Chapter 24 - The Best Guy

Natsuki Subaru, who had leapt out the window, sprinted toward the crash site that had occurred at the rear of the convoy. His steps held no hesitation—one could even call them dashing. It was the back of a man who, when someone’s life was threatened, deemed it only natural to help.

「Foolish」

Brushing off his call and making a decision without a thought for consequence, the black‑haired companion took off—and Russell Fellow could only see him off with eyes that had just witnessed the unbelievable. Part of it was that he couldn’t understand his companion’s thinking. He was confident he had drummed into them the importance of their actions and what it meant to set priorities. But more than that—,

「――『White Sheep』, why didn’t you stop him!」

To move things forward rationally, Russell demanded to know the true intent of 『White Sheep』, whom he had ordered to mollify him. 『White Sheep』 had indeed laid her hand over the companion’s. She had spoken words to hold him back. And yet the companion did not comply—no, he wasn’t swayed.

「You understand this too, don’t you? What it is we must prioritize most right now. Not a single second of our time should be spent on anything else. That—」

「—I did it」

「What？」

Frowning at the rasped words he hadn’t properly heard, Russell looked to 『White Sheep』. Facing the window the companion had leapt through, 『White Sheep』 drew the hand he had shaken off back to her chest and turned around—her round, golden eyes brimming with big tears.

「I did it. I told Subaru, properly… but he jumped out anyway… that’s just the kind of person he is!」

「That kind…？」

「I told 『Silver Fox』 too! All I can do is stir the feelings that are already there… I can’t make someone do what they absolutely would never do!」

「――――」

「L‑let’s go after Subaru and the others right now. We should help the injured, too!」

As 『White Sheep』 pleaded, eyes wet and voice trembling, Russell put a hand to his mouth. Behind his narrowed eyes, the blessing that gauges the 『value』 of all things rearranged and rewove the various schemes he had constructed. He couldn’t see the true right answer—only the choice closest to it.

「What’s this, what’s this, looks like everyone’s in a real chipper mood? If you’re gonna squabble, use your hands, not your mouths. Better yet, skip the shouting and make it a killing match. Kuhahahaha!」

「『Black Hound』……」

「Oh? What’s with those faces. Don’t tell me you’ve learned to sway someone with tears without even getting skin‑to‑skin? That only works on men. And I’m the exception。」

Tossing that out was 『Black Hound』, who strode unbidden into the dragon carriage—having shed his black garb and mask, the man now paired a black suit with his bare face, his rugged, sharp features twisted into a grin. 『Black Hound』 shrugged at Russell and 『White Sheep』 facing each other, then flopped down haphazardly into the nearest seat, and—

「So while I was wondering what you were dithering around about, turns out you let a brat bite your hand! I went to the trouble of making you a way out—don’t waste a man’s efforts.」

「A way out? …No way。」

「Hey, cut it out—what’s with that look. I only broke one axle. The one who made the commotion blow up was the spooked ground dragon! This, that, and the whole damn lot, I did it all for you。――Kuhaha, that’s a lie」

「—gh, 『Silver Fox』!」

Averting her gaze from 『Black Hound』, who sat with his legs crossed and wore a deliberately wicked grin, 『White Sheep』 turned eyes blazing with righteous indignation toward Russell. Meeting that earnest anger, Russell lowered the hand at his mouth, and—

「—Let them go」

「A‑are you serious!?」

To the wide‑eyed, disbelieving 『White Sheep』, Russell nodded.

「Securing Lady Crusch was our top priority from the start. I’d have liked to secure the others as well, but if the hand we extended gets slapped away, we lose everything。――It’s a pity that letting go of 『Blue Snake』 means we can’t test what I wanted to verify」

「Thaaat’s why I told you and taught you, didn’t I? If we’d burned him in the sewers, there wouldn’t have been any loose ends」

「I’ve no intention of going back to topics not up for debate. Time is precious」

Having settled on a course, Russell turned his back on 『White Sheep』. In that back, his awareness of the companion who’d headed for the crash site had already been cut away. Reaching toward that back, 『White Sheep』, her face set with resolve, was about to—

「Hold it—don’t」

With that, a long leg stretched out and blocked 『White Sheep』’s path. Slouching in his seat, 『Black Hound』 glared at 『White Sheep』 as she bit her lip at the obstruction, and—

