"Are you okay? Think you can manage?"
"Big Sis, watch your hands! Careful, careful!"
"That's the rumored silver-haired half-elf, right? Douse her from the head!"
"Don't yak yak from the side! And don't instill any clear malice! The scripture says so: 'Touch not the dragon's scales with impure thoughts. The defiled shall be beaten by silver rain, and shall not pass through the golden gate until the dross of the heart is scraped away.'"
"...What does that mean?"
"It means the dragon gets angry not just for doing bad things, but even for thinking about them! Now then, I have a guest to attend to. Go play outside!"
The clear voice spoke kindly but firmly, chasing the innocent children out. The children responded with cheerful shrieks, noisily rushing out of the building.
Two boys and one girl—the girl being the foulest-mouthed of the bunch—and all of them wore near-black indigo-dyed religious habits. They were probably affiliated with the church.
Either way, Subaru thought it was nice that they were so full of energy.
"I'm sorry my children were being noisy. I tell them off every day, but it doesn't really stick—they just don't take me seriously, or they've got me figured out... heh."
The golden-haired, red-eyed nun—Filiore—shrugged her shoulders limply as she watched the children's retreating figures. She'd been badgered by those kids endlessly while preparing to welcome her guests, and honestly, from the looks of it, the situation was half adoration, half not taking her seriously.
Rather than offering words of comfort about that, however, Subaru and the others had their attention stolen by her precarious steps as she approached with a silver tray bearing a tea set.
Clatter-clatter-clatter—everything on the tray was screaming danger signals.
Watching her transport performance from their seats at the table in the reception room, Subaru and the others gulped nervously.
"Um, shall I help you?"
"Wait, please don't touch me! Right now, I've achieved a delicate equilibrium on this tray, and one wrong move and it's all over. Slowly, slowly..."
"She's trying so haaaard...!"
As
Unable to help themselves, Subaru and the others let out a "Woo!" and applauded. She dabbed at her forehead and spoke.
"Ahem. Thank you for waiting. And I apologize for giving you a heart attack right off the bat. Normally, I'd leave the welcoming of guests to someone else, but I'm the only one here at the moment."
"No, it's fine. Thank you for welcoming us. If anything, we're the ones who showed up when you're short-staffed."
"Not at all. The doors of the church should always be open. The scripture says: 'Revere and respect the dragon's power—that is the mark of love. Love without reverence is pride; reverence without love is servility. True love resides in the noble act of standing tall before the dragon.'"
"Um, what does that mean?"
"It means always keep yourself presentable in case an important person shows up."
Filiore held up her index finger as she answered Emilia's question.
She was probably quoting a passage from the
"Still, spitting at the kids while getting worked up—that counts as presentable?"
"Ugh."
"And the way your face turned beet red when you spotted Betty and the others afterward was quite the sight too."
"Oof."
At Subaru and
"Really, you shouldn't be so mean."
"Ow, ow, ow!"
And so the penalty for their mischief was exacted, leaving Subaru and Beatrice with damage of their own. All told, delivering tea had produced three victims.
But enough of that tall tale— "Thank you again for coming to visit. I am Filiore... a nun of the Divine Dragon Church, who has caused quite a stir at the Royal Castle."
"............"
Filiore placed a hand on her chest and introduced herself. Subaru and the others were silent. At that, Filiore's expression visibly clouded.
"S-say something, won't you? Otherwise, I'm going to start feeling anxious."
"No, I was just thinking—you're aware of the stir you've caused."
"Of course I am. ...Yes, I am. When you're at the castle and everyone looks at you with those... indescribable expressions, anyone would think, 'Oh dear, did I do something?'"
"Well, we weren't there, but I actually know that feeling of excruciating out-of-place-ness very well."
"You do!? That hellish feeling!?"
"Oh, wait—is that about the time Subaru insisted in front of everyone that he was my knight, and I got embarrassed and denied it?"
"Ugh, that's basically it!"
