The hall was filled with silence and a tense atmosphere.
Feeling the tension on his skin, Subaru moistened his dry lips with his tongue and clenched his fist in celebration of the outcome of his actions, which had prepared the first stage of the situation.
The prerequisite for this was that the people attending this event must all be gathered together.
I have no power. I lack wisdom. I lack ability and connections, so if there's anything I can do, it's to make sure the deaths I've experienced so far aren't in vain.
"Finally, I think I understand the purpose of delaying dinner and gathering here."
Crusch Karsten, a beautiful woman dressed as a man, sitting on a low chair with her hands folded in her lap, broke the silence and muttered with a look of understanding on her dignified face.
The first knight standing next to her narrowed his eyes slightly at his master's words, and puffed out his lovely cheeks slightly.
"Really? To be honest, Feli-chan, I still find it hard to believe. I wonder how a boy who was such a wimp could suddenly look like that."
Though his tone and facial expression were pretending to be joking, Ferris' gaze as he looked at Subaru while he spoke was vigilant. Even if he lacked the skills, his determination to keep his master out of danger was clearly apparent.
"――――"
In contrast to Ferris, Wilhelm stood to Crusch's left with his back straight, remaining silent and not joining in the conversation between master and servant.
With a sword at his waist and eyes closed, he exuded only a sharpened sword aura, and there was not even a trace of the good-natured old man aura he had had when he greeted Subaru and Rem upon their return. Now, as a public figure, he was engrossed in the role of wielding the sword of his master, Crusch.
The location was in the upper levels of the royal capital's noble district, in the villa used by the Karsten family when they were staying in the royal capital. In line with the owner's wishes, the villa had been kept as free of extravagant decorations as possible, and the reception hall was appropriately decorated to welcome guests.
It was only natural that the three people mentioned above, along with those related to the mansion, were lined up there. The only people in the hall other than them were:
"Returning home can be a little uncomfortable. I expect Subaru-dono to tell me something that will dispel this discomfort."
He must have noticed that Subaru was casually scanning everyone's faces. The one who laughed as he received Subaru's sidelong glance was a handsome man with dull blond hair and a stylish beard - Russell Fellow, a shrewd man who calculated the abacus for the Royal Capital's businesses.
Subaru shrugged at Russell's warning,
"Rem is calling for another person right now, so please wait a little longer. I'm not sure if they'll come, but... I think we have a good chance of success."
"I look forward to your early arrival. By the way, may I ask what your chances of success are?"
He probably had an idea of the background of the person Subaru was waiting for.
In response to Russell's question, Subaru shook his head and said, "It's simple," then,
"You said yourself that you have a keen sense of the smell of money. If that's true, you'll definitely show up. You're the same, Mr. Russell, aren't you?"
"Oh my... you've hit a sore spot."
Russell put his hand to his forehead and acted as if he had been duped. Of course, this exchange was based on the expectation that each party's cards were somewhat obvious.
Any sense of security that was taken at face value would be nothing more than a lie, and in the first place, Subaru didn't have the skill or the time to pull off such a sly trick.
The only thing supporting Subaru right now is borrowed courage.
"Everyone, thank you for waiting."
A few minutes later, the door to the hall opened and a blue-haired girl in a waiter's uniform appeared - Rem. She bowed her head so that everyone in the room could see, then looked towards Subaru,
"Okay."
Saying this, making a small circle with the fingers of her right hand, Rem walked up next to Subaru, stretched slightly and put her hand up to his ear,
"It seems he will be a little late, but please be sure to come."
"I see. Good job, Rem."
Subaru snapped his fingers at the report and nodded, knowing that he had found the means to turn a sub-optimal situation into the best possible one. He then looked around at the people waiting for him,
"The last participant is going to be a little late, but for now everyone is here. I don't want to make them wait any longer. Let's get started."
Upon hearing Subaru's declaration, each of them sensed a change in the situation and showed their own reaction.
