Chapter 33

The black eyes that gaze at me. In those eyes, perhaps a misunderstanding, but they seem to be tinged with relief.

The footsteps approaching are not as heavy as I expected. It doesn’t look like he has any injuries on his legs. However, blood seeps from his right arm, which he is pressing with his palm, staining the white coat sleeve red.

Arnold walked over to where I was sitting. Looking up at his face, I muttered in a daze.

"Mr. Arnold..."

"I’m going to get a healing potion."

At his words, I snapped back to my senses and nodded vigorously.

That’s right, there are two soldiers who were injured while trying to protect me, not far away. I need to get them the healing potion as soon as possible. And it’s not just them. Although I don’t have a clear grasp of the situation, there must be battles with monsters happening all over the town.

Fortunately, the branch is right in front of us. I stepped into the white building at a brisk pace and tried to take out the healing potions I had prepared.

At that moment, Arnold slowly pulled one of the healing potions from the box and drank it all at once. He is injured too.

"...Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

Arnold wiped his mouth with a firm gesture. For a moment, his body tensed up, and then it relaxed with a deep sigh.

I looked at the wound. The bleeding had stopped.

"I’ll take you to the mansion. There are probably injured people being brought in, so I’ll leave the treatment to them."

"Yes. ...Ah, by the way, I got separated from Ms. Vilma."

"I see, understood."

Arnold nodded without being affected by my anxious tone.

I hope Ms. Vilma is safe. I’m a bit worried, but if I wander around the town, I might cause more trouble. It’s embarrassing, but it’s probably best to leave it to Arnold.

We carried the box of healing potions, which we both held, and left the branch. Just then, Alex happened to be passing by.

"Mr. Arnold!"

A handsome face, dirty with mud and a few cuts. There were no noticeable injuries on his body, but he was holding his side with his left hand, perhaps a bruise or a fracture.

Arnold showed no sign of relief at Alex’s safety and, in his usual calm and composed manner, asked a question.

"Alex, what about the monsters?"

"It seems they have been mostly defeated. ...No, to be precise, they retreated."

"...Retreated?"

Arnold tilted his head.

Retreat. That means the monsters withdrew from the battlefield of their own accord. If Alex and the others had killed the monsters with their own hands, they would have said they had driven them back.

I also tilted my head at Alex’s choice of words but sighed in relief, knowing that the monsters had left the town.

"Let’s talk about the details later. Arnold, I’m sorry, but can you help guard the mansion with the soldiers? Many of the townspeople have taken refuge there. I’ll go back and check if there are any monsters left in the town."

Saying this in a rush, Alex was about to run off without waiting for Arnold’s response. I called out to his back without thinking.

"Hey, the healing potions...!"

Alex’s feet stopped abruptly. Then he approached me in large strides and took the healing potion.

"Sorry, thank you."

A brief word of gratitude.

He gulped down the contents in one go and ran off again. Looking at his back, I felt a sense of reliability in the young lord who governs this region.

***

When Arnold and I returned to the mansion, it was bustling with people. As Alex had said, many of the townspeople had taken refuge there. Many soldiers stood at the gate, on guard.

I ran around with the healing potions in hand, treating the injured. All I had to do was listen to their symptoms and give them the most suitable healing potion. Despite this, the number of people was more than I had expected, and I felt my forehead getting wet with sweat.

I prioritized visiting those with more serious injuries. When I had finished with them, I heard my name being called from somewhere.

"Laura!"

There was only one person who could call me that.

"Emiliana!"

"I’m glad you’re safe!"

Looking up, I saw the expected cute smile. I noticed that her eyes were red and swollen, but I didn’t point it out as we rejoiced at our reunion.

Emiliana must have been worried too. The warmth of her hand, which she gripped tightly, made my chest ache.

After a while of rejoicing over each other’s safety, I suddenly remembered. Is Ms. Vilma safe? I haven’t seen her yet.

"Emiliana, have you seen Ms. Vilma? We got separated..."

"Ms. Vilma is in that room. She was injured, but she’s safe."

I felt a sense of relief at her words.

I’m glad. From Emiliana’s tone and expression, it didn’t seem like she had any serious injuries.

Guided by Emiliana, I opened the door to a guest room. A red figure came into view. The moment she saw me, she raised her hand and smiled, and I hurried over to her.

"Ms. Vilma, I’m so glad...!"

"Laura, I’m sorry for worrying you. I shouldn’t have run off without thinking."

Shaking my head vigorously, I replied multiple times.

"No, that’s not it... You were amazing. I couldn’t do anything."

Ms. Vilma must have run around the town, carrying the healing potions, in the midst of the battle. Her actions were commendable as a royal alchemist. Unlike me, who prioritized my own safety in a moment of panic.

