3
The capture of Guaral. That was Abel’s next move.
Digesting that bold declaration, Subaru came to an immediate conclusion:
This is absurd.
“…Do you mean to use a hidden path to attack the city?”
Rem’s quiet voice cut through Subaru’s swirling thoughts. Sitting neatly with her legs tucked under her, she fixed her gaze on Abel, not glaring but studying him.
“It goes without saying,” Abel replied with a shrug. “You saw it yourselves—the town is surrounded by walls, with the lone main entrance heavily guarded. A stratagem is needed to bypass those defenses and infiltrate the city.”
“Even if you get in, there are still a significant number of imperial soldiers inside. Ignoring the inspection point, the disparity in numbers is simply too great,” Rem countered, her argument calm and logical.
Abel sniffed at her reasoning, while Subaru’s confusion deepened.
Why was Rem engaging Abel so directly? She seemed aligned with Subaru in opposing the attack, yet her arguments were startlingly precise—as if she had been mulling over the city’s defenses ever since their brief stay in Guaral.
“Subaru Natsuki. What is your understanding of the balance of forces between attack and defense?” Abel suddenly asked.
“Huh? Balance of forces…? Oh, you mean the three-to-one rule?”
“Three-to-one rule… I see. A fitting expression.” Abel nodded thoughtfully at Subaru’s reflexive answer.
The three-to-one rule was a general military principle. An attacking force usually needed at least three times the numbers of the defending force to have a reasonable chance of success. Defenders had the advantage because they could win simply by enduring the attack, while attackers had to decisively defeat their opponents to claim victory.
In this situation, Abel and the Shudrak would need to occupy the city to capture Guaral, while the defending imperial soldiers only needed to hold out.
“There’s no way you can muster three times the city’s forces. Mizelda, how many people are there in the village?”
“Eighty-two all told. Including Abel and Flop…an even hundred.”
“I don’t know how heavily you’re weighing appearances in your math, but okay, a hundred it is. Even at a rough estimate, there must be over three hundred soldiers in that city, right?”
Mizelda’s calculation aside, Subaru judged Guaral’s military strength based on its size. The city likely housed thousands of civilians, with a full complement of guards to maintain order and surviving soldiers from the burned-out camp bolstering their ranks.
Including Todd…
“It seems you at least grasp the fundamentals,” Abel said. “However, I sense there’s a different fear stopping your tongue—aside from the disparity in forces.”
“…It’s true I’m scared. But the difference in forces is very real, too.”
Subaru’s fear wasn’t just about the odds. It was about the terrifying implications of what Abel was planning.
Subaru scoffed awkwardly, feeling exposed.
Abel had read him like a book. It was true—when he thought about capturing Guaral, the first obstacle that came to mind wasn’t the city walls or the soldiers. It was Todd. Just the thought of facing him again made Subaru’s insides churn.
But beyond that fear, the three-to-one rule still held.
“The only way I can see us bridging that gap in fighting power is if we either find some world-class warrior to fight for us or hope the enemy commander is the most incompetent idiot imaginable.”
“Unfortunately, neither of those scenarios is likely. The Shudrak are certainly formidable against disorganized masses, but they will falter when surrounded and overwhelmed by superior numbers. As for the enemy commander, it is Zikr Osman, from what I have gathered. A steady and unremarkable tactician, but one who does not leave openings.”
“Zikr… I’ve heard that name before.”
Todd had mentioned him—before their relationship collapsed. Back at the imperial camp, Todd had told Subaru that someone named Zikr was in charge of the operation. Subaru had assumed he had been caught up in the camp’s destruction.
“There were only expendable troops in that camp. They were given minimal information to obscure the army’s true intentions. A general second-class would not deploy to the front lines for a mere jungle tribe.”
“Then the command post has been inside the city the entire time.”
“In truth, had events unfolded as planned, it would have been a flawless campaign. The only disruptions in his strategy were my intervention and your existence, Subaru Natsuki.”
Abel forced Subaru to confront his own responsibility for the chaos. The very thing Subaru wanted to forget was now laid bare before him.
