The first thing to greet Subaru and the others upon their arrival in the city was a towering, formidable outer wall of impressive height.
"So the impression I got when I first heard about it—that it looked like a prison—was spot on after all..."
Subaru murmured from the passenger car window, having ceded the driver's seat to Otto.
"I'm with you on that. Although, the bridge and the water gates and whatnot are all pretty impressive."
Subaru nodded in agreement with Beatrice's assessment while shifting his gaze downward.
The dragon carriage carrying them was currently traversing the "Tigris Bridge," a massive stone bridge connecting to Pristella's main gate.
Stretching his back slightly and looking toward the horizon, he could see the shimmer of sunlight reflecting off the water's surface. To Subaru's eyes it looked close to the open sea, but in this world—where the sea was supposed not to exist—it was merely a great river and a lake.
"Pristella was originally a city built on top of a lake. The area inside those walls slopes down like a bowl, with the elevation difference growing smaller toward the center. Given that the city itself was designed as a trap, it only makes sense that water naturally converges toward the middle."
"You mean the trap was to take down some crazy Mabeast?
"Even Betty hasn't seen the real thing before, so she doesn't know exactly what it was meant to catch. But having seen it in person, I think the stories were accurate."
Beatrice's blue-tinged eyes gazed at the main gate of the city at the far end of the bridge.
The city's interior was still hidden behind the outer wall, but Beatrice's eyes probably had a fairly good idea of what lay within. How detailed the Forbidden Library's collection was in its descriptions of the world remained a mystery, but Beatrice's depth of knowledge was helpful more often than not.
"...Why are you petting Betty's head?"
"Because Beako is right there, that's why. I want to pet you as much time allows."
"I don't know what you mean by that, but it's both condescending and totally unnecessary?!"
Despite her protest, Beatrice didn't brush his hand away, so Subaru continued stroking her head while his gaze drifted to the lake visible beyond the railing. The gently rippling surface was clear enough to see the bottom, and there was no sign of litter or environmental damage as far as the eye could see.
If this level of cleanliness was maintained not just in parts but throughout the entire city, it was truly admirable.
"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen any littering or illegal dumping of industrial waste on the highways either. Part of that might be because there isn't that much stuff, but it's still impressive."
"Pristella enforces particularly strict rules on maintaining the cityscape. When you pass through the main gate, there's a simple entry inspection—so don't do anything overzealous like refusing to sign the oath."
Otto's warning flew over from the driver's seat, having caught Subaru's murmur. When Subaru furrowed his brow at the word "oath,"
"In the
Emilia's explanation made Subaru nod appreciatively—he took it to be something like a passport or immigration check. He then turned the phrase "oath" over in his mind again.
"Could this be some kind of paper with self-enforcing magic? Like, the oath paper reacts with the Od in the body of whoever signs it, and the moment you break it, your Gate loses all function...?"
"Oh no, that sounds terrifying... There shouldn't be any force like that. It's just a pledge that says you won't do anything wrong. But your own conscience is watching over you."
"If only everyone were as strict with themselves as Emilia-tan, the world would be at peace."
Emilia's subtly idealistic position drew a wry smile from Subaru, who was well aware of his own flawed personality.
In any case, he understood that the oath was effectively non-binding.
"There are strict rules mandated by kingdom law, but when it comes to city governance, the authority of the city mayor or lord who runs the place is quite significant. Pristella has some rules that differ from kingdom law in straightforward ways. The oath should spell all of that out clearly, so don't take it lightly—read it properly."
"What a pain. Can't big brother Otto just read it and tell me the gist later?"
"That's why you never improve, no matter how much time passes. Garfiel, you have a position to uphold too, so you should at least learn to skim through documents by now. You can't just read books you like and stockpile weird knowledge all the time."
"It ain't weird knowledge—it's a man's romance. Right, boss?"
"Yeah, you got that right."
Garfiel, perched on the roof in a precariously balanced position, craned his neck over. When Subaru gave him a hearty nod in agreement, Otto let out a sigh, Emilia wore an expression of fond amusement, and Beatrice sighed and shook her head.
"Really, between Subaru and Garfiel, children are no match."
"Truly, it's not easy being the one in charge of them."
Subaru couldn't have agreed more with Beatrice's words.
The despair and exhaustion in Otto's voice, unfortunately, might have been something that no one else riding in the dragon carriage could sympathize with.
