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---
Chapter 75
Two mornings later, Rem found Link arguing with a statue.
—Don't look at me like that.
The statue did not answer.
—Your design is perfectly recognizable.
It continued not answering.
—Subaru will recognize you.
Nothing.
—That's enough.
Rem remained in front of the open workshop door for several seconds.
The room showed the consequences of a night of hurried work. Tools covered the tables, metal shavings littered the floor, several sheets were covered in drawings, and one cup contained something that had gone cold a long time ago.
Link sat in front of a yellow creature a little over a meter tall.
It had a rounded body, short legs, long ears ending in black, and a rigid lightning-bolt-shaped tail. Two red circles had been embedded into its cheeks, and its main surfaces were covered by a polished yellow layer.
The back remained open.
There were no circuits inside.
No core either.
Only an empty cavity surrounded by incomplete pathways.
—Link is talking to himself —Rem said.
He turned around.
There was a tool between his fingers, two kagunes held small plates, and the remaining four were organizing parts throughout the workshop.
—I'm not talking to myself.
Rem looked at the statue.
—It does not appear capable of answering.
—That doesn't mean it isn't listening.
—Is it listening?
Link looked at the creature.
Then at Rem.
—No.
She entered.
Her uniform had been prepared for the journey, and her hair was perfectly arranged. The blue-and-red ring remained on her left hand.
—Then Link is talking to himself.
—I'm reviewing the design out loud.
—That is talking to yourself with extra steps.
Link put down the tool.
—Subaru is teaching you bad habits.
—Rem learns quickly.
She walked around the table.
The statue had a simple expression: large black eyes, a barely marked nose, and a small mouth. Details were still missing from the legs, and several joints showed unfinished lines.
Rem touched one of its ears.
—What is it?
—Pikachu.
—Another creature from the stories of your homeland?
—Yes.
—It looks less dangerous than Charizard.
—Appearances are deceiving.
—Does it breathe fire?
—Electricity.
Rem removed her hand.
—Can it do that now?
—No.
—Can it move?
—No.
—Can it perform any function?
Link looked at the empty cavity.
—Standing upright.
Rem waited.
—And decoration —he added.
—Then it is a statue.
—Temporarily.
Link closed the rear plate.
The piece fit into place, though he left it unsealed.
—I need to finish the circuits and obtain a suitable Yang lagmite. The ones I have don't produce a stable enough output for this design.
—And why would you finish it in the Capital?
—I didn't say I would finish it there.
—Then why do you want to take it?
Link remained silent.
Rem looked at the statue.
Then at the boxes prepared beside the wall.
Then back at him.
—Link agreed not to travel on Charizard.
—Yes.
—He also agreed to leave Pepa behind.
—Yes.
—And now he is trying to take a creature that cannot even walk yet.
—It isn't a creature.
—Yet.
—Exactly.
Rem smiled.
—You want to take something that belongs to you.
Link stood.
—I don't intend to arrive in the Capital carrying nothing but clothes and food.
—You are also carrying weapons.
—Roswaal said I couldn't bring them into the castle.
—That does not mean you needed to build something else.
—I didn't build it last night. The project already existed.
Rem picked up one sheet.
The drawing showed the same creature with several lines running through its body and a stone housed inside its chest. In one corner, Petra had written a note saying the ears needed to be symmetrical.
—Since when?
—Before Excadrill.
—Then you abandoned it.
—I postponed it.
Rem placed the blueprint back on the table.
—Like the first Crimson Heart?
Link looked at the ring on her hand.
His answer took long enough.
—Not exactly.
Rem did not press him.
Her fingers traced one of Pikachu's red cheeks.
—It's pretty.
—Yeah?
—Yes.
Satisfaction appeared on Link's face before he could hide it.
—I knew the design worked.
—Rem did not say it could travel with us.
The satisfaction disappeared.
—What?
—That decision belongs to Roswaal-sama.
—It doesn't take up much space.
—It is larger than Petra.
—Petra could travel comfortably inside the luggage compartment.
—That comparison does not help.
Link manifested all six kagunes.
Two lifted the statue.
Others collected the boxes.
One closed his backpack.
The last grabbed a bag of sweets from a shelf.
Rem looked at the bag.
—How many do you intend to take?
—Emergency provisions.
—It is full.
—An emergency could last several days.
—Link cannot live entirely on sweets.
