Assembly of all Pieces
Five Months and Fourteen Days since the Last Death (Nine Deaths)
"Ya will be out of the mansion?"
"Yes. I need to meet with Otto and Leith, and I don't want to be so shameless as to use your mansion while you're not around; I'll probably be back before you yourself do."
"Are ya absolutely sure 'bout doin' so?"
"A week ago you seemed worried that I had over a month of not going out, and now you're worried that I will?"
"I ain't worried; and here I thought ya'd self-esteem issues. Heh, heh, heh, heh... It's been a while since ya've been out of the manor on your own, that's all. I wanna make sure ya feel really up to it. After all, it'd be a problem for me if ya go back to lockin' yourself in yer room just because ya forced yourself out of the mansion prematurely."
"That won't happen, I assure you. I don't intend to detour; I'll go straight to Leith's house and be back before nightfall. Besides, it's not as if I'm going all by myself."
"Hmm... Aye, however, I can't assign ya to either Mimi or Tivey. Mimi will go with me to the meetin' and Tivey will be in charge of manor surveillance. I'll send Halibel with ya, is that okay with ya?"
"I'd rather not go with Halibel. I think he will be of more use as a guardian of the mansion, don't go wasting him on me."
"Ahhhh... I figured ya'd say that... Well, in that case I'll entrust your care to Utada. I think ya already know him; he's the mightiest warrior of the Fang of Iron after Halibel, Ricardo and Mimi, so ya ought to be fine."
"I still think you're exaggerating, but that's okay, I take it."
"Terrific! Have a safe trip!"
Releasing a heavy sigh, Subaru left Anastasia's office and started walking down the corridor that would lead directly to the heart of the mansion. The purpose of his just ended meeting with Anastasia was to inform her about his early meeting with his fellow members of the Reinvention Association. The ideal in such situations would have been to inform you of it at least one day in advance; however, circumstances had not allowed it to be so.
After all, Subaru had only been made aware of the meeting a few hours earlier. Otto had just arrived in the capital after a long business trip; related, naturally, to the Reinvention Project. And his merchant friend had expressed interest in having them meet so that he could brief both Subaru and Leith first-hand on the results of said trip.
Could that wait? Indeed, but Otto would have to report the results to the Hoshin Company before the end of that day, and it was customary for the members of the Reinvention Association to be informed before that was carried out. Usually, Anastasia would have been part of the briefing, but given the situation, they had chosen to conduct it in such a manner.
Subaru really did not need to attend the meeting. He could let Otto inform Leith about the results of the trip and then find out through the Hoshin Company or Anastasia herself, but Subaru insisted on making the effort to follow his employer's recommendations. And the truth was that leaving the mansion was not much of a deal for him; the only reason he rarely did so was because he had everything he needed at hand there. Unlike in Kyo, Subaru was no longer afraid of leaving the mansion per se; or at least the fear he felt was no longer so overwhelming.
However, that did not necessarily entail that it was safe to do so. The attack by the pathetic muggers, while it might not be related to the "Client", was solid proof that the world he currently found himself in was an extremely adverse one, and more so for those like him, who lacked skill, wit and strength. And as much as he hated to admit it, learning to cope with the dangers of that place was one of the steps he would have to take to eventually reach his goal.
Thus, declining to attend that meeting was simply out of the question for him. And yet, his lovely boss had really made it easy for him. Subaru knew who Utada was, of course he did. Utada was the name of the hulking demi-human with tiger-like features who was part of the Fang of Iron's elite. Already once, Utada, along with his sorceress companion and fellow healer, had rescued Subaru from an agonizing certain death.
Subaru had come to notice that Utada tended to shun him, which he had theorized was due to what had happened with the assassin girl. But this, contrary to what might be thought, worked in his favor. Subaru was already exhausted from the continuous and harassing surveillance of the mansion's guards, which happened to be one of the secondary reasons why he had chosen to attend his colleagues' meeting.
With Anastasia out of the manor, if he were to commit the foolish act of staying behind, he would become the main target of the mercenaries' protection. He was the second priority target below Anastasia, so the number of eyes on him would easily double with her absence.
