Arc 9, Part 38: "Scorched by the Sun"

“—In other words, even if this wasn’t a Holy Gold Coin, but say, a full-force blow from Garf, Emilia-sama—who already knows what Garf is going to do—could easily dodge his obvious attack, counter, and make him cry like a big baby.”

“I see, so that’s how it works… But wait! Making Garfiel cry like a baby is too pitiful. I want to get along with Garfiel in a different way.”

“In that case, you don’t even need to counter. If you dodge all of Garf’s attacks with a cool face, his spirit will eventually break, and you should be able to settle things peacefully.”

“Then I can relax… Relax? Really? Even though his spirit broke?”

Emilia, having been handed the Holy Gold Coin by Rem, let out those words with a large metaphorical question mark floating over her head. Right now, in her mind, Garfiel was likely busy wailing like a child or collapsing to his knees in dejection. However, Rem—who had taken over the role of explainer from Ram—felt relieved that she had at least managed to explain the gist of Aldebaran’s Authority: ‘Time Reversal.’

“As expected of you, Rem. You did well to make even Emilia-sama understand.”

“I’m glad I could be of help to you, Sister. Though Garf had to be sacrificed for it…”

“If the conversation moves forward just by him crying or moping, Garf would surely be satisfied. Since he’s apparently sleeping peacefully, I’ll go visit him later.”

“I suppose so. Garf would be overjoyed to have you visit him, Sister…”

At Ram’s attitude as she shrugged her slender shoulders, a complex bitterness ran through Rem’s heart. Having regained her memories, she remembered that she and Garfiel had originally been in a state of conflict over Ram. Since they were young, she had disliked Garfiel for having feelings for Ram, considering him to be overstepping his bounds, and they had argued many times. However, when she thought back to Garfiel’s hard work in the Empire and the conversations they had shared on the way back, it felt wrong to treat him based solely on those old impressions. Furthermore, the current Garfiel had failed in his duty to protect Subaru and Beatrice. When he woke up, he would surely be deeply depressed and blame himself.

“To kick Garf while he’s down would be too cruel… I understand. I will yield this time. We need Garf to recover as quickly as possible so he can become the strength we need to rescue that person.”

“I suppose. But being bound by your possessiveness doesn’t feel bad either. If you really dislike it, I could just put Garf off until later?”

“You know I won’t say ‘please don’t go,’ Sister.”

“I wonder.”

Rem sighed at the radiance of Ram, who responded with a faint, dignified smile. How much of Ram’s kindness and concern had she wasted during those two periods—while she was asleep and while she had no memories? Of course, Ram wasn't the only one Rem had caused worry for. She had caused trouble for everyone in the camp and even people outside of it. —Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Rem originally had zero social life outside of those involved with her, so the damage in that sense was minimal.

“Rather, I feel like the me who lost her memories was able to interact more properly with people like Miss Kachua and Miss Mizelda than the me before…”

Looking back at the record of her life that had returned to her, Rem held such an impression. In the Vollachian Empire, where she had been sent by chance, she had been forced to survive, but it was strange to think that the Rem who had no place to belong was more socially adept. To top it off, she felt like strangling herself for repeatedly pushing away Subaru, who had tried so devotedly to stay by her side even when she wouldn't open her heart to him at all.

“If only Subaru-kun had looked Rem in the eye and spoken to her directly… Ah, but it was Rem who refused that, ugh…!”

There was a part of Rem that wanted to defend herself, saying it couldn't be helped since she had no memories, and another part that wanted to convince herself that if she had faced Subaru head-on, his sincerity would have reached her. In any case, it was a fact that Rem had caused a massive amount of trouble for everyone, starting with Subaru, so she had to make up for it with everything she had from here on out.

“First, I will resolve this situation safely. After that, to show my apologies to Subaru-kun, I will break my own fingers… Yes, that’s it.”

“…Even if you do that, Subaru won’t be happy. In fact, he might be so shocked he’ll die, so please absolutely don’t do that.”

