Chapter 456 — Arc 7, Chapter 49 - “The Stars Aligned”

Young Man: [You were right not to carelessly hide in the back of the cart. If you had hid there, every bone in your body would’ve been shattered by now. That would’ve been very painful, wouldn’t it?]

Subaru: […Don’t say such scary things.]

Louis: [Uu.]

The young man made a dreadful remark in a light-hearted tone, with a smile on his face, as Subaru and Louis crawled out from the cart they had hidden under.

It was natural to think that, given the cart had been loaded with barrels, they’d be hidden there. Subaru, at first, did as he’d been told and tried to hide in the back of the cart, but as he’d had a bad feeling about it, he had decided not to.

Subaru: [But, since there was no time to run, I hid under the back of the cart.]

Young Man: [I think it was a very good decision. I’m not very good at lying, and I would’ve told him right away if he had questioned me a bit too roughly.]

Subaru: […No problem, I wouldn’t have expected any different because you’re not one of us.]

Having been underneath the cart, clinging onto its wheels, Subaru patted the dirt off his hands and clothes, and then patted Louis’s equally dirty body.

Apparently, the pursuers had lost sight of Subaru and Louis, so he should be grateful to the young man for his help.

Subaru: [But, why did you help us?]

Young Man: [Why did I help? Hmmmhm, why, huh. Oh, how about the fact that I couldn’t stand to see children being chased?]

Subaru: [If you’re putting it as “How about”, you definitely just made it up…]

Young Man: [Have I been found out?]

Faced by Subaru’s doubtful eyes, the young man stroked his head in an annoyed fashion.

He smiled bitterly, but from what Subaru could tell, he was not a demi-human. Not only did he have no horns, but he also had no animal-like ears, skin, nor claws.

That aside, this human being right now gave off the atmosphere of being from outside of Chaosflame.

Subaru: [You’re…]

Young Man: [Oh, whoops, I’m Ubilk. I can understand why you might wanna doubt me, but there’s not much I can say.]

Subaru: [What do you mean, there’s not much you can say?]

Ubilk: [The only reason I helped you two was because I thought it’d be a good idea.]

Laughing, the young man―― Ubilk, ran his fingers through his ashen hair.

His gestures and good looks made Subaru think that Ubilk was a man with a proper job. Even his travel clothes, which appeared to be lightly worn, looked like they had been paid for with a fair amount of money.

Subaru thought that he was surely a merchant, because he was hauling a cart.

Subaru: [Is that what you’d call a merchant’s intuition?]

Ubilk: [A merchant’s… Oh, me? Hahaha, no. I’m no merchant or anything like that. And this cart isn’t mine either.]

Subaru: [Huh!? But, you told those people…]

Ubilk: [I never said I was a merchant. Of course, I also never said that this cart belonged to me. It’s just a cart that happens to be sitting here. It probably belongs to the store right there, doesn’t it?]

After those words, Ubilk pointed to the nearest store and said, “I wonder if it’s that one? Or maybe it could be that one?”. He was kidding, but he didn’t seem to be entirely joking.

In other words, it seemed that he’d really simply bluffed his way out of that pursuit.

Louis: [Uau.]

Subaru: [Ah, yeah, I get it.]

As he kept up with Ubilk’s pace, Louis unexpectedly pulled on his sleeve.

Subaru, who was starting to wonder whether it was alright to stand still, reflected on his own carefree self who was being rushed by Louis.

Their situation hadn’t gotten any better, even though they had shaken off their pursuers.

Subaru: [Well, thank you for your help, Ubilk-san. But you should think and act more seriously next time. I’m sure you’re going to get into a lot of trouble because of this…]

Ubilk: [Whaat’s~ that, are you worried about me? Do I look so unfortunate? I think I’m a pretty worldly man, but you seem to disagree.]

Subaru: [No, not that I’m suspicious of you or anything, but we’re in a hurry.]

To tell the truth, he was suspicious.

In this case, the suspicion wasn’t that Ubilk was necessarily Tanza and Olbart’s spy, but rather that he could be a dangerous adult who was genuinely unrelated to them.

As the two of them, Subaru and Louis both, were just children as of now, dealing with suspicious adults was plenty scary.

