“Two days ago, together… to buy?”
What’s that sound?
If it’s two days ago, I would have been sleeping—
“I’m, I’m sorry, Noah.”
Rubia bowed her head.
Two days ago…?
So, back then it wasn’t me… but another Noah?
I guess that could be possible…
Yeah, I think it’s quite plausible.
I’ve been sleeping for a whole month…
“Traitor…”
Huh?
“Rubia is… a traitor…”
Oh…?
My mouth keeps running on its own.
My voice flows out against my will.
This… this is definitely something I was thinking in my head.
No, it’s not even in my head.
It’s coming from the deep, deep inside…
“No, Noah…?”
Rubia’s bewildered expression is funny.
Funny, cute, annoying, infuriating, and frustrating.
I’m angry.
Right.
Since I’ve blurted everything out like this…
Let’s go all the way.
I could just say… um… it’s just the aftereffects of waking up not too long ago?
No… but… what if Rubia ends up hating me for saying all this…?
I feel like I’m being obsessive…
She might feel bad.
Um… hmm…
Ugh! I don’t know!
“I hate you. I hate you to death… Rubia is a traitor. A flirt… No, no, that’s not right. A flirter…?”
This is definitely Rubia’s fault!
No, it’s not like I’m saying it’s wrong to play with friends.
Friends… friends.
You said you had no friends other than me!!
I also… I also have no friends but Rubia…
You said we were best friends!!
I bit down hard and waddled over to Rubia, plopping down beside her.
“Someone as blind as me… foolish and incapable… who can’t even catch Tylant is pretty much worthless, right? Yeah… that must be it.”
“No… what are you talking about? That can’t be true—”
“What do you mean, it can’t be? Then… then why did you hang out with another Noah instead of me…? You must have bought… underpants… had meals…? Huh? You must’ve eaten together… had dessert… and definitely took a walk to help digest, right? It’s clear…”
“…That’s… it’s a long story—”
“Hmm… I see. Yeah… okay. You must have had a reason. Sure, I understand… heh… yeah. Forget everything… just answer me one thing…”
I let out the biggest question currently in my head.
“Who do you like more… among the two of us…?”
“Y-Yes…?”
She turned her body while sitting on the bed.
Her clothes brushed against the bed, slightly riding up.
At that moment, Rubia’s gaze fell downwards.
But I didn’t mind and spoke as clearly as possible.
“Between the really strong Noah who went shopping for… um… underpants and the weak, weak Noah, who was just sleeping… who do you like more…?”
Still, realizing she did something wrong, she couldn’t lift her head.
I’m willing to forgive her… just a little bit.
So answer me properly, Rubia!
“Are you not going to answer…?”
“Uh… A-Actually, of course I like Noah.”
“No, but there are two Noa…! Which one…”
Rubia slowly lifted her head.
She’s licking her lips and swallowing her saliva.
Is she trying to coat her mouth with spit to lie?!
“Not the weak one. I’m talking about the one talking to you right now.”
“Is that so…?”
“Of course.”
“…Why?”
I ask Rubia arbitrarily.
Rubia gives me the answer I want.
But why the “why?”
I don’t even know my own thoughts.
But… I want to know.
“Um… what’s so good about me?”
I can’t even look at Rubia’s face.
Without the Great Sword, I can’t even walk straight.
Cooking, talking, pouring coffee.
I can’t do anything well… so why am I good?
“Hmm…”
As soon as Rubia opened her mouth, I let go of the Great Sword.
I was too scared to see her expression.
If she finds out it’s a lie, I might get way too upset…
When my second breath shuddered out, Rubia’s hand touched my cheek.
“Even with your eyes closed, your eyelids fluttering in emotion are cute.”
“Ugh…”
“Your messy hair that needs organizing is also cute.”
“Hah…”
“Your smooth skin is nice, and your little twitching nose when you don’t have the Great Sword is cute too.”
“Uhh…”
“Your trembling lips when you awkwardly smile, and even the sight of your mouth when you smile brightly.”
“W-What… are you talking about—”
“Your every single hair, your small, thin fingers, cute toes, fingernails, toenails, and sweet scent.”
“St-stop… I get it… that’s enough—”
“And the promise you made to protect me for life, and the way you always stand in front of me and support me, while still lifting me up.”
Rubia’s voice is so clear.
The bed shakes.
Her clothing keeps brushing against my lap.
Her scent is getting closer.
Before I knew it, I gripped the handle of the Great Sword.
In that moment.
“I really like you.”
A bright smile radiated from Rubia, a smile I’d never seen before.
A smile that can’t even be measured by a word like happiness.
“Huh… uh… um…”
“So don’t say such things. Don’t doubt me either.”
“I… I understand…”
“Even if everyone in the world ends up hating Noah, even if they reject you as a heretic, I will be by your side.”
Rubia spread her arms wide.
“Come on, hug me.”
No, I shouldn’t.
If I hug her… I’ll keep expecting and imagining what comes next.
