Arc 7, Chapter 49 – “The Stars Aligned”

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Machine Translated By :

• Goldkills
• Kiln

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• SapphireComet
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This an edited Machine Translation, which has been checked by at least one Japanese-English Human Translator for quality. This is expected to have a quality dip in accuracy, therefore, if you read this chapter you must take into consideration the tradeoffs between speed and quality. A proper, higher-quality translation for this chapter is in the works by our team, so if you would prefer to wait for it, then feel free to check back at a later date, keeping an eye out on our social media for updates.

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Al: [Damn it! I can’t see them anywhere…!]

Looking up at the sky from the street, as his gaze swept over the numerous scaffolds, the masked figure of a boy―― no, of Al, yelled as he stomped on the ground.

The unbelievable situation that had just occurred had spurred his frustration and made his heart boil with fury.

Absurd, that was all he could say about that turn of events.

Medium: [Subaru-chin, Louis-chan…]

On the other hand, in contrast to Al, his anger laid bare, Medium muttered so, her face downcast.

The young girl dressed like a dancer rolled herself into a ball, concerned for the two who had fled the scene.

However, the nature of the emotions in her murmur was complicated and confused.

It was difficult to say that it was only out of concern. It was undoubtedly related to the words Subaru had spoken before his disappearance.

Medium: [Louis-chan’s…]

Abel: [――A Sin Archbishop, he said.]

Medium: [――Hk.]

Upon finding the continuation of the words that had unintentionally leaked from her own lips, Medium’s eyes widened.

Disregarding Medium, Abel gazed upwards toward the sky, just like Al. He had put his mask back on and was no longer showing his face, so it was impossible for others to tell what he was thinking.

However, it was clear from his fingers tapping his crossed arms that this situation was not a welcome one, for him.

Medium: [Abel-chin, those two…]

Abel: [――. Our priority is to get this situation under control. Our course of action remains the same. Unfortunately, the number of methods we possess has once more abated by one.]

To Medium’s feeble question, Abel returned an answer in a cold tone.

He did not mention Subaru and Louis explicitly. But it was apparent that Abel did not intend to rejoin them immediately.

Hearing this, Medium felt both anxiety and relief deep in her heart.

There was a feeling of worry regarding those two, as well as a feeling of relief for not having to also confront them.

She also felt horrified that she had been told something that should not even be said in jest, in a situation where it could not be laughed off as a joke.

Al: [You want to leave him alone? Bro, and particularly now, when he’s got the mind of a child!]

Abel: [So what shall we do? The situation we are in will not be any different. I shall warn you, if you and Medium are no longer useful, I shall need to leave you behind.]

Al: [Guh…]

Abel: [Do not presume you alone hold the right to choose who we ally with or not, clown.]

Unable to speak, Al wanted to join up with the stranded Subaru and Louis, but this was coldly rejected by Abel. However, Al’s focus was only Subaru; Louis’s existence was secondary.

Al’s attitude regarding Louis, whose identity as a bomb had been revealed, was clear.

Al: [I can’t leave bro and that brat together…]

As he muttered to himself, cupping his mouth, Al’s hostility towards Louis was apparent.

Medium wished to complain about Al’s attitude, but she herself could not come to a decision on her attitude toward Louis, and an uncharacteristic deliberation formed in that silence.

Abel: [――――]

Abel, glancing sideways towards the two, once again looked up overhead.

Their figures no longer visible, Subaru and Louis had jumped somewhere into the Demon City, as nary a trace remained of them in this jumble of a sight his gaze lay on.

Abel: [Fool.]

The single word that escaped his mouth, was a mutter to nobody in particular.

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――And so, while in this unprecedented situation, Subaru had gone on his own, separate from his friends.

It had been a spur-of-the-moment act, he really couldn’t say it was a decision he had arrived at after properly thinking about the future.

Even so, there’d definitely be some regrets about that situation if he did make a decision in a hurry. All he could say with certainty was that he’d taken that action to avoid having regrets.

And now, Subaru was already “regretting” the decision he had made.

Because――,

Louis: [Au, uau!]

Subaru: [Stop it, Louis! That’s enough!]

