"You really are such a hard worker, Subaru."
"Huh? I am?"
Praised by a silver-bell voice, Subaru puffed up his nose with pride.
He'd been wringing out a rag he'd pulled from a bucket of water and diligently scrubbing the floor. He was in the middle of cleaning the guest quarters when, quite suddenly, the voice's owner—
She ran a hand through her long silver hair as she nodded casually and said, "Even though there was such a fuss with the magic beast not long ago, you started working right away while still recovering. It's surprising."
"Heh heh, I wouldn't go that far— Wait!? Is this one of those 'scold the recovering guy for pushing himself too hard' situations!?"
"Hm, I didn't mean it like that… but now that you mention it, maybe. Don't do that, Subaru. You need to rest a bit more."
"Ugh, stuck my foot in my mouth."
He should have just accepted the compliment honestly—Subaru regretted his own overthinking.
But right in front of him, as he reflected on this, a third party's voice went "fufufufu" from around Emilia's shoulder.
It was a small gray kitten, wriggling its way out from within Emilia's silver hair.
"Got you, Subaru. I had Emi give you a sincere compliment, figuring you'd try to read between the lines and dig yourself into a deeper hole—just as I planned."
"
"Ha, isn't it obvious? I'm a fickle little cat spirit. Just as I mislead people with my cuteness and fluffiness, this too is a bit of mischief—nyan nyan nyan."
"Oh my, Puck, stop saying strange things again. Don't go picking on Subaru."
The small cat spirit, caught in the middle of confessing his crimes with a rather wicked expression on his face, was defeated when Emilia grabbed him by the ear. Still holding Puck dangling from one hand, she turned to Subaru and said, "Sorry."
"I'd just finished studying and was taking a walk around the mansion. Then Puck said he'd spotted Subaru, so…"
"No, no, it's totally fine. For me, I want to spend even one more second a day with Emilia-tan. If anything, I should be thanking Puck for setting this up."
"Really? I don't quite get it, but if you're not angry then good. That's a relief."
"You didn't get it!? I was being so embarrassingly direct about it!"
Emilia smiled, furrowed her neatly shaped brows at Subaru's protest, and tilted her head.
It had been a fairly straightforward expression of affection, but sadly, it apparently didn't land the way he'd wanted with Emilia. At this point, the only option left was something even more direct.
"There's the whole issue of picking the right situation, the right mood, the right auspicious day—that's a man's code of honor…"
"I'd recommend nighttime, by the way. As long as I'm awake, I'll absolutely get in the way."
"Don't just go displaying that fierce level of paternal instinct!"
A father's refusal to approve his daughter's romantic relationships is universal—even when that father is a furball from another world. Watching Puck drive this point home made that abundantly clear.
When Subaru fixed the cat spirit with a flat stare, Puck puffed out his chest proudly on Emilia's shoulder.
"Of course! When you think about how cute Lia is, the bugs that try to swarm around her are in absurd numbers. If I didn't vigorously chase them all away, it'd never end."
"Well, I'd say picking out one bug early on has its merits…"
"No bugs with bad eyes allowed. Besides, it'd be weird to let bugs near Lia. I'll take my time finding someone truly worthy of her—about a thousand years or so."
"Mythological scales!"
Extreme doting-parent energy aside, the real problem with a half-elf and a spirit pairing was that there was a genuine possibility of it taking a thousand years.
Unfortunately, Subaru was only human and couldn't compete with that kind of timeframe.
"I'd say I could maybe push myself to around a hundred and twenty…"
"—? What are you talking about?"
"Oh, that was about my lifespan."
"Lifespan… no, Subaru, that's silly. You're still just a kid—worrying about that kind of thing is way too early."
"Mm, there's a gap in our perspectives…"
Emilia giggled, hand over her mouth, as though she'd just heard the funniest joke in the world.
Watching Emilia laugh like that brought a wry smile to Subaru's face, but also the genuine pleasure of seeing the girl he adored smile. A complicated mix of feelings indeed, but first he needed to get her to see him as more than a child.
"At the very least, I can't step into the ring as long as I'm being treated like a kid."
"That's a good attitude, Subaru. Right, first you need to become a full-grown adult. Otherwise, you're not getting past our threshold."
"Wait—this is Roswaal's mansion, isn't it? What threshold?"
Puck crossed his short arms as Emilia tilted her head in confusion.
That said, Subaru wasn't about to be discouraged. If he knew what he had to do, then it was just a straight line from here to his goal.
"Heh, just you watch, Puck. I'm the type who doesn't mind doing the same thing over and over, day after day. It's like grinding levels in a game!"
"Fuha ha ha, foolish human! Then by all means, prove that you're not just a smooth-talking whelp. I shall be waiting with Emi in the deepest chamber of the castle. Go, Emi!"
"Wait, why am I the princess? I'm not trying to be a princess—I'm aiming to be a king."
As Subaru and Puck got caught up in their own momentum while Emilia watched them with a bemused half-smile, she squeezed the rag dry in front of Subaru—who was wringing out rag after rag until there was nothing left—and said with a gentle smile: "But do your best with the work. If you keep working hard, someone's bound to notice."
"I'd rather it be Emilia-tan noticing me, not just 'someone'…"
"Okay, okay, I get it. I can't watch you all the time, but I'll come check on you properly now and then. And also…"
Her expression softened just a touch, brows dipping slightly at the edges, and Emilia paused there for a moment.
Then, facing Subaru, who was waiting for what she'd say next, she produced a captivating smile and said: "The person who watches you try your hardest the most… is yourself, right? So, to avoid disappointing yourself, you've got to keep going."
That was it—she'd struck at the very essence of effort, and Subaru found himself falling for her all over again.
△▼△▼△▼△ "So, I just remembered the story of how Emilia-tan made me fall for her all over again… but man, hard work is still hard."
Muttering this to himself, Subaru scratched his head as he surveyed the wrecked interior of the tent.
He'd been taken in by soldiers of the Vollachian Empire who were camped out here, and had been put to work doing odd jobs until the supply convoy to the town arrived.
