“—Subaru knows just how painful it is to be forgotten. So, even as a joke, I would never say that I’d forget someone.”

“—――”

Just before returning to the room, Subaru held his breath at the voice he heard from inside.

Although he couldn’t see her, the beautiful tone of silver bells belonged to Emilia. His lips twitched into a forced smile at the tension in her voice and her choice of words.

A strong trust was embedded in her voice, accompanied by an equally large plea.

That plea was directed towards “Natsuki Subaru,” and decidedly not “菜月・昴.” He felt the weight of that distinction just as he did in their earlier exchange.

“…I wouldn’t even joke about that. Yes, for once, Emilia is right.”

Hearing that voice, Ram, who had accompanied Subaru, muttered with self-deprecation. Unlike Subaru, who was holding a bucket of water, she clutched her elbows with her bare hands, digging her nails into her pale skin.

That was a restraint, a regret, and the painful continuation of an unreachable vow.

“Ram…”

“Those are useless nonsensical words; just brush them off. Talking about it earlier will only worry Emilia and the others. For the sake of my honor, keep silent. If you speak…”

“――――”

“…You really don’t remember, do you?”

Was she implying that it would be scary if he did speak? Or perhaps Subaru should’ve preempted her jab with a quip.

Like when he sought a way to keep his sister’s existence tethered, Ram looked at Subaru with sorrowful, light-pink eyes. That sentiment vanished within the blink of an eye.

Was Ram’s inability to let him speak a strength of hers, or simply a weakness?

He couldn’t discern the depths of her heart.

Only a faint trace of where she had clung to Subaru’s chest remained.

“—I apologize for the wait. I’m back.”

Without even giving time to ponder, Ram resumed walking and stepped into the room. That resolute posture was a manifestation of Ram’s firm will. In response, Subaru held back on mentioning it.

When Subaru returned to the room after her, a sense of awkwardness pervaded the space within.

Even so, it felt somewhat better compared to the shock of Subaru’s earlier confession.

To prove that point, after Subaru returned, Emilia kindly said, “Thank you for your hard work,” and the next voice to speak was—

“…I’m sorry for exposing my disgrace earlier. May I have a moment to speak again?”

“O—oh. No, no, you surprised me, to say the least… Ah, wait, I don’t want to interrupt the conversation. Please, go ahead.”

“Please, don’t be so tense. It makes me somewhat uneasy to be treated with such formality.”

The violet-haired handsome youth smiled gently—that would be Julius, right?

He had gone pale right after Subaru’s confession. During the time Subaru was fetching water, Emilia and Beatrice likely spent a considerable effort on persuasion, as he seemed to have regained some spirit to engage in conversation.

However, there was Ram’s earlier remark as well. When she heard about Julius, she told Subaru it was cruel. Just what did that even mean?

“Allow me to reintroduce myself, Julius Euclius. I serve as a knight to Lady Anastasia over there… well, in a sense, we are friends.”

“I see, nice to meet you… Why do you seem so unsure about that?”

“Unfortunately, it’s not unusual for there to be some divergence in our perceptions of each other. I considered you a friend, but I can’t speak for how you viewed me…”

“Guess it’s literally lost in memory then, huh?”

“…Exactly.”

Subaru curled his lips slightly at the underlying elegance in Julius’s words.

According to Emilia and the others, it was a journey through relatively harsh environments—naturally, since they traveled together and he was the only male, they should have formed some level of trust.

That aside, with Julius’s knightly demeanor and earlier remark, it wouldn’t be too surprising if Subaru’s first impression of him prior to losing his memory had not been so great.

“Don’t worry about that. Subaru and Julius are really close friends. We, who were right there with them, can vouch for that.”

“Right? I don’t think there’s any need to worry about that, actually. It’s not as if the knightly brother has issues far beyond that, anyway!”

Emilia, hands on her hips, interrupted their exchange while Meily added a cheeky comment with a glint in her eye.

