think you're the most unfortunate asshole in the world. You wanna make a contest of it with me? I can tell you now, you aren't gonna win!"
Julius was speechless at Subaru's furious reaction. His eyes opened wide
at the sudden outburst, and he was unable to respond. Subaru glared at the silent Julius, gritting his teeth, still breathing hard.
"Quit lookin' so pathetic. I know it's hard for you—that everyone else has forgotten you and you don't have anywhere to go. But…but I don't wanna see you looking so goddamn pathetic."
" "
"Don't you dare forget it."
There was a fury burning in his eyes as Subaru put his hand to his chest. Just like he did once before.
"I know exactly how strong you are. I still remember my shame. Even if everyone else has forgotten it."
" "
His breathing had become ragged, and the feeling of blood rushing to his head refused to die down.
How long had it been since he last felt this furious? It must have been during his time with Regulus. Subaru was stunned to realize it had not even been a full day. How many years was Pristella going to take off his life with all this stress?
As those meaningless thoughts crossed his mind— "Ha-ha-ha…"
"Ah?"
"Ha-ha… No, I was just reminded again. You really are quite the man…" As Julius's shock faded, amusement began to take its place. Subaru was astonished by that reaction as Julius kept on laughing. And finally, after a deep, deep breath— "Yes, that's right. It's not as if I've been left behind by everything and everyone."
"You weren't left in the dust; it's only like a three-horse lead, but you're still out in front."
"Is it really just three?"
"Don't make me kick your ass! I'm totally different from before now that I have Beako with me!"
Julius started to recover his old mood as Subaru flipped him off and spat at that comment. Julius elegantly evaded the flying spittle.
"I see." Julius bowed. "Then allow me to live up to that bluster of yours."
"…You damn well better. I expect a big performance from you to blow everyone away once they get their memories back."
Subaru gave a thumbs-down at Julius's pompous attitude, and the Finest Knight, whom only Subaru remembered, smiled elegantly at that tasteless provocation.
"—Then first of all, I will have to do my best to shock you, the one who still remembers me."
And with that, he steeled his determination to accompany Subaru to the Pleiades Watchtower.
5
"Julius is coming with us."
"Good. That's a relief."
Anastasia was smiling as Subaru closed the door behind him.
It was the meeting place in the shelter where the main actors had gathered a few hours ago. Everyone who had participated had long since returned to their bases to prepare for the next mission.
There was no one left in the room save the two of them.
"Hmm? Why are you staring?"
And Anastasia had been waiting for someone in that room—waiting for Subaru.
It wasn't as if he could've known for sure. But he'd had a feeling that she would be there. Since by his estimate, she shouldn't have any place to stay that felt comfortable.
"Emilia, me, and Beako, Julius and you. That makes five of us heading to the Pleiades Watchtower."
"What a gruff way of putting it. But that's fine. Considering our relationship, I don't mind that level of—"
"—Cut the charade."
" "
"You're not Anastasia. Spare me the act."
Subaru leaned his back against the door, blocking the entrance as he made the accusation in a venomous tone.
Anastasia's playful smile froze. Her elegant, restrained smile faded, and she cocked her head slowly. And then her eyes narrowed bewitchingly. "Well, that's a surprise. How did you know I wasn't Ana?"
The shift in tone was immediate. This voice was obviously not Anastasia's.
She was aggressively friendly and overly familiar, but at its core, her voice was hollow. The intonation, the voice was the same as Anastasia's, but it sounded off on a fundamental level.
Subaru clenched his jaw at that obvious transformation, gritting his teeth once he realized that his suspicion had been correct.
He would much rather have been wrong.
"If you want to hide it, then you should play the part better. It's true Anastasia is the biggest realist of the candidates, but she would still be shaken at having someone that close to her suffer the sort of injury Ricardo did. At the very least, she wouldn't have acted that emotionlessly."
"That's a rather harsh evaluation, but knowing that Ana's humanity is how you saw through my subterfuge is surprisingly not a bad feeling… But getting caught over and over like this is a bit embarrassing."
"Over and over? There was someone besides me?"
"Priscilla Bariel. She called me she-fox. She's a scary one."
"Those two again, huh…"
Subaru grimaced as that pair flashed through his head again.
Honestly, Priscilla's camp was the most unreadable of all the candidates' factions. Priscilla herself went without saying, but Al's secrecy had crossed a line this time as well. He probably knew far, far more than he was letting on.
But Subaru was also sure that he would not just spill the beans even if he confronted him.
"…Well, they can wait. The problem now is you pretending to be
Anastasia. Yo—"
"If you're suspecting me of being the Archbishop of Lust, you are quite mistaken. I should correct that misunderstanding first."