Using a chokehold on Louis’s small body from behind, Subaru pulled her writhing body away. The one he pulled her away from, was a now-unconscious man who had pursued them before being straddled by Louis.

After parting with Abel and the others, they had managed to jump across the scaffolding in the city, and while looking for Olbart to restore the “infantilized” Subaru, the enemy caught up with them.

Apparently, the pursuers were aware of the appearance of the “infantilized” Subaru and of a target who had not visited the castle tower, Louis. It seemed Abel’s guess was correct.

In other words, Olbart and Tanza were accomplices, and the information they held was also passed to their pursuers――― those of the horned races.

As a result, Subaru, who was traveling alone with Louis, had been chased and almost caught――,

Louis: [Uu!]

Louis’s fighting skills, which she had shown on the street, exploded, and their pursuers were quickly neutralized.

That in itself was a blessing. Even before his limbs had shrunk, Subaru’s fighting ability was a disappointment. He would be no match even against those of the city who didn’t know how to fight, because Yorna had given them a portion of her power through the Soul Marriage Technique.

However, the problem was that Louis would not stop attacking, even after she had neutralized their pursuers.

Louis: [Auu…]

Subaru: [Don’t “auu” me! If you do that, they’ll die! These people are just scared, that’s all. That wouldn’t be good at all!]

Louis: [Uu.]

Her legs flailing, Louis calmed down after hearing Subaru’s warning.

He didn’t know whether she understood what he had just said, but at any rate, she seemed to understand that Subaru was angry. Seeing this, Subaru tended to the fallen opponent.

As he had no first-aid kit, all he could do was to lay his head up high and wipe the bleeding wound.

Subaru: […These people as well.]

Louis: [Uau?]

Subaru: [They’re desperate. They don’t want their place in the world to be destroyed.]

The young men, a sheepman and a deerman, who had been beaten up by Louis, were still in their late teens or early twenties, not much different from the original Subaru. The people around the inn, and the sheep boy who had thrown Subaru in the street, were all of varying ages, there was nothing that made them seem like friends.

But there was a definite connection. That being, the horns that grew on their heads.

Depending on the person, they could be different for having one or two horns, but a horn was a horn.

The influence it’d had on their lives was not something Subaru, who knew of Emilia’s case, could scoff at.

Subaru: [I’m glad Rem isn’t here, I guess.]

As a member of the oni tribe, Rem had the characteristic horn that grew on her forehead.

Unlike those beastmen, the horns would not be grown out all the time, but as a someone from a horned race, it was possible she was not entirely unrelated to the situations they’d experienced in life.

Not like he’d ever heard something of the sort from Ram or Rem, though.

Subaru: [I don’t think Ram’d give a crap of what anyone said about her.]

Because Ram was the type to go her own way, no matter what the outside world had to say about her horn, it was certain that she would blow their words off with a snickering “Ha!”.

With her strength that was not bound by race nor title, it was certain she would.

――Perhaps, such a girl could keep a level head upon finding out about Louis.

Subaru: […I’m an idiot.]

Louis: [Uau.]

Striking his forehead with his fist, Subaru withdrew his shameful and selfish thoughts.

Seeing Subaru’s gesture, Louis, who was crouching next to him, tilted her head.

Ram was not present. Emilia, and Beatrice as well, everyone was not present.

Even Rem, who was closest to him, was still in Guaral, far away from here―― there was no time to comfort himself by relying on someone not present.

Subaru: [Anyway, it’s bad if we stick around standing out. We need to hide quickly.]

Honestly, considering his original plan, running and hiding would be a waste of time. Normally, he’d have to chase after the person running away and hiding.

And yet, Subaru had become the one being chased.

Subaru: [Maybe Abel won’t look for us… I guess. He’s probably angry, and might believe that finding Olbart-san’s more important, I guess.]

Louis: [Au.]

Subaru: [Should we join up with Taritta-san? Taritta-san’s being chased by a lot of people in a strange city… No, that’s no good.]

Placing his hand to his head, Subaru put on hold the idea of joining up with the clueless Taritta.

He didn’t feel like he could successfully explain to Taritta why he was not with Abel and the others. He’d have to lie, but lying wouldn’t solve the problem.

Medium was out of the question. Once Taritta found out that Louis was a Sin Archbishop, she would see her as dangerous, and distance herself from her, just as the others did.

