Chapter 8 Hero-Sama'S Childhood Friend 'And' Royal Apprentice Alchemist Trainee
"Do as you please. I'll support Laura's dream."
As soon as I returned from Sittenhelm, I confessed to my parents that I was aiming to become a Royal Alchemist.
They looked a bit lonely, but they didn't oppose it and instead gave me a push forward.
Leaving home at 14 might be seen as unfilial by parents. In this village, getting married, having children, and living with elderly parents is considered the most filial piety. However――
Since they gave me their support, I must put my all into seriously aiming to become a Royal Alchemist. First, I have to pass the test to become a "trainee" Royal Alchemist.
It's been one day since I confessed to my parents.
Marcedes-san invited me to accompany Arnold to the exam. I decided to contact my mentor to arrange it and left home.
"Laura!"
"Luka."
Then, as soon as I left the house, Lukas came running from somewhere. I thought he would take me to my mentor's house, but his expression was clearly different from his usual self, making me tilt my head in confusion.
He looked serious, with a hint of urgency in his eyes.
Before I could ask what was wrong, Lukas spoke up faster than me.
"You're really leaving this village?"
I was taken aback for a moment.
I hadn't told Lukas yet, so how did he know?
"...Who told you?"
"It's true."
My words blurted out in a panic, inadvertently affirming Lukas' statement. Even if I realized my slip of the tongue, it was already too late.
Only my parents and my mentor knew that I want to become a Royal Alchemist. However, I don't have a deep bond with Lukas or my mentor. So, it should have been obvious who I would have talked to besides Lukas without much thought.
Caught off guard by surprise and urgency, words slipped out before I could even think.
"You heard it from my mom? Even though I told her not to say anything..."
"...Were you planning to keep it a secret from me?"
At Lukas's unusually low voice, I looked up in surprise. My childhood friend looked very sad, yet his eyes held a strong expression of anger.
It seems I'm more flustered than I thought. I kept making one slip of the tongue after another. I had planned to tell Lukas soon, but he brought it up at such an unexpected moment that I was thrown off guard.
I hurriedly tried to come up with words to smooth things over.
"Hey, Luka. It's not set in stone yet, just a possibility at this stage... I was planning to tell you once it's decided for sure."
Even though the words came out of my own mouth, they sounded insincere.
If it sounded that way to me, it must have sounded even worse to Luka.
"...That's a lie. When you turn 14, Laura will leave this village, so until that day, I was told to get along with you by your mother."
"That's jumping to conclusions! It's not decided yet. If I don't pass the exam, I can't become a Royal Alchemist..."
It wasn't a lie. It's not decided yet. Leaving this village at 14 is not set in stone.
However, no matter what I say or how I explain it, I knew it would sound like excuses to Luka. I felt like every word coming out of my mouth would hurt Luka, so I stayed silent.
I had been planning to talk to Lukas eventually. Those words were sincere. However, if I spoke up, Lukas might oppose it. He might even question me about why. It felt troublesome to think about it.
The reason I have to leave the village is because of Lukas. I couldn't deny that I had never thought about it even for a moment.
I kept postponing reporting to Lukas. I once thought about telling him at the same time as my parents, but I stopped. That was an undeniable fact.
I couldn't bring myself to speak to Lukas, who was looking down. I felt despair at how I had been treating my precious childhood friend carelessly without realizing it.
"I'm going to the capital too."
Lukas, who had been looking down, muttered softly.
"Eh..."
Although Lukas' words certainly reached my ears, I couldn't grasp their meaning for a while.
――I'm going to the capital too?
"What's going on?" I thought to myself, and the unusually calm "me" deduced the answer as it was.
So Lukas is saying that he's going to the capital too.
"I'm going to the capital as well to join the knights. This power of mine will surely be useful."
It was a tone filled with unwavering determination.
Lukas lifted his face. I felt the golden crest on his left eye gleam brightly, as if reflecting light.
