Arc 9, Part 37: "Mindset"

"—Master Subaru and Mistress Beatrice have fallen into the hands of the individual calling himself Aldebaran. Regrettable. Currently, countermeasures against said individual are being developed, centered around Mistress Emilia. Report."

Upon receiving this report from Clind, who had arrived using the Authority of 'Melancholy,' Roswaal felt a tremor of agitation at the sheer gap between accepting the events rationally and accepting them emotionally.

The location was the Barielle Mansion—the estate that the late Priscilla Barielle had inherited from her deceased husband, Leip Barielle, and which had now lost its master once again. Currently, Roswaal was accompanying Priscilla’s attendant, Schult, having separated from Emilia and the others to visit this land.

It was in a room of this mansion that Clind appeared and delivered his report.

—To be honest, Roswaal had not welcomed Subaru’s proposal to take the heartbroken Al to the Pleiades Watchtower at all.

It had already taken a considerable amount of time to recover Subaru after he was flung into the Vollachian Empire. —Rem had been sent away with him as well, but Roswaal did not care for self-deception. Roswaal’s goal was to bring Subaru back; Rem’s safety was a secondary concern.

Of course, Rem’s return was a joyous occasion for everyone in the camp, but considering the time spent to achieve it, one could hardly be optimistic. They needed to move immediately to make up for the delays in the strategies required for the Royal Selection. —Subaru’s consultation regarding the trip to the Pleiades Watchtower had come just as Roswaal was thinking that.

What should be the top priority? Roswaal had tried to persuade Subaru from that perspective, but he could not change his mind, and ultimately, Subaru’s proposal was approved.

Still, that decision of Subaru’s was not entirely without merit.

"Please, I beg of you, please look after Master Al, sir..."

The one who said this, bowing his slightly curly pink head, was Schult, the attendant of Priscilla Barielle and a loyal vassal who had been dearly protected by her.

Though a young child, Schult was clever and strove desperately to be strong. Despite the great shock of Priscilla’s death, he was supporting himself on his thin legs, determined not to let his late master’s name be tarnished. Schult was also close to Al and had been constantly worried about how deeply he was hurt.

Subaru’s consideration for Al was extremely useful in winning over Schult’s heart.

Leaving a good impression on Schult and having the Emilia Camp earn his gratitude would be a major advantage in the future strategy of the Royal Selection—specifically, in the handling of the now-vacant Barielle territory.

Though Emilia and Priscilla were rivals who had begun the Royal Selection competing against each other, they had come to acknowledge one another through that competition and became friends who shared a deep bond. With Priscilla gone, Emilia, inheriting her will, would support and lead the people of the Barielle territory who had been under her protection. —To make that story viable, Schult, who held Priscilla’s deep affection, was indispensable.

Since he had already secured a statement from Emilia saying, "I wanted to become friends with Priscilla after the Royal Selection was over," a little embellishment was within the realm of common practice.

For that reason, Roswaal had reluctantly sent Subaru and the others to the Pleiades Watchtower and chose to accompany Schult back to the Barielle territory. —However, it had been a blunder.

"Master Subaru and the others... then, what about Garf? What happened to Garf? Garf went with them to protect Master Subaru and the rest!"

"Regrettably, Garfiel fell to Aldebaran’s schemes and sustained heavy injuries. Collapse. One would hope for the effects of the 'Divine Protection of Earth Spirits,' but the fact that he was injured in the Augria Sand Dunes... a land filled with miasma, has proven disastrous; the effects are thinner than expected. Flimsy."

"Garf...!"

Beside the pondering Roswaal, Frederica, who had accompanied them to the Barielle territory, hung her head in regret upon hearing from Clind about the state of Garfiel, who had been with Subaru.

The look on her face was not one of disappointment or letdown toward Garfiel for failing to fulfill his expected role, but rather a deep shade of relief that he was alive and worry as she imagined his pain.

