Chapter 5 The Missing Character And The Vanished Fountain Square
"Laura, don't wander off!"
Even though I was distracted by my mentor's words, I nodded firmly.
――It's been a few months since I became a disciple of my mentor. Today, we arrived in a city second only to the capital in size, following mymentor. I was supposed to stay behind as my mentor went to meet someone, but I insisted on coming along.
I remember this city - Sittenhelm. It's the city the protagonist visits early on in "Last Brave." Having already visited the capital, this city felt slightly less grand, but the lively background music left a strong impression. One of his companions is from this city and he will visit it again towards the end.
――Putting aside memories from past lives, I find myself captivated by various sights in the city.
What a lively town! It's so different from Emme Village! The scenery I saw in 'Last Brave' is right in front of me!
"Here, here."
Next to my mentor who said that, I looked up at the building in front of me.
I remembered this building with its refreshing white color scheme. I entered this building while playing 'Last Brave.' It was one size larger than the surrounding buildings, and the wall paint seemed to stand out from the surroundings, making it seem not just an ordinary house.
――To cut to the chase, it was just an ordinary house. The interior decorations seemed to have some effort put into them, but there was nothing like this house getting involved in any events afterwards.
I never would have thought that the person living in this house was my mentor's disciple――Granny, who lived on the outskirts of the village."
Ringing the doorbell and entering the house without waiting for a response, my mentor acted as if it were her own place. Following suit, I tried to recall the appearance of the NPC who lived in this ordinary house in "Last Brave."
If my memory serves me right, she was a blonde woman. I remember her as a reused NPC seen in multiple villages and towns.
"Long time no see, Mercedes."
Popping up beside my mentor, I peeked out to respond. The resident quiz was - incorrect.
"It's been a while, mentor. It's good to see you're still lively as ever."
"I won't kick the bucket just yet."
The disciple conversed cheerfully with my mentor - Mercedes, a beautiful woman with light green hair.
What caught my eye first was the length of her hair, reaching the floor. Unrealistic in reality, but fitting for a fantasy world.
Next, my eyes were drawn to the shape of the ears. They were pointed at the tip. In "Last Brave," this ear shape was a sign of the elf race. Elves were believed to have longer lifespans and stronger magical powers than other races, and we had one elf member in our party.
Lastly, what caught my attention were the red eyes similar to my mentor's. Despite being a deep red, those eyes seemed somehow clear and had a mysterious charm that drew me in.
Those red eyes turned towards me.
"Is this your new disciple?"
"Yes, I'm Laura Ampère. Nice to meet you!"
As I bowed, I caught a glimpse of ash gold hair in the corner of my vision. The loose waves at the tips belonged to me. While my hair color gave me some individuality, having common blue eyes in this world made me feel somewhat out of place.
Laura's appearance itself seems to have been created with more emphasis than NPC characters, perhaps because she has been given the role of the protagonist's childhood friend - in other words, she was made to look cute. However, she is no match for the divine beauty of Mercedes-san that even feels majestic.
Even so, I can't believe I had forgotten about Mercedes-san, who has such a beautiful and impressive character design. It might not be surprising since she was not involved in the main story or even in sub-events, but instead of forgetting, I was digging up memories of her being just a reused NPC in this village.
"You're quite the young lady. I'm Mercedes Bloom, nice to meet you. I've heard you're a very talented disciple."
Receiving a smile overflowing with compassion like that of the Virgin Mary, the tension naturally left my body. What a wonderful person she is.
"Oh, I should introduce my disciple too. Arnold!"
Responding to Mercedes' call, a boy with black hair emerged from the back. That boy had a frighteningly well-structured face.
Judging from his height, he seemed a bit older than me, but he was probably around 12 years old. Despite that, his face already seemed to have shed its youthfulness. His eyes, the same color as his hair, his straight nose, his tied lips, every part of his face was in perfect shape and perfectly placed. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was God's finest creation, flawless in every aspect.
If I was to make a meta statement, he could be the future Hero-sama, the protagonist of this world. Lukas also had a very beautiful face. However, he still retained some youthfulness. In simple terms, I had never seen a child with such a beautiful face before.
Taken aback by the surprise, I inadvertently directed a rude gaze towards him. The boy glanced at me for a moment, then quickly averted his gaze. And...
"..."
Silence. No words spoken. Clearly. I'm being rejected in communication.
As I struggled with how to react, Mercedes-san next to me came to the rescue.
"I'm sorry, even though he's older than Laura-chan... His name is Arnold Rocco. He seems to be following me, but his knowledge is solid."
I ambiguously smiled at Mercedes-san's follow-up. "Nice to meet you," I tried to initiate a conversation, but he didn't even look my way.
