Chapter 545 — Arc 8, Chapter 34 – “Won’t Forgive You Until You Explain”

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――The morning of departure for the Imperial Capital of Lupugana had arrived.

At the entrance to the Fortified City of Garkla, refugees from the Imperial Capital and surrounding areas continued to arrive in droves throughout the morning, swelling to a number that even the cities which could accommodate the greatest numbers of people could not hold.

Everyone was busy dealing with and responding to the situation, but unfortunately, it was not a matter that anyone unaffiliated with the Empire could do or say anything about.

That was why the tasks entrusted to them needed to be accomplished properly.

If they were not done properly――,

???: [Though it really, really pains me… I cannot really be of any help to you.]

The pink-haired boy’s small shoulders scrunched up in frustration, and as if feeling the same pain he was, Emilia clenched her fists.

Emilia understood all too well the pain of not being able to do what one desired to do because one was not strong enough.

Moreover, this boy―― Schult, was a young child. Emilia, too, had been unable to be there for her loved ones when she was a child.

So, she was painfully aware of Schult’s feelings.

Schult: [Emily-sama, I entreat you. Please, I’d like you to save Priscilla-sama, Al-sama, and Heinkel-sama.]

With round eyes filled with tears, Schult begged Emilia for help.

It took a lot of courage for such a small child to hold back his tears and beg someone to help the people he loved.

It was something Emilia could not have done. So, she respected Schult’s bravery.

That was why Emilia would bring home to Schult a different ending than hers back then.

Emilia: [Yeah, leave it to me. I appreciate you asking me to do this.]

Schult: [Emily-sama…]

Emilia: [Because with this, no matter what Priscilla says to try to keep me away, I can say back to her that you asked with a please properly!]

With a thump on her own chest, Emilia reassured Schult with those words.

As Schult heard this, his round eyes widened even more, and his expression quickly brightened,

Schult: [Yes ma’am! Priscilla-sama is not being honest with herself, so I hope you will talk back to her!]

Schult’s voice regained some of its energy, even if it was a bit hollow, and Emilia, trying to match Schult’s words, nodded back firmly with a “Yes!”

???: [Em is reliable. But it’s dangerous. It’s better if Bae watches over you.]

???: […You don’t need to say anything, since that was already the intention, I suppose.]

As Emilia and Schult spoke, two little girls exchanged words with each other.

Beatrice, Emilia’s escort, and Utakata, Schult’s escort, watched Emilia and Schult’s exchange with satisfaction, then exchanged glances with each other,

Beatrice: [It’s probably not completely safe here, either, in fact. It would be a good idea to stay hidden here with your head in your hands, along with that Schult boy, so you won’t be seen, I suppose.]

Utakata: [When push comes to shove, Uu will protect Shuu and fight, and Bae will also do her best with Suu and the others.]

Beatrice: […Good grief, what an encouraging thing to say, in fact.]

Despite their outward physical appearances, as the two girls had a difference in age on the inside, they pledged to fight well and exchanged their resolve for the battle that would foretell the fate of the Vollachian Empire.

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And then, somewhere a little further away――,

???: [――Well, I’m off now, big bro! Big Sis Serena!]

Declaring in a lively and loud voice, Medium veered a courageous smile to the two people seeing her off.

Medium was included in the group storming the Imperial Capital, and seeing her off was her brother Flop, of course, along with the nostalgic person to whom she was greatly indebted, Serena Dracroy, whom she had reunited with on this battlefront.

Flop and Medium had been under Serena’s care for a long time at the time they had been children, and with the white scar on her face included among her beautiful features, she was bidding Medium farewell as the latter headed for the warfront.

Exactly alike to the time over five years prior, when the siblings of Flop and Medium had left her hands, departing on a journey all by themselves.

Serena: [To think that not only did Medium surpass me in height, but even in position. If you settle into the position of His Excellency’s consort with no issues, remember that you are indebted to me in plenty.]

Medium: [Jeez~, I’m trying not to think about that right now! From here on out, I’m going to meet Ballebro, so I don’t need to be doing things like thinking about Abel-chin.]

Serena: [Yeah. You aren’t that clever of a girl. That’s exactly why…]

Stepping up to Medium, Serena gently caressed the former’s cheek.

Serena was quite tall for a woman, but Medium was even taller than that. However, when Medium was before Serena being touched like this, she felt like she had returned to when she was still a little girl.