—They aren't for feeding me.
—Then what are they for?
—Morale.
Rem opened one of the prepared boxes.
There were more.
Cookies.
Candies.
Candied fruit.
Chocolate from Link's supplies from his homeland.
Small sweets Link had bought in Arlam, and others he had made with Rem.
—You are taking all of them.
—Not all of them.
—Rem checked the pantry.
Link closed the box.
—I might have left some.
—Beatrice-sama will be upset.
—Betty isn't coming.
—Precisely.
—Ram can give her sweet potatoes.
Rem fell silent.
—That was cruel —she finally said.
—I didn't think Ram would actually do it.
—Nee-sama will.
Link looked at the boxes.
Then at the door.
For a moment, he seemed to consider returning some of the sweets.
A horn sounded outside.
Time to leave.
—Too late —he decided.
The kagunes lifted the luggage.
Rem sighed.
—Link is looking for trouble.
—Trouble would have to catch us first.
—You will be traveling in the same carriage as Subaru.
—Good point.
Subaru had seen dragon carriages before.
That did not stop the one parked in front of the manor from looking like something pulled from an especially generous fantasy.
The Earth Dragon was enormous.
Its body surpassed any specimen Subaru remembered from the Capital. Dark scales stretched over long, compact muscles. Its neck remained upright, and yellow eyes followed every movement made by those preparing for the journey.
The carriage was not ordinary either.
It was a broad, reinforced cabin decorated elegantly enough to transport a royal candidate and her sponsor. The wheels reached almost to Subaru's chest, and the interior visible through the open door looked more comfortable than many rooms in the manor.
—It's perfect.
Emilia, waiting beside him, tilted her head.
—It's a carriage.
—It's a carriage pulled by a gigantic dragon.
—That is normal.
—For you.
Subaru walked around the animal.
—Look at those scales. Look at those legs. This guy could run through a wall without slowing down.
—I don't think he appreciates being called "this guy."
—It is an expression of respect.
Subaru extended a hand.
The dragon turned one eye toward him.
—Hello, partner. You and I are going to get along wonderfully.
Emilia opened her mouth.
—Subaru, you should—
His hand touched the scales.
Subaru smiled.
—They're incredibly hard.
He patted them once.
Then again.
The dragon's tail moved.
Subaru saw a shadow.
The impact lifted him off the ground.
He flew through a bush and vanished inside a mass of leaves.
A brief silence followed.
Emilia closed her eyes.
—Telling you beforehand wouldn't have helped, would it?
One hand emerged from the bush.
—I'M FINE!
—I didn't ask.
—THAT HURTS MORE THAN THE TAIL!
Rem exited the manor carrying two boxes.
She looked at the shaking foliage.
—What did Subaru do?
—Tried to make friends with the dragon —Emilia answered.
—The initiative was good.
Subaru emerged covered in leaves.
—Thank you, Rem.
—The method was bad.
—I withdraw my thanks.
Rem placed the boxes inside the rear compartment.
—Earth Dragons are intelligent. You should not touch them without permission.
—Why does everyone tell me that afterward?
—Because you acted before we could explain it.
A yellow shadow appeared behind Rem.
Subaru blinked.
Link exited through the entrance carrying a statue with two kagunes. The other extensions carried bags, tools, and boxes.
Subaru momentarily forgot his humiliation.
—No way.
Link stopped.
—Lower your voice.
Subaru approached.
—IT'S A PIKACHU!
Emilia looked between them.
—Pikachu?
—A creature from a story from our homeland —Link answered.
Subaru examined the statue.
—The ears are a little uneven.
—They are not.
—The left one is tilted more.
An extension grabbed Subaru by the face and pushed him away.
—You don't know how to sculpt.
—I know what Pikachu looks like.
—That does not make you an expert.
Subaru tried looking at the back.
—Does it work?
—Not yet.
—Where's the core?
—It doesn't have one.
—Circuits?
—Incomplete.
—So you brought a yellow rock.
—A statue.
—A shaped rock.
—Subaru.
—Will it have Electric attacks?
—When I get a compatible Yang lagmite.
Subaru put one hand against his chin.
—Can it use Thunder Shock?
—No.
—Thunderbolt?
—Probably.
—Quick Attack?
—It won't have muscles.
—Iron Tail?
—The tail is metal.
—That counts.
