The carriage moved along the highway at a pace that was not quite leisurely enough to be called pastoral.
The gale steed, a massive figure with a chestnut coat, escorted the carriage carrying Subaru and the others with a gentleness that belied its powerful build.
"As expected of the lady that isn't quite a lady — worthy of being Sir Zikr's beloved steed."
Subaru watched the magnificent gale steed and murmured, letting his thoughts drift to its owner.
The borrowed steed from Zikr was named 'Lady' — a name that was nearly a pun on the word for 'lady,' and Subaru could only marvel at the sheer force of fate behind a womanizer like Zikr naming his horse that.
In any case, thanks in large part to Lady's efforts, the group's journey toward the Demon Capital Chaos Flame was progressing smoothly. At this rate, they could expect to arrive in about four days.
"That said, arriving isn't the sole objective. There's the reputation of the Nine Divine Generals we're going to meet, but more than that, the word 'Demon Capital' alone doesn't exactly inspire confidence."
A city with 'Demon' in its name — the Demon Capital. That alone was enough to suggest it wouldn't be a straightforward visit.
He'd heard it was a salad bowl of diverse races, but would that alone earn a city the epithet 'Chaos' and 'Demon'? The fact that it was governed by the constantly-revolting Nine Divine Generals only fed into Subaru's growing sense of alarm — and it was, in part, why he'd decided not to bring
"What kind of chaos awaits us, I wonder…"
"I'm still confused myself, to be honest. That getup of yours and the brother I know just don't line up in my head — it's like my brain's glitching."
"Huh? You're still going on about that?"
Subaru had been gazing out the window at Lady's hindquarters as the steed ran briskly along, but at Al's words, he turned around, smoothing his long black hair in the breeze with a gentle hand.
Seated at the very back of the carriage, Al looked up with a dismissive tilt of his chin. Occupying the three-person bench with his characteristically slouchy posture, he hooked a finger under his helmet's chin guard, looked down from his upturned face, and — "You're doing that on purpose, aren't you."
He grumbled at Subaru's behavior in a bitter voice.
Despite the unmistakable rejection in Al's tone, Subaru merely shrugged, genuinely surprised. Of all people, Al was the second most vocal about Subaru's cross-dressing right after Rem. Abel,
"You said you'd support me, and now you're using the same tongue to list complaints left and right… Was that whole sincere exchange all a lie?"
"It ain't a lie, and my judgment to help my brother is real too. But that's a separate thing from this. Why does me being on your side mean I gotta be okay with you cross-dressing?"
"If you're on my side, then I want you to accept me as I am — at least for now."
"And that includes the cross-dressed version? Seriously?"
When put so directly, even Subaru had to admit it was a bit much to ask.
The body shared by
If he had to put it into words, Natsuki Subaru was the grounded self, and Natsumi Schwartz was the idealized figure drawn in soft, airy strokes.
"Of course, it's not that I want to be a woman. This is about confidence, or something like that."
"I didn't ask!"
As Al protested at full volume, Subaru looked down at his own body and reassessed.
Currently, he had recreated Natsumi Schwartz through a wig and makeup, but unlike when he'd posed as a dancer, the role he'd now be asked to fill was far more cerebral.
Therefore, he'd assembled the outfit and makeup to match that impression.
The red-based, collared attire was modeled after a Volachian Empire officer's uniform — Zikr's, specifically, which Subaru had used as a reference to create a one-of-a-kind piece with similar design elements. He'd prioritized mobility and didn't wear the cape except when necessary, but he was quite proud of the overall effect.
Below were pants, sturdy boots on his feet, and atop his head sat a military cap adorned with a bird's feather.
This was the completed image of the 'Female Strategist' Natsumi Schwartz.
"Well, I'd say it leans more toward female soldier than female strategist. When you think of a woman in military attire, the convention is that she's cross-dressing into men's clothes, right?"
"A brother cross-dressing as a woman wearing a man's outfit — just reading those words is making my brain melt further into chaos."
"I wanted to avoid standing out too much, so I went with an imperial style. Since I'm cross-dressing as a man, I borrowed a little from Kirsch's aesthetic as well."
"That thing where you say you got the idea from past encounters — I'm not sure the duchess in question would be thrilled to hear it… Am I the only one who finds this weird? What about the Emperor, what's your take?"
As Subaru explained his concept, Al threw his right arm up in a helpless gesture. Then, turning that raised arm forward, he pointed toward the figure in the front seat.
In the middle section of the carriage — that is, positioned between Subaru and Al's ongoing conversation — Abel sat with a stern expression, gazing out the window.
He appeared to be mulling over something complicated, but when Al carelessly used that name, his brow twitched, and without turning around, he said icily: "Jester."
"You haven't granted me permission to call you that. Consider well that a single careless word of yours could shake the very foundations of the empire. Otherwise, you'll lose more than just the other arm."
"Ugh, spare me. I'm somewhat used to it by now, but it's still inconvenient, y'know? If I lose this one too, it won't just be a matter of inconvenience."
"Then learn to be more careful."
"Heh heh heh — the imperial sense of humor is no laughing matter. It's tough on comedians like me. Right, brother?"
"Don't ask me to agree with that."
The complete inability to take a joke, the perpetually tense atmosphere — it was partly a cultural difference, but Subaru wasn't about to fault the empire for it.
At most, he'd recognize Abel as someone difficult to deal with on a personal level. It was, admittedly, a frustration he'd never felt on the surface, since Abel's actual responses were rather deft.
