Chapter 42

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*Chirp, chirp.* The sound of birds singing woke me up, and it was a refreshingly pleasant morning. Though I hadn't checked the clock, the crisp air flowing in from the window told me it was still early.

Since it was a rare day off, I thought about going back to sleep. However, my mind was unusually clear, and it seemed I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. Deciding to take a morning walk, I got dressed casually.

As I strolled through the village, which was still devoid of people, I recalled the party from last night.

*Happy birthday!*

Upon arriving in Eme's village, I was greeted by the villagers, and a birthday party was held at my house. However, I was completely exhausted from the long carriage ride, and the party ended after a short while.

For my birthday, my parents gave me a cute dress.

Petra and the others gave me a handmade trinket box.

The weapon shop owner gave me a small shield for self-defense.

It seemed that people from all over town had prepared gifts, and a small mountain of presents had formed in my room. However, there was no gift from Lukas. He had said something about wanting to give it to me in private.

I took a deep breath of the fresh air and stretched. My shoulder made a dull, unpleasant sound, probably from the long carriage ride yesterday. I chuckled and looked around, spotting a familiar figure. It was someone I knew all too well.

Golden hair, and the familiar clothes of this village. Without thinking, I ran towards the figure.

"Lukas?"

"Laura, good morning. You're up early."

Lukas turned around, and sweat was visible on his forehead. He was holding a slender sword in his right hand. It seemed he had been practicing sword swings early in the morning.

"Lukas, too. Training so early in the morning?"

"Huh? Yeah. I've gotten a bit stronger, haven't I?"

Lukas puffed out his chest in a playful manner. His chest did seem thicker, and his arms were noticeably more muscular. I approached him with a smile, but my eyes caught his right hand, which was swollen and red at the base of his fingers. It was a blister.

"It's blistered. Doesn't it hurt?"

I moved closer and took his right hand. The blood seeping through was painful to look at. I frowned, but Lukas seemed unfazed. He looked at me with wide, innocent eyes and then suddenly leaned in close. He had a look of realization, as if he had just thought of something fun.

"Hey, Laura. I want to try the healing potion you made."

I blinked a few times at his words. Lukas grabbed my shoulder and continued.

"Can't this kind of injury be healed quickly?"

He looked at me with hopeful eyes, and his cheeks were slightly flushed. The "injury" he was referring to was the blister on his palm. He was right; a simple healing potion could heal a hand blister without any special herbs.

I realized I had never given Lukas one of my healing potions before. I wanted to make one for him, but there was one problem.

"Well, that's true, but I don't have the equipment."

"Then let's go to Berta's place."

Without giving me a chance to respond, Lukas took my hand and started walking. I called out to his back, wondering if it was too early, but he just smiled and said, "It's fine."

---

The door opened, and our teacher appeared in a loose nightgown, her eyes barely open. She clearly had just woken up.

"Good morning, Berta."

"Sorry for coming so early. It's been a while, teacher."

Lukas peeked out from behind me, and the teacher's eyes opened a bit wider.

"Oh, you're back..."

"I got back yesterday evening. I was planning to visit you around noon today, but I wanted to make a healing potion for Lukas."

After explaining, the teacher yawned widely but didn't show any displeasure at our unexpected visit.

"Feel free to use anything. I'm going back to sleep."

She raised a hand and walked back into the room. I stepped into the familiar mountain cabin, feeling a bit guilty.

I looked around the room. It was only natural that nothing had changed, given the short time since I left. The placement of the alchemy equipment and the storage of herbs were exactly the same. I started preparing.

The preparation was simple, and it was done quickly. I could feel Lukas's interested gaze as he watched my hands.

"You're really efficient. That's amazing."

"It's just practice."

I laughed at his compliment, but my hands didn't stop. I boiled the herbs in water, transferred them to a container, and gently shook it. The healing potion was ready in no time. I felt my preparation time was getting shorter.

"Here you go."

"...It's bitter."

I laughed out loud when Lukas grimaced after taking the potion. Of course, it was bitter; it was made from wild herbs boiled in water. Sometimes, to make it palatable for children, I would add sweet berries that wouldn't affect the potency, but I hadn't done that this time.

"It's supposed to be. It's medicine."

"But it's delicious."

I was confused by his words. He had clearly grimaced and complained about the bitterness, yet he now said it was delicious. Seeing my puzzled expression, Lukas chuckled and said more quickly than usual.

"It's not that it tastes good... I'm just happy. Because you made it for me."

His straightforward words, tinged with a hint of childishness, touched my heart. Lukas, with his cheeks flushed, looked at me with a bright, happy smile.

"I'll make it for you anytime, Lukas. As a childhood friend."

The words slipped out naturally. Making a healing potion was one of the few things I could do for Lukas and the world. I hadn't expected him to be so happy with something so simple, and I wished I had made it for him sooner. Feeling a bit ticklish, I struggled to find the right words, and Lukas started rummaging through his pocket to break the silence.

"Here, I couldn't give it to you yesterday..."

He handed me a cloth bag. It had a gradient from deep blue to light blue. I instantly knew it was probably a birthday gift, but I still looked up at him, prompting him to continue. Lukas, with even redder cheeks, scratched his cheek and said in a less clear voice.

"Berta prepared the material, and I dyed it. ...It's not very good, though."

Surprised by his words, I took the cloth bag. As I tried to move away, Lukas's hand gripped mine tightly. It was unexpectedly strong.

I looked up at him, and our eyes met. His blue eyes were unusually bright.

"Happy birthday. Thank you for being my childhood friend."

Lukas smiled shyly and modestly. *Ah, what a cute, dear childhood friend!* Just thinking about how much effort he put into preparing this and how he felt giving it to me made my heart race.

"Thank you, Lukas!"

I was about to hug him in my joy, but Petra's face flashed in my mind, and I stopped. It wouldn't be fair to her to be so affectionate. She had confided in me after much hesitation.

Instead of hugging, I firmly shook Lukas's hand. He didn't seem to question my action.

As I savored the joy of the gift, Lukas suddenly said,

"But, 15 years old. You're an adult now."

*An adult.*

I was taken aback by his words. Yes, Lukas would soon be 15 as well. The day was approaching much faster than I had imagined.

"That's not true. I'm still a child. It's three more years until adulthood."

"That'll be over before you know it."

My protest was easily dismissed by Lukas's innocent words. Perhaps he wanted to grow up quickly. I remembered the hero Lukas I knew had once expressed a desire to grow up quickly to protect everyone, but he had confided in an ancient girl, not his childhood friend.

"Hey, what do you want for your birthday?"

"Ah, you can choose for me."

We laughed together. It was rare to laugh so easily and naturally with anyone other than Lukas. He was more like family than a friend.

With such a wonderful gift, I needed to think of something that would make him happy. Eye for an eye, or rather, handmade for handmade. I wasn't exceptionally skilled with my hands, but I wasn't unskilled either.

I would consult Chelsea when I returned to the capital. With that decision, I hugged the cloth bag Lukas had given me to my chest.