--How many times had he been knocked to the ground like this?
Subaru pondered this absentmindedly as he felt the hard ground on his face.
The inside of his mouth was a mess of blood and gravel, and his whole body, which had been hit so many times it was already too much to count, was hot as if on fire.
His head was a bit hazy, with no room for coherent thinking or blood flow, and his swollen left eye was completely blocked, making it impossible for him to see properly.
It's completely battered and in a tattered rag.
However, due to the high level of skill of his opponents, there have been no signs of any injuries that would seriously impede his activities so far.
My arms and legs move, and ignoring the pain, there is no part of my body that is not responding.
To say that he was used to inflicting pain was full of malice, but the evidence imprinted all over his body made it clear that this was indeed the case.
"---Don't you think it's pointless to go any further than this?"
I heard a voice looking down on me like that from far away, high up.
Sprawled out on the ground, face down, Subaru reluctantly turned his head to look in the direction of the voice. On the other side of his tilted field of vision was a purple-haired young man, swinging the tip of a wooden sword in his hand.
His ceremonial white attire was spotless, and naturally there was not even the slightest blemish or sweat on his visible skin, but the wooden sword he held in his hand was stained with the blood of the person he had struck, and this alone stood out in the midst of his incredibly elegant appearance.
"If you would like to retract your previous statement and bow your head, let's end this here. What do you think?"
It was a question that had been asked many times before.
They brutally inflict pain on your body, strike relentlessly, and knock you down mercilessly.
These repeated acts are followed by the usual calls to surrender, to which the answer, of course, is the same:
"... Not bad, I won't bow my head."
His arms trembled. He tried to use the ground as support to stand up, but his upper body wouldn't respond. He rolled over, propped himself up on his shoulders, and then pulled his lower body towards him, pulling it up to raise his upper body. He then thrust the wooden sword, which had stuck to his palm as if it was stuck to the ground, into the ground, clinging to it as he stood up. During this time, his opponent didn't try to land any further blows on Subaru, who was full of openings, but simply shrugged his shoulders slightly, looking tired.
The difference in ability was obvious. The outcome was clear. The odds of winning were one in a million, and unless a miracle occurred, it was impossible to even get a shot.
I thought to myself, "What's the big deal?" I didn't care about anything else at this point.
It was self-evident that I couldn't win. I knew I couldn't reach my goal. And I wasn't proud to think that I, who was inferior to others, would be able to achieve satisfactory results.
Then at least, then at least.
"...You guys are the ones who should take back what you said earlier...!"
Painful in his cut mouth, Subaru bit the last bit of his threat and shouted at a speed that was far too slow.
Putting everything into one desperate attack - the result was,
"Even if you risk everything, there are some differences that cannot be filled. That, too, is something you're born with, my friend."
The blow was parried, and the tip of the swinging wooden sword struck Subaru hard on the forehead.
Red sparks filled his vision, his cracked forehead bled, and the vision in his right eye, which had only just managed to stay open, was dyed bright red.
"How many times has this happened now?"
Gritting his teeth in pain, he wiped the blood-soaked area from his vision with the back of his hand.
Taking advantage of the gap, the blow struck Subaru in the stomach, sending him flying backwards.
Unable to even take a defensive position, Subaru rolled on the ground, once again sprawled out on the ground.
The blow to his chest caused his lungs to spasm, and Subaru was overcome with the agony of difficulty in breathing. Despite being driven into a corner by the combined effect of pain and lack of oxygen, Subaru's consciousness did not fade away, but continued to burn as if seeking fire.
Looking up, the blue sky was high and far away, and I couldn't see anything beyond it.
With the hateful blue before him, Subaru mustered all his strength and stood up once more.
--I'll do it again and again.
Fueled only by his never-ending rage, he endures the blood-curdling pain and looks ahead.
Let's turn a blind eye to the facts, such as whether our anger is directed at the right or wrong.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
--Subaru first learned that the story had begun to unfold without his presence, when, as he sat dejected in the waiting room, Reinhard and Ferris, whose gathering in the hall had just finished, came to him with polar opposite emotions on their faces.
"And so, the royal selection process has begun. Subaru-kun is Lady Emilia's knight, right? Let's both do our best."
Despite having seen Subaru's words and actions in the hall and the results of them, Ferris recounts them as if he wasn't even aware of them at all.
