A clear blue sky sprawled above Natsuki Subaru, who lay on his back.

It had been about a month and two weeks since he was summoned to this different world.

During that time, how many times had he found himself looking up at the blue sky like this? Thick cumulonimbus clouds blocked the sun’s rays, but the glowing sunlight, close to noon, was still penetrating through the cloud cover.

The dazzling sunlight burned behind his eyelids. Reflexively squinting, he felt tears welling up at the corners of his eyes and suddenly, Subaru thought aimlessly.

“Come to think of it… I haven’t encountered a rainy day in this world yet.”

He hadn’t run into a day where heavy rain continued all day long.

He had experienced light rain late at night and the morning dew on the trees and grass a few times, but he had yet to experience real rain.

The temperature felt slightly warm for wearing long sleeves—it was around the feeling of June or early October back in his original world. Considering the lack of rain, it might be that he was hitting the dry season in this world.

“Is it about time to end this, I suppose?”

A voice suddenly called out to Subaru, who was sunk in aimless thoughts.

Raising his head slightly while still lying on his back to check the source of the voice—there stood an elderly man a few meters away from him.

The height was slightly above Subaru’s, a well-groomed old man with generous white hair. He was clad in a pitch-black butler uniform, radiating a tightly wound atmosphere fitting of his crisp attire.

He was standing with his back straight and posture elegant, but despite looking beautiful standing there, the man appeared quite relaxed, with gentle wrinkles etched upon his calm face.

However, in the gentleman’s hand, there was a strangely long wooden sword.

“Not at all, it’s just that I was philosophizing a bit.”

“Oh? An interesting topic. What were you thinking about?”

“Above is a great fire and below is a flood… what could that mean?”

He lifted both legs and used the momentum to stand up.

Heavy remnants remained in his core, but the effects of strikes that left no damage were minimal. Taking this moment to check around, Subaru spun the wooden sword he had been holding and pointed it in front of him—directly at Wilhelm.

“Now, please guide me once more.”

“By the way, what was the answer to that philosophy question you mentioned earlier?”

“Oh—wetting the bed and then getting angry!”

Saying this, he stepped forward and swung the wooden sword up from below in a low stance.

The tip carved through the air, the wind picking up with a momentum so fierce it could crush bones without any restraint. But—

“Ugh!”

“You’re too tense. You need to relax your hands, feet, neck, waist, and even your face.”

Wilhelm’s wooden sword slipped into the path of Subaru’s strike, bending the circular motion smoothly and deflecting the trajectory. The blow aimed for the head passed above the tall man’s head, and within that impressive dodge, the old man’s palm danced with the wooden sword, delivering a fierce blow across the body.

Jaw, throat, solar plexus, groin—all were critical points in a straight line along the body. Wilhelm’s wooden sword gently brushed against each of these vital areas, delivering a shock strong enough to send Subaru flying.

The impact he felt was just a return of his own momentum. However, the shock of being struck in the vital areas caused him to gasp for air and turned his vision red.

With his back to the ground, Subaru rolled back, having sunk the same distance he’d just stepped in. Once again, he lay splayed on the ground, and as his red-tinged vision cleared, the blue sky looked down at him mockingly.

“Is it about time to end this, I suppose?”

Wilhelm’s call bore no inflection, sarcasm, or hint of contempt.

How many times had he heard that voice questioning his intentions now…?

“The twenty-third time, ‘no’.”

“Oh, you remember faithfully, do you?”

“Of course! I might forget the memories of doing things people dislike, but I won’t forget the times when I had something unpleasant done to me… that’s just how I am.”

Proudly boasting about something unworthy of pride, Subaru slowly began to rise, the damage mild, an excellent degree of restraint was still upheld.

Using the re-gripped wooden sword as support, he got to his feet, swung the dirt-covered tip to clean it off, and once more brandished it towards Wilhelm.

“Let’s have another round, please.”

“Of course. This time, let’s change things up a bit.”

As soon as Wilhelm responded in agreement, Subaru, without waiting to hear further, charged at him.

Lowering his body in a crouched position, this time, his attack was not a line but a point—a thrust that minimized his attack range for revenge.

In an instant, he aimed to strike in four different vital points, impossible to master such finesse as the old man in front of him. Thus, Subaru focused all his effort into one single strike.

Targeting the large body, anywhere within the center would hit—intent flowing into the tip of the wooden sword, which slowly seemed to be drawn into the man’s black-clad center.

“Got it–!?”

He intended to land the blow but was so caught off guard by actually hitting that he felt a moment of shock. Yet he sensed the wooden sword striking was supposed to be a direct hit, but the lack of feedback robbed him of the shout of victory.

“Fu-anburu–!?”

He felt his weight get pulled beneath him, and the world flipped upside down.

