Author Notes: Wow, the dice. The bloody dice! I thank everyone for the tips, the theories and story branches offered to make this fic continue, you all have my sincere gratitude. Now… One special mention has to go to Noone (Ao3 website guest), because I swear to god I wouldn't know how I would write the next chapter without that giant comment. I mean really, the dice I rolled just now changes everything. And before anyone asks, no, it is not the successful run of Arc 6. Rather, the next volume is a metaphorical death… You know, like in Kingdom Hearts. True fans know what I speak of.

Chapter 06: Ghosts of the Mind

**Thump!**

…By echo of a thunder born from wood, so did the doors of the Library of Taygeta close at the insistence of Beatrice. She did not want to be disturbed, nor could she tolerate anyone's presence at the moment, especially after discussing the vague discoveries from Book XXI. To what she was up to is anyone's guess… but to some, her ploy seemed more obvious than the contrary.

"...Hmm, cleanin' up a mess, eh? Uhum, sounds about right." Anastasia commented with clear sarcasm in her voice as they all descended the stairs.

"She certainly was explicit…" Echidna nodded, already agreeing with what was implied, "Although I suppose we can give her the benefit of the doubt, especially if does what I think she will." The fox presumed.

Hearing this, Julius once again sighed. His patience was truly being tested today, "Ladies, please. We are on bad terms as it is. After those last words, you two must have the decency to partake in compassion. It's the minimum decorum given how she's grieving."

"I know I know, I got a bit too excited with this mystery. Couldn't let it be after sufferin' so horribly like yesterday. I'll make proper amends once we leave."

"That is good,, yes…" At that, the Knight nodded in approval.

"...Hmph. If there's anyone that should be grieving here, it's me."

Announcing herself, a certain oni maid ahead of them suddenly exclaimed, "My sister is out there, defenseless and asleep, and instead of doing something worthwhile, we're wasting time deluding ourselves with cursed books…" Ram blurts, keeping her gaze ahead so as to not reveal her annoyance to it all, "While I can barely trust Barusu with anything else other than some of his instincts, this cannot stand. Ram greatly requests Emilia-sama to wrap up everything and move on already."

"...?"

Having been snapped out of her thoughts, Emilia felt her shoulders going heavy. Without even having to see the maid's face, It was clear that all this soul searching around Subaru is leading nowhere for her, and that there are greater stakes to be focused on. This is shameful for the ice princess. To think she had briefly forgotten about this… Truly, Emilia figures then that she couldn't just dismiss her friend and servant so absently. While what they had found here was important, so was Ram's worries…

"I… I understand." She first began, "I'm sorry for lingering around this much. I should've thought about our Subaru as well…" Emilia expressed, gaze lowered. She took a moment to breathe in deeply before facing her back and declaring her decision, "Once Beatrice is done cleaning, we'll have a little talk and then leave. Will that be okay?"

Hearing that, Ram acquiesced, not changing her demeanor, "...Yes."

Alas, as their quandary was resolved, an petulant Meili then pushed her way into the conversation uninvited, "Bah, it should be fine, Ram-nee-san. Our Onii-san has survived so far, hasn't he? I doubt his luck won't run out so soon. In fact, before you know it, he'll rally an army at his side to protect sleeping-nee-san and bring her back." The child assassin exclaimed, brightly.

At that, Ram deemed her worthy of a passing glance there, once again casting chills into the beast mistress, but she seemed content with her words, "I sure hope so… That's the minimum Ram expects from him." She mentions fondly for a second, happy to hear. It was short lived though, "That said… Retract your words and wash your tongue, child. I'm not part of your depraved family! Disgusting!" She spat quickly with a foul mood. It got the intended result.

"Ahaha… Right! Of course~" Meili quickly agreed, already motioning Patrasche to rush onwards, "See ya later~" She fled downstairs.

"..."

"Well… That was comical." Commented Anastasia idly to everyone's unworded agreement.

Overall, after everything, one could say that the merchant princess got what she wanted to a certain extent. Not only were the Library's powers proven to be somewhat true, its books' abilities to carry "recollections" tied to a name went beyond anything they had imagined. Now, whether said visions are reliable or not, it falls to her to figure out if they could be used to fish for secrets. If so, there was much prize waiting to be plundered in that room, so much so that Anastasia is even considering negotiating another, more extensive convoy to exploit it.

Until then however, more information-seeking applied since they have yet to figure out what exactly is the mystery surrounding the knight of her little ice rival, namely, how he's connected to everything: His name, his language, his origins… His memories.

