—The fortified city of
That was the name of the first civilized town in the Empire that Subaru and the others had reached.
Up until now, they had spent their time in imperial military encampments, Shudrak settlements, and conditions barely distinguishable from sleeping under the open sky, so the sight of genuine civilization was something special.
That said, it wasn't as though they could celebrate the civilization around them wholeheartedly.
Because— "—Checkpoint."
Subaru wet his lips with his tongue as his gaze fell upon the inspection taking place at the city's entrance.
Guaral was surrounded on all sides by defensive walls, and access to and from the city was controlled through a single great gate on each of the east and west sides. The checkpoint was permanently stationed at those great gates, and even from a distance, Subaru could make out burly gate guards with stern expressions and sharp, watchful eyes.
"We'll stick out like a sore thumb as Shudrak the moment they lay eyes on us. Can't take you with us as companions, but if you're not carrying anything suspicious, you should be fine."
"Don't be all jumpy—just stand tall and proud. Protect
Those were the parting words from Kuna and Holly before they had separated before reaching the town.
Both had advised Subaru not to get worked up over nothing, but forgetting his tension and anxiety altogether was easier said than done. After all, Subaru and his companions were foreigners in the Empire—unknown in origin, with no proof of identity.
"Still, even I, the otherworlder with zero common sense, can tell that Lugunican humans wandering around inside Volakia at a time like this aren't going to be welcome."
If he honestly declared his identity, he would undoubtedly earn the scorn of the gate guards. Being turned away at the gates was the best outcome he could hope for; if he were to somehow end up arrested, the consequences would be unthinkable. He had already experienced that particular scenario at the imperial military camp.
No—he absolutely could not allow a repeat of the kind of disaster where his mistakes caused others to get burned.
"…………"
"…You're knitting your brows quite tightly. If you look too severe, people around you will start to get suspicious."
Subaru's eyes went wide at the voice that reached him, cutting through the complicated tangle of his thoughts.
The voice had come from behind—from Rem, who was seated on his back in the carrying frame. Due to the structure of the frame, they sat back to back, so Rem shouldn't have been able to see Subaru's face.
"How did you know I was frowning, then?"
"Even if I can't see you, I can hear your breathing. We're back to back in the frame, but our backs are pressed together, so I can feel your heartbeat too… Your tension is reaching me as well."
"Ugh… sorry about that. The frown and the noisy heart."
"Yes. Please quiet them down."
"You're not telling me to shut down my breathing for good, are you?"
To that cautious inquiry, Rem responded with nothing more than a silent sigh.
Her exhalation carried a temperature somewhere between exasperation and indifference—neither outright disgust nor hostility. That was a small comfort, at least.
He'd be told his standards were pathetically low, and he'd have no comeback for that.
"Mm. Mm?"
"…I know. Stop rushing me. You're one of my problems too."
Rui, her long hair pulled back, tugged insistently at Subaru's sleeve and pointed toward the line. The girl had been entrusted with the magical beast horn from Kuna and the others—it was wrapped in a white bundle and strapped to her back—and she seemed utterly perplexed by Subaru's refusal to join the queue.
But Subaru couldn't bring himself to line up with such reckless abandon, the way Rui had.
"Right now, we have no way to prove our identity and no bribe money to hand over to the guards. That means a frontal approach is out of the question."
"What about lining up and just talking to the gate guards?"
"Being sincere and pleading our case is an option, I guess, but the problem is that if it fails, there's no recovery. …We don't have anyone we can rely on right now."
Hearing Subaru's concern, Rem's throat tightened slightly and she fell silent.
Without her memories, it might be hard for Rem to imagine the full picture, but given the location and the country, extra caution couldn't hurt.
It had been nearly ten days since Subaru and the others had been hurled from the
In truth, the situation in which Subaru, Rem, and Rui acted as a trio of three had lasted only for that single moment of fleeing the hunters and Ergina right after being transported. Otherwise, there had always been someone familiar with the Empire accompanying them—whether at the imperial military camp, in the Shudrak settlements, or along the road to Guaral.
He hadn't built friendly relations with all of them, but at least he hadn't felt alone.
"But from here on out, it's different."
He had become adversaries with Todd and his group. He had parted ways with Abel. And he had said goodbye to the Shudrak people.
From here, the three of them would have to traverse the unknown terrain of the Empire without a walking stick. Like it or not, that called for extreme caution in his own judgment.
"So, what do we do? Worrying and hesitating won't change our objective, will it? It's not like we can just bypass this town…"
"If we give up on this checkpoint, the next town might just do the same thing. If this were Lugunica, it wouldn't be this tight on security… No—"
Shaking his head, Subaru considered the state of affairs in the Empire.
