"Hey, what was the most dangerous thing that ever happened to you as a traveling merchant?"
"What kind of question is that? You're always asking me the worst things..."
Otto, who had been staring down a mountain of documents in his room, grimaced at Subaru's question.
He'd already been frowning at the paperwork, but the question seemed to deepen those crease lines by a factor of two—then another two on top of that.
"Well, we were just talking about solo journeys or whatever with Garfiel. The vibe's a little different, but being a traveling merchant is basically like traveling alone, right?"
"I wouldn't necessarily disagree, but I have
As he spoke, Otto rubbed his eyes and set the documents down on his desk. Then he looked over at his visitors—Subaru and Garfiel, sitting across from each other on the reception sofa with a shatranj board spread between them.
On the board, Subaru held the advantage, though the back-and-forth battle was close.
"Garfiel, move the merchant two squares forward."
"Oh! Hey, Otto, you—!"
"Hm? Oh! So that's how it is! You saved my life, big bro Otto!"
At Otto's off-the-cuff tip, Subaru and Garfiel each reacted—one with a groan at being put in a tight spot with a single move, the other with a delighted shout. Otto ignored Subaru's suffering and murmured, "Even so..."
"Garfiel, are you interested in traveling solo?"
"Whether I'm interested or not? Sure, I'm interested. But I've been cooped up in the
"Ah, I see. So it really is about genuine curiosity. Well, you've got the self-sufficiency and the self-defense skills to pull it off. Natsuki, on the other hand, definitely couldn't manage it."
"Hey, hey, don't underestimate me. My master's been praising my progress lately, ya know that?"
"She probably adopted a policy of praise over scolding. She seemed to be torn between the two."
Otto's commentary was gentle toward Garfiel and harsh toward Subaru.
In truth, considering that Garfiel responded better to being scolded and Subaru let praise go straight to his head, it was probably the right approach.
Anyway— "So, what was the most dangerous thing that ever happened to you as a traveling merchant?"
"You're still going on about that?"
"The Boss might just be curious, but I'm genuinely interested, big bro Otto. I'm thinking something must've been seriously dangerous for you—like, maybe a dragon got in your face?"
"What kind of person do you take me for, Garfiel?!"
It would take something on that level of emergency to put Otto in a dire situation.
Garfiel's trust in Otto's ability to handle crises was perhaps a bit excessive, but when it came to crisis management, Subaru's evaluation of Otto was more or less the same.
If you asked everyone in their group who was the most capable in a pinch, they'd undoubtedly all say Otto.
"Well, I can't really imagine many such situations, but..."
"What are you muttering about? ...I've been in danger a few times in my life, but being captured by a dangerous group was probably the worst."
"A dangerous group? You get attacked by bandits or something?"
"...Something like that. Frufoo and the dragon carriage were taken from me, I had no weapons or tools, and I was bound up like a mule. I had resigned myself to death."
Hearing Otto's distant, quiet murmur, Subaru and Garfiel exchanged glances.
He must have experienced truly terrible fear. Otto's words carried a weight far beyond their surface.
"That's beyond desperate! It's like being stranded on the 'Desolate Highlands of Isolation,' huh?"
"It really was like that. If not for the chance passing of some kind strangers, I wouldn't be alive today. ...That's why I can't forget it."
"I see. Everyone's got a story, huh?"
Subaru folded his arms and nodded, thinking about Otto's predicament.
Being tied up by bandits, having your tools stolen, your life in someone else's hands—Subaru hadn't experienced that often himself, but it wasn't entirely foreign to him.
"But still, you wouldn't be where you are today without having been rescued. You've gotta be grateful to those people who happened along, right?"
"...Yes, indeed."
"...? What's with that lukewarm response? It's creepy."
Otto's reaction was completely unexpected, so Subaru's face twisted in confusion. Even to Subaru's answer, Otto maintained the serene posture of a bodhisattva with some inexplicable composure.
