――For Subaru, this was the third time visiting the village.

　一回目はラムと訪れ、二回目にはレムと回った村落。領主の屋敷のすぐ側にある村にしては規模が小さく、住んでいるのはせいぜいが三百人前後。元の世界の地元の小学校よりずっと少ない。

　Even knowing it was so tiny, it felt so overwhelmingly large for Subaru that he couldn’t even grasp the size of such a village.

　三百人前後などと簡単にいっても、その全員を調べて回ることなど不可能だ。ましてや時間は、楽観的に考えても今日、明日しかない。

「Even so, we finished the work pretty quickly, huh?」

「Balus was unseasonably sharp today. What happened?」

「Heh, maybe the slumbering potential within me has awakened! Ram-chan, feel free to praise me directly, just don’t fall in love, alright!」

　Having been highly praised for the morning’s work, Subaru was riding high.

　In order to ensure the afternoon shopping went smoothly, he threw himself into finishing essential tasks. Until now, such enthusiasm often led to setbacks, but for some reason, this time felt different—he was relaxed and could take it easy.

　Naturally, Emilia’s warm lap came to mind and made his ears heat up.

　――I must have been put at ease.

　Despite having been forced to put on airs when with the twins, he didn’t feel that mental strain anymore.

　There was still some tension, but in a good way, it pushed Subaru’s resolve and focused him.

　Thus, strolling through the village with flowers in both hands, Subaru’s feelings were calm enough to be described as “not trembling.”

　It was a matter of feelings towards the two, but also a matter of the tension involved in moving through the village.

　――I must avoid being caught off guard by the person in question with any strange behavior.

　From last night’s Q&A with Beatrice, he learned about the conditions under which a sorcerer casts a curse—physical contact with the target.

　To curse someone, a sorcerer must engage in some form of contact with that person first. If you think of a sorcerer purely as an assassin, this condition becomes quite risky.

　Considering it from the knowledge of his former world, the act of sniping from a distance would suffice, so having to expose oneself like this doesn’t make sense.

　Paying this price ensures the absolute efficacy of the curse once activated, though.

　In any case,

「The suspect’s conditions haven’t changed—I’ll only meet the villagers I encountered during my previous visits.」

　And if that person is an outsider from the past few days, that’s almost a certainty. Narrowing it down will be straightforward.

　As Subaru gazed at the quaint landscapes of the village, he racked his brain to recall the past. But despite his efforts, he couldn’t come to terms with every person he’d met in the village.

　He had suddenly shifted his focus from the mansion’s interior to the people outside. Scouring through this formerly excluded line was no small feat.

「For now, the ones I remember are… the “Rejuvenating Old Hag” and the Youth Club. The “Ram and Rem Guard” and “Village Elder” among some kids.」

　These faces left quite an impression on him in the village.

　The “Rejuvenating Old Hag” was an unashamed perv who left a memorable grin while groping Subaru’s backside. She apparently found young men to harass, babbling about becoming younger.

　The Youth Club consisted solely of the local young people. The leader was a loud sports-type dude with a buzz cut who often slapped Subaru on the shoulder, which was a bit much for the indoors-loving Subaru.

　The “Ram and Rem Guard” was just a convenient name; they never claimed that title themselves. Their members looked quite similar to the Youth Club, and they were led by the buzz-cut leader. They didn’t seem to like boys who got too close to Ram and Rem, going so far as to slap Subaru on the shoulder in a bullying manner.

　Then there was the “Village Elder,” a short and hunched man. He had a bald head, with white hair growing out like horns on either side. He sported a magnificent white beard and a sharp gaze that gave off the perfect “capable village chief” vibe. He wasn’t an actual village chief but just had the demeanor of one, which is why they affectionately called him “Village Elder.” He often quipped about how “modern youngsters are!” while more often than not poking Subaru, making him hard to handle.

「Looking back on it, it’s all so suspicious, huh? All of them have had contact with me somehow. Three options… well, technically it’s two options now.」

　Due to how the options two and three could be combined, they naturally settled as three distinct choices. But still, that was as far as he could venture. To delve deeper, he really needed to—

「I guess I’ll just have to step foot into the same place again, huh?」

　That was the only conclusion he could reach.

　Subaru sighed over how all he could come up with were head-on approaches. Just then, he heard voices from above him.

「What’s wrong, Subaru?」「Got a tummy ache?」「Are you hungry?」

　He looked back over his shoulder to see small figures clinging to him.

　It was a boy with short brown hair, seemingly under ten—probably around an elementary school kid. The boy grinned at Subaru, and around his waist were a handful of other small ones.

　All of them were children, barely reaching Subaru’s waist. The one clinging tightly to him numbered at four, and by glancing around, there must have been around ten in total.

