Subaru awoke groggily, sitting up in his bed. From the brightness outside his window, he had slept in, even more than usual for a recovering shut-in. Would they even still be serving breakfast at this time? If not, he could always pay extra for it.
He wasn't lacking for coin in this loop. The merchant he had sold his cell phone to was a collector of unusual items, and had been willing to shell out quite the sum for it. Subaru had ended up with the equivalent of twenty two holy gold from the trade, a little higher than Old Man Rom had estimated back in Subaru's first loops.
More than enough to live comfortably for the next two months, though he'd need to find another source of income if he wanted to survive beyond that. Not that it's an issue now. If I don't dedicate myself to finding a solution, then no one will survive beyond two months.
Awake! Rested?
Luna interrupted his pondering, spiralling down from the ceiling to send her morning greetings.
"Good morning." Subaru said, stretching and getting out of bed. He still felt nauseous, but Luna's presence helped him remain calm. I'm not alone. I have friends who are counting on me.
A flicker of movement caught his eye, and he looked over to the window, where a red speck of light was hovering, taking in the sunlight.
"A fire spirit? Wait, you're Luna's friend!" He recognised the feeling it gave, after all, from his perspective, he had just met it yesterday.
The fire spirit turned its attention to him and after a short pause, it bobbed affirmatively.
"Why are you here? Did you come to say hello to Luna? Or did she drag you here?"
She hadn't brought a fire spirit to see him the first time they contracted, but then, she hadn't seen him at his lowest point like she had this time. Friend! Help! Luna swooped forward to answer him. The fire spirit huffed a bit, but didn't deny her.
Subaru paused, a little taken aback by the intensity of her feelings. "Help? You brought your friend to help me? Well, I'm happy you're thinking of me, but you don't have to—"
Danger. Luna stated calmly. Help.
Subaru didn't really have anything to say to that. It was true, the danger he currently faced was the worst he had ever come across since coming to this world. And I can't deny that having a fire spirit would be really useful. Fire and ice magic are really good for battle. But…
"Are you sure though?" He turned to the fire spirit. "Are you okay with forming a contract with me?"
The spirit continued watching him. The last time Luna had introduced it to him, it had refused outright, but now it felt like it was looking at him differently.
Eventually, it made up its mind.
Test.
It flew closer, and Subaru felt a warmth seep into him, as a temporary contract snapped into place.
"Wait, what? It's that simple?" Last time, didn't it take ages for Luna to convince it to make a contract with me? And what did it mean by test?
He tried to piece together the meaning of the impression the spirit had sent. It was harder, since he didn't share a permanent contract with it, and he hadn't spent much time getting used to it.
"You want to test me, to see if you want to make a more permanent contract?"
The fire spirit bobbed.
"Okay, cool. Erm, I don't suppose you could tell me what's on the test? I'm not really sure what I should be going for."
Reassurance. Easy. Luna projected, flying over to the fire spirit. They began circling each other, exchanging a flurry of images too fast for Subaru to make out.
"Wait, you mean he assigned me a test he knows I'll pass? You really are a tsundere!" He smiled. The spirit felt a little like a small boy, being dragged along by his excitable big sister.
"So, that means we need a name for you, don't we? How about Sol? It's a match of Luna's, meaning the sun!"
The fire spirit barraged him with disapproval.
"I guess that's a no?"
He huffed, vanishing with a flash of light and a quiet 'pop'.
Subaru stared at the spot he had just been.
"That was dramatic." He looked over at Luna. "Can you do that?"
Luna flushed, unintentionally letting slip impressions similar to those Subaru would feel when he thought of his days spent shut-in playing games.
"Wait a minute, you have a very distinct personality, but you're still a minor spirit." He narrowed his eyes. "Have you been neglecting your magic!?"
Luna whistled innocently.
"No way, you're a delinquent! You're always skipping school to go out and play! I can't believe this! Oi, get back here! We need to talk, young lady!"
The Witch Cult was coming. That fact hung over Subaru's head like a sword, giving weight to every action he took. Every minute he wasted, the Witch Cult came closer to killing everyone in the city. And many of the people he had come to call his friends were among them.
"This is all I know about them." Subaru sat at his desk, pen and paper in front of him, speaking aloud as he wrote.
Luna and the fire spirit took a break from whatever game they were playing on the ceiling, and hovered down to him. Luna hung right over the paper, so she wouldn't miss a word of what he wrote, whereas the fire spirit hovered over his shoulder, seeming more interested in Subaru himself.
"They'll attack in a little over two months." That was his deadline. Two months to prepare, or two months to defeat them before they could launch an attack.
"They have a trick to make their attack easier, the fear spell." It started driving everyone in the city to the point of insanity. Knowing about it seemed to help, and Alexander's Divine Protection was able to minimise the effects. Though, the best way to deal with it would be to make sure Roswaal remained in the city for attack. He was the court mage of Lugunica, and Otto had sounded confident that there wasn't a better magic user alive. If anyone could untangle the effects of the cult's foul sorcery, it would be him.
"The attack itself is divided into two parts. First, a wave of hit-and-run attacks, aimed at drawing out the defenders, and defeating them with superior magic prowess. After that, there was a period when the smoke columns stopped rising. That must have been them regrouping. Then, they attacked the palace, lead by that self-proclaimed 'Sin Archbishop'. Petelgeuse."
He said the last word with a trace of a snarl. From the madman's words, he was almost assuredly in charge of the attack. Every word he had spoken dripped with his adoration for the witch.
But, when he met Subaru in that basement, it had been that adoration that stayed his hand.
"He asked if I was pride." Subaru murmured to himself. "And he called himself the Sin Archbishop of Sloth. Does that mean…? Did he think I was a Sin Archbishop, just because of my scent?"
Was there a way he could use that, somehow?
Subaru shook his head. "I really shouldn't put any stock in the ramblings of a madman. And besides, I already know why I smell of the witch, it's because she prevents me from revealing my ability. If they figure out that difference from her 'love', then they'll probably execute me on the spot."
Lastly, and most terrifying of all…
"The ice nuke." Subaru couldn't help but shiver, remembering that deathly cold. It had been activated in the middle of the palace, which would only be possible if they overwhelmed a large number of the defending knights. "But, there wasn't time for them to have escaped the building before activating it. And even if they did, it's not like they'd have survived anywhere else in the city. So, it must have been a last ditch thing, when they started losing the fight in the palace."
That solved the problem of the Cult, if they were losing last time, then with Subaru's help, they'd certainly lose even worse this time. The only problem being…
"That ice weapon is way too strong." He complained, unable to keep his distress from entering his tone. No matter where in the city they activated it, it would cause massive casualties. Unless the cult was defeated stupidly quickly, they'd probably have the chance to activate it again.
Angry?
At Luna's question, Subaru took a deep breath, and loosened his hold on his pen. He had been holding it so tight, it had been at risk of snapping.
"No, it's fine. And I shouldn't worry too much about it for now. I have two months to figure this out."
Though that raised its own question.
"How long does the cult have to prepare? There wasn't long between the beginning of the Royal Selection and the day of the attack. If they're targeting Emilia, they must have snuck their entire attack force into the city in just a few days."
And of course they were targeting her. Those bastards worshiped the witch who looked exactly like Emilia. Whether they planned to worship her or execute her for that resemblance, Subaru didn't know, but it didn't make a difference in the end. He had to put a stop to them.