As Subaru shivered with a chill, Garfiel clenched his fist and said, "Tch, alright."
"So big bro Otto got caught in a bad spot, got it. Don't worry—from now on, I'll make sure nobody puts big bro Otto through anything like that again."
"Oh? Well, Garfiel, you really are dependable. Compared to that, Natsuki is..."
"Don't compare me to Garfiel on the martial front! All my efforts right now would feel like they've gone to waste!"
Subaru swung his empty hands as if wielding an invisible whip, only for Garfiel to mimic his teeth being shattered by the gesture, leaving Subaru to taste his own helplessness.
"Grrr...!" Subaru growled while Garfiel looked on with pride. Watching the two of them, Otto let out a weak "ha" and said, "Garfiel, advance the merchant diagonally right. Let's show the merchant's hidden power."
"Oh! You bastard, Otto, you—!"
"Hm? Oh! Isn't that checkmate? Boss, you're weak!"
"You're one to talk!"
Across the shatranj board, Subaru howled alongside his doomed pieces. Defeat at the hands of the Garfiel-Otto alliance was all but certain—it was nothing less than the howling of a beaten dog.
△▼△▼△▼△ —Captive.
That single word was what had triggered that night's tale of idle chatter to cross Subaru's mind.
Stripped of weapons and tools, robbed of freedom, and captured by unknown forces. Just as Otto had said, it was a situation where one could be forgiven for bracing for death.
"——"
Around him, the place where Subaru was being held resembled a military encampment—something you might see in a historical drama, built for battle.
Numerous tents stretched across the area, with armor and weapons lined up waiting to be equipped. The men moving about had a heavy, imposing air about them—a mixed army of humans and demi-humans.
Subaru was seated on hard earth, inside a makeshift area shielded from the wind by simple canvas walls. His hands were bound behind his back, his legs restrained—he was entirely without freedom.
But what mattered more to Subaru than any of that was— "
"Oh, so the first thing you ask about when you hear you're a captive is whether a girl's okay? So she's someone important to you?"
At Subaru's quiet question, the man crouched in front of him—the brute who'd shoved a boot into his mouth, or rather, the young man who'd apparently stopped him—closed one eye.
He was a young man slightly older than Subaru, with bright orange hair. He wore an easy, likeable smile, but given the circumstances, there was no easing the tension.
He wore no armor, but was dressed in the light garb of a soldier awaiting full kit, so he was likely one of this encampment's warriors. Not a knight—a warrior.
"——"
Having spent over a year in this other world, Subaru had had several opportunities to compare knights and warriors. Of course, there were differences in status and authority, but beyond those practical distinctions, there was a visible difference between the two.
Knights were glamorous; warriors were rugged—not in a bad sense. It was a difference in what was demanded of them.
A knight needed, above all else, to earn the trust and peace of mind of the people. For that, a certain refinement of appearance was essential. Reinhard and Julius were prime examples.
What a warrior needed, on the other hand, was simply the power to fight.
Therefore, the men gathered in this encampment were warriors, and the young man before Subaru was no exception.
"...I'll ask one more time. Where's the girl who was with me?"
"You're stubborn, huh? I don't hate that, though. ...She's fine, fine. Both of them are doing well. Maybe a little too well, actually."
"Both of them?! Seriously?!"
The young man smiled wryly, and Subaru latched onto the answer.
Leaning forward eagerly at the answer he'd wanted to hear, the young man said "Whoa" and pressed a hand against Subaru's forehead, stopping him from toppling forward.
"You've got your hands and feet tied. Push too hard and you'll tip over and bite your tongue. ...Hey, don't give me that look. They're both fine. I'm not lying."
"Don't give me a vague 'both of them' answer. If the blue-haired girl is safe, that's all I need."
"That's a pretty heartless thing to say!"
It was an honest, unvarnished answer, but telling the young man that wouldn't accomplish anything.
