CHAPTER 3

ON THE VERY WORST OF TERMS

1

“—Ehh?! You’re leaving me behind?!”

Early in the morning at the inn, Subaru raised his voice in shock as he learned the day’s schedule.

Subaru was stunned while Emilia and Rem sat before his eyes at the table. Roswaal had left the inn earlier, stating that he had a prior engagement; the other three were just finishing the breakfast Rem had prepared.

Emilia answered him, “Of course I am. Subaru, the reasons you’re here in the royal capital were to see if your acquaintances are all right and to get you treated. That was the deal.”

“Er, but, since I’m feeling pretty well, you could loosen up the interpretation a little…”

“Absolutely not. Today really isn’t fun and games, and outsiders are forbidden to enter. I can’t even bring Rem with me.”

Emilia’s atypically strict instructions were hard for Subaru to argue with given how he’d wandered off just the day before. He looked to Rem for salvation, but the blue-haired maid shook her head.

“This time, Lady Emilia is absolutely correct. Please listen to her.”

“Crap, isn’t anyone on my side here?! And I can’t say anything because of what happened yesterday, either. Ugh!”

Even if Rem was fundamentally biased toward Subaru, priorities were priorities. As a result of his failing to uphold Emilia’s instructions and wandering off on his own the day before, he was totally grounded.

With Subaru directing his lament skyward, Emilia put her hands on her hips and exhaled.

“It won’t be that long… Or I’d like to say that, but I don’t really know when I’ll be back. So go ahead and eat supper together with Rem. Otherwise I think it might be a rather long wait.”

“Pfft. If you’re going to be that mean about it, I’ve got my own ideas, Emilia-tan. Hey, Rem. Let’s have a feast all by ourselves!”

“No, today’s menu is abble chips with abble salad, abble pie filled with abble jam, and I have freshly squeezed abble juice ready for dessert.”

“Abbles all the way down?! Damn you, Scarface!”

Apparently, since he’d returned with nine abbles in his bag, it meant the evening’s menu would be a veritable abble festival. Subaru laughed desperately as the image of the scar-faced shopkeeper smiling and giving him a thumbs-up came to mind.

“Well, that’s fine, abbles are my favorite fruit, anyway! Being surrounded by abbles is heaven itself! Okay, Rem!! Let’s eat the whole thing up between the two of us!!”

“Oh, I couldn’t. If you like it so much, I’ll let you have all of it.”

“You act like you’re cozying up to me, but sometimes you just chuck me over the cliff, you know?!”

Subaru was aghast at how Rem acted less out of concern for his position and more out of how to use his position to her advantage. Emilia slumped her shoulders at the interaction between the two before focusing on the maid.

“Anyway, I’m trusting you with this, Rem. I think Roswaal has told you this, too, but… Be strict… Really, be strict, okay?”

“The way you repeated yourself after that pause—Emilia-tan’s super trusting of me, huh?”

Subaru gave a thumbs-up at Emilia’s earnest reminder. Emilia, already accustomed to the sight, gently rested a hand on his fact.

Subaru’s breath caught at the sudden contact.

“Subaru, I’m not asking much of you…”

“R-right…?”

“Please, let me trust you, okay?”

For a moment, the sound of Emilia’s plea froze Subaru’s thoughts solid.

Then, he caught her meaning, chewed it over, and swallowed with a nod.

“Y-yeah! I’ll do just that! I practically live to meet Emilia-tan’s expectations!”

He still didn’t understand the cause of the lingering unease in her eyes when he reflexively agreed to all her conditions. He’d just accept them for now and take them into account when he shifted to action.

In contrast, Emilia’s violet eyes darkened. Then, she quietly added…

“Yes—I trust you.”

2

It was probably less than an hour after Emilia had left for the royal palace.

Subaru was spending his time studying the world’s writing system under Rem’s tutelage at the inn. He was mechanically copying characters, his thoughts consumed by just one thing.

—Namely, how he could be at Emilia’s side as she competed in the royal selection.

Emilia was right to worry about how he would take her entreaties for him to wait. Subaru hadn’t considered patiently waiting at the inn for her return in the slightest.

