By Betty's estimations, it must have been half an hour since the last of the audience left the room for a well-deserved rest. But the spirit girl did not want to part with her contractor even for a minute. She could just sleep on his lap.
A little discomfort was worth spending a few quiet hours snuggling up to the person you love most. Who knows, maybe the feeling of his warmth will even allow her to avoid yet another reliving of her biggest nightmare?
Beatrice's thoughts were interrupted by the faint sounds of footsteps, which she intuitively felt rather than heard. And in her memory, there was one person in this room who moved so silently.
"Shouldn't you get some sleep, I suppose? Or have you slept so much in the last year that you won't need sleep for a long time now?" She asked, not even turning her head.
"I just wanted to spend some time with Subaru-kun, if you don't mind, Beatrice-sama." Rem answered her quietly and with a bow.
Beatrice silently watched as the maid sat down in her usual place, took the palm of the sleeping young man in her hands and began stroking, looking at his face with a gentle and melancholic gaze.
"The viewings will come to an end soon, I suppose." Beatrice finally broke the silence.
"Yes. I really hope so. Rem is looking forward to finding out if she will wake up back in our world. Will she be able to see Subaru-kun again? Rem… I have a lot to talk to him about."
"You're not the only one, girl… But that's not what you're getting at, I suppose. You don't plan to limit yourself to a couple of conversations with Betty's contractor. Everyone saw your intentions towards him on this screen. And his feelings for you are not a secret to anyone either, in fact."
Betty spoke without negativity, but there was tension in her voice. Rem guessed what the great spirit was leading to and decided not to pull the cat by the tail.
"You're absolutely right, Beatrice-sama. If Subaru-kun doesn't… reject me, then I want to be there for him whenever he needs me. Even if he doesn't accept me, I will stand by him. Whether it is as a woman, a companion, a maid, or even as an outcast who has dwell in his shadow." The girl said these words with difficulty, obviously still not sure what answer she would get. "This is the least that Rem owes her hero."
"Your wishes are more than obvious to me, junior. But tell me, why should Betty indulge you in your desires, in fact?" This time there was bitterness in Beatrice's voice. Obviously, the topic she was going to bring up was on her mind for some time and was rather unpleasant.
"Betty's contractor is the most wonderful. For Betty, there is no one left in the world who could even come close to Subaru in terms of importance. But for all his splendor, Betty's Subaru is just a human… His lifespan is not long. Fleeting even, by the spirit's standards. Betty and her contractor only have a few short decades before time takes its toll."
As she spoke, Beatrice looked straight into the blue-haired girl's eyes. At the same time, with each word, tears appeared more and more clearly in the eyes of the spirit girl.
"Betty doesn't know how to prolong her contractor's life. Even Betty's Mother did not succeed in this matter! So tell me, maid? Why? Why should Betty share? Why should Betty give part of the time that she can spend with her contractor to you, to the half-elf or anyone else for that matter?"
"Beatrice-sama…" Rem began, confused, not sure what to answer.
"Betty understands that she's lacking, that she cannot give her contractor everything he needs! Betty knows she can't replace you or Emilia for him, in fact! And yet… still… she'll have to see him off on his deathbed. He would leave Betty, no matter how much she asked him to stay! So why should Betty share the little time she has?! What can you offer Betty in return?! What can a half-elf offer to compensate for the time Betty will spend without her dear Subaru?!
Betty almost shouted the last words, no longer holding back tears. Covering her face with her hands, she burst into tears on his knees.
The girls were silent for a while. One was letting out her fears and worries in the form of tears. The second one silently looked at the crying spirit, understanding the reason for these tears and thinking what she could even say to fix the situation.
She had to think fast, because the situation was quickly turning into the same when her attempt to help Emilia ended in a quarrel. Rem recalled everything she knew about Beatrice before her coma and everything she had seen in this theater, trying to find the way to calm down the spirit girl. Until the images of a young Beatrice having fun with Ryuzu Meyer surfaced in my memory and brought a small smile to the maid's face.
"You asked me how I could compensate you for this loss, Beatrice-sama," Rem said quietly, waiting for the girl's sobs to subside. "You are right to say that both Rem and Emilia-sama will strive to spend time with Subaru-kun and to have some time… alone with him. Nevertheless, Rem believes that she has something to offer Beatrice-sama in return."
"Betty has no need for the services of a maid." Beatrice said sarcastically, wiping her face with her sleeves.
"I'm not talking about what I can give you myself. I'm talking about what I can do for you with Subaru-kun. I'm talking about his legacy."
"Legacy?" Beatrice replied, clearly not understanding, looking at the maid. Rem had the modesty to blush at the topic that she decided to discuss with the great spirit. But that only made the satisfied smile on her face look nicer.
"In case Beatrice-sama gives her blessing, Rem'll promise to make sure that her and Subaru-kun's children grow up in an atmosphere of reverence for Beatrice-sama. So that they, their children, and their children's children, from an early age, would show due respect and love for Beatrice-sama, the Great Guardian Spirit of the Natsuki bloodline."
"The Great Guardian Spirit…? His… children?" Beatrice muttered, her eyes bulging in surprise for a second and looked away.
She knew very well how mortals reproduce, what sex is and why people like it. But Beatrice herself, although she possessed a physical body, was not "adapted" for anything like this. And since the relationship between her contractor and his beloved half-elf made absolutely no progress over the past year, the thought about her contractor having kids had never occurred to the great spirit.
Still, the maid's words caused Beatrice to become drowned in emotions. Once again, the spirit girl's mind was captivated by the frightening image of an elderly Subaru, in bed, with his eyes closed forever. Once again, Betty, who was sitting next to him, was left all alone in this world.
But this time the ending has changed. Someone placed their hands on the shoulders of the spirit girl. Turning around, Beatrice saw that there were images of people behind her. Nothing more than vague outlines. She couldn't make out any faces or appearances. But inwardly she was aware that she had known each of them since they were born. And her contractor lived on in each of these images. In their smiles, their eyes, their mannerisms. Even if her contractor was no longer with her, he did not abandon his Betty, she was not left alone.
Rem silently watched as the face of the great spirit changed. Judging by the look directed at the floor, she was completely lost in her own thoughts right now. But the wide, ear-to-ear smile on the young face told the maid that these thoughts were very pleasant to her. Therefore, it was not worth interfering, and she decided to just let the spirit girl enjoy them.
When Beatrice finally realized that she had been staring at one point with a stupid smile for some time and even saliva began to flow from her mouth, she jumped up a little. Wiping her mouth instantly, removing the happy expression from her face and replacing it with an arrogantly majestic one, she turned to the innocent-looking Rem.
"You've suggested to Betty an idea she deems worthy of considering at her leisure, girl." Beatrice tried her best to hide her joy and sound disinterested. Rem, who, thanks to the memories of Ryuzu Shima she had seen earlier, understood well how to communicate with Beatrice, respectfully bowed to her.
"I am immensely glad that you found Rem's proposal worthy of your attention, Beatrice-sama. And I will not give up upon my words. If you want something from Rem in the future, do not hesitate to contact me." Getting up from her seat, Rem walked slowly and with dignity to the exit of the hall.
It took a lot of effort for the girl not to start jumping up and down with joy. Beatrice's reaction and words made it clear to her that the spirit girl will not act against her, and that she fully approved of the prospect of children from Rem and Subaru. All that remained was to discuss the matter with Subaru himself when they have a chance to be alone.
"Just keep in mind, girl." Beatrice suddenly called out to her, forcing Rem to stop and turn around. "No matter how hard you try, your child will only have half of Betty's contractor. Therefore, do not think that just one will be enough compensation for Betty!"
Rem couldn't help but smile at such charming impudence on the part of the cute spirit. And no one could tell that Rem was against such demands. Two children from Subaru? What could be better?! Unless… well, since the Great Spirit herself decided to add a new condition to their verbal contract…
"I will definitely do my absolute best to fulfill your wishes as soon as possible, Beatrice-sama! However, you must understand that in order to achieve the desired result, I will need more time and… opportunities to be with Subaru-kun. Which may require help from your side." Rem put forward her counter-offer while showing the utmost respect with a bow.
"Don't you think you're getting too full of yourself, girl?!" Beatrice became indignant at this new development.
But Rem was not at all afraid of this reaction. What was happening almost scene-to-scene reminded her of how Beatrice communicated with Ryuzu. So it should be enough to sweeten the deal correctly and there would be no doubt about the success of the negotiations.
"With your support, Beatrice-sama, Rem will not only be able to quickly start fulfilling her obligations before you, but also, possibly, exceed your expectations." Rem hinted at the third child with an unctuous voice. She could have sworn that at that moment, Beatrice gulped down like a starving person who saw an 'all-you-can-eat' buffet set in front of them.
"D-do not think Betty will just give in to your sweet-talking like that, maid! Betty only said that she would think about providing you her support, nothing more, in fact!" Beatrice turned away from her, proudly lifting her nose.
Realizing the success of negotiations, Rem bowed one last time, quietly left the hall, turned the corner, and only then extended her hand triumphantly and whispered "YES!"
Meanwhile, Beatrice was indulging in her new fantasies and thinking:
'Subaru's children. And there will be children from Emilia too! And that duchess girl is clearly showing interest in Betty's contractor. Beatrice-sama: The Great Guardian Spirit of the Natsuki Bloodline!'
"Heee-heee-heee." The spirit girl cackled contently, alone in the dimly lit room.
Over the years, Reinhard has faced creepy mabeasts, violent cultists, the strongest swordsman in Vollachia and other dangers. But he met all of them with a calm soul and a clear mind.
But right now, the Sword Saint was almost shaking like a single leaf in the autumn wind. Because now, he had to perform a fit of courage by overcoming many years of fears and insecurities. As he raised his hand to knock politely on the door, the young knight noticed his fist trembling slightly.
"It would be so much easier to go one-on-one against a whale, wouldn't it?" Reinhard whispered softly to himself.
To regain his confidence, he clenched his fist harder so that the feeling of pain from the nails digging into his skin would help him focus on something other than his fears.
'Subaru wouldn't hesitate. Even if he was more afraid than I am!' The young man thought decisively. Thinking about his friend's determination helped him gather his strength and knock on the door.
A few unbearable seconds later, the sound of a handle turning was heard, and the door opened with a barely audible crack. On the other side of the door stood Wilhelm Trias, as always, neat, calm and elegant. The gazes of the grandfather and grandson crossed. For a second, Reinhard felt a flash of wide-ranging emotions in a gray-haired warrior. Most of them were feelings of guilt, regret, and bitterness. But also there was also hope.
"Reinhard." Wilhelm said, with a little uncertainty. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"Yes, esteemed grandfather, there is. I… I need help. In one very important matter. And I was hoping to get some advice from you."
"Of course, come in. I'm not sure if this old man can help you, but I'll do my best."
After going inside the room, Reinhard, out of habit, stood in the center of the room and stretched out as he always did before his senior commanders.
"Reinhard, you're not making a report, and I'm not your senior, please, sit down." The old man pointed to one of the chairs.
Moving as if his legs had been filled with lead, the knight walked over to a chair and sat on its edge. Wilhelm noted how tense his grandson looked. The question was to what extent it was caused by the need to communicate with his negligent grandfather, and to what extent by the topic he wanted to discuss.
"I'm listening to you, my boy. What did you want to ask this old fool?" Wilhelm tried to lighten the atmosphere by gently addressing his grandson.
"Please don't belittle your achievements, honorable grandfather! Your wisdom is in no way inferior to your swordsmanship. That's why I decided to address you. My question…it's about Subaru." Reinhard finally said.
The old man's face immediately tightened. The topic was definitely important, since Reinhard decided to address him about Subaru.
"I wanted to talk about his nightmares. About what he's been through. The thing is, I'd like to help him with that."
"We'd all be happy to help him in that regard, Reinhard."
"I know. I mean, I might have the ability to help him to… forget these terrible moments." The knight managed to squeeze out of himself, forcing William to lean forward with interest.
"Please tell me more about it."
Over the next few minutes, Reinhard told his grandfather in detail about how he decided to help his father fifteen years ago. How, without permission, he influenced Captain Marcus's mind with the divine protection of 'mind dominance', forcing him to return to the ranks of the royal knights. And how this act almost destroyed their family when this case drew the attention of the Secret Service of the kingdom to him and his father.
"Since then, I have never even thought about asking for this blessing again. Until recently." Reinhard wrapped up his story, not being able to say the last words.
"Until you saw the scene where Subaru-dono encountered the Great Rabbit" Wilhelm finished for him, deducing what could cause Reinhard to start thinking about using such powerful and dangerous ability again.
"Yes."
"And now you're thinking again about asking Od Laguna for that divine protection again and using it to help Subaru-dono forget those nightmarish moments."
"Yes. And it tears me apart. I swore an oath to never influence other people's minds again. But… every time I remember what Subaru went through, I start to wonder. If I have the opportunity to help him with these traumas, but I stay negligent, even if it's because of my oath… then can I even consider myself his friend? What should I do, grandfather? What should I do?" Reinhard asked, almost with tears in his eyes.
For a while, the gray-haired man sat silently in deep thought.
"I have to tell you, Reinhard. I am very glad that you were thinking about breaking your oath." William began softly.
"Grandfather?" The young man did not understand his words.
"Don't get me wrong. You did well to keep your oath. But I'm really glad to hear that you're thinking about breaking a promise to help a friend. It is very… human."
Reinhardt's breath caught in surprise for a second. His grandfather… the one who called him a monster for years and years said that he had traits of a human! It took an effort for the knight not to rush to hug the gray-haired butler in gratitude.
"Thank you. But what should I do? I don't want to break my oath to my father. But I do want to help Subaru!"
"I understand your doubts, Reinhard. Of course, it is extremely important to honor the oath. But if I were you, I would always keep in mind all the options available to me. Including the one you're thinking about. And would you be ready to use it if there was no other way out."
"If there is no other way? Then what should I do now?"
"Trust in your friends. Trust Felix. He is considered the best healer of the kingdom for a reason. He will investigate this issue. I would also discuss your proposal with him if you don't mind. If his methods don't help, then we can turn to your option with his support and help. Otherwise, you won't have to break your oath. But the best thing is that we will have this option. And most importantly, Reinhard." Wilhelm added in a more stern voice.
"Yes?"
"If it comes to using this power, please make sure Subaru knows and agrees with it. This is the most important thing! No matter how monstrous these memories are, only he can decide how to deal with them. Do you understand?"
"Yes, esteemed grandfather. I understand."
"Good. I believe you." Wilhelm smiled softly, getting up from his chair and putting his hand on his grandson's shoulder as he stood next to him. "I am very happy that Subaru-dono has reliable friends like you. My advice to you — learn from his mistakes. Don't try to solve all the problems by yourself. No matter how strong you feel. You have people you can trust and ask for help. You are not alone!"
"Yes, thank you, grandfather." The young knight said and bowed respectfully, feeling really happy at Wilhelm's last words.
"Ah! Ram, thank you for coming! Please, come in." Emilia said cheerfully, after she opened the door and saw a not very happy looking pink maid.
