“What? What did you just say?”

“I won’t say it three times. —As long as I sit on the throne as Emperor, I know the faces and names of every citizen of the Empire.”

“Are you stupid or something!?”

With arms crossed, Subaru’s voice cracked at Abel’s ridiculous answer.

The setting is inside a dragon carriage, on the way to the Imperial Capital Rupugana, now turned into the stronghold of the undead, after departing from Fortress City Garkla.

The infiltration team, dubbed the “Team to Save the Volakia Empire from Destruction,” consists of three dragon carriages loaded with kingdom and empire officials as well as necessary supplies—Subaru has intentionally boarded the dragon carriage of the empire’s officials, not as a betrayal of the kingdom, but because he desperately wants to know why Emperor Abel has chosen to join the infiltration team.

Of course, since it’s a critical showdown for the survival of Volakia, it’s natural for Abel to take a position on the front lines. However, if you ask seasoned veterans who have repeatedly weathered unwanted crises with Abel, he has intelligence but lacks physical power.

Moving forward, there is zero persuasive power for him to accompany the pure combat force needed in the capital.

Still, it’s hard to believe that Abel would act out of arrogance as a Voralikian, so he must have a reason to be here. However, it’s also possible that he doesn’t want to say it in front of the kingdom’s people, which is why Subaru boarded this specific dragon carriage.

So, skipping all the roundabout talk, he blurted out, “What use do you have?”

“You know every citizen’s face and name…”

Subaru was left speechless at this absurdly outrageous claim. Abel, on the other hand, frowned in annoyance at being insulted.

“Don’t get me wrong; it’s not all citizens of the empire. Just like the People of Shudrak, who continue to hide in the forest, there are those who have no public exposure, and thus it’s impossible to grasp their identities completely.”

“Where are you getting angry from? That’s still plenty stupid! It means you remember all the empire soldiers under your command, right?”

“It’s necessary.”

He stated it flatly, but that’s not the thought process of an ordinary person.

Of course, Subaru never thought Abel was just an ordinary man, and the fact that he could match faces and names of all the empire’s people is undeniably significant.

The reason being—

“Because that girl needs names to remove the undead’s restraints…”

Subaru’s attention turned to Spica, who was sitting at the end of the carriage.

She couldn’t just be left alone, considering her position, so she too had boarded this dragon carriage with Subaru. Now she is surrounded by Medium and Beatrice, who won’t leave Subaru’s side, calmly being entertained.

In order for Spica’s powers to be fully utilized, Abel’s abnormality—his memory—would be beneficial.

—The “Star Eater,” to activate that power has too many unclear points.

When Lamia Godwin, the royal family member, succeeded with her “Star Eater,” no one could forget her; it seems Spica didn’t eat the “name.” Even so, there was a strong feeling that matching faces and “names” is the key to that ability.

That’s why they had no choice but to cling to the one method that had succeeded once.

“But, it’s infuriating that your ridiculously powerful memory would be useful for that…”

“Lord Schwarz, isn’t that a bit of an unjust accusation? Even if your opponent is the cruel Emperor who treats Yorna with coldness…”

“Are you advising this guy? Or are you venting your frustrations towards me in disguise?”

“Of course, it’s a piece of advice for Lord Schwarz!”

She answered calmly, averting her gaze from Abel and revealing her kimono-clad figure, Tanzer.

She’s one of the team accompanying them, and it seems she has thoughts concerning Abel surrounding Yorna, the main reason for joining this battle.

From what he heard, Abel had turned down Yorna’s marriage proposal often, so considering the cold treatment toward the magic city, it’s zero reason for Tanzer to think favorably of Abel—more likely she holds a negative impression.

“Just to clarify, what Yorna Mishigure had in mind was not me but the former emperor.”

“Oh, is that so? Your father, perhaps?”

“Farther than that. If you want to know the details, you’ll have to ask the person directly. At least, that opportunity still remains. Right, daughter?”

“—Yes. I still feel Yorna-sama’s power now.”

