In, and out. In, and out.

Subaru breathed slowly, trying to keep his mind almost entirely clear. The only thing he allowed himself to focus on was the little light in his chest, the new sense that he had only recently acquired.

"Wow, you're doing really average! It's quite amazing!" A high pitched voice sundered the void, startling Subaru out of his meditation.

He blinked, then scowled at the grey cat, who floated unrepentant in front of him. "Oi, I almost had it! Why did you distract me?"

"'Almost'?" Puck tilted his cute little head, then shrugged and let out an exaggerated sigh. "That just goes to show how right I was to interrupt you. You didn't even realise that you had started to overextend your gate."

"Eh? But I didn't—" Subaru started to protest, focusing inside himself, feeling at his gate. It ached slightly, or at least, Subaru thought it did. It was difficult to tell, since it was such a new experience for him. It hadn't changed significantly since the strain of the shamak Puck had helped him cast the previous day.

It was his second day at the manor, and while Emilia was studying, it fell to Puck to help with his magic lessons. They had been going over the simplest exercise to strengthen his gate, 'magical breathing'.

By absorbing and releasing minute amounts of mana, one could build up strength in the gate, somewhat like pushups. It was apparently a technique that remained useful throughout the entirety of a mage's career, since quickly replenishing mana was vital during prolonged fights.

Not that it would be useful for Subaru. No amount of training would fix the fact that his gate simply didn't have the throughput to suck mana in quickly.

"You were doing very well for a while," Puck continued, "but then you started pushing out too much, and your gate was spluttering. You need to pay more attention, otherwise you won't have the strength for your lessons with Lia."

His eyes narrowed, his face taking on a surprisingly sinister look. "If you make Lia upset, I might have to make you take… remedial classes."

"Uwah!" Subaru shuddered, crossing his arms over himself. "You're seriously overprotective! You should relax more! In fact," he spread his arms wide, as to gather the grey cat's praise, "you should be giving me tips on how to win Emilia over!"

"Hm-hm, but I think that would be bad," Puck said, placing a paw on his chin. "Such nasty eyes wouldn't be able to help looking at my daughter with bad intentions."

"Argh! I feel like I can't really deny anything you're saying, but I will anyway! I'll just have to take you captive!" Subaru lunged, and tried to grab the spirit in a bear hug, but Puck managed to slip out between his arms.

"Now, now. I don't give out the opportunity to pet my fur to just anyone. You'll have to do better if you want to experience this feeling!"

A loud knock echoed through the room, and the two of them paused their hijinks to look over to the door.

A blue-haired maid stood in the doorway, carrying a tray in her hands, two steaming cups wafting steam in front of her face.

"Great Spirit, honoured guest," the maid said, curtsying while holding the tray steady. "I've brought you tea."

"Ah, thank you, ■■■," Subaru said, stepping over to take the tray from her.

Her expression hardened, but she made no moves to try and keep it.

"You know, you don't have to be so distant," Subaru said, bringing the tray over to the desk. "You can take it easier if you like."

"Ah, already flirting with other girls," Puck shook his head in disappointment, flying down to sniff at his tea. "I really can't let such a bug come near Lia. I'll have to cancel the evening lesson. I'll tell Emilia that you got swatted."

"Oi, oi! Who said anything about flirting! I'm just trying to lighten the mood!"

"I apologise, honoured guest," the maid interrupted. She had already retreated past the door, out into the hall. "I must return to my duties. I'll leave you to your lessons."

She shut the door with a slight click.

Subaru sighed. The maids didn't think very highly of him. Subaru couldn't really blame them, since he seemed to just be freeloading in their home. Hopefully he'd be able to befriend them after he foiled the attack.

"Well, I guess she's right," Puck said, flying back into the air. "You should get back to practicing!"

"Yeah, I will," Subaru said, sitting back down in his chair. "But first, let me just drink my… hey, where'd my tea go!? Why are there two empty cups!? You little—!"

Puck put a paw on his head. "Teehee!"

This time, he wasn't able to avoid Subaru, and he was held captive, his fur pet mercilessly.