If the other party were a dangerous adult, Subaru might not be able to stop Louis from beating him to a pulp. Dealing with dangerous adults was a bridge too far for children to deal with.

Subaru: [Well, we’ve got stuff to do, so let’s keep it at that. Thanks for helping us.]

With that, Subaru pulled Louis by the hand and quickly walked away after an expression of his gratitude.

However――,

Ubilk: [Please waaait~ a minute. Don’t be so curt, let’s help one another. I think the spirit of mutual aid’s a wonderful thing.]

As he said this, Ubilk used his long, slender legs to jog around Subaru, cutting him off.

Immediately, Subaru’s Suspicious-and-Dangerous-Adult Index rose, and Ubilk’s standing with him was put into question. Going into details, Louis’s grip on his hand tightened and she voiced an “Uu?”, as she could sense Subaru’s caution towards Ubilk.

A case such as Louis leaping out as soon as she had Subaru’s approval, for her to then beat Ubilk to the ground and stuff him into a barrel, was possible.

Subaru: [Ubilk-san, are you flexible?]

Ubilk: [Me? Well, in my old work experience, the more flexible my body was, the more I could handle, so I was a flexible person. But, what are you asking me?]

Subaru: [No, no, it’s nothing… Helping each other, is there something you want us to help you with?]

Ubilk: [Oh, nooo~, that’s not what I meant. The spirit of mutual aid was just a slip of the tongue, not a request for help. Ahaha.]

Subaru: [――――]

Once again, the Suspicious-and-Dangerous-Adult Index had increased.

This time, in addition to that, he felt that a novel Adult Index aside from the Dangerous one, the Adult-He-Didn’t-Want-Anything-To-Do-With Index, had just been newly established.

Anyway, this was not someone he wanted to spend much time with.

Ubilk: [Hahaha… Whaaat’s~ this, the mood’s colder than I expected. This is the same feeling I get when I’m surrounded by everyone. They hate me. Do you hate me?]

Subaru: [If possible, I’d prefer not to…]

Ubilk: [Ohhh~, you’re an honest one. Well then, since you seem to be in a hurry, and since you’re honest, and I like honest people, let’s have a quick serious chat.]

Subaru: [――Hk.]

As Ubilk said this, he bent at the waist and brought his face closer to Subaru. Subaru’s head dropped as he gulped unwittingly, and Louis, stepping forward, put her hand out in front of him in response.

She then pushed on Ubilk’s cheek from the side, threatening him with an “Uu!”.

Ubilk: [Whoooops~, she hates me. I thought I had a good reputation with girls, but I guess it’s different if they’ve already got a companion.]

Subaru: […Ubilk-san, it’d be best if you don’t make Louis angry. This girl, well, she’s more powerful than she looks.]

Ubilk: [I see, Louis-san’s her name, isn’t it.]

Ubilk nodded his head, and Subaru gulped at his response.

There was no problem with him knowing her name, but he knew that he’d given out information that he shouldn’t have. He didn’t want to give more information to someone without knowing what kind of adult they were.

Subaru: [Ubilk-san! You said it’d be a serious chat, yeah? If there’s nothing else, we should go!]

Ubilk: [――I wasn’t planning on walking about the streets today at all.]

Subaru: [What?]

Ubilk: [Fooor~ some reason though, I found myself wandering around aimlessly, wondering if something was going on, based on a feeling I had. So I came here on a whim, and killed some time next to this cart. And then…]

Placing his fingers on his forehead, he slid them to the gentle corner of his eye, to his clear, white cheeks, then down to his sculpted chin. At the end, Ubilk snapped his fingers.

Subaru was visibly stunned, transfixed by his behavior, and Ubilk, whose smile deepened at his reaction, waved his snapping fingers from side to side,

Ubilk: [You two appeared by nimbly leaping over my head.]

Subaru: [――――]

Ubilk: […Whaat’s~ this, perhaps that didn’t that resonate with you?]

Tilting his head, Ubilk looked in turn at Subaru and Louis, both of whom didn’t react.

Louis simply might not have understood what was being said, but not Subaru. After hearing Ubilk’s answer, Subaru just could not speak.

He wondered if there was some grand, far-reaching reason hidden in there.

Subaru: [So you were just out for a walk, resting, and then we came along?]

