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

Chapter 18: Reuniting with the group of the future heroes

I guided Lucas to one of my favorite places - a bench on a small hill.
The sunset over the hills was very beautiful.

"I love the view from here. Isn't the sunlight beautiful, especially at this time of the day?"

Looking back at Lucas.
He staggered, took a few steps forward, and muttered in disbelief.

"It's true....."

The orange light reflected off Lucas's blonde hair, it was so beautiful.
I giggled at my precious childhood friend's appearance and led him to the bench.

I recall that the sunset in the village of Emme was also beautiful.
The sunset in my hometown was wonderful as it gently crept into the magnificent nature, but the sunset from here is different as it lit up the Royal City of Chevalier in a gentle orange color.

Stealing a glance at Lucas' face as he sits next to me...
His nose has become a lot refiner - I think he has become more mature.

As my childhood friend is becoming slowly the image of the future Hero, he grows stronger and stronger, I thought about his fate in the future.
With his still slender figure and not so big stature... everything in the world would be at stake.

That's the future, but he already has the safety and lives of the residents of the village of Emme on his back now.

It's only a few dozen people. However, it's too heavy for a boy of 14.

"The next time it will be me, the one going to visit the village. I want to see my mother and father... and Petra and the others, too."

Even without realizing it, it was a soft voice. At my words, Lucas immediately turned his head and looked at me.

--I thought I was halfway to the finish line of my life goals when reached the Royal Alchemist Academy door and it opened up in front of me. But that would be a mistake. From now on, there is a path that I don't know. Perhaps the path Lucas is trying to follow is also a different path than the one in The Last Brave.
Yet, I am the only one who knows that in a few years, the Demon King will be resurrected.

--no, there's also a chance that even that event will change...

"So, let's do the best we can!"

... Having said that, there's not much I can do about it.

Anyway, first and foremost, be a good recovery potions creator!

If you do that, as an Alchemist Master, you will be able to help the future heroes.

Yes, for example - like Master did in The Last Brave.

"First, I'll aim to become the next Royal Alchemist Master!　
And next, to be someone capable of healing everybody, like Granny!"

"Yeah, we'd all be happy if you do that."

Lucas laughed and I did too.

It would be nice if days like this continued.
Even if a disaster comes to this world, it is good if we can overcome it and laugh about how hard it was at the time.

--The two of them watched the sunset without a word for a while.

The silence is not at all awkward, this distance is comfortable.
I had always thought that I would feel very at home next to Lucas, but now that I've been away from him for a few months, that feeling seems to have become even stronger.

I'm enjoying the comfortable silence and the sunset - as a chill breeze stroked my cheeks.

I shrugged my shoulders involuntarily and stood up to tell him that we should leave before we catch a cold.
The sunset was about to set.

"It gets cold pretty quickly when the sun goes down. Let's go back to the inn."

At my words, Lucas nodded wordlessly.

　*******

Lucas said he was going to get a room at the inn and unpack, so I went ahead and secured a seat at the "tavern" across the street from the inn.

Because it was a holiday, it was very crowded at this time of day, but I managed to slip in and take a seat.

Although it calls itself a tavern, it is almost like a restaurant, offering a wide variety of dishes, including meat, fish, pasta, pizza, and more.

Strangers never bothered me here, even if I came with Chelsea or alone, because the prices are not so expensive, so there are many parents and children on holiday nights.
It's also right across the street from the inn.
To Lucas, I said that was going to ask for a table and wait for him in there, and I told a clerk of the tavern I knew from the previous times that I came, about the features of Lucas.
Surely, he will recognize Lucas and lead him here as soon as he walks in.

Having not decided what to order yet, I opened the menu to check what was available.

"... What am I going to have today? "

I was wondering if I should order a light fish dish.

"I knew it!　It's Miss Laura, isn't it!"

A loud but deep voice with a familiar tone called out to me.
... You can't guess wrong with that characteristic tone.

I glanced up from the menu.

"Mr. Kasper!"

Mr. Kasper, his face bright red and little drunk from the looks of it, stood looking down at me as I sat down in my seat.
In one hand, a bottle of liquor.

I don't mean to tell you how to spend your holiday, but I think you've drunk a little... too much?

Just as I was getting worried, Mr. Kasper sat at the chair in front of me.
* thud! *
And put his hand holding his head.
... The first time an annoying man started talking to me in a bar, and he's something like my boss at the school.

"Laura, I saw you around noon...."
Mr. Kasper says in a hushed voice.

What? Why were you interested in what I do at noon?
No, calm down.
It's just a bit of time, and I'm annoyed to have to treat with a drunk when it's my free day but I can't treat him badly

"So, who was him?"
Quicker than that, Mr. Kasper's voice was raised this time.

"Who is the blonde-haired pretty boy you were with around noon?　And don't try to lie I didn't see it wrong!"

Yikes.
--don't say it in that way, if someone hears will think bad of this situation.

Apparently, he saw me with Lucas during the day.
Since we are meeting in the royal city, I had thought about the possibility that someone might see me, but I didn't take any particular measures because I thought there shouldn't be a problem.
In fact, I didn't think that Mr. Kasper seeing me would pose any trouble...
--I was thinking in looking for Mr. Kasper and talk about going back to the village, but he has been drinking, so talking about that now wasn't a good idea.

Without waiting for me to answer, as my reaction was delayed by a spilled sigh of him, Mr Kasper said something more.

