2
—In the end, they held off on making a decision with their planning meeting for clearing Electra.
From the way things were going, they were not going to make any sort of real breakthrough in terms of plans, but the biggest reason they put off a decision was Subaru’s stomach rumbling.
“Now that I think about it, I woke up after two days and then immediately started trying to clear this tower, didn’t I…? My stomach is aching bad.
While the conversation was stalled, his stomach gurgled loudly, and for the first time, he realized just how hungry he was.
I can’t fight on an empty stomach… Well, technically I can, but being hungry does mess with your ability to focus and think.
And as a result of that rumble, they decided to move elsewhere.
“Honestly, it was probably for the best that happened anyway…”
A plan for the second floor, the general theme of the examinations here, the test maker’s sadism coming into focus, and the clearer idea of just how dangerous Shaula is—she already merited close attention from how strong she was, but her blockheadedness and the way she so easily gets along with us completely defused our sense of caution.
“You can just take your time and have fun with me.”
Days, years, or even centuries…
Or I guess it’s more, the way she so unabashedly said that helped me finally remember just how dangerous she is.
“I don’t intend to do it, but if for some reason we stop here at the tower and leave, she’ll become our enemy…”
I’d rather avoid that. Both because of the cold calculus of combat strength and for sentimental reasons.
Aside from her, though, thinking about clearing this place… There are all kinds of concerning points weighing on my mind.
They had already spent more than a month on their trip to the Pleiades Watchtower. Even if they took care of the challenges straightaway and finished clearing the tower, it would still take another month to get back to Pristella, making it an almost three-month trip even in the best case.
Besides the fact that stopping would mean fighting Shaula, I don’t really want to give up just because the trip is running long, but the royal selection is a hard deadline for Emilia and Anastasia.
Three years in total—it had already been a little over one year, meaning there were less than two years left. They didn’t have the luxury of infinite time.
“But worrying about stuff that far out won’t solve anything, either. The first thing you always need to do is to plant your feet firmly in the ground today in preparation for tomorrow. And for that—”
“—I should eat up so I’m not hungry.”
“Correct.”
Beatrice had interrupted Subaru’s words with her finger held up.
His stomach rumbling had been the impetus for ending the conversation, so he was taking a stroll around the tower—more specifically, the fourth floor they had made their living area—while waiting for food to be ready.
Accompanying him, holding his hand tightly while they walked, was Beatrice.
Holding hands regularly was so that Beatrice, Subaru’s contracted spirit, could collect mana directly from him, since his gate was deficient.
“Besides, you were worried about me while I was asleep these two days, right? Today, you can relax, and I’ll dote on you all you want.”
“What a silly thing to say. This is just collecting an extra surplus of mana to make up for you slacking off while asleep. Betty wants to be in top condition at all times in this tower. To avoid being unprepared.”
“So you say, but you still held my hand without absorbing mana while I was asleep.”
“That had nothing to do with mana. It was for topping up Betty’s heart, so it’s unrelated.”
She was proudly asserting it had nothing to do with mana, but Subaru thought that just made it all the more adorable and embarrassing, so he refrained from commenting on it.
Either way, he was in complete agreement with what she was saying. The strength of their combination was in more subtle tricks. That would surely come in handy on the second-floor examination and whatever awaited them in the first floor’s examination, too.
“All right, Beako. I’m fine. So absorb my mana until you’re big and bloated!”
“Betty won’t get big and bloated from absorbing lots of mana! And there’s not much point in you getting all enthusiastic about it since it is not as if you have that much mana to begin with.”
“Whoa, hey now. What should I do then?”
“That! Is! Why! You should at least eat up and rest properly to restore your stamina and build up mana reserves. And devote yourself to taking care of Betty. That is your responsibility.”
“So basically like I’m recovering from getting sick. And also there was a trace of your loneliness at being left alone that seeped in there… Whoops.”
Subaru managed a flexible expression that was half frustrated and half smiling at Beatrice’s adorableness. And in front of them, at the end of the passage, someone suddenly turned the corner.
It was Emilia, whose eyes widened when she saw them. In her hand was a metallic container…a bucket.
“A bucket? Still focused, even at a time like this, huh? Practicing music?”
“Heh-heh, what are you saying? It’s true mister bucket is always helping me with my music practice, but I know this isn’t the time for that.”
“That’s true. So then why the bucket?”
“Mister bucket is helping with his intended job.”
Smiling at Subaru’s question, Emilia held out the bucket.
