Chapter 9: Spirit of Avarice
"Well, Cap'n, I'll admit my amazin' self wasn't expectin' ya t' just go an' multiply again. Or t' run into that bitch, fer that matter!"
Garfiel led them back to the mansion. Despite appearing calm with his hands behind his head, it was quite obvious that he was constantly on the lookout for the chance that Elsa would come and threaten them again.
"Trust me, Garf, I was the one who least expected this to happen when I took that walk outside."
Garfiel laughed. "Ha! I only wish my amazin' self was with ya. Hell, even now I really wanna go an' search fer that bitch."
The other two Subarus followed them wordlessly. Or rather, [Greed Subaru] did.
"I don't think even you would be able to catch up to her now, Garf," said the king.
Garfiel looked back at [Lust Subaru] dismissively. Thus far, he had not spoken a word to the other Subarus, even though he seemed very interested in doing so.
"Yer not my Cap'n, so don't go an' try speakin' like y' are." But after those harsh words, Garfiel sighed and looked back. "…But I guess yer outfit's kinda cool…"
The king's eyes brightened, and he jumped to hug the teen. "Garf! Seeing this tsundere side of you is such a new experience!"
"Bah! Don't even try that, ya bastard!"
Both Subarus laughed at Garfiel as his face went red. He ignored them and kept walking forward.
"Still. 'F that bitch even dares t' try an' show her face here again, I'll be more than ready bash her head in."
"Well, with any luck, hopefully you won't have to."
Garfiel stopped and turned around, surprised. The others were too—it was the first thing [Greed Subaru] had said since they began their walk to the mansion.
Garfiel didn't bother responding. He just narrowed his eyes and harrumphed, ignoring him. [Greed Subaru] continued walking, unbothered.
At the very least, this killed any chance of future small talk. The four continued walking silently toward the mansion, finally emerging from the forest, until a trio of figures appeared in their vision.
"Subaru!"
"Emilia-tan!"
Making incredible leaps that easily put [Lust Subaru]'s earlier ones to shame, Emilia landed in front of them.
"Subaru, are you alright? Were you hurt? Your older brother told me Elsa appeared out of nowhere!" Emilia worriedly inspected him like a distressed mother.
"I'm fine, Emilia-tan. Also, that guy is not my older brother. I'm weirdly proud of being an only child, so please don't say that again."
Emilia finally seemed to notice the other two Subarus.
"Ah... there really are two more of you..." It was obvious she was a bit uncertain, if not disturbed by this fact. Subaru wondered what exactly Emilia thought about the situation.
"Subaru!" Beatrice's familiar voice rang out. She ran eagerly with her dress lifted slightly to move faster. Behind her, [Sloth Subaru] also ran, wheezing a little from exhaustion after marathoning from the mansion and back.
"It's unbelievable that you leave Betty for just a moment and get into danger! Really, Betty's contractor is so troublesome, I suppose." Beatrice puffed out her cheeks but still hugged him tightly.
Subaru hugged her back as [Sloth Subaru] moved closer and slapped him on the back.
"So, the rest of the cavalry has arrived. Looks like we were late for any action, though."
"Don't worry, even by the time Garfiel arrived, it was already over," Subaru said.
Garfiel took the opportunity to speak again. "Don't sweat it too much, princess. Th' bitch was already long gone by th' time my amazin' self got here. An' 'f she comes again, then y' bet she won't sneak us past again."
Emilia nodded, though her focus was still clearly on the two Subarus.
[Sloth Subaru] moved past the hugging spirit and contractor to the king. "Good job on your little mission."
"Thanks, though I think I was barely more than a taxi service…"
[Sloth Subaru] grinned but then seemed to relax, like he had finally exhaled a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. "Still, she's gone…"
[Sloth Subaru] trembled but quickly regained his poise. He turned to face [Greed Subaru, who had still not spoken to any of the new arrivals.
"Now, I believe we haven't been introduced. My name is [Natsuki Subaru]. It looks like you caused us a bit of trouble, so I'll be sure to cause you a little bit of trouble in return."
[Greed Subaru] eyed the hand [Sloth Subaru] presented to him before grabbing it and squeezing it firmly.
"It's a pleasure. Hey, this is just a formality at this point, but could you answer this for me?" [Sloth Subaru] looked at him quizzically. [Greed Subaru] smiled. "In the constellation Orion, which star is the brightest?"
[Sloth Subaru] blinked before giving a wide smile and striking one of his signature poses.
"Hah, joke's on you! Even when I'm old and senile, that's a name I won't forget! After all, it's the name of the star that gave my son his name—Rigel!" His gloating made him miss the way [Greed Subaru] flinched.
"I guess I should introduce these guys, huh." Subaru broke from his hug and gestured to the newcomers.
"Well, Emilia-tan, Beako. These are [Natsuki Subaru] and… [Natsuki Subaru]." The way he introduced the two made Beatrice and Garfiel snicker, but Emilia was too focused to laugh.
