Chapter 36 Don'T Worry
On the evening before departing for the capital city of Savila, two Royal Alchemists from the Platonovena branch, Vilma-san and her colleague, arrived in Anea. Their arrival meant that the required number of soldiers and magicians had probably gathered in the city for evacuation.
Among the familiar faces, except for Emiliana-san, I ran up, out of breath.
"Vilma-san, I'm glad you're safe!"
Vilma-san, with dark circles under her eyes, smiled warmly.
"Oh, Laura-kun. You look well, that's good."
Her voice was slightly hoarse. Vilma-san, as if to cover it up, narrowed her eyes and gently patted my head.
Surely she's tired, yet she acts dignified to not worry the younger girl. I wasn't so clueless as to not see that, but also not foolish enough to point it out.
There was a moment of silence. I hesitated to disrupt the current friendly atmosphere with my question, but I couldn't help but ask 'it.'
"...Um, what's the situation with Platonovena?"
"The city is packed with soldiers and magicians."
Vilma-san, perhaps trying to lighten the mood, smiled wryly and answered in a somewhat joking tone.
However, seeing me still tense, she smiled more wryly and continued in a reassuring tone.
"The monsters aren't moving. Alex is working hard to keep the soldiers' spirits up."
Upon Vilma-san's report, I felt relieved for the time being. I sensed my tense body relaxing.
The monsters are still not moving. Just that one statement alone is significant information for me. However, it cannot be denied that there is a possibility of the monsters showing movement in the future.
But why was Alex so convinced of a monster attack like that? His unwavering tone, what was it based on――
"Arnold is as usual... Just that, he left a letter for you."
Suddenly, a letter was handed to me. Seeing my name written in a surprisingly neat handwriting addressed to Ampère, I held my breath for a moment.
After taking a deep breath, I accepted it. I can guess that it probably contains a report on the current situation, but my fingertips still trembled slightly. The days here have made me more anxious and weaker than I thought.
"You're going back to the capital for a while, right?"
"Yes." I nodded quietly. I've already finished packing up all my belongings.
Arnold is still in a dangerous place, but I'm evacuating to a safer place. Even if I stay, I'll just be a burden. I don't have any talent in magic, unlike Arnold. I understand that, but the feeling of shame towards myself and guilt towards Arnold inevitably seeped into the depths of my heart.
"――Emiliana! You have a letter from Alex too!"
At Vilma-san's sudden voice, I turned around. Emiliana-san, who was there somehow, clearly shrunk her body.
Still, when Vilma-san handed her the letter, she agilely approached us like a small animal and took the letter. Without hesitation, she opened the envelope and quickly read the letter.
I gazed at Emiliana's pale face. Her restless blue eyes moved frantically, and her slightly parted lips trembled.
"...What did Emiliana-san's letter from Alex-san say?"
"It says to go with Laura-san."
It's unfolding just as I imagined. However, thinking about Emiliana-san's feelings, my gaze naturally fell to the floor.
But then I reconsidered. Emiliana-san must be feeling much more pain and anxiety than me. Her fiancé is staying in the war zone and she is evacuating to an unfamiliar place.
――If only I could support her.
I lifted my gaze that had fallen. Emiliana-san, who was holding the letter to her chest, looked exhausted as she bowed her head, her expression unreadable.
Realizing that my expression wouldn't convey to her either, I still managed to awkwardly smile.
"Emiliana-san, it's okay. The capital city is also a wonderful place, you know? Let me introduce you to some friends and reliable senpai."
"Okay." Emiliana-san nodded slowly, lifting her face. I expected to see a troubled, pale face, but to my surprise, when she raised her face, she had a very calm smile.
Unable to continue speaking due to her unexpected expression, Emiliana-san said, "I'll go prepare for tomorrow," and turned on her heel to leave.
I watched her retreating figure in a daze. It was then that I suddenly realized I hadn't opened the letter from Arnold.
I hurriedly took out the letter from the envelope and quickly read the contents in one go.
'There is still no movement from the monsters. However, Alex-san is convinced that Platonovena will be attacked by monsters again. The reason is unknown. At least, there doesn't seem to be any sign of us withdrawing troops, so it looks like a stalemate will continue for a while.'
It was a typical letter from Arnold, straightforwardly stating only the facts. It felt like I could hear his flat voice.
As I continued reading, at the end of the letter, it was spelled out like this.
'Don't worry.'
In that short sentence, there was a strong force in the hand holding the letter.
It was written in a scribbled manner. The previous text was very easy to read, polite, and evenly spaced, making the oddity of the sentence at the end stand out even more.
At the moment of trying to put it in the envelope, it suddenly came to mind and was hastily written - that kind of scene seems to float behind my closed eyelids.
He must have been considerate in his own way. Perhaps from Arnold's perspective, the junior who was frightened by the sudden monster attack seemed pitiful.
To be honest, that sentence did not make me feel lighter. There was an ungraceful "me" who calmly judged it as just comforting words. However, at the same time, there was also a "me" who felt happy about Arnold's consideration.
* * *
After being shaken in a carriage for a few days, I finally returned to the royal capital, Savila, together with Emiliana-san.
