The beastman lazily scratched his head and grinned, a golden pipe clamped between his teeth.
Long black body fur and a friendly-looking face. His gentle way of speaking carried no hint of malice, and his loose, relaxed stance made it impossible to feel any wariness toward him.
That is, if you forgot the fact that he had gone unnoticed by everyone in the room—including the powerful figures among them—during this meeting between the kingdom and the empire, held in one compartment of the continuously running chained dragon carriage.
"Haribel...?"
The one who spoke in a stern voice threaded with a tremor was Goz, who had felt the strongest wariness toward this presence and shielded his lord and the lord's allied partner behind his massive body.
Goz himself was one of the Nine Divine Generals, a warrior among the empire's strongest commanders in a nation teeming with fighters. And even Goz had failed to detect the beastman's concealment.
But the hardness in his voice wasn't due to that fact alone.
"—The 'Admirer,' is it? What business does the keystone of a city-state have here?"
Abel, sheltered behind Goz's enormous frame, stared at the beastman—Haribel—and asked.
Before the question, he had used what was likely the canine's epithet. Subaru rummaged through the box of memories stirred up by surprise, feeling that he vaguely recognized the name.
Then Haribel turned his narrowed eyes—barely visible as a smile—toward Subaru, who was furrowing his brow.
"No need to rack your brains so hard—it ain't that great a name, y'know. I'm just called that 'cause I'm a sentimental drinker, and honestly, being called a 'keystone' is giving me way too much credit."
"Too much credit..."
"Well, yeah. All it really means is that there ain't nobody in
Haribel answered with the same casual ease as if discussing the weather.
His words made Subaru's eyes go wide, and the instant his brain connected the word "Kararagi" to what had been nagging at him, understanding ignited.
The "Admirer" of Kararagi City-State—and what that epithet meant was...
"The strongest shinobi in all of Kararagi?! What business do you have boarding this dragon carriage?!"
The next instant, Goz stomped forward with enough force to blow apart the floor of the dragon carriage, thrusting his own weapon—a war hammer—at Haribel.
Goz's weapon was a war hammer of unique design: a long haft with a spiked sphere at the tip, meant for bludgeoning. It was similar to the morning star that
In any case, here was an imperial warrior pointing his weapon at the strongest fighter from a city-state who had appeared out of nowhere.
And it seemed as though things might escalate to a hair trigger.
However— "Ah, I know I'm the one who surprised you, but how about we sit down and talk without getting so heated, eh?"
"Gu—!"
Through the war hammer pointed at him, Haribel tilted his head casually and called out. At those words, Goz's face stiffened, and his powerfully muscled arm trembled.
Goz's golden war hammer—Haribel had pressed his own golden pipe against its tip. That alone was enough to render Goz's weapon completely immobile.
"————"
Haribel had likely used the pipe to control the balance of force with exquisite precision, pinning Goz's war hammer so that he could not move it up, down, left, right—or, of course, thrust it forward.
No matter how Goz tried to move his weapon, the pipe pressing from the other side kept it locked in place. This was not mere brute strength—it was the pinnacle of a technique that completely controlled the flow of force.
"You...!"
Goz's face flushed red as he gritted his teeth, the sound reverberating loudly through the room. But everything Haribel was doing was far quieter than even that teeth-grinding.
At that point, the assessment of Haribel's standing in this room was already complete.
"Enough, Goz. Besides, if he'd intended us harm, his head would have fallen before he could so much as clap to show off."
"He didn't do that, so... you're not our enemy, are you?"
Abel and
Just as the two said, if Haribel had wanted to, everyone in the carriage could have been killed before they even noticed his presence.
At their words, Haribel stretched his wide mouth into a grin.
"There we go—I'm glad you understand. Forget about the emperor, but the half-elf girl is a straight-shooter, ain't she? Raised up honest despite being an outcast just like me... Must've had some fine parents."
"Thank you. I feel the same way—I'm blessed to have been raised by
As Emilia placed a hand on her chest and expressed her thanks, Haribel nodded and withdrew his pipe. Instantly freed, Goz could not bring himself to rush in with a reckless attack.
Despite his frustration, Goz kept a sharp watch on Haribel.
"If you go back on your word, I will take your life even if it costs me my own. Remember that."
