――There were countless things that needed to be considered.

As Subaru and the others resumed their march towards Meisters Territory, there were two major tasks that lay ahead.

1. “To keep Emilia and the villagers safe from danger.”

2. “To confront the Witch Cult that is plotting an attack and eliminate Petelgeuse of ‘Sloth.'”

Last time, they prioritized the second task and aimed to achieve the first through it, but their plans were thwarted by Petelgeuse’s unexpected tenacity.

They didn’t know the extent of his possession capabilities, under what conditions it worked, or against whom it could be effective. However, the fact remained that he had ambushed Subaru and the others, causing that disastrous event.

Overconfidence is forbidden—No, they must take every possible measure to ensure the best outcome.

“That said, it’s definitely time for an emergency evacuation—worst case, abandoning the mansion and the village is a must.”

Even Subaru understood how harsh such a decision would be for them.

Throwing away their familiar lives and suddenly being told to run off as they are isn’t something one can accept easily. Yet, it’s something that must be done.

――One can’t put a price on life.

Sometimes, there are things that must take precedence over life itself, but even so, a life is, barring very limited exceptions, something that should be prioritized above all else.

That much, Subaru was unwilling to concede.

“Considering the time, we have to evacuate and tackle the Witch Cult simultaneously.”

It’s unclear how thoroughly Petelgeuse has prepared, but considering the size of the group hidden around the mansion, it would be far too convenient for them not to notice the disturbances in the village. It’s likely that just like before, when they ambushed Subaru’s dragon cart on the main road, there will be sentinels watching out.

If they hurry the evacuation, it increases the chances of the Witch Cult getting wind of it and taking action. Therefore, it’s necessary to crush the Witch Cult before they can act.

“The procedures from last time should still work. …I’m a bit concerned that I only found eight hideouts, but if we can discover the remaining ones this time…”

The odds of victory would significantly increase. At least, it would completely eliminate the possibility of being ambushed by Witch Cultists they had yet to encounter. If the threats to deal with were limited to Petelgeuse, that would still qualify as a significant achievement.

And regarding the crucial matter of dealing with Petelgeuse…

“I need to be there to counter the unseen hand; without me, there’s no talking.”

――That was a line he could never concede.

Last time, he had drawn out Petelgeuse’s attention longer than necessary, leading to Wilhelm’s ambush, allowing them to take down Petelgeuse. Following this same flow this time shouldn’t be an issue. The problem lay in what would happen if they encountered a second one—

“Wait, should I consider capturing him alive? If the scenario leads to dying and possessing, that would mean I have to prevent him from dying…”

As he vocalized it, he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was unexpectedly a major blind spot.

Up until now, Petelgeuse had made possession-like actions twice. Each instance had been limited to the body that had just met its end, and while he couldn’t narrow down the conditions for subsequent targets, creating a situation in which possession can’t occur changes the game entirely.

And if the ambush goes off without a hitch, setting up that situation shouldn’t be too difficult.

“Exactly. Even if I think about capturing him, that doesn’t solely mean death is what’s on the table! I don’t know if there’s a method like sealing him, but if that’s possible…”

He felt optimistic about it.

If he knocked Petelgeuse out with an ambush, all he’d need to do would be to gag him and tie him to a tree. If he isolated him at a distance where even the unseen hand couldn’t reach, he would be nothing more than a powerless madman screaming and yelling.

After that, if he could ask Pack to freeze him into a state of suspended animation and decorate him somewhere unreachable…

“You look like you’re thinking of something bad,” said Julius, noticing Subaru’s expression twist into a villainous grin.

Seeing the light of hope illuminate Subaru’s face, Julius, who had been riding alongside silently, realized that Subaru had found a solution to their dilemma.

With a hint of a smile appearing on his refined profile, he brushed the hair blown by the wind back with his hand and said,

“If your thoughts have come together, I’d like to hear them. —Your decision to fight.”

“I might find some holes in it, so I’d like to tighten it up a bit… Time is tight, but should I have everyone halt for a moment?”