　Shuffling them off his less heavy body, Subaru cleared his throat and said,

「You kids sure are persistent, crossing across dimensions just to latch onto me…」

「What’re you saying?」「Did you bump your head?」「Stomach ache?」

「Quit fixating on my stomach troubles. What’s up, are you trying to give me diarrhea or something?」

　At Subaru’s words, the children burst into laughter. It was likely more amusing than anything, simply reacting to the “diarrhea” part.

　Even talking about bodily functions could garner giggles from kids, which seemed a universal truth across worlds.

「And suddenly, the nature of being pestered hasn’t changed either.」

　With a child perched on his back pulling at his cheeks, all Subaru could do was rue his own tragic fate.

　The “absolute loner” power in conflict with “absolute loner” power (except when it comes to kids) was fully unleashed.

「I’ve always had a pretty good rapport with kids and the elderly, huh? Honestly, I care more about getting along with just one person in this world.」

　Turning to comfort the child on his back, he heard excited voices chorusing around.

「Next is me!」「Me next!」

　Subaru was walking around town with clinging kids.

　Currently, he was free to move around solo.

　Not that he was really alone, but with so many hanging on him, his range of movement was severely restricted. Still, he was free in the sense that he didn’t have to stick with Ram or Rem.

　The maid twins who had come with him had said,

「Sister, sister. Let’s gather the lighter items together!」

「Rem, Rem. Leave the heavy and awkward stuff to Balus!」

　And rushed off to shop, leaving behind thoughts that would depress him later.

　It might have been a consideration for Subaru wanting to see the village, but he honestly wished at least one of them would have stayed behind. Doing so would’ve spared him the impending tangled chaos…

「If I didn’t have to nervously greet the suspects…」

　Sweating bullets at the thought, Subaru once again voiced his thoughts to review the situation.

　In searching for the sorcerer, Subaru had chosen a very simple approach.

　――Luring the sorcerer out using himself as bait.

　Of course, he wasn’t exactly going to say, “Please, kill me!” That would be far too extreme. Rather, he was thinking of stepping up to the stage where the sorcery would be inscribed.

　He knew this was a highly risky decision. This meant that once the sorcerer activated their magic-looking thing, Subaru would be staring down the countdown to weakness and death.

　He was effectively throwing himself onto the chopping block, waiting for the knife of the craftsman to come swinging down—this was what Subaru was aiming for now.

　If he didn’t step onto the block, he wouldn’t be able to see the craftsman’s face.

「At least, they say Beatrice can break the spell.」

　Rumor has it that Beatrice and Pack could both cancel the spell. While the latter would involve naturally bringing Emilia into the mix, if Beatrice chose not to help, then they’d have to go with that.

「Subaru, you have a bad look on your face.」「You’re scary.」「You look weird.」

「What are you guys pointing at my face for, huh? And what’s with the “weird” observation since you’ve been listening this whole time?」

　As he interjected with a comeback, Subaru dragged the kids along as they wandered through the village.

　They wouldn’t leave him be even if he tried, and they proved fairly adept at navigating the search for the suspects.

　More importantly, as an assassin who needed to avoid causing a scene in the village, no one would dare inflict harm on Subaru while he had so many children around him. Having them be a living shield served a strategic purpose.

「Guess I’m getting pretty devious, too. I’m starting to feel sick of all this self-reflecting.」

「Subaru, what’s wrong?」「What’s up?」「Are you losing it?」

「Naw, nothing in particular.」

　Grabbing at his legs were the children as he patted their heads, Subaru could only laugh self-deprecatingly.

「Well, this is all for my happiness. Just help me out a little, okay?」

　As he thought of it, he realized he hadn’t really liked kids before.

　They were loud, overly friendly, and quite selfish.

　――Perhaps it’s because they remind him too much of himself.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

「Just as I thought it was time to end this free time…」

　With her pink hair flowing, Ram sighed with a hint of disbelief.

　Receiving her gaze, Subaru rolled his arms around and said,

「I’m not doing anything strange, ya know? Hey, sorry, just a little longer. – Okay, let’s do arm swings and leg stretches!」

　Moving his body dynamically, he aimed to loosen up his tense muscles. The children followed suit, and surrounding them were members of the older folks and the Youth Club, who were late to join in.

　Taking a breath together, they all exhaled together.

　Then, for the finale, they stretched their hands into the sky and shouted in unison,

「――Victory!!」

　Hooting in triumph, they high-fived nearby adults as sweat trickled from their brows. Slipping through the returning group, Subaru approached Ram, who, in stark contrast to his bright demeanor, had a cold look in her eyes.

「So, what in the world was that performance?」

「Performance? It wasn’t really a big deal. Just a playful way to handle the rambunctious kids while the adults joined in on the fun.」

　In order to handle the rowdy children, he had resorted to something akin to a radio exercise. Recalling only having done this once as a mere radio entertainer, he had chosen to do it publicly this time around.

