Crack- Boom-!
“Grrrraah!”
A massive man, whose whole body was braced against a giant rock, tumbles to the ground.
And behind him, a girl named Noah—short in stature, small in frame, and lacking in imposing voice—shouted confidently.
“Next…!”
At Noah’s shout, the hulking adventurers lined up on the opposite side flinched- shivering.
“Is, is there no one…?”
After a long pause without any new challengers, disappointment clearly etched on Noah’s face, she turned towards the adventurers across from her.
A line of bald-headed adventurers stretches out. Here and there, you catch glimpses of adventurers with a bit of hair, but they are few and far between. Most of them were part of the bald-headed brigade led by Heinzel, queuing up one after the other.
“Ugh…”
“No! I-I’ll take them on!!”
Suddenly, amidst the clueless bald heads, one adventurer with a full head of hair stepped forward. The bald adventurers cast lukewarm glances at him, but the adventurer shrugged and mocked them.
“No hair, yet you’re all full of fear. What’s all that scary muscle even good for?”
Crack- Thud-
Whether they fell for the obvious provocation or not, the bald heads puffed up their mighty muscles, ignited with competitive spirit.
“Ah…! Yes, that’s it!”
And Noah’s face also blossomed into a bright smile.
But then…
Bang- Crackle-
“Ghuuuh…!”
“Hehehe… You’re all so pathetic… Ahem, next!”
Seeing the thirty-second adventurer’s arm snapped from a mere arm wrestling match, cold sweat began to bead on the scalps of the bald adventurers once more.
Watching them from the back were two women, each tilting their coffee cups with different expressions.
“They seem like ignorant, stubborn, and disgusting barbarians. Does hair and intelligence really go hand in hand?”
“Still, our Noah is cute, isn’t she?”
“What are you talking about? Seeing them all having fun over there shows they’re all the same kind of human.”
“That’s totally not true. Our Noah smells like a sweet flower even when she’s sweating. And her silly laughter is just adorable. Hehe.”
“…You’re the most disgusting of all, Rubia.”
Ser, with a bored expression, looked at Rubia while sending a healing light towards the broken-armed adventurer, continuing the conversation.
“Hm, it seems like your mood has changed quite a bit after meeting Noah.”
“Of course, it has.”
Thinking this would be a surprising remark, but seeing Rubia’s nonchalant attitude, Ser sighed.
“Tsk, the innocence is gone, and it’s no fun anymore. By the way, did you both have a good chat?”
“We discussed everything we were curious about or needed to know.”
“I see you didn’t talk about unnecessary things then.”
“Is there any need to? We’re perfectly happy right now, knowing nothing.”
“But if you weren’t here—”
Rubia, with eyes and expression deeply sinking unlike Noah’s earlier joy, gazed at Ser.
“It’s the same for me. Even if I was gone, everyone would still be happy. Just like now.”
“Do you really think so?”
“Yes.”
With not a shred of hesitation. No worry, no fear. A clear will unwavering against anything. Ser clicked his tongue and turned his gaze back.
Once again, he looked at Noah, who was still breaking the arms of the disgusting adventurers.
“Honestly, I may not let you go.”
“That’s why I’m asking for help from you, Ser. When that moment comes, please try to hold onto Noah.”
“No.”
“Are you saying you might kill her?”
“Ha.”
At Rubia’s words, Ser scoffed, recalling Noah’s face and atmosphere while she was killing the Masters.
“I can guarantee she would indeed kill. If she doesn’t, she’ll hate me for life. I… I don’t want to be treated like that by Noah.”
“…Oh?”
Seeing Ser’s shy shift of gaze as he turned his head abruptly, Rubia’s eyes widened.
“Ser, you’ve changed a lot, haven’t you?”
“…No.”
“But your ears are turning bright red!”
“D-Don’t look at that!”
Desperately hiding his ears with his hair, Ser took a few deep breaths before looking back at Rubia.
“Anyway, if that happens, Noah won’t just sit by.”
“Still, someone has to do it.”
“It doesn’t have to be you.”
“No. I have to do it. Noah has many good people around her… Surely, she’ll be able to overcome it.”
“Think however you like.”
Clatter- Irritably placing his coffee cup down, Ser grimaced and spat out his words.
“But remember this. I’m a genius. So I’ll find a method that won’t even cross your dumb head.”
“Hehe… Sure. I get it.”
Then he pulled a letter from his dimensional pocket and handed it to Rubia.
“Huh? What’s this?”
“Just read it.”
Carefully accepting the letter, Rubia unfolded it, only to distort her face in shock while staring at Ser.
“…What is this? So, all this time—”
However, Ser looked up at the sky with a nonchalant expression.
“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t know the precise reason myself. Of course, I’ve made a few guesses, but I don’t want to believe they’re the answers. Still, if you want to know, come find me after midnight.”
