The episode starts with little Emilia standing in front of Pandora with a confused look.
"I am so thankful that you came here yourself. I did find where the Seal is, but I do not know where the Key is." Pandora tilted her head a bit, smiling warmly at Emilia. She clasped her hands together, her voice shaky.
"So this witch failed to achieve her goal because she couldn't find the Key?" Rem asked Emilia, trying to use any little detail to cheer up her lady and remind her that, despite everything, this monster on the screen didn't succeed in her endeavor.
"It's more complicated than that. It wasn't just that she couldn't find the Key. Even the Authority of Vainglory couldn't help her get or even see it. Not to mention using it." Emilia replied with a grim smile.
Right now she was getting genuine pleasure from the realization that the wicked witch, who was just one step away from victory, had tripped over her, when she was just a little scared and confused girl.
"What do you mean she couldn't even see it, Emilia-sama? So you managed to hide it somehow?" Otto asked her.
"The key to the Seal can only be seen and used by me." The half-elf princess elaborated, which confused others even more.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not following you. Emilia-sama, do you have any special illusionary spell necessary to open the Seal?" Reinhard tried to guess, but as an answer, he got only a shake of the head.
"I think it will be easier if you all see it for yourself. Just keep watching."
"But… But w-why… are you… h-here…?"
Pandora laughed softly. "You seem surprised. You see, this Seal is what we were after, so my being here is only a natural outcome."
"I think that after the end of the viewings, when we gather in Priestella, it will be imperative for us to consider the issue of creating an expedition to the Elior forest. If this Seal is so important to the Witch Cult that even a Forbidden Witch appeared to capture it, then this is indeed an artifact of extreme importance. We must investigate and try to understand who, when and for what purpose put it there." Crusch said, addressing Anastasia firstly, but loudly enough for others to hear her.
"That sounds reasonable." The merchant princess nodded in agreement. "However, you can't assemble such an expedition on short notice. We will need specialists in history, magic, metias and other specialties. It will take time to prepare."
"The way I see it, there is no need for us to rush these things. In this case, preparation is more important than haste." The duchess reasoned.
"Among other things, it will take a considerable number of experienced fighters to protect the scholars." Said Felt, who was listening intently to her competitors. "There are a lot of dangerous mabeasts in the Elior forest. And Rein won't be able to be there constantly."
"Our camp will be able to provide the necessary assistance in this matter! I can assure you our help will be not only most useful, but also quite necessary for the success of such an expedition. In terms of protection from mabeasts, Meili will be indispensable. I'm sure she won't mind helping out for the appropriate reward." Otto said rather loudly.
His tone also reminded the other camp's leaders that Emilia and her team were still here, and that the Forest of Elior was located in their territory. So if the others wanted to get anywhere near the Seal, they'll have to take into account the opinion of Emilia's camp. Otto was resolute that even if his camp's position was contested, they were not done yet, not by a long shot.
"Even with the help of this girl, the expedition will cost a pretty penny." Anastasia reminded, who never forgot, that money loves counting.
"I'm sure the old farts won't be able to refuse the request from all the camps to finance an important expedition against the Witch Cult. Let them bring at least a speck of usefulness before they are retired from their sweet positions. After all, we're not going to require a whole army to go there." Felt shrugged her shoulders, anticipating to see the faces of old geezers calling themselves 'Sages,' when they come to them with this idea.
"Then it's settled. Let's leave this question for now. But later we can talk about this in detail. Now let's continue watching."
"How did you… get here?" The girl asked again.
"Ah… I'm sorry. I guess you are interested in something else entirely. What happened to your mother and Archbishop Romano-Conti? But there's nothing to worry about. Neither the archbishop nor your mother, whom you care so much about, are in danger." Pandora continued to exhort in her sweetest voice.
"Really?"
"Yes, of course. Neither I nor other believers do harm unless we are forced to. After all, it's only the Seal that attracts us here."
"I bet this snake is as deceitful as her manner of speech is unsettling!" Felt snorted contemptuously.
"I really want to agree with you, Felt-chan, but I'm not sure." Emilia shook her head. "For all her ghastliness, she looked like she didn't need to lie. She simply forces others to fulfill her wishes, showing that the consequences will be dire if they do not do as she wants. That's exactly what she did when she realized that I wouldn't break my promise to Mother Fortuna.
"S-So when you're done with the S-Seal… will you leave the forest? Y-You'll go without doing anything mean to anyone h-here?"
"Yes, of course. We do not wish to make any unnecessary sacrifices. So, please give me the key now."
"She's lying. Even though I don't have the gift of seeing other people's lies, my trader's instinct says that this witch is lying." Anastasia said harshly.
"One can even fi-i-ind the deception in her very words. She did mention not willing to make unne-e-esesary sacrifices. But what about those she would consider the necessary o-o-ones?"
"I can even guess how she would have deceived the girl. The witch and her followers would really leave the forest. But she didn't say a word about the removing the Black Serpent." Wilhelm said angrily.
"You did great, Emilia-sama. Even in such horrible circumstances, you did not succumb to fear and manipulations of this witch!" Rem said with admiration in her voice. The princess smiled sadly but gratefully in response.
"T-The Key…?"
"Yes, the Key. Given that this Seal is shaped like a door, it will not open without a Key. And I believe that the Key is in your possession."
Hearing that, Emilia shook her head, confusion filling her.
"I-I don't know anything a-about that!"
Pandora pressed on, however, her stance unwavering. "Hiding it would not be very wise."
"I-I'm not! I re-e-eally don't know! I d-don't have it! I don't h-have any key! Nobody gave me one!" Emilia jolted, flinching back.
Pandora blinked, her shoulders going lax as she stared forward. "Ah, I see. Then, I will have to turn this entire forest over until I find it."
"I have already seen so many creepy gazes in this room, but even a White Whale did not send so many shivers like these snake eyes!" Petra shuddered in fear.
Frederica hurried to put her arm around her shoulders to support the girl. The maid herself was completely in agreement with the words of her student.
"Petra says it right! Mimi's got her hair standing on end just looking at the creepy lady!"
"And despite the horror she can instill, if not for the intervention of the Warden, we would have looked in these snake eyes, thinking that this is the most beautiful view in the world! What an abomination!" Ram spat angrily, remembering how she and the others were fascinated by the witch's diabolical beauty.
Despite her threatening words, she never once lost that smile on her face.
"I-I'll open it! I'll o-open the Seal!"
"Oh, you will? That's very wonderful. So you really do have the Key, then. After all, it is obvious… that you are the Witch's Daughter."
Emilia's hands shook a bit, hearing that. "Wi…tch…?"
"So you really are a half-devil after all! So what if you are not a spawn of Satella, another witch gave birth to you! I wonder which one? If the father was an elf, then the mother was human. I'm really curious, but could it be maybe one of the witches of Sin is your mother?" Priscilla replied venomously, having found a new way to tease the half-elf.
"Surprising how easily you believe any words that this witch spits out, Priscilla-sama. Is the fact that they give you a reason to verbally attack my lady enough to take it at face value?" Rem remarked in a cold tone, but with all due respect, standing up for her princess.
"You better watch your tone with me, maid!"
"It was never my intention to insult you, Priscilla-sama. I merely express my concern for the future of the kingdom if the potential ruler will be so inclined to believe deceitful crones, like Pandora."
"Princess, please. Do we really need to become the common enemy of the other camps?" Al pleaded silently, fearing that his temperamental lady can easily make enemies. The last thing he wanted is to turn his pal into a bitter enemy. But instead of an answer, he got hit on the head by the fan.
"Now. The Seal, please. As soon as the Seal is open, we will leave."
Emilia walked forward, Pandora backing away to the side in tandem. Emilia trembled, looking up at the Seal. Her breathing slowly began to quicken, tears budding at the corner of her eyes.
"Consider yourself to be the Key." Pandora gave her a hint.
"I-I'm… the Key…" Emilia whispered.
Her eyes trailed up at the Seal, before they trailed down. However, as her hands were outstretched, a silver key appeared in her hands. Seeing the key, Emilia blinked in confusion, while Pandora walked towards her.
"Can you see it now?"
Hearing her question, Emilia titled her head up a bit towards her. "Y-You can't see it…?"
"No, I cannot. The key is only given to the ones qualified to possess it. There are likely only two people in the world who may hold this Key."
"Two? Well, isn't this an interesting morsel of knowledge?! Just who might be the second one?" Anastasia asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Probably Fortuna. She's a Guardian of the Seal afta all." Garfiel guessed, feeling the stern looking lady as a kindred spirit.
"I doubt it." Ram shook her head. "Fortuna herself handed over the title of Guardian to Archie in the last episode. So this title must be purely decorative in nature. More likely, the second person is one of Emilia-sama's parents."
"Or the other one is none other than a Jealous Witch herself." Priscilla persisted on the subject.
"Also, can we really rule out the possibility that Emilia-sama had a brother or sister?" Petra suddenly expressed her thoughts. This assumption made everyone think for a few seconds.
"The idea is certainly interesting. But… Emilia-sama, do you have any suggestions about this?" Julius asked her.
"No. I've never even heard about anything like this." Emilia turned her head sharply.
"Then let's leave this question for now. We'll just waste time on empty theories." Wilhelm summed up, urging everyone to return to a more pressing topic.
"Go on, now, open it. Then, your wish will be granted."
Motivated by the safety of the elves and the promise of her leaving, Emilia walked forward, ready to open it.
"Blackmailing a frightened child by threatening her home and loved ones. There is no such atrocity that these bastards will not go to in order to achieve their goal!" Julius fiercely remarked, who was watching everything on the screen that his honor and morality opposed.
"What else did you expect from this cultist. It looks like we've found the person responsible who turned the witch cult into a bunch of bloodthirsty maniacs!" Felix said with a tone full of contempt.
In Pandora's words and actions, viewers saw the embodiment of everything for which the Witch Cult was hated and persecuted in all corners of the world. The only thing that set her apart from the other archbishops was that she showed no signs of aggressive insanity.
"Emilia… promise me…"
Recalling Fortuna's words, Emilia stopped herself.
"I… I can't open it."
"Why?"
"I-I made… I made a promise…!"
"Well done, Princess! As cap't says — 'bust 'er groove'!" Garfiel was inspired by his lady's steadfastness.
"Barusu should learn from you, Emilia-sama. It's a pity that he's sleeping now, and we can't jointly criticize him for his habit of breaking promises."
"You are quite right about Emilia-sama, sister. But I feel obliged to argue with you about Subaru-kun. When it comes to really important promises, he always keeps his word! Not only he kept all his promises about saving us. Thanks to him, even I woke up from sleeping beauty illness! Just like he promised!" Rem was quick to defend her beloved.
"No one denies that, Rem-san. But I would be happy if Natsuki-san starts being reliable and responsible in everyday life, and not only when another crisis comes." Otto decided to intervene, expressing his cherished desire.
With all the chaos and drama of the last days, Otto had completely forgotten for what purpose they were originally going to Pristella. But before the unexpected "postponement", the camp's interior affair's minister was constantly worried that Subaru might pull another stupid stunt and jeopardize the negotiations. As reliable and resourceful as Subaru was in a critical situation, he was just as unpredictable and irresponsible in normal times.
