[Assistant] “Lady Theresia…” Carol held the weeping girl close, embracing her beloved master, trying desperately to comfort her. But she couldn’t find the reassuring words she was looking for. Carol found herself pathetic; she hated herself.

[User] “Elder Brother! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry…!”


[User] "I’m sorry, Carol." These had become the words with which an ashen-faced Theresia dismissed Carol each day.

[Assistant] Of course, Carol did not esteem herself so highly as to believe she was really fulfilling Theresia’s duty. But she continued to throw herself into the work in hopes of making things even a little easier on her master. Carol knew full well that if Theresia were fighting, she would achieve ten times, a hundred times more. But Carol would also be happy if the opportunity never came. If her kindhearted young charge never had to use her sword…

[User] "I’m sorry… I’m sorry…!" Carol had heard Theresia crying miserably in her room at night.

[Assistant] "—" How long would the attentions of the sword-god torment her? Somebody, save her, Carol would pray from the bottom of her heart. Anybody. Carol could not do it alone. She didn’t have what it took. Let her be mocked as shameless; it didn’t matter. Somebody, help. She could only pray that the right person would find Theresia. She could only beg the heavens.


[User] More and more often, Theresia spent her days outside rather than cooped up in her house. She was hardly out for pleasant walks, though.

[Assistant] As the war worsened, various members of the House of Astrea, concerned that their status as Sword Saints would decline, were visiting on a daily basis to urge Theresia to rejoin the army. These encouragements came from people who had nothing to lose, and as the bearer of all their expectations, Theresia had to endure their “advice.”

[User] "Please, think of yourself first." Carol suggested to Theresia that perhaps she should get away from it all. "You have to do what you think is right, Lady Theresia." She frequently saw off the depressed young woman with such counsel from her heart of hearts. She wasn’t advocating simple escapism, but she felt unnecessary suffering should be avoided.

[Assistant] Theresia began to spend her time away from the house, somewhere deep in the poor quarter. It was not an especially safe place, but it certainly afforded solitude.


[User] "Lady Theresia…did something happen?" One night, Carol came to the square to meet Theresia and found that her usual distracted air had given way to something else.

[Assistant] "I met a very rude sword today." Theresia had a rare smile pulling at her lips. The words didn’t sound promising, yet she seemed almost pleased.

[User] Carol was puzzled.

[Assistant] She discovered that the person Theresia had met in the square that day was Wilhelm. She had, it was true, prayed for someone to save Theresia, no matter who it might be. So she wasn’t technically in any position to complain. Yet she very much wanted to. Why, she wanted to know, did it have to be Wilhelm Trias?

[User] Carol had often seen him on the battlefield when fulfilling Theresia’s missions, and he could be a troublesome swordsman. There was no way, in Carol’s mind, that a person with Wilhelm’s particular qualities could ever mesh with Theresia’s generosity of heart.

[Assistant] Wilhelm was like a blood-starved wild animal who had put on a human skin and learned to use a sword. That was Carol’s opinion of the Sword Devil. He was the exact opposite of Theresia, who hated to hurt any living thing and was terrified by her own enormous power.


[User] Although she felt a little guilty about it, Carol had eavesdropped on their meetings more than once or twice. Each time, she had been prepared to leap out and cut Wilhelm down if there had been any trouble, but she had always been disappointed. Or, well, disappointment was not the right word. After all, she saw Theresia smile and laugh among her flowers. It had been so long since Carol had seen a smile or heard laughter from Theresia. In the five years during which they had been master and servant, Theresia had spent only the first six months in anything like happiness. After that, the Demi-human War had erupted, Theresia had attempted her first battle, her heart had been broken, and her smile had disappeared. But here, Carol saw the true Theresia van Astrea. And if Theresia was willing to acknowledge and trust this boy, then Carol begrudgingly admitted that she would do so, too. It was at this time that Carol was also growing closer to Wilhelm’s comrade Grimm. He, too, thought very highly of Wilhelm, and her impression of the Sword Devil began to change. Ultimately, Wilhelm achieved great things in battle and was even granted a promotion to knighthood. He took the place that had once been reserved for the Sword Saint, Theresia, and now it was the Sword Devil people looked to as the one who would bring an end to the Demi-human War. Carol admitted with admiration that Theresia’s judgment had been right. After that, she saw a change in how Wilhelm thought and acted. The barely restrained, bestial intensity began to subside. He showed consideration for those around him and dedicated himself to living up to the hopes people had for him. He was attempting to be the very picture of knighthood. The change was extraordinary. But everyone believed it, and even Carol found herself thinking more kindly of him. Though they still argued, she had no choice but to acknowledge who he was.

[Assistant] "Wilhelm…"

[User] There was no need to describe the meetings between Wilhelm and Theresia. She waited for him by the field of flowers, greeted him with gentle visage and voice. Anyone in the world could have guessed what she felt for the Sword Devil. There was no question that the two of them cared for each other and that their hearts had forged a connection. That pleased Carol, and she genuinely wished them happiness. It would be untrue to say she felt no jealousy toward Wilhelm, who had been the one who was able to tease out the true Theresia. This was part of the reason she would always continue to needle him publicly. But all the same, if Theresia was happy, that was enough for Carol. Theresia had been hurt more than enough already.


[Assistant] Grimm told Carol what was going on; she understood the gravity of the situation and couldn’t decide what to do, torn between telling Theresia and not telling her. Carol didn’t think much would come of letting Theresia know. But if she kept from her master the fact that the person she cared about had gone off to a hopeless battle, was that not itself a great betrayal? Carol went back and forth, agonized over the choice, but in the end she told Theresia everything. It was to be the moment when the current Sword Saint truly awakened.

[User] “Lady Theresia…!”

[Assistant] Everything in the Trias lands seemed to be on fire. Amid everything, the sight of Theresia wielding her sword was terrible and beautiful. The flashes of her blade, the movement of her feet as she dodged the enemy’s blows. All of it was like a dance that spoke to the absolute achievement of her technique. As a fellow swordswoman, Carol could only watch this display in astonishment and admiration. But as Theresia’s servant, Carol Remendes, she felt sadness and pain. Theresia stood guarding the blood-soaked Wilhelm, holding off the waves of demi-humans who attacked them. For the first time in her life, Theresia had overcome her reluctance, and on the other side of that hesitation was a sword technique like a tempest. Carol understood how she had banished that hesitation, as well as what the result would be. There were no tears on Theresia’s cheeks as she brought her sword to bear, yet it was clear that she was crying. Here, in front of the man she loved, she gave in to the destiny she had so long resisted, the fate that had cost her a member of her family.

[User] “Lady Theresia…”

[Assistant] In the end, Carol had done nothing but make Theresia cry. Nothing had changed since that first time. Keenly aware that Theresia and Wilhelm were parting ways, Carol was wracked with the sense of her own guilt.


[User] Afterward, Theresia rose to achieve all that was expected and hoped of her. She gave the kingdom her selfless loyalty. All and sundry praised the beautiful Sword Saint and her exceptional prowess, the kingdom stirred with the second coming of a legend, and Theresia van Astrea became a hero.

[Assistant] And in the wings was Carol, supporting her mistress as she had always done.

[User] "Thank you again, Carol." Theresia said with a small smile. But it was fleeting, not her true smile. That expression, the one more beautiful than any of the flowers she surrounded herself with, was not something Carol or anyone in the kingdom could evoke. There was only one person who could do that. And that one person—that man, the Sword Devil—was gone. No one knew where.


[Assistant] Eventually, an end came to the fighting, though it left a great unease behind. It was Theresia herself who put a finish to the kingdom’s long civil war. Beloved of the sword god, spending herself for the kingdom, she ended the conflict and became a hero. Her name would go down in legend, and her fame would be eternal; she would be spoken of for generations to come. And eventually, no one would care about the life of one young girl named Theresia. Her love of flowers, the smile she revealed to one particular man, would be cut away by her life with the blade.

[User] It was a source of endless frustration to Carol to see Theresia dragged along by the path of the Sword Saint. She had once prayed for Theresia to be saved by someone, anyone.

[Assistant] Now she prayed for the same thing, but not at the hands of “anyone.” If Theresia was to be saved, there would be only one man who could do it. And so Carol prayed desperately for him. But her wishing was fruitless; her prayers went unanswered. Nothing changed. Theresia became a hero, and the day of the ceremony arrived.


[User] Theresia van Astrea had changed into a formal outfit, and Carol could not help exclaiming.

[Assistant] "You look stunning, Lady Theresia.”

[User] Theresia’s red hair now reached down to her hips. Her eyes were still blue as a cloudless sky, and her skin was almost translucently pale. She was the picture of irresistible beauty, which was only fitting for Carol’s master. "Thank you, Carol. Your dress suits you perfectly, as well.” There was that thin smile again.

[Assistant] Carol was dressed up much the way Theresia was, and as grateful as she was for the younger woman’s words of praise, there was a loneliness in her heart that separated her from her master. Today there was to be a ceremony to mark the end of the war, with Theresia as the guest of honor. She had ended the endless conflict between humans and demi-humans. The whole world would be introduced to Theresia, the Sword Saint, the embodiment of humanity’s hope. It was a day that left Carol with a flurry of emotions. She was also proud, of course—there could have been no greater honor than to serve at Theresia’s side as her attendant. The common people were immensely enamored of Theresia. It seemed as if everyone who could get to the capital had packed into the castle to try to get a glance at her. It was unmistakable proof that Carol’s master had truly been acknowledged and embraced by the world.


[Assistant] Theresia stopped in her tracks. They had been going from the changing room to the ceremony hall, and a woman with indigo hair and mismatched eyes had been waiting.

[User] The woman smiled and walked easily toward Theresia. "So this is the hero everyone’s talking about, the one who brought an end to the civil war… I see. You are indeeeed the very picture of a flowering beauty. But I’m quite afraid you seeeem to be missing something."

[User] "The wooorld is about to meet the Sword Saint. Surely she should be carrying a blade?" She almost sounded like she was teasing, but she held out a sword—a ceremonial blade in a white scabbard. "You’re…"

[Assistant] "One who need not be introduced at this time. Although I confess, I do know a greeeat deal about you. And on that basis, I advise you to take this."

[Assistant] "Don’t worry about whether it will go well with your dress. There are more important things in the world. And anyway…I should think you of all people will always look best carrying a sword." One of the two differently colored eyes winked.

[User] Theresia hesitated for a moment, then took the proffered weapon.

[Assistant] "That’s good."

[User] "Come now. I’m just a biiit of a busybody." As if to announce that her work was done, she said no more and walked off, away from the ceremony hall.

[Assistant] Theresia thought about calling after her, but at length she only watched her depart. The hall was packed with people who had flocked from all over the country to get a glimpse of the Sword Saint. She could hardly disappoint all those people on a mere personal whim.

[User] "That’s quite virtuous but also a bad habit. Every once in a while, it wouldn’t hurt to do something selfish like he did." Theresia thought she heard the woman’s voice, even though that was impossible. Then she started walking. She came to the end of the corridor, where the hall came into view.


