Chapter 37 Messenger From Platonovena
After arriving in the capital city of Savila and parting ways with Chelsea and Lina-senpai who welcomed us, I learned about the contents of the letter from Alex-san. I stayed with Emiliana-san for a while, trying to shake off the sinking feeling that was not the right place for us.
Anyway, let's refresh ourselves. It's not good to dwell too much. Let's think about other things for now. This is not running away, but something necessary to protect our hearts.
With that in mind, I tried to take the still pale Emiliana-san to the royal palace for a tour, but before long, we were guided to the reception room upon meeting Lina-senpai and the others. It seemed that my boss, Kasper-san, had called for me - no, for Emiliana-san, to welcome her.
"We welcome you."
In front of us, there's Kasper-san smiling warmly. His narrowed eyes are fixed straight on Emiliana-san.
"This isn't an inn room, please use the guest room in the royal castle."
In a small reception room made for the Royal Alchemist, Kasper-san, I, and Emiliana-san were facing each other. Not just us, but Chelsea and Lina-senpai were also waiting near the door.
"Thank you for the welcome, Kasper-sama."
"Oh, please, it's too formal. Just call me Kasper."
His usual tone seemed to have disappeared somewhere, and the words flowing smoothly from Kasper-san's mouth were very refined. His white coat had not a single wrinkle, and his usually messy hair seemed more restrained than usual.
"After such a long journey, you must be tired. ...Lina, Chelsea, please show them to her rooms."
With a gentle smile, Kasper-san called out to Lina-senpai and Chelsea, who were standing behind us. Without hesitation, Lina-senpai stood next to Emiliana-san, and Chelsea opened the door.
"Oh, I also..."
As Emiliana-san started walking, guided by Lina-senpai, I tried to follow, but was stopped by Kasper-san calling out, "Laura-chan," causing me to halt.
I turned around. His smile ahead had vanished.
"There's something I want to ask."
At the slightly lowered tone of voice, my shoulders twitched involuntarily.
Something he wanted to ask. It was probably, no, definitely about Platonovena.
I clenched my fist tightly and stopped walking. Kasper-san, satisfied with the reaction, looked at me and then called out to Emiliana-san, who had also stopped, as if trying to gauge my reaction.
"Please rest well."
Feeling uneasy about leaving the person I am most familiar with, Emiliana-san furrowed her brows and looked at me.
"I will visit your room later."
Emiliana-san then slightly relaxed her eyes, and nodded softly.
Guided by Lina-senpai, she left the reception room. After the door closed with a quiet sound, the footsteps of the three people gradually faded away.
As the footsteps grew distant and almost inaudible, Kasper-san spoke up.
"Good job, Laura-chan."
"Kasper-san, do you have something you want to ask? About Platonovena, right?"
Although I thought I was being hasty, I suddenly asked the main question. For a moment, I regretted being somewhat rude, but Kasper-san didn't seem to mind, and said it with a serious expression.
"Let's talk about the current situation with Platonovena. ...I'll get straight to the point, do you know the message from Alex Platonovena to Emiliana-san?"
That way of talking made me feel like he was sure I knew the message.
I wasn't trying to deceive anyone, but I figured I couldn't lie in front of my boss, so I let out a sigh and relaxed a bit. Slowly, I recounted the words written in Alex-san's letter as accurately as possible, digging up memories.
"...In the letter addressed from Alex-san to Emiliana-san, such things were mentioned. However, I didn't read the letter myself, I only heard it from Emiliana-san. Direct words were not spoken by Emiliana-san, but Alex-san entrusted her with the future of Platonovena."
"...Arnold's guess was pretty much spot on, right?"
At the muttered words, I tilted my head.
What is Arnold's speculation?
Even without directly asking, Kasper-san immediately showed the answer, as if the question was written all over my face.
"A few days ago, Arnold sent over a report. Since there is quite a distance between here and Platonovena, it was probably written when Laura-chan and the others were staying in Anea."
It was a report they submitted when we were staying in Anea.
As far as I know, Arnold had the report sent to the capital as soon as Platonovena was attacked by monsters. It must be something different this time. Perhaps when he sent me a letter, he also recreated and submitted the report. It would be about our evacuation and the influx of soldiers and magicians to Platonovena.
Kasper-san glanced at my face. Looking into those eyes, I had a bad feeling for some reason.
"Arnold seemed unaware of anything from Alex-san. However, he somehow felt like Alex-san was planning to die."
――I couldn't say anything. I even forgot to breathe.
I should have known that Alex-san was planning to die from the letter sent by Emiliana-san. Yet, the fact that Arnold, who is probably closest to Alex-san now, felt that way, made me feel upset and shaken.
"He said he would try to handle it so it can be stopped."
Upon hearing those words, I finally let out a sigh.
Arnold is a skilled alchemist and magician. He is not the type to irresponsibly say things that seem impossible.
For me and Emiliana, his words were undoubtedly a 'rescue'.
After regaining some composure, I suddenly remembered. There was another thing I had to report from the message from Alex-san.
"Um, about the monster that speaks human language..."
"I heard about that in the first report."
"...I see."
