"Now then, now then, allow me to re-introduce myself. I'm a wandering songstress who roams the continent left and right, wherever the wind takes me and my heart desires, making a living on nothing but my lute and my voice—well, I haven't been wandering all that much lately. The name's Liliana. A pleasure to make your acquaintance—woops."
"You slipped up."
With her instrument in one hand, Liliana executed an elegant bow—then smiled brightly as blood gushed from the corner of her mouth. She'd apparently bitten her tongue pretty badly.
Seeing
"Pardon me. I bit my tongue rather spectacularly."
"You don't say. So—the famous 'Songstress' people are always talking about around town really is you, right? I guess it'd be hard for there to be another singer with the same title, but just to be sure."
"U-Um, that title is a little embarrassing, so if you could kindly refrain from using it, I'd appreciate it. Yes. I humbly consider myself still lacking in my craft, so being treated as the pinnacle of song would make my ego inflate beyond belief and people would laugh at me!"
Liliana fidgeted with an awkward shyness, having wiped her face so carelessly that the lower half was stained red. Subaru briefly considered pointing this out, then decided against it and focused on the conversation instead.
That said, her sentiment struck him as quite professional for someone in her trade.
"Even if you didn't ask for the title, being praised like that is something you should be able to accept gracefully. Still, I've got to admit—I'm impressed you think about it that way."
"Oh no, not at all! Every day is a day for improvement! And so, here—"
"Hm?"
At Subaru's admiration, Liliana extended her hand with a smile.
She wasn't holding anything in particular, so Subaru tilted his head, unsure what she was getting at. Still smiling, Liliana said: "You've heard the Songstress's singing, so now it's time to pay up, isn't it? You're not seriously trying to listen for free, are you, customer? That would be a problem, you know~."
"Take back every ounce of admiration I just gave you! You're really working that Songstress brand for all it's worth, aren't you!?"
"What are you talking about! If anything, you should say I haven't lost my resolve as a songstress who makes her living through song! Or are you telling me to eat mist and provide entertainment for free!? That's too much!"
Liliana stamped her feet, clutching her head in frustration.
Her argument wasn't wrong, strictly speaking, but ever since they'd met, Subaru's impression of the title "Songstress" had been plummeting. Beside him, Beatrice seemed to feel the same—the temperature in her large eyes had visibly dropped even further than Subaru's.
"Fine. If paying a tip makes things go smoother, then let's just do that. How much do you want?"
"Oh no, that would be entirely up to the customer's generous heart. Whatever you can spare, please!"
"Give me a break."
The instant she grinned, revealing teeth stained red in a splotchy pattern, Subaru seized Liliana by the head.
Her small face made it easy to get a grip, and he gave her a good shake before letting go. Liliana, dizzy from the ordeal, pouted her lips and mumbled, "It was just a joke, you know~."
"Wait, so you're here on business at the Musa Trading Company? That means you're one of Kiritaka's people, right? In that case, there's no way I'd be so rude as to skim a tip off the top. Tee-hee!"
"We don't know you well enough to think that, and the more we learn about you, the less we trust you—that's the reality here. I'd really appreciate it if you'd get moving already."
This pre-departure dawdling was about to exceed his tolerance limit.
They were already late from getting lost, and if the delay stretched any further, they might not make it in time before the negotiations concluded. If the deal fell through and they had to try again, that would be one thing—but if everything was already wrapped up, Subaru would be in a tight spot.
Shaking his head, Liliana gave a crisp salute, her bundled hair bobbing. "Understood~!" she replied energetically, and marched ahead.
"Oh, by the way, customer—what kind of business did you have with Kiritaka?"
"People who ask too many questions tend to get on others' nerves. You still don't seem to understand your position, so the best thing you can do is quietly guide us to our destination."
"Pee!"
At Beatrice's intimidating words, Liliana let out a birdlike shriek. Subaru, in a pacifying gesture, tugged on one of Beatrice's drills.
"Don't be so harsh. That said, we can't exactly run our mouths about our circumstances either. We can't just spill everything easily."
"Well, I'm an associate of Kiritaka's, so it's really just a matter of sooner or later, isn't it?"
"Exactly—since it's only a matter of timing, there's no problem with me playing it safe."
"Oh, you're impossible... You really don't have the nicest personality, do you~?"
"You're pretty straightforward yourself. If you didn't have talent for singing, things would probably be rough for you."
It was said that geniuses who excelled in one field were often eccentrics, and Liliana certainly fit that mold. The license her talent afforded her was a generous one. A bit pushing it, but still.
"But actually, I have been a bit worried about it in all seriousness. I was told to stay outside for only a few hours."
