What did he do wrong? Subaru wondered if he had time to think about it.
Even though he felt that it was unacceptable, his thoughts were drawn back to that evening, and he repeatedly recalled the image of the silver-haired girl turning her back on him and walking away.
Subaru wonders what he did wrong every time the thought comes to mind.
Even Subaru himself would admit that he had gone too far.
He was driven into a corner by her barrage of words, and perhaps it was also due to the fact that his body had been beaten down beforehand. What came out of his mouth was far removed from what he had really wanted to say, and in the end, it created a distance between him and her.
Since it was something that came out spontaneously, was it just something that was said on the spot?
Perhaps because it came out so suddenly, it was a thought that had always been lingering in his mind.
I no longer know what my true feelings were in that situation.
For Subaru, who had been stunned and confused immediately after that separation, the next time his memories resumed was when he was led by Rem out of the antechamber of the royal castle and was taken aboard the dragon carriage heading to Crusch's mansion.
Subaru was in a state of shock, but he noticed that Crusch, Ferris and Rem were having a conversation. He couldn't take in what they were saying, but the only thing that saved him was that Rem was holding his hand while they were talking.
Just feeling that warmth made me realize that the last thread was still in place.
"--Big Bro."
My consciousness was changing from recollection to recollection, but a sudden voice called out to me, bringing me back to reality.
Hearing a deep voice coming from in front of him, Subaru blinked and brought his consciousness back to reality. Then he looked directly in front of him,
"Please, bro. Don't look like you've come in front of someone else's store."
He had a striking scar running down his face, and I could see his stern, scarred face furrowing his brow.
Upon returning and staring directly at the striking face, Subaru slowly rubbed his eyelids with his fingers and let out a deep sigh.
"Hey, uncle. I don't think it's right to intimidate customers like that."
"I didn't! I was just worried about you! I wanted to let you know how upset I was when I couldn't get in touch with you!"
The shopkeeper yelled angrily and slammed his thick arm on the counter, sending the fruit on the display table flying out of the basket. The fruit flew in a parabolic arc into the crowd, falling to the ground and almost damaging things or staining the soles of people's shoes, but...
"You shouldn't treat food poorly."
The hem of her skirt fluttered in her flowing movements, and Rem landed softly in the air in front of the shop. She gently picked up the fruit that had almost fallen and gently caught it inside her apron, which she then picked up.
Kaedmon sighed in relief and admiration at the feat. He raised his hand to Rem, who was offering him the fruit she had picked up.
"Oh, thank goodness, my dear. So I'll give you no apologies. Don't hang out with this mean-looking Anne. You'll only bring misfortune."
"Hey, hey, hey, what are you talking about? Are you giving it to me? My friend was the one who saved your product when it almost got ruined. Now, let's say thank you!"
"You were the one that almost caused it all to go wrong. Besides, I don't mean to say something so irrelevant."
The store owner rearranged the products on the shelves, folded his arms, snorted, and looked from Subaru to Rem, who was standing next to him,
"Isn't this a different girl from the one you brought over the other day? The previous one...ah, for some reason I don't remember much about her, but the fact that I don't remember anything about her means that this girl is cuter. You shameless girl, you'll go to hell."
"What's the matter, Otchan? Are you the type who thinks that friendship between men and women doesn't exist? You shouldn't connect everything to love and romance. And anyway..."
Subaru was about to ask why he had forgotten about Emilia when he realized that it brought a terrible pain to his chest and he stopped. The pain reminded him of the reason for the shopkeeper's forgetfulness and he came to an understanding with himself.
Giving Subaru a suspicious look as he went quiet, Kadmon took the opportunity to sneakily speak to Rem in a hushed voice,
"Look at this unashamed attitude. You'll end up suffering if you fall in love with someone like that."
"Thank you for your concern. ...But, Rem is doing this because she likes it."
