The stolen goods storehouse, which he arrived at relying on his memory, was an old, abandoned building located at the very back of the royal capital's slums.
The perspective is so crazy that it seems as if they made a mistake in the calculations when they built the royal capital, and the buildings were placed in a way that hides the extra space.
The system was such that unscrupulous people living in the slums would gather here items they had obtained from all over the royal capital through various means, both legal and illegal, and someone would then sell them off.
As its name suggests, this place was a hotbed of corruption, butーー,
"It's completely clean, there's nothing left."
Subaru commented as he gazed upon the completely vacant lot that was the former site of the stolen goods storehouse.
The building of the stolen goods storehouse collapsed without a trace, and all the rubbish and dangerous materials have now been cleared away and nothing remains. Traces of the foundations from when the storehouse was built remain on the ground, but if you consciously ignore them, it would not be strange to say that the stolen goods storehouse never existed at all.
Once again, he remembered that this had happened with just one swing of his sword,
"After all, Reinhard has completely given up on being human…"
Thinking of the fresh, red-haired, handsome man, Subaru praised him without reservation for how extraordinary he was. Though, whether he would be happy with praise that was more negative than positive is another matter.
"That's obvious, but it doesn't feel like there are any people around. Subaru, what should we do?"
Subaru was simply overwhelmed by the devastation before his eyes - or rather, the impression that it gave him was rather neat. Unlike Subaru, Emilia was looking around with a more purposeful gaze and asked this question.
"I think it would be best to contact Reinhard after all…"
"Well, that's true. I thought that if I came here I might be able to find out what happened to Felt and old man Rom, but it doesn't seem to work out that way."
The criminal will not return to the scene of the crime, but it is only natural to hope that there will be some kind of sequel on stage after the event has ended.
However, reality is not like fiction, and everything has already been stolen from this place, including opportunistic thieves.
Literally, all that remained here were remnants—and even those were so trivial that they were wiped away by the wind after Subaru and Emilia had arrived.
"So that means I have no more business here. Goodbye, Stolen Goods Storehouse. This place was quite useful as an event trigger point."
With a thumbs up and saying goodbye to his memories, Subaru picked up the linga bag at his feet and took Emilia's hand as they left the place.
I don't live in a hurry, ...
"Anyway, the slums are a dangerous place, so let's get out of there quickly. As for the rest… I guess I should look for Reinhard after all. Reinhard took Felt with him, right?"
"Yes, that's right. You said you wouldn't do anything bad to me, but... your expression suddenly changed color."
According to Emilia, it seems that he has overturned a conversation that had been settled by overlooking it. He is the kind of young man who exudes the kind of integrity that would risk his life to uphold even a verbal promise, so it is hard to shake the impression that he would immediately retract his previous statement.
Incidentally, it seems that the treatment of the injured Grandpa Rom was also left to Reinhard.
"I wish we could have heard a bit more detail, but we each had our own reasons for needing to return to the mansion quickly."
"What do you mean?"
"…You see, there was a child with a ruptured stomach, right? I couldn't think of anyone other than Beatrice who could heal her properly, so I was in a hurry."
"Thank you so much for all your help!"
This is just my story.
After loudly apologizing, Subaru changed his mind and said, "Well then,"
"Anyway, in the end, the conversation loops back to the search for handsome men. From what you said before, it seems like it's best to ask at the guard post or somewhere…"
Subaru somehow manages to dig up the conversation they had when they first met and offers up some ideas that could provide clues. However, even when he says these things, he doesn't think they have much credibility.
After all, if he was in the station, it would mean that Reinhardt would have a stable position as a police officer in town――
"There's no way a policeman like that would just let him off the hook. There's a good chance he's a proper knight who just likes to wander around town when he's off duty."
A high-quality sword and the grand nickname of 『Sword Saint』. On top of that, with that fighting power and being called an ordinary soldier, it was already scary to think that he would ever set foot in the royal capital again.
Emilia nodded slightly in agreement with Subaru's opinion,
"I also think it's unlikely that Reinhardt will be at the station. But even if he's not there, surely there's someone we can make connections with."
"Well, regardless of their classification, it's true that they're both soldiers. I'm sure the barracks has the castle's phone number written down… they don't have phones, do they?"