"Can't be.... two-timing, Laura-chan?"
"Huh?"

Without giving me time to think, he moved his chair closer to me.
The smell of liquor echoed in my nostrils at that moment.
He must have been drinking quite a bit!

I frowned without thinking about it, and when I was delayed in my rebuttal again, Mr Kasper folded his arms .
"Because the other day, you and Arnold were in the herb garden together!"

Arnold.
The name that came out of Mr. Kasper's mouth made me cringe.
At the same time, I was glad that Lucas wasn't here.

"No, I was just being shown around..."

I denied it, but Mr. Kasper glared at me with his face close to mine.
Honestly, his breath smells pretty boozy too.
How much has he drank?

The fact that he asks this kind of thing with his drunken momentum means that Mr. Kasper is usually trying to infer and create situations for me and Arnold to become closer with each other.
Come to think of it, even when we first met, he misunderstood me as Arnold's girlfriend.

It took me two years to finally clear up that misunderstanding - is he a Japanese high school girl who is intrigued by the love affair of her schoolmates?

"No, that's a total lie!　Arnold who has never accepted other girls feelings nor advances!　Arnold, who looks like saying - ashh! Not again... - when he has to talk or pass time alone with someone, even with me!　But for you!　He's going to take care of Laura personally!　There's only one answer!"

Mr. Kasper clenched his fist as gave his "powerful" speech.

-- As far as I know it's not that he "particularly" likes me, but he "particularly" dislikes Mr. Kasper.

A rude thought passed through my mind, but my head was spinning as I tried to figure out how to get through this.
In the first place, I don't think Arnold's rude attitude towards his superiors is good, but we have to put that aside for now and resolve the situation before Lucas comes.
I'll be even more troublesome to let him meet Mr. Kasper, specially in such a state of excitement with his delusions of love affairs between me and Arnold.

It's a good idea to leave the store and wait for Lucas in front of the inn - the option that came to my mind wasn't a bad one, but even so, I need to think of a way to escape from Mr. Kasper.

"And the middle of daytime! Laura-chan was happily talking with a strange boy-kun!"

"No, he's my... childhood friend."
"Ah… Childhood friend?　Of course, they're always the first ones to fall for"

I tried to reveal the identity of the "beauty" that was accompanying me early, but Mr. Kasper was so convinced by his conclusion that he didn't even hear, and he was even more interested in the theme.
This isn't good, we have to leave the tavern.

Judging from that, I tried to get up--

"Whoa, whoa!"

In an instant, a manly hand slapped Mr. Kasper's head.
The voice, the tone, the muscular palm of his hand, I remember it.

As soon as I recognized his figure, I got up from my chair with vigor.

"V..."

It was Vake who saved me from the drunk Mr. Kasper.
A future hero I've personally met two years ago.
One of the party members of "The Last Brave".
Meeting him, it was the best moment in my life.

--there is still no significant scar on his right eye.

"I'm sorry, I've been trying to keep this drunkard from drinking, but he started drinking on his own when I looked away for a second..."

"No, no!　Don't worry about it!"

I shocked my head, never thought we would meet again in such a place and under such a situation....

I glanced at the entrance to the store.
There was still no sign of Lucas.
To let my childhood friend and Vake meet here, and now... I'm a little reluctant.

Lucas and Vake meet for the first time in the early stages at the Royal Castle.
When they shake hands, there on the spot Vake acknowledges Lucas power.
He offers himself to accompany Lucas to meet the King, but if they meet for the first time here, his future could take an unexpected turn.

I remember thinking a long time ago that I don't care about this kind of thing to happen earlier - or that my actions won't affect the future in any form - but I still resist the changes in the environment around Lucas.
There's no difference in the premise of "The Last Brave", his power will save him at the end but it doesn't change that I worry about him and his companions safety.

If they follow the same path as the game, Lucas and the others will be able to save the world without missing a single person.

"Young lady, you're the apprentice alchemist who joined this year, right?　It's amazing what you've achieved, and I hope you will help us in a future too"

As a "Last Brave" fan, I'm very happy to hear that from Vake.
To be honest, I'd like to talk more about it since we've been able to meet again if I could.... There's also the rumors of Arnold's joining the Order of the Knights... it's not a topic that can be asked directly, but it is something I'm concerned about.

Regretting the waste, I hurriedly packed my things, however.

"Young lady, I'm sorry we bothered you. Here, please enjoy your dinner. Don't worry, I'll take him home!"

Before I could retreat, Vake turned on his heel from the spot, dragging Mr. Kasper along with him.
When reached the entrance of the tavern, he waved his hand to me just before leaving.

I responded with a nod.
Then, with a sigh of relief, I sat down on the chair.
Thinking back on Vake's smile...
In another two years, he will probably suffer a major injury on his right eye.
The "one-eyed knight" that I was so used to see in the game... maybe that event will happen this year, I'm not saying there's a zero chance it won't happen, but...

I opened the menu again.

Mr. Kasper, I wonder if he and Vake had became friend because they both like drinking... they were so close, even two years ago?
Whatever the case may be, maybe we'll get a chance to meet again.

When that happens, I want to talk to him firmly this time!
~~~ And I'd like to hear many stories of heroism from his mouth.

As I waited for Lucas, I remembered all the heroic acts Vake did in the game "The Last Brave".

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