Ursphere (final)

Rubia, who had gone out to get breakfast, returned just as quickly as she had promised.

She came back so fast that I didn't even have time to reflect on what had happened yesterday...

"Alright, let's eat before it gets cold."

The sound of dishes clinking on the table reached my ears.

Judging by the two distinct sets of sounds, it seemed Rubia had brought a meal for herself as well.

Yesterday, I had been so out of it that I hadn't even noticed such details... Ugh.

"Noah, come on, let's get you up slowly."

Rubia's arm wrapped gently around my waist.

"Y-you could've just held my hand..."

"You might fall over if I don't."

She carefully helped me stand and guided me to the table.

As I fumbled to find the spoon, I heard the soft sound of a chair being pulled out from my right.

"I'll feed you."

Rubia's voice, tinged with amusement, came from so close that our shoulders were nearly touching.

"Here, blow on it first... Noah, say ahhh—"

"Uhh... A-ahhh—"

Worried about spilling soup on my mouth or the table, I opened my mouth as wide as I could. The rich, creamy, and slightly sweet taste of potato soup filled my mouth.

As the spoon left my lips, I instinctively clamped down on it to make sure I didn't accidentally spill anything, sucking on it just a little as it slid out.

The soup wasn't too hot, nor was it lukewarm—just the perfect temperature.

"How is it? It's not too hot, right?"

I nodded as I chewed on a piece of potato, unable to answer verbally.

Rubia's hair brushed softly against my cheek.

How close is she sitting for her hair to touch me like that...?

"Alright, here comes the next bite—ahhh."

"Ahhh... Wait—Rubia, you should eat too... I can eat on my own. Just give me the spoon..."

"Huh? I only brought one spoon."

Wait, what...?

"W-what? Why? Rubia, aren't you eating? I-I can't eat two bowls on my own..."

"Of course, I'm eating. Slurp—"

"Ehh..."

There's... only one spoon.

Two bowls of soup.

And just now... Wait, did she just—?

"Why... why only one spoon?"

"Well, I was planning to feed you anyway, so one spoon is enough. Now, open up—ahhh."

"T-this feels weird—uhh, don't get it on my lips!"

"Pffft... Then open your mouth wider next time."

"...Ahhh."

Another spoonful of soup entered my mouth.

But this time, I couldn't even close my lips around it.

My tongue, frozen in place, didn't move.

I just sat there with my mouth open, like a baby bird being fed by its mother.

This time, it was a savory tomato soup with a hint of saltiness.

"How's this one? It's salty, right? Tasty, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah, it tastes good, but..."

Is this... is this normal?

What on earth happened yesterday to make Rubia act like this?

"R-Rubia... What happened yesterday—uhmmph?!"

"Let's finish eating first, okay? It's not something we should talk about while eating."

Her voice dipped slightly, the playful tone giving way to a more subdued one.

"O-okay..."

"Alright, ahhh—"

"...Ahhh..."

By the time my stomach felt comfortably full and the burning pain had subsided,

"That's it. All done. Are you still hungry?"

Finally... finally, we were done eating!

After keeping my mouth open for so long, my jaw felt sore... Ugh.

"N-no, I'm good. So... now can you tell me? What exactly happened yesterday—"

"I'll clean up the table later... Noah, now take off your clothes."

"...What?"

What on earth did I just hear?

"Should I help you?"

Before I could even process what was happening,

Before I could untangle the mess of thoughts rushing through my mind,

Rubia's hands lightly tugged at the hem of my clothes.

"Eeeek! W-wait, hold on!"

I scrambled to my feet and backed up until my back hit the wall.

"R-Rubia...? Why are you suddenly asking me to take off my clothes?!"

"I'm not trying to do anything weird. Oh... looks like it's already undone."

"W-what...?"

I quickly ran my hands over my clothes.

In that brief moment... somehow, my clothes had come undone.

How did that even happen...?

"This is a very easy outfit to take off. Just loosening the fabric tied around your waist made it come undone... Hmm, maybe we should get you a different outfit?"

Fabric...? Tied around my waist...?

Wait...

