Volume 3, 13: The Same City

Volume 3, Chapter 13: The Same City

Subaru realizes the strength of his ultra-bad luck as he drops onto the ground.

Not getting discovered would be the best that could happen, but getting discovered by an acquaintance is a godsend. Better yet, he met the two who found him just yesterday. Claiming that their chance encounter happened solely for Subaru to survive infiltrating the castle is no exaggeration.

“Then, out of consideration to the wheel of destiny, I come in peace—” Already kneeling, he takes the opportunity to bend down and make “八” on the ground with both of his hands while slamming his forehead against the floor. He performs the triple, time-honored, combo passed down from Imperial Japan that advocates defenselessness, awkwardness, and incompetence in order to evoke unconditional pity from any opponent, the DOGEZA!

The response Subaru chose in response to the developing situation once his brain caught up to everything happening is his easiest to understand and most earnest apology he can muster. His other options for breaking through his predicament were either shake his body and dance like a madman or serve murky green tea. He immediately rejected both of them upon having a vision of how they’d develop. His current selection that depends on the kindness of his opponent’s heart has the highest survival rate.

“— — —”

The silence Subaru’s dogeza receives fills him with a sense of oppression. Unable to withstand the pressure any longer, he looks up. The sole of a small shoe blankets his vision—

“How dull.”

“Kafugaa!”1

Subaru’s face gets kicked in. He doesn’t have any time to think as his head gets sent flying back against the closet door. Then, before the pain fades or the tears blurring his vision clears, he’s trampled by the same foot.

The young lady who owns the shoe begins to kick Subaru who’s rendered immobile by shock. “Sneaking in to the royal castle with that level of resolution... How foolish. I won’t stand listening to such an apology! If you’re going to apologize, then don’t do it!” She ridicules him with scorn and distain while drilling her heel into his cheek.

Subaru groans from the sharp pain. The moment he tries to brush away her foot, a large sword is silently drawn and pointed against his throat. “Don’t move, you idiot. Hime-san is granting you the favor punishing you herself. Or would you prefer me, instead? My hands are clumsy, so it might hurt.”

Subaru gulps at the one-armed man’s mumbled warning. According to his knowledge, that thick sword which is as wide as his body is called the [Blue Dragon Sword]. It’s a heavy weapon, and the man wields it without any effort. An amateur like him wouldn’t stand a chance in crossing blades with such an expert.

With Subaru’s voice caught in his throat as he’s restrained by unperceivable skill, the young lady looks towards her attendant while keeping her foot planted against Subaru’s face. “Hey, Al, don’t place such a dangerous thing next to your mistress’s foot. The world would suffer a devastating loss if my flawless skin were to be scratched.”

“Don’t worry, Hime-san. It’s my dogma not to do that which I shouldn’t. After all, Hime-san is my benefactor. Feel free to ride your reinforced mud boat as much as you want.”

Subaru judges that his best course of action during this tight roped, master-servant, exchange unfolding before his eyes is to remain still. Truthfully, watching how the exchange unfolds wouldn’t be bad, but he won’t miss his chance when it shows— “A mud ship sounds like it would sink... Get something bigger....” Subaru feels that he’s risking his life by squeezing out those words.

The orange haired, young lady turns her head towards Subaru. Instead of punishing his interruption with a kick, she closes an eye. “Talking to me without my permission takes a lot of nerve. Wait until I give you my attention. Well, if you don’t value your life—”

“Wait, time out, Hime-san! This guy’s just a brat!” Al stops his master from announcing her cruel decree while leaning towards Subaru to ask him a question. Despite his disrespectful interrupting of the young lady’s temper, he looks at Subaru. His jet black helmet hides his eyes, making this impossible for Subaru to discover.

Al says, “Yesterday, there was something I noticed... Hey, brat.”

Subaru, still having his face stepped on by the young lady, looks up at Al with half closed eyes. Judging from Al’s attitude, he decides that his plan didn’t fail. While his and Al’s eyes are locked with each other’s, he takes a breath and waits.

Al says, “When the wind blows—”

“...? Ba- barrel makers get rich?”

“If you talk about next year,”

“Demons will laugh...!”

“Fortune comes in,”

“—through a merry gate!” Subaru looks up at Al’s face as he finishes the sentence. The jet black helmet makes reading his expression impossible, but the way he tilts his head and shrugs his shoulder says enough.

Al says, “Yep, just like I though. He’s got me!”

