Arkwright
Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter of A New Crusade! First off, a mild apology for getting this out a couple days late, but I was discussing possible ventures with artist AouiEita18, a wonderful artist on Deviantart who made her own Ulric fanart, check it and her other works out if you can. And now to the announcement you've all been dreading and that is yes, this story will go on hiatus for a little bit. But, after getting a few tips, I can say it won't be a huge wait for the next season unless said season comes out this year. The reason for the hiatus this time is I plan to continue my 'Hailstorm' story the week after next and I want to try and get my schedule straight on that. Now then, since we've no guest review questions, on to the story!
The Witch's Graveyard
It was currently dark and rather cold, but it wasn't quiet. She could feel wind and snow whipping around her, some of it landing on her face which told her without a doubt that she was still alive to some degree. At first she was a bit surprised to discover that she hadn't died despite the size of the fireball which had hit her, that was until she felt the warmth of mana flowing into her forehead where her horn used to be. 'Roswaal,' she thought upon recognizing the familiar mana which had been used to help maintain her form over the years, 'it seems you still have some use for me after all despite what I took from you.'
Flashback: Echidna's Abandoned Lab
"It has been some years since you pointed your wand at me," noted Roswaal as he turned from the crystal which housed Ryuzu Meyer, "but it's a shame you'd do so here while calling Echidna's plans 'delusions'."
"I've always considered them to be so," replied Ram with her wand held at the ready, "I've simply never said so out loud. I'd believed it was obvious." She'd also never admit out loud to Ulric that this had been her intention all along, using clairvoyance to locate Echidna's lab and confront Roswaal while his magic was being used for another purpose.
"Obvious, you say," repeated Roswaal, "I suppose it will seem like it has been a long time for you, spent in humiliation by yielding to me. I considered your behavior to be the way you expressed your devotion."
"My behavior in beating up Garf was meant to serve two purposes," replied Ram, "it helped me to fulfill my goal, and it was an attempt to help rectify his idiocy if even by a little bit. I honestly don't know what they would have done if I had declined to help them."
"And even I cannot deny that it worked out well in the end," admitted Roswaal with his arms crossed, "Sir Ulric will naturally choose to walk a fine line in the final confrontation, as befitting his station as a knight."
"Agreed," said Ram, "but I must admit something too. While he is lacking in almost every way as far as a knight goes, Sir Ulric still has one good quality going for him and that is his ability to be bizarrely prepared. And it's clear that betting on that one good quality was not a mistake in this instance. You have the book with you now, do you not?" Roswaal did not answer, his smile remaining on his face as Ram continued. "In the place designated for the final confrontation, at the point of this play where you yourself take action, there's absolutely no way that you do not currently have the tome of wisdom which you rely upon above all else."
"I have never forgotten, not even once," said Roswaal as he closed his eyes for a moment, "the one vow that you and I exchanged."
"Those who wield magic should die by magic," said Ram, "those who give themselves to fire should die by fire, and 'those who live by the sword, die by the sword.'"
"The phrasing on that last one seems a little different," noted Roswaal.
"I said such a phrase to Ulric once," explained Ram, "he noted it sounded very much like a verse from his own book of worship which he proceeded to share with me. I paid it no mind at the time, but it seemed oddly fitting now, given the subject."
"Then he'd most certainly agree with the last part," said Roswaal, "those who ask favors of demons should die by the hand of that same demon. Whatever one relies upon should be the thing which brings about their death. And now that I have lost that which I desired, it seems the time has come for me to offer myself to you, though I can offer but an empty husk. As per our vow, you may do as you please with me."
"This, of course, means that whether I let you live or take your life is up to me," said Ram.
"Naturally," replied Roswaal, "you can finally achieve the retribution you've sought." He pulled out the Tome of Wisdom then. "After all, you were given no choice but to swear loyalty to me, even against your own will, to one of the men who destroyed your homeland. You did so because after losing your horn, you could not even maintain your form. Such suffering to this degree is uncommonly rare, making you the most useful of all pawns. That is why it is also such a shame that your decision to confront me now was just the slightest bit….premature."
A frown formed on the Margrave's face then. "I will grant that it is impressive that you created a situation in which I had to carry the Tome of Wisdom on my person, but you should have overlooked this last step I was planning to take. You would've had no trouble claiming your retribution then, which is what makes it truly a shame!" He spread his arms out wide then, as if he'd just delivered a rousing speech. In some ways, he certainly had if the convenient glow from the crystal was anything to go by, though it meant something much worse to Ram's knowledge.
"Within this crystal is the precious girl who offered her life to become the Sanctuary's core and power the barrier protecting her friends," said Roswaal.
"And you intend to use the power from that crystal in order to cast great magic?" Questioned Ram.
"Great magic powerful enough to change the weather," affirmed Roswaal, "I intend to make snow fall upon the Sanctuary as dictated by the Tome. It is a spell which requires tremendous force and a highly delicate application of mana. Had you engaged me while I was performing the spell, you most definitely would have had a clear shot at me."
"There would have been no meaning to such a victory as that," replied Ram.
"And you believe there is meaning in forcing me into a duel when I am in my best condition?" Questioned Roswaal with a raised eyebrow. "Or did your impatience get the better of you in your hopes of destroying me as quickly as possible?"
"Neither one of those is quite right," said Ram, "it seems you truly don't understand anything at all. I intend to prevent your wish from coming true, because being offered a husk after you realized your dream, would be meaningless. By that I mean receiving you in such a broken state, wouldn't hardly satisfy me."
"My, how greedy of you," said Roswaal as he conjured two multi-colored flames in his hands, "and what makes you believe you'd be capable of defeating me now of all times?"
"My understanding of your power is second only to your teacher's," replied Ram, "that is why I know that I cannot defeat you, alone." She held up her other hand then and uncurled her fingers to reveal the blue crystal necklace of Frederica.