Standing next to him in such a relaxed mood was Reinhard, who looked at him with a considerate look. Without pointing out Ferris's attitude, he smiled at Subaru, who was slumped in his seat with a deflated look on his face, and
"I don't think it's as simple as Ferris says, but we both agree that we want to have a relationship where we can improve ourselves by competing with each other. Subaru, let's play fair and square."
"...Ah, yeah."
Being told so directly and with such triumphant expressions, Subaru could do nothing but reply vaguely. The point of what they were saying was clear, and under normal circumstances Subaru too should have been frantically thinking about his future path.
However, right now, Subaru had to put off even such important matters in order to confirm something.
"――――"
And yet, even though I know this, I can't find the words to say.
I see myself being cowardly, cowardly and servile, holding myself back and trying to scorn everything that needs to be corrected.
Subaru felt ashamed that he could sense this himself, and yet all he could do was bite his lip, his eyes wandering, unable to look up at either Reinhard or Ferris.
"--Subaru, the old man is safe. Thanks to Lady Felt's intercession, his safety has been assured."
"--!"
As if reading into Subaru's timid heart, the red-haired young man provided the answer to the question he had been trying to ask but had been unable to.
Subaru looked at him with wide eyes, his cheeks stiffened in shock, and he nodded once,
"Considering the passageway leading to the hall, it's difficult for you to have passed by the old man without meeting him face to face. Knowing that the old man and Subaru are acquainted with each other, it's easy for me to guess what's causing your face to cloud over right now."
Anticipating what Subaru was about to say, Reinhard raised his finger and said this. However, even he couldn't understand the cause of the guilt that Subaru felt.
At that moment, I gave up on rescuing Grandpa Rom on my own, and even though there was a second-best option, I was so shameless in overlooking a situation where my acquaintance might be harmed.
No, to tell the truth, even that is just a pretense.
Subaru's true heart, deep inside, is much, much more hopeless.
"That's good."
Ferris smiled as he peered into Subaru's face, who was looking down and looking away. He looked up at Subaru from below with that adorable smile, and with his hands clasped behind his back,
"I owe it all to Reinhard and Felt-sama, so I should be grateful. With this, Subaru-kun doesn't have to make any excuses."
「――――!!」
Subaru held his breath and tried to look away, but ended up facing Ferris instead. His cat-like eyes widened, the chestnut-brown cat ears on his head twitching, and his sadistic smile split even wider.
It looks just like a cat playing with a mouse, torturing it with its claws.
Subaru was shocked to see that he had read into his mind and made that sarcastic remark, and he quickly tried to come up with an excuse, but when he realized that was exactly what he had in mind he kept his mouth shut.
In the end, Subaru was able to
"Ah, yeah... I'm glad, I'm glad. No, seriously, it was exactly as I predicted! Rather than me making a big fuss at that situation, I thought it would go better if I left it to Emilia-tan who's good at begging. Well, in reality, it seems like my calculations and predictions were wrong, or rather, thinking about it calmly, it seems like the expected Felt reacted super quickly."
With his arms outstretched, his shoulders swaying, his cheeks relaxed and his head tilted, Subaru tapped away with ease. Ferris stared in amazement at the change, and Reinhard's expression hardened slightly. Subaru then watched their reactions as his footsteps played,
"However, I expect that this will be the reason why Felt has made up her mind, but what do you think about that, Knight Reinhard?"
"Hmm? Ah, that's right. The appearance of that old man solidified Felt-sama's resolve, in a good way. I am a little concerned, though, that it ended up being the opposite of what he intended."
The good-looking man had his hand on his chin and his brows furrowed slightly in thought. Subaru, who hadn't witnessed the whole exchange in the hall, didn't quite understand what Reinhard was saying, whose presence was already complete enough to be a painting.
All she had to do was imagine what had happened in the hall from the context of what he had said, and accurately trace how Natsuki Subaru would have responded based on that information.
"I see. So it looks like I've successfully set the stage for a powerful rival to appear. Who knows, Emilia might give me a big scolding later."
"I don't think that will happen. Lady Emilia, and of course the other candidates, would want to compete on the right path. If they are dissatisfied with an opponent worthy of their challenge, rather than welcoming it, it shows what they are made of."
"Well, I'm the kind of person who loves to win easily and be OP, so I don't really understand that kind of feeling. Even in RPGs, I'm the type who levels up super quickly in the beginning and progresses. Basically, when you leave the first forest map, the first Pokemon you encounter is in its second form."
If you choose the red system first, and your level is not enough in the early stages, you will have a lot of trouble with the first and second barriers. The green system is the easiest, but that is a bad path and you are restricting yourself.
