Right now…
I’ve got quite a few questions to ask…
But with that expression you’re giving me, it’s making my head spin…
Ugh… Um, first…
“But… where on earth did you get that much money to rebuild…?”
Did you shake out your piggy bank and then give me a request…?
“Noah, what should I be called in this world?”
“Um, Shaman?”
“Correct. So I wielded a bit of that Shaman’s power. Hehe…”
Rubia’s face lit up mischievously.
“When did you… I mean, you’ve been sticking with me all day…”
“Do you remember last time when I had a private chat with Jur? That’s when it was all decided. Well, Jur is incredibly capable, so it was easy.”
“Too much flattery.”
Rubia and Jur exchanged grins, their eyes meeting.
What the heck… They both look like complete masterminds.
“But… Still, isn’t it a bit too… quick? Jur should have been… here the whole time…”
No matter how fast you move, the speed at which things are progressing doesn’t add up.
If it’s the central guild, it should be near the capital.
Did they really go back and forth just in a day…?
“Ahem… Since it’s you, Noah, I feel comfortable saying this… I handled that part with my unique ability.”
Jur continued, tapping her temple.
“My unique ability allows me to communicate with others over long distances, so it was straightforward.”
Telepathy…!
Oh, wait.
There was definitely an NPC with that ability in the game…
Telepathy, what was the other thing…?
Anyway, the one who was a commander during the final battle… Was that Jur?
“C-could you communicate with multiple people…?”
“Hmm…? Yes, it’s possible, but currently, I can manage around 20 people at most.”
Currently…?
Does that mean she can develop it further in the future?
Then the commander I saw back then must be Jur, right?
This Jur lady… she’s a real heavyweight…?
“Wow…”
“W-well, it’s not that amazing. Haha… Ahem! Anyway, I have some work left, so I should take my leave. I expect the reconstruction to be complete in about a month.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you, Jur. I hope to meet you again when you have time.”
“It’s an honor. Then please… take care of yourself.”
With that, Jur donned her business smile again and bowed her head before disappearing among the adventurers.
Then, once Jur completely vanished, Rubia cautiously opened her mouth.
“Ah, so I have something to tell you, Noah… Um… How about we donate all the subjugation fines earned under Luchi’s name to Habron… What do you think?”
I nodded vigorously.
Sounds great!
“Of course that’s great…!”
“Phew… I thought you would allow it, but thank you for agreeing so readily. Really…”
Rubia gently patted my head.
“No, it’s not a big deal… Plus, what do you mean permission…”
“This money is all yours, Noah. So it’s only natural to ask for permission.”
“Ah, no…”
I didn’t earn it, after all… It’s all Luchi’s portion.
So it makes sense to do something Luchi would have liked.
“Well… I’m just glad it’s being used for something good…”
“Anyway… thank you.”
“U-um… Yeah. Oh, and… why didn’t you… um… never mind.”
Next, I wanted to ask why she didn’t tell me…
But there was no reason for her to say…
After all, it’s all Rubia’s money… and something done with Rubia’s ability, right…?
So… there really was no need to say anything…
Even so, it feels a bit sad that we’re friends, yet she didn’t tell me…
Feeling slightly dejected, I quietly withdrew my hand from Rubia’s.
And then I began to squeeze the jelly she had given me little by little.
Doing this… feels kind of weird to eat.
But still… There’s something about this squishy feeling that calms my mind.
“…Why didn’t you tell Noah?”
While I was lost in thought about the jelly, Rubia seemed to read my mind.
I always feel like I can’t figure out how she detects my thoughts…
“Ah, no… There’s really no reason for you to tell me, so it’s fine…”
I averted my gaze, not wanting to be caught with a sulky, nerdy face.
Then Rubia carefully pulled me into an embrace.
“Um… I was just embarrassed. If I had used the Shaman’s name… I could have helped even more villages, but I didn’t… I ignored and turned a blind eye…”
A hint of regret lingered in her voice.
See…?
Now I’m the only one acting all narrow-minded…
“Well… Well, you can just do that in the future.”
“Hmm… I’m not sure whether I can do that again…”
Rubia turned her gaze around Loholan.
“If Loholan had crumbled… would I have put effort into its reconstruction?”
I don’t know what happened after I passed out.
But the faces of the residents I saw afterward were…
They didn’t seem to be particularly fond of us.
And no one was mourning Luchi’s death either.
But…
Still.
“Rubia would have done it… because Hephaestus is here.”
If there’s even one person willing to help, I believe Rubia would have acted.
Whether in the game or here.
Rubia is the same person.
Always saying how much she hated the world, how it was full of hatred…
Yet in the end, she sacrificed herself for the world while smiling.
“And… even if Hephaestus hadn’t been around, she would have helped Loholan. The Rubia I know is not a bad person. In fact, she’s too kind and foolish… it worries me.”
She always gives in to my requests…
Rubia is definitely kind…
And foolish.
She should learn to say no firmly!
