—A clear blue sky stretched out above Subaru, who was lying on his back.

　Looking back, about a month and two weeks had passed since he was summoned to another world.

　How many times had he looked up at the blue sky in this way during that time? The sun's rays were mostly blocked by the incoming clouds, but the near-noon sun's glorious rays poured down on him through the thickness of the clouds.

　The dazzling sunlight burnt the back of his eyelids. Reflexively squinting his eyes and feeling tears welling up from the depths of his pupils, Subaru thought absentmindedly, “I just thought of something.”

Subaru: "Come to think of it… I haven't encountered a rainy day in this world so far."

　He had yet to encounter a day when it rained deeply and continuously throughout the whole day.

　There had been a few times when a light rain had sprinkled late at night and the trees and lawn were watery in the morning, but he had not experienced a full-blown rainstorm.

　The temperature is just a little too hot to spend the day in long sleeves—in his experience, it felt like June or the beginning of October in his original world. Considering the lack of rainfall, it may be the dry season in this world.

???: "I think it's time to end this, don't you?"

　Subaru, who was lost in a playful, rambling thought, suddenly heard a voice.

　He glanced at the voice, leaning his head back lightly while lying on his back, and saw an old man standing a few meters away from Subaru, who was lying on the ground.

　He was a little taller than Subaru, and had carefully stroked white hair, which was abundant despite his older age. He was dressed in an all-black butler's uniform, and had a tight, composed look that matched his formal clothes.

　His back was straight and his posture was also straight, but he was not only beautiful from his posture, his face was also relaxed, with gentle wrinkles etched on his soft face.

　In the old gentleman's hand, however, was a wooden sword with an unusually long blade.

Subaru: "No, not yet. I was just philosophizing a bit."

???: "Well, that's interesting. What were you thinking about?

Subaru: "A fire above and a flood below… I heard this was something..."

　Subaru stood up, gaining momentum with the motion of swinging both legs up and down.

　There was still heaviness in the core of his body, but the effects of the undamaging blows are slight. In the leisure time he had to stand up, he turned and checked each part of his body, and then Subaru spun the wooden sword he was still holding and thrust it out before him—at Wilhelm.

Subaru: "Well then, another try, please instruct me."

Wilhelm: "By the way, what was the answer to your earlier philosophy?"

Subaru: "Ah—wetting the bed and then getting upset."

　As he says this, he steps forward and, in a low posture, strikes with the wooden sword from below in a semicircle.

　The tip cleaves the atmosphere, and the momentum of the wind was so tame that it could shatter a bone. But,

Subaru: "Noooooo!"

Wilhelm: "You are exerting too much force. Hands, feet, neck, waist, and face."

　Wilhelm's wooden sword was inserted into the trajectory of the strike, and the circular motion twisted and turned in a smooth motion to miss the target. A sword strike that dances in the palm of the old man's turned body traverses painfully through the feeling of shrug as the blow aimed at his head passes further over the taller opponent's head.

　The chin, throat, solar plexus, and the jewels—all are kryptonite points on the human body that are linked to the midline. Wilhelm's wooden sword carefully stroked these vital points and blew Subaru's body away with the mere impact of its touch.

　The force of the blow, which only returned his own momentum, was slight. But even so, the shock of being hit in such a vital spot was enough to make one's breath catch and one's vision turn red from the stimulation of pain.

　Subaru was knocked back and overturned, and the distance was reduced by the same amount as when he had stepped forward. Again, as before, he was sprawled on the ground, and when his red-tinted vision opened, the blue sky was once again looking down at him and taunting him.

Wilhelm: "I think it's time to end this, don't you?"

　Wilhelm's calls without inflection, without the slightest hint of sarcasm or contempt.

　How many times had he already heard this voice questioning his intentions?

Subaru: "It’s now the twenty-third time."

Wilhelm: "Oh, you remember it so faithfully?"

Subaru: "Of course I do. I'm the kind of guy who forgets memories of doing things that people don't like, but I don't forget memories of people being jerks… to me."

　Subaru's body slowly takes its time getting up as he brags about something he isn’t proud of. The damage is minute, and he is still in excellent shape.