The fake Anastasia interrupted to reject the expected theory, shrugging when Subaru's glare grew sharper.
When he first suspected that Anastasia had been replaced, the obvious explanation was Lust. Capella could transform her shape and voice freely, so it would not be that difficult for her to change places with Anastasia.
Of course, he wasn't planning to just accept that answer, but—
"Then who are you, and what are you trying to accomplish?"
"—Echidna."
.
.
What did she just say?
"…Eh?"
The fake had cocked her head and answered Subaru's question matter-offactly. And the echo of those syllables blotted out every thought in Subaru's mind as he felt his mouth get painfully dry.
" "
Subaru froze, forgetting to breathe. While he was stunned, the fake Anastasia spoke again.
"—My name is Echidna. As for where I came from, well, I'm an artificial spirit."
"…Ah…"
"Honestly, given the situation, it's understandable why you might assume I've taken over Ana's body. That's why I was reluctant to tell the truth sooner. But seeing that keeping quiet about it just needlessly aroused suspicions reminds me once again that lies are really bad. It's truly regrettable."
Subaru was still locked up while the fake kept blathering. Her words went in one ear and out the other as he refused to look away from the strange sight in front of him.
A middle-aged sort of tone, a circuitous, indirect manner of speech. It all resembled that Witch.
"What a terrible joke. You're Echidna…?"
"?"
That was the name of the Witch whom Subaru was reluctant to refer to by name under any circumstances.
The Witch who invited guests to her tea party with sweet, kind words while turning them into puppets that obeyed her will. The manifestation of curiosity in search of all the possibilities that she could not see for herself.
The name of someone he had been so sure he would never have to hear again.
"When did you take Anastasia's form…? No, more importantly, when did you become able to freely move outside…? Were you the one who set all this up with the cultists?!"
"Huh? Hmm, wait a second, I wasn't expecting that strong a reaction…"
"Shut it! Nothing good ever comes from letting you talk! What are you planning this time…? What were you trying to get me do?! Shit! Was I just dancing in the palm of your hand again?!"
"C-could you please calm down? I suspect there has been a grave misunderstanding."
Returning to his senses, Subaru ferociously tore into Anastasia—no, Echidna.
Echidna hugged herself, stepping back, sensing danger from Subaru's outburst. He seemed to be on the verge of trying to strangle her.
"Calm down? There's no way I can calm down! How many times do you think I'm going to fall for that gentle act, you piece-of-shit Witch! What did you do with Anastasia?!"
"I'd appreciate it if you spared me the evil-mastermind treatment. In the first place, I never had any intention of harming Ana. I've been with her for more than ten years now. If anything, I think of her like family."
"Evil mastermind fits you to a… Wait, more than ten years?"
Subaru's eyes widened in open suspicion. If it had been that long, then that would have meant Echidna had been coming and going from the Sanctuary all she wanted.
It was obvious when he thought about it. The whole thing about Echidna not being able to leave her tomb was just something he had heard from her, and yet he had simply accepted it at face value.
Even though he had suffered so much for trusting her sweet talk, how naive was he?
"Is it that enjoyable to trick and manipulate people for your own amusement?"
"…Well, now. I can't say I was expecting this level of animosity. I had suspected it might be the case when I saw you walking around with Beatrice, but it seems you know my creator well."
"Well? Try terribly."
As Subaru's anger intensified, Echidna's attitude grew cooler and cooler. Honestly, that attitude was pissing him off, too. It was getting to the point where anything Echidna did made him mad.
"Whatever you have planned, you won't fool me. Using those cultists to
—"
"—Artificial. Spirit."
"…What…?"
"It seems like you are painfully hung up on my name, but I suspect it might be a little easier for us to talk if you would focus a little bit more on the other half of my introduction."
Saying that, Echidna sat down in a chair and gestured for Subaru to take a seat as well. Silently rejecting it, he rolled those two words over in his mouth.
"You're saying you're an artificial spirit, too? Like Beako? You? An artificial spirit? You?"
"The answer isn't going to change however many times you ask. To elaborate, my real form is this fox muffler Ana is usually wearing. So I've been watching all of you the whole time."
" "
Sitting in her chair, she ran her hand over the elegant, white fox-fur muffler wrapped around her neck. Subaru furrowed his brow, pondering that dubious statement.
Echidna—for the sake of argument and distinction, let's call her Foxidna.
There was a certain believability to Foxidna's assertion that she was an artificial spirit. Since the Witch of Greed, Echidna, had created other artificial spirits.
Beatrice was one of those artificial spirits and the one and only good thing that Echidna had done in her whole life.
"Are you a bit more willing to actually listen to what I have to say?"
"…As long as it's a believable story."