Of course, the moment the topic veered into matters of belief or values, things would spiral far beyond that.
"So, what does our dear Abel think of brother's outfit?"
"—"
For a moment, Abel's brow furrowed at the revised form of address.
Subaru himself was startled by Al's brazenly casual approach, but after a brief silence, Abel dismissed the offense with a quiet "Hmph."
A calculated decision, perhaps — anything was better than being called 'Emperor.' Unable to read Abel's true feelings, Subaru swallowed his apprehension with a sigh.
During that pause, Abel turned his gaze toward Subaru in order to answer Al's question: "It's a ridiculous outfit, yes, but if it produces results, I have no complaints. Capability and personal taste should be considered separately."
"Don't pretend you're backing me up only to shoot me in the back! I told you, this isn't about personal preference — I'm being forced into this by circumstance. Do you actually think I'm doing this because I enjoy it?"
"—"
"Don't go silent on me!"
The loaded silence made the suspicion cast on Subaru feel disproportionately heavy.
Obviously, from Subaru's perspective, this was deeply unfair. If he didn't have to do it, he wouldn't cross-dress for all the money in the world. But if there was even a slight chance it could turn the situation around, he simply couldn't remove cross-dressing from the list of options. That was all there was to it.
"You guys are all… I've got perfectly good reasoning here, so just listen, will you?"
"Did you seriously just say 'reasoning'? Well, it is pretty conventional when you think about it. An emperor driven from his throne, gathering allies to reclaim it… in a story like that, having a mysterious woman serving at his side is practically a given."
"Yeah, exactly. A strategist, a mage — that kind of female character shows up all the time in these kinds of tales… She's not a heroine! I said she's NOT a heroine!"
"Don't get mad at yourself. Even if I'm fine with it, everyone else would be shocked."
Subaru was indignant, but his intent would be lost on everyone except Al, who shared his homeland.
In fact, most of his phrasing didn't register with anyone from this world. The fact that Al could follow along was, as Subaru had long suspected, evidence that Al's knowledge base was remarkably similar to his own.
"…I never thought to dig into it, like, what era you were transported from."
Up to now, Subaru had shared the information that he and Al were from the same world, but they'd never discussed which specific era they'd each been pulled from.
He'd heard before that Al had been summoned to this other world nearly twenty years ago.
And that he'd gone through terrible experiences, including losing an arm.
The confession had come casually enough, but the reality behind it couldn't have been anything but heavy.
The anguish and despair that Al had continued to carry — the way those things must have clung to every single day. A man who had suffered far more than Subaru from the harshness of this other world — Al.
Talking with him would make Subaru realize just how blessed he had been in comparison.
At the same time, it would force him to grapple with what, exactly, set him apart from Al.
That was why Subaru had never tried to have a deep conversation with Al. Al, too, had never pushed to go further.
And yet, considering the language they used and the shared pop-culture references, the world they'd both lived in before must have been the same era — if Al had been summoned twenty years ago, he should have been roughly the same age back then as Subaru was.
The age difference between Subaru and Al now was merely a product of the time they'd spent in this other world. That, Subaru supposed, was why their wavelengths still matched despite the gap.
— The vague, tingling ache he felt in Al's presence was probably caused by exactly that.
" — That's not a 'conventional' premise at all."
"Huh?"
"A suspicious mage at the Emperor's side… isn't that just as much of a cliché? What do you say to that?"
Al's lighthearted quip pulled Subaru's wandering thoughts back to reality.
Blinking a few times, Subaru gave an "Ah" of assent at the 'conventional' Al had mentioned.
"It is a convention, isn't it? A bewitching female mage seducing the emperor, slowly turning him into a puppet at her command… and the once-prosperous nation crumbles."
"Don't just let it crumble on your own. However it goes, I'm reclaiming it. However—"
"However?"
"She wasn't a mage, and she wasn't a woman, but there was indeed someone called the 'Star Reader.'"
"—'Star Reader'?"
The word from Abel's mouth drew a simultaneous question from both Subaru and Al.
A term he'd never heard before, yet somehow Subaru could picture the characters in his mind. And once those characters fell into place, the associated role came into hazy focus.
"Could it be something like a feng shui master… a diviner, maybe?"
"More like a prophet-type, wouldn't you say? In the Kingdom, the stone tablet served that function."
"Yeah, the 'Dragon Calendar Stone'…?"
Subaru nodded along with Al's words, then pulled up his knowledge of the Kingdom's prophetic tablet.
He'd never seen the real thing, but apparently, the stone tablet contained records of future events awaiting the Lugunica Kingdom, along with solutions to the problems that would arise — a remarkably convenient artifact.
However, despite foretelling the illness and death of the royal family, the solution the tablet proposed was the selection of the next king — in other words, the Royal Selection in which
Frankly, even the idea of a 'grateful prophetic tablet' was something he had to tilt his head at.
"If you're really giving advice to save the Kingdom, then wouldn't you start by telling them how to cure or prevent the disease?"
Having deepened his perspective as a knight-candidate in the Royal Selection, Subaru had come to understand that the Lugunica royal family had not been tyrannical or foolish — they had been, at the very least, a family loved by their people.
The vast majority of subjects and citizens mourned their deaths, and none had rejoiced. Why the Dragon Calendar Stone had abandoned them remained, to this day, shrouded in mystery.
"If the other party is a stone tablet, then cross-referencing answers is just a pipe dream."
