"I shall be unable to accompany you, but please do take care on the journey. If you would kindly convey to the Master that Frederica is standing guard at the mansion—"
On the morning of their departure, with the dragon carriage parked before the mansion's main gate, Frederica offered these words to the two who had come to see them off, bowing at the waist.
Her perfectly poised bow was a thing of such disciplined beauty that anyone on the receiving end would naturally straighten their own spine — an almost intimidating sense of composure.
At any rate, Subaru and
"I'm sorry for making you deal with all this on top of everything else. Roswaal isn't here, so normally I should be staying behind as the acting lord, but…"
"When it comes to that kind of practical work, both Emilia-tan and I are hopeless. We can handle the menial stuff, but numbers are completely outside our wheelhouse. I dumped it all on Otto to sort through, but that's just a drop in the bucket."
Recalling the past two days' worth of effort, Subaru let out a rueful laugh at how little they'd accomplished.
After combing through the cluttered office with Otto, the only real result had been a single总结: "Impossible without someone who actually knows what's going on."
Frederica seemed to have some grasp of things, but she'd need time to bridge the gap from months spent away. And above all, given the burden of maintaining the mansion, they couldn't very well pile even more work onto her shoulders.
A handful of straightforward cases Emilia had handled with the utmost care; the rest they'd deliberately pushed aside, knowing full well the bill would come due eventually, and plugging their ears anyway.
"It's like showing up to the first day of school without having done any summer homework. I was never really the type to skip assignments, though, all things considered."
"I don't quite get it, but… isn't that a good thing? On the contrary, I feel really awful right now. It's not exactly guilt — but I know something bad is happening and I'm just leaving it be."
"It's not our fault. I mean, I can just shrug it off, but it's harder for you, isn't it, Emilia-tan? I get how uncomfortable it is watching things get worse right before your eyes."
The helpless frustration of having no choice but to leave problems unaddressed when they shouldn't be left at all. Subaru could empathize with the guilt Emilia carried, but the fact remained that there was nothing they could do to make up for it.
In the end, they simply weren't strong enough. That was precisely why they had to go and fetch someone who was.
"The earth dragons are ready, you know. It's only been a few days since that huge job, but
"She's a good, hardworking girl, isn't she? Though I think it's less my influence as her current owner and more her previous owner's temperament. Is the route looking good? I'd rather not hear about us getting lost halfway through."
Otto, who had been speaking to the two earth dragons — Patrasche and Fulhu — from the driver's seat of the dragon carriage, chimed into the conversation without warning.
The Blessing of Word Spirits was a power that operated on Otto alone, so to an outside observer, the sight of him conversing with earth dragons would look like the behavior of a complete madman. Subaru chose not to comment on this.
Unaware of Subaru's lukewarm gaze, Otto simply nodded at the substance of Subaru's question.
"Frederica's instructions seem to have been quite thorough — everything looks fine. I think we can arrive within half a day or so."
"I see, I see… But you're actually coming along for real?"
"Of course I am!"
After Otto stamped his emphatic approval, Subaru voiced his doubt, at which point Otto stamped the wooden floor of the driver's seat with a loud thud and stared wide-eyed.
"After all, I'll be meeting the Margrave for the first time. I was the one who asked to be introduced, but when I imagined how you'd handle the introduction in my absence… I was simply too terrified to leave it to chance."
"Come on, being trusted like that makes me blush."
"Oh, no, I trust you plenty despite how short we've known each other — specifically, I trust that you are an individual who will assuredly do precisely the things I would least want you to do!"
At this rather backhanded compliment, Subaru's mouth twisted into a wry grin, and Emilia — who had been listening quietly until now — suddenly burst out laughing.
When the two men turned toward her, she raised a small hand.
"You two really are the best of friends. Every time I see you, you're bickering like this. It makes me a little jealous."
"If you want, I'll be friends with you too, Emilia-tan — but instead of fighting, I'll just smother you with affection. I'll donate my fighting quota with Otto and spend it on quality time together instead, except the quality time will come loaded with extra friendliness."
"At that rate, nothing would be left between me and Subaru except insults and fistfights!"