In any case, putting Subaru's principles aside, judging from Reinhard's confident demeanor, it seemed that their camp's preparations were going smoothly.
Meanwhile, the Ferris camp, who were silently watching Subaru's frivolous attitude, had been in a relationship since before the Royal Selection and had been the longest-standing master-servant relationship. Ferris himself seemed completely infatuated with his master, Crusch, so there was no cause for concern.
Considering their relationship, one cannot help but conclude that Subaru and Emilia's camps are lagging behind. After all, Subaru is now hesitant to even discuss the Royal Selection with the now-returned Emilia.
--The fear of being close to her was something he'd only felt for a moment while he was engulfed in the vortex of the loop at Roswaal Mansion.
However, what was clearly different from back then was Subaru's own state of mind, where he was afraid of coming into contact with her.
At the time, it was terrifying, as if Emilia had become someone I didn't know.
But now, now that he had gotten to know her better, he was terrified of not knowing how she felt about him.
"That aside, if the discussion is over then what happened to the rest of you? You two are the only ones coming to pick me up, aren't you giving me a bit too much VIP treatment?"
"I think you know what I'm saying, but I need to go into a few more details with the candidates, so please stay in the hall. For now, it's been decided that the knights can do as they please…"
"I said I wanted to go and check on Subaru, but Ferris came along instead. I'm sorry I wasn't able to provide any proper support in the hall earlier."
Reinhardt borrowed Ferris' words to apologize, and Subaru scratched his head and said, "Uh," with a grumpy look on his face,
"No, it's not like you were in the wrong. In fact, when I look back on it, the things I've done that I want to turn into a dark memory come back to me and it makes my heart ache, so you can just forget about it, okay?"
"Thank you for your generosity. I will never forget this."
"Did you hear my request?"
Interpreting Subaru's guilt in a very positive way, Reinhard comes to a conclusion that is the exact opposite of what we would have hoped for.
Subaru's cry was ignored, and he turned to Ferris with a troubled look on his face.
"So, leaving Reinhard aside, you… No, you… Damn, that just doesn't feel right!"
"If you're not sure what to call me, then can I just lovingly call you 'Feri-chan☆'?"
"Shut up, cat ears. So why did you come here? To be honest, why don't you stay by Crusch-san's side?"
She remembered their first meeting - the brief exchange they had at the front gates of Roswaal Mansion. At that time, he must have said something about not wanting to be apart from Crusch even for a moment.
When I think about it, I can't help but puzzle over why he's here.
"If we're talking about safety, then I don't think there'll be any problems. After all, Crusch-sama is much stronger than Feli-chan, right?"
"Don't say that so lightly... is that okay, Royal Guard Knights?"
"Feri-chan's selling point is something else. Besides, that selling point has nothing to do with Subaru-kun."
Though he felt annoyed at the way the man dragged out his sentence, Subaru patiently responded to the statement with a question, "Oh, really?", with his arms crossed.
Ferris puffed out her cheeks at Subaru's cold attitude, and while twisting her body in a cute manner, she gave him a sidelong glance,
"Oh no, you know what you're doing again. You're making me wait."
"Don't waver, don't flutter, my heart. This thing in front of me is the same creature that's attached to my crotch…! Be more frank about the content. What is your selling point?"
"This has to be Feri-chan's selling point♪"
As he spoke, Ferris raised two fingers on both his hands in front of Subaru. Then, the tips of his index fingers suddenly began to glow faintly,
"Um... I feel like the fatigue in my elbows, shoulders, and waist is easing away...?"
"Your body feels sore all over, like an old person, Subaru-kun."
Subaru felt the fatigue slowly dissipate into heat from every part of his body, and he shivered as he felt his body being healed.
Ultimately, that was probably due to the phosphorescent light emanating from his fingertips.
And, thinking that far, Subaru suddenly remembered what the "selling point" of the beautiful young woman standing before him had been.
"Oh, I see. Come to think of it, Ferris is a really good user of water magic."
"Amazing isn't even an adequate description, Subaru."
Remembering the setting that had come to his mind, Subaru spoke without thinking, but Reinhard corrected him. Subaru looked at him with a puzzled expression, and Reinhard nodded, raised his hand and pointed to Ferris,
"Ferris' talent as a water magician is unmatched. There is no one like him, not only in Lugnica, but even on the entire continent. In Lugnica, the six colors represent the pinnacle of each magical attribute, and of those, he was bestowed the "blue" color at a young age, so he possesses a power worthy of that."
"Another new setting has appeared... my head is about to explode."
