If Crusch-sama's goal should be attained
I expect the best.
My how unusual it is to see you!
My apologies.
I am the treasurer of the capital's merchant guild.
My name is Russell Fellow.
It's a pleasure to meet you
Natsuki Subaru-dono.
Wilhelm-san who was that?
Russell Fellow.
Despite what he said
he is shrewd dealing in all of the capital's inner and outer financial matters.
Now I was just about to head back inside...
Do you have something to say?
People calling themselves
the Witch's Cult plan to attack Roswaal's domain in three days.
I want to ask for your help in stopping them.
I see.
So they have made their move.
It seems so.
Of course from the moment that Emilia-sama a half-elf entered the scene
we foresaw something like this happening.
I understand the situation.
My next question is how you chose me to assist you.
Because to be honest you seem the most likely to help right now.
You've helped Rem and me—
Don't misunderstand.
I helped you two because I was contracted to do so.
If you wish to negotiate you need to show me what I stand to gain.
Otherwise there is nothing to negotiate.
If with my assistance
you can eliminate the threat posed by the Witch's Cult
what would my profit be?
Tell me that.
If you help me out with this problem
I'll owe a huge debt to your camp.
Should I accept the proposal
it would mean Emilia's withdrawal from the royal selection.
You understand that?
What did you expect?
To place your own domain's survival in the hands of another lord calls
into question your ability to rule the nation.
With that in mind I ask you again...
If you incur a debt to me through this deal
it will mean the elimination of Emilia's camp from the race.
Are you sure you want that?
Even still...
I want your help.
If she dies everything ends anyway.
Understood.
In that case the Karsten family will render no assistance whatsoever.
Huh?
First of all the condition of Emilia's withdrawal
which you offered in desperation as an advantage to me...
It carries no weight in this negotiation.
But why?
Isn't removing one of your rivals enough compensation?!
Are you really not aware?
Emilia's elimination from the royal selection
will happen with or without my involvement.
Then you'll let the Witch's Cult slaughter
all of those villagers in Roswaal's domain?!
Do not change the subject Natsuki Subaru.
It is Emilia who lacks the power to protect that domain.
And Emilia whose people will die for her incompetence.
It is not I.
B-But isn't knowing people will die and not stopping it wrong?
If you have the power to save them why wouldn't you?!
Hey I've heard enough—
It's fine.
Allow me to correct one idea you have.
Say the Witch's Cult does make a move.
That what you say comes to pass.
However the problem comes afterward.
Afterward?
It's simple.
How do you know when or where they will attack?
Th-That's...
If you are a member of the Witch's Cult
it would make sense.
That's bull—
Crusch-sama please do not make jokes.
Of course Subaru-kun isn't a Witch's Cult member.
Really?
Given what he says
if he cannot explain how he knows these details
I can draw no other conclusion.
Have you never sensed any such inclination in him?
Never.
Regardless I cannot lend assistance to Emilia—
The Witch's Cult is coming!
They'll slaughter everyone in the village...
Kill them.
We just have to kill them!
All we have to do is kill every single villain in that cult!
That will solve everything! Everything!
You get that right?
We can't let those live!
I'm going to kill them!
Please help me!
Is this why you behave as you do?
Your hatred for the Witch's Cult...
Is that your real reason for approaching Emilia?
No I—
What else but murderous intent could one call that glint in your eye?
You're suggesting I'm using Emilia as a pretense for revenge against them?!
My hatred has nothing to do with how evil they are!
They can't be allowed to live...
That's why we have to kill every one of them!
That will save everyone!
I am certain I have told you Natsuki Subaru.
That if your own lie doesn't fool you it will not deceive others.
Why...
You don't know why?
You haven't once said
that you want to save Emilia.
I cannot allow you to come any closer.
Subaru-kun
please calm down.
I can generally tell when the person with whom I speak is lying.
I am quite proud of the fact that I have never been deceived in negotiations.
Speaking from those years of experience
I can say you are not lying.
W-Well then...
You adamantly believe that your rant is true.
That is nothing short of madness
Natsuki Subaru.
Felis heal his lip.
Don't bother!
Rem let's go.
Do you have anywhere else to turn?
I hope you become a great ruler...
The kind of dictator who abandons the weak.
In my master's stead I thank you
for the care you have given us.
What will we do?
If what you say is true we have little time.
"If" it's true?
We have little time.
Shall we return to Roswaal-sama's mansion?
No there's not much the two of us could do by going back now.
There aren't enough of us.
What is Roswaal doing?
Roswaal-sama has been required to visit some officials within the domain.
He will stay with them for a few days.
That's why he can't do anything about the attack?
Then unless we find reinforcements we won't get anywhere.
