Letting out a short sigh on Petelgeuse's gravestone, Subaru averted his eyes from any further traces of the battle.
Turning around, Subaru was greeted by Julius, who was brushing the dirt off his skirt, and Mimi and Tiby, who were shaking their heads as they got off Patrasche's back.
The effects of the mental contamination on the siblings also seem to have been largely cleared up. This is probably due in large part to the loss of the main culprit's life. Although the mechanism behind the mental contamination was not fully explained, I believe there will be no lasting negative effects.
"That guy once got inside my head, so what I'm saying isn't very convincing... I bet he's serious about it, it's scary."
Betelgeuse is a spirit, and was once brought into a contract state.
Beings who push contracts on you in a pushy manner are not something that leave a good impression, whether they are in your original world or another world. This is even more so when they turn out to be madmen who have escalated to the point of killing each other.
"Killing each other... right? It's a line you would never say in your everyday life."
Shaking his head, Subaru realizes that his sensibilities are being influenced by another world, even if he can't decide whether that's a good thing or a bad thing.
The reason he was feeling strangely sentimental was probably because he felt a sense of relief at having overcome the biggest challenge. Thinking about it, this loop that began in the royal capital was the biggest series of climaxes since he was summoned to the other world.
Now that we have surpassed that final goal, it is not surprising to feel a certain sense of emptiness.
"I didn't think you'd be feeling sad after defeating Petelgeuse. … I need to change my attitude. Calm down, look up, and think about it. There's a lot to do."
After all, his original goal of making up with Emilia has yet to be achieved in this episode.
It all started with their falling out in the royal capital, followed by the alliance with Crusch's camp and the defeat of the White Whale. Then there was the story of how he used false information to evacuate the girls from the village in order to subjugate the Witch Cult. And then there was the aftermath of all that - after the physically demanding events were over, there were plenty of emotionally draining events to come.
However,
"It's a lot easier that way, since you won't get hurt or die. You only realize how important peaceful days are when you lose them. But for me, it was the same old everyday love forever from the beginning."
In any case, they must return to the village to meet up with the rest of the extermination force and discuss their next steps. They must split up so that Ram and his group can head to the Sanctuary, while Emilia and her group can head to the Royal Capital. If they hesitate, they will end up arriving at their destination.
Subaru was thinking hard as he walked along the rocky ground. But then, he suddenly noticed something and stopped. Ahead of his eyes was a trail of blood - a guide to the path he had crawled down, leading from Betelgeuse's gravestone, and at the beginning of that trail,
"--Gospel"
Either it had fallen off the hem of his vestments, or he had dropped it at the last moment as he tried to grab it, but the Gospels were left there, their covers stained with blood and mud.
Turning his back, Subaru picked it up and flipped through the pages. There appeared to be no change from when he had inspected the contents in the previous world. The characters forming the text inside were still in a format he had never seen before, and the latter pages were also blank.
Now that Petelgeuse has been defeated, we can no longer hear from someone so close to the core of the Sin Archbishop.
"On the other hand, this seems to be the only clue we have… I guess. I'll keep it for now and consult with Crusch-san and Roz-chan."
Furthermore, the reason why Roswaal comes last in this statement is simply because of the difference in trust. His absence during the crisis has had an impact, and despite being in the same camp, Roswaal's favorability ratings have plummeted across the board. His future success is highly anticipated. To be honest, though, it would be best if a situation where Roswaal plays a major role never occurs.
I brushed the dirt off the Gospel and dragged myself over to Julius and the others. Although there was little direct damage, the phantom pain I'd felt while synchronizing my senses with Julius still throbbed all over my body.
Even if he were to receive treatment, when would the pain of this invisible wound, which wasn't actually a wound, ever subside? Just thinking about it made him feel a little scared, and suddenly, Subaru saw Julius' expression turn stern.
"Although I would like to say that this matter has finally been settled, let's return to the village immediately, Subaru."