His brain couldn’t keep up with being rapidly freed from gravity as the ground loomed closer in his spinning vision. Just as it seemed he’d faceplant right into the dirt, and with the gut-wrenching anticipation of pain rushing towards him, he instinctively shut his eyes.

Then—

“Majolica!”

Just before his face could crash into the ground, he felt a solid stick pressed against his abdomen. It felt akin to running headfirst into a metal pole, making his inverted body flip once more—his two feet correctly landing back on the ground.

The resulting momentum forced his arms to shoot out straight, freezing him like a gymnast who had just finished a floor routine.

What had just occurred, he pondered.

Amidst his bewilderment, he noticed the wooden sword he had been holding tightly had vanished from his grasp.

“Ugh.”

Panicking, he turned his head to search for it, only to meet the smiling gaze of the elder stood right beside him. In his hands were two wooden swords.

“I don’t want to be in pain!”

Countless gentle shocks of impact struck throughout his body, and once again, Subaru was sent flying, rolling across the earth and becoming a mess of grass.

The gritty taste of earth spread in his mouth, and as he spat it out, he awaited a report on his bodily damage. Arms, working. Legs, tingling, but fine. Stomach—it’s about time I ate. Face—that scowl’s just how I was born. In conclusion, as always, that exquisite sense of restraint.

“Quite the diligent one, aren’t you?”

This marked the twenty-fourth rendezvous with the grasslands.

As Subaru plowed face-first into the earth up to his elbows, that refined voice called from high above.

Lying sideways to ensure visibility, Subaru glanced toward where the voice came from. There, looking down at him, lay a lady leaning against the terrace railing.

“I merely heard your voice, but it seems you’ve been quite focused.”

“What a pleasure, Crusch-sama, have I disturbed your work?”

The green-haired woman, resting her weight against the railing with her cheek on her hand—Crusch—received Wilhelm’s anxious respect, even though there was no true emotional resonance in his tone. Crusch waved her hand lightly.

“No, I was just about to take a break.”

She replied to Wilhelm, then added, “Besides,” and continued her thought.

“Whether it’s others’ or my own, I don’t see how being dedicated could ever be an inconvenience. It’d be wasteful to leave those I hired to rot. Please, make the most of your efforts, Wilhelm.”

“Understood. That said—”

Crusch’s generous words made Wilhelm deeply bow, and then he glanced towards Subaru with an understated side-eye.

“Is it about time to end this, I suppose?”

“Given the flow, I’m not the type to say we should end just yet.”

Brushing the grass off his body, Subaru stood up and turned around to confirm for the twenty-fourth time—no, the twenty-fourth solemn verification of survival, spitting the dirt out from his mouth.

“Getting my butt kicked while being watched by a beautiful woman is something of a boyhood dream, isn’t it? My macho gauge is taking a hit.”

As Subaru tossed out a lighthearted comment and rolled his wrist, Wilhelm wordlessly tossed back the wooden sword he had snatched away. Catching it deftly as it spun, Subaru couldn’t help but smirk at the feel of it in his palm.

“There’s no need to worry. It’s not the first time I’ve watched you get pounded.”

“Ugh.”

“I’ve only been briefed on the circumstances, but I cannot deny that the recent lesson from Crusch-sama was a bit too direct.”

Wilhelm looked at Subaru with a sympathetic expression, causing Crusch to raise an eyebrow and somewhat innocently respond, “Oh really?”

“It’s only logical that if you are not strong enough, it’s natural that your attacks won’t penetrate. However, showing a resolve that will not bend is something to be proud of rather than ashamed.”

Crusch said this while touching her chin, which made Subaru feel a twinge of discomfort like being tickled. It was unexpected that she would speak so favorably about his shameful antics, and there was no changing outcomes that were laid out.

That’s why she began to retreat from Subaru.

“Moreover, if being instructed by a woman is painful, then you must be tragically experienced by now.”

As Subaru treaded dangerously close to drowning in thought, Crusch smiled softly, leaning over the railing and casting a meaningful gaze toward the terrace—her look sweeping past Subaru and Wilhelm and another destination in the garden.

There, she pointed out.

“… There’s a difference in sense from embarrassing oneself before family.”

“I’d think showing my hand while I’m confronted with enemies would be problematic… but inviting such an opponent into my home makes me think I’m no different. It’s funny how tangled the heart can be.”

With Crusch’s gaze fixed on that direction, Subaru silently compelled himself to not direct his attention toward it, even as he was aware that she was reflecting on herself.

After pondering for a moment, she finally declared, “Wilhelm.”

“Yes?”

“I feel the need to move a little. I’ll be coming down after wrapping up some leftover work. Though it’s earlier than scheduled, I’ll need today’s guidance.”

“Understood. Please, take your time.”

