The air inside Roswaal's office was heavy, a dim glow flickering across the richly decorated room. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with countless tomes, while a grand desk sat at the center, its surface meticulously arranged with documents, quills, and wax-sealed letters.
Seated in one of the plush chairs, Emilia glanced at Roswaal, her expression tense. Across from her, Rem and Ram stood side by side, their identical features contrasting in demeanor—Rem looked hesitant, while Ram remained composed, her gaze sharp as always.
The day before their departure, Roswaal had summoned them for a private meeting—one that noticeably excluded both Subaru and Tanaka.
Ram, was the first to speak.
"Roswaal-Sama, may I ask why you gathered us here?"
Roswaal, draped in his usual eccentric attire, rested his chin on the back of his interlocked fingers, his ever-present grin never faltering. His mismatched eyes gleamed with something unreadable as he finally answered.
"Weeeell, now that Rem has decided to go instead of Ram, there are certain matters that must be aaaaddressed before our departure."
His voice, playful yet laced with an undeniable authority.
"Rem," he continued, his eyes locking onto hers, "you will have to accompany and monitor Tanaka-kun's movements as soon as we arrive in the capital."
Rem blinked, visibly taken aback. There was a brief hesitation in her posture before she spoke.
"Forgive me, Roswaal-Sama, but… may I ask why?"
Emilia, who had been quiet until now, frowned and leaned forward slightly, her silver hair slipping over her shoulder.
"Is this really necessary, Roswaal?" she asked, her voice carrying a hint of frustration. "I've spent a lot of time with Tanaka, and after everything that's happened, I don't believe he's a bad person."
Roswaal chuckled softly, but there was an edge to his amusement.
"I understaaaand your concern, Emilia-Sama, truly. However, this is merely a precaution."
He leaned back, tapping his fingers rhythmically against the armrest of his chair.
"I do not deny his aaaaccomplishments, nor do I disregard his efforts. Buuuut," his grin widened ever so slightly, "considering that he was able to recognize the messenger from Crusch-sama's camp at a mere glance, combined with the purity of the maaana he exudes, it suggests that he could belong to a proooominent family."
His words hung in the air like an unspoken accusation.
Emilia's lips pressed into a thin line.
Roswaal then added, his voice lowering just slightly—
"There is also the possibility that he is a spy from another caaaamp. Given the timing of his arrival and his aaaassociation with us right as the royal selection is about to begin, it would be unwise not to exercise caution."
Silence followed.
Rem's fingers subtly curled at her sides. What Roswaal said made perfect sense—too much sense. And yet…
Her mind drifted to the past few weeks, to the moments she had spent observing Tanaka. His sharp mind, his unconventional way of thinking, there was some strange air around him, unlike Subaru who was more of an odd goofball.
But still...
Noticing her sister's troubled expression, Ram reached out, gently placing a hand on Rem's shoulder.
"Hey, Rem." Her voice was quiet but firm. "If you don't want to do it, I can go in your stead."
Rem turned to her, their gazes meeting.
Unlike Rem, Ram wouldn't give any second thoughts to Roswaal's orders, it wasn't because she didn't trust Tanaka.
However, her masters orders always came first.
For a moment, hesitation flickered in her blue eyes.
Then, she shook her head.
"No, Nee-Sama. I will do it."
***************************************************************************************
No background.
Unknown origins.
Foreign knowledge and ideas.
These descriptions fit both Subaru and Tanaka. However, the difference between them was staggering.
Subaru was a straightforward—reckless, impulsive, yet strangely endearing in his stubbornness. Tanaka, on the other hand, was too sharp, too calculated. His immense talent for magic, despite being crippled by his gate, was abnormal. His ability to absorb knowledge at a rate far beyond a normal person, was nothing short of unsettling.[1] And above all, the spirits favored him in a way she had never seen before—not even in Emilia, whom she was the first person Rem ever saw interact with spirits.
If Roswaal's suspicions were correct, then the possibility that Tanaka was a spy couldn't be ignored.
And yet…
Rem did not want to believe it.