As Filiore lunged forward and Emilia clasped her hands together, the two of them bombarded him with innocent amazement from both sides, and this time the old wound in Subaru's heart throbbed freshly.
In Emilia's eyes, apparently, her denial at the time had been framed as "because it was embarrassing." He hadn't exactly gone back to investigate Emilia's feelings at the time, but despite how cute the reason was, the damage Subaru had taken was devastating.
"...Listening to that story already makes me cringe, but is it true?"
"As it happens, Betty hadn't formed a contract with Subaru back then, so I don't know the details. But for the Subaru of that era, it wouldn't have been out of character."
"The way you and Beako are bringing up stuff about that day now is seriously uncomfortable! And for the record, Rem before she lost her memory knew the situation and was actually pretty sympathetic!"
"Was she really? Perhaps the old me was simply exasperated and held back from commenting."
"Stop, that's actually starting to feel like it might be true!"
In truth, setting aside how Subaru had felt at the time, his methods, his approach, his words, his manner—everything had been a continuous string of poor choices. But he'd already reflected on all of that, so even though he'd brought it up himself, he was hoping for some leniency by now.
But just as Subaru was being mentally pummeled by his past self's actions— "—I understand that feeling."
Two hands reached across the table and firmly clasped Subaru's right hand. Looking up, he saw Filiore leaning forward from across the table, nodding at him.
Her red eyes blazed with intensity as she spoke to the wide-eyed Subaru.
"The cold stares from everyone around, watching the out-of-place person who suddenly appeared."
"—!"
"The momentum of having started to talk, and the tongue that can't take back what's already been said."
"Y-yeah. That's exactly it!"
"The eternal silence after you've finished, waiting for someone—anyone—to say something!"
"A few seconds feeling infinitely long...!"
"I thought it was spectacularly awful. ...That I'd really done it."
"Filiore...!"
The terror she'd felt resonated as if it were his own—no, it simply was. Realizing this, Subaru squeezed her hand back.
Over the table, hands clasped together, Subaru and Filiore nodded at each other.
Yes, Subaru and Filiore were both people who had impulsively caused a scene at the castle— "But the outcome was quite different, wasn't it? Filiore, who produced results on the spot, and you, who postponed your chance at redemption."
"C-come on... it was going so well just now!"
"That's right, that's right. The scripture says: 'Under the same wing, sharpen not thy claws to rend thy neighbor. Brothers who quarrel beneath the same sky cast aside the dragon's mercy and go astray.'"
"Um, what does that mean?"
"It means fellow sinners should get along instead of fighting."
"I get it! I'm going to join the Divine Dragon Church!"
"That's a delicate matter, so don't handle it so carelessly!"
Subaru, nearly moved to convert thanks to her heartfelt empathy, was restrained by Beatrice's loving slap. If devotion to one's faith was the great driving force behind it, then Subaru was already a follower of Beatrice-ism, while also serving Emilia-ism and Rem-ism.
"No wait, by that logic I've got a lot of religions I belong to. I've been non-religious as a Japanese person, but from God's perspective I might actually be an unfaithful person...?"
"—Well, isn't that the case?" Rem said flatly.
"That was an incredibly cold look!"
The instant he muttered that fearfully, Rem's pale blue eyes pierced him through. Beside her, Emilia and Beatrice wore wry smiles, so Subaru decided to stop digging into this topic.
Making that tactical retreat, Subaru and the others turned their attention back to Filiore. Honestly, she was already incredibly easy to like at this point, but there was something he needed to tell her.
That was— "I heard you helped Crusch. I know it might sound weird coming from me, but... thank you. Seriously, thank you so much."
"............"
With those words, Subaru bowed his head so deeply he nearly hit it on the table. At Subaru's words of gratitude, Filiore's eyes went wide, and she looked at Emilia and the others.
Even with his preface that it might sound weird, her surprise couldn't be dispelled. But to Filiore, Emilia also bowed her head.
"Let me thank you too. We all wanted to help Crusch somehow. And you made that happen."
"She really did. I was just trying to figure out what to do. It was quite the accomplishment, I'd say."
