Chapter 95 Birth
――After trying out all the synthesis methods I could think of, I still couldn't get any significant results. I didn't expect to be able to make Holy Water in a day or two, so I wasn't too discouraged. But thinking about the future, I felt a little heavy.
I decided to leave a little earlier than usual and clean up the synthesis equipment myself. But then――
"I'll help."
"Oh... thank you."
Arnold, who suddenly appeared from the side, started to clean up the poisonous herbs that were on the synthesis table. It seems like he's going to help me.
For a while, we worked in silence without talking. I'm used to the silence between me and Arnold.
And then, Arnold's hesitant voice broke the comfortable silence.
"Is today's synthesis for the demon king?"
"Yes, that's the plan. When I told Iris about the Holy Water I mentioned before, she said, 'Let's mix everything that monsters don't like!'"
Arnold blinked a few times in surprise at my words.
"That's... quite a bold idea."
"Yeah. It's an idea I would never have come up with."
I laughed in response, and Arnold's expression seemed to soften slightly. Maybe he's become more interested in Iris.
Although we haven't seen any results yet, I'm hoping that in the future, with Iris's bold ideas and Basilio-san's solid knowledge, we can find some kind of breakthrough――
"Please let me know if you have any ingredients that might be useful for making Holy Water."
I asked Arnold in a slightly joking tone. He nodded slightly in response.
The conversation ended there. As I worked in silence, Elvira's presence gradually crept into my mind. She hasn't been to the training sessions lately, and I don't think I've seen her in the castle either. I wonder what she's doing now.
"...Um, where is Elvira-chan now?"
"I've asked my Mentor and Berta-san to let her return to our hometown. ... I had to explain what happened this time too."
When Arnold mentioned Berta-san's name, I quickly turned my gaze to him.
I haven't told my Mentor about the cause of self-destruction disease yet.
"Did my Mentor go with her too?"
"Your mentor... Mercedes wanted her to. She wants to talk calmly about self-destruction disease once."
Arnold's words made me freeze. Judging from his tone, Mercedes-san probably knows the true cause of self-destruction disease ―― the existence of the demon king. Otherwise, there would be no way to explain to Arnold's family.
Mercedes-san seems to have been close to Annette-san, my mentor's granddaughter who died from self-destruction disease, and she might have had her own thoughts after learning the cause of self-destruction disease. It was her who wanted to take my mentor with her. It's probably just a matter of time before my mentor learns about the existence of the demon king.
I still haven't been able to tell my mentor everything. Telling her would be like indirectly saying that all of hwe desperate efforts to treat the disease were in vain. I still don't have the courage to do that.
I'm aware that I've been putting it off. I wonder if it would have been better for me to tell him, or if it would be better for Mercedes-san, who has shared the same pain, to tell him.
"Ampère?"
Arnold called my name, perhaps wondering why I had fallen silent with a serious expression. I tried to quickly cover up and smiled. Then, trying to change the subject, I suddenly asked about Rocco's sibling's hometown.
"Ah, well, what kind of place is your village of origin?"
"It's a small settlement in the middle of the forest."
"Hm... hearing that description, it might be similar to my hometown, Emme Village. It's like everyone in the village knows each other..."
The scenery of my hometown came to mind. In a bad way, it's closed-off, but in a good way, it's a small village where the residents interact a lot.
Speaking of which, I remember. There was an event in the "Last Brave" sub-event to meet Elvira's parents. They weren't involved in the main story, but maybe I'll have the opportunity to see them again in this life.
"Well, it's a place where only those with a past are gathered. I think the sense of unity is stronger than in other villages."
Arnold's words, spoken in a smooth and fluent tone, contained a word that caught my attention, and I couldn't help but tilt my head. And then, in a half-reflexive manner, I uttered the word that caught my attention.
"A past?"
"Those who have abandoned their past, those who have been abandoned by their home, those who have fled from something, those who are carrying something, those who are strange... It's a village where elves who have not been accepted by any other village end up."
Arnold didn't seem to be particularly concerned or hesitant to answer, but I realized that it wasn't a topic to delve into. I managed to change the subject quickly and tried to sound casual by saying "I see," but...
"I'm a half-human, half-elf. An outcast."
――I couldn't hide my shock at the fact that he added it so casually.
I'm a half-human, half-elf, Arnold said. So does that mean Elvira, his sister, is too? No, I don't think there was such a setting in "Last Brave." I remember that both of Elvira's parents, who appeared in the sub-event, were elves.
Maybe Elvira and Arnold are not blood related. Maybe one of Arnold's parents was human and was taken in by Elvira's parents for some reason. But it seems a bit unnatural that Arnold is the only one who was adopted, even though they are all elves with a past in a village for elves with a past――
My mind was racing, but I knew I couldn't possibly find an answer. There was just one question that kept popping up in my head.
"Is it okay for me to ask?"
"You won't go around blabbing about this, right?"
Arnold's black eyes locked onto mine, and I found myself at a loss for words. I was caught off guard by his unexpected, unwavering trust in me.
I clenched my jaw, trying to avoid his gaze, and looked down at my hands.
"W-well, I hope so..."
I stole a glance at Arnold, and he gave a small, satisfied nod. Then, he lowered his gaze to his hands like I had just done and murmured in a soft voice.
"My parents want to thank you. Ampère and Lukas-dono."
Oh, I see. So maybe that's why Arnold told me about his birth just now. He might have thought that if he waited until we met in person and saw that neither I nor Lukas had pointy ears, it would be strange, so he decided to tell us beforehand.
I could understand Arnold's reasoning to some extent, but it was still too sudden. I was just reeling from finding out this unexpected truth at an unexpected time.
Arnold, oblivious to my state of mind, continued in a softer tone than usual.
"Of course, I want to too. Please invite us over when things have settled down."
"...Yes, please."
When things have settled down. I don't know when that will be. And there's no guarantee that I'll be able to face that day with a calm heart. But that's why my promise with Arnold became a small source of joy for the future ―― or, to be dramatic, a source of hope.
I imagined visiting the Rocco family with Lukas. Elvira would be smiling brightly, Arnold would be gazing at her with love, and their parents would be there too. Maybe even Marcedes-san and Mentor would be there.
I vowed wholeheartedly that I would do everything I could to make that day happen.
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