Grinding his teeth, Subaru covered his mouth with his hand.
So this General Osman was in Guaral. If imperial military ranks followed a structured hierarchy with first-class generals at the top, then Zikr was far from a nobody.
“So what does that mean? Not only are we outnumbered, but the enemy commander is high-ranking enough that it’s easier to count down from the top. And on top of that, they’re on high alert because we already kicked the hornet’s nest?”
“Precisely. Do you understand the weight of your actions?”
“I’m saying your plan is impossible!”
Abel continued poking at Subaru’s mistakes, but the real issue was elsewhere—Abel was still planning to fight despite the overwhelming odds.
More than anything—
“I’m not fighting. I made that clear when I left here. I…I just want to take Rem and go home.”
“But you’ve already seen how difficult that is. Do you think the soldiers in Guaral are your only enemies? Can you truly say any other city or town would be safer?”
“…”
“No matter where you go, you will no longer find a safe haven. I have given you ample time to let that reality seep into your bones. Or do you need more suffering before you understand?”
Abel’s sharp words pecked away at Subaru’s fragile defenses.
Taking a deep breath, Subaru felt as if his very being were being whittled down. And yet—he couldn’t deny the truth in Abel’s words.
His experience in Guaral had shattered his confidence. Even if he tried to flee with Rem and escape across the border, the same fear and paranoia would follow them.
The five deaths he had suffered had stripped him of any illusions.
“…In that case, what if I just sell you out to your enemies?”
Feeling cornered and overwhelmed, Subaru spoke with venom in his voice.
The moment he said it, the air in the room turned razor sharp.
From the corner of his eye, Subaru saw Rem’s expression freeze, her eyes widening in shock. But the one being threatened—Abel—merely smirked.
“Hmph. So your mind is finally beginning to function properly. However…”
“That is out of the question, Subaru.”
Before he could react, a blade was at his throat.
He gulped and looked up to find Mizelda, the tall, imposing chief, who had moved in an instant. Her cold, piercing gaze was that of a hunter.
“We have already chosen to fight alongside Abel. If this is the wish of a brother who has been accepted through the ritual of blood, then there is no other path.”
“…I know it’s rich coming from me, considering I borrowed your strength to get Rem back. But is this really okay with all of you?”
Mizelda was the chief—an embodiment of the Shudrak way of life. Convincing her would be impossible. But what about the others?
Talitta, Kuna, Holly—did they all feel the same?
“He already admitted it. The difference in numbers is obvious, and the enemy is a seasoned commander. If you know you can’t win, then—”
“You’re misunderstanding, Subaru.”
“…Misunderstanding?”
The unexpected response came from Holly.
She had been listening quietly from the side while chewing on dried meat, her big, round eyes focused on him.
“If we’re just talking about winning or losing, we already lose just by staying out of the fight. Our souls would be tarnished if we didn’t fight for our brother.”
“Tarnished… You mean like pride? Or honoring your ancestors?”
“Right, right! You get it.”
Holly nodded with a grin.
But that wasn’t proof that they understood each other. It was proof that they couldn’t understand each other.
Subaru knew that kind of thinking existed. Concepts like pride, honor, and family legacy—intangible things that some people valued more than life itself.
But to Subaru, nothing was more important than staying alive.
“Kuna! Talitta! Do you both feel the same?!”
“I’m not as extreme about it as Holly or the chief,” Kuna admitted.
“…I obey my sister’s decisions. That is my will.”
“I…see…”
Subaru didn’t get the response he had been hoping for.
He had thought maybe Kuna, being somewhat removed from the strict Shudrak way of thinking, might hesitate. But that had been a misjudgment. And Talitta’s unwavering obedience to Mizelda went without saying.
It seemed the deadlock would continue—until…
“Mizelda, please withdraw your weapon. He does not intend to sell Abel out to the other side.”
Of all people, it was Rem who spoke up.
Mizelda’s sharp eyes narrowed at the unexpected request.
