In the end, the conclusions of the strategy meeting for the second floor, "Electra," were postponed.
While it was true that the discussion hadn't yielded any concrete breakthroughs, the biggest reason for delaying the verdict was Subaru's gut — quite literally.
"Come to think of it, I only just came back after being unconscious for two days, and I immediately dove into tackling the Tower... No wonder my stomach and back were about to stick together."
The conversation had stalled, and that was when his stomach let out a magnificent roar. Only then did Subaru realize just how ravenously hungry he was.
An empty stomach doesn't make the man unable to fight — or so the saying went — but hunger does affect one's cognitive faculties. In the end, the pleas of Subaru's stomach served as a convenient excuse, and the group called it a day.
"Honestly, I'm kind of grateful my stomach chose that moment to scream..."
Putting aside the question of how to break through the second floor, what struck Subaru was the general pattern behind the "trials" of the
He was starting to see how malicious the examiners' designs truly were. At the same time,
"You should just hang out with me here and have fun! That goes for however long it takes!"
No matter how many days, years, or centuries— That Shaula had declared it so brazenly without a shred of shame had finally forced Subaru to recall the danger he'd nearly forgotten. Was "recalled" the right word for it?
"I'm not planning on it, but if we ever had to abort the Tower assault and escape, the rule about her turning enemy if we bailed was pretty clear..."
The rules of the Pleiades Watchtower assault flashed through his mind — rules that Shaula herself had laid out.
Leaving the "trial" mid-game, breaking the rules of the "trial," showing disrespect to the archive, or destroying the Tower. If any one of those conditions was met, Shaula would once again transform into an enemy — just as she had when they'd first tried to enter the Watchtower.
He wanted to avoid that. For reasons of both combat strength and personal feelings.
"That said, there's no realistic chance of us spending years in here like Shaula suggested, so that's a moot point. But still..."
When his thoughts turned to actually conquering the Tower, anxiety naturally reared its head from every direction.
Subaru and his companions had already spent over a month on their journey to the Pleiades Watchtower. Even if they cleared the trials in rapid succession and finished the Tower, they'd need just as long to return to
Of course, he didn't want to abandon the mission midway through — if only because of what Shaula becoming an enemy would entail — but the Royal Selection involving
Three years total — with over a year already elapsed, less than two remained.
The time they could afford to spend, and the time they *should* spend, was not infinite.
"But worrying about the day after tomorrow won't get us anywhere. What matters first is tomorrow, based on what we have today. And for that..."
"Right — fill your stomach with a good meal first. That's the idea?"
"That's exactly it."
With the stomach growl providing a convenient end to the meeting, Subaru spent the time before meal prep was ready exploring the Tower — specifically patrolling the fourth floor, designated as the residential quarter.
Walking alongside him, holding his hand tightly, was none other than Beatrice herself.
The reason they periodically held hands was practical: Beatrice, as his contracted spirit, was directly collecting mana from Subaru, who had trouble with his gate. But setting that justification aside, Subaru wanted to hold Beatrice's hand, and Beatrice had no intention of refusing.
"Besides, I'm sure you were anxious too while I was unconscious for two days, right? Today, you can relax and cling to me as much as you want."
"That's ridiculous. I'm simply compensating for the mana collection I slacked off on while you were bedridden. In this Tower above all, I want Beatrice to be in peak condition at all times. I'd rather avoid being caught unprepared."
"And yet, you kept holding my hand even when I was passed out and you weren't collecting any mana?"
"That has nothing to do with mana collection. It was for my own peace of mind."
With that, Beatrice puffed out her chest — *nothing to do with mana collection*. But rather than calling her out, Subaru decided that was even more endearing, and a little embarrassing to boot.
In any case, he was fully on board with Beatrice's reasoning.
There was the matter of the second floor's "trial." He didn't want to consider the possibility that the trial on the first floor above would also demand combat readiness, but he couldn't completely rule it out.
Moreover, the strength of the Subaru-and-Beatrice duo wasn't limited to battle. Even for the little tricks they'd need to pull outside of combat, it was crucial that Beatrice be in perfect condition.
"All right, Beatrice. Don't worry about me. Just drink up my mana and grow big and plump...!"
"It's not as though collecting lots of mana will make Beatrice balloon up or anything! Besides, no matter how eagerly you push yourself, the amount of mana you have to begin with is rather limited. Draining what little you have just so you collapse would be rather troublesome."
"Oh great, then what am I supposed to do?"
"I already told you! At the very least, eat a full meal, get a good rest to recover your stamina and store up mana, and then keep Beatrice company. That is your mission."
"Yup, I really do sound like an invalid. And there was definitely a little bit of genuine loneliness slipping in there about being left alone... Whoops."
Half exasperation, half amusement — Subaru managed to pull off an appropriately conflicted expression. That was when his feet froze at the sound of someone approaching from down the corridor.
The footsteps drew closer, and around the corner came Emilia. Spotting Subaru and Beatrice, she let out a small "Ah!" and hurried over, her eyes wide with surprise.
In her hands was a metallic container — a bucket, gleaming silver.
"A bucket? Emilia-tama, you really don't slack off, even at times like this. Practicing your singing?"
"Hehe, what are you saying, Subaru? Sure, Bucket-sensei helps me practice singing, but even I know this isn't the time for that."
