...
Subaru’s eyebrows rose as the girl seemed to be deliberately prancing around the details. Though he found it hard to ignore her peculiar disposition, he had to simply hang on for the ride. “It would kinda help if you could tell me what those things are, you know.”
“Oh, what to do? This is an important job, too… Tee-hee.”
“Let us leave it at that, Ferris.” Wilhelm scolded the girl for her excessive teasing.
She pouted in response. “Thhbt. You’re too serious, Grandpa Wil. It’s no fun.”
“I am grateful to Sir Subaru for the tea, and besides, it is time to be on our way.”
Wilhelm bowed as he exchanged what somehow seemed like lighthearted banter with the girl. The girl still had a sour look about her, but she seemed to recover her humor as she winked in Subaru’s direction.
“Sowwy. You look like you could use some more teasing, but we’re meowt of time for today. If we don’t get home soon, dear Lady Crusch will be so worried she won’t sleep a wink tonight.”
“I don’t want to ignore that first part, but who’s Lady Crusch?”
“A name you’d better remember—she’s the lady who’ll rule this country someday.”
At the last sentence, her carefree demeanor vanished, replaced by total seriousness. Then she gave him the dumbstruck Subaru a little wave. Wilhelm set his empty teacup back on the tray.
“It was a fine drink. Well then, Sir Subaru, may you be in good health.”
Wilhelm agilely leaped back up to the box seat and took hold of the land dragon’s reins.
“Well, sorry for no introductions but Ferri’s real busy. Later!”
“Hey, wait! There’s a mountain of things I still want to ask—”
“You should take all that up with Lady Emilia. If fate permits, we’ll meet again at the royal capital. Bye meow!”
The girl left him nothing, her smile being the last thing he saw as she entered the dragon carriage. Realizing that his opponent had completely thrown him off balance, Subaru instinctively realized she was his mortal enemy.
As Subaru held back his frustrations, Wilhelm cracked the reins with a brief “Farewell.”
The land dragon brayed while the wheels of the heavy carriage creaked into motion. It stomped the ground several times before taking a powerful step, accelerating rapidly the next moment. Before Subaru’s eyes, the land dragon burst into a high-speed sprint down the road, kicking up a large cloud of dust as it sped off into the distance.
Subaru, left in abject defeat, had only the scent of the high-priced tea, largely left untouched, to console him.
4
“—And did you fulfill your duties as envoy?”
“Well, of course. I would never fail to do anything my Lady Crusch requests of me. Oh, Grandpa Wil, you’re such a worrywart!”
Servant and envoy conversed as the land dragon left Roswaal Manor far behind.
Wilhelm sat on the box seat, guiding the land dragon effortlessly. Behind him, the pale-haired girl poked her head out the window of the dragon-drawn carriage.
In one sense, there were few places more suited to a private conversation.
“But I have to say, Grandpa Wil, I didn’t expect you to speak to that boy while you waited. You don’t like talking to people, do you?”
“That is a most grave misunderstanding.”
“Oh, is it now? Sowwy.—It’s just that you like slicing people more than talking to them, right?”
“…That is an even worse misunderstanding.”
She had only been teasing, but Wilhelm offered no elaboration. The girl pressed her lips together in a pout, displeased with the stony reaction to her provocations.
“You’re no fun. What, it was more fun listening to that boy than your dear Ferris? He didn’t seem that special, but you like him that much, meow? You think he’s actually so strong he’s hiding his abilities?”
“Not so. He is an amateur—a cub without a mane. Nor does he have any talent worthy of mentioning. I am certain he is very ordinary.”
“So why then, Grandpa Wil? You said you hated riffraff meowst of all.”
Everything the girl said painted him in the worst possible light. In response, Wilhelm calmly raised a hand and pointed at his face.
“It’s his eyes.”
“—Eyes?”
The girl lowered her head as she inquired. Wilhelm simply raised his gaze, thinking back.
“The lad’s eyes interested me ever so slightly. They said he has crossed the boundary of death. Many come close to the line, stop, and draw back, but…” Wilhelm lowered his lids in thought as his words trailed off. “Those are the eyes of one who has crossed once, no…several times, and returned. I know of no such being. You might say I was compelled by curiosity.”
