Chapter 60

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Lukas, Rina-sempai, Chelsea, Olivier, and I, the five of us, stood at the entrance of the forest where Tobias had found the spirit's drinking water.

"This is... quite a maze, isn't it?"

I nodded in response to Olivier's muttered words. The forest was much deeper than I had imagined. It was impossible to see far into it. I felt a growing tension, fearing I might get lost. I searched my memory, but I couldn't possibly have memorized a map of the forest. The dungeon in this forest was particularly complex, with many branches along the way. I remembered that once we reached a certain point, it was a straight path to the spirit's drinking water—

"Captain! I'm sorry for being late!"

A loud voice from behind made my shoulders jump. When I turned around, the boy who had welcomed us on our first visit to the Flaria garrison was running towards us. Instead of heading to Olivier, he ran to me, panting heavily, and said:

"I'm Charles! A novice magician of the Schvaria Knights!"

He bowed energetically. I was a bit surprised by his title as a novice magician, but it seemed he was indeed part of the Schvaria Knights. Given the situation, it was reasonable to assume he would join us in the exploration. I decided to introduce myself as well.

"I'm Laura, an assistant to the royal alchemist. This is Rina Bevershtam, an apprentice royal alchemist, and Chelsea Gourley, and this is my childhood friend, Lukas Kamir. Nice to meet you, Charles-kun?"

"I've heard about you! Nice to meet you!"

Charles grinned, showing his teeth. His pure smile was blinding.

As our conversation came to a pause, Olivier called out from behind.

"Charles, can you set the markers?"

Charles nodded enthusiastically and touched a nearby tree. The spot he touched glowed. Indeed, that light would serve as a good marker in the dark. As I stared at the marker, I felt a sense of inadequacy. I had been so focused on poisons and healing potions that I hadn't considered the exploration methods in the forest. I realized how much experience mattered and was grateful for Olivier's help.

"Lukas-kun, can you lead the way? Charles, stand next to him and set markers frequently. I'll take the rear."

Lukas nodded and stood in front of me. The formation was: Lukas at the front, Charles next to him, a few steps back was me, and on either side were Rina-sempai and Chelsea, with Olivier a bit further back. We started our exploration, heading straight and trying to find the easiest path. Charles, following Olivier's instructions, touched nearby trees every few steps, setting enough markers to ensure we wouldn't get lost.

--- Exploration began, and about an hour had passed.

"It's not here..."

Charles, leading the way, sighed. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, agreeing with him. No matter how far we walked, all we saw were trees. We hadn't encountered any monsters, and there was no sound of water. I had expected it wouldn't be easy to find, but the frequent tripping over tree roots indicated my fatigue. Exploring for an hour in such conditions was exhausting, especially for those with less experience.

"Everyone must be tired. Let's not push too hard and call it a day here."

Olivier's words were met with sighs of relief from Rina-sempai and Chelsea. Honestly, Olivier aside, the other four were visibly exhausted. Fatigue increased the risk, and it was wise to avoid pushing too hard. We nodded and followed the markers Charles had set to return to Flaria.

---

The second day of exploration.

No results.

The third day.

No results.

The fourth day.

We took a rest.

The fifth and sixth days—after a rest, today, the ninth day.

No results.

(What should I do...)

We had been exploring for over an hour each day, but there were no results. Everyone tried to encourage us, saying it was inevitable without information, but I was starting to feel anxious. To alleviate this, I visited the library after exploration each day, borrowing several books to search for any new information. The capital's library was much larger and had many more books, but this was the "local" area for the spirit's drinking water. I hoped to find new information not known in the capital, but so far, nothing.

(There's no new information. Should I visit Tobias again... but he seemed to have no idea about the path to the spirit's drinking water.)

I looked up from the books and sighed deeply. As I did, I noticed Lukas standing at the entrance of the dining hall, watching me. He walked over to me.

"Laura, are you still up?"

"You can go to bed. I just want to do a bit more research."

It was later than I thought, but I smiled to reassure Lukas, who looked worried. He must have been more tired than me, always leading the way and being vigilant against monster attacks. My words made him frown, but as a long-time childhood friend, he knew I wouldn't go back to the room easily. We had a similar conversation before, and I only returned to the room after he fell asleep.

"Don't overdo it," he said firmly and left the dining hall.

Alone again, I sighed. I was almost at my limit, but I decided to push a bit more and picked up the borrowed books. Any small piece of information would do. I read through the books carefully, determined not to miss anything—

"Laura-san."

I looked up at the sound of my name. It was Louise, Emilianna's mother, standing there with a tray. She smiled gently, and on the tray was a beautiful teapot and matching teacup, both intricately designed.

"Have you ever had tea with Mephilire honey?"

"No, I haven't..."

"Then please try it. It will warm you up."

