I left Emilia with Otto and headed down the corridor alone.
The mansion's defense had already been outsourced to the Iron Fang. The maids had been evacuated.
The only thing left on my checklist was one last administrative visit to the resident gremlin of the Forbidden Library.
I opened the door.
Beatrice was sitting on her stepladder with a book in her lap, pretending not to care that I had entered.
I switched on Subaru Natsuki at full baseline consistency.
"Yo, Beatrice. It's been a while."
"I was wondering why the mansion was so noisy, I suppose."
"That's because everyone was running around worrying about you. You should apologize to them properly later."
"Why on earth would Betty need to apologize? I struggle to understand the necessity, I suppose."
"Well, I can apologize on your behalf. But you were left in charge of this mansion by Roswaaaaaaal. What are you going to do if he returns and finds you crying?"
"Why did you stretch his name? Also, Betty has not shed tears in a very long time, I suppose. Though, screaming and crying loudly might not be so bad. Coming from a boy who whimpered and slept on his favorite girl's lap, those words carry quite some weight, I suppose."
"Who told you about that?! and it wasn't my idea!"
Beatrice finally lowered her book and leaned forward, her expression sharpening.
"Let us get to the main point, you coward."
I took a step closer, letting the casual tone fall away.
"Roswaal. What is he planning?"
Beatrice blinked once, then lifted her chin.
"Betty has no obligation to answer that, I suppose. One protects their own shelter by themselves. Roswaal's intentions have nothing to do with Betty's decision to remain here."
"Then tell me what you can tell me."
"..."
"I'm serious."
I stared at her for a moment, then slowly reached into my tracksuit jacket.
Beatrice's eyes followed my hand.
I pulled out the dark, leather-bound Gospel and let it drop to the floor with a dull thud.
Beatrice flinched so hard she nearly fell off her stepladder.
Her eyes widened in horror.
"...That..."
Her voice came out thin.
"...Why do you have that?"
"It's a trophy."
I shrugged.
"From the leader of the Witch's Cult who surrounded this mansion. Its owner is dead."
Beatrice's face went pale.
For a second, she looked like she had forgotten how to breathe.
"...You left Betty behind, Geuse..."
"Geuse?"
She snapped back to herself, but only barely.
Her fingers tightened around the edge of her book.
"...If you killed Sloth, then what happened to the Witch Factor, I suppose?"
I tilted my head.
"Witch Factor? I don't know what that is."
Beatrice's lips parted slightly.
Her expression twisted, not with anger, but with something much worse.
Realization.
"...Don't tell me..."
She looked down at the Gospel on the floor, then back at me.
"...It really entered...?"
Her voice had gone quiet.
Then she forced herself to look up again.
"If that is the case, for what purpose did you kill Sloth, I suppose?"
"That's why I'm asking."
I spread my hands.
"What is that bastard Roswaal planning? What's the Sanctuary? I told you, I'm the one who wants to hear his thoughts."
Beatrice's shoulders trembled once.
Then she closed her eyes.
When she opened them again, the haughty edge in her voice had gone dull.
"...All the answers you seek are in the Sanctuary, I suppose."
"Roswaal's intentions, the meaning of the Gospel, the Witch Factor... everything is there."
"If you want them, you should go there."
"The half-beast girl can guide you to the location, I suppose."
I clenched the bridge of my nose.
Man, giving this dramatic effect sure is hard.
"...Sanctuary."
Beatrice looked at me.
"...What is it, I suppose?"
"...So that's where it is."
"...You know of it?"
"I know..."
I hesitated.
"...enough."
Silence settled between us.
Beatrice watched me carefully, but I kept my face steady.
Then I gave the smallest nod, as if something had just clicked into place.
"...That explains it."
Beatrice's eyes narrowed.
"...Explains what?"
"My foresight."
The words came out quietly.
"It starts fading."
"..."
"The closer I try to look toward the Sanctuary..."
"...the less I can actually see."
"I still see fragments."
"Pieces."
"Outcomes."
"But everything connecting them..."
"...it's like someone ripped half the pages out of a book."
Beatrice's expression changed.
"...A barrier interfering with prophecy?"
"I don't know."
"I've never encountered anything like this."
"I know Roswaal is involved."
"I know the Sanctuary matters."
"I know something important happens there."
"But every time I try to look beyond that..."
I slowly shook my head.
It's fcking funny. Why am I doing this cringy shit?
I suppressed a chuckle.
"...everything becomes fog."
Beatrice stayed silent for a few seconds.
Then she looked away.
"...All the more reason you should go, I suppose."
"If your answers exist anywhere..."
"They are there."
I let out a tired sigh.
"...I figured you'd say that."
"Then why ask Betty, I suppose?"
"Because I'd rather hear the answer from someone who already knows than walk into a forest blind."
"..."
"...Betty has already shown you the path."
She lifted one hand.
"Stop bothering Betty any further."
The library distorted.
"...Wait, Beatrice."
Space folded.
The next instant, I found myself stumbling backward into the hallway as the library doors slammed shut behind me.
Click.
Locked.
I dusted off Subaru's tracksuit which is mine now.
Administrative success.
Perfect.
I didn't even need to deploy the Touch Grass pitch here. The script still has to move toward the Sanctuary organically, and Beatrice just handed me the route on a silver platter.
Now nobody can question why my predictions suddenly became vague.
Not Emilia.
Not Otto.
Not Roswaal.
Not even Beatrice.
As far as everyone else is concerned, the Sanctuary itself is interfering with prophetic sight.
Convenient.
Mostly because it was true.
My future knowledge wasn't gone.
It was just...
Missing pages.
Garfiel.
Trials.
Blue crystal.
Beatrice.
Rabbits.
Roswaal.
The ending.
Nothing in between.
If my brain had been any less helpful, it would've simply written:
"Somehow, everyone survives."
Thank you, past me.
Outstanding documentation.
By letting Beatrice throw me out and point me toward the forest, I could now safely tell Emilia and Otto: "My prophetic visions are becoming foggy. The answers are locked behind a barrier. I cannot foresee the path ahead."
That was the whole trick.
If my camp thought I was a flawless god who could see the future perfectly, they would blindly rely on me and immediately notice when my wiki notes started missing pages.
This way, I kept my reputation intact while quietly admitting that the Sanctuary was a blind spot.
A brilliant corporate safety net.
[ ─── ❖ ─── ─── ❖ ─── ─── ❖ ─── ]
Armed with Frederica's blue crystal, the alibi firmly established, and Otto driving, the carriage rolled into the oppressive, foggy forest.
As the gray mist swallowed the carriage, I reviewed my fragmented grocery list of Arc 4.
Garfiel = Tiger.
Trials.
Rabbits = Bad = Food (According to Gluttony).
Pink Tiny Woman = Guide.
Al Shamak= Banish the damned Rabbits.
I knew the ending.
I just didn't know the human emotions required to trigger it.
Because apparently you have to be Subaru to convince everyone emotionally.
The carriage crossed the invisible barrier line.
The stone in Emilia's possession suddenly started glowing intensely.
Emilia fainted beside me.
Okay, time to meet Echidna, maybe she has a nice deal for me.
I grabbed the glowing crystal from Emilia's neck.