But the girl blithely dismissed Wilhelm’s expression of wonder. “Meow, that doesn’t make much sense…”
This time, Wilhelm answered with a strained smile. The girl continued, adding, “But if that’s true, Grandpa Wil, that boy’s won’t find an easy path to follow.”
The girl narrowed her eyes as she tossed her glossy gaze toward the broad back sitting against the box seat.
“Having the Sword Devil, Wilhelm van Astrea, interested in you is as unfortunate as the Witch having a thing for you.”
5
“You’re going to the royal capital, right? Well I’m going, too!”
With the guest having gone home, those in the reception room were able to breathe a sigh of relief—an atmosphere thoroughly shattered with a single sentence out of Subaru’s mouth.
“You seeee?” Roswaal’s grin drew a fatigued response from Emilia.
“I suppose I do…”
Subaru wore a sullen expression at being left out of their exchange, which prompted Emilia to let out a sigh. “Just so you know, I’m not going there to play around. This is an important summons…very important.”
“It’s the royal selection stuff, right? I know, I know, it’s a big enough deal to shake the whole kingdom up and everything, but I’m begging ya, take me, pleeease?” Subaru knelt on the carpet and brought his hands together in a desperate plea.
Emilia seemed conflicted as she surveyed the reactions of the others in the room. However—
“Ah, do not mind meee, I would say you are free to choose as you desiiire.”
“This aroma… It can’t be! Ram’s treasured tea leaves?! Barusu is truly capable of anything…!”
Roswaal washed his hands of the situation, grinning all the while. Ram, on the other hand, was preoccupied with shock at a sudden discovery about something, and barely registered Emilia’s predicament.
And Rem, the final person, said, “Taking him along is fine, isn’t it? It seems that Subaru has acquaintances in the royal capital. He should visit them so they can rest easy.” Until recently, Rem could be relied on to offer the most sensible opinions, but now she was solidly in Subaru’s corner.
“Ooh, nice assist there! Rem, Reeem, come over here!”
“Yes!”
Answering Subaru’s call with a flower-like smile, Rem sat beside him and offered her head. Subaru began to stroke her hair with a clearly practiced hand, making sure he would not mess it up. Rem’s obvious pleasure helped Emilia realize she had no allies in this argument.
“In the first place, what do you intend to do by coming, Subaru? There’ll be a really important meeting about the royal selection, so I’ll have my hands too full to deal with you at all. On top of that, in a real sense, this meeting is different than all the previous ones…”
“That’s even more reason to go. I’ll cry if I’m not involved at all in the critical moment that might make Emilia-tan into royalty, even if it’s way off on the edge of things.”
“That’s why I can’t bring you. If you go with me, you’ll try too hard again for sure. I don’t want to make you do such a thing. Understand?”
“You’re the one who doesn’t understand, Emilia. If trying too hard can help you, then I want to try too hard, see?”
“I…don’t…”
With bewilderment in Emilia’s eyes as she murmured, an awkward silence fell over the reception room. It was Roswaal who broke the unpleasant mood with a clap of his hands.
“Yes, yeees, that is far enough. It seems this conversation is not maaaking any headway, so let us wrap things up. I have decided that Subaru shall accompany you to the capital. This is my command to him as his employer.”
“Roswaal?!”
Roswaal completely bowled over Emilia’s hesitance. As shock made itself plain in her expression, Subaru raised a thumb in approval.
“Yesss! You said it, Rozchi!”
“Howeeever, Subaru is going to the capital strictly for medical reasons. All matters pertaaaining to the royal selection are striiictly separate. Understand?”
“Huh? Medical…reasons?”
Subaru raised his eyebrows at the unexpected addition. He noticed that Rem’s face, still resting against his shoulder, tensed slightly. Emilia wore a pained expression as well.
“In the course of your battle with the demon beasts, your abuse of magic ran your gate dry. Even if your physical wounds have healed, treating this affliction is a different matter. Surely you have noticed this yourself, have you nooot?”