"Um, I know this is probably reaaaaally confusing and terrifying for you right now, but I hope we can get along!"
Emilia bowed awkwardly to the two men. They were ready to introduce themselves, but Subaru interrupted.
"Oh, I forgot!" He jumped in between them. "Emilia-tan! And Beako too! Stay away from this womanizer!"
Before they had a chance to react, [Sloth Subaru] joined the fun, quickly pushing himself away from the king and acting distraught.
"Ah, me too, I almost forgot! This man is dangerous! Don't ever let your guard down around him!"
"Hey, guys, c'mon… Don't say those baseless things about me… haha…"
Seeing Emilia and Beatrice looking bewildered was one thing, but the king could not bear the gazes of Garfiel and [Greed Subaru] too.
"Not you guys too…" He took a step forward, but everyone instinctively stepped back.
And so, with the cruel smiles of two of his counterparts and the wary, somewhat disgusted gazes of everyone else, the king despaired as they made their way to the mansion.
"When I said I wouldn't care if you were a king, I didn't expect one to show up immediately!"
Rigel screamed with a mixture of amazement and anger. While the other members of the dining room didn't voice their opinions as loudly as him, they all felt the same way. It had already been a great undertaking to get everyone seated in a calm manner, but nevertheless, both the newcomers and all the residents of the mansion had gathered to dine—minus the maids who were still in the kitchen.
"You know, Natsuki-san, when the two of you went outside, I definitely didn't expect you to end up duplicating. We'll have to make sure not to let you all frolic in the courtyard again, or else we might end up with eight of you next time!"
"It's certainly an extraordinary situation if even Otto is making fun of us…" Subaru said.
"That's right… How scandalous, being outdone by Otto in wits, even momentarily…" [Sloth Subaru] shook his head in disappointment. "Well, now that there are four of us, I hope you're ready for a fourfold attack, young man."
"Eh? Wait, that's not what I wanted!"
Otto cried out pathetically as the smiles of the gathered Subarus grew more wicked, each one plotting their evil schemes against him. Even [Lust Subaru, who had thus far tried to avoid any more slights against himself, eagerly jumped at the thought of bullying Otto.
Only [Greed Subaru] didn't join in. He stayed on the sidelines, watching the scene with something akin to curiosity.
"Hmph. Even if more appear, Betty doubts we'll end up with eight Subarus, I suppose."
Sitting on her contractor's lap, Beatrice voiced her opinion.
"I don't know how to feel about all of you tempting fate like that."
Everyone turned to the unexpected speaker. Because of how often his voice was silent, hearing [Greed Subaru] actually speak still warranted a reaction.
"Still, I'm… glad to see that everyone is… happy."
The way he melancholically glanced at them was not missed by Otto. If the other members of the room noticed it, they made no effort to point it out. Respectfully, he did the same.
Luckily, the ensuing awkwardness didn't last long, as Frederica arrived at the head of the maids, carrying their collection of dishes.
"I, for one, must admit that I'm elated to be serving royalty. I would have never dreamed of such a thing," she giggled while placing the dishes on the table. "Except, of course, when Emilia-sama eventually becomes monarch."
Like the rest of the room, Frederica was quick to touch on their new arrivals. Currently, only two subjects were on everyone's minds. The first, naturally, was that there were now four Subarus, but after that, the fact that one of them was supposedly a king was the most exciting thing to talk about.
"Ha! No matter how ya dress th' Majira, it's still a Majira!" Garfiel bared his fangs at his sister's declaration. "That ain't my Cap'n, but it's still just th' Cap'n. No need t' treat 'im like anythin' else."
"I certainly wish there was another way you could have said that, but you're quite right, Garf. I doubt anything could get me to treat Subaru-sama differently," she said. Then, she turned to her young apprentice. "Petra, careful with those plates."
"Um, yeah, sorry, Frederica-neesama," Petra bowed in apology as she carefully followed behind her. Frederica didn't press her further. She couldn't blame her for having her head in the clouds at [Lust Subaru]'s earlier declaration, just like Rigel had been.
"You all make a fuss over nothing. We are reaching an apocalyptic number of Barusus, and you just stand there with your mouths agape," Ram said as she stepped in, carrying a bowl full of her special (and only) dish, steamed potatoes.
Without any care for the seating arrangement, and having recovered her strength while preparing dinner, she moved with purpose toward one specific spot and placed her bowl of burning hot potatoes...
"Ouch! Hot, hot, hot!"
...right on the king's face.
"Ram heard how this unsightly Barusu had the gall to play with the hearts of both Rem and Emilia-sama."
Despite her calm composure, Ram's eyes betrayed something that could only be described as unparalleled rage.
"Ha ha… Hello to you too, Nee-sama—Ouch!"
This time, a burning hot steamed potato found its way into his hands. The king pitifully played the saddest game of hot potato before managing to drop it onto his plate.
"Disgusting. Not even anything to say for your crimes, Barusu?"
"Wait, Ram, I—Hmph!" Whatever the king had intended to say was cut short as yet another potato was lodged into his open mouth.