"Fair enough. Then why the bucket?"
"So I can have Bucket-sensei do the job it was born to do."
With a proud little "Ehehe~" and a smile, Emilia thrust the bucket forward. Inside, the bucket was brimming with water — and sure enough, Bucket-sensei was back to its original role.
But the fact that it could even perform that role raised a question.
"Wait, where does this water even come from? Isn't it nothing but sand dunes around the Tower?"
"Oh, that's a misunderstanding, Subaru. If you go really, really far past the Tower, there's supposed to be a great waterfall. There's tons of water there, so..."
"You went all the way out there? Just to fetch a single bucket of water? For me?"
"I'd totally do that much for you, Subaru, but that's not what happened. Actually, the spirit in the green room can produce really clean water."
Emilia looked oddly proud of this fact, but for Subaru, it was the remark she'd made just before the truth that had made him happy.
That she wouldn't hesitate to fetch water from the great waterfall for his sake — *that* had made him happy.
"I'll savor that feeling, but... that room's spirit is seriously incredible. It's not just healing wounds — it can do stuff like this too?"
"Producing water is something Beatrice and I could manage with magic, but..."
"The air around the dunes and the Watchtower is far too saturated with miasma, I imagine. Consuming mana tainted by prolonged miasma exposure as drinking water would be rather unwise, if I'm not mistaken."
"And that's that."
"I see."
Beatrice supplemented Emilia's explanation, and Subaru nodded in understanding.
On their journey up to this point, the issue of securing drinking water — something that would normally be of utmost importance on a regular trip — had been largely solved through magical means.
So long as they had mana, there was no need to lug around heavy loads of water. Just prepare a container, and they could conjure as much as they needed. Magic's convenience at its finest.
"It's not exactly air pollution, but could the miasma cause something like mana contamination? So drinking water would be bad for your body?"
"I'm not sure if there'd be dramatic physical changes. But the more contaminated mana you take in, the more miasma accumulates inside you. In the worst case, you could develop a constitution that attracts mule beasts — just like Subaru's. It sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it."
"Saying it myself and all, but this body is pretty inconvenient to live with..."
While there were occasions where Subaru had exploited this particular condition, outside of desperate moments it was rarely useful. In fact, if he went hiking in the mountains, he could easily end up surrounded by mule beasts without even trying.
A constitution that attracted mule beasts — it would obviously be far better without one.
"So we've been using purified spring water from the green room spirit as much as possible. Even during the two days you were unconscious, that's how we got by."
"Wow, is that so."
Subaru was genuinely impressed by this little glimpse into life inside the Pleiades Watchtower.
But as he listened to the talk about spring water, a natural question surfaced — one he hadn't considered until now, and which wasn't entirely unrelated to his wariness of Shaula.
"Fine, water's taken care of. But what about food? We bought supplies before crossing the sand sea, but with all the trouble we ran into..."
"Don't worry. Even with that commotion, none of the food got scattered or lost. Everything is safely stored in the dragon carriage. But..."
"Even if we divvy it up perfectly, we've only got a month's worth, right?"
Even excluding drinking water, there was a limit to how much weight the dragon carriage could carry. And it wasn't just Subaru and his companions who needed food — the riding dragons
This wasn't about barely escaping the Tower with their lives. The deadline was one month — the time needed to properly conquer the Pleiades Watchtower and safely reach the nearest town.
That was how long Subaru and the others had to conquer the Watchtower.
"..."
"That said, I'm not planning to spend a month in a place like this."
"Subaru..."
For a brief moment, Emilia's eyes grew worried, but Subaru smiled back at her.
There was a deadline, and there were many难题 — but moping about it wouldn't change anything.
"After all, in just a single day — well, I was a late starter, so technically it's been three days since arriving at the Tower — we already cleared the first 'trial,' and Emilia-tama breezed right through the second one."
"It wasn't exactly a 'breeze'..."
"This is the part where we put on a brave face, so it's perfectly fine to say 'breeze.'"
With a stern expression, Subaru raised a finger at the earnest Emilia. Then, still holding Beatrice's hand, he tugged the small spirit forward and rested his chin atop her head.
And so, Subaru and Beatrice — the two of them gazed up at Emilia.
"It doesn't matter if she's the strongest 'Sword Saint' in history or whatever. That eyepatch-wearing, chopstick-wielding weirdo — between my tricks and Beatrice's power, we'll run her ragged and blow right through!"
"I doubt that. 'Ragged' — is that the word?"
"Ragged..."
"'Ragged' doesn't really have the ring of a tough word..."
"That's cheating! That was — Subaru and Beatrice both said it!"
Falling into the trap of their coordinated banter, Emilia blushed furiously in indignation.
Having her familiar mode of interaction disrupted by a new pattern, Emilia wore a slightly sulky expression as she let out a resigned sigh.
"Mm, okay. I get it. Somehow, whenever Subaru says it, it sounds so simple. But that's incredibly reassuring."
"Yeah — trust me, expect things of me, rely on me, and love me. All of it. That's what your knight is for."
"That's right. I'm counting on you, my knight."
"The fact that the 'love' part wasn't denied is throwing me off..."
"Hm?"
Their lighthearted exchange of affection went sailing smoothly past Subaru, leaving him with the sensation of striking empty air. But even if it had landed squarely, that would have thrown him off too, so really, it was a lose-lose either way.
