In the week after the first raid, the capital was in turmoil. A total of nine raids had taken place, though only three were on locations confirmed to be cultist hideouts. The others were either abandoned before arrival, or seemingly unrelated to the cult.
Unrest was growing in the slums, as the guards shut down all illegal entrances, often through force. So far, they had managed to keep the knowledge of the cult's presence in the capital secret from the public, but Otto was sure it wouldn't last. Too many people knew, it was bound to leak eventually.
Subaru glanced out the window, the carriage rocking as they rolled over a bump in the road.
They had just entered the upper strata, where the palace was located. He remembered the road from his previous trip to the royal selection. Though, in this loop, it was still about two weeks until the selection was supposed to be called.
"There are many things that the Council of Elders wishes to discuss," Reinhard explained. "I apologise for the disturbance to your schedules, but we didn't have much notice."
"Not like we were doing much anyway," Velia said, leaning back in the carriage seat. "I haven't had a job in days, aside from teaching this slowpoke."
"Oi!" Subaru protested. "If you would remember how to teach properly, I wouldn't learn as slowly!"
Fast! Good learn!
Velia smiled at Luna, and bowed her head. "Of course, you're doing rather well, little miss spirit. I hear you're able to cast a proper shamak spell now. You must be very proud."
Luna preened, successfully distracted from her original goal of defending Subaru.
Subaru glared at the disguised elf, who smiled back evilly.
Reinhard took the lull in conversation as an opportunity to continue, "This is a large meeting, involving a great many people. The point is for the council to gather enough information to make up their minds on how to proceed. You three won't have to actively contribute, but you might have to answer questions if the council wants, which is likely, since you're some of the foremost members of the investigation."
He turned to Subaru. "If you ever feel like you can't disclose anything, inform me, and I will answer in your place."
"I don't see the point of my presence, though." Velia said. She had switched her illusion back to her red-haired form. She had been changing the colour of her hair constantly since she revealed her true form to the camp, to Felt's envy. "I only snuck around and stole things. Your mistress could have come for those qualifications. Why didn't you bring her? She seemed eager to participate."
"You may still be of interest to the council," Reinhard said, then he sighed. "While it is regrettable, Lady Felt could not be allowed to come for other reasons. The Royal Candidates are not supposed to meet officially until the beginning of the selection. The rules are being bent to allow the two in the upper nobility to be invited, bringing a third who has no preexisting rank is not viable."
"Two candidates are going to be there?" Otto asked. He had been quietly reading his reports during the trip, this was the first time he had spoken up. "Would that not confer them an unfair advantage, to be a part of a private meeting of such weight without the others?"
Reinhard shook his head. "No, representatives from the camps of all five candidates will be present. And although two candidates were invited directly, it does not appear that Lady Barielle will be participating herself."
"Lady Barielle?" Subaru asked, a minor detail he had forgotten resurfacing in his mind. "Does she have some kind of special situation?"
"No?" Reinhard answered with a hint of confusion. "I believe she simply doesn't want to attend. Why do you ask?"
"Nothing. I just thought…" He shook his head. In the previous loop, information about her had been distributed oddly. Or perhaps it had just been the guard, Alexander. He could have simply missed the mentions of her. After all, Otto hadn't mentioned anything special about the candidate's situation.
"Well, regardless," Reinhard continued, "the four of us will unofficially be representing Felt's camp for the duration of the meeting. Otto, would you keep notes of the proceedings? I would usually have one of the clerks do it, but we are trying to keep this information contained, so our options are somewhat more limited."
"I'll do it," Otto replied. "It shouldn't be too different from a guild meeting. I may have to summarise talking points as they come up, but I'll get it done."
Reinhard nodded. "That's fine. We'll be able to request the royal transcript of the meeting once the selection starts, your notes only need to serve until then."
The carriage slowly rolled to a stop, and they exited out onto the pavement. Subaru looked up at the heights of the palace. The spires looked far less impressive this time. Perhaps it was because he had already seen them once.
Or maybe it's because I saw them come down like a house of cards.
"Are you alright, Subaru?"
Otto came to his side, carrying a satchel of reports and other documents, and joined him in looking up at the towers. "They're quite imposing, aren't they? The palace is one of the wonders of the world."
"Yeah. They really are." Subaru said, but his heart wasn't in it. "Come on, we don't want to fall behind."
The exterior wasn't the only thing Subaru was seeing differently. Rather than being awe-inspiring, the journey towards the throne room, with the countless soldiers lining the walls, only served to highlight how dire the situation must have been inside the palace during the last loop.
Velia was tense as they passed the soldiers by, trying not to draw attention to herself. Despite the unconcerned air she tended to put on, Subaru knew she had to be nervous on the inside. There was no telling how many of the people present today would be able to see through her illusion.
Errand! Luna projected as they walked. The two spirits had been circling around the group and looking around as if searching for something. Whatever it was, Luna had spotted it.
"You want to go for a while?"
He considered it for a moment. I suppose that would be fine. I won't need to use magic in here, and it would be boring for them to remain still for a meeting that could last hours.
"Fine, but be careful, and don't use any magic that could disturb people. And even then, don't cast Shamak too much, you'll make yourself dizzy."
When she had first figured out how to cast the spell, she had been so enamoured with it she had run her reserves dry. She hadn't been in an danger, since the fire spirit had been there to help, but Subaru had been worried sick.
