A beastman, biting down on a golden pipe, looked at me with a leisurely smile as he scratched his head.

With long black fur and a friendly expression, his gentle voice exuded no malice, and his relaxed stance made it impossible to feel any sense of caution around him.

This was within a room where crucial discussions took place between important figures from the Kingdom and Empire aboard the continuously running Dragon Carriage, a fact easily forgotten by everyone, including the powerful.

“Halibel, you say…?”

It was Goz, who expressed the strongest wariness of his presence behind the prince he was sworn to protect, trembling slightly as he uttered those words.

A warrior who ranked among the strongest generals in an army full of fighters—one of the ‘Nine Divine Generals.’ Even Goz failed to notice the lurking presence of the beastman before him.

But his stiff voice wasn’t only due to that realization.

“—‘The Praiser,’ huh? What business does a key figure from the city-state have here?”

With Goz shielding him, Abel turned to face Halibel over Goz’s massive form, his expression serious.

The title ‘The Praiser’ was mentioned first. Subaru rummaged through his memories, feeling a sense of faint recognition.

With a frown, Halibel looked back at Subaru with his thin, smiling eyes.

“No need to rack your brain so much; it’s really not a big deal. I’m just called that because I’m easily flattered, and honestly, that ‘key figure’ line is a bit of an overstatement.”

“Overstatement…?”

“Exactly. It’s just that no one in Kararagi is stronger than me.”

Halibel answered as if discussing the weather, completely unfazed.

Subaru’s eyes widened at his words, and as the term ‘Kararagi’ clicked into place in his mind, he remembered whatever had bothered him earlier.

“Kararagi City-State’s strongest shinobi! Why have you boarded this Dragon Carriage!?”

In the blink of an eye, Goz stomped forward with the force to explode the carriage floor beneath him, thrusting his halberd toward Halibel.

Goz’s weapon was a uniquely designed halberd, equipped with a spiked sphere at its long tip for striking. It was similar to a morning star favored by Rem, but Goz’s was significantly larger and heavier.

Regardless, the Imperial warrior had thrust his weapon at the seemingly invincible strongest of the city-state.

It seemed like things might escalate to an immediate confrontation.

However—

“Not to spoil the surprise, but could you not get so riled up and just sit down to talk?”

“Guh…!”

Halibel tilted his head, casually speaking past the halberd pointed at him. Goz’s tense face tightened further, and his powerful arm began to shake.

Halibel was pushing the golden halberd’s tip with his own golden pipe, rendering Goz’s weapon completely immobilized.

“—”

Halibel had perfectly controlled the balance of power through his pipe, suppressing Goz so he couldn’t move his halberd up, down, or sideways, not even thrusting it.

No matter how Goz tried to move his weapon, it was pushed against the pipe and wouldn’t budge. Rather than simple physical strength, it was the ultimate technique of manipulating the flow of power.

“You…!”

Goz clenched his teeth, the sound echoing heavily in the room. Yet, Halibel’s actions were remarkably quieter than Goz’s grinding teeth.

At that moment, Halibel’s position in this space had already been established.

“Enough, Goz. Besides, if he meant to harm us, he would have taken off our heads before showing off with applause.”

“Since he didn’t do that, you’re not our enemy… right?”

As Goz and Halibel’s silent standoff persisted, Abel and Emilia chimed in.

Indeed, had Halibel intended harm, he could have killed everyone aboard without them realizing his presence.

With a broadening smile, Halibel acknowledged their observations.

“Haha, I’m glad you get it. The emperor aside, this half-demon kid here is genuine and kind. Despite being a despised outcast like me, she’s grown up nicely… she must have had wonderful parents.”

“Thank you. I think I’m lucky to have been raised by Pack and my mother.”

Halibel nodded at Emilia’s grateful words and took a puff from his pipe. At once, Goz, his weapon finally freed, found himself unable to recklessly charge at Halibel.

Regretfully, Goz kept a wary eye on Halibel, saying, “Should you utter those words again, I would exchange my life for your demise. Remember it.”

