A hoarse voice spun a proposal that greatly perplexed Natsuki Subaru and his companions.

“——–”

The “infantilization” that struck Subaru and his friends—the perpetrator was Roswaal Dunkelken.

The condition presented by Roswaal to lift the “infantilization” was as bizarre and disorienting as one would expect from an old man—no, a strange old man—who had toyed with Subaru’s body and mind until now.

After all—

“Hey, a race…?”

Subaru was terrified of what unreasonable demand might be thrown at him and stumbled over the words he had just heard.

At Subaru’s hesitant tone, Roswaal, with both hands open, raised an eyebrow suspiciously and said,

“What’s with that question mark? You’re not saying you don’t know what a chase is, are you?”

“Of course, I know the word. But it doesn’t seem like something that should come up in this situation.”

No matter how you looked at it, “chasing” was just a child’s game.

It was hard to think it would imply something deeper. Although, when it came to the chase played in the Shinobi village, there might very well be some unique rules involved.

For example—

“During the chase, it’s open season on lives, or something like that.”

“Hahaha! No way! If such a terrifying game were popular, the Shinobi would be wiped out in no time! And at the hands of this old man’s own power. Isn’t that scary?”

Roswaal dismissed Subaru’s concerns, but considering his past deeds and words, Subaru believed he was someone who wouldn’t hesitate to stain his hands with the blood of his own kin if necessary.

To be honest, he wouldn’t be surprised if the Shinobi village had already been destroyed.

“So, what kind of chase are we talking about?”

It was Abel who urged on the conversation, while Subaru was gradually burning with suspicion.

“Oh,” Roswaal said, smirking at Abel, “You seem rather eager, young masked one.”

“What a fool. The question of whether to take on this challenge or not has already passed! The moment we revealed we have the information you desire, that’s when it became clear.”

“Hahaha! Well, that’s true.”

With an exaggeratedly wide grin, Roswaal laughed shamelessly.

In reality, Abel’s observation was correct, and Roswaal’s reasoning was malicious. Regardless of the outcome of this chase, he would obtain the information he sought.

How that information would be extracted, whether through negotiation or torture, was precisely the goal of this “chase.”

“Now, as for the mechanics of this chase, it’s not anything particularly special. One side runs away, and the other side catches them… ah, it’d be better if I were the one running away. You see, chasing a large number of people is just too exhausting for an old man’s body.”

“So, if we catch the old man who’s running away, we win? That makes it pretty straightforward.”

“Straightforward, indeed…”

Medium responded optimistically, while Talitta had a more pessimistic outlook on Roswaal’s rule explanation.

Subaru leaned more towards Talitta’s concerns, too. Certainly, the rules were simple, leaving little room for uncertainty. — In other words, it would clearly showcase the difference in abilities.

And regarding their abilities, Subaru and the others were far from Roswaal’s league.

“Well, considering there are mostly kids, it might be rough. So, I could relax the conditions a bit.”

“You’re the one who came up with it, and you’re saying that so nonchalantly…!”

“Don’t get so mad now. If I slip my fingers off the bowstring, I can have a reason for self-defense, so the conversation would move along a lot quicker, you know?”

“——–”

Looking over the faces in the room, Roswaal shrugged, causing Talitta to grind her teeth.

According to the crazy old man’s observations, Talitta’s bow was still aimed at Roswaal. However, Roswaal remained unfazed and was even using this as a bargaining chip.

Subaru could well imagine Talitta’s pain. However, what should be prioritized now was—

“Relaxing the conditions, you say?”

“It’s about the way we play this chase. Even if you don’t have to catch me, if you find me, then that counts as a win. But in that case, it’d be a best two out of three.”

“Best two out of three…”

“I’ll hide three times. You guys try to find me three times. If you can’t do that, you lose. In that case, it’s more like hide-and-seek… which sounds a bit odd, huh?”

Roswaal pondered, scratching his chin as he frowned.

Subaru’s rising words from deep in his gut were—

“—Hide and Seek?”

“Oh, that’s a good name. Let’s go with that.”

With a snap of his fingers, Roswaal eagerly latched onto the sound of “Hide and Seek.”

He then raised one finger from each hand, showing them to everyone before declaring,

“In a chase, you only need to catch me once. In hide-and-seek, you have to find me three times. — What do you think has a better chance of victory?”