Subaru was fairly confident in his sharp tongue — and his sharp wits — but when it came to actual physical combat, fighting Otto was a prospect that made him uneasy. Otto had the look of a refined gentleman, but Subaru knew from painful personal experience that the man was well-trained.
In a previous loop, he'd been thrown clear across the room after a screaming match. Now that he knew his opponent was no amateur, a head-on fight would almost certainly end in defeat.
"When you think about it, my combat stats are really pitiful. I knew, but it still stings."
As established, he couldn't beat Otto. Naturally, he couldn't beat Emilia with her magic, either. Frederica had thoroughly gotten the better of him. As for the sleeping
"I'm honestly too scared to ask how we got onto the topic of who can beat who, but Petra was in the mansion just a moment ago… Oh, here she comes."
Exasperated at the meager victory he'd arrived at by process of elimination, Emilia turned toward the mansion. Her dark-purple eyes flickered faintly. Following her gaze, Subaru spotted a girl running toward them, the hem of a brand-new maid's uniform flapping with each step.
"W-Wait! Please wait! Suba… Subaru-sama…!"
"Even if you rush, I'm not the kind of person who'd just up and leave without warning. That's Otto's thing. Right, Otto?"
"Do you remember what you said three seconds ago!?"
Smiling at the girl who had her hands on her knees, gasping for breath, Subaru tossed out a quip at Otto's expense while waiting for her to catch her breath. After lightly wiping her forehead, Petra looked up.
Her flushed cheeks and round eyes were adorable. She let out a long breath to recover, then shaped those angelic features into a smile.
"Before you depart, I wanted to give you this. Please take it."
What she held out was an utterly unremarkable handkerchief.
Its white fabric was edged in gold, and the quality of the material and the fineness of its craftsmanship communicated themselves through Subaru's fingertips. He accepted it and turned it over.
"Embroidery, huh? Hey, this is really good."
On the surface of the white cloth, there was an embroidered image — almost certainly stitched by Petra herself. Rendered in gray, pink, and black thread, it depicted something deeply familiar to Subaru. Peeking at it from the side, Emilia let out a small laugh.
"That's the drawing of
"My chibi Puck came out really well. Not like I ever had a chance to see much of the real deal, though."
"The stamps from after radio calisthenics — I made sure to get one every morning."
Petra pulled out from around her neck the stamp card Subaru had made and distributed to the village children — each time they attended morning radio calisthenics, he would stamp it with a picture he'd carved into a potato.
Using the latest stamp — a chibi Puck labeled "Blue Monday" — as her reference, she had painstakingly stitched away, prick by prick.
"Even so, it came out great. As a self-proclaimed master seamstress, I can't afford to lose."
"Will you… no, would you accept it?"
"You mean 'Would you accept it, please' — and of course I will. Gratefully. Wiping away blood, sweat, and tears with it does feel a touch wrong, but I'll keep it close as a good-luck charm."
He carefully folded the handkerchief, tucked it ever so gently inside his jacket, and looked at Petra. Then, with all the warmth he could muster — squinting his eyes into what an onlooker would consider a menacing stare and baring his teeth in a wolfish grin — he directed that look at her.
Receiving it, Petra pressed both hands to her reddening cheeks and turned her face away.
"I'll be waiting for your safe return. Oh, and the noisy ones too."
"Feels like I'm an afterthought."
"My opinion of you was not at all unfavorable just now, was it!?"
At Petra's breezy treatment of Emilia, who was brushed aside, and then Otto, who was brushed aside even further, Subaru let out a resigned laugh. Fearlessness could be endearing in its own way, but when he caught sight of Frederica behind Petra, radiating a dense aura of pressure as she watched the girl, he could no longer think of it that way.
After Subaru and the others departed, he suspected Frederica's maid training would ramp up in severity. Petra — stay strong.
"Well then, as much as I hate to say it, we should probably get going."
"If we keep chatting here, there won't be much point in leaving at the crack of dawn."
Sensing that conversation could go on indefinitely, Subaru stepped into the dragon carriage and climbed into the cargo area. Then he extended a hand downward.