"I'll note down that their interest probably comes from the Royal Selection, but they probably have forces in the city already." After all, someone had to have informed the cult about the Emilia's position as a royal candidate. "Speaking of their forces in the city, that manor I was captured in might already be a cultist base. There didn't seem to be any signs of a struggle when I was escaping, so they might have been in control of it since before the attack started."
Unfortunately, he had been unconscious when he had been captured. He figured it had been in the northeast section of the middle strata, facing the palace, but he didn't know anything else about it. He didn't even get a look at the exterior, so he wouldn't even be able to find it if he went wandering through the district.
"I'll mention it anyway. The guards will probably be better equiped to find it."
That was his plan. Time and time again, this world have proven that Subaru couldn't do anything alone. His only power was the morbid ability, 'Return by Death,' which could only reveal the paths that would end in tragedy. But if he gave the information he gained to those with enough strength to make a difference, then perhaps those tragedies could be averted.
He had already managed to save Emilia from Elsa's knives, by informing Reinhard in advance.
Reinhard.
Subaru hadn't mentioned anything about the cult to the Sword Saint the previous evening. He had various reasons for it, of course. The knowledge might have distracted Reinhard from his mission to save Emilia, and he may delayed his departure to take Subaru aside for more questioning.
But perhaps the real reason, one Subaru couldn't even bring himself to fully acknowledge, was a petty little feeling in his heart. He didn't want the red-haired hero to save the day again, when he hadn't even been in the capital for the attack during the last loop.
Sadness?
Luna seemed to have misinterpreted his feelings. She hovered around his head, trying to comfort him.
"It's nothing." Subaru said. "I have a ton of options."
Luna bobbed, sending her determination to help, while the fire spirit remained still. He had kept his focus on Subaru the entire time. Perhaps he was already beginning to judge his test.
"Another one, huh?"
The receptionist at the desk didn't look all that impressed with the envelope Subaru had handed him. He sighed, and met Subaru's eyes. "We get many tips about Witch Cult. I'll send it over to headquarters, but I wouldn't hold out hope for any kind of action."
"But this is important! It's a matter of life and death!" Subaru didn't quite shout, but he wasn't far off it. A small part of him had foolishly hoped that all his problems would be solved by simply handing over the letter that contained everything Subaru had learned about the cult's attack.
The receptionist didn't seem phased by Subaru's tone. He had probably dealt with far more stressful situations in the past.
"If you have a specific problem, it's more likely than not that you aren't dealing with cultists." he said gently. "At worst, there'll be a few bandits, or possibly mabeasts that have strayed too far from the forests. If your village is near the capital, we might be able to dispatch a squad of guards to help out."
"But it's not… It's not a village, it's the capital that's in danger!" Subaru protested. "Please, just send it up the ranks. Someone needs to see it."
The man looked down at the envelope in his hands. "As you wish. But, I'll warn you, little is likely to come of it. The Witch Cult is a shadow, always flitting outside the kingdom's reach. We cannot afford to chase after every rumour we receive. If you provided more evidence with the claim, the higher-ups might be more willing to look into it."
"I…" Subaru trailed off. He had didn't have evidence, he didn't need it. His power had allowed him to experience the events of the next two months. He already knew what was going to happen.
It could be said that reality was on Subaru's side, since the attack was guaranteed. But with the witch's curse holding onto his heart, he couldn't divulge where he got the knowledge from.
"Fine." He turned away, and walked towards the exit, a storm raging in his mind. I have to find a way to warn them. I have to. But how? What will I need to do?
He wandered through the city for a while, allowing himself to take in the sights. The sky was clear and sunny, in stark opposition to Subaru's mood. Luna had decided to wait back at the inn, since she couldn't remain awake for long while out in the light. That hadn't been as much of an issue in the last loop, but the spell he had cast in his fit of anger had taken it's toll.
There was no easy way to say it. His gate was wrecked. The strain of casting a full spell with it, while also keeping mana held back, had proved too much for it.
It feels like I strained a muscle. It should recover, but I can't risk exercising it. I'll have to practice with just my spirit arts. It does mean we have a lower amount of mana in storage, even with two spirits rather than one. A human's capacity is just so much larger than a minor spirit's.
He felt nausea rising in his gut.
I won't recover in time for the attack. Will just spirit arts be enough?
Luna wouldn't dare touch his gate, for fear of making things worse. She had been apprehensive about letting Subaru wander around alone, but it seemed she had already prepared for that eventuality.
Subaru looked over his shoulder, at the fire spirit hovering just behind him.
"She bullied you into a contract with me so that someone would always be watching me, didn't she?"
The fire spirit bobbed by his side, radiating a mild exasperation. It was tinged with fondness though. He didn't seem to mind doing this favour for the yin spirit.
They arrived in a clearing, stoking an odd feeling of nostalgia in Subaru. It took him a minute to recall why.
"This is one of the places Emilia and I visited."
During the very first loop, before Subaru had learned about his horrific power, they had wandered around the city, looking for Felt.
After they guided the little girl back to her mother, they had taken a rest here, in the wide open park. At least, Subaru assumed it was some kind of park. The rectangular clearing was paved over, surrounded by trees, with stalls lining the edges. Tables had been set up around a massive pool-like lake, which had four water fountains lined down the middle.
And the most memorable feature, an arched bridge over that lake, where Emilia had revealed that she was a half-elf, and reacted so adorably to him complementing her.
Subaru slowly retraced his steps from that day that never happened, and stopped at the height of the bridge.
"This place could be an apt metaphor for me." he told the fire spirit at his side. "It's a bridge created by people, to get over a lake put there by those same people. I'm only in this mess because I used this power to save Emilia."
If she and I had died that first day, the witch cult never would have attacked to get at her.
"I'm just like the people who created this bridge. I'm using this power to try and find a solution to a problem it created."
Of course, that revealed a simple answer to Subaru's predicament. If Emilia were to die in the loot house, without Subaru to send Reinhard to save her, the cult would never catch wind of her, and never launch their assault.
But I won't accept that kind of ending. I won't leave Emilia to that fate.
He sighed.
"I still have options. What about Anastasia and her mercenaries? I remember that the Iron Fang is the best mercenary group in that country out west, Kararagi. I'm sure with their help, we could root out the cult."
But how would I convince them any better than the guards? I didn't get much of a feel for Anastasia, but she didn't seem the type to be swayed by sentimentality. While she'd probably act if she knew the cult was coming, if for the reputation if nothing else, the issue is convincing her I'm telling the truth. She wouldn't have any more reason to believe me than the guards would. And in order to get an audience with her, I'd have to be a successful merchant, which would take a month at the very least. That's time I can't afford to spend right now.
He turned to the fire spirit. "What about you? Any suggestions? I'm really drawing a blank here, so I'd appreciate some guiding light."
The fire spirit huffed, with the feeling of a burning bridge.
"That's so mean!" Subaru shook his head, a trace on his face. "Why do you even stick around anyway? It's not like Luna's going to be able to catch you if you wander off."
The fire spirit shot him a look that felt a lot like he was raising an eyebrow at Subaru.
"Yeah, I suppose she can be quite perceptive. But surely you have some interests, don't you? Or are you not at that level yet?"
The fire spirit bobbed.
Test.
The feeling of a fire burning brightly in a dark void.
"I'm not really sure what test you're trying to convey. That image could be anything."
The fire spirit drew closer, with a sense of consideration.
Then, he projected… something.
Subaru struggled to make sense of the multitude of images that flashed through his mind.
The image of a goddess dancing through the night sky, always watching the people scurrying underneath, thoughts clear and full of wonder.
The image of a noble knight standing atop the roof of the palace, practicing his skills over and over again, thoughts clear and full of focus.