Subaru: [I’m worried about Taritta-san, but I think Abel and the others might be looking for her over there.]

Right now, he didn’t want to join up with Abel and the others, from whom he’d just become separated.

Without an answer to how Louis should be handled, he thought it’d be more of the same with Abel and the others. Besides, he didn’t want to be hated by everyone for arguing with them like that again.

The past him, who had been unable to persuade everyone, also didn’t want to become hated.

Subaru: [Louis, let’s go. We need to find Olbart-san at “an abyss with a great view”.]

Louis: [Uau.]

While saying this, Subaru linked hands with Louis and pulled her along to make her walk away.

He had no idea of where to go originally, but after she’d unveiled her power―― the Authority of Gluttony, his anxiety became even greater.

Therefore――,

Subaru: [If you don’t want to die, stay close to me. I don’t want you to die either… now.]

Louis: [Aa, uu.]

Whether she understood or not, Louis nodded her head in acceptance. With that, Subaru let out a deep breath at the girl’s smiling face.

Two children, wandering around in a strange city, aimlessly trying to solve a riddle――,

Subaru: [This makes me feel like I’m truly a missing child.]

That weak mutter was all he could muster.

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――After that, Subaru and Louis’s chase sequence, as well as their escape, was complicated.

Probably because Subaru did not have a good grasp of the city’s layout, and because communicating with his companion was difficult, and genuinely because of Subaru’s bad luck.

At any rate, he was being chased around inside the Demon City. Unable to find this “abyss with a great view”, his time was running out with every moment that went by.

Subaru: [Louis! Stop fighting! Run, run, run, run!]

Louis: [Au! Uh!]

As Louis rushed out, Subaru stopped her by literally bumping her with all his weight.

He hopped onto her tiny back, forcing himself in a position of being carried by piggyback. Louis propped up Subaru’s body to keep him from being shaken off as she then leapt high to escape from the ones chasing them.

???: [Don’t let them get away!]

And the ones to shout that while chasing after them, were the horned beastmen patrolling the Demon City.

Apparently, their pursuers were really only those with horns. Regarding the inhabitants of Chaosflame, Subaru had seen many demi-humans without horns. It seemed that they had not been given the order to capture Subaru and Louis.

Subaru: [Seems like that Tanza girl doing this of her own free will…]

Tanza was a young deergirl, although she held something like the position of a secretary to Yorna, Subaru supposed there was a limit to how far she could make those under her command move.

As a result, there’d be no way to escape if all the inhabitants of Chaosflame were to become “it”. It seemed that the girl was also fighting on the edge of how much she could abuse her power.

Even then, they were being cornered plenty on that edge. From Subaru’s point of view, she could have even held back a bit.

Subaru: [Uh… They’re coming after us! Louis, don’t attack! We gotta get out of here!]

Louis: [Uu?]

Subaru: [Why not! The reason is, everything! Anyhow, this isn’t working!]

With Subaru on her back, stepping on window frames of buildings and protruding scaffolds, Louis did not seem happy with this escape decided upon by a single person, as she went bounce-bounce all over the city.

She looked as if she wanted to say that they’d win if she fought; Subaru protested this by tugging on her cheek.

Indeed, if Louis did fight, she might be able to defeat their pursuers.

However, if Louis were to fight, those following them might get killed. Hypothetically, even if she knocked them unconscious, there was no telling if Louis would stop her assault there.

Actually, just a short while ago, if Subaru hadn’t stopped her, Louis would’ve thrown their pursuers off the high scaffolding, dropping them to the ground below.

Louis had not seemed to have lost her almost infant-like innocence.

But, even with that innocence, the power of Gluttony had returned to Louis. Subaru dreaded that, as It seemed to be no different from the rampage of the original “Louis Arneb”.

If this Louis ever went back to being “Louis Arneb”――,

Subaru: [――That’d mean that Abel and the others’ opinion is right.]

In that case, there was no need to run away from the street and no need to strain his relationship with Abel and the others.

The existence of the girl known as Louis, was something Subaru was required to worry about, strangely.

Which was why it was no good.

Subaru: [I won’t let you kill anyone else, any more.]

