"Although I may look like this, I actually quite like books."
The girl spoke while sitting in a luxurious chair with one hand on the armrest.
In her other hand she had an elaborately bound book open, and as she scanned it, already halfway through, there was something different about her appearance compared to her previous appearance.
She was wearing a thin, negligee-like garment with a white cloth of the same color draped over her shoulders. The curves of her voluptuous body were unashamedly exposed in front of the man's eyes, but the girl didn't seem to notice it, even though she was facing the man's gaze.
They were so immersed in the world of books that it was hard to believe they were welcoming guests.
Subaru, left alone with his sneakers stomping across the carpeted floor, is at a loss as to what to do.
Although he was ushered in, the owner of the room showed no interest in Subaru. When he tried to force a conversation, he only got the same reply as the opening line.
Surely they are telling me to wait until I finish reading the book because I'm almost done with it?
"That's too much..."
I try to deny the thought that has arisen in my mind, but as I watch her gracefully turn the pages, I can't help but feel uneasy.
In truth, Subaru knew that she was the type of person who would say such an unreasonable thing.
She has orange hair that reflects the sun, fiery crimson eyes that burn everything they see, translucent white skin, and a body full of feminine curves.
There are no words to express the beauty of her appearance as she quietly focuses her eyes on her book without opening her mouth.
And how unjust would God have been to her if her character had not been cultivated for the purpose of offending others.
The girl's name was Priscilla Barielle.
He was one of the candidates for the royal election, and the next person Subaru went to seek his help.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
Subaru learned of Reinhard's absence from the royal capital while at the mansion he was using as his residence while in the capital.
It is a villa used by the Astrea family, where Reinhard was born, and according to the elderly couple in charge of managing it,
"In preparation for the upcoming Royal Selection, our master, Felt-sama, and her family have returned to their home. It is possible for this family to converse with the main family using the Conversation Mirror, but…"
Apparently, the crucial journey between the capital and the Astrea family home would take nearly four days by dragon carriage, and Reinhard had only left the capital two days ago, so he still hadn't arrived at the family home.
Furthermore, when they heard the location of his family's home, they found out that it would take them at least five days to reach the Mathers territory - no matter how hard they tried, it was hopeless for him to join the battle.
"Both Roswaal and Reinhard... they're useless when it matters most...!"
After saying goodbye to the elderly couple and the villa disappearing from sight, Subaru holds his head in his hands.
The bad blood between them this time was godlike. With the candidate who would lend him his strength unconditionally gone, Subaru truly lost his composure.
Even before he turned me down, it was painful that I hadn't taken into account that he wouldn't be there. Moreover, with him leaving only two days before, it would be too late for 『Return by Death』.
If he were to cooperate, he would have been able to spend the two days before "Return by Death," which would have been possible only in the first world. However, this was impossible for Subaru, who was simply wasting his time, unaware of the tragedy that awaited him.
"There's no point in wishing for something that doesn't exist... Think, think, think, think, think, think, think... I don't have enough strength, numbers, or time. All I can do is rack my brains."
Subaru racked his brains frantically, trying desperately to come up with the next best option.
If Crusch was no good, and Reinhard was no good either, then Subaru, who didn't know many people in the royal capital, had very few cards to choose from.
Regarding the reports of the Witch Cult's emergence, if their credibility was in question as Crusch had pointed out, then storming into the Knights' barracks was unlikely to gain their cooperation.
Above all, Subaru's current position does not allow him to directly negotiate with the kingdom's knights, and even before that, he is likely already in a very bad state of being remembered by the knights.
Subaru hadn't forgotten how odious the people were, cheering and cheering as Subaru was beaten to a pulp during the battle with Julius at the parade grounds. He didn't think those guys would lend Subaru a hand, nor did he want to.
—Up until then, Subaru had believed Crusch had been treating him sincerely, but now that she had abandoned him, suspicion of others had swirled within him.
In truth, during the latter part of the incident at the parade ground, the knights hadn't cheered, and instead many had frowned at Julius's actions - but there was no way that this had been conveyed to Subaru at the time, nor was there any way that he had had the time to check after his subsequent exchange with Emilia.
In Subaru's eyes, the knights were still shameless people who deserved to be cursed, and even if he tried to swallow his humiliation and beg, he didn't think they would listen to him sincerely.
