Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was frigid that night. It always was these days for Natsuki Subaru. Wandering the frozen north, bouncing from one menial labor gig to another, came to define his life. He used to complain bitterly about the cold, but the longer he stayed up in the Holy Kingdom of Gusteko, the less frequently this had become. By now, he never even bothered. It’s not as though there was anyone with whom he could commiserate.

Subaru: [… how much further…?]

With a hoarse voice, he wondered aloud. He was traveling from his most recent work site, the Spirit City Eternya, to his next stop, the Snow Field City of Inorandum. Work had dried up in Eternya, or perhaps he had overstayed his welcome. Despite his black hair, he stood out to many as an outsider due to his mannerisms. People would treat him with indifference at best and outright scorn at worst.

Was such treatment worth the pittance he was making? Did such treatment and pittance pale in comparison to the nightmare he’d avoided?

He didn’t know. He didn’t care to know. He tried not to think about what had happened three months ago…

***

Rem: [Subaru, please listen!]

Subaru: [I can’t stand to hear anymore of this… this… bullshit!]

Subaru and Rem stood in a forum. They were in the Capital, back in Lugunica. Cruel circumstances had coincided to produce this disparaging conversation between these two. A predicament Subaru was helpless to prevent. A desire to escape, and for Rem to run away with him. It was a selfish request, sure. But he didn’t want to go alone. He didn’t know what he’d do if he were alone in this world.

Rem: [Why can’t you see the you that I see? Why do you refuse to even try?]

Subaru: [Because that “me” you see is a fake! It was all a front, Rem, a damn foolish front! I’m not the hero you make me out to be, I’m just not!]

They’d been arguing in circles like this for what felt like hours. They’d just been at Kadomon’s appa stand. Subaru had just Returned By Death, having just witnessed the tragedy that was yet to come for… what, the third time? He didn’t feel like keeping count. Once was enough for him, more than enough for countless lifetimes.

Rem tied to encourage him to keep trying. God, did she try. But it didn’t work. So thorough was the defeatism that had gripped Subaru’s mind. So heavy was the melancholic sense of powerlessness that hung over him.

That day, that last day he would ever see Rem, he stormed off. His final words?

Subaru: [You can stay here if you want, but you won’t drag me down with you!]

He’d had his mind set on Kararagi originally. After all, the border to Vollachia was shut down due to an agreement that had been made prior to the beginning of the Royal Selection. Gusteko was a pretty cold and unwelcoming place, or at least, that’s what he'd heard. He wasn’t about to stay in Lugunica, knowing what was to come. He didn’t want to be anywhere near the tragedy that was about to unfold. He didn’t want to have to see his loved ones die all over again.

He'd had his mind set on Kararagi originally. But that couldn’t be anymore. He knew he would only be reminded of what could have been with Rem if he went there now. With Vollachia inaccessible and Lugunica as a non-option, this only left the Holy Kingdom of Gusteko…

***

Subaru: [… hah, how much further…?]

He kept muttering this to himself as he dragged his feet through the snow. He’d taken to traveling alone, as it lowered his chances of being mugged. This might seem counterintuitive, and that’s because it is. He’d been burned by group travel before, though, and it’s not as though he’d been able to make any friends since he’d been here.

He also kept to the wilderness now for the same reason. Traveling along the roads, he’d already been mugged more times than he cared to consider. Of course, being mugged or ripped off was a frequent occurrence for Subaru these days, regardless of location. This didn’t matter, though. He was grasping at straws to find a way to avoid it in the future, no matter how counterintuitive or pointless his decisions were.

As he bitterly wondered how much further he had to go to Inorandum, he felt his stomach grumble.

Subaru: [Oh, shut up, would you?]

He muttered this as he frustratedly firmly pressed his fist into his stomach, fruitlessly trying to get it to settle down. He was terribly hungry. He always was nowadays. There were bags under his eyes from chronic sleep deprivation, as well. Frankly, he looked like a husk of his former self.

Of course, gaunt cheeks and exposed ribs were only part of the change to his appearance. He’d been forced to eschew his tracksuit and sneakers in favor of more climate appropriate garb prior to making his trip up to Gusteko. Back then, he had been given a hefty coin purse by Roswaal, likely intended for other purposes. Those didn’t matter to Subaru anymore, though. He bought better insulated clothing, including thicker black trousers, a black sweater, a white mantle lined with liger fur, and an orange scarf. In place of his sneakers, he now wore black leather boots, also lined with liger fur.

The merchants that he’d bought these clothes from, the same people he’d paid to take him to Gusteko, charged him quite a lot for the clothes and the ride. Arriving in Gusteko, he barely had enough money for a stay at a local inn.

Subaru: [… may need to stop off somewhere… is there a town nearby?]

He pulled out a map of the kingdom he’d purchased early on, as well as a lagmite crystal he’d stolen. He felt guilty for having done so, but only for a day or so. By now, he was just happy to have a light source for just such occasions.

Subaru: [W-woah, hey!]

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t matter anyway, as a brisk wind would suddenly pick up, taking the map right out of his hands and blowing it far, far away.

Subaru: [… this isn’t funny.]

This was hardly the first time Subaru had muttered this phrase since arriving in Gusteko, and it likely wouldn’t be the last.

After taking a look around, he noticed something. Light filtering through the trees of the forest.

Subaru: [A campfire? Is it a band of merchants, or…]

It could’ve been merchants, certainly. Of course, it also could’ve been bandits. Subaru placed his lagmite crystal back in his pocket, as he carefully made his way toward the light for a closer look.

Approaching the source of that light and concealed by snow-covered brush, Subaru was able to identify just what type of people he was dealing with.

Subaru: [… oh fuck…]

With a hushed tone, Subaru cursed his luck. It was bandits, numbering six total.

Subaru: [I need to get out of here…]

Subaru carefully stepped backwards to begin circumventing the bandits, intent on keeping moving toward the direction of the Sacred Mountain Pardochia. Even with all of the trees around him, the mighty mountain could be seen. He knew if he continued in its direction, he’d wind up in his desired destination of Inorandum, or the Holy City of Glacia, at least.

Sadly, his luck would only continue to sour.

Bandit: [Eh? What was that?]

Subaru: [… shit…]

Subaru thought he’d been careful with his footing, but his lack of adequate lighting heading away from the campfire didn’t allow for him to be as careful as possible. A twig from one of the surrounding trees had been on the ground, now crushed beneath his foot. It was loud enough for the bandits to hear it without mistaking it for the crackling of the fire.

What should he do? Run? In his beleaguered state, he knew he wouldn’t get far before he was captured, or worse.

Should he use Shamak? He’d considered it on several occasions since leaving Lugunica, but two things had prevented him from doing so. One was the connotation it now had, as the last time he’d used it was during his one-sided duel with the Finest Knight, Julius Juukulius. Another reason he abstained from its use was his gate, the condition of which he was unsure of. All he did know about it was he lacked proper knowledge of how to use it without potentially collapsing his gate.

Should he use it now, or later? Never? He just wasn’t sure. The moment had his mind in frenzy.

Subaru: [I don’t wanna die…]

He whispered this desperate phrase. He hadn’t died in months, and he was in no rush to do so again. The pain inherent to dying was obviously a big part of why, but there was something else deterring him from death, something no one else could possibly understand.

Subaru: [I don’t wanna die…]

He could hear the footsteps of the bandits stomping about, searching for whatever it was that had just tried to sneak up on them. Was it a rival group of bandits? A wild animal? A hapless wanderer? It didn’t matter. They wanted to know and deal with it accordingly. Either they’d get loot to fence or a meal and a pelt.

Burly Bandit: [Found you!]

Subaru: [No! Nooooo!]

Subaru screamed desperately as he was grabbed by the ankles and dragged towards the campfire by a burly bandit.

Burly Bandit: [Ain’t no use in screamin’, kid. You’re in the wilds. No one’s gonna here ya!]

Bandit: [Oi, Fallon! Whatcha wanna do with ‘im?]

An imposing man with a shaven head sat at the fire, staring at what his men had dragged in. Subaru was pinned in the snow by one of them, as the others drew their swords.

Fallon: [The usual, of course. Alright kid, cough up your goods.]

Subaru was released by the burly bandit who’d caught him. It didn’t much matter anymore, seeing as he was surrounded by steel.

Subaru dug into his pocket and dropped his lagmite crystal in the snow before him.

Fallon: [What, is that it?]

The disappointment in Fallon’s voice was palpable. He was hoping for more, clearly. He picked up the crystal begrudgingly.

Subaru: [It’s… it’s all I got. I’m sorry…]

Fallon: [Shut up, runt.]

Subaru: [Gah!]

Fallon chucked the crystal at Subaru’s head, causing a small gash in his forehead near his hairline.

Fallon: [You’re lying.]

Subaru: [No, I’m not! That’s really all I have!]

Fallon stared at Subaru, looking him up and down.

Fallon: [Your clothes tell me otherwise.]

Subaru: [… no…]

His clothes were pretty high quality. He figured he should get the best clothes he could to favor better in the elements. Now, his clothes were just appealing loot.

Fallon: [Kid, I’ll give you three options. One: you strip down, and we leave you here by the fire. Two: we strip you down, and we leave you in the nearest river. Three: we slit your throat and strip you afterwards. Make your choice.]

Subaru: [… n-no…]

None of these options really left any room for his survival. Even the most lenient option, option one, was really just going to delay the inevitable, as he would die from exposure after the fire eventually went out.

His only option, it seemed, was death.

Subaru: [No!]

His mind drowned in despair. What could he do? It seemed as though death was unavoidable here. And what would happen then? Where would he wind up? When would he wind up? Would he be sent back to that appa stand? That forum? That wagon, en route to Gusteko? Any of the inhospitable towns and villages he’d been to in the last three months? He didn’t know, nor did he want to find out. He couldn’t start over again. He couldn’t watch that tragedy unfold all over again.

???: [That’s enough.]

***

Just before Fallon was going to make Subaru’s choice for him, a voice broke through the scene. It was a lackadaisical, monotone voice, one that spoke with utter disinterest. And yet it called out to stay Fallon’s hand?

Fallon: [And just who the hell are you?]

Emerging from the opposite side of the brush was a man of lean build. He had long, wild beige hair and thick eyebrows, one of which was bisected by a scar. His eyes appeared so blue as to almost be black. He had another scar running across the bridge of his nose, from cheek to cheek. He wore a white haori with sky blue hemming and light grey shorts. He wore no shirt underneath, revealing many scars on his abdomen. He was also barefoot, despite being here, in the most frigid of the four kingdoms.

What was most important to the bandits about his appearance was the amulet around his neck. It was silver and shaped like a bear’s head.

Fallon: [An Amulet of Odglass…]

Burly Bandit: [… fuck.]

Subaru stared wide-eyed at the unseasonably dressed man. He appeared sleepy-eyed, almost as though he was looking straight past or through everyone there.

Bandit: [Th’ hell’s an Acolyte Knight doin’ here?!]

Subaru had heard of the title “Acolyte Knight” here and there in his travels. Truth be told, he did precious little to immerse himself in the culture of this kingdom. He didn’t participate in anything to do with the Holy Church. He largely kept to himself, so everything he knew about the place was scant bits of eavesdropped hearsay. From what he could surmise here, though, Acolyte Knights were to be respected, or even feared.

Fallon: [Wait a sec… your sacred garb. Those of the Order wear a sacred garb as their uniform, and never wear anything else in their day to day operations. But you…]

Though Subaru knew little about the customs of this kingdom, he could scarcely call what this stranger was wearing a “sacred garb.” Frankly, his attire made him seem like a slacker or a thug.

Fallon: [If you don’t have the garb, then that means… you’ve been disgraced as a knight, haven’t you?]

???: […]

Burly Bandit: [Damn, but that hasn’t happened since…]

Bandit: [Basically ever, right?]

The other bandits who had been stunned silent at the stranger’s appearance were beginning to become less tense. They could feel something shared among their ranks, a certain understanding.

Fallon: [Heh, that means you lack the Great Spirit’s blessing. Between the six of us, we could --]

???: [You the bandits who’ve been harassing caravans around here?]

Fallon: [Eh?]

???: [Don’t make me repeat, wretch.]

The air felt heavy around the stranger, and the ease that had been gathering among the bandits’ ranks evaporated in this atmosphere.

Fallon: [S-so what if we are, huh? What’s a disgraced knight going to --]

Before the bandit leader could finish his sentence…

???: [Jiwald.]

The stranger pointed his right index finger at Fallon’s head, right between the eyes. A ray of white light was emitted from his finger tip, and within the blink of an eye, it passed clean through the bandit leader’s forehead and right out the back. The air was filled with the smell of seared flesh as Fallon crumpled into the snow where he had stood.

Bandit: [F-Fallon!]

Burly Bandit: [You bast--]

???: [Jiwald.]

A swift stroke of his right arm, another ray of white light was emitted from the tip of the stranger’s index finger. It cut clean through three of the remaining bandits, including the burly bandit who had dragged Subaru screaming toward the campfire. It had even felled several trees immediately behind them.

Only two bandits remained.

The bandit who had asked Fallon what was to be done with Subaru cowered, backing up slowly towards a scrawnier, younger bandit than he. If Subaru had to guess, this scrawnier bandit was no more than fifteen.

Bandit: […]

The bandit drove his sword into the gut of the younger bandit. A faint pained whimper was all that escaped. It had happened too fast for anything else.

Bandit: [S-see? We’re… we’re on the same side here, Acolyte Knight! No need to --]

???: [Pathetic.]

The stranger lifted his right hand once more.

Bandit: [N-no, wait!]

???: [Jiwald.]

Another ray of white light, straight through the older bandit’s left eye. The stench in the air had become truly suffocating.

The stranger then slowly walked over to the mortally wounded younger bandit.

Younger Bandit: [H-help me…]

???: [Nothing I can do. Sorry. Will make this painless.]

He pointed his right index finger at the younger bandit’s head.

???: [Jiwald.]

One more ray of white light, and the younger bandit was put out of his misery. With this, he turned his attention to the only living person remaining in the vicinity: Subaru.

Subaru: [N-no…]

He had been on his knees throughout this terrible scene, but now he was on his rear end, scooting frantically backwards as quickly as he could to get away from the stranger.

Subaru: [Ah, huh?]

He’d backed up a couple meters straight into a tree. There was no going further backwards. He wouldn’t have enough time to run away. He wasn’t faster than light itself.

Subaru: [Please, don’t kill me! I’m not with them, I swear!]

Subaru shut his eyes tighter than he’d ever done before. So badly did he wish he could just leave this moment. He didn’t know which was worse: a death that came out of nowhere, or a death that was obviously imminent. The suspense was excruciating.

Subaru: [Don’t do this!]

Tears flowed down his cheeks and snot flowed out of his nostrils. He was an absolutely pathetic mess as the proverbial ax came ever closer to his neck.

Then, something amazing happened.

A second went by. Then two. Then ten. Then a whole minute. Nothing happened. No consciousness rending ray of white light tore through his skull. He heard nothing but his own terrified sobbing.

Subaru: [E-eh?]

He slightly opened one of his eyes to see what was happening, a morbid curiosity having overtaken him. Perhaps it would be better described as an odd impatience. Regardless, he peeked.

The stranger was bent down before him, offering a hand.

Chapter Text

The two men sat by the fire where bandits had been scheming not but a few minutes ago. They were all dead now, lazily half-buried in the nearby snow. It barely concealed the carnage that had gone down there. Subaru found it hard to look away from the mounds of snow.

Subaru: [No blood…]

Given the level of violence the stranger had displayed, he’d expected the mounds to be stained with blood. There were only two areas where blood had stained the snow: a small bit where Subaru had been kneeling a while ago, and a fair bit where the youngest bandit had been stabbed in the gut by his fair-weather comrade.

???: [Used Jiwald. Yang Magic. Cauterizes instantly, so there’d be no blood.]

Subaru: [Ah, so you’re a Yang Magic user… I’m a Yin Magic user, myself.]

The situation was absurd. Why on earth was he making small talk over a campfire with this stranger who had just slain all of these bandits? How was this even possible? Subaru mentally questioned himself as to why he wasn’t being more tightlipped.

The answer was obvious: he was starved for conversation.

???: [Didn’t see you using any.]

Subaru: [My gate isn’t the healthiest. I’ve been told if I’m not careful, it could collapse and lead to mana poisoning.]

???: [Sorry to hear.]

Subaru: [No no, it’s fine, mister…?]

Finally, Subaru found a way to segue to introductions. This stranger seemed to keep his words brief, not leaving many organic opportunities for him to do so. He could always have introduced himself apropos of nothing, but even as starved for socialization as he was, he knew how awkward that would be.

Bastian: [Bastian Artorius. You?]

Subaru: [Natsuki Subaru. And… thank you.]

Bastian: [None needed.]

Subaru stared at the silver bear head amulet around Bastian’s neck. He recalled how Fallon had identified Bastian as an Acolyte Knight based solely upon it being there. Of course, he also noted Bastian’s lack of “sacred garb,” which supposedly signified he was no longer with the order, or “disgraced” in the bandit leader’s own words. When that allegation had been levied, Bastian had kept conspicuously silent.

Subaru: [So… are you really an Acolyte Knight?]

Bastian: [Used to be. Not anymore. Just a sword now.]

Subaru: [“Just a sword?” What, like a mercenary?]

Bastian: [No. Never ply the sword for money.]

Putting this statement together with his salvation at Bastian’s hands…

Subaru: [You’re a vigilante, then?]

Bastian: [S’pose so.]

He wanted to keep the conversation going, but Bastian seemed to make for a poor partner in this regard. He then looked down at Bastian’s bare feet, which were largely covered by the snow.

Subaru: [How are you not cold?]

Bastian: [Divine Protection of Insulation. Protects from the effects of the environment and sensations of pain.]

Subaru: [… lucky.]

Him possessing such a Divine Protection made Subaru green with envy. How many times would he have loved to have had it for himself. He didn’t want to dwell on that, however. He did that enough in his nightmares.

Bastian: [Got a question for you.]

Subaru: [Ah, yes?]

Finally, Bastian was taking the initiative. Subaru had been getting tired of leading the conversation.

Bastian: [Why’re you wandering this snowy forest at night?]

Subaru: [Oh, that. I’ve had bad luck with muggers since… well, since I got here, I guess. I’m just trying whatever I can think of to avoid that.]

Bastian looks over at the mounds that Subaru had been intermittently glancing over at, even during their conversation.

Bastian: [Ironic.]

Subaru: [Yeah, that isn’t lost on me…]

Trying to avoid bandits, only to find himself in a bandit camp. This was just Subaru’s luck.

Bastian: [Why’re you wandering this snowy forest at night?]

Subaru: [… huh?]

Bastian: [To rephrase: what brought you to this point in your life?]

Subaru: [… oh.]

This certainly wasn’t a question Subaru had expected, nor was it one he wanted to answer.

Subaru: [Well, what brought you to being a wandering swordsman, huh?]

It was a desperate attempt at deflection. If Bastian refused to answer, so would Subaru. But if Bastian answered?

Bastian: [Got disgraced as a knight. Missing time… about a week or so. A whole village, gone. Several other knights, dead. Dunno how I’m connected to that tragedy. Won’t turn myself in, though. Missing something.]

His lazy, staccato manner of speech made his words somewhat cryptic. Subaru surmised there had been an attack on a village where he and several other knights had been. Somehow during the course of this attack, his fellow knights were killed, and Bastian is unsure whether he was to blame for it or not. Sensing there’s something else going on, he refused to turn himself in to the proper authorities. As such, he couldn’t continue to act as a proper knight.

Subaru: [… that’s awful…]

Bastian: [What brought you to this point in your life?]

He couldn’t deflect so easily this time. Bastian’s candid response to Subaru’s deflection prevented this possibility. Every muscle in his body tenses as he agonizes over verbalizing what had brought him to Gusteko for the first time.

***

He laid it all out. The Witch Cult attack that he couldn’t thwart. The White Whale that prevented him from reaching his loved ones in a timely manner. The rebuffed requests for aid. The powerlessness permeating it all. Through it all, Bastian watched Subaru and listened intently. His eyes barely seemed to blink. They reflected little light from the fire, giving him an almost ominous appearance.

Subaru: [… so I fled up here, burning through much of my gold in the process…]

Bastian: [Sounds like those merchants ripped you off.]

Subaru: [Yeah, probably. I was distressed and naïve, so I probably made for a pretty easy mark. It doesn’t matter, though. I’d have paid anything to get out of that place.]

He’d established just how hopeless his situation had been. Having done so, he hoped that maybe Bastian would take pity on him, maybe become a travel companion, at least for a little bit. Bastian had other ideas.

Bastian: [What did you do to try and prevent the attack?]

Subaru was confused and frustrated by this question. He’d already said what all he’d done to try and avert that tragedy.

Subaru: [I told you, I asked for help! Were you even listening?]

Bastian: [Was. How did you ask for help?]

Subaru: [What, like did I remember to say “please” and “thank you?”]

Bastian was unamused by Subaru’s snide sarcasm.

Subaru: [Hah, alright fine! If it’s specifics you want… I appealed to their sense of morality.]

Subaru recalls how he’d pleaded. Crusch. Priscilla. Anastasia. It didn’t matter what angle he decided to approach. Morality. Debasement. The result was the same. Frustration. Humiliation. Failure.

Bastian: [Big mistake.]

Subaru: [… eh?]

An unexpected thing to come from the mouth of someone who’d come from something as esteemed as a knightly order.

Bastian: [Most people need incentive to offer aid. If nothing’s offered, they won’t help.]

Subaru: [Yeah, people are just out for themselves, huh?]

The direction of this conversation confused Subaru. Initially, he believed Bastian had a genuine interest in his story. Then it seemed like he was becoming critical of him. Now, it was as though he was trying to relate to him in a way.

Subaru: [Those people… they only cared about themselves…]

Bastian: [Like you’re blameless?]

Subaru: [What?]

Jerked around. This conversation made Subaru feel like he was being jerked around, but to what end? Was this fun for Bastian? Subaru was beginning to become indignant.

Bastian: [Thought too selfishly. Should’ve concerned yourself with the needs of others first. Would’ve secured the aid you needed.]

Subaru: [I was concerned with the safety of my friends!]

Bastian: [Not enough to take action.]

Subaru: [What the hell was I supposed to do, huh?!]

Bastian: [Set your ego aside and appeal to the needs of others.]

Subaru: […]

He was fuming. Was any conversation worth this? Was he this starved for contact? No. His anger shut him down, prevented him from speaking further.

Bastian: [Could be four reasons you were unable to save your friends. Too dumb. Too lazy. Too weak. Too selfish.]

Subaru was only further incensed, gritting his teeth and staring a hole through the man on the other side of the fire.

Bastian: [Seem smart enough. Certainly don’t seem too lazy, either…]

Bastian eyed Subaru’s calloused hands as he made this observation. Subaru had been no stranger to hard work since arriving in Gusteko.

Bastian: [So, too weak, or too selfish, which was it?]

Subaru: [Would you just stop already?! What, do you get off on making people feel like shit?]

Bastian: [Guess it could be both. Of course, selfishness worsens weakness. Selfishness tends to isolate. People are weaker alone. If you hadn’t been so selfish, could’ve made up for your weakness with allies.]

Subaru wanted to argue further. He wanted to be right. However, in the face of this reasoning, he found it hard to push his cause forward. The anger was being pushed down, trampled by crippling defeatism. The more that strand of logic twisted in his head, the more he began to loath himself.

Subaru: [What’s the use in going over all of this, anyway? It’s not like I can undo all of that…]

This was a lie. He could undo all of that, assuming his save point was before the tragedy and allowed enough time to act. However, he no longer knew where that save point was, or if he could even Return By Death anymore. He had no reason to doubt the possibility that he could still use it, but he had no evidence that he could, either. The only way to get evidence of that would be to die, something he was in no hurry to do ever again.

Bastian: [Ever think of going back?]

Subaru: [And why the hell would I ever do that?]

Bastian: [To properly mourn. Make amends.]

Subaru: [Mourn? Make amends?]

Mourning would likely mean returning to ground zero, the place where the Emilia Camp and the villagers of Irlam breathed their last.

Making amends would likely mean facing the people he’d left behind, those who remained.

Two monumental undertakings for someone in Subaru’s shoes.

Subaru: [I… I don’t know if I can do that…]

Bastian: [Can help if you want.]

Subaru: [… huh?]

This man kept the whiplash coming. He vacillated between harsh criticism and thoughtfulness with such staggering speed, Subaru found it hard to process in the moment. It was beginning to click, though.

Subaru: [Okay, say I want your help. What do you want in return? I don’t really have anything to give…]

Bastian: [Told you earlier, don’t ply the sword for money, or any other tangibles, for that matter.]

Subaru: [Then… what would you get out of this?]

Bastian fell silent as he stared into the fire. The light barely shone in his eyes. They appeared hollow as he gazed pensively into it.

Bastian: [S’pose helping is its own reward. Makes it easier to deal with… my own disgrace.]

He clutched something off to his left as he said this. It was the hilt of a sword. Subaru hadn’t noticed it before. It appeared to have a thin curved, single-edged blade like a scimitar, and was contained within a stark white sheath with silver accents. Extending from the pommel was a sky blue tassel, akin to a horse’s tail.

The way he clutched the hilt seemed to imply guilt associated with the blade it was attached to.

Subaru snapped himself out of this ponderance to consider an inconsistency.

Subaru: [Isn’t that a bit hypocritical, telling me I should return while you yourself would be running away from here?]

Bastian: [Understandable. One problem with that, though.]

Subaru: [Oh? And what’s that?]

Bastian: [No means of exoneration here. No trail to follow. Could travel all of Gusteko and never figure out what really happened at that village.]

Subaru: [Oh…]

Subaru wanted to try and turn the tables. He wanted to claim maybe Bastian had been too stupid, too lazy, too weak, or too selfish. He wanted to but found he couldn’t bring himself to cast these accusations. Despite the harsh criticisms he’d just received, he found he couldn’t do the same to someone who was something of an amnesiac, recalling Bastian’s mention of “missing time.”

Bastian: [Besides, there’re plenty of people out there who need helping. Doesn’t matter much where I am.]

Subaru: [Hah…]

Subaru felt exhausted from this discussion. The act of discussing his greatest failure with a complete stranger had taken a lot out of him. There were several points where he felt tears coming on. But here he was, strongly considering taking Bastian up on his offer. At the very least, he wouldn’t be alone anymore.

Subaru: [You’ll… really help me? To mourn? To make amends?]

Bastian: [Yes.]

The disgraced Acolyte Knight’s response was sharp yet flat, being delivered quickly, but in that same bored tone.

Subaru: [… now that I think about it, what would even be the alternative?]

In a depressed tone, Subaru mused about his options. Either he took Bastian up on his offer, or he stayed in Gusteko. Just thinking about the latter makes him feel weary.

Both options would make him miserable. There were a couple of critical, fundamental differences between the two. One was that one option conceivably had an end point, the other did not. The other was that one option offered the chance for self-improvement, the other offered only a life of stagnation and mediocrity.

It swiftly became a no-brainer, and yet was a painful decision to make, nonetheless.

Subaru: [Hah… Alright, fine. I’ll.. I’ll return to Lugunica.]

He’d expected Bastian to be pleased with his successful persuasion. Granted, most of the persuasion was done by Subaru himself towards the end, but Bastian had gotten that ball rolling.

Instead, Bastian appeared as disinterested as he had when he first appeared before the bandits.

Bastian: [Very well. We’ll set out tomorrow morning.]

Subaru: [You mean… we’re camping here?]

Bastian: [Why not? Fire’s already here. No settlements nearby. Some good game to hunt in these parts.]

Bastian had him at the mention of food. He hadn’t had a half-decent meal in some time.

Subaru: [Right… we’ll set out after breakfast, then.]

There was a faint feeling burgeoning within Subaru. It was warm and felt oddly familiar. He couldn’t quite articulate what this feeling was. He didn’t hate it, whatever it was.

Chapter Text

“Subaru: [There’s no way out! The only path everything points to is giving up! If I could do something… I would… I would…]”

Tears streak down his cheeks, the coalescence of much misery.

“Rem: [Subaru-kun… it is easy to give up… but it doesn’t suit you…]”

Subaru: [… no…]

“Subaru: [What do you know about me?! This is the kind of man I am: I have no strength, but I want it all; I have no knowledge, but all I do is dream; there’s nothing I can do, but I struggle in vain! I… I… I hate myself!]”

Subaru: [… stop… no… more…]

“Subaru: [At heart, I’m just a small, cowardly, filthy piece of trash. And nothing… nothing about me has changed!]”

The world was washed out. No one or nothing there but them, on that solitary cobblestone square.

“Rem: [All you know is yourself! How much do you know about the Subaru-kun I see?!]”

Subaru: [… please… stop…]

The girl’s mouth opens to continue her speech, but freezes. A warm sensation overcomes the boy, who had been a prisoner inside his own body, watching as he tore a cherished bond to pieces before his very eyes. Soft light permeates the area, until the girl and that cobblestone square are no more. And then…

***

Subaru woke up the next morning. Bastian was cooking breakfast, having caught some small game with crude snares the two had prepared the night prior. He roasted the small critters over the fire and had foraged for some roots to produce a beverage.

Subaru: [… what’s that smell?]

Bastian: [Poor man’s coff.]

Subaru: [Huh?]

Bastian: [Coff substitute. Made from bitter roots native to these lands. Tastes like real coff, albeit more bitter. Bracing stuff.]

Bastian explains his strange brew as he hands Subaru a clay mug of it. It was a piping hot black liquid. The warmth was appreciated, though would he appreciate the contents of the cup as much?

He took a tentative sip… and nearly spit takes the severely bitter beverage.

Subaru: [Bleh! Tastes like coff, alright… mixed with black licorice…]

While the drink was rather medicinal in taste, Subaru does find that even just that one minute sip has given him some extra pep. He braces himself…

Bastian: [Shouldn’t drink it that fast…]

Subaru: [Ahhhh! Hey, I need the energy, anyway! Slept terribly last night…]

With a hearty exhale, he downed the bitter brew.

Bastian: [Any bad dreams?]

Subaru: [… eh?]

Subaru did recall having bad dreams last night, at least for a bit. It was one of the usual recurring nightmares he’d been having lately, placing him inside his past self as he ranted and raged against Rem’s kindness. However, he had to wonder how Bastian could guess he’d had a bad dream so easily. Had he been talking in his sleep, or worse, crying?

Subaru: [… did I, er… wake you up?]

Bastian: [Yes. Were pleading in your sleep for some reason. Used one of Ris to calm you down.]

Subaru: [“Ris?” What’s a Ris?]

Bastian patted the sword sheathed to his hip, and out of it emerged eight white motes of light. They began to dance in a coordinated fashion around Bastian’s head, appearing like a halo that slowly and gently wavered on an unseen axis.

Bastian: [Am a Spirit Arts user. Contracted with these eight quasi Yang spirits, collectively referred to as Ris.]

Subaru: [Wow…]

He was awed by Ris’ harmonious dance around its contractor. He’d seen many spirits since he arrived in this world, especially here in Gusteko. They could often be seen flitting about like fireflies, giving the place an almost ethereal sensation. The dance demonstrated by Ris, however, made the haphazard movements of other spirits pale in comparison. It was an enchanting sight.

Subaru: [Er… thank you for… y’know…]

Bastian simply nods in response.

After breakfast, the two set out on foot due southwest for the Lugunican border. Their destination: Roswaal’s mansion and Irlam Village. The two travel on foot mostly because of a lack of funds. Subaru had just been scraping by and is far from being able to afford an earth dragon carriage. Bastian, meanwhile, had literally no money to his name, as he’d been living off of the land ever since his “missing time.” Bastian was sure to note that, even if they did have the funds, he would have insisted that they travel by foot.

Subaru: [What? Why?]

Bastian: [Penance shouldn’t be so easy.]

Subaru: [Ah…]

As the two traveled through the Gustekan wilderness, the weight of his impending endeavor began to weigh on Subaru. He recalled those failed loops, where the ones he’d loved died needlessly. He recalled that cobblestone square, where he failed to heed Rem’s words of encouragement.

Subaru: [I wonder how they must’ve felt, knowing no one was coming to help them… that I left them to die…]

Bastian: [Doubt they even knew you’d fled.]

Subaru: [Rem knew…]

Subaru couldn’t say for sure whether Emilia, Ram, Puck, or any of the villagers of Irlam had known of his flight from Lugunica. But Rem knew. She was the last person from the Emilia camp he’d seen before fleeing. He’d declared his intentions in no uncertain terms. Those intentions had dripped with vitriol that day. They’d left no room for misinterpretation, though that hadn’t stopped Rem from trying.

Bastian: [They likely weren’t alive for her to tell them.]

The air was taken from Subaru’s sails. How were these words supposed to comfort him? Were they even meant to? Were it not for the lackadaisical tone with which Bastian always spoke, Subaru could almost see this statement as a deliberate attempt at antagonization. Even now, Bastian seemed to be vacillating between thoughtfulness and callousness.

Here, though, the callousness had stung a bit more. Subaru clutched his arm in a meager attempt to offer himself comfort.

Subaru: [Hey, Bastian… think you could use that magic on me again?]

Bastian: [Sound Mind?]

Bastian hadn’t been looking at Subaru when he’d made his comments. Looking at him now, he could see the look of discomfort on his face.

Bastian: [Hah… Fine. Just a bandage for your woes, though. Real remedy’s yet to come.]

These words, too, didn’t offer Subaru comfort.

This is more or less how the journey went for the two. They’d travel by day and camp at night. They’d lay crude snares to catch the small nocturnal game in the area. They’d roast these critters over a fire, sans seasonings. It wasn’t much, but it got the job done. They made sparse conversation, where this vacillation of Bastian’s never really let up. It was tough love, something Subaru needed but didn’t want to acknowledge that he needed. For him, tenderness in a vacuum would prove ineffective. No lesson would be learned. No, he needed someone to hold him to task. He was a coward, after all… or at least, this is what echoed within the recesses of his mind.

It took somewhere around two weeks of foot travel through the harsh northern wilderness, but eventually, they crossed the border into Lugunica. Something, however, was amiss.

Bastian: [Snow this far south? Would’ve thought it’d be greener here.]

Subaru: [I… have a good idea as to where this snow came from. Though the fact it’s still here…]

Subaru knew the snow had came from Puck. In at least two failed loops, Puck had gone berserk, unleashing a snowstorm to consume the world. Seeing snow in these parts after having been away for three months made Subaru fear the worst. Did Puck succeed in at least destroying Lugunica? He quickly discounted this possibility, however.

Subaru: [I think I’d have heard if Lugunica were gone…]

Bastian: [This snow… it’s not natural.]

Subaru: [You can tell?]

Bastian: [Traces of mana. Was created magically. Though to alter the weather to this degree…]

It would take something or someone with tremendous power to alter the very weather patterns themselves. Subaru already knew who was responsible, of course.

Subaru: [This… was Puck’s doing…]

Bastian: [You know him?]

Subaru: [You know him?]

This reaction caught him off guard. Just how well known was Puck?

Bastian: [No. Know of him.]

Subaru: [Oh… how?]

Bastian: [Spirits like to gossip. Not long ago, there was a Great Spirit of Fire that lived in Lugunica. Named Melakuera. Puck fought him. Killed him. Became the new Great Spirit of Fire.]

Subaru: [… what?]

Subaru had never heard of this. Puck always had seemed like such an unassuming character… well, until those failed loops had opened his eyes. Perhaps they hadn’t been opened wide enough.

Bastian: [Never mind that. Why would Puck do this?]

Subaru: [I guess… loss breaks people.]

Bastian: […]

Subaru knew Puck did this for Emilia’s sake, to do away with the world that treated her so poorly. He could sympathize with the feeling of oblivion the loss could breed in a person. What he couldn’t sympathize with was the condemnation of a world full of innocents. Though Subaru had slipped, he hadn’t slipped into inhumanity.

Bastian: [Great Spirit went berserk then? Would likely be grounds for an exclusion zone, like what was used to contain Gaddogi Guadozeaddo.]

Subaru: [… how would you even contain such a thing?]

Bastian: [By throwing everything you got at it.]

Were they wandering into an exclusion zone? If so, where were the guards? Where were the walls? Something was still amiss.

Bastian: [If there is an exclusion zone for this…]

Subaru: [We’d be trespassing, wouldn’t we?]

Bastian: [Don’t see anyone around telling us to leave.]

Subaru: [Are you seriously suggesting we keep moving forward?]

Bastian: [If no one’s here to keep the law, then it may as well not exist.]

Subaru: [That’s an awfully generous interpretation…]

Truthfully, hearing of the possibility of an exclusion zone around Roswaal’s Mansion gave Subaru a familiar sense of relief. It was one he’d had often before arriving in Lugunica. Even now, the image of a clock ticking past 8am was emblazoned in his mind’s eye. The sentiment was simple: it can’t be helped.

Subaru: [Look, if it could get us in trouble --]

Bastian: [Not another word.]

Subaru froze at this brusque response. It was an unnerving thing to hear, even more so when there was no eye contact accompanying it. On the other hand, maybe it would’ve been more unnerving if Bastian had stared into Subaru with his unblinking, dull eyes.

Bastian: [Came all this way with a purpose. Won’t stop now that the destination is nearly in sight.]

Subaru: [But if we get caught --]

Bastian: [We won’t.]

Subaru: [But how can you know that?!]

Bastian: [Ris can keep an eye out. Monitor the area. Will stay ahead of whoever or whatever may be in the area.]

Subaru struggled to find another counter. This was easier said than done, though, as Bastian had turned his gaze onto him again. It was imposing yet disarming. It did little to assuage, instead seeking to put its target in a profound state of unease.

Bastian: [We push on.]

Subaru: [… sure.]

He found himself ultimately acquiescing to Bastian’s insistence. He feared what would happen if he didn’t. He wanted to think the person he’d been traveling with for many days wouldn’t do anything drastic. Though Bastian had killed several men in front of him the very night they’d met, they had been bandits. Surely Bastian wouldn’t threaten him with violence were he not to comply? Ostensibly, Bastian wanted to help him, as a means of helping himself. But how much of this ethos could be taken at face value?

He didn’t know. He didn’t want to know. Paranoid was the only way to be after what all Subaru had been through.

Paranoia notwithstanding, he found his feet moved according to Bastian’s will. He really didn’t want to follow, but he figured he was safer doing so than not.

All told, it took the two just over two weeks to travel from the forests between Inorandum and Eternya in Gusteko to Roswaal’s Mansion back in Lugunica. Weary from travel, Subaru was satisfied that the travel was done for now, at least.

His satisfaction, however, would prove to be short-lived.

Chapter Text

Desolation. This word best encapsulated the sight before them as they made their approach to the mansion. Having approached from the north, they had yet to see what state Irlam Village was in, but if the mansion was any indicator, it wouldn’t be pretty.

Though it was at an angle Subaru wasn’t used to seeing it from, the mansion appeared to be more ruined than he recalled from failed loops. Though it’d been over three months since he’d fled Lugunica, this wouldn’t have been enough time for the mansion to fall into this state of decay naturally.

He found the level of destruction oddly familiar.

Subaru: [It’s like the loot house, but worse…]

Bastian: [Loot house?]

Subaru: [In the Capital’s slums, there was this loot house ran by a giant. It got destroyed during… a tense encounter.]

Bastian: [Must’ve been some encounter to level a building.]

Subaru: [Yeah, well… Reinhard was part of it.]

Bastian: [Know the Sword Saint, too? Keep some interesting company.]

Subaru: [Yeah…]

Bastian: [Well, used to.]

Subaru: [… yeah…]

Another biting remark. It seemed to imply two possibilities: that Puck and Reinhard were dead, or that he would no longer be accepted as their friend. The former seemed hard to believe, especially in Reinhard’s case. The latter, however, was something Subaru expected of everyone he’d left behind.

Subaru: [Given this level of destruction, I’m guessing Puck turned into that huge beast…]

In a couple failed loops, Subaru witnessed Puck transform into a massive beast with teeth the size of his forearm and cold blue eyes that pierced the soul. In this form, speaking with utter contempt for the world and everyone within it in light of his surrogate daughter’s demise, he released a snowstorm to engulf the world.

Subaru had assumed that, had he survived past that point, he would see the world freeze solid. There was one thing he hadn’t considered previously, though.

Subaru: [Reinhard…]

At the time, Reinhard had been away tending to a courtesy call. As such, Subaru hadn’t considered that the Sword Saint would be the one to respond to the threat posed by Puck.

The ruined mansion spoke volumes to the contrary.

Subaru: [… this was my fault.]

In running away, the Witch Cult succeeded in their aim to put Emilia through the Ordeal. Her death caused Puck to eschew any and all concern for the world at large, leading to the snow they now walked upon. This snow threatened to damage an already economically struggling kingdom if it spread further into the heartland. As such, a Hero would emerge to end the threat posed by Puck.

One simple decision had led to two of his friends fighting.

Subaru: [Would there even be a body left?]

Recalling the all-consuming white radiance generated by Reinhard’s swordsmanship back at the loot house, he failed to understand how anything could possibly be left behind of his intended target.

Bastian: [Being a spirit, in death, his mana would disperse into the environment around him. Wouldn’t be a body.]

This caused Subaru to clutch his chest. He tightly gripped his sweater as he grimaced from the toll this information had taken on him.

Then, a glimmer of hope emerged in his mind.

Subaru: [But Elsa survived…]

Bastian: [Elsa?]

Subaru: [Yeah… Elsa Granhiert, I believe. The Bowel Hunter. Even Reinhard had been unable to kill her with that power of his.]

Bastian: [Interesting. Maybe Puck lives, then, right? That what you’re getting at?]

Subaru: […]

Something about Bastian’s words pushed back Subaru’s hopeful suppositions.

Bastian: [Knew that Puck would do this. How?]

Subaru: […]

This wasn’t a question Subaru could answer without triggering the Taboo. His grip on his sweater tightened further, his knuckles whitening.

Thankfully, he was good at talking around this obstacle.

Subaru: [Puck was something of a father figure to Emilia. I knew that if anything were to happen to her, he’d take drastic measures.]

Bastian: [Hmm. Would he want to live without her?]

Subaru: [… no.]

The scene of Puck and Reinhard’s battle was practically right before Subaru’s eyes now. He could picture Puck submitting to his fate at Reinhard’s hands.

Subaru stared despondently at the snow, until he felt a firm hand on his shoulder.

Bastian: [Best get to it.]

Having patted Subaru’s shoulder, he took the initiative as he began to walk toward the ruined mansion.

Walking around from the back of the mansion, they reach the courtyard out front. It was the area Subaru would always approach when traveling back from his errands in Irlam Village with Rem. The stables weren’t too far away. In this space, Subaru almost felt wistful, until he saw figures standing frozen. They weren’t people he knew, but he recognized their silhouette, as well as their dark robes with pointed hoods.

Subaru: [Witch Cultists…]

Subaru growled this utterance out as he began to seethe at the sight of these interlopers.

Bastian: [No doubt frozen in place by Puck. Lead on.]

Subaru: [Huh? I thought you were going to lead.]

Bastian: [Why? Not familiar with this place. You are. Lead on.]

The prodding was becoming unbearable. He desperately wanted Bastian to rein in the callousness a bit, or at least to switch back to the kindness and understanding he fleetingly demonstrated.

Now the initiative was Subaru’s. What would his first objective be? Who would he look for first?

Subaru: [… Rem…]

It was natural he’d think to find Rem first, if only because she’d been the person he’d spent the most time with prior to his flight from Lugunica. She’d even been the last person he spoke with prior to running away. Recency and frequency indeed played their roles in his decision, though his affections for her doubtlessly influenced this decision, as well.

Bastian: [Who’s that?]

Subaru: [She was the girl I wanted to run away with. Where could she be…?]

He tried to recall the failed loops to discern where she could be.

Subaru: [The garden?]

He and Bastian investigated the garden out front for any signs of her remains, but to no avail.

Subaru: [… second floor…]

In another failed loop, he recalled finding Ram on the second floor. Since Rem had rushed back to the mansion for her sister’s sake…

Subaru: [We should check the second floor.]

Bastian: [Lead on.]

He heeded Bastian’s command as they trudged through the snow and into the remains of Roswaal’s mansion.

***

Subaru: [How are we supposed to search under these conditions?]

The interior proved difficult to navigate due to the sheer amount of debris obstructing most every pathway.

Suddenly, Subaru felt another firm pat on his shoulder.

Bastian: [Shinza.]

A faint white aura enveloped Subaru as he felt sudden invigoration. He felt as though he could lift anything. He began to effortlessly dig through the rubble. Under better circumstances, he may describe the sensation as satisfying, but the somberness of the occasion kept his spirits low.

After about an hour of clearing rubble, they had finally cleared a path to the second floor.

Subaru: [I’d bet anything that this is where we’ll find them…]

His earlier trepidation had disappeared entirely at this point. He was beyond compelled to find them now, unable to stop his feet from moving forward. It was the same unstoppable momentum one might experience climbing a great mountain. He remembered the term for that compulsion: summit fever, the drive of a climber to reach the summit regardless of consequence.

Fear had taken a back seat for the first time in months. The last time he’d felt this way was probably while diving off of a cliff into many jagged rocks. This feeling went beyond concepts of bravery or determination.

Despite the influence of Bastian’s magic, Subaru felt breathless as they’d reached their summit. The strength that had permeated him wasn’t enough for his knees, as he collapsed to the ground at the sight of the scene laid out before him.

Subaru: [Rem… Ram…]

The two maids were on the floor. Lacerations and stab wounds were abound on their bodies. If any cruel silver lining could be gleaned, it would be the fact Rem’s limbs hadn’t been twisted and contorted this time, and their eyes were still intact.

This latter fact did precious little to comfort him, though. While Ram’s eyes were closed, Rem’s weren’t. They remained opened, glossed over like those of a doll. Frozen streaks of tears remained on her cheeks. He shakily pulled their frozen corpses in to embrace them as tears streamed down his own face.

Bastian: [Hmm. Understood. Rem must’ve fought her way to her sister, sustaining many injuries along the way. Her sister seems to’ve died in her arms.]

Subaru continued to weep as Bastian announced his own deductions. He felt yet another pat on his back, but this time it wasn’t firm. It was gentle.

Bastian: [Let it all out.]

The droll monotone was softer here, providing comfort in an unexpected way. Subaru readily acquiesced, continuing to weep for what felt like hours.

After the tears subsided, he slowly rose back to his feet, wiping his eyes on his sleeves.

Subaru: [… thank you.]

There was no response. Subaru couldn’t be sure, but he felt like Bastian probably nodded in response. His eyes were still fixed on the tragedy before him, so he didn’t pay much mind to his companion’s reaction.

As he looked down at the two, a sentiment wells up in him.

Subaru: [You know, you probably would’ve liked Ram.]

Bastian: [Oh?]

Subaru: [Yeah. She was also a proponent of tough love. She was rarely if ever sweet outright. It was always concealed under that prickly exterior of hers…]

There was no response to this assumption. Bastian simply stared down at Ram’s remains, seeming to be lost in thought. Wordlessly, he crouched down to pick her up to exhume her from the ruined mansion. Subaru decided to follow suit with Rem.

Subaru: [Don’t worry, Rem… your Hero’s here…]

His words were drenched with self-mocking venom as he crouched down to pick her up. He could scarcely imagine how it was that he of all people had inspired any change in her. Just thinking about Rem’s words of encouragement brought the tears back to his eyes.

Having removed the bodies of Rem and Ram from the mansion, the duo draped sheets from one of the mansion’s many linen closets over them.

Bastian: [Who else could be in there?]

Subaru began pondering this morose query. He ordinarily wouldn’t want to. He’d ordinarily seek to avoid thinking about this subject with every fiber of his being. But it was too late for second thoughts. He was already embroiled in this undertaking.

Subaru: [… there’s a secret passage that I believe led to an escape route, or maybe a panic room… Emilia’s probably there. Beatrice… I’ve almost never seen her outside of her library. She’s likely in there. Hopefully I still have that uncanny ability to find it, though…]

Bastian: [Shouldn’t it be in the same place it was last time you saw her?]

Subaru: [No. It’s a magical library. It fixes itself to doors in the mansion at random, or at her choosing. I’m not really sure which…]

Not that the distinction mattered. Time and time again, Subaru had found Beatrice’s Forbidden Library effortlessly in the past, much to her chagrin. However, all sorts of doubts and insecurities had marred Subaru since he left Lugunica. For example, could he perhaps have lost his knack for finding Beatrice?

Subaru: [… then there’s the villagers. They’re likely all back at Irlam Village…]

The village itself was probably in no better state than the mansion, having been assaulted by Witch Cultists. If seeing Rem and Ram in their state had rent his heart to pieces, seeing a village full of murdered innocents would be too much. Repeat exposure had done little to desensitize Subaru to such tragic sights. In way, this was good. It meant his humanity had been retained. However, some part of him longed for the numbing comfort that desensitization could bring.

Bastian: [Sounds like a lot of people.]

He said this as he checked the sky. The sun was beginning to set, as they’d arrived in the mid-afternoon.

Bastian: [Maybe should set camp for the evening, start back up tomorrow.]

Subaru: [… no.]

Bastian raised an eyebrow at this response. Though that single word was spoken with timidity, there was an underlying assertiveness that carried it forward.

Subaru: [I can’t stop now. Not when we’ve just gotten started.]

His hands shook, partially out of fury directed towards his past self and partially toward the Witch Cult that had perpetrated this catastrophe. Though part of him wanted to take a break as Bastian suggested, the greater part of him rejected this notion. It was part of his cowardly past, something to be purged rather than acted upon. Consciously or unconsciously, he knew he had a lot to make up for.

Subaru: [We have to keep going. I… I need to find Emilia…]

The promise he’d failed to keep nipped at his mind’s heels incessantly. Once, with his dying breath, he’d sworn that he’d save Emilia no matter what. Now, he had a gaping void inside of him left from this broken promise. Finding Emilia and giving her a proper burial would only be the first step of an arduous journey. Inside Subaru’s head, he’d already began formulating how he could begin to try and make it up to her.

Bastian: [… very well. Back to it, then.]

The two of them returned inside the remains of Roswaal’s mansion and got back to work clearing rubble. They worked restlessly in their pursuit of finding the secret passage that Subaru remembered.

After having worked well into the night, they found the hidden entrance to this passage.

Subaru: [There… just down these stairs…]

Bastian: [Lead on.]

Subaru’s hands began shaking again. The trepidation that had left him had suddenly returned. It wasn’t born purely from fear, though. There was anticipation, or maybe suspense, that hung around him. His breathing became shallow and quiet as they descended the stone spiral stairs down to the passage. He didn’t want to see her, but this was no longer a matter of want. Now, it was purely a matter of necessity.

Thick frost clung to the walls leading to the passage. As they approached the door, Subaru eyed its handle. He recalled a failed loop, where he had lost several fingers from the preternatural frost that covered that door handle. He reflexively clutches his right hand just thinking about it.