“Ah, Petra-san…”

Rem, whose secret resolution had been overheard, turned around to find Petra with troubled eyebrows. Thinking she shouldn't have let her hear that, Rem held out her palm to her and said, “No.”

“Please don’t stop me. Rem… Rem feels so sorry toward Subaru-kun. If I don’t punish my own helplessness, I won’t be able to face him…”

“Then, are you saying you want to take that punishment not because you want to apologize to Subaru, but because you want to feel better yourself, Rem-姉様 (Big Sister Rem)?”

“I didn’t mean it like that…”

“I’m saying that even if you don’t mean it like that, that’s how it’ll turn out. Listen, okay? What Subaru wants from you isn’t for you to be punished, but for you to receive the happiness you missed out on while you were asleep.”

“————”

Rem involuntarily gasped at the words of Petra, who had softened the corners of her eyes. It was because those words were a kind and sweet scolding, echoing what Subaru had told her on the morning the incident with the demon beasts in Arlam Village was resolved—the first day Rem had truly begun to feel special toward him. For some reason, the Subaru from that time and the Petra before her overlapped for just a moment.

“…I suppose that is proof of how much everyone has been influenced by that person.”

“Hmm? What was that, Rem-姉様?”

“No. Your words brought back a very nostalgic and important feeling. Do you remember? When the demon beasts attacked Arlam Village.”

“…Erm, yeah, yes. I remember.”

At Rem’s question, Petra’s cheeks stiffened slightly. Then, Petra’s gaze flickered toward a girl named Meili, who was in the corner of the room. Apparently, she was a girl who had joined the camp while Rem was asleep and had fulfilled her role in the Kingdom while Emilia and the others were struggling in the Empire. Rem felt like she had seen her somewhere before, but she wondered why Petra was concerned about her now.

“Ahem. Anyway, please stop trying to hurt yourself, Rem-姉様. If your precious, slender white fingers were to be injured, the world would fall into pitch-black darkness.”

“Petra-san…”

“If you say you absolutely won’t stop, then I’ll break my fingers too as a matter of joint responsibility!”

“Petra-san!?”

Rem’s voice unintentionally went up at Petra, who had firmly balled her small hands into fists. Then, at Rem’s reaction, Petra gave a mischievous smile and continued, “So.”

“You mustn’t do anything like that, okay?”

“—. Yes… I understand.”

Pressed by Petra, Rem nodded back hesitantly. It was partly because she had lost to Petra’s enthusiasm, but more accurately, it was because she had been silenced by the Subaru-like impression she got from Petra. She had seen Subaru in her just a moment ago, but the way she had stopped Rem now—by throwing her own extreme at Rem’s impending extreme to cancel it out—was exactly like him.

“————”

Rem fell silent, feeling the weight of Subaru’s influence through Petra. In a way, Petra’s current state was proof that she understood Subaru even better than Rem did, which wouldn't have made it strange for Rem to feel jealousy or envy. But strangely, Rem didn't feel a shred of such emotion toward Petra. She didn't know why, but while thinking of Subaru, a different thorn was caught inside Rem. That was—

“—Aldebaran-san’s Authority.”

The Authority of ‘Time Reversal’ she had just finished explaining to Emilia using the Holy Gold Coin. Thanks to Ram’s patient explanation, Rem had understood its terror, but as she broke it down for herself to explain it to Emilia, a doubt had begun to simmer within her. An Authority that observes the future and avoids unwanted outcomes by going back in time—

“—That person, too?”

The fire of doubt that had sprouted faintly grew rapidly within Rem, the spreading flames scorching the plains of her thoughts. Among the remains of that fire lay several embers that had started and fueled the blaze.

For example, a thick scent of miasma always drifted from Subaru. For example, that miasma would often intensify, as if it were enveloping Subaru. For example, Subaru would perceive situations with inexplicable insight and derive solutions for them. For example, many deaths were avoided because Subaru was there, and Rem was one of those people.