"No, no, no. See? I'm sitting here proper-like, just as asked."
With a wave of both hands, Haribel used his tail to pull a nearby chair over, then sat down primly with one knee drawn up.
He was about as tall as Goz, but with his thin frame curled up like that, he gave more of an impression of a large dog. His "proper" posture didn't come across as ironic, either.
"That said, to think Kararagi would get involved here. They may not be on the same level as the Kingdom or the Empire, but I've never heard the city-states and the Empire were on friendly terms. Especially considering your publicly stated position."
"Oh, you all know about me? Well, how about that—makes a fella blush, bein' famous like this."
"Roswaal, what's this publicly stated position of his...?"
"Since Barusu is every bit as clueless as he looks, allow me to explain—'the Admirer' Haribel is a werewolf."
When
However, that trembling was not directed at Haribel himself—it was a shiver caused by something else entirely. As for the fact Ram had told him, Subaru couldn't recall much of a connection.
But regardless of Subaru's comprehension, the conversation proceeded on the basis of common knowledge.
"You should know the Empire's attitude toward werewolves. To cross the border and set foot here after that—you seem quite the death-seeker."
"Well now, I know all that, and I ain't exactly feelin' great about it either. But the reason I hide the fact that I'm a werewolf—y'all know that too. It's because nobody can kill me. Besides, looks like Cecilus ain't here either."
"—! You know about Cessy?!"
"Hmm? Oh yeah, I know him. He came to kill me once, y'know. We had a little tussle, and then he went off sayin' somethin' like 'This isn't the right time for a decisive fight!'"
The conversation had drifted from the topic of werewolves, but Haribel answered Subaru's question without hesitation.
An unexpected answer, and an unexpected connection. Haribel and Cecilus had tried to kill each other, and from what he'd just said, it was Cecilus who had picked the fight—which actually made perfect sense.
Building on that— "The Empire, which takes such a decisive stance toward werewolves, is visited by the most well-known fighter from Kararagi City-State. And he appears in the very carriage where His Excellency Vincent sits."
"To add to that, he apparently knows the contents of our critical meeting with the Kingdom. My, my—should we not behead this man, even if we have to invoke the 'Azure Lightning'?"
"...Serina, could you refrain from your morbid hobbies and stop putting everyone's lives in danger?"
Berstetz piled on, and Serina cheerfully added her alarming insight. Her remark was so extreme that Roswaal couldn't help but speak up in earnest.
And so, as the initial surprise and intensity of Haribel's appearance began to fade somewhat, the conversation inevitably circled back to the original question.
"There won't be a third time. What is your purpose, 'Admirer'?"
Even if the other party had overwhelming force in this room, the word "humble" was not in Abel's dictionary—a dictionary whose entries for deliberately subservient language had all been blotted out. Subaru held his breath, wondering how Haribel would react to its owner.
But contrary to the rising tension, Haribel remained seated and rested his cheek on his hand at the table.
"No need to be so on edge. I told you my business right at the start, didn't I? I was just hopin' you'd let me say my hellos first."
"By 'hellos,' do you mean something like ripping our hearts out as a greeting...?"
"Eek! What a scary way to think! I wouldn't do nothin' like that."
"Then... is it really just a greeting, a simple meet-and-greet—is that what you're saying?"
"That's right!"
Subaru had cautiously tried to dig deeper into the shinobi-style greeting, and
At this point, it really did seem like Haribel had no intention of doing anything violent.
"Besides, he could kill us all without breaking a sweat. I doubt he'd toy with us and then take our lives—that would be poor taste."
"I've been called scary too, but hearing that opinion from someone else is a little off-putting... but if that's the case..."
"If that's the case? Is something wrong, Subaru?"
Swallowing hard, Subaru let his imagination run wild at Haribel's demeanor.
If what Emilia had pointed out was accurate, and Haribel was indeed the kind of person he appeared to be— "If Reinhard and this guy were actually on good terms, then Cecilus's sorry state..."
"Enough,
"As for scandals... well, I cannot say with certainty in Cecilus's case either."
On the subject of Cecilus's character, not just Subaru and Abel but even Berstetz found common ground. Cecilus wasn't here to defend himself against the verbal drubbing, but Subaru was confident that even if he were, he'd hear the same things.
