The next morning, feeling refreshed, Natsuki Subaru stood in the garden bathed in the morning sun.

Feeling the gravel beneath his shoes, Subaru inhaled the crisp morning air. “Mmm!” he exclaimed happily, making Emilia, who stood beside him, chuckle softly.

“What’s wrong? Subaru, you seem really cheerful this morning. Did something good happen?”

“Well, for one, Emilia-tan’s braided waves look super cute this morning, and I had a little good moment before going to bed last night. Plus, I really liked the size of the bath!”

“Ah, I felt the same! The bath felt great. The mansion’s bath is large too, but having it surrounded by stone like that was refreshing.”

Last night, Subaru had let down the braids he had made, and Emilia’s silver hair flowed in the breeze just as he planned, forming gentle waves. Straight beauty is one of Emilia’s charms, but bringing out a different appeal like this is the privilege of a beautiful girl.

Ultimately, the conclusion is that cute girls are cute no matter what they do.

While harboring such thoughts internally, Subaru responded in agreement to Emilia’s words.

The large public bath she mentioned, though not outdoors, was brimming with the ambition to recreate an open-air feel. It was indoors, yet they had removed as many boundaries as possible to incorporate nature, and the bath itself was laden with stones.

The unique charm of having a rim of rocks simply couldn’t be expressed by mere marble.

“It was my first time seeing such a bath, and I was really excited together with Crusch and Felt!”

“What a paradise! If this were a gal game, you could definitely collect CGs here!”

“CG?”

“Nah, just messing around. What matters most is that Emilia-tan seems happy. Did you enjoy yourself?”

“Yes, it was a lot of fun!”

Emilia pointed out Subaru’s good mood, but it was obvious just by looking at him. This trip to Pristella, which had initially been riddled with anxiety and doubt, had proven to be immensely meaningful for this master and servant at least. The problem was,

“So, what’s up with the two over there looking all dejected?”

“…It’s nothing.”

“Please don’t mind us. Just… ugh, drank too much, ugh. Feeling a bit… ugh.”

With their faces averted, Beatrice, who wore a frustrated expression, and Otto, looking pale and retching a bit, were certainly in a state.

It goes without saying they were Beatrice and Otto, but for now, Subaru turned his attention to Otto, who seemed to be in a more urgent situation.

“Otto. I thought you weren’t coming back for dinner last night; what were you up to?”

“I told you when we parted. Since we made the trip to Pristella, I wanted to make sure to talk to those people I couldn’t easily contact.”

“What do you mean by ‘those people’? You were pretty plastered when we first met!”

“…? I don’t think I was drinking at that time when I first met Natsuki-san…”

“If that’s what you think, then I guess that’s how it is for you.”

Otto looked troubled at being unfoundedly blamed, but that was more of a boomerang hitting Subaru instead.

From Subaru’s perspective, chugging heavily in the capital city while meeting Otto symbolized disastrous encounters in the past. Various incidents had led to that loop failing, whereas Otto’s perspective meant their first meeting took place when Otto had been caught in the Witch Cult.

Of course, discussing such stories was merely pointless banter.

“Don’t do anything bad for Beatrice’s education. Well, it’s clear you’ve been moving around for the sake of the faction,” Subaru remarked.

“It wasn’t a request or anything, ugh. It’s just something I’m doing on my own. — That’s not the only reason, really.”

In response to Subaru’s words, Otto weakly shook his head. Then he scanned the garden and prefaced,

“By the way, where’s Garfiel? It’s unusual for him not to show his face in the morning. He’s usually up before anyone else, howling from the mountaintop.”

“He probably couldn’t find a suitable spot to howl. Also, it’s a bit of a delicate topic right now, so let’s not dig into it insensitively. Be kind to him when you see him.”

“I’d rather not be told to do something unreasonable when I don’t know the details! ……Ah, now my head hurts.”

“Self-destructing too much there.”

As Otto stumbled to the edge of the porch to rest his body, Subaru chuckled. Then he turned his gaze back to Beatrice, who had remained silent until now.

“So what’s up with you, Beatrice? You were so lively yesterday, but today you’ve become sulky. Not cute at all.”

“I’m not sulking! Don’t say such ridiculous things. Beatrice is merely thinking about something.”

“Thinking? If something happened, just say it. It’d be troubling if it’s something dangerous.”