[User] A great heat pressed upon her.

[Assistant] “So I gave my romantic rival a bit of help. I can practically see him frowning about it riiight now.” Theresia thought she heard the woman’s voice again, sounding somehow both amused and sad at the same time.


[User] Theresia strode through the hall. Even the king himself was taken by the lithe girl concealing exceptional power, so much so that he practically forgot he was there to give an award, and only stood transfixed. As the evening went on, everyone reflected that every move she made held the beauty and elegance of a flower. They saw how precious she was and how the base and martial steel was unsuited to her. This girl shouldn’t be made to wield it. Her face in profile seemed to suggest her soft and gentle nature, and that all she wanted was to admire beautiful flowers.

[Assistant] Then Theresia looked up. She had knelt to receive her commendation from the king, but now she rose and turned around.

[User] A dark figure walked slowly into the hall, slicing through the fevered enthusiasm of the crowd. He was dressed from head to toe in a muddy brown overgarment, a pathetic sight to behold. The dirt and blood clinging to his skin made it seem he had not so much as bathed recently. His appearance was practically calculated to provoke the contempt of those who saw him.

[Assistant] The guards stationed in the hall began to move, but Theresia herself stopped them. As the shrouded figure walked toward her, Theresia began to close the distance herself. Finally, she was watching him from the dais permitted only to the ceremony’s participants, and he was staring at her from the foot of the platform.

[User] A beautiful, white sacred blade came up. In parallel, a rusted and blunt sword rose. And then, as if on a signal and without a sound, they leaped at each other.


[User] Thereupon, each of those in attendance renounced what they had felt before, that the sword was unsuited to Theresia van Astrea. In that battle, they saw the beauty of steel, that it was fit to be reverenced, how devotion to it made a person shine. Who could have known that the sword could teach others about beauty?

[Assistant] As for those few who could follow what was going on, what they saw astonished them. Thrust and parry, swords locked together, stances switching—both Theresia and her assailant were at the peak of swordsmanship. It made sense that the Sword Saint should be thus. Many of them had participated in the civil war and seen her abilities with their own eyes. But who was this who attacked her on nearly equal terms? The Sword Saint had ordered the soldiers to stay back, and the king likewise instructed them not to intervene. They obeyed, watching silently, but wondered if they should not be doing more. Who was this enemy? Some demi-human extremist who opposed the end of the war? Then again, the humans were not monolithic. Perhaps this was someone dissatisfied with the conclusion of hostilities. If so, they had to stop this. But was it even possible? None of the soldiers could have involved themselves in such profoundly high-level combat.


[User] "—" The sound of shattering steel, no longer able to withstand the intense blows, cracked like thunder in the hall.

[Assistant] The reddish-brown blade snapped in half, the tip spiraling through the air.

[User] "I—"

[User] "I win."

[Assistant] The Sword Saint came quickly down from the dais, her footsteps audible.

[User] The only remaining sword was the superb, half-broken dull blade in the demon’s hand.

[Assistant] Its shattered edge was at the Sword Saint’s pale throat, and everyone in attendance understood.

[User] The Sword Saint had lost.

[Assistant] She had been irrefutably pulled down from the summit of the sword.

[User] It took them a moment to notice something else, the girl who was still standing there, having dropped her sword.

[Assistant] She was nothing more and nothing less than a beautiful young woman in love.

[User] "You’re weaker than me. There’s no more reason for you to wield the sword."

[Assistant] Who could say such a thing to the Sword Saint, the girl who had scaled the highest heights of the sword?

[User] Only someone who could show her a greater love than the sword god.


[User] Subaru’s eyebrows rose as the girl seemed to be deliberately prancing around the details. Though he found it hard to ignore her peculiar disposition, he had to simply hang on for the ride. “It would kinda help if you could tell me what those things are, you know.”

[Assistant] “Oh, what to do? This is an important job, too… Tee-hee.”

[User] "Let us leave it at that, Ferris.” Wilhelm scolded the girl for her excessive teasing.

[Assistant] She pouted in response. “Thhbt. You’re too serious, Grandpa Wil. It’s no fun.”

[User] “I am grateful to Sir Subaru for the tea, and besides, it is time to be on our way.” Wilhelm bowed as he exchanged what somehow seemed like lighthearted banter with the girl.

[Assistant] The girl still had a sour look about her, but she seemed to recover her humor as she winked in Subaru’s direction. “Sowwy. You look like you could use some more teasing, but we’re meowt of time for today. If we don’t get home soon, dear Lady Crusch will be so worried she won’t sleep a wink tonight.”

[User] “I don’t want to ignore that first part, but who’s Lady Crusch?”

[Assistant] “A name you’d better remember—she’s the lady who’ll rule this country someday.” At the last sentence, her carefree demeanor vanished, replaced by total seriousness. Then she gave him the dumbstruck Subaru a little wave.

[User] Wilhelm set his empty teacup back on the tray. “It was a fine drink. Well then, Sir Subaru, may you be in good health.” Wilhelm agilely leaped back up to the box seat and took hold of the land dragon’s reins.

[Assistant] “Well, sorry for no introductions but Ferri’s real busy. Later!”

[User] “Hey, wait! There’s a mountain of things I still want to ask—”

[Assistant] “You should take all that up with Lady Emilia. If fate permits, we’ll meet again at the royal capital. Bye meow!” The girl left him nothing, her smile being the last thing he saw as she entered the dragon carriage. Realizing that his opponent had completely thrown him off balance, Subaru instinctively realized she was his mortal enemy.

[User] As Subaru held back his frustrations, Wilhelm cracked the reins with a brief “Farewell.” The land dragon brayed while the wheels of the heavy carriage creaked into motion. It stomped the ground several times before taking a powerful step, accelerating rapidly the next moment. Before Subaru’s eyes, the land dragon burst into a high-speed sprint down the road, kicking up a large cloud of dust as it sped off into the distance. Subaru, left in abject defeat, had only the scent of the high-priced tea, largely left untouched, to console him.


[Assistant] “—And did you fulfill your duties as envoy?”

[User] “Well, of course. I would never fail to do anything my Lady Crusch requests of me. Oh, Grandpa Wil, you’re such a worrywart!” Servant and envoy conversed as the land dragon left Roswaal Manor far behind. Wilhelm sat on the box seat, guiding the land dragon effortlessly.


[User] Behind him, the pale-haired girl poked her head out the window of the dragon-drawn carriage.

[Assistant] “But I have to say, Grandpa Wil, I didn’t expect you to speak to that boy while you waited. You don’t like talking to people, do you?”

[User] “That is a most grave misunderstanding.”

[Assistant] “Oh, is it now? Sowwy.—It’s just that you like slicing people more than talking to them, right?”

[User] “…That is an even worse misunderstanding.”

[Assistant] She had only been teasing, but Wilhelm offered no elaboration. The girl pressed her lips together in a pout, displeased with the stony reaction to her provocations. "You’re no fun. What, it was more fun listening to that boy than your dear Ferris? He didn’t seem that special, but you like him that much, meow? You think he’s actually so strong he’s hiding his abilities?”

[User] “Not so. He is an amateur—a cub without a mane. Nor does he have any talent worthy of mentioning. I am certain he is very ordinary.”

[Assistant] “So why then, Grandpa Wil? You said you hated riffraff meowst of all.” Everything the girl said painted him in the worst possible light.

[User] In response, Wilhelm calmly raised a hand and pointed at his face. “It’s his eyes.”

[Assistant] “—Eyes?” The girl lowered her head as she inquired.

[User] Wilhelm simply raised his gaze, thinking back. “The lad’s eyes interested me ever so slightly. They said he has crossed the boundary of death. Many come close to the line, stop, and draw back, but…” Wilhelm lowered his lids in thought as his words trailed off. “Those are the eyes of one who has crossed once, no…several times, and returned. I know of no such being. You might say I was compelled by curiosity.”

[Assistant] But the girl blithely dismissed Wilhelm’s expression of wonder. “Meow, that doesn’t make much sense…” This time, Wilhelm answered with a strained smile. The girl continued, adding, “But if that’s true, Grandpa Wil, that boy’s won’t find an easy path to follow.” The girl narrowed her eyes as she tossed her glossy gaze toward the broad back sitting against the box seat. “Having the Sword Devil, Wilhelm van Astrea, interested in you is as unfortunate as the Witch having a thing for you.”


[User] “You’re going to the royal capital, right? Well I’m going, too!” With the guest having gone home, those in the reception room were able to breathe a sigh of relief—an atmosphere thoroughly shattered with a single sentence out of Subaru’s mouth.

[Assistant] “You seeee?” Roswaal’s grin drew a fatigued response from Emilia.

[User] “I suppose I do…”

[Assistant] Subaru wore a sullen expression at being left out of their exchange, which prompted Emilia to let out a sigh.

[User] “Just so you know, I’m not going there to play around. This is an important summons…very important.”

[Assistant] “It’s the royal selection stuff, right?


[User] "I know, I know, it’s a big enough deal to shake the whole kingdom up and everything, but I’m begging ya, take me, pleeease?” Subaru knelt on the carpet and brought his hands together in a desperate plea.

[Assistant] Emilia seemed conflicted as she surveyed the reactions of the others in the room.

[User] “Ah, do not mind meee, I would say you are free to choose as you desiiire.”

[Assistant] “This aroma… It can’t be! Ram’s treasured tea leaves?! Barusu is truly capable of anything…!” Roswaal washed his hands of the situation, grinning all the while.

[User] Ram, on the other hand, was preoccupied with shock at a sudden discovery about something, and barely registered Emilia’s predicament.

[Assistant] “Taking him along is fine, isn’t it? It seems that Subaru has acquaintances in the royal capital. He should visit them so they can rest easy.”

[User] “Ooh, nice assist there! Rem, Reeem, come over here!”

[Assistant] "Yes!” Answering Subaru’s call with a flower-like smile, Rem sat beside him and offered her head.

[User] Subaru began to stroke her hair with a clearly practiced hand, making sure he would not mess it up.

[Assistant] Rem’s obvious pleasure helped Emilia realize she had no allies in this argument. "In the first place, what do you intend to do by coming, Subaru? There’ll be a really important meeting about the royal selection, so I’ll have my hands too full to deal with you at all. On top of that, in a real sense, this meeting is different than all the previous ones…”

[User] “That’s even more reason to go. I’ll cry if I’m not involved at all in the critical moment that might make Emilia-tan into royalty, even if it’s way off on the edge of things.”

[Assistant] “That’s why I can’t bring you. If you go with me, you’ll try too hard again for sure. I don’t want to make you do such a thing. Understand?”

[User] “You’re the one who doesn’t understand, Emilia. If trying too hard can help you, then I want to try too hard, see?”

[Assistant] “I…don’t…” With bewilderment in Emilia’s eyes as she murmured, an awkward silence fell over the reception room.

[User] “Yes, yeees, that is far enough. It seems this conversation is not maaaking any headway, so let us wrap things up. I have decided that Subaru shall accompany you to the capital. This is my command to him as his employer.” Roswaal broke the unpleasant mood with a clap of his hands.

