Chapter 53 Return Of The Hero
On the 8th day since falling ill,
I brought Annette to the forest.
This forest, said to be inhabited by ancient spirits, was filled with a sacred aura, and Annette seemed to be in good spirits—
We were able to spend a peaceful time together after a long while.
I'll bring her there again sometime.
* * *
Upon returning to the capital, I was greeted surprisingly by Arnold. Although I had written in the letter sent from Emme Village the date and time I would return to the royal capital, the surprise of finding him standing in front of the castle gates was immense.
I hurriedly ran towards Arnold. As I opened my mouth to greet him for the time being...
"Arnold-san—"
"Regarding the letter..."
Without even acknowledging my greeting of just returning, and without any preamble, Arnold immediately brought up the main topic.
Taken aback by the abrupt conversation, I nodded to show that I would follow along and displayed a tentative reaction for the time being.
The letter mentioned two things: a request to accompany to Flaria city to obtain 'The Drinking Water of the Spirits' and a plea regarding the barrier magic of my hometown, Emme Village.
"Firstly, about 'The Drinking Water of the Spirits,' I would like to go to Flaria city right away if possible. However..."
Arnold, looking visibly hesitant, cast his gaze downwards. They say eyes speak louder than words, and his expression and attitude were all too clear. Arnold cannot accompany me to Flaria. Perhaps he is busy.
Without waiting for Arnold's next words, I nodded and said, "Understood."
He furrowed his brows and looked at me directly. There were faint dark circles under his eyes. Upon closer inspection, his complexion seemed paler than usual. Is he overloaded with work?
Arnold paused for a moment before speaking again, changing the subject.
"I've already informed the Savila Knight Order about your hometown. It should be more convenient that way."
It was unexpected. While I did mention the Emme Village's magic barrier in a letter and subtly asked for cooperation, I never imagined Arnold would personally inform the Savila Knight Order.
I was frozen in surprise, but quickly realized I should at least express my gratitude. As I began to bend down to bow, another unexpected statement shook my eardrums.
"I wanted to accompany you to Flaria if possible..."
"...Are you really that busy?"
Arnold, who usually cuts things off easily, seemed unusually sentimental about Flaria's accompaniment - he kept mentioning it repeatedly, so I couldn't help but blurt out my question. In that moment, I hurriedly tried to cover up my slip of the tongue as I bit down on my lower lip.
"Oh, no, I'm not blaming you, Arnold-san. Just a simple question..."
"――a city was attacked. And not just one, but two."
I couldn't believe my ears at the dropped words.
――Two cities were attacked?
I raised my face to look up at Arnold as if I had been startled. Perhaps it was because he was looking down at me, but his well-structured face seemed to have darker shadows cast upon it, appearing even more fatigued than before.
It wasn't just a casual conversation; maybe he hadn't been sleeping well for the past few days. His usually glossy black hair even seemed damaged at the tips.
"It's not our country. It's another country. But the damage in both cities is significant, so we received a request for assistance."
Arnold continued speaking to me, who was completely speechless.
It wasn't our city - in other words, it wasn't a city belonging to the eastern major country Ostria, which holds Savila as its royal capital, was attacked. I felt a moment of relief at those words, then immediately felt disgusted with myself.
A city in some country was attacked by monsters. The fact that a request for aid came to the country of Ostria from another country means that it was judged that dealing with the situation and rebuilding alone in that country would be difficult. Ostria is one of the top two major countries in this world. Being a major country, they have reliable resources and technology. Indeed, it would be the perfect country to seek help from.
In my mind, I recalled the city of Platonovena that was destroyed by monsters. And the countless piercing screams.
How many people were injured, and how many precious lives were lost? Many people must have lost important things, places, and loved ones.
Squeezing my fist tightly, I looked up at Arnold.
"What I can do is..."
"I'll ask for synthesis here. The alchemist's arrangements have already been made."
I nodded firmly at the words spoken. Judging from Arnold's tone, there might be alchemists heading to the city that had actually suffered damage, just like us during the Platonovena incident.
I hope nothing happens to them. I hope the damage doesn't escalate further.
Unconsciously, I found myself clasping my hands in front of my stomach, unintentionally resembling a gesture of offering a prayer to the gods.
――In the midst of the fallen silence, a sudden recollection struck me. I remembered that I had something to give to Arnold when I met him.
I took a hemp bag out of the bag hanging on my shoulder and offered it to him.
"Arnold, this is a diary detailing the progress of a patient with a self-destruction disease. I found it in the study of my mentor."
I sensed Arnold holding his breath above me as I spoke.
There was silence for a few seconds. Then, as if making up his mind, he took the bag and retrieved the diary from it. After staring at the cover for a few seconds, he turned the pages with his long fingers.
Arnold read through the diary intently. However, after just a dozen seconds, he closed the cover and asked in a tone even lower than usual.
"...Can I keep this in my care?"
"Yes. I have already read it."
