Having finished his important yet trivial talk with Julius, Subaru left the Mantle of Water Pavilion with
"I saw you and Julius chatting like best friends out in the garden — what were you talking about?"
"Me and him being 'best friends' is already wrong, but what do you think we talked about?"
"Like, where are you guys going to hang out next?"
"School friends!?"
Their relationship wasn't anywhere near that casual, and even if Subaru and Julius happened to go to the same school, the insurmountable gap in the school hierarchy would keep them from ever being in the same clique. School was its own easy-to-understand stratified society.
In a way, it wasn't so different from the exclusionary nature of aristocratic society.
"When you put it like that, this world and that one are equally cutthroat..."
"Heeey, what did you talk about though?"
"Just prying into the enemy's movements — asking about recent stuff, the way we do at the banquet. 'What are you into lately?' 'How'd that thing turn out?' That sort of thing."
"That's what friends do, isn't it?"
Emilia tilted her head in puzzlement, and Subaru did the same with a "hmm." It did feel rather friendly in its pointlessness, but between him and Julius, that wasn't what it was. Not friends — something far more abominable.
He couldn't quite put it into words, but— "Well, we're not friends. That much is certain."
"Stubborn..."
Emilia looked at Beatrice with an exasperated expression. Beatrice responded not with words but with a silent sigh. The two of them radiated an air of mutual understanding that only amplified Subaru's sense of alienation.
In any case, the actual content of his garden talk with Julius — the issues surrounding the Astrea family and Reinhard, Wilhelm, and that Heinkel — Subaru's conscience balked at relaying it to Emilia as-is.
There was his hesitation about blabbing other families' affairs, but the biggest reason was that he didn't want to burden Emilia with unnecessary worries.
Problems of the kind where nothing could be done. Difficult problems.
The curse deeply carved into the Astrea family wasn't something outsiders should trifle with. Julius knew that too, which was presumably why he'd confided in Subaru alone. It was an acknowledgment that Subaru had grown capable of that degree of consideration.
...Somehow, it left a maddening, frustrating itch in his stomach.
"So, Subaru — I'm happy you invited me for a walk, but what are you scheming?"
"......"
While Subaru wrestled with his inarticulate frustration, Emilia casually dropped that question with a smile.
For a moment, surprise robbed Subaru of words. Then he blinked and shrugged.
"You make me sound terrible, Emilia-tan. Scheming, my foot — I'm just executing my pure desire to stroll hand-in-hand with beautiful Emilia-tan through the water city while acting all lovey-dovey. I harbor only the tiniest sliver of a wicked scheme to lure the water dragon's splash zone and admire a soaking wet Emilia-tan."
"Oh my, is that so? You really are such a stubborn mule, Subaru. Even I can tell that's not your real reason — something that vague couldn't possibly be it."
"............"
Emilia puffed out her cheeks in a pout, and Subaru placed a hand on his forehead with a helpless look. When he glanced at Beatrice as if seeking help, the girl walking between them looked up at him with the same expression and accusatory eye as Emilia.
Facing a lone battle with no allies, Subaru quickly gave up and raised both hands in surrender.
"Fine, I give up. Sorry. I'll abandon the soaking-wet Emilia-tan strategy."
"Su-ba-ru."
Hearing his name called in an angry voice, Subaru lowered his raised hands and truly surrendered this time.
"Pervert."
"I'm the one who taught you that, so it's weird for me to say, but that timing was perfect, Emilia-tan. Though right now that's more of a reward than a punishment... Yeah, yeah, in reality."
"Geez!"
As Emilia raised her hand in a half-hearted threat to smack him, Subaru gave a wry smile.
"It wasn't really a secret or anything — I just wanted to surprise you. Right now we're heading toward Pristella's urban park. Yesterday, I ran into the 'Songstress' there."
"Ooh, that 'Songstress'! So... does that mean today too?"