“Hold it, you bastard! Don’t go getting convinced all on your own! Explain this to me. What’s the significance of that exchange just now?” Unable to stand Al’s attitude, the young lady looks down at Subaru.

Al says, “My mistress isn’t generous enough to allow others to ridicule her after they’ve piled disrespect on top of disrespect against her. So, be careful with how you respond. What does our interaction mean?”

Subaru responds in a low tone similar to Al’s. “—If I’m being forced to talk, then it’s something like mutually confirming our native country.”

The young lady’s eyebrows knit towards each other as she grasps the meaning within Subaru’s words. “Saying something like that...” She narrows her eyes and says, “The same country, Al?”

Al once more shrugs his shoulders as he confirms his master’s inquiry. “Probably.” He then sheathes his Blue Dragon Sword and once more looks over Subaru. “The things I want to ask you keep growing higher and higher. How did you get here?”

Subaru says, “....If this is a cross examination, then I’d love to have some katsudon.”

A sound that Subaru judges to be laughter escapes Al as he says, “I’d prefer an unadon, but I haven’t been able to fine either of those here.” He then holds out an open hand which Subaru accepts.

Subaru’s mental state at receiving that surprising revelation after having just escaped death leads him to say, “I really just can’t figure life out.”

–Gasp, this place doesn’t have a Cute Star–

“Amnesia?” Subaru, having earned the right to continue living, mutters in a shocked tone as he gets up from the changing room floor.

Al scratches the exposed nape between his jet-black helmet and light clothing as he nods. “It’s the so called missing memory episode. Things like common knowledge and the names of this and that are missing, but only when they’re related to me. Clichéd, right?”

Subaru makes a bitter smile as he says, “You mean like that strange feeling that comes from continuously using katakana when referring to another person.... Looks like I’ve also been dyed by this fantasy world.” Saying that out loud once again lets him confirm his feelings— “There’s no doubt you’ve been summoned to another world, just like me.”

“Yep, that also matches with my general knowledge.”

Subaru guesses that Al’s laughing from the way his shoulders tremble. His attitude has softened a great deal compared to earlier. It’s back to like when they met yesterday. No, he’s even friendlier now.

A good reason exists for the shift in attitude.Subaru isn’t a stranger anymore. He’s someone who can emphasize with him.

Subaru says, “I never really thought about it, but if I’m here, then there shouldn’t be anything strange about there being other summoned humans here. Al-san, do you know any others?”

Even sneaking into the castle was thanks to Kadomon. His participation rate for kingdom events has an abnormally high value. With those boring thoughts, Subaru once more realizes that his life was spared.

–★ Cute ★ Star ★ Invasion ★–

Subaru looks around while saying, “Hey, are you sure? Is this alright? Aren’t I really out of place here?”

The three of them form a line with Al in front of Subaru. Al looks back over his shoulder to say, “Whether you stick out or not, you’re the one who trespassed to get here in the first place. Regardless, Hime-san has given her consent and I don’t mind either... Look, just relax. Right now, you’re under her protection.”

Subaru corrects his posture by mimicking Al. He then stares at their line’s head.

The young lady leads them to the upper floor of the royal castle. She walks through the passage to the central tower with everyone watching her. Her haughty attitude, however, is counteracted by her luxurious dress and refined beauty.

Subaru’s gaze is drawn to the armed guards lining the passage. Seeing their swords makes his heart race as he walks forward. His original intention was to sneak into the castle, so why is he walking before such a crowd of onlookers? Worse, Al can send his head flying with a casual swing of his arm at any given notice. Should he really be in such a situation?

He wishes the passage would hurry up and end. Feeling a whirlpool of pressure coming from the silent stares of the soldiers, he quickens his pace to catch up to the young lady’s back. No, he reaches an area where people are interacting with one another. It’s the end of the passage.

Subaru says, “Past all the guards is a huge door...” The double sided door is so large, he’s force to look up to see all of it. The door’s nature allows him to imagine the magnificence of the chamber inside.

He’s on an upper floor of the central tower within the royal castle of the royal capital and is surrounded by guards lining the passageway— For some time now, a bad premonition has been clutching Subaru’s heart and refusing to let go.

In front of the glum Subaru, the young lady speaks to a giant.

The armed giant removes his helmet and gives the young lady what appears to be an inquiring gaze. He appears to be 30 years old. If Subaru had to judge, then the giant’s face, which looks like it’s been chiseled out of a rock, is more of the tough and rugged type than the grim or stern. Wrapped around him like an aura is the years of experiences he’s accumulated through his long service.

