Chapter 46 Petra'S Love Talk
――In the morning, Petra, with sleepy eyes, invited me to her house. When she asked if we could hang out together sometimes, I felt a bit awkward even though there was no reason to.
Still, I was genuinely happy about her invitation, and I also felt the need to have a one-on-one conversation with Petra. Since receiving that letter, I had been unsure about how to measure my relationship with Petra.
I didn't want things to get awkward and end up drifting apart from my friend. I felt lonely at the thought of that happening.
I wanted to have a heart-to-heart talk, but even if we did, I wasn't sure what I should do. Petra would most likely bring up Lukas in the conversation. I want to support Petra's love. It's my true feelings, but as the "me" who knows Lukas's future, I can't help but feel that supporting Petra might be cruel in itself――
With swirling thoughts in my head, I visited Petra's house. Being the village head's daughter, her house was somewhat more impressive compared to others. Petra's room that I was invited to was much larger than my own room.
As soon as I entered the room, I noticed the snacks and drinks prepared. Everything was set up perfectly.
I sat down on the chair as suggested. And then, out of the blue, she asked,
"Hey, Laura. What do you think about Lukas and me?"
It was a really difficult question to answer.
I was relieved I wasn't drinking juice at that moment, or I might have spit it out.
"Well... that's, um, I'm not sure..."
"Yeah, I guess..."
To be honest, the topic of Petra and Lukas had never come up between us, and even if it did, I would have hesitated to bring it up. From Petra's perspective, I was the closest girl to Lukas. Casual words could unintentionally hurt her feelings.
"Laura, do you have a crush in the royal capital?"
"Huh?"
"Well, Radmila is still young, and Julia is getting married soon, so there's no one to talk about love with."
Petra's smile didn't seem to have any hidden meaning.
With Julia getting married, the dynamics of talking about love with Petra will change. As for Radmila, while it's a bit regrettable, it's understandable. Radmila isn't that much older than us, but her tone and attitude make her seem more like a little sister than a friend.
So, the only one who can have a heart-to-heart talk with Petra on equal terms right now is probably me — maybe there's a girl of the same age at her job, but who knows. However...
"I don't have anyone... To be honest, that's not really on my mind."
Unfortunately, I didn't have any topics to offer. Then, Petra timidly but straightforwardly asked,
"Um, what about that magician person?"
"...Arnold-san? We've been in touch, but..."
This exchange felt like déjà vu. As I pondered why, I remembered that right after becoming a Royal Alchemist trainee, there were a few misunderstandings about my relationship with Arnold.
Petra probably knew of Lukas, a man connected to me, and Arnold, whom she briefly met. So, it made sense for his name to come up. When I thought about it, Lukas and Arnold-san were the only boys my age I had somewhat close relationships with.
Realizing the somewhat sad reality of being a teenage girl, I smiled again at Petra and casually replied, "He's just a senpai."
"Oh, I see..."
Feeling a somewhat boring tone in that voice, I couldn't help but continue with words that seemed evasive.
"Want to talk about love, don't you have a crush?" Getting a response like "I don't have a crush right now" wouldn't be interesting at all. I need to make more effort to expand the conversation a bit.
"Ah... honestly, I'm not really in the mood for love right now. I'm all about my hobbies."
Despite laughing, Petra's expression remained tense.
Instead of dragging on with my own topic, it would be better to steer the conversation back to Petra. Desperate to break the awkward silence, I blurted out "that question" impulsively.
"By the way, why did you start liking Lukas, Petra?"
"Eh, wha-what!?"
Petra's face instantly turned bright red. Seeing her reaction, I regretted my words from a few seconds ago, wondering if I had spoken out of turn.
In front of me, she was frantically waving her hands and shaking her head, seeming like she didn't want to tell me something. I quickly tried to retract my question with a "Sorry," but before I could, Petra muttered softly.
"...There wasn't a decisive trigger or anything, right?"
Reflexively, I nodded in agreement, and Petra glanced at me from above with a curious look. When I responded with a gentle smile, Petra also relaxed, raising the corners of her mouth.
Perhaps, this wasn't a failure but a success. Petra is also a girl around my age. She probably wanted to talk about love — she must have wanted someone to listen to her love story.
"Just that, I've always felt a bit different from boys in other villages... You know, because other boys are all... lively."
I recalled Julia's fiancé. Along with that, I pictured the boys from the village who used to tease Lukas.
They were certainly much more lively compared to Lukas. Well, as a boy born in a remote mountain village, maybe they were more 'normal' and Lukas was the one who was 'different.' Boys who ran around in the fields, living energetically. They may have gone a bit overboard at times, but in such a remote village, their playmates were either nature or each other.
However, it seems that Petra didn't find their liveliness very appealing. Petra had a quiet personality, especially when she was young, so rough boys might have scared her.
"I'm not good with boys... but I could naturally talk to Lukas. I think it's because of Lukas's gentle nature."
I did see Lukas and Petra talking a few times. Perhaps Lukas found it easy to interact with Petra because of her gentle nature. Looking back, their calm emotional fluctuations might have been somewhat similar.
While picturing the face of a childhood friend in my mind, I listened to Petra's story.
