Arc 8: Vincent Vollachia
Arc 8, Chapter 18 "A Short-Lived Reunion"
A black-clad girl with long peach-colored hair, floating in the air.
The girl's ears are slightly long as she squints her slitted eyes, proving from her appearance that her origins are those of the elves, an abhorred race in this world.
However, the outward characteristics were strictly misperceived.
Because if we trace the girl's history, it is not the elven part that is the most characteristic fact, but the way she was born.
A duplicate of Ryuzu Meyer, who was an elf, was created by a certain formula in the "Sanctuary"--a new life created by a mechanism similar to that of an artificial spirit.
Among the many such duplicates that have been produced, there is one that has been described as the greatest failure.
It betrayed the intentions of the "witch" who constructed the formula and utilized the mechanism, resulting in many victims, and was engraved as a great calamity in the history of the kingdom.
--That is the artificial monster, Sphinx, created as a result of the failure of the "Witch of Greed", Echidna, to replicate her own existence.
"----"
Roswaal gasped at the sight of the "enemy" floating in the night sky above his head.
A chance encounter with an enemy that should not have happened, it brought no small shock to his psyche. --No, he'll admit it without bluffing.
It was a full-blooded blow that could have cracked Roswaal's heart.
This was a reunion that should not have happened.
As for the monster overhead, it was Roswaal who was most aware of its existence. That is exactly why he actually met it face to face in the "Demihuman War", when Sphinx was raging.
And at that time, Roswaal's fist at that time should have smashed the life out of the monster.
And yet--,
"No limb loss. Memory is good, until just before. My appearance is fixed...... in a state of unwillingness. Self-awareness is a tricky thing. Countermeasure: Required."
Gulping, Sphinx mutters in a quiet voice as he stretches his arms in the air.
The golden eyes and pale, bloodless skin are definitely that of a corpse, but the corpse has a firmer ego than any of the corpses Roswaal and his team have encountered so far.
The reason Roswaal and his team came here was to find out what the difference was between the memories of life and the presence or absence of ego, which differed for each of the corpses--a blunder.
It was also a blunder that lasted almost forty years.
Sphinx's survival was a major blow to Roswaal, but what Roswaal regretted even more was Beatrice and Garfiel's presence at the event.
He should not have let them meet.
Apart from the identity of Sphinx, he would never let the "enemy" in that form meet with Beatrice and Garfiel, two people who have feelings for that form.
Hiding his regret behind a blink of an eye, Roswaal armored his heart and never took his gaze off Sphinx--,
"--Garfiel, don't get ahead of yourself."
"--Beatrice, stay back."
"--Roswaal, calm down, in fact."
All three simultaneously raise their voices to each, and a moment of silence ensues.
If each person approached the person they thought would be the most emotional, we should be positive that everyone dealt with the initial shock.
Beatrice and Garfiel, we'll delve into their perceptions later.
"She is talking and has a different air about her. Is that a special corpse?"
Miselda, who unlike Roswaal and the others has no reason to be rigid, squints her eyes.
Pulling back her chin at her words, Roswaal opened her own mouth before Beatrice and the others could get a word in edgewise to Sphinx.
"I know you don't think so, but do you think you survived as a corpse right after the 'Demihuman War'?"
"I am somewhat uncomfortable with the way it was constructed. If the term 'corpse' is appropriate, wouldn't it be inappropriate to describe them as having survived?"
"I see. She said she wasn't going to answer the question. --As usual, you get on people's nerves."
"I merely pointed out that the question was improperly formatted."
Sphinx's expression never changes as she says this, though her response is just as offensive.
Originally a monster with no emotions, she has lost even more of her emotional heat by taking the form of a corpse. It could be said that she has lost the coldness of a corpse.
But when she has the body of a corpse in that way, Roswaal can't bear the feeling of being a foreign body.
The duplicate formula created by the "Witch of Greed" Echidna is based on the same mechanism as that of an artificial spirit, whose body is composed of mana.
There are also improvements to the "Sacrament of the Immortal King", which he just rushed to clarify with Beatrice.
This monster had clearly become more dangerous than before.
"Hey, what the hell are ya doing?"
Garfiel interjects, perhaps thinking that the exchange with Roswaal is not going anywhere.
The boy clicks his sharp canine teeth, rage building in his green eyes,
"I know that there're people who talk with that face 'n voice other than grandma. But I know the names 'n whereabouts of all the other faces besides Grandma's."
"----"
"Who the fuck are ya?"
Garfiel spoke of Ryuzu, whom he loves as his grandmother, and her duplicate, who was born the same way as her but was not given the same role and thus had little ego development.
The duplicates were given names, and Ryuzu, who now lives apart from them, is now their educator, hoping to eventually be entrusted with the camp's work.
At any rate, Garfiel, too, seems to have discerned in his intuition that Sphinx is none of the above, but one of the same birth.
That, for Garfiel, is a blasphemous existence that is as good as defiling his family. Sphinx quietly lowered her eyes in response to the earnest boy's question,
"It seems that you were the ones disturbing the mana in the atmosphere earlier."
"--tsk"
At no time did she ignore Garfiel's presence.
Sphinx's gaze turned to Roswaal and Beatrice as if no question had been asked. Garfiel's throat choked at this fact, and the anger in his eyes increased.
Understanding this, Garfiel's anger, Roswaal closed one eye. He stared at Sphinx with only that, the yellow one, and was torn between cursing and provocation.
"I have a vague idea of who you are, I suppose."
"Beatrice."
"Quiet, Roswaal, in fact. I'll let you off the hook for not telling me, since that's what Betty came up with while being holed up in the 'Forbidden Library', I suppose. But--"
Beatrice beat him to it while he was choosing his words, and Roswaal sighs when Beatrice says so.
She knows why Roswaal did not reveal the existence of Sphinx. Roswaal's blunder on that basis will be pursued later.
But now--,
"This time, I won't let you go, in fact."
Holding up her hand, Beatrice looked firmly at Sphinx with her round eyes. Meeting Beatrice's strong, enthusiastic eyes head-on, Sphinx nodded.
The monster also turned his own hand toward Beatrice,
"I, too, have recognized the threat. Elimination: Required."
Yes, the moment she said what she should not have said, the color of both Beatrice and Sphinx's eyes became slightly more intense, and then she saw the color of Beatrice's eyes--,
"--Die."
Earlier than anyone else, a magical blast of flame released by Roswaal signaled the beginning of the battle.
△▼△▼△▼△
Stopping in the aisle of the chained dragon carriage, Subaru looked out the window with a sudden feeling of excitement in his heart.
He place his hand on his chest, which is beating slightly wildly, hoping for the safety of the girl he sent out to the plain of the empire, where the sky is a faint night sky, and beyond that.
"Subaru, are you okay?"