—Patrash let out a snort, and everyone turned their attention to the front.
The main gate of Water Gate City Pristella loomed just ahead.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ The entry inspection itself was over in an embarrassingly brief amount of time.
Just as Emilia and Otto had explained beforehand, the paperwork listed the precautions for entering the city along with the city laws that had to be observed.
That said, the content was all stuff that wouldn't come up in normal daily life, so there was no need to be particularly fired up about "I must obey this!"
A quick skim, a fluid signature, and once the inspector gave approval, that was all it took to slip through the main gate and enter the city.
There was a brief moment of commotion when Emilia stated her name, causing the entry inspector to panic—though they had probably processed Anastasia as well, so they may have been inwardly speculating about what might happen.
"Well, when two kids with claims to the throne show up at the same time, that's bound to cause a stir."
"But it seems Anastasia gave them advance notice, so it didn't take up too much time. It might have been Joshua or Mimi."
"If you ignore his attitude, Joshua seems like the type, but I doubt it was Mimi."
He couldn't imagine that cat-girl having the forethought.
Not in a selfish sense, but more like—it was hard to put into words.
"She's cute, though."
"Yeah, Mimi is cute."
With that mysteriously persuasive logic, even Emilia nodded along. Subaru crossed his arms, thinking there was really no other way to explain it. Also, for some reason, saying that earned him a stomp on the foot from Beatrice.
While Subaru was placating the sulking Beatrice to kill time, Garfiel and Otto—who had been held up by the inspection until the very end—finally came through the main gate.
"Welcome back. What were they holding you up for?"
"It's Garfiel's fault. I told him over and over to practice his handwriting, but..."
"Garfiel, you can't write?"
"That ain't it. It's just—how should I put it—I'm more of a front-line kinda guy, you know? Ah, whatever."
In other words, his handwriting was so terrible they couldn't read it, which was why he'd been detained.
In such cases, the inspector should have offered to write on his behalf for those who were illiterate, but Garfiel's pride might not have allowed him to ask.
"I'm not saying this to be mean, but learn from this. I know you send letters to Ryuzu, but those must be legible, right?"
"Ha! That's a good one, boss. I've known that old lady forever. Even if I write with my left hand, she can still read it."
"That just shows you have absolutely no intention of improving."
Subaru shot back at the proudly grinning Garfiel before exhaling in exasperation.
As for Garfiel's grandmother Ryuzu, she wasn't living with them at
Command authority over the replicas still belonged to Emilia and Garfiel, and their instructions could reach the replicas even when they were far away. The idea was to use this system as a light command relay.
This was a job Subaru had proposed and Ryuzu had taken responsibility for. Garfiel had been opposed at first, but he seemed to have come around to it for the most part.
So Ryuzu and the replicas were currently staying in
"It's basically a spy operation, which sounds bad when you put it that way..."
Still, Subaru felt an aversion to treating them as beings without purpose or role. Or perhaps that thought had been pushed along by his guilt from having once used them as pawns in a loop.
"Subaru? The cargo on the dragon carriage has been checked too, so let's go."
His contemplative thoughts were interrupted by Emilia's voice, and Subaru hurriedly looked up.
He smiled wryly at her puzzled gaze, then took hold of Patrash's reins. The wise jet-black earth dragon seemed to sense the knot in Subaru's heart, pressing her snout against her master's neck.
That rough-scaled sensation was strangely comforting to Subaru.
"...Thanks, as always."
In response to the silent kindness, Subaru ran his hand over the hard scales. Patrash answered with just a breath from her nostrils, and this time he finally pulled the reins and headed into Pristella.
Upon passing through the main gate, they crossed a stone bridge spanning the river flowing between the outer wall and the city. The inner gate opened, and Pristella was revealed.
"Whoa..."
At the sight before him, Subaru could not help but let out a murmur of awe.
His reaction was not his alone—Emilia and Beatrice, flanking him on either side, each revealed their own expressions of wonder through their gestures.
He felt like apologizing for ever calling it a prison. This was truly a city of water.
When he had first heard about Pristella, Subaru had imagined a place like Venice from his original world. And he had not been wrong.
A circular city, enclosed by outer walls that formed a matching ring around it.
If you disregarded the difference in scale, the city's internal structure was probably closest to a stadium where sports events were held. The outer perimeter was the highest point, with the elevation dropping toward the center.
