Chapter 82

On a holiday morning, there was a knock on the dorm room door.

Chelsea and I exchanged glances, wondering who it could be, when—

"Laura Ampere"

—from the other side of the door, Elvira's voice could be heard.

Tilting her head, Chelsea, who had no connection with Elvira, looked at me. I smiled and opened the door. As expected, Elvira was standing there, looking up at me.

I invited Elvira into the room.

"Elvira, what's the matter?"

"Try drinking this."

What she held out was a container of a recovery potion. Though she didn't explain, I could tell it was a recovery potion she had made.

Thinking she was asking me to taste it, I took the container and drank it.

"...How is it?"

"Yeah, perfect."

When I answered, relief spread across Elvira's face. Her cheeks were flushed, and she seemed happy, but she tried not to show it, which was very much like her.

Perhaps reacting to my involuntary smile, Elvira looked up at me again. Her strong black eyes made me feel as if I was being scolded for smiling, and I quickly retracted my smile. But the next moment, the words that came out of her mouth were unexpected.

"Do you have time today? If you do... I want you to come shopping with me."

—With her eyebrows lowered in unease and a peeking gaze, it was impossible to refuse such a request.

I nodded reflexively to Elvira's words.

* * *

The capital was as crowded as ever on a holiday. To avoid getting separated, Elvira and I held hands as we walked down the main street.

Still, I had come to the city without knowing the specific purpose. She had said she wanted me to accompany her shopping, but what for, exactly?

"By the way, Elvira, what are you buying?"

"Wrapping paper and a small item."

"A small item?"

"I haven't decided what to buy yet. Even if I ask my brother, he says he doesn't need anything..."

Brother. Hearing that word, I realized who Elvira was trying to give a gift to.

"A gift for Arnold?"

Elvira nodded slightly. Her profile, looking down, was cast in a deep shadow.

"I always cause my brother trouble..."

Her words trailed off, but she must have thought of giving a gift as a way to thank him. It was quite touching.

Seeing such a beautiful sibling love, I couldn't help but offer to help.

I stopped and squatted down to meet Elvira's eyes. Looking into her somewhat anxious black eyes, I asked,

"Is the wrapping paper for the recovery potion? If so, wouldn't a dedicated case be better?"

A simple wrapping paper wouldn't protect it from shocks. Though not as sturdy, dedicated cases that fit the shape of the container are available in large stores.

Elvira, who didn't know about the cases, widened her eyes and then slowly nodded. Taking her nod as agreement with my suggestion, I led her by the hand to the capital's renowned tool shop.

The tool shop we eventually reached was large and luxurious, boasting the best selection among all the tool shops in "Last Brave."

We entered the store and searched for what we needed. It took a bit of time to find the recovery potion containers, which were placed in a corner by the wall.

"There are so many."

"Choose the one you like."

When I said this to Elvira, who was looking up at the shelves, she looked down.

Had I said something wrong? I peered at Elvira's face in a panic, and she lowered her eyebrows, looking very sad and somewhat resentful as she said,

"I... don't know."

"Don't know?"

"I don't know what my brother likes. He's been away from home since he was young..."

I was taken aback by Elvira's words.

—To cure her younger sister's illness, Arnold had become an apprentice to an alchemist at a young age and had dedicated everything to it. Everything, for his beloved sister. However, as a result, the time he spent with his sister had drastically decreased.

It was inevitable. Elvira, fully understanding this, only spoke in a hushed tone and didn't cry or plead.

"If I give him something he doesn't like and he doesn't accept it, I'll be sad. That's why I thought I'd ask Laura, who spends more time with my brother, to come along."

Looking down at Elvira, I thought.

She must have been lonely and had been trying hard to hold back her feelings.

Perhaps worried about my silence, Elvira looked up at me. Meeting her black eyes, I smiled at her and said,

"...I don't really know Arnold's preferences either, but... I do know that he loves you very much, Elvira."

—I know the gentleness in his voice when he calls you "El" and the kindness in his eyes when he looks at you. The image of Arnold firmly stating that he couldn't die for Elvira came to mind.

Elvira, I'm sure, doesn't doubt her brother's love. However, she's not yet an adult who can hide her loneliness.

