NOVEL NEXT Chapter 18
“Those uncles and…! Who am I closer to?!”
“Haah… Well, I kind of expected this. It’s not my first time. I’m not surprised anymore. Yep. Really not surprised.”
Sitting on the bed, Aileen mumbled to herself while looking down.
Scary…
Ever since I woke up, Aileen’s been acting a bit weird.
Was fainting while bleeding that big of a shock?
Hmm… I guess it could be?
But it doesn’t seem too serious.
This happened once before.
It was probably when I first felt the spirit.
The information and terrain that flooded into my head were so fascinating I fainted.
I was lucky Hermila found me then… Otherwise, I might have been killed by the monsters.
Hermila is truly my life-saver!
Not in a metaphorical way, but really a life-saver!
“So, who am I closer to?”
nodding
“Of course…”
It should be me, right?
It’s me!
I was the first to get close!
We’re friends, right!
“Well…”
Uhh.
Uh-oh…
My mouth went ‘wide open.’
I can’t close it.
Well, well… What do you mean…? Well, well!!
“Uh, eh…? Wh-why…?”
Aileen crossed her arms and fiddled with her lips.
“I feel like Noah is hiding too much from me. If there are too many secrets, we can’t be friends.”
Secrets…?
“No, there’s no… um..”
“Really?”
Hmm… What if I said I was actually a guy?
Or if I came from another world…
Or that this world is just like a game…
They wouldn’t believe that, right?
They might think I’m completely crazy.
So I can’t say those things.
“Yeeah…”
“Hm. I see. If Noah feels that way, then…”
But.
Hearing her say well makes me feel so sad.
I thought we were pretty close…
Even if I can’t cook… I tried to make breakfast for her… I even made her coffee.
She said it was bad, so I practiced several times, and even when I messed up, I forced myself to eat it…!
My heart raced so much from that disgusting coffee that I almost went crazy!
Plus, I destroyed all the monsters to keep Aileen safe!
My nose tingles.
My eyes feel hot…
Living alone in a foreign place.
I can barely speak, and Hermila is my only friend.
And Aileen acts like this… Seriously…
“B-but… sniff … y-you said… friend… so… I just didn’t call you… sniff, th-that’s why…? sniff But… but…”
It’s not fair…
This isn’t my tear.
It’s this body’s tear…
Really…
“Uh, um, Noah…? First, stop that…”
“A-Aileen… sniff I-I… I can’t even… make coffee… and I can’t… sniff cook… so… th-that…”
“Ah, no… That’s not it. So…”
I want to talk.
But my body twitches, and my diaphragm is hiccuping, making it hard to speak.
“Hwah… uuh…! Ugh! A-Ail… Aileen… sniff”
Sigh… Okay, I got it. Come here.”
Aileen sighed and opened her arms wide.
I quickly turned my head.
No way.
I don’t wanna.
She said we’re not close.
I like Hermila, who likes me.
Now I don’t like Aileen.
Always being so serious.
And nagging…
“Hmm… You don’t want to? Really?”
Aileen’s arms sway gently.
Do I look like a puppy that runs at the sight of a shaking toy?
“I-I don’t… wanna… sniff I-I… sniff I’m not… going…”
Absolutely not.
“I was gonna buy you that sweet apple you said you wanted if you hugged me… What a shame.”
T-This devilish Aileen…!
You think I’m gonna fall for some obvious temptation?!
“I was also gonna buy the jelly we were gonna share.”
With that, I let go of the Great Sword and jumped into Aileen’s arms.
Did I jump too hard? Aileen fell back.
“I-I didn’t jump for the jelly, I swear!”
“Yes, I know…”
“Uh-huh. Got it. A grown-up wouldn’t do that, right?”
“Sniff I-I guess… sniff”
Aileen’s warm hands comfortingly stroke my hair and back.
“Hah…”
“Are you feeling a bit better now?”
“Hah- yeaaah…”
“Of course, you’re closer to Noah. Those people are just being helpful. It’s just gratitude.”
“R-Really…?”
“Of course.”
Aileen stopped stroking my head and hugged me tighter.
I couldn’t breathe for a moment, but the smell of Aileen, who just bathed, was so comforting… so I stayed still.
“Now that you’re calm… can we start again?”
“Yeeah.”
“Shall we talk like this, or sit face to face?”
“Um…”
Aileen chuckled softly.
As she did, her hair tickled my face with a smile.
“Let’s chat like this. Isn’t it nice?”
nodding
It felt shy to respond.
“First, let me say something. It’s very important, so you have to listen carefully. Got it?”
nodding
“I’m doing all this to get a bit closer to you-noa…”
nodding vigorously
I nodded a bit harder.
“Hah… Alright. Then, where should I start…”
Aileen took a deep breath and slowly began to pick her words.
“Um… Noah.”
“Yeeah?”
“My name isn’t Aileen.”
“Huh…!”
