Chapter 18

I will guide Lukas to my favorite place—a bench on a small hill. At this time, the setting sun, sinking behind the mountains, looked particularly beautiful.

"From here, the view is my favorite. Especially at this time, the sunset is beautiful, isn't it?"

I turned to look at Lukas. He took a few steps forward and muttered in amazement.

"Really..."

The orange light reflected off Lukas's golden hair, making it look very beautiful. I smiled softly at the sight of my childhood friend. I guided him to the bench. I remembered how beautiful the sunsets were in the village of Eme. The sunsets in my hometown were magnificent, shining gently in the vast nature, but the sunsets seen from here lit up the capital, Shvalia, in a warm orange, giving them a different kind of charm.

I stole a glance at Lukas's profile as he sat next to me. His nose had grown quite a bit—how grown-up he looked. Seeing the increasingly prominent features of the future hero in my childhood friend, I thought about his destiny to come. The weight of the world would rest on his still slender shoulders. Though it was a future matter, he was already carrying the safety and lives of the villagers of Eme.

"Just a few dozen people. But for a 14-year-old boy, it's far too heavy a burden."

"I'll be going back to the village next time. I really want to see my mom and dad, and Petra and the others."

Without realizing it, my voice had softened. At my words, Lukas looked at me sharply.

—Having opened the path to becoming a royal alchemist, I thought I was almost there. But that was a mistake. From now on, I will be on a path I don't know. Perhaps the path Lukas is about to take, the "Last Brave," might be different.

I know that the Demon King will revive in a few years, but even that event might change. So, I'll do everything I can. But there's not much I can do. First and foremost, I need to become an excellent alchemist. If I do, I can help the future hero as an alchemist. For example, like the potion-making grandma in "Last Brave."

Aim for a royal alchemist! And then, maybe aim to be a potion-making grandma!

"Yeah, if you do that, everyone will be happy."

Lukas smiled. I smiled too. I thought it would be nice if days like this could continue. Even if a disaster befalls this world, I hope we can overcome it and laugh about it later, saying it was tough back then.

—We watched the sunset in silence for a while. The silence was comfortable, and the distance between us felt just right. I had always found Lukas's side very calming, but after being apart for a few months, that feeling had only grown stronger.

Enjoying the comfortable silence and the sunset—suddenly, a cold wind brushed against my cheek. I shivered and stood up, thinking we should go back before I caught a cold. The sun was about to set.

"Once the sun sets, it gets quite cold quickly. Let's go back to the inn."

Lukas nodded without a word in response to my words.

***

Lukas said he would take a room at the inn and unpack, so I secured a seat at the tavern across the street. It was very crowded at this time because it was a holiday. I managed to get a seat just in time.

This place is almost like a restaurant, offering a variety of dishes such as meat, fish, pasta, and pizza. The prices are also reasonable, so many families visit on holidays. Chelsea and I have never been bothered by strangers when we come here with two other women.

The location is right across from the inn. I told him this before we parted and also described Lukas to a familiar waiter. He would surely be guided in as soon as he arrived.

I hadn't decided what to order yet, but I opened the menu anyway.

What should I have today? Maybe something light, like a fish dish—while I was thinking about it,

"Of course! It's Laura, right!?"

A familiar, high-energy voice called out. The distinctive tone was unmistakable.

I looked up from the menu,

"Kasper!?"

Kasper, his face red and clearly very drunk, stood looking down at me. He held a bottle of alcohol in one hand. I didn't intend to comment on how he spent his holidays, but this was definitely too much.

As I worried, Kasper slammed his hand on the table in front of me. My first encounter with a drunk in a tavern was with my boss.

"Laura, I saw you around noon..."

Kasper whispered.

What did he see around noon?

Feeling a bit annoyed at being bothered by a drunk, but not wanting to be rude, I asked, "What did you see?"—but before I could finish, Kasper raised his voice.

"Who was the handsome blonde boy you were with around noon!? Don't tell me it was someone else!"

Oh no. —I wanted a compliment, not a rebuke.

It seems he had seen me with Lukas during the day. I had considered the possibility of being seen in the capital, but I hadn't taken any special precautions, thinking it wouldn't cause any harm. In fact, it would have been better if it had just been Kasper. —Meeting a drunk Kasper and being questioned like this felt like a minor inconvenience.

