Two days passed after Frederica’s declaration, and it was time to depart for the “Sanctuary.”

Alongside her house chores, Frederica was teaching Patrasche the way to the “Sanctuary” in the stable. Since she was already doing most of the work at the mansion, Subaru had suggested he could teach Patrasche the place to lessen her burden, but—

“I’m sorry, but the location of the ‘Sanctuary’ is far too significant for you, sir. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me, a mere servant, to share such information lightly. Even teaching it to the Earth Dragon like this is something I would rather avoid.”

She gently refused him.

Even though he felt unsatisfied, there was no way for Subaru to express his grievances about Roswaal’s caution since he hadn’t reached the “Sanctuary.” Given the circumstances, he had no choice but to comply with Frederica’s opinion.

Thus, during the two idle days, Subaru spent his time interacting with the villagers at Araham Village and returning to his duties as a servant at the mansion.

Similarly, Emilia, in her free time, pouted at the absent Pack, nervously accompanied Subaru to the village to bridge the gap with the villagers, and busied herself staring at documents and literature that Subaru couldn’t understand to accumulate knowledge.

While they each spent their two days, some changes began to occur.

One example being—

“Ahhh! Why on earth am I hoarding all this chaotic mess! Important documents that must be kept, materials that require just a glance, and worthless documents all piled up without any organization…!”

With his head in his hands, Otto was rapidly categorizing the documents before him. He glanced at the paperwork, grasped the gist, and tossed it into one of the categorized piles on the desk, then went on to the next document, repeating the same selection process.

Watching Otto’s frantic eye movements and hands, as well as his mind seemingly on fire, Subaru, resting his chin on his hand, couldn’t help but admire him.

“Wow, that’s impressive. I look at all these papers, and I don’t even know what they’re talking about.”

“I haven’t even touched the contents yet. Right now, I’m just separating what can be handled as bookkeeping from what can be processed as requests, and other assorted items, for efficiency. Honestly, we should have done this at the submission stage… I mean, judging by this arrangement, there’s probably a logic only the person handling them can follow.”

Ignoring Subaru’s admiration, Otto frowned at the mountain of documents. If he thought of Roswaal, the owner of the documents—certainly, his theory about Roswaal was spot on.

Unbelievably, Roswaal, who was supposedly competent, had organized these documents in his own way. The problem was that this method lacked clarity for others, leaving Subaru with no option but to reorganize everything from scratch in the absence of the person in charge.

“Alright, I’ve roughly sorted them. Now to arrange them in chronological order… but maybe I should split them into processed and unprocessed first…”

“You’re either meticulous or neurotic. Otto, you must be A-type.”

“What’s this A-type? It doesn’t sound like a compliment.”

Otto gave Subaru a pointed look, and with hand gestures, Subaru silently refused to explain. He didn’t believe in blood type personality assessments, but they were just effective enough as conversation starters.

By the way, Subaru was type B—or rather, the Natsuki family was all type B. It was hard to feel good about it, as everyone who heard it would just say, “I knew it.”

“That said, I just realized something.”

“What is it? Don’t stop now; keep that good pace going.”

“As an efficiency-oriented person, I get that, but isn’t this situation kind of weird? Why am I, a mere merchant, sweating it out organizing documents in the border count’s office? Doesn’t that seem off?”

“Isn’t that realization coming a bit late?”

Seeing Otto finally acknowledge a clearly valid point, Subaru tilted his head and wore a mischievous grin. The reason Otto was handling this tedious work—especially tasks involving the border count’s office—was intricately tied to Subaru’s intentions.

In other words, securing manpower for Emilia’s faction within Roswaal’s camp.

From Subaru’s perspective, Emilia’s position in the royal selection wasn’t particularly strong. Though Subaru, recognized as her knight, had managed some achievements in repelling the Witch Cult and defeating the White Whale, considering Emilia’s overall environment, the effectiveness of these accomplishments was questionable.

Compared to other factions, Emilia was already starting from a disadvantage. What made her position even more complicated was the obscured true intentions of her backer, Roswaal. Although he was outwardly supporting her, his actions thus far screamed failure for a supporter.

The lack of adequate countermeasures against the presumed Witch Cult threat was a glaring issue, and even now, with problems that had arisen, he was unreachable. At this point, it was maddeningly unclear if he was an ally or enemy.

