"When things are going so smoothly, I can't help but feel uneasy."
Scratching his head, Subaru sighed as he looked around.
The sturdy stone corridor was just under two meters wide. It was narrow enough that four adults would be trapped inside, but considering that it was a place used by servants, it was wide enough. It's just that the corridors of Roswaal Mansion were unnecessarily large and difficult to clean.
Anyway,
"I expected there to be many more obstacles to overcome - but I never expected to clear it in one go."
Hiding in a corner of a deserted passageway - the underground passageway of the Royal Castle, Subaru sighed unbeknownst to everyone at the lax security.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
--The "Exciting Secret Castle Climbing Plan, Presented by Kadomon" was put into action just under an hour after the three came up with their evil plan.
"Listen, don't mention my name under any circumstances. The noble district... you can get in to the upper wards this way, but you'll need to find another way to get into the castle. If push comes to shove, ask for a guy named Henehehe in the upper west ward. He'll let you return to the lower levels peacefully."
While he makes sure that he doesn't get into trouble himself, he also doesn't forget to provide information about escape routes in case of emergency. He's a tough-looking store owner who is always caring. It could be said that it's his kindness that has gotten him involved in such a reckless endeavor.
Following Kadmon's suggestion (though he would likely deny it), it was decided that Subaru's plan to sneak into the upper levels would be a smuggling operation, blending in with the cargo of a wagon heading from the business street to the upper district.
The lower level - the commercial district such as the shopping street and the commoner's area where the common people live. It also includes the slums and other areas around the outer periphery of the royal capital. It seems that such transportation takes place regularly from the lower level to the upper level, and the management of the post is relatively loose.
"That shows how much merchants are trusted?"
"Rather than saying that merchants are trusted, it's more that they don't think they're stupid enough to offend their superiors and cancel a lucrative deal... that's probably what I'd say."
The one who answered Subaru's question was a muscular giant with his arms crossed. Old Man Rom stroked his bald head, his outfit having changed from the worn-out rags he had been wearing only moments ago to something relatively clean and presentable. Old Man Rom noticed Subaru's gaze asking him the reason,
"Although you won't be so suspicious once you enter the upper district, it's still better to keep your appearance neat and tidy to avoid attracting attention. In the case of a boy, that consideration is unnecessary."
"Well, well, considering my position now I'm just a servant in a decent household. This is my first time in the royal capital, so I've spent quite a bit of money on my clothes."
Raising his hand with an appraising gaze, Subaru looked down at his current outfit and laughed.
It was a men's formal uniform prepared by Rem for his life as a servant at Roswaal Manor. Though it was okay for him to get it dirty, the luxury that was obvious from its appearance and feel was such that Subaru, who was basically a small-minded person, had been handling it with more care than necessary, as it was practically brand new.
It seems that the formality of the building was what made it stand out in a bad way in the lower districts, but it was decided that in the upper districts, the unusualness would be neutralised and the atmosphere would be milder.
With that understanding, Subaru looked up at the newly cleaned up old man Rom and said, "More importantly,"
"Even so, I'm pretty worried that Grandpa Rom is seriously coming along."
Touching upon this, which was currently his greatest concern, Subaru spoke fearfully.
It was Grandpa Rom himself who offered to accompany Subaru on the human smuggling mission to the upper district. To be honest, it was an offer that Subaru wanted to turn down, wanting to reduce the chances of being discovered even if just a little, but
"Well, I have quite a bit of experience when it comes to entering the upper levels. Where do you think I used to lend out the items I gathered in the stolen goods storehouse?"
"That way of speaking is annoying, like an old man saying he was bad in the past. It's a habit, this old man. He's more dangerous than someone you can rely on."
Subaru looked at Kaedmon for approval, but the stern man had left their conversation and was concentrating on discussing with the driver of the dragon carriage. Seeing as Grandpa Rom hadn't made a single comment about getting on board, it seemed the old man had used this tactic more than once.