Swallowing a sigh, I was about to respond when Kasper continued without waiting for me.

"Could it be... Laura, you're cheating!?"

"Huh!?"

I almost jumped out of my chair. The alcohol smell hit my nose. He must have been drinking a lot.

I grimaced and was about to respond when Kasper leaned in closer, glaring at me.

"Because the other day, you and Arnold were in the herb garden together, right!?"

Arnold. I felt a bit deflated hearing his name from Kasper. I also thought it was a good thing Lukas wasn't here.

"No, he was just showing me around..."

I denied it, but Kasper leaned in even closer, his breath reeking of alcohol. How much had he drunk?

If he was asking about this while drunk, it probably meant he had been speculating about my relationship with Arnold all along. I remembered he had mistaken me for Arnold's girlfriend when we first met. That misunderstanding had only been cleared up after two years—was he really that interested in romantic affairs?

"No way, it's a lie! The Arnold who never accepted my invitations! The Arnold who looks so annoyed when he's alone with me! He offered to take care of you, Laura! There's only one explanation!"

Kasper clenched his fist and argued forcefully.

From what he was saying, it seemed like Arnold didn't particularly like me, but rather that Kasper was particularly disliked—such a rude thought crossed my mind, but I tried to think of how to get out of this situation. I needed to calm things down before Lukas arrived. Meeting an excited Kasper would only complicate things.

Maybe I should leave the tavern and wait for Lukas in front of the inn—this wasn't a bad idea, but I still needed to figure out how to get away from Kasper.

"Yet, at noon, Laura, you were with an unknown handsome boy!"

"No, he's... a childhood friend."

"Childhood friend!? ...Laura, you're quite the player, aren't you!?"

I tried to explain the identity of the "unknown handsome boy" as smoothly as possible, but Kasper not only didn't back off, he dug in even deeper. This wasn't going to work; I needed to leave the tavern.

Just as I was about to stand up,

"Hey, what a troublesome drunk you are."

Suddenly, a manly hand slapped Kasper's head.

I recognized the voice, the tone, and the strong hand. I stood up quickly from my chair as soon as I recognized him.

"Ve...!"

The one who saved me from the drunk Kasper was none other than Veig Bakker.

We met two years ago, one of the party members of "Last Brave," the future hero.

He grabbed Kasper's collar and smiled apologetically. —His right eye still had no large scar.

"Sorry, I was trying to keep him from drinking, but he took advantage of me leaving the table for a moment..."

"No, no! It's fine!"

I shook my head vigorously. I never expected to meet him here, in this situation.

I glanced at the entrance of the tavern. Lukas wasn't there yet. I felt a bit awkward about introducing my childhood friend to Veig here.

Lukas and Veig were supposed to meet for the first time at the castle, where they would test each other's strength, and Veig would recognize Lukas's power and offer to accompany the king. If they met here, it might change the future in unexpected ways.

I had once thought I shouldn't worry about how my actions would affect the future, but I still had some resistance to changes in Lukas's environment. Following the path of the game would ensure the safety of my childhood friend and his companions. If they followed the same path as in the game, Lukas and his friends would save the world without losing a single person.

"Miss, you're the new alchemy apprentice, right? The talk of the town in the knights' circle is that a genius girl joined this year after the apprentice system started."

"R-Really...? Haha... It's an honor."

It was very exciting to hear this from Veig, a fan of "Last Brave." I would have liked to talk more, especially about the rumor of Arnold joining the knights, but I quickly gathered my things.

However,

"Miss, I'm sorry for the trouble. Come on, let's go, bad boss!"

Before I could leave, Veig dragged Kasper away. He reached the tavern entrance with surprising speed, considering he was dragging a grown man, and waved at me before leaving.

I nodded in response and let out a sigh of relief, slumping back into my chair.

I thought about Veig's smile. He would probably get a large scar on his right eye within the next two years. In the game, he had already adapted to fighting with one eye, and that event might happen this year. It wasn't impossible that it wouldn't happen, but—

I opened the menu again.

Kasper and Veig might be close enough to drink together. They seemed friendly two years ago. Maybe I would have another chance to meet them.

Next time, I wanted to talk more and hear his many heroic tales.

While waiting for Lukas, I remembered Veig's brave figure from "Last Brave."