"As expected, I've reached the summit of Karahan..."
"Hic..."
"I'll be busy for a while moving forward—"
"Hic, hic..."
"...I don't know when I'll be able to return."
"Hwaaah!"
As the contents of the letter were being read, Hephaestus, who had been shedding tears little by little, finally broke down.
She started sobbing and hugging me again...
Her nose had just stopped running earlier, but now... ugh!
"I'll return as soon as I can... make sure to eat well and live well, Hephaestus."
"Huwaaah!"
"Eek...!"
"Hic... N-Noah unniii... hic... hic... haa... sniff!"
"He-Hephaestus...! Your nose is running all over me..."
Clear snot was dripping from Hephaestus' nose onto my clothes.
Ugh... Gross!
But... I can't exactly push her away while she's crying...
"Um, Hephaestus? Which part of this letter is making you so sad?"
"Hic... Y-uria-sensei... has never... ever sent me a letter before... not even once..."
"Well... maybe they just felt like sending a letter that day?"
"N-no... and... and... hic... they've never called me... by my name before... not once... hic—Waaaah!"
Rubia slapped her forehead.
"Well, maybe they were in a good mood or... thought they'd be gone for a while—"
"N-no... I... I know. Hic..."
Hephaestus wiped her runny nose with her hand... and hugged me again.
I give up...
I stopped patting her and turned my head to look out the window.
Both Rubia and Hephaestus...
Why do they always have to get snot all over me when they cry...?
"My teacher... isn't the type of person who would do this. I'm sure of it..."
"How... can you be so sure?"
"Because... I know my teacher, Yuria..."
Hephaestus, who had been sobbing for a long time while clinging to me, buried her face in my back and then...
In an incredibly delicate and soft voice, like a young girl, she whispered.
"...Because I love them."
"Oh...?"
"Huh...!"
Rubia's mouth dropped open.
My jaw also fell slack—
I thought with the name 'Yuria,' her teacher was a woman, but it turns out it's a man...
"I-I love them, so I know... that something's wrong with them..."
"Uh... well... that makes sense."
Rubia slowly nodded her head.
Hephaestus hugged me even tighter.
"He-Hephaestus... I can't breathe..."
"S-sorry... unni."
"Ugh..."
She apologized, but then hugged me even harder...!
"Is that something you can sense when you're in love...?"
"Yes... if Rubia unni had ever experienced love, she'd know what it feels like..."
Rubia's expression turned awkward and flustered.
"Uh... ah... yeah... that's right. Ha. Ha. Ha. Hephaestus? I understand, but could you describe your teacher's appearance and characteristics? It would help us find them. Of course, you already know, but the more we know, the more we can help. So, please tell us quickly. And Noah, what's with that look on your face? It's not what you think. Don't misunderstand. I just want to hear the story faster, that's all."
"M-my expression...? Um, okay."
Rubia was speaking incredibly fast.
And her tone was completely flat...
Rubia's acting weird!
"Uh, okay... First, my teacher has light green hair."
Light green hair?
"Hephaestus, like you, your teacher has a very rare hair color."
"Yes..."
Huh?
"What color is Hephaestus's hair?"
"Oh, my hair is pink."
Pink...?
"Wow... pink hair?"
"Yes. But it stands out too much... I don't really like it."
I'm curious!
Natural pink hair!
"C-can I touch it?"
"Sure... It's not that smooth, but feel free to touch it."
I slowly lifted my hand and stroked Hephaestus's short hair.
Just like she said, her hair wasn't that silky.
Probably from working in front of the forge so much?
As for the color...
Is it a soft pink or a deep pink?
With this rough texture, there's no shine.
Are her eyebrows pink too?
I couldn't tell what color it was by touching it, but...
I wanted to picture it in my head as clearly as possible.
I let go of my greatsword and started playing with her hair with both hands.
Hmm...
It's a shame I can't actually see the color.
"I wish I could see what color it is..."
"Noah..."
A voice filled with pity came from behind me.
"Unniii..."
And now, Hephaestus's voice, thick with snot, called out.
"Hm...?"
I let go of her hair and grabbed the hilt of my sword again.
Rubia suddenly leaned in close to me.
"Huh...?"
Then she hugged me tightly.
"Ru-Rubia...?"
"Unniii... sniff..."
To my right, Hephaestus also wrapped her arms around me.
What's wrong with them?
"Um... w-what's going on...?"
"Noah... Um, pink is..."
