"Chaos Flame was destroyed by a great, great disaster. The evacuation of the residents should have been handled by Lady Yorna, but beyond that..."
The girl's voice was filled with sorrow, her round eyebrows drooping at the tips and her eyes cast downward.
Subaru had thought of her as a girl who didn't show much emotion, and indeed, she didn't look particularly sad right now. But anyone who couldn't recognize this as grief would be an idiot.
Subaru was stupid, but he didn't want to be an idiot. So he resolved to properly accept what she—
However— "Oh my, a disaster grand enough to destroy a magic city? That's quite dramatic! While I've been cooped up on this island, the world's been busy moving forward without me. I need to be careful not to end up being the last one called to the party!"
"Cessie, could you shut up for a sec?"
"Hm? Did I do something again?"
The person who had tried to push the conversation forward, completely ignoring both Subaru's and Tanza's emotional pain, was the fake Cecilus. He was being glared at and tilted his head with a look of utter confusion.
His attitude—unchanged before or after the 'Spalka'—was equal parts exasperating, surprising, and more exasperating.
All the more so when Subaru considered how this man had shamelessly tried to listen to his dying wishes dozens of times over.
"...Still, it would've been all for nothing if you hadn't woken Tanza up at the end, Cessie."
"Oh, there's no need to thank me for that. By the time things had gotten that far, it was already Bassu's win—my little push at the end was more like a bonus. Besides, there was no guarantee she'd wake up!"
"My apologies for the worry."
Tanza gave a small bow, and the fake Cecilus offered a display of humility that didn't feel genuine at all. Hearing this, Subaru—who had been the one saved—couldn't say anything.
—The Sword Slave island's boisterous welcome ceremony, 'Spalka,' had been survived by Subaru.
After repeating what felt like a never-ending series of challenges, he had somehow managed to behead the lion and claim victory. But it would be dishonest to say they could have managed it without Tanza and the fake Cecilus's help.
If the fake Cecilus hadn't woken Tanza at the end, and if Tanza hadn't used the sword embedded in the lion's neck to sever its head— "Who knows how many times I failed..."
Of course, since it was a battle you couldn't abandon until you succeeded, giving up was never an option. Even so, having the will to fight or not made an enormous difference in the outcome.
Moreover, in certain scenarios, it was entirely possible that not everyone would have survived.
If that had happened, the regret would have been unbearable.
"Weitz, Hiain, and Idra—they all fought alongside me."
Coordinating was incredibly difficult, but they wouldn't have survived without any one of them.
The fact that all of them had pulled through was the best possible outcome for Subaru. Having done something truly leader-like gave him a genuine boost of confidence.
Now he could stand tall as the son of Kenichi Natsuki.
"Lord Schwartz?"
"Ah, sorry, sorry. I was just lost in thought. So, uh, about Chaos Flame..."
"...Yes. If only we could get back to helping with the reconstruction as soon as possible."
"Yeah. I want to get back and reunite with everyone too."
When the topic returned to its original subject, Tanza's downcast face looked painfully pitiable.
Worrying about one's family and hometown was perfectly natural—Subaru felt the same way. The thought that Chaos Flame had fallen into such dire straits while Subaru knew nothing of it made it even worse.
Everyone who'd been separated—especially Louis—Subaru worried that the mean-spirited Abel might have found them.
If Yorna was with them, though, surely she'd be protecting Louis.
"——"
The vulnerable-looking Tanza had changed back into the kimono she'd worn in the magic city.
As he'd heard it, after the 'Spalka' ended, Subaru had slept for an entire day. He'd woken up in the healing room, where a toothless old man calling himself a healer had told him there were no particular health problems. Mentally, though, his body still felt dreadfully heavy.
But he couldn't afford to sit around dithering.
"What about the other three? Weitz and the others—have they woken up too?"
"Those three have already awoken and returned to their rooms. Apparently, they're all sharing a room. Lord Schwartz and I are sharing as well, and then..."
"Oh, oh, that's me! See, the room where Bassu woke up first—that's where we're sleeping. I'm glad to finally have a roommate. Well, it's more like I dragged him here myself!"
"Dragged...?"
"Don't worry about it too much. It's a story about how Tanza and I fell into the lake."
