*This chapter is an edited MTL

???: "I see, so that's why nyou brought me this pile of ringas."

　Ferris smiled with a mischievously glamorous gesture as he stuck his fork into the pile of red fruit that had been cut into pieces and brought them to his mouth, their juice oozing out.

???: "Well, I've given most of it to the kitchen, but you'll get a taste of it. Putting that aside, don't lick your lips while looking at them like that. My back is cold."

　Subaru frowned at Ferris' attitude and waved his hand, then took a sigh as he sat down on the bunk in the guest room that had been assigned to him.

　The time was just before evening snack time, and he had brought the cut-up ringa with him for that purpose. Rem, who had returned with Subaru from a tour of the royal city, had brought the ringas with her, and now she was to change in the room assigned to her, and then join Subaru in his room.

　He was planning to discuss today's result and the future over a bowl of ringa.

Subaru: “But I heard that there was a girl who occupied the room ahead of us. I know it's true that they didn't lock the door, but it's not like a knight to be so impolite, is it?"

Ferris: "That's fine, it's proof that Ferri-chan has forgiven nyou. I can't let Crusch-sama see me in such a disheveled state."

　Saying this, Ferris laid down right next to Subaru as if he had fallen down. The soft material of the bed transfers the recoil to Subaru's buttocks, and Ferris, who was also bouncing, rolled his body to a sleeping position. As it is, he looks up at Subaru from a ninety-degree angle.

Ferris: "Did I just make nyou nervous?"

Suabru: "I got nervous. I'm not sorry, but I don't have any taste for such things. My proclivities are pretty normal, just girls."

　No matter how cute he looks, it will never cross the gender barrier.

　Ferris, who is reacting with a shocked look on his face, exhales, and Subaru continues, "In the first place."

Subaru: "I can't think of any reason why I should be so open to you. I don't remember being particularly friendly with you. Do you have any dangerous pheromones?"

Ferris: "Oh, that's a simple story. —I'm sure that Subaru-kyun is weaker than Ferri-chan. Weakness makes me feel safe."

　Hearing Ferris, who was looking up at him with his cheeks propped up on the bed, say this matter-of-factly, Subaru was at a loss for words for a moment, but then he said,

Subaru: "You have a super bad personality, you know that?"

Ferris: "Oh, that’s unexpected. I thought nyou'd be angrier."

Subaru: "Facts are facts. I'm not going to take it personally."

　He had been reminded many times that he was weak.

　Since coming to this other world, Subaru has been beaten down time and time again by his helplessness. If the day he was confronted by the unsavory knight in the training camp was the peak, then being beaten by Wilhelm here in the Carsten family was the most common.

　It would be foolish to argue so vigorously about his own weakness. Before he came to this world, he would have had the delusion that "I do muscle training, and I'm doing better than I thought!” But if you know the wider world, you can understand how much of a frog you are.

　So Subaru's concern was on the contrary,

Subaru: "How about you calling me weak and feeble? Of course, if you're a knight, you've probably trained to a certain degree..."

Ferris: "Hmm, Ferri-chan? I'm nyot very good with a sword, you knyow. The sword on my waist is only there because my parents insisted that I hold it, and when I swing it, the weight of it swings me around.”

　Subaru sniffs at Ferris, who is flapping his legs and talking.

　While he feels a sense of innocence in the way he easily affirms his weakness, he can't help but wonder about the way he doesn't let him think of it as a weakness.

　This inner feeling may have been expressed in the way he looked at him. Ferris looked up at Subaru with a wistful look, and said, "Buut~," while stretching the end of his sentence.

Ferris: “Ferri-chan’s worth lies in something else. That’s why I don’t mind if I’m a lousy knight.”

Subaru: "Alright. If the person in question is okay with it then it’s fine. —It’s fine.”

　This is probably because the foundation of his confidence is solid. Ferris's words are full of this, and feeling uncomfortable, Subaru averts his gaze.

　Ferris suddenly turns around on the bunk, takes up a position behind Subaru, and reaches out with both hands to tap him on the shoulder.

　Subaru shrugs his shoulders, tickled by the touch of fingers on the back of his hair, but soon stops moving when he feels a warmth begin to spread from where Ferris's palms touch him.

　It is the rush of water mana emanating from Ferris's palm that starts circulating through Subaru's entire body, starting from his shoulder. Subaru closes his eyes and lets the sensation wash over him, feeling a flow of energy that is far more recognizable than a trickle of blood.