Ubilk: [Haaa~, you can say it that way too, I guess. Buuut~, I think I can also say it this way. ――I think all this is just the stars’ guidance.]

Subaru: [The stars’… fate, or something like that…]

Although it sounded very romantic, Subaru’s shoulders slumped.

It would’ve been romantic had it been spoken at the beginning of a story in which a man and woman met, but here there was a combination of the shrunken Subaru and the originally small Louis. And Ubilk, the weirdo.

This was not romantic at all.

Ubilk: [Are you amazed by me, perchance?]

Subaru: [Well, it’s alright. Even if Ubilk-san’s seriousness isn’t that serious, it doesn’t bother me so much because he’s a person I don’t want to see ever again.]

Ubilk: [You said some pretty harsh and hurtful things to me. That kinda sharpness is similar to that of my old friend’s.]

Subaru: [Ubilk-san, you’ve got a friend…?]

Ubilk: [Ahaha, that hurt!]

He couldn’t help but let out a rude, honest thought, but Ubilk didn’t seem to be offended.

For just a moment, he thought that there some sort of subtle, complicated feeling from Ubilk towards his friend, somewhere in his sentimental, straightforward and unserious attitude.

Ubilk: [Anyway, it’s by some kinda fate that we met here. Hmmm~, that’s it! I’m actually in the business of giving small consultations. What do you think, why don’t you ask me for counselling?]

Subaru: [Finally, there it is! No thanks… No, I heard on TV that way of answering’s convenient for scammers. I don’t want it!]

Ubilk: [I’m not a pushy salesman, and I’m not here to trick you, okay? I just wanna do my assigned role, thooo~.]

Subaru: [Your assigned role?]

Ubilk: [Indeed, there must’ve been a reason as to why I’m here today. It’s probably for the chance for you and Louis-san to consult me.]

Ubilk nodded repeatedly, crossing his thin arms and acting like he was the only one who understood.

Unfortunately, Ubilk’s conviction did not sit well with Subaru. It was simply that the Suspicious and Dangerous Adult Index was gradually increasing in value.

He’d rather just leave Ubilk here and run away if possible. He felt that even though Ubilk had given the slip to their pursuers, he was now entangled with a more troublesome opponent.

Ubilk: [Oh, it’s no use trying to escape. Iiif~ you try to run away…]

Subaru: [Then what?]

Ubilk: [I’ll shout, and tell the people who just came by where you two are. You’d be in trouble, right?]

Subaru: [We’d be in a lot of trouble…!]

If that were to happen however, he was willing to unleash Louis.

Of course, as he didn’t want to let Ubilk die, Subaru would do everything in his power to stop Louis’s rampage, but he was prepared to use her as his last resort if Ubilk wanted to call out to their pursuers.

Besides――,

Subaru: [I’m sorry, but you don’t want to know what’s going on with us. If you hear about it, you might get involved and I don’t think you can do anything about it.]

Even if Subaru and Louis did nothing, Tanza and her comrades might hurt Ubilk. If that happened, it’d be Subaru and Louis’s fault.

His thoughts were that he couldn’t involve Ubilk in such a situation.

However――,

Ubilk: [Oh, don’t worry about it, I’ll be alright. I said I’d give you a consultation, but I’m a consultant who’s just fine without hearing any specifics.]

Subaru: [There’s something like that!?]

Ubilk: [Well, well, if you think you’ve been lied to, lend me your hand.]

Subaru’s concern was overshadowed by Ubilk’s carefree smile as he gently took Subaru’s hand.

Since his right hand was connected to Louis’s, the hand taken was his opposite left hand. Surprised by the touch of Ubilk’s slender, feminine fingers, Subaru hurriedly glanced at Louis.

Louis: [Uu.]

Fortunately, Louis had not a temper short enough as to suddenly attack Ubilk, although she was staring at his movements.

But that meant that he’d have to watch over a situation that was much like a balloon that could burst at any moment, all while having to keep filling it with air.

Subaru: [Umm, Ubilk-san, I don’t have much time, and neither do you… ]

Ubilk: [Whaaat’s~ that, you’re suddenly making me nervous too. ――But I’m already done.]

Subaru: [Huh?]

While he was anxious about Louis’s line of sight aimed at Ubilk’s thin neck, after urging him on, Subaru’s arm was released from Ubilk’s grasp.