"But if we do this two against one, we might be the ones with the advantage," said the voice of Puck from the crystal as Roswaal's eyes widened in realization and shock.
"So this is why you have the courage to face me now," said Roswaal, "this is the reason you agreed to Sir Ulric's plan in the first place?!"
"It's like I told you, Lord Roswaal," said Ram as a confident smile formed on her face, "I bet on the fact that our half-baked knight is bizarrely prepared, and this is the result of it. So now, I'm going to take you away from the witch's delusions." Puck materialized then, rubbing his eyes in his usual feline manner.
"And I'm just a passing stray spirit who thought he'd help out," said Puck before forming several ice crystals over his and Ram's head, "so why don't we pick up from where we left off last time we fought."
"As you wish," said Roswaal before unleashing a flame spell of his own, "let us duel once again!"
End Flashback
Their battle had wound up taking them out of the lab and into the forest with ice, fire, and wind tearing up or disfiguring the landscape in one way or another. Even with her ability to keep up with numerous tasks, Ram eventually lost track of how many minutes passed with her and Puck trading blasts against Roswaal. It all eventually came to a head when Puck covered a good portion of the area in ice before enlarging his body in a more shadowed portion of the forest. It managed to catch Roswaal off-guard for a moment as he almost thought that Puck had managed to enter into his Beast of the End form until he saw that the spirit had simply made himself a little larger.
That moment was what Ram had needed in order to rush in and snag the Tome of Wisdom from the head of the Mathers domain before throwing it into some of the flames Roswaal had created with his fireballs earlier in their battle. The Margrave had completely lost his temper then and blasted her in the back with an extra powerful fireball, but she hadn't cared in the slightest that it hit her. She'd accomplished her objective, burning that damn book which had led Roswaal into so many terrible schemes, and she even managed to confess her love to the man she'd been forced to serve. She didn't care if others thought it strange for her to do so, just like she didn't care that she'd likely lost her life in the process.
At least, she thought she was going to at first. But then Roswaal had started feeding her mana into her horn and if she wasn't mistaken, Emilia came along with the other Ryuzus and moved them to the entrance to the Witch's graveyard. Her vision had gone in and out during that time, but even she doubted what she was seeing now as she looked over to where Emilia was before a bright, pink light appeared, depositing three newcomers: Beatrice, Ulric, and a girl who looked strikingly like her, save for her blue hair. 'It seems you were telling the truth after all, half-baked knight,' she thought, 'though I wonder what your plan is for getting us out of this.'
Said blue-haired oni was currently sparing a glance at Ram before her attention was drawn back to the matter at hand. "Rem, focus on what's in front of us," said Beatrice, startling her slightly, "I need you to go over there and hold hands with Emilia."
"What, but why can't I help where I am?" Questioned Rem as she looked down at Beatrice who was currently holding Ulric's hand on the other side.
"Because you need to support Emilia a bit by sharing your mana," explained Beatrice, "just concentrate on the middle of your forehead and you should be able to make your horn sprout. Emilia, explain to her how to use ice magic once she gets over there."
"But I-," Rem started to protest before Ulric spoke up.
"It will be fine, Rem," assured Ulric, "I won't be far, and you're more capable of using magic than even you know. It should come right back to you." The maid still looked unsure, but she nodded in understanding anyway before going over and taking Emilia's hand.
"So if I recall some of my conversations with Puck and Emilia about spirits arts wielders, I'm not exactly using my gate," said Ulric as he looked at the cracks forming within a massive ice wall Emilia had managed to form before they'd arrived. It wouldn't take long for the Great Rabbit to break through, but hopefully they'd have enough time for this.
"That is true I suppose," replied Beatrice, "you've studied pulling in mana from the atmosphere before and that's what's happening right now. So just don't let go of my hand and you won't have to worry about running out of mana or further damaging your gate."
"I couldn't ask for better circumstances for using my magic," said Ulric as he placed his helmet back on his head. By this point, the ice wall was crumpling into pieces as the army of demonic white rabbits that form the collective of the Great Rabbit charged forward.
"El Minya!" Exclaimed Beatrice as a large mass of the familiar purple crystals formed in the air above their heads. A quick wave of her hand was all that was required for the miniature magic wielder to send all of them at the charging mabeasts. It was enough to skewer several lines of the rabbits as they turned into purple crystals themselves before falling apart in the snow.
"Kito Jiwald!" Said Ulric as he formed and fired one massive ball of light after another, blasting out section after section of the next wave of approaching rabbits.
"Not like that," said Beatrice, "think of forming multiple orbs, or really any projectile shape and picture it as a massive, supreme attack!"
"That is far easier than you can imagine," said Ulric as he cast Kito Jiwald again but this time in the air as several, arrow-shaped pieces of light, "I still see arrows falling like rain in my dreams. Visualizing something like this takes almost no effort!" Beatrice nodded in agreement as she also formed more crystal arrows of her own in the air. The two attacks joined to obliterate a whole mass of the Great Rabbit's forces.
"Al Huma!" Said Rem as a collection of ice shards formed alongside Emilia's own before bombarding more of the Great Rabbit on their side. 'I really can do magic,' thought Rem, hardly noticing that her horn had emerged on her head. She and Emilia were both currently drawing mana from the atmosphere, with Rem using her own power to support Emilia while also drawing some of the cold away from her. She didn't know why, but using magic like this felt, familiar somehow.
"You're doing great Rem," assured Emilia as she froze and skewered more of the rabbits with her own magic, "just keep your focus on simple shapes for now and let me handle the mana control. We'll get through this so long as we stick together."
"I will," said Rem with determination as she continued to rain ice shards down on the rabbits.