In the past, on their day of departure, Serena had also brushed Medium’s face like this. Touching the same place as where her own white scar was located, she gently traced it with her finger.

Serena: [I envy you, being able to so unwaveringly desire a dialogue with him.]

Medium: [Big Sis Serena…]

Serena: [With both Balleroy and Miles, I was unable to exchange any final words. On this occasion, too, it seems like I won’t be granted the opportunity to speak with Balleroy… Whether that’s painful, or if that’s a relief, I myself don’t know. Though, there is nothing to be afraid of.]

Fearless, was the impression Medium had of Serena.

When she had usurped the household from her father, even when he was screaming out complaints, even when he carved a lifelong wound into her face, Serena did not even change her expression; or so Medium had heard.

Serena: [That is a lie. It was painful, as were my father’s words. I simply shed blood instead of tears.]

Flop: [Umm? I wonder about that. In times that are really painful, aren’t tears something that are shed even when blood is also being shed? With that in mind, there’s no way that Countess Dracroy didn’t…]

Serena: [Be quiet, shut up.]

Silencing Flop with a chilly voice as he wracked his brain, Serena, still touching Medium’s face, narrowed her eyes and looked at the latter in a loving way.

Serena: [The scar on my face was something I needed to gain in order to be born anew. I don’t wish for you to similarly bear a wound, but I do wish for you to gain something.]

Medium: […Yes. Big Sis Serena, is there something you want to tell Ballebro? I’ll definitely deliver the message.]

Serena: [――. Yeah.]

At Medium’s determination, Serena had the resolve to give a message, and pausing for a moment, she deliberated. But, being quite a wise woman, she immediately returned an answer to Medium’s question.

That which she wished to tell Balleroy, that would be――,

Serena: [――Hurry up and sleep. Miles is complaining that it’s getting boring without you.]

In a manner truly characteristic of Serena, stern but with certain love, it was a message filled with heartfelt emotion towards someone who could neither be called her subordinate nor her sworn younger brother.

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???: [――Schwartz, in the worst-case scenario, I won’t blame you if you don’t come back.]

Subaru: [Oi, oi.]

Idra said that with a serious face, and Subaru reflexively opened his eyes wide.

He quickly tried to retort with, “I can’t believe you’re making jokes at a time like this,” but Idra’s serious expression did not collapse, so he ended up missing the chance.

In place of Subaru, it was Hiain who said with his voice raised, “Don’t be sayin’ stupid shit!”

The lizardman glared at Idra, and blinking his round eyes in surprise,

Hiain: [Tell me, bastard, the fuck d’ya think ya’re sayin’! What d’ya mean it’s okay if he doesn’t come back! Don’t tell me ya’re tellin’ bro to go die, are ya!]

Idra: [Don’t get me wrong, but yeah.]

Hiain: [Huh!? I didn’t get nothin’ wrong! Ya’re a traitor! There’s a traitor among us! Bro, what the hell, this is real bad!]

Subaru: [Waitwaitwait, calm down, Hiain. Isn’t it strange for Idra to say such a thing suddenly? There’s no way.]

Idra’s face fell as Hiain lunged at him. Although he was in a very serious mood, Subaru was not so dim-witted as to take his words at face value.

Rather, his relationship with Idra was not something of that sort.

Subaru: [So, why did you say something like that? Come on, tell me why.]

Idra: […Together with Governor Gustav, I had an audience with His Excellency the Emperor. During that audience, I asked something. I asked His Excellency the Emperor what he was planning to do to you, Schwartz.]

Idra clenched his fist tightly and said this bitterly, to which Subaru responded with an “Ohh.”

He had heard that Gustav was going to talk to Abel the night before, but not that Idra would also be present there, and that he would drop quite the bombshell.

However, if Idra was indeed there, then that was a natural question to ask.

Originally, the members of the Pleaides Battalion were a group centered around Subaru, created with the objective of him delivering a wallop to the face of the Emperor, Vincent Vollachia.

It was because of the zombie panic that the situation had remained unsettled; but, once that issue was resolved, there would once again be a need to give a conclusion to the civil war.

That said, it took a lot of courage to directly question Abel about the matter.

Hiain: [R-really… Then, did the Emperor say what he’s gonna do with bro?]

Idra: [His Excellency the Emperor said, whether Schwartz lives or dies depends on his own performance…]

Hiain: [H-he’s got the damn nerve to fuckin’ mess around…! Ain’t that just mean, it depends on how the Emperor feels?]