At Abel’s words, Tanzer gently placed her hand on her eyelid and answered quietly.

This was not a hopeful speculation; it was a clear conviction derived from the borrowed powers of Yorna granted to Tanzer. As long as that was true, Yorna’s survival was assured.

However, the situation in the capital was unknown, which was frustrating.

It wasn’t just Yorna; the whereabouts of Priscilla, who was untraceable, Al, who remained to assist, and the wandering Cecilis had also become worrying, fueling Subaru’s anxiety.

“Still, thinking about it… isn’t our combat force too skewed?”

Subaru, managing his restless feelings, finally voiced something he had been hesitant to say about the “Team to Save from Destruction.”

Upon hearing this, Abel squinted one eye, while Tanzer tilted her head.

“Skewed combat force, you say?”

“Exactly. Because it’s just me, Beako, Emilia-tan, Spica, Roswaal, and our hoped-for Garfiel!”

“Did you just brag about Betty?”

“Absolutely, I did. Lovely Beako, I love you!”

“I love you too, Betty.”

In the midst of that, Subaru extended a finger while confirming love with Beatrice.

Outside this dragon carriage, Emilia and the others were riding in the one trailing behind.

“That Haribel over there is a secret weapon sent by Anastasia. Even though it’s a battle for the empire, we have so many external allies!”

Of course, it’s not that absolutely no empire personnel were included in the infiltration group.

But the top seat belonged to the overwhelmingly brainy Abel and Medium, who was granted the position by talking directly with him. Plus, there’s the guy with the crazy promotion to “General,” Jamal, who serves as the coachman with a peppy demeanor.

While Medium and Jamal rank among the higher combat capability members of the empire, they still can’t be said to be stronger than Garfiel.

“Since Tanzer is mine, it’s practically like having her on our side too, right?”

“――――”

“Huh? I thought for sure you’d be angry and hit me right away, total letdown… time lag!”

“Don’t say what you want!”

For the price of that casual remark, Subaru received a slap with more force than he had braced for. Leaning down with tears in his eyes, he was only met with the cold, condescending gaze from Tanzer.

Sure, he may have gone too far, but was she really that angry?

“Haha! You’re being told, Your Excellency. It’s no wonder you can’t see the seriousness of the empire’s determination. You can’t complain about the truths being laid out for you!”

“Right, right, it makes sense that it was said… Ugh!?”

“Subaru!? What happened!?”

Startled by the sudden hoarse voice, Subaru screamed from his throat.

He jumped into Beatrice’s arms, rolling himself away. As he clung to Beatrice, a little figure with a bent back stood in his line of sight.

Out of nowhere appeared the Malicious Old Man, Roswaal Dunkelken—

“Subaru, calm down. It’s just a little old man who appeared out of nowhere.”

“If a little old man suddenly pops up, it’s either Roswaal or a Japanese horror movie! The commonality is that both are scary! It’s bad! Completely insane!”

“Oh ho ho, saying such things to this brat. Still small, but doing well, huh?”

“Whose fault do you think I’m small!? I’ve been doing great! How about you?!”

“I’m doing well too, you know. Just lost my right hand, that’s all.”

Waving his sleeve-less right arm, Roswaal said cheerfully. Seeing that, Subaru lost his nerve to talk back and fell silent.

What a clever old man to expose his wounds and garner sympathy.

“But, I’m just falling right into his tricks…!”

“Put your struggles aside. —You heard the details, Roswaal Dunkelken.”

While Beatrice petted Subaru’s head, Abel called out to Roswaal. At his beckoning, the ancient man nodded, saying, “Well then.”

“There’s a necromancer controlling the dead in the capital, and you’re going to kill him, right? I can just visualize Goz left behind crying like a baby. Isn’t that pitiful?”

“That has its own role to play. Of course, so do you.”

“Old man here is over ninety years old, you know? You can’t expect me to be used that way, that’s just a lack of consideration.”