Roswaal, too, felt relief at Garfiel’s survival, but—

"...It’s incomprehensiiible, isn’t it? To begin with, Master Al’s strength should be nowhere near Garfiel’s. Of course, Garfiel’s mental state is still far from complete, so the possibility exists that his mind was attacked and that opening was exploiiited, I suppose."

"...If it’s Garf, that is the most likely story. That boy is soft, after all."

"Kindness is not something to be blamed. Even if it is to discipline oneself, there is no need to deliberately choose harsh words. Point out."

"A man like you... only at times like this..."

At Clind’s words of concern, Frederica ground her fangs with a complicated expression.

The relationship between these two had begun over ten years ago when Frederica left the 'Sanctuary' to work at Roswaal’s, but the rift that had once opened refused to be filled.

Initially, Frederica had looked up to Clind like an older brother, following him around and calling him "Brother, Brother" at every opportunity. However, from the time Frederica began to grow taller, that relationship changed completely.

Roswaal, who knew the circumstances, understood Clind’s side of why that happened, but Frederica, who had been suddenly pushed away, was not satisfied. Because of that, she continued to loathe him like a snake or a scorpion, which was a rather awkward situation.

Regardless—

"Clind, judging by your attitude, I surmiiise there was a situation where Garfiel simply cannot be blamed... what exactly happened, I wonder?"

"—A situation occurred where the Dragon Shell of the 'Divine Dragon' Volcanica followed Aldebaran’s lead. Consequently, Master 'Sword Saint' Reinhard van Astrea has already headed out to suppress him. Expedite."

"—! The 'Sword Saint'? But if that’s the case..."

"Don’t tell me Master Al even defeated Master Reinhard?"

"To be precise, it would be more appropriate to say he contained him. Correction. In conjunction with this, various problems are frequently arising in the Royal Capital as well. I suggest we urgently require your assistance as well, Master. Advice."

At Clind’s words, Roswaal narrowed his eyes and fell into thought.

Frederica, her green eyes wide in daze, unable to swallow the torrent of information, was roughly in the same state of mind as Roswaal. The difference between her and him was that, while exposed to a flood of information that would naturally cause such a stupor, Roswaal still had options within it.

Namely, whether this was already the stage where he should fulfill his promise to Subaru.

"————"

Before Subaru was formally knighted, when the situation surrounding the 'Sanctuary' had been resolved, Roswaal had told Subaru his thoughts and stance.

If Natsuki Subaru swore to keep picking up everything, then in the future, if he were to drop everything, Roswaal would ruthlessly take steps to make him redo it. That would mean the incineration of the things he did not want to lose, and the abandonment of the world in which the current, subjective Roswaal lived.

"Priscilla was a difficult judgment call."

Whether to include Priscilla in the 'everything' Subaru spoke of was a troubling point.

However, Roswaal judged that the death of Priscilla, their ultimate political rival, would be a following wind for Emilia’s victory in the Royal Selection, and thus deemed her death to be outside the contract. —Furthermore, he felt that Priscilla’s death, as far as he had heard of it, should not be overturned.

The death of Priscilla Barielle was the result of Priscilla Barielle’s choice.

As long as she was not an indispensable person for Roswaal’s goals, Roswaal did not think it wrong for that choice to be respected.

—However, Subaru’s current situation sounded dire.

According to Clind’s story, it seemed that no notable casualties had occurred yet, but considering Al’s situation, that was only a matter of time. If it was going to happen sooner or later, then at the point where he had been outmaneuvered this badly, Subaru should probably be made to redo it.

If a push was needed for that, Roswaal would provide it.

However—

"—Beatrice."

Roswaal held a sliver of hope for Beatrice, who was said to have been captured along with Subaru.

It was not because Beatrice was a Great Spirit who had mastered the Yin element, nor because she was a supreme existence created by the 'Witch of Greed' Echidna, the greatest magic user in the world, nor because she would try to protect him with strong feelings and resolve as Subaru’s contracted spirit.

It was a feeling that was extremely inexplicable and difficult for Roswaal to digest, but there was no basis for it.

