——The fall of the fortress city
Subaru's brain chewed on the boldly declared plan and quickly arrived at a conclusion.
It was reckless.
"It's a fortress city, for crying out loud. Surrounded on all four sides by massive walls, with every coming and going at the gates under constant surveillance. You don't just casually say 'let's make it fall.'"
"Oh, as if you've seen it for yourself... no, you actually have, haven't you? Since nothing useful ever comes out of your mouth, I tend to forget."
"Sharp as ever with the sarcasm—great. But that sharpness only works on people willing to sit down and talk, like this. It won't work on someone pointing a weapon at you."
In the center of the gathering place, Subaru and Abel glared at each other across the fire.
Abel, his emotions hidden behind that demon mask, was becoming increasingly impossible to read all the way down to his thoughts—and Subaru, while irritated, was also bewildered.
The perfectly legitimate concern Subaru had just raised was something Abel couldn't possibly have overlooked. And yet, he had still spoken of capturing the fortress city—— "——You mean to enter the city through a hidden passage?"
That was
Sitting with her knees folded to one side, Rem fixed Abel with her pale blue eyes. It wasn't so much a glare as a penetrating gaze.
In response, Abel shrugged as if it went without saying.
"Exactly as
"Even if we get inside, there seem to be a great many Imperial soldiers in the city. Even if we ignore the checkpoint, I think the enemy numbers are too overwhelming."
"Hmph."
Rem systematically countered each obstacle Abel laid out for the fall of Guaral. Abel snorted at her composure, but Subaru's bewilderment only deepened.
The cause, of course, was seeing Rem argue directly with Abel.
In terms of the argument's substance, Rem's position could be described as siding with Subaru—against the attack on Guaral. But her perspective was remarkably well-formed. As if she had thoroughly assessed the situation during the short time she'd spent in Guaral.
"——Natsuki Subaru, how do you understand the disparity in forces between attacker and defender?"
"Huh? The disparity between attacker and defender... like the rule of three?"
"The rule of three... indeed, elegantly put."
Abel nodded approvingly at Subaru's reflexive answer.
The "rule of three" was a concept in warfare stating that an attacker should ideally possess three times the fighting force of the defender. This was due to the difference in purpose between offense and defense: the attacker must defeat the enemy, while the defender need only repel them—or even simply hold their ground. That difference was critical.
In this case, Abel's Shudrak needed to seize the city to capture Guaral, while the Imperial soldiers and guards stationed there only needed to repel the attack, or ultimately just hole up inside to achieve their objective. To bridge this gap in objective achievement, a proportional disparity in forces was required.
"Three times the city's forces—there's no way we can muster that. Mizelda, how many people are in the settlements here?"
"Eighty-two in total, da. Including Abel and that man... Flop, around a hundred."
"I don't know how you're calculating the good-looking man, but that gives us an even hundred. But that city—by even a rough estimate—had more than three times that in combat strength, didn't it?"
Setting aside Mizelda's math, Subaru estimated Guaral's military strength that way. The city was just under ten thousand in size, but it should have had a proportional number of guards maintaining order. On top of that, the Imperial soldiers whose camp had been burned had regrouped there.
——Those Imperial soldiers, including Todd.
"............"
"At minimum, you seem to have the basic knowledge in order. But the reason you've gone silent appears to stem not from concern over the force disparity, but from a different fear."
"...It's true I'm scared, but it's also true the force disparity is brutal."
Having his inner thoughts nailed on the mark, Subaru clicked his tongue in discomfort.
In truth, the first obstacle that came to mind when Subaru heard about capturing Guaral was Todd. The mere thought of facing him again made his insides churn.
Fundamentally, if you tried to reason within the "rule of three," there was no discussion to be had.
"The only ways I can think of to overcome this force disparity are either having a one-man-army join us, or the enemy commander being so incompetent he practically kills himself."
"Unfortunately, I wouldn't count on either. With the Shudrak's strength, we could scatter any number of ordinary soldiers, but if they surround us with sheer numbers, we'll be overwhelmed. And the enemy commander, I hear, is
"Zikr... I've heard that name."
He'd last heard it from Todd, before things went sour. That Imperial encampment had already been burned to the ground, but the person in charge of that operation had been someone called Zikr. Since the camp was destroyed, Subaru had assumed that person had been killed.
"What was in the camp were grunts. In the first place, to conceal the true objective of the military operation, the information given to those soldiers was minimal. Two generals would never personally march to the front lines against a small forest tribe."
"So the commander stayed in the city from the start?"
"Correct. Had nothing intervened, the plan should have produced sufficient results. The flaw came from my command and... ah, from your existence as well, Natsuki Subaru."
"Guh..."
With malicious intent, Abel tried to force Subaru to face the responsibility he wanted to look away from.
Grinding his teeth at that, Subaru pressed his hand to his mouth. Regardless, there was a high likelihood that the so-called Second General Zikr was stationed in Guaral. Imperial ranks went from top to bottom as First General, Second General, Third General—and being second from the top meant this was a formidable figure.
"So what? We're already outgunned, the enemy commander is a top-tier combatant when you count from the top, and on top of that they're on high alert because we stirred the hornet's nest?"
"Precisely. Have you grasped the weight of responsibility?"
"I'm telling you it's hopeless!"