Emilia, by his side, notices Subaru's condition and calls out to him.
Subaru raised his hand to Emilia, who narrowed her beautiful purplish-blue eyes and looked into his face, and nodded, "Yeah, I'm okay."
The discussions between the Emilia camp, the leaders of the Vollachia Empire, and the Kararagi Mission have come to an end, and experts are now exchanging opinions on numerical fields such as calculating forces and securing logistics.
If asked to make an operational breakthrough, Subaru would be helpful, but when it comes to such a realistic discussion of operating a large group, Subaru must instantly feel that it is not capable of doing so on its own.
"Even in the Pleiades squadron, I was left to Mr. Gustav and Idra......"
"Mm, I'm sure I understand Subaru's feelings. If it's true, I wish I could be useful in these discussions, but...... I'm still dragging Otto down."
"I'm rather crazy about Ram and Otto for staying there and taking part in the gun discussion. Aside from her sister, I think he's dead of nerves of fear."
"You're saying too much. Otto is working very hard for us."
Emilia's cheeks puffed up at the camp's assessment of her overly-reliable internal affairs officer.
And so, facing Emilia in a calm situation, his heart is buoyed by the joy of truly being reunited with her, and the fact that she is as smitten as ever.
His mind flutters when he sees her every morning, but after so long, it's so destructive.
"I wish I could fill my heart with praise for how pretty Emilia is today."
"Beatrice and Roswaal, I know they're worried."
"I don't want Beako to get too worked up for my sake."
Subaru laughs when he is told why he looked out the window and beyond the sky.
Although jokingly, he also thinks it is not too much to think about. In fact, it is true that Beatrice ran out with her nose in the air for Subaru's sake.
Cooperation with Roswaal, with whom he has many mixed feelings, is one of those feelings.
Beatrice and Roswaal, the two who were mentioned by Subaru and his team, have left the chained dragon carriage and are joining a group that is conducting delaying tactics on the enemy forces to conduct some verification.
The verification is, in short, the identification of the characteristics of the corpses.
"In fact, I'm not sure if the zombies are actually being resurrected by the 'Sacrament of the Immortal King', as they're sometimes referred to, or if they're just using their magical eyes to see if they're coming back......."
"I think there are few people in Vollachia who can use magic better than Lugnica, so I'm sure there are things that only Beatrice and Roswaal, who know so much, can find out. If I can teach Abel and the others about it, I will be able to fulfill my request for their help."
After saying this, Emilia tilted her head slightly,
"I wish I could help you, but I don't know much about magic...... I use it all the time......"
"Emilia is a sensual person. She has different needs from the bookworm Beako or the nerdy Roswaal, but she has her moments to shine. In fact, in my eyes, she's always shining like the brightest star."
"I'm sorry, I just don't know what you're talking about."
He tried to cheer up Emilia, who was frustrated at not being able to help Beatrice and her family, but his efforts were in vain.
Nevertheless, it is fortunate that he could share his concerns with Emilia in this way and not hold them in.
To begin with, Beatrice and the others are not the only ones Subaru is worried about. Garfiel, who is struggling in the same place, and everyone in the Pleiades squadron are also worried.
Only Tanza is on board the chained dragon carriage, but the other members of the group are getting out of the carriage and joining the delaying tactical unit.
These are the friends of the squadron who, up to this point, have worked together as one to overcome the fierce battles.
He does trust them, though, including Cecilus, who for some reason has not joined them anytime soon.
"Still, worrying is worrying~. Please, people, don't be too reckless or get too carried away......"
And so Subaru has just put his hands together in prayer.
"--Subaru, Emilia-sama, there you are."
"Oh, Julius."
Emilia raises her eyebrows when the door dividing the passage is opened and a handsome man appears from behind it. Just as she had called, Julius appeared, wearing a knight's sword on his waso.
He gave a small bow and came up to Subaru and Emilia, who were standing in the aisle, and his lips, which had been somewhat stiff earlier, relaxed,
"We didn't have much to say to each other there earlier."
"Mmh...... I'm sure you'll be glad to know that I'm not the only one who's worried about you. I was worried about you, Anastasia, and Echidna. Thanks for coming all the way out here to find me."
"--. What a surprise."
He thinks he seriously raised his eyebrows slightly at Subaru, who honestly thanked Julius and Anastasia for their efforts, and for that,
"I am surprised that you are so open and honest about your gratitude. I wonder if it is because you have become younger in age, and your stubbornness is loosening commensurate with your appearance."
"Shut up! I'm not saying there's no harm in that, but I'll at least say thank you even if I wasn't shrinking! Where do you think you are? Hell!"
"It's not hell, it's Vollachia, isn't it? You can't talk like that to Abel and the others."
"Really? I don't have the right to be pissed off at him, since his methods are mostly responsible for my feeling that this country is a hellhole."
Of course, Abel has his own point of view, and it is not difficult to imagine that he was trying to manage the empire well in his own way through trial and error. However, that being said, the result is the pain that Subaru has been experiencing, so Subaru should be qualified to say this much.
Emilia seemed to be at a loss as to what to say to such a complaint from Subaru, and she must have felt that she could not deny what Subaru had to say in no small part.
Julius, on the other hand, stroked the wound around his eye with his finger in response to Subaru's poignant remark,
"......I was thinking at the meeting earlier, Subaru, what kind of relationship do you have with His Excellency Emperor Vincent? The way you just said things, too much."
"If you call this disrespectful, you're going to have a stroke when you find out what I did to that guy. I'm not acting out of childish privilege. The reason he's like this is because he's an old man who can't hold the reins properly."
"That would be terrible to imagine. Did Emilia-sama give you the full details?"
"Yes. At first, I was reaaally worried about whether or not Subaru and Abel were getting along, but...... Subaru does makes friends quickly."
"Friends, huh......"
Sorry to Emilia, who is boasting as if she were him, but Subaru is subtly pondering where to place Abel's presence among his relations.
At the very least, although they beat each other up while spilling their hearts, it's not as if they were a couple of punks who had a run-in on the riverbed and could hit it off right away.
"--. Subaru, may I assume that you consider me a friend?"
"Huh? Well, that's, um, I don't know. I used to think it was a bit of a stretch, but for the time being, we've crossed the Sand Sea together, so it's good, right? I think it's good."
"I'm so relieved. It's the next best thing to you and Emilia and the others being safe."
With an exaggerated joke, Julius's question was answered for now.
However, this is only the beginning of the story, given Subaru's current situation, which can be seen at a glance. The biggest problem that everyone can see at the moment is that Subaru's problems have not been solved.
"Subaru, your body......"
"The old Shinobi did it to me. You can have him do it next time. I think you saw it."
"I'll refrain. I don't want to face my childhood self too much. Anastasia and Emilia must have been very lovely when they were young."
Emilia's! I see! I knew you had it in you!"
