Ram gave a short, satisfied nod, her eyes still half-lidded in judgment.
Subaru, shrugging off her stare with practiced ease continued.
"Anyways, He's planning to use Liliana as a sort of traveling mouthpiece, yeah? Like… a storyteller who spreads word about Emilia-tan during the Royal Selection. Liliana wants to write a new hero's song, right? She's perfect material for building up the legend of a future queen."
Ram lifted an eyebrow, mildly impressed. "Hmph. That's quite the sharp deduction coming from you, Barusu. Maybe your skull isn't just a hollow pumpkin after all."
"What is that even supposed to be? A seasonal insult?"
Roswaal's plan was clear enough. In a world without televisions or newspapers, a bard wandering from place to place, sharing tales through music, held immense influence. It was a form of communication far beyond anything Subaru was used to. In the Royal Selection, someone like Liliana could prove to be a powerful ally.
Roswaal chuckled behind steepled fingers. "Subaruuu is quick on the uptaaaake. My plan is exactly what you saaaid. Of course, I intend to weigh the merits and demeriiits carefully."
"Merits and demerits, huh…"
Subaru narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Roswaal's pleased grin. Sensing his unease, Rem stepped in with her hands folded neatly on her lap.
"I hesitate to bring this up… but Emilia-sama is a half-elf. That alone could make a traditional poet refuse the offer. However, Liliana-sama appears to genuinely like Emilia-sama. She might agree, depending on how the offer is framed."
"So it's one of those 'make it sound like she has no choice but to accept' strategies," Subaru muttered, then grimaced. "Did I just make a really villainous face just now?"
"It was your usual evil expression," Ram said flatly.
"I thought it was as charming as ever," Rem added warmly.
Subaru's mouth twisted into a faint grin, stuck between the warmth of Rem's praise and the chill of Ram's scorn.
Man… Roswaal really is a sly bastard. He played her like a fiddle.
He shot the clownish lord a side-glare. Roswaal simply responded with a cheerful wave and a knowing smile.
Subaru sighed. "Anyhow, I guess our current aim is to solve the problem while paying attention to Liliana's surroundings. It really sucks how we let our attackers get away. If we caught even one of them…"
"If only you broke 5-60 of their bones, made them throw up as much as possible, and killed them." Ram said coldly.
"After that much damage, they wouldn't even be able to cough blood, let alone talk. Let's not go full horror story on them, Nee-sama."
The scariest part was that Subaru wasn't sure if she was joking.
"I try to be cautious, but if I do get attacked, I'll probably just scream for help like a dying bird. That said, I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to strike inside the mansion with a feudal lord watching."
"If I hear Subaru-kun's voice, I'll come running," Rem said sweetly. "Even if I'm cleaning, even if I'm cooking, even if I'm taking a bath… I'll always come for you."
"Filthy," Ram muttered, giving her sister a glare of pure contempt.
"Don't look at me with those judging eyes before I can even say anything!" Subaru protested.
Rem, wagging an imaginary tail, beamed like a faithful puppy maid. Ram, meanwhile, stared with all the grace and disdain of a pampered cat. Their usual back-and-forth played out in full, and the mood gradually settled.
Roswaal clapped his hands together lightly. "Anywaaays… I merely want to maintain the staaatus quoo. Let's gather more information from Liliana herself before deciding how to procee~ed."
"Right. Let's go hear her side of things. Honestly, she probably feels more dead than alive right now."
"She caused trouble for Roswaal-sama," Ram added. "Suffering a little is deserved."
"Even if she's a guest, that's too much, Nee-sama."
With a wry smile at Ram's usual harshness, Subaru reached for the door.
Behind him, Roswaal's voice rang out one last time, unusually firm.
"As long as you're with us, your safety is guaranteed. Make sure you communiiicate that point properly."
Subaru froze for a moment, stunned by the weight behind those words.
.
.
Liliana listened to the conclusion of the discussion, then collapsed into the chair, completely dead tired. Her whole body had been stiff with nerves until now, and the tension finally left her like air escaping a balloon. Subaru decided to let her slovenly appearance slide—waiting in such suspense must've been suffocating.
"…S-So, I don't gotta worry about y'all slaying me with a sword for now?"
Subaru blinked. Where in the world did she even pick up a line like that?
"If you've learned anything from this experience, then don't even think about trying to involve a feudal lord in your personal schemes again. That kind of thing could actually get you slain with a sword, you know."
"Agh! I—I'll reflect upon my actions. I'll be finer than wind, clearer than water!"
"That's a copy of my whole act. So from now on, you're banned from using it."
Liliana, for once, didn't have the spirit to bounce back with a witty retort. She'd dragged people related to a feudal lord into her own mess and exposed them to danger. Foolish didn't even begin to describe it, and naive didn't quite cover it either.
Still, seeing her like this made Subaru feel at least a little vindicated. But before he could push further, a sharp puff of air interrupted them. Emilia stood nearby, cheeks puffed and eyes narrowed at him.
"Subaru. Liliana really is reflecting, so don't go any further."
"You can't say that, Emilia-tan. If we don't lay it on thick now, she'll never gain any self-awareness. She has to understand just how much trouble silence and secrecy can cause to the people around her… So, let's go back to the actual problem. When did the people in white start chasing after you?"
Liliana tilted her head. "I don't really know… I only started clearly noticing them over the past few days. Nothing really out of the ordinary happened before that."
"No accidents that could've tipped you off?"
She frowned thoughtfully. "Not really… I guess my feather pen went missing, and my clothes disappeared after I took a bath, and sometimes the used tableware would vanish from the inn…"
Subaru's expression twisted in alarm. "That sounds like stalker behavior!"