"Come on up, Emilia-tan. Into my arms."
"Maybe I'll ride up front and enjoy the view from the driver's seat for a change?"
"Ohhh, how cruel! E.M.K. — Emilia-tan, Mean, Little Devil! Whoa—"
His hand, yanked back just as he was about to retract it, pulled him forward with a jolt, and Emilia glided past him with effortless grace.
Her silver hair tickled his nose as she brushed by, and with a light sound she touched down inside the dragon carriage. She settled gently on the seat across from him and tilted her head as Subaru stared.
"What's wrong?"
"Nuthin'~"
While saying it, Subaru made his way to her side with conspicuously heavy footsteps and plopped himself down beside her. Despite the spacious interior, Emilia smiled at the cramped way they were occupying the space.
Watching their exchange, Otto grumbled, "I can't keep up with you two," as he took his seat on the driver's seat, gathered the reins, and looked up at the main gate.
"Well then, we're departing. Please try not to bite your tongue."
"And you try not to jostle us too much. When you slam the brakes, give me the signal we agreed on beforehand. Otherwise I won't be able to push Emilia-tan out of the way in time."
"You're thinking about things like that?!"
"I heard none of that sinister scheming, so when exactly did I become an accomplice?!?"
Emilia directed a gaze bordering on contempt at both Subaru and Otto. Otto cried foul, claiming innocence, but to no avail. As Subaru idly thought — it really does suit him, screaming so unjustly — he raised his hand.
"Right then — setting course for the
"Coming from you, of all people?!?"
Muttering that Otto was being a poor sport, Subaru leaned out the window and called back to the pair seeing them off.
"Well then, we're counting on you to hold down the fort. And… take care of Rem."
"Leave it to me. In return, I trust you will look after Emilia-sama and the Master."
"Be careful, and come back safe."
At the sound of Subaru's voice — stripped of the silliness that had marked the farewell — Frederica and Petra each pinched the hem of their skirts and bowed.
After this absurdly polite exchange, Subaru at last turned his consciousness away from the mansion — or rather, as much as he could manage, given that it wasn't quite so simple.
"Hey, Otto, we haven't actually left yet, have we? Hurry it up!"
"I am not satisfied with this treatment!!"
And so, having dispelled the pre-departure tension with a bit of back-and-forth, they were on their way.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "We'll need to go over proper use of polite speech and bowing once more, thoroughly."
"I'm sorry. I just… let myself get a little carried away."
Petra's small bow was a near-perfect imitation of Frederica's teaching. Quick to learn and quick to absorb — a truly rewarding student.
Her behavior from moments ago was entirely age-appropriate, so there was no need to raise eyebrows over it.
"I understand that until recently, you were on close terms with Subaru-sama and Emilia-sama. Even so, the relationship between a servant and her employer must never be forgotten."
"…Yes. I'm truly sorry."
The girl understood everything clearly — including that her earlier behavior had been willful.
She could have behaved as instructed, played the part of a proper maid, and seen Subaru and the others off in that capacity. Yet she had deliberately set aside her role as a servant and seen them off simply as a girl. There must have been a reason for that — a small but unyielding one.
"Touching on the matter would be indelicate. I shall make up for it by adding to your afternoon writing exercises."
"Wah… more homework?"
"You expected as much, surely. The fact that you can calculate that this is all it will cost tells me you are a student with a bright future."
Clapping her hands together, Frederica continued, "Now then—"
"Even though Emilia-sama and the others will be away, Beatrice-sama remains in the mansion. Meals and cleaning cannot be neglected either. If you don't finish quickly, there will be no time left for your studies. Petra — to work."
"Yes, teacher! I'll be right back!"
Watching the girl scamper off, the corner of Frederica's mouth relaxed just enough to reveal the tips of her fangs. She concealed the smile with a practiced gesture and then turned her gaze toward where the dragon carriage had already vanished — toward where Emilia and the others had headed.
"As you instructed, Master. Whether they can overcome the Sanctuary is now entirely up to Emilia-sama and Subaru-sama."
She closed her eyes and stood in the wind.
