Chapter 56 Flower City Flaria
"Welcome to the Flaria branch. We've been waiting for you, Laura-dono."
――The man who smiled at me was the estimated 40-something-year-old Royal Alchemist and Flaria branch chief. His eyes, narrowed like crescent moons, seemed to pierce through me with sharpness, making my smile involuntarily tense.
It had been about 20 days since Kasper-san proposed the training at Flaria. Before we knew it, the preparations for the training were steadily made, and finally, I asked Lukas to the royal capital with Vake and others - my childhood friend nodded without hesitation - leading up to today.
Chelsea, Lina-senpai, Lukas, and I had just arrived at Flaria.
While we were planning to stay at Emiliana-san's family home in the city, it seemed prudent to pay a visit to the Flaria branch as we were here under the guise of alchemy training. Therefore, as the chaperone, I visited the branch chief's room on behalf of our group.
"I am Laura Ampère from Savila. I will be in your care for a while."
"I will always keep a room, the synthesis room, available. It's a busy time, so I can't show you around the city, but if you need anything, please let me know."
The branch chief's emphasis on the busy period made me smile even more.
Rumor had it that an alchemist from Flaria had been dispatched to another city that had been attacked. With only four rooms in the small Flaria branch's synthesis room, even one person missing would cause a shortage of manpower and make things hectic.
While the branch chief's words were somewhat irritating, I could understand.
"I apologize for intruding during this busy time."
There was no response to those words.
From his perspective, I was just a young girl who had squeezed in an incomprehensible training during a busy period. It was understandable that he might not feel the need to treat me with much courtesy.
After exchanging greetings, I promptly left the branch chief's room. As I did, I noticed two alchemists in the corner of the hallway observing me. I reflexively nodded at them and hurried towards the exit.
Just as I was about to pass them by,
"Is that the infamous assistant?"
"I can never understand what geniuses are thinking."
Following that was something about "The Drinking Water of the Spirits," but I couldn't catch the last part as I continued walking past them.
Feeling the clear animosity directed towards me, I couldn't help but feel uneasy.
This was a new experience for me. In my past life, I didn't possess any outstanding talents, and even in this life, I had never encountered someone openly exuding such damp hostility.
Depending on who I asked, this training session might be seen as the Flaria branch members being manipulated by the whimsical alchemist assistant who suddenly imposed it on them.
But there was no need to gossip so blatantly. I muttered to myself about being just a 15-year-old girl on the outside as I pushed open the double doors, the exit of the Flaria branch.
"Laura!"
The first person to spot me coming out of the Flaria branch was Lukas.
He ran towards me, followed by Chelsea and Lina-senpai.
It was a strange sight to see my childhood friend and colleagues together. What kind of conversations had they been having in my absence?
"Did you greet the branch chief?"
"Yeah, he always keep a room in the synthesis room available."
I answered Lukas' question with a smile. He seemed relieved, and his gentle smile warmed my rough heart.
Just as I was being comforted by my childhood friend's smile, Chelsea unexpectedly took my hand from the side. With a bright smile that also comforted my weary self, she said to me,
"Hey, did you know there's a big garden over there? Shall we go check it out?"
The mention of a big garden brought back Emiliana-san's words to my mind. She had mentioned that Flaria was famous for its flowers. With a large garden, we might be able to fully enjoy Flaria's specialty.
Just as we were about to follow along with this lovely suggestion, Lina-senpai stopped us.
"Wait, Chelsea. That sounds nice, but... Let's go to Emiliana-san's family home for now."
* * *
In front of us is a large mansion. And a big gate. Standing in front of the gate is an elderly man who appears to be a butler. With white hair and a white chin beard. He looks like a capable butler, with a distinguished gray look that exudes professionalism.
This mansion is indeed Emiliana-san's family home. She should have already mentioned us in a letter, and since the training in Flaria was decided, I brought letters to correspond with Emiliana-san again. As evidence of our friendship with her.
Yes, there shouldn't be any reason to be suspicious, but I can't help feeling nervous and unable to speak confidently, perhaps due to my timid nature.
However, lingering in front of the gate like this might make us look suspicious. Encouraged by Lina-senpai, I finally spoke to the butler.
"Um, I'm Laura Ampère, an acquaintance of Emiliana-san..."
After a brief pause, the man in front of me responded to my words.
"...Ah! Laura-sama, right? We've been expecting you. I've heard about you."
He smiled warmly. His response eased the tension in my body.
The butler glanced at Lukas and the others behind me, then opened the gate and led us into the mansion. He walked ahead of us, guiding us through the mansion.
The mansion's garden was filled with a splendid flower bed. The sweet and soft fragrance that tickled my nostrils was reminiscent of honey from a past life. It wasn't just a nice smell; it was a delicious scent.
Led by the butler, we stepped into the mansion. The interior had a calming tone of white and brown, still carrying the lingering scent of flowers. It was a warm and comforting space.
Suddenly, the butler in front of us spoke.
"It seems Laura-sama has been a great mentor to the young lady, as I read in the letter."
"Oh, no, not at all. I've been the one receiving all the help..."
Emiliana-san seemed to have exaggerated about me in her letter. The term "mentor" made my cheeks flush involuntarily. The butler's words praising my humility made me even more embarrassed.
With a vague laugh, I changed the subject, leading to a comfortable silence. Looking back, the three of us were exploring the mansion with great interest.
"We have brought Laura-sama and her companions to meet the master and mistress."
