Chapter 23 - In Search of the Best

—The Lugunica Royal Castle he had looked up at countless times was far away, its white edifice seeming about to be swallowed by the evening sky.

「――Emilia」

Letting that slip out in a murmur, Subaru felt as if his heart were being torn apart. Emilia, imprisoned in that castle at the summit of the Royal Capital. His wish had always been to seat her upon the throne in that place someday, never to see her chained in a cell.

「……Emilia is a royal selection candidate. At the very least, on the surface she should be treated with courtesy. They shouldn't have her chained up in a cell。」

「I know. I know. But that's not the point……」

「――――」

「Ah, sorry…… you're trying to cheer me up and all。」

「Is it alright? Encouraging a Subaru who's at his limit is a partner's privilege. I wonder if Petra and Rem will cry in frustration。」

「Petra aside, I wonder about Rem. She probably wouldn't get frustrated。」

Smiling wryly like that, Subaru was surprised he could even manage a wry smile. Only moments ago, the thought of his own powerlessness and of the Emilia he could do nothing but leave behind had threatened to tear his chest apart, and yet Beatrice's presence was immense. When he glanced at her, she gave him an adorably smug look, and a small sigh escaped him again.

—Subaru and Beatrice, along with those who had been in the Six Tongues' staging area, were making preparations to move as scheduled under Russell's instructions.

The staging area, daringly enough, had been one of the largest warehouses in the commercial district. It lay close to the defensive wall adjoining the nobles' quarter, giving Subaru a glimpse of how deeply the Six Tongues had infiltrated—how astonishingly they had blended into the Royal Capital and existed there as a matter of course. Now, Subaru and the others had gone around to the back of the staging area and, up until the very last moment before their escape arrangements were set, gazed at the Lugunica Royal Castle where Emilia was supposed to be.

「――――」

Crusch, who had yet to regain consciousness and continued to sleep; Rachins, who unlike Subaru and the others had shown no resistance to escaping from the Royal Capital; and White Sheep and Black Dog—led by Russell—made up the core members, but apparently there were also multiple personnel handling disguises and information disruption. As expected of an intelligence agency directly under the Kingdom, the scale of everything they did was huge.

「But even with all that power, we're in the position of having been completely beaten。」

「Yeah, but we won't just sit here and take it. This escape is for that—the run-up to our comeback。」

「A run-up, is it.――I was a little surprised。」

As Subaru voiced his resolve not to lose, Beatrice, holding his hand, murmured that. When Subaru tilted his head and said, 「Surprised?」, Beatrice faintly knit her brows,

「That you could decide to leave the Royal Capital that quickly, Subaru. Leaving Emilia behind, and not linking up with Otto and the others—both must have been painful choices。」

「Yeah…… no question, and it's still true now. Before I headed out to Mr. Miklotov's place, I was talking with Emilia-tan about what to have for lunch. She told me to look forward to it because today she was making a boxed lunch with Rem and Petra…… and now look at us。」

「Subaru……」

「It hurts, and it's rough. But the fact that you, Beako, didn't oppose it means you know this is the best option, right? You do too。」

At Subaru's dejected tone, after a moment, Beatrice gave a small nod. She hadn't said it back there. Beatrice, too, was convinced that staying in the Royal Capital would only slide into a losing battle. Even so, she hadn't rushed Subaru's decision out of consideration for him, and so that he himself could accept it. Not to have him give up because someone told him to and he had no choice, but to make Subaru choose it himself.

「You're cute and strict, my Beako。」

「On top of that, this cuteness and strictness come with a lifetime guarantee。」

「What a bargain. I'm glad I signed up for the Beako insurance。」

Rubbing her head roughly, Subaru felt his heart cleansed by how dependable his partner was. Normally she'd quickly wriggle free with a 「Quit it, will you~!」 but letting him have his way now was probably Beatrice's consideration for Subaru's feelings. And then――

「It's about time the preparations for departure are complete. Are you two ready?」

The one who called out to them was 『White Sheep』. Over her black suit she wore a white robe—the same Recognition Interference as Subaru and the others—and had let down her tied-up hair, subtly changing her look. Recognition Interference × light disguise: a style for concealing one's identity.

