Chapter 41

A few days had passed since Arnold sent a letter to Lukas. I was waiting for my childhood friend in front of the castle gates, together with Casper.

In the end, after meeting Elvira for the first time and making a slight mistake in concocting the recovery potion, my health didn't quite return to normal, so I had Elvira go back to Mercedes' house. Arnold seems to be trying to make time as well, but the work that piled up while he was in Platnovena keeps coming one after another. He must have thought that this was the perfect opportunity to clear all the work that had piled up during my leave, and he has been even busier these past few days.

Now, changing the subject, the reason Casper is here is to see me off as I take a 10-day leave. Even though I told him it wasn't necessary, he just smiled ambiguously and didn't accept my offer. He probably has his own thoughts about this matter—

While I was feeling a bit awkward, a familiar head of blonde hair appeared before me. Sparkling in the sunlight, it was a common color in this world, but there was no mistaking it. It was Lukas.

He must have spotted me, and Lukas opened his blue eyes wide in surprise.

"Laura!"

As soon as we reunited, my childhood friend ran over and hugged me tightly.

His height had grown, and his arms had become a bit more muscular. The force with which he pulled me close was stronger than ever, to the point where it was almost painful. The strength of his embrace made me bump my head against his chest, but he didn't seem to care and hugged me even tighter.

"Lukas, c-choke...!"

"I'm so glad you're safe...!"

I was held tightly, my movements completely restricted as his forehead was pressed against my shoulder. The closeness made it impossible not to notice that his body was trembling slightly.

I had worried him. Not sending a single letter, and only letting him know everything through Arnold's letter, his anxiety was understandable. If I were in his position—just thinking about it made my fingertips tremble.

With all the gratitude I could muster, I wrapped my arms around my childhood friend's back, which had grown stronger than I remembered.

"I'm sorry for worrying you."

The words, muffled against Lukas's chest, were not very clear, but he must have heard them clearly, as he hugged me even tighter. The force of his embrace made my heels lift off the ground, and I could feel how much he had grown.

After hugging me to his heart's content, Lukas finally loosened his grip. However, his hands remained on my shoulders.

I slowly looked up at Lukas, and he wore a smile that was a mix of joy, confusion, and a hint of anger, a smile that was hard to describe.

"Really. When your letters suddenly stopped, I got a letter from that person—Arnold."

At his words, all I could do was bow my head in apology. This was the second time I had caused him worry. While the monster attack was unexpected, it was still painful to cause similar worry twice in such a short period.

Suddenly, another familiar figure appeared over his shoulder. That red-haired girl—it must be Petra.

"Petra...?"

As if understanding my unspoken question, Lukas stepped back. With nothing obstructing the view, I met Petra's eyes.

For a moment, I wondered why she was here. But then I realized she must have come to check on me. The last time I visited, she mentioned she was working in a nearby town. Perhaps she had come to this town for work.

Thinking about it, I hadn't expected Petra to come, even if it was my parents.

"Petra, you came too? Thank you. I'm sorry for worrying you."

She shook her head without a word. After a few moments of eye contact, Petra quickly looked away. Her expression was clearly uncomfortable, and I could tell she felt out of place.

I had a hunch about the reason for her discomfort. It was the letter I had received from Petra before—where she wrote in trembling handwriting that she liked Lukas.

From Petra's perspective, she had just witnessed her crush hugging another person. Even though I had no such feelings, it might have been a rash action, considering her feelings. However, I hadn't expected Petra to be here, so it was unavoidable this time.

But now that I knew she had come, I quickly stepped away from Lukas, putting a bit more distance between us.

Lukas looked at me curiously, but I smiled and turned to Casper, who seemed to have understood the situation and finally opened his mouth, which he had kept closed to avoid interrupting our reunion.

"Laura, you can take as much leave as you want! ...If I could have said that, but I'm sorry, I could only get you 10 days off..."

"That's plenty. Thank you for your trouble."

Even as I smiled softly, Casper's apologetic expression didn't change. He must be regretting sending me to Platnovena in the first place.

"Actually, I caused a lot of trouble... When I return, please let me apologize again."

With that, Casper bowed deeply.

I shook my head and said, "No, it's nothing," but his expression didn't soften.

"Have a good holiday."

With those words, Casper turned and left. His back looked thinner than before. It seemed he had pushed himself during the Platnovena attack and was still dealing with the aftermath.

After Casper left, my eyes met Lukas's and Petra's. Without a word, we nodded to each other and took a step forward to head home—when suddenly,

"Ampeur."

I turned at the familiar voice and name to see Arnold leaning against the wall.

Realizing I hadn't greeted my direct superior before my leave, I excused myself to Lukas and ran over.

It was probably Casper and Arnold who had secured this leave for me. And now, he had taken the time to see me off despite his busy schedule. I needed to properly say goodbye before leaving—though it might have been a coincidence that he was passing by.

"Sorry, I'm taking 10 days off."

"Yeah, take it easy."

He nodded lightly, then suddenly his gaze shifted behind me. Following his gaze, I turned to see Lukas, who was supposed to be waiting near the gate, standing right behind me.

"Mr. Arnold."

Lukas stepped forward and stood next to me, then bowed deeply.