Therefore, Subaru could only pretend not to notice that his actions up until now had limited his options, and with bloodshot eyes, he simply worked out the next best thing.
If he couldn't rely on the kingdom's knights, then there were only two people Subaru knew in the royal capital. And for the same reason as the knights, there was no way he could bow down to the other one.
If that happens, there is only one candidate left.
"Subaru, what are you going to do now? Rem is..."
"It's okay. Just leave it to me. You don't have to do anything, Rem. It's fine if you don't. Just stay behind me always."
Unable to bear seeing Subaru lost in thought, Rem began to say something.
Subaru interrupted her, giving her a weak smile as he continued thinking.
It would be dangerous to put Rem in the line of fire.
It is known that she would throw herself at the risk of protecting Subaru, even sacrificing her own life.
This was the result of Subaru's actions in saving her and making her dependent on him, so she had to accept it. Having accepted it, she had to avoid an outcome that would result in her being lost.
For that reason too, Subaru stubbornly refused to let Rem step forward.
Subaru, he has to do it. If he doesn't, he won't be able to protect Rem, there will be no point in rescuing Emilia and the people of the village, and he won't be able to clear his hatred for Petelgeuse.
"Hmm, something like that..."
For a moment, Subaru felt as if something terribly disturbing had occurred to him, and he touched his temples.
Right now it's as if killing Petelgeuse takes priority over saving Emilia and the others. What's more, it's crazy that protecting Emilia and the others' lives has to be done by his own hands.
It was just a momentary lapse of judgment. Since he was aware of that, Crusch's words were completely off the mark.
"It's okay. It's okay. I'm doing the right thing."
As if convincing himself, as if chewing it over, as if pretending not to have seen what he had seen, as if putting a lid on the abyss, Subaru affirmed himself.
If I didn't affirm it, I wouldn't be able to stay sane.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
The next morning, after spending the night at the inn, the two visited Priscilla's mansion on the edge of the royal capital.
Built on the outskirts of the noble district, it was the Bariel Mansion, originally the mansion where Priscilla's late husband, an old man named Leip Bariel, lived.
He was apparently a person of some rank in the royal palace, and even Rem knew his name, but――
"At least it's not the dead old man's hobby."
Even from a distance, the splendor of the mansion as it scatters the morning sun is clearly visible and burned into your memory.
The roof must have been repainted quite recently, as it is completely covered in gold, and shines with a luxurious, fresh glow, as if it were sprinkled with gold leaf. If one wishes to maintain this shine, it will likely need to be repainted frequently.
The walls of the mansion visible beyond the gate were decorated with ornaments just as extravagantly as the roof, and all of the windows facing this way were works of art with elaborate carvings.
I have never actually seen the hobbies of nouveau riche, but there was something about the sight that overbearingly made me think that this must be the kind of thing money is spent on.
"Well, well, well, actually, this is just a hobby of the princess. It was done in quite a rush, you know? They came from their territory to the royal capital and only arrived a month ago. I feel sorry for those who had to work through the night, but it's hard to complain when you get slapped across the face with a bag of gold coins."
"Well, hitting someone on the cheek with a bag of gold coins is the same as hitting them. Don't try to throw it away like you would a stack of bills."
In some mysteries, people even stuff sand into socks to use as blunt objects. The cause of death is nouveau riche, with people being bludgeoned to death with a bag full of gold coins.
"I guess that's about it," he said, tilting his head and scratching the back of his neck through the gap in his helmet. He was a mercenary hired by Priscilla, and it seemed that, like Subaru, he was a compatriot who had been summoned from Earth to another world.
Judging from his frequent use of modern language and eccentric fashion sense, he seems to fit the bill well, but since he was summoned nearly twenty years ago, the generation gap is undeniable.
In any case, Subaru's thoughts were aside, as Al greeted the two at the gate, he let out a yawn with an almost unguarded attitude,
"So, what do you want out here so early in the morning? As you can see, I have low blood pressure so I'm seriously weak in the mornings. I'd give the King of Carp a run for his money."
"I'd like to hear about a super dangerous guy who shoots crusher beams when he levels up. Sorry for showing up without an appointment, but I have something to tell you about the princess over there."
"To the princess?"
Al, who had been swaying weakly as if he had no bones, straightened up and gazed intently at Subaru and Rem.
