The Great Sword is not the Main Body!-Chapter 140: Trial (3)

“...Noah. By the way... what size is Mom’s finger?”

“...I don’t know? Didn’t you feel it earlier?”

“How could I know just by feeling it? I’ve never bought a ring before...”

“Ugh... wait a second.”

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

I immediately pulled out my phone and searched online for how to measure ring sizes.

“Hmm... This says it’s like this?”

Dad, who was quietly staring at the screen, suddenly stood up and grabbed a ruler from the bookshelf.

He then carefully placed his finger next to it.

“Size 9.”

“...Is that right?”

“I’m sure.”

Dad nodded with absolute confidence in his voice, sat back down, and continued with the order.

Then, he stopped again.

“Birthstone... What’s this?”

We entered a new phase.

“That’s the one for the cubic that matches your birth month.”

But doesn’t it have a blue gem?

I guess that was just the default image...

“Is that so? Then, since Mom’s birthday is in January, it’s garnet. A bright red color. And mine’s in July, ruby. Wow, that’s an even redder color.”

I tilted my head, wondering if it suited me, while Dad clicked on the options for my ring.

“For Noah... It’s March. Aquamarine. Blue.”

“...Really?”

“Yeah, look. March, aquamarine. Blue.”

I stared quietly at the phone screen he showed me.

A silver-white background with a blue cubic stone.

RuBia.

“...It’s pretty.”

Dad chuckled at my expression and quickly took back the phone, nodding with satisfaction.

“It’s available in all sizes, so we can pick it up tomorrow.”

“Should I go get it?”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll pick it up on my way home after work.”

With a pure smile, Dad looked at the photo frame on the side table.

A wedding photo of Mom in a pure white dress and Dad in a sharp tuxedo.

And next to that, a family photo.

“We decided to take family photos for the anniversary, remember?”

“Yeah... We’re going to change the picture in Dad’s wallet.”

“Change? We need to put in a new one. I’m thinking of getting it coated so it lasts longer. What do you think?”

“Oh... That sounds like a good idea.”

“Yeah. I have a laminating machine, so I’ll get one for Mom, one for you, and three in total.”

While searching for the coating method, Dad suddenly flashed a mischievous smile and ruffled my hair roughly.

“I’m looking forward to Mom’s reaction. Right?”

“Yeah... Do you think she’ll cry?”

“Hopefully. That’d be nice. Hahaha.”

Even now, there were tears gathering in Dad’s eyes.

“Sigh... I wonder if it’s too late.”

“Eh... You know, they say the moment you think it’s too late, that’s the earliest time to act.”

“That’s nonsense. When you think it’s too late, it really is.”

“...I don’t think that’s something a parent should say.”

“Tsk.”

Thwack!

“Ouch! You hit me again...!”

Bang-

“What are you two whispering about?”

Suddenly, Mom’s mysterious smile appeared through the open door as she looked back and forth between us.

“Huh? Oh, nothing. We didn’t do anything.”

“Uh... Mom... Dad keeps hitting me...”

I quickly jumped up and threw myself into Mom’s arms.

“Honey! How can you hit our Noah?!”

“Huh, hey, Noah, are you serious?”

“Mom, look. This... isn’t this bleeding? Ow, it hurts...”

“Ugh... It’s all swollen and red. Let’s just ignore that rough Dad of yours and have fun, shall we?”

Mom’s gentle hands, so different from Dad’s rough ones, brushed through my hair.

“Yeah...”

“Hehe, okay. Let’s eat some tangerines. I’ll peel them for you.”

Nodding enthusiastically, I stuck my tongue out at Dad.

“Well... Ugh... Geez. How am I supposed to live like this...”

Shaking his head, Dad got up from his seat and gently held Mom’s hand as they walked out.

“Then, honey, I’ll peel the tangerines for you.”

“Really? Hehehe.”

“...Then, I’ll peel Dad’s tangerines.”

“Forget it. I don’t need tangerines peeled by a traitor.”

“Really?”

Pause-

“If you insist on peeling them, I won’t stop you.”

Dad smiled and walked out into the living room, sitting down in front of the tangerine basket.

His mouth was curved up high.

“Ugh... What are these kids doing? Ugh, it’s so frustrating.”

Dad clicked his tongue as he carefully peeled the tangerine and popped it into Mom’s mouth.

“By the way, honey, wasn’t the family you used to take care of like those kids?”

Mom, chewing the tangerine and swallowing it, nodded her head.

“Yeah, it was similar... Grandma raised the kids alone, but when she got dementia, all three of them... didn’t even show up for over a month... When they came during Chuseok, the whole house was... Sigh... Why do people do that? What’s wrong with them...”

With a moist voice, Mom stopped speaking, picked up Dad’s hand, and shoved the remaining tangerine into his mouth, forcing him to chew.

“Still, our Noah is so sweet, I don’t think she’ll ever abandon me. Right?”

“Of course...”

I enthusiastically squished the peeled tangerine and popped it into Dad’s mouth.

The tangerine, the size of my fist, fit in his mouth in one bite.

Then, without chewing much, he swallowed it and spoke with a voice full of anger.

“Next door too! Those kids! They make a lot of money, but they never send any allowance!”