Leaving the mansion would only lessen the amount of suffocating escorts, but that was better than nothing. And since the tiger warrior seemed to dislike him, Subaru was counting on the interaction between the two of them to be kept to a bare minimum. That the atmosphere between them would become unbearably uncomfortable was also a possible outcome; Subaru really hoped that wouldn't be the case. Cold indifference is all that he longed for.
Anastasia had initially offered to assign Halibel to him, but that was the option he would be least comfortable with; of that he was absolutely certain. Subaru insisted on remaining aloof from his strongest ally, but it was no longer simply because he didn't feel worthy of his presence, or because he wished not to depend on him. Halibel's daunting omen; Subaru's sanity hung on Halibel's words not becoming a truth.
Subaru was convinced that his mind and heart would not endure going through another cycle of death, and a cycle of death was the only reason he would need Halibel's assistance. He knew it was unwise of him, contemplating a potential impending catastrophe, but his feeble mental stability depended on refusing to accept that he might die again.
"I'm an idiot, a total and utter idiot..." He whispered, chagrined. He was aware that he was making a mistake that would sooner or later come back with terrible nightmarish consequences, and he hated himself for clinging to a stupid unfounded hope.
Fear and despair began to seep into his heart, causing it to start beating faster and faster. Cold sweat soaked his forehead and neck, and spasms began to take place in his limbs. He hated himself for being so weak, he hated himself for not having completely abandoned his unfounded pride, he hated himself for allowing fear to dominate him. He knew it, he felt it in his marrow; Halibel was not wrong, catastrophe was approaching, death was haunting him again.
"Hi, Subaru...! Uhmm? Are you all right?" When he finally entered the foyer of the mansion, ready to leave as soon as possible for the brief meeting, in order to get his mind off the ominous thoughts that were tormenting him, Subaru was greeted by Emilia's beautiful tinkling voice; a sound that made every fiber of his being twist due to the instinctive displeasure it brought to a sliver of his soul.
"Me? Y-Yes, I am. I'm just in a little hurry, that's all." He answered awkwardly, as he wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm; he was already used to forcing himself to hide his emotions on a daily basis, so he naturally suppressed the alienated hatred that surged deep within him. However, Emilia did not seem entirely convinced by his answer, though she chose not to dwell on it.
"In a hurry? Heading somewhere?" She asked him candidly, seeking to steer the conversation away from Subaru's troubled state.
"That's right, Emilia-sama. It just so happens that I have a meeting to attend as well." He replied, while, without showing any signs of it, biting the inside of his cheek.
A hurricane of dichotomous emotions was wreaking havoc within him. First there were those provoked by Halibel's ominous words and his own instinct, both predicting another devastating event of death. And then there were those resulting from the alienated sense of hatred directed towards Emilia, which he had begun to feel since her arrival at the mansion; a feeling he had kept under control without a problem until that day, when he lost control over his emotions due to the fear that a new cycle of death was close to commence. Unable to think clearly, Subaru could only yearn to get away from the manor. Where is Utada? He wondered internally, as he nervously scanned the room he was in.
"... Anastasia sent for us, she informed us that we were about to leave for the castle; however, I don't seem to see her anywhere. Do you happen to know where she is, Subaru?" But no matter how hard he sought, Utada was not there. How long had it been since he left the office? He really wasn't sure; as he pondered about everything that overwhelmed him, he had inevitably suffered from some sort of time-related lapse of mind.
While internally pondering the situation he was in and the options at hand, Subaru became aware that Emilia had continued the conversation. "Huh? Did you say something to me, Emilia-sama?" Having failed to hear the content of her words, Subaru found himself needing to ask her regarding it.
"Ehh?! You didn't hear me? Sorry, I'll repeat myself!" She exclaimed, visibly embarrassed that she had failed to notice that Subaru was distracted. Subaru was willing to apologize in return, but he really needed that conversation to end; finding Utada was his priority at the moment. "I asked you if you know where Anastasia is."
