*This chapter is an edited MTL

　–Waking began with the pain of darkness cutting through and sunlight burning his eyelids.

???: "–ro?"

　The sensation of a body that should have shattered, with warm blood running through the fingertips of my hands and feet, the feeling of my lower body that should have been shattered firmly on the ground.

　The phenomenon of all lost functions coming back immediately after the blink of an eye was so relentless in pounding every bit of information into his freshly activated brain that it literally made his eyes spin.

　He found himself in a world dominated only by ringing in his ears, disturbed by the noise of human activity.

　People came and went in the dusty traffic, glancing at him with annoyed glances as they brushed past him, as if he were standing on a stick, which struck a strange chord in his fragile heart.

???: "Hey, hey! Are you listening to me?"

　He heard a rough, tongue-tied voice close up, and his eyes wandered over to it. In front of him stood a strong man with a frowning face that had a vertical scar.

　He was taller than Subaru by a head and lightly traced the white scar with his finger.

???: "Give me a break, bro. Don't just stand there."

Subaru: "What, huh?"

???: "What's with that out-of-line reply? Well, I don't care. What are you going to do about it?"

　The man let out an exhale when there was only a snatched reply, and then pressed for a conclusion.

　In his hand was a red fruit placed a little on a large palm—a combination that was terribly unsuitable for the man's appearance and detracted from his sense of reality.

　He remained silent as he gazed at it in a daze. His perception of the situation was seriously flawed. But there was no chance for the strong-looking man to consider it.

???: "Are you kidding me? I'm asking you, are you buying this appa or not? Answer with your heart."

　He leaned forward, and the outstretched arm of the man he was facing over the counter grabbed him by the chest. He pulled him roughly toward him, and his forward-falling body crashed into the shelves. The man panicked as the shelves lined with merchandise shook and the items nearly fell off.

Kadomon: "Hey, what are you doing! Stand up properly. You're so flustered, you've lost the power of your legs..."

Subaru: "Legs... legs?"

Kadomon: "You've got two fine legs from the waist down. Did you hallucinate that your legs were gone?"

　The man put his finger on his head and twirled it around, then pointed it at his lower abdomen. Following his finger and looking down, he saw his leg, which was trembling slightly. It was shaking so unreliably that it couldn't support itself, and now it was barely able to stand with his upper body resting on the counter.

Kadomon: "For God's sake, let's leave the shenanigans at that. I'm getting a little out of sorts with all the unusual talk I'm having."

　The man shakes his head in dismay as he leans against the counter, slumped and weak. Such an exchange in the street would have a bad effect on the people watching from afar. His body, however, does not react in the slightest to his comment, as if he is concerned about this.

　He did not recognize reality as reality. There was a strange sense of alienation, as if a thin film of some blurred sensation was covering his brain, and all information was spilling out of his brain.

　What was he doing?

　What was happening?

　He felt like something happened, but what was it?

　What, what, what, what?

　These ceaseless thoughts lost their way out, endlessly wandering in circles in the narrow labyrinth that was his skull, forcing his mind to undergo constant wear and tear. It might have been easier if he had just let it run down, or if he had just let it consume me and disappear.

　However, such a sense of loneliness and disappearance is not something that can be felt.

???: "–Subaru-kun?"

　The sound of the girl's voice, which suddenly shook his eardrums, instantly pushed it away.

Subaru: "――"

　Without a voice, he looked up, loosely to say the least, but with eyes staring intently at the air. Behind the counter, behind the hulking body of the man standing there, stood a figure rearranging items on the shelves that had been shifted by the collision.

　She was dressed in a black apron dress with a white apron and white prim. She busily moved her small, slender body and turned without expression on her lovely face when she noticed his gaze. Her shoulder-length blue hair swung with her movements, further accentuating her cool impression.

　Tears came to his eyes.

Kadomon: "—Hey?"

Rem: "Subaru-kun?"

　Sobs leaked out, and his vision blurred.

　He was afraid that the girl who was surely reflected there would become vague, so he rubbed both eyes wildly, trying his best to see her. But the girl moved away and the noise got louder.

　He realized that his body had lost the support of the counter and collapsed on the street. His toes did not convey strength and will, and he fell flat on his side on the street, tears streaming down his face and breathing heavily.

　No, that was not breathing.

Subaru: "Heh heh, ...hihi, haha. Heh, Hahahaha..."

　It was, a smile.

