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“Look, Sister! This is apparently the famed Shudrak village! The rumors weren’t wrong! It’s deep in unexplored lands! This is an enormous discovery!”
“Oooh! Incredible, Bro! Look, look! Everyone’s abs are totally ripped like mine! Super ripped, Bro! The most ripped!”
“Indeed!”
The carefree voices of the O’Connell siblings echoed through the village, carefree and unbothered as ever, rising into the sky.
Their ability to chatter so freely was a sign of how much the Shudrak had gradually allowed them into their village.
Together with their farrow cart, the two were surrounded by curious Shudrak in the middle of the clearing. Yet, unbothered by the stares or any potential danger, they continued their boisterous exchange.
“You’ve brought a terribly discordant pair back with you. Are they necessary for your travels? If so, you and I value things quite differently.”
“I’m not gonna deny that our values are different, but I can’t say I like that attitude, either.”
“Oh?”
Subaru and Abel were seated on the floor of the gathering place, facing off as they had a few days prior. Even after Subaru’s punch, Abel showed no sign of remorse or reflection. Subaru hadn’t expected an apology, but he certainly wouldn’t have minded one.
However, what Subaru couldn’t let slide was Abel’s dismissive attitude toward Flop and Medium.
“Abel, those two got dragged into our mess. They were considerate and helpful when we were stuck in front of the city…that’s all,” Subaru began, though before he could fully articulate his frustration, Rem chimed in with a calm explanation instead.
Unlike the last time Subaru and Abel had faced off, the gathering place was not clear of others. Rem sat politely beside Subaru, while Kuna and Holly, who had accompanied them back, sat nearby. On Abel’s side were Mizelda and Talitta.
Louis was being watched over by Utakata, who was close to her age. They were probably still in the clearing near the farrow cart where Flop and Medium were surrounded by other curious Shudrak.
Either way…
“Thanks to the help of those two, we managed to get back here safely. Because of that, Flop and Medium are now also targeted by the city’s soldiers—”
“No, let me correct you,” Abel interjected coldly. “It is not merely the city’s soldiers. It is imperial soldiers. People who serve this country have now become your enemies.”
Abel’s dry words pierced Subaru and Rem. Rem averted her light-blue eyes weakly while Subaru gritted his teeth. It was a truth difficult to deny, even if it was hard to emotionally accept.
“Getting spotted by a soldier from the imperial camp was my mistake,” Subaru admitted. “And the fact they’ve turned on us is a result of my actions.”
“That is correct. This was set in motion before you even contacted the Shudrak.”
“I’m not making excuses for that. I’m the one who made those enemies. But it should’ve been me alone paying the price for it.”
Subaru’s frustration wasn’t just with himself—it was also with Abel’s attitude. Abel had clearly anticipated the risks of their trip to Guaral. He’d known the odds of encountering surviving imperial soldiers were high and had still let them go.
“That’s why you told Kuna and Holly to wait outside the city, wasn’t it? To cover for us if we got chased out of Guaral,” Subaru accused.
“Yeah, it was really dangerous. If it hadn’t been for me and Kuna, Subaru’s head would’ve been split in two by an ax,” Holly chimed in, chewing on a round dango.
Holly’s nonchalant attitude contrasted with Kuna’s demeanor. She looked uneasy and awkward, clearly feeling guilty.
Subaru was grateful for their help. Without their intervention, the odds were high he’d have fallen victim to an ax.
“Kuna’s sharp eyes for lookout, and Holly’s strength to save us… A combo optimized for long-distance sniping,” Subaru muttered.
“…I didn’t realize it would be that dangerous,” Kuna added softly, guilt heavy in her voice.
Her parting words to Subaru outside Guaral had been critical. Without her warning, they might not have made it to the support waiting beyond the city walls.
However…
“That only applies to Kuna and Holly. You knew exactly how things would turn out. Don’t think I have any forgiveness left for you.”
That was why, the moment Subaru had returned, he’d thrown a punch at Abel.
But as he’d predicted, Abel showed no sign of remorse or guilt. Instead, he sniffed dismissively, as if to say, What of it?
“You came rushing back just to throw a punch, and now you’re complaining? I warned you from the beginning: That is no easy path,” Abel said, his tone dripping with disdain.
“Gh…!”
