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There would be no casualties those were the conditions for Subaru's straight bet with Roswaal. "That is the challenge you yourself proposed." Roswaal advanced a step, unerringly striking Subaru's inner feelings with his words. Given the height difference between the pair, Roswaal looked down at Subaru, peering into the boy's black eyes as he continued. Mercilessly, cruelly, as if declaring a just and proper verdict, he continued. "What of the conditions of your wager? You have limited your greatest weapon to become an ordinary person." Roswaal ploddingly continued his advance. "As ordinary as you are, what more can you achieve? What more can you undermine?" Roswaal continued even further, his words gradually growing more heated. "You will do nothing. You can do nothing. After all " Cutting off his words, his two differently colored eyes contained identical rage within them as he continued. "After all, you are garbage, lower than an ordinary man!" He raised an angry shout. Roswaal slammed simple anger against an incompatible existence. As a man who constantly lived with the apparition of his own death nay, a man who could calmly carry on even while standing within a swirling vortex of death Subaru Natsuki's decision to avoid death seemed irrational to Roswaal, which only fed his anger. "In the end, you've made it this far because of that power that you've used as a trump card against whatever might come. In willingly tossing it aside to become ordinary, what can an untalented man like you do?! I will not suffer any who try to violate the sanctuary of feelings that have been carved out over countless days and months! No one! However many you bring with you, this cannot be changed!" Garfiel's obsession with the Sanctuary was the distortion of ten long years' worth of love toward his family. Emilia had a hundred years' worth of sins enough that she wanted to forget them, with feelings of guilt for having abandoned them piled on top. And "A decade, a century, and then my four centuries as if all this could be overturned by none other than an ordinary man like you!!" "...Because feelings don't change?" "That's right!" "Because you've kept on believing in those feelings for a really long time?" "Yes, indeed it is!" When Subaru inquired, Roswaal acknowledged everything. He was saying that feelings were something no one could overcome. He was saying that feelings were not something that could be changed or altered. * That moment, Subaru felt like he finally understood. He finally felt like he understood Roswaal's true thoughts. Roswaal wanted affirmation of his own feelings. He believed this was how feelings should be. He wanted to believe the feelings of others beyond himself would affirm his own. That was why Roswaal wanted Garfiel to wallow in his weakness. Garfiel had continued obsessing over his own feelings, desperately trying to protect them so that they might never change. Roswaal had wanted him to stay that way he desperately wanted others to desire this, just as he did. "The hell's with you, Roswaal?" His feelings were single-minded, aimed at the person he cherished. Hoping that his own feelings might be affirmed, he was supportive of people who were devoted to their loved ones. Come to think of it, that had always been so. The feelings Subaru held toward Emilia, the feelings Rem had held toward Subaru... Roswaal was always accepting of those things, wasn't he? That was because Roswaal had a belief. He believed in the strength of feelings, the preciousness of bonds. More than any of them, Roswaal believed in the concept of cherishing someone else. And yet "Why do you have to see feelings as nothing but weakness? You understand how strong and powerful it can be for someone to treasure another person for a long time. Why do you have to focus on how it's weak?" " Because that is what I believe." Roswaal's voice bubbled with emotion as he replied to Subaru's words. The glint in both his eyes, blue and yellow alike, intensified into an incredible glower of fiery indignation. Before challenging him to their final wager, Roswaal had said this to Subaru. It is impossible for me to hate you. I trust you, from the bottom of my heart. At the moment, Roswaal's eyes seethed with anger, glaring with a killing gaze at the man he hated most in the world. "Just like how you believe in others' strength, I believe in remaining weak! Because I believe people are weak, frail, puny beings able to accomplish nothing unless they cling to a single, important thing!" * "For four hundred years my feelings have been dedicated to a single woman. The time I have spent unable to touch her is far longer than the days we spent together, yet the sight of her is burned forever in me. My soul has been in ashes ever since. Ever since the day we parted, my heart has remained shattered, and I have never changed!!" Roswaal's voice had a dreadful force to it, enough that the cramped room itself seemed to shake. Subaru had never seen him reveal his own emotions to this extent. He'd never even conceived of it. But that was why Subaru found the sight so very painful. Four hundred years if Shima's story was to be believed, this was the span of time over which the Mathers family had administered the Sanctuary generation after generation, just as Echidna the Witch had asked. The same way each subsequent head of the Mathers family bore the name of Roswaal, each also inherited the duty of administering the Sanctuary. Roswaal had confused the name and the duty with the meaning that rested behind them. He'd made his family's long-cherished desire his own, and it was for this reason that Roswaal had always lived. The genius Roswaal walked a path that any normal person would have abandoned without compunction. Simple respect and love toward a benevolent mentor had been distorted to become a curse binding an entire family line, giving birth to a single devil. This was the man who inherited the Mathers family's long-cherished desire four centuries long Roswaal L. Mathers. "...The advantage remains on my side. Part of what is written is in error, but what of it? What I desire is results. The conditions have not shifted meaningfully, and you will never achieve your goals without changing them, powerless as you are." After he took some time to breathe, his voice regained its composure. Even so, his assertion had in no way changed. He did not accept the demand for surrender, and he didn't see the balance of power shifting in the near future. And the greatest proof of Roswaal's claim was " The contest is not over so long as the one who is the cornerstone for both of us remains." Roswaal implicitly indicated that the basis of his certainty in his own victory was the girl challenging the Trial that very moment. Just like he believed in human weakness, in Garfiel's weakness, Roswaal believed in hers. He believed that Emilia was weak. That Emilia was fragile. That Emilia would remain a weakling lacking the strength to overcome her regrets. " Don't underestimate Emilia, Roswaal." Once cowed into silence from sheer momentum, Subaru spoke, his heart roused by Roswaal's argument. He could not stay silent. Just like how Emilia had chosen to stop cowering. "Emilia won't do as you planned anymore. That girl will overcome everything in her way." "As if she could. With no one to rely upon, she shall be crushed by her regrets. Her great hope that she can change will end in sorrow, and she shall cling to you in tears... That is what suits her." "There ain't a woman out there suited to a crying face. Have you seen Emilia's face when she cries...?" The flame had been lit. Roswaal's statements had enveloped Subaru's heart in crimson. Roswaal had made him remember how Emilia acted inside the tomb just before their argument. He'd seen Emilia stricken by her weighty responsibilities and by grief for her lost connection with Puck. He'd seen the expression on her face when she'd glared at Subaru with tears of unendurable emotions " She's so awful at crying, I never want to see her do it again!!" "She will be hurt. She will be ensnared. That is the destiny of a half-elf. That is the curse she bears for being born of the same bloodline as the Witch of Jealousy. It is inevitable for her to be despised as a Witch." "Oh, stuff it. What about that girl makes her a Witch? Where the hell is this Witch you people keep talking about?" Once, it was Roswaal who had howled, his ferocious emotions bare. This time, it was Subaru's turn. Lifting his head, Subaru grabbed Roswaal's collar. Opening his eyes wide in anger, he glared point-blank into Roswaal's differently colored eyes, making full use of the foul look he'd inherited from his mother. I don't like it. Yeah, I don't like it at all. Right now, I don't care for a single part of this world. "If you're gonna call that girl a Witch ! If that's what you all want, then you'll make that girl into a Witch, damn it! If you keep saying of course she's weak, of course people despise her, it's all her fault for being born as something she can't change, you'll turn her into a poor little Witch yourselves!!" In the back of his mind, he thought of the Witch's Tea Party to the seven Witches of the past bearing the names of the Seven Deadly Sins. Typhon, Daphne, Minerva, Sekhmet, Carmilla, Echidna. And before that world had broken apart, there was Satella, who'd doted on him to the very end. As if he could forget. That face it was the spitting image of Emilia's. "Has even one person told her that it's all right?! That when you're sad, when you're suffering, that it's all right to cry?! And that if you can't wipe off the tears rolling down your cheeks, ask someone close to do it for you... That you have people who'll do that for you. Have even one of you said that to her?!" No one had let Emilia cry, even though she'd been piling up so much bitterness, suffering, and sorrow. That's why when that girl cried, she was so awful at it. Restraining your sobbing voice, hiding your crying face...these were things you did to protect yourself when crying, things you learned from people making you cry over and over. She'd spent her days in ignorance of that, which was why that girl was so bad at crying. "If no one's gonna do it, I will. These feelings...this curse! You don't think there's any room for them ever changing? We'll beat that right out of you!" Thrusting Roswaal away, Subaru pointed a finger toward the heavens. Mysteriously, it was the same pose Emilia adopted that very moment, displaying it to the Witch slamming malicious words at her inside the Trial. " My name is Subaru Natsuki! Knight of the silver-haired half-elf Emilia!" Once, Subaru Natsuki had spoken these words without resolve behind them, causing a great throng to laugh in mockery at his rashness. Looking back on himself at the time, he was even more lacking then than he was now. But there was one thing that was different from back then. No matter who laughed, Subaru Natsuki would never feel ashamed of his determination. "Emilia's coming, Roswaal. The girl you stubbornly believe to be weak is coming to cut off your last ray of hope." *** "That's how she'll strip you of all the weakness you're clinging to, and when you've hit rock bottom and you finally let us talk to you... At long last, you'll be willing to listen then. That's what I believe." Roswaal's obstinate heart did not crumble, even though he'd witnessed Subaru's resolve and determination. It had been as he'd asserted over and over to that point. Time amassed across
four centuries was not something that could easily be changed with one word or one deed. It was just like how amassed words and deeds made Garfiel's ten years and Emilia's hundred begin to move. It would be through Subaru's and the others' actions that their words would reach Roswaal's four hundred. That was what he wanted to believe. " You really are as I judged you to be, Subaru Natsuki." "What?" With Subaru having finished, Roswaal quietly called out his name. They exchanged glances. The vehement emotions had vanished somewhere; Roswaal's eyes were serene as he looked at Subaru. Then, faced with Subaru's questioning look, Roswaal's lips trembled. "You and I are alike. I mean this, in terms of bending ideals for those we cherish." " You believe in weakness. I believe in strength. That's the only way I agree that we're alike." Subaru and Roswaal, rejecting each other's incompatible philosophies, put distance between them. Beyond that, it would be through actions, not words, that they would prove their claims true. "Let's go." The talk was over. Subaru called out to the pair in attendance with him and left the room. Otto followed behind him without a word, and Garfiel, last to leave, looked back at Roswaal but once. Roswaal was left all alone. Perhaps Garfiel saw some significance in that as he murmured in a little voice like an afterthought. " Stupid jerk." 4 With negotiations thus ending in failure, Subaru and the others left the building and butted heads together. The prior exchanges had slammed their respective resolve and true feelings against one another. Roswaal's motives were clear, and that brief span of time was so intense, he had made them accept that he'd reset the game board to an even playing field. As a result of those exchanges, there was one thing that Subaru could say for certain. "This is bad. I wanted to stop the attack on the mansion, but it was like he was saying, Go away there's no pulling back now." "I cannot really deny it felt like our original objective had turned to half-baked negotiations midway..." "Hey, Bro. Don't blame the general too much, all right? By the general's standards, he really laid into the guy. Me, I felt good just listenin' to it." "Were it not a place for negotiations to resolve matters peacefully, I would agree with you...!" When Subaru tried to reflect on things blowing up, Garfiel irresponsibly cheered him on. The sight of the pair made Otto clutch his head, genuinely in a bind. "Not that I expected that the marquis would truly surrender, but why did talks break down so badly when a quiet end would have been preferable...?!" "Certainly, Garfiel and I did bad things there, but the responsibility's yours, too, right?" "My responsibility? I did nothing to warrant anything so great as..." "Well, I mean you were there, right?" "I'm responsible just by merely existing?!" That was somewhat inaccurate. More precisely, Otto was responsible for triggering the situation that had led to him joining Subaru at that meeting thereby fatally ruining Roswaal's setup. Though, since Otto himself had no idea that was going on in the background, telling him of his responsibility left him sure it was a scurrilous accusation. "Anyway, this isn't the time to trade jokes with one another. Roswaal won't stop the attack on the mansion. That means we need to go running back there without a moment to spare. That's what it means, but..." Their negotiations falling through meant the various problems surrounding the mansion would continue unabated. Just as Roswaal had said, if they didn't prevent the attack, the contest would inevitably end in Subaru's defeat. There was virtually no time left until Elsa and Meili, the assassins dispatched by Roswaal, would assault the mansion. As Subaru nervously gritted his teeth, it was then that Garfiel went, "Now hold on," and clacked his fangs. "I ain't really had a proper explanation, but the gist is that the bastard's got some scheme that puts the bunch at the mansion...including my older sis, in danger. That 'bout covers it?" " . Yeah, that's right. He's sent assassins to the mansion, and they're super skilled. I don't stand a chance against 'em. That's why I need combat power to..." "Short talk, then. Let's stop shootin' the breeze here and get to the mansion right now." "Hey, listen to me! Even if we go back, we don't have the combat power! It'll just jack up the body count!" "Ahhh?! What are you talkin' about, General?! You sayin' I'm not enough...?!" "Yes! Please halt a moment right there!" Wedging himself into the pair's increasingly loud exchange, Otto stopped their arguments midway. After, he went, "Now, look here?" as he stared at their faces respectively. "It's clear the flow of the conversation has shifted, but do you understand, Garfiel?" "Understand what?" "Going to the aid of the mansion requires leaving the Sanctuary. Lady Emilia is in the middle of her challenge, but the tomb's barrier remains intact, so if the barrier stops you..." The issue is moot, implied Otto, revealing the gap in Garfiel's line of thinking. But when this was pointed out to Garfiel, he crinkled his nose, undaunted. "Barrier...? Ain't no problem. The barrier don't affect me 'cause of my makeup, y'see." " Huh?" When Garfiel touched one of his canine teeth with his finger and tossed out a brief explanation, Subaru and Otto both voiced the same reaction. Faced with their questioning gazes and voices, Garfiel went, "I'm sayin'," clicking his tongue. "I'm an exception the barrier that keeps 'mixed' people from passing through don't work on me. Same as my older sis, I'm a kid from a mixed-blood dad and a human mom. My blood's too thin, so the barrier don't work." Accordingly, there was nothing stopping them from going to the mansion's aid right that minute, even without the barrier being lifted. With Garfiel so bluntly divulging the circumstances of his birth, Subaru was completely at a loss. He'd most certainly heard previously that Frederica had slipped out of the Sanctuary due to the thinness of her mixed blood in other words, because she was a quarter-blood. However. "It's the same for you...? B-but I heard you and Frederica have different fathers?!" "...Well, ya know. My mother, she ain't got any luck or any eye for pickin' men. You figure it out." Garfiel looked away. From that, Subaru felt his words rang true. In other words, Garfiel and Frederica's mother had given birth to children from two different mixed-blood, demi-human men. As a result, both siblings could pass through the Sanctuary's barrier unhindered... "Ah? What gives, General?" "Whaddaya mean, what gives? Say that earlier, damn it! If you knew that, you...youuu!!" "Well, I didn't know 'cause you didn't tell me all this, so it's your own fault, General! It's just like how Ipshiz was ruined through too few words!!" "Yes, yes, yes, yes! That is quite enough! Quite enough!" Just as the pair was about to come to blows, Otto intervened once more, intercepting Subaru before his inevitable pummeling. "You can both reflect on explaining too little hereafter. Right now, we should think of this as good fortune indeed, seeing as how the greatest obstacle before us has been removed Mr. Natsuki, we can do this." "I know! If we can all cross the barrier, this boils down quickly!" With Otto's shout flipping a switch in his mind, Subaru made an instant decision based on this change in conditions. If they could all cross the barrier, they could take Garfiel with them when returning to the mansion. If Garfiel was with them, it became possible to confront Elsa and Meili. But in turn, it was necessary to employ a variety of countermeasures for the numerous problems that remained in the Sanctuary. He'd already arranged all the preparations, but "After that... Garfiel!" "Aah?" "We'll graciously handle everything except brute force. But where brute force is concerned, even if we stand and fight, we can't beat these people. That's why..." Trailing off there, Subaru stared squarely at Garfiel. Garfiel had been dissatisfied over not being able to follow the conversation, but his expression switched in the blink of an eye. "To be blunt, I still don't get a lot of what's goin' on, but..." Garfiel's two jade eyes gave off a fiery glow as he smiled, baring his fangs. "Leave all the fightin' to me Me, I'm the best there is." 5 "So what do you intend to do now?" Returning from the forest to Subaru and the others, only to find some ruckus happening in front of the Cathedral the building where the evacuees from Earlham Village had grouped up it was Ram who spoke first. The people of Earlham Village had clustered here, busy murmuring and holding different conversations. In front of the assembled gathering of evacuees were Subaru and his companions, and if she could put what they were doing into words "You are preparing dragon carriages to slip away during the night? Now, at a time like this?" "You're making it sound bad. But you're not wrong about the call late at night and then again first thing in the morning feeling From here, Otto, Garfiel, and I are heading toward the mansion. Re... Frederica and company are in danger." Subaru replied to Ram as he hitched his beloved pitch-black dragon, Patlash, to a two-dragon carriage. The reply made Ram raise an eyebrow. "To the mansion...," she murmured. "The result of Lady Emilia's Trial is still pending. What will you do?" "Emilia'll clear it. Echidna's not gonna get her bent out of shape. How are Ryuzu and the others?" "Caring for Miss Shima. Ram is to remain on watch until Lady Emilia returns." "Got it... In that case, I'll leave that role to you. Counting on ya." "Counting on me, are you, Barusu? You are such a..." There was sharpness mixed in Ram's voice; perhaps she thought him irresponsible. However, it was natural for her to see it that way. Abandoning them during a situation like this would make Emilia angry, let alone Ram. Even so, he had to go. Rem, Frederica, and Petra were waiting. Besides " General, sorry for the wait! I'm back!" "I have completed preparations as well. We can leave any moment!" In high spirits, two voices interrupted Subaru and Ram's conversation. Then both respectively leaped onto the dragon carriage: Garfiel onto the roof and Otto onto the driver's seat. When performing the final checks for Otto's plan, they'd headed to the cabin to collect something Garfiel had forgotten. "I was the strongest before but now I'm even stronger, ha. Now I ain't losin' to anyone, not even you, General." Garfiel seemed extremely enthusiastic, his words bringing both surprise and a wry smile out of Subaru. Then Subaru looked behind him toward Ram and the people of Earlham Village arrayed at her back. Of course, Ram still had an unconvinced face on her, but the people of Earlham Village bowed deeply in response to his gaze. "It's like you heard, everyone! From here, we're heading back to the mansion a step ahead of you! Sorry for this all being out of order, but..." "You need not be concerned, Master Subaru." A voice interrupted Subaru's words; it hailed from an old woman with a stooped hip the head of Earlham Village. She trained her hoarse voice and her eyes, which were filled with a bounty of kindness, toward Subaru. "All of us have already heard about it from the Administrator. And have you forgotten?" *** "Just who was it who took on the responsibility of liberating us, I wonder?" The village head's question left Subaru perplexed for a single moment, but he immediately widened his eyes. He remembered. It already felt so long ago, for it was on the first day they had visited this place There, at the Cathedral, Emilia had promised to liberate the other villagers from the Sanctuary. The village head no, not her alone but everyone from
the village believed in her. "You worry needlessly, Master Subaru. More importantly, you have your own duty that you must fulfill, yes?" "Don't get cold feet in a place like this. Please go quickly." "Ahhh, you'd best wipe off what's left of that nosebleed midway, though. Don't wanna disappoint Petra." Following the head of the village, the other villagers offered their own voices of support one after the other. What they said varied, but all were meant to bolster Subaru and the others' decision. That was of great help to him. "Thanks, everyone. But don't forget what I said. Wait until..." " Right up to the limit, and only until then. Why, if the barrier is lifted before that, all is well." "That's why, Master Subaru, you should give up already and let us help you this time." Their powerful, imposing words completely stopped Subaru from saying anything. Let us help you. The person who spoke communicated the united will of the villagers. To add anything more would be crude of him. When presented with so much resolve, what could one say? Subaru had no way to put his feelings into words. Accordingly, he bowed his head. Then the remaining problem was "Ram, there's no time to explain every fine detail. But all of them understand their own roles. Emilia, too. So for you..." " Fine, then. Do as you please. Ram shall do as she pleases as well." Seemingly out of other words, Subaru offered a final parting remark to Ram, who snorted in return, her arms crossed. Wincing from her reply, Subaru scratched his cheek with a finger. "Hearing you, someone who normally does as she pleases, say that is super scary for some reason..." "Ha. Yes, do be afraid Barusu, you're really all right with this?" "Yeah. I already told Emilia all the words I wanted to tell her." "The carvings on the wall, you mean." "Why do I feel like I'll never live that down?!" Replying to Ram's teasing in a loud voice, Subaru then rummaged in his pocket, touching something that felt hard with the tips of his fingers. He exhaled a light breath. " Ram." Addressing her, Subaru drew it out and tossed it toward Ram. She softly caught the object. "Don't do anything crazy." "Who do you think you're talking to, Barusu? Don't make me laugh." Smiling wryly at Subaru's words, Ram quietly put the caught object into a pocket on her maid outfit. From this point, no more words were spoken between them. Everything that needed to be exchanged had been. All that was left was for each of them to work their hardest toward their respective best outcomes. " Let's go! We gotta reach the mansion before the crack of dawn. I'm counting on ya, Patlash!" Climbing into the dragon carriage, Subaru shouted, bringing a loud neigh from Patlash, who was hitched to the wagon. Spurred by that neigh, Otto's beloved dragon, hitched alongside, gave off a low growl in turn. Slowly, the two-dragon carriage began to move, and their sprint out of the Sanctuary had begun. "Um, incidentally, I heard a term earlier that I cannot easily dismiss. Who is this Administrator of whom everyone from the village spoke...?" " We're leaving!!" Overwriting and obliterating Otto's question, the dragon moved, deploying its wind repel blessing. Inundated by the villagers' cheers of support, the dragon carriage raced through the night toward the forest, the road...and the mansion. CHAPTER 6 * 1 " And so three fools ran off to the mansion in a dragon carriage pulled by two wise land dragons." Having finished giving Emilia the details, Ram seemed exhausted as she put a hand to her brow. Emilia was just a little surprised that Ram would visibly show how she really felt for once. That said, her surprise was hardly with Ram alone but with Subaru's and the others' chaotic ways as well. "Mm, I understand what you have told me... Goodness, he really is incorrigible." "Sheesh," Emilia went, sighing deeply, after which a thin smile came over her. Her gaze firmly fixed upon the expression Emilia was giving off, Ram narrowed her pink eyes with a questioning look. "...Is that all you have to say?" "I think so? Ah, of course, his leaving without waiting for me makes me just a little...yes, really just a little, tiny bit annoyed, but..." After all, he'd seen Emilia off to the tomb with such grandiose fanfare. So what was up with him slipping away instead of staying to greet her and see things through to the end? "But I guess he didn't think there was any way I'd fail, huh." Really, if Subaru was more worried about Emilia than anything else, he surely would have been there. And yet, he was not, which meant there was someone, in a place not here, who he needed to worry about more than Emilia. There was someone he could not help but go galloping off toward. It was because she knew that Subaru Natsuki believed in her that she could think that way. "I really am a little angry, though. I wonder, does Subaru really love me?" "...Barusu cares more about Lady Emilia than any other." "Mm, thank you." Unknown to Subaru, Emilia was currently trying to confirm his feelings toward her. Seeing that same Emilia smiling pleasantly made Ram lower her eyes, somehow pleased with how things had turned out. "Lady Emilia, since you've returned, does that mean...?" "You mean the Trial? Yes, that was... Er, it might be a little difficult to call it resolved. I properly faced my past...but it doesn't seem to be over yet." "What do you mean?" "The Trial doesn't end at one. There are two more...and it seems the barrier is only lifted after that. So I'll need to go back into the tomb afterward..." The truth spoken by Echidna was shocking, but it didn't change what Emilia had to do. Setting aside the fact that Subaru and the others had ridden off on a separate mission, Ram, the residents of the Sanctuary, and the people from Earlham Village might have to wait a little longer, but Emilia wouldn't stop moving forward until she reached the end. "You really have become strong, Lady Emilia." Perhaps Ram murmured thus because she saw the resolve in Emilia's eyes. Feeling an odd hesitance in her tone of voice, Emilia quietly waited for Ram to continue her words. The quiet continued as Ram fell into silent contemplation for a time. Finally " Lady Emilia, I am very sorry." "...It's really rare to hear you apologize. What is it all of a sudden?" "Ram thinks so as well... This will be the first time Ram bows her head to Lady Emilia in earnest." Emilia made a pained smile as Ram forthrightly stated that her formalities had been perfunctory to date. Taking in this smile directly, Ram gazed at Emilia, her pink eyes boring straight into Emilia's violet ones. And then her apology, or perhaps her confession, began. "Up to this point, Ram did not believe that Lady Emilia could stand on her own two feet. Your heart was broken by the Trial, and you lost even the Great Spirit, who was your foundation... I had wondered, how could you possibly find your footing now?" * "However, this moment, Lady Emilia stands here on her own feet...head held high and ready for whatever comes. I deduct only minor points for the traces of tears remaining on your cheeks." "Ah, oh, sheesh...!" Rubbing her sleeves against her cheeks, Emilia diligently eliminated the traces of tears Ram had pointed out. After that, she turned toward Ram once more, softly tilting her head. "So is Ram cooperating with Subaru and Otto because I'm such a crybaby?" "Surely, you jest. Ram is not lending a hand to those two whatsoever. Ram is lending a hand to Lady Emilia, after concluding that such cooperation holds value." "Is that what it is? ...Yeah, I suppose it would be." Emilia had challenged the Trial because Subaru's voice had called out to her. And it was necessary for Garfiel's laments to be halted for Subaru's words to reach her. For that purpose, Otto's and Ram's cooperation was necessary and as a result of all that, Emilia had managed to step forward. Certainly, one might call all Ram's actions grounded in diligent service toward Emilia. "But why? Why did you want to help me, Ram?" " Because when one has something to ask, it is necessary to display one's own sincerity." Those words, and the action that followed them, made Emilia's breath catch. Emilia watched as Ram knelt before her, reverentially lowering her head to the ground. This was what one called a show of the greatest respect. It was the highest of formalities, meant to demonstrate who deserved the highest esteem of all. This was not the perfunctory respect Ram had previously shown Emilia but a display of genuine respect "Please, Lady Emilia I beg you, save my liege, Master Roswaal." "...Save Roswaal?" "He is completely possessed by obsession, obsession that has bound his heart like a curse for a very, very long time. Perhaps, Ram was fine with him like that even so. Perhaps, Ram was fine even if he did not look her way, even if he thought of Ram as nothing more than a useful tool with which to satisfy his obsession." Still offering the deepest bow, Ram candidly revealed what lay hidden within her chest. Perhaps, as she constantly gazed at Roswaal, this was the hope Ram had continued to nurse at the bottom of her heart, under an emotionless mask... It was the hope that she was fine with being a useful tool alone. However, now Ram refused that way of being. "But his obsession has already strayed far from the path. He has lost sight of the objective that is the foundation of all his hopes, and Master Roswaal clings to his text in name alone... I beg you, break his obsession." "Will Roswaal be all right with me breaking it?" "He will not. He will most certainly panic. He will lose his reason to live and might well collapse completely. However, Lady Emilia, you are the only one who can do this. Perhaps, by moving Master Roswaal away from his way of life that has buoyed him all this time...my feelings might succeed in reaching him." This was an earnest plea. Bowing her head, Ram kept the tone of her voice normal, but she was earnestly pleading. Emilia did not properly understand even half the words her plea contained. But Ram's wishes, Ram's feelings, were genuine. That, she understood. And that was enough. "What should I do?" " Please sit upon the royal throne." *** "Lady Emilia must sit upon the royal throne of Lugunica. When that occurs, Master Roswaal's desire shall be fulfilled. Even as he continues to walk off the beaten path, the day shall come when his feelings are fulfilled. Yes, please offer Master Roswaal this salvation. Please give his life meaning, today as well as tomorrow." With Emilia pressed into silence, Ram piled word upon word without a pause. For the first time, Emilia received Ram's feelings, which were spoken with such eloquence. Maybe that was why. Maybe that was it. Deep inside Emilia's chest, she felt emotions that defied description as they bore down on her like never before. That moment, Ram, who'd thought she stood alone, unable to rely on anyone, was now depending on her. The hot emotions that bubbled up as a result were barely containable. "Please, Lady Emilia." In front of Emilia, who spoke not a word, Ram slowly bowed her head. Her pink eyes were moist from all the love packed into that tiny frame of hers. " Save him." That quiet plea sent a tangible tremble through Emilia's entire being. That feeling shot straight to her core, with enough impact to make her hands shake. She felt the heat conveyed by the blood coursing through her
entire body. And once those feelings had run their course, there was only one thing remaining within Emilia. In her chest, a single sense of duty burned hot and bright "I'm not really sure how my becoming king is connected to saving Roswaal." * "I probably don't understand Ram's feelings yet. Not really." * "But." Silently, Emilia looked back at Ram, taking in a single breath. Bewilderment was vanishing from her swelling chest. Worry no longer remained in her mind. Never before had her soul burned this hot. "This is the first time Ram's asked me for anything, isn't it?" So it wasn't necessary to be difficult about this. "All right, Ram. Now that you believe in me, I want to give something back." It was probably because at that moment, what Emilia wanted to do and what Emilia needed to do were one and the same. No hesitation was necessary. Emilia simply smiled and nodded. "This is probably something I have to start working on from here on out." Boldly, she stated her wish to fulfill not only her own desires but someone else's as well. "Ah," replied Ram, opening her mouth a little as she bowed. Somehow, the tension seemed to ebb and her worry, too, judging from her lips, which trembled in relief. Seeing Ram's expression relaxing, Emilia felt a slight sense of satisfaction. At the same time, she thought it was very in character to see Ram refuse to cry despite her teary eyes. And then, just as Emilia extended a hand to the kneeling Ram to help her back to her feet " I hope you do not mind my fiiiinally speaking my own words of congratulations?" * Feeling a tremble in the hand she touched, Emilia lifted her head toward the voice, which came from behind Ram in the direction of the settlement. There, she saw a figure calmly standing on the grassy clearing. The voice was familiar. Their demeanor was aloof. More importantly, it came from the individual who was the veritable center of their conversation " Roswaal." And so with faint wariness in her chest, Emilia called out his name. 2 "It seems you were in the middle of conversing, but it feels like the matter came to an end... You do not mind?" Addressed by his name, the person, who was none other than Roswaal L. Mathers, stepped forward toward them. He was clothed in his usual eccentric attire, and for the first time in a while, he showed off the white makeup he often wore on his face. This was the Roswaal who Emilia knew a far cry from the injured, bedridden patient she had seen of late. " That is far enough." "...Hmm." Emilia's call brought Roswaal's feet to a halt. It was not the hard emotions infused in her voice that forced him to a stop but the palm Emilia turned Roswaal's way. Emilia had drawn Ram close with her right hand, turning her left toward him. Of course, this was no simple bluff, something the surging mana Roswaal detected made plain. "My, myyyy, is this not quite a harsh welcome? Even though, upon hearing Emilia had challenged the Trial, I came running over with this gravely injured body of miiiine." "I would dearly like to believe that is really what you think, but..." Deflecting the truth with her words, Emilia narrowed her neat eyebrows. By rights, Roswaal was Emilia's chief ally and patron in the royal selection. He was also the savior who'd brought Emilia out of the glacier that used to be the Great Elior Forest, which she'd only just set eyes upon in the past revealed by the Trial and the one who'd taught her it was possible to save her frozen kin. It was this Roswaal of whom Emilia was wary because she felt Ram's palm tremble in her grip. "Please do not make such a fearful face, Lady Emilia. Even I am genuinely concerned for you... Or perhaps I should say, I sympathize with you." "You sympathize with me...? What do you mean by that?" "I mean what I said. I sympathize with you from the bottom of my heart for this situation where you, knowing no way to be loved save through fulfilling the expectations of those around you, were inevitably forced to confront the past against your will." As he shook his head in disapproval, Roswaal's declaration made Emilia open her eyes wide. He spoke the word sympathy as if he pitied Emilia's circumstances. However, the cold, melancholic emotions differed from simple sympathy It was something bordering on malice. "Allow me to formally convey my congratulations to you, along with sentiments of sympathy and pity You have done well to overcome the Trial. I had truly thought it was beyond you." "...A compliment like that makes it hard to just come out and say thank you. Besides, I have not yet properly finished the Trial. I was told that there are two more." "Yes, I am aware of this. Besides, I am somewhat relieved Naaaamely, that even an airhead like you is able to understand that my congratulations just now were not words of goodwill." Roswaal laced his words with sarcasm as he continued addressing Emilia, who was perplexed and unable to discern his intent. His hostile emotions were complex, feeling like equal parts lament and joy. But it was clear that his self-wounding and his self-mockery were just scratching the surface of his suffering. "Roswaal, what did you come here for? Did you really come just to say this?" "Mostly for that. Also, I wished to see for myself." "See... You mean, the results of my Trial?" Roswaal closed his eyes and pulled back his shoulders. In confirming the result of the Trial, perhaps he wished to see what answer Emilia had gleaned from confronting her past...or whether it had broken her heart once more. "You said you thought I couldn't do it... Have you changed your opinion a little?" * "Yeah, I think you had a lot of things to worry about. Until just a teeny little while ago, I was always pulling back from everything... I caused Puck, Subaru, and everyone all kinds of trouble." If he thought Emilia probably wouldn't be able to overcome the Trial, it was only natural. To be blunt, even that very moment, she found it mysterious that someone as weak as she had challenged the Trial. Her heart easily wavered, her thought process was shallow, and she was fragile and pathetic, yet still. "But even though I caused them so much trouble, everyone helped me. I'm such a no-good klutz, but everyone still lent me a hand. So I thought, I can't lose heart here..." Drawing back her left hand, which she'd trained toward Roswaal, Emilia tried to grasp on to all the passionate feelings in her chest. It was not with mana but with words that she wanted to reach out to Roswaal that moment. But as Emilia spun such words, Roswaal, his eyes closed, let out a faint sound from his throat. * Roswaal laughed, low and prolonged, suppressing his voice so that it came out as a trickle. Then he opened a single eye earnestly training his yellow-colored eye on Emilia. "You say the same things as young Subaru. Is that something you also learned by copying him?" * "Master Roswaal!" As Emilia's voice caught in her throat, Ram loudly rebuked Roswaal in her stead. Ram, having maintained her silence up to that point, stood at Emilia's side as she powerfully slammed her pink emotions against her master. However, Roswaal ignored this, seemingly receiving them like a refreshing breeze, and continued speaking to Emilia. "Those are borrowed words on a stage prepared for you. Even challenging the Trial here was a choice made possible by everyone's goodwill... I find no fault with you. It is I, and the others around us, who desired that you do so. But though he understands this perfectly well, Subaru has forced such a cruel thing onto you." "That isn't so! Subaru was just..." "That is his way. After all, he merely shouted encouragement at you that was shorn of all logic and reason, did he not? He summoned all the emotional arguments he could, forcing his ideals onto you alone. I understand, I understand; indeed... After aaaaall, we are the same, he and I." "Subaru and you are the same? What is that supposed to mean?" "In that we force our ideals upon the women we love." When he made this firm statement, Ram gripped Emilia's hand harder with great force. Understanding the feeling in her palm, Emilia looked straight back at Roswaal's yellow eye. A listless smile continued to adorn the corners of his lips as Roswaal shook his head side to side. "Just what did he say to you? Words that sounded comfortable to the ears, I am sure. You are soft, Lady Emilia, gently crumbling with ease, which makes you easy to handle as long as one remains polite. Truly, Lady Emilia is weak and fragile, someone embracing such forlorn hopes. You have considered what it would be like to live as a normal girl, I imagine? He has no interest in the real you, not in the slightest. What he loves is the ideal of you that rests within him is that not so?" Piling insidious words upon one another, Roswaal lowered his gaze, his eyes seeming desolate. At first, his words appeared to intentionally insult and scorn, yet, for some reason, Emilia felt like the emotions he revealed were laments that cut into him instead. Perhaps Roswaal himself could no longer clearly differentiate between whether he was speaking about Subaru or about himself. Even as his presence overwhelmed her, Emilia took a short breath. Certainly, Roswaal was compelling enough to bowl most people over. But there was something that had to be said. More than anything else, he wasn't there to say it, so the trembling girl had to say it in his place. "...That's all you have to say?" * "Is that the only reason why you think you and Subaru are cut from the same cloth?" The question Emilia posed made a questioning air hover in both of Roswaal's eyes. However, he suspiciously made no reply. Roswaal had no words to follow that could match Emilia's question. Therefore, there truly was something that needed to be said. "If that really is all you have to say..." * "You and Subaru are nothing alike." After all, Subaru, who had chased after Emilia all the way into the tomb, certainly had argued with ideals, and it was not with reason or the importance of liberating the Sanctuary that he persuaded Emilia. All the same, what he'd vehemently argued were by no means whatsoever soft, pretty words alone. "You see, Subaru told me that I was a troublesome woman." "...What?" "He asked who I thought I was, doing all kinds of things and causing nothing but trouble. He asked how long was I going to keep doing things like this and make him wait with nothing but hope. He said that I was all talk, that I was so lacking in everything, he couldn't even look at me that's what Subaru told me." In the tomb, in that cold stonework corridor, Subaru had pressed his forehead to Emilia's, angrily shouting at her. That instant, Emilia remembered the jeers that had shaken her heart. "It was just as Subaru said. I'm a weakling, all mouth, coming up short all over the place." Emilia had even forgotten that she was a weakling, all talk, lacking in this way and that. She'd thrust away her memories and acted like those parts of her didn't exist, but Subaru had understood. He'd seen right through her. To Emilia, now that she'd recovered her past, this was something to take deep, immeasurable joy in. "Subaru saw me as I really am. And I thought, I don't want to show Subaru just my bad sides anymore. That's why
you and Subaru are nothing alike." If Subaru Natsuki was someone who couldn't accept anything less than the ideal Emilia, she'd probably still be in the tomb clutching her knees that very moment. Even where Garfiel was concerned, she had no doubt that if Subaru, knowing things beyond his ideals, hadn't spoken of idealism, Garfiel would have never lent his ears to such words. Subaru, knowing Emilia was weak, had told her he loved her nonetheless. Subaru, knowing Garfiel was kind, had told him to change nonetheless. Subaru came running to everyone whose feet stood still, scolding them, shoving their backs, making them run as well. You can do it, he said. You can fight, he said You don't have time to stand still, he said. "When my memories returned, I was anxious. With Puck gone, I felt like I was being crushed... When I remembered everything, I felt like I wasn't myself anymore, like who I was up until now had been a lie." What she believed in had been demolished, and as a result, she had ceased to move. Cowering in the face of such thoughts, the reason Emilia could stand there having confronted and overcome her past was "When you think you want to do something... When you want to change there are people who will help you, who will give you a helping hand. He taught me there are people like that out there." "Is that not merely a fraud? A fraud's act meant to convince you to stand once more so..." "No, it's not a lie. It's not nonsense with no basis at all. Subaru said he believed in me. Those feelings will not become a lie... I won't let them be a lie. That is my answer." Emilia boldly dismissed Roswaal's rebuttal. She would never let the words that he...that Subaru had spoken to her when she was helpless and hapless be called a lie, a nonexistent hope. She would not allow it. The words Subaru Natsuki had firmly declared to Emilia I know you can do it were no lie. Emilia had broken out of her own shell, and by doing it, the lie had ceased to be. It was what people called a wish...a wish that it would cease to be a lie. That was why " I'll turn lies into wishes. Right now, that's what I want to do and what I need to do." This was what Subaru had so earnestly, so desperately taught her. Once, Emilia could not draw her answer out in a concrete form, but at that moment, she'd finally pieced it together. She would make this wish come true. That was what Emilia had to do. * Roswaal had not interrupted Emilia, nor had he replied. Still, it took only one look at his eyes to know that her words had not simply rolled off. His gaze was trained toward both of Emilia's eyes, as if trying to keep the keen emotions under his makeup, under his ornamental smile, from reaching his face. That was how she knew. Roswaal's mental state was far too conflicted to decipher. He was wise, and Emilia felt he'd lived in a world utterly beyond her comprehension. But that instant, she realized something. That perhaps the true reason that had caused Roswaal to come to this place might be " Roswaal, could it be that you wanted to make me do something horrible?" The possibility abruptly came to her mind. The instant she put it on her lips, she could think of no other reason. Pushing himself to come while deeply wounded, intermingling words of congratulations with insults, speaking maliciously that he had expected nothing of her, and on top of that, mocking Subaru it was one uncharacteristic behavior piled upon the next... "It's like you want to make me angry so that I'll punish you." "...Purely to get this out of the way, I happen to dislike pain." " ? I would think everyone dislikes that?" The reply tugged at Emilia's mind, making her incline her head, but he had not denied Emilia's words. He wanted to be hurt, to be punished. Had Roswaal come to this place in hopes of that? Even Emilia could understand such destructive impulses, despising oneself to the point of wanting to be put through the wringer. The only difference was whether one directed that inwardly or outwardly. Emilia was the sort to direct it inwardly. Perhaps that was true of Roswaal as well? "And so you have changed again To me, this is exceedingly difficult to accept." "Roswaal?" "I respect your decision, and the will to walk forward is praiseworthy. I can comprehend how you discern there is hope after accepting your pain and wounds. That is why I sympathize with you." Sympathize. Once more, Roswaal brought up the word he had begun his speech with to Emilia. But Emilia thought she had already asserted that his sympathy was misplaced. There was no reason to view her as pitiable, for Emilia had already found hope. Finding that hope fleeting, Roswaal shook his head side to side. After all "Even your virtuous decision to be hurt is already meaningless, for this is a finished world." "Finished world...?" "Properly speaking, this is a world approaching its end, perhaps? It is a world that has veered off its proper path, a world astray from its proper destination. This Sanctuary and the royal selection are already meaningless." Slowly shaking his head again, Roswaal spoke those words, seemingly finding this acutely regrettable from the bottom of his own heart. Emilia could not conceal her bewilderment at the inconsistency between his demeanor and the emotions precipitating it. Even though deep in his heart he still felt frustration, Roswaal was letting everything go. "Roswaal...what are you trying to cast away? You...you and I started this together, right? Casting it aside midway...that's absolutely wrong!" " Then...what is it you wish to do?" "I don't know! But wrong things are wrong! I don't understand what you're trying to give up on, Roswaal, but don't give up! That's too selfish of you, isn't it?!" Knowing full well she sounded like she was lecturing a child, Emilia extended an accepting hand toward Roswaal. If Roswaal was going to try and let things go, she'd grab him and drag him back in his stead. "There's no need to abandon anything Not anymore." "...You truly do speak like young Subaru." As Emilia thrust her chest out, firmly declaring her beliefs, Roswaal sighed. From there, he let his shoulders droop, as if all energy had slipped out of him, and shifted his gaze to the tomb behind Emilia. "Just how well can you change grandiose language into reality?" "That's what I'm going to prove from here on out, in the tomb...no, even outside the Sanctuary." Emilia was firmly declaring to Roswaal that she would challenge the second Trial. Then she shifted her gaze toward Ram, whose hand she had not let go of the entire time. "Lady Emilia." Ram, having maintained her silence as she witnessed the pair's replies to each other, addressed Emilia with trembling lips. Nodding to her call, Emilia gently let go of her hand, which had linked the two together. "I'm going, Ram Somehow, I will make your wish come true." * Nodding as Ram lowered her eyes, Emilia turned around, shifting her gaze toward the tomb's entrance. With her words to Roswaal and her words to Ram, Emilia had surely exhausted all the words she possessed. The rest had to be proven with the answer Emilia arrived at not through words but actions. Putting a foot upon the stone steps, she desired once more to enter the tomb she had just left. Behind her " You are wrong about one thing, Lady Emilia. Everything began between Teacher and me." There was an exceedingly nostalgic twinge to his voice. His voice seemed fiendishly adoring, as if to gently trample one underfoot. With that voice at her back, Emilia advanced into the tomb, which shone with light. She headed for the stonework room she had once departed. There, the second Trial waited. A Trial to make the lying words someone had spoken into a wish come true. "I saw the past. So next would be..." Just what awaited her? With the painful battle of the first Trial fresh in her chest, Emilia headed straight back into the stonework room. When she reached her destination, the faint, pale radiance of the place illuminated the words of support Subaru had left for her. The remaining Trials numbered two. When the third Trial was overcome, the Sanctuary would greet its future. The moment she had the thought... " Behold the unknowable present." The instant she realized the voice she heard whispering in her ear was her own, strength drained from her body. Her consciousness blanked out, and Emilia had the powerful sense that her soul was being shorn from her body, whisking her off to a place in the yonder. "Subaru..." Not even certain what her own lips had spoken at the very end, Emilia knew the second Trial had begun. 3 Having watched Emilia enter the tomb, Roswaal and Ram were left alone on the grassy clearing. Ram gently pressed her left hand, which Emilia had held, against her chest. "...Rather unexpectedly, her resolve seems to be extremely hiiiigh. Subaru is indeed a formidable foe." As Ram did so, Roswaal, having also watched Emilia leave from a short distance away, murmured thus. There was little emotion infused in his tone of voice. He did not seem to be particularly disappointed by what he had spoken. In fact, Ram was certain of it. Roswaal did not have the heartfelt interest shown by his demeanor just moments before. The proof was how Roswaal was completely unruffled by a result that was surely contrary to his will. "I am sorry to have put all that goodwill you painstakingly built to waste. To not launch her own outburst after enduring so much vitriol... She truly is weak to the bitter end." "...Master Roswaal, from what point did you observe Ram and Lady Emilia's conversation?" "I had some rather sharp words with young Subaru and the others, you see. I wanted to see Lady Emilia's state for myself...and so I saw you bending your knee before her You are quite the actress yourself." Roswaal seemed quite impressed when he replied to Ram's question. In other words, Roswaal had seen Ram give her respects to Emilia and ask for her one, precious wish to be granted. And having seen it and engaged in his exchanges with Emilia as a result, he was now thanking Ram for her efforts. "Had Lady Emilia given in to provocation and attempted to inflict harm upon me, victory or defeat in the contest would have been determined in short order...but perhaps the circumstances seemed somewhat too favorable?" He'd meant to stimulate Emilia's anger and turn it toward him. Emilia had interpreted it as a desire for her to hurt him. In that, she had been correct. Where Emilia was wrong was that he did not desire this because he wished to receive his punishment. Roswaal merely wanted to do his utmost to fulfill what was recorded in his magic tome. The royal selection existed for that purpose. The Sanctuary existed for that purpose. He existed for that purpose. Garfiel's grief, Ryuzu's and Shima's long-standing desires, Frederica's devotion, Subaru's melancholy, Emilia's sense of guilt, even Ram's feelings these were all things he used to accomplish the magic tome's desired result. "Young Subaru and the others head toward the mansion, leaving this Sanctuary to Lady Emilia. At a glance, this action appears skillful, but it is a poor move. Seeing nothing but what one wishes to see is a habit anyone would term a vice. It is not one I would wish for young Subaru to acquire." "What do you mean by this?" "I did not expect that Garfiel would join Subaru's side. But this also means his removal from the Sanctuary
side of the board. If his troublesome eyes are closed, I will draw nearer to my objective in a way that hasn't been possible until now." * "I heard you cooperated with them on the Garfiel matter. Of course, I understand that you believed this to be a good thing. Your feelings run deep. I have taken them into account as well, of course." Ram was hanging her head as Roswaal walked over, gently patting her shoulder. Through his palm, Roswaal conveyed an immense amount of trust toward Ram. The touch of his fingertips sent Ram's heart beating faster within her chest. Touching him, exchanging words with him, doing whatever he commanded these actions filled Ram with feelings that were the pinnacle of happiness. It was no exaggeration to say that they were what gave meaning to her life. It was what she lived for. The instant she had the thought, Ram ignored the slight gap it created in her heart. That moment, she could not humor that hollow sensation. "Master Roswaal, what do you intend to do from here?" "What I seek has not changed from before. I merely need overexert myself a trifle." "Ram will..." " You should wait here for Lady Emilia to return. After aaaall, even I will feel pangs in my chest if that valiant girl arrives with no one to greet her." From the faint lowering of the corners of his eyes, his statement was not one of sarcasm but of consideration toward Emilia. Even as he schemed to ruin Emilia's efforts, he acted with warped concern for her heart. It was not limited to Emilia; the same applied to Subaru, to Garfiel, and to everyone else. Hence, Ram bowed to Roswaal, the only one to whom she had opened her heart, and watched him go. Roswaal slipped out of the grassy clearing, not toward the settlement but toward the forest. She watched him with her pink eyes until he was no longer in view, after which Ram gently closed them. And then 4 And then, relying on the scenery displayed within those closed eyes, Ram arrived at a certain place. It was a building that maintained an abnormal white color, with a foul stench that repelled visitors. It was the Witch's laboratory, lurking in the deepest part of the forest, at the end of a path unworthy of the name a place she had been told of several times, yet had never reached. And so Ram stepped into that place, one to which she had never been invited. * She did not conceal the sound of her shoes. If anything, she purposefully made her steps loud, as if trying to carve her presence into his eardrums. In doing so, she announced she had chased after his vision, followed in his footsteps, in order to reach this place. It was as if to say, in response to so many questions, her appearing here in such a manner was her answer. "...I see. So by using Clairvoyance, arriving here was an easy feat for you?" Accordingly, the presence of the visitor nay, the intruder was immediately made known to the devil. The devil at the entrance to the room looked upon Ram with a questioning air and a faint whiff of bewilderment dwelling in his differently colored eyes. Ram was keenly aware that this rare reaction from him made her chest leap with a sense of maidenly exultation. The secret art of Clairvoyance, passed down among the Oni, did not function unless the wavelengths of the caster and the target were compatible. Naturally, if Ram exerted herself, she could match her own wavelength even to that of demon beasts, but it was a different story where a high-rank opponent was concerned. If such an opponent closed his heart, synchronization was utterly impossible. In other words, had Roswaal not truly opened his heart to her, Clairvoyance could not function upon him. In point of fact, Ram had not attempted to overlap her own vision with that of Roswaal's even once to this point. And so she had finally arrived at this place really, how could she fail to feel joy? "I believe I asked you to wait for Lady Emilia?" "Yes, you did." "Then I bid you: For what puuuurpose have you come to this place?" " That is very simple." When asked, she suppressed the passion that made her heart beat loudly, replying with her expression still neutral and tranquil. Ram's pink hair swayed as she drew her wand from under the hem of her skirt. It was her beloved wand, granted to her by Roswaal personally when she had only just begun to serve him It was a magic wand employing Ram's own, broken-off horn. Twirling it within her hand, she thrust its tip toward her beloved master " I have come to rob you of your obsession with the Witch." To the man she cared for, who was mad with love, she confessed her own love, hoping to sear it into him. 5 Ram had gone along with the gamble because she viewed it as her best opportunity to fulfill her own wish. " Greetings, Miss Ram. The wind is serene tonight. A fine night, isn't it?" When a certain man addressed Ram, it was the night before Emilia overcame the Trial of the tomb, the night before Garfiel broke through his ten years of stagnation, the night before Subaru trembled from the humiliation of having his verses of love read by undesired parties, and the night before Ram placed her wager for her own long-standing desire in other words, it was the previous night. *** In a cranny of the settlement, Ram stood still in a place that felt bereft of humanoid presence as she stared squarely at the individual. "...Er?" " . Ahhh, I wondered who it might be, but you are the man who was with Barusu, yes? Without Barusu beside you, your presence is so faint that I was unsure what manner of creature you are." "So I'm not even human now?! Er, I do understand why you would treat me as an appendage to Mr. Natsuki, but..." "A man improved by being someone's appendage has no worth of his own. Begone." "This maid is extremely harsh!!" Ram's attitude left him without an island to cling to, and the young man's voice went shrill as he turned his face toward the heavens. Ram exhaled at his reaction, embracing her own elbows as she looked at him squarely from the front. The young man tensed his shoulders, seeming uncomfortable under the gaze of her narrowed pink eyes. "Do you mind if I have a word with you?" "Setting aside whether I remember you or not, shouldn't you speak your name first? Setting aside whether I remember you or not." "I am not certain why you repeated that part twice...! ...I am Otto Suwen. I may be a mere traveling merchant, but I would dearly appreciate you remembering my name and face even so." "That depends on whether the conversation you bring is interesting, and to what extent, I suppose I must say." "Then with candor could we have your cooperation on Mr. Natsuki's wager with the marquis?" Having meant to assert that the initiative rested with her, Ram caught her breath a little. That was how easily the young man how easily Otto had nonchalantly crept into her flank. When she glanced over, Otto was smiling as he keenly scrutinized Ram with his gaze. Ram grasped that this, in contrast to his frivolous expression, constituted his true worth as a traveling merchant. "You seem to be quite a fraudster." "I am merely a man midway through chasing a dream. Perhaps that is why I get along with Mr. Natsuki and his reckless pursuits. Errr, I have digressed." "Ha! Bald-faced liar. Also, you have set your hopes in the wrong place. Ram's desires align with Master Roswaal's wishes. How did you come to believe I would lend Barusu a hand?" "I trust you are well aware that where the destination of his wishes is concerned, the flow of events has already strayed from the marquis's desires? I believe Mr. Natsuki has spoken to you of this as well." Otto had approached Ram once he was certain beyond a set extent. Feeling that this was an unamusing fact, Ram slid one hand down to her thigh. The wand holstered there under her skirt was her beloved weapon for the employment of magic. Even as she thought it was overkill against the likes of Otto, the means to instantly overwhelm him was a precious treasure indeed. "As I see it, this seems to be my time to excel." "Your what?" Seeing Otto twitch a cheek and moisten his lips with his tongue, Ram raised an eyebrow toward him. "This is a critical moment, or something along those lines. It's nothing to brag about, but my winning percentage for excelling is rather good." "Such exaggerated confidence. I wonder, do you truly think such confidence is enough to seduce Ram to your will?" She had no ears to lend to half-hearted invitations. Compared with how she was previously, Otto could only think that Ram's position had also grown precarious... This was a veritable critical juncture indeed. If he could at least "excel" properly, then perhaps "For whatever reason, Mr. Natsuki does not think of Miss Ram as an enemy, come what may If he is correct, I believe we should cooperate with Miss Ram's own true desires." " . What a pity." "Eh?" Otto had an idiotic look on his face as Ram sighed deeply, sliding her hand up from her thigh. Then she used that same hand she had drawn back to gently stroke her own hair. "I said, what a pity Please go into detail." Even if she listened to his explanation to the end, it would still not be too late to decide whether to use her wand or not. At the very least, Otto offering negotiations was not a bad thing. Yes, she would humor him with a show of acceptance. And so in response to Ram's urging, Otto proceeded to explain in detail. " So what do you think of all this?" "Are you an idiot?" Ram was declaring that her eyes beheld an idiot, and the word one should turn upon an idiot was idiot itself. It was only natural she had the urge to say that. After all, Otto's explanation was no summary or outline but closer to divulging every last card in his group's hand. In other words, he'd exposed their entire scheme to her. "Do you lack the imagination to grasp what would happen if Ram told Master Roswaal all this...?" "If you must put it that way, I can imagine nothing good. However, I am a merchant, so I must spare no effort required to succeed where business is concerned Were failure to result from cold feet, I would bring shame to the House of Suwen, you see." Otto was stuffily asserting that he could not bring shame to his family. Such determination could not reach Ram's heart, as she already had no family of her own at least, it should not have. "Miss Ram?" " . Nothing at all. More importantly, at the beginning, you behaved as if you approached me in Barusu's service...but this is your own decision, isn't it? At the very least, you have not spoken to Barusu where Garf is concerned." "Ah, er...you really could tell, couldn't you?" "I do not think Barusu would approve such recklessness. Ram also views this as an extremely stupid thing to attempt alone enough that calling it a personality flaw does not seem to do it justice." Of course, Subaru and Otto's plan incorporated countermeasures against Garfiel. And the radical contents thereof required the drafter of that plan to exhaust himself right to death's door, casting such a precarious net that only a thin ray of hope could be seen. "It truly is a personality flaw. Not that I would say this
to anyone, but the planner is absolutely not cut out to be a merchant." "Do you really intend to hide such a thing when you are looking straight into my eyes like this?!" Male pride or something of the sort. How trivial, Ram thought disdainfully with a snort. However, setting aside Otto's concealed determination, the plan was not a bad one. The elements of the gamble were not few yet, it was far more forward-looking than waiting for inevitable defeat, wasn't it? Accordingly... " If Ram is to cooperate with you, there are three conditions." Ram held up three fingers as she spoke. Otto hardened his expression as he nodded deeply. "I am listening." "First, Garf. Giving him a knuckle sandwich is just fine. Ram enthusiastically concurs where it comes to breaking the bridge of Garf's nose However, after the bridge of his nose is broken, you are to leave him to Ram." "As I hope you will play a large role where Garfiel is concerned, those words sound quite ominous..." "That depends on Garf." She was not particularly concerned. She'd known Garfiel for nearly a decade. So long as he was the same as he'd always been, it was highly unlikely she would be the one to yield...though it was still stupid. "After that, Lady Emilia. I cannot bear seeing Lady Emilia so haggard now that she has lost the Great Spirit. Tell Barusu he needs to do something It may be outside of Master Roswaal's intentions, but even so, if we are to move forward, having Lady Emilia get back to her feet is unavoidable, whether I like it or not." "This time, it is up to Mr. Natsuki and Lady Emilia where that is concerned, yes? Well, it might be the most up-in-the-air portion, but this plan does hinge on the premise that it will work out in the end." Otto scratched his pathetic face in response to Ram's statements. Just as he himself was aware, the basis of the plan put exceptionally heavy emphasis on what was expected out of Subaru and Emilia's relationship. It was a plan built on the premise and the belief that there was something tangible between them. Emotions included, it was a plan largely reliant on logic, yet that specific part rested on emotional hopes in particular. "Either way, I expect you to accept these two conditions. As they are necessary and the minimum conditions for the success of your plan, it is not particularly a hindrance to you, I trust?" "I suppose not. Put bluntly, I had considered it possible you would propose far more difficult and less achievable things... Ah, er, ummm, I imagine the third is quite something, so I should be quiet and wait before saying such things." "What a fool." She could understand Otto's wariness. But his concerns were needless. Certainly, there was no mistaking that Ram was hopping on board the plan for her own objectives. But that was something Otto, who had proposed as much, had no doubt already woven into his schemes. It was only natural that Garfiel, Emilia, and after them, Subaru and Otto would fight valiantly. It was a good thing for Ram to cooperate to a lesser or greater extent. But Ram would yield the final scene to no one else. Therefore, the final condition Ram sought from Otto was a simple one. And that was " You will not speak one word to Barusu about why Ram wishes to join his wager." 6 And having arrived at the final scene of the plan she had joined, Ram stood across from Roswaal. The place was the facility covertly placed in the forest the place that appeared in Shima's story of the past, and in one sense, the place that served, along with the tomb, as the central pillar of the Sanctuary. The hovering stench and the abnormally white walls threw portions of her five senses into chaos. However, it was not a problem. For the man who stood in front of Ram's eyes had robbed Ram of her consciousness, down to the furthest corners of her soul, long, long before. "Obsession, you saaaaay." Roswaal murmured in a low voice. He said it both to repeat the claim Ram had spoken aloud and to classify the objective for which she herself had appeared in this place. That very instant, Roswaal browsed through a variety of possibilities in his mind. Most of them were widely at variance with the truth. Then he came across the possibility he thought most likely. "I think this is unlikely, yet...could it be you are truly minded to turn your wand against me?" Raising his eyebrows in apparent surprise, Roswaal had come to a single conclusion about Ram's behavior. By stripping away all the clearly wrong ways to take her words, he had finally arrived at the proper answer. When he asked her this, Ram stood straighter, which made Roswaal's shoulders sag. "I see. It has been years since you have turned your wand upon me...but for that time to come now is unfortunate. It also pains me that someone who knows my feelings, and my objective, would call them an obsession..." "I may not have said it aloud, but I have always thought so. It is only natural." "Natural... Weeeell, I suppose it is, given your long, long days of humiliating submission." Even as he slumped his shoulders, Roswaal beheld Ram, who stood resolutely, with his two-colored eyes. From there, he gently ran his fingers through his indigo hair. "Seeing nothing save that which you wish to see... How truly ironic that I appraised this to be young Subaru's vice, when it occurs right under my own nose. I had thought your actions an expression of devotion in your own way." "Giving Garf a knuckle sandwich was both for the sake of Ram's objective and for setting Garf's stupidity straight... What is it you intended to do to that group without Ram?" "I cannot deny the sense that you plaaaayed them very well as a result. For this final contest, young Subaru elected to gamble and cast out his net I do not trifle with such gambling." He spoke as if Subaru's decision was ironic, whereas his own thoughts were logical. In point of fact, she agreed with Roswaal's opinion not once but a hundred times over. Many of Subaru's actions were haphazard, and Otto's plan merely had the heaven-sent fortune of including Ram's cooperation on its side. Ram's assessment of Subaru was unchanged: He was a man with good timing, and that was all. "But having good timing alone is Barusu's sole redeeming feature. I was not mistaken in wagering on that single redeeming feature You have the book, I take it?" * "At a point dubbed the final contest, at a juncture pushing Master Roswaal to make a move himself, it is inconceivable you would not have the book of knowledge in your possession, considering you rely upon it the most." Roswaal told no one where he kept his book of knowledge. Ram knew only that the book of knowledge was certain to exist, but he always kept it in a place beyond her reach. This was a golden opportunity where she was certain Roswaal had the book of knowledge in his hands, and thus, she had come. This was the moment Ram had been waiting for for a long time. " I have not forgotten. It is, after all, the one and only vow made between you and me." "A sword, to he who would wield it; magic, to he who would cling to it; flame, to he who is devoted to it." "And an Oni, to he who desires it, one that shall destroy his very foundation, goes it?" The words of the vow they had exchanged took them back to the very beginning of the pair's relationship. When Ram was still very young, those were the words of the vow they made after she had borrowed Roswaal's aid to wreak retribution upon the scoundrels who had destroyed the Oni people. It was an oath that showed both her loyalty to Roswaal and her commitment to destroying his wish. This was the vow sworn between Ram and Roswaal, undiluted in the nine years since its forging "So the time has come, then. Certainly, the flow of this world goes astray of my desired path. And thus, the vow comes into force...meaning that I, having lost my desire, am to offer myself to you as promised." Roswaal was resolved to offer up the entirety of his very long life in order to arrive at the result recorded within the magic tome so much that, if he should fail, living would lose all meaning. "If I was to become a hollow shell, you may do with me as you please. Such I did promise, yes?" "Whether you live or die is up to Ram." "Yes, that was it... After the passage of nearly ten years, you might finally fulfill your retribution." Reconfirming the vow he could not possibly have forgotten, Roswaal drew a black book out from his pocket. Setting eyes upon the black-bound book, Ram knew with one glance that this was the abominable book of prophecy. This was the book of knowledge, the continued pursuit that was Roswaal's very reason to go on. It was the magic tome she had sworn to destroy long ago. "To you, this must have been a long, long, bitter time, I imagine." * "After all...you were forced to pledge loyalty against your will and spend your days with the man who caused the destruction of your homeland. Even if, without your horn, your body required my support in order for you to live, it must have been exceedingly agonizing. I am sorry to have acted as if it is not my affair." His tone of voice was dry of emotion as Roswaal defined Ram's very existence. The cause of her homeland's destruction those words revived a memory and, with them, pain within Ram's chest. She recalled her home village set aflame, the wails of her brethren, her family seeking rescue as they perished. The Oni, said to be the mightiest of demi-humans, had no way to resist the power of brute numbers. Her people, few in number and assailed with malice that far outnumbered them, met their end in a single night, leaving none but Ram and " " behind. Her vow with Roswaal was necessary in order to live thereafter. This was something that " " never knew and something that Ram never told " ". *** Ram narrowed her eyes, feeling disquiet over the throb in her mind and the gap in her memories. It was like a strange form of amnesia, like losing a memory she'd had until a short time before. She felt like she'd lost something she could not afford to, but Ram glossed over the feeling, acting like nothing had happened by sheer force of will. "Covering your vengeful heart with a shell of loyalty, you hid the flames of retribution that you nurtured within you while you served me. Even so, there was no more excellent pawn than you. Until now, even within this Sanctuary, just how precious a treasure have you been?" Roswaal continued his soliloquy, even as Ram prayed for the ill feeling from her memories to go away. Many of his words were praise. Understanding the true intentions Ram had long kept hidden, he was giving faint praise for overcoming a number of tribulations to arrive at this point for the sake of fulfilling her desire. This was a very warped form of love. It was the love with which one celebrated a child advancing in days and months, reaching out as her desire was about to be granted. But " And that makes it more the pity. Your decision is but a tiny trifle, premature." In the span of a single instant, the sentiments of praise infusing his voice turned to disappointment. A smile came over
Roswaal as he shook his head side to side, grimacing at Ram as she gripped her wand. "You have done well to create an opportunity where I am compelled to have the book of knowledge on my person. If Garfiel ceased his obsession with the Sanctuary, if Lady Emilia ceased relying solely on young Subaru, whatever the result, there would be no way to preserve that which has been written except for me to move personally." One by one, the conditions required for the fulfillment of what was written had been abolished. The problematic knots that had prevented the liberation of the Sanctuary had been untied one after another. The pawns who served him were gone. "Though, I suppose saying resolved, rather than abolished, better reflects the depth of your feelings." "The simplest means is usually the poorest. Ram does not care for losing wagers, either, you see." "This time, are not the nets cast by your hand rather nuuuumerous? Of course, it is worthy of praise that your Clairvoyance ability enabled you to tail even me. That was splendidly done. However." Cutting off his words at that point, Roswaal closed one eye, the gaze of his yellow eye shooting right through Ram. "You should have let me do what I have come here to accomplish and could have accomplished with but one more step. That alone is a pity." Spreading his hands wide and still holding the book in his right, Roswaal turned his attention to that which stood behind him. In the deepest part of the facility, a cavity was formed out of the white walls, and from this concealed room trickled out a blue light. Squinting to follow the light to its source, Ram saw an unusually large crystal enter her field of vision no, a magic crystal, within which a young girl was sealed. This was Ryuzu Meyer, the true identity of Sanctuary as Shima had explained it. "This is the commendable girl who offered up her body for the sake of her friend, becoming the core of the Sanctuary. But this instant, she is not my objective. What I require is this magic crystal." "You intend to use the magic crystal as a catalyst to employ Great Magic?" "Enough to alter the weather, yes Earlier, I said this world had gone astray from my intentions, but that is not quite precise. The most critical part yet remains. It is in this sense that you were...overeager." "...I thought events had strayed from the ones written in the book of knowledge?" "Quite a bit, yes. However, that is not so for the ending. One cannot speak of success or failure until what is written in the book for the Sanctuary arrives at its conclusion If snow should fall here, what shall become of the Sanctuary? What is its future?" In accordance with the book of knowledge, Roswaal would make snow fall on the Sanctuary. He had come for the magic crystal to employ it as a magic catalyst. And to employ that spell " Requires an enormous amount of concentration and the very deft use of mana. That instant, you would have been able to achieve your retribution with certainty. Even without your horn, had you attacked by surprise, my wounds are deep and my trust great enough to slow my reactions... You would most certainly have struck me down." "...I did not, for to do so would be meaningless." " ? In the sense that you wish to conquer me when I am whole? Or that you wish to destroy me without a single second to spare? I can somewhat understand such feelings, but..." "No. I was right... You truly understand nothing, do you?" Ram's reply left a genuinely questioning look all over Roswaal's face. That fact made Ram close her eyes. * On the back of her eyelids was a vortex of complex emotions she absolutely never allowed to reach the surface. Ram closed her eyes so that her own way of living, something she had sworn never to reveal to any other for her entire life, might be shown to her alone. Opening her eyes, she lifted her face. Then she trained her usual, impetuous look toward Roswaal. "Your wish shall not be granted. For you to strictly observe the terms, offering yourself to me as an empty shell, is meaningless. Greeting a broken version of you will not satisfy me." "My, my, how greedy of you. However, what shall you do about it? Even if the Oni once called you the chosen one of the gods, you are now far from that without your horn. Even though I, too, am wounded, I can employ quite sufficient magic before establishing the ritual. Can you defeat me?" "No, it would surely be foolish to think so. I understand full well that Master Roswaal's power is second only to his teacher." When Roswaal claimed she had no chance of victory, Ram nodded, making no effort to refute him. As a matter of fact, Ram had no chance of victory...even if she hadn't been worn down from the recent fight with Garfiel. Ram did not have even a slight chance of barely eking out a win if she fought Roswaal. " Then what purpose could you seek to accomplish, I wooonder?" Giving the raised book a light toss, Roswaal caught it with his opposite hand and theatrically stuffed it into his pocket. Flickering flames floated up from his pair of empty palms. Red, blue, green Roswaal narrowed both his eyes as he showed her flames of one color after the next. At the tip of Roswaal's gaze, Ram infused power into the wand she held in her hand, sliding her empty, opposite hand into her maid outfit. And then "Ram has no chance of victory. That much is clear. However " " If it is two against one, perhaps the advantage is ours?" * The voice came from neither Ram nor Roswaal. Within the white-colored building, the sound of this voice echoed across the cavity farthest in back, causing Roswaal's face to contort dramatically. It was not anger but surprise at the unexpected and delight at being surprised that made him smile. "So this is the greatest reason you went along with young Subaru's plan...!" "I told you, Master Roswaal: I have come to rob you of your obsession with the Witch." Responding to Roswaal's loud voice, Ram grasped the hem of her skirt and bowed. In the time the pair exchanged those words, a light shone. This gradually took definable form " And I am a passing, wild spirit... It's been a while since I've had a long fight. Let's start, shall we?" With gray-colored fur, a long tail, and excessively, intensely adorable gestures, a little cat the Great Spirit appeared. In Ram's hand was the magic crystal that Subaru had given to her along with an uncontracted Great Spirit, lending its aid for a single night on a whim. "Yes, I see In that case, certainly!" "Heya, Roswaal. Come to think of it, I never did get a chance to settle things with you, did I?" As Roswaal offered his acclaim, the Great Spirit groomed his face as he replied. Then Roswaal nodded deeply at the situation that had been wrought via Ram's schemes. " Come." "As you wish." The bewitching, colored flames blazed higher as colorless blades of wind flew with wild abandon, and the world was plunged into explosively freezing cold. In that one instant, shock waves spread across the Sanctuary, and a macabre dance began between Oni, devil, and spirit. CHAPTER 7 * 1 Keeping her breath low in the darkness, Petra did her best to suppress everything from her body that could be defined as sound. She made her small body even smaller, mindful even of the crinkle of clothing rubbing against air. She walked with her hand over her mouth, for if she did not, her breaths, more chaotic than she could remember, would make a sound from her throat. She nearly wished she could stop her heart so that its noisy thumping might pause for a minute. * Petra's light-brown hair swayed as she walked unsteadily in the mansion, which she had begun to get used to, almost like she was lost in an unfamiliar world. She was glad that the floor had a soft carpet over it. Thanks to that, she was spared from having her trembling toes hitting the floor. She vowed to gratefully wash the carpet the next time she had a chance. Were it not for such silly thoughts, her legs would have stopped obeying her completely. As it was, her tottering gait was slower than that of a baby. If she stopped, she likely would never walk forward again. She was in a long corridor with no end to it. This one time, she was tempted to hate the vastness of this large mansion she had grown so fond of. How, and why, had things turned out that way? Until a few brief hours before, the mansion was an ideal workplace to Petra. She'd been in awe of the mansion to begin with, and the maid outfits were cute and wonderful, too. Frederica, the one instructing her, was kind, and the mansion was connected to someone she was faintly fond of. It was perfect. That perfect world, enveloped by admiration and dreams, was now so frightening that it nearly froze Petra's heart. The night when everything changed had been just like the previous day until darkness fell. After the evening meal, she'd tried to bring Beatrice's untouched meal to her; wiped down the girl named Rem, who continued to sleep in her room; and went to Frederica's own quarters to hear her assessment of that day's work. After that, she bathed, returned to her own assigned personal room, and slept in preparation for the next " Petra, please wake up. Petra." "...Miss Frederica?" Feeling that someone was shaking her body and hearing a voice speaking to her, Petra gently awoke in the middle of the night. When she looked over, Frederica was in uniform, standing by the bed, which made Petra blink her round eyes wide in surprise. It was not surprise that she had been awoken at that hour. Rather, it was the obvious tension that Frederica exuded. She remembered that sensation. It was an aura that Petra had felt several times some months ago "Miss!!" Immediately wiping away her drowsiness, Petra jumped right out of the bed. Frederica was a little surprised by the sight, but when Petra, grasping the situation, leaped into her arms, she gently held the girl. Then she stroked Petra's head with her free hand. "Petra, listen closely Head outside through the dining hall's kitchen door. Do it quietly, without a sound, but as quickly as you can. You can do it, yes?" "I can do it... But, Miss Frederica, what about you?" "I will follow soon enough. Once you are outside the mansion, run as far as the village. Once I meet up with you safe and sound, how about I let you sleep in a little tomorrow?" Speaking as if making a very slight joke, Frederica let Petra go. Petra was still smiling at Frederica as she felt a tangible sense of tension spread across her entire body. Something something was happening at the mansion. And Petra was helpless to do anything about it. "Petra." With that brief call serving as a signal, the pair left the room. The night sky was covered with clouds, and the mansion was submerged in darkness beyond moonlight's reach. Faced with the gloom of the unlit corridor, Frederica squinted, and Petra gently followed behind her. When Frederica narrowed her jade eyes and caught her breath, Petra simultaneously broke into a run in the opposite direction. "Dining hall... Dining hall...!" She repeatedly murmured to herself what Frederica had told her. The dining hall was on the first floor of the main wing. Fortunately, by going straight down that particular passage, she would immediately reach it.
She'd already memorized the interior of the mansion. Even in the dark, it was an easy win. But just as she reached the passage that stretched from the east wing to the main wing, Petra came right to a halt. If she raced to the main wing, she could rush straight to the dining hall's kitchen door. Frederica's instructions were to flee as far as the village from there. However " Miss Rem is..." The Sleeping Princess remained in the mansion, lying on her bed on the floor above. The passage was right next to her. Petra hesitated as she stared at the landing of the stairs below. She felt fear as her instincts begged her to do as Frederica told her. But Subaru had entrusted Rem to Petra. The forlorn look with which Subaru had stared at the side of her sleeping face was seared into Petra's eyes. If Petra escaped alone then and there, what would become of her promise to Subaru? * Tightly gritting her teeth, Petra roused her timid heart and put a foot on the stairs toward the floor above, where Rem's room was located. She revered Frederica. Going against her instructions left Petra riddled with guilt. She was afraid, too. But with the mansion feeling so dangerous, she couldn't leave Rem and run. It was just like during the forest with the demon beasts Back then, Subaru hadn't abandoned Petra. "I'm stupid... Really stupid..." Her reminiscence at an end, Petra slipped back into her initial melancholy, letting a sound of weakness out as she seemed ready to break into tears. Her heart was noisy. Her steps advanced slowly. Frederica would be angry. Her emotions were a jumbled mess. "Agh, darn it... I already have this cute face going for me, so why do I need to do something this stupid...?!! But, but, but...!" She was scared, she wanted to cry, she wanted to yell. But she did not. She could not. After all, Subaru didn't. He wouldn't. Even if he was afraid and wanted to break down and cry, he wouldn't. "I mean, this is absolutely what Subaru would do... That's why That's why for Subaru, for him only, I have to look good even if it kills me...!" When her fear became nearly unbearable, Petra whispered to herself to bolster her spirits. In that dark corridor, she caught sight of her destination, Rem's room. It was a mere eleven yards away, enough to make her heart leap out and run to it. However, her feet could not catch up to her heart's unrest. Just a few more steps, just a few more feet, just two bedroom doors ahead I've arrived, thought Petra, lifting her head. That instant, beyond one of the corridor's windows, the wind blew, moving a cloud covering the moon, and silver light shone into the corridor. Color returned to the world that had been nothing but darkness. Narrowing her dazzled eyes, Petra saw . " Oh my, what a pretty young girl." A woman in black stood right before her, seemingly blended into the darkness. " Ah." There was a woman standing between her and the door to the room, which was a mere three steps away. She had glossy black hair that was tied in a triple braid and a pitch-black outfit that accentuated her voluptuous physique. Even Petra could detect the scent of sensual charm wafting around her, and the vile knife she held in her right hand was eerily distinctive "According to what I was told, there are two targets and one bonus target. You would be the small maid, yes?" * "Are you shaking? It's all right I am certain that your innards will prove very pretty indeed." She couldn't understand what the woman was saying. She just understood that the approaching footsteps of this smiling stranger were synonymous with the footsteps of death. Even though she understood this, Petra's legs were held in place by fear, unable to move, even though the vile weapon unsuited to the woman's slender arm was about to cut away her life without any fanfare. "Good girl... I will introduce you to an angel." Heartlessly, the woman raised the knife toward the trembling girl. The blade sliced through the wind, aimed to mercilessly bite into Petra's torso. Then "Petra !!" Crashing through the corridor window, a shadow filled the space between Petra and the knife. A high-pitched noise echoed, and the sound of metal grazing metal was accompanied by flying sparks and a shock wave that threw Petra onto the floor. She was showered in blond hair right before her. A back she had looked up at many times over had shielded Petra from the wicked-looking blade. Petra instantly recognized that back, much broader than her mother's. It could have belonged to only one person. "Miss Frederica!" "You've been a bad girl, Petra. I distinctly told you to flee. I will punish you later." "Yes! Yes!!" Leaving Petra behind her, Frederica confirmed her safety with a glance as she spoke sternly. That kind strictness made Petra reply multiple times in a tearful voice. Watching the exchange between the pair after her knife had been deflected, the woman contorted her glossy lips. "Marvelous. You must be the large maid. I am so happy to see both maids together and getting along so well. I must line up both your bowels side by side and compare to see how your innards complement each other." "I cannot make heads or tails of such taste. I cannot even dignify calling it a hobby." After listening to the woman's disturbing threat, Frederica replied sharply as she thrust both her arms out. Her arms made a creaking sound, one that grew progressively more extreme as her skeletal structure shifted. Her pretty nails changed to bestial claws, and golden fur sprouted from the skin of her arms up to the elbows. "Demi-human blood? If you transform, do the contents of your belly differ from when you're in your usual form? Or are they the same?" "I have never been curious enough to find out for myself." "Is that so? In that case, can I ask you to show me after I slice you open? All you need to do is transform back when you're on the verge of death." "You certainly are confident..." Even though Frederica's two arms had turned into deadly natural weapons, the assailant showed not the slightest concern. When her attitude was pointed out to her, the woman said, "I suppose so," tilting her head slightly. "A little while ago, I had a near-death experience in the capital, so I improved my skills. You cannot match me." "...I feel like holding a grudge against whoever didn't finish you when they had the chance." Frederica's sense of duty and the crazed ghastliness leaking out of the woman these would not determine victory or defeat, but even to Petra, it was clear that one was head and shoulders above the other. "Petra, this time, head straight out of the mansion Use the evacuation tunnel." "B-but, Miss...!" Her voice catching, Petra looked toward the door of the room that was so very close. Inside was the reason Petra had been so reckless. Frederica could guess what it was from that glance alone. Accordingly... "I do not know who hired you to do this, but it seems that Petra and I are your targets." "Yes. Two maids and one spirit girl. I was a little disappointed about the numbers, but I have high hopes for opening a spirit's belly. Last time, I fell one small step short, you see." *** The conversation made her head hurt, but Petra widened her eyes at Frederica's quick wit. Through offering a little casual conversation, Frederica had learned the woman's objective straight from her lips Rem wasn't among the woman's targets. The Sleeping Princess had vanished from the enemy's memory as well. "Go!" "Yes!!" A moment after they signaled their mutual understanding, Frederica's voice sent Petra running off to her rear. Simultaneously, she turned her back to the fleeing girl as the attacker flipped her body and threw something. A total of four silvery iron skewers, glimmering in the moonlight, raced toward Petra in an attempt to snipe her legs. "Your stubbornness is worse than your taste!" With a single swing of her mighty arm, Frederica struck down all the iron skewers with a bestial claw. During that time, Petra did not look back even once. She raced down the corridor, placing the entirety of her trust in Frederica. "Such a good girl." "She's my pride!!" The woman's obscene voice and Frederica's howl echoed throughout the mansion along with a sound of clashing steel. Frederica collided with the woman, beginning a deadly battle with her life on the line. "Hagh!! Hagh!! Haaagh!!" Petra's breath was ragged as she raced through the corridor, practically flying down the stairs. A chain of high-pitched echoes rang out, and a tremor reached her from the corridor being destroyed. Frederica had judged that her opponent was superior to her. She was fighting valiantly so that Petra might escape. She had already failed once. Frederica had told her to flee down the evacuation tunnel if all else failed. If she did as told and fled If she fled, Frederica would die. The instant she thought that, a single possibility floated into the back of Petra's mind. " Lady Beatrice could..." If it was the final person remaining in the mansion, who she'd heard was a supernatural being... "Here...! Maybe over here?!" Running along the downstairs corridor, Petra flung open whichever door she put her hands on. She'd heard that the power of Beatrice's spell made it possible to move from room to room within the mansion. Even when searching for her with Subaru, even when trying to bring her dinner, she'd never found the girl, but she was definitely there. That moment, what Petra needed was a magic user of great power. If Beatrice was around, Frederica could probably be saved. Petra could protect the mansion and her promise... "She's not here... She's not anywhere here. Miss...!" Out of breath, ready to collapse any moment, Petra let her tears flow. She'd opened every single door on that floor in the west wing. And yet, Beatrice was not there. The battle was still raging. Petra had to find her soon, so very soon. If she didn't, Frederica would... "Miss Frederica...!" Even though she had to keep running, strength drained from Petra's feet little by little. Using her hands, which were shaking so hard that she could not clench them into fists, she struck her own legs over and over. She needed to rouse her battered spirit and continue the search for Beatrice. And yet, her courage was insufficient. Her tears kept flowing. " Subaruuu!" When her weakness slipped out, Petra spoke a single boy's name, as if clinging to it for dear life. To Petra, this was the name of the bravest person in the whole world. He was someone with incredible courage, who forced his trembling legs to face an opponent he knew he could not defeat. When Petra and the others from the village were truly in danger, when they really might have died, he was the one who'd rushed off first and saved them and so she called his name. Even though, in that moment, she understood he wasn't there to save her. "Subaru, Subaru... Save me, Subaruuu!" "You got it. Sure thing, Petra." " Eh?" Covering her face with her hands, Petra was trying to stop her tears when she unwittingly held her breath. Between her fingers, in her teary, hazy vision, there was someone right in front of her. This person was kneeling to match heights with Petra, who was crouching, meeting her at eye level. "Sorry I'm late. But I'm here to help... I'm glad you're safe, Petra." The person, who had a face with a familiar foul look, shot her a reassuring smile. As much as he tried to be considerate, his expression was not
gentle in the slightest which was why it relieved Petra to the very bottom of her heart. "Is that you, Subaru...? You came?" "It's me, and I came. I'm back safe and sound, all thanks to your charm, Petra." Nodding, Subaru lifted up his right hand showing the white handkerchief tied around his wrist. It was pretty dirty, but it was the same charm Petra had entrusted to Subaru on the day he had departed. It was neither a hallucination nor a dream. Subaru had come back. When Petra reached out to touch his cheek, he gently guided her hand to his face and rubbed her back. His touch calmed her heart. She wanted to gently let her consciousness yield to the relief. But she could not not yet. "Subaru, Miss Frederica is on the floor... There's a scary person in black with a really big knife..." "A scary person in black with a big knife. Yeah, got it." This fragmentary explanation of her features left Subaru nodding like he understood everything. Both understood the gravity of the situation. Within Subaru's arms, Petra desperately pointed toward the ceiling. "Please save Miss Frederica! Subaru, get that woman!!" "All right, leave it to me!! ...That's what I'd like to say, but if I go up against someone Frederica can't beat, I'll be a corpse in one second!!" *** " Which is why I brought superstrong reinforcements to help me out." When Petra was momentarily at a loss for words, Subaru stroked her head as a smile crossed his foul-looking face. From there, he turned his gaze upward, and as feelings of relief and worry mixed together in his black eyes... "Lot of uninvited guests in the way of tonight's dramatic reunion scene, though..." 2 It was too crude a battle to be called a duel to the death. " Shiii!" Waving her right arm around, she repeatedly slammed through the opening created by one of the iron-skewer attacks. The woman swung her body up and down, left and right, leisurely evading the flurry of attacks with the elegance of a leaf swaying in the wind. When she leaped back to evade the black blade that had appeared, iron skewers flew at her in midair, giving her no chance to evade them. Frederica's arm, wrapped in thick fur and muscle, was easily penetrated by the sharp iron skewers. Gritting her teeth at the pain, which felt like she had just been burned, Frederica swung her arm, sending the iron skewers flying. It was not a fatal blow. Still, her wounds were gradually increasing, and her endurance was being whittled away. Compared with Frederica's labored breathing, the woman with the long, swaying triple braids was not even slightly out of breath. The difference in their fighting strength was crystal clear. The fact that Frederica was still alive simply meant her opponent wasn't being serious, and " What is this compulsion of yours to aim only below my breasts?" "If you must ask, it's my hobby, or perhaps, I should call it my way of life. I am the Bowel Hunter, after all. Spilling your innards is my creed." She had not spoken in jest. She was completely serious, something that made Frederica's body shudder. This was no joke. The woman was serious. Nor was her calling this abnormality her creed a lie. The fact that Frederica had barely managed to stay alive was because the woman had been aiming only for her abdomen. "However, I do not have too much time to play. If possible, I must strip you of your limbs and go capture the girl from before. You get along so well; I think it would be nice to open you both side by side." "Unfortunately, your benevolence does not resonate with me whatsoever !!" She knew the woman was toying with her Therefore, she had to settle this while she was still in a mood to play around. Explosively launching off her hind legs, Frederica barreled toward the woman with speed she hadn't revealed yet. She'd hidden the transfiguration of her legs up to this point. If she sprinted seriously, Frederica could outpace the wind itself. Approaching at breakneck speed, she would claw out the woman's vitals. Or if she could merely graze the body with her claws " I believe that charging straight in is a little simple of you." "Wha...?" The instant she thought her bestial claws had hit their mark, the woman vanished into thin air. Slamming down hard enough to shred the carpet, Frederica then looked up to the ceiling and gaped. Having leaped straight up, the woman attached herself to the ceiling and proceeded to begin jumping from there to the corridor wall, to the ceiling again, and then to the floor, all however she pleased. " Damn spider woman!!" "I was called that in the capital, too. I thought it rather rude at the time..." Raising a voice of dismay, the woman approached from up and down, left and right. Frederica could track motion far better than the average person, but she could not even follow the woman's shadow as it flitted around in the moonlight. Then " After you fall, I would appreciate you showing me what your innards look like in your current form." The moment after she heard that whisper, Frederica resigned herself to death. Various feelings raced through the back of her mind in the span of a single instant... They were about the Sanctuary, about her coworkers, about her pretty junior, about the people she had served, about her family. About her little brother. These "Oh my." This dejected voice was accompanied by a clash that sounded like thunder. The roar of steel colliding with steel rang out, and a shock wave shot through the corridor, cracking its windows. Then as the shock wave passed without stopping down the corridor, a single man's voice echoed through it. " Accordin' to the general, there's a sayin' that goes offense is the best defense." It was a low voice, yet it held irrepressible anger within. As he spoke, both his arms or more precisely, the two silver shields covering his fists intercepted the woman's knife, sending it bouncing back spectacularly. The force sent the woman leaping far to the rear. The man did not pursue her as he powerfully pounded the two shields together in front of his chest. "If ya can use shields to defend and attack...that means puttin' the best offense and the best defense together, givin' the best of both worlds, huh?" It was simple, even infantile, and furthermore, it was the sort of logic a naughty child would think of. But the man had used that childish logic to great effect, equipping both arms with one shield each, employing them as his own weapons. The man with short, combed-back hair boldly thrust his chest out as he turned toward Frederica. "Don't ya think so, Si ? Whoa, you're huge?!" Instantly, the gravitas of a full-fledged warrior dissipated, and the man nay, the boy opened his jade eyes wide, his inner turmoil plain as he gazed at Frederica from head to toe. "S-seriously?! Is that really you, Sis?! The Sis I know was supposed to be this smaller, thinner, gentle, and delicate li'l thing, wasn't she?! This is closer to a big bro than a big si... Ogoah?!" "You should not say such rude things upon meeting someone!" Frederica rammed her knee into the boy, who'd given her one glance before he started ranting. The single blow sent the boy to his knees. As Frederica saw him wail with a gueh, she noticed it...the white scar on his forehead. "You're... Are you Garf?" "Don't kick people before ya figure that out. That's how the real Frederica would...gueh!" "Do not go casually addressing your older sister by name." In the middle of moving to get up, Garfiel sank once more from a backhanded blow to the rear of his skull. The sight made Frederica remember her younger days. Back in the Sanctuary, the siblings amused themselves not with toys but by fighting each other. With a nine-year age gap between them, Frederica's larger frame let her win handily against Garfiel. It was as if nothing had changed since then. "No. Garf, you've grown so big..." "Right now, hearin' that from Sis sounds like sarcasm! I'll have ya know, I'm definitely gettin' bigger from here on out! Ya won't be lookin' down on me forever!" "Tee-hee, let me correct myself. Your body has grown a little larger, but you remain very small inside." "What was that?!" Baring his fangs, Garfiel seemed ready to fight to prove his sister wrong. Despite the timing, this exchange with her younger brother after a separation of ten years left Frederica with an almost unbelievable sense of happiness. She'd always hoped that someday, the day would come when she could meet Garfiel outside the Sanctuary. This was probably someone's doing. Ram? Emilia? Or perhaps Subaru? "Also, there was Master Otto, wasn't there...?" "Ha! Don't even bother mentionin' that bro. The Migredo family's bridge falls all the time. He's in such a tough spot, even I feel for 'im." Not that he was one to talk, but Otto's face, dejected from so much being said about him, came to mind. He somehow grasped that the man had talent, but he just gave off an aura that made you want to mouth off. "Well then, may I finally interfere with your reunion, I wonder?" "Well, ain't that considerate of ya to wait this long. At the rate we were goin', I was about to forget about beatin' your ass and just go home. I don't like poundin' women much, see." "Oh my, how kind of you." Interrupting the sibling conversation from another part of the corridor, the woman smiled thinly. Garfiel made a gesture toward her as if shooing away a fly. The sight made Frederica raise her eyebrows. "Garf, underestimating that woman due to her appearance will only get you hurt." "Ha! When it comes down to it, the only one I treat in this world as a woman is Ram." "I am certain you think that sounds manly, but it would make Ram laugh out loud." "What'd ya say?!" Frederica had a look of disbelief as Garfiel turned toward her indignantly. That instant, a pitch-black disc flew from the murderous woman's hand at incredible speed no, this was no disc. This was a large knife spinning with incredible speed. Leaving even the sound of ripping the air trailing behind, the blade sailed toward Garfiel's head. "Now, hold on." A mere instant before it split his head apart, Garfiel agilely used his left arm to deflect the disc. The skillful alteration of the disc's angle sent the knife gliding straight up, making a high-pitched sound as it impaled the ceiling above. "Me, I said I wanted to head back straightaway, ya know?" " Yes, and this is my reply." Drawing a spare to replace the knife she had thrown, the woman advanced, her posture making it seem like she was crawling over the floor. Gripping the knife in a different way than the one she had hurled, the woman aimed to sever both Garfiel's ankles. But watching the combat unfold from behind him, Frederica caught sight of another threat. A string attached to the hilt of the knife impaling the ceiling drew taut, pulling it straight toward the back of Garfiel's head he couldn't even see it coming. "Garf " "Oh no ya don't!!" It was a roar from none other than Garfiel that blotted out Frederica's shriek. Garfiel howled, and he instantly moved his left hand with explosive, overwhelming force. His arm, thick and covered with golden fur, was a savage thing on a clearly different level compared with Frederica's transformation. "I'm sendin' ya packin', bastard!!" Surprise ran across even the assailant's eyes, and Garfiel did not let that opportunity slip. He tilted his head in response to the blade from behind, just enough to get his vitals out of the way while prioritizing offense. With
the shield on his mighty arm, he blocked the woman's blade, and a creaking sound arose as the woman was sent flying. Letting out a painful yelp, the woman rolled. Glancing at that, Garfiel pulled the knife out of his shoulder. "Ha! Even without his arms, Kurgan felled his foe, ya know! If ya think I'm shakin' in my boots over one arm, ya got another thing coming, idiot!" "You're the idiot!" "Adahhh?!" While Garfiel was celebrating his victory, his older sister angrily slammed her fist into the back of his skull. "Fighting as if you're trying to get yourself injured... Grandmother would cry if she saw this!" "Ugh...n-not like I care what the old hag thinks of this..." Frederica's lecture made Garfiel look away as he excused himself. Sighing deeply at her own younger brother's attitude, Frederica was also surprised at his strength. One might even say she was moved by it. Garfiel had studied hard over these ten years they had spent apart. And it was not Frederica alone who was moved by that strength " Nicely done. Nicely done indeed. A truly active child. Quite marvelous." Her voice shuddering with admiration, the woman stood up with blood trickling from the corner of her lips. However, the woman merrily licked it, smiling, her cheeks reddening as if enamored. "Hey, Fre... Sis, you know this chick named Rem?" " ? Y-yes, she is here at the mansion. I heard from Master Subaru that she is Ram's younger sister." Garfiel's sudden shift to a completely disconnected subject left Frederica bewildered. From the girl's external appearance, there was no doubting she was Ram's younger sister, yet she existed nowhere in Frederica's memories. The still-sleeping girl had fallen out of her recollections, as had whatever relationship she might have had with her. "She looks like Ram?" "Exactly like her. However, you may not use her as a substitute." "Like I'd do some scumbag thing like that. Just wanted to check for sure Sis, I got a favor to ask." Cutting off his words, Garfiel continued glaring at the woman as he spoke to Frederica. "When ya see the chance, take this Rem chick and go. Me, I'm gonna have my hands full with this one." "Wh-what are you saying?! I will fight also! The two of us together can..." "I wonder. Can you, really?" Garfiel was trying to fight alone. Frederica attempted to convince him otherwise, but the assailant's voice interfered. Frederica sternly glared at her. "I would rather you not make such a scary face, though. Besides, I believe your younger brother can attest that my opinion is not off the mark." "...Garf?" The woman's words brought a questioning look over Frederica's face as she called out to her younger brother. Once she did, Garfiel spoke. "Sorry, Sis. This ain't some half-hearted opponent ya can take on while watchin' out for someone behind ya." "Wha...?!" "Hey, don't misunderstand, Sis. It ain't like I'm sayin' you'd be in the way or anything." There's no other way to take it, thought Frederica, but Garfiel kept glaring at the woman as he responded to Frederica's dubious gaze. "I figure if she 'n' I get serious, the area around us is gonna take one hell of a beatin'." Garfiel pointed to himself and then toward the woman. The joyful smile that came over the woman seemed to agree with his words as she toyed with her long, triple-braided hair and leaned forward. "I suppose so. I'm sure it will be so... Therefore, I think it is best that you step back." *** Both of them could sense it. This was a battlefield for the strong alone, for those possessing strength that separated them from others. Frederica, understanding her power excluded her from that realm, felt her body seemingly catch on fire with regrets. To have spent ten years for the sake of reuniting with her younger brother, yet be unable to give him any help when he needed it most... "Don't go thinkin' about no silly things like that, Sis." "Garf..." "Ya see my arm, right? These shields, they're the ones I used to play with you when I was a li'l brat. Back when I was runnin' round with you all day long that was the startin' point of me becomin' the greatest." This time, Garfiel's words truly surprised Frederica. His tone of voice, which betrayed no consideration, no consolation, no such emotions whatsoever, set Frederica's chest ablaze, for she felt a tangible sense that her younger brother had grown in her absence. "The general taught me the power of numbers the hard way, but unfortunately, this is where the other extreme comes into play..." With his elder sister's gaze still on him and maintaining the brunt of his enemy's focus, Garfiel stepped forward. " So come get some. I'm celebratin' leavin' the Sanctuary. The party starts now and lasts till I smash apart the first wall standin' in my way!!" 3 Let us briefly go back in time, switching to a scene where a dragon carriage was heading to Roswaal Manor. "Okay? The people who need to be rescued in the mansion number four in total, all girls." From the driver's seat of the dragon carriage, which was running at full speed, Subaru lifted up four fingers as he gave his explanation. The landscape sped by as the dragon carriage took advantage of its wind repel blessing to race along a neglected road. Relying once more on the land dragon who had saved him over and over, Subaru nodded toward his fellow passengers with a dead-serious face. "There's basically no time to spare...or rather, whatever the timing, the assassins will definitely launch their attack the moment we arrive. We've got to rescue every last one of the four." "So for buyin' time...there's Sis, and that's about it, huh? Man, already been ten years since I've seen her face..." Garfiel crinkled his nose, with Subaru's words leaving him in an awkward state. He had stayed in the Sanctuary, remained there out of stubbornness for many years. No doubt he felt plenty guilty for having pegged Frederica a traitor when she had been busy trying to create a place for him in the outside world. "Well, just gotta ask you to put that aside with a poof and make up real fast with a pshaw." "Poof and pshaw... General, c'mon!" "But on a more serious note, we really must defer our complaints. That said, you truly have not spoken to her even once since the separation? According to Miss Ram, there did seem to be some comings and goings with the Sanctuary, so have you sent a letter, perhaps?" "Me, I didn't send any, and the ones that came... I handed 'em all to the old hag without readin' 'em." As Garfiel made a pouting face, Subaru and Otto went "Ah!" and covered their faces. His attitude toward his sister was completely, 100 percent that of a child. Their reunion would surely be quite a moving thing to see. "I am worried about Miss Frederica, but the one in the most danger would be Petra, yes?" "Yeah, I think so. Petra is Roswaal Manor's new maid... She's a sharp cookie with a bright future. Special attention required." Subaru concurred with Otto's opinion. As a matter of fact, Petra's projected death rate was 100 percent unless they did something. Of course, the other three were also in peril, but in Petra's case, her lack of combat ability was a fatal flaw. Though, in terms of being unable to fight back, there was one other in identical danger "There's Rem... Ram's little sister. I'm sure Garfiel doesn't remember her, though..." "Me, I still half don't believe it. Ya said she's exactly like Ram, like a twin? If I've known her for a long time like that, would I really forget?" He understood why Garfiel found it difficult to swallow. But the attack Rem suffered obliterated her existence, causing even her older sister, Ram, to forget her. Thinking about that made Subaru's chest tighten as he continued. "But there's a silver lining to this. I'm just guessing, but Rem probably isn't a target of the assassins. Just from the fact that they were hired...because Rem..." Fell off the edge of the world. Subaru couldn't bring himself to finish. Otto continued in his place. "...However, if they find Miss Rem at the mansion, she will not escape unscathed. Is that not so?" Otto's words made him listlessly nod. Subaru understood what he meant. The assassins Elsa and Meili were not good-natured professionals. They were morally bankrupt people who thought nothing of involving innocents. Rem and the people of Earlham Village were thoroughly unsafe around them. "We must pray that the opponent does not begin by opening the door to the room where Miss Rem sleeps... To be honest, I cannot call depending on the enemy a sound plan." "...I'll be depending on you and the enemy both. That's Subaru Natsuki's Reverse Fuurinkazan tactical doctrine." "S-so cool...!!" Subaru couldn't deny that the conditions were pretty desperate, but Garfiel's eyes were glimmering. This all-too-fitting reaction pained his heart, but after all the current business was taken care of, he really needed to make some time and give Garfiel a lecture about real tactics taught by Sun Tzu. And while it was fine and well to imagine a happy, peaceful future "I've gotta say, this has been really freaking me out hard. Is this actually helping?" "We're in a hurry, right? Me, I ain't doin' this 'cause I wanna." Subaru's words and oddly indecisive attitude made Garfiel clack his fangs in dismay. Subaru understood Garfiel's point, but he wanted him to appreciate how it made others feel. After all, that moment, Garfiel was outside, leaning into the dragon carriage, participating in the conversation as he held on to the windowsill. Under the windowsill, Garfiel was running at full speed immediately beside one of the dragon carriage's wagon wheels. The soles of his feet were pounding hard into the ground. Of course, this wasn't something he had come up with for no purpose, but... "Look, I defeated an enemy before by dragging him into a wagon wheel, so I'm scared about accidents... If you make one false move and end up getting scattered across the countryside, I'm gonna have PTSD for sure, and then I'll be out of options for the mansion, too..." "Wha? General, you're a worrywart, aren't ya? It's all right, sheesh. See, seeee!" "Stop it!! You're killin' me!! I'll die before you do!!" Garfiel started to play around while still hanging alongside, making Subaru raise a wail in complaint. The beastly boy's grip was strong enough to warp the windowsill. Even knowing there was not even a remote chance of an accident, Subaru felt it was still bad for his heart. "Either way, Garfiel's blessing of the earth spirit has no effect unless his feet are on the ground, so let us pass this off as a necessary measure to ensure Garfiel's as close to tip-top condition as possible." "But from the outside, this looks like we're doing our best to shake off a guy who's desperately trying to get inside the carriage. Plus we actually are dragging along a delusional fourteen-year old." "You do realize that if anyone saw this, neither the truth nor what it seems like would save my reputation, yes?!" Otto, holding the reins, wailed; Subaru nodded, too. It was a supremely strange sight that could get someone reported and pulled over yet, there was meaning to Garfiel's acrobatic feat. Emilia had used her magic to heal the wounds he'd incurred during his violent battle with Subaru and the others. However, one could not call the mana and blood inside his body that he'd lost, or other measures of endurance, fully recovered. This seemingly unjust treatment was an improvised way to supplement those things during the time they traveled between the Sanctuary and the mansion. This was to make Garfiel's blessing of the earth
spirit the trump card for their mansion strategy. "Also, one last thing, General. We stopped the talk midway only heard 'bout three people so far." " Yeah." Garfiel lifted up his body and peered into the dragon carriage. He directed the question toward Subaru, but he also sent Otto a questioning look. Otto shook his head, though. "Unfortunately, I have not met the final person, either. But according to what we heard from Miss Shima, she is someone in a somewhat difficult position, it would seem." "Bro, did ya somehow make someone hate you before you even met them? You all right?" "I'd like to believe that's not why we haven't had a chance to meet yet!" Seeing the disquiet in Garfiel's eyes, Otto put on a desperate look as he made his rebuttal. The noisy exchange between the pair was probably an attempt to be considerate toward Subaru. Perhaps yes, most likely, they were trying to discuss a topic that was difficult for him to talk about. "The last person...is Beatrice. I have to be the one to bring her out." Turning toward the pair, Subaru did not use the timid word probably. It was unthinkable to even say it out loud before he acted. He would bring her out. And Subaru had to be the one to do it Upon learning of her past, that was what Subaru had firmly decided. "I'll bring Beatrice out. I'll drag her out. I have to do it." It was none other than Subaru who absolutely had to be the one. Even if Beatrice refused it, even if she acted like she didn't want it... "If that's what the general says, that's how it's gonna be." "We really must deftly evacuate the nearby villagers, too, to avoid unforeseen circumstances. I suppose it would be best if I was in charge of this." Presented with Subaru's resolve, Garfiel and Otto promised their own cooperation. Subaru had his role to play. And they had roles of their own. Geez. I have two seriously dependable people on my side... "Thanks, you pair of idiots." "You are truly incapable of giving even simple thanks, you single idiot!!" 4 The thick musk of old books emanated from the other side of the opened door. Perhaps this odor had accumulated from the long days and months the books had spent in this place. Or if he could believe that it was a room where time had stopped, the passage of days and months had nothing to do with it at all. "The Sanctuary made me think of a lot of little things like that. As the librarian, what do you think?" " Why...?" Without permission from the custodian of the room, Subaru bluntly stepped into the archive. Just like usual, there was an atmosphere equal parts tranquil and gloomy. There were no glass windows to let in rays of sunlight or even the smallest of shutters for ventilation. Staying for any length of time would dampen his spirits and most certainly be bad for his heart. That was probably why Subaru had always wanted to bring the girl out of this place. "...Why have you come here, I wonder? I do not remember inviting you." "Sorry, but I'm a man who shows up whether he's been invited or not. Back in middle school, I popped up at a classmate's birthday party uninvited. Can't forget how awkward that was at the time." Naturally, even Subaru had endeavored to pay more heed to the atmosphere after an experience like that. But of course, he was the most boisterous of anyone that day by far, and no one ever invited him to a birthday thereafter. "That actually hurt me so much that it was almost like my chest got cut open, so I'll set that story aside for another time." "This time or next, will you begin speaking of it whenever it pleases you, I wonder...? You are an arbitrary man in every respect." "Yeah, I am. That's why I came here whether you like it or not." He knew that the girl before him had drawn in her breath. With a theatrical gesture, Subaru bowed, seemingly to work himself into the girl's blue eyes. And then "I'm getting you out of here, Beatrice This time, my hand's gonna lead you right out under the big ol' sun, and we'll play around until that dress is totally black from mud." Faced with Subaru's provocative words, the girl Beatrice remained seated on the same stool as she always did, clutching her own book. With those arms still wrapped tight around her black-bound book, she stared at Subaru, trembling. CHAPTER 1 *** 1 Even now, recalling that moment, she found herself stricken with regret. The fingers she had extended were brushed away, even as she lovingly called out the girl's name. The girl's parting words were caring. There was happiness, as well as determination, in those tearful eyes of hers; seeing that, her voice died in her throat. Even now, she couldn't remember what went through her mind back then. Even now, she didn't know what she should have said. Even now, she had no answer to the question What should I have done differently? That was why, even now, she was alone, cowering in the archive of forbidden books, unable to leave. "...Ryuzu." The fragment of an old memory from the far reaches of her mind made that word spill from her lips. She had spent those empty and stagnant months and years the same way, averting her eyes from that painful past. Why now, of all times, had she remembered that regret, that memory, that girl's name? The most likely explanation was her premonition. A premonition that was much like how she had been refused long ago I'm getting you out of here, Beatrice This time, my hand's gonna lead you right out under the big ol' sun, and we'll play around until that dress is totally black from mud. though this time, it was her turn to brush aside the offered hand. 2 The battle only continued to grow fiercer. The refined solace of the mansion was utterly shattered by the destructive powers at work. " Oaaaaaah!!" In the wake of a roar, steel met steel. A dance of sparks punctuated the ringing echo. Moonlight beamed into Roswaal Manor, the stage where the waltz was reaching its climax. " Marvelous. You are truly marvelous. Just stunning." One impact shattered a window. Another cracked the floor. The aftershocks shredded a painting on the wall. The sultry voice that reached the ears of the ferocious golden beast seemed utterly amused by the mortal combat that was unfolding. "I ain't happy hearing praise from anyone but Ram!!" Blotting out the lovely voice with an angry cry, Garfiel threw his mighty fist, which sailed over the head of his foe and punched through the wall behind her. The woman tried to use the opportunity to slip into his blind spot until he came at her again with a lethal follow-up. His arm ripped through the wall he had punched clean through, bringing a whole chunk of it with him. "Ah...!" Seeing the incoming attack boasting a surface area a hundred times larger than a fist, the woman Elsa let out an aroused sigh of admiration. The next instant was so crucial to the outcome of this battle that even blinking would have been fatal. As Garfiel's attack lacked any openings, much like the wall he was wielding, instead of trying to fall back, Elsa opted to press forward. With superhuman agility, she minimized the damage she sustained as her black blade flitted toward his neck. A blow with the force of a gale sent Elsa flying back. However, she was certain that in the exchange, her blade had reached "Marvelous." "Praase frmm you dnnt mke me hppy, dmmnit!" Elsa murmured in wonder as she remained crouched, one hand on the floor. It took only one look to realize that Garfiel had caught her kukri with his fangs. He shattered the arrested blade with one bite and spat out what was left. From the first exchange, he knew this woman was someone he couldn't afford to be careless with. Faced with an opponent so powerful that normal methods were useless, Garfiel glanced over his shoulder and behind him. There, standing stiffly while observing the clash between the pair, was a woman with jade eyes Frederica. "Hey, Sis. What are ya doin', just starin' at me like that?" "Eh? Ah, well, I had not intended on..." "Sorry, but it really don't look like I'm gonna have time to show off. The general put me in charge of keepin' you safe, so please." Garfiel chomped his fangs as he called to his hesitant sister. However, Frederica's reactions were dull, and her legs remained motionless, though it was no fault of hers. The battle between Garfiel and Elsa had reached a level that left Frederica unable to intervene. Assistance was out of the question; simply moving required courage. That being the case "It's time to show what a good little brother I am!" "Garf?!" Seeing Frederica hadn't moved, Garfiel decided to act first. When he ferociously leaped toward his foe, Elsa smiled charmingly, already knowing what he intended to do. "Thinking of your sister at a time like this? What a kind boy." As she spoke, the killer parried a bestial claw with her knife and leaped backward, clearing a great distance. Garfiel followed after her, shifting the battlefield to somewhere deeper in the mansion. This cleared the path to the Sleeping Princess Rem. If Frederica took Rem with her and left while her brother kept the enemy occupied, then there was nothing to fear. "Garf!" As he rained a flurry of punches, a clear, unwavering voice called out to him from behind. There was no time to look back, but his sister had only one thing to say to her little brother, whose back had grown far wider than the one in her memories "I believe in you!" It was a reunion of mere minutes after ten years apart. But it was enough. She trusted in her little brother's strength, and he was determined to live up to his older sister's expectations that was all they needed. "Damn right you do!!!" His strength surged as a fire roared to life in his belly. Elsa twisted her body to dodge a swing of his bestial claws, but she was too slow. Garfiel snagged her black braid and slammed her into a wall before proceeding to race down the corridor with her. "Ooooaaaaahhh!!!" Roaring, Garfiel charged straight into the mansion, with Elsa still pinned against the wall. Dust and debris flew from the wall as it broke, leaving her unable to resist the heavy impacts. All he had to do now was snap her neck, cave in her skull, and grind her against the wall until she was reduced to paste. Then he'd regroup with his friends and "Letting your mind wander in the middle of our dance? What a naughty boy." Faster than his mind could think, he miraculously flinched away out of sheer instinct. A moment later, what should've been a direct hit grazed his left ear instead. Now off-balance, Garfiel completely lost his footing in fact, the floor itself was missing. He fell right through the gaping hole that Elsa's swing had produced. The slicing attacks kept coming even as he entered a free fall. Garfiel relied purely on intuition to deflect them with the shields strapped to both his arms defense, defense, defense. Ultimately, he couldn't intercept every strike. Blood flowed freely from fresh wounds that appeared all over him. The moment he made contact with the floor below, Garfiel rolled away to escape the zone of death. He rose from the carpet on all fours while glaring straight ahead. A white cloud of dust parted to reveal his opponent, as though she stood atop a moonlit stage. The beautiful assassin smiled, gripping her kukri with both hands. Her upper body
was smeared with blood. "...Looks like Sis is on her way. The rest is up to the general." Sensing the presence still on the floor above had already set off, Garfiel sighed in relief at the completion of his first objective. According to Subaru's plan, the remaining objectives were... ...Wait, what were they again? "Awww, crap. I can't remember... Oh well." No doubt there was a backup plan in case Garfiel didn't win a plan for keeping everyone alive as they sought shelter in the Sanctuary. That didn't matter, though. It was fine even if he forgot. As long as he won, there was no need to remember that plan. With that final thought, he slammed both his shields together in front of him. Garfiel steeled himself with the clamor of metal scraping against metal. Elsa licked her lips at the sight. " Elsa Gramhilde, the Bowel Hunter." "Garfiel Tinzel, the Sanctuary's Ultra-strong Shield." The assassin's bloodred smile melted into the darkness right as she started freely bounding in all directions, awaiting his pursuit. Just before they collided, Garfiel crinkled his nose, bared his fangs, and howled: "This is one hell of a first battle, General, so ya better hold up your end!" 3 Just how many times had he visited this oh-so-familiar room to meet her like this? The first time they'd met was in the evening of the day Subaru had first arrived at Roswaal Manor. He had no trouble breaking through the illusion she'd cast on the hallway with ease, setting foot into this very same archive of forbidden books. There was little doubt that both of them had made the worst impressions imaginable during their first encounter. After she robbed his still-recovering body of mana, Subaru went down without even putting up a fight. Burning with the need for revenge, he later went on to prod and annoy her at every opportunity, continuously interfering with her alone time. He spent two months at Roswaal Manor like this. During that time, Subaru and the girl Beatrice argued and fought on numerous occasions, getting along rather childishly. When they saw each other, a commotion was bound to occur. Yet, curiously, their likes and tastes matched in the strangest and most unexpected of ways. Why? Somehow, it constantly bothered Subaru that she seemed alone. Even now, he thought of those days and the time they'd spent together as something irreplaceable that bonded them together. Subaru had returned to see Beatrice once more, and this time, he would never, ever let go of her again. "You want to take Betty away from this place...?" Bewildered, Beatrice repeated the declaration Subaru had made upon entering the room. Still seated on the stool in its customary position, she hugged the black book to her chest all the tighter. She clutched the book of knowledge entrusted to her by her mother, its pages of prophecy blank. "Is that...any of your business, I wonder? No one asked you...to do such a thing." "I figured you'd say that, but I don't have time for a long debate. I'm bringing you out of here with me one way or another." "What a self-serving... Would you leave this instant, I wonder? Leave and have a good cry on that girl's lap." "You trying to start a fight...?! You keep that up, and it's gonna be war...!!" Subaru's lips trembled in shame as she brought up memories of him making a fool of himself. If anything, Emilia's lap pillows were an enormous blessing, but he couldn't rely on her at the moment. Emilia was currently giving her all in the Sanctuary. It was Subaru's job to do the same at the mansion. "Anyway, there's no time for chitchat. You know what's going on outside, don't you?" "...I understand there are intruders in the mansion, I suppose. Still, why should Betty get involved in this dispute? Anyone who wishes to scuffle in the dirt should do as they please." "Unfortunately, the situation isn't friendly enough to be called a scuffle. I left the fight against Tough Enemy Number One to a promising newcomer, but...he's too much of a softy." Shaking his head at Beatrice's words, Subaru racked his brain as he mulled over how their allies had been deployed throughout the estate. The greatest asset they had Garfiel was almost certainly already engaging the main threat Elsa. Both possessed superhuman strength, so they could be considered evenly matched or at least, Subaru hoped so. He couldn't be certain. It was less that Garfiel was too soft and more that he was incredibly kindhearted. That was the proper way to express it. Subaru and company had strategically relied on that kindness to defeat him during their confrontation at the Sanctuary. How his deeply emotional personality would influence the current combat situation at the manor was anyone's guess. Subaru couldn't dismiss the possibility that Garfiel would, instead of pitying his opponent, be so concerned for his allies that it'd end up dulling his claws and fangs. To get everyone in the mansion out safe and sound, Garfiel had to be in peak fighting condition to draw off their powerful foe. "Basically, that means I have to eliminate any obstacles that get in the way of our Lethal Weapon so he can go all out. I've left Petra in Otto's hands, and I'm relying on Frederica to secure Rem, so..." "That leaves just you and Betty... Is that what you are trying to say, I wonder?" "Yep, that's pretty much it." If there was nothing holding him back, Garfiel could unleash his full power. That was why the top priority was getting Petra and the others out of the mansion first. He was sure Frederica would secure Rem and meet back up with everyone else in short order. "And the last piece of the puzzle is me getting you out of here. If you don't wanna run hand in hand, I'll carry you in my arms or on my back, whatever you like. Just so we're clear, I'm not budging on this." "Don't make me repeat myself. Is your help even necessary, I wonder?" When Subaru tried to take one step closer, Beatrice refused him in a low voice. She swiveled her head about, as if meaning to address the room instead of Subaru. "Betty is in control of the Great Spirit's archive of forbidden books, a place isolated from the fleeting outside world. No matter what menace lies beyond those doors, does it even matter, I wonder? Your concern is unnecessary." "Nah, I can't let this slide. Your archive of forbidden books is awesome, all right. No argument there. But it's got a fatal flaw. More importantly, the other side knows exactly how to beat it." This critique of her Passage ability, the foundation of her confidence, made Beatrice raise her eyebrows with displeasure. Certainly, when it came to staying hidden, the archive of forbidden books offered countless advantages. However, Subaru had seen for himself on previous runs that these advantages were not absolute. "Your Passage is only effective on closed doors. If someone opens all the doors in the mansion..." The last one would lead straight into the archive of forbidden books without fail. In a prior run, Elsa had used that method to trespass upon the archive, attacking Beatrice in an attempt to take her life. The archive wasn't safe. He was doing his best to explain, but " Why does the enemy know of this weakness, I wonder?" Beatrice's question made Subaru catch his breath. "Roswaal told them...that must be how they know." She'd arrived at the conclusion so quickly that Subaru had no chance to offer up any excuse. He could only gaze in astonishment as Beatrice's certainty deepened. The assailants had come to the mansion on Roswaal's instructions, and it was necessary to defeat Beatrice's Passage in order to achieve their goals. Roswaal must have had a reason for why that had to come to pass. In other words "Is Betty's death recorded in Roswaal's book of knowledge, I wonder?" After voicing that musing, Beatrice briefly let out a breath. Phew. Like a spontaneous sigh of relief. The sight sent Subaru into a fit of rage. "You...! What was that sigh just now...? Why do you look like you're okay with all this?!" "...If you have come this far, surely you understand. Roswaal is simply upholding what is written in the book of knowledge, I suppose. If this is the result, Betty's fate is already sealed." "What the hell are you...? Roswaal's book is his, and your book is yours, right? Or are you telling me that book you're hugging says at some point he's going to have you killed?!" Subaru jabbed a finger toward the book of knowledge, which Beatrice clutched as if hoping to shatter her resignation. The truth was that he already knew Beatrice's mystic tome was empty. Not once in four centuries' time had any prophecies of the future appeared within its pages. When Subaru shouted at her, Beatrice cast her gaze downward and slowly opened the book in her arms. Then she turned its contents toward him, revealing there was indeed nothing written inside. "There isn't anything in here, I suppose. Betty's fate is a blank page." "Then that means you don't have any reason to let Roswaal have his way! You should decide what you wanna do for yourself the way you always have!" "...The way I always have?" Beatrice's eyes went wide, blinking as she softly repeated those words. Her voice, sounding as if it was devoid of all emotion, left Subaru speechless. However, those blue eyes of hers glinted with something unmistakable a cavernous sorrow. "Just what did Betty decide on for herself in all those days?" As she murmured, Beatrice meticulously turned the pages of the tome with her slender fingers, as if she thought those pristine pages represented the sum total of the long years she had spent blank and empty. "I have continued to protect this mansion, all alone, because Mother asked me to... When did I ever make a choice of my own? Who is this Beatrice you speak of, and what has she done for herself?" "...Beatrice..." "Is Betty's life not as barren as this book, I wonder? Is it not as empty? I have decided nothing for myself. No accomplishments or achievements... I have nothing at all..." Softly, she closed the book of knowledge. Beatrice slowly stroked the front cover of the tome that bore no title. She caressed it gently, enviously. Then she quietly spoke again. "Truly...it would have been better if Betty were simply a book." Unable to indulge in even fleeting fantasy, Beatrice confessed her sad, painful wish. If only she could be a doll without a heart, a storybook unshaken by the passage of time, then she wouldn't have to suffer. But she couldn't. And so she grieved. "Sadly, Betty does have a heart. After waiting for so long that all hope and faith faded away, certain thoughts came unbidden. Were these fears and worries, I wonder? Many a night have I gathered my memories and clung to them, anxious that I might one day forget my mother's face or smile." Digging her nails into the book she clutched to her chest, Beatrice bit her lip as she glared at Subaru. "There were times when I was afraid of being alone and desperately wanted to be with someone, anyone. But as the years went by, everyone eventually left Betty behind. They all said something incomprehensible about how it was for something so important... Mother left! And so did Roswaal! Even Ryuzu!" Beatrice shouted, on the verge of tears as her face contorted. The names she shouted struck Subaru as he recalled everything he had learned about Beatrice back in the Sanctuary. In the short time the two girls spent together, she had undoubtedly formed a bond with Ryuzu Meyer, the girl who had become a sacrifice to protect the Sanctuary something that scarred Beatrice's heart to this day. "Betty...the