Because of what he did.
Because he had risked his life—not just for her, but for her sister, for the village, for people he had no obligation to protect.
This wasn't just about following orders. If she was going to watch over him, it would not be as an interrogator, but as someone who wanted to clear his name.
As her thoughts tangled, Rem glanced toward Tanaka, observing his face for any sign of unease. What she found was an expression of discomfort.
His brows were slightly furrowed, his mouth drawn into a thin line, as if he were on the verge of gagging.
"Is something wrong?" she asked.
Tanaka turned to her with a slight grimace.
"It reeks of alcohol."
Then, as if to emphasize his distaste, he added, "I hate the smell of liquor."
Rem blinked, puzzled for a moment before stating the obvious.
"Well, it is a pub, after all."
It was a simple, almost silly complaint—especially coming from him. A smoker who couldn't handle alcohol? The contradiction was absurd, but as Rem thought about it, she recalled something.
During the snow festival, he had refused to drink.
Despite being one of the only two people above eighteen—besides Roswaal—he had turned it down without hesitation.
As if answering her unspoken question, Tanaka muttered under his breath,
"I hate it. My mother hates it too. So much that she made my father quit entirely."
There was a certain fondness in his tone, a rare warmth that Rem hadn't heard from him before.
She remained silent, listening.
"She always got her way with things like that," he continued. "She even had me and my sister snitch on my dad if we ever caught him drinking a wine." A small, nostalgic chuckle escaped him. "Eventually, he just gave up. Said it was easier to quit than to deal with my mom's wrath."
For a moment, his expression softened in reminiscence—until a new thought seemed to strike him like lightning.
His entire body tensed. A shiver ran down his spine.
'If she ever found out that I'm a smoker, I'm a dead man.'
He swallowed hard. The reason as to why he got into that habit in the first place was to combat stress. However, the mere thought of his mother catching him in the act brought far more stress.
"Tanaka, are you okay?"
Rem's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Shaking his head quickly, he forced a casual tone.
"Ah—yeah, I'm fine. Let's just get this over with."
"Listen, since you decided to come with me, I need to give you a quick warning. This is what we're going to be asking people."
He pulled out a small, worn notebook, flipping through its pages before settling on one. With a swift tug, he tore it out, the paper rustling as he held it up for Rem to see.
Rem glanced at it, her brows furrowing slightly. The page was filled with seemingly random words, neatly written in the language of this world:
Dollar, Euro, Yen, Riyal → (Currencies)
Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe → (Continents)
Cars, planes, bicycles → (Transportation methods)
Her confusion was evident as she scanned the list, but Tanaka didn't give her time to question it.
The day before their departure, he had locked himself in his room, racking his brain for a way to find someone—anyone—who might have knowledge of his world.
It had taken time, but he had finally managed to convert the spelling of these words into the language of this world. Now, the question was whether someone out there would recognize them. Even a single word or symbol would be a breakthrough.
Merchants are his best bet, after all. They are the people that need to travel the most and have an endless chain of contacts in order to strive in their jobs.
Tanaka tapped the page lightly, getting Rem's attention.
"Alright, Rem. Try reading this word here."
She hesitated for a second, then carefully sounded it out.
"Dolor?"
Tanaka exhaled, ignoring the slight mispronunciation.
"Close enough."
As he observed her expression, he could already see the uncertainty creeping in.
Before she could voice her concerns, he spoke first.
"Yeah, I know. You're probably going to get some weird looks. That's why I didn't want to bring you with me in the first place." He handed her the paper and tucked the notebook back into his pocket. "But I don't have any better options. Just ask them if they recognize any of these words. And if someone does—" He met her gaze, his voice quieter but firm. "Tell me immediately."
Rem took a moment to think, her fingers tightening around the paper as determination replaced her initial hesitation.
"Okay, leave it to me, Tanaka-Kun."
Tanaka gave her a brief nod before shifting his attention to the room. His gaze swept over the groups of patrons, analyzing their demeanor. The place reeked of alcohol and sweat, and the heavy chatter filled the air, blending with the occasional clinking of mugs.
