CHAPTER 2 - CREEPING MALIGNANCY
1
—The fortified city of Guaral.
It was the first developed place in Volakia that Subaru and company had reached. Having spent all their time in an imperial army field camp and the Shudrak village—which was not much different from camping out in the wilderness—they were especially moved by the sight of civilization.
However, there was a reason not to get too excited about this semblance of civilization: inspections.
Guaral was enclosed by walls on all four sides, with entry limited to the main gates on the east and west of the city. From afar, the guards looked imposing, and a strict inspection point was clearly in place.
“Right now, we’re foreign Lugunicans with no backing… Even I, someone known for my inability to read the mood, can tell that this isn’t exactly a situation where the empire will just welcome us in,” Subaru muttered.
If they honestly revealed their identities, they would undoubtedly draw the ire of the gatekeepers. Being turned back at the gate would be frustrating but manageable. However, being arrested would be another story entirely. This inspection would be a litmus test for how well they could manage in Volakia.
“What will you do? Just getting into the line isn’t an option, right?” Rem asked from atop her seat, her gaze fixed on the line of people awaiting inspection.
“I know.” Subaru nodded. “I’m not just staring at the line without a plan here. I do have something in mind.”
“Are you not embarrassed to lie so easily?”
“Try having just a little faith in me! Isn’t it a bit soon to assume I’m lying?!”
Subaru’s attempt to explain his secret plan was met with Rem’s staggering lack of faith.
The key point was that the three of them alone would not pass the inspection.
“In other words, it’s time for Subaru Natsuki’s one-hundred-and-eighth special technique: relying on others. This is its time to shine.”
Even though he couldn’t see her face, and she shouldn’t be able to see his, he somehow knew her face was twisted into a scowl.
Either way…
“We made it!”
“Aauuu!”
As they entered the city and took in the townscape, Subaru raised both hands in triumph. Beside him, Louis mimicked the gesture and laughed. This made them seem like comrades, but Subaru’s joy at successfully entering the city outweighed any annoyance. To his chagrin, Louis’s presence had been a big help in getting past the inspection.
“Still, it really is different from Lugunica,” Subaru remarked as he looked around the town, comparing it to his memories of the neighboring kingdom.
The most prominent cities in Lugunica were the capital, Lugunica; the Water Gate City, Pristella; and the industrial city of Castour near Roswaal’s manor. Guaral bore little resemblance to any of them.
Compared to the kingdom with its standard fantasy aesthetic, the empire’s city had a more utilitarian and unrefined look and less vibrant colors. Function seemed to take precedence over decoration.
“In Lugunica, the roads would be paved with stone, but here the ground is unpaved. I wonder if that’s just normal here?”
“Umm, could you let me down now?”
“Sorry, sorry,” Subaru apologized, gently setting the frame down.
“This is…”
Getting off her seat, Rem stood on her own two feet on the road, her eyes widening as she took in the scene. A mix of surprise and faint excitement flickered in her light-blue eyes, softening Subaru’s expression.
“How is it, seeing your first city?” he asked.
“…I’m surprised. There were many people in the line, but to think there are so many more here.”
Up until now, Rem had only experienced isolated places and exceptional circumstances. With no memories, she couldn’t recall ever living among others. Her time with Subaru, Louis, and the Shudrak was the extent of her experience.
As cities went, Guaral was not exactly bustling with activity.
A long line at the gate, a cityscape that was rough around the edges and not a particularly bright palette—it didn’t leave a particularly vivid impression. The city probably housed only a few thousand people. Even so, it was enough to evoke genuine emotion in Rem’s eyes.
“In that case, do you want to walk around and take a look?” Subaru offered.
“…No, there’s no need. I don’t want to waste more time than necessary.”
“I wouldn’t call it a waste if it’s for you,” Subaru said, scratching his cheek. “If it weren’t for you, things wouldn’t have gone so smoothly with Flop and the others. You can be a little selfish if you want.”
“…I’m saying it wouldn’t be good to keep those very same people waiting. You’ve already relied so much on them, and now you’d put yourself even further in their debt?”
“Ugh… When you put it that way, yeah, sorry…”
Rem’s sharp gaze pierced Subaru’s chest.
