--Lying on the bed, her expression was peaceful, and it seemed to Subaru as if she was simply sleeping.
Looking at the eyelashes adorning her closed eyelids, I vaguely thought how long they were. Her face, which she usually intentionally kept expressionless, was filled with the softness appropriate to her age when she was sleeping, without any need to be tense. Come to think of it, I had never had a chance to see her sleeping face.
She always woke up earlier than Subaru, and there was never an opportunity for her to go to bed later than him. The girl Subaru knew was always resolute, controlling herself and hiding her age. But that stubborn attitude would often let down in front of Subaru.
There would be plenty of opportunities from now on to see his surprised face, his embarrassed face, his sulky face, his crying face, and the smile he would show after they'd made up.
"--Rem."
Even when I called her name and touched her white cheek, she didn't respond.
The girl lying on the bed was not wearing the familiar maid's apron dress, and the white prim adorning her beautiful blue hair that reflected the sky was also gone.
Her style when working and fighting - she no longer needed that now.
"So you were here."
As Subaru was spending his time in a silent, motionless room, someone called out to him.
I slowly, hesitantly looked behind me and saw a woman with long hair gently swaying in the wind. She was wearing a modest, yet luxurious, dark blue dress, and even the way she walked towards me was filled with elegance.
However, her actions were preceded by a hint of confusion and hesitation, which, combined with the dignity she possessed, left an impression that was strangely at odds with her. Subaru, too, could not help but feel a sense of discomfort when interacting with her.
"she..."
"Nothing has changed. It's not like I can do anything, but I'm just here. It's a pathetic and sissy thing to say."
"Of course not. I'm sure she would be happy about that."
As Subaru looked down, the woman seemed a bit embarrassed, but offered words of comfort. However, Subaru's reaction to what she said was harsh.
He raised his head, tensed at what she had said, and glared at her face. He hadn't intended to sharpen his gaze on purpose, but he couldn't help it. As a result, in response to Subaru's reaction, the woman put her hand over her mouth and apologized, "I'm sorry,"
"I got carried away. I'm sorry."
"No, I'm the one sorry. I was just taking out my frustration on you… I was just taking a grudge. If I keep going like this, Rem's gonna get really angry at me. She'll be like, 'It's not right to take out your frustrations on people like that and hurt them, Subaru.'"
She shrugged, lowering her voice to mimic Rem's tone.
He could hear her voice in his mind, tracing exactly what she had just said. But it was sad that no one could understand it except Subaru.
Even if the imitation isn't the same at all, there's no one to point that out.
Subaru's empty actions and hollow voice caused the woman in front of him to lower her eyes in pain, and fall silent as she supported her left arm with her right.
Silence fell over the room, a shadow falling over each of their consciousnesses. As he absorbed the familiar sensation, Subaru shook his head inwardly, thinking that this couldn't be good.
Continuing to immerse himself in this ocean of disappointment would surely be easy, and would be pain-free, but that was not what Natsuki Subaru should do.
This was definitely not the behavior of a man that Rem trusted and loved.
"I guess you had something to do with me?"
"Yes. I would like to have everyone gather together and talk for a while. We are all gathered in the common room, so if possible..."
When he broached the topic and encouraged the woman to continue, she nodded with a look of relief on her face and continued speaking. She stopped mid-sentence, and he belatedly realized that she looked uncomfortable, frowning.
"Natsuki Subaru, it is."
"…I'm sorry. You are Natsuki Subaru-sama, right? I'll remember you properly. I've heard that you are someone I owe a great deal to, so I apologize for being rude."
"It can't be helped. There's too much to remember right now so I won't worry about it."
The woman bows her head, looking truly apologetic.
Every time she behaved so gracefully, or to put it bluntly, like a woman, a feeling of unease stabbed him in the chest. Even Subaru, as expected, didn't have the decency to say anything about it.
Shaking his head, Subaru let go of her gratitude and the discomfort inside him and stood up.
Finally, he turned to look at the girl in the bed, gently brushed away her bangs with his fingers, and then,
"Well, see you later, Rem."
There is a faint sound of breathing and a body that is definitely present here.
--For her, who had been lost from everyone's memories, that was all that remained of herself.
With her behind him, Subaru faced the woman and pointed to the door,
"Is it the common room? I don't want to keep you waiting too long, so let's go."
"Yes. Let's do that. Natsuki Subaru-sama."
A fragile-looking woman with her head tilted and a faint smile. Her long green hair flowed with her movements, highlighting her extreme femininity.
Unwilling to admit it, Subaru turned his face away and hid his true feelings behind a polite smile,
"I'm sorry for having you come to pick me up--Crusch-san."
He called out her name, as if she were a completely different person.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
--By the time Subaru reached the royal capital, everything had already ended.
I barely remember the conversation I had with Emilia on the way there.