It was simply that Roswaal wanted to believe in Beatrice.

"—Lord Margrave, please go, sir."

The one who spoke was neither Frederica nor Clind.

Schult, who had been present in the mansion’s drawing room to proceed with discussions about the future of the Barielle territory, had interjected.

Schult had frequently let out surprised cries of "Eh!" and "Ah!" at Clind’s appearance via 'Compression' teleportation and his subsequent report. But now, from the face of the young child who spoke to Roswaal, much of his previous weakness had been scraped away—no, it had been covered up.

That untouchable makeup used to cover it up is what people call courage or resolve.

"I will apologize in Master Al’s place for what he has done, sir. On top of that, please, I don't want Master Al to do anything dangerous anymore, sir."

"Master Schult..."

"I will be fine, sir. For Mistress Priscilla’s sake, everyone in the mansion will help me too... so, please, I beg of you!"

Looking at the trembling shoulders of Schult as he bowed deeply, Frederica turned back to Roswaal. In her eyes was a prayer that he would grant Schult’s wish, and a plea that she wanted to be of help to him—

"To align with Master Schult’s wish to the maximum extent, I cannot leave Frederica behind. Especially if Master Al is leading the 'Divine Dragon,' wouldn’t you agree?"

"Master, what do you mean by..."

"—Regarding that, I intend to handle it. Raise hand."

Frederica frowned, not understanding the connection between the 'Divine Dragon' and herself, but before answering that question, Clind made his own suggestion.

Frederica was further confused by the meaning of his words, but Roswaal was different. The meaning of Clind’s words held more weight than their surface sound.

Roswaal had thought that Clind, no matter how many words were spent, would never make that decision again. At Roswaal’s gaze, Clind slightly relaxed his lips and said:

"I was kicked in the back by an all-too-dazzling brilliance of a soul, telling me not to be a bystander anymore. Envy."

"—It seems he can trace back time that has already passed. Though it doesn't seem to be for a very long duration."

"————"

The moment Old Man Rom said those words, a silence pregnant with various thoughts dominated the room.

Emilia’s large, beautiful, jewel-like eyes went wide, and Rem blinked her eyes, which sparkled like the surface of a clear lake, over and over.

Ram looked visibly suspicious, and Meili tilted her head while fiddling with her braid.

"I don't really get what you're talking about at all~"

She muttered an impression similar to something Emilia might say.

If Clind had been here, there might have been someone to receive Old Man Rom’s report more calmly, but since he had just brought Rem and Ram and had been asked to pick up Roswaal and the others, his reaction couldn't be seen.

However, it might have been a blessing in disguise that they didn't have to hear this story together with Roswaal before they were mentally prepared.

"Tracing back time... that's..." 『—"Return by Death."』

Beside Petra, whose voice trembled slightly, the 'Subaru' with crossed arms muttered.

Petra, who tucked her chin at those words, didn't have the leeway to feel her heart flutter at having the same answer as her beloved.

The extraordinary power—the Authority—used by Al, which Old Man Rom had deduced after their clash.

He had fended off Garfiel and Ezzo at the Pleiades Watchtower; in the Augria Sand Dunes, although he borrowed the power of the 'Divine Dragon,' he fought well against Reinhard; with only three people, he broke through the five hundred men of the Felt Camp commanded by Old Man Rom; and finally, in the Royal Capital, he made off with Roy Alphard of 'Gluttony,' evading an Emilia who was seriously enraged and not holding back.

The dots were finally connecting as to how the numerous villainous atrocities Al had committed were achieved by him.

It was possible. —If Al was a user of 'Return by Death,' just like Subaru.

『That guy Al is a person from another world, just like me. So, there was a perfectly good chance he’d awaken to a similar power. I mean, in isekai stories, that kind of pattern is a given, right? And yet I didn't think of it at all, I'm too dull...!』

"Then, is Mr. Al really the same as Subaru?"

