Subaru had ridden a dragon carriage four times - a number he could count on one hand.
First, twice during the round trip between the royal capital and the mansion. Then, once on the first day of his summoning, when he was unaware that he was being carried to the mansion after being killed by Erza's murderous blade, a third time.
And, one more chance was――,
"The cargo dragon carriage we used when we took advantage of Kaedmon's cunning and sneaked into the castle... four times."
It brings to mind the story of how they were secretly admitted into the castle, crammed into a truck filled with the smell of fish.
Subaru's memories of the castle were all just a collection of unpleasant memories, but it was that experience that gave him the idea he had this time.
In other words, if there is no store that rents out dragon carriages in a legitimate way,
"It would be fine if we could borrow it from someone who has been using a dragon carriage to get around since the beginning."
Even Kadmon, the owner of a fruit shop that was not popular in the royal capital, was handling dragon carriages. Thinking back, he remembered that it was a shared dragon carriage for the shopkeepers in the area, but it was not unlikely that peddlers who did not have their own shops were pulling their own dragon carriages.
"In fact, I've passed by dragon carriages many times on streets filled with street vendors. In the light novels I read a long time ago, merchants before setting up shop somewhere basically either worked as menials or pulled carriages as peddlers."
And this idea was confirmed by the innkeeper, who nodded in agreement.
According to him, there were indeed several people in this village who owned dragon carriages for personal use.
Their existence barely keeps the light of hope alive in Subaru, which was about to fade. However,
"Earth dragons are essential to their lives, and for traveling merchants, they are a lifeline. I think negotiations will be quite difficult."
My master tried to convey vaguely that it was a difficult proposal.
However, that was the only option Subaru had at the moment. Therefore, Subaru shook his head at his master's concern,
"Well, I'll try anyway. Tell me where the dragon carriage is."
So he pleaded and chose to negotiate.
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However, just as the innkeeper had feared, the negotiations proved extremely difficult.
Firstly, households that simply had shops set up in the village and used dragon carriages for purchasing supplies or trading with other villages were averse to unplanned use of dragon carriages.
To them, the dragon carriage was a business tool, not something they could easily lend out to others. In addition, with their daily business, not a single person was crazy enough to raise their hand to accompany Subaru on his journey.
And after being rejected by all of those store-owner candidates, the ones who faced even more difficulties were the peddlers who ran their commerce using their own dragon carriages.
Subaru knew that their selling point was their agility to not stay in one place, so he thought they were the perfect people to approach for this kind of request.
"That's the Mathers territory, right? Sorry, but it's impossible to go there at this time."
With those words, the tall, skinny man cut off his negotiations with Subaru.
The man was in a covered cart, accompanied by two slender earth dragons just like his master, and he looked at Subaru with reptilian eyes as he continued to persist, searching for words,
"Also, I shouldn't say this, but I'm sure I'm not the only one refusing. In my case, it's purely due to cargo."
"Cargo?"
"My cargo is iron products to be made into weapons and armor. Apparently, the prices have risen considerably in the royal capital. I have to leave the dragon carriage tomorrow and join the profit-making venture."
As he spoke, tapping the cart lightly, the man gazed off into the distance in the direction where the sun was setting - likely the royal capital.
Perhaps noticing Subaru's silence, he scratched his head and continued, "Besides,"
"The reason why Fleur is this size and relatively wealthy is because it's a place where people like me who relay traffic to and from the royal capital gather. So I'm sure there are quite a few people you could approach to negotiate with… but they've all turned you down, right?"
"...Yeah, you're the sixth person to have been rejected."
Subaru announced the results with a sour look on his face and bit his lip in frustration.
In fact, there were occasional people who met the prerequisites for negotiation. That was probably because, as the man had said, this was a village on the road to the royal capital.
Subaru was delighted to discover this was a surprise and enthusiastic attempt to negotiate with them, something that had been turned down by the store-owning merchant, but,
"Right now, people who have been away are constantly heading to the royal capital. It can't be helped. After all, there's a commotion going on with the royal selection. All I can smell is money."
"Is that so...?"
As he listened to the man's story, Subaru once again realized the consequences of his own shortsightedness.
If you think about why peddlers sell their goods, it's a natural conclusion. They are not just mobile merchants. Being mobile is the vitality they need to jump on profitable business opportunities, and the goods they transport are what they take the trouble to transport because they will bring them profits at their destination.
