Roholan Village (5)
“Luci… did you see that just now?”
I’d already shown Heinzel and Rubia, so now it was Luci’s turn to be impressed.
“Oh, I saw it… How the hell did you do that?”
Luci slowly pushed himself up and looked at me.
“Heh heh… Pretty cool, right?”
“Hah… With a body that weak, it wouldn’t be strange if you were the feeblest one here…”
“I’m strong, you know? Want to go a round…?”
I bent my arm at a right angle and locked into an arm-wrestling stance.
“Pass… I don’t feel like embarrassing myself like that bald idiot.”
Luci shook his head and flopped right back down.
Spoilsport…
“Well… alright. Then… rest well.”
I gave Luci a polite little bow and turned away again.
“Brat! What did you just do?”
“Hyeek—! Wh-what?”
The massive bulk that filled my vision the second I turned around nearly made me jump, but I forced myself to sound as casual as possible.
Gotta show the dignity of a winner…!
“That arm wrestle just now! With those toothpick arms of yours… how?”
“Th-they’re not toothpicks… And what do you mean how? I just put some strength into it and flipped him…”
“Doesn’t look like plain muscle to me. Hold on a second, Noah.”
Rubia, who had glued herself to my side, carefully took my arm and began kneading it.
“Not plain muscle? Th-then what is it?”
I just maxed out my strength stat, didn’t I?
“Exactly. It’s my first time seeing a case like Noah’s… I’m curious myself.”
After working my arm for a good while, Rubia spoke again.
“I can’t sense any mana, but from the circumstances it looks like you wrapped yourself in it.”
“Huh…? Mana?”
What is she talking about.
My mana stat is zero.
“Wh-what…? Then the brat’s awakened?!”
“N-no! I didn’t wrap any mana…”
“Hah, so that bald bastard’s hung up on that… What a piece of work.”
Heinzel jabbed a finger at me and kept bellowing about awakening, while Luci quietly cursed him under his breath.
“If it isn’t mana it could be some kind of blessing, but the odds of that are vanishingly small… so it really does seem like mana. There’s no other way you could have done what you did earlier.”
Rubia kept kneading my arm without pause, muttering to herself.
But a second ago she was working around my wrist.
Now she’s already climbed all the way up under my armpit.
Is she checking a bunch of different things…?
“Umm… I-I don’t know either. I just thought I was strong…”
“Right. Noah, you seem to be using it unconsciously. Only for a brief instant, only when you need it. Still, that’s incredible. I heard reinforcing the body with mana is extremely difficult. Doing it without even realizing…”
“It is impressive, I’ll give you that. Makes my stomach hurt just thinking about it.”
“Hm! In that case it’s a draw!”
While Rubia and Luci were talking, Heinzel tried to brazenly cheat the result!
You think I’m just going to let that slide!
“Wh-why?!”
“Brat, it’s because you wrapped yourself in mana!”
“Th-that’s not how it works…! A loss is a loss!”
“In the ruthless world of competition, pulling a dirty trick like that means automatic forfeiture!”
“It wasn’t a dirty trick…! I-I didn’t know! And if it’s the ruthless world of competition… then you should accept defeat cleanly too…!”
Are you going to keep being this childish?!
Heinzel snorted.
“Then let’s ask the referee. Young lady, what do you think?”
“Ru-Rubia…!”
Rubia let out a long sigh and clutched her head.
“Am I… a schoolteacher or something… I’m starting to feel self-loathing…”
“Aigoo… the priestess has it rough…”
Luci sat up as he spoke.
“Well, from this spectator’s seat, I think Noah won.”
“O-oh…! I knew it!”
“Wh-what…?! Why do you think that?!”
“Heinzel. How old are you this year?”
“Hm, probably forty-eight.”
“Same as me. We’ve both eaten a lot of years. But unlike me, you must have shoved yours up your ass.”
“Pfft—!”
I tilted my head, wondering what that meant, while Rubia understood instantly and burst out laughing.
And Heinzel—
Grit. Grit.
—clenched his fists so hard his teeth ground together.
“What was the wager again?”
“J-jelly. I was supposed to get jelly… and Heinzel asked me to buy him a stone-slab steak.”
“I see… Hm, Heinzel. Got any money in that ass of yours? Ah, right—it might already be packed full of years, no room left.”
“Pffhht…”
Rubia cracked up again.
I still don’t get what’s so funny…
“Th-that’s enough.”
Creaking sounds started coming from Heinzel’s fists.
What even is this!
“Ru-Rubia.”
I quietly took her hand and pulled it toward me.
“Hnn… Yes?”
“What does that mean…?”
“Ah… uh, well… I’ll tell you later. If I explain it now… Heinzel’s pride might… heh…!”