On that tiered terrain, stone buildings were packed tightly together, and to Subaru's eyes, they gave the closest impression of a Western-style townscape he had seen so far.
Furthermore, large waterways ran through various parts of the city, and in a pattern that effectively divided the circular city into quarters, there existed a particularly massive waterway—no, a canal. Several boat-like vessels could be seen gliding across the water's surface, and the thought of a waterway guide sent a shiver down Subaru's spine.
The blue city. The water city. Water Gate City Pristella.
The name matched its appearance perfectly. A truly awe-inspiring sight.
"Awesome..."
An exclamation of wonder escaped him, but not a single member of the party disagreed.
Seeing the inner gate open and witnessing the visitors' awe, the gate guard's face broke into a satisfied smile. Everyone who visited this place probably had the same reaction as Subaru and his companions.
And seeing that reaction must surely be the greatest reward for those carrying out this duty. No doubt about it. He had to hand it to them.
"Alright, now I get it—this really is something. Big brother Otto wasn't just blowing smoke after all."
Garfiel was the first to recover from the shock, rubbing the tip of his nose with a finger. But his excitement hadn't fully cooled yet—a slight flush still lingered on his cheeks.
A man's romance. Something that resonated with "something big." This "amazing place" had stirred something deep within him.
"This is the land tied to Hoshin, the god of merchants, so I'd been looking forward to visiting sooner or later, but this is a real feast for the eyes. Coming here was well worth the trip."
Beside him, Otto also had a deeply moved expression and, for some reason, had clasped his hands together.
The phrase "Hoshin's land" reminded Subaru of a name he had heard several times: "Hoshin of the Wastes."
"Hoshin is that guy, right? From way back in the day—the great merchant who rose from a scorched wasteland to become something enormous."
"There are a few small differences, but that's largely correct. Four hundred years ago, when the west of
The fact that Otto called Hoshin a merchant at his core only made the fire in his eyes burn brighter as he recounted the legend.
Kararagi, now one of the four great nations—its very foundation having been built single-handedly by one man, it was no wonder his legend was passed down.
"Anastasia taking on the Hoshin family name was done to follow in those footsteps, right?"
"I think it's incredibly bold. In terms of showing her ambition and goals, there's no clearer way to do it—but because everyone knows the name, everyone questions it too. For now, though, I think she's producing results that live up to that name."
"If she's seriously trying to live up to the name... well, the surest path would be to seize the throne of Lugunica. She's pursuing her goal with such calm determination."
Subaru offered his genuine admiration before finally tearing his eyes away from the magnificent view before him.
He then stroked Beatrice's head—still captivated by the water city—and tugged on Emilia's sleeve to bring her attention back.
"So, we're meeting Anastasia at a place called 'the Water Hagoromo Inn,' right? I don't know where it is, but given her status, it's probably not some cheap dive."
"Mm, that's right. It sounds like the inspector had been informed, so it should be a proper establishment. Otto and the others were discussing it earlier, it seemed..."
Emilia nodded, and Otto chimed in before vaulting lightly into the driver's seat of the dragon carriage.
He then jerked his chin toward the passenger car behind them.
"I've scouted the route, so I'll lead the way. Within this city, watercraft takes precedence over dragon carriages for transportation, so I can't exactly rush. Going slowly will still be a challenge for you, Natsuki."
"Listen to you. If it were just Patrash alone, she'd understand my intentions the moment I looked at her with trembling eyes—wouldn't you?"
Matching Otto's competitive tone, Subaru fixed his gaze on Patrash, who turned her face away from the winking Subaru. He could have sworn she sighed.
At the unexpected reaction, Subaru deflated. Emilia patted his back consolingly, and Beatrice took his hand, leading him inside the dragon carriage.
"Then, let's depart."
From atop the dragon carriage roof—which had become a first-class seat—Garfiel made the grand declaration. Otto smiled wryly as he manipulated the reins, and the carriage began to move slowly.
The pace was truly gentle. Even accounting for the slope and deliberately reduced speed, this was what you would call a crawl.
"Judging from what I can see out the window, dragon carriages really are few and far between in this city."
"That's right. And the roads are oriented around the waterways too. Looking at it this way, the roads wide enough for dragon carriages aren't straight—they wind around."
"Yeah, you're right."
