46 - The Youngest is Hiding a Lot
46
Rubian felt the somewhat rapidly surging power and made a face as if she had eaten a fresh lemon. Heehee, good, good!
“I was a little worried when you came, but honestly, it’s so good!”
She really says things like that so casually.
With his other hand, which wasn’t holding hers, Cal awkwardly scratched his chin. He felt strangely nauseous. The reason, as always, was unknown.
Is it because of that heart-shaped pin…?
“Who… who picked out that hairpin for you?”
Cal asked without realizing it. It had been bothering him since earlier.
“This? Hazel picked it out, right?”
“I like it.”
“Huh?”
“……”
The boy, feigning composure, casually brushed the dust off Rubian’s shoulder.
“I asked if you liked it. You were always uncomfortable because your hair kept getting in your face.”
“Ah, that’s what you meant. Yeah! It’s comfortable!”
Cal inwardly sighed at his worsening chronic condition. It doesn’t matter. I can always smooth things over with words.
Just then, Medix knocked on the door.
“Um, Ruby? Bastard Sword? Can you open the door?”
Rubian quickly pulled away. Cal put on his bracelet, feeling strangely empty in his hand.
Before opening the door, Rubian paused, looking thoughtful, then suddenly pressed close to him.
“Why, what’s wrong?”
“You know, it’s really reassuring to have someone who knows my secret by my side. Thanks!”
A face whispering with a secretive smile.
It was a different expression from the one she wore when smiling at Jebert people.
Ah, I guess I’m the only one who knows this face.
Cal suddenly realized. A strange satisfaction made his toes twitch.
“See? You do need me after all.”
“Huh?”
“I need you… Oh.”
This time, I can’t smooth things over with words?
“Tada! I brought a bunch of pretty metal scraps!”
“Ah. Did you look at the blueprints? What do you think?”
“Ruby. I’ve decided to make you my religion starting today.”
“Wow, no way!”
The murmuring voices faded away. Cal remained alone in the workshop, stroking his neck, which had turned as red as the midday sun.
“…Seriously.”
Am I sick?
\ \ *
The Barrier work was progressing smoothly.
As promised, Cal had somehow brought the blueprints. When asked, he said his animal friends had picked them up after they fell in the forest where a peddler was passing through.
‘He’s good at getting things like that.’
Whenever the blueprints were obtained, I would visit the smithy, chase Medix out, and complete the Magic Tools one by one.
‘Cal said he’d get the remaining blueprints, and he’ll replace the bell on his own, too.’
The goal was in sight.
‘Hehehehe….’
Good job, me!
“Rubian?”
“Yes, yes?”
I quickly looked up.
“Is it still difficult for you?”
Borbel, stroking his brown beard, came into view between the brightening vision.
“Um….”
I looked down at the <Basic Healing Arts> book. The pen had scratched jaggedly upwards.
“A little?”
I smiled and exaggerated. Borbel nodded, saying it was understandable, and began to explain step by step.
Honestly, it was so boring I almost fell asleep. I need to stop daydreaming and focus.
“-If it works in such and such a way based on such and such a principle, it will produce such and such an effect. Do you understand?”
“Yes, completely!”
Wow, now that I see it, Borbel is a top instructor in healing arts.
“Then, shall we go out to see the herbs directly for the rest of the time?”
“Yes! Field practice is the best!”
And I won’t fall asleep!
I hastily organized my books. Seeing the fragrant, verdant herbs directly outside was a hundred times better than sitting inside.
“Ahem. If you happen to come up with a special combination method while looking at them directly, you can always teach it to me.”
“Yes. If I remember!”
Borbel seemed curious about whether I knew Iosia’s unique herb combination method. I naturally pretended not to remember well and glossed over it.
“Ruby? Where are you going?”
As I was going down the stairs with Borbel, Void’s voice came from above.
“Herb Hill!”
“Oh, I’ll go too.”
“Young Master, put on some clothes before you come.”
“Ehhh.”
At the light whining, Borbel sternly raised a finger.
“If you don’t listen to me and catch a cold, I’ll give you very bitter medicine.”
Void pouted but eventually went upstairs with the servants to put on a fur coat and came out.
“Ooh. It’s cool! It’s wide!”
Behind the Duchy Castle was a small hill.
“Waaaaah!”
“Ruby, don’t run!”
I ran wildly across the vast space.