　He stands up, propping up the wooden sword he has regained his grip on, and after cleansing the dirt-stained tip with a quick swing, he thrusts the tip at Wilhelm again and says,

Subaru: "One more, please."

Wilhelm: "As much as you want. I'd like to change things up a bit this time."

　As soon as Wilhelm replied with his consent, Subaru rushed in without asking for the rest of the story.

　He lowered himself and clung to his waist, and this time he took revenge with a thrust that was not a line but a point—in other words, a thrust that minimized the range of the strike.

　It was impossible for him to hit four vital points in an instant with the same degree of mastery as the old man in front of him, no matter how hard he tried. Therefore, Subaru's thrust is a single blow, and instead he puts all his strength into it.

　The aim was to hit the large torso of the target, anywhere near the center of the body, and the tip of the wooden sword with such intention was slowly sucked into the center of the old man's black clothes

Subaru: "Hit —!?"

　The sword was intended to hit him, but he was upset because he did not expect it to hit him. However, the fact that there was no response from the wooden sword, which should certainly have been a direct hit, took away the end of his exultation.

Subaru: "Fumble—!"

　The feeling of being scooped underfoot caused him to lose sight of his weight, and as it was, heaven and earth were turned upside down.

　His brain could not catch up with the rapid release from gravity, and the ground appeared as a large picture in his inverted field of vision. He closed his eyes in anticipation of the coming pain, wondering if he’ll be forced to catch the entire weight of his body with his face. And then...

Subaru: "Majolica!"

　Just before his face fell with momentum, Subaru felt a hard bar pressed against his abdomen. The sensation was as if you had hit an iron bar with great force, and your body, which had been upside down, was flipped upside down again and your two legs reach the ground correctly against gravity.

　Subaru's arms, lifted up unintentionally by the recoil, were stretched out, and he stiffened in a posture like an athlete who has just finished a gymnastics floor exercise.

　He didn't know what had happened.

　He just heard a mysterious voice in his head saying, ‘One rotation?’ Subaru suddenly realized that the wooden sword he had been clutching so tightly had disappeared from his palm.

Subaru: "Ah!"

　Just as he turned his head to look for it, his eyes meet those of an old man smiling right next to him. In his hands he saw, two wooden swords.

Subaru: "No, don't hurt me."

　His whole body was hit with countless gentle, light, hit-and-run impacts, and Subaru was again blown away unprovoked, rolling on the earth and covered in grass.

　The taste of earth spreads in his mouth, and he spits it out as he waits for each part of his body to declare its damage. Arms, moving. Legs, numb but safe. Belly, he was about to get hungry. Face, he was born with bad eyes. The above is still the same exquisitely tame.

???: "You're a very energetic guy, aren't you?"

　For the twenty-fourth time, he rendezvoused with the meadow.

　The dignified sound of this voice came from a higher place than Subaru, who was lying on his face, his powerful vese on the dirt.

　Rolling to his side to get a clear view, Subaru looked in the direction of the voice. He looked up to see a woman leaning against the terrace fence, looking down at Subaru, who was lying down in the garden.

???: "I was just listening to your voice, but I hear you are doing this very diligently."

Wilhelm: "Is this an interruption to your duties, Crusch-sama?"

　Wilhelm, who was looking up at her from the same ground as Subaru, is horrified by the appearance of Crusch, a green-haired woman who rests her weight on the railing and rests her cheeks on the railing. However, there is no literal emotion in the sound of her voice, and Crusch, on the receiving end, waves her hand and says,

Crusch: "No, I was just about to take a break."

　She responds to Wilhelm, then continues, "And besides,"

Crusch: "I don't think it's arrogant to think that hard work is a hindrance, whether it's yours or someone else's. I'm not going to let you play with what I've hired you to do. I don't want to let the people I hired play with me. Work hard, Old Man Wilhelm."

Wilhelm: "Yes, my Lord. I will, however."

　Wilhelm bowed deeply at Crusch's generous words, then looked at Subaru with a gentle, wistful gaze.

Wilhelm: "I think it's time to end this, don't you?"

Subaru: "I'm not so much of an airhead as to say it's over with the way things are going, but..."