"Me? Welllll, I don't know. I saw me when I was a little girl in Sanctuary, but I think Subaru and Beatrice are prettier now."
Emilia, who does not have a high self-esteem, says so, but it can't be true.
Since Emilia has grown up to be such a beautiful girl, she must have been a beautiful little girl even when she was small. She may have been a good match for Beatrice, though--.
"I'm just relieved to hear you say that now. Apparently, the path is already set for you to get back on track."
Emilia nodded her head and said, "I see," to this comment from Julius.
She put her hands on Subaru's shoulders from behind with a height difference,
"The old man who made Subaru so tiny also seems to be on Abel and his friends' side. He's outside fighting with the 'zomby' right now, but when he comes back, I'll have to ask him to help them. I'm going to ask him to bring Subaru back again. If I do that......"
"Oh~, actually, there's something I need to tell you about that."
"--?"
A little awkwardly, Subaru looked up at Emilia directly behind him. Emilia, who had her hand on his shoulder, rolled her eyes at Subaru's words.
Subaru scratches his cheek with his finger while Julius in front of him also frowns,
"Although it's my body, I'm not going to have it turned back yet when Mr. Olbart comes back. I think it would be more convenient for me to keep this little body of mine for a while."
"Huh?! Why? Oh, maybe because a child's body needs less rice to eat? If so, I'll share my side dish with you......"
"It's a very cute thoughtful thing to do, but it's not."
Shaking his head, Subaru gently rejects Emilia's idea. Julius narrowed his yellow eyes with a serious look in response to Subaru's answer,
"It's about you. I know that's what you thought you needed to do......"
"Yeah. I haven't introduced you or Anastasia yet, but there's a member of the Pleiades squadron that I got to join us back in Vollachia."
"Pleiades......"
Julius was alert to the sound of the Pleiades Watchtower only because it is located there. But he ignored the detailed questions and urged Subaru onward, saying that it would only break the conversation.
Nodding his concern, Subaru continues.
"These are my friends in this squadron, and I have no idea of the detailed principles, but when we're all feeling as one, including me, we become insanely strong. It's not about feelings or anything."
"--. Emilia-sama?"
"Mm, I think it's true. Tanza-chan and Subaru's other friends are all very strong and fight very hard."
"And I'm lying to all my friends. --About how I'm the son of the emperor."
Even with Emilia's affirmation, Julius was blindsided by what she had to say beyond that. Emilia, too, put her hand over her mouth to let out an exhale, "Oh."
"Speaking of which, you say you call yourself that...... um, but Subaru, you weren't born in Vollachia, were you?"
"Oh, no. My hometown is not this hell. It's more peaceful and lovely."
"......Even in the Empire, I heard talk of a 'black-haired crown prince'. I couldn't help but think of you when I heard the word 'black-haired'."
"I'm telling you, Abel is the one who came up with this idea, so if you have any complaints, you can address them to him. Anyway, it's important that everyone in the squadron believes in it. So......"
When he left the Gladiator Island, Subaru convinced his companions, whom he had seduced to go with him, that he was the son of the Emperor of Vollachia.
Today, that lie lies heavily at the root of the unity of the Pleiades squadron. Subaru has no intention of continuing to lie to them forever.
This is because when this unprecedented disaster that shook the Vollachia Empire is resolved, Subaru will return to his original size and triumphantly return to the Kingdom of Lugnica with Emilia and Rem.
And if Subaru and his team are to finish this battle with a great victory, they desperately need the cooperation of the Pleiades squadron.
"So I can't go back yet. I have to be 'Natsuki Schwarz,' as everyone in the squadron believes, until this battle to take back the Empire is over."
"Subaru......"
Clenching his small fists, which have become so familiar to him, Subaru clearly states his decision.
Subaru, too, was not sure what to do until he made this declaration to Emilia and the others.
Of course, a larger body is more his body than a smaller one. He has a strong desire to return to his original body, to pick up Beatrice lightly and talk with Emilia at the same eye level.
But such impatience of Subaru cannot be compared to what is really needed.
"--. I must say, no matter where you are or what you look like, you're still the same."
Hearing Subaru's determination, Julius, who let out a small exhale, said so. He brushed his own bangs back with his hand and looked at Subaru with a gaze that was equal parts stunned and satisfied,
"It forces you to make the most difficult and surprising decisions, whether for others or for yourself."
"......That's not such a noble resolution. I still want to be a little bit of the 'kid with the kind of determination' that a Showa-era song might have."
Julius said to Subaru, and Subaru answers with some queasy embarrassment. Subaru's hand was gently placed on his head, and his gaze met the dark blue eyes of Julius.
Emilia lowered her eyebrows and looked lovingly at Subaru.
"That's how Subaru is going to get me in trouble again."
"Uh, I don't think there's really any excuse for that. No, I want to get back into shape and go out with Emilia, too, you know? But you know......"
"I understand. Subaru thinks about a lot of things and chooses what he thinks is best, right? I also think the same way as Julius that this is Subaru."
Emilia smiled at Subaru, who was flailing his hands up and down and panicking. She placed her hand on Subaru's head and poked him on the nose with her finger,
"I know that Subaru is Subaru no matter how tiny it is. Even if you don't come back as a tiny one, I will wait for you all the way until you become a big one."
"As I said, I don't want to be unable to go back either, but......, wait, was that......?"
"--?"
Subaru's eyes twinkled as he felt that something amazing had been said in a gentle manner and tone. However, the person who said this may not have understood the meaning of Subaru's reaction, and tilted his head curiously with a face that was not offended at all.
No, he doesn't want to have their heads tilted. There was a little devil.
"----"
Involuntarily, feeling vermilion rising in his cheeks, Subaru looked to Julius for help. However, he shrugged his shoulders at Subaru's gaze and mercilessly dismissed the thought of clinging to him.
He swore inwardly at this unreliable Julius and looked around regretting his earlier judgment that he might not have been a friend after all--,
"Huh?"
Just as he was about to enter the room facing the passageway, his gaze collided head-on with the gaze of a girl who was staring at him.
△▼△▼△▼△
"Huh?"
Said a voice at the sight of Subaru and others, a girl with blue hair and light blue eyes--as soon as Subaru saw her, his face lit up.
"Rem, I'm glad. I wanted to talk to you too."
When Rem showed up, Subaru's mind was snapped out of the events that had just taken place.
Subaru, who had lost consciousness after the trouble in the Imperial City with Emilia and Beatrice, had not had time to talk slowly with Rem.
After going over it with Abel and telling him what he needed to tell Katya, Subaru left her to Rem and went straight to the discussion.
That discussion came to a close, and then we finally met again.
"Um, how's Miss Katya? Has she calmed down?"
"--. The situation is the situation, so it is not so easy. But now, she is tired of crying and has fallen asleep, so her brother is watching by her side."