Abel had told them, during their parting, that he had been driven from the emperor's seat—that was his own account. If that was true, then the Empire was currently in the midst of an internal power struggle.
Abel had said that the emperor's absence was being concealed from the general public, but you couldn't put a lid on people's mouths, and atmosphere had a way of spreading of its own accord.
Even back at the camp, Todd himself had seemed to feel something off about the current deployment.
"Then could the tight checkpoint be because of Abel…? Damn, I hate that guy."
Abel had been of help in some respects, but on balance, and for emotional reasons, Subaru preferred to keep him in the minus column.
With that personality and those attitudes, the reason for his subordinates' betrayal wasn't hard to imagine—something straight out of a Nobunaga-type scenario.
"He really did seem like the kind of guy who couldn't read the room, to put it mildly…"
"…Could it be that you're not genuinely troubled at all and are just wasting time thinking about pointless things?"
Rem's voice turned cold and sharp as Subaru rubbed his chin and muttered those words.
It went beyond exasperation and indifference—it was tinged with outright anger. Subaru hurried to explain.
"Wait, wait—relax. Sure, my round-table musings were nothing but idle chatter, but I'm not just standing here blankly staring at the queue with no plan. I actually have one."
"And you can tell those lies without batting an eye? Aren't you ashamed to call yourself human?"
"Could you at least pretend to trust me for a second?! Jumping straight to 'liar' is way too hasty?!"
As Rem's opinion of him continued to plummet, Subaru scrambled to rebuild her trust.
In truth, he hadn't been making it all up. He did have an alternative plan for getting past the checkpoint. Subaru and the others alone couldn't pass the gate guards' scrutiny through any legitimate means.
So the solution was simple: they wouldn't have to do it alone.
"In other words…"
"
Thumbs up, teeth gleaming. That was Subaru's answer.
And even though she couldn't possibly have seen his face from the other side of the frame, he somehow felt Rem's expression sour in response.
△▼△▼△▼△ Passing through the checkpoint with its peculiar tension, then ducking through the towering main gate.
Opening up before him was a view of an exotic, stone-built streetscape overflowing with foreign atmosphere, and Subaru thrust both hands upward in a gesture of triumph.
"We made it!"
"Aah—ooh!"
Rui, right beside him, raised both her hands in the same way, imitating his enthusiastic shout.
He had mixed feelings about her acting like a teammate, but for the moment, the joy of having cleared the first hurdle into the city swept everything else away.
Galling as it was, Rui's existence had genuinely been useful in getting past the checkpoint.
"Still, this really is different from Lugunica. The
Gazing around at the streetscape, Subaru compared it to the towns of the
To Subaru, the most memorable had been the streets of
The Royal Capital, Costuul, and Priestella each had their own distinct character, yet they all shared something like a common atmosphere unique to the Kingdom. That common thread was something he couldn't feel here in Guaral.
Compared to the Kingdom—which had a certain classic isekai-fantasy royalty-to-it—the streets of the Empire were more rugged and subdued in color. The impression was less about ornamentation and more about function.
The entire city had a unified feel that emphasized strength and refinement over splendor, and the leveled, bare ground reinforced that impression.
"In Lugunica it'd be cobblestones, but here it looks like this is the norm."
In terms of size and population, Guaral was likely an above-average city by the standards of the Empire.
Roughly speaking, it was a useful measuring stick for comparing other towns throughout the Empire.
"Although, I'd rather not stay long, so maybe I should skip the measuring stick altogether."
"…Um, could you put me down now?"
"R-right, sorry."
Behind him, Rem—who was still in the carrying frame—asked to be let down. Subaru apologized and slowly dropped to one knee.
He unhooked the shoulder straps and lowered the frame, and Rem, staff in hand, set her feet on the ground.
During the long stretches of travel, she had endured being carried in the frame, but once inside a city, she wanted to walk on her own feet. With no urgent reason to hurry anymore, there was no reason to deny her wish.
"This is…"
Rem, leaning on her staff, turned around and finally saw the same view that Subaru and the others had been looking at.
Rem raised her eyebrows slightly. There was surprise and a hint of emotion in her pale-blue eyes, and at her positive reaction, Subaru's cheeks softened ever so slightly.
"Well? Surprised?"
"That's… yes, I am. It was the same with the queue, but… I've never seen so many people, or a proper town like this."
"Oh, right. For Rem, this really is the first time seeing a proper settlement."