"Right, if it's a stone tablet. But the Star Reader is different, yeah? What kind of role did they play in the imperial court, Abel?"
"—Your understanding is not far off the mark. The Star Reader's power existed to maintain the empire — to peer into tomorrow."
Abel's answer to the question matched roughly the impression the name 'Star Reader' conveyed. And yet, if there was a problem, it was this: "…But you weren't warned, were you? You got exiled."
"Did I not say it already? The Star Reader's power is for the preservation of the empire. That does not necessarily coincide with my personal safety."
"That means… in their eyes, the empire was better off with you gone."
"At minimum, that appears to be the Star Reader's judgment."
Abel answered calmly, then quietly crossed his arms.
A stone tablet and a Star Reader — two beings with similar roles, each failing to intervene in the crisis facing the most important person in their respective nations. The parallels practically invited one to suspect a deeper connection between the Kingdom and the Empire.
But before that — "I'm starting to think the real issue is that you've been abandoned by your chancellor, your right-hand man, and a prophet all at once. Are you really sure we should put you back on the throne?"
"Whoa there, brother — that's a fireball of a question even by my standards."
"Well, wouldn't you be anxious after hearing all this background!?"
"But, well, there's this. General Afro — er, Zikr — he was on your side, wasn't he?"
"Oh, right. Then it should be fine…"
Hearing Zikr's name mentioned, Subaru calmed down slightly.
He'd been made anxious about any number of things, but knowing Zikr was supporting Abel was reassuring. Without Zikr, Subaru doubted he would have agreed to accompany Abel while harboring so much doubt.
No matter how much he and Rem needed to return safely to the Kingdom, that didn't mean he could simply ignore what happened to the Empire.
Honestly, his memories of the Empire were far more unpleasant than pleasant, but there were many people he wished happiness for — everyone from the Shudrak, the Okobura siblings, and more.
"I'm not sure you belong in that category, but I'm getting pretty nervous…"
"No matter what you say, no matter what the Star Reader sees in tomorrow, my answer is already decided."
"—"
"Even if the Star Reader judges that I should not sit upon the throne, I will not comply. If the Star Reader prophesies that the empire will fall because of my presence, then I will overturn that with my own hands."
It was a declaration delivered with a calm that belied the unmistakable heat behind the words.
It carried the same fire as the countless times he had proclaimed his intent to reclaim the throne. This was Abel's unbending line, his unshakable conviction.
And because it seemed to spring not from mere spite or rebellion, but from something far greater — a purer belief — Subaru was able to trust Abel, at least at that final threshold.
Though what he really wished was for Abel to dress up all the other parts too, and make it easier to believe.
" — Hey! Everyone! Look, look, look — front! Look ahead!"
"Hm?"
Just as the conversation reached a natural pause, a spirited voice suddenly rang out from the front of the carriage — from the driver's seat — and the group's attention snapped that way.
It was Medium, seated on the driver's seat and holding Lady's reins.
She hadn't been allowed to hold the reins much during her two-person journey with Flop, but she had eagerly volunteered, insisting, "I wanna do it!"
With her tall, slender frame tucked onto the driver's seat, Medium held the reins in one hand and pointed ahead with the other, saying: "I can see a bunch of commotion up ahead! Can you see it too, Natsumi-chan?"
"Um… I can see something that looks like a blip. Maybe."
Subaru leaned out of the carriage window, but he couldn't quite make out what Medium meant by 'commotion.' It was probably an angle issue — or perhaps simply an eyesight issue.
Subaru had always considered his eyesight decent, but in this other world, that meant nothing.
Otherworldly humans had eyesight on a completely different level. Emilia probably had 20/20 vision too. Back in his original world, he vaguely remembered watching a show about how people from Africa had extraordinarily sharp vision.
By that logic, the eyesight of one of this world's Amazons, Taritta, should be worth trusting.
"So, how about it, Taritta-san? Can you see anything?"
"Please wait one moment — that appears to be…"
Responding to Subaru's call, Taritta was nowhere to be found — neither inside the carriage nor on the driver's seat.
The one Subaru had called out to was somewhere on top of the carriage. Perched on the roof of the moving carriage, Taritta was serving as lookout, scanning in every direction.
"Is it just me, or is it unnerving when someone's casually standing on a roof?"
"I don't know about Abel, but I'm used to it with our Garfiel."
Al referenced Taritta's role on the carriage roof, and Subaru — who was familiar with Garfiel having taken on the same job — felt no particular strangeness about it.
To be fair, in this other world, keeping watch during travel was far more than a middle-school fantasy; it served a genuine purpose. The fact that Abel hadn't stopped her was proof enough.
"…It appears that imperial soldiers are gathering ahead, desu. The oxcarts and such on the road seem to have been stopped."
"That means…"
"A checkpoint."
Accepting Taritta's report, Abel murmured the conclusion.
A checkpoint. The word sent Subaru's thoughts racing back to the one at Gwaral's main gate. But a checkpoint set up along a highway rather than at a city entrance was unusual.
Checking进出 of a city was standard practice, but a checkpoint on the road between cities strongly suggested an emergency response.
In other words, they were likely looking for something specific.
"Don't tell me they're after us?
"Of course, it's only a matter of time before details leak from Arakiya. But I don't believe they could mobilize this quickly and precisely based on that alone. Besides, the Demon Capital is in the opposite direction from the imperial capital."
"So the report wouldn't have reached there yet?"
"Correct. — However, there is the issue of her companion."
Still with his arms crossed, Abel expressed concern not about Arakiya herself, but about the person traveling with her.