Subaru held up a finger as he stared straight at Foxidna. It was a poor move to launch an attack without any chance to negotiate, but he refused to let down his guard, either. That was the most he was willing to budge.
"First of all, I would like to resolve your misunderstanding. You've displayed a very presumptive distrust of me, but if I'm not mistaken, that is directed not at me, but at 'Echidna.' I believe that is the point where you and I are not meeting eye to eye."
"…Continue…"
"It's a simple thing: The Echidna you know is an entity entirely separate from me. I have no knowledge of an Echidna other than myself. Other than knowing that I am an artificially created spirit and that my name is Echidna, I
do not remember anything about how I came to be."
"And we're done here!"
Subaru slammed his hand against the table, excusing himself from any more of her farce.
He was not sure what to expect, but all he got was that weak, un-Echidnalike cover story. In other words, the key point was she was claiming to have lost her memories.
And what value was there in listening to something like that?
"That's a hurtful response. I conveyed the key facts and information in a brief, to-the-point statement. What's wrong with that?"
"That attitude! Like you don't understand how the people you're dealing with are feeling! That's just like Echidna!"
"I'd venture to say that I understand you despise my creator."
It had gone well past anger; there was pure hatred gleaming in Subaru's eyes. Seeing that, Foxidna slowly shook her head.
"Could you please consider for a moment, if I really were the Echidna who you knew, then why would I reveal that fact here and now? If I knew it would break off any chance at all of talking with you, there wouldn't be any reason to do it, would there?"
"…The explanation that you're the sort of person who would enjoy doing that is an answer in itself."
"If her sins run that deep, then there's nothing I can say. My creator was just too terrible."
Foxidna's bitter expression was one Subaru had never seen on Anastasia's face. But as he started to actually talk with her, he began to realize the oddities himself.
True, it isn't logical. And if I use that argument, then there will never be an end to the suspicions—
"Suppose for the sake of argument that you are not the same Echidna that I know. Then how did you know Beatrice is an artificial spirit? That's too convenient a fact to know when you've supposedly lost your memories."
"I could tell when I saw her is all I can say. Like a sense that picks up fellow artificial spirits."
"Beatrice never mentioned anything about you. Why didn't she notice you, then? Are you trying to call my girl stupid?"
"I imagine she would have noticed if she ever saw me active or talking. Other than that, I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't catch it. I'm a being lacking in a lot of ways compared with a normal spirit."
"Lacking?"
"I'm unable to contract with a human. It is difficult for me to use magic to defend myself as well. In exchange, I am good at concealing my presence.
Though my confidence in that has certainly taken a beating after all this."
Subaru felt something off about the way Foxidna lowered her gaze and how her voice became less energetic. Slowly, he realized the implication behind what she was saying.
If she's also an artificial spirit, then— "The artificial spirit they demanded—"
"Might well have been me, not Beatrice. Ana was troubled by the decision not to reveal it to all of you. The blame for that lies with me. I'm the
one who stopped her. Allow me to apologize."
Foxidna lowered her head as Subaru remembered the conversation he'd had with Anastasia before the decisive battle with the Archbishops.
She had pulled him aside about an important discussion, and she had seemed to be hung up on the topic of the artificial spirit and looked unsure about something.
"Anastasia was unsure about whether to tell me then?"
"Because you said that keeping secrets would only help the enemy. Ana struggled a great deal with that."
" "
That reaction felt a little bit unexpected to Subaru.
He had thought Anastasia was the type who would not hesitate to hold back information if it was advantageous to her. And when it came down to it, she had held back about the artificial spirit.
"So you're bringing this up now because you finished up all the preparations you needed in order to take over Anastasia?"
"And finally, we are back to this subject… I said it before, but I never once wanted to take over Ana's body. I didn't want this state of affairs any more than she did."
"If you don't like it, then just give her body back to her. Just log back into the scarf already."
"I'd love to, but I can't anymore."
Subaru pursed his lips at that unconvincing answer.
Honestly, it was not a story worth considering. It was unfounded and entirely too convenient for Echidna. Who would believe something like that so easily?
But that made Foxidna all the more believable. He could not imagine Echidna risking something on such a big gamble.
"Tell me, in detail, what exactly is the state that Anastasia is in?"
Standing up off the door, Subaru indicated he was willing to listen to Foxidna's story. She raised her eyebrows slightly in surprise as he slowly sat down in the seat she had offered earlier.
"Is this how you make women happy? It's difficult to tell the gender of artificial spirits, but considering the fact that Beatrice is female, I probably am t—"
"Can we get this over with?"
"Sorry, I was just a little shaken that this somehow ended up with you willing to actually listen to me."
That exchange felt eerily similar to talking with the real Echidna, but apologizing for the mistake, Foxidna started speaking with a serious expression on her face.