With one eye closed, he questioned Subaru who held his breath.

As Roswaal said, this was a question with an obvious answer. — With Subaru already aware of Roswaal’s overwhelming prowess as an extraordinary being, there was no reason to choose the chase.

Yet—

“You’re being surprisingly kind. Offering a method that gives us a better chance of winning makes me suspicious of your ulterior motives.”

Abel challenged Roswaal, who was trying to give up his advantage.

With his helmet removed as a substitute, Abel wrapped cloth around his face. Even though the voice through the fabric was somewhat muffled, it was clear in tone, making it not too hard to hear.

Roswaal listened intently to Abel’s words and shrugged.

“Oh, oh, don’t mistake it for me being desperate to win, young man. I’d prefer it if you won, you know? I’m doing this to see whether your story has value or not.”

“———”

“I’m quite interested in your tale, after all. However, if I end up being fed some ridiculous lie and then my loyalty to the lord is questioned, that would be concerning for my retirement funds, right? I need to be careful, using this with whatever brain is still left in my body, that’s why I’m putting forth this idea.”

Roswaal waved his fingers with both hands while he casually rattled off his answer to Abel.

Even after hearing that answer, Abel’s suspicion wasn’t dispelled. However, it was undoubtedly a coherent response, and any further questioning would be hesitated, it seemed.

Subaru himself wasn’t naive enough to believe that Roswaal’s answer was the unvarnished truth.

Yet, time and resources were too scarce to uncover the true thoughts of this experienced Shinobi’s strange old man.

Meanwhile, the deadline presented by Yorna was creeping closer by the second.

The inconvenient two choices proposed by Roswaal—under the given circumstances, neither choice seemed particularly optimal. There was almost no chance of recovering from this situation.

More than that, it could be said that arriving at this very situation was the result of their best efforts.

“—If I’m going to accept your proposal, we need to solidify the conditions clearly.”

“Oh, what do you mean by that?”

“You said yourself. If it’s more beneficial for us to win, then you should leave as much room as possible for desperate measures. — What we both desire must be made clear.”

“—Hahaha.”

It seemed that Abel had also reached the same conclusion, and he fixed his gaze on Roswaal as he pressed onward.

Clarifying the rules of engagement—what lay behind that posture was crystal clear. It was proof that he had already decided on accepting the challenge and precisely what he would allow.

Roswaal let out a low chuckle, returned Abel’s gaze with a glint in his eye, and Abel nodded in agreement.

Then—

“—It’s hide and seek.”

The details exchanged between the two parties came down to basically three things.

The first was a guarantee that “neither side would cause harm.”

Roswaal could easily massacre them if he wanted. What kept him from doing so were nothing less than the commands of the false emperor and his caution towards Yorna.

But since he could break that promise depending on the situation, this guarantee was essential.

The second was that “the hiding places were restricted to within the city.”

If they were to believe that there remained a sliver of hope for their success, restricting the area was indispensable for fairness. Of course, even if limited to the city, the usable area was still considerably vast.

However, in regard to this, Subaru hoped that the condition he had pushed through would come into play.

And lastly, the third was the “clarification of the victory conditions.”

Having chosen hide-and-seek because it seemed to offer a chance to win, no one would consider it wrong to pursue victory.

Therefore—

“I understand how the odds shift between a chase and hide-and-seek. But why three times? Why not just have one round each without skimping?”

“Hahaha! Now that’s too greedy, young man. No offense, but the chances of luck skewing favorable in a single round seem rather high. But if it’s three rounds, that’s where skill comes into play.”

“Luck can be a part of skill too, you know.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t believe in luck. In fact, most people in the Empire feel the same way. It’s a rare thing for someone to say something like that.”

It’s truly a no-exit line of thinking for a skill-centric empire.

The notion that neither fortune nor misfortune exists, and every outcome is the result of one’s ability looks unbearably stifling for those unable to live without escape routes.

For example, Subaru during his school refusal days would have no place in the Empire.

“Anyway, since you guys have shrunk down to three, three rounds seem fair. We just recently came up with this excuse.”

“Then, after we find you once, will you release one of us?”