In any case— "I know I'm saying this now, but having Emilia-tama do water fetching is kind of ridiculous. That's more of a knight's job — well, not really, but it's the duty of the retainer, at least."
"It's fine. Subaru, you're my knight, but I don't want us to be in a lord-and-servant relationship. I just want you by my side. All you need to do is protect me — so while you're recovering, just relax and enjoy being pampered."
"What's with you, Emilia-tama?! Being spoiled this much is gonna kill me with happiness?!"
"And besides, I'm tonight's dinner cook! I want to do everything from start to finish!"
"They both sound completely genuine — that's the tricky part about Emilia."
Hmph — with a huff full of enthusiasm, Beatrice let out a sigh at Emilia's declaration. Then, with Subaru's chin still resting on her head, she waved her hand and said: "See, Emilia? When you're here, Subaru can never settle down. Meal prep will keep getting delayed, so perhaps you should go."
"Really? Okay then. See you later — look forward to it!"
"I'll keep that one in my 'looking forward to it' list."
Taking Subaru's place in the exchange, Beatrice saw Emilia off. In doing so, Beatrice's reply to Emilia's words reflected a subtle difference in how each of them perceived things.
"I'll call you when food is ready, so don't wander too far."
"I'm planning to stay on the fourth floor. Whether you can be heard from there... remains to be seen."
"Got it. I'll call really loud."
"...I'm counting on it."
Exchanging only the most heartwarming of banter, Emilia disappeared down the corridor, bucket in hand, waving. Watching her go, Beatrice tilted her head up to look at Subaru's face.
"So, it would help if you could settle down now."
"...Yeah, I'm fine. I'm not really sure what's going on, but everything about Emilia-tama just feels incredibly precious. It's like I've been through a world where everything was washed out except for her, and I've finally reunited with her real smile."
"I can't understand a word of what you're saying — even less than usual! Besides..."
"Besides?"
With a dignified expression, Subaru had delivered his feelings for Emilia in poetic fashion. To that, Beatrice leaned her back against him, nestling snugly against his chest, and said: "You're being awfully unfair, making only Emilia special. Beatrice is your partner, Subaru. You'd better have the proper awareness and act accordingly."
"You really are adorable, you know that?"
"Don't say such outrageously cute things!"
Subaru found Beatrice so unbearably adorable that he scooped her up in his arms, rubbed his cheek against hers, and began spinning around the corridor.
"Don't worry, relax. You're precious too, you know. It's like... everything in the world looks beautiful right now, but you, above all, are the most dazzling of all. Beatrice — I love you!"
"Fi-fine, I get it, I get it! So please put me down! I said I get it, I get it already!"
With a face flushed crimson, Beatrice screamed — but Subaru did not put her down.
Round and round and round they went, Subaru holding Beatrice in his arms, spinning happily along the fourth-floor corridor.
The sound of their laughter echoed merrily on, lasting quite some time — until Emilia finally called out in her loud voice, "Food's ready~!"
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ Now then — that time before the meal hadn't been spent entirely on spinning around.
The tour of the fourth floor, courtesy of Beatrice, had been quite thorough — she was, after all, two days ahead of the unconscious Subaru in terms of Tower residency.
That said, this was a place that went by the name "Watchtower." It was never designed with comfort in mind. Even the fourth floor, which was treated as a residential area, had no features whatsoever to make it livable. The only notable rooms were the green room used for healing, and the large chamber where staircases to the third and second floors had been installed.
Other than the grand staircase leading to the lower levels, all that remained was a scattering of small rooms at irregular intervals.
"There's no map, so I'm not sure, but if there was one, this layout would be seriously creepy. I really hate buildings that look wonky at the design stage..."
"What are you on about... Given how malicious the 'trials' are, worrying about the Tower builder's twisted personality now would be pointless. Way too late for that."
"Hey! That's an insult to the Master right there, y'know! This tiny brat just badmouthed the Master who built the Tower! Is that okay, Master? She's just a tiny brat, so if you go easy on her she'll only get cockier! This is where you scold her, grown-up style! And if you've got any leftover leniency, just hand it over to me — bring it on!"
"Shut up..."
Shaula pounced on Beatrice's remark with the enthusiasm of someone who'd caught a ghost by the neck. Though strictly speaking, it wasn't really something worth latching onto. But explaining the difference between Subaru, the "Master," and the "Sage" would be too much hassle.
He was in no position to lecture Shaula on that particular misunderstanding — especially since he was taking advantage of it.
"Hey, stop fooling around and making noise. You too, Shaula — behave."
"Buuuht that's nooooot fair! Discrimination! Tiny-brat discrimination~!"
"If Beatrice had truly done something wrong, even Subaru wouldn't let it slide — he'd scold her properly. The fact that he isn't means it wasn't wrong. Besides, it's perfectly natural for a small child to be cherished. Both Shaula and I will just have to accept that."
"Even though she's younger than me... I suppose I'll just have to accept being treated like a child..."
"There, there — show some maturity befitting your age."
Subaru soothed the visibly displeased Beatrice and offered a wry smile.
When Emilia called out that meal prep was done, everyone gathered in the large chamber on the fourth floor — where the supplies unloaded from the dragon carriage, including the food provisions, were stored.
