Subaru’s Strange Tea Party
—It was a scene from a tea party that could have occurred.
“Well, the atmosphere seems completely different from usual, doesn’t it? What’s up with this?” asked Subaru.
“The atmosphere is different? I don’t know what you are talking about. It’s the same as usual: this is a Witch’s Tea Party to welcome you, and my hospitality and everything else are the same,” said the white-haired witch sitting on a white chair—Echidna—who then calmly picked up the cup on the table.
If I cut this part out, it would be the tea party I’m used to—though I never really wanted to get used to it—but I can’t really object to what she’s saying. However…
“It isn’t the usual meadow but a dance hall that looks kinda stylish. What’s up with that!? The décor is a bit modern, and it has a dazzling disco ball… How the hell can you say that it’s the same as usual!?”
“Well, it’s definitely a little different than usual, I guess? But is it really something to make a fuss about?”
“Put yourself in my shoes! You unsympathetic Witch!”
Echidna shrugged a little after Subaru got angry and started cussing her. He then let out a sigh at her lackadaisical response and looked around.
As I previously stated, a place in Echidna’s dream known as the Witch’s Tea Party has been completely transformed.
Naturally, this kind of décor wasn’t found in this world, so it must have been created using Subaru’s knowledge.
“But even so, you really must’ve dug deep to find interior décor like this in my mind. Even I’m not that familiar with disco-esque places like this.”
“Oh, is that so? But, in your mind, this kind of scene was associated with conviviality…”
“Yep, you just let the cat out of the bag! So it was your doing after all! And why is the theme of it conviviality… Wait.”
“Uh… Wha… What is it?”
“—You’re being influenced by the atmosphere outside, aren’t you?”
Echidna started averting her eyes upon hearing Subaru’s question.
The atmosphere outside… I can’t speak about it in detail, but currently, there’s a bit of a festival going on outside the castle of dreams. That was where I was until I got summoned here.
“You can’t go outside, so you decorated your usual space and made it shiny… You’re a loner, huh.”
“It can’t be helped, you know. I can’t get out of here. But you guys were really having fun. I’m just resisting in my own cute way. It’s the best I can do,” Echidna replied with a pout, then looked away from Subaru.
If you just look at how she’s acting, you could say it looks cute, but the person doing it is a battle-hardened Witch among Witches.
This was a place created using convenient information taken from Subaru’s memories to begin with, so...
“Hee-hee, you have a cute side, Echidna.”
“...How can you be in a space that only he and I can be in?” asked Echidna.
“Huh? Didn’t you call me here? How else would I be here?” said the beautiful, young silver-haired girl—Emilia—as she put a finger to her cheek and tilted her head.
Echidna’s expression turned gloomy at her appearance, but… “Alright!” Subaru clenched his fist. “I’ve done it, I’ve summoned Emilia-tan! Wouldn’t this be the first time Emilia-tan and I have been in Echidna’s place together, then? This is a rare event!”
“So you’ve summoned her? How very boorish of you. Are you not satisfied with it being just the two of us?”
“I’m dissatisfied in every way imaginable! It’s finally starting to feel good.”
“Hey! Subaru, you shouldn’t say it like that! It will hurt Echidna’s feelings.”
“...It’s much more hurtful to be defended by you,” Echidna, who’d gotten defended, grumbled at Emilia’s back while she was glaring cutely at Subaru.
However, Emilia, not noticing that, spoke. “But I’m glad that I could meet you. It’s reaaally lively outside, and it would be lonely if you’re left alone.”
“Right? I thought that Echidna and I wouldn’t be able to hold a long conversation, so I had you come here, Emilia-tan. A nice decision by me! How truly DILIGENT I am, being considerate like THIS!”
“Sorry, but I don’t know what you are talking about,” Emilia replied, brushing Subaru off even though he was excited about it.
Echidna rested her cheek on her hand while looking at how they were acting.
This was Echidna’s Castle of Dreams. She’d changed the meadow into a dance hall and could even create tea and sweets at will. She could do anything she wanted, and yet...
“There are two things here that I have no control over… Usually, it would have been something to be happy about though.”
“Oh, Echidna, you are having tea. May I join you? I’ve always wanted to have tea with you,” Emilia inquired after walking over to her.
Subaru panicked at Emilia’s action and… “Wait, Emilia-tan! You’re better off not drinking that tea! You shouldn’t have the sweets either! I had a bad experience when I drank it before…”
“You drank it, but I’m not allowed to? Isn’t that browbeating?”
“You don’t hear people say ‘browbeating’ in this day and age…”
Subaru’s well-intentioned appeal didn’t go over well, and he slumped his shoulders.
“It feels outrageous to be on her side, but that’s a terrible thing to say, Natsuki Subaru. Even though you so passionately drank all of my secretions twice like that.”
“Be careful how you word it! Secretions? Are you a plant!?”
“Hey, it smells reaaally nice... It’s fine right, Subaru? I’m hungry, too.”
“No, no, no, it isn’t good, Emilia-tan! Believe in me! Trust me!”
As Subaru and Emilia sat around the table and argued, Echidna tilted her cup silently, her beautiful eyebrows scrunched up, and muttered, “The festivities outside were interesting, but this place has its own merit. I’ll be more careful next time.”
The tea cooled down while the argument between Subaru and Emilia heated up above Echidna’s head.
END