At my words, Arnold's face twisted slightly. In those dozen seconds earlier, he must have already realized the sorrowful contents. There was a look of concern for me in his expression.
Certainly, the contents of that diary were not pleasant. However, it was knowledge absolutely necessary for Elvira.
By the way, I suddenly realized something. I wonder where Elvira herself is. Is she still in the royal capital, or perhaps—
"Um, about Elvira-chan—"
"She's currently under the care of my Mentor. ...The synthesis is at a standstill."
It was a voice lacking in vigor. While I was back in my hometown, Arnold mentioned trying to progress with the synthesis of a monster's horn, but it seems he didn't achieve good results.
However, after reading my Mentor's notes, I didn't feel too disheartened. A renowned alchemist spent decades trying, yet still couldn't accomplish it. Even if Arnold is a genius, it's impossible to achieve it in less than ten days.
The facts recorded in those diary were filled with deep and intense despair. However, we are not even given time to dwell in despair.
"I'm going to start synthesis anyway. Do you have a list or something?"
"Oh, before that..."
I tilted my head at Arnold, who was slurring his words. In the next moment, as if he had appeared there out of nowhere, a man peeked out from behind Arnold.
"V-Vake-san!"
The man who showed his teeth and smiled towards us was Vake Buckel, the man with an eyepatch over his right eye.
Vake laughed at my voice, which had grown loud with surprise. The sudden and unexpected reunion left my brain in confusion, unable to think of anything.
"Hey there, young lady. Seems like you were quite worried, sorry about that."
"Oh, um, no...! Um, how are you feeling now...?"
"I'm still not in top form, but for now, it's a return."
Despite knowing it was impolite, I couldn't help but stare closely at Vake from head to toe.
He might not be wearing his usual armor, and he seems to have lost some muscle. His cheeks also look a bit sunken. But he's standing firmly on both legs. There's no sign of him grimacing in pain.
――He's safe. Except for the eye patch covering his right eye.
I look up at his green eyes. His slightly narrowed smile hasn't changed at all from a few months ago. Maybe he's wearing the eye patch for treatment, which he didn't have in "Last Brave."
Thinking about the eye under the eye patch made my chest ache. I couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different if I had bravely advised him back then.
"When I was attacked by a monster, he helped me out, so as a gesture of thanks... he mentioned before that this young lady asked for some strength."
I glance at Arnold at Vake's words. He then turned away, speaking in a more blunt tone than usual.
"Regarding my hometown and Flaria, it seems he is willing to lend us some members."
"If you want, I can go. After all, I'm currently the Knight Order member with the most free time."
Vake's laughter left me too surprised to respond.
The conversation was progressing in such a positive direction that it felt eerie.
"Um, sorry for being selfish, but there are two matters I'd like to ask for your help with..."
"You mean the request to strengthen the protective magic around your hometown and the escort mission, right?"
It's a quick story. Arnold seems to be telling him all the details.
Vake crossed his arms, wiped the smile off his face, tightened his jaw, looked straight into my eyes, and spoke.
"I can arrange for a magician right away. They may be young in the Knight Order, but I guarantee their ability."
Never did I expect my worries to be resolved so quickly.
I could only nod as if my soul had left my body. After giving me a glance, Vake continued.
"As for the matter of escort, leave it to me as well. I will arrange for someone skilled to accompany the young lady according to her timing."
"Ah, thank you very much!"
Finally, my vocal cords returned to me at this point.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, I repeatedly expressed my thanks and bowed my head many times. Seeing me like that, Vake gently reassured me, saying, "Don't worry," as he patted my shoulder repeatedly.
Gradually, my slightly blurred vision seemed to clear up, perhaps due to the relief. I truly felt blessed to be surrounded by such people.
Lost in my emotions, Arnold suddenly turned his back to me. As if to indicate the end of the conversation, he seemed about to leave the place.
Though he must be truly busy, I hurriedly called out to him.
"Thank you, Arnold-san!"
Involving myself with Elvira, I can't help but feel more sorry than happy for receiving too much kindness. It may sound bad to talk about it as a 'return,' but I felt a sense of determination to continue working on developing the cure for the Self-destruction disease.
Arnold raised his right hand in response to my words. However, he seemed somewhat tired, so I thought to myself that I should bring him a healing potion for fatigue recovery soon.
Left alone with Vake, I turned towards him again. Then, I opened my mouth while firmly looking at the eyepatch over his right eye.
"Vake-san, I'm really glad you're safe. I'll be relying on you for a while from now on."
As I bowed my head, I felt a warmth accompanied by a gentle touch. By the time I recognized it was Vake's palm, my head was already being gently stroked.
"Sorry for causing you worry. I know things must be tough, but if there's anything I can help with, just let me know. I'll do my best to support you."
When I looked up, I met eyes with Vake, who flashed a big smile, showing his teeth. Seeing his expression, the eyepatch covering his right eye, my chest tightened and I felt like crying.
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