"Those sparkly eyes are cute. Well, I was hoping to make contact with the rumored 'Songstress.' I mean, I don't exactly distrust Otto's negotiating skills, but I believe just as strongly in his bad luck when things aren't at the eleventh hour. So this is my insurance."
"I see. Get friendly with the 'Songstress' and have her ask Kirrute personally to sell us the magic ore."
"Spot on. A-plus."
When Subaru formed a circle above his head to indicate the correct answer, Emilia beamed with innocent delight.
In truth, it probably wasn't as clean a transaction as Emilia made it sound, but there was no need to point that out and deflate her enthusiasm.
Emilia was genuinely looking forward to bonding with Liliana. The behind-the-scenes maneuvering was something Subaru could handle on his own.
"After that, I just need to watch out for the spots where Emilia-tan and Liliana might have a chemical reaction..."
"A chemical reaction?"
"I just think Emilia-tan and Liliana seem like they'd get along really well."
"You think? Hehe, I hope so."
He felt bad for Emilia, who was looking forward to this so purely, but Subaru was already dreading the exhaustion he'd likely feel later on.
He prayed that Liliana would be at the park, yet a small part of him also wished she wouldn't — a strange contradiction.
Of course, if she weren't there, it would just be a date with Emilia, which he did want to avoid. ...Though honestly, a simple date sounded pretty nice too.
"Emilia-tan, how about you go cruising on the water dragon with me? It'd be more meaningful, and I feel like it'd be good for our future together."
"I don't know what cruising is, but if it's a boat, you'll just get seasick, Subaru. And I'd get tired carrying you on my back, so no thanks."
"We're already at the park. Guess you'll have to give up," said Emilia, cutting off Subaru's last-ditch efforts.
It was Beatrice, holding Subaru's hand, who marched steadily forward, practically dragging the reluctant Subaru behind her.
This time, they reached their destination without getting lost, and once the park entrance came into view, Subaru had no choice but to abandon his resistance.
The urban park, centered on a fountain, was already bustling during this hour between morning and afternoon.
And that was because even more spectators had gathered deeper in the park than the day before.
"I came early so I thought Liliana might not be here yet..."
But seeing the crowd that had already formed, it was clear that worry was unfounded.
Today, as yesterday, the Songstress's recital was a roaring success. The audience's frenzied clapping and shouted responses echoed ceaselessly, dominating the park's atmosphere.
"Clapping and call-and-response?"
"It seems much more lively today than yesterday."
Both Subaru and Beatrice shared the same doubt, and Beatrice tilted her head considerably.
She'd heard it this morning on the magic device broadcast too — Liliana's singing was fundamentally soft and soul-gripping, stripping listeners of their sense of reality. That was her understanding, so the frenzy before her was jarring.
A sense of wrongness, as if something foreign had been mixed into what should have been there.
"They're all having such a good time. As expected of the Songstress."
Emilia was gazing at the commotion with anticipation shining in her eyes, but Subaru felt a vague sense of dread.
Pushing through the crowd blocking their path and reaching the place they encircled — he had a feeling he'd regret it.
"......"
But his words didn't take concrete shape, and Subaru couldn't bring himself to stop her.
Besides, Emilia was looking forward to the sight before them. Could he really betray those amethyst eyes sparkling with anticipation? His decision, at the very least, came too late.
The crowd's frenzy, their clapping, eventually transformed into a thunderous round of applause.
Which meant whatever they were surrounding had reached its finale. And as the people around them stood, cheeks flushed with excitement, their gazes converging on a single point — it finally came into view.
And there— "That was a most wonderful dance! I nearly wet myself from the sheer brilliance of your footwork!"
"And your song and playing were quite stimulating as well. Splendid. It's been ages since I enjoyed an artistic performance this much."
That was where the "Songstress" and the woman in red stood, clasping hands firmly.
Just as his bad feeling predicted.
--- Subaru watched as, once again, the audience streamed past one after another, tearfully relaying their impressions of Liliana's performance and singing.