"Anastasia? Yes, I met with her in her office about..." It was all too confusing to him, how long ago had he met with her? Once the meeting had ended, Subaru departed for the mansion's foyer, but on the way he became lost in his thoughts... The fear of dying, the desire to leave the mansion, the need to find his bodyguard. Subaru had sunk deep into his thoughts and had lost track of time. "... I met with her a while ago... It's possible she's still there."
"Hmm... In that case I shall probably keep on waiting for her here... Thank you, Subaru!" Muttered the girl, while looking at him thoughtfully; after a moment, she thanked him, which meant the end of their conversation. Subaru nodded to Emilia and prepared to leave the lobby, but stopped when his gaze fell on a person that, until then, he had not noticed.
"Is it possible to know what you are staring at…? Did you lose something?" It was Emilia's maid, Ram, who immediately rebuked him when she perceived that his gaze was fixed on her. The cold girl had barely shown herself in the forty-eight hours that Emilia had been in the mansion. Subaru only knew of her the little that the half-elf had mentioned, and there was something that definitely did not add up to him.
Ram was the maid sent to attend Emilia, and for that reason alone her prolonged absences were already unjustifiable. Her place was at her lady's side, and nowhere else; that Subaru had learned from Anastasia Hoshin's servants and subordinates. For that unpleasant woman to neglect her job was reprehensible enough, but this was only made worse if one took into account that she was also Emilia's bodyguard.
The pink-haired girl was not a simple maid, she was a combat maid; similar to those Subaru had come to see in light novels and video games. Ram's job was to keep Emilia, the repudiated Royal Selection candidate, out of harm's way. Therefore her prolonged absences, in what could be considered enemy territory, were nothing more than the worst sort of negligence and irresponsibility.
This fact brought back Subaru's doubts about Emilia's patron, Roswaal L. Mathers. Who was this man? The one willing to support the political campaign of Lugunica's ideological enemy. Why, being aware of the danger his protégée was in, was he assigning an extremely emotionally wounded maid, who had recently lost a sister, the important task of safeguarding her?
"Emilia-sama, may I ask you a question?" Subaru uttered, shifting his gaze to Emilia and disregarding the pink-haired maid's aggressive, sarcastic question.
"Sure, you did answer my question, so it's only fair. So, what do you wish to ask me?"
"Your benefactor, Roswaal L. Mathers... Is he a trustworthy person?" Subaru had not finished asking his question, when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Before Emilia could respond, it was the ever-apathetic maid who did so.
"By what authority do you dare ask such a thing! You are merely the servant of a political rival of Emilia-sama's! Do you fancy you have the right to inquire about Roswaal-sama?" The maid had apparently not taken his meddling well, considering that she approached him with a frown and questioned him about his intrusiveness.
Subaru didn't like the woman, but she was right, why was a subordinate of Anastasia Hoshin questioning one of her rivals about her benefactor? Subaru knew he had no right to inquire about Emilia's life, let alone meddle in the decisions made by her supporter; that was a right he had given up from day one. Still, he felt guilty about Emilia's terrible outcome, and he needed to assuage his guilt by making sure Emilia was not under the protection of the wrong person.
Who was he to decide whether that was the case or not? No one. But he needed to hear Emilia's opinion of Roswaal L. Mathers, or else he was unable to quell the swirl of feelings that had welled up inside him. Subaru had not stopped hearing that name, and he felt genuinely uneasy every time he did, and it only worsened his already unstable mental state. Hearing Emilia's opinion about that man might be what he needed to appease, if only slightly, the flames of the inferno that was his own mind...
"Ram!" Surprisingly, Emilia reprimanded her servant for her attitude; thus receiving a frustrated click of the tongue in response. Without looking at Subaru, the maid turned away from him and returned to the seat where she had been waiting without another word. Subaru was tempted to investigate further as to why she had reacted that way, but he knew that to do so would involve wading into very swampy waters. He would have to settle for Emilia's answer, whatever it was. "I'm truly sorry, Subaru. As I had mentioned before, she's been through a lot, and... talking about Roswaal usually makes her anxious. I know deep down she's sorry for snapping at you like that."
"Ha!" A single scornful laugh was her maid's response to Emilia's apology, which only added to the disdain Subaru felt for the woman.
