Arc 10, Chapter 23 – “Search for the Best Course of Action”

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Translated by:

• Archbishop of Transportation
• Archbishop of Amphibia

Proofread by:

• Archbishop of Angst
• Archbishop of Transportation
• Archbishop of Superiority

Art Sources:

• liankhangthang

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――No matter how many times he gazed up at it, the Royal Castle of Lugunica was ever so distant, its chalky white walls nearly swallowed up by the evening sky.

Subaru: [――Emilia.]

Those words escaped him as a mutter, a profound sense of sorrow sojourning within Subaru’s heart.

Within the Castle situated at the highest point of the Royal Capital, Emilia was being held captive. Ultimately, it was Subaru’s wish to seat her upon the throne of that place, and absolutely not to chain her to a prison cell.

Beatrice: […Emilia is a Royal Candidate, in fact. At the very least, they ought to treat her hospitably on the surface, I suppose. There is no way they would confine her in a cell, in fact.]

Subaru: [I know. I know that, I really do. But, that’s not what…]

Beatrice: [――――]

Subaru: [Ah, sorry… I see that you were just trying to cheer me up.]

Beatrice: [It’s fine, I suppose. Being able to encourage a hard-pressed Subaru is the special privilege of being his partner, in fact. Petra and Rem would be crying in frustration, I suppose.]

Subaru: [Setting Petra aside, I do wonder about Rem. Would she really be frustrated?]

Flashing a wry smile, Subaru was astonished that he had even been able to put on such a smile.

Until this very moment, as he reflected both on his own powerlessness, and on Emilia, whom he had been left with no choice but to leave behind, his heart had been on the verge of bursting apart; despite all of that, Beatrice simply being here with him was tremendously impactful.

Glancing at her, the Spirit in question shot him an adorable smug look, and let out another small sigh.

――Subaru and Beatrice, along with the agents who had been present at the Six Tongues outpost, were making preparations to depart on schedule in accordance with Russell’s instructions.

Rather boldly, this outpost was located among some of the largest warehouses within the Commercial District. Standing near the bulwark sectioning off the adjacent Noble District, it gave but a glimpse into the approach the Six Tongues took to concealing themselves―― blending into the scenery of the Royal Capital, and existing as a natural part of it.

At present, Subaru and Beatrice had circled around to the back of the outpost, gazing up at the Royal Castle of Lugunica where Emilia remained until the very last preparation for escape was ready.

Subaru: [――――]

Unlike Subaru, Beatrice, and Crusch, the latter having continued to slumber with her consciousness having yet to return, Rachins did not oppose the idea of escaping the Royal Capital. Along with him, the primary members included White Sheep, Black Dog―― and the man leading them all, Russell; however, outside of them, it seemed like there were also multiple personnel engaged in undercover operation and the disruption of information.

Just as one would expect from an intelligence agency in direct service to the Kingdom, everything they did was on an enormous scale.

Beatrice: [Regardless, even with that much power, we have been completely outplayed, in fact.]

Subaru: [But, we’re not gonna keep getting outplayed forever. That’s why we’re escaping now, it’s a running start for our comeback later.]

Beatrice: [A running start, I suppose. ――It was a bit surprising, in fact.]

As Subaru vocalized his unyielding resolve, Beatrice, holding his hand, suddenly muttered those words. Hearing that, Subaru inclined his head and uttered “Surprising?”, causing Beatrice to slightly frown,

Beatrice: [Subaru, your decision to leave the Royal Capital was made far too quickly, I suppose. Both to leave Emilia behind, and to not converge with Otto and the others, ought to have been difficult decisions, in fact.]

Subaru: [That… isn’t wrong, and the same’s true even now. Before we left to go over to Miklotov-san, I was talking with Emilia-tan about what we’d do for lunch. Today, she was looking forward to making packed lunches together with Rem and Petra… but now, this happened.]

Beatrice: [Subaru…]

Subaru: [It pains me, and it weighs on me heavily. Even so, Beako, the fact you weren’t against it either, means that you also understand that this is the best course of action, right? You get it too?]

The tone of Subaru’s voice fell into a pitiful manner, and a bit afterward, Beatrice deeply nodded her head.

Though she had not said it back there, Beatrice had also known that staying in the Royal Capital would have meant engaging in a dragged-out losing battle. Regardless, the fact that she did not try to rush Subaru’s decision was both due to her consideration, and for the sake of Subaru’s own conviction.

It had been to ensure that Subaru would be able to make his own choice, rather than giving up because someone told him to do so, leaving him with no other option.

Subaru: [Adorable and strict as ever, that’s my Beako.]

Beatrice: [Moreover, this adorableness and strictness is guaranteed for life, I suppose.]

Subaru: [What a bargain. It’s a good thing I’m contracted to Beako Insurance.]

Ruffling her hair, Subaru’s heart was purified by his partner’s reliability.