"I only heard about it secondhand, but it sounds like a truly admirable thing."
Emilia, Beatrice, and Rem continued expressing their gratitude one after another, leaving Filiore gaping for a while. Eventually, she managed to absorb the impact and slowly shook her head.
Then, before Subaru and the others, she composed herself and let a warm, loving smile grace her face.
"It's nothing. I merely did what needed to be done. If someone was saved because of it, that alone is my heart's desire."
That response was exactly befitting the compassionate nun Subaru had imagined.—If her little nose hadn't been twitching with delight, one could have called it flawless.
Of course, out of gratitude and a sense of chivalry, Subaru didn't say that out loud.
△▼△▼△▼△ "—I was picked up as a baby, left in front of the church. That was a little over fifteen years ago."
After the conversation from the initial introductions had settled down, Filiore began telling the story of her circumstances and background.
That opening statement about being abandoned made Subaru and the others exchange glances.—Because it was an unavoidable topic in the "Filiore = the Vanished Princess" mystery.
"Left behind... so you don't remember your parents?"
"No, I don't know their faces or names. But everyone at the church is my family. So I haven't felt lonely... well, occasionally when thoughtless people teased me I'd grumble, but for the most part I haven't. There was always someone there for me."
"I see. But didn't you ever think it was strange? I mean, golden hair, red eyes, the name Filiore—that's practically hitting the jackpot, or a critical hit..."
"This is the Divine Dragon Church, you know? The church naturally keeps its distance from the royal family and the castle, so information like that didn't reach me. ...No, come to think of it, they probably deliberately kept it from me. How dare they..."
She shook her trembling fists resting on the table, lamenting her circumstances.
From the striking first impression and their short exchange so far, it was clear that Filiore was quite the impulsive type—someone easily swept up by her emotions.
Her solo charge into the Royal Castle to demand an audience, connected by a strong empathy with Subaru, was also clearly driven by that emotional explosion.
"The
"And so, brushing past everyone who tried to stop you, you stormed into the castle alone—to put it diplomatically."
"Perhaps 'stormed in with dignity and grace' would be a better way to put it?"
"Fine, you stormed in with dignity and grace."
"...Somehow, I don't feel like my bravery is coming across as well as I'd hoped."
That said, Subaru had followed her lead and couldn't really take responsibility for how effective—or ineffective—that turned out.
Either way, it was clear that Filiore had acted out of a sense of mission and intense outrage. But what interested Subaru and the others was the cause that enabled her to take that action.
That was— "—The sacred rite. Filiore, that's what you called it, right?"
The word Emilia brought up caused the air in the reception room to tense slightly.
The sacred rite—this was the "something" Filiore had supposedly used to heal Crusch's body, the power she'd proven by storming the Royal Castle that could overturn authority.
And for some reason, the Divine Dragon Church had kept its existence secret, refusing to let it come to light—a means of saving the Witch Cult's victims.
"............"
Subaru moistened his lips with his tongue, trying to tame a faint sense of tension.
Naturally, since it was called a sacred rite, it was likely a closely guarded secret of the Divine Dragon Church. Depending on the circumstances, merely knowing of its existence could make one an enemy of the church.
Pressing her on such a matter would make even the forthright Filiore tight-lipped— "The sacred rite? Yes, that's right. It's an ancient secret art passed down exclusively within the church, and only an extremely limited number of people can use it. The church calls those people 'Saints,' and I happen to have that qualification, which is why I can use the power."
"That was way too casual—shouldn't there be more fanfare!?"
"What fanfare? The church might have wanted to keep it secret, but I already made a big public announcement at the castle. Trying to hide it now would be pointless... The scripture says: 'Pollute not with selfish poison the ground the dragon has cleansed. To refill a dried spring requires a thousand years of prayer and the tears of the sinful.'"
"Um, what does that mean?"
"It means if you try to keep something for yourself, it becomes very hard to recover when something goes wrong. —And I believe that now is when something has gone wrong."