As Emilia pointed out, the city's large central waterway forced the roads for pedestrians and carriages to take on a naturally circuitous shape. It might seem inconvenient, but watching small boats glide smoothly along the waterway beside the slowly moving dragon carriage, it didn't seem so bad.
"Now I'm wondering—do dragon carriages have things like 'wind warding blessings'? Do boats have them too? Like a 'no capsizing blessing' or 'sea breeze blessing'?"
"I haven't heard much about it, but I don't think blessings are bestowed on the boats themselves. The rowers and such might be blessed with things like 'Lake Blessing' or 'Water Transport Blessing,' though."
"It's not widely known, but water dragons do have their share of blessings. Similar to earth dragons—it's mostly things like being unaffected by water."
"Water dragons, huh. I'd like to see one sometime."
"Given where we are, there's probably one somewhere in the city."
Even as she answered Subaru's questions, Beatrice—who disliked animals—wasn't exactly enthusiastic. Beyond her inexplicable unease around Patrash, she apparently didn't have a great impression of water dragons either.
"If it were something like a Liger, you could ask to hold one, and I don't think you'd have a bad time."
"I won't die just from not touching animals. Betty is cuter than any animal, obviously."
"Competing with animals on cuteness feels kind of pointless... And if anything, doesn't it actually lower your stock by stooping to their level?"
Patrash was both cool and cute in Subaru's eyes, of course. Though the vector of that cuteness was different from what he felt toward Emilia,
Beatrice gave him a suspicious look at his answer, but Emilia—who had caught the word "Liger"—eyed Subaru with keen interest.
"Me too! Do you think they'd let me touch one if I asked?"
"You should've asked when Mimi was at the mansion. Emilia-tan, you always hold back in situations like that."
"I figured since she's an important riding dog, I shouldn't do anything presumptuous. It's been a while since I touched
Even Emilia, who harbored familial love for Puck, had apparently been captivated by that fur. When Subaru volunteered to ask, Emilia looked delighted and began humming a tune. She was tone-deaf.
Listening to her off-key humming in the background, Subaru rested his chin on his hand and gazed at the cityscape. As he leaned against the window and Beatrice knelt on her seat peering outside—a distinctly childish gesture that made Subaru wonder whether he should admonish her about her manners— "Oh, Subaru. This is perfect timing."
"Huh? O-oh!"
When Subaru looked where Beatrice was pointing, a shadow glided through the waterway, sending up sprays of water—it wasn't a fish. It was a creature with a long, serpentine body, but with short limbs attached. A water dragon. Its sleek blue skin resembled a snake's, but its head was unmistakably that of a 'dragon.' A jaw lined with sharp fangs, and long whiskers like a catfish's. While earth dragons had the image of four-legged, lizard-like creatures, water dragons bore a striking resemblance to the dragons of Eastern mythology. It looked like something you'd want to call Shenron.
"But it seems kind of proud, or maybe just has a nasty look about it."
"From a human perspective, perhaps. Actually, compared to earth dragons, water dragons are a notoriously difficult type to tame. Apparently, you have to care for one diligently from the moment it's born all the way until it becomes an adult dragon before it will recognize you as its master."
"That sounds like a lot of work. Patrash and I connected through eye contact right off the bat."
"I find it baffling why that one took to you so quickly, Betty."
Subaru felt the same way.
Patrash had originally been used by Crusch, but she had already taken quite a liking to Subaru from the moment he borrowed her for the
How many situations had there been where they couldn't have made it through without Patrash?
"Hmph. Our Patrash has a far more refined countenance."
"Subaru, why did you suddenly start talking like Annerose?"
The sight of a water dragon gliding gracefully along the waterway ignited a strange sense of rivalry in Subaru. Then—whether it noticed his gaze or not—the water dragon's head turned toward him. It surfaced, and from its mouth came a high-pitched cry.
For some reason, Subaru felt as though it had said, "Heh, stop gawking, outsider," and it irked him.
"That bastard just mocked us, didn't he? Fine then..."
"——!"
Eager to get payback, Subaru prepared to mimic the cry of the large black Mabeast he'd seen at the burned-down mansion.
But cutting through his enthusiasm, a sharp, spirited snort was directed at the water surface.
Patrash.