Fortunately for him, the door was already ajar.

Chapter Text

Pushing that frosty door open, Subaru and Bastian saw what the former had been fearing all along. He knew what the answer was going to be all along. The snow outside was clear evidence of this. But the sight that greeted him in that inner sanctum…

Subaru: [E-Emilia…]

On the cold stone floor was the body of Emilia, surrounded by many motes of light. These spirits are startled at the sudden appearance of these two strangers and disperse.

Subaru: [Why were those spirits here?]

Bastian: [Same reason as you: to mourn.]

This struck Subaru deep in his chest. He recalled his first day in Lugunica, and the first time he’d seen Emilia commune with lesser spirits. It was like something out of a fairy tale or a dream, an enchanting scene he’d never allow himself to forget. The scene he and Bastian had just infringed upon was still enchanting, but in the same way one would be enraptured by a somber painting. It was a haunting scene, one he felt bad for interrupting by showing up.

Getting closer to where Emilia laid, a grotesque reality began to set in.

Subaru: [Oh, Emilia…]

A mournful cadence permeated his wavery voice as he kneeled before her. Her limbs had been twisted into unnatural positions. There was bruising around her neck, a clear indicator of strangulation. Her face bears a pained, melancholic expression. He’s thankful that her eyes were left alone, and that they weren’t open. Though he’d always loved her violet eyes, he didn’t think he could take having them stare back at him lifelessly.

Subaru: [Emilia-tan…]

His voice strained into an anguished, grief-stricken squeak as he uttered her name once more. He didn’t know how many tears he had left in him. Clearing the rubble had been effortless by comparison to the emotional heavy-lifting he was having to do by confronting the consequences of his flight. He was beginning to feel exhausted, utterly drained emotionally.

Emotional delirium wouldn’t prevail, however. He knew all too well who had treated his beloved Emilia like a ragdoll and choked the life out of her. A mixture of anger and sadness welled up inside of him. Despite this, he knew rage was not befitting the context he found himself in. Instead, he channeled the more tender parts of his grief into one action: he leaned down to embrace her.

In this moment, he was reminded of another occasion where he’d embraced Emilia. It had been in a failed loop, where he’d spoken of his Return By Death before Emilia, causing her heart to burst.

Subaru: [Why… why couldn’t I have held you when you were alive?]

The weeping turned into outright wailing now. He didn’t want to hold onto these distraught feelings any longer. He wanted to heed Bastian’s prior prescript to let it all out. Feeling that same gentle pat on his back, he did just that.

Again, hours seem to elapse as his dammed-up heart was let loose. It is at this moment that Bastian’s hand twitches as it continues to pat Subaru’s back, something the latter picks up on.

Subaru: [What… what’s wrong, Bastian?]

His voice was hoarse from all the crying as he addressed what he perceived as a sign of concern.

Bastian: [Not alone in here.]

Subaru: [… huh?!]

Subaru shot up at this alarming statement. Who else could’ve wandered into the exclusion zone? Was it a knight here to take them in for trespassing? Was it a Witch Cultist, here to finish what they’d started by taking Subaru’s life as well? Was it Roswaal, here to catch Subaru and punish him for running away?

Subaru: [Where? Where are they, Bastian?]

Bastian wordlessly pointed to a frozen figure in the shadows of the inner sanctum, just out of view. He taps the sheath on his left hip, and Ris emerges to illuminate this shaded corner of the room. The sight paralyzes Subaru with another mix of emotions. Fear. Anger. Self-loathing. Regret.

Subaru: [… Petelgeuse.]

The name escaped his mouth with the most contemptuous snarl. Frozen before him was the Sin Archbishop representing Sloth, Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti. The man who had tortured him and Rem in a failed loop, who had designs on Emilia, who masterminded the Ordeal that he’d carried out. His cherished loved ones and the innocents of Irlam Village all died by either his hand or his command.

If anyone in this world could presently be described as Subaru’s worst enemy, it would be Petelgeuse. And here he was, frozen. Defenseless.

He knew rage hadn’t been suitable for the previous context of mourning Emilia’s death. But in this new context, where such a foul person stood unguarded? Surely rage was suited for it.

He let it consume him. Blind him. Direct him. With that faint white aura bolstering his strength, he strode over to the frozen Petelgeuse and drives his fist clean through the Sin Archbishop’s chest. He shatters to pieces on the cold stone floor. Even with Shinza enhancing his strength, Subaru felt the pain of punching a veritable ice statue to pieces in the knuckles of his right hand. They were bleeding as he shook the pain out of his hand.

Subaru: [You deserved far worse, you bastard.]

He felt a sense of profound catharsis having shattered the vile Petelgeuse. It was astonishing how easy defeating a Sin Archbishop had turned out to be. Then, as he turned around to return to Emilia…

Subaru: [Hrk! Guh! Wha…?]

He felt a sickening presence enter his body and begin to take hold of him. He could hear loathsome laughter echo in his head.

“Petelgeuse: [Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes! This is a fine vessel you have, dear Pride. You are Pride, are you not?]”

Subaru began patting himself down against his will, as though the presence within him were searching for something on his person.

“Subaru”: [Hrm, there doesn’t seem to be a Gospel on your person, however… then it seems you are not Pride, believer in love.]

Subaru: [Gah! Stop this! Get outta my head, you --]

His protest was futile. Petelgeuse refused to let him go.

“Subaru”: [Nonsense, nonsense nonsense nonsense! I refuse to give up such a pristine vessel.]

Subaru then looked over at Emilia’s remains.

“Subaru”: [Ah, it is regrettable that she failed to pass the Ordeal. It seems she wasn’t a worthy vessel for the Witch after all. A pity.]

Subaru: [Guh! Bastian, help!]

Bastian: [Being possessed by an evil spirit… Ris, Exorcism.]

At Bastian’s command, all eight of Ris entered Subaru’s body.

“Subaru”: [No! No no no no no, foul spirits!]

Though Petelgeuse tried to maintain control over Subaru’s body, Ris forced him out. The inky shade of Petelgeuse eyed Bastian, considering him as a possible vessel. He attempts to secure this vessel but is immediately repulsed.

“Petelgeuse: [A Spirit Arts user?!]”

With this realization, the inky shade flees up the stairs to the ruined mansion above.

Subaru: [After him! He can’t be allowed to escape into the world!]

With a simple nod, Bastian confirmed the gravity of the situation as they gave chase to the shade. Ris led the chase, allowing them to know where the evil spirit was.

***

They wound up chasing it all the way to the courtyard before the mansion’s entrance, where several of the Sin Archbishop’s underlings were frozen. Being the only readily possessable entities, Petelgeuse had no choice but to possess one of them. He was cornered, and he knew it. Though Subaru lacked the ability to eliminate him, Bastian was another story.

Subaru: [Nowhere to run, you bastard!]

Like in the inner sanctum, Subaru threw a invigorated punch into the frozen figure, this time with his left hand. The figure shattered to the ground, and Petelgeuse’s shade emerged, frantically jumping to another of his minions. He was truly scared for his life at this point, having no recourse to fight back against the duo.

Subaru: [Think that’ll save you?! Huh?!]

Under the moonlight, Subaru proceeded to smash every last frozen Witch Cultist in that courtyard, leaving Petelgeuse once again with only one option.

Subaru: [Gah! Not again!]

Subaru began to writhe as he did all he could to resist Petelgeuse’s attempt at possession. At this rate, they were going to be going in circles, with Bastian exorcizing Petelgeuse from Subaru and Subaru being repossessed ad infinitum. It was a hellish experience, having his consciousness being assaulted by this unwanted presence. There had to be some way to put an end to it.

Subaru: [Bastian – guh! – do you have any way of ending this guy?!]

Bastian pondered this query without even the slightest hint of urgency.

Subaru: [Bastian, god damn it!]

Bastian: [Rite of Absolution.]

Subaru: [Guh… huh?!]

Bastian: [A rite of my faith. Could do the trick… though my disgrace may prevent me from performing it.]

Subaru: [Urgh, please, just do it already!]

He didn’t care what the implications of this rite were. If it offered even a chance at ending this monster crawling under his skin, he wanted to seize that chance.

Bastian: [… very well. Ris.]

All eight of Ris entered Subaru once more, this time holding Petelgeuse in place, acting like a metaphysical binding to Subaru’s vessel.

“Petelgeuse: [What? What what what what what is thiiiiiiiiis?! You think you can snuff the fire of love burning within me, you wretch? To handle the situation in such a simple manner is truly slothful!]”

The experience of being held down by Ris was agonizing for Petelgeuse. It was as though he had searing nails piercing his flesh, pinning him to a metaphysical wall within Subaru’s soul.

Bastian then closed his eyes, casting his head downward as he clutched his bear-headed medallion.

Bastian: [O Great Kingmaker Odglass. This spirit has strayed from the path of righteousness. His most grievous faults have become an afront to the faith. He requires your mercy and grace to rectify his ways. He requires your love and compassion to return to the path from which he has strayed. He requires… Absolution.]

Suddenly, a circle with obscure, ever-shifting symbols formed beneath Subaru’s feet as a warm light began to envelope him. For him, the light felt inviting and even pleasant. But for Petelgeuse…

“Petelgeuse: [Ah-ah-AH-AHHHH-AHHHHHHHHHH!]”

Screams of unbearable pain rung throughout Subaru’s head. It was the kind of scream one would emit if they were being burned at the stake. It made Subaru’s eyes close tightly, his teeth clench even tighter. If it went on much longer, his teeth felt as though they’d be ground to dust. He very well could’ve had an aneurysm or stroke if it dragged out. Fortunately, the process was actually rather brief, taking about ten seconds for the holy radiance offered by Odglass to burn Petelgeuse out of existence. Ten seconds, yet it felt far longer.

With this, the circle beneath Subaru’s feet faded away.

Bastian: [Can’t feel him anymore… Ris has nothing left to hold.]

Bastian opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was his medallion. He stared wistfully at it.

Bastian: [… s’pose this means Petelgeuse was too far gone to be Absolved. Odglass rendered her judgment.]

Subaru: [So… it’s over?]

Bastian: [Yes. It’s over.]

Subaru felt uneasy, as though this solution had been all too easy. Moreover, he felt something else inside of him. It tangled like a knot within his stomach. It wasn’t the same sickening feeling that he’d experienced when Petelgeuse had possessed him, but it was disturbing to him, nonetheless.

Subaru: [Hey, Bas--]

He wanted to tell Bastian about this dark, tangled feeling within his gut, but now he felt something else: enervation.

In performing the Rite of Absolution, Bastian had released his Shinza. The stress of all the hard work and conflict of that evening hit Subaru all at once. He felt the strength in his legs fail him, as he collapsed to the ground unconscious.

Chapter Text

Morning dawned as Subaru stirred.

Subaru: [Ugh… where… am I?]

Bastian: [Irlam Village.]

Subaru [Uah!]

Subaru was taken by surprise to receive an actual answer to his question. He was in a house that he found unfamiliar, but having been told they were in Irlam Village, this made sense. Having a premade structure to camp for the night made sense. However, there were some implications that didn’t sit well with Subaru.

First of all, this had been someone’s house. While whoever this house used to belong to was no longer alive, and certainly would no longer need the shelter, it was still a home. It’d been a place where lives were lived out. Meals had been shared here and celebrations held here. It felt as though they were trespassing on a special place.

As for the other implication…

Subaru: [… how did I get here, Bastian? What happened?]

Bastian handed Subaru a bowl of porridge he’d cooked using ingredients frozen in the previous occupants’ larder. As if it wasn’t bad enough that they’d coopted the house of a deceased villager, now they were eating their food? Subaru wanted to say he had no appetite, but truthfully, he was starving. He tried to push these thoughts of intrusion out of his head.

Bastian: [Carried you here after dealing with Petelgeuse. You collapsed. Worked yourself hard yesterday. Without Shinza, you had nothing keeping you standing.]

Though he’d woken up disoriented from the events of last night, Bastian’s brief explanation worked surprisingly well at jogging Subaru’s memory. It was coming back to him. The possession. The Rite of Absolution. Finding Emilia…

Subaru: [… Emilia!]

He felt sick to his stomach, covering his mouth with grief. In the struggle with Petelgeuse, he’d completely forgotten to exhume Emilia from the remains of Roswaal’s mansion.

Subaru: [How… how could I forget so easily?]

Bastian: [A lot happened last night. If you’d had the strength to do so, you’d have gone back. Certainly.]

Comforting words from a man who’d previously leaned heavily on callousness. Why did it seem that Bastian was hardest on him when he wanted to take it easy, and easiest on him when he wanted to be hard on himself?

Bastian: [Know you want to get back to it. Eat first. Then we can go.]

Subaru: [… okay.]

He wanted to protest this sudden change of tune but decided to not to be scornful in light of this kindness.

While eating, Subaru had some additional questions about the events of last night.

Subaru: [So that Rite of Absolution… what was that, exactly?]

Bastian: [Rite of my faith. Invoked to purify corrupted spirits, rid them of impurities. Rarely invoked, though. Only if the spirit is a danger to itself, other spirits, or innocents. Only one spirit has ever resisted it.]

Subaru: [Oh yeah? Who’s that?]

Bastian: [Gaddogi Guadozeaddo. Powerful spirit, bordering on the level of a Great Spirit. Had to be imprisoned instead, with an exclusion zone around where it’s sealed.]

Subaru: [… that name’s a mouthful…]

Bastian: [Indeed. Getting cold feet?]

Subaru: [Well, we’ve been trudging through snow for weeks now…]

Bastian: [Subaru.]

This caught him off guard. It may just be the first time he’d directly referred to him by his name. It carried weight. Though Bastian’s expression remained as listless as it had been as long as he’d known the former knight, the amount of eye contact he was receiving marked this as a serious moment.

Subaru: [Alright, I knew what you meant… I’m fine.]

Bastian: [Are you?]

Subaru: [… no.]

It seemed lying was useless around this man.

Bastian: [No sense in putting up fronts. No sense in lies. They only require more lies to stave of the inevitable collapse. Easier living through truth.]

Subaru wanted to call Bastian a hypocrite again. If it were easier living through the truth, then why hadn’t he turned himself in after he came to and found those other knights dead at his feet and that village in ruins? However, Subaru recalled Bastian’s hunch that there was something else at play, something that prevented him from removing the possibility of his innocence.

It also probably wouldn’t play well to denigrate his only ally.

Bastian: [Wanna talk?]

Subaru: [… it’s just… a lot, y’know? Too much. Having to see them like this, and… knowing I’ll have to put them in the ground.]

Subaru tried to keep eating his porridge, but found his throat was tightening. How was it he could still find it in him to cry? He was resisting with all he had to reserve those tears for later. He knew Bastian would probably tell him not to hold it back, but he fortunately pushed these feelings back down so he could continue speaking.

Subaru: [How about you? That rite sounds like it required a great deal. I vaguely recall you clutching that medallion of yours as you invoked it…]

Bastian: [Yes. Considering my disgrace… was pleasantly surprised it worked.]

He smiled faintly as he clutched his medallion once more. A flicker of warm emotion appeared in his cold eyes. His expression was the very picture of wistfulness.

Subaru: [… wow. Didn’t think you could smile. Yeah, you really would’ve gotten along well with Ram…]

He couldn’t help but to see Bastian and Ram as kindred spirits. He imagined they would’ve been the best of friends, riffing on Subaru just to build him back up. Sadly, this was never to be.

Subaru shook off this sobering thought and scarfed down his breakfast, which was now cold. Bastian himself had already eaten his porridge prior to Subaru waking up.

Subaru wanted to say something to the effect of “time to get back to it,” but he found that such a line was better suited for a factory assembly line or an office space than it was for his present Undertaking. He didn’t want to sully it with such a casual sentiment. Instead, he got up without a word. Somehow, he knew Bastian would pick up on this cue that it was time to get going.

***

Subaru walked with a brisk pace back to the ruined mansion. Bastian lagged behind, keeping his usual lethargic pace. This didn’t really bother Subaru, though. He knew he’d catch up eventually.

Returning to the inner sanctum where Emilia laid, he gently picked her up as he had with Rem. He was torn as to whether he should look at her anguished face again, as it filled his heart with rue. At the same time, beneath that anguished expression, he could still see the lovely girl he’d fallen for all those months ago. His angel. His goddess.

Subaru: [I’d always wanted to carry her… but not like this.]

Bastian: [Cared for her dearly, it seems.]

Subaru: [She saved my life. I… I loved her. So much. I never even got to tell her how I felt. I’m such a coward…]

Bastian: [Complicated emotions you seem to’ve had.]

Subaru: [Really? Seems pretty straightforward to me.]

Bastian’s remark deeply confused Subaru. He’d just professed his love for Emilia. What was so complicated about that?

Bastian: [Well, it was Rem you were planning to run away with, yes?]

Subaru: [That’s…]

This question gave Subaru pause. He forgot that he’d mentioned this to Bastian when exhuming Rem and Ram yesterday. However, there were extenuating factors that demanded attention.

Bastian: [Ah, but you and Rem were in the Capital. Emilia was here. Naturally, chose to run away with the one nearest by.]

Something about this explanation didn’t sit well with Subaru. While it was undeniable that Rem had been the more immediately available of the two, this wasn’t exactly why he’d chosen to run away with her.

Subaru: [Actually… the last time Emilia and I spoke didn’t really go too well…]

He recalled the argument he’d had with Emilia just after a disgraceful incident had led to him being beaten. Her parting words stung him deeply to this day. It seemed Subaru had an unfortunate knack for parting ways with the girls he loved after heated arguments.

Bastian: [So Rem was the back up?]

Subaru: [That’s wrong, too!]

Bastian: [Alright. Then between the two, who’d you have chosen?]

Another question that struck Subaru to his core. Who would he choose between his two great loves? He’d cared dearly for both of them. Being forced to choose felt cruel to him.

Subaru: [That’s… that’s impossible to answer…]

Bastian: [Ho, so what, thought you could have both?]

Subaru: [“Have both?!” They were people, y’know!]

Bastian: [Don’t get self-righteous. Know what I meant. Don’t quibble over semantics.]

Subaru gritted his teeth, but his mindfulness prevented him from letting his anger get much further than that. The fact that he was still carrying Emilia allowed him to cool down.

Looking down at Emilia, his heart churned. Who would he have chosen?

Subaru: [When all is said and done… I probably would’ve chosen Emilia.]

Bastian: [Why’s that?]

Subaru: [It’s like I said: she saved my life. She was the first person to show me any kindness upon arriving in Lugunica. Ever since we first met, I’d wanted to prove that I was worthy of that kindness… worthy of that chance she took on me…]

He stared sullenly at Emilia as he had a worrying thought.

Subaru: [I… think I was unworthy of her. Maybe I always was…]

Bastian: [What of Rem?  Were you worthy of her?]

Subaru: […]

Bastian: [Called yourself her “Hero” earlier…]

Subaru: [I… loved Rem. I think she loved me, too, after all we’d been through. In the end though, I don’t think I was Hero enough for her, or for anyone, for that matter…]

Bastian fell silent as they slowly made their way out of the ruined mansion. Maybe it because he felt as though he’d gone too far in his interrogation of Subaru? Maybe it was because he had no further questions. It was hard to say with this ardent proponent of the toughest love.

***

Back outside, the two gathered Rem and Ram along with Emilia. With the aid of Shinza, Subaru insisted on carrying both Emilia and Rem. Bastian didn’t press the matter from moments earlier, granting him the strength to carry both bodies. He carried Ram as he had yesterday.

Subaru: [Let’s go to Irlam. There’s a site not far from there that would make an ideal resting place. We can lay the villagers to rest there, as well.]

Bastian simply nodded in response as they made their way to the village.

The place looked as desolated as the mansion. Roofs had caved in on most of the small houses in the village. The house he and Bastian had stayed in last night was one of the few that was still largely intact. Most bore evidence of having previously been on fire, likely due to the Witch Cultists. Subaru recalled how most of them seemed to have been capable of casting Fire Magic.

Some Witch Cultists had been killed in the village, and others remained frozen solid. If Petelgeuse had been more tenacious, he could’ve made his way to Irlam to prolong their “battle,” though the result likely would’ve been the same for the Sin Archbishop.

Bastian: [Have hurt your hands enough. Allow me.]

Bastian took it on himself to destroy the remaining frozen Witch Cultists. Like knocking on a door, he tapped the sheath on his left hip, and all eight of Ris emerged.

Bastian: [Radiant Array.]

All eight of Ris coordinated an assault against the frozen Witch Cultists. They each took aim at their own targets and released Jiwald against them. The top halves of each target was vaporized. The remaining bottom halves crumbled where they had previously stood whole.

Subaru: [T-thanks…]

He still felt the pain in his hands from relentlessly punching the solid bodies of the frozen Witch Cultists last night. They’d been wrapped by Bastian in crude bandages from scavenged rags while he’d been unconscious. It seemed as though for every cruel barb and harsh push he received from Bastian he received some kindness to balance it out.

With this bit of petty vicarious vengeance out of the way, the two set about gathering the remains of the villagers.

Petra. Lucas. Dine. Meina. Cain. Milde. Muraosa. They gathered everyone. Unfortunately, unlike the bodies found within the ruined mansion, the villagers hadn’t fared as favorably. They’d clearly been cruelly tortured by the Witch Cultists. Many were missing their eyes, tongues, or ears. Usually, it was some combination of these three were missing, but rarely was it all of them. Their bodies were covered bruises and lacerations. They likely had fought back fruitlessly.

Seeing these atrocities twisted Subaru’s stomach into knots. At one point while exhuming the villagers, Subaru had to stop to vomit. He’d thought about asking Bastian to use his Sound Mind Spirit Art on him again. Subaru opted to press on in spite of his discomfort, however. Some part of him had to agree with Bastian: penance shouldn’t be so easy.

They gathered everyone at the foot of a wide snowy field.

Bastian: [Curious. Why here?]

Hearing this query, Subaru smiled bittersweetly. He looked out into that field with a sense of nostalgia washing over him.

Subaru: [This place used to be a beautiful field of wildflowers. A while ago, Emilia and I had our first date out here.]

Bastian: [Date?]

Subaru: [… you don’t know what a date is either, huh? Must be a class thing, then.]

Subaru had previously considered Emilia’s lack of knowledge on dating to be part of a sheltered upbringing, or perhaps that dating wasn’t a Lugunican custom. With Bastian, a Gustekan and a former knight of faith, also not knowing about dating, it seemed more likely to be chalked up to class.

Subaru: [A date is when two people who like each other spend time together doing something. Y’know, like getting some dinner or going on a walk.]

Bastian: [Or frolicking in a field of flowers.]

Bastian made this supposition as he stared out over the snowy field. He seemed to be musing about something.

Subaru: [Yes, exactly!]

How could it be that a moment of genuine bonding was happening between him and Bastian, and during such an undertaking to boot? This thought wasn’t lost on Subaru, though he put it out of his mind. This place wasn’t meant for unpleasantness.

From here, they got to digging. They had fortunately found shovels back in Irlam, though the soil was frozen. Shinza made the digging go by quicker, though even with this aid, digging all the graves took well into the night. From there, they lowered the bodies down to receive proper burial.

Once this menial part of the undertaking was complete, Subaru was wiped out. Even still, he knew there was more to be done.

Subaru: [Beako…]

Bastian: [The girl in the magical library you mentioned yesterday?]

Subaru: [Yeah… she could still be there. We… we have to go check.]

Bastian: [Shouldn’t you rest? Been working for hours. Probably exhausted.]

Subaru: [Oh, I am. If it weren’t for your magic, I’d be out like a light. But I have to keep moving. If there’s even a chance she could still be alive…]

Bastian leaned down to offer his hand to Subaru.

Bastian: [Understood.]

With a weary smile, Subaru accepted this hand, getting back on his feet. The two slowly made their way back to the ruined mansion one last time.

Chapter Text

Bastian reapplied Shinza to the two of them as they began to clear more debris within the ruined mansion. Their goal was to find the Forbidden Library, wherein Beatrice would hopefully be found, preferably alive and well. This would prove to be the most difficult part of their search efforts from a labor perspective.

Subaru: [We have to clear the way for every door that’s still hinged. Any one of them could lead to her library.]

Bastian: [Understood. Quite the spell she’s capable of. This Beatrice must be quite skilled in Yin Magic.]

Subaru: [Is that what it is? I can’t remember if she ever explained how she did it…]

Bastian: [Subaru.]

Subaru: [Hey, I’m staying focused.]

An hour passed. Then two. Then two more. They’d been working so long, that the sun was beginning to rise on their third day in this profoundly melancholic place.

Dozens of doors had been cleared and opened, but to no avail.

Subaru: [C’mon, Beako… where are you?]

Failed loops wouldn’t help him deduce Beatrice’s whereabouts. It was frustrating how the Forbidden Library kept him from finding the last person present at the mansion at the time of the attack. At the same time, however, he was somewhat thankful that he didn’t need to dwell on his failures while pursuing this task.

It was now morning. Dozens more doors had been opened in the places that were still traversable, where doors were still present to be checked. Even with the buff afforded by Bastian’s Shinza, he was beginning to feel exhaustion overtake him. Occasionally, he’d slap himself, desperately in search of a bracing second wind. With each door opened, and each ruined room that greeted them, Subaru’s hope further waned.

Despite this forlorn effort, Bastian kept his mouth shut, doing what he could to help Subaru clear the way and check off door after door. Though Subaru’s hope was dwindling, Bastian’s demeanor remained unchanged. It would be wrong to describe him as disinterested, though he tended to lag behind Subaru.

Subaru: [Beako… please…]

His voice rasped out this plea as he shambled his way down a familiar hallway. One room left. It used to be his own. His hands shook from both exhaustion and anxiety as he took a deep breath and reached for the doorknob.

Subaru: [Please…]

He closed his eyes tightly as he continued to plead for one, just one of his loved ones to be alive and well.

He tentatively twisted the doorknob.

Subaru: [Please…]

He began to slowly open the door. Light seeped through the crack of the barely opened door. Subaru’s heart raced. Excitedly, he swung the door wide open, finding a powerfully joyous and familiar sight.

Bastian: [So this is the Forbidden Library…]

Subaru: [Beako?!]

Subaru hysterically entered the room, the first room awash with light he’d been in for some time.

They both saw the same sight at the same time. A short, petite girl with cream blonde hair sat on a wooden ladder, a black book in her hands. Her hair was fashioned in twin drills tied up by pink ribbons, and she wore a sophisticated red dress with pink and purple striped tights. Her eyes were blue with pink butterfly-shaped pupils. Her head was adorned with a comically tiny crown.

She briefly looked up from her black book, her head shooting up with a jolt of surprise. A name almost escapes her mouth. However, seeing Subaru and some stranger in odd clothes before her, she returns her attention to her black book just as quickly as she’d looked up.

Beatrice: [Oh. It’s just you, I suppose.]

Subaru: [Beako…]

***

Overcome by joy and having concluded his search, he collapsed to his knees where he stood, tears welling up in his eyes.

Bastian himself was also oddly overwhelmed, promptly taking a knee beside Subaru.

Subaru: [Uh… what are you doing, Bastian?]

Bastian: [Paying my respect.]

Subaru: [… why? Why, can’t you see that she’s alive?! Look, she’s right there, Bastian! She’s alive! Beako, she’s…]

He’d been so starved for true joy for so long that it flooded and overwhelmed his mind. His thoughts became incomprehensible even to himself. He was mere moments away from speaking gibberish.

Bastian: [Not that kind of respect. This is reverence, born of faith.]

Subaru: [Faith? Wha…?]

Subaru looked to Beatrice, who still hadn’t looked up from her book. He then looked back to Bastian, whose head was lowered, and his eyes closed as he kneeled on one knee in a knightly fashion.

Subaru recalled that in Gusteko, spirits were highly revered. This sudden display of veneration could only mean one thing…

Subaru: [Beako… is a spirit?!]

Bastian: [Not just a spirit. A Great Spirit.]

Beatrice lowered her black book at this mention of her status.

Beatrice: [That’s quite enough of that gesture, in fact.]

A look of slight confusion emerged on his face. He interpreted this as her being dissatisfied with his genuflection.

Bastian: [Prostration, perhaps?]

He began to lower his entire body to the floor, preparing to lower his forehead to the library’s floor in prostration before Beatrice.

Beatrice: [No, no, no! That’s not what Betty meant at all, in fact!]

Beatrice huffed at this misinterpretation, as Bastian slowly rose to his feet. Subaru, however, remained on his knees.

Beatrice: [Your gesture is no sign of respect, I suppose. Just what have you been doing to become so ragged, in fact?]

Subaru: [I… I’ve been looking for you, Beako…]

She glanced down at his crudely bandaged hands. Blood had been seeping through the cheap cloth wrappings.

Beatrice: [Honestly… give Betty your hands, I suppose.]

Subaru’s eyes, red from having cried a lot lately, glimmered in the face of this kindness. He shakily raised his hands up to Beatrice. A blue glow emitted from her hands, surrounding his hands as his knuckles began to heal on the spot.

Subaru: [… thank --]

Beatrice: [Why were you looking for Betty, in fact?]

Subaru: [… why? I wanted to know that you were alright, of course!]

Beatrice falls silent at this explanation.

Subaru: [I, er… I’m sorry for not having been around in a while…]

Beatrice: [Betty barely noticed your absence, in fact.]

He’s visibly hurt by this harsh riposte. It stings his heart to hear it, though it only confirms one of his suspicions, that no one wanted him back in Lugunica. He privately supposed it could’ve been worse; he could’ve been openly pursued for his flight.

Subaru: [I… guess I had that coming, huh…]

Bastian: [Great Spirit, have you noticed what’s happened outside of your majestic library?]

He became somewhat more verbose when addressing Beatrice, no doubt due to his reverence for Beatrice. This reverence, however, seemed to only annoy the petite spirit.

Beatrice: [… Betty hasn’t left her library within either of your lifetimes, in fact. Betty doesn’t know what’s happened out there, I suppose.]

Bastian’s face bore a faint look of doubt in response to this answer. Though it was lost on Subaru, who was too busy sinking into self-loathing after Beatrice’s rejoinder, Bastian had noticed a distinct physical response to his query. She’d gripped her black book tighter.

Bastian turned his gaze to Subaru, as though to suggest that he speak up. Subaru’s eyes met Bastian’s and saw this intention plainly, and it shook him. He quickly looked back down to the library’s floor, his pupils constricted with fear and anxiety. Did he really have to tell Beatrice everything?

Bastian: [Haaah. Great Spirit, this mansion is in ruins. Everyone who had called this place home… they no longer walk this world.]

This revelation shot through Beatrice, her eyes widening in horror. She clutched the closed black book closely to her chest, as though to hug it. It was almost as though it were a comfort object for a small child.

Beatrice: [That… that can’t be true, in fact…]

Bastian: [If you don’t believe me, Great Spirit, may I suggest exiting your wonderous library and seeing for yourself?]

This suggestion was met with a tearful glare from Beatrice.

Beatrice: [You’re wrong! You… you merely wish to force Betty to break her promise, in fact! Abusing reverence to achieve such an underhanded end!]

Bastian: [Great Spirit, I’d never deign to behave in such an offensive manner. I must regret to inform you I’m unfamiliar with this promise you speak of…]

Beatrice: [Betty was entrusted with this library by Mother, in fact. Betty promised she would tend to its innumerable volumes, never leaving it.]

Bastian: [“Mother?” Then… the Great Spirit is artificial?]

Subaru’s ears catch this question, almost interpreting it as an insult to Beatrice. He retracts this impression, however, knowing Bastian to be far too invested in his faith to even think of such a thing.

Subaru: [Is there something wrong if Beatrice is an artificial spirit?]

Bastian: [Not necessarily… however…]

Subaru: [However…?]

Bastian: [This “Mother” of hers must be incredibly skilled and powerful to create a Great Spirit.]

Beatrice: [Yes, she was, in fact…]

Beatrice was crestfallen at this comment.

Bastian: [… my apologies, Great Spirit. I didn’t realize your mother was no longer alive.]

A moment of silence consumed the room. Subaru then had a thought, as Beatrice’s initial reaction to their entrance hadn’t escaped him.

Subaru: [Hey, Beako… who were you hoping it would be entering your library? You’re obviously disappointed at who it turned out to be…]

Beatrice: [I was disappointed, in fact. Betty hoped it might be Bubby for a second, I suppose…]

Subaru felt a cold sweat break out on his brow. Bastian had tried to reason with Beatrice, but she didn’t seem to want to listen.

Bastian: [“Bubby?”]

Subaru: [Puck…]

Bastian: [Take it you two were close, then…]

Beatrice: [… yes. Bubby was like a brother to Betty.]

Bastian: [Was he another one of your Mother’s creations?]

Beatrice: [Yes, in fact…]

Bastian: [Amazing. Not one, but two Great Spirits…]

Bastian seemed to greatly admire whoever this Mother of Beatrice’s was.

Bastian: [Ah, my condolences, Great Spirit.]

The listless former knight bowed deeply in contrition before Beatrice. She continued to be annoyed with the veneration she was being shown.

Beatrice: [… why bother offering condolences to Betty in reference to Bubby, in fact…]

Subaru: [Beako…]

Bastian again eyed Subaru. He clenched his teeth in response to this gesture, bracing himself for what was to come. Of course, he couldn’t maintain eye contact with Beatrice as he continued…

Subaru: [… what Bastian says is true. The mansion, the people… Puck… all of it.]

Silence filled the room once more. His knees were beginning to hurt, but he felt it inappropriate to stand at this juncture. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead and across his cheeks, crossing the faded paths left behind by his tears.

Beatrice: [… where were you, in fact?]

Subaru: [Beako?]

Beatrice: [Where were you? Betty knows you had left to get your gate healed, but that doesn’t take three months to do, in fact. Where have you been?]

Subaru winced as he heard these tearful inquiries.

Beatrice: [Your obnoxious companion wears a medallion of Odglass. Only the Acolyte Knights of Gusteko are known to wear them, in fact. Were you in Gusteko, I suppose?]

Subaru: [… yes.]

He strained out his response, his eyes closed tight. His body felt heavy, not just because of the nonstop labor he’d performed. Guilt shrouded him, held him down. It made it impossible for him to look Beatrice in the eyes anymore.

Hearing Subaru’s response, Beatrice appeared dolefully surprised.

Beatrice: [… why, in fact?]

Subaru swallowed in an attempt to get the lump out of his throat. It wasn’t just to escape that discomfort. He knew he had to keep talking. He had to try and be honest.

Subaru: [I… ran away. I knew what was coming. I didn’t want to have anything to do with it.]

Beatrice: [You knew that --]

Subaru: [But I tried to seek allies!]

He spontaneously looked up at Beatrice as he exclaimed these sorry words.

Subaru: [I tried to prevent the attack. But… I was denied at every turn…]

Outside of Subaru’s sight, Bastian narrowed his eyes at his repetition of this excuse. To Bastian and Beatrice’s surprise, however, Subaru slowly rose from his knees.

Subaru: [I fucked up… well, more than fucked up. Everything is awful now because of me…]

His fists balled up as he painfully stated his guilt, his eyes cast downward once more. Had he clenched them any tighter, his nails would’ve dug into his palms and caused them to bleed.

Subaru: [But I… I want to set things right, Beako. I’d… I’d like to start with you.]

With this, he returned his gaze to Beatrice. She was shaken by these earnest words from this shadow of a young man she used to begrudgingly know.

Subaru: [I couldn’t bear to know you’re here all alone in these frozen ruins…]

He extended his right hand to a tearful Beatrice, whose surprise only deepened with this action.

Subaru: [Please… come with us, Beako.]

She cast her eyes down at her black book. A state of uncertainty has clearly set in for her, putting her at unease. What would she choose? Stay in this library and keep her promise to her Mother? Or leave with these two?

The look of confusion on her face is replaced with a frown.

Beatrice: [Before Betty answers, Betty must know one thing.]

Subaru: [Yes, of course! I’ll answer whatever question you have. Anything!]

Beatrice: [… are you… That Person, I suppose?]

Chapter Text

Subaru: [I’m confused… who is “That Person?”]

Beatrice’s frown had briefly transformed into an expression of hopeful anticipation. But Subaru’s confused response only made her frown return, her brow furrowing despairingly.

Bastian: [Must be related to her Mother, Subaru.]

Both of them looked to Bastian with surprise. Subaru’s surprise was tinged with confusion, but Beatrice was flat out stunned.

Beatrice: [How could you know that, in fact?]

Bastian: [Only put together what little I know about you, Great Spirit. Your Mother is the only conduit of information for you that you’ve told us about. Put simply: I guessed.]

Beatrice looked somewhat disappointed with this response, as well. Perhaps it was too much to hope that this man knew much of anything about her Mother.

Bastian: [Great Spirit. Did your Mother provide you any indicators to look for in “That Person?” A physical description? Personality traits?]

He didn’t receive an answer. Beatrice only looked sullenly at her black book.

Upon looking closer, Subaru found this black book oddly familiar.

Subaru: [Hey.. I’ve seen that book somewhere before…]

Beatrice: [You used to infringe upon Betty’s library quite often, I suppose…]

Subaru: [No, no… somewhere else…]

The place he’d seen this book before made his blood run cold. Rather, the person who’d been holding it chilled the blood in his veins. This was partially because of the terror he’d experienced at this person’s hands, and partially because of the implications it seemed to have for the book in Beatrice’s hands.

Subaru: [Petelgeuse…]

He was forced to recall a failed loop where Petelgeuse had flicked through a similar black book, which he referred to as a Gospel. This realization took Subaru’s fear and mutated it into anger.

Subaru: [Beatrice… why do you have a Gospel?]

Beatrice: [“Gospel?” Only those fools in the Witch Cult use those defective tomes. This is a genuine Tome of Wisdom, in fact!]

Beatrice was offended at Subaru’s query. Was it possibly related to how Subaru knew this book by that name? Did she suspect that Subaru was in league with the Witch Cult, and that was how he’d known about the attack? Subaru began to panic.

Subaru: [Listen, before you get the wrong idea --]

Beatrice: [Betty knows you wouldn’t join those fools, in fact!]

Subaru: [Haah…]

A deep sigh of relief. He didn’t know why Beatrice trusted him enough to discount the possibility of him being aligned with the Witch Cult. He didn’t care to think about it too much. He was just happy she seemed to trust him at least that much.

Beatrice: [You mentioned Petelgeuse… how is he, I suppose?]

Subaru: [Huh? He’s dead now…]

The confusion brought about by how Beatrice knew of Petelgeuse bogged down Subaru’s mind as he uttered the plain truth of the Sin Archbishop’s fate.

Beatrice: [Geuse…]

She appeared wistful as she uttered this name. It was name that had history behind it, history unbeknownst to Subaru and Bastian. Beatrice was quick to shake off this brief reminiscence.

Beatrice: [At any rate, those so-called “Gospels” are inferior copies of the genuine article. The Tome of Wisdom in Betty’s possession shows the reader the future, in fact.]

She proudly highlighted the difference between a Gospel and a Tome of Wisdom. While distracted with her explanation, enraptured by curiosity, Bastian glanced at the pages of Beatrice’s Tome of Wisdom. He frowns, pulling something out from inside his haori.

It was another black book.

Bastian: [This so-called “Gospel” is full of incoherent ramblings… but that’s more than what’s on her book’s pages…]

Beatrice doesn’t even have enough time to be outraged.

Bastian: [Forgive me, Great Spirit…]

Subaru: [Beatrice... is this true?]

His question was met with a glum silence on Beatrice’s part. And then…

Beatrice: [Mother never told Betty anything about That Person, I suppose… only that Betty was supposed to wait for them to take Betty from this library.]

This revelation was almost too much for Subaru to bear. Would a mother ever do such a pointlessly cruel thing to their child?

Then, a spark of inspiration took hold.

Subaru: [If the criteria for That Person is so open-ended as to be nonexistent… couldn’t it be anyone, then? I mean, it could even be someone of your choosing, Beako.]

This notion appeared to deeply unsettle Beatrice, as that same look of uncertainty set back in.

Subaru: [Do you… like being alone, Beatrice?]

Silence. Sullen silence.

Subaru: [I suppose solitude does have its perks. You know, I used to be a lot like you before I arrived in Lugunica, Beako. I tended to keep to myself. Staying in my comfortable bubble, separate from the world… it was oddly comforting.]

Beatrice’s eyes were cast downward towards her blank pages.

Subaru: [But… I wasn’t going anywhere back then. I was living in limbo, merely distracting myself by tending to my own collections…]

He was forced to recall the figurines and volumes of manga and light novels that had adorned the shelves of his bedroom back home. Every video game left unplayed in his library, every bookmark gathering dust on his computer. It made him cringe.

Subaru: [Arriving in Lugunica gave me the push I needed to move past all of that. And what did I do?]

His fists clenched again in indignation pointed towards himself.

Subaru: [I squandered it. I ran away.]

Beatrice was now looking to Subaru as he told his tale of lament. Her eyes brimmed with curiosity, as though she were feeling some form of kinship with this young man. There was tragic hope in those eyes.

Subaru: [Please, Beatrice. Don’t make the same mistake I did. When an opportunity to better yourself appears, it’s always best to seize it.]

Beatrice seemed to have been stunned by Subaru speech. To think the two had so much in common, albeit on a different scale. The scaling didn’t matter, though. Not really. What mattered in this moment was this sense of understanding. Even if Subaru only understood a fraction of Beatrice’s lonesomeness, this was enough. It was more than most had realized. It was consoling.

Bastian: [Well said, Subaru.]

He looked to his companion as he said these simple words of praise. Bastian’s eyes were closed, with a faint, pleased smile on his face.

Beatrice: [Do you feel this way, as well, Acolyte Knight?]

This phrasing caused an uncomfortable spasm in Bastian, one that lasted a fraction of a second. He shook it off that quickly. However, her question does still give him pause.

Bastian: [Solitude every now and then isn’t bad… but the time spent traveling with Subaru’s been some of the best in recent memory.]

Subaru: [Wait, really?]

This came as a surprise to Subaru. They’d only been traveling in the wilderness and living off the land for less than a month. It confounded him as to how Bastian could find this dreary experience so enjoyable.

Bastian: [Grew accustomed to solitude… no. Became resigned to it. If given the option not to be alone, would prefer not to be.]

He returned to his more casual, staccato method of speech. Perhaps he’d finally realized that Beatrice wasn’t pleased with his show of respect? No, it was more likely he was just following Subaru’s lead.

Hearing Subaru and Bastian’s words, Beatrice cast her gaze back to her Tome of Wisdom.

Beatrice: [Why… why would Mother have given Betty a book that can tell the future, only for it to be blank?]

This was a critical question. It clearly had been steeping in the deepest recesses of Beatrice’s mind, only just now having been brought to the surface. The question possessed such gravity that it left the room silent as Beatrice mused over it in futility. Her contemplation leads her to a woeful conclusion…

Beatrice: [Maybe it means Betty has no future, in fact…]

Subaru: [No!]

Beatrice is caught off guard by this sudden protestation, looking to Subaru as she struggles to comprehend it.

Subaru: [That’s only one way you could interpret it. There’s another way.]

Beatrice: [Another way…?]

Subaru: [Blank books are meant to be written in, yeah? Like a journal!]

Once more, Subaru extended his hand to Beatrice.

Subaru: [Choose me, Beatrice. Let’s write that story together. No…]

He boldly shot his free hand into the air, pointing his index finger toward the ceiling.

Subaru: [Let’s write a story so good, it becomes too good to be merely contained within the pages of that book!]

Beatrice appeared trepidatious at the prospect of writing such a story.

Beatrice: [But… you’ll die. You’ll die one day, and leave Betty behind, in fact!]

Her tears came back in full force at this realization. However, it wasn’t to be a lasting realization.

Subaru: [Yeah. You’re right. I won’t live forever. But I won’t let that deter me! Let’s write a story full of happy moments, moments that make all of the misery fade away! I’ll do everything in my power to make that happen, Beatrice!]

Her hand quivered as he said his piece.

Subaru: [This isn’t about making up for failure anymore. It’s about making things better for you. For everyone, sure, but it starts with you, Beatrice! So please.. let’s write a story we can both be proud of!]

His hand remained outstretched. She could see the callouses on his hand from all of his hard work. In his eyes, she could see true care and dedication. Though he’d been a coward before, there was an actual aspiration in him to become better. This wasn’t the same person who would run from his problems. This was a person who understood that running away was no way forward. Neither was secluding oneself, for that matter.

Subaru: [Choose me, Beatrice!]

Tentatively, her hand met his, as she forged a contract with this sorry young man. Bastian looked on with the faintest glimmer of astonishment in his cold eyes, a slight smile gracing his face.

Bastian: [How beautiful…]

The birth of a contract, before his very eyes. It was almost enough to make him cry. Almost.

Chapter Text

The three emerged from the Forbidden Library. It was almost noon now. None of them had gotten any sleep the night prior. Ordinarily, Subaru would’ve felt like death. He imagined that Bastian, despite being difficult to read at times, likely would’ve felt the same. However, finding Beatrice alive and well had invigorated Subaru in a way he found difficult to express. Bastian seemed pleased with the result, as well.

Bastian: [Not every day a contract is forged. Remember it well, Subaru.]

Subaru: [How could I ever forget a day like today?]

Bastian beamed with pride for his companion. Subaru wore a mellow smile on his face. He was so elated that Beatrice had chosen to come with them.

The mood would take a funereal turn, however.

Beatrice: [… oh…]

Her voice wavered as she saw took in the full extent of what had happened to the mansion. Her eyes began to well up again. Subaru was attentive to this, pulling her to his side for a hug. She buried her face in his mantle for a good few minutes.

Subaru: [I know…]

He patted her back as she gently sobbed into his mantle. If anyone knew what Beatrice was feeling right now, it was Subaru. Fortunately, he didn’t provide empty platitudes such as “it’s alright,” or “everything will be okay.” He simply told his truth. He knew.

Beatrice: [Betty knew too, I suppose… Betty knew it all. Betty just didn’t want to admit it to herself, in fact…]

Subaru: [I can’t fault you for that. Coming back to Lugunica was about as hard as leaving it. Even knowing what I was likely to find upon my return, I wasn’t prepared for the full extent…]

In fact, he hadn’t known merely what was likely to be found upon his return. He knew all too well the kind of hell he was going to encounter. Even knowing with complete certainty hadn’t helped prepare him for his return. If anything, it hounded him.

Beatrice: [Betty… Betty’s alright, I suppose…]

Subaru: [No need to put up a strong front.]

Bastian: [Learned well.]

Subaru: [Well, I learned it the hard way.]

As he and Bastian bantered about, he felt a soft grip on his left hand.

Subaru: [Beako?]

Beatrice: [Let’s keep moving, I suppose.]

Subaru smiled, giving a nod in affirmation. Walking hand in hand, side by side, the two stepped outside of the ruined mansion at the same time.

Though snow had made its way into the mansion’s remains, it paled in comparison to the sheer blinding white of the outdoors.

Beatrice: [Oh, Bubby…]

As they made their way further into the courtyard, Beatrice crouched down and picked up a handful of the magical snow.

Beatrice: [Betty can feel Bubby’s presence in the snow, in fact…]

Subaru crouched down with her, placing a gentle hand on her right shoulder.

Subaru: [Would you like us to make a memorial in his honor?]

Beatrice turned to Subaru, and with a bittersweet smile, she nodded to confirm her deep-seated wish.

The three walked further out, making their way toward Irlam. Subaru paused for moment, taking a look back at Roswaal’s mansion. At first, he saw it in its ruined state. But with some concentration, he began to see it as it had been before he’d ran away.

He saw himself, Emilia, and Puck performing radio calisthenics in the garden, declaring victory as they wrapped up.

He saw himself falling from the second story window into the bushes below, dirtying his pajamas and getting manure in his hair.

He saw Ram poorly trimming the hedges, only for Rem to follow behind her to correct her sister’s well-meaning but sloppy work.

He saw the snow festival, with the snow sculptures made by the people of Irlam and the mansion’s staff.

So many nostalgic stimuli assaulted Subaru at once, that he hadn’t even noticed…

Beatrice: [Subaru.]

Subaru: [… huh? What is it, Beako?]

Beatrice: [You’re crying, in fact. Here.]

It seemed it was Beatrice’s turn to comfort him. She took his hand to calm him down.

Subaru: [Sorry… not the best start to this story of ours, huh?]

Beatrice: [It’s quite alright, in fact. It can only improve from here.]

Subaru: [You suppose so?]

Beatrice: [Betty knows it, in fact. Come now. We should keep moving.]

Subaru: [… yeah.]

As these two got moving down the road to Irlam again, Bastian looked on with a faint smile.

Bastian: [They’ll make a great pair.]

Subaru: [Ah, you say something, Bastian?]

Bastian: [Nothing. Lead on.]

The three continued down the road to Irlam, where the final stage of Subaru’s Undertaking was to take place.

***

The three had returned to the gravesite, at the edge of a field where wildflowers had once bloomed. The graves were completed with simple headstones having been carved out of stone using Bastian’s Radiant Array Spirit Art.

He pulled out all the stops in carving a memorial statue for Puck. Beatrice had gone to painstaking lengths to describe Puck’s appearance to Bastian, who’d never seen him personally. To both Subaru and Beatrice’s astonishment, he was able to perfectly capture his likeness in stone using Ris. The contours were perfectly smoothed, the details delicately etched.

He gingerly handed it to Beatrice.

Bastian: [I hope it pleases you, Great Spirit.]

Beatrice: [… thank you, Bastian… though you can refer to Betty by her name, in fact.]

Bastian was visibly uncomfortable at the prospect of calling a Great Spirit by their name. This was something Subaru found odd.

Subaru: [C’mon, Bastian. If she says it’s okay, then it’s okay. You didn’t have a problem calling Puck or Odglass by their names.]

Bastian: [It’s a different matter when they’re right here before you…]

Subaru: [Oh, I get it. Kinda like how you wouldn’t refer to a king as “his royal highness” at all times.]

Bastian: [… yes.]

Subaru: [Huh. He even has a bashful side.]

Bastian grumbled as he turned his attention away from Subaru and to the field of snow.

Bastian: [Grea-… Beatrice-sama.]

He stumbled when trying to refer to Beatrice. Of course, he couldn’t stop himself from revering her to some degree.

Beatrice: [Yes?]

Bastian: [The field. Mind if it’s cleared, so that the flowers may bloom again someday?]

Subaru was somewhat jealous of the tact he showed to Beatrice, but he also appreciated it. Her earlier comment regarding the snow indicated that a light touch was required.

Beatrice looked out over the snowy field wistfully. Then, a gossamer smile appeared. It was as though she could see that field in bloom already.

Beatrice: [No, Betty doesn’t mind, I suppose. Though Betty is unsure how much time that task will require.]

Beatrice did have a point. It was quite a sprawling field. Clearing it unassisted would likely take hours.

However…

Bastian: [Won’t take but a moment.]

