Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu web novel

　--Searching aimlessly won't reveal anything.

　Subaru had come to this conclusion after running around the village searching for the missing Lewes, straining his cardiovascular system to the point that his lungs hurt every time he breathed.

"--Ha, ha, haa."

　I put my hands on my knees and vigorously moved my shoulders up and down to force oxygen into my aching lungs.

　The mental fatigue of the past few days has also taken its toll, and my limbs feel as heavy as if they were filled with lead. Even breathing is difficult.

"Natsuki, are you okay? No matter how you look at it, you're exhausted way too quickly."

"Shut up, I just remembered… I'm still receiving treatment at the hospital, and with all the various issues I've had since coming here, I'm at my peak of fatigue…"

"Okay, okay, I understand your sour grapes, so please sit down somewhere around here for a bit. Rest your body and get your mind working. I'll go get some water."

　Subaru was completely exhausted, but Otto, who was only slightly out of breath, scolded him. He pointed to the shade of a tree, then headed off to the water source, saying he was going to get some water.

　Watching her leave, grimacing at his own pathetic state, Subaru sat down in the shade of a tree and concentrated on catching his breath.

"――――"

　After parting ways with Garfiel, I spent the better part of an hour running around the Sanctuary searching for Lew's θ.

　Otto and I are using a human wave tactic, but so far we haven't seen any results. The reason we can't openly recruit collaborators is the same as the reason we're searching for Emilia.

　The fact that Ryuzu, the representative of Sanctuary, has disappeared as if abandoning his role should not be known to the residents of Sanctuary or the refugees. Garfiel probably feels the same way, which is why he is conducting the search alone.

"Emilia is..."

　To be honest, Subaru was more worried about Emilia's safety than about Lews θ.

　I firmly believe that she should not do anything rash, but when I think of how fragile she must be, perhaps alone right now, I truly wish I could rush over to her right away and support her.

　However, real-world priorities are brutal, but as he had told Otto, Lewes comes first. There was no room for Subaru's personal feelings to intervene.

　I hope that Ram, who is acting separately from Subaru and the others, will at least find Emilia.

"That, in itself, would mean giving in to Roswaal."

　Ram's stance is quite clear: she is on Roswaal's side. She joined the search for Emilia because she was worried about Roswaal's future in this world, not because she was siding with Subaru and the others. Her actions to side with Roswaal have now resulted in her supporting Subaru and the others.

　The best case scenario would be for Subaru and his friends to secure Lewes, and then smoothly secure Emilia afterwards. It would be best for Subaru to take the lead in negotiating with both of them.

　However, ideals are just ideals. They are just empty theories. It's all a waste of time.

"At this rate, the time will be up before I've even managed to pick up a single one. That would be the worst, absolutely no good. ... I have to do something..."

　If you just feel anxious, you're not going to get the results you want.

　Rather than stopping and pondering like this, wouldn't it be more likely that he would find the answer if he simply searched the entire Sanctuary thoroughly?

　I think so too,

"If that's how it can be found, then Garfiel must have found it first. It's been about an hour already. He can move around at more than twice the speed of me and Otto, and yet he still hasn't found us..."

　--Lewes continues to run away, unseen even by Garfiel.

"――――"

　Thinking that far, Subaru felt something stick in his mind and his breath hitched.

　Something felt off right now. Lewes was running away from Garfiel too. That was fine. No, it wasn't. Why was Lewes running away from Garfiel too?

　Wasn't the reason why Lew's θ was running away because he didn't want to come into contact with Subaru? Subaru had thought that he didn't want Subaru to find out about his time challenging the Trial, so he disappeared and tried to run out of time.

　But that's strange.

　If θ was serious about refusing to discuss the matter and plotting to distance himself from Subaru, he would simply have to tell that to none other than Garfiel.

　Garfiel knows how to avoid eliminating Subaru if he has a clear reason for doing so, and if Garfiel attacks in earnest, Subaru has no way of resisting him.

　If θ is serious about hiding his past, he will encourage Garfiel.

　What is the reason why you didn't do it, why you are not doing it?

"You're running away because you want me to chase you...?"

"No, the reason they run away is because they don't want to be caught. What are you talking about?"

　Subaru touched his chin and muttered something, and then a voice said, pouring him some water. When he looked up, Otto, with a dumbfounded look on his face, was holding a pitcher in one hand and pouring him some water.