In response to the water dragon's provocative attitude, she had sensed her master's anger and returned the favor. Whatever meaning she had packed into that cry was unclear, but the water dragon flinched at the voice and glare of the earth dragon staring down from above, let out a hoarse yelp, and dove beneath the surface. Accelerating immediately, it sped away—the small boat it was pulling surging forward all at once. The flustered boatman came into view, and Subaru watched the whole thing blankly.
"Wh-what was that just now?"
"Natsuki, please don't make Patrash do weird things right after we arrive. If we get into trouble immediately, I'm seriously going to have to bow out."
From the driver's seat came Otto's angry voice. Subaru gave a small wave in response, then whistled toward Patrash so she could hear. He wasn't skilled enough for it to count as proper communication, but he wanted to convey his gratitude.
"Water dragons are cool too, but Patrash is still number one."
"...Well, even Betty thinks our girl is better than that vulgar water dragon."
Whether it was because Subaru had spoken so happily, Beatrice reluctantly agreed.
The rest of the journey proceeded without any notable incidents.
Crossing the stone bridges over the waterways, Subaru idly sketched the city's interior—as seen from above the main gate—in his mind.
"Come to think of it, this city seems to be divided into four sections by the waterways."
"Yeah, it is. Pristella is divided by a big central aqueduct, and starting from the main gate and going clockwise, the sections are called the First Ward, Second Ward, Third Ward, and Fourth Ward."
At Emilia's answer to his question, Subaru gave a nasal "Haaah,"
"What uninspired naming. They should've gone with something more East Blue–style, don't you think?"
"I think so, boss."
"Subaru and Garfiel's tastes don't really matter."
At Beatrice's icy dismissal of the two, Emilia smiled and raised a finger in a manner that evoked knowledge gained from books.
"Apparently, each numbered ward has different shops and workplaces clustered within it. The residential areas are concentrated in the Second and Third Wards, further from the main gate. The 'Water Hagoromo Inn' we're heading to is in the First Ward since it caters to travelers coming and going."
"If that's the case, we should be arriving soon... Looks like right about now."
While they'd been killing time with conversation, the slowly moving dragon carriage came to a stop. It seemed they had reached their destination inn. Otto hopped down from the driver's seat and circled around to the passenger car.
"We've arrived safely. I'll go tell the employees to move Fulhu and the others to the stable, so you go on ahead—no, actually, wait at the entrance."
"Why'd you change your mind? Would it really be a problem if we went in first?"
"Yes, it would. If I arrive after running into Anastasia and she chews me out early on, I couldn't bear it."
Despite the sour faces his mistrustful words drew, the guilty parties had no grounds for objection. Taking only their hand luggage, they disembarked from the dragon carriage. Otto was led around to the back of the building by an employee who had come out to greet them.
Watching him go, Subaru stretched and finally turned his gaze toward the inn—the Water Hagoromo Inn. And then, "So, what kind of place has she invited us to, I wonder—"
Subaru's jaw dropped in astonishment.
Beside him, Emilia tilted her head with a finger pressed to her cheek.
"It's a really unusual-looking building. I think it's my first time seeing one like this."
Emilia's succinct impression was shared by both Garfiel and Beatrice. But Subaru alone had a different reaction.
And for good reason. Because, "This isn't just an inn... It's a ryokan."
A flat wooden structure with sliding glass-paned doors. If there were hedges, a gravel path from the gate to the entrance, and roof tiles, there would be absolutely no mistaking it.
Amid a streetscape brimming with exotic atmosphere, an architectural style that was not merely out of place but entirely incongruous.
"Oh my, you seem quite surprised. Well then, I'm glad we went to the trouble of choosing this place as our inn."
The calm, cheerful voice suddenly addressed the stunned group.
Subaru slowly turned his gaze toward the voice—a figure peering at them from behind the hedge, showing their face.
A white dress made of animal fur, accented by a strikingly eye-catching fox fur stole. Given that the cold season had already well passed, the dress itself was light and summery, but the stole appeared to be something precious—it looked the same as when he'd last seen it.
A petite frame with long, wavy, light purple hair. An adorable face with a warm, gentle smile, and pale blue eyes that held something unfathomable.
There was absolutely no mistaking it. She was the very person who had invited them here.
And then, "It's been a while. Thank you so much for coming all this way today. You must be tired from the long journey, so... how about you rest in your rooms first, and we'll talk afterward?"
Before Otto could even return, she had taken the initiative as a matter of course.
—Every person present felt that keenly.