"So good!"
Juicy crimson pork, marbled with tendons, had been expertly sliced into neat, palm-sized thin squares, folded in half and skewered onto water-soaked branches. The meat was rotated slowly over the flames, sizzling and crackling. A Maillard reaction turned the surface golden-brown and crisp, with bubbling oil bursting from inside.
Allen, with damp strands of hair still clinging to his forehead, was intently focused on grilling.
The exclamation had come from Roxy.
She watched Allen sprinkle strange powders over the meat with practiced ease, resting one hand on her cheek while her mouth bulged full like a squirrel's. Her entire expression radiated satisfaction.
"I've never tasted seasoning like this."
"It's ground powder from the seeds of the Bateelsa flower. It's faintly poisonous—just enough to make your tongue tingle. But the seeds are naturally sweet too. A perfect sweet-and-spicy natural seasoning. They say the Migurd race loves sweets… I guess that's true."
Roxy nodded enthusiastically.
Allen finished grilling all the meat and laid it neatly on freshly washed leaves in front of Roxy. He stretched lazily and stood up.
His swordsman's uniform was still tattered, but Roxy had helped him wash and dry it earlier. It looked wrinkled, but it was far better than wearing blood-soaked rags.
At least the undershirt wasn't stained… swapping clothes while washing was a lifesaver.
Still, Roxy had insisted on keeping her back to him the whole time she did the washing, only helping him with his hair once he was fully dressed again.
So shy.
A far cry from the anime version of the tutor who secretly sweated profusely while spying on Paul and Zenith's nighttime "training."
[Event Participation Rating Increased.]
[Current Phase: Childhood — Total Participation Score: 25 Points.]
[Active Mission: Gain Favorability from Rudeus.]
[Rudeus Countdown: 87:02:37]
As the glowing system text faded, the sharp angle of dawn sunlight pierced between the letters and landed gently on Roxy's face. Her lashes fluttered slightly as she looked up at Allen.
Dawn had come.
The first light of day broke over the horizon, casting a soft glow between the tree trunks and washing the scene in golden hue.
Roxy's smile bloomed quietly in the morning light.
Because they were deep in the forest, Allen hadn't realized they were less than two kilometers from a road to the south.
When Roxy led him out of the forest, he was momentarily stunned.
In the daylight, stretches of decaying fence flanked either side of the road. Beyond them lay endless fields of untamed grass, dotted with sparse trees.
Allen instinctively pulled out his map to check their location.
"So we're…"
A small pale hand reached from over his shoulder and pointed at a spot in the southwestern part of Fittoa Territory—barely a fingernail's width away from the red circle marking Buena Village.
Allen turned—and got poked in the face by her twitching ahoge.
Roxy tilted her head up at him.
Under the clear light of day, their height difference was now obvious—Allen was a good 15 centimeters taller.
A god who didn't need to be looked up to.
The divine being spoke:
"With your physique, if you push it, you should be able to reach the village tonight. I… I'm sorry for delaying your trip."
Allen rotated his sore wrist, a little exasperated.
Roxy, on the other hand, was now loaded down with skewers of grilled meat wrapped in leaves—big and small. In her hand, she clutched the tin of Bateelsa powder he'd given her.
A whole boar's worth of prime cuts—leg, tenderloin, ribs—now hung off her like a traveling merchant.
All freshly grilled, courtesy of Allen's hour-long meat-prep marathon.
"…You sure you'll eat all that? Won't it go bad? You could just hunt fresh…"
Roxy shook her head, muttering while eyeing the scabbard at Allen's waist.
"My knife skills… are lacking. I can't cut meat as thin as yours. But like this, I can just reheat it with Fire Magic when I'm hungry. Thanks again—for the meat and the seasoning."
"…Right."
An odd silence fell between them.
After a moment, Allen glanced up at the sky.
"Well then… I'd better get going. The village—"
But Roxy suddenly interrupted.
"Why don't you come travel with me instead? If you're just trying to lie low in the countryside, leaving the Asura Kingdom entirely might be safer. With your skills, you could easily pass as an adventurer. And after a year or two, you could return with some fame and prestige—walk back into the capital with your head held high."
Allen blinked, looking at her.
Her face was tinged with red, but her tone was serious.
Logically speaking, it made sense. In this world, ten-year-olds running off to train and adventure wasn't unheard of.
Just look at the woman in front of him—she'd left home at fourteen to become an adventurer and never looked back. Her parents didn't even know if she was alive or dead.
Then there was Paul "Gigachad" Greyrat—at ten, he'd already completed his adulthood rite and unlocked the "noble orgy" achievement at his school. That was, until the family of a certain girl lodged a complaint back home. He fought with his dad and ran away from home.
Wait a second—was this the scenario Roxy had imagined for him, too? Both nobles from Asura Kingdom… both Greyrats?
Yikes. Did she seriously think he got chased out for some love affair gone wrong?
"…By the time you return," she added, "that girl will probably have moved on. Maybe she'll even have a new lover. Her family might just let it go."
"???"
Allen, a certified upstanding citizen, was speechless.
He reflexively countered.
"You just want to kidnap a free chef, don't you? A child laborer, no less."
"Wha—! No!"
Roxy puffed her cheeks.
"You don't look that young. What are you, ten? Eleven? Hardly child labor."
Allen blinked.
"I'm nine."
Roxy froze, eyes widening.
"Nine…"
Allen saw her stunned face and frowned, deep in thought.
The butterfly effect is hitting fast. I've barely interacted with the first major character for a night and she's already making me a tempting divine offer. Forget long-term consequences—at this rate my mission rating is gonna go off the rails…
Just as he was formulating a tactful refusal, Roxy spoke first.
"Nine is too young. I think it's best if you lay low for a bit, then head to the Water God Style dojo in the capital and train for a couple years. As a noble, you'll have to start inheriting family responsibilities soon too, right? So…"
Her voice lowered.
"…Maybe this is the last time we'll see each other. Just like Rudeus. Just like you."
"We'll meet again."
Roxy looked up.
Under the sunlight, Allen's smile was radiant.
"We'll meet again. Not just me—Rudeus too."
She nodded blankly.
"…It's getting late. I should head out too, or I won't make it to the village by nightfall."
"…Alright."
Allen turned around, took a few steps, then suddenly stopped and looked back.
"…There are no permanent goodbyes in life. As long as we keep walking the right path, we'll meet again."
He waved a hand casually over his shoulder and broke into a run down the road.
…Was it her imagination, or did his back look like he was fleeing?
Roxy watched his figure grow smaller in the distance. Then she turned and walked in the opposite direction.
"…No permanent goodbyes, huh…"
She smiled faintly and strode toward the horizon.
(End of Chapter)
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