Subaru narrowed his eyes, pressing Beatrice for the details due to her unusually serious remark. Emilia nodded along, demonstrating her readiness to listen to Beatrice. Beatrice bit her lip.

However, that hesitation disappeared in a matter of seconds, and the girl reluctantly began to weave her words.

“After Subaru left Beatrice behind to hang out with Garfiel, I went to Emilia’s place to kill time.”

“That’s a bit misleading, but continue.”

“Beatrice went to Emilia’s to pass time. Then, on the way, I happened to bump into a staff member from the inn and heard something.”

“You, Beatrice… talked to a stranger…!?”

Subaru froze in shock at the stunning leap in Beatrice’s communication skills. A quick glance at Emilia showed her nodding in surprise, sharing the same thought.

This was bad. I never would have imagined that Beatrice could converse with strangers while traveling. Perhaps the liberating environment of the journey positively impacted Beatrice’s growth.

If only he could return and update the ‘Beatrice Growth Diary’ kept at the mansion.

This diary, now in its third volume, meticulously records Beatrice’s developmental milestones. And thanks to this journey, a new page would surely be added.

Unaware that her daily activities were being documented in detail, Beatrice missed a more spectacular truth in Subaru and Emilia’s reactions.

“Please continue. The inn staff, upon spotting Beatrice, it seems they thought they had to tell her something in particular and spoke in a hushed tone. ‘At night, sometimes things that are not human can be seen in this inn.'”

“……..”

“To be honest, Beatrice hesitated to disclose this. It could easily lead to unnecessary confusion, so she had kept it to herself for now. Yet, she surely remained cautious. And this happened during last night…”

Beatrice’s story grew more animated, leaving Subaru behind in silence.

Then she lowered her voice as if revealing a prized secret.

“In the dead of night, sensing something, Beatrice woke up. Not wanting to be noticed by the silly face of Subaru, she quietly embarked to confirm it.”

“Don’t just stare at someone’s sleeping face, you pervert.”

“I’m not staring! I looked coyly, just a peek!”

While she couldn’t deny having looked, her cuteness made Subaru choose to ignore it.

She cleared her throat and then created an atmosphere again.

“Seeking the presence, Beatrice bravely strolled through the inn. And at the entrance, she finally found the source of that presence…”

“Found it?”

“She saw a pale face emerging in the darkness. It was clearly dangerous. It seemed the other party was also cautious of Beatrice, resulting in a tense staring match.”

Remembering the tension from last night, a thin sheen of sweat appeared on Beatrice’s forehead. While it baffled Subaru how a spirit could sweat, it added an immersive quality, so he didn’t mention it.

“Eventually, under Beatrice’s pressure, the opponent seemed to give in. The standoff abruptly ended, and they vanished. After confirming they weren’t returning, Beatrice returned to her room, stepping over Subaru’s silly face to get back into bed.”

“So you were looking at people while they slept!”

“I-I was just making sure they were alright! I didn’t stroke their head or touch their eyelashes!”

This was the essence of “wording’s defeat,” but Subaru conveniently decided to ignore it as she was too cute.

For what seemed like the end of Beatrice’s terrifying tale, Subaru nodded thoughtfully at her story and began analyzing it.

Being a traditional inn, it seemed to be about a ghost story.

In this world, after living here for a year, Subaru realized that strange ghost stories like this weren’t common. Probably because spirits were already known as invisible beings.

If the existence of invisible beings is acknowledged, it’s only natural that the demand for ghost stories wouldn’t be high.

Still, trying to brew some ghost tales shows the inn’s remarkable dedication to maintaining a Japanese spirit.

Impressed by this, Subaru let out a contented sigh.

“So, what actually happened, Otto?”

“Well, I noticed Beatrice-chan staring at me while I was about to barf at the entrance, but I was too weak to even open my mouth. In the end, I couldn’t hold it and ended up yakking in the bushes outside, and by the time I came back, they had already vanished.”

“That’s the report.”

“…What even.”

Ghostly identity revealed to be a drunken Otto.

In this case, the ghost that Beatrice perceived turned out to be a heavily inebriated Otto, which makes things even less comforting.

Beatrice, having her sight of reality challenged, looked almost ready to crumble. Subaru stroked her head in a comforting manner, deciding to avoid the topic, thinking she was just muddled from her slumber in a strange environment.