He felt a little guilty about disregarding his promise to her. Even so…

“There’s definitely people here in the royal capital who have it out for Emilia…”

The last time she had been to the royal capital was the first day Subaru had met her.

Apparently she had snuck her way in to visit. In spite of this, enemies had targeted the emblem she carried, attempting to rob her of her qualification for the royal selection, and even her very life.

—Thinking back upon their fateful encounter, Subaru could not endure the burning in his chest.

Having been suddenly summoned into another world, he’d lived until that day without a single word from anyone. He still had no idea who had summoned him or why. He didn’t have any leads. That was why Subaru was thinking about how to blow the current situation wide open.

If no one was going to grant him a purpose, he’d decide his purpose for himself.

“—I’m gonna…help Emilia.”

Subaru had probably been summoned to that world for that very reason. And if not, he’d do it anyway.

That was the thought that animated Subaru Natsuki and gave him strength.

“And that’s why…”

“—?”

Rem just happened to catch a glimpse of Subaru’s eyes as he hardened his inner resolve. With a slight blush of her cheeks, the maid stood firmly in his way, forming an impassable barrier in front of the door.

He’d tried various methods to get her to leave her post already, but she’d even brought a chamber pot in with her.

“Stare…”

“What is it, Subaru? Those intense eyes are making this a little awkward…”

“Stare…”

“Y-you may not. Even if you look at me like an abandoned puppy, you may not.”

“Stare…”

“I-I promised Sister that I would fulfill my duties. So you may not.”

The power of Subaru’s silent stare was backing Rem into a corner. She seemed increasingly agitated as she endured Subaru’s gaze, glancing back at him with reproach.

“Are you…worried about Lady Emilia that much? The royal palace is filled with numerous privileged guests besides Lady Emilia, so I imagine security is very tight.”

“It’s not how good the security is… I hate being left behind when Emilia has something really important happening.”

“Subaru…”

What Rem was saying made complete sense. He was acutely aware of his own deficiencies. The power Subaru possessed was meager and useless, and could only lead to pain and sorrow.

But he didn’t care if he was useless.

“If something happens, then I probably won’t be any use. And if it isn’t likely to happen, it’s great if it doesn’t. I get that.”

“—”

“But if something does happen, maybe it won’t get resolved if I’m not there. I don’t know when that something might come, so I want to be there with Emilia when it counts.”

If some events could not be undone save through Return by Death, a tactic that only Subaru Natsuki could use, then that was a stage he ought to be fighting on.

—Subaru did not realize that his thought process, taking his own “death” into the calculation, was warped to begin with.

“…My goodness, Subaru, you really are incorrigible.”

Rem’s halting murmur sounded like surrender, making Subaru lift up his face in the hope that his wish had been granted.

“Then you’ll…”

“No, you may not. Even so, I cannot permit you to pass, Subaru.”

“Wait, what’s with the way you were talking just now?! It totally sounded like…”

As Subaru chewed her out, Rem dodged his question and raised a finger.

“However… I will be working on a new abble dish that I suddenly thought of. As this requires great concentration, I will be extremely busy in the kitchen. It is highly probable that someone could slip out of this room without me realizing.”

“…”

“But you must not do anything untoward. Please continue your studies until I return. When everything is settled…I will treat you to the finest abble cuisine anyone has ever made.”

Subaru was cowed into silence as Rem gave him a motherly smile before standing. Just as she’d announced, she tied on an apron and left the room. Subaru listened to her light footsteps go down the stairs before he slumped back heavily in his chair.

“Ahh, Rem’s so adorable… I’m the worst for taking advantage of her.”

Closing his eyes, he thanked Rem for her clumsy idea and rose from his chair. Before leaving the room, Subaru reconsidered for a moment, took a pen, and tore out a page from the workbook.

3

Rem returned to the empty room, touching the table as she murmured offhandedly, “…I am slightly disappointed that he did not say, ‘Come with me.’”

He’d left behind a note on the table with “Sorry, and thanks” written in crude I-script.

“Subaru, you truly are incorrigible…”

As Rem gazed at the note, her expression betrayed the true meaning of her words.

Rem picked up the note, pressing it against her chest and closing her eyes as she treated it as a precious gift from Subaru.

