--As they continued to glare at each other tensely, Subaru gasped at the feeling of sweat running down his forehead.
It was a spacious room. There were two beds placed side by side at the back, and by the door was a space large enough to fit Subaru's entire room from his original world.
The luggage brought from the mansion was neatly arranged in the empty space, but they only took up a small amount of space compared to the whole.
It wouldn't be the slightest obstacle to Subaru, who was standing in the center of the room, putting up a spectacular fight.
"Are you really not going to let me through?"
Feeling his lips go dry with tension, Subaru endures the tingling sensation in his throat and asks.
The voice was low, hiding the trembling. However, the obstacle before Subaru, blocking his path, had its hands outstretched, hiding the door from view, in a resolute attitude.
Although he knew that such an attitude was futile, Subaru clung to a glimmer of hope and accepted her pleading gaze. For an instant, he saw a flash of agitation in her eyes as she looked his way, but it was dispersed in front of her professional consciousness without even a trace of stagnation.
"Even if that's what Subaru-kun wants, I can't let you through here."
Something was blocking Subaru's path. Rem looked straight at Subaru and stated that clearly.
Subaru sighed at her stubborn attitude and shrugged his shoulders playfully,
"Well, calm down and think about it, Rem. I've been left behind like this, and it's not like I have any great connections or anything like that. In other words, even if I left this room, there's nothing I could do. Do you understand?"
Speaking quickly, Subaru tried to ease Rem's guardedness. She responded to his words with a cute "Yes," and a smile.
"Certainly, if you think about it normally, there's no way that Subaru's wish will come true just by leaving this room. It's not an easy place to reach, and even if you did get there, I don't think there's anything Subaru could do from there."
"Right?"
"But that's only if we follow Rem's common sense."
Cutting it off abruptly, Rem looked at Subaru with a smile still on her face. Her gaze took Subaru from top to bottom, making him straighten his back. Then she continued.
"In Subaru's case, I don't know what kind of outlandish ideas he'll come up with to achieve his goals. He might not even be able to find a way to do it, beyond Rem's imagination."
"Your feelings towards me that are neither trustful nor distrustful are outrageous. I haven't really stepped outside the bounds of common sense as much as you expect me to, you know?"
"If that's what you think, then it must be so. In your mind, Subaru."
He gently tries to correct Rem's thoughts, but it doesn't work on her, as her image of Subaru is firmly fixed in her mind.
In any case, it would be extremely difficult to persuade her and get her to give way. In that case, the only option would be to get behind her thoughts and take the lead.
"That's a difficult story in itself. If it starts like this, I'm worried about what's to come..."
Sighing and scratching his head, Subaru narrowed his eyes thoughtfully as he looked at Rem.
No, his gaze was directed beyond her - to the other side of the inn door where Emilia and Roswaal had left Subaru.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
"---Yeah, stay home and watch!?"
After breakfast, when he had returned to his room to catch his breath, Subaru was told of today's schedule, which made him cry out in shock.
Before Subaru's shocked eyes were Emilia and Rem, both of whom were in the room.
And then, Emilia, the one who had made Subaru scream at the beginning, put her hands on her hips, looked down at Subaru and said, "Of course not."
"You haven't forgotten why you came to the royal capital, have you? To check on the safety of Subaru's acquaintances in the royal capital, and to treat Subaru's own body. That was the promise."
"Well, that part can be easily stretched and used in a clever way..."
"Absolutely not! This isn't really a game, so we can't let outsiders in. I can't even bring Rem."
Emilia had spoken out in a manner uncharacteristically furious way, and Subaru, being at fault yesterday, had a sloppy response. He looked towards Rem, who was standing in the corner of the room, as if asking for help, but the blue-haired maid shook her head in response,
"As expected, even Rem cannot side with Subaru-kun in this situation. It is also Lord Roswaal's will, and Lady Emilia's opinion is correct. Please listen to me."
"Damn, I have no allies! But when I remember what I did yesterday, I can't say anything, it's so frustrating!"
Even though Rem is fundamentally a Subaru fan, she has a clear idea of her priorities.