I recalled the letter from Arnold. In his letter to me, he wrote that he still didn't understand why Alex-san was staying in Platonovena. This means that when Arnold wrote the letter to me, he should have known about the monster that speaks human language.
So why did Arnold hide the fact about the monster that speaks human language from me and claim not to know the reason for staying in the city?
Don't forget, the reason Alex-san was so confident about the monster attack over there is not clearly because the monsters who speak human language declared it. It's just my guess that seems convincing if you think about it that way.
Considering that, did he judge that it's information not necessary to be shared with me, an outsider, or something else?
"Laura-chan, I feel hesitant to ask for this, but... I'll ask you about Emiliana-san. I asked 5 people from the nearby branch to gather in Anea for the synthesis of healing potions, we have enough manpower."
His tone was compulsory. However, his expression was distorted and complicated.
Originally, Kasper-san, who seemed to be against my Platonovena visit, might have wanted to keep me away as much as possible from this incident. And even if I'm called conceited, I think I'm suitable for taking care of Emiliana-san. But it's not like I made her open up her heart to me. I was just there by chance when she was feeling weak. Still, Emiliana-san should consider me a somewhat close presence.
I nod at Kasper-san's words. Then he shows a complicated smile and says in a weak voice, "Please rely on me."
* * *
That night, under the guise of Emiliana-san's welcome party, Chelsea, Lina-senpai, and I, along with Emiliana-san, headed to a tavern in the capital.
"Emiliana-chan, are you from Flaria?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Flaria is such a lovely city, isn't it? The famous flower fields are beautiful, and the people are warm-hearted in the city."
At first, there was a bit of distance, but as we exchanged conversations here and there, the atmosphere became friendly. It's easy to find common topics and feel close when talking with girls of the same age.
Chelsea asked Lina-senpai, who seemed to be reminiscing about the past.
"Lina-senpai, have you ever been to Flaria city?"
"My parents were always moving around for work. I lived in Flaria for a short time, but the neighbors were very kind to me."
It seems like Lina-senpai was like a transfer student in my past life.
"But, I see. You're from the Flaria family. I used to admire the splendid mansion from outside. I never imagined I would be able to talk to the young lady who lived in that mansion like this."
In response to Lina-senpai's sincere words, Emiliana-san smiled uncomfortably. Breaking the impending silence, Chelsea immediately spoke up.
"I want to go too, Flaria. When would be a good time to go? Any recommendations?"
"Well... this time of year, the Mephirie flowers are in full bloom and very beautiful. Also, the sweets made from the honey extracted from Mephirie flowers are exquisite... It might just be the perfect season to recommend."
Beautiful flowers and delicious sweets. Things that girls love. Just imagining it makes one feel all excited and troubled.
After observing the similar expressions of her peers and seniors, I looked into Emiliana-san's eyes and spoke.
"I'd like the three of us to go, maybe on a day off."
"Please let me guide you."
Emiliana-san nodded happily at my words. And then, she added "those words."
"If you don't mind, would you like Arnold-san to join us too?"
"What! Arnold, the serious, arrogant, and unsociable guy!?"
It was a quick response. It was so quick that, except for Lina-senpai, the rest of us were startled and exaggeratedly shook our shoulders in surprise. After that, Chelsea and I, who knew the reason, exchanged glances and laughed, while Emiliana-san, who made the suggestion, looked puzzled.
"Um... well, we've also been taken care of by Arnold-san... and he's Lina-san's colleague, right?"
"He may be colleague, but not quite the same."
Emiliana-san seemed even more puzzled by Lina-senpai's words. I gave a wry smile and briefly explained to her that there was a bit of a conflict between them.
From before, I've always felt like Lina-senpai doesn't like Arnold, but recently it seems to be becoming more obvious. I can understand that feeling, but unlike before, he's actually a good guy, you know, those words of reassurance came to mind. ――Well, he's not the type of person who can't read the room enough to say that out loud now.
"I also wanted a cute and hardworking colleague like Laura or Chelsea!"
With a dramatic fake crying gesture, Lina-senpai flopped onto the desk. Emiliana-san was flustered about how to approach Lina-senpai like that, but Chelsea gave me a wry smile while looking into my eyes. There's a hint of slight disbelief.
From the expression on her face, it might not be the first time she has brought up something like this in front of Chelsea. While Arnold and I were away from the capital, Chelsea must have received one-on-one guidance from Lina-senpai, and they probably had similar conversations during that time.
Deepening the wry smile on her face, Chelsea slightly lowered her gaze with a hint of embarrassment and said.
"Laura is much more talented than me, but she works so hard, she's my proud colleague who motivates me to do my best too."
I was momentarily flustered by the sudden praise directed at me. But I quickly responded.
For me too, Chelsea is a proud colleague.
"Well, it's the same for me! Chelsea is meticulous in her work, and her ideas for synthesis are amazing. She comes up with new synthesis methods right away..."
"But the success rate is still not that great, though."
Hehehe, we exchanged glances and laughed. Despite feeling a bit embarrassed, I savored the happiness of having supportive classmates whom I could truly respect.
