Chapter 90: In the Forest, the Sound of Chains

[On the morning of the fourth day at the manor, Natsuki Subaru formally informed Emilia and the others of his decision to leave the manor and head for the Royal Capital.]

"Huh—wait, did I miss something? Why has Natsuki-san given up such a favorable situation and decided to leave?"

Otto clutched his hat and let out a shrill, explosive squawk, muttering in disbelief.

"Could it be that Natsuki-san is planning to run away?"

"Otto! What kind of defeatist nonsense are you spouting, you bastard? I believe Boss isn't the kind of man to turn tail and flee before the battle!"

Garfiel bared his teeth and retorted in displeasure.

Ram sighed inwardly. If Barusu really had fled the manor, perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing.

With her "Clairvoyance" following him all the way, the moment he ran into any trouble, she could notify Rem to go help at once.

But for some reason, thinking of this, Ram felt a faint unease in her heart.

Lifting her gaze, she saw the image on the screen was still continuing.

[As guests who had spent three days together with him, Rem, Ram, and Roswaal all came down to the first-floor hall to see Natsuki Subaru off.

"Did you pack the food, drinking water, and the Ragmat ore?"

Emilia flusteredly helped Natsuki Subaru check whether anything was missing from his luggage.

Then she pursed her lips in dissatisfaction.

"Honestly, Subaru! We could've sent you to the Royal Capital by dragon carriage, and yet you chose to go on foot!"

Natsuki Subaru scratched his head and brushed it off with a smile.

"This is what they call experiencing the local customs and scenery of a foreign land."]

"Hah, you idiot Barusu, such a flimsy excuse is bound to make people suspicious, isn't it?"

Ram pressed a hand to her forehead, shaking her head with a sigh.

[Afterward, Natsuki Subaru wasted no more time. After bidding everyone farewell, he entered the forest.

However, he did not head in the direction of the Royal Capital. Instead, he turned partway onto a small path he had already scouted out several days earlier, making his way to a hidden cliff.

From this commanding vantage, he could clearly observe any movement within the manor.

"Barusu is going to..."

Ram cried out, her expression anxious.

If her guess was right, then though Barusu's actions seemed covert, they were in fact all under the surveillance of her Clairvoyance.

And moreover... she had already notified Rem of his abnormal behavior.

Ram's expression was grave. Was the tragedy about to repeat itself once more?

["Just wait here. Once that fellow lurking in the shadows appears, I'll go stop them!"

Natsuki Subaru took out the gleaming steel kitchen knife he had stolen from the kitchen and held it before him, level with his line of sight.

"If they found out I'm using a kitchen knife for something like this, they'd definitely scold me, wouldn't they?"

Natsuki Subaru let out a bitter laugh.]

"With just a single knife like that, there's no way he could stop an enemy capable of invading the manor, is there? For Subaru to be this reckless is truly somewhat... unwise."

Julius placed a hand to his chest and spoke in a low, dejected voice.

"No... on the contrary, this old man finds that my benefactor has great courage and nerve."

Wilhelm said thoughtfully.

"From my benefactor's perspective, he would be targeted as the breakthrough point by the enemy because he is the weakest—but what if he places himself in the shadows instead?"

"Everyone at the manor is far from weak, but caught in a surprise attack, they might find themselves at a disadvantage. At that moment, if my benefactor were to suddenly join the battle, there would be a great chance of turning the tide!"

"So although my benefactor is still very green right now, looking into his eyes, I understand—he has long since steeled his resolve."

As he spoke, Wilhelm smiled faintly and turned his gaze to the screen, where the image now playing seemed to corroborate his words.

[Natsuki Subaru sat down with his back against a large tree nearby, his eyes vacant.

One after another, memories of his time spent with Rem and Ram across the three loops so far surfaced in his mind.

"I really don't want to die..."

Natsuki Subaru murmured in a daze.

"But even more than that, I don't want everyone else to die!"

His tone shifting, Natsuki Subaru looked at his own face reflected in the steel knife before him and said with a resolute expression,

"Every time Return by Death happens, even if everyone forgets the time we spent together before, I'll engrave it in my heart!"]

The moment these words were spoken, everyone outside the screen instantly fell silent, a trace of respect welling up in each of their hearts in unison.

What a lonely vow!

It made them can't help but recall just how much pressure that mature and reliable Natsuki Subaru in their memories had borne to make it to this day.

Only Ram, her nerves stretched taut, had no spare attention for anything else at this moment.

Gazing at the Natsuki Subaru on the screen and the sun gradually sinking in the west, her heartbeat suddenly quickened, and the unease in her heart grew wild like weeds. All at once, as she stared fixedly at the image on the screen, she gave a violent start.

...It's coming!

[A sharp, abrupt shriek—the sound of some weapon scraping and compressing the air—suddenly rang out beside Natsuki Subaru's ear.

"Bang!"

At the critical moment, Natsuki Subaru threw his body forward, causing the incoming weapon to miss and slam fiercely into the tree trunk beside him, sending wood chips flying.

But Natsuki Subaru had been sitting at the very edge of the cliff to begin with, and this movement sent him tumbling straight toward the bottom of the chasm.

A powerful sensation of weightlessness washed over him, the wind howling past his ears, yet Natsuki Subaru showed no panic at all—instead, he revealed a triumphant smile.

"Good, I saw it clearly! It's a meteor hammer—the attacker is the same person as that night!"

Even as he thought this, Natsuki Subaru was about to crash into the bottom of the chasm.

But he did not smash to pieces as one might imagine. Instead, a surging, immense force came from his waist.

The other end of the rope he had tied to his waist in advance was connected to the trunk of the thickest, sturdiest tree of all!

And so, less than a meter from the ground, he came to a stop just in time, his fall halted.

"Good, next is the emergency release!"

In the blink of an eye, Natsuki Subaru undid the small buckle he had set up beforehand on the rope.

Even though by now he was already so tense that his whole head was drenched in sweat, he still grinned, baring a smile.]

"It's Rem-san again! So she really did chase after him because Natsuki-san was acting strange? At least the enemy is only her alone—there's still hope of getting away!"

"Will he get away? Well, Subaru looks like he came prepared, so it seems there's a good chance of escaping this time!"

Puck floated above Emilia's head with his arms crossed, speculating.

[Was he being completely toyed with in the palm of the opponent's hand?

Just now Natsuki Subaru had fled in the direction opposite the sound of the chains, only to be driven, before long, into a dead end with no road ahead.

"Looks like all I can do is take a gamble!"

Natsuki Subaru took off his coat and spread it open in his hands, preparing to draw the attacker's attention like a matador.

He looked tensely ahead, listening for the sound of chains in the forest... and of course, it might also be the sound of death.]

Seeing that Natsuki Subaru was out of options and could only put on the appearance of a last-ditch stand, Puck, outside the screen, instantly stiffened and awkwardly scratched his cheek.

"Heh heh, forget what I said... I mean, Subaru didn't scout out the terrain properly at all, did he!"

Puck let out a couple of awkward laughs, then, unable to hold back any longer, made an abrupt face-change—planting his paws on his hips and pointing a claw straight at the Natsuki Subaru in the center of the screen, ranting at him.

____

👻🔥Walnut-chan🔥👻

🔥 New history: A Martial Arts Master Will Never Be Humiliated

🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 Bonus Chapter for everyone