―― The search of the Third Layer “Taygeta” ended without any results.

“I’m sorry. I tried so hard to find a clue, but…”

With a serious expression, Emilia bowed her head to Subaru, apologizing for the unfruitful outcome. Subaru accepted her apology gratefully, but honestly, his disappointment wasn’t that great.

Of course, it would have been ideal to regain his memories here, but he had been unaware of his memory loss from the get-go, and emotionally, it didn’t feel like they had experienced nothing at all during their search activities.

“—? Master, what’s wrong?”

“Nah, it’s nothing.”

Shaula tilted her head with a carefree expression as she cast a glance Subaru’s way. With her long, jet-black braid swaying, Subaru felt a ticklish sensation and shrugged his shoulders.

No malice, no hidden intentions, and no deep thoughts.

In other words, she was simply not thinking at all, which felt like a relief to Subaru right now.

At least it was much better than having to mind everyone’s concerned expressions or being overly worried; it felt much more comfortable to be watched anxiously.

“From what I can tell, there seems to be no regularity in the arrangement of the books. It doesn’t seem like they are arranged according to title or in chronological order. Furthermore, books that should have been found yesterday are not even on the same shelves I retraced my memories to.”

“That’s a troublesome and unhelpful library you’ve got there.”

Subaru wrinkled his nose at Julius’s comment as they surveyed the library.

Not only was it an overwhelming collection of books, but the mixed-up arrangement also meant that a library user was utterly helpless.

Even if there was a book they sought, it wouldn’t be found at all in this mess.

“For instance, would it be such a bad idea to systematically pull books out and stack them on the floor? The bookshelves are all encircled by walls anyway, so there’s really no edge, but if we designate some point to start and methodically check, we might achieve some kind of result.”

“In my imagination, it would be wise to avoid that. That would likely violate a forbidden rule within the tower. —Would be seen as disrespecting the library.”

Subaru tilted his head as he suggested this idea, only for Echidna to dismiss it. In response to Echidna’s reasoning, Beatrice crossed her short arms and said, “Is that so?”

“Leaving books on the floor won’t go unnoticed by Betty, who is experienced as a librarian. It’s not acceptable to treat books with such disrespect.”

“Beatrice, you’ve often left books piled on the floor yourself, haven’t you?”

“That was because it was the proper storage method for certain books!”

Beatrice’s lame excuse earned a sigh of resignation from Ram, who narrowed her pale pink eyes but didn’t speak. Beatrice looked shocked at the sight.

As such librarian talk unfolded, Subaru pondered, “Forbidden rules?”

“Sorry, I seem to have left out that explanation.”

With her finger raised, Emilia responded to Subaru.

“In fact, there are several rules within this tower that we aren’t allowed to break. Um, like, ‘don’t leave the tower without completing the ‘Test,’ don’t do bad things in the library, don’t destroy the tower,’ typical rules and all.”

“I see. So leaving books on the floor counts as doing bad things in the library, huh? By the way, who determines if the rules have been broken?”

“Yes, yes, me! I, the star watcher, will judge it! And if I find any rule breaking going on, I immediately become a heartless killing machine! So I’d really appreciate it if you could avoid that!”

“A heartless killing machine… is that you?”

Upon seeing Shaula happily raise her hand, Subaru snorted with skepticism.

Regardless of how much he believed her lighthearted remark, it seemed inconceivable that this lively, boisterous girl could transform into a soulless killing machine. After all, one has to wonder what she could truly accomplish with those delicate arms—oh wait, that might be irrelevant in this magic-filled fantasy world.

Moreover, the truth was that Shaula wasn’t siding with Subaru and the others; she was said to be the star watcher of the Pleiades Watchtower, overseeing things.

She served a different kind of irregular role compared to Meily, acting as a coordinator to ensure the smooth progression of the tower’s ‘Tests.’ —Not that she had given off that impression at all.

“If that’s such an important position, can you let us off the hook a bit with your discretion?”

“Oh, you’re bad! Master is truly dirty! But, that slightly naughty side is just irresistible! If it’s a request from master, I’d love to help out, but this doesn’t really depend on my will, so I hope you run ahead with good sportsmanship and work hard in a friendly manner.”

“Completely useless.”

“Aww.”

The plan to cozy up to the supervisor ends in failure due to the surprisingly shallow authority of the role.

