"I see, so that's why the souvenir is this mountain of Lingas."
Ferris stuck his fork into a pile of sliced red fruit, oozing with juice, and brought it to his mouth with a mischievous, seductive smile.
"Well, I gave most of it to the kitchen, but make sure you keep enough to taste. That aside, stop licking your lips while glancing at me sideways. My back is cold."
Frowning at Ferris's attitude and waving his hand, Subaru sat down in the bunk in the guest room he was assigned to and took a breather.
It was time for a snack before dusk, and the cut-up linga had been brought for that purpose. It had been prepared by Rem, who had returned with Subaru from sightseeing in the royal capital. She was now getting changed in the room assigned to her, and was scheduled to meet up with Subaru in his room.
And so, while eating the linguine, we discussed today's results and what to do next - that was the plan, but...
"The young man who had taken over the room first didn't like it. It's true that he didn't lock the door, but isn't that a bit rude and unbecoming of a knight?"
"It's fine, just take it as proof that Feli-chan has opened up to me. I definitely can't show such a lazy side of myself to Crusch-sama."
As he spoke, Ferris collapsed and dove right next to Subaru. The soft material of the bed sent a shockwave through Subaru's bottom, and Ferris, who also bounced, rolled over and fell into a lying position. He looked up at Subaru from a ninety-degree angle,
"Did you just get a shock?"
"I was shocked. It's not a shame or anything, but I don't have any interest in that sort of thing. My sexual preferences are totally normal, only with girls."
No matter how cute someone looks, it will never cross gender barriers.
Ferris had reacted in shock, and Subaru sighed. "To begin with," he continued.
"I can't think of any reason why I should open up to you. I don't remember us ever being particularly close. Do I have some kind of dangerous pheromone or something?"
"Ah, that's a simple matter. ――Because Subaru-kun is definitely weaker than Feli-chan. Because he's weak, it's a relief."
Ferris, resting his chin on the bed and looking up, said this so casually, and Subaru was at a loss for words for a moment, but,
"You have a really bad personality."
"Oh dear. I thought you'd be more angry."
"Facts are facts. I'm not going to get worked up about it."
I have had many experiences that made me realize how weak I am.
Since coming to this other world, Subaru had been defeated by his own powerlessness time and time again. If the day he faced off against that odious knight at the parade grounds was the climax, then it could be said that the number of times that the Karsten family had been defeated by Wilhelm was the highest.
It's foolish to argue so frantically about my own weakness. Before coming to this world, I used to fantasize, "I do strength training, so maybe I'll do well!", but if I get to know the wider world, I'll understand how much of a frog I am.
So what bothered Subaru was the opposite.
"How dare you call me weak? Of course, a knight must have trained hard enough..."
"Hmm, Feli-chan? I'm terrible with swords. I only have the sword hanging from my waist because my parents told me to, and if I swung it, the weight of it would make me get thrown around."
Subaru was put off by Ferris, who was chattering and kicking his feet.
While there is a sense of integrity in the way he readily admits his weaknesses, there is also something suspicious about the way he acts as if he doesn't see them as weaknesses.
Ferris's gaze must have revealed his true feelings. He looked up at Subaru with a sidelong glance and stretched out the end of his sentence, "But still."
"Feri-chan's good points lie elsewhere. That's why I don't mind him being a lousy knight."
"Goodbye. If that's what he's happy with, then that's a good thing. -- a good thing."
Ferris' words were overflowing with that, and Subaru felt uncomfortable and looked away.
Suddenly, Ferris turned on the bed, positioned himself behind Subaru, and stretched both hands out to his shoulders - as if to give him a shoulder massage.
Subaru shrugged, feeling the tickling sensation of Ferris' fingers touching his hair, but he immediately stopped moving as he felt something warm begin to radiate from where Ferris' palm had been touching.
Starting from his shoulders, a torrent of watery mana emanated from Ferris's palm and began circulating throughout Subaru's body. Sensing a flow of energy far more distinct than the circulation of blood, Subaru closed his eyes and surrendered to the sensation.
"Slowly, steadily, softly. Ah, I found a split end. Subaru-kun, it seems you're having a surprisingly hard time."
