Chapter 16 - "A Treacherous Ambush"

"Subaru is—" "—a Sin Archbishop?"

It was a suspicion that made absolutely no sense. Even when it was spoken aloud again as if to confirm it, it still made no sense at all. It was so nonsensical I almost laughed, thinking if the point was to make us drop our guard, then well done.

However, to laugh off that senseless suspicion as a joke was impossible, because the huge man before them—the one called Marcos—had far too stern a visage. At the very least, for Garfiel, who was entrusted as the coalition’s chief military officer, the option of relaxing his guard in front of this man did not exist in the slightest.

——

With a soft snort, Garfiel quietly scented the heavy tension filling the noble's mansion. —What he caught was restrained fighting spirit, anxiety and distrust that stirred the heart, and behind them, a sharp, stinging smell of fear. Lately, he had had many chances to smell that air in the Vollachia Empire, and Garfiel knew it was the air of a fire magic-stone vault on the verge of exploding. In other words—

"You lookin' to throw down with us or what?"

"—Are you saying you refuse our request?"

"Hah? You pull a stunt like spittin' first and then make a face like we're the ones pickin' a fight? Don't give me that look!"

"Wait. Don't snap, Garfiel. Please."

Grinding his fangs in irritation, Garfiel glared up from below at the taller Marcos, but Emilia’s words from behind held him back. Once she even added, "Please," Garfiel could only retract his horn. With a soft "Thanks" at his change in posture, Emilia then lifted her face with dignity.

"I’m sorry about my boy. He was so, so startled he couldn’t say anything, so he just got angry in my place, that’s all."

"Then, Emilia, are you angry as he is?"

"Well... yes, that’s right. I’m really, really muddled after being shocked, thinking, 'Why would you say something so strange?' I think I’m on the verge of getting angry. But—"

There, Emilia broke off and laid a hand to her chest. She toyed with the green magic crystal hanging there between her fingers, using its hard feel to sort out her thoughts, and—

"Even if I throw a tantrum here, it won’t improve Subaru’s position. That would just be me getting angry because I want to be angry. I don’t think that’s right."

"—You look me in the eye and say it plainly."

"…We haven’t really talked much since our last conversation, Marcos. This is what I’m like now—I’ve gotten just a little stronger than before. That too is thanks to Subaru."

——

Neither swept away by emotion nor browbeaten, Emilia answered thus, and Marcos narrowed his eyes with a look that suggested he had thoughts on the matter. Meanwhile, as Garfiel listened to Emilia speak, he felt the blood that had rushed to his head slowly recede. Even so, the tension in his body did not ease—and he would not allow it to.

"To begin with, that supposed suspicion strikes me as nothing but absurd. Natsuki being connected to the Witches' Cult'? And at the Sin Archbishop level at that? It doesn’t even qualify as a joke."

"Exactly. And Subaru has solved multiple problems the Witches' Cult' has caused up to now. He even took down Sin Archbishops, and he saved me and everyone in the village… so please don’t say weird things."

With covering fire from Otto and Petra, Garfiel nodded, "Yeah, that’s right." The Sin Archbishops of 'Sloth' and 'Greed,' and even 'Gluttony,' were slain or captured in battles led by Subaru, dealing the Witches' Cult' a heavy blow. On top of that, Subaru made major contributions to the subjugation of two of the three great mabeasts, the 'White Whale' and the 'Great Rabbit.' And yet to say Subaru is with the Witches' Cult'? It’s beyond ridiculous.

"Don’t tell me you’re sayin’ we’re in this mess ’cause allies started bustin’ each other up. Even if I got in a scrap with Big Bro Otto, I wouldn’t beat him to a pulp. Not that it’d ever turn into a fight in the first place."

"I’m not sure Garfiel and Otto’s example is exactly apt, but I think the doubt is well-founded. ...I just can’t see that man as someone capable of harboring such malice."

"Right? Sure, big bro seems to want to shoulder tons of trouble, but I think the number one reason he does it is ’cause he doesn’t think things through."