"(Hehe, kinda the wild card aren't you, Natsuki-kun? I'm really surprised you aren't a con-artist or something. You truly are dangerous player.)" The merchant reflected silently.

Holding the book XXI tightly, it didn't take long before the group reached the first floor of Alcyone where both the living room and sleeping quarters lie. At first glance, nothing hadn't change since yesterday, the debris from the previous fights was scattered around as usual and the occasional dust could be seen being carried away by the wind flowing from the holes in the walls.

That is, until they noticed a peculiar passage on the outermost wall facing west: A hole, which had been once but a small entrance that one needed to bend over to pass, now stood completely broken and torn down, exposing a corridor filled with several still-living birds on it's wall columns, as well as a pathway in the end that leads seemly to outside…

This… certainly wasn't here before, or at least, not so cleanly in view.

"Hm? What's up, Julius?" Anastasia asked, noticing her Knight's sudden surprise to it.

"E-erm, nothing, my Lady. It's just that this entrance was hidden before. Now however… I guess the foundation finally gave out due to the fighting." He explains.

This makes Emilia perk up, "Oh, this is that secret aviary you two mentioned. It really is full of them…" She observed, impressed by the many feathered animals huddled together without making any sound, "And that way leads to the balcony, right?" The half-elf inquires, noticing the sky far off.

"That's correct." The fox confirmed passively, even taking her true shape to inspect it herself, "Hmm…"

Raising an eyebrow to that action of hers, Anastasia felt curious, "Sounds fancy. What's on your mind though, Dina?" She pressed on to her consultant, who seems thoughtful about it.

"I remember a conversation I had with Natsuki in this place… A rather troublesome one, in fact." Echidna revealed, feeling despondent.

"Ah, yes, you mean the one where you had been exposed for basically taking over Anastasia-sama's identity?" Julius suddenly barked, his voice surprisingly carrying more weight on it than expected.

"..." The fox fell silent.

"Oh… (I see what you mean…)." Judging by her knight's expression, Anastasia got a little nervous. It appears that conversation didn't go well between them. She did notice how Julius seemed suspicious and angry with her consultant before.

Indeed, there was anger, sadness, regret and even a pinch of betrayal in there, the result of a discovery that he took to heart quite hard, "Of course, you did say that it was all for the sake of preserving her life in the end, but still…" Julius was reminded of his flaws and mistakes. All that time, working together for years and not once he had been able to spot the difference between his Liege and this fox masquerading as her. The fact that Subaru had managed to do it alone hit him quite hard on the nerves… And he was supposed to be "the Greatest of Knights"...

"Julius-san…" Emilia observed, both surprised and concerned.

"**Sigh**, Please, Julius, don't belittle yourself." Echidna briefly consoled, already knowing the cause of his irritation, "Natsuki-kun just happened to be quite sharp and attentive on the subject of Original Witch. And no, that's not what I meant." She corrected, "You didn't happen to catch our whole conversation, but basically, when it came to me, Natsuki-kun was excessively paranoid. In fact, he was so suspicious of my deeds that even expected me to corner him there and basically threaten him with death or servitude for some mystical reason, as if I was plotting something major, worthy of that title… Granted, while the latest events didn't help on that matter, he was simply misguided."

"..."

"On the other hand though, I do admit our chat was quite amusing. We were so in line with each other that I too thought the same of him, thinking he was dangerous and menacing after seeing how deeply he's connected with this Tower and its trials. Add that to the fact he always seemed to have the solution to our problems and everything fit the mold, Shaula and all." The fox concluded, thinking back on the events they suffered in this most legendary of places… It had been a couple of days, yet with all the knowledge they uncovered, reading the books to live through whole lives, this little moment of the past already felt like history set in stone…

"...Ha~"

And agreeing with her, the oni maid among them let her breath out, "Funny indeed… Ram never thought that she would be praising Barusu of all people for his vigilance. I guess those ugly eyes of his do fit better for a nose anyway, not that it changes the fact he's still a pervert dog." She states, half-praising, half-demaining, which from her basically stands for the former. She even appeared to be smiling there. That's the second time this morning.

"Urgh, again, that's harsh of ya. Natsuki-kun can't catch a break with you, can he?" Anastasia reacted, sweating a drop. This maid was becoming too much for her.

"Of course not. His skills would decay otherwise." Ram complemented as a matter of fact.

"Bleh..."

"...Contradictory words aside, in the end, me and Natsuki came to some sort of unspoken truce." Echidna continues, "Since Julius only wants the best for you, Ana, he forced me to cooperate and lay low so that your life and Od would be preserved until your awakening. From there, you know the rest..."