If there was any difference from the day before, it was that cheers were also being directed at Priscilla, who stood beside Liliana — "Your dancing was incredible!" "I was moved!" "I'll be back next time!" To each, Priscilla responded with good humor, fanning herself with her folding fan and nodding graciously.
And so, once the fan interaction had run its course, the only ones remaining were those two and Subaru's group. Noticing Subaru standing there awkwardly, Liliana's twin tails bounced. What was the mechanism behind that?
"Oh my, oh my! If it isn't Mr. Natsuki and Lady Emilia! And you've even brought Mr. Natsuki's little girl — what brings you here?"
"Little girl? Subaru, explain."
"The one who said it should be the one to explain. Here, I'll give you a candy, so be quiet."
"...Licking... trying to distract me with licking... won't work... licking..."
Subaru ignored Beatrice, who was rolling a sweet around in her mouth, and approached Liliana, who was spinning her twin tails around like a dog's happy tail. Emilia beside him was wide-eyed at the Songstress's over-the-top reaction, but Liliana's real talents were still to come.
"It's only been a day, but you packed the house again. Were you kicked out by Kirrute this morning too?"
"Nooo! Well, sort of. As someone who's used to being loved, I felt it would be unsightly of me not to respond after being asked so sincerely and earnestly."
"So you got dumped outside and decided to hold a recital... fair enough."
Liliana puffed out her non-existent chest and stroked her phantom beard — the kind of gesture that was pure bluster. Beside her, Priscilla was hugging her ample chest with her arms. Noticing Subaru's gaze, she sniffed haughtily and— "What are you gazing at? I'll permit it if you were merely captivated by my dance, but to continue directing such a vulgar look this way is most impudent. A man's natural appetite for my charms, I can overlook — but the only indulgence I permit is swallowing hard and relishing the lingering scent of me in your daydreams."
"I wasn't watching your dance, and I'm not excited. I'm the type who likes clean and pure girls like Emilia-tan. When a woman's body is too in-your-face like yours, it actually turns me off."
"To prefer a half-blood waif over me — there's simply no defending that taste. And yet, I'm not so narrow-minded as to deny the existence of bad taste in this world. If you truly don't know what real beauty is, then your poor judgment is understandable, I suppose."
At Priscilla's every retort, Subaru realized the futility of counterattacking.
A fundamental difference in values. Against someone who believed the truth of the world resided within herself, Subaru's conventional thinking stood no chance.
In any case— "By dance, you mean Priscilla was the one dancing?"
"Regret that you missed it. Even I rarely perform a dance unless the mood strikes me. But the fact that this songstress's music was enough to provoke one says something."
To Emilia's surprised expression, Priscilla gestured toward Liliana as she answered.
That answer shocked Subaru, and Liliana rolled her eyes in disbelief. Ignoring Liliana's near-fainting reaction, Subaru stared intently at Priscilla.
"You danced... I can't quite believe it."
"Then what are you to make of the madness of those fools just now? That songstress's voice may carry a bewitching quality, but without my dance, the audience would be nothing more than dolls who merely listen. That's one way to enjoy music, perhaps, but I find it distasteful. Those people are fools and ignorant, so they should make a fool's commotion to fill my heart with color."
"...So what you're saying is, idiots have more fun if they just cut loose and act like idiots?"
"Oh. It seems you've used that dull brain for once."
Priscilla sounded impressed, but Subaru didn't appreciate the backhanded compliment.
Besides, there was a real possibility that Priscilla had forgotten she'd even seen Subaru at the banquet. As long as she remembered Emilia, it probably didn't matter — but still.
"But, but, but! Lady Priscilla and Lady Emilia — the two most talked-about ladies in Pristella right now, gracing us with your presence! I'm simply moved to tears!"
It was Liliana's reaction that barely maintained the increasingly hostile atmosphere. As someone who knew the antagonism between the two, she was apparently serving as a buffer for the awkward air between them. Her seemingly ditzy comments were probably deliberate.