――I must stop it at all costs.
Amidst the confusion, that much was clear.
Lukas must stay in this village. The future Hero will depart from this village. Even if the location changes, there is a good chance that Lukas's Hero power will be discovered. However, in the near future, the power of monsters will grow stronger. Emme Village will be attacked several times. Each time, Lukas has repelled the monsters with the power of the Hero, as told by the villagers's dialogue at the beginning.
This is my selfishness. Even though I said I want to become an alchemist and leave the village, I know it's selfish to ask Lukas to stay in this village and protect everyone. But I didn't want to change the environment around Lukas as much as possible.
Lukas leaves the village and meets a girl of ancient species, who will save this world.
If by any chance, the environment surrounding Lukas changes drastically and the gears go awry - this world might fall into the hands of the Demon King.
"Luka, please stay in this village."
"Why? Laura is going to the capital, right? Then I'll go too."
In an irritated tone, he speaks rapidly. My wrist was firmly grasped, and our faces drew closer.
"That's not okay!"
In my impatience, I unintentionally raised my voice. In the next moment, as I saw a shadow in the blue eyes before me, I once again threw hurtful words at Lukas, tasting disappointment in myself for the umpteenth time.
I have memories from my past life. So what? I know the future of this world. So what? I'm just a fool who can't even understand the feelings of my childhood friend I've spent 9 years with.
"...Laura, have you come to hate me?"
With eyes that were filled with determination just moments ago, Lukas stared at me with eyes like a abandoned puppy.
I was speechless. It's not like that. Even if I said that, I didn't think my words would reach Lukas.
"Since that day, Laura has been avoiding me. You only hang out with Petra and goes to Granny's place every day... Lately, you won't even look me in the eye when we talk."
"T-That's not true..."
He won't even look me in the eye.
I was shocked by the words that came out of Lukas's mouth.
I didn't mean to do that at all. But since Lukas said so - it must have been my actions that I didn't even realize.
In order not to become a losing heroine, to change the future, I've been living since that day with the goal of changing jobs from being Hero-sama's childhood friend. I thought about distancing myself from Lukas. But somehow, I had been pushing Lukas away coldly.
"Laura hates me now! After seeing me like this, do you hate me? ... Is this power scary?"
His eyes were pleading.
Is this power scary? - I never thought about that. This power will save the world in the future, it's the power of a Hero. And above all, it's the power that protected me.
But the fact that those words came from Lukas' mouth might mean that he himself thought that way. Lukas himself might have been afraid of the Hero's power.
――Back when I was my old self, would I have noticed if it was Laura?
Overwhelmed with self-blame, I couldn't bring myself to say a word. Did Lukas take my silence as agreement and let go of my wrist to run off? Instinctively, I chased after the fading warmth as he moved away.
"Luka!"
I didn't mean to hurt Luka, my childhood friend.
I have to talk things out properly. I must reach out and grab the hand that's moving away from me this time.
"Luka, please wait!"
Desperately trying to catch up to his back, but it's hard to keep up with a boy's pace. My breath quickens, and Lukas' figure keeps getting further away. My feet get tangled. But I can't stop my feet――
"Aaahh!"
Finally, I fell forward.
As my scream echoed, the retreating figure stopped. Then, after a brief moment, he turned around. He ran towards me and reached out.
"Laura!"
At that voice, and the hand that was immediately offered in front of me, my vision embarrassingly distorted.
I scraped my knee roughly. It hurts. But right now, I can't worry about that.
I grabbed the offered hand. I held on tightly, so much so that I couldn't let go, with all my strength.
When I raised my head, Lukas, with wide eyes of surprise, locked gazes with me.
In his eyes that gazed at me, a shining golden crest. I was more scared than necessary of "this guy." Fearing the shadow of the future Hero-sama, I hadn't looked closely at Lukas, who was just a childhood friend in front of me.
"Luka, I'm sorry. Just as Luka said, I was scared of those eyes of yours..."
