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Ian watched the land pass by slowly. They were about halfway there, so they only had about four more hours yet. After they had traveled for a while, Ian and Rem had switched to riding Ian's dragon when Otto had told them that the dragon was starting to feel neglected. Since then, the rise had been largely silent, spent with Rem leaning back against him contentedly and Ian holding her tightly with his right hand, his left holding his dragon's whiskers.

"So, do you know who Garfiel is?" Ian asked.

Before they had left, Frederica had warned them to be wary of someone named Garfiel, but had refused to tell them more, even a physical description.

"No," Rem shook her head. "Neither does Ram."

"And Ram still won't spill about what Roswaal's got planned?" Ian asked.

Rem shook her head. "If it wasn't you saying otherwise, I'd have never believed she'd keep a secret from me. But now that I've asked bluntly, you're right."

Ian nodded. "I'm sure that between me and Subaru we can trick the jester into spilling."

"As long as you don't try to fight him," Rem said, twisting around to look at him sternly. "You may have a full Authority now, but you're not invincible."

"I know," Ian said. "I'm gone testing my luck. Except for last resorts, I'm not going to do something stupid."

"Good," Rem said. "I'd like to avoid a situation where you have to break another of my flails."

"Hey, I didn't have much choice in the matter!" Ian defended himself.

Rem smiled. "I know. That was the only way to keep him from getting to me."

Ian sighed, kissing the top of her shoulder. "I promise to try my best not to break your new toy."

Rem smiled and nodded. However, at that second, something, some kind of force, breezed past them and Rem sagged back against Ian. Ian tightened his hold instantly as their dragon slowed to a stop beside the carriage. Rem began to sweat in seconds, breathing hard, and Otto was only a little better. Ian himself felt a extremely tired suddenly, but when Subaru stuck his head out the window, beginning to yell at Otto that something was wrong and that Emilia and Ram both collapsed, Subaru seemed fine.

"Just waltz'n in straight from th' front, ya got some nerve, stranger," an arrogant, cocky voice ahead of them said.

Ian directed his gaze toward the man standing before them and swallowed hard, taking a guess that this was Garfiel. He had a slim, toned physique, spikey blond hair, a mouth full of pointed teeth like Frederica's, an "X" shaped scar between his eyes, an open, black vest with a pair of slanted, pink rectangles on the sides of the front, loose black pants with tattered bottoms, black gauntlets, fingerless gloves, and foot-wrappings, and a tattered purple skirt-like piece of fabric falling from the sides and back of his waist with purple, faux fur around his waist. Ian gently lay Rem on their dragon's back and dropped to the ground.

"D'know where th' hell ya came from, but ya look like a 'stake goes through with a brittle point' kind o' guy," the blond smirked, looking between the two that were still largely unaffected.

"We didn't come here looking for trouble," Ian said.

"Nice try," the guy said. "Not buy'n it. Ya struck some bad luck. After all, th' place ya tried ta sneak into was a place, an' what's more, y'ran right into me."

He laughed viciously, clicking his teeth as he did, then crouched slightly, placing his fists together as he prepared himself for a fight, glaring at Ian through his emerald-green eyes, as he was the one most readily a threat, and also armed.

"Meet'n up with Garfiel was th' end of ya luck," the blonde said. "Now GET WRECKED like a 'PAZO-MAZO RIGHT AN' LEFT'!"

Ian sighed, drawing his White Whale Sword. "This is your one and only warning. I don't want to fight you, but if you attack, I will take you down."

Garfiel smirked and tapped his foot into the ground. Instantly, a wave shot outward from his foot, racing toward them. Ian's dragon leapt forward over the wave with Rem and Ian activated his magic and launched himself through a window into the carriage, smashing the sliding flap that was used to close the window. He landed just long enough to grab Ram, Subaru, and Emilia before leaping out the front, Subaru grabbing Otto before the wave hit the carriage and hurled it like a toy. Ian landed lightly with the others beside his own dragon, setting them all beside it just as Patrasche shot past, moving to bite Garfiel's head off. only for him to give her his forearm instead. And then, when she bit, nothing happened. Garfiel complimented Patrasche's quick reaction and determinedness as the muscles in his forearm began to expand, forcing her mouth open. She swung her tail around with enough force to split a man in half, but his left arm casually caught it. Again he complimented her before hurling her with a near-comical ease before she landed lightly on the ground, unharmed. Ian's dragon began to draw itself up to attack, only for Ian to rest his hand on its side.

