Chapter 21 A New Goal
All I remember is the voice filled with joy.
Vake, the Knight Order commander has returned! Someone shouted that.
I let out a sigh of relief at that voice - and then my memory cuts off.
The next time I woke up, I found myself lying in bed.
As I woke up, I looked around as much as I could while feeling groggy. Then, a familiar figure caught my eye.
"Arnold-san...?"
"Are you awake?"
The man who turned around at the sound of my voice was Arnold. He slowly approached my bedside.
As far as I could tell, this wasn't my room. Perhaps it was the castle infirmary.
"When I returned, you had collapsed in the synthesis room. Although there was nothing wrong with your body, you were just asleep."
With that explanation, my consciousness began to clear up little by little.
Perhaps, Vake safely returned after defeating the monsters, and the tension in the synthesis room snapped as the voices of the excited people filled the air. Overwhelmed by fatigue and drowsiness, I couldn't resist any longer and fell asleep as if losing consciousness.
I have no idea how long I slept. But most likely, Arnold returned from the battlefield and found me sleeping in the synthesis room, carrying me here.
Yes, Arnold was asked by Olivelle-san to go to the front line—
I was startled. And I instinctively sat up. It was so sudden that I felt a slight dizziness, but I didn't have time to pay attention to such things.
I heard that Vake returned — returned on his own feet, I suppose — but is his right eye, injured as he is, okay?
"Um, what about Vake-san?"
"He lost vision in his right eye but he's alive. He needs absolute rest for a while."
The vision in his right eye, lost.
Lying back on the bed, I muttered, "Is that so..."
If I had given advice beforehand, would Vake have not lost the vision in his right eye?
I had a feeling that in this battle, maybe. But it was just a vague feeling, and even if I said something outrageous, no one would listen. And above all else... I hesitated to create a difference with "Last Brave" with my own hands.
What's the point now? I thought, maybe I am the difference myself, Laura. I can think that now. But unlike me, who is a supporting character, Vake is a main character. I feared that if his fate changed, it would have a much bigger impact on the future.
"You've been through a lot."
"No, not really..."
I shook my head.
I don't know if this path was the right one or the wrong one. At the very least, I know I've taken another step closer to "Last Brave."
Glancing briefly at Arnold, he looked calmer than usual, even though his gaze was on the floor. Maybe Arnold was tired too, considering he had been fighting monsters on the front lines.
Despite having strong magic powers trusted by the Knight Order, why did he choose the path of an alchemist?
The question kept growing inside me until I couldn't hold it back anymore.
"Arnold, can I ask you something?"
In response to my words, Arnold sat down on the chair by the bedside. From his actions, I was probably allowed to ask my question.
"Why did you decide to become an alchemist? You have very strong magic powers, right?"
For a moment, Arnold's movements stopped.
"Why did you think of that, and questioned me" - perhaps recalling the time when Olivelle-san called him. Although it's all just my imagination, I'm not sure if Arnold truly understood when he heard those words, but he nodded once and then spoke.
"Even though I have magic power, I have no talent for healing magic. I was good at attack magic though."
I couldn't help but look at him, then sat up again.
"...But if that's the case, if you excel in attack magic alone... No, I'm sorry. I asked something too personal."
I hesitated for a moment to push further, but reconsidered and closed my mouth. Arnold and I are not close enough to take that extra step.
There was a brief silence. Surprisingly, it was Arnold himself who broke the awkwardness.
"...I mentioned I have a little sister."
"Huh? Oh... Elvira-chan, right?"
From Arnold's mouth came the word "sister," which made my heart skip a beat.
Elvira Rocco, Arnold's sister, is a key character in "Last Brave." Years later, she embarks on a journey to save the world as well.
I stared at Arnold's face intently, waiting for his next words. His face, which I gazed at, bore a solemn expression.
"Elvira suffers from a self-destructive disease."
Those words made me gasp.
――Self-destructive disease.
It's a fantasy world-specific illness where one's own magic power somehow harms their own body. Not only does the magic harm the tissues inside the body, but there have also been cases where parts of the body suddenly ignite. Ultimately, every patient is burned to death by flames from within, making it a truly terrifying disease.
Moreover, it's an extremely rare illness, said to affect only one in millions—known as a rare disease.
I've only come across it a few times in the literature, so I don't know the details. However, I seem to remember basic information because of my unnaturally strong cheat-like memory. It was a huge shock to see the unique symptoms of the illness. Above all, the self-destructive disease was not mentioned in "Last Brave," so I was deeply shocked to realize that such a terrifying disease existed in this world.
――Is Elvira suffering from the self-destructive disease?
There shouldn't have been such a setting. There wasn't even a setting of her being weak, let alone having an illness.
I remember hearing that from a young age, she had an overwhelming amount of magic power in her small body, causing trouble with her active behavior.
"I wanted to cure her. But I didn't have the talent for healing magic, so I chose the path of an alchemist. That's all."
"I-I see..."
However, judging from Arnold's serious expression, it doesn't seem like he's lying.
The differences with the unexpected "Last Brave" are making my mind awaken more and more. I started thinking about why this is happening and came up with a hypothesis.
The setup of Elvira having a self-destructive disease might have been scrapped along with the character Arnold.
It was added as one of her past episodes that she had a self-destructive disease. And as a means to solve that problem, her brother Arnold was born. Her brother had to be an excellent magician and alchemist to solve the issues she was facing.