Every member who could be present assembled for the meal — which was to say, everyone except
Everyone else — that meant— "I have just one thing to say before we eat, if you'd allow it, Lady Emilia."
The one who spoke was Julius, who had been the last to arrive in the room.
Julius had been placed in the green room for treatment, but his reason for showing up at the meal went beyond mere hunger.
He had even turned down the suggestion to bring the food to the green room so he could be here.
At his words, Emilia, who had been presiding over the gathering, nodded and said, "Of course, go ahead. Though you really didn't need to ask my permission."
"With Lady Anastasia absent, you are the most honored person here, Lady Emilia. And given the trouble I've already caused through my own recklessness... I wouldn't dare add to it now."
The words flowed from Julius's tongue with characteristic eloquence. His deferential bearing and courteous mindset were, as always, quintessentially Julius. However, there were those present who were not inclined to receive his statements kindly.
"What a virtuous attitude. I'd have liked you to show that from the start."
"
"Rash and stubborn — Subaru is quite enough for that. Especially when the one you'd been counting on as reliable goes and acts on their own. Disappointment is only natural. In the future, I'd appreciate it if you made that impossible to expect."
It was Ram who delivered this scathing assessment of Julius's unilateral decision, her expression cold as ever.
Her voice and gaze were as frigid as usual, but the stiffness of her expression seemed more pronounced than normal. Even in her harsh words, the usual undercurrent of concern seemed absent.
"That was too much, Ram."
"...My apologies, Lady Emilia. I'll be more careful going forward."
Ram immediately apologized to Emilia, who had caught the excessive edge in her words, and gave Julius a curt nod. With that, she withdrew the remark — leaving no room for further argument.
Besides, criticizing Ram for being less composed than usual would be wrong. She didn't hate Julius, nor did she despise him. She simply wished — with every fiber of her being — to save Rem, and wanted to devote everything she had to that cause.
"Lady Ram, and everyone else — I have caused you tremendous trouble."
Understanding this, Julius accepted Ram's sharpness as a just consequence of his actions, and bowed his head without objection to bring the matter to a close.
This was what Julius had wanted to do with the time before the meal: settle the account.
Subaru had a general sense of what had truly driven Julius's unilateral actions. That was why Subaru could forgive him — but whether Julius could forgive himself was another matter entirely.
For that reason, this first step was a necessary ritual.
"Very well! Julius has apologized. I accept his apology. So, as far as I'm concerned, this matter is closed."
Emilia clapped her hands together and delivered her verdict. Subaru and Beatrice both nodded.
"As for me, well, I already said my piece earlier. Beyond that — mercy of a warrior."
"Beatrice extends the same mercy. He can make up for it with his performance from here on."
"...Thank you."
At their responses, Julius closed his eyes and murmured only that.
The next to react to Julius's apology was Meili. She sat on the floor with her legs folded, fiddling with her plate.
"As long as nobody died, that's fine, isn't it? I don't really care about the knight guy, one way or another."
"The Master says it's no problem, so it's no problem for me too. No peth-oh-lem."
"No peth-oh is wrong..."
Meili's words, which seemed indifferent, appeared to come more from genuine feeling than any attempt at comfort. Shaula, who followed suit, probably didn't care either way in earnest.
Shaula — who was associated with the Tower and showed no signs of opening up to anyone besides Subaru and Meili — was one thing, but Meili's own position was rather complicated.
And— "..."
Ram, who had said nothing in response to the direct apology, neither forgave nor refused to forgive.
She simply drew the front of the white robe she wore closed, and lowered her gaze to her meal.
Julius quietly accepted that. And Subaru, Beatrice, and the others accepted it too. This was a matter between the two of them — not something outsiders should meddle in.
"Now then, let's have our meal. Today, Ram and I prepared everything."
"I wasn't allowed to use fire, so aside from being a bit manly, it should be perfectly normal."
"Yes, that's right. Very, very normal. ...Wait, 'normal' is a weird way to put it?"
Emilia took the lead in addressing the group, with Ram adding a clarification. Emilia tilted her head at the odd phrasing, but Ram offered no further explanation.
And so, after that exchange, a precious meal was finally served inside the Watchtower.
Most of the provisions loaded into the dragon carriage were preserved foods — dried meat, smoked goods, and the like. Naturally, the flavor would be one-note, and the nutritional balance would be skewed — but here, magic proved its worth once again.
With Emilia's ice magic, it was possible to operate a rudimentary refrigeration system built into the dragon carriage, allowing them to keep fresh ingredients on hand.
Thanks to that, fruits and perishable goods could be preserved to a reasonable degree, keeping their food situation relatively stable.
"Even so, we need to use the perishable ingredients first before they go bad."
"Worrying about that is itself a luxury. Seriously — E.M.S. (Emilia-tama, Master of Sustenance)! Thanks to all the travel, Emilia-tama's cooking skills have come a long way. If anything, I'd love for you to make miso soup for me for the rest of my life."
"Sorry, I have no idea what you're saying."
That was the kind of exchange they had — Emilia's cooking skills having improved dramatically over the course of their journey.
Partly due to Emilia's own wishes, they had adopted a rotating duty system for cooking on this expedition. Not the kind where Emilia cooked alone — each cook was properly assisted by someone else.
Thanks to that, the days of burning daikonyaki to a crisp were long gone.