“…Got it.”
A heavy silence hung in the air, and after a short breath, Ser stretched as he reached for a new coffee cup.
“Would you like another cup of coffee?”
Patter- Patter-
“Can I join in too?”
“Of course. Hermila and Noah should come as well.”
Just then, Hermila returned from her work, carefully taking the coffee cup from Ser’s hand.
“No, coffee, please.”
“Is it bad to ask after you already took it away?”
“Then, are you not inviting me?”
“I’m not that bad of a person to throw out someone who just finished working.”
With a smile, Ser motioned to a newly formed chair made from elemental magic.
“Please, sit.”
“Thank you.”
As soon as Hermila sat, the shape of the chair molded to hug her.
The chair was made with the earth’s strength to shape it, filled with water inside, and wrapped in a thin layer of wind. Ser’s special chair boasted tremendous softness.
“Wow… it’s so fluffy.”
“Hehehe, of course it is. I made it, a genius after all.”
“…Yeah, I suppose so.”
Hermila looked at Ser with cold eyes and shook her head.
“Hehe, you did well, Hermila.”
“I didn’t do anything too tough, just gave orders and wandered around. I just returned after doing nothing but keeping watch.”
“If you say that, then what do we, who just sat here sipping coffee, become?”
“You’re the bad people who misuse power and positions, right?”
“Hmm, not misusing it, just enjoying our rightful power and staying still out of necessity.”
“What kind of shameless talk is that?”
Shrugging, Ser skillfully prepared three cups of coffee and one strawberry milk.
“That’s not shameless, Hermila. Imagine if Rubia and I joined in to sweat while moving rocks with them. Could they work comfortably? They might hurt their backs trying to transport an even bigger rock than what we held, or when trying to rest, feeling pressured to stand up and work after seeing us.”
“Hmm… that does make sense. I remember when I was at the guild, just doing laundry made the maids break out in cold sweat.”
“Exactly. So when I sat in the position of the Mage Tower Master, I never did anything.”
“…That’s just laziness.”
“Hmm, Rubia. It’d be bad if you don’t support me in this situation.”
Heehee- Laughing, Ser used a small gesture of wind to call Noah over.
“I didn’t really notice it, but… Yeah, I can see how that could happen.”
Reluctantly nodding, Hermila accepted the coffee cup and leaned back in her chair.
At that moment, the sound of playful footsteps and a cheerful voice reached them.
“Hehe… You’ve been playing for too long… I’m sorry.”
“No worries. Just drink this, rest a bit, and then I called you back to play.”
“Th-thank you!”
Noah, who received the strawberry milk from Ser, began to steal glances at Rubia.
Seeing this, Rubia smiled warmly and opened her arms wide.
“Yeah, come here!”
“Umm… But I might smell from the sweat…”
“It’s fine. I’ll cool you down, so hurry over.”
“Ah… Hehe…”
As if she had been waiting for that, Noah also smiled brightly and jumped onto Rubia’s lap.
Then, she eagerly tilted the mug that was as big as her face, gulping down the strawberry milk with enthusiasm.
With Noah nestled in her embrace, Rubia pretended to tidy her hair.
Inhale- Ah…
Taking in the scent of Noah who had just returned from the arm wrestling match deep within, Rubia sighed softly.
“Hmm… With how Noah’s been acting lately, I can’t help but wonder if that’s really the Rubia I knew.”
“Honestly, it’s a bit creepy. I’d be embarrassed to call you my friend.”
Friend.
As Ser emphasized those two words while staring at Rubia, Hermila quietly looked on with a warm smile as she nodded in agreement.
“Hehe, that’s right.”
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Just… you seem to have changed a lot.”
With that, she looked up at the sky and sighed.
“It’s peaceful. I wish we could continue to live in this peaceful world, spending happy days like this.”
Everyone together.
Hermila’s small murmur melted into the ruins that began to emit a human scent in the dry winds.
By the time Noah’s mug of strawberry milk was nearly empty,
Hermila, feeling a bit reinvigorated, asked Noah.
“Noah, the trial is completely over, right?”
“Um? Gluck- Phew… Yes, it’s all over.”
At the same time, Ser’s gaze and Rubia’s, who was savoring Noah’s scent with closed eyes, locked on to Noah.
“Hic- Huuh… Why, what’s up?”
“You haven’t told us the most important part yet, Noah.”
“Um… Now that you mention it, I didn’t ask either.”
“Indeed. I’m curious.”
“W-What is it…?”
Hic-
Hic-
Amidst the exciting silence, it was Rubia who broke it first.
“Noah. The unique ability you gained from the trial… what is it?”
“Ah…”
Hic-
As if she had completely forgotten, Noah opened her mouth blankly and said with an awkward smile.
“I-I don’t know… Hehe.”