“Oh, you’re making good use of your brains here. If that’s how we play it, then let’s throw that excuse out the window.”

Roswaal vigorously shook his hands, refusing Abel’s clarification.

Anyway, around the point where they dove into that, there didn’t seem to be anything left that required careful reconsideration.

In other words—

“Well then, let’s go ahead with the match.”

“Roswaal, it’s a small detail, but let’s reconfirm… The hiding places don’t include any places we physically can’t reach. If you hide somewhere remote, we won’t stand a chance.”

“You’re a real stickler for details. — Well, I would have done that without you mentioning it.”

“――――”

“Just so you know, I’m not some cranky old man who simply wants to win at all costs! But don’t forget it; this is a trial for you guys.”

In other words, that meant they were being judged not just on being clever or crafty, but also on mental agility.

Roswaal had a way of appearing affable and relaxed, but when making a decisive cut, he could be harsh. If he deemed the value of observing them insufficient, he would mercilessly go for their weak spots.

Now, if Subaru hadn’t pressed for it, he likely intended to do so seriously.

More importantly—

“—I didn’t think that young masked man over there would overlook this part.”

With a gesture, Roswaal pointed to Abel, revealing a smile of cunning.

Feeling the weight of that trouble, Subaru caught Abel and Al’s eyes, noting when they nodded and resolved to face the challenge.

“If we win, we’ll have you return us to our original state.”

“If I win, you’ll have to wait ten years for your return. Well, if the lord and that fox girl decide to reconsider, I’ll hear your secrets my own way.”

The implication that this was a Shinobi village interrogation technique—akin to torture—sent chills down Subaru’s spine, yet he reflected Roswaal’s dark eyes back at him.

And before the strange old man could move to his first hiding place, Subaru asked,

“—So, what’s the first hint?”

It was a question that, if taken seriously, would have been dismissed as foolish in a real, serious contest.

However, Roswaal didn’t laugh at it. Because this was precisely the condition Subaru had imposed to win at hide-and-seek against Roswaal.

Now that they were “infantilized,” what Roswaal wanted to see for his evaluation wasn’t combat prowess or physical ability, but the previously mentioned mental agility and creativity.

Simply put, it boiled down to one sentiment: “I don’t deal with fools.”

“To start with, I’ll hide near this inn, at the ‘Behind the Eyelid.'”

“—Behind the Eyelid.”

“So, do your best, young one. I want to enjoy this, as I’m an old man with not much time left.”

Waving his hand, Roswaal turned his back to Subaru and the others. — In that instant, Subaru felt the tension in the room tighten at the old man’s leisurely retreat.

“——–”

In that moment, if anyone felt they could leap at Roswaal and solve hide-and-seek and “infantilization” and all problems at once, there wouldn’t be a single one who didn’t think that.

But no one acted on that reckless impulse. That was the right move.

“Hahaha!”

Just before the door closed, Roswaal’s laughter was perhaps an indication he had sensed the hesitation of the group.

Including that hoarse laugh, he had acted just as expected from the “Malicious Old Man.”

When Roswaal exited the room, it became clear again that only allies were left inside—

“Talitta, lower your bow. There’s no one left to aim it at.”

“…Yes.”

In the now enemy-free room, Abel ordered Talitta to lower her bow.

Following that, Talitta’s face was streaked with discontent. Of course. There was Roswaal, keeping his composure under the threat she posed.

For Talitta, who was one of the population of Shudrak—no, already assigned as the next clan head—the strange old man’s posture felt like a mockery of Shudrak’s strength.

Roswaal had belittled the “People of Shudrak.”

And it was all due to her own inadequacies.

Originally, Talitta had accompanied them to the Magic City seeking the determination to succeed her clan.

—And now, rather than gaining confidence, this had only served to have the opposite effect.

“Are you all really going to play along with that old man’s antics, brothers?”

Al spoke to Subaru, who couldn’t find the words to say something to Talitta.

Al, who still found it hard to adapt to wearing a mask, had frustration and discontent woven into his tone after their interaction with Roswaal. It was a surprising reaction, considering that Al usually accepted things nonchalantly.

Still, with Roswaal getting the upper hand, Al’s feelings of irritation were understandable.

“I don’t feel good about being bested like that, either. Still, we managed to find slivers of hope, right?”