Blushing, Rem casts a sideways glance at Subaru to see how he is doing. Kaedmon shrugs his shoulders and withdraws, regretfully, feeling that it would be rude to say anything more under her gaze.
But then he opened his eyes wide and said, "That's a different story," and then
"Love and romance are a different matter, but I still think he's a dangerous guy. …I can't believe he sneaked into the castle's luggage and tried to break in. I can't believe he's someone who wants to die."
Even at normal volume, the people around him probably wouldn't have been able to hear him because of the hustle and bustle of the crowd. However, Kaedmon carefully lowered his voice as he muttered, considering the seriousness of the contents.
Subaru felt a bitter taste well up inside him at those words, and while scratching his head guiltily, he began making excuses.
"Ah, I'm sorry about that... I can't help but think that there are many things I might have thought."
"In the end, it's either that I think that or I don't think that."
"I'm sorry. And for not reporting right away after that."
"Exactly."
Looking down at the back of Subaru's head, who had bowed, Kadmon let out his anger in a sigh. With a look of rage on his face,
"Grandpa Rom has also lost contact with everyone. This is getting seriously bad, Henehehe was even preparing to run away in the middle of the night. I was racking my brains trying to figure out how to deceive and convince my wife and daughter."
"You did something wrong so you should be honest and confess everything and deserve to be despised, smuggler."
"Shut up, ringleader."
Subaru calmly erased his previous noble attitude, and the shopkeeper clicked his tongue. Then he said, "Well," tracing the scars on his face with his finger,
"There was a pretty big incident at the castle that day. You were lucky your petty crimes didn't become public because of the commotion."
"Yeah, that's right. Thanks to that, we've found a hole in that castle's sloppy security system. Next, let's aim for the treasure vault and take on a bigger job, boss."
"I'm never helping you again! Next time you get caught and beheaded!"
As his master put his hand to his neck and stuck out his tongue, Subaru shook his head and replied, "It's scary, it's scary."
Then, when he mentioned "big event," my attention stopped and I let out a breathless "Ah, I see."
"Has the details of the royal selection process already become known throughout the royal capital?"
"Of course. For the people of the kingdom, this is not something that can be laughed at. After all, they are deciding on a king. This is not just a matter of the next few years, but a wave of change that will carry on the kingdom's 400-year history. It's the talk of the town everywhere."
Hearing Subaru's muttering, Kaedmon also spoke with a somewhat excited air. "Look," he said, turning his head to guide Subaru's gaze. In the direction he pointed, there was a tall signboard-like structure that stood out even on the market streets.
"Well, if you use anything other than the I character, I can't read it."
"Well, you're ignorant. So, can you read the sign of my shop?"
"It looks like there are hieroglyphics similar to the I character, but the writing is so messy I can't read it."
"Don't talk. Writing in a cool, informal way like this is what's popular these days."
"It's a bit difficult for people who are still learning how to read and write to apply it. Someday, when I've properly mastered the ABCs of this world's alphabet, I'll make the gyaru alphabet popular."
Subaru's ambition to make a foray into the history of writing.
What is needed is the ability to perceive characters not as characters, but as a single image like a picture. Or the ability to perceive things that blur the line between reality and unreality. I'm pretty confident about the latter.
Anyway,
"So, what does the sign say after all?"
"If we're just talking about the headline, we've said it many times. It's "The Royal Selection Begins.""
When I frowned at his vague reply, Kaedmon waved his hand and said, "I know, I know."
"Well, I'll read it for you. Miss, please look after the shop for a bit."
"Understood."
Kadmon said this as he came out from the side of the store, and Rem didn't argue at all as she slipped back inside the store to take his place.
Feeling nothing but discomfort in her natural posture, Subaru shook his head in refusal,
"Don't let an amateur in so easily. And don't just accept Rem."
"My job is just to pay the price written on the price tag and give the change. Besides, no customers are going to come anyway."
"Finally, he's said it himself!"
