"So in the end, even from your perspective, Big Boss, you couldn't tell whether that Fiore 'Saint' or Lady
"But you did see that Duke Karsten's health improved afterward, didn't you? Setting aside whether she's royalty, the power behind those miracles seems real, right? Here."
"Yeah. Beako and
With a deep sigh, Subaru thought back to the rumored "Saint" he had met at the church that day, and placed the dish in his hands onto the shelf with a complicated feeling.
The Royal Guesthouse's built-in cupboard was stocked with a wide assortment of dishes regardless of material—wood, ceramic, and otherwise. The trio had just finished their meal and were now in the thick of the post-meal cleanup: washing, drying, and putting everything away. At the water basin, Garfiel scrubbed the dishes, Petra dried them, and Subaru put them away.
Since the Royal Guesthouse was essentially a guesthouse for high-ranking nobles with business in the
As for Emilia's camp, Petra had handled the meal preparations today, and the cleanup was to be a tag-team effort between Subaru and Garfiel, who had lost at rock-paper-scissors.
And so, during their coordinated cleanup, the conversation had wound its way to the opening topic.
"...But if even you guys are saying there's no mistake, then honestly, what I really want is for someone to do something about the
"But what if that ends up proving that Fiore really is the real royal family? Then Emilia's Royal Selection might be over!"
"That's a separate issue entirely. Look, Fiore the 'Saint' has already stepped onto the public stage. Right now, it's just that the higher-ups are the only ones who know about it."
Garfiel, still scrubbing plates while splashing soapy water in the bucket, responded to Petra's words. His emerald eyes narrowed as he wrestled stubborn grime off a dish with the hemp cloth serving as a sponge.
"I haven't seen her with my own eyes, but if she's the kind of person who stirs up that much fuss just from her appearance, you can't exactly keep her hidden even if you wanted to. And if she's going around healing dukes and pulling the same stuff in Priestella, that's even more impossible to contain."
"Yep—Garf, I'd give your understanding a perfect hundred. You're really starting to read the social landscape properly. Good boy, good boy."
"Don't talk to me like you're grading a test! And for the record, I'm older than you, Petra!"
Petra patted his head with a teacher-like expression, but Garfiel, with both hands submerged in the wash bucket, couldn't resist and could only grumble in protest. Watching their exchange with an amused smile, Subaru couldn't help but feel the unpleasant currents running through society.
"At this point, the Royal Selection already feels like it's at a yellow light..."
And if that yellow turned to red, would it ever turn back to green again, letting Emilia properly fulfill her role as a candidate?
"————"
Honestly, Subaru worried that once the possibility of a surviving princess had narrowed down to the two candidates—Felt and Fiore—the Royal Selection had shifted into a contest over "which one is the legitimate heir with the true claim."
That was naturally unacceptable to him as Emilia's foremost knight, but even setting that aside, there were things he couldn't accept.
It was something they had also discussed on the way to the Royal Capital during their Reinhard-speed dash.
"Before Fiore even showed up, there were already suspicions about Felt being a princess—so why didn't the narrative just settle on 'the next ruler is obviously Felt'?"
Of course, this world lacked DNA testing, fingerprint registration, dental records, and other convenient, reliable tools for identifying individuals. That was a given.
But the evidence behind the suspicions about Felt was equally flimsy—a rare set of physical traits, plus the age match with the missing princess.
If that was enough to function as proof of bloodline in this world, then the Royal Selection could have ended that day, just before Subaru made a fool of himself at the Royal Castle.
"But it didn't happen that way. The biggest reason for that was—"
"—the Dragon History Stone."
Garfiel passed the dish to Petra, who had already finished drying it, and held it out toward Subaru with a knowing look as she preempted his conclusion.
Subaru nodded with a "Right," and took both the dish and the conclusion from her.
"It's a sort of prophecy tablet that's supposedly helped out the kingdom during all sorts of crises throughout history... This Dragon History Stone supposedly had an inscription telling them to hold the Royal Selection."
"Wait? The way you're putting that, sounds like there's something bugging you about it, Big Boss."
"No, when I first heard about it, I didn't think much of it. It's a fantasy world, right? I was actually kinda excited that cool mysterious items like that existed..."
"But now you feel differently?"
