"Huh?" Subaru muttered, blinking rapidly. Unsure whether he was seeing things right, he rubbed his eyes and stared at Pandora, who made her presence known by mentioning the astounded Subaru from behind the fractured crystalline sphere.

It was not more than a few seconds ago when she was brutally attacked, yet she appeared to be completely fine as she emerged from the towering ball of crystal, resting her dainty hand on it as though she were inspecting the very object that seemingly "killed" her. Her face remained serene while she smiled cordially at Subaru.

He shook in place as he absorbed the words said by the woman. She had wished for his assistance after Subaru watched her get battered multiple times by various attacks. But he hadn't done anything whatsoever to help her; he just stood with shaking knees, unmoving from his spot and indifferent to the assault that was brought to her. At least that was the case for what Pandora had seen him do. In Subaru's instance, however, he wanted to help her and save her, but he wasn't able to do so. He was undeniably in a state of shock in which he was powerless to do anything. It was uncertain who exactly the enemy was in here, but he couldn't bring himself to do anything reasonable.

Subaru loathed how weak and helpless he was in this situation. If he had been stronger, he would've possibly been able to stop these people from killing themselves over trivial matters. If he had been smarter, he would've been able to bring forth a proposal or resolution where they would settle their arguments or whatever issue they had with each other in a chivalrous manner.

But it was not precisely those particular words from Pandora that had discouraged him. There was a faint disappointment that he could feel as she spoke those words to him. He hated disappointing people; he hated being a failure. In this parallel world where he was supposedly going to redeem himself and do the best he could, he was able to witness firsthand his indisputable ineffectiveness and worthlessness.

Although she was seemingly disappointed in him, despite the amiable smile she wore on her face, there was also a hint of vexation in her tone that Subaru had missed. That irritation at Subaru came and went, as though it had never even happened, and as though she had discovered something else that allowed his actions to slide. The platinum-haired girl showed herself to be a relatively kind and agreeable person, and so he hadn't perceived that specific feeling that brewed in her mind. Subaru thought that indications of anger and harsh actions did not befit a person such as herself. Even so, the authoritative aspect of her voice had not dwindled in the slightest.

Furthermore, the discrete air of authority that lay on the very insides of her true self made him reconsider the relationship that they could have had. It was possible that they had some sort of master-servant understanding with each other in which Pandora held a relative amount of power over Subaru—over Regulus Corneas, in fact. However, thinking that way would be bold and conceivably degrading to himself one way or another.

Subaru didn't understand how she came out of the onslaught unscathed. A normal person would've been absolutely demolished by that attack. Whether she dodged the attack or something, he was not certain about it. But he did, as a matter of fact, see her get skewered by the icicles which penetrated her physique. It was established that death would be inescapable, judging from how her blood spluttered in the atmosphere.

If she had perhaps managed to avoid the huge crystal ball, he wouldn't have known it at all, since his eyes were glued to her and he didn't observe her moving from her position. He was positive that the monstrosity of a crystal had hit her directly. Nonetheless, it was not too far-fetched that she somehow had a way or an ability to evade such an enormous object made of ice. Something like that would most likely be a commodity or a magic-related thing that existed in this world alone.

The extent of the damage caused by the—what seemed to be unjustified in Subaru's opinion—wrath of the woman manifested itself to be a considerably large fissure on the ground, which extended deeper underground as the motionless crystal bore itself through the earth several inches down. Small fragments of ice that broke off from the ball lay on the dirt as they slowly faded away into blue particles of light.

It would be irrelevant to try to make sense of what had recently occurred. He was, after all, in a world not his own: a fantasy world with all sorts of eccentric systems that might've shaped the world. Knowledge on how people live and interact in this particular world was something he did not have. It would be foolish to depend on what he knew about otherworldly things that were written by human beings with unrelenting creativity.

"The reason for my bringing you here, Cardinal, is that you would make yourself useful on behalf of myself," Pandora calmly stated. "That, as well, is in the name of the Witch Cult."

"Are—are you talking to me?" Subaru asked.

Subaru didn't quite understand what the girl had said. All these terms that were casually being thrown about were terms that he did not know about. Of course, it belonged to this world alone. Wherever he may be right now, he was in a place that had two conflicting parties who wanted to kill each other. An idea that these people were acting popped up in his mind. However, he instantly waved that thought away, for the reactions of everyone were genuine.