With a bright look on his face, Kadmon led the way, leaving Rem behind him as she remained in the shop, and stepped towards the crowd. They crossed the streets, where people of all sizes and races were mixed together, and came to a stand of signs that were set up two heads higher than the tall Kadmon.
There was a fence of people who had stopped for the same reason as Subaru and his friends, and their eyes were wandering over the words on the sign. Subaru craned his neck from behind them, following the words even though he couldn't read them,
"What's written on it is the announcement of the start of the royal selection process, and an outline of the process. It looks like they'll be choosing a king before the Dragon Ceremony three years from now, and then holding a ceremony afterwards. There's also a brief mention of the candidates."
Just as Subaru's interest in what he already knew was waning, a word from the Candidate stopped him.
Glancing sideways at Subaru, whose eyebrows twitched and shock was evident on his face, Kadmon pulled his chin back and, with understanding in his eyes,
"It seems you are curious about the candidates. There are five candidates in total for the royal election. Among them, the most well-known names are Duke Crusch Karsten and his daughter Anastasia from the Hoshin Company."
"Is he famous?"
"He's a duke, you know? There's probably no one living in the royal capital who doesn't know his name. There's no way there's a businessman at the Hoshin Trading Company who doesn't know his name. It was a well-known rumor that the representative of the company was a young woman, whether it was true or not."
As Kadmon answered, touching the scar, Subaru naturally recalled the image of the two of them that had been mentioned in the conversation.
Crusch's appearance is as sharp as a sword, with an impressive and dignified presence.
And Anastasia, with her pale purple hair and her characteristically sweet Kansai accent. Subaru, having seen the latter in person, thought it was probably true that she was the woman rumored to be. Though, given Ferris's previous example, there was no way to be absolutely certain.
"Well, even if there are a lot of cross-dressing boys, they won't be rare, and there won't be any overlap in characters, probably."
"I don't know what you're convinced of, but… that's why, for now, these two are the favorites. In fact, I personally think that Crusch-sama of the Karsten family, a leading figure in the kingdom, is more likely than Anastasia, who came from another country."
"They said it was her favorite."
However, this was likely to be considerably shaken by his subsequent statements of belief.
In any case, it is true that her position and her family lineage provide her with strong backing. For the common people who did not hear her speech, it is an indisputable fact that the least disruptive development would be for her to take the throne as planned.
"The favorite is Crusch-san. The rival is Miss Anastasia… so who is the longshot?"
"You know such old-fashioned expressions so well. It's difficult to say who the longshots are, but apart from those two, the remaining three are pretty much unknown."
They all read out the names of Priscilla, Felt, and Emilia, then Kaedmon snorted and pointed to the sign,
"I don't even know the names of these candidates. Priscilla seems to be a noble based on her family name, but I can't find any family names for the remaining two. I'm honestly wondering how they chose the candidates, seeing as the owner of the Hoshin Trading Company is one of them."
On that point, I think Subaru would totally agree if he didn't know the circumstances.
There was the head of a duke family, a young and accomplished merchant, a number of obscure aristocrats, and the rest were mysterious figures whose family names were unclear.
This information alone is unkind to the public who are watching the royal election.
Just as Subaru was thinking that,
"It's just... I think it's crazy that there's a half-elf on the list of candidates."
Narrowing his eyes and curling his lips in disgust, Kaedmon spoke roughly.
For a moment, Subaru was unable to think straight at his attitude, which revealed his displeasure. However, as the contents of his words quickly sunk into his mind,
"Half-Elf..."
"The candidates' origins are written down to some extent, and it seems that a half-elf named Emilia has been nominated. This is no joke."
"Is being a half-elf a problem?"
"Hey, hey, save your jokes for your reckless lifestyle."