『Yeah, there’s a high possibility. No, maybe even if it’s a similar leaping ability, Al’s might be a more user-friendly type. It’s also a trope that they don't end up with exactly the same power, and enjoying those differences is one of the best parts of isekai stories.』

"Our lives are on the line, so I don't care about tropes or 'best parts.' What’s important is that we found out one of Mr. Al’s secrets, and what we’re going to do about it, right?"

『Yes, ma'am, you're absolutely right. ...But, a lot of things have been unraveled. Certainly, if that's the case, escaping from Reinhard or trapping him... is possible? Is it? Can you really do something about Reinhard just by having "Return by Death"? Wouldn't you just die like a hundred times?』

Realizing Al was a presumed time-leap user, 'Subaru' held his head.

To be honest, Petra didn't think 'Sword Saint' Reinhard van Astrea was as amazing as everyone around her made him out to be. Part of it was that she didn't know him directly, but since Reinhard was as strong as people said, she didn't think it was surprising for him to do a job that matched that strength.

Rather, she thought Subaru was much more amazing for pushing himself beyond his limits to challenge enemies far stronger than him and achieve results beyond what was expected.

That’s why it didn't make Petra very happy that 'Subaru' estimated himself lower than Reinhard, and she wanted him to stand tall and be proud of how great he was. That said, it would also be a problem if too many people noticed Subaru’s good qualities.

"Well, with me, Big Sister Emilia, Big Sister Rem, plus Beatrice-chan and Patrasche-chan, I think we have a perfect lineup for now."

Even if someone who noticed Subaru’s charm late tried to cut in, Petra took pride in the fact that an impregnable enclosure had been completed that wouldn't be easily breached.

Currently, if there was any anxiety, it was the possibility of the overly kind Subaru siding too much with the other party, but she still had the trust that he would keep Emilia at the very top. —Though, that was a bit of a troubling point for Petra herself.

Regardless—

"If Master Rom is sane and his eyes aren't made of glass, this is troublesome."

"I have a lot to say about that girl’s phrasing, but I'm glad you understand. Because of that, Aldebaran even broke through our encirclement. The reason Emilia was outmaneuvered in the Capital was likely his Authority as well."

"Um, I'm sorry. It still hasn't quite clicked for me..."

Ram and Old Man Rom, the two particularly clever ones, were about to move the conversation forward, but Emilia called for a halt. Beside Emilia, Rem also nodded cutely.

"I am the same as Lady Emilia. Tracing back time? Sister, what on earth does that..."

"I see, Master Rom’s explanation was insufficient for Rem, who just woke up and isn't at her best. —Look at this."

"Is that a Holy Gold Coin?"

Ram stepped forward and showed Emilia and Rem the Holy Gold Coin in her hand.

The 'Divine Dragon' Volcanica was engraved on the coin. After showing it clearly to Emilia and the others, Ram rotated her hand and let the coin fall.

Seeing the trajectory of it falling to the floor, Petra understood Ram’s intention. Using the coin falling to the floor to explain the advantage of time leaping—

"Watch out! Honestly, Ram, you're such a klutz."

"Sister is sometimes an unexpected scatterbrain. That is also part of her charm."

But before the coin could hit the floor, Emilia moved swiftly and caught it. Emilia returned the coin to Ram, and Rem said something that was halfway between consolation and encouragement.

The expression on Ram’s face as she received the coin was quite something to behold.

『Wait, Ram wanted to show it falling, and say something like "it fell because I didn't know, but if I knew it would fall, I could have avoided dropping it," right?』

"Probably. But it’s fine, let’s leave the explanation for Big Sister Emilia and Big Sister Rem to Big Sister Ram. This isn't the time for me to be satisfied just by talking to them."

She felt bad for Ram, but Petra left the lecture until the two caught up to her and worried about the problem beyond that—specifically, how to deal with Al.

She wanted to know more details about Al’s Authority. If she could disprove 'Subaru’s' previous assessment—

"—Petra-chan, are you okay~?"

"Meili-chan..."