Even though she would have usually been trying to escape while saying “Stop it, in fact~!” by now, this was likely another one of the considerations Beatrice was taking for Subaru’s heart.

And, thereupon――,

???: [The final preparations to depart will be ready shortly. Are the two of you good to go?]

The voice that called out to them had belonged to White Sheep.

A woman dressed in a white robe over a black suit―― like Subaru and Beatrice, she too was clad in that article of “cognitive disruption”, and with her hair now let down, she exuded a bit of a different atmosphere.

By combining “cognitive disruption” with a light disguise, the resultant style was that of concealing identity.

Subaru: [Heh?]

White Sheep: [Wh-what is it? Do I look strange somewhere?]

Subaru: [Ahh, sorry, sorry, it’s not that. It’s just that you’re giving off quite the different impression compared to when you were just wearing the suit. Between the two, this current outfit feels much more in line with your personality, White Sheep-chan.]

White Sheep: [That’s… that might be the case. Before Silver Fox took me in… when I was still with Mama, I would wear these kinds of clothes most of the time.]

Subaru: [Ah, sorry. I brought back those memories.]

Having caused her to recall unpleasant recollections, Subaru tried to apologize, but White Sheep replied “No” with a faint smile. Stroking her long, indigo hair,

White Sheep: […I should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry.]

Subaru: [――? What are you apologizing for?]

White Sheep: [Even though it was our own circumstances, I ended up rushing you… that’s the reason. I’m sure you would have wanted more time to make your decision, Natsuki Subaru-san.]

With her eyes downcast, as White Sheep seemed to have a harder time speaking about it, a wry smile subconsciously emerged on Subaru’s face.

Having escaped the Beloved Children under Capella’s dominion, White Sheep was now a member of the Six Tongues headed by Russell, but her inherent good nature was certainly not suited to being the subordinate of a villain or being a spy. After all, she was even willing to take responsibility for the time Subaru had been given to make his decision.

Subaru: [You don’t have to burden yourself with my problems. I don’t believe that you rushed me either. If anything, I’m grateful to you for giving me the necessary information needed to make my decision.]

White Sheep: [Natsuki Subaru-san…]

Subaru: [But if you’re still going to feel daunted either way, then, could you at least stop with that?]

White Sheep: [Huh?]

Subaru: [The way you’re calling me “Natsuki Subaru-san”, with my full name. Either “Natsuki-san” or “Subaru-san” is fine, though I wonder which you’d prefer. I’ll be ready for it, so don’t worry.]

Shrugging his shoulders, Subaru attempted to dramatize as much amiability as possible through his request, and receiving that, White Sheep widened her eyes, her lips repeatedly opening and closing for a short while.

Witnessing White Sheep in such a state, Beatrice let out a heavy sigh from beside Subaru,

Beatrice: [There is no need to read too deeply into it, in fact. The words mean exactly what he said, I suppose.]

Subaru: [The hell’s with that unnecessary warning note… what else could I have possibly meant?]

Beatrice: [Betty doesn’t know, in fact~, Betty won’t tell, I suppose~.]

Subaru: [Now that’s what a person who does know would say!]

As Beatrice covered her ears and turned her face away, Subaru pouted his lips with sullen feelings. Perhaps due to being utterly dumbfounded by this exchange between Subaru and Beatrice, White Sheep had been left completely taken aback, all the tension suddenly vanishing from her shoulders.

And then――,

White Sheep: [――So, it’s fine for me to just call you Subaru-san and Beatrice-san, right?]

Subaru: [Yeah, that’s fine. If you’d like, you could even call her Becchin.]

Beatrice: [Becchin!? Not even Subaru has ever called Betty that, in fact!?]

White Sheep: [I-it doesn’t seem like I would be able to get a response out of her with that, so I’ll just stick with this…]

With an exceedingly humble response, White Sheep gave up the historical privilege to call Beatrice “Becchin”. However, White Sheep did not appear to harbor any regrets about that, and instead gazed at Subaru with eyes afflicted by an entirely different anguish.

At the same time that Subaru furrowed his brow at her demeanor, she began to move her lips――,

White Sheep: [Um, Subaru-san, about Ti――]

???: [――Oi! You fucks, how long are you gonna keep dawdling! Get your asses here now!]

But thereupon, Rachins barged in with a rowdy voice.

At the extra-honed glint in Rachins’s already sharp shihaku eyes, White Sheep hunched her shoulders with a frightened “Hiyu-!”. Shielding White Sheep behind him, as Subaru trained his gaze upon Rachins,

Subaru: [Man, that robe really doesn’t suit you, you know?]

Rachins: [Shaddup, leave it be! Rather, why the hell do I gotta be bossed around by Russell Fellow of all people. Get the damn people with slave contracts to do the work instead.]

White Sheep: [I-i-it’s not something like a slave contract!]