Subaru didn't hide his disgust at Reinhard's fluent explanation, but Ferris, who had been lavishly praised for his talent in front of him, proudly put his hands on his hips and puffed out his flat, normal chest.
"Reinhard's explanation was quite brief, but that's basically it. So now that Ferry has been given such an impressive nickname, her schedule is constantly filled with people seeking healing from the magic of water."
Ferris points his clenched fist towards the sky and smiles broadly as he says, "Do your best, Ferri-chan!"
From that explanation, Subaru guessed that Ferris must have been something like a "super skilled doctor" in this world. With a population of 50 million, it was hard to imagine that he could reach every corner of the country, but with those who were able to benefit from his services alone, it was easy to imagine how busy he must have been on a daily basis.
He is in high demand and has many offers.
It is needed by countless people.
The moment he came to this understanding of Ferris, Subaru naturally could not help but compare himself to that person. He was not needed by the person he cared about, the person he most wanted to be needed by. He felt awful and miserable.
that's why,
"But to be honest, I don't really feel like relying on you because I don't have any symptoms myself. What do you think about that?"
Unable to bear the feeling of inferiority towards the person who was treating him kindly, Subaru deliberately tramples on it with his frivolous tone.
I knew that the more I said it, the more miserable I would become knowing how I felt. I knew that even if I said it, it wouldn't make me feel any better.
"The reason my body isn't in top condition is because I still have some after-effects from my injury, but I think once I heal there won't be any problems. I don't really feel anything in particular about the gate or anything."
"I don't think the gate issue is so trivial that it can be dismissed like that. If you think it's just that you can't use magic then that's no good, you know?"
"Is it wrong?"
Subaru frowned and asked back at Ferris' provocative tone.
In truth, even when they said the Gate was malfunctioning, Subaru had no idea what it meant. He had been forbidden from using Shamak, and he certainly felt a murky sense of fatigue lingering deep within his body.
However, he believes that this is due to a feeling of weakness, as if all the vitality has been squeezed out of his body, and believes that he will recover after a nutritious meal and plenty of rest. It is hard to believe that an organ that he had never even considered in his original world could be fatal.
"I don't understand anything at all. Okay? The general idea is that gates mainly serve the role of connecting the inside and outside to allow mana to pass when magic is being used. But in reality, gates don't just work when magic is being used; they also circulate mana between the inside and outside during normal daily life to maintain life."
"Is it like breathing?"
"It's okay to think like that. Subaru-kun, are you the kind of human being who can survive without breathing?"
"Among the humans I know, fifteen minutes seems to be the global limit."
Apparently, if you learn the secret techniques of yoga to lower your heart rate to its limits, you can achieve this monstrous state of apnea. But that's not what he's trying to say.
In other words, Subaru's current condition was equivalent to living without being able to breathe through his skin.
"If things continue like this, that's going to happen soon."
"So, about the state of Subaru-kun's gate, it's been put through a lot of strain and is a mess. At this point, no ordinary water user can heal it. The best we can do is to stay by his side and cast magic, while leaving the important parts to heal naturally."
Along with the fact that Subaru's situation was dire, Ferris was also implicitly emphasizing the fact that he was not like the average wizard, though that may only have sounded that way to Subaru's jealous ears.
"In other words, to get out of such a critical situation quickly..."
"Feri-chan's powers are essential. Do you understand?"
Subaru frowned to show his reluctance as he asked, swaying his body from side to side. However, Reinhard, watching the exchange, raised his finger,
"Sorry to butt in, but opportunities like this don't come around often, Subaru. Ferris's skill is known to everyone in the country, and there's no end to the people who want to benefit from his power. You shouldn't expect anyone to give you their turn in the future."
"Y-yes. There are lots of customers waiting for Feli-chan. However, just this once, I promise to give priority to Subaru-kun. So just be quiet and entrust your body and mind to Feli-chan and make yourself at ease."
Ferris took advantage of Reinhard's support and extended both his palms in his direction, fingers flaring. Subaru looked at him with a displeased expression,
"When you say that, I want to say no, I'm a contrarian. But putting that aside, I don't remember ever deepening our bond enough with you to deserve such preferential treatment."
Including their first meeting, where they hadn't even exchanged names, today was the second time she'd met Ferris. If you count their encounters in the hall and the waiting room separately, it was three times, and she couldn't imagine anything had happened in between that to shake the kindness of Ferris, who was in high demand.
In response to Subaru's question, Ferris laughed maliciously and replied, "Of course."
