At the moment of impact, his cheekbone cracked, and his tall body flew easily through the air and slammed into the wall. Not only that, the impact penetrated the flimsy wooden wall, blowing his body outside, covered in wood chips. His body slid across the snow, raising white smoke, and he tumbled and rolled.
"――――"
His body lay face down on the ground, not moving at all, and the air was filled with such silence that one might suspect he was dead.
They looked back and forth at the tall figure that had been blown away through the broken wall, and at the person who had blown him away, still inside. Seeing their gazes, the person who had blown him away sighed with satisfaction,
"Yeah... I did it, hey."
The blonde boy spoke with a smile and a clicking sound of his sharp canines - Garfiel.
Subaru scratches his head as he watches Ram rush over to Roswaal after he was hit.
"Oh, yeah. That's true."
", he answered, barely able to manage it.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
Garfiel and the others, who had parted ways at the mansion, reunited at Sanctuary half a day after Emilia's Proclamation of Childbirth, the very morning after the Battle of the Great Rabbit.
With Patrasche pulling the dragon carriage, six people, including Garfiel, arrived at the Sanctuary.
It was a relief to see that the women who had gone to the Roswaal Mansion to rescue them, including Rem, Petra, and Frederica, were all safe, and that Garfiel and Otto, who had stayed behind as part of the rescue team, were also safe.
However, what came as a bonus was,
"Oh my, it's good to see you again, big brother."
Saying this, the girl with pigtails was tied up in the corner of the dragon carriage - Meili, the director of the monster attack who had attacked the mansion together with Erza.
Subaru was speechless at this unexpected reunion, but Meili spoke to him in the same friendly manner as when they first met at the mansion, with no apologies.
"Hey, will you listen to me for a second? I think that blonde guy treats girls pretty roughly. Wrapping them up and leaving them there is pretty bad, isn't it? You agree, don't you?"
"That's true. I don't know what they'd do to me, so I'd even cover my mouth... But since you were caught, what happened to Erza?"
"Well, I don't know. But even Elsa wouldn't have survived that big fire, would she? If so, then the child has finally died, and I think that's fine."
Meili doesn't seem particularly interested in the life or death of her supposed comrade, Elsa. Subaru frowns at her words.
"You have a lot of nerve asking to be treated like a prisoner of war. Your future probably isn't looking very good. What you've done is what you've done."
"That's true. But I failed, so I guess it can't be helped. Besides, even if I go back proudly, Mommy will probably get mad at me."
"You see, Mum. I've heard about it a few times at the mansion, but is there someone who's like your boss? ...Well, I'm sure if you ask Roswaal about that you'll find out for sure."
"Please make sure you eat three meals a day and don't include Pimal."
Showing that she was done talking, Meili turned away in a relaxed manner. Her treatment would likely be postponed. In any case, she was a valuable witness to the attack on Roswaal Mansion.
It was mildly surprising that Garfiel had the smarts to catch her.
After that, the people of the Sanctuary were safe, and conversely, the villagers of Arlam Village were safe. After hearing that the refugees who had escaped from the Sanctuary earlier had been safely taken care of in a nearby town, they confirmed the safety of everyone.
Just when I was breathing a sigh of relief, the final blow came.
"I guess I'm a nice guy since I forgave him after punching him once."
Garfiel muttered, waving the arm he'd used to hit Roswaal as he looked at the hole in the wall. Subaru had a lot to say to Roswaal, so he thought Garfiel's anger was justified, but...
"If that one hit has the power of more than ten of my hits, I'll have to question the word "kind"..."
"Don't be so leisurely, General. Come on, General, go ahead."
Garfiel snorted at Subaru's hesitant response and handed him something. Looking at his hand, he saw that it was a branch he had picked up in the forest.
It was quite impressive, thick and long. It looked just like a wooden baseball bat.
"...What should I do with this?"
"As expected, don't put in so many shots, it's your bad personality. One shot is still good, but if I put in a powerful one with this, there's no way anyone can complain."
"If you want to follow up after what you just saw, then that's pretty nasty!"
And he'd used a weapon on top of that. Saying that one shot was a single shot was just nitpicking. But Garfiel tilted his head at Subaru's answer and jerked his chin outside the hole.
"But even if the general thinks so, it seems the others don't think so, you know?"
"picture?"
Following Garfiel's sigh, I looked outside to see Frederica raising her fist in front of Roswaal, who had been made to stand by Ram.
"Master, prepare yourself--!"
Frederica's muscular arm cuts through the air, and her fist slams into the same left cheek where Garfiel had hit. The pathetic tall body is blown away again, this time crashing into a tree trunk a few meters away and coming to a halt. The snow that had piled up on the tree falls off in the impact, and Roswaal collapses, crushing him beneath it.
Frederica witnessed this, nodding in satisfaction and clapping her hands.
"What?! Does everyone agree with the idea of a thank-you visit?"
"General, you have to settle things. If you don't pay for what you've done, things will get really awkward later. I don't intend to do something like that and not cast healing magic on you. Emilia-sama is waiting after all."
Roswaal, dizzy, pokes his head out of the snow, where Petra and Otto are waiting for their turn. Ram pulls Roswaal out of the room after he's been punched, and Emilia stands by to heal him just in case.
"I mean, Emilia-tan, is it okay for you to be the healer? You're not waiting in line, are you? Emilia-tan is certainly qualified to be in line there though."
"Well, isn't there a difficult side to his personality? Either way, it's just as you saw. So, general, here you go."
The wooden bat was pushed out once again. Subaru timidly accepted it,
"If I don't do it too, I won't be included in the conversation, right?"
"Well, I wouldn't go that far. But even the general would want to shove it in that guy's face, right? That's all."
Pushed by his back, Subaru steps out of the house.
From inside the hole in the wall, Garfiel was giving a thumbs up. He seemed to be imitating Subaru's gesture. After being sent off by his younger brother, who still felt uneasy, Subaru slowly lined up at the back of the group making amends for Roswaal.
Incidentally, Petra had just swung a wet cloth at Roswaal's face.
A moist, pleasant sound echoed throughout the Sanctuary.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
"Well, then, let's talk again. Now that we've settled things as we should, I'd like to reconcile what happened today and discuss our future plans."