This was also supported by the fact that the driver didn't react much when Kaedmon mentioned that he would have them smuggled up to the upper levels.
"In this case, should I lament the laxity of the guards at the barracks, or should I praise the toughness of the merchants who take advantage of that to make a little money...?"
"If any problems arise, it will affect Kadomon and the others too. If we didn't have a certain level of trust, we wouldn't be able to do something so reckless. It's because I'm here that the kid was able to ride along, so be grateful."
"What a typical bad adult to gleefully lead a good-behaved young man like me down the path of evil. I swear I'll never become an old man like that, but I'm grateful on the surface. You're amazing, Grandpa Rom! Hey, your mind is shining bright today too!"
"Hahaha, you quiet brat. I think I'll kick you off the carrier in front of the guardhouse."
They exchanged smiles, then sighed at the futility of it all.
Subaru then shrugged and brought the topic back to the beginning,
"So, why did you come after all? Thanks to Grandpa Rom, the wagon cart got a free pass, but there's no reason for you to cross a dangerous bridge, right?"
This would not have happened if Kadmon had simply been an acquaintance of his.
Since he is convinced that it was all thanks to Grandpa Rom's cooperation, he cannot make a clear interpretation of why he would approve of Subaru's recklessness.
In response to Subaru's question, Old Man Rom frowned with a difficult expression on his face,
"The kid said that Felt had been taken away by the 『Sword Saint』. If that's the case, I thought there was a chance I should inquire upstairs."
Old man Rom frowned as he mentioned the word 『Sword Saint.』 Hearing the word, Subaru recalled the image of the red-haired young man, and remembered that his residence was also on the upper floors.
There's no doubt that he comes from a decent family, and it's only natural for someone called the 『Sword Saint』. However, in this world where there doesn't seem to be any grand nameplate hanging in front of the gate, it seems like it would be extremely difficult to find his mansion.
"Not only do we not know which house Reinhardt lives at, but even if we did know, there would be no point in ringing the doorbell and meeting him, right? It seems like that good-looking guy would be happy to give us a warm welcome even if we showed up without an appointment, what do you think?"
"Only a kid would do something so foolish. What I'm doing is merely preliminary research and preparation for the future."
"For the future?"
Subaru tilted his head, and Old Man Rom tilted his chin slightly and said, "Ah."
"It's a setup to bring Felt back, then. If we can find out the location of the mansion, then with a certain amount of money and connections, we should be able to find out more about it."
"You're trying to do something outrageous in a different way than me, aren't you? I feel like both you and Grandpa Rom are lighting a fuse that shouldn't be lit."
Subaru scolds Grandpa Rom for his extreme opinions, but objectively speaking, there is not much difference between the terrorist aims of the two. One is plotting to sneak into the royal castle, while the other is planning to break into a noble's mansion - charges that could get them dismissed immediately if caught red-handed.
"As for Felt, if the other person is Reinhard, I don't think there's any need to worry. To be honest, isn't there a high chance that she's living a better life than this? In fact, she might have been picked up by a servant or something like me and be enjoying life to the fullest."
It was hard to tell from the filthy clothes she wore in the slums, but I think Felt would have been quite presentable if she had been cleaned up. Isn't it possible that someone like Reinhard would have noticed her beauty, felt sorry for her and taken her in, as she struggled with poverty?
Shaking his head, Subaru thought that he didn't seem like the type of person who would act out of condescending sympathy, denying that opinion in line with the image of Reinhard he had in his mind.
In any case, it was true that it was hard to imagine her being treated badly. However, Grandpa Rom pursed his lips in a troubled tone at Subaru's carefree thoughts,
"No, you can't. It doesn't matter who the other party is at this point. That child is in the custody of the higher-ups. ーーThat could lead to a bad situation sooner or later."
Subaru felt distrustful of Grandpa Rom's stubborn, or rather earnest, attitude.
It was partly because he was worried about her, but it also seemed to him that a stronger, more selfish emotion was brewing behind it.
