Chapter 25 Pitying 'Childhood Friend'
That day, the people from Emme Village gathered to see me off as I returned to the capital.
Although I only had a day and a bit to spend there, I was glad to be able to go back home like this. Seeing their faces in person instead of just through letters made me feel relieved, and most importantly, it must have reassured my parents.
"Petra, Radmila, Julia, see you later! I'll write you a letter."
I bid farewell with a smile to the three girls from Emme Village. Then, as if representing the three of them, Julia stepped forward and replied.
"I'm looking forward to it. Do your best, Laura."
We exchanged smiles and a light handshake.
――And then, Petra discreetly handed me a letter from the side. As I stared at it curiously, Petra pushed it into my hands.
"Um, Laura, read this when you're alone."
"Oh, um, okay. Thank you."
They went through the trouble of writing a letter, and emphasized that it should be read when alone, indicating that there is something written that they don't want others to know about. I tightly held the letter in front of my chest at Petra's word.
I then turned to the three girls, smiled again, and changed my body's direction. There, standing to see me off, was my mentor.
"Mentor, I'll be back again. Please come visit us too, Mentor. You're welcome anytime."
"Oh, well, maybe someday."
It was a somewhat vague response.
Since my mentor used to be a renowned Royal Alchemist, there might be familiar faces in the royal castle. Perhaps one or two of her disciples are there as well.
However, sensing an unenthusiastic atmosphere, my mentor handed me a thick book. I reflexively took it, feeling its weight that was too heavy to hold with just one hand.
"I brought this to give to you."
"What's this?"
I lightly tapped the slightly dirty cover.
The title on the cover read "World Legends and Myths."
"This book contains legends and myths passed down from ancient times around the world. I thought it would be good for killing time, but it might actually be useful. Most of them may not actually exist."
Surprised by my mentor's words, I opened the book. I saw very small text densely covering the pages.
It seemed like it would be difficult to read, but there appeared to be a vast amount of information.
My mentor probably found this for me after I asked about the Self-destruction disease. Judging by the dusty cover, it might have been excavated from the depths of the bookshelf.
I hugged the book tightly to my chest. I am truly a fortunate person to have such a good my mentor.
If my mentor didn't have a place to stay near Emme Village, and if she hadn't accepted the sudden visit of a young girl as her disciple, I wouldn't be here now.
I feel like I need to thank my mentor properly soon. It's not just about being filial to my parents, it's about being filial to my mentor.
As I quietly savored the emotions, Lukas approached me. His expression didn't try to hide the loneliness.
"Laura."
"Luka. I'll be back soon."
"I'm looking forward to it. ...Take care."
Saying that, Lukas handed me something. I quickly realized what it was, but it was so unexpected that I froze.
"This is from the weapons shop owner for Laura. This short sword might only serve as a comfort."
It was a short sword. A copper short sword sold at the village's weapons shop.
At the beginning, the attack power of the "Last Brave" copper dagger was quite low. Even if I had it for self-defense, being a weak person, I might not be able to defeat even a single slime.
As Lukas said, it was just a mere consolation. But――
"...No, thank you."
The weight pressing on my palm felt like a sign of impending disaster approaching very close. It naturally made me feel more alert.
I accepted it and held it close to my chest.
Letters, books, and a dagger. My baggage had increased significantly. Besides the letters, the other two items were quite heavy.
"Mother, Father, I'm off again."
Finally, I turned to my parents.
They were looking at me with a complex expression, not smiling. It was a look of concern for their daughter's well-being.
I feel grateful that I can't be stopped. Even though my parents are worried, they respect my decision as their daughter. That's why I know I should repay their feelings, but I have to go.
After exchanging a final embrace and cutting off the feeling of being pulled back by my hair, I hurried onto the carriage. If I miss this, there won't be another carriage leaving Emme Village today.
As the carriage started moving, I looked back one last time.
"I'll be back soon!"
The people of Emme Village responded to me waving my hands vigorously. They waved until their figures became as small as grains of rice, bidding farewell.
Completely moving away from Emme Village, I couldn't see their figures anymore. It's the beginning of another long carriage journey. Just thinking about it made me sigh heavily.
While being rocked in the carriage, I opened the letter I received from Petra. It was a very simple one.
――Surprisingly, the main text was just over three lines.
'Please forgive me for suddenly saying such a thing.'
The first line was an introduction.
And the second line was――
"I like Lukas."
It was the main point that I never expected.
The moment my eyes caught those words, my mind went blank.
――Petra likes Lukas?
I desperately tried to recall my own memories.
Did such a setting exist? Petra was just one of the background villagers, and there was no description of her liking Lukas - in fact, there was hardly any description of Petra herself. On top of that, there were lines supporting the love of "Hero-sama's childhood friend"...
"Hero-sama's... childhood friend?"
It suddenly dawned on me.
Childhood friend.
The term doesn't have a clear definition for the person it refers to. To some extent, if they've known each other since childhood, I can call them childhood friends.
Lukas and I, Laura, are undoubtedly like childhood friends straight out of a picture book. We were born in the same village and have spent time together since we were young. We have confidence that we are each other's number one in the village. However――
Petra also seems to be in a position as "Hero-sama's childhood friend."
She is from the same village as Lukas. They are close in age. Although they may not have talked much alone, it's not like they had a bad relationship. They should have built a reasonably friendly relationship.
――Could this be called a relationship of "childhood friends"?
(Could it be that Petra is starting to take on the position of "Last Brave" Laura...?)
Petra started to develop feelings for Lukas at some point, but it's unclear when or how it happened. If she continues to have feelings for Lukas like this, there's a good chance she might confess to him that she'll "wait" for him when he embarks on his journey a few years from now.
I find myself gradually drifting away from the "Childhood Friend of the Hero" depicted in "Last Brave," both in terms of my surroundings and my own state of mind. If I continue down this path, there won't be a childhood friend confessing to the Hero-sama in a few years, nor will there be a childhood friend waiting sadly alone in the village for his return――so I thought.
However, Petra is starting to meet the conditions to become that "Childhood Friend of the Hero." It's as if she's taking my place.
Is the mission burdened on the "Childhood Friend of the Hero" transitioning from me to Petra?
I place my hand over my left chest, trying to calm my racing heartbeat, taking a few deep breaths.
After all, there's a possibility that Petra from "Last Brave" had feelings for Lukas. This detail might have quietly existed as an undisclosed backstory deemed unnecessary for the story.
To be frank, in the game, Petra is just a background character - an NPC. Most players probably don't even remember her name. Instead of focusing on her one-sided crush, the staff should put their efforts elsewhere.
Yes. It's too early to consider Petra as my replacement or stand-in.
I regained some composure and returned my gaze to the letter in my hand.
In the final sentence, it was written that she felt bad for keeping silent towards me, didn't ask for support.
Petra must have struggled with her feelings and sent me this letter. I understand that. If possible, I want to support a friend's love. But.
――Even if I put aside the suspicions about me being a stand-in, Petra will most likely experience heartbreak in the future.
I sighed.
Oh, God. Why is it that in this world, a pitiful childhood friend of the hero-sama always seems to appear?
I pondered on what to do next. However, I already knew there was nothing I could do about it.
All I could do was watch over. I shouldn't meddle and disturb Petra's feelings. Advising her to give up because she will definitely be rejected in the future is out of the question.
In my mind, I saw Petra's face and the face of Laura, who is not "me."
――If a pitiful childhood friend of the hero-sama must exist in this world, I can only hope that the childhood friend will be happy to the fullest afterwards.
That's all I wished for.
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