"phone?"
Emilia tilted her head and put her fingers to her cheek. While Subaru praised her gesture and thought to himself, "Cute!", he racked his brains trying to think of how to explain it to her.
"Simply put... it's like a way to talk to someone in a distant place. Ah, not a primitive method like talking out loud."
"I think there's a conversation mirror..."
Subaru was now tilting his head in confusion at Emilia's unsure words. Emilia groaned softly, "Hmm," at Subaru's expression of ignorance, and then,
"It's a magic device for long-distance communication that allows you to talk to the person reflected in the mirror when they are paired together. There are a lot of them for a magic device, and you can see them in various places."
"Haha, although there is only one line that connects them, there is indeed a way to do this. Mirror, mirror... that's like magic, fantastic!"
In that case, would it be the person you're talking to who is reflected in the mirror rather than yourself?
When he thought about it, even though he had heard of the term magic device, the only magic device Subaru knew of was the fake cell phone he had used to trick Grandpa Rom. When he heard that such a tool actually existed, the man's heart couldn't help but feel excited.
"Even if I don't have any talent for magic, I have the talent to fight using magical devices. This time, my winning streak will finally begin――To be honest, I don't want to run anymore."
He is aware that he lacks the skills, but in truth, he wants to avoid situations that require his skills in the first place. Before he was summoned to the other world, he had imagined himself doing great things, but now that he's faced with reality, he realizes how reckless that was.
In reality, faced with such an extreme reality, what else could Subaru do but to lose face and struggle to survive?
Subaru was sinking into a negative mindset and shook his head to clear the thoughts. What had led him to think this way? The reason was that, before he knew it, a silence had fallen between the two of them.
"Emilia-tan?"
"...Eh? What's wrong?"
Emilia responded a few seconds later, blinking her amethyst eyes as she looked at Subaru. Subaru frowned at her unclear response,
"What happened, Emilia-tan? You suddenly went quiet and it surprised me. Is there something bothering you?"
"--No, it's nothing. So, shall we head to the barracks?"
She didn't seem to be acting as if nothing had happened, but the way she said it seemed to refuse to press the issue any further, so it seemed unlikely that I would be able to go any further.
And so, Subaru seemed overwhelmed by the question that followed, and all he could do was reply with an "Uh, yeah," which was hard to tell if it was an affirmative or negative response.
"The office is in the noble district, so it's a bit of a walk from here. Rem will get sulky if we leave it for too long, so let's hurry up a bit."
As a side note, Rem had originally expressed her intention to accompany Subaru on his pilgrimage to the royal capital, but due to her own wide-ranging duties as his caretaker, she reluctantly handed over Subaru's amulet to Emilia.
By now, they should be working tirelessly at tonight's lodging and elsewhere.
As he was led by the hand and they entered a path that passed through the slums, Subaru silently stared at Emilia's back. Her white robe, and her solemn attire embroidered with a hawk crest, refused to speak, giving Subaru the illusion that she had literally been silenced.
For the past few years, being next to Emilia had become an indispensable part of Subaru's daily life, making his heart flutter with excitement.
So there's nothing more frightening than being rejected by her in this way.
Filled with frustration inside, Subaru desperately sought an answer as to what, which, of his words had upset her.
If Emilia rejected him, Subaru would be completely isolated in this helpless world.
Emilia was Subaru's very reason for being in this world.
This "self-definition" worked in a negative direction, and Subaru's thoughts began to become noisy.
His brain nerves burned, his vision flickering. A dark emotion began to spread within his chest, and his subconscious realised that it was made in an identical way to the black palm he had once seen―― And just like that, Subaru's lips trembled as the negative emotions began to take hold,
『―――I wonder if that's enough, Subaru.』
Suddenly, a voice echoed in his head, bringing Subaru back to his senses, and he opened his eyes wide in shock.
The one who spoke the words that seemed to whisper directly into her brain was Puck, leaning his weight under Emilia's hoodie and gazing in her direction while rubbing his stomach.
"I saw some bad signs, so I put a damper on the plan. I hope you don't do anything indecent to my daughter. --I don't want to hate you."
Puck spoke in his usual calm tone while fiddling with his beard. Subaru's face stiffened in shock at what he was saying, and he fearfully watched Emilia's back as she walked in front of him. However, she continued walking, seemingly unaware of Subaru's fear.