「You said it yourself. You can’t make him do what he won’t do」

「But this is just…」

「That’s why don’t cry—it’s annoying. It’s not like I’m humoring that bastard’s mood. I’m just saying there might be no need for you to do anything」

「――――」

Shrugging at 『White Sheep』, who blinked in confusion, the sprawled 『Black Hound』 lifted a hand and pointed toward the rear of the dragon carriage—no, toward the accident site. And—

「――The big fuss, the empty fuss, has changed its nature. So what happens to the plan? Kuhahahaha」

△▼△▼△▼△

Dust and grit billowed up, and the accident site was still on the brink of a half-collapsed building coming down. The fallen ceiling—its timbers had pierced a victim’s body; the grievously wounded had no consciousness, and to anyone’s eyes the injury was fatal. —Had it not been him there, ceaselessly casting healing magic.

「――Ferris?」

With one hand he pushed back his hood to show his face—the sight of Ferris made Subaru’s eyes widen. He had only just been thinking about him a short while ago. He’d suffered terribly, and yet had rejected Subaru’s outstretched hand as arrogance—how was he doing now, Subaru had wondered. Never did he imagine he’d be calling himself 『Blue Snake』 and be in the same group.

「What are you doing!? Do you have your ears on!?」

「――!」

「Don’t just stand there in front of a life! If someone dies here, it’s on us for not saving them!」

The shock of that reunion was shattered by none other than Ferris’s own words. Jolted back to himself by the desperate shout, Subaru follows Ferris’s prior instruction—he sets the Beatrice he’s been carrying down on the ground so they can pull out the timber skewering the casualty’s body,

「Can you do it, Beako!」

「Leave it to me.――Murak!」

Back-to-back battles at the McMahon Mansion and in the sewers, with an inadequate interval. It should have left her in the worst condition, yet Beatrice showed none of it as she unleashed yin magic and lightened the target.

「I’m lifting! Ready!?」

「Anyone saying they’re not is an idiot!」

「What a foul mouth!――nngh, grrrr!」

Shouting back and forth with Ferris, Subaru carefully raised the now-lightened timber and drew it out from the grievously wounded body. There was a sickening feel and sound, and a great gush of blood. But the instant it was out of the wound, Ferris showed his true skill.

「It’s alright. I’m going to heal you now.」

—In that instant, what overflowed was a supremely gentle, Blue light.

「What…」

Witnessing that light, a wordless murmur slipped from Beatrice’s lips. Even Beatrice, a great spirit who could use healing magic herself, was taken aback; within it was everything that made Ferris called 『Blue』—a peerless genius with no comparison. The same as before—no, clearly, a miracle of healing that had reached an even greater mastery.

「――――」

Everyone who had rushed in, prepared for tragedy, saw that spectacle. It was easy to understand how they were all equally captivated by the miracle. Wounds they’d thought fatal, gashes that should have left lasting aftereffects, cruel endings—all were repainted by the light. It was like a scene that would be preserved as a religious painting for posterity, but—

「――Everyone! Get out anyone who can be moved and gather them in one place! Prioritize the severely injured and those who hit their heads! If you can move on your own, get outside the building!」

Those people, frozen by the miracle—Subaru raised his voice and hauled them back to reality. Ferris is here. This is a miracle. Dumb luck. Use it to the hilt.

「We can save everyone! We’ve got the best healer right here!」

Startled by Subaru’s desperate shout, they looked at one another and answered with a robust “Oh!” Rescue work then began for the collapsed and those whose legs were pinned under rubble. Seeing that, Subaru wiped his eyes with the back of his hand,

「Ferris, we can get everyone! I’ll help! What do I do!?」

「Don’t get in the way! Do as you’re told! Hold this person down!」

「You jerk… When this is all done I’m gonna mouth off right back at you, so remember that!」

Regardless of Subaru’s rallying of everyone, Ferris’s focus was wholly on the lives before him—in fact, foul mouth aside, Ferris’s skill and judgment were second to none. With a single glance he set triage priorities by urgency, and with healing magic output calibrated to match, he saved lives one after another.