Come to think of it, he had a hazy memory of desperately swimming to keep from drowning.
Whether he'd made it in one go or had gone under a few times was fuzzy in his mind, but that wasn't particularly important, so there was no point dwelling on it.
In any case, hearing that the other three were safe was a relief. Though he couldn't help it, being in the middle of 'Spalka' had meant learning all sorts of things about their situations.
A coward, a craven, and a con artist—not exactly praiseworthy personality traits, but each of them had their reasons for becoming such people.
"Just like I'm Superman, right?"
"My my, what a confident look! But I think that really adds to your masculine appeal. Moping around and worrying about things because of your circumstances is the behavior of an extra or a background character! Bassu needs to carry himself with dignified composure!"
"I have no intention of playing along with your storybook brain, Cessie, but I agree."
Overthinking things was never good.
In a vague sense, the Subaru up to this point had been too passive about everything.
Being passive only served to let the other side run rampant—whether that was an opponent you disliked or fate itself. Lately, fate had been running a bit too rampant.
"From now on, I'm going to be more proactive and go after my goals with real greed."
Right now, Subaru's immediate goal was to escape the island.
Escape the Sword Slave island and return with Tanza to Chaos Flame. Of course, the bigger goal was leaving the empire and reuniting with everyone in the kingdom, but— "Getting too focused on a big goal is how you trip up. Summer homework gets done one assignment at a time. You can't write your journal entries all at once."
Believe it or not, Subaru was the type to actually do his summer and winter break homework.
Occasionally, there'd be classmates who showed up on the first day of school without having done any of the assignments, and Subaru could never understand what kind of nerve—or lack thereof—that took.
Somehow, he felt he'd lost on sheer audacity and nerve, which stung a little.
"But still, I'm the better person for actually doing the homework..."
"Lord Schwartz, might I have a moment?"
"Hm?"
Tanza gingerly called out to Subaru as he sat there stroking his chin, bolstering his own self-esteem.
She turned his attention to herself, then gestured toward the fake Cecilus beside her. Looking at the man sitting on the bed with an easy smile, swinging his legs back and forth— "This person, you see... um, isn't
"Yeah, he's the wolf boy who keeps insisting he is."
"Ahaha! You call me a wolf boy? And if by wolf boy you mean werewolf, please stop the insults! Sure, I can be a bit hard to talk to, but I'm at least dangerously charming, wouldn't you say?"
"Sorry, I have no idea what you're saying."
The barrage of words caused Subaru to blurt out the first thing that came to mind, pressing a hand to his chest.
Closing his eyes, he could recall the face of his beloved girl. And with it, the faces of all the precious people around him. But he was painfully aware that his heart was growing steadily harder.
He couldn't keep this situation going for much longer.
"Cessie's jokes aside, what's bothering you, Tanza? He's a famous general in the empire, so it wouldn't be strange for some reckless kid to try impersonating him, would it?"
"That may be, but... you see, I once caught a glimpse of the real Cecilus, and I thought he looked very much like..."
"You've seen him before? Cessie?"
"Cecilus Segmunt. Yes. He once appeared as an assassin targeting Lady Yorna."
Tanza explained that the person she had seen was undoubtedly the real Cecilus.
Hearing this, Subaru recalled something he'd been told before. Apparently, Yorna was so frequently the target of rebellion that assassination squads had been sent after her multiple times.
Now that Subaru had gotten to know Yorna's character, his impression of those events was completely reversed.
"That's seriously messed up—someone trying to kill Yorna..."
"Precisely. Cecilus was an absolute monster of a criminal... No, the important point isn't that—it's that this Cecilus and that Cecilus look identical despite the age difference."
"They look identical, with an age gap?"
"Yes. —They might be siblings."
Hearing Tanza's account—she'd seen both the real Cecilus and the fake Cecilus before—Subaru stared intently at the fake Cecilus.
It was a possibility he hadn't considered. Or rather, there was no reason he would have. He didn't know what the real Cecilus looked like, so he couldn't judge whether the resemblance was real or not.
But it was his misfortune that someone who did know the real one was present. Resigned to his fate, Subaru expected the lying fake Cecilus to meekly confess his deception— "No, no, that's not right! I'm an only child! And I don't have any lookalike siblings! Of course, it's possible my father had another kid after I left, but given the conversation just now, you're saying I'd be his older brother, right?"