"Feri-chan has a very strict feline personality when it comes to people outside of her family, so she definitely doesn't want to prioritize Subaru-kun."
"You're being clear, that would be helpful."
For Subaru, who lacked communication skills, this was much easier to understand than unnecessary flattery or superficial conversation. Ferris didn't seem to be offended, so he twisted his body in a pretentious manner and said, "Well, you see,"
"You know the day when Feli-chan went to the Margrave's mansion to deliver the message for this convocation? Look, that was the day when Feli-chan and Subaru-kun had their fateful meeting."
"Ah, that was one day when I should have just stayed up and slept even with a stomach ache."
"You said that again. I was actually happy."
"Because the gentlemanly old man you were with drank the expensive tea for free, the senior maid got mad at me and told me not to kiss mayonnaise in the morning or evening."
Ignoring the ban, I sneaked in and did some mayo-chu-chu the next morning.
Ignoring the incomprehensible words that came out of Subaru's mouth, Ferris pouted in boredom and said,
"Well, it doesn't matter. What's important isn't meeting Subaru-kun, but that Feli-chan was asked by Emilia-sama at the mansion."
"...It's Emilia after all."
"As I thought, it was Lady Emilia."
Subaru's tone was heavy and bitter, as the reply was entirely expected.
If one recalls their first encounter with Ferris at the mansion, their conversation, and the reason why Roswaal had originally invited Subaru to accompany him to the royal capital, one will immediately understand.
And it was precisely because he understood the background to this that Subaru was unable to stop the heavy feeling building up in the depths of his chest.
Subaru's body is eaten away by an abnormal condition called mana depletion. The only person who can cure it is Ferris, one of the leading magicians in the royal capital, and Ferris is a servant of Crusch, who will be his rival in the royal election. By asking him to treat his family, Subaru is indebted to Crusch's camp even before the royal election begins.
In other words, Subaru had once again held Emilia back.
Because I understand that,
"Hey, do I really have to get treatment?"
He knew that the other party would show a lack of understanding, but he still said it.
As expected, Reinhard frowned when he heard that, unable to comprehend. However, Ferris, on the other hand, seemed to have anticipated Subaru's response and gave a wry smile,
"The price has already been paid. If you don't treat Subaru-kun, it might just end up causing Emilia-sama a lot of trouble in vain, you know?"
"What do you mean by compensation? If it's something physical, then you can just give it back..."
"It's not a physical thing, and once you know about it, it's the kind of price you can't repay. So, unfortunately, I can't accept your offer, Subaru-kun."
With his plea being flatly ignored, Subaru could only place his hand on his forehead and bow his head.
Ferris had correctly read Subaru's feelings, and was blocking every escape route that Subaru presented.
It was a calculation to give his master, Crusch, the upper hand, but at the same time, he may have also had a humane sense of obligation to help Emilia, who was worried about Subaru, fulfil her wish even at the cost of something.
Each of these judgments hindered Subaru's shallow and incomplete thinking.
"Why am I like this..."
I don't want to be a burden to Emilia.
Because I know she wants to become a king and that she is working hard to achieve that goal.
Because I know her striving to reach those heights, aiming for the distant throne.
He wants to help her, that's the only meaning he can find in it, it's the only thing that supports Subaru's existence right now, so he's willing to throw everything away for it.
Why am I so powerless, ignorant, incompetent and a hindrance?
"---If you are so lamenting your own powerlessness, I believe you have more options to choose from."
A serene voice echoed through the air of the waiting room, and Subaru, who had been looking down, raised his head.
The voice wasn't Reinhardt's or Ferris's, it was coming from the door to the waiting room. Directing his gaze in that direction, he saw a tall, slender figure leaning against the open door and looking his way.
The young man, receiving her gaze, stroked his purple hair and loosened his lips in a pretentious manner.
"I hope you don't look so displeased. I didn't expect to be welcomed, but you're showing that attitude."
"If I take it out, what will it be?"
"The character of the person you are with is questionable. Please be careful."
"Ugh..."
If it had simply turned into an argument, I could have simply dismissed it as a false accusation, but it's a different story when the matter cannot be resolved as a purely personal issue.
Subaru pursed his lips, swallowed his words of dissatisfaction, and glared menacingly at Julius as he strode calmly into the room.
"Julius, have the candidates finished discussing the matter?"
As if to block Subaru's uneasy vision, Reinhardt stepped into the line of their gaze and asked Julius.
In response, Julius shook his head and said, "No," with one eye still closed.