Ferris: "Slowly, stillly, softly. Ah, I found a split end. Subaru-kyun, you look like you've been through a lot more than I thought, right?”

Subaru: "Will you stop working while chatting with me? This feeling of mana flowing through my body is quite frankly unpleasant. It's hard to keep my eyes open if I don't keep my mind on it."

　Subaru thinks of the current pain as similar to the physical discomfort he felt when he tried on a magnetic necklace that his father used to use to improve blood circulation.

　The act of healing with water mana—the words alone give off a cool and gentle atmosphere, but when you actually taste it, it is clear that this is not such an easy thing to do.

　In fact, it was a natural consequence of Subaru's worn-out body.

　Subaru's physical ailment - it was caused by damage to the gate, which is the gateway to mana, and was caused by forcibly passing the dope-generated waste through the depleted gate.

　Ferris's healing act is to use water magic to repair the damage to the gate while allowing the mana from the congealed squeezed mana to drain out of the body.

Subaru: "So it looks like you're plugging up the open hole in the hose where the water is not coming out, while pushing out the mold and other debris that have accumulated in the pipe…

Ferris: “I don't knyow what nyou're talking about, but I feel like you're using a metaphor that doesn't make me very happy."

Subaru: "It's self-deprecation, don't worry about it. Aw, that feels disgusting."

　He turned his head and beared it, complaining to Ferris behind him about his worsening mood.

　It's been three days since he was taken in at Crusch's mansion—in other words, it's the third day of receiving Ferris's therapeutic acts, and he thought he was starting to get used to it.

　On the first day, he couldn't stand the feeling of vomiting that came over him, and he immediately screamed.

Ferris: "Well, I couldn't help it on the first day, nyou know. I had to go directly into the most muddy part of your body, and the fact that there were wounds all over and you didn't have the strength to do it."

Subaru: "You hit me where I don't want to be hit, you know."

　Ferris, who should not have been able to see his facial expressions, read his intentions just by leaning forward, and it's a little hateful. He also doesn't hesitate to cut out the heartbreak.

　Subaru dodges the situation with an affectionate smile and tries to avoid touching the scab on his heart as much as possible. But Ferris scoffs at Subaru's idea and says,

Ferris: "I guess you're thinking of getting back at me, aren't you, Subaru-kyun? The fact that you’ve been practicing with Old Man Wil isn't unryelated to that, is it?"

Subaru: "...Would you stop poking at such a boyishly sensitive part? You know how I feel, too… don't you, in this case!"

Ferris: "I don't knyow. Ferri-chan wants to be strong too, no, I have to be strong! I don't knyow, I don't knyow. But now, I don't think I'm so reckless."

　Avoiding any reference to his boy-girl side, Ferris tells Subaru without any sympathetic sentimentality.

　He is always ready to talk about his lack of military prowess, but he also makes up for it with a few words of his own. On the other hand, he also reminds him that he has more than enough talent to compensate for this.

　In the first half of the book, Subaru has much to sympathize with. However, in the latter half of the story, he is unable to feel sympathy to the point of self-mockery. Unlike him, he has nothing in common with himself.

　He had thought that he had been determined, gutsy, and, above all, passionate about her, and that he would never lose to anyone.

Ferris: “Take it as revenge fyor that gloomy way of thinking. I hate to say this, but if... there's a next time, you might die, right?"

Subaru: “...I know that, too."

　Subaru sulkily muttered in response.

　In the previous fight with Julius, Subaru was beaten beyond words by him. And despite being beaten so badly, he also understands that he was shown mercy by his character.

　Otherwise, there is no explanation for the fact that he had not received a single fatal wound despite being hit, pierced, and injured so many times.

　There was a desperate gap between him and Subaru.

　Understanding this, Subaru studied under Wilhelm. He does not dream that he can become a much stronger person in just a few days of training. It's just that,

Ferris: “I'm nyot going to say that I don't like it, but I'm nyot going to say that I like it either. Subaru-kyun's body is in bad shape due to various reasons, and he's far from his best form. The reason for this is that he is nyow taking it easy in the name of medical treatment. It's a win-win situation, isn't it?”

　Without giving Subaru any time to come up with excuses, Ferris says so one after the other.