"Yeah, but you're really not giving up, are you?"
"Quite unfair! But I do have proof! Whether I had an older brother or a younger one, either way something doesn't add up!"
Being stared at by the deadpan Subaru and Tanza, the fake Cecilus crossed his arms and pouted. Just how convincing would his so-called proof be?
When Subaru and Tanza wordlessly urged him to continue— "The proof is simple: my existence."
"What do you mean?"
"If I had an older brother, the fact that I exist means my father must have killed him! And if I had a younger brother, it would mean my father killed me! In other words, if I'm alive, neither an older nor a younger brother can possibly exist! How about that?"
"...What do you mean?"
Even delivered with the finality of a mathematical proof, the logic was entirely unconvincing.
By his explanation, it was as if Cecilus's father was cursed to be able to have only one child. Whether that was true or false, the curse sounded like the better explanation.
If anything, Subaru would have preferred to believe that the lying fake Cecilus had simply piled another lie on top of his previous ones.
However— "Putting it that boldly almost makes me think it's true. What do you think, Tanza?"
"...I'd like to follow Lord Schwartz's lead on this."
"Hmm, that's a lot of responsibility."
Being relied upon by the timid Tanza, Subaru pressed his slender fingers to his small chin in contemplation.
The fake Cecilus was tilting his head in a "Why won't you believe me?" gesture. But even asking about his family situation wouldn't yield any answers.
The only question that mattered was whether to believe the fake Cecilus or not.
If he didn't believe him, they'd just keep treating him as they had been—the wolf boy who cried wolf.
But if they did believe him, then the fake Cecilus had no siblings, and all that remained was Tanza's testimony that the fake Cecilus and the real Cecilus bore a striking resemblance.
And if Subaru fully believed both that testimony and the fake Cecilus's self-perception— "This is scary to ask, but... Cessie, you didn't, by any chance, shrink, did you?"
It was a possibility he desperately wanted to deny, but he had to ask.
If the pre-shrinkage, fully-grown Subaru had been here, he might have agonized over the question before asking it, wary of the many implications. But the here-and-now Subaru was the post-shrinkage, pre-growth version, who was not well-suited to carrying burdens of doubt.
He asked the question with a casual disregard, fully prepared to apologize if it made the other person angry.
In response, the fake Cecilus raised an eyebrow slightly— "Shrink? Me? Ahahaha, what a funny thing to say, Bassu! If the human body could shrink, wouldn't that be amazing? How exciting!"
He burst out laughing, cheerfully slapping Subaru's shoulder as he spoke.
His words left Subaru thoroughly confused.
"Which one is it...?"
Was he feigning ignorance, or was it genuine? And if it was an act, was it conscious or unconscious?
Subaru himself had firsthand experience with the effects of 'infantilization'—bits and pieces of memory falling away like scraps. It was entirely possible the fake Cecilus was forgetting things for the same reason.
But compared to Subaru, who still remembered more than he'd forgotten, the fake Cecilus forgetting even the fact that he'd shrunk was on another level.
Was that really possible?
If the fake Cecilus, like Subaru, had undergone 'infantilization,' then perhaps his current mental state was a glimpse of Subaru's own future.
"Ah, that bastard old man...! Wait, did Cessie also get shrunk by Olbart...!?"
If so, that was a huge development—a major event even among the Nine Divine Generals.
The thought that Olbart was responsible for this too was not something Subaru wanted to contemplate. But it was equally uncomfortable to imagine that there were other people casually wielding such absurd abilities.
Naturally, his mind drifted toward the conclusion that Olbart had been the one to shrink the fake Cecilus too.
"Wait, wait—so Cessie is actually the real deal, the real Cecilus was shrunk by Olbart, and what you're telling me is that you're what I'll eventually become?"
"Lo-Lord Schwartz, are you alright? You seem quite confused..."
"...I'm fine. Well, I'm confused as hell, but it's also all starting to come together."
The jumbled thoughts spilling from his mouth sounded like a mess, but in Subaru's mind, the situation had narrowed down to roughly two possibilities.