The reason was that she had been put in charge of cooking that didn't require open flame.
Incidentally, among the current traveling party, the ones who could cook competently were Subaru (thanks to a year as a servant), Julius (who excelled at everything), and — surprisingly — Ram, who could also manage a proper meal.
On the road to Priestella, Subaru, Otto, and Garfiel had decided cooking duty through rock-paper-scissors. That was a separate matter— "Staring at me like that — do you have some kind of complaint?"
"...No, it's just, even after traveling together for a month, I still can't get used to the fact that Ram can cook."
"I was wondering what you'd say..."
At Subaru's meaningful look and his attempt to explain, Ram let out a sigh without bothering to hide her exasperation.
"The reason I don't cook at the mansion isn't that I can't — it's that I simply choose not to. Steamed sweet potatoes aside, I have no intention of putting effort into regular meals. I leave that work to Frederica and Petra."
"Right. ...Yeah, makes sense."
"Yes. ...Why is it that only steamed sweet potatoes are special?"
Ram seemed to question her own statement, furrowing her brow. Watching her profile, Subaru let out a soft sigh of his own.
In every household skill, Ram had lagged behind Rem.
But when Rem's memory was stripped from the world, Subaru had come to realize that the relationship between them wasn't as straightforward as it appeared on the surface.
In truth, Ram was more than capable of excelling at anything she put her mind to — far beyond just maid work. And that had nothing to do, in terms of ability, with Rem's loss.
In other words, Ram could have done everything exactly as she was doing now, even when Rem was still around. The reason she hadn't wasn't because of some innate laziness— "—"
Subaru decided he didn't want to dig into that.
It was something Ram herself probably wouldn't understand now. And even after Rem returned safely, there would be no need to speak of its true meaning.
Even so— "I imagined it, but your eating habits really lack any trace of dignity."
"Mogu mogu... Huh? Master, did you just say something?"
Subaru grimaced as Shaula blinked at him, her cheeks stuffed full.
In this world, there was no shortage of people who wasted their youthful, beautiful appearance — but Shaula was top-tier among them. She could rival Liliana.
Watching Shaula shovel food into her mouth with her bare hands, Subaru scratched his head.
"Don't talk with your mouth full. Pick one — eating or talking."
"Then I'll talk with Master! I could talk to Master forever!"
"You chose talking over eating in this situation? That breaks every template in the book... Just eat quietly."
"Okaaay."
The fact that she'd prioritized chatting with Subaru over eating had to be acknowledged as the spirit of a loyal dog. And the way she obediently followed the instruction — in terms of manageability, Shaula's threat level had dropped considerably.
Truly, the mismatch between her nature, her strength, and her danger level was something else.
"Your big sister over there's really going to town, isn't she? Were you really that hungry?"
"It's not about hunger — the food is just that good! I always thought I wasn't that obsessed with food, but for flavors like these, I wouldn't even mind becoming a disciple of a half-elf!"
"Huh? A disciple — of me? For cooking?"
Without stopping her eating, Shaula swallowed the contents of her mouth in one gulp and pointed straight at Emilia. Then, turning to the surprised Emilia, Shaula nodded several times.
"Cooking like this is the real deal. You can't fool my eyes. I'm gonna improve my own cooking skills too and grab Master's stomach tonight — and not let him sleep, if you know what I mean!"
"What a leaky ambition."
"Shaula, I understand how you feel. But the path of cooking is very, very strict and dangerous. Even so, if you're truly prepared, I'll think about taking on a disciple — seriously."
"Emilia-tama can be oddly shameless sometimes."
Most of today's cooking was really Ram's work, roughly seventy percent. The dynamic between Emilia, who acted like she'd mastered the secrets of cuisine, and Shaula, who was far too impressed by amateur cooking, was somewhat comical.
"I hate to say it, but there's still tons of delicious food out there in the world. Emilia-tama's cooking is... honestly, on sheer love alone, it's a perfect score in my book. But aside from that, it's pretty normal. What kind of diet do you usually have?"
"I'm glad you asked, Master! My diet is truly extraordinary. Most of the time, I just catch and roast whatever beast I take down."
"Whatever beast you take down... You mean wild mule beasts and such?"
At Subaru's question, Shaula crossed her arms, puffed out her ample chest, and nodded deeply.
The horrific nature of a diet centered on mule beasts went without saying. Subaru turned to Beatrice and asked blunt: "So what about it? You literally just told me about mana contaminated with miasma making water undrinkable."
"Whether mule beast meat is good or bad for you... I'd rather not think about it. But it's not said to be so immediately dangerous that it would cause rapid harm, is it?"
"According to records, there were researchers in the past who studied mule beasts with the explicit goal of consuming them."
While Subaru was smoothing the furrowed crease between Beatrice's brows with his finger, Julius offered an explanation of this interesting — if somewhat concerning — case study.
Without a word, but acknowledging the glances from Subaru and Beatrice urging him to continue, Julius closed one eye and went on: "As we know, mule beasts possess an instinct to attack humans. Even during marches or long journeys where food runs scarce, mule beasts that inhabit dangerous territories are easy to find. They don't even have the concept of hiding. They will always come to attack. So the reasoning was: if you defeat them, you can reliably obtain food. It's not strange that someone thought that way."
"So did it work?"