Though Rem pricked him with a little jab, Meili who followed her and the rest of the camp were in agreement with Garfiel; that was the consensus on our side, with Emilia at the center. In response, Marcos, his craggy face unmoving,

"I understand that everyone in your camp places immense trust in Knight Natsuki Subaru. That said, we must once again request that Emilia come to the castle."

"Should I tell the people at the castle what you just said too?"

"In addition, we ask that you answer our questions truthfully. If I may be overcautious, I must say that your fullest cooperation in dispelling doubts is the best course for clearing any suspicion."

"——"

"—Um, may I say something?"

As Marcos once more pressed the same request as at the start, Emilia lowered her violet-blue eyes in thought—but the one who spoke up then was Rem. Like Garfiel, she asked while keeping a sharp watch on the surrounding royal soldiers. It was—

"The crucial person... Natsuki Subaru—is it all right for him not to be with us?"

In that instant, the mood among the royal soldiers changed entirely.

"——"

The emotions directed at them sharpened, and the fine hairs on Garfiel’s body stood on end. Though no blades had been drawn, the feeling was as if sword points had been leveled at them, and that piercing focus took over the reception room of the noble's mansion. It was like a water surface that had barely remained calm being trampled, setting off ripples that would not fade—a quiver of feeling on the verge of erupting at the slightest splash—

"—Be still."

That swaying mass of emotion was, with a single word—no, with the intense sword aura that accompanied that word—swept away at once, the waves forcibly pressed flat.

"—!"

Thud—Garfiel felt as though he had been struck by an enormous, mountain-sized palm. The sudden shock blew open every pore on his body, and he had to clamp down with reason to keep himself from half-transforming into a beast. The sword aura was vast beyond comparison to what the royal soldiers had directed at them moments before, and Garfiel’s instincts bristled at the extraordinary power of its source.

"My men were most discourteous. —To the warrior on your side, I extend my apologies once more."

"—Huh? Just me?"

"I meant to aim it only at the soldiers, but I ended up hitting you as well. You seem to be very well trained."

As Marcos inclined his head in a slight bow, Garfiel noticed that the rest of their companions were frowning with no apparent idea about that sword aura just now. It seemed, just as Marcos said, that the only ones who had felt it were Garfiel and the original targets, the royal soldiers. Once again, Garfiel realized—

Marcos Gildark—though overshadowed by the abnormality that is the "Sword Saint," Reinhard van Astrea—sat at the pinnacle of the Knight Order of the Kingdom of Lugunica, and his prowess was no mere facade.

"...Your reactions just now felt suuuper strange to me. Could you answer Rem’s question? Where are Subaru and Beatrice, what are they doing?"

Leaving Garfiel, whose emerald eyes held both dread and caution, to the side, Marcos was addressed by Emilia, who narrowed her eyes thoughtfully; as the shadows on his face deepened,

"—Emilia, are you aware of Knight Natsuki Subaru’s movements?"

"Today he went out, saying he had to speak with Mr. Miklotov. By himself... well, with Beatrice, so the two of them, but he said they had arranged to talk—"

"—Lord Miklotov McMahon has passed away."

"What?"

The report that cut in as if to interrupt Emilia hit the air in the reception room harder than any rebuke for its bluntness could have.

The name Miklotov McMahon was, of course, familiar even to Garfiel. Not only because Subaru and the others had gone to meet him, but because he was a big name tied to the royal selection—a central figure in the Council of Sages. Hearing of his death, it would have been impossible not to be shocked. But the true blow lay in the words that followed.

While Garfiel and the others were still reeling, Marcos pressed on. It was—

"At present, the kingdom is pursuing the whereabouts of Knight Natsuki Subaru and Duchess Crusch Karsten, a royal selection candidate, on the premise that they conspired and were involved in Lord McMahon’s death."

"Wait! What do you mean? Subaru and Crusch? That they were involved in Mr. Miklotov’s death...?"

