Chapter 29

"It's cold! It's so cold!"

A few days after I was promoted from an apprentice to an assistant in the royal alchemy lab, I found myself swaying on a horse with Arnold, surrounded by a world of silver.

"Just a bit more, so be quiet," he said irritably from above. Arnold's chest pressed against my back, but the warmth didn't reach me through his thick coat. We had been dispatched to the Platnovena region by Mr. Casper, without any explanation. We left the capital immediately after receiving the order, changed carriages, and even took a boat. Before I knew it, we were in a world of silver. The Platnovena region is a place where it snows all year round, typical of the late stages of an RPG. I had visited this place in the late stages of the game before. The scenery and the field BGM were so fantastical that I particularly enjoyed it back then. However, now that I'm here, there's no time to appreciate the view. It's cold. It's incredibly cold. The exposed parts of my skin feel as if they are being pricked by needles due to the cold.

"There it is, over there."

Arnold pointed, and indeed, a town came into view. Even from a distance, the town felt somewhat nostalgic. As we got closer, I remembered that this region was governed by a young noble. The man with silver hair and clear blue eyes was quite popular due to his appearance. Despite his icy demeanor, he had a young wife, I believe. While reminiscing, the town was right before us. That's when I noticed something.

At the entrance to the town, under an arch, a woman was standing, staring at us intently. She had hair as red as a burning flame, with the tips slightly faded to an orange color, creating a beautiful gradient. Her long hair, almost reaching her waist, swayed as she waved at us. It seemed like someone from the Platnovena branch had come to greet us, so I politely nodded from the horse.

"Arnold, you're still as unfriendly as ever!"

"Ms. Vilma, it's been a while."

It seemed Arnold and the woman, called Vilma, knew each other. Despite being a woman, she had a very dignified voice. Arnold dismounted first and offered me his hand, which I awkwardly took to get off the horse. The red-haired woman immediately spoke to me.

"So, you must be the special case number two."

"R, Rachel Ampere."

In response to my greeting, Vilma smiled, her eyes narrowing. Her smile was not a cute, feminine one but rather a cool, stylish one.

"My name is Vilma Eima. I'm a member of the Platnovena branch."

Her slightly pretentious way of speaking suited her well. We exchanged greetings and started walking. It seemed she would guide us to the branch. Since I was ordered to go on a business trip, I had been secretly wondering where the Platnovena branch was. In my memory, the term "royal alchemist" had appeared a few times in "Last Brave," but the specific term "royal alchemist" had not. In other words, in my memory of Platnovena, there was no building where royal alchemists were dispatched.

"I'm sorry for calling you here so suddenly."

"No, it's fine. I heard you've been dealing with a lot of monsters recently."

"Yes, that's true. The problem is, we can't keep up with the production of healing potions..."

Listening to their conversation, I finally understood why I was here. I had suspected it from the sudden business trip and the sudden promotion. There must be a serious reason, and the need for an alchemist would be a clear indication.

"The capital was attacked by monsters recently, right? We requested support, but we didn't expect much... It's a pleasant surprise to have two people sent here."

"It's a bit of a forced increase in manpower using special measures."

"Two special cases, huh? That's reassuring."

The term "two special cases" made me smile wryly. From Arnold's words, it seemed my promotion was decided to meet the demands of this support request. With the possibility of attacks like the one we recently experienced, the capital wanted to keep as many official royal alchemists as possible. However, they couldn't ignore the towns at high risk of attack. As a compromise, I was chosen, and I was honored to be selected.

Vilma stopped and turned to me, bending her knees slightly to meet my eye level.

"Rachel, we'd like you to stay here for a while and help with the production of healing potions. Can you do that?"

I nodded firmly in response to her request. I still didn't fully understand the role of an assistant, but if there was something I could do, I wanted to do my best.

"I'm still new as an assistant, but I'll do my best."

***

After the greetings, Vilma said she had arranged a place for us to stay, and Arnold and I followed the map to get there. Although the map of the town was already in my head, the building it pointed to, if my memory served me right, or if there were no discrepancies with the game, was the mansion of the noble who governed this region. The inn was in a different location.