Stepping in for the immobile
But— "This kind of thing really does get to you after a while."
Still grumbling, Subaru began re-bagging the scattered supply goods lying across the tent floor.
Of course, even as slovenly and rough as the Imperials might be, they wouldn't go so far as to leave supplies supporting their frontline operations in such haphazard disarray.
In fact, Subaru himself had only just tidied up this tent yesterday. There was only one reason it looked like this again.
"Some jerk's petty harassment…"
"Yeah…"
"Oh, and there's also the possibility you were sneaking around and wrecking the place in the middle of the night. So this is it, huh? You've finally decided to reveal your true, evil nature, Sin Archbishop?"
"Mmrph?"
While picking up the scattered supplies, Subaru glared at Louis, who was hovering nearby and peeking at what he was doing.
Louis just chewed on her own finger and gave an ambiguous murmur. It seemed she still had no intention of revealing her hand.
Honestly, if she just kept hiding her true colors forever, Subaru would be grateful.
"…About yesterday's conversation with Rem—I still don't know what to make of it."
Even this morning, Louis had been following Subaru around on unsteady feet since he woke up.
The memory of Rem's harsh glare from her separate rehabilitation crossed his mind, but Subaru was the one being put out by all this following, so it wasn't really fair to complain.
Anyway, compared to the day before, there was now one additional reason Subaru found her hard to deal with—and that was the information Rem had relayed: that Rem couldn't sense any trace of the
"——"
He'd never really thought about it deeply before, but surely it wasn't the case that the Witch's scent was Subaru's exclusive property.
In fact, he recalled that Rem had used similar words against the
That said, the fact that the Witch's scent grew more concentrated with each "Return by Death" had made Subaru seem extraordinary even to Rem when she was still on his side.
"With the
It was true that it had come in handy on occasion, but right now it was nothing more than the reason Rem distrusted him, and as far as Subaru was concerned, his impression of miasma was rock bottom.
And no matter how much he thought about it— "A Witch Cult affiliate… and there's no way a Sin Archbishop has nothing to do with the miasma."
That was his conclusion.
Without knowing the cause of miasma or its specific details, this was armchair theorizing, he'd admit. But some things weren't up for debate.
The connection between the Sin Archbishops and the Witch was unmistakable—they were the embodiment of evil in the form of Cultists.
But— "Conversely… could you argue that anyone who doesn't reek of miasma isn't a Witch Cult affiliate? And she's standing right in front of me. Seriously?"
"Awoh?"
Beside the tormented Subaru, Louis just whined with a blank expression and tone.
Sighing at that, Subaru straightened up and resumed tidying the wrecked tent.
Propped-up tools had been knocked over. Neatly stacked bundles had been untied and their contents strewn about.
The level of damage was honestly what you'd expect from a child.
"Well, it's probably just ordinary harassment…"
The state of the tent—the one he'd only just organized—being turned upside down was far more likely the work of someone in the camp engaged in petty sabotage or backstabbing.
Being in an Imperial camp, it was only natural. He'd had contact with people other than Todd, and their attitude was, in most cases, anything but friendly.
Todd himself had mentioned that he was an oddity among them, after all.
"That said, it beats getting punched out of nowhere or having my shoes stuffed in my mouth."
If someone said his standards for happiness and normalcy had gotten lower, he couldn't deny it. But truly, not having to endure that kind of painful welcome meant things could be considered manageable.
He'd say this, but Subaru was used to being given a wide berth or treated like a nuisance.
It wasn't for nothing that he'd stumbled at the very start of his high school debut and spent nearly two years as an outcast. There'd been no overt bullying, but being given the cold shoulder? He'd had plenty of practice.
When he thought about it that way, his high school classmates had actually been pretty decent people.
They might have treated Subaru like air, but they'd never gone out of their way to harass the air or try to hurt it for fun.
"I hope all those kind-hearted people are doing well out there. Like Inabe-san, who went out of his way to deliver that printout to me—I hope he's made it big."
Thinking back on classmates whose faces had grown hazy in his memory, Subaru finished tidying the tent in less time than the day before, having gotten it roughly back to the same state.
That said, it was like filling in a hole he'd dug only to dig it back up—so in terms of the day's work, he'd wound up in the negative.
He'd been told to work hard, and that someone—or at least Emilia herself—was watching. He wanted to use that as support.
"But having you as the one watching really isn't much motivation. If at least Rem were watching, I'd feel way different…"
"Ohh, uhh…"
Maybe being scolded had taught her something, because today Louis had, at the very least, not interfered with Subaru's work. That alone was a relief, and Subaru headed outside to move on to the next tent— "—Whoa!?"
Right as he stepped out of the tent, he tripped over something and went down hard.
He reflexively threw out his hands, and while his right hand was fine, his left stung. The wound was healing, but not fully—not after the claw marks Rem had left.
"Guh…" he groaned, turning around— "Hey there, coward. What are you doing, sprawled out on the ground like that? Pathetic."
"You…"
Standing just beside the tent entrance, looming over wide-eyed Subaru, was a man with a vulgar air about him.
Eye-patch over his right eye, unkempt stubble, looking like the very embodiment of the word "thug"—this was the man who had forced Subaru to eat his boot in this very camp.
If Subaru recalled what Todd had called him— "Jamal, that's what you're called—guh!?"
"It's Jamal-san, kid. You and your woman both—no manners at all, huh? Oi."
The instant Subaru had used his first name, the man—Jamal—took direct action.
Jamal planted his foot on Subaru's left hand—the one still wrapped in splints and bandages—on the ground where he'd fallen, and began grinding his heel in.
Subaru's fingers screamed as pressure was reapplied to the injury. While Subaru choked down a scream in his throat— "Oww! Ugh!"
"Ohh?"
A crying Louis had latched onto the foot Jamal was using to crush Subaru's hand. The girl's weight was nothing; the hardened soldier didn't budge an inch.
Without missing a beat, Jamal grabbed Louis by her long hair and wrenched her away.
"Hey, she's a kid!"