Though he should have been standing next to her, filled with a sense of accomplishment at having finally managed to save her, as the dragon carriage sped by, the only thing dominating Subaru's mind was the presence of another girl.
"--Who is Rem?"
She said this curiously and confusedly, tilting her head.
If he had seen even a trace of her characteristic joking nature in her actions and mannerisms, then Subaru might have been able to join in the joke and exchange light-hearted banter.
However, Subaru was unable to find even a shred of hope in her behavior, and Emilia never once jokingly said "I was just joking" in front of the astonished Subaru.
Neither Petra nor the other children remember her.
After confirming that with the people inside the dragon carriage, Subaru urged the driver with a determined look on his face, and sped off towards the Royal Capital.
I wanted to believe that there was some kind of mistake. I believed that couldn't be the case.
After all, everything should have gone well. Subaru should have grasped the best possible outcome. He should have rescued everyone, achieved his goal, overcome all sorts of pain, suffering, and sadness, and even though he may have suffered indelible scars, he should have managed it somehow.
And yet...
"Ah, it's Subaru-kun. As expected of you, Lady Crusch. It seems you're an expert at finding wayward cats."
As they were heading towards the common room, someone spotted the two of them walking down the hallway and called out.
Ferris's short skirt and cat ears, now free from his knight attire, were fluttering. He walked over to Crusch with a spring in his step, and gently took her hand as she stopped.
"Ferris..."
"It's Ferris. Feli-chan and Crusch-sama have been friends for a long time, so to call them "san" now seems a bit shallow and makes me feel lonely. It's just not okay."
Ferris teasingly pokes Crusch's shoulder with his other hand. Crusch is slightly taken aback by his friendly attitude, but she seems to accept it, bowing her head and saying, "I'm sorry."
"It won't be as easy as before, but I'll do my best. Ferris… Yes, Ferris."
"There's no need to rush. Feli-chan will always be on Crusch-sama's side, and I'll always be by your side. Besides, being able to be with the demure Crusch-sama like this is like discovering something new and charming, I'm happy, you know?"
Ferris was shaking her hand up and down and squealing with excitement. Looking at her from the side, Subaru couldn't help but feel a slight sense of irritation inside.
Subaru couldn't understand why he couldn't change the way he treated Crusch, even though she had changed so much. Subaru couldn't guess what conflict lay behind that smile, but he still felt a striking lack of humanity.
"Subaru-kun, come to the common room. Lady Emilia and Old Man Vil are already gathered there."
"...ah"
There was a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice, but Ferris paid no attention to it. "S-S-Lady Crusch," he said, taking her hand and heading towards the common room.
Crusch frowned in confusion at the strange atmosphere that had spread between Subaru and Ferris, but in the end she followed Ferris without being able to say a word.
Subaru let out a sigh, bit his lip lightly, and closed his eyes.
I was so sharp. Right now, I could only face anyone with such harsh emotions. I didn't want to console myself by saying that it couldn't be helped.
The last thing I wanted was to blame her for these wild emotions.
I walked after the two of them and entered the common room late.
Sensing that everyone's eyes were on him, Subaru looked around the room. There were four people in the room aside from Subaru - Emilia and Wilhelm, plus Crusch and Ferris, who had entered ahead of Subaru.
It seemed that this would be the last time that Subaru would gather here. He closed the door behind him and, although he hadn't been particularly encouraged to do so, he naturally sat down next to Emilia.
"Subaru…"
"It's okay. I've calmed down already, Emilia-tan. ーーI'm fine."
Subaru responded to Emilia's concerned call with a small smile, but he didn't turn his gaze towards her, and couldn't look her straight in the eye.
He felt that being with Emilia right now would mean that he would be shown a vivid and vivid picture of his unpleasant side, and that this was extremely frightening.
"Well, now that the important people are here, let's talk."
Ferris clapped his hands, gaining everyone's attention and taking charge of the situation.
Since Crusch was currently unable to act as host, he had no choice but to take over the role. He glanced around at the people seated, and was the only one to step forward to the front of the room, raising his hand,
"Since there doesn't seem to be any opposition, let's get started right away... Shall I check the situation?"
With a smile, he began to conduct the proceedings that everyone was looking forward to.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
--The situation that Rem, Crusch and the others faced was quite simple; a simultaneous attack by the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishops, and moreover, two of them appeared at the same time.
After the battle with the White Whale, while they were returning to the royal capital after cutting out only the head of the White Whale, Rem and the others, along with the injured, were attacked by the Archbishops of Sin.
Half of the returning extermination force was killed in the attack. The accompanying beastman mercenary group decided to retreat immediately and escaped the disaster.
"According to the story, when the vice-commanders returned to the highway with the Royal Capital's knights, neither of the Sin Archbishops were left behind. All that was left were the corpses of our knights and…"
"Only people in the same situation as me."
