――For Subaru, this is the second time returning from the “Sanctuary” to Roswaal’s Mansion.

“Last time, I had a pretty rough time, though…”

Scratching his cheek, Subaru grumbled as he dismounted from Patrasche at the gates.

After parting ways with Ryuzu, the refugees with Subaru successfully made it back to Araham Village. Given Patrasche’s established trust from previous experiences, there was no worry at all.

“The villagers are overjoyed, and Otto is once again staying behind in the village. Truth be told, I wanted Otto, my shield, to come along…”

He hesitated to insist on Otto’s company as he thought about the real potential dangers ahead. More than anything, considering the possibility of real danger, having Otto with him, who might not react swiftly in a pinch, was not ideal.

Even if Subaru couldn’t win a pure fistfight against Otto, it isn’t like he was an invincible warrior. He definitely did not want to end up seeing his own organs in front of the gut riper.

“Nothing better not happen…”

Last time Subaru returned to the mansion was six days after the “Trial” began. This was only the third day—compared to the last time, he had a three-day cushion.

It could be assumed that the assault on the mansion happened on that night Subaru was murdered, and various perspectives confirmed that.

The issue was,

“Three days left… which means I need to successfully extract information from Frederica and quickly return to the ‘Sanctuary,’ solve whatever issue there is, and come back to the mansion in one go. If you’re just looking at time, it shouldn’t be impossible, but…”

Making the hypothetical plan a reality comes with some pretty tough restrictions.

The distance between the “Sanctuary” and the mansion is about eight hours one way. Just making a round trip would consume almost a whole day. Considering the downtime in between, the time Subaru could freely use would likely become even scarcer.

“I had several options for solving the problem, but… the ideal route being convenient for me seems rather rough.”

With the forewarning of Elsa’s attack, Subaru’s best option would be to fend off that assassin. Moreover, he desired total victory so he wouldn’t have to tremble in fear of her shadow in the future.

To achieve that, he’d need combat prowess that surpassed Elsa’s, which could only be accomplished with either Roswaal or Garfiel present. As things stood, the chances of either of those two accompanying him back to the mansion were not high.

“Guess I’m left with no choice but to take the second-best option…”

Scratching his head, Subaru sighed bitterly as Patrasche nuzzled against him. Subaru chuckled at the earth dragon’s face brushing against him and gently patted its rocky-textured neck.

“There are rewards that match the risks, but I can’t see any winning chances that match those risks. Looks like we’ll have to go with a spider’s child scatter operation where we run away.”

A conclusion that crossed his mind during the fight against the Witch Cult.

Last time, Subaru saw possibilities as many as the pieces he had, but now he had so few cards to play. Just being able to predict an imminent attack would be a huge victory.

Yet, there was still a problem.

“The mansion’s personnel. I have no idea if Rem, Petra, Frederica, and… Beatrice would be cooperative in evacuating. To be frank, I feel like I could carry Rem and hold Petra’s hand to bring them along, but persuading the last two would be tough.”

Of course, ultimately, he was prepared to forcibly shove them into the dragon carriage if necessary. He didn’t think he could win a battle of strength against either, but he wanted to believe it would somehow work out if he pushed hard enough on what can’t be given up. No, it will work.

“—Hah.”

He let out a small sigh, realizing the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.

How many people’s fates would be influenced by his words, actions, and resolve? He recalled feeling this way the night before the decisive battle against the White Whale.

“Hanging around the gates all timid isn’t going to help. I don’t even know what’s going on inside. First, I’ll check everyone’s safe faces…”

“Check everyone’s safe faces?”

“Then I can think about how to persuade them. Right, that’s the plan. I can just tell them I’m following Roswaal’s instructions or whatever and…”

“Wow. Sorry, Subaru.”

“Dirty Wild, huh? I’m at that age where I dream of being a bit of a bad boy… but—”

As he said that, he turned around after hearing a light chuckle. There, standing between the gate and the mansion’s front yard, was a small maid—the familiar girl, Petra.