"Don't worry about Leah. I'm just calling out to you directly."
"...So this is how the voice in my heart can be heard, huh?"
"Telepathy doesn't work unless there is a huge difference in power. Well, you can just think of this as the difference between me and Subaru."
I can see Puck laughing silently.
Although I'm no longer surprised at Koneko being able to see my emotions, I can't seem to get used to the discomfort of telepathic conversations that seem to resonate directly with my brain.
Anyway,
"Oh, I'll thank you. I was acting a little weird just now."
I felt as if I was about to be left alone in the world, and was desperately struggling to avoid that.
All by himself, he reached out his hand to her back, as if clinging to her, but what was he planning to do about it―― Subaru shook his head and lost sight of the pressure he had felt earlier, and no longer knew.
However, I feel like I was thinking in a strange way, as if I wasn't myself.
"To put it simply, it wasn't Subaru's fault that Lia was in a bad mood. He just remembered something and hated himself for it."
Subaru was feeling suspicious about his own tone, but Puck's words drew him back to his original position. Subaru tilted his head at his words,
"Self-loathing?"
"It's just that something brought up some unpleasant memories. That's why she's sulking. That's what makes her so absent-minded and cute."
Without saying the most important part, Puck just smiles with paternal love.
Subaru felt alienated and left out by that attitude, and then he suddenly realized something.
--When he thought back, he realized he didn't know anything about Emilia.
The Emilia that Subaru knows is a beautiful girl with striking silver hair and amethyst eyes. She is half-elf and a candidate to become queen of the Kingdom of Lugnica. She currently lives in the Roswaal Mansion, her patron, and is accompanied by her spirit Puck, who she calls family.
She is honest with herself, strong-willed, and kind, and is not afraid to take losses for the sake of others.Although she acts like an older sister, she has many gaps and also seems easily deceived.
That was everything he had seen of Emilia in the two weeks since he had met her.
Subaru realized, all too late, that this was just superficial information about her, and that it didn't delve into anything about her inner self or feelings.
Come to think of it, Subaru doesn't even know how Emilia ended up participating in the Royal Selection, how she came to live at Roswaal Mansion, or why she was in the Royal Capital on the day she met Subaru.
I was so caught up in accepting everything she gave me, as if it were the norm, that I didn't even try to find out more.
The result was this. Subaru, who knew nothing about Emilia, could do nothing but remain silent in response to her refusal due to circumstances known to him by Puck.
"But you seem to be a difficult person because you keep your true feelings bottled up like that."
Even if he realizes his own shallowness and closes his mouth, he cannot keep quiet about his innermost heart. Subaru shrugs as Puck skims off the cream of his mind,
"I'm said to be unrivaled in my frankness, so isn't that criticism a bit off the mark? Great Spirit, you still have a lot to learn, meow?"
Subaru makes a mocking gesture, showing that he wants to end the conversation. However,
『Hey, Subaru.』
Puck's story didn't end without taking into consideration Subaru's feelings.
The words whispered into his heart, not his eardrums, did not even reach her refusal, and Subaru simply remained silent, declaring his own will, as he waited for her reaction.
It was clear that he was not welcoming. However, Puck showed no interest in our reaction and simply told us.
"--Please don't get your hopes up too much about me. And about Lia."
"...teeth?"
"Hope is a gentle poison. Even if you know it will eventually eat away at your body, if you have the illusion that it's within reach, you can't help but reach out for it. You are that poison."
Puck narrowed his black eyes and looked at Subaru with a blank look on his face.
Subaru stiffened involuntarily as he was stared at by emotionless eyes. The gaze seemed to be assessing him intently. He gritted his teeth and resisted the sensation.
『So, what does that mean…?』
However, before a reply to Puck's puzzling words arrivedーー,
"Here we go."
And before long, Emilia, who was trying to pull his hand, stopped moving.
"Oops"
He stumbles and nearly crashes into Emilia's back, but manages to keep himself from doing so and lifts his head.
Up ahead, he'd been so focused on his conversation with Puck that the changes in the streetscape that had escaped his notice finally came into view.