"Yeah. See, the thing is, I've got a bad feeling about items that supposedly tell you the future... and I've been getting quite a few of those bad feelings lately."
As Subaru made a face like he was chewing on a bitter bug, Petra and the others exchanged glances.
Subaru had been living in this otherworld for nearly two years now, and honestly, this world was crawling with things that pretended to see the future or read the course of destiny, all trying to get inside your head.
In Volachia, Abel had viewed "Star Reading" with hostility, and the "
How was the Dragon History Stone any different from these things that reached in from the side to bend fate?
"Hey, I get the feeling of wanting to rely on something that claims to show the future. Especially when it has a track record. But luring you in with easy wins first and then collecting with interest later—that's a classic scam tactic."
Let them win in small, inconsequential choices to draw them into bigger ones later.
As long as you couldn't know what you'd be forced to do in those critical moments, trusting too much in such destiny's revelations would be a dangerous thing.
Thinking this, Subaru felt a sense of crisis about the Dragon History Stone's prophecies themselves, but— "————"
"Huh? You two, why the faces?"
When Subaru shared his concerns, Garfiel and Petra both stared with wide eyes.
They were the younger pair, but as the instinct-driven and the analytical type respectively, they were reliable sounding boards. For both of them to have the same reaction to a single question was unusual. Usually, one would scratch their head while the other gave a substantive answer. That was what he'd been hoping for.
And to Subaru's puzzlement, the two of them spoke up in succession.
"Like, how do I even put it—"
"I was just so surprised that you'd even think to question the Dragon History Stone's prophecy."
"Huh? You're surprised by that?"
"Yep." "Mm."
Both nodding simultaneously, Subaru thought they must be joking. But their eyes were dead serious, and their expressions were tinged with genuine confusion, making Subaru blink.
Their reactions felt like being taught an entirely unexpected solution to a quiz—the kind of response that comes from encountering something truly unfamiliar. It had been a while since he'd experienced this kind of cultural gap—no, actually, he'd just experienced something similar recently regarding the question of throne succession through bloodline.
"I honestly chalked it up to me being too unfamiliar with this kind of monarchy where the king is the supreme authority... but is this something deeper? Like a religious worldview?"
Different lands meant different customs, different common sense—that was only natural. But to think there could be such fundamental differences in values, and yet so little friction had arisen until now. He'd thought he'd been having a pretty rough time in this otherworld, but apparently it could've been much worse.
And with this, the weight behind the country's name—the
"Petra was a lovely little beauty from a countryside village, and Garfiel was a golden rookie from a hidden hamlet cut off from the outside world."
In other words, neither had received the kind of education or benefits of a kingdom citizen compared to those born and raised in a major city—and yet even for the two of them, the very notion of doubting the Dragon History Stone simply didn't exist. That was proof of how deeply the trust in the "Dragon" had settled into the unconscious depths of their hearts.
If even these two felt that way, then anyone with a strong sense of identity tied to the kingdom would be even less likely to entertain the thought of dismissing the Dragon History Stone. —And that was precisely why, in a kingdom without its royals, the Royal Selection could be carried out without hesitation.
If that was the case—then— "—What Crusch was trying to do was honestly incredible."
Setting aside the correctness of her ideal, Crusch's proposal to break free from the Covenant with the "Dragon" was, in a world where trust in the "Dragon" had seeped so deeply, an absolutely enormous decision. He was only now truly coming to understand this.
The fact was, based on her reputation alone, Crusch had been the overwhelming frontrunner in the Royal Selection.
The fact that the Selection hadn't gone entirely in Crusch's favor spoke volumes about how difficult her platform was for the current kingdom to accept. —At the same time, Subaru also speculated about the true aim behind the
Of course, that campaign was partly driven by Crusch's desire to help Wilhelm, whom she had taken into her camp, achieve his vengeance. But the White Whale—one of the three great Mabeasts that had tormented people for centuries—by defeating it single-handedly, perhaps Crusch had been trying to demonstrate something.
That she could lead the kingdom forward with strength and conviction without relying on the Covenant with the "Dragon."
—In the end, thanks to Subaru's intervention, the White Whale subjugation was publicly known as a joint operation between three camps: Emilia's, Anastasia's, and Crusch's.
