[You might want to see me, right? Don’t you think so, Noah?]
“Ugh… uh, ah…”
“You can talk comfortably.”
“Yes…? B-but just now…”
[Didn’t you want to see me, Noah? Was it just me who wanted to see you? Have you forgotten all the time ‘we’ spent together?]
“Yes…? T-the time we spent together…? No, um…”
I awkwardly stood between the crystal orb and Rubia, taking a step towards the table—
“Noah, I’m really okay.”
Before I could take my distance again, I stepped closer to Rubia.
[You said you’re okay. ‘We’ haven’t met in ages, so can’t we have some time to chat? The shaman I know isn’t the type to be so narrow-minded and unforgiving, so come on closer.]
“T-that’s…?”
A step towards the table.
“That’s right. Noah. ‘We’ are always together, almost glued to each other from when we close our eyes at night to when we open them in the morning, even when going to the bathroom. It’s really fine to have a little chat with Hermila, whom we rarely meet.”
A step towards Rubia.
[I heard earlier, but it seems it’s not an ordinary relationship?]
Hermila’s voice became sweeter.
“Of course. We’re pretty much intertwined.”
“Ugh, ah… Ru-Rubia…!”
[Is that so? But I believe Rubia was not too fond of you when she first saw you.]
“…No way.”
[Oh my, was that my misunderstanding? I thought her expression wasn’t great back then. Since my Noah… has been adventuring for such a short time, I kept asking for understanding and you sighed and nodded, right?]
“…Is that so? I, well… don’t really remember.”
Rubia’s breathing began to tremble.
[Well, considering all the events that happened, it’s understandable to forget. Besides, usually, the victim remembers longer than the perpetrator… No, no. Haha, I’m just so excited to meet after such a long time. I’m sorry.]
“It’s okay. I don’t mind that. Hehehe.”
And then silence.
What… what is this…?
Weren’t we just talking about something super important and resolute?
My heart was racing, and I wanted to kiss Rubia right away.
This tense atmosphere is… um…
Everyone seems to be laughing, but why is it so scary…?
In the ensuing silence, I held my trembling body and headed to the chair next to Rubia.
Meanwhile…
“Oh, right. Speaking of which, Noah.”
Rubia’s words shattered the incredibly heavy silence.
“Last night, is the spot I accidentally bit on the bed feeling better? You were struggling to wear your underwear, weren’t you?”
“…Huh.”
[…Ahahaha.]
“Should I apply some ointment for you?”
“Hiccup-”
Words that seemed like I could lose my mind started making me hiccup.
With Rubia’s deep smile and a sigh heard through the crystal orb, I turned to sit gently on Rubia’s knee.
As I did, the dark shadow hovering over Rubia’s face faded, revealing a warm smile.
Ahem… Um… Well, I’m glad to see you’re doing well.
“Yes. It seems like you’re doing well too, Hermila.”
[For me, it’s the same as usual. Well, I’ve been a bit busy lately. Hehe.]
“I see.”
Rubia, who had been stroking my stomach with her left hand and my thigh with her right hand, stopped and spoke in a slightly serious tone.
“So, what’s going on here? Hermila.”
That’s right.
I was curious about this too.
Hermila was supposed to be a receptionist at a small guild, right?
How did she get so close and maintain contact with Sirin?
[Um… I’m not sure where to start explaining; it’s complicated.]
Hermila answered in her usual sweet voice, pausing for a moment before continuing.
[First of all, you know about the existence of challengers, right?]
Her voice gained a bit of weight.
[Among them, you met Yuria.]
And.
[You also met the new challenger, Luci.]
“…Yes.”
[How was it?]
I instinctively grasped who the question was directed at and what was being asked.
I tightly held Rubia’s hand and slowly spoke.
“She smiled. Brightly… smiling while nagging… and she was incredibly strong.”
Honestly, if I had to fight the current Luci, there’s no way I would win.
The Luci before she died… The Luci who had carved through the world was far too strong for me to even dare to challenge.
[I see.]
With a small sigh, Hermila’s voice reached my ears.
[You did well. And thank you, Noah.]
“Ehe…”
[Hoo… Well, since there’s not much time left, let’s discuss the details when we meet. Let’s cut to the chase. To put it simply, ‘we’ want to help you. To be precise, the groundwork has already been completed.]
“…What do you mean?”
[There’s a subjugation team being formed that Erden doesn’t know about. In Ursphere and Cartia. Though their numbers are small, they are quite capable individuals.]
“When did this start… no, but Sirin’s report was only discovered two days ago… how did you know?”
Hermila spoke with a smile as if she anticipated my question.