Crusch laughed faintly, Ferris' lips were tightly pressed together, Wilhelm remained completely silent, his expression unchanged, and Russell sank leisurely into his chair.
As they all gazed upon him, Subaru stomped his foot loudly and steeled himself.
I feel my heart beating loud and fast.
Blood rushes through my body, and at the same time, a great sense of anxiety begins to rise in my mind and I feel as if everything is getting dark before my eyes.
However,
"Subaru-kun."
Rem, standing next to him, gently touches the anxious Subaru's sleeve to reassure him.
It wasn't direct skin contact, but contact through clothing――and yet Subaru felt a sense of security, as if he had received ten thousand words of assistance.
Rem was watching. There was no way she could do something uncool.
Laughing fearlessly, hiding his fear behind that smile, Subaru takes on the first wall.
To slip through the pinhole conditions and weave a happy ending.
To get one step closer to becoming a hero, just as the girl who told him she loved him believed.
"There's one thing I'd like to confirm, Natsuki Subaru."
As Subaru looked forward with determination, Crusch called out, holding up a finger. She shook her finger from side to side, catching Subaru's gaze,
"The purpose of this gathering -- from your own mouth, sir."
He leaned his arms on the armrest and rested his cheek on his hands, looking at Subaru with a sharp gaze.
Even though she must already understand, there was no leniency in the way she made Subaru speak of it.
The battle has already begun, even in the way you start your conversation.
I understand this now, because I have continued to fail.
"Well, of course--"
So Subaru swung his arms widely, trying to keep himself together so as not to be consumed by Crusch's piercing gaze, and laughing confidently so as not to repeat his past mistakes,
"An alliance on equal terms between Emilia's camp and Crusch's camp - this is the time for negotiations for that purpose."
There were many walls standing in their way - and the first challenge to overcome these obstacles was about to begin.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
--After his conversation with Rem in front of the main gate of the royal capital, Subaru decided to make a fresh start.
He could see it as the way to be sincere towards the girl who had revealed everything in her heart and still believed in him.
"With that in mind, there are just too many hurdles we need to overcome..."
Thinking again about the numerous obstacles that stand in my way, I can understand why I had been feeling so weak earlier and was on the verge of giving up. The situation hasn't changed, and it feels like I'm just one step away from a dead end.
nevertheless,
"We have to do something, right? Can you lend me a hand, Rem?"
"Yes, whatever Subaru says."
I scratched my head and called out to her before I could gather my thoughts, and Rem simply nodded in agreement.
Rem's passionate eyes stare right at him, and her unchanging trust is what Subaru feels, causing both courage and a sense of duty to well up within him.
I didn't bother to point out that the rims of her eyes were slightly red.
The location had shifted from in front of the main gate to a corner of the lower district, and the two of them were leaning their backs against a wall in the middle of the crowd.
Thinking back to the exchange in front of the main gate, he hesitated to continue the conversation there. After all, he had been half-crying and had revealed everything, including his own complexes. If he had also exposed Rem's feelings in response, then exposing himself any further to the gazes of the curious onlookers who had been listening in would have overwhelmed his mental endurance.
With Rem still in my arms, I passed through the lukewarm gazes and finally reached a place out of reach of the curious onlookers, where I could take a breather.
"It's definitely a waste of time. Even if it's only a short hour… it's a shame now."
As previously verified, the time limit until an overwhelming tragedy occurs at the mansion is five days. -- In reality, the time limit is about four and a half days.
If you spend nearly two days traveling, you will only have two days to actually use the trip.
"So, there are a lot of obstacles that you have to overcome."
There are many hurdles to overcome, and the quality is far superior to what was available before.
Each of these problems would have been hopeless on their own, but when they combined together to attack, it became a problem that was beyond description.
The first is, of course, the Witch Cult.
Unless they could somehow stop the fanatics led by Petelgeuse, none of the residents of the mansion or the village would be saved.
The second is Rem's death, which will come inevitably, no matter how many times it is attempted.
