Chapter 79 Newcomers
"Ah..."
With a clatter, the container in my hand made an unpleasant sound. I accidentally bumped the containers together because my hand slipped.
Upon hearing the noise, Iris and Basilio-san quickly rushed over.
"Laura-san, are you okay?"
"I'm sorry, I'm fine."
"You don't look fine at all. Right, Basilio-san?"
When Iris turned to Basilio-san, he nodded deeply.
Seeing the worried expressions of the two junior members peering at me, I felt ashamed of myself. I should be the one showing concern as a senior, but instead, I ended up worrying the juniors.
"Since yesterday, you've seemed distracted... Though it might not be the right thing for us, who are causing you trouble, to say this."
At the sharp observation from yesterday, Basilio-san furrowed his brow in discomfort, and I quickly shook my head.
"N-no! It's not because of you two... It's just some personal worries. I'm sorry."
Even though I smiled, the worried look didn't fade from the faces of the two juniors.
Arnold left for the royal capital late last night. A large fire broke out in the elf village, that's the reason given. No further information has been obtained, so various thoughts circulate.
Is it due to Elvira's Self-destruction disease, a monster attack, or some other reason?
I was informed of Arnold's departure from the royal capital yesterday morning. Since then, I've been consumed with thoughts about it. ――But, there's no way to know even if I think about it. Yet, I continue to worry my juniors endlessly.
Consciously trying to change the mood, I called out to the two in a higher tone.
"Hey, why don't we go to the royal capital today? Let's see how healing potions are displayed in the market. It might be interesting to see who actually needs the healing potions we make."
At my words, Iris and Basilio-san exchanged glances. They momentarily looked puzzled but then nodded enthusiastically.
* * *
The royal capital was as bustling as ever.
I guided the two juniors through the crowded main street. Iris's eyes sparkled with excitement, and she couldn't contain her joy.
"Haha! So many people!"
Iris moved through the crowd with her small body, and Basilio-san and I followed closely behind to not lose sight of her.
Suddenly, Iris stopped in front of a certain stall. It was a shop overflowing with healing potions. The shopkeeper, a tough-looking man with a large scar on his face, seemed to be feared by travelers, as there were few customers.
Iris didn't hesitate and stood in front of the shop, curiously picking up the healing potions displayed. She compared the healing potions with the shopkeeper's face several times.
"Hey! Did you make these healing potions, boss?"
"...Huh? There's no way I did. Do I look like I can do delicate synthesis work?"
"Haha, not at all."
Even when glared at, Iris showed no fear. She had a fearless or rather friendly personality. In fact, she had already become quite close to me and Basilio-san, whom she had only met a few months ago.
Also, since her Mentor, Reinhardt-san, who was somewhat sharp-eyed, was present, she must be used to tough-looking men. Iris continued to chat cheerfully with the tough shopkeeper.
Basilio-san and I watched from a distance, admiring Iris's natural charm in both synthesis and her way of interacting with people.
"Iris-san truly has a natural gift, both in synthesis and in dealing with people."
"She's such an innocent child."
With a laugh, Basilio-san also softened his gaze. The eyes that looked at Iris were very gentle.
Basilio-san let out a small sigh and began speaking in a hushed tone.
"To be honest, at the beginning of the training, I was worried about getting along with Iris-san. But now, she feels like a little sister to me. I can't just leave her alone, or rather, I don't know how to put it..."
――I started to see her like a little sister.
It's something I felt when watching the two of them together, but hearing it from her directly somehow put me at ease. Despite the age gap, they are fellow trainees. I hoped they would have a supportive or competitive relationship.
"I understand what you mean. Iris does have a sisterly vibe, right?"
It seems she has been cared for. Even though I only saw her with Reinhardt-san for a short time, they seemed to have a comfortable relationship like a family.
I glanced at Basilio-san next to me. While Iris's sisterly nature contributes to them looking like siblings, I also thought Basilio-san's "big brother" demeanor played a role.
Perhaps he has younger siblings.
"Does Basilio-san have younger siblings? You seem to have that big brother vibe..."
"Yes. I actually have one younger brother and one younger sister."
Basilio-san replied with a wry smile.
I widened my eyes in surprise, and Basilio-san chuckled before continuing.
"Both of them are very responsible unlike me. Their older brother is always told he's unreliable. But when I passed the exam, they cried more than I did."
I remembered Basilio-san saying, "Royal Alchemist was my mother's dream" on the day of the exam results. I had secretly worried about his relationship with his family from his shadowed profile, but seeing the good relationship between siblings reassured me.
The image of the calm older brother Basilio-san and the dependable younger sister and brother was easy to imagine.
"You all seem to get along well."
"Yes, for the sake of my precious siblings, I have to do my best."
A crease formed on Basilio-san's forehead. His stern expression, which I saw for the first time, made my heart skip a beat.
The words Basilio-san spoke seemed more like pushing himself to the limit rather than encouraging himself.
I recalled the days of aimlessly searching for "The Drinking Water of the Spirits" in Flaria. The smile of Luisa-san, who gently scolded me back then, came to mind.
As a senior, it was my duty to help Basilio-san relax before he pushed himself too hard.
"Basilio-san, you're already working hard enough. So, don't push yourself too much."