Before I could ask what it was, Julius raised his head.
Julius' expression tightened into a serious one, and in his hands, just like Subaru's, he held a conversation mirror that he had seemingly just picked up, and if the communication with Ferris had not been interrupted, it should be continuing.
Subaru frowned at the uneasy atmosphere, and silently urged the knight on. The knight nodded,
"It seems that during Ferris' interrogation, the Witch Cult said something concerning. The people we evacuated may be in danger."
And with that, he made a statement that could shake the very foundations of Subaru's thoughts.
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"Thank you. I'm glad that you were able to kill the Sin Archbishop without any problems."
The four of them returned to the village riding their earth dragons at full speed, and were greeted by Ferris, who looked genuinely happy even as he talked about dangerous things.
Subaru sighed, feeling as if the tension he had felt up until then had suddenly faded away at his carefree attitude. However, since he always had that kind of attitude, he didn't even bother to mention it now.
Turning his head, Subaru saw the members of the extermination force gathered in the center of the village.
This time, the attack was a surprise attack from a position where they had an overwhelming advantage. Even so, the fact that there were still a significant number of injured people gave a glimpse into the unfathomable side of the Witch Cult. However, the fact that there were no fatalities was a relief to Subaru.
"Everybody's back, right?"
"I signaled with "Tora-tra-tra-ra~". I made sure to crush the tips of the fingers other than my favorite. I was able to take some prisoners, and thanks to that I learned a few things, you know."
Narrowing his cat-like eyes, Ferris glanced towards the edge of the village, where he saw four people in black clothing tied up and held captive, including one of the peddlers he had captured earlier.
The prisoners were all looking down in shock, and had probably already lost their mental balance at Ferris' hands.
Feeling both confidence and fear in his skill, Subaru frowned and asked him for the details of the summons. Then, with narrowed eyes, he pulled his chin in,
"From what I got from the person we caught, it seems like they have a separate force. They're not hiding in this area, but are they in a position to watch over the highway?"
"Hey hey! You're not talking about the tips of Betelgeuse's fingers, are you?! Ten places in the forest, the cliffs, and the traveling merchant party! If it's fingers, that's enough, right?! Don't you dare say something childish like including his toes?"
"The place where the person was wasn't a finger but the main body, so if it was a finger, I could only destroy nine places, right?"
Ferris pressed Subaru. "Ugh," Subaru choked out, knowing that although it may have seemed like a quibble, it was a logic that could not be denied.
Subaru's eyes wandered, his head racing as he tried to come up with a plan for what to do if that was the case. If the corpse buried beneath that gravestone wasn't the last one――
"Amazing, those eyes of yours that never give up."
"--a?"
"Just now, Feli-chan had given Subaru-kun information that would turn his world upside down… but far from giving up, she immediately tried to do something about it. Yes, yes, I think that's a good attitude."
Ferris winked at Subaru and smiled, wiping away his previous attitude. Subaru blinked once at the sudden change, and then his face turned crimson red.
"You're not kidding me, are you?!"
"No way. You're expecting too much. If you told me that what you just said was just Feli-chan messing around, then I wouldn't have to worry anymore, so I can understand why you'd want to cling to me. I think that's a good thing."
The teasing tone hit the nail on the head, and Subaru was once again put off by the discomfort of being put under the bus, so he kept his mouth shut. However, he shook his head, suppressing the urge to argue.
"Anyway, what you just said is true, right?"
"That's true. Ah, but that's not what I'm talking about with fingertips. It seems the number of witch cultists of 'Sloth' has reached its limit. --The ones guarding the road aren't affiliated with 'Sloth'."
Ferris' words made me frown, and it only took a few seconds for me to understand what he meant.
If there had been contact with Witch cultists other than those of ``Sloth'' during this battle, there was only one possibility.
"The Witch Cultist of 'Gluttony'――!"