“You’re giving me orders, Rem? You have not undergone the ritual of blood. You are only allowed in this village because Subaru requested it. You have no right to speak.”
“Then all the more reason you should withdraw your weapon. This person has undergone your ritual—the ritual of blood—and has been acknowledged as a brother. It wouldn’t be good to injure him.”
“Mrgh…”
Mizelda had tried to silence Rem with her gaze, but Rem remained unfazed. In the end, Mizelda withdrew her knife and returned it to its sheath.
Letting Subaru go, she fixed her gaze on Rem.
“You were correct. However, if Abel and Subaru remain at odds, I will take Abel’s side. Do not forget that.”
“Is that because his eyes or body stench make him villainous?” Rem muttered.
“A little bit of a nasty gaze is a charm point. But I prefer a handsome man.”
Though it helped ease the tension, the final exchange left a deflated feeling in the air.
Regardless, Subaru was finally free from the immediate threat of having his throat slit. He instinctively rubbed his neck where the blade had been and then turned toward Rem.
“…What?”
“I just wasn’t sure how to react. You covered for me, but then you roasted me right after.”
“I said nothing about your face. It was your eyes. And your stench. It’s unbearable. Please sit farther away from me.”
“Now you say that…?!”
Rem’s attitude had shifted into its glacial phase again, and Subaru found himself exiled to a greater distance. However, a more complicated feeling gnawed at him.
Why did she speak up for me?
She had been indifferent back in Guaral, unwilling to rely on him.
“Our conversation has gone astray,” Abel interrupted, dragging them back to the topic at hand. “However, even if you were to slip past the Shudrak unnoticed, selling me out would be meaningless.”
“…You’re good at steering the conversation back. Fine, then tell me why.”
“Though you were in Guaral for only a short time, surely you heard how the empire is currently being governed.”
“How it’s… Ah! Right! Right! You—”
A sudden realization struck Subaru, and he smacked his knee. All eyes turned toward him.
“Flop!”
“Huh?” Flop, still catching up with the rapid shifts in conversation, blinked in confusion. “What is it, buddy? Honestly, I feel like I’ve been thrown into a whirlwind! The topic’s been spinning out of my grasp!”
“Sorry for leaving you in the dust. I just need to confirm something. That official notice from the capital you mentioned in Guaral… The emperor’s declaration.”
“The declaration… Oh! You mean the trouble in the capital?” Flop snapped his fingers.
Subaru nodded. The chaos he had endured at Todd’s hands had burned itself into his mind, but he had also spoken to Flop about this back in Guaral.
“The disturbances in the capital spreading beyond the city…and the emperor riding out to resolve them personally. That was the official announcement, right?”
“That’s right. Actually, it’s the first proclamation to be issued since the current emperor took the throne! But he’s handled everything up until now. I’m not worried at all! Hail Volakia!”
Raising both hands, Flop shouted cheerfully, unintentionally reopening an old wound for Subaru.
The issue wasn’t Flop’s enthusiasm. It was the emperor’s supposed presence in the capital.
“If the emperor is showing himself to the masses…then who the hell are you?! Can you prove you’re not just some crazy pretender?”
“Proof? What need is there for such a thing?”
“What?”
Still seated, Abel snorted and dismissed Subaru’s doubts. He then placed a hand to his chest, as if to emphasize his presence.
“I cannot speak for the fools who have turned against me, but if you believe me a mere madman after all this, then how would you explain our current situation?”
“I—”
“Cease clinging to delusions that you yourself cannot even believe. If you eliminate all impossibilities, what remains must be the truth.”
Abel’s words were harsh, but Subaru had to admit—his logic was sound.
If Abel was a fraud, that meant he had fooled not only Subaru but also the Shudrak, manipulated them, and successfully outmaneuvered the imperial army. That was a level of deception that would be nearly impossible to maintain.
In reality, Abel had already used the Shudrak’s strength, combined with information from Subaru, to defeat an imperial force. That alone was not something a simple con artist could pull off.
“But in that case…what’s happening in the capital? If the emperor is taking direct command, that means someone is standing in front of people as you.”
