Well, despite the multitude of problems arising from discussions, deciding on companions, and farewells to those remaining behind, the morning of departure eventually arrives.

“Well, it seems we’ve formed a larger party than I imagined…”

With arms crossed, Subaru surveys the companions for the upcoming “Sage’s Tower Conquest Tour.”

There are two factions: Emilia’s faction and Anastasia’s faction. Of course, Emilia’s faction consists of Subaru, Emilia, and Beatrice. Adding to them are Rem, who remains asleep, and her knight, Ram, making a total of five members. Anastasia and her knight, Julius, serve as the guides through the Augria Sand Dunes. To navigate past the pack of magical beasts in the dunes, the “Beast Tamer” Meily joins the group, bringing the total to eight.

If the objective was simply a straightforward mission, the team assembled for the recovery of Pristella would numerically be greater, and Subaru has experience with troop movements from battles against the White Whale and Sloth demon beast.

But moving purely to a distant location—with eight key individuals—is quite the experience in and of itself.

“Is this really going to be okay…?”

“Are you worried about something, Subaru?”

As Subaru ponders thoughtfully, Emilia’s voice interjects, distracting him. Dressed lightly for the journey, Subaru emits a “hm” in contemplation and says,

“Considering our destination, the worries don’t really stop. And without that… there’s just the fear of heading into dangerous territory with such a large group. If we have too many people to protect, it becomes impossible to manage.”

“That may be true. This time, Rem and Ram are with us, so we have to protect Meily and Miss Anastasia as well as you, Subaru.”

“Huh!? Am I getting treated as a non-combatant all of a sudden!?”

“Come on, Subaru. Of course I’m kidding. You seriously take things too seriously.”

As Emilia clenches her fists in frustration, Subaru’s voice cracks, unable to hold back his laughter at her reaction. He too chuckles, albeit his smile is just a tad strained.

In reality, it’s straightforward to admit that Subaru’s combat ability is significantly inferior to Emilia’s. To her, he’s someone precious to protect—although it’s certainly not his intention to remain just that.

“Aside from that, any specific worries I have would be…”

After taking a breath from his chat with Emilia, Subaru glances ahead.

They stand in the front yard of Roswaal’s Mansion, where preparations for departure are progressing smoothly. Tethered beside him is a large passenger car that can carry nearly ten individuals. Two Earth Dragons are connected to pull it, both of which are breeds suitable for long-distance travel.

The problem lies next to that carriage—there stands a sleek, black Earth Dragon, and a small shadow is glaring at it, nose to nose.

Releasing a weary sigh at the scene, Subaru steps between the two glaring parties.

“With a title like ‘Beast Tamer,’ can’t you at least get along with the Earth Dragon?”

“Don’t misunderstand, big brother. The animals I can train are all the naughty ones with horns. Other creatures won’t like me because I stink like those bad boys.”

“Is that how it is… Well, that sounds like quite the hassle, doesn’t it?”

Shrugging at Meily’s explanation, Subaru reaches out to pat Patrasche, who is glaring back at the beast tamer. The proud female Earth Dragon audibly sniffs Subaru’s hand when he approaches.

As if trying to overwrite the scent of the girl before her with her own.

“It’s pretty rare for Patrasche, who’s usually great at keeping her cool and understanding, to be this overt in her attitude… Looks like she really doesn’t get along with you.”

“I can handle the others just fine, but that Earth Dragon seems too attached to you, big brother. If it sees a chance, it may bite me, so you better train it well or I might become its dinner.”

“Don’t just say that like it’s a perfectly normal thing to happen… Hey, Patrasche, calm down now.”

Trying to soothe the overly excited pet dragon, Subaru quickly gets Meily aboard the carriage. As a “Beast Tamer,” she doesn’t carry much gear. After all, the girl hardly has personal belongings. Still, it’s charming to see her bringing along a panda plushie crafted by Subaru.

“It looks like dealing with girls’ moods really puts a lot on Natsuki-kun.”

“…If you think that way, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make it any harder for me.”

As he shoves Meily into the dragon carriage, he’s greeted with teasing banter from Anastasia, who approaches him. Though she appears as Anastasia, her true self is the white fox, Echidna.

During the journey from Pristella to the mansion, more than twenty days had gone by, and many differences had been bridged. If this continues, Anastasia’s identity may become hard to distinguish.

“Please try not to doubt too much. I’ve told you many times this isn’t my intention. That’s why I’m even offering to be the guide through this dangerous pathway.”

“That’s part of what worries me, you know. With your conduct at your estate and observing Subaru’s interactions, I thought of you as a trustworthy person. That’s why I’d like you to see it from that perspective.”

“It’s been quite a while since I’ve felt this suspicious, Ros.”

“I’m sorry, I feel that way too…”

When Roswaal responds in a serious tone to Julius’s concerns, Subaru and Emilia simultaneously raise their hands to chime in.

Leaving past crimes aside, Roswaal’s words are exceedingly out of character. Perhaps he realizes this himself, because he gives Subaru and Emilia a wry smile and says, “Well, I guess it can’t be helped that it lacks persuasive power. Regardless, I genuinely believe Julius won’t stoop to petty work like poking into other factions’ flaws…”

“Is this a situation where I’m getting blamed!? What did I do wrong!?”

With disbelief etched on his face, Subaru cries out, mingling frustration and humor.

Unfortunately, there’s no one in this place to back him up.

On this upcoming two-month journey, Subaru can only depend on himself.

Understanding this fact, a mix of trust and affection from the warmth of two hands and an overwhelming anxiety rises in his chest, signaling the start of this morning.