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CHAPTER 2 

EVE OF THE DECISIVE BATTLE 

—Slaying the White Whale. 

With negotiations concluded, everyone involved acted quickly to make the word hunt a reality. 

Just as the two merchants Anastasia and Russel had proclaimed, weapons and equipment were scrounged up from all over the royal capital, with Crusch mustering the punitive force she’d prepared beforehand. The rest, arranging dragon carriages to transport the additional people and supplies, was taken care of in short order. 

“With so many dragon carriages being hired for this, no wonder I had so much trouble finding one to get back to Roswaal Manor.” 

As Subaru watched people and goods rapidly flow in and out of the mansion, he realized how much had been happening behind the scenes during the loop, completely without his personal involvement. During his previous trips through, Crusch and Wilhelm had already been preparing to fight the White Whale, even while Subaru was off in his own little world. Subaru had a rude awakening when he finally realized it after all that time. 

He’d caused them trouble on three different occasions. He wondered if there was anything he could do to help. 

“Hey, if there’s anything I can…” 

“Ehh, Subawu, there’s nothing at all you can do, is there, meow ?” 

“Hey, I said if!” 

Subaru, swept up by the busy atmosphere, was on the verge of offering some kind of help, but Ferris, concealing a yawn with a hand over his face, foiled Subaru’s half-hearted attempt. 

“Don’t assume other people share your laid-back attitude. Even I must have something I can…” 

“Preparing supplies and organizing troops are both outside your areas of expertise, aren’t they, Subawu? And we can’t have outsiders running all around, so sit and behave, okay?” 

“Well, I can’t do that. It’s just that I’m the one who said ‘let’s do this’ and everyone else is working into the dead of night while I’m…” 

“That’s where you’re dead wrong!” 

With Subaru all worked up, Ferris thrust a finger into the tip of his nose, interrupting with some terse words. Forced into silence, Subaru yelped as Ferris flicked his nose as he spoke. 

“Ferri really doesn’t like that it’s-my-fault way of thinking. Or rather, I hate it.” 

“…I really am the reason why they’re pulling an all-nighter, though.” 

It seemed strange for him to blithely sit around and quietly wait for the results. 

“—Nowadays everything’s all about the royal selection, but way back when, Crusch was just a normal, adorable princess without any thoughts of participating in kingdom politics.” 

“Huh?” 

“Ah, did the princess part throw you off? She’s always looked lovely, but Lady Crusch has become so strong and gallant since then that even men can’t keep up…” 

Subaru, bewildered by the topic’s sudden onset, felt left behind as Ferris’s cheeks flushed. Ferris let out a flustered sigh, swooning at the image of the young Crusch in the back of his mind as he continued. 

“Lady Crusch is kind, wonderful, and invincible, earnest and valiant and more forthright than anyone…but the reason Lady Crusch turned into this Lady Crusch, strong enough to aim for the throne, is because she was at a certain someone’s side.” 

“What are you talkin’ about? And what do you mean, a certain someone…?” 

“—His Highness Fourier Lugunica. This nation’s late fourth prince.” 

Subaru, completely lost in this conversation, drew in his breath just a bit at Ferris’s words. But he had more reasons for being at a loss for words than surprise at the name of a dead person he never knew. 

“ ? ” 

The fleeting, sad look on Ferris’s face when he spoke the name had grabbed his attention. 

His smile included a feeling of nostalgia and loneliness but, somehow, also a faint measure of pride. Even keeping his gender in mind, it was a beautiful sight that left Subaru short of breath. 

“Watching you, Subawu, makes me remember Prince Fourier just a tiny little bit.” 

“…Was he someone with a mean-looking face?” 

“Nah, he was handsome. You’re not even in his league, Subawu. But the willful personality, the simplicity, the pure, blatant conceit… Well, I won’t say any more, since it might insult him.” 

“I think that’s already pretty insulting—and also a backhanded slap at me, too?!” 

Apparently, it was their shared character flaws rather than similar faces that had gotten Ferris all sentimental. Sadly, Subaru couldn’t deny any of them, but Ferris shook his head at Subaru’s words. 

“Prince Fourier was a confounding man to deal with, but he tried his very best. He always worried about how to act properly as a royal, and his inspirations caused all kinds of trouble for those around him. The prince wasn’t talented, but he was full of drive, and he’d always listen to anything you wanted to ask him, meow .” 

“…Sounds like a pretty difficult guy to handle.” 

“That’s right! He’d say, ‘When everyone is working so hard, I simply cannot bear to be the only one standing still!’ Exactly like you are now, Subawu. But His Highness would never, ever say anything like, ‘’Tis my fault.’ He wasn’t someone to consider it, or even to think it at all.” 

The strained smile Ferris wore as his reminiscing words trailed off showed how much he cared for the prince. Was that really such an important person? Subaru wondered, before it finally dawned upon him. 

The fourth prince of the Kingdom of Lugunica meant this Fourier person they were speaking about had died in the plague that became the impetus for the royal selection. 

And if he was the reason why Crusch was aiming for the throne, that would mean— 

“So this Prince Fourier and Crusch were…close?” 

“They were similar in age, and Prince Fourier visited Lady Crusch’s mansion a great deal. He’d drop in here and there, making an excuse every time, but he was bad at hiding things, so his real goal was obvious.” 

