The Great Sword is not the Main Body!

“Haa... I don’t know how to cheer up Noah.”@@novelbin@@

He sighed, tapping the hard ground.

“Did something happen... with Noah-sister?”

“That...”

As we walked down the street where the sun was gradually setting, I gave Hephaestus a general explanation of what had happened earlier.

“Anyway... Then, when she moved around to wash her face and tried her best to hide it, she turned her back, which was so cute... I didn’t realize it...”

Of course, I was a little... angry at Noah.

I kept thinking about that, inhuman teacher, and it was annoying...

“Um... Noah-sister doesn’t get angry easily, so you naturally did that?”

“Yeah, well, that’s right. I think it was too much...”

“I know exactly what you mean. Of course, not as Rubia-sister, but as Noah-sister.”

“Huh?”

What does it mean that you understand Noah's position while talking to me...?

"The reason Noah never got angry all this time is because she was afraid of being abandoned by the person she wanted to trust... that is, Rubia."

"Noah... abandoned me...?"

"Because I was like that too. Hehe..."

A faint smile appeared on Hephaestus' face.

"First of all, this is my experience and my thoughts, so I don't think Noah will be the same... but I think it will be similar to some extent."

After catching her breath while looking at the sunset sky, she continued.

"I'm happy enough right now... I'm not appealing that I was unhappy. I'm not saying this to comfort you. I'm just... um, I'm saying this because I want you and Noah to do well."

"As I said last time, I was abandoned by my parents once. After being sold like that, I was beaten by slave traders all day long, and other slaves would beat and harass me. That’s why I hated the world… and people.”

“Then Master Yuria came to visit me. And… she said, ‘I’ll be happy with you.’ and bought me.”

“I still don’t know why it was me. There were definitely other slaves besides me. Some were stronger… Some were prettier than me, Some were stronger… I think I was the worst of them all. Why did it have to be me?”

“Well… Anyway, at the time, I didn’t trust Master. Since he bought slaves so easily, I thought he might abandon me if I became useless… I struggled to avoid getting in his way.”

“Then… one day, I made a huge mistake. I broke Master’s favorite flower pot. So… um, it’s embarrassing to say this now… I thought it would be better to just… die than to be sold into slavery again.”

Hephaestus chuckled as he removed his muffler.

“I cut my neck with a piece of a flowerpot.”

A thick, torn scar ran right through my carotid artery.

“But… the funny thing is. You were definitely out? You always went out around that time and came back around dinnertime… How did you know? As soon as I cut my neck, Master came running.”

“And… hehe… with a really… really angry face. Seriously… he hurled all sorts of curses at me. He cursed at me… while I was dying?”

“After that, he cursed at me a lot… He stomped on the flowerpot he cherished so much, smashed it, threw it… and cursed again… Then he calmed down a little. He started to drink purple liquid to me. But… As soon as I drank it, the wound on my neck completely healed, right?”

“They said that normally there shouldn’t be any scars… but since it’s still unfinished, he said there’s nothing he can do about it, so there’s a little scar left.” And then he cursed at me again.”

“I still can’t forget it… ‘You’re a slave, and you want to die without your master’s permission? Now that you can finally use me, why are you nitpicking over this flower pot? If you want to be punished like that, you’ll have to stay in my house and work for the rest of your life.’ He said… and told me not to think about dying anymore...”

Hephaestus wiped away the tears in his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Whew… Anyway, after that incident, I thought I didn’t have to worry about being abandoned anymore… I got angry at my master, got upset, ran away from home… That’s all?”

“Before I trusted him, I was worried that he would hate me and dislike me, that he would abandon me… So I just laughed it off no matter what I did.”

“When I feel a little… safe, I get greedy. I want to let him know how I feel. I want you to know me... I want you to like my true self and my true feelings...”

“What! That’s it! My emotions are just… so uneven that it’s gotten too long… I think Noah is similar! Judging from how she looks when she hunts, she probably doesn’t have an ordinary personality, but seeing her walking around so brightly… I think there’s something there.”

“Hephaestus… all this time-”

“No. You don’t have to comfort me. Really. I’m happy now… so worrying about Noah is my priority right now!”

I was speechless as I looked at Hephaestus’ bright smile.

I don’t do stupid things like weighing others’ misfortunes and mine on a scale.

I’ve long since given up on judging who’s having it harder and who’s having it less.

But… in terms of experience, in terms of age, I should be more mature than Hephaestus.

Why is it that I feel like I’ve gotten younger now?

I don't know everything about Hephaestus, but I've never been worse than her.

S-there's nothing but love...

Of course she loved her family.

But... the love that Hephaestus has is different from that.

What on earth is love... that makes people do that...?

"Whew..."

Let's put aside the distracting thoughts.
For now, the first thing to do is to free Noah.

So...

"Hephaestus... Excuse me, but should we get our food to go? I think... barbecue would be good. Noah... likes it."

A mysterious smile appeared on Hephaestus' face as he looked at me.

"How about buying some sweet drinks and jelly too? I think Noah-sister... has already eaten all the jelly?"