Seemingly satisfied with her last torture of the king, Ram moved past him and placed the bowl in the center of the table. As she removed her mittens, she spoke again.
"If Ram hadn't known that the poor Rem you strung along in your perverted clutches was pregnant, I would have taken the chance to exterminate this blight upon womankind."
"Pweh, pweh!" [Lust Subaru] finished spitting out the burning hot potato. "It's… It's a pleasure to meet you too, Ram."
"I've heard of soft kings, but you're the first one I've actually seen who gets trampled by a maid, Natsu—erm, your majesty," Otto quipped again.
"Well, I'm well used to it by now. In fact, it's refreshing. It's been a while since my Ram treated me like this," the king said, scratching the back of his head with a smile. Then he pointed at Subaru. "And you—you better get used to seeing this attitude for a while."
"Um, Subaru, what does he mean by that?" Emilia, surprisingly, was the first to respond, her words tinged with a hint of sadness.
"E-Emilia-tan! Um, that—well, it's—h-he's just messing with me!" Subaru stammered, mentally cursing the king.
"Our Barusu was already the enemy of all pure maidens. And now, even when there's a Barusu worse than him, it seems my namesake isn't doing her job properly!" Ram glared at Subaru and ignored his fumbling words as she headed toward the door.
"All things considered, you were probably lucky to get the best Barusu, Rem," she said to the woman who entered the room, carrying the last of the evening's dishes. "Although that's like saying you got the cleanest out of a den of swine."
"Thanks for the compliment, sister. My husband truly is amazing, isn't he?" Rem smiled at her sister's backhanded compliment, seemingly unbothered by either her sister's words or the fact they were now referring to each other as husband and wife again.
To her husband, however, the most notable thing was her new—or rather, old—attire.
"Woah! M-my dear wife! Y-your old maid uniform!"
Rem giggled at her husband's excitement and spun around for him, plates still in hand. She dexterously placed the dishes on the table and leaned in to kiss [Sloth Subaru].
"I'm glad you like it, darling," Rem said after ending the kiss. "Rem had stopped wearing it for a long time, so she was afraid these old uniforms wouldn't look nice. I'm glad you like it."
[Sloth Subaru] looked downcast for a moment, but the feeling disappeared in a blink, replaced by genuine happiness. "Like it? I love it!" He reached out, grabbed her waist, and lifted her high, spinning her around.
"Mom, Dad! Calm down already!" Rigel said, embarrassed. He kept glancing at the others, clearly flustered by the show his parents were putting on.
"Oh yeah? Let them watch and feel envious at the strength of our bond!" [Sloth Subaru] said as he brought her down into a hug, which Rem quickly reciprocated. He looked at his counterparts and stuck out his tongue. Most of them, along with the rest of the room, smiled and laughed at the display of affection, except for Emilia, who wore a slightly sad expression, and [Greed Subaru, who kept his neutral gaze focused entirely on them—or rather, on Rem.
But he wasn't the one [Sloth Subaru] was wary of.
"Ah, my wife! Be very careful! That guy over there," he said, pointing at [Lust Subaru, "is a dangerous man who has been leading an alternate version of you along at his every whim!"
Rem glanced over at the king, and he hoped she would show him some leniency.
"Oh, my dear husband, how terrible!" Alas, he had no such luck. "To play with the heart of that poor maiden… Rem can't even imagine such a horrible thing!" She exclaimed while throwing herself into her husband's chest, who stroked her head calmly. Both of them wore obvious smirks.
"At least try to hide the sarcasm!" [Lust Subaru] groaned in frustration at how his reputation kept getting dragged through the mud. "Just you wait—when my [Rem] arrives, we'll blow even your lovey-dovey act out of the water!"
Again, most of the room couldn't help but smile at the pleasant atmosphere. Just as everyone was about to settle down and eat, a frail yet loud voice broke through.
"U-um…" It was Petra, with a worried expression on her face. "Suba—erm, Mister…" Every Subaru turned to look at her. "…Are you… why are you crying?"
Petra's words caused everyone in the room to follow her gaze, and there they saw [Greed Subaru]. His face was the same as they had always seen it—cold, neutral, with his eyes still fixed on Rem.
But just as Petra had said, it was betrayed by the slow trickle of tears running down his face.
"H-huh?" The man himself seemed to snap out of his thoughts when everyone looked at him. "What are you…" He felt a drop of water reach his hand. He traced it back to his chin, feeling the small flow of tears running down his cheeks, his eyes unable to stop them from flowing.
"I'm… crying?" [Greed Subaru] asked to no one. "I'm… crying… Why am I crying?"
He looked lost, as if he couldn't believe what he was doing. He tried to wipe away the tears, only for more to follow. Nothing seemed to stop the steady stream of tears.
"Why? After so long, I don't— I shouldn't—w-why… Rem…"
"…" No one could gather the will to say anything to him. However, Subaru understood what he was going through. [Greed Subaru] had only lost his composure after seeing Rem enter the room, and he could relate. When he had first seen and heard Rem speak again, he had wanted nothing more than to break down and cry like a baby.