At any rate, assuming he could trust the young man's words for now, the next issue was Subaru's own situation. The young man had said he was a prisoner, after all.
"I can accept being a captive—reluctantly—but why was I separated from Rem and the others?"
"If you want to see her, I'll make it happen. ...As long as you answer our questions honestly. They're locked up right now."
"Locked up?! Why would you do that?!"
The mention of a prison immediately conjured dire scenarios in Subaru's mind. But as he tried to press further with questions, a sharp pain shot through the three broken fingers of his left hand.
"Ngh—!" Sparks danced before Subaru's eyes, and through gritted teeth, he heard the sound of someone grinding a boot into the injured hand bound behind his back—it was the man with the eyepatch.
The man—Jamal—roughly crushed Subaru's broken fingers and snarled: "Been listening to you talk this whole time, and you still don't seem to understand your situation, do ya? Just answer the questions you're asked. That simple, huh?"
"Jamal, stop it! You'll knock him out again!"
"It pisses me off that he doesn't get his place. As long as his head's intact, he can talk. Three fingers are already broken—might as well do two more—"
"—Jamal."
At the young man's quiet call of his name, Jamal held his breath, then reluctantly withdrew his foot.
"Gah, guh..."
"Tch. Be grateful to Todd. Makes me sick."
Jamal spat the words at Subaru, who gasped as the pressure on his broken fingers was released and he could breathe again. Without another word, Jamal turned his back and stormed out of the tent in irritation.
As his footsteps receded, the young man—Todd—scratched his head and said, "Sorry about that. Jamal's on edge. His unit was the one that found you by the riverside..."
"His unit found us... but?"
"Yeah, apparently your girl put up quite a fight. Half his squad got wrecked, and the captain—him—lost all face over it."
"Ahh..."
Having roughly pieced together what had happened, Subaru wanted to bury his face in his hands too.
After Subaru had lost consciousness by the river, Rem must have woken up first and beaten the daylights out of Jamal and his men when they arrived. That was why Jamal was in such a foul mood.
At first glance, Rem was a delicate girl who couldn't move her legs—it was Jamal's group that had allowed themselves to be ambushed, so they were the ones to blame. But even so— "I hate that guy..."
"Ha, what a coincidence. I'm not too fond of him either. Anyway, we got off track. How are the fingers?"
"They're broken. ...The pain's getting more manageable, though."
The dull throb still protested stubbornly, but Subaru clenched his back teeth, shutting out the momentary weakness of groaning in pain. He'd deal with the accumulated pain debt later, when time allowed. Right now, what mattered was the person in front of him— "Is it okay if I call you Todd?"
"Hey, you were paying attention after all. That's right, I'm Todd. And now Todd's got a question for you. Like I said before..."
"I just answer honestly, right? ...What do you want to know?"
In the end, Subaru was nothing more than a run-of-the-mill otherworlder.
He didn't know how to travel between worlds, and unfortunately, he didn't have the specialized knowledge to pull off the classic isekai "knowledge cheat." Nothing going for him—push hard enough and he'd start crying.
"What could someone like me possibly have to offer?"
"What kind of self-deprecation is that? Well, don't get your hopes up, but there is one thing I want to know. ...Are you one of the 'Shudrak people'?"
"...Shudrak?"
The young man—Todd's—question was deliberately drawn out, but the word meant nothing to Subaru.
Judging from Subaru's confused reaction, Todd said, "See, I knew it," and placed a hand on his own forehead.
"That reaction tells me everything. You've got nothing to do with them."
"Hey, wait. I haven't answered anything yet. Don't jump to conclusions..."
"No, no, there's no need. No one lies when asked about their lineage. No one who doesn't recognize the name would, either. Hearing 'Shudrak people' and not reacting? Nobody would buy it."
"——"
Todd spoke with conviction, but it didn't sound like a bluff.