「Dinner hour at a restaurant, huh… No wonder so many people got caught up in it.」

As the situation at the disaster site finally came into view, Subaru spat dusty saliva. With the roads congested by dragon carriages, many must have stayed inside the establishment. Hence the number of injured; but fortunately, within Subaru’s line of sight, no one had died on the spot. And if no one died instantly—

「――You won’t die. You’ll make it home, safe and sound.」

The overflowing, restorative light healed and erased every wound that threatened their lives. Save everyone. Not just as resolve, but as the tangible sense that it was becoming reality—

「――! Hey, that!」

Suddenly, a voice that contradicted that hope reached him, and Subaru jerked his head up as if struck. One of the Guards helping with relief work was pointing at a half-collapsed restaurant—the half-ruined upper story, barely supported by its cracked pillars.

The roof beams, perched in a precarious balance, let out a death rattle, and the building's second floor listed—beneath it were Ferris in the middle of treatment, and the injured. If the top half of the building fell, no one would be saved. The moment he thought that, Subaru—no, it wasn't only Subaru who broke into a run.

"—!"

An older Guard, his subordinate, and a townsman who had been helping with the rescue had all broken into a run. Others were also straightening up, hauling themselves to their feet, trying to move. Seeing that out of the corner of his eye, Subaru clenched his molars hard, hard, and shouted at the top of his lungs—

"—Beatrice!!"

"I'm seriously out of gas here! —Murak!!"

At Beatrice's outstretched hands, the collapsing section of the building took on a pale violet glow. But sadly, universal gravitation would not change the weight, nor rob the falling debris of its speed or danger. With that much mass, the outcome would be the same. —And into that gap, he slid.

"Guh—!!"

Subaru just barely made it beneath the rubble in time and struck a pose like someone caught in a trap of a suspended ceiling, bracing the falling fragments. It was impossible for Subaru alone. The Guards who had run with him slipped under the rubble a moment later, and together they all held it up as one.

"Ggh...! While we can, get the people below...!"

Feeling as if coughing up blood, Subaru voiced the will of everyone holding up the debris. Hearing him, those who had been late pulled the injured—pulled Ferris—out and away. Until that was complete, they had to endure no matter what. —As Subaru steeled himself,

"…Man, you always shout loud, don't you, kid!"

"Huh? Wait, you're—!"

Bracing with all his might, Subaru noticed the person beside him holding up the rubble as well, and was startled. It was a familiar face—the fruit seller from the Royal Capital he often ran into, the shopkeeper Kadomon.

——

Wide-eyed at the unexpected reunion, Subaru also felt a stab of panic. He had immediately violated Russell's warning that the 'Recognition Impairment' robe was not all-powerful. By sticking his neck out here, he'd exposed himself to Kadomon, who knew Subaru. However—

"Don't make that face. The fact you're here helping people—that's the truth about you I saw, kid."

At those words, Subaru almost let the strength drain from his arms. Kadomon and the others, suddenly taking on more of the load, went "Whoa!?" so he hurriedly put his strength back in.

I'm surprised. I thought I was done for, with my identity blown. —But I'm glad I came back.

"Everyone's out! On three we all do one big banzai! Drop it to the back!"

They grit their molars until they creaked and, together as one, shouted, "Ready—go!!" With a full-bodied banzai they hurled down what was essentially the building's entire second floor and up. The instant it left all their hands, the magic wore off and it regained its original, destructive weight.

"Out out out out out out out out—!!"

With the shattering roar of explosive weight behind them, the group who had been holding up the rubble retreated at full speed. They tumbled away from the thing that felt like it bore even murderous intent, and actually went head over heels. They kept rolling, then lay spread-eagled on the ground, staring up at a sky caked with dust.

"Hah, hah... I-is anything... pinned...?"

"You can relax, can't you? You've got the best healer around, don't you?"

"Even if you could fix it, I don't want to be face-to-face with my torn-off limbs!"

As Subaru barked that, Kadomon, rolling there beside him, laughed, "No doubt about it." Laughter came from others as well; it sounded like everyone from the rubble-holding crew was safe. Somehow, that took care of one job—no, not quite.

"Ferris is still fighting on alone. Gotta go help…"

"—That might be a little difficult."