"In pursuit of improving food security, they conducted a great deal of trial and error. But the results were never consistent. It's not as though the meat is poisonous, but..."
"But what?"
"Apparently, the taste is quite problematic."
Hearing "taste is problematic," Subaru looked exasperated.
What did taste matter? Wouldn't smothering it in spices or something mask the flavor? He'd heard that omnivorous animals' meat could be gamey, but if it wasn't poisonous, there had to be some way to make it work.
"This is based solely on what I've read in the literature. Lady Shaula, what are your impressions from firsthand experience?"
"Tastes like sand soaked in dirty water."
"Ah, so spices won't save it."
"If Master ever wants to try it, I'll make you a whole grilled Star Horse King next time. It tastes like absolute garbage and you'll be hooked. I'm lying."
The flavor seemed to be beyond imagination, and even Shaula's prodigious appetite couldn't be faulted under those circumstances.
Subaru politely declined the offer of a whole grilled Star Horse King. Never mind grilling — that disgusting mule beast had been on fire across its entire body.
"Still, the food situation is a real headache..."
Subaru muttered, resting his head in his hands.
In his line of sight, Shaula was stuffing food into her mouth with an expression that hovered between tears and a grin, while Emilia — her maternal instincts stirred by Shaula's ravenous eating — looked like she might prepare more at any moment.
One month — that was the deadline based on their calculations, accounting for remaining supplies.
But watching Shaula eat at this rate, Subaru couldn't help but wonder if it might run out even sooner.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ After the meal concluded and they had a quick wash using the spring water — mostly just wiping down — the day ended and bedtime arrived.
Given the circumstances, spending the night in heated strategy meetings might have been the responsible thing for a conquest team to do. But realistically, it was unlikely that such discussions would produce any solutions.
Tomorrow's problems for tomorrow's people — it was a bit of a glib way of thinking, perhaps.
"This isn't the kind of problem where a solution just pops out of nowhere. Taking our time is the right call."
Given the nature of the "trials," the worst-case scenario was that they'd end up confronting the second floor again tomorrow with no plan whatsoever.
Rather than overthinking, a "charge in and see what happens" strategy — though he really hoped he wouldn't end up shattered — at the very least, it seemed that the examiner, the original "Sword Saint," didn't intend to kill them. At least, that was his impression.
Or perhaps, through conversation, they could find a clue to their breakthrough — just as Emilia had managed to drag concessions to the surface through discussion.
"To do that, I need to keep my head clear. So: eat well, rest well, and be in peak condition when we take it on."
Slapping both cheeks, Subaru ground down his various anxieties and resolved himself.
The others more or less agreed with Subaru — or rather, they were in a state where this was the only viable option for now.
And so, tonight was an adjournment. Everyone would return to the dragon carriages that served as their bedrooms and sleep, preparing for the next day.
"Subaru, Beatrice will be in the dragon carriage with Emilia and the others tonight."
"Oh, got it. Sorry, Beatrice. Don't stay up late. If you don't grow taller, you'll stay small forever... Actually, that's kind of cute. Okay, stay up late, Beatrice."
"Beatrice won't grow any bigger regardless, I imagine. I'll stay cute forever. So staying up late doesn't matter one way or another."
Beatrice yawned and waved her small hand as she parted ways with Subaru. As she left, she took Emilia's hand, bade Subaru good night, and walked away.
"Emilia-tama, take care of Beatrice. See you tomorrow."
"Mm, see you tomorrow. ...You shouldn't stay up too late either, Subaru."
She didn't scold him for the staying up late itself — Emilia simply said that much, then headed downstairs via the grand staircase. Watching her go, Subaru gave a light stretch and walked along the fourth-floor corridor, his footsteps echoing.
His destination was easy to find. The green room — with its vine-covered door.
There— "Subaru?"
"...Oh, it's you."
Standing before the door, he ran into Julius, who widened his eyes at the sight of him.
Julius happened to be on his way into the green room as well. He narrowed his eyes at Subaru, then seemed to understand immediately, and gave a slow nod.
"I see. It seems you've come to this room for the same reason I have."
"Our targets are different, though. ...You want to go first tonight? I'll yield."
"No..."
Julius shook his head languidly at the offer and turned his gaze to the closed door. After a brief silence, his amber eyes slowly returned to Subaru.
Then, taking one step back, Julius yielded the way.
"I'll be the one to yield to you, actually. Come to think of it, you were unconscious for two days until this morning. I was able to report that you'd woken safely, but I'm sure she was yearning for the night to pass as well."
"Well... if you're offering to step aside, I'll accept it gladly."
At the elegant phrasing, Subaru scratched his head and glanced at Julius.
He couldn't detect any strain in Julius's expression — but Subaru had always been poor at reading others' feelings. If the truth was hidden behind a mask of composure, he couldn't see through it.
"Are you really okay with that? You'd want to stay by her side."
So, unable to help himself, Subaru blurted out his honest thoughts with a sigh.
At that, Julius smiled faintly and said, "You're right."
"I won't deny that I'd like to be there when Lady Anastasia wakes. ...However, the first words I'd speak to her when she opens her eyes — what should they be? That uncertainty is real. It's embarrassing, but there it is."
"You just say 'I was worried about you. Thank goodness you're awake.' Problem solved. The real question is the second thing you say — and that's... well, up to you."
