—The events in question took place more than half a day before Garfiel raced into the shelter.
"So y'see, Hetaro tripped over there and was about to cry, so Mimi held his hand, right? Then Tivey made this sad face too, so Mimi was like, 'Oh well,' and held both their hands!"
"...Ah, is that so."
"Yep! And then, and then! When we went back like that, Lady
Unfazed by his disinterested response, the small girl walking beside him giggled away.
Orange fur and round eyes. The girl who carried herself with a portrait-perfect display of innocent liveliness was, for reasons he couldn't fathom, one of the members of the opposing faction who had latched onto him—a beastkin by the name of Mimi.
Ever since they'd arrived in the water gate city of
At first, he had suspected it was because she was wary of him as the Emilia camp's greatest fighting force, but her attitude and words up to now had nearly erased that doubt. Now he simply accepted it—somehow, he'd made a good impression on her.
The "somehow" part remained a mystery, and all Garfiel could do was tilt his head.
At present, the two of them—Garfiel and Mimi—were strolling side by side through Priestella in the time before dusk.
That said, neither of them had invited the other to come along. Garfiel had casually stepped out of the inn, and Mimi had simply latched on of her own accord.
Garfiel would have preferred to be alone, but he couldn't bring himself to say so, and so he was swept along by Mimi—whose ability to pick up on such subtleties was, apparently, remarkably low—exchanging empty chatter as they made their way through the city.
"Garf, you're making a weird face! Did something happen? Something fun?"
"If something fun had happened, don't ya think I'd have a brighter look on my face? I don't wanna talk about it. Besides, I ain't got no obligation to tell ya nothin'."
"If you keep saying difficult stuff like 'obligation' and 'duty,' you're gonna end up like Joshua, y'know? Mimi thinks you should just have more fun and relax! Garf, you're way cooler when you laugh like an idiot!"
"What d'ya mean 'like an idiot,' hey?!"
At Mimi's thoroughly tactless words, Garfiel bared his fangs with a snarl, and the girl let out a "Kyaa!" and darted away. She ran on ahead for a bit before stopping, then stood there beaming at him with a smile that made it seem like she'd already forgotten their entire exchange. Looking at her like that, Garfiel somehow felt that his own pettiness was becoming laughable—a curious sensation.
What felt like only about an hour ago, Garfiel had challenged the Sword Saint Reinhard to a bout under the pretense of working up an appetite before dinner.
The strongest in the kingdom—or perhaps, by some accounts, the strongest in all the world who still drew breath—the current Sword Saint.
Even before meeting the man face to face, Subaru had warned him of just how powerful he was.
Reinhard, as Subaru had described him, was a friend, a benefactor, and someone who'd parted on somewhat complicated terms. Running into him unexpectedly at a place like this was a welcome stroke of fortune.
It seemed Subaru had managed to smooth over his own lingering awkwardness through their first conversation in a long while. And if that unease had been swept away, then Garfiel had no reason to hold back, either.
For Garfiel, the ring of "the strongest" held a purely special meaning.
To be the strongest. To aim for the strongest. To become the strongest.
It was a goal that towered before him from the very instant he drew his first breath as a man born into this world, and Garfiel believed that without a shred of doubt.
Everyone, on the long road of life, once yearns for and dreams of "the strongest" before eventually forgetting it. But Garfiel had never forgotten.
He had always envisioned it and continued striving toward it. The title of "the strongest" was, for Garfiel, the natural summit that any man born into this world should aim for—and an indispensable condition for protecting everything he wanted to protect.
And so, when faced with a man renowned for standing at that summit, Garfiel had no way to hold back his itching fangs and claws.
With Subaru's help in putting in a good word, he had secured Reinhard's agreement to the bout.
The Sword Saint was a gentle man who maintained a soft impression that belied his position at the pinnacle of martial prowess. He looked like someone you could snap in half with one hand—the very antithesis of the word "strongest."
But Garfiel knew that the stronger someone was, the better they were at hiding their strength. Setting aside himself, who always gave off a tense, bristling aura, every powerhouse Garfiel knew never looked the part on a daily basis. Roswaal was like that, and Subaru was like that.
And he had judged Reinhard to be in the same league as them.