“Ugh, honey. Your voice is too loud.”

“Huh... Is it? Hmm. Anyway... I raised them, sold herbs, sold fish cakes, and sent them to medical school. How can they neglect their parents like this? Damn it, it makes me so mad.”

Then, Dad carefully grabbed my wrist and popped a peeled tangerine into my mouth.

Chew, chew-

“Ugh, peel...”

“I’m fine eating it with the peel.”

It’s not fine; it’s because it doesn’t taste good...

“Noah, later on, I may not be around, but make sure to take care of your mom. Got it?”

“...What are you saying? I’ll take care of you too, Dad.”

“Dad’s a superman, so I won’t age. Just take care of your mom.”

Dad flashed a playful smile, then split the perfectly peeled tangerine in half.

One half went into Mom’s mouth.

The other half went into mine.

“Even if I don’t tell you, I know our Noah will do well, right? Hehehe.”

With my mouth full of tangerine, I could only nod.

Mom’s gentle hands wrapped around my arm.

Dad’s rough hands ruffled my hair.

The tangerine in my mouth was sweet.

Very sweet.

The aftertaste was sour.

“Ahhh! Our family! A happy family! Let’s be happy forever! Dad will protect you forever!!”

“Yes. I’ll believe in you. Let’s live happily together forever. Hehe.”

My face scrunched up.

My nose tingled.

Someday, the sour taste will fade away.

But right now, I want to feel it a little longer.

“Yes...”

Forever.

Forever.

Forever, he says.

A lie...

"Can I help?”

“How?”

“You just need to defeat the people trying to take.”

“Noah...?”

“Do you °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° think I can’t do it? Hmm... I can defeat those weaklings... all by myself.”

“Weaklings... Hahaha! Weaklings, you say?”

“Of course! Don’t you trust me?!”

“I do. Of course, I do. If not Noah, who else would I trust?”

“Right? Then let trust me and live comfortably.”

“Okay. Please, Noah. Please protect me.”

“How long?”

“...Forever.”

“Got it. Just trust me.”

I’ll protect you forever.

“Today, I’ll be a little late getting off work.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I have a bit of overtime to do.”

Oh... Dad’s acting strange.

“Hmmm... I see. Be careful on your way home.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

“Yeah. I’ll be back. Noah, don’t play too many games.”

“...Okay.”

Dad nodded cautiously toward me, opened the front door with a bright smile, and left for work.

“Noah, don’t you think something’s suspicious about Dad?”

“...What do you mean?”

“Do you think he’s going to get a ring for Mom?”

“A... ring? Why all of a sudden?!”

How did he know?

No, no... I need to calm down.

“Just... a woman’s intuition? Hehe.”

Mom lightly tapped my nose with her finger, laughing quietly as she headed into the living room.

“Is there any side dish you want? I’m making some for the old lady next door. We can make it together.”

“Hmmm... how about rolled omelette?”

“With onions?”

“Lots!”

“If you put too many, it’ll look weird. Is that okay?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t matter. As long as it tastes good. Hehe.”

“Got it. Stay in your room. I’ll call you when I’m done.”

“Okay.”

Singing a little tune, I darted into my room, right next to the front door.

Today is a busy day for raid rounds.

I have to use my time wisely...!

I immediately stretched my toes and turned on the computer.

Turn it on...

Why isn’t it working...?

“Hmmm...?”

Reluctantly, I got out of the chair and pressed the power button.

Then, I flopped back into the chair.

I moved my legs, which didn’t reach the ground, and connected to the Black Sun.

“Today, what character should I play first...!”

I squirmed my hips and scanned the eight characters.

Then...

“...Greatsword.”

I clicked on the character holding the greatsword, almost as if I were hypnotized.

“This is... the hardest character.”

But why did I want to play it first?

It’s strange.

Tilting my head, I immediately clicked on the left to equip the greatsword.

Then, a white line started drawing across the entirely black screen.

“This is, Giga- special ability.”

I hummed a silly tune and casually used the movement spell.

Not the East Ruins... but Habron.

Habron...?

Was there a place named that?

Hmm... Whatever.

Names don’t matter.

Anyway, it’s all the same when I hunt Carpen.

I just followed the usual routine.

I moved the mouse.

Summoned Carpen.

Finished the hunt smoothly.

Next, Karahan.

Defeated Tylant.

Next was the Moon Temple... no, Cartia.

Defeated Valoran.

Then went to the Catacombs.

Defeated Brunhilde.

Went to the Empire’s capital.

Defeated Lyla.

Went to the Rift Dimension.

Defeated the sealed Ancient Dragon.

Then went to Erden.

Erden.

Erden.

Erden.

Erden.

Erden.

End.

Priestess

Knock knock-

“Noah! I was going to take the side dishes to the old lady next door, can you help me carry them? They're so heavy.”

As soon as I heard Mom’s tired voice, the computer screen went dark.

“...Ah!”

“Noah?”

“Ugh... It’s almost done. Sigh... Let’s go together.”

I looked resentfully at the turned-off computer, jumped out of the chair, and quickly fixed my hair in the mirror before heading out the door.

Then, on my way out...

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw it.

In the mirror.

Unknown.

Words.

Flickering.