"Hmm…"

Admittedly, Anastasia was quite pleased hearing that. Her gut feeling about this Knight of hers had been right once again; more reason to put some effort in increasing their bond then.

"It is only fair after all." Julius reflected, somberly, "Then again, maybe if I was more diligent and skilled, then all of this would have been avoided…" He declares, looking around at the mess, once more regretting his failure at not being able to best Gluttony on his own back then. If he had, then maybe they would be in a better position to rescue his Liege Lady, and reduce the casualties during the Siege.

But no, instead, he was defeated, and in turn, forsaken from the world. To think this was the more lenient of fates simply adds salt to the wound… Had the fiend been more cruel, Julius could have ended like Crusch Karsten and have lost his memories. Or even worse, fell into that sleeping curse that plagued so many of his countrymen, including his friend's maiden companion. Truly, this line of thought even makes Julius shudder… Had that been his fate, would Subaru endeavor to care for him? Or would he just convince everyone else and leave him at his camp's mercy? A bleak thought to be sure.

"Bah! Stop with that face, Ser Knight!"

"...?"

Alas, calling him out of his depression, Anastasia stood right before him with a vain expression of royal rolling out her schemes, that is, with a smug face and a strong stance to boot, "Don't you act all defeated now! You think you can handle the entirety of the Witch Cult on your own just like that? Please, if even Reinhard couldn't find a way to slay one of the Archbishops on his own, I think I can forgive you for not achieving the same, Julius-kun~"

"Ah..."

"Hear me out 'ere: Don't place everythin' on yer shoulders, or you will end up as cranky old man once your back gives out." The princess advised with sagely advice, "I admire your loyalty and dedication, really, but don't forget that Imma greedy gal that wants everythin' in this world. And that includes you, do you hear me?" She demanded an answer, even pointing at his chest so boldly. It was quite the picture: a Lady admonishing her precious Knight out of caring compassion in her own way.

This made Julius smile. Clearly his own self-judgment was wrong there, too pitiful to indulge, "Heh… Of course, my Lady!"

"..."

Seeing the two of them essentially reconcile and reinforce their friendship, Emilia felt slightly jealous. She misses her own knight now, wanting to hear his words of acknowledgement and praise, to be there to lift her heart once more. The fact that he's far away, forced to survive on his own is bothering her alot more than expected, especially after Ram's demands earlier. She has faith in him, that for sure, but it can't be denied that the ice princess wanted his warmth more than ever now…

"Emilia-sama, you are zoning off again." Her maid mentions, drawing everyone's attention.

"O-oh, sorry. I'm just a little tired." The half-elf affirms, feeling her tongue dry, "And a bit thirsty as well. Could you…?"

Blinking absently, Ram simply bowed slightly and obliged, "I'll bring some right away. Excuse me."

"...Thanks."

"Ah I can't wait to plunder this book's contents~" Meanwhile, thinking ahead with her plans, Anastasia seemed eager.

"Later, my Lady, later. You mustn't get impatient now." Julius interceded, "I'll only allow you to read that with my spirit's protections. In fact, hand it over." He demanded with clear smooth expression of a businessman making an offer she can't refuse.

"Boo~ And just when I praise you, you betray me like this~" The merchant cried, pouting her lips out playing along, "Anyway, will you be joining us, Emilia-san?"

Shaking her head though, the half-elf gave them a sad face, "No, not now. I want to catch some breath as well." And glancing at the balcony, she already had an idea, "I'll be over here if you need."

Shrugging to that, the merchant nodded, "Suit yourself."

The group then split up, leaving the ice princess alone to her thoughts as emotions surged… Now that the previous motivation of wanting the truth is waning, the stress of every experience so far is coming back to weigh Emilia's mind once more. Though the desert sun was unforgiving as usual, her talent for Fire magic made the whole heat of the day a practical non-issue. Therefore, Emilia could just stay near the stone railing to let the wind push her hair while she watched Meili down below playing shenanigans with the Witch Beasts for "shits and giggles", as Subaruism puts it.

This would be a refreshing scene, had it not been for the deep longing in her heart…

"...Subaru." She whispered her knight's name, almost wanting him to answer her summons.

"[Yes, Emilia-tan?]" Which he in fact does, calmly and straightly, exactly as expected of him…

…

…

…

"Eh!?"

Obviously, this decidedly startled a defenseless Emilia, who immediately tries to look around for it, only to find herself alone with none to bear witness, "W-was it the wind?" She wondered.