"Can you stop chatting while you work? This feeling of mana flowing through my body is really disgusting. If I don't stay alert, I'll get dizzy."
Subaru thinks that the pain he's currently experiencing is similar to the unwell feeling he had when he tried on a magnetic necklace his father used to wear to improve blood circulation.
Healing using the mana of water---when you look at it just in words, it gives off a cool and gentle vibe, but when you actually try it, it's clear that it's not such a simple act.
In fact, considering the state of wear and tear on Subaru's body, this was a natural conclusion.
Subaru's physical condition - it was caused by damage to the gate that was the entrance and exit for mana, and it was caused by forcing the dregs produced by doping through the depleted gate.
Ferris's treatment involves using water magic to repair the damage to the gate while expelling the hardened mana dregs from the body.
"Basically, it's used to seal holes in hoses that are causing poor water flow, while also pushing out mold and other debris that has built up inside the pipes..."
"I don't know. I don't know what you're talking about, but it seems like you're using an analogy that I'm not very happy about."
"It's a self-deprecating joke, don't worry about it. Ugh, it's gross."
He turned his head and complained to Ferris behind him about how his mood was getting worse as he endured it.
It had been three days since I had been taken care of at Crusch's mansion - in other words, it was also the third day since I had been treated by Ferris, and I think I was starting to get used to it.
On the first day, I couldn't bear the rising urge to vomit and immediately gave up.
"Well, it couldn't be helped on the first day. I dumped it directly into the muddiest part, and I was already injured and had no stamina, so that had an effect too."
"Don't poke me in places I don't want people to poke you in, you know."
Ferris can't see our expressions, but he can read our intentions just from our movements, which is annoying. He doesn't hesitate to dig into our emotional wounds.
Subaru tried to avoid touching on the scab in his heart as much as possible with a polite smile, but Ferris seemed to ridicule his thoughts and said,
"So Subaru-kun, are you thinking of getting revenge? Isn't the fact that you're being trained by old Vil unrelated to that?"
"...Can you stop poking around in those boyishly sensitive places? Even you understand how I feel...do you understand, in this case!?"
"I don't know, you know? Feli-chan, I want to get stronger too, I have to! There was a time when I was like that. Well, now I don't even think about doing something so reckless."
Ferris smoothly avoided any mention of his transvestite side as he told Subaru in a tone that didn't convey any sympathetic sentimentality whatsoever.
At every opportunity, he boasts about his lack of martial arts talent. On the other hand, he also boasts about the talent he possesses that more than makes up for it.
Subaru sympathizes with many parts of the first half of the story. However, he is unable to sympathize with the second half, much to the point of making fun of himself. Because, unlike him, he has no sympathy for the character.
His determination, his guts, and above all his feelings for her - those were the things he had thought he would never lose to anyone.
"Isn't it better not to think about dark things like revenge? I hate to say this, but... if there's a next time, I might die, you know?"
"...Even I know that."
Subaru looked away sulking and only muttered in response.
In the recent battle with Julius, Subaru had been beaten down beyond words. And yet, despite being so beaten down, he understood that Julius had shown him sympathy.
Otherwise it is impossible to explain how, after all the beatings, punctures and injuries, not a single wound was fatal.
There was a hopeless gap between him and Subaru.
Subaru knew this and was studying under Wilhelm. He wasn't dreaming of becoming much stronger after just a few days of training. However,
"It's fine, just sink into laziness. Subaru-kun, there have been a lot of things going on and your body is in a terrible state, you're far from your best, and right now you're just lazing around under the pretext of treatment. No one can blame you for that, there's no reason for it. It's all good, right?"
Without giving Subaru any time to make an excuse, Ferris spoke in rapid succession.
The slightly irritating phrasing lacked consideration for the other person, but the content of the message seemed extremely sweet to Subaru in his current state of mind.
Howeverーー,
"--Felix-sama, please don't mislead Subaru-kun too much."
A quiet voice echoed through the room, and Subaru turned around with a feeling of impatience.