In either case, he needed to add a few supplements and modifications to the explanation from before.

Calling out to the various members of their group as they marched, gathering them back into a circle would take a bit of time. As someone who valued time, Subaru didn’t like the prospect of dampening their motivation by stopping them again—

“No, that isn’t necessary. I’ll take on the transmission of your words.”

Julius shook his head lightly, deeming Subaru’s judgment unnecessary. Subaru, unable to grasp Julius’s intentions, narrowed his eyes slightly. Then, Julius lightly flicked his fingers with his right hand, and the next moment—light surged forth.

“Wha—! You are…!”

“The faint essence of will fills the air. You must have seen this beauty while by Emilia-sama’s side at some point, right?”

Julius grinned proudly, surrounded by a soft glow, as it swam around him, just like the Earth Dragon he rode.

And Subaru recognized the true nature of that light. Because he had seen it countless times, closely, by the side of the beloved girl.

It was—

“Micro Spirit…”

“More accurately, it’s a bud before it acquires the status of a spirit. —It should be called a Semi-Spirit.”

“Don’t say it like a Semi-Knight or something.”

With the specificity of that title, Subaru managed to respond while forcing a grin.

The discomfort on Subaru’s face wasn’t just because of the smug look radiating from Julius’s good looks; he postponed those thoughts, instead focusing on Julius’s status as someone accompanied by Semi-spirits—meaning, in other words…

“You’re a Spirit Sorcerer!?”

“It would be more accurate to say, ‘I also happen to be a Spirit Sorcerer.’ I don’t neglect refining my swordsmanship as a knight either, you see. More precisely, I’d like to be referred to as such.”

As Subaru’s surprise sunk into silence, Julius took a moment before continuing.

In the flow and context of this development, the next line to come forth was—

“Archmage—!!”

“Spirit Knight and… huh?”

Wait a minute.

With a quizzical expression, Julius questioned Subaru, who had stumbled over his own words. Flustered, Subaru quickly tried to downplay his earlier blunder, saying, “Oh, no, I mean, uh, no, that’s not it,” before following up with,

“Ahem! So about the Spirit Knight! Yes, the Spirit Knight! I see, whoa, that’s amazing, it’s totally convincing! Spirits…Spirit Knight!?”

“I’m glad to see you’re surprised. I didn’t expect you to reach that conclusion.”

While pretending to act calm and composed, swallowing his shock, Subaru spat out his amazement.

As Julius softly extended his arm, the winking lights began to gather, hovering as if perching upon his arm. Those six types of spirits radiated different colors, and Subaru realized that meant—

“Wait, you can use all six types of magic, can’t you?”

“—Quite so. You have a keen mind to catch onto that without prior knowledge. You haven’t spent time under Lord Meisters for nothing.”

“Well, I haven’t had any particular lessons from Rozz… Ah, there was a little bit in the shower!”

Swinging their legs awkwardly as they recalled their brief interaction with magic now felt like a distant memory. In hindsight, that too was an experience long lost in this world.

Setting aside Subaru’s musings that only someone who could time travel would understand, Julius showcased the spiraling spirits around his arm.

“As you can deduce, with these children’s assistance, I can manipulate all six elemental attributes. Though they are still buds now, eventually, one day they will blossom beautifully. That will truly be the time when I, alongside them, stand tall as a Spirit Knight.”

“As nice as it is to bask in glory, do these Semi-spirits even have genders? When they become spirits… do spirits all have a body that loudly announces their identity like Pack? Because it seemed he perceived himself as a male.”

Pack, after all, appeared to have confidently claimed his role as Emilia’s father figure. There was no doubting his gender. While he sometimes exhibited complicated feelings as a maternal figure, certain aspects of struggle became clearer at times.

Regardless, in response to Subaru’s questioning, Julius tilted his head as if it were the most obvious thing.

“There’s no way I wouldn’t treat these beautiful, glowing spirits as females. Why would you even question that?”

“Somehow, just that point makes it feel like you’ll understand me, which leaves a bad taste in my mouth! So can we just move on already?!”