The image of a wildfire devouring every event in her path, allowing nothing to escape her gaze, thoughts clear and full of memories.
More and more images flooded through Subaru's mind, until finally…
The image of a boy on a bridge, hesitating before a fork the paths he had to take, thoughts muddied and pulling him in many directions.
Test. The fire spirit repeated.
Subaru's mind was still reeling. "Wha—? What was that? Your test is… that?"
The images had been wildly different in content and scope, but one thing had remained consistent. The entities they depicted had always remained absolutely sure of themselves. They did not falter in their attempts to achieve their dreams.
"That's what you want to see from me?" Subaru asked. "You want me to stop moping around, and make up my mind?"
The fire spirit said nothing. He didn't need to.
Subaru looked up into the sky, allowing himself a few moments of rest.
What do I want? I want to survive. I want everyone to get their happy endings. I want to save the city, by whatever means necessary. Even if it means letting go of my pride.
"Alright." He smiled, his first real smile since his last death. "I can do that. You've been a great help. We should give you a name to celebrate!"
The fire spirit disappeared with a pop.
"Hey wait! I don't want to do this alone!"
No response came.
"Well," Subaru said, looking up to judge the sun's position, "it's pretty close to evening. I suppose we can wait for Luna to be able to come with us."
"You seem troubled. Do you require assistance?"
Subaru strode down the street, the evening sun nearing the horizon.
Luna hovered by his side, eagerly asking questions about everything that caught her eye. Subaru suspected that they were asked as much out of a desire to distract Subaru from his thoughts as from her desire to learn.
The fire spirit followed closely behind them, surreptitiously gathering mana to share with Luna, with the feelings of "Well, I just happened to have extra, so you can have some! It's not because I'm your friend or anything!"
"You're really not honest with yourself. You should be more open, like Luna and I." He told the spirit, who turned away with a 'hmph'.
"Hey, maybe we should name you 'Tsundere'! It's a perfect fit, since it describes your personality, and it means to have a personality that runs hot and cold, which describes your magic! It's genius!"
Subaru got a face-full of cold air for that remark.
"Ah, stop! Please! Too much tsun!"
The fire spirit kept it up for a few seconds more, then let up.
Subaru shivered. "Aw, now I'm cold. And I waited for an overcast day too, so that Luna could join us. Oh, I might die of hypothermia, right here on the sidewalk. If only someone could indulge their dere, and warm me up."
Warm!
"Thanks, Luna. Even if that didn't help my body, it's warmed my soul enough to keep going. This is why you're my favourite."
The fire spirit huffed, and fell behind them, his contract with Subaru waning until he could hardly feel anything from it. But he didn't leave.
Since their talk on the bridge, the fire spirit had been more understanding of Subaru, even if he still didn't appreciate the names Subaru suggested.
"Please, you don't need to use that title. It is far too grand for me."
The streets became less crowded, and the buildings began to be interspersed with trees. The road began to incline upwards, as Subaru entered the middle strata. The roads wound around the noble estates, guiding Subaru further into the city. Far less people chose to walk these streets, most choosing to rely on the dragon carriages to get around.
Where? Luna questioned him, as he hesitated at an intersection.
"I'm not really sure." Subaru admitted. "I saw it on a few maps, and I thought it was somewhere on this side of the city. I think the place we're looking for is somewhere near the entrance to the upper strata, which would be… this way."
Luna wasn't particularly happy with that explanation, but she followed along without complaint.
"I see. I will head there at once. But do you need anything else? Subaru, was it? You seem quite perturbed."
The manors Subaru passed seemed to blend together. Subaru couldn't help but eye them all warily. Any one of them could be hiding cultists, just waiting to come out and wreak havoc on the city. In his current state, Subaru wouldn't be able to do anything to stop them. He wouldn't even be able to slow them down.
But his lack of strength wouldn't be a concern. There were others who did not share Subaru's weakness. One of the in particular had all the traits Subaru was looking for. Strong enough to fight, enough influence to rouse the guards, and most importantly of all, a reason to believe his warning.
The fire spirit hovered closer, seeming to sense something from Subaru's thoughts.
Clarity?
"Yeah, my mind's made up. I shouldn't ignore the obvious solution when it presents itself. After all, he told me yesterday that…"
"If you do need anything, you're welcome to find me. I'd be happy to talk to you again."
He stopped in the shadow of a mansion, one of the most imposing he had seen in the noble district. Two guards stood at the gate, a single name carved into the rock wall beside it.
Astrea.
It took several minutes of convincing before the guards would deign to send for someone to ask if Subaru was allowed to visit. During that time Subaru had to hold his ground against two tough-looking armoured men, who seemed intent on boring holes in him with their eyes.
Subaru was pretty sure the only reason they hadn't thrown him out on the spot was the fact that two spirits were hovering protectively at his side.
Luna felt ready to start blasting at a moment's notice, despite the fact that she couldn't actually do that. She didn't have the skill to actually cast spells. She did gather mana towards herself though, causing the air around her to grow darker.
On the other hand, the fire spirit was more interested in backing up Luna, rather than Subaru. He chilled the air slightly, but didn't gather enough mana for it to be more uncomfortable than that.
Finally, a maid came out of the house, and gestured for them to be let in.
The guards were shocked, but begrudgingly opened the gates, and Subaru was in.
"Welcome, honoured guest." The maid curtsied elegantly. "Sir Reinhard is waiting for you in the tea room. If you would follow me?"
Subaru surpassed an involuntary shudder at her greeting. "Please, just call me Subaru. I don't really fit such a fancy address."
And there was the fact that the last people who had called him that had turned out to be murderers. Or at least, murderer and twin sister.
"You are a guest of this manor," the maid said. "It would not be right to be disrespectful. But if you insist, I can accommodate, Sir Subaru."
"That's not really much better." Subaru muttered under his breath. He had no right to such titles, but arguing with her was unlikely to change her mind.
Sir? Luna projected the thought with an odd intonation, like she had remembered something disagreeable.
Sir. The fire spirit agreed. He seemed amused, and suggested something in a flurry of images too fast for Subaru to catch.
He did catch Luna's answer easily. She denied it with every fibre of her being, a feeling tainted with a hint of envy.
What? Subaru thought as hard as he could at them.
The two of them answered at once.
Friend, was the fire spirit's answer, while Luna instead sent, Rival.
She didn't seem all that interested in continuing the discussion, so Subaru let the matter drop.
"We're here," the maid announced, drawing up to a doorway.
She opened it, and there he was.
Lugunica's Sword Saint, and Subaru's hope.
"Reinhard."
In an instant, his spirits were filled with awe, nervousness, and in Luna's case, a kind of resigned acceptance. They vanished a moment later, leaving Subaru to talk with the strongest knight on his own.
"Subaru." Reinhard smiled. Was he really so happy that Subaru had remembered to call him by his name? Or rather, that Subaru had forgotten to call him by his title. "Please come in."
The maid curtsied once more, and left them alone in the room.
"Please excuse the state of the residence. Usually it only takes two servants that look after it, but the duties are increasing as the house is beginning to be used more extensively. We've started bringing in servants from our branch houses to make up for it, but for most of them, this is their first day."
This is supposed to be an untidy state? Subaru wondered, eyeing the surroundings. The room was immaculate, not a speck of dust to be seen, not a single flower vase out of place. I'd hate to see what clean looks like to them.
"I'll admit, I didn't hold out hope that I'd see you again." Reinhard picked up a pot from the table, and poured two cups of tea, passing one to Subaru. "You appeared somewhat distressed yesterday, but now your complexion is better."