Subaru cleared his throat, took the lead as MC, and glanced around the crowd.
The people gathered at the cathedral were the main people involved in this incident. That being said, that was still a considerable number of people, and Subaru was overcome with emotion at the fact that it had become such a large group.
In the cathedral are Subaru, Emilia, Beatrice, Roswaal, and Ram, the original members of the Roswaal Mansion, as well as Otto, Frederica, and Petra, the later members of the Roswaal Mansion. Additionally, Garfiel and Lewes are present as key members of the Sanctuary.
The sleeping Rem was currently in the custody of Lewes' house, with Pico and the other Lewes clones tending to her care.
"Subaru, you seem to be looking off into the distance. Are you okay? Aren't you still not in perfect health?"
"No, that's not true. I was just feeling a bit sentimental. The number of people who support Emilia has doubled in one go. If you include the people of the Sanctuary and the people of Arlam Village, the number of supporters would be a little higher."
"...That's true."
Emilia looked at Subaru's answer with the same look and tilted her chin in.
Emilia, who showed her own will and held her own in the Sanctuary, fighting a defensive battle against the Great Rabbit, must have been highly regarded, at least by the residents of the Sanctuary and the Young Men of Arlam Village. Although she is not someone who can be relied on in times of crisis - not the qualities of a king, it is a world of difference compared to when she was kept at a distance.
Subaru thought that if they had more opportunities to interact with her, they would get to know Emilia's personality better. And if that happened, even if only little by little, they would come to understand her better.
"Well, I've strayed from the topic. Let's get back to the main topic. For now, we've shared the details of what happened at the Sanctuary and the mansion, right? Now, I'd like to hear more details about who is to blame for what happened…"
Subaru's words caused everyone in the room to turn their attention to the ringleader.
Roswaal, who was lying exhausted on the edge of the cathedral with his body resting on Ram's lap, noticed her gaze on him and opened his eyes,
"Oh? You all tortured me so much when I wasn't resisting, and you still say the pain wasn't enough?"
"You got what you deserved. Don't say such innocent things after Emilia-tan even cast healing magic on you. I was more surprised by Ram."
"...What do you mean?"
Sticking out his tongue at Roswaal, who never stopped talking, Subaru turned the attention of Ram. Ram, who was holding Roswaal's hand in her lap, frowned at what Subaru said.
Seeing her gaze, Subaru prefaced his response with, "No."
"Even though she wasn't in top form, I was surprised that Ram was able to silently watch Roswaal settle his score. I knew that after Roswaal had been beaten like that, she would definitely lose her temper."
"That's a stupid question, Barusu... Even Ram doesn't think that Lord Roswaal is the kind of person who never makes any mistakes. However, she still wants to be on his side even if he is on the wrong path. It's only natural that she would think that way. She doesn't understand that either. How foolish."
"Don't treat me like an idiot twice, at the beginning and end of the story! But by that logic, you..."
"Yes. Lord Roswaal deserved to be beaten by Garf and the others. In that case, he deserved to be beaten. It's Ram's choice to treat him kindly and with kindness after he hit him."
As always, Ram's way of loving is manly and logical.
No one could complain about her devotion to Roswaal. Garfiel was the only one who looked to be struggling with a dilemma, but he couldn't say anything because he'd been persuaded by the same trick for a long time.
"She must be a strange girl. She even inflicted those burns on her stomach... if it weren't for Betty and the silver-haired girl, the scars would have remained as they were."
The one who spoke to Ram was Beatrice, who was sitting beside Subaru.
The girl, kneeling and resting her weight on Subaru's left shoulder, had worked with Emilia to treat Ram, keeping her alive, erasing her scars and helping her recover to this point.
"I'm grateful to Lady Beatrice and Lady Emilia. However, I don't want you to tell me what I choose to love with this life that is connected to mine."
"I think Betty is kind enough to go that far. Even if you end up getting hurt again after doing all you can for a man who has done so much for you, that's your choice."
"---That's the one thing I won't do again."
Tit for tat.
Beatrice repeated the harsh words Ram had said, and Roswaal, who had been listening, sat up and spoke.
The two who were speaking stopped breathing at the sound, and Subaru swallowed.
Roswaal gets up, revealing his bare face, makeup removed.
After wiping off his clown makeup, the good-looking man covered his left eye with one hand, looked around at everyone in the cathedral with his right blue eye, and bowed deeply.
"I will never again sacrifice anyone here in order to achieve my goal. I swear it to the soul of my master."
"――――"
"Besides, I don't want to be hit by Beatrice three times."
Roswaal said jokingly, looking up at Beatrice. Hearing this, Beatrice averted her face.
"The second time was a punishment for your foolishness. The third time, who knows?"
"I would love to. I too would like to avoid being retaliated against by everyone again. Garfiel and Subaru-kun's mercilessness has made even I prepare to die."
"Would you put my blow on the same level as that one? It wasn't that strong."
However, it's true that if I was going to hit him, I wanted it to be something effective.
The swing of the sword neatly grazed the tip of Roswaal's jaw, shaking his vestibular canals and rendering him unable to stand, and it was quite a sight to behold.
In any case, there was a certain seriousness to Roswaal's statement. Therefore, it would not be unwilling to believe him. His change of heart was probably due to something touching about Ram's desperate attempt to burn the Gospels.
"I'm a bit taken aback by your attitude now, having strayed from the Gospel you were so attached to. To be honest, I thought that persuading Roz-chan, who was about to give up on herself, would be the last job I had to do in the Sanctuary."
"I nipped that troublesome problem in the bud. No matter how you explain it, I lost my bet with you. The moment I lost my sense of self, went against the gospel and the contract, and made it snow. And now you have completely crushed the results of all that."
"...Well, Garfiel and Emilia did their best, after all."
"It's a bad habit of yours to not mention your own name at such a crucial moment. Either way, results are results. All of the seemingly impossible 'Trials' have been overcome, and the 'Sanctuary' has been liberated. … I have lost."
"--You see, General."
Roswaal shrugged in resignation, and just as Subaru was at a loss for words, Garfiel raised his hand to interrupt.
He glared at Roswaal with a sharp look in his eyes, clicking his sharp fangs.
"Are you seriously going to let this guy join the team? To be honest, I'm still not convinced."