Luci kept going after that, and Heinzel just kept grinding his teeth the whole time he listened.
Only after their bickering finally ended was the winner decided.
“…I lost.”
Noah wins!
Heh heh.
If you were going to fold anyway, you should’ve admitted it from the start instead of dragging it out like this!
Pathetic! Heinzel!
I puffed my chest out proudly and strutted over to him.
“Tomorrow for sure… please buy it for me.”
“Kh… Fine…”
“Heheh…”
While I was grinning ear to ear, Luci—who had fully gotten to his feet at some point—tapped my greatsword and spoke.
“Anyway, aren’t you going to get that gear repaired? You keep saying the greatsword is the best, yet you’re walking around with a club.”
“Ah, well… I do need to…”
If it isn’t the blacksmith in Alrba… I feel uneasy.
The owner there never said a word even when I fiddled with the greatsword while waiting, so I could wait in peace.
I don’t think it’ll be like that here.
What if I touch it and get scolded…
“Why, want me to introduce you to a good place?”
“Uh… um…”
While I was hesitating, Rubia beside me wrapped her hands around mine and spoke.
“Ah, I’ve already found a place for the repairs. We planned to go tomorrow. Right, Noah?”
Nice helper!
Nice Rubia!
You’re the only one for me, seriously!
In thanks, I wriggled my fingers and slipped them one by one between hers.
“Th-that’s right! I’m going with Rubia tomorrow.”
A gentle squeeze tightened around my hand.
I squeezed back just as firmly.
“That so? Fine then… So you were planning to spar with me using that gear?”
“Yees… that’s right?”
It’s not a fight to the death…!
And… roughly speaking, a fight that would end after ten or so swings.
So it didn’t really matter.
“Hah… Do I look that weak to you?”
Luci smacked his forehead as he spoke.
That’s not it.
Of course, before I saw him spar with Heinzel I was sure I’d win no contest.
After watching… honestly, it got a little iffy.
I didn’t think he’d fight that well…
But… I can’t say that out loud.
A greatsword has its pride.
“No. Just, um… a-average?”
“Khht—! Khahahahahah! You’ve got guts, I’ll give you that. Fine. Once the repairs are done, let’s go a round.”
“Sounds good…”
I clenched my fist tight.
“Haa…”
The deep sigh from Rubia beside me…
“Luci, you’re still going to spar in that condition? You should rest a little longer.”
“What for. In this state, beating a little runt like that is a breeze.”
“Hah, a r-runt…? You’ll regret that. Really. Didn’t you see the arm wrestle just now…? I’m ridiculously strong.”
“Khheheheh! Sure. Give it a shot. I’ll take it seriously too.”
Luci laughed heartily and tapped his scabbard, while Heinzel—whose temper had cooled somewhat—walked over beside him and opened his mouth.
“Brat. If you don’t want a spar, how about some training. I’ll train y—”
“N-no thanks. I have no interest in losers.”
Bald uncle, stay quiet.
“Wh-what…? Loser?! Khh…”
“Khheheheh… Heinzel, sit still for a bit. You lost to me and you lost to Noah… doesn’t that make you dead last? When the big brothers are talking, where do you get off…”
At Luci’s words I jumped in while the iron was hot.
“That’s right. When the big brothers are talking… um… last place should stay quiet.”
I even planted both hands on my hips for maximum dignity.
“Pffhht— Noah. Right now… heh heh… what kind of pose is that?”
“A dignified… pose. I-is it weird?”
“No. It’s not weird. You can… khup… keep doing it.”
Rubia’s shoulders were shaking hard as she shook her head.
I don’t like that reaction.
I quietly lowered my arms so no one would notice.
It should have looked dignified…
Maybe it’s because I’m short.
“Brat… d-do you hate me that much…?”
“Huh? Ah, no. It’s not that I hate you, Heinzel… if I’m being honest, umm… don’t get hurt, okay?”
“Alright. Tell me.”
“Th-there’s nothing to learn.”
“Hah, hup… n-nothing to learn…? Even if I look like this, I’ve got thirty years as an adventurer and Platinum—”
“Ah, no. That’s not it. Our styles are just too similar, that’s why. Compared to that, Luci is… the complete opposite. So… um, for building experience… Luci’s better.”
I’d felt it watching their spar earlier.
Heinzel’s style was similar to mine.
There were big differences in the finer points, but the broad framework was almost the same.
So if Heinzel and I sparred, one of us would get badly hurt.
That much was certain.
That’s why I didn’t want to.
Compared to what I’d gain, I’d lose way too much.
Just looking at Luci’s injuries earlier…
Ugh… absolutely not.
“I-is that so? Then…”
“But listening to you, brat… it sounds like you’re saying your skill is equal to Heinzel’s or better… is that right?”