As Ferris finished speaking, Crusch bit her lip and furrowed her brow. The anguish on her face was likely caused by her own disappointment.
After all, she probably feels like this conversation is something that doesn't concern her.
because--,
Subaru: "My memories have been erased… huh? Do you think this is also the work of the Sin Archbishop?"
"Nine times out of ten, right. I've seen several patients with cases similar to Crusch-sama's before. Their memories would suddenly disappear completely, and even Feli-chan's magic couldn't restore them. Up until now, the cause had remained unknown, but..."
"The Sin Archbishop of 『Gluttony』――I see this as his authority, without a doubt."
Wilhelm nodded gravely. The old man looked at Crusch with a piercing gaze, his face grim. Crusch shrunk in response to his sharp gaze, and Wilhelm, seeing her reaction, apologized, "I'm sorry."
"It's not that I have any grudge against you, Crusch-sama. I apologize for scaring you. I still have a lot to learn."
"No… I am the one who is a pathetic master. I am trying my best to remember Wilhelm-sama, though."
A hint of pain ran across the old swordsman's face as Crusch called him "Lord Wilhelm." The painful sight of his master who had offered up his sword, and the sense of responsibility of the servant who was ashamed of himself for not being able to protect it. Subaru felt similar emotions, so right now Subaru understood exactly what was going through the old man's mind.
On the other hand, what is confusing is Ferris, who shows no particular reaction to the transformation in his beloved master.
He completely ignored Subaru's inner thoughts,
"Just when you thought you'd dealt with the Archbishop of Sin of Sloth, you immediately had to deal with Gluttony and Greed. That's not fair. There's a limit to how hard you can work. Well, it's rare for so many Witch Cultists to move all at once, but that should only be possible with the rise of Emilia-sama."
"W-what...?"
Having his name suddenly mentioned, Emilia looked at Ferris in surprise. As he nodded to her, Ferris shook his body and said, "But..."
"It's inevitable that the Witch Cult will overlook the presence of Emilia-sama, a half-elf. They're usually eerily quiet and hiding, but whenever they cause a fuss it's always something to do with that."
Listening to Ferris's reasoning, Subaru crossed his arms and recalled their previous conversation.
On the night before the battle with the White Whale, Subaru discussed with Ferris and Crusch the possibility of the Witch's Cult coming to their aid, to which they replied in the affirmative.
The conclusion of that line of thinking was probably due to the existence of such a precedent.
However,
"Well... I don't know much about this Witch Cult, but... the witch you're talking about is the Witch of 'Jealousy', right?"
Then, Emilia timidly raised her hand and a surprising statement came out of her mouth.
Subaru couldn't believe his ears, and even Wilhelm and Ferris' expressions hardened. The only one who wasn't surprised was Crusch, who felt just as left behind by the situation as Emilia.
Emilia seemed even more embarrassed by the reaction of the three.
"I'm sorry. I know from everyone's reaction that it's something we should know, but we weren't informed. Seriously."
"But, Emilia-tan, I'm sure you knew about the Witch of Jealousy. Because that's why..."
When they first met, Emilia gave the false name Satella. Subaru, who was still unaware of the loop, remembers calling her by the same name after her death, which angered her. In other words, he knows that she is the Witch of Jealousy and that it is an obscene name.
However, Emilia shook her head at Subaru's words,
"In the village near the forest where I lived, I was hated because I looked like the Witch of Jealousy. So I thought I understood how the Witch of Jealousy was treated. But, people like the Witch Cult…"
Subaru: "Let's leave aside the question of what kind of life Emilia-sama was living. Even so… it's really not relevant to the story if the person involved is saying this."
Ferris shrugged, raised his hands and said sarcastically, before letting out a sigh. Subaru felt annoyed at his attitude, and clicked his tongue before glaring at him,
"You can't say it like that. Have you ever thought about how much courage it takes to say you don't know what you don't know? What's wrong with asking what you need to know?"
Subaru: "It sounds convincing when you say it, doesn't it? Really, master and servant alike."
Ferris's words and actions did not hide his sarcasm even in response to Subaru's irritation. This time, Subaru was clearly indignant and stood up. However,
"Ferris. I can't accept what you just said. I need you to apologize."
Before Subaru could put pressure on his knees, a voice scolded Ferris. Whoever had spoken that voice was Crusch, who had been observing the situation unfolding in silence.
Now in her dress, her face had changed from the weak expression it had been a moment ago, to a sharp and dignified one like her old self, and her gaze pierced her own knight.
"Just as Natsuki Subaru-sama said, there is nothing laughable about the attitude of asking about things you don't know. You have no right to mock that. Do you understand?"
"...Yes, Crusch-sama."
The current Crusch is one who, after speaking harshly, ends with a gentle tone. Subaru is surprised to see glimpses of her usual self in her words and actions. Ferris, too, cannot hide the surprise in her eyes.
