"So, in the end, even from your eyes, Boss, you couldn't tell which one was the real missing royal, that Filóre 'Saint' or Lady Felt. Right."
"But after that you went and saw Duke Karsten's condition had recovered, didn't you? Whether she's royalty or not aside, doesn't that mean the power of the sacrament is real? Here."
"Yeah. Beako and Rem, who went with me, can vouch for that too. What Emilia-tan and the others saw wasn't wrong. ...And as for calling Filóre a suuuper good girl, I can't really deny that myself. She looked like an Emilia-tan type—someone without malice. Right."
Letting out a deep sigh, Subaru recalled the rumored 'Saint' he had met face to face at the church that day, and, with an indescribable feeling, slid the plate in his hands onto the shelf.
The cupboards furnished in the Royal Hall were stocked with plenty of tableware, both wooden and ceramic, and the group was in the middle of washing, drying, and putting away what they'd used for their meal. At the sink, Garfiel washed the dishes, Petra dried them, and Subaru put them away.
Since the Royal Hall was essentially a guesthouse for high-ranking nobles who had business in the Royal Capital, every corner of it was lavishly appointed so that nothing was lacking. If needed, housekeepers could even be dispatched to cook, clean, and attend to personal needs, but most nobles brought trusted servants of their own, so they rarely saw use.
In the Emilia camp as well, Petra had handled today's cooking, and cleanup was being done by Subaru and Garfiel, who'd lost at rock-paper-scissors.
While the three of them coordinated the cleanup like that, the earlier topic naturally came back up.
"...Still, if even from you lot's point of view there's no mistake, then honestly, what I'd like is for them to do somethin' about the problem in Priestella."
"But what if that ends up proving that Filóre is real royalty? Then Emilia-neesama's royal selection might end right there, you know?"
"That's a different matter. Filóre 'The Saint' has already stepped onto the public stage. It's only that the bigwigs are the ones who know it so far."
Splashing up soapy bubbles in the tub as he washed, Garfiel answered Petra's words. Narrowing his emerald eyes, he wrestled with stubborn grime on a plate using a piece of hemp cloth in place of a sponge.
"I ain't laid eyes on her myself, but if she's the kinda gal whose looks alone cause that much of a stir, that ain't somethin' you can hide even if you try. She healed Duke Karsten's body, and if she's gonna do the same thing in Priestella, all the more so."
"—Yeah, Garf-san, I'd give that understanding a perfect score. You're starting to be able to read the social climate. Good, good."
"Don't say it like you're grading a test! For the record, I'm older'n Petra!"
Petra, with a face like a teacher, patted his head, but with both hands plunged into the tub, Garfiel couldn't resist and could only growl and grumble. Watching the two of them banter with a smile, Subaru couldn't help but feel an unpleasant current in the state of the world.
"At this point, there's already a yellow light for how the royal selection is unfolding…"
From here, if that were to change to a red light, would it ever turn back to green again so that Emilia could properly fulfill the role of a royal selection candidate?
"——"
To be frank, ever since the possibility of the surviving princess narrowed down to two—Felt or Filóre—Subaru feared the royal selection had shifted into something that sought the answer to, 'which of the two is the real one with a legitimate right of succession?'
Naturally, as Emilia's first knight, he couldn't accept that, but even setting that perspective aside, there was something he couldn't swallow.
It was a topic they'd already discussed on the way to the Royal Capital, while using 'Reinhard's method.'
"In the first place, before Filóre even showed up, once the suspicion that Felt was the princess was raised, why didn't it just go, 'Okay, the next ruler is Felt, done deal'?"
Of course, it's true that this world doesn't have convenient, highly reliable means of identifying individuals like DNA tests, fingerprint registries, or dental records.
But the grounds for the suspicion that Felt was the princess were pretty flimsy too: a rare physical trait and an age that matched the vanished princess.
If, in this world, that were enough to serve as proof of bloodline, then the royal selection could well have ended that day, right before Subaru made a fool of himself at the Royal Castle.
"But it didn't go that way. And the biggest reason for that—"
"—Dragon History Stone"
Subaru, whose conclusion had been preempted, raised his eyebrows; Petra, having finished wiping the plate Garfiel had passed her, was holding it out and gazing at him.
Subaru nodded, "Yeah," and accepted both the plate and that conclusion from her.
"They say that throughout history, whenever the kingdom was in all sorts of trouble, the prophecy tablet... the Dragon History Stone, would lend a hand; apparently it even carried an instruction to hold the royal selection."
"Huh? From the way you're sayin' it, ya got somethin' on your mind, Cap'n?"
"Nah, when I first heard about it, it didn't faze me at all. It's a fantasy world, right? I figured there'd be mysterious items like that and actually got kind of hyped..."
"But now you feel differently?"
"Yeah. These days, I've got plenty of things in mind that claim to tell you what's ahead... and I've had more than a few bad run-ins with them."
Seeing Subaru make a face like he'd just bitten into a bitter bug, Petra and the others exchanged glances.
It's been nearly two years since Subaru started his otherworld life, but honestly, this world is crawling with things that pose as future sight or the guidance of fate and try to feed people insider tips.
In Vollachia, Abel was hostile toward the "Stargazer," and the "Witch of Greed" he met in the tomb even handed Beatrice a blank book that ordered her how to live. And above all, the "Gospel" said to reach the hands of Witch Cultists is even rumored to twist their very way of being into something evil.
How, then, is the Dragon History Stone any different from that kind of interference that twists fate from the side?
"If you're told it shows the future, I get how you'd end up relying on it. If it's even got a track record, all the more so. But letting you make a little easy profit at first and then clawing it all back hard later—that's a classic scam move."
To rope you into a more convenient choice later, you let them win where the impact is small.
As long as you don't know what you'll be made to do in the crucial, big decision, it's dangerous to trust too much that that tip-off from fate is something good for you.
Thinking that, Subaru felt a sense of alarm toward the Dragon History Stone's very prophecy, but—
"——"
"Huh? What's with those faces, you two?"
When Subaru conveyed his concern, Garfiel and Petra stared wide-eyed.
They were the younger pair, but as a feeler and a thinker they were reliable people to consult; it was rare for them to have the exact same reaction to a single question. Even if one tilted their head, the other would give an answer he could use. That was what he'd expected, which is why—
And then, to the puzzled Subaru, the two spoke one after the other,
"How d' I even put it—"
"—I was just shocked because the idea of doubting the Dragon History Stone's prophecy never even occurred to me."
"Huh, it never even occurs to you?"
"Yeah." "Mm-hm."
With both of them nodding at the same time, Subaru thought it must be some kind of joke. But their eyes were earnest, and their expressions were colored strongly by confusion and bewilderment, leaving Subaru blinking.
Their reaction felt like being taught a way of solving a quiz he had never even imagined—a reaction to truly encountering something unexpected. It had been a while since he'd had this kind of culture gap—no, he'd just experienced it recently with the matter of inheriting the throne by bloodline.
"Honestly, I figured that was the tragedy of how little I'm used to a monarchy where the king is the most important... but this is something deeper, like a religious outlook?"
It's natural that differing climates bring different customs and different common sense, but conversely, with a difference in fundamental values this deep, it's surprising that no major friction had arisen until now. He'd thought he'd been living a pretty tough otherworld life, but apparently it hadn't been the worst yet.
He also suddenly came to understand the weight of this country being called the "Dragon Kingdom."
"Petra's a lovely beauty who bloomed in a rural village, and Garfiel's a golden rookie who used to live in a hidden settlement cut off from the outside world."
In other words, compared to those born and raised in big cities, they're in a position of having received less of the education and benefits as citizens of the kingdom—yet even the two of them lack the very idea of doubting the Dragon History Stone, which is proof that trust in the "Dragon" has settled in the depths of their unconscious.
If that's the case with these two backgrounds, then those whose identity is strongly tied to the kingdom would be all the more unlikely to arrive at a way of thinking that makes light of the Dragon History Stone. Which is precisely why, with no royal family present, this country had the groundwork to carry out a royal selection without hesitation.
If so—
"—then what Crusch was trying to do was seriously amazing."
Setting aside whether the ideal was right or wrong, he finally came to understand anew that Crusch's insistence on breaking away from the covenant with the "Dragon" was an unbelievably big decision in a world where trust in the "Dragon" has permeated this much.
In fact, judging by pregame reputation alone, Crusch had been the overwhelming front-runner in the royal selection.
The very fact that the royal selection didn’t turn into an all-Crusch sweep made it clear just how hard her platform was for the current kingdom to accept. At the same time, Subaru also speculated about the aim behind the White Whale hunt that happened right after the royal selection began.
Of course, that White Whale subjugation surely also sprang from Crusch’s desire to let Wilhelm see his vengeance done after she’d taken him into her camp. But by felling the White Whale—one of the three great mabeasts that had tormented people for centuries—under her own power, wasn’t she trying to demonstrate something?
Her resolve and ideal: to lead the kingdom strongly without relying on the covenant with the 'Dragon.'
In the end, thanks to Subaru’s intervention, the slaying of the White Whale became widely known as the result of a joint operation by three camps, with the Emilia and Anastasia camps also cooperating.