While Ram and Old Man Rom spent words explaining to Emilia and Rem, Meili suddenly spoke to Petra.

Meili should have been one of those with a poor understanding of time leaping, but it seemed she prioritized Petra’s complexion over understanding Al’s Authority.

She gently reached out and touched Petra’s forehead, muttering, "You're warm~"

"We've been busy ever since the tower, so I haven't said much, but I know you read those books in the tower, Petra-chan~"

"Mm, yeah. —Thanks for keeping it a secret from Big Sister Emilia and the others."

"...I hope I can believe that you just don't want to worry your sisters~?"

"Yeah, of course!"

Taking Meili’s hand from her forehead, Petra squeezed it tight with both of her own.

Just as Meili said, she probably had a bit of a fever. But Petra thought this was more like an 'intellectual fever' than being unwell.

There was already so much to think about, and now, her small brain was processing not just her own emotions and thoughts, but 'Subaru’s' as well.

She thought the depth of her feelings played a part, but Petra was like this just from reading Subaru’s single 'Book of the Dead.' Ezzo, who was said to have read more than ten, was abnormal, and Flugel, who was seen as the designer of that tower and created a Great Library with a system that only such abnormal people could handle, was even more out of his mind.

He was surely the type who thought anyone could do what he could do, and for better or worse, his way of thinking rubbed Petra the wrong way.

However, at the same time, Petra also thought this:

If that Great Library hadn't existed, there were many things she might have ended her life without knowing.

And among the things she was able to know, there were certainly things she had desired. As long as those things continued to light a fire in her heart, she didn't want to stop.

Even if, after everything was over, this brain of hers boiled over.

"And you know, I think..."

"...Think what~?"

"If what Old Man Rom said is right, and if Mr. Al’s Authority is what I imagine it to be..."

『Petra?』

Putting a finger to her thin lips and casting her eyes down, Meili and 'Subaru' peered at Petra. The two of them, unaware of each other, having the exact same confused reaction was so funny that Petra almost laughed out of place as she spoke.

That was—

"—I might have figured out Mr. Al’s weakness."

"—So the one who put Reinhard’s mother to sleep was that bastard Reinhard, huh."

Felt felt bitter at herself for hesitating to say it, which was unlike her.

It wasn't because it concerned Reinhard. No, in a sense, it was.

Ever since they first met, Felt had been constantly thrown off her pace by Reinhard. There were many times when she couldn't make her usual judgments or decisions regarding events he was involved in. Part of it was because he had continuously used force to prevent the results of her decisions, and more importantly, it was influenced by the fact that he had seen her crying face back at the loot cellar at the very beginning.

But perhaps the biggest reason was that Reinhard had given up on so much.

That made Felt hesitate to fully accept Reinhard. At the same time, it was the reason why Reinhard never truly entrusted anything to Felt from the bottom of his heart.

The philosophy of the slums within Felt, "Live strong," was a golden rule.

No matter where you were born, no matter who you were, she believed that spirit would live on no matter what. According to that philosophy, Reinhard was not living strong.

As a lion, as a dragon, and as a human, Reinhard was half-hearted.

But if part of the reason for that lay in the fact Felt had just realized—

"—Nah, that doesn't add up."

However, Felt immediately denied the hypothesis she had come up with.

With a certain degree of conviction, Felt suspected that Reinhard was related to his mother—Luanna Astrea—who continued to sleep. But if Reinhard had known that fact, his words and actions up to this point wouldn't make sense.

Of course, there was a possibility that Reinhard had hidden that fact from Felt and nonchalantly concealed that he was involved in the reason his mother wouldn't wake up.

"No way. That clumsy guy couldn't pull off such a clever trick."

Was there anyone else in the world besides Felt who would describe Reinhard like this?

Those who pushed ideals and dreams onto the 'Sword Saint' would likely complain, but treating Reinhard as a 'ponコツ' (clutz/useless) was relatively normalized within the Felt Camp.