“Just a little jest, embrace a graceful heart. —Now then, In and Nes. I’ll rely on you.”

At Subaru’s shout, Julius shrugged as if unfazed, then addressed the two lights—white and black—resting on his fingertips, causing the spirits to intensify their glow.

“The Semi-spirits of Yin and Yang, In and Nes. By harmonizing the combined elemental magic with their mana interference, one can perform something that is generally considered difficult.”

“Something like this…”

“An unspoken understanding of will—namely, the high-tier magic of ‘Nect’.”

Winking with one eye, the essence of light flowed over the group.

And flooding into Subaru’s mind, the moment began:

“I’m so hungry! I’m sooooooo hungry! The fur on the back of the Rygers is so warm, I feel sleepy, but if I fall asleep, Tibby will get mad! When Tibby gets mad, she snatches away the snacks, it’s terrible! Even though Mimi is my big sis, boo-hoo-boo! I want to eat rings!”

“Shut uuuuuupppp――――!!!”

The seemingly unreachable resonance of thoughts poured into Subaru at alarming speed. The source was clear without even needing to figure it out, but the wave crashing in was not just his own. Rather—

“There’s about two more hours until we reach Meisters Territory. Right afterward, we’ll be battling the Witch Cult. The cemetery visit for Tereshia will have to wait until we’re back in the Royal Capital.”

“I’m hurting pretty badly! I can’t keep whining, but if it gets unbearable, I’ll probably have to get serious.”

“Big brother has the same hungry expression as when he’s tummy wants food. I shouldn’t pamper him, but if I don’t, it will become troublesome! If only big brother were here, I wouldn’t have to work this hard!”

“I have no choice but to follow orders, but I worry about Crusch-sama. Will she return from the Royal Capital safely? We defeated the White Whale, so with this, the Royal Selection should stabilize with Crusch-sama in the lead, right? Ugh, I want to hurry back and get praised!”

“Chikuwa Ou-sama!”

“Who was that just now?!”

“You, my friend. Though, let’s tone down the empathy a tad. You might be a bit weak in terms of mana interference. The potency is a little excessive, too.”

Seeing Subaru about to burst from the overwhelming influx of information, Julius gave the paired spirits a directive to diminish the intensity.

With the immediate rush of surface-level thoughts calming down a bit, and after confirming he could now sort out the incoming messages, Subaru turned back to Julius.

“So, what you’re saying is that this Nect magic is… the reason I shouldn’t stop?”

“It’s an excellent magic for strategy meetings. Its effects aren’t particularly long-lasting nor effective over an expansive area. Also, to communicate like this, there has to be a certain level of trust between us. It serves as a litmus test for whether one can truly open up their heart. Though it’s tricky to apply in battle.”

“I see. If I could hear their inner thoughts during a fight, that would be super strong, right?”

In manga and anime, mindset readers are a classic strong character archetype, without a doubt.

However, in response to Subaru’s naive thought, Julius smiled thinly and shook his head.

“I’ve said it’s empathy. If it’s too weak, thoughts won’t reach as they do now, and if it’s too strong…”

“Then what?”

“You would lose the boundary between yourself and others. Imagining you’d die at your own hands is quite a frightening thought, don’t you think?”

“Ugh… Is that how it works?”

Apparently, there’s a risk when entering someone else’s thoughts unexpectedly.

In light of the convenience, Subaru gave a slight groan at the complications that came with it, but Julius continued, saying, “However…”

“It’s rare for In and Nes to misjudge the Nect magic. Perhaps, Subaru, you may have a higher affinity with spirits than you know.”

“Affinity with spirits, you mean like being compatible?”

“That’s essentially correct. This trait largely comes down to one’s inherent qualities. Whether or not you can become a Spirit Sorcerer hinges on how closely you can bond with a spirit. Have you come across anything that might hint at that?”

“Well, that’s hard to say.”

Since he was busy grasping the reins, Subaru couldn’t fold his arms and could only tilts his head, deep in thought. However, in his former world, spirits as a concept were completely non-existent. Since arriving here, he hadn’t had any encounters with great spirits rushing in during a dire situation, nor was there any experience of contact with spirits.