"We need to slow their charge a bit," observed Ulric as he noted the rabbits getting closer and closer to the steps with each wave, "I can lead them away if I get around them."
"That's hardly a challenge when you have me," said Beatrice as she waved her hand, opening a black portal in front of them, "now crossover!" Ulric didn't have time to question what she was doing before he was pulled through the portal and out the other side, behind the lines of the Great Rabbit.
"Most impressive," said Ulric before taking a deep breath, "accursed mabeast, I possess the power to return from-GAH!" And there it was, the familiar feeling of his heart being squeezed as the Witch's scent increased around his body. This got the attention of several of the rabbits as they turned around to find the powerful mana source and new source of the Witch's scent.
"I'd ask you to explain how you can do that," said Beatrice as she and Ulric rained more projectiles of light and darkness upon their foe, "but I get the feeling you can't."
"It's a curse I've had to deal with since arriving here," replied Ulric as he blasted apart a few more rabbits, "but on rare occasions, it has its uses."
"I'm sure it could prove quite useful now," commented Beatrice as she destroyed more rabbits coming on the left side.
"Well the only way to destroy a creature like the Great Rabbit is to destroy it all at once, or so I've heard," said the Knight, "and while we have more than enough bait with its attraction to mana and the Witch's scent, we still need to come up with a way to destroy them all at once."
"Please, remember who you're talking too," said Beatrice, "I can handle the Great Rabbit as long as we gather them all in one place. I'll just need a minute to fully prepare my spell."
"In that case, I might have an idea," said Ulric, "just get me back over to Rem and Emilia for a quick moment. We'll need their help for this plan to work."
"Since you insist I suppose," said Beatrice as she opened another black portal, allowing them both to escape right as another wave of the Great Rabbit was about to swarm them.
"Ah, Ulric, Beatrice," said Rem as she and Emilia jumped a bit at their return.
"We have a plan for bringing this battle to an end," said Ulric, "it's a little risky, but with your help I'm certain it will work." The two girls nodded in understanding as the knight laid out his plan. It was obvious by the looks on their faces that they weren't overly fond of it, but there seemed to be no time to come up with anything better.
"Alright," said Emilia as she and Rem held up their hands, "we'll handle this part, just please be careful." Ulric nodded in understanding as ice magic again formed around the maid and the half-elf's hands. "Al Huma!" A small line of ice shot from the stairs then and went right into the center of the rabbits, scattering several of them as a tall tree made entirely of ice rose out of the ground.
"You'd best apologize for letting go of my hand later," said Beatrice as she opened another black portal, this time only sending Ulric through. The knight quickly landed on the top of the tree, gripping a few of the many branches at the top which had been shaped in order to keep him up there, even including several branches that curled inward so that he'd be less likely to fall.
"Now as I said," yelled Ulric, "I can come back to li-GAH!" Again the Witch's scent flared around his body, proving irresistible even to the mana searching senses of the Great Rabbit as they all turned towards him. 'Here they come,' thought the knight as the mabeast swarmed towards the ice tree, all of whom were attempting to climb it to one degree of success or another. Ulric did his best to dissuade them by firing off what he could of his Kito Jiwald spell, though he was a bit more limited now that he wasn't with Beatrice.
"Even if I don't like this plan," said Emilia while gathering a powerful mass of mana in the hand held abover her head, "I'll still admit, that you're doing a great job Ulric." 'Just please be careful,' the both of them thought as they waited for the Great Rabbit to converge just a little closer together. It seemed to take forever, but in reality it was only about a minute or so before they were all bunched up enough for the next phase of the plan. "Now here I go!"
Emilia fired a powerful burst of ice magic then which started spreading out the moment it hit the ground. But this wasn't just a random freezing spell, but rather another giant ice wall that formed a massive circle around the great mabeast, confining every last one in a frozen, circular pen. It was also at this point that the ice tree she and Rem had formed was beginning to give way as Ulric held tighter to it, anticipating the collapse that was soon to come. "Now get back here," said Beatrice as she opened another portal, snatching Ulric away at about the same time the ice tree crumbled down to the ground.
"Did we get them all," breathed Ulric as he suddenly found himself on solid ground once more, breathing somewhat heavily from his mana usage.
"You've all done your parts," said Beatrice as she held out her hand, which Ulric quickly took, "now it's my turn." She turned her attention to the enemy in front of them and said two simple words to cast the most powerful form of shadow magic: "Al Shamac." A gigantic shadow enveloped the entire horde of rabbits then, blinding them of their senses including their mana detection as they lashed out at the nearest thing they could find, being each other in this case, their actions guided by their sole instinct to endlessly consume. But what truly finished the collective beast off was the shadow itself closing in on them, taking the rabbits, the ice wall and even the mass of blood with it.
In another moment, it was all gone, almost as if there had never been a Great Rabbit there in the first place. Ulric and everyone else waited for several moments, unconsciously holding their breaths in anticipation that the battle might not be over. But after another few moments, Ulric spoke up. "Are they truly gone?"
"You don't need to worry about the Great Rabbit anymore," affirmed Beatrice, "I sent them all to an isolated space similar to the forbidden library. They'll never be able to return to this world, I suppose."
"That was…..amazing," said Emilia as she and Rem took a few moments to stare in awe at what they'd just witnessed. The silent moment was broken then as the villagers all poured out of the entrance, cheering for the ones responsible for saving them from the great mabeast.
"I take it the presence of all the villagers in the Witch's Graveyard means you were successful in passing all of the trials," noted Ulric.
"I was," said Emilia with a smile and a nod, "it was thanks to you and everyone else that I could summon up the resolve to push through it all."
"But it was also thanks to you that all the villagers were kept safe until we arrived," Rem pointed out, "so we owe you a lot as well. So thank you, for protecting my sister."