He turned to see [Sloth Subaru]. The man looked back, just as conflicted, but he seemed to understand what had happened—and what needed to be done.
"Rem, I'm sorry to ask, but could you please—?" [Sloth Subaru] began to speak to his wife, but she silenced him by placing a finger on his lips.
"It's alright, Subaru-kun." She stood up, taking his hand. "You're such a handful in every world, aren't you, my dear husband?"
"I can't deny that," [Sloth Subaru] muttered to himself as he followed her. They both walked around the table to where [Greed Subaru] was sitting, still futilely trying to hold back his tears.
"R-Rem?" He finally looked up. She leaned in slightly, raising his head so he looked at her through his teary eyes.
"Yes, this is Rem. Rem is here."
"Rem… No—but you…"
Rem smiled bitterly but continued, wiping some of the tears from his eyes.
"That's right. Sorry, but this Rem is not your [Rem]." Before [Greed Subaru] could respond, she spoke again, louder. "But this Rem is still willing to lend an ear, her voice, and, hopefully, be your friend."
[Greed Subaru] stared at her, mouth hanging open. He stood silent for a few moments, then the dam broke.
"Rem! Rem! I'm— I'm so sorry!" [Greed Subaru] cried his heart out. Rem turned to her husband, and with his approval, reached out her free hand to the crying man, who wept into it.
"I'm sorry! I—I failed you…" Despite his sobbing, the words came out, strained and full of sorrow. "I was supposed to be your hero… and yet…"
He released her hand and used both of his to clutch the pendant around his neck. His sobbing eased, and his breath grew steadier, though his tears kept falling and his face twisted further in sadness. Still, he finally raised his tear-filled eyes to meet Rem's and mouthed a choked "Thank you."
While holding his pendant, he explained, "Rem—my Rem, she… I failed her…" His grip tightened, his knuckles turning white.
Rem looked at him sadly, seeing the reflection of the long days of tears her own husband had endured. It pained her to know how much these Subarus had suffered because of her counterparts' weakness, even if it wasn't her fault. She still felt some responsibility.
But she wasn't alone. Just as he had done many times before, her husband gripped her hand in reassurance. He stepped forward and knelt next to his crying self.
"Your Rem… What… what happened to her?" he asked with trepidation. He glanced at the other two Subarus, who were already moving closer, eager to help, while the rest of the room remained frozen in shock.
This time [Greed Subaru] released his hold on the pendant. He straightened up but kept his fists clenched, the tears still flowing. "My Rem… she was attacked by the Witch Cult. And she… and she…"
"Is in a coma?"
[Greed Subaru's] eyes widened, his tears momentarily stopping. After struggling to finish his sentence, hearing someone else say it for him was a true surprise. He turned to look at Subaru and instantly understood what he meant.
"Y-you too?"
Subaru nodded slowly. "Yes. The Sleeping Beauty Disease, they call it." [Greed Subaru] winced at the mention of the curse that had befallen his Rem.
Subaru moved closer and knelt next to Rem. They exchanged weak smiles, and Subaru placed a hand on his counterpart's shoulder.
"Listen, I know exactly how you feel. The pain of not being able to save her. The despair, the helplessness." Subaru recalled the suffocating feeling he had experienced. "But if you're also me, then I know you're fighting to bring her back, right?"
[Greed Subaru] gave a faint smile. "Yes. I am."
"Excellent!" Subaru stood upright. "Well, it's good to have someone working toward the same goal. All of us here are trying to help, so why don't we help each other out, huh?"
Subaru extended his hand, and [Greed Subaru] grasped it firmly with a chuckle. "Yes. That's exactly what I want."
They shook hands, and [Greed Subaru] turned to Rem. "And thank you for trying to help me." Then to [Sloth Subaru, "And thank you for letting her."
Rem smiled brightly. "Rem's glad she could be of help, Subaru-san." [Sloth Subaru] crossed his arms and looked away. "Hmph. Crying like a baby while holding my wife's hand…" But he turned and smiled. "Still… I'm glad you're okay now."
[Greed Subaru] wiped his tears and idly fiddled with his pendant. He then pulled it off, glanced at it one last time, pocketed it, and stood up. "Sorry." The others gave him space as he addressed the room.
"Sorry for showing you all that. I didn't expect to cry again, especially not like that." He adjusted his shirt collar and bowed. "Thank you. Thank you for offering your help in this strange situation. I promise to do my best to help you too."
The room collectively relaxed. Though nothing dangerous had occurred, everyone had been tense and unsure how to handle [Greed Subaru's] breakdown.
So, it was a surprise when Emilia stood up to address them. Maybe it was because they were other versions of Subaru, or maybe just because of her kind heart, but she felt compelled to help.
