The dragon carriage advanced down the highway with a gentle clattering sound.

Despite the protective blessings surrounding the dragon carriage, the vibrations and wind were hardly felt. Natsuki Subaru could fully relax in this comfortable silence, realizing it was perhaps his first time riding the dragon carriage so calmly.

If he had to pinpoint a previous time, it was when he headed to the Royal Capital from Roswaal’s Mansion, which was the most relaxed he felt. However, that was also when his own blunders turned the situation into a harsh ordeal halfway through, leaving no room to enjoy the journey. Reflecting on that experience, it certainly brought about some positive outcomes, and he couldn’t dismiss it as entirely bad.

Since then, every time he rode from the Royal Capital to Roswaal’s domain had been related to the Witch Cult, so there’s no way he could have been calm about it. As a result, this was indeed his first experience riding in the dragon carriage without feelings of impatience or worry.

That being said,

“Is it just me, or is Petra too close?”

“Not at all! Is there a problem, Subaru?”

The girl with reddish-brown hair, Petra, looked up at him with her big, bright eyes. She sat beside him on his left, holding his hand and snuggling close since they set off.

At first, he thought it was simply because she was scared. But now, with her cheery smile and clutching his hand, it felt like…

“I feel like a father! There’s a paternal instinct bubbling up inside me…!”

“That’s not fair, only my big sister was getting all the attention before! Can’t I have this until we reach the city?”

“Petra, it’s not what you think! There was a super important conversation I was having with Subaru that I had to finish. I wasn’t hogging him or anything!”

“Not a chance! I’m not losing to my big sister!”

Petra’s declaration made Emilia more flustered, and while the situation was awkward, Petra’s actions didn’t seem to show a real dislike for her. It likely stemmed from their playful relationship, but Emilia, not used to children, was overwhelmed and struggling.

“Don’t take it too seriously, Emilia-tan. It’s just a kid’s chatter, you know? Smile and brush it off lightly.”

“I can’t just dismiss what kids say like that!”

“Never heard the term ‘brush it off’ these days…”

“Right, you’re just teasing again.”

Emilia pouted, her lips forming a cute frown, which caused Subaru to apologize playfully as he chuckled. Then, noticing Petra tugging at his sleeve with a discontented expression, he realized he needed to attend to her as well.

Surrounded by beautiful girls on both sides, Subaru was experiencing quite a rare and fantastic situation. On one side, there was the unresolved confession, and the other, well, he could only hope for the future in three years’ time.

Currently, they were riding alongside the Leafaus Highway towards the Royal Capital in a dragon carriage.

This was different from the dragon carriage equipped with magic crystals, and this one had a young man from the youth guild driving. Inside were Subaru, Emilia, and the children.

Initially, those around them were trying to give Subaru and Emilia some alone time, but it was Petra’s enthusiastic interruption that changed that.

Subaru had been on the verge of complaining about his time with Emilia being interrupted, but he found Petra’s entrance ultimately helpful.

After all, in the aftermath of making all those embarrassing comments, the atmosphere needed lightening. He had assured Emilia with a suave “I’ll wait for you” regarding the confession, but deep inside, his emotions were raging. The feeling of accomplishment in getting through the situation only fanned the flames.

He might have ended up asking for more than a knee pillow as a reward if he wasn’t careful.

“Man, that was way too close. I was all stylish, but it really didn’t turn out well.”

“What do you mean?”

“Thanks to Petra, I was saved. Oh, and about that promise not to leave Emilia-tan alone? You kept that! Yay for you!”

“Hehe!”

As he gently stroked Petra’s hair, Subaru expressed his double gratitude towards her.

If she and the other children hadn’t held onto Emilia’s hand, she might have tried to struggle through it alone again and ended up getting hurt. Instead, Petra and the others had helped bear the burden of Subaru’s efforts so far.

Honestly, he was incredibly fortunate to have such great people around him. Almost too fortunate.

“I’ll have to thank so many people once everything calms down…”

There’s Crusch’s side, including Crusch herself, Felix, and of course, Wilhelm. And on Anastasia’s side, though begrudgingly, there’s Julius and the mercenary crew. How could he forget Russell too, who seemed to fade into the background despite needing to update him on everything, including their promise.

It felt a bit guilty to deceive them, but considering the fortunate outcomes, he warranted it as a minor issue. Sorry, everyone.