"Hee hee! That just proves how wonderful my singing is, doesn't it? Oh my, oh my, I'm getting all embarrassed — ehehehe!"
"Nah, I think she's being genuine," Subaru said, deflating as Liliana melted into a blissful state with no hint of pretense.
Then Subaru happened to notice that no one was around Priscilla.
"Where's everyone? Al, that bastard, your cute butler — where are they?"
"If you let Shults wander off, he gets lost. He tries hard, but he never amounts to anything — that's what makes him adorable. Al talks too much if you keep him close, so I sent him on an errand. As for that bastard, I have no idea. Probably haunting a bar somewhere."
"'That bastard' is universal, huh..."
Subaru was surprised to get such a straightforward answer. And also at the terrible way Priscilla treated Heinkel — someone who was ostensibly supposed to be on their side.
He understood that Heinkel was the type who deserved such treatment, but then why bring him into her camp in the first place?
"She's probably going to say something like 'because it was entertaining,' but still..."
"Perceptive of you. Well, the reason for recruiting him is trivial. I simply judged that the man who came crawling to me might be amusing to have around. If he becomes a nuisance, I'll discard him at any time. He understands that much, surely."
"I don't know... He didn't seem to get it."
It was precisely because Heinkel hadn't understood that he'd earned Priscilla's displeasure and gotten beaten half to death. Or perhaps, for Priscilla, even that had faded into the depths of forgetfulness.
"But still, aren't you in danger? I mean, I'm walking around with Emilia-tan myself, so I don't have much room to talk, but—"
"What danger could three missing subordinates pose to me? Even if they were here, the advantage they'd offer is about as much as being able to see directly behind me."
"Oh... okay then."
Subaru couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for Al and the others, who weren't even counted as combat strength. But having witnessed Priscilla's abilities firsthand, it really did seem to be a simple statement of fact.
The movement Priscilla had shown at the banquet — it had crossed far beyond the realm of what a normal person could do.
"Come to think of it, didn't I get my jaw kicked in too?"
Within a loop centered on the royal capital, Subaru had once incurred Priscilla's displeasure and received a kick to the face. She'd sent him flying all the way to the high ceiling of the room with a single blow, nearly killing him — and that was the honest truth.
Remembering it now, his shattered jaw ached in sympathy.
"So you were walking around alone after leaving Al and the others, and that's how you ran into Liliana?"
"The city's scenery alone was quite the remedy for my boredom. Unlike the cramped royal capital, this city has much worth seeing. As I was enjoying the flow of water, I heard a song — and there it was."
"Man, I was seriously at a loss when you suddenly crashed in with that dance. People like that do show up from time to time — reckless souls who barge into my performance and totally kill the vibe. Usually I crush them with my singing and help them see the light, though!"
"You really don't seem like a 'Songstress' at all..."
Fighting off intruders with song — that was way too rock and roll.
And he had to admit, he was genuinely astounded by Priscilla's audacity to simply join in with a dance out of nowhere. To captivate an audience like that, the performance must have been extraordinary.
"You're being quite selfish, monopolizing the crowd's adoration when the Songstress's performance had enough value to earn it on its own. Tell me — come with me. I shall grant you the honor of performing in my manor, whenever the mood strikes me."
"......"
It seemed Priscilla had taken quite a liking to Liliana's singing, because she was issuing this unreasonable demand with perfect sincerity. Essentially, she was trying to recruit Liliana as her personal musician — but Priscilla's invitation carried an unmistakable undertone of compulsion.
The more she liked something, the angrier she became when it wouldn't become hers. That was the terrifying implication.
And Liliana— "Thank you so very much! What a wonderful honor — I'm truly flattered! But! But! But! I must respectfully decline!"
She didn't know the terrifying side of Priscilla, nor was she the type who could read a room.
With a fearless, sunny directness, she refused Priscilla's offer.
"Oh? You decline? Why?"
Sure enough, the tone of Priscilla's voice dropped, and her eye color shifted.