Ferris made a little smile as he cast his thoughts back in time, clueing Subaru in to how Fourier felt. 

Ferris and Crusch’s relationship went beyond that of mere lord and servant or man and woman. But for that Fourier person to be included in that relationship was no doubt very important to Ferris. 

The relationship between the three was probably very special, and very precious. 

“Ninety-five percent of the Ferri you see now is all because of Lady Crusch. But the most important part of that remaining five percent is thanks to Prince Fourier… That, I’m sure of.” 

The way Ferris gently lowered his eyes and put a hand to his chest as he spoke gave Subaru an odd feeling deep inside. Until then, he’d been firmly convinced that Ferris had never opened his heart to anyone besides Crusch. He thought it might be the healer’s experience related to life and death that let Ferris dole out looks cruel enough to give people chills. 

But when Ferris spoke of how he remembered Fourier, there was not even the tiniest trace of that. 

“But what, you feel friendliness from me that’s the same as what you felt from this Fourier person?” 

“Hah? Why does that make Subawu and Fourier the same? I’ll kill you.” 

“That’s so mean it’s scary!” 

The sharp, impaling voice and dangerous look in his eyes made Subaru retreat a step, unnerved. Seeing this, Ferris cleared his throat. 

“That’s not how I meant it… I’m not going out of my way to talk to you about this right now because of that, Subawu… Aw, sheesh! Why don’t you understand already, idiot!” 

“Hey, that’s not even the tiniest bit reasonable! The conversation jumped everywhere, so I didn’t get it! What do you want from me, anyway?!” 

Ferris stomped his foot on the floor in annoyance, with Subaru still cringing as a loud voice responded: 

“Subaru, Master Felix, you are both speaking rather loudly, is something wrong?” 

Rem, ostensibly packing luggage in the guest room, heard the ruckus and came down the stairs. Seeing the worried look on Rem’s face, Subaru scratched his head, unsure how he ought to explain things. 

“Er, I was thinking that maybe I could help out with something, but Ferris was saying I’d be in the way, and now I’m not even sure what he was trying to tell me.” 

“Subawu, you’re just awful at putting things together. Sheesh, I tried to tell you… It’s all because you tried to get in the way of everyone’s work…” 

“Don’t call it ‘getting in the way’! I wanna help. I mean, all this started because of me…” 

“It’s that!” 

Ferris lifted his face, powerfully interrupting Subaru’s meandering words. Then, the cat ears on his head made a little twitch as he poked a finger into Subaru’s chest. 

“Subawu, I hate how you say ‘because of.’ It’s not ‘because of,’ it’s ‘thanks to.’ That’s why everyone’s pulling an all-nighter and why Old Man Wil finally has a chance to fight the White Whale.” 

“Thanks to me…?” 

Subaru quizzically tilted his head at words that didn’t seem real to him. But Rem, standing close by, smiled at Subaru, agreeing with Ferris’s satisfaction. 

“Competing in the royal selection, fighting the White Whale… It’s not really for Lady Crusch’s own benefit. It’s for everyone .” 

With Subaru cowed into silence, Ferris continued on. 

“Hunting down the White Whale is Old Man Wil’s fondest wish. Apparently, he wasn’t able to be at his wife’s side when the White Whale took her, the previous Sword Saint.” 

“The previous Sword Saint…” 

“To take his revenge, Old Man Wil chased after the White Whale like he had a death wish. Without anything concrete to go on, it was a lot like trying to grab mist with your hand. He recorded the places the White Whale appeared, the time of day, the weather… For that, we went all over the place, testing different hypotheses, and finally, he figured out that there’s something like an order to it.” 

Subaru wondered just how deep Wilhelm’s vindictiveness ran. 

Everyone knew of, and feared, the Demon Beast of Mist, a mighty foe in no small part due to how everything about the creature was shrouded in mystery—and yet, all alone, this elderly man continued to struggle against that being. 

“But when he finally figured it out, no one would believe a word he said.” 

So the aged swordsman had spent night after night nursing his desire for vengeance as he pored over tomes with bloodshot eyes. Yet, when his fervor finally turned up a tangible lead, no one had the power to act on it— 

“The kingdom’s wounds from the Great Expedition still run deep. With the throne vacant, there wasn’t anyone who could help Old Man Wil. No one had the will to fight the White Whale, or the resources to spare… I think Old Man Wil was probably on the verge of despair when he couldn’t find anyone to cooperate with him.” 

Wilhelm had yearned for vengeance, yet he could not even crawl to the foot of his hated foe. 

Subaru knew the despair that came from crushing helplessness, for weakness was a sin that he himself couldn’t escape. 

“It seems like he thought about leaving behind everything and everyone he knew to fight the White Whale completely alone. I think his shame from not fighting it was outweighing the fact that he couldn’t win—men really are idiots. His wife wouldn’t have wanted him to do that, I’m sure of it.” 

“I suppose not…” 

Yes, it was Rem, silent to that point, who agreed with Ferris. 

Rem touched a hand to her own chest as she gently glanced at Subaru with her pale-blue eyes. 

“I want the person I love to be happy forever. Even if I am gone, I want to be remembered with a smiling face.” 

