V5 - CHAPTER 1 : A DECAYING MIND

The clear, refreshing-looking sky spread overhead, filling Subaru's vision as he lay on the ground.

Thinking back, about two months had passed since he had been summoned to this other world.

He wondered just how many times he had gazed up at the blue sky in the same way during that time.

The thick cumulonimbus clouds intercepted the sunlight, but bright, dazzling rays broke through the thick cover, pouring down to the surface.

The sun's radiance was burning the insides of Subaru's eyes when he suddenly had a thought.

Come to think of it… I haven't seen a single rainy day since I came here.

He'd experienced small sprinkles late at night and showers right around sunset several times over, but there was nothing even close to resembling a long downpour that lasted an entire day.

The temperature of Lugunica was slightly too hot for long sleeves, which felt not unlike June in Subaru's old world or perhaps the lingering effects of summer stretching into September. Maybe the lack of rain was due to his current world's dry season.

"Shall we bring this to an end?"

As Subaru lay on the ground, idly thinking, an elderly male voice suddenly called out to him.

The boy remained faceup, raising his head to peer at the older man standing there. He was a tall man dressed in a black servant's outfit. He stood perfectly straight, his extremely toned body inconsistent with his apparent age. His bountiful white hair was perfectly combed, suggesting his refinement.

The senior's peaceful face had gentle wrinkles carved into it, giving him the look of a warm, elderly gentleman, but his hand gripped a long wooden sword.

Subaru replied to the man's question.

"Nah, not yet. I was just thinking about a philosophical question."

"Ohh, how interesting. And what did you ponder?"

"Fire above and water below… So I'm caught between a rock and a hard place. Or something."

Subaru swung both legs high, and then brought them down with enough force to pull him to his feet.

The core of his body still felt heavy in some respects, but the pain of his bruises and other wounds had largely subsided. Subaru rotated his limbs a little to check before swinging the wooden sword still in his hand to the fore—thrusting it straight at Wilhelm.

"One more lesson, if you please."

"Incidentally, what was the answer to the earlier philosophical question?"

"Nothing major—just me getting pissed even though I'm the one who wet the bed."

With that nonsensical answer, he stepped forward and swung with his waster, tracing a semicircular arc from a low posture.

The tip swept through the air, the wind whipping around the full-force blunt strike.

However…

"Unah!!"

"You are using too much energy. In your hands, feet, neck, hips, and in your head."

Wilhelm parried the hard-driving blow, smoothly deflecting it away from its target. The attack, aimed at his head, sailed above it. The old man turned his body, and the sword danced in his hand to accurately and gently rap the boy's head, throat, and solar plexus—all vital points of the human body. The slight impact of Wilhelm's waster sent Subaru's body flying.

Thanks to his extreme restraint, the damage was practically nil. But even so, the shock to Subaru's vitals hindered his breathing, and his failed defense ended up making him groan audibly.

"Gwoeh!"

The hit to his back made him dizzy. He was flat on the ground with his limbs splayed out once again, the sky laughing down at him. He was starting to resent this decidedly pleasant sight for some reason.

"Shall we bring this to an end?"

Wilhelm inquired gently without the slightest hint of sarcasm or disparagement.

How many times had he already voiced that question, gauging Subaru's intent?

"It seems you are working hard."

As Subaru gazed hatefully upward, a female voice interrupted.

He lifted his head to see a woman standing at the terrace, gazing down at Subaru, limbs spread wide as he lay in the courtyard.

"I only heard your voices, but you seem to be quite worked up about this."

The beautiful green-haired woman leaned on the railing as she looked down at Subaru and Wilhelm. Her long, dark locks had a lustrous jade sheen, and she gave off the air of someone who naturally stood straight, bold, and proud. Her body, blessed with very feminine curves, was clad in a rather masculine military uniform. She was the lord of the manor as well as Wilhelm's master—Duchess Crusch Karsten.

In spite of her young age, she was a brilliant woman occupying a critical national post—making her someone extremely important to the Kingdom of Lugunica's present and future.

"My, Lady Crusch. Have we interrupted your duties?"

"No, I was just thinking of taking a break. No need for concern."

Crusch nodded amicably at Wilhelm before shifting her gaze toward Subaru, prone on the ground. She added, "Besides, I do not want to be so haughty as to stifle the earnest efforts of others. Employees need time off. By all means, make full use of yours, Wilhelm."

Wilhelm bowed deeply in thanks for Crusch granting permission in her typical manner.

"Understood. Having said that…"

Then, the old man shifted his attention toward Subaru.

"Shall we bring this to an end?"

"Even I'm smart enough to tell that you mean, 'Let's end this now.'"

Subaru pulled up his grass-stained body, moving his limbs to confirm for the third—no, tenth time—that all was well. He cracked his fingers and sighed audibly.