She bobbed, conveying that Subaru's concern was unnecessary, and that she would never be so reckless. Then, the two of them shot off down the corridor, fading from sight.
Marcos was standing outside the huge doors to the throne room once again, but this time they had been left open, with a stream of servants entering and exiting, carrying papers, writing utensils, and more.
Reinhard nodded to Marcos as they passed. The Captain of the Knights did not respond, merely eyeing everyone who passed with his constantly shimmering eyes.
The throne room had undergone a massive transformation. Tables had been laid out in a semi-circle around the throne, taking up more than half the room. Various bureaucrats and nobles mulled around, talking while they waited for the meeting to start.
"Are they sure this is the best place for a long meeting like this? No one's going to be able to hear anything," Subaru said. "All the tables are way too far away from the centre, so every will have to be practically shouting to be heard."
"This is the only room big enough to accommodate all the attendees," Reinhard said. "But you needn't worry. There is a solution, everyone will be able to speak without straining their voices."
Subaru raised an eyebrow. "Like with magic or something? If it's just microphones, I'm going to be disappointed."
"Well, I hope you are not. Though, I've never heard of a my-crow-fone. Perhaps that's another name for the spell—"
He cut off, and lifted his head in surprise, the barest hint of a frown crossing his face.
"Reinhard? What is it?" Subaru asked, trying to spot the whatever was bothering the Sword Saint.
Reinhard snapped out of it, and turned back to Subaru. "I'm sorry, I just saw someone I didn't expect. The Captain of the Guards, Garvos Hold. He has been losing face recently, since the nobles believe it the safety of the city is his responsibility, and these revelations have called his competence into question."
He glanced back. "While he hasn't actively hindered the knights, he has been petitioning to involve the guards more heavily in the investigation. I'm concerned he may try something."
"So just politics, huh?" Velia scoffed dismissively. "More importantly, where are we sitting?"
"We have not been assigned seats yet," he answered, not perturbed in the slightest by her lack of interest. "You may interact freely with the other guests until the meeting starts, but I doubt anyone would begrudge you if you took a seat somewhere."
"Nyah? Reinhard, who are these?" A cutesy voice asked, and the person it belonged to poked their head out from behind Subaru, inspecting him critically.
"Gah!? Who are you?" Subaru exclaimed, almost jumping out of his skin. The newcomer was wearing a blue and white dress, covered with overly fancy ribbons and bows. And on her head… "Wait, are those cat ears? And a tail, you're a Demi-human?"
"Thyat's quite a rude thing to say, for someone who's quite possibly a crazy-eyed Demi-human themselves," the cat-girl said with a pout. "My friends call me Ferri, so you can call me Ferris."
"Please don't tease him," Reinhard chastised. "Subaru, this is Felix Argyle. He's the finest healer in the country."
It took a moment for his words to sink in, but once they did, Subaru recoiled in shock. "He!? Wait, for real, he!?" He stared at the the slim cat-person, trying to reconcile the difference between appearance and the reality Reinhard had assured him of.
"No, no, no! It's too much! A boy shouldn't be this pretty!"
Felix giggled, and winked. "Everybody makes that face when they find out. I don't see why, it's not my fault people assume I'm a girl, nyah!"
"Felix, please leave Subaru alone. Have you seen Julius? I was hoping to talk to him before the meeting starts."
"I can show you to him." Felix pranced over to the Sword Saint's side. "He's stuck over with his lady's mercenaries, since she's not allowed to attend today. She's nyot too happy with him, nyah-nyah."
"Alright." He turned back to the others. "Will the three of you be okay?"
Velia nodded curtly, and wandered off towards the right side of the room, away from the majority of the crowd.
"Of course," Otto said in her place. "It would be nice to put these down for a while, so we'll wait at the table. Hey, Velia, wait for us!"
He hurried after her, and Reinhard followed after Felix, leaving Subaru alone.
It felt somewhat strange to have real solitude, or at least, as real as it could be in a room full of people. Usually at least one of his spirits stayed by his side constantly, commenting on everything interesting that caught their attention.
But now that he was alone, the thoughts he usually brushed aside came bubbling up.
Is there really a point for me to be here? I haven't been a 'foremost member' of the investigation, no matter what Reinhard says. Otto knows more about the cult movements, and Velia was the one who snuck into their bases. All I did was tell everyone to start looking for them.
He had introduced himself as a 'herald of doom' to Felt, but it seemed like that was all he was capable of. Perhaps he should just relax. Someone as weak as him had no right to try and play a major role in such a grand event.
A hand clapped onto his shoulder, startling him out of his contemplation.
"My, my, dooo you have a minute?" A familiar voice asked from behind Subaru, with a particularly strange way of speaking.
Subaru turned his head, already knowing what he'd see, unable to believe it. A man, dressed in flamboyant purples, clown makeup on his face, and his two eyes gleaming with blue and yellow.
"Ros—" he cut himself off before he could say more. While it wasn't odd for random civilians to know the identity of the rather distinctive man, calling him by his name would definitely be overly familiar.
"Ah, you know me. That makes things easier," Roswaal L. Mathers said, a small smile growing on his face.
"You are not how I expected, but neither are you all that different from how you were descriiibed. It's nice to meet you, Subaru Natsuki, was it? Would you be so kiiind as to talk with me for a moment?"