"Um, I think I should speak to everyone." She cleared her throat and looked around. "I know this whole situation is really confusing, and some of you might be worried or have things to do in your homes. You're probably lonely, separated from your friends and families." A flash of sadness crossed her face, but she quickly pushed it away. "So, I want to give you my word: we'll try to find a way to return you to your worlds. A-and if we find any of your friends, we'll help them too!" She clutched her pendant, where Puck slept. "Of course, if any bad people followed you from your worlds—or any from our world—we promise to protect you!"
The image of Elsa flashed through everyone's minds. Garfiel stood up as well. "That's right! 'F that bitch or anyone tries t' lay a hand on ya, my amazin' self'll be there t' bash 'em t' th' ground!"
Otto tried to calm the young man, but [Greed Subaru] laughed before he could.
"Yes, thank you, Garf…" He hesitated but continued. "Thank you, Emilia, and thank you, everyone."
[Greed Subaru] bowed once more, then smiled. Subaru wasn't sure if the rest of the room or the other Subarus noticed, but it seemed like the first genuine smile [Greed Subaru] had given.
"Now, I'm starving and would really like to sit down and eat. What do you all say?"
And so, almost miraculously, they managed to have a normal dinner after all.
Especially [Greed Subaru, who enjoyed his food for the first time in a long, long while.
"Oh man, that was wonderful. I've never eaten so many of my favorite dishes at once!" Subaru patted his belly in satisfaction.
"Saying that after gorging on my wife's cooking..." [Sloth Subaru] grumbled in dissatisfaction.
The four Subarus had made their way out from the rest of the party. But they weren't going to discuss the important matters they wanted to address just yet. Rather, they were accompanying one of their own to his room.
"Really, this remote room is one I'd like to give to his royal womanizer… I was a bit surprised you wanted to take it."
[Lust Subaru] didn't respond to the jab this time, as he was carefully keeping an eye on [Greed Subaru].
"Yeah. And after that stunt you pulled, are you sure you're alright?"
[Greed Subaru] smiled at the king's concern. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I've never felt better." He stretched out his arms. "In fact... I can make it the rest of the way myself. You guys don't need to worry, I know this place like the back of my hand."
"Hey, after that whole scene at dinner, I wouldn't say you're completely alright." [Sloth Subaru] reached out toward him.
"Is that so? Didn't you also cry when you met your children just today?"
"You heard that, huh? I was considerate and didn't say anything because I thought you were just thinking things over. Turns out you were silent just to listen in on all our talks."
Despite amounting to nothing more than a bit of small talk at the dinner table, [Greed Subaru] had picked up on that fact, and many others, simply by listening while eating. All things considered, it was an impressive feat, especially since he had been crying just moments before.
But it didn't do much to ease the suspicion the others had toward him. The other Subarus still remembered all too well how he had seemingly ended his own life multiple times for no apparent reason.
Subaru stomped over and shook him by the shoulders. "Listen, I'll leave you alone, but if I come by in the morning and find out you did something stupid, I'll have everyone in the mansion kick your ass in punishment, got it?" To emphasize his point, the other two cracked their knuckles behind him.
Nevertheless, [Greed Subaru] remained unfazed. "Don't worry. After everything, I wouldn't do something stupid like that for no reason. Trust me."
Subaru still seemed unconvinced but reluctantly released him. "Alright. I'll trust you. But don't disappoint me. I know Natsuki Subaru doesn't exactly have a great track record of keeping promises."
He moved past him and hooked the king's head under his arm. "Come on. I'll personally escort this dangerous guy to make sure he doesn't do anything wrong." Subaru led the king away, and [Sloth Subaru] moved to follow, but he lingered a moment longer.
"Hey, this isn't just about your breakdown earlier or… or even about you dying or anything." The father struggled with his words. "Er, that is to say… Just take care, alright?"
[Greed Subaru] blinked in surprise before smiling again. "Thank you. Don't worry, I will."
Still uncertain, but not knowing what else to do, [Sloth Subaru] sighed and left. [Greed Subaru] waited until he was out of sight before letting his smile drop, his face returning to its default 'dead' expression. Mechanically, he turned and made his way toward his chosen room.
He moved silently and adeptly. He hadn't lied when he said he knew the mansion like the back of his hand. He reached his room in no time and locked the door.
The room was unremarkable, notable only for being in the farthest corridor away from where everyone else stayed. [Greed Subaru] took off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt collar.
Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pendant. He held it between his fingers and stared at it in silence for a full minute.
"Why..." Then, something appeared in his eyes—an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time.
"Why..." He began to shake. It was a burning feeling, but it wasn't hatred. Even now, he still knew what hate was, and he made sure to show it whenever he faced his archnemesis, the Witch's Cult.
"Why..." No, this was anger. He hadn't truly experienced it in a long time. While it was nice not to succumb to its wrathful influence as often as before, it was actually a bit annoying having to fake his anger.
"Why..." After so long, it was impossible for him to stop his anger from taking control.
"WHY!" He let the pendant drop from his fingers, then slammed it against the wall with his other hand. "Echidna!"
He pushed harder. The stone pressed into his flesh, but he didn't relent. He gripped the stone tightly and punched the wall this time. "Answer me!"