"You could say I've made up my mind," Subaru answered, sitting down on the couch opposite Reinhard. "I've got information I need to convey to the higher-ups. No, not information, a warning."
"I see." Reinhard nodded. "Before we get to that, I'd like to thank you for the warning you provided yesterday. Without it, the assassin would surely have killed Lady Emilia. Thanks to you, we avoided that catastrophe."
"What about Felt, and Old Man Rom?" Subaru asked. In the previous loop, the young thief had been taken in by Reinhard as the fifth Royal Candidate, but things could change. If Subaru's warning was different enough, it could cause a butterfly effect that would lead to Reinhard never seeing Felt hold the insignia.
Reinhard blinked in surprise. "Mister Rom is a guest of this manor for the foreseeable future. La—" He cut himself short. "Miss Felt was injured protecting Lady Emilia. She has not yet awoken, but the healers are certain she will make a full recovery. Though, I did not think you were familiar with her."
"I already know Felt's a Royal Selection Candidate," Subaru said. "I forgot to tell you about it yesterday. I know a few things I shouldn't."
He paused, taking a sip of his tea. How should I say this? I can't mention how I got the information, but how far can I push it? If he starts asking about my source, what can I say?
"You do? Well, that makes things simpler. I can assure you, no one will attempt to use the method you used to obtain your knowledge against you. If not for you, Lugunica would have lost two of its hopes for the future. In fact, your service is great enough that I feel I'm duty-bound to offer you a reward."
There! That's my solution!
"In that case, I would like to ask for one thing," Subaru said. "I want to keep my source for everything I know a secret. I ask that you don't look into it, or attempt to make me reveal it."
"Granted," Reinhard said. "In fact, that wouldn't even count as a reward. I'll consider that an extra."
"Eh!?" Subaru spluttered. "You don't even know what I'm planning on saying! How can you agree to that so easily?"
Reinhard smiled. "I can sense your mental state to a certain extent. It is clear that you are choosing to place a great deal of trust in me. Would it not be remiss of me if I did not show you trust in return? Also, yours is not a request that costs the country anything. If you chose, you could easily avoid the kingdom's attention by simply not revealing anything to us."
His speech finished, he met Subaru's eyes, looking like someone straight out of a shoujo manga.
"Argh! Too bright! You're too nice of a guy, you're making all my misgivings look pettier by the minute!"
"I'm sorry?" Reinhard smiled in confusion.
"No, don't be. I guess a recovering shut-in is no match for the cool and popular guy. Well, I guess I'll stop delaying then. In two months—"
Subaru was interrupted by a loud crash, and the shattering of a vase.
The two of them looked toward the door.
"I should go check on that, just in case," Reinhard said. "I'll be back momentar—"
The door was flung open, and a golden streak rushed into the room, jumped over the table, and dived toward the window.
"Ah, Lady Felt," Reinhard said cheerfully. "It's good to see you have woken up and recovered. You've been asleep for almost a whole day."
"Lemme go!" The girl struggled in Reinhard's hands. He held her in a princess carry with his back to the window.
Subaru's eyes darted between the seat the knight had just been sitting in and his current location. I didn't even see him move! I guess that's the strongest knight for you. Hey, wait, I could barely see Felt! Are all people in this fantasy world overpowered!?
"Lady Felt!" An out-of-breath maid ran into the room, stopping when she saw the girl held in Reinhard's arms. She bowed in an awkward curtsy, and said, "I'm sorry, Sir Reinhard. She started running as soon as she realised where she was. She would have jumped out of a window on the upper floors if the head maid hadn't stopped her."
"You can tell Carol that I have it under control," Reinhard said. "Oh, and could you send for another tea cup? And when Mister Rom returns, could you inform him Felt has awoken?"
The maid nodded, and closed the door on her way out.
"Old Man Rom's here!? Why didn't they mention that first, instead of some crap about a selection!"
"A lady shouldn't use such language." Reinhard chided. "Mister Rom is being granted accommodations here. He has been very helpful with getting the residence ready for our occupation. He's currently out in the city on an errand."
"Hmph!" Felt turned her head away from the knight. "I'm still not happy about being kidnapped and taken here against my will!" She turned her fearsome gaze on Subaru. "Who's this? One of your kidnapper friends?"
"I'm Subaru Natsuki, former merchant and herald of doom." Subaru smiled a little. It felt nice to use his old style of introduction again, even if it was a bit silly for the situation. "Nice to meet you too, Lady Felt."
"Don't call me that! And what do you mean, herald of doom?"
"This is the person who informed me about Elsa Granhiert," Reinhard cut in. "Without his warning, I would not have known to head to the loot house."
Felt slowly paled. "Ah? Wait, so by doom you mean…?"
The horror of what could have been set in for the first time, and she stopped struggling in Reinhard's grasp. The knight took the opportunity to sit back down in his place, setting Felt down beside him.
"If you don't mind, Subaru, you can continue with what you wanted to tell me. I wouldn't want to keep you after dark."
"Er, yes, of course." Subaru backtracked through his mind. Where was I before Felt burst in? Oh, right.
"In two months, right after the Royal Selection is announced, the Witch Cult will attack the capital."
There was a brief moment of silence as his words sunk in, then Felt exploded, her voice loud enough to raise the dead. "What!? The Witch Cult!? What were you discussing before I got here!?"
"I know it sounds crazy, but I can guarantee it will happen." Subaru said. "I've already warned the guards, but they said they don't usually act on tips about the cult."
"Wait wait wait!" Felt demanded. "How do you know this? What do you mean, the Witch Cult will attack? What is going on?"
"I have already promised not to pry into his sources," Reinhard said. "But, I can tell you aren't lying, Subaru. I hate to ask this, but can you really not reveal your source to me? If this is true, the capital could be in serious danger. I can guarantee that no harm will come to you for it."
"I would if I could." Subaru couldn't help but feel that most of his problems would be solved in a heartbeat if he could disclose his ability. "But I have… circumstances."
"An oath, or a contract of some kind?" Reinhard asked. "Very well. I will not ask any further on the topic. What can you tell me about this attack?"
"You're just going to leave it at that!?" Felt cried. "Isn't this the kind of thing you should be investigating further!? No offence, bro, but that's really suspicious!"
"I can't deny that, but I can't offer anything but my word."
Felt's face twisted between expressions, before she finally sighed, and sank back into the couch. "Fine, go on. I won't interrupt, but I still think you're super shady."
"Thank you," Subaru said, and launched into his explanation. He told them about the fear spell, the two phases of the attack, and the Sin Archbishop of Sloth. He mentioned the manor the cult could be using, and finished with a description of the ice weapon.
Over the course of his description, Felt's face grew paler, and Reinhard's expression grew grimmer. Subaru waited with bated breath for one of them to respond.
"That's ridiculous!" Felt exclaimed. "How could you know all that, unless…" Her eyes widened "Are you a witch cultist?"
"I am not." Subaru denied vehemently. "As far as I know, the cult doesn't even know that they're going to attack yet. Emilia hasn't been publicly announced. I really can't explain further. I just know."
"But how!?"
"Might I say a few things?" Reinhard asked. Both of them fell silent.
"I don't think you're lying, Subaru. My divine protections are certain of that fact. Also, you don't appear to have any signs of insanity. That said, the information you've offered is far more detailed than what I would expect if you had obtained it through normal means, especially if what you've said about the cult not yet knowing is true."