In, and out. In and out.

Subaru sat on his bed, staring at the window, but not seeing it. His mind was far away, dwelling on better times, on the first time he had ever used his gate so intensively. It had been a headache trying to replicate it in his first loop living in the capital, but now that he had worked out all the kinks, he was able to use it without issue.

His gate spluttered, releasing more mana than he intended, and he winced.

Well, mostly without issue. I haven't practiced in two months, so some problems are to be expected.

His mind was too cluttered to practice properly. His gate strained with every action, and he felt a pain stabbing into his chest.

I'll just drop it for now, Subaru thought, letting his grasp on his mana slip away. It hasn't even been a day since I died, I'm not mentally prepared. I'll be able to concentrate better after some sleep. Hopefully.

Of course, it wasn't just his most recent death that was weighing on his mind.

The sky outside the window turned as red as blood, as sunset approached.

It's around five now, isn't it? he thought. Almost time for Puck to sleep for the night. Hard to imagine that he's that same monster.

The cute little cat and the apocalyptic Beast of the End couldn't seem further apart. One was a protective father and a silly person, the other was a spirit hell-bent on vengeance. It just went to show how inhuman spirits truly could be.

He sighed, and dragged his gaze away from the glass. It would do no good to dwell on it, especially with his other major concern still present.

The room he was in was well-maintained, if a bit plain. It resembled one of the guest rooms in Roswaal's manor, though it lacked any kind of decor. There were no paintings on the walls, and the walls and ceiling were painted a plain white. There was a desk with writing utensils already set up, a tall wooden wardrobe on the far wall, and a nightstand beside the bed.

I suppose those fanatics don't care all that much about niceties.

Indeed, the manor was decorated up to the bare minimum to receive noble guests without drawing attention. The hallways upstairs were completely plain, and from what Subaru had seen of the other rooms, they weren't much better.

He took a deep breath, and got to his feet. He was tired from the sheer amount he had been through in the past few hours, and his body had been reverted to the one that had stepped out of the convenience store all those months ago, but he couldn't go to sleep yet.

There were plenty of reasons he could use to justify himself. That there was still daylight he could spend planning his next moves, that it would be better to scout out the manor to see what his hosts did in the evening, or even just that he should take the time to practice his skills.

But the real reason was that he didn't want to sleep without someone to look out for him.

He had sent Huginn out into the city to find the other spirits, and it didn't look like he'd be back before dark.

Subaru didn't know how long it would take for the fire spirit to gather them all, and he was starting to regret the hasty action.

I should have just sent him out in the morning. One day wouldn't make a difference.

What exactly he was so afraid of, Subaru couldn't say. The worst the cult could do was kill him, and send him back to try again, forewarned and forearmed. Gaining a day was the correct choice from a tactical standpoint.

But I don't want to be alone with those monsters.

The cultists had fallen over themselves to help him after he had declared himself the Sin Archbishop of Pride. They had looked at him with a mixture of fear and reverence, stumbling over their words to ask him what he desired, what he needed them for, who he wanted them to kill.

It had made Subaru sick to his stomach.

The only one who had kept his composure had been the old man, who had calmed everyone down, and guided Subaru to the guest room. His room, at least for the duration of the loop.

Subaru shuddered. I'm a witch cultist now. That girl was right. I'm a witch cultist.

The maid's words had chased him from Emilia's side, and now they had been retroactively granted some measure of truth. Perhaps she had been right to drive him away. The thought was revolting, and he wanted to retch.

He shook his head. No, I'm only a cultist because the circumstances forced it on me. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If I hadn't been forced out, I would have been able to stay with them. I'm sure I could have worked something out by her side.

Besides, I'm not going to worship that witch. I'd never even consider it. Once I learn what I need to know, I'll reset to the beginning, and never join these monsters ever again.

But to learn what he needed to know, he needed to plan his next steps. There were nine weeks until the selection was called, and a further one in which the cult would prepare. In that time, Subaru had to learn the location of every cult hideout in the city, and observe every plan they made.