And now, with the Royal Selection happening and the whole country excited, there was no way that any peddler would miss out on a business opportunity in the royal capital.
His enthusiasm was thwarted by his shortsightedness. Perhaps feeling sorry for Subaru, who was frustrated by the signs that the ray of hope he had seen was fading away, the man touched his nose thoughtfully and said, "That's true, I suppose,"
"Plus, there are some suspicious rumors flying around the Mathers territory right now. Even if the profitable business in the royal capital falls through, it's not a good idea for anyone to want to go there."
"Fake rumors... could it be that they have something to do with the royal selection?"
"I think it's just a bunch of rumors. Something about a half-demon being a candidate and him being supported or something... There's still a lot of speculation going around about the royal selection process. Do you know?"
"...No, I don't really understand either."
Subaru quickly lied and dodged the man's question. Perhaps he had no particular expectations, as the man responded with an "I see," without any particular disappointment.
Glancing at the scene, Subaru realized that the environment surrounding Emilia was even more vicious than he had thought.
And just as he was growing weary of the obstacles standing in his path and Emilia's, the man suddenly clapped his hands and said, "That's right."
"Hey, have fun. I just thought of someone who might take up your offer."
"--! Seriously?! I had almost given up and was about to be raped!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, but it's true. I'll call him."
As he spoke, the man gave Subaru a friendly pat on the shoulder and jogged off across the street. Subaru chased after the man, who had run into a store just within sight, and when he looked up at the store's sign,
"...Maybe it's a bar-like character?"
Although he wasn't entirely sure, he could just about make out some of the characters carved into the room, which he had only just begun to learn, in the "Roman alphabet." What's more, a faint hint of alcohol was seeping out from the double-door entrance, making him question the humanity of someone soaking up the place in broad daylight.
Since the man ran in with great enthusiasm, I assume he is one of them.
"What if they bring along a really addicted alcoholic...I wonder if it's okay to drive a dragon carriage while drinking in this world?"
I wonder if drunk driving can result in imprisonment or license revocation. In fact, there may not even be a concept of a license for a dragon carriage.
I decided that if a tough-looking, alcoholic, self-employed person were to show up, I would just throw around some gold coins and run away.
And then, as Subaru was making this sorrowful decision, the door opened in front of him,
"What? I told you to wait, but you came here instead."
As he spoke, the skinny man laughed with a disappointed look on his face. The man stretched his arms out into the store while laughing, and seemed to be pulling someone along by their clothes.
While looking into the store, I sent my gaze in that direction.
Subaru: "Even though I made a point of asking you to do it, wouldn't it be extremely rude to make you use your foot service too? …So, what about that person over there?"
"Oh, that's right. This is it. Come on, Otto, say hello."
And then, the man roughly grabbed his arm and led him out, and in front of Subaru was a young man with grey hair.
He was a young man, slightly shorter than Subaru, with a slender build. He was slightly older than Subaru, perhaps around twenty years old. If he stood up straight and adjusted his facial expression, he would have a handsome face, but
「I'm Natsuki Subaru. Sorry for forcing you to come. I thought that you might be able to accept my request… Stink! Alcohol stinks! Ugh, just the smell is making me drunk!」
Just as I was about to begin a friendly negotiation, I was instantly knocked out by the stench that wafted through the air. A strong hint of alcohol that made the contents of my stomach come rushing back up emanated from the gloomy-looking young man in front of me.
As expected―― No, he seemed even more drunk than expected. In fact, the young man staggered and staggered over just a few steps, somehow managing to stand in front of Subaru,
"Well, I've been introduced to you, Otto... my name is... Ue. Ue. Hiccup. Ue."
During the short greeting, I vomited three times.
The young man who introduced himself as Otto looked back and forth between Subaru and the man, his face red from alcohol in a way that didn't suit his handsome features, and then,
"So, what was it again? A business meeting? Was it a business meeting? Ugh, you're telling me a business meeting? Ugh, ahaha, ugh. That's a funny story, isn't it? Ugh."
Otto finally crouches down and begins laughing for reasons we don't understand.
Sensing that his hopes had been completely dashed, Subaru turned a resentful gaze towards the man who had introduced him. In response, he raised his hand in a panic,
"Wait, wait, wait, I didn't trick you."
"If you're serious about introducing me, I have to question your intelligence. This is not enough to arrest you for drunk driving. In this state, you'd be stopped by the police even if you were walking."