“Given my current state of mind, that’s a somewhat difficult request.”

With a faint smile, Crusch distanced herself from the railing and cast a glance back toward her office. Her agile movements caused her long green hair to dance and sparkle brilliantly under the sunlight, disappearing from Subaru’s field of vision.

As he watched her depart, Subaru released a light breath, tinged with slight tension.

In that blatant relief, he couldn’t help but chuckle at himself.

No matter how much Crusch could be considered his type, expressing it so audibly would give the worst impression.

Anyway,

“Is it about time to end this, I suppose?”

Wilhelm’s words carried no hint of questioning expectation—he sensed that the moment of intensity was nearing its close.

Having caught the disappearance of the questioning tone from Wilhelm’s final words, Subaru realized this fierce and serene time was at its end.

Disappointment clearly etched upon his dark eyes, the elder squeezed one eye shut.

“If Crusch-sama is descending, then I must fulfill my duty as an instructor. After all, that is the reason I am employed by the Karsten household.”

“To ask for any more would really be too much. Even though it’s my free time, I feel like I’m overstepping,” Subaru sighed, feeling a wave of melancholy about the practice coming to an end. But halting now would only inconvenience the other party. He was already asking for something unreasonable as he stood with a weaker position. It was better to avoid making a bad impression, even if it might be too late.

“I’m going now.”

“Anytime.”

Following through with that declaration, Subaru kicked the dirt and suddenly lunged forward.

No feints, nothing of the sort. For his twenty-fifth—and final—attack, Subaru chose a straightforward strike without trickery.

Raising the wooden sword high above, he brought it down with all his might using both hands to grip it tightly.

The axe-like blow sliced through the air, its tip missing the mark and plunging into the earth with great force, leaving Subaru to lean forward and lose his balance.

And then—

“――――!”

A flurry of strikes danced across his vision, and in that moment, Subaru was struck down.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

Two days had already passed since Subaru entered Crusch Karsten’s mansion.

Speaking of “mansion”—this time, it didn’t refer to Crusch’s main abode as a duke, as she held lands in her own right. The mansion Subaru was staying in was just a secondary residence, utilized only during his time in the royal capital.

In the upper districts of the royal capital—a segment lined with high-end residences, the mansion stood in a cluster of houses entered by those of high rank.

The scale of this residence didn’t compare to Roswaal’s sprawling estate in the countryside, but the decor and interior appeared equal to or even surpassing it in craftsmanship to the untrained eye.

Given that inviting guests was an expected part of hosting in the royal capital, a duke was probably required to pay attention to these details.

It was clear this wasn’t a simple display of nouveau riche taste, indicative of Crusch’s pragmatic nature. The expenses associated with it seemed excessive, but they could be categorized as necessary.

In that context, the simplicity of the garden, lacking such trinkets, felt like a reflection of the owner’s temperament, giving it a comfortably homey vibe.

The trees surrounding the mansion were carefully tended by gardeners, and within the garden was just a short expanse of grass, devoid of any excess. Nevertheless, the simplicity of the garden suited its intended purpose perfectly.

Its main function was for combat training, just like what Subaru had been doing moments ago. For someone like Crusch, who likely preferred swords over flowers, the lack of ornamental flora seemed fitting for her character.

“Can you stand, Subaru?”

Amidst the wavering thoughts, Subaru heard Wilhelm’s distant voice call out.

Waving his hand in silent acknowledgment while hearing the old man’s relieved tone, he responded,

“Thanks for today as well.”

“Not at all. I merely had you accompany me to alleviate my boredom. I feel embarrassed that I’m not skilled at teaching others.”

“Isn’t it a bit strange for someone hired as a sword instructor to say that?”

“The guidance I provide Crusch-sama is less about technique and more about preparing her mindset for real combat… In that sense, I seldom teach with words.”

Chuckling at Subaru’s remark, Wilhelm then turned to prepare himself, his nonchalant demeanor showing no signs of fatigue.

“At this point, I suspect you’re too exhausted to move. There’s still a while until Crusch-sama arrives. It would be wise for you to remain resting until you feel energetic again.”

“I’ll take that advice. This back support feels super comfy! Even if I’m at a disadvantage, I’m the winner for this moment!”

Lying there in a pose of arrogance, Subaru nodded quietly as Wilhelm straightened his posture and glanced toward the horizon, looking down on Subaru.

“I’ll take a circuit around the mansion. After the break, feel free to act as you wish, just like yesterday.” —”Please take care of Subaru.”

“Yes, thank you for your kindness.”

Standing right beside the sprawled-out Subaru, a figure who hadn’t spoken a word until now replied.

Dressed in the familiar black apron dress, she knelt on the ground and gently secured her knees under Subaru’s head for comfortable support.

