Chapter 142 Confrontation
As we headed towards Platonovena, we stopped by a small town called Petania.
We arrived at the town in the evening. Since we'd been camping outdoors for a while, we decided to take a break at the local inn today.
It had been a while since I'd slept in a bed, and I was thrilled to be checking into the inn. Just then, a boy I didn't know called out to me.
"A friend of mine went to the cave to gather herbs 3 days ago and hasn't come back! Please help!"
According to the boy, Leo, his friend Nike had gone to the cave alone 3 days ago to gather rare herbs. However, he hadn't returned, and the adults in the town were hesitant to send out a search party due to the current monster outbreak. It seemed like they were at a loss for what to do, and that's when we, the Hero's party, arrived on the scene.
(It seems like there was a similar story in the sub-event...)
As I thought to myself, Lukas nodded vigorously beside me.
It seemed like he was willing to take on the boy's request and head to the cave.
After the boy left with a relieved expression, Arnold asked in a stern tone.
"Do we have time for this?"
Lukas was taken aback by Arnold's question for a moment.
――This world isn't a game. If we don't clear this "sub-event," the boy's life might be in danger, and if we waste time on this, the demon king's side might make a big move. It's not like we can wait for the Hero to arrive like in a game.
After a few seconds, Lukas responded in a strong, defiant tone.
"But we can't just abandon him."
"It's a question of balance. One person's life versus the fate of this world."
"Why are you making such a big deal out of this? I just want to help the person in front of me who's in trouble... "
The conversation was getting increasingly heated, and I could tell Marta was sighing "ahh" beside me.
I can understand how Lukas feels. I want to help him if I can. However, Arnold's calm judgment also made sense. We need to rescue the spirit and obtain the holy sword as soon as possible. The future of this world depends on it.
"Hey, hey, are we going to have a falling out? Lukas, if you said you'd help, then let's set out right away! We can take a break later."
Vake intervened. Lukas glared at Arnold, then nodded slightly.
"Alright, Arnold, you take a break. You've been on night watch a lot more than anyone else. We'll take care of things while you're resting. Can't you just compromise?"
Arnold let out a deep sigh at Vake's proposal, then replied briefly, "Got it," and headed up the front stairs to his room alone.
The remaining friends looked at each other ―― and among them, Julius raised his hand.
"I'll help, but I agree with Arnold's opinion. Our journey's purpose is to defeat the demon king, not to help people in trouble."
"Cold guy~"
"But that's true, right? If we help people all over the country and end up not being able to stop the demon king, that'd be a total failure. Well, I understand Lukas's feelings, so I'll help out, of course."
Julius clearly stated his opinion and smiled, saying he'd help. Marta, who called him a cold guy, seemed to be on Lukas's side.
Even though they were traveling for the same purpose, they were different people, so it was natural for their ways of thinking to differ. It was only a matter of time before disagreements like this arose.
A heavy silence fell. I glanced up at the stairs Arnold had climbed.
"Anyway, let's gather information. Even if we're heading to the cave, we need to investigate the path to the cave."
It's always Diona who calmly prompts us to take our next action at times like this. I nodded at her words, and we decided to visit the boy Leo, who had requested our help, once again.
――In the small town, it didn't take long to find Leo's house. When I asked him again, he told me that the reason why Nike, the boy who didn't come back, went to pick herbs was for his little sister Nana, who was poisoned.
"Nana would often go to the cave to pick flowers. They're a specialty of this town, and merchants would buy them. Nike and Nana's house didn't have a father, and their mother... Aunt Nel was working hard alone. Nana thought she could at least pick flowers for her mother, so she went every day... alone."
Leo would occasionally choke up with tears as he told the story.
"But recently, the monsters have become violent, so they stopped letting her go to the cave. That's why the family was struggling, and Aunt Nel, who was working harder, got sick... Nana went to the cave secretly to pick flowers to buy medicine for her aunt."
My heart ached. I didn't realize that the demon king's revival would not only threaten people's lives with monsters but also have such an impact.
"There, Nana got bitten by a monster. And the poison... The alchemist in this town says that a rare herb that only grows in the cave is needed to make an antidote!"
So, Nike, the boy, went to the cave alone.
As we comforted Leo, who was crying, we decided to split into 2 groups. One would stay in town and take care of Nana, who was poisoned, and the other would go to pick the herbs.
The group that would stay in town and take care of Nana consisted of me and...
"Leave Laura-chan's protection to me."
Julius and I were left together. The remaining 4, Lukas, Diona, Vake, and Marta, hastily departed from town as the group to pick the herbs.
After seeing them off, Julius and I visited Nike's house, guided by Leo. That's when a woman we didn't know came out to greet us.
She was Nike and Nana's mother... no, Leo's mother, who had come to ask for help.
"Please, come this way."
The 2 beds in the bedroom were lined up, with the mother and daughter lying on them. The mother was sleeping peacefully, while the daughter was sweating profusely and groaning in discomfort. It was clear that she was in bad shape.