The inn staff who fed Beatrice that ghost story probably also saw through Beatrice’s rare charm of ‘she seems easy to trick, and it would be cute if I did’.

Just as Beatrice’s shame turned her face bright red, Subaru felt like giving a heartfelt ‘good job’ for that.

“Hey, you all are gathered here early, huh?”

A rough voice interrupted the heartwarming exchanges of the four.

Upon looking, the girl shaking her short blonde hair that had appeared on the porch was none other than Felt.

Dressed now in light clothing that exposed her long, slender limbs after taking off her yukata, it seemed her childhood roots as a back-alley girl still remained despite some recent feminine growth.

“Good morning, but if you keep dressing like that, Reinhardt will lament again.”

“Stop with the lectures. I’m tired of hearing that from him, and lately, even Old Man Rom has been nagging me.”

With an exasperated face, Felt waved her hand lightly and swiftly stepped into the garden. Ignoring Otto sprawled out at the edge, she tilted her head at Subaru’s group.

“By the way, I was wondering,”

“What’s up?”

“I’ve been curious; why are you guys doing that weird dance?”

Felt pointed at the group’s strange motions — the morning ritual known as radio calisthenics.

Whether traveling or on the road, they always begin the day with radio calisthenics.

It had already become a common sight at Roswaal’s Mansion and was rapidly spreading as a morning ritual across Meisters Territory.

Emilia, who had grown used to it, had a puzzled expression not understanding what Felt was saying. Subaru admired Emilia’s perplexed face while showcasing a deep breath to Felt.

“This is a secret to longevity and health. It’s a health method called ‘radio calisthenics’ that’s loved by everyone from children to the elderly. If Emilia-tan were to become a king, it would definitely be made into law that everyone must do this every morning.”

“That’s right. I think it feels good to do it together.”

“Oh, really? If that were promised, I’d lose interest in making you king…”

After witnessing the entirety of the radio calisthenics, Felt made a sour face, mumbling her thoughts.

It was sad for their differing viewpoints, but even if initially resistant, she would surely realize the benefits of this exercise over time.

In fact, in the villages where they promoted this, it had received quite a following.

“Even Beatrice and Otto didn’t want to do it at first, but now they both participate regardless of mornings when they’re scared of ghosts or have hangovers.”

“Beatrice was just dragged along by Subaru.”

“I was trying to rest from my headache, only to be danced around while clapping near my ear…”

“But hating it could sometimes mean they actually like it!”

“Do you really call this a passionate participation?”

Beatrice and Otto’s agreement seemed weak, but Subaru and Emilia held their heads high.

After observing the extremes before him, Felt roughly scratched her white neck,

“I’ve heard that an odd event is trending around where your sister’s territory is. I often hear of weird dances, events where they’re hollowing out pumpkins for masks, or events where baked goods are sent from women to men or vice versa…”

“For now, it’s still treated like some strange festival among the outskirts, but I hope to make it into a nationwide project someday. Thinking about it, bringing it up with someone like Anastasia might be a good move.”

It’s well-known that Valentine’s is often a ploy by the confectionery industry. In other words, it’s a matter that involves a lot of money, so it feels like Anastasia would jump at the chance.

Right away, Subaru resolved to consult about this as soon as he had some spare time.

“By the way, is that guy always like that?”

“Yeah, Subaru is generally like that. He looks like he’s messing around, but he’s actually putting in a lot of thought into various things. And while looking like he’s joking around, sometimes he actually is!”

“So, this boils down to we don’t really know if his behavior is serious or just play until the outcome comes in…”

Emilia’s response seemed to leave Felt wide-eyed in fright.

It occasionally occurs that due to her mental age, Emilia struggles to grasp who’s older or younger in an exchange, and it also applies in her interaction with Felt.

Given her background from the back alleys, Felt seemed more streetwise.

“That reminds me, Felt-chan, are you alone? Won’t Reinhardt get mad at you for not sticking together?”

“I’m not a child, it’s more annoying with him around anyway. They’re not dumb enough to be on me in a place like this, right? And it’s annoying, but if something were to happen to me, that guy would be here in a second.”

“Oh, good then. That makes me feel relieved.”

Emilia cheerfully accepted Felt’s somewhat threatening complaints.