Behind Subaru, sitting on the bed, with her hand on the door to the room, was Rem, her shoulder-length blue hair swinging in the wind. She had returned to the guest room she had been given to get changed, but her outfit seemed the same as when she had descended to the lower district of the royal capital.
Noticing Subaru's suspicious gaze, Rem gently picked up the edge of her skirt,
"I'm currently changing from my maid uniform for going out to a maid uniform for visiting."
"Y-yeah, that's true. Rem always accommodates my wishes."
"Yes. I want to always be a fresh Rem in front of Subaru-kun."
"I'm happy, but saying it like that makes me sound like a raw fish!"
Subaru responded to Rem, who exuded a sense of freshness. Rem paid no attention to him, and instead turned her gaze to Ferris, who was sitting behind Subaru,
"We appreciate your continued treatment for Subaru-kun. However, please stop taking advantage of this to lead him astray."
"What a rude thing to say, leading someone on. Feli-chan is being very strict and only saying it with Subaru-kun in mind."
Ferris loosened his cheeks maliciously, leaned his arm forward from Subaru's shoulders, and leaned into him, embracing him.
Subaru cried out in dissatisfaction at his soft gestures, and the distinctly hard, masculine touch against his back, "Hey," but Ferris ignored his protest, running his palms over his chin and chest,
"The kindness that slowly spreads throughout your body... If you think that this is the compassion that comes from Feli's heart, then isn't it so bad to fall for her?"
The voice whispered in his ear was accompanied by a sigh, and it caressed Subaru's earlobe with great gentleness.
Though he was aware that the other person was Ferris - a man of the same sex - for some reason Subaru was unable to respond to his actions with any positive action.
My thoughts became subtly slow, and I was unable to move as he held me in his arms, so I accepted the embrace.
but,
"Felix--"
"Ugh."
"Please refrain from playfulness. With all due respect... there are cases where a joke won't do."
A shock hits my neck, bringing my dulled thoughts back to life.
Subaru came to his senses and saw that a white fabric was covering his vision. If he squinted, he realized that it was a piece of fabric pressed against his face, which immediately led him to a familiar apron.
In other words, I realized that I wanted Rem to hold my head in her arms.
"Oh come on, Rem. This is being a bit too aggressive in front of other people..."
"Subaru-kun, please be quiet. --Felix-sama?"
Holding Subaru even tighter, who was trying to hide his embarrassment with light-hearted remarks, Rem called Ferris' name a third time in a voice frozen with emotion for the occasion.
Hearing this, Ferris let out a long, small sigh and muttered, "I see."
"Rem-chan can use water-based magic to some extent, right? If so, it's not surprising that she figured out Feli-chan's tricks."
Ferris spoke with an attitude more like one of resignation, or rather of a child whose plan had been discovered, and rested his chin on Subaru's shoulder, wrapping his arms around him to embrace him tighter,
"Hey, Ferris. Even though it's a little late now, I'm not at all excited by this cross-dressing boy squeezing me tightly, in fact I'm kind of disappointed... hey, Rem, Rem-san? I like the happy feeling around my head, but it's a bit too strong... no, I mean strong, too strong... AAAHHH!!"
"Ah, Subaru, I'm sorry. Felix-sama wouldn't let me go… so I thought I'd rather destroy it than let someone else take it…"
"Oh come on, Yanderella?!"
Clutching his skull, which had begun to make a creaking noise, Subaru tumbled out of Rem and Ferris' clutches. He glared warily at the two from the corner of the room, and Rem shook her head slightly in response.
"Poor Subaru... it must have been very frightening."
"Your last words had the biggest effect on me! I feel like the shading in the eyes is a little too strong!"
Subaru's protests were ignored, and leaving him behind, Rem and Ferris exchanged glances. Rem narrowed her eyes slightly, while Ferris entangled her fingers in his chestnut-colored hair with a guilty look,
"Rem-chan's anger is understandable, but Feli-chan isn't doing it with any ill intentions. I'm just thinking about Subaru-kun a little bit."
"Anything but a little bit?"
"The rest was out of consideration for Feli-chan's friends' feelings… but everything else was for Crusch-sama's sake, you know?"
Ferris said this with an unashamed look on his face, then tilted his head and asked Rem a question.