“If you wish to retire, do so once this incident is resolved. But let it be known…”

Even in front of Abel, the Emperor, Roswaal did not lose his carefree demeanor. Ignoring the blatant disrespect from this ancient man, Abel added one last remark.

To that preface, Roswaal raised an eyebrow, saying, “Huh?”

“You should expect that there won’t be a situation where your vices will surface until your life span runs out.”

“――――”

“Therefore, I command you. Don’t get too cocky, and fulfill your duty well, Roswaal Dunkelken.”

Abel’s brief yet clear intention-filled words caused Roswaal to seal his lips.

That was a reference to the significant concerns Subaru had regarding Roswaal, also a preemptive measure to keep him in check.

If Roswaal lost his temper here, no one in their dragon carriage would be able to stop him.

However, Roswaal fell silent for a moment, then began tapping his waist with his remaining left hand.

“Geez, the younger generation sure leaves much to be desired. I didn’t expect even you, Your Excellency. The world’s gotten harsh for an old man, huh?”

“I am compassionate.”

“Haha!”

It felt like he had just heard the best joke of the century, Roswaal laughed.

That felt like the quiet conclusion to the tense standoff between Abel and Roswaal, and finally, Subaru could ease the unnecessary tension from his shoulders.

Nonetheless, regardless of Abel’s comedic value, the potential clash between the two had been avoided.

“…So, will you also be accompanying us to the capital, Roswaal?”

Tanzer seemed to share the same tension as Subaru. In her slightly stiffer voice, Roswaal narrowed his eyes beneath his thick brows.

“Well, since it’s a request from His Excellency, it wouldn’t sit right to just leave it up to the boy. It wouldn’t even be a joke for a country that wouldn’t show their cards when their homeland’s in danger! Furthermore…”

“Furthermore?”

“There are others within the empire. At least, Moguro and that Cecilis are around.”

“…And Yorna-sama as well.”

A temporary partnership in the magic city—though Subaru didn’t know the details, he was aware that Roswaal had caused the “childification” of them and that Tanzer had moved due to a mutual interest.

It was a complex relationship between the two, yet their discussion for now seemed to have put their personal grievances on hold.

Out of the named individuals, Subaru had no acquaintance with Moguro, but at least he could confidently say Yorna was trustworthy in both capability and character, and Cecilis was more than competent enough to match her character too. With Roswaal on board, indeed, it could be said that the empire’s combat power would be significantly enhanced.

“But, we also have Haribel. Even if Cecilis is around, it’s still kinda favorable on our side… Because Cecilis is my ally too.”

“Are you suggesting we’d put a collar on her? If so, then your understanding of that one’s capabilities is quite limited.”

“Oh, Haribel’s here, huh? I genuinely hate that person because she’s the only shinobi stronger than me in this world.”

Each side could freely express themselves while showcasing the strongest two in their hands.

In any case, with Roswaal’s joining, Abel’s reasoning and stance for coming along, and the potential dependence on the empire’s combat capabilities, most of Subaru’s questions had been settled—there were still parts he wanted to dig into, like how Medium had become a candidate for the empress, but for now, it was resolved.

“I’ll save the talk about Medium for after we return. —Lehm has already told me to.”

Confirming the gentle feeling of Beatrice’s soft hand in his grip, Subaru recalled the parting words Lehm had bestowed upon him as they left the great fortress.

It was the kind of message that could be interpreted as Lehm wishing for Subaru’s safe return and praying for his well-being.

“When I return, I might get yelled at with great intensity, but I’ll take it positively that Lehm was worried about me until that occurs.”

“W-well, I thought she was worried about you with a tad more kindness?”

“I also received it that way…”

“Hey, hey, it can’t be helped, but you two don’t understand Lehm at all. Sure, she’s kind so there’s some of that, but most of it is her anger towards me… Wait, wait! Positive vibes only…!”

Almost absentmindedly, Subaru found himself almost breaking the spell he had cast upon himself and hurriedly re-cast that positivity spell.

Beatrice and Tanzer looked at him with pity, but to Subaru, who had recast the spell, their gaze held no power. He bounced back.