The certainty in his tone was convincing, and Subaru couldn't push back.
But if that was the case— "So what are these 'Shudrak people'?"
"They're who we're looking for. Somewhere in that huge forest... the Badoheim Jungle."
Todd answered the question and pointed behind Subaru. But with his hands and feet bound, Subaru couldn't turn around easily. Todd said "Fine, then" and placed a hand on Subaru's shoulder, turning him around. And there— "—The Badoheim Jungle."
"Everything around here is that forest. You'd need years to search it all piece by piece."
Todd muttered wearily, and he had every right to say so.
The forest was that vast.
From the encampment where Subaru was held, greenery stretched endlessly in every direction as far as the eye could see. If its depth matched its breadth, it might rival the Amazon—no exaggeration.
Finding the so-called "Shudrak people" in such a massive forest— "...If I'm being honest, that sounds impossible."
"You think so too? Yeah, it really is rough. If I'm stuck here for years, my fiancée's gonna lose interest."
Todd's words carried a hint of the sorrow of a soldier sent to war and separated from his beloved.
Subaru felt some sympathy for that, but being separated from someone important in present tense himself, that sympathy didn't last long. More pressing was the problem right in front of him.
"Hey, Todd. From where I'm standing, I think I answered honestly. So I'd appreciate it if you kept your promise."
"Someone's lamenting that he can't see his fiancée, and you want me to let you go see your girl? Cold-hearted, aren't you?"
"Don't lecture me when your buddy's the type to stomp on a wounded man's broken fingers."
"Ha, that's fair."
It was a pretty brazen response, but Todd didn't get angry—if anything, he burst out laughing. Then he crouched beside Subaru and loosened the rope around his legs enough to let him walk.
"You can manage short steps, right? I'll take you to see her."
Todd slipped his hands under Subaru's arms and lifted him up. Standing, Subaru could walk with steps about half their normal length, but he had his freedom of movement back.
This much he could manage. Good thing he was short. If Subaru had been model-tall, he'd have lost his balance completely.
"Then lead the way."
"What nerve... Are you royalty or something?"
Todd gave a wry smile and patted Subaru's back as he set off with small, shuffling steps.
Being escorted out of the captive tent, Subaru noticed the curious gazes of the surrounding men on his mincing walk. Some looked at him with mockery, but Subaru paid them no mind. Instead, he turned his observation back on them.
It was, as expected, a military encampment built for war.
Makeshift wooden palisades surrounded the area, and it seemed to house over a hundred people. But a hundred people was nowhere near enough to search an entire forest. No wonder Todd was exasperated.
And as Subaru was pitying Todd's situation— "Oh, speaking of royalty, that knife we found when we searched your belongings—where did you get that?"
"—"
Todd's seemingly casual question made Subaru furrow his brow for just an instant before recalling the knife in question.
In the forest, the knife the masked man had given him had been invaluable for navigating the obstacle-strewn woods and getting past the traps Rem had set. ...Come to think of it, could the masked man have been one of these "Shudrak people" they were searching for?
If so, telling Todd about him would be a betrayal of his benefactor.
"What's wrong?"
"Well..."
Todd frowned at Subaru's silence, but Subaru was wrestling with a difficult dilemma inside.
In his current situation as a captive, Todd was treating him relatively well—but he was still a captive. Todd wasn't exactly someone he could call friendly.
On the other hand, the masked man probably couldn't be found again, but he'd given Subaru useful advice for finding Rem and that knife. He was someone on the level of a benefactor.
In other words— "Hey, what's wrong?"
"...That knife was a family heirloom. Something passed down in my family."
"Oh really? In that case, you must be someone of considerable standing."
"Huh?"
After turning it over in his mind, Subaru decided to protect his benefactor's identity. The lie came easily enough.
But Todd's voice rose in surprise, and Subaru couldn't understand why. Todd continued: "It had the national crest of the Sword Wolf on it. From what I've heard, a knife like that is something the Emperor directly bestows upon a retainer. Which means you come from an honored lineage, right?"