Emilia approached the statue.
—It's adorable.
Link gave Subaru a victorious look.
—See?
—Emilia also thinks Puck is adorable when he sleeps with his mouth open.
The spirit appeared on the half-elf's shoulder.
—That was an unnecessary provocation.
—I was only establishing the standard.
Puck hit Subaru on the head with one paw.
Rem pointed toward the luggage compartment.
—It doesn't fit there.
—It can go on top —Link said.
She looked at the carriage roof.
Then at Link.
—You were also planning to travel up there.
—There's room.
—There are seats inside.
—I don't want to be inside.
—Why?
Link looked at the Earth Dragon.
Then the road.
—I want to feel the journey.
Subaru raised an eyebrow.
—That sounded profound.
—I want to feel the wind.
—That sounded less profound.
—On Charizard you feel the speed. Inside that box, it'll be like traveling inside a room.
Emilia looked at the carriage.
—Not exactly.
—Up top will be better.
Rem did not look convinced.
—You could fall.
—I can't fall.
—You can.
—I can hold on with six additional limbs.
—That did not stop you from falling asleep on Charizard.
—We were on the ground.
—You keep using that as a defense.
Roswaal had not appeared yet.
Link interpreted his absence as temporary permission.
Two kagunes lifted Pikachu onto the roof. Others followed with straps, blankets, and a small toolbox.
Rem watched him begin securing it.
—Roswaal-sama has not agreed.
—It's easier to ask forgiveness once it's already tied down.
—That philosophy will end badly.
—It has worked so far.
A drawn-out voice came from the entrance.
—Nooo.
Link closed his eyes.
Roswaal appeared with Ram beside him.
The margrave had dressed for the Capital, his usual clothes perfectly arranged. Ram walked beside him, equally immaculate.
Subaru looked toward the outdoor clock.
—You're late.
—A serious accusation —Roswaal said.
—You set the time.
—And here I am.
—After everyone else.
Roswaal raised one finger.
—Ram will remain at the manor. Naturally, I wished to give her a proper farewell before leaving.
Subaru looked at Ram.
She adjusted a section of her hair that did not seem to need adjustment. Crimson Heart covered her neck, and an unusually calm softness rested over her expression.
Subaru decided not to ask.
—Understood. I don't need details.
—A wise decision —Ram said.
Roswaal directed his attention toward the roof.
The yellow statue was secured by four straps.
—That is not coming.
Link climbed down from the carriage.
—It doesn't take up a seat.
—It takes up space.
—External space.
—It adds weight.
—Less than Subaru.
—HEY!
Roswaal approached Pikachu.
—What does it do?
—Nothing.
The margrave waited.
—Yet —Link added.
—Does it explode?
—No.
—Breathe fire?
—No.
—Dig?
—No.
—Fly?
—No.
—Bite?
—Its jaw doesn't move.
Roswaal looked at Rem.
—Is it a statue?
—For the moment.
—Then why must it accompany us?
Link crossed his arms.
—Because it's mine.
The answer created a brief silence.
It was not a practical reason.
Nor was it pretending to be one.
Roswaal looked at the statue.
Then the luggage.
Finally at Link.
—It will remain secured throughout the entire journey.
—Yes.
—You will not begin installing circuits inside the carriage.
—I'll be on top.
—Not on top either.
—Why?
—Because a spark could frighten the dragon.
—It doesn't have a core.
—Then you cannot finish it.
Link pressed his lips together.
—Fine.
—And you will not take it into the castle.
—I wasn't planning to.
—To the residence?
—Yes.
Roswaal smiled.
—That will depend on where we stay.
Link did not answer.
The concession was enough for now.
Ram examined the boxes.
—The gardener is carrying more luggage than Emilia-sama.
—They're tools.
—You are traveling to accompany Rem, not to establish a smithy.
—I can do both.
—Ram never doubted that you would try.
Rem finished storing the last clothes.
Then approached her sister.
—Will you be all right alone, nee-sama?
—Ram will not be alone. Miss Beatrice will remain here.
—That does not reduce the work.
—The manor can operate with minimal maintenance.
Subaru intervened.
—What about food?
Ram looked at him.
—People can survive several days without eating.
—THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD TEST IT!
—There are sweet potatoes.
Link slowly lowered a box of sweets he had been about to hand to Rem.