"Emilia-sama, I apologize for my rudeness. Subaru-kun, I'm sorry too."
"You… No, that's enough. Rather than that, let's talk about the Witch Cult. Emilia-tan wants to hear about it, and frankly, I don't know the details either."
Ferris responded to Subaru's resigned words with a casual "Got it?" Then he put his finger to his lips and shook the hem of his skirt,
"Firstly, as Emilia-sama said, the Witch Cult is a group that worships the Witch of 'Envy'. They are die-hard fanatics who have been active since the Witches first rose to power 400 years ago. They are such a villainous group that the Knights have a rule to immediately exterminate them."
"Instant extermination... are these people the kind of people who would get such a terrible order?"
"They're the kind of people who will make an enemy out of a village or a capital city if it's for their own purposes. In fact, the village near the Margrave's mansion was in danger this time as well, and even one city in the southern Vollachia Empire was taken over by the Sin Archbishop who came out on a business trip this time, you know?"
Emilia blinked in disbelief, and while she agreed with her reaction, Subaru already knew all too well just how terrifying they were.
Starting with the example of Petelgeuse, it would be possible to gauge the abnormality of the others as well. Although, from what I've heard, it seems that Greed is no match for Petelgeuse in terms of combat power.
"I've jumped ahead a bit, but the Witch Cult has six bishops named after deadly sins – in other words, the organization's executives. Each of them bears the name of one of the six witches who was separate from the Witch of 'Envy', and they bear the name of each of those deadly sins."
"Six witches...'Sloth,' 'Greed,' 'Gluttony,' 'Lust,' 'Wrath,' and 'Pride,' right?"
"Yes, that's right. Among them, the most famous are "Sloth" and "Greed". As I said before, Greed is famous for the rampage that destroyed cities. On the other hand, Sloth is known because when disturbances arise from the Witch Cult, it is usually this bishop who is responsible. However, with regards to Sloth, the extermination squad's efforts this time were a splendid success... right, Subaru-kun?"
"Yes... Sloth's Petelgeuse is definitely dead. I saw him dissipate with my very own eyes, so there's no doubt about it."
As Ferris nodded his chin in response, Subaru thought of the end of his hated Petelgeuse.
A scream filled with hatred calling out Subaru's name. It lingered in his ears. A scream like a curse of resentment - was it the one that was forcing Subaru to accept a cruel fate?
"Five of those Sin Archbishops remain. Two of them are the culprits who attacked Crusch-sama and her companions this time. Witch Cultists are elusive, and their means of hiding when they're not active are completely unknown. They haven't made any progress in eradicating them even after four hundred years. Their goal... is to resurrect the Witch of "Envy," or so they say."
"The witch's resurrection...?!"
Subaru kicked his chair and stood up, unable to listen to the remark.
While the women were surprised by Subaru's behavior, he waved his hands vigorously and said,
"Resurrection? Is something like that even possible? The Witch of Jealousy died 400 years ago, right? To bring her back to life..."
"Subaru-sama, the Witch of Envy is not dead. Her life is still connected to the edge of the world. How disgusting."
Wilhelm calmly told Subaru, who was raising his voice.
When I looked in shock, my eyes widened, Wilhelm's expression was grim and he narrowed his eyes.
"Near the great waterfall is a shrine made of demon-sealing stone. The witch remains sealed there, unable to be completely destroyed. Even with the powers of the sage, the dragon, and the sword saint, she cannot be completely eradicated."
"Sealing... no, now that I think of it, I've heard of it... but if that's the case, then wouldn't the only way to revive it be to destroy the shrine? Why don't you do that?"
I remember hearing something like that from someone before. But that brings up the question I'm wondering about now instead.
If they were sealed away, all they had to do was break the seal and let them out. Instead of doing that, the Witch Cultists continued to spread destruction and massacres whenever a Half-Elf appeared, which Subaru didn't understand. However, Subaru's point was once again cut off by Wilhelm shaking his head in denial.
"Firstly, it's nearly impossible to get close to the shrine. The function of mana is significantly reduced near the great waterfall. There is hardly anyone who can withstand the miasma of the witch inside the shrine. Also, it is physically impossible to escape the sage's surveillance network."
"Sage...?"
"Sage Shaula. A hero who worked hard to seal the witch together with the first Sword Saint and Divine Dragon Volcanica. Even now, she is said to be in seclusion in the Pleiades Watchtower near the Great Falls. However, her seclusion is only in name, as she keeps a watchful eye for anyone plotting the witch's resurrection--or so the truth is."
"You've lived a very long life..."
If he has been around for 400 years, then he must have been a wise man with a very long history.