"Bluntly speaking, using Ana's Odo as a medium, I have overwritten her consciousness with my own. At present, I can freely control her body, and I can also use magic with Ana's defective Gate."
"Anastasia's Gate is defective?"
"That's one key aspect of our special relationship. I mentioned before that
I'm defective as a spirit and can't form a contract, right?"
"…You did. So it's not like Anastasia is a spirit user or anything?"
Remembering that previous exchange, Subaru clarified for himself that he and Anastasia were in different situations. They were both partners with artificial spirits—Beatrice and Foxidna—but their partnerships took different forms.
Nodding, Foxidna continued:
"Ana has had defective Gate from birth. As I imagine you know, Gate is an organ that absorbs atmospheric mana and is a release for the mana that accumulates in the body. In Ana's case, the absorption function is what's nonfunctional. She's in a chronic state of mana deprivation. You actually know someone with the opposite problem, whose Gate can't release mana, don't you?"
"I can't say I do…"
"That's surprising. It's the descendant of the Sword Saint. He cannot expel mana from his body. In his case, he absorbs an abnormal amount of mana, though it seems it's all used to increase his physical capabilities, so there is no harm caused."
"…Reinhard."
He learned the unexpected problem Reinhard had from Foxidna's passing comment. It was true that Reinhard himself had said that he could not use magic. Subaru hadn't explored the matter very deeply, but this was apparently why.
"It's a similar condition to me after I broke my Gate by overloading it, huh? In my case, Beako absorbs the mana, so I get by without any ruptures, though…"
"In his case, he depletes mana just by living… However, for Ana, the amount of mana that she absorbs is insufficient. Because of that, she can only use her internal mana for magic, and once that runs out, the only choice is to exhaust Odo, the foundation of life."
"Which is why Anastasia can't use magic, and why she can't contract with a spirit, either, since it requires a supply of mana…"
Subaru was starting to grasp the situation surrounding Anastasia's Gate, but there was also a part that still didn't make sense.
"But that isn't going to suddenly fix itself while you are borrowing her body. Isn't that little mana she has what's keeping you running?"
"…The only reason that we resorted to something that shaved away at her life was because she was in such a dangerous position to begin with. Of course, I talked it over with Ana in advance and got permission before taking over. And beyond that, you don't have any right to say anything about it."
There was a fierce resolve in her eyes, making it clear that she would never yield on that point, if nothing else. Even if they did not have an official contract, it was a promise that still bound Anastasia and Foxidna. Just as the contract between Subaru and Beatrice was theirs alone. It wasn't Subaru's place to comment or pass judgment.
"My borrowing Ana's body is an act of desperation. I am a particularly low-consumption spirit and have never once burdened Ana with my mana needs."
"Oh, really? In my case, Beako has to hold my hand three times a day to get enough mana."
"The second and third times are probably just because she wants to hold hands. But it's nice that you get along that well."
Foxidna giggled, just like the Witch whom Subaru knew. Seeing Anastasia's body overlap with Echidna's was a scary feeling.
He wanted to get Anastasia back to normal as soon as possible. Both for his own sake and for the sake of Julius, who was in a painful enough situation already.
"Is this your first time borrowing her body?"
"No, this is the fourth time. But this is the first time there has been any issue going back. It's never happened before, so I have no clue what the cause might be… I've stopped being able to extract myself from her body. As a result, Ana's consciousness is sleeping in the depths of her Odo."
Touching her chest, the spirit spoke as if that was where the Odo was located.
"I was surprised you were able to see through the fact that I'm not Ana. But I was a little relieved, too… I didn't like the idea that she could be so easily copied."
For the first time, Subaru could agree wholeheartedly with what Foxidna was saying.
It was impossible for someone to perfectly replicate someone else. She could not become Anastasia. That was a relief for Foxidna and for Subaru as well.
"…I'm sure there were plenty of other people who thought it was weird. Even if they couldn't declare it immediately on the spot with conviction, I'm sure the people who know her best noticed right away."
"And yet it's people without that much connection, you and Priscilla Bariel, who were the only ones to see through it. Can you explain that?"
"Ricardo and the kittens all have their hands full with what happened to them at the moment. And the same goes for Julius." Foxidna's eyes narrowed.
That reaction looked suspicious to Subaru, but he could understand after hearing what came next.
"I had the feeling it might be the case, but Julius really is Ana's knight? … Gluttony's power is truly terrifying. Even robbing an unnatural being like me of my memories."
"Yeah. But that's why we're…"
Suddenly, Subaru snapped his head up.
He finally understood why Foxidna had brought up the famous Sage during the meeting and why she had suggested going to the Pleiades Watchtower.
"I love Ana."