A short-haired girl with blue hair adorned with a white headdress—the maid, Rem.

She had silently observed the mock battle—more like an actual training match—between Subaru and Wilhelm from the garden’s corner.

Now, having rushed over to offer her support as the exhausted Subaru lay down, she cradled him softly on her lap.

Her selfless posture was emblematic of her role as a servant, but in the tenderness of her gaze directed toward Subaru, emotions that surpassed mere servitude quietly flickered.

Yet, Wilhelm chose not to comment on what he noticed in Rem’s glance.

To him, it was the very shine he had often seen in her eyes throughout Subaru’s time in this mansion.

Thus, the elder avoided probing into Rem’s heart, gracefully bowing as he said,

“Then, I’ll take my leave. Ferris should return this afternoon. It’d help if both Rem and Subaru were in your room by then.”

“I apologize for the trouble. I’ll be there.”

Rem quietly accepted Wilhelm’s words with a graceful nod. Satisfied, Wilhelm would slightly narrow his eyes toward Subaru before turning away in silence, disappearing from the garden.

As the old man’s unusual presence faded, the tension that had enveloped the grounds instantly dissipated like a breath of fresh air.

As if even the trees and plants took a sigh—a weighty pressure was lifted, transforming the garden into an open meadow unbroken by anything that would obstruct the breeze or the song of little birds.

In this tranquility, Subaru merely lay there, his eyes closed, dedicating all his senses and mental state to the soft feeling beneath his head.

Rem remained silent.

Simply welcoming Subaru’s weight on her knees, she occasionally gently bifurcated his dark hair, brushing it back—the subtle touch indicating the passage of time.

“… I’m—”

Suddenly, Subaru, in their quiet moment, shifted.

As he trembled his lips to weave a whisper, Rem halted her fingers. She patiently awaited his words, a testament to her affection. After taking ample time, Subaru expressed the rest of his thought.

“I’m weak.”

He spoke so softly it was almost an acceptance of a self-evident truth.

A gust of wind blew, and the strands that Rem had caressed danced in the air, causing her to shift slightly, moving her knee with a gentle jolt.

“That’s true.”

After a brief silence, Rem responded in a soft voice.

The natural manner in which she affirmed his statement surprised Subaru, making him realize that she was indeed replying to his earlier assertion long after the fact, and as he processed it, he now accepted her words as a truth that couldn’t be overturned.

So he looked up, still resting on her lap, and gave her a mock glare, adding,

“Isn’t this the time where you normally say something like, ‘That can’t be true! Natsuki-kun is super cool and invincible and fabulously happy! I’m just swooning!’?”

“If that’s what you wish for, Natsuki-kun.”

Rem responded with the same flat expression, even as he made a somewhat different wish. Taking a breath to gather himself, Subaru began anew.

“Alright, here’s take two— I’m weak.”

“Yes, that’s true.”

“I was listening to that whole exchange, you know!?”

“Did you listen to Rem’s response?”

Facing that unexpected counter, Subaru stretched his legs straight and began to protest, but Rem continued looking at him lovingly, tilting her head slightly.

Caught off guard, Subaru faltered in his words. Then, slowly, he began to replay Rem’s clear admission in his mind.

“Rem, you’re amazing.”

“Yes, but sister is even more amazing.”

“I can’t understand that admiration for Ram, but that’s still impressive.”

Subaru relaxed, feeling as though all the bones in his body had melted away as he entrusted himself entirely to Rem’s lap.

Once more, Rem’s fingers swept through Subaru’s hair as she spoke.

“Rem is here to do what Natsuki-kun desires.”

“… Is it what I want to say to cheer you up about being weak to accept that affirmation of self-doubt?”

“Isn’t that what you truly want?”

Tilting her head to one side in purity, Rem earnestly questioned him.

In response, Subaru could only find silence, releasing a long, deep exhalation through his nose, accepting such quietude as an answer.

Quiet, uninterrupted, and lazy moments continued to flow.

Before plunging into an ocean of thoughts, the rising drowsiness threatened to engulf him altogether as Subaru lost his place, teetering between reality and dreams.

“Shall we go back? We can’t disturb Crusch-sama and Wilhelm-sama.”

However, the passage of time moved equally for all.

When Rem’s voice broke the stillness, Subaru pondered, then shifted his posture to rest his cheek against her thigh.

“Just a bit longer. The feeling of your thighs is wonderful.”

“Yes. If that’s what Natsuki-kun wishes.”

As Rem relaxed, letting her strength ebb, she accepted Subaru’s request.

Surrendering to that boundless kindness, Subaru let his mind drift, burying himself deeply in the euphoric tranquility.

On the third day since the declaration of the Royal Selection began, a day of separation between Subaru and Emilia.

Natsuki Subaru was steadily becoming complacent.

“`

 

---