Seeing that, Subaru snapped and shouted.
At Subaru's protest, Jamal's lip curled with displeasure. He yanked Louis up by the hair, making the girl cry out with an "Ahhh!"
"So what if she's a kid? Besides, word is you've been treating this brat pretty coldly yourself. Changing sides now?"
"That's not— If you push her too far, you'll be the one who regrets it."
"Don't give me that garbage. Come up with a better excuse."
Snorting, Jamal flung his arm and hurled Louis to the ground. She tumbled, grabbed at her pulled hair, held her head, and glared at Jamal with tear-filled eyes, letting out a low "Uuugh."
Honestly, Jamal's brutality could very well be the trigger that prevented Louis from ever returning to normal. Subaru's desperate words hadn't been entirely off the mark.
Whether this was fortunate or not—thankfully, the pain and anger didn't seem to be triggering an awakening of Louis's original personality. Who this was fortunate for was hard to say.
"A brat with no discipline. No, it's not just the brat. You, and the other one—you're all a bunch I can't stand!"
"Guh!"
As anger surged with his words, Jamal kicked Subaru square in the face. Caught off guard with his mouth open, Subaru's teeth sliced the inside of his cheek wide open. Blood spilled out in drops.
As the taste of rust spread across his tongue in an instant, Subaru looked up at Jamal.
"Gahh… For the record, Todd-san vouched for our identities, and we were told we could stay here…"
"Oh, Todd-san, huh? You've gotten pretty cozy with him. That your lifeline?"
"———"
"Sorry, but I outrank him. Not that I won't hear him out, but there's no reason I have to do what he says."
In a rough voice, Jamal stepped toward Subaru again. Subaru instinctively curled up to protect his head, but this time the kick drove into his stomach.
His toes churned Subaru's gut, and the relentless kicks continued as he groaned.
"At the riverbank, your woman took out two of my men. They're useless now, so they've got to be sent back. Messed up our whole operation. You owe me for that, and yet Todd goes and finds something interesting…"
"———!"
"If you hadn't been carrying that knife, we'd have just torn you to pieces and been done with it. Military life is rough, isn't it? Huh?"
The relentless kicks. Words designed to get under his skin.
No need to look up at Jamal's one-eyed glare from above—the man's objective was clear.
Jamal didn't want to hurt Subaru. He wanted something beyond that.
He wanted to provoke Subaru into fighting back, so he'd have grounds to execute him for insubordination.
Though Jamal had said he wouldn't listen to Todd's words, it was clear from their very first exchange that he couldn't completely ignore them either.
So Jamal wanted a reason—a reason to kill Subaru.
And by extension, a reason to take revenge against Rem.
In that case, Subaru would not rise to the provocation.
If it kept Jamal's foul malice from being directed at Rem, then even if Subaru's fingers on his left hand were broken again—even if the rest of them were broken—it was Subaru's victory.
For that, he would endure, endure, endure, endure— "—Hey, what are you doing over there?"
"Tch."
Right in the middle of Subaru's endurance, a different voice cut through. Jamal clicked his tongue instantly and pulled back, retreating slowly.
Approaching with steady footsteps was a young man with orange hair.
"Heard you were heading this way for no reason, so I came to check—and sure enough, it's you."
"Todd. Aren't you being awful protective. Is that short sword from the capital that special to you? Sucking up to a coward like this…"
"…Jamal."
Todd narrowed his eyes and glared at Jamal. An ugly tension hung between the two—but Jamal severed it by saying, "Fine, whatever."
Breaking the silence on his own, Jamal looked down at Subaru, the one he'd been kicking moments ago, and said: "Take this as a lesson—watch your step when I'm around. Next time you trip like that, don't expect me to notice! Ha ha ha!"
With that, he made it clear that none of his violence had happened, and brushed past Todd.
Subaru had no words to stop him. If he filed a complaint here, it would amount to the same thing as having fallen for Jamal's provocation.
He watched Jamal's back until it disappeared completely, then slowly rose to his feet.
"Damn… that hurts… What a piece of work. He's got the temperament of some rotten woman—petty and malicious…"
It read like a catalog of grudges against Rem, but at the end of the day, he was just a bad person.
After all, hadn't the whole reason Rem had attacked him in the first place been that Jamal had provoked her in that same arrogant manner?
Of course, it was possible that Rem—who had no memories—had jumped to conclusions.
"Well, Rem didn't know anything, so she couldn't help it."
Making his characteristically lenient judgment in Rem's favor, Subaru spat out the blood-tinged saliva from his mouth and slowly stood.
"You okay? Sorry you had to deal with Jamal—that was rough."
Todd approached with a grimace, speaking to the wobbling Subaru. If he hadn't come, Jamal's assault would have continued.
Subaru was grateful for the interruption. But more importantly— "I'm fine. It's Rem I'm worried about…"
"Oh, that girl? She was helping out with the cooking. Sit her in a chair and she's quite capable. Jamal won't do anything where people can see him… probably."
The uncertain tone wasn't reassuring.
Wiping the blood from his mouth, Subaru looked at his left hand. The splint had come loose and the bandages had unraveled. The fingers that had been on the mend had started turning an ugly color again.
"Great… looks like I need another treatment. That Jamal…"
"What kind of guy is he, exactly?"
"Jamal? He's a fellow recruit who joined the military at the same time as me, but he's on the fast track. Born into a minor noble family, and promotion to Three-Star General isn't out of the question… ah, do you know what a Three-Star General is?"
"No. A military rank?"
When Subaru shook his head, Todd raised a finger and nodded.
According to his explanation, the Vollachian Empire's military had a rank system called "Generals." It went from private, to corporal, to Three-Star, to Two-Star— "One-Star is a different tier entirely—only nine in the entire Empire. They're the Emperor's personal warriors, called the 'Nine Divine Generals.' At that level, it's not really about lineage or accomplishments anymore."
"So talent, basically."
"That's right. That's why guys like us aim for Three-Star."
Listening to Todd's matter-of-fact explanation, Subaru recalled Jamal's behavior.