Hearing that, Pandora walked behind Emilia and placed her hands on the half-elf's shoulders. "I see. Well, promises are very important. A promise with your Mother, I am sure. But there are times when a decision must be made, even if it means breaking a promise. Which hope do you seek?"
"W-Which… hope…?"
Pandora extended her right hand. "One hope is that you will keep your promise to your Mother, get us to leave, and overcome this hardship."
Then, she extended her left hand. "The other hope is that you will resolve all this harmoniously by breaking your promise and opening the Seal. Which fate will you choose? I will entrust fate to you."
"I hate to admit it, but this Pandora doesn't look like she's crazy. She explains quite clearly to the girl what she will do if her demands are not met. Gives her a choice." Al mused aloud.
"It reminds me of the loop when Natsuki-kun first encountered Petelgeuse. He, too, despite the madness oozing out of him, sincerely tried to bring Natsuki to a dialogue." Anastasia involuntarily recalled one of the most unpleasant scenes.
"Not like this changes anything. Madmen or manipulators, all cultists without exception, are monsters devoid of even a hint of humanity! And they deserve only the fate of monsters!" Priscilla said peremptorily. A rare occasion when everyone completely agreed with Vollachian princess.
"Any attempts by the moderate wing of the cult to maintain their positions were pointless after Geuse's transformation, I suppose. From that moment on, the entire cult fell under Pandora's total control." Beatrice said sadly.
The spirit girl began to reproach herself again for sitting in the library all these centuries. How much could she have done if only she hadn't fallen into melancholy and idleness? How many could she help? Who knows, maybe she could even save Geuse?
Emilia's breath stuttered again, tears running down her face. Then, she raised her palm… and placed it onto Pandora's right hand.
"I-I promised Mother… I-I'm going to keep my promise… I will… so…" Sobbing, Emilia tightly clutched the key in her left hand.
Despite hearing that, Pandora's smile never leaves her face. "You trust your Mother, your guiding light, to the very end. That answer is the decision your soul has led you to. I shall respect that decision…so, you must also respect my decision to open this Seal… by any means necessary."
Emilia froze. Then—
"PANDORAAA!" Fortuna's angry voice rang out. With a swipe of her hands, ice crystals were created out of mana.
"Aunty Fortune has arrived!" Petra rejoiced at the sudden reinforcement.
"Come on, cool aunty, stomp this witch into the snow!"
In the eyes of all the young girls in the room, Fortuna was the image of an unstoppable woman who would turn the world upside down for her daughter. Her frightening but unshakable gaze inspired a sense of confidence and reliability. If Auntie Fortuna had taken up the case, then there was no need to worry.
"Is Fortuna herself going to fight Pandora and give you the opportunity to escape?" Felt asked hopefully, turning to Emilia. But, alas, the half-elf replied with a sad shake of her head.
"Everything will end in this place…"
Hearing her name being called, Emilia turned her head while Pandora turned around, walking towards Fortuna. "It is dangerous to attack without observing your surroundings."
"TAKE THIS!"
Fortuna sends the ice spikes towards the person of her rage. Pandora made no move to dodge, and as a result, the crystals hit her, making way through her body and skewering her, causing her blood to fly out.
Emilia dropped to her knees, closing her eyes and putting her hands over her ears. Seeing her, Fortuna froze. "E-Emilia!? W-Why!? You should be out of the forest!"
"And it was you who should've made sure it happens." Priscilla commented coldly, but not very loud. The time for her to pass divine judgment was nearing.
"—do you not find it cruel to ask her why?"
Standing a few feet from her left… was Pandora. Completely unscathed, unharmed. Her shawl had not a tear or a scuff, or a hole where she was impaled. "She came here out of concern for you, because she wished to help you."
Seeing her, Emilia turned towards where Pandora had fallen. There was blood and the ice crystal that Fortuna had sent her way, but a body itself was not there.
"Traces of her death remain, but the body almost instantly reappears in another place. Just what kind of magic does she use? Could the Witch of Vainglory be a spirit, like Petelgeuse?" Felt suggested, looking, like the others, for an explanation about the witch's invulnerability.
"Unlikely, I suppose. Petelgeuse possessed the living bodies of his followers, and in this case the body is always the same." Beatrice dismissed this version with a shake of her head. "Though Betty finds it plausible that her body, which everyone sees, is nothing more than just an illusion. While the real Pandora's body is in a different place. Or perhaps Pandora herself is something…else. Without the physical body."
"So your guess is that her real body is somewhere safe, while her copies interact with the outside world?" Reinhard asked, thinking about the possibility of such an option.
"Just like the White Whale did when he felt his life to be endangered." Wilhelm suddenly realized.
All the participants remembered how the great mabeast split into three bodies, each of which was deadly, but only one was real.
"Considering that we know about the White Whale's connection to the Witch Cult through the Authority of Gluttony…" Otto continued this thought.
"It does sound po-o-ossible that Pandora, being a witch, could somehow change the White Whale. Or, on the co-o-ontrary, she could acquire this ability from it as part of her Autho-o-ority." Roswaal expressed his opinion.
"So until we find her real body, she'll remain unkillable, nya."
"You know, it got me thinking. What if her real body is sealed behind this door? And her goal is to get free from some interdimensional prison she was put in."
"I have to admit. For a jester, that was a pretty insightful idea."
"Tivey you're supposed to be the smart one, but now you said something stupid! If she's caged behind this creepy Seal, how come she can act in the real world?!" Mimi glumly chastised her brother.
"Yeah, you are right. It's not like powerful witches who were sealed with powerful ancient magic, can project their influence, manifesting in real world, consuming whole villages." Tivey answered, not even trying to hide his sarcasm.
"Now that you mention it, Tivey…this does sound similar to the Jealous Witch incident in Sanctuary." Ricardo ruffled his adopted son's head with pride.
Pandora turned her gaze towards Emilia, then towards Fortuna. "When you both wear that same expression, the resemblance between you two is even clearer. Truly mother and daughter."
"I'm not Emilia's mother! She got her face and eyes from my sister-in-law!"
"Aah, her? Please, forgive me, then. Her real parents must be so pleased." Pandora bowed her head in apology at that.
"So, looks like she knows your real parents, princess." Garfiel turned to Emilia.
"She's a witch. And the half-wit is the daughter of a witch, as has been said more than once. It is quite expected that they are familiar!" Priscilla snorted.
"I don't remember my real mom and dad at all or how they looked like. And Echidna refused to tell me anything about them." Emilia remarked sadly.
"And what about Pandora, I suppose? Betty's Mother loved not only to collect knowledge, but also to spread it. And the greater the desire of others was to acquire this knowledge, the more eager she was to share knowledge, in fact." Beatrice asked her, not denying herself the pleasure of saying a few pleasant words about her mother.
For all her conflicting feelings about Echidna, Beatrice couldn't just forget about the good moments with her. And her contractor's last conversation with her mother led her to believe that Roswaal was at least partially right. Perhaps those hundreds of years of loneliness for Beatrice were caused primarily by her own fears, not by the machinations of the Witch of Greed. She always could make her own choice, but simply refused to get close to anyone again.
"Alas, but in my case, Echidna refused to tell me anything about Pandora. Moreover, she said that she was making this exception specifically because it was me." Emilia said irritably, crossing her arms resentfully.
"I wonder what kind of conflict she has with the Witch of Envy, since even Emilia, who only looks like her, while being the complete opposite, gets such harsh treatment?" Crusch asked curiously.
"Don't you dare speak of my brother or sister-in-law!" Fortuna's face hardened, and she gritted her teeth, forming an ice crystal in her hands. With a swing of her arm, Fortuna drove the crystal into Pandora's neck.
"Simply rampaging and refusing to talk will only tire you out." Pandora walked up behind her, and was once again impaled by another ice crystal.
"You should calm down—"
Fortuna froze her in place, and immediately shattered her.
"—so that we have a chance to discuss—"
Fortuna whips her head around, striking her to the ground. "I TOLD YOU TO GIVE IT A REST!"
She fell to the ground with a scream, and Fortuna's hand shook at the fact that she seemingly hurt her niece. "E-Emilia!?"
"Did she just swapped places with little lady?!" Garfiel asked in surprise.
"No, she makes Mother Fortuna see things that are not there." Emilia shook her head.
Quickly rushing and kneeling down, Fortuna picks her up, holding her gently as she reaches out to brush her face. "W-Wait, no! I would never!"
"Can you not direct even a tiny bit of that emotion to the one that you despise the most?"
However, instead of Emilia in her arms, it was Pandora. Smiling as always as she taunted Fortuna in her own way. The sight made Fortuna gasp and push her away, her eyes raking across the ground until they settled on Emilia, who was leaning against the Seal, watching Fortuna with concern.
"What a disgusting way of fighting!" Wilhelm grimaced contemptuously at the tactics the witch was using. No confrontation. No battle of spirit and techniques. Only deception and illusions.
"I guess it save to assume that any aggression against this witch is pointless." Ricardo said irritably.
"That's not fair! Mimi doesn't agree to that!"
"She can play with her opponent endlessly like that. Or does she have the opportunity to deal with Fortuna as easily as with Corneas, but does not want to?" Al mused.
"If everything was so simple for her, then why didn't she achieve her goal in the end? Why not just make big sis to do what she needed to do? Or why didn't she drive Fortuna into the ground like that eunuch and start blackmailing the baby?!" Felt argued.
"Betty has an inkling that in this case, her Authority might've acted against her. This is just a hypothesis of Betty that Pandora's Vainglory does not allow her to just wish for something and get what she wants. Others should do it. And voluntarily, I suppose."
"That theory fits pe-e-erfectly with how her Authority can charm everyone around her." Roswaal agreed.
"But we all saw how she drove Regulus into the ground with just one touch!" Felix argued with them.
"True, but then there is a question why she doesn't use such techniques now." Crusch noted. "Although, she did state that getting this seal opened more is important for her than anything else. She said so herself. I think that either the Great Spirit is right and even this witch has certain limitations caused by her Authority, or she likes to mock her enemies for the same reason, driving them to the depths of despair with such petty tricks."
"The second option coincide with her reaction when Corneas called her out for not really needing him or the Black Serpent, since she could destroy any resistance by herself." Reinhard remembered.
"Do you think there are ways to neutralize her with magic?" Tivey asked while analyzing the situation.
"Unlikely, I suppose. For some reason, Betty can't let go of the idea that conventional magic would be able to hold her back, either. I'm afraid even Al Shamak won't help against this fiend." Beatrice replied thoughtfully.
"Al Shamak? What kind of magic is that? I've never heard of anyone using the highest form of this spell." Julius asked with undisguised interest.
"Hmpf! Have patience! When Betty signs a contract with her Subaru, you all will learn the true potential of the Great Spirit of Yin, in fact!" Beatrice puffed out her flat chest proudly.
She wasn't going to answer the question. She had no doubt that towards the end, all the viewers would see the true power of the cutest Great Spirit in all its glory. So why spoil the surprise?
Julius did not express his disappointment. After all, he was promised a demonstration of this spell before the end of the views. And if he learned anything it this place, it's that seeing was a much better way of learning than hearing.