“…It’s way too soon to talk about remembrances, y’know.” 

Subaru couldn’t help turning down Rem’s sentimental words. He reached out with his hand and gave Rem’s head a tiny poke, then gently touched her with his palm and caressed her. 

Rem fondly narrowed her eyes at Subaru’s open outburst of emotion. 

“Then, it was Lady Crusch who approached Master Wilhelm?” 

Ferris nodded, averting his face with a distant look in his eyes. 

“That’s because Lady Crusch is truly kind at heart. She’ll reach out to someone drowning in grief and despair, or speak to a person everyone’s turned their backs to, and she’ll help anyone who wants to take care of someone precious to them— She’d say, ‘That’s what His Highness would do.’” 

For a moment, Ferris closed his eyes; then, he lifted his face with a normal expression on it, sticking out his tongue. 

“All right, weird talk over. It was a long talk, but the point is, Subawu, you don’t need to brood over this one itsy bit! Besides, it’s not like we’re doing any of this for your sake, anyway! No one’s as interested in you as much as you think they are!” 

“Maybe you were trying to hide your embarrassment or something, but that was actually mean!” 

“It is all right, Subaru. I am very interested in you. If this is what others think of you, then my feelings are ten times stronger.” 

“That’s scary, too!” 

After Ferris’s harsh statement came Rem’s very different follow-up. Buffeted by both, Subaru nonetheless tried to understand the core of what they were telling him. 

“Man, that was a convoluted conversation…” 

“That ‘oh, now I understand’ attitude really annoys me, meow . Hmph, that’s Subawu for you.” 

“All that said…your tongue is somewhat too glib, Ferris.” 

“Meow?!” 

Though he had adopted a blunt demeanor, Ferris jumped in surprise at the voice that suddenly came from behind. Anxiously, he looked back to see an aged gentleman standing behind him, arms folded. 

Wilhelm’s sharp stare seemed to make Ferris shrink. 

“I cannot say it is a good hobby to speak excessively of a man’s shame to others?” 

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, meow . It’s like a Ferri-style literary deconstruction of Old Man Wil’s character?” 

Ferris brought his fingers from both hands together and stuck his tongue out in a flirty pose. For all the world, he seemed like a pretty, adorable, cat-eared girl, but sadly, he was very much a guy. 

Of course, that sex appeal was unlikely in the extreme to work on Wilhelm. 

“At any rate, do not prattle so much about a person without his permission.” 

“Gooot it.” 

Curtly dressed down, Ferris’s shoulders drooped as he meekly backed away. It was just like Ferris to bid them farewell, only to slip in a wink at the end. 

But it was Subaru whose mental state was in chaos. Having unintentionally heard all the details about Wilhelm’s past, he couldn’t help feeling guilty. 

He thought briefly about divulging his own past embarrassments to make up for it, but he could imagine what kind of scorched-earth landscape that would leave, so he firmly rejected the idea. 

As a result, the silence continued unbroken, with a bead of sweat trickling down Subaru’s brow. 

“My apologies you had to hear that unpleasant tale. I do not wish to waste your time with an old man’s trivial delusions. Please, forget them.” 

It was Wilhelm who broke the silence, trying to act like the conversation earlier had never happened. Seeing the painful smile on his face, Subaru silently resolved to respect his wishes. Ask nothing , said Wilhelm’s silent wish. So he would ask nothing. 

“You truly love your wife, don’t you?” 

— Miss Rem?! 

Subaru’s shock was palpable. Rem had walked directly into a veritable minefield. 

Paying Subaru’s nervousness no heed, Wilhelm raised an eyebrow for a moment before he replied. 

“Yes, I love my wife. More than anything, more than anyone, no matter how much time may pass.” 

Wilhelm’s age itself gave his statement that much more weight. 

On several past occasions, Subaru had heard Wilhelm voice his feelings for his beloved wife. In those few moments, Wilhelm had conveyed just how dear his wife was to him, but now that he knew that these were Wilhelm’s feelings for someone departed from this world, it stirred a different emotion deep within Subaru. 

“If you will excuse me, preparations for tomorrow yet await. Please rest peacefully this evening.” 

With the pair falling silent, Wilhelm turned his back to them and gently headed off. 

“Tomorrow—” 

As Wilhelm excused himself, Subaru spoke to him spur-of-the-moment. 

He stopped. But he did not look back when he started speaking. 

“Tomorrow, Rem and I will be fighting with you.” 

“That is…” 

“As if we can sit back and watch while our allies face a powerful enemy. Don’t worry. Rem can fight…and I have things to do, too.” Subaru piled onto his hastily spoken words, cutting off any rejection of his cooperation. Then he added, “Let’s join our strength together and give that whale bastard a real beating! I’ll help every way I can!” 

“ ? ” 

Subaru raised the thumb of his right hand as he swore that he and Wilhelm would be comrades in arms. 

For a time, Wilhelm said nothing to his declaration. Then— 

“—My wife was a woman who loved to admire flowers.” 

Haltingly, he replied to Subaru’s oath in a very different tone. 

“She did not care for the way of the sword, yet the sword loved her like none other. She was not permitted to live any life save one with the sword, and my wife came to accept that destiny.” 

