Arc 5, Chapter 7 – “The Sinful Man Sets Sail”

 

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All rights belong to Tappei Nagatsuki, the original author of the Re:Zero series. This is an English translation of the free web novel which is available at:

http://ncode.syosetu.com/N2267BE/216

Translated by:

• Nanashi-tan
• Phantaminum

Proofread by:

• Phantaminum
• SSCaide

Art Source:

• chi-

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Subaru: [His heart was stolen by a Songstress… Is that a nickname? It sounds like he’s trying to sound cool, but he’s being addressed like that, it’s not cool at all.]

Upon hearing Subaru’s response, Anastasia laughed before playing with the tips of her soft hair.

Anastasia: [You’re right, it sounds more like a nickname than a title. But ‘my heart was stolen by a Songstress’ is what he claims.]

Subaru: [Ehhh, what does that even mean?]

Anastasia: [That his heart was stolen by a woman, and he proudly and publicly announces it—— Hey, doesn’t that remind ya of what happened durin’ the Royal Selection meeting at the Royal Capital?]

Subaru: [Leave that dark, embarrassing history out of this.]

Subaru’s face twisted just thinking of his humiliation at Julius’s hands. It made him want to grab his head and roll on the floor. Even though he still believed he had been in the right, his way of expressing his thoughts had left much to be desired. Anyway,

Subaru: [I see what you mean, though. Although I regret to admit it, I can actually relate. Then, what’s he like?]

Anastasia: [The nickname’s rather excessive, but the man himself’s both responsible and flexible. Bein’ named heir to Muse Company takes more than just bein’ the eldest son. There’s no need to doubt him as a businessman.]

Otto: [I can also guarantee that, Natsuki-san. The young master of Muse Company… Kiritaka Muse, is famous indeed. His skill is astounding, even without the Muse Company’s already renowned reputation for dealing with magical ore.]

As a merchant, Otto also knew of Kiritaka. However, after agreeing with her appraisal, he cast a sharp glare at Anastasia.

Otto: [Indeed, Emilia-sama needs pure magical stones from a professional supplier, and we sent an inquiry to the Muse Company… but they were not open to negotiation. It does make one wonder how and why Anastasia-sama is securing their aid.]

Anastasia: [Perhaps it’s a matter of trust? Maybe it’s a matter of sincerity. Whatever the case, one side must be willin’ to approach the other in order to establish a workin’ relationship, don’t’cha agree?]

Otto: […I guess you could say that.]

Otto gave up on challenging Anastasia, who remained impassive, having been feigning a poor understanding of the situation. He moved on to discuss the magical stones themselves.

Otto: [First of all, do they actually have the rare magical ore we’re looking for?]

Anastasia: [I can understand your suspicions, but I’m sure you realize that if we were simply lyin’ about a prominent trader it’d be obvious by now?]

Otto: [I see. Then, are there any other conditions, or is it alright for us to negotiate with him?]

Anastasia: [You’re quite worried, but it’s fine. Remember, I was simply aware where Emilia-san’s camp could find the magical ore they’ve been lookin’ for, and I’ve already explained why I gave ya that information.]

As Anastasia had said, gratitude required no price tag.

Otto, understanding this, relented his questioning of Anastasia. It seemed that an agreement had been reached on the topic of the magic ore. Seeing their conversation come to a close, Emilia raised a nervous hand.

Emilia: [Umm, is it okay if I ask something?]

Anastasia: [Please, go ahead. Anythin’ related to our business and personal relationships are a matter of trust. We’ll get some peace of mind by clearin’ away those doubts.]

Emilia: [It seems this doesn’t have much to do with money, does it…]

Anastasia: [This is more than just a matter of hourly wages, after all. Well, that’s to be expected. Don’t you agree, Natsuki-kun?]

Anastasia smiled at Subaru, who gave an indifferent shrug in response. Emilia continued to ask her questions,

Emilia: [You’ve told us a little about Kiritaka-san, but I’m still curious about the Songstress you mentioned. Is she someone famous?]

Although it was a simple question, Subaru also wanted an answer. As far as he knew, Kiritaka’s surname, Muse, referred to a Goddess of Song in his world’s mythology. It was an odd coincidence, but it could simply have been his fate to fall for a Songstress.