Subaru: [White Sheep-chan, when you get that worked up it makes it seem like it’s really the case…]

After rebuking White Sheep for taking Rachins’s nasty comments so seriously, Subaru once again looked in the direction of the distant Castle, and heaved a long sigh. ――All he prayed for was her safety.

Beatrice: [Emilia is also praying the same thing for Subaru, I suppose.]

Subaru: [For the both of us, rather. That would make me happier than if it were just me, and it also seems more like Emilia to do so.]

Responding to Beatrice who guessed his innermost feelings at a single glance, Subaru turned away from the Castle as if to try to shake away from his lingering regrets, and took the first step forth.

From there, they proceeded to walk through the interior of the outpost, and would go on to board the dragon carriages waiting out front.

Then, within the outpost that was nearly entirely cleared out in such a swift fashion, he caught sight of a robed figure attempting to carry out a large box in their arms.

Though the contents of the box were unbeknownst to him, he saw that they were having quite a bit of difficulty with the weight,

Subaru: [This should be brought out to the dragon carriages outside, right?]

???: [Ah…]

Quickly extending a helping hand, Subaru nimbly heaved up the box in their stead―― no, it would be a lie to say he did it nimbly. It really was quite heavy, so it had required a heave-ho’s worth of power.

Fortunately, he was able to keep up appearances by successfully lifting it up by himself, and as Subaru internally felt relief from that, the person who had been struggling with the crate―― the individual wearing their hood deep over their eyes, gave a bewildered reaction.

Subaru: [――? Are you okay?]

Seeing the perplexed demeanor of the individual, Subaru inclined his head.

Though he could not see their face under the hood, they were a slender person. Be that as it may, Black Dog was far more suspicious when it came to having his true face obscured, so that would not serve as an especially strong reason to be suspicious of this person here.

So rather than being suspicious, that which Subaru found dubious was the person’s awkward reaction. However, he did not have the time to question that right now, and so the individual lowered their head and ran off in a hurry.

Beatrice: [To say not even a single word of gratitude, what a rude person, in fact.]

Subaru: [Nah, you run into shy people every now and again, you know. Not everyone can be as sociable and charming as Garfiel.]

Beatrice: [Why bring up Garfiel there… well, it is not completely incomprehensible, I suppose.]

Charm was not something that stemmed solely from outward appearance, but also manifested in one’s demeanor and conduct.

As Subaru and Beatrice nodded in agreement of their mutual view of the camp, White Sheep noticed Subaru carrying the cargo, and called out with a “Forgive me”,

White Sheep: [Making Subaru-san carry it instead… I will have a word with Blue Snake-san later.]

Subaru: [No, no, this is no big deal… but, the person just now was Blue Snake? If memory serves me right, that was the person who had healed my burns, right?]

White Sheep: [Eh, ah, that’s right. They are an extremely skilled user of healing magic.]

When Subaru reacted to hearing the codename―― Blue Snake, White Sheep affirmed his thoughts. After getting a sheep, a dog, and a fox, the healer being a snake was quite the nice stylistic choice.

According to Subaru’s knowledge, snakes and medicine went hand-in-hand, completely inseparable from one another. One example could be found in the rod of Asclepius, a serpent-entwined staff wielded by a physician in Greek mythology.

Of course, the name Blue Snake would have been but a coincidental relation.

Subaru: [In that case, I gotta be the one doing the thanking. Just carrying cargo around isn’t nearly enough to repay them.]

White Sheep: [Ah, though, that might be difficult. Blue Snake-san doesn’t seem to like talking to other people… Silver Fox has also told us to respect their wishes.]

Subaru: [Hmm? A doctor who dislikes people…? They’re seeming more and more like an excellent physician.]

Capable yet stubborn: those seemed to be the prerequisites for the great doctors that one would often see in anime and manga.

Regardless, accepting what White Sheep had pointed out, Subaru decided against making further contact with Blue Snake. Instead, he decided that if he ever saw them struggling to carry cargo again, he would help them as a way of steadily repaying the favor.

In any case――,

Subaru: [――Onward it is. So that we may return anew.]

Indeed, as if to inform none other than his own self, Natsuki Subaru declared those words, and with Beatrice in tow, nestled close they set foot outside of the outpost.

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Russell: [――The principle of “cognitive disruption” is to slightly alter the impression and presence that one naturally exudes, and suppress the resultant unease to a minimum. In other words…]

Subaru: [In other words?]

Russell: [In the midst of a rigorous surveillance net, it is nothing more than temporary peace of mind. Do not rely on it too much.]

Receiving those words while sitting opposite to Russell in the dragon carriage, Subaru gave a small nod, and pulled the hoods of both himself and of Beatrice beside him down a little lower.

With the Six Tongues’ preparations in order, they were amidst a caravan of dragon carriages masquerading as a merchant collective departing the Royal Capital.