A chill — like a blade's edge drawn along his spine — washed over even Subaru, who wasn't even the one involved.
One wrong word, and it could be fatal.
In the world crackling with tension, Liliana stroked the case of her instrument.
"I am Liliana — a wandering minstrel. As things stand, I've been asked to stay in this city for a while, but eventually I will follow the wind and resume my life as a traveler. Unbound by land, unbound by people — that is the path I have chosen to walk."
"So you will not accept my invitation."
"My mother, and her mother before her, and her mother before that — my family has always lived this way. We cannot leave behind anything of substance; we live to leave only our songs in people's hearts. No one — nothing — can围wind or silence a song. Therefore—"
"......"
"I appreciate the invitation, but I must decline. The places where my songs will echo — not even I know where those are. I leave it to the wind."
Raising her instrument, Liliana spoke with unmistakable pride.
There was no trace of the flippant, devil-may-care expression she usually wore, no hint of the deliberately provocative aura that grated on everyone's nerves.
Only the pride of a wandering minstrel — a creature who told stories through song.
Hearing Liliana's answer, Priscilla stood with her arms crossed, one eye closed. The remaining eye — burning red like simmering magma — pierced straight through Liliana.
And then, as Liliana's expression remained unyielding, Priscilla let out a soft breath.
"...Very well. That conviction — it has its own elegance. Forgive me. The one lacking grace was I."
"No, no — not at all! I'm the one who should be sorry!"
Liliana responded to Priscilla's softened expression as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The exchange between them left Subaru genuinely dumbfounded. Catching Subaru's vacant expression from the corner of her eye, Priscilla furrowed her brows in displeasure.
"What is it, commoner? What goes on behind that face?"
"What do you mean, 'what'? I'm just shocked. I was fully expecting you to split Liliana clean in half for refusing..."
"What an absurd worry."
Priscilla snorted dismissively, but Subaru wasn't convinced.
Until Liliana had given her answer, Priscilla had most certainly intended to kill her. At least, in Subaru's eyes, that waiting period had looked like nothing but a lethal deliberation. The fact that Liliana survived was pure luck — the scales just happened not to tip toward the worst outcome.
"But you know, I was a little surprised too. I always thought Priscilla was the type who wanted to keep everything she liked right at her side."
And there it was — the landmine Subaru had carefully avoided stepping on, which Emilia casually walked straight into.
At Emilia's straightforward assessment of Priscilla, Subaru involuntarily straightened his spine and glanced at Priscilla nervously. But Priscilla simply closed one eye at Emilia's words.
"Don't be ridiculous, half-blood. What could someone with eyes as clouded as yours possibly know about me? There's a limit to impudence."
"She's all talk — that girl. If you have time to belittle someone for circumstances beyond their control, perhaps you should reflect on the fact that everyone perceives you that way. That would be far more constructive for both of you."
"Beatrice..."
As Priscilla unleashed her merciless verbal assault and Emilia looked troubled, Beatrice took Emilia's hand. Having spoken up in Emilia's place, Priscilla raised her brows as if noticing Beatrice for the first time.
"The little girl speaks quite boldly. Let me make something clear — when I show magnanimity, age has nothing to do with it. If you're laboring under the delusion that your youth exempts you from rudeness, correct your attitude immediately."
"Oh, how wonderfully condescending. Let me tell you something, little girl — if you think Betty is anything like she looks, you're in for a painful surprise."
Hostile sparks crackled between Beatrice and Priscilla.
The two girls in their respective dresses were, by all appearances, fundamentally incompatible. Subaru didn't think Beatrice would lose, but the real problem was that any physical confrontation between them would be catastrophic — and candidates for the throne were exactly that kind of people.
"Cut it out, Beako. Priscilla being irritating is a fact, but fighting her won't help."
"Don't try to stop me, Subaru. Emilia was insulted horribly just now — don't tell me that doesn't make your blood boil as a man!"
