Chapter 107: A Camp That Belongs to No One
Sat on the table, devouring his meal, Natsuki Subaru was feeling a level of hunger he had never experienced before.
Although he had eaten a normal amount previously, now his appetite had doubled.
Sitting beside him were Rem and Felix, both of whom had already finished eating.
Rem didn't show any surprise at Subaru's current eating habits; she simply watched him gently as he continued to eat like a starving man.
Felix, on the other hand, looked on in amazement at Subaru's behavior.
His eyes were fixed on the growing pile of empty plates next to Subaru. There was so much he wanted to say, but the atmosphere at the table didn't allow him to voice his thoughts.
An intense afternoon of training combined with the strengthening of his body—these were the reasons Subaru was now eating twice as much as usual.
"Man, I'm stuffed." Subaru rubbed his belly with a satisfied expression.
"I have no idea why your appetite suddenly got so big, Subaru. Have you been holding back all this time?"
"Nope, I only just found out today that I could eat this much. No matter how much I tried before, I could never eat a lot."
"Subaru-kun, tea."
Turning his head, Subaru looked at Rem, who placed a cup of tea in front of him. He thanked her and picked up the cup, blowing on it before taking a sip.
After a full afternoon of intense training, brief mental relaxation, physical satisfaction, and now a warm cup of tea—Subaru felt like the world he saw through his eyes had changed once again.
He remembered the first time he felt the world shift—it was when he failed to imitate his father.
Another time was when Kamijou pulled him up and gave him the strength to go on.
And now, though he didn't know the reason, it was happening again.
As Subaru calmed down, his gaze shifted to Felix, who had also received tea brewed by Rem and thanked her politely.
Though it was already nighttime, it was still relatively early in the evening—a time everyone used to relax after dinner.
It was also the perfect time for negotiation.
"Felix."
"Hmm? What is it, nya?"
"I want to talk with Crusch. Can I trouble you to let her know for me?"
"I can do that, but what do you plan to talk about? Ah well, never mind, I won't bother asking. I'll let Crusch know for you."
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
After receiving Felix's answer, Subaru sipped his hot tea, beginning to think about how he should request Crusch's help.
Two problems lay before him: the White Whale and the Witch Cult.
The White Whale had appeared close to the mansion. In the two failed timelines, he couldn't be sure if it would be involved in the Witch Cult's attack.
Even if the White Whale didn't participate, Subaru had no way to handle the Witch Cult on his own.
One way or another, finding reinforcements was something he absolutely had to do.
After Felix finished his tea and left, Subaru and Rem each returned to their rooms to wait quietly.
Eventually, a servant came to inform Subaru.
He followed the servant to Crusch's location, only to find the setting was exactly the same as last time—the same place, the same candlelit dinner setting, and Crusch dressed in her usual elegant and somewhat feminine manner.
When Subaru sat across from Crusch, all the servants left the room. Only Subaru and Crusch remained, facing each other.
"I heard from Felix that you have something to discuss with me. Have you changed your mind and decided to stay?"
Subaru shook his head slightly and looked at Crusch seriously.
"I want to ask you for a favor."
"Oh? This is the first time you've asked me for help. That makes me a little curious."
Under Crusch's curious gaze, Subaru slowly began to speak.
"Yes. I've received information that the Witch Cult may attack Lord Roswaal's mansion and the nearby village. I can't deal with the Witch Cult alone, so I'd like to ask you to lend me some manpower."
The curiosity disappeared from Crusch's eyes. Her expression turned serious. Subaru could feel it—Crusch was no longer facing him as a friend but as a noble and candidate for the throne.
"It seems you're not lying. But I'm curious—while staying at my residence all this time, just where did you get this kind of information?"
"..."
"You can't say? Well, I won't pry. But I had already suspected the Witch Cult might show up."
"Because of Emilia, right…?"
"Yes. No matter what your thoughts on Emilia are, to the Witch Cult, just being a silver-haired half-elf is enough to warrant action. And Emilia's information is already public in the kingdom.
Both the common people and the Witch Cult are aware of her. Being targeted by them is something just about everyone expects."
Subaru froze for a moment. Looking at Crusch's serious face, he asked with confusion:
"Everyone... knows… So you're saying that everyone already guessed the Witch Cult would go after Emilia?"
Under Subaru's gaze, Crusch nodded slightly. Seeing this, Subaru's expression immediately darkened.
If it was common knowledge that the Witch Cult would make a move, then there was no way Roswaal, who supported Emilia, wouldn't know.
So why wasn't he there during the previous failed attempt?
That didn't make sense. There's no way Roswaal could be such a fool. So if that's the case, why hadn't he done anything to prepare for the Witch Cult's attack?
Could it be that he thought the people in the mansion alone would be enough to stop them? That's impossible no matter how you looked at it!
And in the last failure, neither Ram nor Rem had said anything about Roswaal leaving any backup plans.
Thinking back to what Puck had said before—
Subaru clenched his fist tightly and took a deep breath, trying to calm his turbulent emotions.
"Then, Crusch, can you lend me some manpower? Even if it's just some dragon carriages to help evacuate the villagers and people at the mansion—that would be enough."
"Before I answer, I want to ask you something: in what capacity are you asking me for help?"
"Huh?"
"I mean, are you asking me as a friend, or are you asking as someone under Emilia's camp? Though you've said you'll eventually leave Emilia's side, right now, you're still on her side."
Subaru frowned, confusion in his eyes as he looked at Crusch's serious expression.
He replied slowly, with a strange tone:
"I don't recall ever saying I'm part of Emilia's camp. I'm just a servant living in Lord Roswaal's mansion."