"I will not tell you to love all people as you love your daughter. But there are things that can change with just a bit of sympathy." Pandora addressed Fortuna again.
"Don't be ridiculous! Who would… who would ever listen to you?!"
"Then why not try this? Convince your daughter with your own words."
Saying that, her blue eyes trailed towards Emilia. "I have verified that she possesses the Key. However, she shows no desire to open the door for me… because she wishes to keep her promise to you."
Hearing that, Fortuna's face fell into shock, turning her head towards Emilia, who looked at her Mother in near tears.
"I promise you, if the Seal is opened, we will leave this forest and do nothing further. Ah… 'Promise', is such a nice word, is it not?"
"So she really wasn't trying to hurt Fortuna? Or she really couldn't. Was she just showing the futility of resistance and insisting that Fortuna convince her little sister?" Felt came to a disappointing conclusion.
If that's the case, then in the event of a collision with Pandora, there are no options at all to resist her. Even running away looked like a pointless waste of time, since a witch could just end up at any point she needed.
"I never thought I'd say this, but after Pandora, even the Witch of Envy starts to look easy to understand. And the Satellite is completely adequate. I'm not talking about the other witches! Rem said with hatred in her voice. Most of them nodded in agreement to these words.
Fortuna got up, ran towards Emilia and knelt down.
"I'm sorry that you had to go through this, Emilia." She brought her into a hug, gently pressing Emilia's forehead to her cheek.
"Are you the only one here?" Then, she pulls back, looking around. "Why isn't Arche with you?"
"Arche told me to run toward the white flowers… s-so I just ran!"
However, Fortuna knew at that moment. Arche would never leave Emilia alone, so… he must have been dying. Realizing this, Fortuna purses her lips tightly, before steeling herself and smiling. "Emilia… Emilia…! Thank you for keeping your promise… you're a good girl… a good girl…!"
"Mother…! I… I…!" Emilia sobbed, pressing her face into Fortuna's chest.
"Emilia… I'm so proud of you… you are my treasure…"
"What beautiful motherly love! I am deeply moved." Pandora had walked towards them. "Truly, how wonderful it is to see such love."
Fortuna steeled herself, getting up and taking Emilia's hand into her own. "I won't open the Seal, and I won't let you have her. And you… will turn into an ice statue and die!"
Her mana began to collect and rise up, and at the same time, Geuse appeared, jumping up into the air as he shouted. "I FINALLY CAUGHT UP TO YOU, DESU!"
"Hooray! The cool creepy guy has appeared!" Mimi jumped up and down joyfully.
"This is, of course, a spectacular entrance, but it is unlikely that he is somehow able to change the current stalemate." Ricardo said skeptically.
No matter how much he wished for something unexpected and cool to happen, they all already knew what the result would be and what fate awaited the half-elf's foster parents.
"But maybe he can at least take the girl and run away with her? Or distract the witch by letting them escape again?" Petra didn't want to let the hope die.
Rem wanted to ask Emilia about what will happen now, but remember that earlier the half-elf princes said, that this was the place where everything will end. And when Rem saw Emilia cover her face with her hands and lower her head, she understood — there will be no miracles, no daring escapes, no alternative to the tragedy.
"I… I don't want to see this again." The princess muttered faintly, confirming Rem's fears.
"Geuse!" Fortuna's eyes shot up.
Geuse's vision was covered in red, but despite it, he endured the pain.
"Fortuna-sama!"
Fortuna tightened her grip on Emilia's hand. "Al HUMA!"
"UNSEEN HAND!"
Saying those words, Fortuna's mana took the form of ice crystals, while Geuse summoned his Authority of Sloth. Pandora made no move to dodge, so his attack struck her head on.
"… Mother…?" Surprised by the sound of a near blow, the little girl looked at Fortuna.
An unseen hand punched a fatal wound in the elf's chest. Blood gushed out in both directions, covering Emilia's face.
"What?!" Felix asked, terrified by the sudden twist.
"NO-O-O!" Petra, Mimi, and Felt yelled in unison, realizing what had happened and had their eyes abruptly closed by their caretakers.
Emilia only flinched in fright at the sound of a punctured body.
"No… Not like this… not like this… you did deserve it, Geuse-san…" Rem muttered with tears in her eyes, not willing to accept the tragedy on the screen.
She immediately understood what Geuse felt the moment he realized what happened. She knew this feeling all too well. And at that moment she felt incredible sorrow towards the poor archbishop.
"Such cruelty is simply inhumane… it cannot be allowed to exist no matter what…" Crusch managed to mutter, utterly shocked by the cruelty of tha situation.
This emotion was shared by many in the room. And everyone who thought about what just happened imagined a similar situation — them, fighting with Pandora and being tricked into killing the most precious person. The mere thought about such possibility was extremely frightening.
Geuse landed, a sense of victory filling him as he saw Pandora spill her blood, a truly shocked look on her face. "And now… now, it is… over, desu!"
He swiped his hand, throwing Pandora to the side. "That should be more than enough this time!"
Seeing Fortuna run towards Pandora, Geuse quickly wiped off the blood that had been accumulating in his eyes, blinking it out as he raised his voice. "Fortuna-sama! Don't get too close! Keep your guard up, I will make su—!"
Emilia sits next to Fortuna's body, looking at Geuse with wide eyes, her Mother's blood staining her innocent, round face. "G-Geuse…?"
"E-Emilia-sama?!" Geuse froze, stumbling back for a moment. Then, he looked down.
"N-No… it can't be…!"
Pandora spoke behind him. "It was not your fault. You mistook what you saw. That is all."
Registering what he was seeing, Geuse began to shake, he began to tremble. His breath stuttered, until he finally screamed.
"A-A-A-AHHH!"
"To trick someone into killing their loved one! And in front of their daughter no less! What kind of monster she has to be to do such a thing?!" Frederica shouted, unable to withstand the influx of animal rage, not letting go of the sobbing girl.
Garfiel didn't say anything. He silently turned the armrests into splinters, redirecting all his rage into clenched fists.
"Great spirits… no wonder Geuse went off the rails after going through this." Ricardo murmured sympathetically, trying to calm the crying twins by hugging them close.
Julius, Reinhard, Felix, and Wilhelm bowed their heads in silence, paying tribute to the brave spirit whose efforts to protect loved ones were perverted and twisted by a ruthless witch into an act of murder.
"Geuse… why did it happen to you, Geuse… you never deserved such fate…never. And now you'll have to suffer for another hundred years until Betty's Subaru brings you to rest." Beatrice whispered, not even trying to stop her tears.
"How was it said? Pandora decided to break the will of the archbishop to allow the witch factor to take him over completely? It seems that this platinum-haired scum has a lot of experience in breaking others." Al said icily.
"If I ever meet this despicable creature, she will receive the execution by fire from me without any meddling! But she won't die of its fire! No… only the slow smoldering of the soul awaits her, no matter how many times she transfers to other bodies!" Priscilla announced the verdict with a quiet, but absolutely merciless tone.
She favored Geuse in his sane condition, He was diligent enough to be considered a worthy servant and clumsy enough to be able to alleviate her boredom. That's why the sun princess right now felt extreme anger. The likes of Pandora had no right to exist in her world. Only in the form of condemned sinners, who did not deserve the cold embrace of death, eternally tortured by divine fire. But it was not just Pandora who invoked her ire.
"And even after such an atrocity, she continues to speak as if nothing had happened. How abominable is this witch!" Ram asked in disgust.
"That's a good point, Ram. Who would have thought that the most diabolical and inhuman member of the Witch Cult would be the one who looks the most adequate of them all." Roswaal said gloomily, without any trace of his accent, covering his face with his hand.
He didn't want anyone to see the stamp of guilt on his face. Another old friend he left without help. Another sin on his soul that he, perhaps, could try to prevent. But the book did not give instructions on how to save Geuse.
'I'm sorry, old friend. So sorry. Because you had to pay for my slothfulness.'
He dropped to his knees, frantically chanting as he grabbed his head. "THIS CAN'T BE! THIS CAN'T BE! THIS CAN'T BE! THIS CAN'T BE!"
Blood began to drip down from his eyes, a cruel mimicry of tears, as he screamed. "WHAT…!? WHAT AM I…!? WHAT AM I DOING!? WHAT HAVE I?! WHY!? WHY!? WHY!? WHY!? WHY!? WHY!? WHY DID I DO THIS?!"
"It was all for love. You offered up your very soul to save the ones you love. All that you have done was out of love. A beautiful, wonderful symbol of love…" Pandora answered him.
Geuse's eyes slowly fill with madness at her words. "Love… love… love…love…"
"She's manipulating him! Deliberately turns him into a maniac, obsessed with a perverted form of love!" Otto guessed angrily, clenching his fists.
"And as a result, this crazy form of love got stuck in his head, becoming the driving force of his madness." Wilhelm explained sympathetically, quietly seething with rage at how Geuse's feelings for Fortuna and Emilia were cruelly perverted by a filthy witch.
And as he chanted, Pandora walked forward. "Yes, that is right. There is nothing to fear. There is nothing to regret. That is the inevitability that the path you have walked was leading to…"
She leaned down, to his ear, and whispered with poison—
"Your love is not wrong."
"F-For… love…?" He said no more, going limp and setting down on his knees.
"—Emi…lia…"
"M-Mother?" Hearing her name being called, Emilia cupped Fortuna's face.
"Bro… ther… I'm so… sorry…"
Her eyes are glassy, her eyes are glazed, her breath is getting slower…
"Mother…"
"I couldn't… do… do an…y of the things… you… you told me… to do… your wife… ah… will be so… so angry… she'll never… never forgive me…"
"A human mother, that was allegedly a witch, and apparently had quite the temper… Didn't we see someone fitting this description in this place before?" Anastasia said quietly to Crusch.
"Minerva?" The duchess immediately caught on with the merchant princess' train of thought, but then shook her head skeptically. "You really think it's possible? There are hundreds of years between her and Emilia."
"We severely lack concrete information bout everything here. And Emilia, despite being the living witness of these events, is in no way a reliable source. Still, two other witches independently of each other said the same thing about her real mother. But we don't know anything about Emilia and her true age. After a hundred years, she grew from little girl into an adolescent. Can we deny the possibility that she was not another hundred years when all that happened?"
"Even if you are right, the gap between the dates is too big. Didn't the Witch of Wrath dies during the Great Calamity?"
"That's what the official version states. And we all know now how 'reliable' it is. If it's true that Authority wielders have long live-spans, who knows if Minerva outlived other witches by far."
"Improbable, but not excluded. Still, what does this knowledge give us? No matter when, but Minerva is dead and if the information about Emilia's origin somehow leaks out-" With these words, Crush gave Anastasia a very insinuative glance. "I really doubt it will surprise many. If anything, people will just say that they thought as much."
"Ugh…why do you see the false bottom everywhere?"
"Because I'm talking with the head of the Hoshin Company?"
"Ouch. Got me there. Still, I find it offensive that you imply I will use such tragedy to slander my opponent. I've got more effective and more moral ways of ensuring my advantage. Right now, I'm just satiating my lust for knowledge, nothing more."