"—Wait."
Todd's voice had brightened with excitement, and Subaru froze at his words.
The provenance of the knife was one thing—and there was a surprising story behind it, too—but he could set that aside for now.
The real issue lay elsewhere. The Sword Wolf national crest. And the Emperor.
"——"
Subaru's lips pressed together as he stopped walking and scanned his surroundings once more.
Tents, bonfires, mocking men, an impossibly large forest—and beside a large tent, a blue banner fluttering in the wind.
—In the center of the blue banner was a black wolf pierced by a sword.
Subaru had been in this other world for over a year now.
He'd had more opportunities to be introduced as
His studies converged with the image of a wolf pierced by a sword—"Sword Wolf."
That was— "—The Sacred
The empire's national crest, across the southern border from the
Having crossed the border between the kingdom and the empire, Subaru realized for the first time that he and the others had been transported to another country.
△▼△▼△▼△ —The Sacred Vollachia Empire.
That was the name of the land—or rather, the country—where Subaru was currently being held captive.
From his studies of this other world, Subaru's impression of Vollachia was: "In games and stuff, empires are always the bad guys, aren't they?"
The Vollachia Empire, one of the four great nations that maintained the balance of power in this world alongside the Kingdom of Lugunica, was the largest nation, dominating the south of the world map.
Blessed with fertile land and a warm climate, with soil richer than
Numerous races and peoples mingled, the strong took everything, and the weak were stripped of everything and oppressed.
This was the Vollachia Empire—where such brutality reigned. In short, it was the land most incompatible with
"—The Sacred Vollachia Empire."
Seeing the military banner fluttering beside the tent, the words slipped from Subaru's mouth.
Todd heard Subaru's stunned murmur and raised an eyebrow, then: "—Long live Vollachia!"
"Wha—?!"
Suddenly, an explosive shout erupted right behind him, nearly sending Subaru jumping out of his skin. Todd burst into laughter at Subaru's reaction.
"What's with that face? You're the one who brought it up."
"Long live Vollachia?"
"Long live Vollachia."
Subaru had no idea what this was about, but he got the gist.
The Sacred Vollachia Empire—call it that, and the response was "Long live Vollachia." That was their common sense, a facet of their national character.
And he realized one more thing.
"...I can't let it slip that I'm from Lugunica."
That, in its own quiet way, was a devastating blow.
Right now, Subaru held the position of Emilia's First Knight—a candidate in the Royal Selection being conducted in the Kingdom of Lugunica. Under Roswaal's patronage, he had been formally invested with the rank of knight, making him—though for only one generation—a minor Lugunica noble.
Even without that, in the Kingdom of Lugunica, almost no one was unaware of the Royal Selection.
If he revealed his identity, he could expect favorable treatment. At the very least, once he'd confirmed Rem's safety, he'd been planning to tell Todd, who seemed reasonable.
But here, in the Vollachia Empire, that was a different matter entirely.
"——"
The poor relationship between the Kingdom of Lugunica and the Sacred Vollachia Empire was something Subaru knew well from reading this world's history books.
Over four hundred years ago, the two nations had fought repeated wars over territory. Then, four hundred years ago, the Kingdom of Lugunica had entered into a covenant with the Divine Dragon, and the large-scale conflicts had ceased.
But sporadic skirmishes had continued to erupt since then, and the cold-war state between the two nations was beyond question. Before the Royal Selection was announced, a prior agreement had reportedly been made to prevent the empire from seizing the opportunity to launch an attack.
In such a Vollachia Empire, what would happen if he revealed that he was even a minor Lugunica noble?
If he were dealing with a reasonable imperial aristocrat, it might be fine—but this was a military encampment at the edge of a battlefield. Regardless of Todd, could someone like Jamal, who ran hot with hostility, be expected to give him guest treatment?
