Chapter 177 Beyond The Ending
Early in the morning, Lukas and the others departed from the royal capital, leaving behind the lingering atmosphere of the festival. Since they would be surrounded by people if the royal capital's citizens found out, they only bid farewell to the king and those close to him.
I, along with Arnold, went to the arch at the entrance of the royal capital to see them off.
"Well, see you all later."
Lukas smiled. Everyone nodded with smiles.
The king had prepared carriages for each of their destinations, and they boarded them. Vake, however, set out on a journey to travel around the country on horseback, accompanied by a Knight Order subordinate.
――Not a single cloud, a clear blue sky. The sun peeking out from the eastern horizon. A morning filled with hope.
The carriages slowly departed. I waved my hand grandly to see them off.
Even after the sound of hooves could no longer be heard and all the carriages had disappeared from sight, I stood under the arch for a while――then suddenly felt a chill from the cold wind that blew. Although there was still plenty of time before work started, I couldn't afford to compromise my health and hinder my duties.
"...It's cold in the morning. Let's head back."
Arnold nodded, but didn't move from the spot.
I couldn't go back alone, so I gazed at his profile beside me, and then...
"Lukas is going on a journey, huh."
I was taken aback by the words that came out with a white breath.
I knew it, but it was surprising that Lukas didn't tell his friend Arnold. They must have had a chance to talk just the 2 of them last night.
Arnold glanced at me sideways and turned around. The 2 of us began walking slowly down the main street that led to the castle, side by side.
"It's going to be a long journey."
"I'll get lonely."
"...Yeah."
The words that came back were unexpected.
I stopped in my tracks and looked at him beside me.
"Arnold too... Arnold-san too?"
I panicked and corrected myself after calling out to him in a familiar tone.
In my heart, I had always called him Arnold, so it naturally slipped out of my mouth. When I think about it, I used to address Diona and Elvira with honorifics at first, but somehow, my inner way of calling them ended up being casual, and now I just call them by their names without thinking. Maybe I should correct that too――
As I was lost in thought, Arnold smiled and said,
"You don't need to redo it."
He said it with a gentle voice and gentle eyes, which made me go weak.
――And suddenly, a voice echoed in my mind.
'I love you.'
I remembered, and my cheeks flushed.
Since the day he confessed, I've been busy with synthesis work, and we haven't had a chance to talk alone. And today, I was too caught up in saying goodbye to Lukas and the others, so I didn't even notice the possibility of being alone with Arnold.
――What should I do? Should I take the initiative to respond to his confession, or should I wait for him to speak up?
I didn't know. I was just too embarrassed, too flustered, and I looked down.
"Well... let's take a walk, just a little."
Arnold's hesitant suggestion made me look up, and I saw him gazing at me with his eyes darting around.
"Where to?"
"How about the botanical garden?"
I was already satisfied with just nodding.
We walked to the royal botanical garden in silence, just the 2 of us. Even though there were many diligent people in the Royal Alchemist, there was no one visiting the garden at this early hour, and we didn't see anyone else. I felt relieved and began to stroll around the garden slowly.
――The silence was awkward.
Arnold had opened his mouth several times since earlier, but didn't say anything and closed it again. He must be trying to start a conversation.
I couldn't help but look down. ――And then, I spotted a familiar herb in the corner of my vision and couldn't help but crouch down. It was the same herb Arnold had chosen to test me on the day we first met.
"Ah, this herb is nostalgic, isn't it?"
Behind me, Arnold crouched down, peeking at my hands. He picked up a leaf and held it up to show me.
"When we first met, you asked me if I knew about this herb, and I got all upset when I answered."
Hehe, I laughed and looked up, and Arnold's eyebrows furrowed.
"...Did it happen? Something like that."
"Hey, you're pretending not to know!"
He didn't react like Arnold at all, and I burst out laughing, saying 'haha!' If I did that, the wrinkles on his forehead would get even deeper. ――If it were the day we first met, I would have been intimidated by Arnold's expression, but now I'm not scared. I already know what kind of person he really is, and what he's thinking beneath that scary face.
I first met Arnold when I was 9 years old. Now I'm 16, so it's been about 7 years since we met.
"It's already been 7 years...it feels fast, yet not fast at all..."
Looking back, it's been an incredibly eventful 7 years.
I met Arnold, learned about the Royal Alchemist occupation, took the exam, and worked on treating Elvira's Self-destruction disease. Every day was a struggle to survive. There was no time to catch my breath with all the unexpected twists and turns.
Seven years later, I'll be well over 20 years old. Arnold will be 25. Who knows what we'll be doing or where we'll be? It's unpredictable, and that's unsettling, yet exciting too.
"What will everyone be doing 7 years from now?"
"Who knows...just..."
Arnold sat down beside me, his knees bent. He leaned in close, his handsome face inches from mine, and I involuntarily leaned back, but his piercing gaze made me hold my breath.
His expression was dead serious, as if he had made up his mind about something. Even speaking to him felt daunting.
After taking a few deep breaths, Arnold slowly opened his mouth.
"I'm a half-elf, half-human hybrid. Hybrid children are extremely rare...and honestly, I don't know how long my lifespan will be."