"Eh?" Subaru said, caught completely off guard by this ghost from a past life. "Um, of course, Lord Margrave. I'd be happy to."
The clown's smile only grew wider.
It wasn't hard to find a clear spot away from the crowd, near the back of the room. There were a few people who seemed to want to approach Roswaal, but they backed off when he shot them a look.
"Um, Lord Margrave…" Subaru began hesitantly. He wasn't sure how he felt about the clownish man. It had been his servant that had ended his life at the manor, but Subaru didn't have any indication that Roswaal had been aware of Re— of the maid's murderous intentions. And everything Subaru had learned since then reinforced the Margrave's image as a respectable noble, probably the best in the kingdom by Subaru's standards.
"You neeeedn't worry, I am not one to demand you participate in the trivialities of our positions," Roswaal said, tilting his head to look down at him. "You may call me as you please."
"Lord Roswaal then. Can I ask what you want from me?"
"My, aren't you direct?" Roswaal said, closing one eye, leaving only the yellow on visible. "Very well, I shall begin. I wanted to confirm a few things with you, in regards to this situation. You are the one who uncovered the Witch Cult's presence in the city, are you nooot?"
Subaru nodded slowly. "I started the process, but I can't take full credit. Without my companions, I wouldn't have been able to do anything."
"I see." Roswaal's tone was inscrutable. "From what the Sword Saint has reported, you have an ability, believed to be an 'Evil Eye of Foresight', that shooowed you this, correct?"
"Erm, that's what Reinhard thinks." Subaru tensed, fearing the witch's retaliation, but no grasping hand came. He couldn't try to reveal anything, but non-answers seemed safe.
Roswaal seemed happy with it anyway, and continued, "Though this wasn't incluuuded in the reports, I suspect you are also the one who alerted the Sword Saint to the Bowel Hunter's presence in the city, and the danger to Lady Emilia's life."
"Yes, I told Reinhard about her." Subaru glanced up at Roswaal hesitantly. He suspected he already knew where the man was going with his line of questioning.
"Why did you not accooompany him?" Roswaal opened his eye so that both were looking at him directly. They were filled with an emotion of some kind. Hunger? Regret? Something else? "The saviour of Lady Emilia should be rewarded. Though I'm sure the Sword Saint has taken good care of you, I'm disappointed I was not aaable to do so personally."
Subaru shuddered, the echoes of his killer's voice ringing in his head.
"I wanted to kill you the moment I saw you."
"I couldn't. It was—" What can I say? That he employs a dangerous murderess, that I wouldn't have been safe if I had gone with Emilia? Sounds like a great way to make him angry.
Roswaal's voice grew more serious. "Is the answer perhaps related to the Witch Cult, and your subsequent warning about them?"
"Die, witch cultist!"
Subaru felt an ironic amusement rise up inside him. "Hah. I suppose you could say that."
"I see. So they interfered…" Roswaal's eyes unfocused, and he stared off into the distance.
Someone at the head of the room called out, and Roswaal looked over in annoyance. "It seems we are beginning now. As a parting gift, I will tell you, I would be happy to pay back my debt to you. Should you have any wish, you neeeed only say the word."
Subaru shivered. Roswaal had offered the same thing during the loops in the manor. He felt a sickness in his stomach at the thought.
"Thank you, Lord Roswaal, but I don't believe I can accept," Subaru said, racking his brains for anything he could use to refuse the offer. "I'm a member of Felt's camp, I couldn't possibly accept a gift from another camp's sponsor."
Roswaal's face hardened, but it passed quickly. "I should hooope that won't be an issue during such trying times. All should come together and form new bonds in the face of chaaallenge, don't you agree? Who knows?" He shrugged. "Perhaps our camps can work out a common ground, to achieve all our goals."
"I'm not really the one to talk to for things like that," Subaru said, a trace of bitterness entering his words. "I'm barely even involved in the investigation."
"Ah, then perhaps they simply don't see your value." Roswaal said, tiling his head and offering a small smile. "You should not sell yourself short, especially since you are the only one who has any idea of what this broken world's future holds. If you ever dooo find yourself adrift, you are free to approach me, and I'm sure something could be worked out. Regaaardless, I hope to build a productive relationship with you, Subaru Natsuki."
He walked away, leaving Subaru a little more disoriented than was usual for his interactions with him.
Man, he's really weird. But I can see why he's so popular.
He sighed, and looked down at the floor, gritting his teeth with a sudden spike of anger.
So of the Emilia camp, it's only those two that are evil.
By the time he reached his seat, Subaru had calmed down. The unease at the coming attack tended to whittle down all emotions that he felt, despite his best efforts to keep up a facade of normalcy.
"Where were you?" Otto asked. The green-cloaked merchant was already seated, various papers strewn across the table in front of them. They had a position on the left side of the room, bunched up with the representatives for the knights. Marcos himself didn't get a seat, he was standing in the same spot he had for the Royal Selection, near the Council of Elders.
"I was talking to someone," Subaru said, sitting down. "Lord Mathers wanted to know some things. Because he's Emilia's sponsor, and I warned Reinhard about the danger she was in. I think he also wants some kind of alliance with the Felt camp."
"Ah, I see. How did it go? You didn't annoy him, did you?"
"No, I didn't. I think. It's hard to be sure." Subaru noticed Otto nodded idly, without taking his eyes off the document in his hands. "You're awfully unconcerned about it. Isn't he a really big shot? I might have accidentally offended one of the most important people in the kingdom, you know."