The giant bows his head and despite his grim expression, speaks in a respectful tone, “I’ve been expecting you, Priscilla-sama.”

The young lady disregards proper etiquette and nods. She then gestures to the two behind her and says, “They’re with me. One of them is my knight, the other... is a ringa clerk.”

“Hol...” Subaru shuts his mouth. Even though he wants to object for a better title, his situation doesn’t allow him.

The knight’s expression remains as unchanging as stone despite the hundreds of expressions flashing across Subaru’s face. Not once do his eyes shift away from the young lady. “—A ringa clerk?”

“Correct, he’s my ringa clerk. This pitiful jester is tasked with bringing me red, bittersweet ringas. Don’t pay him any mind. He’s completely harmless.”

“I must first inquire with Mycroft-sama. Other than that, the floor...”

“Anything I do, no matter the place, the world always decides in my favor. This is inexcusable. We’re going, Marcos!”

The young lady’s arrogant complaint appears to be a common occurrence as the knight doesn’t raise any objections. He evaluates Subaru with his blue eyes when— The eyes turn clear and glitter as they begin to spin.

Subaru isn’t making a metaphor for himself. That’s the reality unfolding before him.

The knight taps his eyes and says, “I didn’t detect any dangerous magic or hidden weapons. Knight-dono, will you be bringing your great sword?”

“.....Oh, you mean me? That’s right, that’s right, yes, yes! If this black haired guy does anything suspicious, I’ll cut him in two with my own hand.”

“If such a situation were to occur, please assist us in protecting lord Priscilla-sama. Otherwise, leave such a judgement to us, the royal guards.”

Al replies with an exaggerated, but vague, “Sure, sure.”

From there, Marcos orders for the large doors to be opened. “Please hurry, everyone else is already waiting.”

The young lady steps inside while saying, “The commoners await my magnificence. The reverse would absolutely be unforgiveable.” Al follows behind her without putting up any pretense.

Subaru enters while thinking about the events that just transpired.

—A majestic red carpet covers a vast room.

Luxurious daylight shines through the ceiling and onto the dazzling ornaments placed along the walls. Even though the room is as big as a gymnasium, very little is placed inside. Although, such is justified once the purpose of the room is taken into account.

The center of the room is different. The floor there is elevated by the height of a few steps. In the center of it rests a chair. A dragon is carved into the wall behind it. Anyone who sits on that chair will appear to have the dragon’s protection.

There is no mistaking that this is the royal castle throne room. That makes that chair the throne of Lugnica. Subaru, his eyes drawn to the throne, is overcome with fear upon understanding its significance.

Unlike the passage leading up to here, there are no sword wielding guards. There are a few shadowy figures in the room, but they’re so few, they can be counted on the digits of a single hand.

While Subaru is having those thoughts—,

“—Subaru?” A silver haired girl is surprised to see Subaru walk through the door and enter the throne room. Her bluish-purple eyes tremble as she’s overcome by a torrent of confusion and bewilderment. In an attempt to deny Subaru’s sudden appearance, she shuts her eyes and opens them.

Her shock makes Subaru’s heart aches so much it makes a loud roar. He’s been overcome by a strange, pressuring, sense of oppression ever since he snuck into the royal castle. He’s managed to force it down one way or another up till now, but seeing her awakens it back into action.

Subaru shuts his eyes while hitting himself on the head. Then, as he sticks out his tongue, says, “My bad, but I’m here.”

A heavy pressure fills the throne room as silence befalls everyone.

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T/N: Wow, Subaru really knows how to make an entrance. First step, get captured by a rival camp. Second step, join said camp, whether willing or not is irrelevant. Third and final step, have them take you to where you want to go. Now all he has to do is get away and rejoin his camp. He’s going to have a lot of explain— What, why are you all looking at me like that?? Aren’t you here to read my translation about a guy who was summoned to another fantasy world?? Then, what’s the problem??

Do you want me to snaps fingers and say, “Gotch’ya!”

All kidding aside, I’ve been wanting to read the conversation between Subaru and Al for ages now. Then, the other day, after reading Translation Chicken for a while, I realized that I could translate the scene myself. I might translate a few other, random, scenes that take place between volumes 2 and 3, but if you really want to read Re:Zero, visit Translation Chicken. His site is: https://translationchicken.com/

-Gandire Alea

1 I think it’s supposed to be a scream?