Okay…let's start the second half.
Just another 3 months it this rate and Dobby will be free at last!
By the way, I lied to you last time. I told you that I have the transcript for the ep.14, but it turned out to be ep.15. Yeah…this world is cruel…))
Anyway, kudos goes to 'John Leon' for beta-reading the chapter.
Almost nothing could shake the jovial mood that prevailed in the theater after Otto informed the audience that they had finally reached the final loop. Most, having learned from the bitter experience of previous episodes, expected Subaru's torment to continue for a longer time. And only closer to the end of the arc, did they expect him to find a long-awaited way out of the trap set by Roswaal.
It was all the more surprising, but ever more pleasant for them, to find out they would no longer have to watch Subaru die! The happiest, of course, were the members of Emilia's camp. Especially the girls sitting around the sleeping hero.
"Well?! Start the next one already! I wanna see how Cap'n'll turn the clown's plans to dust soon as possible!" Garfiel declared enthusiastically.
The young fighter couldn't wait to finally see the triumph of his captain. Also, how they'll become bros, and how he himself will turn the lover of guts into an ornament on the floor.
"I would suggest you use the opportunity to take a break and replenish your strength. There is still a lot of material ahead. And you've been sitting here for more than three hours now."
The Warden's voice sounded, reminding the 'prisoners' that they were so carried away with watching they completely forgot about the need for rest.
"Nah, no need! We're still good! Let's see some more! Cap'n is just about ta show how cool he is!"
"Hold your dragons, Garfiel. I agree with the Warden. Now that I think about it, my muscles are starting to get numb. And it would be very nice to have a snack and refresh ourselves." Otto, on the contrary, was inclined to get some rest.
"Oh, come on, you all, just one more episode!" Mimi whined, making the most innocent and pleading face she could. And she was very capable in this regard.
Otto, who looked in her direction, remained staring in mute admiration at those eyes and the cat's ears pressed to her head. He was about to retract his own words, but was outpaced by a strong-willed lady, who herself was well acquainted with the charms of kitty ears and therefore had some immunity to them.
"I also concur with the idea of respite!" Crusch nodded at the merchant's words. "The Warden said it directly: we are still far from the end of these sessions. So we should not harass ourselves. Otherwise, we risk missing some crucial detail that may be useful in the future!"
"Then it is settled. We'll take a break for a few hours. We will continue when all the participants are gathered back in the main room." Anastasia announced, getting up from her seat and heading for the exit. Julius, Ricardo, and the twins followed her.
Roswaal also did not linger in the room and silently left. He had a strong feeling that more frank conversations with the members of his own camp awaited him. Fortunately, he could easily ignore any persistent 'requests' from other camps while they were in the theater. Ram trotted after him, not wanting to lose sight of her master. The lowered head and bangs did not allow anyone to see the expression on the girl's face, but it was unlikely that she looked towards the future with a smile.
"Rem, can I ask you to come with me?" Emilia called the maid softly.
Having no idea what the conversation was going to be about, Rem bowed politely and followed her lady.
"Is there something you want to discuss with me, Emilia-sama?"
"Not really. I'm going to Roswaal's room now. He has to do a lot of explaining to me. About what he did to Subaru and why. I was hoping you'd join me."
Emilia's face was extremely collected and serious at these words. There was no trace of the old naivety and uncertainty in those amethyst eyes now. The Ice Witch wanted answers and knew exactly who would provide her said answers. Whether he wants to or not.
"I'll be right behind you, Emilia-sama. I also want to get answers." Rem replied in an equally firm voice, nodding in agreement.
"Good, then let's go".
"Surely you understand that he will be waiting for a visit. And I'm sure my sister will be with him." Rem shared her thoughts.
"I think so, too. But that won't stop me."
The two girls walked with a firm step down the corridor to the clown's room.
Beatrice's silent gaze followed them out. There was no need for the Great Spirit to join in this conversation. She imagined better than anyone else what questions would be asked to the clown, and what answers he would give them. Therefore, Beatrice preferred to snuggle up to her contractor once again, enjoying the fact that now no one would prevent her from enjoying his company.
Meanwhile, in the back rows, the Vollachian princess and her faithful companion in a closed helmet pondered what they saw on the screen.
"So what do you think, Princess? Are you happy with how things turned out?" Al asked softly, sneakily looking at the fire-haired princess, who was calmly fanning herself.
"What are you talking about, Alderaban?! Everything happened exactly as I wanted it to happen! So there's no need for me to even be overjoyed because everything turned out exactly as it should have!" Priscilla replied indifferently.
"Weren't you afraid that Bro would turn into a manipulator who would start using his Authority as a tool to achieve any goal?"
"Fool! I never 'feared' that this would happen! Each time, I just pointed out what would become of this commoner if he continued to treat his life in this way! But my divine self was against this turn of events! Therefore, it is only natural that the world has arranged everything in such a way the outcome I desired has become a reality! It's about time you understood how the world works! I wished that this commoner would remain worthy to serve me, and everything happened according to my will. It's as easy as that."
Al could only shake his head lightly in admiration at how his lady managed to interpret every turn to her advantage. Truly, it would be nice for his Bro to adopt a little portion of this attitude towards himself.
When a demanding knock on the door was made, Roswaal just chuckled slightly. For some reason, it seemed to him that even if lady Emilia had come to execute him on the spot, she would still have politely knocked before doing so.
'I wonder how she would react if I told her I was changing and asked her to wait outside.' the margrave thought with a little smirk, while saying aloud:
"The door is not lo-o-ocked."
Literally a second later, the door swung open, revealing two girls who had discovered over the past few days they had a lot in common. Including a boy they both loved and a clown they both hated. Emilia and Rem entered the room, looking at the mage with extremely unfriendly looks. And if Emilia just looked angry, Rem's glare clearly told the margrave that only the Warden's absolute authority prevented her from taking out her spiked chain and launching herself at her employer. Still, she clenched her fists and moved forward with clearly hostile intentions.
Ram, who was standing at the side of Roswaal's desk, saw it too. Almost automatically did she step forward, standing between her sister and her master. Rem was clearly not happy with the pink maid's actions.
"Move aside, Ram!" Rem demanded in a cold tone. Ram shuddered at these words. To her, Rem calling her by name was a stark reminder of a crack that appeared in the relationship between twin sisters.
"Sissy, Ram is…
"Please, move!" The girl repeated more harshly.
Ram looked Rem right in the eyes, and for the first time in her life, the girl did not see the warmth and love in her sister's gaze, to which she was so used. Her gaze was cold and hard as steel. Their synesthesia made it clear to Ram that Rem was deliberately suppressing his feelings for her older sister in order not to let herself be led astray from the goal.
Because of it, the proud girl felt completely alone in this world for the first time in her life. It seemed because of her choice of the man she loved, the whole world was ready to turn against her. And she knew that she was scared of such a possibility.
"Rem… please, don't do anything rash! Ram understands your emotions, but attacking Roswaal-sama won't help our situation!" Ram decided to talk her sister out of doing anything she might regret in the future.
"Need I remind you, Rem, that you are still under my employ-y-yment, not to mention, that attacking a margrave is a grave cri-i-ime. Please don't create unnecessary problems for Emilia-sama and Subaru-ku-u-un." Roswaal decided to remind her about the balance of power.
As if sensing Ram's inner conflict, Emilia softened a little. Knowing about Ram's affectionate feelings for Roswaal, she was not going to trample on the heart of the girl who had become a good friend and faithful assistant for her over the past year.
"Please step back, Ram. You know perfectly well that as long as we're here, we can't do anything to Roswaal. And if it makes you feel any better, we came here to find out what motivated him to do what he did, not to punish him."
These were probably the words Ram had hoped to hear. A shadow of a smile appeared on her face. Bowing respectfully to her lady, Ram stepped aside and turned to the margrave, planning to be a silent observer. Rem stood next to her in the same position. Right now, the leaders of their camp will do the talking, and the employees will wait in silence for their turn.
"Can I be of any help to you, Emilia-sama-a-a?" The clown asked with a typical fake smile, tilting his head to the side.
"Enough games, Roswaal! You are supposed to be a smart person, and you should understand the dire situation our entire camp is in right now! Most and foremost, we are in this predicament because of your actions! Subaru has been through hell because of your machinations! Merciful spirits, you even killed Ram! How could you?! Why would you even consider doing such a thing?!
"Didn't I answer those questions earlier, Emilia-sama-a-a?" Roswaal continued to smile, as if he wanted to mock the girl or see how long he could continue fooling around before Emilia lost her patience.
"That's not what I'm asking! What is your ultimate goal?! Why did you come to Elior Forest to get me in the first place?! Why did you send me to the Capital to meet Subaru there and bring him to you?! Why is it so important to you that I become the king?! Why do you want to kill the Divine Dragon?!
There was a heavy silence in the room. The smile faded from Roswaal's face. Ram literally stopped breathing, waiting for answers. Even Rem forgot for a second about her hatred for the margrave. The questions that the princess asked were of a much larger scale. For a while, the magician stared intently at the half-elf, who was boring into him with her amethyst eyes.
"You've really grown in such a short time, Emilia-sama. Since you desire answers so greedily, I'll tell you. In any case, most likely, this information will soon become public knowledge anyway. All my actions, dictated by the Gospel, both that you have witnessed or not, have one ultimate goal. To bring back to life the person most precious to me."
"Bring back to life? What do you mean? And whom do you want to revive?"
"I mean the very reason the Mather's bloodline existed for the last four hundred years. To return Echidna, the Witch of Greed, to the world of the living. Who was forced to leave this world because of the actions of the accursed dragon! That's why I want to kill him. For the sake of my revenge and for the sake of achieving my most desired wish!"
"Are you really ready to kill the Divine Dragon just to revive a dead witch?! Do you even realize what disastrous outcome for the whole of Lugunica your wish can lead to?!" Rem reacted furiously, etiquette be damned.
"And what would you be willing to do in order to return Natsuki's Subaru?" Roswaal suddenly addressed his guests with a serious tone, profoundly confusing them.
"Whatever do you mean by that?" Emilia asked, a little scared.
"I'm asking what you will be willing to do if it turns out that the second Trial has shown us the truth. What if Natsuki Subaru goes to a new world after each death, leaving everyone else behind?"
These words made all three girls look at him with fear. From the moment they saw the horrors of the second Trial, they did everything to avoid such thoughts. They were too unbearable.
"What if you are faced with the need to bury your loved one and move on without him? Doesn't this thought alone send a shiver down your spine? And what if, in such circumstances, you were to obtain a powerful artifact? A book that can lead you to a future where you will be able to recover Natsuki Subaru? Not in the form of an image, nor as some copy or a doppelganger. But the real one, alive! Would you turn down such an opportunity?"
The magician fixed his gaze on the confused girls, who were looking anywhere but at him.
"You don't need to answer me right now. I know, better than anyone else, how difficult such a question may be. But I can tell you my answer — I didn't. I set myself the goal of getting my beloved one back, no matter what it will cost me! No matter the price! And as long as I'm alive, I won't turn away from this path. And that's why we're all where we are right now. That is why Ram and Rem are standing here now, alive. And why you, Emilia-sama, are not stuck collecting magic stones in the ice-covered forest to exchange for nuts!"
"How much longer are you going to cover behind these pitiful excuses?! Nothing you've ever done was out of real concern or goodwill! As if you could-" Rem's heated speech was interrupted by Emilia, raising her hand.
"But... Al-san said that..." Emilia started to say, but Roswaal quickly interrupted her.
"He simply expressed his opinion, compiled on the basis of hypotheses of his world about how the phenomenon of multiple worlds could possibly be working. No more than that. Even Echidna, the witch who had all the knowledge of the world at her disposal, could not give a clear answer. Which means it's impossible to tell how the Authority of Envy actually works. I guess even Subaru Natsuki himself will never know it. And we can only find out the truth if we let Natsuki Subaru die again.
"And from what we've seen, you're going to do it at the first opportunity!" Rem said sharply, clenching her fists and taking a step forward, but then her sister's hand fell on her shoulder.
"Rem... please. Roswaal-sama is certainly responsible for the tragedies that occurred in the Sanctuary and will be held accountable for this. But he never once plotted the death of Barusu. That is why, I beg you, leave your desire for revenge to our master." Ram tried to calm her other half.
"Leave it?! How can you even ask that of me?! He killed you, sister! Without any doubts or regrets! You are nothing more to him than a tool that he will throw aside as soon as you cease to be useful to him!"
"I... I know that. I've known for years. Don't forget that I've known our master's plans for the Divine Dragon for a long time, as well as his Gospel. But everything is different now, believe me!"
"Different?! The only thing that's changed is that now we know what really happened! How can you still call him master after all you've seen?! How can you ask me to give up revenge for what he did to Subaru-kun, to you, to Emilia-sama?! The only people I care about! And you're asking me to just forget about-?!"
"NO!" Ram suddenly interrupted her and shook her head sharply. "Not forget! I will never forget or forgive his crimes against us! Nor will I ever let him forget about them…but... I wish... to give him a chance to atone for his transgressions.
"A chance?! You really think he deserves a chance after everything he's done?!" Rem was amazed and enraged at this decision of her sisters.