　The subtle, snarky phrasing was lacking in consideration for him, but the content seemed extremely sweet to Subaru's current state of mind.

　However--

???: "—Felix-sama. Please don't tease Subaru-kun too much."

　The sound of a quiet voice echoed in the room, and Subaru turned around, gaining a somewhat impatient feeling.

　On the back side of Subaru sitting on the bunk—with her hand on the door to the entrance of the room is Rem, whose blue hair sways down to her shoulders. She must have returned to the guest room where she was given to change her clothes, but her outfit looks the same as when she went down to the lower section of King's Landing.

　Noticing Subaru's quizzical glance, Rem softly picked up the edge of her skirt and said,

Rem: "I'm replacing my maid's uniform for going out with one for visiting now."

Subaru: "Oh, oh, yes. Rem always does what I want, doesn't she?"

Rem: "Yes. I want to always be a fresh Rem in front of Subaru-kun."

Subaru: "I'm happy to hear that, but the way you say it, you sound like a raw fish!"

　Subaru responded to Rem's emphasis on freshness. Rem did not take that back, but turned her gaze to Ferris, who was sitting behind Subaru.

Rem: "Thank you for your treatment of Subaru-kun day after day. But please don't take advantage of that to lead Subaru-kun."

Ferris: “The first thing to do is to make sure that nyou are not the only one who is thinking about the situation. Ferri-chan is just saying that with Subaru-kyun in myind.”

　Ferris loosened his cheeks in a nasty way and leaned forward with his arms on Subaru's shoulders and hugged him as if he was leaning on him.

　Subaru raised his voice of disapproval at the soft gesture and the distinctly firm, masculine touch on his back, but Ferris, as if in response to his protests, ran his palms over his chin and chest and then hugged him again, this time with a more gentle touch.

Ferris: "If nou think that the tenderness that gradually spreads inside your body... is Ferri-chan's heartfelt sympathy, it's nyot so bad to fall, is it?"

　The sound of the voice whispered in his ear is accompanied by an exhale and caresses Subaru's earlobe terribly gently.

　Although he is aware of the fact that the other party is Ferris—of the same sex, for some reason Subaru is unable to respond to his actions with aggressive movements.

　His thoughts are subtly slowed down and he accepts the embrace, unable to move without being held back.

　But,

Rem: “Felix-sama—"

Subaru: "Ugh!"

Rem: Please refrain from playing games. With all due respect... it may not be a joke."

　A shock hits his neck, pulling him back from his dulled thoughts.

　Subaru's vision is covered by a white fabric. If he strained his eyes, he could see that it was the fabric pressed against his face, immediately leading to the familiar apron.

　In other words, I realized that Rem was holding me up so that she was holding my head.

Subaru: "Hey, come on, Rem. This is a little too aggressive… not in public."

Rem: "Subaru-kun, please be quiet for a moment. —I'm not sure what to do.”

　Hugging Subaru, who was trying to cover up his embarrassment with light words, even tighter, Rem called Ferris's name three times with a voice frozen with emotion.

　In response, Ferris lets out a long, small exhale and mutters, "I see."

Ferris: "Rem-chan can also use water-based magic to some extent, right? If that's the case, it's probably a good thing that I knyow your tricks.”

　Ferris rested his chin on Subaru's shoulder and put his arms around him to hug him tighter.

Subaru: "Hey, Ferris. I'm not at all moe when I'm hugged by a man's daughter after all this time, or rather, I'm rather disappointed... Hey, hey, Rem, Rem-san? It’s good that my head is wrapped in a happy feeling, but it's a little strong... No, I mean strong, too strong... Geeaaaahhhh!"

Rem: "Oh, Subaru-kun, I'm sorry. Felix-sama wouldn't let go of it, and I'd rather destroy it than let... someone take it away from me..."

Subaru: "Hah, Yanderella!"

　Subaru rolls out of the bondage of both Rem and Ferris, holding his cranium, which begins to creak. Glaring at them warily from the edge of the room, Rem shakes her head a little as he meets their gaze.

Rem: "Subaru-kun, you poor thing… you must have been so scared."

Subaru: "Your last word was the most effective! The last word you said was the most effective!

　Subaru's protests are heeded, and leaving us behind, Rem and Ferris exchange glances with each other. Rem squints slightly, while Ferris twirls his fingers in his chestnut hair as if he's being punished.