The bout was to take place in the inn's courtyard, which was paved with gravel.
Out of concern for collateral damage, Garfiel had suggested moving the fight outside the city, but Reinhard shot that down and insisted on fighting inside the inn—and added the condition that they not "disturb the garden."
Nothing short of an insult. Even if this was the man at the pinnacle of martial arts, this was going way too far in looking down on him. He would make him regret that dismissiveness right away and drag him outside.
Facing off in the courtyard, from the moment they squared up until Subaru called for the bout to begin, Garfiel had his fangs bared, his mind focused solely on using those powerful arms of his to bash the red hero across the face.
Those thoughts vanished the instant the signal was given.
The figure of the man standing before him underwent a complete transformation in a span shorter than a blink.
The gentle atmosphere of the man who had been standing there moments before vanished into the void, and in his place stood something like a flame—or perhaps a single, perfectly honed blade.
So natural was his state that an ordinary person wouldn't even notice the presence of that blade.
To anyone with even a modicum of martial training, the pressure alone would have been enough to buckle their knees in despair at the overwhelming gap in power.
But Garfiel was neither of those.
At the very least, Garfiel possessed the strength to warrant a bout with the Sword Saint.
Though he shuddered at the awareness of that natural state and felt his courage shrink before the pressure, Garfiel killed his hesitation with a roar and lunged at Reinhard.
Their agreement was to spar within limits that wouldn't cause serious injury to either side—but he threw that arrangement to the wind and launched a preemptive strike, his razor-sharp claws aimed at the opponent's throat.
The instant his attack whiffed spectacularly and his body swayed off balance, Garfiel understood the gap in their abilities.
"...I lose."
After that, he launched attacks from every conceivable angle and direction, but Reinhard dodged, slipped, and deflected every single one with effortless grace.
To add insult to injury, Reinhard accomplished all of this without moving a single step from where he'd been standing when the bout began.
In other words, Garfiel had poured every ounce of his soul into attacking Reinhard from the waist up—and still lost.
When Reinhard exploited the opening left by his wild swing and sent him flying, Garfiel declared his defeat the moment a fist was thrust before his face.
He had failed to make the Sword Saint draw his blade, and had been thoroughly defeated in a fist-only contest—his own area of expertise.
He could barely remember what Reinhard had said afterward, or what Subaru had told him.
The only thing he was sure of was that he had managed to avoid making a complete fool of himself by throwing out sour grapes or parting shots, instead managing to leave behind a single remark before stepping out of the inn.
The emotions churning inside him—he couldn't tell what they were.
Beaten down by emotions he couldn't name, Garfiel was supposed to be wandering the water gate city alone as dusk drew near, searching for answers. Or at least, that had been the plan.
"Garf! Garf! Look, look! See, the sunset is reflecting off the water like crazy and it's super red! This is amazing! Amazing! Beautiful!"
Bounding around Garfiel in circles, tugging at his sleeves, pulling at his hair, leaning on his shoulder—Mimi, who had caught up to him, showed neither restraint nor mercy.
Thanks to that, despite having gone to the trouble of leaving the inn, he didn't even have time to brood alone.
"Hey, you—been real annoying since a while ago, y'know. Can'tcha shut up for a damn second?"
"Mm-mm, nope!"
"Immediate answer, seriously?!"
Mimi grabbed Garfiel's arm and began running around in circles, trying to spin him along with her. Pulled along by her surprisingly strong grip, Garfiel found himself twirling right there on the spot.
The thought of breaking free for real and sprinting away faster than Mimi could follow did cross his mind, but this was a beastkin he was dealing with—Mimi's physical limits were an unknown. She might very well catch up to him with ease even if he ran.
Standing out too much within the city was also something to consider.
Before setting out for Priestella, both Frederica and
"...Hah."
"Whoa, watch it. Hm? What's wrong, Garf? Worri... worr... worrblem?"
"You tryin' to say 'worries'?"
"That's it, worries! Do you have some? Tell me, tell me!"
In the end, having failed to pronounce it, Mimi threw little punches in the air while urging him to spill his guts. Looking at that dependably small frame of hers, Garfiel felt the venom drain out of him and quietly clacked his fangs together.
He turned his gaze toward the canal and narrowed his eyes.