Nevertheless, the name Arnold sounds cool, but Rocco is quite a cute surname. It wouldn't feel out of place as the name of a small animal — such silly thoughts of mine made me chuckle inwardly. At that moment, I "remembered." I had thought something similar before.
Rocco. That surname, "I" remembered it. I've heard it before. Deep within my eardrums, a familiar voice resurfaces.
――My name is Elvira Rocco. I'm a genius magician!
In my memory, I see a young face smiles, showing her teeth. Big black eyes blink. Black hair sways. Between the black hair, I can see her pointed ears. Yes, she is an elf. A genius magician with immense magic power in a small body.
Rocco. That person who used that surname. It is Elvira Rocco, one of the members of the "Last Brave" party!
I remember it well. Elvira was one of my favorite characters. She overwhelms enemies with tremendous firepower in battles and carries pride more than anyone else in the story.
When she introduced herself as Rocco, I thought it suited the cute Elvira, who was as small as a small animal. This memory is not wrong. I can say it with confidence.
In addition to sharing the same last name, Elvira and the boy in front of me, Arnold, also have the same hair and eye colors. The only difference is their ear shape. Earlier, I was so captivated by his beautiful faces that I didn't pay attention to his ears.
I lower my gaze to the floor for a moment. Then, I quickly raise my gaze back to their faces.
His ears were pointed.
(...Did Elvira have a setting where she had an older brother or cousin?)
I desperately try to remember. There was a mention of parents. In fact, during an event that delved into Elvira's character, her father, mother, and even grandparents actually appeared. But Elvira shouldn't have had a brother. There was no mention of a brother at all.
If that's the case, could it be a more distant relative like a cousin— I was thinking that far when suddenly a certain sentence resurfaced in my mind.
――Due to capacity constraints, Elvira's brother was cut out.
It was probably a sentence from an interview with the 'Last Brave' production staff. I don't remember where I read it, whether it was in a game magazine, a strategy guide, an official data collection, or online information. I can't even recall if the staff actually said it, or if it was just an online rumor. However, that sentence was firmly engraved in my memory.
The surname and physical characteristics were so common that it was hard to imagine they belonged to a complete stranger. Even so, it's not impossible that he is someone else.
Taking that into consideration, I pondered.
Perhaps, he, Arnold, is a 'cut character' from 'Last Brave'――
"Laura, sorry to bother you as soon as we arrived, but there's an herb garden nearby. Could you pick a bit of this herb for me?"
My train of thought was interrupted by my mentor's call. Reflexively, I raised my head, and a piece of paper was presented before me.
"Oh, yes!"
Glancing through quickly, all that was written there were familiar medicinal herbs.
Trying to recall the location of the herb garden nearby, "I" pictured a map of the city of Sittenhelm in my mind - but the herb garden was not on the map in my memory. Did a herb garden even exist in this city? I should have explored around when I arrived in this new city, but I have no recollection at all.
Puzzled, I tilted my head. But if my mentor said there is an herb garden nearby, then it must exist. If so, I must have overlooked it.
Then it struck me. Could the herb garden be the perfect place for think? It seems like a quiet place in my imagination, and being able to be alone is significant.
"Um... Can I take a look at the herb garden while I'm at it?"
At first glance, those words might have sounded like the words of a diligent student. In reality, my mentor nodded with a satisfied smile and said, "Feel free to look as much as you want." Although my conscience was slightly troubled by that smile, my desire to see the herb garden was genuine. However, my desire to organize my thoughts was much stronger.
Taking a deep breath, I was about to leave Marcedes-san's house immediately. However, I stopped in my tracks at the words that shook my eardrums the next moment.
"If that's the case, Arnold, show Laura around."
Please praise me for swallowing the surprised voice that almost escaped my throat.
I turned around with an unprecedented agility, forced a strained smile, and waved my hands vigorously in front of my face.
"Oh, no, that's alright!"
Arnold must be busy too.
Just as I was about to continue with those words, it was none other than Arnold himself who interrupted me.
"Follow me."
Still with a somewhat high-pitched voice, it's obvious that he is also a child. His facial features and gaze have been stripped of much of their youthfulness - but it's not the time to be thinking about such things.
I tried to refuse since I couldn't focus on my thoughts with him next to me, but he didn't give me that luxury. Arnold swiftly crossed in front of me and left Marcedes-san's house.
Although my plans were disrupted, I convinced myself that I didn't know the location of the herb garden in the first place, so I followed after him.
* * *
In front of the herb garden I was led to, I was dumbfounded.
It was much larger than I had imagined. This was not a space that could be easily overlooked. And above all,
(Wasn't this supposed to be the fountain square?)