Those elements, which individually might have felt like mere nitpicking or fault-finding, fit together with startling precision once a single rule-breaking Authority was placed at the core. But if, by some chance, Rem’s intuition was correct, then the boy named Natsuki Subaru, while possessing an almost peerless power—

“He only uses it for the sake of others. …What a selfless person he is.”

If one could redo any amount of time and correct it to their liking, they could act as selfishly as they wanted and reshape the world to their will. However, Subaru had not done that, nor had he used it in such a way. —Rem, as a representative of someone who had not gone according to Subaru’s will, knew that best of all.

If Subaru had used his power to make someone’s heart do as he wished, then the incident where Rem broke Subaru’s fingers would never have happened. In other words, the fact that those fingers were broken was proof of Subaru’s sincerity.

“As I thought, Rem should also break her fingers to match Subaru-kun…!”

“I just made you give up on that once!”

“You’re wrong, Petra-san. This isn't for a negative reason like not being able to face him, but for a positive reason of wanting to share the same pain as Subaru-kun…”

“Whether it’s positive, negative, upward, or downward, it’s a NO!”

Her words fell on deaf ears, and Rem’s enthusiasm ended in failure. Anyway, putting the finger-breaking aside, Rem’s conviction that Subaru possessed an Authority of the same lineage as Aldebaran had deepened. However, even after hearing about ‘Time Reversal,’ it seemed that Ram, Emilia, and the others had not reached the same conclusion as Rem. It wasn't because Rem understood Subaru more deeply than they did.

“…Rather, it’s the opposite.”

The reason Emilia and the others didn't reach this conclusion, unlike Rem, was that everyone except the sleeping Rem had seen Subaru’s efforts over the past days. From what she had heard, during the year and more that Rem had been asleep, Subaru had contracted with Beatrice and had made constant efforts to become a knight worthy of Emilia. Because they knew of Subaru’s efforts, they didn't doubt that there were other factors behind the results he brought. Rem didn't know of those efforts, which made her feel so frustrated her heart felt like it was being torn apart. —That was why there was a large gap between her and those around her in their perception of what Subaru could do.

But that didn't diminish Subaru’s heroism in the slightest. Above all, at the point they had fallen into this situation, even if Subaru possessed an Authority, it was not omnipotent. Therefore, the fact that Subaru had squeezed out his wisdom and courage and moved forward by taking someone’s hand remained unshakable. Even now, there was still something Rem could do to help Subaru.

“Now that I know that… Sister!”

The captive Subaru was calling for help. —Once she gained that conviction in her thoughts, Rem hurried to share this idea with Ram and the others to increase the material for their discussion. It would be difficult to get them to understand, as it was a theory based on intuition and the Oni race’s sense of smell for miasma, but the intelligent Ram and the broad-minded Emilia should listen to her seriously. With that thought, Rem was about to speak to Ram and the others, who had turned around asking, “What is it?”—

“—I have just returned. My apologies for the delay.”

It was at that moment. In the hall of the Royal Villa where Rem and the others were gathered, two men appeared in the blink of an eye. One was Clind, a handsome man with a sharp impression wearing a monocle. And the person Clind had brought was a master to whom Rem owed a great debt and had known for a long time—

“Roswaal! You came!”

“Ye-es, I have heard the circumstances from Clind. Hearing that Subaru-kun and Beatrice are in a predicament, and furthermore, that the foundation of the Royal Selection is being shaken, I cannot very well say that I am tired from my travels in the Empire… no-ow, can I?”

“Mm, that’s very reassuring. Let’s join everyone’s discussion right away… but before that.”

“—?”

Emilia, who had welcomed the tall figure of Roswaal, pointed her hand toward Rem, who was standing right behind him. When Roswaal turned around at Emilia’s gesture, his heterochromatic eyes focused on Rem. In response, Rem pinched her skirt and performed a curtsy.

“Lord Roswaal, I have been away for a very long time. I would like to express my gratitude once again for coming to fetch me from the Empire. —Rem has returned.”

