—The timeline predates the dancer's performance at the
"A bloodless city capture, you say?"
Abel, who had been forced to tear away the demon mask he wore, repeated Subaru's "pipe dream" in a frozen tone as he looked up at him.
There was no sneer in those words—no, there was nothing mocking or derisive about the tone directed at Subaru. What filled it was pure doubt, the exasperated sigh of someone who couldn't fathom what had just been said.
His intent was clear enough.
"You might be calculating how to keep casualties to a minimum, but the idea of zero sacrifices doesn't even cross your mind."
"Of course it doesn't. Whether you acknowledge it or not, what we're doing right now is war. No matter how you spin it, death is unavoidable. I can entertain the idea of minimizing waste of human resources, but—"
"I'm not a fan of that whole 'human resources' way of thinking to begin with."
Subaru clicked his tongue, looking down at Abel, who sat cross-legged directly in front of him.
The phrase "human resources" was, in Subaru's view, an abhorrent term—one that mated two words that should never be paired: "human" and "resource."
It was precisely because it distanced one's perspective one step away from "people" that humans became nothing but numbers.
Or perhaps, for a ruler like Abel, it was simply a necessary sense of balance—but— "That's why I'm not convinced. Flop-san agrees with me, right?"
"……So the replacement for that is to charge in with a bloodless city capture? You certainly make grand pronouncements. Just moments ago, you looked utterly wretched."
"I won't deny looking like a pathetic mess. Ever since I got blasted into this country, the disasters just keep piling up nonstop."
Subaru smirked self-deprecatingly at Abel's observation, then stared down at his own palm.
His right hand, now suspiciously clean. The fact that this arm had been replaced with a brand-new one could be counted among those "nonstop disasters." The hand swap was perhaps one of the few pieces of genuine fortune.
The hand swap,
Everything else, though, was simply two sides of the same coin—fortune and misfortune intertwined.
Abel before him, the Shudrak people, the imperial soldiers including Todd— "After continuous hardship, your soul wears thin. But—"
"————"
"—All that friction lit a fire."
Subaru clenched his open palm and declared firmly.
Just then, Rem arrived at the entrance to the meeting hall, a beat behind Subaru. Leaning on a staff, she appeared with Medium and Louis at her sides.
She had come to witness it.
Her selfish plea had been what ignited the fire in Natsuki Subaru's soul.
"Flop-san told me about a secret passage—a strategy to infiltrate the city? You're planning a surprise attack? That'll never work."
"Oh? And why not? This is a fortified city protected by walls. Is there any other way over them?"
"Whenever there's a wall, someone will think to look for a secret passage. Sure, the passage itself might be cleverly hidden, but—"
If a passage was designed for smuggling people and goods in and out of a fortress city, then it was presumably built for individuals of uncertain identity and suspicious cargo.
Naturally, it would be hidden from the guards' view. But even so, that was only enough to slip past peacetime security.
Getting through anything beyond that—true wartime vigilance—seemed impossible.
And above all— "The guy who pinned us down in the city isn't the type to miss something like that."
Fast-thinking, thorough, and unhesitating in his decisions.
Once Todd had confirmed Subaru and the others' survival, every type of secret passage would be the most closely guarded "hole." The enemy wasn't kind enough to leave it untouched.
They'd seal it as a matter of course—or worse, leave it open to turn it into a trap.
"That's why a surprise attack is completely off the table. The second we popped out of that passage, we could have our skulls caved in with an axe by whoever's waiting on the other side."
"H-hey, why are you saying that while staring at my face, Boss-kun?! That's a scary image!"
Subaru had intended to warn everyone of the danger but found himself staring intently at Flop's face.
What came to mind was the sight of Flop falling before that murderous blade—or rather, murderous axe—countless times in front of Subaru. He never wanted to see that again, and he wouldn't let it happen a second time.
"……If it were just a plain surprise attack, I'd agree that the enemy would be on guard."
"Huh?"
An unexpected nod of agreement made Subaru's eyes widen. Because the one who'd just backed his opinion was none other than Abel himself.
Abel raised an eyebrow at Subaru's stunned expression, then continued, "What—"
"Surprised that I agreed?"
"Well, yeah… You're always acting like you're right about everything, and now you're casually admitting you're wrong—"
"Fool. When have I ever admitted to being wrong? I merely agreed that a surprise attack through the passage would not succeed. That's all."