Did I toss and turn that much in my sleep?

Even when fighting monsters, it never came undone...

"R-Rubia... Your hand... Your hand habits are... p-p-perverted! Please just give me my clothes back..."

"I can't do that."

The soft rustling of Rubia picking up my clothes from the floor reached my ears.

But I couldn't stop her...

I was too busy covering myself with both hands...

Sure, I was still wearing bandages on my chest and my underwear, but still...

The situation was so embarrassing.

"Let me take these for washing... Oh, and how about I take the bandages off, too—"

"That's a no!"

"What about the underwear?"

"Of c-course not!"

"Hmmm... You'll regret it."

Regret...?

"W-what do you mean by regret...?"

"Well... it's hard to explain right now. Do you want me to tell you what happened yesterday?"

Rubia's voice carried a hint of amusement, and... a trace of annoyance.

"...Yes, please tell me."

Thump, thump.

Rubia's footsteps drew closer.

"Noah, about what happened yesterday..."

Rubia finally stood right in front of me.

Her hands gently wrapped around my neck.

And then, she whispered softly into my ear.

"You got drunk, said a bunch of embarrassing things, and in the end, you threw up all over my clothes. After that, you passed out."

"W-what...?"

"That's why I wasn't wearing anything. Sure, I could've used my divine power to clean it, but... it felt weird, you know?"

Rubia's fingers lightly traced my neck.

"Of course, I also used my divine power to clean your clothes, but... taking off a sleeping person's clothes feels kind of wrong, doesn't it?"

Her fingers trailed down my collarbone, moving lower toward my chest.

Rubia's fingers, which had been tracing from my chest to just above my navel, stilled for a moment.

"Besides, if I let you stew over it first thing in the morning, you'd just sulk and refuse to eat, right? Isn't that true?"

Her hand flattened into a warm palm and slid to my waist, pulling me closer with a firm motion.

"Eek!"

"If you don't do it, I'll undress you myself."

"I-I'll do it! I'll do it..."

My trembling hands moved past Rubia's arms and found their way to the bandages wrapped around my chest.

"J-just... give me a moment... P-please turn around..."

"Alright."

"And don't... don't look, okay?"

"Then how will you hand me your clothes?"

"Ugh... Fine... I'll turn around instead. Just take them when I pass them to you."

Hunched over, I slowly turned my back to her and reached for the knot just under my arm.

The bandage came loose as I carefully unwound it and gathered it in my hands.

"R-Rubia..."

I extended the bandages behind me, toward where I assumed she was.

Rubia let out a quiet sigh, one that sounded almost regretful, before taking the bandages gently from my hand.

But...

She didn't leave.

"R-Rubia?"

"Yes?"

"Why... why aren't you leaving?"

"There's still one more piece left, isn't there?"

Oh.

* * * *

"Unnies!"

The door burst open with a bang, and Hephaestus's bright voice filled the room.

"H-Hephaestus!"

"Welcome back. Thanks for your hard work... Oh, the greatsword's finally done?"

"Yup! It's ready! Behold, my masterpiece!"

"Wha—The greatsword!"

Every step Hephaestus took toward me was accompanied by the metallic clinking of the greatsword.

I wiggled out of the blanket I'd wrapped myself in and sat up as quickly as I could.

"Here, unnie. Hold it. Let me know if anything feels off."

I reached out my hands, and Hephaestus carefully placed the greatsword onto my palms.

A sharp, electrifying sensation coursed through my hands—a feeling so familiar, so comforting, that a wide smile spread across my face.

"Hehe... Haha..."

The world around me became clear again.

Rubia's soft smile, Hephaestus's cheerful grin—it all came into view.

"Haa... I missed this... I really, really missed this..."

I immediately turned my gaze to the greatsword itself.

Its design was nearly identical to the one I had before.

But there was one major difference.

Embedded in the center of the crossguard was a shard of Karpeng.

"Whoa... The shard!"

I quickly got off the bed and gently ran my fingers over the shard.

When I'd handed it to Hephaestus, it had been rough and jagged, but now it was polished to a smooth, glossy finish.