"Because Ram thinks that if Roswaal-sama doesn't deserve a second chance, then me and you don't deserve it either, sister. Ram wishes to give him a second chance, the same way Barusu gave a chance to you and me." Ram replied quietly.
Her words immediately knocked down the vengeful attitude of the blue maid. The thirst for revenge was replaced by fear and worries.
Once again she was reminded that in the past she herself was in Roswaal's place and also committed terrible crimes, motivated by fear and hatred. Yet, despite the atrocities she committed, Rem was forgiven by the one who suffered because of her. And now her sister wanted to follow in the footsteps of someone who chose mercy instead of revenge.
"We also did terrible things to Barusu, we were no better than Roswaal-sama. No! Ram believes we were even worse! At least he acted, knowing for sure that Barusu will redo things and prevent those tragedies. While we wanted to kill him once and for all!"
Ram truly hated herself right now. Simply to fulfill her own selfish desire to keep the one she fell in love with safe and her twin sister around at the same time, she was using the worst tactic. Shaming her little sister, replacing her justified desire for revenge with guilt.
'How ironic…is there any real difference between me and this white-haired witch? Turns out I'm as greedy as her when it comes to my wishes. Pathetic!' She berated herself mercilessly for this.
"Barusu had every right to leave us to our doom and never look back. No one would have the right to judge him, especially not me or you. But still, he found the strength in him to forgive us. And can you say that you regret his decision?"
Rem couldn't find the words to answer her, so she just shook her head, looking down.
"Ram wishes to follow his example, and so Ram wishes to give Roswaal-sama a chance to redeem himself. I won't ask you to forgive him. But I plead with you to give up on your thirst for revenge. It won't bring you any closure. It won't solve everything. Emilia-sama will lose her only sponsor and most likely Barusu will try to stop you. The way only he can."
"And what do you propose, then?! Let this snake continue his plotting to ruin us all for sure?!" The blue maid did not want to retreat so easily.
"In this regard, I can easily reassure you, my dear Rem. Because after the events at the Sanctuary, I am no longer capable of plotting against Natsuki Subaru or his friends." Roswaal cut in.
"What are you talking about?" Rem did not understand his words.
"Oh! He's right, Rem. There is a seal on Roswaal that will not allow him to commit any atrocities against us! And he hasn't done any more dirty tricks all year!" Emilia joined in the pacification of the blue-haired girl.
To convince his maid, Roswaal got up from the table and unbuttoned several buttons of his blouse. Baring his chest, he showed the girl the shining mark engraved on it.
"As you can see, Rem, I have a magic seal on me. The result of a lost bet with Natsuki Subaru. If I commit any villainy against the members of our camp, it will be the last thing I will do in my life, literally. Therefore, you can be calm, I am no longer a threat to any of you."
Under the pressure of her sister's words, Emilia's beliefs, and Roswaal's evidence, Rem gave in.
"Fine… I don't believe him-" She nodded contemptuously in the direction of the mage and then looked at Emilia and Ram respectively. "But I will believe you. I will fulfill your request, sister. Rem should also follow the example of Subaru-kun."
"Now that we have succe-e-esfully closed this question, do you have any other topics to discuss with me-e-e?" Roswaal asked with his signature accent.
"You still fool around, as if you do not even realize how precarious your position is, Roswaal?! The Warden won't let anything happen to you right now, yes. But what are you going to do when the viewings are over, and we return to our world?" Emilia asked him.
"I think we should cross this bridge when we re-e-each it. As you correctly noted, while we are here, the status quo will not cha-a-ange. As for what to do when we get back… To begin with, I would like to find ou-u-ut possible conditions the Warden might impo-o-ose on us. Will there be any obligations or restrictions? Will we even reme-e-ember everything we saw here? Shall we be returned to the same place where we were at the time of the tra-a-ansfer? As you can see, there are still too many unknown variables in thi-i-is issue. But I'm sure I'll figure something out. It's not the first time I've found myself in a tricky situa-a-ation."
"However, your behavior suggests that you are completely unaware of the scale of the problems that we will face at the end of the viewings!" Emilia pointed out to him in the tone of a strict teacher.
To which the magician only snorted with a grin.
"Not at all. Judging by your words, it is you who is too susceptible to emo-o-otions and do not want to see the full picture, Emilia-sama. I do not hold the position of a court magician because I wear makeup and an extravagant co-o-ostume. I am more than skilled in the craft of political intrigues and underhanded ga-a-ames. Despite the…extraordinary conditions in which we find ourselves, the situation itself is no-o-ot something to be crying about. A number of influential nobles want to get rid of me? It is nothing new, I assu-u-ure you."
"But this is more than just another court intrigue! Four royal candidates have turned on you at once! They are full of the intent to ruin you! And they know about your schemes! That you hired Elsa! That you plan to kill the Divine Dragon! How will you deny such accusations?!" Emilia persisted, genuinely amazed at the calmness and even… disregard, demonstrated by the magician at the catastrophe looming over their camp.
"And how, may I ask, will they bri-i-ing their charges against me, Emilia-sama? Let's think about it. Supposedly, immediately a-a-after returning from the Pristella, the candidates will demand to assemble a council of sages and to put me on a trial. Isn't that what you're suggesti-i-ing?"
After receiving an affirmative nod from the princess, Roswaal continued in a mentoring tone:
"And what will they tell with the honored sa-a-ages? That all the royal candidates and members of their camps were transported to an undetermined confined space outside o-o-our world by some unknown entity, that calls themselves Warden? An entity so powerful that our weapons, the magic of the gre-e-eatest mage and an ancient spirit, and the powers of the Sword Saint were simply nullified by them? And this unfathomable entity did all this just for the sole purpose of showing its 'prisoners' the tragic story of Natsuki Subaru, knight of the half-elf royal candidate? Who also came from another world? Even for me, a living witness of all this, it sounds ridiculous to be frank."
"I agree that it sounds like a tall tale." Emilia nodded less confidently, forcing everyone around her to mentally roll their eyes, thinking 'who even says "tall tale" in this day and age?' "Still, Crusch-sama and the Sword Saint will unite their efforts against you!" And the best knights of the kingdom! The Council will not be able to simply dismiss the words of such powerful people!
"Oh, really? But how lu-u-ucky we are that all of them have one important trait in common: they are particularly interested in the specific results of the royal elections. A Sword Saint can bra-a-andish his title and family name as much as he likes. But right now, in the eyes of the Council of Sages and all those in positions of power, he is first and foremost a faithful dog of the anarchist pri-i-incess. Who a year ago openly declared her intention to raze the cu-u-urrent governance system to the ground. Due to this, any accusation they'll make against me-e-e can easily be interpreted as an attempt of said anarchist to weaken the kingdom by getting rid of one of the strongest people supporting it.
Julius-sama may be considered the Finest of knights, a-a-a-nd can swear on his honor as much as he likes. Unfortunately, right now he is serving a foreigner from Kararagi, so it will not be difficult for me-e-e to question the sincerity of his words. There's nothing to say about the baroness. I'm not even sure she would bother to take part in this process. I suspect it would be too boring for her.
"What about Duchess Karsten?" Ram asked.
"Merely a typical showdown between aristocra-a-ats who started feuding over opposing goals. Nothing new under the moon. Moreover, she openly announced her inte-e-ention to break the covenant with the Divine Dragon. And the Mathers family has maintained the status quo in the kingdom for hu-u-undreds of years. So it will be easy for me to build a defense he-e-ere."
"But you want to kill the dragon yourself! And they all know it!" Rem pointed out the 'hole' in the margrave's logic.
"To which I'll just say that it's simply not tru-u-ue. And four hundred years of service from my family to the kingdom is a vivid proof of tha-a-at." Smiling broadly, Roswaal spread his hands.
"B-but Crusch-sama and Reinhard-" The princess wanted to remind him of their ability to recognize lies, but the magician interrupted her.
"Could easily be in cahoots to try and knock out fro-o-o-m the race for the throne the one who, in just one ye-e-ear, turned from a person needed only to launch the elections into a real compe-e-etitor." Roswaal pointed out at a key moment, without ceasing to smile maliciously.
"Whether it's the head of a longstanding noble line, the Finest of knights, or even the Sword Saint himself. All of them, no-o-ow are the participants in royal elections that have a certain goal. And you-u-u, Emilia-sama, are an obstacle on their path of achieving this goal. Therefore, a-a-any attempt to get rid of me will be considered as a blow to a competitor who is gaining popularity too qui-i-ickly."
"And if they decide to question Emilia-sama? Or the rest of our camp members? Will she be able to deny the charges against you? Will they even want to deny it?!" Rem said sternly. She, for one, would be glad to personally drag the clown to the court, then to the cell and, in the end, to the gallows.
Emilia's hatred, and complete inability to lie, was now also information available to everyone.
"And here e-e-everything depends on you, Emilia-sama. You are the only weak link in my defense against attacks of other ca-a-amps. It is enough for you to say that all of this-" Roswaal made a wide gesture with his hand, pointing to the room in which they were. "Never happened. And then all their accusations will fall like a house of ca-a-ards. As for the rest of our dear members, I'm sure they will understa-a-and that revelation of such sensitive information can be dangerous not just for me, but mo-o-ostly for Natsuki Subaru. The Council will make sure to find out about Return by Death, and who gave this ability to him. I don't need to explain you, what will happen if such information will come o-o-out."
"But… I will have to tell a blatant lie… In front of everyone… Lie to their faces those whom I want to consider friends!" The girl needed to restrain herself from starting to cry because of a heavy sense of guilt. Lie? And even so brazenly? It went against everything she thought was right.
"Emilia-sama, you shouldn't pretend to be a saint. We have all seen clearly that you are perfectly capable of continuing to lie even when you are cornered. Unfortunately, you are extremely inept at this line of work. But never mind, you can learn. Moreover, if it comes to court, I ask you to treat this as one of the monarch's competency tests." Roswaal declared in a completely serious and firm tone, looking Emilia straight in the eyes.
"A ruler who does not know how to use lies as a weapon will ruin not only themselves, but also his kingdom. If you think that you can rule and guide Lugunica through these turbulent times with clean hands and a merciful attitude, then you will be sorely disappointed. Even Natsuki Subaru had to lie and feign, just to save a few people or convince others to believe him and help. What can you expect when it comes to responsibility for an entire nation!"
Silence prevailed in the room for a while. Emilia's expression indicated strong inner turmoil. But, to her credit, she was able to control her emotions and calmly looked at the magician.
"I understand your position, Roswaal. Let's hope your assumptions are correct. If necessary, I will deny everything I saw in this place. Too many people have pinned their hopes on me. Subaru suffered too much for us… for me, to let everything fall apart for the sake of wanting to be honest. And I don't plan on betraying their trust. Therefore, I hope that you will find a way out of the situation into which you have driven us."
After expressing her wishes to the margrave, Emilia abruptly turned around and left the room. Rem lingered a little, cast a last, contemptuous glance at Roswaal, nodded slightly to Ram and left the room after the princess.
"Here's your hot chocolate, Felt-sama." Frederica said courteously, placing a steaming cup with a thick fragrant drink in front of the young princess.
The maid and the princess were in one of the common rooms, where Frederica came to make herself tea, and sweet-tooth Felt wanted to get herself something delicious.
"Thank you, Frederica! But there's no need to shuffle in front of me like that. I'm not your lady."
"Nevertheless, you are a royal candidate. A princess. And therefore you deserve treatment, appropriate to your status. Moreover, it is my pleasure to serve such a sweet and honest girl like you!" Out of habit, the head maid answered, covering a wide smile with her palm.
"S-sweet?! Well… yes, I'm pretty, aren't I?! Yes, you're definitely absolutely right! "Feeling flushed from the compliment, Felt tried to answer proudly, which caused Frederica to have a fit of suppressed laughter. Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a door opening.
Petra entered the common room. The girl was clearly upset. She held a broom in one hand and a dustpan in the other, which contained large fragments of the broken figurine. Judging by the appearance, it used to be a figurine of a small snow-white animal. The preserved head quickly made it clear to others that it was originally there.
"Is that… a miniature of a rabbit?" Felt asked. Petra nodded silently in response, went to the nearest urn and dropped the broken pieces inside.
"Do you remember that episode when Great Spirit Puck had a season of hatsumaki and Subaru organized a snow festival? I was making a rabbit figure out of snow for the competition back then." Petra began to explain, leaving the broom and dustpan to the corner.
"Yeah, I remember. Your figure was very cute!" Frederica hurried to cheer up his student.
"Yeah! Until big bro got his hands on it and turned it into an incomprehensible… something! Although it looked cool, I can't deny that." Felt added with a laugh.
"So that's that. After that episode, during a break, I asked the Warden if I could have my figure in the room. And he gave me one." Petra even managed to smile, but her expression quickly darkened. "I really enjoyed playing with it… until we saw… them."
"Yes, I understand you, sister. I'll never be able to look at rabbits without having shivers." The princess agreed with a grimace.
"Well, when I came to my room and saw this figure, I… well…so much has accumulated lately. So I took it out on it." The girl explained guiltily, hanging her head.
"What are you feeling guilty about, sister?!" Felt declared to her with a riotous grin. "You did everything right, I tell you! When you need to let off some steam, it's always better to take anger out on things rather than living people, right?! Well, I'm letting my anger out on Reinhard, he-he…but that's because I know he'll block all my punches anyway. And even if I do manage to hit him, he probably has a Divine Protection of 'steel balls' or some other nonsense. So I'm not gonna hurt him anyway."