One was the Olbart-is-a-crazy-old-man theory: that this fake Cecilus was in fact the real Cecilus Segmunt, who had been 'infantilized.' The other was the fake-Cecilus-is-a-crazy-kid theory: that he merely resembled the real Cecilus and had elevated his lying about being a wolf boy into a remarkably convincing deception.
"Old man versus brat. I'll just keep both possibilities tucked in a corner of my mind."
"Oh my, that sounds quite intriguing. Might you elaborate?"
"Nope. Talking to you about it doesn't seem like it'd help."
"Ahahaha! What a cold attitude! It's rather self-centered, but I like that direction—I actually love it!"
Rather than getting angry at being dismissed, the fake Cecilus—tentatively still called that—seemed to be having the time of his life. His reaction was oddly reassuring.
Given how many worries Subaru already had, having someone around whom he didn't need to be careful with was a luxury.
"For now, Tanza, just shelf the Cessie issue. Whether he's real or fake, he's unreliable either way."
"...Yes. Since he's the one who once tried to harm Lady Yorna, I can't bring myself to feel favorably toward him."
"I appreciate your honesty. Now then..."
Having reached a conclusion of sorts, Subaru shifted gears.
Now that he was awake, there was no point hogging the bed in the healing room. He'd need to head to the room they'd been assigned—the one Tanza and the others had been discussing.
But first— "I'd like to feed this empty stomach. Listen—my stomach's been growling in the most tragic voice."
Rubbing his belly, the captive of the island made a rather brazen demand.
△▼△▼△▼△ —An empty stomach cannot wage war, as the saying goes.
The obstacles ahead—all the things Subaru and the others would face—were essentially battles. To fight them, body and mind needed to be in top condition. If they couldn't move when the moment came, they'd be in serious trouble.
They couldn't afford to skimp on rest and burn themselves out recklessly.
"Pre-shrinkage, I probably had more stamina, which is why I used to push myself like that. If I miscalculate that, there's going to be a price to pay."
With that in mind, they needed to seize every opportunity to eat and sleep.
It seemed that the exhaustion from 'Spalka' had caused Subaru to sleep an entire day by accident. He'd accept that as having gotten good rest and take it as a chance to recover his strength.
To that end, following the fake Cecilus's lead, they went to eat— "...Eat, Schwartz. This is your share."
A large plate was placed before him with a thud, piled high with bone-in meat. Subaru's eyes went wide.
Looking up to see what was going on, the tattooed face across the table narrowed its eyes with a "What?" expression. But if anyone should be asking "what," it was Subaru.
Being handed this with absolutely no explanation, what was he supposed to do with it?
"Weitz, this is a bit much, don't you think? Look—Schwartz has frozen solid."
"Huh? It's not like I'm worried about him or anything. I mean, there's no reason to pile a ton of meat on some little shrimp like this. We can split it among ourselves—ouch!"
"The portions were decided after a discussion... If you want to change that, convince me..."
As he spoke, the tattooed man—Weitz—jabbed his fork into the lizardman's side. The lizardman let out a cry of pain and scrambled to the other side of the table.
Sighing at the commotion, the rust-haired man—Idra—shrugged his shoulders and looked at Subaru.
"Sorry about the noise, Schwartz. How's your body?"
"...Feels fine. You guys?"
"We don't have any serious injuries either. Thanks to you... rather, thanks to you and your people."
He corrected himself, and Idra—whose hair was the color of rust—gave Subaru a slight bow.
It wasn't just Idra. The tattooed man and the lizardman, Weitz and Hiain—both raised a hand or nodded in agreement with Idra.
Right now, Subaru was in a section of the island where the Sword Slaves had been granted limited freedom—a grand hall repurposed as a dining area with tables and chairs set up.
The moment he'd set foot in the hall, the three of them had descended upon him, and before he knew it, he'd been seated at one of the tables with a massive plate of meat thrust before him.
Honestly, the whole thing was bewildering— "Wait, was this all saved for me?"
"What else would it be? You ungrateful little—ouch!"
"Don't act like you did it yourself, or I'll beat you down..."
"I wasn't claiming that! I am grateful to you!"
Weitz pointed at the mountain of bone-in meat as Subaru's question sparked yet another quarrel.
It wasn't the most elegant display of gratitude, but it was gratitude nonetheless. Having such a feast served was starting to make the treatment of Sword Slaves rather confusing.
