Subaru was so stunned by the current event that he forgot the pain of being hit.

Otto was glaring down at Subaru, who lay face down on the ground. His usual expression, which could be described as weak or a mere forced smile, now held a blazing fire of passion in his eyes.

Otto Suwen looked down at Subaru with anger simmering in his gaze.

“You’re a mess, aren’t you? Your head must be spinning with confusion.”

“——”

“You’re desperately trying to stretch your hands out to places that need help while feeling completely powerless, and time just keeps slipping away, doesn’t it?”

Otto stepped closer, throwing words at the silent Subaru, who, unable to move while still on his stomach, could only grimace at the burning sensation from his left cheek and watch Otto.

“Silence means acceptance without denial, you know. At least in our world, that’s taken advantage of and seen as the lowest form of behavior. —Can you hear me?”

Extending his arm, Otto seized Subaru’s collar and pulled him up.

“If you can hear me, then answer me!”

“——!”

A sharp, hard object struck Subaru’s forehead, causing his vision to burst into sparks.

Realizing he had just been headbutted by Otto, Subaru took another blow to the head and was shoved back.

With pain in his forehead, pain in his cheek, and forced to step back, Subaru couldn’t just stay silent any longer.

“What are you doing…?”

“Oh, you’re actually aware enough to respond despite getting beaten up? I thought you were just asleep, so I might have overdone it with the rough treatment.”

“What the hell—!?”

Subaru’s eyes watered from the second headbutt, and filled with anger, he lunged at Otto. But Otto dodged his outstretched arms smoothly and roughly swept his legs out from under him, causing him to fall.

“Gah!?”

“You got fired up, then you lost focus down below. Truly characteristic of Natsuki, isn’t it? Pathetic.”

“You—you think so!?”

Springing up from the fallen position, Subaru threw the dirt he had clenched into Otto’s face. However, Otto had anticipated this, guarding his face with his arm. Shocked that his attempt at a dirty trick was seen through, Subaru was slow to react to Otto’s approach. Otto grabbed the back of Subaru’s collar, slammed his hand into Subaru’s stomach, and threw him.

Slamming onto the ground, Subaru gasped as the shock and pain knocked the breath out of him.

Where he landed was a patch of fallen leaves, but of course, the impact wasn’t fully absorbed.

A tingling sensation shot through his limbs, and wheezing, Subaru struggled to rise.

“Trying to pull a fast one is so typical of you, Natsuki. Although I was prepared for it, it didn’t work on me.”

“…Huh?”

“Hey, Natsuki. Your strength? It’s just that. You’re nowhere near the knights, let alone Roswaal or Garfiel. Just look at how you are against me.”

Otto’s words stabbed into Subaru, who was desperately gasping for air.

Otto approached Subaru, who couldn’t muster a rebuttal, crouching down to bring his face closer and said,

“Facing off against the White Whale or the Witch Cult? That’s ridiculous. You’re weak, and if you engaged them directly, you’d be smashed like a bug without a second thought. You know that yourself.”

“——”

“So, will you compensate for your lack of power with wisdom? From what I can see, Natsuki, you seem to have a bit of cunning, but I wouldn’t say you possess exceptionally high thinking skills or judgment. You lack common sense too.”

Subaru, confused by Otto’s intentions, mixed irritation with his heavy breathing.

The spasms in his lungs, the pain from the impact, and the aches in his forehead and cheek were beginning to dull. Yet, as calmness returned, he couldn’t grasp the true meaning behind Otto’s barrage of words.

Otto continued, looking down at Subaru, who bore a glance of confusion in his black eyes.

“You’re lacking in strength and wisdom, and you don’t have anything else to fill that gap. Natsuki, you’re a small, ordinary human, and for someone like that to wish for something beyond their reach is simply excessive.”

“W-what are you talking about…?”