Emilia sobbed, seeing Fortuna's eyes that she loved become glassy and lack her life, but forced a smile onto her face. "Mother… I'll forgive you. You are… you are my Mother. You've always taken care of me. You loved me just so~ much, just as mom and dad did…! S-So… so there's nothing you need… to apologize for… Emilia will… will always love you so-o-o much, Mother Fortuna!"
Her tears fell onto Fortuna's face. True and grateful towards the woman who raised her in the stead of her parents. "I love you…! I love you, I love you… I love you!"
Using the last of her strength, Fortuna brought her right arm up, resting and cupping Emilia's face. "Emi…lia…"
"Mother…?"
Fortuna gently trailed her fingers on Emilia's ear, then threaded her fingers through her hair. One last moment of comfort, of motherly love. "My little crybaby… I love you… so~ much…"
Her hand fell to the ground.
Emilia froze in place, bowing her head down as she continued to sob over her Mother's corpse.
"Fortuna-sama… how is this possible…" Petra muttered tearfully in the arms of her mentor. "Why did this happen to her? Why did Emilia-sama had to go through this?"
"Alas, little one. In the real world, villains often prevail, and the souls of the slain do not always get even avenged." Al said sternly.
He didn't take any joy in telling a young girl about the ugly sides of the big world. But after everything she had seen on the screen in recent days, it was no longer possible to talk about any childish innocence. All that remained was to prepare her for other unpleasant things that she would surely face if she decided to stay in the royal candidate's camp.
Mimi, Tivey, and Felt, who were listening to this, looked sympathetically at their younger friend. Since childhood, they had witnessed what the one-armed warrior had told them about, such pictures were quite familiar to them. They could only hope that Petra was a girl strong enough in spirit to withstand the weight of the truths that had fallen on her.
"Very few things can be more tragic than a child, forced to see her parent pass away in such a cruel way." Wilhelm said with regret.
"Punished by the very mistakes she created by neglecting her duty! What an ironically fitting way for the useless, selfish woman to die!" Priscilla venomously stated, knowing exactly what will happen next. And the reaction followed immediately.
'…Oh, fuck my life!' Al screamed internally, feeling the incredible amount of hatred directed at his princess with his guts. How is he ever going to survive the slaughter, his lady just called for.
"Now this bitch's done it!" Felt growled through her teeth.
"Looks like Vollachian upbringing made you completely devoid of any sense of tact or even basic empathy! You could've stayed quiet at least now." Crusch said with an unconcealed disdain. Even if Priscilla once again had some harsh truth for the audience, now was not the time for it!
Stares full of enmity or disgust from others were of no interest to Priscilla. What she truly waited was the reaction from the half-wit. She was about to learn some harsh truth about her dearest mother figure. Such was the punishment from the goddess for insolence!
"Take your words back…!" Emilia said with the voice full of ice and threat.
Never before she glared at the fiery princess, or anyone else except Pandora for that matter, with such hatred. It mattered very little to her what anyone except Subaru thought or said about her. Right now, she felt like freezing their haughty noble on the place. And deep down, she understood, that she had was capable of doing this. Only the Warden with his magic-canceling abilities could stop her here.
"And how are you going to make me do this? You can love and protect the image of your dear mother for as long as you wish! Come and run away from the obvious truth, that she is the one who is to blame for what happened to her, to the archbishop and to many others!"
"Take them back…" Emilia repeated with the same tone with her head lowered, not even looking directly at Priscilla.
Her expression was covered by her long silver hairs. The rest in the first and second row looked at her apprehensively, not sure what to do — stand with Emilia and support her or try to restrain the half-elf from tearing Priscilla apart.
"She had a duty! A responsibility, entrusted to her by her older brother and her sister-in-law! To protect their child! Even protecting the Seal wasn't her primary goal, since we know she and you were not natives of this village! And what did she do instead of ensuring the safety of the child by running away with her from the forest?! She decided to abandon her duty! Left the problematic baby to the first elf she met simply to go and solve the matters of her pathetic romance!"
"Fortuna-san entrusted Emilia-sama not to any elf, but to Archie! The one that would've replaced her as a Guardian of the Seal! Not to mention that there was no way for her to know this witch brought the Black Serpent to the forest! Otherwise, she would never leave the girl's side!" Rem made an attempt to protect Fortuna's decision, but as an answer, she only got a derisive laugh.
"Whether she knew or not matters little, maid! She had a duty! One that she decided was inferior to her own selfish whims! Archbishop made an ultimate sacrifice, essentially abandoned his own being simply to buy time for both the mother and the daughter to escape! By abandoning her duty, she launched the chain of events that will cause the uncountable number of tragedies!"
These words forced others to think about alternatives. They knew that, despite the ghastly mannerisms, none could deny the fiery princess her sharp eyes and insightful mind. If she decided to spark another conflict, potentially very serious one, there must've been a reason for that.
"If Fortuna didn't come back, Corneas would've simply killed Geuse—" Ricardo mused aloud.
"—Thus depriving the witch of Vainglory of the archbishop of Sloth." Reinhard followed, understanding just what a cruel twist of fate they were presented with. Just like Beatrice said in this place — a road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Many were in agreement with Fortuna's decision. They would've acted similarly in her place to save their loved ones. And it was completely unfair to blame her for what happened after. There was no way she could know how things will turn out. Yet there was some ground for baroness' accusations. Fortuna did leave Emilia without making sure first she would be safe.
"Exactly! All the consequent atrocities committed by one of the most active Sin Archbishops are the result of her actions! He could have perished in battle, content that he sacrifice himself to protect his loved ones! He could go out on his terms! And instead he became an unwilling murderer of the person he sacrificed himself for! That is the result of the elf choosing her desire over her responsibility!"
"I can't say I agree with you, Priscilla-sama." Otto took the stage and looked the vollachian noble right in the eyes. "Since we saw how Pandora can undo even severe damage done to bodies and surroundings, can we be sure she wouldn't simply undo Geuse's death? And then go after Emilia-sama and Fortuna-san, allowing the revived Geuse to follow her to repeat the same scenario we saw just now? Moreover, without Fortuna's comeback, the witch likely wouldn't send back the archbishop of Greed. Add to the mix her apparent ability to teleport and the fact that minor spirits were her allies, and who knows how the events would turn out! I wouldn't bet on Pandora just letting them escape the forest."
Emilia finally took her eyes off Priscilla and gave a grateful look to Otto for coming up with a logical suggestion that her Mother's decision may not have been the worst one. As much as she hated Priscilla for her hurtful words, she couldn't simply dismiss them. The very idea that Fortuna, by trying to save Geuse, became responsible for his transformation into Petelgeuse made her shudder inside. After all, that would mean Fortuna was indirectly responsible for the suffering Subaru went through because of Sloth. But thanks to Otto's quick deduction, she could retain some hope, no matter how little.
"The difference is that my divine self explains to you, plebeians, what happened in reality, while all you can do is speculate with futile attempts to save the image of this elf woman!" Priscilla refuted coldly. She was seriously displeased that someone dared to interfere in her well-timed revenge at the half-wit.
"Still, Otto-san is right. Considering what abilities the Witch of Vainglory possessed, she could easily twist the events in her own favor, no matter what steps Fortuna-san would've taken. If worse came to worst, she could simply block any escape route using the Black Serpent. If she summoned him to the forest just like that, I'm pretty sure she could move him again to the place she needed or bring back Corneas again." Rem insisted, coming close to Emilia and taking her and as a sign of support. And was glad to feel how her hand was squeezed back.
Personally, for her, it didn't matter if in the end Priscilla turned out to be right. Fortuna-sama acted without any foreknowledge. She entrusted little Emilia to her most reliable ally she could find at the moment, and only after that she rushed back to help her beloved. Rem would never judge Fortuna for this action, for she knew that before she got in this place, she would've acted the same in a similar situation. The only question remained, what would her current self do, after everything she learned.
Using Otto's and Rem's words as an emotional anchor, Emilia managed to contain her wrath and calm herself. Still looking at Priscilla with cold eyes, she declared to her:
"I heard you, Priscilla-sama. Please note that whatever slander you'll tell about Mother Fortuna from now on, I shall not indulge your caprices and lash out while we are still here. Still, please bear in mind, that any further insults of my family shall be remembered by me, and I will act accordingly in the future when we get out of here."
"I can't decide if I'm more surprised more by your audacity or your idiocy to dear to threaten me, half-wit. Those who fly too close to the sun shall be burned by it!" Priscilla answered with a heated gaze, looking the insolent elf right in the eyes.
"Even the sun can be cooled to off if one make the surroundings cold enough." Emilia hinted, turned around, mentioned to Rem that she could go back to her seat and sat beck herself.
The situation started to look dreary. If this goes on, Pristella might've easily become the battlefield of two royal camps. Felt was worried about her friend starting a brawl. Sure, she would support her because she valued Emilia as a friend. Not to mention, this would become a great foundation for her idea of merging the camps, and she would be delighted to kick the snotty baroness' ass. On the other hand, Felt knew very well that this conflict will be used by all enemies of big sis as proof that Emilia is an unhinged and dangerous girl, that will cause conflicts and disasters just like the Witch. In the end, even victory over Bariel's camp may cost her too much.
Crusch was also worried about Emilia, for similar reasons. She will undoubtedly honor the alliance and stand with Emilia, but the possible consequences of such conflict were unknown. If that happens, she would insist on incorporating Emilia's camp ion her own to make sure such things won't happen again.
"Emilia-sama, Priscilla-sama, I beg you to stop this quarrel. An open conflict between the royal candidates is the last thing our kingdom needs right now!" Reinhard stood up, making his best to placate the argument. "Priscilla-sama, while I do acknowledge your right to express your opinions as you see fit, I do ask you to show at least some lenience in your words. What we see now is a very personal and tragic moment for Emilia-sama and twisting it further by blaming everything on her mother figure is very uncouth. Emilia-sama, while I do understand your ire, I implore you to take into account her attitude. Starting an internal conflict with Priscilla-sama's camp sounds excessive. Especially knowing that you camp members will be pulled into this conflict whether you wish it or not."
Reinhard knew that the last bit was a dirty move. Though veiled, he did hint that Subaru will get involved in this mess, should Emilia start the conflict with the baroness. And most likely will suffer while looking for the winning strategy. But he got the result he wished to see. The very thought terrified her. She couldn't let her knight pule up more death simply because she was bitter at the malicious princess. For the next few moments, she silently struggled while her fears battled with her
"I got what you mean, Reinhard. Thank you for your help. I'll make sure not to create any unnecessary strife." She finally answered, exhaling and closing her eyes to calm herself completely.
"You are growing, in fact. Betty's contractor would surely praise you for becoming more mature." Beatrice decided to compliment the half-elf for her self-control.
Wilhelm began to reach out with his hand to pat the shoulder of his grandson approvingly, but hesitated. He still didn't fell like he has the right to show Reinhard any sings of appreciation. Will it look hypocritical of him to try to give praise to Reinhard?
His brooding was interrupted by a nudge from Felix, who nodded in the direction of their lady. Crush in turn nodded in the direction of a Sword Saint, showing that she understood old butler's intentions and that he should follow through with his desire. Encouraged by her support, Wilhelm smiled gratefully, reached out again, now with some confidence, and gave a reassuring squeeze to Reinhard's shoulder.