　The buzzing grew, and he could feel the number of eyes directed at him grow.

　Someone was watching him. Someone was aware. He wasn’t alone. He wasn’t isolated. Just knowing this affirms him as he rolled along like a ragdoll.

Rem: "What's wrong, Subaru-kun? Are you alright? Hold tight..."

　The girl who climbed over the counter lands beside him. Then he realizes that she’s holding up his collapsed body.

Subaru: "What?"

　That body, which had approached unprotected, was conversely embraced back with all its might.

　Stunned, the girl accepts the embrace. Her momentary breath is close to me, and the heat of it feels terribly comfortable, and I scratch it even harder as I bury my nose in her shoulder.

Rem: "Ue? ...Subaru-kun? Um…,"

　She was saying something. Every word, every word, every letter, the fact that it was indeed being spun from her lips, he could feel every second bring gospel.

　Firmly, he doesn't let go of the arms that held me. Even the girl, who faintly flinches, quietly accepts the embrace and does not try to shake it off.

　He felt the warmth of her body, the beat of her life, and the presence of the other more intimately than ever before.

Subaru: "Heh, haha…, uheh… hahaha, hihi… hihi."

　Natsuki Subaru—the madman—just kept laughing quietly.

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Ferris: "I guess I'll just have to be honest and say I'm dyone with this..."

　Ferris assured her as she sat down in the leather chair and ran his fingers over his cheek.

　Ferris, his feline ears twitching and shaking his chestnut hair, looked at Subaru lying on the bed, then turned her sorry gaze to the girl standing by the bed and said, "Ferri-chan doesn't know what to do.”

Ferris: "The only thing Ferri-chan can do for you is heal wounds on your body. I can help nou with your body, outside or inside, but I can't help you with nyour… mind..."

Rem: "...No, thank you for your efforts."

　She forcefully apologizes to Ferris, interrupting him to tell him her thanks. However, at some point the inflection in her voice had broken and her emotion had vanished. Realizing her error, the girl’s real thoughts were trembling greatly.

　Ferris looks away from Rem as if seeing something tragic. Rem, who kept her head down, did not notice his attitude, but gently tilted her head and turned her attention to the figure lying on the bed.

　Lying on the bunk and being cared for by the two of them was a dark-haired boy—Subaru.

　He was gazing at them, but his body did not respond to the person who was conscious of him.

　He was not asleep. His eyes were wide open, staring intently at the ceiling directly above him. Occasionally, as if remembering, he smiles a wry smile, and whenever he did, he would suddenly burst into tears. He was in a constant state of instability.

　The reason for this was not clear to Rem.

　He was the same as he had been until this morning, or even while he was strolling through the lower districts of the royal capital after noon. Although there was some strain in his attitude, he was trying his best to act as usual, and Rem was sure that she too had established a normal routine by interacting with him as usual.

　And yet, it was so sudden that his heart was shattered.

　It didn't seem as if there was a reason for it.

　Regrettably, Rem was not standing right next to Subaru at the moment of his sudden change. Even then, she had also overheard the conversation between him and the owner while helping out at the store.

　He asked the shopkeeper for advice on buying an Appa to take back to Crusch's mansion, and the shopkeeper, not expecting it to be brought to the mansion of a major aristocrat, was ready to casually agree to the discussion. Then, during the talk, Subaru's heart suddenly shattered.

　Subaru collapsed in the traffic on the business street, tears of joy and sadness streaming down his face as he looked at himself, and he continued to let out a distorted laugh as if his lungs were in convulsions.

　She left the scene and, knowing the inconvenience, carried him to Crusch's mansion and forced Ferris to examine him to see if he could be suffering from some kind of magical interference.

　The results were not good. If the problem was of a dimension beyond Ferris's reach, it would be a challenge that could not be cured by any of the great wizards in King's Landing.

　Magic had nothing to do with his current condition. It was just that his mind had suddenly lost its equilibrium.

Ferris: "I hate to say this, but what are nyou going to do now?"

Rem: 'We can't deal with the fact that we don't know the cause of this... problem, but I'm sorry, Felix-sama, for the inconvenience.”

Ferris: "Hmm, that's fine. In fact, the less of a fyuss he'll make, the byetter it is for Ferri-chan’s treatment."

　Looking down at Subaru, who seemed almost unresponsive and bedridden, Ferris continued, "But..."

Ferris: "I'm nyot sure if I want to continue the treatment."

