Chapter 161 Benefactor
"Laura."
I was called out, and I turned around. But there was no one there.
I looked down in wonder, and a puppy was looking up at me.
I panicked and rushed to the puppy ―― the water spirit ―― and scooped up its soft body.
"Are you okay now? Are you hurt?"
"I'm, fine."
"I'm glad!"
The injuries from when the water spirit faced the demon king seemed to have healed. Although it still couldn't speak well and its words were stuttered, its tail was wagging left and right, and it didn't seem to be straining itself.
Its innocent eyes looked up at me. I really owed this child a lot. I was grateful beyond words.
I hugged its fluffy body tightly.
"Really, thank you so much. It's all thanks to you."
I held its small body for a while, but suddenly the water spirit's small front paw pushed against my chest.
I panicked, thinking it might be hot, and released my hug, and the water spirit put a small bag it was carrying around its neck into its mouth. It seemed to be saying "Look inside."
"Marta, to, Laura."
I opened the bag, and inside was an envelope. From the water spirit's words, it seemed to be a letter from Marta addressed to me.
I felt a bit uneasy about using Spirit-sama like a postal service, but they could move through time and space without any risk, so they could be a means of communication. Like the tools (magic cauldron) the Rustu people possessed, no special power was needed.
"Thank you. Please lend your power to Lukas and the others a little more."
After defeating the demon king, would the spirits go back to sleep?
The water spirit seemed to be saying "Got it" as it smiled, its face twitching.
* * *
I brought the water spirit to the synthesis room in the city. Lately, I've been synthesizing healing potions here.
"Take it easy for a bit."
I said, opening the door to the synthesis room. Then,
"Oh, Laura."
"Mentor!"
My mentor, who had visited while I was away, welcomed me back.
I was surprised that she was here, and she was gazing at the water spirit I was holding.
"That thing..."
"It's the water spirit lending me its power."
"Ah, a spirit."
My mentor looked at the water spirit with great interest. The puppy didn't seem to be on guard at all, and was looking up at my mentor with its big, round eyes.
I put the water spirit down for a moment, and asked my mentor, who was still staring at the spirit.
"Do you want something to drink?"
"Yes, please."
I was asked, so I decided to brew some simple tea.
I boiled the water, added the tea leaves, and it was ready in no time. I also prepared a shallow dish with milk for the water spirit.
"Did you come to see me, Laura?"
"Yes."
I handed my mentor a cup, and placed the dish with milk on the floor. Then, the 2 of us slowly started drinking what I had prepared.
I also took my own cup and took a sip of tea. After that, I sat down in a nearby chair, and asked my mentor, who was looking down at the water spirit.
"Um, Mentor, were you looking for me?"
My mentor's red eyes turned towards me. For a moment, I was startled by her sharp gaze, but after she took a deep breath, she nodded calmly and said "yes". My tense body relaxed.
This synthesis room was prepared by Reinhardt-san and the others for me. Basically, only I come and go here. If my mentor knew that and still visited this room, then her purpose must be to see me.
My mentor put the cup she was holding on the table, and after a long pause of about 5 seconds, she opened her mouth.
"I didn't thank you properly."
"Thank you?"
"For the Self-destruction disease. You did well. Thank you very much."
I was told, and I realized. This is the first time I've had a face-to-face conversation with my mentor since Elvira's self-destruction disease treatment.
My mentor's red eyes had a terribly calm color. I shook my head loosely.
"It's not just my power. But... it was good."
I forced a laugh. And then my mentor also smiled back at me.
My mentor had lost everything to the self-destruction disease. However, for my sake, Arnold's, and Elvira's, she recalled her painful past and cooperated with us.
Although we couldn't save my mentor from the past, I thought from the bottom of my heart that it was good that she didn't has to see her life being taken away by the self-destruction disease in this unreasonable world again.
In the fallen silence, I didn't bring up the topic of the self-destruction disease and tried to change the subject. I asked about the reason why she was here now.
"Did a monster attack you while you were visiting your disciple's grave, Mentor?"