As long as Natsuki Subaru’s eyes were black, he would not let that happen. [1]

Louis: [――Au.]

Louis gazed forward quietly as Subaru tightened his hold upon her back.

It seemed she had retracted her complaining attitude from before for the time being, reconsidering doing what Subaru had suggested. For now, Louis tried to shake off the beastmen on their tails; bouncing and skipping repeatedly, she continued to run away as her golden hair whipped about.

However――,

Subaru: [So, stubborn…!]

Maybe it was natural, since the only effort they were making to shake them off was running away, but it was difficult to give the beastmen chasing them the slip. In addition to knowing the lay of the land, because of the flame in one of their eyes―― because of Yorna’s Soul Marriage Technique, the gap between them was shrinking, rather than growing.

Subaru: [If it goes on like this――]

They would get caught; as such Subaru bit down on teeth that were neither baby nor permanent.

It was at that moment.

???: [――You two, this way.]

Subaru: [Huh?]

Louis: [Au?]

Louis kicked off the wall with force, as she tried to trick the eye of their pursuers with sharp movements. Before they could see if what they intended had been fulfilled, a voice reached the two as they landed on the street.

Taking a look at it, a young man with a thin face was beckoning Subaru and Louis to come over. There were no horns to be found on the young man’s head at a quick glance, but that didn’t put Subaru at ease right away.

Subaru: [Y-you’re…]

Young Man: [You’re being chased, aren’t you? From the looks of it, those people seem to be preeettyyy~ serious. This is some friendly advice so it’d be nice if you could be good and hear what I have to say.]

In response to Subaru’s wary look, the young man beckoned to him with a friendly smile. Just like that, he used his hand to point out a cart on the road to Subaru and Louis, the two out of breath.

Specifically, he was indicating a gap between several barrels in the back of said cart,

Young Man: [Since you two have small bodies, you’ll fit in there for sure.]

Subaru: [B-but even if we hide there it doesn’t mean…]

Young Man: [We don’t have any more time. The alignment of the stars changes every moment. It’s up to you, of course, to shun this alignment, or to accept it.]

Subaru: [――――]

Young Man: [Hoooweeever~, I think it’s in your best interest to come with me.]

Waving his empty hands in the air, the young man laughed to show that he meant no harm.

Subaru hesitated quite a bit on whether he should trust that smile or not. But he was right, he didn’t have much time to spend hesitating.

Therefore――,

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???: [They must’ve come this way!]

A group of bloodthirsty men appeared, searching for any sign of the missing fugitives. As they went along, they spotted a young man standing near a cart, leaning his back against a wall.

???: [Hey, you there! Did two kids come by here?]

Young Man: [Huh? Umm, you wouldn’t be talking to me, would you? I’m sorry, but I was just taking a break for a sec here…]

???: [Like I said, I was wondering if you’ve seen them during your break… Oh, forget it!]

The oxman, who had approached the cart with noisy footsteps, gave up because of the young man’s dismissive words. But that didn’t mean that the oxman had overlooked the cart near the youth.

He stopped questioning the young man, instead refocusing his attention on the cart.

Oxman: [Say, what’s the cargo?]

Young Man: [Well, what do you think it is? What kinda merchant do I look like?]

Oxman: [Tch.]

At the elusive young man’s words, the oxman clicked his tongue and glared at the cart. Then, grabbing a pile of barrels, he tipped the load effortlessly, his right eye burning.

With a loud bang, the setup of unbalanced cargo was thrown about. The stacked barrels swayed from one side to the other; if anyone had been hiding in the back of the cart, they would have been struck by the weight of the barrels.

Seeing this, the oxman took his hand off the barrel and,

Oxman: [Sorry for disturbing you.]

Leaving behind those words, he walked away from the scene with his companions.

Behind him, the young man called out with “Please fix the barrels!”. However, as the other part didn’t reply, the young man gave a shrug of his thin shoulders

Young Man: [Good griiief~, they were arrogant people, weren’t they? I dunno what to think of them.]

Talking to himself, the young man approached the cart on the deserted street. He crouched down to look underneath the cart instead of at the load.

There――,

Young Man: [You were right not to carelessly hide in the back of the cart. If you had hid there, every bone in your body would’ve been shattered by now. That would’ve been very painful, wouldn’t it?]