Abel pricked at Subaru's recklessness with stinging remarks, but the real problem lay elsewhere. In a situation this hopeless, Abel still refused to abandon the fight. Subaru stubbornly insisted it was pointless to challenge.
This was fundamental—— "I'm firmly opposed to fighting in the first place. I made that clear when we left here. I... I just want to go home with Rem."
"But that difficulty has already been proven. Do you think your only enemies are the Imperial soldiers who entered Guaral? Can you conveniently assume other villages and towns would be safe?"
"............"
"Wherever you go, your peace of mind can no longer be bought. I gave you time to feel that viscerally and let it soak into your blood. Or do you need more poison?"
Abel's provocative gaze pecked at Subaru's weak-willed spirit. While enduring the pain of being flayed by those words, Subaru let out a long breath and, despite his loathing, had to admit Abel's words were true.
The suffering he experienced in the fortress city had erected a mental wall inside Subaru. Even if he tried to smuggle Rem out of the country in the future, the anxiety and vigilance would never diminish anywhere other than Guaral.
Subaru's overconfidence had been lost in exchange for five deaths.
"——Then how about I just sell you out to the enemy instead?"
Having his escape routes cut off and his recklessness berated, Subaru twisted his cheek and posed the question.
For an instant, the words Subaru had unleashed tightened the atmosphere of the gathering place. He could clearly see Rem's eyes widen in his peripheral vision.
But Abel, the one being offered up for sale, just gave a small laugh.
"Hmph. It seems your brain has finally started working properly. However..."
"That is not negotiable, da, Subaru."
In the blink of an eye, Mizelda drew her short sword and leveled it at Subaru's neck. Subaru held his breath at the speed and looked up at the tall chieftain's face. Mizelda's striking beauty held the cold gaze of a ruthless hunter.
"We have already decided to fight alongside Abel. If that is the wish of those we've acknowledged as kin through the Rite of Blood Oath, then nothing else matters."
"...I know it's shameless of me to say this, given that I borrowed your strength to get Rem back. But really—is everyone fine with this?"
While Mizelda radiated unwavering resolve, Subaru's question sailed over her head. As chieftain, Mizelda had to embody the way of the Shudrak, and could not be swayed. But the other Shudrak might have different opinions.
Tolitta, Kuna, and Holy, who were present—surely they might dissent.
"Just now, even that guy was saying it, right? The force disparity is obvious, and they've got a battle-hardened commander. We'd be fighting with zero chance of winning from the start..."
"ProbaBly, Subaru is misunderStanDing, no?"
"Misunderstanding...?"
The one who answered Subaru's appeal for other opinions was, unexpectedly, Holy.
At the edge of the gathering place, gnawing on dried meat while listening, Holy turned her round eyes toward the immobilized Subaru.
"Don't talk about winNing and losIng, no. If we back down here, we lose too, no. If we can't fight for our kinsfolk, our souls become taintEd, no."
"Souls become tainted... you mean like pride, or honoring the ancestors, something like that?"
"That's right, right, Subaru underStanDs too, no?"
Holy even smiled as she affirmed Subaru's words.
But that was proof not of understanding between them, but of the impossibility of it. Subaru understood that such convictions existed—the invisible weight of pride and family name, things that contributed nothing to the body directly, and the attitude of treasuring them above all.
However, it was a worldview fundamentally incompatible with Subaru's belief that nothing was more important than one's life.
"Kuna! Tolitta! Do you two feel the same way?!"
"……I ain't really thought it through as far as Holy or the chief, na."
"——I follow elder sister's decision. That is my own will, da."
"So that's how it is..."
The other two, whom he'd appealed to, also gave Subaru answers he didn't want to hear. He'd hoped Kuna, who was a little different from the Shudrak mold, might object—but that seemed to be miscalculation on his part. And Tolitta, who obeyed Mizelda absolutely, went without saying.
It seemed the standoff would drag on, the knife still pressed to the neck of the ally-less Subaru—— "——Mizelda, please withdraw your weapon. That person has no intention of handing Abel over to you."
It was Rem who said that.
Receiving Rem's gaze, Mizelda narrowed her eyes.
"You're giving me orDers, Rem? You haven't undergone the Rite of Blood Oath. I allow your presence in the settlement because of Subaru's wish, but that doesn't give you the riGht to talk back."
"Then all the more reason to withdraw. That person underwent the ceremony... the Rite of Blood Oath, and was welcomed as kin. It is not right to harm someone like that."
"Mmm..."
Mizelda tried to intensify her glare and intimidate Rem, but being defied so composedly, she instead found herself at a loss for words. In the end, she quickly sheathed her short sword.
Releasing Subaru, she fixed Rem with a hard stare.
"You were right this time. But if Abel and Subaru clash again, I will side with Abel. Don't forget that."
"Is it because his expression matches the body odor of a despicably evil person?"
"A slightly sharp gaze has its charms. But I prefer good-looking men, da."
The tense moment defused, but their final exchange was oddly anticlimactic.
Either way, Subaru was freed from the near-decapitation and gently rubbed his neck where the blade had been. Then he looked at Rem.
"——What is it?"
"......I was just confused about whether to respond to you defending me, or to you insulting my face."
"I didn't say anything about your face. I was talking about your expression. And your body odor. My nose is wrinkling. Please sit further away."