The sharpness of the gaze that could not be seen from the other side of the black helmet was unclear, but he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable being looked at as if he was being appraised. For quite a long time, and it seemed that he was only looking at Rem, Al's helmet joints clanged,
"Ah, I've replenished my maid supplies, so it's fine. I'll put you through."
"There must be maids in this mansion. And that's a frivolous reaction."
"Hey hey, you don't understand princesses. A princess who thinks she's the cutest wouldn't hire a maid. All she has in her mansion are little butlers."
"That sounds terrible... My ratings are dropping rapidly, but please put me through to them anyway."
"Hey," Al replied in a muffled, disinterested voice, and disappeared into the mansion.
Beside her, Rem took a step back and remained silent, her expression remaining expressionless, but her hand gently pinching the hem of Subaru's shirt revealed an unconcealable sense of anxiety, and even if she wanted to comfort her, the same anxiety was controlling Subaru and there was nothing she could do.
Even though he couldn't think of anyone else to rely on, it was impossible for him to be so anxious just from his interactions with the servant before the man himself appeared.
For Subaru, who couldn't afford to be picky about his means, this was his last resort.
"But maybe it was a mistake to come at this time. In Priscilla's case, she would have ended up disturbing my precious sleep - or something like that. "Hey, let's meet up."
The words that were spilling out, fuelled by anxiety, were cut off by Al's loud voice as he leaned half-way out of the mansion's entrance and waved.
After being stunned for a moment, Subaru timidly pushed open the gate and walked towards Al, who was beckoning him,
"Y-you managed to get the appointment pretty easily, huh?"
"This may be surprising, but Princess is actually strong in the mornings. But on the flipside, she gets up really early at night. Anyway, this way, this way."
Subaru was taken aback, and Al casually guided him inside, probably smiling from behind his helmet. Following his lead, he stepped inside the mansion, and it seemed that the interior had indeed been modified quite a bit, just like the exterior.
The corridors, lined with artworks to the brim, are actually a nuisance to walk through, and the way that even the lighting and picture frames are decorated with precious metals makes it seem almost insane.
"Your eyes might hurt at first, but you'll get used to it. It's morning now so it's better, but the hallways at night are really scary."
"You're not a child anymore. Don't tell me you're scared of the hallways at night, you grown-up."
"The eyes of stone statues glow in the dark, you know?"
"That's crazy of your master."
Looking up, I saw that the stone statues that lined the hallway had jewel-like things embedded in their eyes. When it got dark, they must have been glowing. It was crazy.
Subaru quietly overlooked this desecration of art, and Al tilted his head as if he felt something was off, but didn't mention it.
Subaru was trying to make sure that Rem, who was following behind him, did not feel lonely, but Rem, who was clutching the hem of her skirt, had been sniffling the whole time and kept casting glances at the leading man's back as if she had seen something suspicious.
and,
"The princess is staying on the top floor of the mansion. It's a luxurious space with the entire room as its own."
"This looks like a hotel suite. Can I go in?"
When I asked Al, who pointed up the stairs with his thumb, he nodded and answered meaningfully, "Brothers, you see."
Subaru looked at her suspiciously at her answer, and,
"No no no, I'm not being mean. The princess said that she will only be meeting her brothers. I'll show you to the guest room, young lady."
"Do you think I can leave it with the guy who mentioned replenishing maid ingredients earlier...?"
"I was told to wait in front of the room, so don't worry. It's a shame, but the young lady will be guided by the shota butler."
Anticipating Subaru's concerns, a boy with blonde curly hair and blue eyes appeared from behind Al, who gracefully gave way to him. A boy who could only be described as beautiful, he was clad in a small butler's uniform, and gave off a somewhat endearing air to those who saw him.
"Well, be careful not to make any mistakes with our customers."
Al casually tapped him on the shoulder and instructed, and the shota butler gracefully escorted Rem, saying, "This way." Rem looked at Subaru confused for just a moment, but then,
"Sorry, but please wait until I finish talking. I'll take all the dangerous people, including that man, upstairs, so you can relax in peace."
"You're a dangerous person, brother. People often call you a suspicious person."
"Well, if anything, suspicious people are ranked lower."
Subaru gave Al a cold look, who responded nonchalantly, then turned to Rem once more and patted her on the head to reassure her.
Rem narrows her eyes as she feels her hair being brushed and reluctantly accepts in a small voice, "Okay."
"Please pay special attention to those people."