"Felt-sama! I am grateful to you for the support of my student, but Petra is a maid. She has her own duties, and she needs to be mindful of etiquette." Frederica decided to argue, but the princess just waved her off.
"It 's when you're in plain sight or in front of guests, you need to walk like on a string. She was alone in her room at the moment. So she could do as she saw fit, I say. Moreover, it's better to let her break a couple of figurines than risk a breakdown when the accumulated emotions will spill out at the most unfortunate moment! Don't you think so?"
"Well, I have nothing to counter these arguments, Felt-sama."
"You bet! You also tell me that from time to time you don't want to break a couple of plates when things get too tight for you! I've broken a lot of dishes this year! It's very soothing. I advise you to try it out. Oh! By the way, I should totally offer my brother this as a way of relieving stress!" After these words, the smile fell from Felt's face and a gloomy expression came in its place. "It's better than the way he's fighting it now, anyway."
"I really want to get mad at him and yell at him for what he's doing to himself!" Clenching her fists, Petra indignantly declared, with tears in her eyes. "But… as soon as I remember why he does this, I realize that I have no right to scold him… I want to help him, but I don't know how. And after all, it is unknown how much more he will have to endure in the future…
"He'll have to endure nothing, if my idea works out!" Felt jumped up abruptly from the chair, almost spilling chocolate around.
"What are you talking about, Felt-sama?" Frederica was surprised by this outburst of emotions.
"When all this is over, I'm going to suggest to big sis we form an alliance between our camps! She and I have very similar goals, after all. If I'm going to tear down the current system, then the issue of racial discrimination also must come to an end! By the way, I was raised by a giant and let me tell you, he is much better, kinder and nobler than all the royal knights combined! Big sis in my eyes is the perfect argument why it's high time we finish with the hatred of elves! Because of one psychotic girl, the whole race has been demonized for four hundred years! By the way, we have already seen three archbishops of the Witch Cult, and they are all humans! And the three Great mabeast, were also created by a human, not by a half-elf! Tell me I'm wrong!"
"Your words are absolutely accurate, Felt-sama!" Frederica agreed, bowing respectfully. As a representative of the demi-humans, she was extremely pleased to hear such words from another royal candidate besides Emilia. Especially considering the straightforward and outspoken nature of the girl, it was very easy to believe she was sincere. Felt made another big gulp from her cup, sighed contently and continued:
"By joining forces, the big sis and I will become much closer to attaining success! And if the big bro stays close to Reinhard, then he definitely won't have anything to worry about! Am I right?!"
Both maids nodded in agreement. In their understanding, to be near the Sword Saint, and even under his personal protection, meant being in the safest place in the world, period.
"Do you think… Al-san's idea is correct… well, about Subaru not moving to other worlds?" Petra asked nervously, starting to fiddle tentatively with her uniform's apron.
The two blondes looked at each other uncertainly, trying to figure out how to calm the youngest in their company, but not finding words.
"I sincerely hope so. But who knows how this Witch does her business." Felt muttered, clutching the still warm mug of drink with both hands.
Frederica, meanwhile, recalled the story of the one-armed warrior and the many worlds that can differ both in small details and radically. And if Subaru got into a world every time that was exactly like all the previous ones, then the Witch of Envy…
'Wait! That's right! The Witch of Envy!' A thought flashed through the maid's mind.
"I'm pretty sure, Petra-chan, that Subaru-sama stays in our world and does not go to another one." She smiled tenderly at her student, forcing her to look at herself as a savior.
"Really?! Do you really think so?!"
"Absolutely! I just remembered Al-san's words. After all, if Subaru-sama moved to another world every time, where there would be other versions of all of us, then there would also be another Witch of Envy every time. We've already seen how jealous she is of him, especially when it comes to witches. Do you think she's willing to give away her beloved to another witch?"
"Heh! Well said! And one can't even argue! She definitely won't give big bro to any other witch! Look at how infuriated she was by the mere mention of Echidna!" Felt declared confidently, who also seized on this idea with joy.
"Yes. I agree. Who would have thought that I would be glad that Subaru-sama has such a jealous fan!" Petra laughed a little sternly.
"Now, Petra, what do you say to a cup of hot chocolate? Apparently, this dish is in favor even among royal candidates." Frederica playfully offered the girl, slyly glancing at Felt, who was finishing her portion with gusto.
"Can I?!"
"Of course! You're doing great, despite the extremely difficult situation! Such behavior deserves a reward, I think!"
"Then I won't refuse a cup, thank you!"
"And I'll have another one!" Felt announced loudly, putting the empty mug on the table.
"Are you sure you should be eating so many sweets, Felt-sama?" The head maid asked with some doubt.
"I am a royal selection candidate, dragon damn it! I'm entitled to an extra portion of chocolate! Considering that I tolerate Reinhard and all those damn dresses, I must be served hot chocolate every day! As compensation!"
Laughing merrily, the girls continued the conversation, now switching to simpler topics, without touching on the viewings and everything related to them.
The episode begins with Otto standing over a defeated and dazed Subaru.
"Your head is just a big, jumbled mess, and you don't know what to do, right?! You keep getting into situations where you have to reach out and help, but both your arms and your head are too weak to reach far enough, so you just end up wasting time frantically flailing around, right!
Seeing that Subaru was just staring at him with a lost look, Otto grabbed him by the collar.
"Do you hear me? If you can hear me, say something!" The merchant added to his angered call by painfully headbutting Subaru on the forehead.
"What the hell was that for?!" Subaru said angrily, throwing himself at Otto, but he calmly stepped aside and tripped him.
"You finally lost your temper, but you forgot to pay attention to your footing. That just sums you up perfectly, doesn't it? Pathetic!"
"Otto, I thank you for wanting to help my knight, but your words sound a bit too harsh. He's used to hearing such things from Ram, but from you..." Emilia commented somewhat judgmentally, slightly narrowing her eyes at the gray-haired merchant.
"I was only trying to get Natsuki-san's head out of the mental hole he had dug himself into. Anger is better than despair, so I provoked him to retaliate! I only beat him up to get him to listen to me!" Otto wouldn't give in.
Even though he now knew why his best friend was in such a state, his stance was unshakable. On the contrary, Otto was only more convinced of the righteousness of his actions.
"And you definitely didn't want to slap him good for all the times he ignored you?" Anastasia said snidely.
"All of it was only to help my friend, who was in a difficult situation!" Otto lied without a second's hesitation.
Crusch and Reinhardt did not deny themselves the pleasure of clenching their fists, seeing a veritable tornado of lies swirling around the young merchant.
"Oh, is that right!?" growled Subaru, clutching a handful of dirt in his fist and throwing it into Otto's face. Taking advantage of the fact that the merchant covered his eyes, the boy threw himself at his friend again but went back to the ground a second later when Otto flipped him over the shoulder.
"You're not a bad fighter for a civilian, Otto-san." Reinhard noted.
"I am, after all, a traveling merchant. It's imperative for us to be able to protect ourselves from the dangers of the road. Though, to be honest, I prefer to enlist the help of my allies in such cases."
"And who are these allies you speak of with such confidence? As far as we've seen, you travel alone, nya." Felix inquired.
"Please have some patience, Sir knight. You'll see for yourself soon enough. Garfiel has experienced their capabilities first hand. Am I right, brother?" He looked at the young bully with a wry smile.
"Shut up, Brotto! I beat your ass anyway!" Garfiel crossed his arms, pouting like an aggrieved cat. The only thing missing was an irritably twitching tail.
"Ha! Garfiel got his ass kicked?! Mimi'd like to see that!" Mimi noted cheerfully.
"You wouldn't even make it out of the hole, small fry!" Garf snapped at her. The girl responded by sticking her tongue out at him.
"That's really all the strength you have. Putting on a tough act for a girl you love is fine. And you can play tough for a girl who likes you, too. No one would object to that. But that's as far as it goes!"
Subaru lay exhausted on his back as the merchant bent over him.
"I must admit, Otto. You've done a much more subtle and effective job of beating some sense into Sir Natsuki. You did it with far gentler methods than I did, while at the same time letting him know that you're a trusted ally. It seems I have much to learn from you." Julius said, bowing respectfully to the merchant.
He noted with shame that he was jealous that Otto had had this opportunity to help Subaru. He wished they could have a moment like this, too, to put aside their titles, vent their frustrations on each other, and then become true comrades. But Julius could only dream.
"How about you lot start thinking about helping big bro without beating him to the ground for a change?!" Felt asked, clearly pissed at how others discussed Subaru's physical weakness.
"It's not like that, Felt-sama! I didn't derive any pleasure from beating Natsuki-san! It's just that sometimes he can be incredibly stubborn! You saw it yourself, even after seeing the images of the Second Trial and getting advice from the witches he still wanted to do everything alone. And all my attempts to help him were simply dismissed!"
"That's because he was trying to protect you from danger! That's called caring for others!" Felt wasn't going to back down that easily.
"I'm not a damsel in distress, Felt-sama, and can recognize a dangerous situation when I see one. If I decide to put myself in danger, it will be because I choose to."
"You know you're not good enough, don't you? You know you can't reach, don't you? You want to look good for the girl you like, don't you?! You want to be someone the girl who likes you can be proud of, don't you?! Then why don't you just accept someone's help?! Someone like…a friend!"
Those words brought back memories of how he had tried to get the support of Echidna and Roswaal and how it had turned out.
"I did rely on someone else….. I asked for help…. But it didn't work…."
"Maybe….. But I don't recall ever hearing you ask for my help."
"At that moment, I had no idea what kind of deadly adventure I was getting myself into!" Otto was getting nostalgic.
"And when you realized what awaited you, you didn't change your mind?" Anastasia asked her younger colleague.
"Frankly speaking, I was seriously considering tucking my tail between my legs and running to my carriage to get as far away from the Sanctuary as fast as possible. No ties to the margrave are worth becoming lunch for the Great Rabbit!"
"I can't say I blame you for thinking this way, you are not a noble or even a soldier. So what kept you away?" Crusch wondered.
"That I would never be able to look at myself in the mirror again, knowing that I had betrayed and abandoned a friend, who saved my life, I guess."
"You're a bad merchant, Otto-san." Rem summed up in a simple tone.
"Rem-san! Why are you doing this to me! What did I do to you?!"
"But you're a great friend. Rem thinks that's the most important thing." She added, turning to him and giving him her most gentle smile.
"Uh…ah…thank you. I'm glad I met your expectations." The merchant mumbled, blushing lightly and thinking to himself, 'I'm beginning to understand how she was able to inspire Natsuki-san's exploits…'
"N-No, I mean…" Realizing the futility of trying to justify himself, Subaru closed his eyes, exhaled, and stood up.
"My head is just full of knots. It's full of stuff you wouldn't believe even if I told you. I don't even know how to start…"
"Just start talking. I'll listen until you finish."
"But if I do that—"
"Didn't I just tell you not to put on that tough act?! If you have time to over complicate everything in your head, then just spit it all out!"
"Easy for you to say, but I—"
"Spit out all of those knots! And when you're done, just tell me to believe you! Because I'm your friend, all right?!"
"Otto, I've never seen you so demanding before." The half-elf said in surprise.
"Emilia-sama, it's because you rarely participate in daily meetings with executives and officials. Otherwise, you wouldn't be surprised at the tone and words I can use to get things done." He replied in a serious tone.
"Dat's right! When our Brotto goes into tax-collector mode, Edelgard 'emself takes his hat off in respect! Our Minister of the Interior has a snake's tongue!" Garfiel said proudly.
The merchant, embarrassed by such praise, received a few respectful glances from the other candidates. 'Perhaps Emilia's camp was valuable for more than just the black-haired knight and the maids' they thought.
"You might not believe me, but…" Subaru admitted against the backdrop of the busy dawn.
In the next scene, he was already wrapping up his story.
"That's all I've got for now." Subaru said, lowering his head.
"Natsuki-san." Otto asked calmly.
"What?"
"Is there any other way to pretend I didn't hear anything and just run away?"
"WHAT?!" Subaru shouted indignantly at Otto's proposal.
"Coward!/Scaredy-cat!/Weakling!" Petra, Mimi, and Felt repeated their epithets, laughing at the interaction between the two young men on the screen. Since Otto had assured everyone that it was the breakthrough loop, they could afford to relax and have a little fun.
"Hey! I had the right to be horrified at the hopeless situation I was being presented with! I didn't run away in the end, did I?!" Otto recoiled at the unfair attacks.
"Still, it's hilarious to see such blatant cowardice from a commoner, that right before that had literally fought for the right to go into the fray!" Priscilla chucked contently.
"How could you not?!" Otto, also indignant, began to recount:
"We are trapped in the hunting grounds of the Great Rabbit! The only chance to break out is if Emilia-sama passes the Trials, which seems unlikely now! If we try to get the villagers out, we'll be hindered by an ignorant fool! And even if by some miracle we manage to escape and reach the mansion, the assassins will be waiting for us there! What kind of situation is this?!"
"That's what I'd like to know!" Natsuki replied, "How did I even get into such a hopeless trap! Does God hate me so much?! Well, I hate him too!"