“Not gonna happen. Look, I’m sitting here all nice and polite,” Halibel waved his hands nonchalantly, pulling a nearby chair with his tail and perching himself there.

While he was about Goz’s height, the way he curled up gave him a large dog-like impression. It appeared that his insistence on being polite was genuine, not ironic.

“That said, it’s surprising for Kararagi to intervene here. It’s not like they’re as friendly with the Empire as the Kingdom is. Considering your public position, especially,”

“Oh, everyone knows me? How embarrassing; it feels like I’m a celebrity!”

“Roswaal, isn’t that position he’s public about…”

“Let me enlighten our naïve Balus who should be aware of appearances: ‘The Praiser’ Halibel is a werewolf.”

Upon hearing from Ram, Subaru’s body trembled for a moment—not because of Halibel, but for another reason entirely. He didn’t have much specific connection to the information Ram had imparted.

Yet, regardless of Subaru’s confusion, the discussion continued as if common sense still applied.

“You know the Empire’s stance on werewolves. To come all the way here over borders, you must be quite the fool for your life.”

“Well, of course, I know. I don’t feel great about it either. But as you well know, if I don’t hide being a werewolf, no one can kill me. And it looks like Cecilis isn’t here either.”

“—! You know about Seshy?”

“Yeah? Oh, I know about her. She came to kill me once. When we had a little scuffle, she said, ‘Looks like today isn’t the day to settle this!’ and then ran off.”

The conversation shifted from werewolves, and Halibel freely answered Subaru’s query.

The shocking answer revealed a surprising connection. Seshy and Halibel had once fought, and it seemed Seshy instigated their clash, which made perfect sense.

Furthermore—

“A renowned figure from the Volakia Empire, known for their decisive stance against werewolves, would have to meet with the most renowned figure from the Kararagi City-State. Especially in the presence of the esteemed Vincent.”

“Not to mention the serious discussions about our nation and the Kingdom have already been made known. This is a situation where we might need to ignite the ‘Blue Lightning’ and beheads flying.”

“…Selena, please don’t put everyone in danger with your bad taste.”

Adding onto the appraisal of the situation, Selena cheerfully proposed a perilous insight. The extremity of her remarks prompted an earnest warning from Roswaal.

As the initial shock and heat from Halibel’s appearance lessened, they found themselves back at the primary question.

“This is your final warning. What brings you here, ‘The Praiser’?”

Even if the opponent held overwhelming power in this gathering, the word ‘flatter’ wouldn’t appear in Abel’s dictionary. With the dictionary devoid of intentionally humble phrases, Subaru was eager to see how Halibel would respond.

But against the rising tension, Halibel continued leaning on the table with his chin propped up.

“Relax, I said my business first, didn’t I? Just wanted to say a quick hello.”

“That ‘hello’ wouldn’t mean something like ripping our hearts out as a greeting… would it?”

“Scary! What a dreadful thought. I wouldn’t do anything like that.”

“Then are you saying it’s really just a simple greeting, face show-off purpose?”

“Yep!”

Subaru, cautiously trying to dig deeper into this shinobi-style greeting, was met with Halibel’s bright response to Beatrice’s follow-up question.

At this point, it truly seemed Halibel had no intention of acting violently.

“Honestly, a person like me could kill you all without having to bother with such complex antics. It wouldn’t be my first choice to toy with lives!”

“I was scared, but when people make such comments, it feels a bit much… but if that’s the case…”

“If that’s the case? What are you implying, Subaru?”

With a gulp, Subaru realized the dreadful conjecture told by Halibel’s demeanor.

If Emilia’s inquiry aligned with the character Halibel depicted—

“If Reinhardt and this guy are alright, then Seshy’s state of affairs…”

“Stop, Natsuki Subaru. While I asked for your cooperation, I won’t tolerate digging into my nation’s scandals.”

“It’s not like I could totally dismiss it as a scandal, not when it comes to General Cecilis.”

Subaru and Abel, alongside Berstets, formed an agreement regarding issues with Cecilis’s character. Even though he wasn’t present, they were sure similar remarks would emerge had he been.