“Quickly.”
“Ugh…!”
In the end, I couldn’t resist the temptation and threw myself at Rubia.
After that.
Incredibly.
*
Suddenly-!
“Noah big sister!”
“Hmm? Hephaestus…?”
I grabbed the Great Sword that I had left beside the bed.
“Big sister… Big sister!!”
As my consciousness started to flicker back, Hephaestus rushed over and hugged me tightly.
“Ugh… Ack!”
“Whaaa… Are you okay, big sister? No pains? You look fine?”
“Uh… Yeah, I’m fine, so… let go a bit…”
“Noah, it’s been a while.”
While struggling in Hephaestus’s arms, Yuria walked over and pried Hephaestus off me.
“Rubia has also… gotten a lot better.”
“She’s always been the same, what do you mean?”
“Aaaaah! Big sister!”
Hephaestus, who had been caught by Yuria, started crying and… was dripping snot like always.
Ugh… annoying…
“I was going to bring Charlotte too, but she had a lot of things to do related to the festival, so she said she’d come separately later.”
Ah. Thinking about it, Charlotte is a princess so she must have a lot to do.
Her demeanor… I completely forgot she was a princess…
“Maybe it’s actually better for Charlotte not to come.”
Rubia stood up and walked over to the table.
“Shall I get you coffee? Or maybe peppermint or chamomile… we also have strawberry milk.”
“I’ll have coffee, please.”
“Hmm… I’ll have chamomile…”
“Noah will want strawberry milk, right?”
“Yes.”
I nodded and got up from my seat.
I straightened my hair, which was extremely tousled after being pet, and smoothed out my wrinkled clothes…
While I was doing that, Hephaestus and Yuria began to stare at me closely.
Why… why are you staring like that?
“Um… doesn’t it seem like big sister Noah has gotten a bit shorter?”
“It’s clear your height has definitely shrunk…”
Huh?
What do you mean?
When I tilted my head, and looked at Rubia, she came closer with an “oops” expression.
“Um… Noah, there’s something I forgot to mention.”
“Hmm…?”
“That elixir that Yuria made…”
“Oh, yes…”
“It has some side effects…”
“Side effects…?”
Rubia, who had been shifting her gaze, finally lowered her head and spoke.
“Noah’s height… has decreased.”
“What?!”
Are you saying my already short height has shrunk even more?
“How much…?”
I don’t feel any effect at all.
No… did I?
Thinking back, when I hugged Rubia… the chest that used to touch my chin was now pressing down my face, right…?
“About this much…?”
She awkwardly extended her fingers above my head.
“Th-This much?!”
N-No way…?
“But why… I didn’t notice—oh…”
Since I hadn’t properly walked around.
I hadn’t swung my Great Sword.
I hadn’t even considered that my field of vision had lowered, so…
I could only feel what was drawn out by my spiritual senses, not by sight—
So I wouldn’t have noticed…
“About 10% or so, I’d say. The concept is like drawing from other unaffected areas due to injured portions, so height reduction is unavoidable…”
So how much has it decreased…?
My original height was 145.7 centimeters, so…
“Noah, at least it’s a relief that… it’s over 130—ha! It’s over 130…”
131 centimeters…?
N-No way…
“Rubia… no… that can’t be… wait… no, no way…”
I can’t even hold the Great Sword properly…
I can’t… can’t even straighten it up.
In the past, just standing on tiptoes and stretching out my arms would somehow help, but now… there’s no chance.
“Wh-what is this…?”
“Haha! Hahaha!”
Rubia finally put her cup down and burst out laughing.
“Cough, cough, I’ll have to shrink the length of the Great Sword…”
Yuria turned her head while shaking her shoulders.
“Yeah, it’s like… ha! I-I’ll reduce it as quickly as I can, Noah big sister!”
Hephaestus is cautiously approaching me and secretly measuring my height.
They’re all smiling happily.
Are they enjoying this? Are they having fun?!
I feel like the world is falling apart!
“Is there… no way to grow taller?”
“Hmm… that depends on your growth as Noah, so I can’t make any promises.”
Growth?
Growth…?
“I-I’m a fully grown adult… I’m 20 years old… so…”
“Then, it might be difficult… haha!”
“It’s okay, big sister. Y-You’re cute…!”
“Yeah, Noah. Um… with your longer skirt, it’ll be easier to cover up.”
You’re the worst, Rubia!
“I-I’m done… just leave me alone! I want to be by myself—”
The moment I turned my body and embraced the Great Sword.
With an intense aura, the Great Sword was swung.
At the same time, I also swung it while wrapping my arms around Rubia.
THWANG!
A magical power burst forth, as if tearing the space apart, turning the surroundings into chaos.
“Oooh! Have you gained this much strength already?!”
And in the midst of that chaos…
“Nice to meet you! My name is Sirin!”
A kiddo, slightly taller than me stood there.
“I’ve come to be your master!”