By the way, while the conversation unfolded, Subaru flicked Shaula’s forehead as she leaned in close, pushing that charming face back. With that, Subaru sighed helplessly.

Then,

“…It seems that Subaru and Shaula are quite chummy now.”

Emilia murmured softly as she observed their interactions.

Her statement seemed to imply that she wanted to convey a heartwarming sentiment, causing Subaru to feel a bit embarrassed as he quickly replied, “No, no, it’s not like that.”

“——-”

However, his attempt at a lighthearted quip was stopped short by Emilia’s gaze, which had turned downward.

Emilia’s expression bore no smile or cheer. She simply looked down, with her long lashes framing her eyes, which swayed wistfully within their deep purple irises.

As Subaru caught his breath, Emilia, noticing the shift, hurriedly waved her hands.

“Ah, no, that’s not it! It’s really a wonderful thing to be friends. A downcast face doesn’t suit you at all, Subaru… um, it’s totally fine.”

With a forced smile, Emilia spoke as if convincing herself.

“Ah, Emilia, listen…”

Yet as Subaru placed a hand on his head, he found himself at a loss for words.

At this moment, he feared that anything he said would be a misstep.

After all, the correct answer in this situation seemed to reside solely within the memories that had faded away. It felt like a nightmare where every option presented was a wrong answer.

In this predicament, what words could he offer to a girl who’s trying to deal with her sorrow before him—

“Hey, what are we going to do next?”

Just as such silence threatened to settle, a sweet voice interjected.

Looking, it was Meily, seated on the floor of Taygeta with her chin resting on her hand. From her low position, she turned her gaze around to the adults,

“Brother didn’t find any clues about his memory. That’s disappointing, but, so what do we do next? Should we keep searching for the memory clues diligently? Or…”

Pausing mid-sentence, Meily raised her index finger against her cheek and pointed up at the ceiling.

Then, forming a somewhat provocative smile, she continued,

“How about aiming higher up? We can put brother’s memory stuff on hold for now.”

“…That’s right. That’s one possibility worth considering.”

Emilia’s thoughtful response to Meily’s suggestion came with a contemplative look on her face. Emilia’s surprised expression met that of Echidna when she reacted positively.

“Wait! I feel the same urgency! But we can’t leave Subaru behind like this!”

“I understand your feelings. It’s undoubtedly also the desire of me, Julius, and everyone else too. We all wish for Natsuki-kun to regain his memories… However, don’t you think we could consider the current situation in a different light? The amnesia might be part of this tower’s ‘Testing.'”

“Subaru’s memory might be part of the ‘Test’?”

Emilia and everyone else cocked their heads at Echidna’s unexpected words. Among them, only Echidna closed one eye and said,

“Is it not obvious that common sense doesn’t apply here? It’s hard to believe that what happened to Natsuki-kun is unrelated to the tower’s workings. If it were not for that, we wouldn’t have come all the way to Taygeta. —In a broad sense, it can be thought of as his memories being taken by the tower.”

“The phrase ‘stolen by the tower’ sounds a bit like a middle school fantasy charm. If it weren’t about me, I’d be really excited to join the conversation… Still, I thought the ‘Test’ of Taygeta was already completed. Is it really strange for my memory to be snatched away here?”

“Yes. That’s why I suspect that the reason for the memory loss isn’t directly related to the ‘Test,’ but rather due to an infringement of the forbidden rules. Although the ‘Test’ of Taygeta may have ended, the functions of the tower are not fully executed. For instance, the inability to break the rules or show disrespect to the library.”

As Echidna laid out her theory, Subaru’s head swirled with confusion.

In a nutshell, Echidna was suggesting:

“Could it be that yesterday, I broke one of those forbidden rules and then went BOOM? Honestly, it’s way too lazy of me to seek loopholes, so I can’t argue against that.”

“But if that’s the case, Shaula should be furious, right?”

Echidna nodded to Subaru’s conclusion, but Emilia interjected. She pointed at Shaula and reminded everyone of their previous exchanges.

“If the rules are broken, Shaula will definitely be mad, right? This should be a completely separate issue from memory loss!”

“Yes, indeed. While it’s possible that Balus foolishly broke the rules, Shaula has not shown her fangs to us or Ram yet. What do you make of this?”

Emilia’s remark was further taken up by Ram, who directed her pale pink eyes at Shaula.