Even if she accompanied Subaru, or if she went ahead on her own, their fates would have all converged on death. The first time she had died out of sight. And the second and third times she had lost someone right in front of her eyes - it was no exaggeration to say that the shock of all these things had led Subaru down the path of resignation.
And the third is the indiscriminate act of revenge by the great spirit Puck, a wall that would likely be triggered by Emilia's death and which, given the prerequisites, would be impossible not to clear.
Thinking back, it seems that Subaru's death in this loop was all due to being frozen by Puck.
This, in turn, provided circumstantial evidence that in both worlds, Subaru had never arrived in time to prevent Emilia from dying.
None of these walls can be given up.
If even one of them were to be overlooked, the world that followed would not be the future Natsuki Subaru desired, and it would be a betrayal of the image of a hero that Rem believed in.
"--some"
Subaru, who had been identifying the issues, muttered quietly.
Rem, watching the contemplative Subaru from in front, didn't respond to his mutterings, because she knew that Subaru wasn't muttering because he wanted a reply.
Expect the best judgment and greatest contribution from your beloved heroes.
That is how she is keeping her heart healthy right now, and that is the greatest way he can show her his love.
Under Rem's watch, Subaru replayed memories that transcended the bounds of time, within that limited time, and his thoughts raced in search of even a fragment of a clue.
I believe that somewhere there is a small possibility that can change this seemingly hopeless situation.
--Use your head and set your heart on fire.
His body and abilities couldn't keep up with his ideals at the moment. So if he couldn't achieve even this much, even taking a heroic step would be a laughing matter.
--Remember, think.
Don't let your three deaths go to waste. Don't let the will of the girl you've caused to die three times go to waste. The entire world that had ended three times now weighs heavily on Subaru's shoulders.
The people I met, the conversations I had. Partings, encounters, anger, madness, sadness, witches.
and--,
"Is there a possibility...?"
The one possibility that suddenly crossed my mind was just a handful.
Each thread is thin and weak, and since they are held together so forcibly, there is no telling when they might snap. They are far too unreliable to entrust everything to.
That's why it's worth going "all in."
"Rem. There are a few things I need to talk to you about and a few things I want to ask you."
"yes"
Subaru seeks Rem's help in finalizing the draft he has just come up with.
Now, before he started disclosing information to her, he first selected only the information that would not conflict with the witch's curse――
"Now that word has spread that Emilia will be competing in the Royal Selection, the conditions are right for the Witch Cult to make their move. For some incomprehensible reason, they are planning to cause trouble, targeting Emilia… the mansion and the village. I want to stop them."
"Witch Cult..."
For an instant, a dangerous look appeared in Rem's eyes upon hearing those words.
However, she used her self-control to suppress her emotions, and slightly inclined her chin at Subaru's words,
"Lord Roswaal has also considered the possibility that the Witch Cult may take action. Rem hasn't been informed of the details, but I believe countermeasures have been considered."
"But that's not enough."
In fact, it is unclear what preparations Roswaal had made against the Witch Cult.
It is unclear whether it ended up being a dud, or whether it was activated but did not reach its target. However, in the end, the advance measures were to no avail, and the White Hell unfolded.
Knowing that future, what Subaru should do is to ensure his own defenses without relying on Roswaal, and ultimately find a way to protect the lives of the people of the mansion and village.
"The Witch Cult will likely launch a short battle. Rem, what is the mansion's fighting strength?"
"...It's difficult to say, but there's a good chance that Roswaal-sama is not currently at the mansion. After returning from the royal capital, he was scheduled to immediately visit an influential person within the territory."
Rem was vague and seemed to be having difficulty speaking, and told him the news that had shocked Subaru last time: Roswaal was not there. Hearing this, Subaru confirmed that only Emilia, Ram, and Beatrice were in the mansion.
With only three people, and Beatrice's uncooperative attitude in particular, it was highly doubtful that she would join the fight against the Witch Cult.
He remembers the conversation he had with Beatrice the last time, though it was only for a short time.