Subaru: [I wonder if she’s supposed to be some kind of mythical figure. Of course, she’s not as influential as Hoshin of the Wilderness. Actually, if Hoshin had fallen for someone mythical, it would have probably been a disaster.]

Julius: [Rest assured, the Songstress Liliana-san is very real and currently remains in Pristella. Having been taken in by Kiritaka-san… That’s what her position is like right now.]

Subaru: [Right now… Do you mean it is different from her normal situation?]

Julius: [I heard that she was originally a poetic bard who sang and traveled. Kiritaka-san saw one of her concerts, and the situation became what it is now.]

Listening to Julius’s answer, Subaru pictured a bird caught in a birdcage. Birds were animals that would live freely until they caught the eye of a master who would entrap them. Was that what Liliana’s situation was like? Did Kiritaka’s paranoid affection keep Liliana trapped?

Subaru: [That’s an unpleasant story. Her singing should not be kept for just one person, she should do it freely.]

Julius: [I do agree with that, but there may be a misunderstanding here. Although, given Kiritaka-san’s obsession with Liliana, it may be an inevitable conclusion.]

Subaru: [My opinion of this Kiritaka guy has been declining somewhat steadily. Will the negotiation really be fine? It’s hard to imagine communicating with someone as eccentric as that.]

A greedy and disgusting rich man came to mind, one who was both gluttonous and lustful. As Otto had mentioned earlier, it was strange of him to turn a blind eye to Emilia’s seemingly innocent search for magical ore. Subaru’s impression of the man was poor indeed.

Subaru: [I’m not looking forward to showing my pretty Emilia-tan to such a person.]

Julius: [Him seeing Emilia-sama shouldn’t be a problem. Kiritaka-san is a little difficult to handle, but he wouldn’t be so indiscreet. However…]

Julius broke off, as if unsure how to continue, leaving Subaru puzzled at his rare hesitation. Finally, Julius sighed quietly and shifted his gaze, first to Emilia, then to Subaru.

Julius: [It might be best not to bring Beatrice-sama with you.]

Subaru: [What’s that supposed to mean!?]

Anastasia: [Well, Kiritaka-san and I are on good terms, so I’ve spoken with him enough to imagine what he’d think.]

Julius’s and Anastasia’s words. The opinion of those two led to one single conclusion.

Subaru stood up and,

Subaru: […He’s a lolicon!?]

Julius: [That is something that people are only able to speculate on. In other words, it is an unconfirmed rumor. In any case, his tastes do not change how charming Anastasia-sama is.]

Anastasia: [Your words lack elegance.]

Elegant or not, Anastasia did not seem to mind what Julius had said. Subaru’s theory stood unrefuted, and so he accepted that it was true, thinking to himself, “are you serious?”

Subaru: [More annoying lolicons, as if Clind-san weren’t enough trouble…]

Recalling that universally competent butler, Subaru wanted to bury his head in his hands. However, there was definitely differences between Clind and Kiritaka’s tastes.

Clind would probably show no interest in Anastasia. What Clind sought was inner youth and it was reflected by his attitude towards Emilia. He saw her inner immaturity and respected her as a mental loli.

——On the other hand, Kiritaka was a person who placed emphasis on external appearances. Anastasia was probably around the same age as Subaru, but she looked significantly younger. Since her body had little potential for further development, she could be considered a legal loli. Kiritaka’s propension to like her was a matter of course. And Beatrice…

Subaru: [Our Beako is a versatile loli that can accommodate the tastes of both Clind and Kiritaka…]

Beatrice: [Betty did not quite understand that, but it feels like it was a very rude comment, in fact.]

Subaru: [Idiot! Ugh, I’m worried about you! You… you have a dangerous appeal. You’ll make me worry if you’re not more aware!]

Beatrice: [I, ah, hm… I-if you’re that worried, then you’re not doing anything wrong, I suppose. Hehehe.]

Although she did not share Subaru’s panic, Beatrice happily grabbed on to the hem of Subaru’s sleeve. For the time being, Subaru was going to hold onto her tightly. As long as they were in this city, it would be a good idea to keep an eye on her.

Emilia: [So, umm, does he just like short people?]

Anastasia: [Such an innocent response. No, it’s more like he’s the type of person who prefers eatin’ fresh, immature fruit…]

Subaru: [Stoooooooooop!! Don’t say such dirty things to my angel! I understand now! No more is needed! Yes? Stop, stop!]