“I’ve only caught glimpses of Emilia talking to micro spirits in the garden every morning. Aside from Pack, I haven’t exchanged words with any other spirit… Man, my experience is rock bottom!”

“It happens if you haven’t had the opportunity. Then after this is over, it wouldn’t hurt to seek address from Emilia-sama. I think there’s potential there.”

As Julius casually said that, Subaru knit his brows.

In response to Julius’s ever composed demeanor, Subaru turned his gaze away, replying, “What’s up with you being overly cooperative? You got ulterior motives or something?”

“Spirit Sorcerers are genuinely scarce. Even having someone to share a conversation with is precious. Hence, I won’t shy away from extending a hand.”

“If it’s immediately usable, that’d be something to think about, but that isn’t the situation, is it? Well, I do appreciate the goodwill.”

He put aside thoughts of unexpected possibilities as they emerged from Julius. With or without a sword or magic, he had always been denied any semblance of talent. The reason for his lack of expectation regarding his Spirit Sorcerer potential stemmed from this, but for now, he simply deemed this a waste of time.

“For now, regarding that Nect… I’ll need it. But keep it light, something like telepathy should do. I don’t want the burden of thoughts flooding in.”

“I roughly grasped the wavelength from earlier. No problem. —Nect.”

With a finger to his lips, Julius’s paired spirits began to shine brightly.

After the ostentatious invocation, the surroundings were enveloped in the light of a gentle glow, and…

“Uh, can everyone hear me?” Subaru nervously transmitted his thoughts. If this magic didn’t activate, it would just sound like he was a deluded middle-schooler who believed he was receiving telepathic thoughts.

“I can hear you, Lord Subaru.”

“I hear you loud and clear, don’t worry.”

“Mu-mu-mu! I know what you’re trying to do, trying to read Mimi’s heart—You insidious organization!!”

Oh, roughly as expected, the responses came back. There was only one of the participants who sounded like a deluded middle schooler, but he decided to warmly ignore that,

“So, thanks to Julius’s magic, we’re in a telepathic link. I’ve got a couple of additions to the earlier discussion, so please listen up. Also, I’ll take questions anytime.”

Receiving affirmative signals from everyone was a relief. Subaru began to present the rough outline of the plans. Although it was a flawed strategy conceived by an amateur, working together would surely lead to an improved version.

Searching for solutions, they would not cease their thoughts and actions.

With no sword to wield, no magic to utilize, and unable to do anything, that was Subaru’s way of fighting.

“So, the first point I want to change is that I need a few of you to head to the village first. There, I need you to link up with the ‘insurance’ I arranged.”

“Insurance, you say?”

Despite the challenges in distinguishing voices when delivered directly to the mind, Subaru could identify individuals by the tone of the emotions transmitted. Naturally, the calm essence was revealed to belong to Wilhelm.

Subaru couldn’t help but nod subconsciously, unintentionally mimicking a Japanese gesture of bowing over a phone call.

“Whoa, I just accidentally nodded. Who’d have thought my Japanese instincts would pop up here?!”

“Hey, big bro, don’t get all sentimental now! Make sure to effectively utilize magic, or Julius will get mad!”

“I don’t possess the temperament to get angry over something this trivial. I must admit the time wasted has to be looked down upon.”

“I-I’ll do it! I was just about to do it! I mean, the insurance! Let’s talk about the insurance!”

Starting to pick up on the exasperation from Rickard and Julius, Subaru slowly began to narrate the outline of his strategy after experiencing that strange fluttering sensation in his mind.

“Before departing from the Royal Capital, I told Anastasia and Russell to spread the word—‘Lord Meisters wishes to hire merchants aiming for the Royal Capital along the road. He’ll buy their goods at any price, so they should lend their feet.’”

“—! Subaru, that’s…”

“It’ll likely be a painful expense… but it’s worth more than the lives of the vassals. It’s a natural way of thinking for a lord, especially since that jerk isn’t around to effectively contribute at critical moments.”