"I mean, when we're doing serious business negotiations, having you around would probably be a hindrance. I get that."
"I know, right?"
"Huh!? That wasn't the kind of understanding I was expecting! I'm hurt, you know~!"
At the combined agreement of Subaru and Beatrice, Liliana puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction. Then she lightly tapped the lute in her arms.
"I've got it! Listen to this. —Stormy waves, towering waves, waves of the world—"
"Nope, we're good."
Canceling the recital before it even began, Subaru snatched the lute away. Liliana reached for it with an "Aaah," but with the height difference between them and her childlike frame, she couldn't reach Subaru's raised arm.
"Consider this a hostage situation—but with an instrument instead. If we make it to the trading company without any more detours, I'll give it back."
"What villainy! What evil! What depravity! What ugliness!"
"Ha ha ha, that's over the top!"
Being spoken to like the embodiment of all worldly evil, Subaru plucked at the lute's strings with his finger. The sensation of producing sound was similar to that of an acoustic guitar.
Incidentally, this was the kind of thing Subaru could do—broad but shallow, a man of many hobbies and mild talents. If it was seventies folk music he'd practiced back home, he could manage a decent sing-along.
Reviving classic songs from his world and bringing innovation to the music industry—it might actually be possible.
"Well, I had the same thought back when it was about mayonnaise, though."
A plan that never gained traction because he couldn't figure out where to start.
Back in his original world, the standard approach for an isekai story was to bring in modern knowledge and dominate economically or whatever—but when it actually came time to do it, he had no idea where to even begin.
Expanding distribution channels through mayonnaise, establishing a production system—how was any of that supposed to work?
"So yeah, guitar stays in hobby territory, and fairy tales are just for telling to village kids."
"H-Hey, stop right there! If an amateur handles it carelessly and breaks it, that's my livelihood... Wait, whoa!? You're actually good at playing the lute! And you're playing a song I've never heard before! Huh, wait, what—what is this!?"
Walking along, Subaru found the chord shapes and began playing a folk song. Liliana was utterly flabbergasted. As they went, Subaru and the others made straight for the Musa Trading Company with the wide-eyed songstress in tow.
"My, my..." Beatrice trailed behind the two of them, wearing a tired expression.
But there was something in her step—a subtle bounce that matched the melody Subaru was playing.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ The Musa Trading Company's front gate was not particularly different from the buildings on either side.
First Street and Second Street formed the main divide between
From a convenience-of-access standpoint, one would naturally want to be on First Street with its direct connection to the main gate. But in this city, spatial position was synonymous with the power dynamics of the property's owner.
Being situated at once the deepest point and the foremost—a contradiction made possible only by the Musa Trading Company—their location conveyed a clear message: we are central to this city's workings, but we're going to be as coy about it as possible.
"So, here it is—the long-awaited Musa Trading Company!"
Liliana spun around with dancerly grace, gesturing toward the stone building ahead with both hands.
Four stories tall, it was quite imposing for a trading company office. At the very least, no neighboring buildings appeared to match its height, and its presence was unmistakable.
The one thing Subaru found mildly disappointing, however, was: "Since you can't even see it from the main gate, I shouldn't be surprised, but... I guess there was no chance of them having built something with a Japanese flair like the 'Water Garment Pavilion,' huh."
"The Water Garment Pavilion? You mean that unusual inn on First Street? I suppose if you use that as the benchmark, Kiritaka's place does come up a bit short. But more importantly—"
Liliana swayed her upper and lower body from side to side as she sidled up to him with exaggerated gestures, extending both hands and opening and closing her palms right in front of Subaru's face.
"There there there~! I've fulfilled my promise, so please give me back my precious little Lulibee~! Without her, I won't be able to eat tomorrow, you know!"
"Yeah, yeah, got it. Here, catch."
Having grown tired of playing while walking, he'd been using the instrument like a back-scratcher to scratch his back and tap his shoulders, and now he returned it. Liliana grabbed it in a hurry, confirmed it was intact—and before that, pressed it to her cheek, breathing heavily as she kissed the instrument she'd recovered.
"Hee hee, I'm so glad it's back safe. I'm never letting go again. Mwah, mwah~"
"Seriously impressive. You're the first person since Petelgeuse to make me this uncomfortable with a perfectly normal attitude."
"Oh my, I don't know who that is, but this Petelgeuse person sounds quite fascinating! If we were ever to meet, we might have become lifelong rivals! Please, do tell me everything about them—their background, their nature, everything!"
"He was a Sin Archbishop of the
"My, my! What a wonderful sense of humor! You really are a card!"
Liliana, dressed in a dancer's outfit with plenty of skin showing, pulled out what appeared to be confetti from somewhere and tossed it into the air, lavishing Subaru's joke with the highest possible praise.
