After the Subjugation (3)
"All right. But let's make one promise first."
Rubia squeezed my hand tightly.
"It's a promise Noah has to keep no matter what."
I quietly nodded.
"Even if... just in case something happens like it did in Roholan this time, and I get badly hurt. Noah still has to do what Noah needs to do. Understood?"
Rubia's warm expression scraped against my nerves.
"You saw last time. I'm really fine, so... just finish the important things first."
"And if you die doing that?"
"I won't die. Absolutely not."
That warm look melted into a blazing smile, softening my feelings just a little.
"Noah will come save me no matter what, right? If I just wait, if I hold on somehow... Noah will definitely come for me. So I won't die."
I was trying to stay serious here.
And then she goes and says something that ticklish...
It makes me feel like the weird one.
"...Do whatever you want."
I turned my head and let go of her hand.
My body was running hot, sweat beading up.
My fingers were still sticky from the jelly.
Things that never used to bother me were suddenly bothering me.
Her faith in me was endlessly heavy, and yet so welcome that I couldn't hold on.
I just... didn't want to hold on.
"Oh my? Why'd you let go? Does that mean you don't like it?"
"I-it's not that I don't like Rubia... Ugh... Never mind."
Hepais looked about ready to come out, so I cut the conversation short.
Embarrassing.
Weird.
"Everyone! Here you go!"
Right on cue, Hepais appeared carrying milk and coffee... plus bread on top of it all.
Rubia snapped straight back into her usual stiff expression.
"Bread?"
She made me all weird like that, then recovered in an instant herself.
So annoying...
"Yes! I baked it myself! Please try some!"
Rubia's face scrunched slightly.
"Yourself? You baked it here?"
"Yes!"
Hepais answered with a bright smile.
"Don't tell me... over the forge?"
"Yeees! The heat's strong, so it tastes great!"
"And the hygiene there is..."
Rubia's scrunched face trembled.
"Doesn't heat sterilize everything? I eat it all the time and I've never had a problem!"
Hepais looked completely sincere.
Uh... is that... true?
Thinking about it... it kind of made sense...?
In movies they heat needles to sew people up, right?
And the bread looked tasty enough...
Didn't even smell like metal.
Should I try it...?
I quietly reached out and picked up one of the long loaves.
"N-Noah...!"
Then, after steeling myself for a second—
Munch munch—
I stuffed the bread into my mouth.
"Mmm? It's good."
Better than I expected?
Nice and chewy!
"Right?! This batch came out especially well, so I really wanted you to try it!"
Hepais beamed and held a piece out to Rubia as well.
"Ah, um... Yes. Thank you. I'll... eat it."
Forced to take the bread, Rubia bit into it with a look of resignation.
"Huh...? You're right. It is good... better than I imagined."
She swallowed with a startled expression.
See?
Maybe Hepais actually had a knack for cooking.
Baking bread in a forge like this...
If she ever had a proper kitchen, she'd be incredible.
"Right?! From now on I'll take care of all your meals, Unnis! I love cooking! Hehehe..."
"Mm... All right. We'll be counting on you. Then... shall we start getting ready?"
"Ah, right! Yes! I'm already packed and ready whenever!"
Hepais patted her travel bag with a solid thump.
I just kept quietly chewing my bread and nodded.
After that, Hepais and Rubia started tweaking the plan little by little.
From the idea that there probably weren't many magic beasts left in Halbion so they should hire a carriage, all the way to packing extra supplies while they were at it.
All sorts of conversation flowed back and forth after that.
But was riding a carriage really okay?
We were going farther than that... Hmm...
Could you just return it anywhere...?
Besides, Rubia had said she didn't want to draw attention.
And that time was tight.
Come to think of it, her personality had changed a bit too.
She used to be so prickly and... rude.
Had something shifted?
Or had she just made up her mind?
Either way, it didn't really matter...
"So what do you think, Noah?"
"Ah, ahm... I-I agree..."
"With what?"
"Uh... the c-carriage?"
"And you agree with what came after that too?"
What came after...?
What had they been talking about...?
I'd been thinking about other things and missed it...!
"O-of course."
"Hmm... Is that so?"
Rubia made a little nasal sound, wearing a subtle smile.
Why... what now...?
"Y-yes..."
"Understood. Then for a while, no more jelly."
Huh?
Wait?!
Why?!
"W-why...?!"
"See? You really weren't listening..."
Rubia's finger pressed firmly against the tip of my nose.
"Eep..."
"We decided to save up money and pay Hepais for the refining work. You received that greatsword in the fight with Carpeng, remember? And... when every single villager turned their backs on us, Hepais was the only one who still cared about us."
I gripped the hilt of the greatsword hanging at my waist.
Without this, things would have gone a lot worse.
Plus it had been made to look so much like the greatsword I used to use.
And the quality was... way better than the old one.
Anyone could tell how much care had gone into making it, so...
Rubia was completely right.
"If that's the case... all right."