"And have you nothing to say to me," questioned Beatrice with her cheeks puffed up into a pout, "I was the one who performed such an incredible-huh." She was silenced by Ulric suddenly placing his hand on her head as he knelt down in front of her.
"How could I ever forget such a magnificent sight," said Ulric as he patted her head lovingly before withdrawing his hand and bowing, "you are without a doubt every bit the powerful magic wielder you claimed to be and I'm humbled that you've allowed me to have a contract with you. God bless you, Great and powerful Beatrice."
"Well you….uh…..you'd best not forget about it," she said finally as she crossed her arms and turned her head to hide the blush on her face, "just uphold your promise and get to making happy memories for me I suppose. And whether it's Rem or Frederica or someone I've never met, don't take too long to have that family."
"I gave you my word, Beatrice," said Ulric, "and a good knight never goes back on their word without an outstandingly good reason."
"A family?" Questioned Emilia with a confused tilt of her head.
"I promised Beatrice she'd get to meet my family when I have one," explained Ulric as a thought occurred to him, "but now that she mentions it, there is one thing I can do for you right now, Beatrice."
"And what's that I suppose," questioned the miniature mage with her hands on her hips.
"Go over there, heal Ram and speak with Roswaal," said Ulric, "and take a very careful look at him. You might find something quite familiar about him."
"Why not go and pay respects to Echidna then," suggested Emilia, "I found her in a glass coffin inside when I broke the barrier. I understand you know her as your mother."
"I….do," said Beatrice with a sigh, "it has been a long, long time since I've laid eyes upon my Mother's face, I suppose. I'll return in just a bit." She walked off to where Roswaal was then and quickly exchanged a few words with him while healing Ram before the two proceeded into the temple. The Margrave was convinced to leave Ram in Rem's care, saying he already had a few guesses as to the circumstances surrounding Rem.
The oni girl was currently waiting in anticipation for her sister to awaken, wondering what she should say while Emilia and Ulric sat on the steps nearby. "It seems you and Beatrice are good friends now," observed the silver-haired girl, deciding to make conversation while they waited.
"I'd like to think we've become at least more than simple acquaintances," said Ulric with his arms crossed, "though Beatrice herself might have a slightly different view on that. By the way, it seems you managed to get Puck back from Ram."
"You could say that," said Emilia as she felt the new crystal necklace she was now wearing to replace her old one, "though he overdid it a bit helping Ram against Roswaal, so I can't really wake him up right now even with this stone."
"A shame," said Ulric, "I'd hoped he'd be able to conjure himself long enough for me to thank him."
"Don't worry, I'll be able to call him back one day," said Emilia with a smile, "for now, just knowing that he's still around in some way is enough for me."
"You really have grown a bit stronger," observed Ulric, "you're not afraid to stand on your own two feet anymore."
"It was thanks to you, Puck and everyone else that I was able to get my footing," replied Emilia, "I've taken so much of your time and effort, so I want to get to a point where I can give back to all of you, sooner or later."
"I believe liberating the inhabitants of the Sanctuary and protecting them is a good start," said Ulric, "and once we get the last few pieces of business wrapped up here, we can finally return home, or at least somewhere we can call home. The mansion got burnt down in our fight with the assassins."
"Are Petra, Frederica and the others okay?" Questioned Emilia, already suspecting the answer.
"They're doing just fine," replied Ulric, "Garfiel is guarding them right now and should be bringing them here soon enough. Though I'll need to have a minor talk with Frederica when she does get here."
"Why's that?" Questioned Emilia, "and come to think of it, why did Beatrice mention Frederica when she said you needed to have a family?"
"Oh just a minor embarrassing incident before I got here," said Ulric as he scratched his cheek with his finger, "Frederica stole a kiss from me. She said it was for good luck which I suppose I can respect if it's some sort of tradition from this land but I wish she hadn't done it when Rem and Petra were present and-what's the matter your ladyship?" For some reason, his mentioning of Frederica's little bold action had caused Emilia to go a bit red in the face.
"Frederica, kissed you, on the mouth?" She questioned, "but I know for certain Rem's already kissed you too."
"And I plan on kissing Rem many more times before the day is even halfway through," said Ulric, "she is the woman I love after all."
"But clearly you must love Frederica too, or she's trying to trap you in some kind of scandal," said Emilia, "for her to kiss you, she clearly planned on having your child as well from the start!"
"I don't think such a thing would be proper and she knows it," said Ulric, "I'm supposed to have a child with the woman I marry and right now the woman that I intend to marry is Rem once we're both ready for such a thing."
"Then you'll have to marry Frederica too," said Emilia, "because now she and Rem are both carrying your children!"
"What, how would that even be possible," questioned a now very confused Ulric, "I haven't touched either of them in such a way that they'd bear me a child."
"They both kissed you!" Emilia sharply reminded him, "and when a boy and a girl kiss, it makes a baby, right?!" For a moment, Ulric's brain stopped working as he tried processing what Emilia had just said. He knew she'd spent a lot of time in the woods and was somewhat lacking in certain areas of formal education, but to think she didn't know where children came from! He glanced down at Emilia's glowing stone then, noting that it seemd to be laughing. 'May God smite you upon your return you blasted feline,' he thought with an annoyed sigh.
Later That Morning: Church of the Sanctuary
While Ulric wasn't the type to revel in the suffering of others, even his enemies, there were times where he couldn't help but feel a good bit of satisfaction upon watching a bastard get their comeuppance. Case in point, the fact that he couldn't keep the smile off his face as the current beatdown he'd been a part of for the last few minutes was coming to an end as he slammed his fist into Roswaal's chin in a vicious uppercut, knocking the man to the ground. Frederica then proceeded to pick up his already tattered form with both her hands morphed into her beast claws before smacking him across the face. The mage stumbled for a few feet after Frederica let him go before taking a powerful punch from Garfiel which sent him rolling across the floor into one of the stone columns of the church.