In reality, Subaru preferred the behavior of those who deserved to be stronger, but he also had no doubt that if it weren’t Cecilis on Gladiator Island, everything would have been derailed—thus, everything held its pros and cons.

“So? Ultimately, what was the purpose of this greeting? This Dragon Carriage is heading north, but the border with Kararagi is still far ahead… Is this really suspicious to you?”

“Hm, asking about that is something you should direct to my employer. I made things inconvenient by clapping my hands together… oh, but it seems it’s about time.”

“About time…?”

Halibel, slightly displaying a worried smile, looked up at something, which in turn drew Subaru’s gaze to follow.

The wolf-faced individual glanced at the door connecting to the adjacent carriage. That door received a knock exactly one heartbeat later.

“—Excuse me during the meeting. I have something to report.”

A familiar voice announced outside, and upon Abel bidding, “Enter,” a short, fluffy-haired man appeared from the opened door.

Seeing that individual, Subaru’s eyes widened.

“Zikru! Thank goodness you’re alright!”

“Yes, no need for concern. I’m just glad to see you are safe, Lady Natsumi.”

“Even in this form, you still call me that…”

The man smilingly addressed a Subaru who was cosplaying as a girl when they met and parted—Ziqru Osman, the Imperial Vice-General, who was currently unharmed, reassured Subaru, who felt relief washing over him.

Then, Zikru tightened his expression and said,

“Sir, there’s something I must report… But what of that person over there?”

“Put that aside for now. It’s likely not unrelated to your report.”

In a corner of the room was Halibel, who drew Zikru’s attention to Abel’s cold tone. However, Zikru nodded, familiar with the emperor’s candor.

“The Flying Dragon Ship of the Duke Dracroy has returned, bringing important figures from Fortress City Garkla along with guests from the city-state.”

“—Guests from the city-state?”

Abel muttered as he cast his dark gaze onto Halibel.

Since the Dragon Carriage’s destination was Fortress City Garkla, it was only natural for individuals related to that location to arrive by Flying Dragon. If someone from Kararagi accompanied them, there was no way it wasn’t connected to Halibel.

In other words—

“Did you come here before those people?”

“I’m not good with heights.”

Halibel uttered something that seemed partially relevant as he confirmed he was connected to the information Zikru brought.

While his fear of heights somehow justified not boarding the Flying Dragon Ship, saying he arrived here before it made little sense; one wouldn’t argue against a superhuman of this world. Cecilis could outrun flying itself.

Nonetheless—

“You even went out of your way to board my Flying Dragon Ship. That means I can expect some important info, right?”

“At least, the lovely guest herself is saying so.”

“Given how you said it, must be a woman.”

Subaru tilted his head at Zikru’s clear report about a woman from Kararagi City-State.

His reaction led to varied expressions on the others’ faces. Beatrice grasped Emilia’s hand tightly, turning toward her.

“Emilia, it’s said that there’s a guest from Kararagi.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Does that mean…?”

“Huh? Huh? Do you two have someone in mind…?”

Just as Subaru was about to ask if they had someone in mind…

“—What are you talking about? I flew all the way to this Imperial side, and yet you speak of me so unkindly, Natsuki?”

“—”

A sudden intrusion from behind Zikru was a soft voice, coming from where the guest seemingly waited at the connection of the adjacent carriage.

This person was clearly eavesdropping and engaging in the conversation, showcasing an impressive ear. However, Subaru couldn’t help but understand how they could be so attuned.

Because merchants always have their ears perked for business opportunities.

“Sir, what do you wish to do?”

Upon hearing that voice while knowing they were overheard, Berstets prompted Abel for his thoughts. Abel shot a glance at Subaru to read his expression.

Then Abel looked toward the door where the voice came from.

“It seems they aren’t just some rude imbeciles. Show yourself.”

“Then I won’t hold back!”

Receiving permission from the emperor, the voice’s owner gently responded. Then, Halibel, who had somehow stood by the door, opened it and invited the person inside.