Subaru guarded Beatrice with his left hand and Emilia with his right. Anastasia laughed at Subaru’s overprotectiveness while Julius showed a wry smile.

Otto: [Setting aside Natsuki-san’s attitude, we accept your conditions. If possible, I would like to meet Kiritaka-san. Would I be able to find him in Pristella’s Chamber of Commerce?]

Anastasia: [That’s right. Well, Kiritaka-san’s pretty busy, seein’ as he has to run many of the city’s functions. So I wonder whether you would find him there, or in the City Hall.]

Anastasia responded to Otto’s serious question with light teasing, and the latter could only helplessly accept her answer. Otto brought his hand to his chin, then turned to Subaru.

Otto: [As expected, even the first step will be difficult. I would like to set up a safe place to calmly talk things through beforehand, but… where should we go?]

Subaru: [That’s right… Well, to be honest, I have no mental map of this town at all, so I was planning to just wander around.]

From the main gate, Pristella had not appeared to be too large, but as an outsider, navigating the unfamiliar townscape would be a nightmare. Subaru was confident in his sense of direction, but how useful would that confidence be in a town where travel was conducted by waterway?

Otto: [Perhaps, there are people giving tours along the waterway—— After all, many tourists come here, and there are probably people guiding tours to capitalize on that.]

Subaru: [That wouldn’t work, I’d definitely get seasick. Once in elementary school, I got so seasick crossing a lake on a field trip that people made fun of me for being drunk.]

Beatrice: [Betty doesn’t quite understand what that means, but you look like you have bad memories of it, in fact.]

Looking at a reminiscing Subaru, Beatrice voiced her pity. In any case, Otto’s suggestion was probably the best, so Subaru would have to accept it. That was when,

Julius: [Forgive me for interrupting your discussion, but that worry is needless.]

Emilia: [What do you mean, Julius?]

Emilia widened her eyes and turned to look at Julius, who smiled faintly.

Julius: [It’s simple. We have already sent messengers to keep in touch with Kiritaka-san. We should be able to discuss the details as soon as the messengers return.]

Emilia: [Messengers?]

Julius: [My younger brother Joshua, of course. Ricardo is accompanying him.]

Subaru was glad to finally know where those two were, but he was also somewhat annoyed. Although they were addressing a natural obligation,

Subaru: [It would have been nice if they were here to welcome us in front of the inn.]

Julius: [Since we invited you, it is our duty to handle these arrangements. You do not need to be worried about the finer subtleties. Those are not worth mentioning.]

Subaru: [Don’t bring them up then!]

Their banter was the same as always. On one hand, Subaru’s respect for Julius’s faction grew, but on the other, he was deeply troubled by his own faction’s lack of preparation. Anyway,

Anastasia: [In that case, all of ya are probably anxious, but we should wait for the two of them to come back. Speakin’ of which, my personal bodyguard hasn’t returned.]

Subaru: [Oh, right.]

Subaru assumed a more relaxed posture and sat down. He prepared himself to answer questions about the absent Garfiel. Anastasia immediately followed that lead,

Anastasia: [As ya can see, Mimi’s absent—— what’s she doin’? That child that went with her… the one named Garfiel. I’d like ya to talk about him in detail.]

Subaru: [His name is Garfiel Tinzel. He’s fifteen years old, the age where kids have fancy dreams. He has the habit of biting things and snoring loudly. But, other than that, he’s an honest, straightforward kid. Even if his feelings are battered, his naive way of looking at things won’t change. He’s that kind of pure youth.]

Anastasia: [That’s likely true.]

“I don’t want my cute little sister stolen from me”, seemed to be what Anastasia was desperately, yet sweetly, thinking. Even without considering his potential relationship with Mimi, Subaru thought of Garfiel as a cute little brother, and believed in making his value known.

Emilia: [I wonder what Songstress-san’s famous voice sounds like. I feel reaaally anxious. I wonder if she’d perform for me if I requested her.]

Julius: [Don’t worry, Liliana is someone well-versed in social customs. If she’s present at your meeting with Kiritaka-san, I’m sure she’d be eager to perform.]

Emilia: [Oh, that’s right. That sounds fun.]

——Meanwhile, Julius’s words seemed to further Emilia’s interest in the topic of the Songstress.

Otto, seeing the dialogue between the two pairs of made up of a liege and a Knight, sighed.