"I see. Yeah, I see. I'm sorry to leave you in this tough role."
"......Because that's what I wanted to do. Um, by the way......"
Rem's voice dropped slightly as she answered Subaru, who had come in front of him. Subaru tilted his head to see what was going on.
But before Rem could say a word--,
"--Miss Rem, you're awake!"
Yes, Julius, surprised by Rem's presence, was quicker to speak up.
He rolled his eyes, his voice bubbling with honest surprise and joy, and Subaru nodded, "Yes!"
"I'm sorry. I had to tell you and Anastasia and Echidna. Rem woke up after we got separated from the others. It's just......"
"I have no recollection of Miss Rem in my mind. Are you saying that the circumstances are the same as mine?"
"Not only that, but I'm in the same hybrid state as Miss Crusch."
"......Then, it's just your own memory."
Julius frowns at Subaru's explanation with a shaped eyebrow.
He quickly realized that it was not a situation to rejoice with open arms, and he seemed confused as to what to say. But once he closes his eyelids, when he opens them, he regains his fearless expression,
"Miss Rem, I beg your pardon for calling on you so abruptly. I am Julius Juukulius...... and I am a knight in the service of a certain one and a friend of Subaru's."
"This man's friend......"
"I know the emphasis makes me want to recoil, but yes. This is the one who helped me a lot when I couldn't wake up Rem."
"That's--"
Rem raises her eyebrows in surprise when she is told of her relationship with Julius, who bows elegantly. Taking a beat at her surprise, Rem also bowed her head on the spot.
"I am sorry for your concern. I can't say that I am in perfect condition yet, but for the time being I am able to stand and walk on my own two feet."
"It's the best thing you could have done. For yourself and for everyone around you who was thinking of you."
"--Yes."
He was tempted to swear at the way she was talking, as usual, with such care and concern, but in front of Rem, who put his hand on his chest and nodded softly, he couldn't even say such a reproachful thing.
Anyway, he is glad that he was able to tell Julius that Rem is awake in this way. Later, he will have to tell Anastasia and the others.
"But thanks to Anastasia and the others coming to the Empire, I'm really glad I got to see Rem like this. You guys were worried about me."
"Yes. Lady Anastasia and the others were heartbroken as well. Miss Rem probably doesn't remember, but as someone who traveled with her, I am truly happy for her."
"Mm, I think so, too. That's all thanks to Subaru's hard work."
Then a smiling Emilia pats Subaru's head again.
He understands that this height difference makes it easy to stroke them, but being stroked like this over and over again made him feel like he was being treated like a child, which was very frustrating.
It is a very good feeling, but a man's heart does not want to be treated like a child by Emilia.
"Uh, don't be too cute, Emilia-tan."
"I think he's cute, but I'm not trying to be cute, okay? I just think Subaru is a great guy. That's my knight."
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
And just as Emilia was patting Subaru's head in that tone, there was a sharp voice thrown in unexpectedly, and Emilia's hand stopped.
Rolling her eyes, Emilia sees Rem facing her with Subaru on the other side.
Rem, with her pale blue eyes, stares at Emilia's hand placed on Subaru's head.
"Rem? What's wrong?"
"No, um, a little confusion. Emilia, may I confirm something?"
"Confirm something? Yeah, whatever you want......"
"Don't ask me today......"
Subaru and Emilia, one with his hand on her head and the other with her hand on his head, nod their heads in unison at Rem's words.
Rem looks at Subaru and Emilia alternately with a suspicious look on her face,
"......what kind of relationship do the two of you have?"
"Me and Subaru?"
"Me and Emilia-tan?"
Subaru and Emilia look at each other in response to Rem's question.
Indeed, as it stands, Rem had just been reunited with everyone in Emilia's camp, and she was told that an understanding of her relationship with Ram had been made, but further details of the situation had yet to be worked out.
If that's true, maybe it should be done in a place where everyone is present--,
"Yeah. To make a long story short, Emilia-tan is the head of our camp and the future king of the Kingdom of Lugnica."
"I'm still working on becoming one, though, so I'm a candidate. So, Subaru is the knight on my best side."
"Your best friend......"
"Yeah, I'm doing everything I can to make my Emilia-tan's dreams come true."
"Yes, he's doing his best. Not me, though Subaru is mine."
Emilia responds to Subaru's chest-thumping words with a wry smile. Then, hearing their answer, Rem put her hand on her forehead.
Then, she thought she had been thinking about it for a while,
"Sorry. I'm confused, is this because of me?"
"--. No, I don't think it is Miss Rem's responsibility. I'm speaking from a third-party perspective."
"Thank you......."
Julius, for some reason, responds to Rem, who seems to be troubled by something, in such a way.
It is also not baffling that Julius, who is from outside the camp, has an understanding face while Subaru as well as Emilia are not in tune with Rem's confusion.
"You've said too much about Lugnica to Rem at once, I suppose......"
"In case you're wondering, I had told her a little bit beforehand, and...... it's possible that Priscilla might have told her something she didn't want in Guaral or something......"
"Wait a minute. Why did you mention Lady Priscilla's name? I don't think so, but has Lady Priscilla come to the Vollachia Empire?"
"Um, may I ask that you take care of my mess first?"
As we search for solutions to the questions that arise, new questions arise and we find ourselves going in circles.
For the moment, he is struggling with priorities in handling the issue, feeling that there are too many topics that need to be properly shared with Julius, Anastasia and others.
First and foremost, he would like to clear up Rem's confusion--,
"----"
As he and Emilia were trying to find a solution to Rem's confusion, Subaru's attention was suddenly drawn to something that passed slightly out of the corner of his eye.
It was something that fell out of the window and out of the night sky into the plain.
"Subaru?"
Emilia's questioning voice called out to Subaru, who rolled his eyes. Putting off responding to that voice, Subaru rushed to the window and peered out.
Normally, Subaru would never disparage Emilia's call. But now, rather than responding to it, he preferred to confirm the glimpse of it.
He looks at the flowing landscape and recapture that, that which has fallen from the night sky into his field of vision.
It is--,
"--Why are you here?"
Pulling up a person who shouldn't be there, a person who was stuck on the edge of his memory, Subaru blinks his eyes repeatedly and utters the name.
There she was, supposed to be living a peaceful life in the Kingdom of Lugnica,
"--Ryuzu?"
"----"
He doesn't think she heard Subaru's whispers.
The distance and volume of the voice were impossible to hear, but still, Subaru's eyes met those of the small figure facing him, and his instinct told him that they recognized each other.
The, small figure stares at Subaru, and her lips move in what seems to be a matter.
Subaru leaned forward to hear what it was--,
"--ah"
--Immediately afterward, a white light that poured into the chained dragon carriage swallowed Natsuki Subaru and most of the occupants of that carriage and blew them away.
