*This chapter is an edited MTL

　Whenever Subaru had time to think he wondered about what went wrong.

　He thought about the dusk of that day, and he repeatedly recalled the scene of the silver-haired girl turning her back to him and moving away.

　What went wrong, Subaru wondered each time it came to mind.

　Subaru himself admits that his words were too much.

　He was cornered by her words, which seemed to fold up, and his body had probably been beaten down before that. The content of his words diverged from what he really wanted to say, and as a result, it resulted in a separation between himself and her.

　He wondered if it was just a spur-of-the-moment remark, because it came out of the blue.

　Or was it the thought that had always been beating in his heart because he had spoken it out of the blue?

　He no longer knew where his true feelings were at that moment.

　For Subaru, who had lost his mind immediately after the breakup, the next time his memory resumes is when he was taken by Rem out of the antechamber of the royal castle and made to ride in the dragon carriage on the way to Crusch's mansion.

　He found out that Crusch and Ferris were having a conversation with Rem, leaving the self-disoriented Subaru aside. He couldn't get the content of the conversation out of his head, but the only thing that helped was the fact that Rem was holding his hand while they were talking.

　He could feel the warmth of her hand, and he realized that the last thread had not been broken.

???: "—Hey, bro."

　His consciousness, which had been shifting from recollection to reminiscence, was brought back to reality by a sudden call.

　Subaru blinked and returned his consciousness to reality. Then, as he looked ahead of him, he heard a voice saying,

???: "Please, bro. Don't look so crazy in front of people's stores."

　He saw a strong, scarred face with an impressive scar running the length of his face and a wrinkle between his eyebrows.

　Looking directly into the face that had made such a strong impact so soon after his return, Subaru slowly rubbed his eyelids with his fingers, exhaling deeply as he spilled his breath.

Subaru: "Hey, old man. I don't think you should be so intimidating to your customers."

???: "I'm not! You're worried about me! I wish I could have told you how upset I was when I couldn't reach you!"

　The owner slammed his thick arm down on the counter, and the fruits on the display bounced off the baskets in a huge leap. They flew in a parabolic trajectory into the crowd, landing on the ground and almost becoming damaged goods or stains on the soles of shoes.

Subaru "Don't treat your food so poorly."

　Rem's skirt fluttered with her flowing movements and she landed softly in the space in front of the store. She lightly plucked and lifted, and inside her apron, a piece of fruit that had almost fallen was softly caught and retrieved.

　Relieved, Kadomon exhaled with relief and admiration for his detachment. He raised his hand to Rem, who held up the fruit she picked up toward him.

Kadomon: "Oh, thank you for saving my life, sweetie. So I won't say I'm sorry. Don't stay with this bad-eyed dude. You'll be unhappy."

Subaru: "Hey, hey, hey, hey, what are you giving me? What are you giving me? I'm the one who saved your product from going bad. Come on, let's say thanks!"

Kadomon: "You're the one who almost ruined it. Besides, I don't think I'm missing the point.

　The shopkeeper, who had rearranged the merchandise on the display shelves and crossed his thick arms, sniffed and looked at Subaru and Rem, who stood by his side, comparing them.

Kadomon: "That's a different girl from the one you brought in the other day, ain't it? The previous girl was… ah, for some reason I don't remember much about her, but the fact that I don't remember her means that this girl is prettier than her. You can go to hell for being so unprincipled."

Subaru: "What the hell, old man? Are you the type of person who thinks that friendship between men and women is impossible? Don't tie everything to love affairs. I mean, to begin with…"

　Subaru was about to say why he was forgetting about Emilia when he realized that it brought a terrible pain to his chest, and he stopped talking. The pain also reminded him of the reason for the shopkeeper's forgetfulness, and he was convinced alone.

　While giving a suspicious look to Subaru who falls silent, Kadomon takes advantage of the opportunity to sneak a sneaky look at him, while whispering to Rem.

Kadomon: "Look at this, this attitude of not even taking offense. You're going to have a hard time if you fall for this."

Rem: "Thank you for your concern… but Rem likes to do what she does."