Kadmon shrugged and shook his head, responding exaggeratedly to Subaru's question,
"This isn't just between us, but half-elves are looked down upon wherever they go. In the royal capital, you often see demi-humans, but unlike lizardmen or hobbits, it's rare to see elves wandering around. And when it comes to half-elves, it's only natural that they would be shunned by both sides of the mixed bloodline."
Kadmon corrected Subaru's ignorance as if it was natural. The store owner, not noticing Subaru's silence, glared at the words written on the signboard with disgust,
"It's a stupid idea considering it was decided by the bigwigs. Of all people, how can we entrust the country to a half-elf... no, a half-demon?"
"Half demon..."
"I mean a half-elf. A fitting name for a witch's relative, isn't it?"
Subaru was unable to respond to the shopkeeper who looked down at him as if asking for his approval. That was how shocking his words had been.
Subaru had developed quite a liking for the scarred-faced shopkeeper.
This was true not only because he was the first person I spoke to on the first day of my summoning, but also because of my subsequent interactions with him. He is a person who is easy to talk to, and I think he is a good guy who is easy to get along with.
It was surprising to see such derogatory words come out of his mouth so easily. And what's more, it was slander directed at someone Subaru couldn't ignore.
"Not everyone has a connection to witches."
"bean paste?"
Subaru: "Don't just generalize and write off everyone just because they're half-elves. That girl, Emilia, is amazing… she might be thinking about doing things for the country. She might be an incredibly nice girl."
Subaru spoke quickly and in a halting manner in defense of his position, but Kadmon frowned suspiciously and held out his palm, saying, "Wait a moment."
"I don't know what you're trying to do, but stop trying to protect the half-demon. You never know who might be listening."
"That's just unnecessary worry. There are walls with ears and doors with Mary. There's a chance that the girl you're talking about is right behind you right now and she's stabbing you from behind. Correct that."
Subaru was confusing Mary with Merry when he said this, but Kaedmon couldn't help but sigh and put his hand to his forehead,
"I told you to stop. I apologize for my outburst. Look, this is it."
"...Chi"
Although it was an apology that did not feel sincere, Subaru accepted it as a compromise and put down his spear. However, as Subaru withdrew his enthusiasm, Kadmon took a deep breath and said,
"You're free to think what you want, but it's impossible for a half-elf to become king."
"You're still not doing that...! Why? Is it because of the Witch of Jealousy? And because that Witch is a Half-Elf, does that mean all other Half-Elfs are in danger too!?"
"--That's right."
To Subaru, who was venting his frustration at the renewed discussion, the voice sounded unexpectedly cold.
A single word of affirmation to Subaru's cry―― Kadmon calmed the fury of the word, and Subaru's voice hitched in his throat as he looked up at the menacing figure.
And as Kadmon faced Subaru head on, a look of awe was clearly visible in his eyes.
"Witches are scary--that's obvious, a common knowledge that no one needs to ask. I don't know how ignorant you are, but for most people, that reason alone is enough to make them avoid witches."
"Listen," Kadmon said, as if to convince the silent Subaru,
"The witch - the Witch of Envy - was said to have been an incredibly powerful monster. Four hundred years ago, half of the continent was swallowed up by the witch's shadow, and many famous heroes and pterosaurs sank before her. Without the power of Shenron and the sword saint of that time, the world would have been destroyed."
Subaru caught a glimpse of a few words he couldn't miss, but he couldn't take his eyes off the shopkeeper's trembling pupils as he spoke. His dry lips trembled,
"And yet, the true identity of the witch who was capable of doing such a thing remains a mystery. All we know is that the witch was a half-elf with silver hair. We couldn't speak her language, so it was impossible to communicate with her. All we know is that she simply rampaged around, destroying, killing and consuming everything that was around her, as if she had absolutely no desire to hate anything except for herself."
Subaru was already familiar with that information from the picture book's summary.
However, Kadmon's narrative, mixed with negative emotions, was filled with raw emotion that could never be fully expressed in monotonous sentences alone.
