Chapter 43
Right now...
I have more than one or two questions to ask...
And you're looking at me with that expression again.
My head is getting complicated...
Uh... Uh, first of all...
“But... money... Where did you get all that money to rebuild...?”
Didn't you empty your piggy bank and ask me for the job...?
“Noah, what would I be called in the world?”
“W-Miss?”
“That's right. So I wielded that miss's power a bit. Hehe...”
Rubia's face turned playful.
“When...? She was with me all day...”
“When I talked to Jur-nim separately last time, right? It was all decided then. Well... Jur-nim is so capable that it was easy.”
“You're overpraising me.”
Rubia and Jur made eye contact and snickered.
What the... They both seem like complete idiots.
"But... isn't that too fast for that to be the case? Aunt Jur... must have been here the whole time..."
No matter how fast they move, the speed at which things progress is ridiculous.
If it's the central guild, it should be in the capital.
They went back and forth in just one day...?
"Oh, Aunt... Ahem- Since you're Noah, I trust you and tell you this... I handled that part with my unique ability."
Jur tapped his temple and continued speaking.
"My unique ability is the ability to talk to others from a distance, so I was able to handle it easily."
Telepathy...!
Oh, but.
There was definitely an NPC with that ability in the game...
Telepathy and, uh... what was it?
Anyway, the one who took on the role of commander in the final battle... was that Jur?
"Oh, is it possible for multiple people to...?"
"Hmm...? Yes. It's possible... but for now, about 20 people is the maximum."
For now...?
Will it develop further in the future?
Then, I guess the commander I saw back then was Jur?
Auntie Jur... She was a huge figure...?
"Wow, wow..."
"T-It's not that great. Haha... Ahem! For now, I have some work left to do, so I'll be going now. I think the reconstruction will be finished in a month."
"Ah, yes. I'll be counting on you, Jur-sama. If you have time, I'd like to meet you sometime."
"It's an honor. Then please... stay healthy."
Jur, who had her sales smile on her face again, nodded and disappeared into the group of adventurers.
And then, Rubia, who saw Jur completely disappear, carefully opened her mouth.
“Ah, so I have something to tell Noah... um... I’m thinking about donating all the punitive money that came out under Mr. Lucci’s name to Hablon... what do you think?”
I nodded vigorously.
I absolutely love it!
“Of course I’ll love it...!”
“Whew... I thought Noah would allow it, but... I’m still grateful that he readily allowed it. Really...”
Rubia’s hand gently stroked my hair.
“No... I’m grateful... and what about permission...”
“This money is all Noah’s. It’s only natural that I get permission.”
“Oh, no...”
It’s not that I did well... It’s all Lucci’s.
Then it’s only natural that I do something Lucci would like.
“Ah, anyway... I’m glad that it’s used for something good...”
“Anyway... thank you.”
“Uuuum... Yes. Oh, and... why... uh, um... no.”
Next...
I wanted to ask why you didn't tell me...
There's no reason to tell me... because it's all Rubia's money... and it was done with Rubia's power, right...?
So... there's no need to tell me...
But Rubia and I are close, so it's a little disappointing that you didn't tell me...
I let go of Rubia's hand with a gloomy heart.
Then I fiddled with the jelly that Rubia had given me a little bit earlier that was in my pocket.
It's a bit odd to eat like this... fiddle around like this.
But... somehow... this soft feeling gives me peace of mind and body.
"...Why didn't you tell Noah?"
After I fiddled with the jelly for a while like that, Rubia read my thoughts.
I always feel this way... I don't know how she can tell me so well...
"Oh, no... There's no reason for Rubia to tell me... t-there's no particular reason. It's okay...”
I turned my head away because I didn't want to look petty and like a loner.
Then Rubia carefully hugged me.
"Um... I'm just embarrassed. If I had used the priestess' name... I could have helped more villages... But I didn't. I ignored them, pretended not to know...”
There was a tiny bit of regret in her voice.
Look at this...
I'm the only one who's strangely petty again...
"Well, then... You can do that from now on."
"Hehe... Well. I don't know if I can do that again."
Rubia turned her head and looked around Roholan.
"If Roholan had collapsed... would I have put in effort to rebuild it?"
I don't know what happened after I collapsed.
But... the expressions of the residents I saw after I started reading their expressions...
They didn't particularly like us.
And... no one mourned the dead Lucci.
But.
Still.
“Rubia would have done that... because Hephaestus was there.”
Even just one person.
If there was even just one person who helped us, Rubia would have done that.
In the game, or here.
It’s the same Rubia.
She always said she hated the world, that she hated it.
In the end, she was the Rubia who sacrificed herself for the world and laughed.
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
“And... even if Hephaestus wasn’t there, she would have helped Loholan. The Rubia I know isn’t bad. Rather, she’s too kind and stupid... I’m worried.”
She always does things when I ask her to do them...
Rubia is really kind...
And you’re stupid.
You have to know how to say no outright.
You can’t do everything I ask you to do!
“That’s why... I have to protect you. So you don’t get scammed...”