But that shouldn't have mattered to Crusch. Wilhelm had achieved his vengeance, and despite the backlash from those around her, Crusch had taken the first step toward realizing her ideal.
But then, that ideal of Crusch's was shattered in an unexpected way— "Am I an idiot? No, I'm definitely an idiot."
Having reached that level of understanding, Subaru finally felt the full weight of his own shallowness.
When Crusch's ideal was on the verge of breaking, he had visited her without even understanding what that ideal truly meant, and offered hollow comfort under the pretense of shallow empathy and compassion. Combined with what he'd later heard from
But— "Look, Big Boss. I know this might sound harsh, but when you go around saying stuff like that on impulse, it's basically 'Garagokulu's Lovesickness' all over again, you know—"
"We've all been saved by Subaru's recklessness at one point or another, so... maybe don't be too hard on him for that?"
"Hey! That's exactly what I was about to say!"
"Sorry. I just wanted to boost my favorability rating with Subaru."
Petra stuck out her tongue and gave a cute apology, while Garfiel drooped with a "Graaagh..."
From their words, Subaru bit hard into the inside of his cheek. At first from surprise, then because he quickly didn't know what expression to wear.
He reflected on his choice of words toward Crusch, but he didn't want to look sour about Petra and Garfiel's considerateness. In the end, his face settled into an awkward half-smile with mismatched emotions.
"...Don't go coddling me like that. If I start getting used to it, there'll be no end to it."
"Really? Then I want to keep spoiling Subaru more and more. Right, Garf?"
"Whether 'spoiling' is the right word or not, Big Boss and brother Otto are always looking after everyone else but can't seem to take care of themselves. Every once in a while, it wouldn't hurt for me to do the same for them, ya know?"
"Last time you did that, Otto went through the ceiling, remember..."
That had been when Otto, overwhelmed by a mountain of work, got drunk, and Garfiel—whose spirits rose in sympathy—tried to give him a hearty celebration. It ended in tragedy. Otto hadn't been hurt, and his alcohol-addled memory had since erased the incident, so it was a laughing matter now.
In any case— "There's a lot I want to do and a lot I need to do, I figured... but now there's one more thing I want to look into."
With gratitude, Subaru extended both hands toward Garfiel and Petra's heads. As the two squirmed under his playful petting, Subaru narrowed his eyes at the soap bubbles floating and bursting on the surface of the wash basin.
There were plenty of people smarter and more knowledgeable than Subaru. If he could find meaning in his presence among such people through his actions and thoughts— "First, I want to properly understand what the Dragon History Stone really is."
And he wanted to believe that being able to question what power was at work within it, what will was guiding it toward what future—that was the strength of
Start by learning. —If he truly wanted to be there for Crusch and Ferris, who had been left fuming with frustration, in the way they truly needed.
That said— "...Ferris would probably call this kind of thinking arrogant, huh."
△▼△▼△▼△ She had been overhearing the exchange happening in the kitchen and was seriously deliberating whether or not to reach for the door.
"—Sounds like they're right in the middle of a conversation you wouldn't want to interrupt."
"!"
"Oh my, did I startle you? If so, I'm sorry about that."
When the voice came from behind as Meili peered around the corner, Rem shook her head while re-gripping the water pitcher in her hands, saying "No."
She had come to the kitchen to swap out the water in her depleted pitcher. Inside, Subaru and the others were efficiently washing dishes in tandem while discussing matters related to the Royal Selection. Reluctant to interrupt, Rem had decided to wait outside the kitchen until the conversation reached a natural pause—but— "Don't you think Subaru is just so troublesome? Why does he insist on shouldering everything himself? No wonder everyone has a hard time."
When the kitchen conversation turned toward Subaru's nature—his tendency toward excessive self-blame—Petra and Garfiel immediately jumped in with corrections and pointed observations, and Rem could tell Subaru was getting quietly worked up.
Apparently Meili, who had been standing behind Rem, could picture the scene inside just as well, and she mentioned it in her own way, seeking Rem's agreement—and then her eyes widened.
"Wait... Rem, you're not mad at him either?"
"...I'm not angry, no. But my feelings are complicated. I actually just told him almost exactly what Petra and the others were saying."
"Oh, I can see why you'd make that face."
Meili's tone was notably cautious, as if handling a sore spot.