"Bro asked a good question, I think. With the frequency with which he gets into deadly situations, facing the most dangerous monsters of this world, you'd think that the world itself is out to get him!" Al noted this detail.
"Most of his troubles are not due to bad luck, but the actions of that scheming clown! If it weren't for him, most of big bro's deaths wouldn't have happened!" Felt contradicted him.
"But wait a minute, Otto. Do you really believe the insanity I just told you?"
These words made the merchant think for a moment.
"You know, Natsuki-san. I've been to many different places, seen many different people."
"Don't tell me you can figure out if you can trust a person just by looking at them."
"No, I don't believe in such superstitions. Anyway, it's been four years since I left my parents' house. As a merchant, I was used to believing what I saw. The results weren't always happy, but I've lived without regretting the decisions I've made."
"Except for the complete failure with the oil bought out of season." Anastasia could not resist a professional jab.
"And this is where you are wrong, Anastasia-sama. I would call that purchase the best deal of my life! After all, the result is a profit that can't be measured monetarily." Otto said confidently. That was the only way he could think to defend himself from the endless bullying of a more successful colleague.
"That's right! As a result, Brotto met the Cap'n! And all of us! Dat's the way to do business, to make friends, not money! Isn't that right, Brotto?"
"Money matters too, Garf! Don't go to extremes!" Frederica reprimanded her brother.
"So, this is a first, Natsuki-san."
"Huh?"
"This is the first time I've taken on a hopeless case."
The next scene unfolded in the morning, with Otto observing the magician's house from behind a tree.
"Roswaal!" The margrave looked up at the young man's insolent voice. The door swung open loudly, revealing a confident Subaru pointing his finger unceremoniously.
"Let's make a bet, with my wish and yours on the line!" Natsuki smiled, as if already celebrating his victory.
"'ere we go-o-o! The Capt'in is determined to win!"
"Go, big bro, go! Make that face-painted bastard weep with helplessness!"
"I remember he had the same look on his face when he charged straight at the White Whale. When Subaru-dono is in such a mood, there's no doubt of a quick and amazing victory." Wilhelm said contentedly.
"Indeed. We can finally afford to relax a little and enjoy the view." Crusch smiled contentedly as she settled into her chair.
"My hero is once again full of strength and intends to snatch victory from the jaws of fate! When he is this determined, nothing can stop him!" Rem said cheerfully. This was the face she dreamed of seeing everyday — confident, optimistic, full of energy, and excited.
"Wait, Barusu." Suddenly, Ram interposed herself between them, shielding Roswaal behind her, sustaining Subaru's gaze with a reproachful look in her eyes.
"What do you think you are doing, suddenly forcing your way into the room and spouting random things? Do you intend to burden Roswaal-sama during his bed rest? This is too rude, even for you."
"You know as well as I do that he's not the kind of guy to just sit and wait to get better. Besides, the situation doesn't allow it. This problem is everybody's problem, so I'm gonna be a little pushy and reckless."
"Barusu—"
"No matter what anybody says, I don't have any reason to stop."
"Damn it, Ram! Why do ya always take 'tis bastard's side?! Ya better dan others know tha' cap'n does everythin' for the better!" Garfiel exclaimed, annoyed to see the girl he liked on the opposite side of his captain and supporting the scheming mage.
"While I completely agree with your opinion about Rem's hero's intentions, Garf-kun, but this time I don't think it's the case. The way sister looks at Subaru-kun right now tells me that she's trying to evaluate his determination, not reprimand him." Rem said, looking very closely at Ram's expression on the screen.
"Ya mean?" Garfiel didn't understand her immediately.
"Rem-san is saying that Ram-san on the screen wants to know if Natsuki-san is sure about his victory and if she should join his side." Otto elaborated.
"Ha-a-a. Ready to betray your master at the first sign of the other side getting the upper hand? So much for your claims about loyalty to the snake." Priscilla decided to send a little jab at the pink maid, who obstinately protected the clown in the theater, while looking for a way to betray him on the screen.
"Kindly refrain from using such groundless accusations against Ram. Not even once has she betrayed her master! Everything she did was to help and benefit her master in the end!" Ram answered in a harsh manner, not even turning her head to look at the fiery princess.
"I must concu-u-ur with Ram here. Her intentions were not aimed against me pe-e-ersonally."
When Ram exuded a dangerous aura that was mixed with obvious irritation, Subaru thrust a palm straight at her. Then, anticipating just where her actions might lead, he tilted his head and called to Roswaal, sitting behind her.
"What about you, Roswaal? You're not gonna sulk about your schedule going a little out of whack, now are you? Do you have the guts to push yourself a little for the sake of your successor?"
"…What a roundabout and de-e-eply interesting turn of phrase. For the sake of my successor, you say?"
Without directly touching upon the truth of Return by Death, Subaru made his proposal to Roswaal in a deviously indirect manner. Its contents brought a suspicious look over Ram, but Subaru's intent definitely got through to Roswaal.
"Ram, wait by my…no, for a brief time, could you leave young Subaru and I alone?"
"…Are you certain?"
"Do not worry; there is no concern that Subaru might cause harm to me. He is not here for payback, but for a quite di-i-ifferent matter, yes?"
"Well, even if I was here for that, I wouldn't be able to do a thing. You'd just nail me back. Pathetic, but yeah, don't worry, 'kay?"
Waving both his empty hands, he asserted to an anxious Ram that he had no hostile intentions. Not that this was the slightest bit convincing, but Ram let a sigh trickle out, then bowed to Roswaal.
"Please do not overly exert yourself. And Barusu, please do nothing rude."
"Man, you're really only worried I'm gonna start something. Worry about him starting something, would ya?"
Exchanging these words as Ram headed for the room's exit, Subaru slumped his shoulders as Ram snorted. Then, after the door was closed, there were but two people, Subaru and Roswaal, remaining in the room.
"So you believed that Subaru was going to win and decided to support him at that moment?" Emilia asked her friend, turning to her with a content smile.
"I don't know what you are talking about, Emilia-sama. Ram left the room only because it was a direct order from her master. And I certainly had no intentions of supporting Barusu in any of his stupid deeds!" Ram answered, feigning indifference.
"Which didn't stop you from eavesdropping, ri-i-ight?" Roswaal asked with a sly grin.
"I wasn't eavesdropping, so I didn't know about your bet. I was simply ensuring that Barusu does not take any rash or unsavory actions against you, Roswaal-sama!" Ram tried her best to wiggle out of the precarious situation.
"I certainly did not expect to see you again in this life."
"This will be our last showdown. I'm going to save the Sanctuary and the mansion in this loop, whatever it takes. And I'll bust up every damn one of your plans!"
"You want to start over now, when I have you in check, and leave behind the one and only power you have?"
"Being able to start over and being able to save them are two different things." The young man said in a serious tone, recalling the scenes from the second Trial. "Both you and I were too conceited. This power I have isn't even that useful."
Have you noticed how Natsuki-san can almost freely tell about his Authority and what he can do with it? Otto noted with curiosity.
"You are right. And the Witch does not react in any way. Apparently for her the most important part is that nobody realizes that he has to die to activate it, while saying that he can redo things is not forbidden" Anastasia agreed.
I'm not sure it's that simple, Anastasia-sama. Remember when the Witch punished him in the Capital because he tried to tell Emilia-sama that she saved him in the very first loop?" Reinhard reminded them.
"So, not only the mention of dying but also saying about things that happened in the failed loops is forbidden then?" Felt tried to find the logic in the Witch's behavior.
"Not exactly, I suppose. We've seen multiple times how Betty's contractor mentioned things and events that happened in the failed loops without any consequences. But it was always without context, in fact. Something that cannot be tied to a certain event or period. That's why it mostly sounds like baseless gibberish or empty talk, or simply his assertions. Betty thinks that her contractor is free to talk about what happened as long as he does it indirectly, the way that does not suggest that it really happened in the past, I suppose."
"And you're going to bet your last chance on this attempt, after which you'll do as the Sanctuary…no, as I wish?"
"Yeah, that's what it comes down to. I'm sick of this cat and mouse game. This will be the last time."
"Thank the spirits he's realized that his death is not a tool, but a last resort!" Frederica sighed with relief.
Petra, sitting next to her, nodded fervently. Her hero had not stepped onto the dark path, though her happy smile diminished when she remembered the nightmares that plagued him and the methods he used to cope.
"Less reason for us to worry about how we should behave with Sir Natsuki, then." Julius stated reassuringly.
'As always, the world has turned in my favor. He has turned from that path and will remain as amusing and curious as I want him to be. Just one more step and he'll be my personal jester!' Priscilla thought contentedly, savoring the refined wine.
"If you say this is the last time, what is it you want from me?"
"My demand is simple. If I save both the Sanctuary and the mansion, you will throw that book away and come with me. I'm going to make Emilia the new ruler, and I need your help to do it."
"Don't be ridiculous. That suggestion is absolutely warped. Do you think you would forgive what I—"
"If this was about forgiving you, there's no way in hell I'd ever do that. But that's for my own heart to worry about. Nothing deadly has happened yet. So if I can solve this… Get it?"
"The boy's growing up. He doesn't let his emotions control him anymore. He doesn't forget that the clown is an important asset to their camp, even though he hates him." Anastasia couldn't help but point out.
"His importance to Emilia's camp in no way justifies his crimes to his own camp." Ricardo answered her.
"True, but without his sponsorship, Emilia-sama's camp would have fallen off the rails just after the White Whale award ceremony. Therefore, it was very wise of Natsuki-san to keep the margrave as an asset." Otto countered.
'I'm sorry, but Subaru's wish will not come true. The margrave's plans jeopardize the integrity of an entire kingdom, so he cannot be allowed to run free. I realize that this act will likely destroy our relationship with Subaru forever, but a knight's duty to the kingdom comes before personal friendship.' Julius thought sadly.
"Even if I cease to commit such crimes, wicked deeds are wicked deeds. Surely, this is not such a convenient tale?"
"Hey, I love convenient ideas! Emilia's gonna do her best to become the next ruler,
and I want to be by her side to congratulate her. I also want you to be part of the crowd we'll have around her. Just so you know, it'll be mandatory."
"Looks like not only has big bro influenced big sis, but big sis has also had a bad influence on him." Felt laughed with a grin. The people around her nodded in agreement, but Emilia questioned disapprovingly.
"Whatever do you mean?! What bad influence do I have on him?"
"Just like you, girl, Betty's Subaru is ineptly trying to portray himself as a self-centered man who does everything for his own sake, I suppose. Though many of us would gladly slap him on the back of his head for his lack of healthy selfishness, in fact."
Roswaal was clearly taken aback by Subaru's self-confidence.
"You expect to fulfill your desire without letting go of anything? Not only that, but you say my involvement is necessary and insist on including me in the foundation for the future? You are aware, are you not, Subaru-kun?" He looked at him with a disbelieving look.
"Of What?" Subaru asked.
"Of the sheer greed of that solution."
Those words made Natsuki remember that Echidna had said something similar, causing him to smirk confidently.
"Betty's Subaru was able to turn even the sin of greed to his advantage, in fact! Beatrice declared haughtily.
"Subaru-dono is incredibly greedy when it comes to wanting to save his loved ones. And that's the kind of ambition I'd like to see in him." Wilhelm commented approvingly.
"Truly, Barusu's greed is second only to his lust! No matter what girl he sees, he is sure to try to reach for her with his vile claws! Damn womanizer…though a man who craves the love of my sweet little sister without such greed has no right to do so to begin with." Ram huffed.
"The Witch and the devil alike had identically appraised this commoner's greed. And seems like he's just fine with it." Priscilla noted.
"Backing me into a corner will make me the strongest card of all. —It won't be the way you wanted it, but I'll be the strongest card you can play against your enemies. Still not satisfied?"
"What if the strongest card is powerless?"
"Then I'll be out of moves. Your victory will be complete. I'll be your slave or whatever you want."
"Wait a minute. Do kindly correct me if I missed some important part of this conversation..." At first, Anastasia sounded confused by the words of the black-haired young man, but every next word contained more and more steel and anger. "Did Natsuki-kun just say he is going to put the right to use his ability on the line?!"
"That's exa-a-actly what he did." Roswaal answered her casually, though the question wasn't addressed to him.
"Is he… a complete IDIOT?!" The merchant-princess exploded.
"Normally, I'm ready to punish anyone who dares to insult Betty's contractor like that. But this time, even I'm willing to sign off on every word, in fact. Doesn't he even realize how much he was risking?!"
"How can you even say that?! Especially you, Beatrice?! Isn't it good that Subaru doesn't want to rely so heavily on his Authority?!" Emilia resented such words.
"There's a big difference between how one can use Return by Death, Emilia-sama. It's one thing if he activates his Authority to achieve a perfect result in every little thing. This line of thinking he discarded, thank the spirits. And it's quite another when he only uses it when absolutely necessary. However, instead he has decided to go to the other extreme! For the sake of a confrontation with the margrave, he decided to give up his ability altogether, becoming, in fact, an ordinary boy!" Ricardo agreed with her thoughts.
"But you're saying that he should be ready to die again!" Emilia didn't back down.
