Chapter 156 – Natsuki-san~
Early the next morning, after finishing his conversation with Crusch the night before, Natsuki Subaru returned to his room and sat in a daze the entire night.
In the end, before the sky was fully lit, he chose to go to the highest point in the royal capital, excluding the royal castle, to quietly watch the sunrise.
Alone, Natsuki Subaru watched the slowly rising sun.
Clearly, the scene before his eyes was something that could bring a bit of peace to one's heart. Yet within Subaru's heart, there wasn't the slightest sense of peace. The person who should have been by his side was no longer there.
After the sun had completely risen, Subaru turned and left the place that he usually visited together with Rem. By noon, they would be leaving the capital and returning to Roswaal's mansion. But before that, Subaru needed to meet someone.
"Isn't this the great hero Natsuki? What brings you to me so early in the morning?" Looking at the commercially-smiling Anastasia before him, Subaru still couldn't feel any sincerity from her.
"Mm, there's something I need to make a deal with you about."
"Oh, here to discuss another deal? Then, what kind of deal is it this time?"
"Information. I need information about the Witch Cult. You help me gather intel, and I'll pay you compensation equivalent to its value."
Anastasia showed a "just as I thought" expression.
"Hmm, that's quite a good deal. But when it comes to information on the Witch Cult, don't you know more than most?
After hearing the reports from my subordinates, I thought you were already very well-informed about the Witch Cult.
Of course, that was just my impression, and that impression vanished after what happened with Crusch.
After defeating the White Whale, her group was attacked by one of the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishops. Because at that time, you didn't make any preparations at all.
Based on what I know about you, there's no way you'd stay idle if you knew an attack was coming. So that's really quite a relief."
"Relief?"
Upon hearing that, Subaru's gaze toward Anastasia became dangerous, and the atmosphere he exuded made the previously light mood plummet in an instant.
Subaru could hear movements behind him and could see the mercenaries behind Anastasia now watching him with guarded, battle-ready expressions.
"Sorry, I got a little agitated. But I want to know what you meant by 'relief.' Were you saying that it's great that Crusch's group got attacked? Are you happy that they were assaulted? Or are you glad those people died?"
Subaru's tone still carried a dangerous edge he couldn't quite suppress.
Even though he was doing his best to control his emotions, everyone present could feel it— If they couldn't give him a satisfactory answer, a fight might break out at any moment.
"Hmm~~ regarding that, I didn't express myself well. That's something I should apologize to you for, Subaru. What I meant to say was that I'm relieved to know that you're not someone who knows everything.
After all, if we had to oppose someone who's all-knowing and all-powerful, even if we won, the price would be immense.
In that case, it'd be better to surrender early on.
But now that I know you're not omnipotent, then I can still do my best with my family. I really hate losing, after all."
"I see…"
"We need to change the terms of our deal a bit."
"Hmm? You're not satisfied with the payment I offered?"
Anastasia tilted her head and furrowed her brows in thought, replying with a slightly uncertain tone: "I wouldn't say I'm dissatisfied.
After all, the value of intelligence is always uncertain, and you didn't set a fixed price.
In normal negotiations, this kind of deal is perfectly acceptable. But since the person I'm dealing with is you, Subaru, I feel like just exchanging it for money isn't quite right. As a merchant, I have many ways to make money."
"Then how do you want to change the deal? If not money, what do you want?"
"A favor—I want a favor from you, Subaru. You could also call it an oath or a promise. I've heard about your conduct from my people. For a merchant like me, getting money from someone like you feels like a waste.
So I want to exchange information for a promise from you. If I need help, you'll come assist me. You're not officially aligned with any faction, so I don't think that's too much to ask. Of course, I won't ask you to do anything that crosses your moral boundaries or exceeds your capabilities.
Although I don't know exactly what your limits are, we can talk again when I need help. If you don't want to help then, you can just pay me for the information. That's a fair trade, right?"
Subaru looked into Anastasia's eyes.
This time, he saw sincerity and seriousness within them. Just as Anastasia thought the deal was already more than halfway concluded, Subaru let out a sigh.
"I'll pay for the information with money."
"…You're not willing to owe me a favor? That's a shame. Then let's write the contract now."
"If you ever need my help, just say the word."
"Huh?"
"Felix has been really sad lately. What happened with Crusch has made it hard for him to lift his spirits. And Crusch is my friend too. Seeing a friend become like that… to be honest, it feels terrible.
Besides, I've said it before—we're friends too.
Julius also helped me a lot during this operation. I don't want Julius to suffer the same pain. As a friend, if you ever have trouble or run into danger, just come to me. I'll definitely help you."
Anastasia looked at Subaru, whose eyes held a hint of sorrow—but even more than that, a firm resolve.
After a brief moment of silence, she smiled and said:
"Has anyone ever told you, Subaru, that you're really good at cheering up girls?"
"Huh? No, and how was anything I said meant to cheer up girls? Weren't we talking about a deal just now?"
"It's nothing. Let's change the terms of our deal again. This time, I won't be a merchant—I'll speak to you as a friend.
If I find any intel, I'll let you know. No need for any payment. In fact, you've already paid me. I'm not losing anything."
"Uh… why do you look so happy all of a sudden?"
"Do I? I've always been like this. After all, as a merchant, keeping a smile helps smoothen negotiations."
"Uh, yeah, I know that, but your… never mind. So, the contract?"
"There's no need for that anymore, Natsuki-san~"
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