As mentioned before, the places and treatment Rem had experienced up until now had all been exceptional. Without her memories, she had no recollection of living with anyone. Her time with Subaru, Rui, and the Shudrak people constituted the entirety of her experience.
"…………"
Subaru closed one eye as he watched Rem, her gaze softened with deep emotion.
For now, he folded up the carrying frame from which he had set her down and waited for her wave of feeling to subside.
As a city, Guaral could hardly be called vibrant.
The queued-up checkpoint, the rugged and dark-toned streetscape—taken as a whole, it was far from a dazzling place. The city's scale was probably somewhere around several thousand people.
Still, the emotion that flickered through Rem's eyes lost none of its value.
"Want to walk around a little?"
"…No, thank you. I don't want to take up any more of your time."
"It's not a waste of time if it's for you…"
Rem shook her head, and Subaru scratched his cheek as he answered.
In truth, if it meant a brighter light entering Rem's heart, sightseeing around the city was hardly a problem. If they were pressed for time, he would have declined, but for now they had a clear picture ahead. All of this was thanks to Rem's quick thinking.
"If Rem hadn't been there, I wouldn't have gotten along with Flop and the others. You're allowed to be a little selfish, you know."
"…I'm saying we shouldn't keep Flop and the others waiting. You already lean on them too much. You really want to owe them even more?"
"Ugh… when you put it that way, yeah, sorry…"
Rem shifted her gaze from the streetscape to Subaru with a sharp look, and he clutched his chest.
Behind them, the slow, heavy creak of wheels approached—a bull cart, pulled by the brave bull Farrow.
A Farrow was a beast of burden, similar to earth dragons or the great dogs known as Ligers.
Like earth dragons and Ligers, they were often used to pull carts and were common for hauling heavy loads. Their speed was slow, and unlike earth dragons they lacked the "Wind Warding" blessing, so they were generally used only within city limits.
And— "Oh, oh, oh! Sorry to keep you waiting. Had to spend ages verifying the cargo manifest. Bureaucratic work—what a headache!"
Perched on the driver's seat of the bull cart, shrugging his shoulders, was a young man with long bangs.
He had dazzlingly golden hair, pale skin, and a slender frame wrapped in loose-sleeved clothing—this was the person who had helped Subaru and the others get into the city.
At the young man's arrival, Subaru tipped his head. "Thanks for your hard work!"
"Sorry, Flop. We ended up cutting ahead of you through the checkpoint despite being tagalongs."
"Not at all, not at all. Cargo inspection is dull work—hardly worth anyone's company."
At Subaru's apology, the young man on the driver's seat—Flop—gave a gentle shake of his head.
His flowing gesture made his long bangs sway like a mane, and Subaru could practically see sparkles shimmering around it. Eccentric, sure, but his responses were sharp and grounded—the gap was enormous.
In front of that impressionable Subaru, Flop stroked his bangs again and said: "Yes, dull work. Something like that should be left to my sister—no, not even her. Let someone else handle it."
"Big bro, big bro! I can hear you, you know!"
"Hahaha! I wasn't trying not to be heard, dear sister. Don't underestimate your brother's lung capacity!"
Flop's slightly unfocused answer had been directed at the woman walking alongside the slow-moving bull cart.
She had the same hair color as Flop and a strikingly similar face, but she was tall—her outfit boldly bared her shoulders and legs, and her voluminous hair was parted into multiple locks in an eccentric style.
Her appearance was distinctive in its own right, but what truly drew the eye were the two barbarian swords sheathed at the small of her back.
That they were not for show or intimidation was obvious from how well-worn they were.
Her name was Medium, and she and her brother Flop were the cheerful O'Connell siblings, who traveled together as a pair.
They had met in the checkpoint queue, and they were the ones who had helped Subaru and his companions—lacking both identification and bribes—get through the inspection. You could call them benefactors.
Of course, they hadn't helped Subaru's group out of pure kindness. It had actually been Subaru who had set his sights on the O'Connell siblings in the first place, specifically to get past the checkpoint.
Without money or connections, Subaru's group needed outside help to clear the checkpoint.
That was why he had figured that someone like Flop might be open to negotiation.
The reason Subaru had come to that conclusion was— "That was amazing, big bro! So you saw right through everything I was thinking?!"
"Of course I did. If you can't see what's coming, you can't win in business. Our O'Connell Trading Company runs on my brains and your brawn!"
"You're the best! I have no idea what you're saying, though!"
"Hahaha! It brings me great joy to see my little sister enjoying life so thoroughly!"
The O'Connell siblings puffed out their chests and laughed loudly together. They were itinerant merchants by trade.