Ferris: "You're right to be angry, Rem, byut even Ferri-chan doesn't do it out of malice. I'm just thinking about you a little bit, Subaru.

Subaru: "What about the part other than just a little bit?

Ferris: "The rest was done with Ferri-chan's friend's feelings in mind and… I left out that it’s all for Crusch-sama, right?"

　Ferris then tilts his head and asks Rem.

Ferris: "Isn't that nyatural for a servant? Or are you different, Rem?"

Rem: "I'm sure it's not different. Therefore, I am sure that Felix-sama knows Rem's answer."

　Rem shakes her head at the testing words and looks straight at Felix again. He turns his palms to her gaze, as if in surrender, and says,

Ferris: "I un-der-stand. I'll stop brainwashing nyou under the guise of treatment."

Rem: "From now on, Rem will always accompany you during your treatment."

Ferris: "Oh my, nyou're so trusting. I don't mind.”

　Rem moves to the side and stands as if protecting Subaru from Ferris' gaze. Ferris laughs at such blatant caution, stands tall to get a clear view and looks at Subaru, whose lips are pursed as he can't keep up with the flow of the conversation.

Ferris: "Syo, I've been scolded by Rem-chan, so that's all for today. Next time, let's meet in a myore private place, okay?"

Subaru: "I'm not aware of any meeting, and you said something about brainwashing earlier, didn't you? I'm not going to meet alone with someone who says such a dangerous thing!"

Ferris: "Yes, yes, nyou're just asking me out, asking me out, asking me out."

Subaru: "Don't say things you don't understand like you do understand!"

　With a gesture of understanding, Ferris got up from his bunk, stretched out with a "Nn~" and headed for the door. Then he turned around just as he was about to leave.

Ferris: "Rem-chan?"

Rem: "Yes."

Ferria: "I don't expect nyou to believe me when I say this, but it's nyot a complete lie that I did what I did because I was thinking of Subaru-kyun, right?"

　The words were not directed at Subaru, but at Rem, who was standing in front of him.

　Subaru, who can only see Rem's rear view, cannot tell what kind of expression she had on her face when she heard those words. He could only see her expression.

Rem: "—I understand."

　Subaru was bothered by the slight hesitation in Rem's short response.

Ferris: "Yes. I hyope so. Bye."

　With this parting line, Ferris briskly exits the room.

　However, the image of "goodbye" doesn't seem to fit as much as it should, since they will be sitting around the same dinner table when the time comes for dinner.

　As Subaru was making such an unhelpful inner plunge, Rem looked back at him, calling out his name, "Subaru-kun.

Subaru: "Oh, oh. I don't know what's going on… but were you saved by any chance?"

Rem: "I don't know. Felix-sama doesn't have any malice towards Subaru-kun, and I don't know what he really ...... meant by what he did just now."

　I'm not sure what he was doing, but he didn't really feel it, and Rem avoided making any clear reference to it. The subtle discrepancy was so uncomfortable that Subaru frowned and said

Subaru: "Well, what was your state of mind just now?"

Rem: "A moment ago, Subaru-kun was being treated by Felix-sama, and you were in a state where the water mana in your entire body was being interfered with, right?"

Subaru: "I don't know, but maybe it was like that? It's true that I was in a bibanon mood, like being in lukewarm water. I guess you could say that the feeling of being in too much water and not feeling good is also a bathing risk if you think of it as hot water poisoning."

Rem: "When you let another person's mana circulate in your body, you are accepting that person into your inner self. It was a state in which Felix-sama's will was much, much easier to accept than usual."

Subaru: "That sounds pretty bad if you ask me!"

　He spun his hips on the floor and stood up, spinning around in a break-dance fashion. Then he stretched out his arms and legs and wriggled around, pointing to check for any abnormalities in various parts of his body.

Subaru: "Am I okay? Is there something wrong with me? Like some part of me is becoming more feminine without my mind, or my endings are becoming more flirtatious, like a cat character or something!"

Rem: "It's okay, don't worry. You are Subaru-kun as usual."

Subaru: "Really? Really? Really?"

Rem: "Of course. Trust Rem, who has been watching Subaru-kun for a long time."

　He felt that a few words were uttered that he couldn't let go of, but he let them go and Subaru patted his chest in relief. Then, with a small shake of his head, he prefaced his words with, "Oh dear."