“————”

At Rem’s words of gratitude and her greeting of return, Roswaal’s throat made a faint sound. Then, in the next moment, his tall frame swayed as if he were experiencing a sudden bout of dizziness.

“Lord Roswaal!”

“Ah, no, I’m fine, I’m fine. …It was just so sudden that I nearly drowned in the info-ormation, that’s a-all.”

As Ram quickly supported him, Roswaal responded with a wry smile. There must have been a backlash of ‘memories’ returning due to Rem’s ‘name’ being released. It was a pity that it wasn't the power of the bond with Subaru, who had so earnestly polished his iron ball—his morning star—but it didn't feel bad to witness her empty place being filled once again. Though it might be called insensitive. In any case—

“—Welcome back, Rem. Once this situation has settled down, let us by all means talk about the mansion while you were away… especially about Ra-am.”

“Yes. I look forward to it from the bottom of my heart.”

Roswaal, with his usual quick understanding, fully absorbed the shock of suddenly remembering Rem. While admiring her master’s mental fortitude, Rem tried to restart the conversation once more. However, Rem’s sleeve was tugged from behind—

“Master, wasn't Big Sister Frederica with you?”

“Ah, I had Frederica remain in the Barielle territory. It is something we have already undertaken. I could not bear to leave young Schult alone, and Clind said he would fulfill the role expected of Frederica himself, you se-ee.”

“Big Brother Clind fulfilling Big Sister Frederica’s role… isn't that impossible?”

“How harsh. I must work hard to dispel that doubt. Diligence.”

Clind vowed to exert himself with a nonchalant attitude toward Petra, who had frowned upon confirming the whereabouts of Frederica, who hadn't returned with Roswaal and the others. Beside that exchange, Rem couldn't help but tilt her head, looking at the side profile of Petra, who had pulled her sleeve. “Petra-san?”

Just now, Petra had clearly interrupted Rem’s words and brought up a different topic. Of course, Frederica’s whereabouts were a matter of concern, but her action was meaningful. While Rem was wondering about that, Emilia had introduced Old Man Rom to Roswaal and had begun to talk about the need for measures that crossed the boundaries of the camps. Petra watched them, but then she turned toward Rem and beckoned her over. And then—

“…By any chance, did you notice about Subaru too, Rem-姉様?”

“—! That way of putting it, does that mean you also noticed Subaru-kun’s Authority, Petra-san…”

“Don't say any more than that. …‘The Witch’ might be listening.”

“————”

Rem also involuntarily fell silent at Petra, who had placed a finger to her own lips as she spoke. Petra didn't state it explicitly, but her current way of speaking and her tone perfectly guessed Rem’s inner thoughts—proof that Petra also thought Subaru was the owner of an Authority that could ‘Reverse Time.’ From the words she followed up with, Rem could infer that Petra possessed even more information than she did. The expression ‘The Witch might be listening’ was a bit sudden, but—

“Since I’ve heard that Lord Reinhard is holding back the ‘Witch of Envy’ at the Augria Sand Dunes, I can’t laugh that off as an exaggeration.”

“Yeah, it’s related to that too. I don't have certain proof, but I think it’s better not to say it out loud. —Because I don't want to feel that way ever again.”

Petra’s whisper, filled with a terrifying sense of reality, carried a weight as if she had personally experienced the damage caused by speaking those forbidden words. Naturally, Rem swallowed the words she was about to weave at Petra’s quiet plea. But that meant losing the opportunity to reveal Subaru’s true achievements thus far—

“…That person wouldn't care about such a thing, would he?”

Rem had been given two opportunities to know Subaru—before she lost her memories and after. What she had learned from those two opportunities was Subaru’s heart-wrenchingly earnest sincerity; being evaluated without any secrets and having everything brought to light was secondary to him. The wish for all of Subaru’s actions and thoughts to be praised and rewarded was, after all, only a matter of Rem’s own values.

