Chapter 28: Cumulonimbus and the Super-Developed Bathing Incident
Hearing Allen's words, Rudeus's face grew even more troubled.
He felt a pang of jealousy. How was it that Roxy, whom Allen had only met once on the road, seemed to have told this person everything?
No... this isn't good. I have to work hard these next two months. Even if I can't defeat Allen, I have to create the illusion that we're evenly matched. That way, when Roxy sees it in the future, she won't transfer her affections... though, it's not like there are any affections to begin with...
Allen, however, impatiently interrupted his thoughts.
"Well? You definitely have enough mana, right?"
Rudeus pinched his nose.
"I have enough... but will this really awaken her interest in magic?"
Hearing this, Allen turned to Sylphie with a serious expression.
"...I am certain that you have more talent in magic, which is why I'm trying so hard to get you to learn it. Perhaps our little scuffle just now lacked impact. The magic that comes next is powerful enough to change natural phenomena. It's also the highest-level magic that Rudy knows. You need to watch carefully, okay?"
Sylphie looked at Allen's expression and blinked.
"A-Actually... if Allen really thinks I don't have the talent for swordsmanship... learning magic is fine, too... I'm not picky... because you're both thinking of what's best for me..."
Before she could finish, Allen had already stood up. As if he hadn't heard the second half of her sentence, he spoke to Rudeus with great interest.
"Let's do it, Rudy! It's time for... us to witness a famous scene from a Water Saint-tier magician!"
Rudeus's lip twitched.
Hey, hey, I see what's going on here. You're the one who wants to see it, aren't you!
But despite his internal complaints, when he saw the look of inexplicable anticipation on the face of Allen—the same Allen he had been helpless against just moments ago—he couldn't help but feel a surge of accomplishment.
Cumulonimbus was more than just a spell to Rudeus.
It was Roxy's most vivid mark on his childhood.
Behind this "divine" stroke of magic...
...was the key that had unlocked Rudeus's heart, the growth that allowed him to accept the outside world.
It was the rekindling of dead courage, the determination to try again.
It was Blue Mama's adorable, often mistaken face; it was her gentle voice and her encouragement, feigning seriousness.
It was...
...the stolen underwear.
Ahem, for the sake of Allen keeping my secret, I shall graciously demonstrate it for him just this once.
Rudeus thought of the object of worship in his shrine, then made an earth fort for Sylphie and Allen before running down the hill.
"You have to do the incantation! Don't miss a single word!"
Rudeus looked up at the head peeking over the top of the hill, where Allen was waving a flag and cheering like a star-struck fan. He pulled out the amulet necklace Roxy had given him from under his shirt. The metal pendant, formed by three interlinked spears, glinted in the sunlight.
Watch closely, Allen. This is the proof of all the precious things Roxy has given me!
He took a deep breath, raised his hands, and looked up at the sky. Word by word, with great seriousness and piety, he began to chant.
"O great and majestic spirit of water, son of the Thunder Emperor who ascends the dome!"
The clouds in the sky coiled and gathered, obscuring the blazing sun and casting shifting shadows over the hill.
"Grant my wish, bring forth your violent blessing, and let us insignificant beings witness your mighty power!"
The gentle breeze was no more. It now brutally whipped at Allen's and Sylphie's hair. In Allen's eyes, the wild grass bowed down as if paying homage to the small figure at the bottom of the hill.
"Strike the anvil with the hammer of the gods, reveal your fearsome might, and let floods drown the entire land!"
The clouds pressed down on them, now all turned into a dark and gloomy thunderhead. Faint flashes of lightning hissed within. Allen was incredibly excited. He stood up and, unable to contain himself, grabbed Sylphie's hand.
Sylphie was already dumbstruck. She looked down in astonishment at Allen's hand, her own palm sweating profusely.
The incantation from the bottom of the hill was reaching its end. The dark clouds were like a tangible blackness, covering everything.
"Rain! Wash away all, and expel all things!"
"CUMULONIMBUS!"
The gloomy clouds seemed to fall silent for an instant. Then, countless lines of rain shot down from the sky, striking the ground with a fierce, percussive sound that echoed for miles around the hill. Lightning writhed in the gaps between the clouds.