At that gaze, Shaula twisted her body uncomfortably, retreating behind Subaru.

“Don’t tell me you seriously abandoned your role just for Balus?”

“That would definitely be too optimistic. However, as Miss Shaula stated earlier, her awareness of acting as the enforcement officer of penalties in this tower seems rather weak.”

Julius stood beside Echidna, shrugging in agreement with her opinion.

“There are four forbidden rules presented to us, and should any of those be broken, the penalties may not be uniform. Miss Shaula may turn against us and attack, but it’s possible that the penalty for showing disrespect to the library is simply memory loss…”

He paused his words, suddenly looking over at Subaru with a sharp gaze.

“——-”

The emotions that flickered in those yellow eyes were complex and unreadable to Subaru.

Yet, Julius continued, saying,

“That being said, we have no time to verify whether this theory is correct.”

“If it’s just the memories that will disappear, then we could sacrifice Balus’s memories from four or five hours awake to check it out. That way, the damage would be minimized.”

“Don’t make a guinea pig out of people! Their memories shape who they are! Even four or five hours mean I’m still me! I’m not the bad Natsuki Subaru!”

“Just kidding.”

As Subaru shook his head vigorously, Ram coldly replied.

Whether it really was just a joke was somewhat dubious. Maybe it was because she seemed pure-hearted and unwilling to show weakness that Subaru felt like it could be true.

In any case, regardless of whether Echidna and Julius’s theories were true, they were considerations worth pondering.

Simultaneously, Subaru had his own thoughts about this memory loss.

It was—

“Honestly, even if your opinions are true, I’m against aimlessly floundering about here. It feels like, even if I just keep thrashing around desperately, I’m not going to find the lost memories.”

“Is that based on some kind of evidence?”

“It’s a gut feeling. Besides, if this is really part of the ‘Test,’ maybe clearing the test will cause my memories to pop back in!”

“——-”

At Subaru’s words, the expressions on Emilia and the others reflected surprise, but that was more of an evocation of hope rather than disbelief.

Emilia clenched her fists in front of her chest and nodded several times.

“Yeah, if Subaru’s memories were absorbed by this tower, they might be returned after the completion of the ‘Test.’ ”

“The expression that they were absorbed feels a bit too cute to me, but that’s the spirit!”

“Yes, this spirit!”

Subaru smiled with relief at Emilia’s adorable fist pump.

Seeing this, Beatrice shook her head, saying with a sigh as if exasperated,

“Honestly, I can’t tell who’s encouraging who here.”

Certainly, the roles seemed reversed here— but Subaru thought to himself that this was perfectly fine.

He had unearthed a string of hope to pull on, and Emilia’s eyes had regained their strength. This filled Subaru with great relief.

A somber face did not suit the girl. Moreover, she truly cared about him. The prospect of causing her to wear a gloomy expression felt immensely sorry for Subaru.

“So I was the one dawdling around with a highflower by my side…”

“I can’t tell what you’re saying, but for now, let’s put Subaru’s memories on hold. If we’re going to finish the tower’s ‘Test,’ we can only move upwards.”

“Upwards, huh? Uh, if we’re talking layers, since we’re in the third layer now, that means we’re going to the second layer next.”

As he said this, Subaru started to look around the storage room. Although he hadn’t explored it, he had observed the room plenty by now.

There was nothing in the room but bookshelves. That effectively meant there were also no stairs up to the higher levels.

“Where’s the staircase to the second layer?”

“The stairs are on the fourth layer. There’s a staircase that connects the fourth directly to the second… which is there, but…”

Emilia’s face turned troubled as she stealthily glanced at Julius. Upon catching this glance, Julius frowned and replied,

“I won’t be acting independently like yesterday. I promised that during breakfast. That said, even without that…”

“Raid, the first ‘Sword Saint’ is a formidable foe, isn’t he? Now, what shall we do?”

Julius and Ram exchanged bitter expressions with one another. That feeling was not limited to the two of them; it seemed to be a sensation shared by nearly everyone present.

The exception was the grim-faced Shaula, who grimaced as if swallowing poison and then exclaimed,

“Ah—sorry. So, who or what is this Raid?”

Once again, Natsuki Subaru found himself completely out of the loop.

—

The first ‘Sword Saint’ Reid Astraea.

That is the name of the examiner who operates in the second layer of this Pleiades Watchtower.

