Chapter 4 [The Next Place]
ARC 4
THE EVERLASTING COVENANT
Chapter 4 [The Next Place]
——After Beatrice ejected him from the Forbidden Library, Subaru returned to everyone in the living room empty handed, looking rather ashamed of himself.
Awaiting him, the living room was the same as when he left. The only difference was that Otto was now sitting in Subaru’s seat, and seemed to have just finished discussing something with Emilia.
Putting on a face that left no doubt in anyone’s mind just how much he resented another guy talking to Emilia in anything vaguely resembling an intimate way, Subaru headed towards Otto.
[Subaru: I see you’re happily chatting with Emilia-tan while I was gone, it would be nice if you go and drop dead now]
[Otto: It’s not in my nature to just sit around silently and let time pa.s.s… More importantly, what kind of sane person says a line like that immediately after coming back!? It’s very unpleasant when you always take your anger out on me you know!]
[Subaru(girly voice): D-don’t talk like you can understand! As soon as I buy your oil and fulfill my promise, it’s all over between us, we’re through! So don’t get the wrong idea here!]
[Otto: Could you please not talk like there’s something between us that might cause a misunderstanding!?]
In the short span of time it took Otto to yell at him for being a tsundere, Subaru, as if suddenly completely losing interest, turned towards Emilia.
Kept out of the conversation, she was clearly waiting for him and Otto to finish talking, and seeing him looking at her, she looked back up at him and asked,
[Emilia: ——Were you able to meet with Beatrice?]
A surprisingly difficult question. On the one hand, the answer to her question was YES, but the answer to the question she was actually asking was closer to a NO.
While he had been able to make contact with her, he hadn’t actually broached the most essential topic. He almost wanted to laugh at what a limp, indecisive, cowardly Adventure RPG protagonist he was.
[Subaru: No, it just wasn’t happening]
[Emilia: Oh… Oh well, I guess that was to be expected. When Beatrice hides using ‘Door Crossing’, I guess there’s no way to find her. Neither Ram nor I have managed to meet her after all, so…]
[Subaru: Ehm, actually, I did manage to find her. But she was, how should I say this… I guess she was in a bad mood, a bit mopey… Anyway, I wasn’t able to get an answer from her. Stupid, right?]
[Emilia: You… found her?]
Having thought that he’d never been able to make contact with her in the first place, Emilia’s eyes widened in astonishment. A bit surprised by her reaction, Subaru let out an “Ah?” and nodded his head.
[Emilia: I’ve been thinking this for a while, but… You and Beatrice are actually really close, aren’t you?]
Emilia murmured in a low voice, lightly touching her lower lip with her finger as though pondering something.
In response, Subaru put on his best disapproving frown, working hard to further improve the expression that was shaping his face into something no one could misinterpret.
[Subaru: Me and Beako, friends? Please… She’s like my arch-nemesis, ever since the moment we met. The first time we met she sucked out all of my Mana you know!? I don’t think there’s enough time left in the world for that horrible first impression to go away!]
[Emilia: Even though you made up with Julius? After all that happened between you? Subaru you’re like this sometimes, being stubborn in a reeeaally meaningless way]
[Subaru: Being meaninglessly stubborn is the measure of a man! I’m the kind of guy who continues to carry around that kind of stupid idea, even though I know it’s a bunch of c.r.a.p. Plus, I HAVEN’T made up with Julius. I, hate, that guy, FOR-EH-VAR]
[Emilia: Sure, sure]
Emilia lightly brushed aside his disingenuous objections with a small laugh. Seeing this, Subaru screwed up his face to show his dissatisfaction. However, on the inside, he just felt relieved that the subject had been laid to rest.
He still hadn’t had time to process his conversation with Beatrice. The sad expression on her face at the very end, he had no idea of how to even begin to make sense of it.
[Subaru: By the way, where’s Frederica gone off too? How could her good judgment be so lacking that she would leave my Emilia-tan and Otto alone together…]
[Emilia: Setting aside the matter of me supposedly belonging to anyone for another time… Frederica has gone off to prepare one of the guest rooms… Since we’re going to need a place for Rem-san to rest]
[Subaru: Ah, I see]
Subaru responded in a low whisper. Emilia, looking pained, narrowed her eyes.
While he hated himself for causing this expression on her face, he simply couldn’t hold back the rending pain filling up his chest every time he was reminded of Rem.
However, with a blink and a shake of his head, he extinguished the grief from his expression to keep his pain from extending to Emilia. Relaxing his lips he said,
[Subaru: In that case, I better get Rem from the dragon carriage. She shouldn’t be lying out there all alone…… Oh, sorry about what I said before, Otto]
[Otto: No, no, I don’t blame you. After all, I sense that…… a lot has happened between her and Natsuki-san. I can hardly ask you to have your emotions in check given the circ.u.mstances]
[Subaru: It’s just that when I think of you touching my Rem with your dirty, money-grubbing hands, I can’t help myself…… I’m really sorry]
[Otto: There’s no way you’d say something like that if you were really sorry! I also really don’t think that’s a line a person who just labelled a totally different girl as his should be saying!!]
[Subaru: That’s just me using you in my plan to make Emilia-tan fall jealously in love with me. Don’t make me say it out loud, idiot]
[Otto: You said that out loud all on your own!!]
Grinning at Otto’s reliably explosive reaction, Subaru snuck a glance at Emilia’s face. Having been intently observing their exchange, Emilia’s lips seemed to soften just a little, and the sorrow of moments ago had all disappeared. Confirming this, Subaru drew a small sigh of relief.
[Emilia: Subaru and Otto-kun seem to be reeaally close. Even though you only met just recently…]
[Subaru: Huh, that’s what you got jealous at!? Compared to my feelings for you, Otto is just a toy, a plaything on the side! I want a real and pa.s.sionate relations.h.i.+p with you, Emilia-tan!]
[Otto: Why am I the one being discarded!? Even though this whole thing has no basis in reality, I still really don’t like that!!]
Seeing the two guys heat up more and more, Emilia suddenly burst out laughing. Covering her mouth with her hand, her shoulders shuddering with laughter, Emilia managed to squeeze out an [I’m sorry] before she was finally able to continue.
[Emilia: I don’t think this is the kind of situation where I should be laughing like this, but I just can’t help myself… Are you sure you two haven’t actually known each other for a really long time?]
[Subaru: He’s a travelling merchant you know? Once his business is over, he’ll be out of here before you know it…… Actually, just the thought of an un-s.h.i.+pped male character other than myself coming near Emilia-tan, aaah I can’t stand it!]
[Otto: I don’t know what that is, but in the short time I’ve gotten to know you I can already tell it’s probably something really awful so I don’t like it——!]
Seeing Otto putting his hands on his head with a somewhat traumatized expression on his face, Subaru snorted loudly, twisting his mouth.
In a way, those exaggerations were actually his true feelings. Ever since baring his heart to Emilia, Subaru chased her with an air of indomitable invincibility, and his heart is set ablaze with jealousy whenever another guy approaches her.
This is surely because the depth of his possessiveness, and jealousy, are both many times that of any normal person.