Ignoring my surprise, Louise gracefully poured the tea into the cup. The sweet aroma instantly relaxed me. She offered me the teacup and milk, and before I could touch them, she spoke again. Her words were unexpected.

"It's not good to push yourself too hard."

"Huh..."

"Being enthusiastic is good, but not at the cost of your health. ...Your kind childhood friend is worried about you."

I realized Lukas must have consulted with Louise. If he couldn't convince me, at least I should drink the tea and rest a bit—or warm up and go to bed. Or perhaps Lukas only talked to her, and Louise brought the tea out of kindness.

"...I'll have the tea."

I took a sip. The gentle sweetness spread in my mouth, and I sighed in relief.

"It's delicious."

"I'm glad!"

Louise smiled warmly, and her smile reminded me of Emilianna's. Perhaps because of this, I felt my guarded heart soften as I thought of my friend still working hard in the northern land.

"I'm sorry for staying up so late every day..."

"Don't worry. Emilianna was well taken care of, so this is my way of returning the favor."

Louise sat next to me and peeked at my work, tilting her head.

"Are you doing research?"

"Yes, but it's not going well..."

Louise's eyes wandered as if searching for the right words, then focused on me. Her blue eyes were surprisingly strong.

"So you're working late at night, alone? Have you asked anyone for help...?"

"I've been asking everyone to help me, and they're all tired."

Louise's expression turned sad.

"You must be tired too."

"No, but I have to do this..."

I had relied on everyone so much—Arnold for the preparations, Lukas for his support, and involving Rina-sempai and Chelsea in this expedition. I had already relied on everyone to the fullest. I had to do this myself—it was my job.

As I spoke, I felt a wave of drowsiness. Perhaps it was the warmth from the tea, or the release of tension and fatigue. My legs ached from overuse. I was simply tired.

--- The blue eyes that looked at me reminded me of the tense days in Anea. Perhaps my current situation was similar. I remembered the feeling of being slowly eroded by anxiety.

"I'm just a bit... tired, I guess."

Why did I confide in Louise and not Lukas, my long-time friend? I realized I didn't feel the same guilt of only taking and not giving back that I felt with Lukas and the others. Perhaps because the people in this house, including Louise, were helping me as a way to return the favor for what I had done.

Louise smiled warmly at my words, and I tilted my head in confusion. She then spoke with a motherly tone and a gentle voice.

"...I know it's not my place to say, but one thing. You are loved much more than you think, Laura-chan."

"Huh?"

"I received letters from Casper and Arnold, asking me to take good care of you. And when you visited the library, Olivier brought Mephilire honey, thinking you might be tired. Also, Rina and Chelsea asked me to teach them how to make warming tea because they were worried about you."

I realized the tea I was drinking was made by Rina-sempai and Chelsea, and the Mephilire honey was from Olivier. I was surprised to learn that Casper and Arnold had even sent letters to Louise.

"And—"

Louise stood up and looked back at the entrance. There, Lukas, whom I thought was already asleep, was standing.

"Laura, let's go to bed."

He extended his right hand. I stood up and took it. I remembered the books on the table and turned back to see Louise holding them, smiling and waving. Her lips silently formed the words, "Leave it to me." Lukas gently pulled me, and I bowed. She smiled and nodded.

We walked down the long corridor, with Lukas holding my hand. He must have heard our conversation. Feeling a bit awkward, Lukas sighed and spoke.

"I want you to say when you're tired. If you keep everything to yourself, I don't know why I'm here. I want you to rely on me more."

"Okay, sorry..."

His earnest words and his ability to see through everything made me reflect. I had drawn a line, thinking I shouldn't rely on others more, but ended up causing more worry. Not just to Lukas, but to Olivier, Rina-sempai, and Chelsea as well.

At the same time, their faces came to mind. They hadn't blamed me for starting this difficult situation; instead, they had smiled and encouraged me. I had felt guilty for only taking and not giving back, and had been anxious to find a solution on my own. It was like I was spinning my wheels.

"You've always worried about me working too hard, even when we were kids."

I could only smile at Lukas's complaint. I remembered a similar conversation in the past, where I had dismissed his concerns, thinking I wasn't the type to worry people. But this time, I admitted it. I did tend to work too hard, especially when under pressure. I had been driven by a sense of responsibility to find a solution on my own, which had only made things worse.

"...I'm sorry, I didn't realize it until now."

"By saying that, you've realized it, right?"

"...A bit."

Lukas turned back, frowned, and smiled.

"A bit isn't enough. If something happens to you, a lot of people will be sad."

His voice was soft and gentle.

"Okay, I'll be more aware. ...Thank you, Lukas."

---

That night, Lukas stood by my bed, holding my hand until I fell asleep. It felt a bit embarrassing, like being tucked in by a parent, but the warmth of his hand made me feel safe, and I felt a bit of tears welling up. As I drifted off, I heard a gentle whisper: "Goodnight."