[Assistant] “Roswaal? !” Roswaal completely bowled over Emilia’s hesitance.

[User] As shock made itself plain in her expression, Subaru raised a thumb in approval. “Yesss! You said it, Rozchi!”

[Assistant] “Howeeever, Subaru is going to the capital strictly for medical reasons. All matters pertaaaining to the royal selection are striiictly separate. Understand?”

[User] “Huh? Medical…reasons?” Subaru raised his eyebrows at the unexpected addition.


[User] He noticed that Rem’s face, still resting against his shoulder, tensed slightly. Emilia wore a pained expression as well.

[Assistant] “In the course of your battle with the demon beasts, your abuse of magic ran your gate dry. Even if your physical wounds have healed, treating this affliction is a different matter. Surely you have noticed this yourself, have you nooot?”

[User] “…Just ’cause you say I’m in bad shape because of some invisible thing doesn’t mean—”

[Assistant] "Subaru. Mana circulating through the body is the lifeline of every living creature. When that flow stagnates, it retards the circulation of the very essence of life… Please, don’t try to hide it.”

[User] As Wilhelm had pointed out, he was still experiencing the aftereffects of his physical wounds, like his limbs feeling heavier than they should. Subaru scowled at having been found out so easily, but he couldn’t just brush off Emilia’s plea.

[Assistant] “I know my body’s in rough shape. So how is healing it connected to the royal capital?”

[User] “Because you need a top-quality healer to treat it. Subaru, did you meet the messenger?”

[Assistant] “You mean the cat-eared girl? To be honest, not the type I want to bump into again, really.”

[User] “That messenger is an especially accomplished user of water magic, even by the staaandards of the capital. With such skill, it is no doubt possible to restore your health. As the child has various quirks, Lady Emilia went through quite some trouble toooo negotiate for cooperation…”

[Assistant] “Roswaal, wait a…! That’s…”

[User] Roswaal, who’d apparently “slipped up” on purpose, feigned indifference to Emilia’s indignation. “…Emilia-tan, seriously? For my sake?”

[Assistant] Emilia blushed furiously as she raced down her list of excuses. “I-I mean, it’s partly my fault that you’re not fully healed, Subaru. You wound up at the mansion because you shielded me… And I should really have done something about the demon beasts, but you did that in my place. So this is paying you back, or compensating you for your loss, however you want to look at…”

[User] “Look, I know you’re hiding your gratitude because you’re embarrassed, but you don’t have to put it like that!” Subaru wore a wry smile as he crossed his arms. “Sounds like you’re all for me going to the royal capital. Why are you acting like you’re against it?”

[Assistant] “Because if I just came out and asked, you’d get carried away and do something crazy. I know what kind of mischievous rascal you are…”

[User] “No one says ‘mischievous rascal’ anymore…” Subaru murmured his retort as he pressed his hand to his neck.

[Assistant] Emilia stuck out her tongue at him and the meeting drew to a close.

[User] “Weeeell then, the matter is settled. Subaru shall accompany you on your trip to the royal capital. Preparations will require about one day, so departure shall be the morning after tomorrow—is this acceeeptable?” Roswaal’s firm words were met by assorted replies from all assembled in the reception room.


[User] "Haaah, I understand."

[Assistant] "No objections!"

[User] "—As you command, Master Roswaal." And so, the plan for the Roswaal household’s visit to the royal capital was established.


[Assistant] Subaru's voice quivered with admiration at the gate of the mansion. "Whoa, this is—!" Subaru beamed at the huge carriage parked before him.

[User] "He’s so huge! And his scales are so hard! And his face is so scary!"

[Assistant] Emilia’s lips softened into a slightly exasperated exhale at Subaru’s exhilaration. "He really is worked up like a little kid. Isn’t he?" She shifted her eyes to Rem, standing by her side, in search of agreement.

[User] "Subaru is cute when he gets like this. Do you not think so, Lady Emilia?"

[Assistant] "Well, I do think it’s cute, but… Mm, Subaru’s been a bad influence on you, hasn’t he?" Emilia exhaled once again.

[User] "Hot damn! I’m so excited! I’m living the uber-fantasy dream right now, aren’t I? !" Subaru, paying no heed to the girls’ opinions, reached to touch the land dragon without a second thought and shouted in a strange voice.

[Assistant] A single sweep of the land dragon’s tail sent Subaru flying, spinning sideways. Several seconds later, Subaru emerged from the foliage, spitting leaves out of his mouth.

[User] "Wh-what happened there?"

[Assistant] "Subaru, land dragons are highly intelligent creatures. Even if they cannot speak, they can express themselves very well. That is why one must treat them with the utmost respect."

[User] "Couldn’t you have told me that a little sooner? !" Brushing the leaves off his body, Subaru observed the shockingly huge land dragon.

[Assistant] It narrowed its yellow eyes and let out a long breath, as if saying, That’s what you get for running your hands over me. During the exchange, he finally caught sight of the people he’d been waiting for. Roswaal and Ram were coming out of the mansion.

[User] "Hey there, what’s up? You’re late, aren’t you? You’re the one who set up the schedule, Rozchi. The guy who sets the schedule oughta live by it, don’t you think, Rem?"

[Assistant] "I agree! Although, I’m the one who woke you up today when you didn’t wake up on time… You may praise me for it, if you like."

[User] "Okay, all right, okay, that’s enough, Rem." Subaru stroked Rem while urging her silence after her unnecessary addition. That earned him a sharp stare from Emilia, but he bore it as best he could and dragged the subject back to Roswaal. "So why were you late? Everything looked in order at breakfast time."

[Assistant] "Ah, so sooorry. You see, with Ram staying behind, I will not be seeing her for a little while, yes?


[User] "Thaaaat is whyyyy, I siiimply wanted to have a sooomewhat thorough farewell before our departure.” Roswaal adjusted his collar, raising a finger as he excused himself.

[Assistant] Beside him, Ram hastened to ensure her hair and clothing were also in order, plainly in high spirits.

[User] “Okay, let’s pretend I didn’t ask. She’s really gonna stay behind, though?”

[Assistant] “It can’t be helped. We can’t leave the mansion unattended, and Miss Beatrice is here as well, so I must look after her. It’s troublesome.”

[User] “You put what you really think at the end, huh. Oh well, Beako would have it rough if you weren’t there to spoil her.”

[Assistant] “I might point out that if Miss Beatrice heard that, she might smash you into little pieces this time.”

[User] “You gonna be okay here by yourself, Big Sis? It’s not easy keeping a mansion running all by your lonesome.”

[Assistant] “You do not understand, Barusu. People can survive three or four days without food, after all.”

[User] “No plans to eat your own food, huh? !” After Ram’s lively, defiant statement provoked Subaru, she abruptly grabbed his collar and pulled him aside. Subaru’s breath caught as her immaculate face drew close.

[Assistant] “Understand, Barusu? Keep a firm grip on the reins so that Rem does nothing rash.”

[User] “…You’re the one who always goes to the royal capital, right? Why is Rem coming this ti…?”

[Assistant] “It is infuriating you’re forcing me to state the reason with my own lips.” Ram shoved him in the chest, letting out a hmph as she walked off.


[User] “Beako didn’t come to see us off, though… What a cold-hearted loli.” Subaru glared at the distant entrance to the mansion, cursing the absent girl.

[Assistant] “—Oh.” His eyes met those of someone covertly watching them from the entrance to the foyer, open just a tiny crack.

[User] For a split second, the person in the dress recoiled at meeting Subaru’s eyes, but she immediately reopened the door so he could see her more properly. It was as if she was trying to hide her sullen, forlorn expression. Subaru waved at her with little smile thanks to her typical behavior.


[User] The pale-faced girl waved at him like she was shooing him away. She returned inside a moment later, having fulfilled her duty to see him off with minimal effort.

[Assistant] Emilia was looking down at him as she leaned out of the dragon carriage’s passenger cab. "—Subaru? What is it?"

[User] The others had begun to get aboard without him realizing it. Subaru hurried over and reached for the doorframe.

[Assistant] White fingers reached out to him right before he could take hold of it. “Here.”

[User] Subaru hesitated for a moment before taking her hand. She pulled him up as he entered the cab.

[Assistant] Now that Subaru was aboard, Rem nodded from her perch on the box seat toward Ram, standing alone on the ground. She took hold of the reins. The land dragon began to gently tread forward and pulled the carriage along.

[User] Subaru poked his head out of the window to give Ram one final wave. “Well, we’re off! Let’s both take care now!”

[Assistant] “At least try to evade the blows if something happens, Barusu. I do acknowledge your talent…as a decoy.”

[User] “I’m good for a little more than that, right? !”


[Assistant] The land dragon accelerated, and their speed began to rise quite suddenly. The mansion grew distant in moments, and Ram’s figure beside the front gate quickly shrank. A moment before Subaru lost sight of her, she held the edges of her skirt and slightly curtsied. It was an exceptionally maid-like way to see someone off. “…I suppose that’s picture-perfect for how a cute maid should do her job, huh…?” When they entered a dip in the road, Subaru was no longer able to see Ram at all, and he finally sat down on his seat in the carriage and exhaled. He finally felt at ease enough to begin enjoying the comfort of riding the dragon carriage. The seat had a high-class feel appropriate to the expensive design of the vehicle, making for a surprisingly enjoyable ride given that the road was not an especially well-maintained one. Judging from how fast the scenery was scrolling past the window and his experience with cars from his own world, he guessed he was traveling close to sixty miles per hour. And yet the vibrations felt far lighter than one would expect, on par with a typical sedan.

[User] Roswaal laughed as Subaru turned this way and that, seat creaking under him. “My myyy, are dragon carriages such a raaarity?”

[Assistant] “Hey, is Rem fine all exposed on the box seat with us going this fast? It’s not like I’m worried about her falling off… But won’t her hair and clothes be a huge mess by the time we get to the royal capital?”

[User] Emilia cut in to reply. “There’s no need to worry, since the dragon carriage is protected by a blessing.”

[Assistant] “Blessing?”

[User] “Yes, blessing. Gospel granted by the world itself when a life is born.


[User] “There are numerous kinds so there is no universal rule for them, but some species always receive one particular blessing. The ‘wind repel’ blessing land dragons receive is one example.”

[Assistant] “Wind repel blessing, huh?”

[User] “When a land dragon gallops, the wind doesn’t affect it whatsoever. The blessing extends to the carriage connected to it, so it isn’t affected by the wind, either.”

[Assistant] “And that goes for Rem sitting outside, too?”

[User] When Subaru indicated he understood, Emilia replied with a satisfied look, “Very good.”

[Assistant] Then Subaru asked, “So, Emilia-tan, what about me? Do I have a blessing?” Being summoned to another world was supposed to provide cheat abilities. Certainly, Return by Death was a special power without compare, but Subaru still hadn’t lost his craving for something special that was a lot less…painful.

[User] “Mm, I don’t like to say this, but a majority of people are born without blessings. Also, everyone with a blessing is aware of it to my knowledge, so…”

[Assistant] “Damn it, no good, huh… Nah, I get it. Meeting Emilia-tan was the miracle granted to me by the world, huh?”