Because of his mistake yesterday - in short, the incident of disobeying orders and getting lost - Subaru's movements in the royal capital were severely restricted.
Subaru had no room for excuses and had admitted that this was his own oversight, so now that he had been reunited with Grandpa Rom and the fruit shop owner, it wasn't such a big problem. Looking back, he was shocked to see that the people he wanted to meet were all scruffy men.
"No, he also wanted to meet Felt again, so it shouldn't be a problem. If you think about it, those connected to the royal capital are three-quarters men… but if you add in the nonsense, he's six-sevens!"
Furthermore, since Elsa is not included in the list of people she wants to meet again, there is no way to increase the ratio of women. What's the point of setting up so many male character flags in a fantasy world where you are summoned to another world?
"It's fine, I've set the main heroine flag..."
"Mumbling like that again, I don't think that's very nice."
Subaru was speechless and could only remain silent as the main heroine, Emilia, spoke with rainbow eyes. Then, seeing that Subaru had no objections or excuses, Emilia nodded in satisfaction,
"It won't take that long... That's what I want to say, but I'm not sure how long it will take today. So, I'll finish my meal with Rem. If I wait around, I'll probably make her wait too long."
"I see. If Emilia-tan is being so mean, then I have an idea. Hey, Rem. Let's treat the two of us to a lavish meal today!"
"No. Today's menu is roasted linga, linga salad, and linga pie made with plenty of linga jam. We'll also have linga juice prepared after the meal."
"Are you really using all the Ringa?! Get over there, Scarface!!"
Subaru, ignoring his own actions that had resulted in him returning home with a total of nine lingas, had a vision of a tough-looking fruit shop owner floating in the void. He raised his finger to say goodbye to the illusion of a smiling, thumbs-up man, and instead laughed in desperation, baring his teeth.
"That's great. I like linga the best out of all the fruits! Seriously, it's linga night fever! Let's eat them all together!"
"No, not at all. Rem is a maid who can take care of your every need, so she won't do anything to hinder Subaru-kun's enjoyment of Ringa. I'll give it all to him."
"You seem to be on my side, but sometimes you just mercilessly discard me, right!?"
Subaru screamed at Rem's attitude, which showed she knew her place, or rather, how to use it. Emilia had a thoughtful look on her face as she watched the two of them exchange like in a comedy skit, but she quickly shook her head as if to shake it off,
"Anyway, I'll leave it to you, Rem. I'm sure Roswaal has told you to do it, but please do it. --Really, please do it."
Subaru: "The way I create a pause and then repeat it shows that Emilia-tan really thinks of me!"
Subaru gave a thumbs up to Emilia who emphasized the point.
Emilia, already used to seeing him do this, places her palm over his outstretched hand. Subaru gasps at the sudden contact. Though he has developed a strong resistance to close conversations like this, he is extremely vulnerable to the occasional surprise attack.
Emilia didn't seem to notice Subaru's change,
"Subaru. I don't expect too much."
"Uh, yeah...?"
"Please, let me believe it."
She spoke this quietly, eyes closed as if pleading, and for a moment, Subaru's thoughts stopped.
I chewed over what she had said in my head, chewed it over, swallowed it, and let my imagination run wild with its meaning and intent.
"Y-yes! I'll definitely do it! I'll live up to Emilia-tan's expectations! I'm practically living for that!"
Without really understanding what she was talking about, I just reflexively agreed with her words. I just accepted them and then put them into practice.
In response to Subaru's words, which were undeniably a temporary measure, Emilia's amethyst eyes lit up with sadness,
"Yeah. I believe you."
Yes, he quietly let it slip out.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
And the story returns to the beginning.
Emilia and Roswaal head to the royal castle, and Subaru is left behind at the inn, under Rem's watch, where he spends some of his free time practicing dictation.
By the way, now that I have almost mastered the "I" characters, my next goal is to learn the "Ro" characters. If the "I" characters correspond to the Japanese Hiragana, then the "Ro" characters seem to correspond to the Katakana characters, and apart from a slight change in shape, the pattern is the same as the "I" characters, so I don't think it will take as long to master them as last time.