"Please stop saying terrifying things! Besides..."
What had riled Beatrice up was that Emilia's existence had been belittled. Her anger at insults directed at herself was secondary — it was Emilia's sake she was fighting for, and the fact hit Subaru with an unexpected pang of sentiment.
And the same was true of Emilia herself.
"Beatrice. I'm all right."
Emilia gently pulled Beatrice back and stroked the girl's head. For just a moment, Beatrice showed them all a face that looked like she might cry.
But it lasted only an instant. When she glared back at Priscilla, her expression was back to the usual Beatrice.
"Should I be grateful you survived?"
"That goes for you as well. Be grateful for your own adorable appearance."
Beatrice withdrew with a huff, and Priscilla gave a small sniff.
Honestly, Priscilla's last line sounded like it had been a compliment toward Beatrice's appearance — but the indignant Beatrice hadn't caught it. Maybe it was simpler to interpret it as "you're cute, so I'll let it slide." He wasn't sure.
"You're really impossible to figure out..."
"Of course I am. To think you could peer into a woman — into me, no less — is the height of arrogance."
"So it's MY fault...? The whole thing started with you wanting Liliana, remember."
In the end, the true reason Priscilla had let Liliana go without keeping her remained a mystery. When Subaru inadvertently looked at her with that question in his eyes, Priscilla concealed her mouth behind her fan.
"Everything in this world belongs to me. That being so, there is no need to keep beautiful things, noble things, close at hand. They need only exist as they are."
"............"
"If the entire world is my garden, then it matters not where a singing bird makes its song. Caging them is graceless. Protecting them from outside threats is graceless. It's all simply tiresome."
She dismissed Subaru's way of thinking as foolish — her own aesthetic.
At her unapproachable way of being, Subaru lost for words.
He didn't fail to understand the meaning, the logic.
But the scale of what she saw versus what he saw was different.
He would never be able to understand her. Not in this lifetime.
He thought it was terrifying — honestly and sincerely. And yet, he also thought this: That there might be others who yearned to look up at that very terror.
Was that perhaps why Al stayed by Priscilla's side?
"N-n-now then! While everyone seems to have calmed down, how about I perform a song as a gesture of goodwill! Yes, let's do that!"
And just like that, cutting through the atmosphere, Liliana made her abrupt proposal. She pulled her lute Lilium from its case, its strings blurring under her furious strumming, and spun around as every pair of eyes locked onto her.
"This time, Lady Priscilla, I'd ask you to enjoy the song purely for the music — no dancing required! And I, in turn, will give you my all — no holding back — the full force of the SONG·STRESS! Prepare yourselves!"
"Oh?"
Priscilla's expression shifted with interest at Liliana's boast.
"Lady Emilia, it seems you arrived just as the song was ending. If possible, I'd love for you to understand that I'm not just a cute face singing for pennies — I'm a minstrel who earns a fortune with my exceptional voice and virtuosic playing!"
"Really?!"
"That's not exactly the most glamorous self-description, but are you really satisfied with that?"
Setting aside Liliana's own assertions, it was clear Emilia was interested in her music and singing. Distracted by the preceding exchange as she was, Emilia looked eager to go along with Liliana's proposal.
Emilia and Priscilla stood with subtle distance between them as Liliana prepared to play. But before starting, she beckoned Subaru over and whispered in a small voice: "Mr. Natsuki, Mr. Natsuki! From what I can see — it seems like Lady Emilia and Lady Priscilla aren't exactly on good terms?"
"'From what I can see'? If you know their positions, that's obvious. Plus, Priscilla clashes with basically everyone, so Emilia-tan is no exception."
"That's a disaster!"
Liliana gasped, and her hair bounced like a dog's tail on alert. Was there some kind of neural link? He wanted to grab it and pull.
"Well then, let me roll up my sleeves and bring these two together in the world of music! Ah! When I said 'roll up my sleeves,' you didn't just imagine something dirty, did you? No, no — how shameless!"
