9
“But ya know, I still have questions…”
“Hyesh? Hwhat do ya hwanna mhow?”
“Don’t talk with your mouth full. That’s unbecoming of a lady.”
“Gee-hee-hee. Looks like even the chore boy finally recognizes my womanly charms!”
For some reason, Liliana looked quite proud of herself. Probably because of how she had chosen to interpret Subaru’s scolding. Unfortunately, the way she stuffed her cheeks with snacks like a squirrel made it difficult for her to call herself a lady.
Liliana was currently filling her bottomless pit of a stomach with the special treats that Rem had baked for afternoon tea. As Subaru sipped his tea and enjoyed his sweets in what should have been an enjoyable little afternoon moment of peace, he let out a sigh.
“You’ve been here three days now…”
“Yes, indeed. How the time flies… And?”
“These attackers haven’t exactly been coming after you constantly, but…seriously, what the hell did you do?!”
As Subaru’s shout echoed back in time over the past three days, Liliana’s round eyes grew even rounder in surprise. During the course of her stay at the manor, her pursuers had mounted multiple attacks, coming morning, noon, and night for a total of ten times and counting.
So much for the hope that Liliana’s attackers would back off if she was in the care of a marquis.
“Rem is holding them off all by herself for now, but if there’s one thing these guys are freakishly good at, it’s running. We still haven’t caught a single one of them. How is that even possible?”
Liliana waved a hand. “Aw, c’mon, if we knew that, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Please don’t make me point out the obvious after all this time.”
“I know you’re an anomaly, but how did you lose any semblance of dignity in just three days?!”
Liliana just laughed it off. She really had gotten a bit too comfortable over the past three days. She’d been her meek little self for only a few hours on the first day. Now she boldly marched around the manor as if the entire place and everything inside it belonged to her. (Either that, or she simply didn’t care what Subaru thought of her.)
“All good things come to those who wait, or so they say. Ram won’t rest easy if we have to wait much longer, though.”
“I do apologize for the inconvenience… By the way, are you gonna eat that? Can I have it?”
“Your gratitude is purely superficial, isn’t it?!”
Taking Subaru’s outburst as a “yes,” Liliana helped herself to Subaru’s last piece of cake. Subaru felt sorry for Ram, who had been working hard for Liliana’s sake.
Rem’s sister was currently in Wawer, the town where Liliana had stayed. Thanks to her investigation there, they had figured out that Liliana’s stalking was indeed connected to the rich old man.
The main thing on Subaru’s mind was the genuine look of disgust on Ram’s face as she’d walked out the door. She may have left the manor under Roswaal’s orders, but it was almost certain that she would take it out on him the moment she got back.
“Despite everything,” Subaru said, “pretty much everyone besides Ram seems to have taken a liking to you.”
“Songs don’t care about nationality, language, or race. They just sink into people’s hardened hearts and soften them. Of course, the power of a song is only as good as the worldly wisdom of the bard singing it. A pure heart—that’s what moves people. Gee-hee-hee.”
“That is wildly unconvincing coming from you…”
As Subaru watched the beautiful little girl (aged twenty-one) cackle to herself, he felt a distinct sense of defeat. Though she certainly had her physical appearance and talent…she was a far cry from pure and innocent.
In Subaru’s opinion, a beautiful soul was essential for a woman to be charming.
“In that regard, Emilia-tan truly does deserve to be my number one shining star.”
“Did somebody call my name?”
“Eep!”
When Emilia entered the room right as he was talking about her, Subaru’s heart flew out of his chest. Emilia giggled at the boy standing oddly at attention. She pointed above the door. There, the magic time crystal was shining. The people of this world used it to tell the time based on the changing colors.
“It’s almost time. I couldn’t wait, so I ended up coming over.”
“I’d rather hear you say that when you’re at the door to my bedroom after everyone’s asleep… Rem also said she’d be here as soon as she put away the dishes.”
“Hee-hee, I’m sure Rem is also excited. I’m dying to continue where we left things off yesterday.”
Emilia’s cheeks were visibly pink with girlish excitement. Subaru was confident he could fall in love with just a glimpse of her face, but he was jealous because she wasn’t staring at him. Subaru shot Liliana an impulsive glare.