Subaru had personally witnessed the might of Reinhard, the current Sword Saint. The blessing of Sword Saint granted the human body an absurd level of power—enough power to define a person’s future and narrow one’s possibilities without limit. 

“It is I who robbed my wife of the sword and made her abandon the title of Sword Saint.” 

Once, Wilhelm had told Subaru that he was an aged swordsman with no talent—that his current state had been achieved after offering half of his life to the sword. What setbacks must he have suffered, what nails must have been driven into his heart until he arrived at that dear wish? And then— 

“She abandoned the sword and became a woman—and my wife. All this she permitted so that she might live as Theresia instead of the Sword Saint— However, the sword did not forgive her.” 

If she had abandoned the sword, how had she ended up part of the White Whale expeditionary force? 

However, Wilhelm’s recollection did not touch upon that issue as he spoke. 

“Sir Subaru, I thank you.” After a breath, he added, “In tomorrow’s battle, I shall find my answer with my own blade. I will be able to go where my wife rests. I shall finally be able to meet her.” 

Leaving those words behind, Wilhelm departed the room for good. 

Subaru couldn’t keep his entire body from trembling from the flood of emotions within him. 

As a fellow man, Wilhelm’s determination could not fail to inspire a deep reverence within him. Wilhelm was a man earnestly, sincerely beholden to love. 

“Subaru…” 

Suddenly, Rem’s voice echoed across the now-silent room. Without a word, Subaru turned toward her, perfectly meeting Rem’s gaze. 

“…If I am gone, will you remember me just as long?” 

“…I don’t wanna answer that. It’s bad luck.” 

Speaking with a voice of dismay, Subaru gave Rem’s forehead a little poke. 

When he touched Rem’s forehead, she smiled with a happy expression, almost as if she’d received the reply she had been hoping for. 

It was the following morning—seventeen hours before the appointed hour for subjugating the White Whale. 

“Now then, it’s Lady Crusch’s orders, so go ahead, pick whichever one you like.” 

“Even if you put it like that…” 

With a cool morning breeze blowing, Subaru was at the Crusch residence, utterly lost in front of a lineup of land dragons. 

Ferris, wearing a white uniform of the Knights of the Royal Guard instead of his usual feminine clothing, was having Subaru examine the land dragons. With a snow-white cape on top, and a face full of zeal, Ferris’s cheeks puffed up at Subaru’s reply. 

“What?! Lady Crusch went out of her way to be so kind, and you don’t like them?!” 

“It’s not that. I’m really happy I can choose the land dragon I’ll ride, but I don’t have a clue how to figure out what’s good or bad about each one. Do I look like a vet who’s been handling ’em for decades?” 

“Hmm…not even a little. So how about you pick based on intuition? Considering that it’s who you’ll trust with your life, and who you might end up dying beside, Ferri won’t hold any choice against you, meow .” 

“Stop that! Don’t raise weird event flags like that! I’m not planning to die here!” 

Even with twelve-odd hours left before the decisive battle, Ferris didn’t seem tense whatsoever. It was better than being oddly stressed out, but Subaru thought the mood was a little too slack. 

At that moment, numerous land dragons were lined up in the front yard of the Crusch residence for the offensive against the White Whale. Many land dragons were for hauling freight, but a dragon mount to take into actual combat was an especially crucial decision. He’d heard that the House of Karsten had a fine selection, including famous dragons from excellent bloodlines, but… 

“No matter how much I look, I can’t really get past ‘They seem really cool.’ Rem, what do you think?” 

Just like many knights setting out for battle with their favorite horse, Subaru had been given the privilege of choosing his mount. But at that rate, such a prized right would simply go to waste. 

Rem, standing at Subaru’s side while stroking the neck of the land dragon in front of her, responded to his prompt. 

“I wonder. In my case, I can tell most land dragons which one of us is in charge, so I have had little reason to be concerned with the differences between individuals…” 

“That figures. You really know how to crack the whip. Huh, what should I do…?” 

The land dragon Rem was stroking sat on the ground, almost as if to display its submission. It probably did what came naturally after sensing that it stood lower on the food chain. Subaru couldn’t really pull off the same thing, nor did he want to. 

“If you spend too much time picking, we’ll pay for it later, so pick quiiiick.” 

“You say it like this is none of your concern, sheesh.” 

“It actually isn’t, but that’s not the point. Seriously, they’re all well bred, so you can’t go wrong with any of these guys. Just pick on intuition.” 

“Well, that does make a certain amount of sense, but…mm?” 

With Ferris urging him to hurry, Subaru walked around to examine the various land dragons, when he suddenly stopped. Rem had been walking beside him until he froze, which earned him a curious expression. 

“Subaru, is something wrong?” 

“Nah… This one just kinda caught my eye.” 


As Subaru stood still, there was a beautiful, pitch-black land dragon before him. 

It had sharp facial features and yellow eyes. Resting atop the saddle on its back was a leather helmet for dragon riders. The variety of gear didn’t differ from that of the other land dragons, but what struck Subaru were its eyes. 

“ ? ” 

The land dragon’s quiet gaze gave Subaru a different impression compared to its peers. There was not even the tiniest smidgeon of the pride or fidelity that land dragons typically displayed. The pitch-black land dragon simply sat there, calmly waiting to be selected. 