"[Of course not! Kono, Subaru-da! Here all along, inside your mind. We did talk about this earlier, remember?]" The voice revealed himself, echoing in her head as if born from her desire alone.

Either this would come as a boon or not, Emilia didn't know, but at least she hoped to bask and explore this moment for as long as it lasted…

…

…

In the meantime…

"[I… I can-]"

From the whisper of a confession, Beatrice's world shook on its spot, making her freeze still. In a blink of her eyes, what [Subaru] was about to say invoked a spark from her Od, the errant consciousness highlighting a memory so strong that it overwhelmed the Great Spirit's senses, painting in her mind an scenery that definitely familiar: Their own room, back at Miload's Mansion.

It was morning. Nothing special about it. Only… Her contractor had struggled a little more than usual the night before, the horrors plaguing his dreams stronger than ever for some reason. In fact, as he got up from the bed, acknowledging her presence absently, Subaru seemed to have been broken by woes that consumed him. His eyes were vacant, he looked tired and desperate, breath rough and exuding exhaustion even though he was in bed for hours…

That was when Beatrice noticed (or more like, remembered), the words the voice in her head said just now matched up, letter by letter, including the pause that disturbed its end for no reason at all.

"Say Beako… I want you to hear something…" He had spoken, somberly, a tear falling on his cheeks, either from pain or sadness, "I can… gah!"

"Subaru? Subaru!? Don't push yourself. Subaru!"

"...ah!"

In short, she never got to hear what he wanted to say. He had a heart attack of sorts, and even fell sick for the rest of the day. At the time, Beatrice had assumed it was just the norm as he always made it so, but now, here… What if… What if that wasn't the case? What if there was more to it? The Great Spirit began to assume so. After all, why else would she recall such a memory so strongly in here, as his apparition spoke? Was this his or her memories just now?

"You can… What, I suppose?" She had to find it out, "What were you trying to say, in fact?"

"[...]"

Silence. [Subaru] didn't answer. However it isn't like he was gone per se. Beatrice could hear his breath in the stupor of the library. Judging by the sound, it would appear that he was struggling with something…

"[I can… see light…]" He finally spits out, his voice cracked with a strange touch of heavy discomfort, "[I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is pushing me away… I-I now see darkness, only shadows around me… I now see-I see… The Witch.]" He revealed amidst the stutter.

"Huh!?" That shocked Beatrice, who didn't quite expect that response, "(The witch? The Jealous One, in fact!? Why would he mention-) Gahk!" However, as the Great Spirit tried to rationalize it, her heart - her core to be exact - pulsed in pain! "(What is this? My Od… It is… Burning!?)" That is what it felt like inside: A sudden surge of unstable life-born mana turning upon itself in a revolt, throwing itself at her true-self for daring to invoke a memory it could not withstand.

The strangest part of it is how it seemed to reach for her contract, for the bond that links her, the Spirit Beatrice, towards her contractor, Betty's Subaru.

"[Aw~ Disguinting. Utterly disgusting, I suppose.]" The apparition continued to speak, yet no longer in his own voice. Rather, it seemed to be a mix of Subaru and Beatrice's own weaved together, "[She says she loves me. She keeps loving me. Again and again and again and again. Always with the I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. Over and over and over and over…]"

Moveover, in the middle of this mantra, the Great Spirit's own perception was stolen from her. Instead of the mountains of books standing in front of her, this sight would strangely flash back and forth, blinking itself into a darkness that made no sense, a mysterious void filled with blackened flames shaped like hands encroaching upon her being, almost as if reaching for an embrace.

And there, standing in the horizon, amidst the shadows that formed into a clothy-like veil, two amethyst stars peeked at Beatrice with an attentive glare of obsession and desperation, like eyes of a creature devoid of any sanity. It was her… It had to be… The Witch.

"Ah…!"

Against such an ominous and terrifying presence, Beatrice struggled to move and escape in a futile endeavor… Until her eyes blinked again, pulling her consciousness back into the library to welcome the same silence she had demanded and gotten several minutes ago… Where nothing seemed different and there was no presence.

"S-Su…ba…ru…"

The Great Spirit whispered gently, before falling backwards, her eyes staring at the endless ceiling while her breath suddenly got heavy, fatigue consuming her…

"(What… was… that?)" Beatrice would ask, seconds before consciousness befell her. The Od which has belonged to the imprint now forcefully re-absorbed, along with the memories of brief yet intense afterlife from which she could never understand, much less comprehend in its entirety.