"Can Emilia-sama do it? Can she surpass that inescapable impasse — the Garden bound by the
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "So Puck really hasn't shown his face this whole time, huh?"
"Yeah. I've called out to him plenty, and I can still feel his presence in the crystal stone… but this is the first time he's stayed away for this long. It's a little worrying."
In the swiftly moving dragon carriage, only the voices of Subaru and Emilia, seated side by side, echoed through the interior.
Under the effect of the Blessing of Wind Protection, the dragon carriage was isolated from most external noise — the sound of wind, ambient clamor, all largely shut out. Even at the considerable speed they were traveling, there was virtually no vibration and no sound, which gave the experience a dreamlike quality.
Or perhaps this was what it felt like to ride in the first-class cabin of a bullet train — though Subaru had never even ridden in the unreserved seating, let alone first class.
In any case, in this quiet interior, the only real sound was the words exchanged between the two of them. And the subject at hand was the strange absence that had persisted these past several days — the little cat who should have always been at Emilia's side, who played the role of a father figure and had consistently blocked Subaru's every advance, had vanished.
"Come to think of it, he hasn't shown his face since before we got back to the mansion. The last time I saw him…"
"That was when I was in the
Emilia looked down, hiding her face from Subaru as she fidgeted with the tips of her hair. For the past few days, her hairstyle had been fixed in a silver braid.
When Subaru stared at it, she seemed to read his intent and nodded.
"The last contract Puck and I made was that I'd keep my hair braided. He never said what to do after that, so I've been keeping it like this."
"Your hairstyle really was part of a contract with Puck. That's awfully… light? I mean, they say a woman's hair is her life, so in that case, Puck's contract is basically holding your life in his hands."
"I think it's an incredibly small price. I didn't know it before leaving the forest, but Roswaal was astonished too — he said a contract with a spirit of Puck's caliber with conditions like these was far too generous. Normally, you'd need a vastly larger amount of mana, or much more complex terms."
Emilia smiled weakly, and Subaru nodded thoughtfully. But then, to shake off that fragile expression, he curled the corner of his mouth upward.
"Well, the fact that it binds even a portion of Emilia-tan's time — that alone is an outrageously significant price from where I'm standing."
"You shouldn't throw out things like that so casually, or they'll start to lose their weight. If it's something truly important, I'd rather you save it for a moment that really matters."
The open exasperation growing in Emilia toward Subaru's increasingly forward advances. Raising both hands in mock surrender, Subaru shook his head.
"I've got a special line saved up for just the right moment with Emilia-tan. Those were just sweet little nothings I'd like to share with her on a regular basis."
"Subaru, you really do have a silver tongue… Ah, stop — my face might be a little red, so don't look at me."
Laughing at Emilia as she held up her palm to block his gaze, Subaru confirmed his small victory and steered the conversation back on track.
"Still, though — Puck being missing really does make me nervous about our fighting strength on this trip. Otto's no help in a fight, and I'm hopeless, as usual. And without Puck, you'd be struggling too, Emilia-tan, wouldn't you?"
"Oh, so that's the angle you're taking. Just so you know, I can still use magic perfectly fine without Puck. I have contracts with the minor spirits too. My communication with them is no problem, and I can fight. Whatever happens, I'll protect you."
"Oh my, how dashing. And here I am, the picture of uselessness. Don't worry — someday I'll be the one saying that line to you, so just you wait."
"I'll be waiting without holding my breath."
As if to prove Emilia's words, the faint glow of spirits began to gather around her fingertips. They resembled Julius's quasi-spirits but felt somewhat thinner in presence — the minor spirits. Compared to Puck, their output was probably night and day, but at least it meant this group wasn't entirely devoid of combat capability.
Being the only girl in the group — and having to rely on the one you were in love with, at that — was a disheartening realization.
"Actually, come to think of it, my reliance on outside help hasn't changed since the
Of course, that was from his perspective alone — an assessment that was far too self-deprecating.
In any case, no one present had the information to call him on it, so his belated shock at his own track record left him with a strong sense of self-reproach before the moment passed.
"But the Sanctuary, huh? I wonder what it's really like."