For starters, hearing the title ‘Sword Saint’ was completely new to him, and adding the fact that he was the first raised an immediate sense of the strong character that Subaru’s subculture knowledge didn’t get wrong.

He didn’t expect to be disappointed; in fact, he was confirmed to be an overwhelming powerhouse of some sort.

As it turned out, the party that confronted Raid yesterday had supposedly experienced a vast difference in strength analogous to that between an adult and a child.

Even so, the fact that Emilia somehow grasped victory through skill and serendipity was commendable—

“The problem is, having lost my memory, I can’t be of any help at all.”

At breakfast, he had bragged about the innovative ideas that would sprout as they cleared the tower, but from what he heard, it seemed that the ‘Test’ in the second layer was purely a contest of strength. In other words, there was no room for cunning or modern knowledge.

“I wonder if I could do something like scatter flour to create a dust explosion…?”

The easy and most powerful technique of “dust explosion” sounds so good in theory, but even if he wanted to, he had heard that it requires a lot of powder to be carefully coordinated. Besides, given that food was declared to be precious, Subaru wouldn’t be brave enough to simply waste flour it everywhere.

Not to mention whether or not there was any flour to begin with.

“I’d like to expect my cheat ability, which got me summoned to another world in the first place.”

Pressing his hand against the stone wall, Subaru let out a huff! But there were no shockwaves emanating from his palm, nor did the stone wall shatter. All that happened was that a gritty sensation in his hand and an empty feeling rose in his chest.

Unfortunately, it seemed that the cheat ability Subaru had earned was not something so straightforward like body enhancement.

While his hand remained pressed against the wall, he twisted his body a bit and kicked. To his surprise, his lifted foot left a mark on the wall much higher than anticipated. His toes hurt. Another misfire.

“Then it’s magic, I guess? Beatrice, teach me what magic I can use.”

“With magic, Subaru can never use it again.”

“Never?! Why?! Did I dabble in forbidden spells or something?!”

“You might have used the beginner magic you were told not to too much, leading to the gate being destroyed. That means Subaru can never use magic again.”

“You destroyed it using beginner magic?! How lame!”

Subaru felt like bursting into the heavens upon hearing that he had broken his magical life, not through a grand spell but rather through some basic beginner magic.

Regardless of his memories, his life as Natsuki Subaru in this other world had been a rough one from the start.

“At least being surrounded by good people is some kind of consolation.”

As he slightly opened and closed his hand, Subaru released a profound sigh along with that sentiment.

Even if it was one-sided, it was comforting knowing there were people who understood him. Without that, he would have been cast into an unfamiliar world, absent of any special abilities. Honestly, he wasn’t skilled enough to survive alone in that kind of unknown condition.

So, having friends now felt like a blessing. —Even if it led to someone’s downcast expression.

“So here I am, showing this ‘highflower’ my moves…”

“I can’t make heads or tails of what you mean, but for now let’s set aside the issue of Subaru’s memories. If we’re going to finish the tower’s ‘Test,’ we’ll have to head upwards.”

“The upper floor, huh? Well, I hear we’re on the third layer now, so next up is the second layer.”

Saying that, Subaru peered around the library. He hadn’t done much walking in here, but he’d already observed enough of the room.

There was nothing in the room but bookshelves, which meant there also wouldn’t be any visible stairs.

“Where’s the staircase to the second layer?”

“It’s actually on the fourth layer. There’s a staircase that connects the fourth directly to the second… but…”

Emilia’s expression turned serious, and she subtly glanced towards Julius. He received that glance and frowned as he responded,

“I won’t be acting independently like yesterday. I swore that at breakfast. However, even still…”

“Raid, the first ‘Sword Saint’ is a tough opponent, huh? What should we do then?”

Both Julius and Ram shared a bitter expression. That sensation was shared not only between them but nearly all members present.

The sole exception was Shaula, who grimaced as if she had taken a harsh medicine before saying,

“Ah—sorry. So what exactly is this Raid?”

Natsuki Subaru remained completely clueless regarding the situation.

—

The first ‘Sword Saint’ Reid Astraea.

That’s the name of the examiner stationed in the second layer of this Pleiades Watchtower.

Hearing the title of “Sword Saint” for the first time sent a signal to Subaru’s fantasy senses of a powerful character and even more so by the prefix “first.”