However, thinking about it—Rem hesitated to simply attribute Subaru's behavior to his personality, given what came to mind: the killing of the "Gluttony" Archbishop of Sin in the Watchtower, and how Subaru had seemed ready to shoulder even the responsibility for that death.
After all, she knew that part of the reason he thought that way lay in her own attitude.
"Honestly, what bugs me about Subaru is how he's always counting up his failures instead of his successes. It's really quite rude."
Meili crossed her arms and muttered at the kitchen door, her gaze fixed on it with a pensive expression.
"Rude?"
"Well, isn't it? I, for one, consider myself someone who's been saved by Subaru. Petra and the others are the same way, which is why they're trying to encourage him like that... And yet he does that? Isn't that just annoying?"
Rem blinked several times at Meili's childish pout, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Oh my, was that laugh at my expense?"
"Sorry. It was just a bit surprising. From my perspective, both you and Petra seem remarkably mature for your age."
"Is that your way of calling me a brat? Well, mine is mostly parroting what I've heard, but Petra's is the result of her actually trying to act grown-up. So if Emilia and you don't watch out, you might just get surpassed and regret it."
"...I'm not sure I follow what you mean."
"Oh? Hehehe, really now?"
Instantly, Meili pressed a hand to her mouth and giggled triumphantly, having apparently gotten her petty revenge for being treated like a child.
Rem let out a small sigh at Meili's reaction and once again looked toward the kitchen door.
"It seems like everyone in this camp has been saved by him at some point."
"That's right. And maybe that's why it's hard for them to tell Subaru 'don't' when he's about to do something dangerous. —But I don't think you need to worry about it."
"Hm?"
"Because honestly, I don't think anyone could be more brazen and out of place than me."
Meili shrugged, picking at her braided hair. The complex emotions coloring her voice made Rem narrow her pale blue eyes.
"...I know it's late to say this, but I resent not having my 'memories'."
Meili clearly carried a weighty backstory.
Unlike Emilia and the others, whom Rem had gotten to know during their time in the Volachia Empire, she and Meili had first met in the Kingdom of Lugunica—in fact, inside the dragon carriage that Reinhard had transported them in.
She had heard a rough explanation that Meili had originally been hostile toward Subaru and his group, but Subaru's explanation—deliberately vague to avoid making the relationship awkward—was too soft on details. In the end, Rem never learned exactly what friction had existed between her and Meili.
But the complex emotions playing across Meili's youthful face seemed to stem from that very source of conflict.
So— "Please don't blame yourself too much."
"————"
At Rem's words, Meili stopped breathing for a moment, staring at her intently. Without looking away, meeting that gaze head-on, Rem watched as Meili's lips parted slightly.
"Can you really say that? I tried to kill you too, you know?"
"...That's quite shocking, but I don't remember it, so."
"Well, that's lucky. ...Lucky, I guess. Is it okay for it to be lucky, though... for me?"
She said it almost in a whisper—more like a fading breath than words.
She continued fidgeting with her braid, dropping her gaze from Rem to the floor.
"Honestly, I think it's all too convenient. ...I get let off the hook for what I did, forgiven by the kingdom thanks to my divine blessing... I just know there's going to be some terrible payback someday."
"Payback..."
"When you do good things, you get praised. When you do bad things, you get scolded. That's how it works, right? I've been running away from that this whole time."
Whether it was guilt over being forgiven, Meili's words carried a pessimistic, almost painful tone.
Rem didn't know the deeds that had caused this way of thinking—didn't know the specific actions Meili was referring to. She wasn't even sure whether to take the claim about trying to kill her seriously or as a joke.
Perhaps if she knew the facts in detail, her feelings would shift. —But for now, she didn't know.
And because she didn't know, there were things she could only say now.
"I don't mean to compare, but I have similar struggles."
"...You too, Rem?"
"Yes. ...After everything he's given me, I'm not so foolish as to take any of it for granted."
What came to mind was how, when she had awakened without her "memories," in a situation where she had no one to rely on, she had been cold to him—had pushed Subaru away.
While Rem's circumstances at the time had been dire, there were limits to how far that could justify her actions. The gifts Subaru gave were never unlimited.
"I have to pay the price for the arrogance within me. Until I've settled that debt, I don't believe I'm even qualified to face him."