"The sword wounds on Lord McMahon’s body recovered from the scene match a knight’s sword bearing the crest of the House of the Duchess Karsten. There are also reports that Lord McMahon fell to the hand of Duchess Karsten, and that Knight Natsuki Subaru aided in her escape."

"Ngh—...!"

Assailed by the sheer force of the neatly arrayed facts, Garfiel felt a momentary dizziness. Not only had a dignitary named Miklotov been killed, but it was said that Crusch had done it, and Subaru had helped—an accusation that seemed nothing short of absurd.

"T-the Duchess Karsten...!"

Setting aside the ridiculous accusations against Subaru, Garfiel still couldn’t believe that Crusch was suspected of having committed a heinous act. Garfiel’s contact with Crusch amounted to only a day and a half in Watergate City. Even so, they had stood shoulder to shoulder in that battle, comrades who fought the Witches' Cult together to save the city. He knew she was someone who could truly swing her sword for another’s sake, and he genuinely wanted to do something about the price she had paid. Garfiel hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, but when he heard that Crusch’s body had been healed by the Dragon Church’s so‑called sacrament, he set aside the various circumstances around the Royal Selection and simply felt relieved that it had turned out well.

――That Crusch would commit a heinous act, and that Subaru abetted it—what nonsense.

「――Please allow me to confirm. If you’re pursuing their whereabouts, that means Natsuki and Crusch are still on the run even now, correct?」

Suddenly, in a voice with his emotions pressed down, a question flew out, seeking to properly grasp the situation. Needless to say, the one who asked was Otto, the brain of their camp. Emilia’s violet eyes, trying to quell her agitation, turned to Otto.

「Otto...」

「This is important. The fact that the Knight Commander has gone out of his way to come here is, rather than a sign of respect for Emilia, more a matter of caution, isn’t it?」

「By caution, do you mean you think Emilia and the rest of us might cause a disturbance?」

「That’s not entirely off the mark, but the chief concern is a link‑up. It’s a deployment meant to prevent Natsuki and the others from linking up with us and being sheltered. Am I wrong?」

「――I cannot answer. Explaining the intent of our disposition concerns military secrecy.」

「I see. Not denying it is sufficient.」

Watching Otto nod at Marcos’s answer, Garfiel worked the surging passion and disquiet within himself, kneading them into something harmless; he could feel nothing but reassurance.

At times like this, he truly thought it was good that Otto was here. On a complex board where many designs were entangled, Otto could put things in order and provide the necessary information, so Garfiel could devote himself to the role of shield. Here, too, Garfiel decided to stick to that, undistracted by needless emotions.

「The death of a man called Lord McMahon and the suspicion that he might have been a member of the Witches' Cult... It feels both related and not. And to say you want to hear about it from Emilia—surely that’s going too far.」

「We have already conveyed that the best way to dispel these doubts is for you to submit to questioning at the Royal Castle. If you refuse this, we will have no choice but to take it that Emilia and her camp have abandoned their responsibility to explain the suspicions regarding Knight Natsuki Subaru.」

「Isn’t that just forcing it on her regardless of Emilia’s wishes?!」

「It is not coercion. However, if you will not comply, the doubts will remain as doubts, and the kingdom will simply decide its stance toward Knight Natsuki Subaru.」

「――――」

In a low voice devoid of emotion, Marcos continued to make the same request. Whether pushed or pulled, he sat there as solid as a mountain, and could not be moved. As that fretful air began to spread on both our side and theirs—

「――Understood. I’ll go to the castle. Let me talk about Subaru there.」

「A wise decision.」

「...In that case, I’ll make the arrangements at once.」

Disliking both stagnation and a breach in the situation, Emilia chose to accede to the demand, and Marcos nodded. Petra, her eyes harboring resentment at his attitude, started to move to prepare to go up to the castle. However, Otto stopped her with, 「No.」 Narrowing his eyes, he gave a nod to the wide‑eyed Petra, then—