"Generals" apparently filled the role of officers in the military—but it was hard to imagine Jamal having the temperament for it.
Self-centered, low in empathy. A textbook example of an incompetent superior.
"If we're on a battlefield, a lot of soldiers end up dead from friendly arrows shot from behind—please pass that along to Jamal for me."
"Now there's something scary to say. So, how are you getting treated?"
"Can you help with that? …But first, let me check on Rem."
"My, my, such a devoted lover. …And this poor girl here, too."
Despite the pain in his fingers, Subaru's priority was confirming Rem's safety. Todd shrugged at this attitude and glanced toward Louis, who was curled up in front of the tent.
Her hair, yanked by Jamal, was tangled around her fingers. She was growling low, like an animal.
"That look says she's not the type to take things lying down. I like kids with some fight in them."
"Ohh! Uuugh, aww!"
Louis barked back at Todd as if responding to his smile.
Subaru had been about to ask if Todd wanted to take Louis off his hands—but decided against it, fearing Rem would find out and be furious again.
△▼△▼▼△▼△ "—That smell. You've gotten injured again, haven't you?"
"Huh… you can tell?"
"Of course. A child is watching, so please try to behave yourself."
This was Rem's admonition, delivered over a shared table at lunchtime.
Though Subaru couldn't agree with every part of it, there was no benefit in arguing, so he nodded. Beside him, Louis mimicked the gesture.
This was after Jamal's petty torment, followed by treatment courtesy of Todd's kindness.
After confirming Rem was safe, Subaru had received treatment at the medical tent—where the doctor had sighed in exasperation at seeing him again—then finished tidying yet another tent before rejoining everyone for lunch.
Meals at the camp were distributed somewhat like rations. You drew from the supply point, formed whatever group you could, and ate in shifts.
Rem had been helping with meal prep and serving, and out of deference to the fact that they were outsiders, Subaru and his group were at the end of the line—eating what was essentially leftovers.
"Well, I'm in no position to be picky. The fact there's food at all is a blessing."
Subaru brought over portions for himself and Rem, setting them on a small table at the edge. Louis, with surprising assertiveness, had secured her own portion in the same manner.
Thus the three of them, each reluctant in their own way, sat down for a late lunch.
"How was your morning? Any trouble?"
"No, not really. They were considerate of my leg, too… and the only thing I helped with was some simple cooking. They taught me as we went."
"They taught you… and did it feel like your body remembered anything?"
"——"
At Subaru's rapid-fire question, Rem's pale blue eyes narrowed and her lips pressed together.
Alarmed that he might have pushed too hard, Subaru was about to backtrack, but Rem released a soft breath and said: "…I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping for that."
"Rem…"
"I thought that if I tried enough things, something might feel familiar in my hands. But that was hoping for too much, wasn't it."
She glanced down at her own hands, murmuring as if ashamed of her naivety.
But who in this world had the right to call Rem's hope naive? In a state where she couldn't recall the elements that made up who she was, clinging to answers—who could blame her for that?
"…Why are you making a more pained face than I am?"
"What do you mean, that's…"
"—. You knew the 'Rem' from before. That much is clear. There's no doubting that."
Rem's words, as she gazed down at Subaru with lowered eyes, surprised him.
This was the closest thing to a concession Rem had shown Subaru after all the negative statements she'd made up to this point.
A flicker of hope sparked in Subaru's chest—she understood.
However— "No matter how many times you call me 'Rem,' I can't accept that as my name. No matter what you say, that won't change."
"Ah…"
"Perhaps it would be different if this child could tell me."
As she said this, Rem lowered her gaze and stroked Louis's head. Louis, content to be petted, was focused on finishing her own meal.
That indifferent attitude aside, even if Louis had been in full possession of her faculties, Rem's name would never have come from her lips. And even if it could have, Subaru wouldn't let it. An indelible hostility made sure of that.
"What's with the long faces? Don't be so gloomy at the table."
Into the three's meal, Todd cut in with his easy-going manner.
It was an intrusion right as an awkward silence was about to settle. Grateful for the change in atmosphere, Subaru said, "Oh, Todd-san?" and looked at the man settling in beside him.
Between this and the Jamal incident, he really couldn't catch a break with this man.
"I appreciate you worrying about us, but shouldn't you be eating with your own people?"
"Hmm? Well, we've been together a long time. Missing a meal or two isn't going to change anything. Besides, I want to stay on good terms with you folks."
"Not like we've got anything to offer in return."
"Think of it as a performance bonus, or a payoff for advancement. Call it an early investment."
Todd's light-hearted tone had, intentionally or not, shifted the mood. Then, "That reminds me," he said, swinging an arm around Subaru's shoulder.
Drawing the surprised Subaru close, he whispered in his ear: "You're talking with her a lot better than yesterday. Did you make up?"
"Make up… I'm not sure. I'd like to think a bit of my sincerity got through…"
"—. I can hear you. If you think we've reconciled, you're mistaken."
"Ugh!"
Rem, in a huff, expressed her displeasure at the men's conversation. Louis seemed to be on Rem's side as well, coordinating with her while she wiped her mouth. The combined effect of Rem's cold rebuff and Louis's apparent acceptance of her was adding a heavy weight to Subaru's chest.
Todd seemed to sense this, and with his arm still around Subaru's shoulder, he gave it a light pat.
"Don't look so down. Just being in the same place where you can talk like this—that's already a lot better than where I'm at, wouldn't you say?"
"Oh—right, Todd, you mentioned being separated from your fiancée."
"Yeah. She lives in the capital. I've got to wrap up this mission, and honestly, we've been apart for too long already. It's lonely, I tell you. Right?"
"So that loneliness is why you're being so nice to us?"
"That's about it. So make the most of being used by me—it makes being rescued worth it."
Todd's considerateness, perhaps meant to keep Subaru from feeling indebted, earned him genuine gratitude. But voicing that directly would be crass—and Todd seemed to understand that, too.
