Chapter 89 Determination
I was frozen for a moment, unable to move as I stared into those amber eyes that were fixed on me.
Diona. The heroine of "Last Brave". The girl who fought alongside the protagonist, Lukas, and became a beacon of light for the world.
I knew I would meet her eventually. But I never imagined it would be so soon ―― that I would meet her before Lukas.
"...What's wrong?"
Diona tilted her head, wondering why I had suddenly stopped moving. As she did so, her long silver hair swayed gently.
Beautiful. I thought to myself. The way her hair swayed, the amber eyes that were fixed on me, her features, her posture ―― everything about her was beautiful. She was the heroine of this world, meticulously crafted by the god (creator).
"Oh, no, it's just... you reminded me of someone. I'm sorry."
Reinhardt-san nodded at my hasty attempt to cover up. He then looked back and forth between Sieg-san and Leon-san, who were standing on either side of him.
"Well, they're Sieg and Leon's little sisters. So, I guess you might see some resemblance if you look closely."
"Oh, oh, I see. So that's it."
As I looked at the 3 of them, I realized that Sieg-san, in particular, shared the same physical characteristics as the heroine ―― Diona ―― with his silver hair and amber eyes. I never thought I would meet a relative of the heroine before I met her.
I glanced up at Diona. She was still holding out her right hand to me, and I couldn't just ignore it. So, belatedly, I shook her hand.
"I'm Laura Ampère. Nice to meet you."
"I've seen you from afar from time to time... the childhood friend of the Hero-sama."
"Oh, is that so? Haha, well, thank you."
It felt strange. I was talking to the heroine of "Last Brave".
I couldn't help but superimpose her game persona on her gentle smile.
"Diona is exceptionally strong among our tribe. I want to borrow her power and, just to be safe, the power of the Hero Lukas. This is the first time we'll be interfering with the demon king before his resurrection, so I want to be fully prepared. Therefore, I would like Laura-sensei to contact Lukas."
Sieg-san spoke politely, as if trying to gauge my reaction.
Apparently, they want Lukas to be present when Dionna uses her light power. It's probably just in case.
But still, Arnold and Lukas. I see that I was chosen as the intermediary because I am friends with both of them.
For a moment, a concern crossed my mind about whether it would be okay for Lukas and Diona to meet at an earlier stage than "Last Brave," but I shook the thought away, knowing that Elvira's life is irreplaceable.
"I understand. I'll contact Lukas for you."
Even if I get Arnold's permission and contacted Lukas ―― even if I took action immediately, it would still take some time.
Those who will be invited to the trial are the people of Rustu, the Hero Lukas, and Elvira. Arnold will probably ask to be there too. Oh yeah, if Marcedes-san hears about it, she might ask to come along too. Speaking of other people who might want to be there ―― I was startled by the image of my Mentor that popped into my head.
My mentor's granddaughter, Annette-san, also had Self-destruction disease. But she never found out the cause of the Self-destruction disease until the very end. Which means, well...
(Did the Rustu people not tell my mentor about the cause of Self-destruction disease...? Not just my Mentor, but none of the literature mentions the real cause of the Self-destruction disease, so it means that the Rustu people have been hiding the cause of the Self-destruction disease from humans all along)
Why didn't the Rustu people tell my mentor that the cause of the Self-destruction disease was the demon king? If my mentor knew the real cause, she might have been able to create a specific cure earlier, such as The Drinking Water of the Spirits, or a medicine with similar effects. Then, my mentor and the Rustu people could have joined forces to save Annette-san, her granddaughter. ――my mentor might not have lost everything either.
I was struggling to process all the information I had just been given, and I was also distracted by Elvira in front of me, so I only just realized the possibility that I hadn't thought of until now, and my head was filled with the question "why". If this question is left unanswered, it could turn into distrust of the Rustu people.
So, I cautiously asked.
"...Um, can I ask you one thing?"
My voice came out lower than I expected.
The air around me changed slightly. Reinhardt-san nodded seriously in response to my question.
"Do you know someone named Annette-san?"
Reinhardt-san and the others seemed to know about Elvira, the patient with Self-destruction disease. They must be watching her, along with the Hero.
I asked, thinking that there was no way they could not know. Then,
"...Laura-sensei, is it about your mentor's granddaughter?"
A concise and accurate answer came back.
"So you know that much?"
"Patients with Self-destruction disease and their families were always under surveillance. Though, I only know Annette-san through records."
I don't know Reinhardt-san's age, but judging from his words, Annette-san must have had Self-destruction disease before he was born, or when he was a child. In other words, he wants to say that he knows about it, but not in detail.
Even though I understood that, I couldn't stop the words "why" from spilling out, and once they spilled out, I continued to speak rapidly, like water overflowing from a container that has been filled to the brim.
"Why didn't your people tell my mentor the cause of Self-destruction disease? My mentor was an excellent alchemist. If she could have known the cause of Self-destruction disease, she might have been able to find a cure like The Drinking Water of the Spirits much sooner. Then, like this time, someone with the power of light could have sealed the demon king..."