His voice spiked in volume, but both Emilia and Liliana just tilted their heads innocently. The concept seemed to fly right over them.
These girls really don't get how terrifying stalkers can be… Emilia could get away with being that carefree—she was perfect. And Liliana? She was a knockout too, if she just kept her mouth shut. That alone was enough reason to stay alert.
Still, thinking back on the white-robed attackers, Subaru shook his head. "The stuff that went missing probably has nothing to do with them. You just have… let's call them passionate fans. But did anyone ever chase you around with a knife?"
Liliana rubbed her chin. "Hmm… I don't really get what you mean. But today was the first time someone flicked a shiny thing at me. If it wasn't, I woulda had a more serious look on my face, y'know?"
"…You don't exactly look serious today either. But okay—so their approach suddenly escalated."
Falling into thought, Subaru tried to pinpoint what might have triggered the sudden shift. Something had changed recently. When he dug through the timeline of Liliana's activities, one event stood out.
"Did they panic because you met with the feudal lord of this mansion?"
If Liliana's contact with Roswaal was what motivated the pursuers to act, that would fit the puzzle. But it also meant getting involved with people in power was a dangerous game.
"You really don't have any idea, huh. You seriously feel like a walking trouble magnet. And if you're hiding something and don't spill it now, we won't be able to protect you."
"Such ridiculous remarks, saying 'barf' in front of a girl! I swear on the souls of my ancestors—and on this Lyulyre—that I'm not hiding anything! Actually, wait. I can't swear on the Lyulyre just yet. Please hold on."
"Don't lose confidence halfway through the sentence!"
Subaru sighed, watching her clutch her beloved instrument like a shield. She wasn't lying—he could tell that much. She was honestly thinking hard.
"I'm really not trying to hide anything," she muttered with a groan. "But this discomfort kinda feels like small bones stuck between all my teeth."
"Then take out the bones properly before you eat fish," he deadpanned.
Liliana's serious tone clashed hilariously with her lack of actual seriousness. Subaru turned away and looked toward Emilia instead, hoping for something more grounded.
"So, Emilia-tan, did you catch anything useful while we were talking about being dirtied by fish bones? We kind of dragged you into a pointless chat."
"Not at all," she replied. "Based on what Liliana said, the weird stuff started about two weeks ago, right? That's before she came to Arlam Village. Which means it probably started when she left Warwar Town."
"That's our lead, then. I'm almost sure something that happened there triggered all this. Some incident, or maybe something she did, oi—"
"Why are you assuming that I did something?" Liliana snapped, pouting. "Even after letting you all treat me disgracefully…"
Subaru ignored her dramatic whining. She tugged on her pigtails and shook her head in exasperation.
"It was the same as always," she insisted. "That town's a bit cold to outsiders, so it didn't feel very welcoming but—ah! The song! Don't sigh at me like that after I bring it up!"
"I do feel bad for your broken heart," Subaru said dryly, "but try saying something that's actually useful."
Emilia crossed her arms, tilting her head. "Still, why'd you even stay somewhere so unfriendly? I've done it before myself, and it's not pleasant."
"I just caught a glimpse of Emilia-tan's painful past…" Subaru muttered.
Emilia's innocent comment made Liliana curl in on herself dramatically. But the question was fair. Bards went where the wind took them—there shouldn't have been any reason for a rootless performer to stick around in a place that made her uncomfortable.
"Well," Liliana said at last, "those people were cold and irritating, sure—but luckily, the richest grandpa in town liked me!"
"…A rich grandpa, huh."
"Nooo! I meant he adored me like a granddaughter! He even bought me a new Lyulyre—this one here!"
She proudly held it up, beaming. Subaru took it from her almost absentmindedly.
"I ate delicious food, slept in a comfy bed, and got new clothes and instruments… It was like a dream." She giggled, almost drooling at the memory.
"You should really do something about your vulgarity when you're not singing," Subaru said, unimpressed.
The grin slid off her face. "But it didn't last long… One day, the grandpa just kicked me out of the mansion. I don't even know why. And that was the end of my riotous pleasures."
"Did you break a vase or steal food in your sleep or something?"
"How rude! The last time I made a careless mistake was five years ago!"
So… when you were sixteen, Subaru thought, but decided not to press it.
Whatever the reason, she genuinely seemed clueless about why she'd been kicked out. But he doubted the issue was the old man himself. There could've been a misunderstanding, or maybe the pursuers thought something was going on.
"Either way, the leads we've got are Warwar Town and that grandpa. I'll let Roswaal know… but I wonder if it's even something we can investigate."
"But—but," Liliana added, "that grandpa helped with all sorts of things, and he even taught me the 'Song That Must Not Be Sung No Matter What,' so I really have no idea."
"…I see. Then I guess he's not much of a clue. I'm stumped."
"Wait," Emilia cut in, raising a hand. "What's the 'Song That Must Not Be Sung No Matter What'?"
Liliana blinked innocently. "Oh, it's a song the grandpa taught me. Something about a secret that made a fortune over a lifetime. Honestly, I didn't really like the music or the lyrics."
"You shouldn't say things like that about a song someone taught you," Emilia scolded gently. "Can you play it for us?"
"With great pleasure!" Liliana exclaimed. "If you don't mind, I'd love to show off everything in my repertoire!"
She took her Lyulyre back from Subaru and began strumming with a cheerful air.
Emilia's eyes sparkled with anticipation, her heart clearly skipping along with the rhythm of the moment.
Subaru, meanwhile, closed his eyes. He took a deep breath.
Then he exploded.
"――That song is completely at fault!!"
And just like that, he brought the entire conversation between the two airheads to a crashing halt.