Sighing deeply, Emilia, chagrined, shook her head slightly and looked him straight in the eye. "Roswaal is a somewhat... too eccentric person; however, he has lent me his help on so many times... Yes, I do trust him." Emilia replied, without elaborating in the least. At Subaru's silence, Emilia lowered her head slightly. "I don't know if that's the answer you were expecting... If it's not, I apologize for it; however, even if the way she phrased it wasn't the right one, Ram is right. You are a subordinate of a political rival, so I cannot grant you too much information regarding the man backing me, nor the rest of my camp."
"I'm glad you actually heeded my words, Emilia-sama." Ram sarcastically remarked, something Emilia refused to respond to; it was clear that, for whatever reason, the relationship between the two of them was not the best. Still, it wasn't hard for Subaru to imagine why. Emilia, the half-devil, indirectly caused the attack on the village near the Mathers Manor, and with it the death of her sister... It would not be strange if Ram thought that way, and hence to hold a grudge against Emilia for it.
"That answer will suffice, thank you." Subaru finally replied. He was being sincere. From what he had noticed after Emilia's arrival, along with what he had heard from him, Subaru had begun to be suspicious of Roswaal; he suspected that he had something to do with Emilia's woeful condition. But that answer had quelled his doubts, at least partially.
"Lia... I may not always agree with her, but Ram is right about something..." And before another word was uttered, a small feline with gray fur and big blue eyes appeared over Emilia's shoulder. Its feline gaze was fixed on Subaru, and it was easy to notice that he was completely distrustful of Subaru's presence.
"Puck, so nice of you to finally show up!" Emilia exclaimed, looking genuinely cheerful for the first time since she set foot in the mansion; something that undoubtedly took a huge weight off Subaru's shoulders. At least their relationship is still the same; he thought. "Subaru, Puck would like to apologize to you for misjudging you. The change of atmosphere made him paranoid and-"
"I'm sorry, Lia. But ultimately it appears that I won't be able to apologize."
"W-Wha…?" She exclaimed, noticeably confused. Had she by any chance not heard what her spirit stated when it showed itself? Perhaps she was excited about it being the first time her spirit had appeared in public since her arrival at the mansion, and this caused her to get the wrong idea of the whole situation.
"I know I said I would. Yesterday it struck me that there was really no reason to distrust him, but now I find it necessary to take it back. Not only does it remain impossible for me to know concretely what he is thinking or feeling, but, moreover, his interest in that mad clown Roswaal is quite suspicious at best."
"Great Spirit-sama, I beg you not to wrong the name of Roswaal-sama." Dumbfounded, Subaru listened to the words of Puck, who completely ignored Ram's complaints about his slander of Roswaal.
"Your mind and heart are like a thick swamp shrouded by a massive cloak of darkness... Subaru Natsuki. I don't know what your interest in Lia and Roswaal is, but I strongly advise you to drop it. If I'm showing myself this way in enemy turf, it's because I want to get my message across." Crossing his arms, the small feline narrowed his eyes. The aura of hostility he was exuding had managed to completely freeze Subaru, who had begun to tremble involuntarily. "Touch a strand of my daughter's hair, and I'll make sure you're buried in a sarcophagus of ice." And leaving those words floating in the air, Puck vanished again.
"Puck...! Subaru, I'm really sor-" Emilia, visibly distressed by what had just transpired, was about to apologize to Subaru, but before she could do so, the hostess finally entered the room.
"What happened 'ere? It seems as if someone's business just went bankrupt." Said the girl, looking at Subaru and Emilia.
"It appears that the Great Spirit-sama and I at least concur on something." Ram commented, indifferent to the mansion owner's arrival.
"Hmm? What does yer servant mean, Emilia?"
"Anastasia, I..." An awkward atmosphere developed in the foyer, where both rivals exchanged glances. One was confused, the other apprehensive. But there stood a third who just wanted to get away from there immediately.
Subaru never expected such a behavior from Puck. And one had to wonder, what had led him to regard him, Subaru, as a possible enemy? The Beast of the End had threatened him, and for the same reason Subaru was utterly terrified. That day had barely begun, and he already wished it would be over. Thus, desperate for a rescue line, Subaru searched insistently for his way out; and he quickly found it.