“Rem-姉様, please let me ask you just one thing.”

Petra spoke to Rem, who was swallowing her own prayers and lingering in the afterglow of that sentiment. It wasn't a particularly hushed voice, but to Rem, it felt like a question Petra had asked with the utmost care so that it would reach only her and no one else. Feeling something similar to Subaru in that seriousness once again, Rem nodded, and—

“Rem-姉様, would you do anything to save Subaru?”

Behind that question, Rem felt Petra saying, “I would.” It wasn't that she felt a sense of rivalry. But her deliberation didn't even last a second.

“Yes, of course. —Because I am Subaru-kun’s Rem.”

Answering that was something Rem didn't need to hesitate about for even a moment.

—Moment by moment, Aldebaran felt the exhaustion piling up.

“Food can be sourced locally, and for water, I can just lick ice made by cooling the air… but having my sleep time cut down is seriously tough.”

The persistent sabotage that continued to be laid out tormented Aldebaran’s group endlessly. Furthermore, the nasty part was that most of the damage from the sabotage wasn't severe enough to cause injuries or force them to leave the front lines, but was instead limited to forcing exhaustion. Then again, they would occasionally throw in things like the rockfalls they had used at the quarry, highlighting the maliciousness of their methods that never allowed them to let their guard down. The biggest problem at hand was that there was no way to perfectly prevent this.

“A combat-oriented civil official… a combat-oriented civil official, huh. I guess that rough-sounding title isn't just for show.”

The civil official of the Emilia camp, Otto Suwen, was a mild-mannered, handsome man he had seen many times. His position in the camp was that of a butt of jokes and a buffer; he was an indispensable part of their daily lives, but not someone who needed to be guarded against on a battlefield. —That perception had been a huge mistake. Aldebaran had underestimated the fact that he could talk to any living creature. He was being made to pay for that mistake with unbelievable momentum and volume.

“And the problem isn't just that gloomy civil official… there’s also the matter of the Old Man and Felt-chan.”

In addition to the sabotage, what troubled Aldebaran even more was the discord that had arisen among the members accompanying him, and the sprouting of seeds of trouble that could not be ignored. Felt had not originally been part of Aldebaran’s intended members, but her presence, which was necessary to drag along for the sake of ‘Aldebaran,’ had become a major blow at this point. That was the problem of Felt touching the core that disturbed Heinkel’s emotions.

Apparently, Felt had touched a part of Heinkel that he very much didn't want touched. While his biological son, Reinhard, was keeping the ‘Witch of Envy’ at bay in the Augria Sand Dunes, Heinkel had personally stabbed his own father, Wilhelm, who had stood in his way as an obstacle. Felt had carelessly touched Heinkel’s mental state, which was on the verge of shattering, and she had nearly paid for it with her life. —No, in reality, she had paid for it with her life several times.

If Aldebaran hadn't redone things with his ‘Domain,’ Felt’s death would have been certain. That would have drawn the ire of ‘Aldebaran’ and cornered Heinkel’s position. It was already an unnatural state where Aldebaran had overwritten the consciousness of the ‘Divine Dragon.’ If something that significantly stimulated the instincts of the ‘Dragon’ were brought in, the magic of the ‘Book of the Dead’ might be undone. That was why Aldebaran had forcibly cut off the conversation between Heinkel and Felt, but—

“It’s only a symptomatic treatment. If I accidentally leave the Old Man and Felt-chan alone together, it’s obvious that another stabbing incident will occur. On the other hand, it’s impossible to leave the restraint of that bastard Roy to anyone but Yae… Damn it, I’m not doing that quiz where you have to transport a wolf and a goat across a river in a boat. I’m bad at those, too.”

It was a so-called logic puzzle, but he was placed in a situation close to it. The current situation where his brain was being used for a battle of wits he didn't need to engage in was not desirable, but even so—

“—Whether it’s Lord Heinkel or Lady Felt, you could make things easier for yourself by cutting them loose as you please, you know?”