"Now you tell me...!?"
Rem's attitude entered an ice age, and being forced to maintain distance wounded Subaru. But inwardly, an even more complex turmoil was gnawing at him. He genuinely didn't know why Rem had said something to defend him.
Perhaps she simply couldn't overlook something illogical, or perhaps not. Thinking so was probably just wishful thinking on Subaru's part.
After all, she was the one who'd refused to unpack at the inn in Guaral—— "Our conversation was interrupted. But even if you slipped past the Shudrak's watch, selling me out would be a wasted effort."
"——Thanks for picking up where we left off. While you're at it, let me ask: why not?"
"You spent time in the city yourself, however briefly. Then, you must have heard how the Imperial Capital is currently being governed?"
"The Imperial Capital... oh! Right, that! You..."
Subaru slapped his knee, unable to help standing up. Then, drawing every gaze in the vicinity, he called out, "Mr. Flop!"
Flop, who had been unable to keep up with the rapid shifts and was feeling dizzy, turned with an "Mm?"
"What, what, what is it, young man? Honestly, right now I'm in the depths of confusion and bewilderment, and my feelings are a complete mess! I can't follow the conversation at all, but the atmosphere tells me everything is reaching a climax!"
"I know I left you in the dust, but let me confirm. In Guaral, you were telling me about the notice from the Imperial Capital—well, the Emperor's declaration?"
"The Emperor's declaration... you mean the commotion in the capital?"
Flop snapped his fingers, and Subaru nodded in agreement.
The fierce back-and-forth that followed—repeated six times with Todd—was burned into his brain, but that conversation with Flop had also taken place in Guaral.
Recalling that, Subaru watched Flop smooth back his long bangs.
"It seems there's been some disturbance in our Empire, whose embers of unrest always smolder, specifically in the Imperial Capital. It's been a long time since His Majesty the Emperor took the throne, and there hadn't been any signs of civil war—the citizens had been content to enjoy peaceful days. But then this happened."
"The story was that the chaos in the capital would spread outside, and the Emperor himself would step in to resolve it—something like that. It was said to be an unprecedented announcement..."
"That's right. It was indeed the first time since His Majesty took the seat. That said, he has an impressive track record governing the Empire. No need for worry! Long live the Volakian Empire!"
Flop raised both hands, unknowingly digging at Subaru's old wounds. The Imperial praise he'd been subjected to in the Imperial camp still echoed, but Subaru had no mental spare to humor it now.
Regardless, the problem wasn't the praise but the Emperor's actions that had been described. For the Emperor to personally step in to quell the capital's unrest was an extraordinary event. Moreover, if the Emperor were to issue a decree before the public eye—— "Then who exactly are you, and what position do you hold? Can you prove that you're not some crazy lunatic?"
"Prove it? Where would that need arise?"
"What?"
Abel, sitting cross-legged, sneered at Subaru's suspicion. Then he placed his hand over his own chest, as if proclaiming his own existence.
"If it were thoughtless fools who've made me their enemy, perhaps. But if, at this point, you still treat me as someone spouting absurdities, how do you intend to explain the situation you find yourself in?"
"That's..."
"Stop reaching for convenient ideas that even you can't fully believe, just for peace of mind. Systematically eliminate inconsistencies, and what remains is simply fact."
Abel's tone was harsh, but Subaru was aware his own logic was strained. The possibility that the masked man before him was an impostor who had deceived even the Emperor, and that both he and the entire Shudrak were being manipulated by this falsehood—it was an unsalvageable scenario and one difficult to imagine.
The fact was, Abel had used the Shudrak's strength and the intelligence Subaru provided to win battles against Imperial soldiers. That was a fact that couldn't be dismissed as mere habitual lying.
"But then what about the Imperial Capital? If he's going to take direct command, the real Emperor can't stay hidden forever, right?"
"Then he'll appear, presumably. To avoid suspicion about the Emperor's absence, we use the most convincing lookalike.——
"Chisha...?"
An unfamiliar name, but apparently Abel's—no, the Emperor's double.
In a nation where Social Darwinism and survival of the fittest thrived, it was easy to imagine a scenario where the Emperor kept a bodyguard against assassination.
But having that double exploited by the enemy and the Emperor usurped would be putting the cart before the horse.
"Silence. I'm aware."
"Oh, well, that's great, because we've had nothing but trouble because of it. If only the Empire were stable..."
The problem Subaru faced should have been limited to Rem's cold shoulder when she had no memories. He should have been making a difficult journey to escape the Volakian Empire and reunite with
"Um, um, excuse me, young man."
Flop called out to the bitter-faced Subaru. He furrowed his handsome brows and tilted his head at a steep angle.
"I've been listening for a while and I can't help but notice you seem to be having an extraordinary conversation with the village chief here. Honestly, I'm also surprised at the joke about capturing Guaral, but..."
"A joke—no, forget that part. Um, Flop, I was meaning to explain..."
"Oh, I'd very much like an explanation! Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to take everything I've heard at face value and draw my own conclusions!"
With that, Flop pointed his finger straight at Abel.
"And—that being, the masked village chief, might actually be His Majesty the Emperor! An unbelievable notion!"
"............"
"My, my, my? When you go silent like that, it makes me worry, young man. Fortunately, I have a reputation for jumping to conclusions, so I'm quite flexible in withdrawing my thoughts immediately..."