"I understand that you have a lot to think about and your head gets all messed up. I also went crazy on the last day of a four-day break from sleepless nights, running around negotiating business deals and peddling."

"I'll save those stories for when we're having tea together, but I'm not crazy or anything. …Or maybe not."

"I've lost my confidence."

　I take the water that is offered to me and gulp it down from the spout that looks like a watering can. As the cold sensation slides down my throat, I organize the words that have been stuck in my throat.

"What do you think is the reason why Lewes disappeared?"

"…Well, isn't it because you don't want to talk about something that would be inconvenient if asked? If I were to meet Natsuki-san today, I'd have to talk about it whether I liked it or not…Well, considering the circumstances that kept me from going outside, I can't help but feel like it's just a temporary solution."

"Yes, it's a temporary solution. But if we really want to get to the root of the problem, surely you have an easy way to do it, Lewes?"

"--Garfiel, is that you?"

　Subaru had thought things through and finally reached a conclusion, but Otto had easily reached it with just a hint. He furrowed his brows and folded his arms in thought,

"That's certainly true... so perhaps Lewes doesn't want Garfiel to know about her dispute with Natsuki."

"That said, Garfiel has guessed that we're related. To be honest, I was shocked when he suggested that if any unusual events were occurring in the current Sanctuary, it was us who set those flags."

　It was an idea that got straight to the heart of the matter.

　In any case, Garfiel knows the reason behind Lewes' disappearance. Lewes himself should not be so stupid as to not consider how Garfiel might feel about his actions.

"In that case, there are two possibilities."

"It's possible that he thinks he shouldn't meet either Natsuki or Garfiel, and is seriously running away and hiding. And..."

"If you know you're going to be searched for, and you wait to be found... I guess."

　If it was the former, there was a good chance that Subaru and the others would be helpless. If the small Lewes was serious about running away and hiding, he could easily buy himself half a day's time. The only one who could possibly find him was Garfiel, who had a keen nose and was proactive.

　On the other hand, if it was the latter, Subaru and Garfiel had an even chance of winning.

　For this to happen, the crown must be adjusted.

　--What if there was a way to find her other than a blind, exhaustive search?

"We should find a place that has a connection to Lewes-san."

"But she wasn't at home... and at her parents' house, Emilia-sama has also disappeared, causing further trouble."

"That's right. I can't imagine he went to Roswaal's place, and the testing grounds... Garfiel was probably the first to go looking for him. So that means..."

　A place where Subaru and Garfiel have an equal chance, and it's not the kind of place Garfiel would go looking for first, but the kind of place θ would choose.

　--If there is such a place.

"...Otto, I think I might have figured it out."

"Is that true? Just from that brief exchange? Maybe you misunderstood?"

"I don't know why you decided to deny it, but the probability is pretty high. Actually, if you weren't here, I'd be pretty much helpless."

　Subaru nodded at the stunned Otto, and drank down the remaining water in the pitcher in one gulp. He wiped his mouth, stood up, and turned towards the direction he had a hunch about.

　If θ is there, she hasn't run away. She's just waiting in a suitable place to talk.

　Subaru, or maybe Garfield.

"Don't even notice, Garfiel. I'll finish the parent-teacher conference first."

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

"I have something important to tell you, so please wait here for a while."

"Yes, Mother Fortuna."

　Fortuna takes Emilia to the princess room and tells her to wait, to which Emilia responds obediently.

　Fortuna's eyes widen slightly as she sees Emilia leaving with a smile on her face. She then strokes Emilia's long silver hair and lets out a melancholy sigh.

　Up until now, whenever Emilia was left behind in the princess room, she would often show a look of dissatisfaction. She thought she was able to hide it, but with her flushed cheeks puffed out and her face turned away, anyone could see that the young girl was harboring resentment.

　It had been a while since Fortuna had seen such clear-sighted behavior from Emilia, so it was only natural that she was suspicious.

"...Emilia."

"What?"

"--No, it's nothing."

　Fortuna ran her hands through her daughter's hair and began to ask a question, but instead shook her head and gave a soft smile to Emilia, who was looking at her with innocent eyes.

　Although there were some things that didn't quite add up, the fact that the situation didn't require much effort was something to be welcomed. Since she was keeping the other party waiting, Fortuna seemed to accept this for the time being.