The provisioned dragon carriages were not anything fancy, but rather kind of the general model that eliminated all the unnecessary extravagance, something peddlers would use to traverse highways, much less the streets of the Royal Capital. In order to disguise themselves as a band of merchants, the caravan was comprised of not one, not two, but ten carriages, so while he felt apprehensive that this might actually lead to them drawing more attention――,

Russell: [Please rest assured. At present, the Royal Capital is enveloped in a bit of an air of tension. There are many who find that unfavorable, and have thus elected to leave the Royal Capital for a time. We will be following suit.]

Subaru: [When you say an air of tension…]

Russell: [Of course, it is out of fear for the possibility that there are dangerous wanted fugitives lurking within the city. The Kingdom’s soldiers are being mobilized to no small degree, and there are overbearing investigations being carried out. The death of Sir McMahon is still being hidden from the public, but the atmosphere of emergency cannot be concealed.]

Subaru: [That… would make sense… I’m sure everyone must be filled with anxiety.]

With the affirmation of how he had envisioned the atmosphere of the Royal Capital, Subaru took pity on the people of the Royal Capital who were getting wrapped up in Lust’s conspiracies. Upon doing so, Russell slightly narrowed his eyes,

Russell: [Natsuki-dono, could it be that you are not only worried for Emilia-sama and the members of your camp, but even for the citizens of the Royal Capital?]

Subaru: [Huh? Nah, well, I wouldn’t say I’m worrying for them, but I guess I do wonder if they’ll be okay. Even if it’s Capella, surely she wouldn’t go as far as using her Authority to replace even the citizens for no reason… I guess the fact that I really can’t say that for sure, is the root of how I’m feeling.]

Given that they were the individuals possessing the right of decision-making within the Royal Castle, it could be said that replacing the Council of Wise Men and the upper nobles was unmistakably the optimal method for hijacking the country. In comparison to them, using her Authority on mere citizens would not escape the classification of mere harassment, but Capella was also quite capable of performing such atrocities with glee.

Of course, her actions in Pristella had propagated knowledge of her existence and of the effects of her Authority of Lust, a deliberate act aiming to keep the Six Tongues occupied, but――,

Russell: [――――]

Subaru: […Or, Russell-san?]

Suddenly, when his thoughts reached that point, Subaru noticed that Russell had been keeping silent.

Receiving Subaru’s call, Russell stroked his goatee, and with a single eye closed he briefly followed up with “No”,

Russell: [Your fears are completely justified, Natsuki-dono. I know not if it shall serve as any consolation, but it is not the case that the Six Tongues is withdrawing from the Royal Capital altogether. In order to both maintain a grasp on the situation and to manufacture disruptions, a non-negligible number of us will remain behind. I hope that you can place your faith in their labor.]

Subaru: [Yeah, sorry, but I’ve got no choice but to leave that to you all, Russell-san. If I had ten or twenty more arms, and five or six more bodies, I might be more useful, but…]

Beatrice: [That is a preposterous hypothetical, in fact. Subaru is perfectamundo as he is now, I suppose.]

Subaru: [Well, I appreciate your evaluation… Anyhow, the only ones we can rely on for that side of things are Russell-san and his people. Go ahead and show me the hidden strength of the Six Tongues Intelligence Agency!]

Flashing his firmly tightened fist, Russell drew back his chin as if to acknowledge it. While finding that response heartening, Subaru directed his attention to the back of the dragon carriage―― toward another dragon carriage behind them.

As previously mentioned, the Six Tongues had disguised ten dragon carriages as a merchant convoy, but the one that Subaru and Beatrice were riding in was right at the forefront, with the personnel dispersed throughout. The one weighing on Subaru’s mind above all else was Crusch, who had not reawakened even a single time at the outpost.

Ever since she had fallen into a slumber in the sewers, her consciousness had not returned.

Just before she fell asleep, Crusch had stated that it was the influence of her Dragon Eye, but that had merely been a self-diagnosis, and in reality, he still had no idea whatsoever as to what that Dragon’s Eye really was.

Although Beatrice had also said that the only cause had been fatigue――,

Russell: [Are you concerned regarding Crusch-sama?]

Subaru: [That’s… yeah. But, you ought to be too, right? If you want to borrow Crusch-san’s strength in order to fight against the Beloved Children, shouldn’t you be feeling uneasy?]

Russell: [There is certainly a worry. However, a talented individual without peer when it comes to medical diagnosis has certified that there are no fears regarding Crusch-sama’s body itself. Of course, there are some concerns about the Dragon’s Eye you spoke of, Natsuki-dono, but…]

Subaru: [Right now, there’s no choice but to handle her carefully, and patiently wait for her to wake up, huh?]

Russell: [Precisely.]

As his concerns received a polite response, Subaru lamented just how many things were beyond his own capabilities.