“The muse has spoken! I present you with my new song—‘Loving Heart of Another, Tastes of Honey.’”
“Shut up!” Subaru barked at the bard, who was licking pastry crème off one hand and grabbing her lyulyre with the other. But since he was just being a sore loser, the smug look of victory stayed on Liliana’s face (which only made him all the more bitter).
“Oh, did you start without me?” Rem asked, popping into the room.
“No, you’re right on time,” Emilia answered, scooting over and patting the spot next to her. “Liliana was just teasing Subaru, as usual.”
“Is that how you see it, Emilia-tan? I’m being teased?!”
With a quiet “Pardon me,” Rem sat beside Emilia, leaving only one empty seat…
“I’ll join your little soiree, I suppose.”
The door opened a third time. This time, it revealed completely different scenery.
On the other side of the door, which was supposed to lead to the manor’s hallway, there was now a dimly lit library. The spacious room was packed wall to wall with bookshelves. A lone girl emerged from the portal.
Her cream-colored hair was coiled into elaborate rolls. Her precious, doll-like face was decidedly expressionless. The hem of her flashy gown swished as she walked into the room. She took one look around with a smug frown on her face and gave a dainty snort.
“Well, thanks for holding a spot for me. I’ll admire you for that, I suppose.”
“Aww, Beatrice, you big silly, of course we wouldn’t start without you! Why, to do something so dishonorable, I—Liliana—would bring shame to the name of woman!”
“I see. Good attitude. I wonder if somebody could learn a thing or two from you.” Beatrice shot Subaru a sharp look. Still, the little girl, who stood no taller than Subaru when he was seated, was surprisingly charming once Subaru got over her brazen attitude.
“Beako, I still can’t believe you’d leave your Archive of Forbidden Books just to come hear Liliana’s songs.”
“Interacting with the world through a medium besides books isn’t a bad thing, I suppose. That girl’s performances have a certain quality to them. I wonder if her singing voice is more valuable than ten of yours.”
“Could you please stop before I seriously start doubting my self-worth?”
Ignoring Subaru, Beatrice lowered herself into an empty seat. Now all of Liliana’s fans at Roswaal Manor were present. It was a surprise to everyone at the manor that not only Emilia and Rem, but even Beatrice had become a fan of the bard’s music.
“Okay, well, thank you for gathering again today to hear my music. Here to color this little moment with song and story is yours truly—your singer, Liliana.”
Before her audience of four, Liliana stood at the center of the room and delivered her preamble. She was bold and proud as she recited the lines. No matter what she was like the rest of the time, she was the perfect bard when she was performing. (And the bit of cake crumb sticking to her lower lip was more charming than anything else.)
“Now, for my first song, I will perform a modern classic: the ‘Love Ballad of the Sword Devil,’ act two. The curtain opens on the Sword Devil’s younger days, when all he knew was the sword…and his chance encounter with flowers, and a beautiful girl.”
As Liliana bowed, she was met with the delicate applause of the ladies and the loud applause that came from none other than Subaru. He was well aware that at the end of the day, he was secretly just as excited to hear the continuation of the story as everyone else. It was frustrating, but Subaru’s heart had also been stolen by the little singer’s voice.
“And now I will sing, if you’ll listen—the ‘Love Ballad of the Sword Devil.’”
As Liliana plucked the strings of her lyulyre, her airy voice joined the music, and she began singing. Suddenly, the room gave way to the world she wove with her lyrics. It felt incredibly real.
“ ”
Every gesture and movement reshaped the world around them until all they could see was the world of the story. Covered in goose bumps, it took everything in Subaru to keep himself from groaning in awe. He couldn’t let himself ruin this unbelievable moment.
The story followed a swordsman so devoted to the sword that he came to be known as the Sword Devil. It opened with him moving to the royal capital, becoming a soldier, and being given his own command.
And then he met a girl.
The song burst with color as the Sword Devil—oblivious to the new romance budding in his heart—swung his white blade on the battlefield. The second act concluded with the Sword Devil feeling something that rivaled his love for the sword welling up within him whenever he talked with the girl.
“Thank you for listening. You’ve been a wonderful audience.”
The lyulyre ended its earthshaking melody. The reverberations lingered in the room as Liliana bowed. Subaru shot up straight as he clapped for her. Emilia and Rem were clapping just as somberly beside him. Beatrice was the only one not clapping, but the faint smile on her face proved that Liliana’s music had satisfied her.