「We will choose who accompanies her to the castle with care... right?」

「Your insight does you credit. Quick on the uptake.」

「...What do you mean?」

As Otto and Marcos’s gazes crossed, Emilia knit her well‑shaped brows. To Emilia’s question, Marcos kept his tall back straight and said,

「As for Emilia’s appearance at the castle, we will not permit her to be accompanied by the rest of her camp. At present, the doubts surrounding Knight Natsuki Subaru could extend to Emilia’s entire camp. To preserve the independence of her testimony, we ask that her attendant be limited to a single person responsible for her personal care.」

「Only one attendant...!?」

「We regret the trouble, but we ask for your cooperation.」

Perhaps anticipating our surprise, Marcos’s attitude was unshakable. Garfiel glanced at Otto, and from the slightly furrowed brow of his older‑brother figure, he gathered that he, too, had expected this answer. The problem was that, expected or not, it would still be a blow to the camp.

「At least, just me...」

「I don't recommend that. I understand you want to serve as an escort in your capacity as a military officer, but you are more than enough of an immediate combat asset. If Emilia, who is at the center of suspicion, goes up to the castle accompanied by fighting strength, it will be taken not as an explanation but as a show of force.」

「What a ridiculous accusation...」

「I'm saying there are those who will take it that way.」

Stringing words together, the other party kept pinning down their side's intent. He wanted to dodge it somehow, but with even Otto keeping silent, that meant the other's argument made sense. However—

「If we're talking about an attendant...」

Given the state of their camp, the only candidates were Petra and Rem. If Frederica were here, entrusting the role to the elder sister would have been best, but that was wishful thinking. Rem's “memory” had not returned, making it hard to leave Emilia to her, and clever as she was, handing a situation like this over to Petra left anxiety outweighing confidence. What, then, was the best course—he was wondering that when—

「Then it's settled. Ram will go with Emilia.」

「Ram—!?」

As she spoke, Ram appeared in the parlor doorway, and Garfiel's eyes bulged. Dressed once more in her familiar maid uniform, wearing her usual strong-willed expression, Ram's entrance left not only Garfiel but also Emilia and the others unable to hide their surprise.

After all, because of the heavy strain that began with the journey to the Pleiades Watchtower, Ram had been put to bed in a practically bedridden state. She was supposed to skip today's scheduled trip to Priestella and wait in the Royal Capital for Garfiel and the others to return. Yet here she was, up on her feet, and what's more, standing proudly at Emilia's side. Then, right there in front of their dumbfounded faces, she pinched the hem of her skirt and gave a curtsey.

「My apologies for the delay. I was dutifully verifying the softness of the bed, which is why I was late to notice our guests' arrival.」

「...Is the bed's feel okay now?」

「Yes. I'd say it merits a passing grade.」

She gave a small shrug, and there was no trace of fatigue on Ram's face as she answered. But that was only because she was always good at concealing the strain; it was obvious she hadn't truly recovered. Even this exchange with Emilia was merely rephrasing Ram's condition as the bed's condition—there was no question that worries remained. However—

「Sister...」

「Rem, I'm leaving the ones left over on your side to you. None of them can manage without the strength of the cute and capable sisters, Ram and Rem. Only Petra is somewhat better.」

「...Yes, understood.」

At those words from Ram, who had naturally decided to take on that role, Rem swallowed down her worry and anxiety for her sister, holding back the moisture in her pale blue eyes as she nodded. Meanwhile, Garfiel looked over at Otto. It could be seen as Ram acting on her own to some extent, but Otto's judgment was—

「Yes, I think Miss Ram is the right choice. May we entrust Emilia to you?」

「You needn't say it. It's you who should get yourself together, Otto. And Garfiel, do your best to let yourself be used properly.」

「...Don't need ya to tell me.」

Even Emilia, Rem, and Otto all respected Ram's decision and responded with composure as those entrusted with her words, yet there was a hint of weakness in Garfiel's voice. He was ashamed of that, but Ram's pale-crimson eyes softened slightly,

「You dummy.」

and with a sweet sort of severity, she brushed aside Garfiel's weakness.

