Subaru Natsuki, who returned from the new Three Kingdoms

Natsuki Subaru simply smiled faintly and slowly brought his arms together.

Natsuki Subaru pulled her, who was stiff all over, into his arms and adjusted her position next to the pillow to make her more comfortable.

Just like that, I held him...

Now, even the heartbeat coming from Subaru Natsuki's chest seems exceptionally clear to Capela.

She desperately wanted to bite Natsuki Subaru's throat.

But she had just escaped from that confined space where she could neither move nor speak.

She didn't want to be forced back in.

At least it'll be a little later before we have to put it back in!

Capella could only suppress the vicious words that were about to come out of her mouth and let the man hold her in his arms.

Subaru Natsuki quickly fell asleep.

Her regular breathing fell through her hair, and the warmth made her consciousness, which had been tense all day, feel heavier and heavier.

She held on for a long time, but finally closed her eyes.

……

The next morning, a knock on the door woke Capela.

When she opened her eyes, the morning light was streaming in through the gap in the curtains.

Her face was pressed against Subaru's chest; it was a little warm, but not unbearably so. And beside her ear was Subaru's steady heartbeat.

To Capela's dismay, she slept soundly that night.

There was no maddening emptiness within the beads.

There was no yearning to be loved, a hunger that could never be satisfied.

She didn't even dream.

Capela stared blankly for a moment.

The next second, just as he was about to unleash a sneer in a mocking smile, Natsuki Subaru was awakened by a second round of knocking on the door.

He rubbed his eyes and reached out to touch Capela.

"You got up early, but it's a pity we have to part ways again."

When Capela saw that hand, her eyes immediately welled up with tears.

"and many more."

"I can promise not to make a sound, you don't need to—"

The light of [Ol Shamu] has already descended.

Before she could finish her sentence, she was once again compressed into the glass bead.

Natsuki Subaru tucked the bead into his clothes, making sure his white hair and face remained unchanged before opening the door.

no one.

Looking down, the little cat-eared girl was wagging her tail, looking up at Subaru Natsuki with an embarrassed expression.

Mimi is standing outside.

The cat-eared girl looked up at him, her hands behind her back, a smile on her face clearly asking for his help.

"Brother Freuguer, could you do me a favor?"

"What kind of help?" Natsuki Subaru yawned, still not fully recovered from his hangover.

"It's my turn to do chores today, but I don't want to. Could you help me sweep the street in front of the gate? I'll treat you to a drink when I grow up."

Natsuki Subaru wanted to refuse.

I have to find time to learn to read and do accounting, so how can I find time to do chores for the little girl?

But when the words "I'll treat you to a drink" reached his ears, he lowered his raised hand again.

He looked down and carefully examined Mimi.

Unexpectedly, this child, though young, already knows how to reward meritorious officials with wine; he is sure to have a bright future.

"Amazing! He speaks the absolute truth right off the bat!"

Mimi had no idea she had spoken such a profound truth, and simply tilted her head.

Natsuki Subaru sighed helplessly.

"I really can't do anything with you. Fine, I'll go."

"Yay! I knew you'd be easy to talk to, Big Brother! No wonder you're the man Mimi fell for at first sight!"

Mimi cheered, turned and ran, disappearing around the corner of the corridor in the blink of an eye.

Natsuki Subaru picked up the broom she had placed by the door beforehand and went downstairs to the main entrance of the Hexin Chamber of Commerce.

The commercial street was far less bustling than usual in the early morning.

The capital is still cracking down on potential infiltrators, and many shops have their doors and windows closed. Occasionally, patrol knights pass by the street corners, and pedestrians will voluntarily make way for them.

Subaru Natsuki didn't care at all.

He rolled up his sleeves, swung the broom, and swept the dust and fallen leaves in front of the door to the side of the street.

It would certainly damage the reputation of a dignified general like him sweeping the courtyard for a little girl.

But Mimi has already made a promise with a drink for the future.

How can a man break his word?

Just as he bent down to clean the stone steps, a silver-white figure with a dejected expression walked from the other end of the commercial street.

Emilia looks rather haggard.