Ms. Vilma must have a clear understanding and pride in what a royal alchemist should be.

"I still lack that kind of awareness, it seems."

Ms. Vilma exclaimed, "What are you talking about!" and denied it strongly.

Surprised by her strong rebuttal, I looked at her with wide eyes.

"You’re only 14, right? It’s wonderful that you can think this way at your age."

Ms. Vilma, who patted my head as if to comfort me, seemed like a kind older sister.

Tears welled up in the corners of my eyes. I felt embarrassed to cry when I hadn’t done anything, so I quickly wiped them away.

I forced a clumsy smile to cover it up. Ms. Vilma smiled back as if she understood everything and was willing to be fooled.

—Just as my heart, which had been racing since the monster attack, began to calm down, Arnold appeared near the door, perhaps to check on Ms. Vilma’s safety. He had changed his clothes, and the blood-stained, mud-covered white coat was now a pristine white.

While savoring Ms. Vilma’s safety, I thought it was time to check on the other injured people. I apologized to Ms. Vilma and stood up. I reached for the doorknob, but the door opened a few moments before I could grasp it.

I stumbled forward as the door suddenly opened. Determined not to fall, I glared at the ground and braced my feet. I was slow to recognize the person who had opened the door.

"Alex"

Arnold’s voice made me realize who had opened the door.

He apologized to me and took a step into the room. However, he didn’t come in any further. Curious, I looked up—

"Arnold, I need to talk to you."

Facing Arnold directly, he spoke in a low voice.

Even to me, who didn’t know Alex well, it was clear that something was amiss. Looking at Emiliana, who was staring at her fiancé, I felt a heavy atmosphere in the room.

Arnold moved suddenly. Without a word, Alex seemed to sense something and opened the door behind him. He stepped out, but—

"Ampeur, come too. ...Is that alright?"

Arnold turned to me just before the door.

I was taken aback to be suddenly included when I had felt left out. However, it was an important—though completely incomprehensible to me—consultation, and Alex wouldn’t welcome me, I thought, looking at the young lord with silver hair.

"Yes. Those who are in the royal capital will naturally hear about it in the future. Besides, I have a favor to ask of Laura."

To my surprise, he nodded.

***

Arnold, Emiliana, and I were invited to Alex’s study. After that, Alex had also asked Emiliana to come along.

The study, filled with the scent of paper, felt nostalgic and comforting. If I had visited on a normal day, it would have been a place to spend a warm and pleasant time. However, now, the air between the four of us was heavy and suffocating.

Alex looked around our faces and then spoke.

"First, Arnold, I want to thank you again for your help. Many lives were saved because of you."

Alex bowed deeply. Arnold, who was thanked directly, nodded while looking at the floor, seemingly uncomfortable.

Alex raised his head. His eyes were trembling.

"Also, I have a report. ...During the battle in the town, the monsters suddenly retreated."

"Retreat?"

"Exactly. The monsters looked up at the sky as if they were being called by something, and then left without paying any attention to us. This happened just when we thought we had put them at a disadvantage by defeating nearly half of them."

Arnold frowned and this time made eye contact with Alex.

Retreat. I felt a sense of unease at the word. It seemed Arnold felt the same way.

Arnold asked in a questioning, probing tone.

"Do these monsters in this region possess such intelligence?"

In response, Alex shook his head without a word.

"I can’t completely rule it out, but I’ve never seen them act like this before. Besides, Arnold, you must have noticed too, right? This attack—"

"It was a diversion."

Arnold continued Alex’s words.

—A diversion?

I must have said the word without realizing it. Arnold turned to me, caught it, and looked at me with his black eyes, clearly addressing me.

"Early this morning, a large group of monsters was spotted near the town. The soldiers left the town on alert... and in that gap, the monsters that were waiting in another place attacked the town. Because the number of guards was less than usual, they were able to enter easily."

I nodded in understanding at Arnold’s concise explanation.

"It’s a simple strategy, but the monsters have never acted like this before—using a diversion. It’s clearly different from before."

With Alex’s final words, a heavy silence fell over us.

The monsters used a diversion and retreated as if they had sensed a disadvantage. While not all monsters possess intelligence, according to Alex, this has never happened before.

I was startled by this change. It felt like a reminder that the time of the Demon King’s revival was drawing near.

The monsters will likely grow stronger from now on. This is due to the evil power of the Demon King. Or, more directly, the Demon King might be giving power to his subordinates.

In any case, the seal on the Demon King is probably weakening. The attacks on Eme’s village and the capital, and this incident, seem to be signs that the Demon King’s power is leaking out due to the weakening seal.

In the heavy air, Alex spoke again.

"I said they were called, but there’s a more appropriate expression."