Specifically, Flop handled the buying and selling as a traveling merchant, while Medium served as the bodyguard for her brother and their goods both on the road and within towns.
—Merchants.
That was the condition Subaru had chosen for the people he would rely on to get past the checkpoint.
"My experience talking with Otto and Anastasia really paid off…"
Otto, a member of his own camp, and Anastasia, who had traveled with him on the long journey—the latter had actually been
Under the tutelage of those two above all, Subaru had developed a certain trust in merchants.
The principle was this: even if they operated across borders, merchants would listen to anyone who could present them with a clear benefit.
With the resolve to go for broke, Subaru had launched a full-court press. After whiffing on four pairs of merchants, he had finally encountered the O'Connell siblings.
And then, by winning over these slightly eccentric siblings, he had successfully secured their cooperation for the checkpoint crossing.
The bargaining chip that had piquued their interest the most was— "That said, are you really sure this carrying frame is enough as a return? It's a bit clever, I'll give you that, but the handmade quality is off the charts."
"The rustic charm is undeniable. However, the fact that it's collapsible and the ingenuity of the mechanism designed for portability are what caught my interest. It could prove useful for transporting heavy cargo too…"
"…Well, if Flop says it's fine, then I guess it's fine."
With some embarrassment, Subaru handed the folded frame to Medium.
She took it, saying "Hoh," examined it closely, cocked her head, and then shoved it into the cart's cargo bed. It seemed that, in her eyes, the frame had little value.
In truth, Subaru wasn't entirely sure what Flop had seen in it either.
The condition for the O'Connell siblings' cooperation was the transfer of the carrying frame Subaru had made.
When Flop had seen the frame carrying Rem, he had admired its unique and clever construction, and in exchange, he had promised to put in a word to help them get past the checkpoint.
Honestly, Subaru had steeled himself for the possibility that they might demand the magical beast horn as a bargaining chip, so from his perspective, this was a comparatively lighter deal.
"I'd been planning to rebuild it with better materials once we reached the city anyway, and there's a chance Rem wouldn't want to ride in it anymore."
"Wanting to walk on my own feet is only natural. While riding in that frame, the remnants of that witch's scent drift to me on the wind."
"Sorry…"
Rem quietly brought up the lingering smell of the witch as she leaned on her staff.
That said, the fact that she had endured it throughout the journey and only mentioned it after they had reached their destination—she deserved credit for that consideration.
Watching Subaru and Rem's exchange, Flop shrugged and tutted. The gesture seemed to say "how lamentable," but there was a reason behind it.
"Do try to get along, you two. Husband and wife are meant to support each other. What we saw earlier was truly a beautiful picture of mutual support!"
"Well, you're the one who took the frame away, big bro!"
"That's exactly my point! And what gives me the right to say that?!"
Flop pressed his forehead while Medium clutched her belly, and both burst into loud laughter.
Subaru let his cheeks loosen in response to their goofy laughter, then stole a glance at Rem's profile. She wasn't smiling at all—one hand clutching Rui close to her side.
Hesitantly, Subaru addressed her.
"So, Rem? Are you upset?"
"Huh? Why would I be upset? Do you have something to feel guilty about?"
"No, it's just—setting aside the circumstances, I thought you might find the husband-and-wife story unpleasant…"
Pressing his index fingers together, Subaru timidly considered Rem's feelings.
In Flop and Medium's eyes, Subaru and Rem were married.
This had come about when they had approached the siblings to discuss getting past the checkpoint, and when asked about their relationship, Subaru had been momentarily stumped by the question. No—not stumped, exactly. He had a prepared answer, but he'd had to use it under pressure, not by choice.
"I can't believe the sibling story wasn't convincing…"
"Flop and Medium happen to be in the same situation, and the two of them look very much alike. You and I—and this child—made for a rather transparent lie."
To fool someone who lived in a world of lies and truths, Subaru simply lacked the experience. He was outclassed.
Well, it was Medium who had seen through the sibling lie by loudly proclaim, "We don't look alike at all, big bro!"—but that was beside the point.
In any case, defeated by that sharp eye, the elaborate sibling backstory had been scrapped—along with the spectacles epic about traveling from their homeland to a distant mountain to throw away a cursed ring.
Reeling from that shock, Subaru had found himself at a loss when they pressed him for an answer. It was Rem's quick thinking that had saved him: "I'm his wife."
"So Rem and I are a married couple, and I'm looking after Rem's older sister's child…"
"I do have an older sister—that's what you told me. You said we were twins, but with such a large child, I wasn't entirely convinced… Still, I let it slide."
"Mm?"
Rui, her head being gently patted by Rem, let out a small, uncomfortable growl.