Petra ran over then and slapped him across the face with a wet towel, while also calling him a couple of nasty names that one would think she shouldn't have known in the process. Otto came walking over then and slammed his fist into Roswaal's head, again having to act like his fist didn't hurt. Rem finished things off by stamping on the man's jewels, getting a groan out of the three men present just from the sound it made. Beatrice would've joined in too, but she had already slapped him in the temple upon finding out that this Roswaal was the same one from four hundred years ago. He'd figured out how to transfer his soul from one descendant to the next yet hadn't ever revealed the fact to Beatrice due to his own obsessions.
But that was over now and so was this little contest as Ulric spoke up. "Alright then," said the knight as he crossed his arms while standing with everyone else, "if we're all done exacting our own punishments, it's time we got down to business. I don't care if it hurts for you to speak unless you can't physically move your jaw." It was a valid concern given that the mage's face was now nearly unrecognizable from the amount of bruising and blood on it.
"Let me worry about that. After all, even I think Roswaal has some things he needs to apologize for given what he's done," admitted Ram who was currently wearing a pink gown in place of her ruined maid's attire. She was sitting down on one of the church benches right now with, surprisingly, Roswaal's head in her lap.
"Then why aren't you also pummeling him, uh, sister," Rem questioned. It truly had been an awkward atmosphere around the two since Ram awoke fully. While she kept her composure like always and made a snide remark that Ulric was actually telling the truth about a girl who fancied him, he could tell she was still contemplating what, to her, was quite the revelation.
"It is my choice to treat him with kindness and respect after he's paid-," Ram explained before being interrupted by Beatrice.
"You have such bizarre tastes I suppose," she grumbled while standing next to Ryuzu Bilma, "what would have happened if I wasn't there to seal the grave wound he gave you I suppose?"
"And I am truly grateful," replied Ram, "I would just rather not be told whom I should love."
"Well we know Ram ain't gonna change her mind about it at this point," said Garfiel before glancing at Ulric, "but after all this are you seriously saying this bastard's with us now, Boss? If it wasn't for you, me and the rest of these guys it would've been an absolute disater for both the village and the mansion because of this prick's messed up plans!"
"Make no mistake, Garfiel," said the Knight as he glanced at the half beast boy, "I have not yet forgiven him and none of you should feel the need to forgive him yet either. In fact I'd very much like to cut out his entrails and burn him at the stake this very moment. What stays my hand is the fact that his presence is still necessary if Lady Emilia intends to continue vying for the throne, and also because killing him was not part of the agreement of our wager. Instead, he'll redeem himself by living and working himself to the bone with every last bit of his strength in order to aid us in our pursuits."
"I still can't say I agree with this idea, Boss," said Garfiel with a growl.
"I am willing to forgive the Master for his actions," said Frederica, surprisingly, especially for Garfiel.
"What in the world are you talking about?!" He questioned with a look of both anger and confusion, "that bastard is the one responsible for putting you and the mansion in dang-."
"Despite that, I am still alive," said Frederica with a smile, "because you saved me."
"That's just hindsight," Garfiel shot back, "need I remind you that the mabeast tamer and the vampire who nearly carved up the Boss and I was sent by this bastard?!"
"She wasn't a vampire I suppose," said Beatrice suddenly, drawing several stares in her direction, "at the time, Betty just thought you got off lucky. But after forming my contract with Ulric, I realized there wasn't a hint of vampiric residue on him at all."
"Beatrice is correct," groaned Roswaal, "Elsa Granhiert was actually able to regenerate because she is what's known as a curse doll. Though unlike regular curse dolls who have little to no will of their own, the shaman who made her was able to bypass the incantation, leaving her sense of self intact. Even I don't know how he accomplished such a feat."
"What, but everything she said and did pointed to her being one," exclaimed Garfiel, "she even bit the boss in the neck!"
"It was a misconception that occurred long ago," explained Beatrice, "a cursed doll was found trying to drink blood once and it was confused for a vampire, so it's little surprise you mistook her for one I suppose."
"Whatever, vampire, curse doll, she tried to kill us all because of him!" Said Garfiel as he pointed at Roswaal.
"Garf," said Frederica calmly, "I have been in the Master's care for nearly ten years now. I accepted his aid when he offered it in order to achieve my own goals. And it's because I learned so much from him that I am here today."
"You think your debt means he can just take your life willnilly?" Barked Garfiel.
"Enough," said Ulric as he glanced at Frederica, "are you truly certain you are fine forgiving him? I can think of a number of people who'd have felt great sorrow at your passing had his plan succeeded."
"But again, I did not because you and Garf saved all of us," said Frederica with a smile, "and please understand that I'm not simply forgiving him because of a debt or an oath. I simply have faith that you, Garf and the others can and always will prevail over him, and that overshadows any hatred I may feel towards him."
"You are certainly fair kinder than I then," said Ulric, "but I understand your decision and we will all respect it." He shot Garfiel a look before he could further protest. But it was also at that moment that Otto decided to speak up.
"I think she brings up another point we still need to discuss, though," he said, "I'm angry at Roswaal too given my participation in the 'purification' ritual. But even though we did win the bet, I still think we have to ask how much the margrave intends to yield to us?"
"A valid concern," groaned Roswaal, "I was your enemy until but a little while ago, so it's only natural you'd be concerned when and where I might become so again. But you needn't worry about such a thing."
"You think I'm gonna believe a damn word you say?!" Questioned Garfiel angrily.
"He is right," said Ulric, "while we agreed to the terms of this wager and gave each other our word, it's hard to believe you'd completely honor it given how willing you were to toss away the lives of those loyal to you."