Arc 8, Chapter 18 "A Short-Lived Reunion"
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A black-clad girl with long peach-colored hair, floating in the air.
The girl's ears are slightly long as she squints her slitted eyes, proving from her appearance that her origins are those of the elves, an abhorred race in this world.
However, the outward characteristics were strictly misperceived.
Because if we trace the girl's history, it is not the elven part that is the most characteristic fact, but the way she was born.
A duplicate of Ryuzu Meyer, who was an elf, was created by a certain formula in the "Sanctuary"--a new life created by a mechanism similar to that of an artificial spirit.
Among the many such duplicates that have been produced, there is one that has been described as the greatest failure.
It betrayed the intentions of the "witch" who constructed the formula and utilized the mechanism, resulting in many victims, and was engraved as a great calamity in the history of the kingdom.
--That is the artificial monster, Sphinx, created as a result of the failure of the "Witch of Greed", Echidna, to replicate her own existence.
"----"
Roswaal gasped at the sight of the "enemy" floating in the night sky above his head.
A chance encounter with an enemy that should not have happened, it brought no small shock to his psyche. --No, he'll admit it without bluffing.
It was a full-blooded blow that could have cracked Roswaal's heart.
This was a reunion that should not have happened.
As for the monster overhead, it was Roswaal who was most aware of its existence. That is exactly why he actually met it face to face in the "Demihuman War", when Sphinx was raging.
And at that time, Roswaal's fist at that time should have smashed the life out of the monster.
And yet--,
"No limb loss. Memory is good, until just before. My appearance is fixed...... in a state of unwillingness. Self-awareness is a tricky thing. Countermeasure: Required."
Gulping, Sphinx mutters in a quiet voice as he stretches his arms in the air.
The golden eyes and pale, bloodless skin are definitely that of a corpse, but the corpse has a firmer ego than any of the corpses Roswaal and his team have encountered so far.
The reason Roswaal and his team came here was to find out what the difference was between the memories of life and the presence or absence of ego, which differed for each of the corpses--a blunder.
It was also a blunder that lasted almost forty years.
Sphinx's survival was a major blow to Roswaal, but what Roswaal regretted even more was Beatrice and Garfiel's presence at the event.
He should not have let them meet.
Apart from the identity of Sphinx, he would never let the "enemy" in that form meet with Beatrice and Garfiel, two people who have feelings for that form.
Hiding his regret behind a blink of an eye, Roswaal armored his heart and never took his gaze off Sphinx--,
"--Garfiel, don't get ahead of yourself."
"--Beatrice, stay back."
"--Roswaal, calm down, in fact."
All three simultaneously raise their voices to each, and a moment of silence ensues.
If each person approached the person they thought would be the most emotional, we should be positive that everyone dealt with the initial shock.
Beatrice and Garfiel, we'll delve into their perceptions later.
"She is talking and has a different air about her. Is that a special corpse?"
Miselda, who unlike Roswaal and the others has no reason to be rigid, squints her eyes.
Pulling back her chin at her words, Roswaal opened her own mouth before Beatrice and the others could get a word in edgewise to Sphinx.
"I know you don't think so, but do you think you survived as a corpse right after the 'Demihuman War'?"
"I am somewhat uncomfortable with the way it was constructed. If the term 'corpse' is appropriate, wouldn't it be inappropriate to describe them as having survived?"
"I see. She said she wasn't going to answer the question. --As usual, you get on people's nerves."
"I merely pointed out that the question was improperly formatted."
Sphinx's expression never changes as she says this, though her response is just as offensive.
Originally a monster with no emotions, she has lost even more of her emotional heat by taking the form of a corpse. It could be said that she has lost the coldness of a corpse.
But when she has the body of a corpse in that way, Roswaal can't bear the feeling of being a foreign body.
The duplicate formula created by the "Witch of Greed" Echidna is based on the same mechanism as that of an artificial spirit, whose body is composed of mana.
There are also improvements to the "Sacrament of the Immortal King", which he just rushed to clarify with Beatrice.
This monster had clearly become more dangerous than before.
"Hey, what the hell are ya doing?"
Garfiel interjects, perhaps thinking that the exchange with Roswaal is not going anywhere.
The boy clicks his sharp canine teeth, rage building in his green eyes,
"I know that there're people who talk with that face 'n voice other than grandma. But I know the names 'n whereabouts of all the other faces besides Grandma's."
"----"
"Who the fuck are ya?"
Garfiel spoke of Ryuzu, whom he loves as his grandmother, and her duplicate, who was born the same way as her but was not given the same role and thus had little ego development.
The duplicates were given names, and Ryuzu, who now lives apart from them, is now their educator, hoping to eventually be entrusted with the camp's work.
At any rate, Garfiel, too, seems to have discerned in his intuition that Sphinx is none of the above, but one of the same birth.
That, for Garfiel, is a blasphemous existence that is as good as defiling his family. Sphinx quietly lowered her eyes in response to the earnest boy's question,
"It seems that you were the ones disturbing the mana in the atmosphere earlier."
"--tsk"
At no time did she ignore Garfiel's presence.
Sphinx's gaze turned to Roswaal and Beatrice as if no question had been asked. Garfiel's throat choked at this fact, and the anger in his eyes increased.
Understanding this, Garfiel's anger, Roswaal closed one eye. He stared at Sphinx with only that, the yellow one, and was torn between cursing and provocation.
"I have a vague idea of who you are, I suppose."
"Beatrice."
"Quiet, Roswaal, in fact. I'll let you off the hook for not telling me, since that's what Betty came up with while being holed up in the 'Forbidden Library', I suppose. But--"
Beatrice beat him to it while he was choosing his words, and Roswaal sighs when Beatrice says so.
She knows why Roswaal did not reveal the existence of Sphinx. Roswaal's blunder on that basis will be pursued later.
But now--,
"This time, I won't let you go, in fact."
Holding up her hand, Beatrice looked firmly at Sphinx with her round eyes. Meeting Beatrice's strong, enthusiastic eyes head-on, Sphinx nodded.
The monster also turned his own hand toward Beatrice,
"I, too, have recognized the threat. Elimination: Required."
Yes, the moment she said what she should not have said, the color of both Beatrice and Sphinx's eyes became slightly more intense, and then she saw the color of Beatrice's eyes--,
"--Die."
Earlier than anyone else, a magical blast of flame released by Roswaal signaled the beginning of the battle.
△▼△▼△▼△
Stopping in the aisle of the chained dragon carriage, Subaru looked out the window with a sudden feeling of excitement in his heart.
He place his hand on his chest, which is beating slightly wildly, hoping for the safety of the girl he sent out to the plain of the empire, where the sky is a faint night sky, and beyond that.
"Subaru, are you okay?"
Emilia, by his side, notices Subaru's condition and calls out to him.