　Flapping his grass-covered body, Subaru stood up, turned himself around to make sure he was safe for the third—no, the twenty-fourth time, spat out the dirt in his mouth, and then,

Subaru: "I think it's quite enduring for a boy to get meta-shit on while being watched over by a beautiful woman. It's really takes a toll on the ‘manly man’ gauge."

　Wilhelm silently tosses the wooden sword he had taken from Subaru, who turns his wrist in a lighthearted manner. Subaru catches the spinning sword without any trouble, checks the feel of it in his palm, and smiles bitterly.

Crusch: "Don't worry about it. It's not the first time I've seen you get hurt."

Subaru: "Ugh."

Wilhelm: "I’ve only been told how it happened, but I can't help but feel that Crusch-sama was a little too direct with that one."

　Wilhelm looked at Subaru, who was holding his chest and moaning, and Crusch said, "Is that so?” Crusch raised her eyebrows and looked at Subaru with no malice.

Crusch: "It's only natural that you can't reach someone who is out of your league. But if you still showed that you have the will not to bend, I don't think you have anything to be ashamed of, even if you have regrets.

　Subaru felt a tickle of discomfort as Crusch touched her chin and said these words. In no small part, it was surprising to hear her say such an assessment of that abomination, and no matter how it was said, it was still a result that just couldn't be overturned.

　That's why she was so surprised to hear from Subaru that—

Crusch: "Besides. If it is painful to receive pointers while being watched over by a woman, then it has already been repeated endlessly, hasn't it?"

　Crusch says this to Subaru, who is sinking into a sea of thoughts, and her lips loosen in a beauteous smile. Half leaning over the railing, she casts a meaningful glance at the terrace—her gaze passes Subaru and Wilhelm, who face each other directly below, to the edge of the garden.

　There,

Crusch: “...It's a different feeling from being humiliated in front of your own people."

Crusch: "I know it's a problem to keep exposing your hand in the palm of someone who will eventually become your enemy… but I guess I'm in the same boat when I let such a person into my mansion. I'm not sure I even know my own mind."

　Subaru, consciously trying not to be aware of where Crusch's gaze was directed, went along with Crusch above his head as she reflected on herself.

　And so, after a moment of pondering, she turns to,

Crusch: "Wilhelm."

Wilhelm: "Yes?"

Crusch: "I need to move around a bit. Now I'm going down there to finish up the rest of my work. I know I'm a little ahead of schedule, but I'd like you to give me a few pointers today."

Wilhelm: "Yes, my lady. Please don't be in a hurry."

Crusch: "That's a somewhat difficult offer, considering my current state of mind."

　Smiling thinly, Crusch steps away from the railing and looks back to her office with dignity. Her long green hair danced and swirled with her agile gesture, sparkling deeply in the sunlight as she disappeared from Subaru's view.

　Subaru looked away and released a faint tension in his breath.

　Subaru chuckled at his own body, which loosened with blatant relief.

　Even though Crusch is the type of person he isn't good at dealing with, the impression he gives to the other party will remain the worst if he shows it in his attitude.

　Anyway,

Wilhelm: "Shall we end this now?"

Subaru: "If it's not a question, then I guess that's what you mean."

　Wilhelm's words, which were not in the form of a question, were lost at the end of his sentence, and Subaru realized that this intense and peaceful time was coming to an end.

　The old man closes one eye at Subaru's attitude, disappointment clearly showing in his dark eyes.

Wilhelm: "If Crusch-Sama is coming down, I must also fulfill my role as an instructor. That is the reason I am employed by the Karsten family."

Subaru: "I won't be any more selfish. Even if it's just my free time, I've been given this opportunity, and I'm just saying that I’m extremely grateful for your help."

　He felt a sense of loneliness that the training was over, but it would be a nuisance to the other party if he let that stop him. He was in a weak position to make such an impolite request. He didn't want to cause them any inconvenience. It may be too late now, but...

Subaru: "I’m going.”

Wilhelm: "Any time."

　Following his declaration, Subaru's body kicked the dirt and leaped forward.

　There were no checks or anything. For his twenty-fifth and final challenge, Subaru chose to strike head-on, no tricks.