"Fortunately for all of you, I can prove my intentions in a form that is easy to see," said Roswaal as he managed to sit up and removed all the garments on the upper part of his body, including the bandages. What he revealed was a glowing blue circle on his chest with the symbol of a star and a bird in the center.
"What type of seal might this be?" Questioned Ulric as everyone else gasped or hmmed in varying degrees.
"It is an oath which has been sealed with a curse," explained Beatrice, "in general, an agreement can take the form of a contract, oath, or a covenant. Covenants apply to all blood relatives while an oath binds an individual."
"I take it you have something similar, Frederica," said Ulric as he glanced at the head maid. Her answer to that was a simple nod.
"I lost in our wager," said Roswaal, "therefore I cannot harm any of you, per my oath. If I break the promise I've made, my soul will be tainted and my body will burn away in the flames of hell. And my soul will descend into nothingness. This is what that promise means."
"You speak as if you wouldn't have been dragged down to the depths of hell anyway in punishment for your crimes," said Ulric, "though out of curiosity, would this seal have been placed on me had I lost?"
"Indeed," replied Roswaal, "while I don't doubt you would have fulfilled what you promised had you lost, this engraving would have ensured your compliance in my plans. Had you broken it, your body would've been burnt to ash."
"Had I lost and agreed to do things your way, only hell would've awaited both of us," mused Ulric before clearing his throat, "but while this is all well and good, what guarantee do I have that you can't simply remove something you applied to yourself?"
"I'm certain you remember the lecture I gave you on curses," said Beatrice as she looked up at Ulric, "the more powerful ones are next to impossible to remove and the oath prevents him from attempting to do so, lest he activates the curse and then there's nothing he can do to stop it. You won't have to worry about him pulling something like that, I suppose."
"That being the case, will this be acceptable for you, Garfiel," Questioned Ulric. The half beast boy seemed to consider it, still clearly not liking that they were gonna let the man live.
"Young Gar," said Ryuzu Bilma as she turned to him, "I know you blame him for what happened to Shima, but it was her own choice. One of us would've had to act as the key to open the barrier regardless of what happened to Young Ros. You should also know that Shima said she was not lonely this past ten years…because she had you here." Tears were still welling up in Ryuzu's eyes despite her reassurances. She knew what had to be done to bring down the barrier, that one of them would have to give their life to dissolve the crystal, but that didn't make it any easier for her.
"Hey, I know," said Garfiel as he put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "so quit lookin' like you're about to cry, Grandma." He let out a sigh then before becoming slightly more serious and turning back to Roswaal. "Swear it, Roswaal, swear that you'll never pull this kind of shit again."
"You have my word," said Roswaal, "never again shall I attempt to sacrifice anyone here in order to achieve something. I swear it upon the soul of my beloved teacher."
"Well I'm still not forgiving you," said Petra as she came out from behind Frederica, "you tried to do something awful to the people in this village, and my village. We all trusted you and then…..I really thought you were a good person."
"Your words cause me pain," said Roswaal.
"As they well should," said Ulric, "I told you once before that God shall forgive you should you ask of him and repent, but actions such as these will not be so easily forgiven by others."
"But," said Petra, "I don't want to seem like I'm being stubborn and making things harder for everyone else. So….I'm never going to forgive you….but that's all." She hugged Frederica then as tears came from her eyes. The half beast maid stroked her hair soothingly, telling her she'd done fine.
"And I'm only agreeing because of my sister, the old hag, and this girl," said Garfiel, "I'm not doing it for anything that you've promised, so don't forget that!"
"Of course," said Roswaal, unphased by the Sanctuary Protector's words.
"Is there anything else someone would like to add to all of this?" Questioned Ulric, noting that all but one person had spoke.
"I do, actually," said Emilia as she raised her hand, "it's not much, but I want to say this. You're all being rather weird. You haven't made Roswaal do the most important thing yet and until he has we can't end this discussion." Everyone gave her something of a sideways look as she said this. "When you do something bad, you're supposed to say 'I'm sorry'." 'Because none of us believe he'd be truly regretful and sincere in his apology,' thought Ulric, though decided it was wiser to hold his tongue.
"You've all been telling him to do this and say that to prove he regrets it," continued Emilia, "And Roswaal, you swore on the soul of your teacher, but did you even once apologize to any of them?"
"She's right," admitted Ulric, "you've given no apology whatsoever. So if you wish to work with all of us, it'd be best if you did as her Ladyship says."
"It is as you say," replied Roswaal before bowing to all of them, "I am sorry."
"Good," said Emilia with a nod and a smile, "that's enough for me." Everyone else couldn't help but smile in spite of themselves.
Nighttime: The Mansion of The Miload Family
Whatever concerns Ulric might've had about where they'd find lodging were quickly put to rest upon seeing the new location they now found themselves in. Much like Roswaal's former estate, it was a large and immaculate mansion with walls decorated with green, gold and red with an expansive garden on the outside. The impressively-sized dining room they now found themselves in looked especially festive with several candles lit and placed all over to illuminate it. Understandable given that they were currently having a celebration along with a ceremony.
The attendance was also much larger than Ulric had expected with practically every member of the Sanctuary, Arlam village and the mansion inhabitants being in attendance. "I'll agree that now is a time for celebration given what has been overcome," said Ulric as he stood to the side against one of the large walls, "but a conferement of knighthood seems unnecessary given that I've already been knighted."
"You were knighted back in your land, or rather your world," replied Roswaal whose face now looked slightly less bruised from the beating he'd received earlier. The two were currently having a private conversation while standing off to the side, with Roswaal supposedly even using a spell that kept anyone from hearing much of their conversation. "But you've yet to be officially knighted here as I didn't believe it was necessary at the time. However, it is quite necessary in order for your own accomplishments to be recognized as Lady Emilia's knight, especially with her still vying for the throne."