"If the White Whale is said to be a 'glutton' then it would be strange for him to be alone."
Ferris narrowed his eyes as he answered, and Subaru clenched his fist, understanding the point.
It was a story from a previous loop. When the White Whale appeared and Subaru was passing through the mist, he had a close encounter with the Witch Cult. At that time, it was Otto, who was accompanying him, who was attacked by them, and it was worrying that their position did not match up with Petelgeuse's fingertips.
--In other words,
"Are there any witch cultists hiding out somewhere on Leafous Highway?"
"So. What should we do?"
Ferris asked, tilting his head, and Subaru put his hand over his mouth in response.
If my current assumptions are correct, then I am not yet out of the situation. However, I cannot let that cloud my judgment.
"They must have anticipated that situation to some extent. It's an insurance policy for that purpose."
"You're laughing with a mean look on your face. I wonder where that cute, weak Subaru-kun went."
Raising his hands in a cheer, Ferris closed his eyes at Subaru's answer.
Ferris's reaction was also proof that he felt the same sense of security from this "insurance" as Subaru. The insurance that Subaru had taken out was――
Subaru: "Why did you allocate your greatest strength to Emilia-tan and the others when you knew that it would increase the difficulty of defeating 'Sloth'? We allocated our resources for situations like this."
As he spoke, Subaru's eyes darted around the group that had returned to the village.
Among them, the most reliable member of the extermination force was absent - the Sword Demon, Wilhelm van Astrea.
Before the final battle with "Sloth" Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti, Subaru asked his Sword Demon not for assistance as a sword in the battle, but to serve as a shield to protect someone important to him.
From the start, they had been on guard against the possibility of Witch Cultists hiding out on the roads, and so they had been taking great care to ensure that Emilia and the villagers they had let escape to the royal capital were not harmed in any way.
In the battle against Petelgeuse, with the exception of Julius, who is a spiritist, all humans who are "unable to resist mental contamination" were equally likely to be possessed. Beings attacked by mental contamination are outside the scope of Petelgeuse's possession, and while they are not a fighting force, they are also considered safe allies who are unlikely to turn against him.
Conversely, those who were resistant to Petelgeuse's mental contamination, such as Wilhelm, were at risk of being possessed by Petelgeuse. Therefore, Subaru chose to keep everyone else who could be possessed away from the battlefield, and took only himself, who had the means to resist possession, and Julius, Petelgeuse's nemesis, to the battlefield.
"Do you know how many Witch Cultists are hiding along the highway? There are close to a hundred of them around here, just those connected to 'Sloth'. Even Wilhelm-san is outnumbered…"
"You said they're on guard duty, right? The number doesn't seem like a big deal. Twenty or thirty people is a number that Old Vil and his aides can handle, so I don't think it's a problem."
Subaru had been worried that a horde of Witch Cultists might be lying in wait, but Ferris' words had denied that. Originally, the White Whale in charge of Gluttony was more than enough of a threat on its own on the Foggy Highway. He wasn't sure if it was appropriate to call them his subordinates, but it was credible that the number of cultists in that role wasn't that large.
"---If that was all it took to settle the matter, I wouldn't have rushed you to come back. Ferris, you shouldn't have made such long stories."
However, he probably didn't miss the part where Subaru's mind relaxed due to his relief. Julius, who had been concerned about Mimi and Tibby from behind, came over and, tapping Subaru on the shoulder, admonished Ferris.
Subaru frowned at Julius' words, wondering what it meant, and Ferris replied with a small smile, "As expected,"
"I believe in Old Man Vil's abilities, so an attack by a small group of Witch Cultists isn't something to be worried about. If push comes to shove, Lady Emilia can fight too, so there's no need to worry about our fighting strength. However, there's one thing that's bothering me a bit."
"What is it, are you worried about?"
