Arlam was quiet. Not in the sense of eerily quiet, just, quiet. Which made sense, when you consider that most of the residents were off doing their early morning crop and livestock rounds. Nevertheless, I was on high alert.

This really would make for the best time to strike. With the adults out and about, the children and those too weak to work were left alone. Normally, they wouldn't have anything to worry about. The surrounding area had been warded by some previous Mathers against mabeasts, so they didn't have anything to fear from that angle.

That did not make them any safer from those that could think however.

From the readings I did while at the Mathers manor, I found that the wards around Arlam were not an actual magical barrier, but more of stones that made the mabeasts approaching it apprehensive. Hence, they wouldn't want to come close to the village. Since said village didn't have anything important, other than its location being relatively close to Mathers, they were also safe from whatever bandits were around.

Until now.

Now, the current margrave of the land took in a white-haired, violet-eyed half-elf. Features that would take any Witch Cultist just a moment before they rushed to get her. And Arlam was the perfect place to do reconnaissance.

The only thing surprising about the revelation was that it took so damn long for them to try.

…

"We can't let them know that we're onto them before we strike them down." Natsuki was all smiles. Experience told me he was hiding his wariness behind it, "I don't actually know if they have some way to tell if one of them died, so we need to do it in one fell swoop."

Myself, the Emilia camp, and the Karsten camp were all following Natsuki. The other two groups did so since he seemed to have a plan cooking up. I followed since I had no idea where to go. I certainly wouldn't be bonding with the military men off to the side. Preferably, I would have been alone, but that would just make me an easy assassination target.

We all collectively nodded, even as the children came out to greet us in abject wonder. They stared at the assembled knights, who gave low chuckles. While they didn't show it on their faces, I knew they were prepared for anything. There was just no reason to break the excitement, not when it would cause more panic.

"Subaru!"

An orange haired girl came running up, along with the rest of her entourage. I felt my eyebrow raise as I watched Natsuki pat her on her head. Oi oi oi, should I be calling the police here?

"Petra!" With a laugh, Natsuki took a look around. I discreetly did the same. So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Tch. I had some mana back, true, but I didn't want to expend it unless absolutely necessary.

"You guys doing good?"

"Yep! Meina and…" I tuned out the rest of the conversation, keeping an eye out to the perimeter. I had the sneaking suspicion that they'd be watching us if they could. So far, my empowered senses, weak as it was right now, could not see anything.

"Subaru Natsuki, would you care to introduce us?" Karsten cleared her throat, though I could also see a smile forming on her lips.

Hm? What's this? Was the great Crusch Karsten so weak to children that she - dare I say it - looked almost maidenly?

"A-Ahm! Hello!" The girl, Petra, suddenly noticed the rest of us. The rest of the kids were already oh-ing and ah-ing at the knights, "Ne, Subaru, who're these guys?"

"Now, now, don't be rude Petra." With a brotherly scolding that honestly made me proud, Natsuki coughed once, before spreading his arms out in a grandiose fashion, "May I present, Duchess Crusch Karsten, first runner up to Emilia-tan in the Royal Candidacy."

"Subaru!" Cue the weird embarrassed elf noises. Really, if I hadn't experienced just how fucked up this world was, I would have thought I was in a romcom isekai.

"Better watch that mouth of yours, Subaru-kyun." …Why? Argyle, just, why?

"How arrogant…" Karsten's smile didn't fade. It grew more feral instead, "Are you already that confident in your victory, Subaru Natsuki?"

"Of course!" Without an ounce of hesitation, Natsuki nodded, "With Emilia-tan's cuteness at its head, there's no stopping us!"

"Disregarding Barusu's blatantly disgusting behavior." Thank you, Ram, for actually stopping that mess, "We still have a job to do."

"Did you really have to say that first part…?" Muttering to himself, despite everyone hearing it, Natsuki shook his head, "Anyway, Petra, I gotta ask, have any suspicious people come into Arlam?"

Most would have shook their heads at Natsuki's questioning of a child. What purpose would that have? Children aren't exactly the paragon of knowledge. His questions would have been more appropriate to ask the village elder if anything.

Except, that was the point, wasn't it?

Asking the children of Arlam was perhaps the smartest thing Natsuki could have done for several reasons, the main one being that children were often seen as background objects. They weren't especially important, as few would ever actually believe them, especially in a medieval fantasy setting like this. They were so unimportant beyond the fact that they were an extra set of hands when they needed them that very few talked to them that wasn't their age or immediate family.

As such, most people would also be less wary of hiding their intentions from them.

"Eh?" Petra scratched her head, "Well, there were those guys camping out in the forest…"

Case in point.

…

The moment word spread about our next destination, a grim atmosphere set itself upon us. It was worse than even against the Whale. Back then, we were up against a mabeast, one that had terrorized the world for centuries, yes, but it was still just a mabeast at the end of the day.

Archbishops of the Witch Cult were a different matter entirely. A mabeast does things according to instinct. Maybe some instilled anger and hatred against humans and demi-humans, sure. Archbishops didn't have that. The Witch Cult was composed of individuals who knew exactly what they were doing. Have been doing for the past four hundred years.

Psychopaths. Monsters on two legs.

And while we had no concrete evidence of their presence, that Natsuki, the one that had predicted the appearance of the White Whale, was the one that said they were here, almost confirmed by the villagers, there was no doubt that we'd be finding them soon enough.