And so, going against the wishes of the Divine Dragon Church that wanted to keep the sacred rite hidden, Filiore chose to wield its power publicly, following the creed she believed in.
Naturally, the Divine Dragon Church was thrown into a massive panic over having been acted upon so unilaterally, and the Royal Castle, already owing a great debt, must have been in considerable turmoil as well.
But whatever the result of that chaos, the catalyst had been goodwill—that much was certain.
"Right now, the castle is debating what to do about me... The church's leaders and my long-time family are all participating in that discussion."
"But if it's about Filiore, shouldn't Filiore be part of that discussion?"
"They kicked me out even though it's about me! They said that if I were present, it would just make things more complicated... Even though there's at least some chance it wouldn't! Isn't that terrible!?"
"The chance of it not being complicated is probably smaller than you think."
"Don't encourage her, Beako."
Filiore flushed red, protesting her unfair treatment, but judging from her headstrong nature, Subaru had to admit the decision-makers' judgment was reasonable.
Despite claiming to be fifteen, Filiore's inner self was very much fifteen—or perhaps even more childish than that. Part of that was no doubt the influence of having been sheltered from the secular world and raised in a sheltered, box-like environment.
Honestly, Subaru couldn't fathom what the Divine Dragon Church's intentions had been in raising her that way.
"So the relevant parties are at the castle? And that left Filiore alone at the church."
"That's right. Well, the children from before keep me company, so it's not lonely, but I've been told not to go out on my own. I want to spread the power of the sacred rite as quickly as possible, every second counts...!"
"That's one motivated saint."
It just went to show how much she wanted to save people. Though she was certainly a saint who didn't exactly give off saintly vibes.
That said, as Garfiel had mentioned at the prince's mansion, thinking of the victims waiting in Priestella, Subaru could only agree with Filiore's feelings.
Honestly, Subaru felt like giving Filiore a push in the back.
"I totally get how you feel. I could ask Reinhard to send Filiore to Priestella in one jump..."
"Guh... that's tempting...! But I've been told to wait patiently."
"You didn't actually promise, did you? And even if you did, if someone gets saved in the end, a little bending of the rules..."
"Subaru? Are you trying to break not just your own promises, but get others to break theirs too? That's really, really not good...?"
"A habitual promise-breaker has finally hit rock bottom."
"Guh...!"
Being scolded with an "I understand how you feel, but" nuance, Subaru could only groan. He and Filiore, both making similar sounds, bowed before the altar of promises.
For now, all he could do was pray that the castle's debate would reach a positive conclusion quickly.
"—By the way, Filiore, you said you were a nun of the Divine Dragon Church."
"Rem?"
"But given that position, you accepted Emilia without any resistance."
Rem changed the subject so abruptly that Subaru, who had been praying toward the castle, furrowed his brow in puzzlement.
But the topic wasn't off-base at all, as evidenced by Emilia's lowered brow and Filiore lowering the hand that had been raised in the same prayer as Subaru's.
The true meaning behind the relationship between the Divine Dragon Church and Emilia, which Rem had pointed out— "The Divine Dragon Church venerates the Divine Dragon
"Wait, does that mean...?"
"The more devout the followers of the Divine Dragon Church, the more they might have complicated feelings about Emilia... That's what I mean."
Without meeting Subaru's gaze as he started to stand, Rem refused to look him in the eye. Her lips pressed tight, she was fully aware that her words were harsh and risked shattering the somewhat cordial atmosphere of the meeting.
Even so, Rem said it. She refused to let an unnatural situation stay conveniently unaddressed.
In truth, Subaru hadn't noticed the strangeness either until Rem pointed it out.
The Divine Dragon Church's existence had felt completely removed from his life, but more importantly, for Subaru, while Emilia being an ultra-beautiful girl was a daily fresh surprise, the bigger factor was that from their first meeting until today, she had never once been an object of fear or dread.
But he must not forget.—Due to her lineage and physical characteristics, Emilia was constantly being confronted with her resemblance to the most feared "Witch" in this world.