"……? Then what were you planning to do with the passage?"
Abel's denial carried a different note from mere stubbornness after being cornered.
When Subaru pressed him for justification, Abel closed one eye.
"There's no reason it has to be people going in and out. If the goal is simply to incapacitate the soldiers holed up in the city, all we need is to smuggle something in."
"Something… like what?"
"Poison."
"Well, that's even MORE impossible to get away with!"
Abel's flat, matter-of-fact tone made the plan sound terrifyingly executable, prompting Subaru to raise his voice in protest.
Using poison was out of the question. —Having experienced firsthand the potency of poison the Shudrak people could wield, Subaru was adamantly opposed. That level of agony was worse than dying in battle.
"Hold on—weren't you just talking to convince Flop-san about minimizing and reducing harm? How does using poison fit into that—"
"What are you blathering about? Even if we launch a surprise attack through the passage, our own forces could suffer casualties during the raid. With poison, there's no such risk."
"————"
"Reducing sacrifices among our own forces. That is what minimizing harm means."
Abel delivered those words with finality, and Subaru's breath caught.
Then and there, Subaru was forced to re-recognize just how vast the gulf between his position and Abel's truly was—between a ruler and everyone else. The divide exceeded even Subaru's understanding.
In other words, Abel hadn't considered the impact on Guaral's citizens. —No, even if he meant to spare the citizens, he wasn't thinking about casualties on the imperial soldiers' side at all.
That much had been obvious since the day he'd burned through the imperial camp that had been targeting Subaru.
"I was still being too naive. You—"
"That's right, your thinking is naive. Which is why there's no place for you here—"
The two glared at each other, their gazes sparking.
Their conflicting opinions were about to collide, and the discussion was on the verge of breaking down when— "Wh-whoa whoa, wait a moment, both of you! There's no need to glare at each other and pick fights!"
Flop stepped between them and forced them apart.
Wearing a dopey grin, he looked back and forth between Subaru and Abel's faces, then clapped his hands together in front of his chest. "Let's talk this through calmly!"
"In truth, my discussion with the Village Chief-kun had reached a complete standstill! That's when you came strolling back in looking all triumphant, Boss-kun. I absolutely wanted to hear about this 'bloodless city capture' you mentioned! If it's real, wouldn't that be like a dream?"
"Flop-san…"
Subaru suppressed his earlier anger in the face of Flop's cheerful expectations. It seemed Abel had also been disarmed by Flop's behavior.
Abel let out a small "Hmph" through his nose.
"……Fine. Let's hear it. If your plan can properly deceive this merchant and we can get him to reveal the passage's location, that would be a stroke of luck."
"Eh!? Boss-kun!? Don't tell me you actually—"
"No, no, no! We didn't plan this together! Don't try dragging me down with you just because your own idea doesn't seem like it'll fly!"
Flop's unnecessary suspicion prompted a response, but Abel showed no remorse. He maintained his brazen composure without batting an eye, and Subaru muttered, "You don't even need the demon mask…"
"So…"
Into the brief silence that followed, a quiet voice slipped through.
It came from the entrance of the meeting hall, where Rem stood rooted in place, her eyes fixed on Subaru's back.
Undisturbed by the tension in the room, Rem looked only at Subaru and continued.
"So what would you do, if you were the one? Can you find another path—one that isn't some faded dream or a blood-soaked reality?"
"……You really know how to twist the knife, don't you."
"————"
Sububar offered a wry smile at Rem's unwavering gaze, then steeled his resolve once more.
He then looked over everyone gathered in the meeting hall. Meeting the eyes of Abel, Flop, and Mizelda alongside the other Shudrak members, he spoke: "My plan requires neither a secret passage nor bloodshed. However, I'll need Flop-san's help."
"No secret passage needed, yet you need my help? But Boss-kun, as you well know, I'm nothing more than a helpless traveling merchant with a silver tongue!"
"Of course. But Flop-san, you have a talent beyond just being a merchant—one you were born with. A good face."
"……Huh? My face?"
Hearing this, Flop placed both hands on his own cheeks, eyes wide.
Similarly, everyone else in the meeting hall tilted their heads. "His face?"
"That's ri-N, true enoug-H."
"——!? Sister, did you notice something?"
"I just agre-D with what Subaru said about his face being nic-E."
"Sister…"
Mizelda crossed her arms and nodded, while Taritta looked troubled and hung her head.
