Arc 7, Chapter 65 "School Food Fighters"
"Chaos Flame was destroyed by a great, great calamity. The evacuation of the inhabitants should have been completed by Empress Yorna, but no further."
The girl's voice was filled with sadness as her rounded eyebrows were lowered and her eyes were downcast.
Subaru thought she didn't show much emotion, and in fact, even now she doesn't look as sad as she should. But he thinks anyone who doesn't think this is sadness is an idiot.
Subaru was not smart, but he did not want to be stupid. So, he wanted to take what she - Tanza - had said to heart and be there for her pain.
However--,
"Haha, It's quite an exaggeration to say that a calamity like this will destroy the Demon City. While I'm stuck on an island like this, the world is developing in a hurry. I'll have to be careful not to be too late and not be invited!"
"Cessy, will you shut up for a minute?"
"Huh? Did I do something wrong again?"
The person who tried to proceed with the story, the fake Cecilus, staring at him and tilting his head with a face he doesn't understand, a person who tried to ignore Subaru's heart and Tanza's heartache with cancer.
He is amazed and dismayed at the unchanged attitude before and after "Sparka".
It was even more so when he thought of the dozens of times he had tried to hear Subaru's last will and testament in a thinly veiled manner.
"......It still wouldn't have worked if Cessy hadn't woken Tanza up at the end, though."
"Oh, you don't have to thank me for that. When we pushed him that far, Bassu won, and the last push was just a bonus. Besides, it was a gamble whether this girl would wake up!"
"I am sorry for your concern."
To Subaru's reluctant face, the fake Cecilus is not so humble. Hearing this, Tanza bowed her head so small that Subaru, on the side of the rescued, could not say anything.
--Subaru broke through the "Sparka", a boisterous welcoming ceremony on the Gladiator Island.
After a series of mind-boggling challenges, Subaru and his team somehow managed to cut off that lion's head and win, but without the cooperation of Tanza and the fake Cecilus, it would have been difficult.
Finally, if the fake Cecilus hadn't woken Tanza up and taken off his head with the sword that he had stuck in the lion's neck--,
"I don't know how many more times I could have failed."
Of course, there is no option to throw it away, because it is a battle that cannot be stopped until you succeed. Even so, having the energy to do so will have a very significant impact on the outcome.
And in some cases, it was quite possible that they would not all survive.
Had it turned out that way, he would have regretted it.
"Weitz, Hiain and Idola worked hard together."
It was very hard to cooperate, but he could not survive without any of them.
The fact that all of them survived is the best outcome for Subaru. It is a great confidence booster for Subaru to be able to properly lead.
This gives him the confidence to be proud to say so, that he is the son of Natsuki Kenichi.
"Mr. Schwarz?"
"Ah, sorry, sorry, I'm just thinking. So, um, about Chaos Flame."
"--. Yes. If I could just get back to helping with the recovery as soon as possible."
"......Right. I also want to go back and join everyone else."
Back to the original topic, Tanza looks so pitiful with her face down.
It was natural for her to worry about her family and hometown, and Subaru felt the same way, especially when he heard that Chaos Flame was in trouble without Subaru's knowledge.
He was worried that everyone away - especially Louis - had been found by the mean Abel.
If Yorna is with him, he is sure she is protecting Louis.
"----"
Tanza, who looks crestfallen, is back in the kimono-clad attire that we have seen in the Demon City.
From what Subaru has heard, he slept for a whole day after "Sparka" was over. He woke up in the healing room and was told by a toothless old man who claims to be a healer that there is nothing particularly wrong with his health, but mentally, he has a heavy feeling in his body.
But they can't afford to be complacent.
"What about the three...... Weitzes besides me? Is everyone awake already?"
They have already woken up and gone back to their rooms. They are all in the same room. Mr. Schwarz and I are in the same room, and......"
"Yes, yes, that's me. You see, that's the room where Bassu woke up first, and that's where we slept. I'm glad my roommate finally came to stay with us. Well, it's not that he came, it's that I pulled him up myself!"
"Pulled him up......?"
"Don't worry about it too much. It's just that Tanza and I fell into the lake."
Come to think of it, he has a dim memory of swimming desperately trying not to drown.
It's also a blur whether he swam through the water in one shot or drowned several times, but that's not really important and it would be useless to think about it.
Anyway, it was a relief to hear that the other three were also safe. Although they had no choice, they had learned a lot about their situation during "Sparka".
A coward, a coward and a swindler, not very complimentary personalities, but they too had their reasons for being cowardly, cowardly and swindlers.
"Yeah, just like I'm Superman."
"You look very confident. But I think it makes you look much more manly. To be so preoccupied with this or that, with the situation, is the behavior of a marginal actor or a mass of people! We need Bassu to stand tall and proud!"
"I'm not going to go along with Cessy's narrative brain, but I agree."
In the first place, it is not good to dwell on it too much.
Somehow, Subaru has been too passive in many things.
Whatever the case may be, a passive response will put the other party on the spot. It's the same whether it's someone you don't like or fate. Fate is getting too carried away these days.
"From now on, I'm going to be more aggressive and eager to achieve my goals."
For now, Subaru's goal is to escape the island.
He's escaping from the Gladiator Island and returning to Chaos Flame with Tanza. Of course, the main goal is to leave the empire and return to everyone in the kingdom--,
"If you're distracted by a big goal, you'll fall. Even summer vacation homework is done one at a time. I can't write in my diary all at once."
Despite appearances, Subaru was the type to do his homework during summer and winter vacations.
Sometimes there were classmates who came to school after the break without doing their homework, but he is not sure what kind of nerve and thought went into it.
He was a little frustrated, though, because he felt like he was losing out on ideas and courage.
"But I'm the one who does the homework, and I'm better than you......"
"--Then, Mr. Schwarz, may I have a word?"
"Yeah?"
Tanza beckons to Subaru, who puts his hand on his chin and waters his self-assurance.
She turned Subaru's gaze to her and indicated with her hand the false Cecilus beside her. Then she sat on the bed, watching him dangle his legs with a drinking face.
"This gentleman here...... um, is he not Cecilus Segmunt......?"
"Hmm, yeah, you're the wolf boy who insists."
"Ahaha, he said I'm insisting! And what do you mean by wolf boy? If you mean werewolf, please don't swear. I may be a bit of a non-talker, but I have a dangerous charm, don't I?"
"I'm sorry, I just don't know what you're talking about."
Subaru spontaneously spoke up and held his chest.
If he closes his eyes, he can remember the face of his beloved girl. And the faces of everyone who is important to him. Still, he is aware that his drawers are getting harder and harder.
He said he could not let this situation continue for long.
"That Cessy flippant remark aside, what's Tanza's concern? He's an imperial general and a celebrity, so is it any wonder that some kid has the temerity to pull that stunt?"
"That may be so...... but, you know, I saw Master Cecilus once before, and I thought he looked a lot like you......"
"Have you seen him before? Cessy?"
"I am the one who is going to take care of Cecilus Segmunt. He was once an assassin for Empress Yorna."
Tanza explains that it was only the real Cecilus that she saw.
