Chapter 83

While preparing alone in the laboratory, the door was knocked on rhythmically. For a moment, I thought it might be Basilio, but the knocking was too light. He usually knocks more slowly, almost too politely.

Not knowing who it could be, I replied, "Come in." Then,

"Laura, I'm sorry to intrude."

The person who entered the laboratory was Mercedes, Arnold's master and the current caretaker of Elvira. She often came to this laboratory to accompany Elvira, but this was the first time she had visited me alone since we came to the capital. I wondered what had brought her here.

"Mercedes, good morning."

"I'm sorry to come so early. Elvira sent a message saying she wants to take a few days off from her alchemy studies starting tomorrow."

If she's taking a break starting tomorrow, she must be coming today. With Elvira absent, the training sessions we've been conducting recently won't be the same, so I started to rearrange the schedule for the days to come. Just as I thought about introducing the two new apprentices to their master, Mercedes frowned and said apologetically,

"I'm really sorry for Elvira's selfishness. She must be causing trouble for the new apprentices too."

Mercedes bowed deeply, and I noticed her beautiful, long hair touching the floor. I hurriedly said, "Please, look up!" But she remained bowed, only raising her face slightly to look up at me. Her hair was still touching the floor.

"I heard you accompanied her even on her days off. Every day, you must be causing so much trouble—"

"I don't think of it as a trouble at all!"

I interrupted her firmly. Her usual bright and cheerful demeanor was out of place. She might be struggling with a daughter-like figure who acts freely in an unfamiliar place, but still, was Mercedes the kind of person to look so gloomy? As I thought about it, I realized that Mercedes, who was my father's master Berta's disciple, might also have complex feelings about this place. She was close to Annette, Berta's granddaughter who died from a self-destructive disease, and called Casper "Casper boy." Though I don't know the specifics of her time here, it's likely she spent time in the castle as a disciple of the royal alchemist. It wouldn't be strange if this place was tied to painful childhood memories.

Though it was all speculation, I worried that these thoughts were making Mercedes look unnecessarily gloomy. I wanted to ease her burden, so I spoke again.

"Elvira just wants to express her gratitude to Arnold, and I'm happy to help her with that. Besides, Iris... the two new apprentices are learning a lot from guiding Elvira, which is a valuable experience for them."

I spoke quickly. Perhaps because she had never seen me so talkative, Mercedes widened her eyes and then smiled softly. I felt relieved.

"Your words are a great comfort. Thank you."

It must be difficult to take care of a young girl in a place filled with painful memories. It's even more frustrating because no one is to blame. The conversation ended, and I ended up having Mercedes help me with the preparations. She offered, "Let me help with this," and her smile seemed a bit more lively.

In a warm and friendly atmosphere, we were just about to finish the preparations when the laboratory door opened with a loud bang. The person who rushed in could only be the innocent Iris or—

"Laura!"

The next moment, the voice that shook my eardrums belonged to the future hero, Elvira, whom I had grown accustomed to hearing recently. As soon as I turned around, Elvira ran over and, to my surprise, hugged me. I froze for a few seconds from the unexpected contact but quickly managed a smile.

"Good morning, Elvira."

"Big brother, you're happy!"

Elvira, her cheeks flushed, said this without even greeting me. It made sense that she hugged me; she must have been excited. Though I hadn't doubted it, Arnold seemed to have enjoyed the gift from his beloved sister. Elvira's whole body radiated joy, and I couldn't help but feel happy too.

"Really? That's great."

"She's completely attached to you..."

As I bent down to meet her eye level, Mercedes whispered behind me. I had felt that Elvira was opening up to me recently, but to see it from the outside made me genuinely happy. I smiled broadly, and suddenly Elvira let go of me and ran towards the entrance—where Arnold stood, looking uncomfortable and shifting his gaze.

"Arnold..."

"Can I observe the training today? I might get a few days off."

Arnold's words made me realize something. Elvira was taking a break from her studies starting tomorrow, and Arnold said he might get some time off. The Roc siblings would likely spend some peaceful days without being overwhelmed by work. I nodded at Arnold's request to observe today's training.

***

How would the two new apprentices react if a senior they didn't know well barged into the laboratory? The answer was—while one turned pale and stared wide-eyed at the senior, the other wandered around the senior with keen interest. Their completely opposite reactions made me smile.

The pale-faced apprentice, Basilio, stood next to me and whispered,

"Laura, why is Arnold here...?"

"Elvira is here to observe."

"Really? I'm so nervous my hands are shaking... Iris!"

On the other hand, Iris, who had been watching Arnold with bright eyes, finally couldn't hold back and approached him. Ignoring Basilio's attempt to stop her, she spoke with a lively smile.