Bastian said this as he lifted his right hand towards the field beyond the gravesite. He tapped the sheath on his left hip with his left hand, prompting all eight of Ris to return. Most of them had been out earlier for the stone carving but returned to the sheath once their work was done. Now, it seemed they were needed once more.

Bastian: [Amplification.]

The eight motes of white light formed a circle before his right palm. They began to revolve, starting out slow at first, but picking up speed gradually. After a few seconds, they had began revolving so rapidly, they became a blur, appearing like a solid ring of white light before his right palm.

Bastian carefully took aim, and –

Bastian: [Al Jiwald.]

A massive cone of white light shone forth from his right hand, spreading out across the field. Subaru and Beatrice had to shield their eyes from the brilliant light. The force could be felt by all of them. Subaru clutched Beatrice close, fearing she’d blow away.

Subaru: [Bastian, what the hell?!]

The relucent display ended after a few seconds, though it felt as though it’d lasted much longer.

As Subaru’s vision became clear again, he saw the field had indeed been cleared. It was rather muddy, of course, having been under much snow for several months straight. The earth itself hadn’t been so much as even slightly disturbed by the blast of light, a testament to Bastian’s precision.

Subaru: [… thank you, Bastian…]

It took Subaru a moment to gather himself. For a brief moment, he’d feared that Bastian had suddenly snapped. He was sharply relieved to see this gesture, instead.

Bastian simply nodded in response, as taciturn as ever.

Subaru: [Maybe when the flowers bloom again, I could make Emilia another crown…]

This thought prompted Subaru to return his attention to the gravesite.

Subaru: [I came here for a reason. Time I addressed that purpose.]

The three approached the gravesite. Arranged at the middle of the site were the graves for Emilia, Rem, and Ram.

Beatrice: [Betty believes Bubby would want to be placed by Emilia, I suppose…]

Subaru: [Yeah. She was like a daughter to him. He’d like that.]

Beatrice placed the memorial statue of Puck beside Emilia’s grave. Her hesitancy to admit her hypothesis and in placing the statue provided insight to her feelings about Puck and Emilia’s relationship. She no doubt was jealous of how much time Puck spent with Emilia. Still, she respected his wishes.

Bastian: [Any words, Subaru?]

Subaru stared down at the graves for what felt like a while. He then took a deep breath.

Subaru: [Yes.]

First, he looked to Rem’s grave.

Subaru: [Rem. I’m… I’m so sorry I abandoned you. You tried so hard to get through to me, but those words were wasted on me back then. I swear… I’ll try to become a Hero that you could be proud of. Not that fake that I’d been…]

He then looked to Ram’s grave.

Subaru: [Ram. I’m so sorry I failed to protect your sister. And after all you’d done to help me, too… I swear I’ll do all I can to make the name “Barusu” mean “Hero.”]

He then looked to Puck’s memorial.

Subaru: [Puck. I’m sorry I failed to protect your daughter. Most would say your reaction to this tragedy only exacerbated it, but… I get it. Living in a world without Emilia… I get it. I swear I’ll do better at protecting your adorable little sister.]

Beatrice gave a flustered pout in response to this latter point, squeezing Subaru’s hand.

He then looked to Emilia’s grave.

Subaru: [Emilia… I… when we met, I made a promise. You wouldn’t know about it, though… but it was an important one. I promised that no matter what, I’d save you. I… broke that promise. Maybe my word is no good anymore, but… I’d like to make a new promise. An oath.]

He recalled Emilia’s statement of her platform the day the Royal Selection had begun. She’d professed that she wanted a kingdom where all were treated equitably. This, Subaru interpreted to be –

Subaru: [I swear that I’ll grant your greatest wish, Emilia-tan!]

His fists clenched firmly as he declared his oath with determination. Was he crying again? Of course, he was. However, he wasn’t the sniveling mess he’d been almost every other time he’d cried as of late. He privately supposed this was progress as he wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

Subaru: [And to the people of Irlam… I’m sorry I couldn’t save you. To you all, I swear I’ll do all I can to ensure this tragedy never is allowed to repeat.]

He meant this in a couple of ways. There was the way others could understand, and then there was the way that only he could understand. In a roundabout way, he’d just unconsciously reaffirmed his desire to never die again. That way, he’d never have to relive this experience.

With this, Subaru released a heavy sigh.

Subaru: [I… don’t think I have anything else to say.]

Bastian: [No need to force it if that’s the case. Let’s go. Will cook something.]

Having paid their respects, the three departed from the gravesite, heading back to the village.

***

It was now mid-afternoon. It was still overcast, providing a suitable mood for the bittersweet events of the day. The three had made there way back to Irlam Village, to the house where Subaru and Bastian had camped the other night. It still unsettled Subaru somewhat, but they had to stay somewhere.

Rifling through the larder, Bastian gathered what all he could find. The only food he could find that was still usable were some potatoes. Bastian opted to roast them over the fire. Subaru tried to resist comparing Bastian to Ram again in this regard.

Subaru: [Of course, she steamed her potatoes…]

Bastian: [Hm? Can steam them if you want.]

Subaru: [Ah, no. Roasting is fine.]

He resisted poorly.

Bastian: [So, how do you feel?]

Subaru: [Well, I think all the work and lack of sleep is catching up to me again, and I haven’t eaten much of anything all day…]

Bastian & Beatrice: [Subaru.]

Subaru: [Woah, both of you?!]

His companions were in perfect sync as they chided Subaru’s flippancy. They were clearly getting at something else.

Subaru: [Okay, I get what you mean… I’m feeling… maybe a little better. Crying was good. I mean, I’ve cried more in the last few days than at any other point in my life. If I never cry again, though, it’d be too soon.]

Even now, his eyes were somewhat puffy from crying. He wondered if his tear ducts had been overworked, or if it were even possible for him to cry anymore. Part of him hoped he couldn’t.

Subaru: [It’s a relief knowing the remains of my loved ones aren’t just out in the open anymore, and that they’ve received proper burials. Words can hardly describe how happy I am that we found Beako…]

He looked to his new partner as he said this, smiling earnestly as he did.

Beatrice: [W-well, Betty’s pretty happy you found her, too, I suppose…]

She was getting flustered again. It seems companionship was something she needed to get used to first. Having been a shut-in for over 400 years, this was understandable. Privately, Subaru hoped it wouldn’t take another 400 years for her to get used to interacting with others.

Subaru: [Over all, I’d say I’ve found something resembling the resolve to move forward. I won’t delude myself into thinking I’m over this. I’d have to be some sort of heartless monster for that to be the case. But finding that resolve… it really makes a world of a difference.]

He smiled bittersweetly as he assessed his progress. Of course, it leaned more on the bitter end than on the sweet, as he’d had a realization.

Subaru: [I… I guess there’s no reason for you to help me anymore, huh Bastian?]

Bastian: [Oh?]

Subaru: [Well, I’ve returned and mourned like we agreed. There’s nothing left to keep you traveling with me…]

Bastian: [Seem to be forgetting the other half of the accord.]

Subaru: [… huh?]

Bastian: [Properly mourning was just the beginning. Making amends comes next.]

Subaru: [Oh yeah…]

Bastian: [Said it yourself: making amends started with… Beatrice-sama.]

Getting used to referring to Beatrice by her name was going to be difficult for the former Acolyte Knight. Still, he recalled correctly. Their stated goals were for Subaru to properly mourn and to make amends with those he’d left behind. This just left one question…

Subaru: [Where do I even begin…?]

There were a lot of people with whom Subaru felt he had to make things right. He’d walked out on the Crusch Camp while he’d been admitted as Ferris’ patient. His flight had effectively forced Reinhard and Puck into a confrontation, resulting in the death of the latter. But there was one thing that came to Subaru, something that had been stuck in the back of his mind for some time now.

Subaru: [Roswaal…]

Bastian: [Owner of the mansion? What of him?]

Subaru: [He wasn’t just the owner of that mansion. He’s also a powerful mage. He’d supposedly been elsewhere in the Mathers Domain on Royal Selection business. I never really knew where exactly he’d gone, though.]

Bastian: [Hm. So he could still be alive?]

Subaru: [Possibly, though something doesn’t sit right with me.]

Beatrice: [What is that, in fact?]

Subaru: [Well, think about it. It’s been over three months. This was his mansion. You think he’d have come back to check in on things, right? But do either of you recall any signs of anyone else having been here since that fateful day? I mean, surely if he’d been here, he’d have done something about everyone’s remains, maybe started rebuilding.]

Bastian: [Instead, everything seems frozen in time out there.]

Subaru: [Exactly. Where was Roswaal? Why hasn’t he returned yet? Moreover… if he’d been here…]

Subaru’s fists clenched just thinking about the confusion surrounding Roswaal.

Subaru: [If he’d been here, this attack wouldn’t have happened.]

Beatrice: [Subaru…]

Beatrice place her hand on one of his clenched fists to try and calm him down.

Subaru: [I was weak. I still am weak. But Roswaal…]

He recalled how Roswaal had performed Al Goa on the Boss Wolgarm in the woods outside of Irlam Village. One spell was all it had taken to kill something Subaru had barely even scratched after much effort on his part.

Subaru: [Roswaal could’ve prevented this. I need answers from him. I need to find him.]

Bastian narrows his eyes at this notion. He clearly believed Subaru had a ways to go yet.

Bastian: [Haaaaah. Alright. Let’s find Roswaal. Got any leads?]

Subaru: [That’s…]

Beatrice: [Betty may have some idea where that clown has gone, in fact.]

Subaru: [Way to go, Beako! Where could he be?]

Beatrice: [At his mansion.]

There was a pause after she’d said this. Subaru and Bastian exchanged a confused glance.

Subaru: [Uh, Beatrice… we searched the entirety of that mansion. Even the inner sanctum. You were the only person we found in there.]

Beatrice: [Betty doesn’t mean this mansion, in fact. This is but Roswaal’s auxiliary mansion.]

Subaru: [“Auxiliary mansion?!” Damn, that clown must’ve been loaded…]

Beatrice: [Indeed. His family’s mansion is located outside of the city of Costuul, due southwest of here, in fact.]

Bastian: [Sounds like Costuul’s our next stop, then.]

Subaru: [Let’s just rest here for the rest of the day. We can set out tomorrow.]

Bastian: [Mm. Won’t do to be exhausted before we hit the road.]

And so, they did just that. They stayed in that abandoned house, chatting and sharing stories with each other as they stayed warm by the fire. It was a cozy feeling.

Chapter Text

As morning dawned the next day, Subaru, Beatrice, and Bastian prepared to leave Irlam Village for the city of Costuul, where they hoped to find Roswaal. While the three spent the remainder of yesterday talking, a sobering thought had come up in conversation.

Bastian: [What if he’s dead?]

Subaru: […]

Beatrice: [It is a valid point, I suppose.]

Subaru: [I get that, really. It’s just… I really don’t want to think about that anymore.]

Bastian: [Thought the worst was behind you?]

Subaru: [Well, yeah. Can you really blame me?]

Beatrice: [No one’s blaming you, in fact. Right, Bastian?]

Bastian: […]

Beatrice: [Bastian.]

Bastian: [Beatrice-sama, forgive me.]

Beatrice: [In the purest terms, the Witch Cult was to blame for the attack, in fact. Not Subaru.]

Bastian: [Cultists certainly perpetrated it, but --]

Subaru: [Guys, guys! That wasn’t what I was referring to…]

Despite the fact that it had seemed that their fledgling band had been really coming together, there was one fly in the ointment. This was the matter of Subaru’s guilt, or lack thereof. Beatrice, being his partner now, didn’t appreciate blame being tossed his way for the fate that befell the Emilia Camp and the people of Irlam. While Subaru appreciated his partner’s support, and he certainly didn’t enjoy confronting his share of the blame, he had to admit Beatrice tended to diminish his role in the tragedy.

Bastian, by contrast, knew that Subaru wasn’t fully to blame for what had transpired, but couldn’t fully absolve his companion, either. Their very first conversation was indicative as to why this was the case.

As such, any time this topic was brought up, Beatrice and Bastian would butt heads. On the one hand, it indicated that Bastian was rapidly getting over his reservedness when dealing with Beatrice. However, this isn’t exactly how Subaru had wanted this development to come about.

One day removed from their disagreement, that sobering possibility of finding Roswaal to be dead nagged at Subaru. He hoped against all hope that this wasn’t the case. This was partially because he didn’t like the idea of anyone dying, but also partially because he wanted answers.

Before leaving the village, they decided to put the house they’d been staying in back the way they’d found it. It only felt right to do so. Subaru also had one last consideration.

Subaru: [Maybe we should grab some of those barrier crystals…]

He recalled these crystals had been instrumental in protecting the village and its people from the witch beasts in the forest before it fell. Now that there was no one around to protect, he considered taking some to ward off witch beasts while they travel.

Subaru: [I guess these aren’t needed here anymore, right?]

He reached for one of the crystals attached to one of the trees on the edge of the forest, but finds his hand stops before touching it.

Subaru: [… I hate myself…]

His hand recoiled away from the crystal, realizing that the witch beasts might disturb the gravesite if they are able to leave the forest.

Thoroughly bummed and his companions quarreling intermittently. What a way to start the next leg of his journey. He gave himself some invigorating slaps on his cheeks and reminded himself of what Beatrice had said yesterday.

Subaru: [It can only improve from here.]

Having psyched himself out somewhat, he rejoined his companions as they finally took their leave from Irlam Village.

***

The trip from Costuul by foot would take just over a day. Beatrice had offered to use her Yin Magic to tear open a spatial rift and cut down the travel time. Bastian had other ideas.

Bastian: [No. Must be on foot.]

Beatrice: [And why is that, in fact?]

Subaru: [“Penance shouldn’t be so easy.”]

Bastian nodded his head solemnly in response to Subaru’s quotation. It was a saying that had initially been a nuisance to Subaru but had become something of a mantra to him now. Taken with Beatrice’s “it can only improve from here,” he had the words he needed to keep his mind out of the muck of despair.

Beatrice: [Subaru…]

Subaru: [It’s fine, Beako. I’m rested up and ready to go!]

Beatrice: [If you say so, I suppose.]

It became clear to Subaru very quickly that he needed to take any opportunity he could to preempt their spats.

The aforementioned muck would prove tenacious, however.

Subaru: [This snow… just how far did it go?]

Despite having pushed further south in their travel to Costuul, the snow wasn’t seeming to dissipate. The depth of the accumulation seemed to be about the same as what was seen back at Roswaal’s mansion.

In the distance, the walls of Costuul begin to appear through the haze that had set in over the area.

Bastian: [Seems the snowstorm had quite the radius, though the deep freeze was limited to Irlam.]

Subaru: [That’s true… though the snow has remained rather thick throughout, the ice waned not long after we left the village.]

Subaru was beginning to get a picture of how Puck’s snowstorm had proceeded. The further out one got from its epicenter, the less devastation there was. In this regard, it was like a niveous nuke. Anyone as close as Irlam Village would’ve been frozen solid, while those further out had better chances. Crops likely would’ve suffered regardless, however, which would put many in dire straits. In a kingdom already suffering economically, the addition of a snowstorm and crop failure would do them no favors.

Subaru: [I got an idea of how it spread, but as to how far --]

Beatrice: [Could we talk about something else I suppose…]

Subaru: [… you’re right. I’m sorry, Beako…]

Beatrice: [It’s fine, I suppose. Just… please be more mindful, in fact.]

Naturally, talking about the snowstorm was reminding Beatrice of Puck. She likely didn’t appreciate the two trying to dissect the snowstorm as a phenomenon. She seemed to prefer it to be left alone.

Being left alone wouldn’t happen for these three, however.

Subaru: [Do you guys hear something? Like a low thunder.]

Bastian: [Ris.]

Bastian tapped the sheath on his left hip to call forth all eight of Ris. He sent them out to scout around for whatever the source of this disturbance was.

It didn’t take long for them to return.

Bastian: [Not alone.]

Beatrice: [What is it, in fact?]

Bastian: [Witch beasts. Lots of them.]

Subaru: [“Lots?!” How many is “lots?!”]

Bastian: [Dozens… no, hundreds…]

Subaru: [What?!]

Bastian: [Everyone get close.]

Subaru and Beatrice got within arms reach of Bastian as he extended his arms out.

Bastian: [Radiant Dome.]

A transparent dome of white light about three meters in diameter spread out around the three of them, as the horde of witch beasts closed in on them.

That sound. That thunderous sound of thousands of feet moving in unison, closing in with a single-minded drive. Red eyes, hundreds of pairs of gleaming red eyes leered through the haze in their direction. Finally, as the witch beasts had gotten within a mere few meters of the three, they could see exactly what comprised the horde.

Subaru: [… rabbits?]

Beatrice: [… no.]

Beatrice’s voice wavered and eyes widened as she saw the horde of white rabbits that was mere moments away from encircling them. Each one bore a single nubby horn on its forehead. As they got closer, they began to chitter out of agitation. They were hungry.

Bastian: [What are they?]

Beatrice: [The Great Rabbit…]

Subaru: [Why do you say that in such an ominous tone?]

Subaru realized their numbers were terrifying, but at the end of the day, they were just rabbits… right?

Beatrice: [The Great Rabbit is one of the Three Great Witch Beasts, in fact. It represents an existential threat…]

Subaru: [… oh.]

Bastian: [Need to move. Now.]

Despite the frenzied energy in this moment, Bastian didn’t seem fazed. His typical monotone was maintained as though to express eternal disinterest.

The three began to make a mad dash toward the city walls in the distance. The rabbits were quick, pouncing one after another towards the three, throwing themselves carelessly. One by one, their bodies vaporized against the dome of light surrounding the three. It seemed like a perfect defensive structure.

Subaru: [It’s like we’re surrounded by a wall of Jiwald…]

Subaru observed as the rabbits relentlessly threw themselves at the dome, only to vaporize upon impact. There was another observation he was able to make as they ran like hell to the walls of Costuul.

Subaru: [… they just keep coming!]

No matter how many threw themselves at the dome, their numbers didn’t seem to diminish. This wasn’t something that could be merely attributed to the fact that they were running, which could complicate such assessments. Without a shadow of a doubt, the Great Rabbit’s numbers hadn’t changed at all.

One hundred meters. Ninety. Eighty. They were closing in fast on the city’s walls. At this distance, they could see faint green lights dotting the walls.

Subaru: [Are those --]

Beatrice: [Barrier crystals. They’ve reinforced the walls to deter the Great Rabbit, I suppose.]

Bastian: [Must be an exclave within the exclusion zone. Zone must actually be for the Great Rabbit, being an active threat.]

Fortunately, the moment was far too hectic for Beatrice to connect this comment back to Puck. Previously, Bastian had surmised that there would necessarily be an exclusion zone of indeterminate radius in the event of a Great Spirit going berserk. Now, it seems, they’d found the true reason for an exclusion zone. That said, they still had yet to run into anything or anyone enforcing such a thing. As of now, for all they knew, it was still hypothetical, though probable.

Thirty meters. Twenty-five. Twenty. They were closing in on the city’s walls. At face value, this might seem like they were close to safety. There was just one problem…

Subaru: [They won’t let us enter if we’re being tailed by this horde! We need a way over the wall, now!]

Bastian: [Beatrice-sama. You use Yin Magic. Know Murak?]

Beatrice: [Yes, in fact!]

The planning and coordination was occurring on the fly. It was inspiring for Subaru see them formulate a plan literally on their feet under such duress.

Bastian: [Use it on you two. Hold on tight.]

Beatrice: [Betty’s already as light as a feather, in fact!]

Bastian: [Then use it on Subaru. In any event, hold on tight.]

Beatrice: [Murak!]

Subaru: [Woah, huh?!]

Suddenly, Subaru found himself become practically weightless. In that moment, he grabbed onto the left sleeve of Bastian’s hoari with all of his strength, for fear of floating away. Beatrice grabbed onto Subaru’s mantle, forming a chain of people flying behind Bastian like a human cape.

Bastian: [El Shinza.]

With this chant, Bastian began to move much faster than he had been, starting to outpace the Great Rabbit horde. On top of this, he’d received the typical strength boost of this type of magic. With practically no burden on him by the people he was carrying, he kept accelerating. With his right hand, he reached for his blade. Not the sheath this time, but the grip of the blade itself. The sky blue tassel flowed in the wind like a horse’s tail. Then, he unsheathed the sword –

It was visible only to him: a sword of scimitar make with a stark white blade. As the light emitted from the dome shone against the blade, it glimmered an iridescent blue. This didn’t last long, though, as the dome fell. This was because –

***

White. Nothing but white. Subaru could see nothing and heard nothing but a tone. This tone sounded simultaneously heavenly and nightmarish. It consumed his mind, making it difficult to think. It was as though he’d slipped into a white void, though he refused to let go of the nothing in front of him. He couldn’t even feel what he was holding, as though his hands had gone numb.

Subaru: [… … …]

He tried to say something. Anything. He couldn’t hear his own voice escape his mouth. He was beginning to panic. Had he died? Did he truly no longer have Return By Death, and this was the void that awaited him?

Where were Beatrice and Bastian?

What happened to them?

Where was he?

What was happ –

Suddenly, he could see again. He, Beatrice, and Bastian had somehow made it over the wall and into the city. They were safe.

Subaru: [Wha… what the hell was that?!]

Bastian: [Sorry.]

Beatrice: [Explain yourself, in fact!]

Bastian: [Sorry.]

Subaru: [Would you quit apologizing and explain?!]

Bastian: [So—hrm.]

Subaru: [You were gonna apologize again?!]

Bastian seemed as calm as usual, but his seeming inability to say anything other than “sorry” indicated a degree of worry. Had he actually been anxious while running away from the Great Rabbit? It would be understandable, though Bastian had been rather unemotive the entire time Subaru had known him, save for the occasional faint smile.

Bastian: [… Entrancing Tone.]

Subaru: [Huh?]

Bastian: [Spirit Art of mine. Activates whenever the Singing Blade is drawn. Ris produces a tone that overwhelms the senses of any that hear it.]

Beatrice: [How is that, in fact?]

Bastian: [Yang Magic. Enhances the target’s perception of just the tone, erasing all other sensory perceptions.]

Subaru: [… woah.]

Bastian: [Sorry. Should’ve warned you. Both of you.]

Bastian bowed deeply. It was easily the humblest he’d appeared before Subaru, as he typically had a rather lax stature.

Subaru: [But why use that Spirit Art?]

Bastian: [Couldn’t escape them on foot. Needed an opportunity to escape. Entrancing Tone provided this.]

Subaru: [Woah…]

With the Great Rabbit in disarray from their sudden loss of all senses, Bastian had vaulted over the city’s walls effortlessly using El Shinza. To maximize their odds of success, he had Beatrice nullify Subaru’s weight, making his burden lighter on top of himself faster and stronger. Such on the fly planning truly amazed Subaru. He found himself at a loss of words. At the very least, he thought he was glad to find himself in the company of such talented people.

The good vibes wouldn’t last long, however.

???: [Jus’ what th’ hell ya think yer doin’, huh?! Jumpin’ over a damn wall like that! Bringin’ that thing to our doorstep! Causin’ all sortsa chaos!]

A muscular blonde demi-human with an X-shaped scar across his face began barking at the three. He was accompanied by armed guards, presumably the city’s guards. Looking around them, Subaru saw many of the townspeople appeared to be in disarray. There were some who appeared frightened. Was this because of Bastian’s Spirit Art, too?

Subaru: [Just what is the range on that thing?]

Bastian: [Sorry.]

???: [Shuddup! You lot’re comin’ with me! Ain’t ev’ry day we get people breachin’ the exclusion zone. ‘ll see what kinda punishment ya get!]

And there it was: confirmation that they were, indeed, trespassing.

Chapter Text

???: [A’ight. Care to ‘splain why you three’re trespassin’ in the exclusion zone?]

The blonde demi-human with an X-shaped scar slammed his palms on the table of the interrogation room. They’d been escorted to the city’s prison for questioning.

???: [Only people who come through ‘ere these days’re merchants escorted by soldiers of th’ Royal Army or mercs. Civilians aren’t s’posed to be wanderin’ out there. Guess y’all know why now, yeah?]

He looked at them with a mix of disappointed disbelief and exasperation. The very possibility of anyone being out in the exclusion clearly got to him.

???: [I mean, ‘ave you guys been livin’ under a rock’r somethin’… ?]

Though this young man hadn’t said it, they knew precisely what he was referring to: the Great Rabbit. No one knew precisely what had brought the Great Rabbit out of hibernation. One thing was difficult to overlook, however: it came around the same time Puck had gone berserk, unleashing a snowstorm that had gone on to stretch from Roswaal’s auxiliary mansion all the way to here, in Costuul.

???: [… you gonna talk, ‘r am I gonna hafta get rough with ya?]

A menacing aura emerged around the young man. His voice became low and growling. He was growing tired of their silence.

Subaru: [We --]

???: [N’ don’t say you didn’t know, either! That excuse ain’t gonna hold any water ‘ere.]

Bastian: [No, we knew.]

???: [Eh?]

Subaru: [Bastian, what are you --]

Bastian: [We knew we were trespassing. Had to.]

Silence fills the room. Slowly, a smirk appears on the scarred young man’s face.

???: [Heh, ‘ow the ‘ell can ya say somethin’ like that with such a straight face, pal? What’s yer name? Bastian, was it?]

Bastian: [Yes. He’s Subaru. She’s Beatrice-sama.]

Subaru’s heart was sinking. He felt as though Bastian was ratting them out, and after all they’d been through, too.

Garfiel: [Name’s Garfiel Tinsel. Well met, Bastian!]

Subaru: [Eh?!]

With a look and yelp of utter incredulity, Subaru watched as Garfiel shook hands with Bastian. It looked a little awkward, what with Bastian’s hands in bonds before him. Still, the gesture of good faith made a point: this young man, Garfiel, seemed to respect brazenness.

Garfiel: [Well, seein’ as y’all’re already in ‘ere, no sense in punishin’ ya.]

Subaru: [… huh?]

This whole conversation, if it could truly be called such, left Subaru whiplashed. It had all started out so severe, and now they were going to be set free?

Subaru: [Just like that?]

Garfiel: [May as well. This place’s punishment enough.]

Subaru: [Wait, what’s so bad about Costuul?]

Garfiel: [Were ya not listenin’? Only people who come through ‘ere’re armed convoys. Ya think they come through often, given that… thing?]

Garfiel couldn’t bring himself to refer to the Great Rabbit by name. His voice was somewhat strained even just uttering that vague reference. The topic of the white horde lurking within the snow was a sore one for this young man.

Undoing their bindings, he ushered them out of the prison and back into the city’s streets.

Garfiel: [Lemme show ya somethin’.]

He led them to the market district, where they saw a sprawl of lines. People were being portioned out various goods to get by. Food. Clothing. Everyone was getting a paltry portion for them and their own.

Garfiel: [Resupplies only happen ev’ry so often. Cuz’a that, we gotta strictly ration to stretch out what we got.]

As they continued down the street, the destitution and dire straits were beginning to set in. There were people begging on nearly every street corner. People were seen ducking into alleyways. Subaru could only guess there were shady deals going on in those alleys. In a rationing economy, some goods would invariably become more prized, fetching for fair sums on secondary markets. He hoped they were mostly grey markets.

Garfiel: [To make matters worse, got a bunch’a refugees from neighborin’ towns. Warwar, Hanumas… can only be thankful most’a them got taken in by that Barielle lady further south.]

Subaru: [Oh god…]

Rationing. Refugees. A city under lockdown. All tied back to Subaru in some way, though he didn’t want to think about it.

Bastian: [Bet pressure’s ramping up here.]

Garfiel: [Ha! You don’t know the half’a it. Place has always had a pretty large amount o’ demi-humans. Humans’re actually a minority here.]

Bastian: [Scarcity and cramped conditions between demi-humans and humans in a Lugunican city?]

Beatrice: [Betty must agree, the situation seems grim, in fact.]

Subaru: [Huh? Why is that?]

Bastian: [Don’t know your own history?]

Beatrice: [Betty gets the feeling her contractor isn’t concerned with such things, I suppose.]

Bastian: [Ah. There was a civil war decades ago between demi-humans and humans. Got very bloody. Some likely haven’t forgotten that.]

Subaru: [Oh…]

Garfiel: [So, now ya see why this place is punishment enough? Honestly, got no idea as to why ya’d come ‘ere…]

Bastian: [Looking for somebody.]

Garfiel: [Oh yeah? Who?]

Bastian looked to Subaru to take it over from there. Considering this was Subaru’s task, it was only right that he do the talking, even though Garfiel seemed to respect Bastian more than him or Beatrice.

Subaru: [We’re looking for Roswaal. We knew that his primary mansion was located here, in Costuul. We were hoping to find him here.]

Garfiel’s eyes widened with surprise. It was a look of surprise tinged with an undercurrent of some other complicated emotions that were harder to place. There was pain in his eyes.

Garfiel: [… why’re ya lookin’ fer ‘im?]

Subaru: [We - er, I guess I - have some questions for him. Questions that only he can answer.]

Subaru took on a heavy tone as he mentioned the nature of his and his party’s business in Costuul. He figured that Garfiel may take him more seriously if he adopted such a tone to impress upon him the gravity of their situation. He felt as though he hadn’t left a very strong impression up to that point. Since he and his companions were in this city on his account, he knew he needed to step up.

Garfiel did have a visible reaction to this shift in tone. He didn’t appear surprised anymore, nor did he appear to be deeply considering what Subaru had told him. He didn’t really need to consider it too deeply. Not when reality was, for once, rather cut and dry.

Garfiel: [That’ll be difficult, then.]

Subaru: [And why’s that?]

Garfiel: [S’cuz he’s dead.]

***

Subaru: [… what?]

Subaru’s eyes widened in disbelief. It seemed the worst case scenario had unfolded, as even Roswaal hadn’t survived the tragedy that had befallen the Emilia Camp. He hadn’t even been present for the attack or Puck’s response to it.

Subaru fell silent. He still looked in Garfiel’s direction, but he seemed to be looking through him. His mind was too busy processing the bleak news he’d just been told.

Bastian picked up on this. His right hand twitched, unsure of whether to place it on Subaru’s shoulder to comfort his comrade or not. Instead, he opted to keep the discussion moving along.

Bastian: [How’d it happen?]

Garfiel tensed up in response to this. He was already rather unnerved from Subaru’s mention of the margrave. Being asked how he had died brought a wave of discomfort over the young man.

Garfiel: [… I don’t wanna talk ‘bout it.]

Bastian: [Please. It’s urgent.]

His affectation was still phlegmatic, but the content of his words got through to Garfiel. It probably helped that Bastian had made a good first impression with him.

Garfiel: [Look, if ya really wanna know, you can talk to my sister all ‘bout it. I ain’t sayin’ a thing ‘bout it, got that?]

Bastian: [Understood. Lead on.]

Garfiel: [Hmph! Whatever…]

Garfiel grumbled as he led the three to where his sister was to be found. As they made their way through the city streets, they found people’s attitudes were changing towards them, from trepidation to subtle acceptance. Subaru could only guess it had to do with Garfiel being the one leading them around.

Case in point --

???: [Mister Tinsel, sir!]

A man in iron armor walked up to them. It reminded Subaru of the kind of armor worn by the Capital’s guardsmen.  He must have been in his late twenties, early thirties. He had a scar that zig-zagged across his left cheek, giving the impression he’d seen action at some point.

Garfiel: [How’re things along the wall, Haskel?]

Haskel: [The Great Rabbit seems to’ve backed off for now. I take it these are the outsiders that got ‘em stirred up?]

Garfiel: [Yeah. They’re with me. Takin’ ‘em to the Miload townhouse.]

Haskel: [Straight to Clind? Damn. They’re either real lucky, or real unlucky.]

Garfiel: [Leanin’ toward unlucky m’self.]

Haskel: [Ha! Yeah, doubt they know where they are. Well, I’ll let ya get back to it, Mister Tinsel.]

Garfiel: [Yeah, yeah. Take it easy, Haskel.]

The guardsman then took his leave, presumably to perform his rounds. Despite appearing to be much older than Garfiel, Haskel showed him utter deference. It was clear the young man commanded great respect within this city.

They kept on towards their destination, which Garfiel had referred to as the “Miload townhouse.” Along their way, they were stopped yet again, this time by two children, a boy and a girl. They had black cat ears, indicating they were demi-humans. The girl appeared slightly taller than the boy, giving the impression she was older than the boy. They wore rather ragged clothes, but despite their apparent squalor, they seemed to be in high spirits.

???: [Mister Tinsel, Mister Tinsel! Didya bust these perps?]

???: [I bet he did. Mister Tinsel can take anyone!]

Garfiel: [‘ey Klaus, Lina. Yeah, I caught these perps jumpin’ the wall.]

Klaus: [Woah, what kinda punishment will they get for that? They gonna get lashes?]

Lina: [Klaus, don’t say such things!]

Garfiel: [Relax, you two. Ain’t gonna hurt ‘em. Since they’re already here, so long as they don’t break any rules, they’ll be jus’ fine. Takin’ ‘em to the Miload town house so they can talk to my sister.]

Klaus: [Oh, oh, say hi to Miss ‘Rica for me, m’kay?]

Lina: [Klaus, Mister Tinsel’s too busy for that!]

Garfiel: [S’no big deal. I’ll pass the word along for ya, Klaus.]

Garfiel said this with a weary smile. This reaction caused Klaus’ face to light up.

Klaus: [Thanks, Mister Tinsel!]

The kids made their way in the opposite direction of Subaru and his entourage. Klaus started skipping, while Lina followed behind worriedly. Evidently, it was for good reason, as he tripped and fell over. It didn’t seem to dampen his spirits any, though Lina still reacted as though he’d injured himself.

Subaru: [That Klaus seems pretty carefree… and clumsy.]

Garfiel: [Mm.]

Subaru: [And that Lina girl seems to hover over him.]

Garfiel: [S’only natural. They’re siblings.]

Subaru: [Y’know, you seem awfully popular around here, Garfiel.]

Garfiel: [Yeah, well… someone hadta step up ‘round here in the middle’a all this mess.]

Garfiel rubbed the back of his neck as he said this. He seemed rather bashful being confronted with his status in this city.

Bastian: [Take it you’re some kind of enforcer?]

Garfiel: [Enforcer… yeah, sounds ‘bout right.]

Bastian: [Were the barrier crystals your idea?]

Garfiel: [Nah, they were the new ruler’s doin’, though it was only after I came ‘ere n’ told ‘em what was comin’.]

Bastian: [Impressive for someone your age to have such an effect on policy and policing.]

Garfiel: [Oi, I ain’t some kid, y’hear?]

Garfiel took exception to being talked about as though he were a minor. He gave Bastian a defensive glare in response to his supposed compliment.

Bastian: [How old are you, fourteen?]

Garfiel: [I’ll be fifteen soon ‘nuff!]

Subaru: [Wait, seriously?! I thought you were my age…]

Bastian: [How old are you?]

Subaru: [I’m 17. I think I’m turning eighteen soon, though.]

Beatrice: [What do you mean “you think” you’ll be turning eighteen soon, in fact?]

Subaru: [Oh, well… wait, is this the place?]

Before having to answer a rather complicated question pertaining to his status as someone from another world, Subaru was stopped in his tracks by the sight of the building Garfiel had led them to.

Garfiel: [Yeah. This is the Miload townhouse. My sister works ‘ere.]

Subaru: [… this qualifies as a townhouse?]

Truth be told, it was practically a mansion in its own right. It certainly paled in comparison to Roswaal’s auxiliary mansion near Irlam, but it was easily one of the larger buildings in the city. It was three stories tall, adorned with ornate railings on its several balconies. On top was a spire akin to that one would find on a castle. The building itself was rather colorful, painted a brilliant golden hue with white accents along the windows.

While Subaru and Bastian were gawking at the “townhouse,” they almost didn’t notice the door had opened. Standing on the stoop was a maid with long blonde hair and emerald eyes, bearing a resemblance to Garfiel. She had rather thick eyebrows, and her smile –

Subaru: [They’re as sharp as yours, Garfiel!]

Bastian swiftly smacked Subaru upside the head.

Subaru: [… yeah, that was rude, huh?]

Bastian: [Apologize to the lady.]

Subaru: [Sorry, miss… ?]

Frederica: [Frederica Baumann, at your service.]

Subaru: [Ah, sorry Miss Baumann. Wait a moment… Baumann? Tinsel? I thought you were --]

Garfiel: [Got different fathers.]

Subaru: [Ohhhhh, you’re half siblings, then. Got it.]

Frederica: [Garf, I take it these three are here as guests?]

Garfiel: [Yeah, guests for the “margrave…”]

Frederica: [Garf, that sarcastic tone is no way to refer to the margrave. She deserves your respect, regardless of her age.]

Garfiel’s apparent dismissal of this new margrave made him wonder just what the true political situation was in this city. He’d previously assumed it was an adult running things here in Costuul, but now it seemed that they were a child, perhaps even younger than Garfiel. Considering that he was barely not quite an adult himself by the standards of this kingdom, Subaru had to wonder --

Subaru: [Just how old is this new margrave, anyhow?]

Garfiel smiled knowingly at this question. No doubt he was hoping Subaru would ask it.

Garfiel: [The margrave is a nine-year-old girl.]

Subaru: [… what? Surely you don’t have a child calling the shots.]

Frederica took on a frown at this flippant statement. Subaru preferred her smile to this face. He felt ashamed and he didn’t know why. Was this the power an older sister wielded?

Frederica sighed after a moment.

Frederica: [Being an outsider, I suppose I can forgive your attitude just this once. The margrave is presently under the care of her trustee, Mister Clind. He’s the one administering to this city in her stead.]

As they enter the town house, they are met by a young girl with indigo hair. She was dressed in an extravagant blue dress, though no more so than Beatrice. She was flanked by a blue-haired butler with a monocle, presumably the Clind they’d heard about. The most striking feature of this girl to Subaru was her eyes: one was light blue, while the other was yellow.

Chapter Text

???: [Welcome to my humble abode, you three.]

The indigo-haired girl with heterochromia addressed her guests with a courteous bow. Though she seemed the picture of cordiality and innocence, those eyes unnerved Subaru. They were just like Roswaal’s, though Subaru was unaware of any relatives close or otherwise to the margrave.

Annerose: [We’ve not met before, and I can tell you’re new to this fine city. My name is Annerose Miload, the last of House Miload and acting head of House Mathers.]

From this introduction alone, Subaru surmised her family, House Miload, was a branch off of House Mathers, and the closest living relative to the late harlequin mage. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be head of House Mathers.

Subaru: [Awfully well-spoken for a kid…]

Subaru muttered this under his breath, though it didn’t escape Frederica’s sharp ears. She gave him a disapproving glare, though she didn’t broach the topic any further. The glare was enough to send chills through him as it was. He suspected he didn’t want to suffer the wrath of an older sister.

It seemed as though it wasn’t just Frederica who’d taken focus on Subaru. Annerose stared intently at him as she welcomed her guests into the townhouse from the top of the stairs to the second floor leading into the landing. She also eyed his companions. Subaru couldn’t be sure, but it seemed as though her eyes widened somewhat upon seeing Beatrice. As for Bastian, her eyes definitely narrowed, accompanied by a frown.

Subaru: [Guess she doesn’t like you much, huh Bastian?]

Subaru leaned over to his phlegmatic friend, whispering this snide jab. Bastian’s face bore no reaction, being utterly unfazed by Annerose’s countenance or Subaru’s remark. Was he used to this kind of treatment? And if so, why?

Frederica herself seemed a tad concerned over Annerose’s reaction to Bastian. She clearly didn’t enjoy conflict, though this is a sensible attitude. Garfiel raised an eyebrow at the frown. Evidently, he didn’t quite know what to make of it, though he could tell something was up.

Annerose: [Tell me: what brings you three to a city that has been isolated by decree of the powers that be?]

Subaru: [“The powers that be?” Who exactly would that be? The Sage Council?]

Clind: [In part, yes. The exclusion zone is a joint effort between the Royal Army, the Crusch Camp, and the Anastasia Camp. The Royal Army was put into action by decree of the Sage Council. Forces loyal to the aforementioned candidates were volunteered to bolster the effort.]

Annerose: [Indeed. Now, answer the question.]

The curtness of her follow up on Clind’s explanation made Subaru recoil a bit. There was a startling amount of force and authority in the voice of a young girl.

Bastian again eyed Subaru, giving a nod to indicate that he should be the one to speak. He could hardly argue since they were only here on his account.

Subaru: [Actually, we’d just like to talk to Miss Frederica here, if you don’t mind.]

Garfiel: [Welp, gonna get back to it. Got rounds n’ whatnot.]

The blonde youth abruptly turned to the door and threw his hand in the air in a halfhearted gesture indicating his departure.

Garfiel: [Ah shit, wait.]

Frederica: [Yes, Garf?]

Garfiel: [… Klaus says “hi.”]

Frederica: [I’ll have to give him my regards next time I see him in the markets. Thank you, Garf!]

Frederica smiled at this. It gave the impression that these kinds of moments didn’t happen often and were to be savored by this older sister. With this, Garfiel continued about his uncaring exit, as he threw open the door to the outside and let it slam shut behind him.

Frederica: [… my apologies for my brother. I suppose you all must have touched upon a sensitive subject on your way here?]

Subaru: [I guess so. We asked him about Roswaal’s whereabouts.]

Bastian: [Understand he’s dead. This true?]

The air felt frigid with the uttering of this query. There was a palpable discomfort that hung in that landing.

Evidently, it’d reached all the way the top of the stairs to the second floor, as well.

Clind: [You will have to excuse myself and Lady Annerose. Your arrival has unfortunately occurred in the middle of her regularly scheduled tutoring. We will leave you all to your discussion.]

Subaru: [Oh, um… okay?]

Without paying their guests any further mind, Clind and Annerose turned around and went elsewhere, presumably to some study on the second or third floor. Subaru couldn’t tell where exactly they were heading, nor did they announce as much.

Frederica: [Shall we head to the parlor to continue this discussion? I could make some tea to warm you three up, as well.]

Subaru: [That sounds wonderful, actually.]

Subaru had been well-acquainted with the cold over the last few months. Being unable to escape that even upon his return was expected, but grating, nonetheless. Warm beverages were a small creature comfort that made life more bearable for him. He came to appreciate them a lot more than he had previously. The prospect of having actual tea instead of Bastian’s bitter brew only made this offer all the more enticing.

After gathering in the parlor and waiting for their tea for about ten minutes, Frederica returned with a tray of piping hot tea cups for Subaru and his companions.

Subaru: [Thanks, Miss Frederica. It really is the little things that keep us going, y’know?]

He said this as he gently blew air over his cup of tea, trying to cool it down just enough for that first sip.

Frederica: [I’m happy to serve, mister… oh dear, I never caught you name, sir!]

Subaru: [My name’s Natsuki Subaru. This cutey here is Beatrice, and the guy in the unseasonable clothes here is Bastian.]

Beatrice blushed and pouted at Subaru’s comment, while Bastian remained as unemotive as he usually was.

Frederica: [It’s a pleasure to meet you, all of you. Tell me, why is it you want to speak to me in particular?]

Subaru: [We’d tried to talk to your brother about Roswaal’s fate, but he didn’t want to talk about it. He pointed us in your direction instead.]

Frederica: [Yes, that would be a sore subject for my poor brother…]

Subaru: [Your “poor brother?” What happened to him that pertains to what happened to Roswaal?]

Frederica: [That is a rather long story…]

Bastian: [We’re all ears.]

Frederica let loose a heavy sigh to prepare herself for the weighty subject she was about to dive into with these travelers. This story of hers was clearly one that would require the mental fortitude.

***

Frederica: [Up until about three months ago, there had been a village hidden within the Lost Forest of Kremaldy. Its name was Sanctuary, a place the Mathers family had administered for generations. It was also mine and Garfiel’s home, and home to many of mixed blood. Of course, I left it behind a while ago to pursue work. I wanted to make a place for our people, for the day when our village would be saved.]

Subaru: [Saved? From what?]

Frederica: [It was, and likely still is, surrounded by a barrier. This barrier prevents half-blooded individuals from entering or leaving Sanctuary. Its reason for existing, however, is unknown. What is known about it is that it can only be removed by completing the Trials of the Witch’s Graveyard, located outside of the village.]

Subaru: [“Witch’s Graveyard?” You mean…]

Beatrice: [She means the Witch of Greed, not that Witch you’re thinking of, in fact.]

Subaru: [You mean there were multiple witches?]

Beatrice: [Correct, in fact. There were seven Witches of Sin, including Betty’s Mother.]

Subaru & Bastian: [Eh?]

Beatrice: [Did Betty say something strange, I suppose?]

Beatrice cocked her head to the side in response to the stupefied reaction of her companions.

Subaru: [Well, yeah. It sure sounded like you just said your mother was one of those Witches of Sin.]

Beatrice: [That is because Betty did say that, in fact.]

Neither Subaru nor Bastian knew what to make of this revelation. Bastian’s eyes narrowed in silent contemplation. Subaru himself didn’t want to think about it too much.

Subaru: [… let’s continue with your story, Frederica. Why bring up this place? You mentioned that it had existed up until about three months ago.]

Frederica: [Being close to Roswaal’s auxiliary mansion, Sanctuary had been caught in the snowstorm that abruptly swept through back then. Both Roswaal and Garfiel had been there at the time.]

The snow, the Great Rabbit, and Sanctuary, a place that used to exist. Subaru’s pupils constricted with the horrible realization that –

Subaru: [The Great Rabbit slaughtered that village…]

His right hand was shaking as it reached up to cover his mouth. He felt sick to his stomach as a cold sweat began breaking out all over. Beatrice took his left hand, prompting him to look to her. She could tell he was in great distress at the realization that his flight had far further reaching consequences than he’d initially realized upon his return. She looked at him with grave concern and care. She truly was his stalwart partner.

Bastian: [Take it Annerose and Clind were here at the time all of this was happening?]

Bastian broke the anguished silence that hung over the room, asking a question that was seemingly unrelated to the task at hand.

Frederica: [No, they and I had been at the Miload Estate, due northeast of this city.]

Bastian: [What brought them to Costuul, then?]

Frederica wore a light smile of pride at this inquiry.

Frederica: [It was my brother. He told us of the dangers that were approaching, and how Costuul would be more defensible, given its walls. The city was also closer than Roswaal’s main mansion, so it was the natural choice. To shore up the city’s defenses, Annerose proposed the use of the barrier crystals, which the city itself refines from raw ores mined out of the Elior Forest.]

Bastian: [Who put them up?]

Frederica: [Garfiel and Clind did. Due to their work, the city has become an impenetrable fortress. Well, until you three showed up, anyhow.]

Bastian: [Sorry.]

Frederica: [Oh, don’t be! It’s better that you all escaped the Great Rabbit!]

Subaru: [As interesting as that all is, let’s return to the topic at hand: Roswaal.]

Subaru felt as though he’d lost his lead on the investigation for while there, being too preoccupied by thoughts of guilt to properly tend to his task. With Beatrice holding his hand, however, and not wanting to rely on Bastian too heavily, he found the courage in him to press on and take the lead once more.

Frederica: [Of course. From what I had heard from my brother, the snowfall had been magically induced. As such, it was infused with mana.]

Beatrice: [Indeed. The magical snow must have stirred the Great Rabbit from its hibernation, in fact…]

Everything clicked in Subaru’s head upon hearing this. He recalled how Beatrice had remarked on feeling Puck’s presence in the snow. Being magically induced snow, it likely had resistance to natural melting, being composed of mana. Evidently, in a terrifying chain reaction, this widespread blanketing of mana had caused the Great Rabbit to stir.

Bastian: [Great Rabbit hibernated in that Lost Forest? Unfortunate.]

A grim and blunt assessment from the disgraced Acolyte Knight. What followed next was perhaps too blunt even for him.

Bastian: [How’d Garfiel escape? For that matter, how’d you leave? That barrier would keep a demi-human like you two inside with the rest, yes?]

The sense of familial pride Frederica had previously displayed faded before their eyes, replaced by a mournful frown and furrowed brow of worry.

Frederica: [He and I are only quarter-blooded. We were always able to leave at our leisure.]

Bastian: [Know you only left for the sake of making a place for your people. Why didn’t Garfiel leave sooner?]

Subaru: [Bastian…]

The bluntness of his prying was beginning to make Subaru feel guilty for other reasons. They weren’t just asking about Roswaal anymore. Now, they were digging into family history.

Frederica: [Garfiel ordinarily never would have thought to leave. Ever since he was a little boy, when he had attempted the Trials himself, he had feared the very thought of the outside world. Those Trials scarred him mentally… and physically.]

There was a pause as this information sunk in. It was hard to believe he was such a troubled person. He gave off an impression of being strong and steadfast, yet here they were being told that he was built on brittle foundation.

Frederica: [… about three months ago, Roswaal had tried to coerce my brother into attempting the Trials again, but… someone convinced him to flee instead.]

Such painful words to hear regarding someone in such a bind. Subaru knew all too well what it felt like to be trapped and powerless. He’d even fled, though he didn’t have someone imploring him to do so. That compulsion came from within.

Bastian: [Who convinced him to flee?]

Frederica: [Ryuzu Shima. She is… was something of a grandmother to Garf, ever since the day he first attempted the Trials. She knew better than anyone what tolls that experience had taken on him. Not wanting him to suffer for their sake, she pleaded with him to save himself. It must have gone against his every last instinct. I can’t imagine how much pain he felt in that moment, and how much he still carries with him…]

She appeared to be on the verge of tears over her brother’s suffering. Subaru could relate to Garfiel in a way he’d never anticipated given their first meeting. It was oddly comforting to know there was someone else out there who knew what he felt. This comfort was short-lived, however, as it almost immediately gave way to further pangs of guilt, guilt he would promptly try to rationalize away.

Subaru: [Damn you, Roswaal…]

That persistent chorus of denial sang in his head: if only Roswaal had been there.

Beatrice’s grip on Subaru’s left hand tightened in response to his agonizing. He smiled at her in appreciation.

Bastian: [Guess he wasn’t able to hold out against the Great Rabbit.]

Frederica: [It’s safe to say, though we are unable to confirm. My brother did mention that the mage had already appeared half dead when he had tried to get him to enter the Witch’s Graveyard again…]

Subaru: [So no one ever saw him get killed? No one saw a body?]

Words tinged with vain hope. Bastian placed a firm hand on his companion’s shoulder, prompting Subaru to look at him. With a stern gaze, Bastian shook his head, expressing his doubt over the margrave’s chances of still being alive.

Subaru: [… so that’s that then, huh? We came here only find out the worst. And now we’re stuck here, too…]

Bastian: [Beginning to see why Garfiel said being here would be punishment enough.]

Frederica: [I’m terribly sorry…]

Bastian: [Don’t be. Not your fault.]

Bastian reached into his haori and pulled out a handkerchief, handing it over to Frederica. She smiled softly as she accepted it, dabbing the tears from her eyes.

Frederica: [Thank you, Bastian-dono.]

Bastian: [No need. Sorry for prying.]

Subaru: [So you can be considerate of others.]

