Chapter 157 The Second Departure
With the help of Vake, we used a larger horse-drawn carriage than our usual scheduled one, and with the strength of the men from Emme Village, we carried Arnold, who had lost consciousness, inside.
"Whoa, Arnold's heavier than I thought!"
Vake, who had inserted his hands under Arnold's armpits and lifted him up, exclaimed in surprise. At first glance, Vake seemed slender, but considering his stoic personality, he must have been well-trained, and a person who had completely lost consciousness was extremely heavy.
With the help of Vake, Lukas, Julius, and the old man from the weapon shop, we placed Arnold's body on a simple bed we had made inside the carriage. When I peeked at his face, he still had a peaceful sleeping expression, not moving a muscle.
"Laura!"
I hastily went outside when I heard my name being called from outside the carriage. There were 3 girls: Petra, Radmila, and Julia.
It seemed that Radmila had called my name.
"Julia, Petra, and Radmila too!"
"Are you leaving already?"
Petra took a step forward, asking with a hint of hesitation.
Normally, I would be thrilled to reunite with them and chat, but not now. Because of us, the villagers were in danger, and it was all our fault.
I furrowed my brow and gave a concise answer.
"If we stay here, monsters might attack."
Radmila let out a dissatisfied voice, saying "Eh!" She was still the cute little sister-like figure to me, and her straightforward emotional expression was endearing and delightful.
"We should have attacked last night!"
"Don't bother Laura anymore."
Julia, the eldest, scolded Radmila. Julia, who had recently gotten married, was even more beautiful now, and I couldn't help but feel relieved that her new married life was going well.
Once everything was over, the 4 of us would stay up all night talking. It would surely be a fun sleepover. I imagined such a future and treasured the faint hope in my heart.
Petra suddenly grasped both of my hands. Unexpectedly, the skin on her palms was tough. I felt like I caught a glimpse of her hardships, working hard for her family and village, even going to the city.
"Laura, be careful."
Petra looked me straight in the eye and said so.
――Has her love for the Hero been resolved, or is it still...
For an instant, I thought about Petra's love, but I judged it was not a domain I should tread on, so I quickly chased the thought away.
This is Petra and Lukas's problem. I certainly know a world similar to this one (game), but that's all. I'm not an all-knowing god, nor am I the main character at the center of the world. My friends are living their own lives, and I'm living mine in this world too.
"Yeah, thanks. Everyone, be careful. Give my regards to the village head and the others."
Petra gave a big nod, representing the 3 of us. ――And then, at that moment.
"The Knight Order guys will be arriving soon. They're a pain, but they're reliable, so go greet them."
Vake, who had been approaching from behind, joined the conversation.
Because this village, where the Hero was born, was likely to be targeted, Vake had somehow managed to call in the Knight Order. It was a very welcome favor, and both Lukas and I had thanked him many times, but he just laughed, saying "It's only natural," and didn't even accept our gratitude.
Perhaps aware that his tall figure might intimidate the girls, Vake knelt on the ground and looked up at Petra and the others' faces. Thanks to his considerate gesture, the 3 girls didn't shrink back, but nodded with smiles.
"Yes. Thank you."
Vake left with a cheerful smile, saying "Don't worry about it." As I saw him off, I suddenly remembered something.
For the people of Emme Village, I had intended to hand over the remaining healing potions and prototypes. I had synthesized some new healing potions, but since the water spirit was still injured and didn't show up, I only had 3 prototypes left.
I took out the pouch containing them from my bag and handed it to Petra.
"That's right, these."
Petra, who received it, tilted her head in wonder and opened the pouch. Then, Radmila peeked from the side and asked.
"What's this?"
"Healing potions and medicine that's effective against monsters. Feel free to use them. If it's an emergency, you can just throw them."
Huh, the 3 girls nodded in sync, looking interested, and I couldn't help but laugh. They're really like real sisters.
As I smiled at the 3 of them observing the healing potions and prototypes in the light, a small, glowing orb suddenly appeared in the corner of my vision. And then, a small dragon, about the size of a hand, appeared from it ―― it looked like a mascot character, but there was no mistake, it was Ciello-sama, the spirit of the sky.
'I'll also be nearby, protecting the holy land.'
"Ciello-sama!"
So, Ciello-sama was also going to move to protect the holy land, and by extension, Emme Village.
With the Knight Order and Spirit-sama, even if there's a slight delay, the defense shouldn't collapse against small-time monsters.
Radmila's face lit up as she gazed at the small dragon perched on my palm. Petra and Julia looked a bit wary, seeing a living creature for the first time.
"How cute!"
"Ah, wait! This is Spirit-sama, who's protecting the village, so let's not be rude."
"Okay."
As Radmila tried to hug the dragon tightly, I cautioned her, and then bowed my head to Ciello-sama, saying "Please take care of them." Ciello-sama nodded gently and disappeared.
As I saw them off, I couldn't help but worry about the water spirit who still hadn't shown its face. The other Spirit-samas told me not to worry because they were just healing my wounds, but I still couldn't even say a proper thank you. If the water spirit hadn't been there, I might have lost my life. And to think, I still hadn't even come up with a name for it yet...
"We'll give you this. Eat with everyone in the carriage."
I was so caught up in my thoughts that I was slow to react to the lunchbox placed in front of me. When I hastily opened it, I found it packed to the brim with sandwiches made with mountain blessings. With this, I wouldn't have to worry about food on the way to the royal capital.
"Thank you!"
I expressed my gratitude and quickly brought the lunchbox into the carriage. When I returned to Petra's place, I found Lukas and the 3 girls chatting away.
I watched their conversation from a short distance away.
"I'll defeat the demon king soon. So don't worry."
Lukas's profile showed no signs of anxiety. His eyes were filled with determination and strength.
"I'm counting on you, Lukas."
Julia patted Lukas's shoulder with the back of her hand, a smile on her face. She might have sensed Lukas's confidence and determination.
"Tell us all about it when you get back."
Radmila said this in a relaxed tone. It was as if she didn't doubt that the young man in front of her would defeat the demon king, and that's why the atmosphere among the 4 of them was so calm.
"...Be careful."
Petra was the last to speak, her brow furrowed in concern. But Lukas just smiled calmly and nodded.
――These 4 were childhood friends, having grown up together in the same village. THey didn't need many words to understand each other's thoughts.
In the end, the 4 of them exchanged smiles and nodded in agreement to Lukas's words, "I'll go."
After that, I said goodbye to the villagers and left the village as if every second counted. As I boarded the carriage, the coachman immediately whipped the horses into a gallop.
"Have a nice trip!"
The people of Emme Village all waved their hands in farewell at the village entrance, seeing off Hero and his party. I waved back at them until they were out of sight, then glanced sideways at Lukas's profile.
He was facing forward, his eyes strong and unwavering.
(This is Hero's second departure)
The first time, he was sent off with great fanfare by many people in the royal capital, and the second time, he was seen off warmly by the people of his hometown. Hero was setting out on a journey to defeat the demon king.
Diona, Vake, Marta, Julius, and Elvira.
The same faces I knew as Hero's party. Elvira had just joined, but there was a strange sense of unity among the party members, probably because of that.
It was as if the 5 of them had gathered at Hero Lukas's side due to a predetermined fate. However, the way they met Hero, the settings they carried, their pasts, and their relationships were all different in "Last Brave."
(I trust them, and I'll wait for Hero's return with Arnold and the others)
As the carriage rocked violently, I gazed at Arnold's sleeping face, which didn't flinch even once.
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