Hearing this story, Subaru also remembered something he had heard before. As he recalls, Yorna was often involved in rebellions, so a strike force was sent to defeat him several times.
However, now that he knows Yorna's personality, his impression of her in terms of Subaru is the complete opposite.
"You must be a very bad guy to try to kill Empress Yorna......"
"That's right. I was curious about the fact that Cecilus is a villain...... but not the important one, and that Cecilus and Cecilus here, although there is an age difference between them, are identical."
"The resemblance, the age difference?"
"Yes. --I believe he is a brother of Master Cecilus."
Tanza, who has seen both the Cecilus over there and the fake Cecilus over here, tells the story, which causes Subaru to look at the fake Cecilus over here very seriously.
He had not considered that possibility. Or rather, it was natural not to think about it. Subaru had never known the real Cecilus, so he couldn't judge whether it looked like him or not.
However, he was lucky to have a partner who knew the real one. Giving up, the lying fake Cecilus maturely admitted the lie he had told--,
"No, no, that's not true. I am an only child and I have no siblings who look exactly like me! Of course, it is possible that my father had a younger brother after he left me, but from the way things are going now, that would make him my older brother, wouldn't it?"
"Yes, but that's a bad life......"
"What an outrage! But I have evidence! I have reason to believe that whether I have an older brother or a younger brother, they are both wrong."
The fake Cecilus crosses his arms and pouts as Subaru and Tanza stare at him. He wonders how persuasive the evidence is for this scowling fake Cecilus is.
At any rate, when Subaru and the others appealed with their eyes to be heard.
"The rationale is simple: I exist."
"What do you mean?"
"If I had a brother, then my father must have killed him! And if I had a brother, I'd be crazy if my father hadn't killed me! That means that if I am alive, then neither my brother nor my brother can be alive and exist! What do you think?"
"......What do you mean?"
It was a theory that hw was not at all convinced of, even though it was said with a vigor like, "The proving is finished".
By that description, it sounds like the father of the fake Cecilus is cursed to have only one child. Whether it is true or false, the curse is a better kind of curse.
As for Subaru, he'd like to think that the lying fake Cecilus has added more lies to his lies.
Nevertheless--,
"I'm starting to think it's true when you're so brazen about it. What do you think, Tanza?"
"......I would like to follow Mr. Schwarz's idea."
"Hmmm, a lot of responsibility."
Subaru, being depended on by the modest Tanza, puts a slender finger on his small chin and ponders.
Fake Cecilus, who is tilting his head like why can't he understand him, and if he talks about what his family environment is like, he won't get an answer there.
The only thing that matters here is whether or not he believes the false Cecilus.
If they doesn't believe him, just treat the fake Cecilus as just another wolf boy, as they have always done.
But if they are to believe, there is no brother to the fake Cecilus, only testimony that the fake Cecilus and the real Cecilus that Tanza spoke of are very similar.
And if they believe that testimony and the false Cecilus's self-consciousness exactly--,
"I'm afraid to ask this, Cessy, but maybe you're shrinking?"
It was a possibility he would deny if he could, but it was a story he could not avoid hearing.
If it had been a post-growth Subaru that was here before he shrank, he might have hesitated to ask the question after all sorts of tantalizing thoughts. But here he was in the pre-grown Subaru after he shrank, so he was not suited to hold on to his questions for long.
He asks questions carelessly, with the intention of apologizing if he offends them by asking.
At the question of such a history, the fake Cecilus looked at him lightly.
"Shrink? Me? You've got a funny way of putting it, don't you, Bassu! If there was such a funny thing as a human body shrinking, it would be a lot of fun!"
With a big smile on his face, the fake Cecilus pats Subaru on the shoulder in a good mood.
His statement caused Subaru to raise his eyebrows and get very lost.
"Which is this......?"
Are they blurring or not? If they are blurring, are they doing it consciously or unconsciously?
Subaru himself has a sense that some things are slipping from his memory under the influence of "infantilization", so it is possible that the false Cecilus is forgetting things for the same reason.
But compared to Subaru, who still remembers more, the fake Cecilus would even forget that he is shrinking.
How is that possible?
If the false Cecilus was "infantilized" like Subaru, is this false Cecilus's state of mind where Subaru ended up?
"Oh, that old bastard......! I mean, is Cessy getting smaller too, after Olbart beat him ......!"
Then that would be a big deal - a big deal in the "Nine Divine Generals".
He doesn't want to think that this is Olbart's work either. But he also doesn't want to think that there are a lot of people other than Olbart who can use such an insane technique.
Naturally, they are tempted to think of Olbart as the one who made the false Cecilus smaller.
"Wait, wait, you mean to tell me that Cessy isn't a fake, but the real Cessy, and that Olbart is a smaller version of the real Cessy, and Cessy is my grown-up version of me?"
"M-Mr. Schwarz, are you all right? You seem quite confused......"
"......I'm fine. There's a lot of confusion, but it's coming together really well."
The situation was narrowed down to about two possibilities in Subaru's mind, although the thoughts that leaked from his mouth sounded scattered.
One is the Olbart fucking old man theory that this fake Cecilus is the "infantilized" state of the real Cecilus Segmunt.
Another is the false Cecilus Shithead theory, which takes advantage of the similarity in appearance with the real Cecilus to sublimate his own wolf-boyness into a true lie.
"Let's keep both the little shit and the old fucker in the back of our minds."
"Hoho, I'm sure it sounds very interesting. May I ask you to elaborate?"
"No, I don't want to talk to Cessy. It doesn't seem to make sense to talk to Cessy."
"Ahaha! What a bare-bones attitude! It's rather self-centered, but I don't dislike that direction, in fact I like it."
The fake Cecilus - tentatively, we'll still call him the fake Cecilus - who seems to be very happy, rather than angry at being wronged, but his reaction is often redeeming.
Even for free, there are so many worries, so it is valuable to have someone you don't have to worry about.
"For the time being, Tanza and Cessy should be put on the shelf. Because real or fake, the part you can't count on is still the same."
"......Yes, that's right. And since he is the one who tried to harm Empress Yorna, there is no way I can personally like him."
"I appreciate your candor and honesty. Now......"
And so, having reached some sort of conclusion, Subaru changed his mind.
Now that they are awake, they are done occupying the beds in the healing room. We will be going to the room that Tanza and the others were talking about earlier, the room that is given to these three people.
But before they get to that--,
"I'd like to feed the very empty stomachs. You see, the worms in my stomach have been making a very sad sound since a while ago."
So, rubbing his stomach, Subaru made a rather brazen request on the island of captivity.
△▼△▼△▼△
--There is a saying, "You can't fight in a war if you're hungry."
The obstacles that Subaru and his team will face in the future, they are all like battles. In order to fight them, you must be in perfect physical and mental condition, or you will be in trouble if you cannot move when the time comes.
They should not make the decision that they should just move around aimlessly, even while they sleep.
"I think I used to do that kind of reckless behavior a lot before I shrunk, maybe because I was stronger than I am now. If I misinterpret that, I'm going to get flack for it."
That is why they want to eat and sleep when they can.
Apparently, they accidentally slept for the day due to fatigue from "Sparka," so they are going to take that as a chance to sleep well and recover their strength.