What about Reinhard?
Wouldn't he help us?
Yesterday he said that he would be
away from the capital for a while on a courtesy call.
!
Why are you all so useless?!
Tomorrow we'll have to look for someone else to help us.
You head to the knights' station.
I'm going to talk to one of the other candidates.
Very well.
The Witch's Cult?
Yes.
If left alone they'll hurt lots of people.
Emilia won't be their only victim.
I want to defeat them before that happens!
That's why I—
Amusing... You are amusing!
Indeed.
Any jester who makes it this far has mastered his act...
Wh-What's so funny about this?
I can appreciate your desperation
but you haven't thought things through.
In trying to aid your ally you corner them benefit the enemy and lose all control.
You're better off dying.
In fact I could just lop off your head for you right now.
Still even in the face of such harsh treatment
the devotion you show for your master is commendable if nothing else.
So...
I will give you an opportunity.
A-An opportunity?
Yes an opportunity.
What you would call a "chance."
Lick it.
Huh?
Crawl on the floor
savoring the shame and humiliation.
And like a wretched beast
like a baby suckling on its mother's teat
lick my foot.
If you can do that I'll consider your proposal.
If you don't want to that's fine...
If you'd rather favor your minuscule pride
and abandon the mistress you wagged your tail for to the wasteland fine.
Either choice you make will entertain me.
F-Fine.
I guess you really are just an insignificant man!
What you just displayed was neither loyalty nor devotion.
It's something more filthy like a dog's dependence or a pig's greed
you lazy pig who knows only how to want!
A pig's greed is the ugliest thing there is!
Even if the Witch's Cult is defeated
I will strike down any camp you are part of!
Your careless behavior and attitude have led me to that decision!
Aldebaran.
Hey now... What happened in here?
Throw that detestable fool out of here.
Or kill him if you want. It matters not.
I think that matters quite a bit.
Let's go brother.
Don't get so mad Princess.
That fierce look will make your cute face drop in value.
Unless you want your ruined face further ruined
take him away at once Aldebaran.
I've told you not to call me that...
Can you stand brother?
Yeah.
You seem okay.
I don't know what you were discussing
but it looks like it didn't go very well.
If I take too long
she might seriously tell me to chop you in half
so I'm heading back.
Later brother.
That stuck-up ...
She's forgetting that I saved her when we first met!
Change gears.
This is no time for those idiots to bog me down.
Sniff sniff. Sniff sniff.
That looks super painful! Are you okee?
Huh?
You smell like blood and not just from your lip.
Was your nose bleedy?
Now Mimi no getting into mischief.
'Kay!
I'm awful sorry she's been botherin' you.
Hmm? Aren't you...
Right you're Natsuki-kun.
Emilia's knight Natsuki Subaru-kun.
Ain't this a coincidence?
Anastasia Hoshin...
Let's eat!
So about the dragon-drawn carriage...
You don't beat around the bush.
You won't make anyone happy by prioritizin' your own goals.
Trying to get on the other's good side is the basic rule of negotiation.
That's where you're lackin' Natsuki-kun.
Sorry but I've got a real problem here.
I want to leave the capital tomorrow so...
When you're up against my kind
tryin' to appeal to sentimentality is the worst strategy there is.
But I applaud your effort.
It's no easy task to find a dragon-drawn carriage in the capital right now.
Apparently someone's buyin' up all of 'em.
Here. The place at this address should have a carriage left.
I've signed it with my own name.
This'll square everything away.
Don't put on airs...
I surely will put on airs.
It's no fun if I just hand it to ya normally right?
I just wanted to chat with ya about this an' that.
Why bother with that? You don't gain anything from it.
I believe there's nothin' in this world that has no meaning.
You never know who might give ya some inspiration.
What do we talk about?
Hey my lady
I wanna eat some more!
Can I order?
Sure. Eat all ya like.
Oh but don't get your mouth all messy with sauce.
Wipe my face please!
Yay! I'll be back!
Despite her looks
she's second-in-command in my private army.
Private army?
Um um I want this too! And also um um...
It's quite famous in Kararagi.
The Hoshin Company's personal mercenary squad Iron Fang.
Ain't she super cute?
Nothing beats sleepin' with her in your arms!
Lately lots of people have been gatherin' in the capital.
Have you noticed the atmosphere's different now Natsuki-kun?
Now that you mention it everyone did seem to be in a frenzy.
Because of the royal selection?
When those on top move the people move.
When the people move things move.
By the way the value of things in the capital is fluctuatin' a lot now.
Some of the most valuable products are iron goods.
Weapons like swords and spears are bein' gathered from both inside and outside.
Iron and weapons?
They're not planning to go to war with those things are they?