Subaru: "That's the thing when you think about it. This place is one of the enemy's strongholds, so to speak. I've been a lot more relaxed in my vigilance, though."

Rem: "Don't worry. Subaru-kun, who is so relaxed and sluggish that he can't do anything about it, is being careful so that he doesn't have to worry about anything."

Subaru: "I'm sorry I'm so loose and sloppy and helplessly out of it!"

　A shocking fact that is now revealed. He can't help but cry when he thinks of how much Rem had been struggling alone while Subaru was slacking off.

Subaru: "I'll be a little more careful from now on. All we have here are... 『enemies』."

Rem: "...enemies, huh?"

　Subaru tightens up his loosened, or rather narrow-minded, mind. 

　After checking his physical condition for a moment, Subaru looked at Rem and said,

Subaru; "Well, let's go about our daily routine until we are called for dinner. Rem-sensei, please."

　Saying this, Subaru sits facing each other at a desk prepared in one corner of the room. There is a notebook for writing that he brought out from the mansion, and several more black-backed books are stacked on top of it. They are teaching materials and notebooks for practice. In other words.

Rem: "I can't get used to hearing you call me that, no matter how many times I hear it."

Subaru: "Well, you're teaching me, so it must be a positive thing, right? If you don't like it, I can quit, but what are you going to do about it, sensei?"

Rem: "No! No! By all means, please leave it as it is! It’s what Rem is called, and only Rem is called! You can't tell anyone else!"

Subaru: "If you're going to be so pushy, I don't know what I'm going to do with my performance, it's more than I expected! Nugg, shit, I ain't gonna lose...!"

　Subaru, displaying a strange sore loser attitude, fiercely confronted the desk.

　While standing behind him, Rem quietly turned her eyes toward Subaru, which were filled with compassionate emotion and a shaky emotion on the other side of it.

　Her eyes filled with a painful color at the sight of Subaru, who was devoting himself to his studies with great effort.

Subaru: "—Sensei, I don't understand this part."

Rem: "Subaru-kun, you are a person who can't help it. Without Rem, you can't do anything. I'm sure you can show your appreciation for that with your actions once in a while, can't you?"

　That color also fizzled out the moment she received Subaru's one word.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

　—This is how Natsuki Subaru's time in the Carsten family passes.

　In the morning, Wilhelm beats him to a pulp, and in the afternoon, he walks around the city with Rem for a tour of the royal capital. In the evening, he receives treatment from Ferris, who has returned from his business, and after dinner, he studies to learn to write under Rem's supervision.

　There was a very healthy and straightforward fulfillment of his days.

　Occasionally, he had a chance to exchange a few words with Crusch when she had some free time, but he had not encountered a situation where he could sit down and have a conversation with her. In fact, the house is constantly receiving visitors day after day, and Crusch, who is often called upon to respond to them, rarely has any free time to spare.

　Even so, it is no surprise that he still manages to find time to work out with Wilhelm, which is part of his daily routine. Or should we say that he is a womanizing fool for a swordsman, since he has to carve out time from his other activities?

　Either way, Subaru's time was thus flowing meaningfully from the outside.

　He is treated perfectly as a guest, and Subaru himself is diligently learning and training, searching for something he can do within the environment he is given.

　Even though he was beaten down, one could sense a kind of pride in him as a man who would not bend, break, or be defeated.

　At least from the outside.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

　The tip of the wooden sword hit his forehead, and the next moment he was blown away by the centrifugal force of the blow.

　While being sent flying backward with his head as a fulcrum, Subaru experienced the usual sensation of heaven and earth being turned upside down. He braced himself against the ground with his arms around it, took a passive stance, and rolled cleanly.

　His gray jersey, which is his outwear, is stained with dirt, but there is almost no damage from the simple fall. He licks his lips at those results and even licks off the taste of the dirt that was on them and hurriedly spits it out.

Subaru: "Ugh, pewpewpew. It tastes muddy and grassy, ue."

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

Subaru: "You must be joking. Did I look like I just broke? I'm energetic for my age, hey!

　Subaru shows his high fighting spirit by turning his hips as he thrusts the wooden sword in his hand as if it were a home run warning. In response, Wilhelm, standing in front of him, gave a small chuckle.

　Day after day, morning after morning, the confrontation between Subaru and Wilhelm continues in this manner.