“Hey…you’re the land dragon I met at the mansion a while back, aren’t you?” 

Subaru, suddenly recognizing the individual dragon, reached out toward it. At his side, Rem was a little startled and was instantly tempted to pull back Subaru’s hand. But faster than Rem could stop him, the land dragon nuzzled its nose against Subaru’s hand. 

“…Looks like this one is number one.” 

“I am surprised. I believe this land dragon is from an especially proud breed… I was concerned it might eat your hand, Subaru.” 

“Okay, maybe I was a little careless just now!” 

But he’d thought there was no need for such concern. Maybe he and the land dragon were on the same wavelength. 

Subaru decided he’d bet his life on the black land dragon that had nuzzled him with the tip of its nose. 

“Ferris, I’m picking this one. It’s love at first sight.” 

“Yes, yes. Ohhh, nice pick. Subawu, you really are quite shameless… Also, don’t say ‘love at first sight’; you’ll make Rem pout.” 

“I am not pouting. I will get along with it properly. I can do it.” 

Subaru was a little concerned at how she added extra words for emphasis, but with Rem’s permission, Subaru’s choice of mount was decided. Ferris, who had a few other things to take care of, remained behind while Subaru and Rem headed back into the mansion side by side. 

There was little time remaining before they were due to set out. 

The Crusch residence had been gathering manpower in bits and pieces, forming an expeditionary force with the goal of fighting the White Whale. Even among them, there was something in the hall that especially drew Subaru’s attention… 

“Wh-what are they doing here…?” 

Subaru was beside himself, unwittingly staring right at them. A member of the group noticed his gaze and approached him with an audible patter. 

“Guess you’re part of the expeditionary force, too! Nice to meetcha, bro!” 

The voice Subaru heard had enough force to blow the crisp morning air away. The sound reached the far corners of the spacious mansion. Subaru could not help being struck by the forceful bellow. 

Subaru put his hands on his ears and grimaced heavily, glaring back at the other party, but… 

“I heard all about ya from the lady! You’re the one who made today’s whale hunt happen. Ain’t that right?! From here on, I’m part of the hunt, too! Glad the weather’s cooperating!” 

“You’re too loud! Can’t those round eyes of yours read my reaction?!” 

As a natural response to the booming words, Subaru ended up shouting, too. 

His angry voice sent the dog-faced beast man into a laugh that was even more stupidly loud. 

His entire body was covered in brown fur, with an oblong, dark-brown mane adorning his head like a Mahican hairstyle. However, he was almost six and a half feet tall, and the sight of his extremely muscular body clad in a leather outfit felt a lot like a truce coming after wildness and culture coming to blows. Subaru’s eyes lingered on the steel epaulet protecting his otherwise exposed upper body, and the Hoshin Company logo engraved upon it. 

“That logo on a beast man from Kararagi… That means you’re Anastasia’s Iron Fangs!” 

“Wha—! Your voice is too quiet, bro! I can’t hear what you’re sayin’!” 

“Oh, shut up for a second! What the hell did you eat to grow that big?! What race are you?!” 

“I’m a kobold, can’t you tell?! As if there could be a dog race besides kobolds?!” 

“Huh, kobold… Wait, there’s no way?!” 

The beast man had called himself a kobold, but Subaru’s image of a kobold was a little person with a dog face. The dog face and the humanoid body were in line with what he expected, but the body size was way, way off. 

“They call me Ricardo. Nice to meet you, too, missy!” 

“Yes, Master Ricardo. Thank you for your kind words. My name is Rem.” 

Emotionally prepared for Ricardo’s hearty greeting, Rem politely introduced herself in turn. 

When Subaru glanced, watching the exchange, he saw Anastasia with a grin coming over to the head of Ricardo’s group—a band of beast people. 

When her mischievous smile met Subaru’s sour look, she teasingly tilted her head. 

“Oh no, Natsuki. It would seem Ricardo isn’t very agreeable with your ears. The best way to get along with him is to not wander too close, you see.” 

“It would’ve been useful to know about that before meeting him. You really are rough on people.” 

“Sorry, I couldn’t help wondering how you’d react, you see…” 

“Not just rough on people, a bad personality, too. Er, ow!” 

As Anastasia giggled teasingly, Ricardo’s huge beast-man hand gave Subaru’s head a little push. He opened his big mouth wide to speak, which neatly displayed his fangs. 

“Hey, bro! Watch your mouth when speaking with the lady! Be a little nicer to our employer, will ya! She almost never talks to anyone if it’s not about profits and losses, so she has no friends! At this point, you can probably get in good with her with a little kindness!” 

“Ricardo. If you’re going to sweep something under the rug, best not to be insulting about it along the way, yes?” 

“It’s not an insult! I’m worried about you, miss! Ever since way back, you never got along with people too well, so comin’ here from Kararagi without anyone you know has gotta been wearing you down, right?! But lookie right here! Heeeere ya go, friend number one!” 

“Hey, don’t butt in and babble when people are talking! And don’t go grabbing a guy’s head and shaking it around like that! That ridiculous strength of yours could tear my head off!” 

Assailed by literally superhuman strength, Subaru tried to somehow shake his attacker off before his neck snapped first. In a hurry, he escaped from Ricardo and immediately began neck-stretching exercises, rotating his head around. 