[User] “Yes, yes. It’ll be six hours until we get to the royal capital, so be a good boy and behave.”

[Assistant] “Emilia-tan’s so cooold!” Emilia and Roswaal let Subaru sulk as they began to discuss what they would do upon arrival. It was serious business; naturally, Subaru couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Unable to get involved in the conversation, he soon began to get bored out of his skull.

[User] “Emilia-tan, Emilia-tan, let me sit by the window!”

[Assistant] “What’s wrong? Ah, motion sickness, huh? It happens a lot to people who aren’t used to riding. I understand. I’ll lend you Puck, so…”

[User] “I’m happy for the concern, but it’s not that. And I’m not sure why you’d give me Puck for motion sickness. What, am I supposed to use him as my emergency barf bag?”

[Assistant] “If it goes that far, even Puck might get upset…” Emilia sank into thought, murmuring to herself, when Subaru shook his head.

[User] “No, I just meant, Emilia-tan’s too busy for me, so maybe seeing the scenery would take the edge off my solitude?”

[Assistant] "—Well, if that’s the case, you should come to the front here, Subaru. There’s nothing to do inside the carriage if you’re bored, right? Here, you can see the sights, and I’ll be glad to talk with you.” Rem peered in through the small front window to the box seat.

[User] “Th-that is a very tempting suggestion… Emilia-tan, you won’t be lonely with me over there?”

[Assistant] “To put it plainly, I’ll be completely, absolutely all right.”

[User] “Do you have to be that all right with it? !” Though the lack of effort to stop him gnawed at Subaru, he did have Emilia’s permission to go.

[Assistant] Since Subaru didn’t mind, Rem, holding the reins, checked with Roswaal to confirm. “May I stop temporarily, then?


[User] “The land dragon will not be able to run again for a short time, however.”

[Assistant] “Why’s it gonna take time?”

[User] “Because blessings are not omnipotent eiiither. A land dragon’s wind repel blessing, once suspended, cannot be reactivated for a brief period. Shall we stop for an early meal?”

[Assistant] “Well, I don’t wanna ask you to do that… If I open the door while we’re moving, it won’t slow down, right?” Subaru rose and reached toward the door.

[User] Roswaal smiled as he inferred Subaru’s intent. “If you have a certain degree of athletic ability, there is no proooblem, but if you fall, you will die.”

[Assistant] “Eh, a little detour’s no big deal. Wait up, Rem, and don’t make an acrobat out of me here.”

[User] “I am concerned, but I understand. I shall wait. Come soon, come soon!” At first, Rem looked worried at Subaru’s suggestion, but very quickly sounded like she couldn’t wait.

[Assistant] Smiling thinly, Subaru rose to circle around the carriage to the box seat.

[User] “Wait a moment, Subaru.—Here you go. It’s not that dangerous, so I won’t stop you, but keep a good hold on this.” Emilia hands over a belt attached to the wall of the carriage.

[Assistant] “If this is connected to the wall of the carriage… It’s kind of like a seatbelt?”

[User] “The belts are for when the dragon carriage tilts to the side. Use it as a lifeline. I’ll take it back when you get to the box seat.”

[Assistant] Subaru gracefully acknowledged Emilia’s concern and wrapped the belt around his right wrist. As a worried-looking Emilia saw him off, Subaru opened the carriage door and embarked on his short outing.


[User] Subaru gingerly grabbed hold of the carriage’s rail and wound his way toward the box seat. “This is really something. So this is what having a blessing is like.” Subaru took in the mysterious phenomenon of his current world as he suddenly regarded the whole situation objectively. Subaru stretched his fingers up.

[Assistant] “Ah, that’s right. Subaru, I forgot to mention, please don’t put any part of your body too far from the dragon carriage. You’ll end up outside of the blessing.”

[User] “—No way.” The moment after his fingers grazed the air, wind slammed into Subaru’s entire body so hard he thought his hand would be ripped off at the wrist.


[User] The unexpected impact loosened his grip on the railing, and thus his support, blowing him straight to the side.

[Assistant] “Ahbuhbuhbuh—?! This is bad, seriously bad, oh man!” The wind buffeted him until he lost all sense of up and down.

[User] Pain wracked his wrist until it seemed like it would tear off. His life was literally linked to Emilia’s lifeline.

[Assistant] Head snapped up amid the ferocious wind when the high-pitched sound of a chain reached his ears. Right in front of him, he could see a silver-colored snake with large, round, spiked head.

[User] “—I’m gonna have nightmares again.”

[Assistant] He raised a pathetic cry at how much tighter it was than he expected.

[User] As he realized that his life had somehow been spared, Subaru reflected, “I’ll live a slightly quieter life from now on…” Subaru, saved from a messy landing, promptly blacked out.


[User] The owner of the store, actually a very kind man, was striving to remember when Emilia pulled on Subaru’s ear and bowed her head.

[Assistant] “Subaru, don’t say crazy things. Sir, please don’t force yourself on our account.” Subaru pleaded with her, yelping “Ow, ow!”

[User] Emilia gave him a sharp glare and said, “I thought you said you wanted to say hello to someone who’d helped you…but I never expected this promise to be a one-sided deal. Unbelievable.”

[Assistant] “Hey, Emilia-tan, you can’t just throw a promise between men into the garbage like that!”

[User] “Don’t exaggerate! How many people do you think a shopkeeper meets in the course of one day?”

[Assistant] “Emilia-tan, you can hurt people when you overestimate them. I mean, there’s no way a shopkeeper with a scary face like that is doing that much busin… Ow, ow, I’m sorry!”

[User] The shopkeeper, watching their back-and-forth, clapped his hands as he watched tears well in Subaru’s eyes. “I remember that pathetic look now. You’re the kid without a coin to his name. So the ingrate returns without buying a thing.”

[Assistant] “I’m gonna ignore how you remembered me…and I told you, I’m back so I can repay you!”

[User] “Ah, I see. Now that’s a sense of responsibility. I like it.” Now that he recognized Subaru, the shopkeeper smiled generously, hauling a wooden box from inside his store and placing it on the counter with a heavy thud. The red, round, vibrant fruits inside glistened under the sun. “Here y’go, abbles like you promised you’d buy. How many? They’re two copper coins each now.”

[Assistant] “I’ll go big and get ten. That’ll cover the promise and then some.” The shopkeeper clapped his hands at Subaru’s magnanimity. In high spirits, Subaru put his hand into his pocket to get his wallet out when he noticed that Emilia, standing beside him, was doing the same thing. "Er, Emilia-tan, why are you getting out your purse?"

[User] “What do you mean, why? You can’t pay for something without money, can you?”

[Assistant] “No, I mean, it’s weird for you to pay instead of me, Emilia-ta… Old guy, what’s with that look?”

[User] “You said you’d buy them when you had the money, but I can’t condone making a rich girl pay in your place…”

[Assistant] “Can’t you see me arguing with my lovely lady here?! I’m trying to pay!” The shopkeeper watched Subaru with suspicion as Subaru hastily thrust his wallet forward.

[User] “Lemme see, two coppers per abble… So two silver coins should cover ten?”

[Assistant] “Hey, don’t you know the current exchange rate…? It’s nine coppers for a silver coin right now.”

[User] “So two silvers and two coppers then? Here.” Subaru fished the appropriate coins out of his wallet and handed them to the shopkeeper. The man was stunned into silence, tilting his head as he sighed at length.


[User] "Took my word for it, huh. Kiddo, you really need to not be so trusting. The changes in the exchange rates are posted on the sign at the entrance to the market. If you wander in without giving that a good look, some crooked merchant will have you for lunch." The shopkeeper seemed to be warning him because his honesty made him a sucker here.

[Assistant] "Man, you really are a super-good person, old guy." Subaru smiled playfully in a show of goodwill to the scar-faced shopkeeper.

[User] "Only once in a while. I’d have nightmares if I swindled a customer who’d come back to fulfill a promise I’d nearly forgotten and who paid exactly what I asked for. That’s it."

[Assistant] "So you’re mean-looking guy with a heart of gold. Got it."

[User] "Take it and go already! You’ve paid in full. Come again!" The first half was intimidatingly gruff; the second half, a paragon of customer relations.

[Assistant] Subaru, having a good laugh at the two extremes, picked up his bag of abbles with one hand, while Emilia led him away from the shop by the other. "Thanks, old dude. Maybe I’ll bump into you again someday."

[User] "You’re quite welcome as long as you buy something… And, miss, you really need better taste in men."

[Assistant] "Now, that’s none of your business!"

[User] As the shopkeeper watched them go, Subaru shot him the middle finger as he and Emilia entered the throng of people.


[Assistant] "I’m glad he actually remembered you… I’m a little surprised, though."

[User] "Yeah, he definitely seems scary at first, but you get used to it pretty quick…"

[Assistant] "Not that. I mean, I’m flabbergasted you did the math that quickly."

[User] "No one says ‘flabbergasted’ anymore…" Even as Subaru teased Emilia for using outdated words, he didn’t mind praise. He didn’t look it, but he was actually pretty good at arithmetic. "I’ve got a knack for basic math. So you go for the intellectual, cerebral type, huh?"

[Assistant] "Cerebr…? I’m not sure what you mean, but that’s not the only reason I’m surprised… Just a little coincidence. Tee-hee, it’s funny, actually."

[User] "Ah, that’s a cute face. What, what, where’s the coincidence?"

[Assistant] "That’s a secret between me and the shopkeeper’s daughter. So what’s next?"

[User] Subaru had some idea what Emilia meant by a secret, but he didn’t probe deeper, opting to readjust his grip on the bag of abbles instead. The royal capital was far too big for casual strolling. His first objective of the day had been to visit the first person he’d met in this world.


[User] “My next goal…is to see Felt and Old Man Rom. Reinhard took care of them after I blacked out, right?”

[Assistant] “Mm, yes. At first, I thought he’d let them go without any problems, but…all of a sudden, Reinhard went pale and said he was taking the girl with him.”

[User] “That sounds like a criminal kidnapping her, but that doesn’t exactly fit him… Crap, the good-looking ones get all the breaks.” Subaru clicked his tongue as he sullenly recalled the handsome, red-haired young man.

[Assistant] Emilia watched from beside him, putting a finger to her lips as she pondered the issue. "If you want to get in touch with Reinhard, we should go to the garrison on this side of the Nobles’ District. There’s a building there that’s… Well, it’s nothing but a pile of rubble now.”

[User] “I guess that settles it. Let’s head to the station and get ahold of Reinhard from there. Well, let’s get a move o… Oh?”

[Assistant] “What? Something wrong?”

[User] “Nah, I was just counting the abbles in the bag… There’s eleven of ’em.” He had counted a total of eleven big, round, ripe, vibrant red fruit. It was highly unlikely the merchant, proprietor of his own store, had miscounted. “That old guy’s too generous.” As he recalled the prickly shopkeeper, he felt a warm, fuzzy feeling bubbling up inside and smiled to himself. —Keeping his promise was the right choice.


