Chapter 2:
The walls of pride never overcome those of humility, after all.
The interior of Priestella Town Hall wasn't as interesting a place to look at as the outside. But that fact didn't represent how cozy and well-organized the inside of the building was, because it was.
They even entered the place through the large double doors with Subaru leading the group of three in total. That is, besides him, there were Beatrice and Garfiel. The two people who at the moment were the ones he could at least trust.
It may not be ideal, but it's what I need to do.
Subaru took a brief look at Beatrice and Garfiel's faces, inspecting the wary and tense expressions they were sketching, respectively. Whether those were the only things they felt at the moment, he didn't know; but that it was obvious that such emotions were part of the individuals named Beatrice and Garfiel, this was a fact.
Finally, Beatrice decided to speak. "Betty agreed to Subaru's plan, but she still has her reservations about it, remember that, in fact."
He nodded with a sigh, deciding not to argue. "This way. We can't waste time on this." He made a point of reminding them. Beatrice sighed in resignation and Garfiel showed extreme appeal to Subaru's words with a strong breath through his nose, exhaling shortly afterwards as he opened his eyes with determination.
On the way to the door that would presumably lead them deeper into the large building, they were surprised by a presence that did not match the standard of the other people and officials who occupied the city hall.
"Subaru, Beatrice-sama, Garfiel-san, how nice to see you here. I planned to meet you later at the inn, but it's good to see that you've decided to pay a visit to the outskirts of town, and luckily we ran into each other." The voice sounded elegant and formal as it greeted Subaru and company with joy.
Julius Juukulius. Who struck a pose worthy of a royal knight.
Seeing him, Subaru managed a small smile of satisfaction. "Julius, it's good to see you here too. And, you're right," He confirmed, "Beatrice and Garfiel agreed to my suggestion and here we are."
"Hmm." She narrowed her eyes at Subaru. "Betty's Subaru couldn't stop asking Betty to do it, so she came to please him I suppose."
Garfiel was not left out. "Yeah, we're here for a little tour with the captain, nice to meet you man."
"Then, I am honored by the consideration, Garfiel-san. And since you're Subaru's friend, I suppose I'd be happy to know more about you too." The knight gave him a polite little bow, which in turn left Garfiel flustered and unsure how to act in return. He acknowledged with a little admiration that he was seeing firsthand the ways of a royal knight. The biggest one.
"Besides, Julius." Subaru resumed speaking, hoping to put the matter on other tracks. Julius returned to a position at eye level with Subaru to hear him better. "I suppose you're not really alone, are you? Anastasia would probably be with you, am I correct?"
"Definitely. As Anastasia-sama's knight, I'm always close to her to assist her in the best possible way. Just like you also do for Emilia-sama's sake."
Subaru laughed. "Yes, you're right. In fact, she - Emilia - was the one who recommended that I have a moment with both of them, she wants to accomplish something with her own effort, you know? And now here we are…"
"I see, Emilia-sama–"
"Natsuki-kun. What a pleasant surprise!" The voice that interrupted them came from the region of the large corridor that Subaru and company would have been passing through, if they hadn't been interrupted by Julius. And that meant another smile for Subaru.
And here she is. Subaru pensou.
"Anastasia-sama." Julius bowed again, welcoming the royal candidate in the white gown and good looks. "We were just talking about you, maybe you want to join our conversation?"
Subaru just watched the two interact while Julius was soft and gentle with the lady serving.Man, I had forgotten how polite you can sound and be, it's even irritating on the nerves. Tsk.
Unaware of Subaru's thoughts,Anastasia turned to him smiling smugly, and teasingly. "Is that true, Natsuki-kun? Well, I'm completely fine with that arrangement. I've wanted to get to know better the one who helped defeat the white whale and the sloth."
Subaru opened his mouth to reply.
And before he could start saying it, Julius took the initiative to recommend that they talk somewhere other than in the middle of the hall. "Great suggestion Julius-kun, we have a restaurant nearby where I–"
Subaru held up a hand stopping her. "Actually, I would like to suggest something else. It would be a request I'm sure you can fulfill for us-"
"Oh. I understand." Anastasia stopped mid-sentence as she looked at him more closely. "And what would Natsuki-kun want to ask me, hm? This may come at a cost, I warn you."
"Of course. In fact, I..."
Fifteen minutes ago.
"Aaa–gk-" A sickening crack reverberated through the garden as the wooden sword connected hard against his forehead. Garfiel Tinsel fell to the grass panting and shining with sweat, feeling incredibly defeated.
Even more than that, he was frustrated. After what was the tenth time (he counted), being easily knocked down, attempt after attempt to attack his opponent. His psyche started to snap as he glowed a faint crimson, "... Damn..." He took a deep breath and returned to normal, the aura suddenly fading.
It was bad. And that wasn't even the worst, the worst was the expression his opponent made for him.
"Perhaps we should stop here, Garfiel." He suggested in that concerned and understanding voice of his, his facial expression painted the same as his voice.
It might not be, but it seemed to be, pity. Feather aimed at a weak and tired shield.