Subaru's insides tightened. Here it is. I suppose I need to come up with something after all. How far can I push the Witch's patience?
"I apologise, but I'm going to go off on a tangent for a minute," Reinhard continued. "A few months ago, I had the opportunity to visit Vollachia for a diplomatic mission. While I was there, I heard about a certain tribe of Demi-humans, known as the Evil Eye Tribe. They allegedly had powers beyond normal magics or abilities."
"Evil Eye Tribe? I've never heard of them," Subaru said. "What does this have to do with me?"
"I'm getting to that. The tribe was widely feared, so the Empire wiped them out fifty years ago. However, it is suspected that some members of the tribe might have escaped. It is not impossible that some might have fled to other nations. How this relates to you…"
He paused. "You don't appear to be from Lugunica. Your hair colour is rather unusual. I would say such hair is more common in the north, but I happened to see some who had black hair in Vollachia. It is possible your parents were members of the Evil Eye Tribe, and that they placed a contract on you to prevent you from divulging the ability of your Evil Eye, in order to protect you from those who would try to abuse it. That could explain the knowledge you posses. You have an ability, an Evil Eye of Foresight, that allows you to perceive events that have not yet happened."
He finished, and waited expectantly.
Wow, this guy is convincing. I already know it's all completely wrong, but I can't help but consider the possibility. It sounds like something I would have said in my chuuni phase.
"I don't know anything about that tribe." Subaru said. "I'm pretty sure I'm fully human. But… I can't deny everything you're saying." After all, he did posses an ability, and as far as he was aware, normal magic couldn't replicate it. Perhaps Return by Death was an artificial Evil Eye, grafted onto him by the Witch.
"Well, that satisfies my concerns for now. I'll take what you've told us to the Captain of the Knights, and we'll work out some counter-measures."
He stood up. "If you happen to foresee anything else, please come to me again."
"Wait! Don't be stupid!" Felt interrupted. She turned back to Subaru. "I'm not sure I buy your whole 'Evil Eye' thing, but I do have a strange feeling that you could be handy to have around."
"Does this mean you've already accepted your position as a Royal Candidate, Lady Felt?"
"Not in the slightest!" Felt said. "I'm only sticking around to see Old Man Rom, and then… Well, I'm not sure running back into the slums would be the best idea if the cult really is coming. Regardless of everything else, this city is my home, and I don't want to see it reduced to a frozen wasteland. So, I want you to work with us, bro. Join my temporary camp until the cult has been defeated!"
She stretched out a hand, as the possibilities spun in Subaru's mind. It… wasn't a bad offer. He would secure a place to stay, and be able to talk to Reinhard if he remembered anything else about the cult. Plus, it would allow him to focus his efforts on training and preparing for the attack.
The only real problem was that Subaru didn't actually posses foresight, but he remembered enough about the next two months that he'd be able to fake it until the cult had been defeated.
He took her hand in his own. "I accept. Though, are you really in a position to be recruiting? Shouldn't you ask Reinhard first?"
"Nah, he works for me now." Felt grinned. "If he didn't want his mansion stolen out from under him, he wouldn't have kidnapped me."
From the smile on his face, it didn't look like Reinhard really seemed to mind.
"Guh!"
Subaru dropped the iron weights, barely missing his foot. "Ow, ow, my arms. I really shouldn't have mocked Otto so much. This feels like karma."
"You're doing brilliantly," Reinhard said, bending over to pick them up. He did so easily, without suffering any of the strain Subaru felt when he tried to move them. "Can you feel anything different?"
"Yes, kind of, maybe." Subaru stretched his arms, trying to feel any difference in his movements. But all the training he had done during the last two weeks hadn't seemed to change anything. "It's hard to tell."
Reinhard nodded. "It can be. Mana enhancement is something everyone does instinctively at birth. To take it under your conscious control can be extraordinarily difficult."
Since joining Felt's camp, Subaru had spent every day preparing his body for the coming attack. He practiced with the fire spirit to improve his efficiency with the goa and huma spells, and worked with Luna to improve his aim with paralak.
Reinhard had offered to help him train, and Subaru had taken him up on the offer. His gate was injured, but Reinhard had told him that the gate wasn't necessary for mana enhancement. From what understood, the gate stood between a person's magic reserves and the outside world, but mana enhancement moved mana directly from someone's reserves to their body, boosting their physical capabilities.
The first step towards improving that boost was to feel the mana moving, which was proving difficult for Subaru.
Maybe I just don't have an instinctive mana enhancement. I haven't been in this world since birth after all. He paused as something occurred to him. Hang on, wouldn't that mean I'd be able to tell what mana enhancement feels like by focusing on what feels different from back on earth?
During his first loop, when he fought the thugs, and his last loop, when he had strained against the cult's chains, there had been a vague feeling, as if he was lighter. Had he felt it while lifting the weights? Something about it had felt different from back on earth.
"It can't be that simple, can it?" He reached into himself, trying to feel that same lightness, and then… he had it.
His body was lighter, and his movements felt more forceful.
"You've done it," Reinhard congratulated, clapping his hands. "That was remarkably quick. I don't think I've seen anyone grasp the basics in such a short time."
"I really should have realised it faster." Subaru was chastising himself inside his head. If he had figured this out quicker, he could have started on the next step already. There were now only seven weeks left until the date of the attack.
"The next steps will be to teach you the Ryuuhou technique," Reinhard said. "My Divine Protection of Training Mastery will be far more helpful for teaching you this."
"Do you seriously have a Divine Protection for everything?" Subaru asked.
"Not everything. But more than you'd expect."
"Of course you do." Subaru sighed and rubbed his legs. He was tired from doing the exercises Reinhard had laid out, but he still felt like he could move.
"Alright! Let's start that Ryuuhou thing! What do I need to do?"
Reinhard hummed. "It should be fine to go through the first form. But make sure you keep track of your mana. Your gate is injured, remember? The amount of mana you take in could be adversely effected."
Subaru nodded, and Reinhard went on, "Ryuuhou is a technique developed to make up for a lack of natural talent with mana enhancement. You use mana to strengthen your body more efficiently, replicating consciously what others might do naturally. The main advantage is that very little mana is consumed with proper use of the technique. The idea is to have the mana 'flow' through your body, as if it were blood."
He assumed a stance resembling a martial arts pose. "To start, follow my movements, and try to replicate them. Don't worry if you don't do it perfectly, I'll guide you through them."
Subaru took up the same stance, and tried to copy Reinhard as he moved through a series of stances like something out of a movie. After going through the movements once, Reinhard came over and corrected some of Subaru's positioning.
"That was the first form. Now, let's go through the movements again, and this time, use mana enhancement while doing so."
Subaru did so, and this time, he felt a slight tingle, as if the movements were directing the mana inside him to go slightly off course. He did the movements a few more times, Reinhard correcting his mistakes, but it never got stronger than that mild feeling, until his mana started getting dangerously low. In another life, Subaru might have gone at it until he literally collapsed, but now that his gate was broken and spluttering, he felt it would be better to be cautious.
"I can't do any more today," he said, dropping his stance in frustration. He took a breath to calm himself, then asked, "How is the investigation going? Did you find anything?"
"Sir Marcos has been overseeing it personally," Reinhard said. "The knights have looked into the building you described, but there are so many that could match the description, that it's impossible to be sure which one it could be."
"But can't you just enter check them all?" Subaru asked, a hint of desperation entering his voice. "Or something? We're running out of time!"