She whispered to Subaru as she leaned closer.
Her eyes momentarily turned to Al, and it was likely that he was the one who had warned her of the danger. He certainly looked the most suspicious out of all the people she had encountered during her stay in the other world, but since she trusted him to a certain extent, her advice was a bit dubious. However,
"Hmm, I understand."
In terms of reliability, it goes without saying that Rem is more reliable.
Considering the exchange at the Crusch mansion, it would be impossible to place complete trust in someone just because they were from the same hometown. They should be aware that this was also enemy territory.
After seeing Subaru nod, Rem is led away by the shota butler down the hallway. She still has regrets about Subaru as she leaves the room.
"Whew, here we go, brother. You love me."
"If you're going to do it, whistle properly. Can't you whistle like me?"
It's rarely cold enough to make a whistling effect with your mouth.
Subaru, who had never been able to whistle no matter how much he practiced since childhood, found this behavior familiar, but Al made him back off with a rather heavy reply, "Ah, it's because my lips are not fine."
Anyway,
"It would be bad to make the young lady wait, and even worse, to make the princess wait too long and anger her. Let's hurry up and head upstairs."
"It's good that we can get this settled quickly... By the way, how is Priscilla in her mood?"
When trying to start important negotiations, you want to avoid a situation where the other person is in a bad mood. If it were someone else, this probably wouldn't have much of an impact, but when it comes to Priscilla, the invisible status of her mood seems to have an especially large effect.
Subaru was worried, but Al tilted his head listlessly and said, "Hmm."
"I don't think it's a good thing or a bad thing, but you can't really rely on it. Princess' mood changes all the time, before and after a conversation, in between, up and down, left and right. She hasn't decided on what she likes to talk about, so you'll just have to improvise and get through it."
"I guess it's a gamble... that's my weakest point."
After receiving some reassuring advice from his first attendant, Subaru headed upstairs with a clouded, anxious look on his face.
After climbing the stairs and going up the landing, there was a door to a room at the top.
"This is Princess's extremely spacious private room. I haven't been called inside, so I'll just wait here. Then come."
Al said this in a relaxed tone and sat down on the step in front of the door. At that time, he removed the Blue Dragon Sword that was attached to the back of his waist and placed it on his lap.
"Please don't get too upset. I don't want you to take your anger out on me, and if you're in a bad mood you'll just get a bunch of unreasonable requests."
"...Sorry, but I'm here to ask you to do something a little unreasonable."
Responding curtly to Al's request, Subaru took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
and--,
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
Then time returns to the confrontation with Priscilla at the beginning.
Subaru, who had been seen off by Al and entered the room, came across her waiting for him in the hall a little ways ahead. However, she was sitting on a chair placed on a slightly elevated spot, elegantly reading her book and not even glancing at Subaru.
Since she wasn't chased away, she must have been recognized as a visitor, but since she didn't take any action, he was unsure of what course of action to take.
However, while I was hesitating like this, time continued to pass by.
Deciding that hesitation would only bring about stagnation, Subaru took a deep breath, ready to dive into the topic.
"--Now then."
The moment I was about to say the first word, the dry sound of a book being closed echoed through the room.
In front of her, Priscilla closed the book in her palm, closed both her eyes, and, feeling the numbness that had occurred in her palms when she had closed the book, she remained silent for a while, as if enjoying the feeling after reading. Then,
"That was a boring story."
"Despite that, it seemed like you were engrossed in reading it..."
"The correct way to read is to immerse yourself in the world of the book while you're reading. Then write down your thoughts after you've finished the story. How can you say something is boring without reading it?"
Surprisingly, Priscilla responded to Subaru's weak retort as a proper book lover.
It seems that she is not lying when she claims to be a book lover. She declared that she would never criticize a book without reading it, and then roughly threw the book she had finished reading into the air,
"--a"
Before Subaru's stunned eyes, the book reached its apex in levitation, but was suddenly heated by a high temperature and burst into flames.
The tremendous heat burned the book from its binding to its contents, destroying it in an instant, and after a blink of an eye, only black ash fell to the ground.
"Now then, you are going to take away my precious morning reading time. --At the very least, you have brought a story that will pique my interest more than this book right now, right?"
Laughing lasciviously and maliciously, Priscilla crosses her slender legs and points her white fingers in my direction.
Subaru felt as if heat was being directed from the fingertips at his forehead, and a sweat started to form on his back.