Even this seemingly harmless mannerism of Rui's had been one of the factors that prevented Flop and Medium from growing wary of Subaru's group.
Subaru with his hostile look was one thing, but a limping Rem and a defenseless Rui—the trio didn't fit the profile of troublemakers who would cause problems in the city. That was the siblings' judgment.
"Why…"
"Hm?"
"Why did you freeze up like that at the checkpoint? You're normally rattling off all kinds of half-baked nonsense all the time."
"That sounds like a complaint disguised as a compliment…"
Still, there was no denying that Subaru's inadequacy had nearly put Rem in danger.
If not for Rem's spur-of-the-moment improvisation, the three of them would probably still be standing outside the gates, watching the queue.
"…………"
There was a limit to deflecting with humor.
Not wanting to erode Rem's trust any further, Subaru let out a small groan—"Aah"—under Rem's unwavering gaze, then: "I surprised myself, but the instant my lies were seen through, my whole body tensed up. It might be trauma from getting my shoulder wrenched back at the camp, where I shot my mouth off carelessly."
"Oh…"
"I was terrified that Flop and the others would suddenly turn hostile. Pathetic as it is, my brain just shut down. Sorry."
Offering that inglorious self-analysis, Subaru honestly bowed his head to Rem.
A clever tongue and quick wits—those were the few weapons that made Natsuki Subaru stand out. And when his mind and mouth ground to a halt, he was reduced to nothing more than dead weight.
He was entrusted with Rem's life. —And he couldn't afford to fail.
"…I understand the situation. I think it's unavoidable."
"…Really? Even after I made a mess like that?"
"Anyone whose body goes rigid when they're in pain—I'm the same way. At least, that's what I think."
Subaru had been bracing for cold rebuke, so Rem's response caught him off guard.
Of course, he knew that deep down Rem was kind enough to be considerate of others. What surprised him was that she had extended that consideration to him as well.
"You're… not angry?"
"I'm not angry. But next time, discuss it with me beforehand. I don't think I'll always be able to come up with a good excuse on the spot."
"O-okay, got it. …You're really not angry?"
"I'm not angry."
"Really truly?"
"I said I'm not angry…!"
Worrying too much had actually earned Rem's anger after all.
Clutching his head under Rem's sharp gaze, Subaru shrank back and ultimately asked for forgiveness.
With that little episode out of the way, Subaru and the others finally entered Guaral.
△▼△▼▼△▼△ "Finally—I can relax!"
And with that, Subaru threw himself onto the inn's bed, stretched out his limbs, and savored the freedom.
It was a fairly decent bed and sheets, the room had a reasonable sense of cleanliness, and by inn standards, it was upper-middle—priced accordingly.
In his current position, he probably shouldn't splurge, but he chalked it up as a necessary expense for safety.
"If you're going to stay somewhere, it's best to cross cheap inns and sleeping rough off the list. If you had the self-defense skills of
—That had been one of the topics Otto had gone on about in his room a while back.
Thinking calmly, it was a perfectly reasonable precaution. But when funds were tight, safety tended to get pushed to the back burner.
Still, given their current circumstances in the Empire, it was a necessary expenditure.
Although— "Room assignments were a real pain…"
Grumbling, Subaru rolled sideways on the bed and glared at the wall.
On the other side of that wall, in the next room, Rem and Rui should be together. —They had decided to get an inn in Guaral, and the room assignments had been split by gender, but Subaru was not happy with the result.
It was a belated realization, but his suspicions and wariness toward Rui had not been dispelled. He resisted the idea of leaving them alone together where he couldn't see them.
However, the proposal for all three to share a single room had been rejected by Rem. This was the only compromise they could reach, but— "Oh my, oh my, young man! Look at you—all sprawled out and puffy as can be! Splendid, splendid!"
Saying that as he entered the inn room a little later was Flop.
He tossed his carry-on onto the other bed—different from Subaru's—then smoothed back his long bangs and gave a wink.
Bold as ever, Flop hadn't barged in uninvited. This room had been rented with the understanding that he and Subaru would share it. Naturally, Rem and Rui had been paired with his sister Medium.
"Ah, sorry. You've helped us at every turn…"
"Think nothing of it. You protected yourself through wit. The Imperial creed of 'Be strong, citizens of the Empire' isn't limited to those who stand on martial prowess."
"…Hearing you say that puts me at ease."
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Subaru offered a wry smile at Flop's words.
Flop and Medium had been a great help to Subaru and the others well beyond the checkpoint.
The tip about a safe inn was one thing, but what truly saved them was the magical beast horn.