"...You're hard on yourself."
"Perhaps. If you consider it the consequence of being harsh toward someone who cherished me, then it's only natural. But that's my story to deal with."
"?"
Stepping closer as she spoke, Rem hesitated for a moment after closing the distance with Meili, then—feeling puzzled by the way Meili was looking at her—placed a hand gently on top of her head.
And then— "I don't think it's healthy for a child like you to be terrified of payback. So... I'm sure you'll be able to stand up to it."
"Ahh..."
Fumbling through her words, Rem drew a quiet breath from Meili. Then, with Rem's hand still resting on her head, Meili lowered her gaze.
"...Rem, even without your 'memories,' I think you're a perfectly admirable member of this camp."
"...What exactly do you mean by that?"
Rem furrowed her brow at the silent Meili. —And then it happened.
"Kyah!"
Sensing something strange on the hand resting atop Meili's head, Rem let out an involuntary scream.
A look revealed that a small creature had pushed through Meili's dark blue hair and poked its head out. The moment Rem recognized it as a scorpion with a deep crimson sheen—and almost simultaneously—she folded her arm holding the water pitcher, dousing Meili from head to toe with the remaining half-full contents.
"Oh—"
The two stood frozen in mutual shock—Rem the perpetrator, Meili the victim. Atop Meili's drenched head, the equally soaked little scorpion clicked its pincers in protest.
It was quite the surprise, courtesy of the scorpion's unexpected appearance, but the scorpion seemed anything but displeased. And before the shock of that could fully settle, the kitchen door burst open with a bang— "Did I just hear Rem scream!?"
"...What terrible timing."
"Huh!? I was worried and that's how you react!? And also, what's going on here!?"
Subaru, who had rushed out upon hearing the scream, went through the stages of surprise in rapid succession. At his usual energetic chaos, Rem briefly wondered where to even begin explaining.
But before she could, the sound of "Aha!" laughter came first. —It was Meili. Soaking wet along with her scorpion, she was laughing.
"Haah, how funny. No time to mope around now."
"Why are you so chipper about this!? Hey, Petra! Towels! Bring towels!"
"Oh no, Meili! You're soaked! We need to get you changed right away!"
Petra came bustling over with towels, and Meili let her dry both her head and the scorpion without resistance. Rem bowed her head to the dripping-dry Meili, the empty pitcher in her arms.
She had meant to be considerate and ended up soaking her instead—the result couldn't have been more backwards. But as Rem reflected on this, Meili waved her off with a "Don't worry about it."
"But in exchange, I'm taking what you said earlier seriously. Seriously."
"————"
Through the gaps in the towel, Rem caught Meili's gaze and was visibly taken aback. In the midst of this exchange, Petra had circled behind Meili and was pushing her shoulders.
"Come on, let's go get you changed. Subaru, Garf—there's still some cleanup left to do, but..."
"We'll handle the rest. Make sure Meili doesn't catch a cold."
"Don't treat me like a child, geez."
Leaving that sulky mutter behind, Meili was ushered away by Petra. She kept waving at Rem right up until the last possible moment before disappearing down the hallway.
After seeing the two girls off with a warm smile, Subaru turned to Rem with an "Um—"
"Oh, that's Emilia's water? Then let me go replace just that much right away—"
"...No. Petra left because of me, so I'll help."
"Really? Then let's do it together."
Rem dodged the hand reaching for the pitcher and offered to help instead. Subaru looked mildly surprised but agreed quickly, and Rem's eyes narrowed slightly with a hint of reproach.
"...You agree to these kinds of proposals right away, don't you?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"It's nothing. Garfiel, I'll help too, so move to the back."
"Well, that helps, but why's your way of addressing me the only one that's so casual?"
"Because Emilia calls you that, and it just feels right somehow."
Garfiel scrunched his nose at the wash basin. Subaru let out a wry laugh behind him, and Rem almost reflexively started to say something—then stopped.
Hadn't she just finished reflecting on herself while talking to Meili?
"What's up, Rem? You've got a cute look on your face—something happen?"
"Hm?"
"Sorry, that just slipped out! R-right, come on, let's finish cleaning up and bring Emilia her water!"
Subaru tried to brush past his slip of the tongue with sheer momentum, rolling up his sleeves as he darted to Garfiel's side.