"Absolutely not."
In other words, Subaru could no longer casually reveal his identity.
This made Rem's complete forgetfulness of all this—herself included—a small mercy. Truly, a tiny blessing in the midst of a misery of miseries.
"Hey, seriously, what's wrong? Is it worse than just your fingers—your legs too?"
"No, it's not that. It's just that when I hear 'Long live Vollachia,' this tremor of awe surges up from the depths of my chest, and I can't quite contain it..."
"Oh, I see. That's understandable. If you have ties to the imperial aristocracy, being moved by the empire's magnificence is only natural. I was the one who lacked consideration."
"Haha, well, ahaha."
He would have scratched his head if he could, but all Subaru could manage was a forced laugh.
So this was the world he'd only known through texts—the "Empire." An imperialist sentiment that had permeated even the common soldiers, as Todd's words made clear. Subaru quietly ground his teeth.
He could consider one option—his trump card of revealing his identity and returning to the Mathers domain—locked away.
A reasonable imperial might respect his position, but— "...Betting on a two-out-of-ten chance is a bit too risky."
"What are you muttering about? Come on, it's the reunion you've been waiting for."
"Oh—"
Todd nudged Subaru's shoulder, who'd been shuffling along with tiny steps.
At Todd's words, Subaru looked up and saw an iron cage set up at the edge of the encampment. Among several neatly lined-up cages, a girl sat inside— "Rem!"
"—You are..."
Spotting the girl he'd been searching for, Subaru lunged toward the cage. Rem noticed his approach and furrowed her brow at his momentum, glaring at Subaru with the same undiminished hostility.
But that was fine. As long as she was safe— "Oh, thank god! Has anyone done anything to you? Are you hurt any—ghf!"
"Ouch, that looked painful."
Hurrying forward with short steps, Subaru's feet tangled and he pitched forward. Naturally, with his hands bound behind him, he couldn't break his fall. His face smashed into the iron cage with a clang.
He groaned "kuh" and fell backward.
"What—why would you do that suddenly?!"
"Sorry... I wasn't trying to scare you or..."
"I wasn't scared! Don't make fun of me. ...Are your nose and teeth alright?"
"Wait—were you worried about me?"
"Ha? Of course not."
Subaru writhed on the ground like a caterpillar, sniffling his nose, while Rem's response remained ice-cold.
Still, gazing into her pale blue eyes, Subaru couldn't help letting a sigh escape, tinged with a hint of happiness. Seeing this, Rem's cheeks grew even stiffer inside the cage.
"Okay, okay, I get it's an emotional reunion, but you two are talking past each other. So, you're Rem, right?"
"...I suppose that depends."
"Oh boy, come on. There's a limit to being stubborn."
Todd cut into Subaru and Rem's reunion with a pained expression.
Rem turned her face away with a "hmph," but her cold shoulder treatment wasn't directed solely at Subaru—it was consistent toward this encampment and everyone in it, Todd included.
In its own way, it was fitting for Rem's "bullied-at-home, tough-outside" personality.
"If you keep biting everyone's head off like that, they're gonna start calling you a mad dog."
"What a thing to say—calling me a dog. Not only is your body odor offensive, but your manners are atrocious too."
"My body odor is offensive? What do you mean, I lack a sense of cleanliness? But what does 'sense of cleanliness' even mean specifically?"
There was a saying about disliking the monk so much you hate his robes too, and Rem's treatment of Subaru was exactly that kind of thing.
Their first impression of each other had been terrible, and now they'd ended up in this mess.
"At any rate, this is definitely Rem. Thank you for helping her—though looking at the cage situation, it's hard to express my gratitude properly."
"I told you, right? Jamal's squad got beaten half to death by her. We had to give them something like this, or we'd lose face entirely. Don't worry, though—I won't damage the merchandise."
"...Can I actually believe that?"