I pulled back a bit from Aileen’s embrace.
“W-What do you mean…?”
“I’m sorry for deceiving you. My real name is Rubia. A shaman of Erden, Rubia.”
Ȑ̴̹u̸̪͋b̴̨͂i̶̤̇a̷͇̕.̵͙̞͋
I remember her!
“R-Rubia?”
“…Yeeah. I’m really… really sorry.”
Aileen bowed her head deeply and apologized to me.
No matter how much I forgot the story of the [Black Sun], I remember that name.
She was the protagonist of [Black Sun].
A shaman serving the goddess of the sun, Lilith.
The shaman, Rubia, who would save the world.
And Rubia, who ran away, turning her back on that world.
I might not remember the details about Rubia, but I can vividly recall her face.
A truly, exceptionally beautiful face.
That such an incredibly hot beauty… is my friend…?
Ah.
Now, don’t refer to me as ‘the 8-year veteran player Shin Noah’ anymore.
You can call me ‘Shin Noah, Rubia’s best friend.’
It’s definitely obvious we’re close here, hugging like this. Hehe.
“Noah…?”
Oh right.
I need to respond.
But what should I say?
“W-well?”
“Yes…?”
“Oh wow…!”
Aileen tilted her head.
“Um… eh? I’m not self-centered, but… um… I’m a pretty famous shaman, you know?”
“Oooh…!”
“I’m the shaman who would save the world…”
“Cool…!”
Clap clap clap!
“…”
“…”
An even deeper silence fell over the already quiet inn room.
“Noah.”
“Yes…?”
“I’m a shaman, remember?”
“Yeeah.”
“The shaman who would save the world.”
“That’s impressive!”
“Stupid goddess threw a prophecy at me.”
“Gasp…! R-Rubia…! Such beautiful language…”
“If the balance of the world tips, Jong-eon will appear. That Jong-eon will burn the world and continue to burn until everything is returned to its original state.”
“A wicked villain…!”
“But if I sacrifice myself, I can stop Jong-eon and save the world. If I die, this damn world can be saved.”
Um… uhh… that must have been really tough…!
“Y-yeah… what a beautiful… pretty thing…”
“So I ran away to avoid that.”
“Hmm… That must have been really hard… You’ve been through a lot.”
I reached out to pat Aileen’s head.
Just like Aileen and Hermila always did for me.
I wonder if this comforts Aileen a little?
“You’ve been through so much…”
Pat pat…
“…”
Pat pat…
“……”
My arms are starting to get tired…
“Uh, um… Rubia.”
“…Yeah.”
“It’s okay.”
“W-What do you mean?”
Rubia’s breathing became rapid.
“If you’re feeling overwhelmed, y-you can take a little… break. Rubia has been running all the time. You’ve done well.”
Pat pat…
Droplets of warm liquid fall on my head.
“Hic… sniff…”
I think that’s Rubia’s tears.
Thud– I think that’s snot too…
Ugh, uh…! I want to wipe it away… but if I do, she might take it badly…?
“So… um, Rubia, you can enjoy life a little more. Go to beautiful places, eat delicious food… also… um… watch fun plays.”
“C-can I really… do that…?”
“Yes. It’s really okay.”
As I nodded my head, she hugged me even tighter.
Ugh… I’m not some stuffed toy.
But it’s so heartbreaking to see her cry, so I hugged her back.
And patted her back gently.
“Noah… Noah…! I’m so sorry… If I don’t save the world… in the end, you… sniff Noah, too…”
Rubia continued to shed tears while speaking about her past.
Stories about her parents passing away.
Tales of her peaceful village.
The story of being scammed.
And even the tale of her deceased little brother.
I quietly listened while endlessly patting her back.
After a long while, when Rubia had calmed down a bit.
I decided to break the heavy atmosphere by opening my mouth.
“Um… Shall we go eat some jelly…?”
Sweets are the best when you’re feeling down.
“Huh… Huh… Jelly…”
Whether crying or laughing, pick one already!
And… you shouldn’t be doing that!
You promised to buy jelly earlier!!
“Rubia promised to buy jelly… Don’t tell me you’re planning to pretend you forgot just because your name changed from Aileen to Rubia?!”
“Hah… Ugh…! It’s really… really Noah’s fault… sniff
Alright, let’s go… ugh…”“Oh, and Rubia… there’s something else I want to say…”
It’s an awkward timing to bring it up now.
But I still need to say this.
“Hah… What is it?”
“W-well, don’t learn how to use one-handed weapons or polearms… let’s go for Great Swords instead… Romance belongs to Great Swords…!”
“Hah! Uh, a Great Sword?”
“Yeah!”
“Ehh… But what should I do? I can’t swing a heavy Great Sword. Hahhh… I’ll just take the thought.”
“W-What? If you try, you could wield such a magnificent weapon?!”
I shouted while pointing roughly at a spot where I thought a Great Sword might be.
