After drying her tears and regrouping with
Incidentally, the twins had mansion duties to attend to, so they scurried off somewhere along the way.
"Man, this place is huge. I mean, the mansion too, but this is less a garden and more an open field."
A wealthy estate's garden — the kind of place you'd see in manga and anime all the time, the stage for standing parties and similar gatherings. Subaru let out a sigh of admiration at the scene playing out exactly like those pictures, then promptly started doing squats.
Watching Subaru get into a rhythm, Emilia tilted her head with a puzzled look.
"That's an unusual movement — what are you doing?"
"Hm? You don't have the concept of warm-up exercises? If you don't loosen up all your muscles before moving around, you can get unexpected ligament damage! Ruptured Achilles tendon! Stuff like that!"
"Hmm, I don't think I've really seen that before. But you're right, it is easier to get hurt if you suddenly start moving without warming up."
"You people in this world don't do warm-ups? Well then, guess there's no choice. Allow me to teach you! The fine and time-honored warm-up routine passed down in my homeland!"
Perhaps swept up by Subaru's confident enthusiasm, Emilia flinched slightly but said, "S-Sure. Well, just a little," and lined up beside him.
Subaru instructed her to stand next to him. The two of them stood side by side, with their backs to the mansion, facing the sun. They took a deep breath— "Radio Calisthenics Number Two~! Chan-chan-cha-chan-chan-chan-chan♪"
"W-Wait, what? No way!"
"Stretch your arms forward, nice and long, reaching up high~! Follow me! Follow my lead!"
While barking encouragement at the bewildered Emilia, Subaru performed the nationally famous radio calisthenics completely a cappella. At first, Emilia mimicked him with a skeptical expression, but gradually she got into it, her face turning serious as she threw herself into the exercises. They even went through the final deep breathing properly.
"And last — both hands up! Victory pose!"
"V-Victory."
"All right, that's it! Not bad for a first try. I hereby bestow upon Emilia-tan the title of 'Radio Calisthenics Novice.' Keep at it! Fight-o!"
And so Subaru's life as the inheritor and transmitter of Radio Calisthenics Number Two began in another world. His first ever disciple, Emilia, let out a sigh at his fervor, her expression slightly deflated.
"Putting aside your commentary, the exercises themselves were actually quite good. I can feel the mana circulating cleanly through my body."
"Spread the word! But on the condition that you spread the proper song and lyrics."
That music and those call-and-responses were what made it work. That was the one thing he wouldn't compromise on.
Overwhelmed by Subaru's unusually serious attitude, Emilia nodded.
"Umm... chan-chan-cha-ra-ra-ra♪? Right?"
"Wrong! Chan-chan-cha-chan-chan-chan-chan♪!"
For a while, the two of them went back and forth saying "chan-chan-cha-ra-chan," until finally Subaru resolved the matter by writing the lyrics on a piece of paper.
Having reached that conclusion, Subaru suddenly realized that he wasn't even sure whether the writing system of this world would be readable. One thing was certain, though — he definitely couldn't read this world's characters.
"I'll check later, I guess. All I can write is Japanese, a little bit of English, and... gal script, basically."
Gal script, acquired through surprisingly diligent idle pastime. He'd never once had a chance to use it, making it what Subaru considered a pretty tasty useless skill.
"Anyway, Subaru — you're actually quite fit, aren't you?"
As Subaru rotated his wrists and ankles, working his joints, Emilia suddenly made that observation.
Being stared at up and down like that — even though she'd already seen him completely naked for medical purposes — made him flush all over again.
The ultimate humiliation from ten minutes ago came flooding back, and Subaru scratched his head.
"Well, yeah, a little. I was a shut-in, so I figured I'd better at least keep my body in shape."
"That shut-in thing — I don't really get it. You seem like you're from a pretty good family, right? Didn't you train in martial arts or something?"