Even so, Crusch likely had no complaints. Wilhelm avenged his foe, and even while facing headwinds from those around her, Crusch managed to take her first step toward carrying her ideals through.
However, those ideals of Crusch’s would be thwarted in an unexpected way—
"Am I an idiot? No—I am an idiot."
Only upon grasping that far did Subaru finally feel the sting of his own shortsightedness.
Before he even understood what exactly the ideals Crusch had nearly had broken were, or what they truly meant, he went to see her and, on the grounds of shallow sympathy and sentiment, consoled her by saying he would help. Put together with the tragic love story of Crusch and the Fourth Prince that Felis told him later in the mausoleum, just thinking how tone-deaf and glibly his words must have skated over the surface makes him want to die of mortification.
But—
"Hey, boss. Hate to put it this way, but when ya go shootin’ your mouth off on impulse like that, it’s just like that story, ‘Garagokkle’s Lovesickness’—"
"We’ve actually been saved by Subaru’s recklessness and rashness more than once, so I kind of don’t want you talking too badly about that."
"What!? That’s what I was just about to say!"
"Sorry, I wanted to rack up some affection points with Subaru."
Petra stuck out her tongue in a cute apology, and Garfiel wilted with a little "grr…."
At their words, Subaru unconsciously bit the inside of his cheek hard. First he was surprised, then he immediately didn’t know what kind of face he should be making.
He did regret his choice of words to Crusch, but he didn’t want to meet Petra’s consideration with a scowl either. The result was a mismatched, halfway expression as his feelings jostled out of sync, and—
"…Don’t spoil me too much like that. Once I start leaning on it, there’s no end."
"Is that so? Then I want to spoil Subaru more and more. Right, Garf?"
"Not sure ‘spoil’ is the right word, but you and big bro Otto both look after everyone else and hardly ever take care of your own damn selves. Once in a while, yours truly could even toss you up high for you."
"Last time you did that, Otto punched straight through the ceiling…"
If he remembered right, that tragedy happened when Otto finished a mountain of work, got drunk, and a hyped-up Garfiel tried to show his appreciation a little too vigorously. Otto wasn’t hurt, and the alcohol had wiped his memory, so it’s a laughable story now.
Anyway—
"I figured there were a lot of things I want to do and have to do… but I’ve got one more thing I want to check now."
With gratitude, Subaru reached out both hands to pet Garfiel and Petra on the head. As the two squirmed, ticklish under his strokes, Subaru narrowed his eyes at the soap bubbles floating and popping in the washbasin.
There are plenty of people smarter and more knowledgeable than Subaru. If, among people like that, he can make his actions and thoughts give meaning to his being here—
"First off, I want to properly learn what this Dragon History Stone really is."
What forces act on it, what will is trying to guide things toward which future—he wants to believe that being able to question that is the strength of Natsuki Subaru, a man from another world.
First, he would start by learning. If he truly wanted to stand by Crusch and Felis in the way they wished, instead of being unable to act and only letting his frustration pile up.
That said—
"…If you asked Felis, they’d probably call this way of thinking arrogant."
△▼△▼△▼△
By chance, she’d overheard the exchange taking place in the kitchen and was seriously debating whether to reach for the door.
"—Looks like you’re right in the middle of a conversation that’s hard to butt into."
"—!"
"My, my? Did I startle you? If so, I’m sorry."
Saying that, Meili lightly poked her face in from behind; "No," Rem said, shaking her head as she readjusted the water jug in her hands.
She had come to the kitchen to replace the water in the pitcher that had run low. Inside, Subaru and the others in charge of cleaning up dinner were washing dishes in smooth coordination while discussing matters related to the royal selection. Not wanting to interrupt, Rem thought she would wait until the conversation reached a lull and listened to the exchange from outside the kitchen, but—
"Don’t you think Big Bro Subaru really has such a troublesome nature? Why does he try to shoulder absolutely everything like that? No wonder everyone ends up having a hard time."
When the topic in the kitchen shifted to Subaru’s disposition—specifically, the part of him that’s far too prone to self-blame—Petra and Garfiel promptly stepped in with corrections and pointed remarks, and you could tell it was slowly getting to Subaru.
Apparently Meili, who was behind Rem, could picture the scene inside as well; she referred to it in her own words and, about to seek Rem’s agreement, suddenly widened her eyes.
"Could it be... Big Sis Rem, are you veeery angry?"
"...I’m not angry, but I do have mixed feelings. Just now, I told him much the same thing Petra and the others are saying."
"Ahh, that would make you pull a face like that."
Whatever face Rem had made, Meili’s tone was as if she were handling something delicate.
However, when Rem recalled the scene where she had said something similar—the image of Subaru seeming ready to shoulder even the responsibility for the death of the Sin Archbishop of 'Gluttony' who was killed in the Prison Tower—she hesitated to dismiss the issue as merely Subaru’s nature.
Because she understood that the reason behind Subaru’s way of thinking also lay in her own attitude.
"For starters, Big Bro Subaru has this bad habit of only counting up the number of times he’s failed. It’s honestly downright rude."
Lowering her eyes under the weight of sentiment and tightening her grip on the pitcher, Rem listened as Meili, arms folded and glaring at the kitchen door, muttered that.
"Rude?"
"Isn’t it? I, for one, feel like I’ve been saved by Big Bro Subaru. It’s the same for Petra and the others, which is why they encourage him like that... and yet he acts like that—it’s galling, isn’t it?"
Putting a finger to her lips and puffing out her cheeks, Meili pouted. At that childlike sulk, Rem blinked a few times and then couldn’t help but snort with laughter.
"Oh my, did you just laugh at me?"
"I’m sorry. I was just a little surprised. From my point of view, both you and Petra seemed like children quite mature for your age."
"Do you mean cheeky? In my case it’s more like repeating what I’ve heard, but Petra’s is the result of her own stretching to act grown-up, so if Big Sis Emilia and Big Sis Rem get careless, she might overtake you and you’ll end up regretting it."
"...I don’t understand what you’re talking about."
"Reaaally? Hee-hee, reaaally?"
At once, pleased with her successful little revenge for being treated like a child, Meili put a hand to her mouth and chuckled triumphantly.
Sighing at Meili’s reaction, Rem once more looked toward the kitchen door, and then,
"It seems everyone in this camp has been saved by him at some point."
"Seems that way. That’s also why it’s hard to tell Big Bro Subaru 'no-no' when he tries to do something dangerous. —But I don’t think you need to fret about it."
"—?"
"Because, you know, I don’t think there’s any kid more brazen and out of place than me."
Pinching one of the braids in her own hair between her fingers, Meili shrugged as she said it. At the complex emotions coloring her voice, Rem narrowed her pale blue eyes.
"...It’s awfully frustrating, in hindsight, not having my 'memories.'"
It was clear Meili carried circumstances that were anything but light.
Unlike with Emilia and the others, with whom they deepened their ties in the Vollachia Empire, Rem first met Meili in the Kingdom of Lugunica—inside the dragon carriage Reinhard had given them a lift in.
In broad strokes she had heard that Meili had originally been hostile to Subaru and the others, but Subaru’s explanation—so soft and vague because he didn’t want to needlessly make their relationship awkward—left her never learning exactly what kind of friction there had been with Meili.
Even so, the complex emotions on the girl’s youthful face seemed like proof of the doubts born from that.
So—
"You too, please don’t blame yourself too much."
"——"
Holding her breath at Rem’s words, Meili stared intently at her. Rem didn’t look away and met that gaze head-on, and Meili slightly parted her lips,
"Is it really okay for you to say that? There was even a time when I tried to kill you too, Big Sis Rem."
"—. That did come as quite a shock, but since I don’t remember it..."
"Well, that's lucky. ...Lucky—should I even be calling it that, I wonder?"
Meili let it out, not so much a whisper as a voice that seemed ready to vanish.
Fiddling with her own braid, she let her gaze fall from Rem to the floor.
"Honestly, I think it's all too convenient. ...I got let off for what I did, and thanks to a blessing even the kingdom forgave me... Any day now, I'm going to get hit with a big payback, aren't I?"
"Payback..."
"Just like you get praised when you do something good, you’re supposed to be scolded when you do something bad, right? I've been running away from that all along."
Whether it was guilt over being forgiven or not, Meili's words were pessimistic and painful.
Rem didn't know the deeds of hers that lay behind that line of thinking, or even whether to take her claim that she'd tried to kill Rem as serious or a joke.
Maybe, if she learned the details, Rem's view would shift—but for now, she doesn't know.
She felt that the things she could say precisely because she didn't know could only be said now.
"I'm not trying to compare, but I have similar worries myself."
"...Rem, big sis—like me?"
"Yes. ...After having so much done for me, I don't consider myself so foolish as to think I'm entitled to it."
What comes to mind is how, waking without 'memory' in a situation with no one to rely on, she treated him—Subaru—so coldly, and slapped his hand away.
Harsh as Rem's circumstances were then, there's only so far that can justify her. The gifts Subaru grants are by no means unlimited.