「Heh」

「W-what is it? Do I look strange somehow?」

「Oh, sorry, no, that's not it. You just make a really different impression than when it's just the suit. If anything, your current getup has more of a 『White Sheep』-chan vibe。」

「That…… may be true. Before I was picked up by the 『Silver Fox』—back when I was with my mom—I wore clothes like this more often。」

「Ah, sorry. I made you remember, didn't I。」

Feeling he'd made her dredge up unpleasant memories, Subaru apologized, and White Sheep gave a faint smile and said, "No." Then she stroked her long navy-blue hair,

"...I'm the one who should apologize."

"—? What are you apologizing for?"

"Even though it was on our end, we ended up rushing you... I'm sorry. Really, Natsuki Subaru, you must have wanted more time to make your decision."

Lowering her eyes and sounding like she was the one suffering, White Sheep made Subaru give a wry smile despite himself. She had left Capella's Beloved Children and was now a member of Russell's Six Tongues, but at her core she was so good-natured that she really wasn't cut out to be a villain's underling or a comrade to spies. After all, she was even trying to shoulder the time Subaru had spent making his choice.

"You don't have to take on my stuff too. I didn't feel rushed. If anything, I'm grateful you gave me the information I needed to decide."

"Natsuki Subaru..."

"But if you still just can't help feeling abashed, then—knock that off."

"Huh?"

"That thing where you call me by my full name, 'Natsuki Subaru.' Natsuki or Subaru is fine, but pick one or the other. It puts me on my guard."

At Subaru's request—delivered with a shrug and as much casualness as he could muster—White Sheep blinked wide-eyed and mouthed soundlessly for a while. Beside Subaru, Beatrice heaved a big sigh at her, and—

"You don't have to overthink it. He's saying exactly what he means, that's all."

"What's with that unnecessary disclaimer...? What other meaning could there be?"

"I don't kno-ow, not telling."

"That's exactly how someone who does know would say it!"

Beatrice covered her ears and turned away, and Subaru stuck out his lower lip in a sulky pout. Perhaps their back-and-forth took the edge off, because the tension seemed to drain from White Sheep's shoulders, which had been frozen in surprise until then. And then—

"—Would Subaru-san and Beatrice-san be all right?"

"Yeah, that works. If you want, you can even go with 'Becchin.'"

"Becchin!? Not even Subaru has ever called me that!"

"I-I don't think I'd get a reply if I tried that, so I'll just stick with this..."

With that admirably modest response, White Sheep relinquished the historic right to call Beatrice "Becchin." She didn't seem the least bit attached to the idea, however; instead, she looked at Subaru with eyes shadowed by some other worry. As Subaru knit his brows at that look, her lips moved at the same time—

"Um, Subaru-san, Ti—"

"—Hey! What the hell are you dawdling for!? Move it, now!"

But then Rachins barged in, voice rough and rasping. At the cutting glare in Rachins' already fierce, whites-of-the-eyes stare, White Sheep gave a frightened little "Eep" and hunched her shoulders. Stepping in to shield her behind him, Subaru fixed his eyes on Rachins and said,

"You seriously don't look good in that robe."

"Shut the hell up, mind your own business! And why the hell do I gotta be bossed around by Russell Fellow? Make the ones you chained up with slave contracts do the work!"

"I-it's not a slave contract!"

"White Sheep, getting that flustered makes it sound legit..."

Gently chiding White Sheep for taking Rachins' foul mouth too seriously, Subaru looked once more toward the distant castle and let out a long breath—just praying for her safety.

"I wonder if Emilia is praying the same thing for you, Subaru."

"For us, not just me. That would make me happier, and it's more like Emilia."