"Utada, it's good to see you! I'm in a hurry to get to my meeting, so let's leave right away." And with those words, Subaru set out to make his escape from the situation he had ended up involved in. Or at least that's what he had in mind...
"Su-san, are ya completely sure?" But Anastasia had not entered the hall escorted by Utada alone, a couple of mercenaries had also done so, and among them was Halibel. He who had sown panic in his heart with his prophecy of death had appeared as the curtain of calamity lifted. "Su-san, ya might end up regrettin' it."
The two candidates for the throne in attendance looked at each other, visibly puzzled. So many things had taken place at once, that not only for them, but, for anyone in the room, it was proving impossible to keep up with the interweaving of events. Subaru, however, was at the center of all that was unfolding, and the weight of it was overwhelming him to the point of mental breakdown.
"Could anyone enlighten me as to what's goin' on?" Anastasia demanded, conflicted. However, despite being the hostess, no one showed any inclination to answer her.
"Su-san…?" Halibel persisted, his gaze fixed on his ally's trembling eyes. Come... Subaru was finding himself tempted to answer that way. I should accept... He told himself. But his pathetic weakness, that chronic illness that seemed incurable, made it impossible for him to move his lips. "Su-san, if ya truly prefer that I not escort you to your meetin', at least use the metia to reach out to me in case somethin' happens."
"I will." Was all Subaru managed to say, before fleeing the scene, followed by an uncaring Utada. Once again he had run away... And something was telling him that soon it would be impossible for him to continue doing so. If he didn't take the step himself, an external force would compel him to do so.
"... Fortunately, my father had established good relations with the owner of the Official Picoutatte Market, located in the south side of the city, so that was a great help in moving the negotiations forward. In less than a couple of months we should have a direct trade line with Picoutatte, which will allow us to make inroads into Vollachia more easily than anticipated. We won't be able to do anything about that until the borders lockdown is lifted, though, so for now we'll focus on getting fully established in Picoutatte." Reported Otto Suwen, a member of Hoshin Company's trade department and leader of the commercial relations sub-department focused on the Reinvention Project.
"Picoutatte, huh? I thought we'd have a harder time building ties with the local merchants, considering many don't look kindly on the capital's merchants." Remarked his colleague, Leith Hendar, leader of the design sub-department focused solely on the Reinvention Project.
"That's exactly why I say it was fortunate that my father had maintained solid business relations with the owner of the city's main market. Had it not been for that, it is possible that it would have taken us at least half a year to forge the necessary trade ties to expand our products as far south as the southern part of the kingdom." Otto replied.
At the time, they were both in Leith's home, namely in that room that once served as the workshop where the Reinvention Project was conceived. Otto, who had been laying out the results obtained from his business trip to southern Lugunica on a small wooden board, located in front of a table of the same material, took his place at the seat closest to the aforementioned board, while highlighting the importance of the developments that had ensued.
Leith, who was sitting at a seat on the right side of the table from Otto's perspective, nodded in understanding. After a moment of silence, Leith looked Otto in the eye and continued the conversation. "I see. Though I must say I'm surprised you went to your father. After all you went through in your hometown due to your lack of luck, I thought you'd never associate with your family again."
"That was never what I intended. After all, despite everything that happened because of the misunderstanding with... that woman, my father, mother and siblings never deserted me. My father helped me escape and even put me under the tutelage of the one who was my mentor in peddling, so I never held a grudge against them, quite the contrary. Even so, my goal was always to return to Picoutatte until I had achieved success as a trader, which I thought I would not achieve until I met you guys... So, thank you so much, guys."
Otto, emotionally moved, looked at both Leith, seated to his right, and Subaru, who was seated to his left. Leith immediately proceeded to smile at him, but Subaru was slower to react. In the end, a nod of his head was the only indication on Subaru's part that he had heard Otto's story. Still, neither Otto nor Leith seemed bothered by this, and both merely continued the conversation.
"That being the case, what became of the woman who tried to have you murdered?" Leith asked, referring to the young woman who, in Otto's younger years, had put a price on his head; all because he, in order to get rid of a misunderstanding, had ended up revealing the woman's numerous affairs.