Making a small circle with his fingers, Ferris expressed his small concern. He nodded at Subaru's urging him to continue, and quickly shifted to the side to give way to him,
"From there on, let's hear from the person who noticed the important part. And so, Otto-kun has given us his valuable opinion."
As Ferris cheered on, clapping his hands, Otto appeared from behind him, looking uncomfortable. Subaru's eyes widened in shock at the unexpected person's appearance, and Otto bowed his head and said, "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry if I surprised you. First of all, I'm glad that you returned safely. If you all lose, I won't be able to guarantee your own safety."
"Well, good for being honest with yourself... but what have you noticed? Honestly, I don't have a very good feeling about this right off the bat."
Scratching his ear, Subaru felt a bad feeling growing. Otto nodded and kept his voice down so as not to arouse Subaru's anxiety.
"Earlier, a merchant I knew there - I noticed that Elgrid-san had been taken prisoner, and he was a Witch Cultist... right?"
"That old man has a really cool name... Well, that question is correct. If that's what people who know him say, then someone named Katie is like that, too."
"I'm talking about that Katie."
Subaru sympathizes with Otto, knowing how depressed he must be to hear that his acquaintance was deeply involved in a vicious religion. However, Otto shows no interest in Subaru's concern, and instead steps forward,
"I'm surprised and disappointed to learn that you're a Witch, but that's a different matter. Your dragon carriage is being used for evacuation, isn't it?"
"--? Yes, they are being used. Regardless of the owner, there's no problem with the belongings. The number of dragon carriages is also at a bare minimum, so we can't just let them sit idle."
"And then, the cargo that the traveling merchants were carrying on their dragon carriages will be unloaded in the village, and the residents will be evacuated instead... is this correct?"
Otto was obsessed with details, so Subaru replied with a quizzical "Ah." In response, he put his hand to his chin, closed his eyes, and said "I thought so," as if he had gained some certainty. There was a short silence like that, and just as Subaru was getting impatient, wondering what was going on,
"Something that should have been there among the luggage that was supposed to have been unloaded from the dragon carriage is missing."
"As it should be..."
Subaru's eyes scanned over Otto's words, recalling the various cargoes that had been shoved into the village warehouse by the traveling merchants. Originally, many of them had been planning to deal in iron products in the royal capital, and the majority of them were swords, armor, and weapons and protective gear. If there was anything unusual, it would be something like Otto's oil, which he had rescued last, but...
"What's the big deal?"
"I told you I flew all the way here to outwit everyone. In other words, I heard about the money-making opportunity in the Mathers territory in the same place as everyone else. Naturally, I had contacted Katie the day before yesterday. But then, I couldn't find anything that was supposed to be loaded onto Katie's dragon carriage in the cargo."
"The luggage that was supposed to be there...?"
Listening to Otto's tone, Subaru realized that the contents were beginning to take an ominous turn.
In order to make Subaru's attitude more certain, Otto slightly inclined his chin, and,
"--A large amount of fire magic ore. Around seven or eight dragon carriages, enough to blow them away without a trace, are missing."
"That's what he said.
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--The dragon carriage of the deceased Katie is being used to evacuate Emilia and her group.
After hearing Otto's story, Subaru's brain cells searched his memories and came to that conclusion. For each dragon carriage that had lost its original driver, a person from the extermination squad was chosen to take on the role of driver.
He couldn't remember which carriage it was, but Wilhelm had been assigned that role, and the Sword Demon was riding in one of those carriages, without a doubt.
"Is it true that it was carrying magic ores? It's possible that it was unloaded along the way..."
"In the event of an emergency, would the villagers who were planning to evacuate or the cultists who were supposed to launch a surprise attack on Lady Emilia actually do something like that? Subaru, optimism and wishful thinking are two different things."
"You're being so blunt at this exact moment... No, I know that. It's my fault."
Subaru's lips trembled in impatience as he answered, and Julius narrowed his eyes and scolded him. Subaru ran his fingers through his hair and apologised sincerely, before asking Otto for more details.