" "
"I didn't spend over a decade with her despite the lack of a contract just because of simple curiosity. I've never experienced it personally, so I can't say for sure, but I feel like a guardian or maybe family to her. I want her to be as healthy—and more importantly—as happy as she can possibly be." Foxidna hugged Anastasia's body as she looked at Subaru.
Her words were calm, bereft of human emotion, but there still seemed to be a love of sorts in the way she spoke and how she held Anastasia's body.
Just like how Puck loved Emilia, and how Beatrice loved Subaru.
Foxidna seemed to feel the same toward Anastasia—
"Then that's the real reason you wanted to meet the Sage."
"Correct— Honestly, I don't feel any particular way about the victims of Gluttony and Lust. I just want to know how to return Ana's body to her. And I will gladly use all of you in order to achieve that."
"Do you have any proof that the Sage will know how to revert things?"
"None whatsoever. But if it is the Sage who is said to see through everything and have knowledge on all matters, then there is at least a chance. And I will always choose the option most likely to succeed. Nothing more and nothing less."
Subaru gulped. It was undoubtedly a selfish, egotistical conclusion. But Foxidna had her reasons and the resolve to act decisively in order to achieve her goals.
There was no mistaking that. In which case, there was something Subaru had to confirm—
"Can I trust that you really know how to get to the Pleiades Watchtower?" "Of course."
"Your lore is supposed to be that you don't have any memories. So how do you know the way to the tower, which no one else knows how to reach?
Doesn't make much sense, does it?"
"I know what I know. If you ask me for some sort of proof, then I'm not sure what I can say…but if I had to put it into words, I guess because it is my fate to reach that place."
"Fate? Who decided that?"
"My creator, I suppose."
Foxidna's suspicions were the worst possible answer as far as Subaru was concerned. It was hard not to believe that Echidna was the one who had created her, and Echidna was just the sort of asshole who would etch the path to the watchtower and nothing else into an artificial spirit's memory, too.
Which meant that there was something connected with Echidna waiting at
the Pleiades Watchtower. That fact made him nervous while simultaneously getting his hopes up about the knowledge of the Sage, who was waiting there.
"Are you willing to believe me?"
Foxidna asked this when he fell silent, reaching his conclusion. Subaru hesitated to nod, sighing deeply before he answered:
"Belief is a strong word, but for the moment, I understand. You have your own goal and are doing what you need to in order to achieve it. And that goal and those actions are not at odds with our goal."
"Quite. We both have our own questions to ask the Sage, so let's work together to get there. It's only natural."
"Quit it. When you put it like that, you sound a hell of a lot shadier."
"That's rude."
Subaru was sure that any more talking with Foxidna in Anastasia's body was going to drive him mad.
But either way, the road to the Pleiades Watchtower would be a long one. The Auguria Dunes, where it was located, lay in the far eastern regions of the map—and he would have travel with Foxidna the whole way.
"Incidentally, this is just to satisfy my curiosity, but…you seem to know quite a lot about my creator. Who was Echidna?"
"What…? Right, there wasn't much left of her in the records supposedly." Subaru scrunched his face at Foxidna's unexpected question.
Looking back at the histories, the story went that the Witch of Envy destroyed all the other Witches of the Seven Deadly Sins, and none of their names remained. Because of that, the only people who would make the connection between the concept of a Witch and Echidna were the people who had a direct connection with her—Emilia's faction.
And—
"—Our relationship scores aren't high enough for me to talk about her with you. I'll tell you more once I have a better idea of whether I can trust you."
" "
"We both have our secrets. No complaints, right?"
It was not just stubborn payback. As long as Foxidna was holding back with him, he would do the same.
Hearing that, Foxidna opened her round eyes nice and wide.
"…Now, don't be like that. Y'all are too precious to be playin' that mean.
I'm hurt, hurt I say."
Adjusting her white fox-fur scarf, Foxidna reverted to Anastasia's usual style of speech.
I see. It really is a good performance. But…
"The intonation when you say y'all is off. And your Kansai drawl is too smooth. It's too realistic compared with the other Kararagi people I've heard."
"Too realistic?"
Taking Subaru's unfriendly advice to heart, Foxidna was sincerely trying to correct the apparent problems, but it was not something that could be addressed that easily. Finally, she sighed, her shoulders slumping as she gave up.
And the questions Subaru had for Foxidna were done for the moment. The question of how to return Anastasia's body to her would be up to what they learned from the Sage.
But what he could say was—
"Don't tell Julius or anyone else that you're borrowing Anastasia's body."
"…I don't mind, but I didn't expect you to say that."
"I know it's selfish to propose this, but I don't want to cause any more waves in this already super-precarious moment. I should warn you that everyone else isn't nearly as understanding as I am. It'll be a problem if they get tripped up because of it."