Forcing his lazy body upright, Subaru turned back with a "Huh?" at that voice. The speaker was Beatrice; the feeling in it was tension, and Subaru immediately grasped what it meant. Out on the street outside the restaurant where the accident had happened, the injured were being brought out all at once. And at the center of it, Ferris was still hard at work treating them, and yet—

"—Felix Argyle, the 'Blue' and first knight of the traitor Crusch Karsten. You are ordered to present yourself at the Royal Castle. You will comply at once."

For the squad of knights surrounding Ferris had their swords leveled at him with a grim formality.

△▼△▼△▼△

——

Approximately thirty knights, all wearing the white uniforms that signify membership in the Knights Order. At that sight, so utterly unreasonable, Subaru’s mind went blank white. Right in front of the accident scene, the knight squad is pointing their swords at a healer in the middle of giving aid? Impossible.

"Wha... What are you saying! Orders!? Look at the situation!"

"That’s right! He’s treating the injured! If he weren’t here..."

"—Objections are not being accepted! This is a grave matter for the Royal Capital as well. Let the Garrison handle the accident response. We of the knights will fulfill our own duty!"

In Subaru’s stead, Kadomon and the senior Guard raised their voices in protest at the abnormality. But they were drowned out by a piercing bellow from the long‑haired commander leading the knight squad. In the beat of silence that created, the commander shot a sharp glare at Ferris—at his back as he went on casting healing magic without so much as a glance at the knights—

"This is an order! Stand down, Knight Felix! You and your liege alike are under suspicion of grave treason against the Kingdom—how could we possibly entrust treatment to you! Who knows what you would do to those under your care—"

"—Quit screwing around!!"

In that instant, enraged by the unforgivable slur hurled at Ferris, Subaru exploded. Without thinking he leapt out, wedging himself between Ferris’s back and the knight squad. Then he glared at the knights who were pointing their swords—no, at those who could not be called knights—

"What do you think drove Ferris to hone his healing magic! You think it was just talent? It’s obvious—because he wants to save people!"

"—"

"And you say you don’t know what Ferris would do to someone who’s hurt? You do know! He’d treat them! He’d save their life! He’s helping people who are on the verge of death! It’s as clear as day, something anyone can see—the kind of thing the best guy would do!"

Hoarse‑voiced, eyes bloodshot, Subaru roared, "How can you not understand something this simple?" Though he should have been exhausted just moments ago, he threw his whole body into it, gesturing wildly, letting natural feeling explode, staring each member of the knight squad in the face, hurling his all at them.

"Bro..."

Seeing Subaru’s furious outburst, Kadomon murmured that weakly. To him, to the Garrison, to those at the accident site, it was all self‑evident. And even among the knight squad, doubt began to cloud some eyes and faces; here and there a few sword‑points wavered.

But that proper swell of feeling—

"—So it’s you, Natsuki Subaru, accomplice to the rebels."

—was crushed under the first words from the knight squad’s commander, whose eyes were clouded with hatred. The moment the commander spoke the name Natsuki Subaru, the knights blinked repeatedly and properly recognized the Subaru standing before them. —The Recognition Impairment had been pierced. Once they realized that the one spouting those plausible words was a wanted man, their momentary wavering was shoved aside by a sense of duty, and the same—no, an even greater—tension than before filled the air.

"Subaru..."

With his identity exposed and swords leveled at him, Beatrice, nestled close, gripped Subaru’s hand. But having spent all her mana in the collapse of that building earlier, she had no means now to get them out of this.

"At best, I could smack the leader in the face with Invisible Providence, huh. ...Sorry, Ferris. I only poured oil on the fire."

"—Shut up. I wasn’t expecting anything anyway."

"Tahaha."

"But you’re good at talking, right? Keep clowning around and drag it out to the limit. Save as many as you can, even one more."

Without turning to look back, still with their backs to each other, they exchanged those words; Subaru, inwardly giving a wry smile at Ferris’s sniping, made up his mind. The other side wants information on Crusch. They shouldn’t kill him here. In that case, with a slick tongue and quick hands, he would fight as Natsuki Subaru fights without magic—

"You... no, I understand full well how dangerous you are. To spare the Kingdom needless turmoil, Natsuki Subaru, here and now you will—!"