"Isn't that a given for a servant? Or is it different, Rem-chan?"
"That's probably correct. Therefore, you should already know Rem's answer, Lord Felix."
Rem shook his head at the testing words and looked straight at Ferris again. Ferris must have seen something in the intensity of that gaze, as he raised both palms towards his gaze as if in surrender,
"Okay. I get it. I'll stop using the guise of treatment to brainwash you."
"From now on, Rem will always accompany you during treatment."
"Oh dear, you don't trust me. I don't really care."
Rem moved to the side, standing to shield Subaru from Ferris's gaze. Ferris laughed at Subaru's obvious wariness, stretching his body to ensure a clear line of sight, and when he looked at Subaru, who was unable to keep up with the conversation and had his lips pursed,
"Well, since I got scolded by Rem-chan, that's it for today. Next time, let's meet somewhere less likely to be discovered, okay?"
"I'm not even aware of this rendezvous, and besides that, you said you were brainwashed earlier, didn't you?! I'd be horrified to meet alone with someone who says such scary things!"
"Yes, yes, invitation accepted, invitation accepted."
"Don't act like you understand something you don't!?"
With a gesture of understanding, Ferris stood up from the bed, stretched his body, and headed toward the door. Then, just before leaving, he turned around and
"Rem-chan."
"yes"
"I don't think you'll believe me when I say this, but… it's not like I did that because I was thinking about you, Subaru-kun, that's a complete lie, you know?"
It was not directed at Subaru, but at Rem, who stood before him.
Subaru, who could only see Rem's back, was unable to see what expression she had upon hearing those words. However,
"--I understand."
What bothered me was that there was a slight hesitation in Rem's brief response.
"Yeah, that's fine. Well, bye then."
After finally saying his farewell words, Ferris dashes out of the room.
However, when dinner time comes around, they will be sitting at the same table, so the image of "separation" doesn't really fit as much as people say.
As Subaru let out such pointless inner remarks, Rem turned to look at him and called him, "Subaru-kun."
"Ah, yeah. It's like... I don't really know, but maybe they helped you?"
"I don't know. Felix doesn't have any particular ill will towards Subaru, and as for his actions earlier… I don't know his true intentions, though."
Subaru had no idea what had happened to him, and Rem was avoiding making any clear statements about it. The subtle discrepancy made Subaru feel uncomfortable, and he frowned,
"Umm, so what was the situation just now?"
"Until just now, Subaru-kun was receiving treatment from Felix-sama and was in a state where the water mana in his entire body was interfering with his health, right?"
"I don't really know, but maybe that's what it felt like? It's true that I felt like I was soaking in lukewarm water. If you think of the nauseating feeling from soaking in too much water as a case of hot water poisoning, you could say that bathing is a risk."
"Injecting the mana of another person into the mana circulating within your body means, at least in part, that you are accepting that person into your own being. I was in a state where I was much more receptive to Felix's will than usual."
"Depending on how you listen to it, it sounds pretty dangerous, doesn't it!?"
He spins his hips on the floor, spins around in a breakdancing manner, and then stands up. He stretches his arms and legs, thrashing around, pointing at each part of his body to check if there are any abnormalities.
「Are you okay? Is something strange happening? Is there something about me that seems feminine? Or is the way I speak starting to sound like a cat character, or something?」
"It's okay, don't worry. It's the same as always Subaru."
"Really? Seriously? Really?"
"This is Ofu Course. Please trust Rem who is always watching over Subaru-kun."
Subaru felt as though he had heard something that couldn't be ignored, but he let it slide and patted his chest in relief. Then he shook his head slightly and prefaced it with "Oh dear,"
"If you think about it like that, it's true. This place is, so to speak, one of the enemy's bases. I was feeling pretty relaxed and not so vigilant though."
"Don't worry. Rem will be keeping a close eye on you so that you, the lax, sluggish, and helpless Subaru-kun, don't have to worry about anything."
"Sorry for being so lazy and hopelessly out of it!?"
A shocking truth was now being revealed. It was hard not to shed tears when he thought of how much Rem had been fighting alone while Subaru had been slacking off, but he put aside such unbearable sentimentality and shook his head.