"I have to pay the price for that arrogance inside me. Until I've settled that account, I don't think I even have the right to face him."
"—You're strict with yourself."
"I wonder. If I think of it as the retribution for having been harsh to someone else... to someone who treated me with care, then it's only natural. But that's my story."
"—?"
Taking a step as she spoke and closing the distance to Meili, Rem hesitated a little, then set her hand with a light pat on the head of the girl who was looking at her quizzically.
And then—
"I don't think it's healthy for someone who's still a child like you to be afraid of payback... so I'll resist that payback."
"—ah"
At Rem, who had haltingly chosen her words, Meili let out a faint breath. Then she lowered her gaze, Rem's hand still resting on her head,
"—Rem, big sis, even without 'memory,' I think you're very much one of this camp."
"...And what exactly do you mean by that?"
Rem knit her brows at Meili, who still wouldn't raise her face—as if to ask what she meant. Just then—.
"Eek!"
All at once, she felt something odd under the hand she'd left on Meili's head, and a scream slipped out before she knew it.
When she looked, a small creature poked its head out, parting her deep blue hair. Recognizing it as a scorpion clad in a deep crimson sheen, and jerking back the arm that had reflexively grabbed the water pitcher happened almost simultaneously—and so did the half-pitcher of water drenching Meili from head to toe.
"Ah."
At the spectacle, both the culprit, Rem, and the victim, Meili, were simultaneously dumbfounded. Atop Meili's wet head, the little scorpion that had been doused along with her clicked its pincers in protest.
The scorpion's sudden entrance had been the one to spring the surprise, and yet it was the party in a huff—how grand of it. Before they could even process the shock, the kitchen door flew open with a bang—
"Did I just hear Rem scream!?"
"...What terrible timing."
"Huh!? I was worried and that's the reaction!? Also what is even happening!?"
Hearing the scream, Subaru rushed out and reacted in stages, surprise upon surprise. At Subaru's usual noisiness, Rem hesitated for a moment over where to begin explaining.
But even before that, a bright little "aha" of laughter rang out—Meili. Drenched from head to toe along with the scorpion perched atop her head, she laughed,
"Haah, that's funny. I don't even have time to be down."
"Why are you so breezy about this? Hey, Petra! Towel! Bring a towel!"
"Whoa, Meili, you're soaked! You need to change right away."
Petra came pattering in with a towel, and went to wiping Meili's head—scorpion and all. As Meili let herself be fussed over, Rem, holding the now-empty pitcher, bowed her head.
She'd meant to be considerate and instead drenched her—talk about getting it all backwards. But Meili waved a hand at the remorseful Rem with a "Don't worry about it," and
"In exchange, I'll go ahead and take what you said just now seriously."
"——"
Rem widened her eyes slightly at the look in Meili's eye glimpsed through the gap in the towel. Even as that exchange went on, Petra had slipped in behind Meili and was pushing her by the shoulders, and—
"Okay, let's go get changed. Subaru, Garf-san, there's still some cleaning up left, but…"
"We'll take care of that, so it's fine. Make sure Meili doesn't catch a cold."
"Don't treat me like a kid, okay?"
Leaving that sulky mutter behind, Meili was escorted off by Petra. Right up until the moment she vanished down the hall, Meili was fluttering her hand in a wave to Rem.
After seeing those endearing girls off, Subaru looked at Rem with an "uhm," and—
"Ah, is that water for nee-sama? Then at least take that over right away."
"— No. It's my fault Petra-chan had to step out, so I'll help."
"Yeah? Then let's do it together."
Dodging the hand reaching for the water pitcher, Rem offered to help Subaru. He looked a little surprised but immediately agreed—and at that answer, Rem gave him a slightly reproachful look as her eyes narrowed.
"...You agree to this kind of suggestion without a second thought, don't you."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"It's nothing. Garf, I'll help too, so move in further, please."
"Tha's a help an' all, but why're ya only rough with how ya address me, huh?"
"Because that's what nee-sama called you, and it just somehow feels right."
Garfiel, hands dipped in the wash tub, wrinkled his nose. Sensing Subaru give a wry smile at that, Rem reflexively started to say something—then stopped.
Hadn't she just now reflected on herself when dealing with Meili?
"What's wrong, Rem? You're making a cute face—did something happen?"
"Huh?"
"Sorry, got carried away! A-alright, c'mon—let's clean up quick and bring water to nee-sama!"
Trying to cover his gaffe with momentum, Subaru rolled up his sleeves and zipped over to Garfiel's side.
Sighing as she caught up, Rem admonished herself as sternly as she could.
Until she settled accounts for her own deeds, she had no right to face this frustration.
"There are still many hardships ahead. Katya-san, Priscilla-san."
When she finally felt she'd earned that right, what kind of face would she show him?
With no answer to that yet, Rem spoke in her heart to those she loved and respected, and joined the dishwashing line in Petra's stead.
△▼△▼△▼△
Just when new doubts have budded, new tasks have been set, and you've decided, "Alright, let's get things moving," events seldom proceed according to plan.
All too often, the road to achieving a goal is hindered by stagnation born of circumstances or by unexpected upheavals.
In this case, it was the latter that undercut Natsuki Subaru right out of the gate.
"—Faa"
With a soft breath, a hand came up to the mouth that was about to open wide, hiding the yawn.
That said, it was an obvious yawn anyway, and he could even see tears welling at the corners of the other person's eyes. He often wondered: from a manners standpoint, which is judged more decorous—just letting an obvious yawn out, or stifling it and ending up with tears in your eyes? If the very act of yawning is already a breach of manners, well, that's the end of that discussion.
"—It's only a simple tea, but"
As he was watching the other party with such thoughts, a cup was quietly slid onto the table: black tea brewed by Petra, showing off the tea-pouring technique she'd learned from Ram.
As the warm fragrance of the aromatic leaves wafted up, the other's yawn was interrupted with an "Oh my,"
"It smells just wonderful. Dropping by so suddenly like this, and yet being entertained so graciously—I feel almost a little guilty, ufufu."
"No, it's fine. We were just about to have tea together, so actually I think your 'timing' was super good. Um…"
"—Sakura Element, Emilia-chan"
With that, the faintly smiling woman—who introduced herself as Sakura Element, a member of the Church of the Divine Dragon—put the offered teacup to her lips without hesitation.
Sakura had come to visit the Royal Hall where Emilia's camp was staying at around the cusp between early dawn and morning, about when Subaru and the others were finally starting to feel sharp in the head. Not that Subaru and the rest had much room to talk, but an unannounced visit like that did have a blindsiding feel to it, and—
"We, too, would have liked to extend our greetings, but Emilia-sama has a great many duties piled up and is in a very busy position. If possible, we would have preferred to be contacted in advance."
Thrown off their pace by the other side, Otto seemed more than a little put out.
His wording was polite enough, but the protest in Otto's remarks was plain to see, and Subaru thought he was quite on edge.
「Was yesterday’s venting not enough...? He looks like the type who thinks that as long as he’s speaking in a polite desu/masu tone, he’s showing proper courtesy.」
「I can hear that ‘desu,’ you know. That ‘masu’ is troubling, Natsuki-san.」
「Yikes, that’s not courtesy anymore, that’s a threat...」
Even though he was an ally, Otto would bite without mercy; but of course his battle-ready posture wasn’t a punishment mode aimed at Subaru and the others—it was because they were receiving someone who warranted maximum caution.
Coming hot on the heels of yesterday, the Church of the Divine Dragon at the center of the turmoil had gone out of its way to barge in on them; naturally, nobody could help but link that to the royal selection.
Naturally, Sakura, who had been shown into the reception room, was also thought to have her own reasons that made her not to be underestimated—
「—You’re Subaru-chan, aren’t you? If you stare at me that intently, I’ll get embarrassed.」
「Ah, sorry. You’re so beautiful, Sakura-san—I was a bit rude, wasn’t I?」
「My, flirting while apologizing—what a naughty boy. I didn’t think you were that smooth. I’ve heard all sorts of rumors about Subaru-chan, you know.」
「Rumors? About me?」
At the unexpected riposte, Subaru pointed to himself, and Sakura smiled with a “Yes.”
Then she stirred her own tea with a teaspoon, brought the cup to her lips again, and exhaled a soft sigh with a somewhat sultry gesture.
Then, tilting her head at the vague silence that had drifted up,
「…Could it be you were expecting something from me just now?」
「Well, with the way the conversation was going, wouldn’t you expect me to be curious about what rumors you heard about me, Sakura-san?」
「Eeh? But Emilia-chan and the rest of your own camp should know Subaru-chan much better, shouldn’t they? At this point, who cares what kind of rumors are going around about Subaru-chan?」
「I see—you say some pretty good things. Indeed, Betty and the others understand Subaru best. There’s nothing to worry about.」
「That’s right. With such a gallant knight around, I’m sooo proud too.」
Buoyed by such firm endorsements from Beatrice on his lap and Emilia at his right, Subaru was happy, but at the same time the topic of rumors about him drifted away in a way that left him not entirely satisfied.
At any rate, including Petra standing by the wall, Subaru and Emilia, Beatrice and Otto were the ones handling Sakura, who had launched an unannounced visit.