"Laura!"
Chelsea and Lina-senpai were there to greet me. Seeing their familiar faces, my tense feelings loosened, and tears welled up involuntarily.
"Chelsea, Lina-senpai!"
I called out and started running towards them. Chelsea also ran towards me and gave me a tight hug.
"Are you okay?! Any injuries?"
"I'm fine, no injuries anywhere."
They patted me all over without reservation, and I couldn't help but smile wryly. But more than that, I found comfort in their warmth.
I hugged them back as if clinging to that warmth. I noticed Chelsea's shoulders were trembling slightly, so I hugged her tighter.
My eyes met with Lina-senpai as we embraced. Lina-senpai was smiling gently as always.
But suddenly, a look of confusion appeared on their face. Following their gaze, they saw Emiliana-san, who seemed a bit lost, shrinking her body and modestly smiling.
It seemed I was unexpectedly happy to reunite with my colleagues and senpais. I quickly let go of Chelsea's embrace and stood next to Emiliana-san.
"Let me introduce you. This is Emiliana-san. She came with me from Platonovena."
We briefly introduced each other. When I mentioned Platonovena, both of them seemed to understand everything, furrowing their brows in confusion for a moment. But soon, two gentle smiles were directed towards Emiliana-san.
"I'm Emiliana. Nice to meet you."
Emiliana-san bowed deeply. Her expression was so calm that it felt unnatural, as if she had closed off her heart completely—
Despite my own worries, Emiliana-san, Chelsea, and Lina-senpai exchanged friendly greetings. But seeing that Emiliana-san was probably tired from the long journey, we quickly decided to part ways for now.
I decided to guide Emiliana-san around the capital city for now, separating from the group. As I started walking to show her around, Emiliana-san, who hadn't moved from her spot, caught my attention.
"Emiliana-san?"
"...It said in the letter to be prepared."
I couldn't grasp the sudden significance of her words that seemed to shake my eardrums.
Emiliana-san walking ahead turned back.
"It was written that the future of Platonovena is entrusted to you."
Finally, I realized she was talking about a letter from Alex-san.
――Alex-san sent a letter to Emiliana-san entrusting the future of Platonovena to her.
It felt like... well.
I let out a shallow breath. I felt my mouth loosen slightly, as if humans, when too surprised, would break their emotions.
"Something like... something like a will..."
A will. I hesitated to speak that word, but before I knew it, it slipped out of my mouth smoothly.
Emiliana grimaced at my words. She looked like she was about to burst into tears.
"Even if we have to fight to the death, to defeat the monsters..."
I clenched my fist tightly at Emiliana-san's determination spoken by Alex-san. My nails dug into my palm as I hadn't been taking care of her properly lately.
"It seems there was a monster that spoke human language. It had sharp claws and fangs, and it killed multiple soldiers in an instant. Clearly, it was different from other monsters... yes, it was written like that."
Emiliana-san's words left me breathless. A monster that can speak human language also appeared in "Last Brave."
These monsters are usually very powerful, almost like high-ranking officers in the demon king's army.
If we follow the game's rules, the monster Alex-san mentioned should be exceptionally strong compared to others. Its appearance is different from other monsters, with graphics that clearly scream "boss fight."
In simple terms, what Alex-san felt when he saw that monster and thought "this one's different" is probably correct. Maybe the monster even told him something like, "I will attack this city again." In that case, it's understandable why Alex-san was so confident about the monster's next assault.
――Yes, everything starts to make sense. Alex-san's words and determination that he left with Emiliana-san, all of it.
"Sorry, I can't handle this all alone... Sorry"
Her face twisted in anguish. Tears finally welled up in her eyes, and as if ashamed of them, Emiliana-san covered her face with both hands.
Emiliana-san had been enduring it all this time. Perhaps she had intended to bear it alone.
Approaching the trembling girl on the verge of tears, I naturally pulled myself towards her, embracing her bowed head against my chest.
She was still a young girl who had not yet reached adulthood. Having left her parents and facing the fear of losing her beloved fiancé she was supposed to marry—
"No, no...!"
She vigorously shook her head. It seemed like Emiliana-san's anxiety was seeping through my touching skin.
A monster that speaks human language. Alex-san, who is prepared for death.
Alex-san is not the type of person to involve others in a battle where he doesn't stand a chance of winning. Even if he has made up his mind to face the monsters, he wouldn't want to drag other soldiers into it. If he were to die, he would choose to die alone. ――That's the kind of person he is, as far as "I" know.
Arnold, who possesses powerful magic, is by his side. There are also many strong soldiers gathered. And above all, Alex-san Platonovena will appear in "Last Brave" - which is the world three years from now.
However, no one in "Last Brave" mentioned such events. It's highly likely an event not originally planned in the game. If that's the case, someone might lose their life in the battle with the monsters...
Thinking up to that point, I nodded firmly once again.
It's okay. Surely, it will be okay. Alex-san and Arnold will return safely. Yes, Arnold reassured me not to worry.
――After that, for a while, we shared our worries and clung to each other, me and Emiliana-san were loosely hugging.
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