Rem followed with a sigh, admonishing herself as strongly as she could.
Until she had settled the debt of her own actions, she had no right to face this frustration.
"The road ahead is still long. Kachuwa... Priscilla."
And what kind of face would she show him when the day came that she felt she had earned that right?
Still without an answer to that question, Rem turned her words inward toward the person she held dear and respected, and joined the dishwashing relay in Petra's place.
△▼△▼△▼△ —Even as new questions sprouted, new objectives were set, and the decision was made to move the situation forward, events rarely cooperated with one's plans.
More often than not, the road to a goal was blocked by environmental stagnation—or, as in this case, by an unexpected upheaval that knocked one off course before they could even start.
"—Fwah."
A soft exhalation accompanied the hand that rose to cover a wide-open mouth, hiding the yawn.
That said, it was an obviously deliberate yawn, and moreover, he could see the glistening of tears at the corners of the other person's eyes. He often wondered which was more polite—a blatant yawn, or suppressing a yawn so hard that tears formed? Though if someone pointed out that yawning itself was already a breach of etiquette, there was nothing to be said about that.
"—It's humble, but please."
Lost in these thoughts, Subaru watched as a cup of tea was gently placed on the table—the fragrant brew skillfully prepared by Petra, who had taken a page from
As the warm, aromatic flavor of the high-quality tea leaves wafted through the air, the other person cut her yawn short.
"Oh my, that smells absolutely wonderful. To think you'd go to such trouble for someone who showed up so unannounced... it's a bit humbling, truly. Ufufu."
"No, it's fine. We were actually about to have tea together anyway, so your timing is really quite 'perfect,' in a way. Let's see..."
"—
The woman said with a faint smile, then lifted the generously offered teacup to her lips. She introduced herself as Sakura Element, a representative of the
Sakura had arrived at the Royal Guesthouse where Emilia's camp was staying around the break between early morning and full morning—the time when Subaru and the others were just starting to function. While they were hardly ones to talk, the sudden, unannounced visit was a bit of a surprise.
"I had been meaning to come pay my respects as well, but Emilia has been terribly busy with a great many things. It would have been nice to have some advance notice, if possible."
Otto was clearly on edge, his polite phrasing laced with unmistakable protest.
Though his words remained courteous, Subaru could tell that Otto was wound quite tight.
"Yesterday's venting session wasn't enough, huh... The way he speaks in such proper language, he probably thinks he's being perfectly courteous toward her."
"I can hear you, you know. This is getting troublesome, Natsuki."
"Creepy—he's dropped etiquette and gone straight to threatening..."
Otto might have been on their side, but that didn't stop him from snapping at Subaru mercilessly. His combat readiness, of course, wasn't aimed at punishing them—it was for the potentially dangerous visitor they had received.
After all, it was impossible not to connect the sudden appearance of the Divine Dragon Church—themselves in the eye of a storm—with the Royal Selection.
Naturally, Sakura, who had been ushered into the reception room, was someone who warranted caution.
"—You're Subaru, right? Staring at me like that is making me a bit bashful, you know."
"Oh, sorry. Sakura, you're beautiful, so I was being a bit rude?"
"My my, apologizing while flirting—what a terrible boy. I didn't expect you to be so smooth. I've heard quite a bit about you, Subaru."
"About me?"
At the unexpected return of attention, Subaru pointed at himself, and Sakura smiled with a "Yes."
She then stirred her tea with a teaspoon, took another sip, and let out a soft breath with a subtly graceful gesture.
Then, tilting her head at the silence that had settled— "...Did you perhaps expect me to say something?"
"Well, from the flow of conversation, wouldn't you be curious about what kind of rumors about me you've heard?"
"Oh? But surely Emilia and the others in your camp know far more about you than anyone else. At this point, what kind of rumors are floating around about you should be rather irrelevant, shouldn't it?"
"Indeed. What a sensible thing to say. Subaru's well-being is something Beatrice and the others understand best. There's nothing to worry about."
"That's right. Having such a splendid knight makes me quite proud too."
With Beatrice on his lap and Emilia at his side both giving their seal of approval, Subaru was simultaneously pleased and vaguely unsatisfied—as the topic of rumors about him was smoothly swept aside.