「Everyone, I'm going. I'll clear up Subaru's misunderstanding properly and explain so everyone will understand.」

And so, with unanimous agreement in the camp for Ram to accompany her as attendant, Emilia, having steeled herself to go to the castle, made her declaration and looked around at Garfiel and everyone else.

To be honest, the situation was the height of absurdity. In times like this, simply taking hits one-sidedly is a bad sign. If this were a brawl, letting the opponent do whatever they want would mean losing in no time. To avoid losing, you have to read what they want to do and stop it—and, in turn, force through what you want to do.

「As always, please lend me your strength. I'm asking you, please.」

Saying that, Emilia bowed deeply and made her request of her comrades in the camp. She was the head of the camp, a royal selection candidate, someone with a proper lofty title, and yet she could still bow without hesitation and rely on someone else's strength. That, Garfiel—or rather, all the members of the camp—felt was the reason they wanted to give their all for Emilia and Subaru. And so—

「Ohh! 'Course! Don't ya worry, Emilia!」

At the very least, to scatter the anxieties of Emilia and Ram as they headed for the castle, Garfiel raised a fist, his voice especially full of fighting spirit.

△▼△▼△▼△

—And so, after seeing Emilia taken away to the Royal Castle by Marcos and the others, with only Ram accompanying her as attendant, the group saw her off, but—

"Everyone, pack only the bare minimum. —We leave in five minutes."

Addressing those who remained in the noble's mansion, Otto broached the matter without delay. Wanting to confer only within their own camp, they had driven off the soldiers left to watch the mansion and remained by themselves in the parlor; at this statement made so soon after, Garfiel's eyes bulged.

"Five minutes—you ain't even gonna wait for Emilia?"

"Yes. The situation doesn't allow even a moment's grace. The suspicion cast on Natsuki, and the hardline demand that Emilia come to the castle... the aim is obvious."

"—They're trying to eliminate her from the Royal Selection, right?"

"Almost certainly."

Responding to both Garfiel's doubt and Petra's words, Otto let a keen light dwell in features that were usually gentle, raised a finger, and said, "Listen."

"The timing lines up far too neatly. On the day Lord McMahon summoned us, a violent incident that dragged Natsuki in... and the one who did the deed was Crusch, a Royal Selection candidate. There's a powerful hand at work."

"To remove Emilia and one other from the board together... that person was used for that purpose, right?"

"With the information we have now, that's the only way to see it. As for Crusch, once she took the Dragon Church's help, continuing in the Royal Selection should already have been difficult, but..."

"Heeey, I get that you could talk forever, but we don't have much time, do we? It'll be bad if that 'Oiwa-san' comes back, right?"

Cutting in like that to call a halt to a discussion that was about to drag on was Meili. Playing with her braid, she made the Little Red Scorpion perched on her head click its pincers—by "Oiwa-san," she probably meant Marcos. Indeed, at the moment Marcos was accompanying Emilia to the Royal Castle and was absent from the scene. As things stood, the noble's mansion was surrounded by royal soldiers ordered to stand by, and effectively, Garfiel and the others who remained had been quietly placed under house arrest—but—

"If we meekly comply, we'll run out of moves. We'll move before Marcos gets back."

"...You're going to look for that person, aren't you?"

"Natsuki and Crusch. What happened to those two, and what they saw at Lord McMahon's mansion—we have to know, or there's nothing to discuss."

"Will it be alright, relying on that person?"

"Even if Natsuki can't do it, Beatrice is with him. The one stuck to him is way more reliable than the main body."

Letting a small smile peek out, Otto smiled at Rem to reassure her. Rem, her brows dipping, accepted the consideration; it was probably not relief from the bottom of her heart. As that current of everyone breaking apart their shared anxiety ran through them all, Garfiel slapped both his cheeks with his hands,

"Alright. I'm steeling myself too! Otto, even if we're gone, for Emilia and Ram..."