Otto: [Since we’re in opposing factions, I thought relationships would be more tense… Did I overthink things?]

Beatrice: [You don’t need to be discouraged, in fact. You’re not thinking too much; Subaru and Emilia simply aren’t thinking enough, I suppose.]

Beatrice’s rare show of sympathy confirmed Otto’s suspicions that he would be mentally and physically overtaxed during his stay in Pristella.

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Joshua had returned, while Garfiel was soon to arrive as well.

Joshua: [Kiritaka-san is usually busy, but rather than being at the City Hall today, he’ll be at the his office in the Muse Company Headquarters, so this is an ideal time to visit him.]

Anastasia: [That’s that, then. Mhm, you did well, Joshua.]

Joshua, upon returning to his older brother and his lady, made his report. After Anastasia nodded, satisfied, Joshua turned his gaze to Subaru.

Joshua: […Thank you for coming such a long way. I’m sure you’ve heard the story from Anastasia-sama by now, but we’ve established contact with Kiritaka-san.]

Subaru: [Oh, thanks a lot. That saves us loads of time.]

Joshua: [I do not enjoy helping you, I’m just following Anastasia-sama’s orders. I really wanted to avoid having my brother meet you.]

Subaru: [You’re honest, as usual.]

Julius’s eyes widened at Joshua’s frankly hostile speech, which was something rarely seen. He was apparently unaware of the animosity Joshua held toward Subaru.

Julius: [Joshua. Everyone present, including him, are here under Anastasia-sama’s invitation. Being rude to our guests will hurt Anastasia-sama’s reputation, so please refrain from doing so.]

Joshua: […My sincere apologies, nii-sama.]

Julius sighed at Joshua, whose gaze had turned sulky. He then turned to Subaru and said apologetically,

Julius: [Apologies, from both of us. Usually, my brother does not engage in this kind of behavior… It seems that the cause is the unfamiliar environment.]

Subaru: [I don’t mind if you guys do it separately, but being picked on by both brothers together in this environment is kinda scary for me, too.]

Julius: [Heh. We’ll keep that in mind.]

Julius responded to Subaru’s words with a mixture of humor and irony. Joshua looked unsatisfied, but when Subaru caught his eye, he turned away. Was the reason intense jealousy?

Emilia: [Well, thanks to your kindness, we can go visit Kiritaka-san now. Can we consider this inn as a place to stay afterward?]

Anastasia: [Feel free to do so. The Water Plumage Pavilion is a lodging with a great track record, both in atmosphere and comfort. Please look forward to dinner.]

Emilia: [That’s true. In that case, we’ll look forward to it.]

Emilia clapped her hands and smiled at the confident Anastasia. Then, running a hand through her long silver hair――

Emilia: [We’ll be sure to speak properly with Kiritaka-san first, so that we can enjoy a delicious dinner without any worries.]

As Emilia finished talking, she stood up to leave the inn. Subaru followed behind her as they made their way towards the ship that Joshua had secured for their trip to the office of the Muse Company, where Kiritaka was currently located.

???: [Oy, Captain! Wait there! I’m tellin’ ya!]

Garfiel hurriedly leapt in front of the inn to intercept them. His shining blonde hair and clothes were slightly dirtied, and his expression was tired as he joined the other four.

Garfiel: [Ah… ah… Found ya. If it weren’t for that dog-faced guy, don’t think I’d have survived.]

Subaru: [By dog-faced guy, do you mean Ricardo? Were you on a sweet date with Mimi, before her big, scary uncle interrupted?]

Garfiel: [A date? This ain’t no joke! As soon as that midget dragged me away, another midget lookin’ like her attacked me ‘n nearly killed me. If I fought back, they’d prolly start cryin’, so instead I just spent the day runnin’ away…]

From Garfiel’s story, Subaru surmised that it had been Ricardo who had prevented that tragedy. Mimi, of course, had two twin brothers who could have caused it. Perhaps it had been Tivey, whose calm disposition could have been hiding a sharper side. Or perhaps Hetaro, fearing that his sister would be taken away, had displayed his siscon[1] tendencies for the first time. Whoever it had been, the situation seemed fine now.

Garfiel: [So, seein’ as I didn’t wanna be excluded from yer plans, I rushed over here, Captain.]