　As she waves goodbye to Fortuna, she hears the sound of the bolt falling from the other side of the closed door. The door is securely locked, and now Emilia is alone in the princess room.

　--No, not so much recently.

"It's okay to come out now."

　After waiting for about a minute and making sure that Fortuna had not returned, Emilia turned around the room and called out to someone in a hushed voice.

　Naturally, the only figure in the room was hers, and there was no way anyone could have responded to it, but suddenly, a pale blue phosphorescent light crossed the faintly lit room.

　Seeing the dim, faint glow, Emilia's amethyst eyes fluttered with joy.

　As she spent time in the princess room, Emilia had gradually become aware of these mysterious beings and began to call them fairies. However, as they were micro-spirits, calling them by this nickname carried a slightly different nuance, even though they were close to each other.

　In any case, the micro-spirits did not reproach the young Emilia for her rudeness,

"Fairy, fairy, thank you again today."

　With those words, the girl expressed her gratitude to him for not leaving her alone, and in response she began dancing on the spot, scattering phosphorescent light, to demonstrate her intentions.

"――――"

　As she watched the dancing micro-spirits, Emilia felt even more strongly that these beings of light were her best allies.

　Not only will they rush to her aid if she feels lonely, but they will also do everything in their power to help her achieve her wishes. If Emilia is not careful enough and is in danger of being seen while walking around outside, they will subtly let her know.

　--Escapes from the princess room have been repeated countless times since then.

　No one had ever found the gap in the tree roots deep inside the cave that led outside, so Emilia could escape through it whenever she wanted. At first, she would hurt her clothes and body by forcing herself to crawl out, but now that she'd gotten the hang of it, she no longer had to worry about that.

　Since he'd used the excuse of getting his clothes dirty two or three times in a row, it was starting to seem like Fortuna might find out about it. That was a close call.

"I'm sure you were really suspicious. But it's okay now. Hehe."

　Emilia puffs out her chest and boasts of her progress, and a blue glow dances around her head in praise. Her eyes soon begin to blink, and she becomes dizzy.

　And yet, although Emilia had become a regular escapee, her great adventures outside were rather cute; just like the first time, she would peek at or eavesdrop on adults' discussions, or sneakily eat fruit from trees without permission, or play pranks by rearranging things in someone's house, and that was about it.

　However, this kind of mischief gradually becomes more extreme, and even an innocent girl like Emilia is no exception.

"Okay then, it's time to go out today."

"――――"

　The flickering light seemed to agree with Emilia, and with these encouraging reinforcements she made a bold escape from the princess room.

　She widened the gap in the branches, which had loosened considerably from crawling through them so many times, and slipped her small body through, pulling herself out of the hollow tree. The moment she came out of the hole, Emilia tumbled, but was gently caught by a cushion made of fallen leaves.

　Emilia had learned this from falling down countless times and had prepared an escape device for herself.

"What should I do today?"

　As she removes the fallen leaves that have gotten tangled in her hair, Emilia asks the light beside her. She knows there will be no reply, but the way it responds to the intensity of the light makes her realize she is not alone.

　Although she had come outside, as always, it was getting late to do something. If she kept playing pranks, Emilia would find out she was behind them, and she might even find out that she had escaped from the princess room. She wouldn't want the hole to be blocked.

"We'll have to wait until the heat dies down."

　Muttering to herself as if she were a cunning intellectual criminal, Emilia set off aimlessly through the village. She was probably in the square in the middle of the forest, where the group of men in black were discussing something as usual. The men in black were giving gifts to the adults of the forest, who were then accepting them.

　Meanwhile, the man who had been talking with Mother Fortuna was a tall man, and after looking at his face many times, Emilia realized that he had been called "Romanée-Conti" and "Juice", and in her mind she had started calling him "Juice".

　However, the adult conversations that Emilia had found fascinating at first lost their novelty after eavesdropping on them so many times, and she gradually began to grow bored.

　There are many things that young Emilia doesn't understand in the conversations between Fortuna and Juice. But she still frequently listens in because, like the first time, the names of Emilia's mother and father are mentioned, and she is plotting to find out where they are and what they are doing.

　Unfortunately, there has yet to be an example of Emilia's plan coming to fruition.