"--Candidate Emilia, I need your help in overcoming the current situation she is in."
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
"The Witch Cult, huh..."
Priscilla supported her head on the armrest and tapped her knee with the fingers of her other hand.
After finishing telling her almost the same story as she had told Crusch, she muttered with deep emotion and closed her eyes.
Subaru noticed that she seemed to have some thoughts about the Witch Cult.
"If we leave them alone, they will harm the people of our territory. I want to defeat them before that happens. To achieve that, I need your strength..."
"Kuku, huh."
"--?"
As Subaru tried to wring consent from her with a barrage of questions, Priscilla's shoulders trembled as she bowed her head and hid her face. Subaru asked, frowning, and she suddenly raised her head,
"Hahahaha! Interesting! Very interesting, you sir. I see, this has touched my heart much more than that book from earlier. Even a clown can achieve this much, it's quite a feat."
Laughing, laughing, he mocked Subaru.
His instincts told him that it was not a friendly smile, but the kind of smile a ferocious carnivore would have, the kind a cat would show when torturing a mouse to death with its claws.
"What's so funny?"
"The ridiculous thing is if you can't understand that. Hey, you bastard. Don't you realize how incoherent your actions are right now?"
Priscilla asked with great amusement as she ran her fingers through her own orange hair, wrapping the strands that reached down to her shoulders around her index finger.
He'd heard that phrase before, as if it saw right through him. It had been said to Subaru countless times at Crusch's mansion, as if to say he lacked understanding.
Subaru was unaware and his gaze turned stern, causing Priscilla to snort,
"I don't know if you have no one to rely on or what, but all you do is go around telling other camps about your own camp's weaknesses. This and that is why you lack power… you have quite the brains."
Priscilla tapped her temples and mocked Subaru's actions.
Subaru's thoughts went blank at the sight of her completely condescending attitude. He hadn't expected to be so blatantly insulted.
And then, Priscilla looked down at Subaru, who remained silent and unable to sort out his emotions,
"It's fine to be unconcerned about appearances, but you don't think about it enough. It's not enough at all. By trying to help, you've pushed people into a difficult situation. Your actions are the epitome of an incompetent hard worker. You're out of control, you'd be better off dead."
Priscilla, who had said whatever she wanted, rose from her chair, bent over and leaned forward, looking straight into Subaru's wide-eyed eyes, and prefaced herself with "Just..."
"I'll chop off your head."
In the next moment, Priscilla had pulled the fan out of her chest and was lightly placing it against Subaru's neck.
It was so fast that you couldn't see the moment he stepped forward or even know when he swung his arm.
He felt the edge of the fan, warmed by Priscilla's body heat, touch his right carotid artery. Though it was by no means a sharp blade, the moment it was moved, Subaru felt as if his head would fall off.
Subaru held his breath, and Priscilla muttered in a bored tone, "Can't you even follow it with your eyes?"
"If you're stupid and dumb, there's no hope for you... But even though you've been treated so cruelly, your loyalty to your master is what I admire."
As she spoke, Priscilla removed the fan from around Subaru's neck, opened it and covered her mouth, narrowing her eyes as she continued, "So,"
"It is as if I am being rude as I am to simply laugh at your actions and send you away. Therefore, I will give you a chance."
"...A-a chance?"
"Yes, it's an opportunity. A chance."
Perhaps having heard it from Al, Priscilla, speaking in modern Japanese with an unclear pronunciation, extended a folded fan towards him. As it came towards him silently and straight, for some reason Subaru was unable to dodge it, and when he was pushed on the forehead, his upper body swayed and he fell on his bottom.
And so, the two of them ended up at the same eye level. Subaru, now turned around, tried to look up at Priscilla in shock and protest,
"――――"
"Lick it."
I got a close look at Priscilla's bare feet, without her shoes, which were held out before me.
Not understanding what she was saying, Subaru's gaze wandered between her face and the feet in front of him. Seeing how lost he looked, Priscilla snorted and spoke cruelly, as if to lecture a poor child or tormenting a slave,
"Crawl on the floor, grimacing in shame and humiliation, and lick my feet like a ridiculous, ugly stray dog. --If you can do that, I'll consider your proposal."
「Wha――?!」
"If you don't like it, that's fine. If you want to prioritize your own petty pride and abandon your master who is wagging his tail, then that's fine too. That will be a pleasure for me."