"That's right. My former disciple... Marcedes' father. He was also one of those who suffer from self-destruction disease, so I thought I had to report it."
――I tried to change the topic, but the conversation ended up going back to the self-destruction disease again. However, my mentor's expression was kind, so I thought it was better not to avoid the topic if it wasn't painful for them, and didn't stop them.
My mentor's disciple. In other words, my senior brother. If Marcedes-san's father was buried in the elf village, then it was certain that his grave was there. However, being attacked by a monster while visiting the grave was quite bad timing. ――No, since she was protected by the Rustu people, it might have been good timing in the end.
"I've talked to various people. Marcedes and Kasper too."
Suddenly, I looked up at the mention of my boss's name. If I did, I would catch a glimpse of my mentor's face, with a faint smile.
"Your superior is that crybaby, huh..."
My mentor's eyes narrowed, reminiscing about the past. That reminded me of how Marcedes-san used to call Kasper-san "Kasper-kun" back then.
I knew Kasper-san was my senior, but I had no idea about his connection with my mentor and Marcedes-san, and I couldn't even imagine it.
"Was Kasper-san your disciple?"
"Ah, yes. As a Royal Alchemist, I had 3 disciples. There was Barnas, an elf who became a disciple despite being a human, and his daughter Marcedes. And then there was Kasper, a boy who was abandoned."
Before sleeping, my mentor spoke in a gentle tone, like reading a bedtime story to a child.
It was astonishing to learn that Kasper-san was an abandoned child. I felt sorry for hearing such private information about him, but I was impressed by his excellence, having risen to his current position despite his unknown origins. In the world of alchemists, ability was everything, but when it came to social status, bloodline was still valued.
"I lived with my daughter and granddaughter in the royal capital, surrounded by my disciples. Those were happy times. The best part of my life."
Granddaughter. The person referred to by that word was Annette-san, who had suffered from Self-destruction disease in the past.
My mentor paused, then drained the remaining tea in her cup. And then, in a complete change of tone, she spoke rapidly.
"Annette died from Self-destruction disease, and everything fell apart. Barnas, who was already old, died a few years before Annette from pneumonia. My daughter followed her granddaughter's path and died, and Marcedes, who had lost her father, returned to her hometown. In the end, only I and Kasper were left."
Fuuh, and Mentor let out a deep breath. No matter how many times I hear it, the story after Annette-san's passing still feels heavy in my chest.
"I abandoned everything and left the world, leaving Kasper in the care of a acquaintance in the royal capital and disappeared. Looking back, I did something terrible to him."
(That's why their relationship was awkward, wasn't it...)
I nod in agreement at Mentor's words, recalling the awkward atmosphere between the 2 of them back then. From Kasper-san's perspective, it's not unreasonable to think that Mentor abandoned him.
However, Mentor mentioned earlier that they had a "good talk" with Kasper-san. I ask, slightly hopeful, if they were able to make amends.
"When did you talk to Kasper-san?"
"When you joined the journey... He seemed to have cleared up some of the emotional baggage he was carrying. It didn't seem like he had fully come to terms with it, though."
Hahaha, Mentor laughs.
Indeed, Kasper-san seemed to have found some closure within himself, but it was clear that he still couldn't shake off his feelings of resentment.
"To be honest, I haven't come to terms with it either. I haven't come to terms with it, but even if I curse the demon king, my grandchildren won't come back. If I don't find closure within myself, I'll be left behind in the past."
Mentor's tone is tinged with regret for the first time, and her voice trembles.
I involuntarily mutter "Mentor..." in response. Then, she relaxes her tense expression and laugh again, her smile radiant and dazzling, as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.
"I scold a young man named Reinhardt. And he said sorry."
Whoa! I reflexively raise my voice.
Reinhardt-san and the people of Rustu knew about Annette-san. They knew, but they didn't appear before Mentor because the Hero hadn't been born in this world yet.
I know how much they struggled, but if I say it out loud, it's like I'm saying they killed Annette-san. Mentor has a valid reason to resent the people of Rustu.
"So, what about that?"