[Assistant] “Come to think of it, what did you mean, get ahold of him from the garrison? There’re no phones, right?” As they walked toward the garrison, Subaru voiced a sudden doubt.

[User] “'Phones'?” Emilia’s mystified expression suggested she’d never heard the word in her life.

[Assistant] “I mean, like, a device to talk directly to someone in a distant location…”

[User] “You mean a metia? They should have magic mirrors…”

[Assistant] “Magic mirrors?”

[User] “Metia that display one person to the other and let you talk between them. They’re fairly common as magical artifacts go, so they’re apparently used in a number of different places…”

[Assistant] “Gotcha. So there is a way to do it. Mirrors! That’s so magical.” When Subaru thought about it, he realized he’d never laid eyes on a real metia. He’d heard the term metia from Old Man Rom at the loot cellar and pretended his cell phone was one, but that was it. “Either way, it’s a ray of hope. If we can get in touch with Reinhard we can clear everything up.”

[User] “I suppose so. Rem will be upset if we don’t get back soon, so we’d better hurry…” Rem had wanted to go with Subaru on his tour of the royal capital, too.


[User] Seeing the tense, guarded look on Emilia’s face, Subaru abandoned his carefree tone.

[Assistant] "I’ve told you several times, haven’t I? I brought you here so you can keep your promises and get healed. You don’t need to concern yourself with me."

[User] "There’s no way I can do that. I mean, here I am, holding your hand… How could I not concern myself like this?"

[Assistant] Emilia had stopped walking, holding Subaru back. Under her hood, a single lock of silver hair spilled down Emilia’s face. Subaru couldn’t help but think about how it looked like a falling teardrop.

[User] "I want to help you. If you’re having a hard time, I want to do something. That’s how it’s been…and that’s how it’s gonna be."

[Assistant] "Why?"

[User] "……uhh?"

[Assistant] "Why do you go to such lengths for me, Subaru? I don’t understand." The incredulity in Emilia’s eyes thoroughly bewildered Subaru. When her hand squeezed his in search of an answer, Subaru’s throat caught as he struggled for words.

[User] "That’s…"

[User] "Th…that’s…!" In the end, Subaru said nothing as Emilia waited.

[Assistant] "…Let’s go. The sun will set if we don’t do this soon." Emilia started forward again, pulling him along by the hand. Subaru followed, clenching his teeth at his own lack of nerve.


[User] "—You’d best leave things at that, Subaru."

[User] "It’s me. I’m speaking directly into your mind, so Lia can’t hear you.” The method of communication was odd, but the voice was certainly familiar.

[Assistant] “…! So you can hear me, too, then?” Subaru was taken aback at the sudden telepathic communication.

[User] "You catch on fast. I wasn’t sure at first, but…it was easy to make a connection, so you might have a high compatibility with spirits. Maybe that’s why Betty likes you.”

[Assistant] Subaru is Gloomy.

[User] "Lia’s all right. Don’t lose hope from that conversation just now.”

[Assistant] “That’s… How the hell do you know?”

[User] "I just know. I know everything there is to know about Lia, after all.”

[Assistant] Subaru is Powerless.

[User] Putting your heart and soul into everything is pretty rough on you, huh?”

[Assistant] "Hey, Subaru.”

[User] He weakly denied Puck.

[Assistant] "—Don’t get my hopes up too much, or Lia’s.”

[User] “…Huh?”

[Assistant] "Hope is a gentle poison. Even if you know it will ruin you, you can’t help but reach for the illusion that seems close enough to grasp. You are truly a poison.”

[User] “What do you mean by…”

[Assistant] “We’re here.” Emilia, guiding his hand, stopped walking.

[User] Subaru pitched forward, in danger of bumping into Emilia’s back, but he somehow managed to right himself. When he raised his head, he belatedly understood why this was called the Nobles’ District.


[User] The scenery was more refined than that of the slums or Market Street, with much more money invested in it. This was true for not only the buildings, but also the streets, the walls, and the trees had aesthetic appeal. As the name suggested, this was the ward where the upper crust resided. Their destination was a building that served as the gateway, sealing off the single street connecting it to the outside world. The solid stonework structure was far plainer than anything in the Nobles’ District behind it. The back of the building contacted a section of the wall, allowing someone on the roof to survey the whole city in a single sweep. However, the purpose of this vantage point was obviously to keep watch over what was below, not to enjoy the sights.

[Assistant] “This is the garrison for the royal capital guards. They also check the identity of people entering the Nobles’ District.”

[User] “So it’s like a customs checkpoint, too. That’s probably what they built it here for, huh?” He could appreciate it on logical and practical grounds, but his aversion to it was no doubt an instinctive reaction to something so emblematic of bureaucracy.

[Assistant] Emilia said nothing to the reluctant Subaru as she headed for the garrison. Mindful of the time and place, she finally let go of his hand.

[User] He mourned the loss of her palm.


[Assistant] Emilia was about to knock on the garrison’s door, it opened toward the outside as a young man poked his face out.

[User] “—My, it is not often I meet an acquaintance in a place like this. It has been some time, Lady Emilia. You have not changed at all since then.” The young man bowed formally to Emilia—whom he had recognized even though she was wearing the hood, which put Subaru on guard.

[Assistant] “…Yes, thank you. No changes in particular, no. I see you are also in good health, Julius.” Emilia’s expression was serene as she nodded toward the youth.

[User] “I am honored that you remember me. Your beauty has only increased, Lady Emilia.” The young man named Julius praised Emilia’s good looks in a very polished manner. He had violet hair and an equal mix of snobbery and politeness. He was about half a foot taller than Subaru, putting him at around five foot nine, give or take. His body was slender, but he did not seem frail; rather, he had a handsome, supple frame. His amber eyes, no doubt bewitching to the opposite sex, suited him to a detestably fine degree.

[Assistant] “Is it not a rarer sight for you, a royal guardsman, to be here at the garrison?”

[User] “I’ve come to express appreciation to the soldiers for their services and take the opportunity to observe the city…or something like that." The man wore an extravagant uniform with a dragon emblem, and a slender sword like a rapier hung from his hip.


[User] "A friend asked me to pay a visit, and I suppose it is good to put friends first once in a while. After all, I was able to lay my eyes upon a beautiful flower along my path through these streets." With well-practiced motion, Julius intimately grasped Emilia’s hand as he spoke, bending down on one knee. Without a single pause for breath, he brought his lips to the back of her pale hand.

[Assistant] Subaru watched this course of events in complete shock. After a few moments’ delay, his emotions came to a boil as this man’s conceited behavior rubbed him in every wrong way imaginable. His breath ragged, Subaru was about to rush over and give Julius a piece of his mind when Emilia held him in check with her other hand.

[User] "Thank you, Julius. I regret that this is very sudden, but…I would like to get in touch with the castle about a certain matter."

[Assistant] As Julius listened to Emilia’s request, his voice lowered as he looked at Subaru. "Ah, so that is why you came to the garrison… This matter, does it concern him over there?"

[User] Not enjoying Julius’s condescending gaze, Subaru locked eyes with him and glared back. "—His character and demeanor form a poor match for those clothes. Such an appearance does not make a good first impression."

[Assistant] "Thank you for the kind advice. I have some advice for you, too. If you eat curry udon in an outfit like that, the broth stains will really stand out, so you definitely should pass."

[User] "Thank you for going out of your way to say so. I shall pay it heed if I should ever have such an opportunity." The smiles they exchanged were most certainly not friendly. Subaru did not like him. Julius no doubt thought the same.

[Assistant] In that spirit, he promptly ignored Subaru and turned his attention back to Emilia. "I shall guide you to the magic mirror, then, though it pains my heart to bring you into a humble place such as this, Lady Emilia."

[User] "You needn’t be concerned. I’m quite all right, so please."

[Assistant] "Very well. Come in." With that, Julius went back inside first.


[User] Subaru snorted a bit and stepped forward.

[Assistant] But Emilia turned to him in front of the doorway, obstructing his path. "Subaru, you wait here."

[User] "…Huh?" Subaru was taken aback.

[Assistant] Emilia’s long eyelashes trembled a bit as she lowered her eyes. "I’d like to have you come, but I don’t think Julius will take it well, so wait here."

[User] "The heck? You care about that annoying jerk’s feelings more than mine?"

[Assistant] "It’s not that. It’s not about upsetting him, it’s that I don’t want to put you through something you’ll probably hate, so please, Subaru, wait here."

[User] "I hate it enough as it is already.


[User] "The way that bastard licked Emilia-tan’s hand all over like it was nothing…!” Subaru had pegged that particular action as a sign of perversion, adding one more item to his list of negative impressions. It only compounded how he didn’t want Emilia to have any contact with that man. Subaru’s masculine instincts wanted desperately to warn her to watch out for Julius.

[Assistant] "This won’t take long, so please, be good and wait." Her words were very gentle, yet heavily tinged with rejection. Emilia was fundamentally distancing Subaru from her own affairs.

[User] But afraid of incurring her displeasure for intruding, he was unable to speak a word in protest. She vanished behind the door as it closed, separating them physically and metaphorically with a dull thud.

[Assistant] “…I’m super-uncool.” Kicking around a rock some distance from the entrance as he waited for Emilia, Subaru distracted himself from his seething self-hatred as he recalled the annoying man. "She said he was a royal guard, didn’t she?” If Subaru’s hunch was correct, that meant he was a Knight of the Royal Guard. If knightly orders existed in this world, surely Knights of the Royal Guard served the royal family directly. But where did they stand in a country with no sitting monarch? “The whole royal family died from plague, huh. They might make the elites in the Knights of the Royal Guard take responsibility for not seeing that coming and disband them, tossing them and their families out onto the street… Well, that sucks for the rest of ’em, but I wouldn’t mind that annoying bastard going through a little hell…” The somber thought gave him some small measure of satisfaction. He wondered who he’d picked up that pettiness from. In the past, Subaru would have never directed his ire about the inconveniences that befell him toward another person. He wouldn’t have given a single thought to speaking ill of heaven or venting his frustrations. In a good sense, he was now concerned with appearances in a way he had not before arriving here. He wanted to live a life that he could show the honest and forthright girl close to him without shame. It was a vague thought… But he wondered if he had really changed a little? He couldn’t tell.

[User] "—Mm?” As Subaru ruminated, he felt a disturbance and frowned at a glimpse of something at the edge of his vision. For a brief moment, his gaze had wandered toward the city for no particular reason and caught sight of a colorful dress disappearing into a back alley. The color was such a vivid red that it seemed to sear itself into his eyes, even with only a glance. And had the dress been merely traveling down the street, no doubt it would not have registered in Subaru’s mind whatsoever. Even entering a back alley, the garment would not have caught his attention, save for the fact that the girl wearing it was being led there by seedy-looking men.


[User] “Just now… There’s no way it could be a that, right…?” A major crime in broad daylight in front of the guards’ garrison—or so he thought, but perhaps this was a case of hiding in plain sight. Upon closer inspection, the location was in the garrison’s blind spot.

[Assistant] “Setting aside that I just feel calmer in narrow spaces, I’d better go get the gua—” Subaru hesitated.