"Ram couldn't ignore your request, Emilia-sama. After all, Ram believes it's bound to be something really important. Otherwise, you wouldn't deprive Ram of her beauty sleep."
Emilia nodded with an absolutely serious face. "Yes, you are entirely correct in this regard, Ram! It is paramount for me to discuss this as soon as possible! It's about me and Subaru!"
'Oh, for Od's sake!' The maid inwardly rolled her eyes, cursing her bad luck. Instead of enjoying her glass of wine and a good night's sleep, she was summoned just to discuss BARUSU?! Why couldn't her lady come up with a more urgent and world-shattering problem, like the classification of Garfiel's fleas, for example?!
"And what is so urgent about Barusu? Unless you've found the way to wake him up, I doubt there is anything we can do now."
While sitting behind the tea table, Emilia shook her head. "No, Ram. I'm not talking about anything we can do here. I'm more concerned about how to improve my relationship with him after we come back. You are smarter and more experienced in matters of the heart than me, so I thought I would ask for advice from you."
Seeing the girl's concerned gaze, Ram relented a bit. Even if to her personally, the topic of Subaru's romantic life was in the top five least important or interesting things in the world, her lady seemed to worry about it pretty strongly. And as such, it was her duty as a diligent maid to support her. And the fact that she was just proclaimed as a more experienced and superior in terms of winning men's hearts was not a factor in her decision. Not in the slightest!
"What kind of advice do you require from Ram, Emilia-sama?" she asked with a curtsy.
"I re-e-eally need some advice about how to act with Subaru after we come back and he wakes up. I mean, I know that he loves me, he said multiple times but… now that Rem will most likely wake up, I understand that I can't be as slothful as I was the last year!"
Having said that, Emilia stood up and started pacing left and right along the room with an anxious expression:
"I need to up my game, become bolder, and be more proactive! I can't let my position be compromised by Rem! Or anyone else for that matter! I guess I have to consider Crusch a competition as well… and Petra! We can't forget about Petra and her…"
While her lady was muttering about her worries, that seemed to Ram completely ridiculous, the pink-haired girl found herself engrossed in thoughts about Subaru and Rem's future. Now that her memory was back, and with additional knowledge she never thought she would acquire, it was obvious to Ram that her little sister would not back down from her intentions. Of course, as a loving older sister, she will not cease her attempts to make Rem see reason and look for another man for her heart. Virtually anyone would do better than Barusu! Still, for Ram, her sister's happiness was the number one priority. And this situation put Ram into quite a conundrum.
Chances that Subaru would let go of his feelings for Emilia were slim to none. In the off chance he does choose Rem over Emilia, Ram would do everything in her power to stop it. She was Emilia's friend and personal assistant, so she won't let her lady's heart be broken by that wanton, perverted animal! . Besides, that would mean she would surely become Subaru's sister-in-law. Ram had to use her unparalleled will-power not to puke (again) at the thought alone.
In case Subaru rejects Rem's feelings, she will be heartbroken and Ram surely will strike down upon him with great vengeance and furious anger for destroying her little sister's heart. He had no right to refute her beautiful feelings! Just like he had no right to accept them either!
If Rem becomes his second wife, she will not be his number one, which was also unacceptable for Ram. Sure, this combination would solve both the problem with Emilia's fears and Rem's insecurities. Besides, Rem was planning to keep working for Emilia anyway… and the only major reason to be against this was that Barusu will be literally in heaven with two beautiful girls at his side. Still, wasn't this alone enough reason to oppose this outcome in every way possible?!
So the only way this issue could be solved without the need to castrate Subaru with a rusty spoon, if Rem herself will forfeit the idea of being with him. But how to achieve it? Especially after everything they saw on the screen? Knowing Rem's character, she surely already was preparing numerous plans on how to cement her position near Subaru. So what should Ram do? Whom to support? Emilia was asking for her help right this moment, and she had zero reasons to decline her lady's request. But in this case she would be acting against Rem, which was unfeasible for Ram. But if helping Emilia meant persuading her wonderful precious little sister, who, sadly, had very poor taste in men, that Barusu was a bad pick, then there should be no problem, right?
That way, Ram will have a clear conscience as a sister and will remain the diligent servant of her lady! That was a perfect solution!
"So what, do you think, Ram?"
The maid was suddenly yanked out of her musings by Emilia, who stopped in front of her and asked her something directly. The maid kept her expression neutral and only blinked.
"Ram, did you listen to me at all? " Emilia asked with a bit of suspicion.
"Of course, Ram listened to you carefully." She lied shamelessly. "What Ram fails to understand is why are you so concerned about your position?"
"Ugh! So you didn't listen to me?! I was telling that-"
"Ram's listened to you" Ram lied shamelessly again. "But her question remains valid. Barusu stated again and again that he loves you and is ready to wait for your answer for as long as it takes. Sure, you didn't provide him with one so far, but if you're so concerned about your position, it's very easy to consolidate. Just tell him about how you feel, start holding his hands or giving him a kiss once in a while. That's it. Barusu, despite him being wanton, depraved, perverted, horny, dirty, perverted, horny-"
"You started repeating yourself, Ram. Also, Subaru is not like that."
"Ram knows, she just likes how these words sound in conjunction with Barusu. What Ram wanted to say is that Barusu, despite his evident degeneracy, is a simple man who can be happy with basic signs of affection from Emilia-sama. That is why your worries are pointless. Just have a bit of courage and take a step forward. Although, Ram has to admit — one should have a lot of courage to kiss Barusu."
"I…see. Thank you, Ram! I think I'll follow your advice!" Emilia gave her the sweetest smile, her eyes burning with determination. Turning around, she paced back to the tea table and sat on her chair. "Yes! I just need to take a step forward myself! That will show Subaru how serious I am! Thank you again, Ram. Tea?"
"No, thank you, Emilia-sama. If you don't need Ram for anything else, she would like to go and get her beauty sleep."
"I see. In that case, don't let me hold you up any longer."
Giving her lady o curtsy, Ram silently left the room.
The room was gradually filling up. The guests were full of enthusiasm to finish viewing as soon as possible. If the Warden said the truth, they just had to make one last push to the finale. The realization that they were being shown a breakthrough loop also greatly boosted morale. Even Emilia said that they will no longer have to face creepy scenes like what they saw during the first Trial. They could finally relax and enjoy the show.
When Felt practically ran into the room, she noticed that her knight was already in his place. But that was a natural thing. Much more unusual was the wide and sincere smile on the face of the red-haired young knight. In the majority of cases, his smiles were simply for the show or outright fake. But this time he was smiling sincerely.
"It's rare when I see you this happy. Did something good happen? Did any of the guests confess their undying love to you?" She asked sarcastically, dropping next to Reinhard and poking him with her elbow.
"Surely, you jest, Felt-sama. Nothing like that happened to me. But yes, I will not hide the fact that I am really in a very high mood."
"Well, since it wasn't a woman who made you so happy, then did you manage to have a good chat with your old man?" The young princess suggested.
"Your observational skills never cease to amaze me, Felt-sama!"
"And here I thought a knight shouldn't be such a kiss ass. But you're right about one thing. You can't deny my intuition! Well, I'm… glad you're starting to get along with your grandfather, Rein. Honestly." Felt smiled at him sincerely and kindly.
Reinhard could only smile even wider with joy. And Felt was secretly glad that he didn't have the divine blessing of a dazzling smile. Otherwise, her eyes would have been burned out by a bright flash right now. Not wanting to interfere with Rein's enjoyment, she turned her gaze to the screen, waiting for it to start the next episode.
The episode begins with a young Roswaal A. Mathers entering the room.
The image is shown using a black and white filter. The young man was suffering from an ailment. Gripping his heart with one hand, he walked with difficulty. Obviously, every moment he was experiencing serious pain.
"Hey! Why did everythin' suddenly turn black and white?! Who stole all the colors?!" Garfiel was surprised by the visual changes.
"I suppose this is how they hint to us that the events on the screen took place in the very distant past. It's a kind of nod towards the old cinema." Al commented. "I wonder if they'll also replace dialogues with cards? It will be funny, of course, but we're not here just for fun, aren't we?"
"What is an old cinema?" Petra asked, wanting to know any detail from her hero's world.
"Imagine the same thing that we've been watching all this time, only with a bad and grainy picture, black and white like what we see now and with no sounds. And the dialogues are served in the form of letters with text."
"It looks pretty primitive after what we've been watching for the last few days." said Ricardo, who didn't really want to watch the remaining episodes in the form of an "old movie."
"Well, what did you expect? Even when I was transported to this world, the movie industry had existed and developed for a hundred years. They've come a long way since then." Al shrugged.
"Going back to the screen thingy? What is wrong with a guy on it?" Mimi asked about the first of the Roswaal family.
Unlike his distant descendant, he looked nice, and not like a crazy witch-loving lunatic, so the girl was seriously worried about him.
"It looks like a very serious illness, but I can't immediately determine which one, nya." Felix said thoughtfully.
"This one is simple, I suppose. Roswaal on the screen is suffering from a Hatsumaki period due to inability to release his mana. So the mana is raging inside him, tearing his body apart to find a way out." Beatrice decided to explain what was happening.
She immediately found out what kind of scene they were being shown. After all, young Roswaal had told this story many, many times. The day Roswaal met her mother for the first time. A day that radically changed the life of a young, sickly youngster.
Turning around, Beatrice was not at all surprised to see that Roswaal in the theater was staring at the screen without blinking. Perhaps he wasn't even breathing. He also understood what was about to be shown to them. And he was going to capture every moment in his head. For the first time, he was given a chance to look at these memories from a different perspective.
"A Hatsumaki?! So even the first of Roswaals was such a powerful magician?! But why doesn't he just release the excess mana somehow? Why is he suffering so much? Was his gate damaged or not developed?" Reinhard asked.
After all, the problem with mana release was a rare but well-known phenomenon among magicians. So why did the head of the most renowned bloodline of magicians have issues with a simple release of mana?
Beatrice took another look at Roswaal, made sure that he was completely engrossed in memories, and, with a sigh, began to explain:
"You all should take into account that the scene you are seeing now took place even before the Great Calamity, in fact. The understanding of magic among ordinary people was much more primitive than it is now. Therefore, few people knew what the mana release even was, what caused it and how to deal with it. And the majority among those who knew were witches, I suppose."
The more Beatrice talked about ancient times, the more she herself became immersed in memories herself.
"Back in those days, witches wielded and created incredible magic. They could even change the very world at their will! My mother, for example, created mansions for herself with the help of her magic, in different parts of the world, in which she rested or received petitioners. One of them was located on a flying island she created herself, in fact! And the other one was located on top of a mountain, right above the clouds. Betty's Mother specifically created it to take a break from meeting other people. The burned-down mansion of Roswaal was made in its image, so you can imagine the splendor of magic, capable of creating such a building. Just so you could understand, only Tosca Astraea managed to get there when he needed his Mother's help, in fact!"
"Wait! Tosca Astrea?! The younger brother of the first Sword Saint Reid Astraea?!" Julius asked in complete amazement.
Only his innate elegance prevented him from dropping his jaw to the floor. Meanwhile, his hands began to record what he had just heard, so that later he could compare his recordings with historical documents in the archives of the royal palace. If he does not find confirmation of this story there, then the Finest Knight will have the honor to make a new entry in the kingdom's largest treasury of knowledge!
"He is the one, in fact! A real monster in the form of a man, if you ask Betty!" Beatrice said with satisfaction.
To some, the words of the spirit girl might seem offensive, but the nostalgic smile on Beatrice's face said that she remembers the young man with warmth.
"He perceived the mature Giltylowes as nothing more than annoying wild dogs! And he dealt with them just as easily! He overcame numerous obstacles put up by Betty's Mother to scare away uninvited guests, scattered packs of mabeasts along the way, and knocked unceremoniously on the doors of the witch's mansion like it was the most usual thing for him! And all this in order to save a childhood friend, whom the village wanted to sacrifice to the dragon!"
"A very noble goal, if I may say so myself! Such heroism is exactly what you would expect from a representative of the Astraea family!" Lady Crusch noted with an approving nod.
"He wouldn't have achieved a lot without the indispensable help from Betty and Bubby, who, fortunately for him, were there! Hmph! And in the end, when a hundred silver dragons joined the battle, Mother appeared, in fact! She destroyed them all with a single spell!"
"Da-a-amn! The heroes of the past sure knew how to rock! These are the kind of stories my amazin' self wishes to leave behind!" Garfiel declared excitedly.
Listening to the stories about the adventures of antique heroes, the young man nearly got stars light up in his eyes. A hundred dragons at once! His current dream was to be able to fight at least one!
"Mimi wants it that way too! Mimi and Garf will tear up evil dragons in packs!"
"What dragons?! What are you blabbering about?! Our lady won't let you go on such dangerous missions anyway! And I'm not even bringing up Hetaro at all!" Tivey tried to calm his sister down, but in the end just got hit on the head by her staff.
"Crusch-sama. Was it really all like that, nya?" Felix turned to the Duchess in a disbelieving voice. Huge packs of silver dragons, witches destroying them all with a single spell? The story Beatrice just recited sounded too much like an exaggerated legend.
"I'd be joking about the splendor of the imagination of the great spirits right now if my divine protection didn't convince me that what Beatrice-sama just said was true." Crusch shook her head.
The duchess herself does not know how to perceive this story, which looked more like a drunken ballad. But both her gift and Reinhardt's expression claimed that the events happened as Beatrice had told it.
"Obviously, the world in those days was much more insane and dangerous than it is now! Just think about it. A hundred dragons at once! How glad I am that I was not sent in those days!" Al said, feeling genuine relief.
The last situation he wanted to find himself in, was a fight against a real-sized fire-breathing dragon. He felt really lucky that today the probability of encountering such a monster was nearly zero. The one-armed otherworlder decided to thank his stars for once.
Julius' face flared up. "Beatrice-sama. I humbly ask you to tell me in great detail this amazing story! And any other stories from those times that you see fit! We simply must write everything down and put them in the official archives of the kingdom!" With each word, the mask of elegant restraint cracked, revealing to the world a true zealot of history. "History is bound to…"
But the knight's inspired speech was interrupted by a sudden statement from the Warden.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but in case you forgot, you're here to watch the events that happened a year ago, not four hundred years ago. You can listen to incredible stories from Beatrice and other witnesses of the deep antiquity during the break or after everything is over."
"I concur with the Warden. We got too distracted. Let's continue watching." Wilhelm advised.
"Hmpf! Betty's stories are no worse than these viewings, in fact!" The girl muttered resentfully, crossing her arms over her chest.
"And we will definitely listen to all of them with great pleasure!" Emilia tried to calm her down, gently stroking her head.
After that, she, as well as the rest of the cast, turned her attention to the screen.
"Obviously, the situation is serious." A feminine voice came from behind the young man. "You're a tough young man if you're still alive."
"Who are you?" Roswaal asked weekly, turning around in confusion.
Echidna was standing in the aisle. The sight of a beautiful girl looking at him with a confident look made the young man blush.
"Well, I can totally understand the kid here. A witch or not, Echidna is quite capable of taking the prize when it comes to external beauty." Ricardo noted the obvious truth for everyone.