“…Just ’cause you say I’m in bad shape because of some invisible thing doesn’t mean—”
Emilia cut in. “Subaru. Mana circulating through the body is the lifeline of every living creature. When that flow stagnates, it retards the circulation of the very essence of life… Please, don’t try to hide it.”
As Wilhelm had pointed out, he was still experiencing the aftereffects of his physical wounds, like his limbs feeling heavier than they should. Subaru scowled at having been found out so easily, but he couldn’t just brush off Emilia’s plea.
“I know my body’s in rough shape. So how is healing it connected to the royal capital?”
Rem replied, “Because you need a top-quality healer to treat it. Subaru, did you meet the messenger?”
“You mean the cat-eared girl? To be honest, not the type I want to bump into again, really.”
“That messenger is an especially accomplished user of water magic, even by the staaandards of the capital. With such skill, it is no doubt possible to restore your health. As the child has various quirks, Lady Emilia went through quite some trouble toooo negotiate for cooperation…”
“Roswaal, wait a…! That’s…”
Roswaal, who’d apparently “slipped up” on purpose, feigned indifference to Emilia’s indignation.
“…Emilia-tan, seriously? For my sake?”
Emilia blushed furiously as she raced down her list of excuses.
“I-I mean, it’s partly my fault that you’re not fully healed, Subaru. You wound up at the mansion because you shielded me… And I should really have done something about the demon beasts, but you did that in my place. So this is paying you back, or compensating you for your loss, however you want to look at…”
“Look, I know you’re hiding your gratitude because you’re embarrassed, but you don’t have to put it like that!” Subaru wore a wry smile as he crossed his arms. “Sounds like you’re all for me going to the royal capital. Why are you acting like you’re against it?”
“Because if I just came out and asked, you’d get carried away and do something crazy. I know what kind of mischievous rascal you are…”
“No one says ‘mischievous rascal’ anymore…”
Subaru murmured his retort as he pressed his hand to his neck. Emilia stuck out her tongue at him and the meeting drew to a close.
“Weeeell then, the matter is settled. Subaru shall accompany you on your trip to the royal capital. Preparations will require about one day, so departure shall be the morning after tomorrow—is this acceeeptable?”
Roswaal’s firm words were met by assorted replies from all assembled in the reception room.
“Haaah, I understand.” “No objections!” “—As you command, Master Roswaal.”
And so, the plan for the Roswaal household’s visit to the royal capital was established.
6
—And two mornings later, Subaru’s voice quivered with admiration at the gate of the mansion.
“Whoa, this is—!”
Subaru beamed at the huge carriage parked before him.
Of course, it was a land dragon that drew the carriage, but this one boasted a sheer size that put every other land dragon Subaru had seen to shame.
“He’s so huge! And his scales are so hard! And his face is so scary!”
Emilia’s lips softened into a slightly exasperated exhale at Subaru’s exhilaration.
“He really is worked up like a little kid. Isn’t he?”
She shifted her eyes to Rem, standing by her side, in search of agreement. But Rem gazed at the excited Subaru, enthralled.
“Subaru is cute when he gets like this. Do you not think so, Lady Emilia?”
“Well, I do think it’s cute, but… Mm, Subaru’s been a bad influence on you, hasn’t he?”
Emilia exhaled once again.
Subaru, paying no heed to the girls’ opinions, reached to touch the land dragon without a second thought and shouted in a strange voice.
“Hot damn! I’m so excited! I’m living the uber-fantasy dream right now, aren’t I?!”
The land dragon’s tolerance reached its limit around when Subaru lost himself in the moment and his touches turned into taps. A single sweep of its tail sent Subaru flying, spinning sideways.
Several seconds later, Subaru emerged from the foliage, spitting leaves out of his mouth.
“Wh-what happened there?”
“Subaru, land dragons are highly intelligent creatures. Even if they cannot speak, they can express themselves very well. That is why one must treat them with the utmost respect.”
“Couldn’t you have told me that a little sooner?!”
Brushing the leaves off his body, Subaru observed the shockingly huge land dragon. It narrowed its yellow eyes and let out a long breath, as if saying, That’s what you get for running your hands over me.
