Chapter 34

As soon as the carriage was ready, Emilian and I had to evacuate from Platonevena. We weren’t even given enough time to properly say our goodbyes—though I wanted to think that this wasn’t a final farewell. We packed our belongings and hurriedly stuffed them into the carriage as if being chased.

Just before leaving Platonevena, it seemed that Alex and the others managed to squeeze out some time to see us off. The moment Alex saw Emilian, the lovers were completely absorbed in their own world, leaving me out of it. I didn’t feel resentful, but I still felt uncomfortable, so I waited at a distance.

"Alex-sama..."

"Don’t make that face."

Alex tightly embraced Emilian, who was shedding tears. The sight of the beautiful lovers parting was so moving that it felt like a scene from a movie, and I couldn’t help but be captivated. I knew I shouldn’t stare, so I averted my gaze. Still, my ears were tuned to their conversation.

"Please be safe."

Emilian’s voice was trembling. Her eyes, I was sure, were brimming with tears that spilled uncontrollably. I could picture it without even looking. What expression did Alex have as he looked at his fiancée? Was he smiling to reassure her, or was he frowning at the pitiful sight of Emilian? Or something else entirely?

"Emilian will always, always wait for you."

It was a brave and resolute statement. It made my chest tighten, and I couldn’t help but step away. If I listened any longer, I might have started crying too.

We would stay in the city and face the monsters. What were our chances of victory? Neither Alex nor Arnold had given us detailed information about the monsters. At the same time, they never used words like "victory" or anything similar. Anxiety crept in.

I thought the possibility of Arnold dying here was extremely low. Elvira’s issues were far from resolved. But now, finally, a glimmer of hope was emerging. For him to die at this point—meta-wise, it seemed impossible. "Last Brave" is a classic RPG. The production staff wouldn’t have liked a twisted, bitter ending.

But this thought couldn’t be trusted 100% anymore. Since Alex was a character in the game, I thought the chances of him dying in this operation were low. However, this world was gradually diverging from the "Last Brave" I knew.

All I could do was pray for their safety. My memories from my past life were useless. What good was a new game?

"Raura-kun!"

I was looking down when a stern voice called out to me. I looked up to see a bright red color enter my field of vision. Vilma was walking towards me with the other alchemist from the Platonevena branch, so I ran to meet her.

"Will you and the others stay here?"

"Only until reinforcements arrive. Once more mages are sent, we’ll evacuate to Anea. We’ll be busy with alchemy from now on. Raura-kun, don’t overwork yourself and take care of your health."

Vilma bent slightly to meet my eye level and smiled warmly. They would continue alchemy in Platonevena and evacuate to Anea once the reinforcements were in place. If nothing went wrong, we would likely meet again in Anea in a few days.

I looked up at Vilma, and she tilted her head with a smile, noticing my gaze. I shivered, remembering the moment I lost sight of her red hair.

"Maybe I should—"

"No. Ampere, you must evacuate to Anea. We’ve already contacted the Anea branch."

Arnold interrupted my words, approaching from behind. I turned in surprise to see him in soldier’s attire, not his usual white coat, walking towards me.

I didn’t respond to his command-like words, instead looking up at him with a resentful gaze. His eyebrows twitched slightly, sensing my dissatisfaction.

I didn’t intend to defy him. I knew staying would cause unnecessary trouble. But it was only natural to want to be close to the battlefield and contribute.

"Should I continue alchemy here?"

"Yes. Soon, you should receive instructions from the capital—Kasper. I’ll leave it to you until then."

Kasper’s instructions. I was jolted back to reality by those words. Depending on the instructions, I might have to evacuate to the capital from Anea. Recalling Arnold’s past words, Kasper seemed to have been against sending me to the Platonevena branch in the first place.

"...Understood."

I nodded obediently. Arnold uncrossed his arms and nodded in acknowledgment. He glanced at me one last time before turning to leave.

"...Please be careful. Take care of yourself."

I wanted to say a proper farewell, but the words that came out were childish, and my voice was small and trembling. I thought my words wouldn’t reach him, but the sound of his footsteps on the snow stopped.

"I can’t die. For Elvira."

He continued without turning back.

"For Elvira."

***

Inside the carriage, I offered the restorative potion I had prepared before leaving the city to the despondent Emilian. The potion, made from herbs that warm the body, was similar to a warm tea, with a slight bitterness but known to be good for health, even for children.

"Emilian, please. This will warm you up."

"Ah, thank you..."

She took it and drank it in one gulp, perhaps to distract herself. I also drank the potion I had prepared for myself, feeling the warmth spread through my body.

"Raura-sama..."

Her voice was hard, filled with determination. I straightened my back, wondering what she would say. I braced myself, hoping she wouldn’t say something like wanting to return.

"Will you take me as your disciple!?"

"…What?"

Her words were unexpected. As I hesitated to respond, Emilian, mistaking my silence for a refusal, leaned in closer and continued.

"I want to be of some help. But I have no magic or strength..."

She trailed off and looked down. Through the strands of her golden hair, I could see her trembling blue eyes and her cute, pursed lower lip.

"I know alchemy requires a lot of knowledge and skill. I probably can’t make a proper restorative potion even after a few days of study. But I can certainly help by picking the herbs you need, cleaning, and doing other chores!"

Seeing her determination, I saw a reflection of my past self. I remembered the day I fled my fate as a losing heroine and became a disciple of the old woman at the edge of the village. It had been over six years since then. Whether it was "still" or "already," I couldn’t tell. It felt like yesterday and yet like a distant past.

But now wasn’t the time for nostalgia. I needed to do something about Emilian, who was bowing before me, asking to be my disciple. It was an unimaginable, unprecedented request.

"No, Emilian..."

"Use me as much as you like! Please! ...Because all I can do is wait."

A tear rolled down her cheek. Once it started, more followed, streaming down her face. Her tears made me flustered, but she didn’t seem to notice, looking at me with a strong, determined gaze.

"Please."

Her lips moved, her voice trembling as she tried to hold back her tears. We stared at each other for a few moments. I was the one who gave in.

"Alright. But not as a disciple... Can you help me, an inexperienced alchemist? Thank you."

I smiled gently and extended my right hand. Emilian’s face lit up with a smile. She took my hand and nodded with a full smile, saying, "Thank you, Master!" I tried to interject, "Not a disciple, but..." but my words didn’t reach her.

—Royal Alchemist Assistant, 14 years old. It seemed I had a new disciple.