I rushed to the girl Nana's bedside and checked on her. She had a fever too.
I mentally went through the necessary herbs I had. I always carry a set of herbs with me, so I could whip up a healing potion or antidote in no time. However, since Arnold and I split the herbs between us, I'd need to get some from him.
I asked Julius to keep an eye on the 2 of them and rushed back to the inn ―― but before that, I stopped by the town alchemist's house. I wanted to ask about the herbs needed for the antidote.
I rang the doorbell at the entrance, but there was no response.
(I wanted to ask about the herbs, but it seems they're not home...)
I peeked outside, but there was no sign of anyone. I didn't have time to wait, so I headed back to the inn.
As soon as I arrived at the inn, I rushed up the stairs to the floor where Arnold was resting. I stood in front of his room door.
For a moment, I hesitated to knock on the door.
(...Time is of the essence. No time to hesitate.)
I steeled myself and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, I heard a response: "Come in."
I slowly opened the door. Arnold was sitting on the bed, gazing out the window.
With my back to the door, I spoke briefly.
"I need to make an antidote for the poisoned girl. I came to get the necessary materials."
Arnold turned to me with a slow movement. Our eyes met, and for some reason, I felt like I couldn't look away. I stared back at him firmly.
After a while, Arnold let out a small sigh and slowly stood up.
"Which house is it? I'll go with you."
With his bag in hand, Arnold looked down at me.
――In the end, he was willing to lend a hand after all.
I nodded greatly, and together with Arnold, I rushed to the house where the suffering girl Nana lay sleeping.
* * *
"Ah, you're here after all."
We returned together, and Julius said with a surprised expression, "You're telling me." It was as if he was convinced that Arnold would come with me.
Arnold furrowed his brow and glared at Julius.
"Do you have a problem with something?"
"No, I'm just feeling relieved. I thought you'd really come, and you did, so I just laughed a bit."
"I'm not looking to pick a fight."
"Neither am I selling one."
Arnold's furrowed brow deepened, and Julius laughed with a hint of malice, as if proving he had no ill intentions. After a few seconds of glaring, Arnold let out a deep sigh and whispered, "Sorry about that."
"It's my own selfish emotions that ruined the atmosphere."
"If you're going to apologize, do it to Lukas, not me. Besides, I agreed with your opinion."
While synthesizing the antidote, I eavesdropped on Arnold and Julius's conversation.
"Honestly, I don't think we need to sacrifice our own break to help some brat we just met. If I say that out loud, people might question my morals, so I won't."
I think the current Julius, who has lost his hometown, is influenced by his past and has a stronger, more composed side, unlike the Julius from "Last Brave." The Julius from "Last Brave" was also capable of making calm judgments in critical situations, but fundamentally, he was kind-hearted and would take the lead in helping others.
Arnold muttered while synthesizing,
"A hero should be equal. If we're going to help, we should help everyone in the world, and if we can't, we shouldn't just lend a hand to someone we happened to meet halfway."
Without stopping his synthesizing hand, Arnold continued in a flat tone.
"Otherwise, it's unfair. People will criticize us, saying, 'Why didn't you help us?' and direct their unreasonable hatred towards us. ...The one who'll suffer is none other than Lukas himself."
I couldn't help but stop my synthesizing hand and look at Arnold.
It turned out that his opposition this time was for Lukas's sake.
Arnold glanced over at me, and then suddenly returned to synthesizing.
"If you had just told Lukas himself, we wouldn't have gotten into that fight, would we?"
Julius's straightforward words were met with silence from Arnold. The sound of the glass rod mixing the antidote in mid-synthesis echoed through the room.
Why didn't Arnold just say it honestly? It's possible that he was hesitant to speak his mind due to his personality, but more than that ―― he was probably worried about Lukas.
Doing something with good intentions can sometimes give birth to unexpected hatred. Arnold probably didn't want Lukas to realize that possibility. If Lukas were to realize it, he would only end up hurting himself, and no one would blame him. It would be better if Lukas got angry and unreasonable, and that way, we could all be saved.
"I don't intend to hold a grudge against Lukas for not saving his hometown. Heroes aren't gods, after all. Even if they were, they couldn't save everything."
Julius let out a dry laugh.
"But there are people who don't understand that, surprisingly."
After synthesizing the antidote, I administered it to the girl, Nana, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. For a moment, it seemed like her breathing had deepened.
Just as I let out a sigh of relief, Arnold suddenly spoke up.
"I'm sorry, Ampère."
I looked up at his sudden apology, and our eyes met. Arnold's face was twisted in anguish.
――He had been thinking about Lukas more than anyone else back then. The thought made me feel happy and warm inside.
He's a kind person, I thought. And more than that, he's clumsy.
I shook my head slightly.
"No, thank you for thinking about Lukas..."
I smiled, and Arnold's stiff expression softened slightly.
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