"Can you stop making me simultaneously admire and despise you in the same breath? It's exhausting."
At Liliana's brand of caring lunacy, Subaru sighed with grudging admiration. Clearing the air with a song — that much made sense.
They were both interested in Liliana's music. Even Priscilla wouldn't cause trouble for Emilia during a performance she was enjoying.
"For the pleasant conversation after the song, perhaps Mr. Natsuki could prepare some refreshments? If you bring some sweet treats, everyone's hearts will light up and the distance between them will close in no time! Don't you think? Don't you?"
"I don't think so."
"For the pleasant conversation after the song, perhaps Mr. Natsuki could prepare some refreshments? If you bring some sweet treats, everyone's hearts will light up and the distance between them will close in no time! Don't you think? Don't you?"
"What is this, one of those dialogue options where you have to say 'yes' before the game progresses?"
At Liliana's forceful repetition — same line, same tone, not a word changed — Subaru relented and selected "yes." Liliana's face lit up instantly, and honestly, she had a point.
He never would have guessed such advanced interpersonal consideration could exist between humanity and a creature like Liliana.
"All right, I'll go buy something while Liliana plays. Emilia-tan, don't fight — just sit tight and be good, okay?"
"Really, you don't need to worry. I'm not looking to fight Priscilla either, so there's no need."
When Subaru gave Emilia this preemptive warning, she smiled and laughed merrily. He didn't doubt Emilia, but there was no denying the possibility that Priscilla would start something even without provocation.
"Beatrice. If anything happens, I'm counting on you with Emilia-tan."
"I know. If that girl says anything stupid again, I'll turn her into cinders."
"And please don't fight either?"
Leaving Beatrice — who was at least as hot-tempered as Emilia — in charge, Subaru prepared to leave the park. But before he did— "Priscilla, is there anything you don't eat?"
"How unexpected. That a commoner like you possesses the faculty of consideration. Very well — if you are offering, prepare something fitting. Present me with something unworthy, and I shall place your head in my palm along with it as my reply."
"I didn't lose at rock-paper-scissors and become your errand boy — so why do I have to put up with these insane conditions?!"
If some shop was selling exotic delicacies as challenges, he'd consider bringing one back.
Priscilla, for her part, scowled unhappily at Subaru's answer.
"Rock-paper-scissors... rock-paper-scissors?"
She tilted her head. She'd already forgotten Subaru, and perhaps she'd forgotten playing janken too. In every sense, she was a girl not worth the effort of dealing with.
"Subaru, be careful out there."
"If anything happens, call Betty right away."
Seeing Emilia and Beatrice off with their goodbyes, Subaru waved. Then, as Liliana tried to wink but ended up closing both eyes to send him off, he gave a half-hearted wave and dashed out of the park.
Once he'd put some distance between himself and the park, the faint melody of Lilium drifted to his ears on the wind.
Listening to it at his back, Subaru quickened his pace, thinking he needed to get back and at least squeeze in a bit of the recital — and pushed power into his stride.
--- Ten minutes after Subaru left the park.
"I really am a coward, huh."
Leaving the shop after finishing his shopping, Subaru sighed at the contents of the paper bag.
Sent out under the guise of getting refreshments, he'd picked a random store and finished quickly. Along the way, he'd been tempted by one of Pristella's famous oddities — a bizarre food called "Ginajelly" — but he couldn't bring himself to buy it for Priscilla.
He could frame it as fear of worsening relations between their camps, but honestly, he was simply scared of how Priscilla would react.
"Still, it did look like eel jelly... I wonder if it tasted the same. I hate that I don't have the guts to find out, but I don't dislike the idea."
Muttering to himself about his complicated self-image, Subaru walked briskly toward the park.
He'd only been gone ten minutes, and no anomalies had come through the pathway that connected contractor and spirit.
Knowing that, he still wanted to get back quickly — but— "Oh — sorry about that."