Of all the men in the room, only Roswaal, Otto, Wilhelm and Tivey nodded in agreement. The others agreed with him without showing any signs. It was unknown how their ladies would react if the knights openly expressed their assessment of the Witch of Greed's appearance.
"Mother really was the most beautiful in the world, in fact!" Beatrice did not miss the opportunity to point out the truth that was obvious to her. After all, to create the cutest spirit in history, one needed to have exceptional beauty themselves.
Without answering anything, Echidna simply walked up to Roswaal and put her palm to his chest.
"You didn't even know how to release the excess mana? It's sad to meet such ignorance." She said calmly, looking Roswaal straight in the eyes. He stared at her in amazement for a couple of seconds. Then he suddenly threw up for no reason.
"So that's what she meant when she told Subaru that ordinary people would puke in her presence? But why is that?" Reinhard asked.
"Because of miasma, in fact. Mother, like Betty's Subaru, constantly emitted a stream of miasma around her. Most people reacted the same way when they first met her. In time, their bodies got used to it and could stand the presence of their mother more calmly, I suppose."
"I do wonder then why Subaru-kun did not cause the same effect to others? Even when his smell was at its highest, Rem never felt like puking." The maid looked at Beatrice.
"Betty can only speculate at the moment. She never studied this phenomenon herself, in fact. Perhaps it's about the intensity of miasma they emit. Or the composition of their miasma is different."
"Previous failed expeditions to the Pleiades Watchtower showed that exposure to big amounts of miasma results in raging madness and death of a victim, nya. Who knows, maybe vomiting is the first sign of miasma poisoning?" Felix proposed a hypothesis.
"Unlikely, I suppose. Over the following years, though not very often, this Roswaal spent every possible moment near Betty's mother, and he didn't show any signs of deteriorating health, in fact."
But this did not bother the witch at all. On the contrary, she clung to him and kissed him on the lips.
The cast in the theater was very surprised by such a rapid development of events.
"Wow, she doesn't waste any time. I wonder how many girls in those days had so much… courage?" Al tried to joke.
"Just like that, out of the blue to start kissing an unknown young man! And even on the lips… Wait, she's even using her tongue as well?! Can you really do such things with it?" Petra muttered, embarrassed, stunned and slightly excited by the scene.
Poking out from behind Frederica's palm, who tried in vain to protect the girl from such explicit scenes, the young maid looked at the screen with a mixture of indignation and enthusiasm. Frederica, on the other hand, did not deny herself the pleasure of closely watching every frame.
"Garf, shut your mouth, or the maggots will begin to settle there!" Ram said scurrilously, while sitting with her arms crossed and looking anywhere but at the screen.
It didn't matter that the man on the screen was nothing more than a distant ancestor to her beloved. They were very similar in appearance, as if they were younger and older brothers. Therefore, the sight of any Roswaal, being sucked on the lips by this vile witch, was like a parasite clutching at its victim, and caused the maid to have an intense sense of nausea.
Meanwhile, the young fighter, as well as his merchant friend sitting next to him, looked at the screen and thought in unison:
'Lucky bastard! Why doesn't this ever happen to me?!'
"Makes you wonder if she is really a Witch of Greed. Could we have been deceived? Because this lady shows more lust in her personality than all the other witches combined!" Ricardo said sarcastically.
But the next second, his battle instincts literally screamed about the deadly threat on his left. A threat in the form of a creepy clown, who got up from his seat and looked at the demi-human warrior with such fury that Ricardo seriously began to doubt the Warden's ability to stop him. He looked so creepy in his makeup, with such a diabolical look.
"There is… NOT A DROP… OF LUST in MY Teacher! I'll ask you to take this to your heart! Otherwise, at the first opportunity, I will take the most drastic measures against anyone who dares to say something like that again! I hope I've made myself clear enough!" Roswaal almost spat out every word.
"Relax, buddy. I get you. You know, you're kind of too jealous of your… teacher? Who has been dead for four hundred years and whom you have never seen in your life? But even you have to admit that girls of high morality do not behave in this way." Ricardo raised his hand carefully, hoping that it would not come to the all out brawl with the creepy mage. They already saw that he was just as dangerous in melee as he was in range.
But still, he couldn't resist teasing the creepy clown for his necrophiliac tendencies. In Ricardo's eyes, margrave deserved this attitude and much more for what the mini-boss went through at the mercy of the clown.
"Echidna was anyone, but not an ordinary girl. And the usual norms of morality did not apply to her. What seems to you as an act of wanton vulgarity was actually the salvation of a lonely young man, on whom the whole world gave up because of their banal ignorance! So please shut up and continue watching!" Roswaal reprimanded the mercenary with an air of smugness around him.
"How does it feel? Are you feeling better now?" Echidna asked after finishing the kiss.
"What… What are you doing? This is unworthy of a lady…" The embarrassed young man protested, starting to wipe his mouth.
"Even he thought that this was totally inappropriate!" Crusch noted with a slightly flushed face."
"He said that, but you can tell from his face that he's not unhappy." Felix said scurrilously.
"I'll bet you a holy coin that it was his first kiss." Anastasia added with a satisfied smile.
"I just drew mana directly." The witch explained.
"Mana?"
Emilia blinked in surprise.``Em…you mean this Roswaal didn't even know he was a magician back then? Just how little people of that time knew about magic?"
"As Betty was just saying, in those days people didn't know much about magic, in fact. Just like the gate of Betty's contractor wasn't even activated until Bubby helped him, I suppose."
"It wasn't the illness that bothered you, but the Hatsumaki period."
"Hatsumaki?"
"This is an extremely rare phenomenon. I don't think anyone has been able to understand you until now. But I am quite familiar with your suffering. After all, I had to go through the same thing."
After these words, an expression of happiness appeared on Roswaal's face, tears poured out of his eyes. From an overabundance of feelings, he fell to his knees, and Echidna bent over him and hugged him.
"And why was Roswaal's ancestor looking so happy?" Emilia did not understand the scene.
"Because for the first time in his life, there was someone who understood the suffering that the first Roswaal went through. Echidna not only relieved him of excruciating pain all over his body. She taught him how to use magic, and opened a whole new world for the young man. Thanks to her, Roswaal turned from an ugly duckling, who was shunned and loathed by his own family, into the head of the entire household and became a magician who wielded all six magical elements!"
Roswaal carried out his speech with pride and genuine admiration in his voice. His words, glowing with joy and nostalgia, stared intently at the screen, where a frame was frozen with Echidna, tenderly embracing the young man he himself once was. Hundreds of years ago. These images have rekindled a fire that has not been extinguished for four centuries.
Ram could only tighten her lips so as not to show her resentful attitude to the words of her master. Clenching her fists, the maid vowed to herself that someday she would make margrave's eyes burn as brightly when he thinks and talks about her.
"I understand why the first Roswaal was so deeply grateful to the Witch of Greed. But when I look at you, margrave, it seems that Echidna personally gifted you with all these gifts, not your distant ancestor." Julius remarked without any piety.
"I have almost no doubts now that this clown is a leader of a separate cult of the Witch of Greed!" Felt declared contemptuously, barely restraining herself from spitting on the floor.
"Who are you?" The young man asked through tears.
"I'm a witch." She replied softly, stroking his head soothingly. "A bad witch who sometimes does good deeds. And you are?"
The scene changed. The colors returned to the picture. Young Roswaal appeared on the screen again. But now he looks happy and full of life, only very pale.
"How do you like the story about how I fell in love with a Teacher?"
"There's nothing to think about! I didn't hear a single, solitary thing about it, I suppose. And aren't you being too familiar-talking about loving my Mother!" Beatrice said haughtily, sitting across the table from him, eating cookies.
They were in a simple-looking wooden house. Ryuzu Meyer was standing next to the table, watching the friendly banter with a pleased expression on her face.
"Of course, it was just an excuse. But I remember every word the teacher said then." The young man explained dreamily.
"Phew, it's good to see that the normal image quality was returned! Otherwise, looking at these gray colors would be depressing!" Tivey remarked, very pleased with the return to normalcy.
"No matter how much we complain about women, it cannot be denied that they know how to make us happy! And, apparently, even a witch can make some people feel the taste of life." Ricardo laughed at how the young man had transformed for the better.
"I'm sure it only annoys my mother. And me, too, by the way."
"Beatrice-sama, you shouldn't say that. Besides, it's not difficult for me to understand His Lordship's feelings." Ryuzu modestly corrected her friend. "After all, I also owe my salvation to Mrs. Echidna."
Beatrice, chastised, sweetly and resentfully puffed out her cheeks and turned her head away.
"I'm starting to understand why Natsuki-kun likes to make fun of his beloved loli so much. She's cute enough as it is, but when she sulks, her level of adorableness exceeds all acceptable limits!" Anastasia remarked, laughing into her fist.
"Yes, when Subaru starts playing with Beatrice, you just want to sit and watch them, enjoying every second. And no matter how much Beatrice pouts and pretends that she is outraged, everyone can clearly see how happy she is." Emilia added with a smile, stealing a glance at the spirit girl.
Beatrice pouted resentfully, almost like her copy on the screen, but did not become indignant. She missed the friendly bickering with her contractor too much. Therefore, now I prefer to indulge in pleasant memories.
"I wonder what the Witch of Greed saved Ryuzu from. Could it be that the non-human races suffered from discrimination even before the Great Calamity?" Felix noted with a hint of distaste.
As much as he despised the notion that all elves and other demi-humans at large somehow were responsible for the appearance of the Jealous Witch.
"So you're grateful to my Teacher, too?" Roswaal asked the half-elf.
"Yes." Ryuzu nodded.
"If I hadn't met her that day, I would have continued to suffer alone. Or maybe I would have done something stupid if the world had completely disgusted me." The young man said with a melancholic look, as if imagining what his fate would have been if he had not met the witch. "The fact that I was able to surpass my parents and other heirs and lead the Mathers family is entirely thanks to the Teacher."
"Hmpf! How shameless and spineless you are! A decent person will not beg for gratitude!" Betty didn't want to let go of her arrogant tone when talking to Roswaal.
"But you often say things like, 'You'd better be grateful.'" Ryuzu reminded her.
"I don't understand, which side are you on — mine or Roswaal's?!" Beatrice protested mildly at her friend's words, waving her hand.
"You three look so happy. It must have been wonderful days." Emilia said, smiling, but with a note of sadness in her voice. This scene reminded her painfully of the one that was shown not so long ago about her childhood.
"I'm already used to one important detail. The more carefree and touching the pictures we are shown, the more terrifying the moment will be when it all turns into a nightmare. Am I guessing correctly, Beatrice-sama?" Otto expressed a sad thought.
Beatrice's face immediately lost its nostalgic look and she sighed sadly.
"That's right, I suppose. These peaceful times ended quickly. Too quickly, in fact…"
Roswaal just looked at her with a kind look until the spirit girl paid attention to him.
"I don't like the way you look at me with such warmth. Tell me already if you have something to say."
"Beatrice, I love you." The young man said calmly.
"Aren't you ashamed to say that!" The girl exploded, unsuccessfully trying to hide her embarrassment.
"No, say what you want, but Beatrice, embarrassed by compliments, is no less than half as cute as when she puffs out her cheeks and pouts!" Reinhard said with a laugh.
"Have you just made a joke? What happened to you, Rein?! Did the Warden replace you or something?!" Felt asked him with a tease, pleased but greatly surprised.
Silently observing the behavior of his grandson, Wilhelm was pleased to note that Reinhard was now behaving more relaxed, and was not so clamped down. The old butler couldn't help but rejoice at this change.
Their cheerful bickering stopped when the door opened.
"Teacher!" Roswaal greeted the newcomer.
"So the three of you were here? Great. So you get along and don't bicker?" Echidna asked them.
"Absolutely!" Roswaal declared with precision.
"How else could it be?" Beatrice assured her haughtily.
Ryuzu replied with a satisfied giggle.
"Well, well… it looks like you still need to keep an eye on you." The Witch of Greed cunningly noted.
In response, Roswaal and Beatrice looked at each other again. Roswaal was pleased, and Beatrice puffed out her cheeks indignantly.
The scene returned to the events in the Sanctuary, where the conversation of the modern Roswaal with the trio of young people took place.
"So they told you about it?" The clown noted.
"Yes, Shima shared the memories of Ryuzu Meyer that she saw in the tomb." Subaru explained to her.
"Somehow it turns out to be very unfair to the mini-boss. He was just listening to the retelling of the story from a tired loli grandmother, and we see all of this in the form of moving pictures! With music to boot!"
"Moreover, we saw a lot of details that even Ryuzu Shima couldn't know because she couldn't see these scenes." Anastasia added.
Simply out of habit, she began to think about what she could get from Subaru in exchange for a detailed account of what she saw, but quickly dismissed this thought. As if he would not have enough of other storytellers.
"If you wish to open this topic, everything that happens here is one unending blatant injustice towards Natsuki-san." Otto said, crossing his arms, worried about his sworn brother. "It's not just that we were shown scenes that only the direct participants could have known about. We did not just see what happened to Natsuki-san in our world. We were shown his thoughts, his experiences, his past, his biggest fears and shame!"
"Yeah, if he had been conscious during the viewing, he would have learned a lot of important things for himself. About the story of the Sword Demon, about the childhood of the oni twins and Emilia-sama. About the past of his beloved spirit girl. But alas, as usual, he only gets punches and problems." Al said with displeasure.
"It won't matter in the end. We will definitely tell him everything! In detail! So that Subaru knows as much about all the events as we do!" Emilia said in a firm voice, squeezing the sleeping man's hand tightly but carefully.
"That's how it is… In that case, you probably know what happened after. On that very day, the Sanctuary was created." Roswaal remarked gloomily.
The screen switched back to a scene from the past.
"Really, that Roswaal is so irritating, I suppose! He's utterly intolerable!" Beatrice was indignant, sitting on a stump or carelessly waving her legs. Ryuzu was sitting on the grass nearby, reading a book.
"Just how dear that first Roswaal was to you, if you were awarded him with such warm remarks?" Emilia noted cheerfully, accustomed to Beatrice's similar behavior towards her knight.
"He was a pleasant companion in his own way, I suppose. I was extremely frustrated by how much he had changed after Betty's Mother's demise."
"Just to think that such a wonderful young master became the ancestor of the maniac in the back." Rem commented with disdain clear in her voice.
'Soon you'll find yourself even more surprised, girl…' Beatrice thought bitterly.
"But it all started with the fact that you played a joke on me. And His Lordship just pulled the same trick on you." Ryuzu reminded her.
"D-Don't say I was being mean, I suppose! It was much more refined than that!" The spirit girl began to try to justify herself.
"What a spoiled girl you were, Beatrice-sama. But even this behavior does not detract from your charming personality in any way." Remarked Rem, chuckling.
"Hmpf! Betty was only a few years old back then! She had a right to play around a little, I suppose! And Betty's cuteness was at the highest level from the first day!"
"No matter how many doors I opened, they led to the same room. It was a very frightening experience for me!" Her friend explained to her seriously.
The screen at this time showed a terrified Ryuzu trapped in a mirrored corridor set up by Beatrice's magic. This made the spirit girl look away guiltily.