In actuality, the Six Tongues were prioritizing Crusch’s well-being above all else. There was no doubt that they were exhausting all of their efforts for her sake. For that purpose, they had even gotten a talented practitioner of healing arts――,

Subaru: [Come to think of it, was it Blue Snake-san? I briefly encountered them earlier, but is that person keeping Crusch-san company?]

Russell: [――. Did you meet Blue Snake?]

Subaru: [Huh? Ah, yeah, just on the level of passing by right before we left. Couldn’t get a peep out of them, though. White Sheep also told me, but I guess they’re a bit of a shy person.]

Russell: […Indeed. By and large, that is not mistaken. Crusch-sama is also being handled by Blue Snake. Rest assured.]

Perhaps because he had been quite taken aback by the fact that Subaru had encountered Blue Snake, who was either shy around strangers or just disliked other people, the fact that this was the first time Russell had needed to take a moment before answering was somewhat refreshing.

Merely, while on the one hand he was relieved to hear that Blue Snake would be attending Crusch――,

Subaru: [Ferris must also be pretty worried.]

Dismissed from his position as Crusch’s one and only Knight, Ferris had turned a cold shoulder to Subaru’s proposal to mediate things between the two of them. ――Subaru did not know what he had done after they parted at the cemetery in the Royal Capital, but there was certainly no doubt he was still within the Capital. Of course, news of the current turmoil ought to have reached his ears by now.

At the very least, it would be best if he had managed to join up with Wilhelm, and refrained from taking any hasty actions, but―― and, just when he hit upon that thought.

Subaru: [――We stopped?]

Suddenly, assailed by the sensation of the dragon carriage coming to a standstill, Subaru reflexively stiffened his body. He promptly put his arms around Beatrice’s shoulders, and attempted to prepare for any unexpected circumstances.

But, at Subaru’s reaction, Russell faced him with a smile, saying “Rest assured”,

Russell: [It seems we have arrived at the inspection queue before the main gates of the Royal Capital. There is usually a bit of congestion, but it looks like we will have to wait quite a while.]

Subaru: [Wait for quite a while… even though it’s about to be nightfall, are there really so many people leaving the Royal Capital?]

Russell: [Those with quick ears, those with snap decision-making, and those with a sharp eye for discerning profit and loss; while it is limited to that specific sect of individuals, whether it is night or day matters not to them. If this atmosphere were to amplify even a bit more on the morrow, an even greater number of people would begin to move.]

Beatrice: [It is a total reenactment of the Empire, in fact. Back then, people were fleeing from the Imperial Capital in great droves, I suppose.]

Subaru: [I remembered the same thing. Naturally, I don’t want things to turn out like the Imperial Capital.]

Nodding to Beatrice’s statement, Subaru recalled the events of Vollachia’s Imperial Capital of Lupugana.

The events of the Imperial Capital being transformed into the Undead Capital at the hands of Sphinx, spearheading the Great Disaster, and the mass evacuation of Imperial citizens that took place under Abel’s command, was still fresh in his memory. But, that was only something that succeeded without a hitch since Vollachia was structured by might from the top down, so it would likely be difficult to seek the same feat within Lugunica.

All the more when, unlike the undead, there was no method to visually discern Capella’s Beloved Children.

Russell: [That is the purpose of Crusch-sama’s Divine Protection, and the purpose of us supporting her. ――Natsuki-dono, I believe it already goes without saying for you, but by all means, always search for the best course of action.]

As Russell slightly lowered the tone of his voice, Subaru stared right back at him. The countenance Russell now wore was not that of a merchant, but of an intelligence agency’s leader―― with the face of the Director of the Six Tongues, he delivered those words.

Words that were likely also meant to warn to his own self that such conduct was more important than anything else.

Subaru: [Search… for the best course of action…]

Russell: [Indeed, that is correct. For the sake of the Kingdom, the sake of the future, and the sake of your precious allies, in order to arrive at the final destination, please always pursue the best course of action, no matter what. If it is for the purposes of accomplishing that goal, then even if it is a choice that may be accompanied by pain, I hope that you select it.]

Subaru: [――――]

It was a dispassionate manner of speech, one conveying no warmth whatsoever. However, that did not mean that it did not strike a chord in Subaru’s heart.

Certainly, it was true that words laden with ardor, appealing to emotion, could be moving. But, the reason why Russell’s conveyed no such zeal, was because he had already tempered them so thoroughly, forging them into a shape that could no longer be changed.

To strike while the iron was hot, would allow one to forge it into their ideal shape. ――However, to deliberately heat the iron anew after it had cooled, to strike it and distort its fixed shape, would be meaningless.

Russell: [――It would appear we have arrived at inspection. I will handle this, so please wait.]

Stopping, moving, and stopping again. Alerted by the coachman through the small window of the dragon carriage that had been repeating that cycle, Russell stood up and exited the vehicle.

Seeing him off, Subaru heaved a great sigh. Then, next to him, Beatrice,

Beatrice: [Good grief, in fact. That man… it is no wonder that he is Roswaal’s friend, I suppose.]