"Garfiel..."
"Of course! What do you think this guy did to the 'Sanctuary' and the burnt mansion? If it weren't for the generals, the village would have become a feeding ground for rabbits, and the girls in the mansion would have been played with and killed by the intestinal woman! With a guy who would do something like that surrounded us, who knows when he'll stab us in the back again!"
Garfiel roars, hitting the floor, causing the cathedral building to vibrate slightly.
Garfiel's argument is valid. Although they each punch Roswaal and sit down to negotiate as a way of settling things, it is merely a ritual to set the appearance of listening to his defense.
It was true that Roswaal had put the lives of everyone here at risk for his own ends, and Subaru had actually witnessed people lose their lives on multiple occasions.
The fact that everyone is able to gather here safely now is due to the sacrifices made in so many worlds, and the fact that everyone was able to work together after accumulating those sacrifices.
Subaru, too, has feelings of anger he wants to lash out at Roswaal, emotions he wants to confront him about. Just as Garfiel said, there are also times when he feels they are incompatible and wants to turn his back on him.
However,
"But we still need Roswaal's power."
"General...!"
"If Emilia is to win the Royal Selection, she needs Roswaal's help. If she loses his supporter, she will have no choice but to drop out of the Royal Selection. Of course, I'll have to make him pay, but... I can't just say goodbye."
"You're telling me to forgive the bastard who tried to kill my family?"
"――――"
Garfiel's emotional words pierce Subaru.
Even if Subaru tried to hold Garfiel's head down with words alone, he would not be convinced. Garfiel had come close to losing both Frederica and Lewes.
To the boy who had trained himself for over ten years to protect his family, Roswaal was surely an unforgivable enemy.
"I... forgive you, husband."
"...Big sister?!"
However, the one who voiced opposition to Garfiel's argument was none other than his blood relative, Frederica, who was nearly killed herself.
Garfiel's eyes widen as he listens to his sister's words, her long blonde hair swaying.
「What are you talking about! This bastard, he took my sister and the whole mansion…」
"Even so, I'm still alive today thanks to Garf saving me."
"That's just hindsight! That bastard tried to kill me! My sister! My grandma! That... that's all there is to it!"
"...I have been under your care for over ten years, Master."
Frederica narrowed her eyes as Garfiel shrugged his shoulders. Her gaze was filled with affection, and she even seemed moved by the anger of her grown-up brother.
"For my own purposes, I took the hand that you offered me. I learned a lot in the time that followed, and now I am here. To put it in layman's terms, I took advantage of your kindness for my own purposes. So, in terms of the exchange, isn't there zero?"
"There's no way gratitude and life are the same thing! When will that bastard betray me again...?"
"Um, I'm sorry I'm getting a bit heated, but can I just blurt it out?"
Garfiel tried to press Frederica, but it was Otto who put a stop to it.
Otto raised his hand, and Garfiel looked at him angrily. However, Otto simply brushed it off with a soothing "Calm down, calm down."
"Putting aside Garfiel's emotional reasoning for the moment, the possibility that Margrave Roswaal would do something like this... I think it's fine to assume that for now it doesn't exist."
"Huh? What are you talking about, you idiot? Are you asleep? Let me sleep, hey."
"It's a contract, a contract. A contract was made between Natsuki and the Margrave regarding how they would view this latest settlement. Right, Margrave?"
Otto remains calm as Garfiel approaches his boiling point.
It was also a strong point that the contract was confirmed not with Subaru but with Roswaal. Roswaal's eyes widened slightly as he realised Otto's intentions.
"Otto-kun is right. As a result of the contract that was concluded between me and Subaru-kun, I cannot go against his plans."
"Policy, huh...?"
"Throw away the Gospel and help make Emilia king. That's the contract I made with you. So you can't do something like this again."
Subaru took over and spoke, causing Garfiel to grit his teeth.
The bet is for Subaru to win. The contract binds Roswaal, and without the Gospel he can no longer model a future that deviates from the description.
Of course, whether or not that makes Roswaal a harmless person is another matter.
"Even if that's the case, it doesn't erase what I did! If I can just say I won't do it again and be sorry, then there's no way that 'Logos's revenge requires more than just his right hand' will happen!"
As Garfiel's cries continue to assert, opinion is divided on whether to accept or reject Roswaal's actions.
Subaru, Otto, and Frederica all match up when it comes to swallowing.
Garfiel and Petra show signs of refusal.
The ones who are undecided are Emilia and Ryuzu.
As for Beatrice and Ram, they are taking a wait-and-see approach as to which way things will go, as their approach to Roswaal is different from that of either camp.
"Petra..."
Like Garfiel, Petra is adamant in expressing her anger towards Roswaal.
When Subaru called out to her, she grabbed the hem of her skirt and blushed.
"No matter how much Subaru-sama says that, I don't want to accept it. My lord… Our lord tried to do terrible things to everyone in the village, didn't he? Everyone trusted our lord. I also thought our lord was a good person…!"
"...Those are painful words to hear."
Even Roswaal frowned at the young girl's accusation.
Putting aside the intentions of each camp and the small details, Petra's opinion is the one that best reflects the feelings of the residents. And it's not because she's a child. Petra's attitude clearly expresses her honest appreciation of the attitude of lord Roswaal has shown towards the people up until now, and her anger at what Roswaal has done this time, betraying that belief.
At present, the fact that Roswaal was the mastermind behind this commotion has not been communicated to the residents of Arlam Village or the people of the Sanctuary.
The reason Petra was participating here as a sort of representative was because they trusted the intelligence of this girl, who had been able to get to the truth from snippets of exchanges at the mansion, but still refused to speak until she was certain.
If Petra had shown the thoughtlessness appropriate to her age and tried to find out all the details, she might have been able to convince him with some easy words. However, that was not the case.
"I've said it many times before, but we need Roswaal's power. Cutting off Roswaal now would mean closing off Emilia's path. Even if he says he doesn't want to cooperate, we have to get him to cooperate, even if it means going out of his way."
"General, that means we're not even on the same page."
"We're at a stalemate. So we have to find a compromise. What do you think I have to ask of Roswaal that would make you willing to swallow me for now? I'm sorry but I have to stop you from killing me."