Although there were some parts that were a bit puzzling, Subaru tilted his head and set the question aside. Then he looked back at Ferris once more,
"Well, I understand why the witch can't be brought out. But, I think that alone doesn't have much relevance to the story about her resurrection or anything…"
"Even if you say that, Feli-chan isn't a witch cultist so we don't really know. All we can do is hope that the prisoners we capture will reveal something useful during interrogation or torture, right?"
Ferris had simply given up on thinking about the answer to Subaru's question, and had simply given up on it. Although he felt dissatisfied with this, he decided not to pursue it any further as what he was saying was reasonable.
Anyway, Emilia nodded after hearing that.
"That's it. That's why I did it like that... but Puck didn't even say a word about it."
"What is Puck saying right now? I have a ton of things I want to talk about too."
"It's not responding to my calls. It seems to have materialized, but all I can tell is that it's nearby..."
Subaru can't even say "It's okay, it's okay" to Emilia, who is shrinking into a small space. In reality, the discussion with Puck is essential for Subaru.
After all, it was a fact that Puck's words had influenced his inability to anticipate the appearance of the Sin Archbishop of 『Gluttony』.
"For now, that's about it for now regarding the Witch Cult. So, with that in mind, let's start by talking about our future plans."
"from now on...?"
Ferris clapped his hands, wanting to change the subject, and Subaru looked up, and with a beaming smile on his face, he nodded at him, and continued to smile.
"Honestly, this alliance thing...shouldn't we just pretend it never happened?"
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
--The atmosphere in the lounge froze, and in its place the heat inside Subaru grew.
Subaru received the words he had been told, considered them, then moistened his lips with his tongue and asked again in a quiet voice.
"What did you just say? Did you say you were cancelling the alliance? What do you mean?"
"That's exactly what I mean. I mean, in the current situation, I feel like there's almost no benefit to continuing our alliance with each other."
Ferris's expression seemed to suggest he was impressed that Subaru hadn't lost his temper. But even that seemed to irritate Subaru, and he felt a hidden intention to gain the upper hand in the negotiations, so Subaru ordered himself to stay calm all the more. However, he couldn't contain his heart's boiling.
"Putting aside the mining rights and such, we agreed to cooperate in the subjugation of the White Whale, and we actually did it. Taking the best part and calling it Sainara is just too scandalous, no matter how you look at it, isn't it?"
"The drawbacks were too great, Subaru-kun."
"Huh?"
While Subaru was forced to become combative, Ferris maintained a calm demeanor. He waved a small finger and said,
"Listen? Now that we have a precedent of the Sin Archbishops of 'Gluttony' and 'Greed' appearing at the same time, there is a greater chance that the Witch Cult will meddle with Emilia-sama's camp, who defeated 'Sloth'. After all, Crusch-sama has fallen victim to this this time… do you really think she wants no further involvement?"
"it is..."
Subaru frowned at Ferris's argument and glanced sideways at Crusch.
Seeing how completely changed he had been, Subaru hesitated to deny his words outright. After all, he too had suffered the same wounds.
Therefore, it wasn't Subaru who voiced denial at his statement,
"I disagree with that opinion, Ferris."
Wilhelm leaned forward from his seated position and stated clearly while staring at Ferris. Ferris narrowed his eyes at his words and gave a faint laugh, "Huh?"
"What is the intention behind that? Even though Crusch-sama has suffered as a victim of 『Gluttony』, she still remains in an alliance with Emilia-sama and the others and is involved with the Witch Cult. What is the benefit of that?"
"The opportunity to avenge 『Gluttony』...our master will arrive."
"Is that more important than Crusch-sama's life?"
In response to Wilhelm's firm statement, Ferris refused to back down.
In both cases, the words carry weight, as they are filled with the sentimental love and affection of both parties for their master.
"If you continue to have ties with the Witch Cult, something like this will surely happen. When that happens, Crusch-sama won't be able to protect herself. Feli-chan will heal your wounds and your heart... but if you die, it's all over, you know?"
"However, there is no way we can just let the person who caused this situation to go unpunished. Furthermore, Crusch-sama's memories may return if we defeat the Sin Archbishop. It would be far too rash for us to back away."
"If I defeat the person who ate them, will they come back? What are you saying, Old Man Vil? If you defeat the person who ate them, your lost memories will come back. That's like a dream or a fairy tale you've seen too many times…"
"--Felix!!"
A sharp, angry voice and sword energy swept through the room, and everyone there felt as if a real wind had risen.
While everyone else flinched in shock, Wilhelm, without losing his sharp gaze,
"Felix. Never say those words again in front of Subaru-dono."
"--sorry"
Having been called by his real name twice, rather than by his nickname, Ferris also lowered his eyes, with a sad expression on his face.
Their gazes were directed towards Subaru, who had once again slumped in his chair and was looking down, his hands clenched tightly, bleeding and trembling.
Then her white fingertips gently wrapped around it from above.