At present, the impression Sakura gave was that of a woman who was hard to get a handle on,
「Sakura-san, are you close with Filóre? I only just became friends with her.」
「Yes, I heard about it from Filóre-chan to the point of being sick of it. At every opportunity she goes around saying, my Emilia, my Emilia... As for me, I’m a fellow member of the church with Filóre-chan—something like an older-sister substitute, I suppose.」
「Filóre’s big sister!」
「That’s quite a difference in energy levels between the sisters, then.」
「Only a sister-substitute, mind you. That girl was raised hidden away, cherished and cherished, as the church’s treasured child, so you could even say she’s like the youngest daughter of the entire church. Heehee.」
Lowering the corners of her eyes, the warmth of Sakura’s smile stayed steady as she spoke. Because of that, even her explanation about Filóre left it unclear how much of it one should take at face value.
Still, the phrasing that Filóre was the church’s treasured child, raised in hiding, stuck with him.
「Then, is it correct to think that the reason Filóre-san hasn’t taken the public stage until now was due to such policies of the Church of the Divine Dragon?」
「That’s right. Well, that all lost its meaning when Filóre-chan up and burst out on her own, though.」
「So Filóre’s rampage was truly outside the church’s expectations…」
If you didn’t know her yourself, it would be hard to believe—but from Subaru’s perspective, having actually exchanged words with Filóre, that course of events felt completely natural.
Even yesterday, she had been forcibly ordered to remain at the church, but at that rate it felt like she would soon hit her limit and bolt outside on her own.
「Or rather, she actually did bolt—and that’s why I’ve come to pay a visit to Emilia-chan and the others like this today.」
「…Huh!? She bolted—are we talking about today!?」
「Yes, this morning. I made sure to explain yesterday what today’s business would be, and yet she’s such a troublesome girl…」
「Whoa, whoa, whoa—are we really just sipping tea while dismissing that as ‘troublesome girl’ behavior!?」
Even if it hadn’t been announced with fanfare, there was no doubt Filóre had rocketed up the steps to becoming an important figure in the kingdom. For someone like her to be acting on her own while her minder was leisurely sitting here—what was up with that?
Seeing Subaru and the others in such a panic, Sakura laughed with an 'ufufu' as if it were none of her concern, and,
"Please rest easy about that. Believe it or not, we know where Filóre-chan went. To be precise, she headed to your friend Emilia-chan's place."
"Oh, really? To my place... she hasn't come!?"
"She hasn't, right!?"
What should have been a reassurance failed to be, and the panic continued.
From Sakura's confident tone, there might have been a note from Filóre telling her destination or something, but no one in their camp had actually seen her. Naturally, neither Petra nor Otto knew where she'd gone.
"Beako, you don't know either, right? You've been with me ever since we got up today."
"That's right. I went to bed early and got up early with Subaru, brushed my teeth with Subaru, did radio calisthenics with Subaru, and then had breakfast with Subaru. In that time, Betty hasn't seen that boisterous girl either."
"W-what should we do? If something's happened to Filóre..."
Huddling together, Subaru and the others wracked their brains over the vanished Filóre's whereabouts.
They'd been startled when she suddenly showed up, and now, realizing she'd suddenly vanished, they were hit with a different shock. Filóre was like a storm in human form.
Beside the flustered Subaru and the others, Otto let out a small sigh.
"Hey, what's with you, Otto...! Don't tell me you're thinking it'd be cleaner if the source of our troubles just got blown away..."
"Otto, that's going a bit too Roswaal, don't you think...?"
"Please stop with the slander. Beatrice-chan, don't look at me like that either. ...Just to confirm, was Ms. Filóre wearing a nun's habit of the 'Church of the Divine Dragon'?"
A vein throbbed on Otto's temple under the stares of the hugging Subaru and Beatrice, and then he asked Sakura to confirm Filóre's outfit.
When Sakura nodded to that question with a 'but of course,'
"then there's nothing to worry about. Barring something extraordinary, a woman dressed as a sister of the 'Church of the Divine Dragon' won't get caught up in trouble on the roadside."
"Really? Petra-chan, is that true?"
"Yes, I think what Otto-san says is right. If someone from the church were in trouble, someone nearby would definitely lend a hand."
At Otto and Petra's matter-of-fact confidence, Subaru and Emilia felt an eye-opening 'Oh, I see.'
"But that's only if she's having trouble by the roadside, right? If it's, like, the evil, malicious hand of some villain... in a development like that, it wouldn't be foolproof, would it?"
"What is this someone that's chock-full of evil and malice and magic...? Judging from Sakura-san's attitude, that doesn't seem like a concern either. In the first place, the reason she's here is—"
"—Otto-chan, you're quick on the uptake, aren't you. That's right, I came ahead of her."
Snatching away the conclusion Otto had been about to state once she was sure he'd reached it, Sakura thus voiced the reason she had come to the Royal Hall herself.
Her way of putting it was slightly under-explained, but combined with the real Filóre's headlong single-mindedness, the answer clicked for Subaru as well, a beat after Otto.
"In other words, Filóre left saying she was going to Emilia-tan's place, but since she doesn't know the exact location, she's making her way there while asking around..."
"And you, her stand-in big sister, got out ahead of the soon-to-arrive Filóre and are having tea here with Betty and the others, is that it."
"Clap, clap, clap—perfect answer. The kids at Emilia-chan's place are very capable, aren't they."
Sakura applauded lightly and praised them, but Subaru and the others weren't so gullible as to swallow the compliment whole. Besides, even with people's kindness toward members of the 'Church of the Divine Dragon' and Filóre's drive combined, could they really be certain she was absolutely safe?
Perhaps Emilia shared the same worry; knitting her well-shaped brows,
"Sakura-san is full of confidence, but I'm worried about Filóre. Maybe I should take a quick look around the area—"
"—Emilia-san, if I may. You have a visitor."
Rem's voice, knocking on the parlor door, happened to cut off Emilia's concern just then. Reflexively, everyone turned their eyes to the door, and Emilia tilted her head. "A visitor?"
And the very next moment, with a bang, the door was flung open from the other side—
"—This is terrible, Emilia! Help your friend—me!"
"Filóre!?"
Right before Emilia, her eyes opened wide in surprise, the one who came clattering into the parlor was none other than Filóre herself, the very center of their conversation.
Her red eyes welling with tears, she rushed over to Emilia—who was watching her—and dove headfirst into her chest without slowing her momentum in the slightest. The sheer force of it made it practically a headbutt, but Emilia effortlessly absorbed Filóre's charge, catching her in a tight embrace.
「Wah, you startled me. Are you okay, Filóre? You’re not hurt, are you?」
「Yes, yes, I’m fine… No, that’s not it! I’m a wreck! Look—it's not my body, it’s my heart that’s in tatters!」
「Oh no, that’s serious… Where am I supposed to look?」
「I don’t know either, so just hold me tight!」
「Okay! Squeeze—!」
The moment she entered, Filóre completely dominated the room's atmosphere with her incredible energy. Meeting those impulsive antics without a moment's hesitation, Emilia's gallant charm truly shone through.
As he watched the two of them embrace, Petra stepped up beside him and gave the sleeve of his track jacket a light tug—
「…Is that the rumored 『Saint』?」
「That’s the rumored 『Saint』. Well? How different was she from what you imagined?」
「Pretty different, maybe… Ah, but I think it’s fine. There are all kinds of 『Saint』, after all.」
「So it’s the age of diversity even for 『Saint』, huh… Doesn’t really click for me.」
Even Petra, deft at both listening and talking, couldn’t quite put into words how overwhelmed she was.
At any rate, the worst-case possibility—that Filóre, wandering the Royal Capital alone, might not make it to this Royal Hall—was averted for the time being.
「Next up is Filóre’s objective, seeing as she’s even gone so far as to ask for help…」
「For the moment, I don’t have a good feeling about this.」
Subaru was in complete agreement with Beatrice’s supposition. Leaving Subaru and the others aside, Emilia gently soothed Filóre, who was gradually settling down in her arms,
「So, can you tell me what happened? When you say help, what do you mean?」
「Well, you see… it’s turned into a huge mess, Emilia.」
「A huge… gulp.」
At Filóre’s tantalizingly roundabout way of putting it, Emilia swallowed audibly. Watching Emilia up close, Filóre went on.
It was—,
「—It looks like I have to participate in the royal selection as a candidate!」
In a tear-thickened, cracking voice, Filóre lamented the cruel fate that had been imposed on her.
Hearing that, Emilia’s violet eyes flew wide; Otto put a hand to his brow; Petra bit her cute lips; and Subaru and Beatrice exchanged glances,
「Just as we thought…」
「My bad feeling hit the bull’s-eye.」
「Whatever am I supposed to do… Gah! Sakura!?」
Beside Subaru and the others, who had just successfully predicted an unwelcome future, Sakura—whose presence had gone unregistered by Filóre because she’d had her back to the parlor entrance—waved at her.
At the unexpected encounter with a family member, the trouble-bringing Filóre opened her mouth so wide it looked like her jaw might come unhinged. —So much for the beautiful-girl image.