By Arakiya's companion, he meant the person who had extracted her from Gwaral.
"The one who dragged Arakiya off? In that situation, someone bold enough to charge right into enemy territory — a sharp operator isn't out of the question."
"A sharp operator…"
Abel's concern and Al's assessment conjured unpleasant images in Subaru's mind.
If he narrowed it down to the imperial soldiers who had been in that fortress city, Subaru had someone in mind who fit the bill. And that person, whom Subaru feared above all others, had not been among the soldiers who surrendered after the city hall fell.
He was presumably hiding among the soldiers who had fled the city.
"No way…"
He didn't want to believe — no matter how many ways he twisted it — that the one who'd taken Arakiya was that man.
Fate's entanglements growing ever deeper was the last thing he wanted.
"…Right now, we need to focus on the immediate problem. What do we do? Can we go around?"
"At the moment, they don't seem to have noticed us yet, desu…"
It was Medium and Taritta — the two with exceptional eyesight — who had spotted the checkpoint first.
If they left the road before the soldiers ahead noticed them, they could avoid the checkpoint entirely. If they had nothing to hide, they could pass through boldly, but since they already had plenty to hide, avoidance was their only option.
However — " — Wait. Don't go around."
"Huh?"
Just as Subaru was about to give the order to leave the road, Abel himself called for a stop.
Subaru shot him a bewildered look.
"Don't go around — then what? If you're spotted, we're in deep trouble."
"I want to know their objective. If it were about Gwaral's fall, they'd be moving too fast. If they're looking for me, I'd like to know what precisely the soldiers have been told."
"I·mean·what·happens·if·you're·found? Poking a hornet's nest and getting thrown into a high-speed carriage chase — is that what you want?"
Of course, there was also the scenario where they simply got arrested.
Of the five in the carriage, only three besides Subaru and Abel could fight, and their total combat strength was roughly on par with the dancer squad that had stormed Gwaral. In a fleeing carriage chase down the wide-open highway, shaking off their pursuers would be nearly impossible.
"The conditions are terrible. Or do you have some brilliant idea?"
"I do. — You."
"Huh?"
Subaru, who had been weighing the risks and rewards and concluding they were outmatched, was struck speechless.
They'd been discussing the odds of winning a dangerous gamble, and suddenly he was the answer?
"What do you mean, 'me'?"
"There's already precedent from the fortress city. The carriage was disguised to not appear military. We agreed on this in advance, correct?"
"But that was just cover for roadside small talk! Not for fooling imperial soldiers who are carefully scrutinizing everything!"
Abel coolly brushed aside Subaru's near-panicked protest: "I will hide beneath the carriage floor. You — get them to spill the beans."
"W-wait, wait, wait — are you serious!?"
"Don't let them look under the carriage. You value your life, I presume."
"I don't understand why you get to be so high and mighty about this…!"
As he spoke, Abel stood from his seat and placed his hands on the floor. Beneath the seat, there was a subtle gap in the floorboards, and by lifting them, one could descend into the undercarriage space.
Originally, this carriage had been built to be drawn by Zikr's gale steed.
They had replaced the exterior and disguised it to appear unrelated to the imperial military, but they hadn't sealed off all its functionality. A carriage designed for high-ranking individuals naturally came with a hidden compartment beneath the floorboards — a place to take refuge in emergencies.
That the person hiding there would turn out to be the emperor himself was surely beyond even the carriage maker's imagination.
In any case, Abel flipped up the floorboards without hesitation and squeezed his slender body into the narrow space below. He was, it seemed, genuinely entrusting everything to Subaru from here on out.
If it wasn't arrogance, it was at least hubris.
"Well, well, our dear Abel doesn't hesitate to be forceful. Still, I guess that's that, brother."
Al tossed out his comment toward Abel, who had already retreated after saying only what he wanted to. His next words were in response to what was happening at the checkpoint ahead.
It seemed the other side had noticed them too.
"Natsumi, they have also noticed our presence over there, desu."
"So I guess we're going for it! Alright, let's do this — Natsumi-chan!"
With perfect timing, Taritta and Medium's combined cheer eliminated the option of a detour. Turning around here would be tantamount to advertising, 'We have something to hide from the checkpoint.' Therefore, as unpleasant as it was, there was nothing for it but to proceed as His Majesty the Emperor desired.
"Brother, ready?"
" — Yes, yes, I understand! Here I go!"
"…That switch is brutal."
Lightly slapping both cheeks with his hands, Subaru flipped the switch inside him.
Slap too hard and the makeup would smear. Scratch his head and the hair would come undone. Let the frustration show and his words would turn rough. — None of that would do for winning over imperial soldiers.
He would fulfill the role demanded of him and carry out the duty expected of him.
That was the first step Natsuki Subaru would take toward reclaiming the trust he had lost.
"Oh my, to all the soldiers of the military — how hard you've been working. What business brings you here, I wonder?"
Leaning out the window toward the imperial soldiers who had flagged down their carriage, Subaru wore his most charming, radiant smile and gave them a cheerful wave.
△▼△▼△▼△ — The imperial soldiers who had stopped the carriage did not give heavy weight to the presence of only one man, Al, among the passengers — three 'women' in Medium, Taritta, and Subaru.
What they asked was the group's identity and purpose of travel.
For this, they had rehearsed in advance: Subaru, a minor baron's daughter, was being escorted by Al and Medium, while Taritta served as Subaru's personal attendant.
