I reincarnated as a losing heroine, the hero’s childhood friend who lost to the main heroine, so I switched jobs to alchemist

Chapter 04

I've been learning from Granny, an alchemist who lived on the outskirts of the village, for six months now.
I'm one year older now, 9 years old to be exact.
About the knowledge about medicine, herbs and alchemy that I've been acquiring.
Everybody thought that I'll be able to learn little by little with a lot of effort, but far from being a slow learning process.
I've been swallowing everything she taught me, it was so fast that even Granny - Master - was very surprised.

Once I had read the information about certain medicinal plants, I was able to understand and recite the book's content as if it was burned into my memory.
I had an astonishing memory when it came to the knowledge required for an alchemist, much to my own surprise....

But this memory can only be used for alchemy, I'm not good at remembering other topics.
The fact is... If you suddenly discovered that you're so quick to learn new things, you might think you're a genius, and of course you'll try other fields, such as magic... Right?
 

However, it takes me a lot of time to read a page of a book about anything else, and even when I read it... It's like my eyes trick me... I can't get anything of what I read into my head, no matter how hard I try.

"You're really a wonder to see... A genius of the alchemy "

I've to thank Master that even if she says things like that, she doesn't give it a big importance, you'll see
Once not so long ago, when she saw me rolling my eyes in front of the magical instruction book, she only laughed very amused.
Besides, each time, when I have a slightly disapproving expression on my face, Master will laugh again and then say in a very soft tone of voice, "Sorry! I don't know why your brain works like that"

"You may have been born with a mission to become a Master Alchemist. "
"She's got so much talent. "
"Congratulations! It's a great blessing to find a talent like that."

Hearing so many people saying things like those, Master looked down at me with a compassionate gaze.
I had been questioning my own inexplicable memory, but Master's kind words helped me forget those questions for a little.

However, there was also a part of me, who keeps calmly wondering if it's okay to use the word "talented" on me.
But that part of me was also simply delighted each time my work is praised by Master, she who had once employed at the Royal Castle, for her talent at alchemy.
And those words, more than anything else, gave me confidence.
-- I took the best path. I'm going to leave this village and make a living as an Alchemist Master in the Capital.

"Laura, Do you have a free moment?!"

As I was glaring at the book and the medicinal herbs, and thinking what can be obtained from the mix of them, since I've never actually had them mixed yet, when Master called me from behind my back.
I got up hurriedly and headed towards the direction of the voice.

"Master, what's wrong?"
"Oh, Laura, there you are. Nothing in particular, I need you to go and pick a few herbs, that's all"

She offered me a piece of paper, the medicinal herbs written there looked familiar.
This one, listed here, is often used as a pain killer.

"Master, are you hurt? Or is there any sickness that cause you pain for you to--"
"No! No, no... It's not me.　A friend of mine from the village has been suffering a sore back lately."
"Huh....ok then I'll go pick them up."

Master often takes me to pick herbs with her, so I know where to find them now.
Restorative medicines with pain killing potency are in demand right now, specially by the people of the village of Eme, because the major part of the inhabitants is composed by adults over 60 years old age.
The garden, where I can find this herb, is right near Master's house, just a little further into the forest, it was lush and green.

"Laura, wait, wait, wait."

Master grabbed me by my arm as I was about to leave.
When I turned around to ask what was the matter, the smiling Master's face was right there.
Oh, no.... This face means she's clearly up to something.
We only known each other for six months, but I've no memory of something good that happened when Master looks like this.

"It's not safe for you to be alone. I've called out a knight to accompany you..."

"A Knight...?"

I felt a terrible premonition, The pores of my skin opened and a chill ran down my spine.

Knight...

Master pointed behind me without saying a word.
I turn around slowly, slowly, as if guided by its fingers.

And there he was....

"Lu--Lucas-kun"

My childhood friend, who not long ago has celebrated his ninth birthday, was standing there.
From the Master's expression and words, I had guessed correctly the identity of "the knight".

However, the fact that I had guessed it doesn't mean that I wasn't surprised for this.
The distance between me and Lucas had been growing more and more, slowly but steadily, since I became an apprentice of Master.
I go to Master regularly, so it's hard to find time to play with other kids.
Also, when I have time, I try to talk to Petra and the other girls to become better friends with them.