「I was shocked by how popular it turned out. This charm that crosses over from children to the elderly, I think that’s the secret to enduring support!」

「I don’t know about that.」

「You just cut me down!」

　Taken aback by Ram’s curt response, Subaru leaned back dramatically, and the children nearby mimicked him.

「Ram-chan’s so cold!」「Ram-chan’s horrible!」「Ram-chan’s scary!」

「…Did you teach them to call me that?」

「Nah, it wasn’t intentional. But I think being close is important, right? If there’s distance, you can’t really see someone’s face. …That just feels lonely to me… I think…」

「You sure can talk a lot. Ram doesn’t mind, but Rem might not like it.」

「Rem-chan?」「Rem-chan!」「Rem-chan!」

　As the children chimed in, looking back at Ram appeared resigned as she shrugged her shoulders.

　Then she turned back to Subaru.

「So, have you enjoyed the village you wanted to?」

「――Yeah, as far as that goes, it’s been smooth sailing.」

　While responding to Ram’s question, Subaru twisted his face into a smile.

　What was supposed to be a leisurely stroll through the village had turned into fateful encounters with suspects—but this time, it had happened without him striving for it.

　Not only because they were distinct figures, but perhaps the suspects wanted to connect with Subaru too. They showed up without him having to look for them, so whether by flow or design, the contact was undoubtedly an extension beyond before.

　Of course, while he avoided direct body contact as much as possible, he’d kept vigilant in ensuring that only those with a name surfaced as suspects.

「I’d love to showcase my evasive techniques in dealing with all sorts of situations. Though, with these kids surrounding me, it leaves me with limited options.」

　He sighed, grappling with the swarm of children. Unlike adults, who would give up after one attempt, kids had unyielding energy.

　However, with Ram having come to collect him, it was time to bid farewell to that youthful exuberance.

　Subaru raised his eyes with a sense of longing as he said,

「Alright kids, I gotta work, so you all back off now. Ah, what a shame! If I had more time, I would’ve played with you longer!」

「So refreshing!」「Laughing!」「You really happy, huh?」

「Shut it! If you want attention, start regarding how to treat your elders! Jumping to casual language as a newcomer just makes me realize how low my social standings are!」

　After chastising the children, he immediately realized his own shortcomings. It became a downward spiral.

　Waving goodbye to the disappointed kids, Subaru hurried to catch up with Ram, who was signaling to reunite with Rem, but just before he could start walking, he felt a tug at his sleeve. Turning just his head, he found a girl with twin braids and brown hair hesitantly stopping him.

「Oh?」

　A surprised voice escaped Subaru’s lips.

　Unlike the others who had been so actively engaging, this girl had been observing him from a distance.

　He crouched down to meet her gaze.

「What’s up? If you have something to say, I’m listening.」

「Um… this way.」

　Pulling at his sleeve, she directed him in the opposite direction of the meeting spot with Rem.

　Not wanting to pull away from the timid tug, Subaru glanced at Ram, seeking permission. With a small sigh, she replied,

「Just a little longer, let her do as she wishes?」

「Alrighty then, I appreciate it, senpai. So, what do you want to show me?」

　Following the girl as she led, the rest of the kids tagged along. They all seemed to know where they were going, sharing mischievous whispers among themselves.

「You’re gonna be shocked!」「You’re gonna be happy!」「You’re gonna be so excited!」

「Soaring expectations, huh? If I get my hopes up this high, I’d rather not be shocked. I’m the type to avoid all clichés.」

　Being nudged along by the giggling children, they pushed through a dimly lit corner between houses.

　Then he spotted what the children were so eager to show him.

「あー ah, I remember! This event was here too!」

　With an involuntary voice of realization, Subaru clapped his hands repeatedly while nodding.

　The girl, having let go of his hand, dashed off, and this typically calm girl rushed back, arms clutched around whatever they had found.

　It turned out to be a puppy-like creature with brown fur.

　Not even fully grown, it measured about thirty centimeters long when fully stretched.

　With round eyes and soft fur, it held undeniable charm that stirred Subaru’s heart as a lover of fluff.

　His arm instinctively reached out, but he managed to suppress it and exhaled deeply.

　Surrounded by kids showering it with love, the creature felt like a pampered royal pet. But based on past experiences—

「Grrr!」

「Here we go again…」

　The moment Subaru moved closer, it frizzed its fur and warned him off.

　With its tiny body fully on guard, the kids reacted with surprise.

「It’s usually so tame!」「It’s only growling at Subaru!」「What did you do, Subaru?」

「That’s what I wanna know! Is this just bad luck between me and this little guy?」

　As he addressed the kids’ outcries, Subaru kept observing the little creature that wasn’t warming up to him at all.

