Chapter 23

"Raura, are you not feeling well?"

Lukas peered at me with a worried look.

— After that, Lukas returned to the mountain cabin, which had been filled with a heavy atmosphere, carrying a basket full of herbs. The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up, and he was delighted to see me again. I wanted to respond to his joy, but the conversation with Master just a while ago kept swirling in my mind—unable to dispel the heavy air, we left the cabin where Master lived, just the two of us.

I'm glad you're well.

Everyone was worried about you.

I nodded vaguely at Lukas's words, which were spoken in a hesitant manner, and then he asked me the question.

"Huh, ah, no, sorry, I'm just a bit tired."

It was an excuse I made to avoid the question, but it wasn't a lie. Being in the carriage for over a day was indeed physically and mentally exhausting. Moreover, thinking about Elvira made my mood sink.

Lukas smiled gently and said, "I see," and didn't ask any more questions. Then he changed the subject.

"When I heard that a large group of monsters appeared near the capital... I was surprised."

I was surprised.

From his hesitant tone, it was clear he wasn't expressing his feelings well. He was indeed surprised, but he seemed frustrated that he couldn't find the right words to convey his feelings. He had a look of frustration on his face.

Lukas's worried expression temporarily pushed Elvira to the back of my mind. I needed to properly apologize to my kind childhood friend for making him worry.

"I'm sorry for worrying you."

"It's not your fault, Raura."

Lukas immediately shook his head.

He's such a kind person. I truly think so.

Feeling a bit guilty, I noticed my lips curling up at the corners, touched by his kindness.

"You even wrote me a letter... but seeing you in person today really put my mind at ease."

Lukas's cheeks relaxed with a gentle smile.

Suddenly, my left hand was gripped. Lukas seemed to be checking my body temperature, squeezing my hand several times. — At that moment, I noticed.

Lukas's palm was covered with numerous calluses.

"A while ago, I started learning swordsmanship from the blacksmith. Since Raura is working hard, I thought I should do what I can."

Lukas said this with a rather stern smile, different from his usual soft and cute smile. It was a boy's smile, tinged with a faint sense of confidence.

Feeling both proud and worried, I couldn't help but think of him as a younger brother. I knew it was unnecessary worry for a "future hero," but the childhood friend in front of me was still slender and had little experience fighting monsters.

"Don't overdo it."

"You too, Raura. We're in the same boat."

He immediately responded.

I had always suspected—though I didn't realize it myself—that Lukas thought I was the type of person who didn't notice when I was overworking myself. Indeed, when I was in Eme's village, I studied hard as an alchemist every day, but I wasn't pushing myself to the limit. However, if that's how he saw me, it would be wise to be more mindful, even if I wasn't aware of it.

I nodded a bit discontentedly but squeezed Lukas's right hand in return. Feeling the calluses on his palm, I felt a mix of reliance, worry, and unease.

***

When Lukas walked me home, Petra and the others were waiting for me. It seemed they still had a lot to talk about.

The moment they saw me, Lukas said, "Enjoy yourselves" and left, as if to give us some space. He wasn't particularly close to Petra and the others—though I don't know how his social life has been since I left for the capital—but he was considerate enough to let the girls have their time.

I invited Petra and the others into my room, and we had a lively conversation.

Recent events in the village.

New hobbies they had discovered.

Complaints about the village's male residents.

They also asked me to tell them about the capital.

The topics flowed one after another, but there was a moment when the conversation paused. At that moment, I thought of a new topic—remembering that Eme's village had been attacked by monsters recently, as Lukas had mentioned. However, he didn't give me the details, perhaps to avoid causing me unnecessary worry or stress. But...

"Um, I heard the village was attacked the other day... Is it true?"

When I brought this up, Petra, Radmila, and Yuria exchanged glances with rather awkward expressions.

Yuria was the one who answered.

"Yes, but no one was injured."

"That's a relief... Did the monsters enter the village?"

I felt relieved to hear that no one was injured, but I wanted to know more details. I asked more questions to delve deeper into the topic.

"The old man from the tool shop has a field at the edge of the village, right? The monsters appeared there."

"The old man rushed back to the village because it was so big... Even though it didn't attack, the monster followed him into the village."

"It was so big, I'd never seen anything like it. It was about twice as big as usual."

Yuria's words were continued by Petra, and Radmila added the final detail.

I imagined the scene from their descriptions. It must have been terrifying.

There were no knights, no mages. The adults in the village who were used to fighting monsters were there, but the individual they faced was much larger than any they had seen before.

The villagers must have been terrified, and Lukas was certainly among them.

"When the monster easily crossed the magic barrier at the village entrance, I was honestly scared out of my wits."

Petra laughed weakly. It was a statement she could only make because no one was injured, but a chill spread through my chest.

"What about Lukas?"

"Right! His left eye glowed brightly, it was beautiful."

"The old men had weakened it with their best efforts, but in the end, it was Lukas's... mysterious power that defeated it."

Radmila's eyes sparkled as usual, but Yuria's words were vague. She seemed to be confused by Lukas's power, even though it had protected them.

What is Lukas's hero power? I don't know it clearly either. But in this world, there is a legend that, from long ago, when the Demon King awakens, a young person with the power of light will be born to counter it. — Though I heard this legend in my previous life, I don't remember hearing a similar one in this life.

A young person with the power of light, that's Lukas. In a sense, he might be a messenger sent by heaven.

"I see... I'm really glad everyone is safe."

With those words, the topic was closed. The conversation then returned to a more relaxed and casual one.

— The conversation flowed, and before I knew it, it was getting dark outside. Feeling a bit reluctant, Petra and the others left for home before it got too dark. As we said our goodbyes, they nodded and said they would come back again.

That night, my parents and I enjoyed a family dinner.

My parents listened to my stories with gentle smiles. We laughed together at times. However, there was one moment when their smiles faltered. It was when they said—

"Raura... don't overdo it."

"That's right, you can always come back home."

Their eyes weren't fully smiling.

— As parents, they were worried. They were probably conflicted about whether it was right to let their daughter live in the capital.

They wanted me to come back, to be with them. Their eyes seemed to be pleading.

But I pretended not to notice and smiled.

I had something I needed to do. Something that couldn't be accomplished by staying in this village. I might even have to travel the world.

I silently apologized to my parents. I thought about saying it out loud, but I knew my mother would start crying. Her eyes were trembling that much.

I'm sorry, but I have a new goal.

While enjoying the conversation with my parents, Elvira's presence was always in the back of my mind.