"--Chii."
Beatrice, who was sitting next to Subaru, stood up, as if to stop Garfiel from rising. Though she was a short girl, she was still tall enough to look down on the seated boy.
Clicking his tongue at the gazes being directed at him, Garfiel glared at Roswaal,
"First of all, we need to guarantee food, clothing and shelter for the old men and women who lived in the 'Sanctuary.' We need to guarantee the safety of both those who stay here and those who leave. This is the first serious step in what you were trying to do, big sister."
"All right, I'll take care of it."
"Your mansion burned down, and you've lost your home and your money. I'm not gonna listen to your excuses, huh?"
"It was the Mathers' villa that burned down. The main house is somewhere else. I don't want to make the embarrassment of being so ill-prepared that I end up in a boring financial situation."
Even Subaru was surprised at Roswaal's confident response.
It was the first time Subaru had heard that the burnt-down mansion was a villa. To be honest, it felt foolish for him to have been worrying a little about where he should live once he left here.
"In addition to those conditions, I want you to make two promises... No, make a 'contract'."
"――――"
Garfiel holds up two fingers, and Roswaal remains silent.
Garfiel breaks one of his fingers at Roswaal,
"One thing, it's what the general said earlier. You have to swear in front of everyone here that you will abide by those conditions. You won't do anything stupid like that again."
"...Ah, sure. And one more thing."
"It's simple. If you break it, I'll bite your head into pieces."
A chilling, murderous aura emanates from Garfiel.
The murderous intent that should have been aimed straight at Roswaal ended up passing through everyone in the cathedral, its tip caressing the skin of the entire population.
"Very well. --Let's make that contract equally."
And so, just a few seconds later, as Roswaal nodded in acceptance, Subaru felt the murderous intent disappear like a tide receding, and he let out a breath, relaxing his stiff body.
Garfiel looked displeased and rested his chin on his knees.
"...That's all from me for now. You can be satisfied with that, young lady."
"but..."
"Even if I tell my parents or friends, no one will be happy."
Petra, who still seemed to want to say something, shut her mouth at Garfiel's words. The girl then turned to Frederica, who was beside her, with a tearful face, and pressed her face into Frederica's chest as she nodded, stifling her sobs. It was a heartbreaking sight for everyone.
"Anyway, even though there are issues such as compensation for the residents of both Arlam Village and the Sanctuary, what will happen to the base after the mansion burns down, and the issue of who will succeed them, can we say that we have been able to pursue responsibility for this commotion and settle the matter?"
Subaru waited until Petra stopped crying before formulating his opinion once again.
If everyone is okay with this, the first stage of the discussion regarding the issues surrounding the Sanctuary and the mansion is complete. All that remains is to resolve the various issues individually――
"yes"
However, while everyone else chose to remain silent, one person raised their hand.
None other than Emilia, the leader of this group, who had yet to voice her opinion on Roswaal's treatment.
With everyone's eyes on her, she asks Subaru next to her for permission to speak.
"That's fine, Emilia-tan. Since we're here, you can say anything you want."
"Well, I'll take you up on that offer."
Emilia nodded at Subaru and looked towards Roswaal. Seeing her gaze, Roswaal raised one eyebrow and waited for Emilia to speak, with a surprised look on his face.
And Emilia said:
"Roswaal, you haven't done the most important thing yet. We can't end this discussion until you do that."
"The most important thing...?"
Roswaal gave a dubious look, unable to think of any explanation for Emilia's words. Subaru tilted his head in confusion as well, trying to think of what Emilia had said.
Watching those around her do the same, Emilia let out a small sigh,
"If you do something wrong, you have to say sorry."
"――――"
"Everyone's been telling us to do this and that as proof that we've repented for our misdeeds, and Roswaal has been saying that he'll swear to the teacher that he won't do anything bad again, but isn't there something you need to say before all that? Roswaal, have you ever said that to everyone? I haven't heard you."
With her cheeks flushed red, Emilia urges Roswaal on.
The contents of that comment seemed so childish that everyone was at a loss for words, but when Emilia spoke it, it was clear that she was genuinely angry and not joking.
Emilia was angry. It was rare for Emilia to get angry. And yet, for waking her up to such a rarity, Emilia was angry.
To make everyone do the obvious things that they have forgotten.
"Roswaal."
Subaru calls Roswaal's name.
Roswaal, with a shocked look on his face, turned his gaze towards Subaru, and Subaru's lips unconsciously relaxed at the sight of his surprised expression. And then,
"Apologize, Roswaal. If we're going to continue working together, it's only natural for a human being to apologize."
"――――"
Subaru agreed with Emilia's opinion, and his opinion was conveyed to everyone in the cathedral.
Roswaal, under the watchful gaze of others, gasps as he realizes the meaning of those gazes and what they are asking of him.
"--Yeah, that's fine."
It was quite an impressive sight when Emilia laughed after seeing Roswaal's apology.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
--Looking down at the woman sleeping in the coffin, Subaru had an indescribable expression on his face.
"You always make such rude faces when you see my teacher."
Peering at Subaru from the side, it was Roswaal who criticized his expression.
In the innermost room of the tomb, the two of them - Subaru and Roswaal - faced each other with the coffin between them, to exchange the words that needed to be exchanged, with no one in between them.
But before that,
"Is this seriously Echidna the "Witch" who was your teacher?"
"Exactly. Her body continues to sleep within the magic stone, retaining the beauty she had when she was alive. Having the opportunity to meet her again like this makes it worth living."
"From my perspective, your stalker-like actions of taking over the bodies of your descendants one by one are pretty impressive."
"Beatrice said the same thing to me."
It was unfortunate for Roswaal to see him enjoying himself, but Subaru couldn't bring himself to laugh.
Subaru had heard from Beatrice about Roswaal's soul transfer technology that allowed life to continue for a long time. He had joked about something similar before, but he never would have dreamed it was actually true.
Instead, I can accept that the entire family's Echidna freakout was actually just Roswaal, disguised as a family member.
"Your guilt towards your descendants who have taken over... I don't even need to ask."
"The Mathers family was originally established for that purpose. I started it, I continued it, and I built it up. I don't care if anyone criticizes me."
"Well done, a model stalker."