[You remember I met Jur in Loholan, right?]
“Jur… oh.”
[I borrowed their abilities. In preparation for such circumstances, we’ve dispatched people to every major city. Thanks to that, we were able to prepare quickly.]
“Ah… So, the evacuation of the residents is unavoidable?”
[Yes, evacuation is impossible, but we can create a barrier to protect them. So, we invited a famous wizard to Ursphere. Since you’re with Rubia, we didn’t do anything extra in Cartia.]
“That’s right… Haha… you even managed to figure out my abilities. Your work is quite thorough.”
[Hehe, this is what I do for a living.]
Hermila.
Isn’t she just an ordinary receptionist…?
She seems incredibly capable…?
“Ha… that’s such a relief.”
Rubia, contemplating all of Hermila’s words, let out a sigh of relief and slumped in her chair.
Feeling Rubia’s body, I smiled happily and leaned the great sword against her, changing my position to hug her tightly.
Her sigh of relief that just slipped from her lips felt so good.
That short sigh made me painfully realize what a huge decision Rubia had made.
It made me realize once again that my worth meant more than all those deep concerns.
Yet, her embrace that wouldn’t let go was so lovely that I couldn’t show my face.
Trying to hide the sound of my pounding heart, I didn’t want my trembling breath to be noticed.
“Hehe…”
“Is Jur doing well?”
Rubia gently began to stroke my head, continuing our conversation.
[Of course. He’s doing very well. The reconstruction of Havlon is also going smoothly. Last time, he was so worried when he lost contact with Rubia. But luckily, Princess Charlotte was around. Though, well… eventually, even Charlotte lost contact.]
“Oh, that’s right. Hehe. I think it was cut off during the fight with the Master. Everyone came perilously close to death.”
[Yes. Including that, I’ve heard all sorts of news. Do you know how my heart drops every time I hear news about you, Noah?]
“Yes, yes…?”
[You were once such a pure and innocent kid… or rather, you are Noah. You’ve been killing thousands of monsters, subjugating Carpen, and even killing the Master, and now you’re cutting through avalanches and subjugating Tylant… Can you imagine how shocked I was? Plus, now you’re labeled as a heretic, too, oh my…]
I could hear Hermila’s sigh, filled with genuine concern.
“Ugh… Thank you for worrying about me…”
[Yes. Thank you for surviving, Noah. And thank you, Rubia, for protecting Noah…]
After a brief moment of silence, Rubia straightened her posture and spoke again.
“Noah’s the one who protected me… Ahem, so can we trust you with Ursphere?”
[Yes. If the Monster of the End doesn’t appear in Cartia, those there will come immediately. Rubia and Noah. And Ser will surely join, right?]
“Of course.”
[Then that’s settled. They are capable enough to hold out for about five days. So, just rest easy for the coming week while we plan. We’ll even arrange a way to sneak into Cartia, so you don’t have to worry about that. Your heretic judgment will mostly fade once we subjugate the Monster of the End. Besides, Rubia wouldn’t just sit still, would she? You may not shake off the heretic status, but you shouldn’t treat the residents as enemies.]
Rubia, now looking incredulous, let out a disbelieving laugh.
“This truly feels like there’s a mastermind behind this. I feel like I’m becoming foolish. Hehe…”
[Oh dear, calling it a mastermind? We’re not really that bad.]
“People… Are all the supports coming from the central guild for Noah handled by Hermila?”
[Well… I’m not so sure myself. At least, that wasn’t my doing?]
“That’s definitely your doing.”
Taking a short breath, Rubia spoke in a somewhat stiff tone.
“I apologize for the intrusion, but may I ask a few questions? Are you opposing Erden?”
[Yes.]
The answer came out without the slightest hesitation.
“What are your objectives, you challengers?”
[To save the world.]
“Do you think that’s possible?”
[As of now, I would say no. But looking into the future… I believe it will be possible.]
“…Will you achieve your objectives by any means necessary?”
[Yes. I will definitely do it. Even if I must sell my soul, I will.]
The mania in Hermila’s response made Rubia pause to gather her thoughts before she slowly spoke.
“Did you intend to find Noah specifically?”
“…Yes…? Rubia, what do you mean…?”
[…No. That’s not it. It was a coincidence.]
“I see… Well, this is my final question. Hermila, what is your true identity?”
[I’m the receptionist of the adventure guild in Allriba Village.]
“…Stop joking and answer seriously.”
[Um… Well, I’m not quite sure how to explain this to you.]
Tap-Tap-
[The title given to me by those who follow me is… ]
A sound was heard as Hermila tapped on the table from beyond the orb.
[The First Challenger.]