"There shouldn't be any danger. Even skipping various procedures, it won't be permitted to harm Emilia, a Royal Selection candidate. They'll keep to that rule. In any case, once they forced her to come to the castle, the other side's aim became a single thing: Emilia's confinement."

"Tch, fine! Then I'll bust up all the lookouts, and in that opening—"

"—No."

"Huh?"

Cracking his knuckles and working himself up, Garfiel found Otto shaking his head in front of him. Having his momentum cut, his eyes went round, and Otto fixed Garfiel with a serious look,

"The sentries are only acting under orders; they aren't our enemies. I want to avoid injuring them. Ideally, we won't even let them draw their swords. What we should be doing is fleeing to clear our name, not fighting a war."

"If we cause harm, Emilia's and Sister's... that person's standing will get worse as well."

"That's right."

As Otto nodded while adjusting the set of his hat, Garfiel ground his molars. He understood. He understood the logic. He understood the logic, but he couldn't think of how to proceed from there. Of course, if Marcos returned, there would be no guarantee they could get out of the noble's mansion safely. But right now, at least, they could force an escape. If that was taken off the table, then what on earth could they do—

"Where the watch is thin, I can find out by asking the insects and birds. I can even ask them to draw attention. It still won't be certain, but..."

"—In that case, I have an idea."

"Really, Petra?"

As Otto proposed their usual method using his Blessing, Petra shot her hand up, and Rem, eyes going round, asked her a question. In response, Petra squeezed her small fists tight with a "Yes!" and—

"I'm really, really angry right now. At Subaru being suspected, at Emilia getting glared at, and at making Ram push herself. That's why we are absolutely not going to just do whatever they say!"

"That's scary and dependable an' all... so what do we do?"

"Of course, I've got a trump-card plan. It's Otto's specialty!"

"My... specialty...?"

Pointed at with a snap, Otto tilted his head with no idea what she meant. Meanwhile, Petra, her cheeks flushed with excitement, looked utterly confident in this so-called plan.

"Petra, what are you planning to do?"

"It's something Meili and Garfiel know about too. So—"

Saying that, everyone leaned in as Petra beckoned, and she boldly explained the details of her trump-card plan. It was—

△▼△▼△▼△

"Fire—!!"

With that urgent shout from a royal soldier, panic flared through the noble's mansion. What they had witnessed was smoke billowing furiously out of the kitchen. With a mass of smoke accompanied by heat and the stench of scorching, many of the brave soldiers moved at once to respond.

They rushed into the kitchen to check the source of the fire and hurried to identify the cause of the thick smoke. Depending on the situation, they would put it out, aiming to douse both the flames and the panic immediately. However—

"The source is under the floor, and the smoke's because the chimney's been blocked... putting it out won't be easy."

So said Petra—who had proposed the fire-alarm plan and even worked out the detailed method—as she deepened her smile while listening to the panic arise just as she'd planned. It was a smile that should, generally speaking, be called cute, but seeing it up close left Garfiel feeling, for some reason, a bone-deep chill. Be that as it may—

"I still can't accept being treated as if \"burning down buildings\" were my specialty!"

Setting Otto's protest aside, the fire-alarm plan succeeded brilliantly. Because they could not endanger an important building like the noble's mansion, nor the associates being kept there under house arrest, the royal soldiers were kept busy dealing with the smoke, and their attention slipped away from the movements of Garfiel and the others. In the meantime—

"Sorry, but I'm gonna have ya sleep a bit!" "I'm sorry. I only hold a grudge... on my sister's behalf."

—!

The two soldiers who, at the very least, had not left the back entrance unguarded were each handled by Garfiel and Rem, who choked them out to secure a path. Don't let them draw their weapons. While meeting the conditions Otto had specified beforehand, Garfiel met Rem's eyes and they nodded to each other. Then, together with Otto and Petra and Meili and the others, they went outside the building.

"If all you wanted was to cause a commotion, I could've used mabeast and made it happen however you liked, y'know."