"Hm."
"Why are you laughing? I gave you a pretty serious answer."
It had been a reasonably earnest response, but Julius didn't seem to appreciate it. At that reaction, Subaru looked genuinely aggrieved, and Julius turned on his heel.
"Your way of thinking is free. ...I envy that."
"I feel like I'm being called an idiot and it's bugging me. Hey, where are you going?"
"I've ceded this place to you. I'll return to the dragon carriage and rest. I am a little tired today."
Without turning around, Julius raised a hand behind him as he walked away.
Whether he was truly tired — using the "trial" as a roundabout way of saying so — or whether it was simply a brave front, Subaru couldn't quite tell.
He couldn't tell — but— "Julius — you should wait for Anastasia to wake up after all. I'll come get you when I'm done with my business. Go on."
"..."
"Just so you know, I've probably made more regrets in my life than you ever will. And this advice is coming from that guy. At least take it a little seriously."
As Julius's retreating figure disappeared down the corridor, Subaru called out one last time. There was no reply. But if it was Julius, things wouldn't take a bad turn. At the very least, Subaru trusted him that much.
"...Sorry for intruding."
Shaking his head, cutting off his concern for Julius, Subaru pushed open the door and stepped into the green room. The interior, bathed in a soft, pale glow, was as dominated by greenery as ever. On the vine-woven bed at the center lay two girls.
Anastasia on the nearer bed, Rem on the farther one.
"And right at the back, you're here too."
"—"
Raising his head at Subaru's arrival, Patrasche let out a soft sound. The obsidian earth dragon seemed completely at ease, as though she had known all along that Subaru would come.
The perceptive Patrasche had probably sensed his approach. Naturally, she had shifted aside half of her vine-bed, leaving space for Subaru to sit.
"You really are something else... And your wounds look a lot better."
With a wry smile, Subaru ran his palm along Patrasche's black scales.
Her injuries from the Star Horse King battle underground showed significant improvement after three days of treatment. Though Patrasche had a habit of hiding her discomfort from Subaru, this time she genuinely seemed to be recovering well — not just putting on a brave face.
"I really can't thank the spirits of this room enough. If this place didn't exist, I don't want to imagine how bad things could have gotten."
He wouldn't go so far as to call Patrasche's injuries a fortunate thing, but the damage sustained while crossing the
The only injured members of the party were Subaru and Patrasche — just two. And both could be fully restored thanks to the green room's healing. It was, by any measure, an excellent outcome.
Including the treatment of Julius and Anastasia, injured during the second floor's trial, the existence of the green room had been an absolute lifeline. It was almost as though someone had set things up just for this purpose.
"Right then."
After spending a few affectionate moments with Patrasche, Subaru took a light deep breath and headed toward the far bed — Rem's.
The moment he stood beside the bed, the vines rustled and gathered, fashioning a chair right next to the bed for him to sit in.
"Talk about the full package."
He had just finished saying the green room's spirits were beyond grateful, and now this. It was as though he'd been buttering them up on purpose.
"I didn't mean it like that," he murmured, and sat down beside Rem's bed.
"Julius said Rem was yearning for the night to pass..."
That was wrong.
Because the truth was simple. The one who had been yearning — waiting desperately for a time to talk with Rem, undisturbed by anyone — wasn't her. It was Subaru.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ —Subaru became aware of the change when he felt a gentle nudge on his shoulder.
"Hm...?"
Lifting his face, Subaru blinked several times. While his body reacted instinctively, his consciousness lagged far behind.
Slowly, consciousness surfaced. And when it caught up with reality, he realized: "...Was I asleep?"
Resting his chin on his hand, Subaru was startled to discover that his awareness had slipped into sleep.
The location was still the green room. His body was slumped in a chair beside Rem's bed, having dozed off. But Subaru's memory and the current shape of the chair were completely different.
The vine-woven chair in his memory had no backrest. But now, the chair had grown a large backrest to support his sleeping form, the entire structure morphing into an egg-shaped cocoon that cradled him. The spirit of hospitality had been far too generous.
It had been so comfortable that he'd nearly turned a nap into a proper sleep.
"I must have been more tired than I thought... Huh — Patrasche?"
Murmuring about fatigue he hadn't been aware of, Subaru turned to the cause of his waking — Patrasche, who had extended her long tail to touch his shoulder.
Curled up on her bed of grass, the faithful earth dragon had nudged Subaru awake with her tail, as though trying to convey something. Subaru frowned, trying to read her meaning.
"You're kidding me."
Following Patrasche's gaze, Subaru leaped from the chair and rushed toward the bed by the door — where Anastasia was supposed to be sleeping.
The word "supposed to be" was key, because her figure was nowhere to be found. The moment he registered that, Subaru felt the blood drain from his face.
"I, I said all those cocky things to Julius..."
His dozing off had prevented Julius from being there when Anastasia woke. Beyond being a bad look on paper, that was... well, not ideal.
—No, the problem wasn't limited to that.
"She woke up, and then...? Where did she go? The bathroom? And she didn't even wake me?"
It wasn't that he was wondering why she hadn't asked him to accompany her to the bathroom. The issue was that Anastasia — or rather,
After the second floor's "trial," to go missing like that— He didn't want to imagine that she had gone to challenge Rayde for a second time, like Julius had.