Emilia’s words were simply from a place of concern for Subaru’s first interactions with Julius, but Meily’s were filled with a different kind of sentiment.

When Subaru frowned at that, Julius nodded, as if understanding.

“Yes, indeed. As Meily said, we need to discuss what happened to Subaru, but our issues don’t end there. Let me explain it here.”

“Does that relate to Lady Anastasia, who’s been acting strangely since this morning?”

“…You are quite perceptive, Lady Ram.”

Julius replied, slightly averting his eyes as he responded to Ram’s words. In response, Ram narrowed her eyes at Anastasia and let out a small sigh.

“Balus, bring me a bucket. I’ll prepare a meal.”

“…Aren’t we supposed to be having an important discussion?”

“We’re all in the same room. It’s not like the conversation can’t be heard. …Keeping my hands busy helps distract me.”

In a rough manner, Ram snatched the bucket filled with water from Subaru’s hands and headed towards a pile of belongings in the room’s corner. She began the morning preparations exactly as she had claimed.

“Sorry about that. Ram isn’t usually like this, though…”

“Don’t worry about it. I can understand how she feels. —It’s like the information she was craving desperately is now suddenly out of reach.”

Slowly, Anastasia shook her head at Emilia’s apology. Both Emilia and Beatrice frowned in response to Anastasia’s comment.

For Subaru, their concern was a mystery—its answer would soon be revealed through Anastasia’s own words.

“Well, it’s already been a day full of great upheaval. I hesitate to add to the surprises, but… continuing to hide things will only cause disharmony. Hence, I hope you’ll bear with me as I reveal something.”

“…That was quite a grand and roundabout way to put it. Can we get to the point already?”

“There’s no need to fret, Beatrice. —You and I might as well be sisters who share some depth of relation, as you can probably guess.”

“――――”

At Anastasia’s words, Beatrice’s cheeks tightened. Naturally, the girl standing next to Subaru delicately tugged at his sleeve, seeking support.

Seeing this, Subaru hesitated briefly but took her hand. Her fingers trembled slightly with surprise, but her small palm quickly welcomed the warmth.

“…Your relationship with your contractor is sweet and ideal. I had hoped to build such a bond with Ana, but things haven’t gone smoothly.”

“Referring to her by name like some stranger. As I thought, you’re…”

“Ah yes, your suspicions are correct. —The will residing in this body is not Ana’s. Anastasia Hoshin sleeps deep within this body. The words exchanged with you are that of a temporary master holding onto this vessel, a specter.”

Emilia gasped, and Beatrice clenched her hand tightly. Julius’s expression turned somber at the revelation, while Meily remained bored as ever. Beside Meily, Shaula sat cross-legged, focusing her attention not on the confession but rather on Ram who was preparing food.

Ram’s back was turned, making it impossible to see her expression.

And Subaru was—

“…I have no clue what we’re talking about.”

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, he felt left behind, unable to do anything but wear a troubled expression.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

—The body of the girl who identified herself as Anastasia Hoshin is currently possessed by an entirely different being, while her consciousness lies in a deep slumber.

In short, the explanation from Anastasia—claimed to be Echidna, was of that content.

It seemed to shock Emilia and Beatrice as well, but for Subaru, it simply accelerated an already bewildering situation.

Originally, Subaru had no memories of Anastasia. To now be told that the person he initially greeted, whom he was told was Anastasia, was in fact someone else…

“…S-so, that’s how it is. Well, um, that’s a big deal, right?”

He could only react with such distant thoughts.

Of course, it was easy to guess from the reactions of those around him that this was a very serious matter. After all, they were here for the very purpose of the tower.

They had come seeking a way to save the slumbering girl, the people afflicted by some illness… —At least, that’s what he had heard.

“Just when we arrived at the tower, we ourselves are in bad shape… Balus has lost nearly all his memory, and Lady Anastasia’s consciousness is shrouded in darkness.”