spirit Beatrice...has always been alone, destined to be left behind by everyone else... But now I can rest a tiny bit easier, I suppose." "...Why? Why would you feel relieved that you might be killed by someone you know?" "The reason is obvious." Beatrice responded to Subaru's strained voice with a single nod. A fleeting smile came over her lips; it was one that showed a yearning for something that lay deep in the past. "Even if it's only within Roswaal's book of knowledge, the fact that Betty has been recorded... Does that mean Mother has not forgotten about her daughter, I wonder?" With a little smile, Beatrice spoke those words, as if they were some kind of salvation. The girl seemed happy, as if a death sentence written in the mystic tome left by her mother was exactly what she hoped for. As if she could find peace by dying at the hands of a man who belonged to the same household she had treated like family for centuries. After four hundred years of faithfully waiting and wishing, Beatrice was happy to finally fulfill her mother's wishes, even if it meant death. It was precisely because she'd insisted on following her mother's instructions with blind devotion that Beatrice couldn't do anything but accept her fate. She believed in Echidna the Witch like a martyr ready to sacrifice herself for the faith. This much was plain to see in the pure liberation that suffused her smile "Give it a rest already." That unsettling, intolerable smile made the fire in Subaru's chest burn all the hotter. The tragic happiness Beatrice felt after seemingly confirming her mother's love was a twisted thing. It was utter garbage. As if condemning her daughter to death could ever be considered a form of motherly love. "...What do you...intend to do?" Subaru was so consumed by righteous indignation that he had stepped forward without even noticing. The disconcerting expression on his face made Beatrice stiffen warily. "Were you even listening, I wonder? What is it you plan to do? Does it need to be explained that whatever you intend, Betty shall show no mercy, I wonder? I have...already accepted my fate." "What a load of bullcrap. You're just like Roswaal. You haven't changed a bit. Actually, you're a lot worse. At least Roswaal knows what he's doing. Why do you have to make everything more complicated, damn it?" Boundless anger began welling up within him. When he thought about it, ever since he had become involved in the events surrounding the Sanctuary, Subaru had been wrestling with his wrath over and over. He had been angry with himself during the Trials; angry at the Witches, who toyed with him; angry at Garfiel, the stubborn kid who looked down on him; angry at Roswaal, the man who was trying to prove the frailty of Subaru's beliefs by doggedly adhering to what was preordained; and angry at Emilia, who refused to believe in not only Subaru's love but also herself. And now he was angry at fate itself after seeing Beatrice abandon all hope. "Beatrice, you're an idiot. Dumb as rocks, that's for sure! It hurts just looking at you!!" "Wha...?!" Subaru's sudden outburst of anger and the abrupt segue left Beatrice speechless. The irritation and confusion she felt prevented her from immediately raising her voice. Subaru took advantage of that bewilderment to pile on her even more. "You had four hundred years to figure this out! Why is the only thing you ever came up with so extreme...?! Why'd you think of only one plan?! There are so many other things you could've done, damn it!!" "O-of course I thought about it! Betty tried checking if there was anything on these blank pages again and again...but nothing ever changed!" "That's why you're an idiot! What about trying to heat them to see if anything was written in invisible ink?! These days, no one falls for that trick anymore, even when it's a novelty New Year's card! Consider some more possibilities, would you?!" The persistently blank pages of the tome had convinced Beatrice that her fate simply led to a dead end. But if that wasn't necessarily true... If there was another possibility, then "Like what if your mother messed up and gave you the wrong book by mistake?!" "Huh...?" The latest theory Subaru proposed was so haphazard that Beatrice didn't even know how to respond. That surprise quickly gave way to anger as Beatrice's ire only grew. "Do you intend to insult Mother, I wonder?! Mother would never make such a stupid mista " "Can you say for sure it absolutely couldn't happen? You don't have even the slightest doubt? Are you so certain the only possible explanation is that your mother deliberately handed her own daughter a book with nothing but blank pages?" Subaru used fallacies and questionable logic to massage and obfuscate the truth. It was still a mystery to him what Echidna's true intentions had been when she gave Beatrice the book of knowledge. He wouldn't put it past the foul Witch to entrust someone with it just to mess with their head. But after hearing about the past of the Sanctuary from Ryuzu, he felt like the Echidna in that tale was different than the twisted person he met. The truth continued to elude him. That said, the truth wasn't important here. What he needed to do now was knock down the walls surrounding Beatrice's heart and say the magic words that would pull her toward him. "Why...would you put it that way...?" Overwhelmed by Subaru's force of will, Beatrice's voice wavered, her eyes losing focus. She firmly believed in her mother. The mother she loved and respected would never try to ensnare her on purpose. And yet, Beatrice stubbornly shook her head. When she weighed blind faith against love and respect, she chose blind faith. It was as if she wanted to continue clinging to her mother's words, which she never once doubted over the course of four hundred years. "M-Mother surely would never make such a mistake. I-is that not obvious, I wonder? This is Mother we're talking about! Would you doubt your own mother's words?!" "Of course I would! The times I can trust her don't come along all that often! My mom's the same person who heard a report about a satellite falling into 'the atmosphere' and somehow thought it was 'Aichi Prefecture.' I stopped believing any news that came from her mouth after that! It'd be mega-embarrassing if I spread around something that stupid again!" It was impossible to forget how he'd been mocked by his classmates and neighbors for taking that story seriously and sharing it with everyone. To top it all off, the original culprit herself forgot she had started the whole thing and even asked him, Why on earth did you tell people that? Ever since that series of events in his third year of primary school, Subaru had staunchly refused to blindly believe what either of his parents had to say about anything. In fact, he'd learned to doubt his father's words even earlier on in life. That was why Beatrice's unshakable faith in her mother as an infallible existence irked Subaru to no end. "Even if I had twice as many fingers, I wouldn't be able to count on my hands how many times an argument between my dad and me ended with a fistfight, and that's in the span of less than twenty years. You've had twenty times that. You're telling me you never had doubts like that even once?" "I simply do not understand... What is it you want Betty to say, I wonder?! I cannot understand at all! Your desire, your objective... They make no sense! None at all!" "Fine. I'll say it straight so that even idiots like you and your mother can hear me loud and clear!" As Beatrice started clutching at her head, Subaru drew near and grasped both her hands. From above, he brought his face close to Beatrice's, coming so close that he could feel the teary-eyed girl's breaths. "Stop letting an empty book and a verbal promise you made four centuries ago control you. Beatrice, what you want to do is your choice." *** "Four hundred years... Isn't that more than enough time to justify at least one rebellious phase?" Because she loved her mother, Beatrice had stayed bound by loneliness and emptiness. Perhaps Echidna considered even her own daughter's mental anguish to be an exquisite delicacy. But what was left of a person's heart when they'd forgotten what it was like to want to cry, or even how? It made Subaru want to hurl from the bottom of his heart. With both her hands still in his grasp as she sat atop the stool, Beatrice averted her face from Subaru. Considering the height of the stool, her eyes were roughly at the same height as Subaru's. Beatrice cast her gaze downward, her lips trembling as she looked at the book on her lap. "No matter what you say...a pact is a pact. And a pact is absolute... That's why..." "Big talk from a girl looking for a loophole in that same pact, ready to go straight to her death so long as that pact isn't broken in the process." Beatrice shied away from his piercing stare until his comment made her eyes shoot wide. It seemed he had hit the mark. After having her inner thoughts laid out so plainly, a shudder ran through her as she began to tear up. That was only natural. Subaru had heard those exact laments straight from Beatrice's own mouth once before. Now, across time and space, he'd make up for how helpless he felt and for everything he had been unable to convey. "What you're saying is all messed up, Beatrice. Haven't you noticed the inconsistencies? There's no way you haven't. You got a good head on your shoulders." "Would you...just be silent, I wonder...?" "No, I won't. You want to stop upholding the pact? That'd be fine by me. You're the one who hates keeping your promise so much that you literally want to die. No one would blame you for wanting to break it." "I would blame myself! Why can you not seem to understand this?!" "You're the one who doesn't understand. If keeping that promise you made means dying, you should just break the promise and live. That's what I'd do; is it so weird I'd make that choice?" Beatrice, who continued obsessing over the pact, looked at Subaru like he were some kind of monster beyond all comprehension. Subaru found it pretty baffling to be perceived that way. Of course he knew keeping your word was important. He'd been scolded by Emilia more than once for breaking his promises, and he'd learned that the hard way after enduring quite a few painful experiences. That's why even someone like him had taken to heart how important it was to not go back on a promise. Despite that, Subaru didn't feel any reluctance whatsoever in telling Beatrice to break hers. He'd already explained his reasoning. It didn't even merit a second thought. "H-how can you be so impudent and devious, I wonder...?" "I know I'm the brazen sort, and I've reflected on how that's gotten me into trouble before. Still, I'll never budge on the important stuff." Subaru's answer would not change. From the beginning, the issue at hand was Beatrice's heart. She could not conceal her shock and confusion as he told her to ignore her pact. That much was expected. In this world, pacts bore enormous weight to the beings known as spirits. He was in love with a spirit mage himself, so Subaru was well aware of the gravity of the situation. He understood completely. And even so, Subaru told Beatrice to prioritize herself over the pact. "I-if you were...the one I've been waiting for...then maybe..." As Subaru continued to stand close
by, Beatrice gazed at him, slowly shaking her head side to side. A single duty had remained entwined around Beatrice's heart, chaining her down for four hundred years even as the blank pages of her mother's keepsake whittled her heart away. This mission of hers was the greatest reason she had not relinquished the pact despite all her suffering. If she only completed this duty, Beatrice could finally be free. Accordingly, Beatrice peered into Subaru's black eyes, as if clinging to them, as if giving her heart to them. "Would you...?" As if out of breath, she exhaled slowly, seemingly trying to forgive herself... "Would you...become That Person for Betty?" This was tantamount to asking him to finally bring an end to Beatrice's four centuries of emptiness. He recalled Echidna's words. This was precisely the reply that the Witch of Greed desired. Given that there was no right answer as to who That Person was, would Beatrice eventually select one of her own accord? This was the question the Witch had entrusted to her daughter in order to satisfy her own curiosity, forcing Beatrice into four centuries of loneliness in the process. The question Beatrice just uttered was the fruit of all that time, the end result after four hundred excruciating years. * Beatrice swallowed, awaiting his reply. Gazing straight back into the girl's eyes, Subaru answered loud and clear. "You really are an idiot. There's no way in hell that I'd be this stupid person or whatever you've been waiting for." 4 Subaru slammed into the wall, swooning in agony as he crumpled from the impact. After he hit his side hard on a column in the hallway, he raised a soundless cry as he writhed around on the floor. "Gaaaghhh... I I can't believe it...! That idiot... We were still in the middle of talking...!!" Seeing the door slam shut right before his eyes, Subaru leaped toward it and tried to open it as fast as he could, but once he did, all he found on the other side was a simple guest room. Passage had already activated, and Subaru had been barred from the archive of forbidden books once more. The moment he forcefully announced his true feelings on the matter, Subaru had been locked out. "I had more stuff to say... Damn that short-tempered toddler...!" He'd chosen his words poorly. His chest ached as he recalled how the last expressions he'd seen Beatrice make were ones of sadness and anger. He hadn't told Beatrice everything he wanted to say to her yet. If he didn't find a way back into the archive of forbidden books right away " Mr. Natsuki?!" A voice held Subaru in place just as he was about to run off in search of the archive. When he turned to check behind him, his eyes met those of someone peeking in his direction from the next room over. It was none other than Otto, who had accompanied Subaru to the mansion and should have been operating independently. And just like Otto, Petra was also sticking her head out to see what was going on. Subaru widened his eyes in surprise as realization dawned upon him. "Damn it, you guys... Why are you still in the mansion?! You only needed to open the doors on the first floor, and the plan was to run as soon as that was taken care of, right?" "That is true, but unfortunately, a problem has arisen within the mansion..." Though initially surprised by the unexpected reunion, Subaru's face went pale when Otto mentioned some trouble was afoot. Securing an escape route out of the mansion and using it to elude the enemy was the crux of their plan. Accordingly, Subaru had entrusted that duty to Otto. If he couldn't do it, no one could. If even Otto had deemed it too difficult, then there was no choice but to accept it was an impossible task. "What happened? The short version, please." "This is the work of the Beast Master you spoke of, I presume. The interior of the mansion is already filled with demon beasts." "That must mean Meili's here, huh...but she already should've been accounted for." Otto's hushed report left deep creases in Subaru's brow. The two assailants Elsa the Bowel Hunter and Meili the Beast Master were basically sisters of slaughter. The danger Elsa posed was painfully obvious, but Meili's command over demon beasts was something that could not be taken lightly if they wanted to make it out of this encounter in one piece. So of course, he'd readied a countermeasure " But there are demon beasts the repel stones don't work on at all!!" Even in the darkness, he could tell Petra's face was red as she shouted and beat Subaru's question to the punch. The girl was gripping a glowing blue crystal a phosphorescent stone for warding off demon beasts. This was what Subaru and the others had prepared to neutralize the Beast Master. "Wait, seriously?! I was sure that if we had these demon-beast repel stones, they'd keep them away like during the Urugarum incident... Why isn't it working?!" "I don't know! Perhaps the ones that appeared here are exceptions, but at any rate, assuming these demon beasts have appeared throughout the entire manor, even reaching the marquis's room will be..." Extremely difficult. Otto left this part unspoken as he finished explaining how the odds had abruptly turned against them. Then * Subaru felt an impact come from below his soles, instantly drawing his attention. He quickly noticed there was an odd warping underneath the red carpet covering the corridor floor. It bulged further, and then it burst. The tremors and deformation of the corridor had merely been a harbinger. The real show of destruction was occurring on the floor below, causing the entire west wing of the mansion to collapse, taking the corridor they were in along with it. The windows cracked, the wooden beams flew apart, and the whole mansion seemed to groan under the strain. As he lost his footing, Subaru found his body suddenly floating in midair. Reflexively, he reached out and yanked a tiny body toward him. As he fell toward the center of the hole, he tried to at least shield the small child pressed against his chest before they hit the ground. " Make sure you don't let go!!" When that thunderous voice rang in his eardrums amid all the destruction, Subaru did everything he could to obey. A moment later, he felt his body being pulled by the scruff of his neck. Then he was unceremoniously tossed to the ground, which made for an admittedly much softer landing. He felt his cheek brushing up against grass. When Subaru looked around, he saw he had rolled onto the green, open yard outside the mansion. "J-just now, that was..." "Miss Frederica!" When Subaru shook his head and looked up, Petra leaped out of his arms. Her gaze was focused on someone whose blond hair was beautifully flapping in the wind; it was none other than Frederica herself. Petra's eyes glimmered as the older maid elegantly brushed the young girl's hair back and gently wiped the grime off her cheek. "Even if this is an emergency, please forgive my impropriety. Frederica Baumann has returned." "Frederica!!" Overcome with emotion, Petra threw herself toward Frederica, who smiled as she gently caught her adorable junior and held the girl close to her chest. Consequently, Otto, who Frederica had been supporting on her right side, was unceremoniously dumped onto the grass. "Ow!! Wait a minute! I'm grateful you saved my life, but what is this rough handling?!" "I I am very sorry, Master Otto. She was simply higher on my list of priorities..." "Women and children, the elderly, men, and then Otto, huh?" "Have I been exiled from even the ranks of men?!" Setting Otto's complaints aside, their group quickly confirmed they were all unharmed. Thanks to Frederica, everyone present had emerged from the manor safely. This was not limited to Subaru, Otto, and Petra, either. "Master Subaru I have brought her here with me, as requested." Still holding Petra, Frederica turned around to show Subaru what she meant. There, firmly secured to her back with bedsheets, was a sleeping girl Rem. Instantly, Subaru's breath caught in his throat. But that initial stiffness almost immediately gave way to relief. "You did... Thank you...for getting her out safe and sound. I mean it." "It was the natural thing to do. More importantly, we have a pressing problem to deal with..." Subaru brushed a finger against Rem's cheek as she continued to sleep. While he did that, he looked intently at Frederica to convey his thanks. Then he followed her gaze to the west wing of the mansion, which was spectacularly wrecked. The sheer extent of the damage made it seem like a giant truck had crashed right into the building. To be fair, that metaphor wasn't that much of an exaggeration. The only difference was that instead of a truck " What...is that?" Otto stood up and brushed off his knees as he posed the question. It was something everyone present wondered, with the exception of the sleeping Rem. If Subaru had to guess... "It looks like a really huge hippo to me." The creature they were staring at was enormous. The color and texture of its hide resembled a boulder, and the four limbs it boasted seemed as thick and stout as millstones. It had a dreadful, vile face, red eyes that brimmed with hostility, and a broken horn perched on the tip of its nose. Moreover, this demon beast had a tiny figure riding on its back. "Huh. That's amazing. I'm kinda shocked our attack just now didn't take anybody out." Straddling the back of the enormous demon beast, the little girl waved her legs all about as she addressed them with an amused voice. The cruel, innocent ring to her words was familiar to Subaru and to Petra as well. She was clad in black clothing, while her deep-blue hair was tied up in a braid " Meili!" "Oh? None of you folks seems to be all that surprised. I'm just a little disappointed." When Subaru shouted her name, Meili drew her lips back, unhappy that she'd failed to surprise them with what was supposed to be her big reveal. Unfortunately, Subaru and company had no reason to humor her. "You busting up the mansion like this is a way bigger deal! The hell you think you're doing?!" "Well, I couldn't find the maids who were our target. So I had Rock Piggie pitch in. And thanks to that, I ended up finding all of you, right?" Meili touched a finger to her cheek, showing not a single shred of guilt as she sized up her prey. While it certainly had been the fastest way to draw them out, they would have all been annihilated if Frederica had not been there. "But you really surprised me. I mean, this job should've been easy. Now everything's behind schedule." "That so? If you're off schedule, you should report to your superior and await further instructions. If you use your own on-site judgment, there's no telling what huge and terrible problems might happen." "Tee-hee-hee. Nooope. You can't trick me." Despite the alien encounter and being cornered by demon beasts, Subaru carried on an exceedingly normal-sounding exchange with Meili. Compared with Elsa, Meili was an improvement she didn't take potshots at his innards midconversation. But unsurprisingly, she was similarly immune to his attempts at persuasion. Even as they shared what seemed like a friendly chat, he could sense demon beasts gradually closing in on the yard. The group had successfully gotten out of the building, but it'd be a mistake to call it an escape. It had not changed the fact that they were surrounded by demon beasts if anything, their situation seemed far more precarious than before. "I feel sorry for Elsa, but I'm going to take all the maids for myself. Ah, no need to worry. I'll
be gentle to Petra. We are friends, after all." "Y-yay, I'm so happy If we're friends, that means you'll let us go, right ?" "Tee-hee-hee. Of course we're friends. That's why we'll get along until the veeery end, right?" "Uh, Subaru, sorry, but I tried my best, and it still didn't work..." Their ways of expressing friendship were simply too different. Petra bravely attempted to negotiate, but that ended in failure. Meili was still young, but she was already thoroughly versed in the ethos of a hired killer. Her moral values had already been deeply twisted. To her, evil and good were indistinguishable. They would not find any common ground. "Master Subaru..." "Frederica? What are...? Whoa!" Suddenly, before Subaru could come up with an escape plan, the older maid stood directly in front of him with Rem still on her back. Frederica did not respond to his call and instead undid the knots, freeing Rem. Subaru instantly moved to her to catch Rem's sleeping body before it fell. And then " I shall provide that girl, no, that assassin with the proper hospitality. During that time, all of you..." "M-Miss Frederica! Y-you mustn't!" Petra clung to Frederica, who had boldly declared she would act as a rear guard for the party. Subaru had simply gone silent. Frederica gently turned her gaze toward the young maid, who refused to let go of her waist. "Stop, Miss Frederica! This is exactly the same as before... We've only just met again, and..." "No, it's different now... After all, last time, I was resigned to death." * "So much has changed. After ten years, I have reunited with Garf...with my younger brother. And I have you, my unspeakably adorable junior. I have never been happier. And that's why I refuse to be defeated here." Frederica spoke to Petra while gently stroking her head. Seeing the will residing in those jade eyes from up close, Petra said no more. But surely, she understood these were not empty words to make her feel better. The woman she looked up to refused to compromise on what she believed in, and she was ready to see it through with force. Frederica was truly Garfiel's elder sister. "Frederica! We'll head for Roswaal's room!" "Please do. I shall join you once I have given this girl a proper spanking." Subaru called out to her after securing Rem to his back. Offering a graceful reply in turn, Frederica readied herself for the imminent battle. Garfiel versus Elsa; Frederica versus Meili having the beast person siblings handle the sisters of subterfuge was probably the best outcome they could have hoped for. Now they just had to survive the attack. "Otto! Take Petra!" "Loud and clear!" Grasping the barked instruction, Otto set off running with Petra in tow. With Rem on his back, Subaru raced ahead of them, guiding them to the entrance into the mansion from the yard. "Hey, hold on a...! Don't decide stuff on your own like that! Petraaaaa!" "Thbpttt!" The sight of Subaru and company fleeing at full speed made Meili cry out from atop the demon beast. Though teary-eyed, Petra gave an immediate reply, sticking out her tongue tauntingly. With that, Subaru and the others fled into the mansion. Meili moved to pursue them, but " Dear guest, from here on, I will have to insist you remain with me and enjoy the Mathers family's hospitality!" "Gaaah! I'll make you regret this! Get her, Rock Piggie!!" * Looking down at Frederica, who was blocking her path, Meili puffed up her cheeks as her temper flared. Heeding the command of its master, the enormous, boulder-like demon beast issued a roar that echoed across the entire grounds. With a flutter of her skirt, Frederica's arms creaked as they transformed. "Now, come closer. I'll be teaching you some harsh lessons today! Prepare yourself." 5 Splitting up from Frederica, Subaru and company made a beeline for the mansion's main wing, aiming for the topmost floor. "Otto! Anything to worry about from behind?!" "Miss Frederica is managing somehow! However, we still have no good way to deal with demon beasts!" As they raced down a corridor, Otto asserted the demon beasts were a pressing issue that remained unresolved. Subaru didn't have a new plan ready yet. What could they use against demon beasts that were immune to repel stones...? "How about we use your blessing of language and your pro bargaining skills to negotiate with the demon beasts and convince them to let us escape? You'd get all the glory!" "Most demon beasts only go, Me swallow you whole. That does not constitute a conversation..." "This isn't the time for joking around!! If...if we don't do something fast, Miss Frederica will !" Petra's desperate plea made Subaru and Otto cut the banter and focus their thoughts on coming up with a plan. At present, their goal was to reach Roswaal's study and the secret escape route leading outside, which was concealed behind a bookshelf in the room. That would allow them to circumvent the demon beasts surrounding the manor. However, it was inevitable that those monsters would impede them prior to their arrival "Mr. Natsuki! There's some black-winged mice in front!" "Whoa!" While Subaru was deep in thought, some black shadows had flown toward him in the moonlit corridor and were already right before his eyes. These were demon beasts with round bodies, about the size of puppies, that resembled flying mice with black, bat-like wings. Two of the creatures, worthy of the name black-winged mice, aimed their sharp fangs at Subaru. "Go away!!" Petra raised the repel stone aloft, instantly driving off the black-winged mice. "You saved my bacon, Petra! ...But this means the stone isn't completely ineffective, doesn't it?" "Against normal demon beasts, it works just fine! For the moment, it is ineffective only against a single demon beast. So long as that beast is not..." "Meaning that one is " Special, he was about to say, but two things happened before he could the sound of an impact ringing out, followed by high-pitched death cries. From the back of the corridor, in the darkness where the moonlight did not reach, a monstrous claw flashed, drawing out screams and fresh blood simultaneously. The fearsome blow tore the wings off the black-winged mice, leaving them helplessly falling and rolling onto the carpet. Pitch-black blood coursed from their wounds as the two demon beasts convulsed. An enormous maw reached forward to snap up their bodies, chewing on them. The murderous sounds of snapping bones and bloody flesh being consumed reverberated across the corridor. Then he saw it. The creature had the head of a lion, a torso like that of a horse, a tail resembling a serpent, and a fearsome twisting horn protruding from its face a sovereign among demon beasts, with the entirety of its being embodying the word danger. This was the demon beast that Subaru had once seen slay Petra. And its name was... "Totally forgot it, but... So we meet again, you shitty demon beast...!" * As if responding to Subaru venting his rage, the black demon beast raised a roar that seemed to shake the entire mansion. Bathed in a sense of awe like being buffeted in blast winds, Subaru adjusted Rem upon his back and clenched his teeth. "Otto! Give that bastard a taste of the repel sto " "No! It won't work, Subaru! That demon beast is a..." Petra shook her head side to side, her face pale as she pleaded with Subaru. Her words brought him to a sudden realization. He'd already guessed what Otto was about to shout. "A Giltirau! The repel stone will not work on it! The beast is our worst enemy right now!" Instantly, the demon beast the Giltirau lowered its body, aimed itself toward the group...and charged. Its claws rent the carpet. Its roar made the very foundations tremble. With a snarling battle cry, it came barreling toward them. With this, three battles had erupted simultaneously. The Battle of Roswaal Manor...had begun. CHAPTER 2 * 1 " Heeey, Lia. Don't wobble your head like that and sit still, would you?" Before she opened her eyes, the first thing she heard was a soft, lovely voice. Slowly, as if guided by the voice, her consciousness floated to the surface. Her vision was hazy. In the span of several blinks, she realized she was sitting in a chair and this was her own house. It was their house, built from the hollow of a great tree in the forest. She was sitting in her own chair in the living room. "Goodness, how long are you going to be such a spoiled little child? You're really incorrigible, you know." From so close that she could feel her breath, she heard a voice so gentle, it seemed to embrace her. It caused such a stirring in her chest that the girl Emilia hurriedly looked over. She immediately spotted a woman with short silver hair, a foul look in her eyes, and who, to Emilia, was the ideal woman. "Mom..." "You turned so quickly, it surprised me... Did you doze off? Were you catching a nap while leaving me to do your hair...? We truly have a lazy Princess on our hands." As Emilia's eyes went wide, her mother Fortuna smiled with an air of exasperation. She did not understand why she felt so deeply moved by simply seeing the sharp eyes and soft expression of her mother. "Mom..." "Mm? What's wrong? If something happened, you can tell me anything." "You're really dressed up today, huh, Mom? It's really cute." " ! Is that all? And here I was getting worried only for you to tease me." With just a hint of a blush, Fortuna flicked Emilia's forehead with a finger. Putting a hand on her forehead, Emilia went "eh-heh-heh" and grinned. Emilia was always proud of her mother, but she thought Fortuna looked especially beautiful that day. This was because she was actually wearing a skirt for once instead of her usual easy-to-move-in attire. Though her clothes had minimal adornment, the color-matched, fresh-looking outfit suited Fortuna very well. "Oh, look at you. Even though you have such a cute face, it's quite a mess today... You really do seem like you're still half-asleep. I thought I sent you to wash your hair at the watering hole earlier. Did you just have a drink and come back?" "Hmph, Mom's making fun of me again. There isn't even the tiniest smidgen of carelessness in my whole body. Everyone else always says that I'm really well-behaved, too." "Even though you still use such ridiculous phrases, I'm really worried other people are filling your head with silly ideas. I'd better have a little chat with Archi after this." The way she pressed her lips together seemed to indicate dissatisfaction, but the way Fortuna pressed a palm against her forehead clashed with that image. Her mother proceeded to move in front of the sullen Emilia and resumed doing her hair once more. She had long hair, silver just like Fortuna's. Her mother braided it up with practiced ease like she used magic. "Okay, now it's all nice and beautiful. Go look in the mirror." "Mm-hmm, thanks, Mom. The mirror..." When Fortuna patted her on the shoulder, Emilia stood up with a big grin to do as she was told. The little girl proceeded to turn toward the full-length mirror but then she stopped. "Emilia?" Fortuna called out to her daughter with a questioning voice. But Emilia did not reply. For some reason, she could not approach the full-length mirror. Even she did not know the reason why. Her legs were cramped. As Emilia stewed in melancholy, salvation came to her from a different direction. She heard the sound of someone knocking on the door to their home. Lifting her head with a gasp, Emilia went, "A guest!" and whirled around, her legs hastily taking her in that direction. And then " Good morning to you, Lady Emilia. I am overjoyed that you came to greet me." When she opened the
door in a fair bit of a hurry, Emilia's breath caught as the tall visitor on the other side greeted her. The man, with green hair and soft features, smiled at her. Seeing the tranquil benevolence residing in this individual's eyes, Emilia could not help but break into a broad smile. "Geuse... G-good morning to you." "Yes, it has been some time, Lady Emilia. I hope you will treat me kindly today." "Today...?" Hearing words of greeting from the visiting man Geuse made Emilia tilt her head in confusion. That curious reaction elicited an "oh my" from Geuse, who raised a curious eyebrow. "Are you not aware? I had thought we had sent word beforehand..." "Geuse, don't take her seriously. Lia's just being a sleepyhead this morning." "Grrr, I can't believe Mom's still saying stuff like that..." Fortuna's exasperated voice made Emilia look over, but her words caught in her throat. Fortuna was not dressed like normal, and she was holding a basket clearly meant for going out and about. Emilia could faintly smell herb-grilled meat sandwiched between cuts of her mother's handmade bread. In other words " Ah! We're going to the lake?" "Why, this girl looks like she only just remembered even though she's the one who asked to go..." "Did I really? ...Maybe I did ask. If that's true, then I just get to be twice as happy." When she thought back on it, she felt like she had made a request just like that. And having forgotten it, the instant she remembered made her feel like she'd gotten to enjoy it two times over. "...Geuse, what do you think of her?" "It is rather in character for Lady Emilia, I believe. She specializes in doubling her happiness. Perhaps we have a thing or two to learn from her." "You spoiling her irresponsibly puts me in a bind, though. Goodness...it must be Sister's blood in her." Fortuna sighed as she touched a hand to her forehead. Then when she noticed Geuse training his gaze firmly upon her, she gave him a sharp look as if asking, What...? "No, it would be better not to worsen your mood..." "We've known each other long enough. There's nothing you can say that will shake me now, Geuse." "Then I shall speak the words. Lady Fortuna, your clothing choices this day are dazzling. I find myself rather enchanted by the sight of you." When Geuse spoke his mind with a guileless look on his face, Fortuna stiffened for a brief moment. * Then Fortuna's face turned red. An instant later, with a powerful punch to his shoulder, she sent Geuse flying. Forgotten in the commotion, the basket was in danger of falling onto the floor, but Emilia caught it just in the nick of time. 2 "Did I truly say something rude I should not have...?" "No, it's not that. Mom gets embarrassed really easily, so she couldn't help but blush when you said that to her, Geuse. Tee-hee, Mom's so cute." "Don't go around making things up! Geuse is... He is a man wicked to the core." With the quarrel at home out of the way, the three amicably strolled along Fortuna marched ahead in a huff, with Emilia and Geuse walking side by side as they headed for the lake in the forest. The incident upon their departure had Fortuna in a mood, and Geuse had gotten worked up over that, but from Emilia's point of view, Fortuna wasn't really angry she was just shy. Emilia was a little aggravated that Geuse seemed to be the only one who wasn't picking up on that. But the relationship between Geuse and her mother was close, if a bit prickly, and certainly a happy one. "Oh my, Lady Fortuna." "And Emilia and Geuse, too." "Good to see parent and child getting along." The housewives living close by commented and called out as they watched the trio heading down the path toward the lake. Before Fortuna could whip out a snappy retort, Geuse said, "You are obviously very loved," and the happy smile on his face made Fortuna swallow her words. "...I I suppose," was the only reply she could muster. Then as Fortuna inconspicuously matched her walking pace with Emilia and Geuse, Emilia quietly waved back to the housewives, whereupon the wives smiled with mischievous looks on their faces. They walked in that manner for a while until the forest abruptly fell away and their destination, the lake, came into view. "As usual, the air here is very refreshing. I feel like I'm in a better mood already." "That is because you are always carrying such weighty burdens, Lady Fortuna. You must stretch your wings once in a while. By all means, allow me to aid you in doing so." Fortuna put her things down on the lakeshore and made a little stretch as Geuse expressed his consideration for her. When he busily set aside a place for them to sit and made preparations for the picnic, Fortuna narrowed her eyes; then, as she gazed upon the scenery, she called out to Emilia. "Today, I'm being treated not as the leader of my people but as an old little girl. I can't relax like this. Hey, Emilia, say something, would...?" * "Emilia? What's wrong?" Fortuna extended a hand toward her beloved daughter, who was immobile as she stared intently, pouring her gaze into the scenery at the edge of the lake. "You've been really odd this morning. If you don't feel well, we can go home and..." Then, just as she offered a voice of concern... * ...Emilia's tummy made a cute sound as it pleaded in hunger. Instantly, the concern on Fortuna's face crumbled. All she could do was heave a deep sigh. "Mom, I'm really hungry..." "It's obvious even if you didn't tell me and didn't show me such a tragic face. Goodness, you make people worry only for it to turn out like this. You truly are a child who keeps other people busy." As the corners of her eyes fell with relief, Fortuna flicked Emilia's forehead, then pulled her close against her own chest. She did not crouch for this; Emilia was simply leaning forward they were, after all, roughly the same height. "The two of you always get along so well. Watching it up close is truly enough to put a smile on my face." "...Want to join in, Geuse?" "Don't say stupid things. Geuse, go ahead and open the basket. It's a little early, but we shall have our meal, for our Princess demands it." With that declaration, Fortuna kept holding Emilia close as they walked over to join Geuse. The basket's contents were spread atop a flat, grassy spot. Her mother was good at cooking over a fire, and this was her specialty. Food grilled with herbs was one of Emilia's favorites, as well as "I am always humbled that you would share this with me... The flavor is simply irresistible." With a munch, munch and a happy-looking face, Geuse stuffed his cheeks full of grilled-herb food. Fortuna's cooking specialty was nothing short of a feast to him, so it was guaranteed this was what they would have every time the trio went out for a picnic. It was undeniable. Something was...stirring in her chest. "Geuse, if you love Mom's cooking so much, you should just...live in the forest with us." Emilia pushed that feeling back down and raised the possibility of a life together for the intimate couple. Instantly, Fortuna's face reddened. "E-Emilia...!" she cried. "D-don't say such thoughtless things. It's very hard for Geuse, too. He has to thread his way through a busy schedule just to poke his head over here at all..." "I am greatly pleased to hear you say this, Lady Emilia. Were it only possible. I, too, desire this from the bottom of my heart." The nervousness on her mother's face was in stark contrast to Geuse's calm demeanor. But the echo of Geuse's words were it only possible left Emilia dissatisfied. "If you want to do it, then just do it, not because it's 'possible.' If neither of you has a problem with it... Besides, no one's going to get in the way... Or am I in the way?" "Not at all." "That is not so." She voiced the concern that her being there was the reason the amiable pair could not be with each other. And since Fortuna and Geuse both denied it was so, she blurted out her next words without thinking. "You two sure get along really nicely." "Oh, there you go again... Geuse, say something, would you?" "Yes, you mustn't, Lady Emilia. Lady Fortuna is someone with a very important duty. If one such as myself remains for too long, ill rumors shall arise and cause her trouble." "Rumors of Mom and Geuse...? I feel like it's too late to stop those..." Geuse's poor defense made Emilia put a finger to her lips as she replied. Geuse looked like he had no idea to what she was referring. "I mean...," went Emilia as she continued. "The aunties near home said we look like a happy family that gets along really well." " ! I was quite certain this was referring to Lady Emilia and Lady Fortuna only..." "I expect nothing less from you, Geuse... But Mom understands, right?" * Emilia's assertion made Fortuna avert her eyes with a red face. Even Emilia could see right through her mother. Surely, Geuse felt the exact same way. "I think it's a really good idea. I do. So both of you think about it, okay?" *** "No one in the forest, including me, thinks there's anything weird about it. And I absolutely won't stand for it if anyone says anything bad!" With some half-eaten grilled-herb food in hand, Emilia realized she'd become rather worked up about this. Even so, she'd wanted to say it; she had to say it. She didn't want Fortuna and Geuse to be afraid of being happy together she wanted them to be happy. Stuffing her cheeks with the remaining half of the grilled-herb food, she chewed it down, swallowed, brushed her knees, and stood up. "I've said what I wanted to say. I leave everything else to the young couple. Go right ahead." "Emilia, truly, where did you learn of such things?" When Emilia spoke those words with her hands on her hips, Fortuna wore her familiar exasperated look. However, that expression immediately fell away, changing into a smile she could not hold back. "Tee-hee, ah-ha-ha. Oh, Emilia... Truly, you are a really cute girl." "Ha-ha, Lady Emilia has... I see, she has grown up sound and well. Truly, a joyful thing." "Well, of course she has. She's my daughter, my pride and joy. It goes without saying." "Yes, so I see." Watching the two laughing and looking at each other's smiling faces filled Emilia's chest with a palpable sense of warmth. From the bottom of her heart, she wanted to gaze at the scene for a long time, immersing herself in it. Probably because there was no greater happiness than this. "...Emilia?" When Fortuna suddenly called out to her, Emilia hurriedly covered her face with her hands. She belatedly realized she'd spontaneously broken into tears. "Aa," came her voice as she desperately tried to hold them back. "I might've gotten a speck of dust in my eye. A really big speck of dust." "That big? Are you all right?" "I-I'm fine. I'm in completely tip-top shape. As much as that rock over there." "That enormous boulder?! Are you truly all right?!" "I said I'm fine!!" Responding to the concerned pair, Emilia rubbed her eyes as she turned to face the lake. "I'm going to wash my eyes out a bit. After, I think I'll go around the lake once." "Make sure you don't drop your eyeballs by mistake. They're such a pretty color... Pretty violet eyes, just like Brother's." "Well, Mom's eyes are just as pretty." Perhaps Fortuna never considered
that, for Emilia's reply took her completely by surprise. Seeing that the unusual side of hers made Geuse laugh, Emilia laughed as well. She kept laughing as she advanced toward the lake. Then she glanced back, looking at Fortuna and Geuse. "Get along nicely and wait, okay? And always, always reaaaaally get along." "Yes, yes, you worrywart. But don't make us wait too long. That would put me in a serious bind." "No, there is no need to hurry. Take your time. We shall wait for as long as is required, Lady Emilia." With the smiling pair With her parents seeing her off, Emilia took a deep breath. Then, unable to hold it in any longer, she turned around, looked straight at the two of them, and parted her lips once more. " I love you both." 3 From a plateau with a view of the entire lake, Emilia stood, gently caressed by the wind. * She was closely watching the intimate couple on the distant shore at the other end of the lake with her violet eyes, which her mother always praised so much. Geuse said something without realizing the impact of his words; Fortuna went red in the face as she refuted him. Emilia pursed her lips as she watched the lightly amusing scenes. And then "Emilia, isn't it dangerous for you to be here all by yourself?" hearing a familiar voice call out to her from behind, Emilia looked back. She was standing atop a sheer cliff with the lake spread out below it. Facing her was a handsome young man with golden hair and green eyes Archi Elior, one of the elves living with them in the Great Elior Forest and, to Emilia, practically her own brother. "Archi..." " Somehow, your voice and face seem different, Emilia. Did you leave your usual head-in-the-clouds-ness off by the wayside? You're starting to worry me." "Hmph. That's a terrible thing to say. Stupid Archi. I don't know you. Go away." "Sorry, sorry. If you're seriously worried about something, then I'll seriously hear you out, all right?" Faced with Emilia's sullenness, Archi flashed a pained smile as he raised both hands in surrender and walked in her direction. Then he stood alongside Emilia upon the cliff. "What's wrong?" he asked, tilting his head. "Today Lord Archbishop was supposed to come to the forest, yes? Weren't you with...? Ahhh, isn't that him over there? Er, did you give them some time alone, by any chance?" "...Mm, that's right. What do you think of them, Archi?" "I think they're a good match. Everyone in the forest thinks so, too. Lady Fortuna is so strict with herself, even though we would prefer it if she thought of her own happiness more..." As he shared those thoughts, Archi reeled in shock, for he had caught sight of Emilia's wet eyes and the tears ready to spill out from them. "Ah, um, Emilia, it's not... It's all right! Even if Lady Fortuna and Lord Archbishop were joined together, they would never forsake you!" "...It's not that, stupid." "Not that, huh...? Ahhh, then, er, how about this? Certainly, it might be difficult right now, and I do not know how many years must pass in the meantime, but someday, both of them will " " Time." As Archi hurriedly tried to comfort her, Emilia lifted her head, lips quivering. If they'd had time, the distance between Fortuna and Geuse would have narrowed. To be blunt, the current speed of progress seemed no faster than a snail's pace, but eventually, the day would surely come when they would be together. When that day came, everyone in the forest would celebrate. Of course, Emilia would celebrate most of all, and if possible, she wanted not only the people of the forest but the people of the entire world to celebrate the couple. That would be a world of peace, of tranquility, of freedom in all things, where everyone could smile together " But that world doesn't exist." Lowering her eyes rimmed with long eyelashes, Emilia touched her hair ornament as she murmured the floral hair ornament she had inherited from her mother, of which two should not exist in that world. Her mother, all dressed up and waiting for her on the lakeshore, wore the very same hair ornament. In other words, this was a place apart from the forest that had already met its snowy end, an unknowable, idealized future "...Looking at this unknowable present, have you not thought, I want to live here?" "Archi..." "Here, I, Lady Fortuna, Lord Archbishop, and everyone else are living safe and sound. No tragedy will ever befall this place. It is a happy world. Emilia, you could have a good life here, too, free of worry and hurt." To Emilia, who had realized this was a false world, Archi raised a gentle plea for her not to make such a sad face. That he found nothing suspect with his own theory was proof itself that this world was a sham. It would have been a lie to claim his plea, Archi's plea, didn't sway her heart. "Surely, you want the two of them to be happy. Surely, you want to live here to see it. After all, this is your ideal present...the future you yourself desired." "The future that I... Yes, I think you're right. I'm sure you are." She wanted Fortuna to be happy. She wanted Geuse to make her mother happy. If only everyone in the forest could smile together, if only she could get along nicely with Archi, to always be in such a world of happiness. If only she could pretend not to know, to somehow forget her mother's tragic demise and Geuse's unspeakable grief. "Lady Fortuna has already passed away. Lord Archbishop's well-being or lack thereof is unknown. Everyone in the forest has been turned to statues of ice." "...Yeah." "Our homeland has been frozen over, blocked off to all outsiders, and now you have even parted ways with the spirit who was like family to you." * Emilia closed her eyes as she digested the words Archi was speaking to her. It would have been easier for her if that voice reproached her. It would have been easier if it had blamed her for her errors in judgment, berating her for her poor thinking, to insult her for her shameful lack of gratitude but Archi had puffed out his chest and said he would do no such thing. What infused his voice was not anger. Instead "Even though you could be happy here... Even though you wanted this world... You poor thing..." all he wanted was for Emilia to be happy, to be at peace. It was exactly as he'd said. This was a world that existed for no reason other than to make Emilia happy... "...Sorry, Archi." " Why do you desire a future that will hurt you so much?" "I don't want to be hurt. I'm searching for a future where I don't have to be hurt, where I don't have to run, hide, or push things away, where I can hold hands with others." "And the wounds you suffer? The pain? What you have lost will never return. Will you search for such a thing even so?" * Even Emilia had thought of what it would be like to have no one think of her as detestable. Many times over, she'd wanted to cast all the pain and suffering by the wayside. The earnestness in Archi's words gently and deeply touched upon scars that covered Emilia's weak heart. "...I want people to think I look cool." "Emilia?" Doubt crept into his voice. Archi seemed like he did not believe his own ears. Emilia lifted her head, staring straight at her kin, at the man who was practically a brother to her, and spoke with the determination she felt. "I want to be like Mom, who I look up to so much. I want to be gentle and strong, like Geuse. I want to be like Granny Tanse and the others, who were never mean to me even once. I want to be like Archi, who smiled to the very, very end so that I wouldn't get scared." * "I want to be like Puck, who kept protecting me so I wouldn't be alone. I want to be like Ram, who wants to work harder than anyone else for the person she holds dearest. I want to be like Otto, doing his utmost for the sake of his friend. I want to be like Garfiel, who refuses to speak one timid word or complaint." "Emilia..." "And I want to be like Subaru, who suffers and gets all beat up, who's always reckless who told me he loves me." Emilia was weak and pathetic and always failing, but even so, she wanted to do everything she could for the people she wanted to be with for the people inside and outside the forest, for those who once walked alongside her and for those who would stand by her from now on. "I want those people to think I look cool. I want to reach my hand out to the others the way so many people assured me that things would be all right." It was time for the girl who had always been saved by others to start saving them. The boy who always endured so much for Emilia's sake had put his trust in her, promising that everything would turn out all right in the end. That was why Emilia would live in the outside world. "I'm all right. I'm not afraid of the outside world. I'm not afraid of the future." * "Thank you for worrying about me. I'm...all right, Big Brother." Being called that made Archi open his eyes wide. Emilia smiled, seeing his surprised face. She'd always thought of him as a brother, but shyness and her defiant heart had kept her from calling him that even once. But now there was no reason to be embarrassed by those sunny feelings. She could boldly say what she had always felt. In Emilia's forest homeland, she had a mother, a father, and an older brother she had a family. " You..." Faced with Emilia's charming smile, Archi kept trying to say something. But the flood of complicated and mystifying emotions within him dissipated without taking any definite shape. After all "Emilia, you're so stubborn. Once you've decided on something, you never listen to anyone. I wonder if you have any idea how hard that was on Lady Fortuna and the rest of us?" "Wahhh... I'm really sorry about that." "It's fine. I mean..." Then Archi's words trailed off as he smiled. His face contained not worry but a beaming smile. "It's an older brother's place to indulge his little sister's selfish ways." * The way he spoke with a smile on his face made Emilia truly feel the depth of his love. Just how many times had she been protected, and just how much love and tranquility had she received? "Thank you, Big Brother." All of Emilia's and Archi's feelings were encapsulated in the smiles they exchanged. Then she turned her back to him, standing atop the cliff once more. From that vantage point, she could see Fortuna and Geuse in the distance, as well as the surface of the lake immediately beneath her. * Suddenly, the two noticed Emilia in the distance and waved to her. She waved back. Burning the sight of them happily together into her eyes, her mind, her soul, and her memories, she left it all behind. " Thank you for showing me this world, Echidna." She was speaking to Archi, standing behind No, this was not Archi. She spoke to Echidna the Witch. * Including Archi, who was aware of far too many details that he should've never known, this entire world was an illusory space to begin with. Remembering the Trial, Emilia understood this was not reality. Perhaps the mother, father, older brother, and everyone else she saw here
were all nothing but fabrications. Even if that was true, Emilia still felt gratitude in her chest. "Maybe this is a world that could never exist, but I never thought I'd see the day that Mom and Geuse...that Mom and Dad could be together like this, smiling side by side. So thank you." It scared her to acknowledge this as an unreal, fleeting dream. However, even if it was a world that would never come to pass, Emilia had gotten a chance to see the happiness that had been possible. In this world, she had felt joy, love, and a happy sadness that sent shivers through her whole body. She was glad from the bottom of her heart that she got the opportunity to bear witness to everything she had seen here. "...You..." Responding to Emilia's words of thanks, Archi No, the voice was feminine; it was the voice of the Witch. Emilia's memory of being hated by her during the course of the first Trial was still fresh. She'd half given up on hearing her voice in that world, let alone seeing her face. But there, the Witch appeared in that transient world at the very, very end, and her voice trembled. "Echidna...?" Turning around, Emilia faced the Witch head-on. That same moment, Emilia wished she hadn't. When she turned around, there stood Echidna, her expression so raw, it made Emilia regret seeing it. For Echidna was simply standing there, staring at Emilia with a face ready to break into tears. "I hate you I just...hate you." * Emilia didn't comment on the hesitation she detected in the words Echidna wrung out. Then, right before Emilia's eyes, Echidna's body became hazy. Like a ripple moving along the water's surface, her existence became distorted, and the Witch's form seemed to melt as she retreated from the world of illusion. There was nothing left behind. With the one who had supposedly been Archi gone, wind and time began to flow once more. "Echidna..." Having instilled such bitterness that she had wanted to say nothing, Emilia clenched her own chest with her hand. From there, she put her breathing in order; then she turned back toward the cliff one more time, peering into the water below. She saw her reflection on the distant surface of the clear, shallow lake. Her heartbeats grew stronger, faster. Simultaneously, she instinctively understood how to bring the second Trial to an end. * Between this world and the one she really belonged to, what part was different yet the same? The only answer was Emilia herself. She was the only foreign element in either world. The way to end the Trial was for Emilia to find herself and seek out a way to acknowledge, accept, and understand that self. Her memories of the past ended when her homeland froze over and she fell into a deep slumber. Until the present day, over a century had passed and in all that time, Emilia had never once set eyes upon her grown-up self. The reason was simple. She was simply...afraid. She was too afraid to look. When she awoke, the aging her body had undergone conflicted with the memories she had lost. Her clumsy, unfamiliar body terrified her immature heart, and the way the people living close to the forest treated her drove that fear deeper still. Her features inevitably drew comparisons to the Witch of Jealousy, and Emilia spent that time in misfortune. This made people uneasy, so they persecuted her, causing her to harbor even greater fear than before. She deliberately avoided mirrors, and she'd trained herself to not even look at the reflective surface of water. As part of her contract with Puck, he picked how Emilia would groom herself each day. Normally, he hid everything under his aloof, frivolous demeanor, but this, too, was actually all to protect Emilia's fragile heart from reopening old wounds. "Truly, just how much have people been protecting me...?" How much had she failed to notice while she'd been sulking all on her own? The time she'd spent ignoring the love others gave her had finally come to an end. * With resolve in her heart, Emilia closed her eyes, and moments later, her feet left the ground. In an instant, gravity dragged her floating body downward, pulling her into a fall upside down. The rushing wind entwined her long silver hair around her body. Her figure was perfectly straight as she plunged headfirst hurtling toward the water below. She felt goose bumps on her skin. Sensing the surface of the water was close by, Emilia opened her eyes. It was just in time for her to drink in the sight of the silver-haired, violet-eyed girl reflected by the clear lake's surface. It was as if she was resolved to greet the end of the world head-on. Then, quietly, she widened her eyes further. " Huh." A disappointed voice trickled out. Her face reflected in the water, the face of the little girl who had grown so big, drew nearer and nearer with every passing moment. Emilia let out a soft sigh and muttered. "That's too bad. I look less like Mom than I thought..." An instant after that sulky murmur, Emilia crashed into the watery mirror. She would never let go of the happiness she found. However, the world of dreams from which she had to depart had finally come to an end... 4 Neither the cold nor the impact of breaking the water's surface receded when Emilia's mind returned to reality. When she came to, the first thing she saw was the small, cold room in the dimly lit tomb. Lying upon her side, Emilia blinked again and again, thinking back to the Trial that had ended a moment before. Perhaps it had been an illusion. The scene was one that could have existed, and that fact made her chest throb. "My feelings for Mom, for Dad...for Big Brother and everyone else I hold dear those haven't changed." If anything, her feelings for them had only deepened and grown stronger. She kept these emotions stored away in her heart, and she would carry them with her forevermore. Her resolve had crystallized. Both of Echidna's Trials had given her something precious. The words of thanks she offered the Witch were not false in any way. "...With this, the second Trial is over. That's good, right?" As she rose to her feet, Emilia set aside her questions about Echidna's final actions for later. There was a tangible sense of accomplishment, and judging from the look of the Witch as she departed, it was no mistake to think the second Trial had indeed ended. She had not so much overcome it as she had seen things through to the end. * Even with the sight of her father and mother, an illusory emotional scene she'd supposedly put behind her, tugging at the back of her mind, Emilia turned her back to the room, heading outside the tomb to prepare to challenge the third Trial. Just as it had been for the second Trial, exiting and reentering the tomb was no doubt a condition for switching to the next Trial to come. Even were that not the case, she had to inform Ram, who was waiting outside for her success or failure in the Trial, and put her worries at ease. Save him. That was the plea Ram had stated to Emilia, when the strong girl had shown her what lay deep within her heart. Emilia wanted to respond and act upon that from the bottom of her heart. And for that sake "Sorry to keep you waiting, Ram... Er, huh?" Accompanied by that powerful resolve, Emilia tried to convey the results of the latest stage of the Trials, but she ended up cocking her head instead. Under a night sky with the silver moon high above, waiting for Emilia at the entrance to the tomb was not a lone maid but a great throng of people. "Ah, she's come out!" Someone noticed the surprised Emilia and raised a cry. Instantly, the crowd shifted their gazes toward her as one, and the sheer force of it made Emilia wince. But she recognized them instantly. There stood the people of Earlham Village who had evacuated to the Sanctuary and taken shelter at the Cathedral. Their return to their homes had been delayed, now hinging on the lifting of the Sanctuary's barrier. It was none other than Emilia who had promised she would definitely free them. Still unable to make good on her promise just yet, Emilia held her breath. She fully expected them to accuse her of being all talk and no substance. And yet "It's good you are safe and sound!" "Were you hurt at all?" "Simply going in there put our lord at death's door!" * The first words she heard were filled with nothing but reverence for Emilia, which made her brain seize up. However, Emilia immediately shook her head to clear it, and then from the stairs, she deeply bowed toward them. For an instant, the people murmured. But they immediately fell silent as they awaited Emilia's words. "...Thank you for worrying about me. I am completely fine and not hurt whatsoever." "Ohhh, I'm so glad." "Good. That's what's important." "Master Subaru got all worried for nothing, huh...?" "It's just...I am very sorry. I still have not completed all the required Trials...but everyone here must have already heard from Subaru and the others, right?" Emilia kept harboring apologetic feelings toward the group of worried people as she continued: "There is no longer any reason for you to remain in the Sanctuary. I will definitely lift the barrier, but it would be best for all of you to return to your families..." * As part of the negotiations, the villagers were originally supposed to remain in the Sanctuary until its barrier was lifted. But now that Garfiel had rescinded his previous demands, there was not a single reason for them to remain. The villagers already knew that. Emilia had heard from Ram that Subaru and company explained it to them prior to leaving for the mansion. Therefore, there was no reason for them to await Emilia's success or failure in the Trials. However "Master Subaru? Hey, what did he tell us anyway?" "Oh? I wonder. Lately, I have been quite forgetful. I simply can't recall." "Goodness, the way you said that seemed so real that it honestly scared me for a minute. Well, not that it isn't true..." Looking at one another's faces, the villagers began exchanging unbelievable words. It was not simply one or two people, either. Every last person had joined in on the act, pretending like they had no idea what Emilia was talking about. Naturally, Emilia was agape at such transparent behavior. They were all clearly playing dumb, acting as if this was the first they'd heard of it. As for the reason why, Emilia just couldn't understa " And so, Lady Emilia, we will wait here as promised." *** "We cannot return to the village until Lady Emilia has lifted the barrier. We're not budging from that one bit." The old woman with a stooped hip who served as head of Earlham Village spoke those words with a smiling face. Emilia drew in her breath. By this point, even someone as slow on the uptake as Emilia could understand what their intention was. All of them were waiting for her to fulfill her promise. No doubt they wanted to return to their families without a moment to spare, but they were suppressing that urge in order to honor their promise to her. That was because Emilia had sworn to do the same for these very people. "Besides, we are not the only ones expecting much from Lady Emilia's efforts." "Eh...?" As Emilia, deeply moved by the unexpected turn of events, felt her chest grow hot, the elderly woman made a mischievous smile as she nodded. When Emilia looked over, drawn by the
gesture, the people of Earlham Village were all lined up and behind them, with a swaying of the thickets, she saw even more people entering the clearing. Somehow, the group seemed to be walking hesitantly, and at their head stood a girl with long pink hair, a black robe draped over her, and a staff in hand. "Miss Ryuzu and...the people of the Sanctuary?" " From the looks of things, it would seem that you have returned after completing the second Trial." Lining up beside the head of Earlham Village, Ryuzu sighed as if to say, We made it in time. Everyone present gathered together into two groups, dividing the open ground up between them. Emilia, who had a view of the whole scene from her vantage point atop the stairs of the tomb, was deeply moved, letting out an "ah." "There were this many people living in the Sanctuary?" She'd heard there were maybe fifty Earlham Village evacuees who had taken shelter here. The residents of the Sanctuary in the clearing numbered just as many, about as much as a very large family, bringing the total number of souls gathered in this place to about a hundred. Yet, despite that, in all the time Emilia had spent here, she had practically never come face-to-face with any Sanctuary residents beyond Ryuzu and Garfiel, let alone spoken to any of them. "Please know that is no fault of yours, Lady Emilia. It was the residents' will... Really, it was my own stubbornness that prevented me from allowing you to meet the residents." "Miss Ryuzu..." "Lady Emilia, you have done well to have overcome the Trial. We are grateful for this. And..." Bowing her head deeply, Ryuzu had said exactly what Emilia had guessed she would. Then Ryuzu glanced at the elderly woman standing beside her. "...After hearing from Young Gar and the villagers here...listening to both the residents of this place and outsiders alike, I, too, have finally been able to rouse these old bones. I suppose you might fault me as an opportunist." "...I'm not one to talk about anyone having doubts and being stuck in place. I spent about a hundred years dozing off, after all." "Still, our obstinacy has lasted generation after generation across four centuries, so I will call us even." Unable to bear the sight of that downcast face, Emilia offered some joking words, which seemed to help Ryuzu relax. She was acting like Subaru. This was how he usually lightened the mood during weighty occasions. "I understand what Garfiel probably spoke about...but was everyone else able to hold discussions with the people of the Sanctuary as well?" "Nothing quite so grand. Just living in the same place naturally leads people to build relationships. We elderly often have spare time to exchange words while doing the cooking and the laundry." "And so we elderly with too much time on our hands spoke about various things. I have long lived in the Sanctuary...yet, I have never had a chance to exchange words with an outsider quite like this." Musing out loud, Ryuzu and the Earlham Village head turned to each other, wearing little smiles. Externally, they didn't look even remotely the same age, but to Emilia's eyes, it seemed like an exchange between old friends. And Emilia thought this was a powerful, deep, and most precious thing. "Lady Emilia... May we have a few words with you?" "Y-yes." Then someone raised their hand and stepped forward. He was a resident from the Sanctuary, a man with a head full of bestial hair and ever-so-slightly-canine teeth as someone who lived here, he was undoubtedly a half-blood himself. The man, whose age she would put at thirty thereabouts, bowed his head with a rather tense expression on his face. "To be honest, I... No, we...still haven't decided in our hearts." * "We aren't sure whether to trust you or not. We who know nothing about the outside world can't help but be scared of leaving the Sanctuary. That goes for me, too. I was born and raised here." Just as Garfiel had asserted, this was the Sanctuary in its present state. Many of the people dwelling here had undergone persecution for having blood that differed from both humans and demi-humans, causing them to seek this land as a place where they could find some peace. Others were born here, spent their entire lives in this place, and then returned to the soil. That was the way of life that had continued since the establishment of the Sanctuary four centuries prior. Lifting the barrier meant losing something that they had always taken for granted. How much did this mean to them? In terms of taking something for granted, Puck had been the closest comparison Emilia had. To Emilia, his sudden departure was the last thing she wanted. It was only natural that the residents of the Sanctuary were just as reluctant to have such a thing imposed on them by others. "If Master Roswaal is looking after us even on the outside, how would that be any different from us living here? I'd always thought maybe we don't need to change." "...Yeah." "However." Lowering her eyes, Emilia took in the man's words. She awaited more with a gloomy heart. When she looked back, the man had stretched and straightened his back, his tense cheeks hardening as he continued. "However... All of us heard Garfiel's heard that little kid's angry voice." * "We know exactly how that hardworking kid feels...and it makes me feel pathetic." When his face grew tearful and his gaze turned rueful and reproachful of himself, Emilia's chest tightened. "He's still a child of fourteen. How many years has he spent stuck in his ways like that? He's...a good kid. And you are, too, Lady Emilia." "I'm not. Until tonight, I was a totally good-for-nothing girl..." It wasn't like she'd accomplished anything. Not yet. Though Emilia denied she had anything to be proud of, the man said, "Even so," shaking his head. "Master Roswaal told us it was futile, and everyone was afraid, cowering from the Trial...but even so, here you stand. You entered the tomb, and you came out. That's why..." " Yes?" "...whatever happens in the end, what you are trying to do is already incredible and worthy of praise. I won't go so far as to say every last person here shares those feelings, and even I can't say I'm completely on your side just yet. But please allow us to watch over you to the end." Emilia was silent as she received the man's No, it was not the man alone, but the gazes from all the various people behind him were trained upon her. Receiving these, Emilia stood straight and strong. " I understand. I'm certain I will see this through. When that time comes, we can speak properly." "Yes, it's a promise. Actually, for me and the rest to be shunning anyone based on their looks and position without even talking ain't exactly the best Wahyah!" As the man deeply bowed, something sent him leaping into the air. When Emilia looked harder, the cause was Ryuzu, who was standing beside him and had suddenly dug her nails into his side. The man gave an objecting look as Ryuzu laughed at the top of her lungs. "Too long, too serious, and midway through, you switched from us to me. Shame on you, shame." "...I-I'm very sorry, Elder." "Either way, our current point of view is as he said just now. This, too... Mm? What is the matter?" Ryuzu was in the midst of lightly teasing the man when the wide-eyed Emilia tilted her head. "Er... Miss Ryuzu, it's a little surprising to hear someone call you Elder like that." "Ahhh " "And I was thinking, Wow, I really haven't seen her speaking with anyone except Garfiel, have I...?" Think about that, went Emilia, sticking her tongue out. Ryuzu, taken aback, looked at the man's face, and he, hers. From there, they let up voices of "Kwa-ha-ha-ha!" and laughed. The laugh was not merely between Ryuzu and the man; it spread to the various people of the Sanctuary and even the residents of Earlham Village. For a time, the entire clearing was filled with laughter. "Somehow, it doesn't seem quite right to laugh...but, mm, Miss Ryuzu, thank you. Also, Miss Milde, it seems like you really put some work into this." " Lady Emilia, you remembered my name?" As Emilia spoke words of thanks, the elderly woman beside Ryuzu Milde Earlham made a surprised face. Seeing this, Emilia went "mm-hmm" and puffed out her chest. "I may not look like it, but I am in the middle of studying to become king. Remembering names is the least I can do." "I do not believe a king needs to remember the name of each and every subject, but..." "You've probably been dealing with kings with poor memory. I'm very good at learning things." Hearing Emilia's reply, Milde slightly narrowed her eyes; then she offered a deep bow. Glancing sidelong at this, Ryuzu went, "Now then," indicating the tomb with her chin. "Lady Emilia, I am pleased that we could be of service to you... Next is the final Trial, but..." "Yes, I intend to challenge it immediately. Well, I was intending to... Miss Ryuzu, do you know where Ram is?" The impact of being greeted by such a large throng the instant she exited the tomb temporarily forced it from her mind, but as far as her eyes could see, Ram was nowhere to be found. Emilia had wanted to inform the girl who'd motivated her to break through the Trial that she had finally found some success, but... "...Ram is attending to a duty she cannot afford to shirk. She left a message, praying for your good fortune. She said, Lady Emilia must do what only she can do, and Ram must do the same. Let us do our very best." Ryuzu mimicked Ram's way of speaking, drawing a strained smile onto Emilia's face. It was just like her to say something like that. Ram's duty was no doubt connected to the feelings that she had conveyed in her request to Emilia. And when she thought how Ram might fulfill that duty, there was a slight throbbing in her chest. Pushing that feeling down, Emilia chose to trust Ram, just as Ram had chosen to trust Emilia. "...I have to say, though, no one waited for me to come back at all. Not Subaru, not Ram..." "Oh-ho, I see how that would sour your mood. It is a pity those you care deeply for are not present. If this pitiful old face is good enough for you, I'll wait right here until you return again." "Okaaay I guess it's time." Emilia had begun to pout, but after hearing Ryuzu's response, she smiled and then turned. Right before her, the entrance to the tomb awaited. She entered without any hesitation. "Well, I'm off." Various voices, from the residents of the Sanctuary and Earlham Village alike, called out after her. There were so many expectations pushing her forward more than the first time and more than the second. Carrying these alongside the powerful resolve now residing within her, she walked toward the back of the tomb. And then " Face the calamity that shall come." the third Trial came. CHAPTER 3 *** 1 With every clash of steel against steel, there was a string of high-pitched sounds that seemed to be a woman's cries. "Gaaaaaa !!!" "Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! Marvelous! Marvelous! Marvelousmarvelousmarvelous!" Flipping her body around like she was dancing, she aimed a curved blade at his vitals with no fixed path, flashing from up, down, right, and left. It almost seemed like some sort of extreme training, but every blow landed without any warning, infused with enough power to instantly end his life. The tip of the bent blade rent the air, surpassing sound as it swung with godlike speed. The seemingly supernatural, murderous technique was being countered by Garfiel's own superhuman skill.
Using the silver-colored shields attached to both arms, he chose to deflect rather than block the incoming blade. He kept redirecting the force of the woman's attacks skyward, creating openings for counterattacks so he stood a chance at reeling in victory by force. Even that very moment, he guided a powerful blow aimed at his neck off to the side before sending a kick straight into the woman's torso. Had Garfiel's kick connected cleanly, it would have undoubtedly ruptured all her internal organs. But "I've already seen that one." the woman's eyesight was truly frightening, surpassing all common sense. Her whisper was not a joke or a taunt, either. Every technique she witnessed in battle did not work a second time. Having already foreseen this second straight kick, the woman avoided it with minimal movement as she lined up her next attack: a backward slash with her blade. That blow, apparently intended to serve as punishment for foolishly resorting to the same technique a second time while fighting a powerful foe, hit its mark. "Rrrrraaa!!" In that same instant, Garfiel's foolish kick slammed right into the woman's face. " Ngh!" She bit down to suppress the groan of pain that threatened to escape from the back of her throat. Her knife had entered his right foot, carving his flesh all the way up to his femur. If he'd been even slightly slower, she would've no doubt sliced off the entire leg. But for that price, Garfiel had landed a clean blow on the woman. In the battle up to that point, Garfiel had grown to admire and trust the skill of Elsa, his foe. The excellence of her technique, her overwhelming combat intuition, the physical abilities she'd honed, and the impossibly fine control over her own body few could claim to be as strong as this woman. He was certain that if he showed her the same technique twice, she'd definitely see right through it. It was this absolute trust in her ability that allowed Garfiel to land a direct hit on her. He was sure he'd torn the woman's sultry face. Even if it did not end her life, it would leave her gravely wounded and unable to continue combat. But Garfiel did not let his guard down. After all " Aaagh, that hurt, and quite a bit. Makes me appreciate being alive." "Damn it, this ain't no joke. What is that body of yours made out of?" As Garfiel sighed, Elsa let out a heated breath of excitement. She was touching her left hand to her face as if to suppress the bleeding, and when she slowly lowered it, anyone watching would have expected a wound underneath terrible enough to make the faint of heart avert their eyes. But it was not so. When she removed her left hand, Elsa revealed her face didn't even have a scratch, let alone any bleeding. "The general called ya a woman who wouldn't die even if one killed her...but this is just messed up." "I suppose it is. Even I feel slightly apologetic about my physical nature. It seems to be robbing everything you do of all meaning... I wonder, do you hate women like me?" Hearing how disconcerted Garfiel was made Elsa slightly incline her head. The tone of the question made Garfiel abruptly furrow his brows. It was slight, minute, but he felt some part of Elsa's tone of voice was filled with sadness. "Even as I move about, my wounds heal, and I feel neither pain nor fatigue, allowing me to continue fighting without limit. Do you feel fighting such a woman lacks any meaning? I wonder, do you really think of me as someone you can test the results of your training against?" " Hell if I care." The throwaway tone of Garfiel's voice made Elsa widen her eyes in apparent surprise. She blinked hard, which momentarily made her seem much younger. Garfiel crinkled his nose as he spoke again. "You're my enemy. And me, I'm the super-strongest shield who's been assigned the toughest enemy. I got the general and the woman I fell for expectin' a lot from me. I ain't givin' up from a little setback like this." "You..." "I'm gonna blow you away, Elsa Gramhilde. Don't matter how many times ya come back." Baring his fangs and keeping his legs wide apart, Garfiel adopted a fighting stance as he howled. Garfiel's caustic words left Elsa silent for a time. She let her refined eyelashes fall just a tiny bit as she touched a hand to her own mouth he heard a laughing voice. "Huh? The hell are you laughin' at?!" "Tee-hee...! Ah, er, I am quite sorry. I heard some unexpected words, so I could not help but find them amusing... Yes, you seem to be a very good boy." "Don't treat me like some little kid. Me, I'm a fine man. A grown male." "Oh really now? You hardly look fully developed to me, either as an adult or a man..." As Elsa relaxed her cheeks, her ridicule drew a sour snort out of Garfiel. Garfiel couldn't read Elsa's emotions. To be blunt, he wasn't interested in them. That moment, what was important to him was fulfilling his role by beating the opponent before his eyes to a pulp. In so doing, he would prove the Sanctuary's mightiest shield could fulfill that role even in the outside world. "You truly are marvelous... But that makes this more the pity." "The hell you talkin' about?!" "Right now, your attention is directed toward me and nothing else. I wonder, how are your older sister and the others faring? You've been wondering the whole time, haven't you?" Elsa's comment concerned Frederica as well as Subaru and Otto as they scurried across the mansion. She wasn't wrong. Certainly, Garfiel was worried for his friends. He could not deny that they'd remained in the corner of his mind throughout the fight. "I wonder, if the cause of your fear was cut away, would you look at me and only me? In any case, your friends cannot escape from this mansion. You've realized this, too, haven't you?" "...Seems like there are demon beasts crawlin' all over this place. The work of your little helper, huh?" "My little sister. So long as her perimeter is intact, there is no way to escape. She worked hard and brought an entire horde of demon beasts. At this point, everyone could very well have been eaten down to the last morsel." The entirety of Roswaal Manor was buried in disgusting scents and auras. He'd heard beforehand of the existence of a Beast Master who controlled demon beasts. Subaru and company must have tried using that repel crystal for barriers as a countermeasure, but the beasts still remained in the mansion that very moment. He knew from the faint tremors reaching his eardrums and what he could pick up from their auras. In other words, some kind of unforeseen problem had arisen. It no doubt had something to do with Elsa's little sister, the Beast Master he had yet to personally lay eyes on. The more he thought about it, the deeper he sank into worry. "Really, you want to rush over to your friends this very moment, don't you? Not that I'll let you...but if the nervousness is dulling your fangs, that is very, very disappointing." Garfiel, too, understood a warrior's desire to battle an enemy at their finest. But Elsa was different. She thought like a huntress, using every power at her disposal to take down her prey. Considering her way of thinking, she probably thought the current situation put Garfiel at a disadvantage. But that was completely off the mark. "Don't get the wrong idea, lady." "Am I wrong?" "You just don't get it. Demon beasts are wanderin' around, yeah? And what, you think I gotta go save 'em or somethin'? Stupid crap like that ain't gonna stop the general." Garfiel, supposedly unable to fight at full strength out of worry for his friends, seethed with an uncontainable heat that blazed within him. He boldly stepped forward, baring his fangs as he closed the distance between him and Elsa. "The general and his crew are the ones who gave me a royal poundin'. No matter how many demon beasts get in their way, they'll just laugh and kill 'em all!!" 2 "Nowaynowaynoway seriously no way seriouslynoway, we're totally done for...!" Practically out of breath, Subaru collapsed as he rambled in a tearful voice. He put Rem, who was on his back, over his knees, breathing raggedly as he lay low on the first floor of the mansion. Otto and Petra were right beside him, both completely exhausted. In that moonlit corridor, their group had encountered the demon beast Giltirau, and combat had ensued. Combat was a poor word to describe it. There was no way that Subaru and his current companions could land a blow on such a beast, so there had been no option but instantly fleeing. They'd tumbled into the nearest room, and seizing the opportunity when the monster's huge frame got stuck in the entrance, they fled out the window into the yard, putting some distance between them and their hunter. From there, they'd returned to the mansion via a different room, but "Th-that demon beast... Is it biding its time and patrolling the entire building...?" "It may have been assigned to guard this position... When we poked our heads out earlier, it was right here in the main wing. Combining the magic stones I had on hand with a spell to muffle our footsteps allowed us to somehow get away, but..." Even when resorting to such tricks to throw the monstrous guard off their trail, it would be difficult to avoid encountering the creature if they wanted to secure a reliable escape route. In addition to the abominable Giltirau, there were numerous demon beasts milling about the mansion. These lesser creatures could be driven off with repel stones, but if they encountered any opposition, the Giltirau would undoubtedly notice leaving them in a vicious cycle. "This is what I get for operating separately from Garfiel, huh...?" "Please do not speak such timid words. After all, this very moment, Garfiel may well be howling in high spirits that we must be all right. We should at least respond with expectations equal to his." "You're so big on returning favors. You really aren't cut out to be a merchant..." Hearing these words from Otto, who was in the best physical condition among them, Subaru flashed a wry smile as he stood up with renewed resolve. Returning Rem to his back, he found her body despairingly light. Carrying an unconscious person was a heavy burden, a fact that he'd personally experienced in this world several times over, but in her current state, Rem was the exception to the rule. He couldn't feel her warmth or weight or much of anything at all. Her tenuous hold on existence even affected her physical body. Only the faint sounds of her heart and her sleeping breaths told him that she truly existed in her current state. If she fell off his back, he probably wouldn't even notice. Fearful of this exact possibility, he put even more strength into supporting Rem's body. "Subaru..." Petra moved closer to him, gently tugging on his sleeve with a somber expression. Petra, still so very young, had resolutely raced alongside them throughout the night of their lives without a single word of complaint despite the great danger. "A-are you all right?" Her pink lips were pursed as she posed a question not out of concern for her own life but with words of concern for Subaru, so earnestly bearing Rem on his back, even as his own breaths ran ragged. Petra's feelings were like a healing salve to Subaru. Without such salvation, he would never have been even half as determined to go on. Despair wouldn't get them out of their predicament. Subaru Natsuki rose back to his
feet. "Have you thought of something?" Perhaps seeing something in Subaru's expression, Otto closed one eye and questioned him so. He didn't even consider disguising the expectations and trust in the tone of his voice and his gaze. * When Subaru looked over, he noticed Petra's eyes, peering up at him, held the very same expectations and trust. Feeling those gazes on him, trusting without doubt that he must have thought of something, Subaru's breath caught. Then he wore a pained smile. "Hey, come on now... Just what do you two expect me to do here?" After deeply exhaling, Subaru rocked his body, gently adjusting Rem against his back. Expectations if he was to invoke that word, it was Rem who expected more from Subaru than anyone. That moment, he was carrying her on his shoulders. That moment, Otto and Petra were staring at Subaru, expecting something from him. He breathed out. Then he decided with his gut. "We were trying to run from this mansion, but that means blowing past that demon beast...that something-rau thing." "However, it is difficult to defeat the beast with what we have at our disposal. What should we do?" Otto posed his question. Considering the capabilities of each person, the resources and techniques they possessed, and the mansion that served as the stage, how could they meet all the required conditions? Think, think, think "We're short on martial and magical ability so it's finally time for me to put my unparalleled modern knowledge to good use." 3 At first, the demon beast Giltirau, the Black King of the Forest picked up a faint noise. * It was a quiet, seemingly fearful sound...the sort of sound prey made as it clumsily attempted to sneak around. Hearing this, the Giltirau lifted its lion head upward, then almost seemed to sigh with raw disappointment. To the Giltirau, hunting was the very reason for its existence. It could think of no greater joy than to catch fleeing prey with its claws, plunge in its fangs, and drain the life from its mark to sate its empty belly. What mattered for the hunt was whether the prey was worthy of the fangs of the king. Hunting strong, sturdy, able-legged prey, taking it down through brute force the current hunt completely failed to live up to those standards. Having its expectations dashed put the Giltirau in the most terrible of moods. Of course, it did not even think of defying the orders of its master. But it would obey those orders and nothing else. It simply owed a debt to the master, who had liberated it from the Curse of the Horn. Accordingly, it had listened to her request. Moving its nose around, the Giltirau pursued the sound of the footsteps as its prey tried to slink away. Defenseless. Thoughtless. Unrestrained. Futile. They were the footsteps of the weak, lacking any elegance whatsoever. * The Giltirau sprinted with shocking agility that contrasted with its huge frame. Its four thick limbs did not make a sound as they trod upon the floor, a feat that brought into sharp relief why it was also called the Shadow Lion. Like an assassin, the Black King of the Forest was a silent nightmare as it raced, seemingly leaping through the halls of the moonlit mansion. The footsteps it followed gradually became less guarded, betraying no sign of noticing the death stalking so very close. The one making the footsteps was right around the corner. The king swung a claw just beyond that corner, a single blow that would rend the prey's back apart, throwing its corpse to the ground, and expose its humiliation in full. However * Right after swinging its claw, the Giltirau paused, sensing something was off. The presence it was certain was there had vanished, and the only one standing in the corridor was the great and dignified king. The foolish, fragile, disgustingly weak prey had vanished, nowhere to be found. A moment later, another sound of shoes reached its ears, and the Giltirau ferociously took up its pursuit once more. Its target was using the stairs, heading for the floor below. The sound of fleeing, running footsteps made the Giltirau reassess its prey ever so slightly it had gone from intolerably weak to a fool worthy of killing. If its quarry had merely been running wildly, the beast would have settled for ending things with a single claw swipe, cruelly slashing the fool apart. However, this prey had refused the king's mercy, willingly rejecting a quick death and so it would die a thousand deaths instead. The Giltirau kicked off the wall of a landing, its huge frame seemingly dancing as it leaped down the stairs. The hulking monster gave chase, reaching the second floor before going down one more, pursuing its prey to the lowest floor. In the distance, somewhere beyond the building, it heard the voice of its master trying to call it back. * For an instant, the Giltirau pondered that voice, but it prioritized the prey right before its eyes. It was this very prey that had earned the master's ire. It would swiftly dispose of the fool and then rejoin her. Die, foolish prey. This is the greatest glory for those who defy the master. Feeling a surge of emotion, the king forgot even to suppress its own sound as it sprinted. The thunder of its very powerful footsteps announced to its fleeing prey: The king, death itself, has come for you. Go ahead. Try to run. Flee pathetically in a panic. Show me your back, so that I may flay it open for you. Up ahead, it heard the sound of a door closing. The Giltirau did not hesitate to force it open by slamming its body home. This sent the door flying with great ease, and the Giltirau was greeted by a particularly spacious room. It was not a small, cramped room like the stupid, ignorant prey had fled into earlier. It was a spacious room where the Giltirau could swing its claws and leap around with its giant frame to its heart's content. Perhaps the prey was finally invoking the last of its spirit to challenge the Giltirau to a duel. However, the prey was nowhere to be seen, and at the back of the room, the monster heard the sound of yet another door closing the door of an entrance separate from the one it had destroyed, and connecting the guest room to a smaller one, had shut. In the end, that is all you have, thought the Giltirau, genuinely disappointed. The guest room came with a large table with a white cloth over it and, atop that, a row of lit candles. The flickering flames illuminated the king's red face as, with heavy steps, it headed for the little room in back. Its vile tail, like a great serpent, sharply swung about, easily slicing the wooden door apart. Savagely springing its forelegs up, the Giltirau drew in its breath; it then pushed in with a roar. * Devastation. If there was a word worthy to describe what occurred in this sad tale, that was it. Absolute devastation. As the Giltirau swung its tail about, wildly raging with its bestial claws, the interior room was dominated by destruction worthy of the name. The cupboards storing foodstuffs and the cold storage were destroyed, while smoke erupted from the sacks and boxes lining the wall. The floor, struck by the heavy impact of paws, broke apart, and the carpet covering it was destroyed a moment later, the Giltirau's vision was blanketed with white smoke. A vast quantity of dust sprang up, clouding the air and irritating the great beast's nostrils. It was enough to rob it of its eyesight and even prevent it from breathing in enough to roar. "You fell for it!" Then a voice rang out, as if someone as if the prey was shouting in victory. Then it heard that voice, not from the small room but from the previous, wide room. "Eat the power of science, baby Dust Explosion!" After a brief noise, it threw something into the small room. Something flickered red within the Giltirau's nearly all-white field of vision it was one of the candles from the guest room. The candle struck the wall, and for a moment, the reddish flame glowed brighter as it landed upon the floor. "H-huh...?" But...that was all that happened. The candle remained on the floor, showing no further sign of change. The one who had thrown it was frozen in place and sounded like there'd been a miscalculation. The Giltirau's regal instincts screamed this was a golden opportunity. Something had put its opponent into a disadvantageous state. Even if that had not been the case, surely this trick would have been insufficient to put the Giltirau in peril Nay, it would not underestimate its foe further. It would utilize every store of power. It would rend its prey apart, flay its skin, and feast in victory on the flesh and blood "Aghhh, that's why we told you! We shouldn't have tried this nonsensical method!" "Normally, it's faster to do it this way!!" The instant it leaped out of the little room, the Giltirau picked up a high-pitched voice and an even higher-pitched voice. Clearly different from the prey it had spotted earlier and the instant after it had that realization, a large quantity of something poured down from overhead. It was a liquid. Certainly not water, and it felt slippery to the touch. Bathed in the yellowish fluid, the king felt its fangs trembling at having its proud black mane tarnished. However, it had the luxury to consider this for but a single instant. "This is the personal merchandise of Otto Suwen oil bought with the entirety of his life savings! How do you like my wares?!" As the prey shouted with joy, the king the Giltirau had no way to stop what came next. The candles ignited the oil that had drenched the entirety of its body, wreathing the king with abominable flames. *** The Black King of the Forest had left the wilds, gaining a master, and, to the very end, wondered about the throne it had left vacant. Still unaware of what had defeated it, the demon beast was enveloped by flame the same color as its burning humiliation, scorching its body black, torching it until it had been reduced to ash. 4 "So you can throw the sound of just footsteps, eliminate scents... Little tricks like that are all your magic can do?" "...Having you belittle them weighs upon my mind, but I am impressed you remember such a thing. That said, will these spells prove useful? At most, they can make an opponent turn their head for but a single instant." "Super-useful. We can use this to lure it into the trap... After that, I'll use the power of science to blow it away." "You certainly seem extremely confident, but this so-called power of science..." "A dust explosion, the strongest trick in the book. Using foodstuffs makes it really simple to boot. With a bit of flour and an open flame, it'll work great. From what I know, it's guaranteed to send a single monster flying." "We went along with your plan because you sounded so confident, and now look at what's happened!" "Oh, shaddap! Scientific progress comes with sacrifices, you know! Damn, why'd it fail? Not enough dust, not enough flame... Or do the laws of physics in this world just not work the same way?" "Arghhh! Stop talking about that and keep up! Ack, it's no good! Nooo!!" With Subaru and Otto angrily yelling at each other, Petra scolded them with a desperate look on her face. The noisy trio was being illuminated by the brilliant light of red flames. That was only natural, for at present, they were doing their best to put out the fire in the dining hall however, the flames seemed to be only getting stronger. "You used too much oil, damn it! You sure as hell spread
it around enough. How'd you plan on putting it out?!" "As if anyone can hunt down such a huge demon beast while holding back! In the first place, it'd be the same result whether I used it all up or not! You're buying every last drop either way!" "Both of you, this isn't the time!! We can't put it out! Let's run!" With a frustrated look on his face, Subaru hurled the tablecloth, which had also caught on fire, into the quickly growing flames. There was no sign of the inferno in the pantry burning itself out. It had already spread to quite a bit of the dining hall, and black smoke began to seep out. "We managed to defeat the demon beast, but the cost we paid is too high..." The source of the flames was the black and charred demon beast the Giltirau. Just as they'd planned, Otto's sneaky magic had led it downstairs, where they used a dust explosion in the pantry to bring it down or not, since the dust explosion had failed. Instead, Otto had secured their victory by using his stock of oil to burn the thing to death. The beast was a muscle-brain befitting its enormous frame, especially considering how it never suspected a thing as it fell into the trap. But because it flailed around wildly as it died, the flames had transferred to everything around it, completely setting the mansion on fire. "This isn't a repair job anymore. It's a tear-down-and-rebuild job..." "Is this really the time?! Let's run! Before we lose the stairs!" "Quickly! Quickly!!" Subaru found it surreal to watch the familiar sights and spaces catch on fire as the other two grabbed him by his sleeves and dragged him off. Pulled by the pair, Subaru readjusted Rem on his back as they ran from the burning dining hall. Otto and Petra used repel stones to drive away any demon beasts that appeared along the way. There were also signs that demon beasts were fleeing the building, instinctively fearful of black smoke and fire. "But what if Garfiel burns to death from this?!" "Without the Giltirau prowling around, Garfiel can escape, too! Besides, surely he can send demon beasts packing and leap out of the building all by himself, even without using the escape route!" Subaru was trembling from unwittingly wrecking the entire battlefield, but even in that situation, Otto remained as clever as ever. Thanks to that, they arrived at the upper floor in good order. Fortunately, no other demon beasts immune to the effects of the repel stone appeared. Subaru and company fled into the study, and Petra operated the mechanism on the bookshelf on the wall slowly, making a sound, the bookshelf moved, and the hidden passage heading underground, linked to the outside, revealed itself. "We did it! Subaru! It's the hidden passage... With this, we can get out of here!!" "Yeah, I suppose so... If you head down to the bottom of these stairs and follow the passage, you can escape outside. The exit will be well outside the perimeter. That just leaves...here, Otto, take Rem." "Yes, I understand. I will take very good care of her." Nodding to Petra, who was overjoyed they had made it, Subaru turned his back to Otto next. Then he slowly, gently passed Rem from his back onto Otto's. His movements were careful, so as not to let her fall. "Do not drop her. Do not let her get hurt. And do not touch her in strange ways." "Setting your concerns aside, your possessiveness comes across as quite bothersome!" "H-hey, you two... Why are you...talking like that?" With Otto now carrying Rem on his back, Subaru flippantly warned to be careful. Hearing this exchange, Petra raised a question with a worried face. "From the way you're talking right now...it sounds like Subaru isn't coming with us..." " Mm, that's just how it is. Sorry, but I can't run with you. From this point on, I gotta go it alone." "Why?!" When Subaru confirmed her suspicions, Petra's face paled as she clung to him. "Let's run already! The mansion's on fire, and it'll just make more trouble for Miss Frederica! There's still a lot of demon beasts, and it's not like you can beat them if you fight them, Subaru! So let's run!" "Er, well, that's all totally true, but I can't run from this. I can't run... Not yet." Even though he was happy seeing Petra try to stop him, Subaru gently took her fingers off him one by one. As he did so, the sadness in her big eyes spread even further. In an effort to chide Petra, Otto, standing right beside her, tossed his voice her way. "Petra. Mr. Natsuki still has something he needs to do. Until he accomplishes it, Mr. Natsuki will not falter. You understand this well, yes?" "But...Subaru's weak!! It's dangerous! You should stay with him, Mr. Otto!" "The way you said that doesn't make it sound as if you have much faith in my strength, though!" Otto's voice made Petra shake her head. There were tears welling in her eyes as she looked up at Subaru. Subaru got onto his knees so he was on her eye level and then gently stroked her head. "Sorry, Petra. I'm getting you, Rem, and Frederica out of this mansion safe and sound. But it's not just you three. There's one more person I have to bring out of here." "Y-you mean Lady Beatrice...?" "...Even though she hates trouble and acts all lonely, she's a total busybody, always trying to do everything by herself, suffering 'cause of the dumb answers she comes up with and cowering 'cause she won't settle things herself." When Subaru described the girl, the loneliness of her existence made Petra widen her eyes. "I mean, Beatrice is pretty much the same age you are, Petra. Your heights might be a little different... Come to think of it, Petra, you might be a lot like her first friend." "First...friend...?" Beatrice's first and foremost friend had been Ryuzu Meyer. There had to have been a tangible friendship between her and Beatrice. If Beatrice carried the scars that remained all that time, then maybe... "After I come back with Beatrice, you'll probably become friends with her. I'm sure you'll like her, Petra. She's awesomely fun to tease." "M-more than Mr. Otto?" "Yeah. Fun enough that you won't have use for Otto anymore." Judging from Otto's expression, he wanted to say something, but Subaru deliberately ignored him. Then Subaru stopped stroking Petra's head and rose to his feet. "I'll go look for Beatrice. I plan to try hard enough that I don't burn to death, but if I do, carve on my tombstone that I died because of the fire from Otto's oil, okay?" "Inscribing tombstones being too much trouble, I will give you a smacking if you do not return safe and sound. Truly, I will." Otto seemed to wince as he made his declaration. Then he tilted his back, turning Rem's sleeping face Subaru's way. The princess, still asleep as always, couldn't even bear witness to Subaru's resolve as he prepared to depart. That was fine. It wasn't Rem's place to see Subaru off. It was Subaru's job to go to her. " Subaru! Be careful, okay?!" Petra offered up her very own repel crystal. Accepting this, Subaru set off. He did not reply to Petra's voice as she called out behind him. Petra didn't need him to do so, either. Bit by bit, the flames were covering the mansion, and the place he had spent many days in was quickly turning to ash. Would the fire reach even the archive of forbidden books? As he looked for the door to reach her, Subaru could not help but wonder. CHAPTER 4 * 1 Sensing that the Trial had begun, Emilia's mind instantly awakened. This Trial felt closest to the first one. She was aware of her own existence and firmly conscious that she was undertaking a challenge. It wasn't like the second Trial, when her own existence was far more indistinct. However, there was clearly one point that differed from before here, Emilia had no body. Her five senses had vanished, and her body had been lost. What was present was her consciousness alone it felt like her consciousness was floating in the sky. Perhaps this was what it felt like to have one's fickle soul cast into the water by its lonesome? In spite of this mysterious circumstance, Emilia felt no sense of danger as she strove to slowly grasp the situation. Her nonexistent brain seemed to understand this place posed no danger and that her mind here was able to have such realizations. Her surroundings were dark. A space of nothing save darkness spread forth, within which Emilia's body did not exist. That she did not lose herself even so was due to the multiple lights that were floating in the darkness. These faint lights of various colors were hovering around Emilia. The glow they emitted resembled that of lesser spirits, but Emilia felt no life force coming from these lights. They were inorganic; perhaps they were closer to magical crystals that gave off light? Either way, she and the lights were the only things in that world. * They continued swimming in that space, with nothing moving but the flow of time Nay, in that circumstance, she could not firmly grasp whether even time was flowing or not. The Witch who normally served as a guide had not appeared. In the darkness, Emilia hesitated over the unchanging situation into which she had been cast. The situation being what it was, her consciousness naturally ended up drawn to the lights. * Selecting a silver-colored one from the multitude of lights, Emilia was just a tiny bit apprehensive when she tried to touch it. The very notion of touching assumed you had a body in the first place. Was that even possible here? Rather than ponder, it was faster to try it and see. Reaching that conclusion, Emilia immediately tried it out. Her consciousness overlapped with the light, and this indeed was not touch. It felt more like she was intermingling with it "Hate, hate, I hate you. I really hate you. Really. All of it is true. Always, since the moment I met you...I have hated you. I cannot stand the sight of you." The instant she came into contact with the light, a voice echoed directly into her consciousness. Simultaneously, a powerful, reddish scene leaped toward her. She'd switched spaces, and a moment she had never witnessed played out before her. The sun was unnaturally large. Smoke was rising from the scorched plains, and standing right beside an enormous, decrepit structure, bathed directly in the scarlet sunlight, was a silver-haired girl marred with blood Emilia. The grown-up version of herself she had only just seen in the second Trial was standing there, blood-ridden. "I've thought this many times, and I've denied it many times...but the nightmare truly has come, so I will say it." A smile came over her bloodied face. It was a smile toward the person she hated most in that world. "Perhaps it is true we should never have met." At the corner of one of her purple eyes, a tear formed a single line as it gently fell. The drop coursed down her cheek, and just before it fell from her chin onto the blood-marred ground, the world burst apart and vanished. * Her consciousness, lacking a body, could not draw in its breath. All she could do was endure the desperate urge to do so with all her might. As Emilia returned to the darkness once more, she found herself in a world with nothing but her consciousness and the lights floating around her. What was that blood-ridden Emilia in the scene she saw beyond the light just then? Thus far, she had seen her own appearance only twice, but she had definitely seen herself in
that moment. The problem was that she had no recollection of anything like that ever happening. Or perhaps that was some kind of future that would never exist? No, Emilia instinctively thought. Calming her chaotic consciousness, Emilia searched within her memories, turning back toward the very beginning. The Trials had always indicated at the start what the challenger was to accomplish. In the first, it was, First, face your past. In the second, it was, Behold the unknowable present. And this third time it was, Face the calamity that shall come. The calamity that shall come Did that mean it was the future? The Trials first showed a past linked to one's greatest regret; then they showed a present that did not and could not exist; last, the challenger was shown a future she would inevitably have to confront head-on. These were the entirety of the Trials the tomb had prepared for her. Would that future, of a place enveloped with some kind of twilight, a future where she would tearfully hate someone, actually come to pass one day...? * After a time, neither accepting nor rejecting it, Emilia's thoughts were interrupted as she realized something. The light Emilia had touched earlier was gone, leaving only a palpable void. Even so, the lights numbered twenty, so there were still plenty to go. This was the moment she suddenly grasped the meaning behind the phenomenon. The lights. Each and every one of the lights hovering in the darkness was a future that awaited Emilia. This Trial probably would not come to an end until she had witnessed them all. Were the futures she would bear witness to all different from one another? Or would they be continuations of the one she just visited? The answer would come once she touched another light and saw its future. When she moved to the next light over from the blank space, it became a clear blue passage, like an azure sky "It's just like you said. That kid's our enemy, and our wounds run deep. I can't use healing magic, so even if we back out now, I might not be able to save you." "Then..." "But that kid's still a kid Isn't this enough?" The scene differed from the one before, with two figures standing atop sheer cliffs with a commanding view. One of them had his back turned toward the deep forest behind him she could not see his face. But she remembered his voice. It was one of the people closest to her. Perhaps not as much as the other person, but she definitely remembered him... The person atop the opposite cliff was on one knee, and as he knelt in this position, he was looking down at the other. Though she could not see his expression, Emilia could tell both of them were making terribly melancholic faces. "You're...you're a hero. You can't be...anything but a hero...!!" * "Thank you...for saving me, damn it!!" When the other figure reached out with his hand, the figure with his back turned lobbed words of gratitude his way. It was a parting of nigh-unbearable sadness. It was a moment of parting marred by indelible despair. * The projection had run its course. She returned to the world of darkness. She had...pathos and melancholy both. But more than that, she held a question toward this Trial. She did not see herself anywhere within the world she had just visited. Neither of the people in that place was Emilia. She could guess who they were, but why had she witnessed a scene, a future without her? Was she being shown a "future" that was the result of her own choices? Then how was she supposed to face the calamity that would inevitably come? * Amid that silence, the blue light vanished. Just like the initial silver light, a void had been born. Nearly twenty more lights continued to surround Emilia. Awaiting within each and every one was a tragic future that was the result of her choices. Determined to accept them all, she stretched her consciousness toward the next one. In one future after another, Emilia's choices, and the calamity they would invariably bring about, awaited her. 2 She saw the future. " without that, have you not even a sword to swing, you damn thief?!" "Subaru and Emilia are both tired, right? Sorry. And yet, even I've become a burden on you. I always, always wanted to say I'm sorry for never measuring up..." "Mm, mm... My granddaughter, my pride and joy...has grown to be...a good child..." As she touched the variously colored lights, Emilia continued to see different futures. "Sorry. I'm so sorry I can't kill you because I'm weak. Sorry. Even so, I'll keep you to myself for all eternity. I'm sorry I'm so weak..." "What, you feel like this is fulfilling your promise? If so...then you should have left me to die wrapped in a mat in that cave! If... If you were going to show me a dawn like this, it should all have ended there! Damn it! Damn it all!" "I absolutely will not allow you to die for some nonsensical reason like a curse!" There were wails. There were angry shouts. In different forms, they indicated endings, renewals, meetings, and partings. "Oh look, I won again." "To think someone I want to kill this much turned out to be such a gentle person...what a nightmare." "You have bent your knees before irresistible despair, and you have lost even your sword... Just what is it you still cling to?" She asked herself whether the things awaiting her, the futures at which she would arrive, were not some kind of mistake. "Am I really that greedy? Do I really ask so much? I just don't want to be alone. I don't want to become alone... Is that so hard to understand?" "I'll kill you, just as I promised!! Got that, Subaru Natsukiiiiii?!!" Was there really nothing but despair in these futures? Was there anything beyond the sadness, beyond the suffering? "I merely realized something... The days I've spent until now were by no means days I walked aloooone." "In the end, 'twould seem we must atone with every last drop of our blood, does it not?" What had gone wrong? Did she wish for the wrong things? "Why...why won't the soul take?!" "Whether it's with justice or villainy, ya can't solve every problem under the sun. That's what you just stepped in. If you block my...our path, I don't care if you're a Witch or a dragon. I'll crush you." She was being shown untold tragedies and calamities. Amid that deluge of despair, which was enough to make her want to cry, she came to doubt everything she had done. If all that awaited the end of her journey was tragedy, that was simply " I believe praying for one's desires is arrogance. Prayer is for seeking forgiveness." In the future of the final light, a girl her waking self should never have set eyes upon spoke those words. It was not fleeting enough to be hopeful and too bold to be despairing. Her nonexistent pulse quickened. After all, she'd seen nothing, nothing but sad, agonizing futures in all that time. I want to have a proper conversation with you, no matter what the future holds. She thought if a certain boy was with her, they could speak together and laugh about the futures they hoped for. Even if all that awaited her were worlds of tragedy, she felt in her heart that if she could at least have that much 3 When her vision opened up, Emilia was standing right in the middle of grass rustling in the wind. She had arrived immediately after the darkness, and the continually switching worlds had stopped. At first, Emilia thought she was being shown yet another future but she immediately realized this was something else. "I have actual hands and feet...and my voice is coming out. So this must be..." Clenching both hands into fists, Emilia confirmed she possessed physical flesh. Then she surveyed her surroundings, realizing this grassland was unfamiliar and the presence of a little hill right behind her. Atop the hill, a large parasol was spread; naturally, this drew her to go closer. Climbing up the hill, she found a white table and chairs under the parasol, and the faint whiff of warm tea wafted in the air. Naturally, she surmised Echidna might be here, so Emilia was on guard, but "No one's here?" There were six chairs arranged by the round table. Set atop the table were confections and cups, equal in number to the chairs, leaving the distinct sense that she had shown up right before some kind of tea party. Yet, it seemed as if everything had been abandoned midway without even cleaning up, leaving nothing of the participants but empty seats. * When she touched a cup, which still had some tea in it, she felt a faint trace of warmth it felt like anyone would be shaken if they saw what Emilia was up to. "Echidna was having tea with someone. And then?" She understood as much already, but for a dead person, Echidna sure had considerable freedom of action in this place. She was amazed that beyond her work as the administrator of the Trials, she'd go as far as to invite her guests to tea. Here, the dead or their ghosts were, to the greatest extent, free. Deeply moved by that fact, Emilia reached a hand toward one of the sweets without particular thought " You might be trying to act like a Witch, but put so much as a finger on those, and you'll regret it." * Shocked by the unfamiliar voice suddenly calling out to her from behind, Emilia tried to instantly turn around and her shock deepened further, for a finger touch to the back of her head rendered her body completely immobile. "...Ah." It wasn't that she was being restrained by force she was held in place by the sheer overwhelming pressure. The person standing right behind Emilia was a being beyond her comprehension. Gleaning this just from her aura and the touch of her finger, Emilia felt her entire body rapidly go numb. She sensed if she turned around, or at the slightest whim of the person behind her, she would be instantly and utterly annihilated. "Good girl. You are correct not to look back. For I..." "Y-you are...?" "I am, well, you know A Witch so terrifying, she makes every hair on your body stand on end." Witch that single word entwined tightly around Emilia's heart, making it even harder to breathe. Emilia, often slandered as a Witch because of her appearance, had complex feelings where the term was concerned. However, even so, the being she was standing in front of seemed completely beyond all her preconceptions. Were all the beings worthy of being called true Witches shrouded in such immense miasma? "...Hmph, I guess that's that, then. It really is the boy with the foul look in his eyes who's the strange one." "Foul...look? Are you...talking about Subaru?" "Heh..." Letting out a snort, the Witch admired Emilia's ability to wring out her voice. "The instant you hear that boy's name, you perk up? That's marvelous, but you don't really have a good grasp of the situation, do you? And...and what do you think of that boy anyway?" "Subaru told me he loves me... He's a very precious boy to me, but..." "O-oh...? Heh, hmm, so that's it. Well, really it's all the same to me!" To Emilia, it was not at all clear why she would dismiss with ragged breath the question she herself had just posed. However, at the same time, she felt her fear toward the Witch at her back faintly diminish. She did not know the reason. Perhaps she could simply tell the being was not impervious to dialogue. Relying upon that sense, Emilia swallowed once; then, hardening her will, she began to speak. "You're a Witch, aren't
you...? Does that mean you're one of the friends Echidna spoke of?" "Hmph. It's not like that girl ever called us frie... Wait, I bet she did! And with a smug face, too, I'm sure!" "I don't know about a smug look...but if you're here, where's Echidna?" In the first place, Echidna had been in a foul mood every time she'd come into contact with Emilia. Therefore, she felt when Echidna had let slip about her "friends," it hadn't been with pride or with a boastful face at all. Hearing Emilia's reply, the Witch went, "Now hold on," the tone of her voice lowering just a bit. "She said she doesn't want to meet you. It looked like she had a pretty rough time in the Trials." "...It seems that way. Echidna seemed really hurt the last time I met her." Emilia couldn't forget the hatred that filled Echidna's voice and expression at the end of the second Trial. If that was truly the last time she would speak with Echidna, Emilia would be left with terrible regret. Even so, the relationship between Emilia and Echidna had been one of accepting the results head-on without anyone else's intervention. Even if Emilia ended up being hated, she wanted to take responsibility for her choices. "It's not that she doesn't care. It's that she's accepted the results... You're quite admirable, you know. Even though that rascal said nothing but mean things to you..." "That's because Echidna spoke with me. I find it much harder to deal with the people who won't talk to me. If I could, I'd love to face you and talk with you, too, but..." " You absolutely cannot do that. If you do that, my fists, which have let so many people die, will cry out." She spoke in a hard voice, but it was one that betrayed no hint of fabrication. Goose bumps broke out over Emilia once more. The Witch's words truly did carry the weight of having let a great many people die. That weight remained as the Witch led off by saying, "One really should fulfill her duty, though. Echidna tossed the duty of administrator away, so I am taking it up in her place What did you see in the third Trial?" "I saw...many sad worlds. The voice said this was the calamity that would inevitably come. Are these...? Will everything I've seen really happen? Are they really the future?" "In Echidna's view, it is possible they might happen." The Witch made a heavy sigh as she replied to the question Emilia harbored. It was close to confirmation, yet vague enough that one could not say for sure. If they had been mere fabrications, it would have been easier on her heart, but... "The futures you saw could all come true one day. Or you might not see a single one happen ever. However, they are not fabrications. That girl is very fair about these kinds of things. Well, the fact that she showed you only futures that'd leave a bad taste in your mouth is definitely because she has a bone to pick with you." "Fair, but... Echidna is a really naughty girl, isn't she?" "Does naughty even cover it...?" The Witch offered a wry comment in response to Emilia's assessment of Echidna but said no more of the matter. Also, from Emilia's perspective, the current Witch's explanation was good news. "Why do you seem so relieved?" "Eh?" "I'm asking, how can you act relieved after what you just heard? That's strange, isn't it? I mean, you've been shown nothing but terrible futures, yet, in spite of that..." "But they're not certain, right?" Emilia had seen nothing but tragedies. It had been an unrelenting series of lamentations and tears of blood. It had been enough to make her question whether she was making the right choices. But "The futures I saw were a result of choices I've made. But there are also futures that won't turn out that way. Now that I know that, I'll be okay. I can clench my fists and fight." * "Someone really insisted that I have to do that, you see." They might have all been painful futures, but even then there was still hope. That was what she had learned. If Emilia seemed ready to falter, her memories of her parents and her older brother would sustain her. And if she was ever inclined to give up, the feelings scribbled on those walls would ignite a fire in her heart. "If sad futures await, I'll run around them. If that doesn't work, I'll leap over them with all my might. If people have fallen along the way, I'll pull them up. If I keep doing those things, I'm sure I'll wipe away all those tears from before." "You say that so full of confidence, so recklessly... You might end up broken in no time flat." "If it was just me, maybe but I'm not alone." Emilia puffed her chest out in response to the Witch's provocation. Just as in the past and present, Emilia surely wouldn't be alone in the future. And she had a large group of dependable people around her. That wasn't to say it was good to blindly depend on them. But if they relied on her, and she on them, they would be together always. Even as she depended on others, Emilia would develop her own self-reliance. It was a choice she could never have made before, what with her lacking confidence and fear of the future. "...You're strong. That part of you isn't like your mother at all." " ! You know my mother?" The unexpected connection surprised Emilia, leaving her voice slightly hoarse. Her reaction made the Witch hesitate for a time, after which she let out her breath. "Yes, I know her well. But I will say nothing of her I've promised not to." * The depth of emotion and the echo of unhealed wounds infused into the Witch's voice made Emilia's words catch in her throat. If she was honest, she did want to know about her mother. But... "Mm, I understand. I won't ask anything, then." "...You're fine with that?" "I can tell it isn't that you don't want to tell me. It's that you can't. Besides..." For a moment, she paused and closed her eyes and pictured her mother. "My mother...is Fortuna. The Trials helped me remember her. That's plenty for me." In her younger days, she was proud of having had two mothers. Even in the present, she might be able to say she had two no, three fathers. Even so "I remembered Mom, I remembered Dad, and I remembered my big brother and everyone in the forest. That's plenty... This was all because of Echidna's Trials, so..." "I see... So even that girl's... Even Echidna's wicked deeds result in something good once in a while..." As Emilia touched a hand to her chest and reminisced about her family, the Witch's voice seemed to almost crack for a moment. Perhaps Emilia had misheard, but it sounded like a sob. "...Could it be that you're...crying?" "...! I'm not...crying! I don't cry. I don't have the right to cry...not anymore." "No one needs a right to..." Cry, Emilia was about to say as she turned, wanting to wipe away the Witch's tears. She no longer felt the grand, overwhelming presence that had dominated her first meeting with the Witch. She wanted to stand with her on equal footing. But when Emilia tried to turn to face her, the Witch " Mnfff!" As Emilia turned, an arm wrapped around her head, holding her face close against something soft. She immediately realized she had been pulled into a hug. Her face was pinned against the Witch's chest, completely preventing her from moving. "I told you...not turning was the right choice. What a badly behaved girl you are." "...You hate the idea of me seeing you cry that much?" "I don't want you to see me at all! I can't face anyone with... Ahhh, good grief! If only Echidna had taken care of things properly! And Sekhmet, and Daphne, and Typhon, and Carmilla, too!" The Witch's yelling made her ears tremble. It sounded like angry shouting, but it wasn't. Emilia felt undiluted love for each of the unfamiliar names spoken by her. "Are you...done crying?" "I'm angry; my tears dried up. But now I just feel indignant. I'm so furious, every hair on my head is shaking." "That's really scary." "I'm serious. We're done here." Her voice was gentle. Emilia could feel no anger from it. But something happened that proved her words were no lie. As the Witch hugged Emilia against her chest, Emilia realized a change had arisen in the place right behind her where a tea party should have been set up as a powerful wind blew through the space. "That is the way out of Echidna's castle. Turn and walk forward, and you will be able to go back." * "You don't have time to hang around in a place like this, do you? You...you still have things you need to do. Why not try taking the first step?" She felt the Witch's voice right above her head fade. There was warmth within the arms hugging her and a faintly audible heartbeat coming from the chest her head rested against which was strange, given that the Witch was dead. "...Hey, are you listening to me?" "Eh, ah, I'm sorry. I felt oddly calm just now..." "That part of you is so..." * I made her angry, thought Emilia, but the Witch's words softened. They felt nostalgic for some reason. Before she could press the point, the Witch declared, "Okay, time to go!" "Wah!" "Walk straight forward. With this, the Trials have ended... The barrier will open." Something grasped Emilia's head and turned it right around with such swiftness and precision that she never got a look at the Witch's face Instead, what she saw before her was a single door. Standing right there atop the hill between her and the tea-party preparations was a door all by its lonesome. "If I...leave through there..." The Trials would end, and the barrier would be lifted. These were the results that Emilia had sought. Then, whether they liked it or not, a choice would be forced upon the residents of the Sanctuary. She did not know how many of the people gathered in the clearing would leave in the very end. Nor did she know if doing so would bring uncertainty to their lives or if all this was truly in their best interests. But just as Subaru had told Garfiel, Emilia had something to tell them, too. Time was ever in motion. And amid that passage of time, everyone needed to come to terms with themselves. And if no solution presented itself, Emilia wanted to join with them and search for one together. If pulling people by the hand or pushing them forward was too difficult, she could still walk with them side by side. Even though she was unreliable, gutless, and had only barely begun to demonstrate she was suited for the throne. "It's fine." *** Emilia had not voiced any of the swirling emotions in her chest. Despite that, the Witch's affirmation carried power. "Mm, thank you. I think that's how I prefer to live anyway." After smoothing out her silver hair, Emilia stepped forward. That she did not turn around, never seeing the Witch's face to the very end, was her way of respecting the Witch's will. She no longer felt any of the fear that came unbidden when first encountering the Witch. She simply puffed out her chest and walked with pride. Then, when she moved her hand toward the door leading outside, she said the thought that suddenly came to mind. "Hey, Miss Witch. If you run into Echidna, can you tell her something for me?" "What is it?" "If we meet again, next time, let's have tea together. Even if she haunts my
dreams, I'm sure I'll welcome her If possible, I'd like to have it with you and the other Witches, too." * For a moment, Emilia's request made the Witch hesitate. And then "Yes, I'll tell her exactly that. And if she doesn't like it, I'll grab her by the scruff of her neck and drag her along anyway!" The Witch confidently spoke those words with conviction. The tone of her voice made plain that she was being quite serious. Emilia smiled pleasantly as she received the reply. She pushed the door open, stepping into the unfolding darkness beyond. She did not hesitate. Emilia understood precisely where it led. Having overcome her past and selected the present, this was the door that continued into the future. 4 When she awoke from the Trials, it felt different than coming out of sleep. Her body had not been sleeping; rather, her soul had been separated from her body. With the soul split from the body, and the consciousness remaining awake, one might say it was natural that it would feel different. If she was sleeping normally, Emilia, never a morning person, would have been in peril of losing precious time. In the past, she had Puck, but she would have to deal with such things herself thereafter. "...Ah, oh no. It feels like I'm about to cry." Clenching her teeth, Emilia shook her head, as if to ward off the sense of loss she had yet to recover from. From there, she rose to her feet, stroked the writing on the wall with her palm and then turned her gaze toward the back of the stone room. The stone room in which the Trial was conducted, one she had already passed through several times over, had another door at the back leading farther in. It had been firmly closed and seemed completely impassable. Yet, now "...It's open. Is this saying, Come on in?" The Witch atop the hill had said going through the door would lift the barrier. But though the tomb had changed, Emilia did not see any sign that the barrier had been lifted. Yet, at the same time, she felt something else: In a true sense, what awaited deeper within was the key to lifting that barrier. "I mustn't get all worried. Anyway, I'll go, see, and do. Okay, let's go." Pushing back against the faint unease in her chest, Emilia spurred herself on and passed through the door. Inside was a path that was more cramped than the one that led from the entrance to the stone room, which Emilia could pass through because of her relatively low stature. It was not long until she arrived at a new stone room. This was a little chamber substantially smaller than the one in which the Trials had been conducted. The other stone room had by no means been large, but a scant two of the large beds from Roswaal Manor would have left no legroom whatsoever. But such stray thoughts vanished as soon as she saw what was placed in the center of the room. To Emilia's eyes, it looked like a coffin. The coffin was transparent, probably made from magic crystals of some sort. The purity was so high, it made her shudder from a single glance, rivaling or even exceeding that of the stone Puck had used as his icon. Within the coffin constructed from magic crystals of such abnormal composition rested a single woman naturally, she was not breathing. Her pallid face bore no signs of vitality; this was an empty shell devoid of life. She had long, glossy hair as pure as any snow. Her skin was reminiscent of porcelain, and her face was so lovely that just seeing it was enchanting. Her torso and limbs were covered in a dress that seemed pitch-black, making her a woman of black and white, the extremes of the world, with her ethereal beauty unmarred by anything extraneous. Without thinking, Emilia let a sigh of admiration trickle from her lips. If she looked in a mirror, she would be greeted by one of the beauties of the age, but Emilia had little appreciation for her own face. However, her heart was now trembling from the immaculate beauty of the woman before her. It was a face she had met many times over in the Trials, that of the Witch of Greed " She looks like Echidna, but who is this?" Though reminiscent of the Witch, Emilia had never seen this woman before. * Accompanied by faint surprise, Emilia's thoughts strayed from the coffin as she surveyed the room's interior. It was a cramped room. She hardly needed to look around to tell the coffin was the only notable object within. There was no sign of a door or a path leading deeper. This was the innermost part of the tomb the room in which its mistress ought to have been laid to rest. "And yet, this isn't Echidna...but she does resemble her. An older sister, maybe?" Her memories of the Witch's appearance were still fresh; there were many commonalities between her and this woman. With her eyelids closed, her face, from her eyes to the bridge of her nose down to her lips, seemed constructed in a similar fashion. But in contrast to Echidna, who looked to be in the latter half of her teens, this woman was old enough to be in her midtwenties though there seemed no doubt they were connected by blood. "It's really weird for an older sister to be resting here even though it's Echidna's tomb, but..." With no other conclusions coming to mind, Emilia tilted her head at the mysteriousness of it. Then she tilted her head further as she noticed the ritual that spread throughout the entirety of the tomb, with this coffin as its center. "Ah...," she went, her voice slipping out unconsciously. Both the scale of the ritual and the level of its complexity were impressive. Accordingly, Emilia was certain this was the key to the barrier constructed in the Sanctuary. "Incredible... It's amazing; I don't have any idea what to do..." Though she was a spirit mage, Emilia strove to have a decent understanding of magic beyond her specialty. However, the complexity of the ritual before her eyes was far beyond anything like the fundamentals that Emilia was familiar with. If it was stopped once, it would never activate again of course, there was no need to do so regardless... "This. If I stop the flow here, that should break it..." Touching a hand against the coffin, Emilia found the core of the precisely crafted ritual. It matched up with where the woman sleeping in the coffin folded her hands over her chest that was the nucleus. For one brief moment, she hesitated. If she broke the ritual, the barrier would be lifted, and the tomb, bereft of its duty, would become dormant. If that happened, she would lose her only means of going to the tea party as well as all leads about the Witch who knew her mother "...That has nothing to do with any of this!" Emilia slammed a fist against the coffin, seemingly to drive her hesitance away. That instant, the core of the ritual shattered, and cracks spread across the crystalline lid of the coffin like a spider's web. The shattering of the core made the flow of mana go completely out of control, sending a torrent of dazzling light surging within the room. This light disturbed the serene atmosphere, making Emilia's silver hair glimmer, before finally, it suddenly vanished. The tomb's functions had come to a halt that was what Emilia read from the shift in the air. "This time, it's over... Mm, it has to be." There was no change visible to the eye. Yet, something was unmistakably different. Clenching her teeth, Emilia was certain that the room had become a simple resting place for a coffin that the tomb itself had become a mere structure. With this, the barrier imprisoning the residents of the Sanctuary was gone. The choice whether to accept that result and live outside the Sanctuary was now theirs. Of course, with Roswaal's support at her back, Emilia intended to respect the decision the people made, no matter who they might be "Come to think of it, Roswaal mentioned a teacher... Is this person his teacher?" Roswaal had spoken the word when he'd directed biting sarcasm and ferocious insults at Emilia just prior to her challenging the tomb. He'd said, in the beginning, it was just him and his teacher. She didn't know any details about what it was the two of them had started. But if he meant the Sanctuary itself, the ties between this woman and Roswaal ran deep. "On that note, I need to speak to everyone...to Ram and Roswaal especially." The woman in the coffin was secondary. Her top priority was to tell everyone the fact that the barrier had been lifted and to get the people remaining in the Sanctuary out Subaru hadn't explained the fine details, but he had said this was necessary. And that probably had something to do with Roswaal's odd behavior. She needed to hurry. Turning, Emilia slipped through the passage with urgent steps, heading through the stone room on her way outside. The people of the Sanctuary and Earlham Village should have still been in the clearing, with Ryuzu and Milde representing them. Then, as Emilia raced out of the tomb " Eh?" the skin-stabbing cold and the ferociously blowing snow covering the Sanctuary made Emilia let out a white breath. CHAPTER 5 *** The scent of smoke and fire filling his nostrils stole Garfiel's attention for only an instant. He had a vague awareness of scorching heat in the distance. Slowly but surely, the burning was spreading, which meant the fire was gradually consuming the mansion. Just who had unleashed it? "Getting distracted again?" Not letting a single moment of stagnancy slip by, Elsa closed in and swung, pursuing Garfiel with her blade. Seeking to take his life as the price of looking away was a rather greedy thing, even more so where Garfiel, onetime apostle of the Witch of Greed, was concerned. But having severed all ties with the Witch of Greed, he was unmoved by such avarice. "As if!!" "That's too bad." Once more, Garfiel caught a slashing knife by his fangs before biting down and shattering it. Having lost her weapon to the power of his jaws, Elsa instantly let go of the handle and leaped backward. Garfiel remained planted at a medium distance as she put a fresh kukri into her hand, tilting her head. "You pretended to be distracted. Quite an actor you are. Or perhaps that was an invitation?" "You don't need to make every single thing ya say suggestive... Would ya stop playin' dumb already?" " ? Hmm? About what...?" The smile on Elsa's glossy lips only deepened Garfiel's suspicions. From her reaction, he concluded there was no connection between Elsa and the fire. The time they'd spent together in mortal combat had established she wasn't one to rely on trickery or seduction. In that case, the chance that someone on his side was responsible for the fire probably spawning from one of Subaru's plans was high. "That's pretty extreme...but it sure as hell is effective. Way to go, General!" "I am a little unsure what this is about, but don't you put a little too much stock in him?" "Ha, save the sour grapes. I told ya, those demon beasts standin' in the way ain't no match for the general! Piece of cake!" If Subaru was the mastermind behind the fire, the objective was probably to drive off the demon beasts. Whether the proposal came from Subaru or Otto, it was exactly the kind of thing they would resort to. Demon beasts feared fire, too. They'd probably succeeded in securing the escape route. Which meant "If I smash ya flat, that'll complete our victory!" "You certainly talk a good game isn't that easier said than done, though?"