When Subaru asked her to kill him, she looked at him like a child whose hopes had been betrayed.
"Sorry, but that will have to wait for now."
Feeling heartbroken to have to leave behind Rem's tearful expression, Subaru prefaced his response with "Well then,"
"There are only two of us left to fight. Even if Rem and I return, it will be like trying to put out a fire with water."
"It cannot be denied that the majority of the mansion's fighting strength is dependent on Lord Roswaal's personal abilities. If Frederica had stayed behind, things might have been different."
Nodding in response to a frustrated-looking Rem, Subaru worked out the finer details so as to ensure there was no discrepancy between the information they had at the preparation stage.
As for the Witch Cult and the mansion's military strength, nothing could be further from the truth.
So, the next topic is the main topic.
Subaru straightened his posture and looked straight into Rem's eyes.
Then, sensing a change in the atmosphere, Rem lifted her head, and
"--Rem, tell me everything Roswaal has ordered you to do in the royal capital."
"――――"
Subaru had expected a puzzled look, or perhaps a look of surprise from being caught off guard.
However, Rem's reaction upon hearing those words completely defied Subaru's expectations.
"--Yes. As you command."
She nodded at Subaru's words, a smile of genuine joy on her face, and a single tear spilled from her eye.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
"An alliance...?"
With everyone's eyes on her, Crusch muttered as Subaru explained the purpose of the meeting.
She tilted her chin back slightly as if deep in thought, then shot a quick glance in Rem's direction. Silently understanding the meaning of her searching gaze, Rem shook her head slowly,
"As per Lord Roswaal's orders, Rem has not said anything. Subaru-kun has come to this conclusion on his own."
"I don't doubt your loyalty, sir. But, I see..."
Crusch showed understanding, more like she understood, than agreed. Then she turned her eyes, filled with understanding, towards Subaru,
"In that case, does that mean that the authority to negotiate this time has been delegated from Rem to you, Sir - Natsuki Subaru?"
"Yes, that's true. Roswaal... I think my master was just being mean to me."
Subaru lets out an exaggerated sigh and clicks his tongue at the nasty smile of the indigo-haired figure that appears in his mind.
The course of action in the royal capital had been given to Rem without being told to Subaru. And, unless Subaru himself knew about it, it was strictly commanded that Rem should never let it slip out of her mouth to Subaru.
"It's not like there weren't any issues from the start. In the first place, it's self-evident that our camp is chronically short on manpower."
As far as Subaru knew, Roswaal's camp, with Emilia at their side, was critically short on manpower.
After all, the only people in the main mansion were the sisters Ram and Rem, Roswaal, and Beatrice, whose number he was unsure of. There were other people he had heard of from time to time, but even if he gathered up all the people he didn't know, how many would there be?
Under such circumstances, even though it was a limited condition, the fact that Subaru had left Rem behind with him in the royal capital had always nagged at the back of his mind as something odd.
Of course, the official reason was that she wanted to repay Subaru for saving her territory from peril with medical treatment and other forms of compensation, and so she could not be so rude as to leave him alone in the royal capital.
"I can't imagine that that pervert would let Rem go just for such a merciful reason. There must be something else going on behind the scenes, the more I think about it…"
"Naturally, our family, which had the most opportunities to meet, was chosen, huh?"
Crossing her legs, Crusch took over Subaru's words and stated her conclusion. Subaru nodded in affirmation and prefaced his statement with "And also,"
"I had heard that Rem and Crusch-san were having secret meetings every night. I hate myself for being such an idiot that I didn't even realize what they were talking about."
He could only laugh at himself, thinking about how only he had been able to see into his own mind. Rem had really been scattering hints so that Subaru would notice her hidden intentions, but he was so insensitive that he had to look at the world four times to finally realise this.
"The topic of our nightly meetings is the conclusion of the alliance. As for the conditions we're offering... I've heard all about them from Rem."
"The main trade is the sale of mining rights for the magic ores of Elior Forest."