"Absolutely not. If Meili-chan calls mabeast and lets them rampage, it will only push the suspicions on us along. Subaru is a Sin Archbishop of the Witches' Cult', Emilia is connected to the 'Witch of Envy,' Meili-chan goes on a rampage with mabeast, and Otto goes around burning buildings down."

"As for that last suspicion—well, the previous mansion too—but there's the counterargument that it wasn't just me; Petra was there as well!"

"Putting your disposition aside, Otto, got it."

With her skirt hem fluttering, Meili shrugged as she pitter-pattered along. Even so, though she kept a breezy attitude, Garfiel thought those words had probably come from Meili's own sense of frustration. Meili had power. But it was a double-edged sword that, if she swung it, would also put the ones she wanted to protect in danger—the existence of a blade she could not swing was making her chafe.

"Don't you worry. I'll put in a bit of work to make up for what you're lackin'."

Running alongside the trotting Meili, Garfiel reached out and patted her head. Instantly, Meili gave him a flat, narrow-eyed look of displeasure, and Garfiel clacked his fangs.

"Otto-nii's the ears, I'm the nose—we'll sniff out the boss somehow. Until then... yeah, cheer us on, cheer us on! Just cheer."

"Cheer... like, \"Do your best\"?"

"Yeah. Being cheered on really does give you strength."

Meili looked at him dubiously, but it was a feeling Garfiel knew well. In Priestella, where they were supposed to be headed, the reason Garfiel was able, however awkwardly, to go up against Kurgan the 'Eight-Armed,' who had become a corpse soldier, was thanks to the younger kids who were there—and to the support of the citizens who, encouraged by Subaru's speech, had found hope.

Yes, that's right. The reason Garfiel was able to win there was the power of everyone's support. And that will to cheer existed because none other than Subaru roused the people. It was the result of Natsuki Subaru painting over the despair prepared by the Witches' Cult with hope.

"And there's no damn way that boss is a Sin Archbishop...!"

At a story so absurd it's not even worth doubting, Garfiel feels like the figure he looks up to has been smeared, and it makes him truly, truly furious. Not only Priestella. In the Sanctuary where Garfiel lived with his grandmothers, in Petra's Arlam Village which was saved from the Witches' Cult, and among those who challenged the subjugation of the White Whale alongside Subaru—there are many who know the goodness of Natsuki Subaru.

—and among them, the one who believes in Subaru the most is none other than Emilia.

According to Otto, the summons for Emilia to come to the castle was intended from the start to detain her, and the supposed questioning to clear Subaru of suspicion is nothing but a pretext. However, if the other side truly intends to clear Subaru's name, there is no one but Emilia who could weave the words for that with her entire soul.

"Damn it."

Frustrating. Frustrating. It's just so frustrating. So, so frustrating that it won't stop. Subaru has been giving it his all, hasn't he? Wanting to be of help to the Emilia he fell for, wanting to protect the hearts of everyone together with them—he's just kept on charging ahead, recklessly, with everything he had.

So then why won't they listen to the voices of those who know how hard Subaru has worked? If they'd only give us that one small chance, they'd understand.

—that Natsuki Subaru is a guy who struggles with everything he's got to realize an outrageous ideal, unbelievably cool—the big-brother figure Garfiel is proud of.

"Big Bro Garfiel..."

"—N-not a thing! They say, 'Even Kurgan took down his enemy after losing an arm'! I ain't gonna sit around moping either!"

Intending to encourage Meili, he instead found the emotion welling up in himself; he blew it away with a spirited shout and a click of his teeth, and Garfiel faced forward. At that, Meili narrowed her eyes slightly and—

"Seriously, you're all comrades of Big Bro Subaru and Big Sis Emilia, huh."

She muttered something that, to Garfiel, could only be taken as a compliment.

"Mr. Otto, what shall we do from here?"

With that exchange between Garfiel and the others behind them, Rem pulled up alongside Otto running in the lead and posed the question. In response, as he guided them, Otto said, "This way."