　He raised his wooden sword in the air and swung it down with all his might, gripping it tightly with both hands.

　The tip of the split bamboo cut through the air, lost its end point, and pierced the earth, causing Subaru, who was unable to kill the momentum, to fall forward into a flailing heap.

　And then,

Subaru: "—!"

　Subaru felt as if countless slashes had flashed and struck him down.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

　Two days had already passed since Subaru entered the residence of Crusch Karsten.

　The mansion—in this case, it does not mean the main residence of Crusch, the duchess of Karsten. The main residence of the duke, who has a fiefdom as a duke, is not in the royal capital, and the mansion where Subaru is being held is a separate residence that is used only during his stay in the royal capital.

　The mansion is located in a corner of the upper class of the city, a high ranking district of nobles with high-class residences, and is lined with groups of mansions rather than houses.

　The scale of the mansion is not comparable to that of the Roswaal mansion, which is a vast tract of land in the countryside that has been developed without much thought, but even to the untrained eye, the interior design and decorations are equal or superior to the Roswal mansion.

　In the royal capital, it is necessary for a ducal family to pay attention to these points when considering the possibility of inviting guests.

　It is clear from Crusch's pragmatic personality that she is not simply a woman with a taste for luxury. It may be too expensive to be considered a necessary expense, but it is a necessary expense.

　In this respect, the simplicity of the garden, which does not require such props, seems to reflect the temperament of the owner of the mansion and made him feel somewhat at home.

　The trees surrounding the mansion had been carefully maintained by the gardener, and there is no wastefulness at all in the garden, which is nothing more than an expanse of low grassland. The simplicity of the garden is probably due to its suitability for its intended use.

　The main use of the garden is as a place to train for battle, as Subaru did just now. The fact that she does not need a flower garden to please her eyes is indicative of the nature of Crusch, who seems to prefer iron to flowers.

???: "Can you stand up, Subaru-dono?"

　Wilhelm's voice came from far away to Subaru, who was lost in his thoughts.

　He raised his hand in silent response, listening to the old man's relief at the edge of his eardrums.

Subaru: "Thank you again today."

Wilhelm: "No, I'm just here to relieve the boredom of my old bones. I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm not very good at teaching people things."

Subaru: “You're not supposed to be like that if you are hired to teach her how to use a sword.”

Wilhelm: "I'm not giving Crusch-sama instruction, I'm simply accompanying her to help her prepare for actual battle... There's not much I can teach you in words."

　Wilhelm responded to Subaru's words with a wry smile, and then he prepared himself with a cool, sweatless face.

Wilhelm: "You're probably too exhausted to move right now. There is still some time before Crusch-Sama comes down. I think it would be better for you to stay that way until you are able to move."

Subaru: "I will do so. And it feels super nice under my head!　I may be outclassed in every way, but at this moment, I'm on the winning side!"

　Wilhelm nodded to Subaru, who was lying on his back, looking down at Subaru and beyond.

Wilhelm: "We will go around the mansion in a circle. After the break, you may do as you please, just as you did yesterday. —Please take good care of Subaru-dono."

???: "Yes, thank you for your concern."

　A person who had never spoken a word before, standing right beside Subaru as he lay down, responded in this way.

　She kneels on the ground in her familiar black apron dress, her knees soft under Subaru's fallen head.

　Under her short blue hair, a girl in a maid's outfit adorns herself with a white headdress—Rem.

　From a corner of the garden, she silently watched the entire practice session between Subaru and Wilhelm, which was practically a mock battle in name only.

　She rushed to Subaru's side after he had struggled to the end of his strength, and is now giving him a hug on her lap for his efforts.

　Her devotion was the epitome of a servant, and the look of tenderness in her eyes for Subaru on her lap clearly showed that she was more than a follower. But Wilhelm, who saw it, did not mention it.

　The old man's eyes are the same radiance that he has witnessed many times in this mansion.

　Therefore, the old man does not touch the blue-haired girl's heart at all, but bends his waist with a refined gesture.

Wilhelm: "Now, if you'll excuse me. Ferris will return in the afternoon. It would be helpful if both Rem-dono and Subaru-dono could be in their rooms by then."