The four of them continued their meal— "So, the plan was for us to hitch a ride on the supply convoy, but how much longer do you think your mission will take?"
"Like I said? We're looking for the 'Shudrak people' hiding in the forest. If we can't find them, we could be stuck here for years. Serving the crown isn't easy."
"The 'Shudrak people'…"
Subaru considered this, wooden spoon raised to his mouth.
The Shudrak people—when Todd had first questioned him at the camp, Subaru had theorized that this was the same group as the masked man he'd encountered in the forest.
He owed the masked man a debt for the knife. That was why he hadn't told Todd about the encounter. But now it was starting to feel like a wrong turn.
In terms of debts, he owed Todd just as much.
So why withhold information from Todd while honoring his word to the masked man?
"What does the army plan to do once they find the 'Shudrak people'? You've set up camp like this—are you going to… fight?"
"——"
He tried to keep his tone casual, but an unmistakable tension crept into his voice anyway.
In fact, though she wasn't part of the conversation, Rem's expression reacted to the topic. Even trying not to show it, she visibly recoiled at the word "fight."
Todd narrowed one eye at Subaru's question.
"No—the Generals don't want to fight if they can avoid it. I don't know all the details, but the 'Shudrak people' are apparently a pretty powerful tribe. If it came to a battle, it'd be a hard fight. This time, negotiation seems to be the goal."
"Negotiation? With a forest tribe—about what?"
"Don't go asking a lowly grunt too many questions! …I don't know the specifics, but it's probably about swearing fealty to the capital, or to His Majesty the Emperor."
"The 'Shudrak people' aren't under the Emperor of Vollachia?"
"Some choose not to be. That's pretty Vollachian, wouldn't you say?"
Todd grinned like a true soldier. Subaru raised an eyebrow, then quietly replied, "Long live Vollachia," accepting the exchange.
If Todd was to be believed, even the Imperial army wanted to avoid attacking the Shudrak people. In that case, maybe offering information from his side could help prevent unnecessary bloodshed.
Of course, the information Subaru had wasn't much, and explaining why he'd been hiding it would require revealing his deception about his identity…
"Ugh, this is tough. If I give here, I lose there…"
"…You're always furrowing your brow, you know. On top of not being the best-looking fellow to begin with, wouldn't it be better to at least smile?"
"A devastating critique! …Would it help if I approached everyone with a bright, beaming smile?"
"Hah?"
Rem's genuinely perplexed response broke Subaru's spirit.
As Subaru's shoulders sagged and his forced smile faltered, Todd laughed.
"Well, you've got to take the first step on any long road. I'm watching your noble efforts, so relax."
"Thanks, Todd-san. …So how about the honest answer from a man who can't see his fiancée?"
"Ha ha ha, that's the spirit—suffer, suffer!"
"What the hell!?"
Was he comforting him or messing with him?
Either way, Todd's handling of the situation was saving Subaru. Not letting things get too heavy in this dire circumstance—that was entirely thanks to him.
Which was exactly why Subaru hoped their mission would be concluded quickly.
"When does the actual push into the forest begin?"
"Once the other camps are in position, we'll start simultaneously. The forest is big and deep. Even a full day won't get us very far…"
"Right. I guess you can't exactly rush it. There's no telling what's in there, and from what I hear, giant magic beasts roam around."
The masked man Subaru suspected of being one of the Shudrak people. Or perhaps they themselves were the Shudrak people. And the enormous serpent magic beast encountered during the skirmish with the hunter—Rem had also set traps in that area.
Thinking about it, the hardships awaiting Todd and his men when they entered the forest were plain enough.
Even if he couldn't explain everything, Subaru should at least mention Rem's traps—they could avoid unnecessary confusion— "—Magic beast?"
But as Subaru was thinking this, Todd—who'd been drinking water—went wide-eyed. He wiped the water from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve and stared at Subaru in shock.
Subaru didn't understand what had prompted this reaction and tilted his head in confusion.
"Did you just say magic beast? That there are magic beasts in that forest?"
"Um, yeah, I did… Did I say something weird?"
"Of course you did! Magic beasts aren't something you just stumble across. This isn't Lugunica, the great nation of magic beasts—and we're nowhere near their border."
"——"
"You're not joking? …Hey, miss."
Todd's increasingly serious tone left Subaru unable to respond. Todd then turned his question toward Rem.
When addressed, Rem answered "Yes," and Todd pressed: "Answer me. Did you see the magic beast too? In the Bariel Forest?"
"If by 'magic beast' you mean a large green creature—then yes, I saw it."
"Horns on its head?"
"Horns? …I believe there was something white and twisted."
The moment he heard her answer, Todd's jaw tightened and he stood. He looked at Subaru once more: "What did the beast look like? Describe it."
"A snake. A huge snake. Nearly ten meters long—just one."
"One… just one? Damn—in a forest this size, who knows if there really is only one. But you don't look like you're lying. The situation just changed!"
Todd scratched his head roughly, his face grim, and turned his back to Subaru and the others. He started to walk away, but then stopped with an "Oh!" and circled back.
"That was valuable information. If I hadn't heard that, things could've gone bad. You saved us."
"—Oh."
Todd roughed up the heads of both seated Subaru and Rem, ruffling their hair firmly. They were too stunned to react, but he didn't seem to care as he turned his back again.
Heading toward the others who were eating their own lunches, he clapped his hands and called out: "Unit leaders, assemble! We're heading to the Generals! This is important!"
Rounding up his companions with a clap, he stirred up a commotion across the camp, then marched toward a tent at the back—likely the command tent where strategic meetings were held.
Subaru and Rem watched him go in stunned silence.
"…That was quite a reaction. Is that creature—that magic beast—really that important? Of course, I understand it's dangerous, but…"
"—. Actually, I don't think I fully grasped that either."
"Hah…"
Rem looked at him askance, and Subaru still hadn't quite sorted through everything in his head.
That was how blindsided he'd been.
"In the Empire, magic beasts are rare…"
This was completely unexpected—or rather, something he'd never even considered.