"There are no magic ores to be found in the warehouse. I checked it too, and there's no doubt about that. Otto, did you see the actual items inside the dragon carriage before you came here?"
"Unfortunately, that's quite clear. They were cheap, barely larger than a fist, but there were a burlap sack full of them. If we smash them all at once, I think we'll have enough to accomplish our goal."
However, the existence of such burlap bags has not been confirmed.
Subaru and Julius, having confirmed its safety, were also willing to reuse the suspicious device known as the dragon carriage that the Witch Cult had used.
"I confirmed that there was no magic formula installed, but… I didn't take into consideration a method like simply planting magic ore in the dragon carriage itself. It was my mistake, I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault. I should have noticed."
Subaru shook his head at Julius' apology and bit his lip in frustration at his own failing.
In a world where using magic was the norm, if Julius, a spiritist, was concerned with magical methods, then it had to be Subaru who would be suspicious of physical methods.
By overlooking this, Subaru was forced to realize that the situation he thought he had overcome had once again run aground.
"As long as Wilhelm is there, attacks by the Witch Cultists won't be a problem. In terms of military force, there aren't many people who can get past him. But booby traps are a different story. There's nothing you can do if you don't notice them."
"Of course, there's also the possibility that it's all a waste of time. There's also the possibility that, if we just doubt it, the magic ores were actually distributed to each believer and none were planted in the dragon carriage..."
Otto's words were not intended to comfort the frustrated Subaru. They were presenting a possibility, and were meant to get Subaru to deny it. Going along with his plan, Subaru shook his head and said, "No."
"I've already carried out a body check on the people I captured and those whose bodies I found. I can't find any magic ore, not even the Gospel… The magic ore has been planted in the dragon carriage."
Subaru knew that Petelgeuse had blown up a dragon carriage with his own body inside it. At the time, he had thought that there was some kind of device in his body, but
"It wouldn't be strange if they set up a similar trap on the dragon carriage for the believers… Ferris! If we start the dragon carriage now, do you think we can catch up with the evacuees heading towards the royal capital!?"
"That's pretty strict, you know? The departure of the Royal Capital group is about an hour and a half ago... Their goal is to evacuate without being found, so they probably can't go that fast."
Originally, the "Sanctuary Group" couldn't afford for their base to be discovered, while the "Royal Capital Group" didn't want the Witch Cults to know that the threat of the fog had disappeared, so the level of secrecy they imposed was different. The Sanctuary Group was careful to avoid being found, but the Royal Capital Group was focused on getting through the highway quickly.
Catching up could be a big problem.
"Again... again?! After all this, I'm going to do it again...!"
Should the fate of someone important to you be decided by something that is beyond your control?
Subaru was once again about to be overwhelmed by the powerlessness he had felt before. But just as Subaru gritted his teeth in despair once again,
"Can I ask you something, Natsuki-san?"
Otto raised his hand to interrupt the conversation, his gentle face lit up with a serious look, and Subaru recognized the change in his attitude.
It was not in this world, but in the previous world, when he had truly met him for the first time - he had been drunk from drinking to drown his sorrows, and when he was talking with Subaru, right before the negotiations, he had the same expression on his face as he does now.
So now he is
"Is there something you can trade with me for something right now, Otto?"
"I don't dislike your good intuition. -- Natsuki-san, I'm currently on the brink of a cliff. I missed the opportunity to sell the cargo I was carrying, and I'm not sure if I'll be able to get it off for next to nothing. I went along with this money-making opportunity in the hope of turning things around, but my greed caused me to miss a crucial moment, resulting in a disaster. They say that staying alive is a good thing, but I'm not in a position to laugh about it."
Otto's situation was tragic to hear, more comical than tragic, but he didn't have the time to discuss it now. Subaru nodded and silently urged him on.
Otto took a small breath, blinked once, then looked up again.