"I'll be more careful from now on. There are only… 'enemies' around here, after all."
"...An enemy?"
Subaru tightened his resolve, which had been loosening up, or rather narrowing his perspective. Seeing Subaru like that, Rem muttered something softly, but Subaru, who was shifting his attitude by rolling his shoulders, didn't notice.
After checking her condition, Subaru looked at Rem,
"Well then, shall we go through our daily routine until we are called for dinner? Rem-sensei, please."
As he spoke, Subaru sat facing the desk that had been prepared for him in a corner of the room. There was a notebook he had brought from the mansion on it, and several other books with black spines stacked on top of it. These were study materials and notebooks for practical training. In other words,
"No matter how many times I hear it, I still can't get used to being called that."
"I'm being taught like this, so I guess that's the position I'm in. If you don't like it, I'll quit, but what do you think, Sensei?"
「No! Please, please keep it as it is! It's something only Rem can call her! You mustn't tell anyone else!」
Subaru: "If you keep coming at me like that, even I won't know what to do as your performance exceeds my expectations! Ngggh, damn it, I won't lose…!"
Displaying a strange sour grapes, Subaru furiously confronts the desk.
Standing behind him, Rem quietly directed her eyes at Subaru, eyes filled with both affection and an opposing emotion.
Seeing Subaru devoting himself so diligently to his studies, a look of pain welled up in her eyes.
"--Sensei, I don't really understand this part."
"Well, Subaru-kun, it can't be helped. You can't do anything without Rem. I don't mind if you show your gratitude for that with your actions every once in a while, okay?"
That color also vanished the moment Subaru spoke a word.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
—And so Natsuki Subaru's time at the Karsten household passed.
In the morning, he is thoroughly beaten by Wilhelm, and in the afternoon, he wanders around the town with Rem under the pretext of sightseeing in the royal capital. In the evening, Ferris returns from his duties and treats him, and after dinner he studies how to read and write under Rem's supervision.
It was a very healthy, upstanding, fulfilling life there.
Occasionally, when she had some free time, she would have the chance to exchange a few words with Crusch, but they never came across a situation where they could have a serious conversation. There were a constant stream of visitors to the mansion every day, and Crusch, who was frequently required to attend to them, rarely had any free time.
Even so, she was able to make time to train with Wilhelm as part of her daily routine, which was impressive. Or perhaps she was cutting down on other time to make time for it, so perhaps she was a fool for a swordsman, despite being a woman.
Either way, from the outside, Subaru's time seemed to pass productively.
Subaru is treated without a doubt as a guest, and in this environment he searches for something he can do, studying and honing his skills diligently.
There was a sense of a kind of pride in him, of a boy who, even after being beaten down, did not bend, break, or give up.
At least, from the outside...
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
The tip of the wooden sword hits his forehead, and the next moment he is blown away by a single blow accompanied by centrifugal force.
As his head was used as a fulcrum to send him flying backwards, Subaru experienced the familiar sensation of being upside down. He swung his arms around the ground, braced himself against the ground, and rolled beautifully.
The grey jersey he was wearing outside was dirty with dirt, but there was almost no damage from the fall. He licked his lips in appreciation of his accomplishment, even licking off the taste of the mud that was on them, then hurriedly spat them out.
"Ugh, smack smack. It tastes like mud and grass, ugh."
"Shall we finish up now?"
"You've got to be kidding me. Did I look like I was broken just now? I'm still going strong, hey!"
Subaru pointed the wooden sword at him as if predicting a home run, and swung his hips to show his fighting spirit. In response, Wilhelm, standing in front of him, chuckled softly.
Subaru and Wilhelm continued to meet like this, day after day, morning after morning.
Subaru's attacks still couldn't reach Wilhelm, but there had been a dramatic change in Subaru's reaction to the attacks from Wilhelm's side.
"I shouldn't say this, but... your defensive skills have improved a lot."
"I thought it was a bit pathetic after trying to think of a way to fall without pain. I'm not going to stand there in the same place forever!"
Subaru replied triumphantly, giving a thumbs up in response to Wilhelm's words.
