Chapter 74

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That night, Elvira visited Mercedes and my room. When I heard a soft knock, I opened the door a little to see who it was, and there was a black-haired girl staring at me through the crack in the door.

Surprised by the unexpected visitor, I crouched down to meet her gaze. Peering up at her, I noticed that Elvira's eyes were darting around, looking uncomfortable. Her lips were also moving, as if she was trying to say something but couldn't quite get the words out.

"Elvira?"

"...Well, thank you. I heard you did a lot of research for me."

Elvira turned her head away and spoke quickly, but her ears were flushed, and it was clear she was blushing.

Of course, I recognized the familiar traits of the Elvira I knew. She was still not very good at being straightforward, but she was a fundamentally good person. I felt my lips curling into a smile and gently shook my head.

"It's fine, it's fine. I did it because I wanted to."

Upon hearing this, Elvira's expression became complex and hard to describe, as if she was at a loss for words.

I wanted to become friends with Elvira, but she wasn't the type of person who would easily become close with someone just because they pushed themselves forward. I wanted to use this opportunity to get closer, but unfortunately, we had nothing in common to talk about.

The silence continued, and just as I was about to suggest that she return to her room, she suddenly spoke.

"Here, it's a thank you."

She thrust a long, narrow piece of paper into my hands. When I took it, I realized it was a bookmark with pressed flowers attached. I was surprised by the unexpected gift, and a warm feeling of happiness began to well up inside me.

"Is it okay? Thank you."

"It's the leftover from the gift I gave my brother."

Elvira added this last part, trying to hide her embarrassment. It was typical of her. Still, imagining her brother using this cute bookmark made me smile even more.

"Did you give a gift to Arnold?"

"Yeah, it was his birthday."

--- Birthday. The word made me freeze. Of course, I didn't know Arnold's birthday. It seemed he had turned seventeen without me knowing. Arnold wasn't the type to announce his birthday, and I didn't think he would mind not being celebrated by his junior, but now that I knew, I felt a bit guilty. I had been so taken care of by him, and his birthday would have been a perfect opportunity to return the favor.

"That's right. Was it a while ago?"

"No, recently."

I felt relieved by her answer. It might not be too late. I thought about going to the capital to look for a belated birthday gift when I returned—shopping on a day off seemed like something I hadn't done in a long time. Reflecting on it, I realized how busy I had been lately. The thought of inviting Chelsea and going shopping together made me feel excited.

The big problem of "Elvira and her self-destructive illness" was gradually moving towards a resolution, even if only a little. Compared to yesterday, I felt much lighter in both body and mind.

"Elvira, are you feeling better now?"

In response to my question, the girl in front of me nodded, shaking her hair.

"Yeah. I was taking a nap earlier, but I slept soundly for the first time in a while."

Elvira said this with a happy, narrow-eyed smile, and I felt a lump in my throat. The heartburn-like symptoms that Arnold had mentioned must have been preventing her from sleeping. Although I couldn't fully relax yet, it was heartwarming to know that Elvira was having a peaceful moment.

***

After that, I tried to take Elvira to Arnold's room, but she said, "My brother is out alone," so I was worried about leaving her alone and asked Mercedes to take care of her. It seemed that Elvira had intended to do this from the beginning, and Arnold had been with her until just before we knocked on our room's door.

As soon as we stepped out of the inn, I spotted him. He was standing in front of the famous Flaria flower field, looking up at the starry sky. Not knowing how to approach him, I ended up standing silently next to him. He seemed to notice my presence but didn't speak immediately, and we both looked up at the night sky in silence. After a while, I heard a soft sigh, and then Arnold slowly spoke.

"...It feels unreal. I know we're making progress, but it feels like I'm in a dream."

Arnold spoke more slowly than usual, with a sigh. I was surprised to hear him say something like "it feels like I'm in a dream," given his usually grounded demeanor.

"I keep thinking that everything that's happened so far was a dream, and when I wake up, I'll be back to before I became a royal alchemist... before I met you."

He was unusually talkative. Perhaps it wasn't that he was flustered, but rather that he felt relieved and was letting his guard down. I glanced at him, and although his eyes were still fixed on the sky, his usually furrowed brows were relaxed.

"If it were a dream, you could just come to Flaria as soon as you wake up. If you get a little injured in the forest, the spirits will invite you—something like that."

I said this jokingly, looking up at the stars, and I felt Arnold chuckle beside me. I couldn't see his face, but I could tell from the relaxed atmosphere.

"To be honest, I don't feel it either. We still have a long way to go."

When I looked at him, our eyes met. Then, Arnold slowly bowed his head towards me.

"Thank you again."

"No, it's nothing..."

"You've been a great help. My master scolded me for not properly thanking you."

His tone was somewhat childish, reminding me that he was still a young man, not yet an adult. When he raised his head, he was looking at me intently, and his black eyes were calm.

"If there's anything you want, let me know. Or if there's anything you want me to do... Is there anything?"

--- Ha, I laughed. It was dark, so I couldn't see his smile clearly, but I could tell from the relaxed look on his face.

"I don't really have anything in mind. But, speaking of which, it was your birthday a little while ago, right? I've been so taken care of by you, and I didn't even know your birthday... So, as a belated gift..."

I thought I had come up with a good idea, but he firmly rejected it.

"That won't do. Think about it."

If I insisted, it might ruin the mood. Since we had worked hard for the future of this world, I thought about asking for some delicious pastries. As I was thinking about the pastries in the capital, Arnold suddenly changed the subject, his tone and demeanor becoming serious.

"When we return to the capital, we'll probably be busy helping with the next apprentice exam. I've heard that Ampere might be assigned to train the next batch of apprentices. ...I'll try to get you some time off, but I can't promise anything."

--- The next apprentice exam. The words made me realize how time had passed. Since passing the "royal alchemist apprentice" exam, things had been hectic, but now it seemed that Chelsea and I would have juniors.

What surprised me more was the news that I might be assigned to train apprentices. It felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over my head, and I felt my brows furrow.

"Train apprentices...?"

"Clearly, there aren't enough royal alchemists due to the recent monster attacks. It's been decided that we'll recruit more people than usual for the next exam. This means we'll need more trainers, so not only you but also Gauery and Lina might have to take on juniors. Lina and I as well."

Gauery, meaning Chelsea, would also have to take on juniors despite being an apprentice herself. If that was the case, Lina, who had been taking care of us—currently, I am being trained by Arnold—would also have to take on juniors.

Apprentices are not allowed to work alone, but it's fine for an apprentice to supervise another apprentice—meaning they just can't work alone. Given the current shortage of personnel, it makes sense to assign second-year apprentices like us to train new recruits. Regular royal alchemists will be busier with field work, so it's logical to assign the task to newer members who have more free time.

I understood the logic, and it was the right decision. However, I couldn't help but feel that the burden on the new recruits, including Chelsea, was a bit heavy.

(But teaching will also give me a chance to learn more, so I should be positive...)

It would quickly address the shortage of personnel and give us a chance to grow. Still, I secretly hoped the new recruits would be good kids. I hoped this small indulgence would be overlooked.

However, I am not good at teaching. I had always thought I would need to overcome this weakness in the future, but taking on the role of a trainer and being responsible for a junior right away seemed like a high bar. The thought of negatively impacting a junior due to my poor guidance made my spine shiver. But then again—

At that moment, I didn't realize that Arnold was watching me, a smile on his lips, as I was lost in thought.