The red-headed knight turned his head, looking at Wilhelm with amazement and disbelief evident in his eyes. Did his grandfather really approved of his actions?! Was he dreaming?
Meanwhile, the rest of the cast, happy that the conflict was resolved, at least for now, signed in relief and readied themselves to continue the viewing.
"Now, are you ready to choose the hope that you will break the Seal?" Pandora called her.
"Open… the Seal…?" Emilia looked up, slowly turning her head towards Pandora.
Pandora nodded. "Your Mother, the person that you have made that promise to, has now passed away, sadly. Because of that, there is no more promise that you are shackled to. What do you say?"
"That lying piece of shit! 'Sadly', she says! Turns out that she arranged everything that happened just so that the promise made to her mother would lose its power?! Just who do you have to be to think this way?!" Felt was burning with anger.
"A witch. The most vile witch, I must add. One that doesn't care about the rest of the world and all its inhabitants. For Pandora, only her goals exist, nothing more." Reinhard answered her.
"If Barusu were awake now, I'm sure he would've taken back his words that Echidna is an incomprehensible witch who does not understand the feelings of others. Because compared to this monster, she's the soul of any company!" Ram stated coldly. So great was her hatred towards Pandora that Ram decided to uplift even her biggest competition
"You got it off my tongue, sister. Wish I could make the same hole in her as she did to Fortuna-san. Alas, that would be futile, since this witch lacks heart to pierce." Rem expressed her agreement in the same tone.
"No need to worry, Rem. I think you'll like the next scene. I'm ve-e-ery sure about it…" Said the half-elf. These words were said in a frighteningly low, cold and furious voice. Rem didn't understand what she meant, but looked eagerly at the screen.
Emilia sat silently, not willing to cry or give any comments about what she felt about this scene. She simply looked at the screen with eyes devoid of all warmth and waited. Waited to see the next scene again. All the while thinking how nice it would be nice to repeat what everyone will see on the screen in reality. After all, Pandora said that they will meet again when Emilia breaks free from the ice. The condition for the next meeting was fulfilled, and Emilia was more than eager to see the Witch of Vainglory again.
Emilia looked down at the key in her hands, then she turned back towards Fortuna's body, reached towards her sharp four-petaled flower shaped hair clip. She took it, taking out the clip on her left side and replacing it with Fortuna's hair clip. Then, after doing so, she turned towards Pandora—
"Die."
"Die!" The half-elf in the hall repeated at the same time with the same tone and volume.
It was her cherished desire, to find a way to deal with this fiend, to make Pandora suffer for all she did. These viewing only made Emilia's hatred that much stronger. Seeing what was Geuse reduced to. Seeing him mentally torture Subaru, physically torture Rem, massacre of the villagers including little children. All these inhumane atrocities had one culprit in Emilia's eyes — the platinum-haired Witch of Vainglory.
From the inside out, an ice flower tore Pandora apart, her own blood flowing through the ice until she burst.
"Yeah!" Some of the more aggressive guests reacted with vengeance, not constrained by the norms of etiquette.
But even those who refrained from expressing their feelings vividly expressed their full approval of this step. In their understanding, the witch deserved such punishment and much more.
"What a dangerous thing to do. What brought—?"
"Die."
"Die."
Four ice crystals appeared and tore her and impaled her when she appeared again and walked forward. Emilia stood up, clenching her fists tightly.
"More, Emilia-sama! Make this scum suffer!" Rem said approvingly with a cruel smile, succumbing to her demon instincts.
Watching a cruel witch who had brought so much grief to the innocent die in a variety of ways gave her genuine joy.
"Please calm down. We can talk it over until you unders—"
"Die."
Pandora was smashed between two ice crystals, causing her blood to splatter, but she appeared on the left, still addressing Emilia.
"Even though my amazin' self knows it's useless, I simply like to watch it." Garfiel growled, regretting that the witch showed no signs of pain.
Frederica closed Petra's eyes on principle, not wanting her to look at this grisly scene on the screen. Although inwardly, she was completely in solidarity with her brother.
"You are a kind-hearted child. Your Mother would be said if you—"
"Die."
"Die."
Pandora was impaled.
"How troubling. It seems to be having the opposite effect."
Pandora was frozen and became an ice statue, then destroyed when a large shard came from above.
"Die!"
A burst of mana came from Emilia, causing a layer of frost to cover the ground as she cried out her last curse. It covered a bit of Fortuna's corpse, the lower half of the Seal, and Geuse on his knees. And yet, she continued to curse
"Die! Die! Die! Die!"
Gradually, the euphoria from the just, albeit useless, punishment that befell Pandora faded away. Some of the audience began to think about a more important aspect of this scene. Namely, over what kind of power Emilia actually possessed. And about the potential danger the young half-elf presented.
"So that's your true face, half-devil? Having awakened such intense hatred in yourself, can you kill without even thinking about it? Didn't something similar happen four hundred years ago, when a Witch caused a Great Calamity? Did she lose a loved one or a family, began to envy the rest of the world, which continued to live, ignoring her personal tragedy, and therefore decided to destroy it?" Priscilla was in deep thought, carefully watching the young girl on the screen.
On it, she saw the magic potential, which very few living people could even hope to achieve. And next they will see the freezing of the entire forest! Did she do it by herself, and not as a result of opening the seal or using some artifact? Just what kind of power does one must have to perform such a feat?
Pandora sighed, bowing her head.
"It is a shame when my long-desired wish is so close, but it's time to end this for today. To continue further might force you into the impossible."
"Ha! Sucks to be you, bitch! You will never get want you want!" Felt grinned maliciously. After everything she saw, Pandora's words that she would have to leave without achieving her goal were like music to her ears.
"Yes, perhaps this is the only consolation that we can afford here. Despite all her powers, the Witch of Vainglory never succeeded. Thanks to the sacrifice of Fortuna-sama and Archbishop Geuse, the Seal remained closed." Julius said with a solemn bow of his head.
"And the only one who can open it, and now hates her as much as I hated the White Whale." William said with satisfaction.
He could only hope that after the end of the viewings, Emilia will not become obsessed with finding Pandora at all costs. He himself could perfectly understand such a desire, but it would go against the wishes of everyone who decided to support the candidacy of a half-elf. If it came to that, he would need to have a thorough conversation with Subaru to try to help him influence his lady.
"And yet we still don't know what could be behind this door and why this witch needed to open it so badly!" Mimi said with a sad tone.
Everything that happened on the screen was one let down after another. The questions were not answered, all the good guys lost or died.
"Is it really important, though? We already know that there is something sealed that is extremely important for the radicals of the Witch Cult. And the fact that if the cult gets it, then the world will have a really hard time. So, whatever it is, we can't let them get it." Ricardo decided to apply simple logic.
"I say Ricardo is right, nya. Whatever behind this Seal: Pandora's true body, powerful weapon, terrible monster capable of destroying the whole world, this does nyot affect the key point! The cult must nyot be allowed to open this seal, nyo matter what, nya!" Felix pointed out the most essential detail.
Snow began to fall. Seeing this, Pandora blinked, turning her head around to take in the sight. The pine trees rippled as a sharp breeze passed through, which soon became a blizzard—
"Die! Die! Die! Die!"
"At this rate that you are going, you will likely fall into a deep sleep soon. Your power will envelop this forest with frozen soil that will never thaw."
Critters that ran around became statues, beautiful trees that would bloom or bear fruit are halted by the frost. Geuse's group, the elves, and the homes, became ice statues as well.
"It's not at all surprising that Emilia-sama fell into a state of passion after such a horrid experience, nya." Felix nodded understandingly. "But the amount of magic she releases truly amazes me!"
"It's just unbelievable. What kind of magical potential do you have, Emilia-sama, to be able to do this?" Reinhard asked, startled.
"And she doesn't even do it co-o-onsciously. Young Emilia-sama herself funnels so much mana through her gates that she has entered a mana-letting pe-e-eriod." Roswaal remarked, shuddering inwardly with excitement. Magic of such potential was unattainable even for him.
"A Hatsumaki?! She gathered so much mana in mere seconds?! Just like that, right off the bat?! What is the capacity of her Od in this case?!" Julius was amazed at this.
"I… I don't know. Puck has always been in charge of these questions. The last time I gave it my all with magic was when we were fighting the Great Rabbit. And, after that, I had regular ice arts training. So I've never had any signs of Hatsumaki after that."
"It seems that you are the daughter of a witch not only in words, but also in terms of danger you pose! It's not for nothing that you called yourself an Ice Witch. Judging by what we see, if you want, you can arrange the same calamity as your twin!" Priscilla said sternly.
She was very angry right now. And the reason for her anger was the feeling of fear that appeared in her mind. The destructive potential of the girl, whom she considered nothing more than a naive fool, turned out to be beyond any of her expectations. And the princess, no matter how hard she tried, could not completely get rid of the feeling that, in the event of a deadly fight, she would not be able to emerge victorious. But she could comfort herself with the fact that the world itself was on her side. Which meant he won't let a half-wit turn into a new incarnation of a Witch when she's around.
"I would sooner believe that you, Priscilla-sama, will take the throne of Gusteko for yourself and declare total war on the whole world before Emilia-sama decides to become the same as the Witch of Envy!" Crusch habitually stood up for her ally.
What she herself knew about Emilia and what had been shown earlier on the screen gave her a clear picture of the half-elf's character. But these words, full of confidence, only made the fire-haired princess twist her face in disdain.
"Ignorance, built on a primitive desire to believe in what is pleasant or profitable! Such a typical behavior for commoners. And after this, you still consider yourself worthy to sit on the throne of the kingdom?! There is enough power in the half-wit to cause a new Great Calamity! And something similar is happening on the screen right now! Power is exactly what should always be considered first! It doesn't matter what intentions anyone has! Intentions are as fickle as emotions or desires! Only potential dictates whether to be afraid of someone's desires and emotions."
Realizing that it was impossible to constantly hide behind friends and allies, Emilia got up from her seat and looked Priscilla straight in the eyes.
"I will never let the incident that happened in the Elior Forest to reoccur again! Yes, back then I lost control of myself! But I was only six years old! My mother has just been killed in front of my eyes! I wished Pandora dead with all my heart! But it won't happen again! Even Pandora won't make me lose control again!"
"Oh, really? That's what you're saying now! And what would happen if the second Trial turns out to be true, and you find yourself in the same position as on the screen, clutching the cooling corpse of this commoner in your hands?! With that witch, standing over you once again? Can you say with confidence that you will keep a cool head?!" Priscilla asked mercilessly.
Her words made Emilia take a step back. She didn't want to think about such a scenario, she didn't even want to admit its possibility. But, nevertheless, the words of the Vollachian princess made the eyes turn to her in anticipation of an answer.
"Even… even if you are right, Priscilla-sama… I will still remember my obligations to others. Subaru won't forgive me if I do something like that in a fit of hatred. And I will not let my knight down! I owe him too much!"
The princess from Vollachia herself only snorted, but did not continue, deciding to accept such an answer from her rival. At least for now.