"The knights are doing all we can." Reinhard said. "There are only a hundred of us, we can't afford to be careless. We don't want to slip up and alert the cult to our movements. They might change their tactics and make the information you provided useless. Have you foreseen anything else about their base?"
Subaru shook his head helplessly. He couldn't have had a vision, since that wasn't how his ability worked. He would have to die during the attack to bring them anything more.
"Don't worry. It is the opinion of the knights that we'll be able to catch them while they are sneaking into the city."
Subaru's eyes shot up to meet Reinhard's. "You can't! What if they slip through! We need to stop them—"
"Subaru." Reinhard's tone caused Subaru to fall silent. "I know this must be hard for you. I can't imagine what you must have seen. But please, trust in the knights. We'll be able to catch them, especially if they are entering over just five days."
Subaru couldn't say anything to that. Their training time up, Reinhard left to attend to Felt. She had slowly been warming up to the idea of becoming the ruler, though just like last time, she seemed more interested in burning the kingdom down than in actually ruling it.
Subaru watched the Sword Saint go, his hands clenching into fists.
"I'm sorry Reinhard," he whispered under his breath. "But I can't trust the knights. They've already failed me once."
It was time he started taking things into his own hands.
The Broken Wheel wasn't a particularly remarkable place. No matter who you asked, they would say it was a decent bar in the eastern city, with pretty good drinks, but nothing amazing.
For Subaru, it was a treasure chest, waiting to be opened. He knew for a fact that it was Otto's favourite bar, and that if he was suddenly saddled with a load of debt, it would be where he went to drink away his sorrows.
Subaru scanned the room. There were only a few patrons, but the room was dimly lit, hindering his search for a distinctive green cloak.
His heart leapt into his throat, as he spotted it. Someone was wearing it while slumped over the bar, speaking weakly to the bartender, a gruff man who never took his attention away from the cups he was cleaning.
No, it could be someone else with a similar sense of style. I'll just make sure…
He walked closer, trying to make out the person's voice.
"—fair. Hic. There's no reason for the border to be closed. Hic. And, it should be temporary, at least. Hic. I'm going to miss the trading season because of this. Hic."
Subaru smiled, relief flooding through him. It was indeed Otto, and he was fine. Well, relatively speaking. He was saddled with debt and in desperate need of money, but Subaru was still happy to see it, considering he had last seen the merchant in mortal danger from a blow to the head. It was a pity Subaru didn't know of any other way to find his merchant friend. Then he might have been able to approach him before he threw away all his money buying overpriced oil.
He sat down in the stool next to him, clapping a hand on Otto's shoulder, startling him upright.
"Otto! You've no idea how happy I am to see you safe and sound."
Otto blinked at him owlishly. "Safe and sound? Hic. Um, have we met? I can't seem to place you. Hic."
"In a manner of speaking." Subaru said. "Though there's no need to worry about that now. I have a business proposition for you."
"Business… hic. Proposition?"
It took a second for those words to register, but when they did, a glint appeared in his eye and he drew himself up as if his drunken stupor had been nothing but a lie. He looked Subaru up and down, eyes lingering on his clothes and the two spirits by his side.
"I might be interested." He said. "Perhaps we could discuss it at a private table?"
He glanced at the bartender, who sighed. "We have some rooms free upstairs. But I'm only offering one because it's you, understand? I'm not a charity."
"That's more than enough. Thank you for your time." Otto replied, as he got to his feet. It was a testament to his merchant's facade that he didn't stumble even a little.
"Don't worry about it. Hope it goes well. Be mindful that you don't get cheated." The bartender gave Subaru a hard stare, then went back to cleaning cups.
Was he threatening me? Subaru wondered as he followed Otto through a door into the back of the building. Or was he just reminding Otto to be on his guard? Man, I really should learn how to speak merchant.
"So, what is this proposition?" Otto asked, settling down in his chair. The room had a couple of windows to let the daylight in, which gave the room a far cheerier atmosphere than the bar downstairs. A small jug of water and two cups had been left on the table, and Otto poured them both a glass. He gulped his down, then poured himself a second.
Perhaps this was one of his tricks to reduce his intoxication.
"This." Subaru pulled a jar out from his satchel, placing it on the table between them.
"Eh?" Otto looked at the jar of white stuff, perplexed. "What is this? Is it a condiment? I've never seen its like."
"This is mayonnaise," Subaru revealed. "It's a new food that will take the entire city by storm."
Subaru had thought long and hard about how to lure Otto to his side. The solution he had decided upon? To bribe him with a best-selling product, which would see his financial woes disappear. Unfortunately, mayo hadn't spread through the populace in this timeline, Subaru had been far too busy training and preparing for the cult to popularise it. He'd have to rely on some other tricks to get Otto to join him.
Otto carefully pulled the cork off, and sniffed the jar, before scooping a small amount out with his finger, and tasting it.
"Are you sure? I can tell this is food, but it doesn't seem all that impressive. I haven't heard of it, has it been selling decently?"
"You could say that. It has the potential to become one of the capital's top products, but I can't build up a company to support it."
Lazy. Luna agreed, drawing a hurt glance from Subaru. But it didn't bother him, her jovial tone let him know she was joking.
She settled by his side, keeping him between her and the window, and turned her full attention towards Otto.
Friend? She questioned through their contract.
Yes. Subaru sent back. Or at least, that's what he tried to send. He wasn't all that good at silently communicating with his spirits.
Otto nodded. "I see. So, if I guess correctly, you wish to expand your current operations, and need a more practiced hand to help you with the negotiations?"
"Not quite. I have the product, but I'm not in a position to run a company. I would like you to build and run a company based around this product, along with a few other favours."
Otto frowned, his tone growing suspicious. "That sounds awfully sketchy. I'm not convinced this product is actually as good as you say. For all I know, you could be a con artist. I'm not foolish enough to fall for such tricks."
"Ah, no, it's not a scam." Subaru reached into his satchel, pulling out a sheet of paper. "And, I have a guarantee. A letter of recommendation, penned by… I suppose you could say, my employer."
Otto took the paper in hand, then almost dropped it in shock. "The Sword Saint! By the dragon, is this real!?" He quickly held it up to the light, apparently searching for some sign that it was a forgery.
"I don't believe it." He whispered. "No, I don't fully believe it. I'll have the merchant's guild verify its legitimacy before agreeing to anything."
"That's fine." Subaru had expected that response. Reinhard had said the papers were hard to fake, but that any decent merchant would go to the merchant guild to make sure they were accurate.
"Shall we discuss the proposal then?"
"First, why me?" Otto asked, the suspicion growing stronger in his voice. "Why does someone who works for the Sword Saint want me to run a business for them? I don't make a habit of making connections with such high-ranking people."
"You were highly recommended by someone I talked to. She set me on this path in the first place."
"Recommended? By whom?"
"A old busybody, who doesn't know when her help isn't wanted." Subaru said fondly. "Her name's Gertha." Though he hadn't met her in this loop, he didn't think there'd be any harm in telling Otto her name.
"Gertha? Gertha Darnell, the retired merchant?" Otto sounded incredulous. "She's famous for helping young companies get their start. Why didn't you ask her to talk to me?"
Subaru stared at Otto blankly, his words slowly sinking in. In hindsight, it made perfect sense, she was capable of getting the word out on his product incredibly quickly, and seemed to know quite a bit about the merchant business.
Blasted old woman, he thought with resignation. Why do you do this to me, even from beyond my grave?
"No. A different Gertha," Subaru lied through his teeth, then tried to steer the conversation away from that unexpectedly troublesome topic. "If you like, I've got a rough draft of the company you would create, though we'd have to finalise it before bringing it to the guild." He pulled a few pages of documents out from his satchel, placing them in front of Otto.