"It looks like the talks are going to drag on for a while. Lady Anastasia is concerned that if the royal election begins under the current conditions, it will turn into a battle of assassins."
Julius explained that they are currently finalizing the conditions.
Subaru turned his face away, but listened to what was being said and agreed, "I see."
There are five people participating in the royal selection, and although it is unclear how they will do it, they are vying for the throne.
Under such circumstances, it would make sense that the easiest way to secure the throne would be to eliminate all other candidates.
The candidates I saw in the hall all seemed to be strong-willed people, but whatever their personalities, that doesn't necessarily mean the opinions of those around them would agree.
Moreover, there was a clear history of sabotage being carried out against Emilia's camp, which included Subaru.
--An example of this would be the theft of Emilia's insignia on the day Subaru was summoned to this world.
Subaru must have remembered the same thing at the same time, as he looked up and their eyes met in Reinhard's, who was slightly facing him.
While Subaru was confused as to what he should be thinking, Reinhard simply let deep emotions flow silently in his blue eyes and pulled his chin back.
Then he turned to Julius.
"Assassination is not a peaceful thing."
"Of course, to resort to such measures would be an affront to the Throne, but we should err on the side of caution, shouldn't we?"
"Well, that's true. You have to look back on how hard it's been to recover since that big incident six months ago. I'm so sorry about that."
Julius gently refuted Reinhardt's words, and Ferris took over and finished him off. As he watched the two tall men nod in agreement at his words, Subaru felt a sense of alienation, as if he had been left out once again.
"So, what exactly did you come here for?"
Therefore, Subaru takes a particularly unfriendly attitude towards Julius.
Not only is he the source of Subaru's feelings of alienation, but he was also involved in the circumstances that led to Subaru leaving the hall. He believes that the humiliation he suffered was due to his own thoughtlessness, but even so, his opinions are not compatible with his.
Bathed in Subaru's hostility, which he no longer even tried to hide, Julius continued to walk towards him with a cool expression. Reinhard casually tried to block his path, but he was determined to move towards Subaru with no hesitation.
Subaru and Julius faced each other, so close they could almost breathe.
Compared to Subaru, who was roughly the average height for a Japanese person, the tall and slender Julius was roughly half a head taller. Naturally, Subaru found himself looking up at him from up close,
"Is it really okay for the most outstanding knight not to be by the princess's side at such a crucial moment? I wonder if the security at this castle is so lax that intruders are easily able to sneak in?"
"--- With all the people involved in the royal selection gathering, the royal castle is one of the most important locations in the country. Naturally, the guards are taking appropriate precautions. There is no reason for you to be worried."
"...No, if that's your perception then I think it's seriously bad. At the very least, I think you definitely have a reason to be more worried about me than anyone else."
Subaru was left with no choice but to lament the laxity of the castle's security net as he spoke to Julius, who seemed brimming with confidence.
Even Subaru, who had no particular skills or training, had managed to sneak in. When an expert arrived, it was no surprise.
"You guys are the kind of people who don't even notice a legendary mercenary carrying a cardboard box with a bomb strapped to his back. You think that's all you need? Honestly, it's like tea is boiling in your belly buttons and evaporating away."
"I don't understand what it means, but I can tell it's an insult. --This is the second time it's happened."
Julius turned his face away and passed Subaru straight on, heading towards the back of the room. Following his back with his eyes, he saw Julius standing by the window at the back of the waiting room - in a position that overlooked the back of the castle.
"Now, you asked me why I came here."
Looking out the window at the outside of the castle below, Julius asked in an emotionless voice. Seeing him with his back turned, Subaru silently nodded his chin in affirmation.
Perhaps sensing his presence, Julius turned around and said, "Then let me answer."
"The reason I came here is, of course, to see you. I'd like you to accompany me for a bit."
"What do you think?" Julius asks, spreading his hands out to ask what we think.
His stance was to give us the choice. However, with the bitter feelings being exchanged between us, I didn't think it was a friendly suggestion.
"I don't know what to do with it. I can't say no, or no, or refuse unless I know the location and purpose. But I can."
"The location is the military parade ground, the purpose is... that's right."
Subaru's words were far too sarcastic to be called a joke, to which Julius responded frankly, placing his finger on his chin as if he was thinking deeply for a moment,
"The purpose is--to teach you the truth, how about that?"
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
--Standing firmly on the packed sand, Subaru tilted his head to one side.
The location had moved from the royal castle's waiting room to a separate barracks for the knights next to the castle.
