When Emilia returned, she'd changed back into her usual clothes.
The three of them stepped out of the house to find Rem already at the front with the Dragon Carriage waiting.
Following the address Felt had given, they reached the warehouse holding the White Whale meat soon after.
"This is the place. Emilia, it's all yours."
"Rem, take some back with you. The taste of one of the Three Great Mabeasts is worth trying."
Gojo nodded at them both with an easy smile.
"Let's get started, then."
Emilia looked at the mounds of White Whale flesh piled up inside, and a fresh appreciation for the creature's sheer size settled in. The warehouse was vast, but scale wasn't a problem for her.
Freezing air poured from her palm and flooded the space.
In a handful of minutes, the entire warehouse had turned into a world of ice and snow.
"There. The chill inside should hold for about a week."
Emilia smiled gently and turned to Subaru and Gojo.
"The thing is, it isn't only this warehouse. What's in here is a small fraction of the White Whale."
Under her gaze, Gojo gave a slightly apologetic laugh. "The whole block of warehouses. All of it."
The smile froze on her face.
She turned her head to glance around, and when her eyes found the dozen or so warehouses surrounding them, her expression went through something complicated.
"All right. Let's keep going."
It wasn't exhausting work so much as repetitive. Tedious in a way only repetition could be.
She went through the process a dozen times over before every last warehouse had been dealt with.
"Thank you, Emilia. That was a lot to ask."
Looking at the layer of frost sealing everything in, knowing the meat would hold for the near future, Gojo meant it.
The value of what was stored in these warehouses ran into astronomical figures.
"Oh, it was nothing. A small thing, compared to what you've done for me."
She waved the thanks off, a little embarrassed.
"Emilia-chi, take this piece with you. Let Rem cook it up. The flavor's honestly amazing."
Subaru bounded over with a large, appetizing slab of meat in his arms, grinning.
"Thank you, Subaru."
Emilia said it warmly, and Rem stepped forward to take it from him.
"The ice will only last a week. I'll come back over the next couple of days to reinforce it."
"Past that, we'll need to find someone else to top it up with magic."
Gojo caught the edge under her words.
"Are you leaving the Royal Capital soon, Emilia?"
"Mm. Everyone else is out doing things. I can't just sit still. I should be trying, too."
"And Roswaal said I should go back to the territory before he left."
"Eh?"
"Emilia, when are you heading back?"
Subaru's attention sharpened in a heartbeat. The question came out tense.
"Probably within the next few days. Is something wrong, Subaru?"
After the Witch Cult business, whatever Subaru said carried full weight with her.
"Well. I'm not sure, honestly."
She'd shifted the timing. The Witch Cult members had been dealt with. By rights, nothing worse should happen. But he hadn't lived this timeline yet, and he couldn't make promises about what he hadn't seen.
Offering to escort her back himself was overreaching. He didn't have the credentials for it. Emilia was a Spirit Arts User, and him? If it came to an actual fight, he was just a regular person. He'd be the one needing protection, not the one giving it. The idea of protecting her didn't hold up.
Which meant leaning on Gojo and the others all over again. And he'd told himself, clearly, that until Felt's business was wrapped up, he wasn't going to be the problem.
Gojo read the unspoken thoughts off his face without effort.
He turned to Emilia with a smile. "Subaru's a little worried. Roswaal's away, and the Witch Cult has been busy lately."
"If you don't mind, give us a heads up before you leave. And take a Conversation Mirror with you. If anything comes up, we might be able to help."
"Thank you. Truly, for all of it."
Why Subaru cared this much, she couldn't say. But the warmth in her chest wasn't something she could fake.
"We're friends. It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
"Oh. And when Roswaal gets back in the next day or two, let us know."
With the promise settled, Emilia and Rem took the meat and left.
Subaru watched the Dragon Carriage roll away, brow furrowed.
"Satoru. Nothing else is going to go wrong this time, right?"
"You're asking the wrong guy."
"Why not have Reinhard ask the world for some kind of prophecy Divine Protection?"
Subaru shook his head. "Reinhard wouldn't agree to that."
From the loops he'd been through, it was obvious the Sword Saint didn't care much for that particular talent of his. Or, more honestly, he shied away from it.
The reason he'd pulled a Divine Protection against Regulus was that there'd been no clear way through, and Gojo had asked. For something as optional as this, the knight wouldn't do it.
"Don't sweat it. Worst case, you can loop back, right?"
"Just start over if it comes to that. Relax."
"I'll make sure you die clean. No pain whatsoever."
"Seriously? Saying that kind of thing to your partner. You don't feel even a little guilty?"
"Fine. I'll take my time with it. Make sure you suffer..."
"That's worse! That's way worse!"
Bickering all the way, they made it back to the Astrea Family residence.
By then the hour had crept late, close to midnight.
The residence was still lively when they arrived.
Stepping inside, they caught Felt heading out of the parlor, exhaustion written into every line of her, escorted by Reinhard and accompanied by an unfamiliar figure.
"And this would be Mr. Gojo, I take it?"
A familiar scene. Familiar lines.
While they'd been gone, Felt had clearly been running a one-woman reception operation, taking meeting after meeting with nobles and merchants.