The sisters Flam and Gracy, who had been with him for a long time, often troubled Reinhard with their casual, cute-but-sharp tongues. Gaston, Rachins, and Camberley, who were stray dogs with no sense of respect, never ran out of well-founded verbal abuse toward Reinhard.

Ezzo, who often spoke up about the management of the Astrea family territory, frequently held his head, wondering, "How have you managed until now...?" and Old Man Rom, who apparently didn't have a good impression of the 'Sword Saint,' had maintained a blunt attitude toward Reinhard from the start.

And of course, the one who had most disparaged Reinhard, spoken ill of him, and dragged the title of the 'Greatest Knight' through the mud was this Felt.

Reinhard had accepted all those words and actions from the members of his camp.

What did he do while accepting them? —He laughed.

He laughed, looking truly happy.

Only in those moments did it seem like he hadn't given up on anything.

"Even if that bastard can hide his true feelings, he can't fake that way of laughing."

That was Felt’s conclusion—a thought that could only come from someone who saw Reinhard as just a person, unlike those who wanted to expect too much from him.

That’s why the only ones who would describe Reinhard like this, besides Felt, were the people of his camp, the knights who were his close friends, and—

"The reason I think that bastard can't keep secrets is also because he’s your kid."

In front of Felt, who scratched her head, Heinkel, who had been punched in the face and was kneeling on one knee, gripped his returned sword, his face pale.

He was gripping the sword so hard his fingers and hands were white and trembling.

Felt could clearly tell from Heinkel’s wavering blue eyes that the emotion causing this was neither anger, nor fear, nor sadness.

If she had to describe that emotion in one word, 'despair' would be most appropriate.

The despair of having something known that should never have been known, yet was unavoidable and inescapable. That deep-seated despair bound Heinkel’s entire body and cornered him.

His miserable appearance almost made Felt hallucinate that Heinkel’s life was being plucked away by despair. But Heinkel probably wouldn't die that easily. If he were to lose his life to a despair that completely overwhelmed him, it would have happened long ago.

"—Ah, k-u, u, no, u."

Opening and closing his mouth, Heinkel continued to make wordless sounds.

Narrowing her red eyes at Heinkel’s reaction, Felt thought about the relationship between the man in front of her and Reinhard under the starry sky looking down on them from the gaps in the rocks.

—Felt, who had decided to participate in the Royal Selection and made Reinhard her knight.

To Felt, Reinhard was the world’s strongest knight called the 'Sword Saint,' and at the same time, the person responsible for separating Felt and Old Man Rom. Furthermore, he was the hateful opponent who tried to force education, dresses, and high-heeled shoes onto a reluctant Felt.

With that premise in mind, Felt had never gone out of her way to pry into Reinhard’s life—but she heard things whether she wanted to or not.

How Reinhard was treated in the Astrea family and what the world thought of him.

The most common stories were the various rumors surrounding the death of the previous 'Sword Saint,' Theresia van Astrea, and the reason Reinhard, who inherited the 'Divine Protection of the Sword Saint,' was officially recognized as the 'Sword Saint'—the incident when he was eight years old where he prevented a national invasion orchestrated by the villains of three countries. Then there was the indelible stain of being at Heinkel Astrea’s beck and call until around the time he joined the Knights.

He had never spoken much about any of those things, and Felt hadn't asked him anything deep, but now, nothing but a sense of incongruity was mounting.

The biggest one was the claim that Reinhard was at Heinkel’s beck and call.

If that were true, what was the point of Heinkel’s struggles?

Felt hadn't looked into Reinhard, but she had looked into Heinkel to grasp the circumstances regarding the headship of the Astrea family.

Heinkel had a rather bad reputation, and many pointed to him as a failure both as a knight and a father. However, every time Heinkel used the Astrea name to force his way, it was always to obtain a means to wake the sleeping Luanna.

She wouldn't call the man himself frugal, but he was far from noble luxury; the impression she got from the numbers was that he spent his entire life cutting corners to wake his wife.