"I've got the backing of an imperial noble. Even Jamal can't argue with that."
Todd reached into his coat and pulled out the knife. Subaru's eyes went wide, and Todd drew the blade from its sheath and cut the ropes binding Subaru's hands and feet.
Instantly, Subaru let out an "oh" of relief at the freedom from his restraints.
"You're just going to let me go?"
"Yeah, I'd love to take you and this girl wherever you want—but that's not how it works."
"——"
"Stop looking at me like that. I'm not trying to be cruel. Like I said, we're posted here to fight the 'Shudrak people' in the forest. But we're not the only ones deployed here. If you go wandering around carelessly, you'll get caught by people from another encampment."
The encampments were scattered throughout the vast forest for the purpose of conquering it, was what he meant.
If Subaru and the others inadvertently entered another encampment's territory, they'd likely be captured and interrogated all over again.
Worse still— "A camp full of Jamals where I'd get my face stomped on nonstop?"
"Not to toot my own horn, but soldiers like me are pretty rare in the imperial army. I hate pain, so I try to talk things through whenever possible."
"Most of them are as overbearing as that ill-mannered gentleman," Rem added coldly.
"Well, he brought your wrath upon himself, so that's his problem."
Rem's voice was laced with intense disgust.
Subaru didn't exactly find Jamal likable either, but the first encounter must have been truly awful for Rem. Even Todd, who seemed to know the full story, didn't try to defend Jamal—telling Subaru that even allies couldn't excuse his behavior.
"Todd, I appreciate that you're looking out for our safety. But what are we supposed to do? Even if you're stuck here, you can't expect us to agree to stay until the forest operation is over."
"That's true, and we'd get in trouble if we kept outsiders in the camp too long. Don't worry, though—a supply team is heading to a nearby town in a few days. If you leave with them, you won't cause any extra fuss."
"A supply team, huh."
Naturally, feeding a large number of people required a considerable amount of food and water. They couldn't source everything locally, so the supply units were just as important as the combat forces.
This encampment had personnel for that role too, and Todd was suggesting they join up with them.
"So we can stay here as a burden for a few days?"
"Why not? The battle situation probably won't change that quickly... Just stay away from Jamal. You don't want another boot to the face."
"That goes straight to the bone. ...Rem, does that plan work for you?"
"——"
Rem turned her face away without answering.
But the fact that she didn't object face-to-face meant she had no counterargument or alternative. He'd just chalk it up to cute defiance and leave it at that.
"But you two have an unusual relationship. What's the deal?"
"Uh, just think of us as drifters or travelers. Rem is someone precious to me, and the other one—I don't even know."
"You're still saying things like that..."
Hearing Subaru's answer to Todd's question, Rem's distrust only deepened. Subaru knew he'd messed up, but he stubbornly refused to acknowledge Louis as a traveling companion.
Honestly, if the empire would take her in, he'd be fine with that.
"By the way, that kid isn't in the cage with Rem. Where'd she go?"
"...She was taken for treatment. She must have cut her forehead somewhere when she jumped into the river."
"Treatment... treatment?"
At Rem's averted gaze and answer, Subaru stared blankly for a moment, then turned serious.
And threw himself at the cage.
"You said treatment?!"
"Wh-what about it? Yes, treatment. Or are you going to say you don't even want that girl you hate to receive medical care?"
"That's not wrong, but the problem is somewhere else entirely. Hey, Todd! Where's Louis getting treatment? Which tent?!"
At Subaru's fierce tone, Todd looked startled. But Subaru grabbed his shoulders, not caring that Todd had no idea of the stakes, and asked again: "Where?!"
"She's in the tent with the red flag over it. But what's the sudden rush?"
"There's no time to explain—everyone's gonna die!"
Shoving Todd's shoulders aside, Subaru charged at full speed toward the tent with the red flag.
His urgency made Rem and Todd exchange glances.
"What the... Anyway, I should chase after him."
