“Was your discussion with the master going well?”

“It’s the same as always—though I must say it was even more infuriating than usual. Just take a hint.”

“I understand, I’ll take that as is,” said Frederica as Subaru and company exited the reception room, tasked with guiding them to the eastern building of the mansion.

The intimidating-looking maid with her long, beautiful golden hair dressed neatly in her maid uniform addressed Anastasia and Julius politely—but it was to the dejected Subaru, who had begun walking away unhappily, that she spoke.

“During the journey and in the city, did Garf fulfill his duties properly? I had impressed upon him various things before he left, but to think he would return injured and unable to come back… I’m worried if he caused any trouble for Emilia and the others over there.”

“Ah, there’s no need to worry. Garfiel worked incredibly hard. With Otto-kun, he’s currently resting quietly… I can only hope he stays that way. I did ask him to make sure of it.”

“I apologize for the trouble my incompetent brother has caused you.”

Even Emilia, despite her half-hearted support, couldn’t put it on Frederica, who felt obliged to apologize.

In any case, there were concerns regarding Garfiel’s behavior towards Petra, Ram, Roswaal, and even Frederica herself, but without a doubt, the incident in Pristella had given Garfiel some change of heart—one could call it growth.

Originally, Garfiel’s strength was outstanding for someone his age—fifteen years old.

From reports of fierce battles with the “Gut Cutter” and the “Octopus Arm,” while he may not be the strongest, he undoubtedly ranks among the top across the continent, not just within Emilia’s faction.

His greatest issue likely lies in his still-maturing mentality. When that mental fragility is overcome, he will ascend to another level.

That said, it’s not a journey to rush through. Slow and steady, gaining strength step by step is the appropriate growth for a fifteen-year-old.

Moreover—

“There’s a reason he might not be heading straight back this time.”

“Is it about Mimi?”

“That’s part of it.”

Subaru chuckled at Emilia, who cut in with keen ears.

Even the usually oblivious Emilia displayed curiosity regarding the romantic entanglements of others. She was quite intrigued by the relationship between Garfiel and Mimi.

Of course, it’s likely that Garfiel feels affection for Mimi who has, with determination, protected him at the cost of her life, openly conveying her feelings both before and after their battles.

To be frank, Subaru was no exception; no man could remain unshaken after having such affections laid out so brazenly, regardless of the target.

That aside, how Garfiel handles his feelings for Ram and Mimi is something to keep an eye on moving forward.

However, separate from that, there was a problem he had left in the city of Pristella.

“—Subaru-sama? Is there something you need from me?”

“No, not specifically. I think it’s better for me not to discuss this matter.”

As Subaru gazed meaningfully at Frederica’s profile, she questioned his look.

Fumbling through the words, Subaru envisioned Garfiel’s inner turmoil regarding the family he had cared about in Pristella—a family with golden hair and emerald eyes, reminiscent of Frederica and Garfiel’s sibling features.

What was the nature of Garfiel’s relationship with them, and how did it connect to Frederica?

Presumably, that was something Garfiel would want to proudly report to family members like Frederica and Ryuzu.

“So I’ll say nothing. Natsuki Subaru is ultra-cool departing now.”

“Speaking of Garfiel, there are some kids in Pristella he’s very close with, and those children…”

“Emilia-tan, Emilia-tan, you’re making my monologue pointless!”

Subaru clamped a hand over Emilia’s mouth, worried that her natural tendency to bridge conversations could ruin everything.

In order to avoid synergistic disasters, he resolved to take the time to explain the background properly to Emilia later on.

With Frederica’s increasingly perplexed expression, Subaru waved her off with a forced smile.

“I apologize for interrupting your pleasant camaraderie, but where are we heading now?”

“Ah—it’s a place we call the ‘Zashiki Prison.’ There’s supposedly someone there we’ve been discussing.”

“Hmm, that person, huh.—I wonder if we can proceed smoothly with this talk.”

“Well, I suppose we’ll never know until we try. For now, just asking for insurance might be worthwhile.”

Julius, trailing behind, wore a serious expression, deep in thought about Subaru’s suggestion.

Subaru was well aware of the various issues surrounding this proposal. However, if executed properly, it could significantly reduce the risks of their current journey.