Bastian: [Knew that already. Don’t pretend otherwise just because it’s convenient.]

He gave this barbed retort as he casually sipped his tea. Subaru wanted to protest this, but he knew better. He was already aware of Bastian’s potential for kindness. He merely found it too selective, as it was almost to the point of being capricious.

???: [My my, still discussing, are we?]

A voice was heard from the entrance to the parlor. It was Clind, who must have finished is tutoring for Annerose for the day.

Subaru: [No, we’re done. Thank you for your time, Frederica. Guess we should be heading out… is what I’d say if we had the option…]

He slowly turned to face Clind, a look of discomfort on his face. He didn’t enjoy feeling like a burden, and here he was about to make a rather bold request.

Subaru: [Uh, listen… if it isn’t too much trouble, could we… stay a while?]

Subaru felt as though he and his companions were likely to wind up on the street. He wanted to avoid this at all costs. He was even willing to reprise his role as a butler again if need be. Anything to avoid destitution. His promise to Beatrice to write a happy story together made this possibility much more concerning than it would ordinarily be.

So, he threw himself on Clind’s mercy. Would this man be so kind?

Clind: [As a matter of fact, the margrave has already decided she would like for you all to stay in the guesthouse across the street.]

Subaru: [Oh… well, thank you, Clind. Oh, uh, please extend our thanks to the margrave as well, yeah?]

Clind: [But of course. Please, enjoy your stay.]

With these words, Clind handed off the key to the guesthouse. His parting words felt like a sick joke at their expense, considering their circumstances.

***

The guesthouse was what they’d had in mind when they heard Garfiel refer to Annerose’s abode as a “townhouse.” It was a narrow, two story building just across the street from said midtown micro mansion. It was far more reserved in its accoutrements, being a brick building of muted neutral tones.

Subaru: [Wonder why it doesn’t match the townhouse…]

Beatrice: [They could be unrelated buildings, both co-opted by Annerose while she rules from this city, I suppose.]

Subaru: [What, like they commandeered control over these buildings? What about their previous occupants?]

Beatrice: [They could have been paid for the building, or just evicted, I suppose.]

Subaru: [… Beatrice, when we get out of Costuul, we need to do something fun. I don’t want you getting any more jaded.]

Beatrice: [How nice of you to consider Betty’s feelings, I suppose.]

Subaru: [I mean it! We’re gonna get out of here. We have to…]

There were many people Subaru needed to reconcile with beyond Costuul’s walls. Reinhard. Crusch. Ferris. Wilhelm. Hell, even Julius. But one thing remained on his mind as they got settled into the guesthouse for the evening. Something that prevented him from reaching any of these people.

The Great Rabbit.

Subaru couldn’t help but fixate on his role in this catastrophe. As much as he wanted to pin it all on Roswaal or the Witch Cult, he knew he had his share of the blame. Moreover, with Roswaal dead –

Subaru: [… I’m the only one remaining who can be held accountable…]

If there were anyone remaining who could and should set things right, it would naturally be him.

Bastian: [Say something?]

Subaru: [There’s got to be something we can do to break the deadlock around this city… to atone for what happened to Sanctuary…]

Beatrice: [Subaru…]

Subaru: [Please don’t say it isn’t my fault, Beako. I… I know I’m not fully to blame, but my flight from the kingdom led to… all of this.]

Bastian again placed a firm hand on his companion’s shoulder.

Subaru: [Huh?]

Bastian: [Moping won’t fix a thing. Need a plan. A lot’s happened today, though. Let’s sleep.]

Subaru wanted to protest. He wanted to get right into planning, to pull an all-nighter considering what options were available to them. However –

Subaru: [… yeah. That sounds good.]

He realized it wouldn’t do to go rushing into things, considering there was a non-zero chance of him dying and having to start over from some unknown save point. Sleeping on it for the time being made sense, especially since it still seemed as though there were pieces to this story they were missing.

Beatrice: [Betty’s glad you decided not to push yourself too much for a change, I suppose.]

His contract spirit wore a poignant smile.

Subaru: [I need to listen to you more often, Bastian. That smile’s worth protecting to the death!]

Beatrice: [Don’t say such embarrassing things, in fact!]

Beatrice growled as she flailed her arms about in a huff. This, too, was something Subaru didn’t mind protecting.

Chapter Text

A new day dawned over the isolated city of Costuul. Subaru had poured himself a cup of coff that Bastian had brewed using the guesthouse’s amenities. He’d never been a coffee person before arriving in this new world. In fact, even after arriving in Lugunica, he hadn’t partaken in it. He found it much too bitter and didn’t want to appear weak by dulling that bitter edge with ample cream and sugar. However, upon drinking Bastian’s bitter brew, he found the energy it had provided him made up for the sleep he’d been sorely lacking.

They say if you lose an hour of sleep, you can only make up for it by getting a full night’s rest. This means most people are perpetually operating at a deficit of rest. Subaru had become the posterchild of this mode of operation. Caffeine propped him up, though there were more potent drives that kept him going.

Subaru: [We gotta get out of this place. How am I supposed to make amends and help Beatrice write that happy story if we’re cooped up here?]

He stared out the window of his and Beatrice’s room pensively. Subaru had found it awkward, but Beatrice had insisted upon sharing a room. He was still getting used to what being a Spirit Arts user entailed. He supposed Bastian didn’t have the same concerns, since his contracted spirits were always inside of his Singing Blade unless called upon.

Beatrice: [Betty’s sure we can think of something, in fact.]

Subaru: [I appreciate the vote of confidence, but with that horde hiding out there in the snow…]

Subaru sighed deeply. He’d been wracking his brain over how to solve this predicament. It was like the White Whale and Witch Cult all over again. In theory, this was supposed to be easier since there were technically fewer obstacles in the way. The Great Rabbit presented quite a challenge, however. It lurked outside of the city, unseen but ever present. Were one to step foot outside, they may risk triggering the horde, getting torn apart in the process.

Beatrice: [Staying in here seems to be doing you little good, in fact. Why don’t we assess the situation further into town?]

Subaru: [Yeah, good call. Something tells me we don’t have all the pieces to what’s going on here.]

Bastian: [Heading out? Going with you.]

Bastian had stopped by their room. Upon hearing Subaru and Beatrice’s plans to further assess the situation, he’d become rather assertive. Well, in his words, at least.

Subaru: [You’re welcome to come with. I wouldn’t want to leave you behind. I imagine that’d be pretty boring.]

Beatrice: [Do you think Betty can’t sufficiently protect her contractor, in fact?]

Beatrice took on a defensive tone in response to Bastian’s assertive words.

Bastian: [Can’t be too careful here. Humans are the minority. Tensions are rising.]

Subaru: [Yeah, Garfiel had said something along those lines yesterday…]

The way Garfiel had described the current state of affairs in Costuul was nothing short of being a powder keg. To everyone in this party, it seemed like it wasn’t a matter of if, but rather when it would go off.

The three left the guesthouse for the day to investigate matters further. As they made their way through town, Subaru noticed concerning glances from the demi-human residents. Glances of suspicion and apprehension.

This was only the beginning, however. As they reached the markets they’d walked through yesterday with Garfiel, they heard a cacophony of angry voices. An argument was under way at what appeared to be an apothecary stall ran by a cat man. There were two men, both of whom were livid. The cat man ran the stall with a human woman, who was beginning to cower behind him. Though it was just them at that particular stall, they were surrounded by other stalls operated by demi-humans, and the market naturally had more demi-humans than humans

Apothecary: [How dare you speak to my wife like that!]

???: [Ha! She shouldn’t even be your wife in the first place, you animal! I’d pay her proper respect if she didn’t insult me with these prices!]

Apothecary: [The price is what it is! Do you realize how little cash flow this city has right now?]

???: [I already told you, I don’t have that kind of money! I’m offering you a fair trade in lieu of that, how can you not get that through your thick skull, you beast?!]

One of the men, a desperate-looking man, was casting these vitriol-drenched words. He wore rough-spun clothes that appeared rather uncomfortable, bearing a scarf in his right fist. Subaru noticed he had a knife in his boot. The target of this harsh treatment looked understandably furious.

Apothecary: [What, and you expect to get service spewing insults at us like this?! Get over yourself, human! This stall doesn’t abide by bartering. None of them do! If it’s bartering you’re looking for, why don’t you go down an alley? Here in the market, it’s coin or nothing!]

Subaru nervously watched the desperate man. He was unsure how much further this would go before violence ensued. Comparing the two sides against each other, he could tell that the cat man was scrawnier than the desperate man and his compatriot. A scuffle would likely see the cat man be brutally beaten. However, it wouldn’t last long, given how many demi-humans there were in the market.

The woman was clearly as concerned about this as Subaru was, if not more so due to being directly involved. She decided to voice her concern.

Apothecary’s Wife: [Please, Gilbert, just give them what they want so they’ll leave us alone!]

Gilbert: [If I do that, what message will it send to others of their ilk?! I can’t do that, Minna! Especially not after what they said about you… about us…]

A marginally more level-headed man then stepped forward. He wore similar clothing to the desperate man but carried himself with more composure. However, he did seem to be holding back as best as he could. How much longer could that last in a gradually heating exchange such as this?

Reasonable Man: [You’d do well to listen to your wife, Gil. We don’t want any trouble. We just need the medicine for Tor’s kid, and we’ll be on our way. We’re not even trying to rob you. We’re offering a trade.]

Tor: [Exactly! My wife worked hard on this scarf, using materials that aren’t easy to come by in this city anymore to do so! It’s easily worth a few days of medicine. Surely you’re getting cold? How about your wife?]

Gilbert: [D-don’t talk like you weren’t just insulting us, you brute! And leave my wife out of this!]

The tension was creeping toward a climax, and Subaru didn’t want to see the natural result of this occurring.

Subaru: [Where are the guards?]

Bastian: [Likely stretched thin. Should get out of here before things get rough.]

Subaru: [But…]

Subaru wanted to leave as Bastian had suggested. However, he also wanted to resolve this conflict before it came to a head.

Bastian: [… got a big heart, Subaru.]

Subaru: [Eh? What are you --]

Bastian: [Shinza.]

Like a flash, Bastian inserted himself between the human party and the apothecary stall. Tor, the desperate man, was so caught off guard that he’d fallen backwards onto his rear.

Tor: [The hell?!]

Gilbert: [What is the meaning of this?!]

Bastian: [Shut it. Both of you. Subaru. Here. Now.]

Subaru: [W-what?!]

Bastian: [Want to help out? Here’s your chance.]

He spoke with a gruff demeanor. Evidently he approved of Subaru’s desire to help, in his own way.

Subaru timidly approached the microcosm of the powder keg.

Beatrice: [Don’t worry. Betty will protect you if the situation gets out of hand, in fact.]

Tor: [Being protected by your little sister, kid? That’s fucking pathetic, isn’t it, Sig?]

Tor had gotten back onto his feet, patting the reasonable man in his posse as he belittled Subaru.

Sig: [I won’t lie, that is pretty… wait, what’s up with her eyes? She sick or something?]

Gilbert: [Maybe they were waiting in line for my stall. I bet your lot has held them up!]

Subaru: [It’s not like that at all! Beatrice is my contract spirit. Well, I guess she’s also like a little sister to me… although she is much older than me…]

Bastian: [Stay on target.]

Tor: [And you! Aren’t you the guy who fucked with everyone’s senses yesterday?]

Bastian: [Yes. Problem?]

Tor appeared equal parts on edge and hostile. He eyed the sword on Bastian’s hip and appeared to take note of how the swordsman wore little clothing despite being within the frigid exclusion zone. Taken along with the speed with which he’d inserted himself between the two parties, these observations gave Tor pause.

Subaru: [Listen. We don’t want any trouble, either. There’s got to be some sort of compromise here. I understand you need medicine for your kid… Tor, was it?]

Tor: [Yeah, that’s right. My daughter’s sick. Has a chronic condition. It’s nothing fatal, but if there’s anything I can do to make her life in this shithole more tolerable, I’ll do it. This greedy feline prick here’s price gouging the medicine she needs, though!]

Gilbert: [I told you, money’s not flowing through the city like it used to! On top of that, supplies are running low. Trade doesn’t happen so easily these days. If I don’t raise my prices, I won’t be able to support my wife and kids! So no, I don’t think a single scarf will do them much good when they begin to starve!]

Gilbert’s black ears were pulled back as he got defensive over Tor’s posturing. Evidently, the “fair” trade had been anything but.

Bastian: [Probably thought you could get away with that since you’re human. Only in Lugunica…]

Subaru: [Is Lugunica really that much worse relative to the other nations?]

Beatrice: [There was a war over the matter, in fact…]

Subaru: [… okay. So that’s pretty hard to overlook --]

Gilbert: [It should be impossible to overlook!]

Bastian: [Let him finish.]

Bastian coldly stared at the apothecary, then turned to Subaru and nodded.

Subaru: [… that said, he wants to help his child as you would surely help your own. I don’t condone his paltry offering, of course, but there must be something he can offer in lieu of money that you’d find amenable?]

Gilbert: [In lieu of…? Are you even listening to me?!]

Minna: [Well, there is the matter of security…]

Gilbert: [Minna, please!]

Minna: [This is hardly the first time we’ve been harassed like this, Gilbert! We’ve been lucky since the city locked down, but how much longer can that luck last?]

Subaru: [Sounds like you need to hedge your bets. These guys look pretty capable… well, so long as they aren’t up against someone Bastian-tier…]

Tor: [T-that was…]

Bastian stared with faint annoyance at Tor as he began to form a feeble defense. Said defense crumbled before it could even take shape.

Subaru: [How about it? They watch over your stall, and you provide medicine for Tor’s daughter. Sound fair?]

Gilbert: [It hardly sounds “fair” to me! These men are clearly bigots! What incentive do they have to not rob us when they get the chance?]

Tor: [I… look, I only got so heated ‘cuz it’s my daughter’s health we’re talking about. You’ve been steadily raising prices for weeks now, outpacing what I’m able to make at the refinery.]

Sig: [I’ve known Tor since we were just children. He may be a hothead, but any bigotry here was tied to the circumstances, not to who he is at his core.]

Gilbert: [Like that’s a fair assessment! You just said you’re his friend, of course you’ll take his side!]

Subaru: [Gilbert, we need to try and be reasonable here!]

Subaru interjected. He could tell Gilbert was not wanting to be persuaded to agree to this compromise. He knew he needed to push harder.

Subaru: [If you show Tor here this kindness, it won’t be forgotten. Ever hear of the principle of reciprocity? People who are shown kindness are given to returning the favor. They don’t like feeling like they’re indebted to anyone. At the risk of being optimistic, this compromise could even be a throughway to better relations between the humans and demi-humans of this city. Even if we don’t get so lofty, you and Tor stand to benefit from this arrangement.]

Gilbert: [… damn it…]

Gilbert appeared frustrated by his apparent impotence. He couldn’t argue with Subaru or his wife that they’d been lucky not to have been targeted for violence yet. This was especially the case given the fact that they were a human and beast man living together under the current tense climate between humans and demi-humans.

Subaru: [If your stall is safe, then it means you’re more readily able to conduct business. This in turn increases your opportunities for earning money to support your family.]

Minna: [Please, Gilbert… do it for me. For Lina and Klaus…]

Minna gripped her husband’s hand beseechingly, making him visibly uncomfortable. Her words were an emotional sucker punch thrown in the middle of a rational exchange.

Bastian: [Lina? Klaus?]

Beatrice: [This town’s smaller than it seems, I suppose.]

Subaru: [Y’know, something like this happened to me once…]

Subaru couldn’t help but see faint parallels between this coincidence and the coincidence that had occurred not long after he’d arrived in Lugunica. He recalled helping Emilia find the parents of a little girl, only for it to be the surly owner of a certain appa stand.

Subaru: [Maybe I’m just drawn to serendipity?]

Bastian: [Stay on target.]

Subaru: [Ah, right! Ahem! So, Gilbert… does this arrangement sound fair to you?]

The apothecary tried not to make eye contact with anyone. No doubt he wished he were anywhere else but at his stall right now.

Gilbert: [Alright, fine! That… that arrangement doesn’t sound too bad, I guess…]

Tor and Sig lit up at this, with the former giving the latter a massive hug.

Tor: [We did it, bro! My kid’s gonna breathe easier!]

Sig: [Knock it off, Tor! You’re crushing my ribs!]

Beatrice: [What do you mean “we did it,” in fact? Subaru was the one who won you this compromise!]

Subaru: [Actually, Beako, Miss Minna here came up with it. I only gave a supporting argument…]

Beatrice: [Right. A supporting argument that won them their compromise.]

Beatrice stood with her fists planted firmly against her hips in a proud, adamant pose. She was glaring at Tor and Sig. She was clearly pleased with her contractor’s performance and demanded that he receive the thanks he was owed.

Tor: [Er, uh… thanks, kid.]

Sig: [Tor, c’mon… seriously, thank you… Subaru, was it?]

Beatrice: [Indeed. Do well to remember it, in fact.]

Subaru: [Beako… you’re embarrassing me…]

He was actually over the moon to have someone so completely in his corner. However, he’d struggled with receiving compliments for some time now.

Bastian: [All this talk about money… seems prosperity here is measured by who has their immediate needs best tended to.]

Beatrice: [So it would seem, I suppose. It seems like excess doesn’t really exist much beyond the Miload townhouse.]

Subaru: [Yeah… wonder why no one’s turned on her yet?]

Tor and Sig’s eyes went wide as they checked around them frantically. Gilbert and Minna seemed nervous themselves.

Subaru: [Was it something I said?]

Sig: [Kid, you don’t speak ill of Miload in this town. That Clind guy doesn’t take kindly to it.]

Tor: [Yeah, he’ll sic Garfiel on you in a heartbeat if any of the town’s guardsmen catch so much as a whiff of that kinda talk.]

Gilbert: [Speaking of Mister Garfiel as though he’s a mad dog… you’ll certainly need to work on your attitude if you’re to be acting as our security.]

Tor: [Keep the meds flowing for my daughter, and I may just come around to you.]

Minna: [Truthfully, many respect Lady Miload as much as they fear her. It was by her decree that the barrier crystals were installed, through Mister Garfiel and Mister Clind’s hard work.]

Bastian: [So we’ve heard.]

Gilbert: [She also was the one who negotiated with the Crusch and Anastasia Camps for the current resupply arrangement, the best possible arrangement considering the sorry state of things.]

Sig: [Well, she did that using Clind as a middle man… but yeah, that deal’s keeping us afloat.]

Tor: [Won’t last forever, though. Sonner or later…]

He didn’t need to finish his sentence. Everyone present was aware of the dire sentiment he was trying to articulate.

***

Beatrice: [Betty thinks her contractor did wonderfully back in the market, in fact.]

Subaru: [Really? Again, all I did was make a quick argument in support of what Minna had suggested. And if Bastian hadn’t been there…]

Subaru shuddered to think what would’ve happened if he and Beatrice had left Bastian back at the guesthouse. Without the hasty intervention and his presence acting as a constant reminder to Tor and Sig to not get too heated, Subaru doubted he’d have been able to resolve things as peacefully as he had.

Bastian himself didn’t seem to make much of anything of this assessment. He kept quiet, seeming to just be glad that the shouting had stopped. Though he wasn’t given to outbursts of anger, he did seem to be easily annoyed.

Subaru: [In the end, it was a team effort. Just like how it was you and Bastian that got us into the city, it was he and I that managed to smooth things over back there. Us three… we make a pretty good team.]

Subaru smiled softly as he made this realization. Beatrice reciprocated this response, walking beside her contractor hand in hand. Bastian walked behind them, possibly staying vigilant in case there were other disturbances. It was hard to say with him.

Subaru: [… still, as good as that situation turned out…]

Beatrice: [Betty wouldn’t doubt that such occurrences are unfortunately common in Costuul as of late, I suppose.]

Tor’s sentiment from earlier stayed with them. It was a sentiment encapsulating the conclusion they’d already arrived at a day ago: the situation in this city was untenable.

The three had received some rations from the market as thanks for keeping the peace. The bread was stale, the meat tough and unseasoned. They found an area that used to be a decent bistro to sit and eat their meager lunch.

Subaru: [Reminds me of the food we ate on our way back to Lugunica…]

Bastian: [Mm. It’s missing something.]

Subaru: [It’s missing everything.]

Beatrice: [Betty’s glad she doesn’t have to eat, in fact…]

While straining to chew the leather that apparently passed for meat in this city, Subaru thought deeply about their current predicament. In between these long spates of chewing, he’d think aloud.

Subaru: [It seems that the Great Rabbit isn’t just an impediment to our journey. It’s put this city in a stranglehold, pushing it to its limits. This is no longer merely about making amends… it’s a matter of a whole city’s survival.]

Chewing, chewing, chewing. As he did, the gears kept turning in his head. A plan to defeat the Great Rabbit surely must be possible. But how does one defeat a monster that replenishes itself so readily?

Subaru: [With how that thing multiplies…]

Bastian: [Would likely have to kill them all at once. Quite a feat.]

Beatrice: [Betty knows how to cast Al Shamak, in fact. We could use it to seal off the Great Rabbit from this plane of existence.]

Subaru: [That sounds amazing, Beako! Why does it seem like there’s a “but,” though?]

Beatrice: [Betty could cast it… but it requires an obscene amount of mana, in fact. Betty has no means of replenishing her mana supplies naturally, either. Betty can only get mana from her contractor now, in fact.]

Subaru: [… maybe we should hold onto that idea. Just in case.]

Subaru took a similar stance to casting Yin Magic of his own. Of course, in his case, it was out of fear that his gate may collapse, leading to acute mana poisoning and eventual death. Granted, this was no longer a concern for him due to his contract with Beatrice. However, he was still hesitant to have her use so much of her mana knowing he was her only means of replenishment.

Subaru’s spirits had fallen somewhat, his caution having gone wild since he’d fled Lugunica. Paranoia and overcaution had proven quite useful in his survival, though it undoubtedly hampered him here.

Beatrice could tell her contractor was feeling crestfallen.

Beatrice: [B-Betty thinks we make a good team, as well, I suppose. Betty’s sure we can find a solution…]

Subaru: [A good team…]

Thinking back on that sentiment caused him to recall how they’d gotten over the city’s walls. Specifically, he recalled Bastian’s use of his Radiant Dome Spirit Art.

Subaru: [Hey Bastian. That dome ability of yours… does it always have to have you as its epicenter?]

Bastian: [… suppose not.]

Subaru’s eyes lit up as his mind began to run wild hearing this news. A plan was beginning to take form.

Subaru: [Do you think you could adjust the size of your dome?]

Bastian: [… suppose so. Take it you have a plan?]

A slight smile formed on the swordsman’s lips as he recognized what was going on in his comrade’s head. Subaru himself had a wild grin on his face, his eyes alight with inspiration.

Subaru: [Yeah… I think I have a plan.]

Chapter Text

Subaru was in a mad dash, so much so that Beatrice was practically flying behind him as she held tightly to his hand.

Beatrice: [S-slow down, in fact!]

Subaru: [I can’t! Not when we’re about to break this deadlock we’ve found ourselves in!]

He was over the moon. Upon arriving in Costuul, he’d become uncertain, and then upon realizing the scope of the city’s situation, disillusioned. Yet here he was, just a day later, and a solution to what stymied him and his companions, as well as the city as a whole, had come to him. It almost felt too good to be true.

While Subaru ran all the way back to the Miload townhouse with Beatrice, Bastian walked. As such, Subaru and Beatrice wound up having to wait for Bastian outside of the townhouse.

Subaru: [Y’know, for someone who can be so fast, you sure do like to take your time.]

Bastian: [Running’s unnecessary.]

Subaru: [What, you mean you aren’t excited to get out of this city? To get on with our journey already?]

Bastian: [Don’t get excited.]

Subaru: [Why shouldn’t I get excited? You’re being a bit of a killjoy, Bastian.]

Bastian: [No. Don’t get excited.]

As he seemed to repeat himself, Bastian placed his right hand on his chest, as though he were gesturing to himself. It took Subaru a second to comprehend what this gesture meant.

Subaru: [Ohhhh, you mean you don’t get excited. Come to think of it, you never seem to refer to yourself in the first person…]

It was a curiosity about Bastian that Subaru had seldom considered until now. The swordsman tended to speak with brevity, making his utterances come off as brusque, choppy, and perhaps even lazy, as though he couldn’t be bothered to articulate a complete sentence. His lack of personal pronouns in reference to himself was part of this, though it didn’t seem to extend to his reference of others.

Bastian: [Just a habit, s’pose.]

Subaru: [… well, whatever. Let’s get in there and gather everybody. I got one hell of an announcement to make!]

Subaru’s enthusiasm had spread to Beatrice, who still wore a proud smile on her face, despite having been pulled through the streets of Costuul in a rush. She was willing to overlook his carelessness just this once, if only because of how hard he’d had it recently. She figured if anyone needed this win right now, it was Subaru.

Beatrice: [After you, I suppose.]

Subaru knocked on the door. Naturally, it was Clind who greeted them.

Clind: [Ah, Natsuki-san. You and your companions have returned, I see. You must have had an eventful day of sightseeing around this fair city. Care to join us for dinner?]

Subaru: [Sorry, Clind-san. Dinner will have to wait. For now, if you would gather everyone in the townhouse in the parlor. There’s something urgent we need to talk about.]

Clind gave a brief, slight frown in response to this declaration. However, it was quickly replaced by a grin.

Clind: [Ah, such youthful enthusiasm. You clearly have something very important to discuss, indeed. Please, right this way.]

He ushered Subaru and his companions into the townhouse and to the parlor, where they waited while Clind gathered the others for this discussion. While they waited, Subaru figured he may as well chat.

Subaru: [So why aren’t you excited about this, Bastian? I thought I saw you smile earlier when I said I had a plan.]

Bastian: [Only happy for you. Never get excited, really.]

Subaru: [Why’s that? Sounds pretty sad.]

Bastian: [Excitement is expectation. Expectations often lead to disappointment.]

Subaru: [That’s… awfully cynical.]

Beatrice: [But pragmatic, I suppose.]

Though he found Bastian’s approach pessimistic on the surface, he understood it all too well these days. In fact, before this day, he’d gone even further, believing only the worst could come of his return to Lugunica.

Subaru: [So, go in with no expectations? That’s easier said than done! People are basically hard-wired to expect.]

Beatrice: [It could be an adaptation, I suppose. Expectation may serve as a means of planning ahead for one’s survival, I suppose.]

Bastian: [Takes some getting used to. Would never say it’s easy. Practice makes habit.]

Subaru: [Hmm… maybe I could stand to learn from you, Bastian.]

Bastian: [Haven’t learned already?]

Subaru: [Oh yeah… guess that was kind of how we met, huh?]

Bastian: [More or less.]

It was at this point Clind returned to the parlor with Annerose, Frederica, and Garfiel in tow.

Clind: [I have everyone gathered to discuss this important matter of yours, Natsuki-san. Shall we begin this discussion?]

Subaru: [Thanks, Clind-san. Yes, I think we should get straight to the point.]

As everyone found their seat in the parlor, Subaru rose before the fireplace to speak. The lighting in the room was a dramatic and stark, and lent a great weight to him as he positioned himself as the speaker. Clearing his throat, he prepared to deliver those words of profound gravitas.

Subaru: [I have a plan to eliminate the Great Rabbit and free this city.]

The room was immediately split in its reaction to this proclamation. Frederica and Garfiel were stunned. Garfiel was more shaken, though, whereas Frederica’s surprise was more tinged with excitement.

Garfiel: [A plan to…]

Frederica: [Garf, this is wonderful news!]

Garfiel: [… yeah… yeah… if what he’s sayin’ is true.]

Subaru: [It’s absolutely true! I have a plan involving me, Beatrice, and Bastian. We can defeat the Great Rabbit!]

While Frederica tried to encourage Garfiel to see the hope in Subaru’s words, Annerose and Clind were silent. Clind himself had that same minute frown from earlier. Annerose, meanwhile, was glaring sternly. She then leaned over to Clind beside her and whispered something in his ear.

Clind: [My apologies, Natsuki-san. However, your services to that capacity will not be required.]

Subaru was confounded by this response. Beatrice shared her contractor’s anxious confusion. Even Bastian raised an eyebrow at the reply.

Bastian: [Well, that was unexpected…]

***

Subaru: [I don’t understand… what do you mean my services aren’t required?]

Clind: [Natsuki-san, you are an ordinary young man. Enthusiastic though you may be, do you truly believe you have it in you to defeat one of the Three Great Witch Beasts?]

Subaru: [That’s…]

Clind’s query rocked Subaru’s nerves. He didn’t want his resolve to be so fragile, and yet here he was, facing a familiar situation. An obstacle to his progression, born of stubbornness or unwillingness to cooperate on the part of his audience.

Clind: [That matter aside, the Royal Army is already formulating their own expedition to subjugate the Great Rabbit.]

Subaru: [But we have a plan, here and now!]

Clind: [Natsuki-san --]

Bastian: [Current state of affairs in Costuul are untenable. Surely you’ve noticed?]

Clind: [I believe there is nothing more to discuss. Lady Annerose has made her decision on this matter known.]

Subaru: [But --]

Clind: [Please note that acting contrary to this decision will be interpreted as an act of aggression against Lady Annerose and will be summarily punished in kind. Good night, Natsuki-san.]

With this, Clind and Annerose made their way out of the parlor as Subaru stood slack jawed, unable to get a word in edge wise. The butler’s final words of warning left him feeling uneasy and confused.

Subaru: [‘An act of aggression?’ What the --]

Garfiel: [Tch! What a flimsy excuse…]

Subaru: [Huh?]

Garfiel narrowed his eyes and scoffed as Clind and Annerose left the parlor. With Clind shutting the discussion down just after it’d started, he felt there was no point in remaining in the parlor, either.

Frederica: [Garf, wait…]

Garfiel: [Ain’t no sense in stayin’. They’ll never let anybody act on that plan o’ yer’s, so there’s no sense in hearin’ it.]

Frederica retracted her arms toward her chest as Garfiel stormed out of the parlor. She was gravely concerned for her brother. Given her account of what happened to him, he seemed to have been burying a sentiment of defeatism within him, distracting himself with his role as Annerose’s enforcer. Of course, it was hardly a role he could take much pride in.

Subaru: [… this can’t be it.]

Beatrice: [Subaru?]

Beatrice took Subaru’s hand as it trembled in indignation. It was the best she could do to sooth her contractor’s upset mood.

Subaru: [We can’t come this close just to hit another damn wall! Who do they think they are shutting us down like that?! We have a solution! We’re right here! I just don’t…]

He cast his gaze downward as his anger slowly left him. In its place, a familiar sense of resignation began to take hold.

Bastian: [No sense in wallowing. Can regroup tomorrow. ‘night, Subaru.]

With an indolent wave of his hand, Bastian sauntered out of the parlor, as well.

Frederica: [Subaru-dono, do you have a moment?]

Subaru: [… huh? What is it?]

Frederica: [There’s something I would like to discuss with you privately, if you would stay just a moment longer.]

Subaru: […]

Beatrice: [One person hearing us out is better than none at all, I suppose.]

Subaru: [It’s like Garfiel said, though: they’re against us taking any action. Telling Frederica would be a waste of time.]

Frederica: [The precise details behind your designs against the Great Rabbit are not what I wish to discuss. I support your plan regardless of the details. I suspect Garfiel would be willing to look the other way, if you would talk to him.]

Subaru: [Really? So, there’s still a chance… I still don’t get why Clind-san and Lady Annerose are being so cagey about this. You’d think they’d be chomping at the bit to open this city again.]

Frederica: [I’m afraid I’m also confused as to why they are acting this way. I do have my concerns regarding Lady Annerose’s disposition, however.]

Subaru: [Oh? Why’s that?]

Frederica wringed her hands nervously as she began to broach this topic. There were clearly several worries on her mind these days.

Frederica: [Well… Lady Annerose hasn’t been acting herself for some time now. I have served as her maid since Lord Roswaal sent me away prior to taking in Lady Emilia at his auxiliary mansion. The Annerose I knew from those days was different than the Annerose you see today. She was less assertive, less pensive. She became more eccentric and aloof than she had previously been, as well. And then there’s the most notable change…]

Subaru: [What would that be?]

Frederica: [… her eyes.]

Subaru: [Her… eyes?]

That same feeling of unease that he’d experienced upon first meeting Annerose the other day had evolved into a creeping sense of dread.

Frederica: [Yes. She didn’t always have a yellow iris in her left eye.]

The dread intensified. A suspicion began to take shape in the back of his mind. He wanted to inquire further but found he couldn’t bring himself to articulate the question.

Subaru: [… I see. Thank you, Frederica. I think we’ll be paying Garfiel a visit tomorrow.]

Gathering himself, Subaru bowed slightly out of gratitude to Frederica for her encouragement, as well as for her unnerving information on Annerose.

Subaru: [C’mon, Beako. We better turn in, as well. I got a feeling tomorrow may be another busy one…]

Beatrice: [Very well then, in fact.]

A modest smile emerged on Beatrice’s face. She’d been concerned that Subaru had lost progress towards his emotional recovery due to this setback. However, his resolve seemed to have recovered.

This would turn out to be quite fortunate, and more immediately than either of them could have predicted.

***

Subaru and Beatrice exited the townhouse and began making their way to the guesthouse across the street. Subaru was already considering how he’d approach his discussion with Garfiel the next day. He looked up at the sky as he contemplated his next move. The haze from earlier was largely still there, though the night itself was still. The moon peeked through that silvery haze, while not so much as a single star could say the same.

Subaru: [Getting rid of the Great Rabbit would likely mean we could remove this oppressive haze too, yeah?]

Beatrice: [It would be much easier to clear the snow that way, I suppose.]

Subaru: [Is the haze caused by the snow?]

Beatrice: [It is a side effect of this magically induced snow, in fact. Like a blizzard frozen in place. The winds are not whipping about, but the obscurity remains, I suppose.]

Subaru thought back to the gravesite he, Beatrice, and Bastian had prepared back outside of Irlam. With Beatrice’s approval, Bastian had cleared the snow covering the dormant field of flowers with a carefully casted Al Jiwald. However, she still seemed to have a difficult time talking about Puck’s snow.

Subaru: [Would you be willing to see the snow go, Beako?]

Beatrice: [… Betty can feel Puck’s presence in the snow. It’s comforting, I suppose. Even still, Betty knows that holding on like this isn’t healthy…]

Beatrice appeared wistful and thoughtful as she stared up at the sky with Subaru. Evidently some of Subaru’s experience at the gravesite had left an impression upon her.

Beatrice: [Betty knows she must move forward at some point, I suppose…]

Subaru: [Well, Bastian and I are here for you, Beako. You’re not alone.]

Beatrice: [Betty knows this, in fact.]

He gave his best comforting smile as he gave his words of solace. Beatrice responded with a poignant smile of her own.

Then, about halfway to the guesthouse, this moment was interrupted.

Subaru: [Hey, Beako… do you feel like --]

Beatrice: [We’re being watched, in fact.]

The atmosphere had changed from one of bonding to one of alarm. Eyes could be felt looking at them, but from where? Who was it?

Subaru: [You don’t think it’s Clind-san, do you?]

Suspecting Clind was natural. He was Annerose’s trustee, and as such, he may have taken it upon himself to eavesdrop on their conversation with Frederica on her behalf. If so, then they’d naturally be kept under a watchful eye.

Beatrice: [No, in fact. At least, it is not him personally. There are too many…]

Looking around them, they could now see the eyes belonging to whatever was stalking them. Crimson eyes gleamed from the shadows. It was only then –

Beatrice: [Minya!]

Beatrice suddenly cast a spell at a figure that had come from a nearby alleyway. It was an arkalb, a serpentine witch beast. And it wasn’t alone. A veritable den of arkalb and flocks of black winged rats began emerging into the street.

Subaru: [Guesthouse! Now! Cover us!]

Beatrice: [Understood, in fact!]

Subaru took Beatrice’s left hand and began running while Beatrice fired more Minya at the mob of pursuing witch beasts.

They manage to get inside of the guesthouse and lock the door, for what little good it would do. They didn’t have enough time to barricade the door or windows. Getting inside only afforded them a moment to catch their breath.

Subaru: [How the hell did those witch beasts get into the city? Someone… someone had to have let them in…]

Beatrice: [Given the barrier crystals around the city’s walls, that would be the only reasonable explanation, in fact. Perhaps they are being stored elsewhere in the city?]

Subaru: [There were so many of them, too…]

While they were considering the situation and how to best respond to it, they heard a clatter from upstairs, where their bedrooms were. It was already clear there would be no rest that night.

***

While Subaru and Beatrice had been leaving the Miload townhouse, Bastian had returned to his room and was out like a light. He had an uncanny talent for falling asleep quickly and being able to sleep through seemingly anything. Under such conditions, if there were ever a point he could be considered vulnerable, it might be while he was asleep.

It was while he was sleeping that the door to his bedroom slowly creaked open. A slender figure slipped into his room. In their hands were twin knives. Their intent would be obvious to anyone: they were here to kill.

As they approached the swordsman’s bed, eight motes of white light emerged from the sheathed sword leaning against the nightstand. It was in this moment that Bastian’s eyes shot open.

Bastian: [Radiant Array.]

With a single utterance, Ris followed its contractor’s command, releasing a volley of eight rays of light in the direction of the slender assailant. However…

???: [My, my, aren’t we lively? You may make for better prey than I’d anticipated.]

With elegant, dancer’s movements, she deftly avoided each of the rays. She possessed a sultry voice with undertones of bloodlust. It would be enough chill the blood in your veins. Of course, Bastian wouldn’t feel it even if his blood had actually frozen.

Picking up his blade, he rose from his bed with an annoyed look.

Bastian: [Pretty quick…]

Finally, looking in her direction, and by the light emitted from Ris, he could make out the figure of a woman. She had black hair and wore a revealing black dress with stockings. She had the face of a doll, her eyes unblinking, her smile uncanny.

Bastian: [Kukri? You’re from Gusteko. Guess the Church has sunken to a new low…]

The provocative assailant giggled with faint amusement.

???: [Sorry, my dear, but that isn’t the case. And before you ask…]

She crept further into the light as her words trailed off into the night.

???: [… I’m afraid I’m unable to disclose my employer’s identity.]

Chapter Text

There was pounding at the door of the Miload guesthouse. Though they weren’t particularly large witch beasts, even they would eventually be able to break through with enough effort. Windows would be targeted as points of entry soon enough. It was only a matter of time before the monsters thought to do so.

Meanwhile, Subaru and Beatrice were racing up the stairs. There had been a clatter. Actually, “clatter” would be putting it lightly, considering that the hallway had a new open concept design courtesy of Bastian’s Yang Magic.

Having heard the noise, Subaru had initially worried for his friend. He’d wanted to rush to his bedroom to wake him up post haste. However, there was clearly no need. The disgraced swordsman was wide awake.

Bastian wasn’t the first person he saw when rounding the corner into that second floor hallway, though. It was someone else, someone Subaru had hoped he’d never see again.

Subaru: [… Elsa…]

Elsa Granhiert. The Bowel Hunter. The woman who had disemboweled Subaru on at least a couple of occasions. Of course, within this timeline, the closest she’d gotten to this was a shallow wound in his abdomen. Even that wound had caused him to pass out from blood loss back then.

Though his words had come out in a hoarse whisper, it had still caught Elsa’s ear.

Elsa: [Well, well, if it isn’t the prey that got away. It doesn’t seem like the Sword Saint is here to come to your aid this time, though you do seem to have a knack for surrounding yourself with powerful people.]

She gestured her knives at both Beatrice and Bastian as she made this observation.

Elsa: [I see dear sister was unable to kill you before you could return. Though it’s regrettable, don’t go thinking you’re any safer now that you’re here.]

Subaru: [Like I was under any such delusions!]

Subaru had known from the minute they started running that the guesthouse wouldn’t be a safe haven. The only reason he and Beatrice had returned was to link back up with Bastian and form a counter to this witch beast incursion. He hadn’t considered the possibility of Elsa being behind this attack, or some hitherto unknown “sister” of hers, for that matter.

Beatrice: [You know each other, in fact?]

Subaru: [“Know” is an awfully generous term. She was the one who was trying to buy Emilia’s insignia prior to the Royal Selection, back on my first day in Lugunica…]

He didn’t have time to reminisce. Even if he did, he wouldn’t really want to. The wound was still too fresh.

Bastian: [Colorful past you got.]

Elsa: [Indeed.]

As the two fighters bantered about Subaru’s circumstance, Elsa lunged at Bastian.

Bastian: [El Shinza.]

Seeing this lunging attack, he reflexively used his Yang Magic to augment his agility and strength. As for his next move in that split second…

He knew drawing his sword normally would invoke his Entrancing Tone, which would put his allies at a disadvantage. He tapped the sheath containing his Signing Blade with his left index and middle fingers. It was a curious gesture to those present, as though he was trying to communicate something, though the audience was uncertain.

Subaru and Beatrice saw as he reached for his sword in that split second, believing they were about to lose their senses again. They instinctively closed their eyes.

But nothing happened. There was the ring of a sword being drawn from its sheath, but that noise didn’t consume them as it had when they’d arrived in Costuul. Bastian had drawn his sword without invoking his Entrancing Tone, with a secondary ring of steel meeting steel as he managed to parry Elsa’s attack.

Elsa: [Curious. Your spirits went inside that blade after your first attack against me.]

Bastian: [They’re always ready to use a certain Spirit Art. Can’t use that right now, though.]

As they spoke Elsa kept up the pressure. Even with El Jiwald active, Bastian seemed to be having a hard time matching Elsa’s tempo. Despite this difficulty, Elsa made no progress in breaching Bastian’s defenses.

Then, she thought of a different weakness to exploit. She threw several needles in Bastian’s direction, distracting him just long enough to allow her to disengage and change her target…

Subaru: [… no!]

He rasped out this innate reaction to the prospect of having his gut sliced open again. His right hand unconsciously covered his navel. He could practically feel that familiar burning sensation he’d felt while bleeding out on that loot house floor months ago.

Beatrice sensed the shift in intentions, however, inserting herself between Subaru and the incoming Elsa. Subaru was horrified at how readily she did this. It was such a snap decision on her part.

Subaru: [No, Beatrice! Don’t do this! Please!]

Elsa nearly got within arm’s reach of the petite spirit, who defiantly stared down the assassin as she prepared to lay down her life for her contractor.

Steel rang once again.

Elsa: [Well, you didn’t stay distracted for long. If you’d been just a second slower, I would have finally seen what a spirit’s insides look like.]

Bastian: [It’s just mana. Not sure why you’re interested.]

Bastian’s response was cold and disinterested. It didn’t even bother to address the absurdly grotesque nature of her perverse fixation upon viscera. His response cut clean through this sentiment with a matter-of-fact attitude. It was clear he didn’t intend to humor Elsa.

Bastian: [Subaru. Beatrice. Find her sister. End the threat to the city. Will handle this.]

Subaru: [But…]

He wanted to remind Bastian of the last time he’d brought up Elsa in conversation, about how even Reinhard had evidently not been enough to defeat her. Of course, back then, Reinhard hadn’t been using the Dragon Sword Reid during that fight. Something about her not being worthy of it? There was a lot about that night that remained unclear to Subaru, but one thing was obvious: Elsa wasn’t an opponent to be taken lightly.

Bastian: [Concerned, are you? Don’t be. Now go.]

Subaru: [F-fine! But you better not die, damn it!]

Sensing the urgency in Bastian’s words, he took Beatrice’s hand. She, too, could sense the urgency, and upon taking Subaru’s hand, she tore open a spatial rift using Yin Magic. They needed a place of elevation to scope out the situation, ideally as far from Elsa as possible. As they stepped through the rift, only Elsa and Bastian remained in that hallway.

Elsa: [My, my, what skill my prey is demonstrating.]

Bastian: [Didn’t seem to care for Subaru very much.]

Elsa: [It’s his eyes.]

Bastian: [They’re certainly scary.]

Elsa: [Oh, so you do have a sense of humor… albeit at my expense. Honestly, to suggest I’d be afraid of such a pathetic boy.]

Bastian: [Why the eyes, then?]

He said this with a sigh. He’d finally decided to relent with his no-nonsense approach, at least for now.

Elsa: [They appear to look past the possibility of death. It makes me sick.]

Bastian: [Sounds praiseworthy.]

As Elsa struck at Bastian only to be rebuffed at every turn, they had a rather casual conversation. Elsa found it a bit frustrating that it seemed her current target was only on the cusp of truly engaging with this encounter.

Elsa: [Care to put in a little more effort? I’m beginning to get bored. Not the reaction a man wants out of a woman, no?]

Bastian: [Not interested in fighting if it can be helped. Would prefer to talk, if possible.]

Despite the severity of the situation, Bastian found himself relenting somewhat. He was resisting some urge within him. Something about the caliber of this opponent made him itch inside of his head.

Elsa: [Well, that’s interesting. Wanting to flirt at a time like this?]

Bastian: [“Flirt?” Not sure you understand...]

Elsa: [Sure, sure… tell you what, we can “talk” while we dance. That sounds reasonable, does it not?]

Bastian: [“Dance,” huh?]

The euphemism was clear. If he was going to talk with her at all, he’d have to compromise. This would mean deviating from his typical fighting style somewhat, taking more of the initiative for a change. He tended to employ a more reactive fighting style when it came to using his sword or fighting unarmed.

Bastian: [Fine.]

There was a bit of silence between the two.

Elsa: [… you are aware of the custom between warriors, are you not?]

Bastian: [Is that truly necessary?]

Elsa: [If you want to “talk…”]

Bastian: [Stop saying it like that. Fine…]

With an annoyed sigh, he locked eyes with Elsa. She wore a smile to match her empty, doll-like eyes. They were oddly complimentary to his own hollowed eyes, though he wouldn’t muster a smile. Not here, and not for a while to come.

Elsa: [The Bowel Hunter, Elsa Granhiert.]

Bastian: [The Sun Knight, Bastian Artorius.]

***

The two performed their dance in that dark hallway. In Elsa’s mind, she wasn’t in some musty hallway in a rapidly ruining building. She was in a ballroom, dancing with a stranger. He wasn’t a particularly elegant dancer, and his attire matched this impression. Still, she found him rather intriguing, as he did her, even if he didn’t have the same ballroom delusion.

Bastian: [So… how’d you become an assassin?]

Elsa: [How did you become a disgraced knight?]

A sharp riposte in both word and blade.

Bastian: [Hmph, can tell that, huh?]

Elsa: [The Odglass medallion is a dead giveaway, as is your lack of the sacred garb of your order. You must have gotten your hands dirty…]

Bastian: [Ugh.]

Harsh clanging of steel rang over their casual exchange. Bastian could only express disgust with her demeanor. While it perfectly suited her seductive appearance, it was hardly something he enjoyed given the context. It felt grossly incongruous to him.

Bastian: [Was an Acolyte Knight, sure. Something happened. Not quite sure what. A village was lost. My comrades killed. Not sure how it happened or who did it. Didn’t feel right turning over to the Inquisition. Missing something.]

Elsa: [Do you always talk like this? I prefer my men to be more engaged in the conversation.]

Bastian: [Have to earn that kind of effort outta me.]

Elsa: [Ah, playing hard to get, are we?]

Bastian: [Ugh.]

The dance continued as their movements were kept in time by the resounding of metal on metal. Though the hallway was her ballroom, it was beginning to look like a mighty beast had sharpened its claws on the floor, the ceiling, the walls. Slash marks from the duet were everywhere.

Bastian: [Answered your question. Now it’s your turn.]

Elsa’s smile became more animated than before. There was a faint sparkle in her eye. He got the impression this was a topic she didn’t get to talk about very often. She must have relished in her past.

Elsa: [Well, as you could tell, I grew up in Gusteko. My parents abandoned me as a child. I had no choice but to steal to survive.]

The dance began to get more uncomfortable for Bastian hearing this. He wanted to doubt what he was hearing, but something about it all sounded too believable. Gusteko wasn’t known for being the most hospitable place. Outside of the main cities, survival was a more tenuous experience for the average person. It wasn’t unheard of, then, for parents to be unable to provide for a child, let alone for themselves. Abandonment was a sadly common occurrence. Bastian himself could relate.

Elsa: [One day I got particularly unlucky. The owner of a store had caught me stealing. He tried to have his way with me.]

Bastian winced hearing this. Sympathy was overriding the itching in his head. He felt so dearly for this unfortunate woman.

Elsa: [I had to defend myself. I refused to be violated. So, using a broken bottle of brandy, I slashed open his belly. Ah, the warmth was intoxicating…]

Elsa blushed as she recounted that transformative moment to her dance partner. The expression on her face was one of utter delight, sharply contrasting with the content of her words. Bastian’s capacity for sympathy was being thoroughly challenged in this moment.

The itch. That itching inside of his head grew more intense. He found he could no longer hold it at bay. His pupils constricted, his eyes taking on a frenzied appearance. A fire welled up inside of him. One of righteous fury.

His outrage allowed him to break the stalemate between them. Without so much as a single word, he landed a diagonal slash across Elsa’s chest, breaking clean through her parry to do so. It was a deep wound, one that would ordinarily prove fatal.

As the assassin laid bleeding out on the floor of that deeply ruined hallway, Bastian returned to his senses, the mental itch having subsided.

Bastian: [… damn it.]

He’d hoped for better, though not in terms of challenge in combat. He preferred things to be easy on that front, or at least this is what he thought. What he’d hoped for was a better outcome. Despite her clear faults, he could see through to a deeply broken woman, one who never had a chance. If he’d managed to restrain himself, if they’d gotten to talk longer, what could have been? He couldn’t help but wonder…

But he wouldn’t have long to do so. Ris emerged from his blade, alerting him to danger once more. He only barely dodges a kukri thrown from behind him.

Bastian: [… you…]

The itching returned. There was a mixture of emotion swirling within him. Surprise. Joy. Annoyance. Disgust. Elsa Granhiert yet lived, having risen from the floor, soaked in her own blood.

Elsa: [How does it feel, getting your hands dirty? Don’t you just love the feeling?]

Bastian: [… no.]

Elsa: [Ah, you hesitated.]

Bastian: [Ugh.]

He tried to return to their prior dynamic, but found he had to force himself to do so. The itching in his head was proving to be a powerful barrier in this regard.

Bastian: [You… you’re a Cursed Doll, aren’t you?]

Elsa: [… you knew?]

Her cheeks grew rosy at this deduction. Her fingers, still somewhat dirty from the pool of her own blood, touched her lips in a gesture of pleasant surprise. Bastian did his best to look past the impropriety of it all.

Being Gustekan himself, he was familiar with the curses used by sorcerers. Though they’d largely been pushed underground by the Inquisition, they still practiced their dark arts in secret, having become more diffuse within the Holy Kingdom. Cursed Dolls were one application of said dark arts, creating virtually undying servants. They were known to be used for all sorts of unsavory tasks, obeying their master’s every whim. This led Bastian to refine his deduction further. 

Bastian: [Specifically an imperfect one. Got too much autonomy to be complete.]