As Subaru had expected, it was indeed verified—this so-called “Sword Saint” was an overwhelming powerhouse.

Evidently, the group that challenged Raid yesterday had felt a clear distinction in strength between an adult and a child.

Yet among it all, the fact that Emilia managed to secure a win through her skill and a bit of luck proved to be impressive—

“The issue is that, with no memories, I’m as useful as a rock.”

At breakfast, he had flaunted innovative ideas coming to mind to get through the tower, but from what he heard, the ‘Test’ on the second layer seemed to be purely a trial of strength. There’s no room for clever tricks or modern knowledge to play a role here.

“I wonder if I could just scatter flour and make a dust explosion or something…?”

Dust explosions sound like a simple winning strategy, but he has also heard that actually executing it requires a lot of flour and careful adjustments. And being informed that food is precious, Subaru wouldn’t have the courage to just waste flour everywhere.

Besides, he wasn’t even sure if flour was available to begin with.

“Then there’s always the hope that my cheat ability as a summoned hero might be on my side.”

Resting his hand against the stone wall, Subaru sighed in frustration, yet no mystical shockwaves or stone crumbling occurred—only the gritty sensation against his palm and an increasingly empty feeling in his gut.

Sadly, it appeared that whatever cheat ability Natsuki Subaru had received was not a straightforward physical enhancement.

Kicking the wall as he partially twisted his body, Subaru shot his foot up higher than he expected. Crunching pain shot through his toes. Another useless endeavor.

“Then I guess it has to be magic! Beatrice, can you please teach me some magic I could use?”

“Regarding magic, Subaru can never use it again.”

“Never?! Why not?! Did I mess with forbidden sorcery or something?!”

“You might have used beginner magic too much when told not to, leading to breaking the connection entirely, so you could never utilize magic again.”

“You broke it with magic at the beginner level?! That’s just pathetic!”

Subaru was ready to weep at the idea that he hadn’t sacrificed major magic for colossal spells, but rather broke it over what was merely beginner magic.

Regardless of the memory’s state, the reality was that his life as Natsuki Subaru in this alternate universe would begin from the bottom.

“At the very least, I can lament that I’m surrounded by good people.”

With that, he slowly flexed his open hand and sighed deeply.

Even with their mostly one-sided relationship, knowing that there were individuals concerned for him was a comfort. Otherwise, he would have been flung into a completely unknown world devoid of special powers. Honestly, he wasn’t particularly talented or resourceful enough to survive under such conditions.

Thus, it felt like a saving grace to have these connections, even if they may have caused someone’s dejection in the process.

“And here I thought I’d be showing off my moves to a lofty, untouchable beauty…”

“I don’t quite get what you’re saying, but I suppose we can set Subaru’s memories aside for now. To finish the tower’s ‘Test’, we must advance upwards.”

“So, upwards, huh? Good, because we’re on Layer 3, so we should be heading to Layer 2 next.”

Saying this, Subaru glanced around the library, though he couldn’t really say he had “explored” yet, but had certainly exerted some observational efforts already.

All there was were the overwhelming bookshelves. So it wasn’t entirely surprising that he found a complete lack of stairs.

“Where’s the staircase to the next layer?”

“It’s located on Layer 4. There’s a staircase that connects Layer 4 directly to Layer 2… but…”

At that point, Emilia’s expression shifted to a somber one as her gaze discreetly landed on Julius. Getting the point, Julius frowned back at her.

“Rest assured, I won’t be going off on my own like yesterday; that’s what I promised at breakfast. However, even taking that into account…”

“Raid is a powerful foe after all, huh? Seems like we’ve got a bit of a quandary on our hands.”

The exchange of amicable yet pained gazes took place between Julius and Ram, and it appeared that nearly everyone in their circle harbored a similar sentiment.

The huge piping hot exception was Shaula, who grimaced as if confronted with a bitter concoction, and then stated in confusion,

“Ah, so, just what is this Raid supposed to be?”

Once again, Natsuki Subaru was left in a state of complete ignorance.

—

The first ‘Sword Saint’ Reid Astraea.

That was the name attached to this examiner, stationed in the second layer of the Pleiades Watchtower.

To begin with, having the title ‘Sword Saint’ be a first was enough to strike intrigue into Subaru’s mind, which only heightened the expectation that he would be a formidable character.