As if there was nothing to hide, Subaru was only vaguely hinting at it, but Crusch cut him off.
Upon hearing this, it was none other than Jewel's eyes lit up.
"That's a story you can't miss."
Russell, who was sitting in a leather chair for guests just like Crusch, leaned forward slightly with a sparkle in his eyes.
"The mining rights for magic ores are now more valuable than ever before, especially in a place where the demand for ores is on the rise. This is especially true if the ore is from an area that is still untouched."
Subaru couldn't hide his surprise at how eager the merchants were to buy the item, much more than he had expected.
When Subaru had first heard this story from Rem, he had felt a sense of crisis and thought, "If this doesn't work, we may need to reconsider the terms."
"What do you mean, the demand for ore is increasing?"
"The season will soon be ending with red days, yellow days, and blue days. This year, the influence of water mana is expected to be particularly strong, so there should be a lot of demand for it for use in heating equipment."
Russell holds up his finger and cheerfully answers Subaru's question.
The blue and red sun he mentioned are the terms for the four seasons in this world. As I heard, red sun is "summer" and blue sun is "winter". Yellow sun is "autumn" and green sun is "spring". Either way, it seems we can understand that this means that heating appliances start selling before winter.
"Magic ore itself is a crystal of pure magical power that contains mana. Depending on how it is processed afterwards, it can be given directional properties, making it possible to use it for different purposes. It has excellent strength, and if used correctly, you can trust its long lifespan. There is no other product that is easier to use."
"In exchange, the absolute amount is small. Once you've added directionality, there's no going back. Most of the land at the mines is managed by the kingdom, and a large portion of the ore is diverted to public works projects. Only a very small amount is distributed to the public; to put it more simply, it's only available to the country and the wealthy."
While Russell enumerated the positive aspects of magic ore's value, Crusch enumerated the negative aspects of how that value was being used and began to crush it.
But Russell was undeterred and shook his head, saying, "That's why."
"It's hard not to jump at the chance to discover an untouched mine. These words come from an envoy of Sir Mathers, who made his fortune excavating and trading magic ores -- and from a knight of Lady Emilia, who is also a candidate for the throne. The words are highly credible and trustworthy."
Russell spoke in an enthusiastic tone, glancing at Subaru from the side.
His attitude, while feigning the shamelessness of jumping on the mining rights, was clearly intended as a strong warning to Subaru.
In other words, since he had brought up the material in his presence, he had cut off our escape route, telling us there was no way to back out.
However,
"Yeah, you can trust me on that. In the long process of the royal selection, I'm sure I can't be so wrong as to bluff the person I'm going to team up with first."
Since Roswaal had presented it as a condition, there was no room for Subaru's will to intervene. It also meant that there was no room for anxiety to come into play, and to put it bluntly, he trusted Roswaal as his lord. Though he couldn't bring himself to say that to him.
In any case, at Subaru's response, Russell nodded with understanding in his eyes, saying, "I see."
"It seems there is no need to worry about my negotiating skills. I apologize for my rudeness and testing you."
"No, it's fine. I intend to ask for your help in any discussions that may come up."
To begin with, there was not the slightest bit of expectation that Russell would have a good impression of Subaru.
When they first met in the third world, he was aware of the disgraceful behavior Subaru had shown at the Royal Selection. Naturally, he had doubts about Subaru's abilities at the conference, and he figured there would be an opportunity for him to come and confirm this.
Although I had prepared a topic that would be easy to crack, planning to avoid being criticized when it came to the main topic, I couldn't hide my relief that he took the bait at a moment that was easy to avoid.
However, if that relief was easily revealed on his face, he wouldn't be in good hands, so even after accepting his apology, he was forced to give an arrogant reply.
"But, since you've apologized like this, I'd like you to overlook one or two slip-ups, okay?"
"So that's what Russell Fellows was hoping for when he joined. Surprisingly, even your lordship makes some pretty shady decisions."