“Hope, you say…?”

“The chance that we can return to normal? Right, Subaru?”

Medium was holding down the struggling Lui, sitting cross-legged on the floor. With little size differential between them now, she restrained Lui through skill rather than sheer strength.

That must have been a technique she honed back in the orphanage she grew up in.

While comforting Lui with her blue eyes, Subaru nodded, saying, “Yeah.”

“If we had offended him, we’d be stuck in our child-like bodies… That would be unacceptable for our future plans moving forward. Returning is a must.”

“…We could have beaten him to a pulp while surrounding the old man, you know?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. The only reason we’re still standing is that Roswaal was inclined to obey the emperor’s orders. If he’d truly wanted to, we would’ve had no chance.”

“—— So you seem to speak as if you’ve seen it firsthand.”

Al averted his gaze from Subaru, his tone hinting he didn’t quite believe that was possible.

It was proper for Subaru’s insight to seem like a cheat code, given how he’d experienced it across different realities. The impossible events he conceived only happened, whether he wanted to acknowledge them or not.

That said—

“——–”

While still avoiding eye contact, Al didn’t attempt further rebuttal.

Al, too, had grasped a fraction of Roswaal’s power from his time trapped in the castle the previous day. Naturally, he wouldn’t be oblivious to the chance of disaster if the old man truly unleashed his full capabilities.

That’s why he had chosen to let Roswaal’s back recede without interference.

“Regardless, time is running out. If we’re going to meet Yorna, I need time to do my makeup. Generally, I need at least thirty minutes… which leaves us just above two hours.”

“So, you really intend to dress up as a girl…”

“It’s because they requested all three of us from yesterday. And also…”

While saying that, Subaru glanced at the silent Abel.

Since he didn’t interject, it fundamentally meant he shared the same outlook as Subaru. It wasn’t like he was lost in reflection, reminiscing about their dangerous endeavors.

Or perhaps—

“Are you shocked that Roswaal’s targeting the emperor’s life?”

“Fool. I knew he had ambitions that exceeded him. However, I hadn’t considered it would go as far as the emperor’s life. I’d always thought he’d see no gain in such actions, considering that his final goal was achieving satisfaction and ensuring his infamy after death.”

Abel shrugged his narrow shoulders, expressing his failure to comprehend.

Abel, who had been ousted from the imperial chair and driven to the utmost disadvantage, didn’t know how to give up.

To him, the best outcome would be regaining his seat on the throne; sacrificing his life for the sake of a posthumous reputation was something he likely couldn’t grasp.

Subaru agreed on that point, albeit with complex reasoning. He didn’t want to be praised after death.

He believed that once he was gone, he wanted those he loved to forget him.

He’d prefer that, instead of being mourned or burdened with sorrow, they turned him into nothing more than a distant memory the very moment he passed.

That said, he had no intention of sharing that sentiment with Abel.

“…However, Roswaal appears to be surprisingly naive. Even with such ambitions, he hasn’t noticed your true identity right in front of him.”

Thus, Subaru tried to turn the conversation toward a different topic as if dodging the situation.

But as soon as he said that, a clear look of confusion appeared in Abel’s eyes, even through the demon mask.

“—What are you talking about?”

“Huh?”

“You’re wearing that mask. Naturally, Roswaal’s reaction was to be expected.”

Abel touched the cheek of the demon mask and articulated calmly.

At those words, Subaru furrowed his brows, his expression conveying he didn’t understand. In an instant, Abel’s confusion morphed into overt disappointment.

With that gaze, Abel took a deep sigh and said,

“This mask has the effect of distorting others’ perception—a means of hiding the wearer’s identity.”

“Wh-what! You mean, it’s some kind of “perception hindrance”!? But that mask was supposed to have originally belonged to the Shudrak village…”

“Y-yes, that’s correct. It’s said that back in the day, when the emperor and Shudrak formed an alliance, he used it to visit the forest without revealing his identity.”

“So it’s got that kind of history…?”

The shocking truth unveiled caused Subaru to be left speechless. During his stunned response, Abel remained in disappointment.

“Did you genuinely think I was wearing this mask just for show or for some whim?”