"You are the very picture of dishonesty."
If Abel had been trying to keep it hidden, his conversational guard had been sorely lacking. As a result, Flop, who had been listening nearby, naturally arrived at the correct conclusion. And that Flop had reached the truth on his own drew visible displeasure from Abel himself.
The contempt Abel directed at Subaru with his gaze, calling him "dishonest," was for the fact that Subaru had brought Flop all the way to the Shudrak village without disclosing any of the circumstances.
But Subaru could hardly accept being looked down on for that.
"Dishonest? You've got a lot of nerve saying that! First of all, I know this isn't something you go blabbing about!"
"Then settle your discernment before bringing people back. You still haven't fully grasped the situation. After being chased by enemies in Guaral, you should have had plenty of time to think."
"............"
"With something more precious than yourself at your side, why compromise your thinking? If you never intended to put it on equal footing, bringing her back was a mistake from the start."
Something more precious than yourself. At those words, Subaru thought of Rem at his side.
The words that followed cut even deeper.——Abel's point was simple: if Subaru was in a position to protect Rem, why was he holding back?
Of course, Subaru hadn't intended to hold back, nor did he remember compromising. But from Abel's perspective—one that extended thought far deeper and further than Subaru's—Subaru's thinking was insufficient, inadequate, laughable. He was being accused of bringing back someone he couldn't trust enough to confide in.
Abel was exposing Subaru's naivety in thinking he couldn't involve Flop and Medium, and coldly dismissing it as a foolish notion.
"I..."
"——Forgive me, but allow me to interrupt as well, village chief!"
Subaru's words caught in his throat, but Flop energetically raised his hand in his place. He strode forward, plunked himself down cross-legged, and faced Abel's demon mask head-on.
"Or perhaps I should call you something else? What shall I address you as?"
"I have no title at present. I call myself Abel—call me what you will."
"Very well! Then I'll stick with village chief, since the atmosphere calls for it. Surely the ladies won't object?"
"Ah, you're a handsome man. Anything goes, da."
"Elder sister..."
With that routine exchange between sisters now a regular occurrence, Flop laughed and said, "Much obliged!" Still grinning, he slapped both his knees firmly and spoke.
"I've been denying things for so long it's getting scary, but I want to go back to what we were discussing earlier and earlier. You asked me about a passage into the city, village chief..."
"Yes, I asked. Do you have anything, merchant?"
"I do! And I'd almost answered 'yes'—forgive me. But if that knowledge would be used to attack Guaral, I cannot comply!"
Flop held his palm out flat and declared this with a bright, open expression. His firm stance made Subaru's eyes widen, and even Abel seemed to narrow his eyes slightly behind the mask.
There was a seriousness in Flop's words that his tone didn't convey.
Flop, whose behavior was often eccentric, was not stupid. He had inferred that Abel was someone of extraordinary status. Since Abel neither confirmed nor denied it, Flop's deduction was essentially certainty.
In other words, he had flatly refused the presumed Emperor.
"......Do you understand what that entails?"
"Of course I do, village chief of no particular renown. If it comes to war, I will refuse. I don't want to use my own knowledge to harm anyone."
"A pipe dream. In reality, malice strikes without any regard for your circumstances. Will you hold out your palms to every last one and beg them to back off?"
"If necessary!"
"Even if you did, it would achieve nothing. ——This is a land of wolves."
From Abel's entire body emanated a freezing killing intent. Not the disparity in power—the sheer magnitude of his existence itself pressed down with terrifying force. Even Rem, who could overwhelm Abel in combat, and the Shudrak all held their breath and stiffened.
Naturally, Subaru could barely breathe under the pressure. Flop was no exception.
But even while hit by that Emperor's killing intent—— "Even in a land of wolves, sheep survive. If a wolf bites at my tail, I'll climb in an ox-cart and flee with my sister. That's what I've been doing my whole life, village chief."
"............"
Flop's retort—cheeks tight, but smile unbroken.
Hearing it, the killing intent radiating from Abel suddenly dissipated. Instantly, the oppressive atmosphere that had engulfed the gathering place vanished, and Subaru regained the freedom to breathe.
But even with room to catch his breath, Subaru's mental composure did not return.
"F-Flop..."
Subaru's hoarse voice drew Flop's glance, and the smile he received was dazzling. It was closer to a wry smile, but there was no regret on Flop's face. Still, even if Flop felt no regret, Subaru—who had brought him here—felt regret intensifying with each passing moment.
After all, Flop had directly contradicted the Volachian Emperor.
If that earned the Emperor's displeasure, Abel—who held authority over the Shudrak—could do whatever he wanted with Flop.
But, contrary to Subaru's anxiety—— "——Despite your soft-spoken manner, you have backbone. A troublesome man, merchant."
"Do you think so? I do consider myself to have a likable face!"
"I see."
Abel, having retracted his killing intent, did not direct his anger at Flop.
Flop's reply was ambiguous—it was unclear whether he fully grasped how dangerous the tightrope he'd walked was. No comment was offered on Mizelda's remarks either.
"I retract my earlier commendation, Natsuki Subaru."
"Huh?"
Abel's words turned to Subaru, who still hadn't regained his composure. The man behind the demon mask, his sharp gaze cutting, jerked his chin toward the stubborn Flop.