“I can’t see any bright conditions at all…”

Under the succinctly summarized words of Ram, Subaru felt a desire to bury his head in his hands.

Problems were piling up—first of all, Subaru still hadn’t yet faced his own issues. In such circumstances, there was little he could do when inundated with one challenge after another.

At this rate—

“I think it’s pointless if we just keep looking down. I completely understand the desire to worry. But still…”

“—――”

“I mean, we’ve come to this tower with the expectations of many people on our shoulders. Right now, it’s a huge problem that Subaru and Lady Anastasia are in such a dire situation. But…”

With a clap of her hands, Emilia gathered everyone’s attention before pausing for a moment, then surveyed the room with her deep purple eyes.

“We can’t stop here. —I’ve been taught not to give up, and it’s something I want to carry forward.”

With those strong words and while looking each person in the room in the eye, her gaze finally landed on Subaru, causing his throat to constrict at being pierced by her beautiful violet eyes.

Naturally, his heart warmed. He couldn’t think of what to say, but he felt the hope in her eyes. Receiving that, Subaru steeled himself and clenched his fists.

“Ow! That hurts! Wait, Subaru!”

“Oh, sorry… No, it’s not that sorry. This just means I’m getting fired up.”

“No matter how you put it, pain is pain! You should reflect on this!”

“Um, sorry if it hurt. But getting fired up isn’t a bad thing… Ah, right.”

Apologizing to Beatrice, whose delicate hand was nearly crushed, Subaru shook his head.

It made sense to want to make a grim face in such a situation. However, sulking over problems without a solution doesn’t lead to any progress. That was a certainty, given Subaru’s experience.

Even Subaru would have been at a loss in such a situation if he was alone. But he wasn’t alone. Even without memories, Emilia and the others were there to encourage him.

So…

“Sure, it’s my fault that I lost my memory and caused everyone trouble. But that doesn’t mean it’s automatically a hopeless situation. Let’s try changing our mindset. With my current self, free from unnecessary restraints, maybe I can come up with fresh ideas that easily spill out. That might just lead us to a hint to resolve this situation!”

“…That’s a rather optimistic opinion.”

“Is there any benefit in wallowing in gloom? Important things lie ahead. They say fortune favors the bold, right? And when it comes to tackling this tower? Flexibility in thought might be what’s needed here, ideas that come from this other world rather than being shackled by this one!”

With that spirited speech, Subaru pushed back against Anastasia—no, Echidna, who was taking a lighthearted view. While it was bravado, he needed to break the current heavy atmosphere.

In response to his thought process, those who had been frowning showed signs of change.

“…Yeah, I suppose you’re right. Subaru has always jumped over various tough situations. So, surely we can overcome this too, right?”

“Alright! That’s the spirit! Though, it means it’s still mostly my role to try my best, and since more is expected of me, I’ll do my utmost. Especially with the support of cute girls!”

“Thank you, Subaru. —Yes, it’s nice. I’m glad. You really are Subaru, after all.”

“――――”

Subaru was taken aback by Emilia’s whisper as she gently exhaled in relief.

—After all, he is Subaru.

Her heartfelt exclamation of relief mirrored Subaru’s own sense of comfort.

This seemed fine. He felt he could begin to bridge the gaps in understanding with her, the Emilia who knew Natsuki Subaru. If he did that, surely the awkward relationship would smoothly flourish.

“…Well, well, how very optimistic of you.”

“Oh?”

The sudden remark directed at the relieved Subaru came from Julius. He shrugged and leaned towards Subaru with an amused grin, saying, “No, I was just thinking that regardless of having memories or not, you seem unable to distinguish between bravery and foolishness. Perhaps it’s the very fact that you’ve forgotten how formidable the obstacles in front of you are that brings about such musings.”

“Look who’s talking, getting all snarky. That’s your true self, huh? Julius-san… or should I say, just Julius?”