Some smiled approvingly, seeing how confident and firm Emilia's voice was answered by the Baroness. Others were not so easily placated. Regardless of how harsh Priscilla's words were, they still held merit.
'No matter how good-hearted Emilia is, she is capable of turning a territory the size of a forest into a frozen hell. And it is possible to push her into a frenzied state where she loses control over herself and her magic. Which means such possibilities, no matter how low, cannot be ignored.' Anastasia thought a bit nervously, while making a mental note to gather other candidates to have a talk about the possible countermeasures.
"Either your mana will eventually run dry… or it will be offset by someone with power comparable to yours."
The entire forest was not spared from Emilia's curse and rampage. The Witch of Vainglory herself was completely untouched by the deadly frost. She calmly approached the girl.
"Until then…" Pandora turned towards Emilia, who had been fully cemented in place by her own magic, and yet she had not noticed and still cried out.
"Unfortunately for you, I will not die. As surely as the snow melts and the glacial period ends, we will meet again. However, it would make me quite sad if you were to still hate me then." Finishing that, Pandora walked forward, raising her hand and placing it on Emilia's cheek.
"So, your memories thus far will end today —as you forget my existence."
"It seems tha' one nefarious bitch is in for a nasty let down!" Garfiel commented with an evil smile from ear to ear.
And he wasn't the only one looking at the screen with a similar expression. Since the witch expected Emilia to forget everything and not recognize Pandora when they meet again, now her plan has gone to waste. Which was really pleasing for the audience.
But Emilia was greatly disturbed by these words. After all, she had really almost forgotten about this story. And haven't thought about Pandora or Regulus during the last year. If not for the shocking revelations of this place, It was possible that if she met the Archbishop of Greed again, she would not even recognize him, despite is outrageous look and everything he has done. Could this be a residual effect of Vainglory Authority?
"I will have to tell Subaru everything about this pretty soon! Since even the Authority of Gluttony do not work on him, then he will not forget the story about Pandora either, I'm sure!"
"It's worth thanking the Warden. Due to his intervention, the Witch Cult leader's plan is doomed to fail again!" Otto said with malice in his voice.
"Why does she sound like she's reciting aloud a book that describes the events that are taking place on the screen?" Tivey asked.
"Maybe this is how she uses her Authority? She needs to say how reality must be changed in order for her ability to activate. Perhaps it as if she is a scribe observing the history of the world and making edits to it at her discretion." Julius was disgusted on a personal level to compare Pandora's powers with the noble craft of historians, but such an explanation sounded most logical to him.
"Sounds plausible. She used the same trick to send Corneas back to his hideout."
Emilia gasped, her shut eyes opening wide at the feeling of Pandora's hand on her cheek
"Fill the emptiness however you please. Yes, you did your very best to keep your promise. I would be most pleased if you would engrave that fact in your heart and forever stay as you are now."
At that moment, a seal was placed on Emilia's memories. Pandora backed away, and turned.
"I look forward to the day we meet again."
Her gaze turned towards the Seal for a moment, then towards Geuse. She knelt down, placing a hand on his shoulder and whispering something to him. The moment she was finished, Geuse got up, and began to cackle like a madman.
"And at that moment my dear papa Geuse, perished. Because of the machinations of that vile witch, Pandora. And instead… instead of him… a monster… named Petelgeuse was born…" Emilia had enough resolve only for these words before tears overwhelmed her ability to speak. Burring her face in her hands, she completely surrendered to her emotions.
Rem immediately got up from her seat and rushed to hug her lady, trying to support her. The girl did not resist and hugged the maid back, sobbing on her shoulder. Even Beatrice felt it appropriate to start patting Emilia on the shoulder, even though she herself at that moment was shedding tears for an old friend.
"And, what is most terrible, his best traits, his tenacity, his indomitable will with which he defended his loved ones, were turned by this witch into instruments of terror and murder." Said Julius resignedly, bowing his head as a sign of respect for the fallen hero.
"And then, for a hundred years, he, with his usual diligence, committed hideous crimes all over the world in the name of love for a Witch." Ricardo echoed him in the same tone.
"And who knows how many more centuries he would have been a prisoner of Pandora if Betty's contractor hadn't freed him from this fate." Beatrice said sadly, continuing to soothingly stroke the sobbing Emilia.
"I wonder what kind of abominations she whispered to Geuse that he started laughing like that?" Felix was interested.
"Does it really matter? Something about loving a Witch, I suppose. When the screen showed him in our time, he never once thought about Fortuna, always chattering about the Witch even right up to his last moment." Crusch answered him.
Now frozen up to her face, Emilia turned her eyes towards Fortuna. She tried to move her arm, she tried to reach out, but failed to. "Mom…my…"
The storm continued, and everything was swallowed up.
Adult Emilia looked at what became of her past self. Frozen in ice, in suspended animation of her own doing. She had lost control of her own magic.
"If you blame yourself for the falsification of your own memories, I would say that you're barking up the wrong tree. The one that you saw then was the Witch of Vainglory. There is no doubt that her Authority of Vainglory paddled out your distorted memories."
Hearing that, Emilia turned to Echidna. "If I ask you about Pandora, will you tell me?"
Echidna scoffed. "I seek out conversations with others, but in your case, I have no interest in digressions."
"I see. Well, thank you."
"Well now your personal grudges are completely unneeded, Mother! We could really use more information about the Witch of Vainglory that could help us in the future, in fact!" Beatrice said irritably.
It was extremely unusual for her mother to refuse someone who was sincerely looking for knowledge. Beatrice was really upset with the fact that Echidna decided to show her nastier side at that moment.
"Yes, her stubbornness is extremely ill-suited right now. It wouldn't hurt for us to get as much knowledge as possible about how Pandora's Authority works." Anastasia also was really pissed out about this situation.
"That is unfortunate, of course, but I think that it's not the most important moment. What really bothers me now, is the last aspect of Vainglory Authority that has just been shown to us." Crusch said with a serious tone.
"You mean how she erased her big sis' memory?" Felt quickly picked up the topic.
"Exactly."
"So, what about it, isn't this ability similar to the one used by Gluttony?" Felix asked, not understanding what was so serious about this to make his lady so worried.
"It seems to me that comparing these two abilities is like equating a butcher's cleaver with a surgeon's scalpel, Felix-sama." Wilhelm replied to him. "Gluttony devours everything at once, leaving a person without any memories or completely turning into a body unable to wake up from sleep. And here we saw the witch working much more subtly. Pandora deleted only one memory without touching the rest."
"Just as she can change her surroundings, she's also able to manipulate the memory of those she's encountered, I suppose. And this ability raises a very serious question! How often did she interfere in various events, influenced their outcomes, and then erased the memory of all witnesses, in fact?" Beatrice voiced out what Crusch was brooding over.
"But that witch lived a hundred years ago!" Mimi argued.
"So is the Archbishop of Greed. Which didn't stop him from looking like the events in Elior Forest and his attack on the Crusch-sama's caravan happened on the same day, not a century ago." Tivey reminded her.
"You know, this thought is really starting to scare me!" Otto said excitedly. "This Pandora can be still roaming around the world, creating new horrors, leaving no one behind who can even remember her appearance."
"Who knows what other disasters she may be responsible for. Whether it's the outbreak of the civil war in Lugunica, the invasion of the Stride of Vollachia, or even the death of the royal family." Ricardo listed gloomily.
"This thing is dangerous not only because she is able to block some memories. She can write new ones into the minds of her victims!" Priscilla reminded the others. "Change the memories and, by extension, their personalities, beyond recognition, as we saw it happened to that whiny cultist!"
"The baroness is right. It is possible that the Witch of Vainglory could interfere in any event, do her dirty deed, and then change the memory of all the living witnesses so that they would think that something has never happened" Julius reasoned with growing excitement in his voice." Or that everything happened completely differently than it really did! Or…
"I wo-o-ouldn't get so paranoid and look for traces of Pandora in any disaster. One can easily lose themselves to ma-a-ndess that way." Roswaal interrupted him in mid-sentence. "It is obvious that Pandora's participation in various events of our history is quite pla-a-asible. However, if she was as powerful as we just imagined her to be, then in a hundred ye-e-ears she could have achieved all her goals. Simply by gathering an a-a-army of devoted fanatics. Therefore, I would not think of her as an irresistible force against which there are no cou-u-untermeasures. And for that matter, I would rather look for her traces in the events in which other cultists were directly invo-o-olved."
"Like destroying Garkal or invasion of Stride?" Reinhard suggested and received a positive nod in response.
"The margrave is right about one thing for sure — there is no point in us sitting around right now and imagining where else Pandora could have intervened. If she did, it is very unlikely we will find something. And even we find traces of her actions, what new information about her will it give us? Let's just continue watching." Crusch urged everyone to switch over.
Echidna pursed her lips tightly at that, annoyed and irritated by Emilia's optimism and gratefulness.
"I was the one who turned them all into ice… and it was when they were trying to save me."
"By recalling the past, you saw the end of your regret. All that remains is to give your answer."
"…my answer to the Trial?"
"The first Trial is completed by parting with your greatest regret. It comes when you either accept or reject your past self. The fact remains that your own sin caused your Mother and your friends and your family to turn into ice statues. Your determination to save them can't even be called idealistic. It was no more than a dream. So, what is left for you?"
"Isn't this bitch twisting events in her favor to make big sis lose her cool again?!" Felt asked with rising indignation.
"For a royal candidate, you don't seem to have a good enough memory, girl."
"Who are calling stupid, stupid?!"
"Mother did the same thing when Betty's contractor finished his first Trial. It's not enough to just accept or reject your past self, I suppose! You must believe in your decision wholeheartedly. And to test one's mettle, Mother provokes them by asking thorny questions and looking how they will react."
"So despite her personal disdain for Emilia for some reason, she still remains impassive in her evaluation?" Otto asked with hope.
"Echidna always sought kno-o-owledge. Facts, that were falsified because of emotions cannot be called knowledge, thus cannot be considered true knowledge a-a-after all"
Thinking about the witch's harsh words, Emilia remembered that Subaru was waiting for her outside. The one who promised to be by her side and not leave her, no matter what happened. These memories brought a smile to the princess's face.
"Damn Barusu managed to contaminate Emilia-sama's mind and pops out even during such critically important moments!" Ram praised Subaru for giving her lady a boost of confidence so needed at that moment.
Hearing that, Emilia finally composed herself and looked at the screen, where her counterpart began to answer the Witch of Greed.
"I've already been told that. Mother loved me. I wanted to save my Mother… Mother Fortuna. I wanted to sleep in her arms again, together in the same bed. I wanted to tell her over and over that I loved her."
"Are you saying that you regret that?"
Emilia shook her head. "No, I don't regret it. I don't regret keeping my promise and refusing to yield back then. If I regret anything… it was that I wasn't strong enough."
Two apparitions of Pandora and her younger self appeared, Pandora on Emilia's right and her on the left.
"That I wasn't smart enough to do better. But… I'll never regret not breaking my promise with Mother to do as Pandora said."
And this time, the apparitions of the Witch and who she called the daughter of one switched places.
"Because… Mother told me in the very end that she was proud of me for keeping my promise. That I was her treasure!"