"Not really. Anyway, I would like to confirm something as well. The story of the teacher who called herself Echidna and the other person you saw during the Trial."
Roswaal narrowed his eyes as he asked, and Subaru narrowed his eyes in return.
The difference between the Echidna Roswaal spoke of and the Echidna Subaru met in the castle of dreams. This was the shock that came over Subaru when he found the woman in the coffin.
Subaru turns his eyes once again to the woman in the coffin.
Long white hair and clear skin. Beautiful features and a black dress that hugged a slender body. Every single feature matched Echidna's. And yet, it was clearly a different person.
The Echidna Subaru knew was slightly younger than the woman in the coffin. Her facial features were more delicate than her beauty, and her white hair was shorter than this woman's.
It's not that they don't look alike. In fact, if someone told me they were sisters I'd easily believe it.
but,
"The sensei must have been all alone in the world. He had no sister, and no one he could call a daughter, except for Beatrice. I know that better than anyone."
"Then who was the Echidna that was in the Trial? This person had been rejuvenated… but she didn't seem that way. They are two different people. Even I can see that age isn't an issue."
"There's no way that an unrelated entity could have interfered with the Trial. If that person was in charge, then they must be someone connected to it. Or it could be someone who has been tampering with it from the outside, without my knowledge... but."
Roswaal didn't say anything further, but Subaru sensed that he was certain it was impossible. He didn't know his basis for this, but perhaps he was confident in his stalking abilities. He didn't want to be so confident that someone would sneak around and do something bad to the teacher.
"I feel like you're making some rude assumptions."
"It's not just my imagination, it's your fault. Besides, Emilia is seeing the same Echidna as me in the Trials. At the very least, a different Echidna."
Emilia was also there when Subaru first saw the woman in the coffin. It was then that Subaru and the others realized that the woman Beatrice called mother was someone else called Echidna.
Who was this girl from Dream Castle? In the end, the conversation with Roswaal had begun without any conclusion being reached.
"Is it possible to enter the Castle of Dreams once again using the Trial system?"
"The tomb's functions were halted by destroying the magic formula, you know? It's a technology that's already been lost, and the conditions were complicated. And the miasma that had been hanging over the tomb has also escaped. This place is now nothing more than a historic graveyard made of stone."
"Is that so..."
Subaru is hit by the disappointment of not being able to confirm it, and the disappointment of never seeing her again in the castle of his dreams. Despite everything, even after being betrayed, Subaru doesn't think that interacting with her and the "Witches" around her is bad.
Therefore, losing that opportunity honestly brought a sense of loneliness to Subaru.
"...Let's put off things that can't be helped. So, what are you going to do with the woman in the coffin? Are you going to bury her?"
"I have no intention of burying or cremating him. Subaru, please don't get the wrong idea. I wish to be reunited with you, sensei, but that doesn't mean I'm looking forward to seeing your body face to face. That's merely a part of the process."
"What do you mean?"
Subaru raised his eyebrows at Roswaal's words, growing suspicious and wary.
Subaru had thought for sure that Roswaal's wish to be reunited with his beloved meant wishing to see her body laid to rest in the tomb.
It's possible that he wouldn't have thought this until he found out that the body of a woman was actually inside the tomb, but it's not surprising that Subaru would think this when he found out that the woman who was laid to rest inside was Roswaal's teacher.
However, Roswaal quickly rejected Subaru's idea,
"What I want is to be able to speak to my sensei again, with blood flowing through his veins, a soul in him, and breathing again. Recovering his body is just the first step."
"Resurrecting a dead person...?! That's impossible... Is there really magic in this world that can revive the dead?!"
"Please don't misunderstand. It's just that sensei still has those eyes. There's no way that any life that met a normal death can be brought back. Resurrection of the dead is just a convenient magic, Od Lagna would never allow it."
"Od Lagna?"
Subaru grimaced at the appearance of a word he'd never heard before.
"Od Lagna is, well… if you put it like that, it is a storehouse of mana that exists at the origin of the world. No, perhaps we should call it the core when the world itself is considered a living thing, the Od of the world. Where it specifically is, and whether it has a will of its own or not are all things that can only be imagined, though."
"Odo to the world... what's that supposed to mean you can't forgive him?"
"To explain that, we need to briefly look at the history of magic up to the present day."
"In three lines."
"That's tough."
Subaru asked for a simple explanation, and Roswaal touched his chin and chose his words for a moment before beginning his explanation in as easy-to-understand a way as possible, breaking it down into simple terms.
"All of the magic that currently exists in the world is nothing more than something invented by magicians who existed in the past. The initial emergence of magic occurs when those who excel at using mana begin to use magic that matches their own attributes. As the percentage of people who can use magic increases and differences in ability begin to appear, it becomes difficult to classify such things without names or types."
"So that's how you can give names to magic and classify it by attributes."
"That's right. And as magical technology and knowledge spread, people with outstanding talent also begin to appear. They invent new ways to use mana and create new magic apart from the magic that already exists. The development of magic always continues as a handful of geniuses make new discoveries, and the hundreds of average wizards that follow them use them to their advantage."
"Maybe it's because you're a rare genius that your explanation is subtly thorny."
"It's not just once or twice that I've had unpleasant experiences."
In any era and in any world, those who excel are shunned by those around them. There must have been a time when Roswaal was immature as a human being, tormented by such stares and obstruction. If it were now, I'm sure he would have laughed it off and gotten revenge without being found out.
"So, how does this connect to Od Lagna?"
"There is magic, and mana, a source of power. As research into these things progresses, geniuses begin to emerge who take a completely different approach to the use of mana, creating magic with astonishing powers. All of these magics have an impact that is incomparable to other types of magic, and some even allow the magician to change the terrain by themselves. --And then, they always see the same thing."
"..."
"It is a faint mana that they handle as if it were natural. However, it is a mass of immense power that is overwhelmingly different from any mana they have come into contact with up until that point - any wizard who awakens to the so-called forbidden arts will witness the presence of this enormous mana and will soon become mentally ill."
"Is that Od Lagna… the origin of the world?"
"Just as the human body fears disease and injury, the world also reacts with rejection to things that could shake its very foundations. That's what the person who first announced their views on Od Lagna said. In fact, the common thread among those whose hearts were broken after seeing Od Lagna was that they were those who had arrived at a new magic that could have rewritten the history of magic."