Subaru raised his hand to Emilia, who narrowed her beautiful purplish-blue eyes and looked into his face, and nodded, "Yeah, I'm okay."
The discussions between the Emilia camp, the leaders of the Vollachia Empire, and the Kararagi Mission have come to an end, and experts are now exchanging opinions on numerical fields such as calculating forces and securing logistics.
If asked to make an operational breakthrough, Subaru would be helpful, but when it comes to such a realistic discussion of operating a large group, Subaru must instantly feel that it is not capable of doing so on its own.
"Even in the Pleiades squadron, I was left to Mr. Gustav and Idra......"
"Mm, I'm sure I understand Subaru's feelings. If it's true, I wish I could be useful in these discussions, but...... I'm still dragging Otto down."
"I'm rather crazy about Ram and Otto for staying there and taking part in the gun discussion. Aside from her sister, I think he's dead of nerves of fear."
"You're saying too much. Otto is working very hard for us."
Emilia's cheeks puffed up at the camp's assessment of her overly-reliable internal affairs officer.
And so, facing Emilia in a calm situation, his heart is buoyed by the joy of truly being reunited with her, and the fact that she is as smitten as ever.
His mind flutters when he sees her every morning, but after so long, it's so destructive.
"I wish I could fill my heart with praise for how pretty Emilia is today."
"Beatrice and Roswaal, I know they're worried."
"I don't want Beako to get too worked up for my sake."
Subaru laughs when he is told why he looked out the window and beyond the sky.
Although jokingly, he also thinks it is not too much to think about. In fact, it is true that Beatrice ran out with her nose in the air for Subaru's sake.
Cooperation with Roswaal, with whom he has many mixed feelings, is one of those feelings.
Beatrice and Roswaal, the two who were mentioned by Subaru and his team, have left the chained dragon carriage and are joining a group that is conducting delaying tactics on the enemy forces to conduct some verification.
The verification is, in short, the identification of the characteristics of the corpses.
"In fact, I'm not sure if the zombies are actually being resurrected by the 'Sacrament of the Immortal King', as they're sometimes referred to, or if they're just using their magical eyes to see if they're coming back......."
"I think there are few people in Vollachia who can use magic better than Lugnica, so I'm sure there are things that only Beatrice and Roswaal, who know so much, can find out. If I can teach Abel and the others about it, I will be able to fulfill my request for their help."
After saying this, Emilia tilted her head slightly,
"I wish I could help you, but I don't know much about magic...... I use it all the time......"
"Emilia is a sensual person. She has different needs from the bookworm Beako or the nerdy Roswaal, but she has her moments to shine. In fact, in my eyes, she's always shining like the brightest star."
"I'm sorry, I just don't know what you're talking about."
He tried to cheer up Emilia, who was frustrated at not being able to help Beatrice and her family, but his efforts were in vain.
Nevertheless, it is fortunate that he could share his concerns with Emilia in this way and not hold them in.
To begin with, Beatrice and the others are not the only ones Subaru is worried about. Garfiel, who is struggling in the same place, and everyone in the Pleiades squadron are also worried.
Only Tanza is on board the chained dragon carriage, but the other members of the group are getting out of the carriage and joining the delaying tactical unit.
These are the friends of the squadron who, up to this point, have worked together as one to overcome the fierce battles.
He does trust them, though, including Cecilus, who for some reason has not joined them anytime soon.
"Still, worrying is worrying~. Please, people, don't be too reckless or get too carried away......"
And so Subaru has just put his hands together in prayer.
"--Subaru, Emilia-sama, there you are."
"Oh, Julius."
Emilia raises her eyebrows when the door dividing the passage is opened and a handsome man appears from behind it. Just as she had called, Julius appeared, wearing a knight's sword on his waso.
He gave a small bow and came up to Subaru and Emilia, who were standing in the aisle, and his lips, which had been somewhat stiff earlier, relaxed,
"We didn't have much to say to each other there earlier."
"Mmh...... I'm sure you'll be glad to know that I'm not the only one who's worried about you. I was worried about you, Anastasia, and Echidna. Thanks for coming all the way out here to find me."
"--. What a surprise."
He thinks he seriously raised his eyebrows slightly at Subaru, who honestly thanked Julius and Anastasia for their efforts, and for that,
"I am surprised that you are so open and honest about your gratitude. I wonder if it is because you have become younger in age, and your stubbornness is loosening commensurate with your appearance."
"Shut up! I'm not saying there's no harm in that, but I'll at least say thank you even if I wasn't shrinking! Where do you think you are? Hell!"
"It's not hell, it's Vollachia, isn't it? You can't talk like that to Abel and the others."
"Really? I don't have the right to be pissed off at him, since his methods are mostly responsible for my feeling that this country is a hellhole."
Of course, Abel has his own point of view, and it is not difficult to imagine that he was trying to manage the empire well in his own way through trial and error. However, that being said, the result is the pain that Subaru has been experiencing, so Subaru should be qualified to say this much.
Emilia seemed to be at a loss as to what to say to such a complaint from Subaru, and she must have felt that she could not deny what Subaru had to say in no small part.
Julius, on the other hand, stroked the wound around his eye with his finger in response to Subaru's poignant remark,
"......I was thinking at the meeting earlier, Subaru, what kind of relationship do you have with His Excellency Emperor Vincent? The way you just said things, too much."
"If you call this disrespectful, you're going to have a stroke when you find out what I did to that guy. I'm not acting out of childish privilege. The reason he's like this is because he's an old man who can't hold the reins properly."
"That would be terrible to imagine. Did Emilia-sama give you the full details?"
"Yes. At first, I was reaaally worried about whether or not Subaru and Abel were getting along, but...... Subaru does makes friends quickly."
"Friends, huh......"
Sorry to Emilia, who is boasting as if she were him, but Subaru is subtly pondering where to place Abel's presence among his relations.
At the very least, although they beat each other up while spilling their hearts, it's not as if they were a couple of punks who had a run-in on the riverbed and could hit it off right away.
"--. Subaru, may I assume that you consider me a friend?"
"Huh? Well, that's, um, I don't know. I used to think it was a bit of a stretch, but for the time being, we've crossed the Sand Sea together, so it's good, right? I think it's good."
"I'm so relieved. It's the next best thing to you and Emilia and the others being safe."
With an exaggerated joke, Julius's question was answered for now.
However, this is only the beginning of the story, given Subaru's current situation, which can be seen at a glance. The biggest problem that everyone can see at the moment is that Subaru's problems have not been solved.
"Subaru, your body......"
"The old Shinobi did it to me. You can have him do it next time. I think you saw it."
"I'll refrain. I don't want to face my childhood self too much. Anastasia and Emilia must have been very lovely when they were young."
Emilia's! I see! I knew you had it in you!"