"I knocked him out with one punch, and he's still reeling from it!"
"Eh!?"
I let out a loud voice again. Then, my Mentor gave me a sly grin, like a mischievous boy, and thrust her right fist at me. It was as if she was saying, "I'll punch you too, just like that."
"Well, it's fine if I hit him, he'll apologize and make it up to him, but he's just trying to clear his conscience, right?"
"Huh, huh... So what?"
"So, nothing. That's just how it is. It's not like he's protecting people out of the goodness of his heart or anything."
My Mentor took a breath and reached for her cup, but then she seemed to remember that she had finished drinking earlier and let out a silly "ah" sound.
I asked her, still clinging to the conversation, as she closed her mouth, looking like she had said all she needed to say.
But, come on, one punch and it's all settled? That's not how it works.
"So, but, didn't you know the cause of the Self-destruction disease?"
"Hating people, resenting them takes a lot of energy. An old people like me doesn't have that kind of energy anymore."
My Mentor stood up and started brewing tea again using the pot I had used earlier. I stared at her small back.
It's true that directing strong emotions towards others takes energy. But, still, I couldn't accept it, even though I wasn't directly involved. Maybe I'm just not mature enough yet.
"I said the same thing, and Kasper got angry at me for giving up."
She let out a weird, granny-like laugh, "Hohoho," and brought back the tea.
"It might be true. But, because you got involved in treating the Self-destruction disease, I think my life has been rewarded."
"...Eh?"
My Mentor sipped her tea, looking at me with a serious expression. I tilted my head, unable to process the sudden words.
Did my involvement in treating the Self-destruction disease really reward my Mentor's life?
My expression, which had become completely foolish with my eyes wide open, seemed to be extremely amusing to my Mentor, who couldn't hold back her laughter and let out a loud, joyful guffaw. Then, she looked me straight in the eye with the kindest expression I had ever seen and said.
"It's not that everything I did that day was rewarded. But at the same time, it's not like everything was in vain, either."
My Mentor stood up from her chair, as if she was going to come over to me, and then she gently took my hand, which was still trembling with a silly expression.
Her hand was wrinkled and old, a hand that had surely saved many lives. And it had changed my life too.
"That's enough, though. You've proven that my life had meaning, haven't you?"
My Mentor patted my hand comfortingly. It felt warm, and I almost cried.
"Thank you, Laura."
Before my eyes, my benefactor smiled. The puppy, who was rubbing against my leg, was also smiling. It was a peaceful afternoon.
I felt happy. I didn't know any other words to express the warm feelings overflowing in my chest.
It all started in a small mountain hut on the outskirts of a village. The day I knocked on the wooden door with a trembling hand. The kind face of "Granny" hidden under her robe.
On that day, my new life began, and my Mentor's stopped time also started moving.
(My talent might be the same as Arnold's, probably a setting error.)
I had always wondered. Why did Laura Ampère have the talent for synthesis? I couldn't know the truth, not being the creator of "Last Brave".
I thought it was possible that Laura's setting wasn't a mistake. If so, it would make sense that a famous alchemist lived nearby. Maybe there was even a story where Laura became Granny's apprentice.
If I had forcibly pulled out the mistaken setting that day and started tracing the abandoned story...
(The truth is unknown. But it's all just a dream story now.)
So, it wasn't a past life. Just a dream. A dream that felt way too real. Dreams are just dreams, and my reality is separate from them. It's right here, right in front of me.
I take my Mentor's hand and stand up. Then, I invite them to the synthesis machine.
"How about we synthesize together for the first time in a while?"
I propose with a smile. My Mentor's eyes widen, and then she raises the corner of her mouth, saying "Unfortunately..."
"I've never synthesized alongside you before."
She says, and I remember. My Mentor has always been a laissez-faire type. I don't recall ever receiving guidance while standing next to her.
――That's right, after all.
"That's right, it was like that. Then, let's synthesize together for the first time."
My Mentor laughs. I laugh too. And at the same time, we reach out to the synthesis equipment.
That day, I synthesized alongside my Mentor for the first time.
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