The door in front of us opened. It was a room smaller than expected, but spacious enough to accommodate a large desk and sofa with ample sunlight.
Sitting in a simple yet expensive-looking chair in front of us was a black-haired man. His slicked-back hair briefly reminded me of Vake, but he appeared older. His sharp green eyes might seem intimidating at first, but upon closer inspection, laughter lines were visible around his eyes. Standing next to him was a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, bearing a striking resemblance to Emiliana-san. Or perhaps, Emiliana-san resembled her.
The woman who closely resembled Emiliana-san, likely Emiliana-san's mother, smiled.
"Welcome. I'm Flaria's mother, Luisa Flaria. And this is..."
"I'm Ubaldo. Seems like my daughter has been taken care of."
Next to greet us was a stern-looking man who seemed to be Emiliana-san's father.
I couldn't help but feel intimidated by the dignified presence of Ubaldo-san. Sensing my unease, Luisa-san patted his shoulder and whispered.
"Hey, your face looks scary."
"It's just how I look, cut me some slack."
Ubaldo-san awkwardly chuckled. His downturned eyes momentarily reminded me of Emiliana-san. While Emiliana-san seemed to take after her mother at first glance, upon closer inspection, she might have inherited more features from her father.
Luisa-san's smile softened the atmosphere as she continued speaking.
"Well then, nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about how Emiliana has been helped by you in the letter. She asked for assistance with accommodation, meals, and information. Of course, we'll be happy to help."
I bowed deeply in gratitude to Luisa-san's words. Voices of thanks also came from behind me.
When I raised my head, I met Luisa-san's kind blue eyes and gaze. She then left Ubaldo-san's side and walked towards us.
"First, let me guide you to the room, Laura-san. Follow me."
Luisa-san urged us to leave the room. Following that, I bowed to Ubaldo-san again and then turned my back to him in that moment.
"I heard from Emiliana that you have supported her both mentally and physically. I am happy that she has a friend like you. Thank you so much. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know."
Filled with emotion from the voice and words spoken from behind, I instinctively turned around. Ubaldo-san looked somewhat awkward, but he was definitely smiling at us.
It took me a few moments to react to his unexpected words, but I quickly bowed. My heart warmed at Emiliana-san's words spoken by Ubaldo-san and his awkward smile.
There is a saying that goes, "Like father, like son," but Emiliana-san must have been raised very dearly by her parents.
We left the hallway and were guided by Luisa-san towards the room. Along the way, she suddenly let out a soft laughter.
"He may look scary, but he has a kind heart. He was looking forward to meeting Laura-san and the others."
Luisa-san's expression as she turned back towards us overlapped with Emiliana-san's expression next to Alex-san. It was a genuine expression of caring for the other person.
Indeed, this mother and daughter not only look alike but also share similar inner qualities.
Walking through the mansion guided by Luisa-san, I felt a warm feeling inside. The mansion didn't have the grandeur of a royal palace but was simple and very sturdy. It gave the impression of an old prestigious family.
"Tobia, an elderly man, was telling Emiliana about 'The Drinking Water of the Spirits.' He lives next to the tool shop. He has been informed, so feel free to visit him at your convenience. If you feel uneasy, we can have someone from the mansion accompany you."
Emiliana-san had apparently explained the situation very politely in a letter. I was truly grateful for the well-organized environment.
Luisa-san guided us to two guest rooms. It seems like we will be sharing a room with two people each. As a result, the room assignments naturally separated me and Lukas, Chelsea and Lina-senpai.
"Please take it easy and rest today. You probably have quite a bit of luggage, so feel free to use the closet and such."
Upon Luisa-san's words, we decided to unpack in our respective guest rooms for now. As she said, we had quite a bit of luggage. Although the training period was given for up to 30 days, with the need for clothes and daily necessities, our luggage naturally became quite substantial.
Lukas didn't have too much luggage when he came from Emme Village to the royal capital, but due to the sudden training trip, the clothes were prepared by Kasper-san—rather, for Kasper-san. Today, he was wearing glamorous clothes from the royal capital, different from the familiar clothes of Emme Village, and they suited him well.
"It's been a while since I slept in the same room as Laura."
Lukas mentioned this while unpacking.
Reflecting on it, it did seem like it had been a while since we slept in the same room.
"It does feel like it's been a while since we shared a room. When we were in Emme Village, our houses were so close that staying over at each other's houses didn't make much sense, so we didn't do it much."
"We haven't shared a room since the time we played in one of our rooms and fell asleep out of exhaustion."
We laughed at Lukas's words, reminiscing about those times. In the silence that followed the laughter, I decided to express my gratitude once again for accompanying me on this trip.
"...I'm sorry for suddenly asking you to come along. Thank you so much."
"There's no need for Laura to apologize. If anything, I went to the royal capital on my own. If you hadn't asked me to come along, I would have sulked."
I felt Lukas's kindness in his joking tone that seemed to reassure me. I smiled and said "thank you" once again, expressing my gratitude.
With Vake's kindness, who is currently touring various villages with the new magician Flor, I have also been approached by the Flaria Knight Order — or rather, the members of the Savila Knight Order dispatched to Flaria. I feel guilty for relying so much on his kindness, but if I'm to embark on a serious search for The Drinking Water of the Spirits in the forest, I want to lessen Lukas's burden by enlisting the help of the Knight Order.
Let's visit an old man named Tobia who is said to know a lot about "The Drinking Water of the Spirits." I need to get closer to that knowledge.
With renewed determination, I clenched my fist tightly.
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