Her reaction left Felt in a letdown, revealing her irritation by roughly tousling her blonde hair.

“Felt-chan. Your hair is pretty, so you shouldn’t be so rough with it. I’ve started to be careful since Subaru and Frederica sometimes tell me that too.”

“Don’t mess with my hair, it’s annoying! And don’t add ‘chan’ to my name, that gives me the creeps!”

“Even if you say that, I just don’t feel like calling you by your name. I’ll try being cautious, but if I mess up, I’m sorry.”

“Hah!”

As Emilia meant no harm, Felt vented her frustration like a cat.

Taken out of context, this seemed like a charming exchange between girly friends.

“Alright then. We’ve finished radio calisthenics, so let’s scatter and wait for breakfast. A morning bath could be nice too. Otto, you haven’t bathed, have you?”

“I only managed to wash myself with water… I apologize for not getting the alcohol smell off.”

“You should get out before Garfiel returns and slaps you. I’ve heard that frequently bathing in hot water is good back in my hometown.”

“I have a feeling that might make me feel worse, but I’ll take your word for it.”

Helping up Otto, who had been slouched over, Subaru sighed in front of him as he glanced up at the sky.

It was sunny this morning. The clouds were sparse, portending a beautiful day.

Just as Subaru thought so, a voice suddenly echoed from above.

“――Good morning, citizens of Pristella. It’s a pleasant morning.”

“Huh?”

Thunderstruck by the sudden voice dropping from the sky, Subaru let out a startled sound.

Surely it must be a hallucination, as he quickly scanned around, noticing that Emilia, Felt, and Beatrice were just as dumbstruck by the voice.

“What the heck? That voice is massive!”

“That can’t be. Why would a voice just boom throughout the entire town? But…”

As Felt whispered, Subaru began to suspect some magical involvement.

When it comes to broadcasting to a large number of people, the magic Julius had once used for conscious sharing, called ‘Nect’, came to mind. However, that was more of a telepathic connection for those within the range, not a direct means of delivering sound to eardrums.

Above all, Subaru actually recalled something similar.

“It sounds like a speaker or a megaphone or something?”

Felt’s term of ‘loud voice’ was indeed pretty accurate compared to Subaru’s realization.

The voice booming from the sky, which appeared to resonate throughout the city, bore a striking resemblance to that of something projected from a speaker.

The problem lay in the fact that there weren’t even signs of such scientific advancements in this world.

“Oh, didn’t you know? This is a broadcast utilizing the magical device set up at the City Hall of Pristella.”

“A magical device… a magical device!”

A voice rose up in response to Subaru’s confusion; it was Otto. He answered Subaru’s surprise with an “indeed,”

“While I was having drinks with various people yesterday, I learned that the morning broadcasts are a routine in Pristella, thanks to the magic device set in the City Hall.”

“But why such a strange routine?”

“It’s quite convenient for transmitting information to the public all at once. Plus, since the structure of this city limits escape routes in emergencies, they’re apparently used to prevent confusion so people can be used to it beforehand.”

“Heh… that’s well thought out.”

Subaru was impressed by the idea of a magical device for emergency communication.

On a village scale, it’s one thing, but on a city level, it would indeed lead to chaos in case of emergencies. To prepare for such events in advance is no wasted effort.

The idea of people being conditioned to it over time was fresh.

“Looks like an intelligent person is running this city.”

“No, actually, it’s thanks to Kiritaka-san that this broadcast became a habit, and he also provided the magical device. He said it’s only natural for someone involved in city governance.”

“Huh…?”

Subaru’s astonishment was abruptly halted by a sudden shock as he pondered the unexpected shocking news.

Flashes of the brief encounter with Kiritaka yesterday sped through Subaru’s mind: the faltered voice, the thrown magic stone, and the elegant gentleman weeping while calling out Liliana’s name…

“No way.”

“Impossible.”

“That’s just too convenient…”

Subaru, Beatrice, and Emilia all shared a consensus in disbelief, garnering a wry smile from Otto.

“I had thought you’d say that, but the broadcast is indeed managed by the responsible Kiritaka-san. You can recognize that voice, can’t you?”

“Who the hell is that?”

Despite Otto’s worthwhile support, Subaru’s ears could not connect the voice now echoing to yesterday’s visions of Kiritaka. There was nothing sane about it. He didn’t get a perverted vibe from it.