Before departing Gwaral, they had deliberated on Taritta's fashion, changing her from the unmistakable Amazon style of the Shudrak people to something less conspicuous.
Currently, Taritta wore a butler-style men's outfit chosen to Subaru's taste, and Al had given his enthusiastic review: "Brother cross-dresses as a woman wearing men's clothes, and Taritta-chan cross-dresses as a man… I just can't keep up anymore."
In any case, the checkpoint soldiers did not find anything suspicious about them.
Only when told their destination was Chaos Flame did they display a meaningful hesitation — "That is…" — suggesting that even among the imperial military, the Demon Capital had a poor reputation.
"I really wouldn't recommend going to the Demon Capital, miss."
"I understand your concern, but I'll be scolded by Father if I turn back. Even if we're nobility, we're a minor baron's house… We can't afford to be picky."
"Hmm, I see. Well, you seem like a smart young lady, so you'll probably be fine."
"Oh my, how kind of you."
Subaru pressed the back of his hand to his lips and smiled, deftly deflecting the soldier's suspicion with elegance.
There appeared to be no major issue getting through the checkpoint. The remaining question was — "All the same, this is quite the show of force… Has something happened?"
"Oh, nothing major. Recently, some deserters have turned up from a minor skirmish near Badheim up north, so we're searching for them. …And we're also looking for a wanted fugitive."
"Wanted?"
At that word, Subaru carefully suppressed any crack in his voice while furrowing his brow.
Fortunately, the soldier did not seem to notice the turmoil beneath Subaru's calm exterior, and nodded.
"There's been a sighting of a man wanted in the imperial capital around here. About fifty years old, with blue hair — any idea who that might be?"
"— No, I'm afraid not. But to think that deserters are coming from the mighty imperial military — it makes one wonder if the winds of the empire are starting to blow in the wrong direction."
"Don't worry, Natsumi-chan! We're right here, so there's nothing to be nervous about! Let's hold our heads high!"
"My, Medium — how reassuring. Ho ho ho."
She hadn't meant it that way, perhaps, but Medium's straightforward cheerfulness made even the soldiers smile.
They'd worried that probing questions might raise suspicion, but it seemed they'd dodged that concern too. Taritta maintained her act in silence — the impeccable butler who did not carelessly interrupt her mistress.
Though in her case, her natural tendency toward shyness might have made the silence genuine.
And among them, the one most likely to draw suspicion was the suspicious-looking Al — "Soldiers like you have really been putting in the work. Having a half-baked guy like me dragged along for the job is all thanks to you lot doing your part."
"…We work solely for the peace and security of the empire. Certainly not for the likes of you, a man of such indolence."
"I know, I know. I fully understand my place."
Even Al executed the perfect 'insolent bum' act for the imperial soldiers. Whether it was natural or performance was impossible to tell, but either way, his instincts were sharp. The unnaturalness of hiring a one-armed man as a bodyguard had also been preemptively smoothed over by Subaru.
"After all, without some pretext for hiring him as a guard, it wouldn't look right, would it? His arm — he must have once been one of the soldiers who served the empire faithfully."
"…If he left service due to his injuries, we have no grounds to object. Just be cautious — an absence of malice is not guaranteed."
By reframing Al's missing arm not as a weakness but as a strength, Subaru shored up the rationale for his carefree attitude.
Even among imperial soldiers who despised weakness and revered the strong, there was consideration for those who had left the front lines due to unhealable wounds.
— Including that, the checkpoint was passed without significant incident.
"Natsumi-chan, you were amazing! I'm so impressed!"
Medium waved at the departing soldiers from the driver's seat, offering her praise. At her words, Subaru shook his head with a modest "Oh, no—"
"I didn't do anything remarkable. Had they been stopping us for a more pressing reason, we would have needed every trick in the book to get through… In that sense, I suppose we were all simply lucky."
"Really? Then maybe you're right! Big brother always says I'm lucky, too! And I kinda feel like I am."
"Heh heh — you and Flop are both happiness-seeking geniuses."
Subaru smiled, hand to his cheek, at Medium's cheerful answer.
At that exchange between Subaru and Medium, Taritta — who had been sitting at the front of the carriage with an exhausted look — turned around. The tension had drained from her, and she let out a sigh of relief before meeting Subaru's gaze with a meaningful look that made him tilt his head.
"Is something the matter, Taritta-san? Is there a problem?"
"No, there is no problem… but, Natsumi — how can you remain so composed? I've been wondering ever since the plan to infiltrate as a dancer, desu."
"…I see."
The ease with which Subaru slipped into the Natsumi Schwartz persona still didn't sit right with Taritta.
From the Gwaral infiltration onward, Taritta had been alongside Abel as one of the people who had spent the most time around cross-dressed Subaru. And yet, to her it still seemed strange.
In a sense, Abel and Flop — who had slipped into their respective disguises (Bianca and Flora) with absolutely zero adjustment — had relied on their natural beauty to bulldoze through every obstacle.
But the Natsumi Schwartz that Subaru portrayed lacked that foundation.
There was a quality to cross-dressing that makeup and wardrobe alone could not fully mask — an issue that was inescapable for those without the innate advantage. To bridge that gap, effort was required.
"So I just try my hardest. That's all."
The completed form of Natsumi Schwartz represented only a fraction of humanity's long pursuit of beauty.
Without the trailblazers who had come before, Subaru's cross-dressing wouldn't pass muster even at a school play. It was the accumulated desires and efforts of countless predecessors that made it viable.