"Let me wholeheartedly agree with you, Emilia-sama. There's no point in blaming yourself for not being able to stop a natural disaster." Wilhelm said with an approving nod. "It is much more important to correctly realize what you could have done in the current situation and whether you did everything that was in your power. And if the answer is yes, then blaming yourself for what happened means belittling the strength and the efforts of others who were with you."
"What are you blabbering about, old bones? The half-wit was the natural disaster that killed everyone around and needed to be stopped!" The baroness reminded.
"To demand from a little, frightened girl, who just saw her mother being killed, to be responsible for a stampede of magic about which she herself did not know is excessively unjust even for you, Bariel-sama!" The duchess replied to her coldly.
Echidna narrowed her eyes. "Since you can't save her now, doesn't that mean you've lost your reason to fight?"
"Not at all. I couldn't save Mother, but… But I can't say that for certain about everyone else yet. They're still sleeping within the ice, waiting for me. Only I can save them."
Echidna then presented another question. "The forest has been contaminated by the Black Serpent. What if their bodies are corroded by disease even if the frozen soil thaws? What if none of the land your people owned for generations remains?"
Emilia raised her voice a bit. "That's just imagining the worst! I'm sure that, no, I know for certain that they're all waiting to be saved! I need them to wake up, so they can yell at me! Then, they'll smile and tell me they're glad I'm still alive!"
"What a foolish delusion."
"Listen to that witch, half-wit. By unfreezing these elves in our world, you will condemn them to the same hardships and persecution that you yourself were subjected to!" Priscilla agreed sarcastically.
"Not at all. When I take the throne, I'm not going to rush to the Elior forest immediately to unfreeze it. First, I will make the groundwork for their return. I will show the whole kingdom by my own example that the fear of elves is unwarranted! The example of my knight has well shown me the importance of carefully planning your steps.
"Spoken like a worthy opponent, Emilia-sama. I will let you know that after becoming a ruler, I will help you in your dream and I will also fight hatred against other races. That includes fighting against the discrediting of the elves as well." Crusch told her with an expression full of dignity.
"And so am I, big sis! If we are to demolish the foundations of this kingdom to the ground, then we must end the hatred between humans and other races! They will have to build a new kingdom together! And it would be a sin to refuse the help of the elves in this endeavor!" Felt declared resolutely.
Encouraged by the words of her rival friends, Emilia stood up and bowed gratefully to both of them.
Emilia gave a wide smile, turning towards Echidna. "No, it's the prediction of a happy future! Mother said that one day, we would leave the forest and live normal lives! Just like how we were friends with Geuse and his people, and just like how Subaru said he loved me, the world where Mother and Geuse should have walked side by side will come!"
Echidna furrowed her brows. "And the villagers who turned into ice statues are there? The ones that you froze?"
"I'll apologize re-e-eally hard! I'll do it over and over again until they forgive me! Then, once they forgive me… I'll show them the world! I'll tell them we don't need to live in hiding anymore! I'll tell them this is the world that Mother Fortuna told us about!"
And so… the memory, or the dream world, started to fade. It began to crack, showing lines of deep violet underneath. Emilia took in a deep breath, and shouted with all her might:
"I'll sing my dreams until my throat goes dry! That way, Mother up in the skies can hear me! I'll tell Mother that I'm going to live happily in the world that she loved!"
Echidna sighed. "I see. I understand now. I thought I did before, but this truly did exceed my expectations. You are just that pushy, insolent, egotistical, and selfish. Truly, the pinnacle of hypocrisy."
"Don't know how about you, but my senses tell me that Echidna just complimented Emilia-sama Ram-style. Ricardo asked cheerfully.
"Yes, it did sound like an admission that the young lady had her temper awoken and now ready to bite back!" Al agreed with him.
Emilia nodded. "True. Is that bad?"
"Not really. In the end, I don't really care about it. It's just that you look exactly like your mother in that regard." Echidna made a face, frowning her delicate eyebrows.
"You know my mother.… Not my mom, but my other mom?" Emilia raised her own in surprise.
"I know her, yes. It would be a lie to say that she is not partially responsible for why I get so emotional when I communicate with you."
"So, she also knew Emilia's mother personally. A witch that was pushy, insolent, egotistical, and selfish, hah? Circumstantial evidence makes the picture more and more clear, in my opinion, dont you think?" Anastasia once again brought up the topic about the personality of Emilia's real mother to Crusch's ear.
"While I agree with your flow of thoughts, it still looks very unlikely due to difference in dates. Unless, of course, the information about the Witch of Wrath dying during the Great Calamity is false, and she lived for another couple of centuries. Also, a far-fetched thought, since she was human, but then again she was also a witch and in their case one can expect all kinds of surprises."
Meanwhile, Beatrice was thinking in the same lane as two royal candidates.
'Who would've thought that Betty and the elf girl would have something like that in common. We both are daughters of the Witches of Sin, it seems. I heard from Mother that the Witch of Wrath was very fond of elves and spent a lot of time with them, but how is this possible for her to be Emilia's mother? The facts just doesn't add up. Or there are more mysteries behind all this.'
The backgrounds of the dream world started fading into white alongside everything else.
"Your Trial is now over. However egotistical that ending may be, it has most definitely settled your past. Keep using your Mother's sacrifice as an excuse for your resolve to see your selfish wish through to the very end."
"Say whatever you want. I'm used to your insults now."
"Two Trials remain. I'd like to say how I look forward to seeing how pathetically you'll struggle—"
Emilia's eyes widened. "Eh!? Wait, there's still more Trials?! Two more!? Three in total?!"
Echidna looked very annoyed at being interrupted. "—the remaining Trials… I doubt that they'll be a challenge for you."
"Ah, is that so?"
"Now that you're fighting back, they'll be a very poor fit. In a sense, you've abandoned all thought."
"…that's re-e-eally mean."
Echidna gave a malicious smile. "Well, I hate you."
"But I don't hate you nearly as much!"
"Am I the only one being almost overwhelmed with remembrance of how Julius and Subaru-kyun interact with each other? Mutual reproaches and confessions of sincere hatred, hiding the sincere desire to become friends, nya?" Felix noted the similarity of the two scenes with a snarky smile.
"I also have a feeling that Echidna would like to be closer with Emilia, but her own pride does not allow her to say so directly. I wonder why?" Reinhard agreed.
"We should let her just ask Ram for some advice on how to properly pose as a tsundere." Al added with a grin.
Emilia woke up. She rubbed her eyes for a moment, adjusting to the sudden darkness of the Tomb. Then, turning her head, she looked at the writing and drawings that Subaru had left for her, reaching up and brushing her fingers against one of them.
"Thank you… so-o-o much."
Then, after saying that, she clenched her teeth, a fist forming in her hand as she leaned against the wall. "I-I'm sorry… Mother… hk…"
Her tears fell onto the floor as she sobbed, her sadness cascading down her cheeks as she shook her head. "Mother…! Mother! Hk…!"
"Did you repress your emotions like this throughout the whole Trial, Emilia-sama?" Crusch asked knowingly.
"Yes. After all the obscenities that I heard from the Witch of Greed, I did not want to show these tears to Echidna in any case, so I restrained them with all my might!" The half-elf princess confessed, receiving a respectful nod from Crusch, Anastasia and Felt.
"You did a great job with your task, Emilia-sama." Ram supported her mistress.
"Hmpf! The half-wit is still too soft to keep her emotions in check! But I admit, at least she has learned not to show such a disgusting weakness in front of a rival! This is progress." This compliment from fiery princess, wrapped in an insult, made more than one eyebrow rise in surprise.
She sat in the Tomb, crying her heart out as she called out to Fortuna, knowing that she would never come back despite Emilia's wishes.
[Screen Title: The Permafrost of Elior Forest]
The scene changed, returning to the group waiting for Emilia outside the Tomb.
"Sorry for pushing you like that, but you told me a lot more than what I thought you would. Thanks, though." Subaru said to the exhausted looking Ryuzu Shima.
"I always feared that removing the barrier would trample upon the wishes of Ryuzu Meyer, our progenitor."
"Is that why Ryuzu Shima supported Garf in his desire not to leave the Sanctuary and was in opposition to the rest of the Ryuzu because of this?" Anastasia asked and received an affirmative nod from Garfiel.
"The old hag was chased off from the roster of admins 'cause she entered the Tomb. But yeah, after tha' she said she'll help me keep the barrier up."
Subaru, hearing that, bowed his head a bit. "I get how you feel. But when Emilia pulls it off and everything works out, we'll be able to call the whole world a Sanctuary."
Shima, hearing that, had her eyes sparkle. "I leave it to you, then, Young Su."
She closed her eyes, leaning against Ryuzu Alma and going limp.
Subaru nodded. "Your wish of four hundred years is on me now. Anyway, I'd like to let Shima-san rest. Ram, can you take care of things now?"
Garfiel suddenly spoke. "Oh, Old Hag Shi's hideout would be better than Old Hag's Ryu place for tha'. My amazin' self will go with—"
Otto raised his hands. "Whoa, wait a second! Garfiel, you shouldn't push yourself yet, either! We should let Ram-san and Ryuzu-san handle it!"
"—ahh?"
"Garf, a boor like you charging at Shima-sama and interrupting her rest would defeat the purpose."
Alma turned her head towards Ram. "Then I suppose I should go as well."
Ram nodded her gratitude. "I would appreciate that very much. I would feel guilty leaving Ryuzu-sama in the care of two men who lack any empathy."
Otto nodded. "Yes, yes… were you counting me as one of those men!?" Otto was indignant at such an injustice.
"You knyow, I'm starting to get really envious of Ram. She always has access to three different persons to tease. Each one provides a unique experience and give away a priceless reaction to teasing, nya!" Felix stated with a content smile.
In his camp, things were always serious. Surrounded by a stoic lady and even more emotionless butler, the chances of having a bit of fun for a cat-healer were quite scarce, which led to him going overboard sometimes when he got the chance with others.
"Apparently, Ram spends most of her energy coming up with witty remarks, which leaves her too little energy to fulfill her main duty." Frederica added her own two cents of teasing the colleague.
"Ha. Maybe for you, it would take time and effort to come up with a proper evaluation of these three stooges, but in Ram's case it comes as naturally as breathing." The pink maid said, proudly turning up her nose.
In response, Frederica grinned maliciously, seeing that Ram fell for her trap.
"Oh, I see…and here I hoped that, at least, that your lack of diligence was caused by a shortage of energy due to it's improper use. But as you said, that it's not the case. So you are just a lazy maid."
Chuckles from her camp members, several other guests, and the way Ram sharply turned away her head was a fine reward for a head maid.
The scene changed again
Otto sighed as they walked through the forest, Subaru leading both of them while Garfiel followed from behind. "I guess Ram-san must have sensed it, huh?"
Subaru turned his head back, looking towards Otto. "Well, the fact that she overlooked…. No, actually, the fact that she was willing to help us at all meant there was hope."
"Ha! As usual, without the full support of more competent companions, these three are not even able to escort their grandmother home!" Ram proudly remarked, glad that everything that was happening on the screen corresponded to her memories.