"............"
And that resemblance to the Witch of Envy was something that, from the perspective of the Divine Dragon Church—which served the Divine Dragon, one of the Three Heroes who stopped that Witch's tyranny four hundred years ago—could by no means be ignored or accepted with open arms.
Moreover, Filiore was a bearer of the church's sacred secret rite, someone in a "Saint"-like position. There would be nothing strange about her having developed some kind of impression toward Emilia, raised as she was under the teachings of the Divine Dragon Church.
"Am I an idiot? No, I'm definitely an idiot."
This was something Subaru should have realized on his own, without Rem pointing it out.
As Emilia's first knight, he lacked sufficient vigilance and knowledge about places where she might be unfairly hurt. Even if Emilia's expression clouded because of that, he would have to blame himself to balance the scales.
He'd regretted his lack of knowledge and rushed to the
However, even as Subaru was wracked with regret, what Emilia herself said was neither a rebuke toward her inadequate first knight nor surprise at being made aware by Rem's words.
She simply smiled, and expressed gratitude that Rem had chosen to bring up the topic.
"...Studying? It's nothing that grand. I'm just someone who was given a place to belong, so I was only able to hear about it from my sister."
"But I'm happy about that. You're worried about me... It's funny, isn't it?"
"—No, I wouldn't say I don't understand. Being worried about makes you feel pathetic sometimes, but it also makes you feel cherished."
"Hehe, is that so? Then Rem cherishes me too."
"...I think you started first, Emilia."
Rem lowered her eyes as she said this to Emilia, who looked at her straightforwardly. But to Subaru's eyes, Rem's attitude was clearly her way of hiding her embarrassment.
Emilia's straightforward and pure gaze peeled back all the layers of complicated thought. Subaru understood Rem's feelings well, and had been reminded of them many times himself.
"Beako, cheek!"
"Good grief, I suppose!"
Immediately after that exchange between the two, Subaru called out to Beatrice. Instantly, as if she'd been waiting, Beatrice delivered a slap to his cheek with her tiny palm—with a sharp crack, a numbing sensation ran from her adorable hand, and Subaru's shoulders trembled.
"Eep!? What was that for?"
At the sudden action, a startled Emilia gently touched Subaru's cheek. As the coldness of her white fingertips soothed his tingling cheek, Subaru shrugged it off.
"Just wanted a little wake-up call. Rebuilding my mentality with Beako... call it Beantality. Or Beatherapy. Which do you prefer?"
"Sorry, I have no idea what you're saying."
Emilia responded in her usual manner to Subaru's nonsensical words.
That alone was enough to tell that Emilia wasn't frightened by the circumstances Subaru was worried about, nor did she find him pathetic.
"Of course, I can't keep relying on that. I should also do some reflecting about being less perceptive than Rem, who has amnesia, when it comes to the camp's concerns."
"I really need to reflect on that."
"I'll do it because you believe in me, right? Leave it to me."
"—Well, that works."
Encouraged by Rem's vote of confidence, Subaru's faltering motivation returned. Then, straightening up, he turned crisply toward Filiore.
She was a nun of the Divine Dragon Church, and a "Saint." But precisely because of that— "I think there's meaning in freeing someone like you from prejudice. So, how about it, Filiore? Why don't you and Emilia-tan form a friendly relationship?"
"A friendly relationship? Hey, Subaru, does that mean..."
"That's right—it means the two of you become friends!"
Subaru clenched his fist and made the declaration with conviction. Hearing this, Emilia's violet-blue eyes lit up and she clasped her hands together.
It went without saying, but Emilia was starving for friends. She'd even bluntly proposed friendship to
And not just Emilia, this friend monster— "—Be friends? With me? Are you serious!?"
Filiore slammed her hands on the table with a clatter and took the bait.
Her large red eyes trembled as she looked back and forth between Subaru and Emilia.
"No, I'm sorry, there must be some mistake. I probably misheard. Not friends—rather, 'friendless.' The word for my having no friends."