When it could be resolved with money, and even better if it wasn’t his own, it was a thoroughly self-serving reason, but it seemed this plan was working out just fine.

In fact, quite a number of merchants had gathered in the previous village, getting the dragon carriages and the Earth Dragons lined up at various points in the village.

――Preparations to evacuate Emilia and the villagers.

“I had one of the messengers take a letter in the form of a personal document from the Royal Capital. It contains a warning about the potential Witch Cult attack and requests for the merchants to help with the evacuation. I doubt any complex judgments like handwriting analysis would matter, but I trust Emilia will recognize it properly.”

Admittedly, he thought there would be some confusion at the start.

Reflecting on it, Subaru understood that even if the letter were to reach them without incident, they wouldn’t simply take it in stride. Thus, he envisioned the problem lay elsewhere.

That was—

“To hasten the decision on the letter’s contents, I must ensure that not only the merchants get there but also those who properly grasp the situation.”

“I’m glad you picked up on that quickly. Undoubtedly, conflict between the villagers and merchants is almost assured. I want to ease that panic and facilitate a swift evacuation. As for the truth, I know me going would solve things quickest, but…”

Subaru was acutely aware that if he were to step into it as the envoy, he would inevitably leave the main force to take on the Witch Cult. He didn’t dream of them losing against mere cultists, but facing Petelgeuse was another matter entirely. To confront that lunatic directly required:

“To face the Archbishop of Sin, I need to be there. In this situation… Only I and Wilhelm-san can win against him.”

“—May I ask for the basis of that statement? I trust my skills are not weak enough to become a burden to Wilhelm-sama. Let alone allowing you to enter the main battlefield.”

The person to immediately object to Subaru’s declaration was Julius.

He understood the significance of Julius’s pride and supporting evidence. Certainly, in terms of pure skill, Julius could contend with Petelgeuse. Yet that was not enough.

Facing that madman is not about mere abilities or willpower.

“The Archbishop uses some bizarre tricks; I can’t say what magic he employs, but it can cause opponents to lose their sanity, rendering them incapable of fighting. I call it mental contamination, and the only ones I can think of who can withstand it are me and Wilhelm-san.”

“Is this ‘mental contamination’ akin to the fog of the White Whale?”

Ferris’s voice broke in, and Subaru nodded in agreement.

Moreover, he turned back toward Julius, who was riding alongside him in silence.

“Petelgeuse uses similar methods to strip his opponents of their sanity, just as the White Whale did. I have my eyes open for those who retained their composure after that battle, but… As for you, I can’t gauge your resistance, given you haven’t fought against the White Whale.”

“If I lose my sanity in the middle of that encounter, I’d become a liability to your fight… that’s the risk, isn’t it?”

Julius’s eyes closed in silent frustration, yet it appeared he could not conjure a crucial counter-argument.

The deep emotions of regret and discomfort were currently resonating in a way that delivered his thoughts directly to Subaru. He could clearly understand the agony of not being able to join the battle against the White Whale.

If he were to continue to connect intensely with those feelings, he knew that to do so would lead to complications, so Subaru turned his gaze away.

“With that in mind, Wilhelm-san, I’d like you to join me in fighting the devil.”

“I am now the sword of Lord Subaru. You wield it; I shall strike. —To question my resolve is uncouth.”

“That’s ridiculously cool! I’m feeling all tingly!”

“How come?” “What ‘how come’?” “Big sis needs to be quiet now!”

Subaru quaked with emotion at how incredibly cool the declaration sounded, while the siblings made light of the situation.

Truly, it couldn’t help but feel like an inappropriate direction for a strategy meeting. Yet, it could also be considered part of their identity now. They weren’t really functioning like an army, merely a ragtag group facing the same goal.

It’s only natural for someone as lethargic, pitiful, and ordinary as Subaru to lead this bunch.

Thus, Subaru didn’t hesitate or become overly burdened.

He would delegate where necessary, handle what must be done, and find a way to resolve everything.

“Well then, let’s go! —Let me lean on you and take you for a ride!”