　Rem's cheeks are tinted, and she glances sideways at Subaru. At the heat of her gaze, Kadomon shrugs and regretfully backs away, as if further words are tactless.

　But then his eyes immediately widen, and he prefaces his comment with the words, "That's just the way it is."

Kadomon: “The other thing is, I'm still of the opinion that he's a dangerous son of a bitch. I didn't… think he'd be so eager to die that he'd break into the castle with the luggage."

　Even at a normal volume, lost in the hustle and bustle of the crowd, it would not have been heard by those around him. However, Kadomon carefully lowered the tone of his voice and muttered this in light of the gravity of the content.

　Subaru felt bitterness rising in him at the words, and he began to make excuses while scratching his head in a batty manner.

Subaru: "Oh, I'm sorry about that, I'm sorry… about that."

Kadomon: "You're either thinking it or you're not thinking it."

Subaru: "Sorry about that. I'm also sorry that I didn't come back to you right after that."

Kadomon: "That's for sure."

　Looking down at the back of Subaru's head as he lowers his head, Kadomon lets out an angry exhale. He looks down at the back of Subaru's head and exhales angrily.

Kadomon: "Old Rom and all the others are out of touch. I knew this was a serious problem, and I was almost ready to flee to Henehehe in the night. I was trying to figure out how to convince my wife and daughter to go along with the whole thing."

Subaru: "You should be honest about what you did wrong and tell them all about it and be scorned, smuggler."

Kadomon: "Shut up, master criminal."

　The owner clicked his tongue at Subaru, who brusquely dismissed his previously auspicious attitude. Then he ran his finger over the scar that ran down his face, "Well..."

Kadomon: "There was a pretty big event at the castle that day. I guess it's a good thing your little crime didn't get out in the open with all the commotion."

Subaru: "Yeah, that's right. Thanks to you, we know the holes in the castle's sloppy security system. Next time, let's do a big job on the treasure room, boss.

Kadomon: "I won't help you again! Next time, you'll be caught and beheaded!"

　Subaru shook his head in horror as he responded to his master, who put his handkerchief to his neck and stuck out his tongue.

　Subaru shakes his head and replies, "I'm afraid so." Then he stops at the "big event" part and lets out a breathless sound, "Oh, I see.

Subaru: "The details of the king's election are already known all over the Royal Capital?"

Kadomon: "Of course. The king's people can't just laugh and look at it as someone else's business. We are going to decide the king, after all. It's not just a matter of the next few years, it's a swell of the times that will take over the kingdom's 400-year history. There's a lot of talk about it everywhere."

　Kadomon, who heard Subaru's mutterings, also spoke up with a somewhat feverish look on his face. Then he turns his head and directs Subaru's gaze in the direction of a tall sign that stands out among the market's streets.

Subaru: "Well, I can't read it if they use anything other than the i-script."

Kadomon: "What, are you lazy? So you can't read my store sign then?"

Subaru: "I think it has symbols similar to the i-script, but I can't read it because the writing is too dirty."

Kadomon: "Hoho. It's popular nowadays to write in a funny, broken-up style like this."

Subaru: "It's a little hard for people who are in the process of learning to write. When I master all the letters in this world, I'm going to make a gal character derivative of it popular."

　Subaru's ambition is to punch into the history of letters.

　What is needed is the ability to perceive letters not as letters but as a single image, like a picture. Or the cognitive ability to blur the line between reality and unreality. He's quite confident in the latter.

　Anyway,

Subaru: "So, what does the sign say?"

Kadomon: "I've told you many times that it's just a headline. It says, 'The King's Election Begins.’”

　When Subaru frowned at his inane response, Kadomon waved his hand and said, "All right, all right, all right."

Kadomon: "—I'll do a little reading for you."

Subaru: "Yes, sir."

　Kadomon quickly comes out from the side of the store, and Rem slides into the store without refuting him.

　Subaru shakes his head no, feeling nothing but discomfort at her uncomfortable attitude.

Subaru: "Don't let an amateur in so easily. And don't take Rem so easily either."

Kadomon: "It's just a job of handing over the change for the price written on the price tag. Besides, I don't get any customers anyway.”

Subaru: “Finally, he said it himself!”