He hadn't studied the previous loop's version of their company's structure all that hard, but he knew enough to replicate it somewhat. He had spent a few nights wracking his brain trying to write out the document fully for this meeting.
Otto took the papers, and spent a few minutes reading them over in silence. Subaru grew increasingly tense, until finally, Otto spoke.
"These terms seem remarkably generous, but judging from this document's quality, you truly don't have much experience in this line of work. Another merchant might have fleeced you dry with this, though I can't imagine many would try, considering that you're supposedly backed by the Sword Saint."
"So you mean I was right to find someone I can trust." Subaru said, a trace of relief entering his voice.
"I suppose." He looked up at Subaru, gazing intently at his face. "Though, you seem to know me, and I can't remember you at all. I'm sure I would remember someone with your looks and manner of speaking."
"You'd be surprised." Subaru commented dryly. "I'm a surprisingly forgettable person. This isn't the first time I've had this conversation. I've even had it twice with one person. No doubt he's already forgotten me again."
He shook his head, trying to clear out those bad thoughts. "Anyway, does this mean you'll accept? Tentatively, at least? I could really use your help."
Otto drummed his fingers on the table. "I have to say, this is very tempting, and I can't see how it could be a trick. But I can't help but feel that there's something else to this."
"What?" Subaru asked, his heart sinking. "Is there something in the contract you don't like? I'm perfectly willing to change it if you think it's unworkable."
"It's not the proposition that troubles me." Otto said. "It's you."
Subaru felt like Otto had punched him in the stomach. "Me? What about me?"
"You're good at hiding it, but you can't fool the eyes of a trained merchant. You look like a man on the edge of despair. Normally, I would think it's because you forged that document, but that doesn't seem to be it."
He paused to examine him more closely. "You're being haunted by something, something that even your patron can't help you with, and I can't sign on with you unless I know what it is."
Subaru stared at him for a minute, his mouth going dry.
"Ha. I guess I can't really hide anything from you."
He took a sip of water, and steadied his breathing. What should he say? What would make him sound the least crazy? No, trying to hide anything further will just make him trust me less. My best course of action is to reveal everything I can.
"In around six weeks, the Witch's Cult will attack the capital."
A moment of silence passed, Otto's face gradually growing paler. "The… the Witch's Cult?"
He jumped to his feet, startling the two spirits. "Hang on, hang on, hang on! What is going on? Are you really working for the Sword Saint?"
"It's complicated." Subaru said. "The Sword Saint already knows about it, as do the Royal Knights. But… they aren't doing enough."
"Aren't doing enough?" Otto exclaimed. "What do you mean by that? Tell me everything!"
For the third time that loop, Subaru went through the events of the attack, mentioning that Reinhard trusted his source. He didn't bring up the Sword Saint's speculation that Subaru might be a member of the Evil Eye Tribe. That felt a little too much like lying to Subaru's taste. He would do it if necessary, but he'd rather avoid it with Otto.
Otto slowly sat back down, working to control his breathing. "I'm definitely going to have to verify this document then. But wait, you said the knights aren't doing enough? What did you mean?"
"They think the they should wait for the cult to start infiltrating, then try and catch them then."
Otto nodded. "That sounds reasonable. But I take it you disagree with that course of action?"
"We need to find them first." Subaru was adamant on this point. They couldn't wait for the cult to come to them. They needed to strike first. He needed to.
Otto nodded slowly. "And you're going behind the Sword Saint's back to do this."
Subaru flushed, and stuttered, trying to deny it, but he couldn't make the words form. It was true. Reinhard thought the letter was to convince a merchant to sell his product. Subaru hadn't told him that he'd be trying to investigate the cult further.
"Do you at least have a plan?"
A small spark of hope lit in Subaru's heart. "I want to find the manor, the one that contains base I know of. Then the guards can raid it, and we can learn more about the cult. Does this mean…?"
Otto remained silent for a moment. "I can't make any guarantees," he said finally, "but I think I can try a few things."
He got up from his seat, clutching both the letter and the contract in one hand.
"I'll have a response for you tomorrow, though I believe I'll accept your proposal. We don't seem to have met in the best of situations, but I look forward to working with you, Mister Natsuki."
Subaru shook the offered hand firmly, the hope in his heart growing into full-blown joy. "Likewise. And please, 'Mister Natsuki' feels wrong on me. Just call me Subaru."
Subaru was incredibly busy over the next week. Otto was prioritising the cult over the company, so he left Subaru to do much more work with it than last time. Subaru had to attend several meetings with several suppliers and distributors. Luckily, he remembered a fair few of them from his previous loop, and was able to navigate the negotiations adequately.
Sometimes he felt like he should just drop the company, but Otto needed the money, and Subaru wasn't sure he wanted to rely on Felt's camp past the cult attack. He had mostly gotten over the feeling that joining another camp was a betrayal of Emilia, but he still felt uncomfortable about it.
Plus, it wasn't like he had a better use of his time. Reinhard had said he wasn't going to improve further without spacing out his training more, and Felt had threatened him with enforced bed rest if he didn't find something else to do. So far, Subaru had managed to keep the fact that Otto was investigating the cult a secret from them, so they didn't mind him doing work for his company 'side project'. The green-cloaked merchant hadn't even met the rest Felt's camp yet.
Every day, he and Subaru would meet in an office in the lower strata, to exchange reports with each other while Luna and the fire spirit played together overhead. It was during one of those reports that Otto said the words Subaru wanted to hear most.
"I have a lead." He said it casually, as if he were discussing the weather. "I've found a manor that matches your description, and seems like a good candidate for the hideout."
"Where is it? And how did you find it?" Subaru felt almost hungry at the thought that he was finally on track. It had been a full month, but they were finally making progress.
"There are many residences that match the description you provided, so I started looking into other factors that would make it desirable to the cult. Low traffic, lesser-known owners, and position. I've narrowed it down to about three, but one in particular is promising."
He leaved through a pile of papers until he found the one that he wanted and continued, "It's owned by a wealthy merchant, Amon Kalin. That isn't unusual in itself, there are many merchants with residences in the middle strata, but he's odd in that he's almost never in the city. It's difficult to even find out anything about him. None of my contacts have heard of him. And despite that, Mister Kalin's manor gets regular visitors."
"So, do you think it's the one?" Subaru asked. Maybe I could go and visit it? But even if I did, I wouldn't recognise it. I only saw the inside of the building, and a brief glimpse at the door when I got outside.
"It's definitely suspicious." Otto said. "I wouldn't have looked at it twice under normal circumstances, but I wanted to be thorough for this. It's a very good location for a hide-out. It's fairly close to the main roads, but doesn't get much traffic, and the grounds are decently well-hidden by the trees of the surrounding parks."
"So why are you only involving me now?" Subaru asked. "I'd have felt a lot better if I knew what was going on!"
Otto sighed. "I didn't want to get your hopes up. I'm not blind, I can see how you've been behaving over the last week. If I said something without being sure, you might have tried to bring the guards down on the house."
"I wouldn't do that!" he protested.
Luna and the fire spirit stopped their game to stare at him disbelievingly. He wilted under the force of their gazes. "Okay, point taken. So you're confident that this is the one now?"
"The animals I've talked to get a bad feeling from that house. It was enough that I engaged in some… mildly illegal activities."
Subaru stared at him.