Two groups stood out—both composed of traders, judging by their expressions and attire. One group, seated to the right side of the pub, consisted of three middle-aged men, their faces weathered and lined with experience.
The other group, positioned on the opposite side, was made up of younger merchants—probably newcomers to the trade.
Tanaka made his decision.
"I'm going to take the ones on the right," he muttered, adjusting his posture. "You take the younger ones on the left. And no matter what, stay where I can see you."
Dragging a young girl into a bar with him already made him feel like a piece of shit, but he wasn't about to let her get into trouble on his watch. He knew Rem was strong, capable of handling herself.
But recently, perhaps due to Subaru and his sudden appearance, Rem's behavior changed to a point where she could be called naive. Still, Tanaka had no doubt that if someone tried to take advantage of her, she'd react, but he'd rather not let things get to that point in the first place.
With that in mind, he made sure to give her the less intimidating group while keeping her within his line of sight.
Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders and approached the group. Their table was cluttered with half-empty mugs and scattered parchment. The men themselves wore thick traveling cloaks, their boots dusted with dirt from the road, marking them as traders who had just arrived in capital.
Plastering on a smile, Tanaka stepped up.
"Hello, gentlemen. May I sit with you?"
A gruff-looking fellow with a thick mustache, barely looked up from his drink.
"Hello, gentleman. You may not!" His lips curled into a smirk as he mimicked Tanaka's tone in mock politeness.
A burst of laughter erupted from the table, the loudest coming from a demi-human with wolf-like ears, who slapped the table and let out a sharp, barking laugh.
"Pft... Hahaha!"
Tanaka sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Come on! You don't have to do me like that! I just want to chat."
The mustached man's smirk twisted into a scowl.
"Fuck off, loser. This is a private table."
Tanaka didn't flinch. Instead, he let his hand slip into his coat. A moment later, he slammed a small cloth bag onto the table, the heavy clink of coins inside cutting through the rowdy atmosphere.
Silence.
Their eyes flickered to the bag, their interest piqued.
For the past month, Tanaka hadn't been sitting around idly in the mansion. Surprisingly, Roswaal had continued to pay him, ever since Beatrice decided to take him as her so-called assistant. But that wasn't his only source of income.
Using part of his allowance, he had struck up trades with the villagers, introducing them to simple but effective innovations—new recipes, cheap handcrafted toys, and small, convenient inventions. He never overcharged for his supplies, not wanting to exploit the villagers, but demand had been high. Too high.
And that meant money.
Now, with all eyes on the bag, he leaned forward with a smirk.
"Here's the deal. I have a couple of questions, ones I already know the answers to. Get even one of them right..." He tapped the bag lightly, letting the weight of it sink in. "And the whole thing is yours."
*********************************************************************************************************
The scene shifts.
Inside a dimly lit room, Emilia stands with her arms crossed, her usually gentle expression contorted into one of frustration as she scolds Subaru. The air is thick with tension, a stark contrast to the usually carefree mood between them.
"What— I'm on house arrest!?" Subaru's voice crackles with disbelief, his arms flailing in protest.
Emilia exhales sharply, pinching the bridge of her nose. She had left him alone for one afternoon to attend a conference at the castle, and in that short time, he had somehow managed to get himself tangled up in yet another mess.
Apparently, Subaru had seen a girl being dragged into an alley and, in his usual reckless fashion, had rushed in to save her. Unfortunately, that meant he had once again run into the three thugs he had encountered during his first day in the capital. Lucky for him, Old Man Rom had been nearby and managed to drive them off before Emilia had found him.
But fate wasn't done laughing at him just yet.
Later as he was being interrogated by Emilia on their way back to the villa, they once again crossed paths with the three thugs. Fortunately again, Puck was still clocking in and they got another unforgettable beating.
Now, back at the mansion, Emilia was still lecturing him, her voice sharper than usual.