Rubia’s arms tighten even more.
“Haa... When I see you like this... Noah looks like a man trying to seduce me. This is really weird...”
Huh...!
No, you're joking...?
"Oh, oh... That, that can't be...!"
"Hehehehe... Usually you're so fierce... You really can't keep up with the rhythm."@@novelbin@@
Rubia, who had moved away from my embrace, released her arm and grabbed my cheek.
"That's good, though."
Rubia's expression as she looked at me.
was filled with happiness.
Rather.
It seemed like Rubia was flirting with me...
"Bueeeeeee-"
"Then, shall we go and take care of business?"
Rubia took her hand off my cheek and reached out to me again.
It was a hand I'd always held without a care.
But today, for some reason.
I became conscious of it just a little bit.
It's all because of that smile from earlier.
It's annoying.
*****
"Ah! You're here!"
Hephaestus was waiting for us after finishing his preparations.
“W-W-Wagon...!”
“You found a pretty good carriage.”
Behind her was a neat carriage and two horses that were neither flashy nor crude.
One was the mean horse we rode in.
The other was a slightly smaller, kind-looking horse.
And next to the carriage, our luggage and Hephaestus’s luggage were piled up.
“Did Hephaestus do all this alone?”
“Yes! I have nothing to do while waiting!”
“Why are you struggling alone...”
“Ehhhh... This is fine! Come on, ladies.”
Hephaestus smiled brightly and shook his head, then bowed and acted like a butler somewhere.
“Phehhh... You’re quite skilled.”
“I tried imitating something I saw in a play before. Was it okay?!”
“Yes. It was very natural.”
Rubia smiled and approached Hephaestus with light steps.
“And… um… I have something to tell Hephaestus...”
Rubia’s head slowly lowered towards me.
And she whispered quietly so that only we could hear.
“Noah, Noah wants to talk?”
“I, I…?”
“Yes. It’s Noah’s opinion. Wouldn’t it be good if you showed your sisterly side?”
“Sister… I don’t want to be sister...”
“Then I think you’re not a sister, but a cool side. There are so many scary rumors about Noah, so Hephaestus might be scared. I’ll just ease that a little.”
She looked at Hephaestus with her mouth hanging open.
She was staring at us with an expression that seemed like she was going crazy, wondering what we were going to say.
Uhm...
Awesome sight...
A red beast tearing apart a demon's beast...
Wow, sure... If only I had known those rumors and seen me kill a demon.
I'd be scared...
"And... maybe we'll make a new friend?"
"C, friend... a new friend..."
Not Hermilla and Rubia...
A new friend...!
"Ahem...! Big! Hmm... He, Hephaestus."
"Ah! Yes!"
"T, um... We'll help you."
Hephaestus tilts his head.
"What?"
"Hephaestus going to Karahan... I don't know what it is... but we'll help you."
"Yes...?"
Hephaestus's voice trembles.
Ugh... I'm starting to tremble too.
"Heh... Hephaestus will help you get to the top! Eww... Whew...”
Eww! I'm dying!
"Why, why...?"
"Ahem... Well, Hephaestus helped us... That... It's repaying a debt, a debt."
He tapped the greatsword hanging on his waist.
"I, I... I don't have any money, so I'll beat you with my body."
Hephaestus' face distorted.
Was it because he was crying while laughing?
His expression... became incredibly funny.
"Ugh... If you keep laughing like that and crying... You'll end up with hair on your butt
I- Hehe...!?”
“Don’t joke...”
Rubia whispered, poking my side.
This isn’t a joke...
This is serious...
“Hehe- Hehe... Ugh... It’s dangerous... It’s dangerous... In this Rohol... Ran too... You got hurt like that.”
Hmm...
I, for now... I’m older than Hephaestus...
I have to show myself as cool and trustworthy...
I don’t like it, but I can’t help it...
I walked over to Hephaestus and wiped away his tears.
And then I stuck out my chest and patted it, confidently saying.
“Did you see how strong I am? So... Uh, just trust me, Sister...!”
Hephaestus, who had stopped crying and was blankly staring at me,
let out a huge cry and hugged me.
But... Hephaestus was much taller than me, so I could almost hear him.
I'm barely standing on tiptoe.
It's hard...
"Ugh... Heh, Hephaestus?"
"Ughhhhhhhh! Go, thank you... You... I was so scared... I was really scared, sob... I was scared... I thought I was going to die... I was scared- sob... Thank you, Unnie... I'm really grateful... Heuuuuuuu..."
Hephaestus started crying with incredible force, and shed all her tears and snot without distinction.
And it all started to soak into my clothes...
I washed my clothes today...!
Ughhhh...!!
I had no choice but to reach out and pat Hephaestus' back.
"Ughhh... Just trust Unnie. I'll definitely protect you. T-so let's stop quickly...?"
"Ughhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Oh my...
I started crying more.
Now... Now I'm drooling...
I turned my head to look at Rubia to signal for help.
But Rubia was looking at me with an expression that said she didn't like something.
"Keueu ...
What do you think?
Total Responses: 0