Subaru: [As expected of you, Beako. I thought the same thing. It’s just that he’s facing in a bit of a different direction, but the way they push their vectors is completely the same… Search for the best course of action, huh?]

Beatrice: [Subaru is always doing that, in fact. Betty can give her stamp of approval, I suppose.]

Beatrice was properly offended, just as if Subaru had been told that he had been slacking.

Of course, that was likely not Russell’s intent, and Beatrice would have also understood that. At the same time, she also knew that people capable of doing so would always be saddled with such frustrations.

Subaru: [――Inspection seems like it’s pretty strict.]

Standing up, he peeked through the small window to the coachman’s seat, and glimpsed the state of things outside. As Beatrice lined up alongside him and peered through with an “In fact”, what they saw was the general reception window installed at the gate of the Royal Capital, and a separately constructed provisional lookout post.

It seemed like the counter just required a permit for passage and a catalog of all the cargo being transported, so usually, merely entering and exiting the Royal Capital was not too strict. What pushed it over the edge―― was that the level of security employed at the entrance to the Noble District was now being enforced even in a place like this.

Russell: [Yes, we are exceedingly apprehensive. Hence, I believe you could even say acting quickly is but a given for a merchant. We have the necessary permits and inventory in order here. All of the cargo is already tagged with seals of approval, but would you like to take a look over here to verify everything once more?]

At a glance, the inspection was well underway, as Russell spoke such words to the guard in charge.

White Sheep was standing by his side, clad in a “cognitive disruption” robe, and carrying several documents, which Russell presented to the guard in rapid succession.

At that silent, yet undeniably aggressive and threatening act, the guard appeared to be overwhelmed.

Guard: [You do not seem to be missing any documents, and the stamp of the Commerce Guild appears to be legitimate. As for the items catalogued… are they primarily medical supplies?]

Russell: [The faster this delivery goes through, will be directly tied to the survival of human lives.]

Making use of his title as chairman of the Commerce Guild, Russell went even further to appeal to a moral standpoint by leveraging the contents of the inventory, leaving the guard no room whatsoever to find any fault.

And finally, as the pièce de résistance――,

White Sheep: [I beg of you. Without this medicine, all the people of my village will…!]

Clutching the guard’s hand, her voice trembling, White Sheep made an earnest request in a way that did not seem like she was acting in the slightest. Pressured to that extent, the hesitation that had existed on the guard’s face finally flaked away.

With his hand being held by White Sheep, the guard cleared his throat with a dignified expression,

Guard: [U-understood. There were no issues to be found in particular. You are cleared for passage――]

???: [――Not so fast! Who deemed it fine to just throw all the proper procedures out of the window!?]

White Sheep: [――!]

As the person in charge attempted to grant them clearance, just before White Sheep could be moved with a surge of emotion, a halt was called. Reaching an arm out from the side, and wedging in between, was an elderly individual.

Likely, it was someone superior to the person who had been in charge. That superior officer, rushing out from the outpost, snatched up the documents from the hands of their subordinate, and while scanning over the written contents,

Superior Officer: [A certificate of the Commerce Guild, and the payload has been stamped as approved, hm? Regardless, the rules are the rules.]

Russell: [That is an admirable way of thinking, but is this a situation to be sticking to procedure so rigidly?]

Superior Officer: [You seem to talk like a merchant, but just as how merchants have a merchant’s way of doing things, us guards have a guard’s dignity.]

Russell: [Is that so? ――Very well.]

As the individual in charge straightened himself at the superior officer’s words, Russell received and assented to them. In the peripheral of his vision, it was also clear that White Sheep had gotten nervous, but the same held true for Subaru and Beatrice.

He knew that they had all the necessary documents, as well as dummy dragon carriages, and yet,

Subaru: [Th-this might be bad… Beako! Hurry up and get into my pocket!]

Beatrice: [You’re panicking too much, I suppose! No matter how minimum pretty Betty is, she won’t fit, in fact! More importantly, act more dignified――]

Panicked by the possibility of this dragon carriage being examined, Subaru and Beatrice got into a big kerfuffle.

Perhaps having perceived such undulations of Subaru and Beatrice, Russell suddenly turned around, and gave a small wave of his hand as if to reassure the entire caravan.

At that gesture, Subaru felt a wave of relief, believing that he must have had a countermeasure ready―― it happened immediately as he thought that.

――Great tremors, echoes of destruction, and a multitude of screams rang out from behind the line of traffic.

△▼△▼△▼△

At first, Subaru had nearly mistaken that shaking for the dragon carriage setting off, those sounds for the frame of the carriage creaking, and the audible voices for some sort of cheering.

That was just how sudden, just how out of left field, these events had been.

Subaru: [What happened!?]