"Your own lack of awareness is partly to blame, but if you were going to bring someone along, you should have brought someone more commercially shrewd. That would have saved us some grief."
"......If he were that kind of guy, he wouldn't have treated us well in the first place."
"Hmph, that assessment is probably correct. Annoying."
The "earlier commendation" that had now been retracted apparently related to bringing Flop along. And Flop, true to form, demonstrated the stubbornness that made one want to take back even that praise.
To think someone would directly challenge the Emperor's authority—or perhaps it was better to say he'd brushed it off like a willow. Such a person existed.
More surprising still was that Abel tolerated Flop's attitude.
"I thought Abel was someone much more obstinate."
"Hey, Rem?!"
Reflecting Subaru's inner thoughts, Rem's remark made him widen his eyes. It was true he found it surprising, but he'd kept quiet because he didn't think there was anything to gain from saying so. But when it came from Rem, and Abel's demon mask turned toward her—— Demon and demon mask faced each other, and a brief silence fell between them.
"——People with convictions are troublesome. They put down deep roots and gather strength in their trunks."
"What... do you mean by that?"
"You don't get it? Never mind. It's trivial."
The quiet, somewhat uncharacteristic answer made Rem frown. Abel showed a hint of disappointment at her reaction and shook his head slowly.
Nobody knew the reason for that disappointment. But Subaru vaguely sensed it.
"......Could that have been some kind of quote?"
"Oh, unexpected. You didn't strike me as particularly well-read."
"I just had a feeling. That sounded like borrowed words."
The unexpectedly worldly remark from Abel caught Subaru off guard. But Abel, apparently unbothered by being seen through, answered simply.
"About the earlier question—don't underestimate me. More to the point, what exactly do you want me to do?"
"......I'd have thought you'd at least rough someone up and interrogate them."
Rem answered Abel's question with disarming honesty.
That said, it wasn't an option Subaru hadn't considered either. If Abel tried to force Flop into compliance, ordering the Shudrak to carry out something resembling torture wouldn't be out of the question.
But Abel shrugged at the suggestion and answered, "Useless."
"Pain can sometimes be the finest negotiating tool, but intelligence extracted that way is terrifyingly unreliable. When humans need to escape immediate pain, they'll lie through their teeth without batting an eye."
"............"
"Moreover, in that case, she would look at you as if swearing to shield you with her life."
Abel assessed Rem's fixed stare with that comment. Looking closer, the hard set of Rem's cheek held a tragic beauty that threatened to overshadow her loveliness. Her profile spoke volumes about the truth in Abel's evaluation.
"I cannot afford the folly of reducing my forces for unreliable intelligence. ——Therefore, we negotiate."
"Negotiate?"
"Merchant, I wish to purchase whatever knowledge you possess. Consider it a negotiation for that purpose."
Abel lowered his raised knee and settled back into his cross-legged seat. Flop, wide-eyed, faced Abel with a grin still on his lips.
And then— "When I hear the word 'negotiate,' my merchant blood can't help but boil. But! Let me make one thing clear before we begin: I am extremely stubborn. Even if you split my skull open, I will not concede what I cannot accept!"
So he declared.
△▼△▼△▼△ "'Even if you split my skull open'... that's not even remotely funny. ...It's not funny at all, Flop."
Remembering Flop's fiery declaration before the start of what could only be called a negotiation battle, Subaru wore a bitter expression. Flop probably hadn't meant it literally, but for Subaru—who had actually seen Flop's head split open more than once, it was a startling thing to hear.
"............"
Narrowing his eyes, Subaru gazed from a nearby hill toward the gathering place.
Inside, the so-called "business discussion" between Abel and Flop was still ongoing. Abel wanted information that would serve as a foothold for the fall of Guaral; Flop possessed that knowledge but refused to disclose it. That was the dynamic.
Subaru had been excluded from the gathering because the person who mattered most in the negotiations—Abel himself—had declared him combat-ineffective.
And Subaru himself couldn't come up with a reason to justify staying.
"A blitz strategy using a hidden passage to enter the city and go straight for the enemy general's head..."
Expelled and bathed in the forest-scented wind, Subaru murmured to himself. From what he'd gathered, that was the broad outline of Abel's proposed strategy.
It was simple, but it was arguably the only way to overcome the force disparity. If there was room for improvement, it would be things like creating a diversion outside the city to draw attention, or using small-scale tricks to thin the enemy general's guard.
The problem was— "Simple strategies are easy to predict. ...Especially with Todd on their side."
If there were no other options, the enemy would naturally be on guard for it. And a strategy the enemy was expecting was essentially throwing a straight fastball right down the plate. For a batter who'd been waiting for exactly that, it was a juicy pitch.
The idea that Todd would miss it was unthinkable to Subaru.
"Or am I just being paranoid? If Todd—or soldiers like Todd—were the norm, there's no chance of winning."
He didn't know. There were too many unknowns. But he didn't want it to be true. The idea that enemies like Todd existed beyond just Todd itself was something he didn't want to contemplate. He knew all too well, having died the most deaths in the shortest span, that the compatibility between himself and "Return by Death" was at its worst.
That the Volachian Empire's standard was that—was a thought that— "——The negotiations seem to be dragging on."
"............"
At some point, Subaru had covered his face with his hand, shutting out the world.