In any case, the situation was that Subaru, Emilia, Beatrice, and Otto—with Petra waiting by the wall—were handling Sakura's unannounced visit.
For now, Sakura gave the impression of being an enigmatic woman.
"Sakura, are you and Fiore close? I only just became friends with her."
"Oh yes, Fiore talked about you exhaustively. 'My Emilia, my Emilia'—she wouldn't stop saying it. Well, I'm a fellow nun at her church, you could say I'm like an older sister to her."
"An older sister to Fiore!"
"Now that's quite the contrast between the two sisters."
"An older sister figure only, mind you. That girl was raised as the church's hidden treasure, cherished and concealed from the world—so you could also say she's the church's baby of the family. Ufufu."
With the corners of her eyes downturned, Sakura spoke with a smile that maintained its consistent warmth. That made it difficult to tell how much of her explanation about Fiore was genuine.
However, the description of Fiore as the church's hidden treasure, raised in seclusion, was intriguing.
"So then, it's fair to say that Fiore's previous absence from the public stage was the result of the Divine Dragon Church's policy?"
"Yes, that's right. Though it all became rather moot when Fiore went ahead and burst out on her own accord. Ufufu."
"So Fiore's going rogue was a genuine surprise to the church..."
It was a story that would seem unbelievable without knowing the person, but having actually exchanged words with Fiore, Subaru found nothing strange about it at all.
Yesterday, she had been forced to stay at the church, but with the way she was, it seemed like she would have reached her limit almost immediately and burst out on her own.
"In fact, she did exactly that. And that's how she ended up coming to visit Emilia today."
"...What!? She burst out today!? Is that what this is about!?"
"Yes, it happened this morning. Despite being told about today's plans yesterday, she really is a handful..."
"Wait, wait, wait—should you really be drinking tea while calling her a handful like it's no big deal!?"
Even if it hadn't been officially announced, there was no question that Fiore had catapulted herself up the ranks into being a key figure in the kingdom. For her guardian to be sitting here leisurely while she was off on her own seemed rather questionable.
As Subaru and the others fretted, Sakura laughed as if it were someone else's problem.
"Oh, please don't worry on that count. You see, we actually know where Fiore went. She went straight to her friend Emilia's place."
"Oh, I see, so she came to—wait, she's not here!?"
"She's not here!?"
What had seemed like reassuring information immediately failed to deliver, and the panic continued.
Sakura seemed quite confident—perhaps Fiore had left a note or something indicating her destination—but none of the camp members had actually spotted her. Naturally, neither Petra nor Otto had known where she was headed.
"Beako wouldn't know either, right? She's been with me since morning."
"That's right. Woke up early with Subaru, brushed teeth with Subaru, did Radio Taiso with Subaru, then had breakfast with Subaru. Betty didn't see that noisy girl at any point during that."
"W-what should we do? If something's happened to Fiore..."
Putting their heads together, Subaru and the others racked their brains over the disappeared Fiore's whereabouts.
When she'd first appeared out of nowhere, they'd been startled by her existence, and now learning she had suddenly vanished brought a different kind of shock entirely. Fiore was like a human-shaped storm.
While they panicked, Otto let out a small sigh beside them.
"Hey, what, Otto—huh!? Don't tell me you're thinking it'd be better if she just disappeared since she's nothing but trouble, with no lingering consequences—"
"Otto, even that might be too Roswaal of you..."
"Please stop defaming me. And Beatrice, don't look at me like that either. ...Just to confirm—was Fiore wearing the Divine Dragon Church's nun's habit?"
Ignoring the glaring looks from Subaru and Beatrice, Otto turned to Sakura to confirm Fiore's attire.
When Sakura nodded with "Of course," he continued: "Then there's nothing to worry about. Barring extraordinary circumstances, a woman dressed as a nun of the Divine Dragon Church won't run into trouble on the streets."
"Really? Petra, is that true?"
"Yes, I think Otto is right. If someone from the church were in trouble, anyone around would absolutely lend a hand."
With Otto and Petra's matter-of-fact confidence, Subaru and Emilia felt their perspectives shift.
"But that's only if she's in trouble on the streets, right? What if some malicious, evil, demonic force is involved...? That wouldn't be covered, would it?"