Priscilla said, hiding her mouth as she laughed, that she would enjoy it no matter what happened.
Subaru's insides boiled with rage at Priscilla's malicious attitude, but he managed to hold himself back just in time from raising his voice and letting his emotions get the better of him.
If you let your emotions get the better of you at this point, the negotiations will fall apart.
Above all, there is no doubt that it prompted the other party to be willing to compromise.
I look at Priscilla's legs, which are still out in front of me, and her mocking face.
When he closed his eyes, the silver-haired girl and the pink-haired maid appeared in his mind, along with the faces of the children and adults of the village, and the boiling magma slowly died down.
and,
"I, I get it."
Enduring the humiliation, Subaru took Priscilla's foot in his hand.
Considering the painful deaths that Emilia and the villagers would suffer, Subaru could only imagine the humiliation he would have to endure here. If it meant he could avoid that future and see the world he was meant to reach, he would be happy to become a dog or whatever.
The trembling lips approached the white top of my foot, and touched that clingy skin――at the last moment,
"Oh, you really have become a worthless man."
Subaru's nose was crushed by a kick from the front and he was easily sent flying into the air.
Subaru had no idea what was happening as he spun around, his vision spinning. A tremendous impact shook his head, causing him to lose consciousness, and the feeling of floating that came over him was immediately cut short by the sensation of something hard being slammed into his entire body.
It was only after a moment of silence that I realized I was sprawled out on the ground, a thick, viscous liquid dribbling copiously from my nostrils.
"Yours is neither loyalty nor devotion. It is something far more filthy; a dog's dependency and a pig's lust. You are a lazy pig who only desires. A pig's lust is the ugliest of all."
The constant ringing in my ears and a feeling of nausea bounced around endlessly inside my skull.
I could hear Priscilla's voice from somewhere, but I couldn't understand what she was saying.
just,
"Even if we were to defeat the Witch Cult, I will destroy an army that includes a vile person like you once they are exhausted. Your reckless actions have made me make this decision."
A small hand grabbed him around the collar as he lay there and pulled him up roughly.
With his body raised, more blood began to flow from Subaru's nose, and as he coughed violently from shortness of breath, more merciless words were showered upon him.
"--Be proud. You are the one who will lure that woman, Emilia, to her own ruin."
Pushed away with all his might, Subaru's body slid across the floor and reached the entrance door. He left behind scattered bloodstains in his wake, but Priscilla looked as if she was more annoyed by the sight of Subaru himself than the traces,
"--Aldebaran!"
Priscilla yelled in a sharp voice, and the only door leading to the outside opened from the other side.
Attracted by the voice, a person wearing a jet black helmet appeared.
He looked around the room, and when he saw Subaru lying in front of the door covered in blood, he put his arm over his head,
"Hey hey, what's going on here..."
"Throw that nasty piece of crap out. I'll even cut it down if you like."
"Well, who cares? There are a lot of things...Come on, let's go, brother."
Without protesting to his indignant master, Al grabbed the fallen Subaru, lifted him up with one hand and carried him over his shoulder,
"Don't get so angry, Princess. Your pretty face will lose its value if you become ferocious."
"If you don't want your crumbling face to be destroyed any more, then take him away. I won't say it twice, Aldebaran."
"Don't call me by that name."
Leaving that comment carelessly, Al left the room with Subaru still on his back.
After quietly closing the door, Al quickly ran down the stairs.
"For now, we should get away quickly. It's the princess. She might change her mind at any moment and ask to cut off her head. Get away while we still don't have to cut her down."
"Ah, yeah...?"
"This is no good. I'll call the girl you're with, so you can just do something about it."
Seeing that Subaru still seemed half-conscious, Al shrugged his missing shoulders and sighed, then increased his speed and flew down the stairs.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
"--Subaru-kun!"
Seeing Subaru in his pitiful state, sitting and leaning against the gate, Rem's face quickly changed and she came running over to him.
She touched the limp, motionless Subaru and, checking the extent of his injuries, began chanting a healing spell, "Water Mana,"
"What happened?"
Touching Subaru's face with a faint light, he asks the one-armed suspicious man standing beside him.
In response to that question, Al slammed his toe on the ground in frustration,
"Ah, that's it. It seems that I've upset my princess. I told her to be careful not to do that... but, well, it's impossible for humans to perfectly predict a cat's mood."