The scene, which could only be described as a hustle and bustle with buildings jumbled together in a disorganized fashion, has been transformed into a street lined with orderly buildings.
Aristocratic District - as its name suggests, it's a place where upper class people would live.
Naturally, the scenery is more refined than in areas where ordinary people live, and to put it simply, the amount of money spent is different. This applies not only to buildings, but also to roads, walls, and even to planting trees to maintain the beauty of the area.
Just across the street is another world, and this mighty building stands there, as if blocking the entrance to that other world.
Even among the completely changed scenery, it was a particularly tall building. Just like in his home world, most of the buildings were two to three stories tall, but the facility in front of him was roughly six stories tall.
The back of the building is adjacent to part of the exterior wall, and the terrace at the top will likely offer a panoramic view of the city. However, the rugged atmosphere of the building makes it seem as though the terrace exists more to look down on the people below than to enjoy the view.
Even if you didn't know the reason for the facility's existence, the intimidating presence would make you instinctively straighten up. Subaru grimaced as he remembered the petty-citizenship of being small-minded in front of a police officer, even though he hadn't done anything wrong.
"This is the station for the guards who patrol the royal capital. It seems they also check the identities of people entering and leaving the noble district and things like that."
"So that's why it's built in a place like this. But no matter what era or world you're in, it's hard to resist the strange power that police organizations wield."
I didn't realize it, but I felt this oppressive atmosphere. It certainly wasn't the kind of place where you could just casually knock on the door to ask about lost property or a lost child. If this is the case, the local police box is much better.
"Anyway, let's talk about Reinhard inside... why is he so small?"
"There are some nasty police officers out there who will stop you at your job to stop someone like me, so it's just a reflex."
"I don't know what you're talking about, but you can't do anything bad?"
"As expected, you can see the true nature of it."
Emilia, who had correctly seen the essence of Subaru's words, sighed.
Then he turned around and walked towards the door of the guardhouse, intending to knock on it first. Subaru followed the hooded figure's back with his eyes and suddenly realized that Koneko was no longer there.
He had disappeared without a trace, but perhaps he is still hiding within her silver hair.
Puck said what he wanted to say and quickly left. Subaru frowned at his suggestive behavior and tilted his head to the side, wondering what he had wanted to say.
In any case, it's not a problem that can be solved by worrying about it.
Subaru quickly abandoned his thoughts as he folded his arms and took a step forward to join Emilia. At almost the same time that Emilia was about to knock on the door――
"--Oh, what an unusual place to meet you."
The door to the office slid open, and a young man emerged from inside before either of them.
The young man bowed respectfully to Emilia,
"It's been a long time, Lady Emilia. Has anything changed since then?"
He called out to the girl, who still had her hood on, identifying her as "Emilia."
That alone made Subaru feel wary, but Emilia, upon receiving his bow, remained calm, though she stirred slightly.
"…Yes, thank you. Nothing has changed. Umm, Julius."
"I'm honored that you remembered me. Lady Emilia, your beauty remains unchanged."
The young man called Julius smiled, baring his teeth, and spoke those toothy lines without any hesitation.
He was a tall young man. He looked about ten centimeters taller than Subaru, making him around 180 centimeters tall. His hair was a bluish purple, long and slightly off-putting, but carefully styled. His build was slender, but not weak; it would be best described as supple.
He's a ladies' man who suits his flippant remarks, and it's hard not to be jealous of his amber eyes that captivate the opposite sex.
And as you can tell from the way he came out of the guardhouse,
"Isn't it unusual for you, a member of the Imperial Guard, to be in the guardhouse?"
A uniform adorned with glittering decorations. With a dragon design on the sleeves and a rapier-like sword hanging from his waist, his appearance alone spoke volumes about the occupation of the man known as Julius.
"I came here to thank the soldiers and inspect the town… I came at the request of a friend, but maybe it's good to prioritize friendship every once in a while."
Julius raised his hands and replied to Emilia as if singing.
He spoke as if intoxicated with his own way of speaking, and while looking meaningfully at Emilia before him, he continued, "Anyway,"
"By making this foray into the city, I was able to see this beautiful flower a little earlier than usual. I would have been punished if I had wished for more."
As he spoke, Julius took Emilia's hand with a practiced gesture and knelt down there. Then, without even a moment to catch his breath, he gently kissed the back of her pale hand.