And with that awareness came the conviction that what had been achieved could not be cast aside.
"…It must be nice to have confidence. I don't have that, desu."
"Confidence? What I have is trust in Natsumi Schwartz — which is a different thing entirely from confidence."
"Eh? Eh? Eh?"
"Hey, brother, you should ease up. You're confusing Taritta-chan. Honestly, even I'm having trouble following the level of thinking you're at?"
Stepping in for the wide-eyed Taritta, Al interjected to put the brakes on Subaru's explanation.
Subaru hadn't realized he was speaking on a level that could confuse them. All he meant was that it might be difficult to believe in himself, but believing in the idealized figure he had built inside — that, he could do.
"The ideal is to always imagine the best version of yourself."
"That… sounds like a very difficult way of thinking for me, desu…"
"But as a mindset, I'd recommend it. Comparing yourself to the person you admire is excruciating, but imagining an ideal version of yourself? That's something you can do."
"—"
Pressing a hand to his chest, Subaru spoke those words, and Taritta's eyes widened slightly.
It seemed the words had resonated with her in some measure.
"Imagining the best version of oneself…"
She tucked the thought quietly away in her chest, at least.
"Still, deserters aside — this wanted man they're looking for, what did he do? Even if Abel's story hasn't spread yet, this seems like a pretty big operation."
"Well… A fifty-year-old man with blue hair — that description would fit a great many people, and I believe I know someone who matches it as well, desu?"
Blue hair was not a naturally occurring hair color in their original world, but in this other world, it was not so uncommon — with Rem as the prime example.
The fugitive from the checkpoint could refer to someone like the heavy drinker they'd once borrowed aid from in Gwaral — a mercenary named Rowan, who matched the description.
Unfortunately, Rowan's display of skill had been cut short by Todd's ambush, but Subaru believed that in a fair fight, the man had been considerably capable.
Even so, it seemed unlikely that the empire would mobilize a large number of soldiers over someone like that. More likely, they were chasing someone else who happened to share similar traits.
"In any case, it seems Abel's situation hasn't yet reached the common soldiers… As long as there's no chaos in the imperial capital, it's safe to assume the stand-in emperor is still doing his job."
"Hard to say whether that's good or bad. Honestly, it might have been more convenient for us if there'd been a big fuss about the emperor being absent."
"There are pros and cons to both, desu. Regardless of how he'd be treated if found, the difficulty of being searched for doesn't change."
If the emperor's absence became public knowledge and the empire descended into turmoil, whether Subaru and the others could navigate that chaos was anyone's guess. At the very least, Abel himself acknowledged that they still lacked the strength to openly declare himself — and Subaru generally agreed.
And yet, it was Abel who had insisted on passing through the checkpoint, giving Subaru an enormous scare in the process.
"Well, we've made it past the checkpoint, so I suppose we should let Abel out."
"Indeed. And I have a few words for him as well."
Nodding at Al's suggestion, Subaru folded his arms — emphasizing his manufactured curves — and let his indignation show.
The source of Subaru's indignation was partly the impossible demand placed on him during the checkpoint, but more than that, it was Abel's reckless thrashing around beneath the floorboards while Subaru had been speaking with the soldiers.
More than once, strange noises had rattled up from the carriage's undercarriage, and Subaru had struggled mightily to cover them up.
In the end, he had settled it by playing the part of a destitute minor baroness — "Being a minor baron is so hard, you know…" — claiming it was a stomach issue. But it was an act that risked damaging the elegant reputation of Natsumi Schwartz.
"His Majesty the Emperor seems to lack proper awareness of his own position, wouldn't you say?"
"Easy there, brother — you're fired up. Well, that was genuinely worth being upset about, even by my standards."
Al agreed as Subaru, eager to deliver a complaint, aligned himself with the cause.
And so, when Al lifted the floorboards to reveal Abel's face, Subaru leaned down into the wobbling undercarriage to deliver his grievance — "Abel, what was that about? Do you have any idea how hard we worked to cover for you—"
"Hm?"
"Hyahhhhh—!?"
His grievance was swallowed by a scream as Subaru leaped back into Taritta's arms — instinctively caught in a princess carry by Taritta, whose core strength was admirable but who Subaru was in no position to praise at that moment.
What had emerged was not a grinning Abel, but a young girl with golden hair.
A girl with whom Subaru was both familiar and cursed with terrible memories.
It was Rui — the girl who should not have been there.
"What… what… what… what…"
"Ah… hm?"
"Why are you — why are you in this carriage—"
"— It seems she had been hiding beneath the floor the entire time. Hard to believe no one noticed until now. Utakata's doing, most likely."
Subaru's eyes went wide, his voice trembling with alarm. Taking over his question, Abel appeared from the undercarriage right after Rui. He dusted the travel grime from his clothes and tidied his disheveled black hair with his fingers. Then, seeing Rui creeping toward Subaru — who was still being held in Taritta's arms — he said: "Hmph. It appears she missed you terribly. She chose to be with you over Utakata and your women, after all."
"Wh — how can you say that so calmly… Weren't you uncomfortable sharing the undercarriage with her?"
"Uncomfortable? I should say not. She was thrashing about down there needlessly, and I was quite on edge myself. If the soldiers had noticed because of her, who knows what I would have had to talk my way out of."
Abel closed the floorboards and returned to his seat, and Subaru's confusion finally clicked into place.
During the checkpoint inspection — the massive commotion that had nearly derailed Subaru's composure — the cause had been Rui's presence all along.