As Garfiel psyched himself up, a bloody smile hovered in his field of vision as Elsa's form grew indistinct. As she entered the realm of pure speed in a single step, Garfiel opted to lower his stance and charge as well. With the space between them gone in a single instant, the two collided in the middle of the corridor * or rather, just before they were to do so, one kicked off the ceiling and the other from the floor as both respectively bounded away from that place. The next moment, the wall facing the courtyard was destroyed by an impact that seemed to make the entire building shudder. The impact had struck the first-floor-turned-battlefield, but clearly the floor above was not spared as it began to cave in. All this was due to the enormous, boulder-like demon beast that had so grandly crashed into the building. Naturally, the appearance of a beast so huge that it shocked the imagination was an unexpected development even to Garfiel. This was followed by something more unexpected still a cutesy voice levying objections from atop the mass of boulders. "Awww, I can't believe you're doing this! Stand up, Rock Piggie! Quick!!" "Ahhh? Some runt's ridin' that thing?" The rambunctious voice he heard coming from atop the beast left Garfiel with a grimace. When he looked closer, there was a girl with blue hair in a braid straddling the back of the mass of boulders so this was the Beast Master in the flesh? And the reason this Beast Master was intruding here was "Garf! So this is where you were!" "Sis?!" With a flourish, a blond maid Frederica slipped through the shattered wall and landed in the half-destroyed corridor. The reunion with Frederica, who was supposedly fleeing, made Garfiel rush over, eyes bulging. "What the hell are ya still doin' here?! What happened to Ram's sis, the general, and the rest?!" "I fulfilled the duty entrusted to me. You understand the reason I remained behind, don't you?" Seeing Frederica close one eye as she spoke these words shut Garfiel right up. He could see a number of wounds Frederica had sustained. Of course he could. In keeping the Beast Master at bay, she must have taken on countless demon beasts in the process. Unlike Garfiel, who'd trained and trained as he kept struggling to become stronger, his elder sister had no doubt spent many days that had nothing to do with fighting. Just how deeply had this battle cut into his sister's flesh and bones? "...Don't make such a pathetic face." Noticing Garfiel's gloomy expression, Frederica landed an open-palm chop right on his wide-open forehead. Though it didn't hurt, Garfiel let out a reflexive "ow," glaring at his older sister. "Garf, I understand you are being considerate, but I, too, am a servant of the Mathers family... For better or worse, I have had the fundamentals of self-defense drilled into me." "Ya say that but... Ah, then again, Ram's damn strong. Aight, you've convinced me." "The fact that you chose her as the most relevant point of comparison puts me in a slightly awkward position..." Frederica put a hand to her forehead as she clacked her fangs, seeming a little troubled. Perhaps it could be chalked up to them being siblings, but Garfiel and Frederica were exactly alike in certain habits. And apparently, Garfiel and Frederica weren't the only ones around with this kind of relationship. "Meili, are you all right? I hope you're safe, but I do wish you didn't interfere." "Sheesh, Elsa, you're so self-centered! The main reason I have to work this hard is because you ran off ahead! You'd better reflect on that!" "Once we're done here, I'll make it up to you now, do your job." Elsa's reply made Meili pout as she obediently got to work. The moment the young girl clapped her hands, the boulder-like creature instantly swung its body around and then slowly turned its head toward Garfiel and Frederica. Garfiel sensed other demon beasts drawing near from both inside and outside the mansion. She truly was a Beast Master. However, Elsa quizzically cocked her head to the side with a questioning look. "The number of demon beasts seems rather low..." "The big maid nailed a bunch of them before we got here! Besides, the mansion's been set on fire. On top of that, it seems like the shadow lion died." Meili, answering Elsa's question with a sour look on her face, continued: "It was a rare one that obeyed me despite still having its horn, but its short temper was the flaw in that jewel. And it failed me right when I needed it most...!" "I have trouble understanding why you brought such a difficult demon beast along to begin with." "Because no one else could keep the others in line! ...Anyway, Elsa, what about your opponent?" Looking down at the corridor from atop the demon beast, Meili caught sight of Garfiel. "Hmm," she went, letting out a breath of deep interest with a passionate smile that was extremely strange for a girl of her age on numerous levels. "Elsa has her eyes on you, Mr. Scary Face. You poor, poor thing." "If it's a nasty face you want, there's no topping the general. So what, you sisters gonna come at me together?" Garfiel's reply earned him a look of surprise not only on Meili's face but Elsa's as well. They weren't shocked at being called sisters. Certainly, the two didn't seem connected by blood. The pair might have been similar in appearance, but it was far more difficult to claim a family resemblance. But they were most definitely sisters that was what Garfiel's intuition told him. "Sisters? Yes, I suppose you're right... So now that we have sisters gathered on one side and siblings on the other, I think it's time we got back to business. Don't you?" Standing beside the demon beast, Elsa posed the question as she pointed the tip of her kukri toward him. With a quick glance, Garfiel checked on Frederica's state as she stood beside him. Her breathing was ragged, her face was pale from blood loss, and her visible wounds were, on average, ones that could not simply be shrugged off. "Garf." Noticing his gaze, Frederica called out to him. Garfiel could not help but force out a smile at the emotions infused within her simple mention of his name Don't be disappointed in me, Frederica's gaze begged. Quietly, Garfiel stepped forward this was where everything would be settled. "The mansion's on fire, we got a horde o' demon beasts outside, and my older sister behind me is tryin' to put up a strong front, as battered as she is." * "Got a bunch of people I gotta save and some powerful enemies whose teeth I gotta kick in. The general said he's counting on me. And the girl I love chewed me out real good, too." "What in the world is Mr. Scary Face getting at...?" "Ain't it obvious?!" Strangely, Elsa and Meili both had their heads tilted at the exact same angle. In contrast to their questioning looks, Garfiel clacked his fangs with a radiant look on his face. "With a situation like this, what man in the world wouldn't be burnin' up?! It's time to do this! This is basically before the Dragon, Sword Saint Reid drew his sword and laughed!" "That's an idiom for someone who's seriously messed up in the head, you know?" "Yeah, and? I'm about to take on the both of ya, so how's that the wrong thing to say?" Garfiel bluntly acknowledged the level of his own recklessness. Elsa blinked hard, temporarily at a loss. However, this lasted for only a few moments. Elsa broke into a smile as the light of madness flared in her eyes. She licked her lips in anticipation. "Yes. You're absolutely right." Garfiel slammed his shields together as he prepared to face his eager opponent. "Wait a second, Elsa have you already forgotten what we came here to do? Mama's gonna scold us." "I suppose so. You deal with the other one, then. I want to focus on this child." "Boo. You always do this, asking me to do stuff at the drop of a hat. I mean, really " Meili complained about how Elsa was abandoning the job, but before she could finish her thought, Garfiel drove home why it was important to not get distracted. " Oooaaah!" Suddenly raising a battle cry, Garfiel poured his strength into the sole of his foot. Instantly, it punched through the half-destroyed mansion and straight into the ground, kicking up a square of soil. Thus, he launched it forward with a tremendous kick. * Elsa dropped into a low stance that verged on crawling on all fours as she evaded the hurtling missile of packed earth. But the boulder-like demon beast behind her, unable to dodge as quickly with its enormous frame, sustained a direct hit. The impact bowled it over, sending it spinning and crashing into the wall. "Ahhhhh!" Meili, who had been riding said demon beast, was thrown off it by the sheer force. Elsa slid in to catch her just before she would have hit the ground headfirst. "G-Garf, what in the world did you do just now?" "That's the power of my blessing, As long as my feet are planted on the ground, I can hit whatever I can see. I'll say this only once: I won't let ya interfere with this fight. Not you, and not the little sister over there, either." Garfiel bared his fangs as he made his declaration. But the blessing of the earth spirit wasn't nearly as potent as he claimed. Beyond heightening his healing abilities, his power was fully capable of churning up the ground or causing it to cave in. However, the range of this was limited to where his limbs could reach. In other words, he was bluffing. But precisely because it was a bluff, Garfiel smugly smiled. He had learned from Subaru and Otto these were the times where a smile was absolutely necessary. " Meili. Leave the bare minimum outside to maintain the perimeter. Call the others and rouse that demon beast over there." "...You're gonna make Mama angry." Freed from Elsa's arms, Meili murmured in a low voice. However, she had already grasped that the situation didn't leave them with many options. Sighing, Meili blew a finger whistle. She quietly waited as the shrill, high-pitched sound echoed throughout the manor grounds. The demon beasts would be coming. A large force was on its way, gathering to crush Garfiel and Frederica. His lust for battle flared even brighter. His soul howled he could not lose here. "I will pluck your limbs off to lighten you and take you home with me. I will love you longer than your cherished person." "Ain't there even one option to make ya give up on the whole bowel thing?" Speaking in exasperation as he cracked his neck, Garfiel adopted a forward-leaning stance as he prepared to intercept his foe. Her upper body swaying, Elsa lowered both hands and let her kukri knives fall to the floor. In their place, she held a pair of vile, malevolent blades one white, one black, both gleaming in the moonlight. "Sis, just focus on protectin' yourself." "Meili, you mustn't move a single step forward." Without any signal, they clashed head-on, leaving their respective sisters behind. The battle between the Bowel Hunter and the Sanctuary's Shield entered its final scene. Then the corridor of the mansion exploded into a confused, chaotic battle, a banquet of blood, flesh, and bloodlust. * When a green tail passed before his eyes, Garfiel opened his fangs and bit down without a second thought. Purple fluid sprayed, and the noxious liquid burned as it spattered across his flesh. But he cared not. With a mighty swipe of his arm, he smashed both of the two-headed snake's skulls. An instant later, malevolent death in the form of a curved
blade grazed just past the tip of his chin. Following in the wake of that slash, a gust blew the remains of the ruined demon beast away. After his momentary brush with death, Garfiel advanced instead of giving ground, smacking the face of impending doom away. Both his arms were spread out wide, catching his opponent by the torso and flank. Her bones and viscera squelched as powerful hands twisted wherever they found purchase. * In his ears and before his eyes, a cacophony of bestial roars came from every direction. Anguished cries, screams, and his own yells mixed together. These overlapped with the sounds of metal crashing and scraping against steel. Sound and light were so muddled that it was hard to tell what was even happening. But Garfiel didn't care. The resistance he felt, his gnashing fangs, and the bloody smile he caught glimpses of were all genuine. The brute force of his attacks were making the killer before him spit blood, staining her pleasant smile so much that it was more black than red. Yet, even as she weathered those brutal attacks meant to rob her of life, the pleasure never left the woman's black eyes. Garfiel instinctively felt that more than her combat ability, more than her vitality, it was her mind that was the most dangerous part of her nature. " Yah!" "Gaaaaah!!" A short breath was answered by a howl. The woman's left arm was removed, and the wicked blade it held vanished from Garfiel's field of view. Immediately after, there was a series of high-pitched sounds first behind her, then reflecting off the wall, bouncing off the ceiling, striking the floor, and from there, the wicked blade flew right at Garfiel's back. After a moment of indecision, Garfiel decided against turning around as he focused his attention on the woman as she prepared to attack with her right arm allowing the deadly blade to bury itself into his right shoulder, momentarily locking him in place. The lethal attack was about to land. * That was when he kicked up the remains of the two-headed snake between him and the blade aimed at the back of his head. The corpse kept the keen edge from slicing into him, but the blunt force was still effective. The blow dazed him and knocked him into a spin, creating a fatal opening or at least it would have had he not poured all his strength into his feet beforehand. With the blessing of the earth spirit, he propelled himself off the floor in a single leap. Garfiel's unexpected behavior and counterattack caught the woman by surprise. In the span of a few moments, he swung his left arm in a low arc to grab the woman's face a left arm growing explosively as it became a monstrous limb. Using partial transformation, he tore at her face as if to rip it right off. "Gyahhhhh !!" The clawing left intense gouges, stronger and deeper than the one that had once smashed her face. The five finger-blades carved deep inside her skull, making even that woman scream and slowing the movements of her feet. "Raaaagh!!" The woman took a direct kick straight to the torso, sending her body flying backward with ease. With her ribs already broken and her internal organs already crushed, it would not have been strange had she died from the pain from being slashed and pounded like that alone. But even as fresh blood coursed from the prone woman, a broken, laughing voice also escaped her. Her life had not been extinguished. Her fighting spirit was undiminished. Her nature was unsalvageable for all eternity. "Tch! It's just one thing after another!" Just as Garfiel was preparing to launch a follow-up attack, demon beasts cut across the battlefield to bear down upon him. Mice with black wings, large ferocious dogs with mottled patterns on their bodies, and a horde of two-headed snakes burning with rage for their slain kin plus one back-in-action enormous pile of boulders aptly called a Rock Pig all came rushing at him. "Garf! I'll handle those!" Right as Garfiel braced himself against the demon beasts aiming to land a surprise attack, the monsters were ripped asunder somewhere behind him. There was no time to turn around, but he could still tell that Frederica's ferocious attacks were mowing their foes down. All that remained was for Garfiel to deal with the one charging at him with a frame large enough to rival the whole mansion. "Get pancaked!!" Receiving Meili's command, the Rock Pig bounded forward with its woefully short four legs, leaping toward him. No longer was this simply a charging beast; it had transformed into a projectile with the mass of a falling building. No single person had the power to withstand such a blow which was precisely what the monster's instincts cried out. Spreading and firmly planting both feet, Garfiel called upon the full force of his blessing of the earth spirit. The blessing of the soil conveyed through the soles of his feet made the tendons and muscles of his entire body swell and throb the blood lurking within him burst forth as his flesh changed form. " Ooooooo!!!" The booming roar of his soul was not directed outward; it reverberated within his own flesh and blood. His abominable, difficult-to-accept bloodline had been a constant and not always welcome part of his life. Now, of his own volition, he summoned it forth, seized control of it, and turned it into raw power to carve out his own destiny. His skeleton creaked and groaned as it transformed. His neck, his torso, and his head were changing into those of a beast. A great golden tiger's mane sprouted as his clothes burst apart, unable to withstand the pressure. But the shields attached to both his arms remained in place, now looking like bangles on swelling arms that appeared to be violence incarnate, rivaling even the Rock Pig in stature. * The two males or rather, the beasts collided. The impact was felt across the mansion, spawning an explosive sound that ripped through the air. The rocky demon beast's ramming attack was stopped cold as the ferocious tiger pounded its greatsword-like claws into the pig's face. Some of the claws were ripped off at their base by the thick, formidable hide; though not slain by the force of the charge, the great tiger was nonetheless forced back, reeling as its enormous opponent followed up by stomping down on its chest from straight above, driving the tiger into the floor and drawing sprays of blood. "Keep it up, Rock Piggie!!" Even though she heard the sounds of its bones breaking and its flesh being crushed, the demon beast's master did not let her guard down. Obeying its master's almost-tearful command, the Rock Pig issued a roar as it raised both its front paws upward, coming down for a second stomp that was aimed at the great tiger's skull. But before it could, the ferocious tiger used the strength of its abdominal muscles to launch its body upward; the demon beast took the blow straight in its wide-open gut. The demon beast with boulder-like hide normally never revealed its belly, where its defenses were thin and fragile. Sharp fangs pierced the tough skin, which the tiger's claws had failed to penetrate, cutting deep into the flesh. "Grrrraaaaggghhhh !!" While keeping its mouth lodged in the Rock Pig's gut, the ferocious great tiger rolled its body sideways. This tore at the prey's flesh, which was still caught on the fangs and was the predatory behavior characteristic of the water dragons. The great tiger's fangs rent flesh not to consume but to kill without mercy. There was a vast amount of blood and viscera that poured out, proportional to its prey's enormous frame. The gore flowed out in a veritable wave, flooding the mansion corridor. "oo." The whites of its eyes bared, the Rock Pig uttered a frail death cry as it collapsed. "No way... U-unbelievable... I don't believe this!" Meili backed away as Garfiel spat out blood and entrails, pushing the enormous corpse away. She'd whistled with her fingers to gather a horde of demon beasts together, but now that all the big ones like Rock Piggie had been wiped out, only small- and medium-size ones were left to answer the call. Her advantage had crumbled in mere moments. "Ughhh! Look what you've done! Elsa! Elsaaa! Do something!" "...What a slave driver you are." Tousling her braid, the killer responded to Meili's tearful cry for help. Slowly, Elsa Gramhilde's raven-black hair swayed as she approached, her savage face having already regenerated. Exuding seductive charm and a murderous beauty, she shot Garfiel a passionate glance. "You tore into a woman's face without hesitation. You truly are marvelous..." "Gargh, raaagh...!!" The smiling woman's vile, blood-marred visage made the great tiger growl with a fierce shake of its broken shoulders. The trembling tiger's massive frame grew taut as the enlarged flesh gradually returned to human form. A few seconds later, a half-naked boy reappeared on the field of battle. "Argh... Crap, looks like I'm back. Head freakin' hurts..." "I see... So that makes you a half-beast. I thought you were merely a human with a foul look in his eyes." "Gotta say, if that was the rule, no way our general'd be human." Shaking his head, Garfiel checked how his body felt upon his returning to human form. The process of compressing his skeleton back into a smaller body had joined his broken shoulders enough that they could move at least. That said, even slight movements made creaks and white-hot pain shoot through him. It would be a long time before he would move at full strength again. "You said it didn't bother you...but you must be thinking it is rather absurd by now?" * "Even though you are injured all over, my wounds are simply healing. The gap between us grows greater as time passes... Do you not think it is unfair?" There was not a single scratch to be seen on Elsa's long, slender limbs. If the blood was wiped off, the luster of her white skin would be unmarred underneath. In contrast, Garfiel's wounds were only becoming graver. Perhaps it was logical to condemn that so-called immortality as an unfair advantage. "Me, I ain't ready to give up. And I ain't takin' back what I said." Shaking his head, he rejected such timid thoughts. He never needed them to begin with. "You ain't immortal. It's that ya won't die till someone kills ya, right? Ain't that right, vampire?" "...You knew." "I had a hunch. Me, I loved readin' books since waaaay back. I knew there were special sorts like that. Didn't think I'd meet one right after leavin' home, though." From time to time, books from the outside world found their way into the Sanctuary, though Garfiel had no idea who the sender might've been, nor could he tell from the types of books what they hoped he might learn from them. Garfiel read anything he could, so that he might one day find a way to butcher whatever it was that saddened the woman he'd fallen for. It was in the course of those studies that he had read somewhere that the beings known as vampires possessed special characteristics. "Apparently, one of the old Witches was one, too. That Witch is dead. And that means you can die, too." Garfiel had already dealt Elsa what were supposed to be fatal wounds four times and counting. Even if she'd inherited that characteristic from an immortal monster of legend, her regenerative power had to have limits. It'd take probably one or two more times, and that'd settle things. But before it came to that "...If your little sister swears to never do evil ever again, I ain't unwillin' to let her go." "...You truly are an adorable child." With a smile, she dashed the final bouquet of compassion he offered her. That was his signal. With an explosive step, Garfiel
leaped straight forward. A wicked blade sliced directly down to intercept him, aiming to cleave his head. The force of the attack tore the mansion corridor apart. Catching the attack on his shield, the blade cut shallowly into his breast. Heedless of the spatter of blood, he pressed on, continuing to advance "Gusteko, where I was born, is a very, very cold land far to the north." They continued to exchange blows when suddenly, words woven like a song slipped into his eardrums. He shouldn't have heard it. His consciousness was ablaze, intercepting and dealing lethal strikes with every passing moment, leaving no room for such a voice to slip through. That should have been the case, but it sneaked in regardless. "It is a country with a vast chasm between rich and poor. Children abandoned by the destitute are not a rarity. I was one myself, without parents for as long as I can remember, living off what stagnant water and scraps I could find." " Raaagh!!" "I stole, and I hurt people. Days spent like that blended together... What was I living for; what was happiness? In those days, I had no time to think about such things." Garfiel gave a mighty swing of his arm to blow Elsa's face away. She sidestepped the attack. A silver arc flashed. He tilted his body to dodge it. Evasion became counterattack, only to be foiled. Distance opened between them. "That day was a particularly cold day." "Shaddap! I ain't listenin'!!" "On that day, the wind blowing down from the sacred mountain was cold, and it was freezing inside the city. Amid raging snow so cold it froze even your breath, I was working as a thief when a shop owner caught me." Elsa let out a tender sigh, speaking as if she were watching a dream. The fury of her blade grew wilder, carving into Garfiel as his shoulder injuries dulled his defenses. "No one would have complained had he killed me then, but I was a woman. Even now, I remember the vulgar smile on that man's face as he started to tear off my clothes." "Gaaagh...!" "As that cold, freezing wind blew, he stripped off my tunic and even took my underwear... When I thought it was better to freeze to death than to suffer whatever indignities he would subject me to, I picked up a piece of glass that just happened to be close by." She raised one of her long legs and kicked at the side of Garfiel's head, sending him crashing into the wall. The impact stunned him, rattling his brain, but he'd also shattered the arch of Elsa's foot in the process. Her expression of ecstasy sent a shudder straight through him. "It was not as if I meant to do it. It just so happened that I thrust the piece of glass into his belly." * "I felt no hesitation at taking another's life. I felt nothing as I listened to the man's scream. But in that cold wind, one thought occurred to me." As Garfiel's breath caught, Elsa flashed a vacant, engrossed smile like a maiden in love. " Why are blood and intestines so warm?" He escaped from the reach of the lashing blade, which practically crawled across the ground, nearly shearing off his ankles as he unleashed a kick. Elsa evaded his attack with a leap away. Garfiel clicked his tongue as the killer distanced herself. He wasn't simply irritated by the difficulty of taking her down. "If there is anything that can be called true happiness in this world, it must be found in the warmth that lets you forget the cold. It was that day I, a person born with nothing, finally gained something that truly belonged to me. For the first time, I was happy. I suppose you cannot understand that?" "I don't wanna, either." "That's fine. I wasn't hoping for you to sympathize with me anyway." "Then why'd ya have to tell me all that crap? It's disgustin'." "I wonder why myself." Looking at Garfiel, whose eyes contained nothing save hostility, Elsa curiously tilted her head. Then she narrowed her mystified eyes, her cheeks faintly blushing as she gazed at Garfiel. "Most likely because I am quite fond of you." "...Sorry, but I've already fallen for a woman. I ain't got time for some chick messed up in the head." "How cold. But that's fine. I only have business with what's inside you, after all." She almost seemed to make sense, but in the end, Garfiel couldn't understand a single thing about her. Having listened to Elsa's personal tale, Garfiel came to one conclusion. Of course, he had no intention of understanding her, nor did he intend to forgive her. The only thing he could do was end her. " I'm gonna kill ya, Elsa Gramhilde." " It is because you will kill me that you are my first love, Garfiel Tinzel." Calling each other by name was the one and only connection they shared. The rest, they entrusted to violence. The wicked blades became light, raging, carving, slicing the half-destroyed mansion corridor apart. Amid that shower of blades, Garfiel dodged No, he defended with the minimum amount of movement with his shields, holding his ground. Blood flowed as a blade nicked his shoulder, his belly, his leg, and his head, but Garfiel was unshaken. The distance shrank to six paces. Garfiel swung his left arm, sending the shield atop it flying straight forward. At five paces, the shield struck Elsa's arm, shattering her fingers, causing her to drop the weapon in her left hand. At four paces, countless slicing attacks came at the now-defenseless left side of his torso, drawing blood. He did not stop. At three paces, he stomped with the sole of his foot. The ground exploded and rose up. The mansion uttered its death cry and broke apart. At two paces, the Bowel Hunter struck with a spinning attack at maximum speed, which she aimed at his torso with more force than he'd ever witnessed in his entire life. At one pace, he covered his chest with his right shield, the arm underneath breaking as he parried the Bowel Hunter's blow. " Do you think you blocked it? Don't be careless." Garfiel heard that laughter-filled voice as she dropped a long leg toward his face. The descending heel and the dully gleaming blade embedded within were aimed right at the center of Garfiel's head " Elsa!" Suddenly, a shriek-like voice made Elsa leap back. The east wing of the mansion, after being engulfed in flame and withstanding repeated blows, was finally collapsing. Meili, right under one of the falling fragments, clutched her head and called out to her elder sister. It was there that Elsa leaped. She slammed her blade in, carving apart the falling rubble overhead. She sliced, gouged, and penetrated the plummeting pieces one after another. And yet, the cascade of debris never ceased Without warning, a gust rushed past her feet. The wind, sporting a beautiful and supple beast with a golden mane, grabbed the girl in danger of being crushed by falling rubble, carrying her to safety. "Elsaaa!" Whisked away by the beautiful four-legged beast, Meili desperately called out to Elsa as the creature leaped outside. Elsa did not turn toward her. Garfiel had already come. * The blade in Elsa's right hand clashed with the bestial claws of Garfiel's left. With a destructive sound, Garfiel's left arm was ruined, while Elsa's right wrist was left in ugly tatters. Fresh blood scattered all about as Elsa thrust her useless arm forward to shove Garfiel down. They jostled, practically embracing each other as they bit into each other's necks, then separated as if repelled. "Urgh, nghhh..." The left side of her neck was hot. Elsa was unable to even put a hand on the wound, which was bleeding freely, but her cheeks were flushed nonetheless. Her breath was so hot that it almost seemed like it changed color. Her eyes were filled with unquenchable passion. Then she watched as Garfiel hoisted up the Rock Pig's massive body and hurled it. The boy's eyes blazed with ferocious emotion even as his neck bled from the wound her teeth had left behind. Though she knew where the arc of the hurled mass of rock would end, Elsa continued to gaze at the man she longed for until the very end. Her labored breaths came unsteadily. As she gazed at the golden-haired boy who aroused such excitement deep in her chest, she said only one thing. " So thrilling." The woman, the murderess, the vampire, the Bowel Hunter was completely and utterly crushed by the incredible mass. Fresh blood splattered, mixing with the demon beast's bodily fluids. There was no sign of revival only the aroma of death. Garfiel let up a war cry, one that reached high into the sky, reverberating throughout the burning and crumbling mansion. So ended the battle between the Bowel Hunter and the Sanctuary's Shield. CHAPTER 6 * 1 Despite what the dramatic display of colors may have implied, the conflict unfolding was a highly advanced magical battle of precise technique. With a staff swing, blades of wind were created and loosed at their target. The invisible attack bore down on the intended victim's legs with enough force to slice apart steel. She had deliberately cast the spell out of sync with her gaze and breathing, even adding in a feint attack for good measure. These were * "Surely, this is not all you are caaaapable of?" With great ease, her enemy Roswaal stopped the invisible attack with a flick of his toes. Seeing that happen and realizing the level of skill that was required to make it possible made her throat freeze over. Dispelling magic by simply stomping on it was a feat far easier said than done. With the tips of his toes, Roswaal had rewritten the composition of the spell. Through his Gate, he had altered the mana cast by another person without interfering with their Gate directly. Performing such an act in the middle of a battle with one's life on the line was not the action of a sane person. The one who had done this was Roswaal L. Mathers famed magic user, current lord of the House of Roswaal, and the man who still desired the title of the greatest court magician of the age. "Now I'll send one right back at you." Speaking in a casual tone, Roswaal moved both his hands and his mouth deploying a trio of incantations from his fingers and lips alike. This was not a simple combining of elements but simultaneously casting three different spells at once a technique that verged on the realm of gods. It was an insane technique that all but required three brains to accomplish and even this was not the true limits of his potential. It was because she understood this more than anyone that the girl Ram was filled with energy as she evaded the resulting downpour of flames. It was then, when he was still not taking this seriously and using the full extent of his powers, that she had a chance of victory. Ram responded to the three incoming fireballs, respectively colored red, blue, and green, by leaping backward and then intercepting them with more blades of wind. She would slice them away before shifting to a counterattack but before she could, something upset her plans. *** The red flame accepted her wind, acting as if she had poured oil onto it; the force of the flames increased as it transformed into a pillar of fire. The wind split the blue flame apart, scattering it in all directions, which only further spread its destructive reach. The green flame absorbed her wind, transforming into a snake of fire that crawled across the earth, causing havoc in its wake. She responded to every one with all her strength. She vaulted over the intense flaming pillar, kicked off a large tree to evade the curtain of blue flames,
and as the green flaming snake opened its jaws to catch Ram with its fangs once she landed " Goodness, what petty tricks, Roswaal. You should know better." A moment before being engulfed by the flaming snake, a calm voice slid into Ram's eardrums. In contrast to those quiet words, what occurred next was virtually overwhelming. With its mouth still open, the burning snake froze over. The flying flames and the blazing pillar met similar ends. This was the antithesis of employing multiple spells simultaneously using a single unstoppable spell to snuff everything out. And the one who had accomplished this was the little cat floating in the sky, short arms folded the Great Spirit, Puck. The little cat cocked his head, turning his tail, which was as long as his body, toward Roswaal as he laughed. "You might have learned a lot of tricks, but you'll need to go big to deal with the likes of me." "How harsh. I take it that Lady Emilia developed her tendency to favor brute-force approaches from you?" "No comment." Crossing his arms in front of him, Puck did not give Roswaal's inconvenient assertion a reply. After that, Puck slowly lowered his altitude, landing on the shoulder of Ram, who was breathing hard, as he lined up right beside her head. "Are you all right? Pushing yourself too hard will be bad for your body." "...You may save your concern. After all, it is thanks to the Great Spirit's assistance that I can now manage this battle." "No need to act tough. But when push comes to shove, manage is putting it nicely. You're an Oni girl without a horn, and I'm a handsome wild spirit without a host, but even with both of us at half strength double-teaming him, he's still toying with us." Wiping some soot from her brow with a sleeve, Ram internally concurred with Puck's analysis. Earlier, she'd considered counterattacking while he was still toying with them, but she was a long way from even that much. Yes, she was depleted from the battle with Garfiel, and Puck was in poor condition to assist, but more importantly " You're strong, Roswaal. I have to admire how far a mere human has come after honing themselves." "I am honored to receive your praise." Roswaal offered an elegant bow in response to his assessment. It was a theatrical gesture, but by showing that he still had the poise to put on such a display, Roswaal demonstrated that even in this situation, the advantage was still very much his. The battle that had kicked off at the Witch's experimental facility deep in the Forest of Cremaldi had shifted, moving away from the building and into the woods. The traces of the battle had already left the area around the facility a sorry-looking wasteland. There were scorch marks all over, blades of wind had toppled one tree after another, and countless trees had been flash-frozen. Looking at all this, Roswaal then turned one eye his yellow eye toward Ram. "I was indeed correct to bring this outside. If we had rampaged like this inside, that facility...or rather, that magic crystal would have been broken, which would have been quiiiite inconvenient." * "Of course, you would have accomplished your goal even so, for was that not your aim?" "Are you claiming I asked the Great Spirit to delay you while I destroyed the facility...? Surely, you jest." Ram laughed off the assertion, causing Roswaal to raise an eyebrow in surprise. His reaction made Ram loosen her lips. "After all," she went, spinning her words, "by doing such a thing, Ram's objective would go forever unfulfilled." " All that said, continuing this indefinitely will work to no one's advantage, yes? You strove for a means to fill the gap between our combat capabilities, but the Great Spirit you have beseeched is far from peak condition." "...Yes, I suppose so. He is more useless than expected. Not even Ram can conceal her disappointment." "You really don't sugarcoat your words, huh? Not that I dislike that part of you..." Puck wore a wry smile as he endured Ram's sharp tongue. "Though, I have to admit," the little cat remarked, his long tail swaying as he looked Roswaal's way, "I'm impressed by how meticulous you are. How and when did you cast that spell on Lia...?" "Spell...? Great Spirit, to what do you refer...?" "Well, just listen. It got really hard to come out of my icon ever since we returned from the royal capital. If that was all, I would've pegged it as some kind of scheme by the Witch Cult group that attacked the village and the mansion, but I was stuck in there even after reaching the Sanctuary. So the spell had to come not from an enemy but from one of our own." Ram furrowed her shapely eyebrows, unable to grasp the meaning of Puck's words. But Roswaal made no effort to interrupt the little cat's words, quietly soaking them up until the last. "There's a set period when I'm not able to come out of my icon that's related to the pact, you see. It was a little early, but at first, I thought that's what it was. Well, there's also the memories Lia sealed away herself, so I thought it might be more convenient not to talk to her about them. But I was wrong." As he spoke, Puck's voice lowered but slightly. The tenor of the little cat's voice, from which no emotion could normally be detected, held a perceptible timbre of deep indignation. "You used my oaths to remove me as Lia's guardian, didn't you? That has to be why you cast a spell on Lia when we returned from the capital. That girl adores me, after all." "...Strictly speaking, is it not better to say you are a smothering father who cannot leave the girl's siiiide?" "When you put it that way, it's hard to deny being overprotective, huh?" As Puck gave a shrug with his tiny shoulders, Roswaal did not deny it as he closed one eye his blue eye. "Fortunately, Lady Emilia was in low spirits from her argument with young Subaru. A little sabotage of your pact with Lady Emilia before departing for the Sanctuary was a trifling affair." "On the other hand, a pact between spirit and spirit mage is sacred... It's not something that can be toyed with from the outside." "Even so, I have lived with Beatrice for quite a long time, you seeee. For better or worse, creating loopholes in predetermined things is a specialty of mine though that girl is too obstinate for such things." As he spoke about pacts, Roswaal seemed to gaze into the distance for just a moment. The sight made the corners of Puck's black eyes fall ever so slightly as he crossed his short arms. "You wanted Lia to stay depressed, didn't you?" "Yes. That is why you needed to be removed. It is not an exaggeration to say that hindering you and young Subaru has caused me the most trouble of all. Subaru is a wild card; you are the only one who actually stands a chance of defeating me in a head-on battle." "I don't like saying this, but it seems like both you and I expect a lot out of Subaru." "Perish the thought the expectations you and I have of him cannot possibly be comparable." Instantly, Roswaal's tone hardened, seeming to lose a small amount of his composure. As Roswaal expressed his expectations for Subaru, he pressed a hand to his chest, clenching it into a fist. The gesture left Ram narrowing her eyes as she felt a throbbing pain in her own breast. She knew how out of place it was, but Ram could not help but be jealous at how much he placed his hopes in Subaru. "To me, he is the final key to bringing my greatest desire into reach. You, on the other hand, intend to put him to the grindstone to see if he is worthy of your beloved daughter. Your thinking is very different from mine." " Don't bark at me, Roswaal." As Roswaal's voice became infused with fierce emotion, the cold hostility pouring down became frigid, glacial. Puck's mouse-colored hair was standing up, bringing his presence into sharper relief as he continued: "Just like you and your desire, I offered myself to Lia, the reason for my existence. Are you suggesting it's easy for me to entrust Lia to someone else? Don't get cocky, Witch's apprentice." "...From that last part, I taaaake it you now remember things from prior to your pact?" "I'm deducing a lot from the situation, you see, but considering whose forest this is, I have a pretty good idea who imposed this pact on me. I remember a man who spoke a lot like you, too." * "Is it to remember your wounds or to punish yourself? Either way, it's very backward-looking of you." Puck's words gradually sounded more like words of pity than of reproach. Receiving them, Roswaal went, "Backward-looking, is it?" twisting his lips in what seemed to be self-mockery. "Indeed it is. I have always been looking backward...looking at the past. To me, the only wonderful things that have ever existed are in the past. The present is merely what rests atop their bones." * "So that's why you obey the book of knowledge. You're struggling to take back the past that you've lost..." Roswaal's claim made Ram clench her cheeks as she glanced at Puck, who sighed. Then Puck wearily shook his head side to side. "I won't belittle your way of life. It's just..." "Just what?" "Betty would be sad, Roswaal." * Roswaal's expression faintly stiffened. Just how much terrible significance did that single sentence possess? And then " Ul Goa." "Because I hit the bull's-eye? How childish." Without preparation or word of warning, fiery missiles shot forth. A towering wall of ice immediately intercepted them. The sound of their collision rang out. A white shock wave flattened the trees of the forest, heralding that combat had recommenced. 2 " Guess we're done buying time. Did that give your horn a breather?" Puck's words, spoken with a deft wink the moment before she leaped, left Ram mentally clicking her tongue. She'd told him that she did not want him to worry about her; the little cat proved a poor listener. What annoyed her more than anything was the frailty of her own body that made the short rest just now a lifesaver. But what of it? She would never breathe a single word of complaint about her body not being in tip-top condition. What gave her any right to complain if she did not give it her all? If she lost without her feelings ever reaching him, she could whine and make excuses as much as she liked in the afterlife. " !! El Fulla!!" Tightly clenching her teeth, she swallowed her frustration and readied her staff. Timed with an explosion of the ground, she flew into the air, touching her feet against a large tree's trunk to invert her posture as she converted her mana, unleashing it as blades of wind. There was no lethal intent behind her attacks. However, even if she aimed to kill, it would not have resulted in as much as a scratch regardless. Roswaal's response to the mighty blow was skilled and delicate. He rewrote the composition of the incoming magic, disassembling the wind blades into mere mana and capturing it with his own Gate to assign it a different form. There was the threefold magic using both his hands and his mouth that he had displayed earlier and on top of that, he used a step to activate the magic he had internalized, unleashing four spells simultaneously in an outrageous display of magic. "Grgh." Twisting her lips, Ram put strength into the soles of her feet, which rested against the tree trunk, leaping away at full power. Instantly, the magic, which seemed sure to
bite into that large tree, changed its course, curving to tail her as she fled. "How...persistent!" Spitting out those words, she slammed more wind into the pair of approaching fiery missiles, landed on the ground, drew them in before rolling backward at the last moment. This forced the one flame that did not keep up with the turn to slam into the ground, and she thrust her staff straight forward into the final, flaming shot. "Now burst!!" Using the tip of her staff to shred the mana apart, Ram moved so the blast from the fiery missile passed behind her. It was during that momentary opening that she " It is too soon to relax." Advancing with long strides, Roswaal drove a punch toward Ram's torso. This was a steel-like fist he had honed through extreme training completely unrelated to magical study. Its destructive power was so great that if it connected, it would affect not only bone but the internal organs as well; the instant it struck, a layer of ice caught the blow. With a tremendous sound, the frozen shield shattered. Puck, the one who had created the instantaneous defense, whistled. "So you've trained a whole lot in more than just magic!" "I do whatever is necessary. If there is ample time, the only cost is the wearing down of the soul. Accordingly " Opening the fist that had struck the ice shield, Roswaal twisted his hips and lunged with a thrust of his palm. Of course, the ice kept him from reaching Ram and yet, the impact shot through Ram's body nonetheless. "Gah...!" "That is a combat technique I learned from a ninja who hailed from the west long ago to strike from afar, reaching even past defenses. Effective, yes?" Struck not by a direct hit but by a shock wave, Ram staggered backward. Her bones creaked, and her innards cried out. It was better than suffering a clean blow, but her body had a fatal weakness and could not risk sustaining any injuries to begin with. Her breathing was ragged, and her vision blurred. Ram's footing was unreliable. She lifted up her face when " Get down!" When she heard the voice, Ram forced down her rising head. Overhead, Puck who had circled behind her thrust out both hands, unleashing a giant pillar of ice toward Roswaal. The magical attack, with a mass rivaling that of the trunk of a hundred-year-old tree, forced even Roswaal to leap a good distance backward. "It has been half a year since you first forced me to use this !" His voice rising as he offered a word of praise, Roswaal demonstrated the true worth of his unparalleled magical skill. With both hands, his lips, and alternating stomps of both his feet, he began casting fivefold magic. Unleashing five different spells at once, he melted, sliced, and pulverized the mighty pillar of ice to neutralize it. Scorching heat and absolute zero collided, enveloping the forest in white steam once more. As he employed this, Puck said: "Can you stand? If you cannot, we will lose after the next move." "...You say that like it's so easy, don't you?" Wiping the blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, Ram braced herself with a sigh. The fact that her condition had begun to deteriorate was proof that she had already gone beyond her limits. With his pact with Emilia rescinded, Puck's power was greatly reduced. In the first place, he required a vast amount of mana just to stay corporeal. Without a contractor, all he could do to remain in their plane of existence and employ magic was to somehow make do with his reserves. Even under these conditions, Puck was doing very well due to the skill he possessed. Part of her was tempted to rely on his brute strength to resolve this situation, but if Puck had really gone all out, the situation would have escalated to something unmanageable. "I think it would have been beeetter for you if you had broken the taboo and used astral transformation." "If I could absorb mana from the surrounding area without limit, this would end pretty quickly...but if I did that, I'd make Lia sad. If I don't protect what she wants to protect, that's putting the cart before the dragon." "Bold words after having rescinded the pact yourself." "Do you think my temporary partner is any less brave?" When the curtain of steam parted and Roswaal revealed himself, Puck flippantly responded to his sarcasm. The words made Roswaal glance at Ram, now all alone and in a tattered state, causing him to narrow his eyes. "Brave, you say? Certainly, in terms of being ready to throw away everything for the sake of her objective, one might call her brave...but what she has done is too foolish to be worthy of the word." * "This is a golden opportunity for her to avenge her kin. This, she has wasted with impatience unlike her, and she may well fall as a result... I am extremely disappointed in you, Ram." * "I wanted you to fulfill your desire and be...happy." Both of Roswaal's eyes were tinged with sadness and a faint whiff of melancholy. This was proof that he was genuinely disappointed that Ram would not complete her objective and that he regretted she did not stand beside him. Roswaal genuinely believed Ram should dedicate everything to accomplishing her goal taking revenge on him for her kin and he had hoped, until that day came, Ram would walk the same path as he. Just as Roswaal had hoped Subaru would play the role of coconspirator, he hoped Ram would be the one who would bury him. Truly, just how much would this man refuse to ? " Ram?" "Over and over, you touched me so many times, yet even so, not once did you realize my true wish." Exasperated with pity, anger, and self-mockery, Ram seemed to have reached the end of her wits. This was no longer even in the same dimension as obtuseness or a mere difference in ways of thinking. The notion that Ram's feelings were not of revenge but of love did not even exist inside Roswaal. "It would have been so much better had my body smoldered only with hatred and the desire to avenge my kin. Had I been but a vengeful Oni, my chest would not ache so. However " Unable to fathom where her words were going, Roswaal merely furrowed his brow with a questioning look. She let a pained smile slip. Truly, she thought, it was as if this man did not see anything beyond his own feelings. Therefore, surely, these words, too, would be completely astray from his expectations "Master Roswaal, Ram loves you." *** Receiving that blunt, straightforward confession of love, Roswaal widened his eyes and froze. He was agape, shaking his head at the reply, one that he had genuinely not imagined in the slightest. "Is something amiss?" "Amiss, you ask... Are you playing a prank on me? Trying to rattle me at a time like..." "You think I would expect such petty tricks to work on you? Ram is merely stating how she truly feels." "If not, all the more reason it cannot be true!!" Roswaal's voice was ragged as he shouted in anger. He thrust a finger forward, trained toward the stiff expression on Ram's face. "Love me? What are you saying?! You hate me. I am the man you hate. To you, I am a man linked to the cause of your homeland's destruction. Surely, the truth is that you hate me enough to kill me!" "In the beginning, it was so, but now it is not. Now Ram loves you." "That is absurd...! Who who, I ask, would believe in such cheap emotions?!" Feelings that began with vengeance must continue to remain of vengeance. Only feelings that began with love could arrive at love. He, who had stubbornly held to his feelings without a single deviation from them, could not believe Ram's change of heart. He could not. For if he understood them, it would undermine everything he had done. "What about your revenge?! Did you not swear upon it?! Did you not swear before your burning homeland and the souls of your dead brethren that you would avenge them?!" "I do feel bad for my kin, and my chest hurts when I think of my homeland. However, now that I have fallen in love, it cannot be helped. Ram prioritizes her feelings before the dead." Brazen and defiant, Ram pushed Roswaal into silence, leaving him unable to speak another word. Therefore, with him silent, unmoving, and unable to believe her change of heart into love, she spoke. "Ram will not allow you to become an empty shell. Obtaining you in that state is...meaningless." "...You are contradicting yourself. Even if your feelings are as you say... No, especially if they are, I cannot comprehend your reason for turning against me at this juncture. If events deviate from the book, I... So why?!" "That is why it must be now. It is only now that Barusu, Lady Emilia, and Garf have shaken Master Roswaal's heart to the point that I have a chance, likely to never come again." Garfiel had strayed from Roswaal's predictions, Subaru had rejected his search for a coconspirator, and Emilia, who had conquered her own past, had made a promise with Ram this was the one and only opportunity Ram would be provided in her lifetime. "Using this one, final opportunity, I shall steal you from your obsession with the Witch " Roswaal clearly did not comprehend. Ram mentally mocked herself when she realized she loved even that expression of his. There was no cure for this disease called love. The only path left to her was to forsake her passion until the moment of her death. " Great Spirit!" "Very well after all, in addition to my beloved daughter, I'm also the ally of all maidens in love." Puck responded to Ram's call. Ram howled, not bothering to listen to flippant words unworthy of her ears. Instantly, a freezing windstorm whipped around the forest. The time of the final gamble had arrived. 3 When the wind relented, Roswaal, whose reactions had been slow, held his breath, gritting his teeth at the spectacle. Countless mirrors constructed of ice were floating in the air in the forest around him. The reflections of light and landscapes that filled Roswaal's field of vision weakened his situational awareness on the battlefield. "Petty tricks !!" The countless mirrors were reflecting countless Rams and countless Pucks around the forest. Judging he could not bide his time, Roswaal instantly decided to deploy five instances of magic simultaneously, casting spells to manipulate the world around him. The resulting flames licked at their surroundings as the forest with the mirrors of ice was turned to ash. But such incantations were insufficient to break up the coordination of demon and spirit. As Roswaal unleashed more explosive flames, a shadow appeared overhead. He intercepted the flying figure with a fist, finding it surprisingly fragile. Roswaal blinked hard at the sensation of shattering. It was ice. One after another, ice sculptures shaped like people were being hurled at Roswaal from all directions. He steadied himself and dug in his feet. The next moment, a ferocious gale blew, enveloping ice sculpture and ice pillar alike, blowing them all skyward. During that momentary opening, Roswaal wove his next spell as he leaped backward. Something caught him. "From beneath..." "It's not like I tossed them all for meowthing." Drawing someone's attention upward to strike from below was a small, roundabout trick, but it was terrifyingly effective in a high-end magical battle. With his movements momentarily but fatally limited, Roswaal focused on his surroundings. What would settle things here was a well-polished and wary mind but it was then that he sensed something rapidly expanding. It cannot be, thought Roswaal in shock. But even as he doubted it, the aura swelled larger. Mowing down the trees and crushing the forest-turned-ash underfoot was
a majestic creature so enormous that it seemed to reach the heavens. Its gargantuan frame, boasting fearsome fangs and claws, seemed on par with a small mountain. Astral transformation this was the nightmarish trump card of Puck the Great Spirit, known as the Beast of the End, one of the Four Great Spirits, and the one who destroyed Melaquera the Conciliator long ago. Not allowing him to play that card was one of Roswaal's victory conditions. For certain reasons, Roswaal was currently unable to employ his own trump card sixfold magic. If he had to face Puck at full strength, his odds of winning would quickly crumble, and he would most likely wind up being overwhelmed in short order. In this situation, Roswaal opted to attack with everything he could muster. Turning to his rear, he glared toward the ferocious visage of the spirit that had undergone astral transforma " What?!" " Boo! All I did was get bigger!" He met the eyes of the enlarged spirit, who had retained his adorable face, and it was at this point that he realized it was a trap. However, it was too late. Having never canceled his spell, Roswaal launched a flaming missile at the enormously expanded spirit that had become a giant target before him. The scheming spirit was naturally blown away. It would be impossible for him to return to the front lines immediately. All that remained was to use that opportunity to " El Fulla!!" The incantation caused concentrated winds to churn the ground, blanketing Roswaal's vision in rising clods of soil. Brushing the curtain of dirt aside with one arm, he used a long swipe of his leg to kick down one of the hurled ice statues that had been left standing. Pushing the heavy object to the ground, Roswaal readied his mana once more, forging a new spell. As he saw it, his greatest enemy, Puck, had been sent flying, and Ram's following, ferocious attack was overcome and finished. Without lowering his guard, he surveyed the forest, searching for wherever Ram was lurking and Ram knew the exact moment Roswaal had looked away from her thanks to Clairvoyance. " Aaaghhh." Concentrating on her forehead, intense pain dyed her vision pure red. Bloody tears flowed from Ram's bloodshot eyes as she stripped off the ice covering her and leaped up from her hiding spot beneath Roswaal's foot. Impersonating an ice statue and being knocked down was all according to plan. Flesh and bones alike groaned throughout her entire body; a number of her tendons were torn. She ignored all this as her Oni blood seethed. * In that blistering battle, Roswaal realized what Ram's plan was and turned a fist on her. It was too late. Evading with nothing more than a twist of her head, she gently touched his right hand and shattered the bones within. Even as she burned into her eyes the expression of him biting back the fierce pain, Ram brushed his torso. Roswaal drew in his breath. It was an incomplete Oni transformation lasting less than two seconds but in that moment, Ram's brute strength far surpassed that of a human being, granting her the strength to break bones with the slightest touch or even rip out his innards if she so wished. That instant, Roswaal surely foresaw his own defeat. However " What?" He let out a dumbfounded voice when he failed to feel the pain and impact that should have come. Leaping with one leg to a distance of some ten yards from Roswaal, Ram came to a sudden stop. Blood flowed from her forehead as she bent over, followed by coughing up a large amount of blood as she fell to her knees. Victory and defeat had not been settled despite the passing of a decisive moment. That decision left Roswaal narrowing his brows when he finally realized something. Though Ram was near collapse, she was grasping something that was not hers to hold. "That's !" "To Ram, this is...the root of all evil." Roswaal's face went pale as he raced over to Ram. Smiling faintly at his action, Ram did not hesitate she hurled the book of knowledge into the green flame still clinging to a fallen tree. * Roswaal raised an incoherent shout, but the book of knowledge, engulfed by emotionless flame, burned up nonetheless. Making a dreadful little sound, the aged book ignited by the green flame blazed even stronger. This was Ram's only goal, for which she had awaited her golden opportunity "With this, finally..." Ram slackened as she sighed with satisfaction. The very next moment, a fiery missile hurled in anger sent the girl's tiny body flying. 4 A snowy landscape spread out in all directions. Her breath was white. The cold stabbed at her skin. Setting eyes upon the falling snow, which blew almost horizontally, Emilia blinked hard. What in the world had happened? " ady Emilia!" Hearing a voice over the roaring and howling of the cold wind, Emilia darted out. She gingerly put a foot on the snow-covered steps before racing down toward the clearing. In this world hidden by so much white, she could barely see anything else, Emilia desperately searched for any sign of the people who were supposed to be here. With the persistent flurries of snow buffeting her, she hoped everyone had taken shelter, but based on that voice she had just heard "Everyone! You shouldn't be out here like this! You need to stay in your...homes?" When Emilia caught sight of people huddled shoulder to shoulder in the heavy snowfall, she raced over. Right as she began scolding them for foolishly deciding to remain outside in this weather, her words caught in her throat. These were the people of the Sanctuary and Earlham Village the hundred people who had patiently awaited Emilia's return. The situation was simply far beyond what she'd expected. They were surrounded by walls of ice on four sides, protecting them from the blowing snow. "This is..." "Lady Emilia has returned! Lady Emilia! Does this mean the Trials are over?!" When Emilia came to a spontaneous halt, a youthful voice called to her from within the icy walls. Noticing this, the people awaiting Emilia's return looked at one another's faces, then let out an exultant shout. "Th-thank you! I was able to come back safe and sound thanks to all of you! I'm...really grateful, but this is terrible! What happened? What's with this snow?" "It began falling but a short while ago. This much accumulated in no time at all." Initially overwhelmed by their intense greetings, Emilia finally managed a response and asked a question of her own. That was when the face of Milde poked out from the press of bodies. She bowed quite deeply. "We have endured the wind and snow thanks to these walls of ice. Therefore, I judged it was best we should remain in place. Please forgive me." "That's... Mm-hmm, yes, I think you were right. In this kind of weather, there's no telling what might happen if you move around carelessly. But..." "Even with the barrier lifted, this makes movement rather...difficult, I imagine." Emilia gritted her teeth as Milde offered her assessment and let out a white breath. It would've been best if they started ferrying these hundred people out of the Sanctuary after lifting the barrier. But this was impossible, since the wheels of the dragon carriages wouldn't allow them to travel in such heavy snow. That said, remaining in place was not an option. If they could at least reach a place that sheltered them from the wind "If it's too hard to return to the Cathedral, how about the tomb? The mana inside keeps it fairly warm, and there's no concern about it collapsing even if the snow piles really high." "Go...inside it?" "Yes, it's all right! All the dangerous mechanisms have stopped, so going in is no problem. Everyone, please head inside. Beyond that You! I have a favor to ask!" As the surprised Milde gave a nod, Emilia pointed to one of the men. This was the last individual she'd exchanged words with before challenging the final Trial. His eyes went wide, but he immediately stood straighter. " ! U-understood! I'm Tokaku! Say whatever you wish!" "Thank you, Mr. Tokaku. There have to be people who aren't here yet, right? I want you to gather them together. Have all the merchants and land dragons meet up at the tomb!" Besides the hundred in front of the tomb, there was a small number of stragglers remaining in the Sanctuary. She could not abandon them. She judged that if anything happened, it would be easier to protect everyone if they were in one place. "...Leave it to me. I will see this task through!" Tokaku nodded deeply in response to her instructions. Emilia had determined him to be the right person for the job after noting how he was physically stouter than anyone else present. Then Emilia addressed the remaining concern, namely "Where did Miss Ryuzu go? Also, where are Ram and Roswaal...?" She did not see the youthful-looking elder, who should have been at Milde's side. Ram, who had left to attend to her duty, had not returned yet, and Roswaal's absence left Emilia concerned for Ram's well-being. "When the snow first began to fall, the elder left, saying she had to go see her family. We tried to stop her, but..." "Family? Family... Did she mean Miss Shima?" The mention of family left Emilia with the mental image of Ryuzu's seemingly identical twin sister coming to mind. Ryuzu and Shima were not sisters, strictly speaking, but that was how Emilia conceptualized their relationship. And according to what she'd heard from Ram, Shima was supposed to have been resting at home at the moment. "But Miss Ryuzu's so little herself. She should have just asked someone to help her instead of going alone..." "Er, pardon me, Lady Emilia...but who is this Shima of whom you speak?" "Ehhh?! You don't know her?! Why not?!" It wasn't just the people of Earlham Village cocking their heads at the mention of the unfamiliar name but the residents of the Sanctuary as well. It seemed not a single person present had even heard of her. Emilia sensed there had to have been some reason behind this strange confusion, but the unexpected development left her feeling anxious nonetheless. "I've actually met her, so she must be... Anyway! I'll go look for both of them! Or is that three...four people now? Anyway, I'll look for them!" On top of Ryuzu and Shima, Ram and Roswaal further added to Emilia's list of people to question. Their circumstances no doubt differed, but Emilia wanted to speak to all of them in a safe place. "After that... These walls of ice! I want to speak to whoever made these. If there's someone who specializes in magic, I'd be happy if that person would help Mr. Tokaku, but..." Pointing to the snow-repelling walls of ice, Emilia let her gaze wander as she searched for the person responsible. Had it not been for those ice walls, it would have taken her far longer to ascertain the situation, and organizing everyone's movements would have been exceedingly difficult. This led her to think more aid from this person would be a huge help. But her words made the people in particular, the people of Earlham Village look at one another's faces. "...Lady Emilia, was this not your doing?" "Eh? Me? I didn't do it, but..." The assertion blindsided Emilia, who widened her eyes in shock. She remained surprised as Milde continued to speak. "However, that spirit said to thank Lady Emilia...or Lia, rather." Being called Lia made Emilia's breath catch. "Just as the snow began falling, a tiny spirit flew over the clearing, making these walls in no time at all. As Lady Emilia is a spirit mage, I was completely convinced that..." "Puck..." The only one who called Emilia Lia was that adorable spirit. He was the sole one she could think
of who would have tried to help in a place like this whether he liked it or not. Emilia's heart was trembling from Milde's explanation as she touched an icy wall. She thought if he was the one who had made them, there might be some trace, some lingering feeling that she might sense through her touch. But the instant she touched the wall, the sensation shooting through Emilia's hand was not adorable at all. " Ah." Something flowed into Emilia through the palm she'd set on the wall. That instant, in a gap between the roar of the cold, blowing wind, she lifted her head, hearing something that sounded like the very world had split apart. With snow-blurred vision, Emilia saw a tower formed of ice standing in the white-covered forest off in the distance. The tower of ice, manifesting that very moment, was an invitation, a guidepost for Emilia. You still have a job to do, don't you, Lia? She clenched her teeth tightly, feeling as if she heard the voice of family who should have been forever by her side. Realizing intuitively that she needed to rush over to that place, Emilia turned back toward the hundred present. "Seems like I have to head that way could you wait here where it's safe?" " We will do as we promised before the Trial. Lady Emilia, be careful." With those words as her send-off, Emilia smiled, then turned toward the tower of ice in the forest. There was no hesitation in her steps. Of course there wasn't. Puck would never lead Emilia astray. 5 The unconscious Ram looked like she was merely asleep. "...Ram?" Picking up her listless body from the ground, Roswaal called out the girl's name. There was no reply. Normally, Ram would make Roswaal's words her first priority, putting all other things aside, but now... Now she was on death's door, and the one responsible was none other than Roswaal. "So you lost your temper when she burned the book. Not like you at all. But she was prepared for even this. I think she really is a strong girl." Puck looked down at Ram's charred form as he spoke, his oversize form having long since dissipated. After taking a direct hit from a fiery shot, his mana-composed body was faintly thinner than before. But the respect in his voice was genuine, and he surely retained enough power to flatten the dazed Roswaal. However, Puck did no such thing, seemingly content to hover silently as the battle was postponed. "...Ram." Roswaal paid Puck no heed as he embraced the girl's slender body and called her name. He could not remember what he had been thinking until he had picked up Ram's prone body a moment before. He still could not comprehend why Ram had confronted him, exhausting her strength until she was on the brink of death. To Roswaal, Ram was a useful and convenient pawn. She was invaluable in terms of strength and mental prowess; more than anything, her vengeful heart, which was aimed at Roswaal, made her flawless. He'd genuinely thought he was fine granting another control over his final moments...as long as it was her. With her vengeful heart unceasingly continuing to blaze within her, she would obey him until the very end, at which point he would offer himself to her, no longer caring that his soul would be seared away by the fires of her revenge. She had betrayed him in a way he had never fathomed and for a reason he did not comprehend. "Ram, why did you...?" Had she changed? Had her feelings taken a new shape? He could not understand. All of one's emotions ought to continue in the same manner from the moment when they glimmered at their strongest. If you truly loved someone, if you truly hated someone, that passion, that radiance, should remain constant for eternity. It was holding on to hopes and desires for a long, long time that made them truly genuine. Over long months and years, feeling hardened so that nothing and no one could undermine them. That was the ideal. Garfiel's hateful heart toward what rested beyond the Sanctuary should never have been broken. Time should not have healed Emilia's aversion and regrets toward the past. And that went for Ram's inexhaustible hatred and vengeful heart toward Roswaal all the more. Master Roswaal, Ram loves you. "You've lost, Roswaal." The confession of love had been burned into his ears like a curse. Even that moment, in his arms with her eyes closed, the girl's lips were pursed with an expression of emotion that should not have existed. Roswaal made a faint noise in his throat as he mulled and deciphered these things in his mind. "She has fulfilled her goal, albeit by the barest of threads." * "Soon, Lia will also finish the Trials. You lost the book you depended on. I understand why you were so obsessed. But..." This is the end, the spirit was saying. It was the second demand for surrender Roswaal had received that day. The first came from Subaru Natsuki and the second from the Great Spirit. But the difference between the first and the second was the power to resist that remained within him. Roswaal found he could not bear to even move his limbs. Even if the reason for his condition was unclear, facts were facts. That moment, he lacked the strength with which to defy the spirit's words. But this applied only to the Roswaal at that particular moment in time. The cold wind carried the stench of flames and the thick aroma of something scorched. Vestiges of battle raged through the forest as Puck watched Roswaal hold the weakened Ram in his arms. It was then that the spirit suddenly noticed. A sprinkle of white snowflakes crept into his field of vision, melting and vanishing before they even fell to the ground. "Snow...? It can't be. I mean, you're right here..." As he looked up at the flurry of snow, Puck's voice quivered at the presence of heavy clouds filling the sky. Using a magic crystal as a catalyst, the weather had been changed, causing snow to fall upon the Sanctuary. This had been Roswaal's aim, the act he had intended to perform in adherence to what was written in his book of knowledge. Preventing this from happening was why Ram and Puck had joined together, and they had even succeeding in consigning the book of knowledge to the flame. But their plan had fallen one step short of catching up to Roswaal's meticulousness. " You got us good. You'd already made preparations to call the snow clouds before the battle had even begun, didn't you? All you needed to do after was to drag it out." Before the battle had kicked off, Roswaal had etched the spell's formula directly into the magic crystal, then pulled the pair away and diverted their attention while it activated. Since the spell needed to be kept active full-time, this prevented Roswaal from using his trump card, sixfold magic, which had made the battle far more arduous for him. But "The snow will fall. It'll be just as Subaru feared. I'm going to head off and postpone the worst." * "Roswaal, you're really something. You're an amazing magic user. So far as I know, there is probably no human who has honed himself as much as this. But you know what, though?" The floating spirit rose higher, turning his back to Roswaal, the harbinger of the snow clouds. He left one final comment. "No matter how far you go, you're still human you'll never be like that devil." As the spirit flew off, his voice became distant, and his presence vanished, leaving behind only a soft glow. What remained was the scattering snow and a girl carried by a devil Nay, there was only a clown. He was a wretched fool who had tried to become a devil and failed. * Roswaal put strength into the arms in which he held the sleeping girl. But the girl's breathing remained faint, distant, and there was no doubt her life was coming to an end. His heart beat faster, yelling at him that this could not, must not continue. His left eye throbbed. It throbbed so much that he was tempted to gouge it out of its socket. Stop. Don't throb. I will stop being me. What should he do? What could he do? There had to be something he could do, something he needed to do. He did not understand what was wrong. He couldn't remember. He couldn't think. * He looked around him. There was nothing he sought anywhere he looked. The book in which the future was written, surely leading Roswaal to the promised day, was scorched from flames, all in pieces. There was no one to tell him what to do. In that moment, what choice was best? There was no one to turn to, no one to guide him. The clouds grew thicker, and snow steadily covered more of the forest flake by flake. The world was being repainted in ever deepening layers of white, and Roswaal, his breath frosting, didn't know what to do about the increasingly cold body that lay within his arms. "In accordance with the book of knowledge, I have made the snow fall... What do I do now?" At this point, Roswaal had fulfilled and finished his role for "this time around." In the first place, it had been an attempt he would have abandoned long before if not for the wager with Subaru. From the very beginning, there had been no special objective worthy of the word even that gamble occupied but a fragment in the corner of his mind. To Roswaal, it was no longer necessary to do any more. What was important was the conclusion that the events in the Sanctuary would reach: The snow would fall, and the barrier would be lifted. If these were achieved. If these were achieved what was supposed to happen, exactly? "Ram... Ahhh, that's right. Ram." The sound of Ram's breathing had already vanished. Half out of habit, Roswaal touched her forehead. Her forehead was drenched with blood that flowed from the white scar where her horn had once been. This was the result of forcibly entering her demonic form. Wiping it clean, Roswaal subconsciously poured colorless mana into the wound. It was a ritual he had continued all that time, for Ram's body required mana to circulate within her every bit as much as her Oni blood. It was not out of any conscious thought. It was simply that Roswaal subconsciously understood the only way to keep Ram's life tethered was to gamble on Ram's own Oni vitality. He never questioned whether to save her. Ram had to live. She was Roswaal's fate. His last moments needed to be ended by her hand. For the sake of fulfilling his objective... For the sake of what would come after he fulfilled his objective...Ram had to live. "Teacher... I..." His mind felt completely lost. Only the sight of the Witch who had taught him filled his mind. "I...I! What should I do, Teacher...?! Teacher...please tell me. I still don't understand anything... Please show me the way, Teacher...!" Even as he tried to sustain Ram's tenuous hold on life, his anger toward her betrayal had not faded. Even though he understood there was no longer anything left to guide him, he still yearned to see that promised day. The falling snow mercilessly daubed Roswaal's and Ram's bodies with fresh powder. The white was all-encompassing, causing everything to vanish. Yet, at no point did he think that he would be satisfied with such an ending. 6 Emilia earnestly raced down the snowy path as she headed toward the tower of ice standing tall in the forest. Letting out sharp white breaths, her speed was unthinkably fast given the poor footing, but Emilia was not running on the poor footing. With
each step, her foot made contact with an icy platform; then she would use her heels to launch herself to the next one. This way, she made considerable progress in a short amount of time. "I! Did it! There we go!" Of course, the icy footholds resting on top of snow made for quite a slippery path. But to Emilia, raised in the frozen Great Elior Forest, this was nothing. He knew that, too. Armed with this knowledge, the spirit had created this footing without the slightest hesitation. Steadily, she crept deeper into the white forest. Emilia did not think of this as cause for concern. She would believe in what she wanted to, rely on what she wished to. With those thoughts in her mind, she was invincible. Subaru. Otto. Garfiel. Frederica. Ryuzu. Shima. The villagers. The people of the Sanctuary Ram. Puck. Herself. She believed in them. Hence, it was not long before she arrived at a white structure deep within the forest. "There are eddies of mana here... Is this the cause of the snow falling?" Emilia let out those words along with a white breath as she faced the snow-buried ruin before her. Standing beside the white ruin was the spire of ice that had led her to it. Like a person awaiting the arrival of his guest, it instantly shattered, the mana returning now that its goal had been fulfilled. As the scattering mana glittered and danced in the sky, she was drawn to the open, yawning entrance leading into the structure. Furthermore, as if to guide Emilia within, instead of words, she felt Puck's feelings urging her onward. " ! It's really smelly. Animal repellent...? Besides that, this thick mana is a spirit repellent... Someone really didn't want anyone going inside." The pungent odor pricked her nostrils as the concentrated mana, something she had no resistance to, clouded her consciousness. The thorough means to keep people out was proof enough that this was the nexus of the disturbance. " Puck's waiting. I have to go." After hesitating for one moment, Emilia steeled herself and stepped into the ruin. Snow was coming in from the cracks in the ceiling, and so, too, was the air indoors bitingly cold. There were a number of small rooms along the path, but Emilia headed to the back without paying them heed that was where she felt a precious spirit's presence. Then, at the very back of the structure, she made a slight sound in her throat when she spotted a room from which a faint blue light trickled forth. For it was there that contained an unbelievably large magic crystal and a throng of girls all around it. "...Miss Ryuzu?" "Lady Emilia?! Why have you come here...? No." When Emilia called out, it was...probably Ryuzu who turned toward her with a nervous look. She could not say for sure only because the other girls in attendance all of them bore the same face as Ryuzu. There were twenty or so, and Emilia could not conceal her inner turmoil from seeing a line of girls with the same face. She was just now discovering that not only did Ryuzu have Shima for a sister, but she also had so many, many others... "So many... Miss Ryuzu's mother must have had it really tough..." "I'll save the replica explanation for later! At any rate, please hold me back!" "Stop you, Miss Ryuzu...?" It was taking Emilia a while to grasp the situation. But then she noticed the throng of Ryuzu sisters was impeding Ryuzu's actions, preventing her from moving forward. Then Emilia realized the girl standing in front of the giant magic crystal looked like Shima. Shima's expression, somehow sad and tragic, sent a chill up Emilia's spine. Recalling the Trials of the past, the future, and the unknowable present, Shima's face bore the same resolve as the people she had seen in those visions, determining their own fates "That's you, Miss Shima, right? What in the world are you doing? What is this place?" "Lady Emilia, the fact that you are here safe and sound means the Trials have ended, yes? In other words, all is prepared for us to fulfill our final duty... Young Gar's gamble has paid off." " ! There's a Miss Ryuzu inside the magic crystal?" As Shima heaved a heavy sigh, there was a person resting within the magic crystal behind her. It was a little girl with her eyes closed and clutching her knees yet another who looked just like Ryuzu. Except for Emilia, there was no one present except a group of girls with the same face. Being seized by the abnormality, the creepiness of the situation would have been normal. But Emilia stepped to the fore. "Did you come to bring the girl out of the magic crystal? Can I just take all of you to the tomb with me?" " I am utterly amazed that you could look at this situation and have those be the first words out of your mouth." Emilia's words made Shima's eyes bulge. She was so taken aback, the tone of her voice changed slightly. "Mm, it's all right. I may not look it, but I have a lot of power, so if I make an ice sled to ride, I think I could pull all of you with me." From what Emilia could tell, the magic crystal was rather large, but with the proper preparation, transporting it was surely possible. With this many people helping, even if they had been ordinary children, they could get it moving with some hard work and planning. If that's what it took to wipe that tragic, forlorn look off Shima's face, she'd work as hard as it took. However, Emilia's suggestion caused Shima to say "no," shaking her head with a slight smile. "Your feelings make me happy, but that will not be necessary. I have not come here to take our sleeping ancestor inside the magic crystal with us...but to bring her duty to an end." "Duty to an end...?" "This magic crystal is the core of the barrier enveloping the Sanctuary. The ritual was activated from the tomb, and this core acted as the catalyst to give the barrier form. In other words, when both sites have ceased to function, the Sanctuary's role as a place of shelter shall end; it shall be set free, so to speak. Lady Emilia, you have broken the ritual. Therefore, what remains is..." Emilia, who had destroyed the ritual in the coffin with the intent of lifting the barrier, was taken by surprise. If this was true, this ceremony was necessary and unavoidable, but "Er, does it have to be done right now? Right now, snow is falling really heavily outside, so I wanted to assemble everyone at the tomb..." "If, by any chance, this facility was to be destroyed or its administrators lost, it would become an unsalvageable situation. That is why we, the administrators of the Sanctuary, the personalities representing the replicas, are also its keys." Shima was dubbing herself a key that they could not afford to lose. Emilia intuitively understood this was likely an undeniable fact. People had their roles to play, just like the roles Emilia had there in the Sanctuary and in the Kingdom of Lugunica. The same went for Shima, and she was attempting to fulfill hers. "Lady Emilia, take this." Detecting a shift in Emilia's expression, Shima tossed something her way. Instantly catching it, Emilia let out an "ah..." at what had fallen into her palm. This was a piece broken off from the magic crystal, a tiny fragment containing tremendous power. More than anything, Emilia felt a pulse run through the high-purity magic crystal: that of the precious spirit who had led Emilia to this place where they ought to have met each other... "Puck, is that you?" "The Great Spirit preceded your arrival, destroyed the seals, and apparently delayed the spell's activation. He used all his strength to save the people in the settlement." Shima's explanation made Emilia notice the vestiges of an extremely complex formula at the center of the magic crystal. Its overwhelmingly dense magical composition rivaled that of the spell with the coffin at its core. Ordinarily, a magical bulwark sufficient to burn one to a crisp would have prevented all entry into that room. The fact that she could read the composition of the unraveled formula was not due to the caster's lack of skill but because it had been constructed in a rush. Indeed, a surprised gasp escaped her when she realized it had been hastily assembled yet still possessed such vast power. The being who had removed the magical bulwark, leaving her a path forward, was doubtlessly the Great Spirit who continued to sleep in the magic crystal fragment in Emilia's palm. "You opened up the magical barrier, protected everyone from the falling snow, and did something reckless just to tell me about this place... How many other unreasonable things did you do besides that...?" There was no reply to her question. Having ensured Emilia's arrival, Puck had fallen completely silent. He had arbitrarily rescinded their pact in order to wrench open the lid on Emilia's memories. She'd already come to terms with him vanishing somewhere far off and for any reunion to be a long ways down the road. However, Puck had used his vanishing existence to keep pushing, lending her a paw until the very, very end. As a result, he had lost his power and had fallen asleep a long, long sleep inside that fragment. "...Lady Emilia, you and Young Su have borrowed much outside power besides his. If this opportunity has been granted as a consequence, it should fall to me to bring our duty to an end." Emilia, closing her eyes as she clutched the tiny magic crystal against her chest, lifted up her head. When she looked, Shima was touching a hand to the large magic crystal with a soft, pleasant smile on her face. Somehow, when she looked at that smile, it overlapped with that of the now-departed Puck's and the one Fortuna showed in her final moments. The tragic resolve she had sensed earlier was because here, Shima had found meaning in the fulfillment of her duty. "Duty, duty... I understand our duty! But why must it be you?!" That instant, while Emilia stayed silent, Ryuzu's voice cried out raggedly. Shima's smile drove her to make her earnest plea even as the other girls held her arms and legs tight. Tears were welling in her blue eyes tears that spoke of compassion, regret, and a powerful sense of responsibility. "We have forsaken you for these past ten years. You were removed from your duty as administrator, leaving you to live alone this whole time...and yet, after all that, now you take this duty upon yourself?" "...I suppose you have a point. Were I truly alone for ten years, I might well have borne a grudge." Lowering her eyes, Shima reminisced about the long months and years to which Ryuzu referred. Emilia did not know what passed between the two. However, as she reminisced about those ten lonely years, Shima smiled. Ryuzu had called them ten years she had spent each and every day alone, yet Shima had found sufficient reason to smile. "But I was not alone. I was with my adorable grandson and grew to know him well. I was able to watch him grow up and become strong, bit by bit. And now that child... Garf, our grandchild, has gone outside, standing tall and proud." *** "I gave that child a push in the back already. Please watch over him from now on. Arma, Bilma, Derma...my sisters, my other selves." Narrowing her eyes, Shima looked straight at Ryuzu as she spoke. Ryuzu acknowledged those words and that gaze; her delicate shoulder trembled as Emilia gently placed a hand upon it. Emilia wanted to stop her. However, she could not. All she offered was a simple
nod. Gazing into Shima's eyes, Emilia stood straighter. She knew that what she had to do...was watch her fulfill her duty. "...You can leave the rest to me." " It is surprising how much you have grown in a mere half a day. This is what brings us elders joy." The corners of her eyes fell. Her elderly smile seemed misplaced on her youthful face. Leaving this behind, Shima turned toward the magic crystal and the spitting image of herself within, gently nodding toward something. That instant, a pale, dazzling light filled the room's interior. The flash of white seemingly melted the world away, blotting it out. After so very, very long, that pale, warm light heralded the Sanctuary's true end it was the final demise of the cradle of the gentle Witch. * Then, when the light cleared, surprisingly, there was nothing at all. All signs of Shima and the giant magic crystal on the pedestal were completely gone. Within the room, only Emilia, Ryuzu, and the many girls who had no one left to rely on remained. Emilia wasn't sure exactly what had happened. She could not bring herself to ask for details. She had merely been in attendance during a pivotal moment, bearing witness until the end. And with that complete, Emilia had a duty of her own to carry on. Puck and Shima had both done what they had to do. Then, having arrived at this point... "Let's go, Miss Ryuzu. There are things we need to do." "Lady Emilia..." "We've been entrusted with important thoughts and hopes, so for now..." Turning around, Emilia set eyes upon the entrance leading outside the room. Ryuzu followed suit, glancing at her sisters to confirm they did the same before giving a determined nod "We'll save the tears until later that's what the people I love always tell me with a smile." 7 Ryuzu offered an explanation that the girls' duty was to serve as the Sanctuary's "eyes." * It certainly weighed on Emilia's mind to know that the sisters would silently carry out her every order. But she set that aside for the moment. Just like how Shima had fulfilled her role and how Ryuzu had her own duty, these girls also had their own roles to play. However, that didn't mean there was nothing for them in life beyond that. They would get many wonderful opportunities after everything happening in the Sanctuary was finished. Emilia was sure of it. Therefore, for that instant only, Emilia wanted to rely on them to fulfill their responsibilities, so that she, who was lacking in so many things, could reach the place she so dearly wanted to go "Ram! Roswaal!!" There were gaps between snapped-off trees, furrows of overturned earth, and the unnatural snowfall when she saw the man and woman nestled close in front of that backdrop, Emilia raced over without a moment to spare. With the silent girls in tow, Emilia slid over frozen snow and bounded toward the copse of the trees. When she reached her destination and examined Roswaal, she realized he was half-covered in snow, not making the slightest movement as he gazed into the distance. Emilia violently shook his shoulder as she harshly called out to him. "Hey, Roswaal! Are you listening? Roswaal, I'm talking to you! You can't stay in a place like this! You need to get to the tomb right away... This isn't the time to freeze!" When she shook him, snow that had accumulated on Roswaal's head fell away. When she caught a glimpse of the side of his face her shaking had uncovered, it stole Emilia's breath away. She sensed no life in those eyes, no gravitas from his expression... He looked so very frail. " ! Ram?" Frightened by Roswaal's lack of reaction, Emilia called out to the girl sleeping in his arms. But seeing her slumbering face, she immediately sensed something was wrong. There was no sign of the snow accumulating on her cheek melting away... "Ram? Ram!" Emilia desperately called out to that sleeping face, trying to see if that would wake her. However, there was no response. Of course there was no reply, but her eyelids didn't even twitch. When she touched the girl, her cheek and her lips seemed abnormally cold. It was almost as if "That can't be...!" Brushing that grim possibility aside, Emilia put a hand into Ram's clothes. When she touched the girl's diminutive, cold-feeling chest to make sure, her palm felt a faint reaction...the weakest of heartbeats. " She's alive! It'll be all right! We can still make it! Roswaal!" Having found a ray of hope, Emilia looked back at Roswaal. His hand still touched her forehead, but his eyes remained vacant and distant. That same moment, she understood. A vast amount of mana was coursing from Roswaal's palm into Ram's forehead. By feeding her considerably weakened body that mana, he had helped maintain her weak hold on life, if just barely. "You saved Ram, didn't you...?" Recognizing this, Emilia sank into thought. Ram's condition was poor. Under normal circumstances, it would most likely not be a good idea to move her at all. But there was a reason she could not simply leave them there. Ryuzu had informed her of the terrifying demon beasts closing in on them. The heavy snow was a foreboding omen, and with each moment that passed, danger drew closer to the Sanctuary. Emilia truly had made the right decision to gather everyone together at the tomb. There, she could set up a defensive perimeter and secure the people who she had to protect. It wasn't an issue of whether she could. She'd do it no matter what. Even if she could not borrow Roswaal's strength, Emilia possessed the combat capability to do it alone. "Anyway, Roswaal, let's bring Ram with us. These girls will help, so we'll evacuate you both to the tomb. Roswaal, don't give up on treating Ram..." "...s fine." " Huh?" Emilia gazed in astonishment, doubting whether she'd correctly heard the raspy voice her eardrums had caught. To Emilia, that was how unexpected those words were. That was to what extent she found them unbelievable. Emilia stood there dumbfounded as Roswaal repeated them. "It's fine..." The voice seemed ready to vanish. As a matter of fact, the words were immediately taken and swept away by the cold wind, scattering them aside. He seemed to be muttering under his breath. It was not even clear if Roswaal himself heard the words. But that weak, chafed voice of resignation certainly reached her. Hence, Emilia " Don't you dare decide something like that on your own!!" Emilia grasped Roswaal's collar, her voice shaking with anger. The force made him cry out in pain. Emilia glared at his face as if she was ready to bite it off. Indignation rested in her violet eyes as she howled: "It's fine?! What do you mean, fine?! There's nothing fine about this! There's not a single thing here that's fine! Don't you dare give up and try to end this on your own! For me, Ram, and you, Roswaal, there's no way any of this is fine!!" " Uagh." "I finished the Trials! The past I was afraid of seeing! The happy future that could have been! The miserable future that might come who-knows-when! I saw it all! Even so, I decided to walk this path... Yes, I decided! And I'm walking it now!" She howled. She kept on howling. Uncontainable anger bubbled up from deep within Emilia, an anger beyond anything she had ever known. Yes. That was it. What a weak voice she had and what pathetic answers. She'd been spoiled to the core. Could it really be called living life if it ended the moment someone gave up? Roswaal's cheeks stiffened. He squirmed in an apparent attempt to avoid her gaze. This was not out of anxiousness for Ram as she rested in his arms; he simply wanted to escape the look in her eyes. This, she would not allow. Grasping his chin, Emilia turned him to face her. "When you're having a conversation, look who's talking to you in the eye!" * "If you don't look someone in the eye, you can't tell when someone's desperately trying to think of something. If someone's not looking into your eyes, they can't tell why you want to do something. So look into my eyes, listen to my voice, stand up, and come with me don't give up." Roswaal blinked. His differently colored eyes seemed to have realized something. His small lips twitched. However, they did not form a sound. Nonetheless, they possessed tangible...will. " Ah." "I won't let anyone say it's fine. As long as we're alive, there'll be none of this it's fine stuff that's why I don't want to give up on anyone, not anymore!" She stood up. That instant, Emilia whirled around, thrusting her arm toward the forest behind her. She froze to the bone the demon beast leaping toward her, enveloping it in blustering snow and glacial cold. The creature she had caught was white, small enough to fit in her palm. However, this was a ferocious being with gleaming red eyes. It had arrived. The demon beast known as the Great Rabbit had finally come. "They're here... Yeah, because I'm a Witch. Or is it because Puck is here?" The Witch who had frozen the Great Elior Forest or the Great Spirit who had served as her father figure either one made delicious feed for the horde of demon beasts raising a racket with their teeth gnashing as they steadily drew nearer. Touching a hand to her chest, Emilia said a prayer on the new magic crystal fragment that hung from her neck. Not a prayer yearning for deliverance but a vow that she would see things through. "Take care of Roswaal and Ram. Everything will be fine as long as you can make it back to the tomb... I'll protect everyone without fail!" As Emilia decisively issued instructions to Ryuzu's sisters, the girls immediately did as they were told. It was their role to obey this temporary master, who just so happened to have the qualifications to order them but it was up to Emilia to play the role assigned to her more valiantly than any other in the four centuries of the Sanctuary's history. Using magic to scatter the pursuing demon beasts, Emilia cut open a path toward the tomb and raced ahead. The girls followed close behind her, looking like retainers who had sworn fealty to their king. For in Emilia's footsteps and her gaze, there was no hesitation. Not anymore. CHAPTER 7 * 1 It was immediately after being separated from Ryuzu that Beatrice began waiting for That Person. Having lost Ryuzu Meyer, who had established the Sanctuary at the cost of her own existence, they had endured against Hector, Devil of Melancholy. Her wait began immediately following that. "Beatrice. I entrust you with administering the archive containing my knowledge. Until the appointed hour comes, I want you to protect the archive's store of knowledge as its guardian so that none may ransack it." " Eh?" Called to her mother's study, Beatrice opened her eyes wide, bewildered and shaken as she was commanded to keep watch. She'd been certain that her mother the Witch Echidna would command her to risk her life fighting to support her in a coming battle. Beatrice could only widen her eyes at being handed a role she'd never even conceived of. "Fortunately, as a master of Dark magic, you wield Passage, which connects an isolated space to familiar places... Yes, let us call this space the archive of forbidden books. Therein, the writings that contain all the knowledge I possess shall be collected and preserved. This is what I want you to protect." "W-wait..." "You may link the archive to Roswaal's mansion. That child... It's more than likely his Gate was crushed in the previous battle and he'll never be able to demonstrate his genius again. Even so, I am certain
he will be of great assistance to you. I want both of you to get along nicely and await my return..." "Wait just a... Could you hold on for a moment, I wonder?!" As Echidna ignored her shock and kept pushing on with the conversation, Beatrice desperately asked her to slow down. She could not comprehend Mother's words No, her instincts screamed she could not allow herself to comprehend. Echidna's farseeing, far-reaching plans were well beyond the ken of any normal person. Her words were always absolute, so never once before had Beatrice even considered interrupting them. That was precisely why she interjected now. If the words ahead were also absolute, she would forever regret allowing them to be spoken. "Mother...what are you saying? D-do I even understand what this archive of forbidden books means, I wonder?! Betty...wants to go with Mother!!" "Unfortunately, even if you are with me, I can do nothing against a foe even Roswaal could not handle. If you and I are both destroyed, what will happen to the knowledge I have accumulated? I have a duty to see it inherited." And having someone inherit this knowledge was the duty she was leaving to Beatrice by entrusting her with the archive of forbidden books. Instantly, Beatrice came to a realization. She finally understood the meaning of the Dark magic she had so passionately studied, the purpose of her affinity for it. "It cannot be... Betty's power...was for this?" * "Mother, from the beginning, you knew this would... Then not only this so-called archive but the Sanctuary...and Roswaal, and Ryuzu also...!" Resentfully, with tears in her eyes, Beatrice shook her head. Echidna fell silent, narrowing her black eyes. Then the Witch stood up, gently offering her daughter the single tome that had been resting on her desk. "This is..." "An imperfect copy of my Authority. This is the book of knowledge. I have not completely analyzed the methodology behind that magic tome, but it should suffice as a simple guidepost in showing the way to the bearer's future." The ring of those words, a magic tome guiding the way to the future, made Beatrice draw in her breath as she accepted the book. If she'd had this before, leading her onto the proper path, would the words she was hearing from her mother that very moment, and what she should do next, be written within? "There are two copies. The first, I give to you, and the second, I will give to Roswaal. He should make the proper arrangements henceforth. I am sorry this is so arbitrary, but I want you to do as I say." When Beatrice took in all of Mother's words, she realized it was already too late. No matter how much Beatrice cried, clung, and wailed don't go, her mother would not change her ways. For Echidna, the Witch of Greed, had chosen to be a Witch ahead of being a mother. "Let us speak about your term as guardian of the archive. Even if I do not return, the archive must be opened to someone at some point. The one suitable to inherit my knowledge will surely come one day. You will know when the time has come." "Come for Betty...?" "As a placeholder, let us use the words That Person. Your term will last until That Person arrives at the archive of forbidden books and tells you that your duty has come to an end this is my final request." Her final request the ring of those words made Beatrice look up at Echidna's black eyes once more. Her mother's...expression was ever-unchanged. And yet, for the briefest of moments, an unknown emotion passed over it. "Betty be well." 2 After parting ways with Echidna, Beatrice's losses and farewells continued. Just as Mother had told her to, Beatrice took up residence at the Roswaal family's home. There, she used her mastery of Dark magic to construct the archive of forbidden books, filled it with her mother's knowledge, and called herself its librarian. Immersing herself in that role, she turned a blind eye to all the despair remaining in the world around her. "Copying the soul... Overwriting the vessel..." At some point, Roswaal began to frequently visit the archive of forbidden books. But his only interest was the bookshelves of knowledge within, so he and Beatrice exchanged hardly any words. Beatrice wondered when the youth, once too lanky and stubble covering his face, had become an adult? He bore a staff and looked like he had trouble walking he had suffered unhealed wounds during the battle with that devil, putting Roswaal's body into a state that made even day-to-day life arduous. In spite of this, ever since he had become able to walk again, he had terribly abused that inconvenient body, whittling his life away as he remained turned toward the bookshelves. "Hellooo, Beatrice. I shall intruuude upon you today once more." "...Do as you please." By rights, the archive of forbidden books was a place she shouldn't have allowed anyone into. Echidna's request was for That Person to eventually come and inherit her knowledge. It wasn't an open library that just anyone could peruse until That Person came. Everyone else belonged in the Sanctuary. But even so, Roswaal, and only Roswaal, was the exception. He alone was special, the only other one to whom, like Beatrice, Echidna had entrusted a vital mission. And to Beatrice, he was the only reminder that the days she treasured existed without a doubt. Yes, to Beatrice, only he * He had come to the archive again. Roswaal threw himself into the sea of Echidna's knowledge with wild abandon, seemingly gambling his life on finding something within Beatrice did not know if he ever did. But several years later, Roswaal A. Mathers the last person she had known from those days lost his life just on the verge of entering his thirties, and administration of the mansion was passed on to the next generation. "Greetings, Lady Beatrice. I thought I should say somethiiiing to you in place of my predecessor." "...Did Roswaal die, I wonder?" "My predecessor has passed away. However, rest at ease. As current head of the household, I, Roswaal B. Mathers, duly inherit his duty toward you and his debt of obligation toward your mother." He smiled as his eyes, one yellow, one blue, reflected her expressionless face. 3 Little worth mentioning happened after that. The heads of the Mathers family continued to call themselves Roswaal, inheriting the name from previous generations. This was apparently so they would never forget to revere Echidna, Beatrice's departed mother. Even though she understood this, she could not treat them like she had the first generation. Of course she couldn't. To Beatrice, there was only one Roswaal she could consider special. All others were fakes. To maintain the archive of forbidden books, she needed them to provide access to the mansion. Furthermore, even if they offered other amenities, she wanted nothing beyond that, as it was a place for the sake of That Person alone. And so for the sake of her guiding mission, she was alone for a long, long time. Four hundred years passed and in that time, the number of people who reached the Archive were few. "Your power is simply marvelous. Please, by all means, lend me your power as a spirit." Shut up. Go away. "Even if someone ordered it, making you stay all alone in a place like this is unforgivable." As if you understand? This is the precious duty Mother entrusted to me. "Knowledge should be spread far and wide. If the vast wisdom accumulated here was shared, just how many people do you think it would help? Surely, you understand this." I care nothing for the many. Betty only wanted to save the one. "Let's go together. You've already done enough. Let me save you." There is only one person who can save Betty now. Both men and women said all sorts of things to Betty, guardian of the archive of forbidden books. In the end, they all invariably asked her to open the archive. Many times over, their proposals, their commands, and the hands they reached out with made her heart tremble. Every time the door was pushed open, every time someone came in, her expectations rose. Had That Person arrived? But her hopes were always dashed. These visitors knew nothing of That Person's duty, nor did the mystic tome left to her by Mother indicate any of them was That Person. Therefore, Beatrice brushed aside their words, their feelings, and the hands they extended, rejecting them all, clinging to Mother's words alone and continuing to gradually shut herself in a cage of loneliness. Would the key to that cage come from inside, or would it come from outside? Not even Beatrice herself knew anymore. 4 As that long, empty time passed, an unwanted change arrived at Beatrice's doorstep. Even Beatrice, who tried her hardest not to associate with the outside world, had learned a fair bit about the circumstances of the half-demon girl Puck's contractor whom Roswaal had brought home with him. One might call the unexpected reunion with Puck at Roswaal's mansion one of the few events that had made Beatrice's heart leap in those four centuries of service. Puck was a Great Spirit with origins identical to Beatrice's. However, unlike how she lived according to the will of Echidna the Witch since days long past, he had started a new life long before the birth of the Sanctuary, and she had not seen him since. However, the joy Beatrice felt at being reunited with the spirit who she adored like an older brother was swiftly crushed. Seeing Puck spend blissful days with the half-demon girl he'd contracted with sent cracks running through her heart. She was jealous. No, it was something more than jealousy she was envious that he was fulfilling his duty, something she could only imagine in her wildest of dreams. Therefore, to the greatest extent possible, she did her best to avoid interacting with the half-demon girl who was so precious to Puck. Had she not done so, no doubt someday she would have taken the unease lurking in her heart out on the girl. They would have clashed, and through no fault of anyone's, she would surely make a mistake she could never undo against the girl her beloved older brother considered to be the most precious in the world. She appealed to her heart's self-control. Suppressing her emotions and keeping her words sealed away was her specialty. She had done so over and over across four centuries. Her heart did not fear silence or loneliness at that late hour. In her familiar, tried-and-true fashion, she gave up and chalked it up to the despair she knew so well. It was during those days of resignation that an anomaly suddenly intruded upon her domain. At first, she assumed he was just another foolish human and held no interest in him whatsoever. He was a traveler the half-demon girl had brought back from the royal capital, and a stupid one at that. By some twist of fate, he ended up staying at the mansion, and on top of that, he had an affinity for Dark magic, making him highly compatible with Beatrice's Passage; as a result, he forced his way into the archive of forbidden books time and time again. He was an odd boy. It was plain as day to anyone with eyes that the boy was completely smitten with the half-demon girl. It was just as obvious that this was no scheme or dark ambition; the only motive was his shockingly simplistic love for her and nothing more. On a whim, she had saved the boy from a curse and offered him words of advice. She regretted this when afterward, he settled down at the mansion indefinitely, insisting on becoming even chummier. But what she found surprising was that he knew of Beatrice's talents yet did not desire them in any way. Indeed, when
he came to ask about curses, it was Beatrice, and not the archive of forbidden books, he came to consult. The boy harbored no interest in the knowledge left in her care or Beatrice's power whatsoever. Up until then, various persons had arrived at the archive of forbidden books, in which Beatrice placed her fleeting hopes yet Beatrice herself had rejected them, denied them. In the first place, the boy lacked many of the attributes Beatrice hoped for in the person she awaited. First, there was a nasty quality to his eyes. His attitude was awful. His upbringing was deficient. His legs were short. He had someone he already cared for with all his being, and he wasn't kind to Beatrice. She couldn't find even one good thing about him. It genuinely hurt when she tried to understand what the half-demon girl and the younger of the maid sisters saw in him. He had absolutely no redeeming qualities, so Beatrice wished he would know his place and just accept being alone. And given his situation, she thought she could at least be a little nicer whenever he poked his head into the archive. Yet, even though that was how she thought of him at the time in the end, without a single shred of consideration for Beatrice's bewilderment, time coursed, and the world moved. Beatrice did not know the fine details of what happened outside the mansion after that. But the half-demon girl was summoned to the capital, and when she returned, the boy, who should have been traveling by her side, was absent. When he next reappeared, the boy had acquired an heirloom that belonged to someone whom she had fond memories of. Upon seeing the book, Beatrice gained a keen appreciation of how yet another had left her behind in the world, even as she sent the boy and those with him off to the Sanctuary in accordance with Roswaal's plot. He was going to meet the Witch of Greed, fulfilling the long-cherished desire of his family such were the words Roswaal left with Beatrice when he visited her in the archive before heading to the Sanctuary. From those words and the look in Roswaal's eyes, Beatrice surmised he was going to settle things. Simultaneously, Beatrice settled upon a conclusion of her own. A conclusion about the promised person supposedly recorded in the book of knowledge that had remained blank for four centuries. That Person would never arrive at Beatrice's doorstep. When the air of death permeated the mansion, Beatrice immediately came to a realization. Even in the presence of such a thick aura, the book of knowledge had nothing written in it about Beatrice's future. Destiny had abandoned her. And for some reason, she accepted this with ease. That was probably because Beatrice had finally caught sight of the conclusion that she had long desired. That Person would never come. Yet, even so, she had to keep waiting. In which case, Beatrice had no choice but to wait until someone stopped her from waiting any longer. If that also meant robbing her of her life, she didn't care who did it. If it was possible, she would have liked to entrust even a tiny bit of the end of those four centuries to another. Therefore, that night, when the boy Subaru Natsuki raced into the archive of forbidden books, Beatrice vented all her deeply repressed feelings, which were so difficult to put into words. That instant, for the first time, Beatrice wanted some revenge against the destiny that had not tried to save her heart even once. If he could be the one to take her and finally end the pact, then that would be "I'm getting you out of here, Beatrice This time, my hand's gonna lead you right out under the big ol' sun, and we'll play around until that dress is totally black from mud." * So why, when it was far too late, did his hardened resolve tear at Beatrice's heart? All she'd thought about was meeting her end. And yet, the boy showed her a possible future that differed from Beatrice's own hopes. She didn't hope for anything like that. Such hopes had been worn away by four centuries. "If if you...were...the one I've been waiting for..." That was how it should have been. Yet, as she listened to the boy's indignant voice, a change began within her. If she put it on her lips, if she spoke the words, her dormant emotions would bubble over and come out onto her face. Beatrice would lose her obsession with Mother's words, which had bound her for four hundred years, and from that moment forward, she would cling to something new, something she would never let go. It was with full knowledge of this that Beatrice posed the decisive question "Would you...become That Person for Betty?" "You really are an idiot. There's no way in hell I'd become this stupid person or whatever for you." 5 She had been in danger of doing something she could never take back. But before she even had a chance to try, the possibility was snatched away. She felt like she had reduced herself to a frivolous and very cheap clown. "...Am I just...tired, I wonder?" In the first place, she was wrong to even think of taking that boy's hand. He did not possess the pure heart of someone who would dirty his own hands for the sake of someone else without a second thought. Just like Beatrice, he possessed a weak heart. He was indecisive and agonized over trivial things; uncertain of himself and hesitant, always ready to pile up one excuse after another instead of facing things head-on. That was why her death would no doubt come in a different form. Just like the intruders who had come into the mansion, enshrouded in a dense halo of death. Or perhaps the flames spreading through the mansion would burn all to ash, like a fiery purgatory. All she had to do was wait for it "Aaand I'm back! Hey, you big moron! You really got me good back there, damn it..." * "Gaaagh?!" When the boy suddenly appeared in the archive of forbidden books like so many times before, Beatrice blew him away on reflex. She was seething, and the attack came swifter than she could think. The boy was struck by a shock wave, shooting him out the door through which he had just entered. The door audibly slammed shut. "I I am finished speaking with you...and yet, you came again. Just how impudent are you, I wonder?!" Beatrice couldn't even understand the sheer gall needed for him to show his face again after what he had said to her last. As if to clear her mind, Beatrice took several deep breaths, once more waiting for time to "Cut it out with the temper tantrums already! If you resort to violence right away, this conversation'll never "You cut it out!!" "Waaah!" A two-pronged flow of magical energy hit him in the face, then in the gut. The boy proceeded to groan in agony as he was hurled out of the room before the door shut again, forcibly ejecting him from the space. "Is this even remotely funny, I wonder...?" Murmuring with irritation, Beatrice settled back onto her stool, clutching the blank book of knowledge as she glared at the door, fearful that it might open again. She was scared that her feelings, which had been shoved aside by arbitrary logic and unthinkable emotions, might be forced to the surface. No matter how many times you come, I will continue to refuse you. After all, you are not That Person. You abandoned any right to take Beatrice from here. That is why Beatrice will stay until she and her unfulfilled promise meet their ends. At that moment, that was the only thing Beatrice thought could grant her salvation. 6 Sent flying out of the archive, Subaru wisely broke his fall the instant he collided with the hallway wall. "Gah... I'm in one piece!" Having split off from Petra and Otto, he was hell-bent on trying to persuade Beatrice for the fourth time and thanks to being smacked so much in a short span, he was becoming quite an expert at blunting the impact of the invisible shock waves. "This ain't the time to polish up stupid techniques like that. My instincts are telling me the fire's getting bad." Wiping off his coursing sweat with a sleeve, Subaru crouched, clicking his tongue at the poor visibility. The fire consuming the mansion had worsened, and hovering black smoke now reached every corner of the main wing. The floor below was already enveloped by the tendrils of flames; if he fell through the floor, he would not be able to avoid being charred to a crisp. With the fire having spread to both the east and west wings, it was no longer possible to stop it. The silver linings were that the candidates for Passage had been drastically reduced and that many of the demon beasts had fled due to the inferno, leaving Subaru with no enemies barring his path as he scurried around the mansion. That said, the more of the mansion that was lost to flames, the higher the odds of Subaru burning to death. It would not be long until the mansion underwent a fiery collapse. He had to get Beatrice out of there before it came to that. "Besides, what's gonna happen to her archive of forbidden books if all the doors are burned to a crisp...?" If, by any chance, all links to the doors were cut, just where would that archive's door lead? Perhaps it would lead nowhere, and that girl's world of loneliness would continue on for eternity? Or perhaps the archive of forbidden books would share the mansion's fate, consumed by flames and returned to ash? "As if I'm gonna just stand by and let you end up like that...!" Taking a deep breath, Subaru ran while staying so low to the ground, he was practically licking the floor. Throwing open the door from which he had been hurled, he put his hand on the next door, opening one after another. The structural materials burned, and there was something like a bursting sound as the mansion where he spent so many irreplaceable days burned to the ground. " Gah, agh!" When he grasped the doorknob of a yet-unopened door, he suppressed the urge to cry out in pain from his scorched palm. However, in a short span of time, it was a pain he'd grown accustomed to feeling. The pain sharply stabbed him through his temples as he kicked the door open, racing inside. *** He gasped, breathing in the aroma of old books and seeing an atmosphere disconnected from scalding heat it was the archive of forbidden books. Realizing this, Subaru lifted his face. The girl sitting on the stool was glaring straight at Subaru. "You again. You do not know when to give up...!" "Ha!! Damn right I don't! I'll come to spirit you away as many times as it takes! If you don't like it, come with me already! Do that, and it'll be the last time I barge in here like this!" "I have had enough of your flapping tongue! Do you even realize the mansion is on fire, I wonder?! If you do not flee this very instant, all that awaits you is your own fiery death!" The fifth time Subaru challenged her, Beatrice chewed him out, having deemed him an incorrigible fool. Fierce emotion rested in her blue eyes, her lips quavered, and her fingers dug into her mystic tome. "You... Have you not realized that you are out of opportunities to speak with Betty, I wonder? You are an unwelcome intruder... Why do you not understand this?!" "Well, I don't understand. As long as you're not seriously rejecting me, I'll come as many times as I want." " !! Betty is rejec !" She was so
angry, so offended, that Beatrice's words made it halfway out of her throat before she opened her eyes wide. She truly hadn't realized the meaning of Subaru's words. Beatrice's own words, own actions, were contradicted by Subaru's very presence. "Beatrice, if you genuinely don't want to see me, just hole up here in the archive." "What are you...? At present, can Betty take even a single step out of the archive, I wonder?! And yet And yet, you barge in here all on your..." "Nah, you're wrong. If you were serious, I'd never have been able to reach this place over and over in such a short time like this. Your rejection is skin-deep." " I, ah..." Beatrice grew even more confused. She was at a loss, unable to form the words with which to reject him. Passage was not all-powerful. That was simply fact. However, it came shockingly close. If Beatrice had genuinely wanted to separate the archive of forbidden books from the outside world, it should have been easy to prevent Subaru from entering. Did she not could she not do so because her heart had strayed? * After considering Subaru's assertion, Beatrice, too, began to doubt her own heart. Even had she not, the promise from four centuries ago that underpinned the current Beatrice was lost, leaving her wavering. She no longer knew whether Subaru's words or her own hopes were correct. And really, Subaru didn't know, either. Perhaps it was simply that the more the mansion burned away, the more the choices dwindled as well. Perhaps Subaru was conveniently discovering hidden powers at the perfect moment, enabling him to see right through Passage. And perhaps it truly was that Beatrice could not bring herself to reject Subaru sincerely, and therefore Passage's entrance remained open to him. He didn't know which was true but Subaru hoped, prayed it was the last possibility. But whatever the truth, it didn't matter. There and then, every part of Subaru Natsuki was devoted to reaching the possibility of taking Beatrice with him. "You...you...! You are not That Person for Betty!" Seemingly unable to contain the inner turmoil swirling inside her any longer, Beatrice grasped the hem of her skirt and raised her voice. Abandoning the thoughts racing within her mind, she seemed ready to burst into tears as she stated her case to Subaru. "You said yourself that you weren't! You said it yourself! Did you not say it, I wonder? If only you were That Person... Had you said so, even as a lie, Betty would have probably believed you. Even knowing it was a lie, she would have to believe you." "Beatrice..." "But did you not say that was wrong, I wonder? You said it was wrong, and you said it was stupid. Well, I suppose you were right. Yes, Betty is an idiot, a huge idiot who cannot bring herself to forget a verbal promise she made four centuries ago... That's why! No matter what you say, is it not already over, I wonder?!" As Beatrice shouted her rejection, fierce gales spawned around her, enveloping her like a cage. The torrent of magical energy made the girl's dress and hair flap in the wind, and a tragic mood filled the archive of forbidden books. After watching this unfold, Subaru drew in his breath, then began walking forward. His feeble heart was afraid afraid that the squalls would hurt him. Fighting against that fear, he clenched his burned palms tight and used that pain to focus on just looking straight ahead. * "I'm not That Person or anything like that. I'll say it as many times as you like. The prince riding a white horse who you're waiting for isn't coming. He'll never come no matter how long you wait here for him." As she listened to the repeated denials, the despair in Beatrice's eyes grew deeper. If things ended here again, nothing would change. Yet, if he could just tell her what came after... "But." * "I want to be by your side, Beatrice." * "I want to be there for you so your gentle self won't be sad anymore." "Ah...uuugh...!" Beatrice's expression twisted up. The surging magical energy lost its focus, and the wind began to whip around indiscriminately, coming closer and closer to harming Beatrice herself. Her face crumpled with grief, anger, and something beyond those things. Then she opened the book on her lap as if to hold on for dear life. The pages flapping in the wind...were white. They were all blank. The book of prophecy revealed nothing and urged her to make a choice all the same. " The hell?" Beatrice closed the book. Simultaneously, there was an unnatural distortion in Subaru's field of view. His vision became hazy, and he fell to his knees, unable to stand. It definitely wasn't anemia or fatigue that brought him down. The real culprit was the archive of forbidden books itself, which was swaying quite violently. The floor twisted, and the bookshelves, having lost their balance, tumbled one after another. The books lining their shelves were sent flying, blanketing the room in a sea of covers, spines, and paper. This was the archive of forbidden books that Beatrice had built if the state of the archive correlated with Beatrice's mental state, then it was clear she was shaken to the point where she could no longer maintain the place. "Beatrice !" As everything around him became progressively more warped, Subaru did his best to stand as he reached a hand out toward Beatrice. The area around her was the only place unaffected by the distortion; even then, the girl sat atop the stool. If he jumped, he'd reach her. Trusting in this, Subaru turned toward Beatrice and took a leap of faith. The instant he did, space itself ripped open like a piece of paper, and Subaru's body was only moments away from being swallowed by the tear. " Oh, cra...!" He wouldn't make it. Able to do nothing else, Subaru dove into the gap. This was not Passage. It was a leap through space that did not involve a door Subaru had experienced this exact thing once before. It was when he'd let Emilia die. It was when he'd let Beatrice die. * At the last second, when he turned his eyes toward the rip in space, he saw Beatrice's lips move. Every part of her face seemed to say the same thing. Good-bye. 7 The instant he emerged from his crossing, the smoke he inhaled sent him coughing. The hot wind felt like it was scorching his skin. " The entrance?! How courteous. Shit!" Lifting up his black, grimy face, Subaru realized he was at the entrance of the burning mansion. Looking farther, he was certain the entirety of the building was already engulfed by flames; the inferno touched not only the main wing, where the fire had started, but also the east and west wings. It was difficult to find a place inside the mansion that was still in its original shape. Even the door of the entrance from which Subaru had just emerged had its lower half enveloped by flames. That Passage had worked at all was itself a miracle. He wouldn't be able to leap back into the archive of forbidden books from there No, it was questionable whether there was a single door leading to the archive remaining in the mansion. He wasn't inside the burning mansion; he'd been thrown outside. Beatrice had probably intended this to be her reply. "Good-bye, my ass How are you gonna act tough, then show me a face like that at the end?!" Brushing those rising doubts aside, Subaru kicked the burning door in all his fury, rushing into the entryway. He was immediately greeted by a wave of heat incomparable to anything he felt outside, and the agony of his singed windpipe brought tears to his eyes. Charging into a burning building like someone who didn't know better, trying to save lives and be a hero that was the kind of dumb stunt that got people killed. But Subaru had no intention of dying. "And I'm not letting her die, either!" Subaru raced across the flaming Roswaal Manor in search of anything that might be connected to the archive. His face, his neck, and his limbs were roasting, and his skin felt pain as if it was being scorched. It hurt to breathe, but not so much that he couldn't run. Subaru shoved everything else out of his mind. If Subaru had been capable of seeing things more clearly at the time, the sheer horror of the sight might have caused his body to quiver uncontrollably. For as Subaru ran through the inferno, swearing he would bring the girl with him, he was enveloped by an incredibly dense black miasma, almost like a cloak of shadow that shielded him. Unaware of this, Subaru broke through a particularly large wall of flame and found the stairs. The first-floor dining room was where the fire had begun. Entryway included, it was highly probable that every door there had burned up. If there was a door still intact, it would be on a higher floor probably at the very top. In such a conflagration, it was naturally unlikely that he could get back up there from the first floor. Even so, without any hesitation, Subaru started climbing the stairs, racing toward the topmost floor. A moment later . * He heard a sound like something wet was being dragged; Subaru turned about. It had come from the corridor of the main wing, where the fire raged wildly, even though all reason told him it could not be so. After their chain of command collapsed, the demon beasts were fleeing, for this was an inferno of certain death that brooked no living beings. What could be in such a place? Wait, what the hell is that? A figure dressed in black emerged from the flames: a black-haired woman holding a black blade in her hand. "Elsa...?" * There was no reply. But so far as Subaru knew, it could be no one but that all-black killer. Multiple times in multiple loops, Subaru had run into her and died by her hand. In his latest plan, he'd left the woman to his most capable companion, thinking he would surely never meet her again. And yet here, in a fiery world of life and death, Subaru and Elsa had come face-to-face once more. * Encountering her in the burning Roswaal Manor, Subaru licked his lips, forgetting his sense of unease. He'd borrowed the strength of many to arrive at that point. Otto. Ram. Ryuzu. Shima. Patlash. Emilia. The people of Earlham Village. Garfiel. Petra. Frederica. They were why Subaru could stand then and there Subaru Natsuki did not doubt his allies. "Garfiel wouldn't lose to you. There's no way you beat him." * "You're not Elsa anymore, are you?" When Subaru posed the question, Elsa nay, the thing that had been Elsa turned its empty black eyes toward him. There was no glint of life within them, only bottomless darkness. Subaru was peering into an abyss. An empty body, a departed soul, and obsession incarnate. Driven by inexhaustible bloodlust, it dragged its smashed lower body along as it crawled toward Subaru through the raging fires. This was far beyond an unnatural vitality that kept death at bay. The power had become nothing but a curse. Just like Subaru's Return by Death, it was nothing save a curse, a yoke placed upon her very life. "You've got it pretty rough, too, but I don't have time to deal with you. I've gotta get Beatrice " Out of here, he was stating to the corpse that had once been Elsa, ready to abandon it to the flames. It was certainly crawling slowly enough that he could easily shake it off. But * Suddenly feeling death brush against the nape of his neck, Subaru immediately leaped up. After jumping to the flaming landing, he turned around. Behind him, the undead's wicked blade had
sliced clean through the steps below. Closing the distance, the corpse swung as it came again to claim Subaru's life. Naturally, the blade had not fallen short out of mercy. The swing had missed because the undead's smashed lower body had prevented it from lunging forward properly. "You're kidding me !" Subaru instantly kicked away the corpse's hand, which was reaching for the stairs, and dashed away. Smoke from a fire moved upward. Accordingly, it was thicker on the floor above, increasing in its potency. The flames were strong there, too; he couldn't call searching for a door in those conditions very realistic. More importantly, the undead had not relented in its pursuit for even a second, doggedly pursuing Subaru. "Shit! Gotta go higher!" Relentlessly chased by the corpse that had lost all humanity, Subaru kept running to the topmost floor. Stumbling onto the blaze-enveloped third floor, he found himself at the corridor that led to the study where he saw off Petra and Otto. They must have made it out safe and sound. Garfiel and Frederica, too. And judging from the lack of organization among the demon beasts, Meili must have been routed, too. As for Elsa "Roooaaah!!" "Dah?!" When that roar and a monstrous set of claws shot out from some nearby flames, Subaru screamed, unable to conceal his shock. The culprit was a demon beast sporting a lion's face. It had lost its mane, and half its body looked hideously burned, but there was no mistake: This was the same Giltirau Subaru and the others thought they had burned to death back in the dining hall. Appearing to be struggling to even breathe, perhaps it was only still standing to obey its master's command. If that was true, then Subaru was truly like a moth to flame the irony of chancing upon it in the middle of a massive inferno was too rich to be funny. * Roaring, the nearly expired demon beast swung its massive arm toward Subaru. Scraping the wall, it was a lethal blow that whistled through the air as it closed in. Even barely clinging to life, this beast could rob him of his life just as easily as it could mow down some weeds. "You're both one-trick ponies !" Subaru evaded the attack by rolling forward toward the demon beast's flank he'd already learned, probably from too much personal experience, that demon beasts had a habit of aiming for the vitals of their prey. Thoroughly embarrassed after missing a clean shot, the demon beast angrily unleashed a follow-up attack * It was then that the undead pursuing Subaru bared its fangs toward the demon beast. There was not a single reason the demon beast and the undead should have to fight. To the undead chasing Subaru, the demon beast's hulking body was nothing more than an obstacle on the path Subaru had traversed first. There was no deeper reason behind the undead sending the demon beast's hind paw flying away. Screaming as the wicked blade drew black blood, the beast cracked its serpentine tail at the undead. In a feat beyond the limitations of a human body, the corpse evaded the tail attack, retaliating by slicing the tail off at its base. Unleashing the murderous techniques ingrained into its flesh, the undead cut into the demon beast in a one-sided manner. Subaru, not letting slip the opportunity to turn misfortune into fortune, kicked open one closed door after another on the topmost floor. The stateroom and the reference room were both busts. The battle between undead and demon beast continued, but all he heard were the screams of the demon beast, clearly losing the lopsided fight. "Please, Beatrice...!" Finally arriving at the study, Subaru flung the door open with a prayer in his heart. However, uncertainty crept in as the only sight before him was a ransacked office. "This didn't work, either...! Then the last door is..." The burning floors below were all wiped out. The other wings were burning up even faster than the main one, perhaps because of the collapses there. Was there even a single intact door left inside Roswaal Manor at that point? "No, not yet! There's still more! There's one door!" Biting down any thoughts of giving up, Subaru set eyes upon the wide-open entrance to the spiraling stairs leading to the escape tunnel. If he went down the stairs and arrived at the underground passage there definitely ought to be a door ahead. Previously, when he'd returned to the mansion during a Witch Cult attack, Subaru had headed deep into the escape tunnel, was bathed in cold through the door, shattered into dust, and died that door was still there. Instantly, hesitation arose in the back of Subaru's mind. It was not fear. It was doubt. His thoughts coalesced. Were his actions being guided? All the other doors in the mansion were misses, leading Subaru to the escape tunnel was this Beatrice's intent? Was this all Beatrice's plan so that Subaru might escape outside, so that he might live? " ! I don't even have the time to think about it!" Behind him, death throes thundered throughout the mansion as the beast suffered a decisive blow. The demon beast had been unwittingly buying him time, but with that last strike, the cruel undead had surely taken its life. He had no other options. Subaru was being herded into the hidden passage. The smoke was overwhelming the spiraling staircase leading to the basement of the mansion. With zero visibility and the fact that taking a single breath would spell death and a one-way trip to a world of nightmares, Subaru hardened his resolve, held his breath, and ran down. What had once been extreme cold was now instead scalding hot. Subaru advanced deeper, deeper into the dark underground passage. Finally, ahead of the smoke-infested darkness, he stopped, for he had found the door he sought. "This is..." It was the final possibility Subaru drew in his breath as that realization sank in. Subaru had never gone beyond the door in the hidden passage. He knew this escape tunnel ultimately led to a cabin off in the forest. But not once had he actually gone that far. Everything beyond that door was personally unknown to Subaru. Accordingly, to Subaru, this door was the final candidate. It was his last chance to get through to Beatrice. If he really had been guided there by Beatrice's will, it was a poor wager. Fearful of just that, Subaru reached his hand toward the door's handle "Daaah! This door again...!!" His palm felt like it was on fire. His fingers hadn't even touched it. Subaru drew his hand back and glared at the door. The door's reaction seemed to mock Subaru for his fear of what might result and then suddenly, he came to a realization. "The doorknob's hot...?" Even if hot air had crept in, there was no sign of fire in the underground escape tunnel. The hovering smoke and heat had coursed in through gaps in the stone comprising the spiral stairs. There was nothing burning in the tunnel. How could this interior door possess so much heat? "...Beatrice. If you can hear this, listen to me." Keeping his hand away from the door, Subaru slightly craned his neck upward and spoke those words. He believed his voice would reach the girl who was nowhere to be seen. "You led me this far, didn't you? To be blunt, if you were plotting to bring me to the escape tunnel by making it the only option, blatantly leading me here by the nose, then your plan's a complete failure." Even if he'd had to slip past the mansion fire, Elsa, and the demon beast along the way, she'd no doubt hatched a plan and put it into action. If this door was a bust, too, leaving him no choice but to go to the cabin, her goal would have been achieved. "But it doesn't look like things are gonna go that smoothly... Even if this door's a bust, I'm not running like you want. This isn't talking tough or some bluff saying I don't wanna run, okay? Sure, nine-tenths of how I feel lines up with all that...but this is a serious, legit issue." Subaru continued earnestly trying to convince her, not even knowing if the other party could hear him. Subaru tapped the door barring his path with his foot as he let out a sigh. "If I open this door, I'll probably die. I don't know if you or anyone else gets it, but that's exactly what'll happen...and I know because I have the power of science." Though it had failed him miserably with the misfire in the dining hall, the latent modern knowledge sleeping within Subaru was now ringing an alarm. The door in front of Subaru's eyes that moment was a door that had to be left untouched. This was a frequent danger at the sites of fires. In front of him was a door of hellish flame. Behind him was the undead Elsa this was a gambling parlor, and his life was on the line. "Beatrice. I'm...going to open this door I'll leave it up to you to interpret my words." Was his voice really reaching Beatrice? And if it did reach her, would Beatrice believe Subaru's words? Somehow, the idea that his life would be determined by her choice put Subaru's heart at ease. ...Of course it did. " Beatrice. I...trust you." As he spoke, Subaru felt the pain of his palm being burned as he flung the door open. And then 8 The undead arrived underground, not by taking the spiral stairs but by rolling down them. Black smoke invaded its lungs. The heat singed its skin. The flames threatened its life. The undead charged forward, heedless of all the danger. It gripped a wicked blade in its right hand. In its left was the heart of the demon beast it had killed. One would think no sight so ghastly could exist in the world. Regardless, the undead felt an inexhaustible sense of duty as it pursued its prey. Its flesh had been destroyed to the point that it should have been unresponsive. Its life had been whittled away beyond its ability to regenerate. There was no longer a person's will residing within the crawling corpse. That it moved even so was because the undead's reason for existence waited ahead. Finally, wordlessly, cruelly, the corpse arrived at the innermost part of the passage. * Sensing black, stagnant miasma ahead, the undead instantly lashed out with its blade. The firmly shut door was cut down, so that the life of the prey on the other side might be sliced asunder. There was a dull sound as the door split apart. Kicking away the wreckage, the undead peered into the darkness on the other * A faint wind blew past. The undead felt like it was being pulled into the darkness ahead. Before its eyes, white smoke blew in from the depths of the darkness. Suddenly, the white smoke mixed with the black smoke in the corridor, causing a puff of heat. Immediately afterward, oxygen flowed into the tunnel, where incomplete combustion had occurred. The moment the heat and the oxygen-rich air came into contact, everything burst into incandescent flames. Though the earlier attempt to cause a dust explosion had failed, the fire had just produced the explosive phenomenon known as a back draft. This was not something that an undead bereft of all reason could ever have surmised. *** The merciless tendrils of the bursting flames enveloped the undead. The hellish fire instantly burned its body away. Having lost its power to heal, the body of the undead, now nothing more than a rotting corpse, was swallowed up and turned to ash. What remained burned up all at once destroyed by the roaring inferno. The force of the fire was so great that it did not stop there. It barreled down the underground passage, turned the spiraling staircase into