Wilhelm's words were true; Subaru's defensive skills had improved so much in the past few days that even professionals in the field were left speechless.
After all, there are at least 30 opportunities to practice in practice every day. Don't underestimate a fall, but it is still a fall.
Naturally, if he went down defenseless, there was a high risk of him getting injured. Even if Wilhelm had perfectly controlled his blows, he could not have had any influence on the injury rate that Subaru would sustain after being blown away and rolling on the ground. Therefore, he had to protect himself.
"Right now, my talent for being passive is blossoming - but it feels like my skills as a loser are only improving with each passing day, and it's starting to break my heart!"
"Moreover, in reality, this technique is useless if you are fighting with a real sword rather than a wooden one."
"Don't tell me the truth! The pine tree in my heart has been cracked!"
Considering the serious fight that ended with a slam dunk, it was true that this skill had been polished and was only available in training mode, with the premise of a wooden sword fight. Moreover, it was not an attacking skill, but rather a loser's stance that was meant to be defeated. Anyway,
"One more instruction please."
"Anytime, anywhere"
Having received permission, Subaru prepared himself, lowered his stance and charged again. Wilhelm, who was in a comfortable position with his wooden sword, had a slower initial reaction than Subaru. Though his opponent was well-built, he was an old man, and it was hard to imagine him being able to keep up with Subaru's movements as he swung his sword over his shoulder. However,
"There's a lot of waste."
"Uga"
Even if you consciously try to move as little as possible, it results in wasted tension and unnecessary movement. Wilhelm's sword moves through these gaps, allowing you to avoid the attack with minimal movement and effort. Next, the fluttering sword flash approaches Subaru's torso,
"Franken!"
The moment Subaru felt the flat of the sword hit his side, Wilhelm's sword strike, which didn't even seem to have been put into it with much force, sent Subaru flying effortlessly through the air.
With the momentum of his charge, he leaps over the white-haired old man and goes upside down through the air. If he falls headfirst like this, disaster will be inevitable.
"What a thing!"
Just before he began to fall, he shook his head, curled up, and clutched his head in a defensive position. He unleashed the ``coconut'' position he had once shown to Roswaal. It was the rudiments of an amateur's defensive technique, where you increase your defensive power by compacting your body tightly.
Where his spinning body would land was largely down to luck, but as long as he didn't land on the back of his head, he could avoid some damage with this poor position――However,
"Did I say this is the end?"
Before Subaru could fall, his plan was thwarted by the tip of a wooden sword being thrust into the gap between his arms and legs.
Subaru, whose consciousness had been completely shifted to falling, had been completely taken aback by this attack. The inserted tip moved in a circular motion, and Subaru's limbs, which should have been tightly bound, were easily undone, and naturally, his body began to spread out in mid-air,
"Gyan!"
He was thrown flat on his back to the ground, unable to defend himself or remove the pieces, and sustained heavy damage.
His nose slammed into the ground, kissing the earth for what seemed like ages. Feeling a pain spreading like heat throughout his body, Subaru rolled to the side and shot a protesting look at Wilhelm, who was looking down at him.
"Isn't that just too terrible no matter how you look at it!?"
"You can't really call yourself an improvement unless you've reached the point where you can take a defensive stance even in situations that exceed your expectations. Above all else."
Wilhelm brushed off Subaru's protests with a slightly stern voice, then stopped speaking for a moment and looked down at Subaru with calm eyes.
Subaru felt uncomfortable at the serenity in those eyes and the bottomless emotion that shone through them, and fell silent.
"I don't think I would be able to accept it if I taught him to fight in such a way, such as going in with the intention of losing from the start."
"cormorant..."
That was true.
He understands that there is a difference in their strength that means he cannot win. To Subaru, Wilhelm is a tall wall. However, understanding the difference in strength and giving up from the start and taking on the challenge are two completely different things.
Subaru was speechless as his weak thinking had been seen through, so Wilhelm raised a finger and said, "Is it okay?"
"How to swing a sword, how to defend yourself - before I teach you those, let me talk to you about something more fundamental."
"Fundamental..."