Oh, it’s full of water, so I guess mister bucket is back to his old job.
But that just raised another question.
“Where did the water come from? It’s desert all around the tower, right?”
“Ah, that’s not true. If you go way, way past the tower, you’ll reach the great waterfall, and there’s a reeeally big amount of water there…”
“You went that far to get a single bucketful of water? For me?”
“I would do that much if it was for you, but that’s not what happened this time. The spirit in the green room actually provided us nice and clean water. Neat, right?”
Emilia seemed proud of the source of the water, but it was the line before that that made him happy.
Being willing to go all the way to the great waterfall to get water for his sake. That meant a lot.
“While I’m digesting all that happiness, though… That spirit is really something. Not just healing wounds, it can even do something like this?”
“If it was just making water, Beatrice or I could manage somehow with magic, but…”
“The miasma in the air in the desert and here is too dense. It would be wisest to avoid using mana that has been exposed to it for so long to create drinking water if possible.”
Their explanations cleared up some things.
During the trip, they had taken care of drinking water using magic. As long as there was mana, there was no reason to carry heavy water in large amounts. For certain things, the convenience of magic was incomparable.
“So sort of like atmospheric pollution…or I guess mana pollution caused by miasma? I guess it would be bad to drink water from that then?”
“It is not as if there is some immediate dramatic impact on the body. But imbibing significant amounts will lead to outsize internal miasma buildup. In the worst case, it could lead to developing the same sort of demon beast–attracting trait that you have. The thought makes Betty shiver.”
“It is definitely pretty hard to live with that trait, if I do say so myself…”
He had made the best of it in all sorts of bad pinches, but it would never be beneficial except in very specific situations.
Even just going for a hike, you might end up suddenly surrounded by them. It would be better not to end up like this.
“So we’re using water purified by the green room spirit as much as possible. We did that the two days you were sleeping, too.”
“Huh, you don’t say?”
Subaru was impressed at the explanation of living conditions that had been going on while he was unconscious.
“Still, though, even with water, there’s a limit to food. We only prepared food stores for about a month before we entered the desert.”
“Mmm, right.”
“But it’s not like I plan on still being here in a month.”
Subaru smiled as a little bit of concern appeared in Emilia’s eyes.
We have a time limit, and there are lots of difficult problems, but nothing will get better sitting back and getting overwhelmed.
“Besides, it’s just been one day—or three I guess, since I just had a late start—and we cleared the first examination, and you made it through the second one no sweat.”
“It wasn’t that easy…”
“It’s okay to say it was easy, since we can pull out bluffs and tricks here.”
Holding up a finger pompously, Subaru pulled Beatrice’s hand, moving her and then resting his chin on her head. The two of them looked up at Emilia.
“It doesn’t matter if the enemy is the strongest Sword Saint ever. That one-eyed chopstick pervert asshole… Between my tricks and Beako’s strength, we’ll beat the tar out of him.”
“Right. Beat the tar out of him.”
“Beat the tar out of him…”
“That’s a phrase you don’t hear too much anymore.”
“No fair! You and Beatrice were the ones who just said it!”
Emilia’s cheeks reddened when she realized she had fallen into their trap.
Emilia looked a little bit unhappy at being dragged into a new twist on their old pattern, but she sighed, probably telling herself this was how it went sometimes.
“Mm, got it. I understand. It sounds almost simple when you say it. But it’s reeeally reassuring to hear.”
“Yeah, just have faith, expectations, and love for me. That’s why I became your knight.”
“Right, I’m counting on you, my knight.”
“You didn’t deny the love part, so now I’m at a loss for what to say…”
“…?”
Subaru wasn’t sure what to do when his half-joking request for love passed without comment. But if she had actually accepted it, I would have been at least as shaken, so I guess it’s okay.
Either way…
“It’s a bit late now, but you being the one to get the water is weird. This is a knight’s job… Well, I guess not really, but it definitely fits more on the retainer side of the lady/retainer equation.”
“It’s fine. You’re my knight, but I don’t want to have that sort of relationship. I want you to stay beside me. As long as you do that, it’s fine. Just let me take care of getting the water while you are recovering.”
“What’s this?! I might just die of a happiness overload!”
“Also, I’m in charge of dinner tonight! I want to take care of everything myself!”
“That is the difficult thing with Emilia. They both sound like they might be the real reason.”
Beatrice sighed at Emilia’s energetic response. And the familiarity of their exchange was a relief for Subaru.
I don’t have time to be getting dejected.
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