So now it's time to eat, and they head out to eat, guided by the fake Cecilus--,
"......Eat, Schwarz. This is your share."
A platter is placed in front of Subaru's eyes, and he rolls his eyes at the bone-in meat on the platter.
When he looked up to see what was going on, a face covered in tattoos narrowed its eyebrows as if to say, "What is it?"
What on earth can he do if they do this without any explanation?
"Weitz, I don't think that's going to happen at any price. Look, Schwarz is frozen."
"That means you don't need to care, right? There's no need to pile up a mountain of meat for this little guy. We'll split it between us...... Ouch!"
"It's a share we've discussed...... and if you're going to bend it, you're going to have to convince me......."
As he said this, the tattoo poked around the skalengeck's side with the fork in his hand. Screaming, the skalengeck ran to the other side of the table.
Sighing at such an appearance, the rust-colored hair looked at Subaru with a shrug.
"Sorry for all the fuss, Schwarz. How's your body?"
"......Seems okay. How's it going over there?"
"We, too, have no serious injuries. Thanks to you......."
After reiterating this, rust-colored hair - Idola bowed lightly to Subaru.
Idola was not the only one. Both the tattooed and skalenged people who had been struggling, Weitz and Hiain, raised their hands or pulled their chins toward Subaru, agreeing with Idola.
Subaru is now in one of the areas on the island that are open to the swordsmiths, a large hall with tables and chairs that is used as a dining area.
As soon as he appeared in the hall, Subaru was caught by the three men who appeared and was carried to one of the tables and presented with a platter in front of him.
Frankly, it was a dizzying, strange situation, but,
"Did you save this for me, by any chance?"
"Oh? What else is there? You thankless brat...... Ow!"
"Don't take credit for this, I'll beat it out of you......"
"I didn't say that, and I'm grateful for it!"
Another altercation breaks out in front of Subaru, who points to a pile of meat on the bone and asks.
Not a very smart way to show it, and yet this seems to be a sign of appreciation. He's not sure how to treat the sword guy, to get such a treat.
"You let them kill each other, but you feed them full meals......?"
"To be precise, it's not a killing match, it's a death match. Gustav's policy is that if a gladiator dies, it's in the gladiatorial arena, and letting him die anywhere else would only prove the management's incompetence. So you can spend your time in a more relaxed manner."
Next to Subaru, who tilts his head, sits a fake Cecilus, who pulls out a chair with great alacrity.
He thought his brazenness would make him reach for his plate, but surprisingly he did not. Instead, he filled a chipped cup with water from a jug and lapped it up.
"Everyone thinks that Schwarz has done the most important work, so let's leave some food for him. Therefore, we have decided to leave a feast for him."
"Tanza...... guys, is that right?"
Tanza, who sat on a chair opposite the false Cecilus and across from Subaru, looked at Idola and the other three in surprise at Subaru's words.
At his gaze, Idola nodded deeply and said, "Oh."
"As I said before, it is thanks to you that we are all alive and well. The night we survived the first "Sparka," we were treated to a feast for that 'union'. It seems strange that you couldn't receive it."
"I should mention that I'm the one who suggested it......"
"Heh, I wasn't going to leave any for the kid!"
In turn, they tell us the reason why the platter of feast was left like this. But at the last word of Hiain, Tanza, next to him, tilts her head,
"I remember that it was Hiain who first said he did not feel comfortable eating on his own."
"HUH!? I didn't say that!? I don't know!? Hey, little bitch, I won't forgive you if you talk nonsense!"
"Hey, Hiain. You can't beat Tanza. She's the one who decapitated the Guiltylowe."
"I'll take it off your plate."
When Idola restrained him with her hand and Tanza bowed flatly, Hiain, who could not speak back, choked on the word "Guh", turned his reptilian face away, and gave up the counterattack.
So this is a token of appreciation from all of us, including the not-so-honest skalengeckers.
"I'll take it gratefully and without reservation at all!"
"Oh, you're a great daredevil! And the way you show your acceptance is very good."
"Don't overdo it and get a stomachache......"
"Don't worry. I used to be the school food fighter, famous for eating all the school lunches for the absent ones."
Getting milk from a child who can't drink is a matter of course, and brushing one's teeth is also a matter of course. That is the battle style of Natsuki Subaru, the school's food fighter.
The meat is cold and tough, but the dark seasoning isn't bad, and he can't complain. The best spice of all is that it is a treat that everyone left for Subaru.
But as he watched Subaru bite into the meat on the bone like that, Weitz shook his patterned face to the side, "No......"
"Crazy, don't get me wrong...... I'm not worried about you......"
"--? So, you're sparing me now with the bone-in meat you gave me?"
"That's not true either...... It's a deathmatch......"
"----"
Weitz's words were low and hushed, but the words sounded very grave to Subaru.
He quickly almost drops the meat from the bone in his hand, but a finger of the fake Cecilus catches it from the side and inserts it into Subaru's mouth.
"Mogamoga......!"
"Calm down, calm down, you'll choke. And now, your tattoo is a little short of words. Don't worry, there won't be a fight to the death anytime soon."
"Moga...... really?"
"Yes, I have not received any such notice so far. However, it seems that they do not know when or if they will be contacted by the death squad."
He processed all but the bones of the meat on the bone and peppered his plate with the remnants before looking at Weitz. Weitz nodded as he listened to what Fake Cecilus and Tanza added.
"I said so......"
"I didn't say that! I thought they were going to make us kill each other again soon!"
"It's not that harsh a place, although I heard it was treated in a way that made Schwarz uneasy until the island's owner was replaced and policies changed."
"You mean before the changeover...... when you became Mr. Gustav?"
Idola nods in question, and Subaru reaches for the next bone-in meat.
In his mind, Subaru thinks of Gustav's strong face, which does not show any emotion at all, and he twists his head to wonder what kind of person he is.
As soon as Subaru wakes up and sees him, he is ruthless enough to suddenly throw him into "Sparka".
He thought he was like the cruel and violent rule of the Vollachian Empire itself, but from what he'd just heard, he's not forcing the sword guys to fight to the quick death.
"Or do you just like to do things slowly rather than all at once?"
"You can tell he's not a one-trick pony. In fact, if Bassu hadn't woken up, the three of you here might have decided to 'Sparka' it as a 'joint' event. If that had happened, this dinner party would have looked a lot darker!"
"I ain't laughing! Why the hell are you even here?"
Fake Cecilus laughed at Subaru's words, and Hiain pointed at his face and barked.
Indeed, if you ask me, that's true. The fake Cecilus was the one who helped Subaru and Tanza land on the island, but that was the only relationship between them.
"I have heard that every swordsmith here participates once in a 'union' for the sake of 'Sparka'. After that, they may break up the 'union' depending on their performance, but your 'union' is......"
"Oh, don't worry if it's my 'union'. Everyone is dead except for me, and fortunately I am already the lone gladiator to be wielded in a fight to the death."
"What'......?"
"I mean, I'm the best! No one can beat me, so there's no need to worry at all."
Subaru and everyone else clammed up as the fake Cecilus slapped his knee.
