Chapter 39

It was a pleasant, sunny day. -- Today, I would finally meet Elvira.

As soon as Arnold obtained the monster's horn, he apparently summoned Elvira from her hometown to the capital. He must have rushed to do so before the horn rotted. Not long after Arnold returned to the capital, she arrived today.

I couldn't settle down all day. Even when I tried to mix potions, I ended up spacing out and wasted an herb, so I switched to studying early. It was to figure out a way to mix the potion using the monster's horn. When I heard Elvira was coming, I had planned to come up with a few mixing methods by then.

Since becoming an assistant from an apprentice, I can now perform mixtures on my own without a supervisor. Moreover, I have been assigned the smallest mixing room for my personal use. This room is my workspace -- my castle.

Just before the end-of-day bell rang, the castle door was knocked. There was only one person it could be. Arnold.

When I opened the door, as expected, a pair of black eyes looked down at me. However, unlike what I expected, his expression was somewhat stern. I had thought he would have a calm face, as he was about to meet his beloved sister --

"Master is accompanying Elvira; show her your face."

With a sigh mixed in, those words revealed the reason for Arnold's expression.

Arnold's master. A very, very beautiful woman with long green hair -- Mercedes!

She is the one who clearly showed me the path to becoming a royal alchemist. And we are also fellow disciples under the same master.

Thinking of her gentle smile, I felt my cheeks turn red with anticipation. Meeting Mercedes again after so long was an unexpected turn of events.

I nodded vigorously, and Arnold responded with a deep sigh.

Following Arnold out of the castle, I saw her standing in front of the castle gate. However, there was no other figure beside her -- no sign of Elvira. Perhaps she was staying at an inn.

As I admired her long hair swaying in the wind and her beautiful profile, she suddenly turned to look at me. Her red eyes, shining like jewels, narrowed into a smile.

"Raura!"

"Mercedes, it's been so long!"

Meeting Arnold's master and my fellow disciple, Mercedes, after so long, she was still as beautiful as ever, showing no signs of aging. The last time we met was when I accompanied Arnold for his exam -- about two years ago.

Mercedes cupped my cheeks in her palms and gazed at me intently.

"Oh my, you've become such a beautiful young lady! ...Hey, Arnold?"

"Where is Elvira now?"

Mercedes, elbowing Arnold's side with a grin. Arnold glared at his master suspiciously. I had always thought Arnold's attitude towards Mercedes was unlike that of a disciple to a master.

However, Mercedes didn't particularly reprimand her rude disciple. Instead, she sighed dramatically as if it was a common occurrence.

"Are you not going to greet your long-lost master? ...At the inn. She seems to be tired from the long journey, so I left her with Oliver."

Oliver. The name, spoken with a slightly annoyed tone by Mercedes, made me widen my eyes slightly.

It was the same name as the deputy commander of the Shvaria Knights. Whether it was the same person or just someone with the same name, I couldn't tell. But if it was the same person, what kind of connection did they have?

I recalled the image of Oliver I knew. His pale pastel green hair, the pointed ears that marked him as an elf, and the color of his eyes when he looked down at me --

Then, I realized something.

Mercedes and Oliver share similar physical features.

"Calling her here to meet Raura like this... Did you ask her to do it?"

Arnold didn't nod but slightly lowered his gaze. He glanced at me for a moment.

What Arnold had asked me to do. It must have been about Elvira. As expected, Master Mercedes seemed to know about Elvira.

"Raura, did you ask for anything in return?"

"Huh?"

"You're about to get involved in something quite difficult. You should get some compensation for it!"

Caught off guard by her words, I almost chuckled but stopped when I saw the serious look in Mercedes' eyes.

Helping Elvira would ultimately save this world. I hadn't even considered asking for anything in return.

However, I couldn't bluntly tell her that.

"N-no, I didn't ask for any compensation... As an alchemist, I just want to help Elvira... That's all."

Partly a polite evasion, partly a sincere response, I said those words.

A few years from now, the heroes who would fight to save the lives of the people in this world. The help I could offer them was the preparation of healing potions and the matter of Elvira. I was just a minor player in this world, but I wanted to do my best for this world and for the people I cared about.

Mercedes' red eyes widened, then narrowed into a crescent moon shape.

Suddenly, a sweet fragrance tickled my nostrils. It was a floral scent that suited Mercedes well.

"You're a good girl, really. I'm glad you're by this foolish disciple's side."

Her loving expression, gentle voice, and sweet fragrance made me feel as if I was being pampered by my mother.

"I also ask you, as Arnold's master. Please lend your strength to Arnold and Elvira."

She bowed deeply. Before I knew it, I had nodded.

I understood, without any evidence, that Elvira must be very important to Mercedes, just as Arnold was. I didn't know how she became Arnold's master, but it seemed there was a bond between them that went beyond the master-disciple relationship -- a bond as deep as blood.

Mercedes, Arnold, and Elvira were all elves. There might be a bond that only members of the same race could understand.

"But Arnold, you should give Raura a break soon. She's been working non-stop since the mission to Platoven."

Mercedes removed her hands from my cheeks and pointed at Arnold's nose. Arnold immediately brushed her hand away roughly.

"I'm already negotiating with Casper. We should be able to give her a long vacation soon."

That was news to me.

I looked at Arnold, who looked exhausted in front of his master but still nodded at me.

Indeed, since the mission to Platoven, I hadn't had a proper break. The evacuation life in Anea, though it could be considered a vacation in retrospect, was a tense and exhausting time.

A long vacation. I didn't know how long it would be, but I firmly decided to visit Eme's village.

---

At the inn in the capital, "she" was there.

Unfortunately, Arnold was called by a senior alchemist at the castle gate -- he was apparently asked to lend some documents he had, so he had to return to the castle -- and Mercedes led me to a room in the inn. Inside the room were "the Oliver I knew" and another person. A small girl with black hair.