"Let's make a deal. If you agree to it, I promise to use all my heart and soul to get you to your destination - to catch up with the dragon carriage that went ahead."
"You think you can catch up? We're leaving right now, how?!"
"But before I tell you, I want your assurance that you will make a deal. What I have to offer means a great deal to me. I will not easily cooperate, even if threatened."
"I won't do anything violent like using force. If there's a way, tell me. Whatever conditions you set, I'll do it if I can."
Grabbing Otto by the shoulders, Subaru demanded that he comply with the conditions he had mentioned.
He'd already repeated it five times, and Subaru was confident that he'd now achieved the best results he'd ever had. Rather than throwing all of those results away, how much happier would it be to kick aside the idea of giving up and give it one last go?
And Otto pauses for a moment as he listens to Subaru's plea. This is because, even for him, the conditions he offers are a big deal that could determine the rest of his life.
I can see the complicated thoughts flashing through his eyes with great force in an instant. Overcoming these conflicts, Otto states his condition.
"I would like to ask Natsuki, who is an associate of Margrave Mathers, to give me the opportunity to meet Lord Mathers. If possible, I would be grateful if you could buy the oil from the cargo in return for my achievements this time. Whatever price you ask, how about it?"
Narrowing his eyes, Otto put on a businessman's face and told Subaru to try it.
It was a basic negotiation setup where you make the maximum demands at the beginning and then extract concessions from there. Otto himself probably didn't think for a second that Subaru would accept such exorbitant prices. However, he also thought that with the dire situation, it was possible to extract considerable concessions from Subaru.
There is no need to feel guilty or guilty about taking advantage of the situation. Take advantage of any situation that comes your way. There is no greater foolishness for a businessman facing ruin than to miss a golden opportunity.
With that resolve in mind, Otto waited for Subaru to say next.
And in front of him, Subaru swallowed and said.
"Are you sure you want that again?! Okay, I'll buy you anything you want, and if you want to meet that pervert, I'll let you meet him as many times as you want. The deal is done!"
"What? That's scary."
A reflection of the previous world - Otto himself had no idea, but in a turn of events, Subaru had once again come out on top in his negotiations with him.
Whether he is happy about the walkover victory is another matter.
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"I'll have Eia accompany you. If it's true that magic ore has been planted on the dragon carriage, I'm sure Eia will be able to notice it. Make use of her."
Saying this, Julius entrusted one of the quasi-spirits that had made a contract with him to Subaru.
The spirit, emitting a pale red glow, spun around above Subaru's head as instructed by Julius. Eventually, as if convinced, it landed on top of Subaru's head. It settled there as if it had decided that was its permanent position. The top of his head felt gradually hot.
"Hey, isn't there a risk of me going bald? My biggest goal in life is to never become bald or fat."
"Ea won't be materialized for long. If she senses the flow of your mana, she'll blend in and behave docilely… and then, she's gone."
Julius laughed off Subaru's concerns and pointed, and sure enough, the heat above his head was no longer there. However, even though he could no longer see it, he could still feel its presence nearby. Subaru nodded in agreement, wondering if this was the sensation of being accompanied by a spirit, and
"Even so, is it really alright to entrust your spirit to me?"
"I don't want to regret letting you go when you don't know what you're doing. I would really like to accompany you, but…"
Julius trailed off, a frustrated expression forming on his handsome face. The source of his frustration was clear. It was because of the person beside him, who was forced to sit on the ground, placing a blue-glowing palm on his body.
"Don't be so rash with all those wounds on you. I can tell even if you're trying to stay slim. Plus, your mana is almost completely depleted. You used too many big moves, didn't you?"
"I had the help of the buds. I barely used any of my own magic. However, even with that, it's still like this, so I really feel that I have no talent."
"That was just a sarcastic remark on your part. Seriously, it's fine."