Subaru: […Don’t say such scary things.]

Louis: [Uu.]

The young man made a dreadful remark in a light-hearted tone, with a smile on his face, as Subaru and Louis crawled out from the cart they had hidden under.

It was natural to think that, given the cart had been loaded with barrels, they’d be hidden there. Subaru, at first, did as he’d been told and tried to hide in the back of the cart, but as he’d had a bad feeling about it, he had decided not to.

Subaru: [But, since there was no time to run, I hid under the back of the cart.]

Young Man: [I think it was a very good decision. I’m not very good at lying, and I would’ve told him right away if he had questioned me a bit too roughly.]

Subaru: […No problem, I wouldn’t have expected any different because you’re not one of us.]

Having been underneath the cart, clinging onto its wheels, Subaru patted the dirt off his hands and clothes, and then patted Louis’s equally dirty body.

Apparently, the pursuers had lost sight of Subaru and Louis, so he should be grateful to the young man for his help.

Subaru: [But, why did you help us?]

Young Man: [Why did I help? Hmmmhm, why, huh. Oh, how about the fact that I couldn’t stand to see children being chased?]

Subaru: [If you’re putting it as “How about”, you definitely just made it up…]

Young Man: [Have I been found out?]

Faced by Subaru’s doubtful eyes, the young man stroked his head in an annoyed fashion.

He smiled bitterly, but from what Subaru could tell, he was not a demi-human. Not only did he have no horns, but he also had no animal-like ears, skin, nor claws.

That aside, this human being right now gave off the atmosphere of being from outside of Chaosflame.

Subaru: [You’re…]

Young Man: [Oh, whoops, I’m Ubilk. I can understand why you might wanna doubt me, but there’s not much I can say.]

Subaru: [What do you mean, there’s not much you can say?]

Ubilk: [The only reason I helped you two was because I thought it’d be a good idea.]

Laughing, the young man―― Ubilk, ran his fingers through his ashen hair.

His gestures and good looks made Subaru think that Ubilk was a man with a proper job. Even his travel clothes, which appeared to be lightly worn, looked like they had been paid for with a fair amount of money.

Subaru thought that he was surely a merchant, because he was hauling a cart.

Subaru: [Is that what you’d call a merchant’s intuition?]

Ubilk: [A merchant’s… Oh, me? Hahaha, no. I’m no merchant or anything like that. And this cart isn’t mine either.]

Subaru: [Huh!? But, you told those people…]

Ubilk: [I never said I was a merchant. Of course, I also never said that this cart belonged to me. It’s just a cart that happens to be sitting here. It probably belongs to the store right there, doesn’t it?]

After those words, Ubilk pointed to the nearest store and said, “I wonder if it’s that one? Or maybe it could be that one?”. He was kidding, but he didn’t seem to be entirely joking.

In other words, it seemed that he’d really simply bluffed his way out of that pursuit.

Louis: [Uau.]

Subaru: [Ah, yeah, I get it.]

As he kept up with Ubilk’s pace, Louis unexpectedly pulled on his sleeve.

Subaru, who was starting to wonder whether it was alright to stand still, reflected on his own carefree self who was being rushed by Louis.

Their situation hadn’t gotten any better, even though they had shaken off their pursuers.

Subaru: [Well, thank you for your help, Ubilk-san. But you should think and act more seriously next time. I’m sure you’re going to get into a lot of trouble because of this…]

Ubilk: [Whaat’s~ that, are you worried about me? Do I look so unfortunate? I think I’m a pretty worldly man, but you seem to disagree.]

Subaru: [No, not that I’m suspicious of you or anything, but we’re in a hurry.]

To tell the truth, he was suspicious.

In this case, the suspicion wasn’t that Ubilk was necessarily Tanza and Olbart’s spy, but rather that he could be a dangerous adult who was genuinely unrelated to them.

As the two of them, Subaru and Louis both, were just children as of now, dealing with suspicious adults was plenty scary.

If the other party were a dangerous adult, Subaru might not be able to stop Louis from beating him to a pulp. Dealing with dangerous adults was a bridge too far for children to deal with.