Just because I ask doesn’t mean she has to comply!
“So I guess… I should protect her from getting scammed.”
Rubia tightened her grip around me.
“Haah… At times like this… Noah seems like a man trying to seduce me. It’s quite strange…”
Gasp…!
N-no, she must be joking… right?
“Uh, uh… N-no way…!”
“Ehehe… You usually seem so dense, yet you can’t keep up with my rhythm at all.”
Rubia, pulling away from me, playfully tugged my cheek.
“That’s a good thing, though.”
The expression on Rubia’s face was filled with happiness.
It’s almost as if…
Rubia is the one trying to seduce me…
“Bleeh—”
“Well then, shall we go and take care of our business?”
Releasing my cheek, Rubia reached out her hand again.
I always took her hand casually…
But today, for some reason…
I started to be a little more conscious of it.
It’s all because of that earlier… smile.
How annoying.
*
“Oh! You’ve arrived!”
Hephaestus had finished getting ready and was waiting for us.
“A-a carriage…!”
“You found quite a nice carriage.”
Behind her was a neat but not extravagant carriage and two horses.
One was the annoying horse we rode over, while the other looked smaller and friendlier.
And beside the carriage were our belongings and Hephaestus’s baggage lined up in a row.
“Did you organize everything by yourself, Hephaestus?”
“Yes! I had nothing to do while waiting!”
“Why did you do it all by yourself…?”
“Hehe… This much is no problem! Now please, get in, sisters.”
With a bright smile, Hephaestus shook her head and bowed like a butler somewhere.
“Puhuhah… Quite skilled indeed.”
“I just tried to mimic what I saw in a play a long time ago; was it okay?!”
“Yes, it was super natural.”
Rubia approached Hephaestus with light steps, beaming.
“And… um… I have something to tell you, Hephaestus…”
Rubia lowered her head slightly toward me.
Then she whispered quietly, just loud enough for us to hear.
“Noah, do you want to say something?”
“M-me…?”
“Yes. Since it’s your opinion, wouldn’t it be good to show your sisterly side?”
“Sister… I don’t want to…”
“Then just think of it as showing a cool side, okay? There are so many frightening rumors about you, Noah; Hephaestus might be scared. You should help ease it a bit.”
I looked at Hephaestus, who was watching us with great curiosity, her expression full of wonder.
Ugh…
A cool side…
The red beast that tears apart monsters…
Definitely… If someone only knew that rumor and saw me killing monsters, they would be scared…
“And… who knows, she might become a new friend?”
“F-friend… a new friend…”
Not Hermila or Rubia…
A new friend…!
“Umm…! Ahem! He-hephaestus.”
“A! Yes!”
“Uh, we… we will help you.”
Hephaestus tilted her head in confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“Whatever it is about you going to Karahan… I don’t know what it is, but… we will help.”
“E-excuse me…?”
Hephaestus’s voice trembled.
Eek… Now I’m starting to tremble too.
“You’re saying you’ll help Hephaestus climb to the top—! Eep…!”
Yikes! That slipped out!
“W-what do you mean…?”
“Cough… I mean, Hephaestus helped us, so… we’re repaying a debt.”
I tapped the great sword hanging at my waist.
“I-I can’t pay you with money, so I’ll fight for you.”
Hephaestus’s expression melted into a funny mix of crying and laughing.
“Are you… kidding me?”
Rubia whispered, poking me in the side.
I’m not joking…
I mean it…
“Ugh—! T-this is dangerous… It’s too dangerous… You got hurt during the last Loholan…”
Hmm…
For now, I am slightly older than Hephaestus…
And I must show a cool and reliable side…
It’s annoying, but I can’t help it…
I gently walked up and wiped Hephaestus’s tears.
Then, puffing out my chest and tapping it confidently, I declared.
“You saw how strong I am, right? So… just trust me…!”
Hephaestus, who had paused her crying and was staring blankly at me.
Then suddenly burst into overwhelming tears, hugging me tightly.
But… She’s quite a bit taller than me, so I was almost lifted off the ground by her.
I’m standing on tiptoes, barely managing to stay upright.
This is tough…
“Uwaah… He-Hephaestus?”
“Waah! Thank you… You… were so scary… I was really scared, hick… It felt like I was going to die… I thought I might actually die… so scare— hick… thank you, sister… really thank you… hick…”
Hephaestus started to bawl, her tears flowing freely without distinction.
And all of it was beginning to soak into my clothes…
I just washed these today…!
Ugh…!!
Reluctantly, I extended one hand and patted Hephaestus’s back soothingly.
“Ugh… Just trust me. I will protect you. So, can we stop this now…?”
“Wahhhh!”
Goodness…
She started crying even louder.
Now… she’s even drooling…
I turned my head to look for Rubia as if to signal for help.
But Rubia was staring at me with a somewhat displeased expression.
“Wahhhh! Noaaaaah-sister!!!”
“Uh, um… O-Okay, sister…”
I feel like I’m losing my sanity…