For Subaru, life in another world and the existence of magic beasts were inseparable. Aside from the royal capital on his first day of summoning, nearly every subsequent event had involved magic beasts.
The magic beast incident caused by Meili had involved the Great Rabbit. The White Whale battle that allowed Wilhelm to fulfill his lifelong wish. And the Great Rabbit that had threatened to devour the entirety of the
In
And of course, the magic beast that stood out most in Subaru's memory would be the "Crimson Scorpion."
"…That got a bit somber. Anyway—with my experience, the idea that magic beasts are rare just never occurred to me."
He'd always assumed magic beasts were like monsters in a video game RPG—appearing everywhere in the world. But apparently, that wasn't the case.
Come to think of it, even in his original world, lions and giraffes didn't roam everywhere. In a sense, maybe this was obvious.
"I had no idea Lugunica was called a great nation of magic beasts…"
Powerful as they were, Todd had changed color at the mention of just one magic beast. By that standard, calling Lugunica a "great nation of magic beasts" made perfect sense.
As for Meili—she'd probably be the stuff of legends.
"Then again, maybe if she went to a country where there aren't many magic beasts, she could live like a normal girl…"
"Um, excuse me."
While Subaru was lost in thought about the absent Meili's future, Rem's voice reached him as he stared off to the side.
"What is it?" He looked over, and she gestured at the table.
There, Louis had finished her meal and fallen asleep, breathing softly on the tabletop.
"She seems to have eaten her fill and fallen asleep. It's a bit much to ask, but could you carry her back?"
"A bit much to say…"
Chuckling at Rem's phrasing, Subaru shook his head with a resigned sigh. He cleared away Todd's untouched portion along with the rest, then reluctantly scooped Louis up in his arms.
He could tell from the way she sometimes clung to him that she was light. On the outside, she was just a girl. Truly—on the outside, nothing but a girl.
"Rem, are you sure you're alright? My back is free, if you…"
"What kind of undignified position are you asking for? I don't need your help. I can take care of myself…"
As she said this, Rem picked up what had been propped against the table—a "wooden staff" that was really just a thick tree branch she'd found somewhere.
She'd wrapped cloth around the handle to keep splinters out. A crude, improvised walking stick at best. Using it, Rem got to her feet.
Her gait was still somewhat unsteady— "—I'm fine."
"…Are you sure? Don't be stubborn—if you need help, just ask."
"I won't. This is nothing. Just don't drop that child."
"Fine, fine. But remember this—I'm carrying her like this not because I want to, but because I'm doing it for you."
"What on earth is making you say things like that…"
Subaru, who desperately didn't want to be seen as willingly kind to Louis, watched Rem roll her eyes at his words. Then she planted her staff and followed Subaru on unsteady feet.
First, he'd return Rem and Louis to the tent they'd been lent. After that, he'd probably continue cleaning tents—though he was curious about what Todd and the others would do.
"…Are you worried about them?"
"Huh? Oh… yeah, something like that. I know I'm being ungrateful to the people who've taken us in, and the magic beast thing was careless of me, too…"
"…Benefactor, hmm?"
Feeling like some kind of villain who did nothing but lie, Subaru's mood sank. But as he spoke, Rem murmured with an oddly cryptic tone.
The way she isolated just that word—"benefactor"—made the emotion behind it hard to read. But it definitely didn't feel positive.
"Rem?"
"—. No, it's nothing. Please don't worry about it."
"Given what just happened, not worrying about it is pretty much impossible…"
"I see. Then please don't speak to me."
"The distance just got even wider! If you were going to say something, say it! I'm curious!"
Walking at Rem's pace meant their progress was slow. Perhaps the irritation of being forced into her tempo was part of it, because Rem let out a small sigh.
Then, sensing Subaru's refusal to back off, she slowly shook her head: "That Todd person… I don't have a very good impression of him."
"Huh? Why not? He took us in when we had nothing, and he's even protecting us from that nasty weirdo who shoved my shoe in my mouth. Not feeling grateful for that is a bit much, isn't it?"
"I'm not saying I'm not grateful. I am thankful. However…"
"However?"
Rem paused. Subaru urged her forward, and after a brief moment of hesitation, she broke the two-second silence with a deep breath.
"—I find it hard to trust someone who doesn't even try to learn another person's name."
"——"
At Rem's words, Subaru caught his breath.
And just as he was about to retort, he suddenly reflected on everything that had happened.
—Doesn't try to learn another person's name.
Looking back with that in mind, it was true.
Todd had never once called Subaru by his name. He'd always used "you" or "buddy." If he didn't know the name, that would be natural enough.
But— "C-Couldn't that just be a coincidence? Rem, you call me by my—"
"—
"——"
"My opinion is as stated. Either way, we have no choice but to rely on them."
With that, Rem overtook the frozen Subaru and walked on ahead.
Subaru stared at Rem's back as she moved ahead, unable to say anything.
Unfortunately, Subaru had no way to soften Rem's stubborn heart.
As the magic beast incident had made painfully clear, Subaru was far too ignorant of this world's common sense. He'd barely managed with the Kingdom—the Empire was an unknown land entirely.
Maybe in the Empire, asking for someone's name carried a special significance. Maybe it was rude to ask before introducing yourself.
But even if such a rule existed, Subaru couldn't explain that to Rem. His own ignorance and lack of refinement were endlessly repugnant.
"…How long are you going to stand there?"
"Ah…"
A voice, and Subaru looked up to find Rem glancing back from a little ahead.
She wore a slightly frustrated expression, both hands on her staff, glaring at Subaru. The moment he realized she'd been waiting for him, a lump formed in his chest.
He nearly buckled at the knees on the spot.
"Guh…"
"Wh-What's wrong!? Did your fingers—"
"No, it's just… seeing Rem wait for me, I kind of…"
"…I won't say what, but that was a loss."
Rem said this in a flat tone, then finally turned her back on Subaru for real.
Hurrying after her retreating figure, Subaru reflected on his apology and on what Rem had said earlier, narrowing his eyes.
Was he overthinking it? he asked himself.