"On our own, we'd have been completely exposed. No telling how badly we'd have been swindled."
The horn that Rui had been carrying on her back was no longer in their possession.
Following Kuna and the others' advice, they had sold it at a shop in Guaral. And Flop—who for some reason had tagged along—had helped with the price negotiation.
The fierce haggling between him and the shopkeeper had Subaru feeling like he was witnessing a courtroom battle, albeit from a person with no knowledge of law.
In any case, thanks to them, the magical beast horn had been successfully converted into Imperial gold coins.
A pouch of appropriately heavy gold coins—that was their war chest for the Empire. It would cover their travel expenses going forward, so they had to be careful with it.
"I can't afford to get taken advantage of like last time."
"Hahaha! Start by being bold, whatever the situation. Stand tall with your back straight, and others won't dare attack you so easily. Before long, even groundless confidence might become the real thing. Wouldn't that be a nice bonus?"
"Hmm… it's more convincing coming from someone who actually lives that way…"
For better or worse, Flop was brimming with confidence.
His blunt manner of speaking could sometimes provoke unnecessary friction, depending on the situation, but he had survived this long—which was proof enough that his approach worked.
In fact, Subaru himself had been helped by that very quality, so he could only admire it honestly.
"But you've been traveling a long way with your wife on your back, haven't you? Why not rest up tonight and leave the rest of tomorrow?"
"That's an tempting offer, but… I'll pass. We need to reach our destination as soon as possible, even one day sooner. Can't waste any time."
Resisting the pull of the soft bed, Subaru forced himself to peel away from it.
Flop, watching Subaru get up from the bed, puffed out his chest and declared: "Splendid! That's the spirit! When you have someone precious to protect, there are times when you have to move your heavy legs. Just as my sister is precious to me, your wife is precious to you."
"I appreciate the words, but now you're making me embarrassed! …So, could you show me the way?"
"Of course! I'm the one who offered, after all!"
Flop slapped his chest heartily and took charge.
Accepting his reply, Subaru once again steeled himself—mentally pulling himself away from the bed—and headed for the next room with Flop.
He knocked on the door and called to Rem inside.
"Rem, everything okay over there?"
"Yes, it's fine. Right now, we're discussing whether to put Rui to sleep in Medium's bed or mine…"
"…I see."
"She just gave me a look like she wanted to say 'How about the floor?'"
"I didn't say it because I thought she'd get mad…"
Given Rui's dangerous nature, sharing Medium's bed wasn't ideal either.
The best solution, honestly, was for Subaru to keep watch all night, but given his current condition, he'd probably pass out within a few hours of starting. That was the inevitable outcome.
All he could do was trust in the fact that Rui had done nothing for these ten days.
—Though trusting an Archbishop of Sin was an absurdly foolish notion, he had to admit.
"Like I said earlier, I'm heading out with Flop for a bit. I'll grab something for dinner, and we'll eat together when I'm back."
"Understood. …Come to think of it, there are plenty of people here now, so I don't need to rely solely on you anymore."
"I don't understand why you suddenly don't want to let me go!"
"…Hmm. I wonder why myself. I was just saying what I was thinking."
Rem's words tugged at something in his heart, but Subaru chose to stay the course.
From inside the room, he waved at Medium, who was being pulled by the hair by Rui as they tumbled around playfully.
"Medium, I'm leaving those two in your hands. If they cause trouble, don't hold back—give 'em a good whack."
"Seriously? My punches really, really hurt, you know?"
"Good—they won't learn otherwise."
That said, if anything happened, Rem would step in to stop it before it went too far.
Rui was currently playing a role in keeping Rem mentally stable—it was an irritating yet welcome situation. At the very least, he had to acknowledge that Rui was serving some purpose; otherwise, even the bare minimum of justification for Subaru keeping Rui around would evaporate.
"Sounds like quite the grueling journey, young man."
After leaving Rem and Rui at the inn and stepping back out into the streetscape, Flop clapped Subaru on the shoulder.
Being told it was a grueling journey made Subaru want to collapse on the spot and say, "Yeah, it really is." But doing so would only trouble Flop further.
He was already completely dependent on Flop and Medium as it was.
He wanted to avoid piling on any more worry or burden.
"No matter how much 'Relying on Others' is my number one special skill, there's a limit."
"What's wrong with leaning on others? That's not a flaw, so long as you're not doing it to the point of total helplessness. My sister and I travel as a pair, and we complement each other's weaknesses. Without that, both of us would have died long ago on account of our respective shortcomings. That, too, is the Imperial way."