The Great Spirit wanted the truth, genuinely. And while a part of her feared the apparition in her mind would simply scoff off the notion and act silly much like how her contractor always does, Beatrice's will was focused, strong, so much so that it narrowed down on extracting the answers she believed he possessed only for it turn it up on her head and give it freely.

This would not go without consequences though, for while unconscious, what the mind couldn't reason the heart would pursue, using any means possible for it.

At that point, a seed of morbid-desire had been born, something that would reinforce the Great Spirit's resolve as the mystery unfolds…

…

…

…

…

Alas, while fear, sadness and a bout of nostalgia were part of it, puzzlement befell a certain half-elf as she stood dumbfounded by the sudden voice reaching into her mind. It took her a second to process it, but eventually things fell into place again, for she knew what it was, who it belonged to, and even how it came to be, despite all the disbelief printed in her face…

"...So it was real…" Emilia whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

At first, she believed the whole event to be yet another aftereffect of the books' malice. After all, that whole dismantlement of the self? She had experienced it thrice already (in a diluted, unnoticed fashion)... So, to find herself speaking with her Knight here, inside her head again, the half-elf was left quite perplexed in return, "...But I thought Julius had fixed this."

"[Bah! There's no way that smooth-face could ever break off my bond with Emilia-tan! When you call, it's my duty to wake up right away!]" Exclaimed the ghost in her head much like how she thought he would. Quite, it was such an impression that had he been here physically, [Subaru] would probably point at himself all vainful-like, nose pointed high in the sky with a grin on his face.

The imagination makes Emilia giggle. Turns out she got what she wanted about wanting her knight here. Even if it was just a voice, this was much welcomed, "You shouldn't be like that, the two of you are great friends now." She rebukes him gently, making the voice grumble in a non-worded disapproval. Shifting the tone a little though, the half-elf leaned herself back into the railing to let her heart feel melancholic, "I miss you. I really do. It only has been a day and yet…"

Not missing the chance to tease, [Subaru] undulated his voice, "[Aw~ My Emilia-tan longs for my presence like a true waifu~ I'm so jealous~ Isn't this practically a confession?~]"

That shook her up right, "Stop jollying and clowning, I'm serious!"

"[Heh, so am I, Emilia-tan~ And I'm pretty sure I never heard of jollying and clowning in this day and age. Except maybe for Roswaal, but he's a literal example.]" He retorted, laughing, making the half-elf pause and smile.

"Ah… Yes… You're probably right." She yielded, embracing the banter she had long wanted. If only things could remain simple…

"[What's wrong, though? You got all quiet for some reason…]"

With [Subaru] noticing her building distress there, the ice princess thought on how to approach the issue. She couldn't avoid it. If Emilia wanted to unearth what had been bothering her since the beginning of his book's discovery, she had to be assertive, "...Say Subaru… Back then, when we were discussing with the others. Were you listening?"

"[...Yeah, I was.]" He confirms it, "[Shame I couldn't say or speak anything, that little-knightly-prick… Anyway, what do you want to know?]"

…

Taking a moment to breathe, Emilia strengthened herself.

"The truth… Just the truth…" She pleaded, arms shaking as she hoped everything else was a lie; that it was exactly as Anastasia had said; that he recovered his memories by the fortune of happenstance; that he didn't actually suffer as much as the ones written in the scary books; and that said books were just some unpleasant prank the Sage planted for anyone to find. Truly, Emilia was truly afraid of them being real. She couldn't possibly imagine them to be, nor could she accept them even if they were, "Did you… read your own pages? Did they help you to remember me and everything else?"

Listening in, [Subaru] considered his words. It was clear he was treading some dangerous territory here, so what he says next has to be impactful, "[Well, I… I don't know…?]" He failed miserably.

"You… don't know…" Emilia repeats after him, her voice slightly incredulous.

"[S-sorry Emilia-tan, but I have no clue… I-I mean, of course, I would never forget EMT in my life, you can count on that, but I don't know how to answer your question, really. Hmm… I'm leaning on maybe?]"

However, having learnt the tactful arts of intrigue from her Minister of Internal Affairs, Emilia did pounce on that doubt of his, "Maybe? Reeeeeally, Subaru… You either don't know or you won't tell. Which is it?" She demanded in an implied question, noticing how [Subaru] seemed to push for cheap talk. He always did that when going for a distraction.

"[I… I…]" Alas, as the pressure mounted on him, the stutter that came spoke for itself, leaving the Ice Princess both mad and sad.