"I don't like what I'm saying at all, but this is the path Sir Natsuki chose for himself. The day he rushed in the loot house to save you and Felt-sama from the Bowel Hunter. And when he tried time after time to save you from the Witch Cult." Crusch reminded the distressed half-elf.
"Betty's contractor is now putting himself at a severe disadvantage, in fact! He's willing to go all-in and bet his very freedom, with no idea how he's going to succeed, I suppose!"
"Think about it, half-wit. Does that brainless dog know how to deal with the flea-bitten savage so that he won't try to kill him? No! Does he have a solid idea how to get you to overcome your shortcomings and pass the Trials? No! Does he have a plan to deal with the assassins and save the maids in the mansion? No! All he knows right now is that everything that is happening is part of the clown's plan! He has no idea how to accomplish his goal! And under such circumstances, he's going to throw away his only trump card! Such arrogance could easily be his undoing!" Priscilla snapped her fan closed at Emilia.
"To be fair, we did have a plan! Though, it is true, I thought that we, like all humans, only had one shot and had no idea that Natsuki-san was putting his freedom on the line." Otto interjected.
"But Subaru-kun still won in the end!" Rem tried to point out the accomplished fact.
"That's true, Rem, but he obviously owes his victory to blind luck and chance. Barusu's strength lies in his ability to learn from previous failures and try again until he achieves the desired result! And now he's giving up his only advantage over Roswaal-sama, with no idea of how he will win." Ram softly rebuked.
"One slip up, one bad move! One trivial, unfortunate circumstance, and he would've found himself as a tool in the clown's hands, dying as many times as it takes to fulfill the instructions in the damn book! That's the risk he took unnecessarily!" Al summarized, shaking his head irritably, annoyed that his brother was always going from one extreme to the other.
When would he learn to be more calm and reasonable? To think with a cool head instead of a hot heart.
"I'm all in favor of my Bro using his ability as little as possible. Better yet, he should never need to use it again. Seventeen deaths are more than enough! But the margrave is right about one thing. This world is cruel and does not forgive weakness! And Bro is a weakling, no matter how you put it. So he must be prepared that sooner or later either the world will send him back in a loop, or he will do it himself, having lost someone close to him again!"
'He won't have to do anything if my plan succeeds! With me and Rein by his side, no Archbishops or clowns will come even near big bro!' Felt thought angrily, clenching her fists and waiting impatiently for the viewing to end. Then, she would begin to put her plan into action.
"But what choice does he even have? Roswaal already showed that he won't allow events to deviate from the Gospel's predictions, and is ready to kill everyone just to force Subaru-sama to loop back. Simultaneously, he can't get rid of Roswaal because it will deprive Emilia-sama of her chance to participate in the Royal Selection! In such a situation, what other option does he have left but to coerce the margrave into a bet?" Frederica pointed out, refusing to address Roswaal as a master.
"The problem with his idea is not that he proposed such an idea, Frederica-san. You pointed out correctly that Sir Natsuki needed to limit the margrave's actions and make sure he wouldn't try and brute force Subaru into restarting the loop. However, like Priscilla mentioned earlier, he made a bet without having a foolproof plan on how to fulfill the conditions of the bet. I would, begrudgingly, understand him… from a logical point if he first found the way to deal with all obstacles and only after that made a bet with Roswaal." Crusch said with a stern face, not happy at all with what she implicated with these words.
"And the fact that for that he would need to die a lot more times is not a concern to you at all?" Emilia asked with a spark of fury in her eyes.
"Would you rather prefer your knight to become the clown's minion, half-wit?! I can assure you he would die much, much more in this case. Not to mention that in this case it won't be his decision to loop anymore, but the clown's."
To that, Emilia didn't know what to answer. She would like to express that she would be his help and support, but that would be a total lie. She became one only at the very end of his difficult journey.
"No matter how you fight it, you cannot break through this. With Emilia-sama unable to stand, the barrier will remain. The Sanctuary will be covered in snow, and the mansion will sink into a bloody tragedy."
"Yeah. Should make the sight of you crying all the better."
"My amazin' self can't wait ta see 'tis image!" Garfiel echoed him. "I was so happy to slug him afterward! I wish I could do it again, a' least once fer every death cap'n suffered cause of him!"
The knights were heavily surprised by Garfiel's open admission that he had attacked one of the highest aristocrats of the kingdom. However, since it was Roswaal, they felt envy rather than indignation.
"I see. You are right. It isn't a bad idea to lay some groundwork for the next me."
"So can I take that to mean you agree to the bet?"
The mage answered him with a satisfied grin.
"Well, now that that's settled, I can get started."
"Subaru-kun… The snow in the Sanctuary and the attack on the mansion begin in three days. Do try your hardest to fight it... and fail miserably."
"Say what you want." Subaru waved goodbye to him and walked toward the exit. But at the door, he turned around and pulled back his cheek, creating a creepy smile.
"Roswaal, put the clown makeup back on, okay? You're throwing me off my stride. As two clowns at the mercy of fate, let's fight this out fair and square."
"Indeed they are. Two clowns fighting for dominance over their circus, naively thinking that the victory of one of them would have any bearing on the outcome of the main event. Well, at least it amuses me to watch them squirm. So I declare their struggle approved by the goddess!" Priscilla said smugly.
[Screen Caption: Straight bet]
Subaru stood on the porch of the house, staring at Ram standing in front of him.
"How goes the conspiracy you're plotting with your friend?"
"What about you? Have you accepted what Roswaal's doing?"
"There's only one thing I value above all else. There's no way that will ever change. Never. So don't bother waiting for me to change my mind." Ram said firmly, turning to go inside.
"Never say never."
"Hold your tongue! I shall not warn you again. Barusu. —Do you really…expect something out of Emilia-sama?" She asked without turning around.
"Yes, I do, and I believe in her."
'Did you still believe in me after all? Even after you saw how the Trial broke me? You're such a dunderhead, Subaru… my beloved, brave dunderhead.' The half-elf thought with a happy smile.
"…Emilia-sama being unable to overcome the Trial is through no fault of her own.
"Ram?"
"There is a reason she stumbles without knowing why herself. Being unaware of this, she merely repeats herself, to no avail."
"We've already strayed from what's written in the book. Roswaal is free now!"
But Ram only closed the door behind her.
"She actually gave me advice… Does she like me, too?"
"Keep dreaming, Barusu! Shameless pervert! Dirty womanizer! You haven't earned the right to even dream of me favoring you!" The pink-haired maid said indignantly, without restraint.
"Anything but a thorny bush!" Al taunted her, enjoying the angry look in her pink eyes. Ricardo and Mimi guffawed along the one-armed knight.
"And yet! Even the pink twin, faced with having to choose between our hero and the face-painted margrave, decided to help the former!" Ricardo nodded approvingly. Finally, the members of Subaru's camp had begun to help him out on their own.
"The mini-boss has helpers again. Not as tough as Mimi and her brothers, but even with them, the mini-boss can handle everything!"
"I'm happy to see that my sister actually cares a lot about Subaru-kun!" Rem declared contentedly.
She didn't say it out loud, but she was even more pleased that Ram had decided to side with her hero in this situation rather than their witch-crazed clown.
"So I guess I should also thank you for Subaru-kun defeating me?" Roswaal whispered snidely to the maid sitting next to him.
Ram had the good grace to look away, but she couldn't help smiling. If Barusu had made good use of her clue, that only meant she had not put her hopes in him in vain.
"What are you talking about, Roswaal-sama? I was only giving advice to a useless, lowly wannabe knight on how to properly take care of my lady. How can I be held responsible for the way he twisted my words?" Ram crossed her arms across her chest, turning her face away from Roswaal. He smiled at this reaction.
"You're still talking like that?" Otto scolded him. "If she hears you, she'll be furious. Since Ram-san is working with the margrave, doesn't that make you enemies?"
"Ram's my enemy?" Subaru asked in surprise. Otto's reaction was only a sigh of doom.
"I told you that Natsuki-san truly believes in Ram. That's the proof. It didn't even occur to him that Ram-san could act against him. Although I still don't know whether I admire how much he believes in those he considers friends or cry out in helplessness at his naivety!" Otto remarked.
"But would it kill her to show Betty's contractor her true feelings for him, at least from time to time, in fact?" Beatrice crossed her arms, not very pleased.
"Exactly, Beatrice-sama! If Ram ever shows Barusu dome sort of kindness or fondness, she will simply cease to be!" Ram declared definitely and resolutely.
"Well, now I can see how deeply you trust Ram-san. And? How did it go with the margrave?"
"Everything's set. The bet is officially on." The young man said confidently.
"That's good to hear. Of course, I don't think he's ever lost at anything before, so I had no doubt he would agree. And next is…"
"So, you exploited his arrogance? Nice move! The weak spot of all nobles, I approve!" Felt said contently. To see how one of the symbols of the hated system will fall before the simple merchant and butler would be a spectacle to admire!
"Garfiel, yeah." Subaru said hesitantly, but pulled himself together. "But first, can I just check into one thing?"
"All right. I'll continue with my part of the plan as discussed. And as for Emilia-sama..."
"That's one thing I can't rely on your help with. Or maybe I should say my own help… I haven't even scratched the surface of what's hurting her. I guess I was just scared, after all."
"Ha! Typical Barusu! He puts everything he can on the shoulders of others. Whether it's my sister, Garf, Emilia-sama, or Ram. Even Otto is taken full advantage of, despite his uselessness."
"Hey, it was me who thought of offering the margrave a wager and preparing a plan to neutralize Garfiel!" Otto was indignant at his low evaluation.
"Isn't that the mark of a good officer, by the way? Coming up with an idea, putting the right people in the right positions and giving them the right commands. Natsuki-kun is increasingly fitting the mold of a born strategist. That pretty much makes up for his weakness as a fighter!" Remarked the merchant princess.
"I'd be happy to agree with that thought. Betty's contractor really brings out his true potential when he plans on the go, I suppose!" Beatrice agreed, crossing her arms haughtily over her chest. But the next moment, she looked angrily at the young man's sleeping face and declared heartily, giving him a weightless slap after every word:
"If only it weren't for his vile habit of constantly making himself a decoy, in fact!"
"That's for sure. Don't try to play innocent."
"Hey, man!"
"So, are you prepared to scratch the surface of what's hurting her?"
"Well, I'm prepared to ask her if I can. Unlike with Garfiel, I don't have to worry about dying."
"I'm not sure if I should laugh at that or not."
The aforementioned blonde boy bowed his head guiltily and clenched his fists. He would never forget that scene. Otto torn in half, the villagers killed, Patrasche crushed.
"Cap'n... I... I'm... I'm sorry, Cap'n... I didn't mean to..."
"Garf. Garf! We've already discussed this! Stop looking at the past! I admit it didn't sound very nice coming from Natsuki-san, but we can't blame him for that! It's his way of dealing with the past. He couldn't have known that we would ever become aware of the context of such phrases!"
"I don't blame him for anything, Brotto... I just want to apologize to him soon for being such a jerk..."
"You've got the right idea! We all have something to apologize to him for. And we'll do it first thing when he wakes up, don't worry!"
"Anyway, I guess you're one to take bets that are stacked against you, huh?" Subaru said, extending his fist in front of him.
"I suppose so. But taking on a bet without even considering my odds of winning? That's a first for me." Otto replied, bringing his fist to bear in a bump.
The scene changed to Echidna's laboratory. Subaru's figure was reflected in the crystal holding Ryuzu Meyer's body.
"I thought I'd find you here, Ryuzu-san."
"You talk like someone who already knows me remarkably well.'' The little girl replied as she stepped out from behind the crystal.
"Why would he need to come to Ryuzu's place?" Tivey was interested in this decision.
"Our first step was to neutralize Garfiel as a threat. To do that, we had to find out as much about him as we could to convince him to come over to our side."
"Wouldn't it have been enough to beat him up so that he wouldn't interfere with getting the people out of the Sanctuary when Emilia-sama completed the Trial?" Mimi wondered.
"The terms of Natsuki-san and Roswaal's bet were a bit different than that. He wanted to prove to the margrave that people can change for the better and not live only in their past. Therefore, the wager consisted of two conditions. The first was that Garfiel would overcome his fears and agree to leave the Sanctuary voluntarily. The second was that Emilia-sama would be able to successfully pass the Trial." Otto explained to the others.
'Hm? So for this commoner, it wasn't enough to just defeat the clown in this game? He also wanted to break his ideology and make him bow to his own set of morals? That jester might be even more interesting than I gave him credit for!' Priscilla thought contentedly, eager to see how the margrave with makeup will be utterly crushed by her future servant.
"I'd say you're right. I know just about everything. I even know what your goal is here."
"Then I suppose the one Young Ros was waiting for was you."
"Yeah, sorry. That whole thing's been called off."
"Huh?"
"Anyway, I'm in the middle of a huge face-off with Roswaal now. I want it to end in a result that's good for everyone, which is why I want your help."
"Why not use your authority as an apostle to demand my assistance?"
"I don't want to rely on that kind of authority. I came here to talk to you."
"Young men are so quick to put on a tough front." The old elf said cheerfully. "And? What is it you are arguing over?"
"That's why my amazin' self can trust the cap'n with whateva' he decides to do! Even is he has the power to make others do wha' he wants, he doesn't use it without utter necessity! The Cap'n tries to get everyone on his side willingly as long as there is a chance!"