The ground was covered in reddish-brown soil, and a solid wall seemed to have been there for a long time. Surrounding it was a training facility where the guards honed their bodies and improved their skills - commonly known as the parade ground.
The site is the size of an average schoolyard, perhaps about half that size.
Whether it be running around or clashing swords, it was a space large enough for both.
Standing in the center of this place, Subaru began to do gentle stretches. He bent his knees to relax his muscles, sending heat to his body, which lacked it.
While Subaru was calmly going about his warm-ups, Julius stood directly in front of him, about fifteen meters apart, and the surroundings were anything but quiet.
The reason is that
"Julius, you need to stop doing this. It's not like you."
This was because Reinhard continued to plead with Julius, who was also quietly making his preparations.
There was no sign of impatience or anger in Reinhard's expression or tone as he spoke. There was only a pure emotion of worry, something that could be called sadness.
Reinhardt poured all his emotions into his blue eyes,
"I admit that I did go a little too far, but that's just something that can be corrected by talking myself out of it. Normally, you would make that judgment, wouldn't you?"
"Usually. Strangely enough, that is true, my friend Reinhard."
Julius carefully removed the excessive decorations attached here and there to the white ceremonial attire and handed it over to one of the knights standing beside him.
While continuing his work, he turned his emotionless gaze towards Reinhard,
"If the date had been different, or if we had met in a different place, I might have abandoned him. But I didn't."
Cutting the conversation off, Julius averted his gaze from Reinhard.
The only thing reflected in his calm eyes was Subaru standing in front of him, kneeling.
Then he removed the knight's sword from his waist, pointed the tip towards the sky with the sheath still on,
"He insulted us knights in front of those related to the king, and made remarks that belittled our chivalry. And without apologizing for it, he continued to insult me."
The parade ground, which had been filled with a faint murmur until then, suddenly fell silent.
The only sound that could be heard was Julius's clear, beautiful voice that was captivating to listen to.
Julius looked around, drawing the eyes and ears of the crowd to himself,
"--From now on, I will punish the disloyal bastards who have sullied the pride of knights! No way!"
"--!!"
A voiceless gust of wind suddenly hit the air of the parade ground with a powerful force.
The true nature of the ear-splitting wind was the heat and voices coming from the excited crowd.
The Royal Knights and guards had gathered in excitement to witness the confrontation between Julius, their representative, and Subaru, who had humiliated them all.
"The odds were 100-0 and no one was going to bet on me. This is a tough one, if I may say so myself."
"I'm hated," Subaru thought, shrugging lightly as hostile stares flooded his entire body.
It was the first time in his life that he had experienced what could be called hostility from so many people. To be honest, his heart was frozen, and he felt as if the malice pressing down on his legs was enough to crush him and break him.
Despite this, my heart isn't beating fast and my limbs feel heavy, but they're not completely immobile.
Subaru was in a mental state that was hard to understand, it was not exactly a case of having made up his mind.
"Now, before we begin, I'll ask again, would you like to apologize for your earlier rudeness and ask for forgiveness? If you apologize now in proportion to your repeated rudeness, I will forgive you."
"I can't think of anything I've done to be rude... how should I apologize?"
"How about rubbing your forehead on the ground while crying, or lying on the ground like an obedient dog, exposing your belly and trying to please him?"
"I don't think either of them are elegant, so I'll pass."
He was very good at playing the clown, but it only had meaning if there was someone he wanted to make laugh. He simply could not accept being laughed at in front of all those irritating people.
Apparently not expecting a response from Subaru, Julius replied simply, "I see," and immediately cut off the previous response, handing his knight's sword, which had been pointing towards the sky, to the knight beside him.
In return, the knight offered him two wooden swords.
"Normally, it would not be surprising if your rudeness would result in me being cut down. However, you are unwillingly Lady Emilia's attendant. Therefore, I will face you with a wooden sword."
Julius looked at him, asking if he had any objections, to which Subaru replied in sign language, "No problem." Judging the answer from Subaru's facial expression rather than his hand movements, Julius nodded,
"I'm glad you understand. This time, I will also fight you purely with the sword. I swear I will not use magic at all."
"Oh, so you're also a knight who can use magic."
"That's what makes it the best. --Then, Ferris will be the witness."
"Yes, yes."
Julius glanced to the side and saw Ferris, who was raising his hand and waving it gently.
He was selected as a witness and readily accepted, but it is difficult to read what is going on inside his mind. Unlike Reinhard, who tried to stop it until the very end, he follows along with glee at the violent clash that is about to begin. What is he thinking?