I was pacing myself behind Emilia, near the middle of the pack. We were led by Wilhelm and Argyle, with Karsten and the rest forming a perimeter around us.

Hachiman, Hachiman, why are you such a lazy bastard that you'd let everyone else do the work? Simple: the target was almost certainly Emilia herself. Over the years, I've heard rumors of half-elves suffering the most brutal of executions of the Witch Cult. No doubt, they'd heard that Emilia was staying at Mathers mansion, and were preparing to raid it.

Normally, Mathers could have dealt with this by himself. Unfortunately, as Ram informed us, Mathers was off to some errands, and he hadn't bothered telling them where he'd be.

Wasn't it suspicious that the cult would start preparing the moment he was gone? Of course it was! More than likely, the cult had people watching Mathers' move. He was a politically important figure, after all, so his movements were more public than that of a normal person's.

That was working against us right now.

No use crying over spilt milk, however.

Where was I? Right, my job. My job now wasn't to fight. It was to portal Emilia out of the way should things come to that. Frankly, not the best idea. I would be more suited to taking a proactive stance against the cultists, but it was Natsuki's request of me.

Even now, I can't shake off that damn need to help, huh? I could only guess at Yukinoshita's face if she saw me now.

A snapping twig.

In an instant, swords were drawn, as Karsten commanded, "Who's there? Show yourself!"

"A-A-A-AHH!" Shuffling and a shout. With his characteristic swiftness, Wilhelm bolted into the shrubbery, and in one move, grabbed and tossed out a green robed figure. The figure immediately started waving around his arms, "W-Wait, wait! I-I haven't done anything!"

"Otto?!" Natsuki came running out of the formation, gaping all the while, "What the hell are you doing here man?!"

"Eh?" Blinking at the tracksuit wearing NEET, there was a look of confusion on his face, "Do I, do I know you?"

"Nah, but I know this guy, Otto Suwen. He's just a merchant with bad luck." Offering a hand to the now named Suwen, "How much bad luck do you have that you'd end up over here anyway?"

"Hm." Karsten still held onto the apparent merchant with a glare, "Answer me, Otto Suwen. Are you truly a merchant and not part of the Witch Cult?"

"W-W-W-Witch Cult?!" Blanching, he looked around to see almost everyone pointing a weapon at him, "NO! I-I'm not a cultist! I'm just lost!"

"Truth." Relaxing her posture, a move that let the rest do the same, Karsten raised an eyebrow, "Though I must admit, I am perplexed that you would find yourself in this forest in the first place."

"Sorry," With a shuddering breath, Suwen took Natsuki's offered hand and stood up, "Just, that fog last night made it really difficult to see where I was going, and next thing I knew, I was already inside the forest."

There was an awkward silence as everyone took a glance at each other, broken suddenly by Natsuki's laugh, "Sounds just like your brand of luck, Otto!"

"A-Ah? Sorry, I really can't remember your name?"

"Don't sweat it! Name's Subaru Natsuki!" Does he have to do that pose every damn time?

"I apologize for the rough treatment, Suwen-dono. Wilhelm van Astrea, at your service." Sheathing his sword, Wilhelm bowed, flustering Suwen yet another time. Really, this guy was the definition of anxiety, so much so that his face would likely be on the dictionary definition of it.

"Please don't apologize! It was my fault for sneaking up like that." Waving his hands around, he suddenly paused as Wilhelm's name registered. I could see the incremental widening of his eyes, dragging themselves onto Karsten.

"Wait, if you're the Sword Demon, then…"

"Duchess Crusch Karsten, at your service."

"I-I-I-I'm sorry, your grace!" Dammit, this is getting annoying. At this rate, I'd rather refer to Suwen as Spineless.

"Man, you really are spineless." Argyle spoke up dryly. Stop reading my mind, you damn disgrace to Totsuka! Though, I was relieved to see his face relax just slightly. When we'd entered the forest, the healer looked just about ready to commit murder.

"No need for that, Suwen-san. Get yourself to safety, we have had reports that there may be Witch Cultist activities in the area." Karsten nodded, ignoring her knight. Or maybe she didn't. She had one damn good poker face after all.

"Right, right. I'm just, going to go grab my cart?" Was he asking for permission? Why'd he phrase that as a question?

"I shall escort you, if you don't mind, Suwen-dono."

"No need for that, Sir! I can-"

"What is going on here?"

Silence.

Unnatural.

No birds. No insects.

The air felt stale.

Or maybe that was just my perspective. The adrenaline getting to me as I stared at the dark cloaked figure now standing in front of us. There was no noise to herald his arrival. Somehow, he had managed to sneak his way past the veterans to place himself next to Wilhelm.

Green hair, standing tall. The black coat, a medallion shaped into an eye.

His eyes. I couldn't discern what they were feeling. That was secondary, however, when taking into account where he was looking at.

"Identify yourself!" There was no doubt who this was now. I prepared to open a portal right under us. This was bad. Not looking away from his object of focus, the cultist spoke in a hushed tone, very clearly heard by everyone regardless.

"Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti, Sin Archbishop. Emilia-sama." His lips formed into a smile that almost exuded relief.

"It's been a long time."

…

A/N: If you like what I do and want to support me, check out my P-atreon at P-atreon•com(slash)Almistyor.

Thank you to my newest patron: Dinomannrick (Sorry, I forgot to say this last week).

And a special thanks to: FireRogueWolf25, brutalcrab and Tassimo.