Into the darkness he stared at, a familiar girl's voice reached his eardrums—a voice he'd heard countless times, yet one he could never tire of hearing.
But that was only when Subaru was in a state of peace.
"Rem..."
Lowering the hand from his face, Subaru hesitantly opened his eyelids. Rem stood on the gentle slope, quiet and still, and being pierced by her gaze made Subaru's body tense.
This was the truth of it—facing Rem like this was what his heart truly wanted.
During the days it took to return to the Shudrak village, Subaru had been able to focus his anger on Abel, who had set a trap for them. In doing so, he had deliberately avoided dialogue with Rem. That was, in fact, true. He was afraid to exchange words with her, afraid to learn her true feelings.
So he tried to turn away from the unpleasant and make do in the moment.
But even running from unpleasantness had its limits.
Because it did—— "............"
Now, he could no longer avoid meeting those earnest eyes.
"Abel seems to be attaching various conditions, but Flop appears to be standing firm and refusing to budge."
"...Yeah, he's an impressive man. He doesn't want his knowledge to help harm anyone. To say that, surrounded by the Shudrak—his courage is remarkable."
Subaru had been watching the negotiation's progress, and Flop's stubbornness was exactly as he'd described himself. The crux was still the damage to Guaral—people and property alike, Flop refused to concede on either front.
Abel had proposed minimizing casualties wherever possible, but even that wasn't a decisive blow.
They were at an impasse.
And Subaru felt relief seeing Flop's unwavering stance. Someone who despised fighting and directly opposed Abel—such a person existed here alongside him.
However— "I don't think it's as simple as calling him an impressive man."
"...What?"
While Subaru viewed Flop's stance positively, Rem spoke in a quiet but unmistakably reproachful tone.
Surprised by the weight of her words, Subaru couldn't help but stare at Rem. The gaze he'd been trying to turn away, too ashamed to face—Rem was looking straight at him.
Staring directly at Subaru, she continued.
"He doesn't want to use his knowledge to harm anyone. I understand that feeling. But... when you consider the situation he's placed in, including himself, how do you assess the harm caused by keeping his knowledge to himself? Couldn't that also be called harm inflicted by knowledge?"
"That's—that's sophistry! Flop not sharing information doesn't make all the damage his fault. Dumping everything on him is just plain bullying!"
"You're right. But I don't think running away indefinitely is realistic either."
Flop, who had told Abel that this was a land of wolves, had declared that sheep would flee. Rem called that a pipe dream—not pessimistically, but realistically. She too had set foot in Guaral. The Imperial soldiers' tenacity had seared itself into her.
Could they keep shaking off that relentless pursuit?
Under hostility that was no longer vague malice but unmistakable enmity, could Flop and Medium keep running and running forever? And where could Subaru and the others, bound by the same fate, go?
"Wait, wait, Rem. What you're saying is insane. You said you didn't want to fight either, didn't you? But your tone right now sounds like..."
"............"
"...like you've accepted the idea of fighting."
Subaru's throat trembled, and the words came out haltingly.
But as the saying went, the eyes speak more than the mouth—and this precarious dialogue between Subaru and Rem was communicated not only in words but in their gazes. The tragic color in her eyes looked the same to Subaru as it had when she'd defied Abel to defend Flop.
"...I don't understand you, and it hurts."
Seeing Rem's attitude, Subaru spat out the feeling that rose in his chest.
Rem, who criticized Flop for following his convictions, and yet looked at Subaru with the same light in her eyes as when she'd defended him for having those convictions.
Defending Subaru against Abel, but refusing to unpack at the inn in Guaral—the exchanges between the awakened Rem and Subaru were always disjointed, always one-sided.
He was truly, deeply happy that she had awakened.
He believed that some solution would be found for the sorrow of her lost memories.
But in an Empire where no one could be fully relied upon, Rem's noncooperative attitude—when Subaru needed to escort her back to Emilia—pierced his feet like blades. Every time, he nearly crumpled from the pain.
"......You didn't unpack at the inn in Guaral, did you? Thanks to that, we shortened our escape time, but it's been eating at me."
"That was..."
"Most people, when they arrive at an inn, either rest up or put their luggage away. Sure, maybe you're different. But..."
He didn't want to say what came next.
If he could keep looking away, he would. But he felt he could no longer avoid addressing Rem's inexplicable behavior. So— "But you were running away from me again."
"............"
Rem's silence pierced him, and Subaru felt his heart bleed.
But a scab that had already been peeled back served no more purpose. He would have to tear it all the way off, expose the wound, and endure the pain.
"Not trusting me... that's fine. It's painful, but I understand. With no memories, and with me reeking of something you can't stomach—there's no basis for you to trust me. I understand why you can't trust me, why you want to keep your distance."
"............"
"But there are people who are waiting for you to come home... people who truly care about you. If you hate me, you don't have to speak to me. Even if you push my hand away, I'll endure it. But please don't try to push me away."
"............"
"Please don't... don't shut me out of your life."
His pleading voice trembled, and his eyes were clouding with tears he hadn't shed.
The tears welling up—whether from his own pathetic helplessness or from the plea to Rem, he couldn't distinguish. It didn't matter.
What mattered was that he was pathetic. Utterly contemptible.
Even if she hadn't given up on him, this plea alone could well be the reason she would.