"I agree. Subaru-dono shows incredible resilience to the corrupting nature of power! Although it seemed that his life devoid of real hardship and his fear of loneliness was fertile ground for such vices; nevertheless, all our fears that he might use his Authority for selfish purposes were shattered time after time by his incredible selflessness!" Wilhelm expressed his pride over the young man's character.
"In simple terms, I guess I'd say a way to liberate the Sanctuary. I know you're opposed to liberating it, though."
Ryuzu was visibly surprised by that statement.
"I am opposed to liberating the Sanctuary?"
"Huh? Wait, you're not opposed to it?" The young man was confused. After receiving a nod of agreement from the village head, he became nervous. "Seriously?! You're kidding! Then why did you…"
"Still, I cannot say that your suspicions are entirely wild. What is your opinion of Young Gar?"
"I think… there's no avoiding a clash with him." Natsuki admitted honestly.
"I see." Ryuzu replied sadly.
"But… But whether we can be friends or not once that's over is yet to be seen. And to help me make that decision, I want to know more about him."
"You are quite skilled at deceiving the elderly, Young Su. You asked the Witch about me, did you not? About the copies of Ryuzu Meyer, and perhaps about the purpose of creating them."
"That's a logical assessment from Ryuzu-san. Considering that, from her perspective, Subaru was in the Sanctuary for just a little more than a day. And the only way for him to learn all these secrets, as well as the location of Echidna's laboratory." Crusch nodded.
"She told me about the immortality experiment and that you Ryuzus were the successful cases for it."
"To this day, I protect and supervise the crystal that creates the copies. The four of us alternate in bearing the role of supervisor."
"I did hear about the first four. So the other three besides you…" He said thoughtfully and suddenly remembered Ryuzu Bilma's admonition from the previous loop.
"My name is Natsuki Subaru. What's your name, Ryuzu-san?"
"My name is Ryuzu Arma. I am one of the first four copies."
"Arma?" Subaru repeated, remembering that the Ryuzu who had met them after the first Trial had called herself Bilma.
"So he found out that there were several copies of Ryuzu operating in the Sanctuary, and each time he encountered a different one." Emilia pondered.
"It's just not clear what this knowledge will give him." Tivey said, who couldn't understand how this detail could help him.
"Nothing, I guess, but he can still take some pleasure from discovering another secret of this mysterious place. It's one of the perks of being transported to another world. So many unexpected discoveries." Al answered simply, shrugging his shoulders.
"The first Ryuzu-san I met called herself "Bilma". I never meant to hide anything from Ryuzu-san… But why go through so much hassle?"
"Our bodies are not made of flesh and blood. They are made of artificial Od covered in mana. All activity we engage in consumes that mana, and continuous activity for a full day is impossible."
"Oh, so you're like the spirits. That's why you've been alternating between the four of you. But… are you okay with that?"
"You are so kind, Young Su. However, one of the first four, Ryuzu Shima, is an exception."
"Ryuzu Shima?" Natsuki remembered that was the name the Ryuzu in white had called herself when Garfiel decided to throw Subaru into a dungeon.
"About ten years ago, she caused a problem. She was then removed from the role of supervisor, and now lives in the forest with the other copies. For that reason, three of us fulfill the supervisor role now."
"What problem did she cause?"
"She violated the contract with the witch who created us by entering the graveyard… to bring back Young Gar when he broke the rules to attempt the trial and did not return. I have not seen Shima since she was stripped of her duty, but it would be no surprise if Young Gar has been meeting with Shima, with whom he shares memories that we do not."
"Memories that you three don't have?"
"I refer to the past that Young Gar saw in the graveyard trial. Are you aware of Young Gar's family situation?"
"So Ryuzu Shima was against the release of the Sanctuary because she broke her contract and helped you, Garf-kun?" Rem asked the fighter.
"Granny faced the Trial just like my amazin' self." Garfiel answered her in a serious tone. "She told me dat she had seen the life of the original Ryuzu Meyer. I told her wha' I saw myself. When she was removed from duty, my amazin' self was the only one left with 'er. Granny wanted to maintain the barrier because that was her ancestor's wish. And me, because I was afraid of the outside world. Dat's about it."
"Now it all falls into place why the third loop turned so ugly. Perhaps this was also the reason only Ryuzu Shima could smell miasma on Natsuki-san?"
"You mean the Trial changed her somehow? How is this even possible?! Did the Witch of Greed try to influence her Od?" Despite her best attempts to conceal it, concern was evident in Ram's voice. "Then what about Barusu? Could he be affected by her too?"
"I wouldn't be so worried about him, Ram. After all, Natsuki Subaru is a living human, while all remaining Ryuzus are copies created by Echidna. Which means she knows everything about their Ods and can possibly manipulate them."
"I'm not worried about Barusu, Roswaal-sama, but about what kind of wicked surprise the Witch of Greed could conjure up through him!"
"Ram, I don't even need a divine protection to see how unsince-e-ere you are." Roswaal declared with a cocky smirk.
"Yeah, I know Frederica is his sister from a different father, and since she has less non-human blood, she left the Sanctuary ten years ago." He said, while the screen showed his dialog with the maid from a previous loop. :
"Why did you leave the Sanctuary?" He asked the head maid.
"I suppose I wanted to create an opportunity for the people of the Sanctuary to leave it once the barrier was broken. I wanted to make a place for them." Frederica answered him.
The screen returned to Echidna's laboratory.
"At least, that's what she said. Wait, did the past that Garfiel saw involve the time she left?"
"No, what he saw was most likely the moment when Young Gar and Fred were left behind by their mother when she left the Sanctuary."
"I had to get in this place and see all these horrors to realize I had made a big mistake leaving so early. At the very least, I should have tried to take the Trial myself. Or at least stay around Garf until he took it for the first time. Who knows, maybe if I'd been there for him, the Trial wouldn't have hit him so hard." Frederica lamented.
"Forget it, sis. Dere's no point crying ova spilled milk. Ya can't go back to the past. The important thing is dat cap'n came and handled it beautifully! Now we just have to be smarter and more careful, so cap'n doesn't have to solve all our problems for us!"
"I like it when you start thinking like an adult, Garf." Frederica praised her brother with a sincere smile.
It reminded Subaru of Echidna's words, hinting that Garfiel harbored a fear of the outside world.
"So the reason he's against liberating the Sanctuary is out of bitterness toward his mother for abandoning him and choosing the outside?" Subaru speculated. However, Ryuzu shook her head in disagreement.
"The boy refers to himself as Garfiel Tinsel. That is his mother's family name. I believe he goes by that name so that he won't forget her. Whether it was out of anger or sadness is most likely known only to him and Shima."
The scene shifted to Emilia's house. Upon entering, Subaru couldn't find the girl in her bed.
"Emilia-tan? Huh?"
"Subaru?" a voice came from the side of the bed. Then he noticed her sitting on the floor, covered by the blanket.
"What're you doing down there, Emilia-tan? You'll get your butt dirty."
"Emilia-sama, kindly refrain from such behavior in the future! Not only is this discordant with your status as a royal candidate, but what is worse, your actions have forced me to stand in solidarity with Barusu! I will now have to spend an hour in the bathroom washing off this horrible feeling."
"I think I know the worst punishment for that maid if she seriously messes up: make her interact with Subaru-kyun all day long in an exceptionally kind and cute manner, without hidden sneers, and with a smile on her face!" Felix playfully suggested in response to a trademark barb from Ram. She shot him a glance full of murderous intent.
"Knowing Ram-san she would just do everything in her power to avoid Natsuki-san as much as possible in that case."
"Oh, it's easy to fix, you just make her Subaru-kuyn's personal maid for the time period so that she has to be near him. And if she slacks off, you just prolong your punishment, nya."
"Um… I'm a restless sleeper. I'm sorry… I lied. The truth is, I couldn't get to sleep. But don't worry. I'll be sure to get plenty of sleep by tonight."
"It's almost noon, though. You're talking about sleeping until nightfall? That's very slothful of you, Emilia-tan." Subaru imitated Petelgeuse's intonation.
"The way you said that… just gives me a really weird feeling. Really, Subaru, you're so mean." The girl puffed up her cheeks in resentment.
"How can he have courage, stupidity, and impudence to quote that crazy cultist?!" Julius was dismayed. After all that Natsuki had suffered from the Archbishop, it was utterly incomprehensible for him to adopt his own words.
"Perhaps it's one of his ways of dealing with stress, turning all the bad memories into humor. I can't say I approve of it, but he has to deal with it somehow." Reinhard responded in a serious tone.
He only smiled and held out his hand.
"Thank you." Emilia took it and rose to her feet.
"Emilia, do you feel up to telling me what you saw during the Trial? I won't claim that talking about it will make you feel better. But if you tell me, we can worry about it together. I don't know if I can be of any help… but would you give me the right to fight the same enemies you fight?"
The girl almost cried at those words. She grabbed Puck's crystal with her hand.
"Subaru… Subaru, you have so much faith in me…"
After regaining her strength, she began:
"The… The past I saw… was a memory from before I went to sleep, I think. I never told you that I was frozen in ice for a long time, did I?"
"Frozen in… ice?"
"I was frozen in the forest for a long time. Until Puck found me and got me out, I had been sleeping within the ice for a long, long time."
"You were frozen in the ice?! How did this even happen, big sis?! Isn't ice magic your specialty?" Felt turned to her friend with a surprised expression.
"Well, I told you before I remember the day Elior forest was frozen, didn't I? It happened more than a hundred years ago. As for how it happened, well…there was a fight with the witch Pandora, I lost control over my magic and got myself frozen."
"Until the Great Spirit found you, freed you, and for many years you were living in the forest with him?" Crusch decided to verify.
"Yes, except that I was sleeping in the ice for a hundred years or so."
Many in the room met this revelation with an astonished gasp.
"A hundred?! That is an incredibly powerful ice magic if the ice didn't melt for so long! And how come you have survived for such a long period of time, Emilia-sama?" Julius was so surprised, he failed to keep his elegant, calm demeanor.
"I-I…don't know? I just fell asleep and the next thing I remember is Puck, apologizing for not finding me for so long."
"Apparently since the ice was magical her body went into a state of complete suspended animation, nya. I can't find another feasible explanation to that." Felix stated, using his knowledge of anatomy.
"How long?"
"Since I was… six or seven years old, maybe? We all lived in the forest together before it froze, I think."
"You think?"
"So the memories you see in the tomb are from before you were frozen…and the forest was frozen when…?"
"Apparently, it was about a hundred years ago."
"I see, a hundred yea…eh, a hundred years?!"
"What is it?" Emilia asked as she tilted her head.
"Er, ah, I was imagining a span of ten years, so I wondered if it was off by a digit… I mean, uh, Emilia-tan, you look like you're the same age as I am, so I figured the time frozen was…"
"And here my bro discovered that he actually has a thing for older ladies." Al said with a sly tone.
"What a terrible day for every fan of a Lolimancer. Such a cruel treachery!" Ricardo supported his joke, wiping away an imaginary tear.
"I…kept growing physically while I was inside the ice. That's why, right after I woke up, it was like being in another person's body, enough to make me trip and slip up all over the place…"
"Wait, what, nya?!" Felix exclaimed, astonished. "She was physically growing, while being encased in ice?! How does that even work?! She was supposed to be in the condition of complete suspended animation simply not to die from hypothermia, nya!"
"Not only that! Apparently, it turns out that the elves in this world do not require food for sustaining and developing their bodies! If she was six or seven years old when she was frozen, where did she get the nutrients for her body to grow?! Al pointed out.
"Maybe it has something to do with her great magical potential? Perhaps the mana inside her kept her alive?" Tivey decided to express a hypothesis.
"Yeah, sure, the gate inside her independently and following the program converted mana into proteins, fats, carbs, vitamins and minerals, is that it? Oh, and all the waste was turning back into mana? There are powerful magicians in this world, but they still need food! Not to mention that to create even basic elements like water, a magician must be conscious and concentrate on the spell." Al shook his head, not agreeing that everything could be so simple.
"I didn't understand anything except the word 'fats', right now. Could you please tell us more about what you just said, Sir Al?" Reinhard immediately became wildly curious, because these were clearly terms from the Subaru's world.
"That's just basic ingredients that every organism requires to keep itself alive. We get them with food. But let's postpone the lecture on nutrients until the next break, okay? There are more pressing issues right now. About how a half-elf princess could not only live frozen in ice for a hundred years, but also grow into a healthy girl?
"You really think it's something impossible for a skilled magician? We already learned that the Great rabbit, actually, multiply on the fly even without outer source of food, while consisting of flesh and blood, in fact! Betty can imagine, If one knows really well how to control mana, it is impossible for them to substitute basics needs with such magic." Beatrice pointed out a flaw in Al's logic.
"Yeah, sure, magic can convert mana to everything, but to do that you need a magician to be alive at least. Or, like in the case with rabbits, it must be a built-in feature. And Emilia should've been in a near death state due to ice around her."
"I agree, nya. For normal development of the body, many conditions are necessary. For example, if Emilia-sama had grown from a little girl into a grown woman, while being completely motionless, then her muscles would not have formed normally in a hundred years, nyah! She should not have just stumbled, but simply not be able to walk at all!"