“There’s a ton of things I need to think about…”

First and foremost, he must confront Roswaal regarding this whole chaos. Furthermore, discussions on how to split the achievements of the White Whale subjugation and the Witch Cult’s “Sloth” elimination would be necessary with Crusch and Anastasia. Particularly regarding the White Whale, if one were to trust Crusch, Subaru could potentially add his name to the list of accomplishments.

Though not particularly driven by fame, having at least a bit of reputation in Emilia’s faction would surely assist her. Even if viewed as shameless, he would like to aim for that actively.

Once all these matters settled down, he would still have to consider village compensation and cleanup. The road ahead was fraught with challenges. —Then there was one mountain that Subaru needed to get over first.

“Uh, Emilia-tan… there’s something very important I need to discuss with you.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

Emilia, who had been fiddling with her silver hair, slowly turned to face Subaru. Trust sparkled in her purple eyes, and every time he saw that brilliance, Subaru felt more certain that his efforts would bear fruit. However, honestly, thinking about how the upcoming words might affect those eyes terrified him.

The inescapable matter Subaru had to discuss with Emilia—of course, it was about Rem.

If he were to express gratitude, then Rem was undoubtedly the one who had helped him the most during this loop.

Her deep love and dedication had gently healed Subaru’s broken heart, restoring his will to stand up and fight against fate once again.

Without those moments, Subaru wouldn’t be standing here right now, and without her presence, he might not have escaped the hellish abyss of despair.

Through the worst of times laden with suffering and hardship, it was Rem who had steadfastly supported him.

It was only natural that Subaru felt a profound love for her after all that she had done.

Subaru had always believed that a person’s feelings could only be devoted to a single individual. Indeed, the only person he truly cared for in this world was Emilia.

However, Rem’s existence had established itself within his heart just as grandly, without diminishing his feelings for Emilia.

So Subaru had made a clear decision. While it might seem a bit desperate and unattractive, he couldn’t abandon his feelings for either of them.

—He would obtain both Emilia and Rem.

Moreover, he had already gained Rem’s implicit approval for such a scandalous thought. The only hurdle remaining was convincing Emilia, and Rem had suggested they tackle that together.

But,

“If I lean on Rem that much, it’d be the worst kind of outcome for me.”

While he would create opportunities for Rem to join in the discussion, the first step was his responsibility to take. If he was planning on pursuing the love of two girls, this hurdle was something he had to overcome.

Taking a deep breath, he felt his heart pound as he carefully chose his words. He directed his gaze, which was on the verge of wandering, directly to Emilia, who was looking at him intently. So cute.

“This is really tough to say, but please hear me out. Of course, I plan to tell my big sister eventually… but I wanted you to be the first one to know, Emilia-tan.”

“…Yeah?”

As Subaru stumbled over his words and pushed unnecessary preliminaries, Emilia’s brows furrowed in confusion. Battling with his weakness of trying to postpone the inevitable, Subaru revolved his mind rapidly.

This was unprecedented—a full-blown think session, the most intense in recent days. His synapses felt like they were heating up, nearly sparking, all to derive the best possible answer—!

“In fact, it’s about Rem. You see, Rem… well, she kinda likes me, you know? And I know it’s selfish after the confession I made—!”

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as Subaru desperately attempted to make a point. He was already veering towards unease, but he figured if Emilia had even a basic understanding, she would catch on with this much.

As he fretted in sweat, Emilia raised a hand.

“Subaru, calm down. I can’t quite grasp what you’re trying to say, but I can tell you’re really trying hard. So, take it slow, okay?”

“Being called a ‘good kid’ hits my pride! No, it’s that I’m not manly enough. Alright, I’ll just dive right in. The thing is, Rem said she likes me too, so if you fall for me, then… we could all be together, right?!”

With a rush of momentum, he blurted out his two-timing declaration.

Looking back at that declaration, he internally cringed. Of course, Emilia’s reaction would likely mirror his own shock or worse—she might look at him with disappointed eyes, scorn on her face. Wincing, he dared to steal a glance at her.

“——”

Emilia’s reaction was entirely different from what Subaru had imagined.

She furrowed her brow at Subaru’s words, her finger on her lips, deep in thought. It seemed she was weighing his statement carefully—there was no sense of levity in her expression.

“Subaru.”

“Yes?”

Called by name, Subaru looked directly at Emilia.

She mirrored his earnest gaze, though mixed with confusion, which left him baffled.

And then, the next words that left her lips truly transcended Subaru’s understanding—

“—Who is Rem?”

 

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