3.5

Subaru dashed through the hallway, leaped down the stairs, flipped around at the landing of the stairs, the heels of his shoes sliding to a stop at the entry hall as he raised his face and yelled out.

"—Ram! Rem! I've gotta talk to you!"

Ram immediately popped into view, responding to the shout that probably carried throughout the entire mansion. Apparently she'd been working quite close by. She looked at Subaru's red face and ragged breathing with her eyes narrowed in disapproval at the impropriety.

"What is it, Barusu? Your haste is quite unsightly."

"Sorry, I'm heading to the village. You can't stop me; I'll go even if you try. I just thought it'd throw everyone off even worse if I just left without a word."

"The village…? Why would you…? No, more importantly, do you intend to disregard Master Roswaal's instructions? Tonight, Rem and I are in charge of this mansion. Surely you understand this?"

Ram glared at Subaru even more sharply.

Ram's position was that whatever Roswaal wanted came first. Subaru's open disregard of her master's command really rubbed her the wrong way.

But Subaru wasn't minded to retreat an inch even so.

"Time's short, so I'll get right to the point. There's a bad magic user in Earlham Village. I know who it is, so I have to go now."

"…You ask me to accept what sounds like a child's made-up excuse?"

"I can't help it; there's no other way to put it here. Go talk to Beako; you'll see I'm telling the truth… Besides…"

As he pleaded with the increasingly suspicious Ram, the great doors opened behind him as Rem emerged.

"Sister—"

When Rem saw the two speaking in the entry hall, she went to her sister's side like it was second nature.

"Sister, what is…?"

"He says he is heading out to rid us of an evil magic user in the village."

Ram bluntly conveyed Subaru's statement to Rem for him. Hearing it put that way, even Subaru thought it sounded like pure fiction. Apparently that was Rem's conclusion, too.

"Sister, Sister. Subaru's joke is not very funny."

"Rem, Rem. Barusu thinks he has a future in comedy."

"Ram, Rem. I might kid around all the time, but I talk seriously sometimes, too."

Faced with their twin-act lines, Subaru spoke to both at once. He took a step forward as if to emphasize that he wasn't cowed by the sisters' reactions.

"I know it's an unbelievable story, and it's asking too much for you to just take my word for it right now. But I'm not asking you to let me go without any conditions."

To Subaru, this was a crucial fork in the road.

Subaru wet his lips with his tongue, jabbing a finger toward the silent pair as he made his proposal.

"I'm going to the village. If you think that's suspicious, fine, tag along. Watch me and see. But I'm not going with Emilia left all alone, so it has to be just one of you."

"You cannot simply go off on your own… In the first place, neither Sister nor I have any reason to go with you if we are to uphold Master Roswaal's command…"

"No, you don't, if Roswaal's command in the evening is the only one you're upholding. Are those the only orders Roswaal gave about me?"

"—"

Rem was at a loss for words.

Subaru's statement a moment before had been a mere bluff, but her uncomfortable reaction made it plain he'd hit the mark.

Piecing together info from the previous loops, Subaru had guessed that Roswaal had ordered the pair to keep an eye on him.

Rem looked like she was searching for an escape route, but Ram beat her to the punch, exhaling.

"Understood, Barusu. We will accept your independent action."

"Sister?!"

Rem was in utter shock at seeing her sister wave a white flag so easily. But Ram indicated to her little sister to keep quiet.

"However, just as you said, we cannot allow you to go alone, Barusu. Allowing you to act alone here would in itself disregard Master Roswaal's commands."

"I figured as much. So what's our compromise gonna be?"

"Though it pains me, we have no choice but to go along with your prior suggestion. Rem will accompany you."

"Ask and ye shall receive, I guess."

Subaru thrust out a clenched fist to show his agreement with Ram's terms.

Ram sighed a little as she turned to her little sister, shunning Subaru.

"Rem, this is how it is, so, please. I shall confirm matters with Lady Beatrice and protect Lady Emilia myself—I shall be watching you from here."