"Easy," Ian said. "You take care of the others. I'll tend to this." He walked forward, and Garfiel grinned wickedly.

"Ya got some good instincts, too," Garfiel said.

"Thank you," Ian said. "But you've expended your one warning now. We have nothing left to discuss."

Garfiel's grin grew and he nodded.

"Hold on!" Subaru shouted. "You don't happen to know Frederica, do you!?"

Garfiel stared at him. "Why th' hell did that name just come out of yer filthy mouth?"

"Because she sent us here," Ian said, telling a half-truth. "She told us how to find this place, and warned us not to make you mad. As I said, we didn't come here looking for trouble."

"Too bad ya found it," Garfiel snarled. "As I recall, we got nothing to discuss."

Just then, Subaru stepped between them.

"What do you think you're doing?" Ian asked evenly.

"There's no need for us to fight," Subaru said. "We only came here to talk to Roswaal."

"Not my problem," Garfiel said. "Let's see. First I'm gonna to kill th' big shot with th swords first. Then maybe the Half-Witch next."

"Excuse me!?" Subaru snapped.

"Oh, sorry," Garfiel smirked. "D'ya not like that word?"

"I'll rip him apart!" Subaru snarled.

"You?" Garfiel snorted. "Ya seem like th' weakest one here!"

"That doesn't matter!" Subaru snapped, striding forward furiously. "If you break my nose, I'll bite you! If you punch me in the gut I'll grab you! If you break my shin, I'll spit on you!" He stopped as he got in Garfiel's face. "I might lose, but I'm not going down for free! Apologize for insulting Emilia!"

Garfiel glared right back at Subaru for a long moment before laughing. "G'job, ya passed! Went straight through! Th' Half-Witch...Half-Elf, though I don't like 'em much, you have guts protectin her, I'll respect that." He thumped Subaru on the shoulder hard enough that he was actually causing Subaru pain, though he seemed to think he was just being friendly.

"Why did our friends just pass out?" Ian asked, Subaru instantly sprinting back to Emilia. "And why do I feel exhausted?"

"You bein' exhausted, I dunno," Garfiel said. "Not sure about th' twins, either. Th' Half-Elf, that'd be th' barrier. Let's go. I'll explain on the' way."

Ian nodded climbed onto his dragon with Rem and Ram while Garfiel flipped the carriage back over and Otto strapped Patrasche to it again, allowing Subaru to carry Emilia into it, Garfiel to follow, and Otto to steer the carriage into the trees, following Garfiel's directions.

Ian walked along behind Garfiel as he led them to Roswaal. They'd parked the Dragon Carriage and found a place for their Ground Dragons to stay, and within a minute, according to Garfiel, they'd be able to start trying to force information out of Roswaal. The village that Roswaal called a Sanctuary, which Garfiel seemed to think of as more of a prison, was made up of ancient, run-down buildings with vines and ivy growing over their sides, a huge stone arch in the front, a dilapidated wooden fence around the outside, and seemed to be deserted. An air of hopelessness, or at least something similar to it, seemed to be hanging in the air.

Then, finally, they reached the building where Roswaal was staying. They could tell instantly because the house was the only one in a somewhat acceptable state. It was only one story, and was about the size of the average home in Ian's original world. Ian would feel quite comfortable living in a home that size, and upon seeing it, had a flash of fantasy of himself and Rem raising a family there. Well, to be more accurate, the initial flash was him, Rem, and Ram, but his brain vetoed Ram from the fantasy upon realizing the impossibility of that piece.

As soon as Ian opened the door, Roswaal raised a hand in greeting, Ram, Emilia, and Subaru walking past him and Rem. "Ah, Miss Emilia, and Subaru, too. And, of course, my dear Ram. It's so good to see you all."

Ian stepped into the house with Rem, and Roswaal stopped, eyes widening almost imperceptibly for a moment before narrowing dangerously.

"You're still alive, I see," Roswaal said. "With all that the villagers told me happened in my absence, I thought for sure you would heroically give your life defending young Rem."

"You're as pleasant as ever, you perverted freak," Ian growled. "Sorry to disappoint you by surviving."

He stared at Roswaal, ling on a bed, covered in all manor of wounds, the bandages covering them starting to be tinted red by blood.

"I was going to slug you when I saw you next," Subaru said as Ram fussed over his injuries worriedly. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I'll still slug him for you," Ian offered, Rem slipping her hand into his to stop him from doing it of his own volition.

"What could have hurt you like this?" Emilia asked.

