10

When Battler returned to Kuwadorian shortly after supper in the evening, he had recovered from his confrontation and recent discovery of his true parentage...but still wasn't sure how to feel about it. Kyrie...it should've been obvious...but he never even came close to figuring it out. He felt a sense of relief to know his origins, with a mixture of guilt that he may have unintentionally driven a wedge between Rudolf and Kyrie with the revelation that he was the one responsible for her suffering...yet he supposed the old bastard really deserved it after what he put Kyrie through...but he also wanted to see them truly reconcile so that the four of them—Rudolf, Kyrie, Battler, and Ange—would truly begin to feel like a real family.

Feeling all this much all at once truly felt overwhelming to Battler. He hoped paying another visit to Beato would temporarily take his mind off of it.

'What should I talk with her about, anyway?' thought Battler as he walked up to the front doors, 'Even if we talk about the game some more, what else to talk about?'

'Muffins? Scones?'

After taking a few knocks, the doors were opened by Ronove. "Good evening, Master Battler," he said. "If you are here to see Lady Beatrice...be careful of what you say. She was in a bit of a bad mood after you left."

Battler suddenly remembered---Right. I made the mistake of asking Virgilia about Beato's parents while Beato herself was within earshot, and she didn't want me to know. I forgot. Stupid me.

He said out loud, "Well, how is she now, Health-wise? And...?"

"Health-wise, her condition has not changed much, but it is a slight improvement from the past few days," said Ronove. He smiled. "As for heart-wise..."

"Hey, I didn't say anything about the heart," laughed Battler nervously, feeling his face redden. "I was just wondering if she would still want to talk to me after...you know...being in her bad mood and all."

"I have not spoken to Lady Beatrice personally," said Ronove. "But the Stakes tell me she is beginning to calm down."

"That's good," sighed Battler as he came in through the door. Ronove closed the door behind him and added, "But a woman's temperament can be like the weather: Absolutely unpredictable." He lightly chuckled.

Battler smiled and went off down the usual route to Beato's room: Up the winding stairs, then take a first left...

'But if I do end up talking about muffins, what to say if she doesn't like muffins?' thought Battler as he made the short trip to Beato's room. 'Or if she DOES like muffins, what if she likes a specific kind of muffin? Gah, what am I doing; there's more at stake here than stupid muffins! No, wait, I take that back; muffins aren't stupid. They're totally irrelevant right now, but they are not stupid.'

When Battler showed up at Beato's door, he lightly knocked. "Beato?" he said. "It's just me, Battler. Is anyone else with you?"

There was a pause on the other side before Beato answered nonchalantly, "No. You may come in."

Hoping this was a sign that Beato was in a good mood, Battler opened the door. He came in and saw Beato sitting up with the aid of her pillow, as usual. She looked neither happy nor dismayed to see him—she was indifferent.

"Want me to leave the door open?" said Battler.

"No," said Beato. "You can close it if you like."

"Er, okay," said Battler awkwardly. He closed the door behind him and walked up to the usual chair near the bed (this time, the chair that was on Beato's left). He sat down and said, "So, um...you know, Asumu, the woman whom I thought was my birth mother, died a few years ago and—"

"It happened a long time ago," said Beato sharply, now turning to face Battler. "I was too young to remember my parents and really get attached to them to even care. Teacher should not have brought it up, but there it is. It's dead; it's gone, now drop it."

Battler winced at the intensity of her tone. "Okay," he said. "Well...the only thing there is for me to talk about is the game, and..."

He sighed and shook his head. "I'm torn over what to do. I don't want to suspect my family, but I have to so none of them will get killed. I'm beginning to wonder if maybe...maybe I should arrange their deaths myself and... kill them... so I don't have to suspect anyone. Hey, I don't have to give them a slow, painful death, right? I could always just have them poisoned or strangled or..."