Annoyingly sharp Luci had picked up on the hidden meaning in my words.
This is why I hate sharp people. Tch.
“Wh-what?! Brat! Is that true!”
Hmm.
“Ru-Rubia. I’m tired. Let’s hurry back to the inn.”
“…Heh… Alright. Can’t be helped. We’ll be heading in now.”
Rubia was sharp too, but she used it to help me.
Completely different from Luci.
“Brat! Answer before you go!”
“Uuu… c-come on, let’s go!”
I grabbed Rubia’s hand and pulled.
Heinzel kept calling “Brat! Brat!” until we disappeared from sight.
He must have lost his sense of tact along with his hair.
With awareness that bad, how does he even survive in this harsh world.
Sheesh.
“Huu… I’m so tired…”
After washing up I threw my refreshed body onto the bed.
“Today… really was eventful.”
“I know, right. But it was fun…”
“I’m glad it was fun. By the way, what are you going to do about the blacksmith tomorrow?”
I carefully rolled over so the greatsword wouldn’t tear the mattress.
“I-I don’t know. I’m worried. What should I do… Should I just buy another greatsword…?”
“Hmm… That’s not a bad idea either. But haven’t you gotten used to that one?”
“That’s true…”
I gripped and released the hilt over and over.
Definitely… this greatsword puts me at ease.
Of course, the day will come when I have to switch greatswords eventually.
But ever since I came to this world… even if it hasn’t been long, this is the greatsword that’s been with me the whole time…
It feels like part of my body, so just buying some random one and using it… no thanks.
No, I really hate that.
Is this what people with attachment dolls feel like…
And it’s not like I can walk around carrying two greatswords either.
“How long does a greatsword repair usually take?”
“In Alrba it was roughly… uh… finished within ten hours. But here… I have no idea how long it’ll take.”
“Right. They might already be backed up with work.”
My heart feels unsettled.
Asking Luci or Heinzel… they’re not specialists, so it’d break again right away.
“Then, Noah. If you leave the weapon, I’ll stay right beside you the whole time.”
“You will, Rubia…?”
“Yes. If you want, I can even carry you on my back.”
Rubia walked over to the bed and sat on the edge by the headboard.
Then she lifted my head and rested it on her thigh.
“How’s this?”
The sweet scent of her skin teased my nose.
Hair still damp from the bath tickled my face.
Her quietly whispering voice kneaded my heart.
“Ru-Rubia…?”
“Is it uncomfortable?”
“N-no… uh… uwaa…”
I froze solid, unable to move a muscle.
“Then, may I put the greatsword aside for a moment?”
“Wh-why…?”
“There’s something I want to do for you, Noah.”
Regardless of my will, Rubia’s hand reached for the greatsword.
D-dodge?
If I dodge… if I dodge?
Rubia will feel bad, right…?
Umm… umm…!!
While I was still agonizing, Rubia’s hand touched the greatsword.
“Noah. It’s okay, right?”
“…Yes.”
The greatsword left my hand.
The information of my surroundings vanished.
Hearing, touch, smell all sharpened.
“Hnn…”
An unpleasant sensation of falling into a bottomless abyss swallowed my whole body.
Lying down made the discomfort even thicker.
That’s why… I always sleep hugging the greatsword.
While I slowly steadied my breathing, Rubia’s hand stroked my hair.
“Are you very scared?”
“I-I’m not scared. I’m fine… really.”
“Your hands are sweating a lot, though?”
“It’s not sweat… this is… uh… just humidity.”
“Is that so? Alright.”
Rubia’s soft touch never stopped for even a second.
The way she controlled the pressure was subtle… she seemed like a real expert.
And since I couldn’t see anything right now… all my focus poured into the other senses.
That made every fine detail of her hand feel even clearer.
Thanks to that… my heart settled a little.
“How is it. Feeling a bit better?”
“Yes…”
“Can you sleep without the greatsword like this?”
“Umm… i-if someone’s here… maybe…”
“Someone? Not me—anyone would be fine?”
“Ah, no… uh… if Ru-Rubia… stays like this… b-but isn’t it uncomfortable? Don’t your legs fall asleep?”
“Heh… No. I’m fine. I’ll stay like this until you fall asleep. And once you’re asleep, I’ll sleep right next to you.”
Her quietly whispering voice kneaded my heart all over again.
“Hnn… a-alright. Then… I’m going to sleep…? I’ll sleep…?”
“Yes. Rest easy and sleep well. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Alright. Ru-Rubia too. Good night… see you tomorrow…”
Strange.
There are plenty of nights I toss and turn and can’t sleep.
But today.
Why does it feel so comfortable.
“Yes. Sweet dreams, Noah.”
With those words, my consciousness sank.
Not even good dreams—pretty dreams? What is that.
Ticklish…