Elvira's expression gradually softened at my words, though she still seemed unsure. I found her pouting lips endearing and spoke from the heart,

"If it's something you've thought about and chosen for Arnold, he'll surely be happy."

Elvira nodded small but surely, and then she carefully selected a design from the various cases on the shelf.

—After that, we visited a general store to find a small item to give with the recovery potion. With advice from the store clerk, we went through many options before Elvira finally chose a beautiful black fountain pen, the same color as the Roco brothers' hair and eyes.

* * *

The next day, around dusk, there was a gentle knock on the dorm room door.

When I opened it, there stood Elvira, looking anxious, just like the day before. The difference was that she was holding a large bag in her hand this time.

"Elvira, what's the matter?"

"My brother isn't in his room..."

Elvira said, looking down.

The bag she was holding probably contained the recovery potion and fountain pen she had prepared the day before. She must have gone to Arnold's room to give them to him, but he wasn't there.

"Um, have you checked the alchemy room? The library...?"

"I searched with Mel, but he wasn't anywhere."

"In that case..."

It seemed she had searched the entire castle. If he wasn't anywhere, he might be at the inn where the master is staying.

Thinking of this, I took Elvira's hand and left the castle. As the sun set, we entered the inn. I was about to go up the stairs when I realized that Arnold and the others might be discussing the self-destruction disease, so I temporarily entrusted Elvira to the innkeeper, whom I knew.

I stopped in front of the room where the master was still staying. Worrying about the accommodation costs, I knocked on the door.

"Master, I'm sorry to disturb you."

When I called out, a relaxed "Oh" came back, and I opened the door. Inside—

"He's not here."

Looking around the room, Arnold was nowhere to be found.

The master, who had been sitting on the bed reading some literature, widened his eyes slightly at the sudden visit from his disciple and asked,

"What is it, Laura?"

"I'm sorry for the sudden visit. I was looking for Arnold..."

"Oh, he was here just a moment ago."

It seemed my intuition wasn't wrong, but I was a bit late.

I slumped my shoulders and sighed.

"Then we must have missed each other..."

"He said he was going out for a bit of fresh air, so he might still be wandering around somewhere."

I couldn't think of where Arnold might be wandering, so it might be better to give up on finding him in the capital. Waiting in front of the castle dormitory would probably be more effective.

I turned to leave, and the master suddenly asked,

"Elvira is learning about recovery potions from you, I hear."

Arnold must have told him. Surprised, but not hiding it, I nodded.

"Yes. She wanted to give a recovery potion to her brother... and if there's a relapse of the self-destruction disease, having some knowledge might help the situation a bit."

The master nodded a few times, seemingly satisfied. He might have thought the same thing when he heard about Elvira.

I noticed a stack of literature on the table. I could only see the cover of the top one, but it seemed to be about alchemy techniques. It was something the master wouldn't need anymore, and I tilted my head in confusion.

"Master, what are you doing? There's some literature..."

"Oh, a whimsical young girl has been coming by lately. She's a capricious one, but she reminds me of you when you were young, a genius."

The master's leering gaze made me uncomfortable. I avoided eye contact and asked,

"Guiding the girl who comes by whimsically?"

"Not exactly. You haven't been around much lately, so it's just a way to pass the time."

The master's sulky tone made me look at him.

The master came to the capital of his own accord and is staying here by his own will. I didn't force him, but the original reason was to teach us about the self-destruction disease. Even though there hasn't been a relapse of Elvira's disease recently, I might have been neglecting the master.

"I'm sorry. Things have been hectic..."

"I've heard from Arnold. You've been busy with your two juniors, right?"

The master laughed at my sudden fluster.

I realized I had been teased, and my cheeks turned slightly red. I turned to the master again and said,

"Next time, would you like to meet my juniors?"

It would be a rare and valuable experience for Iris and Basilio.

The master nodded with a somewhat ticklish laugh.

With that, I left the room. When I returned to the reception, Elvira was relaxing on a sofa in the waiting room.

The innkeeper, noticing me, glanced at Elvira and smiled wryly. Rushing over in a panic, I found—Elvira, perhaps tired from searching for her brother, was dozing off.