a sea of incandescent heat, and burst into the study, causing it to ignite as well. That night, everything was enveloped by fire, burning it all down. Roswaal Manor's doors were no more. This time, the flaming Roswaal Manor truly found its end. 9 The sight of the archive of forbidden books, to which Subaru had been invited, made him inadvertently draw in his breath. Cracks ran across the floor and walls, and the tear in space through which Subaru had been expelled remained intact. The toppled bookshelves and scattered books remained as before, and on top of that, flames were rising from a corner of the room. The effects of Roswaal Manor burning down had finally begun to be felt even in the archive. * However, such sentiments toward the room's interior dissipated with a single glance turned Subaru's way. That moment, he concentrated on the most important thing one little girl. After all, this was probably his final chance. "...You are an idiot." "That's the first thing out of your mouth?" "Is it not true, I wonder? Even though Betty went through all that trouble so you might escape, you threw it away... Are there any doors left anywhere in the mansion, I wonder? This is a dead end." As a matter of fact, she was right. There wasn't a single door left in the mansion for Passage to connect to. The flames that had reached the archive of forbidden books were gradually increasing in force, spreading to the Witch's knowledge that Beatrice had continued protecting across four centuries, turning that promise to ash. Her precious obligation was on fire. It was easily flammable, so it would no doubt burn down, and soon. "At this rate, you and I are both goners." "...Yes, is this the end, I wonder? Betty wishes for little now. Everything she was to hand to That Person will soon burn away. Is everything now not completely contrary to her promise to Mother, I wonder?" "Oh yeah? Then hear me out to the end, okay?" She'd failed to keep her word. Subaru had failed to persuade her. Beatrice looked toward him with empty eyes. She spoke no words of affirmation or denial. But at the very least, she seemed to be lending him her ears. Even in a situation like that, it just wasn't in her nature to deny someone else to the bitter end. He took a breath. There were words he had been unable to speak when they'd last parted. This time, he'd tell her everything he wanted to say. "Beatrice please save me." "...Huh?" Subaru stated those words boldly with his head held high. Hearing him say such a thing with his face all covered in soot, Beatrice could only stare at him in shock. She'd no doubt imagined countless things that he might possibly say. With both of them facing an unavoidable end, Beatrice had probably run numerous mental simulations about what words Subaru might say to her, no doubt intending to dismiss each and every one. I want to save you. I won't let you be alone. I need you. Those were the sorts of cool, manly words from That Person that she expected to be greeted with. But if that meant trying to convey false feelings, Subaru just couldn't do it. "I considered saying cooler-sounding stuff about whisking you away from this loneliness, mind you... I didn't think any of them would work. I figured I'd better come right out and say...what I think of you and what I really wanted to tell you." Beatrice was speechless as Subaru poured out his genuine feelings. He figured it was pretty mean to put the ball entirely in Beatrice's court, though. "Really, you don't need any of my strength. Not for saving you or anything else. You're strong, you're smart, you're cute... You should be able to do anything if you put your mind to it." * "But even though you're strong and smart and cute, you were scared of living alone. It must have been hard. It must have been lonely. No one can blame you for clinging to the idea of That Person." "Th-that is not for you to... You rejected Betty's feelings... What do you know about it...?!" Biting her lip, Beatrice glared at Subaru with an emotion that bordered on hatred. However, her trembling did not convey that at all. As the outpouring of fierce emotion threatened to dissipate immediately, Beatrice shook her head, desperately trying to stay firm and resolute. "I know. I know how kind you are. I know if someone was tossing and turning from a nightmare, you'd hold their hand to put them at ease. If someone was being battered by some trouble they couldn't do anything about, you'd reach out and open the way for them. You feel sad for people who lose someone dear to them, even if you can't help but hate them." "You speak as if you know so..." "I'm powerless. I can't save you. But I don't want you to be alone. If there's one thing a guy like me can do, it's to cling to you and beg." When Subaru offered his right hand, Beatrice's eyes shot open even wider. His hand was inflamed from burns and was a hideous sight. Even so, it was still in better shape than his left, which had sustained so much damage that the very sight of it was unbearable. He offered the one hand he had that could be cleaned up to pass as something suitable for taking a pretty girl's hand. "Beatrice. Save me, please." * "I'll be too lonely to live without you. Save me." Really, just how pathetic and unsightly was this arm-twisting of his? He claimed he couldn't go on without her to force her hand. He didn't know what he could do for her, so he was telling her what she could do for him, pressuring her into using it as a reason to live. It was so very selfish, so completely illogical. It was all the coercion that Subaru Natsuki could muster. "Not fair... This is...not fair." The shameless manipulation made Beatrice's lips tremble with intense, barely containable emotions from the bottom of her heart. "How...how can you speak that way to Betty...now of all times? I mean, you're not even That Person... You rejected Betty...! And yet...!" She couldn't speak properly. Her words strayed. She hesitated. Beatrice's heart panicked as she agonized over the choice. Beatrice clutched the book within her arms very, very tightly, never taking her eyes away from the hand offered to her. Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes. "For four hundred years, I have always been alone...! I spent my time in loneliness, and even if I accept your hand here, you'll die right away anyway! The life span of a human being is a blink of an eye to one such as Betty... How?! How can I cling to such a thing now...?!" "I can't even begin to imagine the four centuries you spent. I'm not gonna pretend like I understand. Four hundred years? I haven't even lived a twentieth of that. I probably don't understand one thing about your fear of the time after I die." "Then! Then...your words will change nothing...!" "But tomorrow, I'll be there to hold your hand." * "I'll be there tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, and the day after that. Even if I can't promise to be around in four hundred years, I can still spend each and every day I have together with you. Even if we can't be together for eternity, I can treasure you tomorrow and right now." * "That's why, Beatrice pick me." Subaru had already made his choice. And he was indicating his choice to Beatrice. The rest was up to Beatrice to choose. Would it be the flames that brought the words of her mother, words she had faithfully upheld across four centuries, to an end? Or would she break her promise to her mother, abandon her hopes for That Person, and take Subaru Natsuki's hand? "Y-you are not...That Person..." "Nope. Don't you dare confuse me with some other guy, okay? I'm me. Subaru Natsuki. This four-centuries-old unrequited love you've held for some bastard whose face you don't even know? Forget all that." * "Instead of being scared of good-byes that might come one day, come live with me for a guaranteed future. I'm weak, but even so, my dreams are really big... If you stick with me, a busybody like you will have your hands so full, you won't have any time to be bored or lonely." "...Ugh, ngh..." "Pick me, Beatrice." He'd say the words as many times as it took to sink in. That's because he understood the wavering girl's feelings. The guilt that made the girl hesitate, her sense of shame toward casting promises aside he'd make it so she could pin those things on the selfish high-handedness of the human known as Subaru Natsuki. So that this girl would never cry alone again. "Even though you'll eventually leave me..." "Nothing lasts forever. The future you're afraid of will definitely come someday. You'll live forever, so we'll probably part ways at one point or another. But you and I haven't tasted nearly enough of life to give up on all the fun we'll have together and live in fear of being pulled apart." "Even though you'll leave me behind..." "Let's be together. Let's live life together. Let's do this together. Let's build up so many memories that we can blow away all that fear, puff our chests out, then laugh and say, We sure had fun. We'll do so much that you can make up for the four lonely centuries you spent living here." "Even...if we did all that! Someday, I'll be alone again!" He saw himself reflected in the girl's trembling eyes. He looked shabby, unsightly, a far cry from the prince on a white horse she'd spent too many years waiting for. The only one who stood there was the same old Subaru Natsuki. "To someone like you who'll live forever, maybe the time you'll spend with me will be one brief moment. If that's how it's gonna be, then I'll carve my moment right into your soul." * " And when all's said and done, even weighed up against all of eternity, I'll be so vivid that nothing will fade when it comes to Subaru Natsuki!" There was a sound like glass cracking. The world known as the archive of forbidden books was breaking down. At some point, the rips in space around Subaru and Beatrice had become enveloped by flames. But in that moment, he no longer felt heat or fear. Inside Subaru, there was nothing except Beatrice. And that moment, there was nothing in Beatrice except Subaru. With trembling arms, Beatrice gripped the book that her mother had given her. Believing her four centuries of loneliness would be healed once she let it go, he reached out with his hand. And he shouted: "Pick me! Beatrice!!" " Ah." " You wanted someone to take you outside! Isn't that why you always sat in front of the door?!" With a decisive sound, that world finally met its end. The girl's lonely cage, that solitary world known as the archive of forbidden books, was engulfed by flames and vanished. But just before that happened, there was a sound. The sound of a single tome falling to the archive's floor. 10 Otto and Petra gazed wordlessly as Roswaal Manor burned to the ground. * The three of them Otto, Petra, and Rem, who was being carried on Otto's back had safely used the mansion's escape route to slip past the demon beasts' perimeter. A barrier had been scrupulously set up around the cabin in the mountains behind Roswaal Manor, to which the escape route led. This made it impossible for not only the wild demon beasts in the region to approach them but even warded off
the demon beasts participating in the attack. And it was not only Otto and company watching the mansion as it went up in flames. A crowd of the Earlham Village residents who had not headed toward the Sanctuary could be seen gathered around evacuated to the barrier beforehand by Subaru in a determined effort to keep them from being embroiled in the attack on the mansion. Considering the great horde of demon beasts, it was clear that his concern had not been excessive. It was not only Otto who keenly felt that way but the villagers as well. However, no one felt at liberty to raise joyous voices at having arrived there safe and sound. That moment, all any of them could do was gaze at the mansion with anxious hope, waiting for some visible change and believing Subaru and the others still struggling inside the mansion were safe. * Otto, too, stared at the mansion, deciding to treat his burn wounds later. Petra was right beside him, latched on to Otto's arm with strength unimaginable for one so young. She was doubtlessly worried sick. Anyone could tell the young girl had a crush on Subaru from a single glance. Considering her melancholy, one couldn't help but pray he was safe. To try and put Petra at ease, he gently stroked Petra's brown hair. When Petra looked at him in momentary surprise, Otto smiled at her, turning his eyes toward the mansion once more it was then that he noticed. "...That's..." It was from the topmost floor of the main wing of the burning mansion. With incredible force, fire burst out of the office that Otto's group had used as an escape route. The windows cracked, and the outpouring flames engulfed the mansion's topmost floor. Roswaal Manor finally reached its limit, succumbed to the flames, and collapsed. "Ah..." The sight brought a tiny sound out of Petra's throat. Next to spread across her eyes would likely be despair. As an adult, Otto tried to wipe that sadness away. "Mr. Otto! Look!" "Gah?!" Otto had a meek look on his face when Petra slapped the side of it with her little palm. The blow caught Otto by surprise and brought stars to his eyes. But when he saw the delighted expression on Petra's face as she pointed at the mansion, he immediately understood, hastily shaking his shock away. Just like Petra, the people of Earlham Village were raising voices of delight. "Ha...ha-ha..." From Roswaal Manor, aflame and collapsing, a single ray of white light stretched up toward the sky. The light, which was like a shooting star, changed its angle high in the sky, glimmering as it arced and flew far off to the east, as if to signal its destination. Otto knew what lay in that direction. When Petra said, "There! Just now!" with a happy look on her face, his expression had already relaxed. "The rest is up to you all this has really worn me out." 11 Simultaneously, just as Otto let his shoulders fall with relief, Garfiel, half-naked and wearing nothing but a tattered cloth around his hips, looked up at the same light and clacked his fangs. "Ha! Ya sure pulled it off, General! That's my general! Hoshin kept his promises even if it killed him!" Garfiel, who had escaped the burning mansion and broken through the perimeter of demon beasts, laughed himself silly. He was covered in soot and burn wounds and injuries all over, but his face was full of smiles. "Gah-ha-ha-ha-ha... Owww?!" "Do not get worked up while you're so badly hurt! They will scar!" As Garfiel laughed, a fist grandly struck the back of his skull. When Garfiel clutched his head and looked back, Frederica stood there with anger on her face. "A-aren't ya happy that the general and she are safe and sound?" "Of course I am... We were right to leave it to Master Subaru. If Lady Beatrice has been saved, then I can rest easier as well." Letting out a sigh of relief, Frederica gently patted her own chest. Seeing his elder sister's reaction made Garfiel crack a smile. "Gotta say, though," he said as a preamble. "Even if ya talk tough, it's hard to look tough when you're all embarrassed while wearin' a single sheet of cloth." " ! It cannot be helped! There was no time to strip my clothes off before transforming!" Red-faced, Frederica was indignant as she stood there naked save for the curtain wrapped around her. As he endured his sister's anger, Garfiel glanced at the girl sleeping under the shade of a nearby tree Meili and narrowed his eyes. At the height of that ferocious battle, Elsa had gone to save Meili when she was in danger of being crushed by falling debris, letting her favorable chance to win against Garfiel slip away. Had she not done so, the victor and the loser might have been reversed. In the end, Frederica had transformed and pulled Meili out of harm's way, and with all obstacles removed from the battlefield, Garfiel had settled things with Elsa and thus, he had supposedly won. And yet, the feeling that he hadn't really won refused to go away. Was it just that he was still immature? Or was it a lingering symptom of having killed for the first time, one that would not allow him the comfort of immersing himself in victory? Either way "The echoes of victory and the feel of killing I can leave that all for later. The rest is happenin' in a place where my hands can't reach no matter how hard I try... Countin' on ya to take care of it, General." Thrusting his fist forward, Garfiel glared, baring his fangs toward the trail of light heading toward the eastern sky. Gazing in the same direction, Frederica folded her hands against her chest as if making a prayer. "'Cause once everything's said and done, there's still that bastard we both needa smack real good!" 12 She'd been caught. She'd understood, yet she'd been ensnared all the same. She'd known from the start. If she took that hand, if she clung to its warmth, she would never be able to return to those lonely nights again. Even though she'd rebuked herself, saying living by relying on warmth that would someday vanish was foolishness, even madness... That voice had called her. Those eyes had gazed upon her. That hand needed her. She should have known. There was no way that she could reject them. Subaru. "Yeah, that's right." Subaru. Subaru. "That's right. That's my name." Subaru, Subaru, Subaru. Subaru!! "You finally said my name, huh?" 13 The snowfall had become a full-blown blizzard. The world was dotted with enough snow to blanket one's field of vision. It was a hell of extreme cold that could freeze one's breath the instant it touched the outside air. Though exposed to such ferocious elements, powerful will rested in the girl's violet eyes as her silver hair flapped in the wind. "I absolutely, absolutely...won't lose, not to anyone or anything!" With faint light entwined around both her hands, the silver-haired girl raised them to employ and release the vast amount of mana within her. The freezing magic, amplified amid that fiercely blowing snow, began to glow, and that pale radiance became countless swords of light that flew across the world, slicing apart each and every one of the white demon beasts atop the snowy plain. There was a disturbing clacking of their short fangs biting against one another in unison. This was the most unsalvageable thing in the world, the most difficult to coexist with, the great calamity that overshadowed all others since times of yore. Before these beings, the embodiment of appetite, known as Gluttony incarnate, the girl stood, not backing away a single step. However, her breathing was ragged; she had lost control over a portion of her mana, which was so vast that she had yet to master it; and part of her body had begun to be covered in white crystals. At that rate, it would not be long before she was turned into a statue of ice by her very own magical energy. Even so, she did not retreat. She could not. "This is for Mother, for Geuse, and for everyone in the present... Besides, as long as I don't forget the words he wrote, I'll never give up." Therefore, even if her body was enveloped in ice, the one thing she absolutely would not do was regret. As the demon beasts tightened their encirclement, they gradually closed in on the girl and the people depending upon her. If push came to shove, she was ready to put her life on the line. She was ready. " You don't need to overdo it, Emilia-tan. Everything's gonna be all right." There was a light sound. The girl realized someone had landed right next to her from somewhere far above. She looked beside her. The raging blizzard was in the way, so she couldn't make out their face. But she knew exactly who it was. His voice, his demeanor, and more than that there was no way he wouldn't come when she most wanted him at her side. "You can stand back and leave the rest to me we've got beginner's luck on our side." "I'm sorry. I don't really get what you're trying to say." She sensed he was making a wry smile as he stepped ahead. And tagging along was a second, smaller figure. And then she heard two voices. Voices that leaped, as if they had been waiting eagerly for this moment for a very, very long time "I do not have any idea if this will work." "Yeah, we'll manage somehow you and me!!" So began the pair's first battle, one of the many, many times Beatrice the spirit and her contractor, Subaru Natsuki, would fight hand in hand. CHAPTER 8 * 1 In the snow-marred Sanctuary, their fields of vision were filled by the great horde of demon beasts that were Gluttony incarnate. But his trust in the lovely girl at his back and the warmth he felt in his palm were definitely the real deal. That was why Subaru Natsuki stood there without the slightest hesitation or doubt. "You sure stomped the heck out of 'em, Emilia-tan...!" Subaru's face was buffeted by the thunderous blizzard as he praised Emilia's valiant fighting. The falling snow had instantly turned the Sanctuary into the front line of the Great Rabbit's attack. But on previous attempts, by the time that situation arose, the destruction of the Sanctuary was halfway written in stone. This time, he'd averted failure because Emilia had fought valiantly against the demon beasts without retreating a single step. " You evacuating everyone to the tomb means you cleared the Trials, right?" Emilia was taking on the demon-beast horde while shielding Echidna's tomb at her back. At the tomb's entrance, he could see people from the Sanctuary and from Earlham Village watching the state of the battle hand in hand. Ryuzu, who was standing at the congregation's head, told him that this union between the two groups was the result of something that went beyond a simple weighing of pros and cons. And the one who'd worked hardest to bring that situation about wasn't Emilia or Ryuzu. " Ram." There was no reply to his call. Her eyelids were closed, and her body was limp, bereft of strength. Ram had remained in the Sanctuary, vowing to fulfill her greatest wish. Now she was continuing to sleep in the arms of Roswaal, who was sitting on the steps of the tomb in a daze, his expression lost and empty. Just what had happened between Ram and Roswaal? At present, Subaru had no way of knowing. "Subaru, for now, could you focus over here, I wonder?" Subaru was sinking into thought when he felt a tug from the little hand connected to his own. Hearing that familiar voice address him in unfamiliar fashion, Subaru replied with a spontaneous
"uhyah!" "...Why are you giving such a bizarre reply?" "Er, having you call me by my first name is so fresh and vivid that I have to hold back my joy." "Is that all...? Could you indulge in such deep sentiments later, I wonder? ...S-Subaru." "Beako, you are so cute." When Subaru voiced his honest opinion, Beatrice went red-faced, shaking their joined hands around with considerable force. Smiling at her adorable reaction, Subaru gathered himself and let out a breath. "So, Beatrice. The opponent's the Great Rabbit. You ready for this?" "This is the worst situation possible. We have only just formed our pact, the opponent is one of the three great demon beasts, and we are unprepared. My contractor is an amateur, and it has been four centuries since Betty has been in a real fight." "And?" "One might call this an appropriate handicap." Beatrice smiled impetuously as the clacking fangs pressed upon them all at once. Stepping forward as if to greet them, Subaru gave a thumbs-up to Emilia as she stood behind them. "Me and Beatrice'll send that horde packing. Emilia-tan, take down any that slip by us, 'kay?!" " Understood leave it to me! So the rest is up to you." "Yep, we got this." The rule was to assign the right person to the right job. It also reminded him about the saying that the happiest wives were the ones whose husbands were well and often away from home. Emilia exhaled deeply behind him as mana surged all about, forming an icy, defensive line. Standing in front of the zone of freezing cold, Subaru stood face-to-face against the demon beasts filling his vision. In contrast to its adorable appearance, the Great Rabbit was ferocious, its very existence odious. Twice, he had lost his life to those fangs. His fear of slipping away as he was devoured was difficult to forget. But "Are you scared, I wonder?" as Subaru held his breath, Beatrice posed the question with a composed expression. Seeing her eyes and the profile of her face told him more than mere words they told Subaru exactly who was with him then and there. "Nah. I'm not scared." "Oh?" "I have Emilia behind me and you beside me gotta say, best feeling ever." "As it should be." Beatrice smiled wryly. Meeting her adorable, smiling face, Subaru donned a wicked smile of his own. The Great Rabbit Horde raised a disturbing howl, leaping all at once toward the pair, who wore bold, fearless smiles. Faced with that attack no, that act of feeding Beatrice and Subaru raised their joined hands, her left, his right. "First, how about a minor test, I wonder? El Minya." The moment the chant was complete, a vortex formed in midair, summoning purple-colored crystals all around the pair. The gleaming crystals, which were shaped like icicles, resembled the purple arrows Beatrice had used on a previous go-around to skewer Elsa; it was a spell she'd called her specialty. Yet, the sheer number of arrows loading the sky was incomparable to what he had seen before. Targeting took but an instant. Locking on to the heads of every demon beast that made up the Great Rabbit Horde, the purple arrows shot forward at the same time. Each missile found a skull, slaying every one of the demon beasts. Their dead bodies turned into purple crystals, like the arrows that had felled them, then shattered, unable to withstand the raging snow. The world of white was filled with glimmering purple fragments. With a single blow at the outset of the battle, the Great Rabbit vanguard was nearly annihilated. Of course, it was difficult to call this a painful blow to a demon beast that could infinitely propagate, but the spectacular feat left Subaru amazed. "Th-that's incredible !" "R-really? This is nothing at all. For Betty, this is but a piece of cake, I suppose." "Oh, come on, be real...what's this magic that has so much power?! What element is that?!" "The Dark element, of course. Also, is this even a fraction of its full potential, I wonder?" Seeing Subaru's animated reaction made Beatrice proudly puff out her chest. She took pride in the magic Mother had taught her, the magic she had worked so hard to master. "I shall demonstrate the mastery of the Dark element and show you that the power of Dark magic is the greatest this world has to offer." "What...should I do?" "Would you hold Betty's hand and not leave her alone, I wonder?" Beatrice spoke such endearing words as she strengthened her grip on Subaru's hand. Squeezing her palm back, Subaru glared at the menace before them, as if to tell Beatrice it was time to let loose. Devouring the fragments of their comrades' corpses, the Great Rabbit host prepared to advance as a ravaging horde once more. But before they could start... "Subaru, this is a good lesson for a spirit mage rather than use the spirit mage's own mana, as is typical, shall I use magic to directly manipulate the mana in the air, I wonder?" "I see in that case, even with my busted Gate... Okay, I'll leave Shamak to you!" "Do not expect anything as paltry as Subaru's useless Shamak! Can Subaru, who's equally useless and nothing more than dead weight, do anything for Betty save showering her with praise?" Beatrice's imperious pop quiz left Subaru falling into thought a little. But as he pondered, the clacking of the Great Rabbit's fangs pressed near, and with nothing but his direct experiences with impending death coming to mind, Subaru shouted. "I don't know the answer!" "Then I should teach you, I suppose. Focus on Betty's hand and imagine it. Imagine the weaving of mana, the power to shape it into the form of an arrow, the power to materialize and shatter our foe imagine a mighty attack." "I imagined it!" "Then is there anything left but to chant, I wonder?!" Beatrice's voice made Subaru snap open his closed eyes and thrust his left hand forward. Simultaneously, Beatrice moved her right hand forward, aiming it toward the Great Rabbit Horde power surged forth. " El Minya!!" The two chanted as one. Purple-streaked power manifested in the sky, pouring earthward upon the demon beasts. The explosive, destructive force made the stage known as the Sanctuary glimmer with purple fragments the ferocious battle had begun. 2 To Subaru, using magic had always been an act tantamount to whittling his own soul away. Just as Roswaal and Puck had guaranteed from the beginning, Subaru had no talent for magic. In the end, he'd abused Shamak, the one spell he'd learned, finally wrecking his own Gate, closing the path of the magician to him forever. Therefore, he'd never thought another opportunity to use magic would visit him ever again, but "Minya! Minya! This is tough to say, damn it! Minyaaa!" Relying on the vast surge of mana, Subaru did the seemingly impossible, rapidly casting Great Magic again and again. The purple arrows thus spawned opened one hole in the demon-beast force after another, turning the ferocious Great Rabbit into purple fragments. Glancing at these, Beatrice tugged on Subaru's arm, and with a light step, they sailed into the air. Strangely, Subaru was not surprised by the feeling of weightlessness brought by ignoring gravity. Stepping upon the sky, Beatrice twirled and wove to evade the fangs in what truly looked like the dance of a fairy. "We're crossing." "Got it." An instant after she made her announcement, space distorted, and the pair vanished from the sky. It was a short-range warp that differed from Passage. The jump through space threw off the Great Rabbit; the horde did not notice when Subaru and Beatrice emerged behind it. "Will you take care of the left, I wonder?" "Then I'll leave the right to you." Giving form to the magic in his mind, Subaru influenced the world through Beatrice. It felt like he was profiting with someone else's hard-earned money, robbing the moment of any enjoyment. Subaru followed the power of his imagination, loading the sky up with purple arrows large and small, using them as deadly weapons to bore holes into the demon beasts. In his mind, he was loading a gun. He felt like he was creating bullets of mana and then pulling the trigger. But his imagination had an undeniable effect in reality, shooting down the onrushing demon beasts like he was hunting ducks. The Great Rabbit Horde on the opposite side was being similarly attacked by the destruction wrought by Beatrice. Cracks came forth from thin air, and it was like hundreds of the creatures were being shut inside the surface of a painting. The picture fragmented, seemingly being broken apart, and the demon beasts inside were all returned to ash. All Subaru could do was twirl his tongue at the breadth of her magical skill. Unlike Subaru, an idiot who'd learned only one spell, Beatrice could employ multiple varieties in multiple fashions. It was as if she was going out of her way to make plain to Subaru all the cards she held in her hands. "That said, blasting 'em without a plan won't solve anything. Beako, you have a plan, right?" "Of course I have a plan. Is the first stage of it not already complete, I wonder?" The Great Rabbit increased its numbers every bit as much as they dwindled. As Subaru sensed this special nature put them at a stalemate, Beatrice made a reply that sounded quite dependable indeed. He gave her a look that demanded an explanation, and in response, Beatrice sniffed proudly. "All that is necessary is to assemble the demon beasts in one place. Have we truly gathered the entire horde in this forest...in this Sanctuary here in front of the tomb, I wonder?" "Well, I suppose we have. But they infinitely reproduce. It's not like we've taken a roll call." " Infinite, you say, but that does not mean there is no limit." The sentence made Subaru narrow his brows; then comprehension struck him like a bolt of lightning. He looked at the horde of demon beasts. As usual, the white fur balls were visible for as far as the eye could see yet, if they really were reproducing infinitely... "It doesn't add up... If they could really do that, they'd cover the whole planet and even space...!" "Most likely, even if they can propagate endlessly, there should be an upper limit. Therefore, they will not increase beyond that fixed number. In that case..." "Get them to that upper limit and wipe them all out in one go!" Subaru's eyes glimmered as he saw the strategy laid out before him. "But the problem is in the second stage how should we go about eliminating them, I wonder?" Beatrice's concern was just how to simultaneously strike down the Great Rabbit, which numbered in the tens of thousands. If you had force on par with some kind of missile, you could just burn them away along with the Sanctuary itself, but if even one of them survived, they would recover in full. The risk was incalculable. It was difficult to wipe them off the map with simple brute force. The other way would be to "Your face says you have thought of something." "Like usual, I settled on a plan that depends on you. Sounds good?" Beatrice used magic even in the midst of their conversation to attract the demon beasts' attention toward the pair. Subaru drew his lips close to her refined ear and whispered his idea into it. Beatrice nodded after a few moments of thought. "Betty did think of something rather similar, I suppose. But even with Betty and Subaru, these numbers are..." "Hey, hey, you've got something wrong here, Beako. You don't get it at all." *** "In a situation like this, it's not like we have to settle everything with you alone or just the two of us, you know?" Listening to Subaru's reply, Beatrice let an "ah" slip out as her eyes shot open.
Then the girl heaved a cloudy sigh as she turned toward Subaru with the faintest of pouts. "Truly, Subaru...no one in the world is better at relying upon others than you." "I promise in the future I'll become a vibrant, high-end contractor so you'll never get frustrated again." "Did you really think that would sound even slightly convincing when it comes from the mouth of a serial promise-breaker, I wonder?" She said that with a smile, and Subaru couldn't deny any of it. Seeing his reaction, Beatrice pressed her palm against his chest, nodding deeply with a gaze filled with trust. "Even Betty requires time to prepare for this. Would you serve as a decoy during that time, I wonder?" "Relax. There ain't a single person in Lugunica who can beat me when it comes to distracting powerful enemies." Beatrice closed her eyes and sank into contemplation. This was the first step toward putting Subaru's operation into motion. Picking up her tiny body, Subaru powerfully kicked off from the snow. Homing in on Subaru and Beatrice as they raced across the snowy plain, the approaching demon beasts clacked their fangs and moved in for the kill. Too slow. Considering the sticky situations he'd found himself in over the last couple of days, the Great Rabbit swarm he faced now just seemed tame in comparison. "Outta my way, you little gnats! I don't have time to deal with you right now!" Evading their fangs, leaping over their heads, Subaru trod upon purple fragments as he raced through their pack. Chanting and loosing purple missiles to force open a path, Subaru continued carrying Beatrice as he rushed right through the battle-worn clearing toward Emilia, who stood in front of the tomb. "Eh, Subaru?!" Subaru's sprint made Emilia's eyes bulge wide. Sliding to a stop right beside her, Subaru put Beatrice, still deep in contemplation, down on top of the snow, patting her head as he spoke. "Sorry, Emilia-tan! It's too tough for Beako and me to handle this on our own!" "Th-that's fine. But what should we do? Maybe I can..." "Nah, I've thought up a way to beat them, so there's no need for you to wear yourself out trying to land a knockout blow! Actually, please don't even try. It'd make coming this far meaningless." It surprised Emilia that he had seen right through her and gleaned she was considering self-destructive techniques to win the day. He wasn't going to let her do it. He absolutely wouldn't let her, now or later. He fully intended to make sure she would never have to do it ever again. He didn't want any part of her thinking it didn't matter how badly she was hurt as long as she could save everyone else. "Everyone safe, everyone saved. That's obviously the best outcome." "Subaru..." "Emilia-tan, I want you to be just a little more selfish from here on. If you can't, I'll think a little harder, but if you can, I just want you to do your best. Let's win this for everyone's sake." *** Emilia put a hand to her chest and blinked as if she sensed something in Subaru's words. Subaru tried to hold the demon-beast horde in check with more purple arrows to buy time until she made up her mind. But when he turned forward, it was not purple missiles that smashed into the Great Rabbit Horde but icicles. Emilia had a renewed determination in her eyes as she clenched her right fist and laid into the demon beasts with her magic. "Got it. Let's do it, Subaru. Tell me what you need. Anything!" Emilia's reply, containing determination and resolve, made Subaru clench his own fist. "That's my Emilia-tan let's do this thing!" 3 The upsurge in magical energy was so incredibly powerful that even Subaru could feel it. Emilia was standing in front of the tomb. Subaru was holding Beatrice within his arms. Believing in Subaru's plan, both of them were fully devoted to controlling their respective mana to bring it to fruition. And it fell to Subaru to buy the time they both needed until they were prepared. "C'mon, c'mon! I'm your opponent, same as usual! Follow meee!" Smiling and waving, Subaru mercilessly pounded the horde with a vicious blow. The explosive bombardment created a wild dance of purple light, which sent the demon beasts flying and made them wriggle as one. The horde moved like one gigantic body and began chasing Subaru in a mad dash around the Sanctuary. This was the beginning of the operation. At the very least, his worry that they might hit the tomb first was gone. "It's not as if you can ignore the smell of mana and my stench, either!" It was the Great Rabbit's nature to be attracted by mana. It was Subaru's nature to have demon beasts want to devour him. With Beatrice, her eyes still closed, resting in his arms, Subaru Natsuki was a veritable, mouthwatering feast on the hoof as far as the Great Rabbit was concerned. He heard the clacking of fangs. Subaru heard the deadly footsteps chasing them from behind. " ! For one of the three great demon beasts, you're so slow! You half-wits, do you actually want me to make you extinct like ol' Whaley?" Biting fear back with his molars, Subaru hurled the unnecessary insults he kept in the far corners of his mind. If he didn't flap his gums to maintain his calm, he'd never be able to conceal that he was trembling to the core. He couldn't look that pathetic to the girl behind him, nor to the girl in his arms. "Subaru !" As Subaru put on his own performance, a voice like a silver bell reached his ears through the gale-like snow. When he looked in the snow-filled reaches of his vision, Emilia was thrusting a fist toward the heavens it was the signal that her preparations were complete. Receiving this, Subaru put more strength into his legs, with which he kicked at the snow Emilia was ready, but until Subaru's end was ready a little more, just a little farther, just a pinch, go, go, go! Without even time to let out his breath, Subaru laid a marker on the snowy plain at his own feet. With this, his do-or-die escape from the Great Rabbit, which was hot on his tail, had finally neared its end. With that purple-arrow marker thrust into the snowy plain, everything had come together so he shouted: "Now, Emilia! Trace the lines !!" Plowing through the snow as he came to a halt, Subaru relied on magic for his last stand, commanding the purple arrow, "Let there be light!" The very next instant, countless purple arrows that had been shot into the clearing began to glow, forming a glittering cage. A horde of tens of thousands of wriggling white demon beasts had been penned up inside that square cage "That's Subaru for you! Really good job!" Praising the splendid outcome, Emilia let up a voice of joy that she'd normally never ever make. Then as her eyes glimmered with equally rare aggression, she trained a graceful finger toward the demon beasts within the cage. And then she unleashed all the mana she had been forming while Subaru had bought her time. "Cocytus!" Applying that incantation, unfamiliar to his tongue, Subaru activated the vast amount of surging mana, transmitting power to the purple crystals, which were arrayed in a square around the clearing, one after another. The lines connected. With a roar, the ground, the snowy plain itself, floated skyward. "Amazing..." Seeing this unfold left Subaru dumbstruck. The spectacle was so overwhelming, it left him speechless. Emilia carefully supplied magic energy all along the sides of the cage of purple arrows in the clearing, shutting the Great Rabbit inside a snowy cage and lifting them into the sky. Of course, had they been normal demon beasts, they would surely have noticed the abnormality and escaped from the cage but the Great Rabbit possessed no such decision-making capacity. They were incarnations of hunger, felt inexhaustible urges of Gluttony, and were children gifted with Daphne the Witch's empty stomach "That's why now you're all one step from a Giltirau and stuff!" " With this, there's nowhere left for you to run!" As Subaru raised a middle finger and levied his insult, Emilia put on the finishing touches. Emilia used magic energy to weave together an icy lid she simultaneously slammed down onto the patch of snowy ground that had floated into the sky, completing the cage and trapping the massive number of demon beasts. Even if the Great Rabbit had a will of its own, there was no escape now that the icy prison was fully formed. From the snow-stripped clearing beneath the prison, he looked around. Stragglers, zero. Wriggling figures, zero. The whole Great Rabbit Horde had been in one place, enclosed within a square perimeter about twenty yards per side. With this, the conditions had been met. "Now, the final blow if you please, Great Spirit Beatrice " Rocking the girl within his arms, Subaru announced it was time to follow the appetizer with the main course. Answering his call, the girl gently opened her eyes that had remained quietly closed up to this point. Then, when she set her gaze upon the spectacle before them, she cracked a smile. She was not surprised whatsoever. She was merely following up on the result she was sure he would deliver " Al Shamak." A moment after the incantation, the ultimate manifestation of the Dark element dyed the world black. 4 For an instant, the Great Rabbit was whipped around by a feeling of weightlessness before all its weight was slammed against the ground. That impact freed it from the sense of tightness pressing against the entirety of its form. First, it shook its body, ridding itself of the snow that caked its fur. It made a sound through its nose as it swiveled its head around. With its eyes, nose, ears, and whiskers, it searched for prey and consumed it. This was its only desire. It surveyed the area with its red eyes, craving the luxuriant aroma of the mana of its prey that made its whiskers tremble. It felt nothing. Until just a moment before, it should have been surrounded by a feast. The prey was tantalizing, offering soft flesh and sweet blood that might grant it a sense of fulfillment, a momentary respite from its eternal sense of hunger. Its eyes saw nothing. Its nose smelled nothing. Its ears heard nothing. Its whiskers did not tremble. Disappointment. Despair. Foul feelings resembling such things instantly overrode its sense of hunger. To keep the loneliness of its mouth and the emptiness of its stomach at bay, it bit into the clump of white closest to it for the moment. It tore with its mouth, rending the flesh, sipping the blood, and savoring its innards. It violated the clump of meat to its heart's desire, eating it clean, when it realized similar meals were occurring all about. Its prey had vanished. Following its instinct for survival, it was in a daze as it chewed on the white clump that had become its meal, swallowing it whole. This happened over and over again, driven by insatiable hunger, feeding on the next prey, the prey next after that, the prey next after that after that, next after that after that after Finally, having at some point devoured everything in the surrounding area, it found itself alone. Sipping on clumps of blood, licking up fragments of scattered flesh, it left behind neither dirt nor grass as it savored the fresh blood. If in so doing it had run out of things to eat, it was well and truly alone. On the inside, it continued to be assaulted by a sense of insatiable hunger beyond its capacity for flesh. It raised a cry. It clacked its fangs. The maddening hunger was torture No, it was already mad. For all eternity, it
was forbidden from sating its inexhaustible hunger and satisfying its limitless cravings; this was the madness of Gluttony. Did Mother also harbor such feelings? For a single instant, reason bloomed in the back of its mind, which was ruled by hunger. However, it was immediately blotted out. Its body trembled. As a consequence of its madness, it had subconsciously reproduced, creating a being separate from itself. It ate this spawn without the slightest hesitation. There was not even an anguished cry as it stuffed itself with the flesh. Afterward, it suffered again from renewed hunger. Then, as a consequence of its hunger, it birthed another one of itself into the world. It ate. It raged. It birthed. It ate. Over and over. It continued these things over and over. It was alone. It was in a world without any others. There was forest. There was soil. There was air. All that was missing was prey. It was alone. It continued eating. It was alone. Finally, it ate the it that was different from itself, causing it to vanish. It was alone. It was truly alone, yet it ceased to be lonely as its gluttony continued over and over again. Its insatiable hunger would never be sated. 5 The living darkness swallowed up the cage of ice and snow, compressing it along with the Great Rabbit Horde within. Finally, they vanished without a sound. This, the creation of an isolated space, was the effect of Al Shamak the greatest of the Shamak line of spells. Enveloped by the magic, the Great Rabbit Horde had been blasted into what was essentially another dimension. Regeneration and propagation had lost all meaning, for both were literally sequestered in another world. "I know the plan was to send them into an isolated space like the archive of forbidden books, but..." "Are you dissatisfied, I wonder?" As Subaru's voice trembled in the face of the overwhelming feat, Beatrice tapered her lips by his side. Putting her hands on her hips with an arrogant posture, she seemed most displeased with Subaru's attitude. "It really is incredible..." In Subaru's stead, it was Emilia who voiced words of honest praise. Being far more versed in magic than he, Emilia was doubtless more surprised than Subaru. Now that she had released her combat posture, the freezing across half her body had gradually relented. The worst-case scenario had been avoided. Swiveling his head about, Subaru made sure the Great Rabbit, which once blanketed the clearing, was nowhere to be found. Turning around, he also confirmed the tomb was safe. When he saw the various residents of the Sanctuary and Earlham Village were giving him a thumbs-up, he lifted a hand toward them in return. When he looked closer, he noticed Ryuzu replicas were mixed in among them. Sharing information about what happened in the Sanctuary is gonna be a pain, huh? Subaru mused with a wry smile. And sitting on the steps on the tomb was Roswaal, holding Ram in his arms Ram's hand was touching Roswaal's cheek. His clownish expression contorted, and even from a distance, Subaru could see the tracks of tears. * The scene swiftly gave Subaru the feeling that a great burden had been lifted from his chest. It wasn't that everything had been resolved. But it was just as he'd said to Beatrice. Subaru didn't need to personally resolve every single thing. The Great Rabbit had been defeated through Subaru's, Beatrice's, and Emilia's valiant efforts, just like how incredible deeds had been accomplished in the Sanctuary and at the mansion both. More than anything, it was the sight of Ram smiling and Roswaal crying that told Subaru as much. "Hey, Subaru." As Subaru exhaled at length, Emilia abruptly poked his cheek with her finger. Emilia tossed him a pleasant smile as she used a hand to indicate behind him. Beatrice was still right there waiting for him, arms folded with a sour look on her face. "I think you should say something to the one who worked the hardest." Subaru couldn't help but give a short sigh when he saw her childish, cheek-puffing gesture. Then "Waaah!" sweeping an arm under her, he hoisted up her light body. Ignoring her cutesy, plaintive cry, Subaru continued to embrace the girl as he twirled around on the spot. "You did awesome! That's my Beako! I love you!" "W-wait a ! That's not... W-would you let go, I wonder?! Betty is not...!" "Good girl, good girl! You're so, so cute! You're wonderful, Beako! You're the best, Beako! Beako forever!" Grandly singing her praises, Subaru lifted Beatrice way up as he spun all around. Beatrice's face was beet red as she dangled from his arms. Emilia watched the worked-up pair with gentle eyes. Behind her, she heard the various villagers clapping their hands together and raising cheers. And as the contractor continued spinning around with his spirit, expressing joy with the entirety of his body... "Ah !" ...his foot slipped, sending the pair tumbling headlong into the snow. * 1 " Okay, it's finished!" Picking up a pair of twigs, Subaru thrust them into the mass of snow before his eyes and wiped off the sweat on his brow. It was constructed in a short time with amateur workmanship, but he was quite proud that it had come out fairly well. Even the onlookers admired his handiwork and went "ooh" in praise. "This really does make me feel like I'm a genius at this stuff. If we're ever short on food money, I can have Emilia-tan make the snow fall, and I'll be a living national treasure as a snow artist." "Goodness, don't say such ridiculous things... But you really did a good job, huh? Sitting on the stone steps, Emilia let out a white breath as she watched Subaru's handiwork. Displayed in her violet eyes were Subaru and the horde of snowmen no, snow-Pucks he had finished. He'd gathered up the snow left in the clearing and had made a dozen snow sculptures. Even to Subaru himself, it was a mystery where he'd mustered the passion to craft Pucks of every emotion and for every occasion. It was probably something like thanks, given how Subaru had heard of Puck's bravery in his absence. "I am sure this was not his aim, but I think Barusu is indeed an idiot." In contrast, Ram, her head propped up on Emilia's lap, gave Subaru's actions a quite harsh assessment. With her burned maid outfit stripped away, Ram's white garment gave her a very different impression. That was probably because it somehow felt like she had finally left behind something that had been haunting her. Of course, her poison tongue cut as sharply as ever. "Hey, I'm the guy who worked hardest during this whole mess. Aren't you praising me too little?" "Mm, I guess that's true. I'm really grateful toward Subaru. But while you were gone, I was the one working hard, so I think it's only natural I would want some praise for it." "Emilia-tan's suddenly gotten a lot more direct, huh...?" Perhaps this was the influence of her having overcome the Trials. There was a type of confidence blooming from Emilia's demeanor and expression. It was a good trend for Emilia, long prone to putting herself down and understating her own worth. Subaru had been unable to deal with all the problems of the Sanctuary with his own power no matter what he tried. Now that he had others to help cover his weaknesses and deficiencies, enabling this miracle that allowed them all to be together, he wanted to thank her. "If nothing else, though, I meant to take on the toughest job and stuff..." "I won't allow something so thoughtless. If Subaru runs around and does everything, we won't even have a reason to be here. If anything, Subaru has been running around a little too much." "Er, but I'm way short on firepower, so running around is about the only tactic I have." "But that will not be the case going forward, will it?" Emilia was stroking Ram's head atop her lap as she spoke, smiling at how they were both understating the other's worth. Deducing exactly what her words were getting at, Subaru rubbed under his nose with a finger as he replied, "Ahhh." He'd overlooked a lot of things and had ended up being saved by many people around him, but he'd also gained pretty much everything he needed. He probably would never be worrying about things alone ever again. *** Lifting his face, Subaru turned his gaze from the snow sculptures in the clearing in front of the tomb. Now that the Trial system had vanished, a pair of individuals had stepped inside. He had some idea of what they might be talking about. "Well, even I can read the mood enough not to intrude on that." They'd had untold opportunities to speak to each other, yet they'd never taken advantage of them. All the words left unspoken must have piled high enough to become a mountain. 2 The Witch sleeping in the transparent coffin was just as beautiful as the day she'd died. "Mother..." In the small room in the deepest part of the tomb in which the coffin was placed, the remains of Echidna the Witch rested in silence. In front of those remains, Beatrice was stricken with such worry that her feet felt like they couldn't stay grounded. She felt neither the sense of elation from during the battle nor the sense of loss and liberation from losing the archive of forbidden books she felt guilt. The Witch had long, beautiful white hair and a comely face that spoke of intellect and tolerance. Though the instances were rare, her memories of the Witch regarding her with soft smiles came rushing back. There and then, the memories of how her mother looked, which she had been on the verge of forgetting after four centuries, were fresh once more, digging their way into Beatrice's chest. "Has Betty managed to uphold her promise to Mother, I wonder? ...I am sorry." Stroking the edge of the cracked coffin with her finger, Beatrice began their first meeting in four centuries with an apology. Beatrice had lost both the intellect of the Witch and the book of knowledge given to her upon their parting. She had deigned to come crawling back, her promise unfulfilled. "Betty never met That Person...and the book has been burned away. Are the words I am sorry enough to make up for it, I wonder?" Beatrice judged herself to be a poor daughter. She was a foolish girl who'd been unable to fulfill Mother's last request with four centuries on hand to do it. She could not help but regret that from the bottom of her heart as she reunited with her mother, who by rights she should have been unable to even face. "...For all that, you have quite a relieved look upon your face, do you noooot?" The man on the other side of the coffin Roswaal easily guessed how Beatrice truly felt. As always, the man was disgustingly good at pointing things out. However, Beatrice could not help but put her discordant feelings aside. It was hardly unrelated to the man having taken off his makeup and exposing his bare face. "You look most relieved of all, Roswaal. It is not like you to stand before Betty without your makeup on... Truly, is it like you at all, I wonder?" Roswaal said nothing in response to Beatrice's words. All he did was make a lonely smile. That was even more unusual. Lowering her eyes at his reaction, Betty continued: "Besides, you must have your own things to say to Mother. To you... To your family, meeting Mother again was your long-cherished desire, I suppose." More than anyone else, Beatrice witnessed the changes four centuries had wrought upon the House of Roswaal founded by the first Roswaal who apprenticed under Echidna. In the battle against Hector the Devil, Roswaal had lost all his
capacity to use magic rather than his life. After Echidna's passing, he had entered the archive of forbidden books and immersed himself in search of something, and then he died, entrusting his dream to the next generation. For each and every generation since, the head of the household inherited the name of Roswaal. The genius of the first Roswaal was rediscovered time and time again, and the House of Mathers grew. Roswaal L. Mathers was the living compilation of all that had come before him. Beatrice was actually quite bewildered that his talent surpassed even that of the first Roswaal, who Echidna herself had considered remarkable. The likes of him had never been seen in the past; none other could claim to be the world's mightiest magic user. "Yet, even with all that talent, you could not escape from the curse that binds the Mathers family. You are ghosts, dreaming of reuniting with my dear, departed mother... I sympathize with you, if only slightly." Beatrice was speaking of Roswaal's way of life, able only to obey the destiny laid out generation after generation. His family greatly resembled her, continually bound by a single pact made four centuries prior. Ironically, the moments she had spent with the first Roswaal before the day of that pact four hundred years before remained fresh in her mind. " May I ask you one thing?" It was as Beatrice reminisced that Roswaal raised but a single finger and posed that question. The low, earnest tone of his voice made her lift her face. Beatrice tacitly consented with her silence. "I must wonder, did Young Subaru become That Person for you?" The question made Beatrice's breath catch for a moment. This was not surprise No, there was surprise. It was just that she felt no impact from Roswaal's words. She was surprised by her own heart, which didn't ache as expected at the words That Person. "...Why do you laugh?" "Ahhh, sorry about that, I suppose. I am not particularly laughing at you. Perhaps I simply find myself amusing at the moment. I truly am such a fool." How easy had it been for her to forget the proposition that had bound her heart so much the instant after she had let go of it? It probably was not so. It was not that she had forgotten. She had said good-bye to That Person forevermore. "That man... Subaru is not suited whatsoever to be Betty's That Person." "Whatsoever, you say... That is a rather harsh assessment." "Is that really true, I wonder? Betty is strict. Is that why every opportunity in four hundred years came to nothing, I wonder? ...Betty's selfishness is why the idea of That Person controlled her fate for so long." Beatrice now understood just a little of the feelings of the people who had tried to bring her out of the archive of forbidden books. By no means had all of them stretched hands toward Beatrice out of nothing but their own selfish ambitions. Among them were those who Beatrice had continually driven away with her own thoughts and words. "Then how was someone like you able to come out? How did Subaru become That Person?" "Did I not say it already, I wonder? Subaru is not suited to be That Person whatsoever. But that is fine. Betty has chosen Subaru. Not That Person but Subaru, I suppose." Beatrice's reply caused Roswaal's breath to catch as he opened his eyes wide. Perhaps it was an answer difficult for an adherent of Echidna's like Roswaal to accept. Beatrice, standing in the same position just a short time prior, painfully understood just how he felt. It was because she understood that she thought it necessary to elaborate. "When I wanted Subaru to become That Person, he laughed it off. He prattled on with something like, I can make you happier than some guy whose face you don't even know, I suppose." "That is...a most arrogant answer." "But I do not mind him being pushy." Compared with an array of polite words spoken to Beatrice to tell her what to do or a speech on how she should put Echidna's intellect to use, he was akin to an unadorned blade. "But is that really fine with you? No matter how you might struggle, you will never be Subaru's first. One can tell just by watching how he lives... I know this to be true." "Roswaal, are you misunderstanding something, I wonder?" "Misunderstanding?" "Betty did not leave the archive of forbidden books because Subaru made her his number one. Did Betty not leave the archive because she wants to make Subaru her number one, I wonder?" Pick me. He had said that to her. I'll be too lonely to live without you. Those had been his words. She thought them very convenient words. Yet, they had resonated within Beatrice, shaking her heart. And the instant she took his hand and left the archive of forbidden books, she knew a feeling of liberation that brought tears to her eyes. She was well aware that she was defying both Mother and Roswaal, committing a terrible betrayal against them. But her heart was already set. Her hand had already joined with his. * Roswaal fell silent as Beatrice awaited his words. Even if he was to accuse her of betrayal, she could do nothing save gently accept them. Such was the resolve within " No matter how much time passes, you never change, Beatrice. You are the same as you were then." * His words had an odd ring to them that made Beatrice faintly knit her brows. What he said made Beatrice suspicious, but the tone of his voice even more so. It felt so very gentle, soft, and nostalgic. "Truly, you and I have not had nearly enough conversations. It has been so ever since we were at Teacher's side." "Teacher...?" When she heard Roswaal's gentle word, a term that should never have been heard from his lips, a shudder ran through her. Simultaneously, a possibility arose in the back of Beatrice's mind from the very depths of the time she had experienced. It couldn't be. Yet, if it was so " Roswaal, is that you?" "I have always been Roswaal?" "No...! That is not what I... You you surely know what I meant!" "I jest. It is precisely so, Beatrice. It is I the very same Roswaal." The instant he changed how he referred to himself, Beatrice saw two Roswaals overlap. A tall, handsome man with long indigo hair overlapped with a young man who possessed the same characteristic features. This was the young man who had once doted on Echidna, who had asked the Witch to mentor him, and who Beatrice had lived alongside. "It couldn't be... Are you using soul transcription, the theory of immortality that Mother pursued? But that failed." "The soul will not graft to an empty vessel. That issue was a temporary impasse...one that I overcame by force. If the issue is compatibility between vessel and soul, this can be eliminated through greater proximity of the two." Beatrice could not conceal her utter shock when she grasped the meaning of those words. When Echidna's research into immortality failed and led instead to Ryuzu Meyer becoming the core of the Sanctuary, the Witch attempted to make efficient use of the replication technique created as a by-product, yet in terms of her lust for knowledge, she had erred. In the end, unable to graft the soul of another to an empty vessel, the research was considered a failure but Roswaal had succeeded where she had not. The first Roswaal had transferred himself to the bodies of the Mathers children in an unbroken line, reaching all the way to the present generation. "Are you going to denounce me as inhuman, Beatrice?" Such was the question Roswaal posed to Beatrice. Unlike back then, Roswaal's left and right eye colors differed; only half of the blue from his original form remained. Beatrice felt like that tentative blue eye was waiting for her to unleash blame upon him. Did Roswaal wish to be punished again? Just like how she had confessed her sin of breaking her pact with Echidna to her mother's remains? Did he want to be condemned for his own foolish actions? Condemned by Beatrice, the one who best understood her mother, the woman who was the object of his tenacious, unrequited love that had caused nothing but trouble to others across four hundred long years. "Roswaal. Would you squat down over here for a moment, I wonder?" " Here?" When Beatrice pointed to the flooring to the side of the coffin, Roswaal closed one eye. When that blue eye saw Beatrice nod, Roswaal seemed dubious as he knelt there on one knee. Gazing upon this, Beatrice removed her right shoe, firmly gripping it with her right hand. "Clench your teeth." "Clench my... Guh?!" She slammed the shoe in her hand into the side of his face, currently at just the right height. She made a very pleasant sound as Roswaal's head reeled, eyes wide open. Glancing at him, Beatrice put the shoe in her hand back on her foot once more. The refreshed look on Beatrice's face brought Roswaal, now with a red and taut cheek, back to his senses. "W-was that something like your very own mark of disdain just now?" "Not really. Do I even know why you want me to be angry at what you have done, I wonder? ...Your actions are unworthy of praise. But is there anyone who has the right to blame you save the children whose bodies you have made your own, I wonder? Ugh, is all that Betty thinks of the matter." "Ugh, is it...? Then what was that blow just now for?" It seems a poor reason to strike me, Roswaal seemed to be trying to say. Beatrice stuck her tongue out at him. Certainly, Beatrice took no issue with the soul transcription. But "Is it not obvious this is payback for the archive of forbidden books burning down, I wonder?!" " About the mansio " "Betty is very generous and therefore will leave it at that... If Subaru forgives you, then perhaps I can, too, I suppose." Interrupting Roswaal, Beatrice let the words pour from her lips, preventing further discussion of the matter. The demonstration of her intent made Roswaal fall silent. Enumerating Roswaal's schemes would require far more than the fingers on both hands. If he counted every single one of them, Beatrice would probably be unable to forgive him anymore hence, she would not let him speak them. Besides, if Beatrice's eyes did not deceive her, Roswaal had lost his book of knowledge. *** The mystical tome that was the basis of all his schemes was in his grasp no more. Just like hers had been to Beatrice, Roswaal's mystical tome had been the embodiment of his hopes. He had clung to it, relied on it, yet after walking across four centuries, nothing had changed. At the end of their journey, Beatrice and Roswaal found themselves reunited back at the Sanctuary. Therefore, Beatrice had only one thing to say to him. "Roswaal." "...What is it?" "Welcome home." That brief phrase made Roswaal's breath catch. To Beatrice and Roswaal, to Echidna, to Ryuzu, this place represented the old days That was why Beatrice's words faintly made Roswaal's lips tremble. "Yes, I suppose I am. I'm back, Beatrice welcome home." 3 "They're not coming out, huh? I'm sure they had a load of things to talk about, but isn't this excessive?" Growing impatient due to the lack of any new developments after returning from making his thirtieth snow-Puck in the clearing, Subaru turned toward the tomb. It had been just short of an hour since the pair had entered, yet they still had not emerged. "I understand you're worried, Subaru, but I think you're the one being a little excessive." Subaru appeared unable to calm down as Emilia stood beside him, stroking a snow-Puck with what seemed
like exasperation. Incidentally, Ram, who'd been borrowing Emilia's lap and making Subaru envious for quite some time, seemed largely recovered by that point as she gently sat upon the steps, looking like she was also waiting for the pair to return from the tomb. With Beatrice now enlightened, the possibility that Roswaal would slip into despair didn't even register as a concern to Subaru. "Maybe I'm just deluding myself that it's all going to just work itself out..." "Hee-hee, you've become quite a believer in Beatrice...but you two have always gotten along so well, haven't you? I can really understand how you two formed a pact." "Now and again, I wished she'd talk like we get along a little more... Also, is that Puck?" Scratching his cheek after hearing Emilia's honest opinion, Subaru then gestured toward the blue crystal on her neck. This had been his trump card in the battle against Garfiel, the same thing that had bolstered Ram's resolve in the Sanctuary, and now served as the icon of the Great Spirit who slumbered in tranquility at Emilia's side. Having broken his pact and pushed himself several times over, this was the sealed bed in which Puck had fallen into a deep sleep. "I wanted to tell him, Thanks for the assist, but that's not happening in his state, is it?" "Mm, no, it's not. Seems he pushed himself a little too hard; there's no way... Even this stone isn't strong enough to wake Puck up. Doesn't look like I'll be able to talk and joke around with him just yet." "But he'll definitely be back someday, right?" Closing one eye, Subaru confirmed something that didn't even need to be said aloud. For one moment alone, Emilia closed her eyes and said, "Yes," nodding back. The conviction of her expression was exceedingly dignified and beautiful. "...You've sure changed, Emilia-tan. It's like you're still every bit as cute, but you're stronger now." "If that's so, it's thanks to you and everyone else, Subaru. I've always been on the receiving end before. I need to hurry up and give back to everyone in all kinds of ways." "When it comes to just taking, I feel like I've done a lot of that, too..." Subaru and Emilia both keenly felt their own powerlessness. That did not mean they would be licking each other's wounds, for they also took pride in having become more dependable. "Incidentally, Subaru... Um..." Subaru was immersed in deep sentiments when Emilia abruptly tossed her voice his way. That voice made him go "ahhh" and come back to his senses, but Subaru's eyes bulged as he turned toward Emilia. "E-Emilia-tan?! Your face is super red all of a sudden are you all right?!" "I-I'm all right. Completely fine. More importantly, there is something we need to discuss." "R-right. I guess, um, please go right ahead..." When for some reason Emilia broke into formal language, Subaru stumbled into a formal reply of his own. Emilia, red to the tips of her ears, made no comment about his response, staring straight at Subaru before continuing. "Um... Subaru, you said you...l-love me, yes?" "Er, ah, yes. I did say that. I love you. I super love you." " ! That...that makes me really, really happy, but..." Subaru got a bad feeling as Emilia, blushing hard, trailed off if he had to put it into words, he was afraid she was about to say, Let's be friends instead. "W-wait! Wait a sec! I-I'm in this for the long haul, so to speak!" "Th-that's... I understand that already. But...if I don't do this properly... Back when we were in the dragon carriage and the time at the tomb, I never gave you a proper reply, Subaru...and..." Even as an unbearable anxiousness shot through him, Subaru lent his ears to Emilia. The present situation didn't necessarily seem like the worst-case scenario, but his chances didn't seem too great, either. If anything, it was like the status quo ante. As long as she didn't find his repeated confessions of love terribly intrusive, Subaru was ready to bounce back as many times as it took. However, it was about to become crystal clear that they were on completely different pages. "It's just I think we need to have a proper talk about the baby in my belly!" "...Excuse me?" "I don't know if it will be a boy or a girl, but we need to give it all the love and attention it needs! Still, I don't know anything about these things... That's why I have to discuss it with the child's father..." "Emilia-tan, wait, hold on, like, seriously, please wait a second..." Emilia's face was red and teary, but Subaru's mind couldn't keep up. Calm. He needed to be calm. A baby in Emilia's belly? Emilia was the mother? Subaru was the father? He didn't know what any of that meant. Subaru was positive that he had not climbed the final stairs of adulthood yet. "Emilia-tan, by baby, you mean a little kid, right?" "Th-that's right. It's a really big deal in the middle of the royal selection...but it isn't the baby's fault it's going to be born, so I want to give the child all the love I can. I just wanted to tell you that." He admired the nobility of Emilia's resolute heart. He could even appreciate the beauty in her kind words. But they were talking past each other. It was almost as if people had children differently in this world. "Emilia-tan, you know babies aren't delivered by birds or harvested from cabbage patches, right?" "But babies are made when a man and a woman kiss, aren't they?" Subaru was in shock. Emilia's lack of knowledge was a part of it, but he was mainly astounded by how adorable her misunderstanding was. "Subaru? Um, Subaru? What's wrong?" As Subaru fell silent, Emilia seemed worried as she peered into his face with the look of someone who had accepted her impending motherhood. That was commendable. However, her misunderstanding inflicted a grievous wound upon a pure heart. He couldn't help but wonder if it was better to simply declare himself the father of the nonexistent child. "Subaru, could it be that you regret kissing me...?" "Absolutely not. In fact, I'd love to do it again and again!!" "Oh...okay..." The misunderstanding deepened further still. Her blushing face made Subaru regret how he had replied reflexively. Given Emilia's mindset at the moment, Subaru's words were tantamount to saying he wanted to have lots and lots of children with her. Certainly, there was a part of him that did wish for that, but his top priority was setting Emilia straight. "C-curse you, Puck...!!" Subaru directed an angry murmur toward the absent kitty spirit, who continued to sleep deep inside the magic crystal. In the back of his mind, he felt like he could see the kitty spirit putting a paw on his head and sticking his tongue out with a thbpttt. 4 The instant the blow landed, his cheekbone groaned under the impact. His tall body was easily flung into the air and slammed into the wall. It did not end there. The momentum sent him right through the fragile wooden wall, blowing his body into the snowy outdoors. *** At the end of his somersault, he finally came to a stop, spread-eagle on the snowy plain, unable to move a muscle. The silence that descended made it tempting to assume he had actually expired then and there. Subaru's eyes went wide as he stared at the wall that had been punched clean through, the tall, slender man sent flying through it, and the one who had sent him flying to begin with. During that time, the attacker let out a satisfied breath. "Phew... Man, I really sent the bastard flyin', huh?" With an audible clack of sharp, canine teeth, the blond boy Garfiel spoke those words with a sunny, beaming face. Watching as Ram rushed toward Roswaal, who had been the victim, Subaru scratched his head. "Y-yeah. Sure did." That was all the reply he could manage. 5 "Errr, so now that we've formally settled some outstanding business, I think it's time we had a mutual discussion about the things that happened this time around and the various events going into the future." Taking the reins like an MC redirecting a conference's agenda, Subaru surveyed the faces of the people packed into the Cathedral. Those assembled inside were the principal actors involved in the latest incident. That said, it still amounted to quite a large number of people, which made Subaru deeply appreciate just how greatly their proverbial family had grown. The mansion team had caught up on the dawn after Emilia's imaginary pregnancy crisis. Fortunately, everyone who had been present at the mansion fire was safe and sound, with Garfiel and Frederica, Otto and Petra, and Ram all returning in one piece to the Sanctuary via a dragon carriage drawn by Patlash. After, with Subaru plus Emilia and Beatrice of the Sanctuary team, as well as Ryuzu in attendance to represent the Sanctuary, the participants amounted to a whole eleven people. "From the perspective of the royal selection, this might seem like one small step. But it's one giant step for the Emilia camp...!" "Wow, that sounds really impressive... But you're absolutely right. That means I'll have to work even harder now." Taking Subaru's silly talk completely seriously, Emilia earnestly sought to repay the trust in her. Setting the whole baby-in-her-belly thing aside, her genuine, forward-looking nature was one of the things that made her beautiful. Indeed, she was a little too serious, which made relieving her of the baby misunderstanding quite an arduous chore. "Ahem, I'd better straighten myself out before the conversation goes off the rails. Let's get right to the point. Should I assume everyone here knows everything that happened already? What comes after is the jury's verdict in regards to the accused..." To be perfectly honest, it was a difficult issue to broach, yet there was no means to avoid it. Subaru scratched his face as he moved the conference forward, making all the other Cathedral attendees shift their glances to the rear toward Roswaal, lying limply on a couch as Ram offered her lap to his head. "...Oh my? Could it be, you have not yet made enough sport of me in my defenseless staaate?" "Don't make me out to be the bad guy. That was settling things. Well, some of it was what some might call excessive, though..." Roswaal's abrasive words made Subaru recall the violent scene that had taken place not long ago. In summary, it was a ceremony where Roswaal, the mastermind behind many of their troubles, was punched once by every one of his victims. What had begun with Garfiel's bare fist was followed by Frederica's beastly fist, Patlash's charge, and so on and so forth. Personally, the one Subaru liked most was Petra swinging a wet towel right into Roswaal's face. The moist slap had a really nice echo to it, instilling force and exhilaration that went beyond what the eye could see. "Not to trivialize all that, but it's what brought everyone to the same table so we could talk. That said, there is one little thing I wanted to say about your standpoint..." Cutting off his words there, Subaru looked not at Roswaal but at Ram as she let him rest his head in her lap. Accepting his gaze, Ram said, "What?" as she narrowed her pink eyes. "Even if you're not at full health, you just stood back and watched while people settled things with Roswaal. I was sure you'd flip out seeing him get smacked around that much." "What a foolish thing to say... Even Ram does not think Master Roswaal is someone who is never mistaken. If being punched is the natural course of events, he must accept what he deserves. But Ram is free to treat him with great gentleness after the fact. To
not comprehend such a thing is the height of foolishness." Subaru grimaced hearing her call him a fool at both the head and the tail of her remarks. Beatrice heaved a hearty sigh at Ram's obstinacy in Subaru's place. "Goodness, does this girl love trouble, I wonder? Even after incurring such severe burns to her belly... Had Betty not been here, scars would have remained for certain." "I am deeply grateful to Lady Beatrice for healing me. However, that does not mean I care to be lectured as to how I may love someone with this life of mine and a body that is alive and well." "...I don't intend to be quite that kind, I suppose. I will merely say it is a difficult life you choose." As always, Ram fearlessly pursued her love. During her fierce battle to halt Roswaal's schemes, she had suffered wounds so grievous, they had put her on death's door, but apparently, they were not nearly bad enough to get in the way of her feelings. Since Ram was by no means blinded by her love, Beatrice could only breathe a hearty sigh. Naturally, there was someone else present who couldn't accept things just like that. " Figures Ram ain't bendin' one bit. But, General, you serious about this?" Speaking this with a noise from his fangs was Garfiel, standing between Ryuzu and Frederica. He was giving Roswaal a sharp glare in contrast to the smiling face he'd had right after settling prior business. The glint in his eyes held blatant hostility within them. "You're seriously gonna have this bastard be on our side? Just don't sit right with me." "Garfiel..." "Maybe we haven't smacked him enough? Ahhh, yeah, we definitely ain't smacked him enough! How much has that bastard done up until now? If it weren't for the general, the village'd be rabbit food, and the folks at the mansion would've been toyed with and killed by the belly woman! All 'cause that bastard planned it. Ya don't know when he'll come chop our heads off in our sleep!" Garfiel howled and took a step forward that made the Cathedral faintly tremble. But there was no one present who could immediately refute his words. Garfiel's opinion had sound logic behind it. Roswaal had simply done that much. He'd exposed many lives to danger for the sake of his own objective. As a matter of fact, Subaru had personally and repeatedly witnessed a great many deaths with his own eyes, present company included. It had taken a miracle to set this situation right. Subaru shared the same anger Garfiel had. He also shared the feeling that Roswaal could not be among them. "But even so, we need Roswaal's power." "General...!!" "There's no replacing Roswaal's cooperation if Emilia's gonna fight her way through this royal-selection business. If we lose him as her sponsor, Emilia will be forced to drop out. Of course he's got to pay compensation...but we can't just go okay, see ya and leave it at that." "Are ya tellin' me to forgive the guy who tried to kill family of mine?!" Garfiel's words were emotional, yet the terrible pain in them struck Subaru. Even if Subaru tried to suppress them with words and logic, Garfiel still probably wouldn't accept it. Garfiel had nearly lost Frederica and Ryuzu both. To him, having fiercely fought as a one-man army to protect his family for over a decade, it was a betrayal most difficult to forgive. "I...forgive the master." "Sis?!" But it was none other than Frederica who refuted Garfiel's assertions. His elder sister's words made Garfiel blink hard before powerfully clacking his fangs. "What are ya sayin'?! This bastard tried to kill you and everyone else at the man..." "Yet, even so, I am alive, thanks to you, Garf." "That's just lookin' at things in hindsight, damn it!! This bastard almost killed my sis and my granny! But I'm supposed to just forgive him?!" "...The master has taken care of me for more than ten years." Frederica narrowed her jade eyes in the face of Garfiel's ragged voice. The deep affection that could be felt from her gaze showed she was deeply moved by the indignation of her younger brother, who had grown so much in the years they spent apart. "I have borrowed from the master's power for the sake of my own goal. And I have arrived at this point having learned a great deal in the process. Put another way, I shall use the master's goodwill for the sake of my own goal. In one sense, does lending and borrowing not amount to the same thing?" "You're gonna put life and debts on the same playin' field?! Sis, that's how you and Ram get used like tha..." "Ahhh, I am sorry to intrude at such a passionate point, but may I have a word?" Garfiel was still choking on Frederica's words when Otto urged a pause. "Ahhh?" went Garfiel, making a sour noise at the intrusion, but Otto deftly ignored it. "For the moment, let us leave emotional arguments for later and speak of matters pragmatically. In other words, we must discuss to what degree the marquis intends to yield to us." "...Another thing out of the blue. Feels a bit like we can't just drop this, though." Otto sought to advance the conversation in a measured, businesslike tone, but Subaru knit his brows, unable to read what his intentions were. At that point, Otto said as a preamble, "It is a simple matter. To put it plainly, Garfiel's anger is justified. I am quite vexed myself, and by any normal standard, one punch is hardly enough to lay everything to rest." "Gotta say, I feel like you sure put your hips into the one punch you gave him..." "I was merely collecting the interest on my losses. At any rate, it is clear to anyone's eyes that this cannot be simply forgiven, yes? I am certain the marquis understands this as well. In other words..." " The issue is therefore to what extent I intend to swallow the terms you offer." At the end of the explanation, it was Roswaal who sat up and picked up where Otto left off. Closing one eye, he gazed back at Otto with his yellow eye. "It would be poor of me to accept your terms before you have spoken them, I beliiiieve." "Then I shall take my revenge with all interest accrued." Otto was quite collected as he faced the marquis with a great deal of nerve. Roswaal made a pained smile. "You say that so calmly. Now, returning to the previous subject, Garfiel is concerned that you do not know when I might become your enemy again...but this is an unnecessary worry." "...How can ya be so sure? Ya think we'd believe a promise outta your mouth even a little?" "Unfortunately, that would be impossible. So I shall prove it in a form visible to the eye." Roswaal slowly shook his head before Garfiel's wariness. He stood up and proceeded to open his tunic, brusquely stripping away the bloodstained bandages wrapped around his upper body. Everyone held their breaths when they set their eyes upon Roswaal's exposed flesh. It was known to all that Roswaal's body had been injured when the tomb had rejected him. But it was not those wounds that attracted their eyes now; rather, it was the pale, glowing symbols carved into his flesh. Realizing at a glance that the symbols were vestiges of a magical ritual, Beatrice looked at Subaru. " Is this a vow sealed with a curse, I wonder?" "A vow sealed with a curse? The hell? I've never heard of that one." However, the malevolent ring of the words certainly fit the symbols perfectly. Beatrice nodded as if to bolster Subaru's impression of them. "Oaths come in various forms, such as pacts, vows, and covenants. Pacts, like the ones with spirits, are two-party oaths. Covenants extend across bloodlines. And vows bind a single party." "Bind a single party?" "Perhaps the one taking the vow expects to gain compensation commensurate with the oath that must be fulfilled, I suppose. As for carving a cursed seal into one's body like this, the effect would be..." " I have lost the battle. In accordance with my vow, I can inflict no harm upon you." Receiving Beatrice's words, Roswaal divulged the vow he had taken. "Should I renounce this vow, my soul shall be tainted and my flesh enveloped and burned away by purifying fire. And my soul shall fall into the void, never to return to Odo Ragna again. That is what I have sworn." "S-somehow, that sounds really ominous..." "Why? This is only appropriate. Did we not make a wager, you and I?" He let out a wry laugh, or perhaps a muted, spontaneous laugh. The sentence that had come from Roswaal's loosened lips made Subaru sink into thought, immediately locating the answer he was speaking about the final bet between them. This was the result of the bet Subaru had made when he'd told Roswaal this would be his last attempt. And should Roswaal have been triumphant, Subaru had said he would do Roswaal's bidding "My terms were that you'd genuinely come on board if I won." "And so this cursed seal brings those terms to fruition." "...In other words, if I'd lost...?" "Then I would have carved this cursed seal into you. Had you defied the vow, you would have been reduced to cinders." "Scary !!" He felt as if he'd unwittingly signed away his soul with no memory of the act whatsoever. As a matter of fact, it was precisely so, but the better way to view it was that there probably were no loopholes in the process. Besides, whatever the possibilities, the fact remained that Roswaal himself had carved the cursed seal into his own body. "Roswaal won't betray us so long as that's on him. How about it, Garfiel?" * "Like I said, Roswaal's power is necessary and indispensable for the royal selection. It's on a level that even if we don't want his cooperation, we're tied to him so much that we need it anyway." "...General, that ain't the same as comin' to an agreement." "Yes, it is. We've gotta look for some point of compromise. Roswaal won't betray us. What do you wanna do to Roswaal on top of that? Sorry, but I can't let you actually kill him." He was essentially indicating Garfiel's short temper was blocking their path. Of course, if Garfiel was minded to push the issue, he could knock Subaru out of the way easier than a bowling pin. But Garfiel's nature prevented him from being emotional enough to go that far. "Garf..." Ryuzu tugged on Garfiel's sleeve with a worried look on her face. The sensation brought Garfiel back to his senses as Ryuzu slowly shook her head. "Shima chose her own fate. No matter what Young Ros did, it would have always been one of us who needed to serve as the key to lift the barrier." * "Surely, she believed she had been relieved of her duty, yet it was she who saved us by fulfilling her role as administrator at the very end... That is how we think of it." Ryuzu Shima had offered herself as the key to lift the barrier. If there was one person who could be called a sacrifice for the Sanctuary and the mansion, it was Shima herself. It pained Subaru's chest to think of how it hurt Garfiel to learn of this after the fact. It was Subaru's earnest wish to take back everything he could take back, to carry everything with him. But Shima's sacrifice had been the unavoidable key to liberating everyone trapped within the Sanctuary. Subaru couldn't help but be annoyed at how the design of this system seemed emblematic of the rotten personality of the Witch who had crafted it. Of course, Garfiel was angry about that, too.
He couldn't help but look for a place to slam that anger into. "Shima said she has not been lonely these past ten years. She said that was because of..." "...I know that already. Don't make a sad face like that, Granny." But Garfiel interrupted his grandmother's words, replying with a coarse yet gentle voice. Surprisingly calm, he let out a deep breath before pointing straight at Roswaal. "Swear it, Roswaal. I don't care what ya swore before. I want ya to swear it again here and now." * "Y'all never pull this crap on us again swear it." Roswaal's breath briefly caught when Garfiel spoke these words, which were every bit a compromise. Then, tracing the cursed seal carved into his flesh with a finger, he nodded. "I shall never sacrifice anyone present in this place, nor use you as pawns to achieve some greater goal I swear this upon the soul of my cherished teacher." From Roswaal's point of view, just how weighty were those words? Probably only Subaru, Ram, Ryuzu, and Beatrice fully appreciated the significance of that promise. But the depth of his resolve had been conveyed even to those who could not comprehend it in its entirety. " If ya break your word, I ain't lettin' no fire get ya. I'll crush your head with my own damn fangs." It was not swelling, overwhelming bloodlust that made Subaru shudder but fighting spirit. This spirit was being sent squarely toward Roswaal, but just the wake of its passing made the skin of everyone else present feel ablaze. Having made that vow, Garfiel let out a heavy sigh. Then he extended a hand. "...For now, that's enough for me. Looks like this kid here agrees, too." With that, he placed a hand on the head of Petra, who'd been glaring at Roswaal the entire time. The sensation made her grip Frederica's hand tightly. "But," he added, letting out a long breath before continuing, "talkin' to your parents and friends about this ain't gonna make no one happy." At present, the fact that it was their own liege behind the current uproar had not been divulged to the Earlham villagers or the residents of the Sanctuary. Nor did Garfiel think they needed to know it was Roswaal. Petra wasn't in attendance as a representative of the village but because Frederica insisted Petra should be individually recognized as a servant of Roswaal Manor. She also did so partly out of faith that Petra was a clever enough girl to eventually arrive at the truth from fragmentary information alone. "No matter how much...Master Subaru says so...I don't want to. The master... The lord did terrible things to the village, didn't he, even though everyone trusted their lord? I did, too. I thought he was a good person." "...Those words do wound me deeply." The blame levied by the little girl made even Roswaal frown. Cutting out the interests of the faction and the finer circumstances, Petra's feelings as a direct victim were the most appropriate of all. That wasn't because she was a child. It was a straight and honest assessment of just how much faith Roswaal had accumulated as liege lord and just how deep his betrayal had cut. "But...but I don't want to make things hard for everyone by running my mouth like some ignorant little girl. But that's exactly why I absolutely won't forgive this. Still, that's all I'll do." * When Petra spoke the words with tearful eyes, Roswaal closed his own. Then, as large tears began to spill from her eyes, Petra clung to Frederica and squeezed. Frederica gently embraced her, telling her, "You did very well." "This is 'cause Sis, Granny, and the girl there allowed it. Better not forget." Accepting Petra's tearful voice, Garfiel warned Roswaal to uphold his vow. "But of course I have been an expert in upholding my oaths for a very long tiiiime." That was Roswaal's reply. Everyone's anger had been settled for the moment. "That's right. Petra's a good girl, and you're shit. So aside from the burned-down mansion, all the trouble caused to the people of Earlham Village and the Sanctuary and other assorted stuff...does anyone else have something to say?" Subaru waited for Petra to stop crying before seeking a consensus anew. In one sense, the present situation had come about from everyone in their camp scowling at Roswaal all at once. If this meant the end of the first stage of the meeting, they could move on to the issues the future would bring "Yes, I do." It was then that a sole figure broke the silence and raised her hand. It was Emilia, leader of the group, yet to offer her opinion on how to deal with Roswaal. "Okay, Emilia-tan. This is the right time, so say whatever you want." "Then I'll indulge myself and say this..." Thus recognized by Subaru, Emilia stared straight at Roswaal. Receiving her gaze, Roswaal awaited Emilia's words with a meek expression. It was unclear just what thoughts lurked beneath. "All of you are being really strange. Roswaal still hasn't done the most important thing, has he? We can't end this conversation until he does." "The most important thing...?" "When you've done something wrong, you have to say you're sorry." Emilia's statement left absolutely everyone taken aback, eyes wide open. "Earlier, everyone was telling you to prove you've reflected on this and that, and Roswaal swore on his teacher, but there's something he should have said before that, isn't there? Roswaal, have you said it to everyone even once? I sure didn't hear you." Emilia was flushed and in a huff as she spoke perfectly bluntly to Roswaal. The contents of her words sounded astoundingly childish, leaving everyone at a loss for words. But Emilia was not speaking in jest. She was expressing her genuine anger. This, she did to make him do the obvious, natural thing that everyone had forgotten about. " Apologize, Roswaal." "Eh?" "It's the least we can expect from a person who's gonna be with us from now on." Roswaal looked thoroughly taken aback at Subaru following Emilia's example, boldly speaking those words. Subaru's intentions were conveyed to everyone in the Cathedral. All eyes gathered upon Roswaal. Then Roswaal, consternated at the situation he found himself in after coming this far, drew in his breath, and " Yes, that will do." After watching Roswaal apologize, Emilia flashed an impressive smile. 6 "That is quite a miserable-looking face." "...So it's you, huh, Beako?" Subaru raised his eyebrows as a cute face poked over his shoulder, peering intently at him. He'd been sitting on the floor, deep in thought. Subaru made a pained smile as he realized he hadn't noticed someone had approached him. He dusted his pants off as he rose to his feet. They were in the coffin room in the deepest portion of the tomb. No one else was here, so he'd come to think things over. "What are you doing in a place like this while staring so intently at the corpse of Betty's mother, I wonder?" "I was just thinking of the future like a normal person, but your phrasing is gonna land me in a heap of trouble!" "Not really. If Subaru has an unspeakable hobby, I shall not reveal it. I will think ugh, however." "Seriously, if you ever think ugh as soon as I come to mind, then I'm never gonna recover!" Though they bantered much like before, their intimacy was incomparable to anything prior, even including that exchange. Mysteriously, ever since their pact, Beatrice was just too cute for Subaru to resist. It wasn't romantic love, but it was undoubtedly affection. He wanted his stomach filled with it full-time. That was simply how he felt. Thinking about it calmly, he seemed to have had quite a bit of that feeling even back when he first met her. "Does your face reveal yet another worthless thought in your head, I wonder?" "It ain't worthless at all. I was thinking about you, Beako. You're so adorable, it puts me in a bind." "R-really, now...? Certainly, that would be a problem. But perhaps I prefer to continue doing so, I wonder?" That was so cute that Subaru picked Beatrice up without a word of warning. This surprised Beatrice, then made her angry at him in turn. She smacked him, but it didn't hurt, so he let it slide. Then, after getting their fill of messing around, Beatrice's demeanor became serious as she shifted her gaze toward the coffin. "...This is your mother, right?" "More importantly, this is Echidna, Subaru. Not the 'Witch of Greed' you are familiar with." Subaru echoed a question first hailed by Emilia, wondering about the two different Echidnas. At present, neither she nor Subaru had found a suitable answer to what that actually meant. Subaru, too, had been surprised the first time he'd encountered the Witch's remains inside that room. For Beatrice's sake, he was simply grateful from the bottom of his heart that it truly was her Echidna sleeping there. He was glad Beatrice had been reunited with her mother, even if only Echidna's remains were left, though there were other reunions that could never take place. "It's...really too bad that Miss Shima and your...friend from the crystal couldn't make it." "...Has it not been four centuries since we parted, I wonder? There is no helping it now." Beatrice's halting murmur felt like she was mostly putting on a brave front. Subaru turned his face toward the sky. Echidna's old laboratory site was within the Forest of Cremaldi. When the Sanctuary had been liberated, Ryuzu Meyer and the crystal sealing her, both of which formed the core of the Sanctuary's barrier, had vanished together. He'd been told the coffin where the Witch slept, along with the magic crystal sealing the girl within, had been the keys to the barrier. Shima had sacrificed herself to open these, granting them true liberation. Albeit, perhaps she would be angry at having what she did referred to as a sacrifice truly, it would be just like her to say she'd done her duty, cutting a path open for the youngsters' future. He had little doubt that deep down, it was for the sake of her beloved Garfiel, though. The day was surely approaching when they could match her proud way of life. At the very least, he wanted to swear he would live up to it all, bringing no shame to what she had bequeathed to them. "Well, even if I made a lofty-sounding vow like that, it wouldn't sound very convincing coming from me." " ? Subaru, what are you smiling to yourself for, I wonder? It feels creepy." "Er, nothi... Wait, creepy?!" "Ah, maybe not, I suppose! I did not mean you are extremely creepy! Only a little, I suppose!" The naked insult and guileless poison thrust several times deeper than anything preceding it. When Subaru fell to his knees, Beatrice hastily and earnestly tried to cheer him up. It took a little while after that for Subaru to recover, at which point he let out a long sigh. "Whew, I was in danger of dying from shock. I understand a little of how Puck felt..." "You have grown quite conceited if you think you can understand Puckie's feelings, Subaru. But could you not forget that feeling of devotion, I wonder? If you do not, you will become a fine spirit mage in no time." "Yeah, yeah... Er, hearing the words spirit mage made me remember just now, but you were seriously awesome. I've never been able to let loose with magic like that before. Sure was one heck of a ride!" He hadn't had the time to calmly think back upon it, but Subaru's manly heart had danced during that battle against the Great Rabbit. He'd gone with the flow during the collapse of the archive of forbidden books and formed a pact with Beatrice. Subaru's original objective was to bring Beatrice out of the
archive, so forming a pact relationship, as a spirit mage was nothing but a by-product of that goal. Even so, it had been an incredible experience. Subaru's honest appraisal made Beatrice's cheeks stiffen. Her gaze wandered about. "Subaru, about that... In other words, I may have something important to say about spirit mages, I suppose." "Oh? Why all the formality?" "This is a matter between Betty and Subaru that cannot be put off." Beatrice seemed rather subdued as she sat Subaru back down on the floor. He had a bad feeling about this, having barely finished hearing Emilia get similarly formal before talking about her imaginary pregnancy. That said, now that she'd stated it concerned the pair's future, all he could do was quietly listen. "First, Subaru formed a pact with Betty as a spirit mage...but Betty is somewhat different compared to a regular spirit, I suppose. Therefore, there are certain things that differ from what would be common sense for other practitioners." "Well, you don't usually see humanoid spirits, and I know you're especially cute." At present, Subaru knew exactly two spirit mages: Emilia and Julius. Emilia had a pact with Puck but also had formed pacts with lesser spirits besides him. In contrast, Julius had pacts with multiple quasi-spirits more powerful than lesser spirits, which meant he was a powerful practitioner himself. Technically, the evil spirit Petelgeuse had been something similar, but that was a case best left forgotten. "Betty is an artificial spirit created by Mother. Did you know this, I wonder? Mother infused Betty with special power...but in turn, she has certain flaws." "Flaws, huh? What sort?" "Betty's flaws... First is that she monopolizes a contractor, I suppose." Betty was red-faced as she explained her own shortcomings. Subaru, girded for whatever issue might come flying out, let out a silly-sounding "huh?" at the detail thereof. "Monopolize you mean you're a greedy girl? Don't worry. Relax, you're the only spirit for me." "That may be so, but that is not the point! The short version is that a spirit mage contracted with Betty is unable to contract with other spirits and lesser spirits, I suppose. There are no exceptions whatsoever." "...Ahhh, that's what you meant. In other words, I'm all out of contracts." The gist was that the cost of maintaining Beatrice as a spirit was high, chewing up a spirit mage's entire capacity. No free room remained to employ other spirits because of that. "So there's no using lesser spirits depending on circumstances or anything like that. Well, that's slightly disappointing, but I'll just take it in stride. No way I'm letting you go so I can pick up other spirits." "...W-well, that's only natural, I suppose. Of course you would not. Might one even call that ordinary sound judgment, I wonder?" Beatrice was unable to hide how happy Subaru's reply made her. Subaru gave her head another few circular strokes. Beatrice was letting Subaru do so when she cleared her throat with an audible "ahem." "Actually, there is still more. But compared with the matter just now, is it no great issue whatsoever, I wonder?" "So the hurdles got a lot lower. Okay, hit me. Tell me anything." "Er, this is mildly embarrassing... However, Betty is rather...fuel-inefficient." "Now you're talking like you're some kind of car." In video games, powerful magic and summoning spells consumed a lot of MP. Efficiency was calculated by comparing the usage cost to power, but he had no idea how hard it was for Beatrice to say something that was probably incredibly difficult to admit. "Er? You say that, but you hurled huge spells into the Great Rabbit one after another, right? You even let me use your mana, 'cause it's not like you were sucking it out of me." "Was that mana not what Betty stored away over a long period of time, I wonder? Draining Subaru thousands and thousands of times would not be sufficient to suddenly use that much mana in our first battle." "That figures. Incidentally, by stored over a long period of time, you mean..." "...I I suppose I was helping myself to mana from everyone at the mansion a little at a time." Beatrice was red-faced as she divulged the information, perhaps embarrassing from a spirit's point of view. Subaru didn't have a very clear idea at how unladylike using some kind of mana drain was. "Beako, it seems like you've done some deep reflection about it, so I won't poke fun at you. Well, as your contractor, I'll just have to put up with whatever you're going to take from me. How much is stored in this vault anyway?" It hardly needed to be said that Subaru's mana capacity was lower than that of the average person. If he was to work around Beatrice's poor fuel efficiency, he needed to break down how to make good use of what had been stored to date. Naturally, he had to get an idea of just how much magic energy was left, but " Nothing." "...Hmm?" "Did I not say nothing, I wonder? What was stored across four centuries flew out the door during our first battle. Though I still held on to a majority of it despite the loss of the archive, the Al Shamak that served as the finishing blow...might have depleted it completely, I suppose." * Beatrice's explanation left Subaru silent. He sank into thought. After pondering the matter, he arrived at an answer. In other words, it went something like this. Beatrice's stored mana was zero. It would take all of Subaru's mana just to keep her corporeal on a day-to-day basis. Beatrice could not employ fuel-inefficient high-powered spells, and his pact with her left him unable to rely upon other spirits. "You're telling me...a duo between a spirit who can't use magic and a spirit mage who can't use magic has just been born?!" "W-well, I suppose you could put it in those terms." "How else would you put it?! Eh? No way you're serious?!" In conclusion, Subaru had become a spirit mage, winning the hand of a little girl and that was pretty much it. "Should I say, Eh-heh-heh, thbbt, I wonder?" "I'm not laughing!" And that was how an incredibly ill-prepared team of spirit mage and spirit was born. Thereafter, the pair's quarreling voices continued echoing within the tomb for a long, long time to come. * 1 The dignified great hall's appearance had changed into something completely at odds with what Subaru remembered. A number of candlesticks lined the red carpet covering the floor. The flickering of the red flames lent the chamber a solemn atmosphere that caused those in attendance to unconsciously straighten their backs. Familiar, nostalgic faces were lined against the walls in orderly fashion. It was because those were familiar, nostalgic faces that they looked amusing while dressed in solemn, ceremonial outfits. Particularly hilarious were Garfiel, locked in a brutal struggle with his formal garb, and Otto, who looked every bit the pampered nobleman. The contrast with their normal appearances was really something else. Were they deliberately trying to make him laugh...? Frederica and the other servants treated their work uniforms as their ceremonial clothing, so it made sense that Ram was in her maid outfit as they walked in unison. Subaru drew in his breath when he realized there was someone right beside Ram. There, sitting in a chair, a blue-haired Sleeping Princess was also in attendance. Perhaps this was Ram's idea of being considerate. Ram was glancing at him with an expression that feigned ignorance. He was so grateful that it hurt. Petra was standing beside them, attending the ceremony with a dignified demeanor, wearing a dress that glimmered so much, no one would ever think she was a simple village girl. He could only let out a strained smile. No stage fright for her. Standing beside Petra was Beatrice, whose normal clothing was plenty elaborate to begin with. She relaxed her lips slightly and stood straighter, feeling reassured at the sight of her partner, Subaru, keeping an eye out for her. Then, when he shifted his gaze from the participants, turning his head toward the innermost part of the great hall * Waiting for Subaru was Emilia, looking his way as she wore ornaments beautiful enough to make him tremble. Her silver hair looked like glistening moonlight. Her violet eyes seemed like inlaid gemstones. Her expression was faintly tense with such an important ceremony before her, but that only brought her mysterious beauty into sharper relief. Her attire differed from that for everyday rites, emphasizing purity befitting a formal ceremony. It seemed much like a priestess's attire; the fabric, thin enough to let the color of her skin shine through, made it look like the raiment of a celestial maiden. Before Emilia, all feelings of tension seething within him instantly dissipated. The profound thoughts about the other participants but a moment before became distant. Everyone but Emilia flew off to the far corners of his mind. This was by no means belittling those who were there to watch over the ceremony he was merely putting his heart where it rightfully belonged. * No one had indicated he should, but Subaru stepped forward as if someone were guiding his hand. He was wearing unfamiliar ceremonial attire with a brand-new knight's sword on his hip. Otto and the others did not laugh at how awkward he looked, but the occasion made him forget such trivial things regardless. He strode over to Emilia, his heart as calm as an ocean breeze. He knelt before the slightly raised platform upon which Emilia stood. He was on one knee, head bowed. Subaru was barely aware of even his own breathing as he focused all his attention on Emilia, who stood before him. Bathed in the audience's comfortable yet seemingly tense gazes, Subaru removed the knightly sword from his hip, drawing it from its scabbard. The steel blade reflected the flames of the candlesticks, causing the same light to reside in Subaru's and Emilia's differently colored eyes. Burning the beauty of the sight into his mind, Subaru presented the knight's sword to Emilia. With graceful fingers, Emilia gently accepted the sword, which was presented to her like an offering. Her violet eyes were filled with deep emotions as she pointed the tip of the knight's sword skyward, seemingly as heavy as the feelings that permeated it. Before Emilia, Subaru bowed his head once more, closing his eyes. A knight's sword was his pride. A knight's body and head constituted his loyal spirit. Here, he offered both. A knight offering his life to his liege. *** Silence befell the great hall No, the great hall had already been filled with silence throughout. But the silence so far had been suffused with faint excitement, the tranquility laden with quiet zeal. This time was different. It was true silence, with excitement, zeal, and expectations left far behind. The right to break that silence had been granted to but a single one among them. " O sun watching over the dazzling world beneath. O stars watching over the sleeping world. O wind, O water, O earth, O light, O spirits that fill all." The silence was broken. Emilia wove the ceremony's prayer like a song. " O great world that has accepted you, raised you, and now sends you forth." It trembled. His heart trembled. The borders of his mind collapsed. His chaotic soul churned. That moment, all he wanted to do was drown in her blessing. " O pride, that which supported you, protected you, nurtured you." He endured the mania rushing through him. He withstood the searing heat pounding at his heart. He waited for the question to come. " May you become someone worthy of all that protects you, of the world that has raised you, of the pride that sustains you. May you live without shame. Fear not, cower not, stray not. May your heart remain true." The prayer was over. The question was coming. The set structure of
the ceremony ended there. Not even Subaru knew the answer to the final question to come. " Just as you have aspired to until now, just as you have done for everything and everyone around you, do you swear to protect me from this moment forth?" But his heart already knew the answer to the question Emilia posed. "On the sun, on the stars, on the spirits, on the world, on my pride and " That moment, he listed everything in the prayer to express his conviction and his gratitude. And before he put the vow on his lips, Subaru recalled in the back of his mind the images of those to whom he truly needed to convey his gratitude. That was why his lips wove the words seemingly on their own. " on my father and my mother, I swear." * "I will protect you. I'll make your wish come true My name is Subaru Natsuki." He lifted his head. The radiance of the raised sword overlapped with Emilia's. But the light of mere steel meant nothing to him. All he could see were the dazzling violet eyes gazing back at his own. "Emilia I am your knight and yours alone." " Yes." When Emilia responded to the words he spoke, an irresistible wave of emotions brought tears to her eyes. Yet, even then, Emilia somehow managed to maintain her composure as she gently brought down the sword she had raised. She returned to Subaru, who continued to kneel, the symbol of a knight's pride. Reverently accepting it with both hands, he returned the sword to its scabbard. Completing the ritual, Subaru looked up. With Emilia nodding in assent, he stood on the spot. And then "Emilia-tan, it's a bit late to mention this, but you look cute and superhot in that outfit." "Idiot." with the solemn atmosphere of the ceremony shattered, Emilia stuck out her tongue at him with a reddened face. 2 A great variety of food was arrayed atop the table that was being brought into the great hall. At this buffet-style feast, none of the participants in the ceremony paid much attention to stuffy manners and merrily helped themselves in any which way they pleased. "Everyone sure is having a good time. I've never been so tense before in my life, though." Subaru was out on the terrace, showered by the nighttime breeze as he watched the festivities with distant eyes. A dinner plate and drinking glass had been placed on the handrail, but he hadn't touched either. The burning sensation shooting up his neck made it unlikely he would manage to get anything down his throat. Inside the manor, Petra was doing a little dance performance in her dress in the middle of the hall. It looked like a sort of dance that was often performed at festivals in Earlham Village, but Petra seemed to have arranged this one herself; the dignified way she carried herself meant she didn't look out of place even at a nobleman's court. Dragged along by Petra and dancing with matching steps was a red-faced Beatrice. She desperately tried to maintain her composure, but Subaru couldn't help but notice her ears and the tip of her nose were trembling with bashfulness. Mysteriously, Beatrice seemed unable to act headstrong whenever Petra was concerned. Petra seemed to have taken Subaru's words to heart and had somehow managed to make a friend out of Beatrice. The heartwarming scene made Subaru feel more at ease when " Watching something like that makes you deeply appreciate having brought Beatrice out, does it noooot?" "Ugh." A tall body abruptly cut into Subaru's peripheral vision, coming beside Subaru to rest its weight against the handrail. He glanced over to see Roswaal wearing a formal, long-sleeve dress outfit that differed from the norm. With his long hair in proper order and wearing clothing with minimal pomp, he would be very much a handsome aristocrat at a glance. However "...All that kinda clashes with the clown makeup." "Oh my, how harsh. But if I don't have this on, it just isn't me. Is that not sooooo?" "I wish you'd respect the time, place, and circumstance for self-expression. Not that I'm one to talk, but this is a formal occasion, y'know?" Subaru flashed an expression of exasperation at Roswaal, who was wearing his clown face without a shred of guilt. He was recalling his own barbaric actions that despoiled the royal-selection conference. This said, that hadn't been a formal occasion, so his judgment was technically sound. "Speaking of this formal occasion, I gotta say... You sure went all out for this conferring-knighthood thing." "I had reasons to hurry. However, I believe you have yearned for this for quite some time." "Well, you're not wrong about that, but I'm just not cut out for this stuff..." Roswaal had poked right at the crux of the matter, leaving Subaru with a wry smile on his lips without any words to refute him. Subaru had craved knighthood ever since he found out about it. It qualified him to stand at Emilia's side. Roswaal had a number of reasons for allowing Subaru this and holding a formal occasion for the event. The ceremony to confer honors on Subaru would play up his meritorious deeds in quelling the White Whale and dispatching the Archbishop of Sloth, spreading the news to even neighboring kingdoms. Ultimately, he wished to announce Subaru had become Emilia's knight to foreign and domestic interests alike. For that, it was necessary to confer knighthood over any mere medal, and with appropriate urgency, pomp, and ceremony at that. "All that said, isn't allowing a knighthood ceremony in a place we're borrowing and staying at temporarily stretching our goodwill really far?" "When you put it that way, it is difficult to denyyyy. Well, the Miload family is a branch of the Mathers family, and its head, Annerose, is head over heels for Lady Emilia. If we must live away until the main estate is restored and can serve in the burned mansion's place, should we not have a little fuuuuun with it?" "You sure say that so casually..." Roswaal tilted his glass as his lips loosened with amusement. Annerose Miload this was the name of the head of the household where Subaru and company were staying for about a month after Roswaal Manor had burned down. Her being a distant relative of Roswaal's and already being on good terms with Emilia beforehand made the place a perfect location for a temporary stay. Seeing how close Emilia and Annerose, age nine, were made Subaru just a little jealous, though. "Mentally speaking, Anne and Emilia are not as far apart as some might think. If anything, Anne puts on greater airs than Lady Emilia. She might very well be the more mature of the two." "I'm still holding a grudge against her for planting the idea in Emilia-tan's head that babies are made by kissing." As the victim of that childish, adorable, and tragic misunderstanding, he absolutely would never forget. * He and Roswaal let the frivolities lapse. A silence fell over the terrace save for the passing wind. The sounds of music being played, dancing, and voices of delight conveyed the excitement of the feast. And yet, the terrace seemed the only place apart from the tumult as a faint whiff of tension stretched across it. "Did you put some kind of people-repelling barrier around us or something?" "Your intuition has truly improved. Or perhaps to you, this evening is not..." Your first, he might have said, but Subaru's gaze silenced those barbed words. It was an insult. He did not want that night, that ceremony, sullied by such slights. "You made sure it'd be just us at a time like this 'cause you have something to talk about, right?" " Teacher was assuredly alone without a single relative. That of course includes any sisters. She had none save Beatrice she could call her own daughter. I know this better than anyone." When Subaru sharpened his gaze and pressed the point, Roswaal cut straight to a rather uncomfortable topic. He was talking about Echidna for the issue of the Echidna at the tomb concerned them both. Roswaal's opinion was the same as Beatrice's from back at the tomb. Namely, that the remains in the coffin were those of Echidna, and the being who had imposed the Trials on Subaru and Emilia was someone else. It was difficult for him to nod and accept the being he met was a fake. That Echidna the Witch of Greed in the castle of dreams, along with the other Witches of the Deadly Sins was unmistakably real. There was no way to decipher the mystery. The tomb had lost all functionality, and there was no way Subaru would ever meet her again. Besides "So the woman inside the coffin was your goal. There's that cursed seal, too. You..." " My objective was to be reunited with Teacher, young Subaru. However, please do not misunderstand." "Misunderstand what? You and Beatrice... You met her... You met Echidna. Now you can..." "What I desire is a reunion with blood flowing through her, a soul resting in her a living, breathing Teacher. It is all I desire. It is my greatest wish, and I cannot relinquish it." Subaru blinked hard not only at Roswaal's dreamlike speech but also at the content of his words. "But that means...bringing her back from the dead. Do you have a...way to do that?" "No, not a theory that would work upon ordinary souls. But because this is Teacher, a way remains. The liberation of the Sanctuary...the recovery of her remains...these are but preliminary steps." So that was why he wanted the Sanctuary liberated. Roswaal had achieved his own objective. But as for a method to revive the dead, and one that would work only upon the Witch in the coffin... "So as to not give rise to misunderstandings, I wish to be clear about this one thing, young Subaru." "...Say it." "The book of knowledge has burned to ash, denying me my promised future. As I am bound by the cursed seal, I cannot continue any of the machinations I have attempted to date however, I have no intention of giving up on Teacher because of this." Tilting his glass to his lips, Roswaal spoke those implacable words without crossing gazes. It was more than enough to send a shiver of fear through Subaru, supposedly in an advantageous position now that Roswaal had given up on his secret plotting. "I really don't mind you not giving up... Er, this might be gutsy to say to someone like you, but just do whatever you like. Thing is, what can you do to make that goal come true?" "It is a simple matter I shall continue watching over you." *** He'd keep watching. This ominous phrase left Subaru at a loss for words. Roswaal turned and faced Subaru with his differently colored eyes and with the same fire burning in both, he continued: "Fortunately, your goal of placing Lady Emilia on the royal throne aligns your objective with mine. And so we shall continue our relationship as coconspirators just as before... It is merely that, just as before, I pity you for remaining unchanged." "What the hell?" Subaru raised his eyebrows, unable to easily dismiss the word pity. His reaction made Roswaal pull back his shoulders. He'd deciphered the emotions resting in Roswaal's eyes sympathy and compassion. "You should have known loss. You should have felt loss so great that you would have become a Sage who would doggedly protect only that most precious to him in my own way, I wanted to save you." "What the hell's wise about that? What does simply accepting loss get you?!" "You, who have rejected loss and have decided to carry everything in your arms, will continue to suffer. You will experience wounds that can never be undone, experience loss over and over, and you will rise up for the sake of regaining what you have lost, continuing to add to
your invisible injuries. That is simply...too cruel." * Roswaal's words carried too much weight to dismiss without a second thought, because the man knew. Even if he didn't know it was through Return by Death, Roswaal knew Subaru repeated events. Accordingly, he was the only one who could realistically imagine just what a road of thorns Subaru walked. "And now that you have rejected the path of the Sage and chosen the path of the Fool, I will never allow you to compromise. Is this not natural? It is you who wished for this." With Subaru unable to speak a word, Roswaal took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Then, reaching out with a hand, he grasped Subaru's shoulder, gently pulled his face close, and whispered into Subaru's ear. " Hereafter, if you lose someone around you who you should have protected, I will swiftly burn the remaining others away without hesitation and, with the cursed seal, become ash myself." * "You have decided to shoulder all. You must not abandon anything. I will not allow a lost world to continue into the future. I reject your compromise now that I have lost the book of knowledge, I have only you to guide me to Teacher, young Subaru. You and the path you walk." Pulling his face away, Roswaal gave Subaru's chest a light shove. Even though it had little strength behind it, Subaru wobbled as if he had been thrust away, grabbing hold of the railing to support his body. This was Roswaal L. Mathers, the man who lived for a wish that was four hundred years old. He would never seek to inflict undesired suffering upon Subaru and Emilia again. If Subaru wished it, he would no doubt cooperate to work toward Subaru's objectives, even lending Emilia a hand with his full strength. But if Subaru miscalculated even slightly, Roswaal would flip the table over, rendering everything futile. This was no lie or deception. Roswaal absolutely would do it for the sake of his greatest desire. "My, there is no need to be so frightened. So long as you remain true to yourself and continue in your duty, I shall cooperate with you fully this is simply the new pact between you and I." "...I've learned that for pacts, you have to check not just the fine print but the guy you're signing it with, too." Subaru's sarcasm and anguished sigh made Roswaal widen his eyes. Immediately after, he put his hand to his mouth as he began to laugh. He laughed for a while before saying, "Ah, yes," and lifting his face. "I only just said I would cooperate in full, so there is something of which I must properly inform you." "You're still holding on to secrets to shake me up?" "In the royal capital and this time, that makes it twice that I have hired the Bowel Hunter. But the girl in bonds underground...this Beast Master, I had nothing to do with either of her attacks." " Huh?" Subaru, on guard for what more might come, could only drop his mouth wide open. The girl held in bonds underground meant Meili, captured at the mansion and kept prisoner since. At present, the death of her partner in crime, Elsa, had left her too uncooperative to deal with in any other fashion. That had hurt his head enough, but Roswaal's next words were a thunderclap out of the clear blue sky. "This time, my contract only targeted Beatrice. In accordance with the book of knowledge, I was to liberate that girl from her twisted fate... But if I heard correctly, those girls had plans that went beyond my request, did they not?" "Yeah, Elsa and Meili were part of the same group, I figure, so Meili was helping her out with her contract. Because if that wasn't the case, who could've tipped them off about the mansion's interior like that...?" " In other words, there was another culprit who planned this attack on the mansion besides meeee." * "Your troubles shall continue. Truly, that is where you shine. You really are cut out for struggling, are you not?" Letting those words of sarcasm dangle, Roswaal inverted his now-empty glass over his mouth. A single droplet of alcohol fell and struck his lips. With that, he departed from the terrace, advancing in the direction of the great hall. "Congratulations, young Subaru. Take this as praise from a Witch's apprentice you have won...today, at least." Leaving those final words behind, Roswaal left the terrace. A cold wind blew. The chill from wind and his sweat sent a small tremble through Subaru's body. The traces of the fire continued to smolder. Subaru felt the heat of those lingering flames as he let out a very deep breath. 3 " So this is where you were, Subaru." Subaru was resting his weight against the handrail and gazing at the stars in the night sky when a voice called to him. When he lowered his gaze, the moonlight only increased the beauty of the silver fairy standing before him "Emilia-tan? I thought an angel or a fairy had come for me." "There you go saying strange things again. Don't tell me that you're drunk?" "I messed up bad before, so I'm really careful about alcohol. This time, I'm just drunk on the atmosphere." "So you really are drunk." Emilia shot Subaru a smile as she leaned on the handrail right beside Subaru. The white flesh poking out from her pure ceremonial garment, the nape of her neck, and her cheeks were ever so slightly reddened as she made a small, amused-looking smile. "I've been looking for you this whole time... Where did you run off to, Subaru?" "Setting aside the location, event-wise, it sure felt like a long, drawn-out battle against the final boss. Somehow, I got through it, but I feel like it shaved years off my life span. Emilia-tan, will you console me?" "Yes, yes. Today, Subaru is drunk on the mood as well as himself." Mysteriously, he returned to his normal state after talking with Emilia. Now that he was freed from the weighty mental state left by his exchange with Roswaal, the feeling of exhilaration over the ceremony came rushing right back. Setting that aside, standing in front of Emilia was making him feel awkward, so Subaru put his glass to his lips to conceal his blush. "By the way, did you manage to make up with Roswaal?" "Geh! Ack! Th-that's one hell of a timely question...!" "From the looks of it, Roswaal really teased you quite a bit." She touched a sore point for him. Her use of the word teased was so cute that it bothered him somewhat, but Subaru made no effort to refute the point. "A bit, yeah," he straight-up admitted with a nod. "After all that, it almost feels like nothing changed from before...or if anything, it got even worse." "Roswaal's probably afraid of everyone forgetting what he's done. That's why he's doing that to draw everyone's attention to himself. He's really childish deep down, you know." Subaru was taken back by how Emilia put her hands on her hips, speaking those words with the faintest hint of anger. He was not taken back by her cuteness it was because Subaru, too, believed this was the truth. The instant he had the thought, his interpretation of Roswaal's earlier admonition changed considerably. "...You're really something, Emilia-tan." "Is that so? Tee-hee, thank you. I think Subaru's really something, too." "Hmm, I wonder." "Yes, you are! Goodness, Subaru... Hey, look over there." Emilia irritably walked over to Subaru, whose face showed scant appreciation for everything he'd done, and then she spread both arms wide to indicate the scene in the great hall. Inside were all their companions and the visible result of Subaru's, Emilia's, and everyone else's efforts. "Everyone's having fun, aren't they?" "...I suppose you're right. It's like an at-home banquet, kind of the ideal for my small-time, common-man sensibilities." "Mm, I think so, too. This is a really nice scene." Her violet eyes contained affection and envy in equal measure. Glancing at them from the side made Subaru's heart tremble. This was the scene Emilia had wanted to see. In a broader sense, this was the ideal she was seeking to make a reality. The atmosphere offered tranquility for nobles, merchants, commoners, humans, demi-humans, and mixed-blood people, without any discrimination of social standing or race. " Subaru, you're making a really gentle face." "Guess that figures. I think I'm just happy watching the same scene as Emilia-tan and also thinking how nice everything is." "Ahhh, I get it. I'm happy Subaru feels the same way I do, too." "Hmm, I wonder. I might disagree with you on that. Sometimes, it's fine to be different." Even though they were looking at the same thing and sharing the same feelings of happiness, they were still looking at the scene before them two different ways. It wasn't necessary for lovers to be the same in anything and everything. The thought he had that moment was, It's fine to be different. * Emilia narrowed her violet eyes, gently gazing at Subaru. He didn't know if the entire meaning of his words had reached her. But the important part had been conveyed. If they could share this much, it was plenty. Beyond that was not just extravagance but arrogance. "...Hey, Subaru. After this, there's something I want to discuss with my knight." "What a coincidence. I have plenty of things I want to ask Emilia-tan, too." The words Emilia spoke in a show of courage left Subaru shrugging and flashing a smile back at her. Emilia breathed out in relief, gently offering him the pinkie finger of her right hand. "It's a promise, then. You did this with Petra. This is a tradition from Subaru's homeland, yes?" "Ohhh, it sure is. What sharp eyes you have. Break this promise, and your meals will be needles for breakfast, lunch, and supper." "Oh no, so scary... You better keep this promise, then." Nervously, Emilia wrapped her slender finger around Subaru's right pinkie. "When the celebration is over, let's have an important talk in my room. Don't break our promise this time, okay?" "I'm a serial promise-breaker and all, but is it even an option to not keep my word to go to Emilia-tan's room at night after I've been summoned? I'm thinking no." "I'm sorry I don't have any idea what you're talking about." The two engaged in such typical banter as they formed that promise between them. Missing the touch of their joined pinkies as they parted, Subaru went, "Now, then," as he winked. "I'll have fun finding out what this talk's all about." "...I need to talk to you about...me. One night might not even be enough to finish." "If it's that important, I'll be with you as many nights as it takes. I'm your one and only knight, okay?" "O-okay." She did her best to mimic Subaru's usual jesting tone. Emilia's nervous behavior reflected her underlying concern. She felt uneasy talking about herself. If this was connected to the past she saw in the Trial, Subaru could understand her unease. He understood, but he wanted to tell her it was an unnecessary concern nonetheless. "It's all right, Emilia-tan. No matter what happens, you'll never disappoint me." "Subaru..." "It's just like I told you at the tomb. I love you, so everything'll be okay. That's all there is to it." No matter what she'd tell him, no matter what it triggered, nothing would change. " What's important isn't where you start or what happens midway but how it ends." Led to his parents and the thoughts they'd conveyed to him, this was the answer he'd arrived at in the tomb. He really couldn't hold a candle to his mom. Or his dad, either, for that matter. "Besides, even if there are issues, it's not like it's a big deal now, right?" "...How can you tell?" "It was
the way you looked at the great hall with gentle eyes just now. I can already tell from that." The scene spread forth in the great hall of Miload Manor was one without discrimination between human and demi-human, noble and commoner. When Subaru called that his ideal, Emilia accepted it with a look of longing. Whatever ideals might be raised high in Emilia's heart, Subaru had no doubt he could believe in them. "If you want to make this happen everywhere, I'll help. I think this is a good cause. If that scene becomes a part of why Emilia-tan always works so hard, then I'll be first in line to help you." "Subaru, can I...really depend on you?" "What do you think that oath I swore to you earlier was all about? Go and depend on me before anyone else. I'll do anything I can do to help, and if I don't understand something, we'll think about it together." * Emilia's eyes trembled more than at any point before, almost like the reply wasn't the one she had expected at all. She was searching for something appropriate to say. But she couldn't find anything. " Okay." Hence, Emilia murmured that single word, nodding. Then she made a small, lovely, captivating smile. That was the best answer. It was plenty. "All right, all doubts cleared up." Saying this, Subaru took the glass standing on the handrail and went bottoms up. Then he grasped the now-cold meat pie and stuffed his cheeks, chewing it down. The delicious taste was undiminished by the temperature; he savored the texture as the pie crumbled in his mouth. The flavor was the final product of a rather large commotion involving Garfiel, Frederica, and Ryuzu, but that was another story. Either way, to Subaru, the pie formed by those familial bonds was exquisite. "Oh. Subaru, if you eat it so fast, you're going to choke on it." "Well. I'm hungry. I'll savor the taste more if Emilia-tan says aah for me, though." "I feel like I've done that before when Subaru was all tired..." Emilia wore a slight, strained smile as she replied. "Now then," said Subaru, leading her by the hand toward the great hall. As she was led by the hand, Emilia looked up at the sky but once. Then she smiled and let Subaru escort her, entering the hall at his side. The pair's return in the middle of the banquet only served to heighten the excitement. Maybe Otto had imbibed too much; his clothes were all disheveled as he stumbled around in a drunken stupor. Garfiel was right there with Otto, but when he tried to bring alcohol to his mouth, he received a lecture from Frederica about it. Petra and Beatrice had reached the climax of their disparate dancing. Petra had sweat on her brow as she smiled like a flower; Beatrice was putting on quite a passionate performance of her own in her desperation to not be beaten. Ryuzu and Roswaal sat beside each other, lightly tapping their glasses together and exchanging words a little here and there, like old acquaintances rekindling their relationship. Subaru spotted Ram nearby, watching the scene from a distance, her lips relaxing in apparent relief. Instead of staying at Roswaal's side, she stood by the younger sister she had lost all memory of and yet still felt a tangible, lingering bond between them. It was almost like she knew Rem would have wanted her to be close. Others partaking in the festivities included various associates of the Miload family. Numerous demi-human servants busily hurried about, while their mistress, the young lady of the household, was venting in annoyance at a rather courteous butler. Later, Subaru would have to celebrate that special night with his favorite dragon, waiting patiently for him outside the manor. It was with various such thoughts that he spent the evening of festivities with everyone. "It's a really nice atmosphere, Emilia-tan." "Yes. This really does represent everything I'm trying to achieve. I'll never forget this." They began by entering the great hall at the most prominent place, suddenly joining the two dancing girls. They didn't know the first thing about dancing, but the feelings of enjoyment would probably be the same regardless. Even if the steps were haphazard and offbeat. The knight and the witch now officially master and servant stepped forward amid a mix of bewilderment and laughter. * In a dark, cold, and indistinct space, the soft patter of bare feet continued to echo at regular intervals. In that lightless world, that space with nothing but unfathomable darkness spreading forth, the source of those footsteps had arrived without ever going astray. The trip had been made with the ease of someone walking into their own bedroom. The sound of dripping water, the cries of insects crawling about, the sensation of mud and gravel beneath the soles of her bare feet she pushed past them all. Finally, she arrived at the deepest reaches of that darkness. She stretched out a hand and stroked a mossy, slippery wall. Instantly, faint lights floated up and danced around her as a lukewarm wind blew through the wall. Her long pink hair and white cloak flapped in that wind. The hovering pinpricks of light circled around her as she slowly passed through the barrier. "So the reactivation ritual has remained intact." The figure no, the girl murmured offhandedly as she slipped outside. The next instant, a dazzling shaft of light made her close her eyes. After walking through the darkness underground, the sunrays outside were like daggers to her eyes. She blinked several times before she could see the world anew. In the sky taller than the trees of the forest, she saw the sun had only just begun to rise. "...Surprisingly, I am unmoved." With the sunlight striking her eyes, the girl seemed disappointed as she tilted her head. Just as she had said, there was no surge of emotion visible within her impassive eyes. She'd expected something from seeing the real sun after gazing upon a false one for so long, but it didn't affect her as much as she'd thought it would. All that said, she was free to applaud the trick she had played, the performance she had delivered. She felt a sense of accomplishment. She'd recovered the magic crystal she'd had her eye on from the very beginning, and for the moment, she had nothing to be concerned of while wandering about. "My only regret is that since I was forced to borrow that thing's help, I was unable to see her crushed by the Trial...but she did lift the barrier. I suppose I shall chalk it up as breaking even." Had it not been for that, she no, the vessel would never have been able to venture out from the Sanctuary. She had been in a veritable deadlock, drowning in the cleverness of her own scheme. Atypically, thinking of the girl who'd freed her from that situation made her chest overflow with emotions that were difficult to put into words. "...Well, I don't really mind. I really can't overwork this body, and I'd anticipated having to walk around for a while to fill in all the blanks. There's no need to obsess over such things...for now." The girl opened and closed her hands to check on the condition of her body. This was the result of repeatedly exerting herself on the replica, who had a soul identical in nature to the girl whose body had become the core of the barrier. She'd grafted a piece of her soul inside the replica who had once entered the tomb, taking over bit by tiny bit. Revival by attaching a soul to the body of another strictly speaking, this differed from reviving the dead, but it was unquestionably similar, rough around the edges as it might be. It would take time to become fully accustomed to the body, but there was no way around that. Surely, it was a time to be grateful that she could walk around with her old soul and her new body at all. "As for a name...it has been so long. Perhaps, in accordance with his knowledge, I should call myself Omega?" The word bore the meaning of "the end." Given her current situation, there was no name more fitting. The girl relaxed her lips as she stepped onto grass, slipping through gaps between the trees and emerging from the forest. An ever-so-slight discomfort could be detected in her gait, but it was nothing truly significant. Fatigue and pain merely meant body and soul were well and truly connected. She could not help but enjoy the feeling of being alive after so long. "Beatrice has parted ways with the archive of forbidden books. Roswaal has lost his guiding light. But that young man pulled something from the embers, and Garf... Garfiel, with all that anger stored up inside, is a pile of smoldering coals indeed. From the shadows, I suppose I should watch over their valiant exploits as they face him under the light of day." The girl intentionally avoided commenting on her slight mental slip as she walked forth. A world was waiting for her a world where nothing was faded and muted, a mountain filled with treasure to satisfy her inexhaustible greed for knowledge. "And as I go, perhaps the day will come when I finally understand?" The girl smiled as she gazed at a single flower along the road. Plucking one of its petals with her fingers, she breathed in its scent and subsequently tossed it into her mouth. The flower, so proudly displaying its beauty to the world, would someday wither. Why did flowers wither? Why did beautiful memories shared by people grow faint one day? " Ahhh, why does love fade so...?" The girl walked forward, her long pink hair swaying as she murmured to herself. The Witch had been released unto the world once more. CHAPTER 1 *** 1 The instant Subaru Natsuki flew over the white boundary, his world turned upside down. " Wha ?! Whoa! Gah!" This was the natural result when one sprinted at top speed. Whether traveling by car or on foot, no one could just instantly come to a stop. Subaru pitched forward over his feet and plunged face-first into the grass. Instantly, he threw out his hands and rolled, breaking his fall to soften the unavoidable impact, then tumbled until he was sprawled on the ground. His breath was ragged, and his vision flickered from the lack of oxygen. He could feel the grass pressing up against his back. Through gaps between the trees, he caught glimpses of the sky beyond. Subaru breathed in as much fresh air as his lungs would let him. Then he thrust a hand toward the sky and clenched it into a fist. "Oooaaahhh!! That was rough! Things got really bad for a minute there! But it's over! We made it! We hit the goooal!" Though Subaru was covered in a sheen of sweat, his face lit up as he shouted with a sense of triumph. His spirit had nearly been irrevocably broken on several occasions, but each time, Subaru refused to give up until he finally reached his goal. The number of repeated failures only made his ultimate success that much sweeter. Finally, he could proudly face his mentor, who had taught him so much. "Subaru, you've done quite well this time, I suppose." As he basked in the moment, a girl entered Subaru's field of view. Strangely enough, she was upside down. She looked lovely with her long, lustrous hair in extravagant curls and her elaborate dress. The sight of the young girl, who had distinct patterns in her light-blue eyes, brought a bright smile to Subaru's face. "Oh, it's you, Beako." "Obviously. Is it not my duty as a partner to praise you for your hard work day after day, I wonder? Also, Petra was rather insistent that I should bring you a towel." "Ah, thanks. This is nice and cool.