Elsa: [My, my, I am impressed. Not many are able to correctly guess such a thing. My apologies for making your task more difficult than you had anticipated.]

Elsa curtsied before Bastian as she gave her taunting apology. Bastian’s brow furrowed in response. The sight before him made little sense. Such beauty amidst such grotesquery.

Elsa: [I knew going in that fighting you would be difficult, being an Acolyte Knight. Now it seems we’re on even ground. Of course, being a disgraced Acolyte Knight, I suppose you’d no longer have partial immortality, would you?]

Bastian grimaced as he instinctively clutched his medallion. He recalled wondering if he could even invoke the Rite of Absolution while helping Subaru deal with Petelgeuse. It had been deeply unpleasant feeling suspended like that, having to take that leap of faith, hoping that his pleas would be heard. His faith had been bolstered that day, his adoration of Odglass was as strong now as it’d been the day he first entered the Order, after all. How could Elsa’s supposition be true?

After this brief and bloody intermission, their dance continued. Sparks were flying as they exchanged blows. Elsa moved about elegantly, while Bastian retained a stiffness in his motion. Moving out of his comfort zone was proving difficult. He needed to loosen up more.

Elsa: [Your blade is quite lovely, especially now that it’s been livened with my red hue…]

Elsa’s eye had been attracted by the iridescent blue glint of Bastian’s Singing Blade. It’d been sullied by blood, though this was only an improvement as far as Elsa was concerned. Bastian didn’t know what made him more uncomfortable: the fact she found blood so beautiful, or the fact that it was her blood that made it so. He refused to make comment.

Elsa: [Still, your technique is quite lacking. Were it not for your magic, I’d have killed you twice over by now.]

Something about the wording of this taunt reached deep into Bastian. The discomfort was cast aside. The cerebral itch demanded his full attention. He decided to stare into the abyss it presented to him.

He sheathed his sword and released the faint white aura around him, opening his arms wide.

Elsa: [What’s this? I figured you may be depressive but didn’t take you to be suicidal. Pity. I was just starting to have fun, too.]

She strolled over to Bastian, smacking her lips as she did so.

Elsa: [Oh well. It has been a while since I felt the warm bowels of an Acolyte Knight. And this will be the first time it was a disgraced Acolyte Knight, too. I wonder if there’s a noticeable difference…]

She spoke of his intestines as one would a fine wine. Ordinarily he’d grimace or grunt in disgust at the mismatch of these sensibilities. Not now. His mind was elsewhere.

Elsa: [Thank you kindly, Bastian Artorius. My only regret is that you never seemed as interested in our dance as I was…]

With one last barb, she drove her kukri into his abdomen and twisted it sharply. She’d hoped for a more visceral reaction out of the swordsman. However, he didn’t so much as wince. He'd been shielded from the pain by his Divine Protection of Insulation.

Elsa: [This meal has no spice to it at all… how disappointing.]

As she questionably commented in a culinary fashion, Bastian locked his cold eyes onto her doll’s eyes. No expression on his face whatsoever. Elsa frowned.

Elsa: [How annoying.]

Another sharp movement of her blade spilled Bastian’s entrails onto the ruined floor. With a light shove, Bastian collapsed to the floor. There was something about his eyes that she didn’t like. She was all too glad to finish it quickly. She didn’t even lick her blade upon completion. The blood itself just wasn’t worth savoring to her.

She began to walk in the direction of the stairs down to the ground level of the guesthouse, where she would begin to try and pick up the trail of her other prey.

She wouldn’t make it to the first step down those stairs.

A tone. An all-encompassing tone that washed out the world around her. She couldn’t see, hear, or feel anything. She could scarcely think at all. It couldn’t have been possible. It shouldn’t have been. And yet, the Singing Blade had been drawn by the only one who could’ve done so.

It was an understandable misconception on Elsa’s part that Bastian’s disgrace would have separated him from the partial immortality ordinarily bestowed upon Acolyte Knights as a blessing of Odglass. It wasn’t a title that bestowed this blessing upon them, but the mutual love between Odglass and her children that granted this supernatural gift. Though Bastian had strayed from the path, his love and faith in Odglass had remained steadfast. This had been reciprocated by the Spirit Beast now twice over, first back at Roswaal’s ancillary mansion, and now here, in the Miload guesthouse.

What Bastian had just performed was nothing short of a leap of faith. Fortunately for him, it had paid dividends. Most would view it as a gamble. Even Bastian had wondered if such a thing would work when he’d attempted the Rite of Absolution. Since then, however, he’d felt Odglass’ grace around him, and the notion of “gambles” had left his mind entirely.

When the ringing subsided and the world around her returned, she found she felt an immense, piercing pain stinging through her abdomen. Looking down, she saw that beautiful stark white blade had gone clean through her navel. A hedonistic smile spread across her face, her breathing became erratic. Her face was flush with joy at this sensation.

Elsa: [Oh my… this was most unexpected… tell me… how did it feel coming back, Bastian? Was it good for you, too?]

She craned her neck to see the man behind her. She expected to see the same listless, neutral expression as before. To her delight, she was quite wrong.

Elsa: [What wild eyes you have, my dear…]

Bastian’s pupils had again constricted, giving impressions of mania and gravitas. Hot air emitted from his nostrils, feeling like tongues of flame on the back of her neck. The inside of his head was a mess of itching, static, and noise. He was seeing red, and soon enough, he’d be bathed in it.

Bastian: [Al Shinza.]

His chilling, low voice uttered this incantation as he withdrew his blade from Elsa’s torso faster than the eye could track. Without skipping a beat, he proceeded to pass right through her with his blade. Then, he reversed and passed through her again. He did this many times, attacking her from every conceivable angle with blinding speed and brutal strength. It was as though he’d become a human blender, mincing Elsa into finer and finer pieces. Blood flew in every which direction. She found herself unable to react to a single move of his as he flew all around her, enveloping her, enrapturing her.

Death and revival. Death and revival. Death and revival. That ethereal feeling of the soul ebbing out of existence only to flow back into the vessel once more was so maddeningly pleasurable to this sadomasochist. It was a high Elsa had never before experienced, one it was doubtful she could ever replicate from the warmth of bowels or the taste of blood. She was only barely able to articulate this thought before thought itself became impossible. The experience was simply happening at that point, no longer being comprehended or appreciated. The high came to transcend her very existence itself. Though the Enchanting Tone Spirit Art had been lifted already, she found herself senseless amid the blinding onslaught. The remnants of her consciousness hung by a thread, and with one final pass, this, too, had been severed.

Neither of them really knew how long this had gone on for. Neither of them cared either, for their own reasons. By the time Bastian had finally put a stop to his storm, there was nothing left but a bloody mess on the floor. Not so much of a fiber of Elsa’s clothes was left behind. Her flesh had been minced into a fine paste smeared on the floor, walls, and ceiling, her bones ground into a fine powder dispersed into the air. He was covered head to toe in her hue. Not so much as one square centimeter of him wasn’t drenched in blood. He may as well have swam in it.

His mind yet itched.

Chapter Text

They emerged on a rooftop a couple blocks over. It wasn’t quite as far away as either of them would have liked, but it was the best Beatrice could do on such short notice and under such duress. They had escaped the guesthouse, albeit only narrowly.

Subaru: [I wonder how well Bastian will fare against Elsa…]

He couldn’t get this worry off his mind. He still remembered that chilling night in the loot house. Even after the terrifying display that was the Swordplay of the Astreas, Elsa the Bowel Hunter had somehow managed to survive to see another day. If Reinhard couldn’t finish the job, what hope did Bastian have?

Subaru supposed Elsa had a point. He did seem to have a knack for finding strong people. Of course, he largely chalked that up to him being so weak relative to most people in this world rather than some superbly absurd luck on his part. Bastian was one such powerful ally he’d made. His clearing of the snow from the gravesite and his improvised plan that had allowed them to escape the Great Rabbit were clear indicators of this. Even still, he had to wonder what his odds of success were.

Beatrice: [Bastian will be fine, I suppose. Focus on our goal, Subaru. We need to find that woman’s sister, in fact.]

Subaru: [I know, I know. Based on what Elsa said and the context of our prior situation, this sister of hers must have been trying to kill us using those witch beasts somehow.]

Beatrice: [Betty suspects a Divine Protection must be at work, in fact.]

Subaru: [Could be… and whoever this is likely also brought those witch beasts into the city in the first place. I bet if we can determine where they’re coming from, we can find their master.]

Beatrice nodded in affirmation to Subaru’s hypothesis and began scanning the city from the rooftop in order to confirm its veracity. Subaru also tried, but his eyes were no match for those of a Great Spirit, especially with it being nighttime. He could barely make out a thing. Fortunately, Beatrice was more successful.

Beatrice: [There, in fact! A warehouse in the industrial district.]

The industrial district of Costuul was where the most lucrative enterprise in Costuul occurred. It was where magicreation tools were forged and where lagmite ore was refined. Being a center of industry, warehouses dotted the streets of that district to store raw materials and finished products awaiting shipment.

Subaru: [Good work, Beako! But that’s awfully far away…]

Beatrice: [We can more easily close the gap if we travel by rooftop, in fact.]

Subaru: [I’m not that agile, though. Also, I don’t think I can make even half of these jumps…]

Even a cursory glance at the rooftops of Costuul told Subaru he’d break something if he tried navigating the city in this manner. He was fairly athletic but didn’t know much about parkour.

Beatrice: [Betty can make that easier, in fact. Murak!]

With a bit of Yin Magic, Subaru once more felt as light as a feather. Beatrice tugged on his sleeve, her way of saying she wanted to be picked up, apparently.

The two of them began effortlessly jumping from rooftop to rooftop. It was quite an exhilarating experience for Subaru.

Subaru: [Woaaaaaah, this is amazing, Beako! You’re amazing!]

Beatrice: [It’s a good thing there’s virtually no wind tonight, otherwise we would be cast adrift like a leaf on the wind, in fact.]

Subaru: [I feel so free!]

He was laughing almost hysterically as he performed this breezy parkour. Beatrice was happy to see her contractor in such high spirits for a change.

Beatrice: [B-Betty appreciates your excitement, but perhaps you should stay focused on the task at hand, in fact?]

Subaru: [Shit, sorry! Don’t want them getting away…]

Within the span of a few minutes, they’d crossed many blocks over to the industrial district. The lighter weight afforded by Murak allowed Subaru to move more quickly and jump further than he ordinarily could, allowing for such rapid transit. Arriving at the suspected warehouse, Beatrice released her Murak, and Subaru felt normal again.

Subaru: [Aw…]

Beatrice: [We can do that again some other time, I suppose. For now, we must focus!]

Subaru: [Right, right. We gotta get inside of this warehouse. That door’s probably --]

Beatrice: [Jura!]

With this incantation of Yin Magic, a blast of force emitted from Beatrice’s palm, blasting open the wooden door to the warehouse and leaving it largely in splinters.

Subaru: [… locked.]

Beatrice: [Do not worry, in fact. Betty somehow doubts the workers here will mind this breaking and entering if it is in the interest of removing witch beasts from the city, I suppose.]

Subaru: [Man, I hope so… I get the feeling jail here isn’t pleasant.]

Beatrice: [Is jail ever pleasant, in fact?]

Subaru: [Touché.]

While having this casual exchange, Subaru picked up a board from the door that had remained largely intact.

Subaru: [I’ve got your back, Beako. I won’t let myself be dead weight here.]

Beatrice: [B-Betty isn’t concerned with you being dead weight, in fact!]

Beatrice was constantly concerned with her contractor’s self-esteem. She couldn’t let go of how stark the difference was between the Subaru she knew now and the Subaru she’d known before. Could that all have been a façade back then? He’d seemed so chipper. Here, he was coming off as desperate. Desperate to remain relevant. Desperate not to lose anyone else.

Subaru: [You don’t have to sugar coat it, Beatrice. I’m well aware of my short-comings. When we get out of here, I’ve got a lot of work to do.]

He felt exhausted just thinking about the task that remained ahead of him, making amends with those he’d left behind. Now wasn’t the time to think about any of this, though. Now, they were hunting for a culprit.

Footsteps. Hurried footsteps.

Subaru: [Shit, they’re on the run!]

Subaru and Beatrice gave chase to their would-be assailant, beset on all sides by more black winged rats and arkalb. The odds seemed to be against them based on numbers alone. However –

Beatrice: [El Minya!]

The assailant clearly hadn’t counted on having to deal with someone of Beatrice’s caliber. Her Yin Magic made short work of the witch beasts, thinning their numbers considerably within seconds.

Subaru: [Stay away from her!]

A black wing bat had dived towards Beatrice, only to be thoroughly rebuffed by Subaru’s improvised club. It was dashed into the wall, falling unconscious.

Subaru: [Hey you, stop!]

Subaru called out to the cloaked figure they were chasing. He noticed they seemed awfully small. Elsa hadn’t mentioned how old her sister was, but Subaru hadn’t considered that she might be a child. It made him begin to question how best to handle this situation. One way or another, he wanted to try talking to this person.

He needed to confirm he wasn’t up against a child. He didn’t have it in him to harm a child, nor did he have it in him to force Beatrice to do so.

Realizing he needed to make up the ground he’d lost fending off witch beasts, Subaru made a rash decision.

Beatrice: [Wait, Subaru, what are you --]

Subaru: [They’re getting away!]

He dove from the catwalk they’d entered into to the warehouse floor below. He knew precious little about parkour, but there was one thing he knew was important: being able to roll. He figured now would be the best time to try it out.

Desperate. He was desperate to catch up.

Subaru: [Augh, son of a… wait up!]

He stuck the landing… sort of. He landed harder on his shoulder than he’d expected, leaving it bruised and sore. He was thanking his lucky stars he hadn’t dislocated it. Though fortune seemed to rarely grace him these days, he wouldn’t take any good flukes for granted.

He quickly shook off his amateurish landing and took off after Elsa’s sister. His maneuver, though a bit impulsive, had paid off. He’d successfully managed to close the distance between him and this diminutive, cloaked figure. Not only this, but he’d also managed to cut off her escape, landing in her running path and rising to his feet in time to put her on edge.

???: [Elsaaaaa~, where are you?]

The assassin’s voice was that of a young girl. It had a playful intonation, but it wavered nervously. Though the intonation struck him as unfamiliar, the voice itself seemed ominously familiar. He took one step forward. She took two back. She was unarmed and outnumbered, her only move was to call out for her sister, who apparently was the more capable or experienced of the two assassin sisters.

Not before long, she has nowhere left to back up. Her back hit up against a crate of unprocessed lagmite ore that had been stored within the warehouse. With great trepidation, he reached his hand out to unhood the young girl. It was already bad enough that his would-be assailant had turned out to be a child. The fact that he found her oddly familiar only made matters far worse for him.

Removing the hood removed any doubt. This truly was a nightmare.

Subaru: [Meili…?]

***

Subaru: [Meili? I… after the wolgarm attack at the village, I didn’t know where you’d gone. I was worried…]

Meili Portroute. A shy little girl, at least as long as Subaru had known her. Last he’d seen her was roughly five months ago. She’d shown him and the children of the village her puppy, which turned out to be the boss of a large pack of wolgarm that lived within the woods surrounding Irlam Village. After saving the village’s children from the beast, however, Meili was not found to be among them. The worst had been feared by some.

Clearly, those fears had been misplaced.

Meili: [Still haven’t figured it out, huhhhhhh~?]

Subaru: [Figured what…]

The witch beasts. Her disappearance. The wolgarm. Beatrice’s earlier supposition of a Divine Protection being at work.

Subaru: [No…]

His eyes widened in dismay and terror as he realized the truth: Meili had been the one commanding the wolgarm in the woods.

Meili: [Though I’ll admiiiit~, you did a much better job of wiping out that village than I ever could!]

Those words wrenched his heart deeply. His legs began to shake, making it hard to keep standing.

Meili: [It’s sad, though. I wish I could’ve played with Petra again…]

A somber tone, though it was all for show. She knew full well what she was doing to Subaru in this moment. Gauging his response to her initial barb, she’d decided to put the screws to him, and it was ever so effective.

Subaru collapsed to his knees, clutching his head. It all came rushing back to him. Everything he’d worked so hard to lay to rest. Petra’s face in particular rose from his subconscious. He saw her smile as she played with he other children of Irlam, and he saw her mutilated in the snow covered village.

He felt sick.

Subaru: [I… I never wanted any harm to come to the village!]

His mind spun out of control as he looked desperately for some means of redirecting his share of the blame. With Roswaal dead, he felt blaming him wouldn’t hold the same weight as it had before. Of course, there was a very obvious direction for him to point the finger of blame.

Subaru: [It… it’s not like I slaughtered the village! The Witch Cult! The Witch Cult did it, not me!]

His voice became shaky and frenzied as he explained his innocence before Meili. For all intents and purposes, it had been the Witch Cult who’d carried out the atrocity that took place in Irlam Village and Roswaal’s mansion. From a surface level examination of the event, then, Subaru had already avenged them by smashing all of the frozen Witch Cultists at those sites.

But it wasn’t quite that simple. Deep down, Subaru was aware of the complexity behind this event. Complexity, however, was the last thing he needed in this moment.

Beatrice: [Subaru, we’re being surrounded, in fact! Subaru?]

She was doing her best to keep the witch beasts at bay. At first, it seemed as though she was able to trivialize the threat posed by these beasts. However, her attention was split between holding off the witch beasts and being attentive to her contractor.

She could tell he was struggling in this moment. She wanted to bring calm to her contractor at this moment, as she had several times already in the brief time they’d been contracted with each other. Doing so would undoubtedly leave them open to the encroaching witch beasts that continued to emerge within the warehouse.

Fortunately for her, she wouldn’t have to worry about Subaru for much longer.

A white mote of light entered the mentally crumbling Subaru, and he felt calm again. He’d felt it enter from in between his shoulder blades, telling him that an ally was close by behind him. From this alone, he’d wanted to turn to face that direction, but there was another thing that prompted this, as well.

Meili: [N-no…]

It seemed it was Meili’s turn to be horrified.

Standing in the doorway of the warehouse’s main entrance stood a solitary figure. They glistened with a crimson hue in the pale moonlight.

Blood. There was so much blood, so much it couldn’t possibly have been theirs alone. Meeting her shocked, constricted gaze was one of cold and fury.

Beatrice: [Bastian…?]

Subaru stared wordlessly as Beatrice articulated the name that reverberated in his head. Bastian’s eyes had given him pause. There was no light in them. Only violent intent.

***

The witch beasts had taken notice of the interloper. Some continued to try and encircle Subaru and Beatrice, while others began to turn their attention to Bastian.

Bastian: [Radiant Array.]

Seven motes of light emerged from the Singing Blade. It was the first time Subaru had actually seen its iridescent blue glimmer against the moonlight. It would ordinarily be a beautiful sight, were it not for the blood that coated it.

The seven quasi-Yang Spirits fired a coordinated barrage of Jiwald against the oncoming witch beasts. One after another, they were bisected by rays of light. The air reeked of burnt flesh. It didn’t take long for the last of Meili’s witch beasts to be culled.

Meili herself joined Subaru on the floor, collapsing to her knees. She saw the absurd amount of blood on Bastian. She had a heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Somehow, she knew Elsa had been killed by this man.

Beatrice herself was shocked at the sight of him. She’d gotten accustomed to the taciturn, eternally bored swordsman who was kind at heart. Though she knew he’d done what he’d done to protect her and Subaru, she couldn’t help but feel as though he’d gone too far. The image visibly disgusted and disturbed her, something which didn’t escape Bastian’s notice.

Bastian: [Forgive me, Beatrice-sama.]

He bowed in her direction as he uttered this toneless apology. Blood flicked from his hair into the floor as he bowed.

After this gesture of apology, his gaze returned to Meili, and his feet got to moving once more. The look in his eyes, the sword drawn, the direction he was headed… Subaru knew which way things were headed.

Bastian: [… what are you doing.]

In a low growl, Bastian asked this of Subaru. He’d inserted himself between Meili and Bastian, much to the former’s surprise. The Sound Mind Spirit Art was still active in Subaru. Despite the terrifying presence before him, he stood his ground. His voice didn’t even so much as tremble as he spoke.

Subaru: [She’s a child, Bastian. I can’t let you do this.]

Bastian: [Do you know who she works for?]

Subaru: [No, I don’t, and for now, I don’t care. Who she works for doesn’t mean she’s fair game.]

Bastian: [Yes it does. They tried to kill us, Subaru.]

Subaru: [I know. Looks like you’ve already handled the situation, though.]

Bastian: [Not while one yet remains.]

Subaru: [She’s a child. She’s unarmed, alone, and a child. Please, Bastian. This isn’t you.]

This isn’t you.

Those words jolted Bastian as they thrashed about in his delirious skull.

Bastian: [Isn’t… Isn’t…]

He clutched his medallion with a shaking hand. The look in his eyes had sharply changed. Gone was the cold fury. Now, he appeared genuinely afraid. It was the first time Subaru had seen Bastian afraid. It was the first time he’d seen him emote at all.

Bastian: [Oh, spirits…]

His knees gave out beneath him, but he didn’t hit the ground. Subaru caught him before he could. The swordsman was shaking so much.

Bastian: [S-Sound Mind.]

Several of Ris entered Bastian at once. With this, the trembling subsided.

Subaru: [It took that many…?]

Evidently the Sound Mind Spirit Art was scalar. The more intense the psychological upset, the more of Ris would be required to properly mute it. Whatever had been going on inside of Bastian’s mind had clearly shaken him to such a degree that one of Ris wouldn’t suffice.

Bastian: [Thank you, Subaru. For stopping this.]

Subaru: [Thank me later. For now, let’s get you washed up, okay? You’re a mess!]

It was really unsettling how calm he felt in this moment. Even as he was getting blood on himself, he smiled with care for his friend.

Beatrice: [What about her, in fact?]

All eyes were on Meili. She’d been too frozen to take advantage of the moment to flee, not that she really had anywhere to go anymore. Without Elsa, she was now alone in the world.

Subaru: [… I can’t just leave her alone.]

Meili looked to Subaru as he muttered this. She appeared to be in a daze, a melancholic stupor from the weight of reality having crashed down upon her.

Subaru: [We’ll take her in. We’ll have to be cautious, of course. Maybe bind her hands?]

He felt deeply uncomfortable with this line of thought. On the one hand, she was just a child. Doing such a thing felt abhorrent. On the other hand, she had just tried to kill them. Their own safety had to be considered.

Biting the bullet, Subaru grabbed some nearby rope and, gently taking Meili’s hands, he tied them together. He made sure they were tight enough that she couldn’t easily escape the bindings, but not so much so that it’s hurt.

Bastian watched all the while. He seemed to be confused by this course of action, but clearly decided he had no room to speak. He averted his gaze before long, likely afraid that Meili’s eyes might meet his again.

After Meili was bound, the four began making their way back to the Miload townhouse. This situation demanded the immediate attention of the powers that be.

Beatrice: [They’re likely already asleep, I suppose.]

Subaru: [I can only hope so. Thankfully, there were barely any residences in the industrial district. That said, there was plenty of noise at the guesthouse just across from them… somehow I doubt they’re asleep.]

Something about this rubbed Subaru the wrong way. Despite the high likelihood that Annerose and Clind would’ve been aware of their struggle across the street, no one had come to their aid. He hadn’t expected either of them to do so, per se, though perhaps Garfiel could’ve be sent in to investigate with some guardsmen. But this hadn’t occurred.

It took them about twenty minutes to walk back to the Miload townhouse. There were dead witch beasts littering the streets. Evidently they’d come into contact with Bastian after he’d wrapped up his duel with Elsa. The air similarly smelled of burnt flesh. Since it was witch beast, it actually somehow smelled worse than the bandits back in that Gustekan forest had.

Knocking on the door…

Clind: [My, it’s late to be receiving guests. Young man, I must say, you look rather rough.]

Subaru: [Ah, yeah, well… it’s been a rough night.]

Clind looked out into the street, observing the carnage outside. Part of that carnage was standing a few feet behind Subaru, visibly ashamed.

Clind: [How revolting.]

Bastian: [Sorry…]

Clind gave an embittered sigh in response. It was the kind of sigh one might hear from a parent fed up with their child’s misbehavior.

Clind: [Just get inside and wash that filth off of you. Frederica, launder this man’s clothes while he bathes.]

Frederica: [Of course.]

Bastian still hadn’t quite returned to normal. His Spirit Art had only helped to mute his outward expression of anxiety and terror. He was having to come back down through his own devices, which was taking time.

Bastian: [Sorry for the trouble, Miss Frederica…]

Frederica: [It’s no trouble, Bastian-dono. I’m just glad you all are safe!]

A flicker of emotion comes over Bastian, gone as quickly as it’d appeared. Was it surprise? Happiness? He couldn’t say, nor would he.

Clind: [And who might this be?]

Clind had noticed Meili, her hands bound and being held by Subaru. He appeared more sympathetic to her, given that she was a child. Subaru gathered that Clind was a man who was deeply appreciative of youth, given his earlier interactions with the butler.

Subaru: [Her name is Meili Portroute. There’s… a lot of explaining we have to do. No need to bother Lady Annerose about any of this, of course.]

Clind: [It certainly seems there is much to discuss. I agree that Lady Annerose needn’t be bothered with these concerns, if only due to how late it is. By all means, come on in. You all must be so exhausted from the night’s events.]

Subaru: [You have no idea…]

Heading inside, Clind ushered Subaru, Beatrice, and Meili to the parlor, but only after Subaru washed the blood off of his hands. A fire was crackling in the parlor’s fireplace, making the room cozy. Despite this, the atmosphere felt insufferable. The chaos that had only just ensued not but an hour ago surely had some effect, though Clind himself had a way of dampening the mood. Subaru still had Clind’s harsh refusal to hear out his plans regarding the Great Rabbit earlier that evening ringing in his ears. This, too, played a role in the atmosphere that threatened to smother them.

Clind: [So, tell me what happened, Natsuki-san.]

He relayed the attack to Clind, from its onset in the streets on their way back to the guesthouse to their encounter with Elsa, finishing with the events at the lagmite warehouse.

Clind: [Well, that explains all of the blood… I must say, you are peculiarly calm despite all of this.]

Subaru: [Credit for that goes to Bastian. He used a Spirit Art to calm me down when I started becoming overly anxious.]

Clind: [Ah, yes. Youth can often be fraught with anxiety.]

The butler said this as though he were reminiscing or even admiring Subaru’s capacity for anxiety.

Subaru: [Any ideas why this all happened? I’ll admit, after I left Lugunica a while back for Gusteko, I’d been afraid that someone was out to get me… but no one ever came for me while I was there.]

Clind: [Oh my, to be so afraid for your own life. What must have happened to you here to make you so fearful?]

Subaru: [That’s… a long story.]

Beatrice instinctively gripped his right hand as he said this, earning a smile from her contractor.

Clind: [I see. I shall not broach that topic, then.]

Subaru wanted to appreciate this apparent show of tact, though it also had come off like he simply couldn’t be bothered to listen to a long story. Since it was late, Subaru opted to focus on the tactful side of things.

Subaru: [Anyway, I find it odd that only now that I’m back in Lugunica am I being targeted by assassins. What’s more is that Bastian was also a target and was also only targeted after arriving in Lugunica. Specifically, since we arrived here…]

Clind: [What is it you are getting at, Natsuki-san?]

Clind’s eyes narrowed as he leaned forward, his hands folding and obscuring his mouth. He gave of an air of authority. Had this just turned into an interrogation? It almost felt like one to Subaru.

Subaru: [Let me be clear: I haven’t ruled out the possibility that someone from Gusteko had placed the hit on us while we were still there. The assassins could’ve followed us back. I find that possibility to be unlikely, though. There would’ve been plenty of opportunities for them to attack us on our way down, in places far more secluded than Costuul. We didn’t have any such encounters on our way back, though.]

His case was iron clad. If the hit had to come from anywhere, it likely wasn’t Gusteko. Lugunica was the most logical point of origin for any hit orders. More specifically…

Clind: [You suspect that the one responsible for hiring these assassins must be here in Costuul?]

Subaru: [Yes.]

He grimly confirmed Clind’s hypothesis. Clind reclined back into his seat, and as he relaxed, the atmosphere seemed to lighten with him.

Clind: [Well, I will certainly do everything in my power to assist in your search for answers, Natsuki-san.]

Subaru: [Thanks, Clind. It’s really appreciated.]

Clind: [Now then… what do you intend to do with Miss Meili here?]

Subaru still had his left hand on her bound hands as they were seated on the couch. She was as despondent now as she was earlier, and she showed no signs of brightening up.

Subaru: [We may take her in, maybe help her grow out of her… unsavory habits.]

He said this with a bitter smile as Meili continued to stare somberly out into space. Her olive eyes seemed as hollow as Bastian’s had back in Gusteko, reflecting little light from the fire.

Clind: [I must say, that is quite admirable of you, Natsuki-san. So bold.]

Subaru: [What’s so bold about taking care of a kid? It’s just the right thing to do.]

He expressed his confusion as he undid Meili’s bindings. Given her despondency, he felt she was unlikely to do anything rash anytime soon. Despite her contractor’s show of compassion, Beatrice kept a wary eye on the blue-haired girl.

Subaru: [What do you say, Meili? Would you be willing to try a new way of living?]

Nothing. No response. It was as though she were looking past him. He sighed in defeat. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy, but all the same, he knew he had to try.

Subaru: [Beako, this is a big ask I’m gonna make of you…]

Beatrice: [Betty’s listening, I suppose.]

She could already tell what her contractor was going to ask of her. She wasn’t exactly thrilled.

Subaru: [I need you to keep an eye on Meili by rooming with her. If she tries anything, you can subdue her, but by no means can you use violence, understood?]

Beatrice: [Betty understands, in fact. Betty will use Vita on her to make her too heavy to move, should it come to it, I suppose.]

Subaru: [Thank you. Oh, and try to befriend her as best as you can. She needs people right now. Again, I know I’m asking a lot of you, but trust is a two-way street.]

Beatrice pouted at this but knew Subaru’s heart was in the right place. He had a big heart. It was one of his finer points, she supposed.

***

It was past midnight by the time Bastian emerged from the baths. Having no spare clothes, he decided to just walk around in a towel and hope for the best. He felt bad for Frederica for having to attempt the laborious task of laundering his heavily soiled clothes. Not one fiber of his garments had been untarnished by blood.

On top of this, the baths were also made sullied by this filth. He felt terrible. He didn’t want to be here anymore. He thought he’d feel better after bathing, but this was unfortunately not the case. It’d take a bit longer yet for him to sooth his nerves.

He decided to dry off by the fire in the parlor.

Bastian: [Still up?]

Subaru: [Hm? Oh, yeah. I was waiting up for you. Seemed like you were pretty rattled earlier, so I didn’t feel good leaving you up alone.]

Bastian: [… you’re a good friend.]

Subaru: [Hey, you’ve done plenty for me so far!]

Bastian mustered the slightest of smiles towards this gesture. He then looked around the room.

Bastian: [No Beatrice-sama? Meili?]

Subaru: [I sent them to bed. Didn’t wanna keep Meili up any longer, and Beatrice has agreed to keep an eye on her by rooming with her. Thankfully, Clind agreed to allow us to stay here the night instead.]

The townhouse didn’t have much for living space. There were enough rooms for Annerose, Clind, Frederica, and Garfiel alone. The only spare room was given to Beatrice and Meili. Subaru and Bastian, then, were to sleep in the parlor.

Subaru & Bastian: [I’ll take the floor.]

They immediately looked at each other upon each calling dibs on the floor.

Bastian: [Subaru, please. There’s one couch. You take it.]

Subaru: [Not a chance! You take it. One night on the floor won’t kill me.]

Bastian: [It won’t just be one night, though. Guesthouse’s in shambles.]

Subaru: [Yeah, well… we won’t be here forever, alright?]

Bastian: [… okay.]

Bastian was emotionally exhausted from the events of a few hours ago. He didn’t feel like arguing over something so trivial.

Subaru was aware that his friend had gone through a great deal recently. Even still, he was curious…

Subaru: [So, uh… how did you do it?]

Bastian: […]

Subaru: [I mean, it’s just… even Reinhard couldn’t do it.]

Bastian: [… he must not’ve known what she was, then.]

Subaru: [“What she was?”]

Bastian: [Cursed Doll. Imperfect. Ordinarily nigh undying servants, but her autonomy was unusual. Cursed Dolls have partial immortality, just like Acolyte Knights. Theirs is born of curses, though, rather than the grace of Odglass.]

Subaru: [So if Reinhard had known she was a Cursed Doll…]

Bastian: [Would’ve been easy for him. Sure of it.]

Subaru: [But how do you kill something that’s immortal?]

Subaru considered folklore from back home. Vampires were said to be undying but could be killed with a stake through their heart. There were other similar supposedly undying entities in folklore that also had a specific means of disposal.

Bastian: [Not fully immortal. Only partial. Can shrug off wounds that’d usually be fatal, but that only goes so far. To kill such a person, all it takes is pushing them past that limit.]

Subaru: [That… sounds difficult.]

Bastian: [Was. Died once in the process.]

Subaru: [… what?]

Subaru could hardly believe his ears. Bastian died?

Subaru: [How…?]

Bastian: [Got disemboweled.]

Subaru: [Nononono! I mean, how are you still alive?!]

Bastian: [Quiet. People’re sleeping.]

Subaru’s hands flew to cover his mouth. He could hardly be blamed for his reaction, though. Of course, he had been curious as to how his friend died, but more so how he’d managed to survive death. To his knowledge up until this point, only he had been able to see past death.

Bastian: [Can safely say I’m still in Odglass’ good graces…]

He clutched his medallion with the same smile from before as he used a rare personal pronoun. Subaru couldn’t quite nail the pattern for when or why it was he decided to use these. Maybe there was no pattern.

Bastian: [However…]

Subaru: [However?]

Bastian: [Got mixed feelings about that fight. Was glad Odglass has decided to uphold her blessing, but… that woman… Elsa…]

He clutched his medallion tighter in anguish and uncertainty. His smile faded into a minute frown. His eyes appeared vaguely mournful.

Subaru: [What about her? She’s gone now, you beat her! She can’t hurt you or anyone else anymore.]

Bastian: [Not that. Killed her, sure, but… she never had a chance.]

Subaru: [Well, not against you, she didn’t!]

Bastian: [No. Not a chance in life. Not one good thing happened to her. Could feel it. Felt… sorrow. Pity? No… regret.]

Subaru: [You regret having to kill her?]

Bastian: [Regret not being able to help her. She hadn’t always been that way. No one’s born a killer. Somewhere along the line, she was pushed onto that path. If someone had been there for her to show her something better…]

Subaru: [It’s possible she told you that sob story just to disarm you. You don’t know she --]

Bastian: [No.]

Bastian’s fists clenched, though his face remained largely neutral. His eyebrows only slightly furrowed into a glare, though it wasn’t pointed anywhere in particular.

Bastian: [It wasn’t just a story. She wouldn’t need to resort to such lowly tactics. Not who she was.]

There was something to be said about the bond forged in battle. A deep, unique form of understanding is formed between combatants that can’t be formed elsewhere, unmatched in quality and magnitude. In the exchange of blows, there was also a subtle exchange of information. How they move, how thoughtful they are in the heat of the moment and more become apparent over the course of battle.

No stranger to battle, Bastian knew all too well what kind of opponent he’d faced in Elsa. She wasn’t one given to making herself out to be weaker than she really was. She was a huntress, a predator who “consumed” prey through her sheer skill alone. Demoralization may have been on the table, and it certainly had been employed in their fight. But an appeal to morality?

Bastian: [Not who she was…]

Subaru: [Bastian…]

Subaru rested his hand on Bastian’s shoulder as he lamented. It was clear Bastian regretted having to end someone who had suffered through a terrible life.

Bastian: [Wanted to thank you again for stopping that earlier mistake.]

Subaru: [Oh, you mean with Meili? You weren’t in your right state of mind. Must’ve been still riding the adrenaline from your previous fight at that point. I can see how that’d cloud your judgment a bit.]

Bastian: […]

He wasn’t so sure about this explanation.

Subaru: [I suppose it could also have something to do with that “lost time” of yours, too…]

Bastian tensed up upon hearing this postulate.

Subaru: [O-Oh, but we don’t need to worry about that for now!]

There was a long silence between the two after that. This would only be broken by Frederica’s return.

Frederica: [Still up, you two?]

Bastian: [Can’t sleep.]

Subaru: [I was waiting up for him.]

Frederica: [Ah, I see. Bastian-dono, I’ve brought you a change of clothes. The former residents of this townhouse left much behind in their closets. As for you clothing… I regret to inform you I’m unable to remove the stains. They may be permanently stained…]

Bastian: [Burn them if it’s too much trouble. Can get clothes some way or another, return these.]

Frederica: [Please, keep them! You all have done much for Costuul tonight. It’s the least I can do as a show of gratitude!]

Bastian: [Oh… thank you, Miss Frederica.]

He slowly accepted his new clothes. A white linen shirt, grey vest and slacks, and black shoes. Much more proper in appearance than his prior look. He no longer would look like a vagabond. He leaves the parlor for the nearest restroom to change in.

Meanwhile, Frederica’s mention of a helping Costuul jogged Subaru’s memory.

Subaru: [Right, we need to talk to Garfiel tomorrow…]

They had a plan. Regardless of whether Annerose and Clind would accept it, they would see it through. It was the only option remaining.

Despite this heavy line of thought, Subaru found himself oddly relaxed. The warmth of the fire and the gentle lighting it provided was likely to blame. He watched the flames flicker as he slowly drifted to sleep.

Chapter Text

He woke up with a jolt.

Subaru: [H-huh?!]

He hadn’t expected to wake up in a bed. He could’ve sworn he’d fallen asleep on the couch by the fireplace in Annerose’s parlor. He remembered drifting off to sleep by the fire as he considered what he’d need to do the next day.

Yet here was that next day, waking up in the bed he’d slept in the days prior to Elsa and Meili’s attack.

Subaru: [I… I didn’t…]

He remembered feeling something like this before, back during his first week at Roswaal’s mansion. It’d taken him a while to figure it out, but wolgarm bites had been placing curses on him, resulting in him dying and waking up in bed.

Subaru: [Did I reset…?]

His mind and heart were racing. He hadn’t died since before he’d ran away from Lugunica, having been frozen to death by Puck once more.

Subaru: [But I’m sure I didn’t get bit!]

He began frantically checking himself for bites, too preoccupied to realize that they wouldn’t be there if he’d truly Returned By Death. He didn’t even know if black winged rats or arkalb had the same cursed bite as wolgarm. Panic superseded reason.

Bastian: [What are you doing?]

Subaru: [Gah!]

Bastian had suddenly appeared in his doorframe, startling him in his anxious state. He’d first recognized him by his voice, but looking to him after hearing his voice –

Subaru: [… you look different.]

Bastian was no longer wearing his white and azure haori. Instead, he was wearing a white button-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up and a silvery grey vest over top. Instead of his light grey shorts, he was now wearing dark grey slacks. He was even wearing shoes now, a pair of black leather shoes. Around his neck was a light blue scarf, which looked an awful lot like the scarf the man in the market had tried to trade for medication yesterday.

Bastian: [Clothes were soiled, remember?]

Subaru: [Oh yeah…]

He breathed a heavy sigh of relief as he flopped backwards into his bed.

Bastian: [Not sure what’s so comforting about hearing about that…]

Subaru: [Hm? Oh, it’s nothing!]

Bastian: [Right…]

Subaru: [Still though, you cleaned up, man!]

Bastian: [Clothes were soiled, remember?]

Subaru: [No, no, I mean your clothes! You look very proper now, almost like a butler.]

Bastian: [They probably were a butler’s clothes from whoever previously lived at the townhouse.]

Subaru: [And you’re wearing shoes!]

Bastian: [Miss Frederica wouldn’t let me not take them.]

Subaru: [And your hair… is that a ponytail you’re sporting?]

The swordsman had indeed put his hair up into a ponytail. Though it still had a rough appearance, it was nowhere near as wild as his previous hairdo.

Bastian: [Miss Frederica said it’d look nicer that way.]

Subaru: [My, my, Miss Frederica’s been awfully nice to you.]

Subaru hammed it up. He was riding the high of realizing he hadn’t died after all. Moreover, he never got chances to poke fun at the stoic swordsman, even if there probably wasn’t anything to it.

Bastian: [Knock it off.]

An abbreviated sigh of annoyance and a grumbling retort. Subaru couldn’t help but smile at his friend’s expense.

Subaru: [So… did you take me here, then?]

Bastian: [Yes.]

Subaru had figured Bastian was responsible. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d been carried upon passing out. One thing remained uncertain…

Subaru: [Why, though? Isn’t this place in ruins right now?]

Bastian: […]

Subaru: [Ah, sorry. Didn’t mean to make you feel bad…]

He could tell Bastian felt remorse for last night’s events. The property damage had only been symptomatic of them, though they were reminder enough.

Bastian: [It’s fine. Cleaned it up.]

Subaru: [Eh?]

Bastian: [Cleaned it up.]

Subaru: [Ugh, not this again… let me see…]

Moving right past what he perceived to be Bastian’s brand of humor, he got out of bed to check out the hallway outside, where the battle – no, the dance – between Bastian and Elsa had occurred. He expected to see a hallway slathered in gore damaged beyond recognition. Instead –

Subaru: [… it’s like nothing ever happened. How the --]

Bastian: [Restoration Magic.]

Subaru: [Eh?]

Bastian: [Restoration Magic. Type of Yang Magic. Restores things to their prior state. Not too difficult on simple wooden structures like this.]

Subaru: [And the blood…?]

Bastian: [… mopped it up.]

Subaru: [You didn’t sleep last night at all, did you?]

Bastian: [No. Wouldn’t be the first night’s sleep completely lost. Won’t be the last, either.]

Subaru: [Yeah… I hear that…]

He rubbed the back of his neck as he broke eye contact. Ever since their first conversation, he’d known Bastian was someone with whom he could relate somewhat. Both had experienced their own hardships that set them on the path they now walked. He was just thankful he didn’t have to walk it alone.

Speaking of which…

Subaru: [Does Beatrice know I’m over here? I don’t want her thinking I abandoned her.]

Bastian: [Figured as much. Told her about all of this.]

He broadly gestured to the room around them, likely referring to his magical nighttime remodeling of the guesthouse.

Subaru: [Thanks. I’m sure she appreciated knowing where I’d be.]

Bastian: [She was just happy you’d have a proper bed. Get the feeling she doesn’t want you roughing it anymore.]

Subaru: [I really gotta make it up to her somehow…]

Bastian: [Make what up to her? This is what contracts are like.]

Subaru: [What? One-sided?]

Bastian: [Feel like you’re taking more than you’re giving?]

Bastian took a seat at the desk nearby, prepared to offer advice as a veteran Spirit Arts user.

Subaru: [Well, yeah… I feel like I’ve done nothing for her.]

Bastian: [Made her smile, haven’t you? Given her a purpose, hope for something better, for a future. Don’t discount the value of those gifts.]

Subaru: [Yeah, but they’re only valuable if I can deliver…]

Bastian: [Good thing you have a plan to get us out of here then, isn’t it?]

Bastian smiled faintly yet confidently. It wouldn’t have been infectious to most, but Subaru, who’d been traveling with the swordsman for some time, was one of the select few for whom it was. He returned the same smile.

Subaru: [… yeah. Today, we’re gonna have a little chat with Garfiel. First, though, there’s some stuff we need to discuss. Just who was behind all of this? Who can we safely rule out as suspects?]

Bastian: [Agreed. Had a talk with Clind last night, didn’t you? What about?]

Subaru: [I mentioned what I’d observed. How I’d been paranoid about being targeted by assassins while in Gusteko. How we could’ve been targeted at any time between then and now. How it felt odd that it was only after arriving here that we evidently had a hit put out on us.]

Bastian: [What’d he say?]

Subaru: [At first, he got kinda offended. He may have thought I was insinuating something. In a way, I guess he was right to think that. I told him how I suspect that the person who has it out for us is likely somewhere in town. Considering how the city is surrounded by the Great Rabbit, I doubt they would be able to escape once they knew the jig was up.]

Bastian: [They may be cornered… could be dangerous.]

Subaru: [Agreed. A foe is never more dangerous than when they’re cornered. We’ll need to proceed with caution, clearly.]

Bastian: [So, who do you think is the culprit?]

Subaru: [It’s obvious, isn’t it? It’s almost certainly someone we’ve dealt with directly. That narrows it down to Garfiel, Clind, Frederica, and Annerose.]

Subaru got up and began to pace around the room. He felt like Sherlock Holmes talking to his Watson. All he was missing was the iconic hat and a pipe to really sell the look.

Subaru: [We can rule out Frederica. She’s been nothing but helpful, and not in such a way as to be guiding us off the trail, so to speak. She’s genuinely concerned for this city and its people. For that matter, her brother Garfiel can also be ruled out. That only leaves Clind and Annerose. I want to rule out Annerose on the grounds of her being a child, but… Meili’s opened my eyes somewhat. That, and Frederica’s mention of Annerose not always having had a yellow eye gave me pause.]

Bastian: [Suppose that is odd, but why does it affect you so?]

Subaru: [… I’d rather reserve that judgment for now. I really want that theory to be wrong… for now, Clind is our chief suspect. Annerose is to be treated as an accomplice, unwitting or otherwise.]

Bastian: [Very well. Clind say anything else last night?]

Subaru: [Yeah, he said he’d do what he could to help us find the culprit. Somehow I doubt the sincerity of that promise. For now, we must move forward with our plan to defeat the Great Rabbit. That starts with talking with Garfiel. We need someone who can keep the heat off of us. I think he’s our man.]

Bastian: [Boy.]

Subaru: [Eh?]

Bastian: [Boy. He’s fourteen.]

Subaru: [… still can’t shake how odd that is…]

As they wrapped up their discussion with some light banter, they prepared to leave. They had no intention of returning to the guesthouse for another night. Subaru slipped on his black boots, donned his white mantle and orange scarf, and he and Bastian were out the door.

***

The two went back across the street to collect Beatrice and Meili for the day. Fortunately, Clind was busy tutoring Annerose at the time, so they didn’t have to deal with either of them. Frederica was who greeted them. She seemed to instinctively understand what their intentions were that day, doing her best to keep things quiet in the landing.

Meili proved to be surprisingly savvy and sneaky. They didn’t even need to communicate their intent to slip out of the townhouse with them to her. It was encouraging to Subaru, though the thought hadn’t slipped his mind that this was just second nature for her rather than any demonstration of trust.

From there, they decided to avoid returning to the townhouse until their work was done. With two potential suspects behind the attempt on their lives present there, it only made sense. Besides this, Garfiel was already on his rounds for the day. Out on the town was where they needed to be.

Subaru: [First thing’s first: we gotta find Garfiel. We should find some guards and ask them. They seem to be pretty chummy with the guy.]

Returning to the market they’d been yesterday they saw two guards standing watch near one of the stalls. One was tall, appearing to be a canine demi-human. The other was shorter, a human with a ruddy complexion.

Beatrice: [They probably were assigned to be there due to yesterday’s display, in fact.]

Bastian: [Word must’ve gotten around fast about how you intervened…]

Subaru: [How I intervened? You Shinza’d your way in between them!]

Bastian: [Right, so you could intervene.]

Beatrice: [We can play semantics later, in fact! Let’s go talk to them…]

Subaru: [… you mean you want me to go talk to them, right?]

Beatrice shrank behind him timidly as he hit the nail on the head. Without her contractor’s reputation being on the line, she was a lot less comfortable with dealing with strangers. Subaru couldn’t deny he found her shyness adorable, though he knew all too well the somber reality behind it.

Subaru: [No worries, Beako! If this is something I can do for you, then I’ll do it gladly!]

Beatrice: [I-It’s not just for Betty, in fact!]

Subaru: [You’re right! It’s for all of us.]

He took a look around him. Bastian seemed to be on the same page as him, wearing that faint smile of pride in his fellow burgeoning Spirit Arts user. Looking to Meili, he saw her as despondent as she’d been last night. She’d likely be that way for some time to come. He frowned at this, then took on a more serious demeanor.

This undertaking, taking on the Great Rabbit, would be for all of them. Even Meili.

Subaru: [Excuse me, guards?]

Canine Guard: [Eh? What is it, kid?]

Subaru: [Okay, moving right past that… have either of you seen Garfiel this morning?]

The guards exchanged a knowing, hopeful glance.

Ruddy Guard: [Oi, you that guy with the plan?]

Subaru: [… so, that’s gotten out?]

Bastian: [Seems someone leaked it, though for what purpose…?]

The two were puzzled. They’d been under the impression that their discussion of Subaru’s plan to subjugate the Great Rabbit had only been mentioned within the townhouse. The possibility that someone had leaked this information made Subaru’s paranoia itch again.

Canine Guard: [So you don’t deny it, then…]

Ruddy Guard: [He don’t look like much, though, does he?]

Canine Guard: [No, no he doesn’t…]

Subaru: [Ahem! I take it Garfiel told you all about us?]

Ruddy Guard: [Nah! That’s been the talk of the town, kid. Spirits’re a bit higher here as a result. Can’t say I hate it. Just hope you can deliver.]

Canine Guard: [Yeah, we don’t need idle talk, get it?]

Subaru: [I swear on my life it isn’t.]

He felt kind of gross making such statement, considering his Return By Death. He hoped he never had to make good on that flippant oath.

Bastian: [Know who spread the word?]

Canine Guard: [Nope. Sorry, pal.]

Ruddy Guard: [Yeah, not a clue here, either.]

Subaru: [I see… then can I take your talk about my plan as a sign that you’d be willing to support us?]

Ruddy Guard: [Support? What, you want us to do it for ya?]

Subaru: [No. We need support within the city while we’re busy out there. People to keep the heat off of us. Clind and Annerose don’t seem too keen on my plan, you see.]

Canine Guard: [I don’t doubt it. Had high hopes when they reinforced the walls, but after that? They haven’t done shit to actually fix this mess.]

Ruddy Guard: [Yeah! Only aid we get’s from outside, and it ain’t enough. Just resupplies. No one seems to be willin’ ‘r able to actually kill the damned beast.]

Canine Guard: [Except for you crazy people… jumping over the wall like that. First bit of guts I’ve seen since Garfiel came here.]

Subaru: [If you think so highly of us, then back us up here!]

The two guards exchanged another glance. They seemed uneasy, uncertain.

Ruddy Guard: [Listen kid, we like the fact that you got a plan.]

Canine Guard: [Even if you haven’t given specifics. The claim alone is more than we’ve had so far…]

Ruddy Guard: [But we can’t just put out our necks like that. Sorry.]

Subaru wanted to call them cowards. He was beginning to get angry. He recalled some advice and opted to take a deep breath.

Subaru: [What’ll it take?]

Canine Guard: [What, you trying to bribe us now, kid?]

Ruddy Guard: [I know the guard’s reputation ain’t the best in this city, but --]

Subaru: [No. I’m talking action. What do I need to do to get you and your comrades to help us?]