Although the punishment seems harsh, there isn't a shred of guilt in the way Al speaks.
Even though she felt sympathy for Subaru, she had no apology for her master's violent actions. Rem was shocked to see this and was about to raise her voice in protest, but...
"--Rem, it's fine."
"Subaru-kun. Are you conscious?"
As his concussion healed, Subaru's consciousness began to gather and he called out to Rem. Rem's face brightened at this and she closed her eyes in further concentration,
"Subaru-kun is someone you really can't take your eyes off of. He was only away for an hour, and yet he came back with injuries like this."
"I'm not doing it because I want to either..."
As the blood circulation began to return to normal, blood began to flow from his nostrils again. Rem quickly raised her hand to catch the dripping blood, then gently placed a towel from her pocket on his face,
"Please hold it down. Once the wound heals, the bleeding will stop once it has run its course."
"--Yes."
Holding his nose as Rem had instructed, Subaru accepted the healing, savoring the sensation of the warmth slowly seeping in.
Then, Al, who was looking down at the situation, said, "It looks like everything's okay."
"There's no point in staying here, so I'll go back too. I don't know what they were talking about, but it looks like things didn't go well. If we take too long to come back, the princess might get serious and start saying she wants to kill the brothers."
"You're going to cut Subaru-kun...?!"
"Don't look so scared, girl! She might say something! So get out of here before she says something. I don't want to do that either."
Al dismissed Rem's overreaction by waving his hand exaggeratedly, then relaxed his shoulders and took a step back in a sloppy posture,
"Well then, take care of yourself, brother. And that girl over there... Ah, I think her name is Ram. I'll leave it to you."
"--Ram is my sister's name. Rem's name is Rem, Al-sama."
As Al turned away after bidding farewell in a light tone, Rem introduced herself.
Suddenly, Al's feet stopped.
He stopped walking, looked up slightly, then slowly turned towards me,
"Don't be stupid. It's Ram, right?"
"It's Rem. Excuse me, but is Al-sama somewhere with his sister?"
Rem had asked that question in response to being mistaken for her spitting image sister, but there was no reply from Al, who was on the receiving end of the question.
He raised his arm and touched the helmet covering his head, and muttered, "What does this mean..."
"The young lady is Rem... and the older sister is Ram."
"Yes, that's right."
"I know this sounds strange to ask, but... is your sister still alive?"
"...? I don't understand the intention of your question, but of course, my sister is still alive."
The moment Rem responded, Subaru, who had been listening to the conversation in silence, felt goosebumps break out on his skin.
Subaru couldn't help but be shocked by the mysterious reaction that occurred on his skin, and his shoulders trembled.
and,
"---You've got to be kidding me."
Low and cold, the words pounded against my eardrums with a heavy resonance.
Al muttered these words as he looked down and touched his forehead through his helmet.
At the same time, Subaru realised that the true nature of the chill that had assaulted his skin was due to the mysterious demonic energy emanating from Al.
Her instincts were ringing a warning bell that she shouldn't be there. It seemed that Rem had the same feeling.
"Subaru-kun, if I lend you my shoulder would you be able to stand up?"
Rem stopped her treatment and asked, crouching down with a look of caution on her face.
Subaru nodded at her words and waited for Rem to make a move. He needed to get her out of here as soon as she made her escape.
However, their vigilance was...
"Don't worry, I won't do anything."
Al shook his head and suppressed the demonic aura that was emitting from his mouth, which proved to be a needless worry.
The chill he had felt up until then disappeared in an instant, and Subaru realized he had even forgotten to breathe. Rem's expression also softened slightly in relief.
And Al, who was the cause of their reaction,
"I'm sorry to have eased your tension, but please hurry up and get going. I think you can tell now, but it seems like I'm not in a very good mood either."
"--I understand. Please convey that I'm grateful for his time."
"Okay, I get it. Be careful."
After exchanging some rather cold politeness, Rem lends Subaru her shoulder and they begin walking.
Leaving his weight on her, Subaru walked away from the Barielle Mansion. As he went down the slope and the gates of the mansion slid open, Subaru suddenly took a quick glance behind him.
--Al continued glaring at the two of them, at Subaru's back.
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「Don't be ridiculous. Is that what you mean?… It makes me sick.」
The muffled murmur could only be heard inside the jet-black helmet.