In truth, as someone who harbored the fantasy that the powerful should behave with a fitting sense of decorum, Subaru found Reinhard's and Haribel's conduct far more ideal.
On the other hand, he was equally certain that things wouldn't have gone as well on the sword-slave island if anyone other than Cecilus had been there—so everything had its upside and downside.
"So? In the end, what's the purpose behind this greeting? This dragon carriage is heading north, but the Kararagi border is still a ways off... it's not enough to warrant your suspicion, is it?"
"Mm, you'd probably be better off asking my employer about that sort of thing. I went and made things messy by clapping like a fool... oh, but it looks like about time now."
"About time...?"
Haribel lowered the corners of his eyes with a slightly troubled expression, but when he noticed something and raised his head, Subaru followed his gaze.
The wolf-man's face was turned toward the door connecting to the adjacent car. Exactly one beat later, a knock came from the other side.
"Apologies for the interruption during your meeting. I have something to report."
In a familiar voice, the report came, and when Abel quietly said "Enter," a small man with a fluffy head of hair appeared through the opened door.
The moment Subaru saw him, his eyes went wide.
"Zikr! Thank goodness—you're safe!"
"Yes, there's no need to worry. And as for you, I'm glad to see you unharmed, Miss Natsumi."
"You still call me that, even looking like this..."
The man who smiled at Subaru—who had been dressed in women's clothing both when they met and when they parted—was
Smiling, Zikr then tightened his expression.
"Your Excellency, I have something to report... but regarding that person..."
"That one over there—leave them be for now. It likely has something to do with your report."
At the corner of the room sat Haribel. Zikr had noticed him, and Abel was less than forthcoming. But Zikr was accustomed to the emperor's terseness, so he simply said "Yes" with a nod.
"Count Draconis's wyvern ship has returned. With important figures from the fortress city of
"—A guest from a city-state."
Abel cast his dark eyes toward Haribel and murmured.
Since the chained dragon carriage's destination was the fortress city of Garkla, it was natural for people connected to it to arrive by wyvern. And if someone from Kararagi had come along at the same time—there was no way that had nothing to do with Haribel.
In other words— "Haribel, you got here before they did?"
"I'm not so good with heights, y'know."
With a statement that was half-answering and half-adorable, Haribel confirmed that the information Zikr had brought was connected to him.
Not being comfortable with heights and not riding a wyvern ship—that much made sense. But "therefore I arrived before the wyvern ship" was harder to swallow. Still, there was no point arguing with the superhumans of this world. Cecilus, for one, could run faster than things could fly, so who was to say.
In any case— "You went so far as to board my wyvern ship. That means I can expect that someone important has come with a significant matter?"
"At the very least, the lovely guest herself says as much."
"From the way you put that, it's a woman?"
Zikr's report was easy to follow: a woman had come from Kararagi City-State.
Subaru tilted his head at this, but apparently the others felt differently. Beatrice's grip on his hand tightened, and she looked toward Emilia.
"Emilia, they're saying there's a guest from Kararagi."
"Yes, I know. Could that possibly mean—"
"Huh? Huh? The two of you have an idea...?"
Subaru was about to ask "of what" when— "Well now, what a cold thing to say, when someone went through all the trouble of flying all the way to the Empire, Natsuki-kun."
"————"
A voice cut in without warning—a sweet, honeyed tone that came from behind Zikr.
It seemed the guest had been waiting at the junction between the two carriages, but the fact that she'd been listening in on their conversation suggested terrifyingly sharp ears. Still, those ears made a certain kind of sense.
After all, merchants were always keeping an ear out for the next business opportunity.
"Your Excellency, what would you like to do?"
Berstetz asked Abel for his decision, given that the voice they'd heard had been eavesdropping. Abel glanced at Subaru, confirmed his expression, and then looked toward the door.
"She doesn't seem to be just another boor. Let her in."
"Well then, if you'll excuse me."
Having received the emperor's permission, the owner of the voice answered gently. At some point, Haribel had silently moved to the side of the door—he opened it with his own hand and invited the person in.
The person who appeared smiled and said, "Much obliged"—and then: "It's been a while, but I'm glad to see everyone lookin' well."