"The bed is still faintly warm. ...I need to find her."
The vine bed still held the lingering warmth of Anastasia's body. Patrasche waking him had likely played a part.
Anastasia probably hadn't been gone long.
"Patrasche! Keep an eye on Rem for me! And thanks for waking me up!"
"—"
Giving a brief acknowledgment, Patrasche waved her tail, and Subaru tumbled out of the green room.
In his panic, he couldn't fathom where Anastasia might have gone. If it were Subaru, the first thing he'd check would be the safety of Emilia and Beatrice — but if that's what she was thinking, she'd have headed to Julius.
"No — right now she's Echidna. She wouldn't be that straightforward. So then..."
Manpower was short. He could privately feel ashamed about napping, but right now, he needed to call on the others, tell them about Anastasia's disappearance and the bird— "Wait—"
He was about to rush downstairs to summon people when he froze.
It was a gasp — an involuntary exhalation that escaped from sheer astonishment. The sound one makes when witnessing something that shouldn't exist, something impossible.
"—"
Drifting across Subaru's stunned field of vision with leisurely grace, something glided by.
It was a bird — white wings spread wide — flying with regal elegance through the corridor, which was not particularly spacious.
"Why is there... a bird inside the Tower?"
At the sight of something that had no business being here, Subaru murmured in bewilderment.
The Pleiades Watchtower had no windows or openings connecting to the outside. The Tower was a structure completely sealed off from the exterior world — the only passage between inside and outside was the great door on the fifth floor.
At least, that was Subaru's understanding. And Beatrice, who had guided him around the fourth floor, had given no indication that any outward-facing windows existed.
"! Wait!"
Sensing the profound wrongness of the situation, Subaru broke into a run after the departing bird.
For an instant, he hesitated. Should he pursue the bird here and now, or go fetch someone and explain the situation — Anastasia's disappearance and the bird's existence — to seek help?
But Subaru chose to chase the bird. The risk of losing it right here felt greater than the alternative — a choice driven by instinct he couldn't put into words.
"—"
Of course, a bird in flight had no inclination to pause for Subaru's calls. It soared leisurely down the corridor, leaving him behind, receding further and further ahead.
He chased it, and chased it, and chased it, until finally— "?! It's gone? No way..."
At the far end of the corridor, Subaru's voice cracked.
The fourth floor's corridor followed the Watchtower's circular shape, curving around in a wide arc. But it didn't connect into a full loop — at roughly the halfway point, a wall blocked the way.
On a clock face, there would be a wall at the twelve o'clock position, reachable from either direction.
He'd known that — which was why he'd been certain the bird couldn't escape into a room unless it opened a door, and would have to be caught. But— "It didn't look like it crashed into the wall or fell. What's going on...?"
Unable to trace the bird's — or rather, its wing's — disappearance, Subaru looked around in confusion.
Regrettably, there was no room the bird could have slipped into. The appearance had been abrupt, and the departure equally so. It was like being shrouded in fog after a dream.
But that this was *not* a dream would soon be proven.
"—These are feathers, aren't they?"
A short distance back down the corridor, Subaru spotted white feathers on the floor. He couldn't be certain, but given the situation, these almost certainly belonged to the bird he'd been chasing.
This was proof that the bird existed. He could bring these back and tell Emilia and the others, "There was a bird inside the Tower!" — but that wouldn't solve anything.
As for clues about Anastasia's disappearance, there was nothing— "No, wait... if feathers fell right here, then..."
There had to be something.
Thinking that, Subaru began examining the floor and walls in the immediate vicinity of where the feathers had dropped. He patted the stone floor, the ceiling, the nearby rooms — tried pressing against the walls.
But there was no sign of any mechanism, and as time slipped away, anxiety crept in. He really should have gone to get someone — and just then, he felt it— "Ah—!"
His palm was sweeping across the floor where the feathers had been. The instant his finger grazed the wall beside it, it passed straight through.
It wasn't a trick of the eye. Cautiously reaching out, he confirmed: his hand could not touch the wall.
"But I already checked this wall..."
It wasn't that he'd missed it. When Subaru tried again, the wall had solid substance from his waist up, but below that, an illusion had been cast.
An illusion that appeared to block the entrance — he recalled that the
"In for a penny, in for a pound."
Crawling on all fours, he could pass beneath the illusory wall.
After a moment's hesitation, Subaru squeezed through the wall and ventured to the other side. Presumably, the bird had flown low to slip through here and gone onward.
If this led to the outside, or to another part of the Tower— "Pfaah!"
The darkness he passed through was shorter than he'd expected.
Emerging from the illusory wall, Subaru gasped involuntarily, like surfacing from underwater. Without realizing it, he'd been holding his breath — the sensation of plunging into the dark had been that overwhelming.
And then he felt it — the outside air, a cold wind, touching his face.
"Oh..."
Opening his eyes, he let his pupils slowly adjust from the darkness to the world beyond.
What spread before him was a sight beyond imagination — the nighttime dunes, viewed from a dizzying height, bathed in starlight. Looking down at them was a sky of black, glittering with stars.
And there— "—"
In what could only be described as a balcony space of the Watchtower, Anastasia stood with the wind whipping her violet hair. Surrounding her on every side, countless birds perched and fluttered, waiting in the space.