"Have you forgotten why we came to the royal capital in the first place, Subaru?" she pressed, arms folded tightly. "You came to check on the safety of your acquaintances here and to get treatment for your body. That was the agreement."
"Yeah, but if we interpret things a bit more flexibly, I could, you know—"
"Absolutely not!" Emilia shot him down immediately. "This isn't a game, and we can't have outsiders interfering."
Faced with Emilia's unusually firm stance, Subaru, still feeling guilty about today's mistakes, found himself unable to argue back.
However, there was one loophole he could use.
"That's not fair! Tanaka is roaming all around the capital, and you have no issue with that whatsoever!" He pointed out, a smug grin forming on his face, thinking he had backed her into a corner.
But Emilia didn't flinch.
As if anticipating his argument, she sighed and shook her head. "I knew you'd say that. But Tanaka already got Roswaal's permission to do so. And..." she hesitated for a brief moment before continuing, "I know me saying this might hurt your feelings, but Tanaka is a lot more mature than you. I trust him not to do anything reckless."
Crack.
Subaru froze.
Somewhere, at a level beyond the physical, something deep within him shattered. His pride. His soul.
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Before the silence could stretch further, the sound of the door creaking open broke through the room.
Emilia turned toward the entrance. "Oh, they're back."
Subaru snapped out of his daze and turned as well, only for his eyes to widen at the sight before him.
Rem stood in the doorway, supporting Tanaka by the shoulder. His steps were uneven, and his posture sagged with exhaustion. Though there were no serious wounds, his clothes were scuffed, and faint bruises marked his face and arms.
Emilia's eyes filled with concern as she took a step forward. "Tanaka! Are you okay? What happened?"
Subaru, still processing the scene, furrowed his brows. "Why do you look like a total mess?"
"..."
____
_____
______
A few hours earlier…
"Wrong. Next."
"Wrong. Next."
"Come on, give me another chance!"
"Everyone gets one attempt. You answered every question wrong."
The merchant slammed his fist on the table, frustration etched across his face. "What the hell was the answer then?"
"Why does it matter? You are already answered wrong?"
"Kid I swear, if you are just here to screw with us.."
Tanaka exhaled, rubbing his temple as he lifted his phone and pointed at the screen. "This building is called a pyramid. It's located in a place called Egypt."
A few merchants leaned in, squinting at the image as if it were some sacred relic, while others scowled in suspicion. The golden sands, the towering pyramids, the clear blue sky—it was a world entirely foreign to them.
Since he had handed the paper filled with general knowledge to Rem, Tanaka had resorted to using his phone to show pictures instead.
Photography had been a passion of his ever since childhood, a hobby passed down by his father. To him, a photograph was more than just an image—it was a precious memory, a moment that's gone forever, impossible to reproduce.
Traveling across the world with his family, he had captured countless moments, permanently preserving them.
But clearly, they were worthless to this crowd.
"How the hell are we supposed to know some random thing no one's ever heard of?" One of the merchants scoffed, his lip curling in irritation.
"You don't," Tanaka said plainly. "You either know or you don't. This isn't some prize show. I'm looking for someone with actual knowledge in exchange for money—not someone making blind guesses."
Tanaka let out a deep sigh and adjusted his posture. If they weren't going to take the bait, he had to change tactics.
"Fine. Let's talk about something closer to home."
He looked around the table, meeting each merchant's gaze before continuing. "You're all merchants, right? You must have traveled far and wide. I'm a scholar researching the Great Cascade. If you can provide me with convincing information, the money is yours."
The air in the room shifted.
At first, there was silence—brief but noticeable. Then, a few of the merchants exchanged glances, their expressions shifting ever so slightly. Some seemed genuinely intrigued. Others? Amused.
And then, the snickering started.
Tanaka didn't react, but he noticed the way a few of them straightened their backs, the way their smiles turned just a little too sly. He could already tell—these guys thought they had just found the perfect idiot to scam.
Tanaka leaned forward, his expression neutral but his mind racing.
Although he had never heard of the Great Cascade back on Earth, he was about 70% sure it held some kind of link—after all, in one of the loops, Emilia had mentioned it. That alone was enough to pique his curiosity.