"...Emilia-tan."
"It's okay, I can't say that as if I understand it. I want to understand Subaru's feelings, but… I don't know anything about the child I've forgotten, so I think anything I say would just come across as cowardly."
Glancing up, Emilia's amethyst eyes were flickering with sorrowful emotion.
He saw his own weak-looking face reflected in her eyes, and when he realized that this was how Natsuki Subaru looked to her right now, he found himself angry.
Feeling relieved by her concern for him, Subaru shook his head,
"I can't say that I'm okay, but I'm okay now. Ferris, don't worry about me. I… I haven't given up any hope."
"Really, Subaru-kun never gives up."
Subaru pretended not to care, and Ferris, with a smile on his face, did the same. In any case, his argument remained the same as before.
"Feri-chan doesn't agree with continuing the alliance. I'm sure she'll restore Crusch-sama's memories. So, you can leave his retaliation against 『Gluttony』 alone."
"What should we do, what will we do… that is all up to you to decide, Lady Crusch. It is not something we should arbitrarily or hastily decide."
In the end, there is no other way to settle on that.
When the two of them turned to look at her, Crusch nodded firmly in response, as if she had known this would happen,
"Right now, there are still many things I don't understand. I can't remember a single thing about who I was before. I think that you are all very confused when you interact with me. But even so, I would like to first express my gratitude to all of you who respect me. And if possible, I would like to live up to your expectations. I intend to continue making efforts to achieve that."
Even after losing her memory, Crusch Karsten maintains a resolute attitude.
To what extent does a person's will and true nature remain at the core of that person? Seeing her able to be like this even after going through the phenomenon of losing her memory, one cannot help but wonder.
In any case, there is no choice but to put discussions regarding the alliance on hold.
"Either way, the practical matters can only be discussed by someone who knows the inner workings of Lady Emilia's camp... someone like Margrave Roswaal. Let's first set up a place where we can discuss this with the Margrave, and then we can do it from there."
"Ah, that's fine. So, about this incident..."
"You must not tell anyone else -- that's the only thing you must keep, alliance or otherwise."
Staring sharply at Subaru, Ferris spoke in an uncharacteristically low voice.
Subaru held his breath, but nodded his head, seeing no reason to oppose. It was their natural decision. If information about Crusch's current condition were to leak to the outside world, she would undoubtedly lose her position as the "front runner for the royal selection."
That would be a disaster so great that it's impossible to predict what would happen if it were weighed against the honor of defeating the White Whale. That's why the Anastasia camp was not included in this meeting.
"Julius aside, Lady Anastasia will undoubtedly take advantage of this situation. I'm glad those girls over there didn't see Lady Crusch's condition."
"...If we're going to discuss achievements, they need to be there, so what are we going to do about that?"
"Let's just say that Crusch-sama isn't feeling well, and Feli-chan will sort it out. Subaru-kun and the others just need to stay quiet. Got it?"
Ferris's attitude was one of not wanting any more, or rather, not allowing any further involvement, and Subaru could only nod in agreement, despite his stubbornness.
In the end, the talks had to end without making any further progress.
There was no other way to conclude this than to confirm the hopelessness of the situation and bring both camps into agreement regarding their uncertain futures.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
"Wilhelm-san, thank you for earlier."
After the conversation in the lounge ended, Subaru called out to Wilhelm as he left the room. Wilhelm stopped in his tracks, turned to look at Subaru, and continued, "No."
"I was not able to provide much help and I am ashamed of my inadequacy. And most importantly, I was not able to help you this time either."
"That's not true. Without Wilhelm-san, we wouldn't have been able to defeat the White Whale, and after that I wouldn't have been able to leave Emilia-tan and the others in his care. I'm grateful to him."
These were his true feelings, without any misgivings. However, Wilhelm's expression did not brighten even in response to Subaru's gratitude.
He is a man of strong sense of duty who is willing to take on the pain of others. He is also one of those people who are too kind. Subaru smiles at him and says,
"The situation hasn't settled down, but you've probably visited your wife's grave, right? I can't say you're at peace yet, but at least you've avenged your death."
"--!"
When Subaru tried to change the topic, Wilhelm's expression fell.
Subaru could only feel confused when he saw the complex waves of emotion that were floating there. Apparently noticing Subaru's confusion, Wilhelm bowed deeply and
"Subaru-sama, I must apologize to you."
"W-please stop. I didn't say anything about what happened earlier, in fact I'm grateful to Wilhelm-san…"
"No, that's not the case. I wasn't siding with you earlier because I was thinking of you, Subaru-dono. I was shameless and tried to continue our alliance out of my own selfish feelings. And now I'm ashamed of my own shamelessness in hiding it."
Not understanding the meaning of Wilhelm's words, Subaru could only frown.