Behind them, a cart drawn by a farrow creaked heavily as it passed through the gate. Farrows were domesticated animals, like land dragons and ligers. Lacking wind-blocking blessings like land dragons, farrows were slower and primarily used for transport within towns.
And…
“Hey, hey, hey, kept you waiting! They took their time checking the load! Sheesh, talk about a hassle!”
A young man with long forelocks sat in the coachman’s seat, shrugging dramatically as his cart approached. His dazzling blond hair, fair skin, and loose-fitting clothes over a slender frame gave him a relaxed, gentle air that put others at ease.
Seeing him, Subaru bowed his head.
“Sorry about that, Flop. You even let us go ahead of you.”
“Nah, don’t worry about it! Cargo inspections are boring work. There’s nothing to gain sticking around for that!”
The man, Flop, shook his head gently, dismissing Subaru’s apology. His long hair swayed like a tail in an elegant gesture, almost sparkling alongside his soft smile. His energetic manner of speaking created an intriguing contrast with his gentle appearance.
Flop casually touched his forelocks.
“Yeah, it’s a boring job. So just leave that to m…y sister!”
“Hey, Brother, I heard that, you know!”
“Ha-ha-ha, I wasn’t trying to hide it, Little Sis! Don’t underestimate your brother’s voice control.”
Flop’s response was painfully vague. The person who’d answered was a tall woman walking beside the slow-moving cart. She had the same blond hair as Flop, a similar facial structure, and a remarkable height—she was easily taller than any woman Subaru had encountered in this world.
Her clothes left her shoulders and legs mostly bare, and her voluminous hair was divided into countless intricate locks and arranged into a striking style.
While the rest of her appearance was eye-catching, her most notable feature was the pair of swords at her hips. Judging by their well-worn condition, they were clearly not decorative.
She introduced herself as Medium. She and her brother, Flop, had been traveling together. The O’Connell siblings were the ones who had helped Subaru and his party pass through the inspection point.
When Subaru implemented Operation: Rely on the Kindness of Others, he’d carefully observed the line to identify whom to approach—and ultimately settled on Flop and Medium.
The reason for choosing them was…
“Whooooa! You saw through everything and knew what I was thinking?!” Medium asked, amazed.
“Of course. If you can’t see into the future, you’ll never succeed as a merchant. Our O’Connell Company is built on my brain and your brawn, after all!”
“That’s my bro for you! I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about!”
“Ha-ha-ha-ha, as long as you’re enjoying yourself!”
The siblings exchanged loud laughter. Their easygoing rapport and vibrant personalities were what had drawn Subaru to them. Flop managed the business aspect of their traveling company, while Medium protected her brother and their goods on the road.
“I used what I learned from talking with Otto and Anastasia…,” Subaru muttered to himself.
Both Otto, his ally, and Anastasia, whom he had traveled with extensively, were merchants. While Anastasia had been Echidna in disguise, her knowledge had been no less impressive than Otto’s. Thanks to them, Subaru had developed a certain trust in merchants.
Even in a foreign land, he believed he could negotiate with merchants, which had ultimately led him to the O’Connell siblings. Subaru had successfully persuaded this eccentric duo to help them through the inspection point.
As for the cost of their assistance, what had caught the siblings’ attention most was…
“Still, is this frame really enough compensation? It’s got some clever design elements, but it’s clearly handmade.”
“I won’t deny it’s a bit simple! But I’m interested in its practicality and the extra features for carrying things. It’ll be great for transporting heavy loads, right?”
“…Well, if you’re satisfied with that, then I’m good with it,” Subaru said.
The O’Connell siblings had bartered for the carrying frame Subaru had made for Rem. After disassembling it, Medium loaded it into their cart.
“I was planning to make a new one when we got to town anyway. Besides, you might not even use it again,” Subaru said.
“That’s true. I’d prefer to walk on my own feet if possible. When I rode it, the breeze carried your horrible stench,” Rem quietly retorted, leaning on her staff.
“My bad…,” Subaru muttered, wincing at her bluntness about the miasma that clung to him. She had endured it throughout the journey, so her bringing it up only after they’d arrived showed a surprising bit of compassion.
Watching their interaction, Flop shrugged lamentably.