A brief, friendly exchange. Lady Carol saw the visitor out.
The instant the man was through the door, Felt dropped the act. The polished smile and correct posture evaporated. She sagged.
"Reinhard, fast. Go grab me something to eat. I'm done."
"What is wrong with those people? Do they have to run their mouths that much? Could they not say less?"
"My throat's gone dry putting up with them. I've been through two pots of tea. Didn't even get to touch the snacks."
She slumped into a chair, all the energy gone out of her.
"Yes, Lady Felt."
Reinhard took one look and was already on his way to the kitchen.
Felt genuinely hadn't stopped all day, working steadily through the parade of nobles and merchants. The Sword Saint had seen all of it.
As soon as Reinhard was gone, Gojo sidled up beside her.
"All right, drop the act."
"Out with it. How much did you pull in?"
"Do you have any capacity for sympathy, at..."
The complaint died the moment she caught sight of the Holy Gold Coin in his hand.
"Any sympathy now?"
"Yes. Plenty, actually!"
She plucked the coin out of his fingers, grinning, and slipped it into her pocket.
By any honest measure, she was wealthy by now. Compared to the thief she'd been, she was on a different plane entirely.
Still, a Holy Gold Coin in front of her and the old instincts kicked right back in.
The coin did wonders for her mood. The exhaustion was real, but not as severe as the slump suggested. All she'd done today was talk. Compared to running errands all over the slums, this was easy. It had simply been mind-numbingly, excruciatingly dull.
"Saw five of them today."
"Barons, viscounts, and a handful of merchants."
"Generous bunch, though. Five people, total take of fourteen hundred Holy Gold Coins!"
"Fourteen hundred? Three hundred from viscounts, two hundred from barons, and the merchants each kicked in three hundred?"
Gojo's brow went up, a touch impressed.
"Right. And that's not all. The White Whale meat is taken care of."
Felt looked thoroughly pleased with herself. "I worked out a deal with one of their trading companies. They handle the sales. Ninety percent of the take comes to me, ten to them."
"How's that sound?"
"Better than I expected. Nicely done. Don't forget what we've got lined up tomorrow."
"Ugh. More money, zero sleep."
She spread her hands, mock-pitiful.
"Save the pity routine. You're doing just fine."
"Wipe that grin off first if you want anyone to buy it."
"Hehe. There'll be more visitors these next two days, plus we've still got the Knight Order thing to run. Rough estimate, even without the White Whale meat, we should clear three thousand Holy Gold Coins easy!"
"Ten thousand isn't far now!"
"Once we've hit ten thousand, the next and the one after that won't be a problem."
Bright-eyed, full of confidence, picturing everything ahead.
"Right, right. Richest woman in the kingdom. Just around the corner."
Gojo nodded along, offering no argument.
"One piece of advice."
"Don't get greedy. Know when to stop. Walk away while you still can."
"Try to squeeze too hard, and you won't be able to walk away at all."
"Relax. I'm not an idiot. I'll keep an eye on it."
"Old Man Rom's still waiting on me to set him up with a good life."
Reinhard arrived with a plate of meat as she finished speaking.
"Lady Felt. Dinner is ready."
The steak sent up rich, savory steam. White Whale meat, unmistakably.
He turned toward Gojo and Subaru.
"If you'd like, I prepared some for you as well. It's in the kitchen."
"Then I won't turn it down. Happens I'm hungry."
Gojo's face lit up. He was already moving toward the kitchen, Subaru trailing right behind, ready to eat.
The two of them worked through a proper meal and went to bed stuffed and satisfied.
The next day.
Gojo slept until nearly noon before surfacing.
A quick wash up, a lap around the house, and he found both Felt and Reinhard were already out.
They didn't come back until midday. Felt swept in with a mildly long-suffering Reinhard in tow.
"Where'd you two go? I didn't see you all morning."
"Where do you think? Getting the Knight Order squared away."
She took one look at Gojo's fresh-out-of-bed face and didn't bother being polite.
"You think everyone gets to sleep till noon like you?"
"I've already got the word out in the slums. Should reach the Knight Order by today."
As she said it, Reinhard started to open his mouth beside her. He reconsidered and settled for a wry smile.
"You ready?"
"Nothing to get ready for on my end. They show up, they show up."
Gojo shrugged. He wasn't the one doing the lifting this time. That was Betty.
"Good."
"Oh, the merchant who's in my corner came by this morning and took a batch of the White Whale meat. It's on sale now."
"How long are you planning to sell?"
"At least until the Knight Order thing is wrapped, and most of the nobles and wealthy families have had their share."
"Emilia's handling preservation, so it should hold for a while."
"Not that long. Emilia's heading back in a few days."
"Few days is enough. It's one of the legendary Three Great Mabeasts. Everyone's going to want a taste. And it tastes good, too."
Felt didn't seem worried in the slightest. "Once that crowd has all sampled it and placed their orders, whatever's left, we divide up and give to the people in the slums."
"You handle it however you like. Just loop me in when it matters."
"Got it. I need to go rest for a bit."
"Got more visitors booked for this afternoon. Even more than yesterday..."
...
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