“You’re aware of your own inadequacies, yet rather than accepting that, you seem to be digging yourself deeper, trying to pull out something that doesn’t exist… It makes me understand Patrasche’s feelings finally.”

“Patrasche…?”

At the mention of the Earth Dragon’s name, Subaru’s eyes widened in surprise.

Patrasche. The pitch-black Earth Dragon, worthy of Subaru, injured itself to save its clumsy master, and he couldn’t understand why it would do that. Its feelings had become a precious lesson for Subaru — a benefactor and a beloved dragon.

Realizing Patrasche’s sentiments, Otto declared.

Pointing a finger into his own gray hair, he emphasized with a slightly irritated tone,

“Showing off in front of a girl you’re infatuated with? That’s fine. It’s necessary vanity, and it’s something to be respected. It’s natural to crave to say words or actions that don’t match your reality. I can overlook that.”

He must have been talking about Emilia. Subaru’s attitude towards Emilia.

“Puffing up for a girl who likes you? That too can be allowed. It’s important because the one who’s liked also bears responsibility. It’s vital to put on a brave face for someone who likes you. That’s acceptable.”

He was probably referring to Rem, the girl Subaru once declared to Otto that he would act cool for. Because she liked him.

“But that’s as far as it goes.”

Once he had finished, Otto closed the distance between their faces.

Subaru instinctively hunched his shoulders, fearing another headbutt as Otto growled dangerously.

“You know you’re lacking, right? You know you can’t reach it. You want to show off to the girl you like. You want to be proud in front of those who like you.”

“——”

“Then, why not ask for someone’s help to compensate for what they can’t see? —For instance, a friend.”

Pulling back, Otto placed a hand on his chest and delivered his final point.

At those words, Subaru exhaled softly, “Ha.”

Honestly, at this moment, Subaru thought, “Is that it?”

He didn’t think he had never considered leaning on or depending on someone. Of course. Just as Otto said, Subaru was aware of his weaknesses. He didn’t overestimate himself, thinking he could handle everything alone or that he didn’t know his worth.

In fact, Subaru had been running around trying to seek cooperation from Echidna and Roswaal to make up for his shortcomings.

Ultimately, he had not succeeded in getting help from either of them; instead, he received painful truths he didn’t want to know, which only added to his wounds.

Yet, he didn’t ignore the solution that Otto spoke of. Otto’s reasoning was misguided. That path had already been closed off.

“—Ha.”

“What’s so ridiculous about that?”

A dry conclusion formed in his mind, and it manifested on his cheek. Seeing that, Otto knitted his brows in annoyance as Subaru, with a painfully swollen face, glared back at Otto.

“Your thinking is completely off the mark… I didn’t ignore you or stop trusting you. It’s not like that at all.”

“——”

Shaking his head and looking away, Subaru avoided Otto’s silent gaze.

Otto just stood there, staring intently with his green eyes.

Under the pressure of that gaze, Subaru cast his eyes down, putting a hand to his forehead.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Otto. Subaru was genuinely thankful that Otto was risking his life to protect him within the loops and dealing with situations unrelated to money. He considered those feelings of friendship genuine.

Still, how could he convey the current situation to Otto?

If it were someone like Echidna or Roswaal, who understood Subaru’s circumstances, it would be fine. Those two could hold a conversation even while avoiding taboo topics.

But Otto was different. Not just Otto—Emilia, Ram, and the other representatives from the “Sanctuary” also knew nothing of the burdens Subaru carried.

He couldn’t explain the dire straits he faced without mentioning the Witch or “Return by Death.” Even if he could relay the threat of the Great Rabbit or an impending attack on the mansion, he couldn’t justify how he knew that or where the evidence came from—nothing of the sort could be presented.

In such a situation, how could he expect anyone to believe his words? How could he harbor any hopes for that?

He was aware of his lack of strength, his lack of wisdom, and that he was weak.

Thus, ultimately, Subaru believed he couldn’t achieve his wishes without borrowing someone’s strength. He saw it as his role to pave the way to obtain the necessary cooperation.