Still, more or less, no one could grasp the intent behind Subaru's statement, and an air of confusion spread through the room. Flop and even Abel were no exception.
But Mizelda's reaction wasn't off the mark. Her unabashed aesthetic sensibility—the very thing that made her a hopeless slave to good looks—had given Subaru the crucial hint he needed.
It was Mizelda's shallowness that had inspired this "bloodless city capture" plan.
"Seeing is believing. —Flop-san, humor me for a moment."
"Humor you? I don't mind, but humor me in what, exactly…?"
Subaru simply pressed forward, brushing aside Flop's unanswered questions.
Then, turning his gaze toward Mizelda: "You dye your hair and draw patterns on your body, so you must have cosmetics. Could you lend me some of your supplies?"
△▼△▼△▼△ "————"
After a while, the assembled group returned to the meeting hall and were shown the "results." Words failed them.
But Subaru could tell this silence wasn't born of confusion or exasperation—it was something purer. Astonishment, admiration, perhaps even something approaching awe.
He could say with full confidence that the results deserved exactly that level of shock.
"When the material is this good, even I can pull off something like this."
"————"
Subaru rubbed the bridge of his nose as he spoke, and still received no response. The stunned silence showed no sign of breaking when a tentative voice called out: "Bo-Boss-kun?"
It came from the only other person in the room who had been spared the shock—since they couldn't see it themselves.
"I'm having a little trouble seeing the results for myself, so what exactly is going on? I'm getting a weird vibe from all of this…"
"Oh, come on, don't worry, Flop-san… Actually, don't worry, Flora."
"Flora!?"
Flop—no, Flora—stared back with wide eyes. Subaru nodded with supreme confidence and gently stroked her cheek, noting that even that expression of shock was quite charming.
Then he gripped Flora's slender shoulders and turned her to face the others.
He had carefully brushed her long golden hair, applied eyeshadow to make her eye area stand out more, tidied her lashes so their length was apparent, and added a subtle blush to her naturally pale complexion. He painted her lips with rouge and changed her outfit.
With her delicate frame, only a small amount of effort was needed to pass her off as "her."
In other words— "This is the key to the bloodless city capture—my greatest strategy!"
Subaru thrust a fist into the air and presented Flora—Flop—to the assembled crowd.
It was done in a short time, but he was proud of how he had brought out the material's natural qualities to create a polished result. And believe it or not, this was the least pretty Flora he could produce, given the limited preparation.
Once the necessary tools were gathered and Flora learned the proper mannerisms, her appeal wouldn't just add up—it would multiply exponentially.
"Beauty can be created."
"Are you joking?"
"What!?"
Subaru's triumphant showcase was met with a voice as cold as ice.
It was Rem, her eyes sharp enough to cut. Gone was the gaze full of expectation she'd leveled at Subaru moments ago—she was looking at him with the same look she'd had since the day she first woke up.
Taken aback by the sheer intensity, Subaru thrust out a hand. "W-wait! I'm not joking! I'm completely serious, so don't look at me like that!"
"This is serious? Spare me. I was the fool for even trying to believe in you, even a little."
"You're jumping to conclusions! That way you've already written me off—it's giving me serious
"Huh?"
For the current Rem, this would have been a baffling reference, but Ram could certainly match this speed of judgment.
Part of Subaru felt a warmth knowing they truly were sisters, but regaining Rem's trust was the top priority right now.
In truth, Subaru wasn't pulling any pranks. He'd been dead serious about everything—every word, every plan.
The reason he'd gone to the trouble of transforming Flop into Flora— "Your target is
It was Abel who arrived at the answer first, resting his chin in his hand.
Unlike everyone else, who couldn't hide their shock at Flop's transformation into Flora, Abel had been silent because he'd been sizing up Subaru's true intent.
And sure enough, he'd nailed it.
—The target was Zikr Osman.
Holding the rank of one of the Empire's Two Generals, he was the commander of imperial soldiers stationed in the fortress city of Guaral. A capable officer who favored cautious, reliable tactics, and also— "I heard he's a huge 'ladies' man.' Pretty well-known among the imperial troops."
"That was indeed a widely known fact, even as a nickname."
"A 'ladies' man'… That's not exactly an appealing impression."
Rem wrinkled her nose at the exchange between Subaru and Abel.
Subaru shared the sentiment. A military officer known as a womanizer—anyone would imagine someone sleazy and lecherous. But that also meant there was an opening to exploit.