I unconsciously took a few steps towards Basilio-san. The crease on his forehead had disappeared, and he was looking at me with round eyes.
"I've pushed myself too hard before and made many people worry. It's fate that we met like this, so please don't forget about me or Iris. If you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask."
"That's right!"
Iris charged at my back. I instinctively called out her name, and she smiled, showing her teeth. Her casually tied ponytail swayed as she did so.
I suddenly remembered. On the day of the exam and the announcement of the results, she had elaborate hairstyles, but recently Iris often just tied it loosely or left it down without any styling. I wondered if someone else had been styling her hair for her.
――As I was lost in thought, a cute pink flower was offered to me.
"Here, Laura, a gift! I got it from the lady at that shop over there!"
"Oh, thank you."
Iris pointed to a small flower shop. The lovely woman standing in front of the store waved at us, so I nodded in gratitude.
Iris was really good at being adored. I quietly admired her as I accepted the flower.
"Reinhardt also said, 'The biggest fool is the one who tries to bear everything alone without consulting others!'"
"Reinhardt?"
"My mentor!"
Basilio-san tilted his head, and Iris proudly answered with a smile. Just having her around brightened up the place instantly.
As Iris seemed to have calmed down, she started walking around the stalls again.
"Hey, Laura?"
――Suddenly, someone called out my name from behind.
I turned around to see Lina-senpai standing there as expected.
"Lina-senpai, hello."
As I greeted her, Lina-senpai responded with a smile. I noticed an unfamiliar girl and a young man peeking out from behind Lina-senpai.
The colorful-haired girl and the spiky-haired young man seemed familiar in their arrangement. I remembered them as Iris and Basilio-san's fellow trainees who passed the exam this year. Since Lina-senpai was looking after them, I hadn't interacted with them since we met during the announcement of their passing.
"Senpai, who's that girl?"
The brightly dressed girl asked with curiosity. Her base hair color was black, but she had added red, blue, green, and yellow streaks of different lengths.
I noticed that the girl was tall and slender, as she looked down at me with her golden eyes.
"Franca, she's your senpai."
"Eh, really? So cute!"
With a loud voice, Franca-san suddenly hugged me. I was taken aback by the sudden excessive physical contact.
"Haha! You're frozen! Even cuter!"
"Hey, Franca-kun! Senpai is in trouble! Let go!"
The loud voice of the stern young man made Franca-san step back from me. It seemed that the other young man with spiky hair who was standing behind Lina-senpai had pulled Franca-san away from me.
Lina-senpai sighed deeply at the commotion caused by the two and stepped in between them and me.
"Laura, this is Franca, and that's Cyril. They are the newcomers this year... your peers."
Lina-senpai said, gesturing towards Iris and Basilio-san standing behind Laura.
Franca-san and Cyril-san, the introduced girl and young man, smiled at us. Despite attracting attention with their loud voices, they had friendly smiles.
Iris and Basilio-san stepped forward to greet them, and it seemed to be the first time Lina-senpai was conversing with the two juniors.
"I'm Lina Bevelstam. Nice to meet you."
"Iris! And this is Basilio!"
Iris beamed with a smile, while Basilio-san smiled modestly. They greeted the other peers standing behind Lina-senpai.
――As the 4 juniors began to interact, Lina-senpai leaned in closer. She suddenly took my arm and led me away from the group.
Stopping in her tracks, Lina-senpai furrowed her brow and asked,
"Laura, have you heard about Arnold? He hurriedly left the other night..."
I was taken aback by Lina-senpai's sudden topic.
I awkwardly nodded in response.
"Yes. I heard there was a fire in the elf village... Is it Arnold-san's hometown?"
"I haven't heard the details yet... But I'm sure you'll receive a message soon, Laura."
I tilted my head in confusion. Why would the message be addressed to me and not to the royal capital? Was it related to Elvira after all?
Just as I was about to ask Lina-senpai, Franca-san's high-pitched voice interrupted.
"Eh, really!? Laura-chan is a genius!"
I turned to see Iris and Franca-san engaged in a conversation. It seemed like the two of them might get along well.
"Franca-kun! Your voice is too loud!"
Cyril-san, the honor student who gently scolds the loud Franca-san.
"Cyril, you're the one who's actually loud!"
Iris laughs innocently.
"Hey, everyone, we're attracting attention around here...!"
In the end, Basilio-san, the common sense person, has the most trouble.
It's quite a diverse group of newcomers, Basilio-san sympathizes but can't help but be impressed.
"...There are really a lot of energetic newcomers this year."
With a wry smile, Lina-senpai muttered. Internally, she sighed at how the conversation had completely shifted to Arnold due to Franca-san's voice.
However, it wouldn't be good to speculate and exaggerate the conversation in the absence of the person. Concluding that contact would surely come eventually, she nodded in agreement with Lina-senpai's words.
"Keer-san, who Chelsea is in charge of, seems like a quiet child."
With an unfamiliar name, I try to recall the last of this year's newcomers. I remember there was another quiet girl with glasses.
Chelsea often talks about the juniors in the same room this year, but I haven't met the junior she's in charge of yet.
"That's right. We need to study hard so we don't fall behind the juniors."
I gaze at the four juniors who seem to have become good friends. Since they're in the same year, it might be nice to set up a joint training session someday, I vaguely thought.
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