"But there was no Hero in that era."
My words, which were becoming increasingly forceful, were interrupted by Reinhardt-san's stern voice.
Suddenly stopped, I widen my eyes. Before I could open my mouth again, Reinhardt-san continued.
"If the demon king awakens, even in an incomplete form... only a Hero can seal the demon king again. The power of light of the Rustu people cannot seal him. The power of a Hero is needed."
Reinhardt-san continued to speak calmly.
There are still many things I don't know about the demon king, the power of the Hero, and the power of the Rustu people, but one thing is for sure: the power of light of the Rustu people is not enough to seal the demon king, and the power of a Hero is absolutely necessary.
"Laura-sensei, I may have to say something cruel... But the fact that there are patients with Self-destruction disease means that this world is still at peace. It means that the demon king is still dormant, gathering his strength."
His amber eyes pierced through me. His eyes seemed to be filled with strong determination.
"If we don't meddle, the demon king will stay quiet."
――That's when I finally understood what Reinhardt-san was trying to say, and a chilling sensation washed over me. In an instant, my body temperature dropped.
Meddling. That word refers to ―― the treatment of Self-destruction disease.
My voice trembling, I asked the question again.
"...So, you deliberately didn't tell the truth about the cause of Self-destruction disease until the Hero was born in this world, so that humans wouldn't meddle, so that the demon king wouldn't wake up, so that humans wouldn't find out the real cause of Self-destruction disease and accidentally create an effective cure for the demon king?"
"Ah, yes. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, we hid the truth and monitored the patients of Self-destruction disease... to prevent them from giving the demon king any incentive to wake up by developing a treatment that would stimulate him."
From Reinhardt-san's answer, I realized that I was able to find The Drinking Water of the Spirits because the Hero Lukas was born in the same era. If the Hero had not been born in this era, the search would have been obstructed by the people of Rustu who were monitoring Elvira.
My mentor might have also gotten close to the answer. However, in her time, unfortunately, the Hero was not born. So――no matter how hard she tried, it was predetermined that my mentor would never reach the right answer.
I squeezed my trembling fingertips and furrowed my brow. And I waited for Reinhardt-san's next words.
"We've been waiting for the Hero to be born and learn to use their powers. We've also been looking for a way to weaken the lurking demon king. ... Unfortunately, we couldn't find a way, and Laura-sensei did instead."
Reinhardt-san twisted his mouth in self-mockery. Deep lines were etched between his eyebrows.
"It's only because the Hero has finally appeared and the demon king is weakened thanks to Laura-sensei that we were able to tell you the cause of the Self-destruction disease and experiment on the demon king before his resurrection."
"So, if I hadn't found The Drinking Water of the Spirits... Elvira might have been sacrificed?"
There was no response. Judging by Reinhardt-san's demeanor, he was clenching his fists and holding his chin down, his expression grim.
His actions were as good as an affirmation. I couldn't help but stare at him. I didn't realize it, but Reinhardt-san might have felt like I was glaring at him.
An awkward silence fell. Suddenly, Sieg-san stepped forward as if to protect Reinhardt-san.
"If we mess up, this world will be destroyed. That's why we can't let anything go wrong until the Hero is born――"
"Hey, Sieg. Don't say unnecessary things. It's just an excuse."
Reinhardt-san stopped Sieg-san's words. Sieg-san glanced at me, then looked down with an expression like he had just swallowed a bug.
Reinhardt-san took another step forward and bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry, I apologize. ...No, please let me apologize. It was like we tricked you into agreeing to help without telling you everything."
I couldn't say anything in response to Reinhardt-san's strained voice.
I wouldn't say I was deceived, but I do think they intentionally hid some facts to push me into cooperating without hesitation.
Still, as much as I want to help Elvira, working with them is the best option for now. Their information and the power of light will be of great use in treating the Self-destruction disease. Yes, I didn't think I would reconsider my decision to help the Rustu people, but knowing the hidden facts, my heart is definitely wavering.
I can understand Reinhardt-san's side, and it's clear from the fact that the world hasn't fallen into the hands of the Demon King that their actions were not wrong. But still, my head and heart were a mess with emotions I didn't know where to direct.
(The only one at fault is the Demon King. Everyone had their own circumstances. That's for sure. But――)
――Suddenly, I felt someone looking at me and looked up. I met eyes with Diona, but her figure, which I accidentally caught in my blurred vision, made me realize that I was about to cry. I instinctively averted my gaze from Diona and muttered.
"...Sorry, can I go outside for a bit? I just need to calm down."
My voice trembled. Still, I clenched my lower lip to avoid crying in front of them and ran out the back door.
Outside, I looked up at the sky to prevent the tears that had gathered in my eyes from falling. It was a calm, peaceful sky.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Then, what appeared on the back of my eyelids was the image of my Mentor. The family portrait I found in her study. Marcedes-san's profile as she talked about Mentor. The heartbreaking cry written in her diary.