"It was just a bit of yin magic, I suppose. There's nothing to get so bent out of shape about!" Beatrice tried to explain herself.
"I see. So even though I did the exact same thing to you with yang magic, you won't get bent out of shape." Roswaal, who suddenly came up from behind, said cunningly, surprising the girls with his appearance.
"Did the first Roswaal master the art of reflecting magic of the Great Yin Spirit?! Just how huge was his magical potential?!" Julius was amazed at this fact.
"Anti-magic! The first Roswaal really was a genius!" Crusch could not deny that she felt a certain admiration for the young noble.
"I wonder what the current margrave is capable of? Has their family degraded over the centuries or not?" Felix began to think aloud.
For him, it wasn't just idle curiosity. From the knight's perspective, as soon as they get out of this prison and gather in the Pristella, the question of what to do with the clown will immediately become one of the most important. And for some reason, Felix doubted that Roswaal would just let himself be shackled and sent to court. So understanding what the current head of the Roswaal family was capable of was crucial knowledge.
"Margrave's grandmother did not possess magic at all, which did not prevent her from being an unsurpassed specialist in the theoretical part. And also a worthy fighter." Wilhelm noted with warmth and sadness, remembering his war companion.
He still couldn't believe that Julia Mathers could be the same devoted fanatic of the Witch of Greed, who checked her every step with a magic book. Was everything they had gone through together predicted and recorded in the Book of Wisdom? What about the deaths of their fellow companions? Did Julia know what was going to happen to them? Or did the book not include such details?
Beatrice opened her mouth, but couldn't find a response to this argument.
"What a wonderful reaction, Beatrice. Apart from the Teacher, you are the dearest to me in the world." The young man continued to tease the girl.
"What do you think you're saying?!" Beatrice shouted in embarrassment. "You're just some lucky guy who was blessed with talent and a good family, who just happened to find the best teacher in the world, I suppose! Don't let it go to your head!
"Beatrice-sama, I think that sounded like praise." Ryuzu said, holding back a laugh. At the same time, Roswaal turned his gaze to her.
Petra chucked softly as she felt a real connection with Ryuzu on the screen. "Beatrice-chan looks so happy here. She was surrounded by caring and thoughtful friends, who not only played with her, but also helped her learn to grow as a person and showed how to behave herself."
She felt like in the last year she took the place of Betty's long-lost friend. And since Beatrice was so happy to have a playful friend, Petra was adamant to help the spirit girl to enjoy every day of her life even more.
"By the way, Ryuzu, if she bothers you again, feel free to tell me. She will be punished immediately. I'll spank her bottom to teach her a lesson." He offered her.
"Hah! This girl will never rely on you, I suppose! Go on, tell him!" Beatrice said arrogantly.
"I am very grateful. If something happens, I will definitely tell you." the half-elf replied gratefully.
"I just can't believe my ears!" The spirit girl's heart was broken by such unprecedented treachery, and she lowered her head in disbelief.
"Believe me, Beatrice-sama. Out of all those in this room, I understand your pain the best!" Otto suddenly told the girl frankly.
Who would have thought that once upon a time, the Great Spirit was in the same position in her family as the main target for other people's jokes? And now Otto held that position in Emilia's camp.
"Hmpf! Betty only allowed herself to be joked on because she liked to see a happy smile on Ryuzu's face, in fact! You, boy, were born to be a buffoon, I suppose! We are not the same!" He received a ruthless response from the spirit girl.
"Why is even my honest attempt at sympathy turned against me?! What have I done to annoy you so much?!" The most unfortunate merchant asked with desperation.
"Ha! The spirit said it correctly. Being a buffoon is really your calling, commoner. Don't resist fate, and accept your role in the world. Maybe because you resist it, you are constantly plagued by failures!" Priscilla gave her verdict with a laugh.
"I'm sorry for distracting you from reading. I apologize for Beatrice, too." He pointed out what Ryuzu was doing.
"Please, I don't deserve an apology. I can't exactly call this "reading" yet, anyway." She said sadly.
"Ryuzu… I never managed to teach you how to read, after all…" Beatrice whispered sadly, trying to mentally prepare herself for what will happen next.
"It's still a good thing to do. Books can make your life richer." The spirit girl said, putting on airs of an important sage.
"So said Beatrice as she echoed the very same words the teacher used. Oh, I know! Beatrice, why don't you become Ryuzu's teacher?" Roswaal suggested the idea.
"Me? Teach her?" Betty was surprised.
"I-I couldn't trouble Beatrice-sama with that when she's so busy!" Ryuzu said, clearly embarrassed.
"Well, I don't really mind. It's a pretty trivial task." Beatrice replied calmly. But there were still doubts on Ryuzu's face.
"What, I suppose? If you don't want to, you don't have to."
"You wanted to teach her how to read so badly… I see, because it would've given you the opportunity to spend even more time with Ryuzu, right?" Emilia nodded, fully approving of Beatrice's position.
Beatrice could only stare at the screen in silence. And also to blame herself for not offering her future contractor to learn how to write and read when he first appeared in her life. She didn't want to get close to anyone back then.
"No, it's not… I will be very glad if you really take it upon yourself to teach me!"
"W-Well, if you insist, then I have no choice, I suppose. You really are one lucky girl." Beatrice summed up happily, but suddenly her face became serious, as if she had heard something important.
"Beatrice-sama?"
"So, the happy moments are over, I take it?" Al asked with a serious tone.
"I'm ready to place a bet on it, and would be happy to lose." Anastasia commented with the same stainless in her voice, gripping tightly her scarf.
"I think my mother is calling me." Jumping off the tree stump, she hurried into the house, but paused at the very door, having received a new command.
"Roswaal! She wants to see you too! It looks like it's urgent!"
"I see! So… he came." The young man said gloomily.
The scene changes showing a thin, tall and pale man with disheveled hair in a clown costume walking through the forest. There is an oppressive aura around him.
"Who's this creepy guy?!" Mimi was scared.
"Another clown? Did they finally decide to turn these shows into a circus at the end?!" Priscilla was indignant.
"Believe me, Bariel-sama-a-a, if you ever met this 'clown', you would have experienced a lot of emotions, but none of them would be the desire to la-a-augh." Roswaal answered her in a tense voice.
Too tense. Something that the fire princess immediately noticed. For this clown, who refused to be intimidated by her, other candidates with their entourage and even by the Sword Saint to boot, to suddenly become so scared of the clown on the screen? It was very curious.
'It looks like I'm going to see something interesting now.' the baroness thought with a satisfied look.
"Well, yeah, everything is just as I expected." Otto noted gloomily.
The pastoral scenery and peaceful existence momentarily changed to the creepy ones. Soon, apparently, there will be another bloodbath.
"I'm sure you've asked yourself many times what could force me to become the man you hated the most in this world. Isn't that right, Ram?" Roswaal quietly asked the maid sitting next to him.
Quiet enough that only she could hear those words. The girl immediately fixed her gaze on him. And Roswaal himself stared at the screen, not even trying to hide the expression of pure hatred.
"Then watch attentively. The answers that you have been looking for all these years will now be given to you in the most convenient form."
"Understood, Roswaal-sama. Ram will be watching carefully." The girl replied just as quietly and turned her gaze to the screen.
She couldn't fathom how something that happened centuries ago could direct her beloved on a path of a monster, but she will listen to him and watch.
"I've already made sure. It's really him." Roswaal's worried voice sounded in the background.
The scene moved to one of the huts in the Sanctuary. Echidna was sitting at the table, her student was standing in front of her, who had finished his report. Ryuuji stood a little to the side, silently listening to them.
"I see…" The witch said calmly.
"So the arrival of this enemy wasn't something she didn't expect? Perhaps this settlement was called Sanctuary because Echidna was hiding in it from this guy? Or from those who sent him after her?" Ricardo mused aloud.
Those on the first row looked at Beatrice for explanation, but the girl ignored them, staring intently at the screen with an angry scowl, clutching her fists.
"We should get out of here immediately. With his arrival, the plan is already doomed. We can't fix anything. Teacher! There is no time for doubts! I'm not strong enough to help you. If you tell me to become your shield, I will agree! But we didn't prepare for a fight with him…" The young man excitedly announced.
"'Tis Roswaal had plenty of courage and tenacity to stand up to the enemy! Wonder if our clown has enough balls to go one-on-one 'gainst a strong opponent in a fair fight?! Garfiel commented mockingly.
Ram wanted to scold the young bully for disrespecting the margrave, but the magician's hand rested on her shoulder. The mage himself, without taking his eyes off the screen, told her not to pay attention to any attacks. The girl, reluctantly, had to agree.
"What kind of enemy he was if the genius magician and the powerful Witch of Greed were so scared? Another invincible adversary? Tivey asked anxiously, adjusting his monocle.
"That's Hector. The Warlock of Melancholy, in fact." Beatrice finally informed the others.
"Warlock? Why's that?" Mimi didn't understand.
"It means that he is a man, in fact. Therefore, he cannot be called a witch."
"Weren't there only witches?" Emilia asked, somewhat perplexed.
"Your own foster father has absorbed the witch factor of Sloth. Did he become a witch after that?" Beatrice looked at Emilia as if she were an unreasonable child.
"But who is this Hector? Where does he hail from? I've never heard of him, or even about any wielders of the sin of Melancholy at all!" Julius was really invested in acquiring new information.
"It would be very, ve-e-ery surprising if any of you could find any information about this Warlock." Roswaal took the floor. "After all, Echidna set herself the ta-a-ask of destroying any information that such a person even exi-i-isted."
"She was trying to hide all traces of his existence? But why would she do that?" Anastasia asked.
"I don't kno-o-ow. We can only assu-u-ume that this was done so that no one would try to look for his witch fa-a-actor."
"And what happened to him in the end?" Crusch asked.
"You shouldn't be asking me about it." The clown replied without any accent, making it clear that the topic was closed.
"It's not like I don't have a choice. The Sanctuary already meets my expectations." Echidna reasoned tensely.
"What?"
"Theoretical training is completed."
"So rather…" Roswaal began.
"However… I'm missing the core that will form the basis of the barrier. You can't lift it without the core."
"You've done so much… It remains to take the last step — and the Sanctuary is ready!" Overwhelmed with emotion, Roswaal banged his fist on the table in desperation.
"So the barrier around the Sanctuary wasn't created to keep the half-bloods inside, but to keep bastards like this clown out?" Garfiel guessed.
"It would be more accurate to say 'not o-o-only'. The half-breeds were carefully selected so that their combined ma-a-ana would allow Echidna to maintain the barrier. After which, of course, they would not be able to leave."
"So this place was created as a prison for demi-humans after all!" Felix asked with a disgusted expression.
"A place where demi-humans could live peacefully without fear of being annihilated by an angry mob of fanatics who considered all demi-humans to be collaborators of a Jealous Witch, you surely wanted to add, I suppose! Maybe it was, in fact, a prison, but in the very least it was also a place where my dear Ryuzu could live a quiet life, in fact! Where no one would chase her and call her a half-devil just because of the shape of her ears, in fact!" Beatrice added coldly, and the amount of ice in her tone became more with each word.
Felix had nothing to cover this argument with. Although there was still a certain level of segregation in the kingdom in relation to beastmen and other non-human races, centuries ago the situation was much worse.
"Regarding that insufficient core…might I be of service?" Ryuzu suddenly spoke up. Greatly surprising two powerful people at once.
"Ryuzu!" Roswaal turned to her in a dumbfounded manner.
"I heard of this some time ago. Namely, that I meet the conditions for the core of the barrier that Echidna-sama is building…and that this is why you set eyes upon me." The girl continued.
"Did Beatrice tell you?"
"Yes."
"So it's me… am I to blame for what happened to Ryuzu?" Beatrice clenched her fists in anger at herself.
If she had only kept her mouth shut… would then Ryuzu have not been morally ready to sacrifice herself? Maybe then Beatrice could've convinced her to run away?
"Certainly, the possibility you could function as a core for the barrier is high. With you as the core, the establishment of the Sanctuary is theoretically complete. However, that would have to wait until after your mana becomes more accustomed to this land." The witch agreed with her.
"So I can't handle it now?" The girl said in disappointment.
"This is far from an ordinary barrier." Roswaal began to explain to her. "It took years to measure the proportion of human and non-human blood among the inhabitants. And you must complete its creation."
"And yet …" The magician clenched his teeth in frustration.
"I'm sorry, but I think you both know there's a way out. Your Grace, Echidna-sama, I owe my life to both of you. I was able to live happily here, no one shunned me or would despise me. I think the purpose of my life is to repay you for this.
"What a selfless girl. She knows what awaits her, but she is still ready to voluntarily make this sacrifice to protect her home." Frederica could not help but admire the bravery of Ryuzu on the screen.
"Yeah. When such children have to do something like that, you start to feel inferior as a knight." Julius agreed with her gloomily.
"Teacher!" Roswaal turned sharply to the Echidna.
"We will create the core of the barrier by placing your Od in the catalyst. This way we will save time and be able to activate the barrier." She explained to the girl.
"And then I can save the Sanctuary?" Ryuzu asked hopefully.
"We can repel the threat hanging over him." The witch replied somewhat evasively.
"And when do I need to start?"
"As soon as possible. Beatrice is preparing the laboratory where the core will be placed. The problem is buying time against the menace…"
"I suppose this is my task?" Roswaal took the floor. "Isn't that right, Teacher? I shall strive to give everything until my dying breath… Ryuzu. I am sorry. I lack the power to save the Teacher all on my own."
"No need, Your Grace, I'm grateful for everything you've done for me. I have nothing to blame you for."
"Then I'm moving out. Teacher, take care of the barrier and call Beatrice."
"How ironic. The first Roswaal was truly a man whom I would gladly call an ally! I definitely like this guy!" Ricardo remarked with no trace of sarcasm. In the young Roswaal, he saw everything necessary for one to be a good fighter and a reliable friend.
"From what I've read about the main participants in the civil war, Julia Mathers was also distinguished for her valor on the battlefield." Added Julius.
"Not just by valor. Julia was a loyal, reliable and fearless companion. And a good friend. Her knowledge has saved our lives more than once in our fight against the Sphinx. And she had the courage to stand against the most dangerous opponents with her bare fists!" Wilhelm proudly recalled his combat friend.
"And only our Roswaal turned out to be a vile schemer who prefers to use his own servants as sacrificial pawns to strike stealthily!" Felt summed it up mercilessly.
"Yes, yes. I implore you-u-u. Roswaal A. Mathers deserves all the praise for his feat and mo-o-re!" The margrave said sarcastically.
"If I were you, I would prefer to retain a shameful silence, seeing how low your family has fallen compared to the past. At least think about what your ancestor would say if he had the opportunity to talk to you now!" Crusch said firmly, turning to the clown.
She hoped that her words would get to the magician at least a little. However, as a response, she received such a venomous and mocking grin that she involuntarily thought that the clown was preparing another mean-spirited act against them. And that they were all dancing on his palm.
And Roswaal himself could barely restrain himself from snickering. Right now, they were ready to shower the first Roswaal with admiring epithets. But how quickly will their opinions change when the truth is revealed that the very same Roswaal they were praising was sitting in the same room with them right now? How abruptly will their respect and recognition turn into contempt and fear? So fickle, so inconsistent in their beliefs and opinions.