No longer will she have to dig her nails into her skin until it hurt, so as not to scream at the terrible injustice that was happening to Barusu. Now she could relax and wait for the most important moment for her. The moment when she will be able to enjoy from the spectator's seat the scene in which she snatched the cursed book from her master and threw it into the flames. After that, she lost consciousness from exhaustion and wounds, and woke up when everything had already been successfully completed. Since there was no way to avoid the revelation of this intimate moment between her and her master, she opted to enjoy instead.
Pleased with herself, Ram sipped juice from a box. The girl was completely determined to enjoy watching and lazily cheer for the trio of useless idiots, scolding them with all her might. If they're going to be fine, no matter what happens next, they didn't deserve any leniency.
"Hey, don't go understandin' each other! Don't ignore me like one guy among ten mongrelo! Garfiel grumbled behind them.
"We'd be stuck if you left. Since Ram is an unknown variable, I wanted nee-sama out of the group." Subaru explained his motives.
Garfiel suddenly stopped, making Otto and Subaru do the same. "Ram? Oi, oi, I don't understand a damn thing yer sayin' anymo!"
"We're on our way to visit margrave Mathers." Otto explained, but Garfiel still lagged behind.
"Garfiel, you have two arms, plus both of us dragging you down. That should be enough to get us there, right?"
Otto turned towards Subaru, who nodded. "We need to make it back before Emilia comes out of there all proud."
Soon enough, the three of them were there. Otto held his hat in his hands as all of them stared at Roswaal, who was sitting on the bed, fully donning his makeup and usual attire.
"Never did I-I-I expect you to pay me a visit at a time like this. And, what brings you he-ere?"
"Look at you, greeting us in full makeup. It's embarrassing when you're this eager to see us."
"Oh! The creepy clown has dressed up again! It looks like there's going to be a fight! Mini-boss was right about brining Garf with him!"
"You're probably right, Mimi. The margrave is clearly determined to fight to the end." Julius agreed with her.
There was no trace of the melancholy or madness in this Roswaal's eyes. On the contrary, despite his clownish appearance, his body was tense, and his face was focused. It was the look of a man who was mentally ready to start a full out mortal combat. The experienced warriors sitting in the hall thought the same way. None of them were fooled by the relaxed smile and comic look anymore. Everyone present knew the margrave's background and abilities all too well. The most powerful mage also possessed a body and skills of a fearsome warrior. A terrifying combination for most enemies.
"There is no need to be worried. No violence will occur here, apart from a heated argument between Natsuki-san and the margrave." Otto rushed to calm everyone down.
Roswaal gave a small laugh. "Was it not yo-o-ou who said to me, that the next time we meet, I should be in full mak-e-e up?"
Subaru shrugged. "Yeah, I guess I did say that."
"Besides, this makeup is my way of preparing for a battle I cannot lose."
"Ah, I see. So, it's literally your war paint."
"It got me wondering if in mini-boss' world, the warriors still use the war paint." Tivey asked excitedly, looking in turns at Beatrice and Al.
"I told you before, in Betty's contractor's world, warfare where you can see your opponent's face is very scarce, I suppose. Although in everyday life cosmetics are very popular and here is a whole industry for that. Betty was quite surprised…and just a tiny bit disturbed to find out how experienced her contractor is when it comes to applying make up."
Roswaal then looked up at Subaru, deciding that their small banter was over for now. "Well, Subaru-kun? What brings you here?"
Subaru narrowed his sharp eyes. "I think you know by now that the game board you've set up is falling apart."
Roswaal blinked, but that smile never left his face. "Yes, indeed. Seeing who you've brought with you tells me the situation has changed."
His dual-coloured eyes looked over to the two people on Subaru's right, the merchant and the Shield of the Sanctuary. "They certainly have tamed you, haven't they, Ga-a-arfiel?"
"—ehh?"
"But the one that concerns me the most is…"
He closed the eye that did not have his purple makeup, and looked over towards—
"Y-You mean… me?"
Roswaal gave a small nod. "From the moment you entered, I wondered, 'Just who is he, anywa-a-ay?'"
"Damn, Otto! You actually got left out of the prophecy foretelling the future!" Subaru gave a small giggle.
"That doesn't give me any happiness, and I can't hide my shock at how little sense this all makes!"
"I remember back then I was very upset that even the book of wisdom considered me too insignificant to mention my existence. But now, after seeing all this, I must admit I feel somewhat proud that I can directly influence fateful events, while being completely invisible to the powerful ones of this world!"
"A trait that is much more potent and dangerous than it might seem at first glance. The ones who people think the least about can bring the greatest changes." Wilhelm nodded in agreement.
"You're like a shard of glass that's invisible to the eye, capable of passing through any hole and breaking even the most sophisticated mechanism, Otto-kun. I have to keep my eyes open with you." Anastasia said with a grin.
Although her eyes indicated that she said these words with much more seriousness than her tone might have suggested. Otto Suwen could potentially be a more dangerous member of Emilia's camp than Garfiel or even Emilia herself. Combined with Subaru's ability and quick adaptability, they formed a very effective and dangerous team.
"And someone like this is here as a witness to the battle between Subaru-kun and me." Roswaal hummed, placing a hand on his chin. "I see, that must mean he…"
"Yeah, that's right! He was the first gear that was thrown out of alignment." Subaru smirked.
"What?" Otto didn't get him.
"The game board you've been setting up so carefully has been invaded by an unknown piece that changes the flow of things… thanks to my insignificant friend here, who isn't even in the prophecy."
"I don't know about you, but to me, these two now look like a real pair of boots. If I hadn't known about the bro's ability, I would have thought that I was looking at two hardened schemers trying to catch each other in a series of multi-layered conspiracies." Al said.
"Give Natsuki-kun time to gain experience and learn, and he can become a first-class merchant. Or even the minister." Anastasia nodded approvingly.
When she becomes the King, she will make sure to keep this ingenious man as close to her as possible. Not only his knowledge from another world, but his way of thinking and his resourcefulness, was too valuable to let go. All that remained is to find proper carrots, and, if the need arises, sticks to motivate him to join her.
Roswaal gave a smile at that. "Why don't you tell me your name again?"
Otto stood up straight, still holding his hat close to his chest. Then, he gave a quick bow. "My name is Otto Suwen. I'm honored to have this opportunity to meet you. I'm only a humble merchant, but I thank you."
"I shall remember that, Otto-kun. The next time we meet, I will not overlook you."
"And that's why you decided to make him the Minister of Internal Affairs of your camp?" Crusch guessed, glancing at Roswaal.
"Keep your friends close, and your enemies even clo-o-oser. This wisdom ifs true both in our world and in Natsuki Subaru's o-o-one." The margrave did not argue with this statement. "However, something tells me that Otto himself does not regret the way things have turned o-o-out."
"If it weren't for your damned mania for keeping everything a secret, which prevents me from hiring an assistant to work with piles of papers!" Otto expressed his pain.
"Alas, dear Otto, but you are working with too many secret documents to bring in someone from the s-i-i-ide. But who knows, maybe Subaru-kun will bring you an assistant from his current trip? More precisely, a lady assistant. He does have a habit of attracting more young ladies to our ca-a-mp."
"There is absolutely no need for that. If Otto-sama is having troubles with paperwork, I'll be happy to offer my hand of assistance! Since Rem will most likely wake up from her slumber, the amount of workload for every maid will diminish, and I will be able to allocate some time to help Otto-sama!" Frederica declared with a bit more passion in her tone that she intended.
"Thank you, Frederica-san, any help will be most appreciated." Otto answered her, with his cheeks getting a tad bit redder.
Subaru clapped his hands. "Good job, Otto! You left a bigger impression on Roswaal than ever, just like you wanted!"
Otto immediately turned to Subaru, indignant. "That wasn't how I wanted him to remember me, though!"
Roswaal understood immediately. "So, thanks to Otto-kun, you made it back on your feet. You've found the backbone you needed for this last battle."
Subaru gave a confident smile at that, placing his hands on his hips. "That's right. Doesn't it seem weird, though? It should've been the main heroine that gets me back on my feet… why would a male character play that role? How dense can you be?"
"Don't look at me like it's my fault! I don't know, either!"
"I'm just kidding!" Subaru laughed.
Roswaal frowned, narrowing his eyes. "I will ask once more. What have you come here for?"
Hearing that, Subaru turned back towards him, mirroring his expression.
"I advise you to surrender. Shima-san told me the real reason why this Sanctuary was created."
The screened went dark, indicating the end of another episode.
"But we still haven't been told what the real reason for the creation of the Sanctuary was!" Reinhard noted with some displeasure. He was really excited to learn more about this mysterious place and its history.
"By the way, yes. A couple of episodes ago, Ryuzu Shima told about it, but the story just stopped in mid-sentence! Talk about bad story-telling skills." Felix agreed with him.
"I don't think we should worry about that. Judging by how much we have already seen here, there is no doubt that we will see the rest of Ryuzu Meyer's memories. Or learn about it some other way." Crusch reassured him, although she herself was terribly curious to find out why the Witch of Greed actually gathered demi-humans in one place.
"The next one must surely continue the talk about the Sanctuary. How about you tell us now what to expect from the next episode?" Anastasia turned to Roswaal.
"Why spoil the pleasure of watching, if in any case you will see everything anyway." He surprised the others by answering without his accent.
This moment made many people think that next they will see or hear something that was very important for the margrave. Apparently, the events that happened then had a strong impact on the Mathers family.
In the meantime, margrave chastised himself for the outburst of emotions he allowed himself a year ago during this argument. Surely, back then, Roswaal still believed that he will wrestle the victory from Subaru's grasp and was not against giving him the reason behind all his actions. Perhaps he wished to find a kindred soul in Subaru. Another mad person that will not stop at anything to save his most precious person.
But now, with so many perceptive individuals, it was almost guaranteed they will catch on that he spoke about the events that happened four hundred years ago like he lived through them. Not like it will change anything in the long run, but for someone as experienced in the art of mind-games, such mistakes were unacceptable.
"Undoubtedly, there are still more unexpected discoveries waiting for you, but before that, I suggest you take a long break. There is still plenty of material ahead, but, according to my estimates, it should be the last one before we reach the end of the arc." The Warden's voice rang out in the hall.
"Good idea. We all need to take a good break and gain strength for the final breakthrough. Since this is the last loop, then let's already reach the end of this arc and return to our world. I'm sure we'll all have a very interesting conversation with Subaru-dono soon." Wilhelm offered, looking at his mistress.
Meanwhile, Reinhard became resolute in his decision to ask for advice from his grandfather. The sign of approval he received earlier gave him courage to make an attempt. Perhaps his esteemed grandfather will at least listen to him? Worst case scenario — he will just be chased away while being called a monster. Nothing new here, really.
"Moreover, after returning, we will need to properly discuss the future interaction of all camps regarding Natsuki-kun's activities and his abilities." Anastasia said seriously.
Her words created some tension in the air. But right now the audience did not want to start a discussion about how to interact with the black-haired knight, after all they had seen. They will raise this issue later, when emotions and passions are calmed down. What they really wished to see was the triumph of their dear companion and friend. But before that, they needed to take a little nap, sate the hunger and get ready for the last push.
Leisurely and relaxed, the audience began to leave the hall one by one and in small groups.