I glanced at Arnold's face as he walked a few steps ahead with the map in hand. I asked him about something that had been bothering me since we left the capital.

"Have the monster attacks increased recently?"

"…Yeah, they have. However, the monsters haven't actually attacked the town. They often appear near the town, and the soldiers drive them back."

Arnold exhaled a white breath. His face was slightly distorted. I had been feeling a sense of unease about the town, and now I knew why. There were soldiers stationed everywhere, armed and standing guard.

—Monster attacks will likely increase in various places in the future. Thinking about that future, I couldn't help but sigh. Arnold continued, as if to cover my sigh.

"The scale of the monster groups is getting larger, and there's concern that a large group might attack the town. That's why we've been sent here to prepare."

"Was I promoted to assistant for this? Because you needed more people?"

I recalled Arnold's words earlier. He had said that they had increased the manpower using special measures. In response to my straightforward question, Arnold showed a pained expression for a moment but then softened and nodded firmly.

"Yes. The capital can't be sure when it might be attacked by monsters. In such a situation, it's impossible to send two royal alchemists as support, but we can't ignore the towns at risk of attack. Having only one person as support would be insufficient... After considering all this, you were chosen."

It seemed my suspicions were correct. I don't know who made the final decision, but it must have been a well-thought-out conclusion. Otherwise, they wouldn't have informed me on the day of departure. They must have hesitated to send a 14-year-old girl to a place at risk of monster attacks.

Thinking about this— I was surprised by my own calmness. I had been calmly assessing the situation, but this town was at risk of a large-scale monster attack. Being sent here without any explanation, a normal person would feel anxious or angry. Why didn't I feel any of those emotions? I found the answer.

I subconsciously believed that I wouldn't die until I was at least 16 or 17. After all, Rachel Ampere, despite being a minor character, was a childhood friend of the hero in "Last Brave."

—Even though I wanted to escape the future of "Last Brave," I was unconsciously clinging to the parts that suited me. I tried to hide the smirk on my lips with a forced smile and asked Arnold.

"Was it Mr. Casper who decided?"

"No. He was actually against the decision. He thought it was too dangerous to send an assistant, who had just been promoted, to a town that might become a battlefield."

I recalled Mr. Casper's unusually tired face when he informed me of my promotion. He must have argued against the decision and worried about my safety.

"Then I volunteered to come with you. The higher-ups were hesitant to let me leave the capital, but I insisted. There were things I wanted to confirm here."

Things to confirm. I tilted my head at those words. One reason Arnold's offer to come along was accepted might be his strong magical abilities. If we were attacked by monsters, he could use magic to protect us. Mr. Casper might have been relieved to have Arnold come along. However, if Arnold left the capital, it would mean the absence of an excellent alchemist and magician. His position as a royal alchemist and magician seemed to have put him in a rather troublesome situation. Still, he must have insisted on coming because there were things he wanted to confirm. The phrase "insisted" suggested that there was some conflict. I couldn't help but wonder what the reason was.

However, I doubted he would answer easily if I asked. I might even upset him. I was torn between keeping my questions to myself and asking boldly. Just then,

"Lord Arnold and Lady Rachel?"

We were called from behind. The voice was very cute, like the tinkling of a bell. I turned around.

"I've been waiting for you. I'm Emilian, and I've been assigned to guide you."

Emilian. The girl bowed deeply as soon as we turned around. Then, she slowly raised her head. She looked young but older than me, probably around 16. Her cheeks were flushed red from the cold, and her long eyelashes trembled with each blink. Her wavy blonde hair was tied up in a high bun, and her blue eyes, which shone brightly, were like gems. In a word, she was a beautiful girl. A breathtakingly beautiful girl. But that wasn't the only reason I was staring at her.

—I know her. I recognize her.

"I'm Arnold Roco. This is Rachel Ampere. Nice to meet you."

While Arnold greeted her, I found myself staring at the girl's face. She seemed to notice and gave an awkward, uncomfortable smile. Her expression overlapped with another.

—Ah, my wife.

I almost let out a whisper but managed to swallow it. I pressed my hands to my mouth and stared at her face again. There was no mistake. I had met her before. She, Emilian, would become the wife of the noble who governed this region in a few years.