"Besides, it turns out that her growing body… replaced the ice to fit inside? I don't understand anything." Ricardo added, completely dumbfounded.
"Maybe it's because it was ice created by magic, or was it because Emilia is a half-elf herself? Perhaps elves are just… built differently?" Rem suggested.
"Oh, how convenient! To answer any incomprehensible thing with 'It's just magic'. There must be something else here!" Al sarcastically remarked.
"I doubt that the differences are that big. Since half-elves can exist, it means that elven bodies are compatible enough with those of humans. There is a reason other races cannot have children with the spirits." Crusch shook her head.
"There is another, simpler assumption. What if the memory that Emilia-sama saw at the Trial is a false one?" Wilhelm expressed his thoughts.
"But I clearly remember that my first memory before I came to the Sanctuary was one of Puck freeing me from the ice." Emilia shook her head. "And then the Trial showed me what events led to the fact that I got into this very ice in the first place."
"In that case, I dare not question that you were frozen, Emilia-sama. But can we assume that you have spent a whole hundred years in the ice without interruptions? Is it possible that you got into the ice, from which the Great Spirit freed you, already being an adult girl, as you are now, but for some reason you have no memories of those events? After all, we already know that some of your memories were sealed away. I understand how unlikely this sounds, please forgive this old man if I offended you in any way, Emilia-sama."
"No, no, Wilhelm-san! You didn't offend me at all!" The half-elf hastened to reassure him.
"Anything sounds better than the idea that Emilia grew up motionless inside an ice block for a hundred years." Anastasia supported this idea.
"Anyway, we are unlikely to be able to get answers to these questions now. I suggest we leave these discussions for later and continue watching." The duchess summed up.
There were no objections.
"A-ahh, I see. Errr, so putting everything together…so Emilia-tan, how many years has it been since Puck woke you?"
"…I think it was probably six or seven years ago…"
"Wow, that looks complicated. So, Emilia-sama was a hundred and seven years old when she was freed from the ice. While having a mental age of six or seven. From there, she lived for seven years…" Otto started to calculate aloud.
"That means bis sis is a hundred and fourteen years old, eighteen years old going by outward appearance, and mentally, she's like fourteen years of age?" Felt was confused.
"Seems like it." Garfiel shrugged his shoulders. All this stuff about princess' age wasn't very relevant to him.
"R-real age, apparent age, and mental age…they're all disconnected."
"Fourteen-that's no different than Felt…so why…?"
"Should I even call you big sis from now on?" The youngest princess didn't stop herself from teasing her friend.
"I'm still much older than you, Felt-chan!" Emilia blushed a bit.
"It's Felt-neesama, Emilia-chan!" Felt snickered.
"No way!"
The audience was all too happy to have a hearty laugh at the embarrassed half-elf.
"I don't remember much from before that happened."
"What about your family?"
"My family wasn't in the forest. But there was someone who was like a mother to me… Huh? Wait, why… My... mother?" Suddenly, a small shiver ran through the girl, and she clasped her mouth as if she might vomit.
"What's going on with big sis?!" Felt worried.
"Apparently, it's a reaction to trying to recall Puck's blocked memories, I suppose. The mental block is preventing her from accessing them." Beatrice explained, remembering how mental blocks worked.
Emilia also noticed that Beatrice didn't call Puck by his usual affectionate nickname. Apparently, the spirit girl was also reconsidering her attitude toward her adoptive father.
"Yes. I couldn't create a complete picture of what had happened because of it, so I was overwhelmed by unfamiliar, scary images, and fell into depression. That changed when Puck came out of the crystal and broke our contract to remove the block."
"So it was this memory block that kept you from passing the first Trial?" Crusch stated.
"The one that nee-sama hinted to him about." Rem nodded in agreement.
"And how would she know about it?" Mimi asked.
"This one is obvious. She's a personal maid of the margrave. She even knew about his Gospel. No wonder that she knew about his plans or even helped him with them." Ricardo answered.
Several unsavory glances were cast in Ram's direction, but the maid ignored them completely. Emilia felt a certain disdain for a moment, but then she remembered how Ram kneeled before her, at the tomb's entrance. When Ram said that for the first time, she genuinely considered Emilia as her superior.
'That happened because I proved myself to her. I changed that day. For the better. So she changed her perspective on me. No reason to be stingy about anything that was before that night. I wasn't worthy of her respect before that, but I became worthy!'
"Calm down. Take it slow." Subaru tried to calm her down, carefully cradling her head to his chest. "What happened to all of them?"
"The same… as me. They were frozen in ice." Emilia began to remember the time after she was freed from the ice. How she took care of the ice statues and walked through the forest with her spirit. "I lived in the forest, waiting with Puck for all of them to wake up. But that day never came. So… I left the forest and joined the royal selection."
"Huh? What does the forest have to do with the royal selection?"
"Roswaal promised me…" she remembered the mage's words, "If you succeed in taking the throne, perhaps I can thaw the ice that encases this forest."
"Does that make you think less of me?" Emilia asked cautiously. "All the other candidates are participating with solid goals and resolutions, but my reason is so, so personal."
"Ha! Big sis, I'm flattered by your perspective, but honestly, this fairy tale naivety has got to stop! If you look at it objectively, you are the only one out of all the candidates whose reason for running in the election is to help others!" Felt said firmly, looking at her friend from top to bottom, and still managing to look like a teacher reprimanding a negligent student.
"Indeed." Anastasia declared. "I mentioned my participation in the selection that I aspired to establish my own state. Meanwhile, the baroness appears to be running simply for the sake of her ego. Each of us has entered the royal race for personal, often selfish, reasons."
"Anastasia-sama is correct, Emilia-sama. It would be wise to view things, people, and the world with a more discerning eye! Your benevolence is commendable, and the world has rewarded you with an exceptional knight for it. However, a ruler should not assume that the entire world is composed of virtuous individuals!" The duchess concurred.
Despite being rivals, they each felt compelled by their sense of honor as a noblewoman, ally, and friend to address the issue with Emilia's mentality.
"I don't believe I am that naive! I'm well aware that the Witch Cult is utterly malevolent! And I won't simply forgive them!" Emilia vehemently asserted.
"'m sorry, princess, but considerin' the punishment you will dish out to that snake, my amazin' self find that hard to believe." Garfiel grumbled.
"Is that the 'selfish reason' you were talking about? There's nothing bad about wanting to save the people you care about. Whether it's a lot of people or just a few doesn't make it less noble." Subaru countered.
"Yeah… Thank you… so much."
"Emilia?" Subaru noticed with surprise that the girl had fallen asleep leaning against him.
As he gently put her to bed, he remained standing next to her, contemplating the significance of Emilia's lost memories in solving the Trial.
"Do the memories that Emilia can't recall hold some clue to getting through the Trial?" Subaru came to the conclusion that Emilia's lost memories held the key to passing the Trial, remembering the clue Ram had provided.
"Without Ram's assistance, Natsuki Subaru would be a ha-a-apless hero running in circles. Ram, Subaru-kun would have totally lost the bet if it hadn't been for your 'treacherous betra-a-ayal'' teased Roswaal, playfully blaming her for his defeat.
'And it would have deprived me of the chance to fulfill my wish. I made the right choice to place my hopes on you, Barusu.' Ram thought gratefully.
"Maybe Emilia can't remember, but if I ask someone who does…" Images of the angry spirit that had killed the cultists and Subaru himself over Emilia's death flashed through his mind. With visible fear, his fingers reached for the amulet.
"He's going to summon the Great Spirit! But how is he going to do that? He hasn't studied any kind of spirit arts, right?" Tivey asked in surprise.
"No, he did not, I suppose. During the time Betty's contractor spent in the mansion, he had no interest in contracts with spirits. It pains me to realize that, during that brief period of peaceful time, Subaru and I didn't truly bond. He only stopped by regularly, teased Betty, fooled around, and treated Betty like a little sister. And just as regularly he flew out from the library into the nearest wall, flowerbed, or manure pile, depending on Betty's mood." Beatrice lamented.
'How much pain and fear could you have avoided if I hadn't been so stubborn and offered you a contract myself back then…' Beatrice reflected.
"I agree. If even Emilia-sama, who is bound by a contract with that deranged spirit, can't get in touch with him, how can Subaru expect to succeed?" Julius pondered aloud.
"Subaru-dono has highly developed intuition. Often he makes the right conclusions based not even on tangible facts, but on scraps of knowledge lurking in the subconscious. With proper education, he would make an excellent military strategist or politician!" Said Wilhelm, not hiding the proud note in his voice. It was a real pleasure for him to watch how this amazing young man found the most unexpected ways out of the most difficult situations.
"But what can he do to make the kitty come out of the crystal?" Mimi inquired.
"There is one option, in fact. Puck, being bound by a contract, should react if his contractor is threatened, I suppose." Beatrice suggested.
"He didn't seem too eager to help her when Emilia-sama's life was threatened by cultists, nya!" Felix said skeptically.
"That is also true, I suppose. But Betty has no other ideas at the moment."
His hands, however, changed their trajectory and instead of the crystal, aimed at the girl's neck.
"I'm sorry, Emilia." Subaru apologized, reaching for the girl's neck.
"N-no way! Subaru-kun would never harm Emilia-sama willingly! Never!" Rem exclaimed in stupor. She simply refused to believe that such a thing was possible.
"Betty's contractor knows that Puck can read the intentions of others. In all likelihood, he is deliberately thinking of harming the girl to force Puck out of the crystal." Beatrice assured.
"It must have taken a lot of effort for Subaru to conjure up emotions that would make the spirit react." Julius remarked.
He wasn't sure he could even bring himself to pretend to want to hurt his lady. Roswaal's words about what he would do if he had to compromise his principles to save his lady came to mind, forcing him to clench his fists in anger.
When his fingers almost touched Emilia, a wave of cold came from her, causing Subaru to pull his frozen hands away painfully.
"Ow! You didn't have to go that far, did you?!"
"Oh, I don't know… Your love seems like the needy type." Puck's disembodied voice came from the crystal. "So I'm a little scared to let you stay beside Lia. Should I erase you?"
"Dat darn cat 'as the nerve to make jokes 'bout that?!" Garfiel jumped up.
"Garfiel, sit down. Although I totally agree with you, we have to remember, no one but Subaru has any idea what happened. So for Puck, their relationship hasn't changed since they talked last time in Crusch's mansion." Otto besieged him.
"Puck…" Emilia whispered disapprovingly, now knowing that his joking threats were anything but funny.
"Don't say that like it's no big deal! Anyway, Emilia-tan's really sad since her family-member/pet ran off."
"I didn't exactly run off. I've always been inside her. It was good of you to call me, though. That made me happy, Subaru."
"Already we start to see that this commoner's success against the clown is entirely down to luck! If the pink maid hadn't given him that advice, would he have thought of such a way to summon a spirit? No! It would not have even occurred to him! I'm sure the further we go, the more of these fortunate twists and turns we'll see!" Priscilla haughtily exclaimed.
"What's that? Jealous that someone beside you has some luck on their side?" Felt said sarcastically.
The scene changed. It was as if the image was covered with ice at the edges. It was hard to make out the winter landscape and the girl standing in the middle of the snowy field.
"Emilia!" came an unknown female voice. The girl turned around, revealing child Emilia.
"Mother Fortuna…" The half-elf mumbled sadly, immediately remembering who the voice belonged to.
"That woman… Fortuna… was she your mother, Emilia-sama?" The duchess asked sympathetically.
"Almost. She was my aunt. My father's sister. I don't remember my real parents. I was always told they were busy with something very important. I was raised by Mother Fortuna, so she's even closer to me than my birth parents."
It was obvious from the outside perspective that the topic was painful for Emilia. After all, she had mentioned earlier that Fortuna had been killed by the Witch Cult. With these thoughts, Rem began to empathize with the princess in a new way. They had more in common than their love for the same young man. Both of their lives had been shattered because of the Witch Cult.
"I'm sure she was an amazing mother." Rem decided to support her mistress.
"The best! She was very caring, just a little strict. She also had eyes just like Subaru's! Kind of scary, but actually kind and gentle. She was also very good at fire magic!"
Emilia woke up from her sleep in tears. When she lifted herself up on the bed, she saw that it was already sunset outside."
"Did you have another scary dream?" She heard a comforting voice.
"Puck!" The great spirit appeared in the air in front of her and smiled warmly at the girl.
"Thank goodness! Where have you been? I was so worried! Don't disappear like that again! Puck?"
Only when he landed in her palm did she see that Puck had shrunk to the size of a mouse.
"Do I look a little smaller than usual? I guess my limit came up faster than I thought. Of course, I was consciously trying to break our contract, so I guess it makes sense that I'd lose my greatest strength as a spirit."
"Break… our contract? Wh-What are you saying?"
"But why would he do that? If he was in his crystal the whole time and couldn't get out, he saw and felt everything that was happening to Emilia-sama. Why would he choose to abandon his contractor at such a difficult moment, when she needed support the most!?" Julius asked indignantly.
For him, as a spirit arts user, such a situation was completely unnatural. Yes, spirits could break the contract by their own will. But that would require a serious reason to no longer be bound to the contractor's soul. "What could have happened to Emilia-sama to make Puck take that step?"