I was introduced to a man who was so drunk, it was almost like he was dripping wet.
Perhaps thinking that Subaru's suspicions were justified, the man who had been glared at roughly shook the crouching Otto by the shoulders,
"Otto! Hey, wake up, you bastard. You were the one who said to introduce it if you had a plan to turn the situation around! Are you going to ruin it with alcohol, eh!?"
"A big turnaround move--!?"
Otto's gaze, which had been dead until then, suddenly changed. He shook off the man's hand that had been gripping his shoulder, and stood up with a gesture that belied his previous appearance of being drowning in alcohol.
"I apologize for the inconvenience. My name is Otto Suen. I am a humble peddler."
Otto's determined expression almost makes a clicking noise.
Subaru was speechless at the transformation that had taken place up until that moment. Otto studied the silent Subaru from top to bottom, then sighed, "Hmm," and then,
"I see, so to some extent your status is guaranteed. This could certainly become a valuable customer. Thank you, Ketty."
"Yes, yes. So, it looks like we've agreed, right? Well, I'll be off then. Big Bro, if we meet somewhere, please be nice to me. I'll borrow Otto back next time."
When Otto's behavior was enough to clear up his suspicions, the man patted his chest in an exaggerated gesture of relief, raised his hand, and left the scene.
After giving him words of thanks and seeing him off, Subaru turned back to the young man. Facing him, Otto looked appraisingly at him, no trace of the afterglow of the alcohol he had been drowning in earlier was visible.
"Well then, let's begin the negotiations. What do you want, sir?"
Otto clapped his hands, raised his fingers, and with a big smile on his face, made this suggestion.
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"I wouldn't mind taking it, yes."
After Subaru had finished explaining the situation briefly and vaguely, Otto spoke those words.
Subaru had been introduced by a merchant called Ketty, and had only hoped that he might not be turned down outright, so he was somewhat surprised when she readily accepted.
However, as soon as he understood the meaning of that reply, Subaru immediately grabbed Otto's hands with all his might,
"Oh, thank you! I see, you can do it! That would be a big help! That would be really helpful!"
"Ouch! Ouch! Wait, that's too strong! P-wait! I'm glad you're happy to do this, but I also have a condition!"
As his arms swung up and down, Otto's voice got louder as he shook them off. Opening and closing his free hands, Subaru tilted his head and asked, "Conditions?"
Otto shook his freed hand lightly and said, "Yes," with a slight frown.
"Since we are also using the dragon carriage as a tool of our business, or rather as a lifeline, we cannot take on this easily. Of course, we can also accept it at the same price as a regular dragon carriage rental. Especially since there are many uncertainties surrounding heading to the Mathers territory right now."
"Of course, that's natural. I can't say I'll accept whatever price you ask, though."
Glancing down at the bag he was carrying, Subaru felt intimidated, unable to imagine the amount of money Otto was offering. At the very least, if he asked for a reward that exceeded the amount Subaru had left in his hands, he would be out. Even if he hadn't, he wouldn't be able to easily agree if he was offered some sort of exchange condition.
Otto closed one eye at Subaru, who was clearly on guard.
"That's right. Then how about giving me all the money I have?"
He raised his hands and shrugged his shoulders, making a playful gesture as he declared.
For him, this was the first step in any negotiation. In other words, it was a groundwork. From there, he could get the pace going and from his shining eyes, I could see his intention to move on to the next step.
Mouth to mouth, tongue to tongue. The battle of words and arguments in negotiations begins.
"Is that okay? Okay, then I'll leave this bag with you. Is it alright if you leave immediately?"
It didn't turn out that way.
Subaru casually handed him the bag he was holding, and Otto took it without thinking, with a stunned look on his face. Feeling its heavy weight in both his arms, he swallowed his saliva and turned trembling eyes towards Subaru,
「Wait, that's not right! Normally, this is where the argument would begin to get closer to meeting each other's demands!? That's how easily...」
"It's a waste of time, and I'll lose if I debate anyway. So I'm not going to fight a pointless battle, and if I can get away with just the contents of that bag, then that's a dream come true for me."
In the worst case scenario, he would lose everything in his bag and not be able to accomplish his goal. Considering that, spending all his money to get a one-way ticket was a small price to pay.
Subaru's actions made Otto look astonished and put his hand to his forehead,
"This is... I think I might have been introduced to someone who is going to be very troublesome..."
"Don't worry. Personally, I don't intend to cause any trouble to anyone. At least in my feelings."