"My, there's no way I could answer such a vague question, y'know~?" Her voice echoed in his head. If she was trying to sound mocking, she succeeded.
"Don't play coy!" he grunted. "Everything is better! You see it too, don't you? Otto, he's still here!" The image of the merchant cheerily interacting with everyone flashed through his mind.
"Frederica too. She and Garf were talking to each other normally. Like siblings!" Garfiel's fury and his vow to not see his sister until he became the strongest were things he would never forget. Yet here, they talked and laughed like nothing was wrong.
"Emilia! She's fine! She's normal! Like—like…" Like before, he thought instead of speaking. It was pointless; the witch could sense his thoughts too.
"And... and Beatrice. Beako..." he said her name as his fury waned. "She was... happy. Happy..." Beatrice laughing, hugging her Subaru, dutifully holding his hand whenever she could. Making snide remarks at the dinner table, and even cracking jokes! Sitting next to her contractor, to her Subaru, smiling. Had he ever seen her smile so widely before?
"And Rem..." The urge to cry hit him again. Rem had been there. He had heard her voice and even held her hand after so long. And their kids. His kids. His and Rem's. They were wonderful. And yet, the only feeling they brought him at that moment was pain.
"Are you done?" Echidna's voice echoed in his mind. Only then did he realize he had dropped to his knees. "As you should know by now, if you truly want answers, you should come here and talk to me."
He turned his hand over. He had gripped the stone so tightly it had started to cut into his skin. Once more, he held it between his fingers. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them, he was standing in the eternal field of greed.
There, on a small hill, the Witch of Greed sat on her chair, calmly sipping her tea. Despite his burning anger, [Greed Subaru] walked up the hill and sat down, just as he always did. He could tell she was planning to be serious this time—there was no cup of tea prepared for him. At least they could skip that part of their routine.
He waited patiently until Echidna finished her tea and placed the cup down. She folded her hands on the table. "So, do you want me to answer all your concerns at once, or would you rather ask them one by one?"
"Concerns?" He managed through gritted teeth. "Is that what you want to call it?"
Echidna said nothing, her smile unchanged. He huffed and met her gaze. "Why..." She raised an eyebrow, waiting. "Why is everyone happy?"
The way he said it made it sound almost accusatory, as if they weren't supposed to be happy.
"Why... what did he do differently?" The world that Natsuki Subaru had managed to create was so much happier than the one he had. Despite the fact that Subaru didn't seem to have made a contract with Echidna at all.
"He managed to keep things like this all on his own... So what was the need for you in the first place!?" He let his anger flare up again.
"So, this is what it's about," she said, as if she didn't already know. "You're of the opinion that things could've gone better if you hadn't taken the contract with me. I thought we had settled this discussion long ago."
"Answer the question," he demanded.
"Hmph." Echidna looked away as she spoke. "Even if you're angry, that's no way to speak to your companion of so long, is it?" But then she turned back, her ever-present smile returning with her. "But if you're so eager for answers, I'll give them to you, just as I always have."
She placed a finger on her teacup and began to draw circles around its rim. "You speak of happiness, but haven't I already said this enough? Everyone will be happy in the end."
She reiterated her philosophy—a philosophy that [Greed Subaru] had once shared with her completely. It was this philosophy that had led him down this path, a path paved with hundreds of millions of deaths. A philosophy that told him that, as long as there was life, happiness could be sacrificed.
"But here, everyone was saved! And everyone is happy! This is obviously a better result than the one you gave me!"
"Is it?" Echidna's smile twisted further. "I don't believe it is."
"It is," [Greed Subaru] growled, but Echidna simply waved her hand dismissively.
"Then allow me to refute your claim. Come on, tell me why you think this is a 'better result.'"
He didn't flinch at her challenge. "Fine, I'll give you one. Otto. He's still here. He didn't leave me—us. And he's happy! He wasn't dissatisfied and didn't leave at the first opportunity!"
Echidna's smile remained unchanged. "Happy? Well, I disagree." Before [Greed Subaru] could object, she continued. "Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying the Otto we saw at dinner was unhappy. Far from it."
She paused, as if giving him a chance to respond, but when he didn't, she carried on. "All I'm saying is that you seem to misunderstand Otto's current happiness as something final. Otto's wish was to run his own store, right? Do you think he's on the path to achieving that here?"
"I don't think anything here will prevent him from achieving it in the future. At worst, it might delay him. It could even help him." He tried to counter her point, but she shook her head.
"And leaving you wouldn't impede his dream either. In fact, he might even get back to it sooner, with the funds he's earned here to help him." By the way [Greed Subaru's] eyes narrowed, Echidna knew he understood her point. "Whether he stays or leaves, it's irrelevant. You say he's happy here, but our Otto could just as easily be happy elsewhere, working toward his dream. Not to mention, staying with us would involve a clear risk to his safety."
He broke eye contact, lowering his head. "I wouldn't let anything happen to him."