　With a cheerful face, Kadomon led him out into the crowd behind Rem, who was still in the store. They cross the street, where people of all sizes and races mingle, to a sign that stands two heads taller than the taller Kadomon.

　A crowd of people stop to look at the words on the sign for the same purpose as Subaru and the others. Stretching his neck out from behind them, Subaru follows the words, even though he cannot read them.

Kadomon: "What it says is the news of the start of the king's election and a summary of it. It's like they're going to choose a king before the Shinryugi in three years' time, and then hold a ceremony afterwards. The rest is just about the candidates."

　Subaru's interest was about to wane at the mention of what he knew, but the word "candidate" stopped him.

　With Subaru's eyebrows twitching and surprise showing on his face, Kadomon pulled back his chin, a satisfied emotion in his eyes.

Kadomon: "I see you're curious about the candidates. There are a total of five candidates for the king's election. Among them, the most well-known names are Duchess Crusch Karsten and Anastasia of the Hoshin Chamber of Commerce."

Subaru: "Famous?"

Kadomon: "Famous? The duchess? There's not a single person living in Royal Capital who doesn't know her name. There is also no one living in the capital who doesn't know the name of the Hoshin Trading Company, or at least, no one in the business world. It was also a well-known rumor, true or not, that the representative of the company was a young woman."

　As Kadomon replied while touching his scar, Subaru naturally recalled in his mind's eye the two people who were mentioned in the conversation.

　Crusch, whose dignified appearance is impressive and sharp as a sword.

　And Anastasia, with her pale purple hair and her soft Kansai dialect. He thought it is probably true that the latter was a woman as rumored, because Subaru saw her in person. However, there is nothing in this world that can be said to be absolute, considering the precedent of Ferris.

Subaru: "Well, there's no scarcity of male daughter quotas in the wild, and there probably won't be any character covers."

Kadomon: "I don't know what you're convinced of, but… that's why these two are the real deal for now. In fact, I personally think that Crusch-sama of the Karsten family, who is a major player in the kingdom, is more likely to be the best candidate compared to Anastasia, who came from another country.”

Subaru: "It was said that she was the only real candidate, wasn't it?"

　However, that, too, must have been shaken considerably by her subsequent statement of position.

　Regardless, it is true that her position and her family's genealogy are powerful backers. For those on the street who have not heard her speech, it is an unshakable fact that the most favorable development would be for her to take the throne.

Subaru: "The main candidate is Crusch-san. If the opponent is Anastasia-san… where is the big winner?"

Kadomon: "How do you know such an old-fashioned phrase? It's hard to talk about the big winner… but if you exclude the two I just mentioned, the other three are good unknowns."

　Priscilla, Felt, and Emilia's names were read out loud, then Kadomon sniffed and pointed to the sign.

Kadomon: "I don’t even know these candidates' names. The one named Priscilla seems to be an aristocrat by family name, but I can't find any family names for the other two. I honestly wonder how they chose the candidates, when the head of the Hoshin Chamber of Commerce is on the list of candidates."

　I think Subaru would be in complete agreement with me on that point if he didn't know the circumstances.

　There is the head of a ducal family, there is a young businesswoman, there is a noblewoman of a family whose name is not well known, and the rest are mysterious figures whose family names are even vague.

　This information alone is unkind to the people who are watching the king's election.

　Just as Subaru was thinking this way,

Kadomon: "I just think it's crazy to have a half-elf among the… candidates."

　Squinting his eyes, his lips curved in disgust, Kadomon said those words out loud in a hoarse voice.

　For a moment, Subaru's thoughts were stopped by the discomfort he was showing. But as soon as the content of his words permeated his brain,

Subaru: "Half-elf…"

Kadomon: "It also says something about the candidate's origins, but it seems that a half-elf named Emilia is on the ballot. Are you kidding me?"

Subaru: "What's wrong with being a half-elf?"

Kadomon: "Oh, come on, you should only joke about your life while looking the other way."

　Shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head, Kadomon responded to Subaru's question with a broad smile.