“——–”

“Your foolishness has reached new heights. Typically, there’s a valid reason behind actions that hide one’s face. You weren’t planning on playing tourist in this Magic City, were you?”

“You could have just explained that from the start, rather than putting me through this…!”

Indeed, while Subaru was also at fault for not questioning Abel, who assumed he was simply eccentric, Abel’s belief that he would be understood without explanation was also flawed.

As a result, Subaru ended up feeling unnecessary embarrassment and anxiety.

Nonetheless, he now understood how Roswaal hadn’t recognized Abel’s identity.

Just by hiding his face, Abel’s haughty speech and arrogant demeanor hadn’t even bothered with a pretense.

“Hey hey, Al, Al! Abel’s saying all that, but do you have some reason for hiding your face too?”

“Mine’s because of the complex from this scar on my face… but my story isn’t important. The hide-and-seek has already started. We have to move fast.”

As Al said this, he pointed outside the window—toward the streets of the Magic City.

The size of Chaos Frame, being one of the largest cities in the Empire, would easily dwarf Castle City Gwararu by at least five times or more.

Finding the hidden Shinobi leader among such vastness was no small feat.

Especially when they only had just two hours and a mere six people to find him three times.

“You said this was just a test, but even just the area around the inn has numerous possibilities. Do you two brothers and Abel have any plans?”

“Well, there’s nothing much to call a plan.”

Nevertheless, Subaru definitely had something he wanted to try.

This “hide-and-seek” test—he inadvertently shared Roswaal’s objectives. He should try it once, in order to gauge the thinking of his opponent, the strange old man.

Abel seemed to nod in agreement, arms crossed, as he acknowledged, “Of course.”

“There are some options. Though, it may differ from that jester’s approach.”

“Dropping from strategist to jester because of that mask? You’re holding a grudge over that. …Wait, I’m not specifically aiming to get attached to your strategist role, though.”

Subaru could only grunt under his breath at the cold voice of Abel, who clearly held on to his vexation toward the mask.

Nevertheless, while the group was discussing, valuable time was ticking away.

“We’ve got to move soon, before we forget what it’s like to have limbs long enough.”

“Well, neither of us have ever had limbs that long, but…”

“That’s comparing to the current situation.”

As they shoved Al aside, the group began to gear up minimally.

Al donned his blue dragon blade in its sheath on his back, while Medium strapped one of her twin swords to her lower back. Subaru also carried a whip, though he honestly felt unsure about how well he could manage it.

Then there were Abel and Talitta, who looked perfectly ready—and then—

“Ah, uh!”

“Oh, Lui-chan, you’re all fired up! Alright, let’s do our best and go find that old man!”

“Uh!”

Medium raised a small fist at the spirited voice of Lui, who couldn’t be left behind.

In reality, the likelihood of Lui becoming a hindrance was high at this point. However, since Roswaal wasn’t allowed to change his hiding spot, Subaru would like to believe that even if Roswaal sensed the commotion from Lui, he wouldn’t distance himself unnecessarily.

“There’s also the chance that he’ll just keep changing his hiding place and insist he’s been hiding in one spot the entire time.”

“I intended to correct that, but Roswaal’s true aim isn’t to win. The convoluted tactics are all merely to test our capacities through this game.”

“Measuring our capabilities, you say? So in the end…”

“It’s to see if I have the skill to match my claim of targeting the emperor’s seat.”

Abel stated clearly to Al, who now doubted Roswaal’s true intent.

Subaru could see that he was earnest. While he found it resistant to fully trust Roswaal’s claims, since his goal involved the emperor’s life, it would serve him well if Subaru and the rest proved to be legitimate regarding their aims and possessed real, viable information.

Roswaal was indeed seeking to affirm Subaru and the others’ abilities.

To that end—

“I didn’t ask before, but about that ‘flame of the sun sword’… what’s that about?”

“Regrettably, I don’t have time to give a lengthy lecture on the history of the Volakia Emperor. Regardless of your shallow wisdom, my schemes cannot simply be enacted within a guest room.”

“Tch, got it.”

Subaru clicked his tongue at Abel’s clear intent to remain evasive.

Still, if their conversation with Roswaal was accurate, it felt like Abel—the Volakia Emperor—had some form of protection. As long as that existed, they likely wouldn’t sustain any harm.