He always showed Rem the most wretched, pitiful version of himself.
The version he would never show Emilia,
At least, Subaru had tried never to let them see it. Whether he'd succeeded was another matter, but that had been his intent.
He had decided he would only show his weakness to Rem.
But that was never meant to suggest he wanted to burden a Rem who had no memories, who was alone and frightened in a foreign land, with the weight of Natsuki Subaru.
"............"
Hearing Subaru's unsightly plea, Rem said nothing.
Still, with tears blurring his vision, Subaru didn't look away from her—and she didn't look away from him either.
And as a brief silence enveloped them both—— "You..."
"............"
"——I did not... I did not give up on you."
Rem spoke haltingly, choosing her words carefully.
That was an attitude Rem had never once shown Subaru until now—a willingness to show concern for him, words meant to avoid hurting him, even though he was someone she should have been wary of.
And there was a sincerity in those words that made Subaru want to believe they weren't the desperate utterances of someone grasping at straws. Or perhaps that belief itself was just wishful thinking.
"You..."
Clutching at that fragile hope, that thread he shouldn't rely on, Subaru searched for his own words.
What was Rem thinking, what did she wish for, what did she believe when she said those things?
Whether he even deserved to know that answer, he wasn't sure—but he wanted to hear more of her voice, and was about to continue—— However— "UWAAH!"
"Guh!?"
Faster than that, something slammed into his midsection, and Subaru's body lurched sideways. Unable to support himself at all, he went flying and tumbled spectacularly across the top of the hill. The atmosphere he'd been building was utterly shattered, and as Subaru's vision spun and he looked around in confusion— "Don't! Get on top of Su! Wu stopped. Ru did it on her own!"
"U-Utakata...? So that means this..."
Trotting in with comically light footsteps came Utakata, his tawny face flushed slightly pink. And being pulled by the sleeve, sitting astride Subaru's chest, was a girl with long golden hair tied back behind her head— "Ru, get off. He'll be crushed."
"Huh?"
The girl with a beaming expression tilted her head in puzzlement at Rem's words.
It was Louis. She sat on Subaru's chest, innocently patting his cheeks with both hands. Her harmless demeanor was what irritated Subaru most.
"I'm having an important conversation here. Get off right now."
"Huh?"
"Don't 'huh' me. Utakata, please."
"It's Su's request, so Wu will comply. Wu is a virtuous wife."
Whether she understood the words or not, Utakata pulled Louis by the arm and lifted her off Subaru's chest. The pressure gone, Subaru pushed himself upright.
But with Louis's displeased face still in front of him, Subaru was at a loss.
"We still don't even have an answer for who or what you are..."
The Archbishop of Sin, an evil existence, "Gluttony"—Louis Arneb. Plenty of insults and harsh words could be conjured to describe the golden-haired girl before him. But the existence those words described didn't match the girl sitting in front of him. That evil girl had never helped Subaru, worried about him, or smiled at him without pretense.
But— "Huh?"
Louis tilted her head, and a cascade of her recent actions flashed through Subaru's mind.
She had helped when Rem had her in a chokehold. She had stood up to face danger for Subaru's sake, her voice trembling. Most recently, even against axe-wielding Todd.
The image of her taking an elbow to the face and bleeding from the nose was still fresh.
That no scars remained—and that Louis showed no lingering effects—was annoyingly hard to believe.
"Ru."
"Hmm!"
At Rem's call, Louis broke into a radiant smile and trotted over. Having learned how to approach the cane-using Rem, she bounded over without too much force, and Rem caught her, gently stroking her head.
Rem, stroking the head of Louis Arneb—a fragment of the Archbishop of Sin who had borne partial responsibility for the current situation.
"Your eyes..."
"Hm?"
"The way you look at this child... it confuses me. She clings to you so warmly, and yet you——"
Cradling Louis's small body, Rem spoke quietly. Subaru said nothing.
Was this the continuation of the words she'd left unfinished before? The truth she had almost revealed at the inn in Guaral?
But no matter how long he waited, Rem wove no further words. She simply held the smiling Louis against her chest.
"......What do you want me to do?"
Looking at Rem, Subaru finally chose words that sounded like a last resort.
Perhaps it was a cowardly approach, deferring the answer to Rem. But if every word and action Subaru chose was going to be deflected by Rem, this was all he had left.
To ask Rem directly what she wanted and what she wished of him. And then, if her answer was something Subaru couldn't fulfill—perhaps that would be the true severance. He asked, terrified of that possibility.
And to Subaru's words, she held her breath for a moment— "......I don't want us to fight."
That, Subaru could accept. In truth, when the Imperial encampment had been burned—thinking Subaru had been behind it, she had confronted him with fierce hostility. Rem did not want war. She found it objectionable. That much was certain.
So her position hadn't changed. Subaru could accept that.
But as he was about to settle into that understanding, Rem continued.
And that— "But I also think... we can't keep running. Flop's words aren't realistic. And..."
"You also can't endorse Abel's position?"
"......No."
Rem gave a small nod. That hesitant nod was proof that she herself knew she was saying something unreasonable.
Of course it was. Endorsing Flop's view of not wanting to fight, while simultaneously agreeing with Abel's view that fighting was unavoidable—that was the very embodiment of fence-sitting.