“M-man, that was close. Wouldn’t be funny to get injured and sidelined during chitchat right before the big battle. I’m pretty worked up for this, so no way am I gonna accept that kind of foul-up…” 

“What’s with the big fuss! I’m just tellin’ you guys to get along!” 

“Maybe different cultures have different definitions of getting along. Are all Kararagi people like this?” 

“Well, of course not. Ricardo’s special. You see a vast difference in elegance and grace between him and me, don’t you?” 

Anastasia stood beside Ricardo and brazenly laid out her claim. Subaru deeply exhaled, pushing Rem forward as he countered. 

“Now, look. If you wanna talk about real grace, talk about someone like Rem. See this elegance?” 

“Oh no… Calling me cute like this… I’m blushing.” 

“Hmm, a strange girl, but she seems nice and has excellent future prospects. You’ve got quite the catch there, Natsuki.” 

Subaru almost wanted to say that it was more like they had caught each other, but Rem’s reaction was already a little different from what Subaru expected, so it was hard for him to bring it up. 

Then, Crusch emerged from below Subaru and the others at the head of a motley assembly. 

“From the look of things, you have finished getting to know one another.” 

Crusch was not in her usual handsome dress uniform but rather, a light suit of unornamented armor. The build clearly focused on ease of movement; perhaps prioritizing mobility was in itself a feminine choice. To Subaru’s eyes, it seemed questionable how much protection it would be able to provide the wearer. 

“It is better to wear gear that is easy to move in. Do not be overly concerned. An earth blacksmith engraved this with the durability blessing. So long as my mana is not exhausted, it is far stouter than it appears,” Crusch explained, realizing the doubts behind Subaru’s gaze, and she touched a hand to her breastplate. 

“There’s a thing like that? As usual, magic and blessings are basically cheating… Maybe I have a convenient blessing like that sleeping inside of me and I just don’t know yet?” 

“No matter how long a person sleeps, it is not as if anyone ever forgets how to breathe, yes? That is what blessings are like for those who possess them. If you are not aware of one, it is best to abandon the notion.” 

Having experienced a similar put-down once before, Subaru pouted and discarded his faint hope. 

Rem comforted Subaru as if she were consoling a sulking child. Meanwhile, Crusch noticed Ricardo gazing down at her, so she peered up at his huge frame and spoke again. 

“I see. I had heard the stories, but you are an even greater warrior than rumored. So you are the captain of the Iron Fangs, the blade who stands by Anastasia Hoshin’s side?” 

“In the end, we’re just being paid to do a job. You’re Crusch Karsten, right? Besides the usual rumors, I’ve heard about you from the lady, but seeing you in the flesh is…” 

With Crusch folding her arms and looking up at him, Ricardo audibly sniffed, using his canine sense of smell. Then, the folds of his nose crinkled and his throat rumbled in laughter. 

“What a piece of work! This royal selection’s gonna be pretty tough, miss!” 

“Well, that’s why we have to sell favors like this. The price tag I can put on it depends on how hard you work, so better work hard, Ricardo.” 

“Gah-ha-ha-ha! That’s our lady! Whether it’s people or dogs, she works them to the bone!” 

Anastasia seemed to agree with Ricardo’s assessment of Crusch. Maybe she and the stupidly laughing Ricardo had been working together for a long time, for Anastasia seemed like just a regular young girl when talking with him. She must have had a soft spot for him. 

Loud voice aside, Subaru didn’t sense any problems dealing with Ricardo, either. Maybe it was just his personality as a man, or perhaps he should say as a dog? However, Subaru did feel like he was just a bit too outspoken… 

“Did you rest well last night?” 

Crusch shifted her gaze away from Ricardo to show Subaru some consideration. Subaru was still massaging the neck Ricardo had twisted a short while ago as he responded. 

“Yeah, thanks. It didn’t seem like a good thing to be sleeping so easily while the rest of you were busy, though.” 

“There is a time and place for everything. Your job was assembling myself, Russel Fellow, and Anastasia Hoshin last night and accomplishing the formation of the White Whale expeditionary force. Indeed, from my perspective, your offering to assist in fighting the White Whale was unexpected.” 

After a faint smile, Crusch’s lips became taut as she stared straight at Subaru. Seeing the complex emotions behind her amber eyes, Subaru wilted at what might be coming next. 

“I am grateful for assistance in fighting the White Whale…but can you fight?” 

“Not really? If you count me in, I’m like the cat’s claws you borrow, because you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. A dog’s claws can get pretty big, though.” 

“Hey, were you talkin’ ’bout me just now?!” 

“I was, but you don’t need to butt in! Man, you’ve got convenient hearing!” 

Subaru yelled at Ricardo for interrupting the conversation, but Crusch’s eyes had gone wide when he openly declared that he was useless in combat. Subaru racked his brain over how to explain it to her. 

“So as fighting goes, it’s like that…but I think I’ll be a help against the White Whale.” 

“Let’s hear it, then. What do you mean?” 

“I’m not all that happy about this, mind you…but it seems that I have a peculiar scent that attracts demon beasts.” 

The odd nuance of Subaru’s statement once again pressed Crusch into silence. However, when Rem stated, “There is no mistake,” in an odd agreement while standing beside him, Crusch displayed only a brief hint of concern before asking him to continue. 