"Tell me." She would order him, prompting him to continue. He didn't respond, "Subaru, tell me." She still pushed, interpreting this as confirmation out of reluctance or rejection, "Please, tell me, I beg of you." She pleaded at last, unable to endure the silence and misdirection.

"[Emilia, I… I can't… It's too dangerous.]" He revealed slightly, pulling excuses, "[I don't know how to explain it, but I can't. Believe me!]"

"Why!" Yet, even as her tears threatened to fall, [Subaru] wouldn't speak, all for reasons the half-elf could only interpret on her own as the denial shrank his presence from her mind, though she wouldn't know it at first…

"[Emilia, don't-]"

"Emilia-sama."

"...!?"

The moment she did though, another voice called her forth out of nowhere, ambushing the princess from behind when she least expected it, "Your water." Ram presented forth, holding a wooden cup alongside a jar, both gathered at an earlier request.

"...Ah." At that, Emilia blinked, remembering it herself while stumbling around unsettled. From there, etiquette quickly reasserted itself as the girl recomposed her appearance so she could receive it with a minimum of grace, "T-thanks, Ram. I really needed it."

"..."

"..."

And as the maid watched her liege turn around and drink profusely, an awkward silence formed between the two, both sides not addressing what exactly the princess was up to just briefly.

"So, what was that about?" Until, of course, the oni bluntly crossed the line and simply asked, nearly preserving a sharp yet supportive stance at her side, "Mumbling to yourself; crying alone for nothing; going as far as to mistake the wind itself for Barusu... Ram is starting to worry about your health here." She interrogated, cornering the half-elf on the spot, "The books did this, didn't they?"

"I- Well… … Yes…" To which Emilia confessed, laying her eyes down, defeated, "I was doing that just now, speaking with Subaru, that is…" Emilia revealed, to a silent yet expectant Ram, "It felt so real to me… I just kept hearing his voice inside me: Asking questions, wanting answers, acting basically like he does worried for our sakes. He didn't even know that he had died in his book. I had to spend several minutes trying to convince him myself before Julius cleansed my mind and spirited him away…"

"...And yet, he returned?" Ram remarked, her tone expressing more of a confirmation than a question.

"Yes, he did…" Emilia nodded, unashamed to let a tear fall as she lent her ears to someone else, "But he's not real, isn't he? Only now I hear the spirits around telling me I was speaking to myself. I probably looked a stupid having you watching me like this…"

Alas, placing a hand over her liege in support, the Oni just shakes her head in discontent, "Only a little, though that's only expected with current circumstances." She assured her before frowning visibly, "Seriously… I swear this is getting more and more similar to the madness Roswall-sama fell through." Ram asserts, "I mean, what's next? Will Barusu begin to ask questionable favors in your head? Will he make demands for your own sake? Will he want you to feed his, or more likely, the Sage's delusions and paint them as your own? How further will this go?"

"..."

"Regardless, now you know this interest can't keep going; or else it will turn into an obsession and you will lose yourself in turn." Ram warned her liege, hoping she could see it her way.

"What about, Beatrice?" Yet Emilia was reluctant, already thinking about what might happen if they stop now, "She's worried about Subaru as well…"

"From my experience as a maid, the best we can do is to plead." The Oni suggested, sharing in the same doubt as the half-elf, "Although If I'm honest, should Barusu's spirit be undergoing the same sickness as you did just now, she might be a lost cause." Ram reasoned, knowing how stubborn the Great Spirit is since the days in the mansion. And now that she's contracted the Heroic Knight? A refusal seemed almost certain.

"What should I do then?" Emilia asks, fearing the answer that might come. If she doesn't manage to convince Beatrice, then…

"You do what's necessary..." Such was the hard choice she had to face, something the maid herself once did, "Ram had to face and challenge Roswaal-sama directly to make him see reason. While I hope it shouldn't be the case here, you must prepare yourself to make a stand if you must. There might be no other way."

"..." Hearing this, the ice princess scowled, a rare sight for someone so kind and gentle. This is not at all what Emilia wanted to hear, much less believe it could ever come to that.

"I'll now go tend the dragons and rest. Ram didn't sleep well last night and she had been wasting too much effort for nothing." The red oni affirms, "You should do the same, Emilia-sama." She invited, presenting her with a last glance. Alas, as the half-elf shook it off and gazed away, the maid knew she had to go. At least for now…

The ice princess still wanted some time alone to think, pressured by the responsibilities entrusted to her. And though it hurt her to admit it, this time, she didn't want or wished for any distraction in here. Even the thought of [Subaru] seemed to dim her mood after that little conversation. She was mad at him, if only for a little.