Upon hearing the information Idra had brought back, Hiain’s voice trembled with anger.

In Subaru’s mind, he could see Abel saying that and roughly guess his intention, but to them, who did not know Abel’s personality, it would sound like an excuse to provide a reason to get rid of Subaru after the war.

Subaru: [So, is that why you told me to die?]

Hiain: [Ahh? So, ya’re betrayin’ bro and joinin’ the Emperor…]

Subaru: [That’s not it, he did that to tell me to run away, right?]

Subaru interrupted Hiain, who was extrapolating way too much, and Idra nodded at his words.

And as Idra cast down his eyes in frustration,

Idra: [It was His Excellency the Emperor who brought the citizens of the Empire together amidst the chaos that was spreading as the dead were being revived in droves. The seeds of discontent that led to the civil war will be uprooted once this situation is under control… If he survives, Emperor Vincent’s throne will be secured.]

Hiain: [W-what if bro achieves somethin’ huge!? Like, takin’ down the enemy’s boss with one punch…]

Idra: [Even then, it’s tricky. He will be recognized by His Excellency the Emperor for his deeds, kept for a while, and then once the dust settles, he might be assassinated somewhere.]

Subaru: [Once again, the Vollachian Empire is too cruel…]

The fact that this was not overthinking for Idra and Hiain showed that this was a national custom in the Empire.

At the very least, he hoped that Abel would mellow out once his position was restored, but at this present moment it would be hard to completely change Idra and the others’ opinion.

But, he felt sorry for Idra and Hiain, who were worrying and trying to find a way to overcome this.

Subaru: [I won’t pretend to be dead. Of course, I won’t actually die either. I’ll be sure to return. When I do, there’s something I need to tell everyone.]

Idra: [Schwartz…]

Subaru: [Don’t make such a grave expression. The result of all of this… I don’t know if it’ll be resolved peacefully, but I think that the worst-case scenario can be avoided.]

In any case, the “Struggle for the Imperial Throne” that both of them were most concerned about would crumble at the initial premise.

He was worried about what would become of his relationship with his comrades in the Battalion, but Subaru would have no other option but to convey his sincere and heartfelt apology to them.

Subaru: [I’ll definitely come back. ――That’s why, you can stop stowing away on the dragon carriage, Weitz.]

???: [Guh…]

Subaru called that out, and a muffled voice could be heard.

As Idra and Hiain looked all around, wondering where it had come from, Subaru sighed and crouched down.

Behind where Subaru and the others were conversing, there was a dragon carriage scheduled to depart with the assault team on board.

Beneath the carriage, clinging to the shaft of the running wheels, was the figure of a tattooed man. The image of a skull etched onto his body, Weitz reluctantly emerged from there.

Subaru: [No matter how much the shaking is stopped by the Divine Protection of Wind Evasion, if you cling there for a whole day, you’d naturally just fall to your death.]

Weitz: [I’ve entrusted my life to ya… If I died for yer sake, I’d be satisfied…]

Subaru: [If you fell to your death quietly without anyone knowing, that wouldn’t be dying for my sake!]

Weitz, whose sense of camaraderie was directed in the wrong way, fell silent with a “Ngh…” upon Subaru’s remark.

Then, as both Hiain and Idra stepped forward,

Hiain: [Listen here, didn’t’cha fuckin’ promise to obediently protect this place ‘til bro returned! This ain’t the time for ya to try and rush ahead, ya traitorous bastard!]

Weitz: [Shut up, don’t lump me together with that disgusting bearded fucker over there…!]

Idra: [Stop treating me as a traitor! You should know by now that it’s not like that!]

Subaru: [Heyyy, calm down! Stop making a fuss! Get along!]

Seeing the three start their usual banter, Subaru intervened and placed a hand on his hip.

Indeed, these were members whom he had become so familiar with that he could sense that this was their usual behavior. But, they had to remain in the Fortified City, preparing for the forthcoming battle against the horde of zombies.

With their strength and resilience, the group whose resistance to death was now the best in the Empire―― In the battle against the zombies that would not die even if killed, there was not a force as reliable as the Pleiades Battalion.

Subaru: [I’m counting on everyone here. A lot of my precious allies are staying here. Unlike you guys, these allies can’t fight… Errr, they can’t fight, in relative terms.]

Hiain: [Be precise with yer words!]

Rem, Ram, and the others remaining in the city flashed in his mind; it would be a lie to say that they were completely unable to fight, yet he could also not confidently say that he had no worries about those members joining the battle, leading Subaru’s answer to be quite ambiguous.