"And you'd say the same for anyone else. But that doesn't negate my point."
He grunted in frustration, unable to refute her. But his anger still simmered, and he had more to argue. Echidna sensed it. "So, what else do you want to discuss?"
He clenched his fist in anger again. "Well, you still haven't answered my first question." His cold, furious gaze met hers once more. "I made that contract to save everyone. Even if it meant sacrificing their happiness, I managed to save them. But if the other option meant not only that they lived but that they were happy too, then what was the point of our contract in the first place?!"
Breathing heavily, [Greed Subaru] let his anger flare. But once more, Echidna remained unfazed. She took a sip from her teacup before placing it back down. Then, with her eyes still closed, she spoke two words.
"Elsa died."
Those two words were enough to stop his thoughts in their tracks.
"Elsa wasn't saved. You heard it from their mouths. Elsa fought, and Garfiel killed her."
[Greed Subaru] was at a complete loss for words. He couldn't even muster a murmur in response. A part of him, still boiling with rage, wanted to dismiss Elsa's death.
But even though Elsa had been an enemy, he had saved her. She had become one of the people he was determined to protect. Even as an assassin, she was part of their camp.
But this Subaru had failed to save her. He couldn't blame the other Subaru for that decision, but it left him without an argument.
Echidna seized the opportunity to press her point. "And besides, this 'world' of ours takes place in the past. The events at Pristella haven't happened yet, have they?"
He blinked in realization. She was right. He had deduced as much from the small but informative conversations at the dinner table but had pushed the thought aside.
"Tell me, do you truly believe this Subaru and his friends will be able to defend the city without a single casualty?" She scoffed. "Even if they perform exceptionally, even if they get lucky, such a thing is impossible."
The battle at Pristella was his masterpiece. A city infiltrated by three Sin Archbishops had been defended without a single casualty—no allies, no citizens. And they had dealt a significant blow to the Witch Cult.
But it had come at the cost of countless deaths on his part. Not uncountable, though. He knew the witch had kept a tally, even if he had long since lost interest to know it at this point.
Still, it didn't change the fact that he had succeeded, just as Echidna said.
Echidna reached across the table and lifted his head so their eyes met again. Her eyes, usually neutral and amused, now shone with frustration.
"So," she began, "you find fault with my methods. I've told you many times that the results at the end will be the right ones. But seeing these alternate versions of yourself has weakened your resolve. So let me help you understand."
She continued, "You can feel all the pity you want for our Garfiel and how he has denied speaking to his family until he deems himself strong enough, but those childish ambitions will wane with age and maturity."
"Are you worried about how Ram acted all comfortable with this Subaru? It is truly a useless thing to even lose head around. She only acts that way because it's demanded of her by Roswaal and Emilia. If you were to ask her to, she would return to speaking to you like normal."
"Oh, and there's the half-devil. Were you really so impressed by that pitiful little speech she gave? Did you not notice how much difficulty she had doing so? How she continued to send sad glances to you, Rem, and all those other Subarus? She may have more strength than your doll at the moment, but there's no fault in that. You are her strength for now, but when the time is right you will not only allow her to find her own strength, and of course, you'll do so while accomplishing all of her wishes. What else do you find fault in her for? If you want her hair to be just like before, just ask her to grow it back and she'll do it for you."
"And Beatrice. Well, my child is indeed a stubborn one. It was that stubbornness that chained her to the Forbidden Library for so long after all, but trust me, with time and effort, that stubbornness will fade, and she will thank you and hold your hand just as you saw."
"But of course, there's Rem. That was quite unfair of you to blame her state on me, when we hadn't even met yet. If it's not obvious, both you and the other Subaru had their Rem's fall to the Sleeping Beauty disease, and that the 'you' who became a father did so by running away. The antithesis of what we've worked towards. Oh, and that 'you' who is a king, his path is truly interesting. But it's also undoubtedly different from yours. It would be, once again, unfair to compare our situations."
Echidna seemed amused by how [Greed Subaru] managed to keep his eyes on her while she spoke, even though those eyes were filled with despair.
"Are you still unsure of the path you've taken? Have you forgotten our creed? You've preserved the most important thing: life. As long as there's life, there's a future. If there's a future, there's hope. If there's hope, there are possibilities. And if there are possibilities, then people will be saved."
[Greed Subaru] was stunned by her declaration, the words they had repeated over and over as they worked together. For the first time, Echidna's smile faded, and she became serious.
"So, do you wish to sever our contract after all?"
Her words snapped him out of his stupor. "H-huh?"
Echidna narrowed her eyes. "Isn't that what this has been leading to? You've come here, full of fury, questioning the validity of our contract, demanding that we end it."
[Greed Subaru] blinked, dumbfounded by her confident and sour expression. Then, the last thing she expected happened. He smiled.
"Really, for someone who claims to be so smart, you can be pretty stupid sometimes, huh?"
"E-eh?"
"Of course I don't want to end our contract." He said, his tone now holding the upper hand. Echidna was completely caught off guard by his declaration, just as she had been by his sudden change in demeanor.