　As usual, attacks from Subaru's side do not reach Wilhelm, but there has been a dramatic change in Subaru's reaction to attacks from Wilhelm's side. It is,

Wilhelm: "I hate to say this, but… your ukemi has improved greatly."

Subaru: “The first thing to do is to make sure that you are not going to fall down in a way that is going to hurt. I'm not going to stay in the same place forever!”

　Subaru responds to Wilhelm's words with a thumbs up and says he is proud of his victory.

　Wilhelm's words were true, Subaru's ukemi skills had improved so much in the past few days that even professionals in this field were amazed.

　After all, he has at least 30 opportunities to fight in real combat every day. Don't underestimate it as just a fall, but it is still a fall.

　If you fall down unprotected, there is a high risk of injury, as a matter of course. Even if Wilhelm's blows were exquisitely tempered, he could not be involved in the injury rate of Subaru, who would roll on the ground after being blown away. Hence, he has to protect himself.

Subaru: "Now, my talent for passivity is blossoming—I feel like all I'm doing is getting better at being a victim every day, and it's starting to break my heart!"

Wilhelm: "And the truth is, it's a useless skill if you're fighting with a serious weapon that's not a wooden sword."

Subaru: "You don't tell me the truth! You're cracking my heart!

　Considering the fact that this was a serious match that ended in a blowout, it is true that it has been refined, but it is a skill exclusive to the training mode, which is based on a wooden sword. In addition, it was not for attacking, but a loser's stance based on the premise of being hit. Anyway,

Subaru: "One more, please teach me."

Wilhelm: "Anytime, anywhere."

　With permission, Subaru readied himself, lowered his stance, and charged again. Wilhelm's initial movement was slower than his, as he held his wooden sword in a comfortable stance. Although he is a big man, he is an old man, and it is hard to imagine that he can catch up with Subaru's movement as he swings at him. But, he was not so slow.

Wilhelm: "There is a lot of waste.”

Wilhelm: “But..."

　Even if he consciously minimized his movements, he would still generate unnecessary force and unnecessary momentum. Wilhelm's sword moves through these gaps and avoids his attacks with minimal movement and effort. The fluttering sword flash then approaches Subaru's torso.

Subaru: "Franken!"

　The moment he felt the belly of the sword hit his side, Wilhelm's sword strike, which did not seem to have been made with much force, sent Subaru's body lightly flying through the air.

　The momentum of the rush also carried Subaru's levitation over the white-haired old man, and he was flipping up and down in mid-air. If he were to fall head first, though, catastrophe would be unavoidable.

Subaru: "Such a small thing!"

　Just before the fall begins, he shakes his head, curls himself up, and holds his head in a defensive posture. The "palm fruit" stance, which he performed on Roswal some time ago, is performed in mid-air. This is a rudimentary amateur-style defensive technique, in which the body is tightly packed into a small space to increase its defensive strength.

　It was a shallow stance that could prevent some damage if the worst happened and his body didn't fall from the back of the head.

Wilhelm: "Did I say this was the end?"

　Subaru's plan was thwarted before he fell, by the tip of a wooden sword inserted into the gap between the limbs he was holding.

　For Subaru, who had completely shifted his attention to the fall, the follow-up attack was completely unexpected. As the inserted tip moved in a circular motion and the limbs, which should have been tightly bound, were easily dislodged, Subaru's body naturally took the form of limbs spread out in midair and,

Subaru: "Gyan!"

　As it was, he was slammed to the ground in a big heap, unable to take any passive action or piece of the body, and was severely damaged.

　The nose of his body was smashed into the ground, and he kissed the earth for the umpteenth time. Feeling the pain spreading through his body as heat, Subaru rolled his body to the side and looked at Wilhelm, who was looking down at him.

Subaru: "Wasn't that just awful, no matter how bad it was!"

Wilhelm: "You can't call it progress in the true sense of the word if you don't reach the point where you can passive-arm yourself even in a state beyond your expectations, you know. Above all."

　Wilhelm's voice is a bit stern, but he brushes aside Subaru's protests, then cuts off his words once and looks down at Subaru with quiet eyes.

　The serenity of his eyes and the unfathomable emotion of the tamed radiance made Subaru feel uncomfortable and he pushed himself to silence. Wilhelm tells Subaru,

Wilhelm: “I am not convinced that I taught you to fight in such a way that you would lose from the start.”