But when Subaru barely reacted, she tilted her head, and then, gradually pulling her expression into a serious one: "...Could it be that was actually true?"
"Exactly so. Well, you won't be compared to that guy ever again, so just keep living the way you are."
"Wait wait wait wait wait! Hold on!"
At Subaru's dismissive tone, Liliana protested with alarming intensity. Subaru had assumed that even someone as bold as her would be appalled at being lumped together with a Sin Archbishop. But her next words were not what he'd expected.
What she said was: "From what you just said, it sounded almost as if you witnessed the Sin Archbishop's final moments yourself?"
"...And if I did?"
Unable to read her intent—and sensing it was anything but innocent—Subaru turned back to Liliana with suspicion in his eyes.
He'd half-expected it, but the fact that she reacted this way upon learning he knew Petelgeuse was a Sin Archbishop... It was yet another reminder of just how insidious those creatures were—their uncanny presence, like vermin that could show up anywhere.
Sensing Subaru's quiet vigilance, Beatrice narrowed her eyes and watched from beside him. If anything happened, Beatrice would act. Playing one's trump card too late was a waste.
A faint tension hung in the air.
Depending on what the next Songstress did, the situation could shift dramatically with their base of operations right before them.
And then Liliana spoke.
"Are you by any chance...
"Guh."
"Oh dear."
At Liliana's shining-eyed admiration, Subaru and Beatrice groaned in unison.
It was the single most dishonorable title Natsuki Subaru had earned in the past year—this after being granted knightly honors and officially recognized as
The story, apparently, went like this: the half-elf's sole knight was a mysterious figure who always kept a young girl by his side.
"In the subjugation of the Three Great Demon Beasts—the
"Ticks, ticks, ticks, itchy, itchy!"
"That's a creepy sort of praise."
Wearing the expression of a dreaming maiden, Liliana clasped her hands together and rattled off Subaru's accomplishments. The embellished language was admittedly excessive, but what made it truly painful was that every word hit its mark.
There wasn't a single claim that could be denied.
Still, this attack from such an unexpected angle made Subaru's entire body itch with embarrassment, while Beatrice beside him was pouting her small nose with a look that was, unmistakably, pleased.
"And after that, you've continued to dash east and west in service to your master, wielding powerful magic through a young girl who accompanies you at every turn! You are Natsuki Subaru, that legendary figure!?"
"Heh heh. She does seem to grasp the order of things, doesn't she? That's right—Subaru, Beatrice's partner, is the man who will, from now on, push aside all manner of legends to shine as the brightest star in history. Show him proper reverence and devotion!"
"Hee hee!"
Beatrice, riding high on the moment, and Liliana, who immediately prostrated herself on the spot.
After being so mortifyingly praised and then subjected to this—the pair's commotion at the trading company entrance had drawn the attention of passersby and company employees alike, who stared openly. The moment they realized it was Liliana who was bowing, they returned to their business as if nothing had happened.
"Do you always go through life like this? The way everyone around you goes 'Oh, it's just Liliana' is seriously intense."
"Ah, please don't—carelessly touching me will make me run a fever. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! L-Legend, a living legend stands before my very eyes! Hee hee hee~!"
Even as Subaru shook her to try to snap her out of it, Liliana only spiraled further into hysteria. Then, with a suddenly serious expression replacing her dreamy, almost-drooling grin: "C-Could it be, might it possibly be, that the person I'm meeting at the trading company is exactly who I think it is!?"
"...No, it's not?"
"Wait—now that you mention it, on the way here you were playing the lute while muttering something about a love song for Emilia-tan! If Emilia-tan is a person's name, then that's exactly the person I've been imagining! Ho ho ho~! What a bumper harvest!"
Ignoring Subaru's desperate deflection entirely, Liliana darted like the wind into the trading company. Subaru, reacting a beat too late, stood there bug-eyed before scrambling after her into the building.
"Subaru! That girl left her instrument behind!"
"She seriously has zero attachment to her tools of the trade and stuff like that!?"
Subaru caught the lute that Beatrice tossed to him and, together with Beatrice, charged into the trading company. The receptionist was staring toward the staircase with a startled expression—Liliana had apparently headed upstairs.
"G-Guests, you are..."
"We're attendants of Lady Emilia, who should currently be in a meeting inside. Did she mention we'd be arriving late?"
"Y-Yes, she did. I'll take you to her room right away... Ah, but Liliana just—"
"I know which way she went. The stairs?"
The receptionist nodded rapidly, and Subaru chased after Liliana toward the staircase.