"Actually, I've been thinking something similar, but not in the way you think. I was going to ask if you're still willing to uphold the contract."
"Oh?" It was a rare moment where the Witch of Greed was on the back foot in a conversation.
"After all, it seems I won't be able to loop at my leisure anymore. I certainly don't understand how It works now, but I believe that even if I could, it would be impossible to do so without the others putting a stop to me. Besides, it would be counterproductive to do so anyway. But that means no more looping. And so there would be more reason for you to continue our partnership."
Echidna maintained her poker face, but [Greed Subaru] didn't care and continued.
"You may have lost some of your interest in me because of this, but don't get it wrong—I still need your help. It's just as you said. The other [Subaru's] couldn't save the situation at Pristella like I did. And there are many more things that could and will happen. I'm still maintaining what I want to do. I'm not letting those things come to pass with casualties unless I can prevent them. I saved everyone once, and I intend to do so again."
He looked up at her. The eyes that had burned with anger just moments before were still ablaze, but now with conviction.
"I do have the knowledge of the future I've already experienced, but I'll still need your help. So, seeing as you apparently also wish to keep our contract standing, will you be willing to help me?"
Echidna had regained her composure and smile. But for the first time in a while, she laughed heartily.
"And here I was, planning to go as far as prostrating myself on the ground to ask you to maintain the contract."
"That's a very different reaction from what you were letting on!"
Echidna seemed to relax in her chair. Somehow, they had both managed to trick each other without really trying.
"Have you not considered the situation we're in? Multiple versions of yourself and others, as well as moving to a completely different past. Forget prostrating—I would've kissed your feet for the chance to be part of this upcoming journey."
Despite the lingering anger that [Greed Subaru] still felt, he couldn't help but smile at her declaration.
"Very well, so we're still in this together." Even if it wasn't entirely genuine, a calmer atmosphere had settled between them. But Echidna wasn't done yet.
"There's one more thing." The somber tone of her voice made it seem as though she was afraid. "It's something I've refrained from telling you, but with the appearance of these other versions of you, it no longer makes sense to keep it to myself. It concerns the identity of 'That Person.'"
[Greed Subaru] was intrigued. "That guy Beako was supposed to give the library to?"
Echidna nodded. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "Yes. Before, it seemed unimportant, as it stopped having any relevance... but that's not entirely the truth. I refrained from telling you because if I had, you would have never forgiven me."
She looked regretful—not because of what she had to say, but because she had to say it.
"If I tell you, you'll want to curse me like never before. You'll cry, wail, and despair over every moment we've been under contract, wishing you'd never signed it, before spitting on me and breaking it."
[Greed Subaru] was once again impressed by her harsh words. "Isn't that already how I feel? I haven't exactly let you off the hook."
"Yes, but this is different. I guarantee that you won't be able to look me in the eye without pure hatred if I tell you."
He wondered just how despicable 'That Person' must have been for him to react that way, given that he was already plenty angry with her and her solutions, even if he couldn't dispute most of them.
"In that case, don't tell me."
"H-Huh?" The witch was once again taken aback by his unexpected response. "Didn't you hear me? Soon enough, those other 'you's' will tell you, and—"
"Well, I'm angry enough already, and yet I see the need to keep our contract. If you say that telling me now will make me so angry I'll want to break it, I'll believe you. So just tell me about it later, when I've calmed down. And if the others tell me later down the line, you can simply confirm what they say."
He chuckled. "Trust me, I'll do the things you said—I'll curse you, I'll cry and wail, I'll wish I'd never signed it, even more than I do now. And I won't be able to look you in the eye without feeling disgusted. But I won't break the contract. I'm not going to throw it all away just because of my own feelings."
Echidna blinked twice before laughing. It wasn't a pleasant laugh at all. Then, with a voice that was dry and alien even to her, she spoke. "Even now, I'm impressed. Yes, I'll do just that. And if you won't break our contract, then neither will I." She took hold of her cup but didn't drink from it. "Now you should go and sleep. Tomorrow, we'll have plenty to do, I'm sure."
And she was most right. Because despite hailing from the future, even they could not predict what it would hold. For the first time in forever, [Greed Subaru] could no longer return to do it all again. And despite the uncertainty, both of them found this prospect... exciting.
Hello again. Lot's of things to talk about, so let's start with the best one: Season 3 is here, and it's amazing! Been really loving it and it's good to see arc 5 again. And on that note I should say that this chapter should've been uploaded by the time the first episode dropped. It was mostly finished for the second one, but I was very busy which kept me having to upload it here, just shy of another episode. And that's the bad news. I have been quite busy lately and will likely continue to be so for a good while, so expect slower updates. Not that I updated that constantly anyways. At the very least I'll try to keep writing, and who knows? Maybe I'll manage to bring those interludes sooner that even I expect. Just don't get your hopes up too much. In any case, I'm so glad you've all been reading so far, and considering the new season hype, I hope to keep seeing you guys in the future!