Tales of witches have been passed down not only through picture books, but also through word of mouth from relatives. The story changes in many ways depending on who is telling it, but the end result is always the same.
it is,
"The mysterious witch is terrifying. So how can you not shy away from her even if you only know what she is?"
"So, you discriminate against half-elves?"
"At the very least, it's true that many of the half-demons have twisted personalities. Though, I don't know if that's something that's inherent in them, or if it's due to the environment they're in."
Kadmon's frown, as if he had bitten into something bitter, revealed a glimpse of his own anguish at the words Subaru had squeezed out.
Though they have only known each other for a short time, Subaru believes that Kaedmon is a good person at heart. He himself understands that what he says is not logically correct. However, the emotions that arise when he thinks of the "Witch" do not approve of any refutation of that logic.
"Most people would probably agree with me. It's unlikely that anyone would deliberately side with the half-demon and sway votes away from other candidates. That's just the natural way of thinking."
"――――"
The way she tried to forcefully conclude the story made Subaru realize that what Emilia had pleaded at the Royal Selection was true.
Being a half-elf is an inseparable destiny for her, an iron chain that never lets her start on the same footing as others.
As long as witches exist, Emilia will continue to be bound by her origins.
And it was an unreasonable obstacle that she could not do anything about.
"So as long as people think that, there's no chance of winning from the start. Who the hell willingly brought this up… what a ridiculous thing to do."
Kaedmon folded his arms in dissatisfaction. His anger now seemed to be directed at the person who had put Emilia on a shrine that had no chance of winning.
His attitude certainly demonstrated his good nature, but it was no consolation when the negative impression of half-elves was so deeply rooted.
Kaedmon called Subaru ignorant, saying he didn't understand the history of oppression of half-elves, or the tyranny of witches that was the cause of it all.
But, Subaru thought.
Don't mess with me, Subaru thought.
Subaru was certainly ignorant of the history of this world. When it came to the witch's evil deeds, he probably couldn't even imagine anything beyond what was said at the surface.
There's no way he could sympathize with how much people fear half-elves, and how the half-elves who grew up in that environment, in turn, feel about humans.
but,
『--That's enough, villain.』
At that time, the dignified silver bell had made Subaru's eardrums vibrate violently.
She had not the slightest doubt about her actions when she extended a helping hand to Subaru, who was on the ground in an alleyway, nearly collapsing from the pain and humiliation he was suffering.
Subaru doesn't know the history of this world.
Subaru doesn't know the history of half-elves.
Subaru doesn't know just how terrifying the Witch of Envy is.
But I know Emilia.
Subaru knew that there was no reason whatsoever for that silver-haired girl, who was stubborn and endlessly kind, and who acted without regard for her own gain or loss, to be equated with the ``Witch of Jealousy.''
Subaru knows that the girl, who must have grown up in an unkind environment, is nonetheless someone who possesses the heart to show kindness to others.
No matter how harsh this world was to her, Subaru was the only one who could stand it with her.
『Is that really true?』
Suddenly, a question like that crept into my thoughts.
Subaru held his breath and blinked, at the ominous tone of the voice that crossed his mind.
The voice was asking him if the answer he had just arrived at was really correct. He turned around, thought deeply, and shouted angrily at the invisible voice, asking what was wrong.
However,
"Do you really know her?"
Subaru tried to respond to the voice of pure doubt as if it was obvious, but was unable to do so.
A distorted feeling as if the voice in one's mind is being blocked. It seems simple but is difficult; it is a kind of contradictory act of deceiving one's own mind.
When Subaru was unable to respond clearly to the suspicious voice that had been calling him, he realized that it was in fact his own mind.
The voice repeated in Subaru's tone.
"Do you really know her?"
I tried to answer loudly that I knew, but my throat would not allow itself to tremble, unable to deceive my heart.
Subaru has no idea what kind of life she has led.
Subaru does not know why she is aiming for the throne.
