Chapter 100

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A few days had passed since I sent a letter to Lucash asking him to come to the capital. My childhood friend rushed to the capital as quickly as possible. Arnold and I were the ones to greet Lucash under the large arch at the entrance to the capital. After we joined up, we decided to explain the detailed situation in a room in the castle where Master, Mercedes, and Elvira were waiting.

Lucash, walking with a composed expression through the crowd, brightened up and ran over when he spotted me. I couldn't help but smile at the obvious change in his demeanor.

"Raura!"

"Lucash, I'm sorry for calling you so suddenly. Thank you for coming."

"No, don't worry about it."

Lucash shook his head vigorously, like a large dog—though he was a bit too short for that comparison. Still, his expression conveyed his trust, and I felt a sense of relief.

Suddenly, Lucash's gaze shifted behind me. There stood Arnold, his lips pressed together, even without turning around.

"...Hello, Arnold."

"I'm sorry for summoning you on such short notice."

After an awkward exchange, Arnold briefly asked me, "How much have you told him?" I turned my head to answer.

"I've conveyed the basics in the letter."

"Understood. ...I'll explain it again directly. I need your help to save my sister, Elvira."

Arnold bowed deeply, and Lucash furrowed his brow, as if sensing something, and seemed to be deep in thought.

---

We couldn't discuss the details in the middle of the street, so we immediately moved to a room in the castle where Elvira and the others were waiting. There, Arnold calmly told Lucash the facts:

- The Demon King is attempting to revive in this world.

- The Demon King is currently parasitizing my sister, Elvira.

- The existence of the people of Rustu, who provided this information.

- According to them, Lucash's power might be able to repel the Demon King.

- We plan to conduct an "experiment" soon to remove the Demon King from Elvira, with the help of the people of Rustu.

- --- Therefore, we need your help.

Arnold bowed deeply again, and Lucash, as if sensing something, furrowed his brow and seemed to be deep in thought.

---

After a moment of silence, Lucash spoke.

"---I understand the situation. If my power can be of any use... I want to help."

I could feel the tension in the room ease at his words.

"Thank you, Lord Lucash."

Arnold bowed again. Lucash, neither flustered nor arrogant, simply nodded in response.

When the conversation paused, Mercedes, who had been watching silently, spoke to Lucash.

"Thank you so much, Lucash. I want to thank you too."

"Mercedes!"

Lucash called out her name, his cheeks slightly flushed with emotion at their reunion. Mercedes exclaimed in delight, "Oh, you remember me! I'm so happy. It's been a while, and you've become quite a handsome young man."

"Ah, thank you..."

The word "handsome" made Lucash's cheeks turn even redder. He seemed at a loss for words, but then he noticed Master standing next to Mercedes and his expression visibly relaxed as he ran over to her.

"Bertha, you're here! I thought you were away from home recently!"

"Oh, I've been enjoying life in the capital."

Master chuckled, a typical elderly character's laugh. Lucash and she caught up on recent events, and then his blue eyes widened slightly.

In front of Master, hidden behind her, stood Elvira. They must have become close on the journey to the elf village, her hometown.

"---Are you Elvira?"

"Elvira Roco."

"I'm Lucash Kamill. Nice to meet you."

Lucash crouched down to meet Elvira's gaze and smiled. Elvira, being shy, remained hidden behind Master.

Seeing the two of them together, I couldn't help but think of "The Last Brave." The young genius magician and the hero of this world, both bearing the weight of many people's expectations and pressure, would form a special bond, like siblings.

As I watched their interaction, a knock on the door shattered the peaceful atmosphere. My heart skipped a beat. Standing in the doorway was a member of the Rustu people.

Reinhart, who was at the forefront, approached Lucash directly and bowed.

"Nice to meet you, Lucash."

"Who are you...?"

I quickly intervened to introduce them.

"Reinhart, one of the Rustu people, was mentioned in Arnold's story."

"Ah! Nice to meet you, Lucash Kamill."

Reinhart extended his right hand to Lucash, his amber eyes briefly meeting mine.

Suddenly, the conversation I had with Reinhart yesterday echoed in my mind.

"Can you keep it a secret that Lucash is the chosen hero?"

Yesterday, when I suggested this to Reinhart, he nodded without hesitation.

Lucash still doesn't know he's the hero. He's curious about his power, but he certainly doesn't think he's destined to defeat the Demon King.

If someone suddenly told him, "You are the hero, defeat the Demon King," he wouldn't accept it so easily. He will eventually learn, but this doesn't seem like the right time.

In "The Last Brave," the protagonist gradually discovers his destiny during his journey, not from a sudden announcement by a third party.

"Of course. We were also considering the same proposal. It would be too shocking for him to suddenly be told he's the hero, and it could affect the operation."

Reinhart's reasoning was logical and rational. I bowed and said, "Thank you," and he smiled, looking a bit confused.

"Thank you, Raura-sensei. Please don't bow."

Reinhart seems to feel guilty about the incident with Master. He's been struggling to gauge the right distance, and I can see that clearly, so I can't find the right distance either, and can only manage a vague smile.

---

Reinhart, who usually wears his hair loosely, had it neatly styled and was dressed formally. Despite his usual stern look, he seemed different from his usual self.

"The operation is scheduled for the holiday after next. Please be ready."

"Of course, I will."

After Reinhart finished his greeting, Sieg approached Lucash with a friendly smile. Lucash, who had been tense due to his shyness, visibly relaxed when he saw Sieg's smile.

"I'm Sieg, and this is Leon. Nice to meet you."

Leon, standing behind Sieg, greeted Lucash with a similar nervous smile. Being closer in age to Lucash, though Lucash is younger, they seemed to have a more relaxed conversation.

As they chatted amicably, the last person to introduce herself was a silver-haired girl.

The moment Lucash's blue eyes met hers, they widened. Their gazes locked, and everything seemed to slow down in my vision. I could clearly see Lucash take a step toward her, a slight smile on his lips.

"---Who are you?"

"D-Diona. Nice to meet you, Lord Lucash."

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This was the moment the protagonist and the heroine of this world met.