“But still, even Krlind appears quite normal at first glance… could it be that pretending to be a decent person is something a perverted nobleman excels at? It’s frightening having a high-status pervert.”

Subaru’s imagination conjured an image of the slim, blue-haired butler with a generic aura.

A hybrid of overwhelming talent and ability, combined with unreasonable drive and indiscriminate preferences. It’s questionable to think of Krlind as the sole representative among the perverts, yet he stands as a prime example of high-spec perverts.

“Well, it’s also uncertain if this person is truly Kiritaka—there’s a chance it could just be a mishearing.”

“And to those gathered, I shall deliver a token of my gratitude… no! A magnificent blessing! I humbly ask for your ear to hear the voice of the ‘Songstress’ Miss Liliana!”

“Ah, that’s her, isn’t it?”

Suddenly losing the usual high tone, Subaru matched the broadcasting to the memories he had.

Racked with dismay early in the morning, the atmosphere vibrated with the sounds of someone adjusting their position through the loudspeaker and coughs paired with quiet laughter.

“Um, hello everyone. I’m Liliana. It’s a bit of a burden to be called a songstress regularly, but I’ll do my utmost to sing and entertain you all, so please support me!”

The way Liliana spoke was so distinctive that one could almost envision her gestures even through the magical device.

Strangely enough, unlike Kiritaka’s voice that sounded somewhat broken through the speaker, her voice came through unobscured.

Perhaps there’s a compatibility between the magical device and her voice, hinting that the girl blessed by the goddess of song seemed to possess a protection that allowed her to smoothly navigate through any hindrances.

“Okay, now I’m going to sing. Please, listen to me. — ‘The Sword Demon Love Song, Act II!'”

The sounds of instruments being set up indicated Liliana was taking a small breath.

Listening to that sound, Subaru was entranced by the melodies of “Sword Demon Love Song.” If this song reflected the title he imagined, that means it would narrate…

A woeful yet affectionate love story between a demon who lived by the sword and a girl.

***

After Liliana’s ‘Songstress’ performance had wrapped up, Subaru and the others shuffled into their seating area, waiting for breakfast to be served.

The existence of “Sword Demon Love Song” had honestly caught Subaru off guard.

He should have realized it. Great achievements manifested under any world or era are always passed down in one way or another.

Such histories, whether they depict heroism or villainy, do not constrain themselves to written narratives or illustrations.

It wouldn’t be strange if the story of the hero taking an end to a civil war and the sword demon marrying that hero is carried on in song.

Of course, even if Subaru had been aware of this possibility, it wouldn’t have changed anything about that morning’s ‘terror.’ Not knowing of the magical device, he couldn’t even warn Liliana not to do anything unnecessary.

Right now, all he could do was cast curses upon that “Songstress” for performing at such a terrible timing.

With the impression of the “Songstress” already at rock bottom, her audacious behavior only drove it deeper into the ground. “Damn you, Liliana. Damn you, Kiritaka.”

“Where has Wilhelm-san gone…? He’s not here yet.”

The first to arrive in the tatami room was merely Subaru, who had been in the garden. Felt, who had left earlier, had probably met up with Reinhardt somewhere before heading this way.

Recently, thoughts about the song performance and Wilhelm’s love for his wife and grandson raced through Subaru’s mind. The old man’s smile was still fresh in his memory, and he found it hard to contain his excitement.

He had no idea what he wanted to say or how to say it upon meeting him.

Yet, even so, Subaru believed there was meaning in exchanging words.

To be honest, he wished for the song to skip over, but…

“It’s hard to believe, they’d all oversleep?”

After having spent a few days with Crusch’s faction and knowing that even Felis follows a strict sleep schedule, Subaru was aware of how they’d wake promptly.

Perhaps especially in an unfamiliar place, their keenness would only heighten, making even a broadcast like that hard to ignore.

“Subaru, you look scary. Did something odd happen?”

Plopping down on a cushion with an irritated fidgeting style, Emilia eyed Subaru with concern.

Given that he had just called them toward the dining area after the broadcast in the gardens, and now confirming there was no one there, it was only natural for her to feel uneasy through this behavior.

Emilia and the others were genuinely enthralled by the bittersweet lyrics of “Sword Demon Love Song” and Liliana’s singing. They had no idea that Wilhelm was the very sword demon being sung about, nor how the sword demon’s tale would conclude.