But Rubia’s hair shook from side to side.
“No. A magnificent weapon doesn’t suit me. It suits you, Noah.”
“R-really…?”
“Of course. Weak old me is suited for a one-handed sword.”
“Hmm… I guess that makes sense.”
Yeah. That does seem fitting.
This tough Great Sword does suit me well.
I understood that as I nodded my head simultaneously.
Then, suddenly, a great pain shot through my head.
“Ouch…! Why are you hitting me?”
It was Aileen’s flick.
“I felt hurt because you accepted it so easily. I was holding back from giving you one more flick.”
Hah, what a ridiculous thing…
And it’s so unfair!
I looked up at Rubia with the saddest expression I could muster, moving my lips pitifully.
“B-But Rubia… you said that…”
“Still. It’s just how women are. Hehe Of course, you’re a woman too.”
Wait, are women like that…?
That’s so complicated…
I rubbed my head and backed away from Rubia.
“Alright… I wanna get out now.”
“But I haven’t heard Noah’s story yet.”
Oops…!
“What are you curious about…?”
“Well, until yesterday, I was so curious it was almost annoying, but now that I think about it… for Noah, I can understand that it would be like that. So… I think it wouldn’t matter if I didn’t hear it.”
What’s with this?
Are you teasing me now?
You make me curious like that?
“No, you can’t just leave it like that…!”
“Hehe It’s nothing much. I was going to ask about the survivor of Hablon… umm, Luchii. You already knew that, right?”
Luchi?
Ah, right…
Rubia was looking for Luchi, wasn’t she…?
“U-uhhh… At that time, I was… my head hurt, and there were soooo many monsters… so I forgot.”
“Yup. I believe you. I don’t think Noah would hide it out of malice. I think it’s possible because it’s Noah.”
Rubia, who had been a bit detached, pressed back toward me.
Then, she pulled me in with both arms.
I feel like a total stuffed toy…
“Noah.”
“Yes…?”
After a brief moment of silence.
Rubia took a slow breath and continued.
“Now that I’ve revealed I’m a shaman… are you okay about it?”
“What do you mean…?”
“When people hear this, they’re usually shocked. But Noah didn’t seem to react at all. So I was curious.”
“Isn’t it just Aileen changing her name to Rubia? I’d be disappointed about being lied to…”
My words made me feel a little shy, so I fidgeted a bit.
And continued.
“Rubia is Rubia. Even if other people call her a shaman or a savior… she’s just my friend Rubia, someone I got close to after Hermila.”
“Really… you’re just incredible.”
Hugging me tightly…
Rubia hugged me as if she would burst.
Ugh…! Can’t breathe!
“Gah…! Ughh!”
“Thank you. Really… thank you.”
“Ugg…”
“Just hang on a moment like this. Even if it’s hard to breathe, just bear with it a little longer. Noah’s smell is so nice… I want to smell it a bit longer.”
Rubia’s strange breaths and warm air brushed against my forehead.
Now her legs wrapped around my body too.
If I stay like this for much longer, it’ll be a serious problem…!
I forcibly pushed Rubia away from me.
“Ugh, ugh…! Rubia! First, should we go out? To eat jelly! Let’s go eat jelly!”
“Hah… Right. Jelly… we need to eat.”
nodding vigorously
I nodded as hard as I could and slowly walked back to where I had put down the Great Sword to grab the sword’s hilt.
As soon as I opened my spirit senses, I felt Rubia’s intense gaze.
“R-Rubia…?”
“Yes?”
“Uh, um… never mind. Le-let’s hurry out…!”
I immediately turned my body toward the door.
“Noah.”
But… Rubia’s deeply troubled voice froze my steps.
“Wh-what is it…?”
“Will you sleep next to me later?”
“No.”
I feel like it would be a big problem…
Plus… she’s wet with tears and snot!
I don’t wanna!
Aileen stepped closer to me.
“I’ll get you double the jelly.”
“No…”
Two steps closer.
“I’ll get you some candy too.”
“Ugh, that’s not…”
Four steps closer.
“I’ll get you a week’s worth.”
“Ugh…! Just for today…?”
Rubia stopped in her tracks.
“Yes.”
After being still for a moment, Rubia stretched out her hand.
Huh?
Why?
“Won’t you hold it?”
“W-Why would I hold it?”
Rubia carefully approached me and whispered in my ear.
“There’s a rumor that a wicked wizard lives in this village.”
“Gasp…! Y-Yeah, we should be careful…”
I reached out and took Rubia’s hand.
Her long fingers slid between my fingers.
“Let’s hold it like this to keep it from slipping. That wicked wizard might dissect Noah’s body.”
“Yeah…!”
I nodded vigorously and grabbed her hand tightly.
“Hah… Shall we go eat jelly now?”
“Y-Yeah…”
Rubia walked suspiciously while leading my hand.
I wonder if anything will happen when we sleep later…?