"But after that you went and saw Duke Karsten's condition had recovered, didn't you? Whether she's royalty or not aside, doesn't that mean the power of the sacrament is real? Here."
"Yeah. Beako and Rem, who went with me, can vouch for that too. What Emilia-tan and the others saw wasn't wrong. ...And as for calling Filóre a suuuper good girl, I can't really deny that myself. She looked like an Emilia-tan type—someone without malice. Right."
Letting out a deep sigh, Subaru recalled the rumored 'Saint' he had met face to face at the church that day, and, with an indescribable feeling, slid the plate in his hands onto the shelf.
The cupboards furnished in the Royal Hall were stocked with plenty of tableware, both wooden and ceramic, and the group was in the middle of washing, drying, and putting away what they'd used for their meal. At the sink, Garfiel washed the dishes, Petra dried them, and Subaru put them away.
Since the Royal Hall was essentially a guesthouse for high-ranking nobles who had business in the Royal Capital, every corner of it was lavishly appointed so that nothing was lacking. If needed, housekeepers could even be dispatched to cook, clean, and attend to personal needs, but most nobles brought trusted servants of their own, so they rarely saw use.
In the Emilia camp as well, Petra had handled today's cooking, and cleanup was being done by Subaru and Garfiel, who'd lost at rock-paper-scissors.
While the three of them coordinated the cleanup like that, the earlier topic naturally came back up.
"...Still, if even from you lot's point of view there's no mistake, then honestly, what I'd like is for them to do somethin' about the problem in Priestella."
"But what if that ends up proving that Filóre is real royalty? Then Emilia-neesama's royal selection might end right there, you know?"
"That's a different matter. Filóre 'The Saint' has already stepped onto the public stage. It's only that the bigwigs are the ones who know it so far."
Splashing up soapy bubbles in the tub as he washed, Garfiel answered Petra's words. Narrowing his emerald eyes, he wrestled with stubborn grime on a plate using a piece of hemp cloth in place of a sponge.
"I ain't laid eyes on her myself, but if she's the kinda gal whose looks alone cause that much of a stir, that ain't somethin' you can hide even if you try. She healed Duke Karsten's body, and if she's gonna do the same thing in Priestella, all the more so."
"—Yeah, Garf-san, I'd give that understanding a perfect score. You're starting to be able to read the social climate. Good, good."
"Don't say it like you're grading a test! For the record, I'm older'n Petra!"
Petra, with a face like a teacher, patted his head, but with both hands plunged into the tub, Garfiel couldn't resist and could only growl and grumble. Watching the two of them banter with a smile, Subaru couldn't help but feel an unpleasant current in the state of the world.
"At this point, there's already a yellow light for how the royal selection is unfolding…"
From here, if that were to change to a red light, would it ever turn back to green again so that Emilia could properly fulfill the role of a royal selection candidate?
"——"
To be frank, ever since the possibility of the surviving princess narrowed down to two—Felt or Filóre—Subaru feared the royal selection had shifted into something that sought the answer to, 'which of the two is the real one with a legitimate right of succession?'
Naturally, as Emilia's first knight, he couldn't accept that, but even setting that perspective aside, there was something he couldn't swallow.
It was a topic they'd already discussed on the way to the Royal Capital, while using 'Reinhard's method.'
"In the first place, before Filóre even showed up, once the suspicion that Felt was the princess was raised, why didn't it just go, 'Okay, the next ruler is Felt, done deal'?"
Of course, it's true that this world doesn't have convenient, highly reliable means of identifying individuals like DNA tests, fingerprint registries, or dental records.
But the grounds for the suspicion that Felt was the princess were pretty flimsy too: a rare physical trait and an age that matched the vanished princess.
If, in this world, that were enough to serve as proof of bloodline, then the royal selection could well have ended that day, right before Subaru made a fool of himself at the Royal Castle.
"But it didn't go that way. And the biggest reason for that—"
"—Dragon History Stone"
Subaru, whose conclusion had been preempted, raised his eyebrows; Petra, having finished wiping the plate Garfiel had passed her, was holding it out and gazing at him.
Subaru nodded, "Yeah," and accepted both the plate and that conclusion from her.
"They say that throughout history, whenever the kingdom was in all sorts of trouble, the prophecy tablet... the Dragon History Stone, would lend a hand; apparently it even carried an instruction to hold the royal selection."
"Huh? From the way you're sayin' it, ya got somethin' on your mind, Cap'n?"
"Nah, when I first heard about it, it didn't faze me at all. It's a fantasy world, right? I figured there'd be mysterious items like that and actually got kind of hyped..."
"But now you feel differently?"
"Yeah. These days, I've got plenty of things in mind that claim to tell you what's ahead... and I've had more than a few bad run-ins with them."
Seeing Subaru make a face like he'd just bitten into a bitter bug, Petra and the others exchanged glances.
It's been nearly two years since Subaru started his otherworld life, but honestly, this world is crawling with things that pose as future sight or the guidance of fate and try to feed people insider tips.
In Vollachia, Abel was hostile toward the "Stargazer," and the "Witch of Greed" he met in the tomb even handed Beatrice a blank book that ordered her how to live. And above all, the "Gospel" said to reach the hands of Witch Cultists is even rumored to twist their very way of being into something evil.
How, then, is the Dragon History Stone any different from that kind of interference that twists fate from the side?
"If you're told it shows the future, I get how you'd end up relying on it. If it's even got a track record, all the more so. But letting you make a little easy profit at first and then clawing it all back hard later—that's a classic scam move."
To rope you into a more convenient choice later, you let them win where the impact is small.
As long as you don't know what you'll be made to do in the crucial, big decision, it's dangerous to trust too much that that tip-off from fate is something good for you.
Thinking that, Subaru felt a sense of alarm toward the Dragon History Stone's very prophecy, but—
"——"
"Huh? What's with those faces, you two?"
When Subaru conveyed his concern, Garfiel and Petra stared wide-eyed.
They were the younger pair, but as a feeler and a thinker they were reliable people to consult; it was rare for them to have the exact same reaction to a single question. Even if one tilted their head, the other would give an answer he could use. That was what he'd expected, which is why—
And then, to the puzzled Subaru, the two spoke one after the other,
"How d' I even put it—"
"—I was just shocked because the idea of doubting the Dragon History Stone's prophecy never even occurred to me."
"Huh, it never even occurs to you?"
"Yeah." "Mm-hm."
With both of them nodding at the same time, Subaru thought it must be some kind of joke. But their eyes were earnest, and their expressions were colored strongly by confusion and bewilderment, leaving Subaru blinking.
Their reaction felt like being taught a way of solving a quiz he had never even imagined—a reaction to truly encountering something unexpected. It had been a while since he'd had this kind of culture gap—no, he'd just experienced it recently with the matter of inheriting the throne by bloodline.
"Honestly, I figured that was the tragedy of how little I'm used to a monarchy where the king is the most important... but this is something deeper, like a religious outlook?"
It's natural that differing climates bring different customs and different common sense, but conversely, with a difference in fundamental values this deep, it's surprising that no major friction had arisen until now. He'd thought he'd been living a pretty tough otherworld life, but apparently it hadn't been the worst yet.
He also suddenly came to understand the weight of this country being called the "Dragon Kingdom."
"Petra's a lovely beauty who bloomed in a rural village, and Garfiel's a golden rookie who used to live in a hidden settlement cut off from the outside world."
In other words, compared to those born and raised in big cities, they're in a position of having received less of the education and benefits as citizens of the kingdom—yet even the two of them lack the very idea of doubting the Dragon History Stone, which is proof that trust in the "Dragon" has settled in the depths of their unconscious.
If that's the case with these two backgrounds, then those whose identity is strongly tied to the kingdom would be all the more unlikely to arrive at a way of thinking that makes light of the Dragon History Stone. Which is precisely why, with no royal family present, this country had the groundwork to carry out a royal selection without hesitation.
If so—
"—then what Crusch was trying to do was seriously amazing."
Setting aside whether the ideal was right or wrong, he finally came to understand anew that Crusch's insistence on breaking away from the covenant with the "Dragon" was an unbelievably big decision in a world where trust in the "Dragon" has permeated this much.
In fact, judging by pregame reputation alone, Crusch had been the overwhelming front-runner in the royal selection.
The very fact that the royal selection didn’t turn into an all-Crusch sweep made it clear just how hard her platform was for the current kingdom to accept. At the same time, Subaru also speculated about the aim behind the White Whale hunt that happened right after the royal selection began.
Of course, that White Whale subjugation surely also sprang from Crusch’s desire to let Wilhelm see his vengeance done after she’d taken him into her camp. But by felling the White Whale—one of the three great mabeasts that had tormented people for centuries—under her own power, wasn’t she trying to demonstrate something?
Her resolve and ideal: to lead the kingdom strongly without relying on the covenant with the 'Dragon.'
In the end, thanks to Subaru’s intervention, the slaying of the White Whale became widely known as the result of a joint operation by three camps, with the Emilia and Anastasia camps also cooperating.