“…I see. As Lady Emilia said, it could be that the presence or absence of memories is trivial. Regardless, it’s true that a person’s essence doesn’t change that easily.”

“I can pretty well imagine how you and I used to interact. We’re both pretty easy to read, after all.”

Their exchanges carried a not-so-threatening tension, definitely not hostile, but not amicable either. However, Subaru was confident this reflected their distance with Julius.

His first impression didn’t lead him astray. The initial encounter between Subaru and Julius had hardly been a pleasant one. The events that allowed them to travel to the tower further down the line were something to ponder later…

“I look forward to working with you, Julius. Until my memories return, do put in some effort rather than coasting by.”

“Yeah, I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll take on that burden, willingly. —Memories are insignificant. Yes, indeed. …Exactly that.”

With Subaru’s friendly greeting, Julius nodded quietly, allowing a break in the conversation.

The memories may have been lost, and many problems arose. It was undeniable that this wasn’t a situation where they could greet each other with smiles, but still, there was strength in looking up.

“The fact that the person himself isn’t taking it too seriously might be a saving grace, I suppose.”

“Just because it isn’t outwardly evident doesn’t mean this heart of mine isn’t being rocked by a storm. But hey, later on, I’ll have Emilia-chan soothe me softly in a moment of our own.”

“—? Shall I sit on your lap?”

“Ah, no, sorry. That might be a bit too early…”

As Subaru puffed up his chest and got carried away, he suddenly faltered. How could he quail at the thought of Emilia treating him gently?

Especially the idea of sitting on her lap. Naturally, his eyes drifted toward her soft, white thighs—

“Prepare’s done! Help carry them, you perv Balus!”

“Ouch!?”

A sharp kick to the back of his knee made Subaru cry out and fall. Ram looked down at him, her expression twisted in disdain as if to say she found him repulsive.

“Being overly optimistic is one of Balus’s few redeeming qualities. Make use of that to tackle cooking preparations. Tidying up, cleaning, and every last chore too!”

“That’s just Ram trying to avoid work, isn’t it…?”

“Hey, master! I’ll help too! Food! Food!”

Any protests against Ram’s harsh decree were drowned out by Shaula, who was eagerly diving into the meal preparations. She started carrying dishes, prompting Subaru to reluctantly join in.

“The menu is… something that really screams emergency rations.”

“It indeed is emergency rations. Thanks to Lady Emilia, we could carry some fresh provisions, but we’ve run out. From now on, it’ll be tasteless meals.”

“Well, let’s hurry up and conquer this tower so that we can head back to the human world.”

There’s that saying that a human’s mental ease is born only when their basic needs are met. In that sense, it was questionable how settled their lives in this tower truly were.

Especially when it came to food, combined with his blank memories, this tasteless emergency food would be etched in Subaru’s mind as the ‘basic taste of the other world.’ This was difficult.

“Excuse me during dinner, but there’s something I want to confirm with you, Natsuki-kun.”

“Hungry, so hungry… Wait, me? What’s this about?”

While Subaru role-played being a summoned slave lamenting his modest meal, he halted upon hearing Echidna’s questioning.

“Pardon the intrusion, but while we just united to face this predicament positively, I’d like to share the circumstances surrounding what happened to Natsuki-kun. After all, the strange phenomenon which occurred due to entering this tower is tied solely to your memory. To put it paradoxically, we have no idea when or where the same phenomenon may befall us.”

“I see, that’s indeed a point. It’s something I can understand… Memory loss is a pain.”

“That’s quite a curious way of describing it as ‘my issue’…”

Nodding in acknowledgment, Subaru observed Beatrice’s expression shift to one of exasperation.

Nonetheless, Echidna did have a point. Moreover, Subaru himself needed to understand the circumstances of his memory loss better. The key to restoring his memory was likely related to how it was lost.

“――――”

Seated to Subaru’s right was Beatrice, and to his left, Emilia. The two girls, who had been beside him as he awoke with amnesia, emanated ungrounded trust and affection. He wished to know what kind of memories they originated from.