What remained in the corner of his mind were the words "witch cult." In a sense, those specific words brought more curiosity to his already curious and confused self. Whether it would be wise or not to ask for the meaning of that term, he would not do so, for he may be the next person to get attacked in this situation.

"Who else may I be talking to?" she replied, maintaining the smile on her face.

"—How are you still well and alive despite that ferocious attack?!" the silver-haired elf butted in, her eyes full of disbelief as she hardened her glare at Pandora. "I know since I've seen you get hit by my magic. It's unthinkable that you would survive that! This… must be why my brother and everyone else… were unfortunate."

As a way to answer her question that was said shakenly in distraught, Pandora merely smiled at the woman. Her eyes landed on the small girl that stood behind the silver-haired woman. Subaru wasn't sure if what he just observed was a trick of the eyes, but he caught a sinister look on her face, followed by an unfeigned emotion of affection towards the scared little girl.

"Could your eyes have deceived you?" she said at last, the mocking question directed at the woman on the opposite end.

That was a possibility, he thought. It may have been likely that he was also deceived in a way that was not plain to the naked eye, or the eye of a regular human that stumbled upon this fantasy world. In other words, deception or an obscure circumvention was utilized to prevent herself from falling into the abyss of death. He admitted to himself that he was glad to an extent upon seeing that the platinum-haired woman was not actually dead or severely injured. Undoubtedly so, he didn't think that his guilt over the fact that he'd done nothing to aid her would subside that easily.

A sob could be heard regardless of the distance that Subaru held between the three beings that held a defensive position. It was the little girl; there was no doubt about it. He looked over at them and saw her mother carry her in her arms. She wiped the tears of the girl with a smile, as if she were trying to tell her that nothing was wrong.

"Mother Fortuna…" she said, hugging the woman tightly as she stared up at her with big amethyst eyes. She was absolutely defenseless in here. If something were to happen, she may possibly get injured. And just like her mother, he did not want anything to happen to a young girl who still had a bright future ahead of her.

"I know, Emilia, it's alright. Don't cry. It's going to be fine." Fortuna hugged her back. "You know how much I love you, right?"

"— —Fortuna-sama! I ask that you take Emilia-sama and withdraw from here. I'll be handling this myself! Though Regulus Corneas may not be doing anything right now, we are presently powerless against him! It would be dangerous for Emilia-sama to remain here," the man said, drawing the attention of both Emilia and Fortuna.

"...Geuse," Fortuna whispered. "That won't… Pandora is right there, and you're telling me to stand down?!"

The determined man who was referred to as Geuse didn't back down. "Consider the situation! Who is it that you are protecting at this instant?"

It was as though a light bulb of realization had presented itself inside Fortuna's mind. "—! You're right… What will you do, Geuse?"

"Do not waste your worry upon myself. I am not remaining behind without any plan. You must go back to the village and rescue the people there. My followers will share the same thought. Please… do as I say, Fortuna-sama!"

"This man… Regulus Corneas. Is he as powerful as you deem him to be? Maybe we… we will be able to do this together."

Geuse shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, I must not put you and Emilia-sama in harm's way. Though I do not know the full extent of his abilities, I am fully aware that he is an indomitable individual with a deranged personality. I am not sure why he is acting differently at present, judging by my past encounters with him. I believe Pandora-sama may have done something to contribute to that. Therefore, it would please me if you would withdraw from here immediately."

"Geuse!" Emilia sobbed, extending her arms out to the man as she realized what he was trying to do. Her affection toward Geuse was so heartwarming, that it almost brought tears to the man's eyes. Clearly, she did not want anything bad to happen to him.

Subaru felt his chest tighten at hearing the cries of the small girl. He did not know the reason why they were ostensibly frightened of Pandora, but he knew they were desperate and in panic. Seeing the girl's wavering eyes and puckered lips, he felt empathy for her. Emilia was in an even worse situation than him, despite the fact that he was the foreigner and the one who knew nothing about this place.