Subaru saw him.
—Did you take all the good stuff?
—Travel provisions.
—TRAITOR!
Ram looked at the box.
—Nutritious food remains at the manor.
—Sweet potatoes don't count as a complete menu.
—Steamed ones do.
Subaru held Ram's gaze.
She was not joking.
—Beatrice will die.
—Miss Beatrice is a spirit.
—She'll die inside.
Puck nodded gravely.
—That can happen.
Beatrice had not appeared.
Her absence was far too obvious.
Subaru looked toward the doors.
—She didn't even come say goodbye.
—Betty has no obligation to —Puck said.
—I know. She could still pretend to care a little.
Ram finished checking one of the straps.
—Miss Beatrice is surely celebrating Barusu leaving the estate.
—That hurts too.
Rem took her sister's hands.
The exchange was small.
No dramatic embrace.
No unnecessary words.
—We'll be back soon —Rem said.
—Naturally.
—Do not let Beatrice-sama live entirely on sweets.
Link looked away.
Ram noticed.
—It appears that will not be a risk.
—I left some —he murmured.
—Where?
—Somewhere.
—A reliable answer.
Rem squeezed Ram's fingers.
—Take care of yourself.
—Rem should worry about herself.
—She will.
Ram looked toward Link.
—That remains to be seen.
Rem followed her gaze.
Link pretended to inspect the statue.
Ram released her sister's hands and walked toward Subaru.
She grabbed him by the collar of his jacket.
—Come.
—Why does everyone drag me around?
Ram pulled him several steps away from the others.
She brought her face close enough to force him to pay attention.
—Watch Rem.
Subaru stopped complaining.
—I thought she was going because Emilia needs a maid.
—Ram could have gone.
—Then why...?
Ram narrowed her eyes.
—It is irritating that you are forcing Ram to explain it.
Subaru looked toward Rem.
She was checking the reins.
Then toward Link, who was still on the roof securing an unnecessary statue.
He understood part of the answer.
—I'll do what I can.
—That isn't enough.
—I'll do more than I can.
—That usually ends with you injured.
—Then what answer do you want?
—Keep a good hold of the reins before Rem does something reckless.
Subaru looked at the reins she would literally have in her hands.
—That could mean a lot of things.
—Choose the useful interpretation.
Ram released him.
Subaru straightened his clothes.
—Rem is much stronger than me.
—That is why Ram did not ask you to stop her by hitting her.
—And Link?
Ram looked upward.
The gardener sat beside Pikachu, adjusting one final strap with a kagune.
—Watch him too.
Subaru's eyes widened.
—I CAN'T TAKE CARE OF BOTH OF THEM!
—Then die trying.
—THAT ISN'T A SOLUTION!
Ram walked away.
—If the gardener jumps from the carriage, do not let Rem follow.
—HE CAN SURVIVE THE FALL!
—Rem can too.
—THEN THEY DON'T NEED MY HELP!
Ram stopped.
—Precisely because you think that way, they require supervision.
Subaru could find no answer.
Link partially lowered himself from the roof, supported by two extensions.
—What were you conspiring about?
—Ram just made me responsible for your relationship.
—I resign.
—I RESIGNED FIRST!
Ram looked at Link.
—Rem will not sleep if you decide to spend your nights working.
—I wasn't planning to.
—You're lying.
—I brought tools as a precaution.
—You also brought a half-built creature.
—It's a statue.
—Then it does not need tools.
Link looked toward the box.
Then at Ram.
—Fine. I'll sleep.
—Rem will confirm that promise.
—That sounds like a threat.
—It is.
Rem approached.
—What did he promise?
—To sleep —Ram answered.
—He will.
Link descended completely.
—Everyone is making decisions about my schedule.
—Because Link makes bad decisions when he handles it alone —Rem said.
Subaru raised one hand.
—Confirmed.
—Nobody asked you.
Roswaal entered the carriage.
Emilia followed.
Rem climbed into the driver's seat and took the reins.
Subaru was about to board when he noticed movement at the entrance.
The main door remained open only a crack.
Two blue eyes watched from the darkness.
Beatrice realized she had been discovered.
The door closed a little more.
Subaru smiled.
He raised one hand.
—See you, Beako.
The door opened again.
Beatrice appeared far enough to show her dress, her curls, and an irritated expression.
She moved one hand as though swatting away a fly.