"Uh oh, this saint's too much of a loner."
"B-but, I might understand how you feel. When Subaru first tried to get along with me, I had no idea what he was thinking and was really anxious about it."
"Sorry for making you anxious! My feelings haven't changed from the start—they've only grown with time... OW! Rem, did you just step on my foot!?"
"I did not. I dropped an iron ball."
"You were carrying a Morning Star around!?"
Hastily, Rem hid behind her back the Morning Star she'd dropped on the top of Subaru's foot. He'd nearly had his foot crushed and was trembling with fear, but the sight of Rem in her maid outfit diligently polishing the spiked iron ball during Subaru's time at the mansion was oddly endearing.
"Hey, Filiore."
While Subaru and the others were distracted, Emilia approached Filiore, who was in a state of mild denial.
Then, when Emilia touched the hand Filiore had placed on the table, Filiore flinched and stared at Emilia in surprise.
"I know it's cheeky of me to ride Subaru's coattails on this, but what do you say, Filiore?"
"Wh-what do I say? I don't really understand... If you don't make it clear, I might misunderstand. Actually, haven't I already? Is this a dream...?"
"No, it's not a dream. And to make sure there's no misunderstanding, I'll say it clearly. If you'd like, won't you be friends with me... no, with us?"
"—Yes, yes! I'd love to!!"
In an instant, all her previous timidity and meekness vanished. Filiore's face brightened, she clasped Emilia's hand back, and the two of them forged a new friendship at zero distance.
Though somewhat overwhelmed by the speed of it all, Subaru sensed the unmistakable feeling of a favorable wind blowing and nodded deeply.
"I'm glad things didn't go sideways. But that energy... it reminds me of when Beako finally came around to listening to me."
"With Betty, it was much more romantic and dramatic! She wasn't as desperately hungry for friends, was she!?"
"Ow, ow, ow, cute, cute."
Beatrice stomped on the foot opposite to the one Rem had nearly crushed, venting her frustration, but her weight and her pouting were both adorable.
Glancing over, Subaru noticed that Rem too had let out a sigh of relief over the relationship building between Emilia and Filiore.
It had been a topic that needed addressing, but it could also have ruined everything. Understanding Rem's feelings went without saying.
"Are you satisfied too, Rem? Friends."
"I don't think it's something to be taken so lightly. Besides, I have Catua-san."
"Isn't it fine to have as many friends as you want? I consider pretty much everyone I met on the Sword Slave island to be my friend."
"I have Catua-san."
It was a stubborn answer. Well, how one categorized friends was up to the individual, and being nosy about it would be tasteless.
At the very least, a friendly relationship had been established between Emilia and Filiore. This could be called a historic achievement, both for Emilia's camp and for the Divine Dragon Church.
"I became friends with Felt-chan too, and I promised to be friends with Anastasia-san too—I might be good at making friends!"
Emilia, too, had gained confidence from making multiple friends in a short time. At this rate, she looked like she might start approaching people on the street one after another, expanding her friend count.
That didn't sound bad, but it also sounded like it might earn her a bad reputation for another reason, so for now, they needed to put a stop to Emilia's friend-hunger.
"Hey, wait, Emilia... I'll call you Emilia, if that's okay. We just became friends, right? And yet, you're listing the names of friends other than me. Isn't that a bit harsh? I mean, it's fine—I'm not saying it's not—but can't you pay a little more attention to me, who just became your friend...?"
Filiore, too, had perhaps gone too long without friends. Her expectations were excessive, and her words carried a slightly yandere tinge.
It was probably because her desire for friends was too concentrated on one person. If she didn't expand her circle to distribute the need, it might become dangerous. If Rem couldn't be pressured into it, then Subaru or Beatrice would have to serve as the outlet.
"But seriously, were you actually okay with it, Filiore? I mean, the only overlap between my Emilia-tan and the Witch of Envy is her physical appearance."
"—? Do you have a problem with my Emilia?"
"Oh no, this saint really can't make friends!"