As she complained in response to Subaru's friendly smile, Crusch had apparently graded Subaru's exchange with the merchant in her own way. As the meeting had not been cut short, it looked like he was on the verge of failing.
As he made this decision, Subaru continued to smile politely and put his hand to his head,
"Of course, the purpose was to secure an advisor by dangling a profitable business opportunity… but the reason I called Mr. Russell is related to the main topic."
"Oh, so that's the main topic--"
As Subaru scratched his head, the atmosphere in the room changed drastically.
Crusch, who had been observing the situation up until then as if she was assessing the situation, straightened up, quietly closed her eyes once, and slowly turned her sharp gaze upon Subaru.
Faced with an overwhelming force so strong it felt like the wind had blown, Subaru resisted without flinching.
If it was a violent intimidation, she'd been forced to come into contact with it more than she'd wanted. In comparison, the glint in Crusch's eyes was completely devoid of any negative emotion that would make anyone tremble in fear. All she had was an authority that made her straighten her back and tighten her relaxed thoughts.
"I will admit it, Natsuki Subaru. That you are acting on behalf of Lord Mathers, as well as an official envoy from Emilia. The contents exchanged between me and Lord Mathers at this negotiating forum are, in effect, exchanged between Emilia and me."
Just standing in front of it can be quite a pressure on a human being.
Crusch was not intentionally intimidating Subaru right now. She had simply switched her awareness from Crusch as a private citizen to Crusch Karsten as a public figure. In other words, the very intimidation emanating from the head of the Dukedom of Karsten was proof of just how much power she possessed.
This was the heroine who was currently closest to the throne in the Kingdom of Lugnica.
Subaru stood there in admiration, goosebumps rising from his cheeks, and Crusch extended her hand towards him, signalling the start of the negotiations.
"I'm sure you've already heard this, but I'll ask again. Negotiations between me and your servant… Rem, including the transfer of mining rights, have not yet reached an agreement. You must be well aware of that, right?"
"...ah"
He had heard from Rem that the negotiations were proving difficult, and that the authority he had been entrusted with was not enough to reach an agreement. He could picture Rem lamenting her lack of power, but at the same time, he was also half lamenting his own lack of foresight in not noticing her distress.
The two laments combined constitute regret, and Subaru takes full advantage of the good fortune of knowing that he will regret his future first. That is why the story unfolds differently from the previous times.
"I would also like to confirm this, but in reality, the conditions so far are not enough, right? The transfer of mining rights in the Elior Forest without excessive interference with each other's camps. In addition, an agreement on the handling of the mined magic ores themselves should also be finalized."
"The draft was presented by Rem. As expected of Margrave Mathers. After securing sufficient benefits for his own camp, more than enough benefits will flow to us. Normally I would jump at the opportunity and prepare a letter of agreement right away, but…"
Subaru has no say in the matter of the numbers being exchanged.
If he feels cornered, he might suddenly say, "Okay, I'll give you all the mining rights!", so we can only hope that the details don't come up.
"In this case, the concern is with the other party. Do you understand?"
It's not like her prayers were answered, but when Crusch stopped speaking, she spoke something other than her worries.
However, it is certainly not something to be welcomed.
"I can't trust Roswaal... that's not what I'm saying."
That is wishful thinking. If Roswaal's behavior is the problem, then he will be forced to live a clean and righteous life from now on, but that is not the problem Crusch is pointing out.
It is an unavoidable problem that haunts Emilia endlessly.
"She's a rival candidate for the throne. Not to mention she's a half-elf… and Emilia is accused of being half-demon. We have no choice but to be careful, even if we think about the future."
She spoke in a low voice, and Subaru found something unexpected and disappointed.
Subaru's impression of Crusch could best be described as "majestic" and "sincere."
During the royal selection, her attitude was the embodiment of those words, and she stuck to her word, so it was odd to see her now, worrying about her reputation――
"Could that be an excuse to decline...?"