"Tsk." Still lying on his back on the floor, Garfiel was bothered by the blinding sunlight. He ground his teeth angrily and refused to stay more than a second on the floor, so he tried to get up.
The legs were shaking and the posture was out of alignment. His hands stiffened with difficulty in the intended position to attack through sheer force of will. His eyes became sharp again and his fang-like teeth were bared.
To that sympathetic face, he could easily just transform into a huge beast and defeat him once and for all. But…but he wouldn't do that. It was against the rules.
"You look tired, I recommend some rest time Garfiel–"
"I don't need it, don't pity me!"
The sword saint, his opponent, looked surprised – not by the attack that Garfiel almost landed suddenly in his face, which was easily dodged – no; Reinhard Van Astrea was taken aback by the anger in the boy's eyes.
One, two, three strikes. All with tremendous strength, to shake the foundations of any lesser opponent. Reinhard was no lesser opponent. To theblessings from himguarantee an advantage, and heif only ensures all the remaining perks.
He was the sword saint after all. Therefore, he…
"It's dodging all, all my punches!"
Another and another, he punched. Two or more consecutive punches, looking for the image of the fist connected against the knight's face. Garfiel didn't use a sword, he used his bare hands or the shields he had on his wrists. Unlike Reinhard who used the wooden sword.
It could have been considered unfair to an outside observer, in fact, the observers of the fight, who watched everything in the vicinity of the garden, found it abysmally unfair.
Reinhard also thought it was unfair.
Not Garfiel. He said: "I fight best with my shields, or fists; but you can use your maximum, even on a wooden sword, I will bear it." That is, he recognized how strong Reinhard was - and that with a real sword, the guy would be a monster - but still, there was an underestimation on Garfiel's part.
Reinhard easily caught one of the tiger boy's fists and then another, "About that before, I'm sorry that you interpreted things that way Garfiel, but it wasn't my intention to do that to you at all." Said he sadly holding all that applied force as if it was a joke, "I don't feel sorry for you."
Garfiel pulled his arm back with maximum force upon hearing that and he then concentrated on delivering more and more strikes with equal measure strength, to the point where his muscles burned. Frowning, he looked away from the knight's honest gaze with disgust and guilt.
"..." Maybe he overreacted? Yep, he definitely overdid it perfectly. Garfiel internally admitted to himself. And not. Garfiel Tinsel was not someone who would cling to immaturity to get what he wanted just because he didn't get it. But still…
"Aaahhh!"
Even if he agreed that he had been overreacting and putting too many unrealistic expectations on himself, it didn't mean he was going to give up here and now.
Resilience was the key to everything, after all. Try, try, until you succeed - until you win.
Fwussh!
The wooden sword, it danced through the air in search of a more than perfect strike, connecting exactly where Garfiel didn't expect it and–
"-Gah, gkk…" The crack reverberated, and there were a few gasps from the 'audience' that only consisted of the inn staff, Felt camp and two members of Emilia camp. He ignored it, and mostly the excruciating pain.
His hand connected like a fist in the grass with a punch, he was subdued. The woody blade lined up before his emerald eyes.
Finally, in the game he was playing — was,
checkmate.
You lost, that's what he said inside his own mind. He looked at his captain and Beatrice. They watched him with neutral expressions, not overly excited and not disheartened. In other words, there was no surprise.
He was expected to lose in the face of the impossible.
Garfiel looked down at the grass, trying to understand what he was feeling inside his chest.
Reinhard retracted his sword when he concluded the fight was over, he didn't try to offer a hand to help him up, in a sign of respect for the boy (Garfiel had refused the first few times Reinhard had tried to help him).
So it was kind of the knight's consideration, maybe he concluded it was about the boy's pride or something. Garfiel, faced with these conclusions, would say the opposite and try to deny it, but even he knew that it wasn't that simple and that, in fact, there was pride included.
"Aaahhh!"
An attack with a fierce scream. Garfiel attacked Reinhard while he no longer pointed his sword at him. It was not an attack from the knight's back and not a surprise attack at all. It was Reinhard after all, so he would defend.
So he went with everything...
Only to stumble in a totally… totally ridiculous way, he'd say. He spat on the floor as he got up once more, so it was another failure for the growing list of failures.
"If I cannot successfully attack you, I will do my best to endure everything you have. May come! Come! I can handle it!"
Bold of himself? Maybe, but he didn't care about common sense. Not at this moment, at least. Now it was time to fight, time to try, time to forget what is and what is not; it was the right moment to try to remember that what he will do here will determine his victory.
Yeah, if he keeps trying–
The sword saint sighed wearily as he put away the wooden sword. "I'm sorry to say this, but I think enough is enough–"
"No! …No, let's continue. I already understood how I can get something out of you, you'll see." Garfiel paid lip service while maintaining a defensive stance, the same one he used against Elsa Granhiert. "I won't give up until I can defeat you! My amazing self doesn't–"
"Garfiel-!" The authoritative voice rang out in the background, making the two opponents' heads turn suddenly towards the source.Now, why is that…!?