"Back at the imperial camp, they were talking about offering captured women to this 'General' Zikr. In other words, if the bait is a harmless-looking woman, there's a good chance he'll bite."
Not a pleasant memory, but back at the camp, Jamal had declared he would offer Rem to Zikr in front of Subaru.
Rem was a beautiful girl, which meant Zikr's aesthetic taste was, if nothing else, fairly conventional.
"If that's the case, then with Flora's abilities, this should work."
"Bo-Boss-kun? You keep calling me Flora with such passionate expectation, but what exactly is happening here?! I'm confused and scared!"
"Relax, Flora. Of course, I'm not going to leave you to do it alone. I'll be fighting right alongside you, disguised just the same."
"That's insane, Subaru!"
As Subaru tried to calm the bewildered Flora, Mizelda stood up. Her intense gaze dimmed slightly as she grabbed Subaru's shoulder and shook her head.
Then, lowering her voice as if delivering difficult news: "Your eyes have a certain charm o-F. But what you were born with—"
"Oh, come on, Mizelda-san. Were you not listening to what I just said?"
"What do yo-U mean?"
"—Beauty can be created."
Subaru placed his hand over Mizelda's where it gripped his shoulder and made the declaration with conviction.
Mizelda's eyes widened and she drew a sharp breath. Then she looked at Flora, squinting as though the makeup on Flora's face was dazzling.
"You've got me beat. …Then show me what you're capable o-F."
"I will. Just watch."
"I have no idea what any of this is about, bu-T—"
Kuna watched the exchange between Mizelda and Subaru with a deadpan look. Subaru had no comment on that.
In any case, the real issue at hand was— "Say you exploit Zikr Osman's preferences—then what? He's a wolf, not some dog that'll bite just because you dangle something pretty in front of it."
"Well, obviously just dangling randomly won't cut it. We need to lure him in on our terms—like inviting him to a party, for instance."
"A banquet. But he won't be drawn in so easily. As long as reinforcements from the capital haven't arrived, there's no reason for him to leave behind the walls. He won't take the bait on a suspicious invitation."
"That's fair. We're still narrowing down the candidates for how to set it up, but…"
"W-wait a minute!"
As Subaru and Abel continued their back-and-forth, Rem interjected.
Wearing a look of disbelief, she glanced between Subaru and Abel.
"Are you—are you actually serious? Centering a strategy around a prank played on Flop-san?"
"Eh? A prank played on me? What exactly is happening to me? If even my wife thinks I'm just joking around… Niece-kun, what's going on?"
"Mmmh—!? Mmph! Mm-mm!"
Flora, who still hadn't been allowed to see her own reflection, desperately looked to Louis for help from beside the tense Rem. But Louis, confronted by this version of Flop whom she'd never met before, panicked and hid behind Rem.
In other words, in Louis's eyes, Flora and Flop were entirely different people.
"Whether that girl's reaction is a valid test or not, I don't consider this a prank. You've finally put forward a proposal worth discussing."
"So you admit it, then. Flora's beauty."
"……What I'm admitting is your idea—one that came from a completely different angle than mine, I might add."
At Abel's stubborn retort, Subaru frowned in dissatisfaction.
But Abel ignored him, pressing his own fingers to his lips in thought. Then he turned those sharp eyes toward Subaru.
"Natsuki Subaru, let me ask you one thing… Your cosmetic skills—do they work on merchants alone?"
"————"
For an instant, Subaru was caught off guard by Abel's question.
But he chewed on the intent behind it and shook his head.
"I told you, didn't I? If this plan gets the green light, I'll be standing right there alongside everyone else!"
"Fool. Who on earth would rely on you? Look in a mirror before you run your mouth."
"Watch your tone!"
Abel's contempt was bone-deep as he spat those words. Subaru, wounded by the delivery, said nothing more.
Abel, meanwhile, placed a hand over his chest.
"A merchant alone wouldn't be enough. —In that case, I'll go as well."
"A-Abel, you say!?"
His bold self-nomination sent a ripple through the assembly, with Mizelda at the center.
Subaru, too, was startled. He never could have imagined that Abel would volunteer himself.
"……Honestly, I was thinking my biggest challenge would be figuring out how to talk you into it."
"Under normal circumstances, it would be a foolish proposition not even worth considering. But at present, our hand is thin and our options are limited. If it's effective, cutting into one's own position is a necessity."
