Chapter 10 Royal Alchemist - Apprentice Exam (Preliminary)
――The next day, Arnold's exam was held at the royal castle, so I was allowed to accompany him to the castle. I thought Marcedes-san would come along too, but to my surprise, it was just the two of us.
Being alone with Arnold without knowing the reason for his recent bad mood made me feel a bit uneasy, but it seemed Marcedes-san had no intention of coming along from the start, as she bid us farewell with a smile. I decided not to push for her to come with us, as it would only worsen Arnold's mood further, so the two of us left the inn.
We walked to the royal castle in silence. There was no sign of him wanting to start a conversation. However, the lack of his furrowed brows made me think that maybe his mood wasn't that bad at the moment.
But then, I couldn't help but wonder what the issue was with Lukas the other day. Was it just a change in personality?
Without exchanging a single word, we finally arrived in front of the castle gate. Around us, there were several boys and girls of the same age. They must also be aiming to become royal alchemists.
We stopped in front of the gate. I thought maybe I should say something before seeing him off, so I opened my mouth.
"Good luck."
"No need to say it."
I could only smile wryly at being cut off so bluntly.
Even without considering what happened the other day, we weren't close to begin with, and it had been three years. I had no idea how to interact with him at all.
As I watched Arnold's back disappear into the castle, it suddenly dawned on me. How long and where should I wait for Arnold? Should I wait until the exams are over? If I go back to the inn ahead of time, will I get scolded later?
Lost in indecision, I hesitated several times on the spot.
"Did you come with your big brother?"
I was suddenly approached.
Startled, I looked up towards the voice and saw a man with a gentle smile looking down at me. His light green hair and pointed ears reminded me of Marcedes-san. This person is an elf too.
Despite his gentle facial features, the man was clad in heavy armor. The coat of arms of this country was engraved on that armor. I assumed he belonged to the Royal Capital's Knight Order, the Savilla Knight Order.
When he mentioned "big brother," he was probably referring to Arnold. I hesitated for a moment, but then nodded.
"Um, can I wait somewhere for a bit?"
"There's a waiting room for relatives. Would you like me to show you there?"
"Oh, thank you!"
The man knelt down and reached out his hand to me. His gentle and elegant gesture made me not think "he looks like a prince" but rather, I was impressed. While this world could be considered a game world, it was still my reality. The fact that such a person existed in reality was astonishing.
The Savila Knights, to which he seems to belong, had a significant connection with the protagonist in "Last Brave." One of the party members was actually the leader of this knight order.
We walked hand in hand, passing through the castle gate. The scene that unfolded before me was just like the one I had seen in "Last Brave." Despite the magnificent royal castle at the center, it was surrounded by lush greenery.
Instead of heading straight into the royal castle, we took the path to the side garden. As we continued forward, a distant tower came into view. Could that tower be the waiting room? I also felt familiar with that tower.
Glancing around and comparing it to the castle in my memories, I couldn't spot any significant differences for now.
"Are you working at this castle?"
"Yes, I belong to the Savila Knights."
As expected, it's just as I read in my book.
Even so, he's such a nice person, treating me with respect and a smile despite being younger.
The leader of the party's knights, although a bit rough in speech, was also a kind-hearted person. It's about five more years until Lukas sets off. He should have become the knight leader by now.
At the thought of his hearty smile, my lips naturally relaxed.
"Are your brother come to take the alchemist exam?"
The man seems to have completely mistaken Arnold for my brother. Although I don't think we look alike, maybe he couldn't tell from a distance.
Despite feeling a bit uneasy about the setup of Arnold as my brother, I nodded.
"Yes, I plan to take it in a few years too."
"Really! ――Oh, here we are."
I was led to the tower, just as I had expected.
When the man opened the door, several gazes pierced through me. People who seemed to be the parents of the kids here for the exam were sitting in the waiting room with stern expressions.
The atmosphere was heavier than I had expected. Among the parents, it was clear that my presence stood out. But it was much better than being stood up near the castle gate.
As I let go of the man's hand, I turned around and bowed.
"Thank you for guiding me."
"No, no. I might rely on you in a few years. Please take care of me then."
With a gentle smile and a soft voice, he said so.
He was a very nice person and I would love to meet him again when I passed the Royal Alchemist Trainee exam.
* * *
Sitting on a soft sofa, I waited for a few hours while sipping on the clearly luxurious juice provided. Arnold himself came to the waiting room.
"How did the exam go?" I tried to read his expression, but he remained expressionless as usual, giving nothing away. I simply said, "Good job," and we headed home together.
"What are you going to do tomorrow?"
"If today was the written test, then tomorrow will be the practical test only."