Rem: "...What do you mean?"

　Looking up and taking his gaze away from Subaru's blank expression, Rem finally looks at Ferris. Ferris met his gaze and said, "I hope you won't be offended.”

Ferris: "Healing Subaru-kyun's gate is a way to make sure that he won't have any problems in his daily life, right?"

Rem: "Yes."

Ferris: "Since he can't live his daily life properly anymyore, even if we only heal his body, it wyon't do him any good, right?"

Rem: "—! Subaru-kun!

Ferris: "Are you saying that it's not over?　Seeing this state?　Seriously?　It's true that a lot has hyappened, but I dyon't think a person whose heart is broken nyover something as trivial as that can do anything even if he recovers, right~?”

　Ferris does not lose his suspicious attitude toward Rem, who is furious with him. The contempt in the way he looked down at Subaru was clearly evident.

　It seemed too callous an attitude for someone who was given the character for "blue" and was known as the representative water wizard of Lugnica.

　Ferris shook his head with a wry smile and said, "I hope nyou don't misunderstand me..."

Ferris: "However..."

Ferris: “I'm not saying this because I hyate Subaru-kyun. Ferri-chan just doesn't like people who genuinely lack the «will to live»."

　Ferris pointed at Subaru, interrupting Rem's attempt to argue with him with a pout of her lips.

Ferris: "The most Ferri-chan can do with magic is to heal wounds. But I’m busy using my hands to help all kinds of people. Everyone is struggling to survive, and it's nyokay to help them, isn't it? I dyon't mind being thanked, and I can be of help to Crusch-sama by lending a favor to a great person, right?"

Rem: "——"

Ferris: "But I don't like the idea of using my pyower to heal the bodies of people who don't want to live. Even if the body is healed, the human being will waste his life afterwards anyway, right? Then it's nyover. Hmmm, it's already over."

　With a snap, Ferris turned his head away.

　Behind his stubborn attitude, Rem could certainly sense the sincerity of the number of lives Ferris must have seen. Although his manner of speaking was disguised as frivolous, it was an established view of life and death that he had learned from the lives and deaths he had witnessed up to that point.

　And it made no sense for her, an outsider, to argue with someone who had such a firm view on life and death on the basis of emotionalism alone.

　Rem just looked at Subaru in frustration, as if she was devastated by Ferris's words.

　Subaru was unaware that he was the center of the conversation and was now letting out a faint, broken laugh that left a scratch on the listener's heart.

　At the sight of his shattered heart, Rem felt an unbearable emotion rising up inside her chest. However, she managed to suppress it without revealing them outwardly.

　It would have been a disgrace to Subaru's honor or to the authority of Roswaal, and above all, it would have betrayed the feelings that Rem herself had harbored.

Crusch: "—A little bit, Ferris' opinion is a little too harsh in some respects."

　The voice was abrupt, echoing cheerfully in the room where an awkward silence had fallen.

　Sinking into her thoughts, Rem, who had not noticed the person's visit, looked up as if she had been knocked out of the room. In contrast, Ferris, who had noticed the visitor after knocking, looked cool. No, the eyes he turns on the visitor are those of a quiet, heated confidant.

Ferris: "Crusch-sama."

Crusch: "I would not go so far as to say that weakness is a sin. However, I agree with you that it is a sin to remain weak and not correct it, and to be content with the status quo."

　Crusch entered the room and turned her palm to Rem, who stood up in a hurry and went to the side of the bunk, shaking her long green hair. She then looked down at Subaru's face, which was still contorted in a wicked smile.

Crusch: "I see. This is indeed a vicious situation. Do you know the cause?"

　At Crusch's question, Ferris shrugged his shoulders, raised his hands in the air and said, "No.”

Ferris: “Rem-chan said that he abruptly fell over while talking, and I examined every inch of his body and didn’t find anything weird with his mana.”

Crusch: "Could he have been affected by some kind of northern... sorcery? It is hard to imagine, but it is possible that there was interference from Gusteko to those involved in the royal election. Or it could be an act of intimidation by another camp."

Ferris: "I don't knyow if it's hard to think either way. The time is bad for them to make a move, and in the first place, who would benefit from going after Subaru-kyun? If you're involved, you're well aware of Subaru-kyun's ugly behavior, and there's no magical interference, including witchcraft, in the first place.”