—No, he felt he must remember, thus compelling himself to do so.

“However, I also heard that I lost my memory when I woke up, so I can’t be certain. …Emilia-chan, how did you find me?”

“Well… in the morning, I couldn’t find Subaru on the dragon cart, nor could I see him in the fourth-layer room, which made me worried…”

Having heard the word “dragon cart,” Subaru felt a slight stir of interest but refrained from interrupting, not wanting to derail the conversation. It likely had to do with the Earth Dragon he had seen in the Green Room—it was probably something similar to a carriage, and he placed his curiosity on the back burner for now.

“Beatrice didn’t get as panicked as Emilia. However, losing track of my contractor in this strange tower was troublesome. So we roamed about the tower together searching for you.”

“Roaming about?”

“We found you collapsed in the white library of the third layer and carried you to the Green Room.”

As Emilia and Beatrice jointly recounted their story, Subaru let out a “haah.”

“The third layer, that’s one of many levels in this tower. We’re currently on the fourth level, advancing toward the first layer, which marks the top. The third layer has already been conquered… by none other than your own wit.”

“Thanks for the clarification… By my wit, huh?”

Julius filled in the slightly lacking details. However, that content seemed to lack credibility in Subaru’s eyes.

Still, in response to Subaru’s reaction, Emilia added reassuringly, “It’s true. We were completely baffled, and you solved it on your own in no time… it was really so cool!”

“Haha, thanks… That… it’s not exactly something you hear often nowadays.”

“――――”

“Did I say something weird?”

What had been intended as a humble response left Emilia silent. For just a moment, a profound emotion seemed to swell within her eyes, though Subaru couldn’t discern its nature.

Regardless, such waves were beyond his reach.

“Anyway, so you carried me to that overgrown room for a reason?”

“That room is protected by a special spirit. That spirit has the ability to heal human injuries… So, I placed Rem in that room as well.”

“Okay, okay, I get it. Then, that’s why I ended up there… By the way, is there any possibility that the room is the reason for my memory loss?”

“Well…”

With Emilia showing signs of having not considered that, Subaru squinted an eye.

This was purely Subaru’s speculation, but assuming the spirit took a plant form, a certain kind of cruelty could be presumed.

Gardens of flowers may allure insects with their beauty and sweet nectar.

Or perhaps akin to a carnivorous plant, ensnaring insects and draining their life forces.

Healing one’s body while draining memories—such a possibility couldn’t be completely dismissed.

“That is a rather far-fetched perspective, but it’s quite unlikely. If that were the case, I should have experienced the anomaly long before you, having been in that room longer than you.”

“…So, that means the original owner of this body not waking is unrelated to the anomaly?”

“Anas’s situation has been a problem well before arriving at the tower. Its correlation with the Green Room is insignificant. And then there’s, let me see… At that point, did the Earth Dragon have any memory of you?”

“What?”

“That Earth Dragon was notably attached to you. If the spirit in that room had an affliction of memory absorption, she might have turned away from you.”

Amidst Echidna’s words, Subaru recalled the Earth Dragon that had snuggled up to him right after he regained consciousness.

Indeed, the Earth Dragon had been rather affectionate with Subaru. If it were due to originally being Subaru’s Earth Dragon, that made sense. At the same time, it also surprised him.

“That Earth Dragon was female, huh…”

“Let’s bring it back to the main topic. The likelihood that the room has caused any harm is slim. I believe the problem lies more within the room in which you collapsed—the third layer’s Taygeta library, as you mentioned.”

“Yeah, right. I collapsed on the white floor in that room…”

As he recalled that moment, Emilia grasped her own wrist tightly.

“In a hurry, we carried you to that room and tried to call the others…”

“While calling, you woke up, and Subaru was in this state. So it’s unlikely the Green Room was responsible for it based on timing. …It’s turning out to be that library.”