She was so angry, but there's no way she'd have eaten all the jelly...

"... No way."

"Hehehe... I bet that's true."

Hephaestus pointed to the window in the distance.

I turned on the light in the room and came out, and a shadow was slightly visible behind the curtain.

A shadow that looked like Noah was putting something in his mouth.

“...I have no appetite. Haa... Yes. I’ll buy a lot. I’ll eat jelly until I choke to death.”

“Net!”

Hephaestus smiled and walked forward.

I followed Hephaestus and thought about what I had just heard.

Is it true that Noah is afraid of being abandoned by me?

That will never, never happen.
Even after we arrive at Kartia, I’ll somehow catch him…

Besides, I told him about what happened in the past.

Noah didn’t say anything… at all.

It may be immature thinking, but… I think it’s unfair…

Of course, I didn’t expect anything when I told him. Even if I had heard that... I might have opened my heart a little...

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than Novelight.net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

I thought we had gotten closer in the meantime, but maybe it wasn't enough.

But then again...
If you're getting angry like that.

I guess that means you've gotten closer than before?

The corners of my lips, which had been drooping, slightly rose.

On the other hand, I found myself funny.

"Haa..."

I sighed deeply without realizing it.

"Rubia Unnie."

"Huh?"

When I raised my head, Hephaestus was staring at me with a sinister expression.

"Why...?"

"Um..."

He tilted his head, holding his chin.

"What do you think of Noah Unnie?"

He blurted out a questionable intention.

"What do you think of me... I just think of her as a friend. Even though she's my friend... I have to take care of her."

Of course, Noah takes care of me when I'm in danger.

"Hmm... It's ambiguous..."

Hephaestus, who kept nodding, spoke first because he felt frustrated.

"What do you mean it's ambiguous?"

"Sometimes... I think Rubia likes Noah."

"She likes me. If she didn't, she wouldn't have hung out with me."

"No, that's not it... It's love."

"What, what did you say...?"

I couldn't help but speak informally to Hephaestus's absurd words.

"But then again, sometimes I don't think it's true. Hmm... What is this?"

"Why... why are you asking me that?"

"I'm just talking to myself."

Hephaestus, who smiled like that, turned around and continued walking.

"Let's buy it quickly! Noah must be hungry!"

That.
That crazy shamelessness... What on earth is it?

“Oh, and sis. How about we just talk like we did earlier? It’s nice because it feels like we’re getting closer...”

“I’m used to being polite, so it won’t change easily, but... let’s do that. From now on, Hephaestus, talk comfortably. Don’t think of me as a priestess.”

“Really? Then I’ll just… joke around and stuff?”

“Yeah. It’s okay. Just think of me as a close sis.”

Hephaestus’s expression turned into a feeling of emotion.

“I get it!”

My complicated footsteps followed behind Hephaestus, who smiled brightly and walked away.

“You really ate all that jelly?”

“See, I told you?”

What, what is it…

I thought you’d come back at least an hour later.

Why, why did you come so early…?

My senses were wide open.

I was afraid that something like this might happen… I had them wide open.

When I had just poured all the jelly into my mouth...

I felt Rubia and Hephaestus coming.

I tried to chew and swallow as hard as I could...

But I couldn't even chew properly, let alone swallow it because I put too much in.

So... I still have my mouth full of jelly...

"Chew it slowly and swallow it. It won't get stuck in your throat..."

Rubia said that he was worried.

Embarrassing...

After chewing the jelly for a long time, he swallowed it and carefully opened his mouth.

I decided not to talk to Rubia, so I spoke to Hephaestus.

“Hey, you came early...?”

“Oh, yeah! Rubia said we should eat at the dorm! Rubia chose the menu.”

Hephaestus shook the paper bag in his hand repeatedly.

The smell wafting in was...

“Barbecue...?”

“Yeah, I thought you’d like it?”

Without turning his head, he looked at Rubia’s expression with his senses.

She still had an expression on her face like an abandoned cat.

I shouldn’t be weak-hearted...

Hmm...

“Let’s eat quickly, sisters!”

Just then, Hephaestus grabbed my arm and pulled me to sit in front of the table.

There was no other way.

It looks like I sat down because of Hephaestus?

That's right.

I didn't sit down on my own.

A kind word... um, as an adult, I did my little sister's request.

I made a displeased expression for no reason and turned my head away.

I turned my head away... but I kept looking at Rubia.

Her depressed expression was obvious.

"Noah..."

The voice full of regret stimulated my heart.

Today... I wasn't going to say anything.

I told you I bought you barbecue because I thought of you... At least answer me.

"Why, why...?"

"Let's... talk when we sleep-"

"Ah, today... I'm going to go to Hephaestus' room and sleep. Lu, Rubia is sleeping alone-"

Thud-

The sound of something falling cut off my words.

"Uh, Unnie...?"

It was Rubia.

Rubia sat down with a look of having lost the world.

“In Hephaestus’s… room… alone with the two of us? At night, sleeping…?”

She began to tremble as she absentmindedly mulled over what I had said.

Did I say something that harsh…?