Yet, he could not fulfill that role and was merely standing still.

“I just can’t explain anything properly. My head is a mess… just as you said, it’s all jumbled up, and I can’t… make a coherent explanation.”

“…………”

“I’m afraid that even if I speak, it’s just going to be stuff you won’t believe… What should I say… and you, nor anyone, nothing… finally…”

“….Try saying it.”

“—Huh?”

Otto told Subaru as he mumbled about having no proof or basis for his assertions.

Subaru looked up at Otto, who was gazing down, arms crossed.

“So, just say it. It doesn’t have to be coherent. Even if it’s jumbled in the middle and you can’t think logically, I’ll listen to it all until the end, without cutting you off.”

“But if I do that… then…”

“So… that! Don’t try to act cool about it!” Otto shouted, kicking the ground.

Startled by the sudden loud voice, Subaru widened his eyes as Otto pointed a finger at him.

“If you’re busy pondering over the lack of evidence for trust, or the reasons needed for belief, then wouldn’t it be better to spill everything in your head out rather than crouch there in despair?”

“I can’t help it! I’m trying to convince you of all this jumbled mess I have!”

“—Just pour out all that jumble! And at the end, you just have to say ‘Believe me!’ Because we’re friends!!”

—It felt as if the emotional chaos dominating Subaru’s mind had been blown away by Otto’s shouting.

Those words lacked foundation and absolutely no logical persuasiveness.

Yet, they contained enough to push Subaru’s stagnant back.

“I know it might be hard to believe me, but…”

Slowly, he began voicing the trials he had kept bottled up for so long.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“On top of that, Roswaal is sending assassins after the mansion… and it seems like he’s trying to corner me and Emilia into a place with no escape…”

Filled with dread over the emergence of the taboo arm, with utmost caution, Subaru finished explaining the situation.

Otto stayed silent during that time, frowning with a furrowed brow, listening intently to Subaru’s words.

“For now, the info I have… well, it’s not the most reliable, but that’s everything. Nothing left to hide.”

Of course, the parts about the tea party with the Witch and the “Return by Death” were excluded.

Given that the content was left blank in those parts, the reasoning was full of holes. He felt uneasy about how tenuous the connections between the pieces of information he shared were.

The reaction of Otto, who implied that all he needed to add was ‘Believe me,’ was something Subaru wondered about. How would Otto judge what he had just said?

“Natsuki…”

“…………”

After a long, thoughtful silence, Otto uncrossed his arms and looked at Subaru. Seeing his own reflection in Otto’s green eyes, Subaru instinctively gasped.

As he waited to hear Otto’s first words, he felt his heartbeat loudly in his ears.

“Wouldn’t it be better to just pretend you didn’t hear that and run away?”

“What—the—ah!?”

In the most unexpected response, Subaru raised his voice. But Otto shouted over his surprise, “Because!”

“You’re trapped in a place where the Great Rabbit is about to attack, and the only way out is to rely on Emilia, who isn’t even certain she can clear the ‘Trial,’ and when you try to move even just the people who wouldn’t get caught in the barrier, you get interrupted by some know-it-all. Then when you finally make it back to the mansion, the orders from the owner call for assassins to come after you! What kind of situation is that?!”

“I want to know too!! Why do I have to be pushed into such a nonsensical situation!? I knew it, but does God really hate me or what!? I hate me too!!”

If there was a god overseeing fate, that god undoubtedly hated Subaru. He didn’t intend to do anything that would earn such enmity, yet it was a ridiculous story.

However, cursing the god for that wouldn’t change the situation, for better or worse. And before that…

“Wait a minute, Otto. I genuinely understand why you’d be upset right now, but… do you actually believe this outrageous story?”

“——”

“I mean, there are those absurd monster threats, and if we’re going to escape, we must rely on an Emilia who doesn’t know if she can handle it, while Garfiel is obstructing everyone’s escape, and Roswaal is plotting against us… Do you really believe it?”