If a problem existed, it seemed likely that the library was the source.

It seemed that they had reached a consensus on that point, but Subaru still didn’t quite connect with what kind of room that library was, as his imagination fell short.

“By the way, what kind of room is this Taygeta? I feel like I’ve heard that name before…”

“That library is the room where ‘The Book of the Dead’ exists.”

“The Book of the Dead… Sounds quite edgy, huh?”

Setting aside his interest in the sound, Subaru bit into the concept of ‘The Book of the Dead.’ Acknowledging his reaction, Julius continued with, “While I can’t be completely certain,

that library had books bearing the names of the deceased from nations across the world. It requires certain qualifications to read. Likely, only those connected to the dead can read their respective books.”

“What a morbid… So, what’s actually written in those books?”

“Essentially, the lives of the deceased. A powerful consciousness rushes in and floods your mind. It’s not exactly something you’d want to confirm repeatedly.”

From Julius’s explanation, the heavy weight of experiences conveyed by one who had actually been through it could be felt.

Having a deceased person’s consciousness etch its way into one’s mind wasn’t something anyone would likely want to experience. And if he had collapsed in such a library—

“—Did I, get knocked out reading a book? No way, could it be that it messed with my brain?”

“It’s hard to entirely rule that out. How do you see it, being a ‘sage’?”

“Wait, are you talking to me?”

Nodding at Subaru’s guess, Echidna cast a meaningful glance at Shaula. The unbalancing call of ‘sage’ felt utterly inappropriate.

In fact, it wouldn’t be too far-fetched to say that Shaula was the one in this chamber furthest from being a ‘sage.’

“Whatever the case, I don’t know how come I’m being called master by you…”

“Don’t worry. Even before your memory loss, Balus had the same reply. For convenience, I’ll just keep quiet and keep using you. …It’s the bare minimum.”

“That’s jumping to conclusions, you know!”

In the face of Shaula’s gaze, which could easily be described as maximum affection, Subaru was left with perplexity.

Being in an environment where a glamorous beauty was close wasn’t necessarily a joyous thing. If the source of that affection was uncertain, it merely became a cause for confusion.

Besides, he felt a peculiar sense of imbalance between her goodwill and affection compared to the earnestness Emilia and Beatrice exhibited toward him.

Subaru wasn’t sure if this was a byproduct of his amnesia, but—

“Anyway, it seems that library is suspect. If it might hold the key to restoring my memory, it might be worth checking out.”

“That would be the logical approach. Given the mountains of challenges piling up, having fewer issues to contend with is certainly preferable. And in such situations, I find it easier to realize…”

“Realize what?”

“—Just how much you have been supporting us all along.”

With Julius’s words, Subaru narrowed his eyes slightly, letting out a small huff.

Not from embarrassment; it was genuine wry amusement. It was an exaggerated overestimation. To be so dependent on Natsuki Subaru was a sign of desperation.

In the end, it seemed Subaru had become quite the burden to the others without knowing.

“Regardless, I’d like to check the library after finishing my meal. If any of my lost memories are scattered there, I want to gather them up and piece them back together.”

“What a strange way of saying it. You’re so typically Subaru.”

“That typical Subaru tone, that’s not a compliment, right!?”

Subaru lightened the atmosphere deliberately, causing Emilia to smile faintly at him.

With that response, the tension in the room lessened ever so slightly.

With a clear objective, it felt as though they could now build a more genuine sense of optimism.

“Sorry to interrupt that atmosphere, but I have one more question for you, Natsuki-kun.”

“Well, at this point, just throw anything at me. What is it?”

“Um, this isn’t really related to your memory or tower exploration… it’s more my curiosity…”

With that preamble, Echidna stroked her flowing hair with her fingers. Then, with an adorable expression, she gazed intently with deep intelligence in her azure eyes and asked.

“What does ‘isekai’ mean, which you often mention?”