Even so, Crusch likely had no complaints. Wilhelm avenged his foe, and even while facing headwinds from those around her, Crusch managed to take her first step toward carrying her ideals through.
However, those ideals of Crusch’s would be thwarted in an unexpected way—
"Am I an idiot? No—I am an idiot."
Only upon grasping that far did Subaru finally feel the sting of his own shortsightedness.
Before he even understood what exactly the ideals Crusch had nearly had broken were, or what they truly meant, he went to see her and, on the grounds of shallow sympathy and sentiment, consoled her by saying he would help. Put together with the tragic love story of Crusch and the Fourth Prince that Felis told him later in the mausoleum, just thinking how tone-deaf and glibly his words must have skated over the surface makes him want to die of mortification.
But—
"Hey, boss. Hate to put it this way, but when ya go shootin’ your mouth off on impulse like that, it’s just like that story, ‘Garagokkle’s Lovesickness’—"
"We’ve actually been saved by Subaru’s recklessness and rashness more than once, so I kind of don’t want you talking too badly about that."
"What!? That’s what I was just about to say!"
"Sorry, I wanted to rack up some affection points with Subaru."
Petra stuck out her tongue in a cute apology, and Garfiel wilted with a little "grr…."
At their words, Subaru unconsciously bit the inside of his cheek hard. First he was surprised, then he immediately didn’t know what kind of face he should be making.
He did regret his choice of words to Crusch, but he didn’t want to meet Petra’s consideration with a scowl either. The result was a mismatched, halfway expression as his feelings jostled out of sync, and—
"…Don’t spoil me too much like that. Once I start leaning on it, there’s no end."
"Is that so? Then I want to spoil Subaru more and more. Right, Garf?"
"Not sure ‘spoil’ is the right word, but you and big bro Otto both look after everyone else and hardly ever take care of your own damn selves. Once in a while, yours truly could even toss you up high for you."
"Last time you did that, Otto punched straight through the ceiling…"
If he remembered right, that tragedy happened when Otto finished a mountain of work, got drunk, and a hyped-up Garfiel tried to show his appreciation a little too vigorously. Otto wasn’t hurt, and the alcohol had wiped his memory, so it’s a laughable story now.
Anyway—
"I figured there were a lot of things I want to do and have to do… but I’ve got one more thing I want to check now."
With gratitude, Subaru reached out both hands to pet Garfiel and Petra on the head. As the two squirmed, ticklish under his strokes, Subaru narrowed his eyes at the soap bubbles floating and popping in the washbasin.
There are plenty of people smarter and more knowledgeable than Subaru. If, among people like that, he can make his actions and thoughts give meaning to his being here—
"First off, I want to properly learn what this Dragon History Stone really is."
What forces act on it, what will is trying to guide things toward which future—he wants to believe that being able to question that is the strength of Natsuki Subaru, a man from another world.
First, he would start by learning. If he truly wanted to stand by Crusch and Felis in the way they wished, instead of being unable to act and only letting his frustration pile up.
That said—
"…If you asked Felis, they’d probably call this way of thinking arrogant."
△▼△▼△▼△
By chance, she’d overheard the exchange taking place in the kitchen and was seriously debating whether to reach for the door.
"—Looks like you’re right in the middle of a conversation that’s hard to butt into."
"—!"
"My, my? Did I startle you? If so, I’m sorry."
Saying that, Meili lightly poked her face in from behind; "No," Rem said, shaking her head as she readjusted the water jug in her hands.
She had come to the kitchen to replace the water in the pitcher that had run low. Inside, Subaru and the others in charge of cleaning up dinner were washing dishes in smooth coordination while discussing matters related to the royal selection. Not wanting to interrupt, Rem thought she would wait until the conversation reached a lull and listened to the exchange from outside the kitchen, but—
"Don’t you think Big Bro Subaru really has such a troublesome nature? Why does he try to shoulder absolutely everything like that? No wonder everyone ends up having a hard time."
When the topic in the kitchen shifted to Subaru’s disposition—specifically, the part of him that’s far too prone to self-blame—Petra and Garfiel promptly stepped in with corrections and pointed remarks, and you could tell it was slowly getting to Subaru.
Apparently Meili, who was behind Rem, could picture the scene inside as well; she referred to it in her own words and, about to seek Rem’s agreement, suddenly widened her eyes.
"Could it be... Big Sis Rem, are you veeery angry?"
"...I’m not angry, but I do have mixed feelings. Just now, I told him much the same thing Petra and the others are saying."
"Ahh, that would make you pull a face like that."
Whatever face Rem had made, Meili’s tone was as if she were handling something delicate.
However, when Rem recalled the scene where she had said something similar—the image of Subaru seeming ready to shoulder even the responsibility for the death of the Sin Archbishop of 'Gluttony' who was killed in the Prison Tower—she hesitated to dismiss the issue as merely Subaru’s nature.
Because she understood that the reason behind Subaru’s way of thinking also lay in her own attitude.
"For starters, Big Bro Subaru has this bad habit of only counting up the number of times he’s failed. It’s honestly downright rude."
Lowering her eyes under the weight of sentiment and tightening her grip on the pitcher, Rem listened as Meili, arms folded and glaring at the kitchen door, muttered that.
"Rude?"
"Isn’t it? I, for one, feel like I’ve been saved by Big Bro Subaru. It’s the same for Petra and the others, which is why they encourage him like that... and yet he acts like that—it’s galling, isn’t it?"
Putting a finger to her lips and puffing out her cheeks, Meili pouted. At that childlike sulk, Rem blinked a few times and then couldn’t help but snort with laughter.
"Oh my, did you just laugh at me?"
"I’m sorry. I was just a little surprised. From my point of view, both you and Petra seemed like children quite mature for your age."
"Do you mean cheeky? In my case it’s more like repeating what I’ve heard, but Petra’s is the result of her own stretching to act grown-up, so if Big Sis Emilia and Big Sis Rem get careless, she might overtake you and you’ll end up regretting it."
"...I don’t understand what you’re talking about."
"Reaaally? Hee-hee, reaaally?"
At once, pleased with her successful little revenge for being treated like a child, Meili put a hand to her mouth and chuckled triumphantly.
Sighing at Meili’s reaction, Rem once more looked toward the kitchen door, and then,
"It seems everyone in this camp has been saved by him at some point."
"Seems that way. That’s also why it’s hard to tell Big Bro Subaru 'no-no' when he tries to do something dangerous. —But I don’t think you need to fret about it."
"—?"
"Because, you know, I don’t think there’s any kid more brazen and out of place than me."
Pinching one of the braids in her own hair between her fingers, Meili shrugged as she said it. At the complex emotions coloring her voice, Rem narrowed her pale blue eyes.
"...It’s awfully frustrating, in hindsight, not having my 'memories.'"
It was clear Meili carried circumstances that were anything but light.
Unlike with Emilia and the others, with whom they deepened their ties in the Vollachia Empire, Rem first met Meili in the Kingdom of Lugunica—inside the dragon carriage Reinhard had given them a lift in.
In broad strokes she had heard that Meili had originally been hostile to Subaru and the others, but Subaru’s explanation—so soft and vague because he didn’t want to needlessly make their relationship awkward—left her never learning exactly what kind of friction there had been with Meili.
Even so, the complex emotions on the girl’s youthful face seemed like proof of the doubts born from that.
So—
"You too, please don’t blame yourself too much."
"——"
Holding her breath at Rem’s words, Meili stared intently at her. Rem didn’t look away and met that gaze head-on, and Meili slightly parted her lips,
"Is it really okay for you to say that? There was even a time when I tried to kill you too, Big Sis Rem."
"—. That did come as quite a shock, but since I don’t remember it..."
"Well, that's lucky. ...Lucky—should I even be calling it that, I wonder?"
Meili let it out, not so much a whisper as a voice that seemed ready to vanish.
Fiddling with her own braid, she let her gaze fall from Rem to the floor.
"Honestly, I think it's all too convenient. ...I got let off for what I did, and thanks to a blessing even the kingdom forgave me... Any day now, I'm going to get hit with a big payback, aren't I?"
"Payback..."
"Just like you get praised when you do something good, you’re supposed to be scolded when you do something bad, right? I've been running away from that all along."
Whether it was guilt over being forgiven or not, Meili's words were pessimistic and painful.
Rem didn't know the deeds of hers that lay behind that line of thinking, or even whether to take her claim that she'd tried to kill Rem as serious or a joke.
Maybe, if she learned the details, Rem's view would shift—but for now, she doesn't know.
She felt that the things she could say precisely because she didn't know could only be said now.
"I'm not trying to compare, but I have similar worries myself."
"...Rem, big sis—like me?"
"Yes. ...After having so much done for me, I don't consider myself so foolish as to think I'm entitled to it."
What comes to mind is how, waking without 'memory' in a situation with no one to rely on, she treated him—Subaru—so coldly, and slapped his hand away.
Harsh as Rem's circumstances were then, there's only so far that can justify her. The gifts Subaru grants are by no means unlimited.
"I have to pay the price for that arrogance inside me. Until I've settled that account, I don't think I even have the right to face him."