Subaru. His captain.
"Let it be, you lost."
"Wh-what?" Garfiel's eyes widened in shock. His mouth was wide open as he didn't even know how to react. "Captain…" This had hurt him deeply.
No, he shouldn't give up! Garfiel wouldn't give up now...
But Subaru, who had his arms crossed, didn't seem to be moved at all by the expression he had on his face. Hardly – as Garfiel had never seen the captain act, he said: "Accept that Reinhard was kind enough to offer you several chances, now it is time for you to back off and become stronger, not to throw a tantrum!"
This left him unsure of how to react; like he... Why him, why was he saying that? Why was his captain looking at him that way?
Crack.
"I-I…" Garfiel looked down completely bewildered. It wasn't a tantrum, it was just the genuine refusal to accept defeat as long as he could do anything. As long as he could still move, could still fight, could still speak; he was supposed to fight, wasn't he?
Footsteps could be heard as Garfiel refused to look up. "Garfiel."
Subaru placed a hand on his shoulder gently. "Let it be, you can try again another time; but right now, you must focus on what's important."
"..."
The captain lets out a tired sigh and Garfiel refuses to look up, as Subaru immediately removes his arm from Garfiel's shoulder, "I need you now. Beatrice and I are leaving, there's something important I need you to know. You can do it? Can you help us?"
Garfiel looked up at the image of the face he admired, the coldness and sharp look did little to make him dislike him, but it was still hard and painful, and it hurt.
"Betty was in awe of his resilience, I've known few who dared so fervently to fight a sword saint to win, I suppose. You're not a boy to give up, but now Betty recommends listening to Betty's Subaru, in fact."
In the end, Garfiel decided to follow them, maybe there really was something important and that justified the way he was treated. But still, he refused to say a word.
If not for such a request, he would probably be somewhere else but here, wandering around alone.
When Garfiel accompanied Subaru and Beatrice to the main avenue to go who knows where, he felt disconnected from the other two. His mind could only travel back to those moments where he fought the sword saint, and the miserable defeats he suffered under the knight's perfect rule.
Every attack, every blow, failed. Garfiel attacked, dodged, and lunged at the man with all his might. But nothing helped, he always returned to the starting point, the ground.
He got up, granted, he tried again. But he tried to fail, failed to try - and again - he failed to try – and that was frustrating, his frustration. Yes, this was Garfiel's frustration; failing to try again, only to fail again.
A problem unique and his alone, something he felt no one could understand at this moment.
In his vision, there was the captain and Beatrice walking quickly through the streets of Priestella, completely unaware of the pain he felt, not the physical pain (for he was strong), the emotional pain. The pain of having heard a no after failing, and being discredited.
Garfiel hated it. However, nothing could be done to change such an outcome, so obviously, he couldn't complain if he were to say something himself. So, after the fact, he didn't yell, complain, opine, or offer anything. He just stood there, following the pair into too much anguish.
"You will need to trust me..." Asked the captain suddenly, looking uncomfortable asking that of them. Why? Ah, he unfortunately didn't know.
Nonetheless, Garfiel nodded - only half listening to the conversation - as he kept reliving the important moments of the fight he had earlier.
"Betty already trusts Subaru, in fact. You can say or say anything and Betty will listen and help, I suppose."
For some reason, Subaru looked uneasy and suspicious of their confirmation, still hesitant to elaborate on his earlier words – there was extreme doubt in his eyes. Which, in turn, worried the spirit that interrupted the walk along the sidewalks of the avenue and tried to reaffirm the conviction about the trust that she placed in him with a serious look.
And–
"–You also trust Betty's Subaru, isn't that tiger boy, I wonder?"
Oh, what a foolish question, that much was obvious. Because if not, why would he be here when he could be anywhere else wallowing in grief, huh?
Translation: "Obviously. The cap'n is the captain. That alone represents my unwavering trust in him. The sage's trust in the dragon was the last to die, after all."
"Excellent…" There was a sigh coming from the black haired boy as Beatrice herself splayed her face with her palm. Subaru straightened up with a serious look on his face before speaking, and Beatrice readjusted herself onto one leg as she crossed her arms with equal seriousness, and Garfiel...
"The Witch Cult will attack this city tomorrow…"
Ah, that was it… Garfiel sighed wearily.
"…Wait, what did Betty's Subaru say–" Garfiel closed his eyes as he listened to that frequent and completely friendly argument between them, he felt his own body's strength slipping away. Fading after feeling let down. For some strange reason he expected the captain to say some important words to get him out of this spiral of suffering, but that proved false when— When, he said that the witch cult would attack the city… "Ha…?"
Garfiel blinked repeatedly, his body frozen and frozen in place as he absorbed the spoken words into a bold statement. The witch cult? Cultists? Was it an attack?
Damn.
How did an issue that he assumed was not as important as pushing harder in his own daily training routine suddenly become this? What was up with that, huh?
Beatrice continued to speak in a worried tone amidst a discussion of possible plans and actions that could be taken: "—should we then look for Emilia and the boy in green now, I wonder!?"