Subaru: "U......"

　He was right on target.

　He understands that there is a difference in strength that he cannot win. For Subaru, Wilhelm is such a high wall. However, understanding the difference in strength is completely different from giving up and taking on the challenge from the very beginning.

　Subaru, who was unable to follow through with his weak thinking, was told by Wilhelm, "Is it okay?” Wilhelm held up a finger and said,

Wilhelm: "Before I teach you sword swinging and ukemi techniques, let's talk about something more fundamental.

Subaru: "Fundamental…

Wilhelm: "—If you have decided to fight, then fight with all your might. Don't let up for a moment, not even for a second, and greedily bite toward the one point of victory by any means, no matter how dirty the method. If you can still stand, if your fingers can still move, if your fangs have not yet broken, then stand. Stand up. Stand up, stand up and slay. Fight as long as you live. Fight, fight, fight!"

Subaru: "——"

Wilhelm: "That is what it means to fight."

　A moment later, the tension that had dominated the garden faded away, as Subaru was told by the fact that his own heart was beating loudly.

　At the same time, he was also told that it is a matter of course that his heart is beating properly.

　—He was alive, and he certainly didn't feel comfortable right now.

　The moment Wilhelm began to talk about his battle readiness, the atmosphere he had been wearing until then changed. Until then, he had had a mild, gentlemanly air about him, as if he were a man who had no connection to such passions as anger.

　However, I could clearly sense from the exchange that this was only a part of the surface of Wilhelm's character. Or perhaps the expression he just showed was the real Wilhelm.

　The person who was invited by Crusch Karsten, the main candidate for the king's election, as an instructor of swordsmanship and a warrior who wields his power to the fullest—Wilhelm Trias.

　Feeling a tremor in his heart, Subaru hides it and stands up.

　He is not sure if the faint numbness in his fingertips is due to pain, fear, or some other emotion. But,

Subaru: "I'm sure… that, I was just being rude. Me."

　It's true that he did feel something.

　Shaking his head as he brushed off the dirt sticking to his body, Subaru grabbed the wooden sword as he turned to face Wilhelm.

Subaru: "Even if I know I'm going to lose, I'm going to try to win. It may seem contradictory, but I can certainly understand that I have to... not with my head, but with my emotions."

Wilhelm: "I'm glad to hear that."

Subaru: "If I can do that, will it make me a little stronger too?"

　At Subaru's question, Wilhelm closed one eye and said,

Wilhelm: "Well, that's not the same thing. Wanting to be strong and becoming strong are two completely different things.

Subaru: "Don't you think the story would be more beautiful if you just affirmed that?

Wilhelm: "I do not allow myself to tell cruel lies."

Subaru: "Sometimes I think that's a cruel truth in itself!"

　The conversation, which was about to come to a neat conclusion, began to stutter, and Subaru dropped his shoulders and his gaze to the ground, as if teased. Then, he blurts out.

Subaru: "Do you think I have any talent with a sword?"

Wilhelm: "From my point of view, I'm afraid not. Subaru-dono's talent with the sword is mediocre, just like mine."

　Wilhelm denies the question, and a self-mocking smile rises to the corners of his mouth. His words are so unexpected that Subaru raises one eyebrow in surprise.

Subaru: "You are strangely modest, aren’t you? I heard that Wilhelm-san doesn't have any talent with a sword."

Wilhelm: "It's true. I have no talent with a sword. If I did, I would not have continued to hold the sword as long as I have. Therefore, it is possible for you to reach the same place as me if you want to be."

Subaru: "...By the way, how hard would that be?"

Wilhelm: "Not much. All you have to do is devote half your life to wielding a sword."

Subaru: "Only."

　Of course, it couldn't be as simple as 'just'.

　It is often said that the true talent is to be able to continue to work hard. In fact, when Subaru was told that he could reach the same level as Wilhelm, he was not prepared to devote the same amount of time to the sword as Wilhelm, nor could he think of a reason why.

　In the first place, that was why he was studying under Wilhelm—

Subaru: "It's because of that."

　He sighed and leaned back as if in resignation—the tip of Subaru's wooden sword had gouged out the earth and sent a spray of it leaping up to Wilhelm's eyes.

　The moment he saw that the clod of earth covered the old man's vision, Subaru's blow was aimed at Wilhelm's feet. It was an act that had just been advised by his person.