"Yeah... now that ya mention it, it's a pretty damn fine view, ain't it."
"Right, right? This is amazing! Amazing!"
He'd only half-listened to Mimi's words, but looking for himself, the sight of the sunset reflected off the canal was a vivid and beautiful sight. The orange glow of the evening sky dyed the world overhead, and the red light upon the water's surface—tinged with reflections of yellow and white—tugged at something deep in his chest.
Before he knew it, Garfiel had seated himself on the edge of the canal, gazing at the passersby and the small boats on the water, letting time slip by in a daze.
"Hm-hm-hm~"
Mimi sat down beside Garfiel, legs swinging, humming a tune in high spirits. She seemed like the type who couldn't bear complete silence, but for now she was being well-behaved, limiting herself to humming. She gripped the shoulder of Garfiel's short-sleeved shirt and swayed her head from side to side.
Stealing a glance at her cheerful profile, he noticed with belated surprise that Mimi's fur was a shade of orange that closely matched the sunset. Without thinking, he reached out and ruffled her head, and Mimi happily leaned into his touch.
"Fluffy? Fluffy~? Mimi's like, the Lady lets me touch her a lot too. She's all fluffy, and she says something about 'healing vibes' or whatever."
"Yeah, she does feel real nice to touch. That 'healing' stuff the big guy sometimes talks about—so this is what he means. Kinda getting it now."
"Garf, are you being healed?"
"If that's the case, it feels like the meaning's changed again!"
"Huh?"
Mimi tilted her head with an innocent expression, and Garfiel couldn't help but laugh.
It bothered him that the heavy weight in his chest seemed to lift because of it, making him feel like he was cheap. The sense of defeat and humiliation was transforming into simple defiance.
"...It ain't like I can just become the strongest overnight. I'm still climbin' that hill."
"Ooh, this super-duper long slope to the top!"
"Heh, not bad—ya actually get it. That's right. That's the path to the strongest."
Garfiel traced the white scar on his forehead with a finger as he answered the girl who thrust her fist into the air.
Annoying as it was, he had been cheered up. If he'd been alone, he might have moped and agonized over it indefinitely. He supposed he should be glad Mimi had tagged along.
"Guess I owe ya one. Hey, shrimp. How about we hit up one of the food stalls? My treat..."
"Garf, look!"
"Huh?"
He smacked his hip and stood up, about to invite Mimi to grab some street food when— Still seated, Mimi pointed to the far side of the canal. Drawn by her gesture, Garfiel looked that way too—and his eyes narrowed.
He could see that on the far bank of the canal, one of the moored boats had come loose from its rope and was drifting downstream on its own with no one aboard. But that wasn't the problem.
"Hey, you little brids!"
Mimi was shouting toward where the drifting boat was headed—there, about five children were playing on one of the anchored boats.
The children hadn't noticed the approaching boat. If it collided with theirs, it could capsize and send them tumbling into the canal.
Mimi's voice alerted others nearby to the situation as well. One of the boat owners at the mooring area rushed out, but he had noticed too late to make it in time.
At the sound of the surrounding people's voices, the children finally noticed and turned pale, nearly panicking as they saw the oncoming boat.
And then— "Hey, runts. You'd better be grateful to that little kitty sis of yours for noticing first."
"Garf!"
He leaped across to the far bank's boat in a single bound, landing with such extraordinary balance that the boat on the water barely rocked. His near-silent landing must have seemed like he'd appeared out of thin air to the children.
A blond man who bared his fangs and grinned with a savage, menacing look. At his appearance, the children froze in silent terror, and taking advantage of the fact that none of them were struggling, Garfiel scooped up all five children in his arms and leaped once more.
He cleared the boat and landed on the canal's pedestrian walkway. The instant he set the children down, two boats crashed together behind them, and the one the children had been riding on flipped over.
Just as the collision threatened to chain-reaction into a pileup of multiple boats, Garfiel skillfully manipulated the ropes connecting the boats he'd been holding onto, stopping them in their tracks.
Using the overturned boat's momentum to suppress the spread, and stopping the first loose boat from drifting further downstream, Garfiel brought the entire commotion to a halt with minimal damage.
"There! That oughta do it!"