"Beautiful classmate love, huh?"
The words were muttered by Lina-senpai. It sounded a bit awkward, or maybe it was just my imagination.
But in the next moment, her voice, which had lacked energy, suddenly became intense.
"That guy, always criticizing, speaking arrogantly, giving indifferent responses, those three things! Who does he think he is, comparing himself to the youngest Royal Alchemist! Try putting yourself in my shoes, being compared like that! Even if he's talented, I don't need a classmate like that!"
Her final words were almost a desperate cry. As if on cue, she quickly drank the glass in front of her, then slammed it forcefully on the table. Her actions resembled those of a tired, drunken old man.
"Lina-senpai, are you drinking?"
Chelsea and I exchanged glances, then laughed. I grabbed my senpai's glass and sniffed it, but there was no smell of alcohol.
Shrugging, I glanced at Emiliana-san. She eased her puzzled expression and then smiled shyly but genuinely.
――The conversation flowed smoothly afterward. Emiliana-san was definitely the center of attention, being the guest of honor at the welcome party. I asked her about various things like her birthplace, hobbies, and favorites. ――Except for one topic, Alex-san. Perhaps Lina-senpai and the others were subtly aware of the situation, so we hesitated to bring up the topic of her fiancé with Emiliana-san.
But aside from that, it was a very enjoyable dinner party. Emiliana-san even shyly thanked me when we parted ways, and I felt like we would surely have a more peaceful time from now on compared to our time in Anea. With that in mind, I felt like I could finally relax after being tense for so long.
* * *
I timidly took a sip from the container in front of me. As it passed my throat, I felt no bitterness, just a sensation spreading smoothly through my body.
――Hmm, this is...
"It's perfect!"
"Really?"
As Emiliana-san, who had been anxiously watching beside me, leaned forward eagerly, I smiled back, and a big grin spread across her face.
What I had just tasted was the healing potion made by Emiliana-san.
――Since receiving a letter from Alex-san, Emiliana-san had been more dedicated to her synthesis work. There were many documents related to synthesis in the royal castle, and I had also picked out some beginner-friendly ones for her. But it wasn't just that.
"This note is so easy to understand... Thank you."
I felt a little embarrassed as Emiliana-san held up the notebook against her chest. It was a synthesis notebook compiled by Laura Ampère, which I had summarized with Chelsea's help.
Teaching synthesis to someone else made me realize how intuitive I was. Relying solely on intuition might lead to dead ends in the future. You need solid techniques and knowledge to back it up.
I asked Chelsea to watch me while I worked on synthesis and to time each step. I also drew illustrations of the intensity of the fire and the characteristics of the herbs. It was tedious work, but synthesis was delicate, and even a slight adjustment in power could change its effectiveness.
Looking back, these meticulous details were essential. It seems I had been overconfident in my own abilities. This mentoring role had taught me a great deal.
"No, not at all! I learned a lot too. I tend to rely on intuition... My explanations were probably too vague."
"No! ...Well, um, a little."
As Emiliana-san glanced at me and widened her eyes in surprise, then laughed, it was more than just a little.
"...It seems like my explanations were quite vague after all."
I couldn't help but laugh at Emiliana-san's obvious deception.
It seems I'm not cut out to be a mentor after all.
At the same time, I felt closer to Emiliana-san as she hesitantly revealed her true feelings.
I even recommended that Emiliana-san drink my healing potion. Without any hesitation, she went to drink it, but at that moment, the door was violently knocked on.
"Emiliana-sama!"
A man, panting heavily, rolled into the synthesis room. He was dressed inappropriately for the capital's climate - it was clear he was a messenger from Platonovena.
――The friendly atmosphere from moments ago suddenly turned tense.
He held a rolled-up parchment in his hand. Without a word — or rather, it seemed like he couldn't find the right words and fell into silence — he offered it to me. His cheeks were slightly flushed.
I glanced at Emiliana-san. It seemed like she was frozen in place, unable to move, as she stared at the man.
Bracing myself, I took a step forward. I accepted the parchment and unrolled it.
――It was a report on the battle with the monsters that erupted in Platonovena.
According to the report, there were 21 casualties in the battle. Since the scale of the battle was still unclear, it was difficult to determine whether the loss was unexpectedly large or small, but lamenting the loss of those 21 precious lives, I searched the list that had arrived, desperately hoping not to find "that name." Praying to the heavens that it wouldn't be there, I followed the words.
Benjamin Chepik.
Nadia Mororia.
Celestian Banchero.
Baldwin Holley.
Yvette Vorey――….
――Oh, God.
I looked up to the heavens. Something hot surged up from the pit of my stomach, and I instinctively covered my mouth with my hand. But what overflowed wasn’t from my mouth; it came from my eyes.
――Neither the name Alex Platonovena nor Arnold Rocco was on the list.
I turned around and smiled. Then I gave a big nod.
Emiliana-san seemed to understand everything from my expression. She smiled back at me, but tears quickly welled up in the corners of her eyes. These tears didn’t just trickle down cutely; they poured out like a broken faucet.
Without thinking, I ran over to her. I hugged her trembling shoulders tightly.
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