Moreover, it was questionable how much Roswaal’s associates truly understood his circumstances, as many remained silent about their loyalties. Ram, the Roswaal loyalist, of course, but even Frederica—who had a high work ethic as a servant—remained tight-lipped. Not to mention, Pack and Beatrice maintained their silence towards both Subaru and Emilia.

In essence, Emilia currently had no one she could comfortably discuss matters with.

Of course, Subaru wanted to be that person for her, and he believed he was stepping into that role. However, he just wasn’t as accessible as regular folks. Realizing he had a knack for being that slightly out-of-reach guy left him feeling quite frustrated, knowing he could only partially ease Emilia’s anxieties.

So, in his mind, Subaru shifted his gaze to Otto, who was frequently going back and forth between Araham Village and the mansion, loosening up while proclaiming, “Ah, sitting around without purpose like this is just rotting my humanity!”

“To put it simply, if there aren’t allies around, we can just grow some later!”

“I have a feeling that was an ominous statement, but that doesn’t concern me, right?!”

“Is it? Who knows? Uh, Otto. You still haven’t sorted these documents, have you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Uhm, regarding the mining site of the magical ore, the stockpiles… this is definitely a document that’s off-limits for outsiders, isn’t it?!”

“Ah, you saw that, huh? Well, it can’t be helped. Don’t worry; I’ll have a good word with Roswaal about it.”

“I have no assurance that this is okay in the first place!”

As Otto protested with a face full of alarm, Subaru raised an eyebrow, still enjoying the show.

“Seriously, don’t think I’m showing you something terribly classified without any backup?! Trust me, I’m not trying to cheat on the deal or anything!”

“Of course not. I’m completely prepared to cover all your debts and requests. And, by the way, I’m planning to pull you in deep enough so you can’t escape again!”

“Now that sounds even worse! Why would you want to burden a mere fledgling merchant like me? Please stop!”

Otto looked aghast as he protested. Hearing that, Subaru lightly tapped his head, then lost his smile, muttering “Sorry” softly before continuing.

“I might have been a bit too hasty. The situation’s pretty messy, and I’ve felt stuck with no straightforward ways to untangle it. I apologize for not listening to your concerns.”

“No, wait! When you suddenly become so calm, it makes me uneasy too… Can I ask why you have so much faith in me?”

Otto appeared confused by Subaru’s abrupt shift back to normal conversation, but he managed to voice his concern.

From his perspective, Subaru’s acquaintance was still quite short and hadn’t been built on a foundation of trust. Naturally, Subaru periodically felt neutral toward Otto, as he had a decent impression from their earlier encounters.

So why did Subaru feel so insistent on Otto?

“Well, to be honest, I don’t have any particular reason for being fixated on you. I’m not evaluating you as a person; it’s mostly because our conditions coincided that I approached you.”

“That’s so straightforward. So it’s about conditions, huh?”

“In the context of the royal selection, you’re still unaligned with any faction. You’re sharp with a sense of profit-and-loss, and an easy candidate to recruit through negotiation. More importantly, you don’t seem to hold prejudiced views against half-elf Emilia.”

“—”

Hearing Subaru’s three criteria, Otto regarded him silently.

None of them were dismissible, given the current situation encompassing Subaru. And based on his assessment, this Otto Suwen he had dealt with had cleared those minimum requirements.

Otto waited without speaking, assessing Subaru.

His gaze now had a different sheen than when they were joking around; it burned with a keen glint, seemingly reading Subaru’s inner intentions.

He was being appraised, and there was no need to hide it. After all, Subaru had gauged Otto’s worth first, so it was only natural.

“On top of that, here’s my impression,” Subaru added.

“—Let’s hear it.”

“I feel like you and I might get along well. Honestly, it’s best if more allies gather around Emilia, especially if it turns out we click. Oh, and you shouldn’t have any romantic interest in Emilia. If that happens, then even if you become my bosom buddy, I’ll have to cut you off…!”

“Is it just because you see me as a love rival that you’re treating me like an enemy?!”

“If there’s a rival, I have zero hopes of winning! You have no idea how little confidence I have in myself! In my entire life, hardly anyone has supported me!”