Reaffirming that expectation, it turned out that this so-called ‘Sword Saint’ was without a doubt a powerful figure.

In fact, the group that faced Raid the previous day had reportedly experienced a power disparity between them like that between an adult and a child.

While it was indeed praiseworthy that Emilia had managed a win through sheer will and luck under difficult circumstances—

“The issue lies with the fact that now, having lost my memory, I can’t be of any help.”

Back during breakfast, he had made grand proclamations about how they might navigate the tower, but as it seemed, it had merely turned into a straightforward strength contest for the second layer’s “Test.” That meant no clever schemes or tricks could come into play.

“I could just try throwing some flour up in the air and create a dust explosion, couldn’t I…?”

The concept of “dust explosions” was exciting and seemed like it could be a powerful technique—until hearing how much adjustment was required to even make it remotely possible. Especially considering food was limited in supply, Subaru certainly didn’t have the guts to waste any flour.

And even if he had the desire, it was still uncertain whether any flour was even available in the tower.

“Well, I guess I should just lean into my cheat ability as a summoned hero.”

Placing his hand against the stone wall, Subaru puffed an exhale. However, there were no shockwaves sent out through his palm, nor did the stone crumble or disintegrate. All that he felt was an abrasive texture against his palm and a hollow gnawing void that filled his chest.

Unfortunately, it seemed the cheat ability he had been afforded did not manifest as tangible physical enhancement.

Resting his palm against the wall while gently arching his body, Subaru kicked out, his foot rising higher than anticipated this time. The pain from his toes was sharp. Another unfulfilling outcome.

“That means it’s gotta be magic, then! Beatrice, can you teach me some magic that I could use?”

“Magic-wise, Subaru can never utilize it again.”

“Never?! Why’s that? Did I use a forbidden spell or what?!”

“Due to excessively using beginner magic, you likely broke the gate hereafter, so you’re doomed to never cast magic again.”

“In beginner magic?! That’s just pathetic!”

Upon realizing he had broken the magic connection not due to some big catastrophe but rather from the simple act of performing beginner magic, Subaru felt the weight of absurdity crash down on him.

Regardless of whether he remembered his memories or not, the soft reality remained: life as Natsuki Subaru in this alternate world began with an uphill battle.

“The silver lining is that I’m surrounded by wonderful people, at least.”

With that thought, he opened and closed his hands lightly, exhaling out deeply.

Even though it was asymmetric at times, having people that cared was comforting. Otherwise, he would have been tossed into an unknown world barren of special powers. Honestly, he wasn’t skilled—or clever enough to merely survive under those conditions.

So having these friendships provided him with a chance of salvation, even if it came at the cost of someone else’s cheer or light.

“So here I am, desperately hoping to impress some sheer high-class beauty…”

“Not sure what you mean but for now we really should focus on placing Subaru’s memories aside. To finish the Tower’s ‘Test,’ we’ll need to head upward.”

“Upward, huh? We’re in Layer 3 right now, which means Layer 2 is next.”

Saying this, Subaru began scanning around the library. He didn’t technically walk around as much but observed enough to gain a solid understanding.

It was simply a room laden with bookcases. No surprises there—it was expected that no actual stairways could appear.

“So where’s this staircase going up to Layer 2?”

“That’s actually on Layer 4. There’s a staircase that leads directly from Layer 4 to Layer 2… But…”

At that moment, Emilia tilted her head, a concerned look settling on her features as she fixed her eyes on Julius. He received her glance and pulled down his brow, bearing a frown.

“Make no mistake. I will not engage in any unilateral movements as I did yesterday; just as I vowed at breakfast. Yet, even so…”

“Raid is rumored to be a powerful foe. So it seems we have a bit of a dilemma on our hands.”

A slight shift of unease translated between Julius and Ram, but it was a sentiment shared across nearly everyone present.

The noteworthy departure from this was Shaula, her facial expressions tinged with an almost theatrical grimace capturing attention simply out of confusion. Following that, she stated aloud,

“Ah, excuse me! Just what is this ‘Raid’ we’re talking about?”

Once again, Natsuki Subaru found himself entirely out of touch.

—

The first ‘Sword Saint’ Reid Astraea.

That was the name of the watcher stationed in the second layer of the Pleiades Watchtower.