Subaru: [Well, we’ve got stuff to do, so let’s keep it at that. Thanks for helping us.]

With that, Subaru pulled Louis by the hand and quickly walked away after an expression of his gratitude.

However――,

Ubilk: [Please waaait~ a minute. Don’t be so curt, let’s help one another. I think the spirit of mutual aid’s a wonderful thing.]

As he said this, Ubilk used his long, slender legs to jog around Subaru, cutting him off.

Immediately, Subaru’s Suspicious-and-Dangerous-Adult Index rose, and Ubilk’s standing with him was put into question. Going into details, Louis’s grip on his hand tightened and she voiced an “Uu?”, as she could sense Subaru’s caution towards Ubilk.

A case such as Louis leaping out as soon as she had Subaru’s approval, for her to then beat Ubilk to the ground and stuff him into a barrel, was possible.

Subaru: [Ubilk-san, are you flexible?]

Ubilk: [Me? Well, in my old work experience, the more flexible my body was, the more I could handle, so I was a flexible person. But, what are you asking me?]

Subaru: [No, no, it’s nothing… Helping each other, is there something you want us to help you with?]

Ubilk: [Oh, nooo~, that’s not what I meant. The spirit of mutual aid was just a slip of the tongue, not a request for help. Ahaha.]

Subaru: [――――]

Once again, the Suspicious-and-Dangerous-Adult Index had increased.

This time, in addition to that, he felt that a novel Adult Index aside from the Dangerous one, the Adult-He-Didn’t-Want-Anything-To-Do-With Index, had just been newly established.

Anyway, this was not someone he wanted to spend much time with.

Ubilk: [Hahaha… Whaaat’s~ this, the mood’s colder than I expected. This is the same feeling I get when I’m surrounded by everyone. They hate me. Do you hate me?]

Subaru: [If possible, I’d prefer not to…]

Ubilk: [Ohhh~, you’re an honest one. Well then, since you seem to be in a hurry, and since you’re honest, and I like honest people, let’s have a quick serious chat.]

Subaru: [――Hk.]

As Ubilk said this, he bent at the waist and brought his face closer to Subaru. Subaru’s head dropped as he gulped unwittingly, and Louis, stepping forward, put her hand out in front of him in response.

She then pushed on Ubilk’s cheek from the side, threatening him with an “Uu!”.

Ubilk: [Whoooops~, she hates me. I thought I had a good reputation with girls, but I guess it’s different if they’ve already got a companion.]

Subaru: […Ubilk-san, it’d be best if you don’t make Louis angry. This girl, well, she’s more powerful than she looks.]

Ubilk: [I see, Louis-san’s her name, isn’t it.]

Ubilk nodded his head, and Subaru gulped at his response.

There was no problem with him knowing her name, but he knew that he’d given out information that he shouldn’t have. He didn’t want to give more information to someone without knowing what kind of adult they were.

Subaru: [Ubilk-san! You said it’d be a serious chat, yeah? If there’s nothing else, we should go!]

Ubilk: [――I wasn’t planning on walking about the streets today at all.]

Subaru: [What?]

Ubilk: [Fooor~ some reason though, I found myself wandering around aimlessly, wondering if something was going on, based on a feeling I had. So I came here on a whim, and killed some time next to this cart. And then…]

Placing his fingers on his forehead, he slid them to the gentle corner of his eye, to his clear, white cheeks, then down to his sculpted chin. At the end, Ubilk snapped his fingers.

Subaru was visibly stunned, transfixed by his behavior, and Ubilk, whose smile deepened at his reaction, waved his snapping fingers from side to side,

Ubilk: [You two appeared by nimbly leaping over my head.]

Subaru: [――――]

Ubilk: […Whaat’s~ this, perhaps that didn’t resonate with you?]

Tilting his head, Ubilk looked in turn at Subaru and Louis, both of whom didn’t react.

Louis simply might not have understood what was being said, but not Subaru. After hearing Ubilk’s answer, Subaru just could not speak.

He wondered if there was some grand, far-reaching reason hidden in there.

Subaru: [So you were just out for a walk, resting, and then we came along?]

Ubilk: [Haaa~, you can say it that way too, I guess. Buuut~, I think I can also say it this way. ――I think all this is just the stars’ guidance.]