I feel alive again." "Why not thank Petra directly, I wonder? That girl will probably leap with joy." As Subaru set the damp towel on his head, Beatrice addressed him with an impassive face. However, he noticed a slight smile on her lips and couldn't help grinning a bit in return. Even though he spent every waking moment with Beatrice, it surprised him how he still hadn't gotten tired of these kinds of little daily interactions yet. They only grew closer with each passing day. "...Man, to think that it's been a whole year since Beako and I made a pact, huh." " ? What brought this on all of a sudden, I wonder?" "Nah, just thinking that time flies way too fast. And that I'm deeply moved by how cute you are today, too." "You always say that, Subaru. But is Betty being cute not something to take for granted, I wonder?" The fact that she took pride in the compliment was undeniable proof that Subaru had rubbed off on her quite a bit. One year. That was how much time had passed since the string of incidents surrounding the Sanctuary. It was a span of time that seemed so long and so short at once. In that stretch, some things had changed, while others had not. If the biggest constant was the bond between Subaru and his friends, then the greatest development had to be " The sheer amount I've buffed up this past year. No one would recognize the old me anymore." "Pffffft. Th-that was a good one... A priceless joke." "I was being serious, damn it!" Beatrice put a hand to her mouth as she broke into uncontrollable laughter. Subaru shrugged in a show of disappointment. "Well, maybe I exaggerated a bit, but you don't need to laugh that hard. I mean, look at these biceps, Beako! They're rock-solid!" "Fine, fine, I suppose. Betty will support you even if no one else will." "That was not a vote of confidence! I've been trying so hard every day, too." Sitting cross-legged on the ground, Subaru wrapped the cool towel around his neck as he gestured toward the area behind him with his chin. Gazing in that direction, Beatrice said, "True," closing one eye as she made the comment. Behind the pair was a clearing where the forest had been cut open. This developed land was a trial Subaru had taken on with determination in other words, he'd created his very own secret training facility. Attracted by the idea of having a place to call his own, he'd secured a fair bit of space in the forest for his personal use. By utilizing wood from felled trees, he'd built a variety of attractions, including various hurdles to leap over and barriers to climb, turning the whole area into an obstacle course. "The place might look like fun, but when people try to run around and bust through all the attractions within the time limit, its brutal design will make even adults cry... Damn, I made something pretty wild." "Is that not an overstatement, I wonder? For that matter, only you and Garfiel refer to it as a secret base. Will the neighborhood children come by to play, I wonder?" "You mean kids are going to treat it like an amusement park? Well, as long as no one gets hurt, they can play all they want. Plus, the master who drew up the blueprints should be satisfied with that." Taking the challenge seriously served as a form of training, while tackling it with playful heart made it a fun excursion. The obstacle course contained great potential, and it being popular with children was a happy miscalculation. "Actually, knowing my mentor, it's possible the whole point was to kill two birds with one stone from the very beginning..." "He is certainly a difficult man to understand. He does know his manners, I suppose. The man should be praised for treating a Great Spirit with respect." "I think that's not quite it, though." Subaru poked at her apparent misunderstanding, then took a moment to think. His mentor Clind, the ultra-capable butler who had served the Mathers family for many years. He had helped Subaru so much in the past year and taught him a great many things, including how to hone his physique. Subaru's title for him was more serious than not. In terms of ability and personality, Clind was more than worthy of praise, but "Why does Subaru refuse to allow Betty to go anywhere near Clind, I wonder?" "It's not just you. Same goes for Petra and, depending on the situation, Emilia-tan, too." Incidentally, there was no worrying where Ram and Frederica were concerned. For the record, Clind was harmless to Subaru, Roswaal, Otto, and Garfiel as well, for fairly obvious reasons. "Anyway, it's fine even if this obstacle course is just a secret base in name only. Still sounds cool." "I was shocked. The instant you called it that, Garfiel began helping you fell trees with that glint in his eyes... It's probably impossible to understand why the two of you find it so appealing, I suppose." "It's something that calls to all men. Wait, but then what about Otto?" Subaru and Beatrice both thought back to Otto's decidedly lukewarm reaction to the idea. In any case, Subaru's prodigious growth was all thanks to the secret training base in the forest. It was only a ten-minute walk from the mansion, and no one except the people from the mansion ever came by. The only real downside was how often they would show up and get in the way of training. "How ridiculous to consider this getting in the way. Is Betty not merely fulfilling her duty as Subaru's partner, I wonder? And what a chore it is, truly." "Now you've done it. This is what happens to young ladies who get full of themselves!" "What are you doing, I wonder?!" Since she was being so cheeky and cute, Subaru used all his newfound strength to grab Beatrice and put her over his knees, patting her on the head as much as he pleased. "You're terrible! Isn't this spirit abuse, I wonder?! What a heinous contractor!" "Mwa-ha-ha. Well, you're the idiot who made a pact with a guy like me without putting anything in writing." Subaru laughed as Beatrice pouted while she fixed her tousled hair. When they first formed the pact, he thought he already adored her as much as humanly possible, but he had been revising that assumption on a daily basis. The so-called Beako Development Diary a compilation of the days he shared with Beatrice had already entered its fifth volume. Subaru was excited to see where their relationship would go next. After all, an album of precious memories beat the hell out of a book filled with nothing but blank pages. And if it was going to be an album, then the more pictures and the more people he recorded, the better. That's why Subaru wanted to cram as much as he could into Beatrice's heart. "In other words, Beako, my teasing is just another way I show my love." "Did you say teasing just now, I wonder?! I will not let that slide!" "I'd prefer it if you didn't casually brush aside the love part." "There isn't much to worry about there, I suppose. I have great confidence that I am loved." When Beatrice boasted with a smug look on her face, Subaru only replied with a smile. He had no words to express the joy he felt when he saw how self-assured and full of life she was every day. There was only a deep, indescribable warmth that welled up in his chest. "Master Subaru! Beatrice !" Both paused their play-fighting when they heard a high-pitched voice calling out to them. When they looked, a girl was waving as she ran over. The familiar voice and face belonged to an adorable young maid who epitomized the word cute. "I'm glad to see that both of you are having fun. It's good to know you two are getting along." It was Petra, putting a hand to her chest and smiling in relief. Undaunted by the major incident that had occurred one year prior, Petra was currently working at the new Roswaal Manor. As expected of a growing girl, she had gotten a little bit taller and, in Subaru's opinion, a little more charming since then. That said, she was still very much a younger-sister type in Subaru's eyes. "Hey now, I'm offended you call it playing around. I've been out here doing my best with training and everything." "Well, at the moment, you seem to be patting Beatrice while she's sitting on your lap, so..." "Whoa, it's not as simple as just wanting to give Beako head pats. First, you have to bring her out of a burning mansion and then gradually build up your relationship with her. Otherwise, it's impossible." "Doesn't that mean no one but Master Subaru can ever...?" Her exasperated tone and expression drew a wry smile from Subaru. That was when he remembered the towel around his neck. "Oh, right. Petra, thanks for the towel. Pretty smart to cool it down like that." "Really? I'm glad it was helpful. Actually, I thought about chilling it with ice, but there was no time, so I asked Big Sis Emilia." "I like that practical part of you, Petra." He was fond of how Petra, despite her position as a servant, had no qualms requesting help from the lady of the household. Such open praise elicited a "hee-hee-hee" from Petra, who blushed furiously before she remembered something. "Ah, that's right. Actually, I came here to bring you and Beatrice back." "What is it? Did you bake some super-tasty tarts or something?" "What?! That is a matter of great importance, I suppose. I can understand why you needed to summon us so urgently." "Oh, come on, of course that's not it. This is no time to play around." Puffing up her cheeks and pointedly raising a finger, Petra scolded the carefree pair. Then she grabbed Subaru's hand and hauled him to his feet. "There'll be time for tarts later! More importantly, Big Sis Emilia is calling you, Master Subaru. Guests have arrived...and she wants you to be there when she greets them." "Visitors?" Subaru cocked his head in confusion. He had no idea who it could be. Beside him, Beatrice made the same quizzical gesture as they wondered aloud. "There are unscheduled guests, and the cute Emilia-tan is calling me over... Doesn't it feel like something's about to happen?" "It's the sort of pattern that leads to trouble, I suppose. Petra, tell us what kind of guests have come." "Errr," went Petra as she tilted her head at the same angle as the other two. "One of them is a man who seems like he's in a real hurry. I'd almost say he's fidgeting like he's scared." "Restless and fidgety, huh. In other words, he's basically suspi... No, wait. Can't go judging people based on appearances." "I've learned my lesson once already, so I don't do that, either." "Ohhh, good girl, Petra. Not sure what happened before, but that's really nice of you." "Last year, a stranger with a mean face came to the village. I thought he was a weirdo, but I was completely wrong, so..." "An unexpected boomerang!! We'll have to talk about that first impression some other time..." After surviving that verbal sneak attack, Subaru winked at Petra. After all, based on her report so far, Petra still had more to share. "Anyway, there are other guests, too, yeah? Pals of restless-fidgety guy?" Petra's cheeks grew redder as a trace of happiness came over her face. " He came with a cute kitty cat." 2 Viewed from the outside, the new Roswaal Manor looked just like a European-style mansion, closely resembling the old one that had burned down. This mansion was actually considered the main residence, and it had
been constructed more recently than the one that had been lost in the fire. Accordingly, it was more grandiose and occupied more space than the countryside mansion, which likely made maintaining the grounds all the more arduous for the servants like Petra. "And here we are, back at this swanky manor." After a quick ten-minute walk from the forest, Subaru and the others pushed open the double doors and stepped into the mansion's entry hall. Subaru assumed the guests they heard about must have been brought to a reception room or something. "For starters, we should poke our faces over the..." "Oh, hey! If it isn't Mister! How've you been?" "Wha ? Whoa?!" An energetic greeting and a sudden impact put an end to any other thoughts. The voice was high-pitched, and something thumped into him at chest level. Subaru hastily reached out with his hands and caught something light. Quickly realizing who it was, the expression on Subaru's face changed from shock to recognition. He remembered the super-soft fur and that ridiculously outgoing smile. "I had a sneaking suspicion after hearing it from Petra...but it really is you, Mimi!" "Eh-heh-heh-heh. It's been a while, Mister! How long has it been? Like, a year?" The beast person wrapped up in Subaru's arms had bright-orange fur and wore a white robe. She was a demi-human, or more specifically, a cat-person. She was shorter than Petra and Beatrice, and she was undeniably cute as a kitten. "Yeah, it's been a whole year. You seem to be having a good time. I'm glad." "Yep! Mimi's having a super-good time! Also, Mimi's gotten taller! I'm basically an adult now!" "What kind of grown woman jumps on someone's head the second they meet?!" Mimi, who was now standing on the floor, puffed out her chest and swished her long tail. She acted naive and had a super-friendly personality, but she was one of the leaders of the beast person mercenary unit known as the Iron Fangs and a powerful warrior many times stronger than Subaru. She'd also fought by Subaru's side during the hunt for the White Whale and once again later in the battle against the Witch Cult, during which she'd gone ahead and decided she and Subaru were war buddies. "Well, you sure came a long way to get here. Oh right, let me introduce everyone. The cute maid here is Petra, and the embarrassed baby hiding behind my back is Beatrice." "Ohhh, I get it! So it's Petra the maid, and your child!" "Would you mind remembering me in a less unpleasant manner, I wonder?!" In response to Mimi's questionable conclusion, Petra offered a graceful curtsy, while Beatrice shot a withering glare that broke past the bashfulness Subaru so enjoyed. Then Mimi went, "Oh!" Her eyes glittered as she stared at Beatrice. "Wow, that hair's incredible! How do you get it all curly-wurly? It's so cool!" "It was all Mother's idea. This is the pinnacle of hairstyling both practical and elegant." "Uh, elegance aside, no way in hell it's practical. How many times has your hair gotten snagged in all sorts of places? I think you've had your share of problems with that over the past year." Whether inside the mansion, outdoors, or nestled within Subaru's arms, Beatrice's hair constantly got in the way. By this point, Subaru's skill at disentangling hair was probably unmatched in the entire kingdom. He practically deserved a title like Bea-trimmer. "Right, practical and elegant! I don't know what that stuff means, though!" "Your gaze is like that of an uncomprehending chi... Hey, would you stop pulling, I wonder?!" Bursting with curiosity, Mimi took great interest in Beatrice's curls. Mimi's movements were like a cat that had a mouse in its sights. Beatrice meekly looked to Subaru in search of rescue. However, seeing a chance for Beatrice to make a new friend, Subaru left them to their own devices. "Hey, Master Subaru. Beatrice looks like she's really concerned." "Wrestling with your failings is what makes people grow. Beatrice has a tendency to give up without even trying, so this is her challenge. Let's stay quiet and watch over her like a good mom and dad." "M-mom...? O-okay..." Petra fell silent with a red face as Subaru stroked his nonexistent beard. The pair stood back and simply appreciated the warm exchange between Beatrice and Mimi. "Incidentally, since Mimi turned out to be the kitty Petra talked about...that probably means the restless-fidgety man who came with her is Julius, doesn't it?" Crossing his arms, Subaru felt in his gut that this premonition was most likely accurate. It was plain to see that Subaru was very fond of Mimi personally. At the same time, she was part of the faction working under Anastasia Hoshin, one of Emilia's political rivals in the royal selection. Another person working for the Anastasia camp was Julius Juukulius, a knight who had a complicated relationship with Subaru. At the very least, they didn't have the kind of relationship where Subaru was unconditionally glad to see him. This being the case, he wanted to avoid seeing the man until he had some time to emotionally prepare himself, if he could help it. "Mister, there's no need to worry! Julius isn't here today. Also, Hetaro and TB and the captain and the lady aren't here, either! Mimi's escorting all by herself!" "Phew, that's a relief. But damn, Anastasia's crew has a deep bench." Subaru still felt a certain wariness even after learning of the knight's absence. Surely, Anastasia wouldn't send just anyone to serve as an envoy to Emilia, a rival candidate in the royal selection. Anastasia was a big-time merchant, and the Hoshin Company she ran was a massive organization based out of the western city-state of Kararagi. Neither the quantity nor quality of her followers could be underestimated. Subaru decided he had best sit down with this envoy and gauge him sooner rather than later. "All right, this time, we really are going to the reception room...yes?" "Yes. That's where I left the guest. Big Sis Emilia and the others are already there." "Meaning it's Emilia-tan dealing with this guest, plus Otto and Garfiel, plus maybe Ram...? Better go rescue Otto before he dies of a stomachache." "Is there anyone more pitiful, I wonder? His luck ran out the moment you caught him, Subaru." "Hey, stop making it sound like I grabbed him and won't let go." Beatrice wore an exasperated face as Mimi, in an unbelievably good mood, kept her left hand glued to Beatrice's right. With Petra leading the way, Subaru followed as they headed to the reception room on the second floor. When the four of them arrived at their destination, they found a single girl standing in the hallway. "Ram? Why are you out here?" "So you've finally come, Barusu. You are quite late, aren't...?" Ram was a beautiful maid whose charming appearance belied her razor-sharp tongue. Greeting their party with a demeanor reminiscent of someone speaking to her inferiors, she broke off midsentence to narrow her pink eyes. Then she sighed deeply. "Indecent." "You're the weirdo for thinking this lineup is indecent! How can you find this scene anything but heartwarming?!" "Please stop basing everything on whatever passes for virtue in your brain. You would do well to remember this, Subaru. In Ram's world, only Ram's point of view matters." "Wasn't there a lot of inconsistency just now between the first and the last part of what you said?!" Decrying subjectivity with her own subjectivity was so self-centered that Subaru was at a loss for words. Ignoring Subaru's reaction, Ram crossed her arms as she shifted her gaze toward Mimi. "Dear guest, if you stay away any longer, your companion will be quite worried." "Ahhh, I guess I should head back, huh? Whoopsie !" "Yes, please do. Otherwise, it will be very bothersome, since your absence forced a certain Ram to leave the room to find you." Judging by the conversation so far, it seemed that Mimi had raced around the mansion without getting permission from either the master of the house or her companion. It was natural to assume that Mimi of all people wouldn't get up to any funny business even if left alone. Then Subaru turned to Ram as something occurred to him. "You didn't look for her at all, did you? You've just been standing with your arms crossed in front of the room." "Just a convenient excuse. The atmosphere inside is hard to endure. Otto will probably die if you don't hurry." "I have to give it to you for not having even the tiniest sliver of guilt." He had to admire her complete disregard for the fact that they had guests despite her supposedly being a maid. For Ram to say that it was uncomfortable inside the room was sincerely frightening. Still, Subaru braced himself because he found the thought of not being involved even more terrifying. "Thanks for bringing us over, Petra. Are you going to...?" "Ah, I'll be busy baking some delicious tarts, so good luck in there, Dad." "Agh... Since Mom's gone and said it, there's no backing down!" Now it was Petra's turn to tease Subaru with more banter, like they were Beatrice's parents. Of course, Petra had a job of her own to do. Subaru couldn't expect her to keep him company on a whim. It's not like she's abandoning me or anything. At least, that's what he wanted to believe. Probably. Maybe. "All right, let's go. Can't catch a tiger cub without going into the tiger's hole." "You mean a butthole?" "How vulgar." "I didn't say that! Let's just go already!" Ignoring Mimi's confusion and Ram's judgment, Subaru knocked on the door to the reception room. The door opened immediately, and a head topped with short blond hair stuck out into the hallway. "Yo, awful late, ain't ya, General? Our bro's gonna wind up with a hole in his stomach any second now." "Yeah, I know. Honestly, it's only a matter of time before it happens, but I'd like to keep him whole for as long as possible." "No kiddin'! This is basically the Arkel Lake Revolt!" Subaru and Garfiel exchanged smiles like little mischief-makers. Immediately swinging the door wide, Garfiel still wore that smile on his face as he gestured toward the interior of the room with his chin. "Come on in. Nothin's happenin' without the general, so it's a pain for the guest, too. Watching Otto and Lady Emilia welcome our visitor ain't nothin' but a comedy act." "Now, that's a performance worth seeing... Gah!" "Stop saying stupid things and go in. You're in the way." After getting a literal kick in the butt from Ram, Subaru was forced into the room. Stumbling forward as he entered, several sets of eyes shifted toward him. *** Relief, exasperation, and suspicion. This was pretty much what he had expected. He turned away from the two familiar figures to focus on the one regarding him suspiciously. The visitor was a pretty boy with a handsome, delicate face. His lithe body was clad in exquisite ceremonial garments, and he had gathered some of his relatively long hair in a ponytail. He seemed about the same age as Subaru, though his face looked rather tense, and the monocle he wore over his right eye only added to the stern appearance. "So this is...?" When this guest made his inquiry with a hard voice, the beautiful girl sitting across from him nodded. "Yes, that's correct." The delicate, silver-haired beauty who wore a charming expression that perfectly reflected her wholesome spirit was none other than Emilia. It seemed like she only became more enchanting with each passing day. She smiled slightly, gesturing at Subaru with a gentle point of her finger. "I am sorry for the wait. This is my knight, Subaru Natsuki." Emilia introducing him as her knight left Subaru's heart trembling. Whenever he heard those words, he often thought back to the time she
had bestowed the title upon him. The fond memory always bolstered Subaru's frail, fragile heart. "H-he seems to be rather ecstatic about something..." "Subaru, stop making such a strange face. People will think there's something wrong with you if you act like that...and why are you gripping my hand so hard, I wonder? Wait, it hurts! Ow, owww!!" " Whoa!! Ah, sorry, I zoned out a bit there without even realizing." He had been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he'd almost crushed Beatrice's adorable hand by accident. In any case, Beatrice was right. Their guest was already staring at Subaru dubiously. Deciding that this situation needed to be resolved sooner rather than later, Subaru cleared his throat and raised the customary salute of knights. After standing up straight and composing his face, he put his right hand over his chest and willed his heart to calm down. "Please excuse my poor manners. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lady Emilia's knight, Subaru Natsuki." *** The fact that he was clothed in a track jacket probably cost him points, but Subaru's salute had been drilled into him by a certain versatile butler until he got his seal of approval. It was as perfect as could be. In the past, Subaru had scoffed at all the theatrics of knightly etiquette, but when he tried it for himself, he quickly became captivated by all the trappings. Though he had not been born into the position, the customs and attitude were slowly but surely guiding Subaru Natsuki closer to knighthood. It wasn't something stupid or just for show. It seemed as though Subaru's greeting had impressed everyone present, save the guest. Emilia's smile was especially proud, which boosted Subaru's spirits so, so much. Surrounded by these faces and apparently unwilling to endure any more silence, the visitor rose up and bowed his head. "...Thank you for your courtesy. I'm here to... I have come to represent Anastasia Hoshin. My name is Joshua Juukulius." "No, thank you. A fine name you have, Joshua...Juukulius?" In the middle of exchanging perfunctory greetings, Subaru faltered when he heard the familiar family name. Seeing his reaction, Emilia pulled her hands to her chest. "Ah, it seems you're surprised, too, Subaru. That's right, Joshua is apparently Julius's younger brother. It's really wonderful that both brothers are helping Ms. Anastasia, isn't it?" Subaru's cheek twitched as he listened to Emilia's explanation, her violet eyes filled with admiration all the while. It was just as Mimi had said. Julius hadn't come himself, but "Sir Natsuki, is it? I have heard about you from my older brother, as well as from, shall we say...various rumors." Almost seemingly taking advantage of Subaru's distress, Joshua spoke with some amusement. The sharp glint in his eyes and his refined yet biting attitude convinced Subaru that this was most certainly someone related to Julius by blood. Subaru kneaded his brow in consternation before looking back up. "I'm afraid to find out what he might've said about me to his family." "There is no need for concern. My brother is an exceptionally impartial man." These words drew a strained smile from Subaru. Joshua raised an eyebrow, unable to decipher his reaction. That's exactly why was what Subaru wanted to retort, but he refrained. "Anyway, Julius's younger brother, is it? Now that you mention it, that nast...er, that keen look in your eye, the sarcas...uh, the refined manner of speech, and the terribly...lovely hair color are all the same, huh?" "Would you please stop with the unnecessary flattery? It's fairly obvious how bad you are at it." Otto, chief domestic adviser of the Emilia faction, could not conceal his cold sweat as he asked Subaru to rein in his choppy attempts at praise. "Dude, have you lost weight since I last saw you?" "It has only been a few hours, but every day is a new struggle! Someday, I will undoubtedly succumb to the chills and stomach pain! Also, I completely heard your conversation with Garfiel earlier!" "Well, I wasn't particularly hiding it. I don't intend to keep anything from you if I can help it." "Could you try a little harder to hide some things?!" Deflecting Otto's complaint with a superficial "yeah, yeah," Subaru smoothly took a seat at Emilia's side. Once there, he sat Beatrice down on his lap, moving his hands around her tummy to support her. This put Emilia, Subaru (plus Beatrice), and Otto in a row on the reception-room sofa. "Now, then. Sorry to make you wait. Could we continue the conversa ?" "W-wait a moment, please! Who is this girl?!" " ? Is something the matter with Betty, I wonder?" Flustered, Joshua pointed at her, and Beatrice cocked her head quizzically. "Wait, what...? Am I the only one who finds this strange?" "No, I am quite sorry. Your reaction is only to be expected. If anything, this is a place where common sense goes to die." When Joshua leaned forward with such force that his monocle came loose, Otto apologized with a sympathetic look in his eyes. It seemed that Joshua was not nearly as unflappable as his older brother. Subaru also apologized even as he privately thought that this made Joshua the easier brother to get along with. "Having Beako on my lap has become so second nature to me that I did it without thinking." "It's so normal now that even Otto didn't bring it up. I'm flabbergasted, too." "No one says flabbergasted anymore..." Emilia had skillfully woven yet another outdated term into the conversation, but Subaru agreed with the message nonetheless. His and Beatrice's relationship had been normalized to the point that it no longer elicited witty quips from Otto. "Sheesh, Joshua's so sloooow " Mimi cut in as she hopped over, settling into her seat beside Joshua. She helped herself to the sweets on the table as she poked Joshua's cheek with her long tail. "That's Beako! Mister and Miss's child !" "What?!" "Right, right. This is my and Emilia-tan's adorable baby, Beatrice." When Subaru took advantage of Joshua's shock, Emilia immediately slapped him on the shoulder. "Goodness. Of course not. Now look. You've gone and startled Joshua. I may have kissed you, Subaru, but babies don't come from a kiss. I've learned that much, at least." "Ah, sorry, Emilia-tan. It's really embarrassing, so could you stop revealing details like that so, um, bluntly? I'll stop messing around and introduce her properly." Emilia's incredibly innocent openness quickly forced Subaru into submission. Incidentally, Emilia's knowledge of baby-making had yet to progress past the kissing doesn't make babies level. Discussing anything beyond that was a high hurdle for Subaru, and the others generally agreed to a vague consensus of we'll worry about it when she's older. In the end, everyone was simply overprotective. "See, this is what happens when you use Betty as the butt of a joke. Have you learned your lesson yet, I wonder?" "Yes, I've thought long and hard about what I did wrong. From now on, I'll think up even better pranks." "Errr, so this Lady Beatrice's actual position would be..." "Ohhh, sorry, got off track again. Beatrice is my contracted spirit." "Contracted...spirit..." Putting his fallen monocle back in place, Joshua lowered his voice slightly in response to Subaru's explanation. The change in tone and the complicated emotions that reaction seemed to express made Subaru furrow his brow. "Hey, dear guest. Ya got a problem with the general bringing his Great Spirit with him?" Garfiel honed in on the young man's distress without the slightest hesitation. "No," replied Joshua, briefly shaking his head. "I had heard the rumors, but I am merely surprised that Master Natsuki truly is a spirit knight. I believe you are well aware, but my older brother is also a spirit knight...previously the only one in the entire kingdom." "Ahhh, of course we know that. He was a big...gnhhh, big...help to us..." "Is that how badly you hate admitting he helped you?!" Subaru wasn't quite that stubborn. This had more to do with the fact that whenever he thought back to how he had felt during the battle where he fought side by side with Julius, he found it difficult to reconcile those emotions with the pain of the wounds he suffered after his thrashing at the training square plus a whole host of other annoyances. "I see now. There certainly was talk about another knight who's also a spirit user, I suppose. If that person is your older brother, I offer my condolences." "Condolences? What do you mean by that?" "Is it not obvious, I wonder? His eventual downfall is inevitable. It is only a matter of when. At the very least, he can serve as a stepping-stone for Subaru and Betty's spectacular exploits... Gahhh!" "Don't go picking fights out of the blue. Besides, my strength can't even compare to Julius's. I've got no chance against him on a level playing field. Who goes around challenging puzzle masters to a puzzle game? You obviously challenge them to a round of Smash Brothers. That's how we win." After mussing Beatrice's hair for her provocative remarks, Subaru bowed in apology to Joshua. With her head still a complete mess, Beatrice followed suit. "Sorry. We have no intention of insulting your older brother. For that matter, I am fully aware that my abilities are beneath his. Forgive my cute and vain girl, would you?" "Yes, of course. It's only natural to be humble when compared with my older brother." "Huh? Even though it had seemed like they were getting the conversation back on track, Joshua's sudden haughty statement racked up the tension once more. Not noticing the bewilderment around him, Joshua's monocle seemed to give off a concerning gleam. "Yes, my older brother is an incredible man. At the young age of twenty-two, he is already recognized as one of the greatest knights in the kingdom and is effectively the second-in-command of the royal guard. Though he is currently not performing that duty to better serve Lady Anastasia, there is no doubt that my older brother shall become captain of the royal guard once she rises to the throne. Even Sir Reinhard, this generation's Sword Saint, cannot compare to my older brother when it comes to knightly virtues. Truly, my brother is a knight among knights! It would be ridiculous to even speak both your names in the same breath." "...R-right." The sheer force and speed of the tirade overwhelmed Subaru. Even Beatrice was taken aback. "Apologies, I didn't get a chance to warn you. This is the second time he's gone on a rant." Otto clutched at his head while whispering regretfully into Subaru's ear. When Subaru glanced around, he could see that Garfiel was obviously aggravated, while Ram had now you see? written all over her face. He finally realized what had compelled Ram to flee the room. Joshua's obliviousness here was on par with Subaru's infamous episode during the meeting of royal-selection candidates. Considering how Joshua's sole ally, Mimi, was too busy stuffing her face with sweets to pay attention, clearly someone else had to smack some sense into him... "Hee-hee. Joshua really likes his big brother, Julius, doesn't he?" But before anyone inevitably snapped, Emilia smiled at Joshua. She was completely unfazed by his intense demeanor. After that comment brought him to his senses, Joshua went red in the face and put a hand to his ponytail in embarrassment. "I I am very sorry. I tend to lose my composure when it comes to my family..." "Oh, that's no problem. Julius has been a great help to me, too. If you like, I'd love to hear more about you and Julius both..." "Whoa there! Let's do that another time. Right now, we need to get down to business! Hey, isn't that right, Otto, Garfiel?!" " Eh?!" When Subaru interrupted, forcibly changed the subject, and asked for aid, it was clear from the pair's reaction that they were clearly thinking, Don't drag us into this! Even so, the
two immediately nodded, agreeing with Subaru. Though Joshua's eyes lit up for a moment, he seemed to have regained his self-control as he cleared his throat. "W-well then, I shall recite the tales of my older brother's glory on another occasion. I better be, ahem... It is of the utmost importance to conclude this business and return to Lady Anastasia with all available haste." "Yes, I am looking forward to that... Now, we've put it off for quite some time, but let's get to the issue at hand..." As Joshua resumed acting as an envoy, Emilia seamlessly shifted back to Royal-Selection-Candidate Mode. Instantly, the atmosphere in the room became ever so slightly weightier. Emilia seemed like a completely different person. Subaru and Beatrice weren't the only ones who had grown over the last year. Emilia had spent that time honing herself in all the fields a royal-selection candidate was expected to handle skillfully. " Representing Lady Anastasia Hoshin, I shall now convey the words of my master to you, Lady Emilia." The noticeable change in the air brought a tenseness to Joshua's expression as he produced a letter from his pocket. He spread it out on the table, revealing its contents, which were written in black ink. "Lady Anastasia wishes to invite Lady Emilia to the Water Gate City of Pristella." "Pristella..." Bewilderment lingered in Emilia's eyes as she rolled the name around in her mouth. Subaru was no different. What was the true motive behind Anastasia's sudden request? "The Water Gate City of Pristella, you say? Why ask us to go there?" With their leader hesitant to reply, Otto took the initiative on probing for answers. Amusement crept into Joshua's golden eyes as he drew a thin smile. In that moment, his face and expression made him the spitting image of Julius, which gave Subaru a bad feeling about what would come next. "It would seem my master would like to invite you to a party. Lady Anastasia wishes to call upon Lady Emilia out of goodwill and also to convey that she has found that which Lady Emilia seeks." "What could that be?" *** As soon as Emilia took the bait, Otto's reaction was instant. It was obvious he was thinking we've been had! and Subaru understood exactly why; Emilia's reply had cost them the chance to discuss the matter among themselves first. Still, Subaru couldn't see where this was going, either. Being late on the uptake had forced them to completely relinquish all initiative. " A specialist trader in Pristella seems to possess the type of high-quality magic crystal Lady Emilia desires. You are currently searching for a catalyst to call back a Great Spirit, are you not?" And with that, the next steps were as good as decided. 3 "I feel bad for Otto that I just decided this all on my own." When it was just her and Subaru in her bedroom, Emilia's eyes were downcast as she spoke. Sitting across from her, Subaru wore a concerned smile. "Well, Otto was pretty shaken up, but I mostly agree with your decision, Emilia-tan. What worries me is the idea of leaping into someone else's backyard without being properly prepared." "But would Ms. Anastasia genuinely try something after sending Julius's younger brother as a messenger? I think that'd be crossing a really dangerous bridge for their side." "You have a point. Sending a blood relative of their knight means they're acknowledging us as peers. I used to wonder why important people who were sent as messengers in Taiga dramas and stuff never got killed. Who would've thought I'd figure it out by living it?" Subaru understood now that it was an issue of reputation. Anyone who became known for being untrustworthy would quickly find themselves surrounded by enemies. That was a poor way to conduct business, whether you were a Warring Statesâ€“era samurai warlord or a royal-selection candidate. The powerful had to take care when it came to subterfuge. In any case, the meeting with the envoy Joshua Juukulius had already come to an end, and evening had fallen on the new Roswaal Manor. It'd be a shame for you to leave so soon, Emilia had said in an attempt to convince Joshua's party to stay for the night, but he had politely declined her offer and departed the mansion with Mimi in tow not long after. He had received a favorable reply, so there was nothing left for him to do here. Well then, when you arrive at Pristella, please visit the Water Raiment. That's where we'll... Ahem, Lady Anastasia's party shall await you there. Later, Garf! I'll be waiting, so make sure you come, okay? As they had said their farewells, Subaru couldn't help but notice the clear expression of relief on Joshua's face. Meanwhile, Mimi had been in an extremely good mood as she addressed Garfiel specifically. Garfiel, who had been escorting their guests out while keeping a watchful eye on them, seemed to be wary. He probably suspected there might be ulterior motives to inviting him. "There's no way Mimi is up to anything, so maybe she just likes Garfiel?" "Mimi seems really fond of Garfiel. I might even be a little jealous." "Yeah, she ranks high on the cuddly scale, that's for sure. I didn't talk to Joshua for all that long, either, but I get the feeling I can get along with him a lot more than with his older brother." "Subaru, you are so stubborn. Are you still holding a grudge because of your fight with Julius at the castle?" Emilia had a mischievous look on her face as she poked at his old wounds. Subaru winced as he recalled the unpleasant memory. "I'll admit it's not something I can bring myself to laugh about just yet. I was young back then. I know better now...but I still think he went too far!" "I think it's very uncool to cling to the past even though you've already made up and everything." "Nghhhhh...I'm only human!" Subaru stubbornly turned away when Emilia stared at him with her adorable face. She kept her gaze on him for a while, until finally, her endurance ran out, and she simply burst into laughter. "Okay, okay. Goodness, Subaru, you really are a stubborn blockhead. But you can't get into fights with Julius in Pristella. You've become a fine knight, Subaru, and knights don't use their strength lightly." "Yes, ma'am. The lady is always right, that she is." Playing the fool to conceal his embarrassment, Subaru rubbed his nose with a finger. "Anyway, I don't know much about this Pristella, but it's a famous city, isn't it?" "You haven't been studying, have you? Pristella is one of Lugunica's five major cities and is located on our kingdom's border with the city-state of Kararagi. It's a really pretty city with canals all over." "Interesting. Your explanation makes me wanna print it in a brochure. But man, a city floating on top of water, huh? I guess Venice is the closest thing I can think of. That'd definitely make it an impressive place." When he thought of the waterfront cities from his own world, Venice naturally came to mind. It also had canals crisscrossing the city's interior. Images of naturally flowing water winding its way through a stonework cityscape made him want to visit such an enchanting place at least once. Subaru was projecting all that onto the city of Pristella, but the reality was a little different. "Nah, that ain't right, Subaru. Pristella isn't a city on the water. It's usually known as the Water Gate City." "Wait, what?" "Yes, Pristella sits in the middle of a lake, so the city gets flooded when rain falls. That's why they have high walls to protect the city and several sluice gates to control the water levels. Those gates are famous, which is why it's called the Water Gate City." "Somehow, my impression of this place suddenly went from a magical city of water to a watery prison..." His mental image of a charming city was ruined when he learned about the high walls. He wondered why anyone would choose to build a city on a plot of land that demanded such radical safeguards. "In the end, we still don't have a clue why Anastasia is asking us to visit a place like that... Hard to think it's just a social call." "Hmm, is it not okay to believe they really might just want to get along?" "Unfortunately, for better or worse, the royal-selection candidates all have their quirks. To be honest, there isn't a single one you can trust a hundred percent even under ideal circumstances, masters and servants alike." Subaru carefully recalled and considered all the royal candidates and their respective knights before concluding every last one of them could be considered bona fide weirdos. He trusted Crusch because of her character. However, because she had lost her memories due to an encounter with Gluttony, he actually couldn't rely on anything except her intrinsic character traits. Ferris was dangerous because he'd do anything for Crusch's sake, and Wilhelm's issues with his departed wife also made him an unknown element. When it came to Anastasia, he still couldn't get a firm grasp on what she was thinking. That applied to the invitation they were currently considering, too. Though Subaru had very reluctantly come to trust Julius, that didn't change the fact that the leader of the faction was still none other than Anastasia. Also, she had a formidable private army in the Iron Fangs, and that could not be underestimated. Felt's camp included Reinhard and Old Man Rom, both of whom Subaru considered decently trustworthy, but that didn't matter, since he still couldn't figure out Felt. If nothing else, now that she'd committed herself to fully participating in the royal selection, they couldn't let their guard down when dealing with that spirited, crafty girl. If she and Reinhard had formed a close bond, the odds of claiming victory over them would become extremely slim. And when it came to Priscilla's faction, their attitude was honestly the hardest to predict of all. There was no mistaking that master and servant alike were far, far removed from words like trust and faith. Al and Subaru hailed from the same homeland, but Priscilla's knight was a man of strong loyalty. He probably wouldn't give Subaru any special treatment, and Priscilla's own whimsical, irrational character made her akin to a natural disaster. In other words, even after a whole year had passed since the start of the royal selection, the other candidates remained inscrutable. Learning more about them could be accomplished only by interacting more. That was another reason to accept Anastasia's invitation. "I gotta say, I'm more scared than I want to be at the idea of owing a debt to Anastasia. For starters, how did they know what Emilia-tan wanted?" Subaru murmured this with twisted lips, referring to the magic crystal Joshua had mentioned as a bargaining chip. The high-purity magic crystal that had been the pretext for Anastasia's invitation was the kind of catalyst Emilia needed for a chance to form a pact with Puck once more. To awaken Puck, who had fallen into a deep slumber after expending all his mana, she absolutely needed a magic crystal infused with great power. For a whole year, she had searched high and low for a suitable one to no avail. "Everyone at the castle would've seen Puck, and they know I'm a spirit mage. We tried to keep the catalyst thing a secret, but it seems there was no hiding it after all." "Just means people didn't keep it to themselves. Besides, even if we do end up bringing Puck back, from the others' point of view, that's basically us returning to square one. It's a good deal for them to get a chance to put us in their debt." That said, if Puck really did return, the benefit to Emilia's mental state would
be immeasurable. In addition to that, Emilia's combat ability would go up as well, but that was just frosting on the cake. Her individual performance in battle would probably have very little effect upon the royal selection's ultimate outcome. At most, it added more credibility to the camp's claims of victory over the Great Rabbit, which was considered more fictional horror story than anything else. The Great Rabbit, one of the three great demon beasts that had been soundly defeated at the Sanctuary. Unlike the hunt of the White Whale and the battle with Sloth, the public had not acknowledged their struggle against the Great Rabbit. After all, there were no impartial witnesses, and the Great Rabbit itself had been exiled to another plane of existence, leaving no trace behind. Subaru and the others had long since concluded that no one would believe their words no matter how hard they tried to convince the public. If there were no confirmed appearances of the Great Rabbit for several years thereafter, their claim could be strengthened with a formal report, but there was a distinct possibility the royal selection would be over by then. "Well, it's not like people would believe we ran into two of the three great demon beasts in such a short time, let alone took both down. At the very least, we can pray that the third doesn't show up, too." " Yes, I agree." The last of the three legendary monsters was said to be the Black Serpent. Putting his faith in the power of words, Subaru hoped with all his might that he would never come face-to-face with it. However, Emilia's reply had been strangely hesitant. If he didn't know any better, Subaru would almost think she knew something about this Black Serpent... "So about Pristella." However, she moved on to the next subject before he could follow up. Emilia's behavior made it clear that she didn't want to talk about it. Though that left him a bit uneasy, Subaru had learned enough about her heart to know better than to try and force the issue at a time like this. "I wonder if it's all right to accept the invitation and go together just like we discussed earlier?" "I think it'll be fine. Obviously, that means Emilia-tan will go, and of course, I'll follow you as your knight, with Beako as my partner. After that, Garfiel will come along as our muscle, and Otto will come as our adviser and out of pity. Really, I'd like to bring Petra and Frederica just in case, but..." "You know we can't do that. Roswaal's busy gathering the western nobles for an assembly. It's already been decided Petra will go with him as part of her education...even though she really didn't like the idea." "That's because Petra's hate for Roswaal is baked in. Ram doesn't say anything 'cause Roswaal finds it funny, but my heart's always beating hard whenever I'm watching them interact." Ever since the series of events at the Sanctuary, Petra's feelings of distrust toward Roswaal ran deep. It was bad enough that it wouldn't be strange if she wrung out a sweaty towel over the tea she served him. Of course, even if Subaru had seen her do something like that, he would pretend not to have seen a thing for Petra's sake. "Then because we want Petra's mentor, Frederica, to also attend the assembly and keep an eye on her, that leaves Ram at the mansion... Aaand now I'm worried." "There's no need to be concerned, Subaru. After all, the mansion still has " At that point, Emilia faltered as she lowered her violet eyes. Subaru knew very well what words would have followed, the words she'd tried to say. It was guaranteed that Ram wouldn't shirk her duties. She had plenty of reason not to. "Well, we should worry less about the mansion and more about what's in front of us... Right, Emilia-tan?" "Mm, that's right. Also, I need to apologize to Otto for moving the conversation ahead without him." "He's not the type to take that kind of stuff personally, but he is the type to drag things out. Let me talk to him. I'll say I scolded you until I broke into tears." "Tee-hee, thank you." Emilia smiled faintly as she watched Subaru wave his fist around. Then she touched the azure magic crystal pendant resting against the milky skin of her chest. Its blue radiance declared that this was the cradle where Puck the Great Spirit lay as he slept. It was her link with the family member whose existence she could confirm but, at present, with whom she could not speak Emilia gently stroked the surface of the magic crystal with a slender finger, as if wishing she could talk to him somehow. "I want to talk to Puck, and there's so much I want to ask him. That's why..." Emilia sank into silence. Shutting her eyes, which had strikingly long eyelashes, she kept the rest of her thoughts unspoken. Seeing her eyes tremble ever so slightly, Subaru quietly scratched his head. A vague understanding of what Emilia was experiencing was all that he could offer. "Come back soon, kitty spirit. I've got a mountain of complaints with your name on them." Though he griped, Subaru was also Emilia's knight, and he hoped her wish would come true. 4 "I will have you know, I'm always trying to do what's best for everyone!" Slamming his wine cup against the table, Otto Suwen raged that evening. After talking with Emilia and having dinner, Subaru paid Otto a visit in his room before his nighttime routine, only to find himself humoring the domestic adviser, who was drinking and had many complaints to get off his chest. "He's been goin' at it this whole time. Even my ears are startin' to hurt." Sitting at Otto's workbench with a feather pen in hand, Garfiel wore an exasperated expression. He was taking little sips of the cup of milk he had in his hand while lending his ears to his senior's complaints. Garfiel had turned fifteen over the last year, meaning he could legally drink alcohol according to the kingdom's laws; however, he was surprisingly weak against it. Ever since Otto had tempted him to drink and subsequently gotten him dead-drunk, which had earned the merchant a baleful glare from Ram, the mere sight of a wine bottle was enough to make Garfiel frown. Of course, Subaru also took to heart the laws of his original world and respected that alcohol was off-limits. He chalked up his having once engaged in a bout of drinking at the mansion as the result of his youthful exuberance. Thus, Subaru could only sigh deeply as Otto got drunk and continued ranting. "Don't be so sore about it. Emilia regrets how things went this time around. Sorry for leaping ahead without consulting you and stuff. To be fair, I think the result would've been the same even if she had talked to you." "The result isn't everything, you know. The process itself is important. Deciding the outcome of a conversation before having the conversation is utter nonsense. This is why I insisted we must not surrender the initiative no matter what...and yet, we played right into our opponent's hand! That was the worst thing we could have done!!" When Subaru tried to soothe him, Otto only got more worked up, slurring his words all the while. On top of that, even while drunk, he still presented a perfectly sound argument. Subaru had to admit he was impressed. "Man, you've totally gotten used to being a domestic adviser. The way you deny it every time is kind of a running joke at this point." "Yeah, you've changed so little that it's no fun. That ain't good, Bro." "Well, the two of you have changed so little since I've met you that it's like a splash of water in the face!" Subaru and Garfiel high-fived when Otto shot back at them for their perfect tag-team combo. With the three being similar in age, a special kind of friendship linked them and naturally led to them spending a lot of time together at the mansion. Their banter had settled into a familiar routine that they had practically gotten down to an art form. At present, Otto was spending his days employed as the chief domestic adviser of the Emilia camp. Armed with the formal education he'd received as a son in a mercantile family and his worldly experience as a traveling merchant, the calculating, quick-witted Otto was an excellent addition to the team. It was a miracle they'd encountered him before he ended up deceived, abandoned on the roadside, or sold into slavery. Albeit, even as he continued work as a secretary, he often muttered to himself that "it wasn't supposed to be like this..." He really didn't know when to give up. "And what exactly is that pitying look in your eyes for?" "Well, you know, it's not like you can just back out now after getting to know so much sensitive information... So yeah, I was mostly thinking about what terrible luck you have." "Could you really stop pitying me already?!" "Hey, calm down, Bro. You're gonna spill your booze. And, General, don't tease him too much, all right? Last time, we decided we'd do ten Ottos a day." "What are you two even counting?! Why are there ten in a day?!" Otto was red-faced and shouting, so that was one Otto down. Of course, Subaru and Garfiel weren't toying around with Otto for no reason whatsoever. This was a ritual with the objective of letting Otto yell like he was doing now and blow off all his steam from overworking day after day. "If we don't do this, you probably wouldn't even be able to eat or sleep. Just leave the stress reduction to us!" "I believe the possibility of this backfiring is rather high!!" "Hey, hey, don't get so bent outta shape, Bro. If ya keep that up, I ain't gonna make any progress with this letter. Granny asked me to and all." Garfiel pointed the tip of his feather pen at Otto, who had been cowed into silence. Otto was a man with the unfortunate physical condition of not losing his senses even when blackout drunk. Subaru smiled wryly as he peeked at the letter Garfiel was penning. "Whoa, that's some awful handwriting. Is Ryuzu really gonna be able to read this letter?" "Ha! Don't make me laugh, General. How long do ya think me 'n' Granny have been together for? Granny can even read the stuff I write left-handed." "That makes Ryuzu really impressive, but it's nothing for you to be proud of." Poking fun at Garfiel's display of pride, Subaru faintly lowered the corners of his eyes. Ryuzu was both Garfiel's grandmother and the representative of the Sanctuary presently, she was not dwelling at this mansion but rather at Earlham Village, which was close to the old mansion. The reason was that she bore the duty of granting "an everyday life" to the twenty-four people who had been born just like her: replicas derived from Ryuzu Meyer, with bodies constructed of mana just like Ryuzu herself. These replicas had been liberated from the Sanctuary and cast into the world like innocent babes. Stating that it was her responsibility to teach them about life, Ryuzu had parted with her two grandchildren. Though it would be best if she could someday complete that duty so she, Garfiel, and Frederica could live together as a family once more, the circumstances demanded that this be put aside for the time being. And it was this Ryuzu whom Garfiel was drafting a letter for. An unexpectedly prolific writer, he held unconcealable feelings for his grandmother, which resulted in him writing letters with frequency far beyond the norm. "I have mentioned this before, but Ms. Frederica also sends letters, though I believe not even
she writes as many as Garfiel." "Well, all joking aside, Garfiel writes every day, so that has to be a mountain of letters." Even so, Ryuzu was delighted to receive letters from both her grandchildren. Apparently, she stored every one she received like they were all precious treasures. "Guess you could almost say I'm taking advantage of Ryuzu's way of thinking, couldn't you...?" Subaru had been the first to approve of Ryuzu's desire to guide the other replicas. Perhaps it was a poor choice of words, but Subaru just didn't want them to stay "dolls." Or perhaps that was Subaru's self-serving sense of guilt for having used the girls like sacrificial pawns once during a previous loop. "General?" "...Never mind. There's a lot to tell Ryuzu after what happened today, so I'm sure you won't have any problems with your letter. It's a lot worse to have nothing to write about. That's when you got no choice but to try and make up something funny." "Ah, that would be pretty painful. If perchance you end up writing Bro was boring in a letter, I really will have to punch you to make up for it." "Well, relax. I wrote that Bro's bein' plenty funny today. Ah, besides that, General, there's somethin' I wanted to ask ya." After using his pen to point out the part about Otto, which earned him a grimace, Garfiel floated Subaru a question. "I wonder what the enemy's target was this time around. Until now, the other candidates ain't been in any skirmishes, so why go openly pick a fight all of a sudden?" "A fight... You sure have a simple way of looking at the world." "As if ya need complicated logic for a fight. It all depends on what the other side wants. Settin' that pale dude aside for the moment... Despite her looks, the cat-person runt who came with him seemed pretty tough." Garfiel might have called her a brat, but age-wise, Mimi was about as old as him. The reason Subaru didn't interrupt him with a wisecrack was because he saw the serious look in Garfiel's eyes. "When I first met her, she gave me a real long stare. Kept that up the whole time we were talkin'. That, there's no mistakin' it's to figure out a good chance to pick a fight with me." "...You sure? I'll admit Mimi's pretty strong, and it's a fact that she talks like a combat maniac, but, uh..." She didn't strike him as the kind of cunning character to secretly scheme or rely on subterfuge. Her companion Joshua didn't seem well-suited for wickedness, either, in a good way. "Anyway, if we're takin' 'em up on the invitation, we better stay on guard. General, that means you and Lady Emilia are banned from movin' around on your own. Bro may be one thing, but if our general or the lady get taken out, we're done." "For the record, without me, everything would grind to a complete standstill, got it?! Good grief, I wish you would understand that and appreciate me more already!" Otto sulked, but of course, Garfiel wasn't slighting Otto at all. Though he was not one to make a big show of saying so, Garfiel actually respected Otto a great deal. Given Garfiel's personality, under no circumstances would he refer to anyone so familiarly were that not the case. It deeply moved Subaru when he thought back to when they'd first met and how far they had come. "Wha ? What's the big deal with that strange look, General?" "I was just thinking how glad I am to have you on our team. You've become really dependable, Garfiel." "Heh, just leave it to me. I ain't much good at any hard thinkin', but I'll buy you time so you can. I'm countin' on ya for the rest, General." Speaking those words, Garfiel grabbed his cup of milk and drank it dry, laughing with white all around his lips. This went for Emilia, too, but the trusting gaze Garfiel turned toward Subaru was a strong restraint upon him. It made him think he had to work hard in order to do that trust justice. "So with Garfiel, that puts us in a safe place fighting-strength-wise...but you're really coming, Otto?" "Well, of course I am! If I am not there, I will not have any rest wondering what kind of harebrained conversations Lady Emilia and Mr. Natsuki might be having!" The unreliability of the pair's negotiating ability to date was still in sharp relief. Emilia was as cooperative and sincere as she looked, and for all of Subaru's personality and stubbornness, he was unversed in the ways of the world. From Otto's point of view, they had to look like a wild duck paired with a green onion easy pickings whether alone or together. "Also, Pristella is a place deeply connected to Hoshin of the Wastes. As this is a legendary individual to all merchants, I had always wanted to visit it once someday." "But you washed out from being a merchant a long time ago, so why bother now?" "I did not wash out! Now, listen, if you think I'll remain your domestic adviser forever, you are sorely mistaken! My dream is to be a great merchant with my very own store! My presence here is nothing but a temporary stop!" "Ain't no guarantee that there's a place you're gonna spend the rest of your life at ahead of that stop." When Garfiel amusedly chimed in to tease him, Otto grimaced but made no retort. Of course, to Subaru, having Otto tag along was a wish come true. Whatever they might say out loud, neither the negotiations nor the camp itself would go anywhere without him. Everyone in the group understood that. It was because Otto himself was aware of his own worth that he continued carrying such arduous burdens on his back. "Well, it also feels like you're just a masochist, but I'll set that sentiment aside." "I get the sense that is an even ruder form of acceptance, but perhaps that is just my imagination?" "Yep, just your imagination. Either way, our rival is a great merchant and real sharp. I'm counting on you, Otto. Garfiel for the martial, Otto for the cultural, and me to keep things lively." "Work harder, would you?!!" Subaru's decision was made in accordance with the right man for the right job. Even if Subaru worked himself to death from that moment onward, he would never be as strong as Garfiel, and even if he cost himself sleep at night, he'd never be as useful an official as Otto. But the position in which Subaru Natsuki stood was not so soft that he could simply rot on the vine. "I'll do whatever I can do. That's the forward-looking way Beako and I are handling the situation after talking it over." "Well, with Lady Emilia 'n' Beatrice there, ya should be all right, General. And I guess that means I gotta protect Bro. Just be careful, 'kay?" "That somehow feels like I am the element of greatest concern... It really does not sit well with me." Subaru turned serious, Garfiel acted like he was taking on babysitting duty, and Otto complained while bringing more wine to his lips bit by bit. In so doing, their weighty conversation switched to the trivial, adding a pinch of spice as the night deepened. "Well, I think I'll finally turn in for the night. How about you, Garfiel?" "Me, I'm gonna stick with Bro a li'l longer. Letter writin' is done, but I see my chance to finally win at shatranj. Now that he's drunk, it should be a snap." Replying as Subaru rose to his feet, Garfiel pointed to the game board on the table. Shatranj was a board game similar to chess or shogi. Otto was fairly skilled at this game, and Garfiel's eagerness to challenge him in a weakened state suggested he'd been on a big losing streak. Incidentally, Subaru was pretty good at othello, but he was bottom-feeder tier at shatranj. "Well, good luck. Don't stay up too late. You won't grow any taller like that." "Hey, is that even true? I believed that and always went to bed early but don't think it works at my age." "I'm not sure in your case. I think Frederica sucked some out of you." "Damn you, Sis!" Baring his fangs, Garfiel prepared for shatranj so he could direct the power of his anger toward the game. Subaru let a small smile slip, watching from behind as Garfiel set the pawns in neat rows. "And don't drink too much, Otto. If you're hungover and useless, Petra's gonna get real scary." "I feel as if that girl is being particularly strict with me of late. Say something to her, would you, Mr. Natsuki?" "That she's too soft on the offense?" "Could you not ask her to be gentler instead?!" "No way, no how. Good night." Waving his hand, Subaru left the room as the remaining pair huddled with the game board between them. The color indicated by the magic crystal clock on the wall of the mansion corridor announced that it would soon be midnight. He'd lingered a little longer, making him later than usual. "It was a talk among men. Gotta let something like that slide." Letting slip those words of excuse, Subaru went not to his own room but in the direction of the west wing, where the women's bedrooms were. And then " Excuse me." Subaru always knocked before entering the room. He knew there would be no reply. Even so, was that any reason to abandon hope? Or perhaps not forgetting to do so was simply to confirm that there was no reply so that he might never, ever forget the heat of the unquenchable flame that continued to burn within his chest. This room that gave no reply was a simple, unadorned bedroom. It was arranged in a manner unchanged from the mansion's many other rooms, with only the most basic of furniture. The bed at the center of the room, the curtains over the windows, and the simple table with a flower vase on it were the only real furnishings. The flowers in the vase were changed regularly, and the water was replaced on a daily basis. Even though he knew that the beauty and scent of the flowers brought no repose, this was an everyday routine for Subaru. Subaru's sentimental actions were observed in silence by the other people at the mansion. I think that if he could easily set things aside and just move on, I wouldn't have come to an understanding with Subaru no matter how many times we argued. That's why I really like Subaru as he is. It is a bad habit to be greedy when one is so lacking. Can Subaru be anything save rash and reckless, I wonder...? That is why, now that he is not alone, we shall indulge his avarice even so. That's what the two girls closest to Subaru thought about his behavior. "They're such softies. Also, Emilia-tan's suggestive comments push my buttons way too much." He wished she wouldn't say like and cool so casually. The words clearly conveyed her feelings, but there had been no romantic developments between Subaru and Emilia. Put simply, Emilia wasn't prepared to accept a confession, and Subaru's heart didn't seem prepared for it at all. Two years, maybe three No, in the worst case, it might take even more time than that. "It's kind of rude to come here and always talk about Emilia and the others. Petra or someone else would seriously scold me if they heard." Perhaps when you got down to it, there really was no one in the Emilia camp who was more of a social person than Petra. The defining feature of Subaru and company was that every one of them sucked at interpersonal relations. The fact that
a girl not yet thirteen years of age was ahead of them all made for a pretty pathetic tale. "I've really got to wonder. If you...were awake, Rem, I don't feel like you'd be moving the needle all that much. Either because I'm useless at this whole relationship thing or because you always put me first." As he spoke, Subaru pulled a chair over and sat down beside the bed. The girl's sleeping face was exposed just enough that the moonlight filtering in through the gaps of the curtains made it stand out against the night. He could make out her white cheeks, pink lips, and blue hair. Her beautiful figure was clad in a thin negligee. The chest of Subaru's Sleeping Princess rhythmically rose and fell. That was how this precious girl Rem had continued to slumber for more than a year. "There's lots to talk about today. An uninvited guest dumped one hell of a problem in our laps. First, this morning, I did the usual " Subaru had a tender look on his face as he told the still-sleeping Rem his tale. He spun his stories in a witty fashion, and the tone of his voice was very gentle. Speaking with great care, like he would with an infant taking a nap, he amusedly recited the day's events. The girl offered no reply. Even so, these midnight trysts continued. On nights when there was a great amount of news to share, Subaru often insisted on whispering dreamlike tales to the Sleeping Princess until the moon had largely run its course. CHAPTER 2 * 1 "As far as I am concerned, Lady Emilia's wishes should be respeeected. Fortunately, there are no urgent matters for her to attend to at the moment... Although, our competition's aim being inscrutable is some cause for conceeern." Those were the thoughts that Roswaal shared with Emilia and Subaru after receiving the after-action report on the meeting with the envoy and the invitation to Pristella. They were talking in Roswaal's study the day after the envoy's visit. Roswaal had recently been devoting all his time and effort to maintaining dialogue with other regional power holders in preparation for the upcoming meeting with all the lords of the western marches. Generally speaking, these people followed Roswaal's lead when it came to the royal selection, but they considered dealing with demi-humans and half-elves as a separate matter and harbored deep-rooted insecurities about his open support for Emilia. Over the past year, Roswaal had fought battles of his own with conversation and careful negotiation to consolidate the support of these lords. This assembly was the culmination of all those efforts, and hopefully, it would bring them closer to pledging their genuine allegiance to Emilia. "I'm sorry that I'll be away from the mansion at such a crucial time." "No, no, worry not. The coming assembly is merely extended preparation for the main event that is still to come. Bringing you to the fore now would be tantamount to foul play...or would you rather give us another masterful performance to silence the seething elites? Just like you did when you grabbed me by the collar and demanded I get my act together?" "I think...that's still beyond me. All right, I understand. I'll behave." When Emilia pursed her lips and lowered her gaze in apparent frustration, Roswaal nodded with visible satisfaction. Though the sarcasm conveyed by his statement made Subaru want to say something, he held his tongue. Roswaal was dealing with Emilia far more openly than before. This was a million times better than her old treatment as a mere figurehead. At least, that was what Emilia had said. For his part, Roswaal was putting vigorous work into the royal selection. He'd become far more dependable as a sponsor than before. But the remaining uncertainties about his true intentions balanced the scales. " Goodness. Master truly does not come off as a man who has learned his lesson." Having watched that exchange in full, a tall maid lifted her face to the sky and let out a sigh. The maid attending at Roswaal's side was Frederica. The beautiful girl with long blond hair and jade eyes somehow seemed to be in quite a good mood as she glared at the side of Roswaal's face. "Perhaps you are enjoying everyone's company too much to notice, but I believe that it is rather unsightly to keep dredging up the past." "My, what a severe review, Frederica." "But of course. Incidentally, I must ask you to stop teasing Petra. She is accompanying you because she is a kind child, but please do not ask too much of her." Frederica sharply objected to her master's behavior. When she pointed these things out, Roswaal shrugged. "You win thiiiis time," he went, his expression relaxing as he seemed even more amused. In the year since the incident in the Sanctuary, the attitude that the people at the mansion held toward Roswaal had changed. Some were closer to him, some more distant, and some displayed a sharp drop in restraint toward him; Frederica's demeanor definitely leaned toward the kinder side. "Either way, no medicine will cure Roswaal's personality at this point. So what kind of opposition are we expecting at the assembly?" "Tolerable, one might say. If there is one concern, it is suuurely about young Petra, but Annerose shall be attending this assembly as well. In other words, Clind shall also be present." As Roswaal shrugged again, his words made Subaru recall the sight of a particular girl. Annerose Miload a person distantly connected to Roswaal and an adorable girl still ten years old thereabouts. She possessed an aristocratic bearing unusual for her age, and though the lady of the household had Clind to support her, she was more than up to the task of leading the Miload family as its matriarch. As Annerose was incredibly fond of Emilia, she would be a reassuring ally at the assembly. Though, on Subaru's side, Annerose being overly attached made his head hurt whenever he had to deal with her. "My mentor is going as well, and he's extremely partial to Petra. I'm not sure whether to be reassured or worried." "If you are concerned, why not escort the girl during her on-the-job training? She will surely listen to whatever Barusu has to say." When Subaru's voice became uncertain, the last person in the room interjected. Ram sat with her arms crossed in an insolent, un-maid-like fashion upon the sofa. She then brought a cup of black tea to her lips as she glanced toward him. "Seriously, no one's had a sharper drop in restraint than you, Ram." "I suppose that's true. Ram was too soft before. Are you saying that's simply a sign of how much I've let my guard down? How awful." "Don't go putting words in my mouth!" Ram turned a glare on Subaru, completely unfazed by his retort. "But Ram does have a point. If you're worried, Subaru, how about we redo the assignments?" "...Nah, it's fine. Petra herself said so. Plus, doing something like that really would be overprotective." Letting her leave the nest was just as important as watching over her. He had to respect Petra's desire to go out into the world and seize this opportunity to grow. The least he could do was not get in her way. "Yes, precisely, Master Subaru. Please rest at ease. I shall take full responsibility for looking after Petra. I shall absolutely not allow that man to get close to her." "Of course Petra's important, but having you say that about my mentor gives me conflicted feelings." Frederica, who doted on Petra, had little love for Clind, who would likely also be present at the assembly. Subaru expected that the pair would clash even while both treated Petra like a goddess. Strange. Wasn't the conversation a moment ago about him being worried about Petra? "By process of elimination, that means Ram will stay behind at the mansion. You do not miiind?" "No, I shall do as Master Roswaal desires. You will be lonely without Ram, but please endure." "Yes, I understand. I shall entruuust the mansion to you." As Roswaal closed one eye and looked at her with his blue eye, Ram magnanimously pulled back her shoulders. There had been a change in the relationship between Ram and Roswaal as well. Ram remained supremely loyal toward Roswaal, but one might say she'd become a fair bit pushier than before. Roswaal accepted this without a word of criticism. Though their interactions seemed familiar, it differed from the codependence they had previously shared. To put it simply, they understood each other now that's how it came off. "What are you staring for? Do not lust for others indiscriminately. It is indecent." "Just how much of an incorrigible bastard do you think I am, Big Sis?" * When Subaru posed that question, he saw a complicated emotion reflected in Ram's eyes. It was not because she found the question difficult to answer. It was just that Ram always faltered whenever Subaru addressed her as Big Sis. It was a clear sign she still didn't feel like an older sister. Her memories of her actual sister, Rem, remained lost. The days she spent with the little sister she loved most of all were nothing but a blank. The fact that Subaru called Ram Big Sis even so was probably because he relied on her more than most realized. "Now then, to be honest, I am somewhat anxiooous about sending Lady Emilia and young Subaru off on their own, but if they have Garfiel and young Otto accompanying them, it should be all right. With young Otto, there is no concern about awkwardly fumbling negotiations, and if all else fails, Garfiel can smash everything in sight and allow for an escape." "That would be a really big problem, so I'll try my hardest to avoid that." "No need to worry, Emilia-tan. Whether it's with Anastasia or Julius, I'm a top-class product when it comes to fogging up conversations. The gossip-lovin' Witch herself gave me her seal of approval." "Sheesh, I don't think that's anything to be proud of." When Emilia smiled wryly, Subaru gave her a thumbs-up and flashed his own mischievous grin. Of course, Emilia was well aware that Subaru was joking around in an attempt to put her at ease. That exchange made Roswaal close his yellow eye. Then he looked at the entrance to the room. "It would seem the conversation has concluded well then, I leave protecting these four to you, Beatrice." "Ngh!!" Raising a yelp at those words was Beatrice, covertly hiding behind the door to the study. When Roswaal drew attention to her eavesdropping on the conversation through the gap, she gingerly poked her head into the doorway. "H-how long did you realize Betty was there, I wonder...?" "From the beginning. I considered letting it slide out of bemusement, but when I thought about it, I would hardly call this good behavior from a four-hundred-year-old child. Former or not, does this not bring shaaame to the title of librarian of the archive of forbidden books?" "How infuriating! And will you stop calling me a four-hundred-year-old child, I wonder?! Unbelievable!" Beatrice rushed into the room and stomped her foot at Roswaal's provocative remarks. All Subaru and the others could do was smile and watch. Their current relationship could also be safely included in the loss of restraint category. Finally, after she had a chance to vent her anger, Beatrice crossed her arms. "At any rate, I would protect them whether you said to or not. Without Betty, who in this group of klutzes would you trust to get anything done, I wonder?" "Ohhh, how reassuring. I am very much relying on you to lead these precious children by the hand." "Hmph, you can count on me." Puffing her chest out, Beatrice accepted the offered leadership role. With this, the conversation concluded at last. Subaru, Emilia, Beatrice, Garfiel, and Otto. They
were the ones who would be heading to the Water Gate City of Pristella. 2 "Even with a fast dragon carriage, it will be a long journey that'll last more than ten days. There is no particular reason to rush, so let us put safety first and take our time." When Otto spoke those words as he plotted the route for the journey, everyone agreed without a word of complaint. Of the members heading to Pristella, Otto was the one most accustomed to travel. Indeed, compared with the other members, it could be said he was almost too used to it. "I was a total truant, Garfiel lived all fourteen years of his life without leaving his birthplace, Emilia-tan spent a hundred years in cryo-sleep, and Beako's a four-century-old shut-in... I mean, what can you really say about a group like this?" "Yes, yes, it is fine. Mr. Fulfew and Ms. Patlash will pull the dragon carriage together. No camping in the wild is scheduled, so that keeps the necessary travel equipment to a minimum." "My body's gonna get dull if I'm ridin' a shaky dragon carriage the whole time, Bro." "In that case, you can get off and run from time to time, Garfiel." "I'll do that, then." "You will?" One of Otto and Garfiel's typical exchanges thoroughly confused Emilia. And that was how their journey to Pristella began. That said, their itinerary proceeded in good order, and they spent their journey uneventfully. They traveled on well-maintained highways, passing through multiple towns. Though they almost got into spots of trouble with other travelers at various rest stops, they managed to resolve things peacefully by strategically dropping the name of Marquis Mathers. Of course, Emilia's presence was also a major factor. News about the royal selection had already spread throughout the kingdom, and many people knew she was one of the candidates. Regardless of how people felt about it, it was a fact that Emilia had become too well-known for anyone to openly be hostile toward her. Their journey continued in such orderly fashion for about ten days. It was a little too orderly, which was why " Yes. This land dragon is very impressive. She deserves some praise, I suppose." Sitting beside Subaru in the driver's seat as he held the reins, Beatrice swayed her legs as she casually commented on the ride. Perhaps this wasn't obvious, but holding the reins wasn't only Otto's duty. To be fair, Subaru was dealing with a land dragon that he was incredibly familiar with, but he was certainly capable enough to be entrusted with driving their draft dragons without supervision. However, this only really applied when it involved his beloved dragon, Patlash, and Otto's beloved dragon, Fulfew. He would also be fine with Rascal or Peter, the other land dragons being raised at the mansion. The conditional driver, Subaru, smiled dryly as Beatrice put on airs beside him. "If you're going to keep talking like a know-it-all, then you should switch with me for a bit. Patlash has enough motherly instincts that I'm sure she'll be kind to you, Beako." "I shall decline. In fact, does the look in that land dragon's eyes not make it seem like she views Betty with some hostility, I wonder? Those are not the eyes of an ally. I suppose that talk of motherly instinct was a pack of lies." "Hey, hey, I won't let anyone talk trash about Patlash, not even you. Emilia-tan, Rem, Beako, and Patlash are the only ones I won't let anyone bad-mouth." "It seems rather strange that Betty is included on that list yet you refuse to let this slide." "If anyone on the list says stuff like that, then she's the bad one." As Beatrice made excuses, Subaru grabbed her by the collar and forced her over his own lap. He was about to proceed to tickle her when the wriggling Beatrice's hair grazed his nose. What followed was a grand, spontaneous sneeze and a heavy lurch of the dragon carriage. "What the ?! Mr. Natsuki! Please take care on the road!" "Sorry, sorry! Beako was horsing around too much. I'll be careful. Tickle-tickle!" "Is it Betty's fault at all, I wonder?! Subaru decided all on his own to... Wait a moment, do not tickle me! Stop it... Pfft, hee-hee!" Hearing the voices of the pair playing around on the driver's seat, Otto let out a heavy sigh inside the cabin. Seeing Otto so obviously worn out drew a little laugh from Emilia, seated directly opposite him. "Those two really do get along well... Even though Subaru and Beatrice being on good terms like that was unimaginable not so long ago." "In my case, I find it far harder to believe there was ever a time they were separable. Beatrice indulging Subaru and Subaru indulging Beatrice it gives me a stomachache." "You might have a point. But...I think it's a good thing. Everyone probably agrees that a smiling face suits Beatrice much better." With a twinkle in her violet eyes, Emilia thought of the girl on the driver's seat. To Otto, her expression seemed like the one a loving older sister or mother might wear. Though Otto was not uncivilized enough to say this out loud like a certain Subaru. "Well, let us allow them to play while we engage in an important conversation. I have said this many times, but our preparations for the impending encounter with one of your fellow royal-selection candidates...is extremely lacking." "So you're saying it won't just be a matter of repaying a debt." "One year has passed in the royal selection, which is scheduled to be decided in three. Surely, each faction has largely finished shoring up its base by now. In our case, the assembly of the western lords shall secure us a good number of supporters. There's little doubt that the other camps are pursuing similar strategies." "And that also goes for Lady Anastasia, I assume?" The group had been intentionally keeping the fine details of what the other camps were up to away from Emilia. Developing Emilia into a proper statesman took priority over worrying about what their rivals might be up to this was something agreed upon by the domestic policy team consisting of Roswaal and Otto. Accordingly, after discussing the matter with Roswaal, Otto had been assigned the task of moving things to the next stage. "First, let me speak of the present circumstances of the royal selection. In the beginning, it was viewed as a contest between Duchess Crusch Karsten, the favorite, and Anastasia Hoshin, the primary challenger. Including Lady Emilia, the three remaining candidates were viewed as...without mincing words, only there to fill in the other spaces." "...Yeah, I don't think I can deny that. But based on how you phrased it, that means now..." "Yes. At the very least, it is a fact that the public's opinion has gradually changed over this past year. The reason is that the three underdogs in this race have made notable achievements." When it came to the Emilia camp, it was difficult to ignore the White Whale and Sloth. The hunt of the White Whale was considered Crusch's achievement, but it was none other than Crusch herself who had stated that the contributions of Sir Subaru Natsuki had made it all possible. And though he had borrowed the strength of not one but two rival factions, the defeat of the Witch Cult that had followed had been achieved under Subaru's leadership. These achievements had made Emilia's existence widely known among the people of the kingdom. At the same time, this also spread the fact that Emilia had been born a half-elf, which for better or worse ensured that she was someone the people would keep an eye on for the royal selection. And the other underdogs Felt and Priscilla had not been idle, either. In particular, Priscilla's talent had flourished. She was the widow of Lyp Bariel, whose lands were on the border shared with the Empire of Volakia, with which the kingdom had engaged in skirmishes for many years. Priscilla had managed to make the most of this unfavorable situation, bringing the faltering and anxious regional power holders onto her side all at once. With cunning that almost seemed to work like magic, she pacified the empire, made allies out of the local nobility, and proceeded to vigorously revitalize impoverished villages and otherwise strengthen her lands. Day by day, the people under her rule were regaining a sense of normalcy. In addition to her ability to dance on any stage provided to her, she possessed beauty far beyond all norms. The south of the kingdom revered her as "The Sun Princess" with a fervor that seemed to increase with each day. On the other hand, the Felt camp's one claim to fame was the knight under their banner, the Sword Saint Reinhard van Astrea; they had the most difficult starting position out of all the candidates. Even with the overwhelming influence the Sword Saint held over the knights and the masses, his name alone wasn't enough to convince the kingdom's people that the master he served was worthy of the throne. Even in the Astrea domain, her base of operations, the regional lords regarded her with wariness when they weren't openly distrustful. However, the girl named Felt had broken past those unfavorable headwinds in a manner none had expected. From the very beginning, the strong-willed girl hadn't planned on lobbying the indecisive and cautious weather-vane nobles. Instead, she'd set her eyes on the people who had fallen out of favor in other words, outcasts and pariahs. By taking in the talented who were sidelined due to personality issues and those who regretted their dark pasts, Felt was able to assemble a formidable group. Her flexible thinking and unique perspective had revolutionized her territory. She had little reason or inclination to rely on the rumors that she was a long-lost child of the royal family. She had a discerning eye for character, and assigning people jobs they were best suited to came naturally to her. In that sense, she possessed one of the most crucial qualities needed in any ruler. And with that tiny spark, the lands surrounding the Astrea domain quickly became a beacon of prosperity. Felt's influence had grown so great that the local lords, who had been sitting on the fence, could no longer ignore her. As her small footsteps had made a tangible mark upon history, no one in the kingdom could make light of her claim to the throne any longer. "That is how things currently look. At the very least, no candidates have fallen out of the running over this past year. Ahhh, it is just..." "What is it?" "The only place where things have deteriorated is the Duchy of Karsten." The pitch of Otto's voice dropped a notch as he elaborated. The reply made Emilia harden her cheeks. Closing one eye in response to her reaction, Otto continued. "Duchess Crusch Karsten was considered the favorite, but rumors say she has lost her way over the last year, as if she has become a different person somehow. Previously, she was relentlessly active in public and private, and with the support of His Lordship the prior duke, it was considered a matter of course for everyone to acknowledge her. However..." Whether in the royal selection or politics at large, Crusch's character seemed to have changed a great deal. Her past determination had been so firm that it made her current shortcomings stand out all the more. Though she had formally taken on the important title of a duke, there were some who claimed she had finally revealed her true colors as an incapable woman. "Apparently, His Lordship the former duke has been brought out of retirement and rushed back into service. After successfully hunting down the White Whale, it initially seemed like the royal selection had practically been decided...but no one can ever know when calamity may strike. Lady Emilia, please take proper
heed of this." " I guess that's true." Otto's admonition made Emilia lower her gaze, her violet eyes filled with melancholy. Otto noticed that she couldn't seem to help but sympathize with her political rival, and he considered it a sign of fragility. It was inevitable that someone would be defeated. It would only invite hesitation if she let that weigh on her excessively. Otto's experiences over the last year had taught him that this applied to politics as much as it did to commerce. "Please do not dwell on it too much. This is only the beginning of such tales." "Mm, thank you. I understand you're being considerate, Otto." "That is good to know, at least also it would be remiss of me to not note that the complete lack of any decline in influence whatsoever since the very start of the royal selection should establish just how terrifying the Anastasia camp is." "Lady Anastasia has the backing of that big Hoshin Company. Apparently, the company began in Kararagi, but it's expanding into the kingdom." "Yes. In other words, their financial clout is their primary weapon their strongest card is simply to crush any competition through pure economic force." Otto hung his head as he ran through the implication, fear settling in his heart. Under no circumstances was his evaluation of her strength biased because he was also a merchant by trade. Making an ally out of a major businessperson was synonymous with allying a pillar of the economy. And so long as the economy continued to maintain the livelihoods society depended on, economic power was simultaneously the strongest offense and defense one could wield. "Therefore, I believe that the Anastasia camp is the one we should be most wary of at the present. So for them to be putting us in their debt with that invitation... Do you understand just how much pain my stomach has endured?" "...Finally, it's really sinking in. I am sorry for deciding all this on my own." "If you understand, that is fine for the time being. If you can refrain from such rash moves in the future... I'll believe that you really do understand, so...!" As Emilia bowed her head, Otto stroked his stomach and sighed. Thanks to the way that explanation broke everything down for her, Emilia, too, realized what kind of position she was in. Of course, various things about the world of politics were difficult and complex. She'd long understood that bracing her heart with phrases like I'll try my best! and Let's do it together! wasn't nearly enough to get by, but her eyes were spinning at the sheer amount she had to be concerned with. She was happy to finally know what had been kept secret from her for so long, but in turn, her worries loomed larger. " It is not necessary to try to take it on all by yourself." Reading what was in Emilia's heart from the look on her face, Otto flashed a pained smile. "You might be the star of the show, but that does not mean you must do every little thing yourself, Lady Emilia. It is the same for this dragon carriage." "Really?" "Currently, it is Mr. Natsuki who holds the reins. Beatrice is watching Mr. Natsuki so that he does not slack off. Garfiel is above, on guard for anything in the area, and I am planning our itinerary. And with your voice thanking everyone for their hard work, we will move forward by hook or by crook as we head to Pristella." Emilia's eyes opened wide as she took in Otto's roundabout analogy. Simultaneously, she found it funny how his meandering approach reminded her of a certain someone. "Just now, Otto's way of putting that really sounded exactly like Subaru somehow." "Ughhh?! Really? Oh no...could it be that it's spreading to me the longer I hang around him...? P-please don't scare me like that!" "Hey, Otto! Having a fun little chat with Emilia-tan, are you? My main source of sustenance is Emilia-tan's adorable smile, so don't go nabbing my food!" When the topic of their conversation suddenly interrupted them, it gave Otto a fright. Emilia reflexively laughed, and it wasn't long before Otto laughed, too, with a heartbreaking look on his face. "Wait a...! Why are you two the only ones having fun?! That's super not fair! Beatrice, take the reins for a second. I'm going in!" "What?! How is this okay, I wonder?! Stop it! Betty can't... It's tipping over! Aren't we about to tip over, I wonder?! That land dragon's eyes say it's about to happen!" "Hey, General! What's up? The ride's shakin' real hard is everythin' all right?!" Hearing the commotion from the driver's position and overhead, Otto reluctantly rose from his seat. It seemed that Sir Knight of Little Patience had reached his limits. Otto judged that it was best to politely yield his spot so he could soothe the land dragons. "Otto." As Otto thus began shifting from the cabin to the driver's seat, the call of Emilia's voice stopped him. What he saw when he turned around suddenly stole his breath away. The trust Emilia placed in her smile struck him deeply within his chest. "I've caused you a great deal of trouble, but I will do my best. I'm counting on you." " Yes, please do. I look forward to sharing whatever enjoyment you find along the way." "That reply sounded a lot like Subaru, too." Smiling wryly, Otto headed toward the driver's seat. This is why I work so hard. Truly, master and servant alike were born swindlers. Otto had a need to rise to meet others' expectations of him, and it was like a disease that left him fatally vulnerable to people like Subaru and Emilia. And as their banter continued like this, the twelfth day since departing from Roswaal Manor arrived. On that day, the Emilia party finally reached the Water Gate City of Pristella without incident. 3 Anyone who wanted to gain entry to the Water Gate City of Pristella had to pass through the main gate that oversaw virtually all traffic in and out of the city. On the border between the Kingdom of Lugunica and the city-state of Kararagi flowed the vast Great Tigrasea River, which resembled an ever-shifting ocean. The city was constructed atop a lake fed by one of the tributaries of this massive body of water. Entering the city required crossing a bridge that spanned this river and passing through a section of the circular curtain wall. There, all visitors had to present papers at the main gate that led to the city's interior. When Subaru's party drove the dragon carriage directly to the gate, the official on duty explained the laws of the city and demanded they fill out entry forms. The details were similar to a vow that basically confirmed I will act in accordance with local laws during my stay in the city. It almost went without saying that city laws were a binding authority separate from royal or noble law, but Subaru didn't take any issue with the city laws of Pristella at a glance. Most of them involved things like not inciting riots, not using magic within city limits without good reason, and so forth. After flipping through the pages, he quickly signed and handed the papers back. Notably, the official became incredibly flustered when Emilia identified herself. That meant he must have known that Anastasia was already staying in the city and had panicked a little while wondering what in the world was going on. "Suppose they can't help but be all nervous at having more than one royal-selection candidate pop up at the same time." "But it does seem like Anastasia told the people at the gate to expect us ahead of time. They did let us pass right away, after all. Though maybe it was actually Joshua or Mimi." "If you set aside his weird competitiveness, it's possible Joshua might've gone to the trouble, but I don't think Mimi would've." He didn't think the cat-girl was capable of that kind of consideration. That wasn't an insult but merely his honest impression of her. "She's cute, after all." "Yes, Mimi is cute." The mysterious persuasive power of Subaru's assertion made Emilia trade nods with him. To be blunt, he couldn't think of any other word to describe her. Also, for some reason, Beatrice stomped on his foot upon overhearing this. He didn't get it. By the time he'd managed to restore Beatrice's sullen mood, he met back up with Otto and Garfiel, who'd stayed with the dragon carriage. It seemed that the check of the dragon carriage's cargo was going to take some time. "They sure are strict for just heading into the place. Now it seems even more like a watery prison instead of a city of water." "Truly spoken like someone who has little experience with life on the road. A traveling merchant would not even consider this a snag. At least they are honest enough not to demand something under the table." "Under the table? Who the hell keeps anythin' special under that...?" "He means a gift. Actually, it'd be bad if you take what I said literally, so just know that phrase means someone is asking for something bad. Don't let anyone catch you saying that, okay, Emilia-tan?" Gift might have been technically correct in a broader sense, but given Emilia's position, even the hint of bribery was no laughing matter. With that episode out of the way, Subaru and the others continued to an inner gate to finally enter the city proper. As the inner gate slowly opened, the scenery of Pristella gradually came into view " Oooh." After momentarily squinting from the dazzling light, Subaru spontaneously let out a breath of admiration. And he wasn't the only one; Emilia did the same as she stood beside him. She opened her violet eyes wide as the beautiful spectacle before them left her at a loss for words. "...So it turned out to be a city of water after all." This view made him want to apologize for ever suspecting it was a watery prison. When the prominent features of Pristella had first been described to him, Subaru had imagined Venice from his own world. If one ignored issues of size, the circular city resembled a stadium for holding and watching sporting events. The elevation differed depending on the area's proximity to the city's center, and each stratum boasted its own orderly row of stonework buildings. A network of waterways crisscrossed the entire cityscape, and a particularly large one better described as a canal that ran through the heart of the city divided it into four parts. Subaru could see ferryboats in these waterways gliding in every which way, and the presence of what were essentially gondoliers stoked Subaru's curiosity and sense of adventure. This was the blue metropolis. The city of water. The Water Gate City of Pristella. "Originally, Pristella was built on top of this lake using a combination of technologies from four hundred years ago." Beatrice abruptly began a lecture about the Water Gate City as if to reinforce the feeling of wonder. She glanced at Subaru and the others, who listened in rapt attention as she continued: "It is constructed strangely, but if you think of the city itself as if it were built to be a trap, designing it to collect water at the center is only natural, I suppose." "Calling the whole city a trap feels really spot-on. Was this place meant for demon beasts or something?" "No records remain of exactly what this trap was intended for. But when gazing at the city like this, seeing how it looks today...does it even matter anymore, I wonder?" Beatrice narrowed her blue-tinged eyes as she beheld the same stunning sight as Subaru and the others. It seemed like she had been deeply moved by the realization that learning about something academically and experiencing it firsthand
were fundamentally different. "...What? Why are you stroking Betty's head, I wonder?" "Maybe because you just happened to be nearby. I wanna rub your head for you every chance I get." "That doesn't make much sense, but that's quite enough patronizing!" Though she fumed with anger, she made no move to bat his hand away. Still patting Beatrice's head, Subaru let out a breath of admiration for the city sights all over again. "Damn, this is incredible..." His honest appraisal elicited a wry smile of satisfaction from the soldiers who'd opened the inner gate for them. Seeing the reaction of people admiring the view was probably the biggest perk of the job. Subaru could appreciate that feeling. It was a job suitable for the residents who took pride in their city's beauty. "Huhhh, I see. Sure is a pretty place. Not the horrible thing Bro painted it out to be." "That appraisal irks me slightly, but... Ahhh, everyone, we cannot remain halted forever when there are others behind us. Please get back in the dragon carriage for now." Garfiel, fastest to recover, rubbed his nose as he shared his first impressions. Otto followed up by asking Subaru and the others to get a move on. "Wow, not a very sentimental guy, are you? I thought you were a big fan of this place." "Of course, for it is a land deeply connected to Hoshin, whom some even call the God of Commerce. Yes, indubitably it is a feast for the eyes. Have no doubt that I am deeply moved." "But apart from that, you have more practical things to worry about? That's a sad way to live, you know." Otto flashed a pained smile, but there were echoes of emotion visible in his eyes. Subaru didn't ask why Otto put both his hands together, but Subaru honored his stoicism by politely doing as he instructed. "So now we go to the Water Raiment Inn Joshua mentioned... He said Anastasia and the others would be waiting for us there," Emilia said. "Yes. The official told me of its location, so I shall guide the way. As travel within the city is chiefly by dragon boat rather than dragon carriage, we wouldn't be able to rely on the provisional dragon-carriage driver, Mr. Natsuki, to safely take us through the tangled paths here." "I'll have you know that as long as I give Patlash a shake and a stare, she takes care of everything else." Undaunted by Otto's assessment, Subaru winked at Patlash. The proud land dragon covered in inky-black scales quietly averted her face. For some reason, he got the sense that she would sigh if she could. "Well, let's get movin'. Time to go!" "Yes, into the Water Gate City!" "I suppose!" Emilia and Beatrice added their voices as Garfiel pointed to the city and announced their departure from his vantage point atop the dragon carriage. And so they took their first steps into the cityscape of Pristella. The streets were set at a fair incline. Seeing the scenery outside the windows scrolling by at a leisurely pace made for a pleasant ride. "But even looking from up here, you hardly see any dragon carriages at all." "Mm, I suppose so. In this city, the waterways are wider than normal streets. Even the shape of the city was decided with waterways in mind, so the roads seem to be really tangled." "Ahhh, I see. So that's why there's all these labyrinth-like twists and turns." Just as Emilia had said, the city had been designed to prioritize waterways, meaning that the streets for pedestrian and dragon-carriage traffic naturally had to either straddle them or take detours around them. It felt pretty inconvenient, but when Subaru saw the little boats heading down the waterways, it didn't seem surprising at all. "Hum, hum, huhummm." With the tranquil scenery filling her heart, Emilia began to happily hum. She had no ear for music. The off-key humming served as background music as Subaru rested his cheek on a palm and watched the cityscape. Beside him, Beatrice sat on her knees as she gazed outside, a very childlike gesture indeed. And then... "Ah, Subaru, look." "Mm? Oh, ohhh...!" When Beatrice called out to Subaru, a small boat was crossing a waterway he raised his voice at the sight of the long-bodied, serpentlike creature drawing it. Its torso came with short limbs and had a blue, slippery-looking surface. Its head looked more like that of a lizard than that of a snake, with sharp fangs and catfish-like whiskers. It was a water dragon a dragon that dwelled near water. "Unlike land dragons, which look like dinosaurs, these water dragons are like those from eastern mythology. Maybe I should call them shenlongs?" "Would it be wiser not to, I wonder? Unlike land dragons, which easily get fond of humans, water dragons are famous for their difficult dispositions. It takes raising one from the time it hatches until it matures for it to recognize someone as a master, I wonder." "That sure is a lot of time, considering Patlash and I got along from the first glance." "It is a mystery even to Betty why she is so fond of Subaru." Unfortunately, Subaru could only agree. Originally a land dragon owned by Crusch, Patlash was the reward Subaru took from Crusch following the hunt of the White Whale. Without Patlash, Subaru wouldn't still be around. That was no exaggeration in the slightest. "Hmph. These water dragons are nothing. My dear Patlash has a much more refined face." "Subaru, why are you suddenly talking like Anne?" The way Subaru burned with an oddly antagonistic spirit toward the elegantly swimming water dragon made Emilia give him a mystified look. That moment, though the water dragon surely had not overheard their conversation, it abruptly turned its head in their direction. Then the water dragon jutted its head from the surface as it sent a high-pitched neigh slamming into the dragon carriage. This was not an amiable neigh conveying, Welcome to Pristella! but the sort of sound that implied, Stop staring at me, filthy outsiders! "That bastard, it's making fun of us, isn't it?! All high-and-mighty just because this is its home turf..." *** It was Subaru whom Otto had asked to avoid unnecessary disputes, but Subaru's spiteful comments were interrupted by a sharp, vivid, awe-inspiring neigh Patlash's howl. In her master's stead, she had responded to the water dragon's provocative attitude, returning the favor in a gallant fashion. He didn't know what meaning the neigh carried, but the water dragon seemed terrified by her reply, making a small sound as it sank into the water, immediately fleeing and taking the little boat along with it. "Wait a second, Mr. Natsuki! Please do not make Ms. Patlash do strange things all of a sudden! I really do not want to get involved in trouble so soon after our arrival!" When Otto called from the driver's seat, Subaru stuck his hand out the window and waved back. Then he blew a finger whistle of thanks toward Patlash. The pitch-black dragon responded with a ladylike sway of her tail. "Awww. The water dragon looked cool, too, but I think Patlash is the best." "...Well, does Betty not also think our girl is better than that vulgar water dragon, I wonder?" Concurring with the pleased-looking Subaru, Beatrice seemed both proud and inconsiderate. After he put the girl on his lap, they continued raising voices of admiration over the cityscape for a little while thereafter. "Come to think of it, it looked like the waterways split this city into four." "Mm, yeah. The Great Waterway in the middle of Pristella divides it into four, and these sections are called the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Districts, respectively." "Just doesn't feel right. How about naming them after the four gods Suzaku, Seiryu, Byakko, and Genbu?" "Ahhh, that sounds kinda cool. Me, I'm all for that." "I really do not understand Subaru's and Garfiel's taste. Ohhh..." Garfiel peered in through the window and shared Subaru's enthusiasm. Beatrice shrugged at the pair when a sudden shudder surprised her. The wind repel blessing ought to have meant they would not feel any effect from the dragon carriage shaking on bad roads. Such an impact even so meant either that the dragon carriage was being bowled onto its side or " If we have arrived at our destination, yes? Meaning we have arrived." Otto, poking his head into the cabin from the driver's seat, thus announced that the dragon carriage had stopped. "Faster than I thought. We've barely gotten a chance to enjoy the city." "Please do that on your own free time. I must speak to the innkeeper to have the dragon carriage, Fulfew, and Patlash stabled, so if the rest of you could... No, it is indeed best if you remain at the entrance." "Why the correction? What, you're worried about letting us go ahead of you?!" "I certainly am. I can barely contemplate what would happen if you meet Lady Anastasia at the inn before I am able to rejoin you. The marquis did say as much." The only thing the culprits involved in the previous offense could do in response to Otto's words was to hang their heads in shame. From there, they unloaded only the hand luggage from the dragon carriage as Otto followed the guidance of the inn staff and brought the dragon carriage as well as the dragons behind the inn. Seeing him and the dragons off, Subaru and the others finally headed to the front door of the inn the Water Raiment. "Now then, what sort of place should I expect this to be...?" When Subaru looked up at the structure with high spirits, his mouth dropped open as he stiffened. Beside Subaru, Emilia touched her own cheek with a finger as she gazed at the same inn. "Somehow, the building seems really mysterious. This is the first time I've seen something like this." Emilia's floaty impression was largely the same as those of Beatrice and Garfiel. However, Subaru was the only one who could not help harboring a different impression than them. Of course he couldn't. After all, standing before him was "This isn't some ordinary fantasy-world bed-and-breakfast... It's literally a traditional Japanese inn..." Before his eyes was a blocky building of wooden construction. The entrance had a wooden door with glass facing, the yard had a hedge, there was a path of cobblestones leading from the gate to the front door, and the roof was tiled. This was a city that greatly resembled the famous Venice and came with matching architecture and furnishings. This was the last place Subaru Natsuki expected to encounter an unmistakably Japanese building in the form of the Water Raiment. " Seems like you're surprised. I was right to pick this place, hmm?" An amused voice suddenly spoke up. When Subaru turned toward the speaker in a daze, he caught sight of some teasing light-blue eyes peering at him from the other side of the hedge. It was a beautiful girl wearing a white dress paired with an eye-catching fox-fur scarf. The cold season had surely already passed, but her attire had not changed whatsoever since the last time he'd seen her. She had a rather small stature and long, wavy light-purple hair. An elegant smile came over her adorable face, and her big, round eyes somehow seemed bottomless. There was no mistaking that this was the person who had invited Subaru and the others to this city " Anastasia." "Yep. Welcome to Pristella. And thank you for coming." Anastasia Hoshin beamed as she greeted her guests in person. 4 "You've come such a long way. You must be tired from your journey... First, let's get you settled into your rooms. Then we can take our time to talk things over." When Anastasia smiled and spoke those words, Subaru was too dazed to respond right away. He felt like they'd suddenly been ambushed just like Otto
had feared. If this continued, Anastasia would completely dictate the pace. That was how everyone must have fe " Thank you for going out of your way to greet us in person. It's such a relief." Everyone besides Emilia, apparently. There was little doubt Emilia had been just as surprised, but her gentle reply snapped Subaru back to his senses. When he glanced around, he saw Garfiel regarding Anastasia with a wary eye while Beatrice was firmly holding on to Subaru's sleeve. It seemed Subaru had been the slowest to recover. The impact of seeing a traditional Japanese inn here had a far lesser effect on them you'd have had to know of it to be surprised by it. " Your face has gotten even nicer, huh..." As Subaru took a deep breath to steady himself, Anastasia gazed at Emilia and murmured. Her light-blue eyes showed no hint of sarcasm, nor did her comment come off as belittling. That tiny exchange showed that Anastasia noticed the ways Emilia had changed over the past year. Emilia must have been barely recognizable. "Well, her cuteness is the same...actually, maybe that's gone up a level, too." "It has been a long time, Natsuki. We last met when you were honored for hunting down the White Whale and the Witch Cult, I think? It's been a whole year since then, but I assume Marquis Mathers is the same as usual, yeah?" "That certainly wasn't us at our best. Thankfully, we have managed to keep it together since then. At the very least, we haven't disintegrated midflight yet." "That so, that so. Lovely news. I must say, I am glad that both of you came together this time. Julius seems eager to meet Natsuki as well." When Anastasia made that comment with her hands placed together, Subaru openly grimaced. Emilia and Anastasia both broke into laughter, making him feel even more uncomfortable. He did think that Emilia's reaction differed from Anastasia's in terms of purity and mischievousness. Of course, neither reaction was what he would have preferred. Apparently, it didn't matter how often he insisted that he and Julius didn't get along. "Sorry to intrude on this peace 'n' harmony stuff, but should we just be standin' around all day?" The one who cut into that warm and fuzzy atmosphere was Garfiel, who'd maintained his silence up to that point. Clacking his sharp fangs, he glared straight at Anastasia with his jade eyes. The glint in his gaze was blatantly hostile, but Anastasia only deepened her smile. "What a cute boy. It's plain as day he's concerned about Emilia and everyone." "Heh, she's smilin'. But someday, you're someone we gotta sink our fangs into. Gettin' along now is only gonna make things harder later." "I suppose that's true. Garfiel is kind, so I understand why he would worry..." "Dah!! Who you talkin' about?! Really gotta watch what ya say, Lady Emilia!" Taking unexpected friendly fire, Garfiel lost his composure after a failed attempt to restore some sense of tension to the conversation. Even so, he quickly rebounded and attempted to get back on topic, but " Ah! Garf came! Why did the lady keep it a secret ?!" A high-pitched voice overlapped with a flurry of sounds as the inn's wooden door flew open with great force. The head poking in from the other side belonged to none other than Mimi, her adorable face full of joy. With a flutter of the hem of her robe, she bounded toward Subaru and the others as if leaping clear over a hedgerow. "Good job finishing such a long journey! Mimi'll show you to your rooms ! And after, you need to explore the inn! There's really amazing stuff to see here!" "H-hey, wait, you! Me, I still had more to talk abo... Wait, she's pullin' me along?!" "Let's gooo! Let's go right now!" With all the power in Mimi's tiny body, she dragged away Garfiel while he was still off balance. Of course, if he truly wanted to break free, he could have, but in the end, Garfiel was slowly but surely spirited away. "Errr...Mimi is...really energetic, huh?" "You have my thanks for putting it so politely. Mimi's impulsiveness has caused me quite a bit of trouble on more than one occasion...but even for her, that was rather insistent." Emilia's words made Anastasia touch a hand to her cheek in exasperation as she wore a troubled smile. However, that lasted for only a moment. "I would like to ask one thing," Anastasia continued, her face turning serious. "That boy Mimi was teasing... Who is he? He's an upstanding person, I hope?" The question carried an edge of wariness one might have about some pest buzzing around a cute daughter or little sister. From that alone, Subaru deduced the true intent behind Mimi's behavior toward Garfiel. Simultaneously, he let out a long sigh as he grasped just how loved and cherished Mimi was in the Anastasia camp. "...Mr. Natsuki, why do you have such an exhausted face all of a sudden?" It was just then that Otto, returning after storing the dragon carriage, frankly spoke his mind when he caught sight of Subaru's haggard state as they reunited at the entrance to the inn. 5 Under the staff's guidance, Subaru and the others left their luggage in their rooms and rendezvoused once more at the inn's lobby. The banquet hall of the Water Raiment boasted hardwood floors from wall to wall and a long table at the center. The floor wasn't completely covered with tatami mats, but the atmosphere closely resembled a Japanese inn all the same. "But points get deducted for not reproducing screens and sliding paper doors. The staff aren't in Japanese outfits, either. I guess for the atmosphere and that hospitality mindset, we can give it a net seventy points." "I do not have even the slightest idea what you just said... Are you all right, I wonder?" "I'm just flapping my lips to try and stay calm. I think I'll be fine even without someone holding my hand, though." "...Oh really? Just to be safe, I shall hold your hand for a while longer." Beatrice was squirming on top of a square cushion that was placed on the floor as she held Subaru's hand. He didn't speak a word about how she was gripping somewhat harder than usual. To Subaru's right side, Emilia was kneeling on another floor cushion with her knees facing forward and her feet out to the sides as she examined their surroundings, finding the sight rather novel. "Somehow, this place has a really mysterious atmosphere to it... From the outside, I thought it was an unusual building, but that feeling only got stronger now that we're inside. I mean, sitting on the floor, taking your shoes off..." "And the bedrooms have futons in them instead of beds. The closets have yukata in them, too." "Huh, interesting. You seem very familiar with all this, Subaru." "Truly. Just where did you study this much about the Kararagi style?" As Subaru and Emilia conversed, Otto joined in from his seat beside Beatrice. Hearing him mention the term Kararagi style, Subaru furrowed his brows. "You mean this inn is Kararagi-style?" "Indeed it is. Jabaneez-style architecture is a Kararagi tradition... This inn's design appears to be heavily influenced by it." "Jabaneez-style construction... There's no way that's a coincidence." Though it sounded a bit strange, the obvious connection to Japan could no longer be chalked up as a misunderstanding. It was incredibly difficult to believe that such a thing had developed naturally without any influence from Japanese custom. There was no doubt in his mind that this "Kararagi style" had been influenced by Subaru's original world. "In the first place, Hoshin, the hero who founded Kararagi, is the one who built Pristella, inextricably connecting the two. One might call this land the place that the tale of Hoshin of the Wastes' rise to fame and fortune began." "...This Hoshin guy sure did a lot of stuff all over the place." "If it were up to me, it would be Hoshin who would be called the Sage. In any case, his achievements are simply too awesome. Nowadays, Pristella is formally considered the kingdom's territory, but there was a time when it was cause of considerable territorial disputes between Lugunica and Kararagi." According to Otto, the two nations had gone to war over it about a hundred years in the past. Geographically, Pristella was part of Lugunica's domain, but the fact that the famous national founder of Kararagi had built it loomed large. Once the drawn-out economic conflict simmered down, the current-day arrangement was born. "So Hoshin's influence is big here... I guess it'd be safe to assume this Kararagi style is related to Hoshin, too?" "It seems that way. In his era, Hoshin was someone who introduced revolutionary ways of thinking and ideas ahead of his time... He reshaped ideology, technology, culture everything." "Interesting." Nodding at Otto's explanation, Subaru let out a very deep sigh. He was sure of it now Hoshin of the Wastes, the hero who had founded the city-state of Kararagi, was most likely someone who had been summoned from another world, just like Subaru and Al. Much of the culture linked to Kararagi, and the so-called Kararagi style, fit the world Subaru knew far too well. All of it seemed to have roots there. This made him the third person summoned to another world whom Subaru knew about but the time periods differed drastically. Hoshin came four centuries ago, Al twenty years earlier, and Subaru one year prior. What meaning was there to the time differences? Why had Subaru and the others been selected? Subaru still didn't know why he had been brought to this world. Even after coming to terms with the fact that he'd parted ways with his own world and his past during the Trials in the Sanctuary, nonetheless " From the look of things, you seem to be appreciating the Jabaneez inn." Abruptly, as if timed to coincide with a lull in the conversation, a voice called to them from outside the hall. A wooden door quietly swung open, bringing Anastasia into view. She was not alone. She had brought a single man who promptly made an elegant bow. "It has been a long time, Lady Emilia. Originally, I should have been the one to welcome you ahead of everyone else. I apologize for the tardiness of my greeting." Swiftly after he appeared, the man's handsome face turned contrite and remorseful as he apologized. Just the fleeting sound of his beautiful voice from across a wall would have melted many a woman. The twinkle in his amber eyes held a passion that clawed at the hearts of any who merely gazed upon them. That was the kind of presence Julius Juukulius possessed. This was the famous Finest of Knights. Emilia responded to Julius's bow with a gentle smile. "Yes, it has been too long, Julius. I'm glad to see you are also doing well." "I thank you for your generous heart. It is good to see that you have refined your own beauty even further, Lady Emilia. I must say that the loveliness of your eyes is a national treasure nay, a treasure for the entire world." That annoyingly roundabout way of speaking and his pompous attitude were what made him the most irritating man alive or so Subaru privately complained as Julius turned away from Emilia, who wore a wry smile. "It has been quite some time since we last met face-to-face. It seems you are in good health, Sir Subaru Natsuki." "...Don't call me that. It's sending a chill up my spine. What's with the Sir Subaru stuff? Just talk normally." "Even if you say that, it is a well-known fact that Sir Subaru has formally become Lady Emilia's knight. Setting the past aside, you currently occupy a proper position. I merely intended to treat you as a peer." "Merely intended, my ass. It's ruining my mood, so cut
the sarcasm, or I'll sic Beako on you." "I see. It seems that though your position has changed, it has had little effect upon your demeanor." When Julius insisted on propriety to the bitter end, Subaru scowled as he clicked his tongue. Seeing this, Julius's face broke into a slight smile, this time bowing to Subaru. "Then let us try again... It has been a long time, Subaru Natsuki. May you strive every day not to bring shame upon the knighthood you have been granted." "Ha, damn straight. I don't wanna get beaten senseless by someone 'cause I've gotten too big for my britches again." "I am offended that you would speak as if it was an unprovoked assault. According to my memory, it was merely a sparring match between two people of equal standing with their honor on the line." "You sure don't know when to shut up..." However, as Subaru had been in the wrong on every level at the time, there wasn't much he could say that wouldn't make him come off as a sore loser. Instead, Subaru devoted himself to being rather petty and refused to let a single insult slide. After studying Subaru's reaction, Julius went "hmm," closing one eye as if finding this development somewhat surprising. Then he shifted his gaze to Beatrice, who was sitting right beside Subaru. Noticing Julius's amber gaze falling on her, Beatrice glared straight back at him. "What do you want, I wonder? A lady is not to be stared at in excess." "Forgive my great rudeness. I never suspected that a high-ranking spirit such as yourself would be attending." "Betty is Subaru's partner, so is it not natural for me to be here, I wonder? Do not assume I am on the same level as lesser spirits who have no name worth mentioning. Just because you are appealing enough to make Betty's pure maiden heart flutter slightly, you would do well to not get carried away, I suppose." "Wait, wait, wait, wait, flutter?!" When Beatrice rose from her seat and puffed out her chest, Subaru hastily picked her up. The moment he seemed ready to whisk her far from Julius, Beatrice interjected, saying, "Calm down. It is not really a matter of appearance, I suppose. Besides, it is the disposition, not the face, that makes the man." "That's no consolation! Wh-wh-why you... How dare you do this to my Beako..." Subaru glared at Julius hatefully as he fretted over this apparent threat to his relationship with his partner. The sheer intensity made Julius widen his eyes, but his expression relaxed soon after. "You should not misunderstand her. Your Great Spirit has no intention of betraying you. It is merely that the blessing within me...the blessing of spirit attraction naturally draws spirits to me." "Could you get any worse?! Do you exist just to bring me suffering?!" "You wound me. Of course, this blessing has been of great assistance to me. It is thanks to this blessing that one lacking in talent such as I was able to form bonds with the lovely buds, the lesser spirits of the six elements." "Would Betty ever lose to such a blessing, I wonder? I will say this now. Subaru is much more...yes, much better than you!" "Thank you! And please don't hurt me any further!" Beatrice would never betray him; Subaru was confident of that much. At the same time, her inability to find a tangible reason for her loyalty gave him a palpable sense of defeat. Whenever it came to Julius, Subaru always felt a sense of inferiority. That wasn't the only factor, but it certainly was the main reason he disliked Julius. "As per usual, my noble knight is infatuated with Natsuki." "That is a misunderstanding. I merely wish to advise him as his senior. Now that he is a knight of the kingdom, his conduct has an effect on the reputation of all knights." "In other words, what you want to say is that since everyone is watching, get your act together so no one can look down on you? That's so roundabout. Your flaw is that you're never straightforward about things like this, Julius." As Anastasia spoke in a teasing tone, Julius sighed briefly and hung his head. He'd no doubt judged that if his master carried on any further, he would become the butt of the conversation. It seemed like this was a common pattern. For his part, Subaru had already gone through the wringer. Emilia gently patted him on the shoulder. "I'm really happy to see that Subaru and Julius get along so well now." "That's a hard comment to say thank you for, but thank you." The world as seen through Emilia's eyes was a peaceful one. Taking that sentiment to heart, Subaru put Beatrice over his knees after sitting back down on the square floor cushion. Anastasia and Julius also took their seats at the long table across from them. "Come to think of it, is it just the two of you? Everyone else...Well, we did catch a glimpse of Mimi earlier." "As you guessed, Mimi is getting along very well with your blondie. Hetaro, who really loves his big sister, chased after them in a hurry, so I asked TB to take veeeery good care of things before they get more complicated. If this was a divide-and-conquer plan, you really got us good." "Plan or not, reining in Mimi's your jurisdiction. What about Ricardo and Joshua?" Subaru understood that Mimi and her siblings were strong, but it worried him that he hadn't seen the rest of the Iron Fangs, Anastasia's private army. Incidentally, that worry included Julius's younger brother, Joshua, too. "Well, even during a leisurely stay, we're not just sitting around taking it easy. Ricardo and Joshua are both on errands away from the inn... Come to think of it, Joshua wasn't rude to you, was he?" "Not as much as you. But you brothers definitely take after each other. If he was slightly better built, he could totally take your place. Hey, why don't you guys actually do that so you can just retire?" "That's an amusing opinion, but it would be rather difficult. My younger brother has been physically frail from a young age. Nowadays, there is no concern over him taking extended journeys, but as his older brother, I have often worried about him since long ago." Lowering both his gaze and his tone of voice, Julius seemed genuinely concerned for Joshua's sake. Subaru scratched his head and averted his gaze as he felt disgusted bringing up such a sensitive topic over something so petty. Naturally, there was a pause in the conversation. "Errr, I think it's good to be rekindling old friendships, but if we have everyone in order, we should probably proceed with the formal greetings." Otto, who'd maintained his silence up to that point, decided to break the ice. Anastasia responded to his proposal with deep interest and turned her gaze toward him. "Good idea. I've been wanting to give the shrewd domestic adviser I've heard so much about a greeting myself." "Hey, hey, you got some bad info there. That mistake isn't like you, Lady Anastasia." "I can imagine the source of that rumor, but having it treated as inaccurate hearsay so bluntly can really make someone overly self-conscious. Truly, it can!" When the "shrewd" domestic adviser raised a cry of protest, Subaru only cutely stuck out his tongue. Watching this comedy act between Subaru and Otto, Anastasia made a small smile as she nodded toward Julius. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Julius Juukulius, assigned to Lugunica's Knights of the Royal Guard, but I am currently serving as Lady Anastasia's knight." When Julius introduced himself and elegantly bowed, Otto nodded with an awed look on his face. "And this is one of the Kingdom of Lugunica's royal candidates, the girl of genius who runs the Hoshin Company based in the city-state of Kararagi, Lady Anastasia Hoshin." "My lady!" "Why did you take a knee?!" "Wha ?! Oh, no, it was so awe-inspiring, my body moved on its own!" When Otto got too swept up in Julius's performance, Subaru slapped him on the back of the head. "Look! Our Emilia-tan is a fine royal candidate! She's just as impressive as theirs!" "Yeah, that's right. I'm a contender for the throne just like she is. I'm really trying my best." "Just look at that cuteness. That was E M T through and through!" "I must say it feels extremely awkward that I am calmed by such a sight..." The usual frivolities restored Otto's calm, which caused him to question his state of mind. Then he turned to face the other party, his mood apparently restored. "Overdue as it may be, I shall introduce myself as well. My name is Otto Suwen, and I am serving as domestic adviser to Lady Emilia... Yes, through some twist of fate, that is my role." "It seems like you have trouble accepting that for various reasons, huh." "Honestly, I should be a traveling merchant. Really, why did it end up like this...?" "That sounds rough. Well, if anything happens, you can depend on me. I won't do wrong by you." Anastasia spoke with a sorrowful tone, but this was plainly an effort to pluck Emilia's domestic adviser from them. As if hoping to avert this, Subaru stood up and presented Beatrice in front of Otto. "Incidentally, let me properly introduce her, too. She's my contracted baby girl... Uhhh, I mean, this is Beatrice the spirit." "The incidental treatment offends me, but you may know my name, I suppose. Betty is Beatrice the Great Spirit, and as you can see, I am of a completely different rank, level, and cuteness than your run-of-the-mill spirits. Now that you have a firm understanding of this, might I request black tea and sweet pastries, I wonder?" "Uphold your dignity till the end, sheesh." With Beatrice unable to separate herself from that mascot-character feeling at the very, very end, Subaru tugged on her curls and pulled her back onto his lap. Then he motioned to Otto to move the discussion along. "Yes, yes," said Otto in response as he took the lead. "Though it is uncouth of us to force the conversation forward, there are a number of things we would like to confirm." "Tee-hee, that's fine. It's my duty to indulge my guests. Do as you please." "In that case...might I ask you the reason for this invitation to Pristella?" "No need to be so wary. I'm not planning anything. It's been a year since the royal selection began, right? We're both in similar circumstances, so I thought I'd give us a chance to talk things over." Otto's question got right to the point. Anastasia stroked the scarf on her neck. Anastasia's demeanor and way of speaking were gentle, but the tone of her voice was a pretty ornament with which she concealed her true intent. Finding her hard to deal with, Otto licked his lips; the smile of the great merchant across from him, veteran of countless battles, deepened further. "Based on recent reports, I feel as if you have lured us with blatant bait, however." "Bait is such a negative way to put it. If I'm going to invite someone, then I should at least have a proper gift prepared. That's all it is. And if I am giving a gift, then it might as well be the best gift possible." "...And how is it you know what the other party desires?" "Tee-hee, that's a trade secret. That's no good, Natsuki. Trying to find out anything and everything about a girl... Isn't that rude to the two people beside you?" Covering her mouth with her sleeve, Anastasia leaned forward and teased Subaru about his question. Subaru spontaneously groaned with a "gnnnh" as he was cowed into silence. Beatrice simply sighed, which didn't exactly make him feel better. "It's not like