If Ricardo or Mimi and her brothers found out, they might try to stop them out of concern for Anastasia's body.
If that meant having to give up on going to the watchtower, they would lose out on the only clue they had on helping the victims of Gluttony and Lust, and that would be problematic in a whole new way.
"If we go to the watchtower and find out how to fix everything for Lust's and Gluttony's victims and how to solve your and Anastasia's problems, then everything will be fine. If it all works out, then they can't complain, and even if they do, we don't have to listen."
"As Hoshin said, as long as the accounts balance, all's well that ends well."
As per usual, couldn't say it better than Hoshin even if I tried.
With that, Subaru breathed a sigh of relief now that the conversation had finally come to an end.
There had been a chance that whoever was pretending to be Anastasia was plotting something malicious and that one last fight would have to unfold there. But fortunately, he had not had to use the insurance he had arranged.
"Incidentally, Natsuki."
"Hmm?"
"There's someone else you want to ask the Sage on how to help, too, isn't there?"
Subaru stopped as he turned to leave the room. His heart leaped at those words.
Looking back, Foxidna was smiling with Anastasia's face, but her tone slipped back to her own voice for a brief moment.
"There are other people with the same sort of symptoms as the nameless here, right? And it would be best to have an example to show the Sage in order to ask how to help them, right?"
"That's…"
"We're going to stop by Marquis Mathers's estate anyway, aren't we? You have to prepare for the trip and report back about going to the watchtower, after all. And you have your Sleeping Beauty waiting there."
" "
"I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Everyone's going to be saved, so it's just a question of who's the first one to be saved. No one would blame you for helping yourself."
For some reason, Foxidna's calm voice sounded an awful lot like a devil offering a deal.
He understood what she was getting at. There was definitely a part of him that wanted to do it, but he could not bring himself to answer on the spot.
"Rem…"
All he could do was murmur her name.
6
"—You don't look so great, Subaru. Are you all right?"
After leaving the room and walking a few steps, there was a voice at his back.
Stopping, Subaru took a deep breath and then nodded.
"I'm okay. Sorry to worry you. Also, sorry for calling you out over what turned out to be nothing."
"I don't mind. What matters most is there not being a problem… Would it be better if I don't ask about what happened?"
"Yeah, I guess it would probably be best if you pretended not to hear anything?"
Subaru shrugged at Reinhard, who had moved beside him.
Before going to talk to Foxidna, he had asked Reinhard to wait outside in case anything happened.
It was entirely possible that the suspicion he felt about Anastasia was actually because of Capella, so it was only natural to buy the best insurance he could afford before confronting that possibility.
Fortunately, the fight he had been worried about never materialized, but the Sword Saint Reinhard had surely heard the conversation in the room— that Anastasia was currently being inhabited by Foxidna.
Honestly, Subaru would like to keep things quiet in order to not cause a stir, but—
"Unfortunately, I could not hear the conversation inside, so I can't tell anyone about what was discussed. Even if it was Lady Felt asking me."
"…Thanks, man…"
He thanked Reinhard, who understood what he was thinking and preempted the discussion.
Thinking back on it, he had constantly been saved by Reinhard's presence ever since coming to the city. Obviously, there was the whole thing with rescuing Emilia, but it had also been a huge help being able to fall back on him in situations like this.
"If it weren't for you, there would have been a lot more dangerous situations, and I probably wouldn't have been able to save Emilia. Seriously, I'm grateful, Reinhard."
"Allow me to say the same thing to you. On top of that, if I was able to be your strength, then it was an honor to be of service—all the more reason, though, I would ask you to be cautious."
"Yeah, I know. It's a long road ahead, and more than anything…"
Subaru narrowed his eyes when Reinhard lowered his voice, and the smile left the Sword Saint's face. It was clear what was troubling Reinhard.
Since—
"…it's the Auguria Dunes, which even you couldn't pass."
" "
"Put that way, it does sound pretty daunting."
He was not trying to make a joke. It was just a heavy truth hanging over the matter.
The Auguria Dunes in the east of Lugunica were supposedly a den of vicious demon beasts, a monster-infested world that the Sword Saint Reinhard had tried, and failed, to cross once before.
And the Sage, Shaura, who was said to know everything, lived at the farthest edge of that desert—
"Two years ago, when the king and the rest of the royal family fell ill, I set out for the Pleiades Watchtower in search of a cure by the order of the council… But I failed."
There was a powerful sense of embarrassment in Reinhard's voice as he spoke of his lack of ability.
There was probably no stranger combination than Reinhard and powerlessness, which spoke to just how much he regretted what happened and how hard he took his failure.
"No matter how far you went, the tower never seemed to draw any closer.
That's what you said, right?"
"…Most likely, it was some sort of barrier. And I was unable to overcome it."