"The Imperial way…"
Flop waved his hand casually, then used that same hand to smooth back his bangs. The term he had uttered—"the Imperial way"—pressed heavily on Subaru's chest.
That, perhaps, was the source of the formless dread Subaru had been fearing—a clash of values.
In that sense, Flop's philosophy was actually easier for Subaru to understand and felt close in distance. Yet it was markedly different from the impression of the Volakia Empire he had built up until now.
"Not everyone is suited to a tough, aggressive lifestyle and way of being. The important thing is to find your own balance within the framework you've been given."
"Find your own balance?"
"Like I said, my sister and I, as individuals, are creatures with quite a few weaknesses. But when we combine our strengths, we can hide those weaknesses and become something more than the sum of our parts. The fact that we've survived until now is, I think, proof of that."
"…………"
"Remember this, young man. My sister and I, you and your wife—you've all survived until now because you've won every fight you've been challenged to. —Well now, what do you think? I am a man of the Empire, aren't I?"
Flop's profile—cheeks softened, seeking praise.
Staring at it intently, Subaru felt as if he had received an unexpected revelation. Complementing each other's weaknesses—that was no different from his own values.
Or perhaps he had been led to believe that, in the Empire, such thinking of his wouldn't hold water at all.
"So it's not all hopelessness, then?"
"Well, I'll say—in most people, the 'Imperial way' is usually about brute strength. My philosophy here would be laughed off as the fluttering of a coward's wings. It's far from the norm."
Flop offered a word of caution against overconfidence even as he helped Subaru arrive at a certain kind of understanding.
And yet, he continued, "Precisely because of that—"
"The idea of putting a price on that skill is equally valid. I'll introduce you to the right people."
"Yeah, that'd be a huge help."
Subaru nodded, grateful once again for Flop's proposal.
This went beyond the checkpoint and the inn recommendation—it was about securing the transportation and escort they would need to smooth out the rest of their journey.
Just as Kuna and Holly had guarded them on the road to Guaral, they needed capable bodyguards to protect them from the dangers of the road.
Carrying Rem in the frame while Subaru walked was reaching its limit. Ideally, they'd have an earth dragon. If that wasn't possible, a brave bull or a great dog—any mount for travel would do.
But either way, they'd have to manage with their limited war chest.
"Flop, seriously, it's a huge help that you know the right people…"
"I wouldn't call it 'knowing the right people'—I simply know the bars where people of that trade tend to congregate. I can help you find a mount, though. —For instance, a Farrow cart!"
"The Farrow. You really are pushing those hard…"
"I was practically raised on Farrow milk, so I'm biased, but they're the best."
Flop laughed loudly and launched into an enthusiastic pitch for why Farrow were the way to go.
That said, for carrying heavy cargo they were fine, but they were a poor match for Subaru's group, who needed to cover long distances. Their speed was glacially slow, so Farrow were a last resort.
"Whatever you do, take every safety measure you can on the road. …Between us, it seems like the Imperial Capital is in a bit of a stir. No telling if that unrest might spill over here."
"The Imperial Capital is in a stir."
Subaru's eyebrows shot up, but Flop didn't seem to notice his reaction. He crossed his arms and said, "That's right."
"There are sparks smoldering somewhere in the Empire practically year-round. The concern is that those sparks could spread. I'm telling only you because I don't want to worry your wife."
"I appreciate the concern. …By the way, does that have anything to do with the emperor?"
"With His Excellency Vincent Volakia?"
Flop's eyes went wide, as though he had heard something unexpected. Then he quickly waved his hands. "No, no, no—"
"I've never once heard anything about the emperor being directly involved. Besides, His Excellency has done a remarkable job pacifying the nation to this point."
"But just now, you said sparks are smoldering?"
"That they're still only sparks—that's thanks to His Excellency's skill. He ascended to the throne, what, seven or eight years ago? Before that, the Empire was in far worse shape."
"…………"
"This current unrest—His Excellency is personally commanding the response. Before long, our hometown will be back to its usual state of smoldering, I'm sure."
"Huh?"
Flop let out a bitter laugh, resigning himself to the idea that a smoldering hometown was home.
But something in his words snagged Subaru's attention. —Specifically, the part about the emperor personally commanding the response.
"The trouble in the Imperial Capital—the emperor is trying to handle it himself?"
"In his own backyard… Well, it is literally his own backyard, so of course His Excellency would act. He's issued a statement that anyone who tries to exploit the situation will be shown no mercy."
"The emperor's statement…"
There was no hint of falsehood in Flop's matter-of-fact explanation.
There was, after all, no reason whatsoever for Flop to lie to Subaru about the turmoil in the Imperial Capital. At the very least, he was telling Subaru the truth as he understood it.