It had been about an hour and a half since he started dictating these 'Roman letters' - to say he got bored wouldn't be right for Subaru, who was unusually enjoying his studies, but it was perfectly right in the sense that he had become restless.
For Subaru, learning to read is a very moving experience, as it gives him the feeling that he is penetrating a different world into himself. This gives him the motivation to study, and he devotes himself to his daily assignments without complaint.
But, if Emilia was on the other side of that scale of will, then there was no point in talking about it.
Subaru stood up and was about to leave the room when Rem quietly blocked him. Cleaning the room, organizing his belongings, and interfering with Subaru's studies - the all-purpose maid who did all of these tasks at once had perfectly read what Subaru meant when he said, "I'm just going to pick some flowers," and interfered with his actions.
--In other words, his plan to leave the inn and head to the castle.
He felt quite guilty about breaking his promise to Emilia.
Emilia's fears - or should I say her fears - were certainly spot on, and her judgement in ordering Rem to keep an eye on his actions was a good portrayal of Subaru as a person.
And even though he understood all of this, Subaru couldn't just sit back and wait at the inn.
"I think you're being too scared just because you only have bad memories of the royal capital..."
You can imagine what hardships Emilia faced the last time she visited the royal capital.
Although she had likely come to the royal capital incognito, her qualifications and even her life were nearly taken away by enemies who were after her badge.
Without Subaru, it's clear that his fate would have been sealed that day.
--Thinking back to the day he met her, Subaru couldn't help but be conscious of his own position.
Subaru was suddenly summoned to another world and given no purpose. On the surface, he appears carefree and optimistic, but inside he is rather thoughtless, reckless, and reckless in his actions.
In the end, since the outside and the inside are basically the same in nature, it cannot be denied that the events that have led to me being here now have felt like I have been swept away by the flow of events.
It cannot be denied,
"As someone who is easily swept away by the current, I think I've chosen which current to swim in."
Subaru won't deny that he's been swept into this situation, but he could have chosen not to end up here. And yet, the reason he's here now is because of his own choice.
Subaru is dropped into another world without any purpose.
It is precisely because of his position that he is able to accept the current situation as it is and think this way.
Since no purpose is given to you, you must decide for yourself what your purpose is.
"Let's help Emilia."
It's not just because she saved me.
Subaru's desire to help Emilia was a reason that overflowed from the depths of his heart.
"That's it, love power."
"What did you just say?"
"No, sorry, I'm getting serious and it's a bit embarrassing to say it again."
Rem tilted her head and asked again, making Subaru reflect on what he had just said to himself. He then cleared his throat and changed his mood, turning his mind to how to overcome the obstacle before him.
Even if I escaped from here, I couldn't think of any way to break into the castle. But, I had to get out of here.
Subaru's approach in this regard is not to just go with the flow, but to go with the flow.
"However, it doesn't change the fact that the situation is bad."
Before his eyes, Rem stood with her arms outstretched, trying to break through――simply put, it was an impossible task.
The difference in physical ability was obvious, and Subaru's condition was not the best. Most of the strategies to outwit him were made up for by the overwhelming difference in ability, and Subaru did not possess any special powers that could overcome that difference in strength.
I considered using Shamaku to create a smokescreen and escape, but since I don't have any Bocco fruits, I would end up smoking and passing out. The use of Bocco fruits itself has already been strictly forbidden by the people in the mansion.
And so Subaru was cornered. It wasn't as if his quick thinking was anything special, so he could only think of one more solution.
it is--,
"Uh... No way, this is...!"
"Subaru-kun?"
Subaru's face suddenly turned pale, he put his hand to his forehead and his body shook violently.
Subaru's knees were shaking and his breathing was becoming rough, so Rem hurriedly reached out a hand and gently supported his collapsing shoulders,
"What's wrong, Subaru-kun? Have you despaired at the recklessness of your own idea…?!"