During the exchange, he finally caught sight of the people he’d been waiting for. Roswaal and Ram were coming out of the mansion.
“Hey there, what’s up? You’re late, aren’t you? You’re the one who set up the schedule, Rozchi. The guy who sets the schedule oughta live by it, don’t you think, Rem?”
“I agree! Although, I’m the one who woke you up today when you didn’t wake up on time… You may praise me for it, if you like.”
“Okay, all right, okay, that’s enough, Rem.”
Subaru stroked Rem while urging her silence after her unnecessary addition. That earned him a sharp stare from Emilia, but he bore it as best he could and dragged the subject back to Roswaal.
“So why were you late? Everything looked in order at breakfast time.”
“Ah, so sooorry. You see, with Ram staying behind, I will not be seeing her for a little while, yes? Thaaaat is whyyyy, I siiimply wanted to have a sooomewhat thorough farewell before our departure.”
Roswaal adjusted his collar, raising a finger as he excused himself. Beside him, Ram hastened to ensure her hair and clothing were also in order, plainly in high spirits.
“Okay, let’s pretend I didn’t ask. She’s really gonna stay behind, though?”
“It can’t be helped. We can’t leave the mansion unattended, and Miss Beatrice is here as well, so I must look after her. It’s troublesome.”
“You put what you really think at the end, huh. Oh well, Beako would have it rough if you weren’t there to spoil her.”
“I might point out that if Miss Beatrice heard that, she might smash you into little pieces this time.”
This trip to the royal capital was for Emilia, a candidate for the royal selection, and Roswaal, her sponsor. Subaru was going along for medical reasons, with Rem serving and guarding the other three. The group totaled four people. That left Ram and Beatrice, who would presumably be holed up in the archive of forbidden books, remaining in the mansion.
“You gonna be okay here by yourself, Big Sis? It’s not easy keeping a mansion running all by your lonesome.”
“You do not understand, Barusu. People can survive three or four days without food, after all.”
“No plans to eat your own food, huh?!”
After Ram’s lively, defiant statement provoked Subaru, she abruptly grabbed his collar and pulled him aside. Subaru’s breath caught as her immaculate face drew close.
“Understand, Barusu? Keep a firm grip on the reins so that Rem does nothing rash.”
“…You’re the one who always goes to the royal capital, right? Why is Rem coming this ti…?”
“It is infuriating you’re forcing me to state the reason with my own lips.”
Ram shoved him in the chest, letting out a hmph as she walked off. By the time she was gone and Subaru looked back at the dragon carriage, Rem was just about finished loading the luggage.
It seemed the time for friendly banter had passed; it was time to get the show on the road.
“Beako didn’t come to see us off, though… What a cold-hearted loli.”
Subaru glared at the distant entrance to the mansion, cursing the absent girl.
Of course, he had expected as much, leading him to mercilessly tease Beatrice the day before so he could leave without any regrets. Still, without her around to say good-bye, their departure was a bit lonely. But—
“—Oh.”
His eyes met those of someone covertly watching them from the entrance to the foyer, open just a tiny crack. For a split second, the person in the dress recoiled at meeting Subaru’s eyes, but she immediately reopened the door so he could see her more properly. It was as if she was trying to hide her sullen, forlorn expression.
Subaru waved at her with little smile thanks to her typical behavior. In response, the pale-faced girl waved at him like she was shooing him away. She returned inside a moment later, having fulfilled her duty to see him off with minimal effort.
When he turned back, Emilia was looking down at him as she leaned out of the dragon carriage’s passenger cab.
“—Subaru? What is it?”
The others had begun to get aboard without him realizing it. Subaru hurried over and reached for the doorframe. But white fingers reached out to him right before he could take hold of it.
“Here.”
Subaru hesitated for a moment before taking her hand. She pulled him up as he entered the cab.
Now that Subaru was aboard, Rem nodded from her perch on the box seat toward Ram, standing alone on the ground. She took hold of the reins. The land dragon began to gently tread forward and pulled the carriage along.
Subaru poked his head out of the window to give Ram one final wave.