The next moment, a bolt of electricity, like a sharp sword, pierced the air, bleaching the world white.
The small figure at the bottom of the hill was clear in Allen's pupils for an instant:
Between heaven and earth, Rudeus faced the sky. On his youthful face, a smile gradually bloomed, more unrestrained than the thunder and lightning.
There was not a trace of his usual timidity.
This was his domain of magic.
This was the 'mark' he had made on this world.
*[You have facilitated Rudeus's 'Shout'.]*
*[Mushoku Tensei Major Event Participation Score Increased.]*
*[Current Stage: Childhood. Cumulative Participation Score: 60 points.]*
*[Congratulations, host. To date, your participation in the Childhood major events has: Passed. The advanced quest is now unlocked by default. Please continue your efforts to achieve a full score and receive an additional reward.]*
Allen paid little attention to the system's prompt. He just looked at Rudeus at the bottom of the hill and smiled, a smile that came from the heart.
---
The rain was heavy and fierce.
By the time Rudeus ran back up the hill, the earth fort had turned into a mudslide, drenching Allen and Sylphie. Rudeus had tried to maintain it mid-downpour, but the rain was simply too heavy. The fort dissolved into muddy water as fast as he could form it, pouring down on their heads.
Allen stopped Rudeus from trying to dispel the Cumulonimbus, grabbed them both, and made a break for the Greyrat house.
The latter had said it would take a considerable amount of time to dispel the spell. Rather than get soaked, it was better to use Touki to quickly escape the area with the two of them.
When they got home, as expected, all three of them got an earful from Paul.
They were absolutely filthy, three little mud-people.
Lilia quickly went to boil water and prepare a bathtub, placing it in Rudeus's room before bowing and leaving. However, the amount of hot water boiled at once wasn't quite enough, so Allen went to the kitchen to help.
It was worth noting that the Greyrat house only had one bathroom. So at night, both Lilia and Rudeus would boil water and bathe in their own rooms using a wooden tub, consciously leaving the bathroom for the Greyrat couple. And at this moment, for some reason, Zenith was taking a bath in the middle of the day, so the three of them had to boil water and bathe as usual.
Allen, shirtless, looked at the busy Lilia beside him. He felt her hands were trembling slightly, and wondered if she was tired from the day's events. So, he thoughtfully told her to go rest and prepare to help Zenith with dinner later.
But as he stared at the gurgling, bubbling pot, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had forgotten something important.
Allen scratched his head.
"Strange, I feel like I've forgotten something... The spar went fine, I saw the famous scene, Sylphie and Rudy went to take a bath normally... wait... could it be..."
His eyes widened.
"Holy crap, I almost forgot about this plot point! No, it's another butterfly effect from the timeline being advanced! Rudy doesn't realize Sylphie is a girl yet! He's not going to pull her pants down, is he?! Huh? That kind of perverted, cliché development isn't scientific, is it? And Rudy and Sylphie have only known each other for a day. This will only lose favorability! Mmm... Rudy probably wouldn't be that clueless..."
"Ah!!!"
The instant the thought crossed his mind, Allen heard Sylphie's scream from upstairs. He immediately dropped the pot he was boiling and rushed upstairs.
He took the stairs two or three at a time, rushed to Rudeus's room at top speed, and flung the door open, looking inside.
But before he could see what was happening in the room, he felt a sudden chill below his waist.
Rudeus's excited shout followed a moment later.
"Sylph, watch closely! This is how you use Allen! Uh... this..."
Allen looked into the room at the fully clothed and unharmed Sylphie. She was staring wide-eyed at Allen, who had just burst in. A deep blush crawled up her pointed ears. She spun around on the spot and pressed herself tightly against the corner, facing the wall.
She even covered her ears with her hands.
Allen swallowed hard and looked down.
Crouched by the door, the successful sneak attacker, Rudeus, was looking up at him. On his dazed face, a firm shadow cast over him.
Allen, who in his panic had hastily driven his "Dragon-Saint-Tou-Ki" to run upstairs...
...was now engorged everywhere.
But he felt as if he had been plunged into an icy cellar.
*[...]*
*[Detecting that the host is intimidating Rudeus. If this continues, there is a risk of Rudeus's favorability being cleared to zero.]*
*[The host is advised to watch his step.]*
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