Emilia... What a pretty name, he thought. Her long, pointed ears were slightly red. However, that did not affect her cuteness in any way. In fact, it added an extra sense of adorableness to her. Her pretty silver hair flowed behind her back in a lively animation. She really did look like the woman who was carrying her, except for the sharp, mean eyes that her possible mother, Fortuna, wore. He did not deny to himself that he had a particular liking for that kind of appearance, but, of course, he held no obscure feelings for the girl.

Subaru would want to get to know her better, calm her down, soothe her agitation, and perhaps act like a big brother to her. He had always wanted a sibling, yet he did not know how to tell his parents. Having a sibling would mean that he would have someone to protect and show that he would be a responsible and useful brother to them. It's a sad sight to see a beautiful girl cry in such a way that it makes him want to confront the person who had wronged her. However, there was no one to blame, no one to chastise, for no one had done anything "wrong" except for the woman who had attacked Pandora, unless they had a valid reason for doing so.

He did not know what to do. It felt as if his tongue was tied and his mind was empty as he prodded himself to do something about their uneasiness. The first thing that happened when he was dropped into this unknown world was an immediate event that practically needed him to act. If perhaps this were to be the situation in which he was being tested by the gods, who might possibly grant him a powerful weapon or ability if he succeeded in solving the muddle, then he was failing pitifully.

Although that was a possibility, he didn't excite himself too much, or act like an obnoxious knight in shining armor. He needed time to think, but time was one of the things that was inadequate. The worst scenario would be for these people to fight terribly amongst themselves and put the girl in harm's way. This was it. This was his moment to prove that he was going to be a different person in this new world. He'd show them that he was their savior, and that was the reason he was brought here. He would stop everyone from fighting over one another. Who knows? Maybe they're fighting over a guy or something equally meaningless.

Subaru cleared his throat awkwardly as he began to walk toward the distressed, huddled-up family. "Hey, now. Can someone seriously tell me what's the problem here? I don't know what your deal with that other girl over there is, but, um, she seems to be fine after that strong magic attack you did. No idea how that happened, but I'm concerned about everyone here. I know my standing here is a bit weird and all that, since I've pretty much come out of nowhere. I'm—I'm sure I can do something to help…"

Unbeknownst to him, Pandora was smiling curiously at the event unfolding in front of her eyes. It was as if she had figured out what was going on and decided to let Subaru do whatever he wanted to do just for the sake of quenching her curiosity over unexpected trifling matters. The question of Natsuki Subaru's, or rather, Regulus Corneas' strange, uncharacteristic behavior was still hovering above everyone's consciousness. In Pandora's case, though, she had treated the inconvenience as merely something that was of interest. Nonetheless, the deviation and phenomenon remained a mystery and a potential danger to a being such as herself.

"Fascinating," she whispered inaudibly, such that no one a meter away would hear anything from her. "Has something irregular occurred with Od Laguna, or with Bishop Corneas' Authority, perhaps? I imagine that an external entity has tampered with the workings of our witch factors. It compels me to meet that particular individual. How unfortunate. A change of plan may be necessary."

Subaru stopped in his tracks as he put his hand on the back of his neck, implying that he was embarrassed about abruptly inserting himself into their own matters. He took a moment to gauge the expressions on their faces as he waited for their response. Now that he knew their names, it would be easier to interact with them and act as a catalyst in preventing any other sudden catastrophic behavior.

However, all he received was silence, and following that silence, which felt like a really long time, were the alarmed and indignant faces of Geuse and Fortuna. Emilia, who was still being carried by her mother, only had an expression of puzzlement on her face.

He felt cold sweat run down his neck as he noticed that their reactions were ones that were not in his realm of expectations. He grasped that they still took him as a threat. It would not be so easy, after all, to talk to them and get the gist of the situation. He did not want the silver-haired woman to attack him with the same thing that she did to Pandora. Dying was not an option here. He did not want to die at all. The idea of getting impaled by a hundred icicles made him shudder.

In desperation, he decided to call out to the small girl to appear less threatening and to calm their nerves. "Ah, Emilia, is it? I like your hair; it's really pretty. Look, guys, I'm not going to do anything—"

"Recede at this instant, Regulus Corneas! You have the guts to approach us and attempt to deceive Emilia-sama with a pretense as unbelievable as that. I will not allow you to lay a hand on Emilia-sama nor Fortuna-sama!" Geuse bellowed.

