Falling to the Bottom of the Valley
The red-haired, blue-eyed Sword Saint appeared from around the corner.
In that instant, seeing a girl who shouldn't have been there, Subaru couldn't help but call out.
"Reinhild?"
Subaru noticed Reinhild's confused expression and realized he had let something slip.
—What should he say to make up for it? —What kind of expression should he put on?
Staring at the girl before him, Subaru's mind was in chaos.
Of course, for a brief moment, Subaru suspected the Reinhild in front of him might be Capella in disguise.
But the feeling Reinhild gave off—like the sun—was something Capella could never hope to imitate.
"Sorry... I was just surprised. Didn't expect you to be back so soon."
Subaru's spirit, after days of trials, had grown immensely resilient, so he quickly regained his composure.
Then he realized—no matter what, Reinhild's early return was undoubtedly a good thing.
After all, this could mean reinforcements would come earlier for tomorrow's vanguard battle.
Even if they arrived just five minutes earlier, that might be enough to save Ram and Winston.
"Quick? I just went to report about Lady Felt," Reinhild said.
The girl showed a puzzled expression, and Subaru vaguely guessed it had something to do with Roswaal not going to see Henkel.
Understanding that the contract had taken effect, Subaru felt much more at ease.
"Well then, how was yesterday? Did you sleep well? Getting used to the work?"
"Ah, being in a new place, I had trouble sleeping, but I've completed about ninety percent of the work. I'll keep working hard with procurement tomorrow!"
"Is that so? For your first time, finishing ninety percent is quite impressive. Make sure to get some good rest!"
"Hahaha, sorry, saying ninety percent was a bit much. It's more like... biased as it may be, about sixty... er, eighty percent..."
"Well, everyone grows little by little. No need to overwork yourself."
"Right! Well then, see you. I'm heading back to my room to recharge for tomorrow morning's work."
In Reinhild's view, Subaru pretended to be full of energy.
"Recharge? If you're in trouble, Subaru, you can talk to me."
"Mhm, see you tomorrow."
Wearing a smile, Subaru waved and left the spot, while inside him, negative emotions surged.
He was keenly aware, desperately aware, aware again and again not to let his smile fade, then fled back to his room.
"Rest? Seek help?"
Subaru muttered.
He knew the girl had seen through his facade.
He knew she meant well—but he couldn't accept that kindness.
"Who would even listen to my suggestions...?"
Subaru spoke bitterly.
By now, he understood who his enemies truly were: the exterminated Oni tribe, the fallen War God, uncontrollable beasts, and the ever-shifting Sin Archbishops.
What happened in the fourth loop made it clear to Subaru—warning people was useless, and could even get him labeled a madman.
Even in this loop, Subaru had subtly mentioned the possibility of an attack, but even with his current social standing in the mansion, his words had been taken as a joke.
The fifth loop proved once more that Subaru couldn't convey the fact that he had died before.
Telling the girl would cause a battle and get him killed.
Telling someone else would likely cause their instant death.
That's why he was so desperate—because he had to take the long road, earn people's trust, then guide them through the crisis.
But it was fine.
Subaru had steeled himself, ready to endure stomach pains from hunger while pushing forward through time.
But the more Subaru tried, the more he felt like he didn't have enough time.
The shortage of time made him unbearably anxious.
He had no time to trial and error.
No second chances.
Sometimes Subaru wondered if he'd bet too much this time—but ultimately, he believed he had made the right choice.
Because he didn't have the confidence to keep living in hell forever.
So Subaru kept thinking about his next step.
He wasn't a genius.
He knew his intelligence was just that of a regular high school student.
It was precisely because he knew he wasn't a chosen one that he had given up on life in his previous world.
It was precisely because he understood his mediocrity and recognized what price he had paid to get this far that he couldn't even afford to sleep for a moment.
Because Subaru had staked everything on protecting the place where he belonged.
He seized the opportunity before him, refusing to stop or retreat.
—If Return by Death could cancel the contract.
"Ahh, I really am terrible..."
Subaru muttered and shook his head, pushing that wicked thought into the corner of his mind for now.
He could not fail. There would be no next time.
Subaru told himself again, the tension like walking blindfolded along the edge of a cliff rising once more in his heart.
Subaru forced his spirit to endure—he knew the more clearly he faced reality, the more he drove himself to the edge.
But the more desperate a person is, the more they can exert power beyond imagination.
"There's no time to speak weak words. Am I an idiot? Tomorrow is the deciding battle. Let's see if there's anything else I need to revise."
—The intel about the Black Dragon's blood had been subtly passed to Winston. He had also written about it in the letter to Rem. With that, hopefully not so many people would die.
Subaru began by thinking about the boss fight.
He certainly hadn't forgotten how the Black Dragon's blood had caused a final collapse last time.
—This time, magic ore collection had gone much more smoothly. All of it had been exchanged for Holy Gold Coins, so they could hire more people tomorrow.
—Also, he had the vice-captain help pick a gift for Otto. With his power and external support, they should be able to handle the weakened Eight Arms.
"Hang in there. Once tomorrow ends, you can rest."
Subaru murmured to the moon. That's right—once tomorrow ends, he could finally live a pampered, imprisoned life.
Because after thinking for so long, he still couldn't find a way to patch up all his flaws.
Or rather, in this world of swords and magic, he was nearly powerless.
Who knows if Reinhild might suddenly pull out a divine Protection of "Detective" or if Eileen might use magic to identify the criminal.
"Ahh, I was played... It was a fake commission. Who knew someone would be that bored."
"Better not let me find out who issued that order. I stood under the sun for over two hours."
"Word is it was a noble."
"This time, even if it's a noble, they won't get away easy. The captains were furious. More importantly, the Guild will have to step in. Too many mercenary groups are involved."
On the fourth day at noon, the dejected Subaru listened to the murmurs outside the dragon carriage and fell into despair. He clenched his fists—then helplessly let them go.
The morning of the fourth day ended peacefully.
And behind that peace lay endless despair.