"What would your opinion of me be if it were quantified?! No, that's no good… ugh, this is painful…"
Holding his chest while being supported, Subaru finally falls to his knees and gasps in agony. Rem kneels beside him in the same way, and leans over to him.
"It's not your head, but your chest this time. Are you okay?"
"Oh, was it my head? No, my chest feels tight... this is it..."
"There's a bit of a shallow vibe going on, but do you know the reason for that?"
Subaru's foolish anguish sparked Rem's rather stern concern. Hearing this, Subaru grabbed Rem by the collar, clung to her, brought his face close to hers, and trembled his lips.
"--Ma"
"Ma?"
"--Mayonnaise deficiency."
I thought to myself, ``Wasn't there any other way?'' and ``Is this a repeat joke?''
However, once he has said it, he will see it through to the end. This is Natsuki Subaru's unyielding policy. The stubbornness of a boring man.
"It's the withdrawal symptoms that occur when a mayonnaise lover doesn't have enough mayonnaise... It had been easing up thanks to Rem, but it's been a day since we left the mansion... I didn't expect it to progress this quickly."
"But what on earth should we do about Rem?"
"Please make some mayonnaise... If I could just slurp some mayonnaise, my life would be saved... Ugh, this is painful..."
Finally, unable to bear the thought of staying upright, Subaru falls to the ground, clinging to Rem. Rem places Subaru's head on her lap and strokes his forehead, murmuring "mayonnaise" softly.
"I need to prepare some eggs, oil, and other things... but..."
"It's painful... I'm going to die. Please, Rem. You... you're the only one I can rely on..."
"--Is Rem the only one we can rely on?"
She couldn't bear to see Subaru suffering. But she didn't know what might happen if she took her eyes off him.
Rem was torn between her own feelings and orders, but Subaru's final words seemed to be the deciding factor.
She clenched her fist and muttered forcefully, "Only Rem!"
"I understand! Leave it to me, Rem!"
"Aida! And Ugeba!"
Rem suddenly stood up, causing him to fall to his knees and hit the back of his head, and then Rem stomped forward with even more energy, causing his heel to hit his ribs.
Rem, who was full of enthusiasm, didn't seem to notice my reckless behavior. She quickly got dressed and,
"Well then, Rem will gather the ingredients right away and start making mayonnaise! Subaru-kun, don't sleep on the floor, make sure you're resting in bed."
"This agony... has nothing to do with mayonnaise..."
"Eh? Yes, I understand. Rem will do her best for Subaru. And when that day comes… hehe, I'm looking forward to it."
Rem took the agonizing Subaru's words and interpreted them fully as she ran out of the room with an abnormally cute smile on her face.
Holding his chest in pain, Subaru watches him leave, confirming that his goal has been accomplished. However, due to an accident he is unable to move for a while.
The pain finally began to subside, and Subaru stood up, casually rubbing the back of his head where the bump was, then he shook his body from where he had been lying on the floor and turned his head,
"I-I know it was a stupid plan, but it worked. I'm a little worried about Rem's future, but I'll just say that I was saved by her naivety."
As for the ribs and back of the head that were sacrificed instead, it was a necessary sacrifice.
If a way has opened up in exchange for pain, then for the time being we should be satisfied with this.
"For now, let's just leave a note for Rem and get out of here. It'll be no good if we run out the door and run into each other…"
Leaving the scribbled note on the table, Subaru opened the window and looked down. The room was on the second floor, so if he could grab hold of the sash and climb down it wouldn't be a particularly dangerous height. The area below the window was a deserted alley, so there was little risk of being seen going down and being treated like an underwear thief.
"--Well then, I guess I'll go. It's not like when I was a kid I would willingly sneak into my parents' balcony to prank them."
Climbing up and down houses by climbing pipes and the like is one of his specialties. Using his soft body to slip through windows with iron bars is also a skill he acquired out of necessity. Although, he has arbitrarily named this skill "Rubbermen" (plural).
Digging up such memories, Subaru placed his hands on the windowsill and, without any hesitation, slid himself down into the alleys of the Royal Capital.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
--It happened immediately after Subaru had quietly slipped out of the room.