Answering Beatrice, who read his heart with a single glance, Subaru turned his back on the castle and set off, as if cutting away his lingering regrets. From there, the plan was to pass through the waiting area and board the Dragon Carriage parked out front. In the quickly emptying waiting area, he spotted the robed back of someone trying to carry out a box about the size of an armful. He couldn't tell what was inside, but it looked like they were struggling with the weight,

"Should I take this to the Dragon Carriage outside?"

"Ah..."

He quickly reached out and lifted the box in their stead—well, "easily" would be a lie. It was pretty heavy, so it took at least a solid heave-ho's worth of effort. Fortunately, he managed to get it up by himself, which kept up appearances; as Subaru breathed a little inward sigh of relief, the person he'd relieved—the one with their hood pulled low over their eyes—reacted in confusion.

"—? Are you all right?"

Tilting his head at the bewildered person, Subaru frowned. He couldn’t see their face under the hood, but they had a slender build. That said, in terms of having an unknown face, Black Dog had seemed far more suspicious, so that alone wasn’t a reason to be wary. What gave Subaru pause, rather, was the person’s awkward reaction. However, before he had time to press the issue, they dipped their head and hurried off at a run.

"Not even saying thank you—how rude."

"Hey, some people are shy. Not everyone’s as friendly and cute as Garfiel."

"Why bring up Garfiel there…? Well, I suppose I can kind of see it."

Charm shows not just in looks, but in one’s demeanor and words. As Subaru and Beatrice nodded in agreement at that shared view within their camp, White Sheep noticed Subaru laden with luggage, called out, "Excuse me," and—

"Sorry to make you carry that, Subaru… I’ll tell Blue Serpent about it later."

"Nah, this much is nothing… Wait, that person just now was Blue Serpent? That’s the one who healed my burn, right?"

"Ah—yes. A very skilled user of healing magic."

When Subaru reacted to the codename—Blue Serpent—White Sheep confirmed it. After Sheep, Dog, and Fox, having the healer be a Serpent was a pretty clever touch. In Subaru’s mind, snakes and medicine are inseparable. In Greek mythology, the physician Asclepius’s staff is said to have a single serpent coiled around it. Of course, the connection between that and the name Blue Serpent was probably just a coincidence.

"In that case, I’m the one who ought to be thanking them. Just hauling some luggage hardly counts as paying them back."

"Ah, but that might be difficult. Blue Serpent doesn’t really like talking with other people… and Silver Fox has told us to respect that wish."

"Huh? A doctor who doesn’t like people, huh… Makes them sound all the more like a genius physician."

Being highly skilled yet eccentric is practically a prerequisite for famous doctors in manga and anime. Even so, accepting White Sheep’s point, Subaru gave up on contacting Blue Serpent. Instead, he decided he would help out again if they struggled with moving cargo and pay the favor back little by little. Anyway—

"—Let’s go. So we can come back again."

As if saying it to himself, Natsuki Subaru declared it, took Beatrice at his side, and stepped out of the waiting area.

△▼△▼△▼△

"—The principle of Recognition Interference is to subtly alter the impression or aura something naturally gives off, as well as the way it is emitted, minimizing any snag each time. In other words—"

"In other words?"

"Within a strict security net, it is only a small comfort at best. Please do not rely on it too much."

So advised by Russell, seated facing him inside the Dragon Carriage, Subaru gave a small nod and pulled his own hood and the one on Beatrice beside him a little lower.

With the arrangements by Six Tongues complete, they were amidst a line of Dragon Carriages disguised as a merchant caravan departing the Royal Capital. The carriages prepared were not high-class; rather, they were the plain, unadorned sort that even peddlers along the highways would use, with all ostentation stripped away. To sell the caravan disguise, the convoy was not just one or two vehicles but on the order of ten, which in its own way risked drawing attention—and that gave him pause, but—

"Please rest easy. At present, the Royal Capital is in a bit of a tense state. Many dislike this and choose to leave the Royal Capital temporarily. We will take advantage of that."