Rem: "I apologize for the inconvenience. Like that."

　Rem quietly accepted Wilhelm's words. The old man pulled his chin in satisfaction at her neat response and looked at Subaru, his eyes narrowing slightly.

　Then he turned away without a word, this time disappearing from the garden.

　As soon as the old man's body lost its strange presence, the garden was filled with a sense of openness, as if the tension in the garden had been broken.

　The overwhelming feeling that even the plants and trees had been forbidden to breathe disappeared, and the garden transformed into an open-air meadow with nothing to block the wind or the chirping of birds.

　In the midst of it all, Subaru just idly closed his eyes and surrendered all of his senses and spirit to the soft touch under his head.

　Rem, who accepts it, says nothing.

　She simply accepted Subaru's weight lovingly and silently, and from time to time, as if to remind him that time had not stood still, she put his fingers in Subaru's black hair and combed it with a gentle gesture.

Subaru: "...I am."

　Suddenly, Subaru moves through such little movement in time.

　Hearing the whispered, gravelly voice spun with trembling lips, Rem's fingertips stopped moving. Taking advantage of her kindness to wait for his words as they were, Subaru took plenty of time to utter the rest of the words before he said,

Subaru: “I'm weak."

　He blurts out the undeniable fact.

　The wind blows, and the bangs Rem was stroking are left to the air, and he could feel Rem move her knees slightly and cringe at the touch.

Rem: "Yes."

　After a short silence, Rem says something like that in a short voice.

　Subaru, still in the kneeling position, looks up at the upside-down Rem as if to glare at her and says,

Subaru: "You, this is usually where you say, 'No, it's not true. Subaru-kun is super nice, cool, super strong, and mammoth happy.’”

Rem: "If that's what Subaru-kun wants."

　Subaru, who expresses his wishes in a subtly high-pitched female voice, responds to Rem without changing his expression. Subaru, as if to reassure himself of her attitude, prefaces his request with, "Okay," and then says,

Subaru: "Well, let's take two. —I'm weak."

Rem: "Yes, you are."

Subaru: "Did you hear what I just said?”

Rem: "Subaru-kun, did you hear Rem's answer?"

　When he protested with both legs stretched out with pins and needles at the unexpected rebuff, Rem tilted her head with a look of affection even at Subaru's reaction.

　Subaru choked up at her words and then slowly ruminated over in his mind what Rem had said. And then.

Subaru: "Rem is awesome."

Rem: "Yes, but my sister is more amazing."

Subaru: "I don't understand your ram-supremacy mindset, but it's awesome."

　Subaru relaxed his legs and let himself feel weak, as if every bone in his body was gone, and let everything rest in Rem's lap.

　Rem once again inserted her fingers into Subaru's bangs and played with them as he closed his eyes.

Rem: "Because Rem is here to do what you want, Subaru-kun."

Subaru: "...You're in self-denial that you're weak, and that's what you want me to do to affirm that?"

Rem: "No?"

　The head that had been tilted the other way, Rem asks with an extremely pure look in her eyes.

　To this, Subaru did not produce any words, but simply exhaled a deep, long, low breath through his nose, and his answer was to remain silent.

　Quiet, undisturbed, lazy time continues to flow.

　Before sinking into a sea of thoughts, Subaru is about to be swallowed up by a rush of sleepiness, dozing off and losing his place between the present and his dream.

Rem: "Shall we go back soon? I don't want to disturb Crusch-sama and Wilhelm-sama."

　But the passage of time is equally shaky.

　Subaru silently considered Rem's words as he shook his knee, then twisted his head, shifting his position to rest his cheek against her leg.

Subaru:"Just a little more. It feels so good on your thighs."

Rem: "Yes. —If that's what you want, Subaru-kun."

　Rem, who was about to put some strength in her knees, relaxes and accepts Subaru's proposal.

　While taking advantage of her boundless kindness, Subaru sinks deeper and deeper into the comfort of the mire, not thinking about the things he does not want to think about.

　—Three days have passed since Subaru and Emilia parted ways on the day the king election was declared to have begun.

　Natsuki Subaru was well, corroding.