"Just like I told you, Natsuki Subaru. Most people are weak…"
"I think it's better for Beatrice not to know." Echidna said doubtfully.
"If you do not call Beatrice now, that girl will resent you and me both for the rest of her life… Albeit, perhaps it will be so even if you do summon her." Roswaal decided to warn her.
"I see… Understood. I shall call her shortly." the witch retreated.
'At least in those days you thought about how I would feel, Roswaal. Why didn't you tell me anything after your very first soul transfer? Why have you been silent for four hundred years? Maybe then I wouldn't have thought that everyone had abandoned me? Although, you were right about one thing. You and I are both to blame for this stupidity. I was just as self-absorbed with my pity as you were with your desire. I even rejected the hand of Tosca. I refused an old friend his last wish because of stupid fears, in fact!' Beatrice thought with sadness and tenderness.
With a resigned look, Roswaal set out. Ryuzu wanted to say something, but the young man just put his hand on her shoulder, gave her a little squeeze as a sign of support, and left. Ryuzu remained standing in the middle of the room with sad and lost eyes.
"Beatrice-sama…" she whispered.
"Ryuzu thought about you until the very end." Emilia put her hand on the hand of the sad spirit girl in an attempt to calm her down. But Beatrice was only more upset by these words.
"Betty knows. Betty was by her side in her last moments."
"That means that at least Ryuzu wasn't alone. That is also very important, Beatrice-sama." Rem also tried to cheer up the sad spirit.
The scene changed.
The sounds of battle are heard. The beaten Roswaal flies back, rolling on the ground like a rag doll, and remains lying, unable to get up. An enemy previously shown from behind approaches him.
His age was about twenty. He had brown hair, and the unhealthy-looking bags under his eyes were those of a sickly individual. The color of his face was poor, and his posture crooked. He gave off the impression of one wholly divorced from the word vitality, seeming so lethargic that he barely managed to put on clothes and walk around. However, that outfit was the only thing striking and eccentric about him.
He was clad in clothing reminiscent of a jester's, yet his posture contained not even the slightest shred of cheer.
"'Tis bastard reminds me of Roswaal in some way. If he fell into a deep depression and Ram stopped carin' for him." Garfiel noted.
"… You still want more?" He asked the beaten youth in a voice as if he was squeezing out every word with his last breath.
"Depressing. Irritating. Pathetic. Dismal." Every word of the warlock was accompanied by an invisible blow to Roswaal.
The first one slammed the young man into the ground. The second one made him fly up a meter. The third, like an uppercut, sent the body flying backwards, only to be crushed into the ground again by the fourth.
"Well done. Very good. You did a good job. You didn't beat me, but you tried very, very hard. The fact that you tried so hard is good, right? You know it's useless to keep trying.
"Not only does he torture the kid, he also has to mock his attempts to stop him?!" Al said contemptuously.
"Quite the contrary. He sincerely praises him." Priscilla commented in a serious voice. "It looks like the gloomy clown doesn't really care about this brat as if he was nothing more than an insect for him, but still acknowledges his attempts."
"Judging by his miserable appearance, I would say that he simply does not have the motivation to mock anyone." Said Julius. "People mock others for the sake of perverse pleasure, and judging by his behavior, he is the antipode of the very concept of pleasure."
Felt simply shrugged her shoulders, at that. "I guess it's to be expected. Like the spirit girl said it earlier, the witch factor influences how its host acts. If he does have a witch factor of Melancholy, then it's not surprising he looks so depressed. Just like that blonde witch was always mad or the chained loli acted like she wanted to gobble up big bro."
"I wonder why he appeared here in the first place? What are the chances he was also sent by the Witch of Vainglory?" Crusch pondered aloud.
"I would make a bet about this but seeing how there is no way this ends well, I'd prefer to abstain." Anastasia answered glumly.
"You make me sad and despondent." The subsequent blows continued to torment the young magician, beating him with invisible projectiles.
"Invisible attacks again? Was this clown the owner of the witch factor of Sloth before Corneas, then?" Ricardo was trying to understand what was happening.
"It looks like it. Although this clown clearly prefers stomps rather than grapples like Petelgeuse" Reinhard reasoned aloud.
"Didn't you listen to Betty at all?! Betty clearly said he was the Witcher of Melancholy! Back in those days, the Witch of Sloth, Sekhmet, was still alive. And he was the owner of the witch factor of Melancholy, in fact!
"But he has a very similar ability to the Unseen hands." Tivey pointed at the screen.
"Those were not invisible hands. Hector's strength lies elsewhere." Roswaal said with a very tense voice.
"Then what is it?"
"I don't know." Roswaal replied absently, looking away from the screen for the first time. But only for a few seconds.
"What nonsense are you…? If I do not stop you here…gu, ah!" Overcoming the pain, the young magician was still able to get on his feet.
"I really hate this. It really gets me down. Me doing twisted stuff like this is really the worst. It's dismal. It's lame. It's disheartening. It's dreary. It's withering. It's the worst. Worst of the worst of the worst—so depressing.
Another blow squeezed Roswaal's ribs, causing him to spit out blood. The next one drove it into the ground, creating a real crater around it. The latter clearly broke his spine.
Frederica didn't even have to close her pupil's eyes. Petra threw herself into her arms and buried her face in her uniform.
"For a fragile young man, he has an amazingly high pain threshold. And alas, in his case it only means more agony." Felix said with genuine sympathy.
His professional gaze could imagine the pain of almost every fractured bone the magician received. And the torments that young Roswaal was going through on the screen were clearly beyond what an ordinary person could withstand.
"What terrible pain was he going through! Why would this cruel clown do this! This is simply heinous." Emilia said sympathetically.
But Priscilla had another opinion.
"That's not the case, half-wit. He does not torture him because he wants to. It's obvious this warlock can kill the boy any second without even trying. What he wants is for Roswaal to stop his attempts of resistance."
"Roswaal… What if I acted differently that day? What could've happened if Betty tried to help you out back then? Perhaps everything would've turned out differently that way?" Beatrice muttered, unable to hold back her tears.
Yes, she understood that the same Roswaal, for whom she was now shedding tears, was sitting in the same room. But now she saw with her own eyes what had become the starting point of her dear friend's descent into the darkness.
"Great spirits! What kind of power does he have?! Anastasia declared in fright, involuntarily grimacing at the cruelty shown.
"No, it doesn't look like unseen hands at all. He's using something else." Reinhard commented, staring at the state of Roswaal on the screen. "Roswaal's organs are probably turned into mush after such beating!
"Another monster who doesn't even realize the torment he's putting others through!" Otto reacted angrily.
"You gotta be kidding me…" Said Al in surprise. "Don't tell me that this creepy clown can control gravity?!"
"What is gravity, Al?" Asked Priscilla with interest, turning her gaze to her knight.
Most of the others also turned to him to hear an explanation. Shrugging his shoulders, Al started explaining his theory. He really didn't want to piss off his mistress.
"Well, in short, it is one of the fundamental forces of the universe that causes physical objects to be attracted to each other. Because of gravity, all things fall to the ground, and if we jump up, we don't fly into the sky, because we are constantly drawn to the ground by gravity." The one-armed warrior explained dryly, then pointed at the screen.
"My thought is that this warlock, apparently, is able to create local fields of very high gravity! And even at a distance. If so, if desired, he can simply crush any opponent into a pancake. In the truest sense of the word! You can't approach him, you can't fly up to him, you can't hit him with any projectile! If he is able to create a high gravity zone around himself, then no one will be able to get close to him and engage in close combat! So how one could stand against such bastard is beyond me!
"So young Roswaal had no chance against this Hector from the start?" Duchess Crusch asked sympathetically.
"Unless it can be neutralized by some kind of indirect spell, like shamak or something like that, then I highly doubt it." Al nodded in agreement. ""An extremely high gravity can even bend the light, just so you know."
"That sounds like nonsense. How can a light be bent?! It's…it's light!" Tivey looked skeptical.
"And yet there is no lie in his words." Crusch admitted, though, she also found this concept hard to believe.
"Wait a second! No matter how Roswaal's fight ends, they somehow managed to repel the attack of the Warlock of Melancholy on the Sanctuary! So there must be a way to deal with him! Otto asked, trying to deal with his fear. Seeing Beatrice, Ryuzu and Roswaal on the screen made it hard to remember that these events happened centuries ago.
"By means of Ryuzu's sacrifice, that's how we managed to repel gim, in fact. The main purpose of creating the Sanctuary was to create a territory where the Witcher of Melancholy would not be able to enter, I suppose." Beatrice said tearfully.
"What about the search for immortality, then? By the way, could this warlock be hunting the greedy witch specifically because of that?" Felt asked in surprise.
"A side experiment, nothing more, in fact."
Meanwhile, Ryuzu watched in horror through a crack in the hut wall. And somehow the enemy felt it.
"Is there someone in that direction?" Hector asked, drawing attention to a wooden house a few dozen meters away from him.
"Melancholy…" He said, holding out his hand towards the house. Ryuzu, realizing that she had been discovered, recoiled in horror.
"So he can use his Authority even at such a distance? The further we go, the more deadly this enemy looks!" Wilhelm admitted worriedly. If Al's theory was correct, Wilhelm would be completely useless against such an opponent, which made the gray haired warrior suddenly feel like a useless old man. All he could hope for was that the Witch Cult did not possess the Archbishop with this witch factor.
"Al Goa!" Roswaal said with his last bit of strength.
A huge fireball was hurled towards the distracted warlock. But Hector managed to react in time. The fire projectile almost reached its target, but the pale jester simply dispelled it with a movement of his fist.
"Breaking a sweat is so depressing."
"He repelled Al Goa without any difficulty! The Warlock of Melancholy was even more terrible than I had heard, in fact!" Beatrice was surprised. "I'm beginning to fear that this force of 'gravity' is capable of disrupting the work of magic itself. Perhaps even Al Shamak wouldn't work on him!"
"Amazing! With such wounds, he should have died already! And still he had enough strength for spells of this class?!" Felix was amazed at the first Roswaal's resilience.
"He managed to do it literally at the last second. If it hadn't been for Roswaal's attack, Ryuzu would probably have been crushed along with the house!" Julius said.
"Well, this is another point for which Betty should thank Roswaal. Due to him, Betty at least could say goodbye to her." Beatrice said without turning her head, but loud enough for the clown in the third row to hear her.
"I'm rather surprised that you haven't vanished yet. Having to use my power is so depressing, I just want to die."
"Hmm…could it be that using his powers takes its toll on him? That would explain why he doesn't like to use them excessively." Tivey commenced Hector words.
"You mean like the mini-boss head hurts if he uses his unseen hand power?" Mimi turned to her brother with curiosity.
"Something like that. But it seems like this power makes him more…depressed?" Her twin pondered aloud.
"That would mean Hector was badly compatible with his witch factor, I suppose. But his demeanor shows that the witch factor found a suitable host in him. Alas, this sphere is too obscure even for Betty to make any solid conclusions, in fact."
"Damn you, Witcher of Melancholy." Roswaal shouted, barely moving in a pool of his own blood.
"It's a terrible nickname. It's depressing. Do you really think that I became what I am now of my own free wi-i-ill?
"Ow. So it is a possibility that he got his witch factor against his will? If that's the case, then Tivey's assumptions become more plausible." Anastasia reacted to the warlock's words.
"Kinda reminds my amazin' self how Geuse became an archbishop. He also didn't want to get this slime 'side 'em." Garfiel commented, thinking how he would fight with this warlock if he had a chance.
"Even if your life has been twisted or corrupted somehow…you became your current self through the choices you made, no matter how limited they were. Don't try to pass yourself off as a victim! The Witcher of Melancholy, Hector! The exhausted young man struggled to get out of himself.
"A very noble view of life. It's just a pity that the descendant clearly forgot about the precepts of the founder of his family! Priscilla remarked ruthlessly with a satisfied smile.
"For such a calculating woman, you are very prone to jumping to conclusions, Bariel-sama-a-a." Margrave answered her without even turning his face.
"Are you ready to announce now that you are ready to take responsibility for your crimes against the kingdom in general and Subaru Natsuki in particular?" Julius asked coldly, looking at the magician.
"I have never deni-i-ied any of my sins. And you are very naive if you think that I am guilty only to Natsuki Suba-a-aru. But those facts don't change a-a-nything in the current status quo.
"A so-o-ound argument. My ears hurt. It makes me feel ba-a-ad. Hmm. Truly, I do not get along well with you. That's why-y-y—." Hector replied melancholically, stretching out his hand towards Roswaal.
Another blow from an invisible force, and the exhausted body of the young magician flies back and once again smashed into the ground.
"So that's why you're acting like this? A clown outfit. Stretching of words. Had this warlock left such a strong mark on your ancestor that now his whole family line mimics this monster?" Priscilla asked with a malicious smile. "What a pathetic display of fear, imprinted in the whole lineage."
"But the difference is if the Warlock of Melancholy looks and speaks as if he finds his very existence a burden, the Roswaals have always been acting as eccentrics and buffoons." said duchess Crusch.
"It may as well be a subconscious coping mechanism, Crusch-sama. To take the external features of a sworn enemy, but at the same time behave completely contrary to his image, thereby defying them, nya." Felix expressed his opinion.
"Bones are broken, the insides are ground, and the heart is almost torn apart. I hope that's enough for yo-o-ou?" The warlock said melancholically, after which, as if feeling something, he turned around. Echidna was standing behind him.
"Given the situation, it is most difficult to say I've arrived on time." She assessed the situation in a calm voice.
"No, the moment is well-chosen. Your student held me back as long as he could. He's bought you a lot of time, it's comme-e-endable."
"That style of speech… You have not changed at all. You're exactly the same as you were when we parted ways."
"Your manner of talking is the same as always, too. How did you end up with such an uncute way of speaking, I wonder? Even though you were so cute back then…"
"So the Witch of Greed and this warlock are old acquaintances at worst. Former friends at best."
"So we should also account for the possibility that he came for personal revenge against Echidna." Emilia suggested.
"Or even he had some sort of twisted feelings for her. So many villains we saw have a completely warped sense of love." Rem continued deductions.
"Considering how much effort Mother put into creating a Sanctuary, I wouldn't deny such a possibility right off the bat, I suppose. Although it might as well be his wish to take something of value from Betty's Mother."
"Please don't tell me that this whole tragedy will boil down to the fact that the Echidna was running away from an overly obsessive fan!" Anastasia commented with disgust.
Echidna removed her gaze from the lamenting Hector, looking at Roswaal, who lay motionless, jumbled in a pool of blood.
"… My chest hurts more than I expected. I cannot remain objective in regard to this result…" The witch admitted just as calmly.
'I am truly happy to know that you had such feelings for me ! Even if I had to wait four hundred years to hear them. Even in such an unorthodox way. But still, I am glad that you were not indifferent to my state, Teacher …' Roswaal did not notice how a happy smile appeared on his face.