Subaru grabbed Emilia's arm and pulled her back, while Filiore buried her face in Emilia's chest. Subaru clutched his forehead, thinking this might be a more troublesome friendship than he'd expected.
Watching Subaru and the others interact, Emilia smiled wryly while embracing Filiore from behind.
"Oh, calm down. I'm sorry about my friend."
"What's going on? What kind of status claim am I getting hit with here? Emilia-tan, what am I to you!?"
"Huh? Subaru is my knight, obviously."
"Right! Phew, close call. My ego's been satisfied."
The potential rift between the silver-haired half-elf and the Divine Dragon Church had been avoided, but instead a crack was forming between Emilia's first knight and her new friend.—And it looked like it was on the verge of becoming something bigger.
"Filiore, did you chase out Lucian and the others? You were supposed to be under watch as proof you'd properly reflected!"
Suddenly, the reception room door was pushed open, and a young man appeared.
With a wide-brimmed black hat and a slender, handsome face clad in deep purple attire—upon recognizing Filiore and the others in the room, he widened his yellow eyes and exclaimed "Oh?"
"Visitors? Good grief, they didn't even tell me. They've abandoned their watch too. I'll have to give them a proper scolding later."
"Oh, welcome back, Tiga. Look, this is Emilia—my friend. Isn't she wonderful? My friend... hehe, friends, hehehe."
The young man lowered his hat brim to shadow his eyes—Filiore introduced Emilia, who was still hugging her from behind, and joy practically dripped from every word.
Being beautiful was just barely within the acceptable range, but she was starting to look like a friendship addict.
At Filiore's words, the young man called Tiga raised an eyebrow at "Emilia?" and compared the Emilia in question to Subaru and the others.
"I see. I'm glad you've made a friend, Filiore. But don't go looking at me like you've won something. How about... hey, want to be friends?"
"Huh, me?"
"That's right. I'm
"
"—Yeah, nice to meet you too, my friend."
Tiga extended his hand with easy confidence, and Subaru shook it without hesitation. The tossed-out English phrase was handled effortlessly, and the wink that followed was a nice touch. All the while, Tiga quietly mouthed "my friend, my friend" several times, working to make it feel natural.
Meanwhile, the one who couldn't hide her shock at the lightning-fast friendship between Subaru and Tiga was Filiore, who'd been suffering from friend deprivation for so long.
She stared in disbelief, pointing back and forth between Subaru and Tiga.
"A-aren't you scared? What if he says no?"
"Hey, what kind of education did they give you over there? You've got this fearless personality, yet you're timid about making friends? The balance is way off."
"There's no defending that. She was kept under strict guard, after all, so she's hungry for contact with the outside world. We might be spending a long time together going forward, so take it slow and get her used to things. She won't bite."
"I didn't need that annotation! Of course I wouldn't bite! What do you take me for!? I'm Emilia's friend! And a saint to boot!"
"...She seems more concerned about the saint part than anything..."
Rem's murmur was apt. Filiore's impression had been a roller coaster in a short time.
That said, the fact that Tiga—who seemed to be affiliated with the church—had returned presumably meant that some kind of resolution had been reached regarding the discussion at the castle, which Filiore had mentioned earlier.
"That's the situation. There's still a lot to discuss internally, though. Sorry, but we'll have to ask you to leave for today."
"Seriously, my friend? Between us, keeping secrets is pretty cold."
"Is total openness a requirement for friendship? I'd say what really matters is being considerate at key moments and both putting in effort to maintain the relationship. What do you think?"
"Damn, he got me with a smooth argument. Beako, say something dismissive."
"Unlike you, there are no pointless secrets between Betty and Subaru."
"So it really was just a loss aversion remark."
It wasn't that they'd been seriously debating the definition of friendship, but Tiga's explanation had a certain persuasiveness that made it hard to push back.
And so, riding Beatrice's concession—which had taken Subaru's feelings into account—they had no choice but to agree to withdraw peacefully.
"Well, at least it was productive. I didn't know until I met her, but at the very least, Filiore has no intention of disrupting the Royal Selection."