"Oh..."
"Besides, you folks sure do have a talent for runnin' into trouble, Emilia. Looks like you're gonna need our help again, huh?"
The one who spoke these unsparing words with a soft tone and a smile was a woman with pale purple hair gathered up, wearing a kimono with a fox fur collar—
At her side stood a young man in attendance, Wasu.
"Anastasia?! And Julius?!"
Subaru was flabbergasted to see the two of them here.
Anastasia covered her mouth and laughed at Subaru's exclamations, and the young man who'd been called by name—Julius—touched the sharp scar beneath his left eye with a finger as he looked at Subaru.
And then— "—I wanted to say it's good to see you safe, but... why is it always something with you?"
"Stop saying it like I'm always causing trouble on a scale that warrants you saying that!!"
And so, in place of celebrating their reunion, an angry outburst exploded.
※ ※ ※ His legs gave out, and he collapsed face-forward onto the barren wasteland.
He didn't even have the energy to prop himself up, so his face smashed into the earth without mercy. Pain bloomed as though his nose had been crushed, and blood trickled from his split lip.
He licked the blood with his tongue, and his bone-dry mouth moistened ever so slightly.
"————"
Every ounce of strength had left his body.
When the will to live ran out first, the body's stamina followed quickly. And since both were now utterly depleted, he would simply rot away here.
Everything—everything had been pointless.
What he'd tried to do, what he'd seethed about needing to do, what he'd continued doing out of sheer inertia—all of it had been for nothing.
In the end, he was nothing more than himself. Hell had been inside him all along.
There was no escaping that. No one could escape from a hell like their own.
"Dammit..."
Frustration leaked from his lips in a rasping voice.
Even tears no longer welled up. He didn't have the energy, or the right, for that anymore.
Everything had been extraordinary. Places he couldn't reach. He had stretched his hand toward a place he could never reach—that was the greatest mistake of his life—and yet he'd done it again.
He had no grounds for self-reflection. Only regret.
He couldn't even like himself. He'd always only hated himself, but now he'd come to despise himself.
He couldn't even continue to love those he loved. If only, sooner—someone worthless like him should have— "Oh my. I thought I'd strip a corpse bare, but you're still alive, are you? Well, that's a relief."
Suddenly, a voice came from above his collapsed body.
He didn't have the strength to so much as twitch, but the owner of the voice reached out and flipped him over. The blinding brightness of a blue sky flooded his vision, and he let out a groan.
Tears welled up—not from shame or remorse.
That, more than anything, was infuriating.
Was this body, from start to finish, only ever going to work for his own selfish sake?
"What's there to be so bitter about, friend? Every twitch of a living body is a blessing—a miracle."
"Every... living body..."
"Ah, so you've taken a dislike to living, have you? Well, well... the only way I know to fight such dark thoughts is one single thing."
"————"
He sensed the owner of the voice smiling, and an upside-down face invaded the blue expanse of his vision. He couldn't make it out clearly against the backlight, but he could tell the person was grinning broadly.
It wasn't a mocking grin, though—which made it all the more incomprehensible.
But— "What... should I do?"
If he couldn't find the answer inside himself, then he would listen to the thoughts of someone he couldn't understand.
At least, he hoped he might hear something more sensible than anything he could come up with—and he cursed himself even as he asked, because he still wanted to be saved.
At his question, the other smiled wider, as if to say "Exactly."
"Simple. —Drink until you drown in it. In alcohol, I mean."
Immediately after the answer, a hand grabbed him by the collar and forcibly dragged him along. Still in a posture with both legs hanging limp, he was hauled across the barren wasteland.
Taking advantage of the fact that he couldn't resist, the man hummed a tune as he dragged him along.
"I'm Rouan—a stingy, nameless ronin. And you, friend?"
"————"
"Come now, friend—you must have a name. It's not like telling me will cost you anything."
With an easy, familiar manner, the man who called himself Rouan spoke. The other let out a long breath.
He had no obligation to answer, but no particular reason to refuse either. Thinking nothing mattered anymore, the man— "...Heinkel."
And so, without either of them realizing the other's true standing,
He did not know—that coincidences and fated encounters were among destiny's favorite tricks.