"No, I'm from a totally average middle-class family... Where did you get the idea I was from a prominent house? Was I just dripping with refined aristocratic air?"
"You certainly do have an air of curiosity about you."
Smooth talker, huh — Subaru raised both hands in a playful gesture.
In that instant, Emilia swiftly grabbed both of his raised hands. The unexpected contact with a girl's fingers made Subaru's throat freeze with a choked "Ah-."
"Your fingers, and also the look of your skin and hair — those are the reasons. Hands that have lived a life far too different from a commoner's. The way your muscles are built isn't from manual labor, either..."
As she kneaded his palms, Subaru blushed but also nodded in understanding.
Hair and skin — points that hadn't come up until now. He was keenly aware of his own density for not noticing.
The discussion had veered into territory that went beyond "just a foreigner," and Subaru's mind spun wildly. Meanwhile, Emilia continued.
"Black hair, black eyes. Those are characteristics common among southern refugees, but that's not the case in Lugnica. I looked around and didn't see anyone — were you with a retainer, perhaps? That outfit, too — the material was like nothing I've seen... See? Am I right or am I right?"
A triumphant smile spread across Emilia's face as Subaru fell silent.
He found himself drawn to the bewitching allure that matched her beautiful appearance, but after mulling over the content, Subaru nodded solemnly.
"If you're asking whether you're right or wrong — completely wrong. But how do I say it without hurting your feelings?"
"If I'm wrong, just say so clearly! Otherwise I'm the only one who ends up embarrassed!"
"No worries, no worries. I've been dropping clues about how clueless I am left and right, so don't sweat it. Hey, let's be shameless together — twin-shame style!"
"I don't have any memories of deepening a relationship to the point where I'd be comfortable sharing shame with someone. We're going in circles, so let me just ask plainly — what are you, Subaru?"
The question, stripped of all pretense and embarrassment, flew at Subaru, and he went "Hmm" with a troubled furrow of his brow.
He could honestly come out with it here — "I'm a good-for-nothing summoned to another world, sorry!" — but in this kind of isekai story, saying that was basically the gateway exam for being labeled an "absolute moron."
In a convenient, hand-wavy 2D world, even a lunatic might not get thrown out, but looking at the seriousness on Emilia's face right now, a wrong answer might actually earn him the treatment of an ice sculpture.
"In that case, I guess the best play here is delusion pattern B."
"Rattling on like that is seriously creepy. Are you even planning to answer?"
"I am! I totally am! But unfortunately, I don't have the answer on hand. ...Because I've got amnesia and I don't know anything about myself."
"You gave your name as
"Shit! My guard was down! I got hit with a no-pressure challenge!"
"So you never intended to answer honestly. —Well, if there are circumstances, I'm not going to pry."
Emilia let Subaru off surprisingly easily as he clutched his head at his own shallowness. She said "Now then," and from inside her pocket, pulled out a green crystal.
"Oh, that's—"
"It's a spirit stone — a vessel for spirits to reside in. You knew about
"The gray cat who fell asleep at the critical moment? You were asleep, so you probably missed my heroic exploits after that, right?"
It was the familiar where the spirit had hidden during the battle against Elsa.
It was Subaru's first time seeing one in this world, but he'd caught a glimpse of it during the first loop.
The green crystal began to glow, as if reacting to Subaru's grousing.
"Actually, I heard the whole story from
The light leaking from the crystal gathered together, gradually forming a small silhouette.
A head emerged, a body took shape, limbs appeared, and then fur covered them all. A few seconds later, a small bipedal cat was sitting in Emilia's palm.
"Yo. Good morning, Subaru. Nice morning, huh?"
"Mine was a pretty eventful night-to-morning pipeline, honestly. Infinite hallway, urinary urgency, and what was waiting on the other side was Emilia-tan and a body that won't let me make her my wife..."
"Don't phrase things so inappropriately."