"...Even so, even Rem is a bit shocked that someone thought I would fall for something like that."
Standing in the middle of the empty room, Rem had returned and muttered to herself as she touched the table.
Rem retrieves the note from the table she touched. It simply says "Chichiki and tickle frog" in hard-to-read, hastily written "I" letters.
Judging from Subaru's personality, she judged it to be some kind of sophisticated joke that was hard to understand at first glance.
"You didn't have to do anything dangerous like jumping out of the window, and I didn't stop you from leaving the room."
This was the result of her having hidden herself at the end of the corridor, hoping to see Subaru through the door. When she returned after sensing that the room was deserted, she found the window wide open and a note left behind - it was clear that he had deliberately taken the risk of leaving.
"…Come on, Subaru-kun, you can't help it."
Rem's expression as she muttered was somewhat amused, in stark contrast to her words.
She carefully folded the note Subaru had left behind, knowing that it was addressed to her, and placed it securely in the inside pocket of her maid uniform.
For a moment, Rem placed her hand on the front of her chest, which contained the letter, and closed her eyes, lost in thought. After enjoying the moment, she let out a satisfied sigh and opened her eyes.
"--But what is Roswaal-sama thinking?"
Tilting her head and placing her hand on her cheek, Rem ponders the command from her master and asks a question.
The command she received from her Lord when she woke up this morning was as follows:
In other words, "Do not get in the way of Natsuki Subaru's actions. No matter what Emilia orders you to do."
When she asked what the point of that was, she was quietly refused. As such, as a servant, Rem could only silently obey. She felt a little guilty about disobeying Emilia's orders, but to her, Roswaal's orders took priority over Emilia. With the possible exception of Subaru, who would fall somewhere in the order.
Anyway,
"--Please come back safely, Subaru-kun."
I don't think that he ran off without a plan, but he is a boy who will put his own safety aside and not hesitate to run off for someone else.
All Rem can do is pray that his wish will come true, and hope that in the process of achieving it he won't get hurt more than necessary.
--The former is an overestimation of Rem, and the latter is an over-glorification of Rem.
Overall, Rem, who thinks Subaru too highly, closes the window as he leaves, turns to her room, shook her head as if to forget the conflict she had been feeling, and immersed herself in her work as a maid.
Thus, Natsuki Subaru was released into the royal capital for the second time, without even knowing for sure who he was in.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
"And so, Natsuki Subaru-kun began running aimlessly."
Subaru, the Rubberman, had safely landed in the royal capital, but to be honest, in his mind he was practically not thinking about anything at all.
There was no way that he could have made it to the castle alone, and in the first place, there was no chance that Subaru could have made it through the guard posts on the way to the noble district, let alone the castle.
They considered relying on Shamak, who had a reputation for being trustworthy and had a proven track record, to break through the post, but they rejected the idea after repeatedly coming to the conclusion that if they failed, they would end up collapsing on the sidelines, smoking their own smoke.
It is also a problem to push the idea that Shamak is omnipotent too far.
"Shamak seems to be quite versatile, but I simply don't have enough skill. If I could at least adjust the amount of mana I use when casting magic, it would be a different story…"
During the days spent at the mansion after the end of the monster incident, Roswaal gave her a brief lecture on how to use magic.
If his assessment as a court mage was correct, it would take about two years for Subaru to learn to use mana on an equal level with a wizard. It would take twenty years to train Subaru to the limits of his talent and become a master wizard. And in the first place, it would take more than six months for an overworked body to return to its previous condition.
"There was no way I could have gotten through it without using magic, so I don't really regret it."
It is unclear what will happen to Subaru's body if he overuses the gate again.
So for the time being, the only option is to eliminate Shamak altogether. It's just that an option that I didn't have to begin with is gone, so it's not that painful.
"It's sad to say goodbye to the romance of being able to use magic, but it's a real shame."
In any case, that was how Subaru felt.