"Understandable I suppose," said Ulric as he pulled at one of the buttons on his ceremonial garb, "though I must say, I've never worn an outfit with quite so many buttons on it." Said outfit was a white suit similar to what Julius or Reinhard would wear but with a shorter, blue cape that only went down slightly past his waste as opposed to the full length cape which would've gone down to his feet. It was adorned with a white cross in the center along with his family crest on the left shoulder and the bird symbol of Emilia's camp on the right shoulder. It had been his only demand as far as decoration went.
"Moreover, are you certain it's proper to be doing this in a space where we are technically the guests?" Ulric questioned.
"The Miload family is a branch of the Mathers family," explained Roswaal, "and their leader, Lady Annerose, is head over heels for Emilia." He indicated a short, nine year old girl with blue eyes and indigo hair that was done up in a bun. She also wore a blue and white dress with frills along the neck. Despite her age, she wore a business-like expression that spoke of how seriously she took her position.
"I see," said Ulric, "so what is it you wished to speak with me about? I imagine you didn't call me over here just to explain the reason for this ceremony."
"As you know, my goal is still to reunite with my teacher," replied Roswaal.
"Echidna, yes," said Ulric, his voice a mixture of respect and disdain for the Witch of Greed. He could never deny that she was knowledgeable and intelligent, but the way she used it left much to be desired. "I take it removing the barrier to the Sanctuary was just another in a long line of steps to reviving her?"
"Indeed," said Roswaal, "I wish to reunite with a teacher whose blood flows in her veins, whose heart beats in her chest, and whose body houses a soul. It is my greatest desire and wish."
"You have someone like Ram by your side and yet you still wish to revive your teacher," said Ulric with a raised eyebrow.
"I have lost the tome of wisdom and I am bound by the mark of the oath," said Roswaal, "but I have no intention of giving up on my teacher."
"Then that is a project you'll have to see to on your own time," said Ulric, "but I'll have no part of it unless I've a reason too."
"But you're already a part of it," said Roswaal as he turned to him and narrowed his eyes slightly, "while you're no doubt keeping an eye on me, I'll also be keeping an eye on you. It was your decision to attempt to lose nothing and pick up the pieces whenever disaster strikes. You'll undoubtedly continue to be hurt from this point on. You'll continue to lose things, over and over again, and when you get them back you will carry on with new wounds that only you will know of."
He glanced over at Rem and the others before looking back at the knight. "If I were to lose anyone, I would reduce everything to ashes. As I said to you once before, you are my only hope in leading me back to my teacher, Sir Ulric, you and the path you walk and for that I will not compromise."
"You may say so now," replied Ulric, "but Proverbs 16 reminds us 'We may make our plans, but God has the last word.'" Their conversation ended then as Emilia and Rem walked up on the main section of the room where an immaculate chair with red cushioning was positioned in a similar fashion to a throne. Emilia had changed into a flowing white robe with blue decorations resembling snowfall on the sleeves, neck and waist, with a large purple-lined cape wrapped around her shoulders that reached to the floor. A hairband with white flowers also sat on the top of her head.
As for Rem's outfit, she also wore a white robe though with no designs and a shorter blue-lined white cape around her shoulders. Her head was adorned with the hair decorations she wore with her maid's outfit. And as far as Ulric was concerned, they both looked absolutely stunning. The both of them took a place in front of the throne as Annerose spoke. "We shall now begin the ceremony for the conferement of knighthood," she said, "Ulric, please come forward."
The Crusader did as instructed, feeling a bit of nostalgia from the current occasion as he did so. "Congratulations, Sir Ulric," Roswaal said as he did so, stopping him for a moment, "you've earned the praise of the Witch's disciple. Today the victory belongs to you…for now."
"Then I'll let God continue to guide my path, as he always has," replied Ulric as he walked up to Emilia and Rem and knelt before them. The ceremony commenced then as he drew his sword and handed it to Rem. "You look beautiful, by the way."
"You look good too," she whispered, smiling despite the blush on her face as she took the sword and handed it to Emilia before stepping to her right hand side. Emilia raised his sword in the air then as Ulric bowed his head, offering silent prayers and thanks to everyone around him and to God above for being able to reach this point.
"The sun that looks down upon a brilliant world," began Emilia as the light gleamed off the freshly cleaned sword in her hand, "the stars that keep watch over the world when it sleeps. The wind, to the water, to the earth, to the light, and to the spirits that dwell within all things. The world that will accept you and nurture you, the vast world into which you shall be sent forth. The pride that has supported you, protected you, and created you."
"May you find a way to live that will not shame all that watch over you, the world that nurtures you, and the pride that supports you. May you live as your heart dictates, never fearing, never cowering, never hesitating." She glanced down at Ulric then as she said her next words. "Have you the will to do all this, as all things surrounding you have done, to swear that you will henceforth protect the one standing before you?"
"On the sun, the stars, the spirits, the world, and on the name of the Lord God almighty," said Ulric, "I swear it. I will protect you, I will grant your every wish. My name, is Ulric Arkwright, your knight and your knight alone." He looked at both Rem and Emilia as he said this with a smile on his face. They returned his smile with their own as Emilia placed the sword on his left shoulder first and then his right shoulder.
"Then by the power granted to me by the kingdom of Lugnica as a candidate for the throne," said Emilia, "I dub thee Sir Ulric Arkwright, my knight and the knight of all those I hold dear." She handed Ulric his sword then and the knight sheathed it back on its customary place on his belt as he stood up.
"Now then," said Ulric, "which one of you would like to teach me how they dance in Lugnica?" The response he received was the both of them giggling as the festivities began after that. There was much food and pleasant conversation to be had and everyone was dressed up in an elegant suit or dress, with the exception of Frederica and Ram who kept their regular maid's attire. Petra had donned a green dress for the occasion and even Garfiel had a suit on, though he was constantly fiddling with the tie. Ulric was also introduced to several of the Sanctuary's other inhabitants now that he had a moment to actually get to know them while also exchanging conversation with Annerose herself.