"Then let's both do our best with all our hearts. No matter how badly you get injured, as long as you don't die, I'll do whatever I can, so do your best, Subaru-kun."
"Why are you only telling me this? You should be worried about them too."
"Wow, how bold! Did you hear that, everyone? On three, three, three!"
Turning to face the crowd, Ferris waved his hands exaggeratedly like a conductor, signaling, and the hall erupted in laughter - drawing scorn at Subaru's recklessness.
Witnessing the wave of emotion, Ferris' cat ears twitched as he spoke.
"Well, the odds of the bet are pretty high, but what will you do, Subaru-kun?"
He searched his pocket, felt a coin touch his fingertips, and then flicked it at Ferris.
He watched as the glittering coin took a parabolic turn and landed in his hand.
"Still, go ahead and bet. If I win, I'll take it all and strip you naked."
"Oh no, you pervert! You're going to do something naughty to Feli-chan. Like in a naughty book! Like in a naughty book!"
Ignoring the man's wiggling body, Subaru turned to Julius.
Subaru sighed as he slowly closed the distance between them, seeing that he was already full of energy. After receiving one of the two wooden swords, the battle began.
He had been practicing at Roswaal Mansion to keep himself in shape, but to what extent could he go?
"In the first place, I feel like I've been swept away by the situation and ended up here, but I don't even remember accepting this play duel in the first place."
"But you're here, and you look at me with no sign of aversion to confrontation. Don't you think that's enough?"
"Hey, hey, Natsuki Subaru, who is renowned as the modern-day Father Teresa for his three principles of non-violence, non-obedience and non-nuclearism, there's no way he'd go along with such violent methods."
Subaru stood right in front of Julius, vaguely answering the question with suitable words.
Despite what he said, Subaru's body was warmed up thanks to his warm-up exercises. Once the signal to start was given, he'd be able to move immediately.
Seeing Subaru in that state, Julius narrowed his eyes in satisfaction,
"I'm glad you're motivated. Well then, let's get started."
Presenting one of his wooden swords to Subaru, Julius declared the start of the mock duel.
Naturally, feeling the excitement of the crowd rising, Subaru lightly swung the wooden sword he had received, letting it settle in his hand as he moved away from Juliusーー,
"Ah, wait a moment. There's something about this guy that makes me feel like we don't quite get along."
Subaru turned around and complained, spinning the wooden sword in his hand.
Hearing this, Julius looked a little deflated and said, "Really?"
"I don't think it will make much difference, but would you like to try this?"
"Oh, sorry. Well, you see, I'm a sheltered son who requires a lot of time and effort, so it's not good for me to have items that I don't like--"
As he spoke, he took the wooden sword that Julius had offered him in one hand. Then, in return, he handed the other wooden sword to Julius――
"Oops"
"――――"
Before it could be caught by Julius's fingertips, the wooden sword had left Subaru's hand. Pulled by gravity, the sword went into a natural falling trajectory, and Julius's hands quickly leaned forward to follow suit.
Julius's body, which had been standing straight, now tilted, and the difference in their heights disappeared.
"--Hmph!"
Stepping forward, Subaru pulled the wooden sword back slightly and, with a flick of his wrist, aimed it at the tip of Julius' jaw.
At the same time, he thrust his free left hand forward, and directed the sand he had secretly grasped while bending and stretching towards Julius' eye――a two-pronged strategy of both blinding and surprise attack.
ーーGot it, he thought, the corner of Subaru's mouth twisting maliciously at the satisfying trick.
Immediately afterwards,
"It seems that you really have no pride. It must be really easy to live in vulgarity. I can't help but pity you."
A voice sounded next to my ear. At the same time, a shock hit me, a hard, sharp sensation poking up my solar plexus.
The stored oxygen exploded in his lungs, and a short, painful yell escaped from his open mouth. Then, using the hard sensation that hit his chest as a fulcrum, his body leaned forward and rose into the air. His feet left the ground, and he was upside down. His internal organs were thrown about by the floating sensation, and he crashed face-first into the ground.
His face was scraped by the sand, the pain of hitting his solar plexus made him vomit, and his brain was hit hard by the pain and heat - and then the heat of the parade ground exploded.
Subaru had been so reckless and foolhardy that he had no idea his place in the world, and now the consequences were about to be mercilessly showered down on him.
High in the sky above the parade ground, the delayed screams of pain echoed throughout the air.
Higher, higher, farther, farther.