ALL NOVEL Chapter 20: Natsuki Subaru
Subaru POV (2 hours before sunset)
Subaru had turned off the path to Arlam village, heading into the forest and up to a high hill next to a cliff. From the edge of the cliff, Roswaal Manor was visible in the distance, like a small shelter surrounded by green fields and trees.
With slow steps, Subaru walked to the edge of the cliff, surveying the emptiness in front of him. "It should easily be over 20 meters high," he thought as he looked down. A fall from there would not be pretty at all, but it was a strategic place to observe.
"I should have an escape plan just in case doubts and things get rough," Subaru said quietly, as if talking to himself would help him organize his thoughts.
He had been fortunate enough to find some ropes on his way into the village before detouring to his true goal. He didn't know if fate was on his side or if he simply needed to rely on something to keep him from feeling so vulnerable, but the ropes were a valuable resource.
He tied one end of the rope to a nearby tree and then fastened the other end to his waist. If things got complicated—and Subaru knew better than anyone that they always got complicated—he would have a way to escape by climbing down the cliff.
"Good," he muttered as he sat down on the edge of the cliff. "Now I just have to wait for night, which is when they'll attack the mansion... or attack me."
With a sigh, he pulled out the knife he had stolen from the kitchen hours before. He held it in front of him, looking at his reflection in the blade. His eyes were full of determination, but also fear.
"I'm doing all this for my pride," thought Subaru. "I have Kaoru as an ally, but I didn't tell him about this. It was immature of me... If they attack the mansion and not me, it will be my fault." As he pondered, his gaze strayed to the window of Emilia's room, visible from his position.
"Dying is horrible... and I don't have the courage to kill myself if it all goes wrong," he muttered, lowering his gaze to the knife. "I don't want to die. I don't want to die like that time..." Subaru tightened his grip on the knife handle, his hands sweaty and shaking.
"I can do it... I just have to... I can do it," he said to himself, trying to calm himself as his body continued to tremble. "I just have to watch the mansion from here. If anything happens, I'll find an excuse to tell Rem why I was late and without the groceries. I'll also have to explain how I knew the manor would be attacked..."
He let out a long sigh and looked up at the scenery. Roswaal Manor was quiet, as if nothing was going to happen. The gentle breeze caressed his skin, and for a moment, Subaru allowed himself to relax. "Everything doesn't have to be so heavy... Sometimes looking at the scenery helps too, he thought, though his mind was still alert, occasionally turning towards the forest, waiting for any sign of danger.
Kaoru POV (Sunset)
Kaoru was walking along the path to Arlam village, hoping to meet Subaru on his way back. But there was no sign of him. The trail was empty, and the silence of the forest felt eerie.
"That fool, where could he be? I'm really starting to worry," he muttered to himself, frowning. There was something in the atmosphere he didn't like, though he couldn't put an exact name to it.
As he moved forward, Kaoru put his hand to his back pocket where he kept his notebook. "That notebook... that old Raigor said it was special, but so far it looks ordinary and normal. What am I supposed to find? Sometimes I think Raigor is a damn troll... but with what that old man knows, I can't ignore what he says."
He remembered Raigor's words about metaphorical soul enhancement using mana. "Enhancing your own soul with mana..." thought Kaoru, letting the phrase rattle around in her head. "Sounds like something taken out very pretentious, but I can't ignore it. Even more so when Puck kept bugging me today, basically telling me I'm useless and not to believe me any better than shit."
"That shitty cat really rubs me the wrong way," he said quietly, clicking his tongue.
"If I can merge mana with my own Od to make it better, maybe talent would cease to make sense. There would only be growth, no limits." The idea was tempting, but Kaoru knew he was a long way from reaching it. "My gate control is mediocre. I can't even dream of it now. I need to control it better first, and then maybe I can start experimenting."
He shook his head, dispelling the distracting thoughts. "Anyway, my purpose today is to visit the village, find somewhere nice to take Emilia, and incidentally find Subaru," he muttered, looking down the road in front of him.
A thought crossed his mind, one he hadn't wanted to face directly. "I should also talk to Subaru about Emilia before things get weird...and really awkward. I like Emilia, but Subaru obviously likes her a lot too." Kaoru sighed. "This is going to be messy, but better to talk about it now than let it blow up later."
Though, deep down, Kaoru knew that Emilia wasn't the only one who caught his attention. "Rem and Ram aren't bad either..." he thought, and a mischievous grin crept onto his face. "Those maid outfits are really a thing... they were definitely designed by someone who knows what they're doing."
As he moved forward, something caught his attention. A set of footprints strayed off the main path and into the forest. Kaoru stopped, frowning.
"What the hell...?" He muttered, bending down to examine the footprints more closely. They were fresh, fresh enough that the ground was still slightly sunken. "Subaru, why would you go off the path?"
Kaoru stood up, looking toward the forest with suspicion. He didn't like the idea of wandering into it, but if Subaru was there, he had to make sure he was okay. "That idiot... if anything happened to him, it'll be his fault for getting in where he shouldn't have."
With a sigh, Kaoru adjusted his notebook in his back pocket and decided to follow the tracks. "I hope this isn't another disaster waiting to happen."