If that short moment of physical pain caused his Teacher to say such heartwarming words about him, then, perhaps a more substantial reward awaits him at the end of the path? When he brings her back to the world of the living, and she learns about the four centuries of trials and losses he went through for her, what will she say to him?
"And that's all she said at the sight of her mutilated student who almost gave his life for her?!" Ram made a contemptuous face.
But alas, her argument did not even reduce the width of the smile on her beloved master's face, making the pink maid clench her fists in anger.
"Will you shed tears for him? I'm ready to wait."
"It seems that you haven't changed a bit since our breakup."
"But you began to answer and listen to me in a completely different way. Where has your old charm gone?
"Their body language says that a battle is inevitable, but I don't see any aggression or hatred in them. Perhaps this was a typical confrontation between carriers of the witch factors?" Wilhelm gave his assessment of the situation.
"Mother didn't tell Betty much about her past with Hector. All Betty knows is that he was constantly stalking her Mother. And in order to get rid of his attacks, she decided to create a Sanctuary.
The camera shifted to a hut where a terrified Ryuzu was lying on the floor.
"How long are you going to hide in the hut in shame?" Beatrice's voice sounded nearby.
Lifting her head off the floor, Ryuzu saw her friend standing quietly next to her
"Eh? Beatrice-sama?"
"How did you get there so suddenly, Beatrice?" Emilia was interested.
"How do you think I could get anywhere in the mansion quickly, I suppose? At that time, all the doors in the Sanctuary were connected to my Door Crossing magic, in fact."
"Stop fooling around. Let's get out of here as soon as possible, while Mother is stalling for time."
"But I…" Not knowing what to say, Ryuzu got to her feet.
"She told me to tell you that the necessary preparations are over." The spirit girl said.
"I see. Let us go, Beatrice-sama." The half-elf accepted the news stoically.
"She has already accepted what awaits her." Petra said sadly, who had calmed down by that moment.
"But Beatrice obviously doesn't know about it herself, since she behaves so calmly." Frederica noted, stroking the student's head.
"Betty didn't know anything at all… l and didn't do anything. Before it was too late. She didn't help Roswaal, never saved Ryuzu. It seems Betty has always been useless…" Beatrice muttered, lowering her head.
But her self-flagellation was heard by two girls on the left and right. Therefore, the next second, she found herself hugged from both sides at once. Sandwiched between Rem and Emilia, she didn't even have a chance to express her indignation. Although, in fact, she had no desire to do so.
Opening the wooden door, they suddenly found themselves inside Echidna's laboratory. The hall was filled with fog. In the center was a huge magic crystal, inside which there was nothing yet. Ryuzu stared at him wide-eyed in amazement.
"You better not let the crystal enchant you, or you'll inadvertently become a part of it." Beatrice warned her.
"I'm sorry to distract you at such a moment."
"It contains such a great amount of mana that it is no wonder for you to be intoxicated by it… Now, what do we do from here? All I heard from Mother was to bring you here."
"I find it appalling that the witch apparently said only the bare minimum of information to others without explaining to them the purpose of their tasks. I'm pretty sure Roswaals picked up this habit from her." Rem commented with disdain.
Beatrice on the screen vividly reminded the blue maid how she used to be the same. Before she found herself in this enchanted place, she would've followed almost any order from Roswaal without even thinking about questioning its purpose, no matter how unusual or outlandish it sounded. She simply wouldn't even think that her benefactor is capable of scheming some
"And you did not hesitate to comply with the order of the lady?
"Is that not par for the course, I wonder?" Betty said happily. "To Betty, Mother is absolute… You and the residents here are blessed to have her. Once we safely resolve all this, will you work diligently to repay her, I suppose?"
These words made Ryuzu tremble with fear, but she managed to overcome this feeling by closing her eyes and smiling falsely.
"If only I had known in advance, I… what would I have done?" Beatrice asked herself.
"And once again I see the same weak-willed spirit. Apparently, the Witch of Greed originally created her so obedient so that she would not dare to go against her word. Is it any wonder after this that she has been sitting in her dusty room for four hundred years, waiting for something she herself had no idea about?! Priscilla said sarcastically.
Casting a stern look at the fire-haired princess, Emilia hurried to protect the spirit of her knight.
"Roswaal was absolutely right about you, Priscilla-sama. You jump to conclusions too quickly and always tend to see the worst in people. To make it clearer to you, it was Beatrice who made the decision and signed the contract with Subaru. Even though he was not 'that person". So Beatrice is quite capable of making independent decisions."
Priscilla only snorted contemptuously in response. And the others were pleased to note that the smug princess was silenced for a change.
"You know, there's something about your smile that worries me." Beatrice said uncertainty, beginning to guess that something was wrong.
Tears welled up in Ryuzu's eyes from feeling guilty in front of her friend for what she was going to do.
"Please forgive me. I got something in my eye." She decided to lie.
"Maybe you should sit quietly in the lab." Beatrice concluded, and began to pretend that she had everything under control. "And I will return to my Mother and help her in battle. And it would also be wrong to leave Roswaal to die. But tomorrow everything will be as before…"
The last sentence broke the dam. Ryuzu started shaking again, and she almost burst into tears at the realization of how cruel it was to keep Beatrice in the dark.
"Stupid, naive, blind to everything that is happening around her doll! That's who Betty was…" Beatrice couldn't stand it and covered her face with her hands, starting to sob softly.
It was hard to see how Ryuzu was suffering because the Great Spirit didn't have the sense to put together the facts. Or maybe Beatrice understood everything, but subconsciously forbade herself to think about it.
"I understand how you feel, Beatrice. I felt the same way when I said goodbye to Mother Fortuna." Emilia continued to hug the girl tenderly, caressing her little head.
"If only I hadn't always been so useless." Beatrice murmured softly.
"It's not like that! Subaru wouldn't have made it without your help. And you know it." Emilia admonished the girl, gently stroking her head.
"Beatrice-sama. Thank you for spending so much time with me."
Beatrice did not understand her words.
"This is farewell."
"What do you mean, farewell…?" The spirit girl continued to misunderstand.
"This facility…was designed to deploy a barrier over the forest. Eventually, I was meant to become the core of that barrier…but now, there is insufficient time for the original plan."
"Time for the barrier…and that man is in the way? Then we need to…" Beatrice began fussing, trying to think of a way out.
"He cannot be beaten merely through fighting. That conclusion was the reason for creating the Sanctuary in the first place. I imagine the reason Master Roswaal was so devoted was because he understood that if he was not, Echidna-sama could not be saved." Ryuzu explained, even managing to smile at the realization that she could save everyone with her act.
But Beatrice was unwilling to accept such a turn. Angry, she screamed at her friend:
"What kind of nonsense are you talking about?! What is the point of such a sacrifice? What are you capable of if you don't know magic at all? Yes, you can't…" Stopping in mid-sentence, Beatrice looked at the huge crystal with fear.
"Unless your Od becomes the core, and the crystal becomes its catalyst." She guessed.
"Yes, this solution was proposed by Echidna-sama."
"Wait, this is wrong! Wait, no, will you wait, I wonder? Wait. C-can Betty make a personal appeal to Mother, I wonder? Mother is soft on Betty; she will surely listen…"
"She desperately wanted to find a way and save her dear friend." Anastasia commented, with a solemn smile, gently stroking her scarf.
"Yes, this is the true nature of Beatrice-sama." Julius said, nodding in agreement. For him, this scene was restoring his faith in spirits that was shaken by Puck's horrible determination to destroy the world.
"There is no time for that. A decision is required this very instant." Ryuzu interrupted her.
"Then my decision is to rush to help my Mother! As long as we're together, the uninvited guest won't have the slightest chance!" Beatrice began confidently, but her fuse quickly dried up from the realization of the truth.
"—If Betty uses Door Crossing so that everyone escapes from here, all will be well."
Even Ryuzu sighed hopefully after hearing this suggestion. Which Beatrice immediately grabbed onto:
"Right? Shall I do so, I suppose? Such a crowd is troublesome for Betty, but Betty can make do. Pick up Roswaal when there is an opening, bring Mother along, too… Hey, and then—!"
"What were you saying about Beatrice's lack of will, you stuck up bimbo?" Felt gloated, her words literally dripping with undisguised sarcasm. "That she basically can't go against Echidna's will? It seems that some world has decided not to play along with its chosen one, I wonder what's happened?"
And she wasn't alone. Crusch and Anastasia also did not hide their content smiles. It was nice to see that, no matter how astute and perceptive the princess from Vollachia was, her own prejudiced view of others made it difficult to properly assess others. At least sometimes.
Al, who had been reasonably silent all this time, decided to thank his stars for being smart enough not to get involved in this argument earlier. And even more so for not trying to explain to his lady that she was rushing to conclusions again, as she had previously done with his Bro. Therefore, there was a small hope that the princess would not take out her anger on him. And judging by how quietly the fan was crackling in her hands, she was very angry right now.
But Ryuzu only shook her head negatively.
"And after fleeing in that manner, live in fear of that man pursuing us again? Thanks to Lady Echidna and Master Roswaal, we have finally obtained a place of peace… If we abandon this, I can't help but wonder how long will it take to build a new Sanctuary? Beatrice-sama. I love this place. I truly believe it was wonderful to have been allowed to live here. I love the smiling faces of everyone who lives here. This place must not be lost. I have had my fill of warm memories. I, an unwanted, taboo child, was taken in and given happiness that I did nothing to deserve… Therefore, I am satisfied."
"A taboo child? I don't get it. Was the union between humans and elves forbidden even before the Great Calamity?" Otto asked in confusion.
"It could easily be some shitty tradition of the village where the old hag was born. Like the oni degenerates that said Ram and Rem should be killed for being twins!" Garfiel growled, pretty pissed off that someone dared calling the ancestor of his granny a taboo child.
"Was the world always so disgusting, with demi-humans being ostracized everywhere just for being different? To the point where even an isolated prison created by the witch seemed like a happy place?" Felix asked aloud with evident disgust.
"I would rather suggest that these events took place soon after the Great Calamity. That would explain why Ryuzu was mistreated for her lineage." Tivey pointed out.
"It doesn't matter in the slightest whether this happened before or after the Great Calamity! No one should be discriminated against simply for their looks!" Emilia stated unusually resolutely for her.
"What she said!" Felt approved with a wave of her hand.
"No matter how much you value this place, it wasn't created for you at all." Beatrice tried to dissuade her first friend.
"Of course. I understand."
"Then what's the matter? If you know, why are you being stubborn?!" At this point, Betty was barely holding back tears herself.
"It doesn't matter. Maybe that was the case at first. But I think… After the wonderful time we spent here, everything couldn't stay the same. But I happened to live here and communicate with you and other people because I could make my own decisions. The time I spent here was a happy one. Let me thank you for all the kindness that you have given me and are giving me even now." Ryuzu bowed to her friend at the end of her speech.
At that moment, the entire laboratory was shaken. A battle was taking place somewhere in the forest, the effects of which were felt even here.
"Beatrice-sama… Make sure you do not eat too many sweets." Ryuzu decided to end on a joking note and moved towards the crystal. But she was stopped by the girl's hand, which took her by the sleeve.
"I—I…promised to…teach you how to read…" Beatrice reminded him in a hopeless voice.
Ryuzu slowly and carefully forced the spirit girl to let go of her sleeve.
"Thank you—" That's all Ryuzu said, she went to the crystal and leaned her hand against it. The crystal activated and began to shine. Ryuzu turned to Beatrice for the last time.
"Goodbye… Betty".
"Goodbye…Ryuzu…" Beatrice muttered very quietly.
A white glow filled the entire screen.
"Ryuzu-chan…" Petra could only squeeze out of herself, worried about the fate of the young girl.
"She was such a cool girl. Mimi would like to make friends with her." Mimi said sadly, hugging the equally sad Tivey to her.
"So it wasn't just an order from Echidna to wait for the right person. Beatrice herself was devastated by the loss of her best friend. Is that why she didn't want to get close to anyone?" Julius reasoned.
"And this fear of loss was superimposed on the desire to fulfill the pact with Echi-i-idna." Roswaal continued his thought, who himself was not aware of how the last conversation between the spirit girl and the half-elf went. And the realization of this fact made the old magician shake inwardly with guilt.
'Why didn't you ever tell me about this, Beatrice? Why didn't you mention that you had offered Ryuzu to run away? And how did you convince her to overcome that fear, Natsuki Subaru? I wonder if things would go differently if I was open with you from the start? What If told you the truth about that person and offered you a contract for the sake of reviving the Teacher? Would you've accepted me back then?'
"No wonder why Echidna didn't tell Beatrice about her plan. After all, if she had persuaded Ryuzu to escape, then the whole witch's plan would have gone to waste." Reinhard noted.
"I'm not so sure that Echidna was guided by this consideration. After all, Ryuzu volunteered to make this sacrifice herself. So she wouldn't have run away either. Maybe Echidna didn't want to hurt Beako by having her say goodbye to her friend?"
"Do you really think that the Witch of Greed is capable of complex feelings about others, Emilia-sama? Subaru-kun astutely pointed out that she doesn't understand the emotions of others."
"But she was obviously upset by the sight of the crippled Roswaal! So she can worry about others!" Emilia argued.
"And at the same time, she herself could not understand why she felt this. So even if she's capable of feeling emotions, she simply cannot comprehend them." Anastasia noted.
The scene changed.
Roswaal's bedroom was on the screen again, where the conversation took place.
"That's all they told me." Subaru finished.
"And what's next? Let's say this whole story is true. What do you hope to get out of me?" Roswaal declared, sitting on the bed, stubbornly crossing his arms.
"I'll repeat once again: give up! The order of things has changed. —Stop the assassins you sent to the mansion. Then we can hammer out everything else."
Roswaal only smiled smugly at these words.
"—I refuse, young Subaru. I have not toiled for four hundred years only to be swayed by such a minor shift in circumstances."
"Am I the only one who is weirded out by this clown's way of talking as if he was the one who fought the Warlock of Melancholy four hundred years ago? As if he deserves the same praise as his ancestor just because of his damn book!" Felix said indignantly.
"Another confirmation that the noble dynasty order should be torn out by the roots! His ancestor performed the feat four hundred years ago, and this bastard in make-up act proudly, as if he personally experienced it all!" Felt expressed her rejection of Margrave's egocentrism.
Roswaal just grinned. Obviously, his main secret will be revealed soon. The magician needed only to decide whether he would wait for the screen to show it, or make a move on his own. Of course, this will not change the outcome. But maybe he will be able to have a lot of fun watching how others are hurriedly trying to change their minds about the heroic young noble they just saw? It will be funny to see how their expressions change.
Priscilla, who was sitting nearby, seriously thought about the words of the on-screen Roswaal. This is not the first time he has mentioned four hundred years of his history. And, at first, she, like the others, took it as a hint of the continuity of the Roswaal family and their deep connection with Echidna. However, this episode gave her some thoughts.
The first Roswaal was a student of the Witch of Greed. And besides, he was also a genius magician. The Witch of Greed was looking for a way to gain immortality, but did not succeed. Or maybe she just didn't have time to finish the job. Could the student continue his teacher's work? And if he was successful, then the clown's words weren't just bragging. The baroness decided to pay very close attention to the margrave's words, both on the screen and in the room.