After re-tying the ropes securely, Garfiel declared the situation handled, and the crowd that had witnessed the whole thing erupted in cheers and applause.
He waved off the boat owner—presumably the one who'd been in charge of watching the boats—as the man bowed repeatedly in gratitude, and Garfiel scratched his head in embarrassment.
Then— "Th-thank you very much, mister."
"Oh?"
All of the children he'd rescued called out their thanks to Garfiel in unison.
Looking at Garfiel as he turned around, the children no longer wore the frightened expressions they'd shown on the boat—instead, they gazed at him with sparkling eyes.
The sight of Garfiel with the children caused the applause to swell even louder.
Feeling something oddly uplifting in the sound, Garfiel lightly scratched the tip of his nose and said: "What? Ain't nothin' to worry about. Just a coincidence... yeah, a coincidence. The sunset and the damp breeze just happened to tell me. A water gate city, always surrounded by water... If someone's tears start flowin', the canal's gonna overflow for real."
"..."
When Garfiel proudly gave that answer, the applause suddenly thinned out.
The cheers grew intermittent, and several people began making slightly awkward, choked sounds. But unlike the crowd around them, the children's reaction was nothing short of dramatic.
"In-incredible!" "So cool!" "Not caring about danger for the sake of tears!" "He doesn't waver! He doesn't flinch! He doesn't back down!"
Garfiel nodded in satisfaction at the children whose excitement was reaching a fever pitch.
Then one of the children, to the grinning, fang-clacking Garfiel, asked: "Hey mister, what's your name?"
"Ain't much of a name worth sayin'. But if ya really wanna know... I'm a tiger. Yeah, a golden tiger. The name's—they call me Gorgeous Tiger!!"
"Gorgeous!" "Tiger!!"
Garfiel struck a pose, extending both arms diagonally toward the heavens and tilting his body.
The children's voices cracked with excitement as their eyes lit up, and they struck the same pose.
And then Mimi, who had run the long way around the canal to reach them, came racing over with her own eyes sparkling— "—Garf, so cool!!"
she shouted as she ran up to join them, adding her own pose to the mix.
The children, Mimi, and Garfiel's booming laughter echoed across the canal in the fading light of dusk.
The applause and cheers had long since died away, and the boat owner—who wore a wry, dry smile—was left behind, watching the scene alone.
--- Having bonded with the children and finished buying snacks from the street stalls, Garfiel strode along with a spring in his step, practically strutting.
"An' then I said to 'em, 'You ain't takin' one more step past here, you small-fry bunch. This here's the big guy's turf. Y'all already fell into my trap!'"
"Wow! So cool!"
"Whaa! That gives me chills!"
In Priestella, now thoroughly bathed in the color of sunset, Mimi and the blond boy egged Garfiel on as he regaled them with tales of his exploits.
Incidentally, the story he'd just been telling was a scene from the "Tsuchigumo Hunt"—one of the most memorable events to occur within the past year.
A mass outbreak of magical beasts called "Tsuchigumo" in a certain village had somehow resulted in the three-man squad of Subaru, Garfiel, and Otto setting out to exterminate them—an affair in which Subaru and Otto's cunning schemes and Garfiel's combat prowess had been brought to full display.
Listening to these recollections with delight were Mimi and one of the children they'd rescued earlier. The boy couldn't have been more than six or seven years old. A blond-haired boy.
He had an endearing face and an irresistible smile—qualities that suggested he'd grow into quite the heartbreaker someday. But for now, he was just a boy whose eyes lit up at Garfiel's tales of valor and way of life, well on his way to going down the wrong path.
Garfiel, having finished buying snacks with the children in tow, was in the process of escorting them home one by one out of a sense of responsibility. Four of the five had already made it safely back, so this boy was the last one.
"For real though, you guys came out pretty far from home to play all on your own. Ain't that dangerous?"
Garfiel furrowed his brow as he realized they'd walked a considerable distance on the way to the boy's home.
The children had been playing on the boats at a spot near the border between First Street, where the inn was located, and Second Street, where the Musels Guild was. He supposed he had only himself to blame for wandering aimlessly while lost in thought, but even so, it was a long way for children that young to come.
After all, the children's home was even further in, on the city's Third Street.