“You clung to the false stability before your eyes without thinking, and now you’ve paid the price. A captured camp’s closest town? Naturally it would be the first place surviving troops would regroup. That is simple logic.”
“Then why didn’t you just say so from the start?!” Subaru shot back, his frustration boiling over.
Abel, sitting with a knee propped up, continued to roast Subaru’s naivete with pinpoint accuracy. If Abel had anticipated these dangers, then he had essentially let them walk into a trap.
“You knew everything from the start. The likelihood of running into survivors in Guaral, the possibility we’d have to flee for our lives, too, and you caught Rem…”
“…”
“Anyway! You knew it all, and you still kept quiet.”
At first letting his mouth run free, Subaru then stopped himself, almost saying something he shouldn’t.
Shaking his head, Subaru made a point of not looking at Rem. Instead, he funneled all his anger toward Abel.
Even as Subaru’s anger flared, Abel remained calm and cold.
With that sharp gaze of his, how much had he foreseen? And if he saw so clearly, why had he still let them walk into danger?
“Answer me, you bastard. Why did you—”
“To avoid unnecessary extra effort.”
“Unnecessary…?”
Abel responded to Subaru’s heated demand with a bored sigh. Subaru blinked at the unexpected answer, watching as Abel calmly scooped some dry dirt from the ground into his hand.
“The likes of you pay more attention to your own foolish eyes than to the warnings of the wise. The harsh drops of rain are far more eloquent to you than any words from my mouth.”
“…”
“Thanks to this, you’ve learned a painful lesson, I imagine… Now you know you have nowhere to run.”
As he spoke, Abel let the dry dirt trickle from his palm. That simple gesture alone made Subaru painfully aware of how trapped they truly were.
The emperor of the Holy Volakian Empire wielded words as deftly as a weapon, manipulating those around him with ease. Before his cunning, Subaru’s complaints felt like the helpless cries of a caged animal.
“…So what do you want to do, then?”
“My goal remains unchanged. To take back what was stolen from me. To that end, the empire as it currently exists is my enemy—and, by extension, yours as well.”
“…So what, you’re telling me to work with you?”
“For now, I have explained that I have no reason to cause you harm.”
Abel’s words seeped into Subaru’s mind like poison, leaving him struggling to formulate a clear response. His phrasing and deliberate vagueness kept Subaru perpetually off balance, as if testing him.
Abel never stated anything plainly but kept talking as if urging Subaru to think for himself and choose his own course of action.
“…So everything’s playing out in the palm of your hand, huh? I don’t like it.”
“Unfortunately, only some people move within my palm. My failure to fully control those outside it is why I’m sitting here on the ground.”
For a brief moment, Abel’s response sounded almost self-deprecating.
Subaru couldn’t see his expression behind the oni mask, and his tone betrayed no clear emotion, but his words felt like self-criticism. It was rare—perhaps this was the first time Subaru had sensed something like this from Abel.
“…”
Looking at Abel directly, Subaru fell silent, lost in thought.
I don’t know. Not what we’re going to do, not what path to take, and not what he’s really thinking. I don’t want to get caught up in his plans and face more misfortune.
What is he really after?
Subaru doubted Abel saw any real value in him personally. If Abel wanted him around, it had to be for some secondary benefit, not for Subaru himself.
“Buddy! The people here really are pleasant and broad-minded! I’m astonished!”
“Whoa?!”
Flop’s cheerful voice burst into the gathering place, interrupting Subaru’s serious thoughts. Looking around, Flop greeted the assembled group with his trademark energetic charm.
“Oh dear, my apologies for failing to introduce myself! It seems I’ve stumbled upon a gathering of this village’s representatives! And you all bear a striking resemblance to Ms. Kuna and Ms. Holly!”
“Because we are.”
“That’s right.”
“Oh, really! That was rude of me!”
Tugging at his long forelocks, Flop briskly walked to the center of the room and offered a bow, his amiable smile beaming.
“Allow me to introduce myself! I am Flop O’Connell, a traveling merchant accompanied by my sister, Medium, and our trusty Botecliffe! Through a series of events, we’ve joined the buddy, his wife, and their niece on a challenging journey. I am in your care!”
“He sort of understands his position and sort of doesn’t… Sister, what should we do?”
Talitta, listening to Flop’s enthusiastic introduction with a pained expression, turned to her older sister, Mizelda, for guidance.