Unconsciously, I had lowered my head, but I raised it at his words. Alex’s expression was rigid, cold, as if he had closed off his emotions.

"It was as if they were receiving orders from someone."

The image of the Demon King from "Last Brave" flashed through my mind.

The Demon King in my mind had a human-like appearance. No, to be precise, he had taken over a man’s body. As the battle progressed, his form transformed into a hideous monster.

The Demon King’s loathsome laughter echoed in my ears. I shook my head a few times to dispel it.

"I’ve sent an urgent messenger to the capital. In a few days, this town’s incident will be known to many people."

Saying this, Alex pulled his chin back and glared at the air. Then he said the words.

"Most likely, this town will be attacked again."

A thin sound of someone drawing a breath reached my ears. I couldn’t tell if it was me or Emiliana standing next to me, I was so shaken.

I should have been able to predict this. But I was so shaken because there was no hesitation in Alex’s tone. He seemed certain of it.

I stared at Alex’s profile in shock. Suddenly, his eyes met mine.

Pierced by his pale blue eyes, which showed strong resolve, I instinctively took a few steps back. I didn’t know what I was afraid of, but a voice whispered, "Scary."

"Laura, I have a favor to ask. Can you take Emiliana to a town called Anea? Anea is the closest town to Platoven, but it’s a considerable distance away."

Surprised by the unexpected request, I let out a small "Eh."

Ignoring my confusion, Alex continued.

"You could even return to the capital. It would be more reassuring for Arnold. I’d like to ask you to prepare healing potions in a safe place far away."

In fact, I should have made this request from the beginning, rather than asking you to come to this town.

Saying this, Alex bowed his head.

"But at that time, I’d like you to take Emiliana with you. We’ll take care of the arrangements for housing and such."

"Wait! I...!"

It was Emiliana who spoke up. Her tone was clearly dissatisfied, as if she was arguing with her fiancé.

Alex’s expression softened as he looked at Emiliana. He slowly walked over to her and grabbed her shoulder firmly. The wrinkles on the shoulder of her dress showed that he had a strong grip.

"Emiliana, please understand. And it’s not just you who will be evacuating. All the people in the town will be taken in by Anea soon. Soldiers will be stationed in Platoven to make it a stronghold for monster extermination."

Bending his knees, he leaned in to look at Emiliana’s face. Emiliana looked like she was about to cry, her eyes pleading as she looked at her fiancé.

Alex slightly lowered his gaze, as if to avoid her gaze.

"Of course, I will stay and take command."

Alex straightened his back and faced Arnold directly. He moved away from the stunned Emiliana and approached Arnold.

"I’ve sent messengers to nearby towns for reinforcements. ...Will you please cooperate, Arnold?"

He bowed deeply again.

—Silence. Arnold didn’t move a muscle.

He was being asked to cooperate. That is, to stay in this town and participate in the monster extermination as a magician.

Emiliana and Alex appear as a couple in "Last Brave," so they should be able to overcome this event.

Alex is an excellent swordsman, and Arnold’s magical skills are exceptional—probably. But even knowing this, I couldn’t stop feeling uneasy about whether they could win in a siege, gathering soldiers to face the monsters.

I watched Arnold’s cold, frozen profile, holding my breath. His lips moved.

"Are you certain the monsters will attack this town again?"

"Most likely."

"Why?"

"Considering the situation, it seems so. The monsters that have appeared near the town have finally entered it. We couldn’t defeat them all, and they even retreated with their strength intact. And—"

Alex hesitated and glanced at me and Emiliana. His attitude alone was enough to tell that there was something he didn’t want us to hear.

Alex is almost certain that the monsters will attack again.

Arnold frowned slightly, showing his dissatisfaction at not being given a solid reason. But he took a deep breath, as if to shake off his frustration, and spoke again.

"Is there an option to abandon this place? The herbs for healing potions and food don’t grow well here. The town is surrounded by vast nature, and the deep snow makes it difficult to move. It’s a more suitable environment for monsters than humans. I think it would be more advantageous to retreat to a better-prepared location and fight from there."

At Arnold’s straightforward question, Alex’s shoulders twitched. Although his expression was hidden, I could see that his hands, neatly placed by his sides, were clenched tightly.

"...It’s a last resort. As long as there’s a possibility that the monsters who take this land will move south, we want to stop them in this sparsely populated area and minimize the damage."

With Alex’s strained voice, the silence fell again. It was a long, long silence.

I glanced at Arnold’s profile again. He covered his mouth with his hand and lowered his black eyes.

It was an expression I had never seen before. He must be—hesitating.

But the expression disappeared quickly. Then he looked at Alex directly with his black eyes and—

"I understand."

He nodded clearly.

It was a voice filled with determination, without any hesitation.