　There was no reason behind it at all; this would mark the third time they’d crossed paths. For this same creature to have the same reaction only proved to reinforce a cyclical pattern. Somehow, Subaru found himself on a narrative loop that had yet to relent, mirroring the previous encounter perfectly.

「But if it has to be the same reaction, I really hope it’s a friendly one this time…」

　Third time being the charm while still facing rejection was demoralizing.

　Wearing a forced smile to beg for favor, recently, the creature suddenly relaxed.

　Having snuggled into the girl’s arms, it was now almost on the verge of offering itself to Subaru, who seized the opportunity and stepped forward.

「Well then, if you don’t mind…」

　Slipping his arm under the fluff of its body, he dove into a full-fledged fluff assessment.

　Starting with the head and back, a gentle pass over the belly followed, tackling all key areas, saving the ears and tail for the later treat.

「Whoa, it’s as if this fluff ball has come straight from my dreams! Pretty nice fluff action here. But being a stray has its drawbacks. Maintaining a healthy coat needs proper brushing and affection.」

「I don’t get a word you’re saying!」「Fluff action? What’s that?」「Just an adult looking gooey-eyed over a puppy, kinda cringy.」

「Why has that third guy been so relentless?!」

　A beautiful chestnut-haired boy smiling innocently gave Subaru a puzzled look. As an angel-like kid, it surely had inflated his ego.

「Won’t you be the cause of heartbreak for countless girls in the future?… But aside from that, fluff therapy is the pinnacle of human culture.」

　In the softness of that lovely fur, Subaru felt his grumpy heart begin to mend.

　No wonder cat cafes are all the rage these days. One would hardly consider the fusion of a cafe with cats hygienically plausible. The mastermind behind such a notion must have been a genius fluff-lover.

「Fluffy creatures and fluff lovers are destined to attract one another, huh? Truly poetic. And you’re just the most lovely thing. Still, there’re spots I’m concerned about. Oh, look, a little bald patch on top… no, a one-yen bald spot! It looks pale, so where did you… OUCH!」

　It seemed pointing out that little issue triggered something because, just as he said that, the dog suddenly bared its teeth.

　With a bite to his left hand, he yanked it back, light blood tracing its way down his arm.

　Subaru winced, looking at the injury.

「What luck this event has. The positioning of the bruise seems nearly identical. Are you time-looping me here or what?」

　Despite the small creature’s renewed hostility, it made no attempt to respond beyond snarl.

　Once again, the standoff between one human and one creature began, overseen by the watching children.

「Guess it’s because I got cocky.」「If it lets you touch it that much, what did you expect?」「Every bit of her must be sensitive.」

「Clearly, things are going sideways, here… and not a single person is worried about me? Isn’t it about time for a tsundere to show up?」

　As he grumbled at the children, no one paid him any mind. Likely due to his earlier outburst.

　The little puppy, startled by his loudness, wiggled from the girl’s arms and dashed off towards the thicket.

「Oh no, oh no!」「Oh no!」「Oh no!」

「Great, we all have scattered now! I messed up! I didn’t mean to! This always happens!」

　Stomping his feet in lament, he promised several apologies and waved goodbye to the children as they rushed off in pursuit of the dog.

　Parting ways with those who left marks all over his body, he hurried back to where Ram was waiting.

「Sorry for the wait.」

　Crossing her arms, leaning against the wall, the authoritative maid shifted her one open eye in Subaru’s direction and said,

「After letting a junior out to do a simple task, he returns with ruffled hair, wrinkled clothes, and blood running from his left hand. Care to explain?」

「Sorry about that! A whole lot happened, what’d you expect?」

「Well, I have a pretty good idea, given that I was watching.」

　With a refined expression laced with real concern, Ram exhaled softly.

　Taken aback by her uncharacteristic attitude, Subaru furrowed his brow, but just then, Ram looked at him and snorted.

「You’re a mess all around, and it’s time to regroup with Rem. She’ll fix both of those issues.」

「Say what? Ram-chan can’t heal with magic?」

「If it involves cutting off the affected area, I can manage.」

「That’s a bit too dangerous!」

　Subaru couldn’t hide his tense reaction. Just then, Ram moved closer, gripping his sleeve and began to lead him away.

　It was unusual for her to initiate contact like this, causing Subaru’s eyes to widen in surprise, when Ram glanced back and said,

「Balus, are you coming?」

「I’ll be right there! Followin’ you!」

　As he responded, he caught a glimpse of her lips curling up for just a moment.

　With her sleeve still wrapped around his arm, he began to walk.

　Part of him wished she could act cute like this more often, but another part mused that such simplicity might just lead to those other unpredictable comments.

　Sincerity surely has its time and place.

　While he contemplated this, he and Ram made their way towards where Rem was waiting.

　For some reason, he felt as if the pace was slower than usual, but he noticed the soft touch leading him.