But still-
"Gah…! T-That's..." He stammered as he tried to find the right words to say, but they didn't come as he inwardly scolded himself, amidst surprise, how foolish he had been to only worry about superfluous problems while the captain had such problems in mind.
Oh.
That was exactly why Subaru had been so tough back then, why he was dealing with the witch cult while he was being unjustifiably immature.
Fuck, fuck, I was such a fool. Really, the smallest flames only burn when recognized… I need–
"Garfiel!" Subaru exclaimed in a firm tone. "Are you with us or not? I need you to be firm and strong."
Strong, yes, strong.
"Garfiel boy," Beatrice spoke this time, "Betty and Betty's Subaru are in a tight spot, we need you up to speed, I suppose. Pull yourself together right now, in fact."
"Sorry. What – What should we do? I trust you, cap'n, know that. Otto-bro and Emilia-sama came out of the carriage–"
"No. We are not looking for those two right now." Garfiel stopped in surprise, again. It was another surprising statement, something unexpected to shake the foundations of the bases that made up who was the captain.
Wasn't Subaru concerned to be at the princess's side as soon as possible?
No, there must have been something else at play that he didn't understand.
Just hear them say, no more ignoring things!
"What does Subaru have in mind, I wonder? Where are we going anyway? Seeking help other than the sword saint, I suppose?" That... That seemed ill-considered if Garfiel could say it.
Despite the stubborn resilience he'd displayed at the inn in the fight against Reinhard, he wouldn't deny that having the guy on their side would be of immense help, no. It would be the ultimate help.
There's no one Reinhard can't beat, after all.
It was one of the sayings he knew about the sword saint of that generation. The guy was just built differently. A true hero, powerful and unshakable.
A real sword.
If only he could be as strong a shield.
However, this was not important, there should - then - be focus immediately. The captain didn't call the sword saint, it meant there was a plan!
"Captain, what's your plan?" Garfiel was finally attentive and listening to everything. "I will trust everything and do my best to help you as the greatest shield!"
"Okay, I'll tell you that we need to go straight to Town Hall. We are looking for someone, or more specifically a group, the council of ten."
"Town Hall, I suppose…" Beatrice looked in a direction from which everyone else looked too. There it was, still a little distant, but still possible to see it. It was not as tall as those other towers that were towering in the city, but it was evident over those roofs and general buildings in the city.
They began to move, marching towards the place. And the feeling that another world had been revealed to them was reverberating in each of them. Like a truth that was deeply embedded in you - when you were totally unaware of that truth.
Which is to say, an epiphany in a way. And, a bad one.
As they followed Subaru's fast pace. Garfiel himself asked him several questions, which he answered insofar as he intended to make them as aware of the facts as possible.
Also, "That group of ten, you had talked about them earlier when we arrived in town."
Beatrice nodded, looked at him and explained. "The council of ten represents those ten responsible for governing this city, I assume. It is important to know that although Pristella is a town within Lugnica, it still has its own laws and rules different from the rest of the nation, in fact. Does Subaru think they might be targeted by the cult somehow, I wonder?"
Great, were they the good guys? Garfiel wondered. They needed to save them before the cult got their hands on these guys. That's probably why there were only them, maybe not to draw attention.
"It's not a question of 'if I think' but when. For they will be targets. This council's group possesses something of extreme importance that the cult will do everything to achieve." He opened his hand to explain. "There is a key, something that will unlock a secret kept beneath the depths of this city... "
The girl's eyes widened in understanding, "Hmm, now that you mention it, I can guess where you're going, I guess. Is it a question about the key that would allow access to the remains of the dead witch beneath this city, is that correct I wonder?"
It made sense, if there was a witch buried here, naturally the cult would take her out... for reasons... Yes, Garfiel concluded - they were lunatics. But, there was nothing he could do to change that.
Garfiel slammed a fist into his palm with a determined expression, "We need to get in there as soon as possible so if they want the witch, there's no way we're going to give them away. And if they insist we'll kick some ass."
"Yes, Beatrice. And, Garfiel, we're not going to let them succeed - you can trust me." Said Subaru with confidence in his voice, he turned around with a more neutral expression shortly thereafter, "It will be one of the demands the cult will make on this city, the day of tomorrow; the archbishops of sin and their lackeys will be dominating this city and the flooding in late tomorrow. If they don't get what they want."
The tiger boy's eyes widened. He looked around at the walls. And with that, he remembered Beatrice saying earlier. "You said this place was like a trap, a trap set over a lake. This means that…"
"It means that just like in the sanctuary, we will all be hostages here." Quickly concluded the raven-haired boy, Beatrice nodded with her eyes closed, and Garfiel gritted his teeth at the prospect laid out on the table.
At least this time the clown bastard isn't here.
Be more positive, Frederica would say. He is positive, Garfiel prided himself on being able to see the positives in moments like these - and without Roswaal here, bah, it was definitely a win like no other. Ram would punch him in the jaw for thinking that though.