I smiled wryly and whispered to Elvira,

"Arnold was here, but he left a little while ago. It might be faster to wait at the castle... Let's look around on the way back, okay?"

Elvira nodded slowly, her eyes still closed, as if she was about to drift into dreamland.

"Are you sleepy?"

Elvira nodded again, but then her small body leaned over towards me. I barely managed to catch her, and she was now snoring peacefully.

I exchanged a wry smile with the innkeeper. I would have to carry Elvira back to the castle.

"Young ones, huh? Carrying Elvira back to the castle will be quite a task, Laura."

"No, it's fine."

I declined the innkeeper's kind offer and carried Elvira on my back. The weight was heavier than I imagined, and I groaned.

I tend to think of Elvira as a much younger girl, which isn't wrong, but I'm still a fifteen-year-old girl whose body hasn't fully grown. It's quite a heavy task.

Still, it's not impossible. I steeled myself and asked the innkeeper to put Elvira's gift into a bag to prevent it from falling. With that, I left the inn.

(Elvira has grown so much...)

Feeling the weight on my back, I thought, almost like a grandmother.

Despite the ongoing issues with the self-destruction disease and the new problem of being targeted by monsters, I think she has been able to live relatively peacefully since coming to the capital.

If there's no relapse of the self-destruction disease, she might even be able to join Lucash's journey. That's the future I had hoped for. However, I recently realized a factor that could hinder that future. It is,

(Would Arnold allow his sister, who has a serious illness, to go on a journey?)

The overprotective brother. He doesn't exist in "Last Brave," but he might strongly oppose sending his precious sister on a dangerous journey to defeat the demon king. No, it would be more natural for him to do so.

Even if the major issue of the self-destruction disease is temporarily resolved, there are still many problems to overcome. The thought that I won't be able to relax until Lucash defeats the demon king made me feel dizzy.

I sighed quietly, and just then, Elvira started to slip off my back. I tried to readjust her, but then,

"What are you doing?"

The weight on my back suddenly disappeared, and the voice that shook my eardrums was the one I had been searching for.

I turned around quickly and found myself face-to-face with Arnold, who had lifted Elvira from my back.

"Arnold!"

"Why are you and El here?"

"Elvira was looking for you."

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and answered. Arnold seemed to understand the situation from my brief explanation and frowned deeply.

"...I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble."

His voice was strained and apologetic, so I shook my head reflexively.

"Don't worry about it. I've said that before, haven't I?"

Despite my words, Arnold's expression didn't brighten, and we started walking back to the castle in a heavy silence.

I glanced at Elvira, who was sleeping peacefully in Arnold's arms, her face buried in his chest.

(Elvira must be tired from working hard on the recovery potion.)

Thinking about how she had been desperately learning alchemy from Iris and Basilio, we arrived at the castle before I knew it.

I was about to return to my dorm room, feeling apologetic, when I remembered the weight of the bag I was carrying. What should I do with the gift Elvira wanted to give her brother? If I handed it to Arnold now, saying, "This is Elvira's bag," he might see the contents.

After some thought, I decided to keep it for her.

I searched my pockets, but there was no note or pen. I would have to ask Arnold to pass on a message.

"Could you tell Elvira, when she wakes up, that 'I'm keeping her bag for her'?"

"Elvira's bag? I can keep it for her if you want."

Arnold looked at me curiously. It would be natural for him to keep his sister's bag, but if he saw the contents, Elvira might be upset.

"No! Elvira said she wants me to keep it for her."

My voice cracked a bit, but it wasn't too unnatural. Arnold looked at me intently but didn't press further.

I relaxed and opened my mouth to say goodbye again.

"Um, then, I'll be going... Thank you."

"Oh, I'm sorry for the trouble."

How many times has Arnold apologized to me? It feels like he's been apologizing a lot lately. Seeing my exhausted senior, my heart ached.

It's easy to tell him not to overwork himself, but I know he won't follow that advice. It's also hard to suggest he visit Elvira for a break.

The only thing I can say to Arnold, as a junior, is—

"If there's anything I can help with, please let me know."

Arnold didn't nod, but he smiled slightly.