That sum included his parents, Rem, Wilhelm, Emilia, and under certain conditions, Julius and Reinhardt. In retrospect, he had possibly exceeded the number of fingers he could count on.

Seeing his worth acknowledged in another world gave him a sense of validation, even if it was intangible.

Anyway,

“Geez, you really don’t hold back on expressing your innermost thoughts, do you? Not even a hint of cunning against a merchant? You’d be a perfect target for being conned at the negotiation table!”

“If this is a negotiation table, I might have put in some hustle, but right now, it’s just you and me here, not merchant and pigeon. If that’s how you want to play it, I could adjust my demeanor and tactics.”

“You’re appreciating my merchant side and saying that? Talk about not knowing restraint… What a predicament.”

Otto sighed, still looking worried, but the tense alertness faded from his expression. He winked at the sunny Subaru.

“While it’s a bit awkward to bring this up in conversation, Natsuki-san, I have my own motives… It’s nothing worth chatting about, but I do have a dream.”

“I feel like a man’s dream is either too ridiculous to articulate or something you keep hidden since it sounds stupid. Mind sharing?”

“You agreeing with me is a bit unsettling… So here’s the deal. I’m the second son of a decent merchant family. I grew up relatively well-off, but when it came time to become independent, my family didn’t help me much.”

The similarities between Subaru’s sibling dynamics in his original world and this one were uncertain, yet it appeared that familial business or aristocratic standings followed a hereditary system, with the firstborn typically inheriting connections.

That would mean Otto, as the second son, was likely expected to support his older brother or seek independence.

“I helped my brother with the business to learn the basics of commerce, and after saving enough to set up on my own, I purchased an Earth Dragon and a dragon cart through connections… Yeah, I’d say things were going relatively smoothly since I have my ‘Blessing’ to thank for that.”

“That ‘Blessing’ is the ‘Word Spirit’ Blessing, right? I can imagine it could rake in a huge profit if you handle it wisely.”

“It’s not as convenient as you think. There are nuisances that come with it that might surprise you. Anyway, after years of diligent work, I developed a dream during that time.”

Continuing from his story about his path to independence, Otto mentioned that dream again. For reasons unknown, Subaru straightened up and prepared to listen. Otto smiled warmly and prefaced, “It’s a pretty common ambition.”

“Every merchant dreams of having a place to call their own—a store to stay in while doing business. If I could manage that in a big town, it would be the ultimate joy of being a merchant.”

“Is that your dream, Otto?”

“I know it sounds dull. Ultimately, it just means returning to the place where I grew up, as it’s where I find contentment. But I guess you could say that environment symbolizes my fortune.”

Otto scratched his cheek, speaking rapidly to hide a hint of embarrassment. Subaru found his answer understandable but wasn’t sure how to respond appropriately.

But contrary to Subaru’s worries, Otto continued his train of thought.

“Letting go of a chance to earn favor with someone of such high status as the Border Count would be overlooked—especially for me as a second son and merchant—it would be a huge missed opportunity. Who knows, this favor could lead to future kingship down the line. This is too big of a business chance to not seize!”

“Alright then, does that mean you’re willing to help? Thanks! I appreciate it, Otto. I expected you to say that; keep sorting those documents.”

“Wait?! I just made a pretty solid point, right? Why’s your reaction so low-key?!”

“I feel like I’d lose if I took that too earnestly… Either way, since you’ve already touched on those documents too sensitive for outsiders to see, there’s no backing out of this!”

“Gah, this is just cruel!”

Even with the lengthy conversation, Otto felt unrewarded despite his newly invigorated determination. Subaru couldn’t help but maintain gratitude for his support, keeping quiet about it.

“Just to clarify, I’m not like Natsuki-san, who backs Emilia unconditionally. Right now, I’m merely collaborating under specific terms. If there’s ever a conflict between the Border Count and Emilia, I’ll certainly choose sides based on the current profit-and-loss calculations. Don’t mistake me for a full ally.”

“Given you’re weighing Emilia and Roswaal on a balance, that’s more than enough for me. I’ll make sure to gradually teach you about Emilia’s merits. …You were listening carefully, right?”

As Otto rambled on defensively, Subaru shifted directions to speak off-topic. Otto, taken aback by Subaru’s sudden shift, looked over to follow his line of sight.