"Just..."

　Should we sneak onto that wagon led by Juice and the others?

　If Emilia's small body could slip into the shade of the luggage in that covered cart, it would be easy to have them take her out of the forest. From what I've seen so far, Juice and the others didn't seem to inspect the cart when they left the forest.

　With the help of fairies, it should be easy to sneak in when the opportunity arises.

"...Hmm."

　I think like that, but I quickly give up, thinking it's impossible.

　After all, going out of the forest would go against his most important promise to Mother Fortuna.

　--You must never leave the forest. Emilia has been strictly warned that there are many scary things outside, and that it is dangerous until she becomes an adult.

　Even though she had already broken one rule, the virtue of this girl called Emilia was that she couldn't be so selfish as to break other promises just because she was together now.

　Therefore, I abandoned the plan to hide in the cart and escape at the planning stage. I decided to think of other ways to find out about my mom and dad's recent situation.

"--Heave ho, heave ho."

　While she was lost in thought, she arrived at the meeting place where the adults, Juice and the others were once again discussing the matter. Emilia nimbly climbed up a nearby tree and lay on her stomach on a branch, listening intently.

　As usual, Fortuna and Juice were chatting away as the luggage was being handed over. However, today Fortuna's expression seemed especially gentle.

"Emilia has been feeling a lot better recently and is in great spirits. The only problem is that she gets covered in mud and stains her clothes so easily."

"Well... it's good that you are in good health. I can provide you with some extra clothes if you like. It's nearly winter outside the forest, so there will likely be a lot of clothes being disposed of as the season changes."

"I'm sorry for being so spoiled and pestering you... I wonder if there are any adult clothes?"

"Yes, of course. I'm sure it would suit you well, Lady Fortuna."

　Juice said this with a gentle expression, and Fortuna's face took on a complicated expression. Then, she shyly scratched her cheek with her fingers and said,

"...I wonder where you learn those kinds of words. We've been friends for a long time, but when did you become able to tell jokes like that?"

"I'm just being honest. Did I say something strange?"

"By nature, it's hard to deal with because it's obvious that you're not lying..."

　Fortuna put her hand to her forehead in exasperation, but the smile on her face was proof that she was in no way uncomfortable with the exchange.

　No, on the contrary, Fortuna seemed to be enjoying this exchange.

"...Hmm."

　For some reason, Emilia felt a little annoyed seeing her mother like that.

　Fortuna's face is often perceived as stern, but even an onlooker can see that she has a gentler expression, a little towards her compatriots and a lot towards Emilia.

　I feel bad, as if something precious to my mother has been taken away.

"Fuck you, Juice idiot."

　Emilia puffed out her cheeks, venting her anger at someone she only knew one-sidedly, and resolved that if Juice didn't say anything that would interest her, she would play some kind of prank on his cart today.

　Maybe I should just put a cloth between the wheels or spill some oil on the cart bed.

　Emilia aspired to such a modest revenge, but her revenge drama was never put on display.

"--So, is the seal okay?"

　Juice lowered his voice and asked Fortuna his usual question. Fortuna nodded her chin in response, just like always,

"No change. Always the same, every time."

"That is why I have this duty. Besides, it is the wrong time of year. There are cyclical issues, but this year there have been particularly many nights when the moon is hidden, and the circulation of mana has been insufficient. I am worried that this may have a negative effect on the seal deep in the forest..."

"The moon… that makes sense now. That's why the micro-spirits in the forest have been acting unwell for a while now. I understand. The seal might have loosened, so I'll go and check it out with my own eyes later."

"Thank you very much."

　As Juice slumped over, Fortuna looked serious and tilted his chin back.

　Eavesdropping on their conversation, Emilia muttered to herself, "Deep in the forest..."

　Emilia had explored the elven settlement thoroughly, and of course, had also explored the forest as far as Fortuna had allowed, and although she hadn't said it aloud, she had practically considered the forest her own garden.

　Emilia had no idea what "deep in the forest" Fortuna and the others were talking about. She assumed it was probably somewhere deep in the forest that was off-limits to anyone - but the thought of being kept from her only made her more and more dissatisfied.

　At this time, Emilia's dissatisfaction was building up.