They exchanged another glance, like they shared the same brain cell.

Ruddy Guard: [We need Garfiel’s support first.]

Canine Guard: [Yeah, if he gives it his seal of approval, we’ll back you up, easy.]

Subaru: [Okay, then I guess it’s back to that, then. Where is he?]

Ruddy Guard: [Ah shit, sorry! That is what you asked first, huh?]

Canine Guard: [Well, you are the one that got us talking about that rumored plan…]

Ruddy Guard: [Oi, I said I was sorry!]

Bastian: [Garfiel. Where is he. Now.]

The two guards stared bewildered at the swordsman who gave off an air of refinement. His curt language betrayed his new appearance.

Ruddy Guard: [A-Ain’t it obvious? The wall! He’s prolly at the wall!]

Canine Guard: [Yeah, he looks out over the wall often these days, especially in the morning. Not sure why that time specifically, though…]

Subaru: [I see. Thank you! And mark my words: that beast’s days are numbered!]

Subaru took off with Beatrice in tow. Bastian and Meili lagged behind. He never saw much of a reason to run unless death seemed like it were in the cards. Meili seemed to lack the energy to do so. She just followed blindly, likely because she felt like she had no other choice.

Canine Guard: [Good luck, kid!]

Ruddy Guard: [He might need it…]

Canine Guard: [Oh, he’ll definitely need it.]

***

The blonde youth stood atop the ramparts, looking out across the blinding white expanse. A miserable haze hung over the sky, making it appear murky. The silvery sun fought to peer through the blankets of grey clouds that stretched as far as the eye could see. It was a bleak vista, one Garfiel had become sadly accustomed to seeing.

Every morning, he made his way to the wall, hoping to see a sunrise. He had no such luck every time, but he figured it was still worth it to keep coming back every morning. The only alternative was submission, no alternative at all to someone like him. Though his ego had been badly battered in his flight from Sanctuary and left him awfully tender inside, he still had a fighting spirit cindering within. It was a shame that spirit alone wasn’t enough to have prevented the fate that had befallen his late home.

Subaru: [Garfiel!]

The attention of his nervous, grim stare towards the horizon was interrupted by Subaru calling out to him breathlessly. He’d ran for a while to get to the wall. The market had been more centrally located within the city. What’s more, is the guards never bothered to say where specifically Garfiel would be along the wall. As such, Subaru and company traversed a not insignificant amount of the interior perimeter of the wall before they found him. Morning was just about turning over to noon by the time they finally found him.

Garfiel: [Whaddya want? ‘ere to talk ‘bout that plan o’ yours?]

Subaru: [Yes. We need your support if we’re gonna pull this off.]

Garfiel returned his eyes to the horizon. He had an inkling of why Subaru needed his help. Having been sobered by his flight from Sanctuary, he figured it wasn’t necessarily fighting strength they needed. The only context they’d seen him in was as an enforcer, someone who held a degree of authority in the city.

Garfiel: [Guessin’ you want me’ta cover for ya, yeah? Keep th’ butler n’ th’ brat off your back?]

Subaru: [Yes. You know they don’t approve of what we have in mind. If anyone can cover for us in this city, it’s you.]

Garfiel grimaced out of their view. Of course, he wanted to see the Great Rabbit be subjugated. Of course, he wanted the city to be free. A part of him resisted their plan, though. A shameful part of him, a prideful part of him. It roared inside of his head, “it should be me! I should be the one!”

But in the face of that monster, he knew he had no chance. He knew he’d be eaten alive before he could even so much as make a dent in their numbers. So how, then? How could they…?

Garfiel: [Gotta admit, ya made quite an entrance, jumpin’ o’er the wall like that. Guards’ve been talkin’ ‘bout it. Townsfolk, too. Erryone’s got high hopes for that plan o’ yours…]

He turned to face them once more. He hadn’t noticed Meili before.

Garfiel: [Whozzat?]

Subaru: [This is Meili. She was one of two assassins who were sent to kill us last night.]

Garfiel: [N’ your just walkin’ ‘round the town with ‘er? Just like that?]

Subaru: [It’s my hope we can show her a better way of living. We can’t do that so easily cooped up in here, though. Get it, Garfiel? With each passing day, the urgency of ending this isolation increases. You know this. I know this. Everyone knows this.]

Meili clutched his hand tightly. She was making sure to keep her distance from Bastian. Earlier, as she and the swordsman had lagged behind, she took notice, and had been careful to stay ahead of him, at least. This hadn’t gone unnoticed by Bastian, who felt hurt but understood all too well why she kept her distance.

Though she didn’t say as much, she could tell she could trust Subaru at least more than she could Bastian. Maybe it was his repeated mention of trying to help her to move past her life as an assassin. Maybe it was something Beatrice had said last night. No one was certain save for her, and at least for the time being, she wasn’t saying a peep.

Garfiel: [Y’know, someone might take it th’ wrong way, you walkin’ ‘round holdin’ th’ hands of two lil’ girls…]

That notion hadn’t escaped Subaru. It was just circumstance, though. He hoped that people would opt to interpret them as being a family of sorts. A tenuous hope, considering their greatly varied appearances.

Beatrice: [Betty’s not a little girl! Betty’s older than you, in fact!]

Garfiel: [Well, guess you’re a spirit n’ all… not that common folk’ll know that.]

Subaru: [Enough about that! Will you help us, or not?]

Garfiel once more looked back to the whiteness beyond the city. He hadn’t felt himself in some time now. He was a bundle of nerves lately. Was it because he was afraid of failing yet another community?

Garfiel: [… doubt you can pull it off.]

Subaru’s heart sank. He truly thought that Garfiel would understand the need for this line of action. Garfiel was someone who had dealt with the Great Rabbit first hand, whose home had been ravaged by it. Of all people, he should have understood the necessity.

Garfiel: [But… guess it’s better’n no plan at all.]

With a sigh of reluctant admission, Garfiel said the words that would cause Subaru’s heart to rebound in an instant.

Subaru: [Thank you, Ga --]

Garfiel: [Just got one question first.]

Subaru: [… and what’s that?]

Garfiel: [You willin’ta die for this city?]

Subaru froze at this line of questioning. What he really was asking was “are you prepared for the possibility that your plan may fail?” Failure and death were synonymous in this instance.

Garfiel: [Ya gotta realize there’s no way you kin get backup. I can’t afford’ta leave. People here need me… for now. It’s annoyin’, ‘cuz otherwise I’d be out there fightin’ with ya for sure. I hate only bein’ able’ta keep the peace…]

He grimaced again. Unseen to them, anguish was written all over him. His fists were clenched in white-knuckled frustration. He wanted nothing more than to take the fight to the Great Rabbit, to avenge the home he’d lost. Alone, he’d be screwed. But with these people?

Garfiel: [That “act o’ aggression” bullshit they spouted… pathetic. S’obvious their hidin’ somethin’. I know shit can’t last ‘ere. We’re all dyin’ slow deaths inside these walls…]

He finally turned back to face them.

Garfiel: [I’ll ask again: you willin’ to die for Costuul?]

Subaru agonized over choosing his next words. Death weighed heavily on him, despite how flippantly he’d sworn on his life earlier. It was something he never wanted experience again, something he didn’t know he could experience again and live to not tell the tale.

Where was his save point? Did he even still have one? He supposed it wouldn’t be bad to have one. It might allow him to escape what he’d done…

But he quickly put that thought out of his head. He had Beatrice to think of now. He promised to help her write her own story. Besides that, he had a timid desire to right what he’d made wrong.

Subaru: [… I guess there are worse ways to go out than dying for a worthy cause…]

Suddenly, he felt the grip on his right hand tighten.

Subaru: [Huh? Beako?]

Beatrice: [Betty won’t let you be killed, in fact! Betty wants you to live to a ripe old age!]

He was met by a stern look of resolve from his partner. It emboldened him, made him feel proud. Then, he felt the grip on his other hand tighten.

Subaru: [Meili? You too?]

No response, of course. She remained as sullen as before, but something was different. There were tears in her eyes this time. What caused those tears? A fear of death? A fear of winding up alone? Surely it wasn’t a fear of loss? He couldn’t say, though the sight rent his heart all the same.

Then, he felt a firm hand on his right shoulder.

Subaru: [Bastian?]

He appeared as listless as ever, though his grip said otherwise. Looking closer, Subaru could see fire in his eyes.

Garfiel: [Oi, I ain’t got all day ‘ere!]

Subaru: [I’m willing to die for Costuul.]

Garfiel: [Huh?!]

He appeared shaken. Evidently, he’d expected a very different answer.

Subaru: [You heard me. I know the risk. Death is certainly a possibility here. Even still, I’m prepared to face that risk. Besides, with friends like these, how could I fail?]

He lifted his hands along with Beatrice and Meili’s in a general gesture to his entourage. He felt powerful when he was around them and was ready to demonstrate their combined strength.

Garfiel’s slack-jawed expression gave way to a faint smile.

Garfiel: [… good to hear.]

Chapter Text

After resolve had been established that morning, they got to executing their plan. Garfiel was at the wall with the party, seeing them off.

Garfiel: [Right, so I’ll jus’ pass word along to the guards, let ‘em know’ta let ya through. We’ll keep it under wraps. Ain’t no way Clind ‘r Annerose’ll catch word o’ this.]

Subaru: [Thank you, Garfiel. It’s appreciated, really.]

The party scaled down the city’s wall using a rope Garfiel had tied around one of the wall’s crenelations.

Garfiel: [Feels odd, you thankin’ me. Yer ‘bout to face down that… thing.]

Garfiel stumbled around the name of the Great Witch Beast yet again. It truly had a hold on his mind. He quickly shook it off, recollecting himself.

Garfiel: [Given the direction I saw that thing comin’ from, it’s safe ta say they came from the Lost Forest o’ Kremaldy. Guess they’ve got a hutch there ‘r somethin’.]

Subaru: [Must be quite a hutch…]

Subaru recalled the seemingly endless numbers the Great Rabbit had demonstrated while he and his party made their mad dash to Costuul. He imagined they must dwell within a massive network of tunnels beneath the forest.

Subaru: [But if that’s true, couldn’t they pop up just about anywhere along the way…?]

It was a thought that shook him, but only a little. He knew he couldn’t afford to allow himself to get too wrapped up in the odds against them. He decided instead to focus on the allies he had at his side.

Beatrice. His stalwart companion. His contract spirit. If he had to say who his best friend was these days, it would be her. Of course, he would probably only tell her that in private. He wouldn’t want to hurt Bastian’s feelings.

Speaking of Bastian, he was also a steadfast comrade these days. In fact, he had been such longer than Beatrice, though the depth of their relationship paled in comparison. This was a matter of course, though; spirit contracts are deeply involved, after all. Still, Bastian was something of a sworn sword to Subaru, and he apparently boasted power that Subaru found almost laughable. It made him reflect once more on how he seemed to easily find himself in the company of ludicrously powerful people.

They also had Meili in tow. Calling her an “ally” felt premature, to say the very least.

Bastian: [Do we have to bring her with us?]

The monotone swordsman uttered his inquiry as they descended the wall. He said this without facial expression and with as little intonation as possible.

Subaru: [Really? You’re gonna say that while carrying her on your back?]

Bastian was, indeed, carrying Meili on his back as they climbed down the wall, just as Subaru had Beatrice on his back.

Bastian: [Don’t misunderstand. Not holding a grudge. Feels like it’d be safer leaving her here with Garfiel, is all.]

Subaru: [Oh. Huh.]

Bastian: [What?]

Subaru: [Nothing, it’s nothing…]

Though he had been traveling with Bastian for a while now, he still didn’t have the best read on him. He had misinterpreted his query as one of complaint, when in fact he was actually concerned.

Beatrice: [It is rather surprising that you’ve come around to her so quickly, in fact. Just the other day, you were prepared to kill her.]

Subaru: [B-Beatrice!]

He was flabbergasted by how bluntly his partner said what he was thinking. Perhaps there was still some friction between her and Bastian? Or perhaps she felt it was best to have these things out in the open? It was difficult to say.

Bastian: [That… was different.]

Beatrice: [Huh?]

Bastian: [Different. It was different.]

In a rare display, Bastian spoke with more haste in his repetition. It was as though he wanted to skip past this moment as quickly as possible. Of course, his repetition, as per usual, wasn’t particularly substantial. He knew that.

Bastian: [Subaru made his decision. Abiding by that.]

Subaru was unsure how to take this development. Was he seriously just adhering to Subaru’s judgment, or was this just a front to conceal his own sentiments? It was unclear, but he felt this wasn’t the best time for such a discussion. Group cohesion was important right now.

Subaru: [Well, the main reason she’s coming with us is to avoid rousing suspicions as much as possible. If only one of us were to remain behind, it would present a security risk for this operation.]

He worried that leaving Meili behind could be a bad idea for such a reason. He was careful in his phrasing, however. Though he had been the one to propose taking her in, he still had reservations in leaving an assassin alone in a city full of innocents. Furthermore, given how his party was responsible for the death of her “sister,” he had to wonder how vindictive she may be. It was better to keep her close, that she may be more easily observed. Was it paranoid? Possibly, though in light of their recent experiences, it made a lot of sense to him.

After a couple minutes, they had made it down into the snow once more.

Garfiel: [Now listen, that forest has an illusion o’er it. If yer not careful, you’ll jus’ be walkin’ in circles.]

Beatrice: [That shouldn’t be a problem. Betty knows the way, in fact.]

Subaru: [Huh? Beako, you know the way through the forest?]

Beatrice: [Betty is intimately familiar with the area, in fact…]

She appeared somewhat sullen as she gave her half-hearted, vague explanation. Subaru was curious as to her connection to the area but didn’t want to press the matter if it meant upsetting her.

Garfiel: [Right then. I’ll give ya three days ta come back. If ya don’t… then I’ll jus’ assume yer dead, then.]

Subaru tensed up hearing these terms. He clenched his fists to remind himself of his determination. He even managed to muster a bold smile as he pounded his fist against his chest.

Subaru: [We won’t die.]

Garfiel smiled back at his bravado. He still had mixed feelings about this plan, but it was better than the nothing he had before.

Garfiel: [Good luck. For all our sakes…]

Turning away from the party down below, Garfiel readied himself to spread the word to the guards not to interfere in any way. If suspicions were raised regarding the party’s whereabouts, they would stand together in their feigned ignorance.

***

Subaru: [This must be it…]

Before them was a dense forest. Like everything else in the area, it was covered in snow. It gave him flashbacks of the last time he’d trudged through a snowy forest. He instinctively reached to his forehead, touching the scar left behind from where he’d been struck in the head by a lagmite crystal.

Subaru: [Let’s just hope this goes better…]

Thinking about it, he supposed that incident had ended favorably, even if he’d been physically scarred and scared out of his wits. Bastian had come to his rescue, though at the time, he’d thought he were there to kill him. Maybe someone back in Lugunica had borne a grudge and sent this evident psychopath to kill him, thinking he should’ve died with the others. Such thoughts had polluted his mind back then, and he was still trying to claw his way back to a mindset wherein paranoia wasn’t a default.

Beatrice: [It would be wise to form a chain with each other, in fact. You don’t want to get separated in here.]

Subaru wanted to joke about how this was just an excuse to hold his hand, but he opted against it. The endeavor they were setting out to complete made the moment feel much too serious for that. He decided he might tease her about it later if he remembered.

Everyone linked hands as they prepared to enter the forest. Beatrice fronted the marching order, taking Subaru’s hand. He in turn took Meili’s hand, deciding to have Bastian watch out for them in the rear. Meili weakly gripped his hand and apprehensively took Bastian’s.

Subaru: [Whatever you do Bastian, don’t use that Entrancing Tone of yours. Reserve for if we need to beat a hasty retreat.]

Bastian: [Good that you considered contingencies.]

Subaru: [I’d be remiss to come up with a plan that puts our lives on the line and not consider a way to preserve our lives.]

They began to push into the forest. They walk for ten minutes. Twenty. After thirty minutes, a realization set in for Subaru. He became uncomfortable. He had to voice his concern.

Subaru: [The forest is perfectly still, isn’t it…]

Beatrice: [The Great Rabbit has likely consumed everything within the forest, I suppose.]

Subaru: [In the whole forest…?]

Looking up at the canopy of the forest, he found it hard to believe how the beast could depopulate an entire forest. Then he remembered the multiplicity it displayed.

Subaru: [How are they managing to contain this thing, anyway?]

Bastian: [Likely by the skin of their teeth. Need to end this threat soon. For everyone.]

Bastian’s assessment seemed apt. There was only so much they could do to keep this beast contained in the long-term. Eventually, they’d have to go back on their heel. Then, giving up ground would become the norm. Like a creeping wildfire, the Great Rabbit would scour and devour the nation.

Subaru: [Guess Meili’s Divine Protection wasn’t needed, after all…]

He had considered another upswing of taking her along with them was to deter witch beasts. However –

Beatrice: [Didn’t you notice? The witch beasts she commanded were all hornless, in fact. Were we to utilize her Divine Protection, we would also need to sever the horns from the witch beasts first.]

Subaru: [Which could be a waste of mana… alright then.]

They kept walking through the snowy forest, until it hit Subaru that he may have been callous in his mention of Meili’s Divine Protection.

Subaru: [Ah, we didn’t bring you along to use you, Meili! We did it --]

Meili: [To keep an eye on me?]

Everyone was silent. It was the first thing she’d said since that awful night. Of course, it had to be words of derision.

Meili: [Don’t pretend you’re doing me any favors. Making me hold his hand…]

She was clearly upset holding the hand of the man who killed her “sister.” There was little Bastian could say in his defense. Knowing this, he said nothing. His countenance remained unaffected. Subaru knew how he’d been hurt deep inside from the events of that violent night, but the swordsman refused to show it to anyone else.

The silence remained for a while. The only time she’d spoken, only to receive no response. But then again, what could be said?

Beatrice: [If what Garfiel said is true, then there’s a clearing in the distance that would be an ideal location for the Great Rabbit’s dwelling, I suppose.]

Subaru: [Then that’s where we’re going. Lead on, Beako!]

After about an hour of walking through the white forest, they stumbled upon a sobering sight.

Subaru: [This must be –]

Beatrice: [Sanctuary…]

Her voice was laden with wistfulness and nostalgia as she looked on at the snow-covered village. Some rooves had caved in, many windows were broken, and nearly all of the doors were covered in copious tiny scratches hewn by claws to match.

Bastian: [Knew this place, you said?]

Beatrice: [Betty only said she was familiar with the area, in fact. But yes, Betty does know this place…]

She wandered into the center of the village, taking the others with her in the process.

Beatrice: [This was Betty’s home once. Long ago. It was where Mother raised Betty. Mother is interred here, in the graveyard…]

Subaru: [You mean the Witch’s Graveyard?]

Subaru recalled what Frederica had explained of the area and its fate. A barrier was around the village, preventing those of half-blooded descent from entering or exiting. The only way to remove the barrier would be to complete the Trials of the Witch’s Graveyard.

Beatrice: [Yes, in fact.]

Subaru: [Do you want to pay her a visit, Beako? To pay your respects?]

Beatrice: [You would need to complete the Trials in order for that to be possible, in fact…]

Her eyes were cast down into the white. She knew it was a big thing to ask anybody.

Subaru: [Then I’ll do it.]

Beatrice: [Subaru…]

Bastian: [Already talking about what you’ll do next? Bold. Hope you haven’t tempted fate.]

Subaru: [Yeah, it certainly feels like I tripped a flag there… but all the same, I’m serious about this. After we deal with the Great Rabbit, I’m completing those Trials.]

It was mostly for Beatrice that he wanted to do this, though he also wanted to do it for the fallen. He wanted to do it for Garfiel and Frederica, too. He knew breaking the barrier was effectively useless now, but if it helped someone in some way, then it would still be worth the effort.

Beatrice: [Subaru, you can’t even attempt the Trials, in fact.]

Subaru: [Huh? Why not?]

Beatrice: [You must possess the qualifications to do so. Only those who are half-blooded possess the right, in fact.]

Subaru: [Oh…]

He was rather bummed to hear this. He’d thought he’d found what he could do for Beatrice to make up for having been stranded in Costuul. He’d thought he’d found a way to right the course of the story they were writing together.

Beatrice: [Betty’s sorry, Subaru…]

Beatrice felt like it was her fault her contractor’s spirits were low. If she just hadn’t even mentioned it, if she had just guided them past the village, she thought she may have been able to avoid this.

Subaru: [In that case, let’s at least visit the graveyard after we’re done. It’s not the same as being before her grave, sure, but it’s something, right?]

Beatrice: [Subaru…]

He was trying. He really was. He wanted so badly to repay her for the trouble they’d been through thus far. She could see this as plain as day. With glimmering eyes and a stirring smile, she silently nodded in response. Having done so, she pulled on his hand to keep them going in the direction toward the clearing, where their harrowing encounter was to occur.

***

After a little while more of hiking through the snow, they arrived at their destination. Breaking free from the smothering tree line, they found themselves at a wide open clearing.

Beatrice: [This is the place that makes the most sense to Betty, I suppose.]

Bastian: [Nothing’s stirring…]

Subaru: [Then I’ll give them something to make them stir…]

Beatrice: [Subaru?]

Subaru: [Everyone, I need you to cover your ears.]

Beatrice and Bastian look perplexed at Subaru. Meili doesn’t even look at him, staring down at her feet, dejected.

Subaru: [Just trust me, alright? It’s all part of the plan!]

Beatrice and Bastian looked at each other, shrugged, and covered their ears.

Meili: [You’re crazy if you think this will work.~]

Subaru: [It’ll work. You’ll see.]

Resolute words brimming with confidence. Such rarely left Subaru’s mouth, not since he had fled. Meili had been glaring just then, but his words struck her. She had him frozen in her head in two ways. There was the plucky butler who risked his life to save some kids, and there was the downtrodden vagabond who she had antagonized for failing to again save those same kids.

She felt somewhat conflicted, now that this previous iteration of the young man was returning to the fore. Should she feel bad for having twisted the knife when he had her cornered that night?

Subaru: [I’m gonna show you a new way of living, Meili. Cover your ears. If you aren’t amazed by what comes next, then feel free to mock me for my failures later.]

She was taken aback by his declaration. Really, it was more of a wager. The stakes were very real. What Subaru claimed to offer her was nothing short of an epistemological overhaul, whereas he stood to be subjected to yet further verbal abuse for his past failings. It made Meili wonder if maybe he were inviting that abuse in a self-flagellating manner. If so, then he’d either give a gift in winning the wager or receive the abuse he seemed to welcome. Either way, from this perverse perspective, he would come out on top.

Meili: [You’re weird…~]

With as menacing of a smile as a young girl could muster, she covered her ears like the others. Subaru smiled, too, defiantly.

He held his hand out, as though to indicate that they should stay put. He moved several meters away from them, into the center of the clearing.

Subaru: [Right, that’s probably far enough away…]

He took a deep breath.

Subaru: [It’s been a long time. It’s been over three months since I’d last die--]

Time stopped. His chest felt tight. He felt inky, shadowy hands caress him. They invaded his body. They reached into his rib cage. They cradled his heart. And then, he felt a violent pain as his heart was throttled.

???: [I love you… I love you… I love you...]

The soft voice of a woman called out to him, echoing in his head. It sounded hazily familiar. He felt unsettled by it. He didn’t want this love. He opted to push through the pain, until he was on the other side of it.

The flow of time returned to its normal rate. The miasma that hung around Subaru had intensified.

Subaru: [You see, for reasons I’m still unsure of, I’m the perfect bait for these kinds of things…]

The others slowly removed their hands from their ears as they began to hear something. A faint rustling in the snow beyond them.

Beatrice: [They’re coming, in fact…]

Bastian: [Subaru, what’s next?]

Subaru: [Not just yet.]

Beatrice was visibly uncomfortable with the sudden inaction. Bastian was as inert as always. Meili seemed confused. She’d been promised something of a lesson. What was this meant to teach?

Little white heads began to pop out of the snow, their eyes glowing red with hunger. At first, it was only a few. Then, it was dozens. Before long, there were too many to count. Once more, they heard the distant thunder of countless rabbits’ feet hopping madly in their direction.

Subaru: [Beatrice, use Murak on everyone.]

Beatrice: [Right, in fact!]

It seemed the waiting was done. It was now time for the plan to begin in earnest.

Beatrice did just as her contractor asked, using her Yin Magic to diminish the weights of everyone in the party, save for herself.

Subaru: [Bastian, use Shinza to enhance the strength in your legs. We’ll be grabbing onto you.]

Bastian: [Shinza.]

A faint white aura surrounded Bastian. Subaru and Beatrice firmly grabbed hold of his new vest. Meili was hesitant to do so herself.

Bastian: [Here.]

Bastian met her halfway, pulling her in to join the others.

Meili: [Oh, I haaaaate this.~]

Bastian: [Whatever. Next?]

Subaru didn’t respond immediately. He watched as the Great Rabbit closed in around them from all sides.

Beatrice: [Subaru, what next, in fact?!]

He kept watching. Waiting. Then, when the Great Rabbit was nearly a few meters away –

Subaru: [Bastian, jump straight up! As high as you can!]

The swordsman crouched with the party attached to him, then leapt straight up into the air. They must have been at least thirty meters in the air. They could see the tops of the trees from up there. Then, at the apex of his jump –

Subaru: [Radiant Dome around the Great Rabbit, Bastian!]

A massive gleaming white dome of Yang Magic surrounded the Great Rabbit. It’d congregated down below, waiting for the party to return to the ground for them to be torn limb from limb. This was not to happen, however.

Subaru: [Now, shrink it around them! Close the trap!]

Closing his right hand, the dome began to rapidly shrink inward around the Great Rabbit. They were all vaporized in an instant.

In the span of a second, the Great Rabbit had been slain.

Subaru’s eyes were wild with joy as they slowly drifted downward, fluttering like a leaf. Beatrice gradually eased Murak to allow them to land safely. Upon having done so, Subaru took Beatrice into his arms and began to spin.

Subaru: [It worked! Holy shit, it worked!]

Beatrice wore a broad, bright smile on her face as they spun in the snow. It was such a brilliant moment that it almost felt like a dream for them.

Bastian looked on as the spirit and contractor pair celebrated their success. It was like the moment he watched them walking away from the mansion all over again. He smiled lightly at the sight.

Meili was dumbfounded for a moment. It was difficult for her to describe what she’d just witnessed. She was sure they were all going to die in vain. She’d been fine with it, resigned to it. If it meant she took them down with her, so be it.

She hadn’t expected them to actually succeed. Subaru’s planning, Beatrice’s support, and Bastian’s absurdity had won the day.

This last bit in particular had her attention. There was still a grudge she bore against the lackadaisical swordsman, but now there was a sign of promise on the horizon.

Of course, she couldn’t let on too much. For now, so long as she was in the company of these three, she could feel at least sort of safe. It was purely by virtue of their strength that this was possible. For now, she wouldn’t allow herself to become any friendlier than she had to.

Even still, there was a burgeoning hope in the young girl’s heart.

Meili: [You can let go of me now!~]

Meili wriggled to try and get loose from Bastian’s hold. He’d been lost in bearing witness to the joviality before him. Feeling her squirm, he released her from his hold.

Bastian: [Sorry.]

Meili pouted in response to the rather unconvincing apology. He still had that smile on his face. How could he be truly sorry? Did he even need to be over such a thing? She was unsure. Her head was a coil of anger and mirth.

And what of the so-called lesson she was supposed to have learned here? Had Subaru shown her that better way of living? She was unsure. She considered asking him about it later. Maybe.

For the time being, they let the success sink in. Given recent events, it felt worth savoring.

After much jubilation in the snow, the party made their way back to Sanctuary. Subaru was sure to keep his word, careful not to let his excitement overshadow his promise to Beatrice. As they made their way to the Witch’s Graveyard from there, Beatrice’s grip on his hand tightened.

Subaru: [Are you nervous, Beako?]

She didn’t say a word, only nodded. It hadn’t been too long since she’d found herself in a mournful situation. However, unlike the last time, where it had been sprung on her, she’d actually agreed in advance to do so. All the same, she felt anxious walking to such a place. It’d been centuries since she’d last been there.

Subaru: [It’s alright. We’re here for you.]

Once more, it was his turn to be the supportive one. It felt good to help others process for a change.

In the back of his mind, he also had another reason he wanted to check out the Witch’s Graveyard: locating Roswaal’s remains. Something about his fate had unnerved Subaru, and he wanted to corroborate what he’d heard.

Arriving in the Witch’s Graveyard, they were overcome by solemnity. Snow blanketed the stonework. The tomb itself was impressive, with icicles dangling from its mouth like teeth.

Subaru: [Guess we can’t go inside, then?]

Beatrice: [Not without the qualifications to do so. Were you to try, it would hurt you proportionally to your degree of magical skill, in fact.]

Subaru: [Huh. Guess I got nothing to worry about, then…]

He was acutely aware of his novice-level magical talent. He couldn’t even control his gate properly, and he knew only one spell. Even still, he felt it was ill-advised to go inside of the tomb.

Subaru: [If Bastian went inside, he’d probably just die, wouldn’t he?]

Beatrice: [Possibly, I suppose.]

Bastian: [Was that a joke?]

The dapper swordsman tilted his head to the side in confusion. There was some truth to Subaru’s dark joke, of course. If Bastian were to enter, it likely wouldn’t end well for him.

After that, they stood on silence as Beatrice took in the scene. She silently paid her respects to her mother, though she was unable to do so before her grave.

Subaru felt at peace watching over his partner. Then, he felt a little too at peace. His eyelids got heavy, his head foggy.

Subaru: [W-Wha…?]

“???: [You’re late, Natsuki Subaru.]”

Subaru: [H-Huh?]

His body felt as though it were being dragged downward by gravity. He collapsed into the snow.

Beatrice: [-baru?!]

He was losing all senses as he slowly drifted out of consciousness. He felt he should be panicking, like his heart should be racing. It wasn’t, though. He felt like he were falling into a peaceful sleep.

“???: [You’ve been invited to a Witch’s Tea Party.]”

***

Coming to, he found he wasn’t surrounded by that oppressive whiteness anymore. He was lying in a field of rolling green hills. The sky above wasn’t a dreary slate grey, but rather a placid blue. Not a cloud to be seen.

Subaru: [Where… am I?]

He stared up at that sky, his eyes wide with fear and uncertainty. He’d been separated from his allies, his friends, the only people he had left. He wanted to despair having lost it all in one fell swoop. Before he could do so --

???: [You’re in my Castle of Dreams, Natsuki Subaru. Welcome.]

Subaru: [Huh?!]

He was shocked out of his daze by the voice of a woman, the same voice he’d heard in his head before he’d collapsed. Following the voice to its source with his eyes, he saw a white table with an umbrella a few meters away. Sitting at it was a pale, ashen-haired woman in a long black dress. She had a hair ornament in the form of a butterfly. Her eyelashes were long and mothlike. Her eyes were almost black. She had a smug smile on her face.

She’d been waiting for him.

Subaru: [How do you… know my name? Who are you?]

Her smile widened a little hearing that question. She’d been hoping to hear that question.

Echidna: [I am the Witch of Greed, Echidna. As for how I know you? I know a great many things. For example, I know how you wish you could take my Trials. I also know that you recently acquired the Sloth Witch Factor. It doesn’t seem to have taken to you very well, though. Curious.]

Subaru: [“Sloth Witch Factor?” What are you talking about? How did you know I wanted to take the Trials?]

Echidna: [Within this space, I have access to all of your memories.]

Subaru: [… all of them?]

He didn’t want to dwell on that too much. It wasn’t just because of anything as simple and petty as humiliation, either. There was a terrible realization he had.

If she could see all of his memories, then that meant she could see all the times he’d died. Despite this, she remained sitting there, smiling at him. No coughing up blood and keeling over. No pain within his chest. No stoppage of time. Just what was this?

Despite his curiosity, he had other concerns on his mind.

Subaru: [This place… is it some sort of afterlife?]

Echidna: [For me, yes. For you, no. For you, it’s more of a liminal space, a world between worlds.]

Subaru: [So, kinda like limbo?]

Echidna: [If that helps you understand it, then yes.]

He wasn’t dead, then. The relief was sharp. He’d had too many near misses as of late, too many fake outs. He was glad to still be alive.

Subaru: [Wait… you said you were the Witch of Greed… and that this place is like an afterlife for you…]

Echidna: [Yes, go on…]

She had leaned forward in her chair, her chin resting on her hands, indicating enjoyment. No doubt she found him putting the pieces together entertaining.

Subaru: [I was just in the Witch’s Graveyard… Beatrice’s mother was one of the Witches of Sin… Echidna. Are you…]

Echidna: [Beatrice’s mother? Yes, yes I am.]

She answered so casually. That smile of hers annoyed him deeply. Before it had merely been somewhat off-putting, but now, in light of this revelation?

Subaru: [So, you’re the one who made Beako wait for so long, just to find That Person? No, for That Person to find her?]

Echidna: [Actually, you had it right the first time. In fact, your interpretation back in the Forbidden Library was surprisingly close. It was more flowery than reality, however.]

Subaru: [… we should stop talking about this.]

Echidna: [Oh? Why is that?]

Subaru: [Because I have the sneaking suspicion you’re about to make me hate you.]

He didn’t like where she was going with this. Anyone who would make their child wait for centuries was not someone he felt comfortable associating with. However, he knew she held the keys to Beatrice’s dearest wish. For this reason, he refused to learn any further. Otherwise, he may not have it in him to move forward with helping his partner.

Despite his hostile response, he was met with little more than a playful shrug from the Witch.

Echidna: [Very well, then. What else would you like to discuss?]

Subaru: [You said I was “late” earlier, didn’t you?]

Echidna: [Indeed, I did. You’re quite late, Subaru.]

Subaru: [How late?]

Echidna: [Over three months late.]

Subaru: [Do you… do you mean to imply that I was supposed to have somehow managed to…]

His mind was burning. She seemed to be saying he was supposed to have overcome the obstacles posed by the Witch Cult and the White Whale. He couldn’t fathom how this was supposed to be. He almost found himself treading that old ground again, the spiral of considerations that could only result in him realizing how hopeless that situation had been.

He shook his head rapidly in a bid to escape this line of thought.

Subaru: [Whatever. How do I get out of here?]

He’d already had enough. It felt like every topic he touched upon with the Witch led him to discomfort. He wanted out. He wanted to return to his comrades.

Echidna: [Oh, so soon? Won’t you at least have a cup of tea first?]

He hadn’t noticed it before, but here did seem to be a porcelain teapot with a lone saucer and teacup placed before an empty chair. He approached the table but didn’t take a seat just yet. He was cautious of her. She was a Witch of Sin, and the one who left Beatrice in the Forbidden Library for centuries, to boot.

He could see the contents of the teacup. It sure did look like tea, at least.

Subaru: [Well, you did invite me to a Witch’s Tea Party… it would probably be unwise to not have at least one cup…]

He sat down, picked up the teacup, and slowly raised it to his lips. The aroma was pleasant, though didn’t smell like any tea he could recall. He wasn’t much of a fan of tea as it was, anyway. Not even Ram’s influence could reverse this.

Subaru: [Damn it, I made myself sad…]

Echidna: [I’m sure Ram would be glad to know you’re thinking of her.]

Subaru: [… was that supposed to be a joke? How’d you even know that, anyway?]

Echidna: [Well, who else would you think of in relation to tea?]

Nonplussed, he took a sip of the tea. He wasn’t sure why he was bothering to be well-mannered in this case. She had already done plenty to earn his ire.

Subaru: [It tastes kinda funny… What kind of tea is this, anyway?]

The Witch’s smug grin turned into a mischievous smile.

Echidna: [It’s a proprietary blend of mine…]

Subaru went in for another sip.

Echidna: [My, my, you sure have taken a liking to my bodily fluids…]

Subaru spat out what little had touched his lips of that second sip. He had managed to be mindful of not facing forward as he did so. He wasn’t sure why he’d bothered.

Subaru: [What the hell is wrong with you?! What kind of fluids are in here?!]

Echidna laughed at his reaction. Was this a prank? Did she do this to everyone she met?  More importantly…

Subaru: [Which fluids, Echidna?!]

Echidna: [Would it make a difference which fluids were in there? Besides, that’s no way to thank the person who just granted you access to the Trials and stabilized your Sloth Witch Factor…]

Subaru: [… huh?]

Now that she mentioned it, his core felt different from before. It’d been in knots for days now. Here, however, it felt fine.

Echidna: [If left unchecked, that could’ve been very bad for you. You likely would’ve gone slowly insane due to the incompatibility between you and the Witch Factor. You can thank me any time.]

She put a hand to her ear, coyly expecting to be showered with gratitude. Subaru was unamused but had to admit he felt vaguely better.

Subaru: [Why are you doing this?]

Echidna: [Hm? Now is this any way to respond to someone doing you a nice favor?]

Subaru stared sternly at her. She sighed. She must’ve hoped he would actually say thank you, or at least play along some other way.

Echidna: [Fine. There is something you have that I want to make use of. We could strike a mutually beneficial arrangement, you know. But before that, you’d like to grant Betty’s wish, wouldn’t you?]

Subaru: [… yes.]

He was truly unsure how to proceed, having just heard such an ominous overture. Still, he head to make it up to Beatrice. He had to.

Echidna: [Very well, then. As a show of good faith…]

Subaru: [H-Huh?!]

She leaned forward and touched her palm to his forehead. It lingered there for a moment. He thought he might feel something, some sort of magical presence. However, he didn’t feel a thing.

Echidna: [There. You should count yourself as very fortunate, you know. Ordinarily, I would require a price for the right to remember what happens within my Castle of Dreams.]

Subaru: [What? You mean I would’ve otherwise forgotten all of this?]

Echidna: [That is correct. Now, you won’t.]

She stared at him expectantly as he stared into his reflection in the teacup. Why was she doing all of this? What was it she wanted of him? He had an inkling of an idea. He didn’t like it one bit. Still, she was being very generous thus far. He didn’t mind taking advantage of that, at least for the time being.

Echidna: [I’m waiting…]

Subaru: [… thank you.]

Echidna appeared surprised to actually hear him thank her. Evidently she’d just been joking. She’d clearly underestimated just how much being afforded this chance meant for him.

A shaky relationship had been formed. One neither party was sure how long it would endure. Subaru slowly rose from his seat, believing there was nothing more to talk about.

Subaru: [Right, then… how do I get out of here?]

Echidna: [I’ll show you out.]

With a wave of her hand a rift opened in the area right behind him. It reminded him of the kinds of spatial rifts Beatrice had used in some failed loops.

Echidna: [Oh, and before you go?]

Subaru: [Yes…?]

Was there a string attached? He felt like this wouldn’t be out of character, for some reason.

Echidna: [Give Bastian my thanks for me, would you?]

Subaru: [Thank him? Why?]

Echidna: [For bringing you back.]

Her smile had remained throughout this encounter. It had been unsettling to him, the smile of a Witch. She seemed to be genuinely appreciative to the listless swordsman she’d never met. The reason why seemed hazy to Subaru. She had only moments earlier derided notions of “floweriness,” so he somehow doubted she was happy to have him back in Lugunica for any sentimental reasons. It had to relate to that ominous overture, surely.

Though her farewell had likely been intended to make her come off as more kind or relatable, it only deepened his suspicions of her.

Subaru: [Yeah, I’ll pass that along.]

He turned around, making his way through the rift. He had a wish to grant, a right to wrong.

Chapter Text

He stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling as he came to from his metaphysical sojourn.

Subaru: [I don’t recognize this place.]

Beatrice: [Subaru!]

Subaru: [Bea- kuh!]

The petite spirit was perhaps too enthusiastic to see that her contractor had regained consciousness. She had been sitting in a chair by the bed he was laying in when she jumped to hug him. Though she was featherlike in weight, she managed to catch Subaru off guard.

Bastian: [She was worried.]

Subaru: [And you weren’t, huh? Always keeping your cool…]

He immediately regretted making this observation, recalling how the swordsman had been a quaking mess not too long ago. Also –

Bastian: [Was worried, too. What happened?]

Subaru sat up, holding Beatrice and giving her comforting pats on the back as he did so. He had appeared a bit shaken upon waking up, but now he wore a conflicted countenance.

Subaru: [… I just spoke with the Witch of Greed.]

Beatrice and Bastian stared on at him in astonishment. Meili had been keeping to herself during his awakening. She had been deep in thought, but Subaru’s mention of having spoken to a Witch of Sin had even her attention. It seemed this group just kept finding ways to surprise her.

Beatrice: [You… you spoke to…]

Bastian: [How is that possible?]

Subaru: [I was summoned to… a Witch’s Tea Party? She brought me to a place she called her Castle of Dreams. She said it was like a sort of afterlife for her. She said I was late… over three months late.]

His companions continued to stare on at him. There wasn’t a hint of disbelief on either of their faces. Subaru was looking rather hurt from mentioning his apparent tardiness. The implications of it made him deeply uncomfortable.

Recalling his meeting with Echidna did bring him a cheerful thought, however. He looked hopefully towards Beatrice, ready to deliver some good news.

Subaru: [She then gave me a cup of tea that gave me the qualifications to undertake the Trials. Beako… do you wanna see your mother?]

The butterflies in her eyes quivered as the news washed over her.

Subaru: [I can take on the Trials, Beako! I… I can make it up to you for… all of this.]

Beatrice: [Subaru…]

The wavering of her voice said it all. As far as she was concerned, her contractor didn’t have to make up a thing to her. She almost wanted to say as much, but she realized it would be futile. She knew how her contractor felt. It was unlikely to change so long as those Trials remained unchallenged.

Subaru: [I’ve gotta do this, Beatrice. You deserve to properly mourn, too.]

Bastian: [Well said.]

Beatrice and Subaru looked to Bastian. He had his arms folded as he leaned against a nearby wall, his eyes closed in satisfaction.

Beatrice: [… just be careful, in fact.]

Subaru: [Hey, I’m very careful!]

Beatrice didn’t seem terribly convinced by this, sighing softly as she allowed Subaru to rise from the bed at last. He felt a great drive within him. He had for a while now, ever since he first devised the plan to defeat the Great Rabbit. Now, he would repay his steadfast partner, affording her an opportunity she never could have had back when she had cloistered herself with the Forbidden Library.

The party made their way back to the Witch’s Graveyard. As Subaru approached the tomb –

Beatrice: [--!]

Bastian: [This the Witch’s doing?]

The whole structure began to glow a shimmering green.

Subaru: [Yeah, guess so. Y’know, she wanted me to thank you for bringing me back.]

Bastian froze upon hearing this. He clearly didn’t know how to handle the knowledge that he’d been vicariously thanked by a Witch of Sin. Once again, he had some thinking to do.

Subaru: [Guess it means I should go on in… wish me luck!]

Beatrice: [Good luck, I suppose.]

Beatrice was rather timid with her well-wishes. He wasn’t quite sure how to feel about her occasional shyness. On the one hand, he found it adorable. On the other, it exemplified that they had room for growth in their partnership.

Bastian gave a solemn nod. It encompassed the notion that he was rooting for Subaru and then some.

Meili didn’t say a word. She stood several feet away from the others, as though she didn’t wish to count herself as one of the party members. That, or she was observing them from what she deemed a safe distance, emotionally and physically.

These reactions were enough for Subaru. He began to ascend the stairs to the tomb, then entered its maw. The icicles from before unnerved him. He worried one might fall and kill him on the spot, and in front of his dear comrades, too. Shaking off this morbid thought, he continued walking deeper within the tomb.

Eventually, he found himself within a dim chamber. At the other side was a door. As he got the center of that chamber, he felt himself begin to feel faint again. He heard a voice, his own voice, speak to him clear as a bell within his mind.

<First, face your past.>

***

It was a sight he was achingly familiar with. He’d been there many times in the not-too-distant past. He stood there wide-eyed in disbelief.

The appa stand. Always that damned appa stand.

Subaru: [W-Wha…?]

Kadomon: [Hm? You okay kid? Look like you’ve something awful.]

The produce merchant didn’t realize just how close to the truth he was. Subaru had seen many, many awful things lately. Now, he was afraid he would have to face them all over again. That hell he had escaped all those months ago.

His head was a mess in this moment.

He’d thought he was going to attempt the Trials of the Witch’s Graveyard.

He’d thought he was going to help Beatrice as Bastian had helped him.

Now, he thought he must have been lied to by the Witch. This must have been his punishment for having kept her waiting for so long.

Death. He worried he had once again tasted death.

???: [Subaru? Are you okay?]

A pleasantly familiar voice charmed his ears. One he’d never expected to hear again. He slowly turned to face its source.

Subaru: [R-Rem?]

Rem: [Yes, it’s me. Your Rem. Are you okay, Subaru? You look awfully pale…]

Short blue hair parted over her right eye, adorned by a pink flower-shaped ribbon. Black and white maid uniform. Blue eyes Subaru could easily stare into for hours. Sure enough, it was Rem, holding a paper bag of appas.

Subaru stared for a moment. He wanted to hold her. Every impulse within him screamed in chorus for him to do so. It wouldn’t have been the first time he’d have had such a reaction in this specific setting.

An undercurrent of unease prevented him from doing so. It was almost enough to send a shiver down his spine, this feeling of Returning after so long. He felt as though he stood alone, isolated amidst the crowd.  

However, he felt he’d concerned Rem enough for the time being. In fact, this amount alone was too much by his assessment.

Subaru: [I’m… I’m fine. Just… tired, is all. Do you think we could go rest somewhere for a bit?]

Rem: [You have been working hard lately… I suppose it would make sense for you to be tired. Is there anywhere you had in mind?]

Subaru: […]

He knew where it was. It was a ways away from where they were. It probably wouldn’t make much sense to go there, given his excuse just then. Of course, there was another reason why it wouldn’t make sense to go where he was thinking.

Something told him he needed to go there, though. A familiar phrase rang in his head.

Penance shouldn’t be so easy.

Subaru: [… yeah. Follow me.]

Rem: [Eh? Subaru?]

He took the bag of appas from her into one arm and took her hand with the other. He began walking in the direction of their destination. He wondered if maybe he should be walking astride her or if he should continue to lead. He decided to stop thinking so much about such matters.

There were more important things for him to consider. For example, had he died? And if so, what could he possibly do now? Was this a second chance at convincing Rem to run away with him?

It can only improve from here.

Another phrase came to him in that moment, one that almost stopped him in his tracks.

Rem: [Careful, Subaru! I don’t want you to stumble…]

Subaru: [I’m fine. Just some uneven brick work…]

That phrase. It reminded him of someone important to him. Someone he would wind up leaving behind should he run away now. No, surely this wasn’t a second chance for such a cowardly proposition.

And yet, what alternative was there?

Rem: [Subaru, where exactly are we going? I thought you said you were tired. Surely we’ve passed multiple places where we could have rested by now.]

Subaru: [Yeah… guess that was just a poor excuse on my part. Really, I just wanted to talk somewhere more private than in the middle of the market.]

Rem: [O-Oh…]

Rem blushed hearing the word “private.” She surely had her own idea as to what this talk was to be about. She wasn’t far off the mark, though her impression was still inaccurate. This wasn’t intended to be a confession.

As the two arrived at that square overlooking the city, Subaru sat the bag of appas down on the ground. He then turned to face Rem.

Subaru: [Rem, there’s something important I need to talk to you about. But first…]

Rem: [--!]

In a surprise attack, he gave her a warm, blindside hug. He fought the urge to cry with all of his might, though his throat had gotten choked up. He didn’t think he would ever have this opportunity again.

Naturally, she reciprocated the hug. She couldn’t have restrained herself from doing so even if her life depended on it. However –

Rem: [Subaru… are you… alright?]

She sensed something was amiss. She knew Subaru better than most. They both knew that.

Subaru: [I am. I am. I just… really needed a hug right now, is all.]

He smiled weakly as he continued to hold her. He was glad she couldn’t see that sorry excuse for a smile. It should have been brighter for her.

Contextually, it made sense to Rem that Subaru would need a hug right now. To say he’d had a rough time as of late would be an understatement. Between his one-sided duel with Julius, his argument with Emilia, and the impending conflict of which only he seemed to be aware, he was fraught on all sides.

The only one who seemed to truly be in his corner at that time was Rem. She watched him train with Wilhelm day in and day out, not seeming to make much progress for some reason. She offered Subaru’s head her lap after such strenuous training. She would gently stroke his hair as he looked up at her wearily.

Was there ever contentment on that face? Perhaps, but only fleetingly. No matter what he did, thought or said, his mind always circled back to that which brought him misery, those events which nipped at his heels incessantly.

As Subaru let go of Rem, he felt subtle resistance on her part. Her fingers only barely didn’t grip at his tracksuit to pull him closer once more. He saw her smile as she once more came into his view.

Subaru: [Yep, still a million volts.]

It was positively radiant. It pierced right through him, shook him to his core. He was narrowly able to maintain composure at the sight.

Rem: [I’m still unsure what that means, Subaru, but it always sounds so nice coming from you!]

Her soft voice, that electrifying smile, and her unfailing kindness all made him want to consider running away. He wanted to consider it, but knew it was ill-advised. It would only lead to another argument. It would only sully the moment. It would keep Beatrice sequestered in the Forbidden Library.

And yet, what alternative was there?

He took a deep breath to try and clear his mind for the conversation he was about to share with Rem. Despite this attempt to gather himself, he felt a bit sheepish facing Rem. That hug had lasted longer than most any ordinary person would experience. Though he wished it could have lasted far longer, perhaps even for it to have been suspended in time, he knew he had to get back to the task at hand.

Subaru: [Right. Now then…]

Rem: [You have something important you would like to discuss with me?]

Subaru: [… yes.]

Rem: [I’m all ears, Subaru!]

She stared attentively at him, smiling all the while. He knew what he had to say next could jeopardize that smile. Despite this possibility, he knew he had move forward. Each word that would soon come from his mouth would hurt him dearly. He didn’t want to revisit this topic again, especially not with her.

And yet, what alternative was there?

Subaru: [Rem… the Witch Cult will soon be attacking the mansion. I want to help them. More than anything, I want to save everyone there. Emilia. Beatrice. Ram. The people of Irlam. Every last one.]

Rem: [Then we should leave immediately!]

Subaru: [No, Rem.]

Rem had almost taken off, expecting Subaru to follow. Instead, he grabbed her hand.

Rem: [No? What do you mean, Subaru?]

Subaru: [We won’t make it. We can’t. Not in time. The White Whale will soon return, cutting us off from a timely return. If we took a detour, we’d be too late. If we braved the Lifaus Highway, we’d be lucky to make it out alive. Even if we did, we wouldn’t be nearly enough to thwart the attack.]

Subaru trembled as he went through the same old circle of reasoning he had been for all of the months. It ran constantly. Initially, it was in the foremost part of his consciousness. It was all he could think about, a loop of rationalization. Over time, it faded into the background of his consciousness, However, it never stopped running.