Therefore, it was unsurprising they couldn’t empathize with Subaru’s anxiety.

The scariest part of it all was, even Subaru, who knew all this, was captivated by Liliana’s voice.

Hearing the title “Sword Demon Love Song” filled Subaru with a bad premonition, yet he could not bring himself to step out in the middle of it. No, that thought didn’t even cross his mind.

Liliana’s voice bore an enchantment. Thus, when he returned to his senses, Subaru found himself unable to unleash his frustration anywhere but upon that daft, bronzed girl.

“… It’s nothing. Just a bit hungry. You know how it is, the meals at the inn taste great, but they leave you slightly dissatisfied! I can’t snack anywhere else, and my hungry growth spurt demands food!”

“If Subaru says so, I’ll believe it for now.”

Though she usually fell for his ploys, Emilia could quickly see through his facade when it was vital.

“I don’t really understand what you’re irritated about, but I had to cut short the plans for the afternoon. You were listening to the conversation, right?”

“Plans for the afternoon? Ah, that’s the talk about renegotiating with Kiritaka. Right, we’re planning to use Liliana as a hostage to swap for those magic stones, correct?”

“How would that even lead to such a rash proposal!?”

Otto’s voice lifted high in astonishment, grimacing at the pain of raising his voice. Watching him, Subaru found himself tilting his head in confusion.

Perhaps the ongoing anger toward Liliana that he hadn’t expressed was influencing the fervency of his proposal. In truth, the chances of success seemed moderately high.

“So today’s agenda is to request Kiritaka-san to reopen negotiations for the magic stones. It would be great if Kiritaka-san’s aide, ‘White Dragon’s Scale,’ could mediate.”

“White Dragon’s Scale is quite an impressive name. Was that person in the room yesterday?”

“Yes, that’s correct. ‘White Dragon’s Scale’ is a well-known mercenary group. However, it does come with the caveat that they were famous a while back and have recently begun rekindling into service as Kiritaka-san’s private troops. The one present was likely their representative.”

“The one in the room… ah, the one who seemed to be the most understanding.”

Although he hadn’t been able to see much of the room, Subaru nodded, pulling together memories before the shock overtook him. It was a middle-aged man clothed in white.

Compared to Kiritaka who seemed to freak out when connected to Liliana and Liliana who was always frantic, that person could be expected to present a far more human approach to communication.

“Going by this morning’s broadcast, it doesn’t seem Kiritaka-san’s anger has lingered, so they should accept discussions. However, if Natsuki-san shows up, things might flare up again.”

“I know that I may come off poorly on my first encounter, but that much would knock me down.”

“Don’t worry, Subaru. I don’t mind the fierce looks. Even my mother had quite menacing eyes. But she was caring too.”

“That’s not exactly a boost when it comes to the quality of Subaru’s face… wait, did I mean ‘menacing looks?'”

“You’d have done better to leave that correction off; don’t cast light on the harsh reality.”

Taking in the gentle yet harsh support of the two women, Subaru tapped Otto for his further comments.

“So I think it might be better if you don’t accompany Kiritaka today. What do you think?”

“What does that even mean? I have no choice but to agree. But frankly, how does that even look? What would it mean for me if we wrap this all up nicely?”

“Rather than having one of you blunder in a fruitless manner, let’s take the route with less casualties. It’s better for Natsuki-san to play with Beatrice-chan.”

“I feel like Beatrice is being belittled! This is frustrating!”

Beatrice’s furious complaints were dismissed, and the faction’s strategies were still coming together smoothly. Nevertheless, alongside Otto’s steadiness, Subaru had his own thoughts brewing.

“Then I’ll take the afternoon to stroll in the park with Emilia-tan and Beatrice.”

“Huh? I thought I was going with Otto-kun to see Kiritaka-san?”

“They’ve likely anticipated the proposal for renegotiation, but if I take Emilia-sama along, it would come off as an uninvited visit without prior notice. It’d mirror yesterday’s discussion. … It’s nice Natsuki-san understands that I get to pass this off, but what are you plotting?”

As Otto scrutinized Subaru with narrowed eyes, Subaru whistled to deflect the attention.