"There will be no escape, and the cult won't give up until they have everything they want." Subaru clenched the fist of his hand tightly. "That's why we need to intercept the group first of all, and find this key to be under my domain."
City Hall was closing in on them, and despite that, it seemed like this endless walk wasn't over yet. "And there's more – they don't just want that key."
"No?" "No, I wonder?"
"Ha, If it was that simple…" He closed his eyes before opening them again to just stare directly at Beatrice. "You need to know that they are targeting – you – Beatrice."
The girl naturally widened her eyes upon hearing this, taking two steps back and then looking at the city hall with a different expression. Caution.
She tried to remain calm, being targeted by the cult wasn't exactly an issue, or at least it wouldn't be if Subaru wasn't involved, "Betty wonders why, but given your expression, it doesn't look like you have the answer..."
"No, I don't. But I'm not just telling you this to get your reaction, I want you to be aware of the overall plan." His eyes moved, "You too Garfiel."
The tiger boy nodded.
"There will be a total, four main things which the Witch Cult will require tomorrow. Among them, the key and Beatrice. Naturally we will be targets, this is a fact. But, don't think that's a bad thing - it's an advantage actually."
Beatrice narrowed her eyes and Garfiel just cocked his head in confusion. "How would that be an advantage, in what kind of situation would that be an advantage, I wonder."
She was wary, and firmly hoped he wasn't thinking what she was thinking.
"Naturally, in such a situation, we will act as bait."
"B-bait, in fact!?" She stopped suddenly, pulling his arm right after. People watched the girl's outburst as she didn't give a shit and just focused on the boy's face with an expression of pure concern. "You can't be serious." She said without adhering to the custom of adding 'I suppose' at the end.
"I am definitely serious." He stared at her to prove it, and that was enough to have her on a tightrope of emotions. "Of course… of course it would be, how could Betty be so short-sighted, I wonder…"
"Cap'n, why do we need to actively become bait? Wouldn't that make our movements more difficult? I assumed there would be a big attack tomorrow, the way you said it..."
"There will be." He simply reaffirmed.
"Betty then demands to know why Subaru has such a plan in mind. When Betty's Subaru took on the big rabbit along with Betty - we played such a role - and that's where I think you're getting that plan, I suppose. But in that case, we had no choice–"
"Do we have a choice here?" He stopped to look into her butterfly iris eyes. "If we take away the items the cult wants in their possession, we'll have an advantage. If we have those items specifically with us, we'll have another advantage. And if they have to adapt their plans because of all that, we'll have an even more advantage. they will have to deal with me, with me having their purposes under my control. Everything will revolve around my choices, my actions and inactions. And then, they will have completely lost control of the situation as long as their choices revolve around my plans. As long as the their choice revolves around me. In the end, we will win!"
Subaru finished saying with pure conviction in his voice, he spoke and spoke in such a relentless way that it even scared Beatrice a little. Looking at him with genuine concern ever since, Garfiel wasn't much different as he absorbed what was being said.
The logic that was said by Natsuki Subaru. That as long as things went as he planned, there would be victory. That the cult would need to adapt to this by changing things up, bringing him victory. That he would need to have everything under his control, for them to have victory.
Arrogance.
Arrogant and arrogant, she would say. No, they would say, both. No. It would be something anyone would say...
He was being arrogant,
"This is not right, stop it now!" snapped Beatrice, lacking her peculiar habit of finishing sentences. She looked at him angrily, waiting for him to change his expression the least bit.
He, no. He dared to stare back at her.
A stalemate was then formed. And of the two warring parties - as Garfiel just watched from the sidelines - neither was ready to give in.
"Captain, I think you could explain all this better, I understand your logic and it actually makes a little sense to unbalance the norm these guys expect, but still..." He looked nervously between the two, while they didn't meet. moved a millimeter, "Beatrice-sama is genuinely worried and needs something more than that. After all, the walls of pride never surpass those of humility.
Subaru took his moment to glare at Garfiel this time, his gaze hard and sharp. What was with that expression? It felt so different, yet so familiar. He looked ready to take revenge on anyone who dared to interrupt his plans and that was bad, but...
He seemed to relent as he let out a sigh and looked away,
"... The cult has the great advantage of having in their possession their gospels, which narrowly predict future events." Beatrice softened her gaze even more as he began to explain, and Garfiel also sighed in relief. "It is limited, as you yourself know, Beatrice." He snorted, "But, that limitation doesn't stop them from still having an advantage, which is why I haven't called many to this endeavor, and not even Reinhard..."
The girl's eyes widened, "That's because you suggest the gospels would adapt to major changes in the sacred text, I suppose." She guessed at a logical conclusion.
Another sigh, "Yes. The important thing is: we need every advantage until the moment arrives where we can have Reinhard on our side. The text clearly envisions him and all those capable of making major changes in their desires, so we can't have everyone on our side right now. But that's why I'm here. And that's why Otto is on Emilia's side."
Beatrice was understanding his explanation, until the existence of the boy in green was reminded, she then turned to Garfiel who snorted in a small laugh. "What are you laughing at, I wonder? Does it have to do with the boy in green with Emilia, I wonder?"
