Carlisle stared intently at the dragon carriage speeding ahead, his breathing slightly ragged.
"Subaru... where is she going?" he muttered under his breath.
Ever since buying apples that day, Subaru's behavior had become very strange.
What bothered him most was the dream he had last night; in it, he faced one of the Three Great Demonic Beasts, the White Whale, and the Sloth Archbishop of Sin alone.
In the end, he even wielded a familiar-looking sword and fought a giant beast he had never seen before.
At the dream's conclusion, he died like a hero, yet felt an inexplicable sense of peace.
Although the dream was very vague, the feeling of tranquility in its final moments left him unable to let it go.
He did yearn for a heroic ending, but such a strange dream was a first.
"Hmph..." Carlisle slowed his pace slightly to regulate his breathing.
Though well-trained, chasing a Earth dragon carriage for such a long time was still exhausting.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead, watched the carriage gradually pull away, and quickened his steps again.
— — — — — —
When Subaru jumped off the dragon carriage, the sight before her tightened her heart.
The entire roadside was lined with Earth dragon carriages, and merchants gathered in small groups, lighting fires and cooking, clearly set up for a prolonged stay.
"Strange, why are so many merchant groups stopped here?" Otto scratched his head, looking around in confusion.
Subaru quickly walked towards a middle-aged merchant who was smoking a pipe, suppressing her unease as she asked, "Excuse me, sir, has something happened up ahead? Why is everyone stopped here?" Her voice carried a last shred of hope.
The old merchant exhaled a smoke ring and slowly said, "There's a big fog up ahead, little girl."
Subaru's heart sank, but she still pressed on, unwilling to give up: "When... when did you arrive here? When did the fog start?"
"I arrived yesterday at noon, and the fog was already very thick then," the old merchant said, pointing his pipe at a few tents in the distance.
"See those merchant groups over there? They've been waiting for almost three days.
Little girl, just wait patiently.
No matter how urgent the matter, what's more important than your life?"
Three days... this number hit Subaru's chest like a heavy hammer.
Her vision blurred.
This meant that the White Whale had already appeared shortly after Emilia and the others returned to the Mansion.
Even with Return by Death, she could at most go back to yesterday; there was no way to avoid the White Whale.
"Subaru? Are you alright?" Otto jogged back, seeing Subaru's pale face, and quickly tried to comfort her, "How unlucky, to run into the White Whale.
But don't worry too much, once the fog clears..."
Subaru seemed not to hear, her mind replaying the tragic events of the previous loop: Rem collapsing, severely injured; Carlisle dissipating into specks of light...
If she did nothing, all of this would soon repeat!
"Subaru?" Otto asked again cautiously, "Do you absolutely have to return to Roswaal's Mansion today?"
Subaru nodded mechanically: "Yes... but the White Whale..."
"Actually..." Otto suddenly lowered his voice, "I know a small path that might bypass the foggy area."
"Really?!" Subaru's head snapped up, her golden eyes rekindling with light, but then they dimmed again, "But... what if we encounter the White Whale...?"
"Please rest assured!" Otto puffed out his chest, his expression serious, "I have a special ability that allows me to sense the best route.
Although I'm not very skilled, to repay your kindness, I will definitely get you there safely!"
"Really! Thank you so much!" Subaru excitedly clapped Otto's shoulder.
"Once this is over, I'll definitely suggest to Roswaal that the Mansion prioritize purchasing your goods in the future!"
Otto quickly waved his hands.
"No, no! You saved my life; this is nothing.
He turned and pointed at the dragon carriage, "Let's leave now, while there's still time."
As Otto drove the dragon carriage towards the foggy area under the astonished gazes of the other merchants, those merchants looked at them as if they were two madmen seeking their own demise.
— — — — — —
Carlisle leaned on his knee with one hand, panting heavily.
Sweat dripped down his jawline.
He looked up and around, seeing Earth dragon carriages lined along the roadside, merchants gathered in small groups, their faces filled with anxiety.
This abnormal sight made his heart sink.
"Excuse me, sir," he stopped a passing merchant, trying to steady his breathing, "Have you seen a young girl with black hair and this tall? And a merchant dressed like... like a vegetable?"
The stopped merchant looked at the panting knight in surprise.
"Sir, why don't you rest for a moment? You don't look well..."
"Thank you for your concern." Carlisle reluctantly straightened up, knightly etiquette ingrained in his bones, "Please, have you seen them?"
The merchant sighed and pointed towards the dense fog ahead: "Of course I've seen them.
That dragon carriage was the only one today that dared to rush forward, knowing the White Whale was active."
He shook his head, "I don't know if it's bravery or foolishness..."
"The White Whale?!" Carlisle's voice suddenly rose.
"By the way, sir, would you like some water? I'll go get you some..." The merchant turned to fetch his water skin, but found that the knight who had just been standing in front of him had disappeared.
He looked around in confusion, only to see a blue figure in the distance rushing towards the dense fog at an astonishing speed, his cloak flapping behind him.
...
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