"They make us kill each other, but give us all the food we can eat...?"
"To be precise, it's not killing each other—it's dying together. And as for Commander Gustaf's policy: if a Sword Slave is going to die, it should happen in the arena. Allowing them to die elsewhere is simply proof of the management's incompetence. So we actually get to live fairly comfortably."
Sitting down with an airy grace beside the bewildered Subaru, the fake Cecilus pulled out a chair.
Subaru had expected his brazenness to mean he'd just reach for the plate, but surprisingly, he didn't. Instead, he poured water from a pitcher into a chipped cup and sipped at it.
"Everyone believes Lord Schwartz contributed the most. That's why they decided to save a feast for him."
"Tanza... is that really true?"
Tanza had taken a seat across from Subaru, and her words made him look over at the other three in surprise.
At his gaze, Idra gave a deep nod.
"Like I said before, the reason we're all safe and sound is because of you. On the night we survived the first 'Spalka,' a feast was prepared for the victorious 'party.' It would be wrong for you to miss out on that."
"I should mention—it was my idea..."
"Hah, I had no intention of saving a kid's share or anything!"
Taking turns, they explained why the great plate of feast food had been saved. But Hiain's final remark made Tanza tilt her head.
"Oh, was that so? If I recall correctly, the first to say it felt awkward to eat without Lord Schwartz was Hiain himself."
"Huh!? I never said that!? I don't know what you're talking about! Hey, you little brat, don't go making things up!"
"Enough, Hiain. You can't win against Tanza. She's the one who beheaded Guiltylaw."
"I was the one who provided her the opportunity."
Idra gestured to cut off the argument, and Tanza gave a small bow. Hiain, unable to retort, choked on his words and turned his reptilian face away, conceding defeat.
Even the uncooperative lizardman had taken part. This was truly a collective expression of gratitude from everyone.
"I'll accept this with the utmost gratitude and absolutely no hesitation!"
"Oh my, what a magnificent appetite! The grace to accept is truly admirable too!"
"Don't overdo it and upset your stomach..."
"No need to worry. Despite appearances, I was a legendary School Food Fighter at my academy—the kind who'd rummage through the school lunches of kids who didn't finish theirs!"
Taking milk from kids who couldn't finish it, brushing teeth before breakfast—that was the battle style of
The meat was cold and tough, but the heavy seasoning made up for it, and he had no complaints. Above all, the fact that everyone had saved this feast for him was the best seasoning of all.
But as Subaru gnawed away at the bone-in meat, Weitz—with his pattern-covered face—shook his head and muttered, "No..."
"Don't get any weird ideas... This isn't because I'm worried about you..."
"—? Then you're regretting giving me the meat now?"
"That's not it either... It's a death match..."
"————"
Weitz's words came low and heavy, but the weight of that phrase hit Subaru like a physical blow.
He nearly dropped the meat in his hand, but the fake Cecilus's fingers darted out from the side and deftly caught it, stuffing it back into Subaru's mouth.
"Mmph—mph!"
"Calm down, calm down, you'll choke! Also, what that tattooed fellow just said was a little incomplete. There's no death match coming immediately—don't worry."
"Mmph... there isn't?"
"That's right. As of now, we haven't received any such notice. Though it's unclear when the call for a death match might come."
Subaru stripped the meat from the bone, spat the remains onto the plate, and looked at Weitz. After hearing the additional context from the fake Cecilus and Tanza, Weitz nodded.
"That's what I said..."
"You didn't say that! I thought we were going to be forced into another killing spree right away!"
"It's not that kind of place, no. The owner of the island changed hands, and the policy shifted. Before that, the treatment was apparently much harsher—the kind that would have made Schwartz worry."
"Before the change... after Gustaf took over?"
Idra nodded, and Subaru reached for the next piece of bone-in meat.
The expressionless, hard face of Gustaf flashed through his mind, and Subaru scratched his head, wondering what kind of person he really was.
The cruelty of tossing Subaru into a 'Spalka' the moment he'd woken up.
Subaru had initially thought Gustaf was the very embodiment of the Volachia Empire's brutal and violent rules. But from what he'd just heard, it didn't seem like Gustaf was forcing Sword Slaves into immediate life-or-death combat.
"Or maybe he just prefers slow torture over a quick execution?"