Upon receiving Halibel’s consideration, the person entered with a smile and expressed, “Thank you for the warm welcome…”

“It’s been a while since we last met, and I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”

“Um…”

“By the way, Emilia, you seem to be a magnet for troublesome situations. It appears that once again, we need to lend our strength!”

With a soft voice and a smile, the woman, dressed in kimono with light purple hair tied up, made her brutally honest assessment—a fox-eared woman named Anastasia Hoshin, with a young man accompanying her as a servant, Waso.

“Anastasia and Julius?!”

Subaru was astounded to see the two he never expected to encounter here.

At Subaru’s amazed voice, Anastasia placed her hand on her mouth in laughter, while the young man named Julius traced the scar under his left eye with his finger as he looked at Subaru.

Then—

“I meant to say I’m glad you’re safe, but why is it that you always seem to cause such chaos?”

“Don’t say I’m always the one getting into trouble!”

And just like that, amidst the joy of reunion, an eruption of angry shouts reverberated.

△▼△▼△▼△

With my strength fading, I collapsed forward into a barren field.

I lacked the will to support my body, and my face landed ruthlessly against the ground. Pain shot through my crushed nose, blood flowing from my split lips.

I licked my blood with my tongue; in my parched mouth, I felt a slight moisture.

“—”

All strength had left my body.

Once my willpower dwindled, my physical strength followed quickly. With both exhausted, I accepted that I would ultimately perish here.

Everything, everything was pointless.

What I intended to do, what I swore I must do, and the things I continued doing on inertia—every single one of them was futile.

After all, I was just me. The hell was something that resided within.

Then there was no hope of escape. No one could escape it. Not from their own hell.

“Damn it…”

Frustration spilled from my lips in a raspy voice.

Tears no longer welled up; I lacked the emotional capacity or qualifications to feel that way.

Everything felt strange. It was always out of reach. Striving for unattainable goals, I made the gravest mistake in my life, repeating the same actions again.

There was no reflection. Thus, only regret remained.

There was no way I could ever like myself; all I felt for myself was absolute disdain, but eventually, I grew to hate myself.

I couldn’t even love the ones I cherished. I wondered why I, a failure like me, was still—

“—Oh? I thought I’d strip a body if it lay lifeless, but you still have breath. How lovely, how lovely.”

Suddenly, from above my fallen body, a voice rang.

Though my body had no power to move, the owner of that voice reached out to me and flipped me over. Suddenly, the dazzling blue sky filled my vision, and I let out a groan.

Tears, which didn’t emerge from disgrace or regret, started to well up.

That realization angered me.

Everything, this body worked solely for my sake.

“What’s the matter, you poor soul? All of you’re living breaths worth experiencing.”

“Living…?”

“Oh, are you one who’s tired of living? That’s quite the gloomy mindset, and if it’s a dark thought you battle, I can offer but one cure as far as I know.”

“—”

The owner of the voice seemed to chuckle, and a face appeared upside down within my view of the blue sky. I couldn’t see it clearly due to the backlight, but I could tell that person was smiling widely.

However, that smile didn’t mock me, nor could I understand the reason behind it.

But—

“How… should I live?”

If I couldn’t find answers within myself, I would listen to what someone I couldn’t comprehend had to say.

At the very least, I believed their response would sound far more reasonable than my brazen notion while cursing my longing for salvation.

In response to that inquiry, the person widened their smile, seemingly fulfilled, and said,

“Of course! —Drink as much as you can.”

No sooner had I received the answer was I seized by the neck and pulled forcefully. I was dragged along by the man, still lying with my legs splayed out, moving through the wilderness.

Taking advantage of my inability to resist, he hummed a cheerful tune.

“I’m Rauan, the stingy ronin. Who might you be?”

“—”

“Hey, you should at least have a name. It won’t diminish my value to learn it.”

With a casual demeanor, the man who introduced himself as Rauan, I sighed deeply.

I had no obligation to answer, yet I found no reason to refuse, thinking whatever would result was fine.

“…Heinkel.”

Thus, Heinkel Astrea introduced himself without acknowledging their conditions.

He had no idea—coincidence or fate were merely the go-to tricks of destiny.