Chapter 93: Otto Suwen
Night fell, and Subaru Natsuki and Rem were still waiting for the fog to clear.
Although they had only waited for about three hours, to the two who were deeply worried about the mansion's condition, those hours felt agonizingly long.
However, they had no choice but to continue waiting.
They could either take a detour, which would consume more time, or remain here and hope the fog would disappear any moment.
If they chose to take a detour, they couldn't be sure what might happen at the mansion in their absence.
After weighing the options, they decided to stay with the merchants and wait for the fog to lift.
The forest was slightly cold at night.
The merchants, trying to make the best of the situation, sat around a campfire chatting to warm their spirits.
The cheerful atmosphere dispelled the night's chill.
Subaru and Rem sat together near the fire, watching and listening to the merchants as they drank and laughed.
If it weren't for the potential danger at the mansion, Subaru would've wanted to enjoy this moment fully.
He even thought that, perhaps using his modern-day knowledge, he could impress the merchants.
That was what his former self might have done—but after all he'd been through, he no longer saw value in showing off.
Such praise and admiration brought no real benefit, nor did they heal his heart.
Subaru glanced at the cup of alcohol by his side—offered by the merchants.
Though he originally intended to refuse, he ended up accepting it.
He reached out, took the wooden cup, and sipped the alcohol.
Exhaling, he muttered:
"It doesn't even taste good. Why do so many people love this stuff...?"
Despite saying that, Subaru didn't put the cup down.
A look of longing came into his eyes. If there was one thing he truly wished for—it was to go home.
And apart from that, he wanted to see his parents' expressions after seeing how much he had changed.
Just imagining their reactions made his lips curl into a smile.
If he could meet Kamijou again, he could proudly say, "My dearest friend—look at me now. I can finally stand beside you."
Then Subaru shook his head.
Deep down, he knew—if he really said that, Kamijou would probably reply:
"What are you talking about? Haven't you always been right beside me?"
Yes—that's exactly what he would say. It was only Subaru who thought Kamijou's light was too dazzling, who felt too inferior to believe he had the right to stand next to him.
That was selfish thinking.
But even so, Subaru would keep pushing forward—not to become exactly like Kamijou, but to at least not be afraid to stand near his light.
"Once you're drunk, you don't have to think about any of that—hic."
Hearing that voice, Subaru blinked and turned toward the speaker.
He saw a young man with gray hair, dressed entirely in green, hugging a wine jug, his face flushed red—completely plastered.
"You talking to me?"
"Of course. Alcohol is a gift from the heavens! I won't let anyone badmouth it—hic."
Subaru frowned at this drunkard.
While the others were only drinking lightly and chatting, this guy was totally wasted, drinking alone.
"Why do you say alcohol is so great?"
Curious, Subaru began chatting with the green-clad drunk. It was his first time talking to someone so inebriated—it felt like a novelty.
"Why, you ask? Because it's the greatest invention ever! Once you drink it, you don't have to think about all your worries."
Waving his arms like a preacher of booze, the green-clad youth continued, his voice lowering:
"When you miss home… when you miss your family… even when you're happy—alcohol is always the best companion. That's why it's the best thing ever."
Subaru was stunned for a moment.
He looked down into his cup and finally understood why he didn't find the taste that unpleasant just now.
Just as he was about to drink more, someone tugged his sleeve.
He turned to see Rem looking at him, concern in her eyes.
Surprised, Subaru smiled and said:
"It's okay. I won't get drunk. I just… kind of felt like drinking."
"Subaru-kun, are you feeling homesick?"
"...You really do see through everything, don't you? Is it that obvious from my face?"
Rem shook her head.
"It's not obvious from your expression. It's just… I can tell. Subaru-kun always works so hard. It's like he's trying not to think about home."
"You're half right. But I don't work hard just to forget home—it's because I miss home that I work hard. I used to be a total shut-in, you know."
Rem didn't understand what "shut-in" meant, but seeing Subaru's expression, she knew that the "old him" was very different from who he was now—possibly a stark contrast.
Ever since that day, Subaru had changed.
He grew stronger every day—training every night under Ram's guidance, then seeking Beatrice for more learning.
Each morning, he completed his tasks with diligence.
During breaks, he sparred with Emilia's spirit, Puck.
Subaru was clearly saying goodbye to his past self.
Rem withdrew her hand and didn't stop Subaru from drinking anymore. Subaru thanked her with a smile, took another sip, and turned to the green-clad young man:
"You're not completely wrong. But you shouldn't drink too much. What if danger comes and you're too drunk to even run?"
"Hic—Don't underestimate me. Even like this, I can run if I have to."
"Is that so? Then I'm curious—why are you drinking?"
"To avoid thinking about my miserable future."
"Huh?"
"That dragon cart over there? It's mine. It's filled with oil that no one wants.
I borrowed money just to buy and sell that cargo. Now I'm stuck. It's clear my future is doomed. Might as well indulge a bit now."
"You're just running away…"
"Damn right I am! I've got nothing left. No one will buy my goods. I have no future. So what's wrong with letting me escape for a little while?!"
"Your name?"
"Huh? Why do you want to know that? ...Fine, whatever. It's not a secret. Otto Suwen. That's my name."
"I'm Subaru Natsuki. Calling you Otto should be okay, right?"
"Yeah, that's right—but is that really something you needed to confirm?"
"Of course! I can't stand people who run away."
Saying that, Subaru downed the rest of his drink and stood up, facing Otto.
To Otto, Subaru wore a wicked grin, flexing his fingers.
"What're you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious? I'm gonna beat you up."
"What?! We just met! Did I say something that pissed you off? Isn't hitting someone you just met a bit much?!"
"Well, now you look sober enough to run if danger came.
As for why I'm hitting you? It's to knock some sense into a drunkard who's trying to escape reality. If you're not clear-headed, how can you change your doomed future?"
"Hah? There's no way to fix it! No one would buy the crap I have in my cart. Unless some idiot comes and buys it all—it's hopeless. Give up. That kind of idiot doesn't exist in this world."
Looking at Otto's defeated face, Subaru sighed and approached. Under Otto's wary gaze, he squatted down and met his eyes.
"Let me ask you—if you really can't sell that cargo, will you seriously not survive?"
"Of course. If I can't sell it, I'll have to sell myself to repay the debt. Becoming someone's property means no future."
"I see. Then I'll buy it. Shouldn't be too expensive, right?"
"Huh? It's actually really pricey! I mean, it's a whole cart's worth—wait a minute! Did I hear that right? You want to buy it? Why? Are you stupid?!"
"I'm not stupid. For some reason, from the moment I saw you, I felt like you were a good person. Since I happened to run into you, and I can help, I will. Honestly, I've got too much money and no idea how to spend it."
"...So there really is an idiot in this world..."