However, he is sure that the reason why Subaru and Tanza were silent is different from the reason why the three of them were silent, and he believes that Subaru and Tanza are also a bit different at their roots.
Idola will think that the fake Cecilus's words are big talk, and Tanza suspects that the fake Cecilus is not a blood relative of the real Cecilus Segmunt.
And Subaru thinks he may be a shrunken Cecilus Segmunt, and if that is true, the fake Cecilus may be the strongest in this state.
If so, it would be very advantageous to have a false Cecilus on their side--,
"--Don't do it, Bassu. You will be underestimated if you look at them with such greedy eyes."
"Huh?"
"A person who is qualified to be a superior or to stand in front of others should not have such a sneering, begging look in their eyes. That is not at all chic at all and I wish it away! If you want to seduce me, it's not words, but actions, determination, and a great line."
As he says this, the fake Cecilus takes two of the eaten bones on the plate, crosses them in front of his face in the batten symbol, and advises Subaru.
Subaru swallowed his spit when he was told something sharp, as if he were reading his mind.
And then--,
"......I said it wasn't words, but if you have a definitive line, you need words too."
"Oh, no, it's true! This doesn't feel right! What have I done?"
With wide-open eyes, Fake Cecilus leaned heavily against the back of the chair and then leaned forward as if he were being bounced. Subaru froze as his face was brought close to hers, and as he watched, the fake Cecilus smiled broadly.
"Now, now, I'm sorry for interrupting you. I have many things to do, people to talk to, and ways to pass the time, so I'll leave you here now. Don't worry, I'll be in the room with you, so if there's anything I need to talk about, I'll just go there!"
"Oh, oh, Roger."
"Rojer? I don't know what it is, but it sounds so mysterious! Well then, Roger!"
Nimbly misinterpreting, he raises his hand and runs off before the false Cecilus can stop him.
Although there was no reason to stop him, Subaru rolled his eyes at the gale force of it.
In fact, he was not so much a hindrance as an obstacle. He wanted one person who knew more about the situation of the Gladiator Island to be there for him.
"Well, it's hard to talk five times as much as you want information."
"Mr. Schwarz, continue with your meal."
"Oh, yes, that's right. I have to recover my strength more and more."
Whatever Gustav's thoughts, he's not going to be quiet until the next death match is waved.
To begin with, he has no intention of staying here as a gladiator for long. His goal is to take Tanza with me and get off this island today or tomorrow.
Worst case scenario, even if it means antagonizing Gustav.
However, if he does that--,
"What's up, Schwarz?"
"I'm worried about you guys. Can you do this without me?"
"Ah? What the hell are you talking about? You're not going to run away, are you? Then give me back my meat, meat!"
At Subaru's anxious look, Hiain opens his big mouth and yells at him.
Although he thinks they have every right to be angry, Subaru has people more important to him than them. Should he consider leaving not only Tanza but also the three of them together?
"......Rather, like, get out with everyone on the island?"
"Mr. Schwarz?"
"Oh, sorry, sorry, I meant over here. That was indeed outlandish."
It is a disturbing idea that one cannot let people hear bypassed, even if it is just a soliloquy in one's mouth.
But Weitz, Idola, Hiain, and of course Subaru and Tanza were forced to bring them to the Gladiator Island, and they don't want to be forced to participate in a fight to the death here.
If the others are too, then perhaps Subaru's idea is not as ridiculous as one might think.
And that's what Subaru was thinking.
"You finally woke up, kid."
That was quite a show the other night in 'Sparka'!"
"I didn't see it, and I made a mistake. I only heard rumors about it later."
People gather at Subaru's place as he reaches for the meat on his plate.
The men who spoke to him in such a friendly manner were all men who looked like they had a reason to be there - surely they were all gladiators, even if he doesn't have to explain them in depth.
Newcomers to the hall and those who had been watching Subaru and the others from afar gathered, creating a bit of a buzz around Subaru.
"Um, where is everybody?"
"You know what I'm talking about. You see, I'm a forerunner on this island. You guys were never bored with your wacky 'Sparka'!"
The men start laughing around Subaru, who rolls his eyes.
But he didn't say it in a mocking nuance, but in a genuinely complimentary way. By the way, surrounded by others, Idola is smiling bitterly, Hiain looks uncomfortable, and Weitz is silent and grumpy.
"The last one was a spectacle to behold. She's a lot stronger than she looks."
"Thank you. It is all by the grace of the One who loves me."
"Oh? Oh yeah. I don't know about you, but that was a gooddeath match!"
The men with a nice big bowl, who did not go deep into Tanza's story as he bowed to them. They were talking about how Subaru and the others were fighting in "Sparka" with every gesture.
"But it's a big deal. Those gladiators...... the shadow lion took out quite a few of the 'union'."
"If you guys had gotten beat up, I'd have just about made it to ten 'unions'. These days, 'Sparka' just keeps getting tougher."
"I'm sure that's what Governor General Gustav would have wanted. Once you are welcomed as a gladiator, you are treated politely, and the entrance is the toughest part...... the next show is not so easy."
The conversation was lively and they talked about the situation in Ginunhive. Subaru was always on hand to share information about the island with them.
After all, it seems that since Gustav became the island's administrator, the policy is much different from the previous one. Also, that lion seems to have been rather strong, and Subaru and the others who won are highly regarded.
"Oh well, it was worth all the hard work on our part. What's the...... box office?"
"Yeah, we have a regular show here where nobles from all over the empire come and watch us fight to the death. Both the 'Sparka' and the daily fights are rehearsals for the real thing."
"Practice......"
"Dying in practice doesn't help. I'm sure the Governor knows that. If you're serious, he won't complain...... Oh, there are exceptions."
"Exceptions?"
Subaru tilted his head at the sight of the strong, muscle-bound man stroking his nose as if he was having trouble saying it.
He was silent for a moment, then sighed deeply and said,
"I hate to say this because you got along so well, but don't go out with that guy."
"That guy......"
Think of the strong language and the person who is not here, and there is only one person who falls under this category.
Subaru continued, "Is that..."
"No way, you mean Cessy? If anything, I'm being followed......"
"Yeah, he likes me, but you never know how much he likes you. --He only came to see me about 20 days ago."
"Yeah."
"In the first 'Sparka', he watched as his 'union' was annihilated and then easily killed the gladiator with his bare hands when his allies were gone."
"----"
"Every time he was asked to fight to the death, he would do it until the other guy was dead. Then he would say his name was Cecilus Segmunt, the first general."
As he speaks, the strong man looks at the entrance to the great hall with disbelief mixed in his face and voice from the bottom of his heart. He looks at the entrance where the fake Cecilus - Cecilus Segmunt - had left just a moment ago.
And it's not just the strong faces speaking directly to them that have such eyes.
It was everyone present, except for Subaru's 'union' friends, who did not know him.
He is a man who is friendly to Subaru, who has displayed his incomprehensible storytelling brain to the point of disgust, who tries to ask Subaru, who is dying, about his last will and testament, and who is fiercely disliked by the gladiators who spend their lives living side by side with death.
That is--,
"Governor Gustav and the Grim Reaper are the central figures in the current outlandishness of the Gladiator Island."