"Of course, there was a little teasing mixed in. You can still eat jelly. We're not that short on money. We have the subjugation reward, after all."
Oh, right.
The subjugation reward.
For taking down Carpeng and killing at least several thousand magic beasts, we were set to receive an enormous bounty.
But just as Rubia said, Roholan had no adventurer guild, so we were collecting it in Urusphier.
Even the adventurers who'd run away still got a little for the beasts they'd killed, and Luci... and Heinzel had received shares too.
Heinzel had declared he didn't need pocket change like that and put it toward rebuilding Roholan Village, while Luci's... Luci's reward had come to us.
What exactly were we supposed to do with it...?
"Heh... So you can eat all the jelly you want. As much as you like."
The finger left my nose, and Rubia smiled softly.
For some reason the expression from earlier floated back up... I lowered my head and gave a tiny nod.
"Yes. Since Noah agreed too, Hepais, you accept it quietly. Understood?"
"Uuu... Yes, ma'am."
"Instead... we should be able to pay you once we stop by Urusphier. There's no adventurer guild in Roholan, so we can't collect the subjugation reward here."
"That's fine! I wasn't planning to take anything in the first place! You can just give it to me little by little!"
Hepais scratched her head with a shy smile.
"Well... money and everything else is settled, so shall we actually head out? At this rate we'll end up leaving tomorrow."
"Ah, right! Yes! Let's go!"
"Y-yes..."
Rubia and Hepais scraped their chairs back at the same time and stood.
And I... hopped down from my chair.
Everyone was so tall...
Hepais grabbed her travel bag next.
Rubia... for some reason tried to grab me like I was luggage too.
"Here, give me your hand."
"Y-yes... Uh... Mm..."
The hand that had been reaching for Rubia's stopped in midair.
Then it retreated and just fidgeted with the sword hilt instead.
Normally I would have stuck my arm out right away and taken her hand.
But something.
Right now... I didn't.
I just couldn't.
"Noah?"
In front of me, Rubia's hand waved gently back and forth.
"Mmm..."
I rubbed my hands hard against my clothes.
Then carefully took Rubia's hand.
"Were you worried it would be sticky from the jelly?"
That wasn't it, but...
"...Yes."
"Hehehe... How cute. Thinking of me like that."
"I... I always do..."
"Hmm~ Do you now?"
Nod—
Rubia's expression was so smug.
Being able to see her face was nice, but...
Times like this... I kind of hated it.
I walked ahead of Rubia and opened the forge door.
"L-let's go."
I had to hide my burning face.
"Then I'll go borrow a carriage!"
Hepais followed us out, one hand raised high as she called.
"Yes. Then we'll go buy the extra supplies we need. Shall we meet at the west gate once we're done?"
"Sounds good! See you later, Unnis!"
With a sunny smile, Hepais dashed off toward the stables where the carriages were lined up.
Even with that huge bag on her back, she moved so easily.
"Shall we go too?"
"Y-yes..."
Looking somehow pleased, Rubia started walking south, swinging our joined hands lightly.
Along the way—
Near the half-collapsed southern gate, a familiar person and several adventurers came into view.
"Huh...? Th-that person..."
The one who'd come from the Central Guild... uh, what was her name again.
Anyway, the high-ranking one.
The lady who'd handed me the Fragment of the End.
"Ah, it's Lady Jure."
Oh right!
Auntie Jure!
But why was she here?
She'd definitely said she was heading back last time...
Had she not left yet?
"Curious, Noah?"
"A-a little...?"
"Then shall we go say hello?"
A subtle smile curved across Rubia's face.
"Don't we not have time...?"
"Just a quick look, then we can take care of our errands."
With that, Rubia gripped my hand firmly and walked straight toward the group.
As we drew closer, bits of their conversation started to reach us.
Something about bringing necessary materials from elsewhere.
"Hm? Ah, Lady Noah. Is something the matter?"
The high-ranking lady who'd once pressed a magic stone into my hand greeted us with a polished business smile.
I'd felt it last time too... it was strangely overwhelming...
I carefully hid behind Rubia.
"The Priestess is here as well. Good day to you."
"Hello, Lady Jure. We spotted you while passing by and came to say hello. But... things seem to be progressing faster than I expected?"
Rubia wore an equally polished business smile as she spoke.
But... what was progressing so fast?
"Ah, yes. Circumstances happened to fall into place nicely... Well... as you can see, allow me to report the results."
"Please do."
Jure's smile shifted.
From the business version into something natural, full of genuine feeling.
"The 'Reconstruction of Habron' that the Priestess commissioned appears to be proceeding without issue. Though recreating the walls with the exact same materials as in the past will be difficult."
"...What...? W-what reconstruction...?"
I looked up at Rubia.
She gazed quietly down at me.
Then once again wore that smile that made me want to let go of her hand—
the one that set my whole body on fire—
and whispered softly.
"It's a gift. A small gift... for Luci, who protected this world."