“—But I wonder what Master Roswaal is thinking?”

She inclined her head slightly as she voiced her doubts about the instructions her master had left that morning.

“He said, ‘Do not stand in Subaru’s way no matter what Lady Emilia may say to you.’”

It was as if he’d anticipated Subaru’s actions and had instructed her accordingly. She also wondered why he was valuing Subaru’s opinion above Emilia’s. But at any rate…

“—Please come back to me safely, Subaru.”

She did not think he had run off without any plan, but she knew he was a boy who would do such a thing for the sake of another, putting the safety of others before his own. All Rem could do was fulfill his request and pray he would be unharmed.

For a time, Rem closed her eyes, picturing Subaru in her mind as she offered up a prayer. She then finished the tidying up of the half-completed study materials Subaru had abandoned before she retreated to the kitchen.

And so, Subaru Natsuki was let loose in the capital a second time, perhaps dancing in the palm of someone’s hand—though none could tell.

4

Subaru, having skipped out of the inn thanks to Rem’s kindness, ran downtown in the royal capital, his feet taking him to the Cadmon fruit store so he could contact Old Man Rom.

“Sneaking into a castle…is not very realistic, is it? Well, nothing’s gonna happen unless I make it to the entrance of the royal palace…”

It might have been possible to gain entry by explaining that he was connected to Emilia and Roswaal. But Subaru had few cards to play to even get that far.

“Even if I got to the garrison and explained, Emilia would probably turn down a magic mirror message…”

If he could make it to the foot of the castle, he was confident he could verbally wear Emilia down. Emilia was weak under pressure. He didn’t think she’d chase Subaru off after he’d undergone a dangerous adventure to reach her.

Subaru went to Market Street in the hopes of improving his chances of success. He wanted to get in touch with Old Man Rom and relay his plan to infiltrate the Nobles’ District as soon as possible.

The day before, Emilia had attempted to contact the royal palace from the garrison, but her efforts had apparently failed. But as it was clear that Reinhard was assigned to the Knights of the Royal Guard, he would surely be attending the royal selection meeting that day.

Before Emilia had left the inn, she’d said that she would ask him about Felt afterward. Subaru wanted to tell Old Man Rom, a worrier in spite of his large frame, as soon as he could.

Weaving his way into the crowd with quick feet, Subaru found the shop sign that was still fresh in his memory. The eccentric colors of the Cadmon sign were easy to mentally associate with the unmistakable scarred face of the shopkeeper.

It’s a small world, thought Subaru as he leaped out in front of the shop, when…

“Hey, old guy. Long time no—”

As Subaru tried to call out to the storekeeper, a congenial voice interrupted from right beside him.

“You’re late, bro! Just in the nick of time. Lucky you, I was gonna wait just a bit longer before heading off.”

A heavy metallic rattle accompanied a muffled laugh. Subaru shrugged off the arm openly wrapped around his shoulders, putting some distance between himself and the very close voice.

“Who are… Wait, you’re the guy from yesterday?”

“Yeah, I’m the guy from yesterday. I’m glad you showed up. Now I won’t get an earful over it.”

Not minding that his arm had been brushed off, the man in the black helmet—Al—patted his chest with his one arm. The appearance of the eccentric swordsman was just as unbalanced as it had been the day before.

Al chuckled again, seeing Subaru’s obvious shock at the unexpected reunion.

“Hey, don’t get bent out of shape. It’s your fault for talking about meeting up here right in front of Princess. She’s a sharp cookie to begin with.”

“Right in front of…she was eavesdropping! So why are you at the place I’m supposed to meet Old Man Rom, anyway? I get that the girl ordered you to, but not the reason why.”

“Hey, don’t ask me why. Princess does things on a whim so much, a lot of the time there’s no point asking why.—So let’s get goin’ then!”

“‘Goin’’?”

Apparently, both master and servant expected him to charge off into a new affair without his misgivings being answered. With Al ready to move out without a sufficient explanation, Subaru furrowed his brows and objected, “Hold on a minute. Go where? You haven’t explained one thing to me… I mean, I’ve got a place I have to get to!”

“Why’re you dragging your feet? Hey, it’s a big world out there and people get carried away by the currents, so just forget your doubts and go with the flow. It’s fun!”