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"Chaos Flame was destroyed by a great, great calamity. The evacuation of the inhabitants should have been completed by Empress Yorna, but no further."
The girl's voice was filled with sadness as her rounded eyebrows were lowered and her eyes were downcast.
Subaru thought she didn't show much emotion, and in fact, even now she doesn't look as sad as she should. But he thinks anyone who doesn't think this is sadness is an idiot.
Subaru was not smart, but he did not want to be stupid. So, he wanted to take what she - Tanza - had said to heart and be there for her pain.
However--,
"Haha, It's quite an exaggeration to say that a calamity like this will destroy the Demon City. While I'm stuck on an island like this, the world is developing in a hurry. I'll have to be careful not to be too late and not be invited!"
"Cessy, will you shut up for a minute?"
"Huh? Did I do something wrong again?"
The person who tried to proceed with the story, the fake Cecilus, staring at him and tilting his head with a face he doesn't understand, a person who tried to ignore Subaru's heart and Tanza's heartache with cancer.
He is amazed and dismayed at the unchanged attitude before and after "Sparka".
It was even more so when he thought of the dozens of times he had tried to hear Subaru's last will and testament in a thinly veiled manner.
"......It still wouldn't have worked if Cessy hadn't woken Tanza up at the end, though."
"Oh, you don't have to thank me for that. When we pushed him that far, Bassu won, and the last push was just a bonus. Besides, it was a gamble whether this girl would wake up!"
"I am sorry for your concern."
To Subaru's reluctant face, the fake Cecilus is not so humble. Hearing this, Tanza bowed her head so small that Subaru, on the side of the rescued, could not say anything.
--Subaru broke through the "Sparka", a boisterous welcoming ceremony on the Gladiator Island.
After a series of mind-boggling challenges, Subaru and his team somehow managed to cut off that lion's head and win, but without the cooperation of Tanza and the fake Cecilus, it would have been difficult.
Finally, if the fake Cecilus hadn't woken Tanza up and taken off his head with the sword that he had stuck in the lion's neck--,
"I don't know how many more times I could have failed."
Of course, there is no option to throw it away, because it is a battle that cannot be stopped until you succeed. Even so, having the energy to do so will have a very significant impact on the outcome.
And in some cases, it was quite possible that they would not all survive.
Had it turned out that way, he would have regretted it.
"Weitz, Hiain and Idola worked hard together."
It was very hard to cooperate, but he could not survive without any of them.
The fact that all of them survived is the best outcome for Subaru. It is a great confidence booster for Subaru to be able to properly lead.
This gives him the confidence to be proud to say so, that he is the son of Natsuki Kenichi.
"Mr. Schwarz?"
"Ah, sorry, sorry, I'm just thinking. So, um, about Chaos Flame."
"--. Yes. If I could just get back to helping with the recovery as soon as possible."
"......Right. I also want to go back and join everyone else."
Back to the original topic, Tanza looks so pitiful with her face down.
It was natural for her to worry about her family and hometown, and Subaru felt the same way, especially when he heard that Chaos Flame was in trouble without Subaru's knowledge.
He was worried that everyone away - especially Louis - had been found by the mean Abel.
If Yorna is with him, he is sure she is protecting Louis.
"----"
Tanza, who looks crestfallen, is back in the kimono-clad attire that we have seen in the Demon City.
From what Subaru has heard, he slept for a whole day after "Sparka" was over. He woke up in the healing room and was told by a toothless old man who claims to be a healer that there is nothing particularly wrong with his health, but mentally, he has a heavy feeling in his body.
But they can't afford to be complacent.
"What about the three...... Weitzes besides me? Is everyone awake already?"
They have already woken up and gone back to their rooms. They are all in the same room. Mr. Schwarz and I are in the same room, and......"
"Yes, yes, that's me. You see, that's the room where Bassu woke up first, and that's where we slept. I'm glad my roommate finally came to stay with us. Well, it's not that he came, it's that I pulled him up myself!"
"Pulled him up......?"
"Don't worry about it too much. It's just that Tanza and I fell into the lake."
Come to think of it, he has a dim memory of swimming desperately trying not to drown.
It's also a blur whether he swam through the water in one shot or drowned several times, but that's not really important and it would be useless to think about it.
Anyway, it was a relief to hear that the other three were also safe. Although they had no choice, they had learned a lot about their situation during "Sparka".
A coward, a coward and a swindler, not very complimentary personalities, but they too had their reasons for being cowardly, cowardly and swindlers.
"Yeah, just like I'm Superman."
"You look very confident. But I think it makes you look much more manly. To be so preoccupied with this or that, with the situation, is the behavior of a marginal actor or a mass of people! We need Bassu to stand tall and proud!"
"I'm not going to go along with Cessy's narrative brain, but I agree."
In the first place, it is not good to dwell on it too much.
Somehow, Subaru has been too passive in many things.
Whatever the case may be, a passive response will put the other party on the spot. It's the same whether it's someone you don't like or fate. Fate is getting too carried away these days.
"From now on, I'm going to be more aggressive and eager to achieve my goals."
For now, Subaru's goal is to escape the island.
He's escaping from the Gladiator Island and returning to Chaos Flame with Tanza. Of course, the main goal is to leave the empire and return to everyone in the kingdom--,
"If you're distracted by a big goal, you'll fall. Even summer vacation homework is done one at a time. I can't write in my diary all at once."
Despite appearances, Subaru was the type to do his homework during summer and winter vacations.
Sometimes there were classmates who came to school after the break without doing their homework, but he is not sure what kind of nerve and thought went into it.
He was a little frustrated, though, because he felt like he was losing out on ideas and courage.
"But I'm the one who does the homework, and I'm better than you......"
"--Then, Mr. Schwarz, may I have a word?"
"Yeah?"
Tanza beckons to Subaru, who puts his hand on his chin and waters his self-assurance.
She turned Subaru's gaze to her and indicated with her hand the false Cecilus beside her. Then she sat on the bed, watching him dangle his legs with a drinking face.
"This gentleman here...... um, is he not Cecilus Segmunt......?"
"Hmm, yeah, you're the wolf boy who insists."
"Ahaha, he said I'm insisting! And what do you mean by wolf boy? If you mean werewolf, please don't swear. I may be a bit of a non-talker, but I have a dangerous charm, don't I?"
"I'm sorry, I just don't know what you're talking about."
Subaru spontaneously spoke up and held his chest.
If he closes his eyes, he can remember the face of his beloved girl. And the faces of everyone who is important to him. Still, he is aware that his drawers are getting harder and harder.
He said he could not let this situation continue for long.
"That Cessy flippant remark aside, what's Tanza's concern? He's an imperial general and a celebrity, so is it any wonder that some kid has the temerity to pull that stunt?"
"That may be so...... but, you know, I saw Master Cecilus once before, and I thought he looked a lot like you......"
"Have you seen him before? Cessy?"
"I am the one who is going to take care of Cecilus Segmunt. He was once an assassin for Empress Yorna."
Tanza explains that it was only the real Cecilus that she saw.