To begin with, hearing the title of ‘Sword Saint’ tinged with ‘first’ was entirely novel and constituted serious interest in Subaru’s mind, igniting expectations about formidable powers tied to the character.

Looking to meet those expectations, it confirmed that Reid was undeniably a being of incredible strength.

The group that had faced off against him the previous day had seemingly experienced an insurmountable disparity of power, akin to that between an adult and a child.

Regardless, the fact that Emilia managed to secure a victory through a combination of skill and luck was indeed noteworthy—

“The issue remains that, having lost my memory, it means I can’t lend any assistance whatsoever.”

At breakfast, he’d boasted about innovative strategies required to conquer the tower, but with the understanding that the ‘Trial’ in the second layer was diametrically a straight-up strength competition. The door for cunning tactics was firmly shut.

“I suppose I could throw a bunch of flour and just create a powerful dust explosion, couldn’t I?”

The idea of using a ‘dust explosion’ was alluring as it promised an easy solution to problems, but he had already heard that the practical execution required precise handling of enormous amounts of flour. Thus the notion of using precious food as a catapult into chaos made Subaru balk—he lacked the guts to just go throwing around flour.

On top of that, would it even be feasible to find any flour?

“I’ll just have to place my bets on the magical cheat ability that got me summoned here in the first place.”

Setting a hand against the stone wall, Subaru tried to focus, but nothing happened. He didn’t summon magical shockwaves with opposing forces or watch the stone collapse under immense weight; he was left with just an empty feeling that filled his chest, along with the roughness against his palms.

As it turned out, his so-called cheat ability seemed to have not manifested itself in any conventional physical form.

By now, Subaru pressed himself against the wall; half turned and threw a gentle kick. He was rewarded with the start of pain as foot made contact—leaving a mark higher than he anticipated. The ache in his toes only underscored his earlier disappointment.

What else could he do?

“So it must come down to magic then! Beatrice, tell me what magic I can actually still use!”

“About that, Subaru can use none anymore.”

“None?! Why’s that? Did I break some forbidden spell or something?!”

“You might have gone and used beginner magic too liberally; it likely led to breaking the gateway, sealing your connection to magic completely.”

“Wait…you mean I broke it using just beginner-level spells?! How lame is that?!”

Faced with memories of how he had not sacrificed grandiose magic but instead diminished himself through mere beginner magic, Subaru grappled with the sheer absurdity of his situation.

Outside of every memory he lost, the hard truth was that Natsuki Subaru’s journey in this world was starting from a lower tier.

“Supporting that feeling is that I’m surrounded by decent humans.”

Shifting uneasily, he would lightly clutch both his hands and exhume a deep sigh from within.

Despite a product of circumstances beyond their control, knowing someone cared genuinely was reassuring. Otherwise, he’d have been shoved into a new world with no innate talent. Pondering how little safety he had against the unknown was pretty damning.

So he was grateful for every bond made, even at the possibility of causing someone’s heart to dip.

“And I’m the one exhibiting this high-class beauty with my moves now…”

“I can’t grasp what you just said, but let’s set aside Subaru’s memories for real. In order to succeed through this Tower’s ‘Trial,’ we will have to advance to higher portals.”

“So, we’ll be moving upwards then. Since we’re in the third layer, the next stop is the second layer, right?”

Saying that, Subaru looked around the library—though he hadn’t wandered extensively, it was fair to say he had observed plenty.

It was merely a room filled with bookshelves. It wasn’t surprising that such a room didn’t possess overt pathways.

“So, where’s that stairway up to the second layer?”

“It resides on Layer 4. We have to direct ourselves to the second layer via the stairs leading directly from the fourth… Well, maybe…”

Upon saying this, Emilia’s expression faltered, revealing an abundance of tension as she turned to glance at Julius subtly. Julius noticed and met her gaze with dismay.

“I assure you I won’t proceed autonomously as I did yesterday; as I promised during breakfast. However, even discounting that…”

“It sounds like Raid is no easy foe. What will we do then?”

Every look exchanged between Julius and Ram translated a secondary layer of mixed concern across the group. However, it became clear that almost everyone shared the accompanying weight of uncertainty.

The only one not expressing such clarity was Shaula, who appeared taken aback, ultimately stating,

“Ah, sorry! Just what is this ‘Raid’ we’re on about?”

And yet again, Natsuki Subaru found himself utterly behind the proverbial wall.

—

 

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