3
—The developments afterward largely followed the dream.
Emilia and Beatrice’s explanation…
“What sort of bad joke is this, Barusu?”
Ram doubting Subaru’s memory loss.
“But still, you never learn, do you, Master? How many times have you forgotten me now?”
Shaula accepting it nonchalantly.
“You’re really good at causing other people trouble, aren’t you, mister?”
Meili smirking mischievously, as if enjoying the confusion, though he couldn’t tell whether she actually cared or not.
“…I’d like to give him a little bit of time to compose himself. Do you mind?”
Julius’s shock and Echidna’s consideration, suggesting allowing the man some time to recover.
“…Please, just tell me everything.”
Accepting that, getting dragged out into the hallway to get water, Ram unloading her innermost thoughts in a massive wave.
Between everyone’s reactions when they heard about his amnesia and Ram’s quiet grief in the hallway after, Subaru was certain now.
—This dream is disgustingly precise.
It wasn’t as if he remembered every word and action they had all gone through. But even so, the intense impression of their reactions all matched.
If there was any problem, then it would have to be…
“You’re awfully calm considering the situation, Natsuki.”
That was what Echidna said after they finished the introductions and after dropping her own bomb about having overridden Anastasia’s consciousness.
“ ”
Subaru felt his mouth go dry at her comment.
Her observation was not unreasonable. Subaru couldn’t really pull off that level of performance. While everyone else was stunned and flustered and resolving themselves to still struggle against such an unreasonable situation, he just couldn’t put his heart into it.
Just like how he couldn’t watch a movie a second time and pretend like it was his first time seeing it.
His sympathy for their brave front, the guilt for abandoning them, the distaste he felt toward Subaru Natsuki, and his own negative emotions all mixed together and grew.
As a result, it wasn’t strange to be suspicious of Subaru’s underwhelming reaction. However—
“That’s a new one. I was always the type of kid who got comments on his report card about not being calm enough.”
“…It’s weird that you are the least disoriented when it was you who lost your memories. It’s only us getting worked up about trying to do something to recover them.”
“Maybe it’s like how some people can stay coolheaded because everyone else around them is on edge. It may not look it, but I’m pretty scared. Don’t worry about that.”
“That’s not exactly a relief…”
Emilia broke in with a wry smile as Subaru feigned calm while responding to Echidna. But compared to last time, something about the mood was off.
Most likely it was because he couldn’t perfectly recreate what he had seen in the dream. He had tried to recreate it as best he could, but there were differences from minor lapses in memory.
Before I blow this trying to recreate my performance from before—
“After we clean up breakfast, let’s go take a look. If my memories are spilled across the floor, I’ll have to pick them up and shove them back in.”
Following the same flow as last time, he nudged them all toward Taygeta.
And—
“Bwehehehe.”
In Taygeta, Shaula was next to Subaru with a carefree look on her face.
If she stood up straight and managed a slightly more elegant expression, she could entrance any number of men, but instead she was provocatively snuggling up against Subaru with a slovenly look on her face.
Pushing her forehead away with his palm, Subaru watched Emilia and the others examining the bookshelves. The investigation he knew wouldn’t have any results was going on in the background.
“This is really frustrating…”
“Hmm? What’s up, Master? If something’s bothering you, I’ll listen! Not that I have any useful advice, but still!”
“Your decisiveness is so innocent and refreshing!”
“Heehee, praise me more. Just rely on me more and more and slowly sink into my clutches.”
Subaru had no idea how talking with him made her so happy, but she was overjoyed even by a cold response from him. And with how he was feeling at the moment, that level of distance was a bit—or maybe very—comfortable.
When he decided to follow the track of his prophetic dream, guilt toward Emilia and the others tormented him. The decision to deceive them when they were so sincere and earnest was nothing short of painful.
Which made Shaula, who was so airheaded and treated him the same whether he had his memories or not, all the more of a relief.
In the same sense of appreciating the distance he had with her, he was also grateful for Meili, who was again not taking part in the search. She grabbed Shaula’s long ponytail and pulled it.
“Come on now, don’t bother mister. You’re getting too excited.”
“Owowow! What are you doing, number two?!”
Twisting her head to get her ponytail back, Shaula glared at Meili. Meili had a mature look in her eyes as she put her finger to her lips.
“I mean I don’t want them to get mad. I have to watch out and make sure the half-naked lady doesn’t do anything.”
“Grrrrr! Pissing me off! Say something, Master!”
“Shaula, this is a restraining order. Don’t get within three feet of me. It’s scary.”
“You big meanie!”
Shaula made a big show of pretending to burst into tears and turned away from Subaru. He just scratched his cheek at the sight of her hiding under her cloak, and then he looked over at Meili who was holding her hands behind her back.
“Thanks for the assist… Though it feels a little weird thanking a hired killer for something like that.”
“It’s fine. I’m sort of retired from that now anyway, and now I’m just getting used by you all. Be sure to use me well, just like my demon beasties.”
“ ”
It didn’t sound like there was an ulterior motive or malice in what she said.
Meili didn’t seem particularly eager to blame them. She just said it as if it was natural. Was it just because the values in this world were that fundamentally different from Subaru’s world?
To his eyes, she was still just a young girl, which made it hard to bear.
“Mister?”
“I don’t really like that way of putting it. Don’t say it like that. We’re relying on you. Not using you.”
“…Hmmm.”
For a moment, her eyes narrowed at what he said, and then she looked down meaningfully. But judging it to be because of awkwardness instead of being unhappy with what he said, Subaru felt a little relief.
Even in a world with different values and a different common sense, that doesn’t mean we can’t understand each other.
He had a little flash of hope from her reaction.
“…You really don’t remember anything, do you, mister?”
“Huh? Yeah, unfortunately. What, did I make some important promise or something?”
“…No, but if Petra heard that she might cry.”
“Ugh…that’s another name I don’t remember.”
Seeing Subaru tense at the unfamiliar name, Meili giggled.
“Petra is a girl who loves you, mister. She was really worried when seeing you off on this trip. I can hear her saying ‘I knew it’ now.”
“Curse you, past me. How could you be so careless…!”
How many more times am I going to have follow in the footsteps of the unknown Subaru Natsuki?
“—When it comes to the past you being careless, I definitely agree.”
Meili stretched her back as she agreed.
Is that just me imagining it or does that sound like what she really thinks?
Either way, before he could check, Emilia and the others came back.
There really were no clues. The only result was more proof of the accuracy of the prediction in his dream.
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