Could I maybe direct the city guards to look into the cult in this loop? It would be better if I could see their reactions to being looked into first-hand.

A knock came from the door, startling Subaru out of his considerations.

"Enter!" He called out, trying to cover the unsteadiness in his voice with imperious self-righteousness. Just speak like that Barielle lady. I'm a higher rank than them, and I can't let them think otherwise.

The door opened, and the old man came bumbling in, a bundle of cloth in his hands.

"My apologies, Lord Archbishop," he said with a kindly smile. "I couldn't help but notice that you were travelling light. I thought you would appreciate a change of clothing."

He placed the bundle on the bed, and unwrapped it, revealing—

"Ah," Subaru let out a gasp unintentionally, as he caught sight of a dark robe, stacked with the other sets of clothing.

"Hmm?" The man fished it out of the pile, and held it aloft. "Ah, forgive me. I must have taken one of our standard uniforms by accident. From what I'm told, archbishops like to customise their robes. I imagine you'll want to do the same?"

He didn't wait for an answer, and quickly moved his hands to fold the robe up, draping it over his arm, the way a butler would carry a napkin. "The tailor we work with resides in the lower strata. We can have alterations begin tomorrow, or if you would prefer, we could send someone with it tonight."

"Alterations? That's—" Subaru said, then flinched when he realised that he had dropped his high-born act. In an effort to try and fix his gaff, he pushed on, "That's acceptable. You said the tailor we work with? So he's not one of us?"

'One of us', because I'm one of you as well.

"Unfortunately not. His faith is reserved only for coin," the old man shook his head. "Though, I cannot judge him, as I used to be the same. Regardless, he is reliable, and I can vouch for his trustworthiness."

Subaru nodded. He didn't particularly care whether the tailor was trustworthy or not, but that wasn't something he could let slip.

"I apologise for our disarray," the man continued. "We were not informed of your arrival. I should have guessed when some of the newest recruits were sent to other training sites, but alas, I failed to pick up on it."

Subaru didn't respond, a little confused at the man's tone. He didn't sound like he had expected Subaru to send word, yet he couldn't figure out any other reason that the cultists could have known he was coming.

The man shook his head, as if expressing disappointment in himself. "Please do forgive me, I have failed to introduce myself. I am Mora. Just Mora, now. I'm something of a coordinator for the followers in this city."

"A coordinator?" Subaru asked, trying not to make any visible signs of interest. Does that mean he's a big shot, then?

"Just a meddling old man," Mora said wryly. "I don't move like I used to, so my usefulness to the cause is limited. I help where I can, and keep things running."

A big shot, Subaru decided. Though, it doesn't really sound like he wants to talk about himself. I'll leave it for now, and get one of my spirits to watch him.

"Lord Archbishop, might I speak freely?"

Subaru looked up at the man, who was looking at him with a thoughtful expression on his face.

Yes! Yes, please do! Tell me everything about this abominable cult!

But of course, he couldn't reveal his true thoughts on the matter.

"You may," he said instead, his tone haughty, as if he was granting the man a favour just by allowing it.

"The clothes you wear…" the man began, looking over Subaru's garments. "I've never seen the like. If I might be so bold, where did they come from?"

My tracksuit? Subaru thought, looking down at his clothes. Seriously, that's what piqued your interest?

"They're from my homeland," Subaru said. "A place further away than you can imagine."

The man blinked. "That far? You have travelled a long way."

He bowed, and stepped backwards, towards the door. "I will bother you no further. You must need rest." He lifted the robes in his hands, and said, "I will bring this to the tailor in the morning. I will be seeing to tasks in the city for the next few weeks, so I'll send someone to bring them to you when they are finished."

He stood up straight, then his eyes flicked to the desk, uncertainty appearing on his face for the first time.

"Is there a problem?" Subaru asked.

"Ah, no, Lord Archbishop," Mora answered, though he seemed a bit hesitant. "I was merely unsure of something. We usually use this room for new recruits, and I could not remember whether it was cleaned properly."

"It's fine," Subaru said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You may go."