She said nothing.
Subaru returned the gesture.
Link saw her too.
Beatrice's eyes shifted toward him.
Then toward the boxes of sweets.
Her expression changed.
First confusion.
Then suspicion.
Finally horror.
Link placed one finger over his lips.
Beatrice threw the door completely open.
—Wait a moment, I suppose!
Rem moved the reins.
The dragon began walking.
—TOO LATE! —Link shouted from the roof.
—Give that box back!
—They're provisions!
—Thief!
The carriage accelerated.
Beatrice ran outside.
Her curls shook while she pointed at the departing vehicle.
—Betty did not authorize you to take her sweets!
Link held onto the roof.
—They weren't yours!
—Anything inside the manor can belong to Betty!
—THAT ISN'T HOW IT WORKS!
—Come back!
The dragon increased its speed.
The manor began receding.
Beatrice became smaller beside Ram.
Subaru stuck his head through the window.
—YOU TWO ARE IN CHARGE!
Ram held the edges of her skirt.
She gave a small curtsy.
—Try using your head before receiving blows, Barusu.
—I PROMISE NO MIRACLES!
Rem did not look back.
Her hands remained firm on the reins, but her smile was obvious from her profile.
Link settled himself on the roof.
Pikachu remained secured beside him.
The five lesser spirits floated around the statue's ears like tiny lights.
The manor vanished behind the trees.
The journey to the Capital had begun.
Link opened his arms.
Waited.
Nothing.
The carriage traveled at an absurd speed.
The trees passed in a blur of green and brown. The road disappeared beneath the wheels. The Earth Dragon galloped with an ease that would have made any ordinary animal seem slow.
Yet there was no wind on the roof.
Not a single gust.
No pressure against his face.
Not even Link's hair moved.
He lowered his arms.
Raised them again.
Nothing.
He looked at Pikachu.
—This is a scam.
The statue did not answer.
Luci settled on one ear.
The other lights remained floating without the slightest difficulty despite their speed.
—I could be sitting in the garden.
He knocked on the roof with his knuckles.
Subaru answered from inside.
—WHAT IS IT?!
—THERE'S NO WIND!
There was a silence.
—IS THAT BAD?!
—THAT'S WHY I CAME UP HERE!
Emilia asked something Link could not hear.
Subaru shouted again.
—SHE SAYS IT'S BECAUSE OF THE DRAGON'S DIVINE PROTECTION!
Link looked forward.
Rem's blue hair also remained perfectly arranged. The skirt of her uniform did not flutter. Even the ribbons on her apron showed no reaction to the journey.
—REM!
She turned her head slightly.
—Yes?
—I CAN'T FEEL ANYTHING!
—Are you injured?
—THE WIND!
—There is none.
—I NOTICED!
Rem returned her attention to the road.
—Then it is functioning correctly.
Link dropped onto the roof.
—I preferred Charizard.
Pikachu continued staring at him with its motionless smile.
—You don't get an opinion.
Inside the carriage, Subaru moved from one window to another.
The cabin barely vibrated.
The seats were soft, the walls elegant, and the speed visible through the glass did not match the tranquility inside.
—This is faster than Link's truck.
Roswaal looked out the window.
—I don't know how fast that thing was.
—Right now, it doesn't work either.
—Then the dragon wins.
—Unfair competition.
Subaru tried estimating their speed by watching the trees.
Close to a hundred kilometers per hour.
Perhaps more.
And yet they could maintain a conversation without shouting.
—Will Rem be all right out there?
Emilia looked up.
—Why wouldn't she be?
—She's completely exposed. At this speed, her hair should be covering her face and her clothes should look like a flag.
—The Divine Protection protects her too.
—Divine Protection?
Emilia adjusted herself in her seat.
—Some creatures are born with protections granted by the world. Earth Dragons possess one that repels wind while they run. Its effect extends to whatever they are carrying.
Subaru looked at the roof.
—That explains Link's suffering.
Another knock came from above.
—I'M NOT SUFFERING!
—HE CAN HEAR US!
—His senses are too good —Roswaal said.
—I HEARD THAT TOO!
Emilia hid a smile.
—The Divine Protection of Wind Evasion is why we can travel like this. Without it, moving at this speed would be very dangerous.
Subaru looked at Rem through the small forward window.
Her hands guided the dragon with gentle movements.