"Even if you had, it wouldn't matter," Otto said. "Sir Reinhard has made it clear that you are under his protection. And in a situation like this, where Lord Mathers is at such a disadvantage as the sponsor of the perceived reason for the Witch Cult's presence, he cannot afford to make enemies."
"Emilia isn't—" Subaru began heatedly, but Otto quieted him with a raised hand. "I know. But that isn't how everyone else is going to see it. They are going to blame her for it, regardless of how undeserved it is. That is something the Emilia camp is going to have to work out."
His tone softened as he saw Subaru's frustrated expression. "Don't worry about it. They are not without influence. I imagine that if we succeed in stopping the cult, their camp's viability in the selection will remain tenable."
"Because tenable is the best they can hope for," Subaru sighed, too tired to indulge in his usual rage at the unfairness of it all.
"Normally that would be the standard for someone in her position," Velia commented. She was sitting in the seat just past Otto, leaning back in her chair, and trying to remain uninteresting and unnoticed. "Believing that silver-haired half-elves aren't total scum is the unusual stance."
"You shouldn't provoke him," Otto said before Subaru could say anything. "I feel similarly to Subaru. The fact that someone as disadvantaged as her has the possibility to ascend to the throne could be taken as a symbol of hope for the country's lower classes. I, for one, am glad that she has chosen to brave her situation."
"Hmm. So you're a weird one too." She shrugged. "I can't say I'm unhappy about it though. It's nice to have some reasonable friends around for a change."
Further conversation was interrupted as Reinhard arrived, sitting in the seat to Subaru's right.
"Marcos will begin soon," he said. "The first section will be mostly administrative, but remain alert, they might ask for your opinions at any time."
A loud clang rang out, as Marcos rapped his fist against his breastplate. The sound silenced the room, and everyone brought their attention to the knight.
"All who are going to attend have arrived." Marcos boomed, "We will now begin this emergency meeting, called by the Council of Elders to determine how we should deal with the threat of the Witch Cult. Lord Roswaal, if you would?"
Roswaal nodded, and began moving his hands and chanting softly. He was standing by the dais leading up to the throne, rather than sitting in a seat with the rest of his attendants.
Though… Subaru looked over the tables around the room. Does he even have attendants? I know Emilia isn't here, and I don't know anyone who works for him besides those maids.
He did spot Lady Crusch seated in the middle of some other nobles, and the cat-boy Felix was sitting right next to her. A masculine lady, and an effeminate knight. Truly two peas of a pod.
There was a slight pop, and then total silence, bringing Subaru's attention back to the front of the room.
"It's a spell developed by the Lord Roswaal," Reinhard said. "Anyone who addresses the room will have their voice projected to everyone, while those who only intend to speak to their table will not. It is a marvel of a spell, beyond the limits of everyone except Lord Roswaal himself."
"We will now begin," Marcos declared. "As of one week ago, the presence of the witch cultists has been confirmed in this capital city. I will summarise what we have learned since then."
Subaru tuned him out, and started looking back over the other tables. He could already feel that it was going to be a long day.
"From the testimony of the captured cultists, and the documents that we have been able to salvage, the cult has more safe houses in the city, that we have not been able to locate. They will likely still attempt the attack as per the initial tip." Marcos finished. It had taken a good thirty minutes to get everyone onto the same page. Several times participants had interrupted with questions about the cult's forces, locations, and clarifications on the knight's activities.
"Thank you, Sir Marcos," Miklotov said. "It is the opinion of the Council of Elders that the representatives gathered here today should be allowed to voice their opinions for consideration. This is something that threatens us all."
"If I may, Lord Miklotov?" A bureaucrat asked, standing up. "You have given much evidence that the cult is in the city, but I fail to see why they would attack now of all times. They have just been dealt a massive blow, why would they expend themselves in an attack as originally described?"
"That's Rickert Hoffman," Otto said. "He's the head of the Hoffman family, and a strong supporter of the Aristocracy. He won't be an ally for us here, given Lady Felt's wishes."
"I can see your concern," Miklotov replied. "Given the situation, I believe it would be appropriate to disclose the situation, however, this knowledge isn't to leave this room."
At the elder's nod, Roswaal took over, and stepped forward. "I was fortunate enough to fiiind one of the five Royal Candidates prophesied by the dragon tablet. The candidate in question is of paaarticular interest to the Witch Cult, as she is a silver-haired half-elf, by the name of Emilia."
The room exploded with activity, though Subaru couldn't actually hear any of the protestations, no doubt due to Roswaal's spell.
"A half-elf!? As a candidate!?" Rickert sounded incredulous. "Does that not present an easy solution, then? If she is not allowed to participate in the selection, then there will be no reason for the cult to attack."
"It is not that simple," Roswaal said. "The dragon stone responds to her, there is no doubt that she is a candidate chooosen by Volcanica. To exclude her would be to ignore the dragon tablet's guidance." He paused, then continued in a quieter tone, "One cannot expect to deviate from a prophecy and yet still receive the outcome it descriiibed."
"This has already been discussed amongst the Council of Elders," Miklotov said. "We agree with Lord Roswaal's reasoning."
From the look on Bordeaux's face, it hadn't been a pleasant discussion. The man didn't seem any happier about Emilia's presence in the selection than he had in the previous loop.