"And that ‘tense state’ is…?"

"Naturally, it is out of concern that a dangerous wanted person may be hiding in the city. A considerable number of Kingdom soldiers have been mobilized, and a heavy-handed investigation is underway. Lord McMahon’s death is being kept from the public, but one cannot hide the air of a state of emergency."

"Yeah, that figures… Everyone must be really on edge."

Having his expectations about the Royal Capital’s mood confirmed, Subaru felt pity for the people of the capital being caught up in Lust’s machinations. Russell then narrowed his eyes slightly,

"Lord Natsuki, you worry not only about Emilia and your camp, but even about the citizens of the Royal Capital as well?"

"Huh? No—well, I wouldn’t say I’m worried exactly, but I do wonder if they’ll be okay. Even Capella, surely she wouldn’t just swap out citizens with her Authority for no reason… The fact that I can’t say that for sure might be what’s weighing on me."

At the Royal Castle, as a member with the right to make decisions, replacing the 『Council of Sages』 and the Upper Nobles can rightly be called the optimal move for taking over the nation. By comparison, exercising her Authority on the citizens doesn't go beyond mere harassment, but Capella is the sort who would gleefully do even that. Of course, as for that act in Priestella, she must have had the aim of deliberately making her existence and the effect of the Authority of 『Lust』 widely known, and of keeping the 『Six Tongues』 fully occupied—but—,

「――――」

「...Hey, Mr. Russell?」

Just then, as far as he had gotten in his thoughts, Subaru noticed that Russell was keeping silent. At Subaru's call, Russell, who had been stroking his goatee with a finger and had one eye closed, briefly added, "No," and—

「Lord Natsuki's concern is perfectly reasonable. I don't know if it will be any comfort, but the 『Six Tongues』 will not be withdrawing from the Royal Capital all at once. A fair number will remain to grasp the state of affairs and carry out disruption. If you would place your trust in their work.」

「Yeah, sorry, but we'll just have to leave that to you and your people, Mr. Russell. If I had ten or twenty arms and five or six bodies, I could have been a lot more useful, but...」

「What a ridiculous figure of speech, you know. Subaru is, as the current Subaru, more or less perfect, I suppose.」

「Thanks for the so-so evaluation. ...Anyway, on that side, the only ones we can rely on are you and yours, Mr. Russell. Show me the full might of the intelligence agency 『Six Tongues』.」

When he showed his fist clenched tight, Russell dipped his chin as if to say he understood. Finding that response reassuring, Subaru shifted his attention to the rear of the Dragon Carriage—to the other Dragon Carriage. As mentioned above, the Dragon Carriages of the merchant caravan disguised by the 『Six Tongues』 number over a dozen, but the one Subaru and the others are riding is at the head, and the personnel are split up among them. In particular, what weighs on Subaru's mind is Crusch, who did not wake even once in the waiting area.

Since falling asleep in the sewers, she has not regained consciousness. Just before drifting off, Crusch had mentioned the influence of 『Dragon Eye』, but that was based on her own self-diagnosis, and in truth they have no idea what that 『Dragon Eye』 actually is. Beatrice did say there were no causes other than fatigue, but—

「Are you worried about Lady Crusch?」

「Well, yeah. But that goes for you too, right? If you want to borrow Crusch's strength to fight the 『Beloved Children』, you can't be at ease, can you?」

「We are indeed concerned. However, those whose diagnostic skills likely have no equal say there is nothing wrong with Lady Crusch's body itself. Of course, there are concerns about this so-called 『Dragon Eye』 you mentioned, Lord Natsuki, but...」

「For now, we just have to treat her carefully and wait quietly for her to wake up, huh.」

「Just so.」

Having his misgivings answered with such care, Subaru sighed at how many things lay beyond his reach. In truth, the ones who value Crusch's safety above all are the 『Six Tongues』. There is no doubt they will spare no effort for her sake. To the point of bringing in a skilled healer—