However, before Subaru could open his mouth to question her true intentions,
"Hey, we're ready. If you're serious about this, get in early. I'll ask you to go to the third car. The old man is following his usual routine, so teach that kid over there."
After finishing his discussion with the driver, Kaedmon returns and informs Subaru and the others that the preparations are complete. Old Man Rom raises his hand in response, and looks at Subaru with silent eyes, as if he wants to say something, then,
"Anyway, we need to get past the post first. Since you're the one in question, I'll be especially careful, but don't do anything unnecessary. Even if they're on their toes, they're still the Royal Capital's guards. If you get caught, it will end up costing you a lot of money."
"I sense a vague hotbed of corruption in the fact that instead of getting slashed, you can just pay money and it's over... but I'll be careful."
Though he was somewhat unconvinced, Subaru nodded and followed behind Old Man Rom as he began to walk away.
There were four dragon carriages heading to the upper levels, all enormous and taking up nearly half of the wide shopping street. The earth dragon pulling the cargo was also a different species to any Subaru had seen up until now; unlike the ones he had seen before, which had a slender, lizard-like impression, this one had thick, short legs and reminded Subaru of a clumsy turtle.
A total of four earth dragons and four carts. Subaru and Old Man Rom were riding in the third cart, and the main product carried on the platform was――,
"I thought it smelled really fishy. Could it be that this is a fish-related shipment?"
"It'll make your nose curl, so it'll be harder for the guards to see. It'll be convenient because our smell will be lost. Now, don't forget the perfume to get rid of the smell."
Subaru grimaces as the fishy smell fills his nostrils, and Grandpa Rom hands him the small green bag he was holding. The bag he received was small enough to fit in the palm of his hand, and Subaru fainted when he smelled it from the outside.
The pungent smell, even worse than the fishy smell, made his nose sting, and he was hit in the face with a pain so strong it made him want to bleed. Subaru instinctively dropped the bag, and Old Man Rom bent down to pick it up,
"It's our lifeline, don't treat it carelessly, you sacrilegious person."
「I feel like I've been punished by God in advance, but what is this!? It's not like my nose got bent, I mean, I thought my nose was going to get taken off!」
"At first, the powdered fishtail has a strong pungent smell, but after a few minutes of applying it to your body, it will eliminate that strong smell along with your body odor. If you walk around the upper levels smelling like fish, even if you're dressed nicely, you'll soon stand out in a bad way. Think of it as a necessary pain and enjoy it."
Old Man Rom smiles maliciously as he presses the pouch against his chest. Subaru accepts it with a sulky look on his face, and puts it in his trouser pocket, trying to get it as far away from his nose as possible.
As the two of them exchanged words, Kadmon motioned for them to hurry up. Deciding that they couldn't afford to waste any more time, they made up their minds and climbed into the back of the truck.
Just as he had expected――No, the fishy smell hit Subaru even more than he had expected, and just before they set off he felt like his heart was about to break.
There seemed to be some sort of air conditioning in place to cool the raw fish and other things, and the inside of the cart was colder than just chilly. Seeing the whiteness of his breath, Subaru's eyes wandered around, searching for a place to put himself.
"Don't look around like that. The hiding place is a little way from the entrance... Yes, it's behind that wooden box. I'll hide too, so make yourself small."
"What's so sad about being pressed up against a muscular old man for 24 hours... I hope these clothes aren't wet from the floor or fish juice. They're brand new."
"That's probably better than the possibility of your clothes getting bloody because of your thriftiness. The wooden box contains salted fish, so that should smell better."
Old man Rom urged him on, telling him to hurry up. At the same time as the push from his palm, the dragon carriage started moving with a slight jolt. Before it could hide further inside, Subaru peeked his head out of the entrance to the wagon and waved a final farewell to Kadmon, who was seeing him off.
Kaedmon responded roughly to the gesture with his own hand, then turned away as if to show that he no longer wished to see me, and began walking in the opposite direction down the shopping street.