Hearing this story, Subaru also remembered something he had heard before. As he recalls, Yorna was often involved in rebellions, so a strike force was sent to defeat him several times.
However, now that he knows Yorna's personality, his impression of her in terms of Subaru is the complete opposite.
"You must be a very bad guy to try to kill Empress Yorna......"
"That's right. I was curious about the fact that Cecilus is a villain...... but not the important one, and that Cecilus and Cecilus here, although there is an age difference between them, are identical."
"The resemblance, the age difference?"
"Yes. --I believe he is a brother of Master Cecilus."
Tanza, who has seen both the Cecilus over there and the fake Cecilus over here, tells the story, which causes Subaru to look at the fake Cecilus over here very seriously.
He had not considered that possibility. Or rather, it was natural not to think about it. Subaru had never known the real Cecilus, so he couldn't judge whether it looked like him or not.
However, he was lucky to have a partner who knew the real one. Giving up, the lying fake Cecilus maturely admitted the lie he had told--,
"No, no, that's not true. I am an only child and I have no siblings who look exactly like me! Of course, it is possible that my father had a younger brother after he left me, but from the way things are going now, that would make him my older brother, wouldn't it?"
"Yes, but that's a bad life......"
"What an outrage! But I have evidence! I have reason to believe that whether I have an older brother or a younger brother, they are both wrong."
The fake Cecilus crosses his arms and pouts as Subaru and Tanza stare at him. He wonders how persuasive the evidence is for this scowling fake Cecilus is.
At any rate, when Subaru and the others appealed with their eyes to be heard.
"The rationale is simple: I exist."
"What do you mean?"
"If I had a brother, then my father must have killed him! And if I had a brother, I'd be crazy if my father hadn't killed me! That means that if I am alive, then neither my brother nor my brother can be alive and exist! What do you think?"
"......What do you mean?"
It was a theory that hw was not at all convinced of, even though it was said with a vigor like, "The proving is finished".
By that description, it sounds like the father of the fake Cecilus is cursed to have only one child. Whether it is true or false, the curse is a better kind of curse.
As for Subaru, he'd like to think that the lying fake Cecilus has added more lies to his lies.
Nevertheless--,
"I'm starting to think it's true when you're so brazen about it. What do you think, Tanza?"
"......I would like to follow Mr. Schwarz's idea."
"Hmmm, a lot of responsibility."
Subaru, being depended on by the modest Tanza, puts a slender finger on his small chin and ponders.
Fake Cecilus, who is tilting his head like why can't he understand him, and if he talks about what his family environment is like, he won't get an answer there.
The only thing that matters here is whether or not he believes the false Cecilus.
If they doesn't believe him, just treat the fake Cecilus as just another wolf boy, as they have always done.
But if they are to believe, there is no brother to the fake Cecilus, only testimony that the fake Cecilus and the real Cecilus that Tanza spoke of are very similar.
And if they believe that testimony and the false Cecilus's self-consciousness exactly--,
"I'm afraid to ask this, Cessy, but maybe you're shrinking?"
It was a possibility he would deny if he could, but it was a story he could not avoid hearing.
If it had been a post-growth Subaru that was here before he shrank, he might have hesitated to ask the question after all sorts of tantalizing thoughts. But here he was in the pre-grown Subaru after he shrank, so he was not suited to hold on to his questions for long.
He asks questions carelessly, with the intention of apologizing if he offends them by asking.
At the question of such a history, the fake Cecilus looked at him lightly.
"Shrink? Me? You've got a funny way of putting it, don't you, Bassu! If there was such a funny thing as a human body shrinking, it would be a lot of fun!"
With a big smile on his face, the fake Cecilus pats Subaru on the shoulder in a good mood.
His statement caused Subaru to raise his eyebrows and get very lost.
"Which is this......?"
Are they blurring or not? If they are blurring, are they doing it consciously or unconsciously?
Subaru himself has a sense that some things are slipping from his memory under the influence of "infantilization", so it is possible that the false Cecilus is forgetting things for the same reason.
But compared to Subaru, who still remembers more, the fake Cecilus would even forget that he is shrinking.
How is that possible?
If the false Cecilus was "infantilized" like Subaru, is this false Cecilus's state of mind where Subaru ended up?
"Oh, that old bastard......! I mean, is Cessy getting smaller too, after Olbart beat him ......!"
Then that would be a big deal - a big deal in the "Nine Divine Generals".
He doesn't want to think that this is Olbart's work either. But he also doesn't want to think that there are a lot of people other than Olbart who can use such an insane technique.
Naturally, they are tempted to think of Olbart as the one who made the false Cecilus smaller.
"Wait, wait, you mean to tell me that Cessy isn't a fake, but the real Cessy, and that Olbart is a smaller version of the real Cessy, and Cessy is my grown-up version of me?"
"M-Mr. Schwarz, are you all right? You seem quite confused......"
"......I'm fine. There's a lot of confusion, but it's coming together really well."
The situation was narrowed down to about two possibilities in Subaru's mind, although the thoughts that leaked from his mouth sounded scattered.
One is the Olbart fucking old man theory that this fake Cecilus is the "infantilized" state of the real Cecilus Segmunt.
Another is the false Cecilus Shithead theory, which takes advantage of the similarity in appearance with the real Cecilus to sublimate his own wolf-boyness into a true lie.
"Let's keep both the little shit and the old fucker in the back of our minds."
"Hoho, I'm sure it sounds very interesting. May I ask you to elaborate?"
"No, I don't want to talk to Cessy. It doesn't seem to make sense to talk to Cessy."
"Ahaha! What a bare-bones attitude! It's rather self-centered, but I don't dislike that direction, in fact I like it."
The fake Cecilus - tentatively, we'll still call him the fake Cecilus - who seems to be very happy, rather than angry at being wronged, but his reaction is often redeeming.
Even for free, there are so many worries, so it is valuable to have someone you don't have to worry about.
"For the time being, Tanza and Cessy should be put on the shelf. Because real or fake, the part you can't count on is still the same."
"......Yes, that's right. And since he is the one who tried to harm Empress Yorna, there is no way I can personally like him."
"I appreciate your candor and honesty. Now......"
And so, having reached some sort of conclusion, Subaru changed his mind.
Now that they are awake, they are done occupying the beds in the healing room. We will be going to the room that Tanza and the others were talking about earlier, the room that is given to these three people.
But before they get to that--,
"I'd like to feed the very empty stomachs. You see, the worms in my stomach have been making a very sad sound since a while ago."
So, rubbing his stomach, Subaru made a rather brazen request on the island of captivity.
△▼△▼△▼△
--There is a saying, "You can't fight in a war if you're hungry."
The obstacles that Subaru and his team will face in the future, they are all like battles. In order to fight them, you must be in perfect physical and mental condition, or you will be in trouble if you cannot move when the time comes.
They should not make the decision that they should just move around aimlessly, even while they sleep.
"I think I used to do that kind of reckless behavior a lot before I shrunk, maybe because I was stronger than I am now. If I misinterpret that, I'm going to get flack for it."
That is why they want to eat and sleep when they can.
Apparently, they accidentally slept for the day due to fatigue from "Sparka," so they are going to take that as a chance to sleep well and recover their strength.