Lucas won't listen to me if I offer to go by myself and that he can go back home... even so, I refrained from saying anything because I felt a little sorry for him.
For him, it's like something happened and his best friend started avoiding him for no reason, even so, he doesn't get angry with her but tries to speak with his old friend and help her.
It's true that, there were several times when I was about to leave home and Lucas came to visit me, and he ended up accompanying me to wherever I'll go, or when I was about to leave Master's house, Lucas was waiting for me outside.
But over the past six months, I have not only been studying to be an alchemist, at the same time, I was steadily increasing my distance from Lucas.

"I'm sorry you had to come all the way out here."
"No, I wanted to help her too, since she has been working so hard"

Lucas responded to my smiling Master with another smile.
I froze at the unexpected appearance of my childhood friend, and the two of them didn't seem to notice me.

"You're welcome."
... I can feel your complicity in your voice, Master.
With a feeling of revenge against her in my heart, I left to pick the needed herbs with Lucas.
I don't have any problem about going with Lucas.... The problem was the expression on Master's face and the word "knight".

Perhaps Master, like all the people of the village of Eme she also wants- well, no, no! Maybe... She just misunderstood the relationship between me and Lucas.
She also seems to be enjoying watching us being together, like some kind of mocking to me, right?
Indeed, every time Lucas would drop me off and pick me up, he would also say "hello" to Master and ask about how she was doing before leaving.
In addition... It's a fact that it's a good idea to have him come.
He can help me get more herbs and carry them back Master's house, so we save a lot of time and maybe, there's enough to do more medicine and gain some extra money.

In my mind, I held my head.
Just when I thought that my studies of the alchemy and things with Lucas were going well, an unexpected ambush appeared.
I have to plan ahead of time so Master doesn't have opportunity of becoming a match-maker granny.

　*******

"Laura."

He held his hand out for me, even when there's only some stair's steps, so that's why she said "Knight", huh?

"Thank you."

If she knew that he's not just a normal "knight" but <<The Future Brave Hero>>... He, who is so happy because the friend that has been avoiding him took his hand as in the old times... So happy that you can notice it in his blue eyes.
Mmmm, the gold crest in his left eye, it seems to be getting darker... no, no! Probably it's just my imagination.

Lucas.... He's a very good friend, every one would love to have someone like him as a childhood friend.
He didn't do anything wrong, and for me he's still my precious childhood friend, but every time I see that gold crest, I think of the ending of "The Last Brave".
I wouldn't call it a trauma, but it's still a bitter memory, that makes me woke up of this "sweet dream".

"Oh, there it is."

You will find the herb surely on every medicine store. I heard that other alchemists often travel from far away to get it, because the good quality of the plants that grown here, its leafs are usually lush and green, but is this normal or only around the village of Eme?
Seeing that even Master took the trouble to move to this remote village only for herbs like this, it may be that this place is abnormal.
Kneeling down, I prioritized picking the leafs with slightly damaged tips, even if the tip of the leaf is a little damaged, it can be used near the center where the nerves of the leaf connect between them.

"What's this for?"

"It's an effective painkiller. It's good for back pain and stuff."

Lucas kneeled down next to me, crouched down, and looked at my hands with interest.

"Do you think it's fun for you?"

"It's hard, but it's fun."

At Lucas' question, a natural smile appeared on my face.
Yes, studying to be an alchemist is quite fun.
I started out as a way to get my future happiness, but now I'm so excited to learn about new medicinal herbs and potions, that I can't wait to actually try them out.
This is probably due to the fact that my memory works exceptionally well only regarding the knowledge of alchemy but...
Memorizing the hundreds of different types of medicinal herbs and the endless patterns of mixes and potions that exist is not painful at all.

Once I've read a book, it's quickly burned into my memory, and its knowledge is instantly available when I need it.
I even questioned my own brain when it became too unnatural for me... or for what I thought I knew about myself...