I don't know how powerful those spells were.
Although half of the theory behind all magic is revealed, the completed magic formula is destroyed along with the mind of the wizard who conceived it before it can be made public or put into practice.
"Is reviving the dead one of those things?"
"I want to be reunited with someone I loved that I lost. That feeling is universal and it is something that everyone has, and there are more than a certain number of geniuses who are moved by it. However, just when everyone was on the verge of reaching that goal, they lost their hearts to Od Lagna."
"..."
I think that's ironic.
It is unclear whether Od Lagna actually exists, or whether it actually shattered the hearts of magicians. But even so, they simply pursued the limits of their own talent. Or the fulfillment of a wish that everyone craves.
"According to one theory, Od Lagna is said to be the world will that controls everything in this world. Though it sounds a bit far-fetched, there's even a theory that even 'divine protection' is actually bestowed by Od Lagna."
"Whether they avoid getting involved or they get involved of their own accord... No matter where you are, the things those people do in the clouds never make sense."
"The expression 'people living in the clouds' is interesting."
Subaru treats Od Lagna on the same level as God, and Roswaal, unaware of this logic, laughs. It was an unexpected story, but the main topic was something other than Od Lagna.
Subaru regained his composure and returned to his original topic.
"And so, the reunion with sensei that you desire will not anger Od Lagna."
"That's true. It's not like you're activating any forbidden techniques, nor does it require any special power or formula. Rather, I'm more worried that your presence might incur Od Lagna's displeasure."
"...I thought the same thing when I heard that."
『Return by Death』――Although he had no intention of revealing the exact conditions to Roswaal, it would not be an exaggeration to say that Subaru's special ability bordered on the taboo of resurrecting the dead.
In fact, Subaru had changed his own fate by using "Return by Death" and even saved the lives of those around him. If this had come to Od Lagna's attention, there was no way he could have believed that it met the strict standards he had heard about earlier.
Or perhaps the being that caused Subaru to "Return by Death" possessed a power even greater than that of Od Lagna?
"It's horrifying to even imagine. And your method is..."
"Sorry, but I'm not going to tell you that right now."
Subaru shook his head and tried to continue, but Roswaal snapped at him.
For a moment, not understanding what he had said, Subaru's eyes widened.
"Uh, oh? What are you talking about?"
「That's just what I heard. I have no intention of telling you the means to achieve my ultimate goal. That's not even included in the terms of the contract between us, after all.」
"Well, that may be true, but... that's why!"
"I just want to make this clear, Subaru-kun."
As Subaru tried to press on, Roswaal responded with a cold voice. He circled around the coffin and walked up to Subaru, looking down at him and raising a finger.
"I've lost the guidepost that is the Gospel, and I've lost sight of the path that 'should be.' But I have no intention of giving up on my goal. I can't approach it the same way as before, because I'm bound by my contract with you. If I were to get in the way of something so trivial, Garfiel would probably chop my head off, so I can't do that either."
"... Yes, that must be the case. Then what can you do? What other option do you have than to reveal your purpose and ask for our cooperation?"
"It's simple. I'll just keep an eye on you."
"――――"
Subaru was unable to utter a word at this request, which was far from gentle. Roswaal's eyes, looking down at Subaru, shone with the same emotion, even though they were of different colors.
"Fortunately, your goal of making Lady Emilia king overlaps with the path to achieving my goal. Originally, you were supposed to gain an unwavering will of steel here, and become a scarred knight who would devote himself to Lady Emilia no matter what he lost."
"..."
"But that path has been cut off. Instead, you have chosen to walk a more painful, difficult, and thorny path. I both admire you and pity you."
"What?"
It was hard to ignore. Subaru glared at him, and Roswaal shook his head. It was true, a gesture of pity for Subaru.
He pointed his palm at Subaru, who looked irritated and questioning,
"You should have known what it would be like to lose something here. You should have become a wise man who would desperately protect what was important to you, even after losing something. I wanted to save you, no matter what."
"What's clever about that? Swallowing your losses? What's clever about that?"
"You refuse to lose, and decide to pick everything up, so you are bound to get hurt in the future. You will be hurt beyond repair, and you will keep losing, and in your desperate efforts to get back what you've lost, you will continue to grow in invisible wounds. It's just so pathetic."
"--!"
"And I will never take kindly to your decision to reject being a wise man and choose to be a fool. Of course not, right? You are the one who chose to be that way."
Subaru was speechless, so Roswaal reached out his hand and touched his shoulder.
Subaru's body trembled slightly, and Roswaal brought his face close to his and whispered softly in his ear.
"---From now on, if anyone you are meant to protect is lost, I will not hesitate to burn the remaining person quickly and turn them to ashes myself."
"...!?"
"You've decided to pick everything up. You mustn't let anything slip away. The world you've lost must not continue into the future. As long as there's a chance that your future, in which you've accepted your loss, will lead to a future I don't want, I will reject it. —Now that the Gospels are lost, the only ones who can draw me to my goal are you, Subaru, and your journey."
Pulling his face away, Roswaal lightly pushed Subaru's chest.
It wasn't much force, but Subaru stumbled as if he'd been pushed away, his back hitting the wall behind him and he gasped.
The man standing before him, Roswaal L. Mathers, was terrifying.
His thoughts had changed. He no longer relied solely on the Gospel, and he would no longer force Subaru or Emilia to endure hardship in order to achieve his goal. If Subaru wished, he would cooperate with him in achieving his goal, and he would do everything in his power to help Emilia walk the path to becoming King.
However, if Subaru should show even the slightest sign of error, Roswaal was prepared to turn it all upside down and ruin it all in an instant.
It's not a lie or a deception or anything. Roswaal will definitely do it.
「What? There's nothing to be so scared of. As long as you continue to be yourself and fulfill your role, I will cooperate with you to the best of my ability. That is the contract between you and me.」
"...This is a lesson to me to carefully examine the contents of contracts."
"Your role is to ensure that not a single person present today is lost, Subaru. Take Emilia-sama to greater heights without losing a single person. If you do, I will also be able to achieve my goal there. I will be able to be reunited with Sensei."
