CHAPTER 5 - THE MUSICIAN NATSUMI SCHWARTZ
1
—Rewinding time to before the queen of dance performed in the banquet hall of Guaral’s city hall building.
Subaru Natsuki boldly strode into the meeting place and made a confident declaration.
“A bloodless victory?”
After Subaru removed his mask, Abel looked up at him and, in a cold voice, dismissed this as fantasy once again. Subaru understood how laughable it sounded.
“While you’re thinking about reducing sacrifices, you have no intention of eliminating them entirely.”
“Of course. Whether you accept it or not, we are at war. Death is inevitable, no matter what you or I do. Even with efforts to avoid wasting personnel resources.”
“I don’t really like that way of thinking,” Subaru scoffed, looking down at Abel, who sat beneath him.
It was a detestable combination of words—personnel and resources—as if people were just numbers. Maybe Abel needed to think that way as someone leading a country, but…
“I won’t accept it. You feel the same, right, Flop?”
“…So instead, you suggest a bloodless victory? That’s quite the bold proposal, considering how exhausted you were earlier,” Abel said derisively.
“I’m not gonna deny I showed my pathetic side before,” Subaru admitted, looking down at his palm. “It’s been one catastrophe after another since I washed up in this country.”
His right arm, newly replaced, had been involved in those endless catastrophes. Or maybe—just barely—losing the arm could be considered one of the few fortunate events.
The replacement arm, Rem waking up, and meeting Flop and Medium—those were the only unambiguously good things. Everything else had just been silver linings in a storm.
Abel, the Shudrak, Todd, the imperial soldiers…
“My spirit was being ground down by all these troubles”—Subaru clenched his fist—“but the friction lit a fire in me.”
At that moment, Rem appeared at the entrance behind Subaru, leaning on her staff, with Utakata and Louis in tow. She had come to witness the decision Subaru Natsuki had reached—the one ignited by her selfish request.
“Using a back door Flop knows about to launch a surprise attack…that won’t go how you want. The people in that city won’t overlook something so obvious.”
Subaru bluntly shot down the plan they had likely been working on while he was outside. The reason? Todd—the terrifying enemy waiting inside the fortified city. He would have already sealed off any obvious back doors and weak spots. Or he might even be leaving them open as traps.
“If you try to use one of those back doors, he’ll be there waiting with an ax to split your head.”
“Wh-wh-why are you looking at me when you say that, buddy?! That’s terrifying!”
Subaru had intended the warning for everyone, but he had ended up staring intensely at Flop.
He vividly remembered the two times he had seen Flop felled by a murderous ax before his eyes. He would rather die than witness that again. And he would not let it happen.
“If it’s just a surprise attack, then yes, they’ll be on guard.” Abel was the first to agree with Subaru’s assessment.
“…Weird. Are you really the kind of person to admit your own mistakes so easily?”
But despite Subaru’s surprise—
“Fool,” Abel fired back coldly. “Who said anything about a mistake? I simply said that planning a surprise attack in that way is foolish.”
“…? Then what were you planning to use the back door for?”
“There is no rule that an entrance must be used by people. To paralyze the soldiers inside the city, we only need to bring something in. Such as poison.”
“All the more reason I can’t let you do this!”
Abel’s indifferent tone made it sound inevitable, but Subaru outright rejected it.
Poison was out. Way out.
Subaru knew firsthand just how powerful the Shudrak’s poison was, and he absolutely refused to let it be used.
That kind of hellish pain—it was more miserable than dying in battle.
“Aren’t you trying to limit casualties to convince Flop?”
“Of course. That’s why I prepared a strategy that wouldn’t impact our combat strength. Even if a surprise attack succeeds, we could still suffer losses. But with poison, there’s no such risk. What’s so strange about that?”
“How can you talk about limiting casualties without considering the townspeople?!”
“Now, now, calm down, you two! Don’t glare at each other like that!”
The discussion was about to break down completely due to the vast difference in their perspectives, but Flop stepped between them, forcing them to move apart.
Looking between their faces, he placed a hand on his chest.
“Let’s calm down and talk! The chief and I weren’t getting anywhere close to agreeing! But I’d love to hear about this bloodless plan of yours! If it’s really possible, it’d be like a dream come true!”
“Flop…”
Seeing Flop’s beaming smile and hopeful expression, Subaru suppressed the anger welling up inside him. It seemed even Abel was taken aback by Flop’s optimism.
“Hmph. Very well, let’s hear it. If your plan can convince this merchant and get him to reveal the hidden routes, it’ll save time.”
“Eh?! Buddy?! Are you—”
“No! Not at all! We didn’t plan this! And you—quit trying to make me look like the bad guy here!”
Abel, as usual, showed no sign of shame over his comment, which was bound to make Flop misunderstand the situation. Seeing that unperturbed, immovable expression, Subaru grumbled, “Do you even really need that damn mask…?”
Just then—
“So then…”
A faint voice broke the tension.
Rem, standing at the entrance, watched Subaru’s back. Unbothered by the shifting mood, she focused solely on him.
“So then, what will you do? Can you find a path other than a fleeting dream or a bloody reality?”
“…You really know how to set my heart on fire, don’t you?”
As Rem’s expression softened, Subaru grimaced but then steeled himself. He swept his gaze across the faces in the room—Abel, Flop, Mizelda, and the other Shudrak warriors.
“My plan doesn’t need a back door or any bloodshed. But Flop, I need your help.”
“Buddy, I’m just a powerless traveling merchant with a knack for words. You know that.”
“Yeah, of course. But you’re not just a traveling merchant. You’ve got a special talent… Your good looks.”
“…Huh? My looks?” Flop’s eyes widened as he instinctively touched his face.
The others in the room tilted their heads, puzzled by Subaru’s remark.
“I see. That’s certainly true.”
“…! Sister, did you realize something?”
“No, I was just agreeing with Subaru’s comment.”
“Sister…”
Talitta slumped in disappointment as Mizelda crossed her arms and nodded sagely.
To varying degrees, everyone had the same reaction—they didn’t quite grasp Subaru’s intent. Even Flop and Abel were at a loss.
However, Mizelda, who held strong opinions about beauty—or the lack thereof—wasn’t entirely off the mark. Her occasionally disheartening eye for attractiveness had given Subaru a crucial clue.
Her taste in men had sparked the idea for his bloodless plan.
“Seeing is believing. Just go along with me and give it a try, Flop.”
“Go along with you? I don’t mind, but what exactly—”
“Just roll with me,” Subaru cut in forcefully. He turned to Mizelda. “You use cosmetics to dye your hair and create the patterns on your bodies, right? Any chance you could lend me those and the tools you use?”
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