[User] “Plus, if I’m wrong, it might make trouble for Emilia… It won’t be too late to call for help after I confirm things first.” Voicing this excuse to himself, Subaru shot a glance at the garrison as he ran toward the alley. He felt guilty about going back on his promise to wait patiently for Emilia, but a higher duty called.


[Assistant] And hearing an angry shout the instant he entered the alley, Subaru was firmly convinced he’d made the right decision and picked up his pace.

[User] “—Why, you little bitch! I’m not messin’ around here!”

[Assistant] “Don’t mess with me, woman! You want a punch to that pretty little face? !"

[User] “Do not get ahead of yourself, peasant. Those of low character enjoy appropriately lowly fates.” Several voices argued, and three men surrounded a lone woman in the narrow alley, cutting off her avenues of escape.

[Assistant] He couldn’t just stand back and watch while her attitude raised the men’s hackles ever higher.

[User] “—H-heya! Sorry to keep you waiting, honey!” Subaru immediately raised a hand and wedged himself into the middle of the action.


[User] Laughing by himself as he interrupted the surprised trio, Subaru put his hands together in supplication. "It seems that she’s caused you a little trouble, but could you do me favor and let it slide? I’m sure you can tell just by looking at her, but the girl is a little…y’know…in the head. You get me?"

[Assistant] Her celebrity-like style practically screamed “Rob me, please!” and she was hanging around the alleyways in a city with questionable levels of law enforcement. What sane person would be so reckless? Subaru asserted to the stunned men, “So that’s how it is!” and grasped the girl’s hand.

[User] "Mm…!"

[Assistant] “Hey, let’s move on before you cause the good boys here any more trouble. Let’s do like we promised today and feed each other sweets, just the two of…” Subaru quickly laid things out, casting her in the role he’d assigned Emilia in his fantasies, aiming to get her out of there as fast as possible. However…

[User] “Uhh?”

[Assistant] “Do not…touch me so freely!” She put her other hand on top of Subaru’s, twisting her body to yank the boy forward.

[User] A moment after he realized he’d lost his hold on her wrist, his face slammed right into the wall. “Wht th hll? !”

[Assistant] “Goodness, I take a step outside and this happens? Commoners drooling all over me…”

[User] As he stood back up, Subaru glowered at her, as if finding her words beyond comprehension. “Play along, damn it! That’s the time-honored method of saving a girl from street punks! You’re supposed to catch on to these things!”

[Assistant] “I do not know what you mean. I simply do as I please.”

[User] “A woman who slams your face into the wall is the worst kind of first meeting, you know? !” Not only had she not picked up on his attempt to extricate her, but she treated him as a pervert. The pain and humiliation made him regret exercising his limited courage. Thinking that the men must find it hilarious, Subaru turned toward their pitying gazes again. “Hey, wait a minute, I remember you guys.” Subaru tilted his head with the bad feeling that he was reliving a prior crisis.

[Assistant] Subaru compared the faces of the men before him against the ones in his memory, clapping his hands together when a light suddenly came on. “Ah, Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest. Eh, wait, no way. Does this city have any other punks besides the three of you? !"

[User] Of course he remembered them. These were the Three Stooges he’d encountered on the first day of his summoning. Having experienced death at their hands once already, Subaru regarded them with caution. But… “I’m more depressed than anything else. Don’t you guys have any other way to make a living?” The three men looked at one another and began to talk, oddly relaxed about Subaru’s presence.

[Assistant] “First he sticks his nose in, gets his face smashed on a wall, and now he says he remembers.


[User] "He bonkers?”

[Assistant] “Hey, I don’t wanna mess with him. You deal with him.”

[User] “I don’t wanna, either. Why don’t we just shiv him somewhere?”

[Assistant] "Oh my, so irresolute. Are you a bunch of little girls? If so, adorn yourselves in a manner suitable for my eyes. Yes, some fine jewelry on your burly, hairy bodies would make for quite a sight.” The girl put a hand over her mouth, ripping into them with a look of complete contempt.

[User] “Don’t mess with me, bitch!”

[Assistant] “Who do you think you are, girl? !”

[User] “What’s with the high and mighty talk, huh? !”

[Assistant] “You’re seriously off your rocker! We oughta spank into your girly butt the fact that we’re guys—wait, why am I jumping in with these idiots? !” Subaru was surprised at himself for impulsively taking part in a four-man gang. He was acutely aware that blame for the incident lay on the girl’s side, too. “So I get where you guys are coming from, but I’m not turning back now. Besides, I’m carrying my own grudge from the first day we met.”

[User] “I dunno what’s with that little bitch, but what’s the deal with you, shit face?”

[Assistant] “Well, none of those events happened in this world, so all they’d remember here is… Oh yeah, the good-looking guy showing up?”

[User] “—! Hey, I remember him! From an alley off Market Street a little while back…”

[Assistant] “Oh, that one! The brat with a screw loose! He hasn’t changed one bit, huh?”

[User] “It’s really him. The clothes are different, so I didn’t recognize ’im!”

[Assistant] “Good, good, I’m glad you remember me. So since you know me, how about you let this slide?”

[User] “Are you nuts? We like you way less than someone we don’t know. Just ’cause it’s three-on-two instead of three-on-one doesn’t change a thing.”

[Assistant] “Correction. It is not three-versus-two, it is three-versus-one-versus-one.”

[User] “Can you shut up for a bit? !” He wished he could have gone back in time five minutes and told himself not to bother, but the die had been cast. Besides, Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest weren’t patient types. Watching the temperature in their eyes dropping, Subaru knew it was only a matter of time before there’d be blood.


[User] “…No choice, then. I really didn’t want to resort to this, but…”

[Assistant] “Ahh? Would you stop messin’ around already? What the hell can you—”

[User] “I’ll have you know, I know Mr. Reinhard, guys. Reinhard and I are best buds. If I yell, he’s gonna come running right over!”

[Assistant] “—Wha? !”

[User] This was his trump card, “The Fox Invoking the Lion,” and it worked wonders. The mention of Reinhard’s name scared the trio witless. The effect was immediate, and Subaru forced himself to act like a big shot to cow them further. "So what’ll it be, guys? One shout and he’ll make mincemeat out of you with his bare hands.”

[Assistant] The men gritted their teeth resentfully. “W-we’ll let you. This time.”

[User] “Remember this, it’s not like you beat us or anything!”

[Assistant] “And it’s not like we’re scared of Reinhard’s name or anything!” The men immediately fled the alley, their weak, stereotypical parting shots only enhancing their petty crook image.

[User] Only when they had completely gone did Subaru exhale deeply. Somehow he’d ridden the crisis out. Now if he could only get the girl to soften just a little—


[Assistant] “What? Are those the eyes of a beggar? You shall receive nothing from me, commoner.”

[User] “They are not. Well, would it kill you to thank me for saving you at least?”

[Assistant] “Save?” The girl inclined her head slightly with a mystified expression. She closed her eyes, sinking into thought, and let out a small sigh when she arrived at an answer. “So that prattling of yours earlier was meant to save me. Mm, I had not noticed.”

[User] “You didn’t notice?! This sets new standards for dense, you know? !”

[Assistant] “Do not misunderstand. No difficulty would have befallen me even without your help. I can only marvel at your taking pride in resolving something that was not a problem to begin with.”

[User] “I don’t know what you mean, so what do you mean? I mean what, like, okay, you’re super-strong, so you’d have been fine even if I hadn’t saved you?”

[Assistant] “Not at all. It is far simpler.—This world is composed solely for my convenience. Nothing occurs that is not to my benefit. It is thanks to me that I was saved, yet you attempt to claim this as your own exploit. Have you no shame at stealing credit from another?” With one blatant forward thrust of her bountiful breasts, the girl was asserting, as if it was natural, as if it was obvious, as if it was common sense—that she was absolute.

[User] The way her eyes radiated like an arrogant sun made Subaru keenly aware that this was someone he absolutely should not associate himself with whatsoever. "Th-that so. My bad for being too big for my britches. Sorry to interrupt. Bye now.” He determined it was best to agree with such a person as much as possible—not provoke her, just nod enthusiastically, avoid any defiance, and do a quick about-face away from her.


[User] But an unexpected call came from behind, and Subaru cursed his feet for stopping.

[Assistant] “—Wait.”

[User] “Wh-what?”

[Assistant] “What is in that bag there? Show me.” The girl strolled around him, nodding to indicate that Subaru should put down the bag.

[User] He didn’t want to oblige, but defying her would only prolong things, so Subaru reluctantly opened the bag and showed its contents—a mountain of ripe, red fruit.

[Assistant] “I do not recognize them. These fruits… What are they?”

[User] “They’re, um, abbles. The fruit of knowledge. Never seen one before?”

[Assistant] Blinking at his reply, the girl snorted as she looked at Subaru like he was an imbecile. “You lie. Do not make me laugh. Abbles are white, understand? I have absolutely never seen fruits such as these.”

[User] Astonished, Subaru replied, “Well, they’re white when you peel them…”

[Assistant] It was the girl’s turn to stare blankly.

[User] He remarked, “Wait, don’t tell me you’ve never seen an abble that hasn’t been peeled…?”

[Assistant] “Mm, I have indeed never seen one that was not at the dinner table.—Very well. Hand them over.” Nodding in satisfaction, the girl audaciously demanded he give up his the abbles.

[User] He’d saved the girl from a robbery only for the girl to attempt robbery on him. Subaru wanted to see Emilia again. He wished Rem were healing him that moment.

[Assistant] “Hand them over. I shall split one open and see for myself. Or is it only lies that dribble from your lips?”

[User] “…Handle with care, okay?” Judging resistance to be the fool’s choice, Subaru took an abble out of the bag and placed it in her hand.

[Assistant] The girl took the abble, turning it around as if studying the sensation upon her palm. Then, her left hand flashed toward the abble—neatly severing it vertically and horizontally into four equal pieces. The girl licked the fruit juice off her fingers, satisfied at the cross section. “Sweet and sour… Certainly, this is the taste of an abble. I will spare your life.”

[User] “Spare my… No, never mind. Anyway, you’re satisfied now, I take it?”

[Assistant] “Ab-so-lute-ly not! !” Her statement, crossing the line from arrogant behavior to tyrannical, made even Subaru erupt in indignation.

[User] “You don’t even care that you sliced one up out of the blue. Why do I have to give you all of them? These abbles aren’t just abbles. They’re the bonds between two men!”

[Assistant] “Enough prattle. How about this?” The girl pointed at the bag, her lips cracking into a wry smile. “We shall wager for them.”

[User] “—Wager?”

[Assistant] “Yes, a simple wager. Something easy, flipping a coin and guessing whether it is heads or tails. A single abble shall rest upon each attempt. How about it?”

[User] She was proposing a contest, but all Subaru could do was laugh at her suggestion. “You just say the darndest things. Why would I agree to that in the first place? There’s nothing in that gamble for me.


[User] "I can just run like heck out of here!”