Subaru doesn't know how she feels about people who equate her with witches.
Subaru doesn't want to know what she thinks of him.
"--Hey, are you okay, big brother?"
"picture?"
Before he knew it, Scarface was standing right in front of him, peering at him in shock. Subaru instinctively leaned back, slightly stepping back to put some distance between them,
"Wh, what's this... If you suddenly come in front of me, it'll suck my life out, so please spare me."
"That's a terrible thing to say! I was just worried because you looked like you had suddenly come. What, do you have some kind of chronic illness?"
"Everyone has a miniature world inside their mind called a delusion. At some point, people forget how important that place is, but every once in a while, there are adults who never forget about that miniature world. I'm one of those people."
"I understand you have a nasty illness. That's enough, let's go back to the store."
Unable to put up with the flippant remark, which seemed to be an attempt to cover up his feelings of being taken by surprise, the shopkeeper began to walk through the crowd towards his shop. Following the strong back of the man leading the way, Subaru realised that his own back was damp with cold sweat.
What emotion within me could be the source of that sweat?
Finding out this fact felt particularly unpleasant, and Subaru's steps became heavy.
"Also, this may be unnecessary, but..."
Kaedmon muttered as he walked, not looking at me.
He spoke in a voice so quiet that Subaru was almost certain it would reach his ears.
"Don't openly say the word 'witch' in public. That includes me... but you never know who might be listening or where."
I don't think this is a rehash of what was said earlier.
Subaru's silence was proof of his agreement, given the seriousness of the tone of the voice.
It seemed that Kaedmon had understood what he meant, and he didn't say anything further.
Just one word,
"Who and where?"
What he said in a halting manner was quite striking.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A heavy atmosphere hung between Subaru and Kadmon as the two returned.
To be honest, Subaru hadn't been able to sort out the feelings that were building up in his heart, and Kadmon, on the other hand, seemed ashamed of having become so angry in his argument with Subaru.
And so, pushing their way through the crowd, the two returned to Kadmon's shop in silence.
"--Welcome home. Our last guest has just left."
As Rem replied after handing over the item and change and bowing politely to see the visitor off, Kaedmon stared at her with his mouth agape.
As he looks at the dopey guy, he sees a row of empty display shelves where a large amount of merchandise has been sold off.
Rem, who had been put in charge of the store in a fit of desperation, threw free fruit at passersby, shouting, "Take it, thief!" -- but that wasn't the case, as the basket in which she received the payment was clearly full of coins.
In other words,
"Oh, in just this short time, my store's sales have exceeded its average daily sales..."
Confronted with a truth he didn't want to admit, Kadmon trembles and covers his face with his hands.
Rem gave up her position as store attendant to him and slipped outside. She flew up beside Subaru and leaned forward, looking up at him.
"What do you think, Subaru-kun? Rem's versatility. I heard that she was your benefactor, so I tried my best to at least be of help to you. …You can praise her, okay?"
Rem, her skirt swaying, glanced at Subaru with one eye. Her attitude was clear, contrary to what she said. Comparing that with Kadmon, who was unable to accept reality before his eyes, Subaru noticed that his chest had become slightly lighter.
I didn't know if it was because he was relieved to see Rem as usual, or if it was because he felt better seeing Kadmon in shock after having been made to feel a bit uncomfortable, but...
"Either way, there's no doubt that it's all thanks to Rem."
Putting his hand through the blue hair that was offered to him, Subaru gently stroked her head, enjoying the texture of the hair that he was so accustomed to with his fingers.
Rem closed her eyes in pleasure, enjoying the feeling of Subaru's palm caressing her, her cheeks flushed red with an ecstatic expression, and she purred oddly seductively, "Mmhmm."
With the two of them watching from behind, Kaedmon continued to trace the scars on his face with his fingers.
"I guess it just looked big after all..."
He was now finally explaining the reason for the company's financial difficulties.