It ran in the background, that loop. It whispered despair into every wrinkle of his brain. Piece by piece, it had torn down the Subaru he had been, replacing him with a different Subaru. A worse Subaru. A coward.

It’d taken recent events to begin to undo that process. He’d been making strides very recently, too. It was a shame, now, that it hadn’t seemed to have changed enough.

Subaru: [I… I feel so powerless, Rem. Powerless to do anything to solve these problems. I… actually had considered running away with you to Kararagi, to escape what feels like an unavoidable tragedy.]

Rem: [I’m glad you reconsidered! Running away doesn’t seem like something the Subaru I know would do.]

Subaru winced a bit hearing those words, breaking eye contact with her as he did. She’d said something similar back then, back when they’d had their argument at this very square.

She took his hands, drawing his attention back to her.

Rem: [What can I do to help?]

Her eyes had power over him in that moment that he could scarcely fathom. They possessed determination and care in equal measure. If he were a better man, he would feel reinvigorated by that gaze.

So why, then, were his eyes filled with despair?

Subaru: [I… I’m sorry, Rem, I… I don’t know. We’d need way more than just the two of us to stand a chance against the White Whale and the Witch Cult. I… I don’t know how we’re gonna get the help we need for this, or if we even can…]

Somehow, Subaru felt that somewhere in his mind’s eye, a shade was narrowing their eyes at him right now. He’d stopped just short of saying “but I tried to get help, but no one would listen to me!” He felt like he knew this shade. He could almost see their face in his mind’s eye. He was drawing a blank, though. Even their name escaped him in this moment.

All the same, he could feel that narrowed gaze upon him.

Rem: [Why don’t we ask some of the other candidates for assistance? I’m sure we could --]

Subaru: [That’s not gonna work, either.]

Rem: [Why not? Have you tried already?]

At this point, he had yet to reach out to any of the other candidate of the Royal Selection. But he had in the past, in failed loops. He had already seen what asking for their aid would bring, or at least, what it would bring based upon the methods he’d tried so far.

Of course, he couldn’t say this to her. It wouldn’t make any sense, seeing as none of it would have happened yet. He could try explaining how he knew about the futility of seeking aid from the other candidates, but it would require breaking the Taboo. He was unsure whether doing so would just hurt him or if it might hurt her, instead. He had one instance of breaking the Taboo causing harm to someone other than him in mind. Just one.

One was enough to dissuade him from trying.

Rem: [Subaru? Why?]

Subaru: [I… I don’t know…]

His voice shook as the powerlessness overcame him all over again. He wanted to cry, but he didn’t want to do so in front of her. He was supposed to be better than that. He was her Hero.

In this moment, though, she would save him. It was her turn to deliver a blindside hug of her own.

Rem: [I’m sure we can figure it out. Together!]

He gulped. He was all choked up again. He wasn’t sure he was really deserving of this treatment. He reciprocated, obviously. He would never turn down a hug from Rem.

There was another figure he could feel in his mind’s eye. Another shade. They were small. Their arms were outstretched, as though asking for a hug. Though they didn’t or perhaps couldn’t speak, the gesture seemed achingly lonely. His heart stung, though he was unsure why. Once again, he was the first to pull away from the hug.

Subaru: [Odd…]

Rem: [What is it, Subaru?]

Subaru: [There’s something I’d heard before, something I’m struggling to recall. I feel like it could be useful information to break us out of this deadlock…]

Rem: [Maybe I could help jog your memory?]

As she offered whatever assistance she could, Subaru wracked his brain to try and figure out what this information was and how it could help him. Why was it he felt so foggy in the head all of the sudden? Returning never did this to him, or at least, not for this long. Had he even Returned at all? What was this?

The shade that he’d felt narrowing its eyes at him returned to blinding brightness of his mind’s eye. It appeared to be trying to shout to him. For some reason, this felt uncharacteristic of the shade. The smaller, lonely shade was also there, calling out to him. It rent his heart.

Subaru: [What is it holding me back from getting allies here…?]

He muttered this as he looked back to Rem. Having seen him deep in thought, she’d decided to do the same. She appeared very serious, ruminating on how she could help her Hero. She noticed him staring, though, jarring her thought process.

Rem: [What is it? Did you think of something? Did you remember that piece of information?]

He didn’t answer her. He continued to stare into her eyes, so much so that he could see his reflection within them. He saw that familiar tracksuit of his. He remembered the day he had discarded it upon buying his cold weather clothes for Gusteko. It’d felt like he was trying to eschew one more piece of his old self on the way out.

He recalled what had precipitated to that event. How he’d tried to secure aid in thwarting the Witch Cult.

He recalled trying to appeal to Crusch’s sense of morality, only to fail to realize they were now in the middle of a competition wherein the fate of the nation was at stake. Despite the fact he’d been a guest in her household as a patient of Ferris’, they weren’t on the same side in this competition. He recalled how Crusch had called him out on being ingenuine, having not once mentioned that he wanted to protect Emilia. But if not for that, then why? Why would he have done it?

He recalled humiliating himself before Priscilla. When pressed to lick her foot in exchange for her aid, she kicked him in the jaw. She derided him as a pig, threatening to kill him herself if her “knight,” Al, didn’t remove him from her sight at once. He didn’t understand. He was going to do as she’d asked. Why, at all times, would it turn out to be a test of his character?

He recalled being hoodwinked by Anastasia. She’d played him like a fiddle, securing information crucial to her own causes. She tricked him into doing the deductive work, surmising that Crusch was the one ordering up all the steel in the Capital. She’d given him some advice then on negotiations. A certain shade had said something similar, he thought. What was that advice? Were all the pieces there all along?

Subaru: [Was it… was it me?]

Wondering aloud, he considered the possibility that perhaps he’d been his own worst enemy back then.

He saw them again, those shades in his mind’s eye. Surrounded by blinding light, they were still obscured to him. Their voices no longer were, though.

The critical shade spoke.

“???: [Penance shouldn’t be so easy.]”

The lonely shade spoke.

“???: [It can only improve from here.]”

He felt conflicted from these familiar words. That is, until he connected them to his current predicament.

Subaru: [… though things seem bleak, so long as I apply myself, there’s no obstacle I can’t overcome. Even my own selfishness and pride…]

Having uttered this realization, he could see them more clearly.

Subaru: [Beatrice… Bastian…]

???: [What a wonderful realization you’ve come to.]

Subaru: [Uwah?!]

He heard a familiar voice come from the direction Rem had been standing moments ago, but it was certainly not hers. It was the voice of the Witch of Greed, Echidna. Hearing that voice had startled him pretty thoroughly, prompting him to look in that direction

Sure enough, it was Echidna. She was wearing a maid uniform not too different from Rem’s, albeit a bit longer in the skirt.

Subaru: [… though that uniform suits you, I have to say the implication here is pretty goddamn insulting.]

He didn’t know whether she wore the uniform in a vain attempt to win points with him or if she did so to mock Rem. He even briefly considered that she may have been masquerading as Rem the whole time, a possibility that made him feel sick. To think, he may have hugged the woman who had abandoned Beatrice for 400 years. Twice.

Echidna: [How cold! To insinuate such a thing of a young maiden…]

Subaru glared in response. Echidna dropped the coy act, returning a soft smile, perhaps in the hopes that she could take the edge off of the situation.

Echidna: [So, let’s hear it aloud, now: what have you come to realize through this experience?]

Subaru paused. Did he really have to say it again? Surely the Witch of Greed had been listening in that entire time. His open hands at his sides balled up into fists as he let it go.

Subaru: [I get it, okay? I get it now.]

Echidna held her hand up to her ear again. She seemed rather fond of getting what she wanted out of people, especially verbally. Subaru could only sigh in response.

Subaru: [I know now that I wasn’t as powerless as I’d thought I was back then. I very well could’ve solved my problems if only I’d applied myself and pushed through my more… selfish inclinations. It was never for Emilia’s sake. Not really. I was doing it all for myself. It was all for my own satisfaction. I couldn’t see past myself, and I failed. There, happy?]

He shoved his hands into his pockets in frustration. He disliked confronting his past so much. He’d hoped he’d done so enough back at Roswaal’s mansion. Now, he hoped he would never have to think about it again. A vain hope, to be certain, but he held it, nevertheless.

Echidna: [Perhaps there’s one more thing you’re forgetting…?]

Subaru appeared pained to have to continue. When would enough be enough for her? Was she enjoying this? No, she was enjoying this.

Subaru: [Is this because I was “late?”]

Echidna: [You consider me to be so vindictive? Well, perhaps there is a grain of truth to that. But this isn’t just for my own satisfaction.]

Her response twisted the screws further. Subaru somehow doubted there was only a grain of truth to his accusation of her vindictiveness.

Echidna: [Demonstrate your growth. Completely.]

Subaru: [… fine. I’ve also learned not to dwell on the “what if” of… all of this. Instead, I must forge ahead… with these hard-earned lessons in mind.]

Subaru avoided eye contact as he finished “demonstrating his growth.” Echidna smiled. She must have been truly pleased with herself.

Echidna: [Very well then. You have faced your past, Natsuki Subaru. Are you prepared for the other Trials?]

Subaru: [Guess it was referred to as “Trials” plural… fine, how many more are there?]

Echidna: [Just two more. I’ll leave the surprise of what they are up to you.]

Subaru: [If the First Trial pertained to facing my past, and there are two more… would it be safe to assume the other two pertain to the present and future?]

Echidna: [You’re not one for surprises, are you?]

Subaru: [I’m not doing this for fun, y’know.]

Echidna: [Of course. You’re doing this for Beatrice. For her to properly mourn by paying respects to… me.]

Subaru: [I’m not sure what she sees in you. Sure, you’re her mother, but…]

His fists clenched tighter. His mind had revisited that line of thought that he’d feared would make him hate Echidna.

She must have sensed this.

Echidna: [… I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the next one.]

Subaru: [It wasn’t unpleasant, though, seeing Rem again… it was Rem, right?]

Echidna: [It was an accurate representation of her, yes.]

Subaru: [I guess it’d have to just be a representation…]

His heart sank. For a moment, he’d let his hopes run wild. He hoped that maybe Echidna, a Witch of Sin responsible for creating to artificial Great Spirits, could be capable of bringing it all back, of righting all the wrongs he’d made. It was for just a moment, though. He quickly grasped that this space was no more real than her Castle of Dreams.

Echidna: [I based her upon your own memories of her, along with your expectations of her. With that, I was able to extrapolate her behavior out of your memories to form a believable facsimile of your beloved Rem.]

Subaru: [Are you trying to make fun of me?]

Echidna: [Certainly not! Geez, you seem to have such negative impressions of me for seemingly no reason at all…]

Subaru: [Oh, there’s a reason…]

He tried to bury that again. He knew that if he let his anger towards this woman get too out of hand, it could obstruct his completion of the Trials, putting his goal of making it up to Beatrice out of his reach.

Subaru: [… guess I should thank you again, though.]

Echidna: [Oh? Whatever for?]

Subaru: [Well, for one, you gave me the chance to see Rem one last time. That alone would warrant my thanks. Aside from that, though, that Trial… it acted as a pretty good litmus test. It showed me how far I’ve come since I returned. I thanked Bastian for you, by the way. He seemed… disturbed.]

Echidna: [Ah, well, that would be the natural response to being thanked by a Witch of Sin.]

Subaru: [Before we learned of your identity, though, he’d been pretty impressed with you. He almost seemed to admire you, even. Guess it had something to do with your creation of Puck and Beako…]

Echidna: [“Beako?” Even after reading your memories, that nickname vexes me. You seem awfully attached to my dear daughter. You may even say I’m jealous.]

Subaru: [Jealous? Why do you seem to want my favor so badly? The cup of tea, the borderline therapeutic Trial… and you promise the next one will be more pleasant? Why?]

She smiled broadly as he raised his questions. He was touching upon something.

Echidna: [We can discuss that when you’ve completed your Trials, Natsuki Subaru. I look forward to watching you again.]

He continued to leer at the Witch as the world faded away. That square overlooking the Capital was relegated to the past once more.

Chapter Text

Subaru: [… I’m done with the first one, huh?]

He came to in the room he had lost consciousness in, the first chamber within Echidna’s tomb. The room was still alight with the green glow that signified the Trials of the Witch’s Graveyard were progress. As he got off the ground, he considered touching base with his companions and letting them know he had succeeded in completing one of them. He put this thought out of his head as he saw the next door ahead of him.

Subaru: [Guess that leads to the next chamber… and the next Trial?]

He looked at the door ahead, then looked behind him in the direction towards the tomb’s entrance, where he knew his companions were waiting for him. He then looked back to the door ahead and narrowed his eyes.

Subaru: [May as well keep going. I can celebrate my success with them when this is all done.]

He walked to the door to the next chamber, cautiously reaching out to its handle. There was still a lot he was uncertain about. Echidna’s words at the end of the First Trial had left him feeling wary of her. She clearly was trying to curry his favor, though the reason why eluded him.

Subaru: [If I’m really so late, shouldn’t she be angrier with me? She said we’d talk about it after the Trials are completed…]

He also recalled her mentioning that the Second Trial would be more pleasant to him than the First Trial had been. He didn’t know what to make of this, as he had been very happy to see Rem again, if only for what had felt like an hour or so. Somehow, he suspected this went beyond just courting his favor.

Subaru: [… whatever. Only one way to find out what she meant…]

He opened the door to the next chamber and stepped on through. The second chamber looked nearly identical to the first. Stone floor, walls and ceiling, all with the same green glow. He carefully made his way to the center of the chamber when he was struck with a familiar sensation.

Subaru: [Ugh, my head… this is --]

He felt faint as he began to hear his own voice speak within his mind.

<Behold an unimaginable present.>

 ***

Subaru: [What the…?]

It was morning. A bright, splendid morning. Subaru had been up for some time already, clearly. He was sweating, as though he had been exerting himself, though it was unclear as to what end.

Subaru: [… I should take a bath. How is this more pleasant, Echidna?]

He felt the sweat dripping down his back, making him feel decidedly unpleasant. On top of that, he felt tired. Had he been running? His joints also ached a bit, as though he had been jumping, too. There was also an unfamiliar weight on his hip. It wasn’t much, but it was noticeable.

Subaru: [Is this… a bull whip? Why do I… what’s going on?]

Beatrice: [Subaru, are you quite done training for the morning, in fact?]

Subaru: [Beako? You’re here, too?]

He was certainly surprised to see her here, considering she should have been waiting for him outside of the tomb. He slowly put the pieces together, though, realizing she couldn’t have followed him inside by virtue of the qualifications needed to do so.

Beatrice: [Of course Betty is here, in fact. Betty always accompanies you during your training.]

Subaru: [My training… what exactly am I training for?]

Beatrice: [Were it not for your confused tone, Betty might think that sounded defeatist. Are you well, I suppose?]

Beatrice held her hand to her mouth as though she were deep in thought. She exhibited concern for her contractor, who was having a difficult time getting his bearings for reasons that eluded her.

Beatrice: [Perhaps you are just tired from your regimen. This “parkour” you have been practicing seems awfully taxing. That would be understandable, I suppose.]

Without any additional input from her contractor, she reasoned an explanation that satisfied her, nodding her head as she offered it mostly to herself. She seemed somewhat proud of her deduction, even though it wasn’t really true. Subaru wasn’t about to correct her, though. He didn’t have the heart to do so.

Subaru: [Yeah, parkour is pretty tough! You hit the nail right on the head, Beako. Guess I should take a break for a bit.]

Beatrice: [Yes, you should. You may be eager to improve, but you won’t be any use as a knight if you work yourself to death.]

Subaru: [… as a knight?]

Beatrice: [Did Betty say something odd, I suppose?]

She cocked her head to the side in response to Subaru’s astonished repetition of her claim that he was a knight. He wondered if Echidna could perhaps be playing a sick joke on him. After all, she had access to all of his memories back in her Castle of Memories. She easily could have found what was one of his most shameful blunders: the day he, as a butler, claimed to be a knight before a throne room full of Lugunica’s knights.

He did his best to put that out of his mind. This thought in particular had been one of the most persistent thorns in his heart since the day he fled Lugunica.

Subaru: [Nah, you didn’t say anything odd, Beako. Guess I’m just more tired than I thought…]

Beatrice: [I see. Allow Betty to escort you back to the mansion, in fact.]

Subaru mindlessly took her hand as that invitation rang within his head. Her mention of “the mansion” was impossible to ignore. He knew where it referenced. He wasn’t sure what to expect as they walked side by side down an earthen path. The area didn’t seem familiar to him, nor did the wooden equipment that dotted the landscape. It reminded him of an obstacle course of some sort.

When the mansion came into view, he became limp as he fell to his knees.

Beatrice: [Subaru, are you okay, in fact?!]

Subaru: [I’m… fine…]

Tears streamed down his face as he took in the sight. It was Roswaal’s mansion, just as he had remembered it. When he, Beatrice and Bastian had departed from the mansion just after he and Beatrice had forged a contract, he had seen it just as it was before him now. The golden morning sunshine reflected off of the stark white mansion, the grandest he had ever seen. His tear ducts were powerless at the sight.

Beatrice: [Someone who is okay doesn’t spontaneously burst into tears and fall to their knees, in fact!]

???: [Oh my, is something the matter?]

A blue-haired butler sauntered over upon hearing Beatrice’s cries of concern. Of all the people he had expected to see in this Trial, Clind was just about the last he had considered. If he were here, he had to assume Annerose would also be nearby. He had only known them as a unit thus far.

Beatrice: [Clind-san, please help inside. He is not well, in fact!]

Subaru: [H-Huh? No, Beako I’m --]

Beatrice: [Please stop putting on a strong front, in fact! Have you learned nothing since you became Emilia’s knight?]

Once more, Beatrice’s words reverberated within his mind. Him? Emilia’s knight? This truly was an unimaginable present.

Clind: [Come here, Natsuki-san. Allow me to help you inside, per Miss Beatrice’s wishes.]

Subaru: [F-Fine…]

He took Clind’s hand as he got back onto his feet. He didn’t feel particularly sore or injured but was aided as they walked back to the mansion. He wanted to protest, but realized it was likely useless with these two.

He was taken to the parlor where he and Beatrice sat down. Beatrice continued to hold his hand as they sat there, and she appeared rather embarrassed about it. If there was one thing he took solace in so far, it was the fact that little or nothing had changed between him and Beatrice. Even within the Trials, she was his steadfast companion. He smiled as he thought of this.

Beatrice: [Are you… are you feeling better, in fact?]

Subaru: [Yeah, though I only cried out of happiness, y’know.]

Beatrice: [But why? You see the mansion every day, Subaru. You live here!]

Subaru: [I know. I know…]

He managed to choke this acknowledgment out as he felt the tears of joy coming on again. He did his best to hold them back, if only out of mindfulness of Beatrice’s feelings. She clearly didn’t like him crying regardless of the circumstances.

He was trying to put the pieces together as he stifled his tears. The mansion wasn’t in shambles, though the area surrounding it seemed strangely unfamiliar to him. He got the feeling they weren’t near Irlam Village. This bummed him out, as he had wanted to see the village in a pristine state, as well. He was a resident of the mansion, but not as an employee as he had been prior to running away.

Now, evidently, he was a knight. Emilia’s knight. Just thinking about it felt surreal to him. He didn’t know how he would handle seeing Emilia again. Seeing Rem had overwhelmed him with passion and melancholy. But Emilia? The one who had saved him on his very first day in his very first loop? The one to whom he had made the highest promise, which he had failed to keep? He didn’t know. He just didn’t know how he would take it.

???: [Clind-san told me you could use some tea. Be grateful for this great gift, Barusu.]

A familiar indifferent voice came from over his shoulder. The cadence reminded him of Bastian’s albeit feminine. The choice nickname gave her away without even seeing her, though.

Subaru: [Ram…]

He tried to accept the saucer and tea cup, but his hands were too shaky.

Ram: [… I’ll leave it on the table here. Your hands are too shaky, Barusu. You’ll spill the tea I worked so hard to brew and make a spill that Frederica or Petra will have to clean up.]

He wanted to ask why Frederica and Petra were here, or why she wouldn’t just clean the spill herself. Of course, he already knew the answer to that second question, though he didn’t have it in him to banter with her like he used to. He was just too happy to see her again.

Of course, seeing Ram made him also want to ask why she hadn’t mentioned Rem as one of the potential maids who would have to clean should he spill his tea. He found it odd but decided he would stop asking questions for a while. It felt like every question he asked only made people worry about him more.

Subaru: [Sorry… thank you for the tea, Ram.]

The pink-haired maid stared at him curiously with her red eyes as she slowly turned around to return to her duties elsewhere in the mansion. Of course, it sounded like Frederica and Petra were doing all the heavy lifting around here these days. He wondered what had transpired to make the present take this form.

After a few moments, his hands settled down to the point he could take his cup of tea and take a sip. It had cooled down just enough to be palatable, though as he sipped on it, he couldn’t help but recall his most recent experience with tea. He wondered if Echidna might try to prank him by sneaking her “proprietary blend” into the Trial somehow.

Subaru: [Though if she’s trying to curry my favor, that would be a pretty poor way to do so…]

Beatrice: [Ram? Curry your favor? Betty will believe it when she sees it, I suppose.]

Subaru: [Heh, yeah, guess you’re right…]

Once again, he couldn’t bring himself to correct his partner. He continued to sip on his tea as he put notions of Echidna pranking him aside.

He continued to try to piece together what was going on. Ram was still alive, though Rem was nowhere to be seen. Frederica and Petra of all people were employed here. He had to surmise that if this were meant to be the present, then it meant he must have been successful against the White Whale and Petelgeuse’s Witch Cult attack. But how? How did he do it?

???: [There you are! I heard that you collapsed outside! Honestly, just how hard were you going at it out there?]

That voice. That angelic voice. It made his eyes widen reflexively upon hearing it. He couldn’t help but be awed by the prospect that she could actually be back, standing in the same room as him.

Subaru: [E… milia?]

He couldn’t fight back the tears anymore. He quickly deteriorated into an ugly, crying mess.

Emilia & Beatrice: [Subaru?!]

The two were unsure what to do to deal with this inexplicable emotional response in Subaru.

It took an embarrassing amount of time for him to calm down once his waterworks had gotten started. They had tried to get him to rest in his bedroom, but he refused to even go inside. He didn’t want to waste any time cooped up in a room he had already seen more than enough of prior to his flight.

Subaru: [Seriously, you guys, I’m fine! Let me just stay out here with you, okay?]

There was more than a hint of desperation in his voice as he pleaded with them. They didn’t know what to make of him and his hysterical state, having cried just from looking at the mansion and then again upon seeing Emilia. They looked to each other with uncertainty, then looked back to Subaru.

Emilia: [Okay, Subaru… but pleeeeease don’t scare us like that again, okay?]

Subaru: [I won’t, I swear! I’m… I’m sorry.]

The way he spoke sounded frankly pitiful, though he could hardly be blamed. Much like with Rem in the previous Trial, he hadn’t expected to ever see Emilia again. He would only continue to be spoiled as Emilia gave him a hug.

Emilia: [There, there, be a good boy.]

Subaru: [Are you talking to a child or a dog?! Hey, wait a minute, I’m neither!]

As close as he was to her in that moment, he was able to notice something about her. She was missing the crystal necklace which contained Puck while he rested.

Subaru: [Hey, Emilia-tan… where’s your necklace?]

Emilia: [There you go, asking distressing questions again…]

Subaru: [I mean, yeah, this is distressing! You’re never without it!]

Emilia stared in confusion and distress. From hers and Beatrice’s perspectives, Subaru had perplexingly lost the plot. He was acting as though he didn’t have experience with certain things that he should reasonably have experienced. It was as if he had lost a chunk of time somehow.

Emilia: [Did you hit your head while training…?]

Emilia got closer to examine his head for any bumps that would indicate head trauma. Of course, this only served to fluster Subaru. He had rarely been so close to Emilia in the past, so for her to be so close now rattled him.

Subaru: [I-I didn’t hurt myself! I’m fine, honest!]

He scrambled away from her in protest and agitation, ending up midway between her and Beatrice in the hallway outside of his bedroom. He was beginning to get annoyed with everyone thinking something was wrong with him.

Beatrice: [Subaru… how is it that you don’t remember what happened to Emilia’s necklace?]

Subaru: [I dunno, I just don’t! Why, did… did something happen? I know Emilia would never just lose her necklace. Did it get stolen?]

Emilia: [Subaru…]

Subaru: [Emilia?]

Emilia had closed the distance, tugging on the sleeve of his tracksuit to divert his attention from Beatrice and back to her. She had an agonized countenance. It clearly hurt her to see Subaru unable to remember this. He had hoped to never see her make such faces ever again.

Why was it that even upon being reunited, he found himself hurting her? Was he cursed?

Emilia: [My necklace was broken, Subaru… when my contract with Puck was broken.]

He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Her contract with Puck, broken? Why would she ever do such a thing? Puck was easily one of those closest to Emilia. He was a surrogate father for her.

Was it even her who had broken the contract? Her phrasing left it rather vague, which seemed unlike her. She was generally rather forthwith. If it were something Subaru should have already been aware of, then she would definitely be more deliberate with her word choice.

The look of shock on his face spoke volumes to her. Nothing she had said had made any sense to him. If anything, he was more lost now than he had been before.

While the two had been talking, Beatrice appeared to be processing their conversation. She adopted a gloomy disposition after seemingly arriving at a conclusion.

Beatrice: [… perhaps you two should discuss this.]

Subaru: [Huh? Beako, where are you --]

Beatrice: [The library, I suppose. I hope you remember soon…]

As she walked away from the two, she seemed dejected. He couldn’t fathom why this might be.

Subaru: [Beako…?]

He held his hand impotently aloft as he reached out to her. What did he do? What did he say? Why was he unable to enjoy himself in this place? Had Echidna lied about this Trial being more pleasant? He kept coming back to the fact that Echidna seemed to want amicable relations with him. If this were the case, then why was this not going as she had said?

Emilia: [Subaru… let’s talk.]

He felt a chill go down his spine hearing those words. He had heard them before. The last time he had, the situation spiraled out of his control. He had no idea what series of events had transpired that had allowed him to reunite with Emilia under what appeared to be favorable terms. He didn’t want to squander that, either.

Subaru: [Sure… let’s talk.]

***

Emilia led him to a room he was rather unfamiliar with, one he had never entered personally. Was it a spare room? No, it was a servant’s room. But whose? His cognitive map of the mansion had faded somewhat.

Opening the door answered his question.

Subaru: [Rem!]

He rushed into the room to get a closer look. It was undeniably her. However, something seemed off. She was still asleep. She had been the head maid for Roswaal prior to his flight, and as such had been easily the most dutiful of his servants. She rose before the sun and retired long after it. Yet here she was, still asleep at nearly noon.

Subaru: [… Rem?]

Emilia: [So you remember her, then? Good, at least there’s that…]

Subaru: [… what do you mean by that?]

He froze as he heard her mention matters of memory. The last time such a thing had occurred was in a failed loop, wherein he, Rem, and a merchant named Otto Suwen had been pursued by the White Whale. Rem had sacrificed herself to buy him and Otto time to escape, but mere moments after her tragic sacrifice, Otto claimed he had never met anyone named Rem, nor had there been a blue-haired maid riding with them.

Something was critically different between this situation and that failed loop, though.

Subaru: [But she’s still here…]

When Rem had leapt from the wagon they had been riding, she had disappeared without a trace. It was only then that Otto and eventually Emilia and even her own twin sister would fail to recall having ever known her. If she were still here, though, could it have still been the White Whale?

Subaru: [Was she… were we attacked by the White Whale?]

He considered that maybe, somehow, he and Rem had barely managed to escape the White Whale in another loop and made it back to the Mathers Domain. From there, he supposed they could have evacuated the villagers somewhere safe. He knew all too well they would have lacked the manpower to fight back against the Witch Cult.

This seemed too far-fetched, however. He failed to see how they could have possibly escaped the White Whale’s wrath. He had only barely been able to do so, and even then, he had lost Rem in the process. Otto would be lost not long after, having been killed by Witch Cultists in that loop.

Emilia: [… so you don’t even remember that?]

Subaru: [Why do you say it like that? Were we attacked by the White Whale or not?]

He was beginning to feel indignant. There was clearly a lot he didn’t remember. Why didn’t she just tell him straight what had happened?

Then, he had a stupid realization. He pinched his forehead from the stress of the situation.

Subaru: [Am I an idiot? No, I am an idiot.]

Of course Emilia couldn’t just tell him what he had apparently forgotten. She couldn’t read his mind. If he was going to “remember,” they would need to put together the pieces with each other.

Emilia: [Please don’t be so hard on yourself, Subaru…]

Subaru: [No, I get it now. Clearly, I’m lost here. Emilia, could you tell me what happened to her? And what happened to Puck? There’s probably more we’ll need to discuss, too…]

Emilia: [That’s okay! Anything I can do to help you. Let’s see, starting from your first query… ahhhhh, but I can’t overlook just how absurd it is that you forgot such a thing!]

Emilia seemed frustrated with Subaru for his forgetfulness, balling her hands up into fists in front of her. Subaru took a deep breath. He wanted so dearly not to lose patience with Emilia. This was the closest to a second chance he was going to ever get. He wouldn’t let this moment slip from him.

Subaru: [And what is this thing you find so absurd to have been forgotten, Emilia?]

Emilia: [The White Whale, Subaru! You defeated it!]

Subaru: [… what.]

Emilia: [Well, it wasn’t just you. There was a coalition involved, one you played a big part in putting together. Crusch and Anastasia helped out a lot in the hunt. Crusch actually led the hunt, but you were the one who came up with the plan to defeat it!]

Subaru: […]

He was unsure if he could handle all of the pleasant stimuli assaulting his ears in this moment. He defeated the White Whale? He put together a coalition? Him, of all people? The one who had ran away in defeat?

Was this what Echidna had meant about this Trial being more pleasant?

Emilia: [Subaru? Are you --]

Subaru: [I’m fine. Just… just a bit taken aback, is all. I’m having a hard time believing I did those things…]

Emilia: [But you did! I was really proud of you, Subaru! Well, I was also really upset at you for taking so many risks, but… I was also really happy! You saved me!]

Subaru: [Hk!]

He clutched his chest as these words of praise were heaped upon him. It was so sweet it hurt.

Subaru: [Before you ask again, I’m fine! I’m… pretty terrible at taking compliments, I guess.]

Emilia: [Oh… so, um… if you didn’t remember the deed that made you my knight, then…]

Subaru felt like he might faint hearing such things. To think, he would be her knight. A true knight, in earnest. One who slayed the White Whale, to boot.

Subaru: [Guess it isn’t too far-fetched, though. I mean, I did slay the Great Rabbit…]

Emilia: [H-Huh?! Wait, so you remember that, but not anything before or around it?]

Subaru: [… eh?]

He was yet again caught off guard.

Subaru: [Emilia, do you mean to imply that I defeated the Great Rabbit, too?]

Emilia: [Wait, wait, are you trying to say you don’t actually remember that, either? Ah, I’m so confused!]

She ruffled her long silver hair in her strained puzzlement. He hadn’t intended on making the waters murkier, though. He only wanted confirmation that he had played a part in slaying not one, but two of the Three Great Witch Beasts. Just who was this other Natsuki Subaru, this version of himself who had become far more successful than he had ever dreamed?

At the very least, he found it oddly inspiring that he had managed to achieve something that this clearly more successful Natsuki Subaru had achieved.

Subaru: [… I do remember that! I… I do…]

He lied. He had to, if only to calm Emilia down. Truthfully, he had no idea how he could have defeated the Great Rabbit without Beatrice and Bastian. He briefly wondered if maybe they would have become his comrades regardless of whether he fled the kingdom or not. He quickly discounted this possibility, or at least he did in Bastian’s case. The disgraced Acolyte Knight would be all the way in Gusteko still, if this truly was a parallel present he was experiencing.

He couldn’t discount the possibility of being contracted with Beatrice still, though. Earlier, she had been a lot more amenable towards him than she ordinarily would be outside of being in a contract with him. It felt virtually identical to the rapport they shared outside of the Trials. Of course, if they had been contracted together –

Subaru: [… ah. That’s why she seemed so down. She thought I had forgotten about our contract. Damn it, I need to apologize to her for the misunderstanding…]

Emilia: [I’m sure she’ll understand. You two get along so well! Like siblings… or how I imagine siblings would be, anyway.]

Subaru: [You think so too, huh? Of course, she’s way older than me… we’re kind of an odd pair like that.]

Emilia: [Well, there’s nothing wrong with that!]

Emilia seemed to be in better spirits now that Subaru had lied to her. He felt pretty bad about that, but it was a white lie of necessity that allowed the conversation to keep flowing. He wanted it to flow forever, too. He had been so parched of Emilia’s presence for what felt like so long to him.

Subaru: [Speaking of contracts…]

He didn’t want to finish this sentence, if only because of the happiness he was seeing radiating from Emilia. He didn’t want to take that from her now by asking something so obviously depressing.

Somehow, though, she continued to smile, though somewhat wistfully.

Emilia: [You mean Puck, right?]

Subaru: [… yes. Listen, if that would be too hard for you to talk about…]

Emilia: [It’s fine. It isn’t forever, after all.]

Subaru: [… it isn’t?]

He felt his heart lift within his chest. It was aloft with hope as Emilia continued to smile.

Emilia: [Mm. I know he will return to me one day. We just need to find him new home, is all. My necklace shattered once Puck broke our contract.]

Subaru: [So, it was Puck who had done the breaking… but why?]

Emilia: [… it was unfortunate, but necessary. Our contract had placed a seal on my memories. It shielded me from some unpleasant things in my past. He did it out of care, of course, but… it made taking on Echidna’s Trials almost impossible.]

Subaru: [--!]

He was stunned to hear that Emilia had undergone the Trials in this world. He felt so proud of her. He wanted to hug her and repeat that sentiment until the sun set.

Emilia: [You realized that, too. So, you had a talk with him while I was asleep. I’m still not sure how you were able to talk to him… I’d been having so much difficulty in trying to get him to talk. Anyway, you persuaded him to break our contract for my own good, so I could face my past unhindered.]

Subaru: […]

He was speechless as he cast he eyes down to the floor. On the one hand, things clearly had turned out for the best, but on the other, he had played an instrumental role in the severing of a contract between spirit and contractor. As a contractor himself now, he felt sick with himself. He just knew if Bastian were here to hear this, he would be disgusted with him. Then again, it had been for the good of those trapped within Sanctuary by the barrier. Maybe his friend would understand? He then figured it might just be best to keep this to himself, just in case. He didn’t want to jeopardize one of the few friendships he had left.

Suddenly, he felt Emilia take hold of his hands. Hers were soft and warm, a far cry from the last time he had seen her as a frozen corpse. The dysphoria between his present elation and his recent tragic past was jarring, to say the least.

Emilia: [It’s alright, Subaru. He’ll be back someday. I just know he will. He would never give up on me forever. He’s my father, after all.]

He got lost within her amethyst eyes as she beamed at him. He hadn’t seen them back when he was exhuming her from the collapsed mansion. Back then, he was glad not to have seen them. The sight before him reminded him of why.

Subaru: [You… you said I saved you.]

Emilia: [Yes, you did.]

Subaru: [How?]

Emilia: [To be honest, it would be hard to count how many ways you helped me! There was that boobytrap on the wagon I was evacuated from the Mathers Domain within, which directly saved me and the children of Irlam. Just ask Petra about it sometime, she’ll gush for hours about it if you let her! And by defeating the White Whale, you reeeeeeally helped out my chances in the Royal Selection, especially given my inherent disadvantage…]

As she rattled off the list of ways Subaru had helped her, she paced around the room in which Rem slumbered. His eye followed her as she paced, being so completely entranced. It was just like the first time he had met her.

Emilia: [You were actually the one who organized the evacuation! Yeah, and you also led the counterattack against the Witch Cult. You knew they would come for me, and you thwarted them at every turn! And let’s not forget how you helped me through the Trials… ah, but maybe you could forget about the whole baby scare…]

Subaru: [Woah, woah, woah, timeout! “Baby scare?!”]

He gestured his hands in a T-shape as he demanded elaboration. The term “baby scare” left little to the imagination, and his was now running wild.

Emilia: [Geez, I guess I need to explain that, too? Why do you remember the Great Rabbit part and nothing else about what happened in Sanctuary?]

Subaru: [If I knew, Emilia, I’d tell you. Now, what’s this “baby scare” about? Please!]

Emilia blushed furiously as he continued to press the matter. She squirmed a little as she built up the nerve.

Emilia: [W-Well, you kissed me, and --]

Subaru: [I kissed you?!]

Emilia: [Y-Yes, and --]

Subaru: [What, are we talking a peck on the cheek, or --]

Emilia: [Subaru, please! This is all rather embarrassing, you clodpoll!]

Subaru: [… who says “clodpoll” these days?]

Emilia sighed, clearly nearing her wit’s end. She was likely beginning to regret having ever brought up this business in the first place.

Emilia: [… it was on the lips.]

Subaru: [… eh?]

Emilia: [The kiss! It was on the lips, dummy!]

Subaru: [… eh?!]

He joined her blushing furiously. This other Natsuki Subaru, whoever he was, must have been quite confident, certainly more so than this current Subaru was.

Emilia: [I get it, alright?! I said some really, reeeeallly embarrassing things that night!]

Subaru: [That night?! What happened that night?!]

Emilia: [I just told you what happened!]

Hearing “that night” made his imagination run even further off the rails. The prior mention of a “baby scare” certainly didn’t help in this regard.

Subaru: [Then, what exactly did you say? I swear I won’t laugh!]

Emilia: [… I thought that kisses on the lips… well… you know…]

Subaru: [I really don’t, Emilia.]

Emilia: [I thought they led to pregnancy, okay?!]

Subaru smacked his hand to his mouth that very instant. Under no circumstances would he allow himself to laugh. He couldn’t.

Emilia: [Ah, was this all just an elaborate joke?!]

Subaru: [No, no, not at all! I honestly don’t remember much of what you’re talking about at all!]

It was in this moment that he remembered they weren’t alone in this room. His eyes travelled back over to Rem, who was still sound asleep.

Subaru: [Thank goodness, she’s still asleep…]

Emilia: [… Subaru, you don’t remember what happed to her, do you?]

Subaru: […]

He had no idea what she was referring to. If they had defeated the White Whale, then what could possibly have erased her from everyone else’s memories? Then again, he hadn’t actually confirmed this yet.

Subaru: [I take it you don’t actually know her?]

Emilia: [I’m sorry to say I don’t. No one here does. If I had to guess, no one knows her but you. Not even Ram. You told us they were siblings. I can certainly see the family resemblance.]

Subaru: [… what happened to her? Do you know?]

Emilia: [She had been traveling back to Crusch’s estate after the White Whale’s defeat. Apparently she was too injured to continue on with you to the Mathers Domain to fight the Witch Cult. On their way to the estate… they were attacked. One of the attackers was a Sin Archbishop. He… he ate her name and her memories, leaving her in a comatose state.]

Subaru: [A coma…?]

He slowly approached Rem’s bedside as Emilia laid out the events that had led to her current bedridden state. He was uncertain what it meant to have one’s name eaten, but it clearly was nothing but deleterious.

Emilia: [… it’ll be okay, Subaru.]

Subaru: […]

She had once again taken his hand in a show of emotional support. He appreciated it more than words could say.

Emilia: [It’ll be okay. Just like with Puck, this isn’t forever.]

Subaru: [… no. No, it isn’t.]

He decided to affirm Emilia’s words of encouragement. He remembered what had happened the last time he had disregarded such words from someone he loved.

He felt as though it really were forever, though. In reality, Emilia and everyone else had been dead for months now. Sure, he could always try to reset, but his uncertainty regarding his Return By Death hadn’t left him. He wasn’t sure where his last save point had been, or if he had limited saves to begin with. His fear and uncertainty made him hesitant to do anything with his Return By Death. Even just invoking it to draw out the Great Rabbit was something he had found profoundly risky these days.

Subaru: [… I heard Ram mention Frederica and Petra were here? I saw Clind earlier, too. I… don’t remember them working here.]

Emilia: [I guess that’s not too surprising, considering what all it seems you’ve forgotten. Subaru, where do you think we are right now?]

Subaru: [Roswaal’s mansion, right? I mean, that much was obvious upon returning from training… though the area surrounding it didn’t seem too familiar.]

Emilia: [I see. You must think we should be near Irlam still, right?]

Subaru: [Yeah, why? Don’t tell me something bad happened to the village!]

Emilia: [No, no, Irlam is safe! You saved it, remember?]

Subaru: [I… right. I… I saved it. Evacuated everyone… led the counterattack…]

He was finding this all difficult to process. He had gotten too used to things falling apart around him. He had become unaccustomed to things going so well.

Emilia: [Subaru, we’re near Costuul these days. Do you know where that is? It’s one of the bigger cities in the kingdom.]

Subaru: [Yeah, I know where Costuul is…]

The parallels were beginning to strike him. He had been led to Costuul in reality, and now here he was near Costuul even in a brighter timeline. He had dealt with the Great Rabbit in both timelines. What else had changed?

Subaru: [So, this must be Roswaal’s main mansion, then. It looked so much like the one I’d gotten used to… but wait, then why are Clind and Annerose here?]

Emilia: [They’re part of our camp now. Annerose seems to really have taken a liking to me! Clind is a long-time servant of Roswaal’s and had been serving under her. She’s a distant relative of Roswaal’s, you know.]

Subaru: [Distant, huh… guess she wouldn’t happen to have his heterochromia too then, would she?]

Emilia: [Heterochromia?]

Subaru: [You know, Roswaal’s weird eyes?]

Emilia: [Ah, the mismatched eyes. No, hers are just blue. Why?]

Subaru: [… no reason.]

Though he had no reason to doubt Frederica, he seized on the opportunity to confirm his suspicions. He had a bad feeling about what he would face upon returning to Costuul.

Subaru: [If Frederica works here, then does that mean her brother’s here, too?]

Emilia: [Garfiel is here, yes. It’s kind of sad you forgot that. He’s one of your best friends here.]

Subaru: [One of them?]

Emilia: [Yes, along with Otto. You two are an inseparable trio these days.]

Subaru’s heart sank hearing this. He had no idea how he and Otto had become friends but knew that he would likely never get the chance back in reality. He had a feeling Otto had met an ill fate back there. He was also hopeful hearing about his friendship with Garfiel. If things proceeded nicely upon returning to Costuul, he thought perhaps he could salvage that much of this timeline, at least.

Subaru: [Huh… why’re we here, anyway? Did something happen to Roswaal’s other mansion?]

Emilia: [Oh, it was burned to the ground.]

Subaru: [What?! I thought I saved the day, though!]

Emilia: [You did! It wasn’t Witch Cultists that did that, Subaru. It was… what did Otto say? “Unfortunate collateral damage.”]

Subaru: [Otto burned it down?! Some friend!]

Emilia: [It was a desperate situation, from what you all told me!]

Subaru: [“You all?” Who all is that, exactly?]

Emilia: [You, Otto, Garfiel, Frederica, and Petra. Apparently some assassins had come to attack the mansion. Some woman named Elsa, as well as Meili.]

Subaru: [Elsa… Meili…]

Emilia: [Yes. You may not have seen her around, but Meili is actually still here. We keep her sequestered in the mansion due to the miasma she puts out…]

Subaru: [Miasma? Her?]

Subaru felt very odd about how the situation was being described to him. The parallels just kept piling up. Elsa and Meili made a move against him and his companions. Evidently, Elsa had been defeated in this timeline, too, and Meili was also taken into their fold. Hearing about the volume of miasma that surrounded her made him feel like she was something of a kindred spirit.

Subaru: [Well, I guess I’d have always advocated for taking her in, though…]

Emilia: [Yes, you’re much too kind to advocate anything else. That’s something I like about you, Subaru.]

Subaru: [O-Oh, thanks…]

While part of him was dwelling on the abundance of parallels, he meekly accepted Emilia’s compliment. This parallel in particular stuck out to him. Could it possibly have been the same person who sent Elsa and Meili after him and his companions in both instances? This possibility really got under his skin, adding further evidence to a hunch he had hoped was false.

After having heard all of this from Emilia, there was so much he wanted to ask her still. He wanted to ask her how he had managed to defeat the White Whale, or how he had managed to thwart the Witch Cult attack led by Petelgeuse. He already had an inkling as to how he had managed to form the coalition Emilia had described, having already confronted his less savory aspects several times at this point. However, the specifics of dealing with either obstruction remained elusive.

He wondered if maybe the other Natsuki Subaru could have told her about how he had pulled off these feats. If he was anything like the current Subaru, he would have relished in the opportunity to regale his love with stories of his triumphs.

Subaru: [Hey, Emilia…]

He wanted to ask.

Emilia: [Yes, Subaru?]

He wanted to ask. More than anything, he wanted to know how he had done these things. However, he found himself choking on the question. What good would receiving the answer do now? So far as he could tell, it would only serve to further demonstrate the life he had lost when he had ran away.

Could it provide him closure? Perhaps, but he had already earned plentiful closure upon laying his loved ones to rest. Here, it was as though the wound had been pried open, but the pain of it was being held numbed by nostalgia. He almost questioned the supposed pleasantness of this Trial.

There was one way it could help him, of course. If Emilia could tell him how he had solved the predicaments that had caused him to flee Lugunica, then he could use that information to solve the problems for real. All he would need to do is Return By Death.

Easier said than done. He wasn’t even sure he could replicate what this other Natsuki Subaru had done even if he had been afforded the opportunity. Sure, he had defeated the Great Rabbit, but that was with Beatrice and Bastian’s help. Were he to Return By Death, he wouldn’t have their help against the White Whale or Petelgeuse.

More than anything, he was traumatized. While it had been comforting to hear that some other version of himself had been able to overcome, he personally wanted nothing to do with the past anymore. Even the possibility of having to watch that tragedy unfold once more was enough to disincentivize him. As far as he was concerned, the past was dead and gone, buried in a field that would one day bloom with flowers.

A bittersweet smile emerged on his lips.

Subaru: [… never mind. Let’s go see the others. I hope I didn’t worry any of them…]

He approached Rem’s bedside once more. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the forehead, then gently stroked her hair.

Subaru: [Sleep easy, Rem.]

Emilia: [You know, you’ll make me jealous kissing her like that…]

Subaru: [Eh? It was just a little one!]

Emilia pouted, turning her head toward the door as she did so. Was she actually mad about this, or was she playing with him?

Subaru: [Look, I get that things are… complicated, between the three of us. But…]

Emilia: [Yes…?]

Subaru: [I love you. Both of you, with all of my heart. For you two, I’d move mountains… no, I will move mountains!]

Emilia: [I don’t think that will be necessary! Come on, let’s go find Beatrice. You wanted to apologize to her for earlier, yes?]

Subaru: [… yeah, let’s go.]

Somehow, he knew this would be the end of it. Upon opening the door to the rest of the mansion and crossing that threshold, he was no longer in Roswaal’s main mansion near Costuul. He found himself once again amid those rolling green hills of Echidna’s Castle of Dreams.

Chapter Text

Subaru: [… I wasn’t expecting to be here again so soon.]

He stood before a familiar white table, where a familiar woman in black sat waiting for him.

Echidna: [Well, we need to review your results, don’t we?]

Subaru: [And we couldn’t have done that back in the mansion?]

Echidna: [Oh? Should I take that as evidence that you would have liked to stay there?]

Subaru: [That question is unfair, and you know it!]

He furrowed his brow hearing her teasing query.

Echidna: [The question is a critical part of this review, Subaru. Your answer will speak volumes of your experience in your Second Trial.]

Subaru stared her down as she gestured for him to sit in the same seat as before.

Subaru: [F-Fine. But I’m not drinking anymore of that gross tea of yours!]

Echidna: [Funny, you didn’t seem to find it so gross when you actually drank it…]

Subaru: [Do you want my answer or not?]

Echidna: [But of course.]

She gestured for him to continue to the answer to her pointed question. He took a deep breath. He knew he would need to qualify his answer. Leaving it as a simple “yes” or “no” wouldn’t do here.

Subaru: [… I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wanna stay there. However, I knew it would be wrong for me to do so. There’s still too much for me to do here, promises I need to keep.]

Echidna: [I see.]

She concealed her face with her folded hands as she leaned forward. She appeared almost like a therapist, engaged in listening to her client. It was impossible to tell if she were smiling, frowning, or had a neutral face. Her eyes kept him guessing. Was she disappointed with his answer? Approving? It was hard to say.

Subaru: [… thank you.]

Her brow raised in surprise. It seemed she was always surprised to actually be thanked, even more so when she hadn’t facetiously asked for it expectantly.

Echidna: [Whatever for?]

Subaru: [For letting me see them again. Emilia. Ram. Petra. I didn’t see Roswaal, but… I have complicated thoughts on him these days.]

Echidna: [Ah, yes. Something tells me that won’t change moving forward.]

Subaru: [Right… anyway, you weren’t kidding when you said it would be more pleasant. It would’ve been even more so if I hadn’t let it all get to me so much. Seeing the mansion again, and Emilia…]

Echidna: [You already mentioned her.]

Subaru: [Sorry! It just meant a lot to me, is all. Honestly, words, can’t begin to describe just how much. Not that I needed a reminder of why I’m doing what I’m doing here, but it was good to have that reinforcement.]

Echidna: [So that’s what you took from the Trial?]

Subaru: [Yeah, why? Was there a different answer I was supposed to find instead? I thought the solutions to these were divergent, not convergent.]

Echidna: [In a sense, it is divergent, in that it varies from person to person. The “type” of answer is always supposed to be the same, however. In this regard, you seem to defy expectations without even trying, Subaru.]

Subaru: [Er… thanks?]

He felt odd hearing this from the Witch of Greed. To be so mystifying even to a Witch made him uncertain of what to make of himself. Moreover, he wasn’t certain of what she meant. Had she expected him to somehow fail his Second Trial? What would even constitute failure in this circumstance, refusing to leave? Was that even an option?

He hadn’t even considered it. He knew where he was needed.

Echidna: [At any rate, I would say you passed your Second Trial. Congratulations.]

Subaru: [Great! Just one more, huh? Past, present… now I must face my future, huh…]

He was apprehensive about the prospect of seeing his future. He wondered if he would succeed in keeping his promises to grant Emilia’s wish and write a grand story with Beatrice. He also couldn’t help but fear some unfathomable worst case scenario.

He rapidly shook his head to put such grim thoughts out of his mind.

Echidna: [Yes. Clearly that seems to trouble you… ah, but it’s still too soon…]

Subaru: [Too soon? For what? For me to be troubled by the future? You are aware the future is always creeping closer, right?]

Echidna: [Yes, and it is always turning into present in the process. There is no “future,” really.]

Subaru: [I’m really not in the mood to discuss the intricacies of the nature of time…]

Echidna: [Fortunately for you, we won’t be discussing it any further. You were also off the mark. What I meant was… well, you seem to like guessing. Care to try?]