“Besides, that kid seems to be rather fond of Subaru, so it should be fine, don’t you think?”

“I’d say it’s Garfiel who’s truly fond of her. It’s possible she just likes the feline traits about him… and we’re almost there.”

As Subaru responded to the overly optimistic Emilia with a wry smile, Frederica halted her steps. At that moment, a level of alien atmosphere clearly distinct from the rest of the mansion greeted them as they approached.

While the general layout was not different from the previous mansion, there was a notable change in the underground portion of the eastern building—that one spot clearly had an air of change about it.

The mansion’s heart contained vital facilities for living concentrated in the central main building.

The west building held guest rooms for servants and visitors as well as multipurpose facilities. Meanwhile, the eastern building served as storage for historical artifacts of the Meizers family, books, and such.

However, the underground of the eastern building was the exception. In the stone-cold chamber, the elements of a noble estate’s underground were accompanied by an obvious purpose.

“Well, this place has a heavy and unpleasant atmosphere, doesn’t it?”

Anastasia succinctly summarized the changed ambiance, and there was no disagreement—it was a universally clear evaluation of the unsettling feeling permeating the level.

“It seems it’s not miasma, but it certainly doesn’t feel healthy.”

“I believe it has a lot to do with the building’s structure and the purpose of this facility… but ultimately, it’s likely due to the being that resides within.”

Gazing down the stairs leading into the darkness below, Anastasia and Julius exchanged words.

Having already referred to it as the “Zashiki Prison,” they likely had nearly accurate imaginings of what this facility housed.

“Then, allow me to guide you. Please be careful not to slip,” Frederica said, leading the way down the stairs. Following the tall Figure, Subaru and the others proceeded to the underground.

The sound of their footsteps echoed ominously in the stone steps. A cold wind rose from beneath, rustling their bangs in an unsettling manner.

“I’m opening it now.”

Upon descending into the basement, a sturdy iron door stood in their way. Numerous locks were affixed to the door, which Frederica began unlocking one by one.

With a noise, she removed the locks, and as the iron door creaked open, a stone corridor spread out behind it, with yet another door visible at the far end.

“On the other side, that person we mentioned is waiting.”

Stepping aside, Frederica bowed her head to clear the way. Subaru, leading the party, approached the door directly.

—There was no lock on the innermost door of the underground.

He reached for the handle, and pulling it open, he would instantly be face to face with what lay inside.

Tentatively, Subaru touched the door and held his breath while glancing back.

“———”

Emilia, Julius, and Anastasia all intently watched Subaru’s actions. Nodding to the three of them, Subaru took a deep breath and put strength into his hand gripping the handle.

Then, with a creaking sound, the iron door swung open—

“Roar, roar! I’m going to eat you up!”

“Help, oh no!”

“Hehehehe, even if you scream for help, no one’s coming to you!”

As the door opened, bright light surged into the corridor, accompanied by the sounds of shrill voices.

Behind the open door, a girl stood with her back turned to them in a room surrounded by a plethora of stuffed animals, toying with dolls in both hands while she altered her voice.

Whether she was playing multiple roles or not, she was utterly engrossed.

“No, they’ll come to save me! Because you promised to come when I was in trouble… huh?”

As the girl clutching a little doll stood up, she suddenly noticed something. Slowly turning around to face Subaru and the others who stood in the doorway, her large, round eyes widened in surprise.

With brown hair in braids, she was a pure, adorable girl.

“Hey there! How have you been?”

Without any pretext, Subaru raised his hand and greeted her as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

“W-who are you calling a fool? You should knock before entering!”

As expected, she shouted in anger as a result of his prank.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“So, this is the girl who will be our advisor regarding the beasts, our captive, Meily.”

“I’ve been desecrated! I’ve been hurt by that brother of yours… sniff…”

Subaru introduced the girl, Meily, who was curled up in the corner of the room surrounded by stuffed animals, causing Julius to shake his head with a pained expression on his face.

His eyes projected a sense of warning toward Subaru‘s cavalier actions.

“While it’s partly our oversight for not asking in detail beforehand… your distasteful nature is glaringly obvious. You seem unable to resist mischievous antics at every opportunity.”