As Subaru did so, Wilhelm stood up in front of him, took off his jacket, and rolled up his sleeves. Under his rolled-up sleeve, a bandage was wrapped around his left arm, near the shoulder. There was a wound there, and Subaru could see that it was still stained red with the blood seeping out from inside.
"That looks painful. But, if you are wounded, I hope Ferris can heal you quickly..."
"This wound will not heal. It is the result of a slash blessed by the Grim Reaper, which inflicts wounds that will never heal on the opponent."
"It won't heal… Then, Wilhelm-san!"
Even Subaru knew what it meant to carry a wound that would never heal.
If the bleeding never stops, it's the same as putting a time limit on his life. However, unlike Subaru, who was filled with frustration, Wilhelm calmly shook his head and said,
"My life is not at stake at this point."
"That can't be. How can I... get rid of that wound?"
"This is not a recent wound. It is a reopening of a wound from a long time ago. And it is too much for me right now."
Hearing Wilhelm's quiet voice, Subaru noticed his body trembling slightly. Not understanding the meaning of his body's reaction, Subaru found himself unable to clench his teeth together even to the roots. And he realized that the cause of this was the incredible, chilling sword aura overflowing from the Sword Demon before him.
He continues in a quiet voice.
"The wounds of the 『Grim Reaper』's blessing become more effective the closer the recipient is to the other person. If you get close to the person who inflicted the wound, even closed wounds will reopen. That's the kind of wound it is."
"So, the person who inflicted those wounds on Wilhelm-san a long time ago is nearby…"
"The one who gave me this wound on my left shoulder was the previous Sword Saint."
Subaru held his breath at those words and looked at Wilhelm.
As he looked at Subaru, an icy cold emotion lit up in his eyes as he spoke.
"Thearesia van Astrea. My wife's sword wound has reopened. ーーIn order to confirm this, I must continue to be involved with the Witch Cult."
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
In a situation where there were many things he didn't understand, Subaru once again found himself visiting Rem's room.
Ever since returning to Crusch's mansion, whenever he had free time he would come over to her side.
Even though I knew it wouldn't happen, I still had this hope that she would wake up, and that was my weakness.
With his current state of mind, Subaru lacked the courage or energy to continue facing Emilia. Emilia, too, must understand Subaru's helpless feelings. She knew that being by his side was only making him more miserable, so she gave him time alone except when he asked for it. Even though she herself was feeling anxious and helpless.
Once again, he is relying on others in an attempt to console his own weakness.
Although he hates his own weakness, he still can't accept it.
"You say I'm strong, but… it seems like I'm never going to be that tough unless I'm in front of you, Rem."
Rem's appearance as she lay there was not the least bit different from how she had been before going to the common room.
She was breathing. Her heart was beating. But other than that, there was no other vital activity. She was there, yet not there. Right now, she only existed inside Subaru.
And yet,
"What kind of wind has brought you here?"
"Would it be so strange for me to be here? I had some kind of connection to this girl, right? In that case, I guess it would be ok for me to just drop by and check on her."
"How dare you say something like that..."
Touching Rem's sleeping forehead, Subaru glared at the small grey cat floating beside him, its long tail swinging.
It felt strange to see this spirit, who had disappeared in the lounge, here like this. Puck looked upset at Subaru's harsh gaze.
"Why are you glaring at me like that? Did I do something?"
"…You're not doing anything right now. Emilia-tan was looking for you, is it okay for you to be wandering around a place like this?"
"If you ask me if it's okay, it's a bit tricky. It's not like Lia is restricting my freedom, but if you ask me if I want to cause her trouble, then that's not the case."
Puck muttered this nonchalantly while flicking his beard. But then he added, "But," and came in front of Subaru's face,
"I thought it would be best to talk to Subaru now."
"...That know-it-all attitude pisses me off."
Subaru clicked his tongue and looked away, but Puck continued to wait in silence for him. He sighed, feeling annoyed at having to go along with his plan,
"You didn't tell Emilia about the Witch Cult. What are you planning?"
"If you can live without knowing anything about their intentions, then it's fine if you don't know. If you ask, I'll answer, but Lia didn't really ask either… If you don't need to get involved with those guys, then you don't need to get involved, right?"
"That's true. If you're in a place where you don't need to know them and have no reason to get acquainted with them, then it's probably best not to get involved. But Emilia is different now. She left the forest and set out to compete in the country in order to become king. In that case, she can't avoid coming into contact with those guys. — You should have known that."
Subaru lowered his voice and asked Puck what he really meant. However, Koneko easily deflected Subaru's anger, shaking back and forth.
"I predicted that the Witch Cult would appear. But whether or not I would tell Lia about it is another matter."
Subaru: "You could be putting Emilia and those around her in danger! I don't know what you think, but if I had left her alone this time, Emilia would…!"