　Ferris paused what he was saying and tilted his head to the side, and he crossed his arms and snuggled up against Crusch while saying, “O-ther-wi-se,”

Ferris: "Do you doubt my abilities, Crusch-sama?"

Crusch: "No way. There is no way I would ever doubt your abilities, your character, or your loyalty. Even if you were to stab me in the face with a dagger, I would never change my mind."

Ferris: "Oh my God, Crusch-sama, that's an unbelievable killing sentence... I'm so crushed!"

　Putting aside the wriggling Ferris, Crusch looks at Rem again. Rem, who had been silently watching the exchange between the squire and servant, straightens his posture to face his piercing gaze.

Crusch: "If Ferris can't help, then there is no one in my group who can treat Natsuki Subaru. I'm sorry I'm out of my depth."

Rem: "—No, we too are speechless at the generous treatment."

　Rem responds to her apology with a polite bow.

　In fact, no matter how many words she said or how much she thanked him, she received warmth that she could never repay.

　She did not believe that Ferris cut corners, nor that Crusch had made arbitrary judgments about Emilia's relations with her political adversary.

　As for water magic, Rem had some involvement with it. She knew how skilled Ferris was, and she also knew that this did not make sense in light of what had happened to Subaru.

　As for Crusch's personality, there was no doubt that she was sincere and honest, even though they have only known each other for a few days. She had the ability and sense of responsibility to take over a ducal family at a young age, even as a woman, and she had the qualities of a great noblewoman. It was clear from the many times they had discussed the matter and the words they had exchanged.

　In other words, they were not at fault in the slightest.

　This situation was inevitable and unavoidable.

Rem: "—The Witch."

　The smell surrounding Subaru's body had increased even more, and Rem knew that this was the cause.

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　The Witch's presence surrounding Subaru's entire body—the miasma—had further increased in concentration.

　Whether or not this was the direct cause of Subaru's collapse is not known, but the only fact is that the presence swelled just before Subaru collapsed.

　No one else could notice the odor, which could only be noticed by Rem.

　Therefore, she could not blame them for thinking that there was nothing they could do, and it was a conclusion that would never have occurred to her character to blame others, leaving herself unable to solve the problem in a drastic way.

　The fact that she could sense the Witch's miasma was more than she could say for her sister, who was one of the few she had.

　I think she had a reasonably good nose for it, even before Ram lost her horns. She was confident in his ability to sniff out the presence of mana in the atmosphere, and he was on par with her sister in tracking the scent of prey in the mountains.

　However, being able to smell the presence of the Witch was a new ability she had acquired after the night her entire clan was killed.

　The reason for this was unknown. She thought it might be the result of her body, which had been placed under extreme conditions, mutating in order to remember that night.

　And as for this strange sense of smell, Rem did not tell anyone else about it. However, she has become more wary than usual of anyone who emits the odor from their body.

　It is a physiological aversion, a preconceived notion.

　Such prejudice, however, was dispelled by the boy who emitted the Witch's miasma strongest up to that point.

　And yet,

　And yet,

　She knew that this miasma was not a good thing.

　—The demon was firmly aware of the fact that this miasma was not good.

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Rem: "—Thank you for your hospitality. I thank you on behalf of the Lord for your kindness until today."

　Rem bent at the waist and made a deep bow.

　Standing in front of her are Crusch and Ferris, and the three of them met in the entrance hall of Crusch's mansion—in other words, to say goodbye.

Crusch: “I'm sorry I can't help you. It would be wrong of me to get paid for this."

Rem: "No. It was for our own reasons that we terminated the offer in the middle of the meeting. Crusch-sama has given us her utmost consideration. The price is certainly justified."

　Crusch's gaze drops slightly, but Rem resolutely looks up and responds.

　In response, Crusch apologized once more and said, "I'm sorry," and did not say anything more. She must have realized that the exchange would only be formal from now on.

Ferris: "I'm kind of disappointed, byut it can't be helped. I'm nyot sure what to do with the rest of it. I'm nyot sure if I should tell Subaru-kyun to... take care of himself.

　Therefore, it was Ferris who next opened his mouth on behalf of the Lord.

　He held up a finger and closed one eye, and he was behind Rem—Subaru standing there in a slouched and disheveled position with his back against the door.

　He is still slow to react, and it is doubtful that he is even aware of them, but if they pulled his hand, he would walk with them, and he had learned to at least stand without collapsing.

Rem: "As for the rudeness of our family's things, no amount of apologies will suffice. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generous treatment."