There was no way that Subaru himself, let alone Otto, who only knew him for a short time, could have known that her words had no persuasive power whatsoever.
"I understand. I stated my conditions and he accepted them immediately. I have the pride of being a merchant. No matter how small the amount, I will complete the job properly...Uh?! Wh, what is this large sum of money?! What are you doing giving him this easily...Uh?"
Ignoring Otto's nauseous state after checking the contents of his bag and remembering something, Subaru clenched his fists at the opportunity he had finally grabbed.
Various obstacles stand in Subaru's way, but he can somehow overcome them all. Right now he doesn't know what stands in his way before Emilia, but he'll surely understand it if he stands next to her. And he's sure that Subaru will be able to do something about it.
"Just wait, it's almost here...it's almost here."
The corners of Subaru's mouth clearly curved into a smile.
Whether the thought came to him because he knew he would be able to achieve his goal, or because he was having a vision of the girl he loved, even the man himself, unaware that he was laughing, didn't know.
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"Well then, I will confirm the details of the contract. The destination is the Mathers Territory, the territory of Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers. The condition is that we must shorten the time as much as possible, and run through the middle of the night… I will accept it because of the reward, but these are unreasonable conditions."
"The guy whose eyes lit up when he saw the gold coins isn't going to complain. Please. My future depends on it."
"I think my future is also dependent on many different places at the same time."
As he spoke, Otto held the reins and gave orders, as the earth dragon kicked the ground and galloped along, neighing.
The dragon carriage that Otto owned had a large loading platform and a covered roof, and the earth dragon that pulled it was a powerful giant of a size to match. Subaru was worried about its speed, as it looked quite heavy, but
"But their endurance is different. They are a species with particularly excellent stamina, even among those suited to long distance running, so they won't be exhausted even if they run for three days straight."
"If you run it for three days, the person riding it will end up collapsing."
"About two years ago, I ran hard so I wouldn't miss a business opportunity. You'd never guess how much you can do if you put yourself in a desperate situation. I collapsed right after the deal was over, and was on the verge of death for about a week."
"When you think about dying, you see."
Glancing sideways at Otto, he noticed his gaze and looked at him as if to say, "What is it?" Subaru responded to the silent question with a wave of his hand, and looked down at the running earth dragon to change the topic,
"Anyway, if that's the case, there's no need to replace it along the way. So, I guess it's okay to just pass by the village of Hanumas?"
"That's true. Hanumas is a better stopover than Fleur, but if you have your own dragon carriage loaded with food and water, it's not worth stopping by. The request also requires an express trip, so I'll just let it pass."
Even though it was a completely rash move in terms of planning, Otto's words were spoken methodically without the slightest hint of anxiety.
From his perspective, this was probably one path he had traveled many times before. They were about the same age, but there was an air of dignity about them that didn't seem to suit his handsome appearance.
Despite being that kind of person, he had agreed to Subaru's reckless request. Of course, it was true that there was a reward involved, but Subaru had his doubts.
"Hey, why did you listen to my request? I don't know why you were drinking so much."
"You're asking me some difficult questions straight out, Natsuki-san."
In response to Subaru's question, Otto gave a bitter smile that was too bitter to be called a wry smile.
Subaru straightened up in front of the person who was calling him by his unusual surname for the first time since he came to this world. And then, for the first time in a long time, he realized how poor his communication skills were, having asked such a difficult question so directly.
"Well, now that I've heard it, there's nothing I can do. So I might as well just confess."
"That's an easy way to put it... Well, to go along with that, I'll just say it simply, but we made a small mistake due to a misunderstanding of information."
Sighing at Subaru's brazen attitude, Otto began to quietly explain the cause of the disgraceful behavior at the bar.
Subaru frowned at the word 'bummer' and he turned his head towards the loading platform,
"That loading platform over there is packed with my cargo… what do you think is in it?"
"...At first glance, it looks like there are a few vases or something lined up. Were you planning to go and sell some pottery?"
"Here's a consolation prize. What's for sale isn't the outside, but the inside. The jar is filled with plenty of oil. The original plan was to take it to Gusteko in the north, but..."
Otto shrugged, laughing at his own failure to act.
"It must be because of the royal selection. The road to the north country of Gusteko was temporarily closed. When we realized that we couldn't be sold, we desperately resisted... but, well, that didn't work either and we were turned away."