Having witnessed this, Subaru finally sat down in the back of the bed - in a corner of the wooden crate as instructed - and concentrated on calming his racing heartbeat at this very first smuggling attempt.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
--Frowning from the pain of his beating heart, Subaru made his way along the route, slightly regretting the recklessness of his actions. His worries proved to be nothing serious when the man sitting in the driver's seat secretly sent in a message that he had made it out of the station safely.
It had only been about twenty minutes since we had left the shopping street.
The whole thing had happened so easily that Subaru was taken aback, and in fact he looked at Grandpa Rom with a shocked expression, as if he'd just heard a joke.
"Is it that easy to get out of the barracks? They didn't even inspect the inside."
Subaru had anticipated the worst-case scenario, like the one he'd read in the manga, where spears would be thrust into the bed one after another and a violent inspection would occur, so he felt disappointed as he had prepared to lie on the floor.
Old Man Rom snorted at Subaru's unfounded fears,
"I told you so, it's implicit. Only the first three dragon carriages are actually carrying food-related goods from the shopping street to the upper levels. The fourth dragon carriage behind us is loaded with a number of items that the guards at the barracks have no choice but to turn a blind eye to."
The grim expression on Grandpa Rom's face as he said this made it clear that he knew every detail of the loose surveillance network at this station.
Hearing this, Subaru pouted, expressing his dissatisfaction with her bad nature,
"So it was a rigged game. I got scared and lost out. And, from what you say, does that mean the things piled up behind you are bribes?"
"To put it plainly, that's what I mean. There are many things up there that would be inconvenient if this wagon were to be stopped midway. It can't be stopped by a small thing."
He muttered as he folded his arms, but then turned a serious look towards Subaru,
「However, it is strictly forbidden to upset those guys. They wouldn't want to be found out and have any disadvantages. They'll be dealt with without even a chance to make an excuse, and the truth will remain in the dark――that'll be your pitiful death, okay?」
Old Man Rom implicitly scolds Subaru for his rash and reckless behavior. The solemn atmosphere makes it difficult for even Subaru to make a flippant remark, so he solemnly nods in agreement.
The swaying wagon was on a slope, and they had left the upper entrance - the noble district - and the sound of the wheels crunching on the ground had changed to paved ground.
"I'll get off the dragon carriage after we go a little further. After that, I'll go around to the places I know and gather information in the noble district. ... You, kid, do the same."
"...But that won't accomplish my goal."
"You were pushing yourself too hard so I helped you infiltrate up to the upper levels. However, it's probably impossible to sneak any higher than that at the moment. It would just be throwing your life down the drain. I know that things are urgent, but you're not prepared enough."
Subaru was silent after being hit with such sound reasoning. Grandpa Rom roughly stroked Subaru's head with his firm palm, and prefaced his remark with "And also,"
"Some say that taking on a challenge without preparation is "preparing to fail." Rushing won't give you the results you want. So at the very least... you understand?"
"It's hard to argue when you're lectured like that from an adult's perspective."
Subaru forcefully pushed the hand off his head and turned his back to the old man while sitting on the back of the truck. Old Man Rom chuckled at his sulky attitude, but he peered outside through the gap in the truck's hood and decided that they were nearing their planned landing spot.
"Come on, let's get off. It would be unnatural if we bothered to stop the wagon. Since we're going slowly, I don't think there's any need to worry about getting hurt, but we'll get off while running at the same speed as the wagon."
Putting his arm through the gap in the hood, Grandpa Rom created space for Subaru to push his body out. Sunlight poured in onto the bed, which had been blocked out, and Subaru looked outside, his eyes burning in pain.
Just as I had imagined from the way the roads were paved, the upper aristocratic district was fundamentally different in structure from the lower towns.
Unlike the shopping streets and slums where simple buildings were lined up in cramped spaces, the buildings in the noble district were far more expansive in size and land area. The building sat in the center, making use of a large space that Subaru saw as a waste.