Mora bowed. "As you say, Lord Archbishop."

The door swung closed, and then Subaru was alone.

Subaru kept his eyes on the door for a moment, listening to Mora's steps slowly fading down the hallway. When he finally couldn't hear them anymore, he bent over, letting out a large sigh of relief.

That was seriously hard! Am I really going to do that for the next two months?

It would strain his acting ability to the very limit. Subaru wasn't sure he'd be able to keep it up. I'll have to be ready. If I screw up, I'll just play it off. I'm supposed to be an Archbishop, so I outrank them. No one wants to question their boss, so I'm probably fine with these ones. But once Petelgeuse and Batenkaitos arrive…

He sighed. I'll deal with that when it comes to that. For now…

He glanced towards the desk. What did he think at the end there? He actually seemed nervous for a second. Could it be that they left confidential information in here? Hmm, but no, he said it was a room for new recruits.

Subaru reached out, and opened the drawers on the desk, working his way down. The first held a stack of blank paper, the second was empty, and the third…

"What's this?" Subaru muttered, reaching in and picking up a small, black book, roughly the size of his hand.

"No way, is this like the bible they leave in hotel rooms?" Subaru gave it a mocking smile. It might have been funny if not for the implications. "Trying to get guests to convert to the worship of that witch, huh?"

He frowned, as a thought occurred to him. "Hang on, does that mean this is their gospel?"

Subaru drew away from it, echoes of a voice passing through his mind.

"They're books that serve as proof of membership in the Witch's Cult!"

It was Otto's voice. He had mentioned them when they were hunting for evidence of the cult's presence. And he had also mentioned something else. Something more sinister. "…as soon as the intended recipient reads it, they become a cultist!"

"This is a gospel—?"

Subaru couldn't help but be conflicted. On the one hand, it could be a treasure trove of information, and on the other…

If I get brainwashed by this thing, will Return by Death fix it?

He slowly reached out, and picked up the book gingerly, as if it might grow fangs and lash out at him. It was rather small for a book. It fit comfortably in one hand, evidently sized to be hidden away under the owner's robes. The cover was pure black, with somewhat generic grey highlights, the type you'd expect to see on books in some anime.

The only really unusual thing about it was the lack of writing of any kind. The back and spine were marked with the same patterns that were on the front. In fact, it was so symmetric, it wasn't immediately obvious whether Subaru was even holding it the right way around. For all he knew, he could be holding it upside-down and backwards.

The only way to find out… would be to open it and check where the words are.

He shook his head, and leaned back down to the bottom drawer.

Like hell I'll do that. There's no reason whatsoever to read it. It could hold secrets about how the cult operates, but if there's even the smallest chance that I might be brainwashed, I can't afford to try.

He placed the book inside carefully so as not to accidentally let the pages open, then shut the drawer with a firm shove.

He breathed out, an unnoticed tension fading now that the thing was out of his sight. Now he was only left with the tension of being surrounded by witch cultists, and the tension of not having his spirit companions at his side. Not to mention the nerve-racking prospect of having to learn everything he could about the cult in the two short months until the attack.

I can't just ask around about it immediately, he thought, refocusing on his mission. I need to lay low for a while until they grow used to me.

The last rays of sunlight faded, and Subaru walked to the window. He leaned on the sill, and tried to angle his head so he could see the general direction of the slums.

First, I'll get myself back into shape. I won't be able to practice most of my illusions until I can convince Sol to form a contract with me. I'm pretty sure he only agreed to it last time because he was jealous, which means I need to train Luna until she ranks up.

He sighed.

There's still plenty I can practice though. I need to get used to Ryuuhou again, and I'm pretty sure I'll be able to make something of my Ice Brand Arts. With Huginn and Muninn, I'll have plenty of mana to practice with. If it works, then I'll be much more useful next time. Especially now that my gate is as good as new.

He smiled wryly at that thought. His gate was just as useless as it was on the day Puck had first introduced him to magic, but at least it wasn't the cracked and broken thing he had made of it after his first death to the attack.