"Battler," spoke up Beato, "I don't think you should. True, you are the Game Master now and can do whatever you want, but by arranging their deaths, you are taking responsibility for them. And if Erika can disprove your story, she will deny your existence. I was willing to take that risk, but are you? You can't forget Ange."

"Right," sighed Battler. "Well, there goes that plan."

"Oh, don't throw it away," said Beato quickly. "Just keep it in mind as a back-up plan if all else fails." Then, "Teacher told me about how Bernkastel had to show you what would happen if you continue to live in denial—and she's right, you know. Like it or not, you will eventually have to start suspecting your family. And don't think about giving up and admitting witches exist and are the cause of the murders." She smiled. "Remember what happened the last time you did that?"

Battler shuddered. "Thanks for that. I was just beginning to forget all about it."

"If you thought I was bad, I can assure you that whatever punishment I gave you for giving up is nothing in comparison to what Bernkastel might do to you," said Beato, sounding sincere in her warning.

"You mean there's something worse than that?" said Battler, now feeling a lot more scared.

Beato lightly chuckled, "Oh, Battler, you should know by now that witches can be merciless and cruel when we want to be."

"Of course," said Battler, smiling. "Silly me, what would that make me, then?"

"A special exception," said Beato, giving Battler a wink. "You're really not tempted to discover the fun side of magic?"

"No thank you!" laughed Battler. "I've had enough magic for now, thank you very much!"

"I wish I could've been outside when you were practicing," laughed Beato. "I could hear your screams from all the way in here!"

"Oh, uh," said Battler, suddenly embarrassed, "Well...I knew you were listening. I was just providing you with entertainment."

Of course, Beato didn't believe a word of it. She only rolled her eyes and said, "I'm sure you were, Battler." Then, on a more serious note, "I should warn you right now: Even if you solve the mystery and win the game, Bernkastel might not be satisfied with just letting you walk away. Be on your guard in case she and Lambdadelta plan a magical ambush."

"How can they if I prove that witches don't—" Battler began, but Beato put a finger on his lips. "Are you crazy?" she said sharply. "Be careful of what you say, or else you'll accidentally deny yourself!"

Battler felt a sudden chill, though he wasn't sure if it was from the realization he really should be more careful, or from Beato's finger lying softly on his lips. She pulled her finger away and sighed, "Just be careful."

Battler realized now that, in regards of the game, nothing was coming to mind. He was thinking of what to talk about when Beato spoke: "Tell me about your family."

"What do you want to know about my family?" asked Battler.

"Nothing special," said Beato quickly. "I—I'm just curious about them, that's all. Why do you care for them so much?"

"Because...they're family," was the best response Battler could come up with. "And that in itself doesn't need explanation. I mean, think about Virgilia and your furniture...aren't they something of a family to you?"

Beato shifted her legs under the blankets. "I guess so," she admitted.

"And if something happened to them," said Battler, "wouldn't you be devastated?"

To his surprise, Beato said, "Why would I be? I am—used to be—the Endless Witch. I could just revive them whenever I wanted."

Battler tried to put in a way Beato would better understand: "But now that you don't have the power to revive anyone, how would you feel if they really were dead and gone and you had no way of summoning them back?"

Battler was greeted with a blank expression on Beato's face. He remembered what Virgilia had told him in the third game...about how some Endless Witches did not truly understand the boundaries of life and death...he realized now that what she had said wasn't just part of her 'North Wind and the Sun' strategy to trick Battler. It was the truth. Beato seemed to genuinely not understand the permanency of death.

Seeing that this conversation was going nowhere, Battler said, "Remember when I found out that Asumu wasn't my mother? Well...it turns out that Kyrie, the woman whom I thought was my step-mother, really was my birth mother all along. And that my father had been lying to me all along."

"Aren't you mad at him for that?" asked Beato.

Battler sighed and rubbed his head. "I'm not sure," he said honestly. "I don't know how I feel about him or Kyrie anymore. It's all confusing to me. I'm still trying to sort my feelings out. But I suppose that deep down I could never truly hate him. He is my father, after all."