It has a similar atmosphere to the mansions seen in stories. There are no buildings as large as the Roswaal Mansion, but it is precisely because of the pointlessly large space that Roswaal used that it is a playful example of his own ingenuity. If the sisters Ram and Rem were not talented, they would not be able to maintain the mansion and it would be an end to just plain entertainment.
Indeed, seeing these things, Subaru truly felt the difference between the upper and lower classes. This was proof that the disparity between the nobles and commoners of the stories was widespread even in the royal capital of Lugnica.
It didn't leave a good impression, including the bribery from the dragon carriage behind him, but it was also true that he was riding on that evil deed. It wasn't like he was originally a pure and innocent person. Easily dismissing that conflict, Subaru focused his attention on descending from the dragon carriage.
"Well, do you think it will work?"
"I have a criminal record for attempting to fall from a dragon carriage… I'm a bit scared, so if you could show me an example, I'd be grateful and want to send you a sum of money."
"The fact that you don't act tough in a weird way is a good thing. Right, just watch."
Subaru honestly admitted how useless he was, and Old Man Rom nodded, and descended first.
Leaning forward with one hand on the edge of the carriage, the old man's body sent his whole body out with a practiced movement. After that, he grabbed the carriage with both arms and waited for the right timing to put his feet on the ground. If he continued like this, he would be dragged by the carriage and would get caught in the wheels, resulting in a catastrophe of being turned into minced meat, but...
"The dragging through the city never happened... Could this be it?"
"The divine protection is at work. As long as you don't let go, you won't be thrown out easily. And"
Just like the carriage they rode on the way to the royal capital, this carriage also seemed to be protected by the wind. Unable to feel the effects of being outside, Old Man Rom started to run along with the carriage with a carefree movement.
The speed of the cart was roughly equivalent to the speed of a slow bicycle pedaling. It was faster than a jog, but much slower than a short-term sprint. Even for Grandpa Rom, whose steps were much larger than those of an ordinary person, it was not difficult to match the speed.
He let go of his hand, and Old Man Rom's body was completely removed from the protection of the wagon carriage. At that moment, the law of inertia naturally worked on his large body, but since Old Man Rom had anticipated this effect, the impact was negligible. Without wavering, he kept running to catch up with the wagon carriage.
Observing the brilliant technique, Subaru couldn't help but sigh in admiration. Then he looked up at Subaru, who was expressing his admiration for Old Man Rom, and Old Man Rom, running alongside the dragon carriage, clapped his hands,
"Come on, follow my example and come down. I'll even hold you gently."
Those words were meant to motivate Subaru and motivate him. Subaru was the one who heard them, but he was looking down at Grandpa Rom with a smile through the gap in the hood.
Following the example of running old man Rom, he puts his hands on the edge and puts his body outside - but there is no sign of him doing so.
Was he secretly scared of having to perform such an unexpected feat? Old Man Rom's brow furrowed in concern, but as Old Man Rom trots after the carriage, the old man realizes what Subaru is thinking when they have covered a distance of more than 300 meters.
His eyebrows were furrowed, and with his face red and spitting,
"So, now, kid! You're planning to just get off and enter the royal castle, aren't you!?"
Having seen through Subaru's true intentions, Grandpa Rom yelled with an exasperated look on his face as he ran off.
Subaru listened to this without confirming or denying what he said, but the way he silently went to close the top made it clear that he was affirming the fact.
--The dragon carriage carries the luggage to the royal castle.
Afterwards, perhaps realising that he'd made a mistake, he repeated himself several times, but Subaru hadn't forgotten that Kadmon had originally said it.
The destination of this dragon carriage was the royal castle, and there was no doubt that the cargo being carried was being delivered to the castle's food storehouse. If not, that was the limit - it was a much higher probability than getting off with Grandpa Rom in the noble district and then searching for a way to infiltrate the castle from there.