"I see. So you did your best to save Lia. That child also sacrificed themselves to save Lia. In that case, I need to be grateful to that child..."
"――――"
In that moment, Subaru's will was condensed into the movement of thrusting his fist out, ignoring everything else.
Subaru didn't hesitate at all as he thrust his fist at the spirit before him. However, the spirit easily dodged even Subaru's blow, and with a look of shock on its face,
"You're suddenly so surprised, what's going on?"
"Don't ever touch Rem again. Not with your hands, not with your mouth."
I was able to speak in a quiet voice, which even surprised me.
Maybe his emotions were boiling over so much that something happened.
Puck looked at Subaru's attitude with his round eyes, then stretched his small body and said, "I understand."
Subaru: "I apologize for my careless words, I'm sorry. They were things I shouldn't have said. Instead… let's talk a bit about 'Gluttony'."
"...What will happen if you hear that?"
"I thought that if Subaru found out who had eaten that girl's 'Name' and 'Memories', his hopes might be granted a little more."
Subaru looked up as if he had been bounced. Puck nodded in response, his pink nose twitching as he looked up as if searching for a memory,
"The authority of 『Gluttony』, simply put, is the power to eat. By eating the other person's 『Name』 it robs them of the memories of those around them, and by eating the other person's 『Memories』 it robs that person of their memories. If both are taken away, then all that's left is a shell of nothing. A shell can't do anything, and nothing will be done to it. That's exactly what that girl was in."
"A name and memories..."
Crusch, whose memories were eaten, and Rem, whose memories were eaten.
That was the result of the power that the victim had received.
"If we defeat the Sin Archbishop of 'Gluttony', will we be able to get it back...?"
"Well, I wonder. I hate to use that expression, but is it possible to vomit up what you eat? I guess we'll have to ask him directly to find out."
「But there is a possibility. There is a possibility. There is a possibility that we can get Rem back…!」
Looking back, Rem was still in a deep sleep.
You're breathing. Your heart is beating. Your body is alive. Your mind and your name have just been consumed by the demon. That means there's hope.
"The Sin Archbishop of 『Gluttony』――I will absolutely destroy you."
"I don't think it'll be that easy though."
I can't even hear Puck's last words.
For Subaru now, that hope was the last thing he could cling to.
When Subaru returned to the royal capital, heard about the terrible attack on Rem and the others, saw her condition, and realized that there was no way to bring her back, he didn't hesitate to stab his own throat with the dagger.
I can't remember the emotions I felt at that moment. I had done everything to the best of my ability, and had lived up to everyone's expectations - it's true that I had no regrets about losing that time.
Rather than lose Rem, rather than move towards a future without her, he would rather experience that pain again and again―that much he remembers.
The feeling of being stabbed in the throat and losing yourself in blood and pain and heat and loss.
When the sun cleared, Subaru saw Rem lying on the bed.
Updating the resurrection point. Changing the scene to be redone. This had thrust Subaru into hell.
Subaru was once again about to choose suicide, realizing that he had made some mistake, but he hesitated. It wasn't that he was afraid of pain or death. However, he had realized something.
Even if he were to redo the scene and go back to the previous one, Subaru would not be able to save Rem.
If we go back to the scene after the battle with the White Whale, before the battle with Petelgeuse, several hours have already passed since Subaru was separated from Rem and the others.
Even if he tried to catch up with them when they attacked him on the way back, it would be too late. Above all, turning back to save Rem would mean abandoning Emilia. Even if he explained the situation well and returned, would he have any chance of winning against the two Sin Archbishops?
Subaru and Julius are essential to defeating Petelgeuse. Even when Emilia and the others are allowed to escape, they cannot break through without Wilhelm's help.
To save Rem, Emilia must be sacrificed, and to save Emilia, Rem must be sacrificed—and neither can be saved.
Having realized this cruel option, the hand that was about to commit suicide stopped moving towards Subaru's throat.
Unlike the "Mist" of the White Whale, Rem's body is here, but she has no memory of anyone. Standing beside her, I was stunned, not being able to do anything.
That pathetic, hopeless time will now come to an end.
Taking the sleeping Rem's hand, Subaru resolves himself. This time, he resolves.
--I will definitely have you.
"--I'll get you back. Rem, I'll definitely get you back."
Subaru told her that he would show her that the man she loved could become the greatest hero.
If so, then perhaps we are still only halfway along that path.
"I will definitely... your hero will definitely come for you. --Just wait."
He raised his head, bared his fangs, and declared war on the enemy.
To those who have treated me so well, I will make them regret ever touching something that should never be touched, territory that should never be invaded.
None other than Natsuki Subaru.
"For sure. --For sure!!"
I can't bear the idea of starting each day from scratch without any memories of her.
So I'll definitely get it back.
The days that have been lost, the time I walked with you, the time I will continue to walk with you.
I'll pull it into my hands once more.