What should have been sold for a lot of money in the cold weather of Gusteko was rejected, and they had to somehow get rid of it in Lugnica. To add insult to injury, the iron products that Otto had traded to get the oil were worth next to nothing for a while.
As a result, he missed the opportunity to sell his iron products like hotcakes, and in exchange he also lost a market to sell the oil he had obtained, so he was apparently drinking himself into a daze in despair.
"Even in the royal capital, there's no way that this much oil can be sold off so easily… If I were to sell it for a pittance, it would be ruin for me. I had half thrown my life away, thinking that my career as a merchant was over, when Natsuki offered me this."
"Is that money going to make up for this loss in any way?"
"I could buy all this oil at the retail price and still have change left over. It's saved my life somehow. I'm so grateful."
As Otto bows his head in worship, Subaru waves his hand and says, "Stop it." Subaru is just as grateful to him. In fact, he's half convinced that his feelings are no less than his own.
We continued like this for a while, exchanging jokes such as "It's all thanks to you," "No, no, it's all thanks to you," "I'm here because of you," "Yes, it was destined that we would meet like this," and so on, and time passed as we deepened our sympathy for each other.
When that conversation came to an end and a sudden silence fell between them, Subaru suddenly looked away from the road he was driving on, squinting at the endless plains,
"Hey, Otto. Is there no way we can just cut through this plain?"
He muttered quietly.
Hearing Subaru mutter, Otto broke into a smile as if he had just heard a fantastic joke, and slapped his knee, saying, "Not again."
"No matter how you look at it, this is no laughing matter. When the 'Fog' covers the plains, the White Whale appears there. It's one of the most famous magical beasts... if you encounter it, your life will be in danger."
"Is he really that dangerous? Aren't they going to hunt him down?"
"As long as we can avoid the 'Fog' the damage will be minimal. Apparently in the past, a punitive force was formed and an expedition was undertaken, but the result was such that we can see why, seeing as the White Whale is still alive and well to this day."
In other words, the subjugation attempt had failed, and there had been damage that would make them hesitate to carry out further expeditions.
As he listened to this story, Subaru had mixed feelings about the mention of the word "magic beasts." To Subaru, magic beasts meant the flock of Juggernauts that inhabited the area around Roswaal Mansion.
In the end, all the nearby nests were burned down and the beasts were wiped out, and Subaru felt there was something to be sympathetic about their fate. Of course, even for Subaru, who had been killed by them himself, there was no denying the fact that their ecology was far too difficult for them to coexist with.
"A white whale...huh? Is it shaped like a white whale?"
"According to the few people who witnessed it and survived, it was so huge that they still don't know what it was. Apparently, while everyone around them was being crushed, they desperately threw away everything and only managed to escape with their lives."
"It's a terrible story," Otto said with a long breath, and seemed reluctant to talk any more about the White Whale.
To him, who travels from place to place as a traveling merchant, the white whale that occupies the plains for days and forces him to make a detour must be an object of loathing and hatred.
He would be grateful if they were defeated, but he didn't want to have anything to do with them. Sensing this intention from his attitude, Subaru decided not to pursue him any further.
Either way, without Otto's help, Subaru would not be able to return to his territory. He must avoid telling him strange stories that would upset him and cause a rift between them.
Subaru looked at him quietly, eyes suddenly devoid of emotion, but Otto, who was concentrating on controlling the earth dragon, didn't notice.
Subaru himself was also unaware of the glow that was currently shining in his own eyes.
Things are slowly but surely moving in a distorted way.
--And that was the result of a forced march that continued without rest, even on dark roads.
"I can see it. Once we get over that hill we'll be in Mathers territory."
The shared ride had been going for about half a day and three hours.
Subaru and his friends arrived at their destination, the Mathers territory, in the early hours of the morning, when the sun, which had set since their departure, had begun to rise again, illuminating the world in a brilliant light.
"You kept running without taking a break... you might even have overtaken Rem."
"Well, it's pretty difficult to catch up with someone who's more than half a day ahead of you. Anyway, are you heading to the Mathers territory…?"
"Ah, it's the mansion of our lord, Margrave Roswaal. Do you know where it is?"
"Roughly speaking. Well, leave it to me."
Otto responded to Subaru in a reliable voice, and quickly moved his arms around the reins.
Unlike Subaru, who had had a few light sleeps along the way, Otto hadn't had a chance to rest the whole time and had been awake almost all night, but his reply had a strong tone that didn't hint at fatigue.