"Wait, wait, wait! That’s buying into me way too much! And besides, this treason business—"

"Silence! All is for the sake of the Kingdom! That glib tongue of yours—"

"—A wind of lies is blowing."

—In that instant, a crisp, dignified gust swept through.

△▼△▼△▼△

"—Ferris."

"—Yes."

"Treat all the wounded. See that each and every one of them returns to their former lives without serious aftereffects."

"You don’t have to tell me; that’s what I intended."

"I see. Then good. —I’ll secure the time."

There weren’t many words exchanged. But for the two of them, that was more than enough. For two who each grasped the other’s capabilities better than the other did, that alone sufficed.

"—"

The golden Dragon Eye traced lines of light through the air and, with nimble movements, bewildered the knight squad. The knights spread out to avoid friendly fire and showed seamless coordination, but—

"I can see it."

The storm of blades that should have closed every gap—into a slit no bigger than a needle’s eye, the point of a slender sword slipped, and the Valkyrie—Crusch—forced a path open; her flashing blade danced, and the knights dropped their swords. With pained cries, the knights fell back clutching their arms; each had only shallow cuts at the wrists or the base of the fingers, losing the ability to keep fighting and thus dropping out. It looked like a merciful blade that needlessly took no lives—or so it seemed, but—

"Are you true? Or impostors?"

"—!"

"The two on the flanks are acceptable; the one who fell back is not. There is no escape."

Right after that merciless pronouncement, the knight who had retreated leveled the hand without a sword at Crusch; in that instant, the telltale of magic activation warped the air. But—

"It’s useless."

Beatrice murmured at her side, and Crusch’s swordflash—the peerless art of cutting down magic before it manifests—proved her right; the wide-eyed knight then took a diagonal slash full on and fell.

Subaru almost called out to stop her for a moment, but looking carefully with the circumstances in mind, he could see that there was sound reasoning behind both the mercy and the mercilessness Crusch dispensed. Among the knight squad were those whose aim was clearly to subdue Crusch, and those whose aim was just as clearly to kill her—both all jumbled together. Up to now, the ones Crusch had cut down were all the latter.

From the earlier rampage of the knights’ commander as well, it’s clear that someone—Capella—is involved. And Crusch’s Blessing can correctly discern the involvement of that worst Authority.

"And unless I’m imagining it… she’s gotten even stronger since the mansion?"

"You’re not wrong. She’s using that eye better than back then."

With no waste, no mercy, no play in her strokes, she swung her sword, winnowing the knight squad as she fought—separating those with Capella’s involvement from those without—and even choosing how to bring them down; Crusch’s swordsmanship was too consummate. The Dragon Eye was settling in. What that meant, though, was nothing they could celebrate without reservation.

"—There! That’s all of them! It’s over!"

Crusch’s one-woman rampage bought just enough time for Ferris to finish the treatment. Sweat beaded on his brow as he tried to stand; his body wobbled and started to topple, and Subaru shot out a hand to support him. Subaru then slipped an arm around Ferris’s slender body, giving him a shoulder and holding him firm.

"You never miss your moment, do you, Subaru-kun…"

"Don’t make it sound like I was lying in wait! You’re the coolest!"

"You’re too loud. Support me properly. I’m going to fall."

"So many demands. But… Crusch-san!"

Ferris had done his job. It was time for Crusch as well to pull back from fighting the knight squad. Honestly, with her power, she might even have been able to smash straight through this encirclement—but—

"If I nod off again halfway through, that really would be the end of us."

"That’s exactly what scares me! Crusch-san, tell me you’ve got some kind of plan!"

"Regrettably, I do not."

"Eek!"

"Therefore, I had one prepared. —Black Hound!"

Just when they thought hope was gone, Crusch shouted a name far too dangerous to entrust their hopes to. At that sound, Subaru, Beatrice, and then Ferris all went "ugh," and right after—

"Ku-ha-ha-ha-ha! Don’t hate me—love me! The headliner has arrived!"

A laugh that made you feel bad just to hear it rang out, and the knight squad and the surrounding onlookers, who didn’t recognize the voice, looked around in surprise. Yet the owner of the laugh was nowhere to be seen. Instead, what filled their field of view was an enormous billow of black smoke.