Honestly, if such a weather-vane opinion could carry the day, Subaru would love nothing more. He didn't want to fight. But he had to fight.
He didn't want to take lives. Yet he was faced with a battle where lives would inevitably be taken.
If he had to grapple with the duality of life itself— "If anyone could..."
"What?"
Wearing a bitter expression, Subaru grappled with Rem's contradictory stance. But even as he struggled with that turmoil, Rem turned her gaze toward him.
With Louis's head cradled against her chest, she directed her uncertain pale blue eyes at Subaru.
And as Subaru held his breath, she seemed to steel herself once more— "——Could you find a way?"
She asked as though clinging to him.
"............"
The instant that question reached him, Subaru stiffened as if struck by lightning.
It was—utterly, unconscionably one-sided. Even compared to Subaru, who had defined himself as a coward and a coward, it was worse.
She was asking for a third answer—neither "I don't want to fight" nor "I know we have to fight." Rem was asking Subaru for that third option.
Why?
She, who had forgotten everything, who had lost all trust and tenderness toward Natsuki Subaru, who regarded him with wariness and aversion because of the stench surrounding him—why was she turning to Subaru?
Why was she looking at him with eyes that seemed to be clinging to a last hope?
"............"
That wildly one-sided, selfish question set Natsuki Subaru's blood on fire.
He could have remembered his anger, raised his voice in cursing, and condemned her for her indulgence—and he would have been entitled to.
That was how self-centered Rem's choice had been.
But what blossomed in Subaru in that instant was a sense of purpose surging from the very depths of his soul.
"I..."
He had to fight.
He had to resist.
He had to shatter the reality before him. That was what he felt.
And Natsuki Subaru—who had to find an answer and a path different from both of those.
Why was that? Because—— "——Because I am the hero Rem believed in."
Because he was the man who had fought on in this other world armed with nothing but his tenacity and cunning refusal to give up.
The philosophy that had carried Natsuki Subaru this far was not one that would stop working simply because he'd crossed a national border. He believed that.
The days he'd met Emilia, been saved by her, and sprinted to save her in return. The hand he'd grasped of Beatrice, the vow he'd made to walk together after bringing her out of the Forbidden Library. The present moment—where he'd saved Rem, been saved by her, been loved by her, and defined himself as answering that love and trust.
——All of it set Natsuki Subaru's blood boiling, demanding that he change this limited situation.
Something. There had to be something.
The days spent in the
Think. Reason. Imagine. Seize every possible option.
In a world where every last person surpassed him, the only fighting tools Natsuki Subaru had left were his wretched tenacity and petty cleverness.
Then, then, then, then—— "——Ah."
Crushed by helplessness, consumed by defeat, Subaru had left the gathering place with nothing.
And in that Subaru's mind, a thought surfaced like a bolt of lightning.
That thought—that ridiculous possibility—could he pull it into something concrete and elevate it into a real plan? Subaru examined it with deadly seriousness.
"............"
Rem's eyes watched the silent Subaru intently.
She held her hand over Louis's mouth to keep her from making a fuss, and pressed down on Utakata who was tilting his head at the side, about to say something unnecessary. And she watched Subaru.
She, who shouldn't have had memories, watched him with the same gaze she had possessed when she did.
As if believing that Natsuki Subaru would arrive at an answer no one else could reach.
And then—— "——Rem."
Subaru murmured that, his hand still over his mouth. Rem straightened her posture.
There was no answer. She seemed to understand, somehow, that he wasn't asking for one.
But without noticing her response, Subaru took a quiet breath and continued.
"I found my answer to 'what I would do.'"
△▼△▼△▼△ With heavy, deliberate footsteps on the hard-packed earth, Subaru pushed open the doors of the gathering place.
The man in the demon mask looked at the one who appeared and snorted with displeasure—as if to say he hadn't been summoned.
"What is it, Natsuki Subaru? You, who can't produce a constructive opinion, have no place here."
In fact, he hadn't been summoned—and Subaru didn't stop.
Abel, who might tolerate Flop's disrespect but would not tolerate Subaru's faithlessness. Under the stares of those remaining in the gathering place, Subaru walked straight ahead.
And standing beside Abel, looking down at the demon mask from up close— "How are the negotiations going, you arrogant bastard?"
"............"
Subaru reached out and forcibly ripped the demon mask from Abel's face.
That unhesitating gesture drew gasps from Mizelda and the other Shudrak. Flop, seeing Abel's face for the first time, was no exception.
But Subaru didn't see any of them.
In response to Subaru's question, Abel twisted his fearsome features—a face that would send chills down the spine—into a contemptuous expression and gave a small shake of his head.
"Negotiations are stalling. This merchant is more stubborn than expected."
"Is that right? Then let me do the persuading instead—since you're terrible at it."
"What?"
Abel furrowed his well-shaped brows, and Subaru looked down at him with a grim sense of satisfaction.
Then Subaru turned to face Flop.
Since Abel's identity had never been officially confirmed, Flop—who had been arguing directly with the presumed Emperor—looked bewildered by the change in Subaru's expression and demeanor.
"Young man?"
To both of them wearing different expressions of doubt, Subaru made his declaration.
His words were— "——I have a plan to take Guaral without bloodshed. If we can make it a battle with no casualties, there should be room for both sides to meet in the middle, don't you think?"