△▼△▼▼△▼△ —The question that had been gnawing at Subaru was resolved the following day.
After lunch, Todd had gone to meet with the Generals, and the war council had dragged on until late that night.
In the end, Subaru had sent Rem and Louis back to their tent, then buried himself in his assigned work with that murky feeling still weighing on him. On top of that, the night had brought even more cold treatment from Rem than the day before, leaving him feeling utterly displaced.
But— "—Hey, wake up, wake up. How long are you gonna sleep? Come on, buddy."
"Mmrph?"
Shaken by the shoulder, the sleeping Subaru was roused by someone.
Being quick to wake was one of Subaru's few good qualities, but there was a world of difference between waking on his own and being woken by someone else. As he dragged his sluggish thoughts into gear and opened his eyes, Todd's face filled his field of vision from where he lay on the ground.
"…Todd?"
"Yeah, looks like you're worn out. Can't blame you—being put to unfamiliar work'll do that. Anyway, thanks to you…"
"—Natsuki Subaru."
"Huh?"
As Subaru slowly sat up, Todd—who'd been talking a rapid stream—stopped short when Subaru suddenly gave his name.
For an instant, Todd looked like he didn't understand what it meant.
"Natsuki Subaru. That's my name."
"Ah—were you bothered by being called 'buddy' or whatever?"
"Well, not exactly bothered, but… I hadn't introduced myself, so maybe I was being really rude…"
"Ha ha, you're overthinking it. But Natsuki Subaru, huh? Got it, got it."
Todd gave a small laugh, then patted the shoulder of the embarrassed, downcast Subaru. Seeing that his tone hadn't changed, Subaru felt a wave of relief.
It seemed Rem's concern from yesterday had been overthinking, and his own unease had been unfounded.
Todd seemed to genuinely not have realized it, muttering "my bad, my bad," then: "Oh right—there's something more important than that. Because of what you told me yesterday, the Generals changed their strategy."
"The strategy changed? For the forest push?"
"Exactly. See, if we're not only pushing into unknown territory but there are also magic beasts living there, that changes the equation entirely. The cost to us could be staggering. So—"
Todd paused and broke into a wide grin. Then, cupping the still-groggy Subaru's face in both hands: "They decided to wrap up the operation quickly."
"Quickly? So—Todd, does that mean you can go back to your fiancée?"
"Ha ha, that's right!"
Todd nodded broadly, and Subaru shared in the excitement with a "Whoa!"
If a deployment plan that had been projected to take years was being cut short and Todd could return home, his joy must have been immense. The two clasped hands and danced together inside the tent.
And naturally— "…Could you two please be a little quieter?"
"Oh, sorry, Rem."
The two men were glared down by Rem, who had risen from her bed with an unhappy expression.
It wasn't that she was cranky from just waking. Her sour mood came from her dream being disrupted by two men's stomping feet.
Then she gave her head a light shake, muttered "Honestly…," and— "—? Is there some kind of strange smell?"
"Smell?"
"Yes. Something other than your body odor."
Rem sniffed the air and waved her hand in front of Subaru as if shooing the scent away. This stung Subaru a bit, but Todd quickly chimed in with "Sorry, sorry."
"I thought it was far enough away, but I guess a keen nose picks it up. Anyway, we'd better get moving—if we drag our feet, it'll look bad. Right?"
"Todd?"
As he spoke, Todd opened the tent flap. Then he beckoned Subaru and the others to come outside.
So Subaru exchanged a look with Rem, handed her the staff, and walked to the entrance.
Standing beside Todd, he looked out.
"—Huh?"
It was a roiling, furious column of black smoke, accompanied by the acrid stench of burning.
And as far as the eye could see, the vast dense forest—the Bariel Forest—that filled the horizon left and right was engulfed in blazing crimson flame, burning to the ground.
"This is…"
Standing frozen, Subaru was at a loss for words. Beside him, Rem—who had witnessed the same sight—was equally speechless.
The two of them stood rooted to the spot, staring at the forest burning like a nightmare, the dense woodland being consumed, a world reaching its end.
"With magic beasts lurking in there, who knows how much damage they could cause on our side. Once I made that argument, General Zikr understood."
"——"
"Thanks to the information you gave us, we avoided casualties on our end. You really saved us."
Todd laughed and slapped Subaru's back. The casual impact made Subaru's lips tremble. His lungs trembled, his throat trembled, and his voice trembled.
It was Todd's unchanging, friendly demeanor that Subaru's trembling voice spoke against— "Why… why?"
"Why? What do you mean?"
"But you said… you said you didn't want to fight the 'Shudrak people' in the forest!"
If it came to a fight, it would be a hard battle. Negotiations to secure their fealty to the Emperor—that was what Todd had told Subaru at yesterday's meal.
Subaru had been quietly relieved, thinking that meant no battle would take place.
"This is worse than fighting…"
"Yeah, I didn't want to fight. We didn't know how many casualties we'd take. I could've died too. But having leverage to convince the Generals solved the problem. The 'Shudrak people' won't be able to oppose the Emperor anymore."
"———!"
"And I can get back to my fiancée sooner. Really, you were a lucky find. I've already talked to the Generals, so you'll definitely get a reward."
He joked about maybe getting a second short sword, then slapped Subaru's back once more.
Then, as if remembering something, he said: "Oh right—I was supposed to show you the results of the operation before heading back. Sorry, but breakfast might be a little late. Oh, and you can skip the tent cleanup. We'll be breaking camp before long."
"Ah—wait, what?"
"Pull yourself together. —Don't go making the young lady worry."
The last words were murmured close to his ear. Leaving behind a genuinely kind smile, Todd departed.
In the end, Subaru could only watch Todd's receding back in silence.
"——"
But whether Subaru was silent, whether he was tormented by internal chaos—the sight of the forest burning before his very eyes did not change.
The rising flames would devour everything, incinerating every living thing in that land.
The great serpent magic beast, the masked man who'd spent time in the forest, even the hunter who had stalked Subaru and the others—none were spared. Everything would be reduced to ash.