It's true that, I have an superb memory for alchemy, but for everything else... I can't remember anything else at all.
This memory was excellent but without knowing it only works for alchemy...
Is that the reason because Laura eventually abandoned the idea that she had any talent at all, and decided that her only possible future was just love Lucas and marry him like all in the village wanted?...

While thinking on this, I kept adding more of medicinal herbs to basket, when they started to fell off, I looked at my hands to pick them up again and I realized that the basket was full.

"Lately, you haven't been calling me Lucas... but Lucas-kun"

Suddenly, a sad voice came from my back.
My hands stopped, while he slowly turned and looked at me, I did the same and my eyes met those of Lucas, who was holding his knees and staring at me...
Somehow, that gaze made me feel guilty.
I knew what Lucas was going to say something about it.
Yet, I had stopped calling him by his nickname as a way of keeping my distance, and I replied with a smile, though I was impatient.

"Do you think so?"
"That's right. You seem to be getting along well with Petra and the other girls lately and I can't be with you... even when I promised to protect you and be there when you need me."

Yes... It's because that's what I'm hoping for, but of course I can't tell him that.
But to hear such a complaint from Lucas himself must mean that my distancing was not natural... I did it so fast that he feels like he did something wrong or--
Studying to be an alchemist, socializing with Petra and the other kids, and distancing myself from Lucas... I may have rushed too much I did all at once.
I should have made sure to do it one at a time, slowly but ensuring to everyone that everything was ok...

While I was reflecting in my mind, I said some words to try to make up for the situation.

"Even though you say you'll protect me, I'm not being targeted by anyone, and I'm not going anywhere dangerous.　I've become extra cautious since that monster attacked me."

Lucas looked at the other side... I guess he can't find a good way to refuse my words.
By the end,I focused my gaze on the ground behind me... it really hurt me.

Acting like I don't know what's he saying... Wasn't it have been slightly cold of me?
It's a good thing that I've been able to do everything I wanted so easily ... But I think I hurried up too much.
He thinks that he was abandoned by me for something he did.... I've to clear this to him, so he can be happy, make more friends and continue with his life.
At the same time, I thought it was "cute".
Not misunderstand.... The "cuteness" you see in a younger boy, or more to the point, a younger brother.
As I thought, because of the age difference between him and me, Lucas is now more like a younger brother than a childhood friend.
Unknowingly, a smile appeared on my face.
The words I uttered in an attempt to make up with him, ringed in the air even before I was aware of them.

"But, you know... I'm glad for that you worry about me, that feeling alone makes me happy.... Thank you, Lucas."

Lucas.
When he heard that word, he looked up to me, with a look of surprise on his face, his cheeks quickly turned red.
Then he bit his lower lip as if to suppress the corners of his mouth from smiling, which he almost did.

"I'm happy to be called Lucas, but my frustration is still unresolved."
I cannot stop staring alternately at his chewed-up lip and blue eyes...
Such an expression but once he has calmed down, finally his face returned to his normal as if he has given up for the moment.
After all, looks like he really likes having Laura call him "Lucas".

Uhh, what's it?
-- "I remembered" I saw that happy smile in my previous life too...
The smiling face of Lucas, stunning ... even more dazzling than the sun.... Yes, it's familiar to me.... to the old me... and the "me" of this world.
The future hero... the one of my memories, and the childhood friend in front of me ... they overlapped.
Oh no...!
.......
"I like it when people call me Lucas".

The Hero smiled like that.
But... At that moment, the person in front of his eyes was not Laura, but the girl of the ancient linage... the one he had met on his journey.

Notes:

In Japanese, there're several ways of referring to someone and the correct one depends on your relationship with that person.

Laura, before recovering her memories used to call him "Lucas" his first name without honorifics, after recovering them she started using a more formal way "Lucas-kun". It's not like she's acting like he's just a stranger but an acquaintance, for example: The son of your neighbor or someone from your class but not one of your best friends.

You can see it like your friend changed for calling you "Hey, Liza what's up?" to "Hello, Elizabeth how are you?".

In Japan, not using an honorific when talking to someone is seeing as being rude to the other person, yet in modern Japan it has become a new way to show affection for someone else when they're very... very close. Best Friends, Boyfriend/Girlfriend or family.