Subaru pointed at Al’s helmet, unable to see the expression behind it as he soundly declared, “I don’t wanna hear philosophy from a grown-up slacker like you. I’ve got things to do. I don’t have time to mess with you or your princess!”

Subaru had no idea how Al had wound up associated with said princess, but that didn’t mean he had to shut up and play along. He continued, “You should really reconsider spoiling her before it gets both of you in really hot wa—”

“—You’re looking for a way to get into the royal palace, right?”

“!”

Al’s murmur stopped the stern lecture on Subaru’s lips.

“Whoa, that sure worked. That’s Princess for you. It’s just like she said.”

“Wh…what do you know…?!”

“Nah, I don’t know nothin’. I’m just saying it ’cause Princess told me to. And it worked, huh?”

Al’s shoulders rocked in delight as Subaru bit his lip and held his breath. If what the man said was true, Subaru was dancing on the palm of a girl who wasn’t even there. Suspecting he was completely boxed in, Subaru licked his parched lips.

“…I can…get into the castle, if I…go with you?”

The way Al avoided the heart of the matter was unsettling.

“Well… You’ll find out if you come along, won’t ya?”

Subaru averted his eyes and resisted the urge to click his tongue. Al had tossed the ball into his court and now calmly awaited his reply.

In spite of that, he seemed to know exactly what reply Subaru would give, which burned Subaru to no end.

After a brief, silent pause, the boy scowled in defeat as he raised a white flag.

“—Understood. I’ll go with you.”

“Don’t look so sad. I knew how this was gonna go down the moment you arrived in front of this shop with me waiting for you, just like Princess wanted.”

“…You seriously believe in her like that?”

Al didn’t reply to Subaru’s feeble question, using his one arm to fend off the issue as he moved the conversation forward.

“—Well, out of time. If we don’t get a move on, she’s gonna leave us behind. She’s really strict about that stuff.”

Subaru was about to fall into step behind Al, but first he looked back and said, “So there you have it. There’s stuff I wanted to talk about, but I’ll save it for next time, old guy.”

He was speaking to the shopkeeper, who’d been grimacing as Subaru and Al conversed inside the store. The shopkeeper traced his facial scar with a finger and let out a brief snort.

“I don’t really mind. Can’t be helped… Having a weirdo like that in front of my store was driving my customers away. Get going already.”

“I’m not sure Al’s the cause of your customers staying away, but… I’ve got one favor to ask you. You can get in touch with this crazy-huge geezer named Old Man Rom, right?”

Subaru, feeling confidence in the unusual connection, chose his words with great care as he added, “I want you to tell Old Man Rom this:—Subaru Natsuki says, I’m heading to the castle to check on Felt. Wait up for good news.”

5

—When Subaru reached Al’s destination, he looked up, completely and utterly overwhelmed.

“This is… How to put this…”

Standing beside him, Al nodded to display his sympathy with Subaru’s halting words.

“I know, bro. I get it, looking at this and wondering what you should say.”

Then, the two met each other’s eyes, pointing at what stood in front of them, and said simultaneously, “—Rich people.”

The dragon carriage was the very definition of needless extravagance.

The passenger cab was subtly engraved and adorned with numerous flamboyant ornaments. Glittering, radiant gold leaf had been applied to the exterior, and even the wheels had been jewel-encrusted. The land dragon in front also had an ostentatious appearance. The crimson-skinned, two-headed land dragon had extravagant feathers all down its back, with the intricate designs on the reins and bit completing the image of quintessential opulence.

“…People ride this? This isn’t some kind of mistake?”

“Unfortunately, even in a vast kingdom such as this, only Princess would ride such an embarrassing thing.”

Subaru did a double take as Al patted him on the back and walked ahead of him toward the occupied vehicle.

It was parked on the side of the street, but nonetheless, an unnecessarily huge dragon carriage just sitting there made a large impact on passersby. It received many stares, more out of raw shock than indignation at the interference.

Deeply conscious of their stares, Subaru finally resigned himself to climbing into the dragon carriage. He could almost hear the unvoiced whispers behind him: He’s getting into that…

Sitting by herself in a custom seat, a girl greeted them with a crafty smile.

