“A familiar ceiling…”
Subaru felt the ache running through his body as he rubbed his temples and sat up.
Looking around, he realized he had returned to the Green Room to recover.
What had happened at the end of that fight?
His memory was a little faint.
He vaguely remembered running again and again toward that wall, only to crash into it until he was beaten bloody.
And after that, had he fainted?
His body had been crushed by Reid in the very first step, but somehow, he had not died.
The killing intent Reid had shown back then had not been fake.
The fact that Subaru could still be alive and safe right now was honestly unbelievable.
Had Shaula saved his life?
“That was seriously pathetic.”
Subaru sighed.
He had said so many cool things, but in the end, he had not been able to fulfill any of them.
With his current level, how was he supposed to achieve the bold words he had spoken?
How was he supposed to free Shaula?
Feeling as though there were even more things he needed to think about now, Subaru pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Maaaster—!”
A familiar voice came from nearby.
No, faster than the voice, the person herself arrived first.
The lively girl rushed into the room once again.
“How are you feeling?
How’s your recovery?
Don’t worry, Master.
Getting beaten up by Reid isn’t embarrassing!”
Shaula said that while clearly trying to deceive herself.
“It’s only not embarrassing to you—”
Subaru said that, then stared directly at Shaula with an extremely serious gaze.
“Oh my.
If Master looks at me like that, I’ll get shy.
I already told you, lewd stuff is no no, no no~”
Seeing Shaula hug herself with a flushed face, Subaru, who had already gotten used to this kind of scene, only sighed.
“Sorry.
I said something really cool in front of you, but I couldn’t actually do it.”
Subaru spoke with guilt in his voice.
He had said he would release her from her four hundred year prison.
He had said that the life he wanted should include her too.
And yet, he could not even see the slightest hope of clearing the second floor trial.
“…”
Even Shaula, after hearing those words, became rarely serious.
“Master!”
“Huh?
Yes!
What is it?”
Subaru was startled.
Shaula continued seriously, “The Master I know isn’t a coward who gives up after looking down on himself.
He’s a Great Sage who, no matter what deadly situation he faces, will rack his brain and overcome it.
And—”
“Master wasn’t just bragging.
Shaula accepted every one of those words.
Because Master said those words, even waiting four hundred years was worth the price of admission!” This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
But I’m not your master…
Subaru wanted to say that.
His lips moved, but the words did not come out.
He did not want to become a substitute for that ‘Master’.
But at the same time, he truly wanted to save the girl in front of him.
Whether her goodwill and kindness came from a misunderstanding or not did not matter.
What he needed to do was protect the smile that this Scorpion girl deserved to have.
After all, a Scorpion girl looked best when she was smiling.
“Yeah, you’re right.
If a little setback like this was enough to defeat me…”
Subaru placed one hand against his forehead, pointed the other arm toward the sky, and once again struck a pose he believed was extremely cool.
“I am the fearless, undying wanderer who even demons and gods cannot destroy!
Natsuki Subaru!”
“Mm!
That’s exactly the Master I love the most!”
“By the way, Shaula, how long was I unconscious this time?”
After recovering a bit of his energy, Subaru hurriedly asked.
“This time was short.
Only one day.
You challenged Reid yesterday morning!”
“So my resistance to getting beaten up has improved…”
Subaru thought for a moment, then continued, “How did we leave?
I remember getting knocked unconscious by that bastard.
Did you drag me away?”
“Hmph!
Defeating Reid would indeed be very hard, but rescuing Master from under Reid’s hands is easy as pie!
Come on, Master.
No matter how many times you praise me, Shaula will proudly accept it all!”
Hearing that, Subaru began thinking.
He clearly remembered Reid’s killing intent back then.
If Shaula had saved him from Reid’s hands, that meant—
“You fought Reid up close?”
“Mm?
Why is Master suddenly asking that?”
“Since earlier, your cloak has been wrapped way too tightly.
Aren’t you the pervert who loves having eighty percent of her skin exposed?”
“Even if it’s Master calling me a pervert, I can’t just pretend I didn’t hear that!
Shaula is going to make a fuss!”
She puffed up her cheeks as if to say that she was about to throw a tantrum.
“Take off your cloak.”
Subaru continued, “That’s an order from your master.”
He did not want to use that identity.
But only by using that identity would Shaula obediently listen at a time like this.
“O-Okay…”
Shaula deflated like a ball losing air.
With a disappointed expression, she loosened her arms, and the cloak fell according to gravity.
Shaula’s clothes were extremely revealing.
They basically only covered the most important points in a straight line, so when she opened her cloak, nearly every inch of her skin could be seen.
That smooth skin.
That fair body. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
There were many wounds on it.
Subaru looked at those wounds.
Though he had already expected it somewhat, he still felt pain in his heart.
“Didn’t I tell you to just stay in the back and shoot?
You’re a sniper, so why did you run to the front?
You idiot.
What kind of ADC fights a warrior in close combat?”
“You said you were scared of that guy, right?
If you were scared, you shouldn’t have gone near him.
Why didn’t you follow the plan—”
As Subaru spoke, he suddenly realized how harsh his words sounded.
No matter what, she had been injured because of him.
“Maybe… it’s because… my feelings for Master are just a little stronger than my fear of that guy?”
Even after being scolded, Shaula showed no sign of reflecting at all.
Instead, she said that playfully.
“You hopeless idiot… I’m a hopeless idiot too…”
Subaru covered his face, not knowing how to respond to words like that.
Even if he died there, he still had Return by Death.
He would be fine.
But Shaula was different.
If Shaula died there…
Subaru understood how terrifying death was.
He had already experienced death.
It was a suffocating feeling of utter destruction.
“Shaula—”
“Here, Master!”
“I’ve rested enough.
Sit down.”
“Eh?!
But Master, you were so badly injured before…”
Subaru ignored Shaula’s refusal and directly pulled her over.
Of course, there was no way his strength could surpass Shaula’s.
This only worked because Shaula did not resist.
“I’m going to make food.
You haven’t eaten for a day either, right?
That must feel bad.
Rest here properly.
I’ll bring it to you.”
Subaru showed a small smile as he said that.
“Is that so?
Master, you’re so gentle and virtuous.”
“That kind of phrase is usually used for someone’s wife…”
“Ehehe.
For Master, any phrase fits!”
Subaru smiled wryly and did not continue arguing with her.
(I will save you.)
(I definitely will.)
(And then, we’ll go see the outside world together.)
He did not say it out loud.
He kept those words in his heart.
(TL:my goat)