o(*≧▽≦)ツ┏━┓
Subaru once again met with that mysterious man, Roswaal.
And this time, Subaru finally got the answer to the question that had been puzzling him in his fourth loop.
He confirmed that the way Roswaal looked at him was truly the gaze one gives a product—or perhaps more accurately, a chess piece.
But unlike himself, Roswaal's gaze was much hotter, much more intense, and undoubtedly more deranged.
In short, the man before him was absolutely not the kind-hearted person Subaru had once imagined.
—Well, whatever his schemes are, those are problems for the future.
For now, Subaru's top priority is handling the battle that will take place five days from now, protecting Reinhild's heart, and minimizing the casualties as much as possible.
With that thought in mind, Subaru smiled at the Roswaal before him.
Recalling the conversation from this same day in his previous loops, Subaru finally spoke.
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.
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"If you want to use me... I don't want to face an enraged Sword Saint, okay?"
"That goes without saying—I want to do it! I was born a man, so I should live like a real man!"
As Subaru uttered the final line, he let out a long sigh of relief from deep within.
That's right—Subaru had not chosen the second-loop dialogue, but had instead repeated the events of the first loop with Roswaal.
The reason for choosing the first loop was quite simple: although in the second loop he would gain Bernie as his teacher, compared to the more overall-capable Bernie, Subaru needed Eileen's [Poison Detection] skill as a hidden card.
No matter what, he had to completely eliminate the poisoning incident involving Heinkel.
.
.
.
The familiar grass field. The familiar people. The familiar instructions. And—
"In any case, let's have you try some simple Yin-attribute magic. Shamack will obscure your vision. Is that okay?"
The familiar spellcaster. The moment Bernie said the word "Shamack", Subaru's body instinctively trembled.
He opened his mouth, but his teeth were chattering, and he couldn't say a single word.
Seeing Bernie's puzzled expression, Subaru summoned the last of his courage and nodded.
As the familiar darkness enveloped him, Subaru realized that he hadn't prepared himself at all.
Helplessness and fear surged through his heart—he even felt as if the world had abandoned him once again.
"Calm down, Subaru, it's okay now, it's okay…"
Suddenly, a voice returned. Then, his sense of smell caught a hint of a refreshing fragrance.
A moment later, light appeared alongside Reinhild's face, and then touch returned—Subaru realized he was being held in Reinhild's arms.
No, that wasn't quite right! As Subaru calmed down, he realized he was being supported by Reinhild.
He didn't know why, but a small sense of disappointment welled up inside him.
"Sorry, sorry. I got a little scared because of some past experiences… I thought I'd already gotten over that kind of deathly silence."
Subaru, speaking as he separated himself from Reinhild's support, stumbled and fell to the ground.
Confused, he looked around and finally noticed that his legs were trembling so badly that he couldn't stand.
Reinhild quickly rushed to his side.
She also noticed Subaru's condition.
Seeing the sweat-soaked Subaru, Reinhild furrowed her brow.
Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't be an issue—but she was about to head to the royal capital.
Even someone like Reinhild didn't want to go on a long trip drenched in sweat.
She glanced at Bernie—a frail-looking titled magic user who looked like he might drop dead at any moment.
Then Reinhild turned her head slightly to sneak a look at Roswaal.
This titled magic user was more robust physically, but considering his status as a guest—or rather, a Count—Reinhild couldn't bring herself to ask.
Among the three present—two titled magic users at the pinnacle of magic, and one sword saint at the pinnacle of physical combat—Reinhild sighed inwardly.
She knew it had to be her.
Looking at Subaru lying helplessly on the ground, Reinhild considered various methods to transport him: carrying him on her back (she didn't want her knight uniform to get sweaty), lifting him by the arms (height difference made this awkward), slinging him over her shoulder (her shoulders might not be broad enough)...
Then Reinhild's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Bernie, please help me hold this."
Reinhild handed her spotless white knight coat to Bernie.
"Pardon me."
Wearing a short-sleeved black shirt, Reinhild bent down and, with a bit of strength, lifted Subaru in a princess carry.
Her arms felt sticky with sweat, but it was still better than carrying him on her back.
She gave herself a mental thumbs-up for her cleverness, then adjusted her posture slightly to prevent the sweat from dripping down her arm and into her clothes.
Reinhild didn't notice at all that the boy in her arms had completely shut down.
—Oh my god oh my god, it's a princess carry!! ○(≧口≦)○ Reinhild's princess carry!!!
—*No wait, what's with this? Why am I the one being carried?! o(2):
—Wait, I never planned to carry Reinhild in a princess carry either.
—But... so cool... so fragrant… Wait, what am I thinking? Focus! My plan!
—Ahhh, we're entering the residential area. YAMERO (Japanese for "Stop it!") I can't show my face to anyone now.
—Don't look at me. No, no—why am I leaning my face into Reinhild's chest?!
—So many people! I can't show my face! Let me die... wait, so soft (□□•0)□□!!!
"Subaru, can you not move around so much?"
—A blushing Reinhild is so cute... NO! MASAKA (Japanese for "could it be")? MASAKA! Did I just—!!!
—No good, no good. Lust is emptiness; emptiness is—...
—The polar bear effect is real...
...(countless internal monologues omitted)...
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"I'll go get you a basin of water."
As Reinhild left, carrying her own basin and washcloth, Subaru's rational mind finally retook the high ground.
He looked around at his surroundings and confirmed that he was indeed in his own room.
What brought him the greatest relief was that both Roswaal and Bernie had come with him.
"I'm doomed. I can't live this down."
"It's alright. Actually, just now, I don't think anyone noticed you two. Even I would subconsciously ignore your presence."
Hearing Roswaal say that, Subaru instantly thought of Reinhild's divine blessing that reduces her presence.
No wonder Bernie hadn't given him a death glare.
With that in mind, Subaru concluded that his current favorability hadn't instantly plummeted into the negatives.
Suddenly, Subaru recalled a phrase: "Three years of blood profit, the death penalty is worth it." —Though it was originally used to describe lolicons... Reinhild wasn't a loli, but Subaru still felt like he'd made a massive profit.
Even if he died, it wouldn't be a loss.
SMACK~~~
Subaru slapped himself hard.
That was punishment for treating a girl's kindness with lewd thoughts.
After this slap, he finally calmed down completely.
Looking at the two before him, Subaru decided—it was time to continue with his plan.