Don't Be Holy! - Chapter 21
After that incident, rumors about Rubel handling the Alupu alone quickly swept through the small village. In no time, he went from being a mere stranger to a teacher instructing the village militia in swordsmanship.
Rubel wore the armor gifted by Eir securely draped over his shoulders and carried the long sword she had given him at his waist.
His appearance instantly drew everyone’s attention.
‘I think I’ve fallen in love with Lu.’
Whenever Rubel strolled through the streets dressed like that, the number of girls sighing those words increased by the day.
Many had already been mesmerized by his looks before, but now even the more grounded women—those who had resisted merely swooning over his face—found themselves unable to hold back.
Watching him casually correct others’ stances with a tilt of his sword or a simple gesture sent their hearts racing uncontrollably. It was a sentiment they all shared.
Even the boys receiving training had fallen for Rubel, trailing after him all the way to the foothills to help him tend the vegetable garden.
‘This feels like child exploitation.’
Before they knew it, the size of the garden had doubled. Unable to bear the sight of children sweating profusely as they tilled the soil, Eir made a remark. Rubel, his face dirtied with soil, shrugged mid-seeding.
‘What am I supposed to do when they won’t leave?’
In truth, the kids clung to him, asking if he would spar with them again once the work was done, even playfully hanging off his shoulders. Eir looked at the scene with a baffled expression, as though witnessing something utterly incomprehensible.
Of course, back when he was a noble and a holy knight, many admired him. But the situation now was vastly different.
Back then, people admired Rubel Shinote in secret, intimidated by his presence. Now, they openly pursued him, inviting him over under the guise of work, throwing flirtatious glances, or outright attempting to seduce him.
Rubel, however, remained the same, feigning disinterest while focusing on his work, occasionally picking at his ear as if nothing mattered.
“Eir, doesn’t living with him bother you at all? Even if you see him as a sibling, you’re not actually related by blood.”
Sibling, my foot.
They barely spoke at home. Eir was convinced the villagers were closer to him than she was.
Their conversations at home consisted of lines like.
‘Couldn’t you at least water the garden?’
‘Where did you put the ham?’
‘For the love of everything, stop being so stingy and eat proper food.’
And occasionally.
‘The herbs are over there. Grind them yourself if you need to treat a wound.’
‘Do you want to be in debt forever? Besides, when you eventually leave, I’ll be stuck here alone. What do you expect me to eat then?’
Still, thanks to Rubel’s respectable new job as the village militia’s training instructor, they could finally afford decent meals for a while.
On top of that, Rubel even took on odd jobs around the village to earn extra money.
‘What, is he possessed by the ghost of someone who starved to death?’
Eir grumbled, but considering how he had kicked that Alupu into the air, it was clear he was more monster than man. Thinking of how much food a horse could consume, his constant complaints about meals seemed somewhat justified.
‘Well, maintaining those muscles must be hard work.’
Eir rationalized this as she bought another slab of ham. The village women giggled, teasing her about how having a man at home meant she was buying more meat.
Escaping their teasing, Eir hurried home, only to find vegetables neatly arranged on the kitchen table—basil, lettuce, and others perfect for making sandwiches.
It seemed Rubel had prepared them after hearing her mention sandwiches earlier. Though Rubel was the better cook, he always used up all the ingredients in one go. Because of that, Eir handled the cooking while he prepared the ingredients.
“I mean, seriously, if you use everything, who could make a bad dish?”
Had he been in charge, he would have used up all the groceries for a single meal. Even though he had once fallen into poverty, he remained as extravagant as ever.
Still, muttering complaints under her breath, Eir cut an extra slice of ham and added it to Rubel’s sandwich. After all, it was thanks to him that they could afford such luxuries.
Wrapping the finished sandwich carefully on paper, Eir stepped outside.
She had just heard the sound of chopping wood a moment ago, but now he seemed to have gone somewhere again.