「Come to think of it, was it the 『Blue Serpent』? I caught a brief glimpse earlier—are they the one staying with Crusch?」

「—. You met the 『Blue Serpent』?」

「Huh? Ah, only in passing right before we left. They wouldn't speak to me. Like 『White Sheep』 said, they're shy.」

「...Yes. By and large, that's not incorrect. As for Lady Crusch as well, the 『Blue Serpent』 is handling it. Please rest easy.」

Perhaps it so surprised him that the people-shy—or perhaps people-averse—『Blue Serpent』 had crossed paths with Subaru, but for the first time Russell needed a beat before answering, which Subaru found refreshing. Still, while he was relieved to hear that the 『Blue Serpent』 was attending to Crusch—

「Ferris must be really worried too.」

Dismissed from the position of First Knight by Crusch, Ferris had brushed off Subaru's offer to mediate between them. Since parting at the Cemetery in the Royal Capital, his whereabouts have been unknown, but he is surely still in the Royal Capital. Naturally, this commotion must have reached his ears as well. If only he would link up with Wilhelm and refrain from doing anything rash—so Subaru was thinking when—.

「—Did we stop?」

Suddenly assaulted by the sensation that the Dragon Carriage had halted, Subaru involuntarily stiffened. On instinct, he put an arm around Beatrice's shoulders, trying to brace for an unexpected development. But at Subaru's reaction, Russell, seated opposite, smiled and said, "Please, be at ease."

「It seems we've joined the waiting line for the Checkpoint at the main gate of the Royal Capital. It's crowded even in normal times, but it looks like we'll be kept waiting a fair while.」

「A long wait? Even though it's about to be night, that many people are leaving the Royal Capital?」

「Only a portion of them, but those with quick ears, quick judgment, and a keen eye for profit and loss care nothing for day or night. When tomorrow comes and this mood spreads further, many more may start moving.」

「It's like a repeat of what happened in the Empire, you know. Back then too, didn't crowds flee the Imperial Capital?」

「I was thinking the same thing. No way do I want this to end up like the Imperial Capital.」

Nodding at Beatrice's words, Subaru recalled Vollachia's Imperial City Lupugana. Led by the Sphinx, who commanded the 『Great Disaster』, the Imperial Capital had turned into a city of corpses, and under Abel's orders a mass migration of Imperial citizens took place—a recent memory. But that worked because it was Vollachia, where a powerful top-down command functions; asking for the same in Lugunica is difficult. All the more since, unlike the dead, there's no way to tell Capella's 『Beloved Children』 apart.

「That is why we have Lady Crusch's blessing, and why we are here。――Lord Natsuki, I know I hardly need say this to you already, but please, always seek the best possible course.」

Subaru met Russell's slightly lowered tone with a steady look. Russell spoke not with the face of a merchant, but with that of the head of an intelligence organization—the director of the 『Six Tongues』. Words with which he was doubtless admonishing himself that this was what mattered most of all.

「The search... for the best...」

「Yes, that's right. For the Kingdom, for the future, for someone dear to you—whatever it may be, in order to reach the ultimate destination, always pursue the best. And to accomplish that, be ready to choose it even if the choice entails pain.」

「――――」

It was a matter-of-fact manner of speaking, with no sense of heat. But that did not mean it failed to strike Subaru's chest. Certainly, words that burn hot and appeal to emotion strike the heart. However, the reason Russell's words felt devoid of heat was because they had already been struck and tempered until their shape would no longer change. You strike iron while it's hot to forge it into the form you desire.――But once the iron's form is set, there is no point in heating and hammering it to deliberately warp it.

