Chapter 40 - 2.8

 "Hey, Emilia-tan, they're gone now, so why don't we talk finally?" Subaru

asked.

 Parting ways with the arrogant girl and her guardian, Subaru and Emilia

walked together for a while before stopping.

 He was worried that something he'd said had brought about Emilia's sudden

change in behavior. After a brief silence, Emilia lifted up her face and, just as

Subaru expected, the subject was the girl she'd attempted to hide from.

 "Subaru.—About that girl from earlier… She… Where did… Why were you…?"

 "Ehh, Emilia-tan! What, are you jealous? We're at the point where you're just

burning with envy?"

 "—Subaru."

 With one word, Emilia cut off Subaru's typically glib reply. She had a solemn

expression, and the tension in her cheeks told even Subaru that bad jokes

weren't going to cut it.

 "Err? Emilia-tan, what's with the really serious look…?"

 "Please, Subaru, don't make light of this. Why were you with that girl…?"

 Emilia seemed to want to hear something from Subaru. It threw him off, but

he sank into thought to try to give her the earnest reply she sought. But just as

Subaru focused properly about things for once…his efforts were for naught as

an angry, rough, and coarse shout interrupted their conversation.

 "Finally found ya! You're a lot of trouble, damn it!!"

 At the voice, Subaru scanned the area, aghast. Roughnecks were on both

sides, blocking the street to prevent their escape. Dumb of Dumb, Dumber, and

Dumbest stood at the vanguard of the men, glaring at Subaru.

 "I've been lookin' for you and the woman to pay you back for makin' fun of

me before."

 Subaru replied, "…So you brought all your friends for payback over a war of

words? No matter how much you resent an insult, a man with a spine wipes his

own butt… That's what I…always believed in…!"

 "Hey, don't try to make me feel bad! What do you know about me, anyway?!"

 Subaru listened to Dumb's abuse, complete with spittle flying, as he quietly

looked around. There were fifteen or sixteen men blocking the street. He

couldn't exactly expect Reinhard to bail him out of this one.

 "Meaning, it's pathetic, but the best thing I can do is rely on Emilia-tan and

Puck, so…!"

 Puck telepathically praised Subaru's quick turn to the aid of others.

 "It really is pathetic, but I think it's commendable you accept your helplessness

so quickly."

 Subaru felt sorry for Dumb and company, but Puck the Great Spirit could take

on street thugs regardless of their numbers. It'd be WinterFest in Lugunica's

summer.

 But before Subaru could shout, "Take it from here, maestro!" and yield the

path like a villain in a historical play, a telepathic thought rich in meaning

arrived from Puck.

 "You have quite a disturbing image in your mind there… But apparently I'm

not needed."

 Faster than Subaru could ask what he meant, a rather scary statement came

from overhead, heralding the descent of a certain blue-haired maid.

 "—I came here tracking Subaru's scent. What kind of disturbance is this?"

 Tumbling end over end as she descended, Rem held down the hem of her

skirt and landed with a boom. She brushed the dust from her sleeves as

everyone gawked at her.

 Rem made an adorable little tilt of her head.

 "So, Subaru. Do you have something you wish to say to me?"

 Subaru pointed at her feet and voiced his question.

 "Let me start with, err… He's ah, not dead, is he?"

 Rem lowered her gaze. Underneath lay Dumb, smashed to the ground the

moment she landed.

 Head buried in the city street, the hoodlum said one last thing before he

ceased to move altogether.

 "Not another…maid…"

 Rem slowly nodded.

 "He is breathing."

 "It's all good, then!! That's Rem for you, the all-purpose maid everyone wants

in their time of need!"

 "Oh no… Saying how you can do nothing without me, you are making me

blush."

 Subaru and Rem engaged in their daily routine, even as Rem's violence had

the thugs reeling. Subaru's praised made Rem's cheeks go red as she demurred.

In the meantime, the men gradually regained their bearings.

 "D-don't toy with us here! You really think you're gettin' out of this alive…?"

 Rem's voice lowered as she switched to her emotionless Work Mode.

 "I judge that these men are threatening Subaru and Lady Emilia's safety."

 The hooligans faltered at the change. Subaru felt a pang of pity for them while

raising a finger to Rem.

 "Rem."

 "Yes?"

 "Don't kill them, okay?"

 "You are as kind as ever, Subaru—I shall half-kill them, then."

 In a miraculous combination of equal parts violence and loveliness, Rem

leaped into the mob.

 Some lunged at her only to be thrashed. Others turned tail and ran. Others

still squatted down and cowered, unable to grasp what was going on—Rem

heaped punishment upon them all impartially.

 Subaru gawked at the sight of people flying through the air like they weighed

nothing.

 "Whoa, that's amazing."

 The impending end of the strife before his eyes filled Subaru's head with

tranquility, as if he were removed from the uproar. He never even noticed the

violet eyes staring at him, nor the pleading murmur that accompanied them.

 "—Subaru."