Sensing the presence of the spirit beside him, Subaru makes a final confirmation to Julius, who is concentrating on his treatment. He pulls his chin back and responds with a brief "Ah,"
"I'm lending my lovely child to a friend. I expect you to be considerate of him."
"Can you stop calling me your friend when you're sober? I let it slide earlier because of the circumstances, but I'd like to talk to you about it properly later."
Subaru responded brusquely to the awkward call. Julius simply brushed it off with a smile, while Subaru, unable to bear it, looked at Ferris to try and cover it up.
"I left the treatment of the others to you. Julius and the Koneko siblings too."
"Yes, Subaru-kun, be careful too. If you die, Crusch-sama will surely be disappointed, after all…"
It was a bit worrying that his tone had dropped at the end of his statement, but there was something hedonistic about him that got on Subaru's nerves like that.
Subaru didn't take it too seriously and just gratefully accepted the contents, waving goodbye to the two and heading to the entrance of the village. There, Patrasche and Otto, who was connecting his earth dragon to his carriage, were waiting for him.
"Well then, shall we get going, Natsuki-san?"
"Yeah, I'll leave the directions and everything else to you, Otto."
Subaru climbed into the driver's seat and sat next to Otto, looking ahead. Next to Otto's gigantic earth dragon stood the jet black Patrasche. There was a big difference in build between them, and Subaru felt uneasy about pulling the dragon carriage together, but...
"The 'Wind Protection' works on earth dragons, so there shouldn't be any problems with two of them with such a large physique side by side. They're both female, so from what I've heard, they don't seem to get along well."
Perhaps sensing Subaru's doubts from his expression, Otto climbed up next to him and spoke while taking hold of the reins.
Subaru tilted his head and said, "Hmm," feeling something odd about the word "heard" that came out of his mouth.
"What's wrong?"
"Well, I think the divine protection of this world is really amazing. I guess it can be thought of as a kind of talent, but there are too many things that I can't measure with my common sense."
"You really talk about the blessings of this world as if they're something that doesn't concern you, Natsuki-san. Besides, those who possess blessings have their own hardships too. In particular, I couldn't control the blessing of my 'Word Spirit' when I was little."
Responding to Subaru's admiring reaction with a wry smile, Otto spoke of his own divine protection.
The blessing of Otto's ``word spirit.''
The disclosure and use of this power was the content of the deal that Otto offered to make to Subaru. The effect of the divine protection of 『Word Spirit』 was simple and clear: it was a divine protection that made it possible to exchange 『Word Spirit』 with any person.
"He can even converse with animals, including earth dragons. And he was able to take the shortest route to the Mathers territory."
"My earth dragon... I made Furufoo push himself pretty hard. I asked birds and insects about shortcuts and rough roads and everything, and I gave it my all."
Apparently, he had traveled a road that didn't even look like a road, and managed to be the first to reach the Mathers territory. The result was that he was captured by the Witch Cult and told, "Congratulations on winning first place!", which is no laughing matter.
Anyway, if you follow his protection,
"It won't be difficult to catch up with Emilia and the others who are ahead of us."
"Well, it's difficult, you know? But there's a good chance it could happen. Since cooperation was a condition of the deal, it's unclear whether it will lead to an outcome, and we don't know whether the magic ore that may have been planted there will explode or not..."
Subaru: "It won't be difficult to catch up with Emilia-tan and the others who are ahead of us――!"
"It's troubling when you say it with such a good look on your face!"
Subaru's repeated trust was too great for Otto to accept, so he shouted, but there was no time to respond. Subaru wiped all emotion from his face, took a long, small breath,
"I'm counting on you, Otto. I'm counting on you."
"...That really is a killer line, damn it."
As if touched by Subaru's solemn words, Otto sighed in resignation, then firmly gripped the reins and gave the command to the two earth dragons to take off.
The dragon carriage was pulled, and Patrasche and Furufou kicked off the ground with great force, and the pursuit of Emilia and the others began.