“—. I told you many times, I’m not doing that.”

At the light voice that suddenly interrupted his thoughts, Aldebaran clicked his tongue and answered. Coming toward him with her hands behind her back and a dancing gait was Yae. Aldebaran narrowed his eyes inside his helmet at the sight of her being alone.

“Hey, why are you alone? Someone should be with…”

“Lady Felt is with Lord Bor, the Sin Archbishop is hung up, and Lord Heinkel is tied up. For now, things are settled.”

“…Even so, it doesn't mean there aren't any holes.”

“True. But, but, the place where the biggest hole is likely to open right now is with you, Al-sama~?”

As she spoke, Yae crouched down in front of Aldebaran, who was holding one of his knees up. Being peered at by her cat-like crimson eyes, Aldebaran felt a sense of discomfort. No matter how bluntly he answered, her assessment was correct. —Without a doubt, the one among the members who was most heavily exhausted was none other than Aldebaran.

“But that’s only natural. The goal I want to achieve is the biggest and most numerous. Then it’s only natural that I should shoulder the hardship…”

“If you were to collapse halfway through as a result, wouldn't that be a sight to behold?”

“…What are you trying to say?”

“I’m sa-ay-ing, what Yae-chan wants to say is exactly what I’ve been telling you all along. Before you go ‘splat’ and collapse, let’s lower the victory conditions.”

“That’s why I said…!”

“—Why do you have to stick to clean methods, Al-sama?”

While resting her chin on her folded knees, Yae sharply cut in. Aldebaran felt Yae’s eyes, which had been narrowed like threads, open slightly, and the playfulness disappear from her tone, causing his words to be momentarily stifled. Taking advantage of Aldebaran’s silence, Yae continued.

“The opponent won't hesitate to use any means necessary. It’s only natural, right? After all, their allies have been taken by you, they’ve been hurt, and on top of that, the fate of the world is at stake. Of course they’ll be desperate. They’ll use any means, even those that go against the right path, in a fair and square, head-on manner.”

“…I think I understand that I’m putting you through a lot of trouble. Not just the endless harassment, but also the fact that you had to clash with the ‘Sword Demon’ in the Royal Capital.”

“No. I’m not trying to voice a grievance. …No, in a sense, it might be a grievance after all~”

“What are you—”

The words ‘trying to say’ did not follow. Suddenly, unable to dodge Yae’s hand that had reached out straight, Aldebaran’s forehead was pushed, and he fell backward just like that. And on top of the blinking Aldebaran, Yae, who had pushed him down, was hovering over him as if sliding.

“————”

At very close range, Aldebaran and Yae’s gazes crossed. In an instant, Aldebaran immediately poked the medicine packet tucked into his back teeth with the tip of his tongue, intending to commit suicide to redo this moment—

“—Your mistress has passed away, Al-sama.”

“—!”

“She has passed away. You’ve said so yourself many times, haven't you?”

Being told that by Yae, who was at a distance where he could feel her breath just before he swallowed the poison, Aldebaran’s throat made a sound. He didn't need to be told. Priscilla Barielle was dead. That was the premise of everything. It was the reason Aldebaran had made this decision, the cause, and the final shackle. Because she was gone, Aldebaran had released all the chains that bound him, and even though he knew he would turn everyone into an enemy and plunge the world into chaos, he had started this.

“Really?”

“Ah…?”

“Is that really so? Your mistress is nowhere to be found. So now, anything and everything is fine. It doesn't matter who you betray, what you destroy, or what anyone thinks of you. —Really?”

At the repeated questions, Aldebaran couldn't move. Even now, he could make this moment as if it never happened with a single movement of the tip of his tongue. With that as insurance—no, even if he didn't have that insurance, Aldebaran might not have moved. That was how much power Yae’s words and the strength of her eyes had to bind him, more so than steel threads.

Really, she asked. What kind of answer was she looking for? Really, she asked. It was true. What else could he say? Really, she asked. She was questioning the validity of Aldebaran’s resolve.