It was clear that he was choosing his words carefully, one by one.
The Elves are a long-lived race. However, when human blood is mixed in, even they themselves don't know what happens to their lifespan. Maybe they can live just as long, or maybe they can't.
"I've done some pretty reckless things, too. I've even used magic that's taboo among the Elves. From now on, I don't know what'll happen to my body, my life. But it won't be a smooth ride, that's for sure. I can't live a life of convenience."
"......"
I didn't say anything, just listened to Arnold's words.
"I know I shouldn't get others involved in my life. But still――."
Suddenly, my right hand was taken. And then, it was gripped tightly.
――That warmth was what I had been seeking that day.
I looked down at the hand that was holding mine. Arnold's hand was large and warm. Yet, the palm was dry, and the skin at the fingertips was stretched taut in several places, probably from using magic.
Arnold gripped my hand several times. Then, he looked at me through his glasses, his black eyes piercing, and said:
"I, I like you, Laura."
――The air, my eardrums, my heart, all trembled.
"If you'll permit me from now on... I want to walk alongside you."
Arnold looked at me with a clinging gaze. His hand was shaking.
――He didn't say "I want to walk alongside you" with a clinging tone. No, he couldn't say it. It was because of his mixed heritage, and his clumsy way of living, which he himself had proclaimed.
I gripped his hand back. Arnold's shoulder jerked in surprise. His over-the-top reaction made me laugh unintentionally.
I looked up, stretching my back to match my gaze with Arnold's. He had turned bright red up to his ears.
"...Your face is red."
When I pointed it out, Arnold covered his face with his left hand, as if to hide it. Then, he hastily explained in a high-pitched voice:
"Please forgive me. I'm not used to this kind of thing."
"So that's why you tried to run away that time?"
Even though I thought it was a pretty cruel way to confess, I couldn't help but say it. It's unfair to just confess and then go to sleep. From that day on, I've been thinking about it over and over, feeling really anxious about it.
Arnold seemed to have some self-awareness, so he hid his face and slumped his shoulders.
"That's... true. I was really cowardly, sorry."
"That's true, isn't it?"
I could see Arnold's eyes peeking out from between his fingers.
――I want to see his face. I want to look him straight in the eye.
I thought, and reached out my hand. Then, I gently grasped the hand that was covering his face and pulled it away. There was no resistance.
We clasped hands, looking each other in the eye. Ah, I'm sure my face is red too.
"You didn't let me respond, so I'm angry."
"...Your face is red."
I got called out for my revenge, and all I could do was laugh awkwardly.
Since I had self-awareness, I couldn't deny it, and since I was the one who said something cruel first, I couldn't get angry either.
"Haha, I'm not used to this kind of thing."
When I said that, Arnold's gaze softened.
"We've been going at it with a synthesis of one-upmanship."
"You were using magic too, Arnold."
When I said that, Arnold looked down, and then muttered under his breath.
"... So, I won't get a response?"
A response. That means a response to my confession.
The hand that was holding mine gripped it tightly.
It's embarrassing. But now, I have to put aside my shame and say the words clearly.
I took a deep breath, looked up, and gazed at Arnold. His black eyes didn't look away.
The sunlight filtering through the herbal garden made me feel warm. As the coldness left my body, I realized I was smiling.
"Arnold, I also... like you."
My voice trembled. I was worried if I had conveyed my feelings clearly to Arnold.
The expression on Arnold's face disappeared. His eyes slowly opened wide, and then――he broke into a smile.
He lowered his eyebrows, narrowed his eyes, turned his cheeks red, and opened his mouth wide. He looked incredibly happy, yet somehow on the verge of tears, and smiled.
He pressed my right hand against his cheek, and then looked down.
"Thank you. Just those words are enough for me."
Arnold's voice was also trembling. Not just his voice, but the tips of his fingers that were holding my hand were shaking even more than before.
It was so adorable.
"Fingers, trembling."
"I was nervous."
"Hehe."
Ah, ah, what should I do? Without realizing it, my mouth was smiling.
I couldn't help it, and I tightly hugged Arnold in front of me. "Hey!" Arnold's panicked voice echoed in my ear. Squeeze! As I was hugged back ―― or rather, caught ―― I became even happier.
"Hahaha!"
I laughed out loud. I could tell that Arnold was laughing too, saying "no way" in my ear.
――From now on, who knows what kind of life we'll lead? Maybe we won't be able to live in the same time as Arnold. Maybe our paths will diverge someday.
But that's okay. No matter how temporary it is, as long as I can be with this precious person and connect our hearts, I won't regret this choice for the rest of my life.
Squeeze. I hugged Arnold even tighter. Then his arms wrapped around my back, and I was hugged very tightly. I couldn't help but laugh, saying "it hurts!" But his arm strength didn't weaken.
"I'm looking forward to it. What's waiting for us from now on?"
There were many paths stretching out before us. We had plenty of time. There were many things we had to do, and many difficulties we would face.
We would definitely have days where we'd cry from regret. But we would keep living. We wouldn't stop moving forward.
"That's right, Laura."
――Beyond the ending. Beyond the happy ending. A future that wasn't told in the game.
I'll go see it for myself from now on. With the precious people by my side.
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