"---If you have decided to fight, then fight with all your heart and soul. Don't let your guard down for even a moment, not even a second, and no matter what means you use, no matter how dirty the method, cling greedily towards the one point of victory. If you can still stand, if your fingers can still move, if your fangs are not yet broken, then stand. Stand. Stand, stand and slash. As long as you live, fight. Fight, fight, fight!"
"――――"
"That's what it means to fight."
In an instant, the tension that had dominated the garden dissipated, and Subaru was told by the fact that his own heart was beating loudly.
At the same time, we also realize the simple fact that our heart is beating properly with life.
--Right now, he certainly didn't feel alive.
The moment he began to talk about his fighting spirit, Wilhelm's previous aura changed completely. Until then, he had exuded a gentle and gentlemanly demeanor, an air that suggested he was a person who was completely unrelated to anger or other violent emotions.
However, from their recent exchange, it was clear to see that this was merely a surface aspect of the person known as Wilhelm. Perhaps the expression he had just shown was the real Wilhelm.
A man named Wilhelm Trias was invited by the favorite to be the king's selection, Crusch Karsten, to be her sword instructor, and he used his powers to the fullest.
Feeling his heart tremble, Subaru hid it and stood up.
I wasn't sure if the slight numbness in my fingers and toes was due to pain, fear, or some other emotion.
"Indeed... well, I was always acting rudely."
It is true that there was certainly something moving about it.
Shaking his head, without even brushing off the dirt on his body, Subaru re-gripped his wooden sword and turned towards Wilhelm,
"Even if I know I will lose, I still try to win. It may seem contradictory, but it's true that I have to do that...I understand it with my emotions, not my head."
"That's the best thing."
"If I can do that, will I become a little stronger?"
In response to Subaru's question, Wilhelm closed one eye and said, "Well then,"
"That's a completely different story. Wanting to be strong and actually becoming strong are completely different things."
"Don't you think the story would be more beautiful if you honestly accepted that?"
"I have not given myself permission to tell cruel lies."
"I suppose sometimes that's a brutal truth in itself!"
The story that had been coming together nicely started to get messy, and Subaru slumped his shoulders in disappointment and dropped his gaze to the ground. Then,
"Do I have any talent for the sword?"
"In my opinion, unfortunately, that is not the case. Subaru-dono's talent with the sword is merely average――just like mine."
Denying the question, Wilhelm let out a self-deprecating smile. His words were so unexpected that Subaru raised one eyebrow in shock,
"That's oddly humble. Wilhelm-san, you're saying you have no talent for the sword."
"It's true. I have no talent for the sword. If I did, I surely wouldn't have continued to hold the sword for this long. Therefore, if you, Subaru-dono, wish to become like me, it is possible for you to reach the same place as me."
"...By the way, how hard do you have to try?"
"It's not a big deal. All you have to do is devote half your life to swinging your sword."
"Just."
Obviously, it wasn't as simple as just that.
It is often said that true talent lies in the ability to continue making an effort. In fact, even if Subaru had been told that he could reach the same level as Wilhelm, he had no resolve to dedicate the same amount of time to the sword as Wilhelm, nor could he think of any reason to do so.
In the first place, the reason why Subaru was studying under Wilhelm like this was--
"because of"
He sighed and stiffened as if giving up—the tip of Subaru's wooden sword dug into the earth, sending a spray of it flying up in front of Wilhelm's very eyes.
The moment the clump of earth obscured the old man's vision, Subaru aimed his blow at Wilhelm's feet, something he had only just received advice on from that man.
--If you've decided to fight, use any dirty tactics you can.
The fact that the powerful strike had ended in a miss was evident, as the prey received no reaction from him. However, Subaru didn't stop there, using the momentum from the spin to unleash a roundhouse kick, and with even more momentum, he delayed in unleashing a second sword strike.
Wilhelm avoided the combined attacks, blinding and ambushes, and for the first time showed his teeth in a gleeful grin.
"That's fine."
The wooden sword cut into the area where Subaru had kicked, and at the same time Wilhelm, who had approached, canceled the attack and turned his back to dive into his arms. As they faced the same direction, they overlapped, and Subaru's free hand grabbed him by the collar, and the moment he realized it, his feet had left the ground.