“I don’t think it’s too much for harmless fun… although I admit it’s perhaps in poor taste. Still, she is indeed a dangerous individual, I assure you.”

Julius looked at Subaru suspiciously as he defended himself. Meanwhile, Emilia and Anastasia were busily engaging with Meily.

“I’m sorry Meily, but later, I’ll definitely tell Subaru off.”

“Such a cute girl! With Beatrice and Petra, Natsuki-kun’s tastes are reflecting perhaps a bit too much, don’t you think?”

“Don’t make such outlandish claims! I’m not collecting them; they just happen to gather around me!”

The moment when the moniker “Lolicon” became all too real was terrifying.

In any case, the now sulking Meily ignored Emilia and the others who tried to soothe her. It was strangely endearing how childlike she was.

“Meily!”

“I can’t hear you!”

“Meily, listen up!”

“I don’t know!”

And there you have it. She was impenetrable to conversation, and it posed quite the conundrum.

Thus, Subaru hastily resorted to his final gambit. He snuck a hand behind him and produced what he had been secretly holding.

“Here, Meily. A souvenir! A new stuffed toy, Darepanda.”

“—! Wow, so cute!”

What Subaru held out to Meily was a stuffed toy he had been sewing on the dragon cart during their return from Pristella.

Having elevated his home economics skills as a helping hand around the house over the past year, Natsuki Subaru’s sewing ability was leagues ahead of before. He could even whip up clothes for women now.

In any case, the new stuffed toy was modeled after a panda, infused with the essence of “sagging due to heat”—a thought-provoking work. Although it strangely reminded him of something, it wouldn’t assert itself from across the world, so he chose to let it low-key.

And so, when the new creation was presented to Meily, her eyes twinkled as she gladly accepted it.

“So cute! It’s a new friend! What should I name it… okay, I’ve decided! This one shall be called the Great Panda!”

“That’s a name that really captures its essence.”

A bit of whimsical naming aside, her ability to see things clearly was commendable.

Meily lovingly hugged the panda stuffed toy and turned to Subaru and the others with a brightened expression.

“Speaking of which, welcome back, big brother and sister! You must have gone rather far, huh? Petra-chan was missing you!”

“Yeah, it’s been a little over a month. I’m going out again soon, so I’m worried Petra will scold me for it…”

“Petra-chan really loves her big brother, doesn’t she?… Oh, a new face?”

While putting the scattered stuffed animals in order on the shelf, Meily suddenly noticed Julius and the others. Julius seemed surprised by her quick change of mood, while Anastasia nodded knowingly.

“Compared to Mimi, being a bit of a hassle is just a top-tier starter.”

“…Now that you mention it, that’s true. We should be grateful for Mimi,” Julius replied, looking around the room.

As he gazed around the underground space, he remarked, “Also, I expected a harsh environment when I heard ‘Zashiki Prison,’ but… it’s surprisingly comfortable here.”

“Since it’s a girl inside, there’s no intention to torment her… but the circumstances around her make it complicated since it’s hard to allow her outside.”

Emilia wore an apologetic expression, lowering her brows.

As she had described, the “Zashiki Prison”—or rather, Meily’s living space—was, quite frankly, an incredibly laid-back atmosphere for a confinement environment.

Though the stone corridor looked cold, her room at the far end had bright wallpaper, carpets laid out, and she was free to move about without restraints. Several stuffed toys made by Subaru lined the shelves, alongside books and various toys for leisure.

Eating was never an issue, and bathing or using the facilities posed no problems either. In short, it could be described as a leisurely, sheltered life. Subaru himself almost wished to isolate there.

However—

“That ominous atmosphere, close to miasma, seems to leak out perpetually.”

“That’s apparently… stemming from this girl.”

As Meily grinned cheerfully, she nodded at the attentive gazes of Anastasia and the others.

From the innocent-looking expression of the girl, a terrifying aura surfaced that couldn’t be hidden. That aura was, ultimately, the central reason Meily remained confined here without liberation.

“We talked about it on the dragon cart, but originally, this girl targeted Emilia and us… um, more like a hitman. That’s all fine, right?”

“I already have a bad feeling about this, but let’s keep going.”