“Well, we’re off! Let’s both take care now!”
“At least try to evade the blows if something happens, Barusu. I do acknowledge your talent…as a decoy.”
“I’m good for a little more than that, right?!”
Such was their clumsy early morning farewell.
The land dragon accelerated, and their speed began to rise quite suddenly. The mansion grew distant in moments, and Ram’s figure beside the front gate quickly shrank. A moment before Subaru lost sight of her, she held the edges of her skirt and slightly curtsied. It was an exceptionally maid-like way to see someone off.
“…I suppose that’s picture-perfect for how a cute maid should do her job, huh…?”
When they entered a dip in the road, Subaru was no longer able to see Ram at all, and he finally sat down on his seat in the carriage and exhaled. He finally felt at ease enough to begin enjoying the comfort of riding the dragon carriage. The seat had a high-class feel appropriate to the expensive design of the vehicle, making for a surprisingly enjoyable ride given that the road was not an especially well-maintained one.
Judging from how fast the scenery was scrolling past the window and his experience with cars from his own world, he guessed he was traveling close to sixty miles per hour. And yet the vibrations felt far lighter than one would expect, on par with a typical sedan.
Roswaal laughed as Subaru turned this way and that, seat creaking under him.
“My myyy, are dragon carriages such a raaarity?”
“Hey, is Rem fine all exposed on the box seat with us going this fast? It’s not like I’m worried about her falling off… But won’t her hair and clothes be a huge mess by the time we get to the royal capital?”
Emilia cut in to reply.
“There’s no need to worry, since the dragon carriage is protected by a blessing.”
“Blessing?”
“Yes, blessing. Gospel granted by the world itself when a life is born. There are numerous kinds so there is no universal rule for them, but some species always receive one particular blessing. The ‘wind repel’ blessing land dragons receive is one example.”
“When a land dragon gallops, the wind doesn’t affect it whatsoever. The blessing extends to the carriage connected to it, so it isn’t affected by the wind, either.”
“And that goes for Rem sitting outside, too?”
When Subaru indicated he understood, Emilia replied with a satisfied look, “Very good.”
Then Subaru asked, “So, Emilia-tan, what about me? Do I have a blessing?”
Being summoned to another world was supposed to provide cheat abilities. Certainly, Return by Death was a special power without compare, but Subaru still hadn’t lost his craving for something special that was a lot less…painful.
“Mm, I don’t like to say this, but a majority of people are born without blessings. Also, everyone with a blessing is aware of it to my knowledge, so…”
“Damn it, no good, huh… Nah, I get it. Meeting Emilia-tan was the miracle granted to me by the world, huh?”
“Yes, yes. It’ll be six hours until we get to the royal capital, so be a good boy and behave.”
“Emilia-tan’s so cooold!”
Emilia and Roswaal let Subaru sulk as they began to discuss what they would do upon arrival. It was serious business; naturally, Subaru couldn’t get a word in edgewise.
Unable to get involved in the conversation, he soon began to get bored out of his skull. “Emilia-tan, Emilia-tan, let me sit by the window!”
“What’s wrong? Ah, motion sickness, huh? It happens a lot to people who aren’t used to riding. I understand. I’ll lend you Puck, so…”
“I’m happy for the concern, but it’s not that. And I’m not sure why you’d give me Puck for motion sickness. What, am I supposed to use him as my emergency barf bag?”
“If it goes that far, even Puck might get upset…”
Emilia sank into thought, murmuring to herself, when Subaru shook his head.
“No, I just meant, Emilia-tan’s too busy for me, so maybe seeing the scenery would take the edge off my solitude?”
At that point, a new voice cut in. Rem peered in through the small front window to the box seat.
“—Well, if that’s the case, you should come to the front here, Subaru. There’s nothing to do inside the carriage if you’re bored, right? Here, you can see the sights, and I’ll be glad to talk with you.”
“Th-that is a very tempting suggestion… Emilia-tan, you won’t be lonely with me over there?”
“To put it plainly, I’ll be completely, absolutely all right.”
“Do you have to be that all right with it?!”