I pulled the warmth I touched closer, and sat up. Sitting on the ground, Lukas also squatted down to meet my gaze.
In front of me, I reached out my hand to Lukas's left eye. Lukas closed his eyes. From above his eyelids, I touched the golden crest. ――It was warm. Lukas's body temperature spread from my fingertips throughout my whole body.
I've never been afraid of Lukas's power. But more than anything, I feared the crest that appeared inhis eye.
"But you know, Lukas's power protected me."
Yes, Lukas's Hero power awakened to protect me. Even if in the future he were to drift away from me, it wouldn't change the fact that he saved my life.
Yes, that's right. There was no need to push Lukas away so coldly. It would have been enough if I just didn't have feelings for Lukas.
Even if there were someone who protected me so kindly, I know that Lukas will meet his destined one. I said I wouldn't foolishly long for a love I knew was doomed. As I said, I should have just treated Lukas as I did before, as childhood friends.
Because I was foolish, stubborn, and fearful, I ended up hurting my precious childhood friend.
"I'm sorry for being scared. Your power isn't just for me, it protects everyone... It's a very kind power."
Lukas slowly opened his eyes. They were filled with kindness, in Lukas' color.
A golden crest floating in his left eye. It's a proof of possessing the power of the Hero who will save this world. It's not a sign of drifting away from me in the future.
I should have understood that.
"I will never come to dislike Lukas. Lukas is my precious childhood friend."
I looked straight at him, smiled, and said so.
Did he believe my words? Suddenly, the tension seemed to leave Lukas' body—however, the color of dissatisfaction in his eyes didn't completely disappear.
"In that case, I will also go to the capital..."
"...That's not possible."
"Why!"
I tightly held Lukas's hand to calm him down as he raised his voice again.
"...Can you promise not to tell anyone?"
I asked in a hushed voice. Lukas, with a bewildered expression, nodded firmly.
I intended to tell Lukas a little about what would happen in the future. I didn't know if this was the best choice, but I couldn't continue lying to him.
"In the near future, it seems that the power of monsters will grow stronger... So I want Luka, who possesses strong power, to protect this village and everyone."
These words may sound like an absurd lie. However, there was no hint of doubt in Lukas's eyes.
If I speak directly and look him in the eye, Lukas would probably understand whether I am lying or telling the truth – after all, we are childhood friends.
Even though he had a slightly dissatisfied expression, maybe it's just because he feels lonely when he's away from me. I smiled with a hint of bitterness and continued speaking.
"I haven't decided if I'm going to the capital yet, but even if I do, I'll come back regularly. And Luka, if you want, you can come visit too."
There is a brief silence. The blue eyes staring at me with a hint of resentment.
"I'll definitely come visit."
"Yeah."
With a big nod, Lukas' face finally relaxed. Then, he smiled happily. Seeing his smile, I smiled even more.
Looking back, it had been a while since Lukas and I laughed like this. There was nothing particularly funny, but we ended up bursting into laughter.
――We are childhood friends.
There were times when I felt resentful of this label. But more than that, I'm truly fortunate to have someone who understands me better than anyone else.
I'm the childhood friend of the Hero.
I won't change my goal of becoming an alchemist and leaving this village. However, I've decided to continue carrying the title of the Hero's childhood friend.
I aim to become the childhood friend of the Hero and a Royal Alchemist.
Who said I can only have one job? No one has decided that, and no one has forced me to. I jumped to conclusions thinking I had to break free from being the Hero's childhood friend to avoid becoming the losing heroine.
What's wrong with being the Hero's childhood friend? Not all childhood friends end up heartbroken or become the losing heroine.
Why didn't I realize such a simple thing? Why did I act like I have the mentality of someone over 20 years old, you fool?
――Once again, I have one goal.
I will become Hero-sama's childhood friend and also a Royal Alchemist!
Volume 1 concludes here.
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