Listening to this, Subaru had to admit how troublesome the situation was.

The crucial points were that he couldn’t provide evidence for the impending Great Rabbit and that the mastermind behind sending assassins on the mansion was Roswaal. Those two critical issues had no materials to persuade others.

As for the Great Rabbit, how had Subaru read the signs of its approach when everyone wished to capture the creature in this world?

And regarding Roswaal, why was he plotting in a way that would disadvantage Emilia, whom he should ally with in the Royal Selection?

For both cases, Subaru couldn’t explain.

“Natsuki…”

To Subaru’s question, Otto, who had briefly closed his eyes, finally replied.

Holding up a finger, he stated,

“Up until now, I’ve traveled to quite a few places and interacted with many people…”

“…Are you saying you can tell if you can trust someone just by looking them in the eyes?”

“No, I don’t believe in such superstitions. As a merchant, I’ve seen enough of how people can deceive others with clear eyes. Given that, I can say I’ve got quite the experience.”

It might come off as boastful, but wasn’t it telling that he had been deceived often?

In the midst of a critical conversation, Subaru felt he couldn’t interject, so he kept silent while Otto continued.

“Well, while meeting various people, I’ve negotiated in my own way. It’s been roughly four years since I left home to start my trade, and I’ve somehow managed to survive, for better or worse.”

Otto spoke lightly, but it probably hadn’t been an easy path.

There had surely been many moments when life or death was on the line.

In a world where one might encounter the White Whale just by crossing a plain, one could easily imagine the types of hazards a merchant could face like wild dogs or bandits.

“Given those days, as a merchant, I’ve been living with a certain confidence that I’ve backed my bets on those I calculate to have a high likelihood of success. The results may not always follow, but… I mean, the ones I thought I had a chance with often ended up facing unimaginable disasters afterwards.”

“Hey, hey, hey…”

“Regardless of how it turns out, I made those decisions without regrets. I think it’s essential to set something on the line when you’re betting or entrusting something.”

Otto’s criteria for choosing who to back, what they were based on, weren’t fully clear, but it meant he had been relying on his calculations to follow the paths with higher success odds.

He followed Roswaal into the “Sanctuary” because he wanted to meet Roswaal to consider any future impact. Otto seemed to act as a realist in that aspect.

Thus, he must have shown no interest in Subaru’s words that lacked basis or a chance of success—

“However, this is the first time, Natsuki.”

“—Huh?”

Subaru stared at Otto, his mouth agape as he tried to comprehend what he was saying.

With a triumphant smile, Otto declared to Subaru,

“This is the first time I’m jumping onto a chance that’s completely disregarding the odds of winning.”

That was how he concluded.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

His legs were restless, and his breath came in short gasps.

Chasing after his heart that was already ahead, Subaru carried his impatience as he raced over the grassy field.

Cleaving through the crisp morning air, he swung his arms wide and stepped forward with big strides.

Kicking the dirt and stepping on stones, the path was barely leveled but it stretched straight ahead.

Eventually, the building he sought entered Subaru’s line of sight.

An unintended surge of excitement tugged at his cheeks, baring his teeth like a dog, he yearned towards the building’s entrance with outstretched hands.

And then,

“——Roswaal!”

He threw open the door violently, tumbling into the building. He crossed the entrance, dashed through the living room that connected to the bedroom, and shoved open a thin door with incredible force.

Inside the bedroom were Roswaal, propped up on his bed, and Ram, who was diligently looking after him, both of whom looked at Subaru in shock.

It was rare for the usually carefree Roswaal and the expressionless Ram to show such a reaction.

That it created an opportunity for something unprecedented was a promising omen.

Connecting their surprise to those forward-looking thoughts, Subaru pointed dramatically at the two.

“——Let’s make a bet. I wager our wishes against each other!”