"A smokescreen. Harmless."

As shouts of surprise and confusion rose at the black smoke, Crusch ran up and said it in a calm voice. Not that Subaru doubted Crusch, but since it was Black Hound’s handiwork, unease won out.

"I think we’re fine. If not, Subaru-kun and I would end up stuck here again, right?"

"Fair point! Got it. For now, from here—Invisible Providence!"

In an instant, at Ferris’s prompt Subaru nodded, and from his chest an invisible black spectral hand shot out; it punched through the smoke and smashed into the face of the knight squad’s commander who was trying to push in on them. With a choked "Gah," the commander sprayed blood from his nose and fell on his back. Crusch glanced at him and said,

"That one is acceptable."

"No way!? He isn’t one of the replaced!?"

"I felt strong anger and hatred toward you from him. Any idea why?"

"Knight Zeol, right? He was at the castle during the Royal Selection. That’s probably it."

"Can we please just settle the verdict on that incident already!"

Sometimes it served as proof of Subaru’s innocence, sometimes as a reason to target him—utter nonsense. Be that as it may, using the blinding black smoke for cover, Subaru and the others slipped out of the situation. A few of the knight squad tried to follow them, but—

"I ain’t letting ’em chase you guys. Can’t stand the way the knight squad’s been doing things today."

Standing in the way to block them were Kadomon and the Garrison. At that unexpected help, Subaru cried, "Old man!?" and Kadomon laughed,

"Go on, I’m cheering for you! You and Lady Emilia!"

"—! Yeah, I’ll be back to win your vote!"

At Kadomon’s encouragement, given with the recognition that Natsuki Subaru was Emilia’s knight, Subaru answered on the verge of tears and put strength into his legs to dash through the black smoke again.

Behind him, the Knights’ shouts and the Garrison’s answering battle cries rose high—

"Inspection’s done! Let them through, Knights! Let the Guards do the Guards’ work!!"

△▼△▼△▼△

"Yo, you made it back. I was sure you were dead."

"Chin, you are such a lousy teammate..."

Bursting out of the billowing black smoke that had helped their escape, they hurriedly leapt onto the dragon carriage waiting outside the main gate, where Rachins greeted the four of them with a lazy wave. One has to marvel at Rachins’s cold‑heartedness in showing no inclination to lift a finger after all that commotion.

"Do you not have a human heart? Are you a Witch Cultist?"

"Don’t go dumping suspicion on people! Saying I didn’t do anything is a cheap shot, too. I did handle the negotiations properly. Right, Your Grace?"

Rachins stuck out his tongue and tossed the question to Crusch. At his prompt, Crusch, who had just readjusted the eyepatch over her left eye, nodded with a "That’s right,"

"Rachins Hoffman is eloquent. In fact, it was this man who brought the negotiations to fruition."

"Negotiations? You mean..."

"Of course, with us, Lord Natsuki."

At the unexpectedly heard voice, Subaru and Beatrice both gave a little start. The speaker was none other than Russell, who boarded the dragon carriage after them. Bringing along 『White Sheep』 and 『Black Hound』, he had the carriage door shut and ordered the driver to depart. At once, the moving carriage transformed into a no‑escape room for a dressing‑down.

"First, the fact that everyone returned safely is the best possible outcome. Granted, luck merely favored us, and I have many thoughts about it—but, 『Blue Snake』."

"Mm..."

"You were the one who set the condition that your presence not be revealed. And yet, acting like that leaves no way to keep it secret. You are not about to call this our lapse, are you?"

"I know. I’m not going to claim a breach of conditions. This isn’t the time to talk about personal feelings."

Ferris, whom Russell addressed first, shot a sidelong glance at Crusch. Yet though she surely noticed it, Crusch gave no response Ferris’s way. The air drifting between the two was complicated indeed—

"What do I do, Beako? Think I can stir the air up well? Can I try?"

"Hold on, hold on. This might be a moment to take the 'watch' role. More importantly..."

"Lord Natsuki, refrain from conduct like that from now on."

"Ugh... you are angry, aren’t you?"

He cautiously searched Russell’s expression, but as expected of the head of an intelligence agency, it was unreadable. Russell’s face was the very image of emotional calm, yet there was no way he wasn’t angry at Subaru for defying his orders outright and leaping into the fray. This face, he decided, should count as anger.