"For the sake of the country, we must consider other solutions."
Rickert didn't seem to agree, but he bowed, and sat back down in his seat. He began discussion with the other nobles at his table, probably trying to find some way to exclude Emilia anyway.
"First, there is something I want to confirm," Crusch said, joining the discussion for the first time. Many in the surroundings payed particular attention to her. It seemed it was an open secret that she was one of the selection candidates.
"Some of what you have stated about the cult— in particular, the details about the attack— have no evidence to support them, aside from the initial tip. What reason do the Royal Knights have to believe them to be accurate?"
Marcos looked over to their table, and Reinhard cleared his throat.
"The tip was originally provided to me, so I shall explain as best as I am able—"
"I provided it." Subaru said, standing up. This was the only thing he could offer, he wouldn't hide behind other people to speak for him.
"I cannot tell you how I know, but I do know for a fact that the cult will attack."
"Subaru has an ability, currently suspected to be that of an Evil Eye tribe member's, that has informed him of the attack," Reinhard added.
"An Evil Eye?" Crusch asked, raising an eyebrow. "I have heard the rumours circulating, but it seems rather suspicious. Why would you believe it to be an ability from a tribe long thought dead, when it could be something as simple as a Divine Protection?"
"I have the Divine Protection of Judgement," Reinhard said. "I am aware of the Divine Protections of everyone I come across, and I do not sense one from Subaru. I'm aware of where this line of questioning will lead, so allow me to explain what I can. Subaru has information about the future due to an ability. He is not sure why he possesses it, and he cannot speak of the ability itself, likely as a result of a contract placed on him that he no longer remembers. And, he has no connection to the cult or any other organisation that would mean harm to Lugunica, on the honour of the Royal Knights and the Astrea family."
"A contract?" Crusch frowned. "How can you be sure it doesn't have additional clauses? If he was manipulated to believe false information, our defence could be compromised."
"Thaaat is where I come in." Roswaal said, before Reinhard could say anything. "I had the opportunity to examine him before the meeting began. It is my opinion that any such contract wouldn't be cooomplicated enough for such a thing. The one who likely placed it on Subaaaru would not have been as well-versed in the magic as I. Removing a contract of that level could have damaging effects on the mind, so I would let it be."
Eh? When did he do that!? He could sense a contact on me without even touching me? Why didn't he mention it back in the manor?
"I see. Then, could you please restate the warning you issued for all present, mister Natsuki?"
Subaru looked over at the duchess. "Erm, yes, I can."
He paused to gather his thoughts, then began, "I have four major pieces of information about the attack. First, the cult will use some kind of fear spell, which will cause everyone in the city to become afraid and angry. Second, the leader of the attack will be the Sin Archbishop of Sloth, Petelgeuse Romani-Conti. Third, they will attack in two stages. First they'll use a series of hit and run attacks the lower strata, and then when the defenders are worn down, they will attack the palace itself. Lastly, they have a powerful ice weapon, which is capable of destroying the palace."
"On your third point, how accurate is your knowledge of their battle plan likely to be?" Crusch pressed. "From the accounts shared with me, the knights received your initial tip over a month ago, and since then much has been done to change that future. As Lord Mathers said earlier, we cannot expect a prophecy followed imperfectly to lead to the same outcome."
Subaru hesitated. That was a line of thinking he had been keen on avoiding. If the cult adapted to the changes he made, then there was no telling what they would do. "I'm not sure," he finally admitted. "All I can say is that is how it would have been, had I done nothing."
Crusch nodded. "That is fine. It is more than we would have had, and your other points are still useful, as the cult will not lightly cast aside tools such as those. The Sin Archbishop of Sloth, the fear spell, and the ice weapon. We also cannot discount the possibility that the Sin Archbishop of Greed, or other Sin Archbishops may also make an appearance. These are the main forces we should focus on countering."
More conversation started up around her words, giving Subaru the opportunity to sit back down, with another seed of worry growing within him.
"Other Sin Archbishops?" he whispered. It was something he hadn't considered, and yet now it seemed painfully obvious. Surely if there was a Witch of Envy, and a Sin Archbishop of Sloth, there would be those who represented the other five sins.
"That's the rumour." Velia said. "But only Sloth and Greed are well known. The Vollachian emperor that invaded Lugunica a few decades ago was apparently the Sin Archbishop of Pride, but I left the country by then, so I'm going off second-hand information."
"That is what he introduced himself as, according to the historical reports." Reinhard confirmed. "We do not have much information about how the cult operates. It is unknown if the other positions are even filled at the moment."
"But Greed is known to exist? What is known about him?" Subaru asked, trying to remember every detail about the attack. Was it possible he had missed a second Sin Archbishop?
"Greed's been around for ages, even longer than me." Velia answered. She put a finger to her lips. "I think most recently was… Garkla, right? He destroyed the most heavily fortified city in Vollachia, including their top warrior of the time, Kurgan, the Eight-Armed. That was about fifteen years ago."
Reinhard nodded. "Most of the reports of Greed are like that. We only have stories of him engaging in large scale battles, but it is suspected that he participates in smaller skirmishes, and leaves no survivors to report his presence."
That sounds horrifying. I didn't see anything like that last loop. Unless, could the ice weapon have been Greed? It was certainly powerful enough.