He had mentioned that he ran into Liliana, but he hadn’t specified where. Moreover, it’s highly likely Kiritaka and the others would also foresee that Emilia’s faction would propose a renegotiation again.

Respecting that Kiritaka likely doesn’t wish for Liliana and Subaru to meet, what would he do with her? The hints lay within Liliana’s actions from yesterday.

“I found a park that looked nice, so I was thinking it would be great to hold hands and walk around there sandwiched between Beatrice and Emilia-tan.”

“That sounds fun! But is it all right to just relax like that? Right, Otto-kun?”

“You expecting me to refuse after you give me those puppy eyes? It disallows it! However, neither Natsuki-san nor Emilia-sama can come along due to various circumstances, and I’ll have to visit Kiritaka with Garfiel. Just don’t make a fuss.”

Otto stressed this, making Subaru nod gravely, while secretly sticking his tongue out at Otto.

Eventually, Subaru was assuming Liliana was barred from entering Muse Company today. In that case, the park was the only location that came to mind where she’d visit.

If they didn’t get to meet, they wouldn’t have any insurance, but if possible, Subaru wished to create a connection with Liliana there.

If Kiritaka was indeed head over heels for Liliana, she might be all ears should her wish come to light.

Of course, Subaru didn’t solely plot to exploit Liliana. If Subaru and the others responded to Liliana’s demands, it could be termed as a mutual cooperation.

It wouldn’t be right just to think of using Liliana – it’s expected for them to share their past with her despite the chance of her being disappointed once they realized it fell short of the heroic tale she yearned for.

It felt surreal just to think of being recorded in the annals of history in the position of a hero.

Not that Subaru planned to embellish it poorly, but merely stating things as they are should suffice.

At the very least, Subaru, who believes himself to be half a hero, hopes she get disillusioned by recognizing all the pathetic antics he has shown during their time so far.

“Good morning, everyone. Looks like we’re the last ones here.”

Entering the tatami room after the others were Kurushu, with her long green hair tied up today. Her noble girl attire remained, and the flower-adorned hairpin was remarkably bright and splendid.

After bowing her head upon entering, she was followed by Felix and then Wilhelm.

“……”

Well-dressed and sitting tall today, catching a glimpse of Wilhelm caused Subaru to tense up. As he caught his breath and tried to sneak a look at Wilhelm’s side profile, Subaru locked eyes with him.

Breathing in surprise as the two of them connected gazes, they shared a moment of silence.

“……”

“……”

A thick silence fell.

This wasn’t simply between the two; everyone around perceived the awkwardness.

Amid the breathing silence, only the sound of the dish sizzling on the stovetops continued insistently.

As the atmosphere thickened, everyone could feel time crawl to a standstill.

“Well, um…”

“Yes, what is it?”

There came out a faltering voice from Wilhelm.

That took tremendous mental strength for him to say. Subaru and Kurushu, who shared the sentiments in that moment, widened their eyes.

Not to mention, immediately after speaking, Wilhelm appeared exhausted, as though drained from saying it.

Hearing those words, Reinhardt gasped and hesitated to respond.

The red-haired knight’s finely chiseled profile and blue eyes glimmered with an unfamiliar surge of emotion.

That emotion looked akin to struggle, and Reinhardt closed his eyes and exhaled to conceal it.

Then,

“Yes. Understood. Grandfather.”

With a smile softening his mouth and narrowing his eyes, which could not be labeled a genuine smile, this expression was likely the smile of Reinhardt only born after the ‘Sword Saint’ persona shifted aside.

Wilhelm’s expression morphed into one of disbelief, slowly taking in the significance.

The tension burdening Wilhelm as he bowed his head, seeming to hold something back while closing his eyes.

It could be he found it challenging to accept immediately.

Nevertheless, if it’s sent, it will surely reach him in time.

Once received, it’s simply about acknowledging and filling that space slowly.

The lengthy gap extending between the grandson and grandfather was poised to dissolve over the same span—being together again.

With that future in mind, Subaru clenched his fist tightly, filled with overwhelming emotion.

He sincerely wished to express his congratulations to Wilhelm’s joy through words.

Thus,

“Well, this is just ridiculous, old man. How’re you pulling this now?”

The sliding door swung open, revealing a red-haired person.

The malice behind this red-faced man’s words left everyone dumbfounded, trapped in time; they all could do nothing but stare blankly.