"More than angry, I am disappointed. I believed I had made clear what should take priority. If not for Lady Crusch’s words, I would not have risked remaining there."

"Crusch’s words? That is..."

"It’s nothing special. At present, among those here, I intend to place my trust in no one but Natsuki Subaru. As for cooperating with this 'Six Tongues' or whatever it is, I refuse to do so without you, sir."

"That’s...! That’s incredibly, overwhelmingly flattering, but...!"

Because, depending on how you took it, that was a pretty out‑there, extreme opinion, Subaru became acutely conscious of the looks around him—especially Russell, on whom needless conditions had been imposed, and Ferris, with whom things were complicated. Russell, for his part, showed no change of expression, and Ferris had turned her face away, citing fatigue as she sat down. In any case, 'Six Tongues' could not do without Crusch, and because of Crusch’s view, they could not leave Subaru and Ferris, who had returned to the accident site, behind.

"But, about this, Russell..."

"What is it? If this affair has made you change your thinking in any way..."

"It’s not so much a change of thinking, but probably, if something like this happens again, I don’t think I or Ferris could just leave it alone. So, I have a favor to ask."

"... Very well. Let’s hear it."

"Going forward, I’d like us to use plans that keep the damage as low as possible. Is that no good?"

At that plea, Russell’s eyes widened a little, and the Black Hound behind him let out a “kuha” laugh. He knew he was asking for something unreasonable. But in fact, this mishap hadn’t cost any lives. Handling those touched by Capella’s hand is difficult, but they should be able to resist to the very limit. Before Russell could say anything to Subaru, who was thinking that—

“M-me too! I also think Subaru’s way is the right one…!”

“The fewer the sacrifices, the better. Of course, I believe one should follow priorities to accomplish things… but life ranks high among my priorities.”

White Sheep and Crusch agreed with Subaru’s opinion, and Ferris naturally had no reason to object. The Black Hound’s cold sneer went without saying, but unexpectedly even Rachins, though he snorted, did not deny it. And, as a matter of course, the best partner who shares Subaru’s resolve—

“Of course, Betty’s opinion is the same as Subaru’s. He’s always forced his recklessness and impossibilities through and made everyone shut up. This time, too, that’s the spirit.”

“Kinda makes me sound like a total troublemaker, but thanks.”

Saying that with a laugh, Subaru scooped Beatrice onto his lap and plopped down into a seat. It was to the left of Ferris, who had sat first. And on the opposite side, Crusch lowered herself into a seat. With Subaru and Beatrice between them, Crusch and Ferris sat on either side.

“Damn. I picked the wrong place to sit. Um, from here…”

“Hey, Subaru-kun. Could you tell the person next to you? That mysterious power might put a strange strain on the body, so it’d be better not to rely on it too much, okay?”

“No, um—”

“Natsuki Subaru, tell the one beside you this: I will likely sleep a little again. If there are concerns about my body, then examine me freely while I’m asleep.”

“Hey, do you really have to go through me for this!? Let’s just talk honestly! You two can talk, can’t you!?”

But neither Ferris, chin in hand and looking off in a completely different direction, nor Crusch, arms folded and eyes closed, paid any heed to Subaru’s scream. It’s immensely reassuring and pleasing to have Crusch and Ferris both here as stalwart members to save this kingdom, and yet the human dynamics aren’t such that he can simply be grateful.

“The road ahead… the road ahead is far too difficult.”

Hanging his head with a dejected slump, he set his chin atop Beatrice’s head on his lap. Even as he felt that weight, Beatrice patted, pat, from below, stroking Subaru’s head. The battle to save Emilia, the comrades acting separately, and the Kingdom of Lugunica—all together—was beginning. Surely, a struggle no less harsh than any before.

And so, as Natsuki Subaru, under firm resolve and determination, gazed at the receding scenery of the Royal Capital,

“This sort of thing wasn’t written in the letter, Roswaal. Didn’t you give the necessary knightly training because you wanted Lady Emilia to win…?”

So murmured, in stunned dismay, the man of the intelligence agency who had been forced to handle an unforeseen burden.