"Hahahaha! Go! Go! I can see a shining path now!"
On the contrary, when you see him rambling on and delivering those lines with a bit of over-the-top excitement, it feels like he's completely exposed the excitement he has after staying up all night, which is actually kind of amusing.
In any case, leaving aside the state of his passenger, Subaru thought about the mansion that was now right in front of him, and the scene of their reunion that he had been trying not to think about until now came to mind.
It probably won't be that easy. Subaru, who was supposed to have been left behind in the royal capital, will be returning halfway through his treatment. He must even prepare himself for being cursed at.
nevertheless,
"I came back to do what I had to do. There's nothing to be ashamed of. Yes, there's nothing."
As if to justify his actions, or to make an excuse for someone who was not present, Subaru repeatedly muttered the magic words that had always kept him going.
Saying these words out loud was enough to temporarily banish the anxiety that was swelling up in his chest to the point of crushing it. So Subaru repeated those words over and over again.
Deriding the countless words that should have reminded him of something, Subaru continued to support his fragile self that felt like it was about to crumble with those words.
Backed by that temporary confidence, Subaru's resolve was,
"Natsuki-san...can you please forgive me for this?"
As they approached the mansion and traveled through the forest for a while, Otto suddenly stopped the carriage, thwarting their plans.
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"What do you mean? You're not going to say that the contract is over because we've entered the Mathers territory, are you? It's not fraud, but it's close to fraud, you know?"
In the carriage's driver's seat, which had come to a halt, Subaru suddenly grabbed Otto, who refused to go any further. Grabbing him by the collar and pulling him towards him, Subaru was about to throw more nasty words at his face - but the sight of his pale face made him swallow his words.
Letting go of his collar, Otto sat down on the driver's seat and silently straightened his disheveled clothes. Then he bowed deeply to Subaru,
"I'm sorry. I had intended to stay with you until the end. But I just can't find the courage to go any further."
"What are you all talking about? Courage and all that has nothing to do with it, right? We're just a little ways away from the mansion. The road isn't bad either. I'm counting on you, Otto."
"Even if you ask me, I can't do that. I can't take all of the reward either. I'll give you half back. So, please let me turn back now."
Subaru was trying to continue the conversation lightly, but Otto put his hands on the driver's seat, bowed his head, and sincerely begged for forgiveness.
Subaru couldn't help but take his breath away at the sight, which was so tragic that it was almost too much.
"What happened all of a sudden? What could have happened to cause something like that..."
"The earth dragon... is frightened. This has never happened before! This is why traveling merchants use dragons to get around. The earth dragon knows that it shouldn't get close...!"
With his hands shaking as he gripped the reins, Otto, his face pale, looked down at the earth dragon. Looking, the dragon was breathing heavily and quietly, feet on the ground, waiting for its master's orders. However, it kept snorting in the direction of its destination, shifting its body as if to warn us of danger, urging us to be on high alert.
Subaru realised something from the earth dragon's behavior and Otto's trusting reaction.
There was some unimaginable threat waiting ahead.
And he couldn't let Otto and the others get involved in that. Subaru had no choice but to take on the challenge alone.
"Thank you for all your help. I'm sorry for scaring you, Otto."
"picture"
Hearing a cry of surprise behind him, Subaru flew from the driver's seat to the ground. He landed right next to the Earth Dragon, tapping his numb legs and looking up at Otto,
"I'm going to walk to the mansion from here. It's not that far away. I'm glad you brought me this far. Take all the money."
"That's not possible... No, more importantly, Natsuki-san! You mustn't go! Come back with me. It's foggy here right now!"
"A white whale is going to appear?"
"It's a bad omen for peddlers! If fog covers our destination, it's a matter of life and death for us... But that's no big deal, just think it over..."
"Sorry but..."
Seeing Otto desperately calling out in concern for Subaru, Subaru gave a wry smile. Perhaps he wasn't cut out to be a merchant, whose only job was to deceive and trick others with his kindness.
While wondering about the professional suitability of such a good person as Otto, Subaru raised his hand and turned his back on the dragon carriage and him,
"Just as you put your life and money on the scales, I also put something just as important as my life on the scales. That important thing is ahead of me."
"Natsuki-san!"
"I don't think it's your fault for turning back. Rather, it was the right decision to turn back when you knew it was dangerous. I'm happy that you knew that in advance."