"Certainly is to do with Otto," Garfiel nodded fondly, "Otto-bro is possibly not mentioned in the holy texts of these lunatics. The clown's book was there to prove it, when he wasn't even foreseen and got in the way of that bastard's plans."
"Hmm," Beatrice rubbed her chin as she offered Subaru an appraising look, "That explains a lot, I suppose. If the boy wasn't predicted even by the Book of Wisdom, who would say these cheap copies would…" She sighed, "Still, that didn't convince Betty that she should allow Subaru to go through with his plan, I suppose. "
Subaru frowned, but there was Garfiel to intervene.
"And that's why you and I are here, Beatrice-sama. The captain hoped we could help him with that, so he brought us with him. Though he might not have the strongest of them all or have all the advantages he needs, he called whoever he could for help." Garfield smiled.
The black-haired boy in question looked at Garfiel slowly, in the end he nodded and spoke again: "Yes, that's why I asked if you could trust me. And like you said—"
"Betty trusts Subaru, in fact! But, that doesn't justify her putting him in danger, I suppose." She pinched the bridge of her nose with one hand and her dress with the other, in growing annoyance. "However, Betty… won't be stubborn or refuse to allow the plan to go through – I suppose. Still though, be aware," she glared back at him, "when this is all over, Betty will have some serious words with Betty's Subaru who's been acting so cocky and arrogant, in fact. Hmph."
"..." Subaru sighed, possibly relieved that she accepted.
"See that there, Captain?" Garfiel smiled with enthusiasm and warmth in his voice, "We are on your side," Subaru looked at Garfiel and the hand that was placed on his shoulder, "no matter what, we'll be here for you. Let's defeat these guys! After all, strength in numbers overcomes any obstacle."
"..."
A… a small smile graced Emilia's knight's face, "Yeah, you finally said one that I understood." Then, quickly returning to facial neutrality, he looked at the two, those who trusted him; well, it seemed fitting. And he finally moved back towards their goal, "Cease delay, we can't waste time."
"How cute~" Said the presence of the crystal.
"Tsk."
When Anastasia Hoshin met him, she had high expectations.
Factual expectations, which proved true in the first moments of conversation and admissions. It was, then, granted: Natsuki Subaru was indeed someone interesting and curious.
Who aroused Anastasia's tremendous interest and made her want decisions and remain at least cautious. Mainly - that is - just in case and mostly out of curiosity. It was her superficial motives at least.
Understanding him, however, was not so easy.
That's why,
"Well, I guess it's not really a problem to concede such a concession to you. In fact, I was just in a meeting with the city council... you know, business…"
"I don't doubt that. And, I appreciate you doing this favor, which I will certainly repay you in the future."
Anastasia fiddled with her hair as she smiled and walked over, "Hmm, nice to know you're so honest about it. Fufu~"
"Well then shall we go?" She asked. "They are busy people and I suppose we shouldn't waste time here. Time is money after all."
And they were, because she could easily offer him such a request. Being ushered into the presence of Priestella's ten city councilors was not something she would have trouble facilitating for them.
Why does he need to do this? She did not know.
But, he did, given the look and expression he had on his face. It seemed to be something he needed to do, whether she helped him or not. Which left the question, did he really need her for this? Or did he have some kind of ulterior motive? And, did that really match the personality that was Natsuki Subaru? On another note, perhaps the court magician had some kind of political interest and asked his house knight's official to come here, on a secret occasion?
Questions, lots of them.
Anastasia lightly touched the fur on the white fox-shaped scarf around her neck, an item that brought beauty to her appearance; even more than that, much more confidence for herself. For it was good to know that Echidna was always with her at times like this. The moment when she could finally satisfy some of the doubts they had about the one who helped defeat the white whale and the archbishop of sloth.
"This hallway is longer than I thought, huh." Said the boy Garfiel, a formal member of her rival Emilia's camp.
Ok, so for the record, she had in tow: Natsuki Subaru, Garfiel and Beatrice (the great Yin spirit). Along with Julius who accompanied her and Echidna secretly as an inanimate item.
And she managed a happy expression to have so many members of the half-elf camp here. After all, she could find out about everyone.
"The city government has several administration folders referring to many different areas of politics, each special room here refers to a portion of that. So if you put the facts together, you'll know that this is quite different from the style of government that Priestella is based on - which is Kararagi. Or at least on this front, it differs quite a bit." She made small talk while explaining a bit of the place to the boy Garfiel. Explaining the reason for the extension of the town hall and the many rooms and places within it.
And…
"Anastasia-sama, is there something you forgot when you left?" One of the security officers who found them entering the waiting room spoke up. The one she had seen and talked with just before she left. Anastasia shook her head and looked towards the large door, closed and protected by two more employees.
It was the large wooden doors that were rarely visited by the general population and even by people like her.
The door to Priestella's council of ten.
"I need one more meeting with them, I have something," She looked at Subaru, "something important to take care of, would you kindly let me know?" She smiled.
"Of course, I will. I will see their availability at the moment, but it is likely that you will be able to come in."