That really was a terrible idea. My gate in exchange for driving away a few thugs? That really set me back.

He mentally tugged at the organ, expelling a small burst of formless mana as Puck had taught him to. His gate deflated, crumpled, and made him feel awful, but after a few seconds, it went back to normal. It was like running. A light jog made the legs sore, but strengthened them, whereas running a marathon with no training whatsoever would leave someone as a broken wreck.

The thing is, casting a simple spell like Shamak or Paralak is like running a marathon for the gate. I can't imagine how difficult El-level spells must be. Shouldn't there be cantrips or something I can use? This world's grinding system is really the worst!

The sky exploded, and a blue aurora lit up the night. It shimmered and danced among the stars, an awe-inspiring display of might.

"Beautiful as ever," Subaru murmured, watching the lights fade. He stepped back, and sat back down on his chair.

If I could figure out a way to keep Reinhard in the city, I'm pretty sure we'd be able to make short work of the Archbishops. The only problem is those great mabeasts. They didn't make a move in the first loop, so the cult must have only used them the second time because I was trying to interfere. If I want to see how they did it, I'll have to get information to Reinhard somehow.

He leaned his elbows on the desk, and held his head in his hands. Easier said than done though. He'd need evidence before he can act, just like last time, and if I make one false move, the cult will be on to me, and I'll need to start again.

He tried to think through the possibilities, but ultimately, it was pointless. He didn't have the capacity to sneak around the cult when they could sense him by his 'scent'.

I'll try and find out more about how that works, he decided. Maybe there's a way to mask my scent somehow.

Wake.

The request—no, the demand came out of the blue, rousing Subaru from his sleep with a jolt.

"Gah!?" He sat bolt upright, looking around wildly. "What's going on? What happened—?"

Calm. Friends.

Subaru glanced upwards, where three points of light hovered, two red and one black, looking down on him with curiosity.

"Oh, Huginn, you're back! I was waiting for you," Subaru said, glancing out the window. The morning sunlight had lit up the city, and he could see the blue sky clearly.

"Eh!? It's morning already?"

Did I sleep through the entire night on my desk!?

He looked down, and found that no, he had not slept on the desk. At some point, he must have lay down on the bed, over the covers.

Well, I guess that means that they won't try anything in my sleep, at least on this first day.

Huginn spoke up, hovering down to eye level.

Recruitment. Convincing. Failed.

"Ah, you tried to get Sol to come with you, but he didn't want to come? I kind of expected that. Well, he'll come round, eventually," Subaru said, stretching and getting off the bed. "What about you two? Would you be okay with forming contracts with me? I'm going to need strong companions for the next few months, so I could really use your help."

Help!

Muninn replied instantly, offering up the contract without hesitation. Subaru gladly accepted the new weight in his mind, and his connection with her was reforged.

Luna, on the other hand, seemed conflicted, torn between wanting to help him, and caution. She didn't like the manor, or the other inhabitants.

"Wait, do you already know they're evil?" Subaru asked with shock. "Why haven't you told anyone? I mean, I know spirit arts are rare, but I'm sure there are some people sensitive to spirits that you could tell. Julius, for example."

Luna shook from side to side defensively. Overnight. Creepy.

"Ah… right, that makes sense. You wouldn't normally check out a boring manor like this, would you?" Subaru smiled. She did last night because Huginn brought her here. She can't really tell that the people are witch cultists, just that they're kind of suspicious.

Subaru couldn't help but be slightly offended that some of that suspicion was directed at him, but he brushed the feeling away. It was only natural to be suspicious. He was pretending to be a Sin Archbishop.

"I can't really blame you for that," Subaru said, trying to explain the situation, "I don't really like them either. But, I absolutely need to find out what they're up to. If I don't, the entire city could be destroyed. So please… help me?"

His voice cracked midway through his speech, turning his heart-felt request into a desperate plea.

Luna had been there for him once when his world had been destroyed, and he couldn't bear to think of a timeline where he didn't contract her.

…Help, Luna decided, the weight of her contract settling on Subaru's soul.