On a child's legs, it would have taken nearly an hour even if they walked straight to their destination.
At Garfiel's words, the boy grinned, showing his teeth, and said: "Sometimes the songstress comes to perform at that venue on First Street. I went to see her."
"Songstress... that, huh? The big guy did say she had an incredible voice, but I'm kinda skeptical."
At the child's innocent answer, Garfiel scratched his nose, unable to fully agree.
Garfiel had only seen the songstress Liliana for the briefest of moments at the Musels Guild. That said, even in that short time, she had left a powerful enough impression—she was, to put it one way, a girl with a rather strong personality. It was just that her personality seemed utterly incompatible with the pure, noble image one would expect of a songstress.
"Garf, you didn't hear the songstress's singing? It was, like, really amazing!"
"So you actually sat through the whole thing, shrimp?"
"Yep! I didn't fall asleep until the very end! Mimi's amazing! Praise me!"
Garfiel gave Mimi's outstretched head a perfunctory pat. Mimi squealed "Yay!" and ran off, and he turned his attention back to the boy.
"So, did ya end up meeting the songstress?"
"No, I couldn't. I was a little too late. But since I'd come all the way out to First Street..."
"So ya ended up playing in the canal instead. Well, I'm just glad I happened to be there in time."
"Gorgeous Tiger!"
"Right on!"
The boy thrust his hands toward the sky, and Garfiel did the same.
Gorgeous Tiger, present and accounted for.
However, immediately after striking their enthusiastic poses together, the boy lowered his arms and let out a melancholy sigh. Garfiel tilted his head at his profile.
"What's wrong all of a sudden? Cut that out with the sighing. Happiness'll run away from ya."
"Well, um... when I get home, my big sis is gonna be mad."
"Huh?"
The boy was fidgeting, showing fear at the prospect of his sister's anger, and Garfiel overreacted. To the trembling boy, he quickly offered, "Sorry, sorry," trying to smooth things over.
"But hold on, how'd it come to that?"
"...Because I snuck out without telling anyone."
"Oh."
It seemed the boy had sneaked out today for this outing with his friends without telling his sister. As a result, he was terrified of the thunderstorm that would surely descend upon him once he got home to his presumably worried family.
Garfiel understood that feeling. An older sister would always be a wall a younger brother could never overcome.
Even reuniting after ten years and having grown larger didn't change that. For this boy, who saw his sister almost every day and had even surpassed her in size, the fear must have been even greater.
"I got it. Leave it to me."
"Huh...?"
The boy looked up in surprise at Garfiel's words as he thumped his chest.
As if to put the boy's mind at ease, Garfiel flashed a grin, showing his sharp fangs.
"I know just how scary an older sis can be. Let me lend a hand. When your sis comes out swinging, I'll make sure to cover you."
"Big bro!"
Overwhelmed with emotion, the boy threw his arms around Garfiel. As Garfiel embraced him back, Mimi hugged him from behind as well.
With the two kids clinging to him front and back, Garfiel renewed his resolve and trudged onward toward the boy's home.
Sunset was closing in in earnest, and it looked like he'd miss dinner time at the inn. But for today, that was fine.
He still wasn't recovered enough to sit across from Reinhard in the dining hall and eat in peace. But give it a night, and he'd be fine.
All of this was thanks to the children who looked up to him as the Gorgeous Tiger, and to Mimi, who gave him energy he couldn't quite explain.
"—Fred!"
Just as Garfiel was soaking in those feelings, a high-pitched voice pierced his ears.
Startled, Garfiel looked up to see a girl charging toward them at full speed from a distance. Her long blonde hair streaming behind her, the girl's eyes were locked on the boy clinging to Garfiel with fierce intensity.
At the sound of that voice, the boy looked up, turned toward the girl, and opened his mouth.
And then— "Big sis..."
"Just how much do you have to worry people before you're satisfied?!"
As the boy tried to rush toward her, a dynamic flying kick from the girl—who had launched herself at him with both feet—connected squarely, sending his small body flying backward with ease.
A flying kick executed with ideal form, retaining its momentum and adding a twist—Garfiel, who couldn't help but watch the whole thing, was slow to react to the girl's beautiful landing.