we tried to keep our search absolutely secret. There isn't much we could've done if she simply heard about it from someone." Emilia was indifferent as she spoke in the stead of her pathetic knight. Her words made Anastasia widen her eyes. Emilia tilted her head a little as she gazed into those light-blue eyes. "More importantly, I think if Lady Anastasia tells me where I can find what I'm looking for, it's perfectly fine to be happy about it. That seems to be the best way to go about this." "What a friendly reply. I don't have any intention of telling you anything just yet, though." "But that means you'll tell us in the future, right? Thank you. I don't know what I can do, but I'm sure I will return the favor." *** Emilia's smiling reply made Anastasia close her mouth. Glancing at this, Julius's expression relaxed ever so faintly. "Grrr," went Anastasia, glaring at her own knight over his reaction. "What's so funny, Julius?" "Nothing. It is merely that I rarely get to see someone exceed Lady Anastasia's expectations like this. I believe that your genuine reactions are quite beautiful." "Well, you certainly have a way with words... I see I still have a long way to go, too." Regaining her composure thanks to Julius's comment, Anastasia turned toward Emilia once more. "Let me correct myself. Even though a year has passed, you have stayed the same down to your core. Doesn't being like that cause a lot of trouble for Natsuki and the others around you?" "Mm-hmm, it's true. I'm still lacking in so many areas, which makes it harder for everyone. I really have to catch up. I'm trying very hard, though." "Let me correct myself further. You are even softer than before. You make me seem like a villain." Anastasia let out a sigh, followed by a grinning smile. The sudden change in her demeanor made Emilia widen her eyes this time. After watching this, Anastasia looked at Subaru and Otto. "Make sure you lend her your strength, all right? If she doesn't put up much of a fight, it'd mean trouble for me as well, so..." "I intend to eagerly give it my all, but my basic policy and personal style is to spoil her with praise." "Which is why the rest of the burden falls to me. Ha-ha...how did it end up like this?" Subaru gave a thumbs-up as Otto's expression grew increasingly morose. Anastasia shrugged at the sharp contrast in the pair's appearances. "Well, it's fine. Seems like there's no need to worry whether you boys know how much a favor is worth." "A favor, is it? Favors are excellent. You do not have to keep it in stock, nor does it expire by a certain date." "That's right. And more than that " Anastasia agreed wholeheartedly with Otto as the two merchants locked eyes. " You don't have to put a price tag on it." Their voices were as one. Anastasia smiled, and a listless smile came over Otto as well. Subaru felt like he'd heard such an exchange once before, but apparently, it was a maxim among merchants. Whatever its practical application, the words made merchants sound strong. "Now then, I suppose I'll get to what you've been waiting for. The thing Lady Emilia is searching for...is a magic crystal that can serve as a catalyst for a spirit mage, with the added conditions that it must be colorless and have a high level of purity, correct?" "Yes, that's right. Could you tell me more about it, even if it's just something you've heard of in passing?" A sense of expectation rested in Emilia's violet eyes as Anastasia indicated she was moving on to the main topic. When they had first arrived in Pristella, Emilia's demeanor had been somewhat reserved. After all, frankly speaking, the sought-after magic crystal in question was Emilia's personal problem. What overcame that faint hesitation was her hope of being reunited with her family at last. To her, a chance to see Puck again was also a ceremony heralding a new beginning. Anastasia smiled broadly at the expectations clearly welling up in Emilia's chest. "The magic crystal you seek is owned by the son of a great merchant following his father's footsteps here in the city. He has quite some talent in business himself, but in this city, he is more famously known by something other than his name." Anastasia paused, as if building anticipation for what might follow before finally proceeding. " I believe they call him The Man Whose Heart Was Stolen by the Songstress?" 6 "The Man Whose Heart Was Stolen by the Songstress...or the Songstress Maniac for short? Weird nickname." Subaru gazed at the waterway with a quiet look on his face as he muttered. The overly tranquil time of the Water Raiment conference though it seemed grandiose to call it that had come to an end, and Subaru's party was in front of the inn, preparing to head out. Their next goal was to visit the Songstress Maniac and negotiate for the magic crystal. Anastasia had actually ended the meeting immediately after presenting her information about the magic crystal's owner. Not only that, but she'd also contacted the other party in advance, apparently having already made all the arrangements for a visit. Her sheer thoroughness left Subaru unable to do anything save bite his tongue. "Of course, whether the negotiations go well is up to us, but...the problem is whether the other party is sane, right? This Songstress Maniac just has to be a weirdo." "I wouldn't be so sure. Your heart was stolen by a single woman, and you publicly pronounced this fact without hesitation do you not find your behavior at the meeting of royal-selection candidates quite similar?" "Not that it's some kind of dark secret, but could you not bring that up just to get under my skin?" Subaru's scowling demeanor left Julius shrugging in exasperation. At the moment, only Subaru and Julius were in front of the inn. Subaru had finished his preparations swiftly, while Julius had arrived in order to see him off. Subaru wanted to meet back up with Emilia and company as soon as possible. He already missed Beatrice's warmth. "We last met at the honors ceremony, but...how have you been over the past year?" "Stop acting like we're buddies sharing recent news. Now, what do you know about this Songstress and the guy who's obsessed with her?" "I have not actually met them in person, but both are famous individuals here in Pristella. Not a day passes when this city does not hear the Songstress's voice." "The heck is that about? Is this some recital they hold all the time?" "Hmph. You will soon understand." Subaru grimaced when Julius snorted and flashed that smug smile. Julius's habit of unnecessarily building suspense only fueled Subaru's irritation. "I'll pay you back for being a pointless pain in my butt some other time... Anyway, what is this Songstress Maniac's deal? I gotta say I'm not expecting much from meeting him in person." "There's no need to be concerned; he is a man worth speaking with. However, if I had to warn you about one thing...I believe Lady Emilia would not be a problem, but perhaps it would be wiser not to bring Lady Beatrice with you." "What is that supposed to mean?!" When Subaru immediately asked for a response, Julius was at a loss for words for once as he quickly averted his gaze. Subaru could sense his distress. Maybe this Songstress Maniac guy had a grudge against spirits? "If he hurts Beako somehow, I'm not confident I'll be able to hold myself back." "No, surely, he would not treat her poorly... She might be the recipient of an excessive welcome, however." "What do you mean by...? Wait. Don't tell me he's a lolicon...?" "I do not know what you mean by that term, but..." Julius trailed off at the end as he searched for an appropriate word within his own vocabulary. However, even a knight as elegant as he could not magically produce something so elusive. Either way, the true reason for Julius's concern was clear, causing Subaru to clutch his head. "My mentor was already a handful as far as troublesome lolicons go..." Really, Clind had an aesthetic all his own. Subaru was mostly troubled by the fact that Clind and the Songstress Maniac might well have something in common. Clind prized youthfulness and treasured the childish spirit. In other words, someone with a youthful appearance but a mature mind would be of no interest whatsoever. Accordingly, Clind did not find Ryuzu appealing at all; in contrast, he held Emilia in high regard. Furthermore, he practically treated Beatrice like a princess. "My Beako is an all-rounder who's attractive to your run-of-the-mill pervert as well as the exacting tastes of people like Clind..." "Why is it I feel as if I am being treated rather rudely again, I wonder?" Beatrice, who had arrived just in time to hear his comment, puffed her cheeks up in a fit of pique. Seeing Beatrice there like that with no sense of danger, Subaru raised his voice, saying, "Get some sense, dummy! I'm just worried about you! Wake up and realize that you give off a dangerous level of charm just by existing! Be careful so I don't have to worry this much! Damn it, you're so cute...!" "Eh, ah, mm... W-well, it's only natural that you would worry about that, I suppose. Tee-hee-hee." Even though he'd just warned her about her carelessness, Beatrice simply grasped Subaru's hand with delight. For the moment, he decided to firmly hold on to her hand and never let go. He needed to be especially careful in this city. "Incidentally, Beako, you came by yourself? Wasn't Emilia-tan in the same room as you?" "Emilia and Otto are searching for Garfiel. He must be taking a stroll inside the inn, I suppose. In the meanwhile, Betty has come here so that Subaru wouldn't get lonely." "I see. You're cute even when you're condescending." Stroking Beatrice's dazzling hair, Subaru turned his gaze toward the inn. Garfiel was no doubt engaged in arduous combat with the three siblings at that very moment. If worse came to worst, abandoning Garfiel and departing immediately was an option. "Then again, leaving without him would make it pretty meaningless to have brought him as an escort. No, wait a sec. When you think of it as him drawing away three of the enemy at the same time..." "It is not good to think so belligerently. Even if that were the case, who would be my opponent? Hmph, you, perhaps?" "You laughed a bit just now, didn't you? You don't think I can cut it? I'll have you know Beako 'n' I are dangerous when we put our power together. You'd be struck with awe, okay?" "Precisely. You would be astonished, I suppose." When Julius made a provocative remark, Subaru grabbed Beatrice and pushed her to the fore. When he saw Beatrice puffing her chest out, Julius raised both hands in apparent surrender. Then during that exchange among the trio, a voice called out to them " Brother, I have just returned." A young man waved his hand as he climbed up from a waterway onto a footpath. The new arrival had a delicate face with a monocle Joshua. Seeing him made Julius stand straighter with a smile. "So you made it in time. Thank you for your hard work, Joshua." "Not at all. Please feel free to leave this much in my hands any time you wish. Also..." Hearing his older brother's thanks, Joshua's expression relaxed. After that, he looked at Subaru and Beatrice. Instantly, keenly, and very blatantly, the temperature in his yellow eyes turned cold. "...Both of you, thank you for coming all this way. I believe you have already spoken to Lady Anastasia. I am sorry that I was unable to join you." "Mm, don't
sweat it... I heard you were out to take care of some kind of business." "Yes. By the command of Lady Anastasia, I went to the trading company to...prepare a dragon boat for you. Please make use of it during your time in the city." "Dragon boat!" The statement was delivered in an oddly chilly tone, but the content made Subaru's eyes sparkle. Behind Joshua, in the waterway from which he had just emerged, Subaru saw a water dragon with its outstretched head turned their way. "A pilot has also been provided. I employed Hoshin Company connections to secure a trustworthy person." "That's being very thorough. What's really important is that this is the stuff of dreams and fantasy, so thanks for setting all this up." "Pay it no heed. I mentioned it already, but this was on Lady Anastasia's orders. If anything, I sought to finish preparations as early as possible to keep my older brother from dealing with Sir Natsuki any longer than necessary, but..." "You're one hell of a blunt guy, aren't you?" Joshua's overly forthright nature brought a strained smile to Subaru's face. But Julius was the one surprised in his stead. He raised his shapely eyebrows, apparently unaware of the enmity his younger brother had held toward Subaru until this moment. "Joshua, all of them are Lady Anastasia's guests of honor, him included. Rudeness toward him is a slight upon the honor of Lady Anastasia, our liege. Refrain from this in the future." "...I I am very sorry, Brother." After getting a scolding from Julius, Joshua clenched his jaw as he bowed his head. Julius sighed at the sight, glancing at Subaru and Beatrice with an apologetic look in his eyes. "I am sorry. I apologize for our impropriety. Normally, my younger brother would absolutely never behave in such a manner... Perhaps the change in environment has him more worked up than usual." "Not that I mind, but if it's really because this is some new, unfamiliar place, then you need to keep a firm grip on the reins as the older brother. I don't wanna have both siblings nipping at my heels, Big Bro." "Hmph, I shall keep that in mind." When Julius returned to normal and wore his usual smug smile, Subaru shrugged in exasperation. As he did, Beatrice went, "Ah," her voice trickling out as she held Subaru's hand and trained her gaze toward the inn. Just as Subaru turned to see what had caught her attention, the door to the inn was flung open as several people emerged. "Hey, General! It's terrible ya just abandoned me like that! This ain't no joke!" Garfiel came first, his sparkling golden hair all a mess as he clenched his fangs. He'd apparently been at Mimi's mercy for quite a while. "Sorry to make you wait. We just couldn't find Garfiel and the others any sooner." "They left signs of mayhem throughout the entire inn, so we had to look everywhere." Behind Garfiel, Emilia and Otto spoke of the difficulties their search party had to overcome. Just as Anastasia had said, Mimi had whisked Garfiel away, which drove her two younger brothers to take up pursuit and interfere with their date, resulting in scuffles that had apparently broken out all around the inn. "That was hell. If Bro hadn't come, I'd still be runnin'." "So you've been savoring a meowtiful festival. Satisfied?" "Satisfied, my ass. Those little bros tried to kill me as soon as that runt dragged me off. I was racin' around like Gehanon's Fleeing Feet, damn it." "Well, those two little brothers seem to be obsessed with their sister to the extreme. You didn't counterattack?" "They were on a rampage 'cause they were worried for their big sis, right? No way I was gonna make 'em cry over that." Garfiel had steadfastly chosen to not raise a hand upon his sister-loving comrades. Either way, thanks to timely aid, he had finally been freed from the sibling trio, meaning the Emilia camp was assembled at last. Preparations were in order to pay the Songstress Maniac a visit and engage in direct negotiations. "Joshua arranged a dragon boat for us, so it's a boat trip from here on out." "Wow, seriously? I really wanted to ride one. Thank you, Joshua." Bringing her hands together before her, Emilia smiled and voiced her appreciation. Joshua's cheeks reddened slightly as he tried to respond. "N-not at all. Your words are wasted upon me. I merely did as Lady Anastasia bade." "We are grateful for your thanks. Please enjoy your boat trip, Lady Emilia." The two brothers reacted to her gratitude in very different ways, which Subaru interpreted as a sign of how accustomed each sibling was to this sort of thing. Having bid the Juukulius brothers a farewell, Subaru and the others began climbing aboard the dragon boat. The dragon boat was the size of a small rivercraft and could accommodate seven people including the pilot. The good-natured, weathered-looking pilot lent them a hand, and when he saw that everyone was aboard, he gently launched the boat. "The size of the boats is apparently set by city law, y'see. It's a compromise 'cause they gotta consider not just pilots like us but the comings and goings of other vessels, too." The swarthy-skinned pilot gave that explanation as Subaru and the others looked at the boat like it was a novelty. Subaru hadn't given it much thought, but unlike the dragon carriages speeding down broad highways, something like traffic rules needed to be set for the waterway boats that were the chief means of getting around the city. "It's my first time crossing the water by boat. Somehow, it has my heart racing." "Seriously? Ahhh, but it's not like this is a sea or anything." "What's a sea?" "It's like a...never-ending puddle of water. My homeland had that all around it, see." "Huh, that's incredible. It's nice that you'd never run out of water in a place like that." Emilia's eyes glimmered. Subaru smiled at her childlike impression of his birthplace. Unfortunately, using seawater to supplement insufficient drinking water was spectacularly suicidal conduct. As it would be fruitless and complicated to explain that, he decided to simply appreciate Emilia's cuteness. In the meantime, the dragon boat followed the waterway's current, picking up speed as it proceeded into the center of the city. A dragon boat heading down the left lane of the broad waterway gave Subaru pause. Mysteriously, the flow in the waterway's right lane was heading upward. Just what strange physics were at work here? "Tee-hee-hee. Surprised? Actually, I know why. Look at the edge of the city." When Subaru had that question in his mind, Emilia proudly pointed far into the distance. Looking in that direction, he saw that the circular outer wall surrounding the city was connected to some stonework towers. There was one giant stonework tower for each of the cardinal directions west, east, south, north it was impossible to miss them. "Ahhh, I was wondering about that. What are those towers?" "Those are the control towers that regulate the flow of water inside the city. Apparently, the towers themselves are complex metia that use the power of water magic crystals to control the current. It seems like the city's huge water gates are operated there, too." "Heh, so those are giant metia! That's really something." Nodding at Emilia's explanation, Subaru now knew the mysterious mechanism behind the waterways flowing in the city. The Water Gate City of Pristella really was different from other cities in quite a few respects. Beginning with its laws and its standing as a completely independent city, there seemed to be many things he ought to study about it. "Incidentally, please be careful. Sullying the water is a grave criminal offense in this city. This goes especially for Garfiel, who has been gazing at the water with a frightened face for some time now." "It ain't that I'm scared of the water. I just don't wanna end up like some waterlogged cat." "Then could you stop holding on to my cloak with all your strength? Judging by the sound, it might well tear soon." Sitting in the center of the dragon boat, Otto sighed at how Garfiel couldn't seem to calm down at all. The exchange brought a smile to Emilia while Beatrice simply shrugged. "Goodness, everyone is too worked up. Would you behave yourselves and learn from Betty's ladylike example, I wonder? Subaru thinks so as well." Beatrice winked toward Subaru as she sought his agreement. Then Subaru gave Beatrice a little nod. " ad." "...What did you say just now, I wonder?" It was Beatrice alone who overheard the murmur so small, it was almost inaudible. When her expression stiffened and she took a step back, everyone else turned their attention to Subaru. Looking over each of their faces in turn, Subaru smiled. "This is bad. I think I'm gonna throw up." In an instant, complete pandemonium broke out on the boat. 7 "Are you finally better, I wonder?" "Nah, just a little longer... Whoa, this is bad. The world's spinning. It's still going... Crap, I thought I had this under control, but it's no use... I guess some things never change." Subaru gazed at the current of the waterway as Beatrice stroked his back. They were on a footpath by the Great Waterway, which ran through the center of the city. He understood why passersby were smiling as they watched the two of them sitting together in a corner. They likely mistook them for close siblings that, or recent arrivals who thought the Great Waterway was quite a novelty. "Not that either of those assumptions is wrong, though... Bleh." "If you are going to retch in the middle of saying something foolish, you can at least behave yourself and catch your breath. There's no need to be concerned. I shall stay with you, I suppose... Get well soon." Beatrice was gentle and reassuring to the frail, blue-faced Subaru. Indulging in her kindness, Subaru focused on steadying himself, wanting to recover as soon as possible. Some fifteen minutes had passed since Subaru's sudden bout of seasickness on the dragon boat had caused an uproar. Having gotten off the dragon boat midway, Subaru was left with no option but to rendezvous with the others at their destination by foot, with Beatrice staying close to him to keep him from setting out before taking time to recover. Of course, Emilia had offered to wait until he felt better, but "Lady Anastasia has already made arrangements for the other party to grant us his time. The tardier we are, the worse the impression we make, and I would like to avoid giving Lady Anastasia a reason to ridicule us." This was the merciless opinion of the domestic adviser who had neither blood nor tears to spare. Thus, Subaru had been abandoned by the party. That said, on top of having no idea how long his recovery would take, Subaru's pride wouldn't allow the issue of his seasickness to slow Emilia down. Then again, he had the sense that his pride had already been shattered to pieces. At any rate, he agreed that Otto's judgment was the right one. "It's the nightmare from when I rode the ferry on that field trip to the ocean in elementary school all over again...or did they know about my seasickness and took advantage of it to separate me from Emilia-tan...?" "Is Emilia someone who would be rendered helpless from the lack of one bumbling Subaru, I wonder? Then what is Garfiel here for?" "Suppose you're right. Besides, Julius wouldn't tolerate some underhanded move like that... That guy is always the most chivalrous person in the room." Julius's nobility was inflexible. Subaru had no reason to doubt him on that point. Due to that, Subaru didn't feel a strong need to be overly concerned about any conspiracy by the Anastasia camp. "Pfft, Subaru, do you not trust that man a
great deal, I wonder?" "Huuuh?! No, no, there's no way! I mean, what I wanted to say is that his twisted personality won't let him, no more and no less! That's it let's go already!" After shouting his protests and pouting, Subaru jumped to his feet. He rotated his arms and legs a little, confirming there were no lingering effects from his seasickness. His limbs felt a little heavy, but if that was the extent of it... "I'll just hold Beako's hand and cancel it out with heartwarming energy." "You seem to be in quite high spirits. Well, Betty will take care of you whatever happens, I suppose." "Yeah, I'm counting on ya. Anyway, let's hurry and meet back up with everyone before Emilia-tan becomes sad and lonely." They were already affectionately holding hands as Subaru winked at Beatrice. In turn, Beatrice's very presence seemed to say leave it to me! as they set out toward the trading company. "Come to think of it, we've been focusing on this Songstress Maniac guy, but I wonder what kind of chick this Songstress is? A city of water with a songstress, plus Emilia-tan and Lady Anastasia, two royal candidates it all sounds like some major drama's about to break out." "I do not know what you mean by drama, but Betty has an interest in the Songstress as well." "Ohhh, come to think of it, Beako really liked it when Liliana came to the mansion, too, huh?" Subaru nodded and broached previous events when Beako displayed her interest in the Songstress. It was about one year prior, before the royal selection had begun in earnest. Just a little after the demon-beast uproar had been mopped up, a minstrel came to stay at Roswaal Manor. This minstrel was the same Liliana he had just mentioned. She had a few...troubling personality quirks, but setting that aside, her singing voice charmed all the girls at the mansion to no end. That included Beatrice, long back before she'd opened her heart, as well as Emilia, who was second to none when it came to giving her honest impressions. And Rem had been a part of the unexpected new fad, too. * "...Subaru, shall we go this way, I wonder?" Subaru briefly fell silent, and Beatrice saw a flash of emotion in his black eyes. When she pulled him by the hand, Subaru lightly sighed and slowly followed her tiny back, grateful for her silent thoughtfulness. Their destination was a trading company that stood on the edge of the Great Waterway at the border between the First and Second Districts. The city's layout prioritized waterways, meaning the paths were unusually inconvenient for pedestrians. But Beatrice leisurely led him through the city streets, walking as if they were as familiar as her own home. After several detours around some waterways and countless bending paths, he crossed the waterway hand in hand with Beatrice. "Look, Subaru. Is that not a magnificent water fountain, I wonder?" "Ahhh, yeah... Is this some kind of park?" When Beatrice expressed her admiration, Subaru spoke those words while gazing at a city park that enshrined a beautiful water fountain. It had a green lawn, a meticulously maintained flower garden, and a large, beautiful fountain sending up dazzling sprays. This was a place that epitomized tranquility, a place of calm and quiet repose. Had he the time, he would have considered taking a nap right then and there. Yes, if only he had the time. "But right now, we don't have a minute to lose. Hey, Beako. You've been projecting this whole leave it to Betty, and you can't go wrong, oh-ho-ho energy but you have no idea where we are, do you?" "Sigh... Honestly, bringing that up when there's something so beautiful to see is rather heartbreaking. Are you incapable of relaxing, I wonder? As your partner, Betty feels quite embarrassed." "The old you would've tried to desperately hide your mistake while your face went beet-red. You've become a little cheekier lately. It's enough to make Daddy cry." Who was the bad influence who had transformed her into such an expert at making excuses? He ignored the fact that had Otto been present, the adviser would have almost certainly made a witty remark, for Subaru and Beatrice had become thoroughly lost. Though there was some truth to the claim that Subaru didn't know how to take it easy, they really couldn't afford to take their time wandering around. If possible, Subaru wanted to rejoin Emilia and the others before the negotiations for the magic crystal were wrapped up. "In that case, would it not be best to politely ask someone to show us the way, I wonder?" "Ohhh...I never thought I'd live to see the day that Beako would say the words politely ask someone. How you've grown..." "Oh-ho-ho, Betty is not one to remain at a standstill forever." Seemingly forgetting that it was her poor sense of direction that had gotten them lost in the first place, Beatrice proudly puffed out her chest. Since she was basically a walking mass of weaponized cuteness, Subaru refrained from pointing out anything rude and simply stroked her head. Then Subaru started looking for someone to ask for directions. However "...What's going on? How is there not a single person in this park when it's the middle of the day?" "I suppose this is rather strange. One would think a large throng of humans would be napping in a place like..." Unable to spot any sign of life nearby, Subaru and Beatrice cocked their heads in confusion. Then Beatrice trailed off midway as she stared toward the back of the park. Curious about her reaction, Subaru turned in the same direction when he suddenly realized something. " Do you hear that? A song?" The flowers of the park rustled in the wind. There was the soft sound of water flowing along the waterways. With this natural harmony as a backdrop, the distinct sound of a musical instrument and a person's singing voice tickled their ears. Because of the distance, they could hear only snatches of it. Though they were but fragments of a dancing tune and music, the sounds clawed at Subaru's heart. Naturally, Subaru's no, Subaru's and Beatrice's feet were both drawn toward the singing. * Then when they arrived at the source of that enticing melody, the pair was overwhelmed, forgetting even to breathe. At the deepest part of the park, a lone girl was singing in front of some kind of monument. The girl had brown skin. Her stature was short. She had a cheerful face and big, round eyes with bright-yellow irises, and her hair was tied in twin braids with the ends hanging from each side of her head. Her hair and body were adorned with ornaments made from tree fruits and animal bones. In the singing girl's arms was a lyulyre a stringed instrument somewhere between the size of a guitar and a ukulele. With that and her voice, the girl put on a performance of stunning skill, her throat trembling as she wove the song. It was the energy the music carried that was overwhelming. A wind and tremor that should not have existed, a blazing heat that should have been impossible to feel, and uncontrollable surges of happiness, anger, sadness, joy this was what consumed Subaru as the song enraptured him. And it was not only Subaru who felt this way. Nor was it merely him and Beatrice. As the girl continued to sing, an audience of some fifty people had gathered around her. Their breaths were hushed as they listened to the song, just as entranced as Subaru and Beatrice. Finally, the girl's song reached its climax. The audience's emotions reached their zenith " No money, no future, no dream, only vanity. Ahhh, what do I see? I see the darkness behind my eyelids. There is nothing beyond the darkness. It is over, over, and it all comes to an end." "Hey, when you listen to the words, this is a pretty horrible song, y'know?!" "Hyaaa?!" The lyrics, which contained neither dreams nor hopes, made Subaru raise his voice as he snapped back to his senses. That instant, the girl cried out in surprise as she nearly dropped the instrument she was holding, which obviously interrupted the performance. The heat that had permeated the place dissipated all at once. The change in atmosphere made Subaru go pale as he realized he'd done something bad. "Oh crap, I failed to read the mood just like old times! Beako, let's hightail... Owww?!" "Stupid Subaru! It is ruined! What terrible manners... Could you be any worse, I wonder?!" Before he could beat a strategic retreat, he felt sharp pain as nails dug into him. When he looked, his assailant turned out to be a red-faced Beatrice. The genuine anger in her expression made Subaru keenly understand that if Beatrice was grading him, he'd just spectacularly failed. And "Er, ah...a song?" "The park... I was in darkness until just now." "No, back then, I couldn't help it..." "When I grow up, I'll smack Temion and save Draphin!" "I wanted to cheer on her dream..." "Oh, Tina..." "Lusbel..." the audience members who had been captivated by the song gradually began returning to reality. Some had broken into tears because of the music, and there were boys and girls who had found that the song lifted their spirits. And as they came to their senses, the crowd slowly turned toward Subaru, who was standing a short distance away. Subaru's body went rigid when he caught sight of the glints in their eyes. " Don't ruin the moment!!" The next instant, Subaru paid for his thoughtlessness as they hurled whatever they could get their hands on at the poor boy. 8 "Ow, ow, ow...that was horrible. Beako, how do I look? Am I bleeding anywhere?" "Why should I care, I wonder? This time, not even Betty will take Subaru's side." Beatrice harrumphed and turned her head away from Subaru, who was sitting cross-legged on the grass. Apparently, she was really holding a grudge over Subaru's rude interruption. She wasn't going to let him off the hook this time. After ruining the recital earlier, Subaru had endured a hail of insults and projectiles from the enraged audience. If he was being perfectly honest, it had been a year since he'd been that sure death was coming for him. Fortunately, thanks to the singer pacifying the crowd despite being the greatest victim, Subaru had escaped with his life. He'd managed to get away with nothing worse than being trodden on by the majority of the listeners as they departed. "My left foot feels like it's swollen to twice its size. I'm scared to take the shoe off." "I will not use any healing magic. Perhaps a little pain will help you reflect on your actions?" "That's ice-cold, Beako... Well, it'd be a waste of the mana you painstakingly gather up every day, and I get it. It's not good to assume you can just rely on healing magic whenever you get hurt." Nodding in agreement, Subaru stomped his aching left foot against the ground. Since coming to this world, he'd gotten used to a life without scrapes and bruises, but it was true that he might have started taking healing magic for granted. Forgetting about wounds and pain led to arrogance. It was something to be wary of. "Now then, since I've apologized to Beako, I should properly apologize to the offended party." After that light exchange, Subaru finally turned back toward the monument. The audience there had already departed. There was only one person left save for Subaru and Beatrice. It was none other than the singer who had finished baring her heart through song. "Sorry that our conversation kept you waiting after I interrupted your singing like that. I never thought... Huh?" Subaru closed his mouth in the middle of his apology. The reason was the palm that filled his vision. The girl had
thrust her hand right into Subaru's face. And then "I have it. Listen to this Doowop doowop, the difference of years in love." Leaving the surprised Subaru and Beatrice behind, the girl rhythmically slapped her musical instrument with her fingers. Then she clicked her tongue as a cue to break into song, accompanied by a ferocious melody. "Hey, do you see it, do you feel it? The difference between the years of love in you and me. People call it strange, but I don't mind at all. My worry is always the difference in years of love between you and me. Hey, wait. Please, wait. A little longer, until I grow a little taller. I don't care about a difference in years. The distance of love between you and me, the distance of soft, enchanting love " "The space between lovers shrinks and quietly becomes burning love. Then at last the stork comes past, with a child and a tale of love and bright futures!" "Ehhhhh?!" The song the girl suddenly belted out made Beatrice's eyes spin, but when the battered Subaru joined in as the song was wrapping up, the spirit found that it was beyond her ability to cope. Of course, none of this had been rehearsed in advance. It was an act of reflex, but of course Subaru was a master of such things. As the girl finished her song and offered zero explanation for it, he gave her a high five as they pointed to each other. "W-will you hold on a moment, I wonder?! Why...? Why did Subaru just break into song and dance? And is it not very strange that you seem to find this all very normal, I wonder?!" "Hey, hey, what are you talking about, Beako...? Music transcends borders, y'know?" "What fine words! I, Liliana, am so deeply moved that my chest trembles. Not literally, but still!" "I-it's unacceptable that you two are making it seem like Betty is the one who's gotten something wrong..." These two weren't just going at their own pace; they had a my way or the highway attitude, and Beatrice had lost nearly all will to fight it. Subaru gave the spirit's shoulder a couple of pats as he turned to face the brown-skinned girl. "Right. Just to be clear, don't get the wrong idea about my relationship with Beako. She and I have gotten real, real close, but even if Beako got taller, that isn't going to put her in my strike zone." "Ehhh, but girls change over time! And I'm a great judge of character. I suppose you could chalk that up to life experience?" "Beako might look like this, but she's already four hundred years old. I wonder if she'll ever change?" "Oh, cooome on. There's no need to make things up just because you're embarrassed" It was the truth, but it was so unbelievable that she immediately assumed it was a lie. Subaru figured correcting her would be too much trouble. More important, there were higher priorities than clearing up the misunderstanding around Beatrice's age. Namely "It's been a while, Liliana! This was a total coincidence, but the most important thing is that you're doing well." "Not at aaaall! Meeting you two in a place like this leaves me so embarrassingly, frustratingly happy that I can barely contain my exciiitewend!" "She bit her tongue rather hard, I suppose." Elegantly bowing with her musical instrument in one hand, Liliana smiled as an alarming amount of blood spilled from her mouth even as she smiled. The bite must have had shocking force. Liliana pressed a handkerchief to her mouth, quickly dyeing the cloth red. "Pardon me, I really did a number on myself there." "I can tell. You seriously haven't changed at all. Kinda makes me more worried than relieved, honestly." Subaru let out a deep sigh as he experienced a complex mix of emotions that came with this reunion. Liliana was an old friend of Subaru and Beatrice's. She was both the performer in the park and the minstrel who had spent several days with them at Roswaal Manor. During her stay, Liliana had brought singing, music, and her various personal issues to the mansion. In the end, these issues were resolved, and she departed from the mansion safe and sound. "Who knew that we'd run into you here in Pristella. From what we saw earlier, it seems like you're in peak form, too." "Yes, rest at ease. Since that time, my ample sensitivity has exploded even more, and I have devoted everything to polishing my skills further, so I have nooo trouble earning a living wage even in a city like this." "The way you said that sounded kinda shady and even a bit dirty. I mean, isn't it bad for you to be in this city?" "Hmm? Why?" Liliana gave Subaru's words a mystified look. Subaru sighed at her oblivious reaction. "You're technically a minstrel, right? But now, this city is home to some huge competition they call the Songstress. Ain't that bad for business?" "I am not technically a minstrel; I am a minstrel down to every strand of hair and drop of blood! Also, also, it's so flattering how worried you sound. It's making my body throb aaaaall over." "Whoa, what's with that way you're moving your body? It's creepy!" "Did you just call an adorabibble girl creepy?!" Thanks to her squirming while wiping a fair bit of blood away, Liliana's face was left covered in strange splotches. Unsure whether he should call attention to her ghastly makeup, Subaru ultimately decided to prioritize advancing the conversation. Of course, the conversation itself was rather strange. Based on what he had just heard, it was almost as if "Give up, Subaru. Is it not time to face reality, I wonder?" "Hold on, Beako. I still want to cling to even the slightest possibility until the very, very end. Any way you slice it, this girl can't be the Songstress. That'd be total blasphemy." "Ah, the Songstress you heard about? That's me. Ahhh, it makes me so blushy blushy." "That's exactly what I was afraid of!!" As Liliana's face became doubly red, Subaru clutched his head and shouted at the top of his lungs. Being forced to confront a truth he didn't want to acknowledge that Liliana was the Songstress shattered Subaru's expectations for the rumored singer. Beatrice reacted in much the same way; she had a face like a child who had been full of hopes and dreams, only to have a promise to go to an amusement park dashed due to rain. "Well, we saw for ourselves that the girl's singing voice is quite formidable. So Betty's eyes...or ears did not lead you astray after all, I suppose." "I guess you have a point there... No, wait. If you're the Songstress, then the madman they call the Songstress Maniac is...?" "Ahhh, you're referring to Mr. Kiritaka, yes? There's no mistake, none at all!!" "Uuuuugh, so he's here, too?" The name Liliana spoke so cheerfully made Subaru clutch his head once more. Kiritaka was another individual who had visited the mansion during Liliana's stay. He also happened to be one of the problems Liliana had brought to the mansion; in short, he was Liliana's stalker. From a certain viewpoint, he could be mistaken for a patron of Liliana's, enamored by her artistic talent, but as it was not Liliana's skills he was obsessed with but Liliana herself, he was definitely a stalker. That said, Liliana ended up leaving the mansion with him, and everything had been settled peaceably. "Come to think of it, there was talk of him inheriting some trading company. Don't tell me..." "He is indeed the young owner of the Muse Company, which runs this city." "So he even runs the whole city! That's incredible!" Kiritaka's unexpected jump in status just didn't click with the impression Subaru had gained after seeing him in the flesh. Kiritaka was living proof that someone could change a lot in the span of a single year. "It's almost enough to make you believe that Liliana could become a songstress in just a year." "Heh-heh-heh. I am honored by your praise. But, but, but bunnies shouldn't just say anything they liiike." *** As if saying Why, you sly dog, Liliana ribbed Subaru with her elbow, which made him flick her forehead on reflex. "Adahhh!" she cried out like some kind of peculiar creature as she reeled. "What are you doing all of a sudden? Don't surprise me like that." "H-how brazen of you to flick someone right in the forehead! But I shall forgive you! After all, I have heard the rumors... Right? Sir Subaru Natsuki, the Moppet Mage." "Geh!" "Geh, I say!" The words Liliana spoke with a sparkle in her eyes made Subaru and Beatrice yell simultaneously. Since having knighthood conferred upon him, Subaru Natsuki was permitted to call himself Emilia's knight in name and fact, but during that past year, he was better known by his "infamous" nickname. The reasoning was that the knight of the half-elf reportedly spent all his time with a little girl, an individual shrouded in mystery. "Word has it that you were of extraordinary help in the hunt for the White Whale under the banner of Duchess Crusch Karsten, becoming the benefactor of Wilhelm the Sword Devil in the process! And directly after, with the cooperation of two royal-selection candidates, you destroyed one of the Archbishops of the Witch Cult, which has continued to terrorize the world! A new hero's overwhelming march forward made four centuries of stagnant time move again!" "Aaaargh!" With the expression of a charmed maiden, Liliana put her hands together and rattled off Subaru's achievements. Though some were gross exaggerations, they were all based in truth, so there wasn't much room to protest. Ambushed by this physically embarrassing tirade, Subaru groaned in what seemed like physical pain. Meanwhile, Beatrice made a tiny snort and puffed up with a satisfied look. "Afterward, it is said he ran all about from east to west in service of The Freezing Witch, together with a young child who is a powerful magic user. You did all that, yes, Sir Subaru Natsuki?!" "Oh-ho. This girl understands things rather well, I suppose. Yes, Betty's partner, Subaru, shall sweep aside the famous names of yore and rise to even greater heights hereafter, shining like a brilliantly gleaming star. If you understand this, then you would do well to praise and revere us even more, I suppose!" "Tee-hee !!" "Don't get cocky." When Beatrice turned arrogant and made Liliana bow down before her, Subaru grabbed the spirit by the collar and lifted her up. Suspended like a kitten, Beatrice said, "Nya!" as her overbearing lecture was interrupted. "Sheesh. Liliana, don't let Beatrice take you for a ride like... Wow, what a beautiful groveling technique!" "Heh-heh-heh. In my life as a wandering traveler, I have polished the Liliana style of prostration. Not only do bandits spontaneously let me go, but they also want to donate to me, making my travels highly successful." "Invest your points in minstrel-related stats, would you?" That said, even as a singer, her talents were sufficient to earn her the name of Songstress. Subaru had heard that many geniuses excelling at a single talent were eccentrics, and Liliana most certainly fit that description. Her lack of inhibition just barely fit under what was tolerated even for those of great talent, though. "Subaru, just how long do you intend to treat Betty like a cat...?" "Oh, sorry, sorry. Beako's as light as a wispy dandelion seed, so I totally forgot." Gently setting the dismayed Beatrice upon the ground, he stroked and messed up her hair. Liliana widened her big eyes at the sight of Subaru and Beatrice behaving so intimately. "It really seems like you two have become very close somehow. When I spent time with you at the mansion previously, your friendship was more difficult to pick up on." "Well, there
have been a lot of twists and turns since then. Even now, those are some precious memories for Beako and me." "Indeed, I suppose." It was because of the times when neither was honest with each other that the present had come to pass. Liliana exhaled slightly at Subaru's and Beatrice's words. " You really have become a hero, haven't you, Sir Subaru Natsuki?" * "Do you recall the promise you made when we last met?" Quietly, the atmosphere surrounding Liliana changed. Somehow, her voice sounded dignified, even holy, making Subaru feel like she'd suddenly wrapped a hand around his heart. She displayed a passion that rivaled that of her singing voice. "I am a minstrel. I am a wanderer who travels to every land to spread my songs. For one such as I, destined never to remain rooted in one place, there is something I must not fail to achieve, namely..." "...The world's newest legend, was it?" "Yes." Liliana nodded at Subaru's words. This had been the objective of her journey since their first encounter. To a minstrel, who left behind nothing tangible when she departed, there was no way to leave her mark upon the world, to prove that she had lived, save through song. Creating a song that would be passed down through the ages was her life's ambition. And that had led her to a single answer " Sir Subaru Natsuki, you have become a hero, just like you promised. I could not be happier." Though Liliana was never serious about anything but music, there was not the slightest hint of mischief in her words now. In response, Subaru closed his eyes. He had no intention of responding to Liliana's earlier recitation of his exploits with a show of humility, passing them off as something anyone could have done. He understood that no one would praise him for behaving like that. All the same "Sorry. I'm not a person who deserves to be called that just yet." "Eh?" When Subaru stared straight at her and told her that, Liliana's eyes shot open. Subaru clenched his fist as he continued. "I know that I'm only a little more reliable compared with before. I still have a long way to go. My journey's only just begun. There's still things I need to accomplish and things I need to make up for." Subaru Natsuki had become a knight with the sole intent of supporting a lovely girl. For Subaru Natsuki to become a hero, he needed to bring the Sleeping Princess back to his side, she who had refused to abandon Subaru when he was still weak and foolish. And * Beatrice squeezed Subaru's empty hand, respecting his way of life. That was why Subaru Natsuki would do it. He'd borrow everyone's strength and see it through. "So hold off on that promise to make a song about me until I've wrapped up everything. After that, I'll tell you about it as much as you like. It ain't cool to rush ahead to the end." Whether a hero's epic or a fairy tale, a story ought to have as good an ending as possible. If they could reach a happy ending after everything was over, then who wouldn't want to talk about it? Even Subaru wouldn't say no to bragging about something like that. *** As she listened to Subaru's reply, Liliana had hung her head at some point. With her face turned downward, Subaru could not read her expression; Subaru lowered his own eyes, figuring he must have hurt her. Just as Subaru reflected, wondering if he could have said it in a different way "...ord." "Excuse me?" " I have your word !!!" "Whoaaa?!" Suddenly, Liliana lifted her head and thrust her fist toward the heavens, leaving Subaru taken aback. Liliana proceeded to close the distance with a red face and ragged breath. "Y-you you said it just now, didn't you?! Someday, you will speak to me of your legend as much as I like! In other words, the Legend of the Moppet Mage is mine and mine alone!" "W-well, I'd like you to do something about that title, but yeah." "Then my ultimate victory is assured! Hip, hip, hooray! Mwa-ha-ha-haaa!" Wearing an expression of excitement and delight that was rather unseemly, Liliana threw her lyulyre high into the sky. She caught it, then promptly dropped it. She didn't care. She was overjoyed. "Hey, is that any way to treat your instrument?! And you call yourself a songstress?!" "O-o-of course! Isn't that ooobvious? I can't do anything with this. It's my precious; I love it so much! See, I'm kissing it! Smoochie, smoooochie !!" "You're really something... In terms of shock factor, you might be the second coming of Petelgeuse." "Oh-ho, I do not know who that is, but it seems you hold this Petelgeuse in high regard. If we should ever have a chance to meet, perhaps I shall gain a worthy rival for life!" "He's an Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins in the Witch Cult." "Now that's a legend to take your breath away! Oh, you're the best!!" Despite exposing so much skin that you'd think she was a dancer, Liliana pulled out something resembling confetti from who knew where and tossed it in the air as she showered Subaru with more praise. Subaru sighed deeply when he saw that Liliana had truly reached a feverish pitch. Where had the solemn, dignified atmosphere she'd shown for one brief moment disappeared to? "What Betty and Subaru saw was probably some kind of daydream." Subaru smiled wryly at Beatrice's comment and waited for Liliana to calm down. It would be another five minutes before Liliana morphed from a peculiar creature back to a human being. 9 "I see, I see, you have business with Mr. Kiritaka's trading company! Actually, I'm here in this city right now thanks to him. I can guide you there." "Awesome, that'd be a big help." Having somehow regained enough humanity to engage in conversation, Liliana patted her chest as she declared she would help Subaru and Beatrice. After they explained that they were lost and had business at Kiritaka's trading company, they'd ended up procuring her services as a guide. "It's just that he told me he had an important business meeting today, so I should stay outside, you see!" "Guess you would be a distraction for a serious business meeting. I get that." "That makes sense, I suppose." "Huh?! Against my expectations, are you actually agreeing with him? I'm woundeeed!" Liliana gaped in vivid dismay, but hers was likely a needless worry. After all, the other party in the important business meeting Kiritaka had spoken of was no doubt Emilia. Kiritaka was greeting a royal-selection candidate and had his own position as a merchant to consider. It would be difficult to have Liliana, who was liable to act up the moment she saw some familiar faces, attend such an important meeting. "In other words, it's because of how you usually behave. You reap what you sow." "What kind of remark is that?! Wait, I have it. Please listen rough waves, tall waves, the waves of society." "Though deeply intriguing, we do not have time to listen. Could you guide us there right away, I wonder?" "Boo-hoo, the waves of society are rough, tall, and so cooold. Also, we're already here!" Pretending to sob and weep for a moment, Liliana's face immediately brightened up as she rushed forward. Then she spread her arms wide in front of the large building before her. "This is the Muse Company you've been waiting foooor!" As Liliana spun around as if she was dancing, Subaru raised his eyebrows as he stared up at the establishment behind her. A stonework structure, the office of the Muse Company, stood between Pristella's First and Second Districts. From what he'd heard, most of the traffic in the city was concentrated in these two districts. The fact that the building was situated on strategic ground between these districts proved the strength of the Muse Company's influence within the city. "Even Anastasia said he was pretty good. It's enough to make you almost forget his image of being a pampered rich kid..." As a matter of fact, the man was leading one of the largest trading companies in a major city. There was no mistaking that in the last year, he must've straddled the line between life and death, though in a very different way from Subaru. Just because Emilia was an acquaintance didn't mean Kiritaka was likely to cut her any slack at the negotiation table. "Hooowever, there's no need to worry! The bonds we share will overcome that somehow! Leave it to Liliana Masquerade to use obligation and sentiment to smash the scaaales!" "Smash them? Just what do you intend to do?" "It's rare for me to speak so plainly, but it means I'll put in a good word for you!" Adopting a peculiar pose, Liliana winked clumsily as she replied to Beatrice's question. Her answer left Subaru going "ow?" as he tilted his head. "It's nothing hard! Mr. Kiritaka has a real soft spot for me, so I'm sure if he hears from me, this business meeting will be all smooth sailing. How does that sound?" "That doesn't exactly inspire confidence... Are you sure about this?" "This much is nothing at all. Sir Natsuki and I are old friends, right, right?" When Liliana shot him an even clumsier wink, Subaru sank into thought. It felt more than a little unfair, but the chance that Liliana putting a good word in with Kiritaka would be effective was certainly high. Seasickness had caused Subaru to be late, but it might have opened an unexpected door as well. "Okay, let's go with that plan. I'm counting on you, Liliana." "Yes, milord ! As you command!" When Subaru indicated he'd go with the idea offered, Liliana looked extremely enthusiastic as she raised a tight fist. However, seeing Liliana like that seemed to make Beatrice more than a bit concerned. "Subaru, is this really all right, I wonder? Betty is uneasy." "I'm painfully aware of how you feel. But I wanna bet that this is our silver lining. I don't want to end up doing nothing more than being the vomiting, seasick jerk." "Does anyone actually think of you as a vomiting, seasick jerk, I wonder...?" At any rate, seeing that Subaru had made up his mind, Beatrice said no more. She seemed unable to hide her worry, but they would try trusting in Liliana's stage presence just this once. "And so Liliana makes her dramatic return. Where is Mr. Kiritaka?" After Liliana psyched herself up, she shoved open the door to the Muse Company at the head of the group. There was a receptionist right inside the entrance on the first floor, who widened her eyes at Liliana's words. "Ah, the president is in a business meeting with some guests... Um, Ms. Liliana, why are you here? This is a problem." "Getting that treatment from the very start is already making me worried. What sort of impression did you make here...?" The receptionist's nervous words were plainly tinged with concern and bewilderment. She was treating Liliana less like a pest and more like she wasn't sure how to deal with a dog that hadn't been housebroken. "Sure about that? Didn't you hear that some of the guests the president is meeting with were running late?" "Yes, I am aware of this. A man and a mop...a young woman." Subaru was pretty sure the receptionist was about to say moppet while looking at Beatrice, but she was apparently a polished professional. She made a quick recovery and bowed deeply. "The president is with the rest of your party on the second floor. Allow me to show you..." "Hold on, just leave that part to me! I have something to say directly to Mr. Kiritaka!" Liliana's statement, burning with a sense of duty, made the receptionist look at Subaru. He nodded back.
"Liliana and the president here are both acquaintances of ours. Thanks for the concern." "...Understood. Do be careful." After Subaru spelled it out for her, the receptionist had no option but to back down. Her parting words provided a glimpse of her conscience. Subaru acknowledged her concern and then headed toward the second floor. "So what sort of business do you have with Mr. Kiritaka today?" "I can't believe you've been so confident even though you didn't even know that much, but it's about an arrangement for a magic crystal. The Muse Company deals in magic crystals, so you must've heard some details, right?" "Oh, yes. I did hear they found a gemstone of rare beauty recently... Is that what you mean?" Apparently, word of it had reached Liliana's ears as well. This rare gemstone was likely the magic crystal they were after. Subaru admired Anastasia's thoroughness in getting hold of such information as the trio arrived at the reception room. Then when Subaru stood in front of the room that had a RECEIVING GUESTS sign hanging from the door... " So I'm asking if you would please hand over that magic crystal." Hearing a voice clear as a bell through the door, Subaru learned that the business meeting was at an impasse. Both sides already knew each other, so the pleasantries of their reunion must have ended quickly, and they'd gotten right to the heart of the matter. Since Emilia was making her plea, the real negotiations over the terms were no doubt beginning. "Bingo, Liliana. Now we just have to pick the right moment to..." "Excuuuse meee!" "What are you ?!" When Subaru tried to wait for the right moment, Liliana immediately flung the door open. Boldly asserting her presence, she marched directly into the room. Inside, Subaru could see five men and women in total. Sitting in tall chairs side by side were Emilia, Otto, and Garfiel, making three. Facing them were a young man who had meticulously combed blond hair and was good-looking overall, plus a man in a white suit standing behind him. The good-looking man was Kiritaka Muse the young head of the Muse Company who ran the city even while being known by his other identity, the Songstress Maniac. There was a table among the five, upon which magic crystals small and large of various types were lined up. It very much looked like everyone was in the middle of a business deal. Kiritaka was understandably shocked at the intrusion. "L-Liliana? Why in the world are you here?" "Isn't that obvious?! Because justice always wins!" Replying with an answer that wasn't an answer, Liliana pointed straight at Kiritaka. She proceeded to aim her finger at Emilia and the others, who were just as surprised by her sudden appearance. "I can't, can't, can't believe you would drive me away when you knew Lady Emilia and her friends were coming such villainy, such cruelty! This is much too much I might even burst into tears!" "Er, ah, I'm sorry about that. But, my dear Liliana, I want you to listen to me." "Noooo! I have no ears for you! I have no affection left for Mr. Kiritaka! But along the way, I was able to recover thanks to Master Subaru Natsuki, the Moppet Mage!" "You're bringing me into this?!" Spinning around like a dancer, she indicated Subaru with a flourish. All attention within the room instantly gathered upon Subaru. Beside him, Beatrice touched a hand to her forehead. By this point, Subaru was beginning to regret all his choices that had led up to this moment, but "Nah, not yet. I should still be able to turn this around." "I owe a debt of gratitude to the magnanimous Master Natsuki as well as his master, Lady Emilia! Mr. Kiritaka, this is a chance to show what kind of man you really are by making it easy for them! Won't you play a role in my dream?!" Completely unaware of Subaru's struggle, Liliana made her proposition to Kiritaka in a spectacularly brazen fashion. Now completely swept up in her momentum, Kiritaka furrowed his brow. After a little thought, he asked Liliana, "A role in a dream?" "Noooo! My dream! To leave behind a song about the newest legend in the land! That is what Master Natsuki is here for, and he has promised that when he succeeds in this business deal, he will cooperate with my dream by answering my questions about anything and everything no matter how embarrassing! Liliana was nearly brought to her knees!" "Eh, eh, eh? W-wait a That's not what I !" Liliana had subtly altered his promise inside her head for her own convenience, which threw Subaru for a loop. According to Liliana, he'd already agreed to be the subject of her highly anticipated tale of valor. It was more or less true that he'd intended to share his story, but the level of heroics she expected had apparently changed drastically. "So please, I ask kindly for your consideration! Make Liliana a womaaaan!!" "Think about what you're saying!!" When Liliana began to storm closer to Kiritaka, Subaru grabbed her and hoisted her into the air from behind. If he let her rampage continue, Liliana the Songstress would turn this into her own impromptu stage. Beatrice and the receptionist had been right to worry. Liliana really was a drama queen. "Ah, what are you doing?! Hey, hey, let me go! Oh, for crying out loud!" "Pipe down! Ahhh, sorry to intrude... Er, more like sorry for bringing someone who intruded, I guess? Anyway, I'll get her out of here so you guys can pick up where you left off..." * Still holding the thrashing Liliana aloft, Subaru tried to leave the room. But before he did, a slender figure swayed as it stood up. This was Kiritaka. Moving as if he were a vengeful spirit, he grabbed one of the magic stones in the lineup displayed on the table. Then he shifted his eyes toward Subaru they looked fiendish. "...na." "Wha?" "D-d-d-don't touch my Lilianaaa!!" The next instant, Kiritaka's voice went shrill as he hurled the blue magic stone in his hand. Just before pure energy exploded, Subaru immediately went from carrying Liliana to casting her aside. That was all he had time to do. An instant later, he was enveloped in blue light. The explosive sound and the shock wave that blew the reception room apart announced that negotiations had fallen through on the first day. CHAPTER 3 * 1 "I am sorry it turned out like this after so long apart. Even normally, our young master is rather edgy, but when Ms. Liliana gets involved, he is liable to lose control, as you saw for yourselves." At the entrance to the Muse Company, Kiritaka's bodyguard spoke those words and bowed his head to Subaru. The bearded man calling himself Dynas seemed fair-minded and acted accordingly, in contrast to his stern visage. The sight of him apologizing drove home his message that he felt genuinely regretful about his employer's act of violence. "This is the second time you've bowed your head to us like this, huh? At the time, you guys were almost as edgy as Kiritaka was." "...Ms. Liliana caused you a fair bit of trouble back then as well, did she not?" With those words, Dynas made what came off like a self-effacing smile, which deepened Subaru's own troubled smile. Just like Liliana and Kiritaka, this wasn't his first time meeting Dynas, either. He, too, had been staying at Roswaal Manor during Liliana's visit. His no, their objective had been Liliana herself, so at one time, he and Subaru were something close to enemies. "And Kiritaka's the one who mediated at the time... Is that really the same guy?" "Small wonder you would ask that. Normally, the young master is excellent, setting his illness aside." Dynas put his hand to his forehead as he sighed. Illness was quite an odd way of putting it. Really, Subaru had underestimated Kiritaka's obsession with Liliana, which had even earned him a title as ominous as the Songstress Maniac. He never would've thought Kiritaka might lose himself during a business meeting and become so riled that he'd blow up an entire room of his office building. Of course, the failure of the business deal was due to Subaru's thoughtlessness and Liliana being even worse at reading a room than he expected. On further examination, Subaru realized he was just as bad as she was. Why had he ever thought two people like that could be of help in a delicate negotiation where reading people's reactions was the most important thing? "I don't even understand it myself... Anyway, from your position as a bodyguard, how does Kiritaka look?" "His mood will likely recover tomorrow... I want to think so, at least. I am sorry, but he is not presentable at the moment." "Well, I suppose that figures. Now, as for the Songstress in question..." Trading sighs with Dynas, Subaru turned around. Liliana, who'd come to see them off just as Dynas had, was exchanging words with Emilia and the others. "Really, Mr. Kiritaka can be such a pain. To think that even though Lady Emilia and Master Subaru came to visit after so long, we won't get a chance to speak it's so irritating!" Consumed by her own anger and fury, Liliana's face made it clear she was totally unaware that she was a major part of why the meeting had come to an early close. Emilia and Beatrice were gently soothing Liliana all the same. "Normally, it's the other way around, right?" "One should not expect normalcy of any sort from Ms. Liliana. Ahhh, may I have a moment, young miss?" Interrupting the exchanges, which Subaru didn't know whether to call charming or shameless, Dynas patted Liliana on the shoulder and addressed her. "I am sorry, but I simply must ask Ms. Liliana to restore the young master's mood. His schedule is packed today, so please save the rest for tomorrow." ".... I understand." It took her a fair bit of time to clue in, but even Liliana yielded to Dynas's earnest plea. As a result of the combined efforts of the Emilia camp's Moppet Mage and the Songstress, negotiations had been spectacularly fruitless, dashing any hope Subaru had for a triumphant return. "Shit, what silver lining was I even thinking about? All I found was more cloud...!" "Is that all you have to say for yourself?!" Waving enough that their hands nearly fell off, Liliana and Dynas bid them farewell and parted ways. When Subaru muttered to himself as the party was walking home, Otto sent spittle flying as he interjected. Adjusting his hat after that outburst, Otto proceeded to vent all his pent-up anger. "Why, in front of a man they call the Songstress Maniac, did you act so familiar with the very same Songstress? Thanks to that, talks broke down right when we were on the very verge of striking a deal!" "Er, I thought I'd try and improve things because everyone seemed to be at an impasse..." "There was no impasse whatsoever! We were working out the terms in a gentlemanly fashion!" "Ehhh, you seriously mean I made a big fuss over nothing?!" Naturally, even Subaru had to repent over turning his own worries into misfortune. Otto must have found the other party pretty responsive during negotiations. His dismay at seeing all his work ruined was considerable. Depending on Liliana's efforts, perhaps Kiritaka would be willing to talk again the next day. "Even if he does, it would be wise to assume he will make his terms more onerous." "Uggghhh." That sound was Subaru's only possible response; Otto had read what was in Subaru's mind and hit him right where it hurt most. Then Emilia clapped her hands, saying, "Yes, that's far enough. Otto, there's no need to be so angry. It's not as if Subaru had any bad intentions, or he'd never be this down about what
happened." "Emilia-tan... Yeah, that's right. You really understand, don't you? Go ahead and say more." "Subaru, you should properly reflect on what you've done. It's not fair. I wanted to speak more to Liliana, too." "Huh?! So you're on Liliana's side and not mine?!" As Emilia sulked, Subaru reeled in shock, feeling as if he'd been cut down from behind. Watching the almost playful exchange between master and servant, Otto let out a sigh at the familiar sight. "Setting aside that Mr. Natsuki should absolutely reflect on his actions... Negotiations have come to a standstill. For the moment, we should return to the Water Raiment and review our plans, but..." "What is it?" "Actually, I have some business to attend to, so I must depart for a while." When Otto raised a finger and spoke those words, Subaru and Emilia both went, "Business?" as they tilted their heads. "Yes. After coming all this way, it is advantageous to create connections that normally I could not. So for today, I will be going around and greeting people." "An unflappably devoted professional, huh..." Perhaps Otto was simply good at switching gears. Or maybe he kept a couple spare brains tucked away somewhere. Either way, Subaru had to admire his dizzying methods. "Yes, about that, Otto. You don't need me with you when you go around and greet people like that?" "A fine question, Lady Emilia. However, if you were to arrive without sending word ahead, everyone would be conflicted, since they'd be unable to give you a proper welcome. Refraining from rash actions is also a form of consideration. Much like how Lady Anastasia spoke with the Muse Company for us." "I see... Mm, understood. I'll remember that, Teacher." Emilia's reply brought a tired smile to Otto's face. Then he said, "Go home straightaway," as if he was speaking to a child, before leaving the party, vanishing in the direction of the Second District. "Emilia-tan, what's with that Teacher thing just now?" "Hmm? Oh, Otto has been teaching me quite a lot lately, including when we were on the carriage ride here. That's why I call him Teacher. Is that weird?" "Nah, it's not weird; I'm just jealous. You can call me Teacher, too, okay?" "But Subaru is my knight, not my teacher..." "Gaaah, so cute...!" Emilia's adorably conflicted look and hushed words left Subaru weak in the knees. "The general and Lady Emilia both took a pretty big likin' to that Songstress chick, huh." Garfiel joined the conversation with both hands entwined behind his head. He, the only one among them unfamiliar with Liliana's songs, crinkled his nose. "Me, I wanna hear her stuff, too, if it's really that good. I've gone through a ton of books, but ya can't know what a song is like from just readin' about it, so I dunno what I'm missin'." "Right, Garfiel wasn't at the mansion when they paid us a visit." "So this'll be the first time you hear Liliana's song, huh...? It'll probably rock your world." "Serious? That's some heavy billin'." The way Subaru and Emilia talked about her music drew an expression of surprise and expectation from Garfiel. Liliana's songs really did have that kind of power. Subaru previously had a few chances to listen to minstrels other than Liliana, but none of them held a candle to her. It was beyond all doubt that Liliana was gifted enough to be called a songstress. "I guess for that talent, the gods took a few too many things from Liliana in exchange?" "A rather cruel thing of them to do." "I don't really get what ya mean by that." Beatrice's face showed how deeply she agreed with Subaru's murmur. Garfiel, the only one left in the lurch with just tangential information to make guesses from, clicked his tongue, seemingly pouting as he glared at the water's surface. Incidentally, the four were taking the long way back to the Water Raiment on foot. Unfortunately, if they went by dragon boat, there was a rather high chance that they'd have to leave Subaru behind due to his seasickness again. "It's such a pretty city that I think it's nice to have a chance to walk around. Like Otto said, we don't really have anything left to do today." "I sure caused you a lot of trouble..." "Ah, I didn't mean to blame Subaru. I'm only a little angry." "So you are angry! I mean, of course you are!" All that said, it was a fact that he wanted to take his time before returning to the inn where Anastasia would no doubt pry into everything that had happened. Subaru had no reason to object to a detour. "The only worry besides that is whether I can escort Emilia-tan back to the inn safe and sound." "Do not be concerned. Betty will watch over you, I suppose." "Just to say this out loud, it wasn't only me who dropped the ball today; this involves you, too." Beatrice was nonchalantly shirking responsibility for the failure of negotiations, but her passive participation made her an accomplice all the same. That her face showed no recognition of this was cute, though. "No need to worry, General. My nose remembers the scent of the road all the way back to the inn. Even if I can't smell the building, I know the scent of that rowdy kid, so we ain't gettin' lost." "Heeeh. Hooo. Hmmmm." "Hey, what's with that reaction?" Garfiel suspiciously crinkled his nose at Subaru's suggestive reaction. He was mostly curious about the way Garfiel brought up Mimi. Mimi's actions were so impulsive that they were hard to understand, but he figured she had nothing but goodwill toward Garfiel. Their ages matched, too, so Subaru expected some interesting developments would come as time went on. Incidentally, Garfiel continued to get the cold shoulder from his own target, Ram. It looked to Subaru like the only love Ram held for Garfiel was the sort one had for family. "Either way, Garfiel, I wish from the bottom of my heart for you, my little brother, to be happy." "Huh? What's this all of a sudden, General? Well, not that I hate that or anythin'..." When Subaru patted his shoulder with a warm look in his eyes, Garfiel tilted his head in confusion and gave a blunt reply. Subaru genuinely hoped that his innocent little brother found happiness in this city of water. "I have to say, this really is a splendid city. Everywhere I look feels like it's calming and peaceful." On the way back, Emilia seemed to be in a very good mood as she savored the scenic beauty of the watery metropolis. The waterways cutting through the center of the city might have been slightly inconvenient, but they certainly did not fail to impress. "According to Beako's explanation, the founding of this city wasn't exactly for peaceful reasons..." "But whatever the reasons at the time, how we feel right now is still real, right?" When Emilia stopped atop a bridge and gazed at the Great Waterway, Subaru was enchanted by her smile. From her charming expression to the words she spoke, she was happy. Whatever the reason, that moment was genuine. Because what's important isn't where you started; it's where you end. "I hear ya, Mom." "Did you say something?" "Just remembering some magic words from the woman I respect the most in the world." Even as time passed since Subaru had heard those words, they still gave him courage even now. Forgetting something didn't mean losing it forever, and he was determined to hold on to whatever he could remember. For one more day, Subaru Natsuki lived on, pulled forward by the feelings he had inherited. "I suppose we should really head back. The mysterious way the inn's built is really on my mind." "Jabaneez construction, huh? To be honest, I'm interested in that, too. For a different reason than Emilia-tan, though." "Is that so? Tee-hee. We'd better hurry, then." Letting go of the handrail on the bridge, Emilia smiled and took a step back. Perhaps it was because she was too giddy from sightseeing that she lightly bumped into someone passing by as she did. "Ah! I'm so sorry." Emilia hastily turned around and bowed her head to the passerby she had bumped into, a man whose entire body seemed white. He had bleached white hair and a white suit. His height was around the same as Subaru's, and their physiques were a close match as well. In short, he was a man without any visible distinguishing features. The man in white shook his head to Emilia's apology. "You need not be concerned. I was careless this time as well I was momentarily enchanted by you." "...Errr." "Your beautiful silver hair, yes. I once tried to make a woman with hair as beautiful as yours my bride. Remembering this fondly, I found myself unable to avoid you." In contrast to Emilia's apology, the man's reply somehow sounded unnatural. His speech seemed intended to sound persuasive, but the sense of hubris was stronger. "Okay, stop. That's far enough." That was the moment Subaru put himself in front of Emilia, motivated by the forthright heart of a knight and the pure heart of a man in love. "Well, it seems like both people were careless this time around. I'll lecture our girl for being thoughtless later, so please kindly allow us to leave it at that for today." "Wait a second, Subaru. That's no way to speak to someone who..." "Go with it, 'kay?" When Emilia shot him a look of protest, Subaru winked back at her. Getting into some weird quarrel here ran the troublesome risk of others realizing Emilia's identity. He felt more like a celebrity's manager than a knight at the moment, but that was beside the point. "A mutual encounter and a mutual apology. That's common courtesy in a city of water, right?" "Thank you for your politeness. For the time being, I have little reason to pursue the matter. Should we meet again, it will simply be the whims of destiny bringing us together once more." "Yeah, I agree. Well, here's hoping destiny makes our paths cross again in the future." As the stranger was speaking poetically, Subaru replied like a delusional middle schooler as he took his leave. Pulling Emilia along by the hand, Subaru let out an audible breath of relief and looked in her direction. When he did, he saw Emilia glancing back a bit, the stranger clearly still on her mind. "I was definitely a little rude back there, but given your position, I hope you understand." "Eh? Ah, no, no. It's true that Subaru's behavior was a little poor, but it was because I was careless in the first place. But that's not it. I..." Her words trailed off. There was a faint hesitance in Emilia's eyes. " I feel like I've met that person somewhere before." "An acquaintance of yours? I think I should know most of them already." "Yeah... I'm not too sure myself. I wonder who he is?" It had to be really bugging her, because Emilia glanced behind her one more time. However, the man had already crossed the bridge, and all she could see was his fast-receding back. Though it was tugging on something inside her mind, her search for answers seemed to have been in vain. "Hey, General. Ya look pretty shaken up. Wha, worried some pretty boy was gonna steal her away?" Garfiel, who had already crossed the bridge and was waiting for them, greeted Subaru with a wave and a question. Subaru understood why Garfiel and Beatrice wanted to give him and Emilia some space, but even so, he sighed over Garfiel's carefree attitude. "Idiot, this ain't the time to goof off. What are we gonna do if some weirdo hangs around and you're not there? Emilia-tan's gonna be in a pinch if it's not someone I can handle." "Puttin' your
body on the line to protect her that's how the general shows he's a man, am I right?" "Using my body as a shield? I don't think I'm really built for that. As a human being or as a shield." Garfiel flashed a grin in response to Subaru's almost humble self-assessment. Garfiel seemed to be taking that as modesty on Subaru's part, but from Subaru's perspective, it was plain fact. If anything, Garfiel held Subaru in too high esteem. "Hey, relax. Me, if I think a guy's trouble, I'll send him flyin'. On that score, the guy just now is an amateur. The way he walks and moves... Ain't even worth talkin' about." "...Well, I guess that's fine." One of Garfiel's odd specialties was his ability to discern an opponent's combat potential from their physique and movement. Subaru could personally attest to that; Garfiel had sniffed out his middle school kendo experience. If Garfiel guaranteed that it was fine, Subaru was probably worried over nothing. "In that case, let's go, Emilia-tan...or is he still on your mind?" " . No, I'm all right. Sorry for being weird about it. Let's go back." "Sounds good. Don't worry when we get back, you can hug Mimi or something and take your mind off it. Hey, I'll be satisfied hugging Beako, so you don't need to pout like that." "Did Betty not refrain from saying anything about it, I wonder?!" Subaru's words made Beatrice's face redden. Upon seeing this, Emilia broke into a beaming smile. Then she gently touched her hand to her lips. "I suppose so. If I hug Mimi, I'll feel really relieved. I'll do just that." Thus, having seemingly swept her concerns away, she set out walking once more. Beatrice and Garfiel followed behind her. Then Subaru began to join them. *** Abruptly, Subaru stopped and turned around, gazing in the direction of the bridge. The man in white was standing on a city street on the opposite side of the crossing. He turned around and looked directly at Subaru. Finding his gaze supremely creepy, Subaru walked off after Emilia and the others at a rapid clip. It felt like the man's gaze coiled around him, remaining glued to his shadow until Subaru rounded the corner. 2 After that, the stroll back through the city of water proceeded without incident. From time to time, Emilia gazed at the surface of the water and seemed to sink into deep thought, but whenever someone pointed this out to her, she immediately glossed over the conversation with a smile. Emilia was terrible at hiding things, so it was easy to understand that the man from earlier was still bugging her. However, Subaru was certainly mindful of the man himself. That was because "Beako." "I know. Did Emilia and Garfiel not notice because both their heads are in the clouds, I wonder? They both require a great deal of supervision." When Subaru called her name, Beatrice shrugged in visible exasperation. The concern on Subaru's mind, the one Beatrice had just affirmed, was how the man from before had reacted to Emilia. A year after the announcement that she was running for the royal selection, Emilia was no longer using the "ID blocker" robe when going outside, as she had done without fail previously. I think that it's really strange for someone who's trying to get everyone to accept her and who has to work so hard to become the king to walk around hiding her own identity. That was what Emilia had asserted, and certainly, it was a sound argument. Accordingly, Emilia had decided to stop relying on the power of the coat, exposing her adorable face, meaning there was no concealing that she was a half-elf anymore. Even so, the prejudice against a silver-haired elf ran strong and deep, so for better or worse, many of the people who saw her had strong reactions, be they good ones or bad. "The guy earlier didn't have either. He talked like he knew Emilia, but he didn't give his name... Am I overthinking this?" "If Subaru pays no heed, Emilia will be far too vulnerable, so it is perfectly appropriate, I suppose. Betty shall also keep watch around Emilia as much as possible." When Beatrice announced that he could depend on her, Subaru gave her a short "gotcha" in thanks. This watery metropolis was massive, and he didn't think their chances of bumping into that man again were very high. But it was still more than possible that the stranger would initiate contact on his own. There was nothing to lose by being cautious. "After all, it's because I didn't think things through enough that today's negotiations failed, so...!" "Was that not also caused by the natural disaster called Liliana, I wonder? Repent, but only in moderation." "Hey, General, let's hurry back to the inn already. If we go at Beatrice's walkin' pace, the sun'll go down before we get there." "Would you refrain from saying such impudent things, I wonder? You are younger than I am." Subaru and Beatrice had fallen behind the front of the group while whispering to each other, prompting Garfiel to call out to them. When his rude remark left Beatrice peeved, Garfiel went, "Sorry, my bad," with a smile before suddenly stopping. " The hell? Someone in the direction of the inn smells really angry." Turning his head toward a corner in the road ahead, Garfiel audibly sniffed the air as he murmured. A moment later, sure enough, they heard voices arguing farther down the street. It sounded like two men were engaged in a heated argument. "They seem like they're going at it pretty hard. The excitement never stops in this town." "That sounds more convincin' from the general who made a big shot blow up his own room with a magic crystal. It's like the saying You can boil a pot with the cries of an Azula bird, ain't it?" "Pheasants don't have cries, so I wonder if they'd fit the saying... Emilia-tan?" Subaru was feeling guilty at the mention of what happened at the Muse Company, but beside him, Emilia broke out into a little run. She didn't look back as she spoke: "Those voices just now I think one of them sounds like Joshua's!" "For real? If we're connected to one of the parties, we'd better hurry." Even if that wasn't the case, Emilia's personality meant she still wouldn't stand by and do nothing. Chasing her around the curving corner of the road ahead, Subaru and the others also hurried back to the front of the Water Raiment. As they did so and the Jabaneez-style structure came into distant view, in front of the establishment were "Don't make me repeat myself! Stop givin' me lip and get your master out here right now!" "Faced with someone as crude as you, I refuse to call Brother, let alone my master. Please obediently take your leave of this place while I am the only one dealing with you!" "Ya just don't get it, do ya, brat? I'm gonna give ya a good thrashin'!" A concerning argument raged between Joshua, who barred entry to the inn with both arms spread wide, and a seedy-looking man angrily shouting at the youth. The man had a wiry physique, and both his words and bearing had a violent edge to them; it seemed only a matter of time until his short fuse ran out. "That's far enough!" Then before Subaru could ascertain the opponent's might, Emilia inserted herself between the two. The interruption made the man flinch and left Joshua gazing in shock as well. "L-Lady Emilia?!" "If your business is done here, then you should leave. More importantly, what happened? Don't bother people by kicking up a fuss in front of an inn like this. Calm down and talk this out properly." With words that sounded like she was scolding a pair of bickering children, she cleared away the tense atmosphere, which had been primed to explode from the slightest spark. Sensing that a fight had narrowly been averted, Subaru let out a tentative sigh of relief. "So tell me what happened. Ready, set, go." "Er, ah. It would seem I have given Lady Emilia and everyone else cause for worry..." Under Emilia's earnest gaze, Joshua glanced over at Subaru and the others as he hesitated for a moment. Perhaps he was concerned that entrusting mediation to a rival camp meant putting his own in its debt. Of course, such haggling would never dissuade Emilia even if he spent the next hundred years trying. "It ain't complicated. We got invited here, but this brat is runnin' his mouth, sayin' we can't go in. Why wouldn't I complain about it?" Perhaps not caring for the impasse, the man gruffly explained his side of the dispute. The man focused his narrow eyes on Joshua as he shot him an intense glare. The look on Joshua's face said that the gaze had rekindled his willingness to fight. "I have told you over and over. If you intend to pass yourself off as a noble, you should at least make the deceit more convincing. A tiny bit of grooming cannot hide the unsophisticated ignorance oozing out from you!" "Ya really don't hold back, do ya?! I ain't involved in this kind of trouble 'cause I wanna be! I'm tired of bein' sent on errands like this! Awww, hell, there ain't no point even talkin' to you!" Faced with Joshua's obstinacy, the man clutched his own head and grumbled out loud. It sounded like the situation was truly beyond salvaging, frustrating Emilia after she had gone out of her way to intervene. "Hey, Subaru, what should I do...? Subaru, what is it?" "Er, this might just be my imagination...but I feel like I've seen this guy's face somewhere." The man Joshua was arguing with made a sour expression when Subaru, responding to Emilia's question, pointed a finger at him. Then the man realized something, going "aaahhh?" as he glared back at Subaru with a foul look. "The hell are you goin' on about? What, you lookin' for a fight, t...oooo?!" "Ohhh, his voice sure went really shrill at the... Aah!" While glaring at Subaru, the man's face suddenly filled with shock; seeing that expression, something finally dawned on Subaru. He really did know this man. He was a lot cleaner and better dressed than when Subaru had last seen him, but... "Larry! It's Larry, isn't it?! Whoa, what are you doing in a place like this...? How've you been?" "Don't talk to me like we're best pals! And who the hell's Larry?! I'm Lachins that's my name, damn it!" "So it is La-something." "Shaddap!" When Subaru wrapped an arm around his shoulder in a spontaneous act of camaraderie, Larry or rather, Lachins violently shook him off. With that incongruous exchange going on, Emilia asked, "Is he an acquaintance of yours?" "Yeah. An old acquaintance from the royal capital back when Emilia-tan and I met for the very first time. When I got lost in an alley, he and his friends surrounded me, and I almost got stripped bare." "Huh, really...? Er, stripped bare?" "And the next time I was in the capital right, I was with Priscilla when I got in a tangle with them, and after, they came back with more friends to try and return the favor. I really have a lot of memories with this guy..." "From what Betty is hearing, he is nothing but trash." Emilia and Beatrice had different reactions to Subaru's nostalgic comments. Listening to all this, Joshua's gaze turned grave, and Lachins, feeling the tide turn against him, lifted up both hands in apparent surrender as the blood drained from his face. "W-wait, wait, wait. Yeah, maybe all that happened, but nothin' real bad happened either time, so it's ancient history, right? Let's just call it water under the bridge and talk this out, yeah?" "Er, I wouldn't exactly mind, but you can't act so guilty at
a time like this or you'll make it into a national-defense issue..." Lachins was trying to salvage the situation, but by any stretch of the imagination, he was at a disadvantage here. It seemed like the smart thing to do was tie him up and make him spit out whatever he was planning to do. "On that note Garfiel. Restrain him and... Uh?" * Subaru wanted to rely on Garfiel's brute strength, but there was no response. Wondering what the big deal was, he looked over to find Garfiel's gaze not on Lachins but trained toward the street in front of the inn. Subaru saw Garfiel open his jade eyes as his pupils shrank to points out of wariness. Every hair on his body was standing up as he stood ready, claws, fangs, and muscles all clearly tense. Realizing from one glance that something had set off Garfiel's fighting instincts, tension raced through Subaru and the others as well, since something was clearly afoot. And so Subaru and the others turned toward the source of Garfiel's alarm " Lachins. I wondered what had happened when you didn't return. Is there some kind of trouble?" For an instant, Subaru was sure that what stood there had to be a blazing flame. It was a red, flickering fire No, that was a hand waving. This was a human flame. No, just a human being. With hair so red that it could be mistaken for a roaring fire and eyes so blue they seemed to contain the skies themselves, the tall man wearing all-white garb had such a handsome face, it seared itself into your soul for all eternity from a single glance. There was no mistaking the sensation that shot through Subaru's entire body. This was what happened when an ordinary person set eyes upon a hero. That's exactly what this chance encounter was. The only thing you could mistake him for was an open flame. The man's name was * Just before Subaru said the name aloud, all sight of Garfiel vanished from his side. With a roar that started at the back of his throat, Garfiel's arm grew bulkier as sharp claws sprang from it. He proceeded to swing it in a frontal attack with incredible force at the man who had just appeared. There was no time to stop Garfiel. It was a preemptive strike that closed to point-blank range in an instant. A direct hit with such a vicious blow would easily slice through an iron plate. As his claw drew near to the side of the man's handsome face " My apologies. It would appear that I have startled you." With a voice that had the echo of a troubled smile, he blocked the strongest attack Garfiel could muster. * The superhuman spectacle left Subaru speechless, and Garfiel went rigid with shock. The man's upraised hand had stopped Garfiel's mighty arm. The bestial claw, swung without a shred of restraint, had been blocked by the man's hand as if they were arm wrestling. The only reaction the man showed was the wry smile spreading across his serene face. This man was playing by different rules and operated beyond any notion of common sense. There was no doubt this was " Reinhard." Subaru seemed out of breath. His whisper brought another soft smile from the young man. Instantly, the sense of surprise and tension that Subaru had felt up to that point was forcibly melted away, changing into sweet relief. With just a smile, Reinhard could instill absolute peace of mind into people. That was proof of just how incomparably strong he was. Then the young man nodded once to Subaru "Hi, it's been a while, Subaru. I have heard the rumors. It's good to see you in fine health." Yes, the Sword Saint Reinhard van Astrea was apparently delighted at being reunited with Subaru, friendly as always. 3 "By the way, Subaru, I know it has been a whole year, and there are many things I would like to speak about, but..." "A-ahhh, yeah, what is it?" "First, could I have you stop him? He is your friend, yes?" As he spoke, Reinhard was looking at Garfiel, whose arm Reinhard was still keeping locked in place. Of course, Reinhard had no hostile intent, nor any reason to continue. In other words, the reason Reinhard hadn't let his arm go yet was because Garfiel was still ready to fight. "Calm down, Garfiel. This is Reinhard, my...friend. You don't need to worry." Grasping Garfiel by the shoulder, Subaru hesitated momentarily before deciding how to categorize Reinhard. Instantly, Subaru's final memory of Reinhard from a year prior came rushing to mind. It was a bitter memory; Subaru had driven him away when he'd come to apologize for not stopping Julius from giving Subaru a thrashing at the training square. The Subaru of the present keenly understood that his past self had only been lashing out at anyone within reach. "It is as Subaru explained just now. I am his friend, Reinhard van Astrea. I would be grateful if you told me your name." Paying Subaru's internal conflict no heed, Reinhard readily called Subaru a friend. On top of that, he let Garfiel's arm go and looked him straight in the eyes. Under that gaze, Garfiel pulled his arm back and let out a deep, long sigh. " Garfiel. Garfiel Tinzel." "I see, so you are Lady Emilia's shield. I am pleased to meet you. I'd wanted to meet you at least once." As he spoke, Reinhard reached out in search of a handshake. There was no hint of sarcasm in his words whatsoever. There was nothing there save simple praise and delight. After everything that had just transpired, Garfiel's shock must have been tremendous. " Ah?" A dazed voice trickled out from Garfiel. While Reinhard waited for a handshake, Garfiel moved a single step backward. That fact, that he had subconsciously retreated, made Garfiel open his eyes wide when he realized what had happened. This was the first time he had ever experienced anything like it. * Seeing this, Reinhard's eyes flickered slightly with a touch of sadness. But he still pulled back the hand he had offered without delay. "I am sorry to have offended you. I shall be more careful in the future." When he said that, Garfiel shook his head as if something bitter had reached his lips. "Reinhard, I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?" It was then that Emilia hurried over with a little run to apologize for Garfiel's sudden act of violence. The overly calm way Reinhard had dealt with it made Subaru momentarily forget that it was problematic conduct indeed. This was the sort of thing that normally threatened to trigger open warfare between two rival factions. "Lady Emilia, I am sorry to not have been in touch. Fortunately, thanks to Garfiel's aim being very precise, I was able to stop him without any problems. I am relieved we are both fine." "Yes, I'm glad. It's quite a relief." But Reinhard acted as if it was nothing it probably really was nothing from his perspective. He was already assuring Emilia that Garfiel's impropriety was not an issue, either. Emilia patted her chest, relieved by his reply. Then she went, "Right, right," clapping her hands together as her violet eyes glimmered. "I heard all about Felt. She's really been getting a lot done, hasn't she?" "Compared with Lady Emilia's spectacular exploits, they are still rather minor, enough that she often berates me for being unable to properly support my liege. In particular, she heard about Subaru's deeds." "Tee-hee-hee. That's right, Subaru's amazing. I'm very proud of my knight." When Reinhard gave her a compliment that was perfectly sincere, Emilia proudly puffed out her chest. Subaru was half-proud and half-embarrassed that she talked about him like that. Either way, the cordial exchange showed that things had largely calmed down, so Subaru chose that moment to clear his throat. "We've strayed a lot, so to get the conversation back on track... You know this Lachins guy?" Reinhard's arrival had been so momentous that Subaru had to specifically point out Lachins, who had been completely forgotten. "Yes," answered Reinhard, nodding in response to his question. "Currently, he is working as a retainer for Lady Felt. There are numerous areas where he is still lacking, but he has his good points, and Lady Felt has taken a liking to him." "Felt hired that guy?!" "Perhaps this leaves you feeling conflicted. I was also at the scene when they tangled with you in that alleyway, Subaru. But a great deal has happened since then... The three of them are currently in the middle of reforming their ways. I would like you to give them a chance." "Errr, well, I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me at all... Wait, she hired the whole trio?!" Subaru looked toward the heavens as he realized just how many tricks fate was playing on him when it came to the three he had once pegged Larry, Curly, and Moe. On the first day he was summoned to this other world, he'd had repeated fateful encounters with a certain gang of three thugs. He hadn't paid them any special mind since those days from long ago, but who would have thought they would be reunited like this? "Hey, hey, hey, ya see! I was right all along, damn it!!" It was just then that Lachins, who had kept his mouth shut ever since the tide had turned against him, regained his vigor. He jabbed his finger at Subaru, Emilia, and then Joshua. "All of you, doubting someone who comes to visit like that! Apologize! Now, on your hands and knees!!" "Lachins, I have said this so many times, but you lack awareness as a retainer. Now I understand what brought this situation to a head. Unfortunately, it is difficult for me to support you." "Whose side are ya on here?!" "I am the ally of justice. And in this case, I believe that leaves you no choice but to apologize to the younger brother of my friend." Reinhard responded to Lachins's shouting dispassionately. Then he shot Joshua a quick smile. Joshua returned the gesture, nodding with a tense expression. "It has been some time, Sir Reinhard. I apologize for the great rudeness caused by my ineptitude..." "That fault lies with us, Joshua. I am sorry our envoy created such a major misunderstanding. Lady Felt is extremely grateful for Lady Anastasia's invitation." "Hearing you say that is salve upon my wounds..." The stubborn look on Joshua's face made plain that his response was superficial. Reinhard offered a wry smile at his demeanor when Subaru went "just a sec" and raised a hand. "Based on what you just said, is it safe to assume Felt's here with you, too?" "Yes, that's right. Lady Anastasia invited her. Let us engage in profitable exchange of information, she said. This being Lady Anastasia, I assumed she was trying to secure some kind of angle, but..." Trailing off, Reinhard gazed at Subaru and Emilia in turn. "To think that Lady Emilia and company are here as well. Contrary to my expectations, this may not even be the end of it." "Are you saying there's even more surprises coming?" "I am saying that is quite possible. How about it, Joshua?" When the flow of conversation turned to Joshua, the one in league with the mastermind of this whole gathering, the young man put his fallen monocle back in its proper position. "Hmm, I wonder," he said, playing dumb. This was a clear sign he had regained some of his usual composure. Reinhard nodded and looked at Lachins next. "Lady Felt is in the middle of looking around the city with Gaston and the others. Please tell them I will be speaking to the people here in advance as instructed." "Yeah, yeah. What, you don't need to head back, too?" "If I am with her, Lady Felt will complain
that she cannot do as she pleases. It is just...Mr. Rom is not with her at the moment. If Lady Felt attempts to do something dangerous, stop her with all your strength. If anything happens, raise the signal. I shall rush over in five seconds." "The fact that you're serious is scary as all hell." Sullenly sticking out his long tongue, Lachins raced off like he was fleeing the scene. Along the way, he didn't forget to shoot an angry glare toward Joshua, the one he'd been arguing with. The guy really was pettiness personified. "Now then, let's head inside. We've gotta go tell Anastasia that Reinhard and friends came over! and stuff, right?" "Well, I think that is Joshua's job, but we're all here, so let's go together." When Subaru consented to Emilia's proposal, Joshua followed suit, and everyone entered the inn. The one thing tugging at Subaru's mind was Garfiel, tailing the group with the same gloomy expression. It was obviously because of what had happened earlier. Subaru mulled over what to say to him when "Is it not a good opportunity for Garfiel to learn that there exists someone above him, I wonder?" "Beatrice..." Noticing Subaru's gaze, Beatrice gently grasped his sleeve and whispered to him. "Since leaving the forest, Garfiel hasn't faced any serious resistance save the moving of heavy objects. It is good medicine once in a while, I suppose. Think of it as a learning opportunity and let him be." "It's true that the only time his life was really on the line was with the ground spider. I guess it's a disease that most boys get at a certain age... All right. I'll quietly watch for now." "Shall you, I wonder?" For the moment, Subaru and Beatrice reached a consensus concerning Garfiel's anguish. "Also," said Beatrice before she continued. "About that Sword Saint...Betty prefers not to get too close to him." " ? What's this all about? Don't tell me it's because he's too attractive like Julius was?" "Too dangerous is more accurate, I suppose. In any case, please do what you can." Beatrice avoided getting into the details as she quietly and quickly got as far from Reinhard as she could. However, she immediately came to a halt. The reason was that Emilia had gone "um?" and tapped Joshua's shoulder as he led them down the corridor. "Joshua, I think the reception hall is in a different direction..." "I am sorry. However, Lady Anastasia is currently receiving guests, so I cannot bring you directly to the reception hall." "I see. Guests..." Listening to Joshua's reply, Emilia put a finger to her lips and sank into thought. In her place, Subaru murmured, "Guests, huh... Meaning guests besides Emilia-tan and Felt's envoy, Reinhard?" "...You will understand soon enough. There is no need to stare at me with the eyes of a wild beast." "Hey, wild beast's going too far. I don't look hungry and feral enough for that." "You will understand soon enough without you raising your voice like a demon beast." "That's even worse than before. Which demon beast you talkin' about anyway? Dog, whale, rabbit. Pick one." Subaru went through the bestiary of detested demon beasts that lingered strongest in his memories. Lately, he'd been wondering where to rank spiders, too. Also, he felt like there was something like a charbroiled lion in there somewhere, but the impression it had left was somehow thinner than the rest. "Whale, you say?" As Subaru dug deeper into his memories, Reinhard murmured quietly beside him. When Subaru responded, Reinhard slowly shook his head side to side. "By whale, may I take it that you mean the White Whale, Subaru?" "...Yeah, that's right. The worst whale there ever was. It's a straight-up miracle I got through that fight without dying." Really, Subaru thought it was a true miracle that he hadn't racked up more deaths fighting against the White Whale. He'd resolved to die many times over. He'd tasted death many times over. That was how menacing the demon beast was, and the damage it had inflicted was hard to forget. Even in the present, the sacrifices continued to torment Subaru's chest. "Would you mind telling me the details about the White Whale later? That beast is not an unrelated matter to me. Though I'm sure it will be a long talk once we begin." "Sure. You don't need to tell me about any circumstances that are hard to talk about, either." Somehow, he could guess the reason behind Reinhard's clouded expression. To Subaru, the battle with the White Whale was also the resolution and recompense for one man's obsession with the beast that had lasted for over a decade. And he could guess at the relationship between that man and Reinhard. Subaru didn't have any way to know exactly what had happened in their pasts, however. Naturally, it wasn't something he should ask out of idle curiosity. He knew that much. "Thank you." Therefore, that was the only reply Reinhard could offer in return. No more was needed. That was enough. "We have arrived. Please wait here in the tearoom until Lady Anastasia's meeting is finished." Joshua announced that they had reached their destination right as their conversation was over. Seeing the sliding screen partition for what had been dubbed the tearoom, Subaru felt his Japanese spirit throb. What a calculating use of the Japanese spirit, he mused, but such casual thoughts lasted for only a few seconds. "I am sorry, honored guest. May I leave some other guests here until the rest of your party returns?" Apparently, someone else was already in the tearoom, and Joshua was addressing him through the screen. When he did so, there were obvious signs of someone stirring within. " Feel free. I am doing nothing here except gathering dust." When the sound of the replying voice reached his ears, Subaru furrowed his brow; then surprise set in. It was a familiar voice, one difficult to ever forget. More importantly, he'd been thinking of the man only a moment prior. Subaru seemed to be the only person in that place who was surprised No, Reinhard was the sole exception among the others. His soft visage hardened ever so slightly, and bewilderment entered his blue eyes. Not noticing that hesitance, Joshua slid the screen to the side. The paper screen door opened, revealing the small interior of the so-called tearoom. Then the individual kneeling in a traditional fashion upon a square cushion turned his tranquil eyes toward them " Grandfather." "Reinhard?" The initial voices of grandfather and grandson overlapped. This was an unexpected reunion between the Sword Saint and the Sword Devil of the famed Astrea family. 4 The people gathered in the reception hall of the Water Raiment were distinguished in multiple ways. "I have to say, I'm surprised that Reinhard and Mr. Wilhelm are family. Now that you mention it, both seem to be very good with swords." "That completely absentminded way of looking at things is so E M T that it hurts." Assembled around the long table in the center of the room, the respective camps were sitting on square floor cushions in traditional Japanese style. Emilia and Subaru were quietly whispering to each other in a corner where they sat side by side. She might have been nervous, but the contents of her words did not display any particular sense of tension at all. "Betty is paying close attention, but it will be of no use if anyone makes a sudden move. Subaru, you should focus on not receiving cold stares from everyone present, I suppose." "It hurts to hear you say that because I used to get plenty of experience with exactly that." Sitting on Subaru's other side, Beatrice offered those words of caution. Incidentally, Emilia was sitting with her legs to the side, Subaru was sitting cross-legged, and Beatrice was sitting on her knees. This was the result of Subaru daring her to try it, but Beatrice's knees were already beginning to shake. "Either way, Garfiel is here should anything happen, and with the people present, this is a needless concern regardless." With her legs at their limit, Beatrice shifted them to the side. Subaru glanced at Garfiel, who was sitting defensively in a corner of the room. The encounter with Reinhard had to still be on his mind in various respects, but he seemed to have his hands full with Mimi clinging to him. Subaru hoped that Mimi would help distract him a little bit. At present, the main figures from multiple camps were seated in the large reception hall, and other associates were on standby at the edges of the room. That was why Mimi's brothers were also present. Seeing his older sister glued to Garfiel's side, Hetaro was staring daggers at the offending boy, while TB's face made it clear he wanted nothing to do with this fracas. Incidentally, Joshua was at the edge of the spectator seats, his already white face looking even paler than usual. Out of everyone who had gathered in the hall, the one to kick things off was Reinhard, who started with a bow. "We are truly grateful for the invitation you have offered us. Lady Felt's arrival to the inn is slightly delayed, but as she shall arrive forthwith, allow me to give you our formal greetings in her stead." "No need to be so stuffy. Considering this invitation was on short notice from me, that's plenty... Though there was much more overlap in arrivals than I expected." The hostess, Anastasia, softly smiled as Reinhard engaged in the courtesies expected of an envoy. Reinhard nodded in response to Anastasia's words; then he turned toward Julius, who was sitting with a smiling face at Anastasia's side. "It has been a while, Julius. Since our earlier visit to the Hoshin Company, I believe?" "Yes, I suppose it has been. I am sorry for imposing upon you like this. However, it is a good chance to see how everyone is doing. Such opportunities are difficult to come by." The mutual friends exchanged greetings that were few in words. Reinhard was also seated at the table. Somehow or other, the seating order had been neatly arranged by camp, with Anastasia, Emilia, a representative of the still-absent Felt camp, and finally " It has been quite some time since I have met all of you like this, has it not?" Speaking with a willowy smile was a woman with a beautiful face and long, lovely green hair. A kindness rested in her almond-shaped, amber-colored eyes, and her alluring figure was dressed in navy-blue attire. It hardly required mentioning, but this person in the long-skirted clothing was the very image of ladylike grace. People who knew the old her would scarcely believe she was the same person. "It's been a long time, Lady Crusch. I believe the last time we met was at the honors ceremony?" "Yes. That it has. I am sorry for having caused you such trouble on that occasion. It was only afterward that I heard of everyone's efforts. I wasn't the least bit surprised." Replying to Emilia's greeting was Crusch, giving a rather soft-seeming response. Her previously gallant and decisive demeanor had been lost along with her memories. With her old fearlessness still yet to return, she was the portrait of an aristocrat's beautiful daughter. "Really, it's been nothing but surprises. I heard it at the honors ceremony, but after the White Whale and the Witch Cult, it was the Great Rabbit next? Subawu, are you out of your mind?" Sitting at Crusch's side and jabbing at Subaru was the beautiful, kitty-eared girlor rather, young man called Ferris. The greatest healer in the kingdom, he'd also worked part-time as Subaru's physician. There was an edge to his otherwise teasing words that made Subaru sit up slightly straighter. The cause of Ferris's anger toward Subaru was obvious. "I'm sorry for ignoring your warnings, using magic, and smashing my gate..." "I drilled
it into you that meowch, and in the end, you still rode your broken gate into the ground. It wasn't worth treating you at all. Even now, it wouldn't be strange for it to rupture and go poof if Beatrice wasn't here. You really, really have to treat it with more care." "I get it already. But there ain't a guy in the world who can make Beatrice happier than I do." Ferris's tone was flippant, but his warning was dead serious. That's why Subaru replied with equal seriousness. The fact that Beatrice was pounding his shoulder while red in the face was a small price to pay. "I have to say, I'm amazed that even the Crusch camp got called over. If I hadn't used up all my surprise after running into Reinhard outside earlier, I would've had one hell of a face for you to look at." "Awww. That is quite a wasted opportunity. But it's really something to have so many invited guests gather here today. Even I'm astonished it's this many." "That is only natural, as there was no specific date set. It is rare to have a chance to meet everyone at once like this, so we should consider this accident of timing as the blessing it is." It was the final member of the Crusch camp, Wilhelm, who spoke of this coincidence as a good opportunity. Crusch was sitting formally on her knees, while Ferris was sitting with his knees apart in a rather feminine fashion. Wilhelm was also sitting formally on Ferris's other side, but in spite of his butler's attire, his gentlemanly demeanor seemed a perfect fit for the distinctly Japanese ambience. By some quirk, the seating arrangement of the camps had put Wilhelm and Reinhard right next to each other, which was a sight that was bad for the hearts of Subaru and everyone else aware of their relationship. "Those two aren't meeting each other's eyes, are they...?" Subaru mentally nodded to Emilia's very quiet whisper. Pairing Wilhelm and Reinhard meant grandfather and grandchild were seated side by side, but the two hadn't spoken a word to each other from the moment of their unexpected reunion in the tearoom to the instant they were all called over. A stifling silence had descended on the tearoom, enough that even the Emilia camp, brimming with oblivious people, hadn't tried to render any support. When Joshua came back, he looked like an angel to them. Either way, Subaru deduced that there were complicated circumstances where the pair from the Astrea family was concerned. Otherwise, the feelings haunting Wilhelm during the hunt of the White Whale couldn't be explained away. Why had Wilhelm borrowed the power of Crusch's family and not his own? For that matter, why hadn't Reinhard joined the battle to avenge his own grandmother? * Deep down, Subaru badly wanted to ask. But probing would only rub salt into the pair's wounds and hurt them further. Both might have been in rival camps, but to Subaru, one was a precious friend and the other a person he deeply respected and to whom he owed a great deal. Trust was a castle built atop a pile of sand. Subaru wasn't like Roswaal. He'd stand firm. That was why he simply held out hope that someone would make the conversation naturally flow in that direction. "Incidentally, why did Lady Anastasia call everyone here?" "Oh, you're so suspicious. My objective really is that I just wanted to speak with you all a little. That's why I didn't invite unreasonable people over." "Unreasonable...?" Emilia frowned as she prompted back. But it wasn't because she was unaware who Anastasia meant just now. In the first place, there was only one camp absent. "So I take it that you did not invite Lady Priscilla and Sir Al?" "They do things completely their own way, so I couldn't come up with any excuse to ask them here. At least with Felt, we got a chance to know each other a little better during that incident with Black Silver Coin, right?" "We caused you a great deal of trouble on that occasion. However, you are absolutely right." When Anastasia rather easily confessed that she'd left one camp out, Reinhard seemed to agree and backed off with no sign of resistance. It was then that Emilia raised her hand, seeking another opportunity to speak. "Just now, you used the word excuse... Does that mean you convinced everyone else to come using various reasons like you did with us?" "If you're going to come anyway, I should at least prepare a proper gift. All I did was just as I told you before, Emilia, nothing more." "What we want most... But for Crusch and them, that would be..." When Anastasia replied with a cutesy smile, Subaru glanced over at Crusch and company. What Emilia wanted was a magic crystal to use as a catalyst to call back Puck. And considering the problems facing Crusch and the others, the thing they wanted most was information about "We came to Pristella because Lady Anastasia claimed to have some information concerning the incident with the Archbishop of Gluttony." * Crusch had a look of determination on her face. Her words made Subaru unwittingly rise to his feet. He couldn't ignore this kind of news. Subaru glared at Anastasia as if by reflex, whereupon Anastasia flashed a strained smile and stroked the scarf around her neck. "It's not as if I'm trying to be mean to you, Natsuki. It's just that there's an order of priority. I can sell this to Lady Crusch and company higher than I can to Natsuki... Am I wrong?" "...That's the thinking of a merchant all right. It doesn't sit well with me, but I can...understand." "Coming from you, that's quite impressive." "Oh, shaddap. Don't poke me when I'm only just holding it together." Expensive merchandise was sold to the highest bidder. That was just a merchant's natural way of thinking. Subaru barely avoided exploding in the face of Anastasia's lecture. However, if Julius landed even one more hit, Subaru was in real danger of blowing up for real. "But you know... That's just..." Subaru looked at Anastasia, trying to find some handhold to cling to. Perhaps he should have directed his plea to Crusch for even the slimmest possibility of awakening Rem, the Sleeping Princess, from her slumber. However, faced with the fragile look on Subaru's face, Anastasia let out a deep breath. "There's no need to put on such a sad face. Don't worry I won't hide this secret from only you." "...R-really?" "It's no lie. But you should know that this is a request from Lady Crusch and her people. They're all goody-goody sorts who don't believe it's right to keep the information to themselves." As Anastasia shrugged, her words left Subaru flabbergasted as he turned toward Crusch. As he did, Crusch looked back at him, trying with all her might to keep her expression firm. "Naturally. Of course, I wish to settle the affair of my own memory with Gluttony personally. However, I understand that Master Subaru's fondest wish is to help that girl." "Crusch..." "Besides, I believe that the more we are united on this matter, the better. Our opponent is a cunning Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins who has continued to evade all attempts to hunt him down. I shall not hold a grudge regardless of whose blade reaches him first." The joking way Crusch put the last part left Subaru bowing his head as relief flooded him. No doubt it was very much her full intention to settle things with the one responsible for stealing her past. Her consideration for Subaru, who had a similar objective, made her bend even on this. Even with her memories lost, the soul of the fair and just woman named Crusch Karsten was in no way diminished. She remained true to her own way of life. "Really, thank you. I'll do my best to live up to those expectations. Somewhere, somehow." "Even so, we will likely be first. I do not intend to yield to anyone, either." As Subaru voiced his determination, Crusch puffed out her chest, undaunted. Her demeanor made Subaru and Crusch exchange an out-of-place smile. Her knight, Ferris, looked upon this without being amused whatsoever. "Grrr, you seem to be having a lot of fun, Lady Crusch. You need to stop being so fond of Subawu. He should be satisfied with one flower in each hand right meow. He doesn't need any more." "Ferris, is that not a rude thing to say? Master Subaru is not so unfaithful as to make eyes at just anyone." "Yeah, cut it out, Ferris. It's true that Crusch is cute and beautiful, but the line going forward from my heart is... Well, it splits into two midway, but it's still straight and na Ow, ow, ow?!" "No one else would call that a straight line, and that lack of self-awareness makes it even worse." When Subaru tried to chime in on the Crusch camp's master-servant dispute, Beatrice gave his ear a mighty pull. But when Subaru objected with a tearful face, Beatrice feigned innocence. Off to the side of that exchange, Crusch lowered her face, cheeks faintly flushed for some reason. "Oh, dang. Emilia-tan, did I say something weird even for me?" "Mm, did you? I think you're always saying similar things to me, though..." "Well, yeah. So what's with this reaction...? Maybe if I hold Emilia-tan's hand, the answer will come to me. Can I hold your hand?" "Work hard and think for yourself this time." When the hand he was unable to grasp slapped him on the forehead, Subaru frowned in silence. After watching the pair's exchange, Ferris discreetly brought his lips close to Crusch's ear. "See, just look at them. Subawu is indiscriminate. He'll try that with anyone at all if you give him the chance. It's an illness, meow. You shouldn't pay it any attention." "Understood. I'll be more careful. Phew, that really surprised me." After taking Ferris's advice to heart, Crusch took an unexpectedly deep breath and put a hand to her remarkably ample chest. The gesture was adorable in every way and convinced Subaru that Crusch doing unexpectedly feminine things was incredibly appealing. Setting that impression aside, Crusch and Ferris smiled at each other like a pair of best friends. "So to put things back on track...my people are in the middle of sorting out the information Crusch and Natsuki desire. It should be tidy enough to hand over by tomorrow or the day after, so can you hold on a little till then?" "Seriously? I just can't stop the urge to speed this up. Can't you give us anything in advance, even a small bit?" "Rushing keeps you in Rizzi's debt forever. Not good to flirt with total loss, is it? So calm down." "Ggggh..." Chided with a saying that probably meant haste makes waste, Subaru groaned and sat back down. Emilia and Beatrice both put a hand on one of his shoulders. At any rate, it seemed that everyone had a reason of their own to come to Pristella. " Heh, well, isn't this quite a group? According to Lachins, it was only Ms. Half-Elf and Anastasia, but I guess not." The door to the reception room forcefully slid open, and everyone's gazes assembled on the girl boldly crossing the threshold. The girl had bright, glimmering, dazzling blond hair and big, round red eyes. What looked like little fangs peeked out from under the lips of her confident, smiling face, which gave off a mischievous charisma. She was still a small girl with a delicate physique, but her femininity seemed to have faintly increased. However, as typical, her clothing style was straight out of the slums, and the always-energetic Felt burst onto the scene with her core remaining wholly unchanged. When she surveyed the faces of those assembled, she seemed very relaxed
as she closed one eye. "Even though it's been a year, it's surprising how little you've all changed. Well, I suppose the same goes for me." " Lady Felt, if I may?" Felt sighed, as if her expectations had been dashed, then immediately broke into a smile. The change in her expression was bewildering, but then Reinhard gently stood at her side. Reinhard knit his refined eyebrows as he gazed at Felt, his own liege. "A proper set of attire for going out in public was provided to you. What happened to it?" "Ha! Who'd go along with your taste in outfits? Sightseeing was just the most convenient way to find a change of clothes. Understand my personality already, Reinhard dear." "Truly, you are so..." Unbelievable, Reinhard broadcast from the way he covered his face. Felt straddled the threshold of the room, looking positively delighted at having pulled a fast one on the man who was the nation's hero and its strongest warrior. Then when she turned her head toward those assembled in the reception room again, her confident expression softly vanished. "I am truly grateful that you have invited me here today. Let us have some productive discourse as fellow royal-selection candidates okay, formalities over! Deal me in, 'kay?" After offering a glimpse of conduct so refined as to be enchanting, Felt swiftly reverted to being a mischievous rascal. The way her uninhibited personality stomped all over decorum left Subaru, at least, feeling good on the inside. The girl's energy had only grown over the past year. "I have to say, what a weird city, and this is a weird building. All the novelties everywhere wore me right out." As she spoke, Felt happened to sit cross-legged on the square cushion Reinhard had been using. Reinhard drew a separate cushion over for himself, putting her between the awkward grandfather-grandson pair. Of course, this hadn't been deliberate on her part, but it was just like her to do something like that purely by instinct. "A novelty... If that is what you think of it, then I'm happy. Actually, I have other reasons for picking this inn, too... Wanna hear them?" "Don't just build suspense. It's a bad habit of yours." Felt raised the corners of her lips as she jabbed a finger at Anastasia's transparent scheme. The very casual exchange between the two was a sign of how they had closed the distance between them. It seemed that some encounter Subaru was unaware of had greatly improved the relationship. Acknowledging Felt's request, Anastasia touched a hand to her mouth as she smiled. "I just can't beat you, Felt. Actually, this inn has a large, wide...hot spring." "By hot spring, you mean a huge bath?!" Felt's eyes glistened as she practically leaped to her feet. "A bath sounds great! Back in the slums, a chance to soak in hot water was hard to come by, and I loved it. Hey, you've finished all the important talk, right?" "The greetings have already ended...but, Lady Felt? Do not tell me you deliberately came late to the inn hoping to avoid serious conversation..." "Ha, not listening. Hey, sisters, let's go to the bath already, bath!" Ignoring Reinhard's reproachful comment, Felt addressed Emilia and the others. Emilia was surprised she had called out to her, but it didn't take long for her to smile in return. "Mm, a bath is fine with me. I really want to see what this big bath is like." "I suppose you are right. We are tired from a long journey, so that might well be best." Emilia seemed excited, and even Crusch agreed with an elegant smile. Of course, neither Felt, originator of the proposal, nor Anastasia, boaster of the hot spring, was going to object. "Wait, seriously, a hot spring? With these girls and this setup?" "Hey, Mister, don't get in the way of our fun. All right, it's settled, so let's go!" Felt folded her arms toward Subaru, who had been left scrambling after she started dictating the pace. Then an especially mischievous smile came over her face. "Today, we bathe! Then we eat! I'm not talking a word about anything else!" A manly declaration indeed. 5 In the end, Felt had the last word, and it was decided that everyone would split up, reassembling in the large reception room once more at dinnertime. That said, it wasn't as if Subaru objected to Felt's proposal, either. If anything, the offbeat plan to switch things up was so good that he admired her for coming up with it. Subaru had just found the possibility of gleaning information on an Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins in a place he never expected it. He wanted to earnestly address this and other worrying elements that concerned the camp as a whole. The most obvious issue was Garfiel having hit a wall. Beatrice had told Subaru to wait and watch as Garfiel overcame it with his own strength, but " General, sorry, but do ya mind if I head outside for a bit? I don't think there's anythin', but I better stick an ear out anyway." After the initial end of the meeting in the reception room, the men gave a send-off to the girls, who were on their way to the big bath, then were left to their own devices. That was when Garfiel came to Subaru with the request. "Garfiel, worries or not, you're damn strong." "But I ain't the strongest. That ain't good enough." That was the last thing Garfiel said as he turned away and walked out of the inn. Considering his role as their escort, Subaru should have stopped him. But he did not. He trusted that Garfiel of all people could make a recovery of some sort in one night. Therefore, Subaru could sub in for him for that one night, couldn't he? "He calls me General and treats me like his older brother. This is the least I can do for him, right?" In fact, Garfiel's other honorary older brother would've been here if he wasn't walking around the city that very moment or walking and drinking, rather. That meant it fell to Subaru alone to do what he could for their little brother. "Damn you, Otto, not being here when I really need you... Seriously, what an Otto." Praying his younger brother wouldn't grow up to be like that, Subaru headed to the large reception hall when it was time for dinner. When he did so, he saw the girls, who were back from bathing, as well as the men rendezvousing with them at the appointed time "B-Beako, your outfit...!" "Oh-ho, how is it, I wonder? Today's Betty is a different flavor than the norm." Beatrice wore a smug face as she greeted Subaru. Her cheeks were faintly reddened from her recent bath, driving her cuteness to even greater heights, but that wasn't what surprised him. Beatrice was always seen in her extravagant dress, but he was floored by the sight of her in a yukata. "Ohhh, incredible, just incredible, so they even have yukata here! And it looks really good on you! Beako, you're so pretty! Beako, you're so lovely! Did you manage to put it on all by yourself?" "It's only natural, I suppose. To Betty, such a feat is more trifling than a cupcake." "Heh, that figures! Well, that's what Beako would say, but is it true?" "Tee-hee, don't doubt her. It's true. Beatrice only tripped on the hem twice." "S-slander, I wonder?! Subaru, between Betty and Emilia, which one do you believe?!" "The moment you asked that question, you already lost." That was the normal judgment to make, for Beatrice was predictably dishonest while Emilia was entirely too honest. Emilia softly smiled as Beatrice's face became redder still. She was in a yukata as well, with her still-damp silver hair tied up neatly behind her head. This gave him a perfect view of the nape of her neck, which was truly marvelous. She smelled nice, too. "Subaru, you seem to be breathing heavily through your nose. Do you have a fever?" "A slight fever of love, maybe. Emilia-tan, can I braid your hair?" "That's fine, but I think we're about to sit down for a meal. Do you mind doing it after?" As Subaru touched the tip of her bundled hair, Emilia pointed to the table as she pushed her counteroffer. He grudgingly backed down, which was when he abruptly noticed that all the eyes in the room were gathered on them. "What, did something weird happen?" "I'm thinking, it's really hard to pick up how much distance there is between Mister and Miss. That didn't feel all that sexy, and the last time I saw you, your relationship was pretty horrible." "Please do not dredge up what happened at the castle. It doth make my chest hurt." Subaru deeply bowed to Felt, who was sitting cross-legged in a yukata as he made his plea. "Ha! What's this all about? I guess Mister really got his act together, huh?" His reaction made Felt laugh and look up from the book she was reading, which was something he normally wouldn't picture her doing at all. She closed the book, which had a pressed flower as a bookmark, and said, "Come to think of it..." She tilted her head before he continued. "I heard in the bath that my piece-of-junk knight bullied your blond boy? Sorry about that. I'll set him straight." As she spoke, Felt used the book in her hand to thwap Reinhard on the shoulder. She showed little sign of restraint, giving the red-haired knight's brows a constrained look. "Lady Felt, that manner of speaking will invite speculation. He and I simply had a misunderstanding, and I was a little rough in the way I handled it. That is all... As a matter of fact, he is tremendously powerful despite his young age." "That patronizing lack of self-awareness really isn't convincing. I mean, you're basically merciless toward anyone who shows any promise. You always leave Gaston and the others half in tears after you're done working 'em over." Reinhard's assessment of Garfiel's worth made Felt stick her tongue out with an exasperated look on her face. But at the very least, Subaru understood that Reinhard's words were his true beliefs. He'd said that because he genuinely respected Garfiel and acknowledged his might. Perhaps that was the most dangerous part of his character. "Incidentally, Lady Felt, about that outfit..." "What, it's not somethin' a royal-selection candidate would wear? Look around all the other girls are wearin' the same stuff, damn it. I can't be the only one to complain about it." "No, not at all. I only meant to say that it suits you very well." "Shaddap." However, it was incredible to see just what vivid invective Felt directed at Reinhard. He was the man most trusted and respected by the kingdom's people. Virtually everyone sincerely praised him as a knight among knights. A sweet word from him would be enough to make many a woman swoon, but Felt batted it aside like it was so much garbage. Subaru was becoming genuinely concerned that things weren't going quite as swimmingly with them as the rumors would suggest. "On that score, our side's pretty close to ideal...though Crusch's people take number one on that list." "We what now?" When Subaru put a hand to his chin in thought, Crusch directed a questioning look at him. Of course, Crusch was no exception and wore a yukata as well in a different manner than the dresses she commonly wore now, the thin yukata fabric, which was draped elegantly over her figure, heightened her feminine grace. He knew that the outfits were originally worn as nightwear for evening revelry, but they were top-notch for charm as far as Japanese clothing went. "Yeah. You and Ferris are really close, but you guys don't have that kind of relationship, right? I'm in a slightly different situation because of the ulterior motives