　As usual, she wasn't getting any of the information her parents wanted, and the once-fresh adventures outside the princess room had become monotonous. On top of that, despite the adults repeatedly telling Emilia what she shouldn't do, a great deal of evidence had emerged in just a short space of time that it was the adults themselves who were lying and hiding things.

　--Let's just bother everyone a little.

　Yes, who could blame Emilia for thinking that?

　At that moment, the mischievous spirit that had suddenly begun to blossom within Emilia grew without anyone blaming or reprimanding her, hastening the arrival of that moment.

　And so, in later years, if anyone was to blame for what had happened, it was Emilia herself. She blamed herself exceedingly for her own foolishness at the time, but even then, it was still not enough, and she ended up piling up more and more sins.

　--But the regrets that followed would never reach the young Emilia at that time.

　Just as Emilia rolled up her sleeves in misplaced enthusiasm, Fortuna and the others finished their discussion. The exchange of supplies finished without any major issues this time as well, and the adults saluted as they saw Juice and the others off.

　After witnessing this, Emilia nimbly jumped off the branch and hurried back to the princess's room. Diving through a gap in the tree roots, Emilia returned to the cave and hurriedly worked on creating an alibi.

　In a short time, she finished her drawing, changed the doll's clothes, and left the snacks scattered everywhere.

　Just as I finished my work and wiped the sweat from my forehead, I heard Fortuna's voice from outside.

"Emilia, sorry to keep you waiting. Have you been a good girl today?"

"I... I was a good girl, okay? I was. Yes, I was."

"――――"

　Emilia looked satisfied with her flawless performance, having fooled everyone. Fortuna silently narrowed her eyes and gazed upon her.

　Although Emilia felt uncomfortable with the sharpness of his gaze, she knew that any strange behavior she had here would only deepen his suspicions,

"H-h-whatever, Mother Fortuna. Even if you look like that, I haven't done anything. I've been eating sweets, drawing pictures, and playing with dolls. I haven't been outside at all. Seriously."

"---Yeah, that would be fine."

　It seems that Fortuna was fooled by Emilia's acting and completely believed her. Although Emilia felt guilty about deceiving her mother, she told herself that she shouldn't let something like this bother her, and she concocted a scenario for a ruthless act of revenge.

　Deep in the forest, Fortuna and the others were talking about a "seal." Emilia remembers that a seal meant something like a place to hide something.

　In other words, there is something hiding there that would be troublesome if it were to get out.

　--Emilia had decided how she would get revenge on Fortuna and the others.

　Finding out where that secret "Seal" was being kept, that place deep in the forest, would allow him to use it as bargaining chip if Fortuna and the others scolded him for anything.

　Use the location of the seal deep in the forest as a trump card in case your escape from the princess room is discovered.

　Emilia, whose eyes sparkle at her own brilliant idea, is unaware of the contradiction in which, in order to escape punishment for her escape, she turns to something even more sinister, something she has been told not to do.

　Her mother led her hand out of the princess room. Fortuna then said that she had some business to attend to after returning Emilia to the house. From what she had said with Juice earlier, Fortuna was likely going to go and check on the "seal".

　that's why,

"--Please."

　Begging the pale phosphorescent light to follow her mother, Emilia closed one eye slightly.

　By the time her limbs had fully grown, the young girl at that time had already begun to show signs of a beautiful face capable of captivating anyone with just a smile.

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

　This was Subaru's second time visiting this place, but his first time on this lap.

　The building stands alone on a small hill. It is not particularly shabby, but it has the feel of an ordinary residential house with no outstanding features.

　The interior is divided into two rooms, a bedroom and a living room, with a simple kitchen in the living room, similar to an apartment in the original world. It's not too spacious for one person to live in, but it might be a bit cramped for one adult and two children to live together.

　Only now, realizing the significance of the building, did Subaru feel such emotion.

　He stood in front of the door and knocked from outside. After a moment of silence, he heard a voice from inside say, "Come in," and Subaru was relieved that his thoughts had been correct.

　Then, I quickly pulled away that feeling of relief, put my hand on the doorknob, and opened the door.

　The faint scent of the wood from the old house brushes against your nostrils. Feeling the lukewarm air on your skin, you step into the room.

"It seems to have taken longer than I thought."

　At the back of the room, a figure was sitting on a simple bed. It seemed like the person was about to have a refill of tea, and was in the middle of pouring boiled water into a cup.