“I am sure someone will appear. Someone with a sufficiently similar appearance. They will use the most complete imitation possible…Chisha Gold.”
“Chisha…?”
It was an unfamiliar name. But Subaru understood immediately.
That was Abel’s body double.
A country ruled by the strong would naturally have an emperor wary of assassination attempts. Having a body double in place was a logical precaution.
But if that double was being used by the enemy, then—
“Wait. That completely defeats the purpose of a body double.”
“Silence. I am well aware of that.”
“Really? Well, it’s a huge pain in the ass for us. If you’d at least kept things stable here…”
Subaru’s problem was simple: Rem’s cold attitude, caused by her memory loss.
In order to reunite with Emilia and the others, he just needed to travel across Volakia. That was all it should have been.
Yet somehow, everything had spiraled into this mess.
“Uh, umm, buddy.”
Flop, his handsome brow furrowed, wore a troubled expression. His head tilted at an extreme angle as he tried to process the conversation.
“I’ve been listening, and you and the chief here are having a pretty wild discussion. Honestly, I was already shocked by the joke about capturing Guaral, but…”
“Joke… No, yeah, right. Umm, Flop, I was going to explain, but—”
“Oh, then please do! Because otherwise, I’m just gonna have to accept what I’m hearing and assume—”
Flop pointed at Abel.
“—that masked village chief over there is actually His Highness the Emperor. And that would be impossible!”
“…”
“What’s this? If you clam up now, I’m gonna be in real trouble. Fortunately, I’m known for jumping to conclusions. The good thing about that is I’m flexible enough to take back my thoughts just as quick…”
“You have clearly come in bad faith.”
Abel was clearly displeased that Subaru had spoken about sensitive matters far too freely. It was only natural that Flop correctly deduced the truth.
However, hearing Abel accuse someone else of dishonesty made Subaru snap.
“Bad faith?! That’s rich coming from you! I know this isn’t something to go running my mouth about!”
“Then you should have completed any necessary assessments before returning. It seems you still do not comprehend your situation. Even after ample time to think while fleeing for your life from Guaral.”
“…”
“How can you compromise on rational thought when you have something more precious than your own life at your side?”
The moment Abel said “something more precious than your own life,” Subaru’s thoughts immediately went to Rem.
And every word that followed cut into him like a blade.
Abel’s stance was cruelly clear. If Subaru’s priority was protecting Rem, then why had he acted so thoughtlessly?
Subaru didn’t believe he had been careless. He hadn’t compromised. But Abel thought far more strategically and from his perspective, Subaru’s judgment had been lacking, shortsighted, and naive.
He was blaming Subaru for bringing someone untrustworthy into the fold.
In Abel’s eyes, Subaru’s attempt to keep Flop and Medium uninvolved wasn’t a kindness—it was an absurd foolishness.
“I…”
“Chief, mind if I interrupt the conversation for just a bit?”
Subaru was at a loss for words, but Flop, ever energetic, raised his hand. He stepped forward, then sat cross-legged facing Abel.
“Or maybe not ‘chief.’ What should I call you?”
“I have no title at present. I go by Abel, but you may address me as you wish.”
“That so! Then, just based on the mood, I’ll stick with ‘chief.’” Flop grinned and slapped his knees with both hands. “Now, I am scared of rejection, but I’d like to circle back on this chat a bit. Chief, you asked me about hidden paths into the city, right?”
“Yes. I did. Do you know of any, merchant?”
“I do! And I’m very tempted to say what they are, but I’m sorry—if you’re planning to use them to attack Guaral, then I refuse!”
Flop held his palms out, rejecting Abel outright.
Even Subaru widened his eyes at the flat refusal. And behind the oni mask, Abel’s gaze seemed to narrow ever so slightly.
Flop’s words were serious, despite his usual lighthearted tone.
“…”
Flop was loud, expressive, and theatrical, but he was no fool.
He had already deduced that Abel was someone of noble—or even imperial—status. He couldn’t confirm or deny it outright, but the possibility was clear.