His expression distorting in shock, Subaru leaped onto the seat of the dragon carriage with Beatrice in his arms, and through the large window at the back, he went to confirm what had happened behind the caravan―― toward the direction where the commotion was coming from.

Upon doing so, the sight before his eyes was that of a line of carriages in disarray, erupting with pillars of smoke, as well as several people bolting out from amidst the fumes in a confused panic, which also shrouded a building that appeared to be half-destroyed.

Subaru: [Was that… an accident?]

Beatrice: [It appears to be so, I suppose. From the looks of things, something happened to one of the dragon carriages, like perhaps the axle snapping, causing an accident with a pileup of collisions, in fact.]

Subaru: [And then, crashed into the building by the roadside, huh? This is bad, seems like there’d be tons of people injured.]

Just as Russell had said, the cause likely stemmed from the fact that it was more congested than usual due to the chaos in the Royal Capital. With a single accident that occurred amidst the largely delayed traffic line, it gave rise to a great chain reaction of crashes.

He did not know just how many people had sustained injuries, but he had to go help people get out of the crash site immediately――,

Russell: [――Natsuki-dono, we have acquired clearance. The dragon carriage will be leaving. Please take your seat.]

With Subaru and Beatrice in a panic, Russell bluntly declared that announcement to them upon returning inside the carriage. Hearing those words, Subaru started to call out to him, saying “Russell-san”,

Subaru: [Eh…? What did you say just now? The dragon carriage is leaving?]

Russell: [Yes. The individuals in charge headed off to deal with the accident back there. Given that we are not missing any documents, they have deemed it acceptable for us to pass. There is also a need to clear out the congested array of carriages.]

Subaru: [No, but…]

Beatrice: [People have been injured, I suppose. There was talk of us possessing medical supplies amidst our cargo, in fact.]

Russell: [A pretense, I assure you. We are not merely carrying items in accordance with the cataloged inventory. If we were to open the cargo, that too would be exposed. I believe I informed you already. ――To always search for the best course of action, yes?]

His expression and voice were devoid of harshness, however the blade’s edge of the content itself was far too sharp.

As those words sliced into his body, Subaru’s cheeks stiffened at the opportunity to put what he had been told into practice, an opportunity that had arrived far too soon. ――He understood Russell’s point. Even here, he understood it, but still.

Russell: [――White Sheep, please explain to Natsuki-dono here.]

White Sheep: [――Hk.]

As Subaru hung his head, gritting his teeth in silence, Russell sighed, and called out behind him. And the one present there, who had just peered into the dragon carriage, was White Sheep.

Stifling the breath in the back of her throat, she turned her moistened, round eyes toward Russell. However, without turning back to face her, Russell once more called out to her with “White Sheep”.

Hearkening that, White Sheep heaved herself up into the carriage, and layered her hand on top of Subaru’s hand resting on the window frame――,

White Sheep: [Subaru-san, please listen to me here. It will be fine. The guards will properly handle it, assuredly. ――Everything will be fine.]

Subaru: […White Sheep… chan.]

Obeying Russell as he attempted to pass a callous decision, White Sheep made such an appeal.

For a moment, a vehement refusal attempted to emerge forth from within Subaru, however, from the trembling in White Sheep’s hand and voice, it was firmly imparted that she did not truly wish to overlook them either.

Desperately, earnestly, and even so, she was still doing her utmost to adhere to the best course of action. ――In that case, just what was it that Subaru ought to do here?

Beatrice: [――Subaru.]

From within the embrace of his arms, Beatrice called out to Subaru.

What lay within her eyes was the light of resolve, and her trust in Subaru. That radiance was the exact same as when she had promised to venture together unto hell with him in the sewers, and to go along with whatever Subaru chose to stand for, no matter what it was.

Even if it meant sharing the burden of sin alongside him, Beatrice would not waver.

Subaru: [Right now, we need to move…]

Russell: [Indeed, that is correct. It is a wise decision, Natsuki-dono. That is the best course of action here.]

Layered over top, the hand of White Sheep slowly lowered Subaru’s hand which had been resting on the window frame. Perceiving Subaru’s movement, Russell spoke with a sense of relief.

Yes, that was right. Russell’s words were correct. Here, in this place, they were what he ought to follow.

Subaru: [――――]

This accident could even be described as a blessing of sorts.

It had occurred just when the dragon carriage was about to be inspected, moments before Subaru and Beatrice would have been discovered.

With the guards diverting their efforts to rescue, they would be able to escape this place.

――Everything, was in order to save the Royal Capital, to save the Kingdom.

That was why――,

Subaru: [――Ah?]

The moment he tried to force himself to compromise, to accept that withdrawing here was the right thing to do, Subaru saw it, in the scenery outside the window upon which his eyes had continued to linger, too reluctant to tear them away.

――He saw the figure of Blue Snake, white robe fluttering by the hem as they sprinted straight for the crash site.

Subaru: [――――]

――.