However, for some reason, Elvira's setup was scrapped. As a result, Arnold, who was deeply connected to that scrapped setup, also ended up being a scrapped character in the end due to various reasons like capacity constraints.
It's just a hypothesis I quickly put together in my head, but I don't think it's an impossible story. However, if by some chance this hypothesis turns out to be true, then the biggest mystery would be why the settings and characters that were supposed to be scrapped are alive in this world.
Yes, that's right. The one who goes against the "Last Brave" the most in the world I live in right now might not be me, Laura, but Arnold. It's easy to focus on the differences because there is a "past," but Arnold doesn't have that "past" to begin with.
"I'm counting on you too."
"Huh?"
"Developing a special medicine that works for the self-destructive disease."
Just as I was lost in thought, words came bouncing rhythmically from Arnold.
――Developing a special medicine that works for the self-destructive disease?
The treatment for the self-destructive disease has not been found yet. However, it's not an illness that leads to immediate death. Even if it starts in childhood, based on past cases, it's said that one can live for 10 to 20 years. The longest-living patient was around 40 years old.
Even though it's a rare disease, the self-destructive illness progresses slowly. It starts with symptoms similar to minor burns or a cold, causing inflammation in the organs, then steadily progresses over a long period of time, ultimately burning the body from the inside out. Patients who succumb to the self-destructive illness don't even leave their bones behind.
――Originally, there should have been plenty of time. However, when the patient becomes Elvira, things change.
The time limit is just under three years.
"I" can't rely on my memories.
But Elvira sets off on a journey with Lukas. I must make it in time by that day. The genius magician Elvira Rocco, a comrade of Hero-sama, was not afflicted with the self-destructive illness.
"I told you, I want to borrow your talent."
The image of Arnold looking troubled from that day came back to mind.
Alright, so Arnold was talking about this, and I understood. But at the same time, my heart started beating faster.
――There's only 3 years left. By then, we have to somehow create a recovery medicine for Elvira's self-destructive disease.
There's a voice inside me whispering that maybe Arnold has the mission to create that medicine. But that's just a hypothesis I came up with.
If Elvira remains ill after 3 years — the fate of the world might change drastically.
Perhaps, Elvira's self-destructive disease is her destiny in this world. Maybe it's a necessary fate for the future of this world. But—
Due to illness, Elvira can no longer accompany the hero on the journey to save the world. If she doesn't come along, the journey of the Heroes I know will be very different. Even if she forces herself to come despite being ill, it would be the same.
When Lukas sets off on his journey, I want to minimize the differences with "Last Brave" as much as possible. This means ensuring the safety of Lukas and his companions, as well as the future of this world. If he follows the path I know, none of his companions will lose their lives, and the world will be saved from the threat of the demon king.
――It's not an exaggeration to say that the fate of the world rests on Arnold and my shoulders.
"But, I'll do my best."
Suddenly feeling dizzy from the heavy pressure that has come upon my shoulders, my voice, barely squeezed out, was hoarse.
Anxiety washes over me like waves.
A rare, incurable disease that affects only a few out of millions of people. Due to its rarity, there is limited information available about it. If it had appeared in "Last Brave," a popular game, there might have been a chance to discover a treatment within the game. However, the disease is not featured in the game.
Nevertheless, I have to do it.
Feeling anxious, I suddenly felt a tightness in my chest as if struggling to breathe. Trying to push through it, I placed my hand on my chest――
"By the way, how are your younger siblings doing?"
Arnold abruptly changed the atmosphere with his question, making me tilt my head in confusion.
The sudden and forceful change of topic left me bewildered. However, sensing Arnold's attempt to lighten the heavy mood, I decided to go along with the conversation, even though I didn't fully understand it.
Younger siblings? I'm an only child.
As I was about to answer,
"Did I tell you... about five years ago?"
――I'm glad I didn't rush.
I managed to swallow the words that almost slipped out of my mouth.
That's right. When I first met Arnold, I told a little white lie to try to get him to talk about Elvira. I said, "I might have a sibling soon."
"Oh, um! That's... a bit embarrassing, but it was a misunderstanding on my part—"
I explained while making excuses that I overheard my parents talking about a child being born next door, and as a young child, I misunderstood. Arnold let out a sigh as if he was exasperated. However, his expression was gentle — compared to Arnold's standards, at least — but he probably didn't lose trust in me that much.
After Arnold finished talking, he left the room. As he left, he said, "Keep sleeping," so I lay back down on the bed again.
While staring at the unfamiliar ceiling, what comes to mind is Elvira.
――Self-destruction disease. A rare illness with no established cure.
The time limit is only 3 years left.
I tightly clench my fists under the blanket.
In order not to become a defeated heroine, I aimed to become a Royal Alchemist and leave the village. The goal I set that day is already being achieved. However, today, a new goal has emerged.
――Finding a way to cure Elvira's Self-destruction disease.
This time, not for myself, but for Elvira. And for the future of this world.
In order to achieve that goal, I must first take enough rest.
Thinking so, I closed my eyelids. Then drowsiness quickly crept in - the moment my consciousness faded, what appeared in my mind was Elvira's lively smile that I repeatedly saw in "Last Brave," and the gentle smile of the Hero-sama responding to that smile.
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