Even when I tried to bring up a topic to be considerate, this was the response. Maybe I should have thought a bit more and asked better questions, but there's a certain way to say things, isn't there?
I was annoyed, so I deliberately pursued that topic. I really lack maturity.
This is the time when I should make use of "my" experience.
"...What happens when it's actually mixed?"
"You'll be graded on the preparation of a healing potion with specified effects, starting from the selection of medicinal herbs."
It was a topic brought up out of annoyance, but I found myself impressed by the exam content. And then it hit me. I had almost forgotten, but I am visiting the royal capital as part of my preparation for two years from now. Since I'm here, I must gain something valuable before I leave.
Day 1 is a written test, and day 2 is a practical test. It seems the practical test starts from the stage of selecting medicinal herbs. You have to remember the types of herbs and their effects properly before facing it.
I pride myself on remembering most types of herbs, but still, I have to study hard for another 2 years without letting any details slip.
"...Your childhood friend, Lukas, right?"
As I was renewing my determination, a question with the volume of a soliloquy was dropped.
I never expected Arnold to bring up a topic, let alone that the topic he brought up was about Lukas, so I was doubly surprised and my response was delayed.
"What's with that crest on his left eye? It's clearly not normal."
Arnold kept asking questions without waiting for even a moment of silence. His voice and expression didn't show any signs of fear or discomfort. While relieved by that, I carefully chose my words to leave a good impression on Arnold.
"I don't know. But Lukas has a bit of a... mysterious power. It's a really nice power to protect people. It might be related to that."
Right now, explaining things like the Hero's power while monsters are being suppressed by human power might seem suspicious.
In a few years, in a broad sense, Arnold will also be saved by Lukas. So, I won't belittle that, but even so, there shouldn't have been any sarcasm the other day. But by asking me like this, it means he's interested in some way.
As Arnold listened to my words, and as he glanced sideways at my expression—did he find something in his line of sight, his eyes slightly widened. Just when I thought that, he suddenly pointed in a certain direction. If I follow where he pointed, there was a street vendor there. Judging by the sign, it seems they mainly sell drinks.
As I casually gazed at his profile, wondering if he wanted something to drink, unexpectedly, he threw out some words.
"Hey, treat me."
"Huh?"
"Even if you thank me, it's fine, I'm thirsty."
Certainly, I should have praised Arnold after finishing the exam. I had no complaints about being treating him to a drink as a thank you for allowing me to do a preliminary inspection.
However, I didn't like the clearly increased arrogance in his voice and tone compared to three years ago. This is just my honest feeling that I can't help. So, while I didn't refuse to treat him, I thought of asking a slightly mean question.
I disguised the smirk that was about to appear on my face by narrowing my eyes and putting on a gentle smile. Then, I deliberately asked in a soft voice.
"It's okay, but... were you nervous because you were thirsty?"
"Yeah, is that a problem?"
――Surprisingly, a straightforward answer came back without delay. I intended to be mean, but I ended up being taken aback.
As dissatisfied sharp eyes were directed at my frozen self, I hurriedly shook my head.
"No, not like that."
I felt relieved knowing he's still 14.
When I gave a vague answer to hide my true feelings, Arnold seemed uninterested and looked away from me. Then he bluntly ordered me to "hurry up and buy it," so I left Arnold and rushed to the street vendor.
It reminded me of a similar situation three years ago, and I felt nostalgic. Unconsciously, a smile appeared on my face.
* * *
"Laura, welcome back."
As soon as I returned to the inn, Lukas greeted me with a smile.
Perhaps because I had spent half a day with the blunt Arnold - excluding exam time, it was only about an hour - my body seemed tense. Being welcomed by the warm smile of my childhood friend, I felt both physically and emotionally comforted.
"I'm sorry for leaving you alone after you came all this way with me..."
"It's okay, I just wanted to come. Besides, today Marcedes-san showed me around the city, it was fun."
I know it's rude to think like this about Lukas, but from my current perspective, Lukas looks like a cute medium-sized dog. Unlike Arnold, who I can't read at all, Lukas shows his affection all over - just to clarify, by affection here I mean the affection of childhood friends, as friends.
Cute - mentally speaking - to a younger boy, my mouth naturally relaxed.
"So, I found a shop that Laura would like. Let's go there tomorrow or the day after if we have time."
I nod enthusiastically at Lukas's happy invitation.
There are only two days left in the royal capital - technically 1 and a half days before heading back in 2 days. Tomorrow, I'll accompany Arnold for his test just like today, but the day after tomorrow, I'll have half a day free. Originally, I had promised Lukas to tour the capital city together on the last day, and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of shops I might like.
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