At the end of this road, at Subaru's destination, a danger awaits that would frighten even a dragon.
He must hurry. He must rush there. Because there, the answer Subaru seeks must be lying there.
"--Natsuki-san!"
Leaving Otto behind, who had been calling out to him in concern until the very end, Subaru kicked hard off the ground in the deep green forest and ran.
Running, running, and running, Subaru left the people who had genuinely been worried about him behind and continued on towards his destination.
The exact distance to Roswaal's mansion is unclear.
However, the familiar group of trees was undoubtedly from the mountains that surrounded the mansion. There was still a road left behind that a dragon carriage could travel on, so there was no doubt that if they followed it they would be able to reach the mansion.
Before that, the nearest village - a village very close to the mansion, a village Subaru had visited many times, should have welcomed him, but he didn't feel the need to focus there right now.
Anyway, I want to get to the mansion as soon as possible.
Doing so would likely bring about a resolution to the uncertain feelings that were tormenting Subaru right now. Whether it was in a desired form or not, he hoped that change would come.
Thinking of Emilia. Thinking of Rem. Thinking of Emilia. Thinking of Ram. Thinking of Emilia. Thinking of Beatrice. Thinking of Emilia. Thinking of Roswaal. Thinking of Emilia. Thinking of Puck. Thinking of Emilia. Thinking of the people of the village. Thinking of Emilia. Emilia, Emilia, Emilia, Emilia, Emilia――.
Subaru continued to sprint, with far too many distracting thoughts to be called mindless.
The reason Subaru stopped in his tracks was not because he had arrived at his destination.
The reason why Subaru stopped running was because a strange feeling suddenly crossed his mind.
Even to Subaru, who was concentrating on driving and ignoring the strange happenings around him, there was a clear abnormality――that is,
"Too quiet, you know."
All sounds have disappeared from the world except for the sound of the wind passing by.
Looking around, all he could see were rows of trees, and nothing that was actively making noise. However, Subaru, who had spent nearly a month here, knew something.
Not even the chirping of insects can be heard; the overwhelming silence of this forest is extraordinary.
--And then, it suddenly appeared, slipping through Subaru's consciousness.
"Wh... Huh!?"
Subaru cried out in surprise and instinctively stepped back.
Subaru's face was pale, and he was unable to accept the reality before his eyes - standing there in silence was a mysterious person clad from head to toe in black clothing.
But the surprise doesn't end there.
"These guys... No, these guys...!"
Subaru turned his head and spun sounds with trembling lips. As if following his gaze, black shadows began to appear in various places along the forest path.
Their numbers exceeded ten in an instant, and they surrounded the wary Subaru.
What was even more strange was the fact that, despite their incomprehensible appearance, the same silence as before continued on forever.
The men in black outfits quietly observed Subaru, without even the slightest hint of breathing.
Sensing with his own skin that they were by no means friendly, Subaru could not say anything and simply waited for their next move.
I wonder how long this glaring at each other continued.
The tension was so high that Subaru felt the flow of time become extremely blurred.
His heart was beating so loudly that it hurt, yet there was such a violent silence that even he couldn't hear it - and then, just as quickly as it had begun, that balance was shattered.
And that wasーー,
"――――"
All at once, the men in black bowed respectfully towards Subaru.
ーーSubaru's brain completely gave up on comprehending the scene.
The group that had appeared for no apparent reason paid him some incomprehensible respect, then left Subaru behind for an incomprehensible reason, and vanished without a trace of what was going on.
Subaru was speechless, unable to do anything but stand there in shock at the spectacle before him, as the men in black clothing looked up and began to move smoothly forward.
They pass by the frozen Subaru without doing a thing, and then disappear from the edge of his vision, walking silently just as they had when they appeared.
When it first appeared, it was likely that it had appeared through a gap in my consciousness in the same way. Even though I understood that, I didn't understand anything else about it.
Therefore, after a few minutes of being frozen in place, Subaru realises that he has been completely abandoned, and gives up on trying to understand them any further, and starts running.
Their presence made Subaru's current anxiety very unpleasant.
In order to shake off the fear and anxiety that was running up his spine, Subaru once again ran down the forest path with all his heart, as if forgetting everything else.
Subaru gave up on trying to understand the black-clothed people, whose existence he could not comprehend.
So he can't notice.
The direction the black-clothed men had disappeared in was the direction where Otto, who had been left behind, was supposed to be.
And Subaru never once thought about it.