It's also possible their objective isn't to acquire the items
but gettin' the economy rolling.
The way you said that...
Is it well known who's gathering all this iron?
It's someone you know well Natsuki-kun.
Duchess Crusch Karsten.
It's Crusch?
Come to think of it she did have a constant stream of visitors...
I get it.
That's why that Russell guy was there.
Russell Fellow?
He's quite a big fish.
This has been fairly informative.
Thank you Natsuki-kun!
After fightin' with Crusch-san last night you just left her place right?
I figured it'd be easy to learn
all sorts of information from your mouth eyes and expressions!
You set me up from the start?
Are you happy with yourself
using underhanded methods like that?
If ya want to convince someone you're righteous
you've gotta show somethin' to merit it.
And I see no such thing in you.
The only way to change your reputation is to replace it with another.
The things you've done are what determine your reputation.
That is your past.
And there's no way to change your past
so my opinion of ya isn't gonna change either.
The things you've done won't ever go away.
You don't wanna get any closer to my lady.
I'm super strong you know.
Thanks Mimi...
But you don't have to do anything.
There's nothin' Natsuki-kun can do anyway.
Both of you are absolute scum!
Screw you both!
I guess Julius's efforts went to waste...
It's partly my fault though.
I guess not even you would do something that foolish.
I'm relieved.
Mimi let's go.
'Kay!
One last thing.
The key to negotiation is how prepared you are before ya come to the table.
Know what the other person wants and dangle it in front of 'em.
And since all you do is want that's where you're lacking.
Now shall we go everyone?
See ya later!
Bye-bye!
!
Subaru-kun what's wrong?
Did something happen?
Nothing!
Rem how did it go?
I reported the maneuvers by the Witch's Cult to the knights' station.
I gave them Roswaal-sama's name but...
Not the response we wanted?
It seems the knights have received several such reports already.
Since the Cult's background is unclear
they said they receive countless unverifiable anonymous tips.
If that's how the real cultists stay hidden
it's no laughing matter.
If we can't scrape a military force together...
What shall we do?
We'll go back to the mansion...
Go back and take Emilia and Ram away from there.
To the capital or to Roswaal... Anywhere is fine.
Where they are now is dangerous!
There's no time.
We should leave now.
At this pace we should reach the mansion by morning.
Then we'll have plenty of time to take Emilia and run from the Witch's Cult.
The question is how to transport her...
That's...
From here to the Mathers domain?
Yeah.
It's already late. Isn't it too dangerous?
We were planning to camp here tonight.
Would you care to join us?
You say that Otto...
But I bet you just wanna get rid of some
of the oil in storage that you bought out of season right?
That's not my intention at all!
Though it isn't as if I weren't hoping you could use a little oil...
What's this about oil?
Oh I just made a bit of a mistake.
And now I have a lot of oil that isn't worth much right now.
Even if we go to the capital I don't know if I can sell it all off...
And if I can't I'm ruined!
Ruined...
Otto I need to talk—
I mean ask for your help.
I'll buy all the oil in your carriage.
So in return lend us transport.
All of the merchants and carriages here...
Anyone who'll sell transportation for money sell it to me!
We're transporting people!
People?! We don't want any part in human trafficking!
I'm not running that kind of side business...
There's a village near the Mathers mansion.
I want you to take its residents somewhere else!
We will of course thank you properly.
If we run through the night
we should enter the Mathers domain by morning.
Sorry we can't take breaks.
No problem!
Getting rid of my excess stock and even earning transport fees...
I feel invincible!
Subaru-kun I'm sorry.
I would like to check the map to confirm the remaining distance.
Map?
It is in your bag.
Oh this?
It's too dark to see anything though...
Ah I know.
Subaru-kun what is that?
A bit of lost technology.
I mean it's future technology called a cell phone.
I guess it's a good thing it has some battery left barely.
Here look.
Natsuki-san what is that?
Never seen a crystalight like that before.
It's a secret tool the margrave gave me.
Sorry but you should probably forget you saw it...
Whoa why does that sound like dark dealings that reek of nothing but money?
Just a bit farther
and we should see Flügel's Tree.
If we head northeast from there the Mathers domain isn't far.
Flügel's Tree?
A huge tree that stands so tall in the Lifaus Highway it seems to pierce the clouds.
Legend has it that centuries ago a wise man named Flügel planted it.
I see...
I can't call that anything but amazing.
Where'd the guy in the bandana go?
He didn't get distracted by the tree and run off course did he?
What's wrong Natsuki-san?
Where'd that buddy of yours go?
The older guy in the bandana
riding on this side of us?
What are you talking about?
No one was riding on the opposite side from me.
Huh?
The Greed of a Pig