　That must have been the cause of the lukewarm breeze drifting from the room. Subaru confirmed that there were three cups on the table - however, only one was full,

"Does that mean I'm the first invited guest?"

"That's right. Su-bou is the first to arrive. I've brewed the tea strong, but is that okay?"

"Either way is fine. Whether it's strong or weak, the taste of the leaves is the taste of the leaves."

"That's a pointless thing to say. I can understand why Ram was complaining."

　Smiling wryly at Subaru's blunt response, Crown - θ pulled an empty cup towards him. He poured hot water into the cup he had brought close to him, steeped the tea leaves in it, and pushed it towards Subaru.

"Hey, you must be thirsty. Let's go and get a drink first."

"If I rush over and gulp it down, I'll end up going straight to church with my remaining HP. That aside, I'll enjoy it."

　As Theta's brow quirked in confusion at the remark, Subaru blew on the cup he was given to cool it down, then brought it to his lips. The rich taste of grass slid over his tongue and down his throat.

　No matter how many times, what type, or who brews it, a leaf is a leaf.

"I couldn't even get used to Rem's tea... I guess my body just can't handle this."

"I know what you think without even asking. I'll never make you a cup of coffee again."

　Glaring at Subaru, who was frowning and sticking out his tongue, θ gulped down his share of tea in one go. Then he stroked his long hair, dragging the hem of it as he sat back down on the bed, once again placing Subaru in front of him,

"This was meant to be a time to relax before we began our discussion, but it has created an unexpected rift."

"If we bring the contents of the side story into the main story, readers who happen to miss it will end up being confused later, so let's leave that out. Let's switch gears and get straight to the story."

"It must be easy for the person saying it..."

　With an exasperated look on her face, θ sighed and then stared at her small palm. Then her gaze passed over Subaru, peering out the door,

"Even so... it was Su-bou after all. I thought it might be him. Rather than Ga-bou coming here, I was more worried that Su-bou would come alone, or that we would run out of time without thinking of either of them."

"...Well, you've put conditions that are quite unfavorable to Garfiel. If he heard that, he'd probably be very upset."

"I hope they'll cry and moan... I imagine a more serious reaction. If Garbo had been here, I could have dispelled those worries."

　With a lonely smile, θ looks at the living room wall.

　Subaru was drawn in and looked in that direction, where hanging on the wall was a shining silver metal shield - two of them, crossing each other and displayed on the wall in a shape he had seen before.

　It is a shield that Garfiel and Frederica used to play with when they were young, and it holds a special place in their heart - in other words, this is the home of Garfiel and Frederica.

　Subaru doesn't understand θ's true intentions in choosing this place for their final discussion.

　However, he remembered talking here in the previous loop, and remembered that this place had a special meaning to both Ryuzu and the others and to Garfiel.

　Relying on that memory, they went there and found θ there, waiting for them.

"I'm glad you came alone, Su-bo. It's not really a story I want to tell other people."

"Oh, I left Otto behind. I don't think he'll be able to keep up with the rest of the story."

　Although it sounded as if he was unintentionally leaving behind a warrior who was beyond his power, that was not his intention. However, he felt that he could not discuss Ryuzu's past without touching on the "Witch." Subaru was the only one who should delve into that matter.

　Therefore, I have now entrusted Otto with a different role.

"So, Mr. θ, you're just one of the Ryuzus who entered the tomb, right?"

"Did you?"

"Oh, sorry. I just called them that for convenience. The one from yesterday was Σ-san, and the remaining two are Alpha and Beta. I'm sure you won't like it, so I'll refrain from calling them that…"

"...No, never mind. I see, so that's what you were saying. Ah, I see, I see... it's not so bad after all."

　After muttering "I saw it, I saw it" several times in her mouth, θ relaxed her cheeks in embarrassment. Then she quietly closed her eyes, and after a few seconds she opened them,

"What I'm going to tell you now is the origins of the Sanctuary as far as I've seen... and part of the events leading up to Lewes Meyer being sealed inside the crystal."

"--Yeah"

"I wonder what Su-bou will think when he hears that, and what he will tell me... As one of the four Ryuzu who represent the Sanctuary, I will entrust my fate to that."

　Having said that, θ smiled at the breathless Subaru,

"You need to take on the challenge with care, right?"