In the end, a way to treat the illness that afflicted the royal family had not been found in time, which was why the selection for the throne that all the royal candidates were taking part in had come about in the first place.
"And now of all times, we finally find a way to get through the desert."
"If she…if Lady Anastasia is to be believed, then yes."
He corrected himself in line with his promise to Subaru. Reading between the lines, though, he was asking if they could trust Foxidna's statement.
" "
During the meeting with everyone, Foxidna had confidently stated that she could get them past the barrier. For better and for worse, the fact that "Echidna" was lurking somewhere behind the scenes of it all lent that statement credibility. All that remained was whether Foxidna herself could be trusted or not.
And while he could not feel confident, Subaru had already reached a tentative answer for himself—
"We'll get results— I'm not gonna make any excuses."
Subaru smiled away Reinhard's concern. Reinhard's eyes widened slightly at that response, but he nodded.
"Also, you be careful, too. Even just thinking of sending Sirius back is crazy. Don't let Felt do anything reckless."
"Indeed. She will no doubt complain, but I will be sure that Lady Felt is careful."
Reinhard's expression softened as he thought of the lady he was serving. Seeing the smile finally return to Reinhard's face, Subaru narrowed his gaze at the change in the relationship between the two of them.
Felt and Reinhard seemed totally at odds with each other at first, but now, while they were still not quite working in lockstep, they were undoubtedly moving forward together. And while they were theoretically his opponents, that thought made Subaru oddly happy.
But at the same time— "Reinhard, are you okay?"
—Subaru was surprised by how easily that faint sense of something being off came to his lips in the form of a question.
Reinhard seemed similarly surprised, but he blinked his blue eyes.
"…That's a rather vague question."
"Ah, no, I'm not really sure how to put it, but…I guess a lot happened with your grandmother, huh?"
There was only one thing he could think of to explain the odd feeling he got from Reinhard.
He had heard from Wilhelm that matters had been settled with Reinhard's grandmother, the previous Sword Saint, who was supposed to have died fifteen years ago. But Wilhelm had not mentioned anything about any pain Reinhard had felt. It was only natural he might have felt a shock that was impossible to put into words when he knew his grandmother had died again.
Reinhard was the strongest Sword Saint, but it wasn't like his heart was made of steel.
But Reinhard shook his head, brushing off Subaru's concern.
"I'm okay, Subaru. I finished saying my farewells to Grandmother— So I am fine."
"I…see… Well, if you say so."
Subaru withdrew his concern. He could not say for sure what Reinhard was feeling, but if he was going to say he was fine, then there was nothing else for Subaru to do. However…
"If you ever need a shoulder to lean on and can't talk about it with Felt, just let me know. We're pals, right?"
"…Got it. If that time ever comes, I shall be sure to do so, pal."
Subaru raised his hand lightly, leaving that last note while trying not to work Reinhard up too much.
Reinhard paused for a moment, and then he smiled wryly and nodded.
He nodded, so he's probably okay.
After all, Reinhard was the sort of guy who kept his promises, unlike Subaru.
7
"Ah, Subaru! Where did you go?"
"Oh, Emilia-tan. Sorry, sorry. I just had a lot of little things to take care of."
Subaru was walking through the passage of the shelter after leaving Reinhard when Emilia and Beatrice found him and hurried over to him.
"I heard you went to see Mr. Ju—I mean, Julius—but I got worried when we went to check the hospital room and you weren't there."
"I did go to visit, but he has that depressing look on his face no matter how long he looks at the victims. So, it wasn't exactly a change of pace, but at least a change of scenery."
"Really? Julius has a handsome face, though…"
"Argh, you think that, too, Emilia-tan?"
"Ah. But your face is also nice, Subaru! There's something about it that stands out the more you look at it!"
"Gah. That was not really your best recovery, you know!"
Emilia quickly corrected herself, but even if she changed the way she was saying it, it was still basically the same point. Subaru grimaced a bit as Beatrice grabbed his sleeve.
"Hmm?"
"Subaru." Beatrice's voice was quiet. "Call on Betty if you are doing something dangerous. It isn't safe to let you go alone. The thought is disconcerting."
"…I gotta say, I'm feeling the same about you more and more. You're so cute, I just start worrying whether you might get kidnapped by a stranger with candy."
"Betty is not so tawdry a spirit! Don't mock me!"
Beatrice responded indignantly, hitting Subaru in the side over and over.
He lifted her up to her surprise and started walking together with Emilia.
"? What is it, Emilia-tan?"
Suddenly, he noticed Emilia looking up at him as they walked.
"Is it that strange to see me playing with Beako?"
"No, that's totally normal at this point. Besides, it's a contractor's duty to look after their spirit. Cuddling Beatrice is your job."