Such was Emilia's disposition in the next hours, with the Sun slowly rising high into noon, and no progress being achieved…

…

…

"Ah, I'm hun~gry~ Couldn't ya give me seconds this time? I worked re~ally hard, you know." Meili exclaimed as the group (except for Beatrice) reunited in the in-floor camp for lunch, "This gruel didn't fill anything at all."

"It is your own fault for bleeding your blessing needlessly." Ram retorted, being strict as always, "We must preserve our supplies and you're still grounded for your crimes." She reminded her.

"But-but-but~ I'm the one who's hurt the most! Shouldn't I have some extra rights? Not even Petra-chan was this harsh!" The beast mistress complained, pouting.

"Kindly shut up and go die asleep. You had your fill." She was denied regardless, anger ticking at Ram's forehead at having to deal with her, "Curse you, Barusu, for forcing me into this babysitting…" Sadly, as much as she tried it, the red oni wasn't good with children. Fortunately for her, at least Meili didn't mind the rough verbal treatment that much, her upbringing once again allowing her to handle it and still act like a child.

Observing her however, Anastasia could tell the mask from the act, something that really surprised her when explained, "...I still can't believe it: A child assassin." The merchant comments with an open mouth, "I know Mimi is talented and all, but still… I'm really glad I raised our catgirl alright."

"Hehe, we said the same thing back then, incidentally." Echidna added with amusement, "Make no mistake though. While quite shocking, she proved to be invaluable for our success here. Even with the risks, Meili is a valuable asset in Emilia's Camp. It goes to show how resourceful Natsuki is even without his memories." The fox praised next, having already told her about how Meili was essentially "tamed"... Such is the power of the Lolimancer in the works.

Granted, it is baffling for Anastasia to learn Subaru simply decided to forgive and take the assassin into his fold after several attempts on his life. It only adds to the mystery given how Roswaal allegedly acted as a handler on one occasion. Now, the merchant and her fox didn't quite approach the child about that topic yet, nor could they think of a plausible reason to even try without raising any alarms. So far, the best option for them was to observe from a distance, lend an ear here and there, and then seek the truth elsewhere for now.

Incidentally, speaking about seeking truths…

"...I'm done reapplying mana to Gluttony's cage. No problems to report."

Julius joined them a second later after briefly coming out from the carriage's indoors. He took one glance at his liege lady, and he already could feel a headache coming seeing her expectant grin holding book XXI in hand, "Ah. Yes… I am ready, if you so desire." He affirmed to her after shaking his head.

"Oh, don't be like that. I know you're interested as well." Prodded the merchant princess winking at him.

"That is scandalous even if it's true." The Knight retorts poorly, not showing anything else on his face as he summons his maidens, "Nonetheless, safety comes first. As stated, we will do this one by one. I'll start first." He declared, recalling their new rule. A small discussion started regarding the pecking order, but it was irrelevant overall. Among them, only two didn't need or didn't want to read the ominous pages out of volition.

"Ha~ How idiotic. Ram's starting to understand what Barusu sees in you, acting so recklessly for your Lady." The red oni criticized, unable to stomach the would-be readers, "Next thing I know, you'll be following in his footsteps and bark when asked." She spat.

The Greatest of Knights seemed unaffected though, "Such stingy and brutal words, Miss Ram... Compared to Subaru, I'm at least more adequate and refined, don't you think?" He put into contrast, all elegant and calm, purple hair sparkling. He even agreed to the implications, "I do understand your concerns per se. In times like this, the sad truth of it all is that for us servants, be they knights or maids, it is our duty to fulfill our masters' wishes. I'm sure you know that yourself." He rebutted with simple logic.

That in turn, infuriated the maid as she thought of her clown of a master, recalling his insanity. While there was an argument she really wanted to spill, the loss of image and face didn't seem worth the dignity, "Tch… (There are limits however…)" So she settled for less, holding that as her stance in her mind through discipline. Meanwhile, at her side, the visage of a sleeping Emilia could be seen leaning on the wall, her body seemingly unblemished by neither heat nor sweat as the conversations went. The half-elf took Ram's words to heart, resting still after her moody event. There was no reason to disturb her.

"So it's decided. Not a second to lose, Julius. Do it." Anastasia ordered her Knight, who was now fully shining with the attention of his maidens holding the dreaded tome in hand.