"Puck did it for me. So I could finally remember what happened in the Elior forest. So I could remember Mother Fortuna, Juice, the others and what befell them. One of the terms of the contract I didn't know about before was that he would seal away the memories that could torment me. That was his way of protecting me."
"Puck has realized that by continuing to shield his contractor and keeping her from facing the cruelty of the world, he would only end up ruining her, I suppose. That's why he took that step. Every action he took was always with the goal of protecting his contractor from danger. Even if those steps required trampling over her free will."
"I've been by your side all this time. I couldn't tell you only for my own personal reasons, and because of your own problems. But from now on…"
"Huh? No… What?! W-Wait, please!"
Emilia started to stammer animatedly, but at that moment, the crystal on her neck cracked.
"Th-This is terrible, Puck! The stone… The stone you reside in…"
"I'm sorry, Lia. I wish I could explain everything, but there's no time. As much as it pains me, I'm entrusting you to the one whose love for you is second only to mine."
"What… are you saying? There's no one… There's no one who…"
'I was too stupid to realize it then, but I now know that's not true…' Emilia thought as she shook her head sadly in disagreement.
There was one. He couldn't replace her father, but he could fill the hole in her heart and help her get through every obstacle the world could throw at her. Now she knows it. And she would not forget!
"Lia… I'm breaking the contract between you and me. I really am sorry this turned out so one-sided. Once I'm gone, the seal on your memories will be lifted. Remembering them will probably make you very sad. You might want to cry more than you do right now."
In a last attempt to comfort his adopted daughter, the spirit wiped away a few tears on her face. Emilia wanted to touch him, but Fortuna's voice sounded in her head:
"I love you so, so much."
"Who could have known that even among the spirits there can be real hypocrites!" Anastasia thought with anger but, seeing how distraught Emilia looked at the moment, decided to remain silent.
"No…" Emilia whimpered.
"Yeah, this is for the best." Puck said with resigned resolution. "Lia… I love you more than anyone in the world." With those words, Puck disappeared in a bright flash of mana.
The mental recoil caused the girl to lose consciousness and fall to the bed.
"Bubby… even though you did such terrible things to Betty's Subaru… even though I will never forgive you for the pain he suffered because of you… I still miss you, big brother…" Beatrice whispered quietly.
"At least he was able to recognize that by always patronizing Emilia-sama and hiding her from all difficulties, he never let her grow up and develop." Reinhard noted.
"Oh, really? Then perhaps you should stop doting on me every other second like a paranoid housewife, eh. Rein?"
The next scene took place deep in the night at Garfiel's house. The blonde man himself and Ryuzu Shima were sitting at the table.
"Emilia-sama fell unconscious?" Ryuzu questioned.
"Yeah, the spirit user's spirit left her. If it drives her so nuts that she misses the Trial, what good is she to us?"
"Do not say that. This is a matter of the heart, so it makes me sad for her. Incidentally, Young Gar, about Young Su…"
"The dude who's covered in miasma?"
"Indeed. I do know what I said before, but he does not appear to have any connection with the witch."
"I dunno about that. Get yourself to bed, you doddering old hag. A Rudy that stays up all night will regret having short legs, ya know." And he left the house, waving goodbye.
"The way you take care of our grandmothers makes me think that Ram has had much more of a negative influence on you than I originally thought." Frederica decided to tease her brother.
"Ha! No, I didn't! Ram has always been a positive influence on Garf. It is not my fault that his stupidity and temper have managed to pervert even my pure intentions!" Ram retorted.
The scene changed again. Emilia was laying in her bed, and next to her on a chair sat Subaru.
"Emilia, are you okay?"
"Yeah. I'm sure… I will be. I want to believe I'll be just fine by morning." The girl replied weakly, looking at the cracked crystal on her neck.
"A-Anyway, just don't fret over it too much!" He tried to cheer her up. "If there's anything I can do… Well, I don't have much to offer, but whatever I have is yours."
Emilia's hand squeezed his palm in response.
"Emilia?"
"Hold my hand. Will you stay here until morning? If you do… I think I can… I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please…" Tears and despair could be felt in her voice.
"If this is what you want, that's easy. Once it's morning… once tomorrow comes, you'll be fine. I believe in you."
"Did he just make a promise to spend a whole night by your side?" Felt asked skeptically.
"Yes, he did, Felt-chan." Emilia answered coldly, with a not very gentle glint in her eyes.
"Let me guess, he broke his promise." Felt continued with even more skepticism.
"Yes, he did, Felt-chan." Emilia answered even colder and gripped the armrests of her seat.
"Eh, technically he didn't. He never said that he promised to…" Otto's attempt to protect his friend was abruptly cut off by four angry stares from all the girls in the front row.
"The way I asked him to stay with me unambiguously indicates that it was a promise!" Emilia said with an icy tone.
Backing down and bowing respectfully to not become a target of several dangerous girls, Otto could only sign in defeat.
'Women…'
After calming down, Emilia was able to fall asleep, and Subaru was left sitting silently by her side.
The girl saw a continuation of her previous dream. A younger version of Emilia was being approached by a grown woman.
"Emilia! I'm sorry, Emilia. I'm so sorry." the woman repented, hugging the little girl. "All the people who told you that kind of lie, that they wanted to protect you… Please don't hate them. Emilia, I love you so much."
Waking up from a dream in the middle of the night, Emilia realized she was alone in the room.
"Mother Fortuna, you liar. Puck, you liar. And Subaru… you liar."
"Even realizing that Subaru had far more important things to do, I still can't justify so cavalierly breaking his word to his lady!" Julius commented sternly.
'Honesty and loyalty towards the lady you dedicated your sword to are a cornerstone in the code of chivalry.' He would have said with full confidence twenty-four hours ago. Now he was constantly gnawed by doubt.
"I was furious with him that day. Even though I admit that I reacted inappropriately and immaturely because of him breaking his promise, …but still, was it so hard for him to sit with me for a few hours?!" Emilia replied, clearly annoyed.
"I hope Subaru-kun broke his word for something very important, at least?" Rem asked judgmentally. She didn't like the young man's action at all either, and she hoped that he had a very good reason to justify his actions.
"Well, yeah. That's the only reason I forgave him. He spent most of the night helping me prepare for the Trial." Emilia confirmed, smiling, embarrassed at the memory.
"Well, the cap'n did 'is best! Every time I remember 'em blushing, I want to laugh like Giranimus, jumping off a cliff!" Garfiel chuckled.
"I feel really bad for my bro. This is the first time the girl of his dreams has ever paid him any attention, but she only did it when he was in a deep mess and had to run around the village, unable to devote even a couple of hours to her." Al grumbled.
He wasn't a fan of Vollachia and its culture, but one ironclad rule of it was that you were obliged to be rewarded for your accomplishments and achievements.
In the next scene, the people of Arlam were opening one door after another, searching every nook and cranny.
"Emilia-sama! Where are you?"
"Did you find her?"
"No."
"Emilia-sama!"
"Ram, what's goin' on here?" Garfiel asked the girl.
"Emilia is missing?!" Anastasia asked in surprise. She hadn't expected such a twist.
"Is it because big bro left at night out on his own business?" Felt asked the half elf. Emilia meanwhile lowered her head guiltily and only nodded in response.
"It can't be overstated how scared Natsuki-san and I were back then. The whole schedule was ruined! We were afraid that if we didn't find Emilia-sama immediately, we'd be finished!" Otto sighed.
"Hmm! Well, nothing that could surprise me here! When you put just a drop of pressure on the half-devil, she clips her ears and hides cowardly from the world! And you dare to claim the royal throne! It's so hilarious, it just becomes ridiculous!" Priscilla added scornfully.
"I'm really ashamed of my behavior that day! I felt really guilty doing this to everyone! Everything just overwhelmed me all at once! The failure of the Trial, Puck coming back and breaking our contract. Then the real memories of living in the Elior Forest, Subaru breaking his promise… Everyone I wanted to rely on left me. So I simply snapped."
"It's all in the past, princess! Ya don't have to worry! We got through it in the end, didn't we?" Garfiel tried to support her.
"There is an important lesson to be learned from this, Emilia-sama! You must learn to be independent, stoically withstanding the blows of fate! Just as your knight does." Wilhelm said firmly.
"I… I understand, Wilhelm-san! I've become much more independent since then, honestly! And it was Subaru's help at the Trials that helped me with that! You'll see, when I come out victorious from the first one! And I forgave Subaru a long time ago. As soon as I saw what he broke his word for!"
"Garf… Do you know where Emilia-sama went?"
"What?" wondered the blond.
"Emilia-sama has disappeared. We've all split up to search for her."
"All right. I'll start lookin' around here."
The frame changed to Garfiel's house, which he approached.
"Hey, old hag! You awake? Someone might come by lookin' for the princess. You better go—" But the room and the bed were empty. "Old hag?! Old hag!"
The next moment he was running through the forest.
"Somethin' doesn't feel right."
When he reached Echidna's laboratory, he was surprised to find that the passage to the crystal room was open. Someone must have gotten in.
"Old hag! You in here?! Not here, either." Reflecting on yesterday's conversation, he came to a frightening conclusion.
"No way. Did they…" Then he heard footsteps. "Old hag?!"
"My amazin' self was really scared for the old hag. As soon as a group of strangers appeared, one of whom reeked of miasma, everythin' went out of control! The princess was missin', and the old hag went missin' too. So I began to suspect the worst. And Brotto with his carefree face didn't help at all!"
"I can understand that. I, too, would have been on my guard in such a situation!" Ricardo agreed.
"I'm truly sorry to disappoint you…" Otto's voice came from behind him, and he put a hand on his shoulder.
When Garfiel turned around, there was no one there. The voice came from behind him again.
"But a friend asked for my help. I realize it's only a small role, but I've set out to play it."
"Wow. How did he get around you like that, Garfiel? Didn't you smell him?" Ricardo asked in surprise. If Garfiel was able to transform into an animal, his hearing, and smell must have been very acute.
"Ah, that's just another feature of our Brotto! He's full of various little tricks tha' can change the balance of power at a critical moment!"
"What, is he so insignificant that he can't be seen even in a small room?!" Priscilla asked wryly, grinning at her own joke. After all, the further away, the more unusual this seemingly unassuming merchant seemed.
"I simply combined the water and air magic to make the sounds of my footsteps come from a different direction from me. I think every traveling merchant should know how to hide his presence." Otto informed them with a touch of pride in his voice.
"You have two types of magic, Otto-san?" Julius was surprised by that.
"In general, I'm best with earth magic. But life has taught me that it is often more important to be able to use and combine even basic magic spells than to have pure potential in one type."
"It is a good thing that Otto-san had chosen the path of an honest merchant. Had he chosen a crooked path in his life, with his abilities, he could have made a terrifying criminal." Wilhelm said.
Otto, hearing this, didn't know how to react: to be flattered or to be afraid that the other camps might start to see him as a potential threat.
"You…"
"In truth, I had planned to talk things over with you here."
"Talk things over?"
"Yes, I wanted to talk to you with Ryuzu… that is, with Shima-san in attendance. But I really wasn't expecting what happened with Emilia-sama. That said, all kinds of conspiratorial plans were already laid out. So now that the host of the banquet is away." At that moment, Otto's benevolent expression changed to one of determination. "How would you like to play the host instead?"
The scene changed to the Tomb of Echidna, where Emilia was sitting in the corridor with her legs tucked into her chest. She silently continued to mull over the memories that had returned.
"…wanted to protect you… I'm so sorry. Please don't hate them. Emilia… All the people who told you that kind of lie… I'm sorry. I love you so much." Mother Fortuna's words echoed in her head.
"Oh, good. I finally found you." she heard the voice of a young man with nasty eyes.
"Subaru?"
Sitting down next to her, he said:
"So, let's talk, Emilia-tan?"
"Didn't Subaru-kun lose the right to take the Trial? How did he get inside?" Rem was surprised by her hero's appearance in the tomb.
"That's right, he should have been mauled like a clown!" agreed Mimi.
"It's simple. The higher the ma-a-agical potential of the intruder, the stronger the barrier around the to-o-omb affects those who are denied the entrance. If I had been seriously injured, then Subaru-kun would only have gotten si-i-ick." Roswaal explained.
"Well, at least this time Sir Natsuki's lack of magical talent has served to his advantage." Crush said skeptically.
"Indeed. When it comes to debauchery, Barusu is truly unrivaled! No barrier can stop him! You can send this lecher to the very depths of Vollachia, and it won't stop him! He will scour the whole country if he has to in order to get back and start hitting on Emilia-sama again!" Ram, in her own way, praised the tenacity, fortitude, and loyalty of the young knight, while hoping no one saw that her words contained far more warmth than she would ever admit.
"We are finally coming to the most interesting part! Next, we'll be shown how we resolved the Garfiel issue, and then it will be the mansion's turn!" Otto said excitedly.
He was eager to continue watching, not only because it was a time of vivid and pleasant memories, but also because the end of these unusual sessions was drawing nearer and nearer. The moment when they could return to their world, when Subaru Natsuki would wake up again, and they would finally be able to tell him how grateful they were for everything he had done for them.
"That's right, merchant! Hey, Warden! Start the next one!" said Felt in a mischievous voice.
"A little patience, ladies and gentlemen. The next episode is on its way."