Kadomon: "Not that this is a private conversation, but half-elves are probably looked down upon everywhere they go. In the Royal Capital, you can see demi-humans on occasion, but unlike lizardmen and hobbits, elves are rarely seen wandering around. And when you're a half-elf, it's only natural that you'd be shunned by both sides of the blood mingle."

　Kadomon corrects Subaru's ignorance as a matter of course. The owner of the store, oblivious to Subaru's stifled reaction, stares abjectly at the words on the signboard and says

Kadomon: "This is foolish for the great ones to have decided. How can a country be entrusted to a half-elf… or even a half-demon, of all people?"

Subaru: "Half-demon…”

Kadomon: "It's a half-elf. It's what the witches' family members are called, isn't it?"

The words had such a shocking effect on Subaru that he was unable to react.

　Subaru had more than a little liking for this shopkeeper with the scarred face.

　This was true because he was the first person with whom he had almost completely interacted on the first day of his summoning, and it was also true from his personality in the subsequent relationships with him. He is an easy person to talk to, and he is a nice person who is not difficult to deal with.

　It was surprising to hear him speak so easily of putting others down. It was a slander against a person whom Subaru could not bear to hear.

Subaru: "Not everyone has something to do with witches, right?"

Kadomon: "An?"

Subaru: "Don't just lump them all together because they're half-elves and give up on them. The girl, Emilia, might also be thinking about the country's good… you know. She might even be a very nice girl."

　As Subaru quickly and haltingly offers his defense, Kadomon raises his eyebrows suspiciously and holds out his palm, saying, "Wait a minute."

Kadomon: "I don't know what you're trying so hard to do, but don't talk like you're defending a half demon. You don't know who might be listening."

Subaru: "That's exactly what I'm worried about. The walls have ears and the shoji have eyes, and there's a chance that she's behind you right now and she's going to smack you in the back, correct me."

　Subaru confused meari with meri, but Kadomon exhaled, putting his hand to his forehead, as if he had no choice.

(T/N: I have no clue what the meari vs meri thing is about.)

Subaru: "So don't do it. I'm sorry I spoke out of turn. Here, you see."

Kadomon: “...”

　Subaru's apology lacked sincerity, but he dropped the matter and settled the matter. As Subaru retracted his enthusiasm, Kadomon breathed and said, "But,”

Kadomon: "You can think what you want, but it's impossible for a half-elf to be king."

Subaru: "You still say that...! Why not? Because of the Witch of Envy? Because this witch was a half-elf, all the other half-elves are dangerous too!"

Kadomon: "—Yes."

　For Subaru, whose voice sounded unexpectedly cold as he vented his frustration at the resumption of the discussion, this reply was shocking.

　Subaru's momentum was quenched by Kadomon, who uttered a single word that affirmed Subaru's cry - and Subaru choked up and looked up at the strong man.

　And Kadomon's twin eyes, facing Subaru head-on, showed a clearly recognizable feeling of awe.

Kadomon: "I'm afraid of witches—that's a given, a common understanding that I don't need to ask anyone about. I don't know how ignorant you are, but for most people at least, that reason alone is more than enough to avoid them."

　Kadomon reminded the silent Subaru, ”Listen," 

Kadomon: "The story is that the witch - The Witch of Envy—was a monster of a different order of magnitude. Four hundred years ago, half of the continent was swallowed by the shadow of the witch, and many famous heroes and winged dragons sank before her. Without the power of the Divine Dragon and the Sword Saint of that time, the world would have been destroyed."

　Subaru glanced at the words that he couldn't help but hear, but he couldn't take his eyes off the owner's wandering pupils as he spoke. His thirsty lips quivered.

Kadomon: "And yet, I have no idea who the witch is who did so much. What we do know is that the witch was a half-elf with silver hair. She couldn't speak, and it was impossible to communicate with her. All we know is that she went on a rampage as if she hated everything but herself, and kept on breaking, killing, and swallowing."

　That is the kind of information that Subaru also knows from the outline of the picture book.

　However, Kadomon's narrative, which was filled with a mixture of negative emotions, was filled with raw emotions that could never be fully expressed in monotonous sentences alone.