Old Man Rom had sensed Subaru's intentions and had been pursuing him, but as the location moved from the noble district towards the center of the city he was forced to give up on pursuing him any further.
Just as Subaru has a goal that he cannot compromise on, Grandpa Rom also has reasons that he must prioritize. It would not be in the interest of either of them to cause a conspicuous dispute.
Understanding this, Subaru felt guilty as he watched the man's back slide from the road with a frustrated look on his face, his massive body sliding into a corner of the alley.
In the end, it seems that both Kadmon's kindness and Grandpa Rom's consideration are being wasted.
It was inevitable that his attitude would be seen as a betrayal of the two's utmost assistance. But still, Subaru had taken advantage of their kindness, and he had no intention of making excuses now.
--To be at Emilia's side.
That was Subaru's only priority right now.
As a result, all the issues that lie between them are nothing more than a list of clauses that should be ignored.
The royal capital was a warped land rife with danger. Leaving Emilia defenseless in that place was something Subaru could not emotionally tolerate.
If Subaru was at her side, maybe something could be done.
Or perhaps Subaru unconsciously thinks, "Even if it doesn't work, there's still a chance I can do something about it."
--Without realizing that this was an extremely arrogant and inhuman way of thinking.
The pack cart, seemingly unaware of the minor quarrel that had arisen among its cargo, continued to move leisurely along the smooth, paved road towards the royal castle.
Slowly, slowly, loaded with gunpowder that would make the discovery of bribery seem cute.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
Subaru must overcome the sad separation from his benefactors and face the challenge alone.
He faces countless crises and hardships, friendships and love born from them, and lives, ambitions and dreams that are crushed. He overcomes them all, and moves forward, bleeding.
"That would have been the ideal scenario, but isn't this actually bad?"
Having easily slipped out of the castle's food storehouse and made his way through the castle's poorly secured interior, Subaru could only express his exasperation with a sigh.
The journey by wagon continued for about 30 minutes after leaving Grandpa Rom behind, and the wagon, still carrying Subaru, easily entered the royal castle grounds.
On the way to the castle, the fourth dragon carriage strayed from the road, but they determined that it must have been taking the bribe money it was carrying via a different route.
In that sense, the destination of the first three cars was nothing other than the castle, and Subaru himself was saved.
"I guess it was worth living with salted fish. I didn't expect my body to become salty, but I managed to fix that with an odor remover."
Feeling as though there was still white powder on various parts of his body, Subaru nervously brushed it off and praised his own quick thinking.
As expected, once they entered the royal castle, they had no choice but to open the loading platform when unloading the cargo. There was a possibility that he would be arrested on the spot, but Subaru managed to escape by climbing into a wooden box of salted fish.
In reality, the contents of the wooden box next to Subaru had been checked, and it was a miraculous coincidence that the box containing Subaru had not been inspected.
Afterwards, the cargo itself seemed to have been moved using wind magic, and was carried into the food storehouse without direct human contact. Thanks to that, the unnaturally heavy wooden boxes went unnoticed, and the hybrid act of barbarism that combined recklessness and recklessness was an unexpected success.
While this was a fortunate development for Subaru, the lack of vigilance in the castle immediately led to concern for the safety of Emilia who was likely inside, so it was not something to be overjoyed about.
Taking this information into consideration, Subaru left the food storehouse, chose a less populated area and continued on his way underground.
"Well, although I managed to sneak in... I had absolutely no plan."
To be honest, although I've come to this place, I have no idea what to do.
It would be best if he could watch over Emilia from the shadows, but he didn't think he could get to the heart of the royal castle where she would likely be without being found.
Subaru had a shameless plan: even if, at worst, he was discovered en route, he could just smoothly reunite with Emilia and not be treated with disdain.
Even Emilia would be angry if he had infiltrated this far, but she would not want to turn Subaru away. He should sincerely apologize and cling to her kindness.
Subaru was now thinking optimistically, with no sign of remorse to be seen, and no one knew for certain what others would think of him now, whether that was for better or worse.
and,
"Oh no, someone is coming..."