“That’s no good. You two should get along better! A husband and wife should support each other—it was beautiful how you literally supported each other before!”
“But you’re the one who took their carrying frame, Brother!”
“Ah, you’re right! What right do I have to talk!” Flop exclaimed, pressing his palm to his forehead as Medium burst into laughter.
Their silly exchange brought a smile to Subaru’s face. However, when he glanced at Rem, she wasn’t smiling.
“Umm,” Subaru began hesitantly. “Ms. Rem? Are you upset?”
“Huh? Why would I be upset? I can’t imagine why you’d think that.”
“It’s just…” Subaru fidgeted, poking his fingers together. “Even if it’s just a story, the whole thing about us being married might not have been something you liked…”
As far as Flop and Medium were concerned, Subaru and Rem were husband and wife.
When Subaru had approached the O’Connell siblings for help with the inspection, they’d naturally asked about his relationship with Rem and Louis. Caught off guard, Subaru had been pressed for an answer on the spot.
—No, that wasn’t entirely it. He had an answer prepared. It just wasn’t believed, leaving him with no other choice.
“I didn’t think they wouldn’t buy the traveling-siblings setup…,” Subaru muttered.
“Flop and Medium are siblings themselves, and they resemble each other strongly. It wasn’t a believable lie for you, me, and that child,” Rem pointed out.
Subaru could only concede the truth. His attempt to deceive Flop, a merchant who made a living discerning lies from truth, had failed spectacularly. However, it wasn’t Flop who poked holes in the story—it was Medium, loudly exclaiming from the back, “They don’t look anything like each other, Brother!”
With the sibling lie exposed, Subaru had panicked and pivoted to a convoluted tale about journeying to a distant mountain to dispose of a cursed ring. Unfortunately, the story became so complicated and incoherent that it spiraled out of control.
What ultimately saved them was Rem’s simple declaration: “I’m his wife.”
“You and I are married, and she’s your older sister’s kid, who was left in our care…”
“You were the one who decided I have an older sister. We’re twins, so it’s unlikely she’d have a child this old…but I’ll set that aside,” Rem said, patting Louis on the head.
“Uuu?” Louis made a soft sound, seemingly tickled by Rem’s hand.
Louis’s innocent behavior had played a big role in convincing Flop and Medium about their story. At the very least, the siblings seemed assured that Subaru and company weren’t troublemakers.
“Why did you struggle so much back there? Normally you’re quick to say whatever’s most convenient.”
“You almost made that sound like a compliment, but it’s really just a complaint…,” Subaru replied, scratching his cheek.
Still, he had to admit that his lackluster response had endangered Rem. There was only so much he could gloss over with small talk. He swore to himself that he wouldn’t let her down again, especially after seeing the way she’d groaned and looked at him.
“Yeah, I was surprised, too. When they saw through my lie, my mind just blanked. Maybe…maybe getting stabbed in the shoulder for talking carelessly was a bit traumatic.”
“Ah…”
“I was just afraid of things going south because of a bad response. I know it’s pathetic, but my brain just froze up. I’m sorry,” Subaru said, lowering his head apologetically.
The memory of Todd’s sudden betrayal at the army camp, right after Subaru had Returned by Death, haunted him. That experience had etched fear into his heart, leaving him hesitant to lie. His failure had put Rem’s life at risk—a mistake he couldn’t afford.
“…I understand. You did the best you could in that situation.”
“…Really? Even with that big of a screwup?”
“Everyone’s body freezes up at painful memories. That’s what I think, at least.”
He had expected a cold rebuke and was taken aback by her unexpected kindness. While he knew Rem had a gentle heart capable of empathy, he hadn’t expected her to direct that understanding toward him.
“…You’re not mad?”
“I am not. But I can’t think up a good excuse every time, so talk to me first,” Rem replied.
“Y-yeah, I got it… You’re really not mad?”
“I am not mad.”
“Really, really?”
“I said I’m not mad, didn’t I?!”
Despite her earlier patience, Subaru’s persistent questioning eventually made her angry.
Shrinking under her sharp gaze, Subaru could only beg forgiveness.
And with that small scene, the three of them finally managed to enter Guaral.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login