Subaru was stunned and watched the whole situation unfold without being able to do anything. A moment later, his emotions boiled over and he was about to step forward to denounce the pretentious and irritating behavior. But,
"Thank you, Julius. And I'm sorry to be so sudden, but…"
Subaru was breathing heavily and about to shout at Julius, but Emilia held out her palm behind him to stop him.
Subaru is unable to comprehend her intentions and is unable to move. However, things slowly progress in front of him.
"I have some business to take care of, so I'd like you to put me through to the castle..."
"Oh, I see. So that's why you need the station's talking mirror. All right, let me show you around."
Julius stood up and opened the door, and while he looked around the facility,
"I would be reluctant to bring Lady Emilia to such a squalid place, but..."
"Please don't worry about that. Please."
"Well then, let's go inside..."
Julius nodded at Emilia's words and led the way back into the barracks. Seeing Emilia following behind, Subaru hurriedly tried to follow after her, but...
"Subaru, wait."
"Huh?"
Before the door had even closed, Subaru turned around and Emilia cut him off. Unable to find the words, Subaru used gestures to express his dislike for Emilia. However, Emilia slowly shook her head,
"I actually want you to come with me, but I don't think Julius would be happy if Subaru was with me, so please wait."
"What's that? Are you trying to please him more than me?"
For a moment, Subaru took it to mean that she was prioritizing Julius over himself and pursed his lips. Emilia responded with a troubled look on her face, "That's not it."
Subaru: "It's not that I'm worried about upsetting Julius, but I don't want him to stay because I'm sure he'll end up feeling bad. Please, understand."
"If you have any unpleasant feelings, I've already had enough of them."
Even a kiss on the back of the hand, an act that shows respect, is unforgivable to Subaru.
Although he and Emilia have even gone on dates, and even walked hand in hand together through the royal capital, he doesn't really get the impression that she thinks of Subaru as a member of the opposite sex.
Therefore, even for Subaru, kissing was a steep hurdle that he would have to overcome someday, but even though the location was different, it was impossible for him not to feel a strong resentment towards the man who had easily jumped over that hurdle.
If possible, I don't want Emilia to come into contact with that man any more.
On the contrary, sending her off to that guy when Subaru wasn't around was outrageous. That was Subaru's manly heart, but
"I'll settle things so we don't drag things out too long, so just wait here. You can't disappear from the guardhouse."
Although it was said gently, there was still a strong hint of rejection in it.
Subaru was afraid to step in again and was unable to say anything in response to her attitude of thoroughly trying to distance him from her circumstances.
And so the door closed between them, and Subaru placed his palms on the heavy gate, bowed his head, and let out a long, long sigh.
"Seriously, I'm so lame... What am I doing? I haven't done anything."
All I can say is words of self-loathing.
I jumped in with open jealousy, but I can't even let it all out. I'm aware of my own weakness, and if I leave it alone, I'm likely to become depressed.
"But it's not good to be in a bad mood in front of the station and get questioned by the police."
Reflecting on how suspicious he looked to an onlooker, Subaru quickly left the office.
However, since Emilia had given orders, they only moved to the other side of the street, where they could see the barracks. Leaning his back against the wall at a comfortable distance, Subaru sighed again.
"That cocky guy... was he called Konoe?"
If Subaru's understanding was correct, then they were the Imperial Knights.
If there was such a thing as a knight order, then the Royal Knights would be special among them - they would normally be under the direct control of the royal family, but what was their status in a kingdom without a king at the moment?
Subaru: "That pretentious guy gave off a real elite vibe. He casually licked Emilia-tan's cute hands all over…"
Subaru's bad memories were being compensated for, and Julius' actions were being elevated to the level of inhumane and perverted.
It's frustrating to have to do nothing but wait while these dark feelings build up.
I can only pray that Emilia will not be discouraged by Julius's perverted behavior, will achieve her original goal, and return as soon as possible.
"And so I gently welcomed Emilia-tan, who had been hurt by the man's hands. 'Subaru, I've been defiled…' 'That's not true, Emilia-tan… No, Emilia. No matter what you have been through, in my eyes you will always be, more beautiful and noble than anyone else. Those eyes are the most precious jewel in the world…'"
As the fantasy story explodes, Emilia, with tears in her eyes, gently closes them. As Subaru tries to gently cover her lips with his, he suddenly notices a presence crossing the street.