At this point, properly rested this time, they all hoped to forget and bury their death with the Great Hare for good with whatever that could be found in Book XXI. Some thought this would be impossible given their shaking limbs at every remembrance, but even then, they didn't want to surrender themselves just yet. Being men and women of talent, there is a reason why the real Subaru vouched so much for them amidst his bouts of self-derision and need.

Thus, with help; caution; resolve; and several layers of magical protection per person at time, they all plunged into the pages once chartered by the elf and the spirit...

…

…

At the same time, while the others blinded themselves to a sudden death, the one who stood ahead of them, unnoticed by all, finally woke up from her unwilling slumber inside the Library of the Dead...

"Urgh…"

Feeling heavy, Beatrice winced and grimaced as she felt her legs stuck in place. The reason why was obvious. Her lower half was buried beneath a layer of discarded books which seemed to have fallen in between her unprompted sleep and movements that followed. Indeed, there were so many of them that a normal person would probably have some trouble digging themselves out from there if they tried to.

However, the Great Spirit of Shadows is not any normal person for that matter, nor is she any normal being to begin with. So, in a sway of hands and muted intention, the tomes simply floated off her body with a directed Murak to boot, leaving the loli girl to essentially retrace her mind and think through the fatigue.

"What… What happened to me?" Was her first question, barely remembering her actions. She was alone, asserting the error born in her Od, judging it, speaking with it, and eventually questioning it for what she wanted to know when suddenly… Everything went blank, "(But why…?)" Beatrice struggled, headache pounding her crowned forehead. There didn't seem to be a reason other than a rejection, a fracture of sorts that shocked her core out of nowhere from having pushed the issue.

And while the apparition did respond, the memory was so strong it broke itself apart, filling her heart with fear and apprehension…

"Tch… So much that, I suppose." The Great Spirit concluded, unsatisfied. Right now, the whole event felt like a dream to her. The best Beatrice could recall is a garden of shadows right after the blinding light of Shaula. After that, nothing. The rest of it was spirited away into a blurry mess meant to be discarded against her will. It was a dead-end to pursue.

As for the imprint himself… He's gone. The pieces that compose him were spread all around her whole-self, too broken to reform. A good metaphor to summarize it is that if [Subaru] was Beatrice's left hand which ha been forcefully shaped to like a man's, said hand is now bruised, beaten and crushed back into the delicate form of a girl, all red and bleeding, damaged from the stress of such action being done through brute force. It hurt. It hurt so much the Great Spirit fell unconscious because of it. Not that it mattered now given how she learned nothing from it…

"(...I can't waste any time, in fact. The others below could come at any minute… If I don't finish here, then… … Wait a second… This is!?)"

It wasn't all doom and gloom however. There was a silver lining with Beatrice falling unconscious and raviging around in her sleep. Amongst the books in which she organized and kept balanced in that hurricane of leather and paper, finally a familiar sight crossed her eyes as she made haste…

[NATSUKI・SUBARU・VOLUME・XLVIII]

His name, etched into the cover, longer unreadable to the tongue… It was all clear to her.

Having burned herself raw with a shocking memory, Beatrice now had such intimacy with her contractor that she could now read the strange letters. His language was now her own, a portion of his soul, embedded into hers… Yet for how long though? She would wonder, hoping for that to be eternal. Whatever the real answer is, the real deal is that finally, finally, she had another clue to pursue!

"Yes… Yes!" The Great Spirit was excited at having stumbled into this, "Now I can search for a way to save you, Subaru…" Or so she declared. Not even hesitating to read it when she could.

Therefore…

At the whisper of a wind, Beatrice fell into her trance prowling the unknown. Never would she suspect what emotions would bubble and pop in her core as kept reading. In fact, just to note… Her excitement… What a strange reaction to have given her older worried stance but a few hours back in the morning… What was once an unbelievable suspicion born from terror regarding her contractor's impossible knowledge and the source of his nightmares now became certainty of horrific proportions, lacking only the necessary evidence to prove.

Indeed, Beatrice had an yet unnoticed change of attitude. She was convinced by the mystery now, driven deeply into finding a way to know her contractor's torments and then fix it. She has to do it, no matter what! Even it meant plunging her into a path that not only a peculiar oni maid feared from experience, but also one that had been crossed already, both by a clown in the past with his book of wisdom, and by a madman in another life seeking to patch himself through murder…

It is fortunate for the world and those around her that the Great Spirit doesn't have to turn to murder anyone else in order to achieve her goals… Luckily for them all, her insanity didn't need to go that far just yet…

To be Continued…

Author Notes: Now I'm taking another break just to stall the writing pace and avoid burnout. See ya next time.