Hearing Hiain raise his voice significantly, Subaru made a wry smile.

Subaru: [Yeah, it’s not about whether they can fight or not, it’s that I don’t want to let all those people fight. That’s where you guys differ. Fight to your heart’s content!]

Idra: […That is genuine trust, and we can take it as such, correct?]

Subaru: [That’s right. Weitz, please understand that too.]

Weitz: [――――]

He looked at Hiain and Idra, then finally at Weitz, and spoke to them. Weitz crossed his arms, closing his intense, intimidating eyes that were accented by the skull-like tattoo.

After a moment of contemplation, Weitz slowly uncrossed his arms, and,

Weitz: [Und… und-und… und…er…]

Subaru: [Please understand that too!]

Weitz: [Understood… hk]

With an overwhelming sense of a bitter decision, Weitz agreed to Subaru’s plan.

Weitz then slowly extended his hand towards Subaru and placed it on his shoulder. And in an unusual, gentle voice,

Weitz: [Now that I’ve said it, make sure ya come back, bro…]

Subaru: [Ah.]

He was slightly taken aback, however Subaru quickly returned a smile, and as he nodded,

Subaru: [Got it, bro.]

With this, he felt compelled not only to respond to the outstretched hand, but to live up to their trust as well.

Upon hearing that, Weitz smiled with satisfaction. However――,

Hiain: [OIOIOIOI, don’t fuckin’ copy my way of callin’ people, ya thievin’ bastard!]

Weitz: [Ya just call him that on yer own… Schwartz actually said it back to me…]

Idra: [Don’t get into a pointless argument! I thought we were all on the same page!?]

Subaru: [Hey, stop it! Bros!!]

Once again, diffusing the bickering that began for different reasons, Subaru regretted the coming parting with these troublesome brothers.

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???: [You ought to be aware of the role you must play. Do not neglect to remember that whether or not your life shall outlast the war depends on your work.]

???: [Auau.]

As the girl nodded with an obedient look on her face, presumably with the intention of doing so, Vincent closed a single eye.

The very power possessed by the girl carried around by Natsuki Subaru, outrageously professed as a Sin Archbishop, was a silver bullet against the undead arising one after the other.

Even if that were true, operating a plan which incorporated the cooperation of a Sin Archbishop would be an impossibility for the Vollachian Empire, which was said to be eccentric by other nations.

To begin with, it would be an impossible prerequisite to have a situation in which a Sin Archbishop’s cooperation could be obtained.

???: [Your Excellency! The preparations for the dragon carriage are complete! If everything proceeds without a hitch, it will not be long before you reach the Imperial Capital, even if it is not with the coupled dragon carriages!]

Goz’s voice reached Vincent, who was facing the girl―― Spica, with a voice that could have been heard from over the mountain. Of course, since he was beside Vincent and not on the other side of the mountain, the volume of his voice was excessive.

At any rate――,

Vincent: [If the Stone were to have run out of energy by the time we arrive already, there will be nothing to be done. You have strict orders, too. Do not kill the undead needlessly.]

Goz: [A war without death or killing is something so unfamiliar, but I will endeavor to ensure that all officers and men receive your venerable orders! But…]

Goz paused and clenched his fist, which was as big as a child’s head. Even without looking at his profile, one could see that he was contorting the sword scars on his face in frustration.

And sure enough, Goz’s stern, earth-shaking voice, trembling with frustration,

Goz: [Please, would I be able to accompany you!!]

Spica: [Au.]

Goz’s appeal was too vigorous and forceful to be contained, and Spica recoiled as if she felt the wind in her face; Vincent even felt the sound quaver on his skin.

Not only could he rampage with his favored mace, but even without it, Goz’s vocal volume made the world quake.

Vincent: [But, no matter how much you lament, the decision shall not be reversed.]

Goz: [Your Excellency!]

Vincent: [Discounting you, the only two who can serve as commanders are High Countess Dracroy and General Second-Class Zikr Osman. Even if both of them can be entrusted with a battlefield, a whole war is a separate matter.]

Goz: [That is…]

Vincent: [Now with that damned Chisha gone, I cannot entrust the entire army to anyone but you. You must understand the significance of that.]

Goz’s eyes widened, and his entire body stiffened at Vincent’s statement.