“It’s just so beautiful… I feel like the story is about to get really good.”
“I already know the ‘Love Ballad of the Sword Devil’ from start to finish, but I feel like I’m hearing it for the first time,” Rem agreed. “I am in awe of your music, Lady Liliana. It was simply inspiring.”
“It was acceptable, I suppose. You can play more of the song for me later if you wish.”
“Emotionally stunted loli says what…”
While Emilia and Rem gave their pure, sincere praise, Beatrice remained aloof. Subaru poked fun at her to save himself the trouble of offering his honest impressions.
“So, chore boy, what did you think?”
The bard wore a devilish smirk and crinkled her nose. She refused to give Subaru a chance to save face. He bit his lip and sighed in defeat. “Argh… I hate to admit it, but it was crazy good. When you’re not singing, you’re honestly not that remarkable as a person or as a girl, but when you are singing, you’re special. Maybe you should sing all the time, for the good of the world and humanity and yourself.”
“Do mine ears deceive me?! I think I’m hearing praise, but something about it is a little off! How strange!”
Too bitter to pay her a sincere compliment, Subaru slipped in some passive-aggressive snark. That earned him a chortle from Beatrice and a lukewarm glance from Emilia.
“The ‘Love Ballad of the Sword Devil’ is five acts in all,” Rem said. “Naturally, I like the fifth and final act best, but tomorrow’s third act is not to be missed. I promise I’ll run down here as soon as I finish my work.”
“You’re a huge fan of this story, aren’t you, Rem? Personally, I find Liliana’s singing incredibly good, while I have a hard time immersing myself in the story. Think my opinion’ll change when I hear the rest?” Subaru asked.
“Yes, I’m sure of it. The Sword Devil’s way of life is still idolized today. I hope that someday, Subaru, you’ll come for your Rem just like the Sword Devil did.”
“If the spoilers I heard are correct, then doesn’t that end with you and me fighting to the death, Rem?” Subaru wondered aloud. Despite his misgivings, his expression softened into a smile when he saw how Rem’s cheeks glowed with excitement. It wasn’t every day she showed her emotions so openly. That, plus Beatrice’s presence, was a testament to Liliana’s singing ability. And if Subaru was being honest with himself, he had to admit it made him a little jealous.
To become friends with Rem, Subaru had to try like his life depended on it—quite literally.
“And here you are, fitting in just like that. Not cool.”
“Why the sour face, chore boy? Stare at me with those sad eyes all you want. I won’t find you endearing or cute. You need to be more objective, take a good look at yourself, and act accordingly.”
“Fine advice, considering how you act. Wait, could it be that it’s all an act to lower our expectations so you’ll seem that much more impressive when you sing? What is this, gap moe?”
“I haven’t the teeniest idea what you’re talking about. The epitome of om-nom-nom…”
“Don’t eat mid-monologue!”
And thus, the surprisingly insightful comment ended in an equally unexpected way.
Now that her song was finished and her lyulyre was leaning safely against the wall, Liliana’s hands were filled with snacks once more. In no time at all, the majestic and elegant goddess of music was stained by sugar, transforming into a fallen angel.
This was a familiar sight now after the past three days. Once the performance was over, they mingled and had tea.
But things wouldn’t go so smoothly today…
“Excuse me,” Rem suddenly said, jumping to her feet and running to the window. Then without a sound, she opened the window and squinted her blue eyes to scan the outdoors. Her gaze stopped at the front gate of the manor. Moments later, she pulled something from her pocket.
“Rem, what is that?”
“A small morning star. I don’t have anything else nearby that I can use easily.”
Rolling the golf ball–sized metal sphere in her hand with a shy look on her face, Rem hurled the impromptu missile outside. A second later, a dull thud followed by a savage shriek sounded in the distance.
Rem looked outside and raised a thumb. “That was a hit.”
Subaru shot Rem a smirk and joined her at the window to look outside. And there, he saw the men in white, carrying their unconscious comrade from the front garden.
“They never learn, do they…? How many times do you have to crack their skulls before they get smart?”
“Perhaps every time I crack their skulls, the lessons they learned spill out.”