"Lord Roswaal, I do not believe we will come to a conclusion on this. Could you give your opinion as the court mage on these two magic weapons?" someone asked, and Subaru brought his attention back to the meeting.
"As you wiiish." Roswaal said. "I suspect the ice weapon is known to me. I cannot reveal it in this situation, but I doubt it will pose a threat, should the cult be defeated. It is not something that is… 'activated' lightly."
Doubt it will pose a threat? It destroyed the palace! Subaru thought, but he was also relieved. If it wouldn't pose a threat to Roswaal, then it would be dealt with far easier than Subaru had dared to hope.
"As to the fear spell," Roswaal continued, spreading his arms out. "I am aware of a few magic circles that could have similar effects, though it could also be a result of the cult's heretical magics. I do not believe it will prove much difficulty with some time to analyse the situation."
"On that note," a new voice called out, "I have a lead on a potential counter-measure for this 'fear spell'."
Whoever had spoken hadn't made any obvious moves, so Subaru wasn't entirely sure who it was. He had the vague direction of the voice from Roswaal's spell, but that could be someone from any number of tables.
Reinhard exhaled softly. "That's Sir Garvos speaking. He's the one in full armour, three tables to the left of Lady Crusch."
Subaru found the table, and saw the man in question. He was covered by a set of the guards' armour, so Subaru couldn't make out anything about him. However, the people at the table with him were only wearing light armour, without their helmets. One in particular caught Subaru's eye, a golden-haired man at Garvos's side.
It's a bit far, but that looks like… Could it be…?
"The guards received an anonymous tip about Witch Cult activity at around the same time as the knights," Garvos said. "When the knights began cracking down, we guards reviewed all the tips given to us over the last few months, and discovered it. Am I correct in thinking it was yours, Natsuki?"
"Eh?" Subaru said, still squinting to try and see the golden-haired guard better. "I mean, yes, I submitted it at a guard station, just before I informed Reinhard."
Garvos nodded. "Contained within, we found a reference to the fear spell just described, and it was also stated that some Divine Protections had a neutralising effect on the spell. Given that the guards employ a much larger amount of people with such Divine Protections, I saw fit to try and find one who fits the criteria."
Subaru's eyes widened. Then, that means that he is…!
"This is Patrol Captain Alexander, who has the Divine Protection of Calming Words."
It was him. Subaru hadn't recruited him so far, since despite Subaru mentioning that effect of Divine Protections on the spell, the knights hadn't spent effort to look for people with one. The fact that Subaru hadn't remembered the Divine Protection's name until now didn't help.
Patrol Captain, though? Subaru didn't know the ranks the guards used, but he remembered that Alexander had been second in command of his patrol when they had met. He had only taken up a leadership role because everyone above him had been killed or injured.
He must have received a promotion when Garvos saw that he could be used to salvage the reputation of the guards. Well, he deserves it, he handled himself really competently during the attack. Or… would handle it competently, if it happened.
Alexander got to his feet, and cleared his throat nervously. "My greetings, honoured elders. As Sir Garvos has stated, I have a Divine Protection, one that grants me some immunity to mental effects, and allows me suppress out-of-control emotions in others by speaking to them. While I cannot guarantee it will work on this fear spell—"
"It will." Subaru interjected. "At least to a limited degree."
"Is that sooo?" Roswaal said, tilting his head at Subaru. "I must admit, I'm very curious as to what your first 'vision' entailed."
Subaru froze up. Would it be a violation of the witch's contract to narrate a vision of the events of the last loop? That felt far too close to admitting that he had an ability for comfort, and it likely wouldn't give anyone a better idea of what was coming. Worse, it might clue some people in to his real power, Return by Death, which Subaru was sure the witch would punish him severely for.
"I'm sorry, but I can't."
Roswaal sighed. "As expected."
"Forgive me, but I still do not see much in the way of problems." Rickert said, drawing the conversation back to him. "All of this establishes the cult as a credible threat to the city, but I do not see why we assume they must attack here. If we send the half-devil away after the beginning of the selection, will we not avoid this predicament entirely?"
Subaru's fists clenched as the man spoke. He wanted nothing more to shout him down, to prove him wrong, but that wasn't something that was within his power.
"That is a flawed argument, Lord Hoffman." Yet another new person entered the conversation, provoking outrage from a subset of the nobles. He had golden hair, a little more like Alexander's than Felt's, and was dressed in a formal business suit reminiscent of the ones Otto coaxed Subaru into in the previous loop.
"Ugh." Velia blenched, seemingly unable to contain her distaste for the man.
"What?" Subaru asked.
"That's Russel Fellow," she answered. "The slimiest, grubbiest man in the capital. Officially, he's the kingdom's Treasurer. Not a single deal happens in this city without him taking a cut."
"He used to own the majority of my debt," Otto commented, not looking up from the notes he was still furiously writing out. "I would usually disagree with Velia's choice of words, but in this case, I don't think they're inaccurate."
"That's not the half of it," Velia said. "He's the leader of the Six Tongues, this kingdom's intelligence service. They're good too. Not as good as the Admirer, mind you, but still damn good."
"The Six Tongues? And wait, the Admirer?" Otto looked up from his notes, and stared at her. "Velia, did you get chased out of Kararagi?"
"I don't know what you're insinuating," she said shamelessly. "Hush now, he's talking."
