Youngest 046
by CristaeFeeling the rush of power suddenly swell, Rubian made a face as if she had just bitten into a sour lemon. Still—hee hee, I like this, I really do!
“I was a little worried when you showed up, but honestly, I’m so glad you did!”
She always says such things so easily.
Khalid scratched his chin awkwardly with his free hand. He felt a strange unrest inside—though he could never quite figure out why.
Maybe it was that heart-shaped hairpin…
“You… who picked out that hairpin?”
He asked without meaning to. It had been nagging at him for a while now.
“This? Hazel picked it out for me.”
“Do you like it?”
“Hm?”
“…”
He dusted off Rubian’s shoulder, trying to sound nonchalant.
“I asked if you liked it. You always used to complain about your hair flying everywhere.”
“Oh, so that’s what you meant. Yeah! It’s convenient!”
Khalid let out a silent sigh at his worsening bad habit. It doesn’t matter. If he just chose his words carefully, it would be fine.
Just then, Maddox knocked on the door.
“Excuse me, Miss Rubian? Mister Bastard Sword? The door, please?”
Rubian quickly stepped away. Khalid fastened his bracelet back onto his now oddly empty hand.
Before she opened the door, Rubian paused with a thoughtful look and then drew close to him.
“Wh-what is it?”
“You know… it’s really reassuring to have someone by my side who knows my secret. Thank you!”
She whispered with a secretive smile, her expression different from the one she wore when smiling at the Zevert household.
Ah, I’m the only one who gets to see this face.
Khalid realized this, and his toes twitched with a peculiar satisfaction.
“See? You do need me after all.”
“Hm?”
“And I need you… Wait.”
This one he couldn’t smooth over.
“Tada! I brought a collection of pretty metal scraps!”
“Oh, did you finish looking at all the blueprints? How were they?”
“Miss Rubian, I have decided to devote myself to you from this day as my religion.”
“Wow, no thanks!”
Their chattering voices faded into the distance. Khalid was left alone in the workshop, rubbing at his neck, which had turned as red as the midday sun.
“…Seriously.”
Am I sick or something?
The barrier work proceeded smoothly.
Just as promised, Khalid brought blueprints from somewhere. When she asked, he said his animal friends had found them in the forest, dropped by a peddler passing through.
‘He really has a knack for acquiring things like that.’
Every time a blueprint was procured, I visited the smithy, chased Maddox out, and completed each magical device one by one.
‘Khalid said he’d bring the rest of the blueprints and said he’d swap out the bells himself, too.’
The end was in sight.
‘Hehehehe…’
Good job, me!
“Miss Rubian?”
“Yes, yes?”
I jerked my head up.
“Is it still too difficult?”
In the brightened vision before me, I saw Borbel stroking his brown beard.
“Uh…”
I glanced down at my Basic Healing textbook. My pen had wandered off in a jagged line.
“A little bit?”
I gave a sheepish smile. Borbel nodded, saying that was understandable, and began explaining step by step.
Honestly, it was so boring I could have dozed off. Seriously, stop daydreaming and pay attention.
“—So, if these such-and-such principles work in this way, you get such-and-such effect. Do you understand?”
“Yes, absolutely!”
Wow, now that I see it, Borbel was the star instructor for healing class.
“Then, shall we spend the rest of the time actually looking for herbs outdoors?”
“Yes! I love hands-on fieldwork!”
And I’m not even sleepy!
I hurriedly gathered my books. Seeing and sniffing fresh green herbs outside was a hundred times better than sitting indoors.
“Ahem. If a special blend comes to mind while you’re out there, please do teach me anytime.”
“Yep, if I remember any!”
Borbel’s eyes betrayed his curiosity about whether I knew special Eosia-specific herb blends. Of course, I pretended not to recall much.
“Ruby? Where are you going?”
As I descended the stairs with Borbel, Void’s voice called down from above.
“To the herb hill!”
“Oh, I want to go too.”
“Young master, please change into warmer clothes.”
“Aww…”
Borbel sternly lifted a finger at Void’s slight show of resistance.
“If you catch a cold for not listening to me, I’ll make you drink some truly bitter medicine.”
Void pouted but ultimately headed upstairs with the attendants and reappeared in a fur coat.
“Whoa! Refreshing! So spacious!”
Behind the workhouse was a small hill.
“Waaah!”