Rui, who had been hiding in the carriage's undercarriage, had apparently latched onto Abel when he climbed down to hide. Abel must have tried to calm her somehow, but he clearly lacked any talent for managing children.
"Then what exactly are you good for…?"
"You continue to paint me in the most unflattering light possible. What do you intend to do about it?"
"What do I intend to do—"
"Let me make this clear: there's no turning back now. That checkpoint wouldn't have waited, and neither would the time we have."
"Well, I suppose Abel's got a point there."
Touching the seam of his helmet, Al nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Subaru had Taritta set him down, then struggled as Rui sidled up to him with an "Ahoo~" grin. He pressed a hand against her forehead.
"Why did it come to this…"
The question — along with confusion and bewilderment — swirled through his mind.
On the other hand, part of him felt relief that Rui's presence meant the volatile element he'd left behind in Gwaral near Rem was no longer there.
Of course, having Rui close by did nothing to ease his vigilance toward her true nature and what she might be plotting.
"There is nothing you can do, Subaru. We are taking Rui with us, desu."
"Even you're saying that, Taritta-san?"
"As Abel said, there is no option to go back now, desu. And we cannot simply leave Rui behind. I know your relationship with Rui is complicated, but…"
"—"
Looking between Subaru and Rui's faces, Taritta offered her neutral opinion with some hesitation.
In addition to the Gwaral infiltration mission, they had spent time together in the Shudrak village. While not to the extent of Rem, most of the Shudrak knew about the wariness and hostility Subaru harbored toward Rui.
Even so, Taritta was saying they had no choice but to bring Rui along.
And frustratingly, Subaru agreed.
"I can't just leave her here and cause trouble for people who don't know anything about her…"
"Hm?"
Rui tilted her head, wearing a completely blank expression.
Since being transported to Volachia, Rui had not once shown her face as the vile 'Gluttony' Sin Archbishop. But that didn't mean she never would again, and when her true nature surfaced, the resulting damage would be Subaru's responsibility.
Subaru had been certain she was dangerous, and had been granted countless opportunities to prevent the harm she would cause.
Right now, in this very moment, he could simply squeeze that slender neck and end the future she represented.
With just that, countless seeds of anxiety would wither before ever sprouting.
And yet — "—"
"Oh well… I dunno what's going on, exactly, but that girl's taken a shine to you, right, brother? I get that she might slow us down ahead, but isn't that a matter of how you look at it?"
"Al…"
Speaking calmly, Al was trying to help Subaru reach his decision.
He walked across the carriage floor and approached Rui, who stood near Subaru. Then, reaching out to gently pat the top of her golden-haired head — "If there's a kid along, it'll be easier to look the other way at the next checkpoint. You know, traveling with a child might not be so bad— Ouch!"
"Guhh!"
The instant before Al's hand made contact with her head, Rui — quite literally — bared her teeth.
She opened her mouth wide and bit down hard on Al's outstretched hand. Al yelped and pulled back, and Rui retreated behind Subaru with an animal-like growl.
It was an act of sheer ingratitude — like a stray cat biting the hand that offered it food.
"Owwww, damn that hurts! I tried to be nice and got bitten for it!"
"You really did it again, didn't you…! So this is your MO — preying on others!"
"Hm! Ah! Ah-hm!"
"I don't understand your hm's and ah's!"
Rui clung to Subaru's waist, shaking her head vigorously. Subaru tried to pry her off, but his corset was too tight for him to maneuver properly.
Fortunately, Subaru knew Al's name, and Al himself hadn't lost his memories or his sense of self. But verifying the damage came later — "— Please calm down!!"
"Hyahh!?"
"Hm!?"
When Subaru and Al started making a commotion, Rui was apparently triggered into a tantrum and began crying out just as loudly.
Cutting through the noise with a raised voice, Taritta stepped in.
She slipped her arms around Rui's sides and lifted the girl, then pinned Subaru and Al with a gaze remarkably fierce for someone who so closely resembled her sister.
"Grown adults making a fool of yourselves in front of a child — how embarrassing! Please behave as the mature adults you are! Children will mimic what they see!"
"Ugh… B-but, Taritta-san, that girl—"
"This is not a 'but,' Natsumi. I know your relationship with this child is complicated. Even so, what is the point of screaming and shouting, desu?"
Being scolded head-on like that — and by the sheer simplicity of the argument — was exactly what Subaru needed to hear.
If someone told him he was being immature toward a child, how many counterarguments could possibly beat that? The problem, of course, was that such a reasonable logic didn't work on a Sin Archbishop.
If Taritta knew Rui's true identity, she would surely— — Then maybe he should just tell everyone here who Rui really was.
"—"
The dark, viscous emotion that welled up from deep in his chest lodged in his throat.
As Subaru's face stiffened, both Taritta and Al regarded him with suspicion.
In the end, everything had been caused by Subaru's own indecisiveness.
To make them understand the wariness he felt toward Rui, he had no choice but to reveal the truth — that Rui was the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony. Unlike Rem, who had lost her memories and along with them her wariness of the
Once they grasped the gravity of the situation, they would stop treating Rui as the harmless child she appeared to be. And then, to eliminate the element of danger— To eliminate her — and then what?
"—"
"Hm?"
Cradled in Taritta's arms, Rui tilted her head at Subaru's gaze.
Whenever Subaru and Al stopped making noise, Rui also calmed down instantly. That much Subaru had learned during their time together: Rui only caused a commotion when those around her were loud.