"—You're strict with yourself."
"I wonder. If I think of it as the retribution for having been harsh to someone else... to someone who treated me with care, then it's only natural. But that's my story."
"—?"
Taking a step as she spoke and closing the distance to Meili, Rem hesitated a little, then set her hand with a light pat on the head of the girl who was looking at her quizzically.
And then—
"I don't think it's healthy for someone who's still a child like you to be afraid of payback... so I'll resist that payback."
"—ah"
At Rem, who had haltingly chosen her words, Meili let out a faint breath. Then she lowered her gaze, Rem's hand still resting on her head,
"—Rem, big sis, even without 'memory,' I think you're very much one of this camp."
"...And what exactly do you mean by that?"
Rem knit her brows at Meili, who still wouldn't raise her face—as if to ask what she meant. Just then—.
"Eek!"
All at once, she felt something odd under the hand she'd left on Meili's head, and a scream slipped out before she knew it.
When she looked, a small creature poked its head out, parting her deep blue hair. Recognizing it as a scorpion clad in a deep crimson sheen, and jerking back the arm that had reflexively grabbed the water pitcher happened almost simultaneously—and so did the half-pitcher of water drenching Meili from head to toe.
"Ah."
At the spectacle, both the culprit, Rem, and the victim, Meili, were simultaneously dumbfounded. Atop Meili's wet head, the little scorpion that had been doused along with her clicked its pincers in protest.
The scorpion's sudden entrance had been the one to spring the surprise, and yet it was the party in a huff—how grand of it. Before they could even process the shock, the kitchen door flew open with a bang—
"Did I just hear Rem scream!?"
"...What terrible timing."
"Huh!? I was worried and that's the reaction!? Also what is even happening!?"
Hearing the scream, Subaru rushed out and reacted in stages, surprise upon surprise. At Subaru's usual noisiness, Rem hesitated for a moment over where to begin explaining.
But even before that, a bright little "aha" of laughter rang out—Meili. Drenched from head to toe along with the scorpion perched atop her head, she laughed,
"Haah, that's funny. I don't even have time to be down."
"Why are you so breezy about this? Hey, Petra! Towel! Bring a towel!"
"Whoa, Meili, you're soaked! You need to change right away."
Petra came pattering in with a towel, and went to wiping Meili's head—scorpion and all. As Meili let herself be fussed over, Rem, holding the now-empty pitcher, bowed her head.
She'd meant to be considerate and instead drenched her—talk about getting it all backwards. But Meili waved a hand at the remorseful Rem with a "Don't worry about it," and
"In exchange, I'll go ahead and take what you said just now seriously."
"——"
Rem widened her eyes slightly at the look in Meili's eye glimpsed through the gap in the towel. Even as that exchange went on, Petra had slipped in behind Meili and was pushing her by the shoulders, and—
"Okay, let's go get changed. Subaru, Garf-san, there's still some cleaning up left, but…"
"We'll take care of that, so it's fine. Make sure Meili doesn't catch a cold."
"Don't treat me like a kid, okay?"
Leaving that sulky mutter behind, Meili was escorted off by Petra. Right up until the moment she vanished down the hall, Meili was fluttering her hand in a wave to Rem.
After seeing those endearing girls off, Subaru looked at Rem with an "uhm," and—
"Ah, is that water for nee-sama? Then at least take that over right away."
"— No. It's my fault Petra-chan had to step out, so I'll help."
"Yeah? Then let's do it together."
Dodging the hand reaching for the water pitcher, Rem offered to help Subaru. He looked a little surprised but immediately agreed—and at that answer, Rem gave him a slightly reproachful look as her eyes narrowed.
"...You agree to this kind of suggestion without a second thought, don't you."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"It's nothing. Garf, I'll help too, so move in further, please."
"Tha's a help an' all, but why're ya only rough with how ya address me, huh?"
"Because that's what nee-sama called you, and it just somehow feels right."
Garfiel, hands dipped in the wash tub, wrinkled his nose. Sensing Subaru give a wry smile at that, Rem reflexively started to say something—then stopped.
Hadn't she just now reflected on herself when dealing with Meili?
"What's wrong, Rem? You're making a cute face—did something happen?"
"Huh?"
"Sorry, got carried away! A-alright, c'mon—let's clean up quick and bring water to nee-sama!"
Trying to cover his gaffe with momentum, Subaru rolled up his sleeves and zipped over to Garfiel's side.
Sighing as she caught up, Rem admonished herself as sternly as she could.
Until she settled accounts for her own deeds, she had no right to face this frustration.
"There are still many hardships ahead. Katya-san, Priscilla-san."
When she finally felt she'd earned that right, what kind of face would she show him?
With no answer to that yet, Rem spoke in her heart to those she loved and respected, and joined the dishwashing line in Petra's stead.
△▼△▼△▼△
Just when new doubts have budded, new tasks have been set, and you've decided, "Alright, let's get things moving," events seldom proceed according to plan.
All too often, the road to achieving a goal is hindered by stagnation born of circumstances or by unexpected upheavals.
In this case, it was the latter that undercut Natsuki Subaru right out of the gate.
"—Faa"
With a soft breath, a hand came up to the mouth that was about to open wide, hiding the yawn.
That said, it was an obvious yawn anyway, and he could even see tears welling at the corners of the other person's eyes. He often wondered: from a manners standpoint, which is judged more decorous—just letting an obvious yawn out, or stifling it and ending up with tears in your eyes? If the very act of yawning is already a breach of manners, well, that's the end of that discussion.
"—It's only a simple tea, but"
As he was watching the other party with such thoughts, a cup was quietly slid onto the table: black tea brewed by Petra, showing off the tea-pouring technique she'd learned from Ram.
As the warm fragrance of the aromatic leaves wafted up, the other's yawn was interrupted with an "Oh my,"
"It smells just wonderful. Dropping by so suddenly like this, and yet being entertained so graciously—I feel almost a little guilty, ufufu."
"No, it's fine. We were just about to have tea together, so actually I think your 'timing' was super good. Um…"
"—Sakura Element, Emilia-chan"
With that, the faintly smiling woman—who introduced herself as Sakura Element, a member of the Church of the Divine Dragon—put the offered teacup to her lips without hesitation.
Sakura had come to visit the Royal Hall where Emilia's camp was staying at around the cusp between early dawn and morning, about when Subaru and the others were finally starting to feel sharp in the head. Not that Subaru and the rest had much room to talk, but an unannounced visit like that did have a blindsiding feel to it, and—
"We, too, would have liked to extend our greetings, but Emilia-sama has a great many duties piled up and is in a very busy position. If possible, we would have preferred to be contacted in advance."
Thrown off their pace by the other side, Otto seemed more than a little put out.
His wording was polite enough, but the protest in Otto's remarks was plain to see, and Subaru thought he was quite on edge.
「Was yesterday’s venting not enough...? He looks like the type who thinks that as long as he’s speaking in a polite desu/masu tone, he’s showing proper courtesy.」
「I can hear that ‘desu,’ you know. That ‘masu’ is troubling, Natsuki-san.」
「Yikes, that’s not courtesy anymore, that’s a threat...」
Even though he was an ally, Otto would bite without mercy; but of course his battle-ready posture wasn’t a punishment mode aimed at Subaru and the others—it was because they were receiving someone who warranted maximum caution.
Coming hot on the heels of yesterday, the Church of the Divine Dragon at the center of the turmoil had gone out of its way to barge in on them; naturally, nobody could help but link that to the royal selection.
Naturally, Sakura, who had been shown into the reception room, was also thought to have her own reasons that made her not to be underestimated—
「—You’re Subaru-chan, aren’t you? If you stare at me that intently, I’ll get embarrassed.」
「Ah, sorry. You’re so beautiful, Sakura-san—I was a bit rude, wasn’t I?」
「My, flirting while apologizing—what a naughty boy. I didn’t think you were that smooth. I’ve heard all sorts of rumors about Subaru-chan, you know.」
「Rumors? About me?」
At the unexpected riposte, Subaru pointed to himself, and Sakura smiled with a “Yes.”
Then she stirred her own tea with a teaspoon, brought the cup to her lips again, and exhaled a soft sigh with a somewhat sultry gesture.
Then, tilting her head at the vague silence that had drifted up,
「…Could it be you were expecting something from me just now?」
「Well, with the way the conversation was going, wouldn’t you expect me to be curious about what rumors you heard about me, Sakura-san?」
「Eeh? But Emilia-chan and the rest of your own camp should know Subaru-chan much better, shouldn’t they? At this point, who cares what kind of rumors are going around about Subaru-chan?」
「I see—you say some pretty good things. Indeed, Betty and the others understand Subaru best. There’s nothing to worry about.」
「That’s right. With such a gallant knight around, I’m sooo proud too.」
Buoyed by such firm endorsements from Beatrice on his lap and Emilia at his right, Subaru was happy, but at the same time the topic of rumors about him drifted away in a way that left him not entirely satisfied.
At any rate, including Petra standing by the wall, Subaru and Emilia, Beatrice and Otto were the ones handling Sakura, who had launched an unannounced visit.