"Hey, hey, Arnold, you're the youngest royal alchemist, right?"

"Yes, but—"

"Wow! Who's better, you or my master?"

Iris laughed innocently, undeterred by Arnold's sharp gaze that seemed to say, "What's with this girl?" Impressed by her strong heart, I noticed Arnold looking at me for help, so I hurriedly approached them. Direct and enthusiastic types are Arnold's biggest weakness.

Standing behind the excited Iris, I gently touched her shoulder. Her amber eyes, which looked up at me, were shining even more than usual, and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Your master is Reinhardt, right? I met him on the day of the qualification announcement, the red-haired—"

"Right! Reinhardt is amazing!"

Iris puffed out her chest proudly. They must be very close, I thought, watching her proudly. Suddenly, she exclaimed, "Ah!"

Startled by her sudden outburst, I looked at her, and she proposed in a light, singing tone,

"Hey, how about bringing Laura and Basilio to our house next time! I was supposed to invite you, but I completely forgot!"

The conversation had taken an unexpected turn, but I noticed Arnold let out a sigh of relief. He must have been genuinely relieved that Iris's attention had shifted away from him.

"Will Elvira come too?"

"No."

"Aww! Master, I'm sure she'd be happy!"

Elvira, as honest as ever, and Iris, who laughed despite her complaints, made a good pair. As I listened to their conversation, I tried to recall the appearance of Reinhardt, Iris's master, whom I had met twice.

"Hey, Laura. Since Elvira won't be coming for a few days, how about coming to our house for training? There are lots of herbs growing there, and we have great alchemy equipment. It'll be fun!"

Iris's unexpected suggestion left me at a loss for words. Training in different environments would be a good experience for the future. It would be perfect for Iris, who is familiar with her master, and a fresh experience for Basilio. I appreciated the offer, but it seemed a bit sudden to start tomorrow.

"Is it close to the capital?"

"Very close! It's in the forest right next to the capital!"

The forest near the capital. The words made me flinch. Because that forest is—

"That forest, isn't it where monsters appeared?"

Basilio, speaking for me, whispered anxiously. Yes, it's the forest where Wake lost his right eye in a monster attack. Monsters had invaded the northern forest of the capital.

Despite the sudden tension, Iris laughed carefree.

"No, that's not true. We've never been attacked by monsters. Besides, our masters will come to pick us up!"

I trusted Iris. She doesn't lie. It's true they've never been attacked by monsters. However, the memory of the monster attack still lingered in my mind. I looked at Arnold for guidance, and he said quietly,

"Anpe, it's your decision."

The responsibility was placed on me. Honestly, I was interested. In Reinhardt, who had trained the genius Iris and was described as amazing. And in the "amber eyes" shared by Iris and a character from "Last Brave."

It would be a valuable experience, not just for Iris and Basilio, but for me as well. I clenched my fist and took a deep breath.

"If it seems dangerous, we'll come back immediately."

Iris and Basilio looked at each other and smiled. Seeing their happy faces, I felt reassured that I hadn't made a wrong decision. Meanwhile, I started thinking about my schedule after today's training. First, I would contact the knights and ask for their help. Even if they couldn't assist, they would know about the forest. I wanted to talk to them. Also, I would spend the evening preparing defensive poisons—thinking about this, I almost sighed but held it back so as not to worry the happy apprentices.

***

During the training, Iris and Basilio were busy with Elvira's guidance, leaving me with free time. Iris, in particular, was sad about Elvira's absence and didn't want to leave her side. Even now, during Basilio's turn to guide Elvira, Iris was still with her.

I decided to use my time effectively and started cleaning up the used equipment. Helping me was—Arnold.

"Will you be with Elvira from tomorrow?"

"Yes, that's right."

We exchanged casual words while putting away the equipment. His voice seemed a bit brighter in response to my question.

"Enjoy your time. It's a rare opportunity."

"Thank you. You all be careful."

"Of course, thank you."

The conversation ended, and a comfortable silence filled the air. As I washed the equipment, I heard a sigh from beside me. When I looked over, Arnold hesitated before speaking.

"Iris, the new apprentice, her amber eyes make me feel uneasy. It's like she can see right through me."

The voice that echoed in my ears was the future hero's.

—When you look at me, it feels like you can see everything, and it makes me a bit uneasy.

He had said this to the heroine with the same amber eyes as Iris.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just that I remember someone saying something similar to what Arnold just said."

I recalled feeling uneasy when I first met Iris. Now, her "amber" eyes always seem playful, and I enjoy being looked at by them. Whether there's a connection between the "Last Brave" heroine and Iris, or if it's just a coincidence, I couldn't answer. The thought kept swirling in my head.