「Oh really, I'll do it! I'll do it, make you feel grateful, and suck you dry down to the bone――!」
Otto's desperate shout echoed through the air, blending in with the protection of the 『Windbreak』 and making it possible for only Subaru to hear it.
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Following the events described above, Subaru and his friends were chasing Emilia and the others down the road.
The series of rough roads we had traveled up to this point had been a nightmare, and if I started talking about it, I'd probably spend half the day complaining about my resentment towards Otto.
Whether it was an actively suicidal act like running down a nearly vertical cliff, or crossing a dilapidated suspension bridge that had probably been abandoned several years ago and looked like it was about to collapse at any moment (and it did fall right after Subaru and the others crossed it), there were many times when he prepared to return to death during these life-threatening drives.
But all that hard work had paid off, as Subaru and his team reached the middle of the Leafous Highway and had clocked a pretty good time. Even if they were asked to make the same sprint again, it would be impossible for them to do it again, as a miracle had occurred.
"If you don't convince me of that, I'll be too scared to touch you again!"
Otto is the one who drives the dragon carriage over rough roads, but it is Patrasche and another horse who receive orders from the reins and race down the road to death. If you think that such activities are possible depending on how you lead them, I want you to understand that it is inevitable that you will feel uneasy about how to interact with Patrasche in the future.
Anyway,
"Let's go through the forest on the left! That's the quickest way to the royal capital!"
"It's not even a forest, it doesn't even seem like there are any animal trails here! Are you sure it's okay!?"
"――――"
"Why are you silent, you?"
Ignoring Subaru's angry shout, Otto steered the dragon carriage towards the forest.
Subaru, who had no choice but to let himself be taken, clasped his hands together and bowed his head on the truck in a defensive position, hoping that at least he wouldn't be hit directly by any trees.
The impact of stepping on a tree root caused the dragon carriage to bounce, and the view turned green, indicating that it had entered a forest. Entering a place full of obstacles at breakneck speed might seem like a suicidal act, but for Otto, who could literally communicate with earth dragons, it seemed like something he was used to.
If he was the standard for a traveling merchant, perhaps he needed to be even more courageous than he thought to be able to do the job.
"--Natsuki-san!!"
Just as Subaru was lost in such thoughts, Otto's voice suddenly rang out. The urgent emotion in the voice made Subaru stand up and hurried towards the driver's seat.
When Subaru stuck his head into the driver's seat, Otto had his hands over his ears and was looking around,
"What's wrong? What happened?"
"The trees were making a commotion... the birds and insects were making a fuss and then they disappeared. And Furufoo started to get scared... something, something is coming!"
Upon hearing Otto's warning shout, Subaru held his breath and looked around.
However, in a forest where the entire field of vision is covered by a group of trees, such vigilance is of no use. Reading Subaru's thoughts, Otto nodded and said, "I understand," and then
"We'll run to the side and quickly exit the forest. Natsuki-san, please keep an eye on our rear—"
"... No, there's no need for that anymore."
Subaru put his hand over Otto's hand as he tried to change course and give orders to the earth dragons. He was facing away from him, still on guard at the rear as instructed by Otto, facing the scenery that was left behind behind the dragon carriage.
Trees are snapped and thrown into the air, and whole forests die one after another as a result of this violent act.
Destruction erupted, the ground flipped over right where Subaru and the others had dashed through, and "that thing" headed straight towards them, without any regard for the damage it caused to the surroundings.
"Fly, Otto. Don't get caught, absolutely!"
"Natsuki-san?!"
Subaru stopped Otto as he started to turn around, and ran behind the truck, roaring at the approaching vehicle with an expression of raw anger on his face.
"You bastard - how persistent are you?!"
As Subaru shouted, a huge, jet black shadow wriggled in front of him.
Black demonic hands stretched out from the corpse, a mass of delusion that had lost its human form - the remains of Betelgeuse - was chasing Subaru from behind.