"You were seriously mistaken if you thought that by taking an extra pawn out of your sleeve and getting rid of Garfiel, you could get ahead." Roswaal confidently stated, pretending that he still had the situation under complete control.
"Really?" Garfiel frowned.
"And so you, who have been so strongly set on tearing into outsiders, now find yourself gladly on young Subaru's si-i-ide. I am surprised you would have a change of heart so quickly. You have protected what is precious in your heart for so very, very long, and yet, you discard even your love for your mother with such e-e-ease." the magician mockingly told the young bully.
"Your words are not worth much, Roswaal." Garfiel did not succumb to provocation.
"First a change of heart and now defiance? You easily dismissed the thoughts that have been haunting you for ten years. And now you dare to say that my words are worthless. What a tasteless joke. Desires do not disappear without a trace. If you really loved your mother and your family, if you cherished them so much, can your feelings change so easily? Or do you mean to say that you never loved your mother and family? Merely having your fangs broken was sufficient to bend the feelings you kept for a decade? If that is so, then the one who made your love a brittle, fleeting forgery is none other than yourself."
"Is Roswaal criticizing Garfiel for overcoming his fears? What could be shameful about that?" Emilia was interested.
"The clown just wants to confuse Garf by coming up with stupid insults!" Mimi interjected with her thoughts.
"No, this is not just an attempt to confuse and shake Garfiel's determination. And it's not about overcoming one's fears." Crusch shook her head. "With the help of Sir Natsuki, Garfiel has changed. For the first time in ten years. He began to look at the world in a different way. But why does Roswaal so sincerely consider this change as a disadvantage?"
"Like I care if ya wanna scold me. Just don't misunderstand me." The blond man argued with Roswaal's speech.
"And what didn't I understand?" The magician asked skeptically.
"It ain't like I follow the Cap'n just 'cause I lost a fight. For ten years now, I have stubbornly clung to the past. But now I've come face to face with it again."
"So you've got the courage to take a look? You, Garfiel?"
"I'm not going to explain wha' I saw and why I decided to join the Cap'n. But so be it, here's one good reason why I chose to team up with 'em ratha' dan you."
To enhance the effect, Gabriel pointed at Roswaal with his finger.
"While you were insistin' tha' I remain a weaklin' forever, Subaru considered me strong and said he needed me. It was not difficult to choose!"
"You have matured a lot literally overnight, Garfiel-san. Obviously, you've had everything you needed to become a decent person and fighter for a long time. All that was needed was for someone to open the door to a whole new life for you." Wilhelm respectfully gave his high assessment of the young man's words.
Garfiel even blushed slightly at the praise from the Sword Demon himself.
"Yeah. Someone like Cap't certainly knows how to change other's lives for the betta." He answered, giving a friendly wink to Rem, hinting that they both were in the same boat.
Seeing the pleased faces of Subaru and Otto, Gabriel was already confused.
"Eh? Wha' is it?"
"Don't pay us any attention. I'm counting on you." Natsuki approved of him with a smile, after which he turned back to the magician with a serious tone:
"Garfiel saw his past. And the fact that he is standing next to me does not mean that after ten years his affection for his family has weakened. His feelings are hardly any weaker. They are the same, but he himself has changed. It's the same with you. Change your methods, stand with us, and we can find a common ground. It's not too late to fix everything!"
"The advantage is still on my side." The clown stubbornly declared, shook his head negatively.
"The margrave is extremely stubborn!" Felix said with a pleased expression. "But why's he so adamant on this?"
He was really impatient to see the outcome of this bet. The more stubbornly the enemy refuses to admit that defeat awaits him, the greater his shock is when the outcome becomes obvious. And the healer really wanted to see margrave's expression when he realized that he had lost!
"He was obviously not used to losing, so he was going to deny the reality until the very end."
"Moreover, even when he saw my success, he tried to trick me and break my determination by saying that Subaru was manipulating me for his own ambitions. He said that they were the same in that regard." Emilia added, proudly recalling how she deprived Roswaal of another opportunity to win over to her side.
"That's because he was scared. He saw his grand scheme being undone by a mere boy he considered powerless beyond his ability. And when the fool offered a bet that excluded his only advantage, the clown decided it was an easy win. So the shock was that much stronger when said fool came to him with half the bet already won and offered him to surrender. The clown became agitated, nervous and surely will start acting erratically, refusing to accept his loss." Priscilla decided to explain to the commoners the truth of life.
Although, her real intention was to try and catch the clown that was present in the theater of guard to get some reaction out of him. But the lack of any reaction from the margrave only irritated her. He was a pretty tough nut to crack.
"Really?" Subaru said.
"According to the terms of the bet, you gave up your main trump card and became a mere mortal. And what is an ordinary person capable of? He can't do anything! It can't be otherwise! Especially since you're worse than a mere mortal! I will not suffer any who try to violate the sanctuary of feelings! My feelings only grew stronger every day! And it's certainly not you, a commoner, who can erase four hundred years of my history!
"Because feelings never change?" Natsuki asked him.
"That's right!" The magician declared angrily.
"And all this just because you believed in them for so many years?" Subaru continued to push.
"Yes, of course!"
"He said, pretending to be unshakable, while at the same time he was almost ready to shit his pants out of fear! Put the pressure on him, big bro!" Felt encouraged, ignoring Reinhardt's indignant look.
"You really are a cultist! The only difference is that you worship another witch! Such manic speech almost made me see flashbacks with Petelgeuse and his crazy rumblings! All there's lacking now is the words about love!" Al said with contempt in his voice.
"What's a flu-ash-back?" Ricardo asked with a new word. Obviously, this was another, as Emilia's camp likes to say, 'Subarism'.
"This is when you suddenly have a vivid memory from the past and—" The one-armed warrior began to explain, but he was interrupted by Priscilla's unusually thoughtful voice.
"Shut up, Al. The clown on the screen is not in a state to throw jokes around right now. This is not just an altercation with a rival. This is a confrontation of their ideologies! Which means that the clown uses arguments in which he sincerely believes!"
"What are you getting at, Bariel?" The merchant princess asked her directly.
Instead of answering, Priscilla stood up, and turned to the silent margrave.
"Turn on your lie-seeking abilities, commoners! You, clown! Have you been reincarnating for the last four hundred years? Is there a curse on you that binds your soul to this world?!" She asked, pointing her fan at him accusingly.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Bariel-sama-a-a, but I have no such curses on me and I never went through the process of reincarna-a-ation." Roswaal answered her with his trademark dismissive smile.
"He's telling the truth." Crusch confirmed.
I see. No matter, we are not done yet. Have you been reborn since… no, you can easily get around such a question…" After a moment of pondering, Priscilla looked at Roswaal again. "Do you have the memories of previous generations of Roswaals?!"
She got her answer in the form of a wide, creepy smile that Roswaal gave the fire-haired princess.
"Are you completely out of your mind, making such guesses?" The former thief asked in surprise, tilting her head to the side.
"Shut it, sewer rat. In the manner typical to all commoners, you think that there is only what you can see! Transferring a soul from one body to another is by no means impossible! And this pale spider has repeatedly stated that he has been weaving his web for four hundred years! So maybe this is just because he is the Roswaal that we have been shown fighting with the Warlock of Melancholy?
Everyone in the room turned their gazes to the margrave. And only Beatrice's was devoid of amazement or disbelief. Instead, the spirit girl looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. She was just a little curious about which path Roswaal will take now. Will he tell the truth or avoid answering the questions, postponing this revelation for later?
Otto nervously fingered his favorite hat in his hands, grinding his teeth, afraid to say a word. What other troubles will their camp sponsor give them? Usage of some kind of forbidden, dark magic? After everything they already saw, why not?! He has already turned the richest, most influential and most powerful people in the kingdom into his enemies! So let's add this to the pile too!
Ram looked at her master in fright, afraid of what other terrible truth he was hiding? Was he not even human, but something… artificial? Another 'product' created by the witch?
"As always, you are very obse-e-ervant, Bariel-sama. It really is so. I, Roswaal L. Mathers, hold the memory of all my ancestors, starting with the very first Ro-o-oswaal!" The magician announced solemnly, looking around as everyone in the room became frozen in amazement.
Many turned to Crusch and Reinhard for confirmation. For a few seconds, they stared at the magician in silence with bulging eyes. Reinhard was the first to collect his thoughts.
"He's… not lying…"
"But… how?!" Tivey cried out.
"Do you really need even the simplest of things explained to you? The first Roswaal was a student of a witch who was looking for immortality! And, apparently, the student was able to surpass the teacher." Priscilla explained to the others.
In response, Roswaal began to clap her hands slowly and sarcastically, without ceasing to smile mockingly.
'This is going to be fun.' He thought.
"Great job, Bariel-sama-a-a! I praise you for having such a sharp mind at such a young a-a-age.
"Keep your dirty compliments to yourself, you bastard with makeup! So it's true. You are the same Roswaal who fought the Warlock of Melancholy."
"But Roswaal's body was so mutilated that even surviving after that would be a miracle! Not to mention keeping the body in normal condition for four hundred years!" Ricardo could hardly accept what he heard.
"Maybe his body is artificial? What if it's a replica, just like Ryuzu Meyer?" Julius suggested.
But Wilhelm shook his head.
"Then how would you explain the case with Julia Mathers? And her son looked different from this Roswaal. No. These are clearly not replica bodies."
"I can assu-u-ure you, I was conceived and born in a natural wa-a-ay."
"He's telling the truth." Crusch confirmed. "That means, each of the Roswaal family was born a human being. His body is not artificial. However…"
"How could he receive the memory of his ancestors?" Tivey asked aloud the question that most of those present were wondering. "What if they are written on the pages of the Book of wisdom?"
"On the screen, he talked about the events of the distant past too zealously and furiously for it to be just notes on the pages of a book." Al disagreed.
"The witch's tomb!" Garfiel suddenly guessed.
"Huh?" Emilia was surprised by this idea.
"The Tomb… This could be the answer… Echidna keeps the Book of Wisdom, which stores the memory of the whole world! She could easily give each new Roswaal a Trial, just like Subaru had, forcing them to absorb the memories of previous generations." Reinhard suggested.
"And since it's not just knowledge but almost live experience, each Roswaal might've started treating these memories as their own!" Julius added.
The margrave could barely contain his pleased laughter. They made up a picture for themselves of how he became what he became. Did they really not want to hear all the answers from him? Oh, he won't spoil their fun. Let them play mystery solvers some more.
"Roswaal-sama cannot enter the tomb! He doesn't have the qualifications to…" Ram tried to intervene, but Priscilla cut her off immediately.
"Be quiet, servant! We already know that everything that happened in that tiny village a year ago was a performance staged by a clown from the start! His injuries didn't stop him from stabbing you through like a piece of wet paper with his bare hand!"
At the mention of that unfortunate loop, Ram involuntarily lowered her gaze and pursed her lips. No matter how much she suppressed those memories, they didn't get any less painful.
"I suppo-o-ose the question of why I argued so fiercely with Natsuki Subaru about the strength of my beliefs has now been reso-o-olved?"
After these words, the smile slipped from Roswaal's face. An angry expression took its place, and a fanatical fire lit up in his eyes.
"I'm seething with rage and feelings that are four hundred years old! I remember everything that all the previous Roswaals went through! Their experience, their knowledge, their pain! It's all mine! I remember the agony of Hector's punches as if it all happened just yesterday! I remember the softness and warmth of the Teacher's lips, as if she had just kissed me! I've carried my feelings through the ages without any changes, and I'm not going to give up on them!"
His passionate speech made the others recoil. The knights instructively covered their ladies behind them. For a short time, they forgot that it was impossible to harm others in this theater. Right now, everyone saw only the furious, strongest magician of the kingdom in front of them.
But a few seconds later, Roswaal calmed his anger and returned a wide, malicious smile to his face.
"So, as you can see-e-e, in a way, the noble young man who delighted you all so much is now sitting with yo-o-ou here."
The stunned expressions caused by this remark were exactly what Roswaal wanted to see. Yes, he left out the key detail of how exactly he became the way he is now. It certainly looks like the screen will show their conversation with Beatrice in the tomb. But that will be later. Right now, he was relishing the confusion of his dazed opponents.
"I wanna puke when I think how low you've stooped, Roswaal! To think tha' you used to be someone my amazin' self could respect! And look what's become of you!" Garfiel growled, looking at the margrave with disgust.
"Then, perhaps, you should learn from what you've see-e-en, young Garfiel? Even someone once perceived as a hero may live long enough to tu-u-urn into a villain. All the while striving to reach the same go-o-oal."
"But why would you even do that? What's the point? Did all Roswaals go through this…procedure to increase their power?" Crusch decided to ask.
"To fulfill his goal." Reinhard reminded them. "Everything he does, all his actions and even the Gospel has one goal. He said so himself in the last failed loop."
"But he didn't say what was this goal. So what, Roswaal? Ready to make a confession and tell us for what purpose you committed such atrocities? Or you will cowardly continue to be mute and let the screen tell us everything for you?" Anastasia tried to pressure the clown into spilling the beans.
"Since you are so-o-o sure that everything will be shown to you, I won't spoil the fun for yo-o-ou." Roswaal answered with a wide smile.
"Hm… he doesn't want to say it…could he perhaps hope that some important detail will be left undisclosed." Crusch pointed out.
"No matter. We can always try to pry for more details when the magic screen shows us new revelations." Anastasia told her, turning away from the clown and looking at the screen.
The margrave's words caused Subaru to switch to a raised tone too.
"Why do you have to see feelings as nothing but weakness? You know perfectly well the power of feelings that do not go away over the years! Why do you have to focus on how it's weak?
"Because these are my convictions!" Roswaal declared fervently, pressing his hand to his heart. "And just as you want to believe in the strength of people, I am convinced that they will always remain weak! And I sincerely believe that we are weak, vulnerable, insignificant creatures who can succeed only in achieving one, the most important goal! We can't overcome our feelings! I've been in love with a girl for four hundred years. The time I have spent unable to touch her is far longer than the days we spent together, yet the sight of her is burned forever in me. My soul has been in ashes ever since. Ever since the day we parted, my heart has remained shattered, and I have never changed!"
At that moment, for just a couple of seconds, Roswaal lost his steel and rage, his tone changed to sad and lost, and his palms began to shake.
"Since my youth, when my heart was broken into hundreds of pieces, I have always remained true to myself!"
To his surprise, Wilhelm felt a feeling of utter dread grow in his chest. The old warrior understood perfectly what the ancient magician was talking about on the screen. He was very familiar with this feeling. A feeling that consumed him entirely for many years. A feeling that turned everything else in the world into trivial details that could be easily ignored. Be it his family, his son, and grandson, his friends, his position. All that he was ready to easily sacrifice, if necessary, in order to achieve the one goal that he had in front of him.
And now Wilhelm saw on the screen what he had been becoming all these years while he was drowning in his burning desire for revenge. Until a black-haired young man burst into his life, stopping the veteran's fall into darkness. He couldn't help but ask himself, would he become the same if he got his hands on the Gospel that promised him the fulfillment of the most cherished wish? And to his horror, he knew the answer to this question.