His field of vision spun around, and he was thrown so fast that he didn't even have time to comprehend what he had been thrown into, as his back was slammed into the ground. The impact took his breath away, his thoughts stopped, and before the pain had penetrated his entire body, he was already aware of the tip of the wooden sword pointed at him.
"Shall we finish up now?"
Having been told, Subaru relaxed his body and closed his eyes.
The coldness of the ground I was lying on reached my back, and a painful numbness naturally began to spread throughout my entire body. And then,
"Is there nothing I can do with all my distracting thoughts?"
"I don't think that's the case."
"But isn't that how you improve your swordsmanship? Only by devoting yourself wholeheartedly to the sword can you truly grasp what it means to be a swordsman."
"You don't suddenly become stronger by grabbing something new, and whether you're empty-headed or full of distractions, the fact remains that whoever cuts down the opponent is the winner."
While expressing his dry opinion, Wilhelm added, "And also,"
"I shouldn't say this, but I have rarely swung my sword mindlessly. Especially when I first started swinging my sword, I didn't really think much about the sword."
"So what were you thinking when you were waving?"
"Just thinking about my wife."
"Wilhelm-san, sometimes you get really rough with your wife stuff!"
I remember that when they first met, he had made some comments about being a doting husband, but even so, Wilhelm's comments showing his partiality towards his wife were quite glaring.
Subaru sat up and looked up at Wilhelm with startled eyes,
"Putting aside the heartwarming story of how much you care about your wife... I was surprised to hear you say that you don't need to devote yourself solely to the sword."
"You decide to get stronger, and keep swinging your sword, devising ways to do so. In the end, there is no other way to get stronger than to spend time doing so. It would be different if you were born with a divine protection, but neither I nor Subaru-dono are like that."
"Haha, that's tough."
As he spoke, Subaru couldn't hide the wry smile that was forming on his cheeks.
It was hard to bear being told that he had no talent for the sword. In his original world, he had once practiced kendo. Any pride he had held as something of a master was shattered into pieces.
Even though that was what he should have been, Subaru was smiling bitterly, and Wilhelm ran his fingers through his own thick white hair, smoothing it down,
"Either way, that's the mindset you need to become stronger. Well, I guess this wasn't very helpful for you, Subaru-dono."
"What do you mean?"
Not understanding the true meaning of the words that were spoken to him, Subaru put his hand to his chin and tilted his head. Seeing this, Wilhelm continued, "No,"
"I thought it would be pointless to preach about how to become stronger to someone who has no intention of becoming stronger."
"――――"
For a moment, Subaru's expression froze, not understanding what he had been told.
However, this stagnation only lasted for a moment. Subaru's frozen expression instantly thawed, and he playfully shrugged his shoulders,
"Hey, hey, hey, what's with that sudden comment Wilhelm-san? Please don't startle me with such ridiculous words. What am I doing?"
"If you are aware of this, it would be rude to go into any more detail than this."
Seeing her shake her head with resignation in her eyes, Subaru was unable to continue speaking and fell silent.
Subaru was growing impatient, wondering what on earth Wilhelm had brought up. Understanding this feeling, Subaru began to question his own inner impatience.
--Why do I need to feel anxious?
"--Subaru-dono, it looks like that's all for this morning."
"picture?"
Wilhelm told Subaru, who broke out into a cold sweat from the unfamiliar sensation. When he looked up in surprise, the old man's body was not looking at Subaru, but at the mansion.
When he turned his attention in that direction, he saw a figure running towards the two of them in the garden from the direction of the mansion. It was Rem.
She runs with a look of quiet tension on her face, careful not to show her emotions.
Something had happened.
And for Subaru right now, this was also a relief.
For Subaru, who felt an inexplicable pain being faced with Wilhelm, the look of impatience and anxiety on Rem's face was even a relief.
"Subaru-kun. --I have something to tell you."
And so, the everyday life that had been going on without any major problems came to an end.
As the everyday comes to an end, the extraordinary life Subaru has been waiting for begins - and once again, Subaru faces despair.