"――... How could this happen?"
Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my cheeks.
I understand. I get it. The people of Rustu are putting everything on the line to save this world from the demon king. If they make a mistake, the world could fall into the hands of the demon king. They can only act if they are absolutely sure. This time, the people of Rustu must have thought long and hard before deciding to try to separate Elvira from the demon king.
Now that the hero Lukas has awakened and is mastering his powers, and now that the Royal Alchemist has found the Drinking Water of the Spirits and the lurking demon king is weakened, they must have felt it was time to act.
I understand, I understand. But this is still too much.
(Those who died from the self-destruction disease, their families... my mentor, they are unrewarded)
The mysterious disease was actually caused by the demon king.
I see, in a typical fantasy world, this is not an impossible setting. However, to the people of this world who don't know "that", it would be impossible to think that the demon king is the cause. In fact, even I, who know "that", couldn't have come to that conclusion.
What was my mentor's life like? Her diary is full of days filled with suffering. What was my mentor's life like after losing her granddaughter, daughter, and everything, and deciding to live alone in secret?
If the demon king had revived before the hero was born, many lives would surely be lost. At worst, humanity would be wiped out. That must not happen. Annette-san sacrificed herself to prevent that.
(Not just Annette-san. Everyone who has died from the self-destruction disease so far has sacrificed themselves for the world...)
One life versus thousands, tens of thousands of lives. When these 2 are weighed on a scale, which one will tip? It's obvious. But――
(If only the hero had been born sooner, back when Annette-san was alive...)
The Rustu people might have told the famous alchemist, my Mentor, the cause of the Self-destruction disease. My Mentor might have found an effective way to deal with the demon king nesting inside her granddaughter without being hindered by the Rustu people. And she might have decided to try to pull the demon king out of Annette-san's body using the Rustu people's light power.
It's all just "might have" talk. Even if those conditions had been met, there's a good chance that the demon king wouldn't have been able to be pulled away from Annette-san and would have lost her life. But I can't help but think about it. What if a Hero had been born in that era?
(It's just too unfair. It's cruel. How could this happen? If only a Hero had been born, the future might have been different.)
My tears wouldn't stop. Finally, I let out a sob and covered my face with my hands and squatted down.
This world is all built around Hero-sama. All events are orchestrated towards the main story where Hero-sama saves the world. In this era, Elvira, who has Self-destruction disease, might be saved. No, she must be saved. Then, in the main story, the cause of Self-destruction disease will be discovered and a happy ending will be reached where she is successfully cured. But there are many sacrifices made along the way to get there.
I know that crying won't change anything. But when I think about how my Mentor, who gave me a new path, was given an extremely unfair suffering that was destined to be unsolvable from the start just to set the stage for the main story, I can't help but cry.
(No one is to blame. The demon king is to blame, and it's just a matter of bad timing. That's why... it's unbearable.)
Why must only her granddaughter suffer like this? I couldn't calmly accept as a necessary sacrifice for the future the days of suffering my mentor wrote about in her diary.
"――Laura!?"
It was Iris's surprised voice that shook my eardrums. I could also hear Basilio-san's voice calling my name.
The two of them must have come back from picking herbs. I could clearly hear the sound of their footsteps as they ran towards me, but I couldn't lift my face.
"Laura, what's wrong!? Did Reinhardt and the others say something terrible to you!?"
Two hands of different sizes were placed on my shoulders. I thought of Iris and Basilio-san, who must be confused in front of their crying senior, and tried to stop my tears, but the more I tried to stop them, the more they flowed.
I barely shook my head at Iris's words, and a thin arm, probably Iris's, was placed on my back as if to hug me.
"Laura-san, don't force yourself to stop crying. Don't hold your breath. It's okay."
The hand that was stroking my back was Basilio-san's. His touch and his gentle voice calmed me down a little. And gradually, my calm thinking returned.
Along with it, the words my mentor said to me and Arnold when she revealed her past came back to the depths of my eardrums.
'I couldn't find a cure for Self-destruction disease, but you two might or...'
Yes, that's what my mentor said. She entrusted us with the future.
Even if we find a cure for Self-destruction disease, of course, nothing will come back to my mentor's beloved granddaughter, Annette-san, let alone what my mentor lost. But I didn't want my mentor to see people losing their lives to this absurdity of Self-destruction disease again.
It's not just about Mentor. Arnold has also dedicated everything to his sister until now. Marcedes-san too. I don't want the lives of the many people involved in the Self-destruction disease to be used as the foundation for the future anymore.
This is the biggest opportunity, a time that has never come before, when the hero Lukas has awakened to his power and the demon king who was parasitizing Elvira before his resurrection is weak. We will definitely seal the demon king, the origin and cause of everything, once again. I will do whatever I can to achieve that.
For this world, for Elvira ―― and above all, for Mentor and everyone else involved in the Self-destruction disease.
"I will never let Elvira die."
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