Subaru: [Ah, my bad. We were planning on meeting the guy who’s selling the magical ore. Thinking on it, I guess we should’ve waited for our bodyguard.]

Garfiel: [That’s obvious, yeah?]

Subaru added the relieved Garfiel to his party and made way for the docks. The boat that Subaru’s group was going to ride on had already been prepared. All the boats were fairly small, with only enough room for eight people, including the boat’s sailor.

Sailor: [There’s a city law about boat size. If the boats are too large, the waterways get clogged, and it’s unsafe if boats get too close together.]

The dark-skinned sailor steering their boat was happy to answer Subaru’s questions. Dragon carriages on wide highways weren’t much of a problem, but on waterways, traffic rules needed to be set.

Sailor: [If a collision happens and a ship sinks, that’s usually regarded as the fault of the sailor’s lack of technique. Besides, a lot of these ships have been passed down from generation to generation, so losing one would mean losing your reputation as well.]

Subaru: [Of course. Regarding the ships’ water dragons… Are there any problems with those?]

Sailor: [You should give it a try. In the water, there’s no way you can compete with water dragons, so when you see one, it’s customary to let them have the right of way. Some of the boats are pulled by small water dragons, so you should try those at least once.]

Like ground dragons, they had good instincts and could be trusted to handle a smaller boat. Remembering how he had felt the first time he saw a ground dragon, he was excited by the sailor’s follow-up recommendation. Maybe his first ride with a water dragon would evoke the same sense of wonder.

Emilia: [This is my first-time crossing water on a ship. I’m reaaally excited.]

Subaru: [Is that so? Well, this does feel different than the sea.]

Emilia: [What is this ‘sea’?]

Subaru: [Imagine an endless pool of water. My hometown was right next to it.]

Emilia: [Hmmm… But, that would be nice when you felt thirsty.]

Subaru laughed in response to Emilia’s childlike answer. Unfortunately, drinking sea water when thirsty would lead to death. Regardless, he could not mention that sea water was saltwater without raising more questions.

Otto: [Where there’s a river, there’s usually a bridge, so if you need to smuggle something without crossing a bridge, your only other option is going by boat.]

Subaru: [Sure sounds like you’re talking from experience.]

Otto: [I-it’s not like I’ve ever done anything like that! I-it’s just, second-hand knowledge! Stop casting such strange suspicions on me, really!]

Garfiel: [Ottobro, ya really are sweatin’ over there.]

As if ignoring Otto’s suspiciously specific denial, the boat followed the sailor’s movements as it turned to join the main waterway ahead. Incredibly, the current was flowing against the direction of the boats.

Subaru: [What, how is the water flowing like this?]

Emilia: [Hehehe. I actually know the answer to that. Look, look at the city walls.]

She lightly patted Subaru’s shoulder and pointed into the distance with her free hand. Subaru cast his gaze in that direction and saw the great stone towers stationed on the city’s walls. There were four of these towers, positioned on the north, south, east, and west side of the city.

Emilia: [Those towers control the flow of water in the town. Inside them is a magical device with a sophisticated mechanism, and its operation is powered by a magical water stone. It seems that the big floodgates in the city are also controlled by it.]

Subaru: [Wow, that is incredible. This is even cooler than the travel laws.]

Thanks to Emilia’s explanation, Subaru somewhat understood the mysterious mechanism behind the flowing waterways of the city. Sure enough, the Watergate City Pristella was very different from the others, and Subaru still had much he needed to learn about it, including the city’s laws.

Subaru: [The laws here are closely related to the operation of the city, right?]

Emilia: [Is this about Kiritaka-san? Like I said. I wonder what kind of a person he is… It would be great if he gave us the magical ore upon hearing our story.]

Touching the pendant hanging on her chest, Emilia murmured her hopes, seeming uncertain of herself. While listening to her murmurs, Subaru placed his hands on his chin and closed his eyes. Then, he swayed his head along with the movement of the boat and whispered,

Subaru: [————Eh.]

Beatrice: […Betty didn’t catch what you said just now, I suppose.]

Beatrice had probably been the only one who could hear him. Upon hearing her loud voice, everyone turned to stare at him. Feeling their gazes fixed on him, Subaru smiled and said.

Subaru: [Crap, I’m gonna puke.]

——In an instant, a fuss was created on board.

Translation Notes:

[1] – Short for “sister complex”.