Subaru: [The stars’… fate, or something like that…]

Although it sounded very romantic, Subaru’s shoulders slumped.

It would’ve been romantic had it been spoken at the beginning of a story in which a man and woman met, but here there was a combination of the shrunken Subaru and the originally small Louis. And Ubilk, the weirdo.

This was not romantic at all.

Ubilk: [Are you amazed by me, perchance?]

Subaru: [Well, it’s alright. Even if Ubilk-san’s seriousness isn’t that serious, it doesn’t bother me so much because he’s a person I don’t want to see ever again.]

Ubilk: [You said some pretty harsh and hurtful things to me. That kinda sharpness is similar to that of my old friend’s.]

Subaru: [Ubilk-san, you’ve got a friend…?]

Ubilk: [Ahaha, that hurt!]

He couldn’t help but let out a rude, honest thought, but Ubilk didn’t seem to be offended.

For just a moment, he thought that there some sort of subtle, complicated feeling from Ubilk towards his friend, somewhere in his sentimental, straightforward and unserious attitude.

Ubilk: [Anyway, it’s by some kinda fate that we met here. Hmmm~, that’s it! I’m actually in the business of giving small consultations. What do you think, why don’t you ask me for counselling?]

Subaru: [Finally, there it is! No thanks… No, I heard on TV that way of answering’s convenient for scammers. I don’t want it!]

Ubilk: [I’m not a pushy salesman, and I’m not here to trick you, okay? I just wanna do my assigned role, thooo~.]

Subaru: [Your assigned role?]

Ubilk: [Indeed, there must’ve been a reason as to why I’m here today. It’s probably for the chance for you and Louis-san to consult me.]

Ubilk nodded repeatedly, crossing his thin arms and acting like he was the only one who understood.

Unfortunately, Ubilk’s conviction did not sit well with Subaru. It was simply that the Suspicious and Dangerous Adult Index was gradually increasing in value.

He’d rather just leave Ubilk here and run away if possible. He felt that even though Ubilk had given the slip to their pursuers, he was now entangled with a more troublesome opponent.

Ubilk: [Oh, it’s no use trying to escape. Iiif~ you try to run away…]

Subaru: [Then what?]

Ubilk: [I’ll shout, and tell the people who just came by where you two are. You’d be in trouble, right?]

Subaru: [We’d be in a lot of trouble…!]

If that were to happen however, he was willing to unleash Louis.

Of course, as he didn’t want to let Ubilk die, Subaru would do everything in his power to stop Louis’s rampage, but he was prepared to use her as his last resort if Ubilk wanted to call out to their pursuers.

Besides――,

Subaru: [I’m sorry, but you don’t want to know what’s going on with us. If you hear about it, you might get involved and I don’t think you can do anything about it.]

Even if Subaru and Louis did nothing, Tanza and her comrades might hurt Ubilk. If that happened, it’d be Subaru and Louis’s fault.

His thoughts were that he couldn’t involve Ubilk in such a situation.

However――,

Ubilk: [Oh, don’t worry about it, I’ll be alright. I said I’d give you a consultation, but I’m a consultant who’s just fine without hearing any specifics.]

Subaru: [There’s something like that!?]

Ubilk: [Well, well, if you think you’ve been lied to, lend me your hand.]

Subaru’s concern was overshadowed by Ubilk’s carefree smile as he gently took Subaru’s hand.

Since his right hand was connected to Louis’s, the hand taken was his opposite left hand. Surprised by the touch of Ubilk’s slender, feminine fingers, Subaru hurriedly glanced at Louis.

Louis: [Uu.]

Fortunately, Louis had not a temper short enough as to suddenly attack Ubilk, although she was staring at his movements.

But that meant that he’d have to watch over a situation that was much like a balloon that could burst at any moment, all while having to keep filling it with air.

Subaru: [Umm, Ubilk-san, I don’t have much time, and neither do you… ]

Ubilk: [Whaaat’s~ that, you’re suddenly making me nervous too. ――But I’m already done.]

Subaru: [Huh?]

While he was anxious about Louis’s line of sight aimed at Ubilk’s thin neck, after urging him on, Subaru’s arm was released from Ubilk’s grasp.