“I shall tentatively state that I understand. Please give us the details.” 

“Maybe scent isn’t quite the right word, but it’s a physical condition I have. In fact, when we had that demon beast incident back at the mansion we mentioned last night, I used it to lure the demon beasts.” 

“Is that so…? Then the fact that you possess a metia to warn you of the danger of demon beasts is connected to this?” 

“Ah, that’s some unexpected foreshadowing you— Er, I’m just talking to myself.” 

With suspicious gazes trained on Subaru, he shut his mouth before he said too much. 

“Anyway, I think that characteristic of mine will probably work on the White Whale, too. If I’m there, we can predict to a decent degree where the White Whale goes. But when we do, the demon beast’s danger level is off the charts, so expecting me to actually fight it is a little much.” 

An Urugarum was about as dangerous as a large dog. Even so, they had nearly killed him. Not that threats were proportional to body length, but the White Whale was thousands of times larger than an Urugarum. By himself, Subaru couldn’t outrun the White Whale, let alone counterattack. 

“That’s why I’ll take the land dragon you lent me and run around right under the White Whale’s nose to draw its attention. While it’s doing that, you’ll go after it full force…or at least that’s the tactic I’d recommend.” 

To be blunt, it was a plan he wasn’t sure he could speak from his own lips. He was saying they couldn’t count on him for fighting strength but that he’d be useful running around the battlefield as bait. It was a role that would make even those with a death wish turn pale. 

“—I do not sense any deceit from you, which surprises me greatly.” 

Crusch put a hand to her chin, barely able to believe her eyes as she let out a sigh of resignation. She’d no doubt weighed Subaru’s statement with the blessing of wind reading, considering how the truth or falsity affected its effectiveness for the operation. 

“Many times in the half day since last night, I have wanted to doubt my own blessing. I do not claim it is infallible, but…” 

“You’ve lost a little confidence in it?” 

“No. I simply get tense when the world exceeds my expectations in various ways.” 

As she said those words, a smile came over Crusch that did not seem sore or bitter. It was the expression of a beautiful lioness, which she immediately hid under a gallant expression as she continued speaking. 

“I heard from Ferris that you selected a fine land dragon even by my house’s standards. If that is the role you desire, I have no objections. However, I require that you obey my commands.” 

“Also, I guess it goes without saying with that outfit, but you’re planning on fighting, too, Crusch?” 

“Do you think I can simply sit in a chair at my mansion and await good news?” 

Crusch flicked a finger off a fitting on her armor, puffing out her chest as if the answer was obvious. Subaru, seeing her so valiant, politely lowered his head for having asked about something so self-evident. 

“—It seems everyone has assembled.” 

Accepting Subaru’s apology, Crusch closed one eye as she murmured. As if taking those words as a signal, people trod into the mansion’s great hall one after another. All of them were clad in combat gear and possessed stern visages. Their various pieces of equipment seemed well worn, giving off the impression of seasoned veterans. But Subaru was struck more by their ages. 

“Somehow, some of these members…don’t look so young.” 

Subaru gave voice to what immediately came to mind. 

The people passing before Subaru’s eyes were probably participating in the expeditionary force. In one line, there were ten or so men with a rather high average age; it was probably that none of them were younger than fifty. 

It was unlikely that anyone had heard Subaru’s comment, but suddenly, one of the men turned to look his way. Before he knew it, Subaru froze as the man stepped toward him. 

“Lady Crusch, we have arrived— Is this him?” 

“Yes, it is.” 

The one posing the question to Crusch in a sober voice was a middle-aged man with both hair and beard graying. The man nodded to Crusch and faced Subaru once more, stretching a hand to his shoulder. Then, he spoke. 

“Thank you, lad.” 

“Eh?” 

“Thanks to you, our dearest wish has been granted. We have never been happier.” 

Subaru unwittingly lost his bearings as the hand grasping his shoulder conveyed the man’s strong feelings. 

“Thank you,” said the man, patting a rocked Subaru on the shoulder before walking off. 

From behind, Rem watched the men leave as she whispered into Subaru’s ear, “All of them most likely have some connection to the White Whale.” 

“Connection to the White Whale… You mean, related to the old expeditionary force or something?” 

“Though there were many who had already retired from fighting on the front lines, these are the warriors who answered Wilhelm’s call to participate in the current expeditionary force. Their morale and level of training are in no way inferior to any currently serving as a royal knight.” 

“So it’s some old men who are dying for a chance at vengeance, huh…? I’m getting all fired up.” 

Subaru felt something stir within him as he glanced over, watching Crusch examine the soldiers. It was Crusch who had set her sights to even exterminating the White Whale so that Wilhelm might realize his vengeance. The old men joining the battle must have felt the same gratitude toward her for giving them a chance to fulfill their greatest wish. 

It was probably partly the “kindness” of Crusch that Ferris had spoken of the previous night, and the will of “His Highness” who had so greatly influenced her way of life. 

“You’re not telling me that those guys are all the forces we’ve got for this fight, right?” 

“Those that arrived here are the principal members. The remainder should have already set out for the Great Flugel Tree to facilitate the force’s deployment along the Liphas Highway.” 