"Tch, what a pain-in-the-ass way to talk. That's the problem with you 'charisma' types…"
Even removed from his throne, Abel's identity as emperor remained unshaken.
That was his creed—an unwavering principle he'd never bend. Having witnessed that firsthand, Subaru could only tip his hat.
A truly incompetent leader would be the type who, overly concerned with self-preservation, would fumble the play.
But Abel, ever since his first encounter with Subaru in the jungle—through the "Covenant Ceremony" and beyond—had been placing his own life on the line and winning every high-stakes gamble.
This time would be no exception. He had no intention of backing down.
"A stratagem only achieves its full effect when it strikes from outside the enemy's expectations. Exploiting the 'general's' tastes to infiltrate through an inevitable lapse in vigilance—it's worth considering."
"Yeah, even the Kojiki says the best way to take an enemy general's head is through cross-dressing."
"You'd put stock in something from a dubious book like that…"
It was actually a reputable ancient text, but trying to convince Rem of the Kojiki's credibility right now would be like throwing a pear at a wall. He couldn't think of a way to quickly regain her lost trust.
However, Subaru had been worried she would reject the idea outright, so Abel's response was both surprising and welcome.
"When you first suggested poison, I half-wondered if you were the type who wanted to slaughter everyone who opposed you…"
"If necessary, I wouldn't hesitate. But emotions are superfluous to sound judgment. What must be obtained is not Guaral alone."
"————"
"If we can keep Zikr Osman—the 'general'—under control, there's a viable path to acquiring what we want intact. And if we can reduce the risk of the city falling apart from within, all the better."
"……I see. Coming from a guy who got kicked out and had nowhere left to stand, that kind of talk carries real weight."
It was a jab laced with veiled provocation, but Abel's expression didn't so much as twitch.
Perhaps such irony and impudence were beneath his notice. —Or perhaps, as he himself had said, he wasn't so stubborn that he couldn't recognize his own missteps.
Either way— "If you're going to be cooperative, that's more than welcome. Name-wise… Abel… Volakia Bianca? That work?"
"I have no attachment to names. Call me what you will. But the three of us—myself, you, and the merchant—simply won't have enough hands for this. Let's see…"
Abel crossed his arms and surveyed the faces in the meeting hall.
Then, closing one eye briefly, he murmured, "Hmm—"
"The ones worth using would be Kuna and Taritta."
"Eh?"
"A natural precaution. Even if we successfully draw out Zikr Osman, we'll need enough people to actually keep him pinned down. That said, we want to avoid anyone who immediately screams 'Shudrak people.'"
Subaru understood Abel's reasoning as the man gestured with his chin.
Taritta and Kuna had been named unexpectedly, and both looked bewildered. Of all the Shudrak people, they were the ones who gave off the least aggressively warrior-like vibe.
Mizelda, who looked like a battle-hardened veteran through and through, or Holy, who gave off an unusual impression at first glance—neither would fit well in this plan, where concealing the Shudrak identity was paramount.
What was needed was a femininity that wouldn't put the enemy on guard— "That would be something I can handle with cosmetics and styling, I suppose."
"——Me too."
"Rem?"
Rem's hand shot up.
She'd been making no effort to hide her distrust of Subaru since the Flora affair, but watching the others discuss the plan seriously must have stirred something in her. Her expression turned solemn.
Then, kindling her pale blue eyes with resolve and determination: "Please, let me go too. I'll prove my usefulness."
"Rem… I'm sorry, but that's not possible."
"——! Are you trying to keep me away from danger unnecessarily again…?"
Her resolve shaken, Rem glared hard at Subaru.
He understood why she'd be frustrated—the protective instinct was real. He truly did want to keep her safe, far from harm, living peacefully.
But that wasn't the only reason he was denying her participation.
"You being a concern is true. But rejecting your involvement purely lowers our chances of success. …You've been seen by the imperial soldiers in the city."
"——Ah."
"You were captured at the camp, yes, but you were also spotted when we fled the city. For the same reason, we can't use Medium-san's help either. We drew way too much attention back then."
Having stood out that much, the checkpoint guards would remember Rem, Medium, and Louis by sight.
This plan hinged on slipping into the gaps in the enemy's thinking. Bringing along Rem would undermine its very foundation.
"But… but if the issue is that I've been seen, then you've been seen too!"