“If I think about it…”

Up until now, Subaru had never witnessed Abel in the moments before he lost his life.

Since coming to the Volakia Empire, Subaru had continued to face life-threatening situations rapidly, even experiencing death himself and using “return by death” multiple times. However, there had never been a single instance where he was present to see Abel’s death. —Situationally, there were times when it seemed likely he had perished.

Such as when Roswaal revealed his true nature last time or during the instance when Todd burned down the forest of Budahime along with the Shudrak village; Abel’s life would have certainly been in danger.

However, those were just situations leading him to infer that would be the case. He had never actually confirmed Abel’s death. — So he wanted to confirm just one thing.

“So, is that ‘flame of the sun sword’ still protecting you now?”

“Are you for real? Or are you claiming that if I can’t answer, I’ll become your enemy?”

“…There’s no reason for me to gain anything by doing that.”

With a grimace forming across his face, Subaru once again dropped the pursuit.

With that, he took a glance around the room, taking in the faces of his companions and readying for their departure.

“This totally unexpected competition comes as a surprise. But if the condition is merely to find the other, then even with half our number shrunk down, we should still be able to make this work. In fact, considering it’s a hide-and-seek, we might even hold the advantage now, as we’re returning to childlike innocence.”

“Wh-what kind of theory is that…?”

“Leave it be. It’s meaningless, just nonsensical drivel.”

In fact, as it was no more than a throwaway comment, it was fine as far as it went, and he merely indicated his feelings of regret with the frown on his brow.

After that, Subaru raised his voice higher than necessary, saying, “Anyway!”

“Everyone, stay vigilant of your surroundings. —Now, let’s go!”

“Yay!”

“Awoo!”

“…You guys are really pumped up, brothers.”

Tidying themselves in whatever clothes were at hand, they were set to embark on this rather ungraceful adventure. Subaru, joined by Medium and Lui, raised his fists in excitement, and Al could only let out a sigh.

On the other hand, Talitta, filled with tension and anxiety, and Abel, who still held a nonchalant demeanor as he expressed nothing through his usual conceit, stood alongside them.

As the members all simultaneously stepped out of the inn room, feeling the readiness of a first round as they chased the first hiding place of Roswaal, Subaru energetically slammed the door shut behind them and strode forward—

“—And I’ll be back soon!”

“Huh?”

Hurriedly kicking off the floor and half-turning, Subaru looked back at the door he had just exited from, inducing a silly utterance from Al.

Ignoring that, Subaru forcefully flung the door open.

Then, pointing to the very room they had just exited, he declared, “—Roswaal, I found you!”

“Hahaha! Come on! To find me so quickly, that’s not very sporting of you! What a predicament, if you figured me out right off the bat, I’d be blushing red, how embarrassing!”

Upon hearing Subaru’s declaration, Roswaal, who had snuck back into the room, found it amusing, laughing heartily.

“Seriously, brother…!”

In the room, Al was astounded to see Roswaal warming up some cold tea.

Following Al’s surprise, Medium and Lui exclaimed, “Oh, it’s the old man!” “Ahhh!” While Talitta, who had peered in, rounded her eyes in astonishment.

Finally noticing Roswaal’s presence, Abel squinted and murmured, “I see, ‘behind the eyelid.'”

“So, you figured it out right from the start?”

“When I thought of the expression ‘behind the eyelid,’ this inn was the first place to come to mind. The type that challenges you to this sort of game usually does this at least once, you know.”

Subaru’s recollection took him far back to reminiscing about Beatrice—the memory of their first encounter at the old Roswaal mansion.

Where Beatrice had used magic to create looping corridors, forcing Subaru to walk the same space endlessly. Unfortunately, Subaru had seen through her plan immediately, realizing that the starting point was also the finish line.

Looking back now, he often thought it would have been better to humor Beatrice’s antics, but since the opponent was a devious old man rather than a playful Beatrice, he would spare none of his aggression.

“To be honest, I knew exactly what you were up to, ‘Malicious Old Man.'”

“Oh dear, to be dealt a follow-up isn’t good at all! This side is a sight I’d never show to the younglings in the village! How about calling you ‘Malicious Boy’ instead?”

“I’ll pass on that. To begin with, I haven’t done anything so wicked to be called that.”