It was still a little cold as spring hadn’t fully arrived, but the wind was very refreshing!
“Young Master, don’t run either! If you fall, I won’t give you medicine!”
“I’ll ask Ruby to give it to me then!”
“Oh no, my job.”
The herb hill was a little desolate as the green sprouts hadn’t yet emerged, but there were always things that survived even in that harsh environment.
“This! I just saw this in the book!”
I squatted down and pointed to the swaying grass. Borbel smiled with a satisfied face.
“You’re strong in practical training.”
“What is it? They all look the same to me.”
Can’t you really see this delicate pink magic? Bratty swordsman.
“This is a medicinal herb that’s good for reducing fever.”
Borbel taught me.
‘And surprisingly, it’s also good for stopping bleeding.’
I blankly thought as I touched the delicate grass.
“Then, I should pick some of this medicinal herb, so would you like to explore the surrounding area more?”
“Yep!”
“Young Master Void, if there’s anything you don’t know, ask Rubian. You’re worried about your herbalism grades next semester, aren’t you?”
“Oh, that’s a secret. That’s too much! And the older brother is teaching the younger brother!”
“I really wish that would happen.”
Borbel laughed heartily and stroked his beard.
Leaving him behind as he took out his collecting tools, Void and I raced across Herb Hill.
Of course, I was the only one who got tired….
“Slow, slowly….”
“Sigh. What am I going to do with you?”
Void deliberately slowed down, delaying the finish.
“First place!”
I sprawled out on the ground.
After lying there for a while, I raised myself up after discovering something in my inverted vision.
“Huh? What’s that over there?”
“Where?”
Void, who was fanning me, turned his head. At one end of the hill, what looked like a small dot was a dense fence.
“Ah.”
Void scratched his chin with an ambiguous expression.
“It’s the Jebert family’s Memorial Garden.”
“You mean a graveyard?”
“Yeah. It looks like that, but it’s quite far away from what you can see? You wouldn’t happen to be thinking of going….”
Void stopped talking and let out a long sigh.
He seemed to have read the curiosity about the Memorial Garden that filled my eyes.
“Why is my sister so headstrong!”
While shouting, he obediently turned his back towards my outstretched arms. I smiled and quickly jumped on.
Warm, brother…. Big brother’s back.
“Seriously…. Are you a feather?”
Why are your shoes so small? Grumble, grumble.
I’m so tired, I’m going to die! Mutter, mutter.
He says that, but Void boasted terrifying stamina, befitting a Jebert man.
He arrived at the Memorial Garden in no time, even with me on his back.
The Memorial Garden looked more like a well-maintained garden than a gloomy or somber place.
“What else are you curious about? Let’s take a quick look and go.”
I looked around and admired the graveyard.
Perhaps because the Gravekeeper had managed it well, the black tombstones were so shiny that I could see my face clearly reflected in them.
“Wow, it’s really huge…. Will you be buried here when you die, brother?”
“Hey! Why are you saying things like that?”
Void glared and snapped.
“Huh? Why?”
“Don’t say unlucky things like dying!”
“You said you were going to die just now.”
“That’s… just a figure of speech!”
I don’t know why he’s getting annoyed.
“You can just live a long, long life and then die, right?”
That’s what I’m trying so hard to make happen. Oh dear, oh dear.
I passed by the well-maintained trees and meaninglessly read the names on the black tombstones. Alton Jebert, Gaian Jebert, Brandon Jebert….
“You too, Ruby.”
“Huh?”
Wondering what he meant, I turned to see a youthful face staring intently at me.
I just noticed, but Void had grown another hand span taller in the past few days.
“You said you were going to be registered into the Jebert family. Adolf said so. Then, of course, you’ll also be here when you die….”
The voice that had been flowing smoothly stopped abruptly.
“Die… sob….”
“Please. Don’t tell me those things in your eyes are tears.”
Sniffle. Void roughly rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.
“It’s even unpleasant to say! You’re never going to die, Ruby! You’ll be buried here, but never! You won’t die!”
Does that mean he’ll bury me alive?
But I didn’t nitpick any further. Void grabbed my arm with reddened eyes.
“Hmph, I really feel bad now. Let’s go. Borbel will be looking for us.”
“Uhh…. Huh? What’s that over there?”
Then, my gaze fell on a space that felt particularly foreign.
