Chapter 184: Barusu, Vulgar (ᗜ ‸ ᗜ)

Natsuki Subaru stiffened at the sight, forcing out a strained little laugh.

He wanted badly to tell Meili to stop saying things so easily misread.

But the words caught in his throat — he was fairly sure that if he actually said it, Meili would burst into tears on the spot.

Subaru hesitated, torn between speaking up and staying silent, but to everyone watching, his wry, pained smile carried an entirely different meaning.

Subaru... was happy about it?

Every woman at the table stared fixedly at the scene, most of their expressions unreadable in the extreme.

"Barusu, you pervert!" Ram, standing at Subaru's side, suddenly broke the strange silence.

She looked down at him with her arms crossed, the one eye not hidden by her pink hair fixing him with a cold, contemptuous stare.

"Um... Subaru, I know you're just trying to comfort Meili, but this really isn't appropriate!" Emilia stammered, a flush rising on her cheeks.

"If Subaru likes this sort of thing, then... you could let Lia do it instead!"

Hearing this, Petra shot Emilia a look of pure disbelief, a trace of scorn flickering in her eyes.

You're way too old for that! How could you possibly satisfy Subaru's needs?

Whatever anyone else thought, Petra herself was delighted — in her memory, Subaru had been so infatuated with Emilia that he'd never once accepted anyone else's affections.

But after crossing over into this world, free of whatever contest had once bound him solely to Emilia, Subaru had finally shown his true colors!

The huge bow atop Petra's head bobbed as she sank into thought; soon a spark lit her eyes, and she arrived at a conclusion.

— This was a good thing!

This was a golden opportunity handed down from heaven — one that Petra herself ought to seize first!

But the very moment Petra worked this out, Betty — who had already been holding Subaru's hand — used his help to climb up and settle onto his other leg.

Now Subaru sat squarely at the center of the long dining table, legs spread wide to make room for them both.

On his left knee sat Meili, tear-streaked and pitiful as a rain-soaked pear blossom; on his right, Betty, lips pursed, glaring at Meili with open displeasure.

(□□□)

Normally, if Meili hadn't been crying, it would have been Betty sitting properly in Subaru's lap — but now she'd only managed a perch sideways on his leg!

Honestly, how displeasing, I suppose!

Betty puffed her cheeks, turned her face inward, and sulked with her arms crossed, burrowing into Subaru's chest.

Meanwhile, on the other side, another heart was breaking.

Petra had just worked up the courage to step forward and stake her claim on Subaru, only to find that Betty had already claimed the one leg that remained.

Heartbroken, Petra slumped weakly against the back of her chair, eyes vacant as she stared up at the ceiling — clearly burned out, leaving nothing but pale white ash.

"You really do live up to your name, Barusu — '**** Knight' suits you perfectly!"

Ram spoke up again, ignoring her sister's gentle tug at her sleeve, her expression openly provocative as she needled him.

"...?"

Subaru blinked at Ram in confusion, then his eyes narrowed, growing steadily more dangerous.

He'd noticed it — Ram had been awfully bold since a moment ago, needling him nonstop!

Had he lost his edge, or had Ram simply gotten carried away again?

So Subaru shot Ram a warning look — if she didn't behave, he'd have to give her the proper maid's education she deserved once night fell!

But rather than backing down at his warning glare, Ram's cheeks flushed faintly pink, and she only grew more excited!

The very next instant, she shot him a look brimming with feeling, as if to say "it's a promise" — unmistakably coquettish.

Oh no, my kidneys!

Subaru's face went pale with alarm, silently lamenting that he'd already fallen right into the schemer's trap!

So Subaru smoothly changed the subject without missing a beat, turning his gaze to Rem, who was stifling a laugh nearby.

"Rem, where's Zarestia? Why isn't she here for breakfast?"

"Didn't you go wake her?"

Subaru asked, puzzled.

"I did go, but... Tia was still sleeping in and didn't want to get up."

Rem gave a helpless smile, her tone doting.

"Tia has always loved sleeping in. Luckily, Great Spirits don't need to eat to go hungry, so let's just let her rest a while longer, shall we?"

"Ha ha ha! Tia's still the same as ever. Still, seeing that you two are doing just fine puts my mind at ease, Rem!"

Just then, a hearty man's laugh suddenly rang out from beyond the dining room doors.

The instant that unfamiliar voice sounded, every woman in the dining room fixed a wary gaze on the door, bracing themselves.

Barging into the dining room uninvited was hardly the sort of behavior one could call well-mannered.

So even though the voice claimed to know Rem, Elsa — standing closest to the door — flicked out two curved blades into her hands and turned an amused gaze toward the entrance.

The newcomer's presence was so faint as to be almost undetectable — but that didn't mean he was weak. Quite the opposite: if he hadn't spoken up himself, no one would have noticed him slip into the manor at all.

So, he worked in the same line as her.

Which meant... he was an assassin, and one of the very best of his kind!

"Uh, Su-san, Rem — am I interrupting something?"

"Why's the mood so tense the second I show up?" A wolfish male beastman in a black-and-purple kimono strode into the dining room, wearing a wry smile as he called out his complaint to Subaru, who stood not far ahead.

Halibel, who carried memories of a past life, naturally assumed that the Rem and Subaru before him shared the same.

So without meaning to, he relaxed around the two of them just as he had in his past life, never realizing how presumptuously familiar he was being.

The very next instant, with a sharp ring of steel, Elsa's blade sliced through the air and appeared at the throat of the advancing Halibel in warning.

It seemed that with just a touch more pressure, Elsa could take Halibel's head clean off right then and there.

Elsa was fiercely protective of Subaru's safety, and she couldn't stand to let this beastman assassin take even one more step toward her darling.

Setting that aside, she also had her own private motive—

To show off in front of darling as much as possible, to let him see her worth — a loyal, razor-sharp blade, through and through!

On the other side, faced with the threat to his life, Halibel simply laughed it off, unconcerned, and looked past Subaru to Rem behind him.

"Is this assassin on your side? Or is she trouble?"

"If she's trouble, I could take care of her for you — call it a welcome gift?"

The male beastman spoke lightly, as if dealing with Elsa would be no harder than wringing a chicken's neck.

"Don't underestimate Elsa. Even someone as strong as you would find it no easy task to kill her."

Subaru laughed at that and waved a hand.

"Elsa, let go of Hal — he's one of us!"

Right on cue, Rem's anxious voice rang out beside him.

Even knowing full well what Halibel was capable of, seeing a friend threatened stirred her anger regardless.

If Subaru hadn't been standing right there, Rem would have yanked her personal weapon — the morningstar — straight out from under her skirt and hurled it at Elsa!

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🔥 New history: DanMachi: Inheriting the Legacy of Alternate Versions — posted on The_Mikudayo