“That’s just plain modesty, isn’t it? —Come on, you even made a grand spectacle to kick us off in a loud voice! What a stellar performance on your part.”

With a raised eyebrow, Roswaal scrutinized Subaru, who rubbed his cheek sheepishly.

Of course, if he made such a display, it would be deduced as intentional. Still, even if Roswaal had seen through Subaru’s genuine motive, he was restricted in changing his hiding spot.

After all, the rules were set: the hiding spot was pre-decided, and hints would be provided.

“A hasty first round, but you’ll count it as one, right? You wouldn’t hold it against me just because I refused to be called ‘Malicious,’ would you now?”

“Of course!” Roswaal said, closing one eye cheerfully.

“The speed at which the result was reached was due to my slip-ups. It would be unacceptable to let you carry out my shortcomings. Agreed, the count remains at two more rounds.”

“Yay! We did it, Subaru! We got the first one in like ten seconds!”

“Yeah, that’s great news.”

Overjoyed, Medium cheered while Subaru breathed a sigh of relief.

For the moment, the initial challenge presented by Roswaal—yes, a test disguised under the name “hide-and-seek.” It could be said that they were answering a questionnaire.

They were being tested to see if they reached Roswaal’s standards.

“This is all thanks to Beatrice…”

Just as he was about to express gratitude toward Beatrice in his heart, his thoughts momentarily turned blank.

“——–”

A slight sense of disquiet and minor anxiety prickled at his consciousness.

Before he could articulate what that feeling was—

“Well then, I’ll have to redeem my pride; time to hurry to the second hiding location.”

“Ah, right. So what’s the next hint?”

“Hmm… The next hiding spot should be well, let’s see…”

With his hands clasped behind his back, Roswaal tilted his head in contemplation. However, the pondering didn’t take long, and the strange old man grinned widely and said,

“—‘The Lair with a Good View.’ That’s what I’ll say.”

“A view… lair?”

Talitta and Al echoed each other’s bewilderment, repeating the strange hint for the next hiding place.

However, it seemed Roswaal had no intention of leaving further hints.

“The first time exceeded expectations, but the real main event starts from here.”

After that, the old man revealed his white teeth in a grin as he nimbly jumped backward. Roswaal flung open the window of the room and, carelessly, came to perch on the window frame.

Then right before Subaru and the others’ eyes, he leaped out into the night.

“Next, I’ll hide in a way that presents a greater challenge!”

“Wait, old man! …Crap, he’s gone!”

Rushing to the window in a panic, Al shouted, clutching his masked head, glancing around outside.

In actual fact, catching Roswaal now that he’d shifted into pure flight mode would be no easy task. The overwhelming speed of his getaway left Subaru assured of their decision to pivot the match from a chase to hide-and-seek.

Still—

“Subaru, what could that old man’s next hiding spot be…?”

“Uh-huh, do you think you know, Subaru? You think you know!?”

“Uhm… I mean, the thing is…”

Under the gaze of Talitta and Medium, expecting something further from Subaru, he found himself scrambling for words.

The second hiding spot’s hint, “The Lair with a Good View” — honestly, Subaru couldn’t find a single clue to get closer to an answer.

“Sorry. Nothing comes to mind just like that. It’s not so much reading your mind as it is reading the room.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t be relying on you all the time! Let’s think together!”

“Yes, I’m not particularly good at thinking either, but let’s do our best.”

As Subaru bowed his head in disappointment, Medium and Talitta replied with enthusiasm.

The first location being the starting point had fulfilled a certain narrative duty.

Even if they were off the mark this time, it was still a place where little time would be lost, which allowed for easy trial and error. However, moving forward—

“Simply put, this will now be a race against time.”

“—It’s no wonder my brothers can’t come up with the next hiding spot. I mean, that makes sense.”

“Makes sense, huh…? Even if expectations were low, getting told that kind of hurt.”

The beginning of the serious “hide-and-seek” had Subaru’s allies stabbing his back right as it started.

Of course, he accepted that judgment as legitimate, but he secretly wished they could keep it lighthearted. There ought to be a dress code even with close friends.

However, in response to Subaru’s words, Al waved his hands, saying, “Ah— that’s not it.”