Removing his hand, Ubilk gently turned his palm towards Subaru’s face and,

Ubilk: [――The answer you’re seeking’s already within you.]

Subaru: [――――]

Subaru’s eyes widened due to those unexpected words.

At Subaru’s lack of understanding, Ubilk uttered “Ohhh~?”, and tilted his head.

Ubilk: [Maybe that didn’t ring a bell?]

Subaru: [It’s not that it didn’t ring a bell, it’s just that I don’t really understand what it means… ]

The answer he was looking for was also vague.

He felt that it was similar to what fortune tellers used to say on TV back at his original world. It was a common phrase used to scam people by saying something that applied to anyone.

Subaru: [I don’t think there are too many people who aren’t looking for answers…]

Ubilk: [Hmmm~, I’m not talking about something as big as life itself. I’m sorry to say that I’m not a person able to see the movement of stars that well.]

Subaru: [Like a horoscope… ]

Ubilk: [Maybe it’s the problem in front of you. You see, you were both being chased, right? That’s also a problem, isn’t it? What do you think about that?]

Subaru: [But, I know why those people were after me――]

Perhaps confident in his own ability as a counselor, Ubilk tried to get closer to the right answer by delving into Subaru’s inner thoughts.

He wasn’t sure about it; it felt a bit like a scammer’s trick, but once he took it seriously, there was a slight tug at Subaru’s heart.

Subaru: [――――]

That tug seemed to be a very important one.

Of course, he didn’t know just how much of what he felt in his small Subaru head could be believed. However, even if he didn’t believe in the “thoughts” of a small Subaru, there should be room to believe in the “intuition” of a small Subaru, regardless of the size of the body.

The problem that Subaru was facing right now, was――,

Subaru: [――”An abyss with a great view”.]

Ubilk had pointed out that the answer was already in Subaru.

He wasn’t trying to probe deeper into the kind of scam it was. But he felt it.

――That tug he felt, if he could rope it in, he should be able to find the answer he was looking for.

Louis: [Uau?]

Subaru: [I think I might’ve figured it out.]

Louis looked into Subaru’s face once he replied to her, whose shapely eyebrows distorted into a frown. With the sound of Subaru’s voice, which had slightly regained its strength, Louis widened her blue eyes and then smiled happily.

Seeing the change in Louis’s expression from the side, Subaru exhaled, then looked at Ubilk.

Subaru: [The consultation might’ve worked.]

Ubilk: [Ohhh~, I’m glad. I’m relieved, too. If I’m gonna do this, I wanna do my job properly. Then?]

Subaru: [Yeah, I’ll hurry. Thank you for everything, Ubilk-san. ――Let’s go, Louis!]

Louis: [Auau!]

In response to Ubilk, who closed one eye, Subaru pulled Louis’s hand and began sprinting.

He started to run as fast as he could, stopping only once. And upon looking back, he saw that Ubilk’s eyes were widened, possibly because he hadn’t expected Subaru’s actions.

Subaru waved his hand at him, and,

Subaru: [Ubilk-san, I won’t say anything bad about you, so just go back to your parents’! And so you don’t seem so dangerous, behave yourself, and stop scamming people!] [2]

With gratitude, that was all the self-serving “counsel” Subaru could give him.

△▼△▼△▼△

After that, he watched the boy and girl leave in a hurry.

Ubilk: [“Stop scamming people”, that’s a bit harsh.]

That young man who had been left on his lonesome in the street―― Ubilk, smiled and scratched his cheek with his finger.

It had been a strange time, but judging from the boy’s appearance at the end, he felt that he had been able to help in some way, which made him feel a tug at his heart.

And then――,

Ubilk: [If I don’t go back to my room as soon as possible, Kafma-dono’ll be very displeased with me, and if something actually happens I’ll be in trouble, so I gotta go back. But still…]

Once again, gazing towards the direction the children had left, Ubilk closed one eye.

And――,

Ubilk: [――I dunno what the stars desire, even though that comes with the duty of a Stargazer.]

Note:

[1] This is just a really emphatic way to write “No fucking way Subaru would let that happen”.

[2] Basically, Subaru’s telling Ubilk to go back to his parents’ home and quit the shady stuff.