Rubia began whispering in my ear while still hugging me.
"Pink... is a lovely color."
"Uh... what?"
"When Noah touches something, hears something, or feels something that makes you think it's lovely... that's what pink is."
Has the way Rubia was acting earlier not worn off yet...?
What is she even talking about?
"I-I know that already..."
"And... my hair is silver. Silver feels... like the cool air of dawn."
"I mean, I already know that—"
Rubia interrupted me and continued to gently stroke my hair.
"Noah's hair is black. Black is... the feeling you get when you're scared."
Then she hugged me even tighter.
"If you're curious, just ask anytime. I'm not the best at explaining, but... I'll do my best to help you understand."
"I-I already know about colors... Um... pink is... pink..."
Wait...
How do I even explain it?
Now that I think about it, Rubia's description might actually be the closest...
She's surprisingly good at explaining things, isn't she?
"B-blushing... is the feeling of pink..."
Rubia's tears dripped onto the top of my head.
Hephaestus's... snot soaked into my sleeve.
Stop with the snot already...!
"Everyone... calm down first. Shouldn't we finish talking about Hephaestus's teacher?"
"Haa... Yes... you're right."
Rubia reluctantly pulled away, looking like she still hadn't gotten over it.
"Unni...! If you ever have any problems, let me know. I'll do my best to help."
Hephaestus also stepped back with a sympathetic look.
You're struggling yourself, so how are you going to help me...?
"Uh... y-yeah, sure."
"Ahem, now that we're back on track... Let's hear more about your teacher, Hephaestus."
"Oh, right... My teacher's hair is light green, and their eyes are the same color. And their gaze is... rough."
Hephaestus, now much calmer, continued her explanation.
This is all thanks to my mature understanding.
You're welcome, Rubia.
"They have a tough personality too. And her speech is crude. Oh, and they have a mole under her right eye. They are tall as well..."
As I listened to Hephaestus's detailed description, I began to picture her teacher in my mind.
"With those clear features... I think we'll recognize them right away when we see them."
"Yes. And... they also has a large scar on their back and lower abdomen."
Huh...?
their lower abdomen...?
"Wait... their lower abdomen?"
"Yes. I saw it when we bathed together once. They had a scar that stretched from their belly button... It's not visible normally, but... just in case..."
"You bathed together? With your teacher?"
"Yes. For the past ten years, we've bathed together every day."
Uh...
Uhh...?
"Why...?"
"When I was young... I didn't know how to bathe myself, so they used to help me. And even when I started bathing on my own, they'd still join me, saying it was to save water..."
What the...
"...Hephaestus, you're 18 now, right?"
"Yes."
"And... your teacher is how old...?"
"They'll be turning 30 soon, I think."
After hearing Hephaestus's words, Rubia's expression froze.
"Um... Hephaestus. Wouldn't it be better for you to, well, cut ties with that teacher and live independently? I'll help you as much as I can... Let's help you get out of that situation."
"Y-yeah, Hephaestus... why don't you just live with us?"
That teacher isn't right in the head!
He's a crazy pervert!
"...Why?"
"What do you mean, 'why'...? No, I mean... They have been doing this to you since you were a child... No, wait... this is all wrong. You need to get away from that crazy guy. I'll do whatever it takes to help you—"
Hephaestus tilted her head in confusion.
"Guy?"
"...Yes."
"Who...?"
Rubia tilted her head in confusion too.
"Your teacher... Yuria, that crazy teacher..."
Hephaestus's expression turned strange.
"My teacher... is a woman."
Rubia's expression turned even stranger.
"A woman...?"
"Yes. Oh... I guess I didn't mention it before. My teacher is a woman."
Rubia, who had been opening and closing her mouth like a fish, remained silent, so I spoke up instead.
"He-Hephaestus... you said you were in l-l-love... with your teacher, didn't you...?"
"Yes. I love her very much."
Ahh...
"Aha... So Hephaestus is actually a man..."
He must be one of those feminine types.
Yeah, characters like that are common.
That... makes sense, I guess...
"Hehe... No, Unni. I'm definitely a girl. Of course, I know. I'm... a little strange."
Huh...?
Hephaestus sighed and continued.
"But... it's hard to explain. It's not just romantic... I love her for who she is."
The expression on Hephaestus's face as she spoke shyly was...
Exactly how Rubia had described.
It radiated pink.
"I love everything about her... so much that it drives me crazy..."
The carriage was filled with pink.
"I love her..."
Her expression was full of it.