After that, Rubia and I spent the rest of the day chatting idly until nightfall.
We talked about all kinds of things—my secret about using my sensing ability only with the greatsword, why Rubia started to dislike people, the monsters I had fought, and the things she experienced during her five years as a priestess.
She even apologized for getting angry when she first took me to the blacksmith, thinking I was mocking her for bringing us to such a noisy place, when in reality, I didn't care much at all.
Time flew by, and by the time the bottom of the jelly bag started showing, we were interrupted.
"Aileen, little one! Have you had dinner yet?"
It was Heinzel and Luchi, coming to find us.
"L-little one…?!"
This bald guy…!
I glared at Heinzel, stuffing another jelly into my mouth in frustration.
"Pfft… No, not yet. Did you and Luchi eat already?" Rubia asked.
"We were just about to. If you haven't eaten yet, how about joining us?" Luchi gestured toward a nearby restaurant.
"Stone-plate steak? Sounds good. What do you think, Noah?"
"Mmh… Mm-hmm!"
Still chewing the jelly, I nodded enthusiastically.
"Great. Let's eat together," Rubia said, standing up and letting go of my hand.
"Mmh… Mmhmph...!"
Why'd she let go of my hand…? What if a wizard shows up?! What am I supposed to do?!
"Here, let me carry the bags."
While I was panicking, Rubia turned around and gently took the bags from my arms. Then she leaned close to my ear and whispered.
"You need one hand to hold mine and the other for your greatsword, just in case a wizard shows up."
Rubia, you're not just a priestess, you're an angel!
"Mmh, mmh!"
With my mouth still full of jelly, I nodded vigorously and took her hand.
Her fingers slowly untangled, intertwining with mine.
"Like this, you won't lose your grip."
Maybe it was because I hadn't grabbed my sword yet, or maybe it was Rubia's teasing voice, but…
The way her fingers slipped between mine felt as soft as the sweetness lingering in my mouth.
It was like the jelly I was savoring.
"Right, Noah?"
All I could do was swallow the sweetness and nod.
"Y-yeah…"
"Let's go, then. I'm sure you're hungry."
"Y-yeah… Let's go…"
* * * *
"Ahahaha! And then, I single-handedly took down the manticore—"
The quiet restaurant was now filled with Heinzel's booming voice.
Typical old guys—they start drinking and suddenly, all their stories from back in the day are exaggerated about how awesome they used to be.
"Oh? So you're telling me you defeated the manticore all by yourself, huh?" Luchi said with a smirk.
"Well, almost! I did most of the work!"
"Hah. Who was it again that cut the tendon in the beast's leg?"
"Sure, you did that, but who was it drawing its attention the whole time, huh?"
"I guess the brute that only knows how to show off his strength had to do something."
"W-what...?!"
Heinzel's forehead veins bulged dangerously. Even through my sensing ability, I could see them clearly. Just how much were they popping out in real life…?
"Sigh… Please, calm down and let's finish eating first," Rubia sighed heavily as she cut her steak.
And what was I doing in all this?
"Well, little one. Who do you think did better?" Heinzel asked, leaning toward me.
"Noah, even you can see that this baldy didn't do much, right?" Luchi chimed in, teasing.
In the midst of their childish bickering, I played the role of an unbiased judge.
"Well, um… but Heinzel did land the final blow, right? Especially since manticores have super hard bones... Breaking through them means… I guess Heinzel wins this time…"
I had to give credit where it was due—breaking a manticore's skull isn't something a wimpy one-handed sword could even attempt!
"Hahahaha! Luchi, you heard her! You lost! Drink up!"
"Sure, why not."
Luchi downed a cup of ale that was nearly as big as I was, the liquid disappearing down his throat in one go.
At this point, the two of them had each downed at least six drinks.
Meanwhile, Rubia and I were silently polishing off the rest of the steak while they were too busy arguing.
"The young lady will need a new sword if she's serious about learning," Luchi remarked, wiping his mouth.
"Ah, right. What weight do you think would be best?" Rubia asked, putting down her fork and knife after cleaning her plate.
"Well, for starters, try lifting mine," Luchi suggested.
Rubia nodded and reached for his sword.
The moment she lifted it...
"Whoa…!"
She nearly dropped it, but I managed to catch it just in time.
"Thanks, Noah… But wow, that's much heavier than I thought it'd be."
"Haha! That's right. My sword's heavier than it looks. Seems like strength isn't really your strong suit," Luchi chuckled.
"No… I've never really trained in that area..."
I patted Rubia on the back to reassure her.
"A wooden sword might be best to start with," Luchi said thoughtfully, starting to mumble to himself about the right weight, size, and shape for her.
Meanwhile, Heinzel snuck over to me, whispering as he offered me a choice.
"So, little one. Which do you think is cooler? A sword or a halberd?"
Without a second of hesitation, I answered.
"They're both lame. Greatswords are the coolest. By far."
"Huh?"
Both Luchi and Heinzel paused and looked at me.
"Is that so?"
Heinzel straightened up, towering over me.
"Y-yeah… Greatswords are the best. I'm the strongest with mine."
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Luchi broke it with a suggestion.