"I took a walk near the manor, and used my Divine Protection to ask a group of mice to look around the interior," Otto admitted. "They don't have the intelligence to search properly, but no one would look at them twice. They've confirmed that there are a lot more people using the residence than would be expected, and that there's a basement not mentioned in the plans I've obtained from the palace."
"You got the plans?" Subaru asked. "How? Can I see them?"
If they're accurate for the ground floor, I might be able to confirm whether this is the right one, based on the path I took on the way out. Let's see… it was a left, then a right, then straight ahead until the door, wasn't it?
"I might have bribed an official for them." Otto admitted, pulling out a folder. "Be careful, I won't be able to get replacements."
Subaru gingerly spread the plans out on another table. He supposed that he should feel bad about leading Otto down a life of crime, but in this instance, he didn't really care. His finger traced the hallways, visualising them, trying to imagine what the manor he had been trapped in looked like.
"This is it." He whispered. There was no doubt about it. The entrance to the stairs down to the basement was replaced with a closet on the plans, but everything else matched up perfectly.
"I'm glad you're so sure. I, for one, am still dreading that it's all a horrible misunderstanding."
He sighed. "Well, we've reached the end of what the two of us can accomplish alone."
Subaru looked at him. "So, do we involve Reinhard?"
"No!" Otto exclaimed, then calmed down, and collected himself. "I mean no, not yet. The knights are bound by their honour and the law, whereas we are not. They might break tradition for this, but it's more likely that they'd set up a watch on the manor, which the cult could detect."
He reached into a drawer, and pulled out another set of papers. "There are some mercenaries that specialise in corporate espionage. Not officially, of course, that would be breaking at least three laws, but I'd say we'll be forgiven if we get results. Do you have any idea what kind of evidence we're looking for?"
Subaru shook his head. "Something in the basement, maybe? I can't imagine that they make all their plans on the fly, they must have some kind of records. Or perhaps one of their uniforms, or daggers? Reinhard was sure that they would be recognisable. Not many people know this, but apparently the knives they use are pretty unique. They must forge them themselves somewhere."
He thought back, trying to remember anything else that they could use to prove the cult's existence.
"Oh, or a gospel." The Sin Archbishop of Sloth had mentioned a gospel, and he assumed Subaru would have one. If they weren't something unique to Archbishops, then perhaps every member of the cult possessed a copy. Surely finding one in the manor would be enough.
"A gospel!?" Otto looked up from the paper. "I don't think we'll be able to convince anyone to look for one of those!"
"Eh? Why not?"
"They're books that serve as proof of membership in the Witch's Cult! It's said that they contain instructions written by the witch herself. According to the rumours, the witch sends them out into the world, and as soon as the intended recipient reads it, they become a cultist! No one in their right mind would dare touch one!"
"Okay. So we won't tell the mercenary why we want the books." Subaru said. "We'll just say they're recipes or something."
"That's not the problem here! What if our spy reads one, and betrays us? We'll be murdered in our beds!"
He shook his head. "If the daggers are identifiable, I'd say one of those would be our best bet."
Subaru smiled. Finally, finally, the cult was coming within his reach.
It didn't take long to get in contact with a mercenary. Otto arranged a meeting the very next day, and they chose to meet in one of the private rooms of the Broken Wheel.
"Remember, leave the talking to me." Otto whispered. "If she finds out we're trying to spy on the Witch's Cult, she might decide we're crazy. No, we are crazy, for trying something like this. But don't let her find out."
"I understand." Subaru said, fiddling with his satchel. He had brought the documents they would need to give to the mercenary. While he could have left the meeting to Otto, he felt he needed to be present for the moment. He had to admit, if it were up to him, he might have tried to infiltrate the manor by himself. But it's better to leave it to people who are actually qualified for that. I'd probably just get myself captured.
The door opened, and a woman walked in, with flaming red hair that would put Reinhard to shame. She seemed about Subaru's height, wearing a simple corset and trousers, with two curved scabbards at her side. Her weapons seemed to be too long to be knives, and yet too short to be called swords. Short scimitars, perhaps?
There was a scar on her right cheek, twisting that side of her mouth into a permanent sneer.
Luna and the fire spirit gave her an odd look as she drew closer.
Flicker? Luna wondered.
Flicker. The fire spirit affirmed.
What do you two mean by flicker? Can't you be more descriptive?
The woman hesitated briefly when she saw the two spirits, but quickly got over it, focusing her green eyes onto the two of them.
"My, my. You're on time. This must be important to you." She swung a chair out and sat down, crossing her arms. "My name is Velia. Just Velia. I'm one of the best spies in the capital. I'll have you know I don't work cheap."
"Erm, yes, we're expecting you." Otto began a little taken aback at her brashness. "But are you sure you should be saying that so openly? What if we were working for the guards?"
She laughed. "I look into my clients before accepting requests. You two are behind the new company that's been rising in the area. Otto Suwen, a well-regarded merchant, and Subaru Natsuki, the nasty-eyed spirit arts user with a connection to the Astrea family."
Honestly, what kind of rumours are spreading about me? And is that nasty-eyed thing a reference to what my eyes look like, or has my Evil Eye Tribe cover story leaked out somewhere?
"From what I understand, you have a grudge of some kind, and are trying to find the person who wronged you. I know you've been making some discreet inquiries in the guilds, Mister Suwen."
She smiled and leaned back against her chair. "Well, how'd I do?"
"That is roughly our situation." Otto confirmed. "We only hope to gather enough proof to rouse the guards to action."
He placed a map on the table between them, and pushed it over to her. "This is the place we want you to investigate. It's a small manor on the northeast outskirts of the middle strata. We've obtained the floor plans, but have already confirmed the existence of rooms not shown on them. A basement has been added to the structure."
Velia hummed, as she took the paper and looked it over. "That's not uncommon. Depending on the stated purpose of the lower rooms, they don't even have to declare them during construction. No one cares if a manor has a few extra wine cellars, after all. And if they happen to hide something other than wine in them…" She shrugged, apparently not seeing the need to continue.
She flicked her eyes up to meet theirs. "What do you want me to find? I'll state upfront that I'm not in the business of planting evidence. If you do desire that kind of service, I can recommend a few of my friends to you."
"That won't be necessary." Otto said, raising his hand. "We want anything about what they're trying to hide, primarily. Documents, books, robes, or weapons. In particular…"
He motioned to Subaru, and he took another paper out of the satchel. This one had a number of drawings of a particular kind of knife on it, the results of Subaru's attempt to draw the cultist's distinctive cross daggers.
"We want to know if there are any of this kind of dagger on the premises. If there are, we'd prefer it if you could retrieve one for us. They're a rather unique kind, and would serve as sufficient proof for our purposes."
Velia glanced at the drawings, then froze.
Subaru could feel a sudden tension in the air, and his spirits flew to his side, hovering in front of him protectively.
Velia slowly lifted a hand, and traced the scar on her face.
"I think there might be a little more to this than a simple spat between companies. Mind telling me why this manor would have weapons belonging to the Witch's Cult?"
AN: So, this is my rewritten and improved version of this chapter. I wasn't really happy with how it turned out before, so I've made some changes. For those who want to just know what changed:
- Removed the shadow garden scene, for now. It will be back later in the story.
- The fire spirit got some more characterisation. Subaru is a little more angsty.
- Subaru joins Felt's camp, rather than trying to be a merchant again (for some poorly thought out reason.)
- Other minor changes to bring things back into line.
Huge thanks to rajvir and Spook over on AO3, their thoughts were invaluable for figuring out what I wanted to do with the chapter. I'm really happy with this final result.