“—Your Excellency, we’ll soon arrive at the relay point, so the dragon carriage will be stopping.”

At that moment, just as Subaru had finished fortifying his mental resolve, the small window of the dragon carriage opened, and Jamal’s report came floating in from the driver’s seat.

Jamal, who was on lookout around their traveling dragon carriage, saw Roswaal, who shouldn’t be beside Abel, giving him a startled reaction. Responding to that, Roswaal cheerfully waved back.

In any case, once they reached the reported relay point, Subaru, having resolved his doubts, intended to return to the kingdom’s dragon carriage where Emilia and the others were. Just before that, he happened to call out to Jamal beyond the small window.

“Hey, I overheard that you said you’re going to die for Kachua, is that right?”

“Huh? What’s that to you, brat?”

“No, isn’t that odd? Kachua-san is super sad that her fiancé is gone, and can’t you imagine how she would feel if her family died too?”

Having heard that he boldly declared he would bravely die for Kachua, Subaru began to doubt Jamal’s sanity, and it made him dizzy thinking about just how serious the Voralikans had grown.

Thus, he wanted to forcefully make Jamal retract that statement and absolutely get him to swear to return alive for Kachua.

However, Jamal snorted at Subaru’s words with clear irritation.

“Listen, kid, don’t talk nonsense.”

“Nonsense? What’s nonsense about it?”

“Me dying and Kachua crying? Who cares about that? The important thing is how much I can help His Excellency and the country before I die, and whether I’ll receive rewards for it!”

“You guys look down on life like that for the sake of honor…”

“You’re a clueless kid! She can’t stand and won’t be able to bear children! If it weren’t for Todd, she wouldn’t be able to get a man at all! Kachua needs money to live!”

Jamal, raising his voice, showered Subaru with spit.

Then, jumping over Subaru, he turned to Abel behind him.

“Right now, I’m a general. If I can be of use to His Excellency here, I might expect a promotion to a second general when I die. Then Kachua would be secure. I can accomplish more as her brother dead than alive!”

“――”

That intense reasoning from Jamal left Subaru momentarily breathless.

“Subaru-chin…”

Looking at the silent Subaru, Medium lowered her brow worriedly. However, her action seemed to end there, without her interjecting an objection to Jamal’s reasoning. And it wasn’t just Medium. Abel and Roswaal remained silent as well.

Jamal’s reasoning was sound. From the perspective of an empire citizen, it was a shared understanding.

Only Beatrice stepped in close to Subaru, pressing lightly against his shoulder in concern.

“Ugh…”

—No wait, Spica placed a comforting hand gently on Subaru’s back, trying to support him.

“――――”

In contrast to Jamal’s logic, Subaru’s was purely emotional, lacking any understanding of the empire’s reality.

But it was wrong for Abel and the others not to say anything, especially if Jamal’s death would secure Kachua’s future.

If dying would pay off with rewards that secured her future, why not live on and on and earn a salary to support Kachua’s life?

“As long as the salary Abel pays to the generals isn’t ridiculously low, it should be doable. —I’ve made up my mind, Jamal.”

“Huh? Still something…?”

“Your little future plan, I’m definitely going to stop it. —You’re absolutely not dying!”

Clenching his jaw firmly, Subaru declared with defiance.

Upon hearing this, those around him could only smirk—Abel snorted quietly, Roswaal chuckled heartily, Tanzer squeezed her own arms tight, and Medium widened her eyes before nodding.

Then, Beatrice and Spica stood alongside Subaru, glaring firmly at Jamal.

In the presence of those three children’s combined stares, Jamal narrowed his left eye, unbandaged.

“What a creepy brat you are.”

“Your friend told me that as well. —But I won’t stop!”

Before the small window closed, they exchanged their parting remarks, and Jamal prepared to return to his lookout duties at the relay point.

Watching that, Subaru shut his eyes and faced his heart with honesty.

He understood that Jamal had his own thoughts. He also realized that it was one of those viewpoints considered correct within the empire.