　—If you decide to fight, use any dirty means you can.

　The fact that his best shot came up empty was conveyed by the fact that he got no response from his prey. But Subaru didn't stop there. He used the reaction of his spinning to unleash a spinning kick and a second, more energetic, delayed sword strike.

　Wilhelm, who had avoided the blinding and surprise attack by ducking and dodging the coordinated attacks, smiled, showing his teeth in amusement for the first time, and said,

Wilhelm: "That's good."

　The wooden sword was interrupted in the groin of the kick, and Wilhelm, who had approached at the same time as the attack was canceled, turned his back and jumped into our pocket. His free hand gripped Subaru's collar as they overlapped facing the same direction, and their feet left the ground the moment we realized we were in the same position.

　His vision spun around, and his back hit the ground so fast that he had no time to realize that he had been thrown. The impact choked him, stopping him from thinking, and before the pain could penetrate his entire body, he became aware of the tip of the wooden sword that was thrust in front of him.

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

　Subaru's body went limp and he closed his eyes.

　The coldness of the ground on which he lay was transmitted from his back side, and a painful numbness naturally began to spread throughout his body. Then,

Subaru: "Can't I do anything with all my miscellaneous thoughts?"

Wilhelm: "I don't think so."

Subaru: "But isn't that the way to improve your swordsmanship? I've been working on my sword without thinking."

　While looking up at Wilhelm with the Subaru beginnings of a body and eyes.

Subaru: "Aside from the smiling episode of thinking of your wife, …what a surprise to hear you say that you don't have to devote yourself only to swords or something like that."

Wilhelm: "You decide to be strong and keep swinging your sword, devising ways to do so. There is no other way to become strong, after all, than to spend time doing so. If you are born with a blessing, it's not the case with me or Subaru-dono."

Subaru: "Taha, that's harsh, isn't it?"

　As he says this, Subaru can't hide the bitter smile that is etched on his cheeks.

　It's a little bit hard to be told that you don't have talent with a sword. He had been a kendo practitioner in his former world, after all. The pride that I had in myself as a person who had achieved a certain level of success with the sword had been shattered.

　Looking at Subaru, who is smiling, albeit bitterly, even though he should be, Wilhelm puts his fingers in his rich white hair and adjusts it, saying, "In any case,"

Wilhelm: "That's how it is to be prepared to be strong. Well, I guess that wasn't very helpful to you, Lord Subaru."

Subaru: "What do you mean?"

　Subaru puts his hand on his chin and twists his head, not understanding the true meaning of the words that were thrown at him. Seeing this gesture, Wilhelm continued, "No,"

Wilhelm: "I thought it would be meaningless to tell someone who has no intention of becoming strong how to become strong."

Subaru: "——"

　For a moment, Subaru's expression freezes, not understanding what was said.

　But that stagnation is only momentary. Subaru immediately thaws the ice from his frozen expression, shrugs his shoulders in a frightened manner, and says,

Subaru: "Hey, hey, hey, hey, Wilhelm, what's this all of a sudden? Don't say something so surprisingly tame. I'm, what?"

Wilhelm: "If you're aware of what you're doing, it would be tactless to say more."

　Subaru was unable to continue and fell silent as he shook his head with resignation in his eyes.

　He was frustrated, wondering what in the world Wilhelm was talking about. Understanding this feeling, Subaru wondered about his own inner impatience.

　—Why do I need to feel frustrated?

Wilhelm: "—Subaru-dono, it seems that this morning is over."

Subaru: "What?"

　Wilhelm tells Subaru, who is in a cold sweat from the strange sensation. When he looked up in surprise, the old man was looking not at Subaru but at the house.

　When he turns his eyes in that direction, he sees a figure running toward the two in the garden from the mansion. —It is Rem.

　She is running with a look of quiet urgency on her face, conscious of not letting her emotions show on her face.

　Something had happened.

　And that was a relief for Subaru right now.

　For Subaru, who is feeling an unbearable pain from the fact that he is facing Wilhelm, Rem's expression of impatience and anxiety is even a relief.

Rem: "Subaru-kun. —I have something to tell you."

　And then, a period comes to an end in the normal life that had been flowing without much trouble.

　The daily routine comes to an end, and the extraordinary life that Subaru has been waiting for begins—and there, Subaru will come to see despair again.