"Guh—"
At the sound of Subaru gritting his teeth against the impact, Rem's body swayed beside him.
He instinctively caught her slender frame, and the moment he touched her, her body went rigid. Then, looking up at Subaru, Rem's expression overflowed with fear and revulsion.
"Ah…"
"I know it's not your fault… I understand that. But—"
"——"
"Don't touch me."
In a single instant, Rem crushed the fear that had nearly swallowed her whole, and slowly pushed Subaru's hand away. Not slapped aside, not broken off—pushed away.
Her words were sincere. She knew this wasn't something Subaru had intended to cause. But the comfort that knowledge offered was infinitesimal.
Faced with what had actually happened, it was far too little— "…It looks like she's woken up."
Saying this, Rem looked away from Subaru—looked away from the burning forest—looked away from everything she didn't want to see—and turned toward Louis inside the tent.
Subaru couldn't bring himself to call out to Rem's back.
Inside Subaru, too, the reality of what had happened hadn't settled. Every option that surfaced in his mind felt wrong.
And so, he couldn't stop Rem as she moved away, hobbling like a baby learning to crawl.
Unable to stop her— "…Oh?"
Subaru bit his lip, staring at Rem's small, retreating back after being rejected. Then he noticed a faint pressure against his back and let out a sound.
Turning around, he found no one there. But in the same instant, he'd glimpsed something brush past the edge of his vision.
As if circling behind him the moment he'd turned— "Uwaaah!!"
Immediately after, the child—Louis—erupted into a tantrum inside the tent, screaming at the top of her lungs.
The Sin Archbishop, crying the instant she woke, was annoying—but right now, there were more pressing matters than a toddler-like Sin Archbishop. Not that there was anything Subaru could do.
"Uwaah, uwaah!"
"—Shut up! It's an emergency! I don't have time to deal with you!"
As Subaru was about to roar at the screaming Louis, his brow furrowed.
Behind the squirming, flailing Louis, Rem was holding her—and Rem's expression had changed drastically once again.
This was different from the fear and revulsion from before—this was pure, bewildered astonishment. Her wide-open blue eyes were fixed on Subaru—no, not exactly on Subaru, but— "…Your back?"
From the subtle angle of her gaze, Subaru tried to identify what she was looking at. Following her line of sight, he craned his neck and looked over his own back.
And then he realized, belatedly.
The identity of the thing that had circled behind him moments ago.
"—An arrow feather."
That was what had grazed the edge of his vision.
And naturally, an arrow feather was attached to an arrow shaft—which meant the arrow was lodged in Subaru's back.
"Ah—"
A released arrow had struck Subaru in the back.
"——"
His head lurched. Subaru's legs gave out, and he collapsed on the spot. His hands caught the tent entrance in a reflex, and the impact sent the canvas tilting.
But he had no energy to spare for that. His body hit the ground on its side.
"Ahhhhh—!"
At the sight, Rem let out a piercing scream.
His thoughts spinning wildly, Subaru was struck by the absurd, ill-timed realization that this was the first time he'd ever heard Rem scream normally.
"Uwah, uwwaaah!"
Clumsily crawling on all fours, Louis made her way toward the fallen Subaru. She grabbed his body and shook him roughly, but he had no voice to scold her and no strength to resist.
Just one arrow—was that all it took?
"Someone! Anyone, please come! …It's—it's okay! It's fine! Because it's such a shallow arrow wound…"
Rem had thrown away her staff and stumbled over to Subaru, looking at the wound on his back and desperately calling out.
Subaru thought: Rem really is kind. Even though the miasma kept her from trusting him, even though her careless words had created that burning world—seeing Subaru collapsed before her, she was still calling for help.
He didn't want to look weak in front of Rem like this.
Just an arrow wound—show her you can stand up with no trouble at all, Natsuki Subaru.
He always thought that when watching period dramas, the characters who couldn't move or died from a thin arrow stuck in them were just lacking guts.
Well, being shot through the chest by a large arrow was a different story, but as Rem said, the arrow in his back hadn't carried much force. In fact, it had struck so softly he'd initially thought someone had just tapped his back.
So why was this happening— "—Gack, bl—urgh!"
"—Could it be poison?"
As Subaru vomited the burning sensation rising in his throat, Rem arrived at the same conclusion.
The arrow itself wasn't going to kill him. The poison coating it was eating away at him.
His limbs went numb, his mind fogged as if gripped by high fever. Something poured from his eyes, nose, and ears, and Subaru's entire body began shaking violently.
A deafening ringing swelled in his ears, drowning out Rem's worried voice. Louis's shrill screams, too. They were fading. Gone.
Poison, poison, poison—who, why, an arrow, a hunter, the forest, burning, burning, burning—Subaru had been careless—magic beast—Todd—burning—Rem, Rem, Rem— His consciousness spiraling into chaos, Subaru bubbled blood-foam from his lips and groaned. Then, rolling back his bloodshot eyes, he tried to see Rem's face—and noticed.
—Thirty meters from the tent, at a distance of no more than ten seconds at a run, a small, small figure glared at him.
"——"
It was a child. A small child, not much different from Louis.
A child with hostile eyes. —No, not hostile. She was glaring at Subaru. Glaring with eyes clouded in hatred, filled with killing intent.
A girl with soot-streaked hair and face, gripping something like a half-bow.
That girl—those fingers, those hands, that will—had fired a poisoned arrow at Subaru.
"——"
Being hated was only natural.
Being wanted dead was only natural.
What Subaru had wrought had led this girl down the path of hatred.
If so, then the reckoning that had come for Subaru was— "No! Wait! Please, wait. Wait…"
A desperate voice in his ear.
He wanted to wait. Wanted to stop. Wanted to pull back, to offer a smile.
None of it was possible.
None of it at all.
Bubbling blood-foam, convulsing, eyes rolling back, losing control of his bladder, vomiting—his dissolving insides spilling out as he plunged into darkness.
"Wait…"
The wretched, filthy, thoughtless fool sank into the void.
Sinking—