I was taken aback by his sudden action, but Arnold, who was being bowed to, didn't flinch and instead looked down at Lukas with a cold gaze.

"Thank you for protecting Laura."

"...You don't need to thank me for that."

—It seemed these two still didn't get along. The tense atmosphere between them made me try to blend into the background.

Was there some kind of setting that made Lukas and Arnold incompatible? They would continue to interact in the future, as Lukas would go on a journey to save the world with Arnold's sister, Elvira, a few years from now.

As I worried about my childhood friend and senior's future, Arnold turned and left without a word. He glanced at me for a moment, and I gave a light bow to avoid his sharp gaze. Lukas, who had been bowing, slowly raised his head when he sensed Arnold's departure. However, he didn't immediately walk towards the gate but stared at Arnold's retreating back.

I looked at Lukas's profile from the side, and suddenly I was called.

"Is that the magician?"

It was Petra.

Honestly, I didn't understand her question at first. What magician?

I tilted my head and asked back.

"The one you mentioned?"

"I'm working in the town of Rem now, and I heard about the monster attack on Platnovena. One of the rumors I heard was... a black-haired, black-eyed magician who had overwhelming power and was hailed as a hero for repelling the monsters."

The words that flowed from Petra's mouth contained several pieces of new information, and it took me a moment to process them.

First, Petra was working in the town of Rem. I knew she was working, but I hadn't known it was in Rem.

Rem was the closest "town" to Eme Village. It was smaller than the capital but had a port and a decent amount of goods, facilities, and people.

I found one reason for Petra's presence here. Rem was between Eme Village and the capital, Shvaria. While Eme Village was closer, there were regular carriages to the capital.

And then, there was another piece of information.

The black-haired, black-eyed magician mentioned in the rumor was probably—no, almost certainly—Arnold.

Hearing he was called a hero, I momentarily doubted if it was the Arnold I knew, but upon reflection, the title suited him. After all, he had saved a city with his power—though it was with the help of Alek and others.

"...Yeah, it's probably Mr. Arnold."

Just when he became the youngest royal alchemist and then saved a city with his unparalleled magic, he was being hailed as a hero. Truly, his character development was laughable. He was outshining the main characters, if not surpassing them.

Arnold didn't appear in "Last Brave." Therefore, it was unclear how he would be involved in the fight against the demon king in the future. However, given his current status and contributions to this world, it was hard to imagine he would remain just a "brother character."

I was supposed to be a genius in alchemy, but standing next to Arnold, I felt like an ordinary person.

Moreover, my childhood friend was the future hero. The praise from Casper and others didn't resonate with me, probably due to this environment.

"Still, Petra, did you and Lukas become close?"

"Ah... sorry."

Petra looked down awkwardly, shrinking back. Her reaction made me realize my question might have sounded rude, so I quickly clarified.

"No, no, I didn't mean it that way! I was just surprised and wanted to say it's good to see you two getting along..."

"Can you forgive me?"

Her unexpected words caught me off guard.

I remembered the letter from Petra, which had a plea for forgiveness.

What position did she see me in? Why did she seek my forgiveness? Who needs permission to like someone? —Or perhaps, in this world, one needs the gods' permission.

Regardless, it was clear I wasn't in a position to judge. I had no intention of judging. However, I was a bit concerned for her future.

I smiled and waved my hands in front of my face.

"There's nothing to forgive. Lukas and I are just childhood friends."

Just childhood friends. The words slipped out, and I chuckled to myself. They sounded a lot like what the losing heroines in the stories I had seen often said. They used those words to hide their feelings and ended up losing in love.

Petra smiled in relief. Her smile was still a bit awkward and childish, but it was endearing, and I imagined it would grow more refined over time. Digging into my memories, I recalled that Petra, despite being an NPC, had a well-designed model, especially with her striking hair color.

At the same time, I remembered the face of the main heroine, who had the most detailed modeling in this world. She was the most noble and beautiful person in this world.

Would I meet her a few years from now? What would I think when I saw her standing next to my childhood friend?

***

The smell of grass, the gentle breeze, the clear air.

As the carriage swayed, I realized I was back. I took a few deep breaths to savor the air of my hometown when the carriage suddenly stopped.

It was Eme Village, after a long time!

I quickly gathered my belongings and got off the carriage. At the village entrance, I saw my parents waving at me.

"Laura!"

Despite the fatigue from the long journey, I ran into my parents' open arms, who hugged me tightly. The force of the hug made me feel a bit guilty for worrying them.

"Dad, Mom! I'm back!"

Looking up, I noticed their faces seemed more wrinkled than before. They might have aged more since I left for the capital. I had caused them a lot of worry, despite promising to be filial. The troubles weren't my fault, and there was nothing I could have done to prevent them, but my heart still ached.

The force of the hug eased, and I looked up to see my parents' hands on my cheeks.

Their gentle, almost indulgent touch felt so good and warm that I closed my eyes—

"Welcome back. And... Happy birthday, Laura."

"Huh?"

—Happy birthday?

I opened my eyes, which I had just closed. My parents' loving expressions filled my vision.

Happy birthday.

I repeated the words in my head several times before finally understanding their meaning.

Ah, right. I remembered. My birthday was 7 days ago—during the chaos when Elvira came to the capital.

I had turned 15 without realizing it.