"He doesn't seem like the type to finish things off quickly, that much is clear. Actually, if Bassu hadn't woken up, those three over there might have done the 'Spalka' on their own as a three-person 'party.' If that had happened, this dinner would probably be a lot more somber!"
"That's... not something to laugh about! Besides, what the hell are you even doing here!?"
The fake Cecilus laughed off Subaru's words, and Hiain jabbed a finger at his face and barked.
Come to think of it, Hiain had a point. The fake Cecilus was technically the one who'd helped Subaru and Tanza make landfall on the island, but that was the extent of their connection.
"From what I hear, every Sword Slave on this island participates in a 'Spalka' through a 'party' at least once. After that, depending on performance, they might be released from their party. But your 'party' was..."
"Oh, my 'party'? Don't worry about that. Everyone else in it died. Fortunately, I've already been designated as a lone Sword Slave who receives death match assignments individually."
"What...?"
"Besides, I'm the strongest! No one can beat me, so there's absolutely no need to worry—ahahaha!"
The fake Cecilus slapped his knee with a loud pat as he spoke, leaving Subaru and everyone else speechless.
The reasons for their silence were surely different—Subaru and Tanza for different reasons than the other three, and even Subaru and Tanza's reasons diverged at the root.
Idra and the others probably took the fake Cecilus's words as empty boasting. Tanza suspected he might be a blood relative of the real Cecilus Segmunt.
And Subaru entertained the possibility that he was the shrunken Cecilus Segmunt himself—and if that was true, then even in this state, the fake Cecilus might indeed be the strongest.
If that was the case, having the fake Cecilus as an ally would be enormously advantageous— "That won't do, Bassu. Don't look at people with such greedy eyes—you'll be underestimated."
"Huh?"
"A person who has the qualities to stand above or at the forefront shouldn't have that sort of pathetic, pleading look in their eyes. It's not remotely dignified—not one bit! If you want to woo me, don't use words. Use action, resolve, and a killer catchphrase!"
As he spoke, the fake Cecilus picked up two eaten bones from his plate and crossed them in an X shape in front of his face as he delivered his advice.
The precision of the remark—almost as if he'd read Subaru's mind—made Subaru swallow hard.
And then— "...You said not to use words, but if you need a catchphrase, doesn't that require words?"
"Oh, you're right! This one doesn't quite land! I can't believe I made such a blunder!"
The fake Cecilus's eyes went wide. He leaned far back in his chair, then sprang forward as if bounced. Subaru froze as the man brought his face close, and watching him do so, the fake Cecilus broke into a wide grin.
"Well now, I've been a terrible bother. I have my own errands to run, people to talk to, and time to kill, so I'll take my leave here. Don't worry—we'll be sharing a room, so we can continue whatever conversation we haven't finished there!"
"A-ah, roger that."
"Rajo-er? Not sure what that means, but what a spirited sound! Then—rajo-er!"
Lightly misunderstanding the word, the fake Cecilus raised a hand and, before Subaru could stop him, dashed away.
There was no particular reason to stop him, but the swiftness of his exit left Subaru wide-eyed.
In truth, the man wasn't all that much of an intruder. Having someone who knew the ins and outs of Sword Slave island around was actually useful.
"Well, he talks about five times as much as I need to hear, but..."
"Lord Schwartz, shall we continue eating?"
"Yeah, you're right. I really need to recover my strength."
Whatever Gustaf's intentions were, Subaru had no intention of sitting still until the next death match.
He'd never planned on staying on this island as a Sword Slave in the first place. His goal was to take Tanza and escape the island within the next day or two.
Even if it meant making an enemy of Gustaf.
But if he did that— "What's wrong, Schwartz?"
"Um, I'm just worried about everyone. Think they could manage without me?"
"What are you talking about? Don't tell me you're planning to run away? If so, give back the meat—the meat!"
Hiain opened his mouth wide and roared at Subaru's troubled expression.
Subaru knew he deserved the rebuke, but he had people more important to him than these three. Maybe instead of just Tanza, he should be thinking about getting all of them out together.
"...Actually, what if we got the whole island out?"
"Lord Schwartz?"
"Ah, sorry, sorry. Just talking to myself. That was a bit out there."