"I saw no trace of her, to be honest. Still, I was told that when she found out I was working for a Royal Selection candidate, she abandoned all animosity towards me. Heh, heh, heh... Actually, my luck has improved considerably since I met you guys." Otto said, nervously scratching his head, on which his typical green Ushanka was missing.
"I wouldn't say that... Even after we met, there were times when you almost didn't make it out alive. Perhaps it was Anastasia Hoshin-sama's sheer luck and business savvy that counterbalanced your lousy luck, Otto… Well, we'll never know… I fancy that, given the chance, you would join her camp." Leith assumed, convinced of his words. However, Otto's gesture betrayed his expectations; as he immediately shook his head.
"I don't deny that I owe much to Anastasia-sama; however, I disagree with many of her political leanings. That woman is so obsessed with business, that she's incapable of seeing this country and its people as anything more than that; a business. I don't believe that a country, let alone one like Lugunica, can be governed under that kind of political posture." Otto argued, vehemently.
"That strikes me, Otto. I always thought you would share Anastasia Hoshin's trade-focused political view... "Leith replied, as he settled back in his chair. "So, which is your preferred candidate? I personally, after all that has happened, cannot think of any other ruler than Anastasia-sama. Though it may be that her alliance with us, and that she has the backing of the Juukulius family, has greatly biased me."
"I'd really rather not talk about it." Otto muttered, thus dodging Leith's question. It was noticeable that he was not entirely comfortable with the idea of responding to it.
"Huh? C'mon, don't be like that! Neither Subaru nor I are going to judge you by your answer, I'm just curious which candidate best fits your vision of a better future for Lugunica." Leith insisted, prompting Otto to reveal which political camp he supported. Still, it was clear that Otto remained reluctant to talk about it.
"You shouldn't force him, Leith. It doesn't seem to me that Otto's comfortable talking about it." Subaru interjected, advocating for his fellow merchant's privacy. Leith immediately looked at him, and after a short exchange of glances, he was the first to avert his gaze.
"Subaru... you're right, I clearly got a little carried away. Excuse me, Ott-"
"The half-elf, Emilia! I won't discuss why I support her, but I'd like her to win." However, before Leith could apologize for his insistence, Otto finally relented and revealed the identity of the candidate he supported. The first to react was Leith who, dumbfounded, could do nothing but stare at him in surprise. Subaru, on the other hand, was not so shocked; still, to anyone paying attention, it was obvious that a whirlwind of emotions had been unleashed within his gaze. Or had it merely worsened?
"So Emilia...?" Subaru muttered, refraining from finishing his sentence aloud. I'm glad that at least there are people who support her; he thought, remembering Emilia's melancholic gaze, striving to quell the hatred and guilt that surged in his heart at the slightest thought related to her.
"Uhmmm... Can we please move on to something else? Leaving aside the data on business in the south and everything related to politics... Subaru, you've been quieter than usual today. Did something happen?" In an obvious effort to change the course of the conversation, Otto focused on Subaru and voiced his concerns related to Subaru's apathetic attitude.
"Do you actually reckon it's any different from usual?" Subaru asked back, shrugging his shoulders. Just as Otto was reluctant to talk politics, Subaru had no intention of speaking regarding that which, as his companion had correctly deduced, had him more burdened than usual.
Subaru's retort inevitably stalled the efforts of the trio of colleagues to have a fluid conversation that did not incur in taboo topics, and consequently gave way to an extremely uncomfortable atmosphere arising in the room. The three exchanged silent glances, searching for the right words with which to put an end to the oppressive silence; however, it was none of the three comrades who finally succeeded in this regard.
"Subaru-sama, the city's under attack! It's the Witch Cult!" That which put to death the awkward silence was none other than the signal Subaru had so longed never to receive. The signal of the beginning of another death event. Damn Halibel, stupid me; he thought in frustration, trying hard not to pay attention to the stabbing pain he felt in both arms and the horrifying emptiness that had taken shape in his stomach. Death was reminding him of the weight of his sins, death was signaling that it would once again come for him; death was near, he could feel it in his bones.