[Assistant] “Of course, I shall have something worth winning at the ready. Let’s


[User] With that gaze bearing down on him, Subaru told her exactly what he thought. “You need to take better care of yourself. That’s crazy talk… And you can’t seduce me with that look!” Action/Narration And so, Subaru found himself still in the alley, having lost seven straight bets.

[Assistant] “That makes seven wins for me. There are only three abbles left, you know?”

[User] “No way! You’re robbing me blind!”

[Assistant] “Now, then.” The girl picked up one of the abbles lying before her and deposited it into the bag at her side.

[User] Action/Narration Subaru was down to his last two chips, so to speak. When their game had begun, he had ten—he never imagined he’d go on an eight-in-a-row losing streak, leaving him in danger of losing the shirt on his back.

[Assistant] “Now you know what happens to those who challenge me. I am the pinnacle, and you are suited only to wriggling around at the bottom.”

[User] “Hey, isn’t it a little extreme to treat me as the bottom of the pyramid just because I’m losing? Pride comes before the fall, you know…a fall to rock bottom!”

[Assistant] “You may rest easy. All is rock bottom except for me. The world has me, and all else is beneath.”

[User] Action/Narration Subaru wanted to refute her irrational logic, but that would only make him sound like a sore loser. "Now then, what shall we do next? If you do not trust your luck at coin flips, a different wager is fine."

[Assistant] “Oh, now you’ve done it… I’m down in the bottom of the ninth, but I propose we do rock-paper-scissors!”

[User] “Rock, paper, scissors…?” Action/Narration When the girl raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar term, it gave Subaru a tiny ray of hope.

[Assistant] “Rock-paper-scissors is a way to settle things. At the signal, you make a shape with your hand, and the stronger shape wins. There’re three shapes: rock, paper, and scissors. Paper beats rock, scissors beats paper, rock beats scissors. Understand?”

[User] “Oh, yes, I understand. A rather amusing game, it would seem. What is this signal?”

[Assistant] “Well, when you finish saying rock-paper-scissors, you show your hand when you get to the ‘scissors’ part. Oh, and if you both show the same hand, you say rock-paper-scissors again as the signal and do it over on the spot.”

[User] “That is all there is to it? Very well. I shall go with paper.”

[Assistant] “You’re already showing your hand? !” Action/Narration Subaru shuddered at the breathtaking speed with which she strategized. He’d just finished explaining the rules, and here she was, picking it all up like a pro, poised greedily with victory in her grasp. He supposed he should praise her.

[User] She said to him, “Let us begin, then. Rock…paper…”

[Assistant] Action/Narration Subaru felt nervous about falling behind. “Ah, wait, time-out. I haven’t decided what I’m gonna go with ye—” Action/Narration With his thoughts still in a jumble, the girl reached the signal and raised her hand high.

[User] “—scissors!” Action/Narration The girl’s hand indicated paper, just as she had proclaimed.


[User] Subaru’s hand was rock.

[Assistant] “It would seem that you owe me another abble, complaints about the method notwithstanding.”

[User] “It’s not that! Statistically, people subconsciously keep their hand closed when they’re tossed into rock-paper-scissors without warning! Ugh, I’m such an idiot!” The strategist had been defeated by his own scheme.

[Assistant] Subaru certainly looked defeated as he handed the girl her abble. —With this, Subaru was down to his very last abble.

[User] “Now, let us gamble for the last abble and bring this to a conclusion, shall we?”

[Assistant] “You wouldn’t show mercy on me and let me keep the last one, would you?”

[User] “All the abbles you carried belong to me. Leaving one in your hands is the same as leaving you all. It is all or nothing. That being the case, we may as well gamble for all the abbles on the final round. That goes for both of us,” the girl added, meaning it would be her ten abbles against Subaru’s one. It was truly emblematic of the girl’s ruinous, high-stakes way of thinking.

[Assistant] “—How about rock-paper-scissors for the last one, too?”

[User] “I have already made my decision. All that remains is for you to choose the method and present me with my abble.” The girl showed no doubt about her victory, nor any intention of letting Subaru go. In other words, he had no choice but to harden his resolve—to trap a Rakshasa by the vilest of means.

[Assistant] “Rock…paper…scissors!” The two called out simultaneously


[User] When both showed their hands, sound vanished from the world. With her fist clenched in a rock, the trembling in the girl’s red eyes only grew.

[Assistant] “Th-this is…”

[User] “Listen and be amazed, look and be astounded! Behold, the ultimate combat technique—RoSciPer! !”

[Assistant] “What is that…thing?! You did not inform me such a hand was possible!”

[User] “Shut up! I didn’t mention it, but it’s your fault you didn’t ask! That part is rock, this here’s scissors, and over there is paper! In other words, my hand’s beaten your rock!”

[Assistant] “If such logic holds, a different part loses to my rock.”

[User] “Ahh! Ahh! Ahh! I can’t hear you! My rock is borrowing power from the scissors and paper, forming the holy trinity of friendship, effort, and victory! It’s all here, baby!” Raising the hand of RoSciPer to the heavens, Subaru boldly proclaimed victory with his flagrant cheating. He was well aware his logic was absurd, a desperately underhanded attempt to throw the wager itself into doubt.

[Assistant] “I see. Certainly, it is I who was in error. At the same time, I am amused at how my expectations have been surpassed… Very well, you have won. You may do as you please. Here you go.” After her minimal warning, she abruptly stepped forward.

[User] Without thinking, Subaru, floored at how quickly she jumped to the next step, stepped back a distance equal to the one she had advanced.


[User] "...Do not tell me that now it is time to feel my breasts, you have lost your nerve?"

[Assistant] "Huh?! I-I seriously don’t know what you’re talking about! Who’s s-s-s-scared here? !"

[User] "...Truly, you are a vexing man. I suppose such bashfulness is adorable in its own way, but…"

[Assistant] And there they stood, Subaru getting cold feet at the last moment versus the girl whose pride did not permit her to take back what she had offered. One advanced and the other retreated—a standoff that continued until outside forces intervened. Abruptly, the girl’s gaze left Subaru and focused on the entrance to the alley.

[User] "—Mm, it seems this will become troublesome."

[Assistant] "Er? It looks like some pretty rough-looking dudes are coming this way."

[User] "And the one at the vanguard is a commoner, I recall. Goodness, these fools do not interest me even slightly."

[Assistant] "What are they thinking, coming back after hearing Reinhard’s name like that? !"

[User] "It would seem they have called your bluff about being acquainted with the knight among knights. It is rather easy to understand. Even they have reputations to protect, so they have returned in greater numbers for retribution."

[Assistant] "Damn it, this day is just nothing but trouble!" First, he had a close call back on the dragon carriage, then he had gotten on Emilia’s bad side, and now this. Today’s really not my day.

[User] Since the girl was just standing there, Subaru grabbed her hand and dragged her along, carrying the bag of abbles as he rushed deeper down the alley.

[Assistant] "Hey, what are you doing? Do not touch me so carelessly."

[User] "Now is really not the time! If you don’t wanna get all beat up before marriage, run! !"

[Assistant] The girl wasn’t very motivated to run as Subaru pulled her down the beat-up alley and plunged into the darkness. The men behind them pursued with a great shout and a flurry of footsteps. Subaru, cursing the heavens for his truly unlucky day, kept running with a desperate expression on his face.

[User] "If we do not hurry they will gain on us. Is this time to play around?"

[Assistant] "I d-don’t wanna hear that from y… Time out, seriously, wait a…!"

[User] They’d been racing through run-down streets for the last five minutes, but the girl was running well ahead of him, showing no sign of losing her breath. On the other hand, Subaru, never one to hold up for long sprints, was about to collapse from exhaustion. At first, he had been in front, but his endurance issues soon switched their positions.

[Assistant] "I’m convalescing, so this is really pushing it… But we’re in a pretty bad spot. Doesn’t look like many people live here… You have any ideas?"

[User] The other group was a fair distance behind them. However, they were in one long alley, so slowing down meant it was only a matter of time until they were caught.


[User] "It is not my problem! Everything I set out to do turns out well for me. I do not think deeply about things, for I do not need to. I need only trust in this fact."

[Assistant] "Yeah, well you lost at rock-paper-scissors to me earlier…"

[User] At least they hadn’t bumped into a dead end, but that didn’t improve their predicament.

[Assistant] Right in front of the winded Subaru, the girl suddenly came to a halt. "—Mm, this is indeed rather vexing."

[User] Subaru, still holding her hand, also stopped. He looked at her, wondering what the deal was. "Hey, we don’t have time to stop here. If we don’t put in as much distance as we can, they’ll catch up with…"

[Assistant] "—I have lost interest."

[User] "I see, you’ve lost intere… Wha—? !" Subaru was in utter shock at the girl’s unbelievable statement.

[Assistant] She returned his gaze, apparently bored. "I said, I have lost interest. In the first place, why must I run? I shall decide what I do myself. I absolutely shall not be forced to do anything because of what lowlifes say or do."

[User] "Th-that’s easier said than done, you know?! That ain’t gonna fly in a situation like th—"

[Assistant] "Mm, I have decided. You shall have the honor of carrying me."

[User] "No thanks! !" As Subaru crossed his arms in a clear sign of refusal

[Assistant] the girl scowled as if he was putting a damper on her mood. "The honor of carrying me is not for just anyone to receive. Only a man who does not know fear would reject such a thing."

[User] "Do I look like a macho man that can carry someone and run?! Even when I was at full strength, it took everything I had to carry a girl with way fewer style points than you! And I’m about worn out now!" As Subaru used the remains of his energy in protest

[Assistant] the girl shot him a look of scorn, but he couldn’t use what he didn’t have. Her games led them to a stalemate costing them precious time.


[User] That was the thought in his head when, out of the blue, he heard an aged voice.

[Assistant] "It’s been some time since I’ve seen you. What are you doing here?" The speaker’s large frame emerged from the darkness. Subaru lifted his gaze to a typical height for making eye contact, but found himself staring at this man’s chest. He raised his gaze even farther to his ugly, balding head. —A familiar and very muscular old man gazed down at Subaru and the girl.

[User] "Gramps is here to save the day! We can win this—!"

[Assistant] "You’re quick to annoy someone who hasn’t seen you in a while. I’m leaving you here."

[User] "Wait, I really need your help! It’s, like, the tenth crisis I’ve had in the last month!"

[Assistant] "That’s too many!


[User] "!” As they exchanged banter in lieu of greetings, the giant—Old Man Rom—peered at Subaru and the girl."

[Assistant] “What, in more trouble, are you? Causing a ruckus with a woman? Quite the adventurer you are.”

[User] “Do not look at me so rudely, you filthy gnarled tree.”

[Assistant] “Hey, I’m ribbing him, too, but that’s really harsh!! Don’t say that to the old man giving us a get-out-of-hell-free card! Don’t take it personally, Old Man Rom. We’ve just got a little case of excessive honesty here!”

[User] “You certainly are good at wearing a man down. Hurry and hide!”

