Chapter 29: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use Allen!

Let us return to one minute ago.

When the bathwater was ready, Rudeus immediately stripped off all his clothes. However, unlike what he had imagined, Sylphy kept dragging her feet, not even daring to look him in the eye.

"What's wrong? You'll catch a cold if you don't take your clothes off. Besides, you're covered in mud. What do you expect to do while still wearing them?"

"Huh? Ah... um..."

Sylphy stood stiffly, facing the wall in embarrassment.

"Huh? Don't tell me you still don't know how to undress yourself? Geez, I really can't do anything with you."

Rudeus walked over to Sylphy, completely naked.

"Come on, raise your hands. I'll help you."

"E-eh... I..."

"Forget the 'I's, just take them off! Do you really want me to call Allen over?!"

"Ah? No! ...Don't!"

Rudeus tugged for a long time, but seeing that Sylphy wasn't giving him a chance to undress her, he pouted.

"If you don't want to take off your top, then let's start with your pants!"

With that, he yanked hard at Sylphy's trousers. Sylphy clutched them tightly and let out a scream.

"Ah!!!"

Rudeus covered his ears and stepped back, his face showing disdain as he prepared to speak. Suddenly, he heard hurried footsteps echoing from the stairs—clatter, clatter, clatter. Judging by the rhythm, he knew it wasn't Lilia, Paul, or Zenith; those three had distinct gaits, and none of them would be this frantic.

Rudeus’s eyes lit up.

He immediately darted to the side of the door and crouched down, positioning himself to pounce. He glanced back at Sylphy, put a finger to his lips, and whispered excitedly.

"It seems you don't have any experience bathing with boys, Sylphy. Once I pull Allen's pants down in a moment, you'll surely be happy to join us."

*Hehe, Lord Allen, this time, I will definitely win!*

Clatter, clatter, clatter! In just a few breaths, the footsteps were right at the door.

Seeing Sylphy looking toward him, Rudeus let his mouth curl into a lewd grin.

"Watch closely, Sylphy..."

With a loud *bang*, the door swung open!

*Perfect timing!*

"This is how you use it, Allen!!"

—

Allen looked at Rudeus, Rudeus looked up at Allen, and Sylphy cowered in the corner facing the wall.

The three of them fell into a bizarre silence.

However, the person most shocked was not Allen.

It was Rudeus.

He stared upward, his mouth agape in bewilderment, his eyes glazed over.

*How... why is it... erect? Could it be... does Allen really like little boys? Wait, does this mean... Allen isn't interested in Sylphy, but in me?!? Huh??*

Allen saw the look of growing horror in Rudeus’s eyes as he looked down. Too flustered to care about the social death he had just suffered, he yanked his pants up and grabbed Rudeus, hoisting him off the ground in a panic.

"Quick! Put your clothes on!!!"

Rudeus struggled in terror.

"Ah?! Why do I still have to put them on... You pervert! No! Brother Allen!! Put me down!!!"

Desperate and furious, Allen pulled Rudeus close to his face and gritted out words that only the two of them could hear.

"Sylphy is a girl!"

"No, Allen... Ah? Eh? Eh? Wait, what did you say? Eh??"

Rudeus turned his head in shock to look at Sylphy, who was still huddled on the floor. In an instant, it all clicked.

*Sylphy! It's Sylphy, not Sylph! No wonder her nickname is Fifi! No wonder I always thought she was a bit too pretty! I should have realized it sooner!! Aaaaaahhhhh!!! She's a girl, and I was just stark naked in front of her!!*

He let out a miserable shriek.

"Clothes, give me clothes, quickly!!!"

"Then put them on, for heaven's sake!!"

"But they're covered in mud!!!"

"Is this really the time to worry about mud?!?"

"Oh, right—no, wait! It's too far, I can't reach! Wait, I... I've got it! Take off the pants you just changed into and let me wear them!! You've already been seen anyway!"

Allen: ??????

"Haven't you been seen too?!"

"Oh, that's true."

"Then what are you screaming for!"

"It's because of you! Why are you... erect! That's terrifying!!"

"That’s because I activated my battle aura!!"

"You're lying! Paul never looks like that when he activates his!"

"How do you know Paul doesn't!"

Lilia, who had arrived earlier, stood at the end of the hallway, watching the entire farce with a blank expression.

Behind her, Paul’s face was livid, the veins on his forehead bulging.

—

At lunch, Sylphy was asked to stay for the meal.

Allen and Rudeus sat at the table, heads bowed, sporting large bumps on their foreheads, stealing glances at each other.

It was absurd: two children with mental ages over thirty were being scolded by a twenty-four-year-old man, both feeling deeply embarrassed by their actual ages.

"Are you two done playing yet? If you want to argue, fine, but how does that turn into a debate about whether my battle aura causes an erection? And calling me by my first name? I think your skin is itching because you haven't been practicing your swordsmanship lately."

"We are sorry, Master/Father."

Allen and Rudeus apologized in unison.

"Continue calling me Paul, you hear me?! Huh?!"

"We are sorry." (In unison x2)

Zenith squinted, looking at Rudeus and Allen with amusement; she actually seemed to find this noisy daily life quite interesting.

She then turned her head toward Sylphy.

"I'm sorry you had to deal with them, Sylphy."

Sylphy, sitting primly, waved her hands frantically.

"No! Not at all!! They've both been very kind to me!"

Zenith giggled and turned to rest her chin on her hand, looking at Paul.

"Alright, dear, let's eat."

Paul shot an annoyed glare at Allen and Rudeus.

"Enough, you two start eating as well. No going out to play tomorrow! You're practicing swordsmanship with me!"

"Understood, Master/Father." (In unison x3)

Allen and Rudeus took their seats, exchanged a quick, furtive glance, and began to eat in silence.

Allen reached over to hand Sylphy a piece of bread that was out of her reach, then silently began to converse with the system.

*By the way, you warned me earlier that Rudeus's favorability might hit zero. If it does, is there a penalty?*

[No.]

*Will my rating drop?*

[No, the rating is based on a point system.]

*Then what did you mean by telling me to "look out for myself"?!*

[Because I find it quite interesting. If the host can eventually end up with Rudeus, wouldn't that count as a "deep" participation in this reincarnation transmigration? I naturally look forward to seeing it happen.]

*...Damn you.*

While Allen was bickering with the system, Rudeus secretly looked at Sylphy, then back at Allen.

*So, Allen already realized Sylphy was a girl? Damn it, to think he made his move so early... Wait? Does this... does this mean Roxy is all mine?!*

Thinking of this, the corners of Rudeus's mouth curled up simultaneously, revealing his signature lewd grin.