Chapter 95

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In the end, I tried every combination I could think of, but I didn't achieve any significant results. I wasn't expecting to create holy water in just a day or two, so I wasn't too disappointed, but thinking about the future made me feel quite heavy-hearted. I decided to dismiss everyone a bit earlier than usual and clean up the alchemy equipment by myself, but—

"Let me help."

"Ah... thank you."

Arnold, who had appeared beside me, started to put away the poisonous herbs on the alchemy table. He was going to help me. For a while, we continued to clean up in silence. I was used to the silence between us.

Suddenly, the comfortable silence was broken by Arnold's hesitant voice.

"Was today's alchemy for the demon king?"

"In a way, yes. When I told Iris about the holy water I mentioned before, she suggested mixing everything that monsters dislike."

Arnold blinked a few times in surprise at my words.

"That's... quite a bold idea."

"Yes, it was an idea I never would have thought of."

I chuckled in response, and Arnold's expression seemed to soften slightly. Perhaps his interest in Iris had increased. Although we haven't seen any results yet, I'm thinking that with Iris's bold ideas and Mr. Basilio's solid knowledge, we might find a breakthrough—

"If you come across any materials that might be useful for making holy water, please let me know."

I asked Arnold in a slightly joking tone, and he nodded slightly. The conversation then trailed off. As we continued to clean up in silence, the image of Elvira slowly came to mind. She hadn't shown up for training recently, and I hadn't seen her around the castle either. I wondered how she was doing.

"Um, where is Elvira now?"

"She's been sent back to her hometown by Master and Berta. ...She needed to explain what happened this time."

Berta. The name Arnold mentioned made me look at him sharply. I hadn't told Master about the cause of the self-destruction disease yet.

"Did Master go with her?"

"Master... Mercedes wanted to. She said she wanted to talk about the self-destruction disease calmly."

Arnold's words made me flinch. From the tone, it seemed that Mercedes knew the true cause of the self-destruction disease—the existence of the demon king. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to explain it to Arnold's family. Mercedes had been close to Annette, Master's granddaughter who died from the self-destruction disease, so she must have had her thoughts on the cause. For her to take Master along willingly, it was probably only a matter of time before Master learned about the demon king. I still hadn't told Master everything. Telling her would be like indirectly admitting that all her hard work in treatment had been in vain. I didn't have the courage to do that yet. I was aware that I was putting it off. I wondered if it would have been better to tell her myself or if it was better for Mercedes, who shared the same pain, to tell her—

"Ampere?"

Arnold called my name, noticing my serious and silent expression. I quickly tried to cover it up with a smile. To change the topic, I suddenly asked about the siblings' hometown.

"Ah, um, what's your hometown village like?"

"It's a small settlement in the forest."

"Hmm... just from that description, it might be similar to my hometown village, Eme. Everyone in the village knows each other..."

The image of my hometown came to mind. It was a small village where everyone knew each other, which could be seen as either closed-off or as a place with strong community ties. I remembered that in "Last Brave," there was a side event where you meet Elvira's parents. Although they didn't play a role in the main story, there might be a chance to meet them in this world.

"Well, it's a village where only elves with troubled pasts gather. They were rejected by other settlements, so they have a strong sense of unity compared to other villages."

Arnold's casual tone contained a word that caught my attention, and I tilted my head in curiosity. Without thinking, I asked about the word that had caught my attention.

"Troubled pasts?"

"People who have abandoned their past, been cast out from their homes, fled from something, or carry some burden... It's a village where elves who were rejected by other settlements end up."

Arnold didn't show any signs of hesitation or reluctance in his response, but I realized I had ventured into a topic I shouldn't have. I tried to quickly change the subject and managed to nod and say, "I see," in my usual tone. However—

"I'm a half-elf, half-human. An outcast."

The fact he added so casually left me shaken. Arnold had indeed said he was half-elf, half-human. That meant Elvira, his sister, was also half-elf, right? No, in "Last Brave," that wasn't the case. I remembered that both of Elvira's parents were elves. Perhaps Elvira and Arnold weren't blood-related. One of Arnold's parents might have been human, and for some reason, he was adopted by Elvira's parents. But it seemed unnatural for only Arnold to be adopted in a village full of troubled elves. I thought in circles, but there was no clear answer. There was only one question that came to mind.

"Is it okay for me to ask about this?"

"You won't go around telling everyone, right?"

Arnold's black eyes stared at me intently, and I was momentarily speechless. I was taken aback by the straightforward trust he showed me.

"Um, I, I'll try not to."

Arnold nodded in satisfaction and looked down at his hands, as I had done earlier. In a small voice, he murmured,

"My parents want to thank you and Lord Lucash."

Ah, I see. That's why Arnold was talking about his background now, I gradually understood. He might have thought it would be better to tell me before I or Lucash noticed something unusual about his parents' ears during our visit.

I could somewhat understand Arnold's thinking, but it was still sudden. I was caught off guard and just felt shaken. Ignoring my state, Arnold continued in a softer tone than usual.

"Of course, I do too. Invite me when you're ready."

"Sure, I will."

When you're ready. I didn't know when that would be, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to greet that day calmly. But because of that, the promise with Arnold became a small joy for the future—a hope, you could say. Visiting the Roco family with Lucash, seeing Elvira laughing happily, Arnold looking at her gently, and their parents. Maybe Mercedes and Master would be there too. I strongly vowed to do my best to make that day come and to welcome it.

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This is a scheduled post. I will respond to comments and other matters at a later date.

Thank you for reading my work. Today, March 10th (Tuesday), the book version of "The Hero's Childhood Friend ~ Volume 2" has been released!

"The Hero's Childhood Friend: A Loser Heroine Reincarnated as a Childhood Friend, Changing Jobs to an Alchemist ~ Volume 2"

Author: Hifumi

Illustrator: Hanakanzashi

Publisher: Kadokawa BOOKS

Release Date: Today, March 10, 2020!

The cute cover illustrated by Hanakanzashi is a good identifier, so I would be happy if you could pick it up. The manga version, which started distribution recently, and the web version can be enjoyed together, so I will do my best at my own pace. I hope you will continue to support "The Hero's Childhood Friend ~" in the future.