“Ruby, don’t run!”
I took off, dashing across the open space.
Though spring had not fully arrived and it was still a little chilly, the wind was exhilarating!
“Young master, don’t you run, either! If you fall, you’re not getting any medicine!”
“I’ll just ask Ruby for it!”
“Oh no, my job security.”
Though the green shoots had not yet emerged, rendering the hill a bit desolate, there are always those that survive in even the harshest conditions.
“This one! I just saw this in the book!”
I crouched down, pointing at a feathery grass swaying in the breeze. Borbel grinned in satisfaction.
“Fieldwork is your strength, I see.”
“What is it? They all look the same to me.”
Can you not see this delicate pink mana? What kind of swordsman are you, kid.
“This is an herb good for reducing fevers,” Borbel explained.
‘And it’s surprisingly effective at stopping bleeding, too.’
I thought idly as I fingered the tender stalk.
“Then, I’ll need to gather some of these herbs. Would you like to explore the area a bit yourselves?”
“Okay!”
“Young master Void, if you have any questions, ask Miss Rubian. You’re worried about your herbalism grade next semester, aren’t you?”
“Hey, that’s a secret! So mean! Besides, a big brother’s supposed to teach his younger sibling!”
“We can only hope,” Borbel chuckled, stroking his beard.
While he took out his collecting tools, I and Void went running and racing across the herb hill.
Of course, I was the only one who got tired…
“S-slow down…”
“Honestly. What do I do with you?”
Void slowed deliberately, letting me finish first.
“First place!”
I flopped down on the ground, limbs splayed.
After a while, something caught my upturned gaze and I sat up.
“Hm? What’s over there?”
“Where?”
Void, who’d been fanning me with his hand, turned his head. At one edge of the hill, a tiny dot appeared—an enclosed, densely fenced area.
“Ah.”
Void scratched his chin with an ambiguous expression.
“That’s the Zevert family’s memorial garden.”
“You mean, a graveyard?”
“Yeah. Though it might not look it, it’s actually farther away than it seems. You weren’t thinking of going, were you…”
Void trailed off with a deep sigh.
He must have seen the curiosity flooding my eyes at the memorial garden.
“Why is my little sibling so reckless!”
Despite his outburst, he obediently turned his back to me as I stretched out my arms. Giggling, I leaped onto him.
So warm, brother… big brother’s back.
“Really, now… Are you made of feathers?”
Why are your shoes so small? Grumble grumble.
This is exhausting! He muttered and grumbled, but, as befit a Zevert man, Void boasted frightening stamina.
Even carrying me on his back, he reached the memorial garden easily.
The memorial was less gloomy or dreary than it was a well-kept garden.
“What exactly are you so curious about? Let’s just have a quick look and go.”
I glanced around, exploring the graves.
Either the caretaker did an exemplary job, or someone else did, but the black headstones gleamed glossily—reflective enough that I could see my face in them.
“Wow, it’s really huge… Will you be buried here when you die?”
“Hey! Why say something like that?”
Void shot me a glare and barked.
“Huh? Why?”
“Talking about dying is bad luck!”
“You just said you were dying a minute ago.”
“That was just a figure of speech!”
Why’s he so annoyed?
“Well, just live long, then die. That’s all.”
That’s the whole reason I’m working so hard, after all. Oh, oh.
I wandered through the well-tended shrubbery, reading the names on the black headstones with no particular reason: Alton Zevert, Gaian Zevert, Brandon Zevert…
“You too, Ruby.”
“Huh?”
Not sure what he meant, I glanced over. He was staring at me intently with that childlike face.
Only now did I realize—Void had sprouted up again in just the past few days.
“They said you decided to officially enter the Zevert family. Adolf told me. Then, naturally, if you die, you’ll be…”
His river-like flow of words suddenly dammed up.
“To… die… Sniff…”
“Please. Tell me those aren’t tears in your eyes.”
Void roughly rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.
“It’s bad even to talk about it! You’re never going to die, Ruby! You might get buried here, but you’re never! Ever! Going to die!”
Did he mean he’d bury me alive?
But I didn’t press the point. With his eyes turning red, Void tugged me along.
“Huu, now I’m really in a mood. Let’s go back before Borbel comes looking.”
“Hmm… Huh? What’s that place?”
Then, my eyes were drawn to a space that felt especially out of place.