She nodded in understanding, it wasn't exactly a problem finding them. At least not for someone with as many connections as she did. Like any other advice, here too there would be protocols to be followed.
And, given that formal protocol was finalized with Kiritaka Muse's departure just to meet Emilia, they would be fine to slip in easily for a more informal conversation. Whether Natsuki Subaru would be satisfied with that, she didn't know. But he could meet the man separately later if he wanted. She would help him with this.
As Julius chatted with Subaru, she chimed in too intently, "So is there a specific reason for this, to want to see them?"
"Yes, something important. You'll naturally find out when you come in, so I made a point of calling you as well."
Oh, she nodded in satisfaction. For, she understood that she was right in assuming that he wanted something more from her than just being a guide to lead them to the council. So with the following facts, she gathered: it was something urgent, because he didn't have an appointment; his interests involved her, as he always seemed comfortable having her here, carrying on forced conversations; he hoped to reveal something to her, as he threw small crumbs of information too directly, narrowing the path for her to reach predetermined conclusions by him, in other words possibly setting the stage for something at least surprising.
Aside from her own observations, Anastasia also couldn't help but say: he's definitely different. But who was she to say anything? There was never an exact tracing of who this boy really was.
The boy who came out of nowhere; walked into a royal candidate's camp out of the blue; yet, he aided in defeating mindless calamities - again - out of nowhere. She took a deep breath, and once again sought Echidna's presence by touching the scarf, the spirit responding with a slight twitch.
A boy with no logical origin...
Coupled with that and his behavior, she even noticed the general inconsistency of his friends as well. Quiet, alert and too indirect. The last point, indicating that they wanted to pass little information on to her, in contrast to Natsuki-kun's own actions. In conclusion, this defined that they were following some kind of pattern under his behavior and trying to adapt to his actions on the basis of improvisation.
In other words, they were hiding something that he had specifically instructed them to do.
Hmm, interesting...
The door was flung open, and everyone turned to take a look, conversation stopping immediately.
"The council has no problem having another audience, Anastasia-sama. Please enter with your guests."
- But what did he want with her? Was it a coincidence that he met her here? He clearly knew they would meet at the inn later, but why was he here now when she had been the one to arrange all of this since then.
A big coincidence or he planned everything from the beginning... Or a mixture of the two, who knows, she still didn't know, unfortunately...
The council was made up of men and women of varying ages and appearances. It was curious, because she would humorously admit that she would expect a council like this to involve the old and the wise for some reason. Perhaps Lugnica has embedded this kind of prejudice within her mind, it was a country that followed rules and customs after all.
"Anastasia Hoshin-sama. It is a pleasure to meet you again, even though our last meeting was less than ten minutes ago." Said one of the advisors humorously, the accent clearly recognizable as Kararagi's.
She smiled, "Well, something happened and I had to bring a friend of mine. He very fervently inferred the opportunity of talking with all of you."
Subaru Natsuki nodded as his eyes searched for one more presence, he frowned. "It is a pleasure to stand before you rulers of this city. Natsuki Subaru the half-elf knight, and these are my companions, Beatrice and Garfiel Tinsel."
That was quite a bow, and quite a change of pace worthy of overcoming, eh. Anastasia pondered inside her mind, she also added the sight of Natsuki Subaru carrying herself with grace to a list of strange and surprising things about the boy. A contrast between black and white, compared to the vision he made at the initiation of the royal selection.
"Oh, Natsuki Subaru," the counselor in the middle of the row of ten seats (one empty) smiled with a bit of interest in his voice, "This is the name of the hero who put an end to laziness, isn't it?"
"Not alone, but yes. It was a collaboration between me, and everyone here. A plot to defeat the witch cult."
Another said, using a garment of, clearly, Karagian precedence, "So we were happy to welcome you to our beautiful city, I hope you and your lady are satisfied with what you've seen so far..."
"In a way, yes. But that's not what I came here for." His neutral face turned into a serious expression.
"Hmm." Council members looked at each other, some shrugged and others just nodded in understanding. In other words, everyone focused solely and exclusively on him.
Is their interest motivated by Natsuki-kun's actions in the past?
If so, that showed his popularity in action. People seem to listen to him now.
"We are here on Emilia-sama's recommendation, we have learned that an attack will take place in the city tomorrow."
Silence. But also…
"!?"
Surprise. "By Od... If I may ask... By whom... exactly will this attack be carried out, Subaru-sama? This coming from your mouth and even more so from the royal candidate Emilia, raises much alarm among all of us."
Yes, by whom exactly? Anastasia was looking at him with an intensity that wasn't quantifiable. The boy who warned about the sloth attack, warns about another supposed attack... A peculiar pattern, that's what.
"By the witch cult, obviously. In an attack specifically targeting this council and subsequently all citizens of Priestella." Said him.
"..."
Well, it wasn't easy for anyone to take that in. Especially when hearing it coming from Natsuki Subaru's mouth. The result would not be peaceful at all.
"And why…we exactly…?"
