45 - The Youngest is Hiding a Lot
Episode 45
"Then... I'll just go check the hidden letters and come back, so you two can quietly look around and nurture your dreams, okay?"”
After dropping Rubian and Khalid off at the workshop, Medix turned around.
It was called a workshop, but it was just a place where odds and ends like dyes and protective gear were gathered, so there was nothing dangerous.
“Yes! Go quickly and tear up the blueprints!”
The moment Rubian said “tear-,” Medix disappeared like the wind.
“Tsk. He’s been bored lately, but now he’s full of energy.”
“Are all Northerners out of their minds?”
Rubian chuckled at the small grumble, agreeing. Khalid looked down at that face for a moment before asking, unable to hold back.
“So?”
“Huh?”
“Why are you in a bad mood today?”
Rubian blinked as if he’d heard unfamiliar words.
“Me?”
“You seem down.”
“I’m in a good mood, though?”
No, you’re not. Khalid narrowed his eyes and watched Rubian. The eyes looking up at him were wide and innocent, as if he really didn’t know what he was talking about.
But the subtly drooping corners of his eyes and his listless shoulders caught his attention. As he stared intently, Rubian quietly averted his gaze and scratched his cheek.
“Ah, is it because of what Leviathan Uncle said?”
“What about it?”
“Uncle asked me if I wouldn’t become a real youngest member of the family.”
Khalid paused for a moment. He recalled Rubian surrounded by the Zeberth family in the Training ground.
“Did you say you would?”
“I did, but…….”
That was the goal in the first place…….
“I have too many secrets from Uncle……. I feel a little guilty.”
Khalid tilted his head as if wondering what the problem was.
“What else can you do? Otherwise, you’ll be dragged back to the kingdom. And…….”
The boy’s gaze turned to the light purple Magic Stone Rubian was clutching tightly in one hand.
“Is your reason for staying here really just for your own sake?”
Rubian hadn’t said it outright, but he could vaguely tell.
That kid was desperately trying to protect Duke Zeberth, this place.
‘I don’t know exactly why he’s going so far.’
Rubian pouted and said nothing. Khalid sighed.
“Adults are all liars anyway. How many people live shamelessly even after telling much worse lies?”
“Really?”
“Yeah. And honestly, it’s beneficial to be formally adopted. You’ll become a noble. Even if your identity is revealed later, that status will be very helpful, you know?”
“You’re sometimes so cold…… that I want to avoid you.”
“……Why are you saying such scary things like avoiding me?”
Rubian grinned, saying it was a joke. His face looked like he understood in his head, but the drooping corners of his eyes showed no sign of lifting.
He’s too kind, anyway.
Khalid crossed his arms and tilted his head, humming. Then, an unwelcome thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
‘So, Rubian will become the ‘Gong-ja’ of the Zeberth ducal family?’
That’s a bit…… isn’t it?
Khalid endured the confusion as he looked at the heart-shaped pin stuck in the silver hair.
“Ruby, you know…….”
“Gasp, this is no time for that!”
As if suddenly snapping back to his senses, Rubian quickly raised his head.
“No more gloomy thoughts! We have to finish this before Medix Uncle comes back! Let’s hurry, Cal!”
Rubian looked around quickly. Seeing the fire burning in his eyes, Khalid couldn’t say anything more and closed his mouth.
“Heave-ho.”
After rummaging through somewhere in the spacious workshop, he dragged out a shiny bell.
It was the same size and shape as the bell used in the watchtower.
Rubian planned to embed a Barrier Stone in this bell to make a Magic Tool and replace it with the original bell.
When all the bells were in place, the Magic Tool would be activated, creating a powerful Barrier Field around this area.
“Give it to me. I’ll do it.”
Khalid quickly stepped forward. He had been going in and out of the smithy from time to time, and he seemed to have figured out the location of this bell.
Outside, the noise of workers hammering swords overlapped. With the chaotic surroundings, they wouldn’t be noticed even if there was a commotion.
“Cal, bracelet!”
Rubian squatted down in the middle of the room and urged him. A strange excitement was on his apple-like cheeks.
Cal took off the bracelet and held out his hand.
“Wow, really. It feels like sucking on an iced Americano in the middle of summer…….”
What’s that?
Khalid forgot to ask, watching Rubian’s eyes crinkle as he smiled.
‘I wonder how he would have handled the magic power without me…….’
He was glad he had chased after him, even if he was dying. He refined and released the magic power more cleanly and smoothly.
“Shall we start then?”
Rubian grabbed Khalid’s hand tightly and drew a Magic Circle.
“Yap.”
White, snow-like hair soared upwards as if forgetting gravity. Blue light sparkled around them, and a strong magical wind blew.
Mysterious patterns floated beneath the golden bell and the light purple Magic Stone placed on the floor.
There were many magical languages he had never seen before.
How many layers of Magic Circles were there? He couldn’t even count.
‘……I can’t even imitate this.’
The only magic Khalid knew was Summoning Magic and Oath Magic. He had learned other basic magic from Rubian in a rough way, but he didn’t have much talent for it.
Nevertheless, he could tell.
How amazing the magic Rubian was performing right now was.
“Done!”
And he said it very simply, as if he were eating breakfast.
Khalid stared at the bell, which had a faint purple hue from the Magic Stone seeping into it. Looking inside, complex magical formulas were engraved. It was a language visible only to those with magic power.
“How many more of these do we need to make?”
“About eight, if you include the cardinal directions and…… the spaces in between?”
“What? But why are you activating so many Barrier Stones?”
Khalid recalled the many stones decorating the windowsill in Rubian’s room.
“I’m going to make them into sword decorations and…… give them to Leviathan Uncle and the knight Uncles…….”
Rubian muttered, turning the golden bell this way and that.
That’s what it was?
The boy stared silently at the back of Rubian’s head, feeling an unknown emotion.
“What’s wrong? All of a sudden.”
Blue eyes blinked. Khalid brought the emblem on his cloak closer to Rubian’s eyes.
“I’m a Zeberth Knight too.”
“……? I know.”
“So don’t get the number wrong.”
Rubian pursed his lips and tilted his head.
He seemed tired already, plopping down on the floor and tapping his legs.
“By the way, we’ve only finished two, but where are we going to get the remaining blueprints? This is the only way to chase away that weapon maniac Uncle.”
When Rubian appeared, Medix would subtly hover around him, being clingy. The only thing that could distract him was a new blueprint.
Even then, the time he could keep Medix occupied wasn’t long, so he needed more blueprints to lure him in order to make more Magic Tools.
“I’ll get more.”
Khalid said casually, putting the bell back in its place.
“Oh, really? Where from?”
“Um, I can ask a friend.”
“Animal friends?”
Turning his head slightly, he saw Rubian blinking innocently.
‘Does he really…… think I only know him?’
He liked it that way.
“That’s right.”
“Oho.”
Rubian braced himself on the floor and jumped up, tidying up the surroundings that had been messed up by the magical wind. It wasn’t very noticeable since it was such a chaotic place anyway.
He could hear Medix approaching from afar. He must have finished looking at the blueprints already.
“Hey there, handsome Khalid friend.”
Just before leaving the room, Rubian, who was twirling his index finger around the doorknob, turned around and smiled brightly.
Wondering what kind of attack this was, he stood there as two small, fair palms suddenly appeared in front of him.
“Give me more.”
“…….”
“Magic power.”
Cal almost gave him all of his magic power.