I started with, but you guys have, like, a picture-perfect relationship." "When you put it like that, I feel like blushing, tee-hee. Yes, Ferris?" "Ferri very much has ulterior motives where Lady Crusch is concerned, though." Instantly, Ferris's statement made the air in the reception hall freeze over. Crusch's expression remained locked in a charming smile, while Ferris gazed at her with a grin. Incidentally, Ferris was also wearing a yukata. He'd changed into one at some point, and it suited him just as well as it did any of the girls. At any rate "Sorry for exposing a secret no one needed to hear. Let's eat?" "Please do not unearth bombs and attempt to flee like that!" Crusch lamented with tearful eyes as Subaru tried to retreat to dinner. Perhaps it came as a bolt from the blue as far as she was concerned, but Subaru hadn't been deliberately searching for explosive secrets like that, either. What to do? thought Subaru as he let his gaze wander. "Ferris, I cannot approve of you startling Lady Crusch like this." The one comment that changed the mood all at once had come from Wilhelm, who had been holding his silence. Sitting formally in a yukata, the Sword Devil's words made Ferris touch a finger to his own lips. "Oh no, even Old Man Wil doubts Ferri's feelings?" "Respect, affection, romance. Cease courting chaos by teasing the lords and retainers in attendance. I am compelled to note that preying on someone's naivete is not adorable in the slightest." "Boo. You're so strict, sheesh." Wilhelm's gravitas-filled lecture made Ferris pout and surrender. After that, Ferris contented himself by snuggling his face against Crusch's shoulder. "You don't have to get all worried like that. Of course it's a joke. Ferri having all kinds of ulterior meowtives with Lady Crusch would be bad on so many levels." "Y-yes, I suppose it would. Phew, you surprised me. Because I cannot use my blessing properly at the moment, I feel like I might be misunderstanding your feelings about many things, Ferris." " That's not the case at all." Crusch was breathing a sigh of relief, but the look in Ferris's eyes that moment tugged at Subaru. For an instant, an intense emotion filled his eyes. It might well have been his personal brand of agony. Though he acted in a frivolous manner, the suffering borne by Ferris over the last year was probably comparable to Subaru's. He painfully understood the regret and anguish at Ferris's very core. "Errr, preparations for dinner seem to be in order, so would you mind bringing it in?" Having waited for a natural lull in the conversation, Joshua instructed the inn employees to set the table. As they got to work placing one dish after another atop the long table, surprised reactions sprang up all around. The varied cooking was something Emilia and the others had never before seen, but Subaru's reaction was for a different reason he was shocked by the unexpected familiar sights. Since this world had no seas, cooking with fish meant fishing from rivers. Naturally, this meant there were few truly large fish, making sashimi dishes and the like quite hard to come by. Therefore, seeing such a wealth of fish dishes in a place like this was all the more surprising. "We can eat it just like this?" "How do you like it? Never seen it before, have you? Everything here comes from the Great Tigrasea River nearby and is prepared by experienced cooks. It's good enough to qualify as a specialty here at the Water Raiment." It seemed that culinary traditions not bound by the Kingdom of Lugunica's common sense were still being passed down. Either way, one dish emerged after another based on Japanese cuisine, further deepening Emilia's and company's bewilderment. The first one to break through their hesitance was not Anastasia, hostess of the banquet, but rather "Here! Like this! This is how you do it right!" Unfortunately, the utensils were forks, but Subaru thrust his into some sashimi of a fish he didn't recognize, applied the soy-sauce-like seasoning, and tossed it into his mouth in one go. Then as Emilia and Beatrice went "ah!" in surprise beside him, he licked his chops. "Deeeelicious! Ahhh, it's been so long since I had sashimi! This is the best! You're the greatest, Anastasia!" "I-it's tasty?" "It's a masterpiece! The fish is fresh, so it tastes incredible! It's a shame. If you had sushi vinegar here, I could try copying my dad's sushi-chef pal and make some nigirizushi!" "Sorry, I don't understand what you're saying... But I see. So it is tasty, then." The gist of Subaru's stream of consciousness had apparently gotten through. Emilia chose to believe only the most critical part and did as he had, putting soy sauce on the sashimi before trying it herself. When she did so, Emilia opened her round eyes wide. "Mm !" she went, happily clenching and waving a fist. Seeing the same honest reactions from master and retainer alike, the others in attendance put their hands on the food one after the next. "Grrr, Natsuki, there you go spoiling my fun again..." Anastasia had had her thunder stolen, leaving her ever so slightly dissatisfied. But Subaru's and Emilia's idyllic reactions finally made her expression relax. "Goodness, there's no helping you children... Hey! Leave some for me!" The dinner party was host to various worries, and certain faces were not in attendance, but even so, all who did participate were able to enjoy a brief respite. For that one night, the moon and the world seemed willing to allow a tranquil moment when all regular concerns could safely be postponed. 6 As they mutually agreed to forget they were political rivals for the time being, the night wore on. The dinner in the reception hall came to an end, and Subaru finished bathing before returning to his room. The staff seemed to have laid out futons during the guests' absence, so everything was ready for a good night's sleep. "Subaru! It seems that an intruder snuck in during the time Betty and others were gone!" "Yeah, looks like the futon you made a big mess of got all tidied up. What a vandal." Chiding Beatrice for her unnecessary wariness over the two futons lined side by side, Subaru gently tucked the sleepy-looking girl into bed. Incidentally, ever since forming a formal pact, it had become the norm for Subaru and Beatrice to share a room. Anastasia had arranged separate rooms for them, but Beatrice would crawl into Subaru's futon in the middle of the night regardless, so he politely declined the offer. Of course, this was not because Beatrice was too much of a child to be able to sleep alone, but because much of the mana drawn from one's Odo was generated during sleep, it was nothing more than consideration for Subaru's physical condition. Therefore, it is not because Betty wants to be with Subaru. Would you not take this the wrong way, I wonder? That was what Beatrice had told him shortly after forming the pact. In this case, it really didn't matter what her true intent might be. Subaru had become very accustomed to hearing the sounds of someone else sleeping nearby over the past year. And it helped him stay warm on cold days, too. "Is that a mass of green poison, I wonder...? You won't get away lightly if you eat it..." She must have tired herself quite a bit, because Beatrice was swiftly dragged into dreamland as soon as she got into the futon, moaning in fear from the trauma of the wasabi from supper that evening. Savoring his partner's adorable sleeping face, Subaru gave his back a good stretch in the middle of the room. "Now then, how about I take a little stroll until I get sleepy?" Tightening the belt of his yukata, Subaru headed out of the room in high spirits. He hadn't settled on a destination, but he had no intention of walking as far as beyond the inn, figuring that he would get some air out in the garden. He imagined the scenery, which greatly resembled a Japanese garden, would look great under the moonlight. Looking up at the round moon through the corridor's window, Subaru squinted at its silver light. It was a quiet night. In terms of defenses, the hot-spring inn had sections that were overly exposed, but given the lineup staying there at the moment, he could only pity anyone foolhardy enough to try to break in. I do not think anything will happen, but if something does occur in this district, I will hurry over. Please rest at ease. Such were Reinhard's reassuring words when they parted ways in the hall. The fact that he'd used the word district rather than inn was so reassuring, it was downright scary. Given his personality, it was possible he was being modest just choosing to not use the word city. "Reinhard, huh..." Thinking of his friend, who quite possibly might still be on guard even at this time of night, Subaru lowered his eyes it was hard to forget how unpretentiously Reinhard had agreed he was Subaru's friend. During the unexpected reunion earlier in the day, Subaru had reforged his broken friendship with Reinhard. But that didn't mean that the terrible things Subaru had said or the loathsome attitude he'd shown on that fateful day in the past were permissible. Friends should be equals. That was what Subaru believed. Whatever Reinhard thought of the matter, Subaru owed him a debt. How could he call himself Reinhard's friend without repaying it? Wasn't there something, anything at all, that Subaru could do for the sake of his friend Reinhard? *** As he pondered such thoughts, his feet brought him to the garden, whereupon Subaru's breath caught at the sight that greeted him. Under a black sky and a silver moon, with clouds draped over the moon to lend the place an even more bewitching allure, he saw a single person standing there, enjoying the refreshing breeze. The man had a sturdy back and a head and beard dyed white. Subaru knew only one person with those distinguishing features. " Mr. Wilhelm?" "Sir Subaru? Did I alarm you?" Wilhelm had probably sensed a human presence long before Subaru noticed him. Addressing Subaru, Wilhelm put his arms through the sleeves of his indigo-colored yukata as he turned around. The gentleness of his gaze matched his outfit remarkably well. The sight of the Sword Devil putting his hands through the sleeves of a yukata as he stood in a Japanese-style garden somehow came off as picturesque. "It is a quiet night, yet you were unable to sleep?" " . Nahhh, it's not actually like that. I just thought I'd give this garden a look at night. I figured it'd be a good view, so that's what I was aiming for." "I see. Then it was rather boorish of me to intrude on such a solemn nightly occasion." The way Wilhelm spoke those words with a sentimental smile and a soft voice left Subaru scratching his cheek. For Subaru, hearing Wilhelm's voice was immensely reassuring. For some reason, it also made him blush a little. Wilhelm was the person Subaru respected most in this world. There were many people Subaru wanted to stand alongside, compete with, and be considered equal to, but it was quite possibly Wilhelm alone who made Subaru think I wanna look up to him while harboring something akin to envy. Wilhelm was pretty much Subaru's ideal, both as a person and a man. Therefore, as Subaru scratched his cheek, he shook his head at Wilhelm's modesty. "No, no. You're not intruding at all. If anything, the Sword Devil suits a Japanese garden so much that it's carving a photograph into my heart for eternity. I like seeing people under a moonlit sky." So far as Subaru knew, the person best suited for a moonlit sky
was without a doubt Emilia. Her silver hair twinkled and glimmered in a way the sun's rays never did. Emilia's beauty was like fleeting moonlight. That's why Subaru hoped to one day become a star that nestled up to the moon. Accordingly, Subaru found the sight of the Sword Devil standing under a moonlit sky symbolic of his aspirations. "You should whisper such words not to me but to a woman. What a waste." "With my face, even if I say flowery lines like that, it won't get me very far, and those phrases don't work one bit on the girl whose heart I want to tickle most right now." "One must choose words for the sake of the woman one cares for most... That frustration is part of the joys of love." Wilhelm's teasing tone made Subaru's shoulders sag in a comedic fashion. "Ohhh, it's been a long time since I've seen you with that love-story vibe. So Mr. Wilhelm had times like that, too, huh?" "But of course." When Subaru bowed reverentially according to established custom, Wilhelm said, "Well then, I suppose it cannot be avoided," looking particularly pleased as he began to tell his tale. He gazed with his blue eyes at something far in the distance as he recalled a beloved memory. "I am clumsy with my words even today, but my past self was far worse. A man lacking in words. When I first met my wife, the issue of a man with thoughts of nothing but swinging a sword in his mind must have bored her to tears." "But the missus enjoyed talking to you anyway, right, Mr. Wilhelm?" "My wife was a profound woman. Even as she suffered under the weight of the destiny she carried upon her slender back, she never spoke one word of that to others. That was probably why I was attracted to her from the first time I ever laid eyes on her...but I was so foolish at the time not to realize any of that." Wilhelm's voice held a whiff of regret and shame, no doubt from embarrassment at what an unsociable person he once was. Getting this rare reaction out of him helped Subaru feel at ease. "Who'd have thought Mr. Wilhelm was, you know, unsophisticated like that once?" "I truly had offered up every part of my being to the sword. When I gripped a sword, I forgot all other thoughts, immersing myself as if that was what gave meaning to my life it was my wife who reminded me of the reason why I chose to walk the path of the sword." "Is that when you first realized you liked the missus, by any chance?" "...It seems you have seen right through me, Sir Subaru." Subaru responded to Wilhelm's listless murmur with silence. Wilhelm probably didn't realize what kind of face he was making just then. That he was comfortable showing him such a face made Subaru deeply proud. Wilhelm's eyes, the creases on his cheeks, the tone of his voice, his gestures... Every part of him was saying one thing. Even at this very moment, from the instant he had first met her, he loved his wife Theresia van Astrea. Seeing that face, anyone would realize he was still in love. * Without his knowledge, Subaru had come to the verge of tears while looking at Wilhelm's expression. Heat was rising into the back of his eyes. For some reason, his chest got hot like this when he looked at the face of someone in love. It would really put Wilhelm in a bind if he started crying at a place like this, wouldn't it? "It is as you say, Sir Subaru. It was then that I realized my feelings for my wife." As Subaru lowered his head to conceal his tears, Wilhelm continued to recount long-gone days. Accepting his generosity, Subaru listened to the man's tale as the ache inside him only grew stronger. "Swinging the sword was everything to me. But it was the thoughts I had before swinging the sword, and the thoughts I had from swinging the sword, that made me all that I was. My wife realized that about me as if it was a matter of course. From then on, when I swung my sword, I thought of my wife." "You still do even now?" " Then and now, what links me to my wife is the sword." Wilhelm paused slightly before weaving the words in response to Subaru's question. As Wilhelm faced Subaru with the moonlight at his back, his eyes had grown damp from complex emotions. He felt pride. He felt regret. He felt hesitance, passion, and shame. Bravery and tragedy were present, too. But behind all these emotions was love. "So long as I grip a sword, my feelings for my wife shall no doubt persist. Accordingly, when I die, I want to die with a sword in my hand. To me, that is nothing less than continuing to be with my wife." Wilhelm was too clumsy, too blunt, to love her in any other way. Subaru drew in his breath, taking many shallow breaths as if he was gasping for air. His tongue was numb, and he felt like his lungs were convulsing. But he pressed on his chest to suppress his beating heart and forced his tongue to move. That moment, with Wilhelm gazing into the distance before his eyes, he had to say it. "Please don't say ominous things like when I die. Mr. Wilhelm, you're young, almost too young, and it'll be a real problem if you're always thinking about retirement." "Sir Subaru?" "Crusch and Ferris are both super dependent on you. Crush must struggle with not being able to remember her memories, and Ferris doesn't let it show, but he must be stretched pretty thin from supporting her any way he can, so they need you, Mr. Wilhelm. Besides, even I !" * "Even I have lots of things left I want Mr. Wilhelm's help for. Maybe this is a naive way to think when it comes to political rivals. But I..." Subaru liked Wilhelm. Wilhelm kept his feelings for his departed wife close even as he struck down his foes. That was why Subaru respected him as a man. Even if Wilhelm had no awareness of it, even if amid repeated loops Subaru had spent no more than ten days as his apprentice, Subaru admired Wilhelm's strength. Subaru was frightened to hear words that acknowledged death emerge from Wilhelm's mouth. Even more than before, Subaru was sensitive to death among the people he personally knew. His promise with Roswaal was one reason, and it was also the effect of Return by Death altering Subaru's own thoughts. When he thought of someone he knew dying, he lost all control over his emotions. It was enough that he had secret fears where Emilia and Beatrice were concerned. "It seems that as is typical, I chose my words quite poorly." As Subaru stood stiff, Wilhelm closed the distance between them with a pained smile. Drawing closer one step after another, the Sword Devil ended up right before the edge of the porch on which Subaru stood. Then his blue, steely gaze pierced Subaru's flickering black eyes. "Sir Subaru that may be a virtue of yours, but it is also a weakness." The words held no echo of a smile. But nor were they scornful scolding. Somehow, it sounded as if he was debating a point like an elder speaking to his junior. Or if Subaru was to put it more precisely, the tone was like that of a grandfather speaking to a grandchild. "My wife was very much the same. It was a bad habit of hers to suppress her own feelings, prioritizing the hearts of the people all around her and always placing herself last." "Bad habit, you say... Nah, to begin with, I'm not that saintly a guy. I'm not wishing for everyone everywhere to be happy or anything like that. I'm a guy who thinks that if I can just make sure the people around me are happy, that's enough." "The issue is that the range in question is the people around you. My wife did not wish for it, but she possessed a power unsuited for any single person to wield. Her hopes and her wishes extended far beyond the reach and breadth of that power." Wilhelm's wife, Theresia van Astrea, was the previous generation's Sword Saint. Over the last year, even Subaru had become versed in the history of her brief career. She who had led the charge that ended the Kingdom of Lugunica's civil war that threatened to destroy the country, a hero and national savior that was Theresia. Subaru Natsuki could not possibly compare his heroic deeds with hers. "I understand what you're saying about your wife. But there's no way in the world that applies to me." "In times of peace, my wife was an ordinary woman who enjoyed looking at flowers. The heroes whose names are passed down through history did not continue being heroes in their daily lives. And, Sir Subaru, the extent of your name, and the reach of your hand, is far greater than you currently imagine. Hereafter, it shall only be more so." "That's not..." "I am certain of it. For all you are unable to do alone, Sir Subaru, I believe you are a man who can gather others who cannot do these things alone, either and in doing so, you will make success possible where it was not before." * Subaru was in shock. That was all he could feel in response to the exaggerated worth Wilhelm had assigned to him. Subaru wasn't strong, he lacked intelligence or wisdom, and he was half-hearted and weak-willed to boot. Precisely because he couldn't do anything alone, he had to talk other people into doing all kinds of things and always survived by the skin of his teeth over and over again, nothing more. Why was it Wilhelm considered Subaru so valuable in spite of all that? "Perhaps you are not yet aware of it for the time being. I suppose those who do not realize your worth yet are many. However, someday, you, too, will understand, and so will everyone else." "I'm a puny, helpless guy who's no good at anything, though." "Yes. And it is that puny, helpless you, who is no good at anything, whom I like." Punctuating his words with a brief pause, Wilhelm nodded with satisfaction. "And the number of those who think the same shall surely grow." * Subaru let out a deep breath. Wilhelm really was exaggerating. The words were so unrealistic that they couldn't possibly be true. No one could have faulted Subaru for laughing out loud. That he did not do so was because it was none other than Wilhelm saying it. " It seems I have rambled too much. I apologize for having kept you here for so long." Seeing the melancholy Subaru harbored, Wilhelm bowed his head as if suddenly seized by embarrassment. But Subaru, seemingly regretting that he had made Wilhelm feel that way, shook his head from side to side. "I'll give what you said just now some proper thought...and I'm kinda sorry. The original point of all this was to listen to stories about your wife." "Not at all. It has been a long time since I have been satisfied... Well, perhaps not quite that, but I am glad to be able to speak of my wife. Neither Lady Crusch nor Ferris have had much time for such things of late." "I just accidentally learned something because Mr. Wilhelm hasn't had his fill of telling romance stories!" "I've clearly gotten a little too sentimental. It is finally time to put an old man's long stories to rest." Wilhelm flashed a wry smile as he moved a foot from the garden onto the porch. The atmosphere said that the tale was over, so Subaru
nonchalantly offered his hand to help Wilhelm up to the corridor. * Wilhelm accepted Subaru's hand and climbed up onto the corridor. Feeling the weight of the elderly swordsman's body through his arm, Subaru suddenly recalled the situation in the reception hall for an instant. Simultaneously, the thoughts he'd had on his way to the garden came back to him. Perhaps this would be very insensitive and brash of him. Yet, even so "Mr. Wilhelm. It's not my intention to go from someone sticking his nose into another camp's domestic affairs to thoughtlessly trampling on the hearts of others, but..." " . Yes, I am listening." "...Can't you get along with Reinhard? You're family, aren't you?" He could imagine the complexities that probably surrounded the relationship involving the grandfather and grandson of the Astrea family. Perhaps crudely intruding upon that would cost him the trust he had built up with Wilhelm. But this was what he thought: What value was there in a relationship you merely clung to, not saying anything for fear of hurting the other? And if Wilhelm intruding as he had done was meant to make Subaru think precisely that... "A thought occurred to me while speaking with you, Sir Subaru." * "Why is it that I am unable to talk like this with my own grandson?" This was the source of Wilhelm's agonizing remorse. All expression vanished from Wilhelm's face. He was expressionless but hardly emotionless. These were powerful, powerful emotions locked away deep inside a hardened shell these were undoubtedly regrets. "I am a man of many regrets. However, there are three regrets I have amassed over the course of my own life for which I have absolutely no excuse. One of them is the cause of the current rift between my grandson and me." "But that frustrates you, doesn't it, Mr. Wilhelm?" "I am not allowed to feel frustration over this. That is the weight of the words I pounded into my grandson...into Reinhard at the time. They were egregiously, unforgivably...foolish." While emotionless on the surface, there was a fire that raged inside Wilhelm that seemed like it would scorch his very soul. These were the hellish flames of anger that had continued to blaze over those long years in Wilhelm's unforgiving heart. The fires of regret had combined into one great conflagration, the flame charring Wilhelm, not permitted to cease until he was turned to ash. "For the sake of avenging my wife, I averted my eyes from this regret. And now that I have avenged her, I know this is truly the time to approach him." "But the courage just won't come?" "To my great shame. Thinking my grandson hates me even now, I cannot bring my feet to move." Wilhelm lamented from the bottom of his heart how disappointed he was in himself. Seeing the old man seemingly shrink dramatically, Subaru was seized by shock. Then after the shock wore off, he couldn't help bursting into laughter. "Sir Subaru?" "S-sorry. I didn't mean to laugh, but I couldn't hold it in." Wilhelm was making an incredulous face, but it was Subaru who found what he said hard to believe. There he'd been, resigned to the possibility that the relationship between the two was so hopeless that it might only grow worse, and yet. "Mr. Wilhelm, it sounds like you don't think you deserve to call yourself Reinhard's grandfather or something." "Yes, it is as you say. Even though I know I am in the wrong, I find myself unable to take a decisive step forward. Such cowardice leaves me greatly frustrated with myself, but..." "Yeah, you don't look like anything more than a grandpa afraid of being hated by his grandkid." "...What?" Wilhelm's expression, clouded up to that point, registered surprise as he blinked hard. That reaction kept Subaru's grin lingering on his cheeks. "I don't know much about the reason things went sour between the two of you. I might be off the mark for all I know. But from my outsider's point of view, you and Reinhard genuinely want to patch things up. In that case, it's a lot better for the one doing the apologizing to go first." "Surely, Reinhard will refuse to forgive me." "If he won't forgive you right away, keep apologizing until he does. In the first place, apologizing isn't about someone forgiving you, is it? You apologize because you want to. The desire to apologize is selfish and arbitrary. I mean, the person apologizing is the one who did something bad in the first place." * This time, it was Wilhelm's turn to be bewildered by Subaru's shocking leaps in logic. Of course, Subaru was well aware of how selfish and arbitrary the irrational argument really was. Even so, it was something that Wilhelm, scared of speaking to his grandson and frightened of taking the first step, really needed. What he needed in that moment was the ability to be willfully ignorant, to brazenly act as if past regrets never happened, and a brash willingness to be caught up in the moment. And Subaru Natsuki was a master of all these dubious skills. "So yeah, apologizing all of a sudden after so many years have passed will make someone think, What's with this guy? But over the course of apologizing a bunch of times, that'll start changing. Hard to tell whether it'll become This guy's beyond help or This guy's so annoying, though." "I believe that would count as a change for the worse." "But it's still a change. Wouldn't any progress at all be better than keeping things horribly frozen in place like they are now?" The popular image of Subaru was that he was someone who started out giving a whole slew of people the worst possible impression of himself. To Subaru, being surrounded by people who thought the worst of him was no big deal. Besides, Subaru saw a chance for victory. After all, Reinhard " Reinhard told me he wants to hear about what happened during the fight with the White Whale." At the end of all those flippant words, Subaru revealed the fact that would probably become the key. Reinhard had certainly asked Subaru about it on the way to the tearoom. "I don't know what the White Whale has to do with you two not getting along. But if it is connected, Reinhard knows it's Mr. Wilhelm who struck the White Whale down. He knows that you spent over a decade to avenge his grandma, too." * "He probably hopes it's high time for things stuck in the past to start moving, too." There was no way for Subaru to know how Reinhard truly felt. In fact, it still wasn't clear to him how they'd ended up friends in the first place. There were even times that he worried they'd become friends too easily. Part of that was probably due to his belief that Reinhard had never felt powerless or uninformed. But there was no way that was true. There was no doubt Reinhard also had things he worried about. Even Wilhelm, who looked superhuman from Subaru's point of view, was just another man, another grandfather, another flawed human being with problems and baggage. Was it so wrong to think Reinhard was the same? If Reinhard was such a man, then there was something Subaru could do for him as his friend. He hoped that all it would take was a single act of meddling. "I wonder if my grandson...if Reinhard will listen?" After a brief pause, Wilhelm wrung that question out of himself. Subaru smiled, because this was the exact trigger for taking the first step forward that Wilhelm had been looking for. "First, you talk to him until he's sick of you. If he brushes you off, that's fine, too. I mean, I always approach Emilia-tan with the mindset that I might only succeed once out of a hundred tries." "Unbelievable " Listening to Subaru's advice, the unexpected revelations made Wilhelm shake his head in disbelief. Then the old man lifted his gaze, peering up at the silvery moon floating overhead. "There is no besting you, Sir Subaru." It was clear from his voice that he was smiling. CHAPTER 4 *** 1 The next morning, Subaru, who had woken up in high spirits, was standing in the garden as the morning sun shone upon it. Savoring the sensation of the cobblestones beneath his soles, Subaru filled his lungs with the refreshing morning air, going "Nnn !" as he stretched his back. The sight drew a small smile from Emilia, who was standing next to him. "What is it, Subaru? You're in a really good mood this morning. Did something nice happen?" "Emilia-tan's wavy braids are super cute this morning, so it was totally worth spending a little time on them before bed last night." "Is that so? I'm so glad. You kind of seemed to have something on your mind last night." Smiling as she made that remark, Emilia gently stroked her wavy silver hair. Just as they'd planned it the night before when Emilia's braids were undone, Subaru had given her silver hair a soft wave. Her normal hairstyle was cute, of course, but a beautiful girl had the special privilege of changing the accent of her charm from time to time. Still, it was fact that he had caused so much trouble the day before. And of course he was still reflecting on his failure at the Muse Company, but this was this, and that was that. "I'll just have to accept it with the gravity it deserves... Beako, what's with you this morning, pouting like that?" "I am not pouting or anything of the sort. Would you refrain from making such arbitrary claims, I wonder?" Averting her face, Beatrice sat on the porch as she gazed at Subaru and Emilia. It's nothing, she stubbornly projected, but the girl had said barely a word since waking up this morning, and on top of that, she'd been constantly glancing around in unease. Even if she said don't worry, Subaru couldn't help but do so. "It's not cute when you're stubborn like that. If something happened, then just spell it out. It could be important, right?" "That's right, Beatrice. If there's something worrying you, let's all worry about it together. I'm becoming dependable, you know." "I am of a mind to object to some of Emilia's words. But..." Casting a suspicious look at Emilia as the girl pressed a hand to her chest, Beatrice broke down under the two's gazes. She touched one of her hair rolls, then twirled it around her finger as she spoke. "Actually, one of the inn staff members said something yesterday, I suppose. This employee told Betty alone that at this inn, something inhuman appears at night in a hushed whisper." "Ohhh, something inhuman?" "At first, Betty laughed it off, I suppose. But just to be sure, she put her mind on guard. And then sure enough, did something not happen last night, I wonder?" "Thump, thump..." Captivated by Beatrice's tale, Emilia pressed a hand to her chest as her eyes darted this way and that. From that reaction, she was really getting into it as Beatrice's voice grew more heated still. "In the middle of the night, Betty awoke to a strange presence. And did she gently slip out of the room, so as not to awaken Subaru as he slept with a stupid look on his face, I wonder?" "Don't stare at people's faces when they're sleeping. It's indecent." "I I was not staring! Was my glance not as light and graceful as the snow, I wonder?!" Beatrice had just incriminated herself in a panic, but she was cute, so Subaru decided to let it pass without comment. "At any rate, Betty pursued that presence. Then just beyond the entryway, I found the source of that aura..." "You found it? And then what?" "Did I confront that pale face floating in the darkness from the
front, I wonder?! This face noticed Betty as well, and we entered a contest of stares... The battle continued on, one step forward and one step back!" "A staring contest! And then, and then?" "Oh-ho, but Betty is a Great Spirit, so the foe ultimately fled in terror, I suppose." "I'm so glad what a relief. I was worried Beatrice might have died right there..." Having gotten far too invested in Beatrice's ghost story, Emilia's concerns were rather exaggerated. In the first place, if Beatrice were dead, just who was the adorable creature right before them? That said, Subaru admired the fact that the story was fairly well thought out. "So what actually happened, Otto?" "Er, when I was on the verge of being sick just outside the entryway, I noticed Beatrice staring daggers at me... She vanished while I was crouched and feeling miserable, however." It was just then that Otto entered the garden with a wobbly gait. Upon hearing the truth about last night from his lips, Beatrice muttered, "That cannot be..." in absolute shock. It was said that fear made the wolf or in this case, a drunken Otto seem larger. While Beatrice struggled to reconcile her memories with reality, Emilia tried to comfort her by stroking her head. Probably, the inn staffer who had told her about the apparition had quickly discerned that Beatrice possessed a rare and precious disposition; specifically, she was a really cute when teased character. Given the adorable red face he was looking at now, Subaru could only call this a job well done. "Incidentally, you weren't back for dinner last night, either, so what were you up to?" Keeping the charming Beatrice in the corner of his eye, Subaru cocked his head questioningly as he looked at Otto's pale face. Otto's pallor seemed drained of blood so early in the morning as he wobbled to the edge of the porch and sat down. "I told you before we parted ways, did I not? Since we happened to have come all this way to Pristella, I wanted to meet people with whom it would normally be very difficult to sp-eak wi ughhh." "Sounds like you're living dangerously. You seem about as drunk as the first time we met, man." "...In the case of Mr. Natsuki, I was not drunk when we first met, I believe?" "If that's what you remember, then it's probably true. For you, at least." Otto seemed to have no recollection of such an event, and at present, his memory was correct. Their first meeting from Subaru's point of view and from Otto's point of view differed greatly in place and subsequent developments. But Subaru had no intention of trying to explain over and over the happenings during various circuits of a loop that had been lost for eternity. Deciding to move on, Subaru shot Otto's suspicious face a wink. "Anyway, make sure you aren't a bad influence on Beako, or it'll affect her development. Well, I do understand that you were trying your best for the group, though." "This, I did all on my own agh I had other reasons for doing thish." *** "More importantly..." Bitterly twisting up his pale face, Otto scanned the garden. "I do not see Garfiel anywhere. It is unusual for him not to at least poke his face out, is it not? He is always the first to rise, howling from the peak of a mountain or something." "That's because he couldn't find any other high ground to howl from. Errr, jokes aside, he's in a bit of a sensitive state at the moment. For the time being, be gentle if you run into him, 'kay?" "To be perfectly honest, I wish I was the one being treated gently at the moment... Ugh, my head hurts..." Subaru flashed a troubled smile at Otto's Groggy status as he wobbled and crumbled down onto the porch. "So now that Otto is here, too, what are our plans for today?" Hugging a sullen Beatrice from behind, Emilia inclined her head and posed the all-important question. Her words made Subaru go "right..." as he touched a hand to his chin. "There's the issue of renegotiating with Kiritaka for sure. What was the plan again, kidnap Liliana and trade her for the magic crystal?" "Where did that drastic plan come from?! Did you really reflect on anything you did yesterday?!" "Sorry, my smidgen of resentment toward Liliana affected my proposal." Subaru apologized as Liliana's blissful face came rushing back to him, but Otto was too busy suffering from the effects of his own shouts on his hungover head to pay much attention. After moaning for a while, Otto continued with tears in his eyes. "First of all, we are scheduled to visit the Muse Company at fire time today. I would be grateful if we could have White Dragon's Scale mediate, however..." The name Otto mentioned was referring to Kiritaka's bodyguard, Dynas. White Dragon's Scale was the name of the mercenary company he was part of, which was currently hired to serve as Kiritaka's personal guard. Although, in Subaru's mind, Dynas seemed less like a bodyguard and more like a private secretary whose main purpose was to deal with the Liliana issue. "For the time being, I must ask that Mr. Natsuki remain here. I shall accept no rebuttals." "Why...is what I'd like to say, but I'll keep it under wraps. Even I know the talks will go smoother without me there...but then what's the point of me coming to Pristella?" "To play with Beatrice? It's good to make as many memories with her as you can." "Is Betty somehow being treated lightly for some, I wonder?! I raise an objection!" Beatrice's indignant protests were for the most part ignored, and with that, the afternoon plans were tentatively set. They weren't very involved plans, though; the gist was that everyone except Otto had free time. "Well, how about I take Emilia-tan and Beako to a public park?" "Eh? Shouldn't I be going together with Otto?" "Today, I am only going to obtain a promise to reopen negotiations, you see. Bringing Lady Emilia along for this type of visit would be lacking in etiquette. Having you return ahead of me yesterday was for the same reason." After explaining his reasoning to Emilia, Otto added, "However..." and shot Subaru a suspicious glance before continuing. "I do not know what Mr. Natsuki is scheming in citing such a reason." "Calling it scheming makes it sound like I'm up to no good." That was all he could muster. Otto was impressive as always even his misses were still somehow on target. Not that Subaru was actually scheming, but he did have a plan. It was a plan that relied heavily on luck, however. "After I got off the boat yesterday, I found this really pretty park along the way. I was like, I wanna take a walk through there with Emilia-tan, with Beako in the middle and us holding her hands." "Wow, that sounds fun. But should we really take it easy like that? What do you think, Teacher?" "I can hardly say no when my pupil is looking forward to it quite this much. Well, assuming he comes back before you go, at least take Garfiel with you... Just do not cause any commotions." "Why are you looking at me when you say that? Say that to Beako. She's the one you want." "How accurate is that, I wonder? Betty is the oldest one here, so it's fairly obvious who should lead the way." Mistaking what Otto was concerned about, Beatrice put her hands on her hips with a confident flourish. The way she completely missed the point was adorable, so Subaru affectionately stroked Beatrice's head all over. And as Subaru and company enjoyed the peaceful, friendly atmosphere "Yo, everyone's together, huh? Pretty nice morning, ain't it?" Felt raised her hand in greeting as she stepped into the corridor. "Morning. I was wondering this yesterday, too, but what are you reading?" "Ahhh, I have a bet with Reinhard going. He's gonna give me questions on what's in the book, and I'll answer 'em. If I don't win this, I probably won't be able to see Ilya next time I'm on break..." In other words, Reinhard was using Felt's competitive spirit to educate her, all in the name of a bet. What a pain, said her grimace. Felt lightly hopped down into the garden. Then the royal-selection candidate pointed at Otto, who was just managing to bring himself to a sitting position. "That green Mister wasn't here yesterday, was he? He's with you guys?" "Yeah, he is. This is our domestic adviser. Well, he's a lot like what Larry is to you." "I am not quite sure what you mean, but I am fairly certain you didn't mean anything good!" Though there was some rudeness implicit in his statement, it had introduced Otto more than sufficiently. At the end of that exchange, Felt tilted her head and asked Subaru, "Who's Larry?" "I mean that Lachins guy with you. They're minor acquaintances of mine. That's why I lovingly call the trio Larry, Curly, and Moe." "Heh, sounds fine to me. So Lachins, Gaston, and Camberley are Larry, Curly, and Moe to you? Has a nice ring to it fits 'em surprisingly well!" "I'm surprised at the miracle of what happened to me a year ago, too. Wish it was a different miracle, though." He raised a toast to himself for dubbing them well at the time. Incidentally, since Felt apparently liked the terminology, he raised a toast to the Three Stooges, who would continue to be known as Larry, Curly, and Moe forevermore. "By the way...," said Felt afterward as she glanced between Subaru and Emilia. "What's that weird dance you've been doing for a while now? Playing some kind of game?" "Hey, hey, don't call it a weird dance. These are radio calisthenics, a completely respectable workout." Felt had a mystified look as Subaru explained the activity that he and Emilia were doing together. The Emilia camp had assembled at the garden that morning precisely so they could do radio calisthenics. Regardless of whether they were on a trip or whatever their itinerary, they never missed morning calisthenics. "Good health is the secret to a long life, so this exercise routine is beloved by everyone from little kids to the elderly. When Emilia becomes king, she's going to make it national law to do these every morning." "That's right. It feels really good to do this every morning with everyone." "Yeah...? If it was up to me, anyone who planned to make that public policy definitely wouldn't get to be king..." As she watched them go through the exercises, Felt murmured with a frown on her face. It was sad that she didn't see the appeal of radio calisthenics, but even if people hated the activity at first, most got used to it as time wore on. As a matter of fact, an unprecedented radio-calisthenics boom was already spreading the exercise routine from the Mathers domain to various other regions. "Now that I think about it, I heard lots of weird festivals are spreading from that Miss's lands. There's some weird dance involved, playing around with hollowed-out pumpkins, and something about women baking sweets and giving them to men?" "Right now, it's treated as some weird custom from the boonies, but I wanna make it my project to spread these customs nationwide. On that note, it'd be nice to have someone like Anastasia cooperating when planning events and stuff." It was considered an open secret that the modern iteration of Valentine's Day was a conspiracy hatched in the chocolate corporate world. In other words, a lot of money could be up for grabs, so he felt like Anastasia would pounce at the chance. When Felt saw Subaru sink into thought with a serious look on his face, she glanced at Emilia and spoke in a quiet voice.
"Hey, is Mister always like this?" "Yeah, Subaru's like this most of the time. When he looks like he's just kidding around, he's actually thinking really hard about all kinds of things. Then again, sometimes he looks like this when he really is kidding around, too." "I have no idea why you sound like you're proud of him for that." Felt cocked her head in puzzlement when Emilia seemed to take a strange sense of pride in Subaru's behavior. Every so often, when Emilia interacted with people who were ostensibly younger than her, it was sometimes difficult to tell who was actually older, which was an issue of Emilia's mental age. This was one of those situations. "Come to think of it, you're all alone, Felt. Where's Reinhard?" "I ain't a kid, and havin' him around me just means I gotta listen to him fuss. Besides, not that I like admitting it, but if I call him, he'll get here in one second." Judging by how Felt's face stiffened as she said that, she probably meant it literally and not a joke. That sort of thing really drove home how extraordinary Reinhard truly was. "But from what I saw yesterday, it seems like you learned how to get along with Reinhard... Maybe get along isn't the right way to put it... It seems like you guys worked things out even though you had a rocky start." "Oh, really? I thought Felt and Reinhard got along very nicely from the start..." "Hey, are those actual gemstones in this Miss's eyes? You'd better polish 'em right so they see straight, 'cause I'm one scary girl when push comes to shove." Felt's strangely poetic metaphor made Subaru appreciate how much education and growing she'd benefited from since they last met. "Well, I can't deny what Mister said about it, though. Not like I can just be irresponsible forever or anything. Now that I've decided I'm doin' this with him, he's my responsibility, so..." " Lady Felt, you called?" "I did not!!" Instantly, Reinhard emerged out of thin air. When Reinhard suddenly appeared behind her back, Felt roared with anger at him. Her high-pitched voice made Reinhard raise an eyebrow. Then he addressed her. "Lady Felt, it is still early in the morning. This is not my mansion, so please do not cause trouble to those around us by raising a ruckus..." "Oh, shut up don't lecture me! And what's the big deal with you anyway?! You say you'll come in a second when I call you, and then you come when I'm not even calling at all!" "Good morning to you, Lady Emilia. And morning to you, Subaru. A fine day." "Don't ignore me when it's convenient for you, damn it!!" When Reinhard crisply smiled and offered a morning greeting, Subaru raised his hand in return. Furious at Reinhard's reaction, Felt grabbed him by the collar and shook his head around. Of course, given Reinhard's strength, he could have easily brushed her off, but she still kept a hold of him. "You see? Felt and Reinhard get along really well." "I guess you're right. That's a classic getting-along-nicely scene." "Somehow, those words are creepy enough that I could just die! I don't like it!" Grinning and agreeing with the smiling Emilia, Subaru smoothly ignored Felt's shouts. Instead, Subaru looked at Reinhard as Felt was manhandling him. He'd lowered the corners of his eyes in a consternated look, and he wore a troubled smile on his face, but the sight was so natural somehow that Subaru oddly felt a sense of relief. Simultaneously, he had a sudden thought these two had also spent the last year challenging the royal selection as master and retainer. "Well, hate to spoil the lovely moment, but how about we go get some breakfast?!" "I'm not accepting this!" Listening to Felt's high-pitched voice, Subaru looked up at the clear blue sky and gave a mighty stretch. First the night before, then a morning like this it was going to be a great day. He had no rational basis for thinking that, but he felt confident nonetheless. 2 " Good morning. Oh, you all seem to be getting along rather nicely." Anastasia greeted Subaru and the others as they entered the reception hall, smiling mischievously as she spoke. From her point of view, seeing the Emilia camp and the Felt camp together must have been a surprise. But Subaru was just as surprised by her greeting. The reason was the glossy outfit she was wearing. The sight of Anastasia, wearing a different outfit with her usual scarf around her neck, made Emilia and the others go "wow" in astonishment. "Good, good. It seems I've succeeded in surprising you this morning. I'm so happy." "That outfit is splendid. Is this what you were talking about in the bath yesterday?" "Yes, this is a kimono. It's like a yukata, but it takes a little longer to put on." Anastasia proudly twirled on the spot, splendidly putting the blue-dyed clothing on display. The dancing, falling petal pattern on it was also very charming. Subaru could only be amazed at Kararagi's ability to reproduce it. "So those clothes are some kind of Kararagi tradition?" "Yes. The design of these clothes has been passed down by tailors since the era of Hoshin and is one of the few pieces of culture from that time." "The era of Hoshin, is it?" Once again, this mysterious person, Hoshin of the Wastes, stood before Subaru. Just like Subaru and Al, he was probably an other-worlder from the same homeland, summoned four centuries prior "Once this is all wrapped up, I really need to look into this Hoshin guy a bit..." At this point, Subaru had no intention of complaining about the phenomenon of being summoned to another world. He'd long since passed the stages of understanding and acceptance. He knew neither the process of the summoning nor the goals of the summoner, but he'd accepted that the summoning was a one-way trip and that there was no convenient way to travel back. His questions about those things were as innumerable as stars in the sky, but what Subaru wanted to know most at the moment was what kind of marks the one summoned long before him had left upon the world and what became of him. That was all. "Lady Anastasia, you are even more beautiful this morning. I was worried that you would not allow even me to see you like this, but it seems that was a needless concern." "Eh-heh-heh, this was the jewel up my sleeve! The finished product only arrived in Pristella just a little while ago, you see. It was a real pain hiding it from Julius, heh-heh." Afterward, meeting up with Julius in the hall, Anastasia showed her clothes off to her own knight, and Julius lavished her with fawning praise, filling Anastasia with satisfaction. Then she cocked her head to the side. "Oh? Mimi and the others aren't with you?" "Ricardo has not yet returned this morning while out on the business he mentioned. As for Mimi...it would seem she has been leading Lady Emilia's retainer Garfiel all around." "Eh, Mimi's with Garfiel?" When Emilia's eyes went wide at hearing the name of one of her own, Julius said, "Yes," with a nod. "Garfiel and Mimi have not returned to the inn since last night. When they learned of this, Hetaro and TB ran into the city with all haste." "You heard about this from Joshua, and I'm only hearing about it now that's how I should take this?" Anastasia put her hands on her hips, checking with Joshua, who had followed Julius in and was hiding behind his back. The words left the young man with the delicate face downcast, bowing his head with a pathetic expression. "I I am very sorry. I was... I desperately tried to stop them, but Hetaro refused to listen to reason. And TB was also concerned, so..." "That's because when Mimi's there, Hetaro doesn't see anything else around him. If TB's with him, it should be fine... In his place, there is something I would like to ask of you, Joshua." Smiling at the cowed Joshua, Anastasia patted the young man's shoulder as he lifted his head. "I really had meant to entrust this to Hetaro and the others, but I want you to pick up a letter at the main gate it's a very, very important letter." As she spoke those words, Anastasia glanced in Subaru's direction. In his mind, the suggestive gaze overlapped with the conversation in the hall the night before, spurring him to say something. "I'm begging you, Joshua. You're my only hope." "What need is there for you to ask that of me?! Lady Anastasia has already given me her instructions!" Brushing off Subaru's hands, which had been grasping both his shoulders, Joshua headed for the sliding screen door with rapid steps. And then "I shall do as instructed. Leave it to me. I shall complete it without fail in TB and the others' stead!" with conviction, Joshua made this declaration to Anastasia and raced out of the hall. Anastasia gently touched her scarf when his ponytail vanished from sight. "He really could have done it after eating breakfast, though..." She wore a strained smile as she remarked on this youngster's apparent loyalty and hunger for glory. " I am sorry that we were a tad late. It would appear we are the last ones." Crusch, with her long green hair all tied up this day, was the last to arrive at the reception hall. She remained dressed in a ladylike fashion, with a floral hair ornament and a white ribbon vividly adorning her green hair. No doubt it was Ferris, appearing in the hall after her, who did the coordinating. With light steps, Wilhelm followed immediately behind Ferris, wearing his usual butler's outfit. The sight of the tall elderly man made Subaru's shoulders grow tense. He recalled the many words he had exchanged with the Sword Devil under the moonlight the night before. *** As Subaru reminisced, it was precisely then that Wilhelm spotted him, and they exchanged gazes. Subaru's breath caught in his throat as Wilhelm quietly greeted him with his eyes. Subaru interpreted the message as you need not be concerned. "So it seems we are all assembled. There are several faces missing, but still..." "That goes for our Garfiel, too. If he's with Mimi, that's fine, but that harebrained son of ours..." To be accurate, it should really be tigerbrained but naturally, even Subaru was worried about Garfiel not returning by morning or failing to stay in touch. Perhaps he'd gone off somewhere to heal that difficult-to-shake sense of defeat. And if Mimi really was with him, Subaru could only hope that things didn't get out of hand in some odd fashion. "Well, be it worries or work, it can wait until after we've had some food. Rohallo lost because of an empty stomach, they say." Clapping her hands, Anastasia invoked what seemed to be a common saying as she took her seat. Emulating her, Subaru and the others similarly sat down, divided by camp as they rested upon square floor cushions. "Could you please bring it in?" Seeing that everyone was seated, Anastasia called out to the people waiting behind the screens. As she did, several inn staffers brought plates in, placing them atop the long table. The long table was quickly filled with huge black objects only for even more iron plates to be set down. "Today we shall enjoy some traditional Kararagi folk cooking it's time for a daisukiyaki feast!" Anastasia made her pronouncement with great vigor as she swiftly rolled up her sleeves. Everyone in attendance was surprised by how she quickly set to work as the staff swiftly placed oil upon the iron plates and then brought a cart, which had all manner of condiments in round containers sitting atop it, into the hall. Daisukiyaki the echo of that word, the large iron
plates, the dishes... Glancing among all these, Subaru realized the true nature of the culinary tradition before him " Y-you mean this is okonomiyaki?!" Passed down in Kararagi as daisukiyaki, the Japanese dish of okonomiyaki boldly made its appearance. 3 "Subaru, look! Look how prettily it turned over! I'm so proud of it! Eat up!" "I suppose it came out well enough. Subaru, I went through all the trouble of frying this daisukiyaki, so you might as well eat it." Emilia's face was one big smile, whereas Beatrice's was a little shy as both served up some curious-looking daisukiyaki, which they themselves had cooked and which now sat on the iron plates before them. "Both of you should learn to taste your own cooking before serving it to people." Following Subaru's rather sound advice, the pair did as he suggested and promptly writhed in agony. Incidentally, Subaru could boast about his okonomiyaki to an extent, but he was not the most skilled in the Emilia camp. "Lady Emilia, Beatrice, both of you can have some of what I fried. Ahhh! Lady Emilia, frying it too lightly will ruin your stomach. Beatrice, you used too much sauce!" Thanks to Otto's feverish efforts, the Emilia camp was at least able to secure a decent breakfast. Glancing at the spectacle, Subaru shifted his gaze to the homemade cooking of the other camps. "Lady Felt, I have prepared the next dish." "Ohhh, nicely done, nicely done. Looks like at this rate, you're gonna be fryin' lots. I'm pretty grateful for your skill in cooking and making sweets, gotta say." With the Felt camp seated directly across from Subaru, he had a front-row seat to Reinhard producing one dish of high-end daisukiyaki after another with incredible skill, before watching all the food disappear into Felt's stomach. As over five daisukiyaki dishes had already vanished into thin air, where Felt stuffed them into her tiny body struck Subaru as one of the deeper mysteries of life. "Now, now, now, now, now, now ! This is some real, genuine daisukiyaki I whipped up!" But of course, Anastasia had put on quite a performance given her deep knowledge of daisukiyaki. She'd raced between two separate frying pans, successfully creating two hunks of what appeared to be charcoal. It was a valuable life lesson. Enthusiasm alone wasn't enough. "As expected of you, Lady Anastasia. However, I prefer it when the frying time is a little briefer. Though it pains me to add to your time and trouble..." "It's fine, it's fine, leave it to me. For a boy, you sure have a delicate tongue, Julius." Unlike Subaru, who urged the cooks to eat their own food and repent for their culinary sins, Julius ate the hunks of charcoal without complaint and only after finishing every last bite did he suggest improvements. Truly, his demeanor toward his liege was chivalry itself. Subaru had absolutely no desire to follow suit. "Ahhh, Lady Crusch ! Ferri fried a pretty one. Here, here." "Why, yes you have. But I shall not be defeated. Ha-ha, behold." Yes, it was Crusch and Ferris who were involved in relaxed, flirtatious same-sex bonding. That didn't properly describe their relationship, but this was typical for them, so Subaru decided it would be prudent to not intrude. Either way, as befit their impressive dexterity, the daisukiyaki on their iron plates were remarkable Ferris had even taken the time to give them kitty ears. "Fwoo. Okay, it's time to make you eat Ferri's daisukiyaki made with love. Lady Crusch, please open your mouth and say ahhh." "Eh, eh? Um, errr...a-ahhh..." Thanks to the tender rich-girl aura Crusch gave off, Subaru got the distinct feeling that he should stop watching. Off to the side of that pinkish scene, Wilhelm was working on his own daisukiyaki, but "Mmm..." Turning over the pieces, the Sword Devil groaned as they broke apart and clung to the iron plate. They had probably been left to cook for a bit too long; Wilhelm seemed to be exhibiting unexpected clumsiness. "I feel like I'm seeing something I was never meant to see. But that being the case... Er." "Hey, Mister, what you fried looks pretty tasty." Right as Subaru thought he'd offer Wilhelm a helping hand, Felt cut him off. Her eyes glimmered as she gazed at the Puck-shaped daisukiyaki that Subaru had fried with his own two hands. "Nah, I'm sure your guy can cook palace-chef-level daisukiyaki on an industrial scale already. Not that I know if palace chefs actually make daisukiyaki..." "Well, you have a point, but sometimes, you just wanna eat something different, right? Even though he's cooking on an iron plate like this, everything that bastard makes comes out elegant..." "Then, Felt, why don't you try the daisukiyaki I ma...?" "I'm talking about eating food here. Why don't you go and play with the little shrimp over there, charcoal-burner?" Emilia, finally getting the charcoal-maker treatment, slinked over to Beatrice so she could commiserate with the glum spirit. Subaru wore a concerned smile when he saw how dejected they were. "Hey now, don't tease my Emilia-tan and my Beako like that." "So not just the Miss but the little shrimp, too... Oh right, that's right!" Quickly sidestepping Subaru's reply, Felt proceeded to lean toward him. "Hey, I thought I'd come out and ask. I heard some amazin' rumors about you, Mister. So be real with me: How many of those things are lies?" "Come on don't assume most of it is lies from the very start. It almost sounds like that's what you're hoping for." "But there's no way I can believe all that stuff. I mean, I heard Mister sliced the White Whale in two all on his own, smashed the Witch Cult with his bare fists, turned the Great Rabbit into fried rabbit...and ate it!" "The info sorta, kinda matches, but there's a lot of chaff mixed in, damn!!" If Subaru could manage that all by himself, he'd have been made a national hero or even become king by now. He would have just taken the throne by force and made Emilia his queen so they could flirt forever. " Hmph." But Subaru's strong wisecrack was greeted by a slight chuckle from off to the side from a pair of voices at that. The voices belonged to none other than Julius and Wilhelm. " ? Why are Mr. Finest and Grandpa laughing? Did I say something funny?" "It's not just that you said something funny; it's that the whole situation's hilarious. Everything you mentioned rates my contributions way too high. Like, at that point just gimme a Nobel Peace Prize." He didn't actually know what winning a Nobel Peace Prize entailed, but at any rate, it was what came to mind when he thought of respectable commendations. Subaru had been recognized at the honors ceremony, but because he didn't really have a firm grasp of how much that was worth, he had little grasp of exactly how his achievements had been graded. It was then that Wilhelm picked up where Subaru and Felt's conversation had left off. "Not at all. Where the hunt of the White Whale was concerned, Sir Subaru's contributions were incalculable. Without Sir Subaru, my long-cherished desire would never have been fulfilled. I swear this to be true upon my very sword." "It is the same with the Witch Cult incident. That victory was over and done and thanks to none other than his leadership. The assistance that others as well as I had provided were not contributions worthy of boasting about." Wilhelm and especially Julius's blunt assessments left Subaru at a loss for words. After, what belatedly arrived was ferocious heat. Subaru's head and ears were burning from embarrassment. "C-cut it out, guys! Don't put me on a weird pedestal like that! You all know what shameful shit I get up to when I get full of myself!" "The results of your efforts after that more than made up for your own shame. There is no need for you to dwell upon that moment forever. Your future exploits are completely separate and should be greeted with pride." "What you have accomplished are things no one else has ever done before. Until my final days, I shall take pride in having galloped across the battlefield alongside you." " Ah." Killed by praise. Up to that point, Subaru Natsuki had died over and over. But this was the first time he had glimpsed death in such a frightening manner. Subaru was learning what it meant to be slain by praise. He felt so embarrassed that he honestly thought he might die at any moment. Subaru looked in search of aid toward Emilia, then Beatrice. However, the pair merely offered him adorable smiles with Subaru sandwiched between them. "That's right. Subaru worked really hard. I'm truly proud, and happy, to have made that Subaru my knight." "W-well, is that not all a matter of course for Betty's partner, I wonder? If anything, the surrounding rabble have been slow to realize just how incredible Subaru is." He never dreamed their support would be so unanimous. The frightening degree of indulgence was making Subaru's head spin. And there was not a single person in the hall who refuted these assessments. Indeed, the gazes turned toward Subaru were gentle and kind, one and all "Looks like a lot of stuff happened, but Mister's nature ain't changed a bit. What a relief." "Oh, shaddap! Hey, everyone, don't praise me too much! You're gonna make me like every one of you!!" When Felt neatly tied things up like that, Subaru's voice exploded as he neared his limit. Instantly, the gentle atmosphere in the great hall was shattered as the voices of all present burst into laughter. *** Amid that uproarious laughter, Subaru snuck a glance Wilhelm's way. Subaru hadn't aimed for it, but the atmosphere in the hall was remarkably good. Even with careful planning, it would have been difficult to create a moment better than this for bridging gaps and creating mutual understanding. "Mm." Abruptly noticing Subaru's gaze, Wilhelm lifted an eyebrow. Subaru used his eyes to indicate the broken-up daisukiyaki by Wilhelm's hands, then motioned with his chin toward Reinhard. Realizing the import of the gesture, Wilhelm quietly drew in his breath. Beside him, Reinhard was mass-producing daisukiyaki for Felt's sake once more. The gap in skill between grandfather and grandson was like the distance between the clouds and mud, which was exactly why Subaru thought that this could be a turning point. Wilhelm's blue eyes grew unsteady as he wrestled with the complex emotions warring within him over and over gloom, reluctance, hesitation, indecision. But Wilhelm would surely overcome them all, taking a step forward and " Citizens of Pristella, good morning to you. The morn feels wonderful, does it not?" That was the moment they heard a voice coming from outside the inn no, it was coming from the very sky itself. Emilia and the others' surprised reactions made it plain that the sudden voice was no private hallucination. "Ohhh? The heck is this? Some bastard out there has a super loooud voice." "Oh, Felt, of course not. This happens each morning in this city... This is a metropolitan-government broadcast using a metia." "A metia broadcast..." After Anastasia replied to Felt's carefree murmur, Subaru mulled the explanation over under his breath. Metia was a general term for a magic item put together with some kind of magical technology. Some of the objects, such as the one being employed for the broadcast, functioned much like technology back in Subaru's original world. He guessed that this metia worked like a bullhorn or a speaker system. "There is a broadcast every morning? For what purpose?" "I have heard it is preparation for emergencies. Given the construction of the city, there are very few evacuation routes available, so people familiarized them with broadcasts in hopes of avoiding a general panic in case of a real emergency." "Hmm, I see meow. Very logical." Julius's comprehensive explanation left Crusch and Ferris
impressed. Subaru was equally impressed. This was the first time he'd heard of anyone treating a metia as genuinely useful and a critical part of a city's infrastructure. As far as he knew, there was virtually no precedent of using metia for practical purposes. Conversation mirrors just barely made the cut, and even these seemed to be almost exclusively possessed by the Witch Cult, leaving him with a poor impression. But that impression vanished in an instant. He simply chalked it up to strange timing that he hadn't heard of this before. "Incidentally, Mr. Kiritaka is both the broadcaster and the provider of the metia." "Eh?" With not a shred of ill will on his face, Otto added to the static in Subaru's mind. Subaru sank into thought for several seconds. The back of his mind flipped through his memories of Kiritaka like a revolving lantern. "No way." "Could anything be more impossible, I wonder?" "Oh, Otto, you can be so funny sometimes." "I can understand Mr. Natsuki and Beatrice, but even Lady Emilia?!" Subaru and Beatrice's conclusion and Emilia's laughter left Otto dumbstruck. During that time, the broadcast continued, and certainly, words from a somehow familiar voice were reaching every part of the city. Of course, Subaru had heard from people over and over just how capable and respected Kiritaka was, but the impression he had from directly meeting the man loomed far larger in his mind. The appraisals and the real thing simply didn't match up. Even this broadcast seemed "And this morning, too, I offer this trifling... Nay! I shall grant you all a wonderful blessing! It is time for Ms. Liliana the Songstreeeessss!" "Ah, it's totally him." The tension snapped midway as Subaru's memories and the broadcast suddenly aligned. In fact, he no, they had interfered in what would have been a historic moment. That was hardly their fault, but Subaru was already pinching Kiritaka's cheeks in his own mind. There was a noise of the broadcast metia being passed around, and then they heard a tiny throat-clearing sound. "Hi, everyone, it's Lilianaaa. Being treated like a songstress is a burden as heavy as a mountain, but as I truly want to delight you with my singing and music, please support me with your joyous cheers during our brief time together !" Liliana's voice reverberated so vividly across the city, Subaru could picture exactly what kind of pose she was making. Instantly, expectant looks sprang up all around; in particular, Emilia, Beatrice, Anastasia and company's faces were bright, knowing full well just how wonderful Liliana's singing voice was. It was probably only Subaru who had a somber, clouded expression among all of them. Mysteriously, Kiritaka's voice had sounded a bit odd over the metia, but Liliana's seemed to have no problem coming through. This was probably due to differences in speaking and compatibility with the metia. Or perhaps Liliana's voice truly had been blessed by some goddess of song. Then when they heard Liliana ready her musical instrument, expectations in the hall swelled even more "Now, I shall sing. Please listen this is the 'Love Song of the Sword Devil,' the second act." "Wha ?" The song was beginning as Subaru almost commented aloud on her selection. The broadcast carried the beautiful melody throughout the entire city, seemingly straight to their hearts. Engulfed by the music and the singing voice, Subaru only had ears for the "Love Song of the Sword Devil." Liliana really was a star-crossed songstress but for all her character flaws, she had a truly magnificent singing voice. 4 A conflicted atmosphere coursed through the reception hall as the reverberations of the "Love Song of the Sword Devil" lingered within the city. The word incredible was nowhere near sufficient to describe Liliana's song. As a matter of fact, had there been no other issues, Subaru would surely have gone straight to showering Liliana's song in praise and immediately diving into conversation about it. There was only one issue she had selected the "Love Song of the Sword Devil." It was the tale of the Sword Devil, a man enamored with the sword and the one who pursued the Sword Saint. This was nothing short of the heroic tale of Wilhelm in his youth, the tale of how he and his deeply beloved wife came to meet. In other words, thinking back to Subaru's conversation with Wilhelm the night before, this song could not have had worse timing...at least for Wilhelm, who continued to harbor feelings for his wife that had not diminished even one iota. Of course, there were none in the hall unfamiliar with Wilhelm's relationship to the "Love Song of the Sword Devil." Even Emilia's cheeks hardened; even Felt's face was grave. Accordingly, Subaru turned a gaze of concern toward Wilhelm, who was surely feeling considerable heartache * The forthright look that had returned to his blue eyes, like a lake without a single ripple disturbing its surface, made Subaru unconsciously draw in his breath. For a single instant, Wilhelm nodded toward Subaru's black eyes. Then he slowly turned to his left, where his young red-haired grandson was seated. " Reinhard." As if to slice the concerns as well as Subaru and the others around them away, Wilhelm carefully spoke that name aloud. Reinhard opened his eyes wide as he looked at Wilhelm. In turn, Wilhelm received Reinhard's gaze head-on. A silence fell between the pair No, it enveloped the entirety of the reception hall. Expressions of urgency came over everyone as they sensed that a fateful conversation between grandfather and grandson was imminent. Within the room, the only sound was that of the daisukiyaki already frying atop the hot iron plates. And while it was still unclear whether the silence had lasted for an instant or the span of several breaths "You see..." "Yes, what is it?" "...I am not frying this very well. If there is a knack to this, could you teach it to me?" That was what Wilhelm said with curt, halting words. Just how much courage did Wilhelm summon to spit those words out? Subaru had some idea. Apparently, Crusch and Ferris recognized this as well, being as wide-eyed as he. From the side, Subaru watched complex emotions ripple across Reinhard's face as he listened to his haggard grandfather's words. Reinhard closed his eyes in sorrow, or perhaps some undefinable emotion, then swept it away with a deep breath. From there, he slowly relaxed and said " Yes. I understand, Grandfather." As the tension palpably drained from his eyes and mouth, there was no longer any doubt that he was smiling. This was not the hero's smile that Reinhard used to set people at ease on a daily basis. This was an expression that only belonged to the young man named Reinhard, not the Sword Saint. Wilhelm was taken aback. Then he slowly lowered his head. He couldn't immediately accept it. However, even if it didn't seem real at first, a connection had surely been made. The long, deep chasm that had opened up between the pair, between grandfather and grandson, might still require as much time to fill as it had taken to dig it. But now that they had bridged that gap once, all there was to do now was fill it with acceptance. Tracing that future in his mind, Subaru, feeling a flood of emotions, tightly clenched a fist. After all " Oh, no you don't, Father. Isn't it too convenient to pull that after all this time?" Suddenly, a red-haired man opened the screen door and peered into the hall. The sheer malice in his words stunned Subaru, who forgot the very passage of time in his shock. 5 The greatest of moments had been ruined in the vilest way possible. The red-haired man's action could be considered a type of evil no, it was cruelty. A faint whiff of alcohol wafted from this flushed man as he stroked the stubble on his cheek. A repulsive smile came over him. His age seemed to be around forty, give or take. The reason these little gestures and askew grooming instilled even greater disgust than necessary was because his outward appearance was fundamentally handsome. It was a striking rejection and sullying of beauty. The deep-rooted sense of malice from the tall man's appearance was making Subaru sick. "...Who the heck are you?" "Aaahhh?" As all the others in the hall held their tongues, Subaru was the first among them to raise his voice. He moved a hand behind his hip, grasping hold of something as he made a threatening sound, blood rising to his head in indignation. That moment, everyone should have been wishing for reconciliation between the awkward pair. Subaru felt nothing but anger for the man who'd interfered. His friend and the man he admired were making progress on repairing their relationship, until "Answer me. Who the hell are you?" "...Those're some nasty eyes ya got there, brat. You got any idea who you're picking a fight with, huh, greenhorn knight?" "Don't make me laugh. You're the one picking a fight. I'm just taking you up on the offer." Subaru stood up then and there, finally approaching his limit. Beside him, Beatrice quietly sat, putting her hand within easy reach of Subaru. His reliable partner approved of the flames of anger welling up in Subaru's heart. Looking down at Subaru, the man had an annoyed look on his face as he raggedly scratched his head. "What a noisy brat. Hey, Sword Saint, Julius, or hell, even Argyle cut this rude brat down." Pointing at Subaru with his scratching hand, the man ordered Reinhard and the others in a casual voice. Subaru could only interpret his arrogant statement as contempt for all three. This time, Subaru seriously made ready to swing his arm and smack the man across the face "I must object." but just before he could act, Julius held Subaru's shoulder in check, forcing him to stop. Julius, who had risen at some point, stood directly to Subaru's right while grasping his shoulder. Turning to glance at Subaru, he set his jaw firmly. Then he glared at the red-haired intruder. "Currently, I, Ferris, and Reinhard are on special duty and relieved from our normal responsibilities. Accordingly, even the vice captain does not possess command authority over us at the moment." "Right, right. Ferri is Lady Crusch's servant both in name and fact right meow. So I cannot obey your command." Seizing the opportunity provided by Julius's assertion, Ferris hugged Crusch's arm as he gave his irreverent reply. Crusch was momentarily surprised to find her knight wrapped around her, but she immediately looked at the man with a sober expression. When Subaru looked around, the other people in the room had similar expressions as they drew close, making no attempt to hide their hostility toward the interloper. Of course not. This was the man who had wrecked the reconciliation between grandfather and grandchild that everyone had been watching with bated breath. "Hey, hey. What a scary lot. Obviously, that was a joke, so don't get all worked up over nothing. Even if I am a vice captain in name only, I'll uphold the rules of the knighthood at least." "In name only...?" Subaru knit his brows at the word choice of the drunkard with a thin smile on his lips. Hearing Subaru's murmur, the man shot him another gaze of ridicule. "That's right, in name only. I am none other than Heinkel the Idle, the despised, ornamental vice captain of the royal guard of the Kingdom of Lugunica." "Don't get passive-aggressive with that idle and despised stuff." "Gah-ha-ha! It hurts my ears to hear that. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts so much, I can't stand it...so shut your mouth, damn brat." * The gloom and darkness brimming in those eyes sent a chill running down Subaru's spine. This wasn't the same fear he felt when confronting a powerful being, such as the White Whale or a Witch. No, this was a separate,
more personal feeling of revulsion. "Calm down, Subaru. You mustn't get caught up in the vice captain's rhythm." As Subaru drew in his breath, Julius addressed him. The words made the man Heinkel shoot Julius a somber smile. "Ha! That's the Finest of Knights for you. Such refined conduct and careful choice of words. If those actually amounted to real power among knights, you'd have a proper following of your own." "I am honored that you would praise me so, Vice Captain Heinkel... Incidentally, what business brings you here on this occasion? According to memory, the vice captain should have been assigned the duty of garrisoning the Royal Palace in the capital." "Such graceful sarcasm. The castle's security won't be affected due to my absence, especially with the great Captain Marcus taking care of it...and it ain't like there's a royal family to protect now, is there?" "Heinkel!" It was Wilhelm who rose and shouted in anger at Heinkel's statement, which, considering the place, was insolent to the extreme. The Sword Devil had an incredible look on his face as his lips openly trembled. "Heinkel..." "I heard you the first time. I'm not old enough to be hard of hearing yet. Well, just let that slide as the ramblings of a drunk. More importantly..." When Wilhelm raised his voice, Heinkel shrugged with an innocent look on his face. Then he surveyed the interior of the room with eyes just as blue as Wilhelm's. "Not inviting me to the celebration for the hunt of the White Whale... What's the big idea? How cold and callous can you be? It's a big job that took over ten years to complete. I had just as much right as anybody to join the celebration and share in the happiness. Ain't that right, Father of mine?" "Heinkel, I..." "Reinhard! You feel the same way, don't ya?" * Adopting a face oozing with malice, Heinkel dug right into Wilhelm's heart. The old man's expression registered pain as if he was being sliced with a blade, but Heinkel cared not. His voice interrupted Wilhelm's protest, directing his malice toward its next destination: Reinhard. Those words made Reinhard, who had maintained his silence to that point, finally meet Heinkel's gaze. "Thanks to Father, the burden on your shoulders got lighter, didn't it? This is your magnificent grandfather, the man who avenged his wife, my mother, and your grandmother. You didn't even say one word about him doing a good job, did you? After all..." Breaking off his speech, Heinkel smeared a healthy dose of poison onto his blade of words. Then he spoke again. "...he's the one who avenged the predecessor you let die, isn't that right?" This man's face, more than any other Subaru had ever seen, deserved to be called...repulsive. Heinkel's words, his face, his demeanor, his voice, his gaze every single thing emanating from his entire existence was drenched with nothing but malice. This was a man of pure contempt, a man whose repulsiveness was his reason for being. "Stop this, Heinkel! You... Even for you, this is...!" "Stop trying to pretty it up after all this time, Father. You don't have any right to criticize me. After all, the first one to scold Reinhard for killing his predecessor...was none other than you." * Heinkel's words were like a curse craftily brewed by distilling all the hatred in the world. And the content of those words was a denunciation Subaru could not bear to hear. The guy was spouting nothing but lies. It was wrong. It was false. It was obviously made-up. It simply couldn't be. And yet, neither Reinhard nor Wilhelm... * Neither of them opened their mouths to deny it. Why? All they had to say was one word: no. If they swept it all away as made-up garbage, Subaru would believe them without any doubt whatsoever. His friend in arms and his respected mentor versus a drunken excuse of a man there was no need to anguish over whom to believe. That was why Subaru desperately wanted the two to speak the one word that would make this all go away. "Gone quiet 'cause the truth's inconvenient for ya? That's how it's been for fifteen years. Father hasn't changed one bit, either. If he hasn't changed, no way we're patching things up. You think Theresia van Astrea would allow something as simpleminded as that?" Silence descended upon the hall as Heinkel's curse persisted. The name he invoked was that of Wilhelm's wife and Reinhard's grandmother " My dead mother has cursed us, all three generations of Astreas. We're not allowed forgiveness." The man called the prior Sword Saint, Theresia...his mother. That made him Reinhard's father and Wilhelm's son. "Heinkel van Astrea..." Saying the name aloud, Subaru could feel its weight. He'd grasped who Heinkel really was. There was no mistake; the man before him carried the name of the Astrea family line even though his character was nothing like the Astreas whom Subaru knew. "Don't add van to it, brat. I never got the sword name. It's Heinkel Astrea." Overhearing Subaru's troubled murmur, Heinkel clicked his tongue. In an instant, pain appeared on Heinkel's face. Perhaps this was simply the first time he had allowed it to be seen since he'd arrived. Now pain ran through his eyes, which had held nothing but dark delight when he disparaged his family earlier. Thinking that this did not amount to consolation of any kind, Subaru instantly cut it aside, but "So what is it you came for?" "Emilia?" Everyone in the hall who had witnessed Heinkel's various words and actions received a jolt. The first among them to come forward and pose that question was none other than Emilia. The girl stood in front of Subaru, her silver hair billowing down her back as she voiced a soft-spoken anger. Subaru could keenly feel on his skin that her ire was genuine. She always became upset when others were hurt for no good reason. When she watched Reinhard and Wilhelm get hurt, it had roused her anger. "...Well, well, so this is Lady Emilia. I've heard the rumors. You're apparently some kind of poor little half-demon princess burdened with a battle she can't possibly win." "I'd like to discuss with you what you think of me at a later point, but I am not speaking of it now. I have only one question. Why have you come here?" His provocative statement was meant to ridicule Emilia, but Heinkel looked taken aback when his effort backfired. Subaru understood why the other camps within the room were shocked by Emilia's bold demeanor. Considering how Emilia had acted the previous day up to this morning, of course they were surprised by the dramatic change. This was why she pretended to be scatterbrained to conceal her true nature...is what some might believe, but that would be a lie. This was simply the kind of person she was. "Everyone is gathered here because they were invited by Anastasia. But for everyone to be here at once is already coincidence, and I do not think you would simply happen to plan a visit at a time like this. That's doubly true for someone who's a high-ranking member of the Knights of the Royal Guard. What is the meaning of this? Tell me." "Tch, she ain't like the rumors at all..." "Answer properly." Heinkel clicked his tongue and furiously scratched his head clear signs that Emilia was overwhelming him. Emilia was angry, but in no way did she resort to a show of force. Her formidable presence was thanks to the indomitable spirit she possessed, not the overwhelming store of magical energy she was emanating. "Wow, you stormed in all full of yourself only to get shut up by one chick glaring at ya, huh? Hey, Pops, that's really uncool of you." "You have a point. If he wanted to entertain himself with amusing conversation, he should have gone to watch the Songstress. The stories there would have been much funnier and more bizarre." "My, is that so? Then this uncouth individual should leave and by all means spend some time together with the oft-rumored Songstress." * Backing Emilia up, Felt, Anastasia, and Crusch all chimed in. Just as Emilia had done, the three other royal-selection candidates lashed at the boorish interloper with the sheer intensity of their commanding presence. Feeling the pressure coming from all four, Heinkel's cheek twitched. It was almost as if...he was unworthy of standing on this stage. Compared with the people who had earned their right to be there, the gap between him and them was yawning indeed. "Are you satisfied, vice captain? If you have no other business, I believe it would be mutually beneficial for you to depart from this place as soon as possible." Julius made that suggestion as he beheld the contrast between the color of Heinkel's face and the rising temperature from the women. In one sense, he was offering Heinkel a lifeboat. The thought crossed Subaru's mind that if possible, Heinkel's spirit should be broken then and there, but he wanted to avoid dragging out this conversation. He didn't want to have Heinkel in the same room as Reinhard and Wilhelm any longer. "Ughhh..." "Vice captain, your decision. If possible, it would be best for all sides to refrain from speaking of this any fur..." " That will not be necessary, commoner." The voice that called out was uncommonly charming, filled with the arrogance of one who looked down upon all others as a matter of fact. The stunning voice compelled the hearts of anyone within earshot to submit and imposed the speaker's absolute sense of superiority on them, completely overwriting their perceptions of worth and value. Everyone in the hall shifted their eyes toward the closed screen door behind Heinkel. Already, not a single person paid Heinkel any more attention. Perhaps that was because their attention was gathered solely upon the sunlike heat approaching from beyond the threshold. And then "It would seem that the riffraff have been assembled. Marvelous. You have prepared a place suitable for my personal attendance. For this, and this alone, I commend you." Her cleavage was provocatively exposed. She was clad in a dress as red as blood. Her arms were wrapped around her chest, propping up her substantial breasts and freely baring her lustrous skin while she flashed a sultry smile. Her crimson eyes seemed to set all aflame. Her gaze seemed to make sport of everything. Her enchanting charisma was bewitchment made manifest, ready to enthrall every male in the world and make them her slaves. Beyond a certain point, beauty could become violence. Her very existence was the embodiment of those words. And her name was Priscilla Bariel. With this, the fifth and final candidate for the royal selection had arrived, apparently uninvited, to the feast. 6 "I must say, however, you certainly are holding this event in a remote place. It was highly inconvenient locating suitable transport to cover such a distance. Well, the sights of the city and the odd structure of this inn do suit my tastes." Concealing her lips behind a crimson fan, Priscilla snickered as she surveyed the hall. The people shocked by her sudden appearance could not muster a response to her statement. Seeing this, Priscilla knit her shapely brows in displeasure. "What is with this poor reaction, when I have bothered to walk here with my own two legs? Is it not proper custom to touch your heads to the floor and greet my arrival with deeply moved tears?" "...Where do you get off acting like a big-shot princess? A scene like that would only happen in a dictatorship." "Mmm?" Subaru had unwittingly interrupted Priscilla's self-centered dictum. Overhearing his murmur, Priscilla inclined her head and gazed squarely at Subaru with her red eyes. "...Who might you be? This is a room for fools ignorant of their station attempting to compete with me for the throne. Why is a vulgar peasant such as you
mixed in among them?" "Is she serious?" Subaru dejectedly slumped at the genuine, threatening disdain trained toward him. She gave no sign that this was a joke, nor any hint of sarcasm or ridicule. In other words, it was just what it seemed. Priscilla was completely unaware of Subaru's very existence. The way they had met ought to have left something of an impression, but she'd already forgotten him entirely. "Hey, Princess. Even for you, isn't that horrible? Maybe he doesn't stand out to a princess like you, but to me, this bro of mine is plenty interesting, okay?" Then as if to split asunder the terrible, stagnant pall hanging over the hall, a voice casually called out to Priscilla. The voice was fairly muffled and was accompanied by a faint metallic clinking. A lumbering noise came in from the corridor as a one-armed man appeared to stand at Priscilla's side. The man's head was covered in a pitch-black steel helm, with the rest of him clad in crude clothing that had a rustic, bandit chic to it. This was Al, both Priscilla's retainer and a man in the same position as Subaru he had also been summoned from another world. Al, who was naturally traveling with his liege, wearily shrugged in Priscilla's direction. "Come on, you remember, right? This is the guy who seriously shamed himself in front of a massive crowd when Princess and the others declared their beliefs back at the castle. That's this bro right here. You grabbed your belly and laughed a ton, didn't you?" "I have no memory of such a thing. In the first place, would I ever do something as tactless as grasp my belly and laugh? Do not confuse nobility such as mine with that of these country bumpkins. Next time, I shall remove your head from your shoulders, Al." "Well, there you have it, Bro. Sorry, I just can't cut it. You're gonna have to work hard and raise your affinity points up from scratch again." "You had a whole year, so you could've raised your speech ability a little bit more, damn it!" Al apologized to Subaru as he swiftly gave up on trying to remind his liege of their first meeting. The frivolous way he went "sowwy, sowwy" felt like he hadn't changed one bit in the last year, leaving Subaru with little to do but sigh at the steadfast master and servant. "Being able to change like you is the privilege of the young, Bro. An old guy like me can't do that, no, sir." "Man, I was just about to revise the rankings on my do not turn into adults like these list though some exceptions apply." In contrast to Al's flippant tongue, Subaru ended his reply by glancing Heinkel's way. The man, completely abandoned as everyone's attention went elsewhere, shot Priscilla a servile smile. "You're late, Lady Priscilla. My liver was freezing, wondering if you'd ever show up..." "Do not chirp at me, commoner. If I command you to dance, it is your duty as a commoner to dance until I command you to cease or until your demise. Should you misunderstand this and seek to 'correct' me, your death for your conceit shall be neither brief nor painless." "Ghhh..." Heinkel's face had momentarily brightened at the prospect of turning things around, but Priscilla's sharp tongue-lashing shut him up. But Subaru raised his eyebrows as the pair's conversation made him harbor suspicions. "Priscilla, is he with you?" "...Who granted you permission to address me without title, vulgar peasant? Even though I am as generous as a compassionate mother, it is quite limited in regards to such behavior coming from anyone but a child." "Princess." Al called out to Priscilla as she shot a cruel look toward Subaru. The whiff of supplication contained in his voice caused Priscilla to close one eye and let out a sigh. "I know not why, but my servant has taken a rather odd liking to you. I will refrain from removing even a single layer of skin off your head, so you should thank Al No, you should revere me. I shall overlook your impertinence this once." "...I'm grateful for your enormous generosity. Now answer my question." "Whether this commoner is with me or not, was it? In that case, you assume correctly. It is precisely that. I summoned him and dispatched him to this place." " !! What for?!" "If I must name a reason, then it is because I thought it would be amusing." Subaru was aghast. Bringing an uninvited guest who proceeded to ruin a grandfather's opportunity to reconcile with his grandson Priscilla had created this situation for a terrifyingly cruel reason. As Subaru gazed at Priscilla in dazed silence, she explained further. "Yes. Such awkward and pitiful attempts to smooth over warped family bonds... There is no way I could calmly allow such an unsightly performance to continue. Accordingly, I have altered the script more to my liking. Quite a spectacle, was it not?" "Priscillaaa!" Her actions had been beyond vicious, and the way she casually talked about it sent Subaru flying into a rage. Spectacle. That was what this woman had called it. Inflicting deep wounds upon the hearts of Reinhard and Wilhelm, a few short steps away from going back to being family... She'd called that a spectacle. "Quit it, Bro. There's nothing gained from us going toe to toe here. Princess's personality being twisted isn't new. Just think of it as bad luck...the stars being out of alignment." "If you get that, rein her in, damn it. Stars, my ass. You've gotta be kidding me." As Subaru's blood ran hot, Al halted him with a push of his right hand. Having only one arm, he couldn't draw his sword like that he was making it clear that he had no intention of fighting. Subaru clenched his teeth tight. He realized he was the only one in the room who'd forgotten himself in a fit of anger. Obviously, this went for the royal candidates, but there was no sign of Julius or Ferris being agitated by events, either. Of course not. This was a graceful assembly of the rising stars aiming to be the next generation to carry the burden of the throne not a single person among them wanted allies who might give in to their emotions and hurt others in a fit of rage. "But isn't that saying you can hurt people emotionally all you want and it's okay...?!" "Subaru..." When Subaru put his nigh-unendurable anger into words, Emilia called out to him with shaking, forlorn eyes. When he noticed the sensation of his sleeve being pulled, Beatrice was there, too, holding Subaru's hand. Accepting the pair's sympathy, Subaru sighed deeply with a bitter face. "It would seem that the mongrel has ceased its baying. Today, I have come merely to make an appearance. Now that I have seen your tearful faces, I do not have any particular reason to remain." "Well, isn't that fine and dandy...? You're the only one I didn't tell about what I was doing here. Where did you hear of it?" Anastasia cut into Priscilla's crowing over having raised such a great ruckus. Wariness resided in Anastasia's pale blue-green eyes as a wry smile spread across her lips. "And here I was sure that I hadn't slipped up and told any child with loose lips..." "Drop the pretenses, you sly fox. When something enters the ears of men, it is inevitable that it shall trickle forth like drops of tears. As the numbers increase, so do the openings. You are not the only one who keeps a close eye on the movements of others." "Heh, now that surprises me. I didn't expect that out of Priscilla of all people." The sarcasm mixed with admiration made Priscilla spread out her fan as she broke into derisive laughter. "Were I a fool who sees only what is on the surface, I would be no different from you commoners. As people competing with me for succession rights, surely you are not attempting to disappoint me with a poor performance, yes?" "...You truly are a hard one to put a finger on." Exasperation was apparent in Anastasia's voice as she sighed at Priscilla's remark. Subaru completely agreed with Anastasia on that point. He'd misjudged Priscilla as someone who didn't see the other candidates as actual rivals and assumed she strictly followed her own path. But judging from her actions on this day, Priscilla had acquired accurate intelligence, prepared countermeasures, and set her plan in motion without any disdain for detail and so she had brought this most horrible of developments about. "This old man, he's Reinhard's dad, right?" Then after having ignored the course of the conversation to that point, one voice wedged itself in with complete disregard for the current situation. It was Felt who had raised her voice while stabbing a fork into the daisukiyaki on her plate. While she merrily stuffed her cheeks, her mouth was marred with sauce as she glared at Priscilla. "You were acting all chummy back at the castle before, so between that and the talk just now, I get it. It's not like I know all about this guy's family situation...but the old man's relationship with you, now that's different." "...Oh? And what opinion would a mere girl from the slums deign to hold about me?" "Ain't like this has nothin' to do with me. The Astrea family is Reinhard's to inherit, right? That's my so-called lifeline, and this old man has it in the palm of his hand." As Felt elaborated, Reinhard stiffened his cheeks as he sat beside her. One glance at his reaction was enough to convey to Subaru and the others the enormity of this matter. Felt was an orphan with no other backing. She had no other substantial support save that of Reinhard's family. Over the last year, her activities had been centered upon the Astrea domain, allowing her to raise her name as a royal candidate bit by bit. But what would happen if that sure footing collapsed? What if the control of the Astrea family and the real clout within it was actually held by Heinkel? "Heh, so your puny head finally caught up? That's slow even for you bunch of half-wits." Heinkel sneered as Felt finally grasped what he was thinking. "That's just how it is. The Astrea family inheritance is in my care. I don't have any intention of handing it to Reinhard, and I never did! Not to Mr. High-and-Mighty Sword Saint who's oh so busy for the nation! I wouldn't dream of entrusting it to someone with such a troublesome and annoying job!" "Big talk for a lord in name only. You bastard, do you even know what kind of state you left your lands in? You and the folks around you were all doing whatever you damn well pleased." When Felt growled as low as she could, Heinkel mocked her, saying, "Ooh, scary." His provocative words and gestures only added to the disgust and disdain already suffusing the room. Having endured far too many malignant slights, Reinhard finally lifted up his head. He was still striving to maintain a neutral expression as he looked not at his father but toward Felt. "Lady Felt, I..." "Reinhard." Reinhard was about to say something, but then he stopped. The cause was Felt thrusting her fork toward the tip of his nose. Reinhard's eyes wavered as his liege's action sealed his lips. Then without even a glance Reinhard's way, Felt " Shut up and put on your war face." Reinhard opened his eyes wide as Felt casually issued a command. But it was the change in him immediately after that shocked everyone else. " Yes." Reinhard nodded solemnly as light returned to his blue eyes. Though his own father had derided him and wrecked his moment of reconciliation with his grandfather, the pain that had clung to him was gone, at least for that
single brief moment. "...If it's not one thing, it's another. Stop messin' around." Heinkel clicked his tongue as things once again started going awry. However, after shaking his head, a wicked smile immediately returned to his face. "Say what you want; your sense of danger is spot-on, oh great master of Reinhard. The Astrea family is mine. And I don't support you." To ensnare others and hurt them with cruel speech with no objectives save these, Heinkel swung his words like a blade. "No one needs me to spell out just who I support, I'm sure. You've worked so hard over the last year. The results are marvelous. And now I'm going to take everything you've built up and hand it to Lady Priscilla as a present..." "Commoner." "Aah? Yes, Lady Priscilla? I'm in the middle of an important conversation here." "Silence." The tyrannical act that immediately followed made everyone gasp. With no more warning than that one word, Priscilla flashed her fan out toward the wide-eyed Heinkel's skull. The folded fan sliced through the air, inverting his body with incredible force and slamming him onto the floor. The impact made Heinkel's eyes roll, rendering him unconscious in a single blow. But Priscilla's chastisement did not end there. She kicked up the fallen Heinkel with the tip of her shoe, then drew back her hand while he was airborne. And then she began to swing "Princess, your tantrum's gone far enough. He'll die." Priscilla glared at Al with her red eyes as he grasped her wrist and called for her to stop. But Al's action was the right one. Heinkel would have died if he hadn't stepped in. After all, at some point, a beautiful crimson sword had found its way into Priscilla's hand. The gleaming blade featured an undulating pattern to it. One could tell from a single glance that it was no normal weapon. It had appeared in Priscilla's hand in the blink of an eye and vanished just as quickly. Seeing this, Al slowly released Priscilla's hand. "Sheesh, gimme a break here. You even drew the Sun Blade. It's bad for my heart... Bnnnfh!!" "You are most rude, Al. Whose permission did you obtain to touch my jewellike flesh? It is your business how you deal with your dearth of womanly attention and seething desire, but do not even dream of sullying me in the process." Slamming her freed hand into Al's gut, Priscilla made her retainer groan in anguish. She let out a snort, gazing down upon Heinkel with cold eyes as he lay there pathetically on the floor. The uncaring cruelty in those crimson eyes was frightening indeed. "Though it is not my wont to grant mercy to those committing gross acts of impropriety...Al's words do have some merit." "If you think that, I'd kinda prefer if you treated me a little more gently." "Do not say that. I am not a demon. Later, I shall grant you the reward of being permitted to lick my foot." "Can you stop talking like that'd actually make me happy?! You'll cause all kinds of misunderstandings!" Priscilla paid no attention to Al as he pleaded on bended knee. Instead, she clapped her hands together. "Schult, carry that commoner out of here. It would be a waste to discard him just yet. Attend to his wounds." "Right away, Lady Priscilla!" Appearing the moment she issued the summons was a pink-haired boy who'd apparently been waiting in the corridor. Subaru had seen this person at Priscilla's mansion once previously; he was a boy with adorably curly, fluffy-looking hair. The young, still growing butler raced over to Heinkel with tiny steps. "Pardon my rudeness, Lord Heinkel." With those polite words, he grabbed hold of both of Heinkel's legs and dragged him into the corridor. The method of transportation caused Heinkel some bumps here and there, but Schult faithfully performed his job without a single word of complaint. Seeing the youth's professionalism on display, Al prodded the eye slits of his helm as he made a passing comment. "Our lovely boy Schult is always so lively, isn't he? You really need to praise him more, Princess." "It is only natural that I should be served with all of one's spirit. That is what I love about Schult. I shall properly reward him. Schult, too, shall be allowed to lick my foot." "That image is waaaay too indecent. Give him a different reward, I'm begging you." "Hmm. Then the honor of sleeping while snuggled up and embracing me, perhaps?" "...Well, that much is fine, I suppose. I almost wanna trade places with him now." At the conclusion of that carefree exchange between master and servant, Priscilla returned her gaze to the hall once more. Among the people in the room, she turned her eyes toward Felt and the grave face she wore. Come to think of it, those two had glared at each other like this back at the castle, too. Perhaps their compatibility was horrible by nature. "So was the old man serious just now? He's gonna drive me out and take back his place as lord?" "If it was so, what would you do about it? Cry into your pillow and politely back down?" "Ha! Don't make me laugh. No matter what anyone says, that's the last thing anyone'll catch me doing. If there's no inheritance and I get driven out of the Astrea domain, it makes things reaaal simple, doesn't it?" As she spoke, Felt's face contorted into a ferocious smile as she gestured at Reinhard. "He'll just make that old fart hand over the inheritance. He's pretty laid-back, but he's a hell of a lot more reliable than that jerk. That bastard'll be retiring in no time." * Regardless of whether it was realistic or not, it was a remarkably satisfying declaration. Felt's proclamation made Priscilla narrow her eyes. Then Priscilla covered her lips with her fan once more. "There is no need to take that commoner's words at face value. Even if rights to the domain were changed on paper, the trust of the populace would remain yours. The masses may be made up of ignorant fools, but their very foolishness means they are slow to forget a grudge. As the only value of the talentless rabble is to callously employ them as pawns, this renders them unusable." "...Then why'd you bring that old man with you?" "I have already told you. I brought him for nothing more than my own amusement. In that sense, he has already proved his worth." With absolute faith in her own standards, Priscilla spoke without hesitation as she surveyed the room. She was set in her ways. Surrender and serve or confront her with an iron will; there were no other options. * And the four candidates who stood in opposition to her did not hesitate to assert their own will. Receiving their gazes, Priscilla nodded with profound satisfaction. "Very good. My victory is inevitable. Therefore, I desire that the path be as turbulent and entertaining as possible. Fan my flames, you who oppose me those are the supporting roles you are all meant to play." That was Priscilla's bold pronouncement to her four rivals one year after the royal selection had begun. This was her judgment of the changes that had taken place over that year. This was the conclusion drawn by the crimson eyes of Priscilla Bariel, who had unshakable faith in the belief that the entire world moved for her own convenience. "I'll make you regret that pride." Felt's abrupt declaration of war reflected the views of everyone present. 7 Even when things settled down, it was impossible to restore the hall's atmosphere to what it had been before. After Felt addressed her, Priscilla exited the reception hall with Al in tow and a satisfied look on her face. Coming from Priscilla, that amounted to delight at having achieved her goal. Considering the damage she had inflicted upon Subaru and the others, her actions were selfish to the extreme. In the end, the respective camps that had gathered for a meal rose up, dispersing without a single attempt to resume their pleasant chat and without Reinhard and Wilhelm reaching a peaceful reconciliation. "We are truly fortunate that Garfiel was not there." Those were Otto's parting words as he left for the Muse Company on his own. He certainly had a point. If Garfiel and other hotheads had been present, carnage might well have been unavoidable. Thanks to that, Heinkel had escaped with his life. Of course, had he lost his life in the ensuing clash, the reputation of his killer and their master would have fallen to the level of dirt. "Don't tell me she made a mess of the place aiming for that... I'm overthinking this, right?" The frightening mental image of Priscilla's blazing eyes seeing through every possibility arose in his mind. He felt that if he denied it, passing everything off as nothing but coincidence, it was tantamount to accepting that her success was thanks to her good fortune. "Cool it, you clown... In the end, I'm the only one who blew his lid." Looking back at the events that had unfolded in the hall, Subaru truly thought his lack of self-control was pathetic. Even Felt had acted in a logical manner; Subaru had been the most emotional person in the room. He must have been a source of great anxiety for Emilia and Beatrice, too. In an attempt to dispel his agitation, Subaru was walking around the inn, striving for mental calm before going on the scheduled stroll with Emilia and company. The creaks of the wooden floor seemed to reflect the creaks he felt in his own heart. Finding them exceptionally irritating, Subaru marched with heavy steps as if it would help him understand. "Do not take your frustrations out on the floor. It will cause problems for the inn workers." Subaru had been staring intently at the floor when a voice called out to him. Looking around, he spotted Julius watching him from the garden. Subaru had arrived at the edge of the garden at some point without even realizing it. The man looked oddly picturesque as he touched a hand to his slightly unruly purple hair, which was being caressed by a refreshing breeze. "You are not together with Lady Emilia and Lady Beatrice?" "Well, you can see that. Neither of them is a child, and they're both at an age where they want some private time. Even I have enough delicacy to respect that. Besides, we're going on a date later." "There are several terms I have not heard before, but I believe I understand. It would seem even you can learn how to be considerate." "Ghhh, why you...!" Though Subaru had been quick to pick a fight, it was Julius who had landed the first substantial blow, causing Subaru to lose his cool. But his irritation instantly dissipated when he saw Julius's expression. Julius's eyelashes were quivering, somehow seeming like he was biting back remorse. "I am sorry. If you really did lack empathy and thoughtfulness, you wouldn't have been so distressed talking to the vice captain earlier if anything, I should be thanking you." "All I did was lose my temper like an idiot while everyone else thought things through and kept their cool." "That is not so. It was only because of your display of anger that those around you were able to maintain their calm, nothing more. I am no exception. Your rashness served a valuable purpose." "You're not really trying to praise me, though, are you?" Subaru grimaced at the words lavished upon him. "I get it. I need to be calmer and remember to keep my cool. That's how a knight should act, isn't it? I'm aware that I don't think far ahead enough. After all, I had it marked on every report card I got in elementary school." "...Certainly, if it is chivalrous conduct one seeks, your actions
cannot be praised. However." Julius abruptly broke off his words. When Subaru realized what he was doing, his eyes shot open in surprise. "Uh, what are you doing?" "Precisely what it looks like." "Well, from my end, it looks like you're bowing to me." Julius had gone down on one knee, solemnly lowering his head. This was not a knightly salute, nor a custom among nobles. He was simply acting as an individual person. "You have my gratitude. I wanted to thank you for your righteous indignation in that setting." "...I don't know what you mean." "If one is devoted to chivalry, one must strive to behave in a knightly fashion regardless of the circumstance... One can never act out of emotion, even if his friend is being disparaged or humiliated. But you were not bound by such things." His head still bowed, Julius added more words of thanks for Subaru's recklessness. The unexpected response made Subaru blink several times over. However, finally "So you're basically thanking me for getting angry in your place man, are you stupid or what?" When the still-irritated Subaru vented, his words caused Julius to lift his head. Receiving the brunt of Subaru's anger, he let his lips curl into a self-deprecating smile. "Stupid, you say." "Stupid and a bad joke. Why do I have to be angry instead of you? I'm pissed at myself for the fact that I got angry. It's not like I tried to smack that bearded face for anyone else but myself." Subaru was genuinely exasperated with Julius, thinking he had gotten it all wrong. His temper tantrum was nothing as noble as the righteous indignation Julius made it out to be. Subaru knew practically nothing of the issues surrounding the Astrea family. That's why he'd selfishly gotten upset over his own selfish assumptions, nothing more. "If you didn't like it, you should've gotten angry, too. Because it was just me, he blew me off, but if you had joined in, that dad of Reinhard's would've run with his tail between his legs." "Figurehead or not, he is the vice captain of the Knights of the Royal Guard. It would be reprehensible to act with such rudeness toward a direct superior." "You're not directly under him at the moment, and just now, you called him a figurehead, didn't you? How inflexible can you be, man? The whole time you were dedicating yourself to chivalry, were you also putting armor around your heart, too?" Pressing Julius into silence, Subaru folded his arms and lifted his face toward the heavens with a snort. It was an infantile argument. Even though he was being thanked, Subaru was lashing out at Julius simply because he didn't care for it. "Armor over the heart, you say...? Hmph, that remark cuts quite deep." "For me, it sounds like a pretty cool thing to say, but don't think too hard on it. Just the words of a fool." "No, I shall take them to heart. It was pleasant to think I had been saved by you, a thought I would never have even imagined a year prior." "Just so you know, I still have nightmares about that once in a while." "Hmm... Were it possible, I would like to avoid a situation where we reunite in your dreams on a nightly basis." "I'd also far prefer to do this and that with Emilia-tan instead! There's no room for you in my dreams!" With the appreciative atmosphere from before gone, Julius returned to his normal tone of voice as he ran a hand through his hair. Disgusted with himself for being relieved by the change in attitude, Subaru forcibly switched topics. "About Beard-face back there... Seriously, the vice captain is Reinhard's dad?" "I suppose it isn't surprising that you would have doubts, but it is true. That individual is indeed Heinkel Astrea, vice captain of the Knights of the Royal Guard of Lugunica." "What's the reason for that? Is human resources blind, or did no one even question whether he'd be a problem?" "The answers are all in what you overheard. Of course, there is no lack of dissenters who doubt the vice captain's worth, both from the leadership and from within the royal guard itself. As a matter of fact, the position of vice captain was assigned for decorative purposes. Surely, there are none who have witnessed him actually engaged in his duties." When Julius shook his head and replied, Subaru conjured the mental image of some high-ranking bureaucrat stepping down to take a cushy job in private industry. That seemed a fitting description for Heinkel's situation an important, high-paying job that required little actual work. "Don't tell me he used his influence as the dad of the Sword Saint to land that position?" "...That is also part of it. But the greatest reason lies not with the vice captain but with Reinhard...or perhaps it is more accurate to say the Astrea family." "The Astrea family... Does that include Wilhelm too?" "Well, that man is Master Wilhelm's son and the current head of the Astrea family. He is also Reinhard's own father. What would happen to the kingdom if such an individual rebelled due to discourteous treatment?" As he rattled off another explanation, Julius strove to keep his replies as emotionless as possible. Listening to his words, Subaru sank into thought for several seconds. Then he immediately arrived at the answer. The reason that man, Heinkel Astrea, was treated so favorably by the kingdom was " If Heinkel revolts, that'd mean the family of the Sword Saint becoming an enemy of the kingdom. So he's being treated like a big shot to maintain good relations...? In other words, the kingdom doesn't trust Reinhard, or Wilhelm for that matter?!" If that was the case, Subaru could only think of such treatment as a grave insult toward Reinhard and Wilhelm both. Considering the pair's personalities, how could anyone think they might betray the kingdom? "Your anger is justified. However, those in charge of the kingdom must consider all possibilities." "As if that's even possible!! There's no way something like that could even...!" "...Master Wilhelm is the former captain of the Knights of the Royal Guard." When Julius took a step forward and spoke those words, Subaru's breath caught, his body coming to a halt. "Fifteen years ago, someone abducted a member of the royal family from the Royal Palace. At the time, Master Wilhelm was in charge of the search for the abducted royal as captain of the Knights of the Royal Guard." "So? Even I've heard about that kidnapping." A kidnapped royal would that mean Felt? That incident was supposedly the whole justification behind her taking part in the royal selection. Why was Julius digging up that surreal story? "I also know that the abducted kid was never found. But what of it? Does that mean Wilhelm has some sort of grudge against the kingdom because he had to take responsibility and quit the knighthood?" "That is not so however, the 'Grand Expedition,' the effort to bring down the White Whale that included the prior Sword Saint, took place during the time Master Wilhelm was absent from the capital to conduct the search." The words Julius spoke made Subaru's mind go blank once more. Sliding into that blank space were words he recalled hearing from Wilhelm at some time or other. Wilhelm had said he had been unable to be with his wife at the time of her death. "Because of the incident, he couldn't be there when his wife died, so he holds a grudge against the person responsible?" "I do not know Master Wilhelm's true intentions. However, the facts remain that the search was aborted, the Grand Expedition itself ended in failure, and Master Wilhelm resigned from the Knights of the Royal Guard. The guard surely would not have recovered if it were not for Captain Marcus exhausting every effort to do so." "Like I care about what happened after! I'm talking about Wilhelm here. What do you think? Does he still hold a grudge about his wife, and...?" Did Julius suspect that Wilhelm might rebel against the kingdom? Did he think that this person, Wilhelm van Astrea, was that kind of human being? How could someone look at him and think that about a man so forthright about his love that he'd offered up everything for it? Couldn't you tell from looking at his eyes, his back? And why were the people Subaru liked exposed to such undeserved prejudice? "Why can't everyone understand he's not that kind of person...?" Demanding to know why in a choked voice, Subaru glared at Julius. Accepting his withering gaze head-on, Julius's eyes somehow seemed envious as he looked back at Subaru. Subaru knew. He was well aware his anger was misplaced and aimed at the wrong target. In the end, Julius had just objectively recited the tale. In no way did Julius himself doubt Wilhelm, nor was he one of the people who doubted Wilhelm. After all, Julius had thanked Wilhelm after the battle with the White Whale one year prior. He'd praised Wilhelm for pursuing his greatest wish for fourteen long years. "...Sorry. I'm an idiot." "No, you are not in the wrong. What you say is correct. It is I who is in the wrong and so I shall remain, without a chance to rectify my mistake." Lowering their gazes, both of them closed their eyes as they wrestled with such unbearable thoughts. The seeds of distrust about Wilhelm's true intentions still remained. They weren't the sort of thing that could be immediately solved with words and actions. "...Does this go for Reinhard, too?" "The situation is different in his case at one time, Reinhard did whatever Master Heinkel told him to. It was not a period that could be dismissed simply by saying, well, they were father and son." Averting his gaze from Subaru, Julius seemed regretful as he spoke. But without touching upon any of the details, Julius took a deep breath and continued his explanation. "When Reinhard became independent, such behavior came to an end. However, enough happened that a concern remains within the kingdom. Namely, could such a thing not come to pass once more?" "...So to make sure Heinkel doesn't give Reinhard insane orders, the kingdom's trying its damnedest to keep Heinkel in a good mood?" "Perhaps it is something far worse. In the end, this is nothing more than rumor, but I shall convey it to you nonetheless to you, who expressed indignation in that situation as Reinhard's friend." With that worrying preamble, Julius quickly scanned their surroundings. Having confirmed no one might overhear, he turned back toward Subaru. And then "The vice captain is suspected of involvement with the royal-abduction incident fifteen years ago." *** "There is no conclusive proof. But the fact remains that I have heard suspicions surrounding a number of circumstances." "Is that even possible? I mean, for him to be involved in the kidnapping." "Whether it is true or false matters little. An individual who is suspected of such things could potentially command the kingdom's greatest warrior any way he wishes. This is seen as problematic." Possessing the title of Sword Saint was a spectacular honor however, the revelation of this situation made Subaru feel as if it was not so much an honor as a curse. "I mean, if that's true, then it'd be Heinkel's fault Wilhelm wasn't able to be there when his wife died." "...That is not the half of it. I have heard that at the time, it was Lord Heinkel who recommended that Lady Theresia, who had already laid down her sword and retired from active duty, participate in the Grand Expedition." "He threw his own mom onto the front lines against that demon beast?!" "We have records remaining from that time. The vice captain refused to join the Grand Expedition, nominating Lady Theresia to join the battle in his stead." As Subaru learned more about this incident, he couldn't
help but be stunned. Heinkel had sent his own mother to take his place on the field of battle. There, his mother had been killed in action. To protect himself against his father, who was unable to be with her upon her death, from wielding his blades in vengeance, Heinkel used his son's talent as a shield, spending his own peaceful days in depraved indolence. It couldn't be. A human being actually capable of such a thing couldn't really exist. It wasn't because Subaru wanted to affirm Heinkel's humanity. He couldn't accept the theoretical possibility that a human who was able to live so shamelessly could even exist. "...I am sorry. I should not have spoken of such things when you were not emotionally prepared for them." Julius apologized in a morose voice when he noticed how Subaru was shocked and speechless. Subaru had only been listening, and he could barely control himself. There was no way that Julius could possibly keep his composure when he had to be the one conveying it all. For someone like Julius, who constantly strove to be rational and logical, this behavior was particularly strange. "...It's not like this is your fault. I'm the one who made you say it." "It is not an attitude worthy of praise. To look at someone else's family and speak with a mixture of rumor and prejudice is extremely insensitive; they are actions that a knight should be ashamed of." "But you made sure to see it through, right? Because you're Reinhard's friend." When Julius berated himself, Subaru shook his head side to side. "I don't know how long you've been his friend, but I get that you're worried about him. That's why it's natural to be ticked off. I don't think there's one thing strange about that. I don't think it's right to politely back off just 'cause it's another family's private business, either." For anyone who knew Julius, suspecting him of being an inconsiderate busybody was the height of foolishness. Subaru Natsuki knew what exactly kind of person Julius Juukulius was. What was there to gain from suspecting friendship? "I've told you before, right? There's no need to obsess with being a well-mannered knight all the time. Right, maybe you should strip off that armor and try being Juli for a while. Maybe being more flexible like that would help you do a whole bunch of things better." Juli was the false name Julius had employed when cooperating with hunting down the Witch Cult. Given his position, Julius couldn't be seen joining a band of mercenaries, so he had offered the false name in a desperate attempt to hide his elegance behind his back. In the end, it was a name so useless that even Julius himself forgot to use it, but at the time, Julius had allowed himself to diverge the strict rules of knighthood. "Juli, you say? That is quite a nostalgic name you have pulled out." "It's the sort of one-and-done plot twist you forget in an instant. I'm proud of myself just for remembering it." "...But when you say not to be bound by chivalry, you suggest a very difficult thing. It is not as if you are unaware of what they call me." "That whole 'finest knight' thing is why you're always so stiff, right? When you get in the bath and take all that armor off, make sure you do some extra stretching before you put it back on again." On the spot, Subaru proudly bent his hips and touched his palms to the ground. He meant to show off how limber he had become over the past year. "If you intended to best me with that little display, I can only sigh at your incredibly lacking powers of observation." "Whoaaa?!" After a quick remark, Julius opened his legs wide, one in front and one in back as he assumed an extreme pose in front of the triumphant Subaru. Subaru gaped at how far Julius's long legs could stretch. Without moving anything else, he brought his hips to the ground with ease. The detestable man easily surpassed Subaru in every possible area. "W-well, I'm still really good at singing and playing the lyulyre!" "I truly cannot see the significance of winning such a contest, but I am somewhat familiar with musical performance." "Gah! There it is! Even I know that when a guy like you acts humble, it means he's super good at it! Ain't no way I'm joining a band with you! You'll steal the vocalist spot from me in no time!" " I see." As Subaru continued airing out his grievances, Julius returned his stretching legs to their proper positions and stood up. When Julius let out a short sigh, Subaru knit his brow; faced with that stare, Julius swept his own hair back, a triumphant smile coming over him as he gazed up at the sky. "So when Juli looks up at the sky, standing in the bracing wind, this is what it feels like." "Wha ?" "Now that I think about it, the sky always looked different back then. I feel like I am only just recalling that." "I don't get you. You really are one smug bastard." Intentionally ignoring the atmosphere that had been building, Subaru sat down on the raised floor running along the garden's edge. Only flashing a troubled smile in reply to Subaru's insult, Julius half closed his eyes, seemingly dazzled by the rays of the sun. A new mood had swept away the dregs of their awkward conversation. Of course, that didn't wipe away Subaru's memory of what they'd discussed, and the stiffness remaining in his heart would not relent. Even so, he could be cooperative enough to not let it drag them both down. If anyone had been watching from a distance, they would have seen nothing but a normal pair of friends. CHAPTER 5 * 1 When Subaru's conversation with Julius, part momentous and part silly, had run its course, Subaru departed from the Water Raiment with Emilia and Beatrice in tow. "Hey, Subaru. You seemed to be getting along really nicely with Julius in the garden. What did you talk about?" "I wouldn't say we really got along or anything, but what do you think we talked about?" "Where to go to play next time or something?" "What are we, school buddies?!" Unfortunately, their relationship was not nearly as friendly as Emilia imagined, and even if Subaru and Julius did attend the same school, the natural energies inside a school would keep them from ever being friends. In one sense, a school was as much an exclusivist, discriminatory society as any system of nobility. "Thinking of it that way, bridging social classes is a really tough thing to do in either case." "There's no need to keep it that secret. You can just come out and tell me." "Hey, we really were just scouting out the enemy a bit. The rest was just some chitchat about the world around us." "Isn't that something friends do?" When Emilia curiously tilted her head, Subaru tilted his, too. "Who knows?" he said. Viewed objectively, it did seem to resemble friendship, but there was no way Subaru and Julius shared that. They were something worse than friends, but Subaru couldn't put his finger on what exactly. "Well, we're not friends. That much I'm sure of." "So stubborn..." "He really is, I suppose." Emilia looked exasperated while Beatrice simply sighed and agreed with her. For some reason, the two were so in sync that it made Subaru feel like he was being left out somehow. In any case, setting aside whether he was friends with Julius or not, he had no intention of telling Emilia about the details of what they'd discussed namely, the problems of the Astrea family. He didn't want to thoughtlessly divulge someone else's private family circumstances, but the biggest reason was the burden that knowing such information would inevitably create. The deep-rooted problems of the Astrea family were not the sort that outsiders could approach half-heartedly. Julius had been keenly aware of this when he revealed the details to Subaru alone. Julius had judged him as someone with enough consideration not to burden his own liege with such knowledge. The fact that Julius had thought that much of him had left a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach, though. "So, Subaru. I'm happy you invited me on a stroll, but what are you up to?" Then as Subaru wrestled with an unsettling feeling that he struggled to identify, Emilia smiled and asked him. For a moment, Subaru raised an eyebrow in surprise, but he immediately shrugged to try and gloss that over. "Hey, that makes it sound like I'm plotting something. I'm not up to anything. I just wanted to have a lovey-dovey time in this crazy-beautiful city of water." "Hmm, so that's what you're going with? Subaru, honestly, you're so stubborn and hardheaded. Even I won't fall for your sweet talk in a situation like this." When Emilia pouted, Subaru put a hand to his forehead with a resigned look on his face. When he glanced at Beatrice for aid, who was in between Subaru and Emilia and holding one hand of each, she pretended not to notice it seemed she had no intention of taking his side. Meanwhile, Emilia's gaze was relentless. Subaru promptly crumbled. "I get it; I'm raising the white flag. I wanted it to be a surprise for you, Emilia-tan." "A surprise... You mean, you were planning to startle me with something kooky?" "No one says kooky anymo... Hey, I'm sorry, sorry!" When Emilia puffed her cheeks up in anger at Subaru reacting like he always did, this time, he surrendered for good. Afraid of what might follow otherwise, Subaru suppressed his feelings of disappointment and put everything on the table. "It's really not anything I'd call a scheme, though. Right now, we're heading for a park in the middle of the city, the one where Liliana performed yesterday." "Wow, really? Then maybe Liliana will sing there today, too?" "Your eyes are so cute when they sparkle like that. Well, I'm interested in Liliana's songs, too, but I also want to do some scouting and give Otto some fire support." Subaru had no idea just how much trouble he'd caused for Otto, off on his own for solo negotiations with Kiritaka, who Subaru had angered with his botched plan from the day before. It was absolutely not that he lacked faith in Otto's negotiating skills. "Of course, I have just as much faith that he never gets lucky except at the very last moment." "That does not mean you need to do something as ominous as rely on Liliana again... Well, things with Puckie are riding on this, so I understand why you want to take your chances, I suppose." Even Beatrice, torn between the previous day's failure and her partiality for Liliana, did not object to something that would ostensibly help Puck. However, that opinion brought a stern look over Emilia's face. "But it sounds like you're using Liliana, and that's just..." "I know. I thought Emilia-tan would feel that way, too. I really don't like saying this, but..." "Yes?" "I guess I should say it anyway... Emilia, now and in the future during this royal selection, we can't afford to not be calculating or to ignore the pros and cons of choices and people. Of course, I want you to be able to stay true to yourself." * As Emilia worried about various implications, Subaru tried to dispel her concerns. There was no mistaking that Emilia's honesty, sincerity, and the way she always believed in the good of others were some of her strongest virtues. However, Subaru felt that a virtue founded on ignorance was a weakness all the same. If that virtue was truly a part of who she was as a person, then eliminating ignorance would pose no danger to her way