Subaru felt a relieved smile grow across his face as he accepted. "Alright then," he said, sitting down at the desk, and beckoning his spirits closer.

They complied with varying levels of eagerness, but they all still ended up in the air above his desk.

"First off, I should tell you the current plan. We're going to find out everything about the cult. We'll find out about every secret, every hideout, and every plan they have. Huginn, the elderly cultist from yesterday, do you think you could find him?"

Huginn considered for a moment, then bobbed hesitantly. He knew Mora, but finding him in a city as large as the capital would take time.

"Hmm, that would be a waste. Fine, we'll wait until he comes back to the manor, then you'll follow him. Try to remember every place he stops at, we'll mark them on a map. He's the closest thing to a leader the cultists have in the city. He'll lead us to their main hideouts."

He turned to Luna, and said, "I need you to rank up to a quasi spirit as soon as possible."

Shock.

Luna froze in midair, then began protesting the impossibility of the task.

"We need Sol on our side. He's really close to becoming a quasi spirit himself, and more strength will help us a lot."

Luna shivered, reluctantly sharing her current lack of progress, trying to make Subaru see the futility of it.

"It's not futile. I know you can rank up. If you just try, with my guidance, I'm sure you'll be able to do it," he said, projecting as much confidence as he could. It wasn't even an act.

I know you'll be able to. I've already seen you do it once.

Do! Muninn added cheerfully, egging Luna on.

Their optimism seemed to be contagious, and Luna tentatively agreed.

Me? Me?

Muninn bounced in the air.

"You'll be working with me," Subaru told the hyperactive fire spirit. "I'm pretty weak, so I'll need your help in case I get into trouble. Plus, there's something I'm working on that I'll need fire magic for."

He could practically taste the disappointment oozing out of her, but she perked up again at the mention of magic.

Fire?

"Yes, I'll help you with your magic as well. But you have to promise not to set fire to anything, alright? And no practicing unless I'm around. Otherwise you might burn down the city."

It was unlikely, considering the amount of magic users running around, but still possible. An excitable fire spirit could do a lot of damage with one careless spell, especially in a medieval city. It would be best to impress that fact on her early and often.

Subaru got to his feet, and turned towards the door. "For now, we'll just lay low, and find out what we can."

Breakfast was served in the manor's dining room. Only a single place had been laid out, positioned at the head of the table.

A single man stood behind the chair, dressed as a butler. He looked quite young to Subaru's eyes, only a little older than himself.

"Will anyone else be eating here?" he asked as he approached.

"Ah—?" The butler swallowed nervously when he was addressed, but then bowed low, one hand on his chest. "No, Lord Archbishop. We usually eat in the servant's quarters."

Subaru nodded, and sat down. His three spirits remained close to his head, watching the man like hawks.

He was moving stiffly when he bowed, and he stumbled over his words at first. Not the most elegant performance. I guess they must be more afraid of me than I expected, if they'll send someone as inexperienced as this to attend me. Mora must be an exception.

"What's your name?" Subaru asked, lifting a spoon of soup to his lips.

The man hesitated, but after a moment, he answered, "…Coen, my lord."

My lord? That's going to get old fast, especially with the 'Lord Archbishop' thing they've got going on. I can't really risk being too casual though…

He mulled it over as he swished the liquid around inside his mouth, then swallowed, and said, "Then, Coen, you are to address me as 'Pride' from now on. Make sure the others know as well. I have no need for other titles."

He could hear Coen swallow. "Of course. It shall be done, Lord Pride."

Subaru contained his sigh, though it was hard. He had expected the witch cult to act more… well, evil. But as of now, all he had seen was a kindly—if strange—old man, and a nervous teenager who seemed to have no idea how to handle himself.

He could probably press for information, and Coen would tell Subaru everything he knew, but the boy was unlikely to know much. In that case, Subaru's idle curiosity would be less risky.

"When did you join the cult?"

"It was just over three years ago, Lord Pride. My da had an accident, and we had to move out to the walls."

To the slums, was left unspoken, though Subaru was well aware of that area's placement in society.