　Anecdotes about witches have probably been passed down from generation to generation not only through the medium of picture books but also through oral traditions passed down from relatives. The process of telling the tale changes several times, but it always ends up at the same place.

　It is as follows,

Kadomon: “I'm afraid of the mysterious witch. Then how can I keep away from it, even if I only know what it is?”

Subaru: "So you discriminate against half-elves."

Kadomon: “The truth is, at least, that many half-elves have twisted personalities. —The actuality is, it's not always a matter of whether or not it's a result of the environment or even the nature of the person.”

　Kadomon's frown, as if he were biting something bitter, revealed his own anguish at Subaru's squeezed words.

　Although they have only known each other for a short time, Subaru thinks that Kadomon is a good person at heart. He himself understands that what he said is not correct in theory. It's just that the emotions that come to mind when he thinks of the "witch" don't make a good counter argument to that logic.

Kadomon: “Most of them probably agree with me. Most of them would agree with me. They would never go out of their way to side with the half-demon and sway votes away from the other candidates. That's the natural mindset."

Subaru: "——"

　The way he said it, trying to force the story to end, Subaru realized firsthand that what Emilia had pleaded at the king's election was true.

　Being a half-elf. For her, it is an inseparable fate, an iron chain that will never allow her to stand on the same starting point as others.

　As long as there are witches, Emilia will continue to be bound by her origins.

　And this is an unreasonable obstacle that she herself has no control over.

Kadomon: "So long as you're considered a witch, you don't stand a chance. Whoever put her up there likes to… play around with her.”

　Kadomon crosses his arms and reveals his disapproval. His anger now seems to be directed from the side of Emilia, the candidate, to the person who put her in the unwinnable position.

　This attitude certainly shows his good nature, but it is no consolation as long as there is a bad impression of half-elves rooted in it.

　Kadomon called Subaru a know-nothing. He said that he did not understand the history of the oppression of half-elves and the tyranny of witches that was the reason for it.

　But, what Subaru thought was ‘Don’t be Silly.’

　Subaru is certainly ignorant of the history of this world. He probably has no idea about the evil deeds of witches beyond what is written on the page.

　It is impossible for him to sympathize with how much people fear half-elves and how half-elves in such an environment feel about humans.

　But,

Emilia:『——That's enough, villain.』

　The dignified silver bell had made Subaru's eardrums tremble violently at that moment.

　She had no doubts about her own actions as she reached out to Subaru, who was crawling on the ground in the alleyway, about to be crushed in pain and humiliation, to save him.

　Subaru does not know the history of this world.

　Subaru does not know the history of half-elves.

　Subaru does not know how terrifying the Witch of Envy is.

　But he does know about Emilia.

　Subaru knows that the silver-haired Emilia, who is stubborn, good-natured to no end, and acts irrespective of her own gain or loss, has no reason to be equated with the Witch of Envy.

　Subaru knows that this girl, who must have spent her life in an environment that was never kind to her, still has a heart that allows her to be kind to others.

　No matter how hard this world may have been on her, Subaru knows that she still has a heart that is capable of being kind to others.

???: 『Really, is that so?』

　It was such a question that suddenly crept into his thoughts.

　Subaru's eyes blinked, his breath caught in his throat at the disturbing tone of the voice that passed through his mind.

　The voice was asking him if he was sure he had arrived at the right answer. He turned around, thought about it, and shouted angrily at the unseen voice, "What's wrong with you?

　But then, the voice said.

???: 『Do you really know her?』

　Subaru tried to respond to the voice of pure questioning as if it were a matter of course, but was unable to do so.

　It is a distorted sensation of having the voice of the heart silenced. It is a kind of contradictory act of deceiving one's own mind, which seems simple but difficult to do.

　When Subaru could not respond clearly to the voice of suspicion, he realized that the voice was the voice of his own mind.

　The voice repeated in Subaru's own voice.

???: 『Do you really know her?』

　”I know her," he tried to answer aloud, but his throat, still unable to trick his own mind, did not allow it to quiver.

　Subaru does not know what kind of life she has led.

　Subaru does not know what she is thinking about as she aspires to the throne.

　Subaru does not know how she feels about those who identify her as a witch.