"Yeah, but it's different. Because the next person passing through Guaral's main gate won't be Natsuki Subaru—it'll be Natsumi Schwartz."
"Huh?"
Thinking she'd been brushed off again, Rem's eyes blazed with anger. But this was something words alone couldn't explain.
Just as Flop had become Flora, all Natsuki Subaru had to do was become Natsumi Schwartz. —This was something that could only be demonstrated, not explained.
"In any case, the reason I can't take you along is as I've explained. However, I want to make sure Taritta-san and Kuna are on board with this, given the danger involved…"
"I agree. I'll allow i-T. Take them bot-H."
Just as Subaru was about to confirm Taritta and Kuna's willingness, Mizelda cut in.
Turning in surprise, he found Mizelda watching him with eyes that burned with curiosity—like a hunter trying to peel back his skin and peer underneath.
For a split second, Subaru felt a chill run down his spine.
"M-Mizelda-san?"
"Subaru, you and Abel have already proven your prowes-S. The Shudrak are proud of our martial prowes-S. But that doesn't mean we discard the value of strateg-Y. The supreme warrior is one who excels in both strength and wisdo-M. …Prove i-T."
Mizelda's face softened into an approving smile, clearly favoring this stratagem.
Subaru had assumed, based on preconceptions, that Mizelda and the other Shudrak people would oppose this kind of plan. That was why he'd wanted to check with Taritta and Kuna.
But with Mizelda giving her approval, both Taritta and Kuna nodded as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Whatever the Clan Leader say-S, I don't have anything special to add."
"I'll follow my sister's decisio-N. …I'm also curious about cosmetics."
Kuna clasped her hands behind her head, agreeing with an air of indifference. Taritta was of the same mind, though her eyes kept drifting toward Flora.
It seemed Subaru's cosmetic artistry had piqued her interest. He felt the lack of tension was a bit much for what was essentially a life-or-death operation's preparation stage— "If there are no objections, we'll begin preparations immediately. The craven of this fortress city must be settled before the capital's whip cracks."
"……Yeah, fine. If everyone's okay with it. Rem—can you accept this?"
"……You're not going to listen either way, are you?"
Rem glared at Subaru with barely concealed frustration. He felt sorry for dismissing her resolution, but when weighing her safety against the plan's success, bringing her along simply wasn't an option.
So Subaru lowered his eyebrows and accepted her anger with grace.
However— "But I was the one who begged you to do something about this."
"Rem?"
"There's no way I could stand in the way of that. …Please, make it succeed."
Rem was still clearly bitter. She hadn't forgiven Subaru—she was simply choosing to respect his judgment, looking away as she said so.
That was enough. The dark clouds inside Subaru seemed to clear.
"For Rem only, I'll call it cheap… Actually, no, is it really that cheap?"
Even the smallest show of warmth from Rem was enough to make Subaru feel like he could fly.
If
Man, he was even more of a pushover than he'd realized.
"What's wrong? Losing your nerve already?"
"Not 'already'—the direction's different. …But yeah, I'm slowly burning with resolve."
"Oh? Then by all means, show me what you've got."
Abel snorted at Subaru's response, which had been bolstered by Rem's single remark.
Without needing to be told, that was exactly the plan. —If he could pull off this bloodless capture, the road home to the
Even if not, Subaru would never stand by and let poison be scattered where he could see.
"Hey—Boss! I was thinking maybe we should take Botechin somewhere to rest, since poor thing looks exhausted—"
Medium poked her large head into the meeting hall, where the momentum was building.
Even among the Shudrak, a people known for their imposing physiques, Medium stood a full head taller than most—her height was impossible to miss. Making herself even more conspicuous, she peered around the hall with her wide, round eyes.
"Huh? Where's big bro?"
"Oh, little sister! Losing sight of your brother—aren't you rather heartless? I'm right here, you know!"
"——?"
Flora stood and made her presence known to the confused Medium. The girl tilted her head, then went silent for a moment before suddenly letting out a shout: "Big bro, you were actually big sis all along?!"
"Boss-kun!? What exactly is happening to me!? I'm scared!"
If Flora could fool even her own blood-related sister, that was a promising start for the plan.
As for Subaru's cross-dressing proclivities (for lack of a better term), they were already on full display in short story collections 3 and 6.
The web version never had the right timing to include them, but it was something the author had always planned to do, so consider this a reveal eight years in the making. Ha ha ha. Nice obsession.