"For now, I'd like us to lie low so our trail can't be tracked. And it won't take much time before it becomes evident that we've fled. I want to get out of the Noble Quarter immediately. For that, I'm borrowing their power."

"—. ——. I see."

Choosing shadows and back alleys, Otto led the route since they dashed out of the noble's mansion. In the direction of his gaze, the familiar insects were furtively wriggling about. At his mention of borrowing their power, Rem limited herself to a word of acknowledgment. Since Garfiel had been badly stung by them in the past, he had some unpleasant memories of Otto negotiating with the bugs—mainly the Zodda Bug. Even so, as allies there are none more dependable—whether human or insect.

"If we get caught at a checkpoint, it's over. So—Garfiel!"

"Ya got it! You two, hang on!"

"Kyaa—!"

At Otto's call, Garfiel pulled Meili and Petra in close at his sides, scooped each up with a hand, then kicked off the wall before them—the sturdy defensive wall that connects the Royal Capital's Noble Quarter and Commoner Quarter—and vaulted over to the far side. The wall should play an important role in the capital's security, but with Garfiel's leg strength it's child's play.

"Wait here a sec. Gotta go bring Otto-bro and Rem over too."

"I get that, but... Garfiel, you can't just suddenly pick up a girl. I was really, really startled just now."

"Hah? Don't sweat such petty stuff—hey, don't give me that scary look! Okay, okay!"

It must have been serious, because intimidated by Petra's flat, chilly stare, Garfiel apologized. Then he took a running start, glared up to vault the wall again—and—

"Sorry. We managed to get over even without Garfiel."

Hearing that, and with Rem landing right in front of him, Garfiel widened his eyes. That she could clear this wall was one thing, but even more surprising was—

"So Big Bro Otto managed to get by without screaming, huh."

"It was a close call, though... Rem, please put me down. Natsuki is going to kill me."

"Huh? Why are you bringing up that person's name? I don't understand.",

"Japanese",

"en"

"That's the way someone talks when they actually understand what it means!"

Otto let out that scream as Rem, who was carrying him, glared at him from up close. Once he somehow got set back down on the ground, Garfiel, watching Otto and Petra and the others teasing him, exhaled deeply and forced down the emotions that had been surging just moments before.

No doubt, the situation is bad. Perhaps even worse than when they were caught up in the civil strife in the Empire. But surely Subaru is safe with Beatrice. Emilia, too—if Ram is with her, she won’t do anything reckless and will do her best. And here we have Otto and Rem, Petra and Meili; all of them are dependable. —And I will support them.

The situation is bad. But I can still laugh. If I can laugh, then I'm not completely cornered.

"Bro Otto, next I'll haul ya and make the jump!"

"Yes, I'd appreciate that."

"Yeah. So what do we do from here? Sounded like the plan was to hole up for a bit."

"Right. For now, let me lead you to somewhere deserted—"

Otto, slowly shaking his head and scanning their surroundings, broke off there. He blinked rapidly and began darting his eyes around at the buildings and cover near the ramparts, peering restlessly here and there. Sensing the barely concealed agitation in him,

"Bro Otto?"

"—They're not there."

"Not there? What's not—?"

"The Zodda Bugs. No—it's not just the Zodda Bugs. The other insects I tasked with guiding us this far, they've all disappeared... No way!"

Eyes wide, Otto turned not toward the hiding places but back to Garfiel and the others. His face went stiff; voice scorched by panic, he grabbed Garfiel by the arm. And—

"I blew it! Somehow... the bugs tricked me!"

"Bugs tricked you... Otto? That can't—"

"It can happen! We were led on! At this rate, there's no way out! We have to get out of here right—"

Before they knew it, the area they had thought was a safe zone had been breached; even Otto, the one most involved, looked as if he couldn't believe it, yet he insisted on the worst-case scenario. Spurred by that, Garfiel shook off the daze creeping over him and moved to do exactly as Otto said—

"—That's far enough."

It was at that very moment that the worst pursuers imaginable closed in.