So now it's time to eat, and they head out to eat, guided by the fake Cecilus--,
"......Eat, Schwarz. This is your share."
A platter is placed in front of Subaru's eyes, and he rolls his eyes at the bone-in meat on the platter.
When he looked up to see what was going on, a face covered in tattoos narrowed its eyebrows as if to say, "What is it?"
What on earth can he do if they do this without any explanation?
"Weitz, I don't think that's going to happen at any price. Look, Schwarz is frozen."
"That means you don't need to care, right? There's no need to pile up a mountain of meat for this little guy. We'll split it between us...... Ouch!"
"It's a share we've discussed...... and if you're going to bend it, you're going to have to convince me......."
As he said this, the tattoo poked around the skalengeck's side with the fork in his hand. Screaming, the skalengeck ran to the other side of the table.
Sighing at such an appearance, the rust-colored hair looked at Subaru with a shrug.
"Sorry for all the fuss, Schwarz. How's your body?"
"......Seems okay. How's it going over there?"
"We, too, have no serious injuries. Thanks to you......."
After reiterating this, rust-colored hair - Idola bowed lightly to Subaru.
Idola was not the only one. Both the tattooed and skalenged people who had been struggling, Weitz and Hiain, raised their hands or pulled their chins toward Subaru, agreeing with Idola.
Subaru is now in one of the areas on the island that are open to the swordsmiths, a large hall with tables and chairs that is used as a dining area.
As soon as he appeared in the hall, Subaru was caught by the three men who appeared and was carried to one of the tables and presented with a platter in front of him.
Frankly, it was a dizzying, strange situation, but,
"Did you save this for me, by any chance?"
"Oh? What else is there? You thankless brat...... Ow!"
"Don't take credit for this, I'll beat it out of you......"
"I didn't say that, and I'm grateful for it!"
Another altercation breaks out in front of Subaru, who points to a pile of meat on the bone and asks.
Not a very smart way to show it, and yet this seems to be a sign of appreciation. He's not sure how to treat the sword guy, to get such a treat.
"You let them kill each other, but you feed them full meals......?"
"To be precise, it's not a killing match, it's a death match. Gustav's policy is that if a gladiator dies, it's in the gladiatorial arena, and letting him die anywhere else would only prove the management's incompetence. So you can spend your time in a more relaxed manner."
Next to Subaru, who tilts his head, sits a fake Cecilus, who pulls out a chair with great alacrity.
He thought his brazenness would make him reach for his plate, but surprisingly he did not. Instead, he filled a chipped cup with water from a jug and lapped it up.
"Everyone thinks that Schwarz has done the most important work, so let's leave some food for him. Therefore, we have decided to leave a feast for him."
"Tanza...... guys, is that right?"
Tanza, who sat on a chair opposite the false Cecilus and across from Subaru, looked at Idola and the other three in surprise at Subaru's words.
At his gaze, Idola nodded deeply and said, "Oh."
"As I said before, it is thanks to you that we are all alive and well. The night we survived the first "Sparka," we were treated to a feast for that 'union'. It seems strange that you couldn't receive it."
"I should mention that I'm the one who suggested it......"
"Heh, I wasn't going to leave any for the kid!"
In turn, they tell us the reason why the platter of feast was left like this. But at the last word of Hiain, Tanza, next to him, tilts her head,
"I remember that it was Hiain who first said he did not feel comfortable eating on his own."
"HUH!? I didn't say that!? I don't know!? Hey, little bitch, I won't forgive you if you talk nonsense!"
"Hey, Hiain. You can't beat Tanza. She's the one who decapitated the Guiltylowe."
"I'll take it off your plate."
When Idola restrained him with her hand and Tanza bowed flatly, Hiain, who could not speak back, choked on the word "Guh", turned his reptilian face away, and gave up the counterattack.
So this is a token of appreciation from all of us, including the not-so-honest skalengeckers.
"I'll take it gratefully and without reservation at all!"
"Oh, you're a great daredevil! And the way you show your acceptance is very good."
"Don't overdo it and get a stomachache......"
"Don't worry. I used to be the school food fighter, famous for eating all the school lunches for the absent ones."
Getting milk from a child who can't drink is a matter of course, and brushing one's teeth is also a matter of course. That is the battle style of Natsuki Subaru, the school's food fighter.
The meat is cold and tough, but the dark seasoning isn't bad, and he can't complain. The best spice of all is that it is a treat that everyone left for Subaru.
But as he watched Subaru bite into the meat on the bone like that, Weitz shook his patterned face to the side, "No......"
"Crazy, don't get me wrong...... I'm not worried about you......"
"--? So, you're sparing me now with the bone-in meat you gave me?"
"That's not true either...... It's a deathmatch......"
"----"
Weitz's words were low and hushed, but the words sounded very grave to Subaru.
He quickly almost drops the meat from the bone in his hand, but a finger of the fake Cecilus catches it from the side and inserts it into Subaru's mouth.
"Mogamoga......!"
"Calm down, calm down, you'll choke. And now, your tattoo is a little short of words. Don't worry, there won't be a fight to the death anytime soon."
"Moga...... really?"
"Yes, I have not received any such notice so far. However, it seems that they do not know when or if they will be contacted by the death squad."
He processed all but the bones of the meat on the bone and peppered his plate with the remnants before looking at Weitz. Weitz nodded as he listened to what Fake Cecilus and Tanza added.
"I said so......"
"I didn't say that! I thought they were going to make us kill each other again soon!"
"It's not that harsh a place, although I heard it was treated in a way that made Schwarz uneasy until the island's owner was replaced and policies changed."
"You mean before the changeover...... when you became Mr. Gustav?"
Idola nods in question, and Subaru reaches for the next bone-in meat.
In his mind, Subaru thinks of Gustav's strong face, which does not show any emotion at all, and he twists his head to wonder what kind of person he is.
As soon as Subaru wakes up and sees him, he is ruthless enough to suddenly throw him into "Sparka".
He thought he was like the cruel and violent rule of the Vollachian Empire itself, but from what he'd just heard, he's not forcing the sword guys to fight to the quick death.
"Or do you just like to do things slowly rather than all at once?"
"You can tell he's not a one-trick pony. In fact, if Bassu hadn't woken up, the three of you here might have decided to 'Sparka' it as a 'joint' event. If that had happened, this dinner party would have looked a lot darker!"
"I ain't laughing! Why the hell are you even here?"
Fake Cecilus laughed at Subaru's words, and Hiain pointed at his face and barked.
Indeed, if you ask me, that's true. The fake Cecilus was the one who helped Subaru and Tanza land on the island, but that was the only relationship between them.
"I have heard that every swordsmith here participates once in a 'union' for the sake of 'Sparka'. After that, they may break up the 'union' depending on their performance, but your 'union' is......"
"Oh, don't worry if it's my 'union'. Everyone is dead except for me, and fortunately I am already the lone gladiator to be wielded in a fight to the death."
"What'......?"
"I mean, I'm the best! No one can beat me, so there's no need to worry at all."
Subaru and everyone else clammed up as the fake Cecilus slapped his knee.