After finishing his fit of self-reflection, Subaru gazed out the small window at the scenery passing by and murmured in a daze.
He'd first heard the word "Sanctuary" during his loops at the mansion — while trapped in his second loop in this world, he believed. He'd missed the opportunity to discuss it further, and had put it off, and put it off, until here he was.
There had been one occasion when he'd set out for the Sanctuary as a refuge from the
As a result, the Sanctuary remained a complete unknown to Subaru. The name itself didn't carry a particularly dangerous connotation, but a handful of warnings Frederica had attached to the word tightened his loosening train of thought. chief among them— "Be wary of Garfiel, huh…"
"You've never met him either, have you, Subaru? I've only heard his name. Frederica wouldn't tell us much about him."
Riding alongside Subaru's muttered reflection, Emilia furrowed her neat brows with worry. What she was picturing was probably the same scene he was.
The moment Frederica had named Garfiel as someone to watch out for, then refused to elaborate any further.
Subaru had protested the drip-feeding of information, but she had stubbornly offered only one word in return: "It's a vow." Emilia, for reasons he couldn't fathom, had accepted this and dropped the matter.
"I should've pushed harder. Knowing someone's dangerous but only having a name to go on — that's way too complacent."
"It can't be helped. A vow is sacred and inviolable — never to be broken. Contracts, pacts, oaths — they may differ in weight, but they share the same unyielding firmness, and must be treated as such."
Emilia wagged a raised finger as she spoke these words, as though instructing Subaru.
Listening to the words vow, oath, contract, and pact — which to Subaru sounded like nothing more than wordplay — a thought suddenly occurred to him, and he voiced it.
"Between you and Puck, what's been formed is a contract. The thing Frederica won't budge on with Roswaal is a vow. And the covenant between the kingdom and the Dragon is a pact… right? Or is it different?"
"I haven't been taught to distinguish them that clearly, but I think a contract is an agreement between individuals. A vow is a promise sworn by one party to another. And a pact is something that transcends individuals and time. That's how I was taught."
"Makes sense. Those definitions do seem to fit."
Subaru nodded in agreement, then roughly scratched his head and continued.
"But you made it sound awfully grand. 'Sacred and inviolable,' was it?"
"Promises are important things. Vows, certainly, but even contracts don't really have any real enforcement behind them. But even without that, promises are kept. People make the effort to keep them. Whether anyone's watching or not, whether anyone notices or not — a promise is kept. Both sides do their best to make sure of it."
Emilia placed a hand on her chest and fixed Subaru with a steady gaze. Her tone was gentle, without a trace of reproach. And precisely because of that, it stung all the more.
"That's why I can try hard to fulfill the promises I've made. Promises are what build trust between two people, aren't they?"
"I am SO sorry about that—!"
In the vibration-free carriage, Subaru dropped to the floor and pressed his forehead to the ground in a full DOGEZA.
Before this prostration, Emilia blinked in surprise. A few seconds later, she recalled what she'd said, and comprehension dawned on her face.
"Oh, I wasn't blaming you, Subaru. You really did break your promise to me, and you didn't properly apologize and tried to brush it off — so I really did feel all upset and hurt about it, that part's true."
"Ow, ow, ow — my ears hurt!"
"And I've since reflected that I was being too one-sided. I was stubborn for not going to make up with you right away. I'm really sorry."
"Ow, ow, ow — my chest hurts!"
"As for vows and promises, maybe I was overthinking it too. See, I'm a spirit user, so contracts and such are closer to me than they are to most people. For a spirit user, a contract with a spirit is the most sacred thing of all, so I got overly sensitive about it… But for me, promises are incredibly, incredibly important. So yes, Subaru — you should reflect on what you did."
"Ow, ow, ow — my heart hurts!"
As she spoke, the real anguish of that moment seemed to well up inside her, and her expression began to take on a sulky edge. Before her, Subaru bowed repeatedly, forehead nearly touching the floor.
Now he understood clearly why she had been so furious in the anteroom of the royal castle.
She hadn't been angry simply because a promise was broken. For her, promises themselves carried an enormously heavy meaning. And Subaru had treated one of them with casual disregard — something that even a kind-hearted girl like Emilia could not have remained calm about.