And yet, despite that, Flop was looking directly at the man who might be the emperor of Volakia—and saying no.
“…Are you aware of the meaning behind that decision?” Abel asked.
“Of course, Chief Nobody.” Flop shrugged. “If it means dragging others into a battle, then I refuse. I won’t let my knowledge be used to hurt people.”
“Ignorant fantasy. In the real world, malice strikes without concern for your wishes. Would you hold your hands out and plead for it all to stop?”
“If that’s what I have to do!”
“Even if you do, it will accomplish nothing. This is a country of wolves.”
A suffocating pressure filled the room. It wasn’t just power—it was presence. Abel’s aura of sheer, overwhelming menace settled over them like an oppressive weight.
Even Rem and the Shudrak, who could physically overpower Abel, gulped and froze.
Subaru, of course, was no exception. He forgot to breathe.
And Flop, caught in that same dread, was no different.
Yet—despite the tension pulling at his cheeks, despite the terror looming over him—
“Even in a land of wolves, the sheep still live,” Flop said. “If a wolf bites me in the butt, I’ll get in my farrow cart and run away with my sister. Just like I’ve always done, chief.”
Flop never lost his smile. Even as the weight of Abel’s authority bore down on him, his response didn’t waver.
At those words—Abel’s menace suddenly dissipated. The pressure vanished. The air became breathable again.
Subaru, still reeling, gasped for breath. But even with oxygen returning to his lungs, his composure didn’t return.
“F-Flop…”
The smile Flop gave him in response was dazzling. A bit wry, maybe, but it held no regret.
Even if Flop himself had no regrets, Subaru did. Because Flop had just refused the Emperor of Volakia to his face.
If Abel was displeased, he could order the Shudrak to turn on Flop. He could have him imprisoned. He could do anything to him.
And yet—
“…Despite your absurd words, you appear to be steadfast in your beliefs.”
Abel’s voice was calm.
“You are a troublesome one, merchant.”
“Really? But I have a friendly sort of face, if I do say so myself!”
“I agree,” Mizelda said, suddenly cutting in.
Abel did not turn his ire on Flop, and Flop responded in a way that made it unclear whether he truly grasped the nature of the tightrope he had just crossed.
As for Mizelda—well, no comment.
It was a surprising exchange, though. Flop’s sheer audacity and Abel’s unexpected willingness to let it slide.
Subaru had thought—
“I thought you’d be more obstinate, Abel.”
“Whoa, Rem?!”
Subaru’s eyes widened at Rem’s comment, which perfectly echoed his own thoughts.
He had thought the same thing but had chosen not to say it—because he didn’t see any benefit to voicing it. But Rem had had no such hesitation, drawing Abel’s masked gaze.
“You have misjudged me. First of all, what would you have me do?”
“…I assumed you would have him beaten to get the information, at least.”
Rem was far too honest.
But Subaru couldn’t deny that he had also considered that possibility.
If Abel truly wanted to force Flop to talk, he could order the Shudrak to torture him. It wouldn’t be shocking.
“It would be pointless.” Abel merely shrugged. “There are times when pain is the most effective method of negotiation. However, information obtained through torture is notoriously unreliable. People will say anything to escape pain.”
“…”
“And your eyes make it clear—you would risk your life to shield him if I tried.”
Abel’s words were aimed at Rem, and Subaru, following his gaze, realized something.
The usual softness in Rem’s features was gone.
Instead, her expression was tense—grim determination overtaking her usual cold indifference.
She was willing to fight to protect Flop.
Abel saw it. Subaru saw it.
“I shall not engage in foolish self-harm for the sake of unreliable information,” Abel stated. “So instead—we negotiate.”
“Negotiate?”
“Merchant, I shall buy the knowledge you possess. Let us discuss terms.”
Lowering his knee, Abel crossed his legs, adopting a more formal pose.
Flop blinked in surprise but kept his smile as he faced Abel.
“Well, that certainly gets my merchant blood pumping! But let me be clear—I’m very stubborn! If I don’t like the deal, I won’t agree to it, even if my head gets split open!”
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