"Subaru-kyun? Do you think it's nice for Feli to blurt something like that out during an important negotiation? Do you?"
Ferris was smiling, but with veins showing on his forehead. Feeling a strange masculinity in the part of his face that was creepy, Subaru hastily covered his mouth and bowed his head.
Crusch, who had been watching the exchange, slightly quirked the corners of her mouth, and said,
"When they respond so clearly, I feel like I'm the one who should be ashamed of myself for only giving a formal response. I learned a lot from this. It's rare to have such an opportunity when you're in regular contact with people like me."
And so, with logic that was hard for Subaru to understand, the rudeness had been overlooked.
However, relying too much on mercy may only lead to you feeling indebted to others, which may ultimately work to your disadvantage.
Subaru nodded slightly,
"So, just a pretense is just a pretense… but in reality, Crusch-san has no aversion to forming an alliance with Emilia, can we assume?"
"Natsuki Subaru, let's correct one thing."
Crusch raised her finger and pointed it in my direction,
"The value of an object is determined by the state of its soul and how it shines. Origin and environment are not the determining factors in determining an object's true nature."
Of course, she is not so ignorant of the world that she would not acknowledge that this could be an indirect factor.
Naturally, it was not as if he had no imagination to consider how Emilia's environment, her reality as a half-elf, must have imposed unreasonable harshness on her.
Therefore, Crusch nodded once,
"There was no truth in the words Emilia spoke at that royal selection. There was a firm resolve and pride in them, which is why I recognize her as one of the opposing candidates."
"That's complicated, you mean?"
"The theatricality is just a matter of personal preference, so forgive me."
Apparently aware of her exaggerated words, Crusch let out a small smile, then after blinking once, her expression tightened,
"The fact that Emilia is a Half-Elf is not a reason for me to refuse the alliance. In fact, Emilia is not an enemy I am hostile towards in terms of policy, so I can say that she is someone I do not need to actively confront. I am not reluctant to enter into an alliance."
"In that case..."
"Don't be in a hurry to answer, Natsuki Subaru. It's no exaggeration to say that whether or not you accept my offer will depend on your answer from now on."
Subaru leaned forward in response to the positive response, but Crusch stopped him and asked him again.
In other words, what would Subaru bring to the table now that he had been given the negotiating rights?
"The mining rights of Elior Forest are very beneficial for us. But on the other hand, I don't think there's any need to rush the royal selection process. The deadline is three years. Moving things too quickly could lead to problems later on."
"The benefits of forming an alliance with Emilia do not outweigh the drawbacks?"
"That's not quite right. At present, the advantages and disadvantages cancel each other out. Our family's thinking is that we just need an excuse to take it one more step."
Crusch herself seems keen to enter into an alliance.
On the other hand, it's not as simple as just letting everything go as she wishes, probably due to the constraints of her overgrown position as a duke.
So that's what she's asking for.
That it would bring about "something" that would change the situation and silence the voices around them.
"――――"
As he tried to get the words out, Subaru was slightly surprised at the sensation of his throat getting choked.
Tension and anxiety swelled in his chest, blocking Subaru's throat as he tried to step forward.
Take a breath and think again about what you are about to say.
I haven't checked with anyone to be sure. I can't deny the possibility that my words are completely off the mark.
But she will get on board, Subaru believes in his own belief.
"To conclude the alliance, we will provide mining rights and... information."
"--information"
Hearing this, Crusch touched her own long hair and prompted him to continue.
The verdict is still out. This is where things will start to become clear.
"Ah, that's right. What I can give you is a certain piece of information."
"Let me hear it. Will what you have to say actually move us?"
Crusch holds out the hand that had been touching her hair towards Subaru, waiting for what Subaru has to say.
Naturally, a slight tremor began to form in my feet and fingers, but this was countered by the faint warmth I felt around my elbows.
Rem put her fingers on Subaru's arm and ignited his borrowed courage,
Subaru took a breath and said it in one gulp.
"---The time and place the White Whale will appear, that's the card I can play."