Chapter 156 'Thank You'
――The dark clouds visible from the window were growing thicker, deeper, and larger.
After Elvira and Diona left, I was gazing out the window alone when I suddenly realized "that thing".
The dark clouds, which could be seen as proof that the demon king was "there", had changed in that way, making me feel like the final battle was near. I was sure that the enraged demon king was in that dark cloud, gathering power and preparing for the final battle.
Gulp, I swallowed my saliva. And I kept gazing at the intensely squirming dark cloud.
――I wonder how much time passed like that. The sound of a gentle knock brought me back to reality.
I turned around. Then, I saw my childhood friend peeking in through the half-open door, checking on me.
Feeling relieved, I smiled, and Lukas entered the room as if he had received permission. At that time, he pulled out a wooden chair that was carelessly placed near the entrance and sat down beside me.
"How's Arnold doing?"
"He's still sleeping."
"If you just look at his sleeping face, he seems really comfortable, doesn't he?"
Hehe, Lukas was right. Even after gazing at him for a long time, Arnold was sleeping peacefully, not making a single sound.
For a while, the 2 of us gazed at Arnold's face. The comfortable silence was broken by Lukas's stern voice.
"Elvira is going to join the journey in Arnold's place."
I blinked several times. Then, I accepted Lukas's words.
"Yeah, okay... I had a feeling about that."
That was an honest impression.
I'm sure Lukas and the others opposed it at first. However, after discussing it repeatedly, they decided to take advantage of the benefits of having Elvira accompany them. Maybe they were moved by the young girl's passionate appeal.
It's impossible to guess what kind of discussion took place, but in any case, Arnold ended up leaving, and his sister Elvira joined the Hero's journey. So, with the same members as the "Last Brave" party, they set out towards the demon king's castle. That's what happened.
"We'll leave the village and head to the demon king's castle."
"Yeah."
"We'll defeat the demon king and come back."
"...Yeah."
There was no hesitation in Lukas's words, nor in his gaze as he looked out the window at the dark clouds.
He's going to be okay. He and his strong-hearted friends will save this world.
I believed it from the bottom of my heart, so I wasn't worried. The only concern I had was whether they would get seriously hurt.
Suddenly, Lukas turned to face me. And with a wavering gaze, he asked.
"Where do you want to go, Laura?"
"...Where do I want to go?"
I didn't quite understand the meaning behind his question, so I asked back in response.
The childhood friend nodded slightly and continued.
"If you want to come with us, we'll take you. If you want to stay in Emme Village, that's fine too. It's safe in the royal capital, I think. Or..."
There, Lukas paused and stared intently at my eyes.
The discussion about where to go next was something I had thought about even after Elvira left, and I had concluded that staying in the royal capital was the best option. ――But, another option was stuck in my mind and wouldn't leave. Even now.
The royal capital, or
"Or... the city of the Rustu people...?"
Lukas took a sudden breath. He glanced sideways at Arnold, then let out a deep sigh, releasing the tension from his body. As he exhaled, he bowed his head and muttered, "Yeah, that's right."
His expression was hidden behind his bangs, and I couldn't see his face. When I tried to peek, Lukas suddenly looked up, as if he had sensed it.
He was smiling gently, his eyes narrowed.
"I think that's one option too. In fact, it's probably the safest. To be honest, I'm thinking I'd like that."
My heart wavers at the words that feel like a push on my back.
However, as someone who's already caused a lot of trouble, I have the feeling that I need to get back to work as soon as possible.
"But, if I don't work in the royal capital..."
"Can't you do synthesis in Rustu's city instead? And Laura has met the demon king a few times, so it's not like nothing will happen."
Lukas speaks quickly, and then says to me, who's not interrupting, as if to drive the point home.
"We should eliminate as much anxiety as possible."
Although it's a bit overwhelming, I nod in agreement with Lukas's words.
If I get too comfortable and let my guard down, I might cause trouble for those around me. I should take precautions, and the safest place would be Rustu's city.
Instead of the royal capital, I should try to get protected there.
"...Yeah, I'll confirm with Kasper-san first, but I'll consider getting protected in Rustu's city."
Lukas looks relieved, and at the same time, he smiles wistfully with a hint of sadness.
"Please give my regards to Hagen-san and Reinhardt-san."
"Yeah, I'll pass it on."
Although I didn't hear it directly, the Rustu people, who have likely undergone a huge change in their system due to Elvira's experiment, are the ones who will be protecting me. While I can't be too demanding, I hope that the feeling of being cramped that I felt when I visited before will be alleviated a bit, I think...