As Subaru looked down helplessly, Roswaal let out a long sigh and nodded.
Then, with the sound of his footsteps, he straightened his back,
"As soon as we return to our main residence, I will appoint Natsuki Subaru as a knight in the name of Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers. --I will keep this promise."
"..."
Knighthood.
For Subaru, this was the qualification to stand beside Emilia, something he desired more than anything.
Hearing it in this way only dampened his enthusiasm, but now that he had spoken it, Roswaal would definitely keep his word. There was no benefit to him not cooperating with Subaru.
Seeing Subaru silently sag his chin, Roswaal turns and heads for the exit. That must mean the conversation is over.
However, just before they left the room, the footsteps stopped, and Roswaal turned around.
"That's right. I just told you that I would fully cooperate with you, so I should report this too."
"...What is it?"
"--- I was the one who requested the Intestine Hunters to kill Beatrice, but the previous and current attacks by the Beastmaster were unrelated to my intentions."
"--teeth?"
Subaru, wondering what else to say, his mouth dropped open.
Subaru was frozen, not understanding what Roswaal had just said, and asked for an explanation. Seeing his expression, Roswaal closed one eye,
"As I said. The incident in the royal capital and the assassination of Beatrice were my request. However, I never asked them to kill Frederica or Petra, and I didn't have enough time to explain the details to them. The request itself was made before the start of the royal election, in accordance with the description in the gospel."
"What a stupid thing to say... After all, Erza and that girl were friends! So..."
"In other words, including the 'Intestine Hunt', there was a different agenda than mine at work in the attack on the mansion, that's what I'm saying."
"――――"
"It seems like a continuous string of hardships, but surely it's worth resisting?"
Leaving those sarcastic words behind, Roswaal's footsteps finally fade away.
Subaru was left behind, his mind still racing from the voice that reverberated in his skull, and he remained unable to move, leaning his back against the cold wall of the tomb.
The issues that should have been resolved are still smoldering.
Feeling the heat of the embers, Subaru held his head and took a deep breath.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
"You have a gloomy look on your face."
What saved Subaru from such deep thoughts was a frustrated, childish voice.
Subaru, who had somehow ended up sitting down, saw the hem of the dress fluttering in front of him. Following the luxurious fabric upwards, he saw a lovely face, arms crossed, looking down at him.
"Bear girl?"
"I don't know what that guy Roswaal said to you, but I think Betty's contractor should stop acting like that. It's lowering Betty's dignity."
"That's a big problem. It's embarrassing since I only just said I'd show you my good side."
Slapping his cheek, Subaru shook his head.
Beatrice knelt down, met Subaru's eye level, and narrowed her eyes.
"I guess I must have said something really cruel to you... I don't mind listening to your complaints. Maybe I'll give you a special service now."
"Jumping into a little girl's arms and crying would be the worst scene ever, so I'll refrain from doing so. But if it gets really bad, I'll jump in without a second thought."
"Well, if you feel like it, we can help you out."
Beatrice snorted and stood up, and Subaru also lifted his heavy hips.
As I brushed myself off and turned forward, my face collided with Beatrice's, who was gazing at the coffin.
"...That's your mother."
"And, perhaps this Echidna is different from the one Subaru knows?"
Neither Subaru nor Beatrice knew what that meant.
However, I think it was good that Beatrice was able to be reunited with her mother, even if it was a corpse. If the person resting here was the Echidna Subaru knew, then it would be more than just a disappointment for Beatrice or Roswaal. It would be perfectly reasonable for Roswaal to feel regretful at the moment, but he never wanted to see Beatrice sad again.
After all, Beatrice has already lost one of the reunions she had longed for.
"I wonder what happened to Lewes Meyer's crystal."
"...I don't know."
Beatrice's muttering left Subaru feeling at a loss as well.
Deep in the forest of Sanctuary is Echidna's abandoned research facility. The original Lewes Meyer, who was also the system that produced Lewes' duplicates and functioned as the core that bound the Sanctuary to a barrier, was supposed to have been placed there.
Just like the woman in the coffin before them, Lewes Meyer was supposed to have been sealed away in crystal.
--And then, Lewes Meyer's crystal suddenly disappeared.
Determined to be reunited with her old friend, Beatrice headed to the facility with Subaru, but was left speechless by the horrific scene. Subaru also ended up regretting not having come to check on himself earlier.
A large hole appeared in the floor of the room where the crystal was, and Lewes Meyer's body had disappeared along with the base that had been supporting the crystal.
Suspecting that they had fallen underground, as the room smelled strange, he asked Emilia to send micro-spirits there, but to no avail. There was a cavity beneath the facility, which led into the forest in the form of an underground passage.
The only conclusion we can come to is that whoever had taken the crystal knew of the passage's existence, and waited until the barrier was broken to take the crystal away.
What the robber's object in committing the robbery may have been is not the issue at this point.
The problem is that Beatrice's reunion with her friends, which was supposed to take place, has been taken away. Beatrice acts bravely, but it's obvious she's worried.
They will surely get it back eventually, and the destined reunion will take place.
Subaru had made up his mind.
"Well, even if I say it like I'm great, there's only so much I can accomplish with my own power."
Rolling his shoulders and stretching his arms, Subaru acknowledged his own powerlessness with a wry smile.
In terms of strength, he relies on Beatrice at the top, as well as Emilia and Garfiel.
Just as Otto has helped him in terms of wisdom, there will likely be times when he reluctantly relies on Roswaal, and there are sure to be many other areas where he can draw on Frederica and Petra for support.
As always, the reach of Subaru's arms and strength was short and narrow.
"Subaru, what are you laughing at?"
"Well, there are times when it's pathetic to be weak, but there are also times when it's not. All I can do is ask for your continued support in the future."
"I kind of understand what you're saying, but I'm not sure."
Beatrice, who didn't understand the meaning of Subaru's words, could sense that he relied on her and gave a faint smile. Subaru nodded in response and said, "Of course," before adding,
"I wasn't expecting to be able to understand that much. It would be pathetic if he could see right through me. But even so, spirit users are incredible. I've never unleashed that much magic before, so I got really excited."
"...I wonder."
"Well, I'm sure I'm relying on you a lot, so it's not something I can brag about. Even though I say I've become a spirit user, I honestly don't feel like it."