Without realizing it, Subaru had trampled on something precious in Emilia's heart.
"Have you reflected?"
"I have. Deeper than the sea, higher than the mountains, wider than the sky, and grander than the cosmos."
"Very well, then — I forgive you."
She lightly poked Subaru's forehead as he raised his head, then pressed that same fingertip to her lips and smiled softly. The relief in her smile — that there was no anger in it — combined with the sheer adorableness of the gesture, left Subaru utterly speechless.
Unaware of the fish-like gaping Subaru was doing, Emilia suddenly turned her head toward the direction of travel.
"The Sanctuary, Garfiel, Roswaal, and the villagers… there are so many people we need to talk to. I'm starting to get nervous already."
"Don't worry — I won't let Emilia-tan get into any real danger. As your number-two shield, just trust me."
"Number two? Then who's number one?"
"The one currently up on the driver's seat flirting with my Patrasche."
With an air of complete innocence, Subaru casually declared Otto to be a meat shield. This time, Emilia could no longer hold back — she burst out laughing. Satisfied at having elicited her smile, Subaru turned his thoughts to the obstacles she'd mentioned.
Since coming to this other world, problem after problem had followed one after the next with no end in sight, no moment's rest.
Even though they were on the road to the Sanctuary, the anxiety churning inside him far outweighed anticipation for this unknown place. Frederica had personally fanned those flames, and there was still the suspicious matter of Roswaal and the villagers not returning. On top of that, there were their own loose ends — Puck refusing to answer, and the lingering unease at the mansion.
"Thinking about Rem?"
"…You can tell?"
Emilia studied Subaru's profile as he fell silent, tilting her head. The gesture caused her silver hair to slip from her shoulder, and she caught the tip between her fingers, swaying the braid as she said, "Of course I can."
"You see me just about as much as I see you — I'd like you to think that, at least."
"Does that mean Emilia-tan is thinking about me around the clock?"
"Well, maybe about one-eighth of that."
"That's only about three hours…!"
"One-eighth of one-eighth of one-eighth of that…"
"I don't want to hear the exact number, so let's just drop it!"
Calling a halt to Emilia's impulse to slice the figure down to a painfully precise number, Subaru let out a small sigh and scratched his cheek.
"Frederica and Petra are taking care of everything, so there's nothing to worry about. There isn't… and yet this anxiety keeps welling up, and I can't quite put it into words."
"Worry is worry — it can't be helped. That's just proof of how much you care. Frankly, being the object of that kind of concern is almost enviable."
"For the record, I feel just as strongly about Emilia-tan — oh, you almost got me to say that just now, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I was being mean. Sorry."
A single gesture — sticking out her tongue in apology — was enough to earn Subaru's total forgiveness.
He swallowed hard, and Emilia looked up at him with a glance before continuing.
"But what's really on your mind is Beatrice, isn't it?"
"…Could it be that Emilia-tan and I have some kind of spiritual connection? I'm pretty sure this is the final scene of the story."
"Usually you'd put on a tough front and say 'Who, me, worried?' but today that didn't even come out. That's how worried you are."
Hit squarely in the bull's-eye, Subaru bit his lip with a frustrated expression.
But he quickly replaced it with a different look.
"It's not that I'm worried, exactly. It's just that after we basically had a falling-out, I haven't seen her once. Leaving the mansion like this without having spoken to her — it sits a little wrong. Just a tiny bit. Barely at all. Just the tip. Just the very tip."
"Something about that sounds vaguely obscene, or am I imagining things?"
"No, it's not your imagination — that one's on me."
He concealed his pleasure at the reaction from what he'd been aiming at, and watched Emilia tilt her head in confusion.
"If Beatrice's shut-in tendencies have gotten worse because of that fight, then as a reformed shut-in myself, I do feel a certain sense of responsibility, or something like it."
"Shut-in… Subaru, you know a thing or two about that, don't you? Do you think Beatrice will come out?"
"It's a tricky situation. Dragging her out by force without a good reason isn't right, but taking things slow and being