The Franklin Effect Works Too Well
Alan snapped out of his daze when he heard Loki's soft, stuttering voice—exactly the tone of someone uncomfortable dealing with strangers.
The system panel vanished, and Loki's figure came back into full view. In the firelight, she shifted her legs uneasily. Her black stockings had slipped slightly, leaving faint red marks on her pale calves. Her cheeks were flushed, and her deep-blue eyes kept darting away.
She simply refused to look at him.
His battle aura finally settled, and a sudden heat rose in his nose. A moment later, blood trickled out. Touching under his nose, he glanced at Loki's two pale-blue braids… and promptly rolled his eyes and "fainted."
A deliberate faint, of course.
The nosebleed, however, was real.
The "Twenty Strikes" of the North God Style—classified as a practical technique—relies entirely on physical ability and mastery. In the current timeline of Mushoku Tensei, a boy of Alan's age simply does not have the developed musculature or stamina to support unleashing five consecutive rapid-draw slashes. The sudden spike of battle aura was enough to burst a few capillaries.
This was also why his North God Style rank remained low. He could not yet sustain extended practical-combat techniques, and the Qiren Style methods were still too eccentric for him to handle properly.
Sure, there were extreme cases—like the future North God Kalman III covering his body with mirrors during the Asura throne duel—but Alan had no intention of turning himself into a walking disco ball.
In reality, a ruptured capillary shouldn't have knocked him out.
But he had a more important goal.
The Franklin Effect.
The fastest way to gain favor from someone you've just met is not to help them—it's to ask them for help. Let them feel needed. Let them invest effort. Subconsciously, they justify their action by elevating their impression of you.
And right now, Loki was already shaken because her Water Ball had nearly backfired and hit him. Guilt had primed her perfectly.
This was the ideal moment.
Help me, Blue Mama. Heal me, Blue Mama. Give the child a spell, Blue Mama.
Alan lay still, praying for the flawless execution of psychology and divine timing.
Sure enough, he soon heard her panicked whisper:
"He fainted? Oh no… what should I do? Did my Water Ball hit him after all? Calm down… calm down… healing magic. Healing magic!"
Her voice trembled exactly like the scene in the LN when she panicked and summoned lightning by accident.
Blue Mama… you're too cute.
"Like a compassionate mother goddess, please heal this person and restore his vitality. Healing!"
The moment the incantation ended, Alan sprang up like a corpse revived by necromancy. Swiftly, he grabbed her hand.
Her expression—shock, embarrassment, relief—was priceless.
"Thank you, goddess."
The system chimed immediately:
[Loki's favorability acquired. Time: 2 minutes 47 seconds.]
[Evaluation: Blonde Demon.]
[Healing Magic Slot Unlocked.]
[Physical contact detected + healing spell applied by Loki.]
[Rune successfully retrieved: Intermediate Healing Magic.]
Alan blinked, eyes watery. Whether the affection blooming inside him came from the Franklin Effect or simply because she was cute, even he couldn't tell.
But one thing was certain:
This girl was practically divine.
Soft voice, pale skin, adorable panic. A goddess in every sense.
Flustered, Loki gently withdrew her hand, smoothing a stray lock of hair from her forehead.
"Calling me a goddess is too much… It's just a basic healing spell."
And she was unbelievably easy to coax.
She sat beside him with slightly drooping eyes and lips chilled from the night air. Her expression tried to remain aloof, yet happiness peeked through whenever she remembered his praise.
Too cute.
---
My Favorability Skyrockets—Blue Mama Wants to Eat Me Alive
Alan pretended to check his legs, but his real focus was on the treasure inside him—the embryonic core of the Dragon God-style Battle Aura. Wisps of smoke drifted over its surface, and a tiny rune glowing blue appeared.
A healing rune.
Shaped like a tiny tree.
Instinct told him: if he activated it, intermediate healing magic would trigger instantly—but only on himself.
So it functions like an auto-heal buff… practically a temporary near-immortal body. That fixes the biggest flaw of the North God practical style.
But he still had problems:
His mana pool was tiny.
His regeneration rate was slow.
Intermediate healing cost too much.
Realistically, a beginner with his mana should use basic healing, not intermediate. Still, he wondered whether Dragon God Aura's property of reducing magic-conversion loss might stack with the rune. Aura was a form of magic power, after all.
Worth testing later.
A pair of small hands waved in front of him.
"Now is not the time to zone out."
Alan lifted his gaze. This was the real Loki—not an anime drawing, but the actual girl.
In the adaptation, she had a soft, cute design. But the real Loki had delicately sculpted features: thin yet soft-looking lips, an upturned nose with narrow nostrils, half-closed sapphire eyes that shone like ripples in a deep lake.
Those ripples carried concern.
"Why aren't you talking? Does something still hurt?"
"…No. It actually feels pretty good."
Loki stared at him blankly and touched her own cheek.
"He doesn't look injured… so why is he staring at me like that? Do I have dirt on my face?"
Alan answered without thinking:
"No, your face looks amazing. Even better than in my dream last night."
Silence.
The night forest became utterly still.
A log cracked in the fire. A gust of wind rustled past them.
Only then did Alan realize what he'd said.
Loki's hand froze mid-touch. Her half-lidded eyes widened, ripples scattering across the lake-blue surface.
Neither spoke.
Then the system delivered a killing blow:
[Maintain momentum. Win Rudeus's favor next.]
[Countdown: 91:54:02]
Alan almost choked.
This is the worst guide system in isekai history… Why am I being forced down the path of a blonde Sword God?
Loki studied him quietly, then exhaled and straightened her posture. Alan had absentmindedly plucked a strand of her blue hair to examine it.
To Loki, his flustered behavior looked exactly like what a child his age would do.
He's disappointed because I didn't react how he wanted. His face is still youthful—he's probably just tall, not actually older. It's not because I'm short… right? But his swordsmanship was incredible.
Another prodigy? First Rudy, now this boy. Both so precocious. Saying smooth, shameless lines. He's never met me, so how could he have dreamed of me? He must just see me as someone his age and be trying to please me.
She removed her mage hat and spoke with the tone of someone lecturing a child:
"That's not how you flatter someone. Don't be fooled by my height—I'm old enough to be your mother. Flattery doesn't work on me."
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