His contract with Beatrice was also quite simple, having been swept up in the collapse of the Forbidden Archive.
Of course, when he called my name and pulled me into his arms, I felt a strong connection, so I guess that was enough.
"Subaru. – There's something important to tell you."
"Ou?"
Suddenly, Beatrice spoke to Subaru with a serious look on her face.
Hearing this, Subaru tilted his head and waited for her to say something.
"Firstly, Subaru became a spirit user by making a contract with Betty... but Betty's status as a spirit is very different from others. So, I guess it's a bit odd to think of yourself as a pure spirit user."
"Well, the other spirits I know aren't humanoid, and Puck is the only one who can speak and move around with a will. I can tell that he's a little different."
The only spirit users Subaru knew up until now were Emilia and Julius.
Emilia made a contract with Puck and also got along well with other minor spirits. Julius, on the other hand, made multiple contracts with quasi-spirits that were more powerful than the minor spirits, which should have made him a powerful spirit user.
Another exception to this pattern is the evil spirit Petelgeuse, but Subaru doesn't want to remember him, so I'll skip that part.
"Betty... no, strictly speaking Betty and Nii-cha are fundamentally different beings from other spirits. Mother... I think they are artificial spirits created by the witch Echidna. To be honest, it is technically difficult to create them perfectly... but while they are incomparably stronger than normal spirits, they do have some drawbacks."
"Drawbacks..."
As she uttered the word, a look of humiliation crossed Beatrice's face.
Beatrice was a woman of great pride and had an extraordinary love for her mother, so it must have been painful for her to admit that there was something imperfect about her very being.
However, Beatrice wiped away that weakness with a single breath,
"Nicha and Betty each have their own weaknesses, but... I think Betty's weakness is that she monopolizes the contractor."
"A contractor monopoly?"
"To put it simply, just maintaining a contract with Betty almost completely uses up the contractor's abilities as a spirit user. So… well, Subaru, who has a contract with Betty, can't make contracts with spirits other than Betty. It's the same with micro-spirits and quasi-spirits."
"...Ah, I see."
Subaru nodded repeatedly, understanding what Beatrice was saying.
In other words, Subaru had devoted too many resources to maintaining his contract with Beatrice, and had no capacity left to accept contracts with other spirits.
Whereas Emilia relied on micro-spirits rather than Puck depending on the situation, Subaru, who had made a contract with Beatrice, could not do that.
"Well, it's a bit disappointing, but I'll have to swallow that. The benefits of my contract with you far outweigh the drawbacks. I have no intention of letting you go just because of a contract with a micro-spirit or something like that."
"R-Right."
Hearing Subaru's answer, her cheeks, which had been shaking with anxiety, relaxed slightly. However, Beatrice quickly erased that expression, cleared her throat, and,
"Well, I guess there are still a few more issues. Anyway, compared to what we just discussed, it's just a minor issue. Please listen to me at your leisure."
"I see. Anyway, there are so many things I don't understand so please tell me anything."
"Umm, compared to other spirits, Betty is a bit, a bit more elevated as a spirit, so... you see, she's not very fuel efficient."
"Fuel efficiency... you're starting to talk like a car."
Even in games, the more powerful the magic or summoned beast, the more MP it uses. The balance between this usage and power is what fuel consumption is, but Beatrice seems reluctant to explain, so what is that about?
"Huh? But even though you said your fuel consumption was poor, you used a lot of magic during the battle with the Great Rabbit, and you even got me to use magic on you, and you didn't even suck any of it from me, did you?"
"That was probably paid for using the mana that Betty had been saving up for a long time. If Subaru had drawn on as much mana as he needed for Betty's magic in the first battle, it would never have been enough, no matter how many times he dried up. I hope you're grateful for that."
"Well, I suppose so. If I were to try that, I'd be squeezed like crazy."
A series of shots from Minha, followed by a huge final shot from Al Shamakh.
There was no way Subaru's body could handle it, as one hit from Shamak would cause him to run out of gas.
"But I can't keep doing that in the future, can I? I'm now in the position of your contractor, so naturally I have to provide you with mana."
「I'll need to rely on you on that point. I think that both Betty and Nii-cha, artificial spirits, can't naturally generate mana from the Od that is their core. Therefore, they can only get mana from the atmosphere and their contractors. And Betty can only get it from other people.」
"Is that so? Then what did you do when you were at the mansion?"
"... I just took a little bit from everyone at the mansion."
Beatrice said, turning her face away, as if to say something that must have been guilt-inducing.
Her embarrassed face turned redder as Subaru stared. It was unclear what significance Mana Drain held among spirits, but judging from Beatrice's current state, it was obviously not good manners.
"Regarding that, Bearko seems to be deeply remorseful, so I won't pursue it further. So, assuming that the money you collect from me will cover your daily expenses, how much of your savings do you have left?"
Subaru's mana reserves are limited, and Beatrice has poor fuel economy.
This meant that Beatrice's many powerful spells would inevitably be drawn from her stored magical power little by little.
Therefore, it is essential to know how much is left.
"--I wonder."
"...yeah?"
"That's why we don't have any. I think we used up all of our stored mana from 400 years ago during the first battle the other day. The loss of the Forbidden Archives took quite a bit of it... and the last Al-Shamak was the final blow. I guess the mana Betty had saved up is now completely depleted."
So, is this what it means?
Beatrice's stored magical power is zero.
Subaru's mana, the spirit named Beatrice, is doing his best every day to maintain it.
Beatrice is fuel-efficient and cannot accumulate enough mana to cast powerful magic. Also, due to his contract with Beatrice, Subaru cannot get the cooperation of the micro-spirits.
"So that means... a combination of a spirit who can't use magic and a spirit user has just been born!?"
"Well, I guess you could say it like that."
"I can't say anything else! Huh? Are you kidding me? Seriously?"
The conclusion is that by becoming a spirit user, Subaru gained the possession of a little girl.
"Hey, I'm suddenly feeling anxious about what's going to happen next! Are you okay!?"
"Ehehe, I guess."
"That's not funny!!"
The newly born duo of two half-baked spirit users.
The sound of their voices echoing throughout the tomb continued for a long time.