"We were having trouble getting enough to go around, so we took what we could from the people who helped out. We once got a basket of bread, and at the bottom…" he reached under his overcoat, and his spirits watched him pull out a small rectangular object.

Subaru was glad he was facing away from the man, as he didn't have to disguise the small shiver of revulsion at the image.

"I didn't know what it was at first," Coen continued, his eyes on the gospel in his hands, seeming to forget Subaru was there. "It was just a simple book with some instructions in it. I didn't have much to do, so I followed them, and I found another loaf of bread."

He looked up, eyes flirting between the spirits, and hurried on, "I kept following the instructions, and my family was able to recover. Da got well enough to work, and the book told me to come here."

"I see," Subaru said, swallowing another spoon of soup. So that's what they meant when they said the witch cult drew from the downtrodden. I guess there are loads of people in the slums who would happily join the cult for a chance to get out. But what's that about the book telling him to do things? That's his gospel, isn't it? Are they magic? Messaging devices that tell them what the witch wants?

Of course, asking those questions would clue the cultist in on how little Subaru truly knew. It was better to talk about other things, and hope to pick up more details that way.

"What do you do around here? It can't all be butler work."

"Er, no, Lord Pride," Coen responded. "Usually the new recruits train to be useful for a few years. I've nearly completed my studies here. We usually don't bother with such things unless we have guests."

Subaru placed his spoon in his empty bowl, and turned to face the cultist. "Training? Of what kind?"

"Eh?" Coen seemed a bit confused. "I'm sorry I don't quite understand. We learn the standard techniques, and train our magic and bodies."

"I'm rather new to the organizational side of things," Subaru said, brushing over the cultist's confusion. "What is the standard training regimen?"

Coen seemed to buy that excuse, and went on with more confidence, "I cannot speak of all training regimens, as we tend to learn individually. I have studied air and fire magic—the affinities of my gate."

Now what are the chances of that? A person with dual affinities strong enough to learn magic just happens to end up in the slums, where the cult can offer a helping hand? What are the chances that the cult caused his father's accident in the first place?

Subaru pushed that thought out of mind. Bringing it up could only cause him trouble, though it could be something to look into.

"I also know the standard cult techniques for enhancing one's physical abilities," Coen continued, "as well as shadow-walking."

Subaru tilted his head. Of the techniques mentioned, the first clearly referred to Ryuuhou, but the second was unfamiliar to him. "Shadow walking? What is that?"

The cultist hesitated. "Shadow-walking… It's a technique the cult has created to increase our mobility and stealth. In its basic forms, it enhances the user's stealth and speed. In the more advanced form…" he trailed off, seeming unsure of how to describe it. "Would it bother you if I were to darken the room to demonstrate?"

Subaru waved his hand. "Go ahead."

Coen bowed, then turned, and walked over to the edge of the room, and pulled the drapes across the window.

He shut them all, one by one, each making the room progressively darker. Once he pulled the last one across, the room was as dark as night.

It took a moment for Subaru's eyes to adjust, and when they did, he saw Coen, kneeling on the floor in front of him.

He remained in that position for a moment, his breathing slowing. The seconds dragged on, until finally, darkness began to pool on the floor beneath him.

It was like black water, barely visible in the low light, and as far as Subaru's eyes could see, it was no more real than a shadow. It rippled around Coen, and he remained perfectly still.

He started descending into the void, accompanied but the sounds of sinking into liquid. The darkness engulfed his legs, then his midsection, until finally his head too had disappeared, subsumed by the blackness. The shadow faded, drying up and leaving the floor unblemished, like nothing at all had happened.

What was that? Did he just disappear? Where did he go?

He heard the bubbling sound once more, and he snapped his head around, and watched as another patch of shadow grew on the floor, and darkness welled up within it, bursting out of the floor to reveal Coen's head. Soon, the rest of him followed, and he stood up, seemingly unchanged and unharmed, a few meters from his starting position.

"That was shadow-walking," Coen explained "The third—and most potent—version of the mobility techniques. By melding into the shadows, we can traverse distances in a greatly reduced amount of time. I apologise, I have not quite mastered its full capabilities."