Her long silver hair had lost its former luster, and her purplish-blue eyes also carried a hint of weariness.

She didn't know what she was thinking; she just walked through street after street, but still didn't get any news about Subaru Natsuki.

Ever since she learned from Felt that Subaru Natsuki was wanted, she has been going to Astraea's house almost every day to inquire about him.

But there's still no news of Subaru Natsuki...

Even Reinhard was searching for Subaru Natsuki.

The swordsman who always maintained a gentle smile and seemed capable of easily resolving any issue had been spending very little time at his residence these past few days.

According to Ferut, the first thing that guy always says when he comes home is:

"Any news about Subaru?"

After receiving a negative answer, he turned and walked back into the street.

Even Reinhard couldn't find Subaru.

Emilia had no idea where the black-haired boy who claimed to have known her for a long time had gone, or if he was still safe and sound...

The gray kitten Parker floated beside her shoulder, its tail swaying gently in mid-air.

"Lia, why are you in such a bad mood? Stop thinking about that kid."

Emilia did not stop.

"Thank you for comforting Parker..."

“Subaru’s whereabouts are currently unknown, and his fate is uncertain. I’m really worried about him.”

Parker opened his mouth.

He wanted to tell Leah that the kid wasn't so easy to kill.

Besides, that boy who keeps spouting strange things doesn't seem to care much about you.

Instead of wandering aimlessly through the streets, it's better to go back and rest first.

But the words stuck in Parker's throat.

The events that have occurred recently, and Subaru's behavior, are vastly different from what he had previously understood about the developments.

Is that Natsuki Subaru really the same person from before? That white-haired man who seemed to know everything...

If it really is him, why did everything go in a completely different direction?

Parker floated in mid-air, his thoughts growing increasingly chaotic, just like Emilia's.

Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he inadvertently caught sight of the entrance to the Hexin Chamber of Commerce.

A young man with white hair is facing away from the street, bending over and wielding a broom.

The morning light fell on the white hair and also illuminated the young man's profile as he turned around.

Parker's body suddenly froze.

That face overlapped with a figure from a distant memory.

He stared at the white-haired youth sweeping the street, forgetting to maintain his floating position, and the whole cat fell down from mid-air.

!? Freugel!

Chapter 91: 089. Huh, why am I crying?

The morning sunlight fell on the entrance of the Hexin Chamber of Commerce.

The white-haired youth was bending over, carefully sweeping the dust off the stone steps.

Parker floated in mid-air, his gaze never leaving that face.

Friguel?

How is that possible? How could he possibly be here?

If 'he' looked like this now...

Who was Subaru Natsuki before that?

How could Flügel and Natsuki Subaru possibly exist at the same time?

Parker felt a ringing in his head.

The current Natsuki Subaru should be Natsuki Subaru, not Flügel at all!

But then Subaru Natsuki disappeared, and Flügel appeared...

"Parker, it's good that you're here with me."

Emilia's slightly melancholic yet reliant voice came from behind her; she was still lost in thought about not being able to find Subaru.

I'm so grateful to have Parker, who's like a father to me, by my side. Otherwise, I don't know how helpless I would have felt.

However, she did not notice that at this moment, Puck was so focused on Subaru Natsuki that he even floated over to him on his own.

He wanted to uncover the truth himself.

"Parker?"

Emilia turned around in confusion when no one responded to her exclamation.

Only then did I realize that the gray kitten that had been floating beside me was gone.

At this moment, Puck had already flown to a short distance in front of Subaru Natsuki, who was sweeping the streets.

He deliberately spoke in a tone as if he were chatting casually with a neighbor:

"The weather is really nice today~ Don't you think so, buddy?"

Natsuki Subaru, who was focused on sweeping, paused his broom momentarily.

Of course he remembered that voice.

It's Magic Hajime Parker!

The two people could be considered acquaintances.

After all, it was Roswaal who taught him his first spell, Veil, back at Roswaal's mansion. However, that was before his death. This time, he had already learned Veil, and his instructor had changed to Beatrice.

I never expected to run into them here.

So that means... Emilia is also nearby?