Even as a muttered thought, it was a dangerously reckless idea to say out loud.
But Weitz, Idra, Hiain, and of course Subaru and Tanza had all been forcibly brought to Sword Slave island, and none of them wanted to participate in death matches.
If the other people on the island felt the same way, maybe Subaru's idea wasn't so crazy after all.
Just as Subaru was thinking this— "So you've finally woken up, kid."
"That 'Spalka' was something else!"
"I missed it, damn it! Heard all about it after the fact though!"
As Subaru reached for the meat on his plate, people began gathering around him with easy grins.
The men who approached him with friendly tones all looked like they had their own stories to tell—no need for explanation. They were all surely Sword Slaves.
Newcomers to the grand hall and those who'd been watching from a distance also drifted over, forming a small crowd around Subaru.
"So, who are you guys?"
"Can't you tell? We're the veterans of this island. You lot put on a pretty entertaining 'Spalka'—kept us from getting bored!"
The men surrounded the wide-eyed Subaru and burst into hearty laughter.
It wasn't mocking—it was genuine praise. For the record, Idra was wryly smiling, Hiain looked uncomfortable, and Weitz sat in stony silence with a sour expression.
"That girl's sudden entrance at the end was quite a sight. She's a lot stronger than she looks."
"Thank you. Everything is by the grace of those who love me."
"Oh? Can't quite follow that, but it was a damn good fight!"
The large-souled men didn't press Tanza on her odd remark and moved on easily. They animatedly recounted Subaru and his group's performance in the 'Spalka,' complete with gestures— "Still, that was impressive. That gladiator beast... the Shadow Lion took out quite a few 'parties.'"
"If you guys had gone down, it would've been the tenth 'party' that thing killed. The recent 'Spalka' have been rough."
"Probably Commander Gustaf's thinking. Once they take in a Sword Slave, they treat them well, but the entry is the toughest part... Worried about what the next show's gonna be like."
The conversation flowed endlessly as they shared details about Guignehive island. Subaru nodded along to each story, picking up bits and pieces of information.
Sure enough, things had apparently changed significantly since Gustaf had taken over as the island's administrator. And the lion, it turned out, had been fairly powerful—even the victorious Subaru group had earned a high reputation.
"So our hard work paid off. ...Shows, you said?"
"Yeah. Regularly, nobles from across the empire gather here and watch our death matches as entertainment. The 'Spalka' and the daily death matches are just practice for the main event."
"Practice..."
"Dying in practice doesn't accomplish anything. The commander knows that. If you put in the effort, you won't get any complaints... But there are exceptions."
"Exceptions?"
The muscular, hard-faced man scratched his nose awkwardly, and Subaru tilted his head.
The man was silent for a while, then sighed deeply.
"I hate to say this since you were getting along with him, but I'd steer clear of that guy."
"That guy..."
From the man's tone and the fact that the subject was someone not currently present, only one person fit the bill.
When Subaru started to say, "Don't tell me—"
"—Cessie? If anything, he's the one who's been following me around..."
"Yeah, he seems to have taken a shine to you. But how much that's worth is anyone's guess. —He showed up about twenty days ago."
"Uh-huh."
"In his first 'Spalka,' he just watched as every member of his 'party' got wiped out—didn't lift a finger. And once he was alone, he killed the gladiator beast bare-handed without breaking a sweat."
"————"
"After that, every time he was assigned a death match, he dragged it out until his opponent died. And on top of all that, he had the nerve to introduce himself as General Cecilus Segmunt."
As he spoke, the hard-faced man let his face and voice drip with the distrust that came from the bottom of his heart, glancing toward the entrance of the grand hall—the very entrance the fake Cecilus—Cecilus Segmunt—had just exited through.
And it wasn't just the man speaking who wore that expression.
Everyone else in the room who wasn't part of Subaru's 'party'—everyone who didn't personally know the fake Cecilus—wore the same look.
The man who had been friendly with Subaru, who had paraded his incomprehensible storybook delusions with exasperating enthusiasm, who had nonchalantly tried to listen to a dying Subaru's last words, who had been living alongside Sword Slaves on the razor's edge between life and death—and who was now the object of intense revulsion from those very people.
He was— "—Commander Gustaf and that death god are the two people at the center of this island's strangeness."