Berstetz was a civil officer, and Serena was competent as a High Countess but not as military personnel. Zikr had no experience commanding such a large army, so there was no personnel but Goz who could take overall command. That was Vincent’s evaluation, devoid of conjecture.

Vincent: [I entrust you with all of my officers and men. Consider that the very survival of the Empire rests upon your strong shoulders.]

Such was Vincent’s comment, looking directly at Goz.

In response, Goz closed his eyes tightly and shook off his hesitation with that one act of meditation.

With a ferocity in his eyes worthy of being called the Lion Knight, Goz clasped his fists and palms together in front of his chest and vowed to Vincent.

Goz: [――. I, Goz Ralfon, will obey the venerable instruction of His Excellency!]

Vincent: [It is a great deed.]

Goz: [YES SIR!!]

With a brief statement, Goz bowed deeply to Vincent, who tucked his chin back.

He would have loved to accompany Vincent and serve as his guard, using his own strong arms to carry out the difficult task. However, Goz held his feelings in check, and instead――.

Goz: [I am counting on you, General Third-Class Aurélie! Honorably ensure the protection of His Excellency!]

Jamal: [Yeah, leave it to me, General First-Class Ralfon! Since I was specially selected, I’ll fulfill my duty without fail!]

So Goz entrusted Jamal with this task, and the latter pounded his chest with vigor.

Designated by Vincent for the role of his guard, and even entrusted with that duty by Goz, he made a vulgar smile as his breathing grew heavy.

For one thing, the Aurélie household was a family of Low Counts, but they had none of the trappings of nobility.

But――,

Goz: [Well stated! Precisely what one would expect from a soldier of the Vollachian Empire!!]

As Goz proudly threw out his strong chest and saw him off, this attitude was absolutely the way of Vollachia.

Considering that, Subaru and the people of the Kingdom, who were still difficult to handle, would have to be considered inappropriate personnel to use, even though they could understand and sympathize with each other.

Vincent: [Once again, do not become a useless tool in the eleventh hour.]

Spica: [Uu, au.]

With Goz and Jamal exchanging loudly, Vincent looked at Spica, who was covering her ears, and told her so.

At Vincent’s words, Spica’s lips pouted in a frown.

For some reason, Vincent felt like it coincided with the look on Medium’s face last night when she had been cautious about Vincent’s words and conduct, and he sighed.

And then――,

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――The three dragon carriages departed, a far cry from the number of people who had arrived at the Fortified City by beast carriage or on foot.

But it was undeniably a glimmer of hope sent out to prevent the Great Disaster that had struck the Vollachian Empire―― or rather, the Great Disaster that was about to destroy it.

Each of them, with their strong resolve and many hopes on their shoulders, would return to the Imperial Capital, now turned into a city of the undead, and there they would strike their leader, the Witch known as Sphinx.

That was why――,

???: […It’s unbelievable that Nii-san is joining them.]

Katya mumbled as she wheeled her wheelchair to the window and gazed at the scene below. Hearing this, Rem stood by her side, the corners of her eyes lowering.

Katya’s brother, Jamal, was one of the people heading to the Imperial Capital as Abel’s escort.

Rem did not have fond memories of her encounters with him, but as Katya’s older brother, she could not be overly antagonistic, as he was a difficult person to deal with.

However, it seemed that Abel trusted him enough to choose him as an escort in this last phase.

Katya: [Nii-san is simple, easy to handle and easy to discard; so that’s why.]

Rem: [No matter how Abel-san may be, I don’t think he’s that callous…]

Katya: [I don’t know. At least, Nii-san seems to want to come across that way… y-you heard what he said yesterday, didn’t you?]

Rem: [Uh, about that… yes.]

Katya looked at Rem with an upward glance, and as Rem could not excuse herself, she nodded her head.

When Jamal had visited Katya last night, he reported that he had been chosen to accompany Abel to Imperial Capital, and then laughingly told Katya,

Jamal: [Don’t worry, Katya. I’m gonna die in style serving His Excellency, and then ya won’t need to suffer for the rest of your life because of the reward, even if that bastard Todd ain’t around!]

Rem: [It didn’t seem as if there was any malice in it.]

Katya: [S-some things can be bad even without any malice to them… Why is it that both Nii-san and Todd behave like that, even though it’s their lives? It’s really selfish…]

Perhaps, in his own way, Jamal was concerned about his sister Katya’s life as her brother, but Rem sincerely hoped that he would be more considerate of Katya’s feelings than her livelihood.