Though the lack of effort to stop him gnawed at Subaru, he did have Emilia’s permission to go. Since Subaru didn’t mind, Rem, holding the reins, checked with Roswaal to confirm.
“May I stop temporarily, then? The land dragon will not be able to run again for a short time, however.”
“Why’s it gonna take time?” wondered Subaru.
Roswaal replied, “Because blessings are not omnipotent eiiither. A land dragon’s wind repel blessing, once suspended, cannot be reactivated for a brief period. Shall we stop for an early meal?”
“Well, I don’t wanna ask you to do that… If I open the door while we’re moving, it won’t slow down, right?”
As Subaru rose and reached toward the door, Roswaal smiled as he inferred Subaru’s intent.
“If you have a certain degree of athletic ability, there is no proooblem, but if you fall, you will die.”
“Eh, a little detour’s no big deal. Wait up, Rem, and don’t make an acrobat out of me here.”
“I am concerned, but I understand. I shall wait. Come soon, come soon!”
At first, Rem looked worried at Subaru’s suggestion, but very quickly sounded like she couldn’t wait.
Smiling thinly, Subaru rose to circle around the carriage to the box seat. But Emilia called out to stop him, handing over a belt attached to the wall of the carriage.
“Wait a moment, Subaru.—Here you go. It’s not that dangerous, so I won’t stop you, but keep a good hold on this.”
“If this is connected to the wall of the carriage… It’s kind of like a seatbelt?”
“The belts are for when the dragon carriage tilts to the side. Use it as a lifeline. I’ll take it back when you get to the box seat.”
Subaru gracefully acknowledged Emilia’s concern and wrapped the belt around his right wrist. As a worried-looking Emilia saw him off, Subaru opened the carriage door and embarked on his short outing.
It was strange how the scenery passed so quickly, yet he didn’t feel any wind whatsoever. Like he was traveling inside a glass bottle. Careful to not let the uncanny sensation get the best of him, Subaru gingerly grabbed hold of the carriage’s rail and wound his way toward the box seat.
If nothing else, he had good spatial awareness. The footing felt precarious, but his movements themselves were smooth.
“This is really something. So this is what having a blessing is like.”
Subaru took in the mysterious phenomenon of his current world as he suddenly regarded the whole situation objectively. The wind repel blessing affected the dragon carriage and everyone inside it. What would happen if something under the effect of the blessing touched something that wasn’t?
Feeling the desire to test his largely meaningless hypothesis, Subaru stretched his fingers up. Then, Emilia remembered something.
“Ah, that’s right. Subaru, I forgot to mention, please don’t put any part of your body too far from the dragon carriage. You’ll end up outside of the blessing.”
“—No way.”
The moment after his fingers grazed the air, wind slammed into Subaru’s entire body so hard he thought his hand would be ripped off at the wrist. The unexpected impact loosened his grip on the railing, and thus his support, blowing him straight to the side.
—Off the dragon carriage, obviously.
“Ahbuhbuhbuh—?! This is bad, seriously bad, oh man!”
The wind buffeted him until he lost all sense of up and down. He would have smashed straight into the ground, but the belt around his right wrist snapped taut. Subaru’s body floated parallel to the dragon carriage. Pain wracked his wrist until it seemed like it would tear off. His life was literally linked to Emilia’s lifeline.
The fierce strain and the unlucky turn had already blanked out Subaru’s mind, but head snapped up amid the ferocious wind when the high-pitched sound of a chain reached his ears. Right in front of him, he could see a silver-colored snake with large, round, spiked head.
“—I’m gonna have nightmares again.”
A moment later, the snake wrapped around Subaru’s body. He raised a pathetic cry at how much tighter it was than he expected. But his body was hoisted up just before he became roadkill. He floated up and over the dragon carriage with ease; at the apex of his arc, the chain released him and tossed him forward.
Subaru saw Rem at the bottom of his revolving world. She held the reins and her morning star with one hand, extending the other to Subaru to guide him down.
As he realized that his life had somehow been spared, Subaru reflected, “I’ll live a slightly quieter life from now on…”
Subaru, saved from a messy landing, promptly blacked out.