With that in mind, he thought it utter nonsense.

“Trying to save someone by dying, that sort of—”

That wasn’t just a method even Abel couldn’t endure.

Thus, Natsuki Subaru must continue, by all means, to deny such a method.

Despite how fast the dragon carriage sped along, the issues of the imperial capital felt painfully far away. Worrying about what was happening there made his heart urge to move faster, faster.

And still, Subaru’s feelings remained eager and impatient.

△▼△▼△▼△

—The scene shifted dramatically, under the same sky, into a situation that could hardly be described as peaceful.

Dark clouds loomed, hinting at the impending doom of the empire.

Impurities from the broken water walls burst forth, flooding the inner grounds of the star-shaped barricade and turning the once-vibrant Imperial Capital Rupugana into a city of the undead as many living souls escaped.

The undead wandered, survivors battled fears lurking in the shadows—some lay hidden, while others fiercely fought for their lives.

However, many armed with weapons found themselves regretting their rash decisions.

A battle once started meant an unending competition against a ceaseless horde of undead, comparing their dwindling lifeforce to those already exhausted, realizing victory was impossible.

Ironically, it was the bravest who lost their lives, joining the ranks of the undead to seek the next living soul.

Now, the imperial capital had transformed into a swirling spiral of death, where the undead called to one another—a hellish manifestation steeped in despair.

Yet—

“—It’s quite the remarkable situation we find ourselves in, but honestly, upon getting used to it, that’s not the least bit interesting. At least if a little more competition came back to the stage, I might have some expectations.”

Said a boy, his blue hair dancing in the damp wind while binding it up.

The boy, characterized by conspicuous Geta footwear, shaded his eyes with his hand and glanced around with a comment.

His warm, living skin and blue eyes were far detached from the most recognizable traits of an undead.

However, observing the chaotic scenes of death and despair transformed the former capital from above, his sentiments seemed, in a sense, even more detached from the world of the living than any undead.

Some might define a true transcendent as a being granted the liberty to disregard the separation of the living and the dead.

In any case, within the boy’s eyes glimmered a brightly shining, almost cheerful madness—not because he felt no fear of the situation, but because he had never felt fear since birth.

“Now then, while it would be a legendary feat for me to just slay every enemy within sight and take the field single-handedly…”

As he lowered his gaze and stopped staring at the distance, the boy twisted his head.

“Why is that? I can’t say I feel it would lead to a favorable conclusion!”

Raising his arms to the sky in a gesture of surrender, the boy candidly expressed his feelings.

With his strength, he could undoubtedly wipe out most of the undead flooding the imperial capital all by himself. Yet, he chose not to do so. The reason he refrained still escaped coherent explanation, leaving him in anguish.

This was a problem so far removed from the anguish of the countless people suffering in this imperial capital—it was not just indulgent, even his abnormal struggles were beyond the comprehension of anyone other than himself.

Gazing troubled at the ground, the boy sighed heavily.

“I can’t properly articulate it. What do you think about this?”

“I don’t quite get it, but…”

“Yeah?”

“Doesn’t that sort of sound like something that shouldn’t wait until after I pull you up…?”

Hunched down, the boy peered below.

What entered his line of sight was a man dressed in a steel helmet, clinging desperately to the edge of a tall building he had chosen as a temporary perch, trying not to fall.

He supported his entire weight with one hand, but it was only to be expected; after all, he was one-armed and couldn’t prop himself up with both hands.

In any case, looking down at the man in such a precarious situation, the boy—Cecilis—smiled.

“Too bad, Al. Since I have no clue who you are, I can’t decide whether or not you can tag along with me on this journey!”

Beneath Cecilis’s beaming face, the hanging man—Al—made a feeble sound from his throat.

Imperial Capital Rupugana had now turned into a hell where undead called upon one another in a swirling spiral of death—but—

“Ah, damn it, seriously the worst…”

At least in this moment, this particular scene wasn’t one where the living had to question another living’s existence if they could avoid fighting each other.

 

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