With the loss of Todd, her fiancé, if she were to lose her brother, Jamal, Katya would truly be all alone.

That was not a void able to be filled even if Rem were by her side as a friend.

Rem: [I felt so, too, when… When I was reunited with Nee-sama.]

Since she had no Memories, it was a new experience for Rem to meet Ram again.

However, even though Rem had no Memories of Ram, her “soul” remembered her, and her presence made her realize that she was not alone in this world.

For Katya, Jamal must also be like that.

And yet, that Jamal thought otherwise was a failure of imperial culture.

Rem: [No matter what kind of Emperor Abel-san is, I don’t like the Empire very much…]

Katya: […What a coincidence. I don’t have a favorite country or place, either.]

Rem: [At this point, I would agree.]

According to Subaru and Ram, Rem’s home was a place called the Kingdom of Lugunica, a neighboring country.

Since Subaru so often criticized the Empire, the Kingdom must have been a more comfortable place to live compared to the Empire.

Nevertheless――,

Rem: [――When this battle is over…]

Will I go to the Kingdom?

It would be hard to leave Ram, and she did not doubt that the Kingdom was her hometown. However, Rem now knew more things and people in the Empire than in the Kingdom.

She could not adequately imagine herself in the Kingdom, so unfamiliar it was to her.

Katya: […Rem, it looks like they’re leaving.]

Suddenly, Katya called out to Rem, who was lost in thought.

When called, she looked out the window as well and saw three dragon carriages about to depart for the Imperial Capital.

Spica, Abel, and Subaru were all on board.

Katya: [Did you see him off properly?]

Rem: [We spoke at breakfast. You too Katya-san, did you talk to your brother…?]

Katya: [I said all I had to say. There was no point in getting angry, but I did get angry.]

Katya turned her face away, making a bitter expression as she recalled the argument she had exchanged with Jamal.

But, in her own way, the words she had said to her brother, who was heading off to a dangerous place, were probably meant to convey her deepest feelings. That was why, Katya turned her gaze back toward Rem,

Katya: [Did you say what you wanted to say?]

Rem: […What I wanted to say, huh?]

Katya: [You seem to be kind of bummed out.]

Rem blinked with surprise at this very unexpected assessment.

“Bummed out” gave the impression of a child sulking. First of all, Rem was not sulking, as Katya was insinuating.

Rem: [There’s not even a reason to sulk…]

Katya: [If that’s true, then that’s fine I guess.]

Rem: [――――]

When poked and prodded, Rem closed her lips at Katya’s words.

When she put it that way, it sounded like Rem was lying. Rem was not sulking, and there was no need for Rem to devote any more words to it.

Subaru was accompanied by both Emilia and Beatrice.

Spica and Abel were also accompanying him, as was Halibel, that very strong wolfperson. Surrounded by such reliable people, he must have felt completely at ease.

That was why――,

Katya: [I-I…]

Rem: [――――]

Katya: [I regret it.]

With her face turned away, directing only her gaze to Rem, Katya hesitantly moved her lips.

There was no need to ask what it meant or what thoughts it would lead to.

Closing her eyes tightly, Rem, together with Katya, reached for the window where they had been watching the scene down below, and opened it as wide as they could.

Immediately after, a cool morning breeze flowed into the room of the fortress, caressing Rem’s blue hair.

Mixed in with that breeze was a smell that could hardly be described as refreshing. The dragon carriages were on their way back to the place where this all began――,

Rem: [――You better explain yourself when you get back!]

With a shout, Rem cast her wish toward the dragon carriages that were growing distant.

She could not say that she wished him a safe return. Nor that she wished them good luck. But, Katya had pushed her on, and she could not choose to not say anything.

As it was, this was the voice of the troubled Rem’s heart.

Who the heck was Natsuki Subaru to Rem?

He was so desperate for Rem, and yet he already had Emilia and Beatrice. He risked his life for the Empire, and he watched over Spica for everyone’s sake, but who was he?

Rem: [Until you tell me, I won’t forgive you.]

It was not because of his sinister, nose-curling stench.

A Rem without Memories; she wanted an answer as to how to think of him, who was around every corner in her newly created Memories.

Rem’s loud voice was swallowed by the wind, and she was not sure if it had reached.

However, there was a small hand, a child’s small hand, waving back at her through the open window at the tail end of the three departing dragon carriages.

Katya: [You look foolish. With that happy look on your face.]

――As Rem saw that, she thought she could hear Katya sigh those words.