If the people around her were calm, Rui didn't randomly create chaos by herself. The reason she got along with Utakata was that the girl was, by exception, a composed child.
Was even that appearance — Rui Arneb blending seamlessly into her surroundings — merely a form of mimicry? The cruel, irredeemable evil Subaru had encountered in the white world of the
He knew he should treat it that way. And yet — "— Let me be clear: our purpose here is neither amusement nor leisure."
Still wrestling with his thoughts, Subaru was addressed by Abel — the only one of them still seated — in a frigid tone.
For a moment, Subaru couldn't read the true meaning behind the words. But he quickly understood that Abel was expressing his position on Rui's fate.
This journey is no game — that was what Abel declared. And in the instant he cast his black eyes toward Rui, Subaru felt his breath catch at the coldness behind them.
There was not a trace of warmth in Abel's gaze as he looked at Rui.
It meant, plain and simple, that Abel saw no reason to extend any consideration or compassion toward her — that he made no distinction between her and a roadside stone or a wildflower.
The absolute absence of warmth in those eyes made Subaru understand what would happen if Rui's true identity were revealed.
"— We will take her with us."
"—"
The moment the decision was made, those black eyes turned toward Subaru. Their sharpness cut at his chest, but Subaru gritted his back teeth and forced the feeling into his subconscious.
"Since this is no pleasure trip, you'd better prove your usefulness. …Isn't that right?"
"Yes, I have no objections. — You would say exactly that, wouldn't you."
"…An evaluation that's difficult to interpret."
Whether it was disappointment or something else entirely, Subaru couldn't tell.
Naturally, Abel made no effort to clarify, and Subaru didn't press further, afraid a different answer might emerge.
"Hey, hey — is the discussion done? If so, Rui-chan, come on over here!"
"…Is that alright, desu?"
Sensing the tension between Subaru and Abel, Taritta sought permission from Medium, whose voice came ringing from the driver's seat.
Since Abel had washed his hands of the matter and Subaru had already decided to bring Rui along but didn't particularly want to hold her hand, he decided to accept their kindness.
"Alright, Rui-chan, wanna hold the reins? Let's try steering Lady!"
"Hm!"
"Let's NOT do that, desu!"
The driver's seat erupted into commotion as Rui was welcomed by the two women.
After all, the one who was truly on high alert around Rui was only Subaru, so there was nothing surprising about their reaction. If anything, Subaru's concern was whether Rem, still back in Gwaral, was searching for Rui and panicking.
"That girl couldn't have gotten into the carriage on her own. If someone helped her, that someone had better explain the situation."
"…You're right."
Picking up on the worry in Subaru's expression, Abel answered coldly.
As he said, if Utakata had assisted Rui in hiding, that information would likely have been shared with Rem and the others back in the city.
Whether Subaru and Rui being together would ease Rem's anxiety — that, Subaru doubted.
"Between not knowing where she is and this… which is worse…"
"—? Well, obviously it's better for brother to have her. …Though Taritta-san said it sounded complicated."
Hearing Al's murmur, Subaru felt a complicated mix of emotions.
It was precisely because things with Subaru, Rem, and Rui were not so easily resolved.
"…But still."
Picturing Rem behind his eyelids, Subaru found an excuse within himself.
Regardless of the question of Rui's identity, Rem would worry about the girl. And whenever the time came to tell her the truth, having Rui present would be necessary.
So Rui had to be kept safe.
"Brother?"
"No, it's nothing… well, not exactly nothing. Al, I have a favor to ask. — Would you please keep an eye on Rui as much as you can?"
"…It's a request that throws me for a loop, but sure. Why? What's up with that brat?"
Having been bitten on the hand just moments ago, Al clearly wasn't fond of Rui either. He answered in a reluctant voice and asked for the reason.
A natural question, but for an instant, Subaru hesitated.
If anyone could accept Rui's identity at face value, it was Al.
But once Al learned that Rui was a Sin Archbishop, how would he react? Would he understand the danger and become a confidant who shared Subaru's dilemma?
"…If that child is hurt, Rem will suffer. Please — I'm asking you."
"—"
For a heartbeat, Subaru wavered. But in the end, as he had with everyone else, he concealed the truth.
Hearing Subaru's answer, Al was silent for just a moment.
"Got it. I'm worried she'll bite off my remaining arm, but I'll manage."
With that, Al took his position at the front of the carriage as Subaru had asked, listening to the cheerful voices of the three girls on the driver's seat while lazily stretching out his legs.
It was a very Al-like way of accepting a request.
"—? What is it?"
Glancing at the back of Al's head, Subaru noticed Abel's gaze upon him.
Arms crossed, lounging regally in his seat, Abel fixed Subaru with those unreadable black eyes, his brow furrowed ever so slightly with displeasure.
It was a look that unsettled Subaru to the core, and his own question came out sharper than intended.
But Abel merely let out a small "Hmph" and said nothing.
"…For that matter, you still haven't thanked us for getting through that checkpoint smoothly."
Subaru directed his frustration at Abel's silence, then settled into a seat slightly removed from both Al and Abel, smoothing his long black hair as he sat.
With unease about the road ahead, the journey toward the Demon Capital Chaos Flame continued.
Yet hearing the bright, bubbly voices ringing from the driver's seat, centered around Rui— "I'd really like to know whose fault it is that I'm suffering so much."
—those words of complaint vanished unheard, swallowed by the sound of the carriage in motion.