“Such a suggestive way of explaining… anyway, she is indeed a hitman. And what Meily does with her tiny body is, simply put, control beasts. She is a ‘Beast Tamer.'”

“Yes, I’m very close with the bad animals!”

Meily puffed her chest out proudly as if wanting to assert herself, but the content of her words was shocking.

Beasts are undeniably dangerous foes to humanity, notoriously untamed. It was said that if a beast’s horn was broken, they would submit to the one who did so—but—

“For Meily, this seems to affect beasts regardless of horns. I don’t fully understand the reasoning even if it’s explained.”

“According to mommy, I fulfill the role of a ‘horn’ for the beasts. And that’s how I can get along with them!”

She played the part of the “horn” for the beasts—what that precisely meant remained vague.

After all, it appeared there has been no research into the ecology of beasts in this world to clarify such matters. Although some people made a living hunting beasts, they would be familiar with their behaviors rather than looking from a research standpoint.

“Meily initially attempted to attack us with another person. That other person was taken down by Garfiel, and then this girl was captured. Since then, we have been sheltering her here.”

“Why did you do that? You should have simply dealt with the enemy swiftly if that were the case… but maybe I couldn’t take on a small child?”

“I… couldn’t even think of killing. But sending her off is hard, too. Because if I release her…”

“I’d get yelled at by mommy. Since Elsa is already dead, and I failed, if found, I’d definitely be killed. That’s why staying here is the safest.”

With a carefree tone, Meily responded, though her expression darkened.

Having lost her ally Elsa and failing her mission, her guardian—likely the ultimate orchestrator behind the hitman—would certainly not forgive her for such an error.

If she were to be released, she’d face retribution—while it might certainly be deserved, and could seem irrelevant to Subaru and the others, still—

“It’s undeniable that bad dreams linger.”

“Your and Emilia’s views aren’t new. It seems useless for us to speak as outsiders… By the way, what about your mother?”

“I don’t know. As for my mother, aside from calling her ‘mommy,’ I don’t know anything else. From what Meily says, she doesn’t even know her face. What kind of family environment is that?”

But then again, it was perhaps to be expected, given the line of work of a hitman—living in the shadows like this was simply the way it had to be. Anyway, it appeared finding out who this mother truly was remained elusive.

“Roswaal is useless, too. With Elsa dead, there’s no point of contact…”

“Did you say something?”

“It’s nothing important.”

The incident regarding the seal in the royal city on Subaru’s first day summoned was orchestrated by Roswaal.

Of course, it was Elsa who aimed for Emilia’s life and did Roswaal’s bidding, so it should have been easy to trace back to whoever initiated it.

For some reason, however, that line of inquiry had been cut off since the contact person was dead, leaving things ambiguous. Later, the attack from Elsa and Meily, if Roswaal was to be believed, was unrelated to his intentions—the presence of the mother figure lingered unsettlingly.

“In any case, concerning Meily, that’s where we stand. This girl is here out of necessity. I don’t mean to pamper her, for now.”

“Yet you all seem to spoil her quite a bit.”

“With that in mind, prioritizing her comfort is key!”

After all, confining a small child to a cold basement was difficult to bear. Even if one tried to forget, it lingered in their mind, and attempting to ignore it would lead to terrible dreams.

“So it’s not like there are any particular grievances here.”

“…Is that so?”

“Considering she claimed to have nearly died, you’d think so.”

“Well, if someone ordered such evil deeds from a child, the fault would rather lie with the one who gave the orders. Especially for a child, even more so. If one is capable of thoughtful consideration but chooses otherwise, the responsibility is equally shared. An eye for an eye—that’s just a lose-lose situation.”

“That’s quite a pretty sentiment. You think those whom she killed would find that acceptable?”

“I don’t think so, and their desire for revenge against Meily is entirely up to them. If someone had died on my end, I wouldn’t say I could forgive them as I am now.”

Ultimately, Subaru’s opinions and ways of thinking varied based on circumstances.

If he were termed wishy-washy or easily swayed by his emotions, that would be fine. In truth, it was just how things were.

“When I was a kid, the responsibilities I couldn’t take on were always handed off to adults or my parents. So when a kid I could befriend does something they can’t take responsibility for, I’d think it’s reasonable to step in and take it on, at least as far as I could. I think that’s all there is to it.”