[Assistant] Subaru covered the girl’s mouth before she could spew insults again and rushed toward the place Rom had silently indicated. There was a pile of scrap wood there that seemed able to comfortably conceal two people. Subaru pushed the girl down first before squatting himself. She looked like she wanted to complain about the dust, but his hand over her mouth managed to keep her silent. “We’re okay on this end, Gramps!”

[User] “No, you’re not… I’ll hide you with my body. If they see you it’ll be trouble for me, too, so don’t move.”

[Assistant] Grumbling all the way, Old Man Rom hid them completely behind his huge body.


[User] A mere ten seconds or so later, a commotion of footsteps came from a nearby alley— The leader of the men shouted, “The hell, I thought it was the brats, but it’s the old man! Shit!”

[Assistant] Old Man Rom fielded the foul language with a serene expression. “What? You shouldn’t surprise your elders like this.”

[User] Old Man Rom hadn’t put any special invective into his sentence, but the displeasure of a giant like him carried a force all its own.

[Assistant] But one of the members of the group pointed at Old Man Rom and mocked, “Hey, wait, it’s Grandpa Cromwell. Hey, should you really be talkin’ smack to us here?”

[User] The furrows of Old Man Rom’s wrinkled face deepened further in a bitter response. “I do not like being called that name.”

[Assistant] “Get outta here, old man, or we’ll bust up your loot cellar and make you the laughingstock of the slums.”

[User] “That place has gotten incredibly dirty over the years. If you destroyed it entirely you’d be doing me a favor. So how about I do as I please?”

[Assistant] “Yeah, fine. Now, Cromwell… Did you see two brats runnin’ this way?”

[User] “I didn’t see them. Do you know where my blond daughter is?”

[Assistant] “Beats me. You picked her up off the street, so what’s the big deal? Man, goin’ senile must suck.”

[User] The men waved farewell, laughing derisively as they noisily left the area.

[Assistant] Old Man Rom watched their retreating backs, biting his lip as he held back his anger. As Subaru watched his face through a small gap, he couldn’t help but feel bad for him.


[User] He was glad that Old Man Rom was friendly for their belated reunion, but he seemed a little different from the Rom Subaru knew. "Hww wong rre…"

[Assistant] "Mm?" A whisper-like voice interrupted Subaru’s thoughts, prompting him to look to the side. Right beside him was the beautiful girl, so close they were practically breathing the same air, her mouth still covered by Subaru’s palm. "...you gonng to cvrr my…MOUTH? !" Chomp.

[User] "—Yipe! !" At the merciless bite, Subaru let out a high-pitched, puppy-like yelp that quietly echoed through the nook in the back of the alley.

[Assistant] "Thanks for hiding us, Old Man Rom. The last time I saw you, I thought you’d had the sense knocked right out of you, but I guess you made it through fine."

[User] “…Do you want me to change my mind and call those youngins back?”

[Assistant] “You sure are petty for a big guy! With me here, there’s more than enough petty for everyone!” Subaru grinned and shot him a thumbs-up.

[User] Old Man Rom sighed with a worn-out look.


[Assistant] They’d moved from the previous narrow alley to a more open city street. Old Man Rom conversed with Subaru while guiding the pair to a place where they could blend in.

[User] "Hey, you. I see you having an intimate conversation. Who is this old man? Explain it to me.” The girl, having kept her silence until that moment, finally tugged Subaru’s sleeve in irritation.

[Assistant] “This old man is the face of the royal capital’s slums. The giant’s Old Man Rom—trader for the bosses of the sticky-fingered types and all-around stingy bastard. He’s got bad eyes, loves his cute granddaughter, and he’s not nearly as tough as he looks.”

[User] “That is his worth after having lived a long life? I see. I pity your pathetic existence, gnarled tree.”

[Assistant] “Your lady friend is an annoying little girl, isn’t she?” Old Man Rom was indignant at the harsh appraisal.

[User] “I’m so glad I ran into you, really. Even I was getting desperate back there. I didn’t have a clue what I was gonna do.” Though Subaru’s explanation was the truth, he set that aside and gave Old Man Rom a warm smile.

[Assistant] “…The way you switch gears so quickly really throws an old man off. Seems you managed to escape with your life back then, too…” His face twisted painfully as he saw the scars on Subaru’s body. “I may not be one to talk, but it seems that knife wielder got you pretty badly.”

[User] “Nah, that babe only got me in the stomach. All the other wounds are from a thing that happened after.”

[Assistant] “Goodness! Something else happened to you, not even a month later? !” Subaru thought Old Man Rom’s loud reaction was quite sensible as he reviewed the last month—though in truth, the boy had experienced nearly twice that time.


[User] Those turbulent weeks had included the maid sisters, the demon-beast incident, and the Liliana issue. Subaru keeps his mouth shut.

[Assistant] "—Hey, brat. Do you know where Felt went off to?" Old Man Rom seemed to accept things on his own, shaking his head as he brought up a separate issue.

[User] "…Haven’t you heard? Reinhard took her with him, or so I’m told…"

[Assistant] "Reinhard…the Sword Saint? Why would the knight among knights take her with him?"

[User] Subaru thought back to how things had gone down at the loot cellar, finally noticing the inconsistency.

[Assistant] Old Man Rom was out cold before Reinhard had entered the fray. Rom and Reinhard hadn’t interacted while Subaru was conscious.

[User] "So, what, you just woke up in a wrecked shop without any explanation, and all you could do was wonder?"

[Assistant] "It wasn’t nearly that bleak. I woke up in the guards’ garrison. I appreciated their healing me, but I let myself out right after."

[User] "Ah, yeah. Not exactly a comfortable place for you, huh."

[Assistant] A criminal wouldn’t feel at ease waking up in a police hospital. Subaru couldn’t blame him for getting out of there ASAP without hearing all the fine details. "So that’s why you didn’t hear, huh? Okay. Anyway, let me fill you in on what happened before I blacked out, plus the little bit that apparently happened after."

[User] After that preamble, Subaru acted out a dramatic retelling of the events at the loot cellar.

[Assistant] The bored-looking girl leaned forward, gripped by the performance from start to finish.

[User] "She was so surprised! And then I said, ‘—I want you to…tell me your name.’"

[Assistant] "Ho-ho, a rather fine choice of words, if I do say so myself. I must grudgingly approve."

[User] "Keh, you really told her… Bah, this is no time to admire! The bottom line is that you don’t know any more about Felt other than the fact the Sword Saint took her with him, do you, brat?"

[Assistant] "Part of why I came here today was to do some footwork to find out exactly what happened…" But he’d hit a roadblock right at the heart of it, the attempt to make contact with Reinhard.

[User] "But… The House of Astrea, of all things…" Rom murmured to himself so faintly that Subaru did not hear. Old Man Rom had a serious expression as he lifted his face.

[Assistant] Subaru helplessly shrugged. "Well, I’m gonna see if I can get ahold of Reinhard, so I’ll let you know if I hear anything. I mean, I wanted to find out if Felt was safe and sound to begin with."

[User] "That’ll be a big help… You seem oddly trustworthy. Is this girl involved with this somehow?"

[Assistant] "No, not a bit."


[User] "I don’t even know her name.”

[Assistant] “Just how many scrapes do you get into for girls whose names you don’t know? !”

[User] “Hey, back when I didn’t know Emilia-tan’s name, I was pretty desperate, so I don’t think anything I did was that weird.”

[Assistant] Subaru’s indifferent reply made Old Man Rom rub his eyebrows in exhaustion. “No point thinking about it. All right, fine. I’ll rely on you, so let me know if you find out anything about Felt. If I can repay you, I will.”

[User] “You’re really gushing. It’s because it’s your adorable granddaughter, huh?”

[Assistant] “—That’s right. She’s…like a granddaughter to me, so please.”

[User] Subaru’s jaw dropped at Rom’s straight-up, unashamed agreement with him. He wondered if the blond thief girl really knew how deeply he felt for her. Knowing her, he figured she’d go red in the face and try to blow it all off. As Subaru’s discussion with Old Man Rom wrapped up.

[Assistant] “Reinhard… To hear the name of Reinhard here, of all places…” She suppressed a laugh.

[User] Subaru’s relaxed expression tightened again as he turned toward her. “Hey, it’s not polite to eavesdrop. Don’t go listening in on other people’s business like that.”

[Assistant] “I did not listen in. You two oafs simply began speaking right in front of me.—You. From the way you speak of him, it seems your claim to know the Sword Saint was not a bluff. Are you close?”

[User] “It’d be a bit much to say we met once and became best friends forever, but we’re on good terms, yeah.” Subaru owed a debt to Reinhard. He had enough of a sense of reciprocity to pay it back…even if he couldn’t exactly imagine Reinhard in a crisis that Subaru could bail him out of. Subaru asked his new companion. “Well, what do you know about Reinhard? You don’t seem like a fan of his.”

[Assistant] “From what I have heard, he is a rather twisted person. Beyond that, I have only seen him slightly from afar.”

[User] The way she declared someone to be twisted without having even spoken to him suggested it was her own thinking that was twisted. But with the girl’s silence indicating she had no intention to elaborate, Subaru turned his attention back to Old Man Rom. “Leaving her aside, how should I get in touch with you?”

[Assistant] “There’s a store called Cadmon on Market Street. Give my name to the grumpy-looking man there and he’ll get in touch with me.”

[User] “All right, all right. Cadmon… Cadmon?” As Rom explained how to get in touch, Subaru tilted his head at the familiar-sounding word. Either way, he’d fulfilled his promise to pay Old Man Rom a visit. That was one thing off his to-do list. To take care of the rest, first, he needed something else… “Incidentally, the girl and I are actually completely lost.


[Assistant] The orange-haired girl gazed at the back alley indifferently and muttered. "At first, I thought the disorder of such a grimy place held promise, but now that I am accustomed to it, it has nothing to draw my eye. It is quite useless for assuaging my boredom." She raised the hem of her dress and shook it, a blunt expression of her insufferable displeasure.

[User] "I don’t think the royal capital’s designer drew up these streets to be exciting."

[Assistant] "The world exists for my sake, so should not everything in it serve to amuse me? I have no idea what the man who approved such boring streets was thinking. Royalty should have a keenly discerning eye. Lack thereof seems to have been decidedly fatal of late."

[User] His head whipped back and forth to see if anyone had overheard. "Th-that’s a pretty arrogant thing to say right at the king’s door, you know…"

[Assistant] The girl snorted at Subaru’s caution, or rather, cowardice. "A dull reaction and a futile concern. It would seem that you, too, are part of the common rabble."

[User] "I’m well aware I’m a one-hundred-percent common, ordinary, straight-down-the-middle guy, and I’m fine with it. I don’t want to waste any more time hanging around you, anyway. The girl who’s waiting for me will hate me."

[Assistant] "What absurdity. It is an insult for you to think about anyone besides me during the time we are together. I may be accompanied now, but I think nothing at all of walking alone."

[User] "Well, you should think about it. Being with you is miserable." He was the chaperone for a girl who seemed to be arrogance incarnate. Subaru’s self-pity flared up again at how he’d once again thrown himself under a bus in no time flat for the sake of someone he’d never even seen before.

[Assistant] But he remarked to himself, "Ah, whatever…"