In other words, with the appointed hour impending, those assembled were the VIPs of the expeditionary force. The participation of the old veterans really imparted the feeling that the decisive battle was finally drawing near. As he might have expected, the tension in Subaru’s heart rose, along with the feeling that it was a must-win battle. 

“The time is ripe. I want both of you in the hall as well.” 

Crusch looked up at the time crystal above the entrance, speaking curtly. She was surely to address the troops before departure, a kind of motivational speech to boost morale. 

Just as Crusch set out, Subaru saw Wilhelm and Ferris entering from the hall. Ferris was dressed in the same outfit Subaru had already seen him in when encountering him in the courtyard earlier, but Wilhelm was not. 

Gone was the usual black uniform; instead, he wore a light, minimalist suit of armor protecting only the most vital of organs. On both sides of his hips, he wore a total of six slender swords, and he seemed almost too ready to fight. 

“Oh, so you’re here, too, Russel. Maybe we can chat a bit?” 

Following behind Wilhelm and Ferris was dark-blond-haired Russel. He looked like he had been working all night, but with the great battle before them, his eyes were overflowing with vitality. 

“If you’re making that face, then it’s probably safe to say that you held up your end. How about you, Anastasia?” 

“Did you really think I’d come up short?” 

“Not really, but I just thought I’d ask.” 

When it came to who seemed the most meticulous out of all the royal selection candidates, Anastasia was second to none. 

With preparations steadily completed and the appointed hour fast approaching, the hall was tense with fighting spirit. In moments, all would be set into motion toward the decisive battle. 

“But before that…” 

Subaru had one thing he had to do. 

Rem, standing beside him, tilted her head and glanced sidelong at Subaru as he called out to Anastasia just as she turned to head off as well. 

“Anastasia. Would you mind letting Russel join us for a little chitchat?” 

“Heh…” 

When Anastasia stopped and looked back, her face was all business. She was acutely sensitive to the fact that Subaru had something to offer. The girly attitude vanished from her eyes, replaced by the glint of a merchant flicking an abacus in her head. 

In that moment, the transformation was reassuring. 

Subaru headed for Russel, an impish Anastasia in tow. Noticing the pair’s approach, life returned to Russel’s tired face. 

Truly, merchants were a reliable bunch. 

“I have something to discuss with you, as two merchants who are successful and possess a sharp eye for the future. You might laugh this off as counting my chickens before they hatch, but this is about after the whale’s taken out.” 

With that preamble, he proceeded to “prepare the battlefield” on the eve of the White Whale’s extermination. 

“—Four hundred years.” 

The appointed hour came, and with those words, she began to address the assembled troops. 

Her voice was grave; the atmosphere, strained. 

Amid sharp sensations akin to pain running up a spine being stretched, Crusch stood perfectly straight, chest thrust forward, as all eyes rested upon her. 

Crusch stood upon the floor with a treasured sword bearing the mark of the House of Karsten, the Lion Rampant, and rested her hands upon its hilt as she slowly surveyed the faces of all present and said: 

“Four centuries have passed since the Witch of Jealousy, the worst calamity in all of recorded history, threatened the world. During this time, the White Whale born of the Witch’s hand has made the world its very own hunting ground, dominating and savaging those weaker than it.” 

The Witch of Jealousy was the one who had apparently swallowed half the world in ages past. Her very name had been synonymous with fear for as long as anyone could remember. Having lost its master, the Demon Beast of Mist danced to its own tune. 

From the Great Expedition launched fourteen years prior on down, the monster had given rise to many casualties in every nation, swallowing one’s very will to fight. 

“The lives the White Whale has taken are beyond measure. Perhaps it is better to say, the mist’s vile nature itself ensures that we will never know the true number of casualties. Over the course of four hundred years, the number of names on tombstones, and the graves that do not even have names, have only increased.” 

Crusch’s words made some old men stare at the ground, gritting their teeth as they held back sobs. There were others whose chests contained fierce, inexhaustible emotion, quiet anger they had carried with them, waiting for a chance to let it explode. 

Their regrets, their hatred piled up with every corpse, began to envelop the atmosphere of the hall in stagnant darkness. 

However— 

“But today, that time is over.” 

“ ? ” 

“We shall bring it to an end. When we slay the White Whale, it will dispel so much sadness. Those who have never permitted themselves a moment shall finally be granted a proper chance to grieve.” 

“—!” 

“We shall end this pathetic demon beast, unceasingly obeying the command of its dead master.” 

Subaru’s chest was on fire. 

Without saying a word, everyone conveyed the same heat that was burning inside him. 

The old veterans were looking down; the warriors clenching their fists. The aged swordsman had closed his eyes—but now, all of them stared at Crusch, standing before them. 

Accepting their gazes, Crusch thrust a hand out, speaking in a great voice. 

“We march! To the Liphas Highway! To the Great Flugel Tree!” 

“—Yes!!” 

The stomping on the ground accompanying the roaring response seemed to make the very earth quake. Subaru realized that the hot fighting spirit surging within him had made him shout as well. 

Among them all, Crusch stood stronger and taller as she raised her drawn treasured sword to the heavens and made a proclamation. 

“This night, by our hand—the White Whale will fall!!” 

The Battle of the White Whale, the largest operation since Subaru had been summoned to that world, had commenced. 



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