Back in the forbidden library, he had done some digging. And what he found shocked him.
This world was flat.
A phrase he never thought he'd actually use.
The Great Waterfall, also known as the edge of the world, was a massive, endless drop, marked as the ultimate boundary between here and there. No one knew what lay beyond it. It was said that only dragons had ever crossed it. There were scattered stories of people vanishing into the abyss and returning, but no proof—nothing concrete enough to separate truth from myth.
And that wasn't even the strangest part.
How does gravity work here?How is there still day and night despite no planetary rotation?Why does this world have an identical sun and moon to Earth?
The more he thought about it, the more the questions piled up. But the real problem?
He had seen firsthand how dangerous it was to bring this topic up.
That was precisely why he avoided discussing it with anyone at the mansion.
However...
"I heard there's a lost civilization on the other side, filled with treasure beyond your dreams—"
One after another, they spun elaborate tales, each one more ridiculous than the last.
"I should be quiet about this, but… If you pay the right price, I can tell you whatever you need to know."
"No, no, that's wrong. The truth is, beyond the Great Cascade lies the Land of the Dragons!"
Tanaka kept his expression neutral, but internally, he was sick of them.
Finally, when one of the merchants finished his grand tale with a smug grin, Tanaka simply scoffed.
"That's clearly bullshit. You just made that shit up."
The merchant's face twitched, but before he could protest, Tanaka leaned forward, his gaze sharp and unwavering. "Listen. I'm not here to play along with your cheap scams. Either you know something real, or you don't. So tell me—are you actually useful to me, or should I take my money elsewhere?"
For a moment, there was silence.
Then, one of the merchants narrowed his eyes, his playful demeanor fading into something darker. "You've got a sharp tongue for a kid throwing money around."
Before the tension could escalate further, a voice cut through the air.
"Come on, people! Do none of you have an ounce of shame? Scamming this young man like that?"
Tanaka turned toward the new speaker, surprised to find someone not trying to extort him.
"Thank you! God, I don't know what would happen if I had to hear one more dumb, blatant lie," he muttered.
The figure who spoke was a demi-human—a tall lizard-like man with deep blue eyes, long claws, and a thick tail that occasionally flicked behind him. He wore a dark yellow cloak, fastened in place by a simple leather belt.
"I understand what you mean... Like, saying that what's beyond the great cascade is the land of the dragons, is such boring deceptive answer. Just because it's the edge of the world, and dragons supposedly fly beyond it, people eat up the legend like it's fact. But at the end of the day, it's just a myth."
Tanaka sighed. Finally, someone with some sense of morality.
"It doesn't seem like I'm going to get anything useful tonight. I should just give up," he muttered, shaking his head.
The lizard man suddenly grinned, his sharp teeth barely visible beneath his cloak. "Hey, you don't have to be so gloomy. Guess what? Your luck is about to change right now."
Tanaka blinked in confusion. "...What?"
The lizard man leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "This can't get out, okay?"
Then, in a whisper, the lizard man said, "My tribe comes from the Great Waterfall."
Tanaka's fingers twitched.
"My father was born beyond the edge of the world," the lizard man continued, his tone dead serious. "He crossed into this land riding a cloud dragon, but he won't tell anyone which path he took—"
"But," he added with a knowing smirk, "if I show him that money, I'm pretty confident I can make him talk."
A heavy silence settled between them.
Tanaka simply stared at him.
He didn't move. He didn't speak. He just let the words hang in the air for a moment longer.
Then, without a hint of hesitation, he spat out loud, his voice dripping with irritation—
"Fuck off."
[1] This part refers to the time where Tanaka and Subaru were being taught how to read and write the language of this world. But because of the events in chapter 25 and 26 (the wrath if route, basically living for hundreds of years), he naturally became capable of reading and writing, (He went along with Rem and Ram teaching him for about a week, pretending to be taught to avoid suspicion, he also stated that he Beatrice was teaching at his spare time.)