"Sister, you must not use that eye too oft—"

"This is no time to say that. I will use it if I need to. The same goes for you, Rem."

The way the older sister put it left no room for Rem to question any further. Subaru was glancing toward their conversation, understood by only the two sisters, when Rem shifted an unfriendly glance at him.

"Subaru, I would like to hear the details."

"I'll tell you on the way. Things might've already gotten pretty bad, though…"

If Subaru's worst premonition proved true, there would be damage that simply couldn't be laughed off. Not to Subaru personally but in a much larger sense.

He gave Ram's shoulder a light, grateful pat as he headed to the entrance with Rem, who still didn't look on board. He was figuring it was fifteen minutes to the village if they ran straight there, when—

"—Subaru, where are you going?"

A voice clear as a bell danced down from above the great stairway of the entry hall.

Turning around without a thought, he looked up to see Emilia standing there, her silver hair swaying.

Judging from her heavy breaths, she'd heard Subaru's earlier shout and had come over to see the three of them below.

"I thought I'd come down because I heard a loud voice earlier… Did something happen?"

"Something…might've happened. You don't need to worry. Ah, I'll be happy if you worry a little bit."

Subaru was behaving casually on purpose so as not to make Emilia too anxious.

Though Subaru was acting in his usual lighthearted fashion, Emilia seemed to pick up on something.

"Your face says you're going to do something dangerous again."

Emilia had a sullen look about her as she saw right through him.

Subaru wailed inside at how his grand act had been so easily foiled as he covered his face with his palms.

"That's what we were arguing about just now. We finally got everything cleared up, so…"

"There's no point trying to stop you, is there?"

"Well, not really. And if you succeeded, it'd only make things worse…"

"Yes, yes, I understand. I won't stop you."

Emilia walked down the stairs, stopping just in front of Subaru and placing her hands on her hips. Subaru was unable to look away from her glimmering violet eyes.

With Subaru unable to move, Emilia reached out and gently touched his chest.

"Even if I tell you not to be reckless or careless, you probably will anyway, won't you?"

"If that's what it takes… Ah, er, not that I want to do either, mind you."

Whether it was achievable or not, the best thing would be to travel a path free of worry and strife.

If, instead, Subaru was the only one who could change the situation, he had to act, even if it was recklessly.

He wondered where he'd picked up such a troublesome personality.

—Probably has something to do with the girl I'm staring at right now, he thought with a strained smile.

Emilia was still touching his chest as she murmured.

"—May the grace of the spirits be with you."

"What was that?"

Subaru tried to decipher the expression without success. Emilia shot him a broad smile.

"Words you say when seeing someone off. They mean 'come back safely.'"

"Ahh, I see. Got it, Emilia-tan. So when I do come back safe and sound, you'll gently hug me to your chest like a baby chick, right?"

"Yes, yes."

Letting Subaru's desire for coddling slide off her, Emilia shifted her gaze to include Rem. Rem, who had been silently watching the exchange, straightened her back in response.

"Be careful, Rem. Also, make sure Subaru doesn't do anything rash."

"Yes, Lady Emilia. As you wish."

Seeing Rem grab the hem of her skirt and make a polite bow, Emilia nodded to her in satisfaction. Subaru waved.

"Well, Emilia-tan, I'm heading off."

Emilia's voice had given him words of encouragement to see him on his way.

"Come back soon."

He pushed the doors of the entrance open and began to run toward the village side by side with Rem as the remaining two watched them go.

"So, I would like to hear the details now…"

"There's a shaman in the village to hurt Emilia's royal selection. He cursed me good, but Beatrice removed it. If we don't act now, the whole village could get wiped out."

Even while running, Rem's breath caught, her eyes going wide as she asked, "Are you…serious?"

Subaru replied with a silent nod as he focused his energy on getting to the village.

He wouldn't have had to imagine a shaman with human intelligence taking such a measure. But if Subaru's deduction was correct, he had to assume the worst.

And so, Subaru ran onward. Rem continued to silently sprint by his side, as yet unaware of the gravity of the situation.