“—You have made me wait some time. Such rudeness can cost you dearly.”

The girl’s attire for that day polished and amplified her beauty more than ever. The dress was wide open at the chest, presenting her ample bosom with such assertiveness that her sensuality tempted eyes to wander.

“…I’m extremely humbled and delighted by your invitation.”

“ ’Tis no trouble. You are riding for my entertainment, nothing more. A minor amusement I am slipping in at the last minute.”

“So I’m a super-outstanding servant here to serve as your entertainment for the evening? You’re gonna make me cry.”

As Subaru scoffed at the door, the seated master and servant traded glances with each other. The awkwardness had Subaru grinding his teeth by the time Al said to him, “Sit. We can’t get this dragon carriage moving if you just keep standing there. Even if the blessing makes it not rock on the inside, it’s a hell of a lot more comfortable sitting down. Besides, Princess hates being looked down upon.”

“Indeed, you understand me rather well, Al. So, commoner, that is how it is. Sit down at once. If you continue to tower over me like this, I shall have your height reduced…by about half.”

Since it really didn’t sound like a joke, Subaru plopped down immediately. That instant, the dragon carriage started. The scenery outside the window moved gently. Very gently.

Al guessed what was on Subaru’s mind, trying not to laugh as he said, “Appearances were prioritized at the cost of speed. Form over function. Easy to understand, yes?”

Subaru scratched his head at the way of thinking so different from the world he had come from, but the girl in the carriage prodded him, speaking in a fairly playful tone.

“So, peasant. What is the purpose of your riding in this dragon carriage?”

“Err… Uh? Purpose or not… It’s because you told the guy there to invite me aboard, right?”

“No. That was the trigger, but not the reason. I am not asking you why you came here. I am asking you, what is your reason for being here?”

For a moment, Subaru refrained from a comeback as he searched for better words.

It burned him, but it clearly was not the time to get on the girl’s bad side. She might just threw him out of the dragon carriage, but worst case, he’d be finding out what it was like to be on the business end of the sword on Al’s hip.

Besides, she had chosen her question deliberately—not why he had come, but why he was there at all.

“…Because I need to go to the royal palace. That’s why I’m in this carriage.”

“Correct. That is your reason for being here. Put another way, so long as you carry that reason with you, you would be hunting for another way to get into the palace, even if you were not on this carriage, yes?”

Subaru lowered his head, unable to refute the girl’s words.

“That’s…right… Maybe I’d end up sneaking in on one of the rich folks’ carriages.”

So long as he could not accept “giving up” as an option, Subaru would have groped for a way to get into the royal palace by any means necessary, even if it meant sneaking in aboard a nobleman’s vehicle. But as Al pointed out, “That’s reckless talk. Even if you could normally, this is a real special day. The checks are gonna be a lot stricter. There’s pretty much no way that’d work without help from guards at the garrison and people taking care of the carriages.”

Naturally, Subaru had no connections with which to make such arrangements. No doubt he’d have completely failed if he had attempted such a plan without being prepared.

“If that’s the case, getting invited here is a huge lifesaver, huh…?”

“So you boarded this dragon carriage because you aim to enter the royal palace. In other words, you believe this carriage is heading to the royal palace… There is no meaning in hiding it. Surely you are well aware of this.”

“…Yeah, that’s right… And if this isn’t going there, let me off now because I’m on the wrong ride.”

Al interrupted with a low chuckle.

“Sorry, this is a special express that won’t stop until the fourth station down the line.”

Subaru raised his eyebrows at the expression, but the girl continued before he could follow up. She glanced over at Subaru as she said, “Luckily for you, this dragon carriage is in fact heading to the royal palace… And do you understand why this dragon carriage is heading to the royal palace?”

“………”

“I pray you do not disappoint me by being a foolish commoner manipulated by the information before your eyes and fail to miss the obvious. If you are, that makes you a fool whose life bears no value.—Answer with care.”

As Subaru swallowed his breath, the girl uncrossed her legs and sat up. She sat with her legs off to the side, her back straight and deep in her seat as she gazed at Subaru and asked, “Why is this dragon carriage heading toward the royal palace?”