But—

"If you really had Reinhard at your beck and call, you could have done whatever you wanted."

In terms of fame or military might, there was no one in the Kingdom who could surpass Reinhard.

Reinhard himself never used those things for his own sake and seemed to find virtue in restraining himself from doing so, but it would be different for the rumored Heinkel.

If Heinkel were the man the rumors said he was, he could have utilized Reinhard’s fame, military might, or anything else, and completely skipped the process of going to places himself, negotiating directly, and forcing his way with swordsmanship when words weren't enough.

Why did he not do that, and instead insist on waking his sleeping wife by his own power, keeping Reinhard as uninvolved as possible?

If his wife was the most important thing, nothing on the other side of the scale should have been able to tip it. —Unless something equally heavy was placed there.

In that case—

"Your... your way of treasuring things is too twisted."

"—!"

Instantly, the cowering Heinkel gritted his teeth, and a flash of light erupted.

A moment later, feeling the wind from the swelling sword pressure, Felt realized with the coldness of the blade tip pressed against her neck that the flash she saw was Heinkel’s strike, and that his sword had been drawn in an instant.

"Don't... keep... babbling... unnecessary things."

"Hey, let me tell you..."

"Don't move!"

At Heinkel’s roar, his eyes bloodshot and foam at the corners of his mouth, Felt bit the inside of her cheek, regretting her blunder of pushing him too far.

Unlike the obvious threat from when she had punched him back earlier, the pressure Heinkel was emitting now carried a definite 'intent to kill.'

She knew the source of that killing intent was not hatred or rage, but a kind of defensive instinct, but that was exactly why she thought she had drawn out an overly troublesome emotion.

In front of the tensed Felt, Heinkel’s blue eyes shook violently.

"This is our family’s problem. I won't let an outsider barge in. Especially a brat like you, knowing any more—"

"—Any more? You mean there’s still something else?"

"—Shut up!"

Catching something in Heinkel’s words, Felt reflexively interjected. Just as she thought that had once again sent a shock through Heinkel’s expression, he exploded.

The sword tip, which had been pulled back for an instant, increased its speed and was about to be thrust forward a step deeper—or so it seemed, at that moment.

"I'm beggin' you, don't provoke the old man."

"Gah!?"

A figure leaped in, and with the stone sword—the Shoryu-to (Stone Dragon Sword)—in his hand, he ruthlessly struck the side of the kneeling Heinkel’s head, sending him face-down onto the ground.

Heinkel fell sideways and passed out with his eyes rolled back. Standing beside him, shrugging his shoulders as if to say "good grief," was Aldebaran, who had cut in at the critical moment.

At Aldebaran’s appearance, Felt let out a small snort.

"You bastard, you were watching until I was in real danger, weren't you."

"Well, I had a feeling Felt-chan was talking to the old man because you expected me to keep an eye out so you wouldn't accidentally get killed. Not a very cute way of doing things."

"I hate being called cute."

Felt stuck out her tongue and didn't offer any thanks to Aldebaran for being saved.

She simply confirmed that the fallen Heinkel wasn't dead and let out a sigh. —Heinkel’s last words; apparently, there was still something more to Reinhard.

He was the 'Sword Saint,' he was apparently the reason his mother was asleep, and on top of that, there was something else Heinkel was hiding—

"I guess it’s becoming irresponsible of me to say 'I won't ask anything until you speak up' anymore."

"That’s quite a grand declaration. You understand the situation?"

"According to your story, you don't intend to harm me, and once your goal is all settled, you want to restart the Royal Selection, right? I hope you lose, but for now, whether you win or lose, what I’m gonna do after this is the same."

"I got no words to fire back at that."

Felt snorted again at Aldebaran, who was waving his right hand dismissively, and she aligned the scabbard with the sword Heinkel was still gripping and wouldn't let go of, sheathing it.

Just before it was fully sheathed, the brilliance of the blade engraved with the name 'Astrea' seemed heartlessly cold to Felt’s eyes, and it made her blood boil.