“Though it’s only natural my brother doesn’t know. I mean, I’m around, after all.”

“Huh? What do you mean? You mean that with you, my IQ goes down or something? What kind of system is that?”

“It’s not quite that, but it’s a difficult thing to explain… right?”

“Even if you’re asking for agreement, I don’t get it.”

While saying that, it was strange how Al himself had doubts about his own certainty.

Letting his head lean to one side, Al considered it a mystery while how far this topic could possibly progress in a constructive direction seemed bleak. The “good view” left behind by Roswaal had now become the immediate priority.

“The first room was the ‘behind the eyelid.’ The ‘Lair with a Good View’ feels like an appropriate rephrasing, but…”

“A good view implies a height of some sort, doesn’t it?”

“But then, ‘lair’ refers to a hole, right? Holes would be in the ground, wouldn’t they?”

Perhaps a spot fitting that description could exist within Chaos Frame.

In any case, the volume of information gained from just a single room wouldn’t lead to any solid conclusions. It became exceedingly clear that they must venture out into the city.

“…I’m not thinking clearly. What about Abel’s strategy?”

“I told you that it is not something viable to use here. Ideally, a place with many people… especially somewhere frequented by outsiders works best.”

“A place meant for outsiders? Where would that be in this city…?”

Al tilted his head, pondering the execution of Abel’s plan.

The intent behind seeking places frequented by outsiders was unclear, but it was evident they wouldn’t be provided information until the execution stage, likely due to the precariousness of what they would share. While it wouldn’t be outright betrayal, it wouldn’t be easy to deal with either.

Naturally, it was understood that the man was willing to cut ruthlessly and spare no offense if it came to winning.

“In a place with heavy foot traffic, how about… um, that one place to get drinks?”

“A tavern?”

“Yeah, that. I think aiming for there would be a good move.”

Whether it was wiser to pursue Roswaal directly or assist Abel in fulfilling his strategy was a matter open for debate, but presently, prioritizing Abel feltwise.

Thus, they exited the inn with renewed spirits and their focus set on the city.

“With a group of us traipsing around, it’s bound to draw unnecessary attention.”

“Having four of the six be children means don’t complain. Besides, in terms of drawing attention, with the demon mask on, that’s already impossible. Would the mask… um, or rather the effects of the mask really show different faces?”

“It only obscures identity, the looks probably don’t change; you’d still stick out like a sore thumb.”

“Then, it’s definitely going to draw attention…”

Disregarding Abel’s misguided complaints, Subaru sighed as he slumped his own shoulders.

Greeting the staff at the inn at the entrance, they inquired about the location of the tavern, then stepped into the busy street. As they embarked toward the tavern to fulfill Abel’s objectives, deeper in thought, suddenly…

“Should we split up into groups, going to the tavern with Abel while some of us fan out to look for Roswaal…?”

Just as he was going to make that suggestion—

“—Huh?”

Suddenly, a red light flickered in the corner of his vision, dazzling Subaru’s eyes.

And then—

“Oh, what a lovely name! That one we’ll adopt!”

“Huh?”

The crimson glow seared into his sight, and an unexpected voice struck against Subaru’s eardrum.

At the accompanied sound and abruptness, a silly sound escaped Subaru’s mouth, prompting deep chuckles just ahead of him. That low, raw laughter caused Subaru’s eyes to widen in disbelief.

“Hahaha! What’s with that foolish sound? It’s a great name and worth the praise, you know.”

“…Roswaal?”

The hoarse old man stood right before him, laughing, his thin shoulders shaking in amusement.

The suddenness of it all left Subaru dumbfounded, blinking several times as he processed. Then he swallowed hard, managing to declare,

“I-I found you, Roswaal!”

“—? What’s this now? Are you under the illusion that the match has already begun?”

“Eh…?”

This unexpected second discovery mixed with anxiety was something he was determined not to miss this time.

A slight tilt of Roswaal’s head and his utterance, and most strikingly, the surrounding scenery—the streets of the Magic City—had suddenly morphed into the interior of a room.

—No, it wasn’t just any room.

“…No way.”

He was back inside the guest room at the inn. —So, standing right there facing Roswaal, he had to acknowledge that he had “returned by death” under rules that shouldn’t allow for such an outcome.