Surprised, Subaru lifted his brow, and before him, she tilted her cute chestnut hair, looking adorably.

“Welcome back, Subaru-sama. You returned sooner than I expected.”

“Yeah, I’m back… Thanks for the welcome; I can see Frederica’s exemplary training shining through.”

As she elegantly curtsied, Subaru couldn’t help but feel relieved, his cheeks loosening. He relaxed as he put his hand against the gate to go inside. He turned to lead Patrasche toward the stable while glancing down at Petra next to him.

“—?”

Petra gave him a puzzled look as she stared at him, then quickly turned away, straightening her hair and clothes with her hands. After doing that to her satisfaction, she turned back to Subaru, her smile even brighter and more charming than before.

“Is something wrong, Subaru-sama?”

Her expression overflowed with a bright, elegant smile that felt entrancing, mixing a youthful cuteness with promising beauty, laced with a charm that could captivate any young man.

Subaru found himself holding his breath as that perfectly calculated smile directed at him made him utter,

“Ah, geez! You’re just too cute!”

“W-what!?”

Oblivious to the true intentions behind her smile, he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace, stroking her head with complex, affectionate motions. Petra, caught off guard by his sudden behavior, voiced her confusion.

“Why are you acting all daft without knowing how others feel? You little! Ah, man, this is just frustrating!”

“What, what!? Subaru, it’s too soon for this…!”

“Seriously, this is just annoying!”

“—Subaru?”

As Petra, blushing and squirming in his arms, looked up into his face, she shed her playful demeanor, concern replacing her initial joy.

“Is something hurting…?”

Worry seeped into her voice as her trembling fingers reached to touch Subaru’s cheek. He gently pressed her finger down with his hand, shaking his head.

“Nah, I’m just seriously feeling relieved from the bottom of my heart. —I’m home now, Petra.”

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――After returning Patrasche to the stable, Subaru linked hands with Petra, who wanted to hold hands, as they made their way back to the mansion. Thankfully, according to Petra, no major changes had occurred since Subaru and the others left the mansion.

“Right now, Frederica is out checking the mountain barrier, so she might make us wait a bit for her return…”

As Petra conveyed the absence of the head maid, Subaru recalled the existence of the barrier—that is, the spell that sealed the Juggernaut. The Juggernaut deep within the mountain should have been eradicated, but the barrier still seems to persist.

Even without the Juggernaut, it appeared that the barrier prevented any harmful beasts from passing through, and it was the duty of the villagers of Araham and Roswaal’s faction to maintain it.

“When everyone from the village is back, I think the job of inspecting the barrier for any gaps will return too, but since not everyone has returned yet, Frederica is…”

“That sisterly reference is kind of cute, signifying you two have grown close without anyone noticing. Also, everyone from the village is back.”

“Really?”

Pointing toward the village with his finger, Petra’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

Since her family was part of the evacuation to the Royal Capital, her parents should have returned safely to the village, yet she must have still felt distant from the familiar residents. She happily clapped her hands upon hearing the good news.

“Make sure to visit them later. Just showing off your maid outfit would brighten their day.”

“Yeah. After getting Frederica’s permission, I’ll change and come back!”

“No, you don’t need to change… Seeing you dressed like that would make everyone happy…”

“Hehe, cute? Cute?”

“Cute, cute. So you should show everyone…”

“Okay! I’ll change and come right back!”

No matter how many times Subaru insisted “no,” it was like a thunderous sound drowned him out.

Something must have been stuck in Petra’s mind, for her resolute dismissal made Subaru give up on giving her more suggestions.

Cracking his neck, Subaru took a deep breath and paused.

They stood on the second floor of the mansion—sliding his shoes on the carpet, Subaru raised his face and glared at the door. Petra, holding his hand, reluctantly released her grip. She was a considerate child, aware of the atmosphere.

“Sorry, Petra. Just give us a moment.”