"Aaa, aaare you asking about these?" He used his less injured arm to gesture at the bandages. "I~ am only a man, aaafter all. Being seen in this pitiful state wounds my self-esteem, so if you could please understand my desire to reeest a little."

"That's not good enough, is it?" Emilia asked. "What really happened, Roswaal? Getting wounded like this...and how did you, of all people?"

Roswaal, sighed for a moment, tilting his head back as Rem stepped forward, beginning to heal him. "Well then, wheeere should I begin, hm? Well, I guess you could say my wounds were sustained for something of a matter of honor, and out of a matter of propriety, I had nooo choice."

Ian drew his White Whale sword and wrapped Roswaal on a particularly dark spot of blood on his ribs, making him suck in a breath before letting it hiss back out.

"You broke the sword I gave you," Roswaal mused. "I must admit, I didn't seeeee that coming."

"No dodging questions," Ian said. "As things stand, you're in a condition where I can make you hurt without even dirtying the edge of my blade. So you're going to answer us in honest, understandable words."

Roswaal openly glared at him.

"He's right, Roswaal," Emilia said. "I'm asking you seriously, so answer me seriously as well."

"Myyyy," Roswaal said. "It seems Miss Emilia is in an especially bad mood. Buuuut, considering where we are, there's no avoooiding it, perhaps."

Ian wrapped Roswaal on another wound.

Roswaal glared at him. "I may be wooounded, but I still have enough power to destrooooy you."

Rem stepped in between them, narrowing her eyes slightly at Roswaal.

"My, now this is a surprise," Roswaal said.

"My head is all a mess, I can't calm down at all," Emilia said. "What is this place? Even though it's called the 'Sanctuary', I don't think that's what it is at all. Then this place is..."

Roswaal's voice dropped and his tone turned colder. "A Witch's Graveyard. That's an easier name to acceeept, no?"

"The Witch of Greed, right?" Ian asked.

"Thaaat's correct," Roswaal said as Ian used a rag on the bedside table to wipe Roswaal's blood off his blade before sheathing it. "That swooord. What is it made of?"

"The White Whale's horn," Ian said. "More durable than steel and enormously lighter."

Roswaal nodded as Rem began to heal him again. "A fiiiine blade."

Ian narrowed his eyes, glancing around at the room. Roswaal's things were spread around the house, but mainly in the same room as Roswaal was in, and the book Beatrice told him to find would likely be kept close at hand. He'd need Roswaal to move out of the way. As he returned his attention to the conversation, Roswaal was watching him with a calculating, cold stare while Subaru told him they'd formed an alliance, Roswaal telling him that he was ecstatic about it, as well as telling them that the rest of Irlam's villagers were all sheltered in the cathedral.

"What exactly is this place?" Emilia asked. "You call it a Sanctuary, but Garfiel called it the Witch of Greed's Graveyard. Which one is it?"

"Both are true, Miss Emilia," Roswaal said, his usual high, clownish tone completely gone. "It is the site of the once-Witch of Greed's...Echidna's final resting place. And to me, personally, it is a place that should be called a Sanctuary."

"Witch..." Subaru trailed off.

"Echidna?" Emilia asked, also unable to voice a full question. "She was another witch who was devoured by the Witch of Envy, right?"

"That's right," Roswaal nodded. "No matter where you look in the world today, no trace of her name remains, except in the memories of those who knew her."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Subaru said, waving a hand as he cut Roswaal off. "What you just said makes no sense. If I remember right, the Witch of Greed would have been killed four hundred years ago, but according to what you just said, you knew her personally."

"Is it so incomprehensible that Roswaal would be ageless?" Ian asked. "He wouldn't be the first person we've met with that ability. Petelgeuse. Regulus."

Subaru nodded. "I suppose."

"In this case, the information is passed down verbally from generation to generation of the Mathers family, only to the heir of Roswaal," Roswaal said.

"Passed down verbally?" Emilia asked. "So then, long ago, the head of the Mathers family was associated with the Witch of Greed?"

"Echidna," Roswaal corrected quietly. "Please identify her by name when you refer to her. A title like 'The Witch of Greed,' no matter how you say it, carries an connotation of evil, don't you think? And it's so long."

"I see," Emilia said. "Then, Echidna met her end in this village, and this village has then been tended to by the Mathers family, generation after generation, is that right?"

Roswaal nodded.

"I understand this is Echidna's grave, and under your management," Subaru said. "What I don't understand is its purpose, and why you and the villagers haven't returned yet."