――――.

――――――Are you an idiot, Natsuki Subaru?

Subaru: […To search for the best course of action, you told me to hold that act in the highest regard, didn’t you, Russell-san?]

Russell: [――? Indeed. Your judgment is correct. We will be leaving immediately. We are…]

Subaru: [Then!]

White Sheep: [――Hk!?]

Subaru: [Then my best course of action… is to not abandon anyone who can be saved here!!]

Asserting so in a loud voice, Subaru placed the hand he had been about to lower back onto the window frame.

Then, flinging away the hand that had been layered over his, he left behind a curt “Sorry!” to both the astonished White Sheep and Russell beyond her,

Subaru: [Let’s go, Beako! Lend me your strength!]

Beatrice: [That is already fully accepted as a matter of course, I suppose!]

Still embracing Beatrice, Subaru threw himself out of the dragon carriage through the window. Behind him, Subaru could hear Russell calling for him, but he did not stop. He could not stop.

The accident is a blessing? Ridiculous. Accidents are tragedies. They absolutely aren’t anything like a saving grace.

Subaru: [You’re right! I was wrong!]

If he had not glimpsed the back of Blue Snake breaking into a sprint, he would not have even noticed such a thing.

One-hundred percent, Blue Snake was correct. Laying eyes upon that back, he felt nothing but shame surging up within his heart.

How big of an idiot are you, Natsuki Subaru?

Why don’t you get it, Natsuki Subaru?

Even if there are people willing to throw away their lives, it doesn’t change your own standards.

――It doesn’t change, anything at all.

???: [What!? Hey, it’s dangerous here! Anyone who isn’t a guard needs to――]

Subaru: [People are injured, aren’t they! I’ll lend a hand! We’ll pull everyone out!]

With the crash site, enshrouded by a veil of dust, right before his eyes, a guard with their hand over their mouth―― the elderly superior officer who had impeded the passage of the dragon carriage earlier, widened his eyes as Subaru came rushing in.

A man appearing out of nowhere, carrying an adorable little girl in his arms. It was only natural that the other party had been bewildered.

But, that bewilderment would not serve as a reason to restrain Subaru and Beatrice.

Subaru: [We can use magic! It should be useful! Let us help out!]

Guard: [――Hk, you can never have too many hands. Come!]

After a moment’s hesitation, it was naught but a paper wall before the elderly guard’s disposition of valuing human life. Directed by the guard who smashed through that hesitation in the span of a single breath, Subaru and Beatrice stepped onto the crash site.

The area, with its plumes of smoke, groans of pain, and tearful cries of children, was just as they had ascertained from a distance: a chain reaction of a pileup accident that commenced when a single dragon carriage’s axle had broken, and a building that had collapsed after getting caught in the damages, leaving it in a half-destroyed state.

There were people shedding blood, and people laying limp and motionless. With ground dragons stomping their feet in agitation, and voices calling for help and angry shouts flying left and right, it had become quite the terrible uproar.

With the site of the accident right before his eyes, his gaze wandered around as he contemplated where he ought to begin lending a hand――,

???: [――Over here! Come help over here!]

That was a particularly loud voice; cutting through the cacophony of voices blending together, it pierced Subaru’s eardrums.

Taking a look, it was someone crouched down on the ground amidst the drifting dust, clad in a white robe as they held their hand out towards an injured person trapped beneath the rubble―― it was Blue Snake.

Rushing over to Blue Snake, Subaru beheld the state of the injured―― part of the fractured beam had pierced their torso, sustaining a serious wound that was spilling copious amounts of blood.

And then――,

Blue Snake: [Use Beatrice-chan’s magic to make the beam lighter and get it out! You can do that, right!?]

Subaru: [Yeah, we can! We can but, how did you…]

Blue Snake: [Ahh, enough already! You’re so obtuse!]

Speaking in a rough, frustrated manner, the next instant, Blue Snake, while still applying healing arts to the wound of the injured party, violently removed their own hood. Appearing underneath, with flaxen hair reaching down to their neck, and demi-human cat ears that pushed aside that hair as if to assert their existence――,

Subaru: [――Ferris?] [1]

In utter shock, Subaru’s lips called out that name.

After all, the familiar face he never imagined would have been there―― the person who had rushed to the side of these dying lives faster than anyone else, Ferris the Blue, was desperately exerting himself.

 

Translation Note:

[1] – While translated as Ferris for many years, it feels pertinent here to note that フェリス can also be rendered as Felis. Felis is the Latin word for cat, and was also the name of a constellation depicting a cat created by French astronomer Jérôme Lalande in 1799. The constellation is now obsolete, but its brightest star, HD 85951, was given the name Felis in 2018 by the International Astronomical Union, and resides as part of the constellation Hydra. This connection between Felis and Hydra felt noteworthy as it pertains to Ferris now functioning under the codename “Blue Snake”.