Crusch: "We have a contract with them, and we have exchanged more than a few words with them. There is no way you can treat them with impunity. I'm sure it's going to be a difficult time for you.

Rem: "That's… what I'm prepared to do."

　Rem had not forgotten what he once said to her. She has replayed the scene over and over again in her head, dozens, even hundreds of times.

　So she had to help him as much as he had helped her.

Crusch: “I regret that I am apparently not going to be able to take up your offer."

　It was such words from the meditating Crusch that were spoken to the thoughtful Rem.

　Although the words had no subject, Rem understood that they were in response to the content of the secret talks between Rem and Crusch.

　Rem pulled her chin, then shook her head at Crusch, who kept her eyes down.

Rem: "It was all out of our control. —I am sorry for the disappointment, but I wish you the best in your future endeavors."

Crusch: "You, too, tell Emilia that we will fight each other and not be ashamed of our souls."

　With that exchange alone, Rem knew that her role in this place was over. Subaru's treatment had been terminated halfway through, and so had the instructions given to her by Roswaal.

　Neither of these things could continue with Subaru in his current state. She couldn't keep dragging a defenseless Subaru around for any length of time in this potentially hostile place.

Ferris: "It's good that nyou're going back to the mansion, but do nyou have any guesses?"

Rem: "At least, if I can meet with Emilia-sama..."

　Rem responded to Ferris's question with a regretful tone of voice.

　No matter how many times she called out to him, no matter how many times she touched him, and no matter how much she treated him with respect, Subaru did not respond to Rem in his usual way.

　Even in such a state, Subaru would occasionally say something meaningful.

　That is,

Rem: "Names..."

Ferris: "Hmm?"

Rem: "Sometimes, he says names. Rem's name, my sister, and..."

　While she was pleased that her name was there, she was saddened by the fact that he did not respond to any of my efforts.

　However, with the frequency of the names that are muttered, the most common name was—

Rem: "If I could meet Emilia-sama, something might change."

Ferris: "But they had a terrible breakup, didn’t they? It's only been about three days, so it's better to give it some… time, is that too myuch to ask?

Rem: "I know it's not a praiseworthy measure. But it's not a situation that can be managed by Rem's personal judgment anymore. I have to go back to ask for instructions."

　To the best of her ability, Rem disguised her true feelings by making a statement of concern for the Lord.

　She understood what her heart really wanted in that direction for the greater good.

　And it was frustrating to her that her presence was not enough for that.

Crusch: "—Wilhelm's here."

　Suddenly, Crusch looked up and squinted.

　Rem followed her gaze, and behind her as she turned to follow her gaze—she saw a dragon carriage arrive at the outer edge of the mansion, behind the iron gates, with a familiar old gentleman sitting on the driver’s bench.

Crusch: "That's the last of the long-distance dragon carriages in our house. I almost let it go out on another errand."

Rem: “We were lucky. If we can get through the Lifaus Highway with this we can get to the mansion by the time the date changes.

　Looking at the arriving dragon carriage, Rem squinted at the glow of the sun as it rose in altitude.

　The time was just before noon, and if they drove the dragon carriage as fast as they could from now on, they would certainly reach the mansion in about half a day. If it is only a short time before they arrive, she would be able to use her Synthesia to convey some of her intentions to her sister.

Crusch: "Take care of yourself."

Ferris: "Good luck~!"

　After being seen off, Rem bowed deeply one last time, then pulled Subaru's hand and left the Karsten residence.

　At the gate, she received the reins from Wilhelm, and after a word or two of conversation, she got on the driver’s bench.

Rem: "Subaru-kun, this way."

Subaru: "......u…, ah?"

　She pulled on Subaru's arm and madehim sit next to her on the bench. It felt quite small for the two of them to sit down together, but as she did so, she put one arm around his waist and firmly held the reins with her other hand while staying close to him.

　They would have to ride in this position for a long, long time from now on.

　She was worried about the burden on Subaru, and she also had to protect him after they reached the mansion. Those at the Roswaal Mansion would probably not welcome Subaru with open arms.

　She had to be the only one to be on Subaru's side, as he might not have any allies.

　If he didn’t, he wouldn't be able to—.

　—As Rem pulled on the reins, the earth dragon kicked off.

　The wheels moved slowly and gradually quickened.

　It was as if the reins were suggesting the state of Rem's mind at the moment.