Sensing the presence of someone in front of him, Subaru hastily swept his gaze around.
The place was an underground passage, likely a simple place used only by servants. Among the row of crudely constructed doors, Subaru quickly slipped into a nearby room.
Fortunately, there was no one in the room I entered.
The small room is probably a changing room for the servants. There are several closets lined up, and the sweet smell suggests that it is a women's room, evoking a sense of immorality.
But right now he had no time to savor that sweet sensation. Subaru hurriedly opened the closet at the back, confirmed that there was nothing inside, and quietly hid himself inside.
All that's left to do is hold your breath and wait for the presence that appeared in the hallway to pass.
He was optimistic that things would work out even if he was found, but he put himself in a situation where if he was found, it would not be free. His core was unstable because he had not prepared a solid situation, but it was a trivial matter to him right now.
For now, we just need to get through this situation and then take any action, such as coming forward.
However, Subaru's actions, thinking only of the immediate future,
"This room stinks."
The door being roughly opened and the woman's voice quickly threw him off his feet.
The tension made his heart feel like it was going to jump out of his mouth. Feeling the blood draining away with a noise, Subaru bit down on his teeth, threatening to chatter in despair.
Unlike lockers in a changing room, closets don't have any convenient holes that allow one to peek inside. In other words, Subaru has no way of imagining what's going on outside in the dark other than the actions of others.
Feeling his throat choking with tension, Subaru once again regretted his actions.
I was underestimating them, making fun of them, getting carried away.
Now that I find myself in such a difficult situation, I realize just how foolish my reckless actions were. I can't understand how I managed to pull off such a reckless act, and I can't understand the meaning of all the decisions I'd made just a moment ago.
However, even though he had rationally concluded this, Subaru could not bring himself to identify himself to an outsider.
He still can't let go of the feeling that he is clinging to the hope, even thinner than a spider's thread, that his existence might not have been discovered.
Subaru was tormented by the unbearable feeling of being alone with his body and held his breath,
"--I'll only wait five seconds. My princess has even less patience than me."
A muffled voice announced through the closed closet door.
Although the voice sounded somewhat relaxed, the sound of the sheath running resonating in the silence attested to the sincerity of the intent conveyed within it.
He could just dismiss this announcement as a bluff, and cling to a glimmer of hope that the situation would calm down by pretending not to be home - but he didn't have the guts to make such a choice.
"Five, four, skip the whole thing--"
「Wait, stop, if you talk I'll understand! -- I'll be out, I'll be out soon, so wait.」
Frustrated by the voice that sounded like he was about to pull out his blade, Subaru gingerly pushed the door open. The closet creaked slowly, letting in a cool breeze into the place where the stench had been lingering, gently easing his sense of despair for just a moment.
However, what followed was a time of condemnation where no excuses were allowed. Considering what Subaru had done, this was by no means a situation that could be dismissed with a light punishment.
It's not that he hadn't anticipated it, but it's also true that he had been optimistic, thinking that things might work out to a certain extent. Before he was defeated without question, he should play his best card――In front of Subaru, who had come up with such an idea,
"Look, Al. It was just as I said, wasn't it?"
A familiar haughty voice came from Subaru, making him instinctively raise his head and see an orange-haired girl laughing insolently and pointing a fan-like prop in her hand at him,
"I expect to meet this clown again soon. I'm surprised it happened so soon."
"Ah, I see. As expected of Princess, you have a good eye. And you're not lucky."
The middle-aged man standing beside her - Al, a strange man wearing a jet-black helmet and light clothing as usual, spoke in a tone that sounded like he agreed with the girl in the first half, and sympathized with Subaru in the second half.
Perhaps the only thing that could have been avoided was a situation in which he would have been cut off without any questions asked.
Such a feeling of relief washed over Subaru, and before he knew it, he had collapsed on the spot, letting out a dry chuckle and letting out a long sigh.