"That's right. Filiore is a good girl."
"Did you hear that, Tiga? See, she's my friend."
"I know, I know. Thanks for being friends with our Filiore."
Filiore seemed reluctant to let go, and Subaru had worried she might cling to them indefinitely, but she eventually and obediently released Emilia, successfully recovering her.
As Emilia returned to Subaru's side, Tiga took Filiore's place, removed his hat, and gave a graceful bow.
"Since I'm at it—rather than just chasing away Filiore's friend and my 'my friend,' let me share some good news with you as well."
"Good news for us? What is it?"
"—They say the sleeping Duke Karsten has woken up."
"—! Crusch?!"
Subaru leaned forward instinctively, and Tiga nodded with a clear smile, clearly enjoying the reaction. Subaru felt played—his response was exactly what the other party wanted.
But he didn't mind being played. Crusch waking up was undeniably good news.
"Emilia-tan, after this..."
"Yes, of course. Let's go visit her. I want to talk with Crusch too."
"Then I'll go with Emilia's group—"
"Filiore stays here. You're waiting for me and Sakura to get back."
Filiore, who had been cheerfully moving to join them, had her shoulder grabbed by Tiga. She glared resentfully at his hand resting on her shoulder.
"...Isn't that unreasonable? This is about Duke Karsten, isn't it? I have an obligation to witness the results of the sacred rite. Yes, an obligation. What do you say to that?"
"If that's the case, then you have a duty to fulfill your role as the sacred rite's bearer as well. Of course, we'll check on the Duke's condition. Later. As a member of the church."
"But, Emilia..."
"It's okay, Filiore. I'll visit on your behalf too."
"You're not getting it!? We're supposed to be friends!?"
He'd overestimated her capacity for friendship.
In any case, as much as it pained him to disappoint Filiore, Subaru's own desire to confirm Crusch's well-being was immense. He wanted to leave immediately, if he could.
"Let's talk another time. I'm glad we could talk today. That's that."
"You're so half-hearted! I don't like this... grumble grumble..."
"Leave this to me—you guys go ahead."
Holding back the still-clinging Filiore, Tiga stepped in as the villain and saw them off with reassuring words.
And so, though they felt a tug of reluctance, Subaru and the others escaped the church.
"Aww, you're leaving already?"
"How was it, Big Sis? How was it?"
"She probably just spun her wheels. Good grief, they can't manage without us, can they?"
As they exited the church, the children who'd been playing with Filiore saw them off as well. Harsh assessment, but not inaccurate.
All the same— "—Wait for me, Crusch. I've got a mountain of things I want to talk to you about."
Yes, unable to contain his eagerness, Subaru's pace only quickened.
△▼△▼△▼△ —And so, Tiga watched the Emilia camp's contingent retreat, then released Filiore, whom he'd been holding back.
Freed, Filiore stumbled to the table, lingeringly gazing at where Emilia and the others had been, then glared at Tiga.
"What kind of look is that? Got something to say to me?"
"Resentment..."
"Don't just spout single ominous words! I can't help it. There are things we need to discuss, and Duke Karsten really did wake up."
"Hmph. The ever-social Tiga Rauleon wouldn't understand."
She turned her face away with a pout. Then, picking up the untouched cup of tea on the table, she raised it to her lips.
It had been such a whirlwind of events and conversation that she genuinely hadn't had time to drink it.
Tiga watched Filiore's profile from the side, his yellow eyes narrowed—but— "Still, of all people, it had to be Emilia-sama."
"...What? Don't tell me you too have something against silver-haired half-elves."
"That too. But it's more than that.—Filiore, where's the Emblem?"
At Tiga's question, Filiore's nose wrinkled slightly before she produced the Emblem from her robes. Opening the hand that held it, the crimson Dragon Gem blazed with brilliant light.
At that sight—the light itself, and at Filiore, who made it shine—he murmured.
It was— "—Things are about to get busy. After all, we're a year and a half behind, aren't we."