"Me? Welllll, I don't know. I saw me when I was a little girl in Sanctuary, but I think Subaru and Beatrice are prettier now."
Emilia, who does not have a high self-esteem, says so, but it can't be true.
Since Emilia has grown up to be such a beautiful girl, she must have been a beautiful little girl even when she was small. She may have been a good match for Beatrice, though--.
"I'm just relieved to hear you say that now. Apparently, the path is already set for you to get back on track."
Emilia nodded her head and said, "I see," to this comment from Julius.
She put her hands on Subaru's shoulders from behind with a height difference,
"The old man who made Subaru so tiny also seems to be on Abel and his friends' side. He's outside fighting with the 'zomby' right now, but when he comes back, I'll have to ask him to help them. I'm going to ask him to bring Subaru back again. If I do that......"
"Oh~, actually, there's something I need to tell you about that."
"--?"
A little awkwardly, Subaru looked up at Emilia directly behind him. Emilia, who had her hand on his shoulder, rolled her eyes at Subaru's words.
Subaru scratches his cheek with his finger while Julius in front of him also frowns,
"Although it's my body, I'm not going to have it turned back yet when Mr. Olbart comes back. I think it would be more convenient for me to keep this little body of mine for a while."
"Huh?! Why? Oh, maybe because a child's body needs less rice to eat? If so, I'll share my side dish with you......"
"It's a very cute thoughtful thing to do, but it's not."
Shaking his head, Subaru gently rejects Emilia's idea. Julius narrowed his yellow eyes with a serious look in response to Subaru's answer,
"It's about you. I know that's what you thought you needed to do......"
"Yeah. I haven't introduced you or Anastasia yet, but there's a member of the Pleiades squadron that I got to join us back in Vollachia."
"Pleiades......"
Julius was alert to the sound of the Pleiades Watchtower only because it is located there. But he ignored the detailed questions and urged Subaru onward, saying that it would only break the conversation.
Nodding his concern, Subaru continues.
"These are my friends in this squadron, and I have no idea of the detailed principles, but when we're all feeling as one, including me, we become insanely strong. It's not about feelings or anything."
"--. Emilia-sama?"
"Mm, I think it's true. Tanza-chan and Subaru's other friends are all very strong and fight very hard."
"And I'm lying to all my friends. --About how I'm the son of the emperor."
Even with Emilia's affirmation, Julius was blindsided by what she had to say beyond that. Emilia, too, put her hand over her mouth to let out an exhale, "Oh."
"Speaking of which, you say you call yourself that...... um, but Subaru, you weren't born in Vollachia, were you?"
"Oh, no. My hometown is not this hell. It's more peaceful and lovely."
"......Even in the Empire, I heard talk of a 'black-haired crown prince'. I couldn't help but think of you when I heard the word 'black-haired'."
"I'm telling you, Abel is the one who came up with this idea, so if you have any complaints, you can address them to him. Anyway, it's important that everyone in the squadron believes in it. So......"
When he left the Gladiator Island, Subaru convinced his companions, whom he had seduced to go with him, that he was the son of the Emperor of Vollachia.
Today, that lie lies heavily at the root of the unity of the Pleiades squadron. Subaru has no intention of continuing to lie to them forever.
This is because when this unprecedented disaster that shook the Vollachia Empire is resolved, Subaru will return to his original size and triumphantly return to the Kingdom of Lugnica with Emilia and Rem.
And if Subaru and his team are to finish this battle with a great victory, they desperately need the cooperation of the Pleiades squadron.
"So I can't go back yet. I have to be 'Natsuki Schwarz,' as everyone in the squadron believes, until this battle to take back the Empire is over."
"Subaru......"
Clenching his small fists, which have become so familiar to him, Subaru clearly states his decision.
Subaru, too, was not sure what to do until he made this declaration to Emilia and the others.
Of course, a larger body is more his body than a smaller one. He has a strong desire to return to his original body, to pick up Beatrice lightly and talk with Emilia at the same eye level.
But such impatience of Subaru cannot be compared to what is really needed.
"--. I must say, no matter where you are or what you look like, you're still the same."
Hearing Subaru's determination, Julius, who let out a small exhale, said so. He brushed his own bangs back with his hand and looked at Subaru with a gaze that was equal parts stunned and satisfied,
"It forces you to make the most difficult and surprising decisions, whether for others or for yourself."
"......That's not such a noble resolution. I still want to be a little bit of the 'kid with the kind of determination' that a Showa-era song might have."
Julius said to Subaru, and Subaru answers with some queasy embarrassment. Subaru's hand was gently placed on his head, and his gaze met the dark blue eyes of Julius.
Emilia lowered her eyebrows and looked lovingly at Subaru.
"That's how Subaru is going to get me in trouble again."
"Uh, I don't think there's really any excuse for that. No, I want to get back into shape and go out with Emilia, too, you know? But you know......"
"I understand. Subaru thinks about a lot of things and chooses what he thinks is best, right? I also think the same way as Julius that this is Subaru."
Emilia smiled at Subaru, who was flailing his hands up and down and panicking. She placed her hand on Subaru's head and poked him on the nose with her finger,
"I know that Subaru is Subaru no matter how tiny it is. Even if you don't come back as a tiny one, I will wait for you all the way until you become a big one."
"As I said, I don't want to be unable to go back either, but......, wait, was that......?"
"--?"
Subaru's eyes twinkled as he felt that something amazing had been said in a gentle manner and tone. However, the person who said this may not have understood the meaning of Subaru's reaction, and tilted his head curiously with a face that was not offended at all.
No, he doesn't want to have their heads tilted. There was a little devil.
"----"
Involuntarily, feeling vermilion rising in his cheeks, Subaru looked to Julius for help. However, he shrugged his shoulders at Subaru's gaze and mercilessly dismissed the thought of clinging to him.
He swore inwardly at this unreliable Julius and looked around regretting his earlier judgment that he might not have been a friend after all--,
"Huh?"
Just as he was about to enter the room facing the passageway, his gaze collided head-on with the gaze of a girl who was staring at him.
△▼△▼△▼△
"Huh?"
Said a voice at the sight of Subaru and others, a girl with blue hair and light blue eyes--as soon as Subaru saw her, his face lit up.
"Rem, I'm glad. I wanted to talk to you too."
When Rem showed up, Subaru's mind was snapped out of the events that had just taken place.
Subaru, who had lost consciousness after the trouble in the Imperial City with Emilia and Beatrice, had not had time to talk slowly with Rem.
After going over it with Abel and telling him what he needed to tell Katya, Subaru left her to Rem and went straight to the discussion.
That discussion came to a close, and then we finally met again.
"Um, how's Miss Katya? Has she calmed down?"
"--. The situation is the situation, so it is not so easy. But now, she is tired of crying and has fallen asleep, so her brother is watching by her side."