Indeed, the nobles had quieted down, and Russel was walking around to the front of his table, to better address the room.
"You suggest that we simply move Lady Emilia out of the city, but we do not have conclusive proof that she is their target," he said. "If we moved our forces to protect her in the countryside, there will be less to defend the city should they attack here anyway. The Witch Cult has never behaved as we expected before, to believe they would start now because we have a little information could be disastrous."
"What do you suggest?" Miklotov asked.
Russel bowed to the dais and addressed the Council of Elders directly. "We should fight them at the time and place where we know they will be. I suggest we proceed as we have, under the assumption that the city will be attacked. There are many steps we can take to minimise casualties, either through evacuations or curfews. Strong control of the wall will allow us to catch many of the cult's reinforcements as they enter, we are aware of their hidden weapons, and have methods prepared to counter them."
He raised both hands dramatically, and stated, "This is the least risky course for the kingdom. We should devote our energies towards this, the destruction of the Witch Cult in Lugunica."
From the moment of Russel's speech, most considered it obvious that the kingdom would follow his suggested course of action. It was small wonder, given that the knights already supported that plan, and few others had the expertise in combat to argue with them.
It still took another two hours of discussion and planning before something resembling agreement started to emerge. Once there was consensus among the participants, the Council of Elders dismissed the meeting, charging the Royal Knights with creating a plan for the defence of the city.
After conferring with the rest of the Council of Elders, Miklotov had closed the discussion with one final statement.
"There are many who have raised the possibility of delaying the Selection until this situation has been dealt with. However, the danger for this kingdom to continue to exist without a king is too high for such a move. By now, it has become common knowledge among the nobility that the fifth candidate has been found. In light of her camp's rapid set up, and the increasing number of people who could leak information to the cult, we have instead decided to shorten the schedule. Within the week, the Royal Selection will begin."
Subaru sighed, collapsing against the wall. Reinhard still had things to discuss with the knights, and Otto and Velia were summarising their findings to the Captain of the Guards, who was now an official part of the investigation.
Or perhaps it would be preparation, now. They're going to attack the city, and we can't stop them. Hell, we have so little we can do, that they're going to bait them to attack early!
Was any of it going to help? Subaru couldn't be certain. The cult's presence in the city had been thinned out, but they had no idea how many were left. If it were up to Subaru, they wouldn't begin the selection until they had been completely dealt with, but Russel had raised the point that the longer they took, the more harm would fall on the people of the capital.
The tightening of entry into the city, combined with the possibility of curfews and evacuation would spell havoc for the already weakened economy of the city. Subaru couldn't even bring himself to deny that fact in his own mind.
Between both his capital loops, he had been forced into the role of a merchant, and while he could be somewhat unobservant, he wasn't stupid. He could see the faltering nature of the capital's markets, and he had seen the large numbers of unemployed who dwelt in the slums.
But it didn't feel like enough. Would the knights be up to it? Subaru tried to console himself with the fact that Roswaal and Reinhard would be in the city this time, but he hadn't heard anything about the Sin Archbishop of Greed in the last loop, who was apparently enough to destroy a city all on his own. Would keeping overpowered people in the city only prompt the cult to match them with their own?
Subaru took a deep breath, and turned his mind to the place he would rather never visit again. If I had to do things differently, what would I do?
Because if they failed again, Subaru would have another chance to set things right. He shuddered, his teeth chattering.
No, I don't want to! Not again!
He took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down. Panicking wouldn't help, and neither would turning a blind eye to the reality of the situation.
I know for certain the location of the main cultist base, as well as three others. That would give us more time, but time isn't really something we need. What I need…
"…is to know exactly what capabilities the cult has. So what should I do to gain that knowledge?"
Assuming from the start that they might not win, there were two broad options he could see. First, he could leave the city, and wait until the battle was over, then ask the survivors what happened. That would give him a more complete picture of the cult's activities, but if Roswaal was wrong about the ice weapon, or if Greed showed up, then there might not be survivors to question.
He shook his head. The other option was to remain in the thick of the battle, near the top of the chain of command, and listen to everything as it was happening. This was the option he favoured anyway, since he didn't want to be left scrambling to get to the palace like last time.
"Haaa," he let out a tired sigh, closing his eyes.
He remained there for a while, just letting his mind remain empty, until something brushed up against his thoughts. Or rather, several somethings, sharing their own thoughts and bleeding them into his own.
Asleep?
Lazy.
Vagrant.
Interesting!
"Oi!" Subaru yelled, blinking his eyes open. "Who's calling me a lazy vagrant—!"
His eyes focused, and he stopped his complaints, then rubbed his eyes and looked again.
"Okay, I know I only had two spirits when I entered the palace," he began. "So why are there four of you?"
Rival! Victory! Luna explained.
Friend, Sister. The fire spirit added.
Subaru just stared at them, then at the two newcomers. One was a dimmer red than the fire spirit, and felt like an excitable younger sister. The other was around the same Luna had been as a minor spirit, but radiated bright white light rather than darkness, the mark of a Yang spirit.
Exchange. The yang spirit stated. Help, teach.
Interesting! The fire— the other fire spirit declared.
"Hang on, hang on," Subaru lifted his hands to ward off their explanations. "I still don't understand. Try and explain it slowly. Luna, this yang spirit, is he your rival?"