Standing there was—

“Yes… I mean, yes! I’ve been paying close attention, Subaru-sama,”

an adorable girl wearing a maid outfit smiled, her chestnut hair swaying as she stood there.

This was the second change in the mansion over the past two days.

Realizing that Frederica could no longer manage the mansion alone, feeling the physical limitations of doing so herself, she had descended to Araham Village to gather collaborators. That was when she crossed paths with none other than Petra Reite.

Petra, a villager from Araham Village and a recent evacuee from the Royal Capital, had safely returned to the village and was enduring a restless time in a village where over half the residents had yet to come back.

However, upon hearing about Frederica’s recruitment for new maids at the mansion, she immediately expressed her eagerness, and due to her enthusiasm and lack of other candidates, she became temporarily hired at the mansion.

“You’re so small, yet you’re already becoming a maid away from your parents. That’s impressive, Petra!”

“I’m already twelve! I’m a fully capable adult now… er, a grown-up. So, Subaru-sama, please treat me as an adult!”

“Well, I’ll think about treating you like an adult once Frederica gives you a full license and you drop the ‘temporary maid’ title. Until then, you’ll be cutely treated by me!”

As he tousled the girl’s well-kept hair, she exclaimed, “Kya!” and clung to him. It was a reaction that differed from his expectations, but certainly preferable to being insulted and spat on.

Anyway, despite being a bit of a show-off and wanting to act older than her age, Petra was surprisingly responsible and well-raised; it seemed that her aptitude as a maid was quite high. There were still numerous aspects she’d need to improve, but in terms of cleaning and meal preparations—with Frederica’s guidance—she had already outdone Subaru. He was truly useless.

Petra had been eavesdropping on the conversation through the office door. Of course, this was instructed by Subaru, intending to lure out Otto’s careless remarks and cut off any exit routes.

As Otto, realizing his predicament, turned red and glared at Subaru,

“I-I was set up?!”

“It’s not something to stress over. With a third party involved, your earlier comments are officially documented now. It’s a touching act done for jury conviction… think of it that way.”

“What’s so touching about someone calling it manipulation?!”

With his head in his hands, Otto finally grasped the reality of his trapped situation. Too late to escape, he gave a half-sobbing shout. Subaru smirked at him, then gave a thumbs up to Petra standing by the door.

“Great job, Petra! But won’t Frederica get mad if you take time on something like this?”

“This time, I’m just cleaning the corridor! Even if I take longer than usual cleaning the hallway outside the lord’s room, I won’t get in trouble.”

“How cunning! Even small girls know how to play their cards right…”

As Subaru reflected on this, Petra happily softened her expression after catching the last half of his remark. Part of him felt relieved by her unchanged response and demeanor.

Petra was also a collaborator outside the influence of Roswaal, much like Otto.

Compared to Otto, though Petra might have fewer contributions as a supporter for Emilia, and her influence was arguably less than Subaru’s, she was unafraid of Emilia. Subaru hadn’t forgotten how she had approached Emilia directly during their journey to the Royal Capital, and likely, Emilia felt the same.

Just her existence could bring salvation to Emilia.

“It’s best to have as many allies as possible. The issue isn’t what they can do but rather what they want to do for the person, and how they become capable of it. After all, if we’re talking about number of things I can do, I’d be in pretty dire straits myself.”

Subaru was quite aware that the disadvantages outweighed the advantages. Regardless, he wished to support her, so he’d have to manage with what he had while finding ways to make do.

If one calls it a resurgence of determination, he could hardly protest against that feeling.

“Even if she’s still small, let’s work hard from here on out. This is our initial Emilia faction member!”

Subaru declared, forming a fist and extending it out.

In response, Otto and Petra, left out of the loop, exchanged glances.

“I never said I’d join that faction, you know? Please don’t misunderstand!”

“I want to support my big sister, but in critical moments, I really don’t want to lose to her…”

Otto scratched his head, exasperated, while Petra shyly clasped her hands behind her back, casting her gaze downwards as they each muttered.

However, even so, they still complied by bumping fists at the end, proving their good-heartedness beyond question.

And so, the time gradually passed, during those two days leading up to their departure for the “Sanctuary,” bringing an assurance of minor yet concrete progress for Subaru.