「――It seems we've reached the Checkpoint. I'll take care of it, so please wait.」

Stop, go, and stop again. Called by the driver through the Dragon Carriage's little window after that cycle repeated, Russell stood and climbed down from the passenger compartment. Seeing him off, Subaru let out a deep breath. And then Beatrice beside him,

「Good grief, you know. That man... it figures he's Roswaal's friend, doesn't it?」

「As expected, Beako. I thought the same thing. They just face different directions, but the way they angle their vectors feels identical. ...A search for the best, huh.」

「Subaru's always doing that, you know. Betty gives it her stamp of approval.」

Beatrice was positively indignant, as if someone had said Subaru was being lazy. Of course, Russell surely had no such intent, and Beatrice knew that too. At the same time, she also knew that capable people are always burdened with that sort of frustration.

「――The Checkpoint is awfully intimidating.」

He stood, cracked open the small window that led to the driver's seat, and peered outside. Side by side with Beatrice, who peeked in with a “you know” from beside him, he looked out at the standard service windows set up at the Royal Capital's main gate and, apart from those, the makeshift lookout posts and waiting areas that had been built. At the windows they seemed to be demanding the submission of travel permits and cargo manifests; ordinarily, just going in and out of the Royal Capital wouldn't be this strict. The higher alert level—laid down at the entrance to the nobles' district—had been applied even out here.

「Yes, I am gravely concerned. Hence, it is the merchant's way to move quickly. The necessary travel permits and manifests are in order. The cargo has already received tags stamped with inspection seals, but would you care to look them over again here?」

Looking over, right there at the Checkpoint, Russell was saying as much to the Guard in charge. At his side was the figure of the 『White Sheep』, and he thrust before the Guard one after another of the many documents he'd had the girl in a 『Recognition Interference』 robe carry. At that quiet yet unmistakably forceful barrage, the Guard looked dizzy.

「I don't see any deficiencies in the documents, and the Merchants' Guild seal is genuine. As for the items on the manifest... mainly medical supplies, are they?」

「The sooner, the better—this is the sort of cargo where transport time ties directly to human lives.」

By making use of his public title as representative of the Merchants' Guild, and by appealing to ethics through the nature of the cargo, Russell left the Guard with no room to find fault. And as the clincher—

「Please. Without this medicine, everyone in my village...」

The trembling-voiced 『White Sheep』 took the Guard's hand and pleaded with a sincerity that didn't feel like acting. Pushed that far, the doubt on the Guard's face finally peeled away. Still holding the 『White Sheep』 by the hand, the Guard cleared his throat with an officious look,

「V-very well. I don't see any particular problem. Permission to pass—」

「――Wait! Who said it was acceptable to skip procedures!」

「――!」

The staff member was about to give approval, and White Sheep was on the verge of being moved by it, when a halt was called. A hand reached in from the side, and the one who cut in was an older person. He was probably the supervisor of the attendant. Bursting out from the waiting area, that superior snatched the papers from his subordinate and, checking their contents,

"A certificate from the Merchants' Guild, and cargo bearing official seals? But rules are rules."

"A fine way of thinking, but is this a situation where a by-the-book approach will work?"

"That’s a very merchant-like way of speaking, but just as merchants have their ways, the Guards have their own pride."

"I see. Understood."

At the superior’s words, the attendant bowed, and Russell nodded in response. Even to an onlooker, White Sheep’s agitation was palpable, and Subaru’s group felt the same. They had the necessary paperwork, and they knew there was also a decoy Dragon Carriage, but—

"Th-this might be bad... Beako! Get in my pocket, right now!"

"You’re panicking too much! No matter how Minimum Pretty Betty is, I can’t fit! More importantly, act with more dignity—"

Flustered at the possibility their Dragon Carriage would be inspected, Subaru and Beatrice fumbled about. Perhaps sensing even their agitation, Russell glanced back and gave a small wave to reassure everyone in the line of carriages. Seeing that, Subaru relaxed, thinking he had a plan—and then, immediately after—

—there came a violent jolt and the sound of shattering, followed by multiple screams from the back of the waiting line.