--- Ah, this is Elvira.

My heart pounded loudly.

The girl was sitting on the bed but ran over to me as soon as she saw Mercedes. She clung to Mercedes' clothes and looked up at me standing beside her.

She seemed to be wary of the stranger who had suddenly entered the room.

"Hello, Elvira. My name is Raura Ampere."

I smiled and tried to ease her wariness.

Her black, almond-shaped eyes gazed up at me intently. She looked much younger than the Elvira I knew from the future. However, I could tell at first glance that she was the future hero. Her eyes held a strong will, as if she wasn't affected by the illness she was suffering from.

I was excited to meet the future hero. Elvira was one of my favorite party members. How many times had I been saved by her magic!

Her mouth remained tightly closed, and her black eyes continued to look up at me. To ease the discomfort I felt from her intense gaze, I squatted down to her eye level and extended my right hand.

"...I'm a junior to your brother. He's always been very helpful to me."

She continued to stare at me, her expression unchanged. Despite the piercing gaze, I maintained my smile.

She didn't seem to have lowered her guard. Prompted by Mercedes, "How about a greeting?" Elvira finally spoke.

"Elvira."

She only said her name and turned away. She didn't look at me again.

Indeed, Elvira wasn't known for being friendly. Especially in the early stages, she was somewhat arrogant about her talents and spoke to the hero, the protagonist, in a condescending manner.

"Hey, Elvira? You don't have to be so much like your brother."

Mercedes picked up Elvira and playfully rubbed her small, cute nose. Elvira's expression, as she pushed away Mercedes' finger with her small hand, was very similar to Arnold's when he had pushed away Mercedes' hand earlier.

"I'm sorry, both of them lack social skills."

Mercedes chuckled and apologized on Elvira's behalf. I could only return a wry smile.

In the game "Last Brave," the protagonist Lucash only managed to connect with Elvira in the middle of the story. To put it bluntly, it wasn't easy to get along with the quirky character Elvira in just a day or two.

"Raura, would you like some milk?"

"---Ah, Oliver. Thank you."

The man who suddenly offered me a drink from behind was the deputy commander of the Shvaria Knights, Oliver.

It seemed that the "Oliver" Mercedes mentioned earlier was indeed him. She had casually introduced him as "my twin Oliver" when we entered the room, and I had been so focused on Elvira that I hadn't paid much attention.

"I didn't realize you two were siblings."

After taking a sip of the milk, I expressed my surprise. Oliver smiled apologetically.

"I didn't introduce myself properly when Casper introduced me. I apologize. Let me introduce myself again... I am Oliver Bloom."

"By the way, I'm the older sister. By just a few minutes, though."

Standing next to Oliver, Mercedes playfully leaned in close to her brother. They looked so much alike that I wondered why I hadn't noticed their blood relation.

"Like Arnold, you've become an alchemist's assistant. That's wonderful."

"No, not really..."

A modest response. Unable to continue, a silence fell, and a suspicion began to form in my mind.

As the deputy commander, Oliver should know about Veyk's current situation.

I wondered if I should ask. The rumors that he was refusing to meet many people didn't reach me at all. The only information I had was that his injuries had healed, but he had lost the sight in his right eye.

But if it was Oliver...

I lifted my head, which had been lowered, and asked.

"Ah, um! Veyk...?"

"He's training in the mountains. He says his body has gotten soft. ...Don't worry, he's completely fine now."

Oliver smiled gently, as if seeing through my concerns. I felt the tension in my shoulders ease.

Training in the mountains. That sounded like Veyk.

"---Elvira."

"Brother!"

The door behind me opened with a bang. The smile on the young face in front of me. I knew it was Arnold without turning around.

Elvira left Mercedes' side, passed by me, and ran to the room's entrance. When I turned around, I saw Arnold about to pick up his sister.

Black hair. Black eyes. Pointed ears. They shared the same physical features. Ah, the Roco siblings. I felt a bit moved.

"Are you doing well, El?"

(He's smiling...)

It was a smile I had never seen before. A gentle, loving smile that showed he truly cared for his sister. The expression of a good older brother.

I couldn't help but stare at Arnold's profile. Noticing my impolite gaze, he turned to me with a slight frown.

"Did you greet her?"

"Y-Yes, I did... right, Elvira?"

The gaze that had met mine once before was now averted. It was an obvious gesture.

I had only greeted her, but had I said or done something that upset her? Her wariness was more than just shyness.

Sensing the tension between his sister and junior, Arnold's eyes briefly turned inquisitive before he spoke.

"El, she's my junior. Raura, Raura Ampere."

"I don't know her. She has nothing to do with me. Why is Brother's junior here to see me?"

"Because she's going to help me take care of you."

"Take care of me? What do you mean?"

"She's going to help me ease your pain."

At her brother's words, Elvira's expression turned deeply hurt. Her voice became harsh.

"Brother, you should be the one to do that! I don't need anyone else!"

With a cry, Elvira buried her face in Arnold's shoulder and started crying. Arnold, looking bewildered, furrowed his brow slightly and then gently stroked her head. He patted her back slowly to calm her down.

The scene in front of me was a beautiful symbol of sibling love. However, considering the background -- I didn't know what to do.

Elvira didn't like me. I didn't know the exact reason, but it was undeniable. If it was just severe shyness, that would be one thing, but if it was a physical aversion, that would be a problem. We would have to meet frequently for the healing potion --

A hand gently patted my shoulder. I turned around to see Mercedes smiling apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Raura. The Roco siblings are a siscon-brocon pair..."

"No, it's okay..."

--- Time is precious, yet it seems I need to solve other problems before developing the healing potion.