—So she doesn't feel the wind at all.
—Not while she remains within its range.
Link's head slid over the edge of the roof.
It appeared upside down in front of one window.
Emilia jumped.
—Link.
—Where does the range end?
—I don't know exactly.
—If I stand up?
—It will still cover you.
—On Pikachu?
—Probably.
—If I jump?
Rem spoke from the front.
—You will not jump.
—It was a theoretical question.
—No.
Link disappeared again.
Subaru heard him walking across the roof.
—He's going to try.
—He won't —Emilia said.
Roswaal smiled.
—Rem threatened him.
—That never stops him completely.
Above them, Link stood.
Nothing.
He climbed onto one of the secured boxes.
Nothing.
He balanced on Pikachu's head.
The air remained motionless.
He could see the terrain sliding beneath them at a speed that should have ripped him off the statue, yet his shirt barely touched his body.
—This does not count as traveling.
One of the spirits circled his face.
—At least you're having fun.
He sat down again.
Traveling on Charizard was loud.
Violent.
The air struck his body even when the automaton used magic to reduce the pressure. Every turn forced him to hold on. Every descent created that hollow feeling inside his stomach.
This was different.
Too clean.
Too stable.
Pepa would have created more movement merely by walking.
Link knocked against Pikachu's side.
—When you work, you're going to have to be more exciting.
The yellow head did not move.
—I'll take that as a yes.
The journey continued.
Emilia and Roswaal began discussing the matters they would handle upon arrival.
Names of nobles, schedules, members of the Council, and details of the ceremony.
Subaru tried to pay attention.
He understood little.
Not because of a lack of interest.
The conversation seemed built with an extra layer of meaning that both of them took for granted. Every person mentioned belonged to a family, an alliance, or a history Subaru did not know.
After several minutes, he gave up.
He looked out the window.
The trees continued passing.
Link remained on the roof, occasionally talking to the statue.
Subaru considered climbing up.
He discarded the idea.
Not because it was dangerous.
Because he did not want to listen to an hour of complaints about the lack of wind.
Rem appeared through the small front opening.
—Are you bored, Subaru?
—No.
Emilia looked at him.
Subaru corrected himself.
—Extremely.
Rem smiled.
—You may come to the front seat. You'll be able to see the road better from here.
—That is a tempting invitation.
Subaru looked at Emilia.
—Will you be lonely?
—I'll be perfectly fine.
—You didn't need to answer that quickly.
—Roswaal and I need to talk.
—You could at least pretend to hesitate.
—Subaru.
—Understood.
Rem seemed pleased with the decision.
—Then come.
Subaru looked at the door.
—Are we stopping?
Roswaal slowly shook his head.
—If the dragon interrupts its Divine Protection, it cannot reactivate it immediately.
—And that means...?
—We would lose time.
Subaru touched the handle.
—Then I'll go outside while we're moving.
Emilia stopped speaking.
—No.
—I only need to go around the carriage.
—We're moving very fast.
—There's no wind.
—The Divine Protection does not remove the ground.
—I don't plan to touch it.
Link's head appeared from the roof.
—Bad idea.
Subaru pointed at him.
—You're outside.
—I climbed up before we started moving.
—You can fall too.
Link showed him a kagune wrapped around one of the carriage bars.
—I have a built-in seatbelt.
Emilia grabbed a strap attached to the wall.
—At least use this.
Subaru accepted it.
—What's it for?
—To prevent you from being thrown away if the carriage overturns.
—That does not inspire confidence.
—Wrap it around your wrist.
Subaru obeyed.
Emilia checked the knot.
—Do not extend any part of your body too far away from the carriage.
—Understood.
Link appeared again.
—Listen to her.
—I'm not a child.
—That phrase usually comes before something stupid.
—Go back to your yellow rat.
—Mouse.
—Whatever.
Subaru opened the door.
The sensation was strange.
The road moved beneath him at a terrifying speed, yet not a single gust entered. The air inside and outside felt as though it belonged to a closed room.
He held the frame.
Placed one foot on the step.
—This is incredible.
—Also dangerous —Emilia said.
—I have the strap.
—That does not make it a good idea.
Subaru continued.
The side of the carriage offered several bars and footholds. He moved slowly, keeping three points of contact.
Link watched him from above.
—Don't look at the ground.
Subaru looked at the ground.