△▼△▼△▼△

At first, Subaru almost mistook the tremor for a Dragon Carriage starting off, the sound for the chassis creaking, and the voices he heard for some kind of cheering—he nearly lumped it all together into that misunderstanding. That was how unheralded and sudden it was.

"What!?"

His face blanching, still holding Beatrice, Subaru leapt onto the Dragon Carriage’s seat and, from the large window there, checked behind the line of carriages—the direction the commotion had come from. What met his eyes were a jumbled queue and a plume of smoke rising, several figures bursting out of the smoke as if panic-stricken, and, likewise within the smoke, a building that looked half-collapsed.

"Is that... an accident?"

"So it would seem, I suppose. From the look of it, a Dragon Carriage with a broken axle or something started it, and it turned into a pileup."

"And a roadside building got rammed, huh. This is bad—there are probably a lot of injured."

As Russell said, the turmoil in the Royal Capital had made things more crowded than usual. Because the accident had happened in the waiting line that had turned into a massive traffic jam, pushing and shoving were breaking out. He didn’t know how many were injured, but they had to get people out of the accident site at once—

"—Lord Natsuki, we’ve been granted permission. The Dragon Carriage is going through. Please take your seat."

To the flustered Subaru and the others, Russell, who had come back into the cabin, declared this. Hearing it, Subaru started to call out, "Russell—"

"Huh...? What did you just say? The Dragon Carriage is going through?"

"Yes. The attendants have gone to respond to the accident behind us. We have no deficiencies in our documents, so we’re to be let through. There’s also a need to clear out the jammed line of carriages."

"No, but..."

"There are injured, I suppose. You said there were medical supplies in the cargo."

"It’s a disguise. It isn’t only what’s on the manifest. If we open the cargo, that will be exposed as well. I told you—always search for the best possible course."

His expression and voice weren’t stern, and yet the sharpness of the content was all too keen. Cut to pieces by those words, Subaru’s face hardened at the far-too-early chance to put them into practice. He understood Russell’s point. Even here, he understood it, but—

"—White Sheep, please explain it to Lord Natsuki."

"—"

Letting out a breath at Subaru’s silence as he bowed his head and clenched his teeth, Russell called over his shoulder. There, just then peeking into the Dragon Carriage, was White Sheep. She caught her breath in her throat and turned her round, dewy eyes to Russell. But without looking back at her, Russell called her name once more: "White Sheep." Hearing that, White Sheep climbed into the cabin as if shaking off her hesitation, placed her hand over Subaru’s where it rested on the window frame, and—

"Subaru, please go along with it this time. It’ll be all right. The Guards will surely handle it properly. It’ll be all right."

"...White Sheep-chan."

Obeying Russell as he moved to make a merciless decision, White Sheep appealed to him like that. For a moment, a strong backlash welled up inside Subaru; however, the tremor in White Sheep’s voice and hand made it painfully clear that it wasn’t her true wish to look the other way either. Desperate, earnest, and even so, she was still trying to do her utmost. Then, what was it that Subaru should do here?

"—Subaru"

From within the arms that held her, Beatrice called out to Subaru like that. In her eyes were trust in Subaru and the light of resolve. No matter what he might insist, it was the very same radiance as when she had promised, down in the sewers, to go with him all the way to hell and to go along with whatever Subaru chose. Even if that meant bearing sin together, Beatrice would not waver.

"For now, from here..."

"Yes, that's right. A wise decision, Lord Natsuki. It's the best we can do in this situation."

Subaru's hand, resting on the window frame with White Sheep's hand atop it, slowly lowered. Seeing Subaru move, Russell said that with a look of relief. Yes, that's right. What Russell says is correct. Here, we should go along with it.

——

The accident might be called a kind of heaven-sent blessing. Their Dragon Carriage was about to be inspected, and Subaru and the others were moments from being found. The Guards' hands were diverted to rescue, letting them slip away from here.

——All of it, to save the Royal Capital, to save the Kingdom.