Subaru does not attach much importance to this situation, as much as Ram and Rem's sisters, Roswaal, feel responsible for it. For Subaru, who had little connection to mana or magic to begin with, the disappearance of something that was never there is a difficult loss to grasp.
At least, it wasn't going to have any lasting effects now.
"So, we've come to the conclusion that we need to somehow get into the castle without relying on magical power. You can lend me your wisdom, connections, or anything you like, please."
"...Hearing that, what should I do, seriously?"
"More importantly, don't talk about dangerous things in the corner of someone else's shop. We're running an honest business that's out of the sight of the authorities, so what if some weird rumor spreads?"
"Even if it was a legitimate business, the owner doesn't look like a proper citizen, so it's too late now. With him connected to this old man from the back alley, it's already impossible for him to get involved in the rumors."
"You're such a talkative brat..."
The one making a sour face at Subaru's rude remark was Scarface, a man with a vertical white scar running from his forehead to his chin. Pushing his muscular, large body into the small shop was a bald, old man.
Subaru felt as if the smell of sweat had intensified, including his own, and sighed, "Even so,"
"To think that the store connected to Grandpa Rom was an old man's store. The world is small, or rather, the royal capital is small… should we say birds of a feather flock together?"
"Don't lump us together."
"Don't argue with me in unison. You're not like the beautiful maid sisters I know, you're bald and scarred. Who cares?"
The two exchanged unpleasant looks as they looked at each other. Incidentally, the shopkeeper's store was still open for business, but the number of customers stopping by was low, regardless of the presence of Subaru and Grandpa Rom.
Even though the location was a reasonable one for a business street, the shopkeeper himself had made it too hard mode. Restrictions were recommended - a situation that even Subaru could relate to.
"Hey, why are you putting your hand on my shoulder?"
"Well, I sympathize with the likes of the likes of us all, because I wish we could live in an easier mode. God is not fair, you know."
"Don't make me join in on your pessimism. Unlike you, I have a wife and a daughter. I'm a winner."
"That's a lie, don't-don't-don!"
Subaru is shocked by his friend's unexpected and betrayal, and his behavior becomes erratic.
Subaru steps back and turns to face Grandpa Rom, wanting to ask him the truth of what he just said. The bald old man nods firmly in response to Subaru's trembling black eyes,
"It's true. And he has a beautiful wife and a cute daughter."
"Damn it! This is the first time I've ever been treated like this since I came to this world, you idiot!!"
The rage he'd felt ever since being summoned to another world.
Letting the dark emotions welling up from the pit of his stomach take over, Subaru leapt at the shopkeeper, only to be instantly struck back by a powerful blow to his forehead, knocking him down.
"I... I'm powerless..."
"If it were a different situation, it would be different, but saying it here and now is just sour grapes."
Looking down at Subaru, who had taken his anger out on him and was overcome with the counterattack, Old Man Rom touched his chin with a thoughtful look on his face.
When he was first called, he had been gleeful, thinking it was something to do with Felt. It was only natural that he would be angry, since the request was actually to cooperate with Subaru's evil plan, but the old man's kindness was overflowing as he didn't mind and worked through his worries with him.
Subaru does feel guilty about taking advantage of her kindness and taking advantage of her, but his strength is that he can put these feelings aside and stick to his own selfish desires.
So,
"Once again, I would like your opinion. How can we sneak into the castle peacefully?"
"If you continue with that mindset and commit a serious crime, you'll be locked in the castle's dungeon and your goal will be accomplished. You'll probably just have to say goodbye to your head and torso."
"Give more constructive feedback. That's why this store isn't popular."
"Don't say that, kid. It's precisely because Kadmon's shop isn't popular that we can have this secret meeting. If you look at it that way, it's not all bad. Right, Kadmon?"
"Do you two have some grudge against our store?"
The shop owner glared at them with a stern look - Subaru and Old Man Rom looked at each other under Kadmon's gaze, shrugged their shoulders and denied it with a "No way."
Seeing the two of them making angry gestures, Kaedmon angrily traced the scars on his face with his fingers.