Subaru raised an eyebrow at such a bowed to the rested side, the weight of her body to the other leg, feeling pressured by the gravity of the situation.
The female counselor who sat in one of the chairs said, "Isn't it obvious? The cult is clearly targeting what only we have as a secret..."
What do they have in secret?
"If I may interrupt," Julius snapped into the midst of the budding argument. "Certainly first of all, we need to make sure that this really is what it's supposed to be."
"Hm, do you suggest that Natsuki-kun is lying, Julius-kun? Or at least mistaken?"
Natsuki-kun looked at them neutrally.
Julius sighed, "I'm not suggesting such a thing… Everyone knows that if there's anyone who can be trusted in such a case, it's Subaru. However, I'm still torn between trusting completely and blindly or adhering to unfounded doubt."
"In other words, we need more evidence and facts." She concluded. "So, Natuski-kun, can you elaborate for us?"
"Certainly. The cult seeks the key to unlock the witch's tomb beneath Priestella. Which only the Council of Ten has access to."
"That would explain us being targeted… although, that's not with me at the moment… And maybe…" The counselor looked at each colleague's face nervously in search of a reaction. "No?"
"No." Another counselor, a woman, shook her head. And accordingly all the other seven did the same. "That leaves just one more candidate."
"Kiritaka Muse-sama…"
"Tsk." Subaru clucked his tongue, crossed his arms. "Well, at least Emilia is in the guy's presence."
"It could still be a mistake, no, Subaru-sama?"
"It's not. They will, in fact, attack. You'll need to come up with a contingency plan in a hurry and mostly get out of here."
"But wait, Natsuki-kun, maybe you can still offer more than just desires and goals in a supposed attack, right? How can we prepare amid so much uncertainty."
Julius nodded and looked to his friend for more information.
Despite everything, I'm trying to get some more information from him. Following the standard precedence that exists in Natsuki-kun, I can trust that he is telling the truth about this attack.
"You want proof huh... This isn't too hard." He smiled, "However, I think if I say that the Witch Cult is specifically after your wily scarf and you, I think you should believe me, am I correct?"
"H-how…" Anastasia's eyes widened enormously in surprise. She felt something similar happen with the Echidna spirit tied around her neck.
He knew about Echidna.
But that wasn't possible,extremely unlikely. She never told this to anyone, the existence of the spirit called Echidna was never leaked, nor was it ever mentioned in or out of her camp. And though they didn't have a contract as such, there was a connection between them lasting at least a decade, a connection only between Anastasia and Echidna, no one else.
So how–in what way? Such privileged information was unnatural; not something that could be spontaneously accepted.
And to prove it all, even Julius - her knight - someone she trusted enormously, even with his own life - was confused and had no idea whether what Natsuki-kun said was a joke or really serious; given the expression the greedy royal candidate made, he possibly tended to believe the second option.
So the greatest mystery of all was,
Who are you Natsuki Subaru? Adequate answers to a question, or at least best for satisfaction,would be those who followed the right questions. So it wasn't: how does he know? — Or, because she could find no more than him in the story.
It was purely a matter of simply knowing who he was. For so far, nothing of his behavior of note a pattern… comfortable for her, yes.
The people in the room looked at him with a mixture of confusion and tension, that is, after Natsuki-kun's words. And he stood there completely calm about it.
Certainly if she said, 'no, I don't know what you're talking about' together one strange look from her, which would denote incomprehension, the idea that he was a reaction-seeking buffoon could become a possibility, in the same way that it happened in the initiation of the royal selection, in the castle. And he would consequently lose all their confidence.
However, she obviously wasn't going to do that. First, because she wouldn't allow herself to be so cruel. Second, because he was definitely correct. Third, because they were on a tightrope between life and death.
"Anastasia-sama?" Julius took her hand, it was visibly shaking. She retracted her hand, letting go of his suddenly. She swallowed and…
"I… I'm here to help however I can. Tell us everything." She said after being successfully convinced.
Tension rose in the room after those words from the royal candidate. It was proved to all them, then, that he had actually managed to convince her that the Witch Cult would attack tomorrow.
The center's counselor was on his feet in an instant, drawing glances, "We need–"
But it was a pity that Natsuki-kun was wrong, because...
Tremor.
"Woah, what was that!?" A shout sounded from one of the council chairs.
Anastasia found herself in Julius's strong arms, he protected her from the dust that erupted from above, and especially from the heavy blow that the structure of the city hall received.
More screams sounded as the doors opened,
It is…
The sound of static sounded filling the gap between thought and reality.
"Well, well, what a magnificent city this is… Too bad it's full of disgusting meat bags!"
The voice spoke in a hateful tone and was frankly irritating to hear. A breach of the violation of the right of every human being, when the disgusting sound resonated inside one's mind.
Mockery and mockery cloaked in words, a narration that made one shiver.
"Worship the wondrous voice of this beautiful and adorably lady - Capella Emeralda Lugnica - archbishop of sin of the Witch Cult, representing lust; with you all at my beck and call!"
It was, in fact, an attack by the Witch Cult.