"That's fine," Subaru said, waving him off. More importantly, with that technique, there's no telling where cultists might pop up! If every single one of them can do that…

"What are the limitations?" he asked. "Could you sneak into the palace?"

Coen shook his head. "While the technique does render us intangible to some degree, we cannot pass through solid stone. Going through the entrance would require passing the knights. It is possible that some of them could detect the use of the technique."

Like Marcos, Subaru thought, remembering the Captain of the Knights' glowing eyes. So, could I assume it's similar to illusion magic? In that case it's still incredibly dangerous. I'm glad I discovered it so early. One thing does bother me though…

"I can't see why you would be unable to pass through the walls. Did you not pass through the stone floor just a moment ago?"

Coen shook his head. "My apologies, Lord Pride, but that is only how it appears. In reality, my body never passed through the floor. Instead, I merged with the shadows in the room."

"Shadows?" Subaru asked. "So, do the surroundings need to be this dark?"

Coen nodded. "They do, for entering the shadows at least, but one can remain in them in much lighter conditions."

Subaru nodded, the initial panic at the ability faltering. It seems fairly limited. Then, why did they not attack at night? Wouldn't that have allowed them to use it more effectively?

"Could the technique be used in sunlight?" Subaru asked, just to make sure.

Coen shook his head. "My apologies, Lord Pride. Even bright crystal lamps can prevent shadow-walking. Under sunlight, it would be impossible."

"I see…" Then why? Why would they throw away such an advantage? Did they think the odds were so in their favour that they didn't need it? Or maybe, he felt a chill go up his spine, they knew they would win, and wanted to increase the amount of fear for that spell to feed off of?

He pursed his lips, narrowing his eyes at the soup in front of him as he thought. Another thing I need to learn. I'll ask once we get closer to the date of the attack. For now, I need to focus on earning the cult's trust.

But Subaru had no idea how to go about doing that. He had no idea what was expected of him as a Sin Archbishop. Would it just be easier to go all out from the start? Try to learn as much as possible before I'm forced to reset?

He shuddered slightly. No, I don't want to rely on that. I'll play it safe, for now.

"I wish to learn that technique," he declared, hoping that Coen would buy his false bravado. "Arrange it for me."

Coen bowed. "As you wish, Lord Pride. The technique is best learned at night, would you prefer to wait until then, or begin in the basement."

The basement, huh? That's where I first met Huginn.

He glanced at the fire spirit, who gave a noncommittal response. His sister was not so quiet.

Fire! she demanded, projecting Subaru's promise that they'd work on something new and exciting, one Subaru wasn't entirely sure he had actually made. She was somewhat less exuberant in the presence of Coen. She could detect no malice from the man, but the rest of their anxiety about him was confusing her.

"I'll wait until night," Subaru decided. "Is there a place where I could practice magic out of view of the road?"

Coen nodded. "There's a clearing in the trees behind the manor that we use for training. Would that suit your purposes?"

Subaru nodded. "That would be fine."

He paused, and decided to push his luck.

"Also, I want daily reports on the state of the cult in the city."

Coen's eyes widened.

"Daily? Lord Pride… our members in the city are split up heavily to avoid leaks. We won't be able to get information from the other groups that quickly."

Disappointing.

"Weekly, then, with what daily news you can get," Subaru said. "Keep me informed of any major developments."

"Major developments?" Coen asked. "Is something going to happen? Have you received a revelation from your gospel?"

Subaru frowned at the mention of the book, but he quickly forced his face back to a neutral expression before Coen could notice. "Something like that. You could say I'm expecting news."

Bad news, for the most part. But who knows? Maybe things will start to swing my way for a change.

AN: "I'll do it tomorrow," — Me, for the past several weeks.

Well, that was longer than I expected, but I'm very slightly closer to one month than two, so we're on schedule!

Thanks to Raj8 for betaing this chapter.

Also, I've started a discord, where I'll keep everyone updated on my progress.
Invite: 3Vy8VxHHGf