"Don't try something scary like sneaking into the castle. The king is not here right now, so the castle isn't that important, but that doesn't mean you won't get away with sneaking in if you're caught."
"Well, I guess you can imagine how risky it is. Boy, if you get caught, you'll die."
Old Rom agreed with Kaedmon's words.
The conclusion they came to was to give up on Subaru's actions. Of course, that was only natural, since there was no reason for them to push themselves in the first place.
"Well, if you say so, I don't have a clear reason to push myself..."
Unlike previous times, Subaru no longer had any reason to risk his life.
Returning proudly to the inn and taking a nap, sucking on the mayonnaise that Rem had made while waiting for Emilia and the others to return - that was also an option.
In fact, there's no doubt that Emilia and the others would be pleased if he did that.
There is no doubt about it,
"Why do I have to try so hard?"
Subaru believes that he needs to be by Emilia's side, almost as if it is his mission.
I don't know how much it would help her, but I think if I was there I might be able to help her out if she needed help.
If he wasn't by her side, she wouldn't have the opportunity to make the most of it.
"Even if it's self-centered, I still want to be with you..."
Just being away from her for a moment made Subaru feel a burning fear.
It was reason enough to make him take the plunge, even weighing his own life against it.
"Well, it's true that the ominous jinx surrounding the royal capital is what drives me."
Being a place where dark premonitions related to the royal selection never cease, Subaru's anxiety shows no sign of ending.
The possibility that Emilia might be harmed without him―― if that was something that could be denied a little more, Subaru probably wouldn't have felt so anxious.
"I don't need to be next to you, but I want to be in a position where I can at least see your face. Is there anything we can do about that?"
"It's not going to be that easy. If you just wanted to get out of the barracks, you could bribe a little, but getting to the castle..."
He probably wasn't impressed by Subaru's attitude, but he could sense that he wasn't going to give up. Perhaps it would be a bad turn of events if he was left alone and allowed to run wild, only to be arrested and sentenced to death, so Grandpa Rom began to seriously participate in the plan to break into the castle. Compared to Grandpa Rom, who unconsciously began to strengthen his position as an accomplice, Kaedmon's relationship with Subaru was not that deep.
He looked at the two of them, who were seriously exchanging opinions, with an exasperated look on his face.
"Either way, please settle this in a way that doesn't cause any trouble for us."
He said in a dismissive tone.
Since he had no reason to immerse himself in the situation seriously, it was unreasonable to ask, but Subaru pouted at the sight of his friend's cold face,
"Don't say that. Even though there are no customers, he still works hard to run his store on the shopping street. I hope you can get some hints from this man's tenacious way of life."
"I'm just saying, I'm not feeling too great today, but my shop is actually more popular now, you know? … Rather than trying some weird trick, why don't you go and explain the situation at the barracks? Your friend's son is in the castle, right? … Uh, what did he look like again?"
Having spoken his reasonable opinion, Kadmon then frowned as if searching his memory.
It seemed that he couldn't remember the image of the beautiful silver-haired girl. This was the result of witnessing the power of the hood woven with the recognition-blocking spell.
In any case, unfortunately there is no choice but to follow the reasonable opinion he expressed.
Subaru: "If I go down that route, Emilia-tan will definitely find out! The ideal thing would be to secretly watch over her from the shadows, pretending as if I didn't do anything. I'll call it the 'I'm the unsung super-power' plan."
"What's with that secretive yet assertive operation name?"
"That's bothersome. Well then, how about we try to sneak in with the luggage being brought into the castle? The company is planning to send some food to the castle today, so if we're lucky..."
Kadmon suggested with a laugh, as if it was just for conversation, but his scarred expression stiffened.
Because she saw Subaru's eyes light up the moment he heard that information.
He covered his mouth as if embarrassed at his mistake, then held out his palm and tried to say, "Not now!" but,
"That opinion -- YES!"
Subaru flashed his teeth, gave a thumbs up, and winked at her with a smile, much, much faster than that.
Grandpa Rom looked up at the sky, lamenting his recklessness.
The sunlight pouring down on him made his bald head glow pale and white.