"I see. Yeah, I see. I'm sorry to leave you in this tough role."
"......Because that's what I wanted to do. Um, by the way......"
Rem's voice dropped slightly as she answered Subaru, who had come in front of him. Subaru tilted his head to see what was going on.
But before Rem could say a word--,
"--Miss Rem, you're awake!"
Yes, Julius, surprised by Rem's presence, was quicker to speak up.
He rolled his eyes, his voice bubbling with honest surprise and joy, and Subaru nodded, "Yes!"
"I'm sorry. I had to tell you and Anastasia and Echidna. Rem woke up after we got separated from the others. It's just......"
"I have no recollection of Miss Rem in my mind. Are you saying that the circumstances are the same as mine?"
"Not only that, but I'm in the same hybrid state as Miss Crusch."
"......Then, it's just your own memory."
Julius frowns at Subaru's explanation with a shaped eyebrow.
He quickly realized that it was not a situation to rejoice with open arms, and he seemed confused as to what to say. But once he closes his eyelids, when he opens them, he regains his fearless expression,
"Miss Rem, I beg your pardon for calling on you so abruptly. I am Julius Juukulius...... and I am a knight in the service of a certain one and a friend of Subaru's."
"This man's friend......"
"I know the emphasis makes me want to recoil, but yes. This is the one who helped me a lot when I couldn't wake up Rem."
"That's--"
Rem raises her eyebrows in surprise when she is told of her relationship with Julius, who bows elegantly. Taking a beat at her surprise, Rem also bowed her head on the spot.
"I am sorry for your concern. I can't say that I am in perfect condition yet, but for the time being I am able to stand and walk on my own two feet."
"It's the best thing you could have done. For yourself and for everyone around you who was thinking of you."
"--Yes."
He was tempted to swear at the way she was talking, as usual, with such care and concern, but in front of Rem, who put his hand on his chest and nodded softly, he couldn't even say such a reproachful thing.
Anyway, he is glad that he was able to tell Julius that Rem is awake in this way. Later, he will have to tell Anastasia and the others.
"But thanks to Anastasia and the others coming to the Empire, I'm really glad I got to see Rem like this. You guys were worried about me."
"Yes. Lady Anastasia and the others were heartbroken as well. Miss Rem probably doesn't remember, but as someone who traveled with her, I am truly happy for her."
"Mm, I think so, too. That's all thanks to Subaru's hard work."
Then a smiling Emilia pats Subaru's head again.
He understands that this height difference makes it easy to stroke them, but being stroked like this over and over again made him feel like he was being treated like a child, which was very frustrating.
It is a very good feeling, but a man's heart does not want to be treated like a child by Emilia.
"Uh, don't be too cute, Emilia-tan."
"I think he's cute, but I'm not trying to be cute, okay? I just think Subaru is a great guy. That's my knight."
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
And just as Emilia was patting Subaru's head in that tone, there was a sharp voice thrown in unexpectedly, and Emilia's hand stopped.
Rolling her eyes, Emilia sees Rem facing her with Subaru on the other side.
Rem, with her pale blue eyes, stares at Emilia's hand placed on Subaru's head.
"Rem? What's wrong?"
"No, um, a little confusion. Emilia, may I confirm something?"
"Confirm something? Yeah, whatever you want......"
"Don't ask me today......"
Subaru and Emilia, one with his hand on her head and the other with her hand on his head, nod their heads in unison at Rem's words.
Rem looks at Subaru and Emilia alternately with a suspicious look on her face,
"......what kind of relationship do the two of you have?"
"Me and Subaru?"
"Me and Emilia-tan?"
Subaru and Emilia look at each other in response to Rem's question.
Indeed, as it stands, Rem had just been reunited with everyone in Emilia's camp, and she was told that an understanding of her relationship with Ram had been made, but further details of the situation had yet to be worked out.
If that's true, maybe it should be done in a place where everyone is present--,
"Yeah. To make a long story short, Emilia-tan is the head of our camp and the future king of the Kingdom of Lugnica."
"I'm still working on becoming one, though, so I'm a candidate. So, Subaru is the knight on my best side."
"Your best friend......"
"Yeah, I'm doing everything I can to make my Emilia-tan's dreams come true."
"Yes, he's doing his best. Not me, though Subaru is mine."
Emilia responds to Subaru's chest-thumping words with a wry smile. Then, hearing their answer, Rem put her hand on her forehead.
Then, she thought she had been thinking about it for a while,
"Sorry. I'm confused, is this because of me?"
"--. No, I don't think it is Miss Rem's responsibility. I'm speaking from a third-party perspective."
"Thank you......."
Julius, for some reason, responds to Rem, who seems to be troubled by something, in such a way.
It is also not baffling that Julius, who is from outside the camp, has an understanding face while Subaru as well as Emilia are not in tune with Rem's confusion.
"You've said too much about Lugnica to Rem at once, I suppose......"
"In case you're wondering, I had told her a little bit beforehand, and...... it's possible that Priscilla might have told her something she didn't want in Guaral or something......"
"Wait a minute. Why did you mention Lady Priscilla's name? I don't think so, but has Lady Priscilla come to the Vollachia Empire?"
"Um, may I ask that you take care of my mess first?"
As we search for solutions to the questions that arise, new questions arise and we find ourselves going in circles.
For the moment, he is struggling with priorities in handling the issue, feeling that there are too many topics that need to be properly shared with Julius, Anastasia and others.
First and foremost, he would like to clear up Rem's confusion--,
"----"
As he and Emilia were trying to find a solution to Rem's confusion, Subaru's attention was suddenly drawn to something that passed slightly out of the corner of his eye.
It was something that fell out of the window and out of the night sky into the plain.
"Subaru?"
Emilia's questioning voice called out to Subaru, who rolled his eyes. Putting off responding to that voice, Subaru rushed to the window and peered out.
Normally, Subaru would never disparage Emilia's call. But now, rather than responding to it, he preferred to confirm the glimpse of it.
He looks at the flowing landscape and recapture that, that which has fallen from the night sky into his field of vision.
It is--,
"--Why are you here?"
Pulling up a person who shouldn't be there, a person who was stuck on the edge of his memory, Subaru blinks his eyes repeatedly and utters the name.
There she was, supposed to be living a peaceful life in the Kingdom of Lugnica,
"--Ryuzu?"
"----"
He doesn't think she heard Subaru's whispers.
The distance and volume of the voice were impossible to hear, but still, Subaru's eyes met those of the small figure facing him, and his instinct told him that they recognized each other.
The, small figure stares at Subaru, and her lips move in what seems to be a matter.
Subaru leaned forward to hear what it was--,
"--ah"
--Immediately afterward, a white light that poured into the chained dragon carriage swallowed Natsuki Subaru and most of the occupants of that carriage and blew them away.