“Yeah, I understand. I’ll be in the West Wing continuing the cleaning, so call me if you need anything.”

Like she knew before hearing Subaru’s words, Petra shed her girl-like nature and adopted her maid demeanor, giving a small bow before leaving.

As he took advantage of her thoughtfulness, Subaru lightly rapped his head, knowing he was in a situation where he needed to act.

Rapping his head, yet still—

“When it comes down to what needs priority… it lands right here.”

Pushing the door open, Subaru slowly stepped into the room.

A still room where time seemed to stop. On the simple bed lay a single girl, dressed in a light blue nightgown instead of her familiar maid outfit.

Her eyes were closed, and even the faintest sound of her breath could barely be heard. Yet, quietly, the rhythm of her heartbeat was a small proof that her life still existed.

“…Rem.”

For Subaru, the emotion swirling within that one name would be fathomed only by one person in the world. A relentless flow of feelings directed solely toward her.

With a strong heart forged in steel, he resolved to stand firm against any hardship. He had decided to lift his face without leaning on anyone.

—Yet that resolve and determination scattered like mist the moment he faced her.

He had told Emilia he’d leave things to her, that he’d manage, acting with confidence. But at that moment, facing her, that surface-level determination crumbled.

“What a pathetic sight… I’m really so weak.”

The moment he confronted Rem, Subaru reverted back to his former, weaker self.

With Rem’s devotion affirming him, he was taken back to that time when he first stood up.

Slowly, he reached out toward her sleeping face, brushing his fingers gently through the hair falling across her forehead. There were no changes in the expression of the slumbering girl, and there was still no sign of return for the one who was “eaten.”

Yet, it was a certainty that if left there like this, even her vessel would be lost.

“Even if you don’t feel that way, because of you, my resolve solidifies.”

A fragile surface of his heart, which had peeled away, felt a new coating of steel forming over it.

The sight of Rem asleep, the certainty of her heartbeat, just her very presence right there transformed Natsuki Subaru back to that time. To that moment, a rebirth of emotion.

“Because you said that it’s fine to be a weak me, because you told me I can grow stronger… I will find a way, and I’ll stand back up again, no matter how many times it takes.”

No matter the pain, suffering, or unpleasantness waiting for him, her complete love healed Subaru, and his desire to respond would guide him forward.

“I’ll make sure you, Petra, and everyone else… are all safe!”

Gently caressing her forehead, he suppressed the yearning to touch her more. In the room where the winds blew in, he sat silently beside her on a chair by the bed.

That time, a part of the time he had to spare, he devoted it fully to her—that was Subaru’s utmost way of offering his heart to her.

How much peace passed in that gentle time.

Suddenly, a knock on the door pulled Subaru’s consciousness back to reality as he stared blankly at Rem. He raised his face and turned towards the door, saying, “Yes?”

“Excuse me. —I’m relieved to see you’ve returned safely, Subaru-sama.”

Entering quietly through the open door is a tall maid.

With long golden hair swaying, her modest demeanor was a natural fit—Frederica.

She glanced at Subaru beside sleeping Rem, gave a small nod, then said,

“I have many things I want to ask you, but… I believe Subaru-sama shares the same feelings. Let’s change the location. Even though she’s sleeping, you wouldn’t want her to overhear too much.”

“Quick to talk, I appreciate that. …Do you have an inkling of what I want to discuss?”

“Most likely.”

Receiving her understated response, Subaru sighed softly and stood up. He reached out once more to touch Rem’s face, solidified his fist as if to cut off his lingering thoughts, then—

“I’m curious about your rough-talking brother, the gap moe of looking like a loli yet being a grandma inside. And then there’s the experimental grounds in the ‘Sanctuary’ and Roswaal’s schemes. I can’t wait to hear how much you’ll share on all that.”

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“It seems that since my husband has not returned, the ‘Trial’ has not yet concluded.”

Having moved from Rem’s bedroom to the reception room, the two sat down.