“The result might be crazy. The damage caused might be incredible. But I also think this. —Your methods have been very, very clean all along.”

“Clean…?”

“Facing them head-on, surpassing and overcoming the opponent’s tactics, and while you take advantage of the opponent’s weaknesses when the war situation is lacking, you don't let anyone die. Your resolve is clean, Al-sama. That’s why you’ve ended up being driven into a corner like this, so terribly.”

“————”

“—Al-sama, let’s stop yearning for the sun, shall we?”

Yae’s smooth hands reached out and sandwiched Aldebaran’s helmet from both sides. It wasn't a gesture to try and take off the helmet, but to keep his gaze from wandering. That gesture and the whispered words bound Aldebaran’s soul and rendered him motionless.

—To stop yearning for the sun.

“Let’s crawl on the ground, be covered in mud, stop looking up at the sky, and bathe in blood. It’s fine. I am already a soiled being; I don't mind being covered in mud and blood together with you.”

“—. No matter what you say, I…”

“There’s no need to give up things you can't give up. But if that’s what you want, then don't try to stay clean. If you can just let go of even trying to stay clean—”

Cutting her words there, Yae’s lips loosely formed the shape of a half-moon. Yae’s smile, which looked tinged with that blood-color, was terribly fleeting and overlapped with someone else’s smile.

“—No one can defeat my Al-sama.”

—It was the smile of someone engraved into his soul, the one who had shaped Aldebaran.

“————”

At Yae, who wore a blood-colored smile and spoke as if clinging, as if cherishing, as if lamenting, as if appealing, as if threatening, as if fading away at very close range, Aldebaran let out a long breath. And then—

“—Domain Expansion: Matrix Redefinition.”

In order not to let go of the things he truly couldn't let go of, he decided he would be covered in blood and mud.

“—Guh.”

His brain was gouged by a particularly strong throb of a headache, and Otto let out a faint groan. More than twenty hours had already passed since he had continued to keep his ‘Divine Protection of Soul Language’ active. During that time, he hadn't been constantly checking the open channels, but even without him speaking, he couldn't afford to miss a single piece of information that came flying in. As a result, while maintaining a state where his Divine Protection was semi-open, Otto had been continuing a lonely battle endlessly, begrudging even time for food and sleep.

“…It seems Emilia-sama and the others have joined up with the Margrave.”

It couldn't be compared to Aldebaran and the others whom he was pursuing, but in order to confirm the movements of his own camp, Otto had, so to speak, sent out animal scouts both in front of and behind him. The reason he wasn't actively making contact with Emilia and the others was partly because he didn't want his concentration to be disturbed, but the main reason was to avoid being stopped from his recklessness. No matter how he thought about it, if they knew that Otto had already had a nosebleed that would more than fill a cup, Emilia and the others would absolutely not let him continue this.

“But it’s necessary.”

Before long, Aldebaran and the others would arrive at the Mogoredo Great Fissure in the Kararagi City-States and try to achieve some kind of goal there. That was likely the limit. It was only Otto’s intuition, but he was certain that letting them achieve that would be their defeat condition, and it was the final moment to get back Natsuki Subaru and Beatrice. Therefore, he had to prevent it. However, Otto did not have the decisive blow.

The one who held the decisive blow was always someone other than Otto. What Otto Suwen could do was only provide covering fire for that someone. —That was why he would pour all his strength into that covering fire, even if he had to squeeze out every drop of blood in his body.

『Young master, please don't die.』

“…You’re not going to tell me not to be reckless, are you?”

『Isn't your recklessness like a hobby of yours? I won't tell you to stop something you can't stop even if I tell you to. So, please don't die.』

Otto gave a wry smile to his beloved dragon, Furfu, who was acting like he understood him. Basically, Otto was acting separately from everyone in the camp, but he was moving only with Furfu as a means of transportation and as someone to talk to in case of emergency—so that he wouldn't get too immersed in the words and thoughts of other creatures through his ‘Divine Protection of Soul Language’ and be unable to return. As expected of Furfu, whom he had been with since he was a child, he seemed to see through Otto’s thoughts and actions, and he was often saved by that reliability. Especially when he was acting in the mountains, far from human habitation, like this.