According to "my" memory, there was a very large fountain here, surrounded by a square - or so it should have been. The fountain square, which had been used as a stage several times for events, had completely transformed into this so-called herb garden.
Will this herb garden be turned into a fountain square in the future? Lukas won't arrive in this town for another 8 years or so. It may seem unlikely, but not impossible.
No, wait. The fountain square was also featured in a flashback scene of a certain character's past. It was a memorable scene, so I remember it well. It was a flashback to the childhood of an older male party member from this town, who lost his parents to monsters when he was young.
Despite being a child himself, he struggled to raise his younger sister and brother. The flashback scenes here depicted the 10 years from when he lost his parents to becoming a knight and heading to the capital city in a fragmented manner.
In other words, the fact that the fountain square doesn't exist "now" contradicts "Last Brave." I unexpectedly shed tears watching that movie, I won't forget it.
――It was at this moment that I first began to doubt "my" memories.
Is this memory real? Emme Village certainly matched all of 'my' memories. But what about since coming to Sittenhelm? The herb garden, Arnold's, and even Mercedes-san don't match 'my' memories.
In shock, I realized a fact that was too late to sink in.
After all, am I, Laura, actively trying to walk a different path from 'Last Brave'? If I continue on this path, could it potentially impact this world?
Anyway, maybe it's better not to rely too much on 'my' memories in the future.
"...Hey."
"Huh, oh, yes?"
As I completely forgot about the herbs, Arnold calls out to me. Looking at his face, which was somewhat displeased and twisted, I remembered that I had wanted to think about Arnold in the first place.
I wonder if Arnold has a connection with Elvira. If so, is he Elvira's brother who was mentioned as a "cut character"? Or is he a distant relative like a cousin? Assuming Arnold is the brother of Elvira, who is considered a "cut character," can a "cut character" exist in the world of "Last Brave"?
It would be quicker to ask Arnold himself if he has a sister named Elvira, but we're not close enough to ask. Based on Elvira's age in the main story, she should already be born...
"You managed to become an apprentice to Berta-san, huh, you."
I didn't quite understand the meaning of the sudden words. But somehow, I felt a hint of malice - no, jealousy.
Berta is the name of my mentor, but what does it mean to say, "You managed to become an apprentice to my mentor"?
"Berta-san is famous for not taking on disciples. She has only taken on three people so far, including my mentor (Marcedes). You will be the fourth."
"Uh, okay..."
"I went all the way to a remote village, only to be rejected."
Upon hearing Arnold's words, I understood why he had been in a bad mood earlier.
It seems Arnold doesn't find my presence interesting.
ow that I understand the reason, there's nothing I can do about it. He may have lashed out with unreasonable and emotional anger, but this boy, who doesn't show his immaturity, is still just a child inside. My confusion from earlier disappeared, replaced by a sense of warmth.
Even so, I was surprised to learn that my mentor doesn't take on many disciples. I also found out that I would be her fourth disciple. She easily accepted me as her disciple, perhaps because she was bored with her retired life. Maybe she allowed me to become her disciple out of a sense of passing time. It's all just my imagination.
Suddenly, Arnold next to me crouched down on the spot. When I looked over to see what was going on, he pointed at the herbs on the ground and asked,
"Do you know about this herb?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, it's a newly discovered species of herb, right? I read in a book that it enhances healing powers."
"...Then, what about this one?"
This time, he pointed a bit further away to another herb. The surface of its leaves felt smoother compared to the others. It looked familiar.
"When mixed with a bitter herb, it helps to reduce the bitterness. Although this herb itself doesn't have any effects."
"...How about this one?"
Next, he pointed to something near my feet. The tips of the leaves were curled inwards. I pondered for a moment, but the answer quickly came to mind.
That's right, this is――
"Oh, that one is used in cooking, right? It's most famous for aiding digestion... However, there's a similar-looking herb that is toxic, so it's important not to confuse them."
When I confidently answered, Arnold suddenly turned away without even giving me a glance and left the spot.
Confused by his sudden actions, I followed his back. I hesitated for a moment, but still called out.
"Um, excuse me?"
"Annoying."
――It seems like I hurt Arnold's pride.
I wondered if I should pretend not to know whether he was Elvira's brother or not. I was amazed by his quite troublesome personality. At the same time, I felt Elvira's presence in her high pride and the trouble of handling her if treated wrongly. She was a proud genius magician in the end, but in the beginning, she was an untouchable arrogant magician. The change in attitude and feelings from the beginning to the end is essential when talking about Elvira.
Anyway, during my stay in Sittenhelm, I want to solve this mystery. Even if it's difficult to confirm with the person themselves, can't I ask Marcedes-san?
――But more importantly, what I need to think about now is how to improve his mood.
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