Chapter 4

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I had been an apprentice to Obaba, the alchemist who lived at the edge of the village, for half a year. I had just turned nine, having aged one more year.

My knowledge was steadily growing. In fact, my quick learning was so impressive that even Obaba, my master, was surprised.

After reading a text about herbs just once, I could understand and recite its contents as if they were etched into my memory. I was amazed at my own ability, especially when it came to the knowledge an alchemist needed. However, this exceptional memory only applied to "the knowledge an alchemist needed."

Encouraged by my rapid progress, I thought I might be a genius and tried my hand at other fields, like magic. But reading even one page of a magical text took a considerable amount of time, and even then, the content didn't stick in my head properly.

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"One is a curious child, aren't you?"

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One day, my master laughed heartily when she saw me struggling with a magical text. When I showed a slightly discontented expression, she laughed again and then said in a very gentle voice:

"You might have been born with a mission to become an alchemist. You have a talent. It's a very fortunate thing to find your talent."

My master looked down at me with a loving gaze. I had been puzzled by my unusual memory, but her words cleared my doubts. A part of me thought that maybe I could just attribute it to talent, but I was genuinely happy to be praised by my master, who had once served in the royal castle. Her words boosted my confidence.

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I had chosen the best path. I would leave this village and live as an alchemist.

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"Ura, Laura!"

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While mentally mixing herbs and texts—though I hadn't been allowed to mix them in reality yet—I was called by my master from the back. I quickly stood up and headed in the direction of her voice.

"Master, what is it?"

"Oh, Laura, there you are. I need you to pick some herbs for me."

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My master handed me a piece of paper. The herbs listed were familiar to me; they were often used as painkillers.

"Master, are you feeling unwell?"

"Not me! A friend has been complaining about back pain recently."

"Ah... I'll go pick them then."

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I had often gone to pick these herbs with my master. Painkillers were in demand among the people of Eme village, where the aging population was significant. The herb patch was right near my master's house, deep in the forest, where they grew lush and green.

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"Wait, Laura, wait!"

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My master grabbed the back of my neck as I was about to leave. When I turned to ask what was wrong, she was grinning mischievously. Her face clearly showed that she was up to something. Although we had only been together for half a year, I had no good memories of her when she looked like this.

"It's dangerous to go alone. I've called a knight to accompany you."

"A knight...?"

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I felt a bad premonition. My pores opened, and a chill ran down my spine. The "knight" she referred to was...

My master pointed wordlessly behind me. I slowly turned around, and there stood...

"R, Rukash"

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My childhood friend, who had just turned nine, was standing there. From my master's expression and words, I had guessed who the knight was, but that didn't stop me from being surprised. The distance between Rukash and me had been gradually, but surely, growing since I became my master's apprentice. I visited my master regularly, leaving little time to play. When I did have free time, I tried to deepen my friendship with Petra and others.

At first, Rukash insisted on accompanying me to and from my master's house, but I politely declined, feeling it was too much to ask every day. However, there were times when he would visit my house and see me off, or wait for me outside my master's house and walk back with me.

In the past half year, I had not only been studying alchemy but also gradually increasing the distance between Rukash and me.

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"I'm sorry to trouble you."

"No, I wanted to see Laura working hard."

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Rukash responded cheerfully to my master's smirking face. Neither of them seemed to notice my frozen state.

"Take good care of her."

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My master's voice was tinged with a smirk. I left the cabin with Rukash, inwardly seething. The problem wasn't going to pick herbs with Rukash; it was my master's expression and the word "knight." Perhaps she, like the people of Eme village, had misunderstood the relationship between Rukash and me. It seemed she was enjoying watching us.

Rukash had always greeted my master politely when he accompanied me, and I had thought it was just good manners. But to my master, it seemed like he was acting like a "knight." I held my head in my hands, frustrated. I thought I was handling both my alchemy studies and my relationship with Rukash well, but an unexpected obstacle had appeared. I needed to take early action to prevent my master from becoming a meddlesome matchmaker.

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"Laura"

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Even a small step was met with an outstretched hand. I thought, "This is indeed a knight."

"Thank you."

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Taking his hand, I saw the future hero, not a knight, with his blue eyes narrowing in delight. The golden emblem on his left eye, though probably just my imagination, seemed to be getting more pronounced every day.

Rukash was innocent. He was an important childhood friend. But every time I saw the golden emblem, I was reminded of the ending of "Last Brave." It wasn't a full-blown trauma, but it was a bitter memory.

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"There it is."

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We found the herbs without much trouble. They grew lush and green, and I wondered if this was normal or if it was unique to the area around Eme village. Given that my master had moved to this remote village, it might be the latter.

I knelt down and started picking the herbs, starting with the ones with slightly damaged tips. Even if the tips were damaged, the center was still usable.

"What do these do?"

"They have pain-relieving properties. They're good for back pain."

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Rukash knelt beside me, watching my hands with interest.

"Is it fun?"

"It's challenging, but it's fun."

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I smiled naturally in response to Rukash's question. Studying alchemy was indeed enjoyable. I had started it as a means to secure my future happiness, but now I was excited to learn new herbs and mixing techniques and eager to try them out.

This was likely due to my exceptional memory, which only worked for the knowledge an alchemist needed. I could memorize hundreds of herbs and countless mixing patterns without any effort. Once I read a text, it was etched into my memory and could be recalled instantly when needed.

I had sometimes doubted the unnaturalness of my memory, but since it only applied to alchemy, I eventually accepted it as a talent.

I put the picked herbs in the basket. Just as I was about to stop, Rukash spoke up.

"Recently, you don't call me Rukash anymore."

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My hands paused. I slowly turned to look at him. Rukash was hugging his knees, staring at me. His gaze seemed to blame me.

I had a reason for this—calling him by his nickname was a way to maintain distance. I tried to smile and respond calmly.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. ...Recently, you seem to be getting along well with Petra and the others... Even though you promised to stay by my side, you can't."

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I wanted this. But I couldn't say that. Hearing such a complaint from Rukash himself suggested that my approach to maintaining distance wasn't natural. I had made a mistake.

Studying alchemy, befriending Petra and others, and maintaining distance from Rukash—perhaps I had rushed into all these things at once. I should have taken them one at a time, more steadily.

I reflected on my mistakes and tried to salvage the situation.

"Even if you say you'll protect me, I'm not in danger from anyone, and I'm not going to dangerous places. I've been more cautious since the attack."

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Rukash's gaze shifted. He couldn't find a good counter to my words. Eventually, he looked down, appearing dejected.

I felt a pang of guilt. Rukash looked so dejected that I thought he was "cute." This "cute" feeling was similar to how one might feel about a younger boy, or a younger brother. Indeed, the age difference between us had made Rukash more like a younger brother to me.

I smiled unconsciously. My words, intended to smooth things over, came out even softer than I had intended.

"So, you know. I'm happy just knowing you care. Thank you, Rukash."

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Rukash's face lifted sharply at the sound of his name. His cheeks flushed, and he looked surprised. Then, he bit his lower lip, as if trying to suppress a smile.

He seemed happy to be called Rukash, but his dissatisfaction hadn't completely disappeared.

I looked at his bitten lip and his blue eyes, then smiled again. Rukash's expression softened, and he broke into a wide, resigned smile.

"I really like it when you call me Rukash."

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Seeing his happy smile, I "remembered." I narrowed my eyes, recognizing this smile. I, and "I," knew this smile well.

Rukash liked being called Rukash.

The future hero had smiled in the same way, but his gaze was not on me, Laura, but on an ancient girl he met during his travels.