"How about we settle this with a duel to see which weapon is superior?"
"Hmm, sounds like a good idea."
"S-sure…"
"Excuse me...?"
Another moment of silence, broken by none other than me.
"B-but… You're not allowed to use your special abilities."
"You even know about our special abilities, huh? Fair enough. We'll hold back on those."
"Hmm, excellent idea."
"N-Noah...?"
I thumped my chest confidently at Rubia's worried expression.
"Aileen, watch closely. I'll show you just how strong I am."
"Haha! This little one sure has guts!" Heinzel laughed.
"Let's hope it's not all bravado," Luchi muttered.
"What… What is even happening right now...?"
Both Heinzel and Luchi stood up and grabbed their gear.
I also stood, holding tightly onto Rubia's hand.
Then, in unison, we all spoke.
"Let's go."
"Let's go!"
"Let's go."
"Since when did dinner turn into a damn duel…?"
Gasp!
"Remember… polite and proper words… nice words…"
"Sigh… Noah, that's not something you should be worrying about. Let's just head outside."
"O-okay…"
* * * *
We moved to an open field outside the restaurant.
It was at the edge of the village, just beyond the fence meant to keep monsters out.
We settled there.
"Well, one of us will have to get a free pass in the first round. Since we only need to determine first place."
"Hmm, good idea."
"So, how should we decide?"
"There's no need to decide. Noah, you'll skip the first round."
"Hmm, good thinking."
Me? Why?
I tilted my head in confusion.
"Kid, you're the weakest here, right? So it makes sense for you to skip."
"Yeah, considering our experience, this seems like a fair handicap."
Wow.
They're really underestimating me, huh?
"You'll regret this..."
I gritted my teeth and stepped back.
"Noah, do you really think you can win?" Rubia asked softly.
"Yes. I have to win."
For the honor of the greatsword...!
"Sigh... Fine. Just don't get hurt. I'm here to heal you, so even if you get a little hurt, I'll take care of it... But still, try not to get hurt, okay?"
Rubia squeezed my hand tightly.
I squeezed back just as firmly.
"The rules are simple. We'll fight within a hundred-meter radius, and we'll stop before any serious injuries are inflicted. Even you should be able to handle that, bald one."
"Hmm, good thinking. But can you see well enough with just one eye?"
"Maybe it'll be hard for me to see past your shiny bald head."
Crack—
Heinzel gripped his halberd so hard it looked like the handle might snap.
"Watch your eye, old man."
The atmosphere shifted.
Srrrng—
Instead of answering with words, Luchi's sword responded with a sharp ring.
"I'll count down."
Three.
Luchi's sword leveled with the ground.
Two.
Heinzel's halberd aligned vertically.
One.
Both of their bodies vanished.
A deafening sound echoed through the field, almost unbelievable for a clash between two people.
I focused my sensing ability, drawing in the details of their fight.
Heinzel's movements were wild.
Luchi's were fluid.
Wildness overwhelmed fluidity.
Fluidity restrained wildness.
The sword flowed, moving from right to left.
The halberd rose, moving from low to high.
The first strike went to Heinzel.
His halberd knocked the sword away.
But the sword's movement didn't stop. It continued.
The sword, now in midair, arced downward diagonally, catching the moonlight.
Clang—
The halberd's handle extinguished the moonlit strike.
A counterattack followed—a horizontal swing from left to right.
Luchi's sword, now far away, couldn't block the halberd.
But Luchi didn't falter.
He spun his body, retrieving his sword.
Now held in a reverse grip, the sword hugged his waist as the halberd swung overhead.
He parried with his sword, his movements fluid.
Instead of being knocked away, he redirected the strike.
In the brief opening after Heinzel's horizontal swing, Luchi seized his chance.
In a reverse grip, he slashed upward from below.
Heinzel gritted his teeth and flexed his muscles.
Ignoring the pain, he forced his halberd to block the upward strike.
Riiip—
The sound of tearing muscles accompanied the block, but Heinzel didn't stop.
The halberd's handle struck Luchi in the stomach.
Luchi staggered back, catching himself with one hand on the ground.
Heinzel followed, relentless.
Despite the blood pouring from his arm, he pressed forward.
The halberd swung diagonally.
Luchi's sword met the halberd in a fierce clash of blows.
Wildness challenged fluidity.
Fluidity tamed wildness.
Heinzel's strikes threatened Luchi's life.
Luchi's movements chipped away at Heinzel's stamina.
Finally, in the midst of their brutal exchange…
Their weapons locked.
Heinzel extended his right arm.
Luchi spun to deflect it.
Luchi's body turned.
Heinzel's body halted.
The sword descended from above, gleaming in the moonlight.
The halberd rose from below, scattering blood.
Steel clashed against steel.
Wildness met fluidity.
The beast met the hunter.
And the hunter's trap…
Caught the beast by the throat.
"I lost."
Heinzel admitted defeat.
Blood trickled down Heinzel's neck.
And Luchi's blood…
"Damn it… Even when I win, it doesn't feel like it... Koff…"
...was splattered across the night sky.
The hunt was over.
Ah… Maybe I shouldn't have agreed…