"I feel like getting my butt kicked while a pretty girl's watching is kinda hard to swallow as a guy… My manliness gauge is dropping fast."

Subaru made a strained smile as he tossed the wooden sword back to Wilhelm, who caught it with ease. Crusch replied, "There is no need for concern. It is hardly the first time I have seen you getting hurt."

"Urgh!"

The merciless statement had Subaru clutching his chest as he groaned.

"I only heard about what happened after the fact, but I believe your words are a little too direct, Lady Crusch."

"Is that so?"

Crusch reacted to Wilhelm's comment with an innocent rise of her eyebrows before continuing.

"It is evident when a far superior opponent is impossible to match. But I do not think an unflinching display of determination is anything to regret or be ashamed of."

As Crusch touched her chin and expressed her thoughts, Subaru felt moderately uncomfortable.

Putting aside the unexpected appraisal of his humiliation the day before, he was reminded of everything that happened before and after that episode. The greatest failure of his life—when they had parted on the worst possible terms in the castle waiting room.

"Truly, if I were you, the events last night would have been far harder to accept. I have only hearsay to go on, but…knowing myself, I imagine I would be indignant."

Feeling Crusch's partially sympathetic gaze, Subaru scratched his cheek and laughed drily.

"…Ta-ha-ha."

It was the only reaction he could muster when thinking about what had occurred that evening, a mere half day prior: an unscheduled meeting with Reinhard, the Sword Saint, who'd gone out of his way just to visit Subaru at the Crusch residence.

Seeing the change in his expression, Crusch returned the conversation to the previous topic.

"And besides, even if it is painful to receive instruction while a woman is watching, is it not something you have already done many times over?"

She leaned halfway over the rail as her gaze, rich with meaning, crossed to the other end of the courtyard. There stood a blue-haired girl who had quietly watched everything.

Realizing that Crusch was looking at her, Subaru grimaced in embarrassment.

"…Embarrassment feels a little different when it's in front of a friend."

"I would think continuing to reveal your hand before your eventual enemy is a problem in and of itself… But the same could be directed at me for welcoming such a person to my mansion. For once, I am somewhat at a loss about my own thoughts."

Crusch nodded a few times, as if her reply led her to some internal reflection. Then, she set such thoughts aside for the time being and addressed her servant.

"Wilhelm."

"Yes."

"I feel up for a little exercise. I shall delegate the remaining affairs to others. It is earlier than scheduled, but could you give me today's lesson?"

"As you command. Please take as much time as you need."

"That is a somewhat difficult request given my current mental state…"

A wry smile came over Crusch as she moved away from the railing, standing and returning to the study. She was the picture of dignity. Her green hair fluttered and danced, softly taking in the light of the sun until it vanished from Subaru's field of vision. The boy watched her go as he released the tension inside him with a sigh.

Subaru smiled bitterly at himself when he realized the raw sense of relief he felt when she left his sight.

Put bluntly, Crusch was exactly the sort of lady he had a hard time with. Her straightforward and unyielding gaze was so sharp, it seemed to pierce straight to the heart. There had been many cases where her honest, sincere personality, and the words and deeds supporting it, left him distinctly troubled.

She lived strong and proud, full of confidence, without a single shred of hesitation about what she should do. Comparing his position to hers, Subaru seemed all the more pathetic.

"Shall we finally bring this to an end?"

As the boy shook his head to change emotional gears, Wilhelm turned back to him and asked again.

"That didn't sound like a question, so I guess that's that…"

Wilhelm gracefully shifted into position with his wooden sword, and the disappearance of the question mark at the end of his sentence told Subaru that this kind yet stern session was coming to a close. The older gentleman made a thin smile when he saw the sincere regret in Subaru's black eyes.

"Now that Lady Crusch has arrived, I must fulfill my duties as an instructor. This is half the reason the House of Karsten employs me, you see."

"Hey, I'm not gonna be selfish like a little kid. You did me a big favor, spending some of your time off with me like this."

Subaru pointed the wooden sword directly at his opponent's eyes, feeling intense loneliness as the training approached its conclusion.

He'd quit kendo in middle school, but he'd still picked up the basics of swordplay. Seeing Subaru's straight posture and quiet disposition, Wilhelm's face abandoned all trace of softness.

"—En garde."

"Any time."

Subaru replied to his tutor's declaration, leaping forward across the ground.

He didn't even try to feint. His attack was a plain downward swing, no tricks involved. From a high position, the blade sliced through the air in a helm-splitting strike, but the tip lost sight of its mark and thrust into the ground. Subaru, missing his target, found his forceful lunge turning into a forward roll.

Then, "—!"

Subaru sustained what seemed like countless sword blows.