of being Subaru wanted Emilia to learn and become stronger without losing sight of herself. That had been Subaru's wish when he vowed to remain at her side ever after. "Well, even ignoring all the benefits and stuff, you did make a promise to chat with Liliana. You get along really well with her, Emilia-tan, so it's not like you're doing anything bad." As Emilia continued to mull over it, Subaru relaxed his tone a little and tried to introduce some levity. Emilia lowered her eyes, which were rimmed with long lashes, and sighed slightly. "Mm, I understand. I'll try to keep what you said in mind, too. Thank you for always being here, Subaru." Emilia nodded with an earnest look on her face. "You got it," replied Subaru. He'd conveyed everything he wanted. The determination he saw in her and her response was enough. At the same time, he felt a small pang of regret over sticking his nose into something that clearly wasn't his business. "Ahhh, maybe I said something pretty weird. Know what? Let's forget meeting up with Liliana and go on a date instead. I think doing some water-dragon cruising would be pretty romantic." "I'm not sure what you mean by cruising, but you'll get seasick if you get on a dragon boat, won't you, Subaru? I don't really want to walk around the city carrying you on my back." "Besides, the park is already right in front of our noses. Would it not be a waste to turn back now, I wonder?" Though Subaru was on the verge of giving up, Emilia and Beatrice opted to stick it out to the end. The public park had indeed come into view; this time, Subaru had fortunately arrived at his destination without getting lost. Water gushed up from the fountain, turning into a spray of water that glimmered in the sunlight as an ephemeral scene unfolded before them. This day, a great throng had assembled near that water fountain rather than the commemorative statue. "Feels like these recitals hold their popularity day after day, but..." The fervent audience's energy suffused the air in the park, but it was strikingly different compared to what it had felt like the day before. The main cause was probably the hands clapping in time with the music and singing. "Wow, it looks really lively." "So it would seem. Unlike yesterday, this all sounds rather rowdy, I suppose." While Emilia was delighted, Beatrice cocked her head dubiously, sharing some of Subaru's doubts. Liliana's song choices for her performances often contrasted greatly with how she normally behaved. The metia broadcast from that morning was no exception. With song and sound, she lured the audience into another world, giving a bewitching performance that charmed all five senses. However, the song they were currently listening to seemed ever so slightly different from usual. It had the unsettling feeling of some foreign entity adding an impurity to the mix. *** As if trying to determine what that dissonant element was, Subaru had unconsciously joined one edge of the audience. Male or female, young or old, there was a vortex of passion surrounding everyone enchanted by the Songstress's song. Wedging themselves into their ranks, Subaru led Emilia and Beatrice by their hands as he plunged deeper and deeper. Then the instant he emerged onto the front row, his face contorted amid thunderous applause. The beautiful timbre of the lyulyre's final twang signaled that the song had reached its end and that it was time to bid the intoxicating music farewell. Then the Songstress who had just put on a stunning performance turned around to reveal a smiling, satisfied face. "Such wonderful dancing! Seeing footwork like that almost made my eyeballs fly out!" "And your performance was quite entertaining. You have done well. It has been some time since a performer of the arts has amused me so." A woman in red smiled charmingly as she exchanged a firm handshake with Liliana the Songstress. Watching this unfold, Subaru let out a long breath as one phrase rose in the back of his mind. Danger: do not mix. 2 "I was so moved." "What an amazing dance." "I wanna see that again!" Commenting as if they were being filmed for a TV commercial, the audience members waved to the Songstress-dancer duo and dispersed. They were every bit as touched as the crowd from the day before. Hearing their praise made Liliana flare her nostrils in a satisfied and very un-Songstress-like manner. Unexpectedly, Priscilla's lips were curled up, showing she was in an exceptionally good mood as she fanned herself beside Liliana. "And here I was thinking Priscilla wasn't the type to care what others thought..." "My, oh my, oh my?! Is that Master Subaru and Lady Emilia over there, and Lady Moppet as well?!" Right as she said her good-byes to the last of the audience, Liliana noticed the remaining three people left in the park and made her pigtails bounce. How she managed that was totally beyond him. As Liliana raced over, practically flying through the air, her words made Beatrice narrow her brows. "I believe I heard Lady Moppet. Exactly what might she mean by this, I wonder? Subaru, explain." "Go ask her; she's the one who said it. Here, have a sugar plum and behave." "Do you think you can...lick, lick...distract me with this, I wonder? Lick, lick..." As Beatrice rolled the candy around in her mouth, Subaru left her behind. He turned toward the pigtailed Liliana darting about in front of him and grabbed her hair with both hands. "Gah!" shouted Liliana. But it did stop her from moving. "Yesterday got all crazy, meaning we couldn't keep our promise, so it's good you were here today, too. Actually, don't tell me... Does Kiritaka show you out the door during work every day?" "Why would you put it like that?!! It is nothing of the sort. Certainly, Mr. Kiritaka devotes his heart and mind to his job whenever there's work to be done, but he always tells me that he wants me to be happy doing whatever I like outside!!" "So you do get thrown out a lot." Kiritaka had his own unique issues, but this was his way of keeping things in order. It made sense if Liliana was at his workplace, there was no way anyone could hold a proper conversation. And if she had to spend her day somewhere, then holding recitals was a fine use of her time, but " Since earlier, you have been staring intently at me, have you not? 'Tis most rude." Liliana puffed out her nonexistent breasts, which was a lot like stroking a nonexistent beard. Beside her, Priscilla crossed her arms to proudly display her ample bosom, snorting toward Subaru with visible scorn. "Though it is only natural to be enthralled at the sight of my dance, it is unbearable to have such an obscene gaze turned toward me. Even if my charm does make others lose their way, the likes of you are only permitted to appreciate it from a distance." "Just so you know, I didn't watch you dance, and I don't have any fetishes like that. I prefer pure and lovely girls like Emilia-tan. Girls as over-the-top as you actually make me less excited." "What a pitiful man to pick that thin half-demon over me. However, I am not so narrow-minded as to disallow bad taste. If you know not what true beauty is, it cannot be forced upon you. But someday, I shall pry open that narrow-minded world with my own two hands." Their values clashed, but Priscilla's philosophy robbed Subaru of all willpower to shoot a response back. Priscilla considered it a matter of fact that she was the center of the universe; Subaru's idea of common sense held no meaning whatsoever. "But that means Priscilla was dancing, right? I really didn't expect that." "You should curse your fate for allowing you to miss it. I do not dance, save when the mood strikes me. And that is rarely the case. This artist's song was simply that alluring." "For real? So you're a Liliana fan, too...?" Subaru acknowledged that Liliana's singing was incredible, but not nearly to the extent that everyone else seemed to. As far as Subaru could tell, every girl who heard Liliana sing became her ally. She had a perfect record. Honestly, if she could woo even Priscilla, her status was pretty much unassailable. "But to have Lady Priscilla and Lady Emilia both come here, candidates for the royal selection that's the glimmering issue of the day, Liliana is grateful and even moved to tears!!" Even with the uneasy atmosphere that came with two rival candidates meeting, Liliana's powerful ability to set her own pace was undaunted. Of course, even she understood that relations between Emilia and Priscilla were delicate at best. The profound silliness of her statement was no doubt intentional. "Mwa-ha-ha-ha, so my songs are that incredible? Oh wooow, I'm gonna blush!" "On second thought, maybe she's just being herself." Liliana's bashful reaction gave Subaru renewed doubts. He concluded with a shrug that he had simply been overthinking things. After that, Subaru abruptly noticed that Priscilla was alone, lacking even a single escort. "You're by yourself? Not with Al or the shitty bastard or your cute butler?" "Schult gets lost whenever he walks out the door. He is earnest and adorable to console, but that is all, really. Having Al at my side means putting up with his annoying little comments, so I left him behind. As for the shitty bastard, I would not know." "So you also call him that, huh...?" Subaru was surprised by her unexpectedly blunt replies. He was similarly surprised at just how poorly she treated Heinkel even after taking him as a follower. Granted, he obviously deserved such treatment, but why bring him into the fold, then? "No doubt that's also 'cause it amuses you." "Reasons are such trifling things. To begin with, he came to me with an offer, and I accepted, nothing more. I shall use him for my entertainment while I can, but if he ceases to have value, I shall discard him instantly. That is the extent of how much I care." "Nah, I wonder about that... If you didn't care about him, you wouldn't have beaten him down like that, would you?" For that matter, had Al not intervened, she might well have sliced him apart then and there and walked away. Subaru figured Reinhard would've probably intervened and stopped her short of that, though. "Come to think of it, you've broken my jaw with a kick once before, huh..." At one point during the loop at the capital a year before, Subaru had once been kicked by Priscilla when he'd procured her ire. His memory of being in a near-death state from a single one of her kicks came flooding back. Thinking of that, he could accept the overwhelming combat strength she'd displayed back at the hall. "Isn't it dangerous for you to ditch Al and the rest of your crew like that?" "And what, pray tell, would suddenly become a threat simply because my three retainers are absent? About the only advantage of their presence is to have eyes to see directly behind me." "So your dancing with Liliana here was just coincidence?" Emilia's question made Priscilla fold her arms with an audible snort. "Unlike the dull streets of the capital, this city's sights are salve for my tedium. I was enjoying the flow of the water when this artist's song reached my ears." "I mean, wow, yeah, I didn't know what to expect when she suddenly came in and started dancing. Usually, I give people who get too worked up a good smacking with my song, and most of the time, they settle back down right away...!" "You really don't act like a songstress at all..." Driving interlopers back with your song was way too rock and
roll. Besides, the only word he had for Priscilla suddenly breaking into dance was shocking. Considering how rapt the audience was, it must have been quite the performance. "To gather the hearts of so many people and leave me behind is self-centered to the extreme. However, such is the appeal of your music. How about it? Would you care to serve as a singing girl at my side?" "Oh, thank you, thank you so very much!! I am honored and very, very proud that you praise me so! But! But! I must respectfully decline!" Priscilla's invitation showed she had taken a liking to Liliana's singing even more than Subaru had first assumed. Liliana responded with a smiling face and a refusal with virtually no hesitation. Instantly, the park was enveloped by an aura that pricked Subaru's skin. His body tensed up on its own. Liliana had made a frighteningly, spectacularly momentous decision in a flash. She understood nothing about Priscilla's character or the instant and even cruel threat Priscilla could pose. She was totally oblivious. "Oh, you refuse me? Why do you refuse my invitation?" Like clockwork, the tone of Priscilla's voice dropped an octave as she responded, her crimson eyes running cold. Even Subaru, who wasn't the target of her ire, felt like a blade had been pressed to his throat. In that situation, where a single word could cost her life, Liliana stroked her musical instrument with her hand. "I am Liliana the minstrel. Though I have stopped in this city for a time, I am destined to wander again before long, traveling wherever the wind carries me. It is an occupation and way of life of not being bound to any one land or one person." "And so you decline my invitation." "It was the same for my mother, my mother's mother, and their mothers before that. It is our family's way. We leave nothing behind, save for our songs in people's hearts. Just as one cannot fence in the wind, no one can keep us in one place. Your invitation makes me happy, but I must decline. Even I do not know where my songs shall echo. I leave that up to the wind." Raising her musical instrument high, Liliana spoke the words proudly, not a single reservation upon her face. Her usual demeanor the way she made fun of everything and consistently got on people's nerves was nowhere to be seen. There was only the simple pride of the creature known as a minstrel those who passed down tales through song. * After listening to Liliana's answer, Priscilla kept her arms folded and one eye closed. Then her remaining eye shot straight through Liliana, her gaze redder than an incandescent flame. When even this failed to make Liliana falter, Priscilla abruptly let out her breath. " Very well. Your resolve is commendable. Forgive me; 'tis I who was rude." "Not at aaaall. I'm really sorry I couldn't accept." Priscilla's remark made Liliana proudly thrust her chest out as if it was the obvious thing to do. Subaru could only be amazed. He never thought Priscilla would actually accept someone else defying her will. "What is it, filthy peasant? What is the reason for this distasteful face you are showing me?" "Hey, there's nothing on my face except surprise. I was scared because I thought for sure you'd slice Liliana in half for refusing your invitation..." "A ridiculous concern." Priscilla spat out her reply with a snort, but was it true? Until she heard Liliana's reply, Subaru had no doubt whatsoever that Priscilla's bloodlust was balanced on a knife's edge. Wasn't Liliana spared only because it didn't happen to tilt in the wrong direction? "But I'm a little surprised by Priscilla, too. I thought she was the sort of person who would do anything to get something she wanted." It was then that Emilia spectacularly stepped upon the land mine Subaru had painstakingly tiptoed around. Emilia's blunt impression made Priscilla sigh with displeasure. "Lowly half-demon, would you cease your prattling? Just what do you know about me when you see with such clouded eyes? Rudeness and insult can be forgiven only so much." "This girl is an expert at being all talk. If she has enough spare time to criticize and lecture others for their outward appearance, would she not be better served spending it reflecting on her own words and deeds, I wonder?" "Beatrice..." When Priscilla's merciless words brought a conflicted look over Emilia's face, Beatrice squeezed her hand. When she shot back at Priscilla in Emilia's stead, Priscilla looked like she'd noticed the girl for the first time. "Such brave words for a little girl. I shall have you know my tolerance is not dependent on age. Do not beguile yourself with the notion that I will turn a blind eye to your rudeness because of your youth." "Your advice is unnecessary. Do you even realize, I wonder? Little girl, Betty may be cute, but do not think that is all there is to see." Instantly, sparks of hostility flew between Beatrice and Priscilla. Both were wearing dresses, but their compatibility couldn't be worse. Of course, Subaru was on Beatrice's side, but just the fact that she was picking a fight with a royal-selection candidate made this problematic. "Beatrice, it's okay. I'm all right." "Why try to stop me, I wonder? Surely, we cannot simply let her slights pass in silence." Fearful of the problem growing larger, Emilia tried to rein in Beatrice, but the spirit refused to budge. After hearing her comment, a realization dawned on Emilia. The same went for Subaru. Beatrice wasn't angry because Priscilla's attitude or insults had bothered her personally. She was angry because Priscilla had belittled Emilia. Emilia was deeply moved by this. Of course, Subaru was, too. "Beatrice, it's fine. I mean it. I'm really grateful, though." Emilia used the hand Beatrice wasn't holding to stroke her on the head. The action made Beatrice momentarily gaze at Subaru and Emilia alone, a tearful look in her eyes. But this was for only a single moment. Immediately after, Beatrice glared at Priscilla with renewed heat. "I will do as Emilia wishes, I suppose. You should be grateful." "Surely, you speak for yourself. Count your adorable appearance among your blessings." With ragged breaths, Beatrice got a hold of her temper; Priscilla responded in kind by suppressing her ghastly aura. Subaru almost felt like the last line was just pure praise for Beatrice's looks. The gist was, You're cute, so I'll let it go this time, which was fine and well with him. Priscilla's thinking remained a mystery. "You really are a woman I can't understand one bit..." "But of course. I do as I please more than any other. It is a gross conceit to even attempt to understand me." "So now it's my fault...? In the first place, this all started because you wanted Liliana for yourself." In the end, it was unclear just what had made Priscilla allow Liliana to slip from her grasp. Seemingly gleaning the question from the doubts on Subaru's face, Priscilla hid her own lips behind her fan. "Everything in this world is mine. Therefore, I need not personally own everything that is beautiful, proud, and valuable in order to appreciate it. It is sometimes best to leave them as they are. That is all." * "If this entire world becomes my garden, where little chirping birds sing matters not. It would not only be crude but quite unpleasant to place every one of them in birdcages to protect them from all outside dangers." This was the first time Subaru had ever heard Priscilla break her aesthetics down into a digestible form. The sheer scale of her inaccessible, overwhelmingly aloof rationale left Subaru at a loss for words. It wasn't that he failed to understand the meaning or the logic. She simply perceived things on a fundamentally different level. Subaru thought that this difference, or perhaps the very scale of it all, was terrifying. But at the same time, those feelings of terror were accompanied by the awe that came from gazing up at an overpowering being. He wasn't sure, but maybe that was why Al stood by Priscilla. "Now, now, now! With everyone having calmed down a notch, how about I present to you a song in honor of our friendship?! But noooo! Not one song, but maybe two or even three!" With swift pulls of the strings of her lyulyre, Liliana made an abrupt proposal. "This time, Lady Priscilla should simply enjoy herself without being concerned about dancing!! And, Lady Emilia, it looked like earlier you arrived just as the song was ending!! This time, we shall joyously celebrate our reunion, and you shall see for yourself how Liliana's unique singing voice lets her make off like a bandit in this city!" "My word." "Wow, really?" "The result isn't elegant at all, but you are satisfied with this?" Setting Liliana's assertion aside, the fact remained that her song was currently the key to a peaceful resolution. At present, Emilia and Priscilla stood side by side with an odd sense of distance between them as they prepared to listen to Liliana's performance. It was in that situation that Liliana beckoned Subaru over with her hand. Then when Subaru approached, she whispered in a low voice. "Could it be that Lady Emilia and Lady Priscilla don't get along too well?" "Are you kidding? It should be kinda obvious based on their positions. Incidentally, there's pretty much no such thing as a person who gets along well with Priscilla, and she treats Emilia-tan like that." "My oh my, this is quite a serious matter!!" Liliana gazed up at the heavens, the tails of her hair furiously bouncing, much like a dog warily wagging its tail. Maybe they were connected to her nerves or something. He had a sudden urge to grab them, pull them, and twirl them all around. "But, but! Here, I shall do everything in my power to seduce them both with the power of music! Ah, just now, you thought of something dirty because I said seduce, didn't you? You can't do that it's indeeecent!" "I'm beat, so could you not make me feel admiration and disdain from the same damn line?" Even as he sighed, Subaru admired how Liliana could show such consideration amid her fits of madness. Her goal of sweeping away the bad atmosphere with a song was something he could appreciate. As a matter of fact, it irked him a little that Liliana's voice made such a thing actually possible. "After the song, we'll have a pleasant chat, so could you prepare some snacks, Master Natsuki? Do you not think that sweets will make everyone happy and bring us all closer together?" "Not particularly." "After the song, we'll have a pleasant chat, so could you prepare some snacks, Master Natsuki? Do you not think that sweets will help make everyone happy and bring us all closer together?" "What is this? Are you an NPC who just repeats your lines until someone picks yes?" When Liliana stubbornly asked the exact same question without a single change in tension, tone, or even word choice, Subaru gave in and selected yes. Liliana's face brightened, but surprisingly, her proposal was not a terrible one. If the atmosphere improved, maybe they could have a proper conversation with Liliana and Priscilla. "So while Liliana's singing, I'll head off to buy some drinks. Emilia-tan, stay here, behave, and don't get into any fights while I'm gone." "Well, I don't want to have an argument with Priscilla, either. Don't worry it'll be fine." Subaru reminded her to be careful just to be on the safe side, and Emilia responded with a buoyant smile. Of course, even if Emilia wasn't looking for a fight, there was no denying the possibility that Priscilla might offer one regardless. "Beako, take care of Emilia-tan if anything happens." "I understand, I suppose. Next time that whelp
says something out of line, I shall reduce her to ash." "Don't pick a fight with her, either, okay?" After entrusting Emilia to Beatrice, who was possibly a much greater cause for concern, Subaru got ready to leave the park for the time being. But before he did "Priscilla, any foods you can't eat?" "How unexpected that even an unremarkable man such as you understands how to be considerate. Very well. If you must present me with something, you should prepare something appropriate. Present me something boring, and I shall slice off the hand with which you offered it and place it upon your head." "It's not like I lost at rock-paper-scissors to be the errand boy, so you've got no right to take it that far!" Subaru decided then and there that if anyone was selling a delicacy advertised as only for the bold, that's what he'd give her. For her part, Priscilla knit her refined eyebrows at Subaru's response. "Rock-paper...scissors?" She tilted her head while murmuring in confusion. If she'd forgotten about Subaru, maybe she'd forgotten about rock-paper-scissors, too. In many ways, she was a very hard woman to get along with. "Subaru, be careful." "If something happens, would you immediately call Betty, I wonder?" After Emilia and Beatrice saw him off, Subaru waved and rushed out of the park. When he tried to wink at Liliana, he was thwarted because she had closed both eyes. "Oh..." A little after that, right when he was reaching the entrance to the park, he heard the melody of the lyulyre echoing behind him. With that sound at his back, Subaru quickened his steps as he headed toward the shopping district. 3 And some ten minutes later after Subaru left the park... "Man, I'm just a chicken. Really, I am." As he exited the store, Subaru glanced at the products inside the bag, and his shoulders sagged. After setting off in the name of procuring sweets, Subaru had found some appropriate stores and finished his shopping in short order. Along the way, his interest had been temporarily drawn by "gina jelly," a strange Pristella specialty, but he hadn't summoned the courage to buy it for Priscilla. It sounded better to say he was fearful of worsening relations between the camps, but he'd simply chickened out. "But it looked kind of like eel jelly... I'm not brave enough to taste test this one, but I liked that stuff." Berating himself for his complex personal biases, Subaru jogged until he reached the street that led back to the park. Fortunately, in the ten or so minutes he'd been away, Beatrice hadn't warned him about something going awry in the park. They were probably in the middle of the recital without any problems. Even though he understood that, he instinctively wanted to return as soon as possible. But "Oops, my bad." after rounding a sharp corner a little too fast, he nearly bumped into someone as soon as he entered a public square. After narrowly evading the passerby, Subaru immediately apologized as the other party raised a cry of "aah?" with a foul-sounding voice. "Hey, pal. Is that how ya apologize? You better put more sincerity into... Geh!" The man with the crude demeanor was in the middle of picking a fight when he noticed Subaru and froze. Simultaneously, Subaru was shocked to realize he recognized this man. "Huh, it's Larry? You still act like a street thug even though you work for Felt now?" "Oh, shaddap! And my name ain't Larry! The hell are you doin' here?!" The one letting spittle fly as he complained was Lachins, who'd played the hoodlum role just the day before. According to Felt, he'd been assigned errands and was off on independent action within the city. "Curly and Moe aren't with you? Kinda rare to see you on your own like this." "How the hell would you know what's rare for me? We ain't known each other enough for this to feel like anythin'. Shoo, scram." "Hey, don't be so cold. Aren't we buddies who've gone through life and death together?" "I don't remember anythin' like that!" Lachins shot him a disgusted look when Subaru got too chummy. Even Subaru wasn't very sure why he had a soft spot for the guy. It was probably because Subaru's Everyman Sensor picked up that Larry, Curly, and Moe were fellow commoners. In this world, Subaru had met so many incredible people that seeing ordinary people like them once in a while came as a relief. Though he'd been killed by them once, his fondness for them had actually grown since. "Anyway! Don't get close to me! I'm doin' work right now!" "For you to have work after being unemployed for so long... I'm so happy for you!!" "Get lost!!" As Subaru acted tearful, Lachins clicked his tongue and brushed him off, vanishing into the crowds. Subaru reflected on the fact that the cold reaction was a great relief to him for some reason. Lately, he'd been greeted with receptions befitting his title practically everywhere he went. He was worried that he'd let it go to his head if he didn't get a reality check like this once in a while. Of course, he belatedly realized he really had been a nuisance to Lachins, so he decided to apologize the next time he had the chance. "Mm?" Then, with Lachins having vanished into the throng, Subaru turned around and began to walk when he came to a halt. No, it wasn't just Subaru who'd stopped. Within his field of view, a great many people within the square had come to a halt as well. "What the ? If it ain't one thing, it's another! The hell y'all lookin' at?!" Speaking those words, Lachins pushed his way out from the frozen mass of pedestrians. Just like he had complained, everyone had stopped to stare up at a tall building overhead. This was a spire standing at the back of the square, extremely prominent even in such a large city. A magic crystal clock was embedded into the upper portion of the building; it was a time tower that functioned much like a clock tower. These towers were common in large towns and cities, and several of them were scattered around Pristella. This time tower was simply one among many. But then that changed. " To all those whose conversations and busy schedules I've interrupted, I offer my apologies." At the upper portion of the time tower, a lone figure emerged from an open window to stand precariously on the edge. As all eyes gathered on the stranger standing before them in such a bizarre manner, the voice addressing the crowd trembled, seemingly overcome with emotion at being the center of attention. "Please lend me but a tiny instant of your time. Thank you." The tone of the voice that opened with an apology and a word of thanks was particular to those who were more concerned with their appearance than genuinely showing gratitude. Everyone listening was assailed by an uncomfortable sensation, as if that voice itself mercilessly clawed at their hearts. These disturbing feelings were doubtlessly amplified by the speaker's bizarre outward appearance. This person's head was covered in raggedly wrapped bandages that left one eye visible, gleaming mysteriously as it surveyed the world below. For clothes, they had a black robe with long, misshapen gold-colored chains wrapped around both slender hands, ending in hooks. These were dragging across the floor as the speaker came forward one purposeful footstep at a time, hastily heading to the top of the tower. Glancing at the audience, unable to peel their eyes from the bizarre sight, the speaker smiled at least, the gloomy contortion of their mouth, which was hidden by bandages, made Subaru think that was a smile. "Thank you, and sorry. I am the Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins, charged with Wrath " Voicing that terrifying preamble aloud, the eccentric offered an introduction. " My name is Sirius RomanÃ©e-Conti." 4 In contrast to the other Archbishops, the tone of Sirius's voice was chummy, outgoing, and even cheerful. This strange announcement delivered by someone wrapped in bandages left everyone looking up at the tower and unable to speak. Perhaps it was partly due to the speaker's surreal appearance, but the greater factor was almost certainly the crowd's inability to process what they just heard. Of course, these were nothing more than secondary reasons. There was a reason more fundamental than any other. How could anyone take their eyes off something that threatened their very lives? "Eh, wha ?" "What did they say just now?" "You're kidding, right? The Witch Cult, here..." The realization and chaos that had been delayed by the initial turmoil began to gradually spread through the mass of people. But not a single person there instantly adopted the best countermeasures available. Everyone listening to the contents of the message doubted their ears, and the only thing rippling through the crowd was confusion. "Hey, what did that bastard say just now?! Did you hear that?!" And the same went for Lachins, who noticed Subaru and came running. Lachins kept one eye on what was happening overhead as he wove through the crowd toward Subaru, who also couldn't take his eyes off the eccentric, despite standing apart from the rest of the audience. For some reason, he could tell that letting his attention lapse would be an irrevocable mistake. There was no need to doubt the individual's identity. That was the exact same malice Petelgeuse had. "Plus, RomanÃ©e-Conti...?" The surname the bandaged eccentric had invoked RomanÃ©e-Conti, just like Petelgeuse. Of course, as Petelgeuse had been an evil spirit, a blood relative sharing the same name was highly unlikely, but "Don't tell me all the Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins use the same family name..." The existence of a famous RomanÃ©e-Conti family within the Witch Cult churning out Archbishops one generation after the next was a concept so twisted that even the thought of it was enough to make Subaru crinkle his nose. Without such trivial thoughts running through his head, Subaru would have already blown his lid. An Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins was right there. It wasn't the Gluttony he was pursuing, but there was an Archbishop right there. " Gotta nab 'em and make 'em spill the beans." He'd blaze a trail to Gluttony one way or another. With that decided, Subaru calmed his blazing heart. Simultaneously, he focused on the link with Beatrice within his chest. By calling out to her, Subaru could convey that something was wrong. This was the firm bond that tied a contractor to his contracted spirit. In the innermost depths of his body, he'd grasp it, pulling it toward him all at once " That's quite enough!" *** But his attempt to call Beatrice was terminated, abruptly blown away by a dry, rupturing sound. This was the sound of the bandaged eccentric clapping their hands together. Subaru's breath caught from the noise, which was so loud that it seemed to reach every corner of the city and rocked the square itself. Then, looking down upon the multitude frozen with shock, the eccentric's exposed, lolling eye wandered around. "It took twenty-two seconds before everyone fell silent. But I thank you for quieting down. I am sorry. I am also very happy. And..." Speaking sarcasm along with their thanks, the eccentric Sirius kept both hands together as their body swayed. Sirius really did seem to be enjoying the show, but the crude-looking chains hanging from both hands continued to undermine that impression. The discordant sound of the hooks scraping against the tower's platform and the chains rubbing against the walls really grated on the ears. "You and you over there, and you two sirs over there also, I am sorry. Do not be so cross. I offer you my heartfelt apology for taking up your valuable time. Sorry, and thank you." "Is...!" Sirius squirmed all around while doing their best to convey sincerity. The
only reason Subaru did not instantly shout, Is this a joke?! and go deliver a beatdown was precisely because he was included among those Sirius had pointed to that moment, urging them to not be so cross. Subaru noticed the three others whom Sirius had pointed at a beast man with a sword on his hip, a woman with an eye patch, and Lachins had all gone pale. They were probably the only ones present with any fight in them. This was without doubt a warning: Any sign of hostility, and Sirius would nail them to the floor first. Feeling sweat beading on his brow, Subaru cursed the stalemate he had fallen into. Allowing the Witch Cultist to take the initiative was a terrible misstep. Including Subaru, some thirty people were in the square, trapped in Sirius's field of vision hardly a trivial number. One false move, and there would be instant carnage. Everyone indicated by Sirius's finger understood this, blocking them from making a move. From the expression on his bitter face, Lachins was the only one hesitant in his decision. Lachins probably had a wild card to play specifically calling Reinhard over. If he could do so in time, there was no one who could best Reinhard. It was a certainty that he'd settle matters with a single blow however, the sacrifices incurred in the time it took him to arrive could never be undone. If Lachins didn't care about casualties, he could have Sirius taken care of...hence his inner turmoil. "Yes, thank you. It would seem that everyone has calmed down a little. I understand that you are uneasy. The ring of the words Witch Cult never fails to leave a poor impression. That is why even I will not ask you to disregard this. I merely wished to have all of you give me this time today because there is something I sorely wish to confirm." "And what's that...?" "I am sorry; please do not be noisy. I am not very smart, so if everyone talks at once, I won't know what to do. And then I'll be quite sad. That's not good, is it? But if something's wrong, please let me know. I'll do my best to answer for everyone's sake." Sirius's insistence on maintaining a pretense of friendliness and that somewhat logical manner of speaking only made the situation all the more unsettling. Most people also found Sirius's fashion sense, which involved covering everything but their left eye and lips with bandages, predictably disturbing. And if wariness about this was keeping everyone from making a move "Can I take you at your word and ask a question?" When it felt like no one wanted to take the initiative and single themselves out, Subaru Natsuki raised a hand anyway. Even as he sensed a wave of surprise spreading around him, Subaru did not avert his eyes from Sirius, who was still standing overhead. Looking down upon Subaru, Sirius opened their purple eye wide. "Yes! You over there, please do. Thank you. To think you were so angry before, yet now you are willing to speak with me. What a happy occasion. Ask me anything." "I'm not sure what you want, but I have some girls waiting for me, and four of them at that. I'd like to settle this as quickly as possible and get back to them." "My! That is terrible; I am so sorry. Surely, we are troubling these girls and causing them sadness or maybe even anguish. That is wrong so very wrong impermissible unforgivable." "Um, excuse me?" As they spoke, the cheer in Sirius's voice faded, their gaze began to grow ominous, and they gasped in surprise when Subaru's bewildered voice called out. "Oh no, oh no, I was about to get emotional. I am so sorry. I really try to watch out, but I get easily excited. Thank you for your concern." "...Nah, that's fine. I'm just grateful that we can have a nice and calm conversation." "I am sorry you need be so considerate. Thank you. But it's all right. I am famous for being one of the doves of the Witch Cult. I am quite sorry that the others are problematic children to some extent." Something shocking dawned on Subaru as he continued having a surprisingly coherent conversation with Sirius. The unexpectedly gentle demeanor, the insistence on keeping the conversation going, and the sheer impact of the initial encounter had shoved this fact aside, but Sirius, the mystery person standing above on the tower, was a woman. Judging from the way the incredibly white fabric wrapped around her head and how it poked out from the standard Cult-issue black robe, her entire body was probably covered in bandages. Even so, Subaru had noticed telltale bulges on the chest of her tall, slender body. That combined with her manner of speech convinced him that Sirius was female. * Setting aside the issue of gender, Sirius's words and actions conveyed no sense of an immediate threat for the time being. At first, Subaru had been extremely wary, but after conversing with Sirius for a bit, he realized that she came off as more of a true human being than Priscilla did. The initial tension in everyone's expressions fell away, leaving most people more interested in Sirius's true intentions rather than worry and fear. In spite of the hatred he supposedly harbored toward the Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins, Subaru was no exception. "Thank you; I am so sorry. Truly, I had not intended to surprise everyone. But I am pleased from my heart that we have overcome this and you are now lending me your ears." "It's not like we've accepted or forgiven you, but we'll at least hear you out first." "I suppose that will do. Well then, I shall get to the point about the reason why I have appeared before you like this." As she swayed her body and rubbed the chains on both of her hands together, the high-pitched sound tore at the air around them. Now that he took a good look, her appearance was more comical than creepy. If he thought of her as some sort of clown or entertainer, he had to wonder if she was really that far removed from someone like Liliana. Subaru's expression softened, and the guarded walls he'd raised around his heart slowly crumbled away. There didn't seem to be a need to call over Beatrice anymore. He'd hear Sirius out and then ask her to depart quietly. Peaceful and proper, not making any waves whatsoever. Wasn't that a good thing? "So what did you wanna ask?" "Yeah, yeah, hurry up and ask already!" "That's right, that's right. If ya don't hurry up, I'll be late for work." When Subaru prodded her to go ahead, the people around him raised their voices, almost jeering at her. The last man pointed at the magic time crystal over Sirius's head, an act that was enough to provoke uproarious laughter. The wave of laughter made Subaru unwittingly relax his lips. The amicable atmosphere brought a blushy smile over Sirius as she pressed her hands to her cheeks like she wasn't sure what to do. "Sorry, so sorry. I really am sorry. I know you all must be in a hurry. I will soon be finished, so please bear with me a little while longer." "I told ya, hurry it up already !" "Yes! Well then, I shall do just that. Er, you see, there is something I wish to confirm. To come out and say it...it concerns love. Ohhh, I am so embarrassed." Thanks to the bandages, he couldn't see the color of her face, but Sirius was covering it with her palms to conceal her own bashfulness. The gesture made Subaru break into spontaneous laughter. There were grins all around him as the gradually warming atmosphere infected others, making Sirius tremble in even greater embarrassment. "I I expected everyone to laugh, but even so, I can't seem to look you in the face. But thank you for listening. Thank you, and also, I have a request." "A request?" "I am so sorry. Could I ask you to put up with me while I try to confirm love?" Fidgeting, Sirius rubbed the chains from both hands together as she made that request. The pathetic sight elicited a collective that's all? from the audience. As a matter of fact, Subaru had no particular objection, either. His heart warmed by the sight, he politely nodded. When he did, Sirius brightened, her eye twinkling as she clapped her hands together. "Really?! Thank you, thank you, and also sorry. The world truly is kind. It is kind and filled with love. I am grateful I can savor the feeling like this. We are capable of permitting and yielding to one another. That is why I say not only thank you but I am sorry." "We get it already! Sirius, what are you gonna do now?" "Ahhh, so sorry!" Sirius looked deeply moved when the swordswoman with the eye patch over one eye jeered at her. The voice was casual, as if she was speaking to a friend she'd known for a decade or a classmate at a girls' school, which seemed to help Sirius relax. As if finally remembering something, Sirius walked to the time tower window from which she had emerged, reaching her arms inside the structure. And then "I am so sorry to have kept you waiting. Come on right this way." * Calling out with a gentle voice, Sirius pulled something from beyond the window. Thrashing in Sirius's arms was a tiny, moaning figure a boy still early in years, his entire body firmly bound. The child, ten years old give or take, was wrapped in chains from his ankles to his shoulders; there were blood droplets where a chain had bit into his mouth. He was desperately moving what he could above his neck, tears coursing in some kind of muffled plea. "I am so sorry this is so confining. But you are a boy, so you must not cry. I wished to keep that a secret between us, but you are drenched. Now everyone will know your shame." "Nn ! Nnn!!" "Yeah ! It's embarrassin' !!" "You're a boy! Don't cry, don't cry!!" "There's only three times in a man's life that he can cry, ha-ha-ha!" Warm voices called out to the tearful boy as the audience joined Sirius in trying to console him. Overcoming the urge to be scared and cry from small frights was something everyone had to go through. There was no malice involved, but a number of the comments were rather lacking in delicacy. "Yes, yes, everyone, please do not say such things. Certainly, he is cowering a little at the moment, but this is a very brave child. Isn't that so, young Lusbel?" With his entire body bound by chains, the kid had to weigh a fair bit, but Sirius easily carried him with one arm. Gently stroking the boy's chestnut-colored hair, she turned him toward the crowd while praising his courage. Lusbel the boy squirming with all his might in his effort to escape from Sirius's hand. The contrast looked humorous and laughable, just begging for someone to laugh at how pathetic he seemed. "Yes! Now then, may I have everyone's attention? This is the young Lusbel Callard. He is a native of Pristella. He is still only nine years old. My, such fine future prospects." "Nn! Nnn!!!" "His father is Muslan Callard. He is an observer for the city waterways. His mother, Ina Callard, is currently pregnant and showing at this very moment. Will Lusbel be blessed with a younger brother or a younger sister...? Quite a happy thought regardless of which is born. Young Lusbel has a childhood friend, a cute blonde with curly hair named Tina, who he gets along with very nicely. Since the pair care deeply about each other and seem to have an ideal relationship, I spent a considerable amount of
time mulling over which one I should bring here. At first, I thought I'd bring Tina, but Lusbel asked me so earnestly, it struck a chord deep within me... Therefore, I yielded to young Lusbel's enthusiasm and had him cooperate with me. He is a very brave child. You all understand that now, don't you?" For an instant, the tale of Lusbel's courage was greeted by pure silence. But a moment later, riotous applause thundered in the square. The audience extolled Lusbel's courage, regretting the way they had laughed at his tears, for he was a true hero. No, that wasn't it. It was not the time to feel remorse for their thoughtlessness. It was time to praise courage. "Lusbel, don't cry! You're the best!" That was why Subaru raised his voice, celebrating the heroism of the tearful boy. "That's right, don't you be cryin'! We know ya got stones, so hang in there till the end, kid!" Beside Subaru, Lachins had tears in the corners of his eyes as he raised a crass cheer for the boy. "That's right, you go, Lusbel! You're the pride of Pristella!" "Lusbel! You're marvelous! I'm sure you'll become a fine man!" As one, the audience filled the square with cheers, applause, and acclaim for their hero Lusbel. This beautiful scene of human virtue had been made possible by the courage and dedication of a single boy. No matter how unseemly he might have looked, it was genuine courage that gave birth to true light. "Ahhh, ahhh...thank you, thank you, thank you! Ahhh, this is so wonderful! You all understand. I believed that you would trust in young Lusbel's courage! After all, his way is the way of love! I thought that by knowing him, you would come to love him as well! The more you understand him, the deeper you know him your thoughts become one, and that is love!" "Thank you, Sirius! Thank you!" Sirius hoisted Lusbel aloft with both hands, the bandages on her face drenched with tears. Seeing this, Subaru couldn't hold back the hot tears he hadn't even noticed until moments ago. He felt a poke on his shoulder. Beside him, Lachins pointed at Subaru and laughed at his free-flowing tears. As he did so, tears trickled down his cheeks as well, and before long, everyone in the square was overcome by the same emotion. That moment, everyone's hearts had truly become one. They were linked by an undeniable bond. "We rifts are born because we do not know one another. Conflict arises because we do not understand one another. And when we give up because we are different from one another, bonds cannot be wrought. Everyone, how are your hearts now?" "It's not like that at all! None of us is giving up! Our hearts are one!" "Thank you! Thank you! Then I take it that everyone is happy right now?" "Damn right we are! It's the first time I've felt like this! Thank you, Sirius! Lusbel!" With sounds of admiration and applause trained toward him, Lusbel sobbed at the highest point of the time tower. Finally, heedless of the gashes at the corners of his mouth, the boy bled as he desperately raised his voice. "Gu, gii! Aurr!! S-svv...sv ve...mhhh...!" "Young Lusbel, they extol your courage; they extol love! Look down. So many people admire you. Ahhh, thank you! I am so sorry, young Lusbel. This may not be what you intended. But now I know. The world is indeed a kind place!" Embracing Lusbel, whom she held aloft, Sirius turned her head toward the heavens as she continued in a loud voice. "Yes, there truly is love in this world. Everyone's hearts have become one. Their feelings of happiness are the same. No one needs tragedy. A world where people must cry is nothing but a nuisance. The greatest emotions come when people's hearts are joined together! No one needs tragedy! No one needs Wrath!" "That's right! No one needs tragedy!" "Ahhh, abominable Wrath that makes my heart tremble so! Anger in other words, rage! If this is indeed one of the Seven Deadly Sins that afflicts human hearts, if it is fate that it can never truly be cut away, then one should fill the heart with tremendous joy until there is no room left! Just like how it fills everyone's hearts this very moment!" Letting spittle fly, Sirius shared what she had learned about love from on high as if it were the judgment of the heavens themselves. Then from her upraised arms, she hurled the courage that had received envy from one and all into the sky. "May I have your applause?!" Sirius hurled Lusbel into the sky on the greatest stage imaginable. Watching the boy fly toward the sun, everyone clapped. Subaru brought his hands together over and over again as hard as he could. Uproarious applause rang out, blessing Lusbel as he soared into the sky. The tiny body spun in midair, finally reaching the zenith of the throw, then proceeding to plunge straight toward the ground. He was inverted, falling toward the stone-paved square headfirst. The audience cleared his impending point of impact applauded endlessly all the while, awaiting his triumphal return. "Nnnn!!" Lifting his head, Lusbel glared at the approaching ground and screamed. Though his strength should have been exhausted, he thrashed wildly, desperately struggling until the very, very end. Sensing they had caught a glimpse of a human being truly worthy of praise, the audience was moved to tears. And then " Ahhh, what a kind world!!" just before the impact, Sirius shouted. Hearing that voice, the audience's applause became one, growing louder and louder as the echoes boomed. Then there was a sound of something hard and fragile breaking, like an egg falling onto the floor. Everyone's vision was filled with red. Falling headfirst onto the hard surface, the entire body crumpled, and that which had once been Lusbel transformed into a pile of crimson flesh. Fat globules of blood scattered across the square in all directions as the hero spectacularly flew apart. And then right after witnessing this " Bhhh." like applause that refused to end, the sound of countless eggs smashing reverberated across the square. The ground was drowned in a crimson pool of blood. That was how it ended. 5 "After the song, we'll have a pleasant chat, so could you prepare some snacks, Master Natsuki? Do you not think that sweets will make everyone happy and bring us all closer together?" Just after he thought he'd blinked, he saw an olive-skinned girl shoot him a clumsy wink. * As he watched the girl sticking her tongue out in a playful pose, Subaru Natsuki forgot to breathe. When he shifted his unsteady gaze, he saw a silver-haired girl with a soft, charming smile beside him, and also standing there was a redheaded girl, arms crossed with an arrogant look on her face. Then he noticed the presence of a little girl in a dress gently holding his hand "Errr, is something amiss? Ignoring? Are you ignoring me? P-please cut that out; it's very depressing... Aah, cut cut that out... D-don't sigh after listening to my song... Don't make such a sad face; forgive meee...!" As Subaru fell into complete silence, the girl before his eyes Liliana was trembling awkwardly as if she was undergoing some kind of trauma. Subaru set his eyes upon her, and his stiff lips trembled. "...I feel sick." "Wha ?! H-how can this be?! How can you look at a girl's face and say something so cruel?! Liliana has never been humiliated like this before!! My goodness, on behalf of Master Natsuki's mother, I am completely embarrassed for you!! Compwetewy!! Embawwassed!!" As Liliana faked anguished tears, her mouth bled from the impressive way she had bitten her tongue. It was a ridiculous and transparently comical sight, but Subaru couldn't bring himself to laugh even if he wanted to. His head was heavy. His vision was flickering. Unable to stand, he sank to his knees then and there. "Subaru?! What's wrong?" "Wait a What happened, I wonder?! Subaru, Subaru?" Beatrice, who was holding his hand, and Emilia beside them peered at Subaru's face as he hugged the floor. Then with a face so pale that the two unwittingly gasped, Subaru " I feel sick." Even more than the death loop a year prior, he was at a loss for how to process his death. His knees continued trembling as nausea welled up. "I feel sick." The shock was almost impossible to endure. He felt revolted by the corruption that made his insides roil. His mind and body were buffeted by raging waves of loss. Subaru Natsuki was overwhelmed by a disgust that outweighed even the horror of death. In his memory of the moment just prior to his death, the past felt like the blink of an eye to him. He remembered how the corruption of his soul had blotted out his mind and left him unable to recognize the abnormal for what it was. And then he recalled the mysterious behavior of that disciple of abomination Archbishop of Wrath, Sirius RomanÃ©e-Conti. Without any doubt, the being was one of the Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins, kin to Sloth and Greed and Gluttony. They were all envoys of vice and destruction, embodiments of nightmares that by rights should not exist. The feeling of losing himself, of ceasing to be himself only to eventually return, was a first even for him. "I feel sick." The horrifying experience made him shudder. Feeling a chill coming on, Subaru trembled uncontrollably. Like an old friend celebrating their reunion, death had clawed Subaru Natsuki to pieces. What's more, Subaru hadn't even realized it yet. He was only tens of minutes before the scene of his death, from which he had just returned. The time limit was approaching again, at which point he would have to rise, clench his teeth, and fight. A maelstrom of death enveloped Subaru Natsuki once more. And so it began. In fact, it had already begun. The loop to overcome the worst day in his life was set here in the Water Gate City of Pristella. CHAPTER 1 * 1 First came the unstoppable impact that rocked his brain to its core. * His heart pounded like it was pumping confusion through his entire body. He wheezed painfully, forgetting how to even breathe. Convulsions racked his chest, and a heavy sheen of sweat coated his back. The urge to throw up wouldn't go away. All he could hear was an incessant ringing and the cacophony of his own racing pulse. His vision flickered between black and red, as if his fragmented mind was sea-foam rocking on the surface of the water. He had no idea where he was or what he was doing " ru." For a moment, he heard an unknown sound pierce the veil of hazy oblivion clouding his senses. He blindly searched for the source like someone swimming in the ocean at night, groping around in the murk. Ever so slowly, his thoughts broke the surface of his consciousness, and " Subaru!" The voice sounded like a silver bell. It called out to him again and pulled the loose pieces of his being back to reality. " Ah." After his consciousness returned, Subaru Natsuki rebooted. As he gradually recovered from his blue screen and his eyes turned back on, the first thing he noticed was two dazzling violet jewels or rather, violet eyes staring at him. He saw the concern in Emilia's face as she gazed at him. She gently stroked his cheek with her hand. * The light touch of her slender fingers urged Subaru's senses to recall their purpose. He could see the garden overflowing with green, smell the hint of flowers on the soft breeze, and hear the playful babbling of the nearby fountain. With these details coloring in the blanks, he finally regained a firm grip on reality. This was the moment that Subaru noticed he had been holding on to
someone's hand the whole time. It was small, warm, and familiar. When he turned to his side, he was met with a pair of round eyes. "Bea...trice..." "Have you managed to calm down, I wonder? You were worrying me." Beatrice let out a soft breath of relief as she continued holding Subaru's hand. Seeing that she was sitting on the grass, Subaru belatedly realized he was on the ground as well. This was also the moment that he realized there were two others present besides Emilia and Beatrice. "Pheeew, you gave us a real scare, Master Subaru. For a moment there, I was worried I wouldn't make it. Your humble Liliana still has not learned many funeral hymns, you see..." Liliana the Songstress was expressing her delight at Subaru's apparent recovery with a rather peculiar choice of words. With one hand, she braced her beloved lyulyre against her hip as if to visibly illustrate her incredibly unique concern. Standing beside her was Priscilla, who was wearing an expression that didn't show a single shred of acknowledgment regarding Subaru's poor state. She casually fanned herself with the idle composure of someone who was wholly unconcerned. That was so in character for her that it ironically set him at ease. * After taking stock of everyone around him, Subaru slowly rose to his feet. His head felt leaden. It was almost like his eyes, ears, nose, and skin were trying to keep up with someone suddenly changing the channel while only his soul stayed behind, still tuned to the old one. That sensation lingered as Subaru took in a deep breath. There was something he had to confirm for himself. "Subaru, are you sure you don't want to rest a bit more? You really don't look well..." "I'm all right. Just a little dizzy from standing up. More importantly, Emilia-tan...weren't you going to have Liliana sing another song right about now?" "Wha?! Why is that the first thing you want to know?! Not only did you have no reaction to what I said, but now I'm also being utterly ignored! You wound me, sir! I demand restitution! Restitution for my heart!!" When Liliana grasped his sleeve with the force of someone determined to drag him off to court, Subaru immediately brushed her aside. The Songstress cried with a "Gaaah!" as she was flung away, but Subaru paid her no heed and looked straight at Emilia. Picking up on the intensity of Subaru's gaze, Emilia nodded. "Yes, that's right. Just now, we were talking about asking Liliana to sing the song we haven't had a chance to hear yet. That's when you and Liliana started whispering about something, and..." "Which brings us to the present. Got it. Tha..." Thank you, and sorry. Right as he was about to thank Emilia for her explanation, something echoed in the back of Subaru's mind. * It was the verbal tic of the bandaged maniac who appeared at the time tower Sirius RomanÃ©e-Conti. In most cases, those magic words were used to convey gratitude and show consideration for others. But for the moment, Subaru couldn't think of them as anything other than the sinister incantation of some dark sorcery. When he recalled what that basket case had done while reciting those magic words, all he could think of was "...Oh. That's right; I..." Subaru stumbled upon a sudden realization. One moment, he was trapped in Wrath's crazed delusions, and in the next, he was back with Emilia and the others. It wasn't because he had miraculously managed to escape in one piece. No, quite the opposite. At some point in the madness and the chaos, Subaru Natsuki had shuffled off this mortal coil. He had died again. And in death, Subaru Natsuki had returned, so that he might challenge fate once more. "Shit..." Coming to terms with that fact, Subaru's breast burned with relief and nigh-unendurable anger. Over a year ago, Subaru refused to willfully hurl himself into the jaws of death, instead resolving to challenge whatever hardship or ordeal that barred his path with every iota of strength he could muster. That was the answer he had reached during the Witch's Trial in the Sanctuary. Despite his big talk, he had failed spectacularly. Never mind resisting death; he'd actually run straight into its waiting embrace without even realizing what he was doing. " Ah." And now another revelation dawned on him. He didn't even have time to feel self-loathing as an eruption of shame consumed him. It had taken him this long to notice. His grasp on the flow of events, his situational awareness, his thoughts all of them had been lacking and superficial. Liliana's second song, the tension that hung over Emilia and Priscilla, Subaru running off to buy them snacks all those things immediately preceded his encounter with the cryptic stranger, at which point he lost his life and promptly Returned by Death. Coming back to this moment in time could only mean one thing. Barely fifteen minutes remained until that eccentric's nightmarish speech would begin again. "This can't be real..." Still in shock, Subaru didn't know how to even begin dealing with his new reality. As soon as he realized what situation he'd landed in, he was so overwhelmed by sheer urgency that it felt like his eyes were swimming. His reaction was completely understandable. Never before had his return point been so close to his demise. To date, Subaru had been given loop times ranging from several hours to several days. It had been Subaru Natsuki's fight to make the most of that time limit and change any dead-end futures. For this go-around, that time limit was short extremely, painfully short. What in the world could Subaru accomplish with a mere fifteen minutes? "...Am I an idiot? No, of course I am. There's no time to screw around. I gotta be the one to put a stop to it." As he bemoaned the incredibly harsh limitations he'd been saddled with, Subaru reprimanded himself to force his thoughts back on track. This was an opportunity that no one except Subaru was granted more than once to begin with. It was too much to ask for his second chances to be tailored for his convenience. He had to do his best according to the conditions granted to him. He could complain all he wanted after his life was snuffed out if it came to that point. "Beatrice! Come with me and..." "...And what, I wonder?" Subaru impetuously turned around, ready to charge ahead when his words caught in his throat. Beatrice cocked her head in confusion. The enemy was an Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins. Asking Beatrice for help and fighting together with her was the right choice without her, Subaru's options dwindled, and his combat strength wouldn't even amount to half of what it could be. Even though he knew this full well, Subaru hesitated to seek Beatrice's cooperation. It wasn't because he was afraid of exposing Beatrice to danger or because of other sentimental reasons. His relationship with Beatrice had crossed that line of resolve long ago. Then what was causing Subaru to waver? It was Emilia. She was there. *** That eccentric had called herself Sirius RomanÃ©e-Conti, the Witch Cult's Archbishop of Wrath. Petelgeuse, also an Archbishop, had doggedly targeted Emilia. Wasn't it safer to assume that Emilia would also be in Sirius's sights as well? That worry had a stranglehold on Subaru's heart. He was afraid of leaving Emilia by herself. It terrified him to even think about letting someone precious to him out of his sight. The tragedy of never-ending sleep that had befallen Rem had struck Subaru with a strain of cowardice that he could not shake off. That's why "Beatrice, are you..." "Am I...?" "...fine with getting the same sweets as everyone else?" Subaru was still wearing a deadly serious expression when he posed that trivial question. Of course, that didn't sit well with Beatrice as Subaru drew closer to her suspicious face. " Could you stay with Emilia? I'll rest easier if I know you're with her." "...I suppose there is yet another thing you cannot share even with Betty." "Sorry, but when something comes up, you're the first person I count on." Though he knew it was low of him, Subaru was relying on Beatrice while withholding details about what was going on. She sighed at his reply as Subaru turned toward Emilia. "I'm gonna go for a little run and buy some drinks while getting some air. You can just chill here and listen to the dangerous Songstress's song while looking graceful as always, all right?" Somehow managing to flash a smile, Subaru spoke in a laid-back tone as he tried to take his leave. But then "Wait." right before he was about to break into a run, he felt someone tugging at his clothes and stopped. When he checked to see who it was, Subaru found Emilia grasping the sleeve of his jacket, gazing at Subaru as if she wanted to say something. He'd been incredibly sloppy. Of course Emilia was suspicious. Therefore "Subaru, please, please be careful. Don't do anything rash." Emilia swallowed her doubts and only asked that he keep his wits about him. Her thoughtfulness made him happy. "Yeah, of course. Just sit tight and trust me. I'll protect you?" "Okay. Take care." With that final comment, she let go of his sleeve, blushing a little. "I have it. Please listen: Show me your mettle." "All right, I'm off! I'll be right back...or at least, it'll feel like I'll be right back!" Ignoring the Songstress taking inspiration from the scene to fuel her creative juices, Subaru properly broke into a run. Approximately ten minutes remained until the nightmarish speech began a time limit short enough to make him cry. 2 It didn't even take five minutes to sprint to the square that contained the time tower where everything would go down. Since it had taken him some time to confirm the situation after Returning by Death, he had left the park later than his previous time going there. Skipping the shopping trip let him make up some of the lost time, but "With a limit of fifteen minutes, there's no telling how fatal it might be to show up a few seconds late." That was even truer because he currently had an overwhelming lack of information. The worst of it was that Subaru didn't know what caused Return by Death in other words, he hadn't isolated what killed him. The circumstances surrounding his latest death were simply that bizarre. An Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins had appeared atop a time tower and somehow convinced the audience Subaru included to joyfully listen to her mad speech. In the end, even when Sirius hurled an innocent boy from the top of the tower, Subaru and the others only reacted with eager applause as they watched the young child's head shatter against the ground. That was when his consciousness cut out, followed by Return by Death immediately after, so all he could gather from that was... "Do I know anything other than the fact that I basically lost my mind?" Sirius had created an anomaly, but everyone present had accepted it like nothing was out of the ordinary. Many would find it tempting to consider it a type of madness or perhaps some sort of mental corruption. What memories Subaru was able to retain after coming back were heavily influenced by his state during the instant he died. Considering his mental condition at the time, he felt compelled to question the reliability of his memories. "Man, I already made it." Arriving at the square with labored breaths, Subaru surveyed his surroundings. The familiar time tower was deeper inside the square, and lots of foot traffic flowed by its base. This area was part of the most prosperous district in the city. There were far more people than Subaru remembered, and they were streaming around the place without pause. Fortunately, he couldn't spot any
groups or even a single individual clad in a telltale black outfit among them. He hadn't seen any Witch Cultists around Sirius during the speech, either. Perhaps Sirius was acting alone. Even if that was true, it didn't mean that the threat posed by the Archbishop was diminished in the slightest. "Now, what should I do? Evacuating the square...would be tough. I'd need way more help to go around convincing people. Besides, doing something like that might tip off Sirius." For an instant, he considered causing a commotion to forestall the tragedy that was about to take place, but he quickly decided that was probably a really bad idea. To begin with, Sirius's heinous actions had not targeted anyone in particular. It was indiscriminate terrorism if anything. If he let her get away, she'd eventually just do the same thing somewhere else. That would be a hollow victory. The Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins were creatures of pure evil that had to be rooted out at the source. "If only I had time to head back to that Japanese-style inn and get one or two people to help... Damn it all!" After griping about some wishful thinking, Subaru slapped his cheeks with both hands. Then he gazed forward with a firm look of resolve, glaring at the ominous time tower. In a few more minutes, Sirius would appear at the top of that white tower and raise the curtain on her wicked performance. That meant she must already be lurking inside it at this very moment. Of course, Lusbel, her young captive, would be in there as well. "The hell? It's unlocked..." He noticed that the entrance was an old iron door set unobtrusively in the rear of the time tower. When he tentatively put a hand on it, the unlocked door swung open with ease. Hesitating for only a second, Subaru quietly stepped into the belly of the yawning structure. * The interior was dark. The putrid air was cold and reeked of dust. Though they functioned much like a clock tower, time towers were magic crystal timekeepers and did not have any clockwork mechanisms whatsoever. The tower's interior contained only a support pillar at its center and a spiraling staircase, which climbed upward along the walls. Thanks to that, the inside of the tower was quiet and still. Subaru winced at how audible his footsteps were here. "...Nnngh, mmm, hngh." Then a faint, crying voice abruptly broke through the veil of silence. Subaru craned his neck to look higher. The noises of distress were coming from the upper part of the tower. He was sure it sounded like the voice of a child crying while being dragged along " Don't cry, don't wail, and don't make a fuss. You truly are a good child. A strong child who protected someone precious to you. Surely your family, and even your younger brothers and sisters you have never set eyes upon, will always think of you with pride." He could hear a sinister voice. Those words were undoubtedly directed at the sobbing child. They sounded like both a blessing and a curse overflowing with resentment, an intense mix of love and hate. This was twisted. That one utterance was enough for Subaru to tell that the speaker did not possess a sound mind. * They were above him. The moment he knew that for certain, Subaru let out a heavy breath, then went still. Putting a hand over his racing heart, Subaru stepped onto the spiral stairs. Fortunately, walking silently was one of the skills that his mentor, Clind, had instilled in him over this past year. Leading with his heels before slowly shifting his body weight forward, Subaru inched toward the top of the tower with stealthy steps. At the topmost floor, there was a window that allowed for inspection of the magic crystal timepiece and was accessed via a loft that served as a maintenance space. Cautiously, he peered into that room from midway up the stairs, managing to catch sight of some silhouettes wriggling in the darkness. There was no sign of anyone else in the vicinity. He was almost certain that these figures were Sirius and the hostage. * Seeing his chance, Subaru moved a hand behind his hip and slowly drew his weapon a whip from its holster. It shared a deep resemblance with the bullwhip that was favored by a certain archaeologist who often raided old ruins in a world-famous series of films. The main difference was that Subaru's whip was longer, which naturally made it more difficult to use. However, under Clind's strict tutelage, Subaru had somehow managed to rise to an acceptable level of mastery over the last year. The whip that Subaru held now was a custom gift he'd received from his mentor as a sort of graduation present. Taking inspiration from the name of the demon beast that had provided the materials, Subaru had dubbed it the Guilty Whip. It was perfect for tricks and feints and that was precisely why Subaru had chosen the whip from among numerous other weapons. Subaru had laid eyes upon many swordsmen since his arrival. The world of martial arts was not so forgiving that he could match a professional overnight. Furthermore, if he had anything to be proud of, it was his cunning. And thanks to his mentor's tutelage, now even Subaru had cards he could play in a situation like this. "Looks like it's about a dozen or so feet." Eyeballing the distance between the end of the stairs and the shifting silhouettes, he could see that his target was right at the edge of his whip's range. He needed a step or at least half a step closer to guarantee a hit. Either way, a whip didn't pack enough punch to land a one-hit knockout. If he was going to use a whiplash as his opening gambit, he couldn't rely on brute force so instead, he'd make use of height. He took a shallow breath, then held it. He decided to attack from a range where he could hit for certain. Surging forward, he wound up his right hand to ready his whip as he cleared the stairs. The silhouettes still weren't looking in his direction. The initiative was his for the taking. * Taking half a step forward, he swung his right arm like he was circling it overhead. That sidearm motion emphasized speed over force. As it took flight, the whip was too fast to track with the naked eye. This was another reason Subaru had chosen the weapon: It gave him the ability to quickly land a blow against opponents far stronger than he. At this rate, the whip would reach the defenseless back of his target, wrapping around her neck and giving him a chance to hurl her down the " Why are you so angry?" Right as he thought his attack would connect, his target suddenly posed a question, back still facing him. Almost simultaneously, the silhouette swung her hand without even turning around. With incredible speed and accuracy, the chain that was wrapped around that hand collided with Subaru's whip, robbing it of all momentum and knocking it down. Subaru's eyes shot open, but the moment he felt his whip make contact with the chain, he yanked his arm back hard. "Oh my." The hook hanging from the chain's end had gotten tangled with Subaru's whip, giving him a chance to throw Sirius off-balance. Subaru followed up quickly with a ferocious charge, ramming her with his shoulder. "Uraaaaah!" "Wah!" Raising a delicate cry, Sirius's unexpectedly light body went over the railing, turning halfway before vanishing from sight. Just as he'd planned, she fell from the landing and was hurtling straight down to ground level. It was more than a sixty-foot drop from the top floor, tall enough to crack open a child's head like it was an overly ripe fruit. "You okay, Lusbel?!" Not staying to watch the strange woman twist and fall to her death, Subaru raced over to the other person still on the landing. It was Lusbel, the pitiable boy who was fated to be hurled from the tower. His body was already wrapped in a set of chains, which tightly bound his lower half. He looked like he was in pain, but the most repulsive detail was how the boy was gripping the end of the chain that was wrapped around his own body. There was only one thing that could mean. "She made him chain himself...?!" Subaru seethed as he realized the demented events that must have led to this moment. This young boy had been forced to sign his own death warrant. Just how much fear and horror had Lusbel endured while doing this? Simply imagining it made Subaru sick to his stomach. "It's all right! You've done enough! You don't need to put up with this anymo..." "B-but...if I don't keep my promise, Tina will... Tina will...!" When Subaru tried to undo the chain, Lusbel resisted with tears in his eyes. The name on his lips the name of the boy's childhood friend whom Sirius had mentioned previously made Subaru draw a sharp breath. This boy had accepted a deal with the devil to spare his childhood friend from a terrible fate. Even while enduring such a harrowing ordeal legs shaking, teeth chattering, and tears coursing from his eyes his main concern was still his friend. "It's...all right. There's...lots of dependable people in this city, so...!" Subaru did his best to console him. He wanted to be as emphatic as possible to reassure the young boy. At the moment, the Sword Saint, the Sword Devil, and the Finest of Knights were all in the same city. The kingdom's greatest healer was also present. Losing didn't seem possible with all of them a stone's throw away. That's why there was no need to be afraid. Evil would not triumph here. It was true. It had to be true. There was absolutely no need to be afraid. None whatsoever. "That's why...my legs need to quit shaking already!!" Subaru raised a frantic yell as he fell to his knees in front of Lusbel, whose eyes had shot open in fear. Subaru's voice cracked, carrying notes of grief and terror. It almost felt as if some alien revulsion was coiling around his entire body and refusing to let go. " Urhkgh!" Before his eyes, Lusbel writhed, then bent over and vomited, spewing yellow stomach fluids. Convulsing like he was having a seizure, the boy collapsed onto a pool of his own sick. When Subaru tried to brace him, Subaru was suddenly assailed by the sensation of something clawing at his own insides and he also threw up on the spot. Subaru promptly pitched forward just like Lusbel had " That you are so afraid is proof of your kind heart." "Ngh, gaaaah!!" The same moment he heard that voice, Subaru screamed from the searing pain that struck his left shoulder. With a powerful yank, he was dragged backward until he collided with a railing and flipped over it. He went into a tailspin and was hurtling to his death only to suddenly stop halfway, suspended in midair. "Wha...?!!" "Thank you. And I'm sorry." Having cleared the railing and fallen, Subaru had no way to answer. The reason was physical rather than emotional. After all, a chain was wrapped around his neck, while the hook on its end dug deep into his left shoulder. When Sirius twisted and fell earlier, she had apparently thrown her chain to drag Subaru down and used the resulting force to propel herself back up. Now she was the one looking down with a smile at Subaru, who was suspended by the chain around his neck. Subaru flailed as he kicked his legs in the air and vomit trickled from his constricted throat. As she watched Subaru struggle for his life, Sirius nodded several times with visible delight. "People can understand one another. People have the ability to become one.
Kindness is not for our own sake. It is for the sake of others. Kindness shines brightest when it is offered freely. To be kind to oneself is mere selfishness. A far cry from true kindness! As such, your concern for others makes your kindness bright as the sun! Ahh, ahh, ahh! In other words, it is love!" "Ugh, agh, bngh..." "Please savor the feeling. Please show me your love, the chains of your limitless kindness, your noble desire to save young Lusbel!" As blood and vomit continued to spill from Subaru, Sirius embraced the filth-covered Lusbel before him. She rubbed her cheek against Lusbel's, marring her white bandages with the boy's yellow stomach fluids in the process. "Your gentle soul felt Lusbel's fear. Through you, young Lusbel experienced your fears that had been born from his. And then that additional fear that young Lusbel felt flowed back into you. In this manner, you shall feel the same joy, sadness, terror, and even the pain of being wrung by the neck, until by the loving embrace of death do you part " Those rambling words rained down on Subaru from above. In that moment, he was far too preoccupied to dismiss her words as delusional and nonsense. The reason was that everything, from voices to the very air itself, had become an object of fear for Subaru. The entire world scared him. If everything that he laid eyes on was scary, then he should have just closed his eyes, but when he realized that darkness itself was terrifying, this thought combined with the worry that he might never see light again if he closed his eyes, making his entire body freeze stiff, because comprehending that fear made him afraid that he couldn't comprehend fear anymore, which was a terrifying thought in and of itself, because if the whole world was made up of terrifying things and fear was the only truth of the world, then fear gave way to fear that would make fear fear's "Oh my. It would seem you are at your limit. Compassionate people who love and feel deeply are beautiful but at times fragile... Ahh, people love, and so they suffer. But it is because of love that people's lives have meaning. What a very complicated thing. Well then, I shall borrow little Tina's strength next. Young Lusbel, young man, you two have earned your rest." reason that dulls the value of life which allows creatures to defy their natural instincts and functions meaning fear is necessary so it's only natural for people to feel fear so it's nothing to be ashamed of and if anything it'd be pointless to not be afraid but it would probably be through thought experiments like this that he'd challenge the fear that gripped his entire body because otherwise why was subaru even scared scared scary scared scary scary i dont feel so goobebebebababababababaabararadagaddagagadaradadada 3 "After the song, we'll have a pleasant chat, so could you prepare some snacks, Master Natsuki? Do you not think that sweets will make everyone happy and bring us all closer together?" The moment he blinked, the world changed before his eyes. Subaru immediately lost his balance, smashing his head into the girl who was winking and holding out an expectant hand toward him. "Waaaghaaa?!" "Agh!!" A hard thunk echoed as Subaru saw stars in his eyes. The sharp pain sent Subaru reeling, leaving him wondering what happened as he took a step back. Something crashed onto the grass in front of him, but Subaru paid it no heed as he rubbed his own head. "Wh-what just...?" "What are you muttering about, Subaru?! You just headbutted Liliana out of nowhere! You can't do that. Even if you're upset, you need to at least warn them beforehand." "That's right. Before you resorted to violence, should you not have admonished her right around the time she made that clumsy wink, I wonder?" "Was it really that bad?!" Offended, Liliana leaped back to her feet. Emilia and Beatrice traded looks, seemingly pondering how to reply to her question as she recovered from her fall. Struck by shock at the silent pause, Liliana flopped down and splayed out once more. "What a ridiculous farce. Do not infringe upon my little bird, peasant. I will not overlook it a second time." Unexpectedly, Priscilla actually sided with Liliana. She had apparently taken quite a liking to the Songstress, if the sharp look in her eyes was anything to judge by. But Priscilla's warning did not elicit a single word from Subaru as he checked the state of his own body. "...Makes me sick." That was all Subaru could gloomily muster after his second run-in with that walking enigma, who hadn't changed in the slightest. 4 Upon his second Return by Death, unprecedented fatigue ate away at Subaru's psyche. Experiencing two deaths in a short time frame was undoubtedly a large burden, but the greatest source of his distress was the fact that he had lost his mind twice over. Though both episodes had their differences, he'd tasted mental collapse via mania and psychosis in rapid succession. During the second instance, he'd experienced his very sense of self break down. He never wanted to go through that again. He wondered if the ultimate cause of his second death was cardiac arrest from extreme terror or simple suffocation from being strung up by his neck. Either way, he'd paid a high price for trying to save Lusbel by himself. However, Subaru hadn't died twice in a mere thirty minutes without getting anything out of it. Sirius had been kind enough to explain what was happening to Subaru as his life came to an end, perhaps as a sort of morbid farewell gift. "Fear heightening as it passes back and forth between people...like a kind of resonance, maybe?" Subaru had felt Lusbel's fear, and in turn, Lusbel had felt Subaru's. With each subsequent pass, that sensation grew stronger and stronger, culminating in an absolute, all-consuming dread that ultimately led to death. Based on Sirius's statements and his own mental collapse, Subaru deduced that this was his opponent's Authority. He was also finally able to infer the cause of his manic episode during his first visit to the time-tower square. That time, all the anger and disgust in the crowd had been overwritten with joy and delight. And inside the tower, the fear that Lusbel felt had passed back and forth between him and his would-be savior, shattering Subaru's mind. In other words, Sirius's Authority of Wrath "It lets her toy with other people's feelings however she likes. Shit, that's bad news." Just like Petelgeuse's Unseen Hands, it was an Authority, a special power not subject to the world's normal rules of magic. Befitting the title of Wrath, that sinister ability was closely tied to human emotion. In the end, that was all his second death allowed him to deduce with any confidence. The biggest issue was that he still had no idea what conditions were required for activating this Authority, and he didn't have a single lead on how to resolve this situation. It was fair to say that the strategy he employed against Petelgeuse had heavily depended upon luck. Unseen Hands was the Authority of Sloth, and Petelgeuse himself was an evil spirit who had the powerful ability to possess the bodies of others. Subaru just happened to have ways of countering both. However, setting his means of resisting possession aside, Subaru still didn't know what let him see Unseen Hands. At some point since then, he'd learned a skill he called Invisible Providence, which greatly resembled Unseen Hands, but his suspicions remained just that. "Since Return by Death seems to have something to do with the Witch, I'd hoped it meant the Witch Cult's rule-breaking tricks wouldn't work on me or something, but..." He had no choice but to discard that line of thinking after Wrath's power had affected him so deeply. On top of that, based on what he could gather so far, the worst-case scenario was that Sirius's Authority simply activated upon contact. It was a distinct possibility that hearing her voice or seeing her in person was enough for him to become ensnared. In that case, the most reliable strategy against Sirius was to blow her up along with the entire building before she emerged from the top of the time tower. That way, she would have no chance to use her Authority. This plan was only possible because Subaru knew Sirius's exact location due to the short time limit imposed by his Return by Death. If he acted immediately, Sirius could be defeated for sure so long as he turned a blind eye and accepted the sacrifice of one little boy. " As if I'd ever let that happen." There was no way he'd ever invoke phrases like necessary sacrifices. For Subaru, even if it meant exchanging one life to save many, losing that one life was like giving up the entire world. If he had already made up his mind to not sacrifice himself, how could he reduce the lives of others to mere numbers? That was the act of a god or a devil, and Subaru had no intention of turning into either. "I'll save Lusbel and beat Sirius. Gotta make both happen somehow, huh? Man, being Emilia-tan's knight is tough." And yet if he couldn't do that, Subaru Natsuki had no value whatsoever. Naturally, he knew full well that the kind people around him would surely forgive such weakness. That's why he had to do it. Subaru wanted to stand proudly beside the people he cared about. If seeing this through was what it took to make that happen, then so be it. That was Subaru's way. "I challenged her alone and lost pathetically. It's painfully obvious I don't have enough combat power... I need to borrow someone's strength." The ideal recruit was someone with so much pure combat power that they could overwhelm Sirius. It would have to be a person who'd believe Subaru's words implicitly and agree to cooperate with him. On top of that, they had to be able to resist Sirius's Authority. He needed a powerful character who met all those conditions and who was close enough to reach the time tower in under ten minutes. Subaru almost laughed at himself for wanting such a convenient ally. "Oh, right." He tried to laugh, but then it dawned on him. There was a certain memory. His first time in the square, he'd come across a particular man. Since that person had also been influenced by Wrath's Authority, he was far from the perfect counter against Sirius, but even so " Reinhard!!" Right as Subaru began to feel ridiculous for seeking out a wildly convenient answer to his problems, he was finally able to remember that a man who was the epitome of overpowered really did exist. 5 He wasn't trying to make excuses for himself, but Subaru's two very quick deaths were a major part of why he had completely forgotten Reinhard's existence and the fact that Lachins, who had been present in the square, was connected to him. Subaru had experienced death right after experiencing death, and that made it twice that his psyche had collapsed. It went without saying that going through this unprecedented experience in the short span of thirty minutes had left Subaru rattled. He felt nothing but astonishment at how little time this loop gave him and how it didn't leave any breathing room to calmly figure things out. Accordingly, Subaru had been forced to run ahead at full speed until he rammed into something barring his way forward. Desperately trying to come up with a way to persuade a certain man was no exception. "I finally found you! You're not getting away! Please call Reinhard over right now! It's an emergency!" "Like hell I am! I don't wanna hear another damn word of complaint outta that redheaded bastard! Get lost!" The
shouting match that erupted in the middle of the street made passersby glance at one another as they wondered what was up. The atmosphere resembled a sporting match as several curious onlookers hurled jeers at them. It annoyed Subaru, but he didn't have the luxury of paying them any heed. After recovering from the shock of Return by Death, Subaru was following up on his earlier conclusion with swift action. Asking Beatrice to guard Emilia just like last time, Subaru left the park, ostensibly to go shopping when in reality, he was looking for Lachins in the square to convey the imminent emergency. But Subaru had gotten off to a bad start and wasn't making any progress. It had taken him so long to find Lachins that Subaru had accidentally grabbed the man's shoulder the moment he happened upon him. He'd apologized several times, but still. "Anyway, I need you to calm down and listen to me. I'm not joking around. If you don't want to die, get in touch with Reinhard right now." "Huh? You think a snivelin' brat like you can do me in? I don't need Reinhard for this. I can pay ya back right here, right now." "Damn it, you thick-skulled..." Taking Subaru's words as a taunt, Lachins let his anger grow even hotter. It was difficult to call Subaru and Lachins's relationship favorable to begin with. On top of that, Lachins seemed to dislike Reinhard a great deal, which apparently made him reluctant to rely upon the knight. Of course, that stubbornness didn't even compare with the threat that the Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins posed, but Subaru had good reason to not reveal all the details about the current turn of events. That said, at the rate things were going, the situation would only deteriorate, which didn't leave him much of a choice. Suppressing his instinctual fear, Subaru touched his hand to his chest. "Lachins, this isn't a joke. I want you to call Reinhard because someone who neither of us can lay a hand on is up to no good." "What are you goin' on about? Talk sense, man." Lachins snorted, treating Subaru's plea like it was nonsense. The look on his face made Subaru lower his eyes and breathe deeply Stay away, he prayed privately as he opened his mouth. " The people coming...might be from the Witch Cult." There, I said it, thought Subaru as he let out his breath. Lachins's expression stiffened almost instantly. A moment after he spoke, Subaru looked down at his chest, but nothing had happened. Even though he'd divulged a piece of information gained via Return by Death, no penalty had occurred. "Nothing this time, huh? ...Well, shit, that's bad for my heart in more than one way." Grasping his own collar, Subaru was flooded with relief as he cursed with minor irritation. It had been a year since he'd experienced Return by Death, but Subaru continued to be regularly tormented by the various penalties that he incurred whenever he'd attempted to divulge the existence of his unusual power. In one notable example, he'd decided to reveal everything to Beatrice once and for all, only to experience truly hellish suffering like never before. It was a special present from the Witch of Jealousy the culprit who stood behind those black hands. The penalty almost seemed to say, Forget about everything that transpired when we parted back at the Witch's Tea Party in the Sanctuary. Given the circumstances, Subaru still had yet to disclose the existence of Return by Death to Beatrice or anyone else. Of course, so long as it didn't call abject suffering down on himself, he fully intended to tell his partner Beatrice everything that he could. He'd spent a long time trying before reluctantly giving up. Either way, the important part was that he'd been able to convey to Lachins the coming Witch Cult attack without activating the penalty "Hey, brat, how serious are you about what you just said? This ain't some kinda ruse, right?" "It's Subaru Natsuki. Stop calling me 'brat' already, Lachins." Lachins, who had lowered his voice, clicked his tongue as he received Subaru's reply. In this world, invoking the names of the Witch of Jealousy and the Witch Cult was indescribably serious, enough that even Lachins had changed his expression as he instantly grasped the gravity of the impending situation. "Subaru, you piece of shit, where the hell did you hear about somethin' like...? Aww, crap. That's right. You're the one who killed the Witch Cult's Sloth guy, huh? Guess you do have some credibility..." Flicking his tongue piercing with a finger, Lachins tried to figure out how to treat Subaru's statement. Lachins made some speculation that was a little at odds with the facts, but Subaru's exploits were apparently enough to convince him to play along. "Anyway, are ya saying those guys are gonna show up in this city? Or right here in this damned square?" "So you believe me?" "You're the one who said ya ain't playin' around. Look, I hate that redheaded bastard's lectures, but I like starin' death in the face even less. If you get it, then watch what you say and how you say it." It wasn't exactly trust or faith, but Lachins had made an unexpectedly logical decision. Subaru responded with a quick "Gotcha!" and a vigorous nod. "All right, I'll keep that mind. To properly explain, it's the Witch Cult's Archbishop of Wrath who's coming. She's gonna poke her face out at the top of the time tower in this square. There's no particular target, so she's gonna aim for everyone here." "That sounds just like the Witch Cult, don't it? Shit, how much time do we got?" "Probably less than five minutes. So I'd really like to call him now." "Five minutes?! The hell?! Why didn't ya say that sooner?!" "That's why I've been asking you since five minutes ago!" Lachins raised his voice as he suddenly realized how urgent the situation was, but the time limit was a curse that Subaru could not be more aware of. If he had any other choice, Subaru wouldn't be relying on casting a net out like this, either. "Hey! This ain't a sideshow! Get lost, ya damn tourists!" Lachins had judged that you couldn't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs. Rudely howling at the people crowding around his and Subaru's argument at a distance, he thrust his right hand toward the sky. "Lettin' magic fly inside the city with nothing goin' on is against city regs. Ya better be there with me to explain." "I'll do that much any day. I'll lick someone's boots if I have to." "And you call yourself a knight?!" An instant after Subaru's reply left Lachins dumbfounded, Lachins unleashed a red light from his palm toward the sky. The flare spread in the middle of the sky, making the heavens glow and glimmer as if he'd launched some small, cheap fireworks. To be blunt, it was hard to expect much from something so puny, but it was surely enough to summon that hero. "Gotta say, though, never thought I'd be working together with Larry toward the same goal like this..." Subaru wanted to believe that such deep sentiment was a sign he'd made the right decision. If this brought Reinhard running, then surely it would drastically change the situation. That vague sense of relief had caused Subaru to forget a natural concern. That moment, he had a thought that would have never occurred to him fifteen minutes ago back during the second go-around. * The people in the square looked up at the light in the sky, raising voices of surprise and wonder. Accordingly " My. A ball of fire off in the distance. It glows so prettily. Thank you." Naturally, when she heard the fuss outside, the bandaged enigma came out into the open. 6 Leaning her body forward from the top of the white tower, Sirius seemed to be in a very good mood. Even if the bandages kept her expression hidden, her voice overflowed with emotion. Sirius savored the red, magical glow floating in the blue sky before clapping. "Yes! Now then, everyone, so sorry to interrupt. Good day to you all!" The thundering sound of her clap echoed loudly, and the audience, which had been focusing on the Goa spell that Lachins had unleashed, reflexively turned toward Sirius. "No, don't look!!" Worried that this was the condition for her Authority activating, Subaru yelled out in warning. However, no one heeded his words and averted their gazes. Of course not Subaru himself had done the exact same thing that they did upon coming into contact with Sirius for the first time. The eccentric was instinctually provocative. Her words and actions made you unable to look away. "My. You have gone quiet far sooner than I thought. It is surely because these two drew everyone's attention before I came out. Thank you. Applause, please!" Clapping as she spoke, Sirius indicated Subaru and Lachins with her chain-wrapped hands. Amid sparse applause, Subaru endured the terrible chill running up his back as he desperately turned his head away in the hopes of escaping from the effects of her Authority. However, it was probably too late for that. After all, Subaru already found himself unable to cover his ears. Subaru had deduced that the condition for Sirius activating her Authority was for a potential victim to see her or hear her voice. Therefore, at first, he thought that maybe averting his eyes or plugging his ears might be enough but what did he need to cover his ears for anyway? After all, Sirius's voice was so soothing. " Ah." Before he realized it, Subaru had turned back around, staring right at Sirius. For Sirius's part, she swayed her body with delight when she noticed Subaru was gazing up at her. The hooks at the tips of her chains clattered as they scraped along the floor, and this metallic sound pierced Subaru's mind. "Yes! It took nineteen seconds until all of you looked in my direction. I'm so sorry, but this is joyous indeed. Also, it would appear there is a child here thinking of me with much more intensity than I expected. Now, I should introduce myself." As the massive audience gazed up at her in silence, Sirius politely bowed her head. As she did so, she peered down upon the square with only one eye uncovered. "I am the Witch Cult's Archbishop of Wrath my name is Sirius RomanÃ©e-Conti." Normally, the repulsive being invoking that terrifying name would be regarded as an object of fear and hatred. And yet the throng of people accepted it as if it were the name of a neighbor whom everyone knew. Sirius gently acknowledged this mild reaction, smiling and nodding like a benevolent mother. "Tee-hee, thank you. I am so sorry to make all of you spare time for me like this. But rest easy, for it will be over in short order." Gently, like that of a mother reading a picture book in her child's bedroom, Sirius's voice had a lulling effect. All they wanted was to hear her voice more. That impulse was so strong that " Oh, really now? In that case, I should finish this sooner rather than later." This new voice was deeper and more caring than Sirius's hollow affections. The emotions that had been sinking deep into the bodies and minds of Subaru and the others in the square were shaken. * Sirius opened her eye wide while Subaru and the rest of the audience joined her in turning toward the edge of the square as one. Their gazes fell on a waterway flowing behind the square. The normally gentle stream of water was flowing backward as something was moving through it with incredible force, kicking up a spray of water in its wake. His vivid red hair blazed like a beautiful, flickering flame. He had eyes that seemed like a
polished cut of a magnificent blue sky. He was built so handsomely that any manner of being might fall for him. This man was the epitome of what all people pictured in their hearts when they heard the word hero. "Looking for the shortest route took some time. I'm sorry I'm late." The hero apologized for running over in thirty seconds rather than five. The Sword Saint stood in the square after taking a path that no one else could as his so-called shortcut or, more specifically, having accomplished the superhuman feat of running upstream. Then when he caught sight of Wrath, who was standing atop the time tower, he took a breath. As he hardened his blue eyes, a short "I see..." was all that emerged from the Sword Saint Reinhard. "I understand why you called me here. You made the right decision, Lachins. Or was it you who summoned me, Subaru?" Slowly, Reinhard walked over and patted Subaru and Lachins both on the shoulder. Instantly, strength returned to their totally immobilized bodies. "R-Reinhard...?" "Yes, it is I. This seems to be quite a predicament. That's an Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins, isn't it?" As Subaru called out to him in an unsteady voice, Reinhard nodded firmly. The palpable wariness visible in his serene blue eyes showed that Reinhard had instantly realized the danger that Sirius posed with a single glance. Gulping at how quickly he'd understood, Subaru replied with an awkward nod of his own. "She...she has the power to brainwash other people. Seems like we're okay for now, but it happens when you hear her voice or look at her." "No, it's not only her voice and appearance. It would seem that anyone who merely knows she exists is affected. It's possible that I won't be able to maintain my composure for very long." "No way, even you...?!" Subaru was stunned seeing Reinhard acting so meek. Though he had no basis for his belief, he'd thought that Reinhard of all people would be all right. If even he wasn't immune to Sirius's Authority, then Subaru's plan was already falling apart. And during this exchange between the two, Sirius reacted as well. The bandaged eccentric gazed steadily at Reinhard with a purple eye. "Could it be...? You with the red hair, are you the famous Sword Saint?" "That's correct. I am Reinhard van Astrea, current holder of the title of Sword Saint. Unfortunately, I have yet to merit such a lofty title." Reinhard boldly confirmed Sirius's suspicions. Coming face-to-face with the most powerful being to set foot in that square, Sirius was far from being afraid and actually cried out with an "Ah-ha!" She shouted and squirmed in place. The eccentric's cracked, high-pitched laughter echoed toward the sky. "Ah-ha! Ah-ha-ha! Ahh, what a splendid turn of events! What a fortuitous day it is for you to have come like this! You are known as the most splendid knight in all the land! Everyone loves you, and you love everyone! You are the living manifestation of the hope, the very love that I preach!" "I wonder about that..." Sirius writhed with emotion, getting incredibly worked up as she flew into what was truly a wild dance of mad delight. Meanwhile, Reinhard was still engaging in conversation with Sirius, who continued rambling, though he didn't so much as look in her direction. This was far too risky against an opponent with an Authority that joined minds in mutual madness. "W-wait, Reinhard... It's not a good idea to keep talking with her. It has to be bad. I think...it's bad. I'm not really sure why, though, but..." "...So it would seem. Putting my own interests aside, this is not something that should be drawn out for long." "Reinhard?" " I will do what you called me to do. It's time to deal with the issue." With those final words, Reinhard took a single step forward, slightly bent his knees, and leaped up. His stance made it seem as if he were just jumping over a puddle in front of him but the resulting gale-force winds, the tremors that shot through the ground, and the shock wave left in his wake made everyone in the square draw in their breaths. As astonishment rippled across the crowd that he left behind him, Reinhard used that explosive power to rise high into the air. "Hee-hee-hee! Ahh, how extraordinary!!" As the Sword Saint shot out a kick at her from below, Sirius crossed her arms to shield against the blow. Her body was easily launched far into the sky above the tower. "Wh-what in the...?" Isn't...isn't this basically aerial combat...? After taking flight to attack Sirius on the high ground, Reinhard followed up by leaping off the edge of the time tower to pursue his opponent, whom he'd already kicked even higher. "Hee-hee!! Ahh, what overwhelming power!" As she watched the hero soar after her from below, Sirius swung her arms as her voice trembled with delight. Hooked chains flew toward Reinhard, slicing through the air with more of a roar than a whistle. Those razor-sharp hooks could easily punch through the human body, and the sinister chains were no less dangerous, as they could shatter bone on impact. The cacophony of chains rattling seemed to make the very air groan, conducting a symphony of violence and destruction as they snaked toward the Sword Saint. Sirius exhibited incredible skill as she freely manipulated the flight path of her chains in midair. There was no mistaking that Sirius's mastery was beyond the ability of any ordinary human. One look was all it took for anyone to grasp this. That was why what happened next shocked everyone. "Chains? How troublesome." The Sword Saint frowned, focusing on the chains that rattled sinisterly as they homed in on him. Then the spectators were left dumbfounded at how the grimacing Sword Saint dealt with them. "Hee-hee-hee!!" Sirius laughed. It was unclear whether the laugh was an expression of enjoyment or desperation. But for everyone else watching, what could they do but laugh as well? She slammed her chains down in a hail of blows but Reinhard did not draw his sword. According to what Subaru had heard once, it wasn't that he chose to not draw his sword. He simply couldn't. The holy sword that Reinhard possessed was designed to be impossible to draw except against a worthy opponent. As such, Reinhard was challenging Sirius unarmed. Even Reinhard should have difficulty fighting her under such circumstances or so Subaru thought, but that was proof that he didn't truly understand Reinhard yet. *** The raging chains attacked in concert, letting out high-pitched cracks as they were thrown back one after another. The sight of the resulting shock waves and scattering sparks was such a ferocious display, it made Subaru and the others on the ground feel like lightning was crackling above them. Reinhard was holding his ground with footwork that surpassed all comprehension. He met the first strike with the sole of his shoe, purposefully wrapping the oncoming chain around his ankle, instantly gaining control of the hook on the end and using it to knock down each and every subsequent attack. All that happened in the span of less than a second, meaning the only ones capable of tracking Reinhard's unconventional movements were the few seasoned warriors present. As soon as they realized what they had just witnessed, they would abandon any attempts to understand what was going on. The audience was suddenly struck with the impulse to laugh. They released the breath they had been holding and let the tension drain from their shoulders. It was good that Reinhard was on their side. If he'd been an enemy, that scene would have left them with buckled knees and weakened bladders. "Hee-hee, hee-hee-hee! Ah-ha-ha-hee-hee-hee!!" Seized by a totally different impulse, Sirius kept on laughing. Of the two sets of chains wrapped around the eccentric's hands, one remained coiled around Reinhard's foot. With her options dwindling, Sirius launched a wild flurry of attacks with her left hand to try and beat the hero down, only for her attacks to fail in a shower of sparks. The erupting fireworks showed no sign of stopping or slowing. The blue sky seemed to be burning white. But before the air itself was reduced to smoke and ash, the Sword Saint finally closed in on his mysterious attacker. "To think you would push me this far! Incredible!!" "You are quite skilled yourself. I can't help but be disappointed all the more seeing you use your talents for wicked deeds." The instant the two crossed paths, they traded words as well as mighty blows. Reinhard pulled his right foot back, replacing it with his left hand in a chop. Sirius counterattacked with a downswing that had such force, her golden chain seemed ready to split the sky itself in half. Seeing that solid metal chain being severed with a single hand chop was nothing short of astonishing. A long time ago, Subaru had seen someone use a chopstick to slice a bag of chopsticks as a sort of party trick. If it were Reinhard, he was sure the man could do the same thing to a steel sword like it was made of paper. Reinhard's hand strike was so sharp and beautiful that Subaru believed that with all his heart. The twirling golden chain that Reinhard had severed twirled around, breaking through the time tower's wall and whirling somewhere within. It was when Subaru saw smoke and rubble falling down onto the square that he finally came to his senses. "I'm such an idiot. This isn't the time to gawk. If Reinhard has her pinned down, then...!" At that very moment, the boy held captive inside the time tower was out of Sirius's sight. Pulling himself out of his dazed state, Subaru darted through a gap in the crowd and raced toward the time tower. He'd free the hostage Lusbel and get rid of his worries in one fell swoop. He also needed to make sure that Reinhard didn't have to deal with Lusbel being used as a human shield. Even inside the damp and murky air of the time tower, the battle between superhumans was just as audible inside as it was outside. Focusing on the task at hand, Subaru dashed up the long, spiraling stairs. "Lusbel!" "Ngh! Mnnngh!!" On the topmost floor, Subaru spotted a young child chained up right beside the inspection window. When Subaru picked up the hysterically sobbing Lusbel, the boy desperately shook his head and struggled. Subaru knew he'd taken the place of his childhood friend out of concern for her well-being. "Don't worry, I'm on your side. That bandaged freak is our enemy, and right now, she's got her hands full with a superhero outside. That's why I'm getting you out of here while I can." Patiently explaining the situation to the writhing boy, Subaru seemed to get through, as Lusbel stopped flailing. When Subaru saw reason rather than fear gradually return to the boy's eyes, he nodded reassuringly. "You just wait. I'm gonna get those chains off right now." The still-anxious boy nodded in acknowledgment as Subaru carefully unraveled the chains binding him. When he finally freed him from the chains, which stretched from shoulder to ankle, and removed the one that was serving as a gag, relief finally appeared on Lusbel's face. "Good, they're off. Can you stand on your own? If not, I'll carry you." "I-I'm all right... Tha-thank you very much...!" Rising on trembling legs, Lusbel summoned his courage and thanked Subaru. His face was still marred by tears, but Subaru had seen his bravery several times now. It was worthy of praise. Nodding in respect, Subaru turned his attention beyond the window to the ferocious battle still raging outside the tower. "One wrong move, and this whole place might go down. Let's get outta here. You hurt anywhere?" "Earlier, my left hand got a little..." Lusbel grimaced as he showed Subaru
his injury. The boy's left arm sported a dark bruise and a cruel laceration, like a snake had been wrapped around it. Seeing how the wound seeped with blood, Subaru twisted his face in anguish. "Did that asshole really have to hurt a little kid like this? Tying one up wasn't enough?" "No, that's not it. This...started hurting all of a sudden when I was tied up earlier." "Wait, what?" Lusbel's words made Subaru furrow his brows. He recalled that Lusbel's body had been completely ensnared from his shoulders down to his ankles. If the boy's arm hadn't been injured before being tied up, there was no way it could have been injured afterward. The contradiction left Subaru's chest throbbing with a deep foreboding. "...Let's go. Either way, we can't stay here." Leading Lusbel by his uninjured right hand, Subaru raced back down the spiral stairway of the tower. The two descended down to the lowest floor and proceeded outside. The instant the two emerged, the scene unfolding in the square before them was * " Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!" There were thunderous calls for murder. The crowd screamed for blood, for the execution of the stranger who was on the ropes. Their eyes were bloodshot, and their teeth were bared. Their hatred was born from the physiological revulsion that accompanied enmity, and every one of their negative emotions culminated in an all-consuming desire to kill. The sum of these phenomena was wrath. " Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!" Standing shoulder to shoulder with complete strangers, they raised their voices for a single purpose. " Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!" Before this ordeal, their hearts had coalesced into one, all sense of good and evil superseded by the demands of extraordinary circumstances. " Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!" This union, this simple honesty, this pure act of will, this was " Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!" " To become one is that not love? If so, then this is nothing short of a utopia that gives rise to true love!" In a scene straight out of Hell, Sirius spoke in a voice that was tinged with ecstasy as the crowd continued braying for blood. With her back against the time tower, the maverick stood on the ground, finally cornered by the hero. The nearby crowd demanded her death, as though their screams would empower the Sword Saint, whom they had entrusted with their bloodthirsty intent. Sirius had apparently completely lost the chain on her left arm at some point in the time that Subaru had spent in the tower. That meant both fighters were now equally unarmed, but not a single person present thought she could beat Reinhard in a fair fight. She was clearly in mortal peril and yet Sirius continued to laugh, her demeanor wholly unchanged. "Do you have any last words?" "Thank you for your thoughtfulness, and my apologies. I shall share a warning. The other Archbishops are not as polite as I. Should you ask them for their last words, a terrible fate shall surely befall you." " I will take your warning to heart." In response to Reinhard's charity, Sirius offered a provocative message that seemed to be coming from a place of genuine concern. The Sword Saint dutifully acknowledged her as he raised a flat hand to carry out her execution. " Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!" The voltage of the audience rose even higher as Sirius's life seemed to be nearing its end. And yet Subaru, still standing at the entrance of the tower, couldn't ignore the terrible chill stirring in his chest. He desperately searched for an explanation, a clue of some sort, but he simply couldn't think of the right thing to say. If he opened his mouth now, that incomprehensible misgiving would cause a flood of words to pour out. "To understand one another. To yield to one another. To accept one another. To forgive one another. To become one like this is the purest form of love." Heedless of the anxiety gripping Subaru, Sirius opened her mouth to recite her creed. On the surface, what she said sounded correct, but the instant he thought about Sirius's ways, they mutated into the logic of an abominable heretic. This incorrigible distortion was the Witch Cultists' true nature. Reinhard seemed to have reached the same conclusion as Subaru. Deciding there was nothing left to say, Reinhard stepped forward. Sirius simply laughed, stretching her arms toward the sky. The next moment, chains shot out from the sleeves of her robe as if fired out of a cannon when the chains hidden inside her surged forth, they bit into the walls of the tower as they wrapped around the eccentric's body all at once. During that shameless attempt to flee, Reinhard closed the distance, effortlessly slipping through the air. Leaving footprints behind on the paving stones, the red flame chased the fugitive into the sky. His raised, flat hand was an instant-kill weapon equal to a holy sword or a demonic blade the instant it connected, Sirius's life would be forfeit. " Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!" The throng's cries would be answered. Unspeakable terror raced up Subaru's spine with incredible force, a harbinger of something irrevocable. "Reinhard!!" Obeying his instinct, Subaru called out the name of the hero. And then with equal force, he shouted: " Kill her!!" Reinhard's open hand shot forward. Tracing a white line, he neatly bisected Sirius's body from the left shoulder to the right flank. The blow was so keen that it took several seconds until the body noticed that it had been split in two. Belatedly, blood gushed from the massive wound as Sirius's severed lower half fell away. "...Ahh, what a kind world." Sirius whispered deliriously as she split apart, her innards spilling out. With chains still wrapped around it, her upper body scattered gore and viscera as it sailed through the sky, while the lower half trailed blood like a gushing fountain as it spun down toward the square. It was a terrible spectacle that would make most want to avert their eyes. But not a soul in the square did. They could not. "...No..." Turning back, Reinhard stiffened as a word of utter shock trickled out. His blue eyes swayed with confusion and remorse. Subaru saw the despair spreading across his beautiful face. And that was the last thing Subaru saw. * Subaru and the other spectators had all been cleaved in two, transforming the square into a lake of carnage. Each of them bore a wound like a filleted fish, all neatly severed from the left shoulder to the right flank. His blood and organs scattered about, Subaru's mind vanished without any idea of what had just happened. But in his final moment, he thought he felt something. The right hand of the boy... The right hand of the boy, who had been severed in half just like Subaru, seemed to faintly grasp Subaru's left hand in search of salvation. He thought he felt that. 7 "After the song, we'll have a pleasant chat, so could you prepare some snacks, Master Natsuki? Do you not think that sweets will make everyone happy and bring us all closer together?" * "Oww! Owww! That hurts! That hurts, Subaru!" A moment after he blinked, a certain voice made Subaru jump in shock. He had been using every bit of strength he could muster to answer the hand that sought comfort from him from right before his consciousness had gone out while squeezing Beatrice's little hand. Subaru's sudden act of violence made Beatrice kick his shin with tears in her eyes. With that tiny spike of pain bringing him back to his senses, Subaru released Beatrice and stepped back. "Wh-wh-what is the matter? To suddenly try and break Lady Moppet's hand... What a poor way to treat such a lovely hand. I might even offer to lick it, hoo-haaah..." "Is that not quite unnecessary, I wonder?! Do not suddenly draw so close with such a repulsive demeanor about you!" When Liliana tried to rub the injured hand against her cheek, Beatrice shook her off and immediately hid behind Subaru. The inexplicable attack on her hand hadn't dented Subaru and Beatrice's bond in the slightest. Sadly, there was no time to find relief in that happy observation. "Subaru, are you all right? Your face has suddenly gotten very pale." "E-Emilia-tan..." Coming near, Emilia gently touched a hand to Subaru's cheek with a look of distinct concern. Subaru drew a sharp breath when he saw himself reflected in her violet eyes, which were rimmed by long eyelashes. He'd returned once again. * He patted his shoulder and side, checking to see if he was still in one piece. He'd experienced terrible deaths before, including getting his belly torn open and his head smashed apart, but this was the first time he'd died from a proper slashing. At the instant of his death, a sense of surprise and loss won out over pain. But that hadn't been the only cause of his enormous sense of loss "This is the first...or, actually, the second time I got done in completely due to friendly fire, right?" As Subaru tried to make sense of the memories he'd returned with, his death demanded his recognition and acknowledgment of what had happened. And this time, when Subaru looked back at what had occurred in his final moments, he was able to grasp exactly what had brought about his demise. "But that's just broken..." Subaru's death was identical to how Sirius had died only moments earlier. They had been killed the exact same way. That incomprehensible fact explained his first death when he watched Lusbel fall to his doom. When they saw Lusbel plummet to his death, Subaru and the onlookers suffered the same fate all at once. In other words, Sirius's Authority not only created a resonance of emotions but also transferred physical conditions. "What am I supposed to do...?" Reinhard joining the fight had certainly fulfilled Subaru's goal of striking down Sirius at the cost of a great deal of lives in the square, rendering all their efforts meaningless. Leaving things up to Reinhard had looked like the right choice at first, but knowing what he knew now, it had clearly been a mistake. "Subaru..." "Ah." Emilia and the others looked on in concern as they watched Subaru fall into silence with a difficult expression on his face. For the moment, his priority was to avoid needlessly worrying them further about the Witch Cult being in the city. With that in mind, Subaru quickly recomposed himself. "Ah, yeah, uh, it's nothing, really. I'm just a little... Oh, I know! That daisukiyaki we had this morning came back with a vengeance, and it's giving me some serious heartburn." "Ahh, I completely understand that feeling. The same thing happens to me quite a lot. Sometimes, when I mean to burp, I throw up instead, and other times, I pass a little gas the wrong way, and..." "You don't need to finish that thought. You're technically a young lady, you know? Please never bring that up again." Stopping Liliana in the middle of what was clearly supposed to be an outrageous joke, Subaru flashed Emilia a smile. For the briefest of moments, that charming smile made Emilia's lips tremble before she replied: "If you insist, I'll take you at your word, Subaru... But only this time, okay?" "Yeah, I hear you. Thanks... Anyway, I'm gonna follow Liliana's suggestion and go play errand boy for a bit. You just sit back and enjoy her song, all right, Emilia-tan?" Appreciative of Emilia's thoughtfulness, Subaru saluted as he played the fool. Then Subaru took Beatrice's hand in a natural fashion while she hid behind him. "Beako, you're on shopping detail with me. We can be lovey-dovey the whole way there." "Wh-what are you saying all of a ? Yes, I understand." Beatrice's face instantly went red as she instinctively got ready to make some retort, but she calmed down immediately instead the moment she saw Subaru's expression. She'd deduced something when she noticed in
his gaze the hope that he could rely on her. "Emilia-tan I'll be back soon." "...Mm-hmm." With Beatrice in tow, Subaru said his farewell to Emilia before setting off from the park. He was unspeakably worried about leaving her by herself. At the same time, he could no longer think of any other way to break out of the dead end that he found himself trapped in without borrowing Beatrice's strength. It was in that darkness with no way out in sight that Subaru ran alongside his partner. " Hmph." Little did he know, a certain red-eyed girl stared intensely after them as they left. CHAPTER 2 *** 1 "And? Would you finally explain what is going on, I wonder?" After putting a fair amount of distance between themselves and the park, Beatrice determined that Emilia and the others were no longer within sight or earshot. Only then did she relax her pace and ask him about the situation, their hands still joined. As Beatrice tried to stop walking to hold a proper conversation, Subaru said "Sorry" as he pulled her along. "Subaru?" "If I could, I'd really like to have a nice, long chat about this in a place without anyone around, but there's no time. We don't even have fifteen minutes." "...Very well. May we at least discuss it while walking, I wonder?" Seeing the obvious apprehension in Subaru's expression, Beatrice did as he asked without a word of complaint. Relieved by just how quickly his partner had adapted and adjusted, Subaru hurried over to the square as he tried to explain the jumble of thoughts in his mind. "Right now, we're heading toward a place where a Witch Cultist is about to show up. We've gotta stop 'em." "The Witch Cult..." As Beatrice drew in her breath, Subaru carefully tried to choose his next words. What made that difficult was the penalty for divulging information related to Return by Death. As long as he only shared the same details that he told Lachins, there shouldn't be any problems. The fact that he didn't know this for certain was one of the things Subaru really hated about the Witch's curse that bound him. Whenever he tried to share information about Return by Death, evil black hands would come to inflict a penalty the severity of which seemed to be based not only on the details contained in Subaru's words, but also whom he decided to tell them to. In other words, the degree of information he could convey depended entirely upon the Witch's whims. If that wasn't the case, what else could've been responsible for crushing Emilia's heart after he revealed the secret to her? He never, ever wanted to go through that again. If someone had to get hurt, then better it be Subaru. Of course, the thought of that frightened him, but it wasn't unendurable and it was far better than watching those terrifying hands turning on someone other than him. Even if the Witch held back somewhat with Subaru, she showed no mercy to anyone else. That was why he was being incredibly careful. " There's no need to make such a worried face." "Beatrice..." "You clearly cannot disclose where you came by such timely information...but do I even need to know, I wonder? If Subaru says it is true, that is enough for Betty to believe." When Beatrice gently squeezed his hand and gave him a bold smile, Subaru's eyes went wide. "...Damn it, Beatrice. You really are a lifesaver." The best partner he could ever ask for was supporting his spineless self, assuring him he wasn't alone. "Heh-heh. Is that not obvious, I wonder? Now, let's start with whatever you can share." "Right. First, the Archbishop of Wrath is gonna show up...and she's a pervert." "...If you think that is the piece of information you absolutely needed to share first, I suppose I have no choice but to immediately take back what I said earlier." "I'm still trying to figure out what's safe to tell you. Looks like talking about occupation and perversion doesn't come with a punishment. Well, next is her Authority... It's like...resonance between senses and emotions." "What does that mean?" Cocking her head quizzically, Beatrice's eyes made it clear that she didn't understand. She could hardly be blamed. Despite having actually experienced it, Subaru still found it mind-boggling himself. "...I can't see what kind of threat a synchronization of senses and emotions might pose." "Basically, you stop thinking that dangerous things are dangerous. Anyone affected has their emotions go haywire and can't properly judge situations or act... I've had my fill of that one." He remembered how the crowd had raised both arms high to welcome the screams of a boy who didn't want to die. From any objective observer's standpoint, that hellish scene must have been utterly revolting. But what was truly terrifying was that everyone there thought they were in some kind of heaven. "...I suppose I understand the resonance of emotions somewhat. What is this resonance of senses, then?" "If the other person feels pain, you feel it, too. Cut off the Archbishop's head, and everyone watching will lose their heads, too... Insane, right?" When he said it aloud, the hopelessness of it left him practically in awe. Even if they managed to kill their target, they would die, too. Put bluntly, it was hard to think of an ability that was better at making an opponent hesitate. Because of Return by Death, Subaru had a unique chance to discuss countermeasures beforehand, but it was simply unacceptable to take great pains to win the battle only to get dragged down by the vanquished in the end. "It's pathetic, but I don't have a single card to play. That's why I want to borrow your strength and intellect." "...Well, of course you do. If anything, isn't relying on Betty the natural thing to do, I wonder?" As she gradually came to grips with the situation, Beatrice assuaged Subaru's concerns. "I guess you're right... We could also play Reinhard as a wild card, but..." He revealed to her the possibility that Reinhard might be their one ray of hope. "...if Reinhard's there, we don't have to worry about him losing to any enemy. But if the Archbishop dies at his hands, the problem is that everyone else is gonna get annihilated because they'll die the same way." That was exactly how Subaru had lost his life last time. The possibility of capturing Sirius alive occurred to him, but with no way to convey the finer details of such a plan to Reinhard, Subaru couldn't eliminate the danger of Sirius's resonance kicking in if she was knocked out. If they made even the slightest mistake in neutralizing her, the entire kingdom might very well be destroyed by her sinister "soulwashing" ability. As Subaru mulled over how to make use of Reinhard, Beatrice raised a tiny hand. "Subaru, there's something I must tell you. It's bad news." "...Seriously? I don't really wanna hear any more bad news than I already have if I can help it..." "I suppose I understand what you mean. Still, I must mention it nonetheless... Should Reinhard and I stand upon the same battlefield, your Betty will likely be reduced to simply being an adorable girl." "Huh?" Beatrice's sudden announcement stopped Subaru in his tracks. "You don't mean that you won't be able to do anything because you'll be too busy swooning at him, right?" "This is no time for jokes... Is it a physical characteristic of his, I wonder? Reinhard is the epitome of abnormalities in this world. His mere presence causes nearby mana to blindly follow suit. Wouldn't any magic user or spirit caught up in that cease to function normally, I wonder?" "Wh-what the hell? Is that even...?" Possible was what Subaru had been about to say when he recalled what had transpired at the Water Raiment the day before. Right after his first reunion with Reinhard in ages, Beatrice had been particularly wary of him. If that hero really did have such an abnormal constitution, then everything suddenly made sense. "If it's something Reinhard had any control over, Betty would indulge him and play the adorable little girl. However, if it is not an issue Reinhard can resolve by himself " "Then a choice that leaves Beako unable to act ain't much of a choice at all, huh?" The appearance of a new, immense obstacle shattered one of Subaru's sources of hope. As usual, Reinhard defied all convention. Unfortunately, that aspect of him was incredibly inconvenient. "This is bad... Never mind asking him for help. Him showing up would just make things even more difficult..." It wasn't anyone's fault in particular. The cards in Subaru's hand just happened to be terribly mismatched. Emilia, Beatrice, Reinhard any one of them was powerful individually, but if they stood together, their conflicting characteristics and the enemy's Authority would prevent them from acting at full strength. All his allies were formidable in their own right. It was Subaru's failure and his alone that he couldn't come up with a strategy that let them reach their true potential. At this rate, he'd end up confronting the eccentric again without so much as a plan " Subaru, just maybe... I suppose I might have an idea." When Beatrice said that right as they were on the verge of reaching the square, Subaru felt like those words were sent straight from heaven. "Really?! You have a plan?!" "In the end, it is merely a possibility. If the Archbishop's Authority is as you describe, does that not sound very similar to the high-level spell Nekt, I wonder?" "Nekt! Yeah, now that you mention it, that spell's effect really does resemble Wrath's Authority!" Seeing Subaru shouting in surprise, Beatrice raised a finger, wagging it as she nodded. "Ordinarily, I suppose Nekt is a spell for conveying messages between allies without requiring words. To employ it in this manner... It would be the highest of heresies. Is there anything more unforgivable, I wonder?" Beatrice took great pride in her magic, so it was natural that she was disturbed by the thought of someone misusing it. Now that she mentioned it, Subaru recalled relying upon Nekt to fight at Julius's side once, though he would've preferred to forget that episode if he could. That was because sharing his vision had been the only way to grant Julius the ability to see Petelgeuse's Unseen Hands. This was the proper application of Nekt. It was never supposed to be used as a power to bind others like a curse. "Moreover, Nekt is not magic that works on just anyone. At minimum, I suppose you would need complete harmony between both subjects of the spell. The Archbishop's Authority clearly disregards that requirement." "It's probably an Authority that forces people to link together. More importantly..." "You want to know a way to counter it, I suppose? Put simply, this is Shamak's time to shine." "It's Shamak time! As per usual, it's way more useful than it should be!" Beatrice's explanation made Subaru unwittingly shout and clench his fist in celebration. That was how great the existence of the spell called Shamak was to Subaru. In times of suffering, times of bitterness, times of danger, and times of distress Shamak had been there with Subaru through it all. Before he'd formed a pact with Beatrice, it was no exaggeration to say that Shamak had lent its strength to the powerless Subaru just as much as Rem and Patlash had. After Subaru had wrecked his Gate and was unable to use magic on his own, he'd assumed his relationship with Shamak had come to an end but was Shamak now going to come riding to Subaru's aid once again? "I see... Shamak, huh...? If we use Shamak, I'm sure it'll manage to come through for us somehow...!" "Even though it is a beginner-level spell with precious few uses, why do you have such a mysterious level of faith in it, I

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