But still he was saved. Saved by his lady, that showed him that honor and dignity were not just empty sounds. Saved by Natsuki Subaru who helped him exact revenge on a monster while doing everything in his power to save as many as he could.
"You have a lot of nerve, clown, if you dare to look down on others!" Priscilla remarked haughtily.
She did not like that this painted snake dared to consider others weak, while he was the one who, due to his own weakness, lost everything that was dear to him.
"However, in my years, I have ra-a-arely seen people to prove me wrong, Bariel-sama. And most of those who are sitting with me now in this room only confirm my po-o-oint of view." Roswaal replied sarcastically.
Just as he had expected, many angry glances of varying degrees of annoyance turned to him again.
"Your angry gazes hint that you are somewhat in disagreement with me. So try to challenge me. Which of the candidates for the throne presented here can convince me otherwise?" He said without stretching words to make his point clearer. Without ceasing to smile, he looked straight into the eyes of the quietly growling Felt.
"A princess from the slums who dream about demolishing everything around her simply because of a common grudge against the injustice of the world-"
Felt interrupted him with a contemptuous expression."And your very existence is the best argument in favor of my plans! So I'll start right with you, painted snake!"
"Completely refusing to think about the rivers of blood her concept of justice will cause. And about the cost that others will have to pay for her ideals. Be they the objects of her hatred or innocent bystanders."
Felt visibly tensed up at his words. Spilling rivers of blood was definitely not on her 'to-do list'. It could be just his attempt to scare her. On the other hand, this clown did possess a memory of four hundred years old.
Next, Roswaal's gaze shifted to Crusch.
"The head of an illustrious dynasty, ready to put the whole future of her kingdom at risk simply out of resentment for a ruined romance of youth?" Crusch didn't let her emotions show on her face, but her eyes flashed dangerously.
"As if the likes of you can even understand—" Felix jumped up from his seat, ready to stand up for his lady like a mountain and to protect the memory of his dear friend Fourier, but Crusch stopped his impulse with one movement of her hand. Still, Roswaal was not finished.
"House Karsten has been a loyal ally of the royal family and the Divine Dragon for generations. And yet, you, Crusch-sama, are ready to plunge the kingdom into a dark and unpredictable future without even having a solid plan. You claim that the people of the kingdom became weak and docile because the Divine dragon protects them. That may be true, but it seems like you don't care if millions will perish during the tumultuous times your ideas will create, if in the end you will prove your point that Covenant with the Dragon is unneeded. Your motivation is nothing more than a thirst for revenge from an offended maiden."
Then his gaze fell on Emilia.
"A kind, caring, honest to a fault, but infinitely naive girl who, without someone else's intervention, would have spent many more years in a snow-covered forest, waiting for everything to fix itself? One that didn't want to solve even her own problems without the push from others, but still desiring to take responsibility for the lives of millions?" Emilia pursed her lips at the hurtful words she had heard from her own sponsor.
"Of course, you have grown a lot in the last year, Emilia-sama. But to become a worthy ruler, capable of navigating a whole kingdom, you still have a lo-o-ong way to go."
Then it was Anastasia's turn.
"A merchant princess driven solely by the greedy desire to save her own life? But what would happen after you get your desire fulfilled? Will you stay loyal to the kingdom? Are you truly ready to dedicate all of yourself to rulling the kingdom and the struggles that comes with it? Ruling the country is vastly different from running a profit-driven endeavor." Anastasia visibly tensed at these words. How could this clown obtain such crucial information about her?! Where did she miss a leak?
"You shouldn't be so surprised, Hoshin-sama. Just because you own an extensive network of informers doesn't mean that others can't have it too. Honestly, greed is much more suitable to you than pride."
Anastasia glared at Roswaal, gripping her scarf as if looking for support from this piece of cloth. This clown was much more dangerous than she anticipated. Not only was he a genius mage, a skilled warrior, he also proved himself to be a schemer with privy eyes and ears in many places. She'll have to make some additional arrangements.
Finally, turning his head, Roswaal looked at Priscilla, who was looking at him haughtily.
"Of course, there is no way we can forget about you, Bariel-sama."
"I'm even curious to see if you have the recklessness and stupidity to tell me something similar?" She said threateningly, but with a vicious smile. She was happy to take the challenge.
"Wouldn't you agree with me? Isn't your participation in these elections the result of the fact that previously you were too weak to win the most important competition in your life? Will you argue with that, Benedict-sama-a-a?"
"Shut your dirty mouth!" Priscilla jumped up from her seat and menacingly moved towards the magician. Ram wanted to stand up to shield her master, but he stopped her in time.
Coming within striking distance, the baroness delivered a powerful kick to the margrave's contented face. Or at least she intended to do it before her shoe was stopped by the Warden's magical restraints a few centimeters from the target. As expected, even the goddess was not allowed to smite in this place.
"Roswaal-sama, why did you address Priscilla-sama as Benedict?" Otto decided to change the subject.
"It's just one of Bariel-sama's past surnames. She had several of them already." Roswaal replied calmly.
But he said it while looking the baroness straight in the eyes, letting her know that these words were a cease-fire proposal — he does not reveal further information about Priscilla's past, and she returns to the place.
With a contemptuous hiss, the fiery girl lowered her foot to the ground, disdainfully opened her fan in the margrave's direction, as if shaking off dust on it, and walked back to her chair. Al, who had been sitting in his seat all this time, sighed softly and with relief. He had long known that if the princess decided to punish someone herself, then the most sensible thing was not to get in her way and cover her back. In the meantime, the conflict could be considered settled. For now.
"As I said e-e-earlier, I do not see among the candidates those whose feelings and aspirations I could call stro-o-ng." Roswaal shrugged his shoulders triumphantly.
But after his features softened, he no longer resembled a creepy clown. Looking into Emilia's eyes again, he continued.
"Although, to be fair, I will say that Natsuki Subaru made me realize one thing. By changing, people can become stronger. And I wish to believe that you, Emilia-sama, are among those people. So far, this magical prison proved that you are capable of this."
Surprised by the sudden change in the assessment of her character, Emilia did not find what to say. So she just nodded lightly and turned back to the screen. When everyone turned their eyes to the same place, the viewing resumed.
Taking a pause, the magician calmed down slightly and continued in his usual tone:
"So I repeat it again. The advantage is still on my side. Even if one variable has changed, so what? You know, the bet won't be over as long as the key piece remains on the board.
"Don't look down on Emilia. She will no longer blindly obey you in everything and will be able to overcome everything!" Subaru warned him.
"As if she could. With no one to rely upon, she shall be crushed by her regrets. Her great hope that she can change will end in sorrow, and she shall cling to you in tears… That is what suits her." Roswaal said mockingly.
"So that is what you really thought about me back then, Roswaal?" Emilia asked coldly, but calmly, turning to her sponsor.
"Like I told you, you've gro-o-own since then, Emilia-sama. But if we are being honest, can you tell me that at that moment my assumptions about you were mispla-a-ased?"
Emilia pursed her lips, knowing that she couldn't counter that argument. "No, I cannot. But I do remember your expression when I showed you how wrong you were."
"Inde-e-eed, I must have looked like a fool at that moment."
"The more I listen to you, Roswaal, the more I feel a sense of gloating, seeing how really stupid you are, I suppose. Hundreds of years of memories. So much experience, talent and wisdom! But you were an impenetrable fool to the very end, in fact! Betty's Subaru figured out people around him better in a few days, than you did over the years of your manipulations!"
"Now we can simply sit and watch with pleasure as the Cap'n crushed all attempts of 'tis snake to snatch away the victory, jus' like Hoshin ruined Blodshield!" Garfiel announced, grinning from ear to ear.
"There ain't a woman out there suited to a crying face. Have you seen Emilia's face when she cries…? She's so awful at crying, I never want to see her do it again!"
Roswaal was not impressed by this speech. With a dismissive expression, he stated:
"She will be hurt. She will be ensnared. That is the destiny of a half-elf. That is the curse she bears for being born of the same bloodline as the Witch of Jealousy. It is inevitable for her to be despised as a Witch."
The clown's words made Subaru recall the scenes of meetings with Satella.
"Go to hell! What do you see in her from a Witch?! If you're gonna call that girl a Witch—! If that's what you all want, then you'll make that girl into a Witch, damn it!" This time it was Subaru's turn to speak in raised tones.
Subaru's words made some guests think about such a possibility. After seeing so much, they all knew that Emilia was a very caring and selfless person, ready to help anyone, even if those she helped didn't accept her. But what could happen if Subaru never arrived in their world or never joined her camp? Without his endless support, people would've kept insulting Emilia, calling her a witch a devil's spawn. And what if one day she would've snapped and decided to prove them right? She had the potential to create a disaster, as they already saw. Also, they saw how quickly she can lose her sanity if she thinks Subaru left her.
To make sure, he even grabbed Roswaal by the collar:
"Has even one person told her that it's all right?! That when you're sad, when you're suffering, that it's all right to cry?! And that if you can't wipe off the tears rolling down your cheeks, ask someone close to do it for you… That you have people who'll do that for you. Have even one of you said that to her?! If no one's gonna do it, I will. These feelings…this curse! You don't think there's any room for them ever-changing? We'll beat that right out of you!"
'I know, Subaru. I know you are that person I can always rely upon! And I love you for this. But after everything I saw, it's not enough for me anymore! I also want to be that person you won't hesitate to show your tears to. I also want to be near and wipe them off to show you that you are not alone.' Emilia thought with determination.
She knew she had a long way ahead of her to become a girl her knight will be ready to rely upon in any situation, be it a happy one, a dangerous or a sad one. But Subaru already taught her the most important lesson — to never give up as long as there is something she can do.
"Subaru-dono once again uttered a phrase much wiser than it might seem at first glance." Wilhelm drew the attention of the others.
"He finally learned how to use the power of emotions at the right moment and keep them under control. If he had behaved similarly on the day of the start of the elections, he would have looked much more persuasive." Julius noted approvingly.
He raised his hand and assumed his trademark pose, albeit in a more confident manner.
"My name is Natsuki Subaru! I am the knight of Emilia, the silver-haired half-elf!"
'Now you can do it, Subaru-dono. Now you're really ready to truly become her knight.' William thought proudly, rejoicing at how much the young man had grown literally before his eyes.
"You can laugh at me if you want, but this time, I must admit, Natsuki-kun looks rather manly, not comical, like the previous time." Anastasia said with a satisfied smile. These were the kinds of shows she liked.
"That's because right now we're looking at a completely different Natsuki Subaru than the one we met at the castle. Back then, he was a scared, insecure boy who did not understand how our world works and thought that with funny antics he could defuse any conflict. Now he is a fighter who knows what he wants and is ready to fight for it. Knowing how to achieve this, knowing that he has reliable allies on his side."
"You're right, Crusch-sama. It's regretful for me to admit, but from now on we are seeing not a boy, but a knight, nya." Felix agreed, spreading his hands, with fake sadness in his voice.
"Why is it regretful, Ferris?" The duchess did not understand his joke.
"Because it was much easier and more enjoyable to make fun of the old Subaru-kyun. And now he's all serious and confident. He even gathered enough courage to kiss his beloved girl. How can poor Ferris tease him now?"
Otto and Garfiel looked at each other with satisfaction. He lowered his hand and continued in a calmer tone.
"Emilia's coming, Roswaal. The girl you stubbornly believe to be weak is coming to cut off your last ray of hope."
"It looks like my calculation was completely justified, Natsuki Subaru."
"What?"
"You and I are alike. I mean this, in terms of bending ideals for those we cherish."
As if trying to give strength to Margrave's words, the images of his and Subaru's faces superimposed one on the other, creating a combination effect.
"Now that's just creepy!" Mimi shuddered from the effect on the screen.
"Reminds me of the abomination the maids created during the snow festival."
"Ugh…and here I finally managed to get rid of this image!" Al grimaced under his helmet.
'Were you feeling that lonely, Roswaal since you wanted Betty's Subaru to be like you so much? So desperately you wished to make him an accomplice so that you both would do anything for the women you both craved?'
"You believe in weakness, I believe in strength. This is the only thing we are really similar in." Subaru finished the conversation and turned away from his rival.
"This phrase is the key difference between Subaru-dono and margrave." Wilhelm noted an important detail. "Subaru-dono believes in the strength and potential of others, doing everything possible to help them open up and thereby become stronger. Others around him feel this and therefore are attracted to him, even if they are initially opposed to him. As a result, he managed to gather a team of outstanding characters around him and turned Emilia-sama from just a nominal candidate for the throne into a real one who has a real chance to succeed."
"While the margrave, who was sure that weakness is at the head of everything, because he considers himself weak, quickly found himself alone and outnumbered." Crusch picked up his thought, carefully examining Roswaal on the screen. "All this time he tried to hinder the development of others in every possible way so that they do not become stronger. So that they don't confront him and his beliefs with their own personal growth."
"Just like Great Spirit Puck did!" Frederica noticed the similarity of approaches.
"I think Great Spirit Puck was simply an overbearing parent that didn't want his daughter to grow and face any difficulties."
"Let's go." He said to his companions. The three of them left the house.
"Stubborn jerk!" Subaru's voice rang out.
[Screen title: The beginning of the Sanctuary and the Roswaal]
The scene shifted to Emilia, who was still sitting on the floor in the Trial room. After she cleaned herself up and got to her feet, she slapped her cheeks.
"That's it. I'm ready now." She said confidently and went to the exit.
On the way, she touched the hairpin that she got from Mother Fortuna. Outside, she was surprised to find that only Ram was waiting for her at the exit.
"Welcome back, Emilia-sama." The maid greeted her with an elegant bow.
The screen went dark, marking the end of the episode.
"And tha's my amazin' self's Cap'n! No old clown can deal with him!" Garfiel declared proudly.
"Nee-sama was waiting for Emilia-sama at the exit? I was sure that she would be with him until the very end." Rem nodded her head in the direction of the margrave, fundamentally refusing to call him by name or title.
"You shouldn't be so harsh toward your sister, Rem. Ram that day, inspired by Subaru's actions, decided to fulfill her dream. To make it real, she needed to talk to me." Emilia explained to the maid.
"About what?" Felt asked curiously.
"Ram asked me not to let Roswaal fall into despair and help her save him. At that moment, I did not understand at all what was wanted from me. But I have committed to give my best!"
"And you handled my request brilliantly, Emilia-sama. For which you received my sincere devotion." Ram decided to support her mistress.
"Damn, when will there be fights?! Mimi was promised that Garf would deal with the creepy lady!" The young mercenary was indignant.
"Patience, Mimi. I'm sure everything will be shown in due time. But before that you can see for yourself, the secrets of the universe are revealed to ordinary mortals." Ricardo jokingly besieged her.
"Who needs these stupid secrets?! Not like we learned anything out of it! Let's see the fights! The feisty girl persisted.
"The little one is right! It's time for my amazin'self to show what I'm capable of. Now if I remember correctly we started preparing to depart in the mansion right after talking with this snake!"
"Let's continue then. I want to finally reach the finish line." Al urged the others.
Having reached a consensus, the audience began to wait for the next episode to turn on.