Luna bobbed. She sent the images slower this time, of a race always neck-in-neck, and the joy of crossing the finish-line first. Then of the moon gloating for hours high in the sky, as the sun remained on the ground, barred from the heavens.
Subaru stared at her, and she flushed sheepishly, hurriedly moving on. Next was the benevolent light of the moon creating a stairway, offering a path to the poor sun.
"Ever since you became a quasi spirit, you've become better at describing yourself in a favourable light," Subaru commented. "And I guess that's what this is about. This is your rival, and since you became a quasi spirit, he wants help to become one too, right?"
The yang spirit denied his words.
Exchange. He insisted. Danger, help.
"You don't want to just get help, you want to offer something in exchange? So you'll help me with the invasion?"
He bobbed.
Subaru felt a little honoured. "Thank you. And thank you too, Luna. I don't think it's a coincidence that you reconciled with you rival just before the attack, is it?"
Luna basked in the praise magnanimously.
"Alright, so who are you?" Subaru turned to the little sister fire spirit.
She happily shared a series of feelings, with the awful sound of blaring static. Disconnected images rushed through Subaru's head, of knights training, of clouds passing overhead, of insects scurrying along in lines on the dirt.
"Okay, okay, please stop," Subaru said, clutching his head. They faded, and she projected her delight.
Interesting!
Subaru looked at the first fire spirit. "Could you maybe… help explain?"
He huffed, but projected his own explanation. Two little fires burning in the woods, the larger one becoming more choosy about what fuel it used to burn, the smaller one devouring everything it could get its gluttonous little tongue on.
Then the scene changed, to the sun and moon dancing together in a sky full of stars, and the larger flame looking up at them.
"This is your little sister, and you saw these two getting along, so you wanted to bring someone to help as well?"
The fire spirit flushed and denied his words, but his tsundere nature betrayed his true intentions.
"Aw, thank you!"
Denial, regret, stupid, dummy… The fire spirit went on a tirade, to his little sister's mirth.
"But I'm really going to need names for you. I can't start calling you 'the yang spirit', 'the fire spirit', and 'the other spirit'. I'm going to need to pick proper names for you all—"
Sol. The yang spirit stated, with the image of the sun, ascending higher and higher into the sky, burning brightly and illuminating the world.
"Sol?" Subaru said in confusion. "Wait, that's the name I suggested to the fire spirit, isn't it?"
Gossip. Luna said.
"You talked about names without me!?" Subaru clutched his heart in mock horror. "I'm wounded, I may never recover! But that's a good choice for rivals, I approve! Luna and Sol, yin and yang!"
He turned to the fire siblings. "What about you two? Any suggestions?"
Matching! The little sister said.
Pertinent. The brother said.
"So you want matching names, that fit your personalities," Subaru summed up. "That doesn't really leave me with much room to work with. Let's see, if we use star names, you could be the two brightest stars in the Gemini constellation, Pollux and Castor."
He paused. "Hmm, they were both brothers, so I guess that's out. Maybe the two brightest stars from Orion? Rigel and Betelg—"
He cut himself short, a flash of realisation pounding in his head. Could it be? Is it just a coincidence, or is Petelgeuse's name connected to the star?
He shuddered, his enthusiasm for star names drying up.
"Actually, maybe something else. Let's see… a little brother who likes to see people who think only about their goals, and a little sister who…"
He tried to piece together her personality from the introduction she had shared.
The disconnected images and emotions hadn't felt any particular in any way. She seemed to treasure every one of them.
"Who likes everything. Or perhaps I could say, everything she can remember? Then how about names that mean 'thought' and 'memory', Huginn and Muninn? They're the names of Odin's mythical ravens. They would go out into the world everyday, and when they came back at night, they'd tell him all about what they had seen."
The fire spirit hesitated, but the sister spoke first. Great! Fun!
The fire spirit sighed, and accepted, with his standard feeling of, "Well, I'm not accepting this for you, dummy."
"Hey, hey, seriously? You wouldn't have accepted anything I suggested, unless your sister insisted? Are you sure you should be named 'thought'!?"
The fi— no, Huginn now. Huginn got his revenge, by breaking their temporary contract, and slamming a full contract into his mind.
Despite the stress and immense pressure he felt, Subaru couldn't help but smile at the spirit's childish frustration. "Come on, that's barely a strain! You'll have to do better than…"
He trailed off as he noticed Muninn and Sol's gazes.
He chuckled warily. "Um, not all at once. I might not be able to—"
Two more contracts crashed down on him, barely remaining underneath the limit of his spirit affinity. The strain felt strange, like a weight he could feel, but did not yet have to carry. If he contracted any more spirits than this, he'd have to handle the strain himself.
"Alright, alright, I accept. Please go easy on me."
Refusal. Huginn and Sol declared at the same time. It seemed Subaru had gained even more taskmasters to supervise his coming days.
"Hmph! If you think it's going to be that simple, you've got another thing coming! I'll get Velia to work us all to the bone, you hear me?"
He grinned. "By the time we're done, we're all going to regret this decision!"
AN: Not much to say about this one. I was planning on ending with a certain scene, but I got to 7,000 words when I was only halfway through the chapter outline, so I had to find a breakpoint early.
I've spent so much time agonising over the fact that I didn't really have a super well-fitting name for the fire spirit like I had with Luna's. I've finally accepted that I'm not going to come up with one, and this seemed like a fitting way to give the one I had to him.