Chapter 179: Flawed Acting?
After that, Natsuki Subaru didn't speak much. His thoughts had already begun to scatter, though he still listened to the discussions happening around him.
In short, the villagers were able to leave this place—in fact, as long as one wasn't a half-blood, they could leave freely.
The barrier of this place only trapped half-bloods, which meant that the only one actually imprisoned here was Emilia.
The villagers were merely bait to lure them here, and once Subaru and his group came for the villagers' sake, the real hostage was created.
Without a doubt, it was a trap. And the one truly targeted was none other than Roswaal.
As for everyone else, they were simply extra pieces. Even if they weren't here, Subaru would have rushed into this place, driven by his impatient heart.
Fortunately, there was a method to break the barrier: the trials.
The one meant to take the trials was Emilia. That much was fine. The real issue was that no one had any concrete information about what the trials entailed.
They didn't even know whether it was dangerous or not. But since Roswaal's true goal was himself, Subaru reasoned, then the trial probably wouldn't be life-threatening.
.
.
.
"Mr. Natsuki, wait a moment!"
"Hm? Oh, it's Otto. What is it? Why aren't you resting? Ah, I get it—you want to see Roswaal? Then follow me."
"That's not it!" Otto shouted in frustration.
Hearing the unusually loud voice, Subaru finally turned his full attention onto Otto.
There was sweat on his forehead, as though he had run to catch up to him. Clearly, Otto hadn't come to see that sickening Roswaal. Then why had he come?
Subaru's eyes betrayed his doubt, but Otto didn't immediately answer his unspoken question. Instead, Otto looked behind Subaru.
"Mr. Natsuki, may I ask where you're planning on going? Your room should be in the opposite direction, shouldn't it?"
Subaru froze.
He turned his head to look back.
In the distant night, faintly illuminated by moonlight, he could see a structure rising in the darkness.
Turning back, he felt sweat bead on his palms.
Even though it was nighttime, the moon was still bright enough to see; otherwise, it would've been pitch black. Just as Otto said, he should have been resting, preparing for tomorrow morning—when they were supposed to inform the villagers that Emilia would begin the trial tomorrow night, so that everyone could eventually leave this place, and to calm their anxieties.
And also, to prepare for the trial. Even though he wasn't the one taking it, he still needed to prepare for Emilia. Prepare for… her possible failure.
That was why he had come here.
"…How did you find me?"
"I'll only answer that if you answer my question first, Mr. Natsuki."
The man standing before him wore an unusually serious expression.
At this moment, Otto showed none of his usual weakness, none of his usual role as the comedic commentator. It was almost as if he were a completely different person.
"Didn't expect that, Otto. So you actually have such a cool side to you. Normally you always look—"
"Please, Mr. Natsuki, stop trying to change the subject. I noticed it from the very start of the meeting."
Subaru's smile froze.
The awkward atmosphere instantly turned heavy. Clouds drifting in from afar began to cover the moonlight shining on Subaru, and with that, his stiff smile faded into a calm mask.
His already sharp eyes now held a faint glimmer.
In those eyes, Otto saw himself reflected—a merchant named Otto Suwen, sensitive to people's expressions and emotions. He instinctively took a half-step back, his throat bobbing nervously.
As the light on Subaru's body dimmed, Otto felt as though he was glimpsing the truest version of Natsuki Subaru.
Even though Subaru neither moved nor spoke a word, Otto could almost see a lamb shedding its wool, revealing a battered, scarred wolf underneath.
Despite its many wounds, the wolf still snarled fiercely, warning the dangerous man before it to stay away.
So I can make Mr. Natsuki feel threatened? That thought popped into Otto's head, bringing with it a strange sense of joy. But alongside it came something stronger—fear.
Not fear that Subaru would attack him.
But fear that Subaru might destroy himself before he could attack anyone else.
As a merchant—and given his childhood experiences—Otto firmly believed he couldn't be wrong about judging people. Even if he misread details, his intuition about the essence of a person was never wrong.
The Subaru standing before him now was not the radiant hero who had offered him a future when Otto was at his lowest, nor the man who shone brilliantly among others.
That Subaru had always seemed almost inhuman, oddly out of place.
The Subaru here now was no hero. He was simply… a person. No—someone even stronger than Otto himself. Yes, still just a person, but…
"Mr. Natsuki, you're heading to the place of the trials, aren't you?
Even before the meeting began, you were unusually restless.
I don't know exactly what you've been through, but based on what I've heard from others and what I've seen myself during our time together… and especially given how you went completely silent partway through the meeting, I could more or less guess your intentions.
After the meeting ended, I went to look for you. When I saw you were gone, that basically confirmed it. And now, I'm absolutely certain—you're planning to take care of this all on your own, aren't you?"
"Haah… Otto, you're surprisingly sharp. Usually, you look like a fool who's easy to push around. But I didn't think you'd actually figure out what I was up to. Was I really that obvious? I always thought my acting was pretty good."
Subaru raised his hands, pulling at the corners of his lips with his fingers to force a smile.
"Since you already know what I plan to do, why bother coming after me? Let's be honest—we're not that close, are we? At best, we're just employer and employee."
He lowered his hands and turned his body slightly, staring straight into Otto's eyes.
"So now, you should go back and rest. I'll pay you what you're owed. You don't need to stick around any longer."
"…Not to discourage you, but your disguise doesn't fool the people who truly care about you."
"…Hah?" Subaru's throat involuntarily produced the sound, his mind going blank.
"People who truly care about me? You? We've barely known each other, haven't we?
What makes you think you can say that? The ones who live by my side every day haven't seen through my act.
Even my best friend hasn't! So what gives you the right to say something so infuriating it makes me want to punch you in the face?!"
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