—I shouldn't have done that.
—I warned you.
—I only need to reach the front.
—And keep your entire body close.
—I already know.
Subaru moved one hand.
The next bar was barely outside his reach.
He stretched his fingers.
Link saw the movement.
—No.
—Just a little farther.
—Subaru.
His fingertips left the protection.
The world hit him.
The wind appeared all at once.
It was not a gust.
It was a wall.
Subaru's hand was hurled backward. His shoulder twisted and his other hand lost the bar.
For one instant, he hung beside the carriage.
Then he fell.
—SUBARU!
The strap tightened around his wrist.
His body was dragged parallel to the ground, hammered by wind that distorted his cheeks and prevented him from breathing.
Link moved.
Two kagunes shot from the roof.
At the same time, a silver chain appeared from the front.
Rem's Morning Star flew past the kagunes and wrapped around Subaru's torso.
Link stopped the extensions before grabbing him.
Pulling him from different directions could tear him apart.
—REM, YOU HAVE HIM!
She did not answer.
Her hands acted.
One held the reins.
The other pulled the chain.
Subaru's body rose.
The wind spun him around as he returned within the Divine Protection's range.
Link extended one kagune.
He did not grab him.
He merely corrected the arc to keep Subaru from striking the roof.
Subaru passed over Pikachu.
His eyes were open, but they did not seem focused.
—I'm going to live quietly —he murmured.
Then he fell toward the front seat.
Rem caught him with one arm.
His body ended up stretched across her lap.
His head hung to one side.
—Subaru.
No answer.
Rem kept the dragon on course.
Link descended from the roof using his kagunes.
He landed beside the seat.
—Is he breathing?
—Yes.
She checked his pulse.
Fast.
Stable.
—He fainted.
—Naturally.
Emilia shouted from inside.
—Is he all right?
Link opened the small window.
—Alive.
—THAT DOES NOT FULLY ANSWER THE QUESTION!
—He fainted.
—STOP THE CARRIAGE!
Roswaal answered something from inside.
Rem reduced their speed slightly, though she did not immediately stop the dragon.
Link looked at Subaru.
The strap remained wrapped around his wrist. The skin was beginning to redden from the tension.
—That's going to hurt when he wakes up.
—It was reckless.
Rem's voice was calm.
Too calm.
Link knew her well enough to recognize the anger underneath.
—He was following your invitation.
—Rem told him to come forward. Not to throw himself onto the road.
—Technically he didn't throw himself.
Rem looked at him.
—I'm not defending him.
—It sounds like you are.
—I'm clarifying the stupidity.
Subaru let out a groan.
Rem looked down.
The severity disappeared immediately.
—Subaru.
He did not wake.
Link looked at the chain.
—You reacted quickly.
—Rem was watching.
—So was I.
—Rem was closer.
There was no pride in the response.
Only relief.
Link looked toward the roof.
Pikachu remained perfectly secured.
—The statue travels better than he does.
—The statue does not make decisions.
—That helps.
The dragon began slowing down.
The carriage stopped soon afterward.
Emilia exited the cabin.
She went directly toward Subaru.
—What happened?
Link pointed at the young man's outstretched hand.
—He discovered where the Divine Protection ends.
Emilia closed her eyes.
—I told him not to do it.
—So did I.
—Why didn't you stop him?
—Because I thought he would listen.
Everyone looked at Subaru.
Link accepted his mistake.
—Fine. That one was my fault.
Roswaal climbed down more calmly.
—It seems we'll need to add additional conditions to his stay in the Capital.
Emilia placed both hands against Subaru's face.
—Many.
—I didn't do anything —he murmured without opening his eyes.
—He's awake.
—No.
—Subaru.
—Sleeping.
Rem released a breath.
It was not laughter.
It came close.
Link moved back toward the roof.
—Where are you going?
—Up.
—You can travel inside —Rem said.
—Pikachu is alone.
Subaru opened one eye.
—It's a statue.
—Shut up, corpse.
—I'm injured.
—Because of you.
Link climbed up.
He settled beside Pikachu.
The carriage started moving again.
The Divine Protection returned when the dragon resumed speed.
No wind.
No noise.
Link rested his back against the statue.
—I still prefer Charizard.
Luci settled on his head.
Below, Emilia began listing all the things Subaru would be forbidden from doing in the Capital.