Frederica placed a steaming cup of tea before Subaru, sitting opposite him. She opened with that line. As Subaru stirred the tea with a spoon, he nodded in response.

“Talking quickly is helpful. …I’d love to express my feelings about being sent off with just a tad of information despite being so well-versed in the ins and outs of the situation.”

“I won’t make excuses. It’s a fact that I didn’t share everything about ‘the Sanctuary,’ ‘the Trial,’ or my irresponsible brother.”

Frederica spoke in a calm tone, emotion absent from her voice. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel guilty, nor did she appear indifferent. It was an emotionless mask, making it difficult to gauge her inner feelings.

Systematically, she was of the same type as Ram—though considering their long acquaintance, the difficulty here was certainly higher.

“As I mentioned earlier, I have a few questions, but… can I expect to get answers to all of them?”

“…I doubt I can meet that expectation. As long as the ‘Sanctuary’ remains unreleased, my contract with my husband is still in effect. According to that contract, the facts I can share with you are limited.”

“Another contract… everyone around seems to have one.”

Placing his hand on his forehead, Subaru grimaced in frustration.

He wanted to howl about how such contracts should be interpreted liberally, but having sworn to keep promises to Emilia made it hard to impose that on others.

“Is it okay if I ask detailed questions about that contract?”

“No. It’s a contract between Roswaal-sama and me, and while it exists, the information I can disclose is limited. —I can only say that much about it.”

“Well, that information didn’t expand at all. Damn, that guy really knows how to mess things up for us. I can seriously only view him as if he’s turned against us this time.”

Grumbling at reality slipping out of his grasp, Subaru took a gulp of tea to regain his composure. Amusingly, the only taste hitting his tongue was leaf flavor, but the more he drank, the more distinct the nuances between high and low-quality leaves became. —His tongue declared this was high-grade tea.

“There’s no time to waste… Frederica, the info about you being from the ‘Sanctuary’ and being Garfiel’s sister—is that correct? Or is that also something you can’t comment on?”

“That’s no problem at all. Technically, it would be better to say that I grew up in that place rather than that I’m originally from there. By the time I became self-aware, I basically spent my life living there, so it’s mostly true.”

“Not originally from there… now that you mention it, Ryuzu mentioned something like Roswaal brought half-bloods from elsewhere to stay there.”

That line came from Ryuzu when they were traveling back together on the dragon carriage.

He couldn’t delve deeper into that truth at that time since Ryuzu had rejected his inquiries.

“Hiring half-bloods to go through the barrier means you’re locking them up because half-bloods can’t pass through. Why would they do such a thing… Also, the folks living there didn’t seem to have any glaring dissatisfaction.”

At least, they lived peacefully without any noticeable frustration or hidden anger towards being forcibly confined there.

In other words, it appeared those brought in from elsewhere accepted their lives in the ‘Sanctuary.’ —What could the purpose behind that be?

“Do you know about the Subhuman War, Subaru-sama?”

“…Subhuman War. I feel like I’ve heard that phrase somewhere before.”

If he truly dug deep into his memory, he could have sworn that word had reached his ears two or three times. Not only did the word itself hit him with impact about what had transpired, but it also intrigued the anxious Subaru.

Hearing Subaru’s perhaps unreliable response, Frederica ran her fingers through her long golden hair, and gently pressed her hand against her mouth, revealing sharp fangs.

“To unravel the significance of that ‘Sanctuary’ and Roswaal-sama’s thoughts, we first need to speak a little about the ‘Subhuman War.'”

Saying this, she stood up, and while Subaru’s gaze followed her, she retrieved a box that was set upon the table at the far end of the reception room.

“You really don’t need to be this cautious; it’s simply a tea snack.”

With a gentle smile, she returned, offering a box to Subaru.

It was a peculiar treat that could rarely be encountered at Roswaal’s Mansion, unique to this world.

As he compared it to Frederica’s face, she remarked,

“It seems like it might be a long and dull story, so please settle in comfortably.”

“`

 

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