Roswaal raised an eyebrow. "I may have just said some strange things, but you seem to have accepted them quite readily. The fact that this is a Witch's Gravesite, I had really wanted to keep that a secret."

"You're done keeping secrets," Ian said.

Roswaal regarded him with that same, calculating look. Ian had a feeling he might be trying to decide if he could kill Ian with his magic before Ian could use his Authority, then take Roswaal's head off before he could even cast it.

"Answer our question," Subaru said. "What's the purpose of this place? And why haven't you and the villagers returned?"

"Simply put, we can't return even if we wanted to," Roswaal said.

"The barrier, right?" Ian asked. "It keeps anyone inside trapped."

"Very good," Roswaal nodded. "That's right. Everyone here, both the villagers from Irlam and the Demi-humans, we're all under a state of house arrest."

"No wonder Garfiel treats this place like a prison," Ian said. "What did he call it? A testing ground?"

"I suppooose that term could be an acceptable descriiiption," Roswaal said.

"How long will it take him to be able to walk around?" Ian asked.

"Are you worried about me?" Roswaal asked.

"I just want the personal tour," Ian said dryly.

"About a day," Rem said.

"I'll help you as best I can once we're done talking," Emilia said. "I don't have Puck with me, so I'll have to focus, but I'll do my best."

"The great spirit isn't with you?" Roswaal asked.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no," Ian said. "He's been absent the last few days."

"I seeee," Roswaal said thoughtfully. "Miss Emilia, you aren't feeling ill at all, or in any way different from normal, are you?"

Emilia's eyebrows rose. "Other than Puck not showing his face, not really. Puck not coming out started a little while before we reached the Sanctuary too, so...Ah, but there is one thing." She looked around, as though making sure they were actually the only ones present. "Since entering the Sanctuary...no, maybe ever since entering the forest, I feel like the responses from spirits have become dull. And just now, when we were just outside, I...felt a strange gaze on me."

"A strange gaze?" Subaru asked.

"Yes," Emilia nodded. "It felt like I was being stared at. It was really unpleasant, but I thought it might just be me, so I didn't say anything."

"Neither of Miss Emilia's feelings are mistaken," Roswaal said. "This is a place that is unpleasant for Spirits, and furthermore, its inhabitants harbor nothing but unpleasant feelings for you."

"Oy, are ya still chattin'?" Garfiel asked, walking into the room, Ian seeing him cast a sideways glance at Ram, a small grin forming on Garfiel's face as he dropped into a chair. "Have ya at least told them the important stuff?"

"That depends on your opinion of important," Ian said. "In this case, I'm still waiting to hear exactly how he was injured."

Garfiel switched to infuriated so fast Ian actually had to stop himself from grabbing his sword's hilt. "Ya still haven't told 'em th' most import'nt part!?"

"Perhaps you'd care to tell us instead?" Ian asked.

Garfiel shook his head. "Better get it from him. I don't understand complicated things."

Ian turned back to Roswaal. "Spill, then. What, exactly, did you do to get this wounded?"

Roswaal watched him silently for a moment before speaking. "I should staaart by saying that this place is absolutely vital to Miss Emilia's goal of siiiting on the throne."

"What do you mean?" Emilia asked.

"The problem with this 'Sanctuary', and Miss Emilia's problem are intimately tied," Roswaal said. "So perhaps, in this place, you would find it. Miss Emilia's support, that is."

"I'm not going to ask again before I start encouraging you again, Roswaal," Ian warned. "How did you get injured so severely."

Roswaal regarded him for a moment before turning his gaze on Garfiel. "Garfiel, if you would be so kind, guide them to the Sanctuary, or rather, to the tomb."

"Heh, that a good idea?" Garfiel asked.

"First and foremost it is crucial to understand the situation, after all," Roswaal said. "Explaining the circumstances and other matters can come after the sun has set, but that is not the case with the tomb."

"Ah, that'so," Garfiel nodded. "The sun's going down soon. Won't be so simple once that happens. Alright, I'll take up guidin' for ya."

"We're not done talking yet," Ian said firmly as Garfiel stood."

"Lord Roswaal requires rest and healing," Ram said. "Now that Rem is here, he'll be recovered shortly, but until then he's not going to run away. Barusu and the others should head to the tomb before the sun sets, because once it does, that will run away."

"I've never heard of such an energetic tomb in my life!" Subaru gaped.

Ian narrowed his eyes before nodding. "Fine. Rem, I'll be back soon."

Rem smiled back at him and nodded. "You can leave this to me."

Ian nodded and the three of them followed Garfiel out of the house.

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