"No way..."
With his lips trembling, the theater that had been unfolding in his mind collapsed.
In his reverie, Imagin Emilia, cheeks blushing sweetly, disappears, but Subaru is unable to look away from the scene, which is overwhelmingly real.
--Before Subaru's shocked eyes, a cute beastman passed by.
The little beast, barely reaching Subaru's waist height, swayed bravely as it walked, its entire body covered in incredibly fluffy white fur. It was the perfect beastman's appearance, incomparable to animal-eared demi-humans.
It was probably a dog, a dog. Its pure white fur was as long as fresh snow, giving it a charming, rounded appearance.
This is what it means to be captivated in an instant.
Subaru, unable to hide his distress at Emilia's attitude, is overcome by the sight of the strongest fluffy girl in front of him. In other words, he loses his will to fight even before the fight even begins.
His soul as a Moflist, the numerous resentments he had felt since coming to this other world, the self-loathing that had arisen just a few minutes ago, the torrent of unrequited love for Emilia - all of these factors had combined to completely seal off Subaru's free will.
I want to bury my fingers in her. I want to entwine my fingers in her white fur. I want to hold her as I please, nuzzle her cheek, pick her up, spin around her, and sing the praises of love to the whole world.
Petting is love, petting is the foundation of peace, and petting will save the world.
You can be petted even if you don't pet. But if you're going to pet, you want to be petted. Petting and petting is the true purpose of a petlist, and for a petlist, not petting even though you can is the same as choosing death. In other words, petting = life for a petlist, and without petting, the brilliance of a petlist's life goes...
"While I was doing that, where am I...?"
Having completely lost sight of the beastman, Subaru regained his senses and stood there holding his head.
All around me was a narrow alley I didn't recognise. It was the street in front of the barracks where I was just a moment ago - at the very least, I was certain that I was far removed from where the glamorous aristocratic district once was.
This is the result of being so obsessed with petting that you disregard everything else.
「I can't even wait around? Am I less than a dog?! But the fact that I lost sight of that fluffy dog-like girl in heat already confirmed that!」
The appearance of the fluffy child took my attention away, and I followed his figure in a daze.
It was unclear how much time had passed, but if he didn't return soon, he would be in for a scolding from Emilia.
Emilia must be feeling anxious at the station right now, wanting to return to Subaru as soon as possible. Emilia hopes that's what she's thinking.
When she returns after accomplishing her goal, she finds Subaru there, lost and having vanished without even being able to wait quietly.
Subaru suddenly imagines a future where he is looked down upon by her and shudders.
「That would definitely get you abandoned. This is no time to be laughing like that!」
I scratched my head and realized that I was in an emergency situation within an emergency situation.
Subaru had to get to the main road at any rate, so he dashed through the alleys. However, he was unfamiliar with the area, and the alleys were full of similar roads, and contrary to Subaru's excited thoughts, they would never let him escape.
「Damn, at a time like this. That's right! When going through a labyrinth, if you keep touching the wall, you will definitely reach the exit! I've got this! I'll stick to the wall right away, hogyaaaah!!
He triumphantly put his palm against the wall. When the dirty wall came into contact with his palm, it made a sticky sound and instantly raised his discomfort coefficient to the maximum.
"What is this? It's sticky and slimy! It's not some kind of vomit-like liquid, is it? Firing it at a wall? The power of real alcohol is scary!"
Luckily, Subaru rubs the liquid, which doesn't seem to be vomit or a toxic substance, onto another wall, and is at a loss as he can't even turn to his grandmother for advice. And just when he feels there's no one on the street, Subaru, who can't survive without relying on others, can't find anyone to rely on.
"So trapped in a maze with no way out, Subaru eventually stopped thinking... BAD END 8: 'Dying Alone' is no laughing matter."
Finally, there was no time left for jokes and Subaru had to get serious.
At least move in a more popular direction -- that's what I was thinking.
"--You idiot! Stop messing around with me!!"
--My eardrums clearly picked up the presence of someone who made me wonder whether it was OK to approach