"In the past few years, he has become more mature, or rather, stronger... When the monster attacked the village, he stood in front of the village to protect it before the uncles did."
Petra gazes into the empty space. From her flushed cheeks, it's clear that she's thinking about the person she likes.
"So... I've been thinking for a while, but I realized he's cool, and now I find myself watching him with my eyes..."
She had fallen in love.
With those words, Petra's love talk came to an end.
While I think it's a lovely first love story, at the same time, thinking about how those feelings will end in a few years makes my heart ache.
In the Last Brave, just like "my" experienced, Lukas is destined to fall in love with an ancient species girl. I wish for that future — it's mainly because it's for the sake of saving the world — and I'm striving to cure Elvira's Self-destruction disease for that future. So, in a way, it's like I also wish for Petra's heartbreak — thinking along those lines, I come to a realization.
I always thought the love between the ancient species girl, the heroine of Last Brave, and Lukas was predetermined in this world. However...
The vanished fountain square.
A yet-to-appear character named Arnold.
Elvira's Self-destruction disease.
Alex-san who lost both legs.
And Laura Ampère, who chose the path of an alchemist.
Yes, this world is not exactly the same as Last Brave. There are different points and elements to be found. So, maybe in this world, the future where Lukas is connected with an ancient species girl might change.
Yes, in another world line (route), there might be a future where he ends up with his childhood friend from the village, waiting for Hero-sama!
The reason I didn't consider this possibility is that the love between Lukas and the ancient species girl is such a significant element in the story - the process until they save the world. Amidst the despair the demon king brought upon humans, their strong feelings were an undeniable light. So, no matter how many differences I find between this world and Last Brave, I unconsciously believed that it would not shake my conviction.
Actually, that might be true. However, the love story with the ancient species girl could transform into something — like a friendship that transcends gender, or a familial kind of affection, or even daringly, if the ancient species girl doesn't appear in this world, another character takes her place — there is a possibility that it could become the light that saves this world. It's not impossible. It's not impossible at all.
Yes, Petra's feelings of love, I don't know what will happen next. It should be the same for ordinary love. In that case, it's perfectly fine to support her love as a normal friend.
I'm not trying to force anything together or push them apart. I'm not thinking in those terms. Just — yes, just, watching over. It's not much different from observing, but it made me feel quite relieved in my own way.
"Oh, I see now... Petra, you have the expression of a girl in love."
After coming up with a lame excuse and feeling a bit lighter, I spoke my true feelings. Then, Petra's face turned bright red up to her ears. Her obvious change was just like something out of a manga.
"Geez, Laura! Stop teasing me!"
"I'm not teasing you! Petra really likes Lukas."
I chuckled. It felt like I could banter with Petra like a true friend without feeling intimidated after a long time.
I realized that when it came to Lukas, I still seemed to be carrying memories from a past life - Last Brave, quite heavily.
I don't think that's a bad thing. In fact, if things progress as per "my" memories, peace in this world seems almost guaranteed. I don't need to explain myself to anyone, but please forgive me for wanting that.
"Would you like to hear more about this kind of story?"
"If it's okay with you."
"Thank you! ...Unlike the royal capital, this village doesn't have much excitement or interesting things to talk about, right?"
Petra closed her eyes with a troubled expression. From that expression, I could sense that she wasn't satisfied with her life in this village.
"I don't have talents like Laura... so I guess I'll spend my whole life in Emme Village. But if I can be with the person I love, maybe that's happiness."
I couldn't say anything in response to Petra's words.
It's a village with little convenience and entertainment for a girl of her age to live in. However, there are no individuals with wealth or status who can easily leave the village. It's a common story to reluctantly accept the boredom and live in such a closed-off village, even though it may seem cruel.
But, that life shouldn't have been wasted. Who said that being ordinary is the happiest? Being connected with people from the same village, having children, and continuing the cycle of life. It's a respectable life. Even though I understand that, I can't help but think. It's good to have a path called alchemist for myself.
Since the day my memories returned, if I hadn't found a way to leave this village and had stayed in Emme Village as before, what would have become of me? I might have surprisingly lived cheerfully. But maybe, I would have just spent my days in gloom, becoming like a living corpse.
"No one knows what will happen in the future. Petra, you might be in a completely different place a year from now."
Peering up at Petra's face from below, deliberately pretending to be clueless, I smiled. Petra momentarily tightened her jaw, but then smiled back as if in response.
I might be wondering what people think of me, the first one to leave this village. Every time I return to the village, I feel the difference in time that has passed between myself and Petra. Julia's marriage is a clear example of this, but also Petra starting to work away from home - even though it's a path she chose herself, feeling lonely because that path has taken her far away from the friends in the village.
It's inevitable, I suppose. Indeed, perspectives would differ between living in this village and living in the royal capital. However, I didn't abandon Emme Village. Even if I left the village by my own will, it remains my beloved hometown. And Petra and the others are precious friends from that hometown.
"Tell me more about your love life. Maybe even through a letter."
Petra looked surprised and tilted her head, making me realize. Oh, that's right. The term 'love life' doesn't exist in this world. "I" completely forgot about that.
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