came to find Allen as soon as he stepped out of the bedroom door in the morning, because they had agreed to get up early yesterday to review the battle situation of the previous day in the yard and summarize and improve.

He rubbed his face and walked sleepily in the corridor, but for some reason today, it sounded more lively downstairs than usual. It was the sound of Senis and Lilia preparing breakfast. The two seemed to be chatting happily.

Rudy didn't pay attention. He walked to Allen's door and reached out to push it open.

The door opened smoothly—Allen didn't usually have the habit of locking it.

The curtains in the room were not opened as usual for the early morning sun, but tightly wrapped around the windows, leaving the room dim.

Rudy looked at the bed and found that the thin quilt Allen usually covered was wrapped into a ball and was still rising and falling slightly.

"Allen is actually staying in bed? Did the battle yesterday drain all his energy?"

"He was the one who said to get up early, and now he's the one sleeping in. Hehe."

Thinking this, Rudy tiptoed to the bed, grabbed a corner of the quilt, and yanked it up.

"Get up! Naked man!"

The quilt flew into the air. At that moment, a breeze blew through the window, swinging the curtains slightly.

It illuminated the hazy sleeping face of Luo Qixi lying on the bed.

Rudy stared at Luo Qixi's face for a long moment in silence.

Then he slapped himself in the face.

"Am I dreaming? Did I mistake Allen for Luo Qixi? So weird…"

"But… why is Allen wearing her clothes?"

He rubbed his face hard and looked again at the bed.

Luo Qixi—no, that definitely wasn't Allen—seemed disturbed by the commotion. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she stirred awake.

Then footsteps came from the doorway, and someone pushed the door open.

"Luo Qixi, it's time to get up. If you don't, Rudy will be here soon."

Rudy slowly turned his head to see Allen standing at the door.

Then he turned back to the bed, where Luo Qixi was now sitting up with sleepy eyes.

Then back to Allen—who had a horrified expression.

The air froze.

Allen blinked rapidly, his body stiff.

"Rudy… calm down. I can explain."

Rudy stared back at him with the expression of a betrayed guardian, exuding the kind of rage only seen when a little kid calls the final boss "dad." He squeezed out a cold smile.

"…Go on. I'm listening."

"Ah, it's Rudy. Where's Allen?"

Luo Qixi blinked sleepily, sat up, and looked toward the door.

"Ah, Allen! There you are. Good morning. Thank you for last night. If you hadn't called me this morning, I'd still be sleeping. I remember falling asleep at the table. Anyway, I haven't slept that well in ages… You really helped a lot. I even asked you to boil water for my bath this morning."

Lan Mother, do you even realize what you're saying!?

A large red "DANGER" flashed in Allen's mind.

Save me! SAVE ME!

The next moment, Rudy's furious roar shook the entire Greyrat household.

"ALLEN!!!"

"Listen to my explanation!! First of all, she's clothed!! WAIT, WAIT—!!"

"WATER BALL TECHNIQUE!"

"FLOW SECRET TECHNIQUE—HEY HEY HEY!! WAIT!! THE BED IS WET!! LOKISI IS STILL IN BED!!"

"Water…?"

The two stiffened and turned their necks slowly to look at Lokisi—who had just been doused by the redirected water ball. She held her head and blinked in confusion, clearly not awake enough to process what just happened.

At that moment, Senis and Lilia—already notified earlier that Loki had returned—rushed to the room.

Senis saw Lokisi's drenched head, then looked at the two "children" whose faces practically screamed guilt. Her eyes narrowed, fists clenched, and she ground her words out through a terrifyingly gentle smile.

"Allen, Rudy. You two sure get along well. That's very… reassuring."

At breakfast, Allen and Rudy—both with fresh panda eyes—sat at the table like well-behaved schoolchildren.

Senis was still fuming and muttering to herself.

"Before Allen came, I always thought Rudy was a very quiet and mature child. Turns out he was just lacking a bad influence. And you, Allen, you're four years older than Rudy! Why are you acting like a kid?"

"SORRY!" the two of them said in unison.

They glanced at each other silently, then at Luo Qixi, who had changed out of her wet clothes into a set of homewear. She calmly drank her tea, eyes downcast—but the faint smile at the corner of her lips betrayed her mood.

Paul clapped his hands happily.

"Since Lokisi happened to be passing by, why not stay for a few more days? Let's vacate the utility room next door so… um, Allen can stay there."

Luo Qixi gave Allen a look. The explanation for her appearance had been cooked up by Allen earlier. Part of it was to avoid worrying Paul's family, and the other part was that Rudy didn't know Allen's true identity.

In Luo Qixi's view, Rudy was still a kid. Better to keep him out of family entanglements.

Allen, on the other hand, was just worried that if Rudy found out he was Alice's older brother, he might accidentally let it slip during tutoring or when they went to Roya City.

Exposing his identity wasn't fatal—but it could cause a huge butterfly effect and unwanted chaos.

"But… because my money was stolen by a thief, I had to walk all the way here, and it was already midnight when I arrived. Yep… that does sound like something Lokisi would do."

Luo Qixi choked slightly on her tea, and Senis quickly reached out to pat her back.

She glared sideways at Allen with half-lidded eyes.

Seriously? Am I that reckless?

"Oh dear~ Recklessness is one of the things that makes Lokisi so lovable~"

"Mmm, that's true."

Luo Qixi:

Allen:

Rudy looked between them, a bitter expression on his face.

Why is Allen so popular with girls? So unfair. I'm jealous. I'll get my revenge, just you wait…

And then it struck him. He stared wide-eyed at Allen.

Wait, that shrine thing… He has my weakness! This cunning devil!

Allen, sensing Rudy's gaze, covered his forehead with a groan.

There was nothing he could say.

He took a bite of food, but a nagging feeling remained.

I feel like I've forgotten something important…

He shook his head and kept eating.

Whatever. If it's important, it'll come back to me eventually.