However, he is sure that the reason why Subaru and Tanza were silent is different from the reason why the three of them were silent, and he believes that Subaru and Tanza are also a bit different at their roots.
Idola will think that the fake Cecilus's words are big talk, and Tanza suspects that the fake Cecilus is not a blood relative of the real Cecilus Segmunt.
And Subaru thinks he may be a shrunken Cecilus Segmunt, and if that is true, the fake Cecilus may be the strongest in this state.
If so, it would be very advantageous to have a false Cecilus on their side--,
"--Don't do it, Bassu. You will be underestimated if you look at them with such greedy eyes."
"Huh?"
"A person who is qualified to be a superior or to stand in front of others should not have such a sneering, begging look in their eyes. That is not at all chic at all and I wish it away! If you want to seduce me, it's not words, but actions, determination, and a great line."
As he says this, the fake Cecilus takes two of the eaten bones on the plate, crosses them in front of his face in the batten symbol, and advises Subaru.
Subaru swallowed his spit when he was told something sharp, as if he were reading his mind.
And then--,
"......I said it wasn't words, but if you have a definitive line, you need words too."
"Oh, no, it's true! This doesn't feel right! What have I done?"
With wide-open eyes, Fake Cecilus leaned heavily against the back of the chair and then leaned forward as if he were being bounced. Subaru froze as his face was brought close to hers, and as he watched, the fake Cecilus smiled broadly.
"Now, now, I'm sorry for interrupting you. I have many things to do, people to talk to, and ways to pass the time, so I'll leave you here now. Don't worry, I'll be in the room with you, so if there's anything I need to talk about, I'll just go there!"
"Oh, oh, Roger."
"Rojer? I don't know what it is, but it sounds so mysterious! Well then, Roger!"
Nimbly misinterpreting, he raises his hand and runs off before the false Cecilus can stop him.
Although there was no reason to stop him, Subaru rolled his eyes at the gale force of it.
In fact, he was not so much a hindrance as an obstacle. He wanted one person who knew more about the situation of the Gladiator Island to be there for him.
"Well, it's hard to talk five times as much as you want information."
"Mr. Schwarz, continue with your meal."
"Oh, yes, that's right. I have to recover my strength more and more."
Whatever Gustav's thoughts, he's not going to be quiet until the next death match is waved.
To begin with, he has no intention of staying here as a gladiator for long. His goal is to take Tanza with me and get off this island today or tomorrow.
Worst case scenario, even if it means antagonizing Gustav.
However, if he does that--,
"What's up, Schwarz?"
"I'm worried about you guys. Can you do this without me?"
"Ah? What the hell are you talking about? You're not going to run away, are you? Then give me back my meat, meat!"
At Subaru's anxious look, Hiain opens his big mouth and yells at him.
Although he thinks they have every right to be angry, Subaru has people more important to him than them. Should he consider leaving not only Tanza but also the three of them together?
"......Rather, like, get out with everyone on the island?"
"Mr. Schwarz?"
"Oh, sorry, sorry, I meant over here. That was indeed outlandish."
It is a disturbing idea that one cannot let people hear bypassed, even if it is just a soliloquy in one's mouth.
But Weitz, Idola, Hiain, and of course Subaru and Tanza were forced to bring them to the Gladiator Island, and they don't want to be forced to participate in a fight to the death here.
If the others are too, then perhaps Subaru's idea is not as ridiculous as one might think.
And that's what Subaru was thinking.
"You finally woke up, kid."
That was quite a show the other night in 'Sparka'!"
"I didn't see it, and I made a mistake. I only heard rumors about it later."
People gather at Subaru's place as he reaches for the meat on his plate.
The men who spoke to him in such a friendly manner were all men who looked like they had a reason to be there - surely they were all gladiators, even if he doesn't have to explain them in depth.
Newcomers to the hall and those who had been watching Subaru and the others from afar gathered, creating a bit of a buzz around Subaru.
"Um, where is everybody?"
"You know what I'm talking about. You see, I'm a forerunner on this island. You guys were never bored with your wacky 'Sparka'!"
The men start laughing around Subaru, who rolls his eyes.
But he didn't say it in a mocking nuance, but in a genuinely complimentary way. By the way, surrounded by others, Idola is smiling bitterly, Hiain looks uncomfortable, and Weitz is silent and grumpy.
"The last one was a spectacle to behold. She's a lot stronger than she looks."
"Thank you. It is all by the grace of the One who loves me."
"Oh? Oh yeah. I don't know about you, but that was a gooddeath match!"
The men with a nice big bowl, who did not go deep into Tanza's story as he bowed to them. They were talking about how Subaru and the others were fighting in "Sparka" with every gesture.
"But it's a big deal. Those gladiators...... the shadow lion took out quite a few of the 'union'."
"If you guys had gotten beat up, I'd have just about made it to ten 'unions'. These days, 'Sparka' just keeps getting tougher."
"I'm sure that's what Governor General Gustav would have wanted. Once you are welcomed as a gladiator, you are treated politely, and the entrance is the toughest part...... the next show is not so easy."
The conversation was lively and they talked about the situation in Ginunhive. Subaru was always on hand to share information about the island with them.
After all, it seems that since Gustav became the island's administrator, the policy is much different from the previous one. Also, that lion seems to have been rather strong, and Subaru and the others who won are highly regarded.
"Oh well, it was worth all the hard work on our part. What's the...... box office?"
"Yeah, we have a regular show here where nobles from all over the empire come and watch us fight to the death. Both the 'Sparka' and the daily fights are rehearsals for the real thing."
"Practice......"
"Dying in practice doesn't help. I'm sure the Governor knows that. If you're serious, he won't complain...... Oh, there are exceptions."
"Exceptions?"
Subaru tilted his head at the sight of the strong, muscle-bound man stroking his nose as if he was having trouble saying it.
He was silent for a moment, then sighed deeply and said,
"I hate to say this because you got along so well, but don't go out with that guy."
"That guy......"
Think of the strong language and the person who is not here, and there is only one person who falls under this category.
Subaru continued, "Is that..."
"No way, you mean Cessy? If anything, I'm being followed......"
"Yeah, he likes me, but you never know how much he likes you. --He only came to see me about 20 days ago."
"Yeah."
"In the first 'Sparka', he watched as his 'union' was annihilated and then easily killed the gladiator with his bare hands when his allies were gone."
"----"
"Every time he was asked to fight to the death, he would do it until the other guy was dead. Then he would say his name was Cecilus Segmunt, the first general."
As he speaks, the strong man looks at the entrance to the great hall with disbelief mixed in his face and voice from the bottom of his heart. He looks at the entrance where the fake Cecilus - Cecilus Segmunt - had left just a moment ago.
And it's not just the strong faces speaking directly to them that have such eyes.
It was everyone present, except for Subaru's 'union' friends, who did not know him.
He is a man who is friendly to Subaru, who has displayed his incomprehensible storytelling brain to the point of disgust, who tries to ask Subaru, who is dying, about his last will and testament, and who is fiercely disliked by the gladiators who spend their lives living side by side with death.
That is--,
"Governor Gustav and the Grim Reaper are the central figures in the current outlandishness of the Gladiator Island."
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