　Subaru does not want to know what she thinks of him.

Kadomon: "Hey, are you okay, bro?"

Subaru: "Huh?"

　He noticed that a startled looking Scarface was peering at him in front of him. Unintentionally jerking back, Subaru lightly backed away to make some distance between them.

Subaru: "Hey, what the… please don't suddenly come in front of me, it's going to suck my life span."

Kadomon: "That’s a terrible thing to say! I was in a hurry because you suddenly had a crazy look in your eyes. What, do you have a pre-existing condition like that?"

Subaru: "Everyone has a fantasy box in his or her mind. Someday we forget the importance of that place, but every once in a while there is an adult who never forgets that box garden. I'm one of those people."

Kadomon: "I know you have a bad disease. Enough of this, let's get back to the store."

　The owner of the store, unable to take the time to follow the lighthearted words that fooled his inner self into thinking he had been caught in a falsehood, began to walk through the crowd toward the store. As he followed the strong back leading the way, Subaru noticed that his back was drenched in cold sweat.

　He wondered what kind of emotion was the source of this sweat.

　Subaru's steps were heavy as he felt particularly uncomfortable trying to figure it out. And then...

Kadomon: "And this may be unnecessary, but..."

　Kadomon mutters without looking at us as we walk.

　In a whisper that Subaru could barely hear him, he said,

Kadomon: "Don't mention the word 'witch' in public. Including me… You never know where or who might be listening."

　He guesses that is not a rehash of what he had just said.

　The seriousness of the tone of his voice told Subaru to remain silent as a sign of approval.

　Kadomon seemed to have understood his intention and did not repeat his words.

　Just one word.

Subaru: "’Who’, huh?"

　Was left as the end of the conversation, which was quite impressive.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

　The atmosphere between Subaru and Kadomon was heavy as they returned.

　To be honest, Subaru was having trouble sorting out the feelings that were brooding in his heart, and Kadomon seemed to be ashamed of himself for being so vehement in his argument with Subaru.

　And so, as they wove their way through the hustle and bustle, they returned silently to Kadomon's store.

Rem: "Welcome back. —The last customer has just left."

　Kadomon stared at Rem, who handed over the merchandise and change, bowed politely, and saw the customer off.

　He looked at the empty display shelves in front of him, which had been sold out in large quantities.

　Rem, who had been left in charge of the store and had become desperate, was now offering free fruit to passersby with the words, "Take it away, slob! and "Take it away, slob!" Rem did not give away fruit for free to passersby, as evidenced by the fact that the basket for receiving payment was filled to the brim with coins.

　In other words.

Kadomon: "Oh, more than my store's average daily sales in this short period of time..."

　Confronted with a fact he does not want to admit, Kadomon covers his face with his palms and shivers.

　Rem, who had just given up her position as store keeper to him and slipped out of the store, jumped in line beside Subaru and looked up at him, bending over as if to lean forward.

She bent down to look up at Subaru and said, "What do you think, Subaru-kun? What do you think, Subaru-kun? I heard you were Subaru-kun's benefactor, so I tried my best to at least be helpful. You can praise… me for it, okay?"

　Rem shakes the hem of her skirt and glances at Subaru with one eye. Her attitude is easy to understand, despite her words. Comparing that with the sight of Kadomon, who is unable to accept reality in front of him, Subaru notices that his chest is slightly lighter.

　He wasn't sure if it was because he was relieved to see Rem's normal appearance, or if it was because Kadomon, who had been made to feel a little bad, was shocked, which made his heart drop a little.

Subaru: "Either way, I'm pretty sure it's because of Rem."

　He put his hand in the blue hair that was being offered to him, and Subaru stroked her head softly, tasting the completely familiar texture of her hair with his fingers.

　Rem closes her eyes pleasantly and enjoys the feel of Subaru's palm caressing her, her cheeks flushed red with an ecstatic expression, and she purrs in a strange, glamorous manner, "Mmmm.”

　Behind them, Kadomon traced the scars on his face with his fingers, forever and ever.

Kadomon: "I knew it was too big to look like that..."

　He was now too late to explain the reason for his business difficulties.