“This dragon carriage’s…heading toward the royal palace, because…”

Held captive by those two red eyes, Subaru felt his stomach squeezing. The extreme pressure rolling off the girl no doubt would make the weak of spirit buckle then and there.

She was a proud girl who spoke and acted like she viewed the entire world from a position above it. She had an obedient servant and a luxuriant dragon carriage. These formed the outline, and when Subaru added the final piece, the puzzle was complete.

There was only one possible answer.

“…Because you’re participating in the royal selection. This carriage is carrying a candidate.”

“—My. In other words, you do understand.”

“…You’re one of the candidates fighting for the throne of the Kingdom of Lugunica, aren’t you?”

At Subaru’s reply, the girl narrowed her blood-colored eyes and let loose a bloodcurdling, sadistic laugh.

“—Al.”

“Right, right, understood. It’s what you figured, bro. This young lady is a candidate for the royal succession of the Kingdom of Lugunica.—This is Lady Priscilla Bariel.”

Al called the leisurely posing girl Priscilla—a name he spoke with reverence.

Priscilla nodded in satisfaction at her servant’s words before looking at Subaru.

“One might argue that even a fool would have answered thusly after being provided with so many hints. Regardless, you may rest at ease. At the very least, you have avoided an immediate shedding of your blood.”

“Well, I’m relieved, too. This thing may be huge, but I don’t think we’d ever get the smell of blood and guts out of it.”

“I would simply arrange a new carriage in that case. Worry less about such trivial things and more about my mood.”

“A petty bourgeois like me just can’t understand a princess’s sense of money.”

Priscilla and Al engaged in casual master-servant banter. As Subaru watched, he subtly let out a long sigh.

He’d hazarded a guess when they’d parted ways the day before. Without doubt, Priscilla’s haughtiness marked her as someone from society’s upper class, telling him she had a strong pedigree. But what had really settled it was Emilia’s reaction.

Emilia had been fearful of coming into contact with Priscilla in spite of the robe she wore meant to conceal her identity. If Priscilla was Emilia’s political rival, it all fell into place.

In that light, the fact she’d invited Subaru aboard the dragon carriage meant…

“You knew who I was with yesterday, then?”

“It would seem she attempted to conceal herself with some pathetic rags. The way she hid in a nook along the street suited her public image very nicely.”

“Why, you. There’s things you say and things you don’t…”

Subaru was unable to conceal his indignation at Priscilla’s mockery of Emilia.

“Hey, lay off, bro. I only just got her to chill out on the spilling blood stuff.”

It took only an instant. As Subaru stood up, Al drew his crescent sword and touched the thick of the blade against the bottom of Subaru’s chin. One step farther and Subaru’s head would roll from his shoulders.

Al continued, “You get how Princess is by now, right? That’s her default mode, so just be the bigger man and accept it. If you don’t… Well, you chose wrong.”

“For a one-armed guy, you’re pretty handy with that thing.”

“I’ve lived longer with one than with two. People adapt.”

Unable to see Al’s face to judge whether he was joking, Subaru clicked his tongue and backed off a step. Accepting this, Al twirled his razor-sharp weapon and returned it to its sheath. Subaru sat back down in his seat and calmed himself.

He scowled as Al’s helmet made a satisfied shake, rubbing salt into his wounds. Subaru gazed at him and broached the subject that had been nagging him all this time.

“Is it too rude for me to ask where you lost that arm of yours?”

He was pointing at Al’s left arm, the most distinctive thing about him. If he has trouble answering for once, I wouldn’t mind, he thought.

—But that spurred a turn of events far different than he had expected.

“Sure, I can see why it’d bug you. It was my baptism to a whole different world. You know what I mean, don’t you, bro?”

“—Ah?”

Subaru had meant to gain some measure of revenge upon him, but the unexpected truth washed that thought away. He stared in abject shock while Al toyed with the gap of his helm with his left hand and tilted his head a bit.

“Wha, don’t tell me you didn’t notice by now? I’m the only one who knows what you’re going through, bro.”

“—Huh?”

Subaru let out a breath as his eyes opened as wide as plates. Al’s words had frozen his thoughts stiff. With his brain blanking out, he was at a complete loss for words.