"――Haa! This is so infuriating!"
I react a few seconds late to Lukas's sudden outburst of anger.
"Huh?" I say, bewildered, and look at Lukas's profile, only to see him glaring at Arnold's sleeping face. It seems he's angry at Arnold.
"He's showing off again, deciding everything on his own, and it's so annoying. He's so full of himself."
It's like a spoiled little kid's tantrum, and I can't help but laugh. At the same time, I remember. Lukas had said something similar to Arnold himself before, hadn't he?
"You said that before."
"I've said it many times, but he never listen."
From Lukas's perspective, this time it feels like Arnold is just trying to look cool.
Honestly, I can understand what he wants to say. Arnold, who never shows his weaknesses to others and decides everything on his own without consulting anyone, seems stubborn and unyielding. No matter how much you talk to him, he won't budge, and it's like he's trying to show off.
But at the same time, when I think back on Arnold's actions this time, I feel like it's very much like him. When he weighs himself against others, Arnold never hesitates and chooses the latter. He never prioritizes himself. That's just the kind of person he is.
"That's just the kind of person he is, for sure. He's not trying to look cool."
"Is that what you mean by a natural show-off?"
"Haha, a natural show-off, that's a great way to put it! But yeah, that's probably it. He's been like this since way back when."
From the day he decided to give up everything for his sister, until today, Arnold hasn't changed at all. ——I want to believe that he's become a bit more rounded, but...
My words seemed to bring back memories for Lukas, and he made a face like he was biting down on a bitter bug.
"Back then, he was even more arrogant and trying to look cool... I never liked him!"
I remember the day Lukas and Arnold first met. That day, Arnold picked a fight with Lukas, and I, who was watching from the side, thought "these 2 won't get along".
But why did Arnold pick a fight on that day? If I ask him now, will he answer?
I nod in nostalgia, saying "that's how it was".
"But now... hey, Laura."
"What?"
When I'm called out, I tilt my head. Then Lukas opens his mouth with a good smile.
"I want to punch Arnold as soon as he wakes up, so Laura, don't hit him, okay?"
――As soon as he wakes up, I want to punch him.
I couldn't believe the words coming out of my childhood friend's gentle mouth, and I froze for a few seconds. As I slowly processed it, the next thing that came out was――laughter.
I don't know why, but it was so ridiculous that I burst out laughing, holding my belly and shouting "What's with that?!" I laughed so hard that tears welled up in my eyes.
After laughing so hard that my breathing became ragged, I nodded strongly. Since I was asked to, I had to keep my promise.
"I got it. I won't hit him, and I'll tell him Luka is angry."
"Yeah, thanks."
What should I say to Arnold when he wakes up? If I told him that Luka wanted to punch him, even he would be shocked. Maybe it's better not to say anything and surprise him. Ah, just imagining it makes me laugh again. Why is this so funny?――I wish that day would come soon.
My laughter slowly subsided. At the same time, I finally noticed that my fingers were trembling. This trembling wasn't because I was laughing――when did it start?
(If...)
If Luka and the others were defeated by the demon king...
If Arnold didn't wake up...
The fear I've been holding in my heart since I returned to Emme Village. I've been pretending not to see it, pretending not to notice, imagining a happy future, believing in it, laughing it off, and――
Gritting my teeth, I clenched my fist. What I'm most worried about is Luka and the others, not myself. What can I do if I can't trust them to see it through?
It's okay. Luka and the others will combine their strength and defeat the demon king, bringing peace to this world. And when the dark clouds clear, Arnold will wake up――
"Thanks, Laura."
I was taken aback by the sudden words of gratitude, and I looked at Luka. He was smiling.
I couldn't understand what Luka was thanking me for. I hadn't done anything to deserve thanks, nor had I said anything.
"What for?"
"For various things."
"For various things?"
"Uh-huh."
Lukas wore a refreshing smile, but didn't say anything more. That only deepened the mystery, and I felt like he was avoiding being pursued, somehow. ――This was just my intuition as a childhood friend. ――So I stopped asking questions.
Up until now, I had somehow understood what Lukas wanted to say, even if his words were incomplete. But now, with his calm eyes gazing at me, I couldn't grasp what he wanted to convey at all.
But I thought that was only natural. After all, we're childhood friends, but we're still separate individuals. It's precisely because we're separate individuals that we can talk and connect our hearts. We can empathize with each other.
"Take care of Arnold, okay?"
As the evening sun shone down, Lukas squinted his eyes and laughed, as if he was looking at something dazzling. That was the smile he showed when he was truly happy.
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