『I don't know if it’ll be effective, but why don't you sleep for a bit? Based on what you said earlier, the opponent is also resting… Right now, you can rest without worrying about losing sight of them, can't you?』

“What are you saying? If they’re resting, I have to disturb them. Rather, now is the busiest time.”

『Treating this situation as a busy time is a bad habit of yours.』

Furfu shook his thick neck as if exasperated. His leisurely tone and attitude might have seemed too slow given the situation, but if he knew that it was a deliberate nonchalance to keep Otto from panicking, he wouldn't get angry. In fact, while talking to Furfu, Otto’s morale gradually recovered. —Thanks to that, it seemed he could manage one more push.

『I’m not doing this with that intention, though.』

“Even if it’s not your intention, I’m being helped. My Furfu is the best partner.”

『Young master, you’re such a smooth talker!』

A smile escaped at Furfu, who let out a low, dissatisfied growl, and Otto took a deep breath. Then, he once again focused his consciousness on the channels and resumed speaking to the flocks of birds, insects, and fish he had entrusted with tracking Aldebaran and the others, trying to pick up their movements as much as possible.

Of course, since he needed to exchange words with the animals, this tracking of Otto’s was slightly delayed from real-time, and there was some lag. Even so, the reason he was able to keep following them without losing sight of them and without letting up was, after all, largely due to the power of the Zodda bugs. Most animals were frightened by the presence of the ‘Divine Dragon’ that the opponent followed, and no matter how earnestly he pleaded, they wouldn't step in beyond a certain point. However, the Zodda bugs were different. They, who prioritized the survival and future of the swarm over the individual, were experts who would approach even the ‘Divine Dragon’ without fear and bring back information. Once this matter was over, he would have to treat them as well as possible, including the peaceful land he had promised them.

『If you get too involved with the Zodda bugs, Lady Frederica and Lady Petra will look at you with even more sour faces.』

“I know that for some reason women often dislike Zodda bugs. But if they knew of their achievements this time, maybe their view of them would change.”

Even so, Otto understood that that was a slim hope. Far from the women, even Garfiel seemed to have a somewhat resistant feeling toward Zodda bugs, partly due to his fight with Otto in the ‘Sanctuary.’ He wondered what kind of faces Subaru and Beatrice would make when they were safely released and heard of the Zodda bugs’ contribution—

“At the very least, I should make them directly express their gratitude to the representative of the swarm—”

“—I think that might be a bit difficult, though~?”

“————”

In an instant, a voice that was not from the insects, small animals, or Furfu brushed against Otto’s ear. Immediately after he gasped at that, Otto’s body was suddenly hoisted into the air.

『Young master!!』

Without a dragon carriage, Otto’s weight, which had been straddling Furfu’s back directly, vanished, and Furfu, noticing this, let out a desperate cry. In vain of Furfu’s cry, Otto was hung from one of the thin trees in the mountains, and while being strangled by a thin sensation wrapped around his hands and neck, he flailed his legs in the air. He barely managed to avoid immediate suffocation by wedging his fingers between his neck and the restraint, but—

“Ka, ku…!”

“Even though you don't look like a combatant, your immediate reaction was impressive. Is that what they call the mindset of being always on the battlefield? Big brother, you might have even made it as a shinobi, you know?”

A slender shadow emerged beneath the feet of the hanging, swaying Otto. It was a girl with crimson hair, wearing a waitress uniform with elements of waso—the characteristics matched. One of Aldebaran’s group, and an enemy Otto had to wear down—

“See, I told you, Al-sama. —No one can defeat you.”

—The crimson shinobi, Yae Tenzen, looked up at the hanging Otto with her cheeks flushed.