But if that was the case, something gnawed at Subaru.
"If Abel really is the emperor, then the statement came from him…?"
—No, the timing felt off.
Of course, issuing an imperial statement might be something the emperor's ministers could handle, even without the emperor himself—"It was done by a secretary"—and so forth. Besides, if Abel was to be believed, the people remaining in the emperor's castle were the very ones who had driven the emperor out.
They would trample on any respect for the emperor and exploit his name however they pleased.
Still— "I'll keep in mind the possibility that Abel is just a plain lunatic."
If you believed everything you saw at face value, you wouldn't survive on the raging ocean.
This was not always a raging ocean, admittedly, but that was the stance Subaru wanted to take in the Empire.
Though, having met and spoken with Abel in person, Subaru did feel that the man had more presence than what one would expect from a self-proclaimed emperor— "—Young man, you mustn't scowl."
Concerned by Subaru's demeanor, Flop circled around to face him.
Subaru involuntarily stopped in his tracks, and Flop pointed at the space between his brows.
"Beneath a face without a smile or ease, fortune will not visit. From here on, you'll be looking for companions for your journey, won't you? Then you must seek good connections."
"That's…"
"If that's the case, erase the frown from your brow and relax the corners of your mouth to project ease. That is the mark of a man who's got it together."
Flop rubbed his own pointed-at brow in a circular motion, then used both hands to pull his cheeks into a relaxed expression.
Watching his gesture, Subaru held his breath. Then, doing as he was told, he slowly loosened his brow and cheeks with his fingers.
"Ah, I forgot. I already have a naturally bad look on my face, so I should at least try to soften my overall vibe."
"Forgive me—I can't do anything about that look in your eyes!"
"Don't take it that seriously! It's the face I got from my parents, so honestly, it doesn't bother me that much!"
Flop had exaggerated his lament, so Subaru exaggerated his reply, but even that exchange was part of Flop's effort to ease Subaru's tension.
Trading these silly bits, Subaru and Flop arrived at their destination.
What Flop had indicated with a gesture was a hidden, speakeasy-type bar down an alley.
"For a large group, you'd want to hire a good number of guards all at once. But for just you and your wife, plus your niece—three people—you can't exactly go for a full security detail. After all, even my sister and I can't follow you all the way outside of Guaral!"
"But if Medium came along, I feel like she could handle it…"
"If my sister gets poached, I'll lose the other half of my strength and die for sure!"
When weighing trust and safety, the O'Connell siblings honestly weren't a bad option, but Subaru couldn't afford to add to his debts and burdens any further.
"No, worst case, I take both of them with me and defect from Lugunica. Then I help them achieve the career success that Otto never could as a merchant…"
"Hey, hey, young man? Are you okay?"
Lost in thought, Subaru snapped back at Flop's wave of concern.
"Sorry," he said, scratching his head. It had been an impulse, but now that he thought about it, it wasn't necessarily a bad idea.
Still, having gone to all this trouble to guide him, it felt wrong to— "Hey, Flop, there's something I wanted to ask you and Medium to help with—"
He was about to continue when— "————"
—From somewhere, a faint, hard sound rang out.
△▼△▼▼△▼△ "—Young man, you mustn't scowl."
"…What?"
In an instant, as though blinking, his field of vision shifted, and Subaru's consciousness was swallowed by a void.
Directly in front of him, Flop was pointing at his own brow. He had stopped Subaru and was delivering a lecture as he rubbed his own brow in a circular motion.
"Beneath a face without a smile or ease, fortune will not visit. From here on, you'll be looking for companions for your journey, won't you? Then you must seek good connections."
"————"
"If that's the case, erase the frown from your brow and relax the corners of your mouth to project ease. That is the mark of a man who's got it together."
And then Flop began to knead his cheeks with both hands.
There was something familiar about the gesture. More than familiar—because it had been mere minutes ago.
The exact same conversation he'd had just minutes ago was being repeated.
"Hey—hey, hey, wait a second…"
A cold sweat broke out on his face, and Subaru clamped his hands over it.
Flop, seeing this, raised his voice: "Don't hide it—loosen up!" but Subaru no longer had the composure to respond.
Looking around, the surrounding streets were familiar too.
This was supposed to be a town he was visiting for the first time, and he wasn't an expert on Guaral. Even so, his memory wasn't so poor that he could forget a scene he'd just seen.
In other words— "—'Return by Death'?"
Without understanding what had just happened to him in this seemingly mundane situation, Subaru clenched his jaw—tightening his face for a completely different reason than before—and murmured those words.