Turning a corner at a brisk pace and stepping into the square, he nearly collided with someone. He dodged at the last second, but instinctively turned back.
"Sorry. I don't think we hit, but are you all right?"
"Hey now, buddy. That's your idea of an apology? If you're gonna say sorry, at least look sincere — urgh!"
The man Subaru had nearly crashed into responded in a rough voice. He looked like he was about to pick a fight, but when he saw Subaru's face, his expression changed.
At the same time, Subaru's own face went flat with exasperation.
"What the — Rachins? You're still pulling this punk act even after getting hired by
"Shut up! And stop calling me Rachins! Why the hell are YOU roaming around a place like this?!"
The one spraying spittle as he spoke was Rachins, who'd been playing the delinquent role all day yesterday. Felt had told Subaru he'd been given an errand and was staying at a different inn across the city.
"What about Ton and Kan? It's rare to see you alone."
"Rare my ass — what do you know about me? We're not close enough for you to call anything about me rare. Ugh, annoying — just go away."
"Don't be like that. We've been through life and death together."
"I don't remember that!?"
Rachins responded to Subaru's overly familiar behavior with obvious reluctance.
For Subaru's part, he found it equally puzzling that he felt this sense of camaraderie. Probably, Subaru's built-in average-person radar was picking up Rachins and the others as fellow commoners.
In this world, where everyone you met was some kind of extraordinary powerhouse, being around people like Rachins was honestly a relief.
Even though this was someone who'd once tried to kill him — his nerve was something.
"Anyway! Don't you go sticking your nose in! I'm in the middle of a job!"
"You, who used to cause trouble without a real job — talking about work... that makes me happy, you know."
"Who the hell are you?!"
Rachins clicked his tongue at Subaru's mock tears, yanked himself free, and disappeared into the crowd. Subaru scratched his head, reflecting.
He really did have a habit of getting the wrong idea about personal space — and when he wasn't careful about it, it surfaced like this.
Watching Rachins vanish into the stream of people, Subaru turned to head back to the park — but his feet stopped.
"Hm?"
He cocked his head, a questioning sound escaping his throat.
Before him — the reason his feet had stopped — were people. Many people, all stopped in their tracks.
The crowd that Rachins had blended into had halted as one. Seeing that, Subaru had involuntarily stopped too. And there was Rachins, supposed to have vanished, his path blocked by the wall of stationary onlookers, clicking his tongue as he was forced back to the surface.
"Damn it — what the hell is everyone looking at?!"
Grumbling irritably, Rachins looked up at the place the crowd was staring — the rooftop of a tall building above them.
It was a distinctly tall structure, and at its highest point, a clock tower fitted with magic-crystal timepieces. Found in every major city and town as a matter of course, these were called limit towers, and typically a city would have several.
Pristella was no exception — limit towers dotted the city here and there. This was one of them.
But— "Hello, everyone! Sorry for the disturbance. My apologies."
From the open window of the limit tower, a figure stepped out and stood on the perilous edge.
The figure's bizarre appearance drew every eye, and they seemed to thrill under the weight of all those gazes, voice trembling.
"Thank you. Just for a moment — may I borrow your time?"
A voice that spoke of apology yet prioritized its own will — a touch self-righteous.
The trembling voice cracked and splintered, scraping at the listener's heart with a revolting, nails-on-chalkboard unpleasantness.
That strange sensation was likely amplified by the figure's uncanny appearance.
—Their head was wrapped haphazardly in bandages, and through the small gaps, glittering eyes surveyed the world with imperious contempt. A black coat enveloped their frame tightly, and along both arms, long, twisted chains had been bound, their ends dragging along the floor as the figure paced rapidly back and forth across the tower's summit.
Unable to look away from this grotesque spectacle, the crowd watched as the figure formed what could only be called a smile — or at least, made the shape of one — the hidden mouth beneath the bandages twisting into something ghastly.
"Forgive me. I am of the
They announced their fearsome title.
"My name is
[Malice]sneered, and spoke.