"And just for that, you don't hate him?" said Beato slowly.

"Uh...yeah," said Battler. "I guess. Because he's my dad and..."

'That's right,' he realized, 'Her father is dead. She doesn't understand. What should I talk to her about that she would understand?'

"I like muffins," Battler burst out.

Beato looked at him strangely then said, "I prefer scones. They go with my tea." She sighed, "And of course, I also occasionally love some chocolate and sweets...oh, and some ice cream..."

"What's your favourite flavour?" asked Battler. "I like chocolate."

"Me too," said Beato, surprised that she and Battler shared an interest in chocolate ice cream. "I don't get to have it very often, so it's always a treat when I do."

"What, Ronove doesn't spoil you enough?" said Battler jokingly.

"Not nearly as much as he should," said Beato with a toss of her hair. "I did used to be the Endless Witch, after all. Now he has to spoil you; oh well. You wouldn't mind if I steal a cookie from you, would you?"

"You would have to catch me first," said Battler teasingly. "Ah, but we have no cookies or ice cream or tea up here, so too bad. How about I summon Ronove?"

Battler nearly fell over in his chair when Ronove suddenly appeared in the middle of the room in a burst of gold. "You called, sir?"

"No, no, it's okay," said Battler quickly. "I was just joking around. How did I do that anyway?"

"Take it as a sign you're slowly but surely getting better at using your magic," said Ronove. "You just have a tendency to concentrate when you don't intend to. Keep practicing and you will get better. Do you wish me to stay longer?"

"No, it's okay," said Battler.

"What about milady?" said Ronove, "Does she wish me to stay?"

Beato looked over at Battler. "I'll be fine, Ronove. You may leave."

Ronove took a bow and disappeared. Battler turned to Beato and said, "Does he really nosebleed rose petals?"

Beato laughed.

The two began to find it easier to talk, bit by bit. They did not speak of anything important; only of trivial matters such as candy and the habits of the Seven Stakes. They would be trivial subjects anywhere else, but here, they were crucial as they helped break the ice between the two. They now felt at ease with each other, able to talk about even the silliest things. Soon, however, Battler had to stand up and leave.

"Well, what do you know," said Battler. "The first time a meeting of ours does not end on an awkward note! Isn't this nice?"

"I think we should fix that," said Beato, batting her eyelashes at Battler.

"You're right, we should," said Battler firmly. "I am wearing Leprechaun underwear right now!"

"I would love to see that," laughed Beato. She stopped laughing when she realized the implication behind that statement and met his eyes.

"Well, er...goodnight," said Battler with a wave of his hand. "See you again."

At this, Beato seemed to shy away. "Good night," she said before adjusting her pillow so she would be lying in bed once more.

As Battler left the room, he saw Virgilia standing nearby, causing him to nearly jump. "Oh, hello, Virgilia," he said innocently. "You haven't been standing there the entire time, have you?"

"Oh no, I only came up here just now," said Virgilia. "I had to get away from Gaap and her...remarks...while we were playing a game of Old Maid with the Stakes." Then, "Have you and Beato been getting along?"

"Yeah, just swell," laughed Battler, not sure why he was feeling nervous about answering that question.

"That's good to hear," said Virgilia. "She's fond of you."

"Oh," said Battler. "That's...nice to hear."

Virgilia then said, "I don't know if you already know this, but two days ago I sent out emergency invitations to Rosa and Maria and—"

"Yes, I heard," nodded Battler. "They're coming in tomorrow, right?"

"If everything goes according to plan, they should," said Virgilia.

"I wonder if I should bring Maria over to visit," said Battler thoughtfully. "She and Beato get along pretty well."

"It wouldn't hurt to try," shrugged Virgilia. "Beato has taken a liking to her."

"Then I guess I'll bring her over on the first chance I get," shrugged Battler. As he began to walk off, Virgilia walked up to him and said, "By the way, if you're trying to win over Beato's affection...when she was a little girl, she always wanted a doll. There were no toys around Kuwadorian, and she would get jealous when reading books about girls with dolls and long for one herself. Just saying…."