“…I appreciate your valuable perspective.”

Upon hearing Subaru’s words, Anastasia, who had begun to lose interest midway, wrapped up with that remark.

Of course, she wouldn’t be hurt by such a response, for it was the kind one might expect from the standard of the organization where clean-cut judgment was cherished—even when it came to evil.

The latitude given demonstrated the leniency of this faction. Subaru didn’t think of this environment as harmful.

“I…”

“—Hmm?”

“I don’t think what Subaru said is weird.”

“…Thanks.”

He didn’t particularly need to be validated, but that kind of comment was comforting.

Turning his attention back to Meily, who had been left out of the conversation despite it being about her, Subaru lowered himself to her eye level and said,

“I have a request I’d like to borrow your strength for. Do you mind helping me out?”

“…Okay. I’ll accompany you, big brother.”

Pledging his need to her, Meily nodded quietly.

As Meily hid her face behind the panda she held tightly, Subaru thought he caught a glimpse of glistening tears in her eyes, though neither he nor anyone else pointed it out.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“I’ve only been to the Augria Sand Dunes twice.”

After finishing their explanations, Meily fiddled with her braid, reminiscing.

“I went there to replenish the beast cards. It’s a place with lots of beasts, so it was really fruitful… but…”

“But what?”

“Are you guys really going there? Because I think, aside from me, others might die…”

From the lack of moral compass perspective of the girl, it seemed their undertaking appeared reckless. The authority of the leading beast expert’s opinion carried weight.

“I’d love to hear firsthand experiences from someone who’s been there, but the argument about going there equating to death has been debated already. As for navigating the labyrinthine desert, we’re preparing for that on our end for now.”

“Indeed, that’s our side of it.”

Anastasia waved her hand, showcasing her guidance prowess.

However, merely not getting lost wouldn’t suffice to succeed in navigating to the watchtower—the score would barely break thirty points—definitely close to failing as the threshold for passing. More so, unless they provided a perfect answer regarding this complex issue, surviving wouldn’t be easy.

There were three main problems: “The Desert Maze,” “Beast Lairs,” and “The Sage’s Eye.”

Of those, the first, “Desert Maze,” could be dealt with by Anastasia the Witch, while the second, “Beast lairs,” required them to prepare a counter.

For that reason, he wanted to hear the detailed story from Meily—

“Do you happen to have any ideas on how to cleverly avoid the beasts, or maybe even lure them in?”

“If you run ahead on your own, a whole bunch of them will definitely come after you.”

“Yeah, I’ve already been hit several times while trying that.”

A year ago in the mansion once, and shortly after that, once against a whale in the plains—he was getting tired of it.

Granted, if that were the only method, he wouldn’t mind trying it, but it was best to avoid ending up isolated in the desert with just Subaru left behind.

“If you can’t do it alone, perhaps gather plenty of decoys? Most beasts prefer living prey over regular food.”

“No way! I absolutely refuse! I’m opposed to that!”

“There’s no need to panic so much; nobody would pick that option anyway.”

Yet still, it seemed constructive ideas weren’t on the horizon.

Given that Meily likely had the best understanding of beasts compared to anyone else, the lack of an effective strategy from her was disheartening.

“Guess we’ll want to adopt a strategy of fighting off every beast that comes our way. I’ll be counting on Emilia-tan and Julius for this.”

“It’s rather concerning that you don’t include yourself in that count; I wonder what you think of your own self-evaluation… But, is that even a feasible plan?”

Julius questioned Meily regarding the practicality of Subaru’s suggestion. Meily swung her eyes alternately between Emilia and Julius before answering.

“I don’t think that’s likely to work. Can you two continue casting spells without a break for a whole week?”

“What kind of grueling trench warfare situation are you imagining!?”

“Uh, maybe we could give it a try…?”

“No way! That’s an impossible line of thought! Stressed out Emilia-tan’s hair and skin will turn dry—let’s avoid that! No way!”

The idea of frantically pushing through the center had proven to be inherently flawed.

While the specifics of what Meily actually witnessed remained unclear, if she wasn’t exaggerating in her childish manner, the situation warranted strict caution.