The list grew rapidly.
Link looked at the motionless sky.
Perhaps traveling without wind did have one advantage.
He could hear perfectly as Subaru dug his own grave.
The manor had become too quiet.
It took Beatrice eleven minutes to admit that she did not like the silence.
It was not Subaru's absence.
Subaru's absence normally improved the acoustic quality of any room.
It was not Roswaal's either.
The margrave could go hours without entering the Forbidden Library.
It was something else.
There were no impacts from the workshop.
No small explosions.
No arguments about ingredients.
No smells coming from the kitchen.
No mechanical creatures walking through the halls.
Not a single voice asking whether Betty wanted to taste something before Rem discovered a serving was missing.
Beatrice turned a page.
She read nothing.
She turned another.
The same sentence remained in front of her eyes.
She closed the book.
—Ridiculous, I suppose.
The door opened.
Ram stood on the other side.
—Lunch is ready.
Beatrice looked behind her.
There was no tray.
—What did Rem prepare before she left?
—Nothing.
—What did Link prepare?
—Nothing.
—Then what is ready?
Ram raised a plate.
Two steaming sweet potatoes sat on it.
Nothing else.
Beatrice stared at the plate.
Then at Ram.
Then back to the plate.
—That is not lunch.
—It is food.
—It is a threat.
—It has nutrients.
—Betty does not eat nutrients. She eats dishes.
Ram placed the plate on a table.
—You may add salt.
—Is that everything?
—There is also water.
Beatrice hugged the book against her chest.
Her palate remembered too much.
Small cakes.
Filled cookies.
Sugar-coated fruit.
Sweet sauces.
Freshly baked bread.
Candies Link handed her while pretending he only needed a technical opinion.
Even ordinary meals had stopped being ordinary once the gardener began cooking.
And now Ram intended to feed her steamed sweet potatoes.
—Betty wants dessert.
—There is none.
—There must be.
—The gardener took the boxes.
—All of them?
—All the ones Rem knew about.
Beatrice narrowed her eyes.
Rem did not know all the hiding places.
Link had created several during the silent war over sweets.
Subaru found some.
Rem confiscated others.
Ram ignored most of them as long as they did not interfere with work.
But there was one nobody else knew about.
Beatrice did.
One afternoon, she had seen Link hide a box beneath a loose floorboard in the gardening shed.
He thought nobody was watching.
Betty always watched when sugar was involved.
She stood.
Ram looked toward the door.
—Where are you going?
—Betty lost her appetite.
—The sweet potatoes will remain here.
—They may remain forever.
Beatrice left the Library.
She crossed the halls.
Exited through the rear door and headed toward the shed.
The garden was peaceful.
The Wolgarms rested inside their enclosure.
Excadrill remained shut down beside the workshop.
Charizard was absent as well.
Pepa was lying behind the shed.
Even while resting, her body reached much of the building's height. Her dark plates absorbed the sunlight, and her breathing made the nearby leaves tremble slightly.
Beatrice ignored her.
She entered the shed.
The floorboard was raised.
She stopped.
There was a box underneath.
Empty.
Wrappers lay scattered across the floor.
One had teeth marks.
Another was covered in saliva.
Beatrice slowly picked up a torn bag.
A shadow covered the entrance.
Pepa had moved her head closer.
A strip of paper was stuck to one of her fangs.
Powdered sugar covered her snout.
Beatrice looked at the box.
Then the Wagpig.
Pepa chewed.
A small crunch sounded inside her mouth.
—You.
The Mabeast blinked.
—Those sweets belonged to Betty.
Pepa opened her mouth.
There was nothing left.
Only the smell.
Sweet.
Terribly sweet.
Beatrice raised one hand.
A dark sphere appeared over her palm.
Pepa tilted her head.
She did not attack.
Nor did she appear sorry.
Ram appeared behind Beatrice.
She carried the plate.
Both sweet potatoes were still steaming.
—The food is getting cold.
Beatrice looked at Pepa.
Then at the sweet potatoes.
Finally at the road where the carriage had disappeared.
—Link is a horrible person, I suppose.
Ram extended the plate.
—Ram agrees.
Pepa burped.
The smell of caramel filled the shed.
Beatrice closed her eyes.
For the next several days, the only person capable of cooking was Ram.
And the last hiding place for sweets had just been devoured by a house with fangs.