Battler smiled. "Thanks, Virgilia. I'll keep that in mind."

Battler took a walk through the halls of the Ushiromiya mansion. He felt a strange sense of security, that nothing could ever touch or harm him. He wondered if this was genuine self-confidence, or if it came with being the Endless Sorcerer.

He was about to walk around a corner when he stopped. He saw Kanon and Jessica talking. He thought, 'O-oh. This could be interesting.' He took a step back and strained to listen.

"Kanon-kun," Jessica was saying, "I'm not trying to intimidate you or anything. I really care for you, I really do."

"Jessica," said Kanon's voice, "I'm not sure if I can go through with it. If...if any of your relatives found out..."

"Oh, to hell with what they say already!" cried Jessica. "Listen, Kanon-kun, we will go through with this. As soon as everyone arrives, we will do this together."

As much as Battler wanted to assume they were just talking about announcing their relationship to the family, he knew there was another possibility: That they were, in fact, plotting to murder the rest of the family together. For what reason, he was not sure. Perhaps it was to free Jessica from the restrictions placed upon her by the family, or perhaps it was to free Kanon of being the furniture for the Ushiromiya household. Or maybe, it was to work to both their benefits—so they could be together and no one would protest to it.

Battler heard the sound of footsteps. Now that the conversation was over, he decided now was a good time to talk to Jessica and see if he could get anything out of her. He walked down the hall and right past Kanon. He was briefly worried that Kanon had seen him and figured out he had been listening. He breathed a sigh of relief when Kanon didn't give so much as a 'hello'. He saw Jessica going back into her room. He ran up to her room and said, "Hey, Jessica."

Jessica turned around and saw Battler. "Oh, Battler," she said, surprised. "I didn't expect to see you here." Then, "You, ah...you really weren't listening to Kanon and I just now, were you?"

Battler looked into Jessica's eyes and for a moment, felt paralyzed with fear. If she really was the murderer...and if he admitted to having overheard part of her scheme...he would be in grave danger. "No," he said. "I just came by. Kanon walked right past me."

There was only a space of three seconds before Jessica spoke again, but it felt like three hours before she sighed, "Kanon-kun. I wish he would shake off this furniture complex already. I want him to see he's so much more than what other people make him out to be."

She shook her head, "But enough of that. There's something I need your help with right now."

Jessica led Battler over to her bed. She bent down and picked up a small box and placed it on the bed. She opened it up to reveal quite a few dolls, all of different sizes, hair colours, and dressing style. "I've outgrown most of these," she explained. "I'm thinking of giving some of these away to Ange and Maria. Why don't you look through them and find something fitting for them?"

"Hmm, well, I think one of Rosa's letters to dad said Maria was interested in the occult recently," said Battler, pulling out a doll with long, black hair wearing a black dress with spider web stockings and laced up boots. "So she might like this doll since it kind of looks like a witch."

He placed that down in one pile on the bed. He picked up another doll from the box. This doll was truly unique from many of the others. She had long, curly blonde hair and navy blue eyes, bearing a bit of a resemblance to Jessica. She wore a long pink dress the colour of strawberry ice cream, with a pink coat and a red ribbon around her neck. The edge of her dress was decorated with small red roses that had white ribbons attached to them. And for a head ornament, she wore a white veil pinned back by small roses. She looked very Western, not at all like the other Eastern dolls in Jessica's collection.

"This doll sure is unique," remarked Battler.

"Oh yeah, I got that as a gift when dad went to this little toy store in a small town a few years ago," said Jessica. "But I didn't play with it as much as some of the other ones. Thinking of giving that to Ange?"

"Sure," said Battler. However, as he stroked the doll's cheeks, he thought back to what Virgilia had said...about how Beato had always wanted a doll...

Battler smiled. "I have just the right girl in mind for this."