When she chided him, Subaru gave a noncommittal "Ehh." She closed her eyes in resignation, then looked down at Puck in her palm.
"Good morning, Puck. Sorry about forcing you yesterday."
"Good morning, Rem. But I think yesterday was more my fault. I nearly lost you. I can never thank Subaru enough."
Puck looked up at Subaru with his round eyes, tilting his small head.
"I should thank you properly. If there's ever anything you want, just say the word. I can do just about anything."
"In that case, let me pet you whenever I feel like it."
Subaru's response was just as immediate.
It wasn't just the speed of the reply — the content may have been surprising, too. Not only did the already-round Puck's eyes go wide, but Emilia, who had been listening, was equally stunned.
She adopted a slightly flustered tone.
"W-Wait, can't you take a little more time to decide? He may look small and weak, but Puck's power is truly incredible!"
"A little hesitant, but you're right. I'm actually a rather important spirit, you know. So you can afford to be greedy."
"Hey, hey — for a world-class petting virtuoso like me, the right to pet my target of choice at any time is, in a sense, worth more than a fortune. The Petting Right — it is what elevates the human soul to greater heights and purifies even the most weathered spirit. Pet-pet-pet-pet-pet-pet."
As he spoke, he exercised that very right, lavishing all the pets he desired on Puck in Emilia's palm. Belly, chin, and the finishing move — the ears.
"The ears are insane! I'm completely head over heels for your pettable-ness!"
"Hmm~ Subaru's best quality is that he means every word he says. I can kind of tell since I can faintly read minds."
While being toyed with by Subaru's fingers, Puck said that with clear amusement.
Watching the two of them play around, Emilia let out an unmistakably exasperated sigh.
"Trying to understand Subaru is just... exhausting."
"Don't give up! Living things, the world, human relationships — they're all built on mutual understanding. But don't think you can understand me that easily!"
"That is so irritating."
She crossed her arms, turned her face away, and gave a tsundere look with just one eye. Emilia's attitude expressed maximum displeasure, which only solidified Subaru's resolve to keep doing it.
Then she reclaimed Puck's body from Subaru's fingertips. Giving a light wave, she turned her feet toward the edge of the garden.
"Well then, I'm going to go fulfill my covenant... Subaru, um, could you quietly do some weeding over there or something?"
"Alright, I'll weed like my life depends on it! Wait — that's not why I came all the way out to the garden!?"
"Joking, joking," she laughed as her silver hair retreated into the distance. Subaru smoothed out the ground a bit and then dropped into a push-up position.
He'd finished his warm-up, so now it was time for his daily strength training. He'd already slacked off an entire day yesterday, so doing two days' worth was only right.
One hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats.
That was what Subaru had kept up at home even during his shut-in days — mainly those basic exercises. Occasionally he'd throw in some bokken swings on a whim, but it was mostly that.
He ground through push-ups, punished his abs, and worked up a sweat with squats.
After a brief interval, he did another round. The whole thing took only about ten minutes, but Subaru had the fool-like dedication to do it every single day.
"Kinda feels insufficient, though. If I had at least a bokken, I could do a bit more..."
"Here you go, sir."
"Use it, sir."
The twins materialized out of nowhere and promptly placed a wooden sword in Subaru's hands.
He instinctively accepted it with a polite "Thank you," then stood dumbfounded for a moment at their phantom-like vanishing act. Regardless, he now had the wooden sword he'd wanted.
Its shape resembled the two-handed swords common in this world, which was a bit different from a bokken. But when it came to handling, the fundamentals were the same.
He gave it a few experimental swings to check the weight — just right.
"All thanks to the multi-purpose maids. Well then, time to swing some swords for the first time in ages."
He set his stance and swung. Set and swing.
Subaru had only been in the kendo club during middle school, but he'd trained enough to earn a rank. He'd kept up the swinging after that, too, so in terms of sharpness, he wasn't far off from his active days.
"It's a fantasy world of swords and magic, so this might actually come in handy, huh?"