Rem’s lack of denial was shiver-inducing. Subaru sighed as he watched the men in white escape. For the past three days, Rem had driven them off just like this.
“This time, it was the men in white.”
“True… Wait a minute, did I hear that right? This time, they’re wearing white?”
“Well, the gangs that are targeting Lady Liliana seem to alternate between bands of men in white and bands of men in mismatched clothing. My theory is that the men in white realized they didn’t have the numbers and hired some extra thugs.”
“Wait, for real? Are you sure they’re the same people? Maybe it’s actually two separate gangs?”
“It doesn’t seem terribly likely that two unrelated defenseless groups would attack at the same time for different reasons.”
Subaru nodded when Rem pointed this out. It would be beyond bad luck if another suicide squad besides the men in white were after Liliana. But if Rem’s theory was right, the fact remained that something about this didn’t seem to add up.
“Maybe we should knuckle down and try to catch one of them?”
“I considered that, but these people are incredible runners. If I chased after them full speed, I could probably catch one…but I worry that it might take me too far from the manor.”
“Rem, don’t forget that there’s a couple boss-level characters in this manor besides you.”
Combat-wise, Rem was about average in Roswaal Manor. Above her stood Emilia with Puck, plus Beatrice and Roswaal, who were both as powerful as a whole army on their own. Objectively speaking, this manor was so heavily defended that the notion of raiding it was completely absurd.
“But I understand why you’d worry about leaving the manor for too long. If those people get impatient and come at us recklessly, that could be really problematic,” Emilia said.
“Yeah, we want to resolve this as soon as possible. These are just brainless goons lashing out mindlessly, so they don’t pose a real threat to us…but if they get desperate, worst-case scenario, they might start going after folks outside the manor.”
For example, Earlham Village. Casualties there would be a nightmare scenario—Roswaal would condemn anyone who dared to touch his people to an excruciating death by fire.
“I just hope Ram finds the clues we need quickly so that doesn’t happen,” Subaru said.
“Ram is smart, so I’m sure she’ll discover something right away,” Emilia assured him. “Then again, even hearing that song didn’t give us any good ideas…”
The song in question was the song that must never be sung, which was the most likely reason Liliana was being chased in the first place. Subaru had listened to it many times (rendering its name meaningless), but he didn’t sense any hidden significance at all.
It was an idyllic country folk song that revealed the secret of how the rich man had amassed his wealth in one generation. The claims were so bold that anybody would take the lyrics with a grain of salt. That was why Ram had been sent to the village to verify the claims.
“Are we trapped by trivial constraints, I wonder?” Beatrice mused emotionlessly, teacup in hand. “Boorish, pesky hoodlums like them should be swiftly uprooted and exterminated. We’ll feel much better once they’re dealt with.”
“Dude, read the room. We’re trying to find a peaceful solution here.”
Ultimately, things might go the way Beatrice suggested, but obliterating their attackers without leaving a trace would put a bad taste in Subaru’s mouth. He had learned that during the demon beast incident. If anything, the stakes were even higher now since their opponents were human this time.
“I’ll admit you do have a point. As long as we’re stuck defending, our options are limited… If we could find a way to go on the offensive, we might be able to wrap this case up in one fell swoop.”
“But we don’t have enough party members or intel for that.” Liliana finished Subaru’s thought. “It’s a stalemate. We could always cover our ears and wait for the storm to pass… Yes, let’s just do that.”
“How can you be so uninvested? We’re all doing this for you, you know?”
She probably felt safer than ever now that she was under the care of a marquis. Seeing how relaxed Liliana looked then, Subaru realized they wouldn’t need to be worried about how their relationship with her might change after they solved her problem.
The only issue was that they still didn’t know how to solve the aforementioned problem.
“Huh. We attack them…” Subaru repeated his own words and closed his eyes thoughtfully.
Emilia’s perfect eyebrows knit together in a frown as she watched him. “Uh-oh, Subaru. You’re hatching a nefarious scheme again, aren’t you?”
“Again? Give a guy some credit… You’re not wrong, though. It is nefarious.” With an evil smirk on his lips, Subaru turned to look at the four ladies in the room. And as they all stared back at him, Subaru raised a finger before proposing, “There’s a little strategy I’d like to try… Can you guys help me?”
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