At present, the impression Sakura gave was that of a woman who was hard to get a handle on,
「Sakura-san, are you close with Filóre? I only just became friends with her.」
「Yes, I heard about it from Filóre-chan to the point of being sick of it. At every opportunity she goes around saying, my Emilia, my Emilia... As for me, I’m a fellow member of the church with Filóre-chan—something like an older-sister substitute, I suppose.」
「Filóre’s big sister!」
「That’s quite a difference in energy levels between the sisters, then.」
「Only a sister-substitute, mind you. That girl was raised hidden away, cherished and cherished, as the church’s treasured child, so you could even say she’s like the youngest daughter of the entire church. Heehee.」
Lowering the corners of her eyes, the warmth of Sakura’s smile stayed steady as she spoke. Because of that, even her explanation about Filóre left it unclear how much of it one should take at face value.
Still, the phrasing that Filóre was the church’s treasured child, raised in hiding, stuck with him.
「Then, is it correct to think that the reason Filóre-san hasn’t taken the public stage until now was due to such policies of the Church of the Divine Dragon?」
「That’s right. Well, that all lost its meaning when Filóre-chan up and burst out on her own, though.」
「So Filóre’s rampage was truly outside the church’s expectations…」
If you didn’t know her yourself, it would be hard to believe—but from Subaru’s perspective, having actually exchanged words with Filóre, that course of events felt completely natural.
Even yesterday, she had been forcibly ordered to remain at the church, but at that rate it felt like she would soon hit her limit and bolt outside on her own.
「Or rather, she actually did bolt—and that’s why I’ve come to pay a visit to Emilia-chan and the others like this today.」
「…Huh!? She bolted—are we talking about today!?」
「Yes, this morning. I made sure to explain yesterday what today’s business would be, and yet she’s such a troublesome girl…」
「Whoa, whoa, whoa—are we really just sipping tea while dismissing that as ‘troublesome girl’ behavior!?」
Even if it hadn’t been announced with fanfare, there was no doubt Filóre had rocketed up the steps to becoming an important figure in the kingdom. For someone like her to be acting on her own while her minder was leisurely sitting here—what was up with that?
Seeing Subaru and the others in such a panic, Sakura laughed with an 'ufufu' as if it were none of her concern, and,
"Please rest easy about that. Believe it or not, we know where Filóre-chan went. To be precise, she headed to your friend Emilia-chan's place."
"Oh, really? To my place... she hasn't come!?"
"She hasn't, right!?"
What should have been a reassurance failed to be, and the panic continued.
From Sakura's confident tone, there might have been a note from Filóre telling her destination or something, but no one in their camp had actually seen her. Naturally, neither Petra nor Otto knew where she'd gone.
"Beako, you don't know either, right? You've been with me ever since we got up today."
"That's right. I went to bed early and got up early with Subaru, brushed my teeth with Subaru, did radio calisthenics with Subaru, and then had breakfast with Subaru. In that time, Betty hasn't seen that boisterous girl either."
"W-what should we do? If something's happened to Filóre..."
Huddling together, Subaru and the others wracked their brains over the vanished Filóre's whereabouts.
They'd been startled when she suddenly showed up, and now, realizing she'd suddenly vanished, they were hit with a different shock. Filóre was like a storm in human form.
Beside the flustered Subaru and the others, Otto let out a small sigh.
"Hey, what's with you, Otto...! Don't tell me you're thinking it'd be cleaner if the source of our troubles just got blown away..."
"Otto, that's going a bit too Roswaal, don't you think...?"
"Please stop with the slander. Beatrice-chan, don't look at me like that either. ...Just to confirm, was Ms. Filóre wearing a nun's habit of the 'Church of the Divine Dragon'?"
A vein throbbed on Otto's temple under the stares of the hugging Subaru and Beatrice, and then he asked Sakura to confirm Filóre's outfit.
When Sakura nodded to that question with a 'but of course,'
"then there's nothing to worry about. Barring something extraordinary, a woman dressed as a sister of the 'Church of the Divine Dragon' won't get caught up in trouble on the roadside."
"Really? Petra-chan, is that true?"
"Yes, I think what Otto-san says is right. If someone from the church were in trouble, someone nearby would definitely lend a hand."
At Otto and Petra's matter-of-fact confidence, Subaru and Emilia felt an eye-opening 'Oh, I see.'
"But that's only if she's having trouble by the roadside, right? If it's, like, the evil, malicious hand of some villain... in a development like that, it wouldn't be foolproof, would it?"
"What is this someone that's chock-full of evil and malice and magic...? Judging from Sakura-san's attitude, that doesn't seem like a concern either. In the first place, the reason she's here is—"
"—Otto-chan, you're quick on the uptake, aren't you. That's right, I came ahead of her."
Snatching away the conclusion Otto had been about to state once she was sure he'd reached it, Sakura thus voiced the reason she had come to the Royal Hall herself.
Her way of putting it was slightly under-explained, but combined with the real Filóre's headlong single-mindedness, the answer clicked for Subaru as well, a beat after Otto.
"In other words, Filóre left saying she was going to Emilia-tan's place, but since she doesn't know the exact location, she's making her way there while asking around..."
"And you, her stand-in big sister, got out ahead of the soon-to-arrive Filóre and are having tea here with Betty and the others, is that it."
"Clap, clap, clap—perfect answer. The kids at Emilia-chan's place are very capable, aren't they."
Sakura applauded lightly and praised them, but Subaru and the others weren't so gullible as to swallow the compliment whole. Besides, even with people's kindness toward members of the 'Church of the Divine Dragon' and Filóre's drive combined, could they really be certain she was absolutely safe?
Perhaps Emilia shared the same worry; knitting her well-shaped brows,
"Sakura-san is full of confidence, but I'm worried about Filóre. Maybe I should take a quick look around the area—"
"—Emilia-san, if I may. You have a visitor."
Rem's voice, knocking on the parlor door, happened to cut off Emilia's concern just then. Reflexively, everyone turned their eyes to the door, and Emilia tilted her head. "A visitor?"
And the very next moment, with a bang, the door was flung open from the other side—
"—This is terrible, Emilia! Help your friend—me!"
"Filóre!?"
Right before Emilia, her eyes opened wide in surprise, the one who came clattering into the parlor was none other than Filóre herself, the very center of their conversation.
Her red eyes welling with tears, she rushed over to Emilia—who was watching her—and dove headfirst into her chest without slowing her momentum in the slightest. The sheer force of it made it practically a headbutt, but Emilia effortlessly absorbed Filóre's charge, catching her in a tight embrace.
「Wah, you startled me. Are you okay, Filóre? You’re not hurt, are you?」
「Yes, yes, I’m fine… No, that’s not it! I’m a wreck! Look—it's not my body, it’s my heart that’s in tatters!」
「Oh no, that’s serious… Where am I supposed to look?」
「I don’t know either, so just hold me tight!」
「Okay! Squeeze—!」
The moment she entered, Filóre completely dominated the room's atmosphere with her incredible energy. Meeting those impulsive antics without a moment's hesitation, Emilia's gallant charm truly shone through.
As he watched the two of them embrace, Petra stepped up beside him and gave the sleeve of his track jacket a light tug—
「…Is that the rumored 『Saint』?」
「That’s the rumored 『Saint』. Well? How different was she from what you imagined?」
「Pretty different, maybe… Ah, but I think it’s fine. There are all kinds of 『Saint』, after all.」
「So it’s the age of diversity even for 『Saint』, huh… Doesn’t really click for me.」
Even Petra, deft at both listening and talking, couldn’t quite put into words how overwhelmed she was.
At any rate, the worst-case possibility—that Filóre, wandering the Royal Capital alone, might not make it to this Royal Hall—was averted for the time being.
「Next up is Filóre’s objective, seeing as she’s even gone so far as to ask for help…」
「For the moment, I don’t have a good feeling about this.」
Subaru was in complete agreement with Beatrice’s supposition. Leaving Subaru and the others aside, Emilia gently soothed Filóre, who was gradually settling down in her arms,
「So, can you tell me what happened? When you say help, what do you mean?」
「Well, you see… it’s turned into a huge mess, Emilia.」
「A huge… gulp.」
At Filóre’s tantalizingly roundabout way of putting it, Emilia swallowed audibly. Watching Emilia up close, Filóre went on.
It was—,
「—It looks like I have to participate in the royal selection as a candidate!」
In a tear-thickened, cracking voice, Filóre lamented the cruel fate that had been imposed on her.
Hearing that, Emilia’s violet eyes flew wide; Otto put a hand to his brow; Petra bit her cute lips; and Subaru and Beatrice exchanged glances,
「Just as we thought…」
「My bad feeling hit the bull’s-eye.」
「Whatever am I supposed to do… Gah! Sakura!?」
Beside Subaru and the others, who had just successfully predicted an unwelcome future, Sakura—whose presence had gone unregistered by Filóre because she’d had her back to the parlor entrance—waved at her.
At the unexpected encounter with a family member, the trouble-bringing Filóre opened her mouth so wide it looked like her jaw might come unhinged. —So much for the beautiful-girl image.
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