He felt sweat tracing down his forehead, dripping from his chin onto the grass as he threw himself into the practice.
What came to mind was yesterday's confrontation in the treasure storehouse. The exchange of dull blade flashes between Reinhardt and Elsa.
He pictured himself, wielding a real two-handed sword, crashing into that scene.
"Take this, Elsa! Your evil deeds end here— I'm doooone for!"
He charged in, clashed once, and got his stomach ripped open.
That wouldn't do, so he started a second visualization — but this time he stepped into Reinhardt's blade path and was turned to charcoal.
Conclusion: no matter how hard he tried, an ordinary person couldn't beat a cheater.
"What a pointless tale of effort... Whoops."
He rested the wooden sword on his shoulder for a breather. While catching his breath, his gaze drifted toward Emilia out of curiosity.
She was sitting with her legs folded on the ground of the green garden, Puck perched on her arms which she'd placed on the ground, and the two of them appeared to be exchanging words.
He'd assumed she was talking to Puck, of course, but— "If I'm not seeing things, Emilia-tan is literally glowing."
The silver-haired girl seated on the ground — within arm's reach, roughly — was enveloped in a faint, hazy luminescence.
Drifting within that light were various colored sparks, swaying with a fragile, wavering quality like fireflies.
It was a mystical and somehow fantastical scene.
A sight so otherworldly it made one hesitate to reach out and touch it. A sacred domain, permitted only to those sanctioned by supernatural beings — at that sight, Subaru said: "That's amazing. Wait — are all these floaty things spirits?"
"—Hyah!"
He'd barged right in, as brash as ever, addressing Emilia without a shred of hesitation.
A startled voice escaped her lips, and the eyes she looked up at him with were glistening with reflexively welling tears of surprise.
And the fragile lights surrounding her were infected by the agitation, too.
"Oh, they're panicking, they're panicking!"
The countless lights wobbled left and right in a flurry, trying to circle behind Emilia and escape Subaru's awareness.
It felt like getting ditched by a flock of pigeons at a park.
"You really are something else, Subaru. Normally, spirits are the kind of being you need real courage to even get close to."
"Are you subtly saying 'You who can pet Puck are blessed'? Because I know that! I told you I'm head over heels — pet-pet-pet-pet!"
On the arm of the stiffened Emilia, Subaru attacked Puck from behind this time. In the course of his bold assault, he casually let his fingers savor the feel of Emilia's silver hair, then tilted his head at her, still wordless.
"What's wrong? If you let your guard down, someone's gonna steal your badge again!"
"Don't kick me while I'm down! It's not that — you just startled me!"
She scooped up the tears with her finger and scolded Subaru for his rashness. The spirits swayed up and down in apparent agreement with her. They're surprisingly good-natured, he thought, watching their reactions.
"I mean, look — this is my first time seeing spirits up close, so I got a little carried away. Besides, they didn't look dangerous."
"They only didn't look dangerous because they're under my control. If an untrained spirit user tried what you just did, it could trigger a spirit rampage... Boom, done."
She lowered her voice, trying to scare him, but ran out of vocabulary in the second half and just said "Boom." Subaru had been listening seriously only to get fake-outed, and he looked at Puck with a "She's exaggerating, right?"
"That soft, glowy light — is that actually dangerous?"
"Sure. For example, I could turn you to dust at any given moment."
"I'm sorry for my presumptuous behavior!"
He threw himself prostrate and expressed his deepest apologies.
Puck waved his tiny hand with a laugh. Emilia pouted slightly at the disparity in how they were treated.
"Why can't you direct that honesty toward me, I wonder... Hey, Puck."
"Maybe it's a matter of tenure?"
Puck tugged at his whiskers and gave a leisurely answer. Perhaps having had the venom sucked out of her by Puck's calm demeanor, Emilia let out a sigh and gave up on pressing the matter any further.