“Hmm… No, he’s a looker, so we should put him in a room.”
“Sister…”
Crossing her arms, Mizelda made her judgment based purely on Flop’s appearance, her reasoning extraordinarily simple and easy to understand. Talitta’s slight unease hinted at the challenges of supporting Mizelda, the chief.
Of course, if Mizelda’s standards were purely superficial, Subaru would never have been allowed to stay in the village. So there was likely more to her decision-making than met the eye.
“Right, Mizelda, there’s something I wanted to check,” Subaru interjected. “Flop here is my guest—or more like I brought him here on my own judgment. But are you going to make him take the ritual of blood, or…?”
“Ritual of blood? Is that some sort of legendary welcoming ceremony passed down in this village? If so, I’d love to experience it!”
“It’s legendary, all right, but I wouldn’t call it welcoming.”
Flop’s eagerness contrasted sharply with the true nature of the ritual. If it involved battling a demon beast, Subaru suspected Flop’s enthusiasm might wane—or, equally frightening, it might not.
“I knew he was noisy from a single wall away,” Abel muttered coldly, clearly unimpressed by Flop’s presence.
Flop’s radiant, sunlit warmth clashed completely with Abel’s cold, calculating demeanor. Unsurprisingly, Abel showed no interest in the cheerful merchant.
“Oh! You have quite a unique look… Are you the chief of this village, perhaps? I’ve read that people with distinctive appearances often hold special statuses!”
At Flop’s enthusiastic comment, Subaru’s blood ran cold.
Flop’s observation wasn’t unreasonable, given Abel’s striking oni mask, but there was no way anyone would mistake him for a Shudrak. The mask aside, everything about Abel clashed with Shudrak culture.
“The logic isn’t bad, but you lack attention to detail and consideration. You said you’re a traveling merchant…?” Abel began, his sharp critique cutting through Flop’s introduction.
“Ah, yes, that’s right!”
Almost singing, Flop placed a hand on his chest as he answered.
“I travel around the empire with an oxcart pulled by my little sister Botecliffe, loaded with items for sale… We siblings wander with the wind!”
From outside came an enthusiastic response:
“That’s my bro!”
Even through the walls, the siblings’ bond shone brightly. However, that heartwarming display of familial love did nothing to thaw Abel’s frozen heart.
“Hmph,” he sniffed. “Subaru Natsuki, you mentioned picking these up in town.”
“Don’t talk about people like they’re inanimate objects. And technically, Flop picked us up.”
“The crucial point is one of nature. I have no time to dawdle on trivialities. However, for the first time, I will praise your returning here. You’ve done excellent work.”
“That doesn’t really feel like a compliment… You’re planning something.”
Subaru had expected Flop and Abel to clash like oil and water. That was why he’d had Flop wait outside, looking for the best moment to introduce him. However, Abel’s reaction was entirely unexpected.
Abel didn’t care about Flop as a person, nor Medium, whom he only knew by her loud voice. Which meant the answer was clear.
“Merchant, how familiar are you with Guaral?”
“That is a good question, chief! I can say with some confidence that I’m fairly well connected in the Guaral area. I’ve learned not to stray too far afield—I stick to what I know. A traveling merchant must know the roads, after all!”
“There’s a thin line between caution and cowardice,” Kuna muttered at Flop’s unabashed response.
Abel, however, fell silent behind his oni mask. Or rather—Subaru’s ears caught something else.
It was a soft noise from Abel’s throat.
“What fortune,” Abel said. “You’ve stumbled upon a windfall, Subaru Natsuki… A traveling merchant who knows the city must surely know a hidden path or two.”
“Whoa, wait a second, Abel. Hidden path? What are you talking about?”
“Again seeking answers from others? It appears you’ve failed to grasp the meaning of my repeated questions. I have no words to offer such ignorance.”
As infuriating as Abel’s attitude was, Subaru knew he couldn’t sever their connection or walk away. Alone, he would be helpless.
Still, the question Abel asked Flop had made things clear.
“Abel, are you…” Subaru’s cheeks tensed, his lips trembling.
“Even with that poor head of yours, you’ve arrived at a useful conclusion. Yes, precisely what you’re thinking,” Abel said, his gaze piercing through Subaru from behind the oni mask.
As if to make his intent clear to everyone present, Abel continued.
“The capture of the fortress city of Guaral. I require that city as my next base.”
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