For some reason, the idea of introducing her to Emilia filled him with unease—more than unease, really. Something about it felt like it would become impossibly complicated and troublesome.
What was even more terrifying was the objective fact that Liliana, for all her eccentricity, would probably get along reasonably well with Emilia. For better or worse, Emilia was desperately lacking in interpersonal experience and wariness. Subaru wished she'd at least learn a little from him.
"If someone says weird stuff, they really are just a weird person after all!"
"Your lament does seem to carry a lot of personal conviction."
Ignoring Beatrice's retort, Subaru followed the sound of footsteps up to the third floor. Just then, he caught sight of Liliana's hip-wrap disappearing around the landing, and he launched himself into a full sprint. Parkour, unleashed.
"Out of my way!"
Bounding up the stairs, Subaru dove headfirst into the hallway, lightly placing one hand on the floor and executing a graceful sideways roll. Carrying that momentum, he closed in on Liliana's shadow just as she stopped in front of a certain room.
"Liliana, stay!"
"Woof!?"
Liliana, who had been on the verge of drooling, shrieked at Subaru's sharp command and froze rigid. Grabbing her, Subaru caught his breath.
"I-I've been caught, but my ambition will not be crushed so easily! I won't throw in the towel—I won't give up until I win!"
"If you're really that desperate to meet Emilia-tan, I'll ask her later and arrange some time for you. But right now, they're in the middle of an important conversation. Stand down."
"U... Okay. I got a little ahead of myself."
When Subaru conveyed the gravity of the situation in a serious voice, Liliana deflated like a punctured balloon.
Seeing her droop, Subaru sighed, scratched the back of his head, and held out Liliana's instrument—which he'd been carrying this whole time.
"Oh, thank you."
"It's your livelihood, isn't it? Don't go leaving it lying around like that. If someone found a Songstress's personal instrument, they'd have no qualms about selling it for a premium."
"If that happened, the person who bought it would probably be Kiritaka, no doubt."
"Your patron sounds seriously sketchy!"
Liliana smiled wryly at Subaru's words and hugged the instrument to her chest protectively. Her expression was earnest enough to be almost convincing, but she'd just abandoned the thing moments ago for the sake of her immediate goal. With this girl, you couldn't trust even a smile from a second ago.
"So, the discussion with Lady Emilia can wait for now, but... in that case, might Natsuki Subaru be willing to talk with me instead?"
"That creepy way of addressing me—cut it out! And what do you mean, talk?"
"Well, everything, of course! I want to know how much of the rumors about you are true, I want to hear them, I want to turn them into songs! With the inspiration I get, I could write all sorts of songs—yes, I might be able to sing hero tales worthy of being passed down for generations! This gets my blood pumping!"
Fist raised, eyes blazing, Liliana's enthusiasm burned even brighter.
While Subaru was overwhelmed by her fervor, Beatrice finally caught up the stairs. Seeing Liliana pressing close to Subaru, she said: "Oh, hey—you weird girl. Don't get close to Subaru. Back off, will you~?"
"Oh come on, it's not like it costs anything. Besides, I also wanted to ask some questions of the young lady who's with the 'Loli Master.'"
"Loli, loli—Beatrice is not a loli, she is a proper lady! How incredibly rude!"
"You two are so annoying with your pi-chi-ku-pa-chi-ku! Knock it off! Inside, Emilia-tan and the others are negotiating right now—"
Beatrice was visibly irritated, and Liliana was completely oblivious to the lit fuse she was standing next to. Caught between their argument, Subaru raised his voice, trying to defuse the situation.
But that was when— "Subaru?"
Suddenly, the door before him opened, and a silver bell's voice called his name from within.
Looking past the opened door, in what appeared to be a reception room, a group of people sat on a sofa, turning to look with surprised expressions.
Emilia, Otto, and Garfiel—Emilia's camp. Across from them sat a slender young man dressed in fine tailoring.
The one who'd opened the door appeared to be a middle-aged man from the young man's side.
"H-Hey, Emilia-tan. What a coincidence!"
"What do you mean, coincidence—you were being so loud out there. Oh, Kiritaka?"
Subaru raised his hand with an awkward smile while Emilia looked troubled. But the next person she called to was the figure seated across from her.
The young man rose to his feet and, with movements that seemed almost ghostly, picked something up from the table.
Then he turned toward Subaru— "D-D-D-Don't you dare touch my Liliana!!"
In a voice that cracked and rose an octave, the young man hurled a glowing blue magic mineral from his hand.
The pure energy detonated in front of the paralyzed Subaru, and as his vision flooded with blue, his last thought was simply: "Ah, how pretty"—before the impact swallowed him whole.
Thus, on the very first day, negotiations collapsed.