It had been shaped into a perfect, round gem.

And below it, the sleek, masterfully crafted blade extended sensually.

Wait a second...

"Wha—Is this... a scabbard?"

"Yup! You're always dragging your sword on the ground, so the blade gets damaged all the time. And the last greatsword was so bent, it was practically unusable. So, I made this for you as a bonus!"

"Wow..."

I ran my hand over the scabbard. It felt much thicker than regular leather, as if it had been specially reinforced to protect the blade.

But... there was one problem.

"Um... The thing is... My arms are short, so I don't think I can draw this... What should I do...?"

The reason I never used a scabbard in the first place was because I couldn't draw the sword out of one.

My arms were too short to pull it out fully, so I always just carried it without one—dangling it awkwardly at my waist.

"Hehe... Don't worry, I thought about that too. See the hook near the guard?"

Following Hephaestus's words, I looked closely at the crossguard area of the sword.

There was a small hook attached to the right side of the blade.

"This?"

"Yup, that! Try undoing it."

I pressed the small mechanism, and with a click, the scabbard loosened and slid off effortlessly.

"Oooh...!"

When the sword was inside, the scabbard felt incredibly sturdy. But now, it folded up easily, almost like fabric.

"What do you think? Does it work for you?"

"Yeah...!"

I nodded enthusiastically.

"How's the weight?"

I stood up and held the greatsword in one hand.

The weight was... perfect.

I swung it carefully.

Horizontal.

Vertical.

Diagonal.

Every motion felt flawless.

As for the shard's effects...

Well, I couldn't test that out just yet.

"Hephaestus..."

"Yeah?"

"It's... perfect..."

I gave her a big thumbs-up.

I wanted to wink, too, but with both eyes shut, that was a no-go.

Hephaestus's grin stretched from ear to ear.

Rubia's lips curled into a smile, mirroring mine.

"Hephaestus, you're the best..."

Rubia's smile faltered ever so slightly.

"Y-you're the second best, Rubia..."

* * * * *

"Have we forgotten anything?"

I checked the pouch hanging at my waist, the greatsword strapped to my back, and the potions in my belt.

"All set."

"Yup, I've got everything too," Hephaestus nodded as she adjusted the large backpack slung over her shoulders.

"This won't be easy," Rubia said, lifting the bag she had placed on the ground.

"The cold will only get worse the higher we climb, and the environment isn't the only problem. We don't know when or where the monsters might show up."

"...I'll handle that with my sensory ability."

"And there's no guarantee we'll find Hephaestus's master right away."

"It's fine."

Hephaestus gripped the Bonding Stone in her right hand tightly.

"And... this is also the habitat of the White Calamity, Tylant."

Tylant.

The 12-man raid boss from Karahan.

In the game, it was portrayed as an enormous polar bear—a 'Cola Bear', we used to call it as a joke. But now... calling it that feels inappropriate.

Especially considering how even Karpeng, the 'neighbor's dog' raid boss for a party of four, had been such a threat.

"Of course, unlike Karpeng, Tylant is sealed away, so we shouldn't run into it."

That's true.

Even in the game, Tylant was sealed—though there was a storyline where the seal was eventually broken, leading to the raid.

I vaguely recalled the details. A master swordsman named Vermilion led a 16-member elite knight squad on a subjugation mission. In the end, they only managed to seal Tylant after Vermilion lost both arms in the battle.

The specifics were blurry, but that was the gist of it.

"Well... I've gone on and on about Tylant since yesterday, so there's no point repeating myself. Shall we head out now?"

"Yeah... Let's go," Rubia agreed.

As the two of them started walking ahead, I stayed back for a moment, standing still to gather my thoughts.

"Phew..."

Tylant.

Even in the game, we never fought it when it was fully unsealed.

Yet it was still a 12-man raid.

If we were to encounter it in reality...

We'd all die. No question about it.

But—

On the off chance.

Even the slimmest possibility.

If we do come across Tylant...

This time, I won't let anyone die.

No matter what.

Gripping the hilt of the worn, one-handed sword hanging at my waist,

I moved forward.