"What kind of all-evil-all-wicked-all-demonic 'someone' are you envisioning...? Given Sakura's attitude, that shouldn't be a concern either. Besides, the reason she's here in the first place—"
"—Otto, you're remarkably quick on the uptake. That's exactly right—it's preemptive."
Otto cut off before stating his conclusion, and having arrived at it himself, Sakura confirmed it by voicing the reason she had come to the Royal Guesthouse.
Her explanation was somewhat lacking in detail, but combined with what they knew of the real Fiore's bull-headed charging nature, the answer came to Subaru moments after Otto had grasped it.
"So basically, Fiore said she was heading to Emilia-tan's place, but since she didn't know exactly where that was, she's been going around asking for directions..."
"And as her big-sister figure, you came here ahead of her to have tea with us, knowing she'd eventually make her way here."
"Clap clap clap—exactly right. You're all so wonderfully capable, Emilia's camp."
Sakura clapped lightly in praise, but Subaru and the others weren't dense enough to take that compliment at face value. And even combining Sakura's kindness toward the Divine Dragon Church with Fiore's can-do attitude, they couldn't feel entirely confident in her safety.
Emilia seemed to share the same worry. Furrowing her well-shaped brows, she said: "Sakura may be confident, but I'm worried about Fiore. Maybe I should go look around the area—"
"—Emilia, if I may. We have a visitor."
Rem's voice, knocking on the reception room door, cut through Emilia's concern. Instinctively, everyone's eyes turned toward the door.
"A visitor?" Emilia tilted her head.
And then, the door was flung open from the other side with a bang— "It's terrible, Emilia! Help me, your friend!"
"Fiore!?"
With wide eyes, Emilia watched as Fiore herself—the very topic of discussion—came bustling into the reception room.
Her crimson eyes glistening, Fiore rushed toward Emilia and launched herself headfirst into Emilia's chest without a shred of restraint. The impact was practically a headbutt, but Emilia absorbed the charge effortlessly and held her.
"Wha—! You scared me! Are you okay, Fiore? Are you hurt?"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine... No, that's not it! I'm a mess! Look—not my body, my heart! My heart is in shreds!"
"That's terrible... Where should I look?"
"I don't know either, so just hug me tight!"
"Okay! Squeeze!"
From the moment she burst in, Fiore commandeered the entire space with her overwhelming presence. And Emilia, meeting that force with characteristic fearlessness, shone all the more for it.
Watching the two of them embrace, Petra sidled up to Subaru and tugged at the sleeve of his track suit.
"...That's the rumored 'Saint'?"
"That's the rumored 'Saint.' So? How different from what you expected?"
"Pretty different, actually... Oh, but I think it's nice. Even 'Saints' come in all kinds."
"The age of diversity for 'Saints,' huh... Doesn't quite hit the mark."
Even Petra, gifted with both listening and speaking, couldn't quite capture the sheer overwhelming quality of it in words.
In any case, the worst-case scenario—Fiore wandering the Royal Capital alone and being unable to find the Royal Guesthouse—had been averted.
"Now, the question is what exactly Fiore meant by 'help me'..."
"Nothing good, I suspect."
Subaru completely agreed with Beatrice's assessment. Meanwhile, Emilia gently soothed the gradually calming Fiore in her arms.
"So, can you tell me what happened? When you said 'help me,' what did you mean?"
"It's just that—it's just that... something terrible has happened, Emilia!"
"Terrible... gulp."
At Fiore's deliberately drawn-out words, Emilia audibly swallowed. Watching Emilia up close, Fiore continued.
It was— "—I think I have to participate in the Royal Selection as a candidate!"
With a voice that cracked into a sob, Fiore lamented the terrible fate she had been dealt.
Hearing this, Emilia's violet eyes went wide, Otto slapped his forehead, Petra bit her lip, and Subaru and Beatrice exchanged a look.
"Just as expected..."
"My bad feeling came true."
"What am I going to—huh!? Sakura!?"
The one who had made this unwelcome prediction come true, Subaru and the others had been so focused on Fiore that they hadn't noticed Sakura—her back to the reception room entrance—waving at the newcomer.
The unexpected encounter with an insider sent the already turbulence-laden Fiore into shock. Her jaw dropped so far open it looked like it might dislocate. —The beautiful girl was ruined.