In that moment, the girl—who was strikingly beautiful but had sharp eyes—glared daggers at Garfiel and brought her heel crashing down on the top of his foot.
"You suspicious creep! What were you planning to do with our Fred?!"
"It don't... hurt, but get off my foot, shrimp."
Garfiel answered the girl's fierce tirade in a calm voice. Seeing that her preemptive attack had done nothing to him, she faltered and took a step back.
She might have thought Garfiel was angry, but he hadn't gotten to the point of anger. If anything, the surprise was still lingering.
He hadn't expected a sister to show up and deliver a flying kick to her own brother without asking questions.
Incidentally, before the kicked boy could take a breakfall and crash into the ground, Mimi had swooped in with a "Yaaah!" and caught him, rolling gracefully across the ground.
Now the two of them were standing up, brushing the dirt off each other's clothes.
Catching this out of the corner of his eye, Garfiel let out a sigh. At his reaction— "What's with that attitude? I-I'm telling you, I won't let you do anything weird to Fred or me... W-when I get angry, it's scary!"
"First off, let me clear up the misunderstanding. And second, don't go throwing moves like that at a kid who can't even take a proper fall. One wrong move and he could've been seriously hurt. Ya get me?"
"Nn..."
He crouched down and spoke to the girl in a quiet, unhurried tone.
The boy's sister was still young herself—around ten years old, perhaps. The age where you're just starting to feel grown-up and want to stand a little taller. Her initial boldness had already begun to wane, and she was on the verge of tears at Garfiel's quiet, calm manner.
Garfiel looked like nothing but a thug on the outside, so the girl must have had to summon every ounce of her courage. In a way, having her attempt at intimidation backfire into something more frightening than being yelled back at was an unfortunate turn of events for her.
"G-Gorgeous Tiger... please don't be too angry at big sis."
Perhaps unable to bear watching his trembling sister, the boy—who had completely dusted himself off and recovered from the shock—peeked out from behind her and pleaded with Garfiel. The sister wore a hurt expression at her brother's behavior, but she still maintained enough dignity to shield him from Garfiel's gaze. Garfiel had thought their relationship was off to a rough start, but he didn't think it was bad.
"Why's it look like I'm the bad guy here? I ain't exactly cool with that."
"Bad guy! Bad guys are no good, Garf. Gorgeous! Tiger!"
Mimi came trotting back and jumped up to bonk Garfiel on the head. It didn't hurt, but it was a strike that left him feeling oddly unsatisfied.
And so, the unproductive staredown between the siblings and Garfiel's group continued.
Or at least, it seemed like it would— "Big sister. Fred. Where did both of you run off to?"
Once again, it was an outside voice that broke the deadlock.
At the soft sound of a woman's voice, the siblings exchanged glances as if startled. They then dashed toward the sound, and Garfiel watched them go with wide eyes.
The siblings had headed toward a bend in the road. The voice had come from there, and when a woman emerged from around the corner, the children ran to her without hesitation.
The woman who caught them was blonde—presumably their mother.
"Mommy!"
"Mom, there's a creep! Gorgeous-something was doing stuff to Fred—"
The boy clung to his mother in tears, while the sister tried to cement the false accusation.
At the words of her two children, the figure holding them displayed a troubled smile.
Watching that family scene, Garfiel shook his head with a weary air.
If this went on and the city guards were called, it would only make things worse. Relieved that at least a calm adult had appeared, he stepped forward to explain— And froze when he saw the woman, still holding the children, turn a face toward him with a hint of a smile.
"Garf?"
Mimi looked at Garfiel with a puzzled expression at his sudden stop.
But Garfiel couldn't respond to Mimi's words. He didn't have it in him. His heart was now a maelstrom of turmoil and confusion—utterly chaotic.
Because standing there was— "Um, it seems my children troubled you, and I'm sorry for that. If it's alright, would you mind letting me hear what happened?"
With a gentle, unhurried tone that held not a shred of malice or suspicion, the woman made her offer.
The woman stepped forward until she stood right in front of him. At her presence, Garfiel's mouth began to tremble, and the woman tilted her head in puzzlement.
Her expression, her manner, her voice—everything about her shook Garfiel to his core.
"...Mom?"
A single, hoarse word spilled from his throat.