Removing his hand, Ubilk gently turned his palm towards Subaru’s face and,

Ubilk: [――The answer you’re seeking’s already within you.]

Subaru: [――――]

Subaru’s eyes widened due to those unexpected words.

At Subaru’s lack of understanding, Ubilk uttered “Ohhh~?”, and tilted his head.

Ubilk: [Maybe that didn’t ring a bell?]

Subaru: [It’s not that it didn’t ring a bell, it’s just that I don’t really understand what it means… ]

The answer he was looking for was also vague.

He felt that it was similar to what fortune tellers used to say on TV back at his original world. It was a common phrase used to scam people by saying something that applied to anyone.

Subaru: [I don’t think there are too many people who aren’t looking for answers…]

Ubilk: [Hmmm~, I’m not talking about something as big as life itself. I’m sorry to say that I’m not a person able to see the movement of stars that well.]

Subaru: [Like a horoscope… ]

Ubilk: [Maybe it’s the problem in front of you. You see, you were both being chased, right? That’s also a problem, isn’t it? What do you think about that?]

Subaru: [But, I know why those people were after me――]

Perhaps confident in his own ability as a counselor, Ubilk tried to get closer to the right answer by delving into Subaru’s inner thoughts.

He wasn’t sure about it; it felt a bit like a scammer’s trick, but once he took it seriously, there was a slight tug at Subaru’s heart.

Subaru: [――――]

That tug seemed to be a very important one.

Of course, he didn’t know just how much of what he felt in his small Subaru head could be believed. However, even if he didn’t believe in the “thoughts” of a small Subaru, there should be room to believe in the “intuition” of a small Subaru, regardless of the size of the body.

The problem that Subaru was facing right now, was――,

Subaru: [――”An abyss with a great view”.]

Ubilk had pointed out that the answer was already in Subaru.

He wasn’t trying to probe deeper into the kind of scam it was. But he felt it.

――That tug he felt, if he could rope it in, he should be able to find the answer he was looking for.

Louis: [Uau?]

Subaru: [I think I might’ve figured it out.]

Louis looked into Subaru’s face once he replied to her, whose shapely eyebrows distorted into a frown. With the sound of Subaru’s voice, which had slightly regained its strength, Louis widened her blue eyes and then smiled happily.

Seeing the change in Louis’s expression from the side, Subaru exhaled, then looked at Ubilk.

Subaru: [The consultation might’ve worked.]

Ubilk: [Ohhh~, I’m glad. I’m relieved, too. If I’m gonna do this, I wanna do my job properly. Then?]

Subaru: [Yeah, I’ll hurry. Thank you for everything, Ubilk-san. ――Let’s go, Louis!]

Louis: [Auau!]

In response to Ubilk, who closed one eye, Subaru pulled Louis’s hand and began sprinting.

He started to run as fast as he could, stopping only once. And upon looking back, he saw that Ubilk’s eyes were widened, possibly because he hadn’t expected Subaru’s actions.

Subaru waved his hand at him, and,

Subaru: [Ubilk-san, I won’t say anything bad about you, so just go back to your parents’! And so that you don’t seem so dangerous, behave yourself, and stop scamming people!] [2]

With gratitude, that was all the self-serving “counsel” Subaru could give him.

△▼△▼△▼△

After that, he watched the boy and girl leave in a hurry.

Ubilk: [“Stop scamming people”, that’s a bit harsh.]

That young man who had been left on his lonesome in the street―― Ubilk, smiled and scratched his cheek with his finger.

It had been a strange time, but judging from the boy’s appearance at the end, he felt that he had been able to help in some way, which made him feel a tug at his heart.

And then――,

Ubilk: [If I don’t go back to my room as soon as possible, Kafma-dono’ll be very displeased with me, and if something actually happens I’ll be in trouble, so I gotta go back. But still…]

Once again, gazing towards the direction the children had left, Ubilk closed one eye.

And――,

Ubilk: [――I dunno what the stars desire, even though that comes with the duty of a Stargazer.]

 

 

 

Translation note:

[1] This is just a really emphatic way to write “No fucking way Subaru would let that happen”.

[2] Basically, Subaru’s telling Ubilk to go back to his parents’ home and quit the shady stuff.