"She said 'cuddle'! But in that case, doesn't that idea fall apart a little when it comes to you and Puck? I don't really remember seeing you looking after him."
"Don't pick nits! And I also did lots of things for Puck while you weren't watching. Brushing his hair, clipping his claws, sleeping while hugging him…"
It was debatable whether Emilia made a good role model for how to take care of a spirit. Still, Emilia's face was bright and cheerful while she talked about Puck.
—A colorless crystal pendant was hanging around her neck.
It was the same design as the one she had never taken off before she was separated from Puck. Noticing Subaru's gaze, Emilia touched the crystal with her slender fingers.
"There's not enough mana stored up yet for Puck to come out, but I just have to be patient for a little while longer. After all, my link with Puck never broke even after everything."
"All thanks to Beako's hard work, and we should be grateful to Kiritaka for his generosity, too."
They had originally intended to negotiate with Kiritaka for the stone, but he had kindly just given it to Emilia as thanks for saving the city.
With that, they had accomplished the original goal they had set out to
Pristella to achieve. However, they had also gained many more weighty goals while there.
—And Subaru was left wondering whether there was something he could have done to get things to turn out better.
"Hey, look there, Subaru."
"? What is it? Did something happen…?"
Subaru turned around when Emilia suddenly poked his shoulder. Emilia's expression softened as she pointed, and following her gaze, he caught his breath.
In the distance, they could see the scars of battle that now marked Pristella's neighborhoods. It was the handiwork of the cultists, the rampaging demi-beasts, and the hard fighting Subaru and everyone else had been a part of.
And amid that battered scene, there was a boy and a girl holding hands and running through the street. Both of their faces were familiar, and there was relief and even a smile on their faces.
"Lusbel and Tina…"
The two children who had been put in danger by the cultists' malicious actions.
Subaru had seen their deaths, their tears, and their earnest struggles several times already. To see the two children he had so badly wanted to save running hand in hand through the streets…
There had been countless tragedies in Pristella, and it was perhaps imprudent to let himself rejoice at the fact that just the two of them were safe and sound, but—
"But that is what you, and me, and everyone else achieved."
" "
"I'm sure you thought of lottts and lottts of things that I can't even begin to imagine, and I'm sure you are always worrying about making the right choice."
Subaru's cheeks tensed slightly at Emilia's comment as she looked up at him.
The discussion with Foxidna crossed his mind—as did the unease about the road to the watchtower where the Sage awaited, and the hesitation and doubt he felt about the choice that he was going to be forced to make soon.
Emilia's purple eyes narrowed as she looked at him, while he kept all that hidden away in his heart.
"It is fine if you don't want to talk about it yet. As long as you promise to tell me once you've decided on what to do. And actually talk things over with me when you are really struggling."
"Promise?"
"Of course, a promise. One of those things you are good at making, but terrible at keeping, right?"
"Whoa, it's not every day you break out the sarcasm."
He had earned that scathing review, though, considering what happened to most promises he made with Emilia.
Smiling gently, Emilia held out her pinkie. Seeing that, he lifted Beatrice over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. She started kicking her legs and indignantly shouting, "What are you doing?!" as he wrapped his pinkie around Emilia's.
"Pinkie swear. If I lie, I'll swallow a thousand needles."
"Pinkie swear."
He let go of her finger. She still was holding out her finger as she smiled at him.
"How many needles is that now?"
"Well, now. I don't think I've gotten to ten thousand." "Then make sure you keep it that way, please?" Subaru nodded.
There was no way that answer would ease Emilia's mind. And that was not why she had made him promise.
That promise was a warning for him.
No one would blame you.
Foxidna's last words echoed in his ears.
Apparently, no one would blame him. But was that actually true?
Would anyone forgive Subaru Natsuki for taking advantage of the circumstances?
"I'll find an answer. Before we get back to the manor."
Still though, I guess it's to be expected of someone with the same name as that Witch, but she really hit the weakest point in my heart dead-on.
"I'm not looking forward to this…"
"Did you say something?"
"Nothing important. I was just thinking I can spank Beako all I want carrying her like this."
"What did you just say?! Let Betty down this instant! Gently, like a dainty flower!"
"Ha-ha-ha."
"Stop laughing while spanking Betty!!!"
Still carrying Beatrice while she made a fuss, Subaru followed after Emilia as she walked forward. She glanced back, as if wanting to get involved in the fun.
Even though I'm this lucky…this blessed…
Subaru was disgusted by the depths of his own greed, but he still found himself wishing there was one more girl who could be there with them, too. With that, the curtain finally fell on Subaru Natsuki's battle in Pristella.
—A quiet moment passes before pressing onward to the next story of reaching the desert tower.