Naturally she made Ulric swear to take good care of Emilia but was otherwise friendly towards him for the time being. Then there was the dancing. As it turned out, Lugnican dancing was very similar to English and European dancing which was fortunate given how rusty he was on dancing in general. Expectedly Ram commented endlessly on how clumsy he looked, according to her, and that a rock pig would be more graceful. He simply smiled and pointed out that Rem was a more graceful dancer than her despite having no memory of dancing whatsoever.
Though his dancing ability, or lack thereof, made no difference to Rem who was simply happy that they were able to celebrate something together with everyone else. Then a mild complication arose partway through: she wasn't the only one who wished to dance with him. Expectedly he also danced with Emilia, given that he was under her command, officially speaking, and Petra and Beatrice demanded one as well before Ulric was able to convince Beatrice to teach Petra a bit about dancing herself. Then there was Frederica who taught him a dance that required them both practically pressing their bodies together to perform, at least that's how it was supposed to be according to her.
She said it was for his next dance with Rem, but the knight didn't miss the happy glint in her eye while she was teaching him. Thankfully, she had to occupy herself with Garfiel shortly afterwards and remind him that he wasn't of age to be drinking. By that point, Ulric decided to step outside on the large stone balcony for a moment to get some fresh air. 'We actually did it,' he thought as he gazed up at the stars, 'it's been absolute insanity up to this point, but it was worth it to see everyone happy. Praise be to God for providing us with a way.'
"So this is where you wandered off too," said Rem as she stepped out onto the balcony next to him after a few minutes had passed, "you know it wouldn't be good for a knight to leave his lady's side."
"My lady has plenty of protection within that room at the moment," said Ulric, "just enough for me to step out for at least a little bit, or so I hope."
"That is true," admitted Rem, "so perhaps I should ask what seems to be on your mind that you'd find yourself out here instead of in there with everyone else?"
"Besides needing a bit of air," replied Ulric, "I'm simply thinking a bit about the future. Thanks to Roswaal we're a bit behind as far as our place in the royal selection goes, and then there's the matter of getting your memories back from the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony. And more than likely the Witch's Cult will keep stiring up trouble for us in the future and God only knows what sort of strange powers they possess. Without a doubt we won today, but it's likely this will not be the most difficult challenge we have to overcome."
"When you put it that why, it probably isn't," said Rem before taking his arm and resting her head against his shoulder, "but at the same time, we did win today against odds many would've called impossible. And from what I've heard this isn't the first time, either. So I'm not worried about our chances just yet, because I know you and Emilia, Ram and Frederica and everyone else is going to fight as hard as they can against whatever comes next. So what lies ahead might not be easy, but I think that's all the more reason we should enjoy the moment we have tonight."
"I can't argue that that's a much more pleasant way to look at it," said Ulric as he leaned down and gave her a quick kiss. The two then returned to gazing up at the moon and stars, simply enjoying each other's company. Though their moment wasn't going completely unnoticed.
"What seems to be the problem, Lady Emilia," said Frederica, startling the silver-haired girl out of her thoughts, "you've been standing there holding that piece of pie for almost a minute now."
"Oh it's nothing, really," said Emilia with an embarrassed smile, "just, thinking I guess."
"About Ulric," guessed the maid with a hand over her mouth to hide her own giggling at how red Emilia's face became at that.
"No, I mean that's not, I'm really just thinking," she had to take a deep breath to get her thoughts in order, "I mean I am, but I'm also thinking about Rem being with him. I guess I'm just trying to understand why I feel, a little dissatisfied. I'm not even sure how to describe it."
"Do you wish Rem wasn't the one out there on that balcony right now?" Questioned Frederica.
"I do, but I also don't, I'm not entirely sure," said Emilia, "I'm happy that Ulric's clearly happy, but I can't help but feel that I could make him happy too. It's just, confusing is all."
"Ulric's stated he thinks of you like a sister," said Frederica, "and it's clear you care for him a great deal as well. What I think you should probably focus on to help with your confusion, is whether you think of him like a brother, a good friend and knight, or something more."
"I didn't even know babies were made by something besides kissing until today," said Emilia with a pout, "I don't think this is something I'll figure out in a day."
"Such are matters of the heart," said Frederica, "but I'm certain you'll come to understand it if you put your mind to it. And I'll be here to help if you need me. So, should I call them both back in here?"
"Hmmm," the royal candidate thought for a few moments before sighing, "no, not right now. I'd rather not spoil the evening because of something I'm not even sure of just yet."
"That sounds like a wise decision," said Frederica with a smile, "we'll give those two their space, for now at least." Emilia nodded with a smile of her own as they glanced at the two on the balcony one last time before getting back to the party. Back on the balcony, the blue-haired maid decided to bring up one more thing.
"You know," said Rem as a thought occurred to her, "you weren't gone long, but I still feel like I should stick by you tonight. Would you mind coming to my room later this evening?"
"Nothing would make me happier," said Ulric as he covered one of her hands with his, "because there's no place I'd rather be this evening than in your arms." And with that, the two headed back in to continue the celebration. It would become a night that none of them would ever forget and as promised, the knight and the maid would fall asleep in each other's arms later on, ready for whatever the waking world had in store for them.
And so season 2 of Re:Zero has come to an end as Sir Ulric Arkwright now stands as an official knight of Lugnica! Again, sorry about the wait, this was quite the lengthy chapter to write. And as always, feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Also, be sure to check out AouiEita18 on Deviantart and her many wonderful works of art! And while I can't say yet how long the wait shall be, be sure to stop in next time as Ulric begins the next part of his journey as a Crusader in Lugnica! 'Til then.