“How about smearing dragon cart blood on ourselves to confuse the beasts’ sense of smell?”

“Against Earth Dragons, no way to confuse them, not to mention others might be drawn even more, and hiring bodyguards… could we maybe gather a force like we did with the White Whale back then?”

“That too won’t work. I mentioned the challengers aiming for the Pleiades Watchtower earlier, right? While they may not have referenced an army, a sizable group had attempted it. The results were as you can probably guess.”

“Only a whale or something overwhelmingly powerful wouldn’t be easily overwhelmed by numbers. I just wish there were something as simple as a bug-repellent spray for the beasts.”

Subaru’s body odor—or rather, the lingering scent of the Witch—serving as bug repellant proves fruitless.

Moreover, the barriers that had separated Araham Village from the beasts’ territory only operated thanks to Roswaal maintaining them. For instance, it appeared moving with a barrier around would be impossible.

“What if we, instead, hitch a ride on Roswaal and attack from the sky?”

“If we could bypass the Sage’s Eye, that might have been feasible.”

“Ugh, right. That’s something we can’t overlook, the ‘Sage’ itself…”

The impractical suggestions quickly came under the pragmatic scrutiny of reality.

Even if they dodged the desert and the beasts, the problem of the Sage remained. No one thus far had evaded his watchful eye; no one could say how he might perceive them.

“If only we could narrow it down to one issue…”

“—Well, I suppose there’s no helping it then.”

“Huh?”

While Subaru and the others huddled together, scratching their heads in thought, Meily suddenly made a pronouncement. Rising to her feet, she shook her head slightly before the seated Subaru.

“I’d like to join you. If I’m around, I can handle the beasts however you need. Whether it’s making them stay away, turning them into pets, having them fight each other, or even feeding the Sage to them—it’s all fine by me.”

“Hey, don’t do the last few things, okay!? Besides…”

Subaru’s eyes went wide at her surprisingly extreme offer, but what shocked him more was that she had expressed her willingness to venture outside, which she had never conceded before.

“To go outside is scary, right? Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Well, it’s not like I’d be seen the moment I step outside the mansion, right? I’m scared to be found, but I can’t stay inside forever.”

The realization that she had an awareness of needing to step outside someday came as a surprise.

But it might have made sense. While they had intermittently visited to observe her, she typically spent far more time alone in her room. There must have been a considerable amount of reflection time during her quiet hours, maybe too overwhelming for her to bear.

Staying locked up in a room alone was both comfortable yet terrifying.

And while such feelings might dull at some point, they inevitably resurface, tormenting the heart.

“Subaru…”

As an unusual sense of empathy rose within Subaru, Emilia gently tugged at his sleeve. She clearly understood where he was coming from, as they shared a connection.

“This isn’t a fun outing. We have guidance, but we’re crossing a desert, and you’ll be passing through beast dens. Plus, there’s the terrifying Sage possibly watching us.”

“Wouldn’t it be a perfect time for a long-overdue stroll?”

Meily kept her bravado as she spoke down to Subaru. It was difficult to determine how much of that was bravado and how much was her genuine intent—but—

“It’s a trump card for the beast issue, right?”

“Yeah, I suppose it is. Thank you for your help, Meily.”

“Of course, without needing to be told, that’s what I’ll do.”

Emilia and Subaru exchanged glances before each gave a nod to Meily. In turn, she stood a bit taller and snugly hugged her panda.

Thus, making a significant advancement toward achieving their objective in this journey, Julius, who had been quietly observing the entire exchange, crossed his arms and remarked,

“I don’t mean to say this lightly, but you seem quite adept at sweet-talking young girls… not the kind of skill you’d brag about, though.”

“You all keep treating me like this ‘Lolicon’! Just so you know, Meily is not that small! ‘Lolicon’ is like!”

Indignant, Subaru pointed at the entrance as he stamped his foot in defiance against Julius’s ridiculous insinuation. Just then, the door swung open from the other side, revealing—

“—I thought it was getting noisy; what has Subaru stirred up again?”

Joined by the previously mentioned young girl, who had just finished secretly talking with Roswaal, stirred up yet more turmoil, and that incident will need not rehearsing as it’s fit to be brushed off for the time being.