Geuse instantly pulled Fortuna and Emilia farther away from Subaru and took their place by facing the very person who had advanced toward them. He took a sidelong glance at Pandora, who was still remaining inert in this dilemma, while keeping his full attention on Natsuki Subaru. He let out a tch as he discerned that an all-out attack from both Pandora and the presumed Regulus Corneas at this point would ensure the demise of the particular people that he was trying to protect.

"If you dare to touch my Emilia, I will be sending you to the depths of despair myself!" Fortuna drew back, raising her arms at Subaru as though she were ready to attack him if he took a single step forward.

"Fortuna-sama, you must go now! Head straight into the forest! I will handle this predicament myself!"

Fortuna was unsure of what exactly was the appropriate thing to do in this situation. Leaving Geuse would mean no good to him since the loathed woman, Pandora, was still in the area and it would be foolish for him to deal with her alone. The safety of Emilia was the utmost priority, but she saw no reason for them to leave when neither of the enemies had done anything noteworthy. In consideration of that, she would have to find a way to keep Emilia out of the line of fire while assisting Geuse at the same time. But finally, she decided to listen to him to keep her daughter safe.

"I'm coming back to help you," Fortuna said hesitantly, turning around as she readied herself to sprint into the forest in the opposite direction.

"Hold on!" Subaru yelled out as he backed away a few meters, just as Geuse had said. "I'm not even doing anything yet! Listen to me. Why are you guys acting like I'm about to kill you? I'm just as confused as you, too."

Fortuna turned her head around again and narrowed her eyes at Subaru, as if considering what he was trying to say. She clutched Emilia tightly in her bosom as she awaited Geuse's instructions. Her face was full of skepticism, and the tinge of anger that was formerly directed at Pandora still remained in her resentful eyes.

"Fortuna-sama, do you believe the words of that man instead of mine? I may be a sinner, but I am far more sensible than Regulus Corneas. As a man affiliated with the Witch Cult, I personally was able to behold the acts of atrocities committed by this Sin Archbishop. Do not be swayed by his words!"

Subaru did a double take, and now he was visibly angry. It couldn't be helped when he was getting slandered ever since his appearance here. There were limits to the patience of a man. "Acts of atrocities? Cut the bullshit! I'm not who you think I am! I keep telling you that. Let me reintroduce myself: my name is Natsuki Subaru. Not only am I clueless, but I'm also broke beyond compare!"

"Natsuki… Subaru?" Geuse repeated.

"That's right! Nice to meet ya!"

Geuse stared back at Fortuna, as if he were inquiring whether he was hearing the same things as her. He was dumbfounded. This man, Regulus Corneas, insisted that he was truly a different person named Natsuki Subaru. Regulus must've gone crazy already. How the Sin Archbishop acquired the capability to make a pretense was an enigma in itself; however, once again, he deduced that Pandora had done something to corrupt the wits of Regulus Corneas.

"Tomfoolery!" Geuse fumed with indignation. Reaching into the pocket of his robe, he pulled out a small, black box. The appearance of the box unquestionably presented an ominous feeling. From what Subaru knew, it looked like a wedding ring box due to its size and design. However, the sinister aura of that black box proved itself to be not a simple case for jewelry, but rather something that brought him a sense of foreboding.

Subaru arched a brow. "What's… that?"

It wasn't as if Subaru was connected to that particular square box, yet he dreaded the feeling of knowing what would happen if it was opened. Surely, any regular person would've thought the same way if they were in his place. From his understanding of relics from the numerous novels he had read, a small object can prove to be a dangerous artifact. That did not lessen his feeling of helplessness as he stared wide-eyed at the object.

The man holding the black box peered at Subaru. "You should be able to sense it. Your hands have also held it once before."

"I—I don't follow." Subaru swallowed the lump in his throat.

In great timing, as if she were waiting for this exact moment to come out of the shadows, Pandora appeared only a short distance away from Subaru. He was mystified as to how she had managed to come this close to him without making a single sound, but his mind was still drawn to Geuse, who held up the box for him to see.

Clapping her small hands, Pandora's face grew brighter to show that she was evidently happy. "Happy travels, Romanée-Conti."