So——,

——Huh?

At the very moment he tried to make peace with himself that pulling back was the right thing to do, in the scene outside the window he couldn't tear his eyes from, Subaru saw it.

——The figure of Blue Serpent, hem of a white robe flaring, running straight toward the accident site.

——

——. ——. ——Are you an idiot, Natsuki Subaru.

"...We said to keep searching for the best option, to make that our priority, didn't we, Russell?"

"——? Yes. Your judgment is correct. Let's get out of here at once. We will..."

"Then!"

"——!?"

"Then my best is to not abandon someone I can save right here!!"

Shouting at the top of his lungs, Subaru set the hand he'd been lowering back on the window frame. Then, brushing off the hand that had been on top of his, he tossed a "Sorry!" to the wide-eyed White Sheep and to Russell beyond, and—

"Let's go, Beako! Lend me your strength!"

"But of course—consider it done!"

Still holding Beatrice, Subaru vaulted out the window and to the outside of the Dragon Carriage. Behind him, Russell called out to Subaru, but he didn't stop. He couldn't. An accident, a heaven-sent blessing? Ridiculous. An accident is a tragedy. It is by no means any kind of salvation.

"You're right! I was wrong!"

If I hadn't seen Blue Serpent's back as they dashed off, I wouldn't even have realized that. One hundred percent, Blue Serpent is right. Shame just wells up in me at that back.

How stupid are you, Natsuki Subaru. Why can't you get it, Natsuki Subaru. Even if there are people willing to throw away their lives, my own standards don't change.

——That nothing is going to change, not a thing.

"What the—!? Hey, it's dangerous here! Anyone who isn't a Guard—"

"There are injured people, right!? I'll help! We'll pull everyone out!"

With dust hanging thick, right in front of the accident site, a Guard with his hand over his mouth—the older superior who had earlier pressed hard about the Dragon Carriage's passage—stared wide-eyed at Subaru as he ran up. A man who'd appeared out of nowhere with an adorable little girl in his arms; the confusion was only natural. But that confusion was no reason to hold Subaru and the others back.

"I can use magic! It should help! Let me help!"

"——Tch, we can use as many hands as we can get. Come!"

A moment's hesitation—that was a paper-thin wall before the older Guard's reverence for human life. He broke through it in a single breath and barked orders, and Subaru and Beatrice plunged into the accident scene. Smoke billowed up; the space filled with groans of pain and children's cries was, just as they'd seen from afar, a chain-reaction pile-up triggered by a single Dragon Carriage with a broken axle, with buildings caught up in it collapsing and half caving in.

People bleeding, and others limp and unmoving. The land dragons, worked up, were stomping the ground; cries and shouts for rescue flew to the right and left, and it was absolute chaos. Confronted with the scene, their eyes wandered, unsure where to even begin, and—

——Over here! Help over here!

That voice was especially loud, slicing through the mingled din to pierce Subaru's eardrums. Looking, he saw it was a white robe—Blue Serpent—crouching on the ground beyond the drifting dust, holding out a hand toward a victim pinned under rubble. Rushing to Blue Serpent, Subaru saw the victim's state—a fragment of a broken beam had pierced their torso, and they were bleeding profusely, a grievous wound. And then—

"With Beatrice's magic, lighten the beam and pull it out! You can do that, right!?"

"Yeah, I can! I can, but how do you know that...?"

"Oh, for heaven's sake! You're so slow on the uptake!"

Snapping in irritation, and in the next instant, the Blue Serpent, who had been casting healing magic on the gravely injured, roughly yanked off their hood. What appeared beneath was flaxen hair down to the nape of the neck and, parting that hair as if to announce themselves, the cat ears of a demi-human—

"—Ferris?"

Stunned, Subaru's lips spoke that name. A familiar face he hadn't expected to see there—the one who had rushed to the side of the one on the brink of death faster than anyone, Ferris of Blue was desperately at work.