"Go. If you don't stop him, he'll do something reckless."
"Why do I have to be the one to deal with this..."
Todd scratched his head and hurried after the rapidly departing Subaru.
Once Subaru's retreating figure had disappeared from view— "...What is his deal? That man's been dragging me around this whole time," Rem murmured in a voice so quiet no one could hear.
"——"
Meanwhile, having heard the previous exchange, Subaru was scanning the area for the red tent.
Learning that Louis was receiving treatment had triggered the worst-case scenario in Subaru's mind.
For some reason, Louis appeared to have lost her sanity—but if treatment restored her to normal, she could reawaken as one of the Archbishops of Gluttony, one of the Sin Archbishops.
If that happened, Subaru would be powerless to stop her, and Rem, with no memories, wouldn't stand a chance either. Even Todd, Jamal, and every imperial in the encampment put together would suffer heavy casualties.
He couldn't let that happen. Anxiety burned through Subaru's heart.
Charging toward the red tent he'd spotted— "Sorry! Is there a terrifying blonde kid in—"
"Ah-oo-ah!!"
The instant he tried to push aside the tent flap, a golden projectile shot out with tremendous force.
It struck him dead-center on the philtrum—the spot between nose and upper lip—making his vision blur and his upper body sway. Subaru toppled backward onto his rear.
And instinctively, he put his left hand out to catch himself. —The left hand with three broken fingers.
"GYAAAAAAAA—!!"
"Aah! Aah! Aah-oo-ah!"
Subaru writhed in agony. Straddling his writhing body, a little demon bounced happily up and down—Louis.
She wore the same innocent-yet-evil expression she'd had when she'd woken Subaru up in the meadow, pressing herself against his chest.
He wanted to shove her away, but the searing pain wouldn't let his consciousness cooperate.
"Guh, ah, agh..."
"Whoa, you put weight on your left hand? That's... oof, brutal. But looking at her, this kid seems normal, right? They've treated the cut on her forehead too."
Todd caught up and gently lifted Louis off Subaru's chest. Louis flailed her arms and legs, going "ah-oo-ah," but Todd paid her no mind.
As Todd said, Louis had bandages wrapped around her head, and the cut on her forehead had been treated. But not with magic—with simple medical care.
"Guh... I see. So the 'treatment' was just that..."
He'd panicked, thinking they were using magic to heal her. But with mundane medicine, there was no risk of healing reaching the parts that shouldn't be healed.
It seemed Subaru's fears had been unfounded for now.
"She's this attached to you, but you treat her like a stranger, while the one you actually care about gives you the cold shoulder. ...I don't really get it, but your life sounds tough."
"...Can't deny that. Not many people go through as much crap as I do."
If there was a limit to the hardship a person could experience in a lifetime, Subaru's lifetime's worth was piling on him all at once. Or maybe, with all the Returns by Death, the count never reset and peace would never come.
Just thinking about it was terrifying. But— "For now, I'm alive. That's what matters."
"That's a pretty low bar... So what are you going to do? Want me to arrange for you to join the supply team in a few days?"
"Y-yeah, that'd be great. Sorry to keep imposing on you."
"Hmm? In that case, don't worry. I wasn't planning on keeping you around as a freeloader."
At Todd's words, Subaru, who'd been sitting cross-legged, looked up in surprise. Todd set Louis down on the ground, put his hands on his hips, and gestured at the imperial encampment sprawling behind him.
"With an encampment this big, you can never have enough hands. There's tons of work to do, so we'll need you to pitch in."
"...No work, no food, is that it?"
Subaru murmured, and Todd repeated, "No work, no food..." before nodding.
"Exactly. That's the perfect way to put it. You know some good words, huh."
Todd nodded approvingly while Louis mimicked his nodding beside him.
Looking up at the two of them, Subaru cracked his neck with a loud pop.
"...Beats being told to do nothing or getting a boot to the face."