Subaru: [Y’know, if you’re really trying to earn my favor for some reason, it’d be a lot smarter to be more direct.]

Echidna stared blankly at him, her folded hands still obscuring her mouth. She seemed to be trying to stare into him. It seemed as though she didn’t enjoy his sharp barb.

Echidna: [Is that your guess, then? Granted, I already told you I wanted something of yours. However, it goes deeper than that. We’ll discuss that more in depth if you complete the Third Trial.]

Subaru: [“If?”]

Echidna: [Yes. I’m afraid your fears of the future are well founded, as you will come to see. Unlike the present and the past, it may be the most difficult thing for you to face.]

He appeared worried upon hearing these disparaging words from the Witch of Greed. He had previously thought his past was the most dreadful thing for him to grapple with. For months, he thought he had no future. Recently, he was told by Beatrice that things could only improve from here.

Now, he was being told by her mother that the future itself was easily his biggest foe.

Echidna: [Well, go on. Your final Trial awaits.]

She waved her hand, and with it, a rift opened behind Subaru. He stared at it apprehensively, then gulped as he stood up and began to walk towards it. He hoped he had the resolve to see his task through. He was sure that whatever it was Echidna had to say after this last Trial, he didn’t need or want to hear it.

Stepping through the rift, he came to in the tomb once more, being greeted by a cold stone floor and twinkling green glow all around.

Subaru: [Ugh… one more, then. I wonder how long I’ve been in here, anyway? I hope none of them do anything rash…]

He recalled Beatrice’s warning of what would happen to those who entered the tomb without the qualifications to attempt the Trials. Grievous harm would befall those with higher magical talent, which could be said of Beatrice and Bastian. He worried what would happen if either or both of them became indisposed, leaving Meili all alone.

Subaru: [… need to finish this fast. It was about noon when we headed out… and the sun was beginning to set as we approached the graveyard… it might already be nighttime.]

He considered the timing of recent events. He recalled how Garfiel had given them three days to return. Their first day was just about done now. He wanted to get back to Costuul sooner rather than later to prevent him and his companions from being written off as dead failures.

He approached the door to the next chamber. Opening it, he saw the next chamber appeared nigh identical to the other two chambers before it. He had barely paid it mind before, but there were nondescript reliefs on the walls illuminated by the green glow that permeated the whole tomb. He stood in the doorframe of the room for a while. Was he really ready for this?

He took a deep breath, mustering the courage to walk forward into the Third Trial’s chamber. Entering the center of the room –

<Face the impending calamity.>

-- he realized he might not be ready for this.

***

He floated within a black void. The last time he had such a feeling had been when Bastian had used his Entrancing Tone Spirit Art, though that had prevented him from sensing anything and had made it difficult to think. Here, he could see his body just fine, and his thoughts were still lucid. It was just his surroundings that were lacking.

Subaru: [Is the Trial having trouble loading or something…?]

Just as he had asked this question, he instinctively covered his ears and winced as the void became filled with a cacophony of voices. He closed his eyes tightly, as lights of various colors and blinding intensity bombarded him from all sides. It was as though a billion cameras were flashing at him from every conceivable angle ad infinitum.

He couldn’t understand the voices, the content of their words. He could understand the sentiment, though. It was a maelstrom of woe and fury threatening to burn him to ashes.

Covering his ears did nothing to dampen the din.

Closing his eyes did nothing to shield them from the strobing lights.

He began to cry against his will as he gritted his teeth. Every muscle felt tight as he braced himself helplessly against this sensory onslaught.

Then, above the din, he heard a voice.

???: [It’s… not your fault… Subaru…]

It was a feminine voice. But whose? He swore he had heard it before. It seemed dignified yet fraught, as though they were in deep anguish. However, even though that voice had risen above the dissonant chorus, it was made largely unidentifiable due to the multifarious competing stimuli.

More important than the identity of the person whose voice he had heard was the meaning of their words. What wasn’t his fault, or rather, what wouldn’t be his fault? Seeing as he was meant to face his future here, he found it frustrating that he was sorely lacking in context. Was the apparent anguish in their voice what they were alluding to not being his fault? If so, what caused it? What events would precipitate that hurt? There was simply too much he didn’t know.

As he struggled understand the pain of that oddly familiar voice, he heard another voice break free from the babel.

???: [Why, Subaru-dono… why have you stolen what was my right?!]

It was a masculine voice, also strangely familiar to him. They sounded strained and hoarse. Perhaps they, too, had been wrapped up in the anguish that had afflicted the previous voice? They bellowed about a right that he will apparently steal from them someday, though as to what the right was and why he would steal it from them remained elusive.

He couldn’t picture himself stealing anything like a right from anyone. To his memory, all he had ever stolen was a lagmite crystal, the very one a bandit would throw at his forehead, leaving him slightly disfigured by a scar where it had struck him just south of his hairline. But rights? Why would he steal rights from anyone? He couldn’t conceive of any reason. He believed even if he knew who this rancorous man was, it still wouldn’t help him to contextualize this alleged theft.

The confusion of trying to parse out two abject mysteries left him dizzy and delirious, as yet another voice emerged from the tumult.

???: [Dammit… I hate you ‘cuz yer just like me!]

Another masculine voice, distinctly younger than the first. He was furious, whoever he was, though he couldn’t tell with whom. Unlike the previous two voices, his name hadn’t been mentioned this time. However, given that this Trial was about his own future, he had to conclude these spiteful words would one day be directed towards him.

This voice, too, sounded awfully familiar. The name for this person was even more on the tip of his tongue than the other tow had been. It was as though some effect of recency could have been at play. It was in vain, though; he still didn’t know who they were. Evidently, they hated Subaru for being just like them in some capacity. The prospect of him being like anyone made him feel sad for whoever that other person might be.

Three puzzles now picked at his mind like vultures at a rotting carcass.

Subaru: [S-Stop… make it stop!]

He pleaded for this deeply unpleasant experience to come to an end.

No one was listening.

Another voice surfaced from the bedlam.

???: [Subaru… Subaru! Don’t leave me alone!]

Subaru: [Beako?!]

It was undeniably Beatrice. He could hear her weeping, crying out his name in distress. His eyes shot open at the realization that one day, he would make his most stalwart companion in this world cry. What was worse was he didn’t even know what it was he would do or what would perhaps happen to him that would make her cry.

He hated himself, or rather, he hated the Natsuki Subaru he would one day become. This Natsuki Subaru would either be too weak to defend himself, getting himself hurt and resulting in Beatrice’s tears, or he would be too callous or foolish, and would say or do something to hurt his partner’s heart.

He hated him, this future Natsuki Subaru he would become one day.

Subaru: [Damn it… damn it!!!]

He cursed at the top of his lungs at all the misery it seemed he would be responsible for one day. Why? Why would he do all of these things? Wasn’t he supposed to be trying to set everything right that he had left wrong? If this were truly so, then why did it seem like he was going to take so many steps backwards at some point in his future?

Subaru: [This… this can’t be set in stone! These have to be just possibilities… right?! Possibilities that can be avoided! Overwritten! Right?!]

He tried rationalizing, to ask reasonable questions about what the Trial was showing him. He tried.

No one was listening.

He heard another voice spring forth from the chaos.

???: [Thank you, my friend. For everything you’ve done for me.]

The voice sounded familiar, yet unfamiliar. Something about their cadence seemed off for reasons Subaru couldn’t quite articulate. Like the angry youth from before, they didn’t refer to him by his name. However, there was one thing this voice had said that none of the others had said.

“Friend.” It called him a “friend.”

After all of the eventual misery that seemed to be laid at his feet, this one voice dared to call him “friend.”

Something about that sentiment made him feel deeply conflicted. Ordinarily, hearing someone refer to you as “friend” would be rather pleasant. Something nagged at him, though. What kind of person would call this future Natsuki Subaru “friend?” What kind of monster would they have to be to say it with such sincerity? What would it be that this Natsuki Subaru would do for this hypothetical monster to make them so grateful?

Sick. He felt sick. He wanted the noise and colors to go away. He wanted to disappear.

Subaru: [If this is what all of my efforts will bring… then… why? Why even try?]

His sickness was despair. He felt as though all his efforts were to be in vain. His promise to grant Emilia’s greatest wish, his promise to write a grand story with Beatrice, they were both hopeless endeavors if they would only bring about such anguish.

He felt like the ill portents these voices conveyed were only scratching the surface, as well. The true depth of the consequences of his future actions were unfathomable to him. Context, he was sorely lacking context.

Did he even want further context? Would knowing what would shape him into this future Natsuki Subaru even allow him to avoid becoming him? He had no idea if these were mere possibilities or if everything he was hearing and the grim picture it painted were set in stone.

Was he trapped here, too? He had felt trapped all those months ago and had only narrowly escaped with his life. In doing so, he had sacrificed virtually everything else he had loved. The price hadn’t been worth it.

Now, he was being shown a future where once more it felt the price wouldn’t be worth it.

He felt claustrophobic in a deeply existential sense, as though he had no direction he could move where suffering would be avoided.

Subaru: [What… what the fuck’s even the point?!]

As he yelled this defeatist mantra into the void, everything changed. The colors ceased flashing, sparing his eyes. The voices ceased clamoring, bringing his ears a much needed reprieve. The blackness of the void turned to white. He no longer felt as though he were floating, as there was solidity beneath his feet.

Subaru: [H-huh? Over? Is it over? I… I failed, didn’t I…]

???: [Giving up is easy… but it doesn’t suit you.]

Subaru: [Rem?!]

He looked in every direction as he heard those all too familiar words. Then, he saw her. It didn’t really feel like she were truly there, though. Even from afar, he could tell this was a mirage. Even still, her soft voice was soothing to his battered eardrums.

Subaru: [Giving up… but… what else is there to do? I can’t go forward, I can’t go backward… every direction is hopeless!]

???: [It’s been rough, hasn’t it?]

Subaru: [… Emilia?]

Another gentle voice graced his ears, the voice of an angel. Of course, she, too, wasn’t really there. All the same, he felt comforted just seeing her standing beside Rem.

Subaru: [It… it has. I… I don’t know if I can keep moving…]

???: [Penance shouldn’t be so easy.]

He hadn’t expected to hear Bastian’s voice within this white void, but there he “was.” He wore that same gentle smile he wore whenever he was proud of something Subaru had done.

Subaru: [What’s there to be so proud of here, huh? I… I get that the road ahead won’t be easy. I’ve understood that for a while already. What those voices were telling me, though… that road seems intractable!]

???: [It will only improve from here.]

Subaru: [… but how? How can it only improve from here, given what I’ve just been shown?]

It was at this moment that each of them, these four pillars in his life, had something they wanted to say. This was something Subaru wasn’t expecting, as he had assumed them to be mere mirages. Their mouths moved, but no words came out. He tried to read their lips, but they were all trying to talk to him at once.

Rem held out her fists in front of her in an enthusiastic pose indicative of cheering him on. Emilia had her hands planted on her hips as she adopted a serious demeanor, seemingly lecturing him. Beatrice held out her hand beseechingly, as though she were asking Subaru to choose her. Bastian had his arms crossed, staring sternly at Subaru. He imagined Bastian was laying into him with his dull voice, though the specifics were unknowable to him.

Subaru: [I-I’m sorry, I can’t hear you guys at all! I wish I could! More than anything, I want to hear you all…]

He wanted to know what they were telling him. They all seemed to be on his side here in their own ways. Maybe that was all he needed to know?

Subaru: [You… you all support me? You’ll keep me from going astray? Is that what you’re trying to get across to me?]

The four stopped their mouthing and gesticulating as they seemed to hear Subaru’s guess. They looked to him hopefully. He felt like he was on the right track, at least.

His memories of Emilia and Rem would certainly help keep him in line, serving as reminders of what he was living for now. Beatrice herself was a walking reminder of that new purpose of his, and she and Bastian would both surely hold Subaru to task. The four of them together, two from his past and two from his present, would surely support him.

This begged the question: if this were truly so, then why had he heard such despairing things?

The way he saw it, he had two options. He could continue to agonize over this mystery, dragging out this Third Trial while his companions waited for him in the cold. He could also choose to embrace this support and move forward knowing that the future was, in one way or another, uncertain.

He finally was able to muster a smile as he looked on at these four. He began to walk forward towards them, refusing to stand in place any longer. As he approached these dearest people to him, a calming light began to envelope him. He had found his answer.

Subaru: [Thank you. All of you. I have a lot of promises to keep. You all will give me the strength needed to see them through.]

With this, the white void overcame them all, and the Third Trial came to a close.

***

Light once more gave way to those rolling green hills of the Witch of Greed’s Castle of Dreams. He stood before the same chair he had sat in twice over now. Sitting right across from it was the Witch of Greed herself.

Echidna: [Welcome back.]

Subaru: […]

Just as he had been hesitant to face his Third Trial, he was now hesitant to deal with Echidna. He remembered their prior conversation well enough. Something about discussing something he has that she wants. She had done much for him in giving him the opportunity to undergo the Trials. Not only had he gotten to see Emilia and Rem again, but he had learned not to dwell upon his past as much and reaffirmed his purpose, as well. Her stabilizing of his Sloth Witch Factor was just extra, as far as he was concerned.

He was less certain as to the lesson from his final Trial, though. This was part of what made him apprehensive about talking with Echidna again. She also seemed to have some business to discuss. He figured any business with a Witch of Sin would likely come with hefty strings attached, along with grave consequences.

Echidna: [Well, go on, have a seat. My, you seem awfully shellshocked. I suppose that isn’t too surprising, given what you went through in there.]

Subaru: [You saw all of that, huh?]

He felt a wash of embarrassment. He wasn’t really sure why, though. He had undergone trauma within that final Trial. It was only natural to break down as he had in there.

Echidna: [I saw. I’ve seen all you’ve gone through, Subaru. All you will go through.]

The Witch of Greed took this opportunity to defy his expectations. He had expected her to mock his pathetic display within the Third Trial. Instead, she seemed almost empathetic.

More importantly –

Subaru: [All I will go through?]

Echidna: [Yes. Not just from the voices you heard, though.]

She laid a black book on the white table. It was darker than the shadow cast by the umbrella. It was terribly familiar.

Subaru: [A Tome of Wisdom?]

Echidna: [The original, actually. A book capable of revealing the path to one’s desired future. Two copies of it were made and distributed to Beatrice and Roswaal.]

Subaru: [Beatrice’s was blank, though. And you gave one to Roswaal, too? What good did that do for him?]

Echidna smiled broadly hearing this. She didn’t need to say a word. Subaru had hoped she would confirm his grim hypothesis. It seemed like she was still refusing to be direct with him.

Echidna: [You heard what those voices said, yes? Your future will be a very thorny path, Subaru. Fortunately for you, I can make it much more pleasant for you.]

Subaru: [I think you’re glossing over the fact that those books didn’t do anything to help those you gave them to. How is that one gonna be any different?]

Echidna: [Because the original is iron-clad, of course. That, and it is in my capable hands. I have ample experience interpreting its outputs. With my help, you can achieve your goals. All you need to do is share something of yours with me.]

Subaru: [Something of mine…?]

Echidna: [Something only you can do.]

Subaru’s pupil constricted reflexively just hearing that. As far as he knew, there was only one thing he could do that no one else could do. He clutched his chest upon realizing what the Witch of Greed was getting at.

Subaru: [… you don’t know what you’re talking about.]

Echidna: [I’m quite certain I recall mentioning I have access to all of your memories here. Do you remember that? It is that fact that allowed for the creation of your Trials. For someone so bright, I must admit I’m rather surprised you didn’t put these pieces together yet…]

She coyly delivered a sidelong glance to him as she chided him for not having realized this sooner.

She was aware of his Return By Death.

Of course, he had surmised as much privately already, but had never addressed it. He had been too afraid to do so. If Echidna was aware of his Return By Death, why wasn’t his chest hurting like hell? Why hadn’t time come to stop? The Witch herself seemed to be fine, as well. Was it because she was a Witch? Was it a feature of this realm? He had no idea, yet he still didn’t want to know.

Echidna: [See, this is why you need my help. I can provide you the answers to your questions, Subaru. I can guide you to your every last goal without fail.]

Subaru: [Then why hadn’t you done so for them?!]

Things got tense between the two. This immutable fact refused to leave his mind. She had more or less offered the same boon to Beatrice and Roswaal, and neither had seen any success. What reason did he have to believe that he would be the exception? He found Echidna’s reassurances rather flimsy. She was really pushing for this deal. The only question was –

Subaru: [Why? Why do you want my curse so badly?]

Echidna: [My, my, to go so far as to call it a curse? If Satella could hear that, she may just cry.]

Subaru: [Like I give a shit! That’s the Witch of Envy you just namedropped, yeah? All she’s done is made me suffer since I got here!]

Echidna: [You're off the mark on two fronts, I’m afraid.]

Subaru: [And just how is that?]

Echidna: [For one, Satella and the Witch of Envy are not exactly the same person. She took on a Witch Factor she was ill-accustomed to, and it drove her mad. Not that I feel bad for her or anything…]

Echidna began casually flicking through her Tome of Wisdom as she corrected Subaru’s prior assertions.

Subaru: [Okay, sounds like you’re splitting hairs there, but whatever. What’s the second front I’m off the mark on?]

Echidna: [It isn’t the Witch of Envy that has made you suffer. It is the world and your interactions with it that have done so. This will only continue to be the case. This is why you need a guide, someone who is highly knowledgeable about this world. Someone such as myself.]

Subaru grimaced as Echidna corrected him again. He couldn’t exactly argue against her, given what all he had come to realize about himself as of late. All the same, he found this explanation difficult to swallow. Moreover, she was still pushing her deal onto him.

Subaru: [You dodged my question earlier. Why do you want this so bad, Echidna?]

Echidna closed her Tome of Wisdom as he pressed her once more.

Echidna: [Very well. Your Authority, Return By Death, is rather utile. It can be used to glean more knowledge than I could ever hope to glean on my own. I don’t want the Authority itself, though. I want to share in it. All of your experiences. Your hopes and dreams, your failures and successes. Every. Last. Thing.]

Subaru was aghast at what he was hearing. Everything? She wanted everything? How could she possibly expect to ever acquire such loftiness?

Echidna: [In exchange, you would gain the cleared path you need to achieve your goals. And though you seem concerned about the failures of Beatrice and Roswaal regarding their usage of their copies of my Tome of Wisdom, I assure you I would never fail you with the most genuine article.]

Subaru: [… that’s insane. The arrogance… the overconfidence… the… sheer greed of it all…]

He sweated nervously as he struggled to process Echidna’s claims and the depth of her desire. His palms were clammy as they balled up into fists. Was he getting angry again? Her mention of Beatrice being a failure earlier likely had gotten under his skin.

Subaru: [… it’s all completely beyond the pale! You’re a monster, Echidna! And Beatrice? A failure? You set her up for failure, you Witch! She never knew how to choose. What kind of mother fails to teach their child how to choose for themselves, huh?!]

He slammed his fists on the table, rattling the porcelain tea pot and saucer inches from him. He had appeared fearful before. Now, he was incensed.

Subaru: [You want me to form a contract? Is that it? Fuck your contract, Witch! I already got one! Hell, I got far too many promises to keep as it is without adding yours on top of them! Yours doesn’t deserve to be counted among their ranks, either!]

He thought back to the promises he had included in his eulogies to his fallen loved ones. The very notion of including a contract with Echidna among them made him sick, given all he had learned about her.

Subaru: [This whole time… you’ve been trying to manipulate me into taking that damn contract, weren’t you? Taking it easy on me. “I think the next one will be more pleasant!” What kind of fool do you take me for, huh?! And you even aped Ram and Bastian’s tough love routine with that last Trial. So creative!]

Echidna: [I see. Perhaps I should have given you the other Second Trial instead…]

Subaru: [Too little too late! You’re the failure here, Echidna!]

He shot up out of his seat with ardent fervor. His seat fell backwards from his forcefulness.

Echidna: [… is it really too late, Natsuki Subaru? After all, you’re still in my Castle of Dreams.]

Subaru’s bluster evaporated almost immediately. He hadn’t liked her mention of an alternate Second Trial he could have had instead. He had miscalculated.

Subaru: [B-But I thought I passed the Third Trial!]

Echidna: [Oh, you will have. Once you leave my Castle of Dreams, the chamber concealing the barrier spell will be opened, ready for it to be destroyed.]

Subaru: [Then let me go!]

Echidna: [Why? What reason do I have to be so gracious to you? You are the reason I’m trapped in here now, you know.]

Subaru: [W-What? You’re dead, though! You said so yourself!]

Echidna: [Yes, as a last ditched effort to save myself and my sisters, I made this realm to preserve us. I had planned on returning one day. That day was supposed to be about three months ago. Do you see what I’m getting at here?]

She glared as she continued to smile maliciously, leaning forward towards the fearful Subaru. He wasn’t quite sure exactly how he played into Echidna’s confinement, but she was insisting he was chiefly to blame for some reason.

Subaru: [I… I don’t see how me being late connects with you being stuck in here!]

Echidna: [Come now, Subaru, you really are smarter than this. What event happened in this Sanctuary three months ago? I want to hear you say it.]

Subaru tensed up at the prospect of having to recount the tragedy that had befallen Sanctuary. Like the flap of a butterfly’s wings causing a hurricane, his flight from Lugunica had inadvertently led to the unleashing of the Great Rabbit upon the already downtrodden, isolated village.

Echidna: [Not going to say it? Why? Are you too afraid? Odd, considering you’ve been facing the consequences of your past a lot lately. Your cowardice is just another reason why you need my guidance, Subaru.]

Subaru: [S-Shut up!]

Echidna: [Oh, what a defense! Is this your limit? After all you’ve been through?]

Subaru: [I said shut up!]

Echidna: [It’s your fault my plan to return was ruined. I had been working on that for ten years now, you know. It isn’t easy hollowing out a soul. To see that work be torn asunder by rabid beasts in one fell swoop was like a sculptor watching their most prized work of a decade get demolished before their eyes.]

Subaru: [What… what the hell are you talking about?!]

He was genuinely lost right now. Hollowing out a soul? Whose? She had mentioned she was trying to return to the living world. Was she trying to replace someone who had lived in Sanctuary? How could she do that? He thought this in both the moralistic sense and the practical sense.

Echidna: [Ryuzu Shima. Basically a grandmother to poor Garfiel. She would have made a half-decent vessel, at least. Too bad the Great Rabbit devoured her. Now, you’re my only hope of escape, possibly the only hope of escape for my sisters, as well.]

Subaru: [… you really are a monster. Taking over someone’s body? And acting as if tearing out their soul was some sort of craftsmanship on your part… you’re disgusting, Echidna! If your sisters are anything like you, none of you deserve to walk the world ever again!]

Echidna: [Then we truly are at an impasse. You don’t want me out there. I’m keeping you in here. Only one of us has the power to break this stalemate, though.]

She raised her right hand.

Subaru: [W-Wait!]

Echidna: [I’ve waited on you long enough.]

She prepared to snap her fingers, when all of the sudden, a white mote of light emerged from within Subaru.

???: [Found you.]

Subaru: [Ris!]

It was indeed one of the eight Yang quasi-spirits that Bastian held in his retinue. It had been with him for all of that time, ever since the night Elsa and Meili had attacked him and his companions. Bastian had used his Sound Mind Spirit Art on him that night to sooth his frayed nerves from dealing with Meili. He hadn’t realized that Bastian hadn’t recalled that spirit from him after that night.

Echidna: [… to think I thanked him for bringing you back here. May that swordsman meet a most unfortunate end.]

The mote seemed to begin to expand as it emitted a growing light. The light washed out Echidna’s Castle of Dreams. It would be too optimistic to assume Ris was single-handedly erasing this realm. It was but one quasi-spirit in the face of a Witch of Sin. It could never be capable of such a feat. Though it couldn’t erase this realm, it was able to remove Subaru from his confinement within it.

As he faded from the Castle of Dreams, the Witch of Greed had one last knife to twist.

Echidna: [Natsuki Subaru, may your path be lined with an abundance of thorns. Your abject failure would be far sweeter.]

He felt profoundly uneasy hearing the curses of a Witch of Sin as the world around him finally faded from his view.

Chapter Text

Subaru: [Guh! Hah, wha…?!]

Subaru jolted awake from what felt like a nightmare seeking to envelope him. The Witch of Greed had threatened to show him a different take on his Second Trial, one which she alluded would have been quite punishing. One which she seemed to think would be sufficient in demonstrating why it was that he needed her help.

That looming nightmare had been narrowly avoided.

Bastian: [Good… you’re awake…]

Smiling weakly down at him was the familiar visage of his lackadaisical friend. He had blood dripping from the corners of his mouth and streaming down his cheeks like tears.

Subaru: [Bastian… you didn’t…]

Bastian: [Beatrice-sama was beginning to get worried. Was too. Checked in with the Ris you have with you. Heard what was happening. Had to step in.]

Subaru: [You heard all of that?]

Bastian: [Share the senses of Ris. What they see. What they hear. Heard Echidna mention what would happen if you woke up. Decided to do just that.]

Subaru: [Did Ris do that, too?]

Bastian: [Assisted. Couldn’t do it alone. The Witch’s realm was resilient. Required… external means, as well.]

Subaru surmised his friend had stormed into the tomb to wake him up however he could. Evidently, hearing “found him” hadn’t been projected from the spirit itself, but rather from Bastian outside of the Castle of Dreams. He hadn’t forgotten the qualifications required to enter the tomb prior to the completion of the Trials, though. Bastian seemed rather weak as he knelt down to help Subaru to his feet.

Subaru: [… what happened to you, Bastian?]

Bastian: [Not entirely sure. Couldn’t feel a thing. Guess everything was being slowly ripped apart.]

Subaru’s eyes constricted in horror. He was obviously aghast at what had happened to his companion, who had suffered on his account. Of course, “suffer” wasn’t apt in Bastian’s case. His Divine Protection of Insulation had fortunately shielded him from the immeasurable pain such internal torsion would have rendered unto him. He should have been dead before having ever reached Subaru’s chamber, but his partial immortality granted to him by Odglass had ensured that he would endure.

Subaru was horrified that his companion had put himself through this gauntlet. He was also horrified at just how little it seemed to have affected him. He couldn’t imagine what being slowly torn asunder from the inside out felt like. He didn’t wish to ever find out. He supposed it was a good thing, then, that his friend didn’t know what that felt like, either.

Beatrice: [Bastian, you imbecile! Betty was trying to tell you not to enter, in fact!]

Meili: [Geez, that was a stupid thing to do. Do you want to die?~]

Beatrice and Meili had ran in after Bastian. They had seen the glow of the tomb had faded, indicating the Trials were concluded. Subaru hadn’t even noticed the glow had faded away, being too fixated upon his friend’s condition. Having helped Subaru up, Bastian slumped against a nearby wall to prop himself up. He was in a sorry state, even with his advantages.

Bastian: [Don’t particularly wanna die. Sorry for disobeying you, Gre- er, Beatrice-sama.]

His torpor from his intensive regeneration process had affected his mindfulness regarding Beatrice’s apparent disdain for his reverence.

Beatrice: [Honestly…]

Beatrice strode over to Bastian with the intent to lay healing hands upon him.

Bastian: [No.]

Beatrice: [Huh?]

Bastian: [No. Don’t heal.]

Beatrice: [Why not, in fact? Did the tomb’s enchantment scramble your brain, as well?]

Meili: [Maybe he’s a masochist…]

Bastian stared at Meili, unamused at her joke. He found it incongruous and improper for a child to know of such things as masochism. However, he knew it wasn’t his place to try to correct that in her. She would probably just double down out of spite, at any rate. Instead, he opted to barely acknowledge it.

Bastian: [Not a masochist. Can’t receive healing from other spirits. Only Odglass may do so.]

Subaru: [Huh? You talk like you have a contract with that Great Spirit.]

Bastian: [Part of the vows of being an Acolyte Knight. May be a knight disgrace. Might not be, though. Just in case, don’t wish to sully the vows any further.]

Subaru: [Couldn’t Ris heal you?]

Bastian: [Doesn’t know how. Yang Magic isn’t intended for such things.]

Beatrice: [He’s right, I suppose. The closest application would be Restoration Magic, but that is intended for inanimate objects, not living beings.]

Subaru: [Oh… how long will it take for you to heal, then?]

Subaru looked at his sworn sword with a pained expression. He hated that Bastian had gone so far on his account. It hadn’t even been a day since he had seen the swordsman at the lowest point he had seen him in their time traveling together. Now, he appeared to be barely able to stand at all.

Bastian: [Could take a while.]

Subaru: [What, like a day?]

Bastian: [Longer. Damage was evidently pretty heavy...]

Subaru: […]

He felt awful for his friend. He was reminded of how Emilia had railed against his risk-taking behavior in service to her. He could more easily relate to that sentiment now. He recalled the sight of Rem leaping from the wagon to buy him and Otto some time in a failed loop. He never asked her to do that, but she did so without hesitation.

Bastian acted similarly. Even when a Great Spirit had cried out against it, he stormed inside the tomb, much to his own harm. He could afford it, though. He felt no pain. He was hard to kill, perhaps nigh impossible, if he were truly anything like Elsa. Subaru felt like he could relate to this sentiment, too. After all, he had his own ability that insulated him from the true depth of the risks he took on.

Of course, that ability was profoundly unpleasant for him to use. He had called it a curse to Echidna’s face. Even now, he found it galling that she had implied it to be anything other than a curse.

He shook his head rapidly. Dwelling. He was dwelling upon so much. The moment was much more important than all of these supposedly irrelevant concerns.

Subaru: [I completed the Trials.]

Beatrice looked to him with great astonishment. She could have guessed as much, given the glow had faded away and Bastian had stopped being torn apart from the inside out. She and Meili were also perfectly fine, despite being well into the tomb’s depths now.

Something about the declaration from Subaru made her feel a swelling of pride within her heart. Not just pride, but gratitude, as well. Her contractor was someone truly dedicated, someone who seemed able to inspire others, if Bastian and Garfiel were any indicators. Even Meili demonstrated this, albeit to a much lesser degree at this stage. She recalled him mentioning a debt he felt he owed to her. Foolishness, she thought. What could he possibly owe to her? He had cited the circumstances they had landed in. How was that his fault? She didn’t understand it.

Beatrice: [Subaru… thank you…]

Subaru: [It’s what you deserve, Beako. You deserve closure, too. You deserve to be able to mourn. Come on. Let’s go pay our respects.]

He held out his calloused hand to her porcelain, unblemished, petite hand. They were quite an odd pair, of which they were no doubt acutely aware. Subaru smiled as he recalled Emilia’s words on the matter, even if it had just been an Emilia extrapolated from his memories and expectations.

They walked over to the door to the final chamber. Opening it revealed a room that was aglow with the flickering green of ever-changing runic text floating in the air above a glass coffin. No doubt it was Echidna’s own coffin. Subaru glared at the floating green runes. He surmised they comprised the barrier spell that had isolated Sanctuary from the rest of the kingdom for centuries and spelled its doom when the Great Rabbit had been roused by Puck’s snow.

He didn’t even have to think about how he would remove the spell from existence. His fists clenched at the sight of the spell. He had broken people with these very fists, though he had also injured them in the process. He wondered if it would hurt to punch actual magic.

With his determination surging, he reared back. With great flourish, he swung his fist into the magical structure. His white mantle and orange scarf swirled as his fist shattered the barrier spell. It dissipated into the air around them, the soft green glow disappearing with it.

Bastian: [So, that’s it then? Barrier’s gone?]

Bastian asked this as he limped into the room. He only made it to the doorway, needing something lean upon in order to stay standing. Meili stood behind him, appearing somewhat irritated that he was blocking the way in. However, she seemed just mindful enough to not make light of it in this moment. Perhaps she had gained some respect for Beatrice in their time alone together? No one couldn’t say for sure.

Subaru: [Yeah…]

He stopped himself from dwelling on the fact that it served little good doing so now. As far as he was concerned, allowing Beatrice to pay her respects to her mother was more than enough to make it worthwhile.

Beatrice stared longingly into the glass coffin.

Beatrice: [Mother…]

Subaru stared too. He had to do his best not to act surprised at the sight he saw within it. There was an ashen-haired woman draped in black held within. That much he had been expecting. However, her facial structure seemed different than the Echidna he had met within the Castle of Dreams. She seemed more mature, like someone in their thirties rather than their late teens or early twenties.

He also had to try not to think about the implications of this too much, but that proved impossible. Why did she look so much older here? Was the Echidna in the Castle of Dreams her idealized self? A younger version of herself? Were they even the same person at all? He had no one he could ask about these questions, though. The only people he could see having answers were Echidna, who he was no cut off from permanently for better or worse; Beatrice, who was currently experiencing a poignant moment he didn’t wish to infringe upon; and Roswaal, who he had been told was dead, though he had his doubts. Even if the margrave did yet live, he somehow doubted he would be forthwith.

He couldn’t talk about these things. Instead, he bowed his head along with Beatrice in a show of solidarity.

Beatrice: [Betty… Betty found That Person, Mother. Betty had it wrong for a while, I suppose. He showed me the error of my way of thinking. He’s given me hope. Betty thinks you would like him, in fact.]

Subaru didn’t know what to make of her one-sided heart-to-heart with the dead Witch of Sin. It rent his heart, though he knew that Echidna, or at least the Echidna he had met, didn’t seem to like him. Rather, it was what he possessed that she liked, and what that had represented to her. She clearly wanted more knowledge, and his Return By Death could have been the ultimate instrument for knowledge acquisition. One could perhaps even learn all there is to know. Why she wanted to garner increasing troves of knowledge was beyond his understanding, nor had she ever tried to explain anything of the sort to him. It was as though the answer was supposed to be self-evident.

As much as he would like to have known that answer, he knew it was better that he never find a way to communicate with her again. There was simply too much animosity between them now. He had left her waiting too long. He had thoroughly rebuffed her offer of a contract.

If there was anything good he could say about the woman interred before him –

Subaru: [I’m glad she created you, Beako.]

He pulled her into his side for a hug as they stared into the coffin a little while longer.

***

Since they were well ahead of Garfiel’s deadline, they opted to stay in one of the houses in the village that night. It made Subaru about as uncomfortable as it had when they had taken shelter within an abandoned house in Irlam Village not even a week ago. The sense of unbelonging and shame was only dulled by the fact that he had never been here before now and hadn’t known anyone from here before recently. He felt a bit guilty at this disparity, though no more than he did raiding the larder of this house.

Being laid up with internal injuries that were slowly regenerating by the grace of Odglass, Bastian didn’t perform his usually role of cook. Subaru took the liberty of cooking for everyone.

Beatrice: [It feels wrong for you to have to cook, considering what you did. Betty wishes she could cook…]

Subaru: [I can show you a thing or two sometime, though admittedly I’m no pro myself… basic recipes are about all I’m good for.]

As he offered to provide Beatrice basic cooking lessons, he was stirring a vegetable soup. He hadn’t been a great cook before arriving in Lugunica, having lived mostly off of his mother’s cooking, instant ramen, and takeout. Even upon becoming a butler, cooking had never been under his purview. He had prepped some ingredients before, but the actual act of cooking had been done almost exclusively by Rem. Here, he was able to exhibit his ability to learn on his feet.

There was no meat available in the larder, but there were plenty of frozen vegetables. Some tometo’s were available, which he used to make tometo soup as the base. This took some doing on his part, though he didn’t mind. He simply added some of the frozen vegetables in and allowed them to thaw. They were cooked fairly well, not being too mushy but not being frozen inside, either.

Bastian: [Maybe Meili can cook.]

Meili: [Noooooope.~]

She gave off a singsong cadence as she dismissed this possibility. Bastian didn’t look too surprised, not that he typically demonstrated much capacity for such reactions. He opted to move right along.

Bastian: [We’ll be heading out in the morning. Garfiel will likely be happy to see us.]

Subaru: [Yeah. I’m looking forward to sharing the good news with everyone.]

Beatrice: [Even with Clind and Annerose, in fact?]

Subaru stiffened a bit. He hadn’t considered how exactly he would broach the topic of the Great Rabbit’s demise with the two of them. They had previously stated that any action against the Great Rabbit would be interpreted as an “act of aggression.” Subaru was unsure why this was the case. It seemed like a vapid excuse meant to conceal something else. He couldn’t divine the specifics, though he did have a dreadful hint.

Subaru: [It’d be foolish for them to punish us in light of our deed today. If they were smart, they’d align themselves with us.]

As he offered his pragmatic reasoning, he doled out bowls of soup to his comrades. Beatrice accepted hers with a smile, even though she didn’t need to eat. She didn’t have it in her to correct him after he had worked diligently in preparing enough for everyone. Bastian slowly eased himself up so he could eat. He nodded silently as a gesture of thanks. Meili hesitantly accepted her bowl. She was still sizing everyone up, it seemed. She tentatively sipped her soup. It looked cute, but the obvious distrust on display made this difficult to readily appreciate.

Bastian: [May not be a matter of smarts preventing them from being so inclined.]

Subaru: [… I know.]

The room fell silent as they continued eating. Even after they had wrapped up, the silence persisted. The uncertainty of what was to come regarding the new margrave and her severe manservant had them all on edge. Even Meili appeared concerned, though none of them could tell why.

Bastian: [… we’ll get nowhere fretting like this. Should rest up for the trek back to Costuul in the morning. Will just have to cross the bridge when we get to it.]

At Bastian’s behest, everyone turned in. Beatrice, not requiring sleep, opted to stay up to keep watch. Bastian had offered to take a shift of watch himself, but he was vetoed by everyone, save for Meili, who abstained.

***

The next morning, they set out to return to Costuul to share news of their success and to face whatever might come next in light of it. Subaru had wanted to be less tense in their return but knowing they would likely not be well-received by Clind and Annerose made this difficult.

Subaru: [Maybe the people will be so accepting of our success that those two will just cave?]

Bastian: [Were it so simple…]

Subaru carried Bastian on his back, a task made easier through Beatrice’s use of Murak. She walked alongside Meili since Subaru’s hands were full.

Beatrice: [We’ll just have to be careful, I suppose. We don’t know how many people are truly in favor of what we had set out to accomplish.]

Subaru: [It just seems like such a universally appreciable thing though, doesn’t it? I mean, who doesn’t want to be free? There’s something we’re missing here, and only Clind and Annerose will have the answers.]

Bastian: [Definitely lumping Annerose in as an accomplice now, then?]

Subaru: [… she may be the culprit. I just hope I’m wrong…]

It took more nerve for him to say this aloud than he had thought. He didn’t like casting aspersions towards a child. For all he knew, though, she wasn’t what she seemed.

They trudged through the snow for hours, until they arrived once more at the walls of Costuul. He recalled just days earlier arriving here under much duress. Their time in Costuul had felt much longer, though. Confinement seemed to have a way of stretching out one’s perception of time.

Even though it had only been a few days, Subaru had felt like he had lost much more time. He was eager to take his leave for good. He privately supposed they could just leave now. After all, the Great Rabbit would no longer pursue them. They could go anywhere now. However, Garfiel would assume their death otherwise, and nothing in this city would change unless the truth came to light.

As they got closer to the walls, they could see people gathering atop it. They could hear people cheering, see people waving. Eventually they got so close they could make out individual faces. They saw the apothecary owner and his wife, as well as their children. They saw their new security, with one of them holding a child on his shoulders, presumably his chronically ill daughter. They saw members of the city guard, some of whom appeared to already be drunk. Near them, they saw Garfiel.

Garfiel: [Su’prised’ta see ya so soon. ‘ell, su’prised’ta see ya ‘gain at all!]

The blonde youth shouted down to them, his sharp teeth forming a smile that made him appear undeniably related to Frederica.

Garfiel: [Why’re ya carryin’ the swordsman? ‘e get ‘urt ‘r somethin’?]

Subaru: [It’s a long story! Let us in and we can give you all the details!]

Haskel: [Hold up, chief. What if they didn’t get all of it? What if it follows them in?]

The high-ranking member of the city guard that deferred to Garfiel’s judgement was nervous, knowing just what it was Subaru and company had just gone up against. He felt he couldn’t be too careful.

Subaru: [If you want to scour the Mathers Domain in search of their corpses, you’re more than free to do so. You won’t find anything, though. Bastian saw to that.]

Garfiel: [Eh? That why ‘e’s on yer back? Ya use too much mana there, swordsman?]

Bastian simply sighed while Garfiel teased him. It was obvious the enforcer was in a good mood. The swordsman didn’t wish to cut through his teasing jeers with his usual droll tonelessness. He let him have this moment of elation.

Garfiel: [Throw open the gate, Haskel. I believe ‘em.]

He gave this order with a broad smile. His emerald eyes seem to shine. Haskel was visibly surprised by the sight.

Garifel: [Hah? Why’re ya jus’ standin’ there, Haskel? Go on, then!]

Haskel: [R-Right, you got it, chief!]

Haskel darted to the wheel that would draw the gate open. As Subaru and company entered the city once more, they were swiftly surrounded by the adulating crowd. Hugs, pecks on the cheek, pats on the back, they received them all in ample measure. If they were more well-off, they would undoubtedly be showering their party with gifts. It was all quite overwhelming for them.

The worked their way through the crowd, following Subaru’s lead. He knew they needed to confront Clind and Annerose over recent events. There was no sense in beating around the bush. As they made their way through the streets towards the townhouse, though, the crowd followed along with them.

Subaru had been banking on this.

Subaru: [There’s strength in numbers, Garfiel. I was a bit worried before about how we would handle the governess of this region, but with the weight of the city bearing down on them?]

Garfiel: [They’ll have no choice but’ta accept that things’ve changed. S’amazin’, boss!]

Subaru: [“Boss?”]

Garfiel: [‘ll yeah, the ‘ell else would I call ya?]

Subaru: [I guess I don’t have a good answer to that…]

Bastian: [Remember: he’s 14.]

Subaru: [Ah, yeah, he is. That checks out. Maybe just a little bit chuuni, but I can let it slide.]

Garfiel: [Eh? What’s a “chew-knee?” You tryna call me an ankle-biter? The ‘ell man?!]

Subaru: [No, no! “Chuuni” just means someone who’s… got some room for growth, is all.]

He didn’t have the heart to tell him what “chuunibyou” really referred to. He didn’t wish to insult someone he sought to befriend. After all, the Trials had shown him this was a possibility. Though he loathed Echidna, he was grateful for the insights he had gleaned from those experiences.

Garfiel: [Oh… ‘kay. ‘ll, anyway boss, I’ll be backin’ ya up in there. Big Sis likely will, too.]

Bastian: [Only “likely?”]

Garfiel: [I can’t speak fer ‘er. Still, I don’t see ‘er leavin’ ya in the lurch.]

Subaru: [Oh, certainly not. She gave Bastian his new look, you know.]

Bastian: [Stop. Please.]

As Subaru teased his injured comrade, they arrived at the townhouse. Clind and Annerose were already standing on the stoop, awaiting their return.

Clind: [So, those really were cheers we had been hearing… and of course you’re at the center of it all, Natsuki-san.]

He glared down at Subaru and his party, who stood apart from the cheering crowd. The crowd had been cheering, at least. Now, they were on edge, staring right back at the blue-haired butler. They looked to be on the verge of becoming defensive, or worse.

Subaru: [It’s alright, everyone! I’m sure the margrave and her trustee just wish to discuss matters, yeah?]

Annerose: [Indeed. Garfiel, you’ll be joining us, as will your sister, who is already gathered inside. Now come.]

Annerose was as curt as the night they had first met her. She sharply gestured for the party plus Garfiel to enter the townhouse. The crowd remained tense. They clearly didn’t like the idea of them going into that foreboding abode. Subaru had given them his assurance, though; they wouldn’t escalate any further beyond their gathering.

They gathered in the parlor as they had the night Subaru had declared he had a plan to subjugate the Great Rabbit. The atmosphere was heavy with suspicion and ire. Subaru sought to give them no time to muddy the waters. He would cut straight to the chase.

Subaru: [Let me guess: you two are aggravated that we went over your heads and subjugated the Great Rabbit?]

Annerose picked up on his intentions. She refused to allow him to dictate the pace here.

Annerose: [Subaru. I demand an audience with you alone in my study. Clind will speak to the others.]

Subaru’s brow furrowed. What did she plan to do to him on her own? Was she more powerful than she appeared? Moreover, what was it she would discuss with Subaru that the others couldn’t be privy to? What would Clind have to say that would be any different? The rest of those gathered, save for Clind, were also confused.

Subaru exchanged a glance with Bastian, who was leaning against a leather chair now. Beatrice once more held her contractor’s hand. The glance was a wordless touching of base, as though to say, “what do you think?” Bastian nodded firmly in approval.

Subaru: [I’ll comply, but I’ll have to insist that you carve out an exception for Beatrice. She and I are contracted, after all.]

He raised her hand as he made his demand. Annerose appeared visibly irritated with this demand. Was it possible she realized the momentum was already on his side, what with the city’s support having heavily swayed to his favor?

Annerose: [… fine.]

She spitefully agreed to Subaru’s request, as she made her way towards the stairs. Her study was located on the second floor. He and Beatrice followed behind, leaving the others in Clind’s company in the parlor.

The study was rather small, though the only one he had for reference belonged in an actual mansion. His frame of reference was decidedly skewed. Annerose sat behind the desk. The sight was almost comical, given her short stature. The desk was clearly intended for an adult. It stopped short of being actually comical due to the severity of the situation.

She seemed composed as she took her seat at the desk, with a pleasant, even look on her face. There was a chair opposite the desk for a guest to sit in. Subaru eyed it for all of a second before discounting it completely. Annerose didn’t offer him a seat, nor did he intend to. As far as he was concerned, he could have this discussion while standing.

Annerose: [I must admit, I’m surprised you went over my head like this, considering your cowardice in recent months.]

Subaru almost wanted to quip that it wouldn’t be difficult for him to go over her head considering her height. However, her mention of his cowardice had him on edge. How was she aware of his flight from the kingdom? Had word gotten out? He wanted to quickly discount this possibility, not because it would be inconvenient were it actually true; rather, he hadn’t heard a single person mention it while in town.

Then again, Meili seemed to have known, as evidenced by her twisted barbs at his expense regarding the fate of Irlam Village. He had no way of knowing how she knew about it, though. He had to assume it was her employer who had informed her of this course of events, though this employer’s identity remained elusive.

Annerose: [I believe I told you that the Royal Army was going to handle the situation. I thought that would be enough to convince you to stand down. Just in case, though, I was careful to threaten consequences should you refuse to stand down.]

Subaru: [Yeah, something about a perceived “act of aggression.”]

Annerose: [Evidently you’re less of a coward than I had been led to believe, though. The notion that others were already acting didn’t make you abdicate your sense of duty, nor did the threat make you submit. Indeed, you have defiiiiiiied expectations.]

The verbal tick unsettled Subaru. It made him stare into Annerose’s yellow eye, the one Frederica had told him she hadn’t always possessed.

Annerose: [I regret that you couldn’t defy my expectations in a more beneficial manner. The last time you had done so, you ruined everything.]

Such damning words. Words that damned him and words that damned her. They were just as much a scathing critique of his past cowardice as they were a revelation. Subaru gulped instinctively as he began to feel uneasy. That hypothesis he had been sitting on for some time now was becoming harder to ignore and harder to refute. This was especially the case considering he hadn’t met Annerose prior to his arrival in Costuul.

Annerose then lost her pleasant countenance, exchanging it for a frown of profound displeasure. It was woeful, really.

Annerose: [Why…]

Subaru: [… why what?]

It was such a vague and simple question as to be meaningless without elaboration. Annerose may have completed her thought, had she not been trembling with fury.

Annerose: [You weren’t meant to defeat the Great Rabbit.]

Subaru frowned at this bizarre statement.

Subaru: [If it wasn’t my friends and I that were “meant” to handle the task, then who? It’s like I said before: we had a plan in hand and ready to go.]

Annerose continued to tremble wordlessly, struggling to maintain her composure.

Subaru: [What, were these people supposed to wait for the Royal Army to formulate a plan? They’d already been waiting for months already, and things were already looking untenable! Were you planning on doing anything, margrave?!]

Annerose: [Why, Subaru?! Why didn’t you restart the world?!]

***

Subaru’s eyes went wide with shock at this explosive question from Annerose.

Beatrice: [Restart… the world? What in the world makes you think Subaru can do such a thing, in fact?]

Beatrice appeared confused and unnerved in equal measure as she turned to look to her contractor.

Subaru: [… she doesn’t know what she’s talking about.]

Subaru wanted so desperately to avoid the situation flying out of his control. The momentum had been his. If his Return By Death became too explicitly apparent, though, the situation would inevitably fly out of control. He didn’t want any harm to come to anyone.

His assertion of Annerose’s confusion wasn’t just a desperate attempt to wrest back his momentum, though. He genuinely saw no way she could possibly be aware of his Return By Death. He hadn’t even reset since before he fled for Gusteko over three months ago. Even then, he hadn’t even mentioned it to anyone in this loop, knowing it could cause harm. He had been careful to make sure his compatriots had covered their ears and that he was out of their hearing range when he had invoked his Return By Death to boost his miasma.

No one should have known but him, yet Annerose alluded that she of all people did.

He recalled Frederica’s observations about Annerose from the other night. He recalled Echidna’s mentions of Roswaal, how he would still have “complicated thoughts” regarding him moving forward. He recalled how she had smiled broadly and mischievously when he had asked what good the Tome of Wisdom she had given to Roswaal had done for him. Most of all, he recalled Echidna’s plan to plant her own soul within the body of Ryuzu Shima, revealing that such feats of life extension were possible in this world, provided one possessed sufficient magical prowess.

It all pointed to one possibility in his mind, the confirmation of his grim hypothesis.

Subaru: [You’re not really Annerose… are you?]

Beatrice: [Huh?! Subaru, what do you mean, in fact? You believe her to be a body double? Someone disguised as her?]

Subaru: [No. Worse.]

Annerose, or rather “Roswaal,” adopted an intense look of irritability on her face.

“Roswaal”: [I guess this makes the two of us equal, then, now that we’ve seen through each other.]

Beatrice was appalled. The person she had known as Annerose for those past few days didn’t even try to deny Subaru’s reproachful allegation. She put the pieces together just after her contractor had.

Beatrice: [Soul transference? But… that technique was incomplete!]

“Roswaal”: [It had been, yes. I completed it, a long time ago.]

“Roswaal” then reached into her desk, pulling out a familiar black book.

Subaru: [Your Tome of Wisdom…]

“Roswaal”: [Ah, so you are aware of its existence? Then either Beatrice told you about it, or… you didn’t happen to visit the Witch’s Graveyard while you were out defying me, did you?]

Subaru gritted his teeth. How could she guess so easily? Then, looking again at the Tome of Wisdom in her small hands, he realized how this was possible.

Subaru: [It’s all in there, isn’t it? The path I was supposed to have taken, according to Echidna.]

“Roswaal”: [So, you did finally visit her. She must have been waiting for some time.]

Subaru: [She said as much, yes. I completed her Trials.]

“Roswaal”: [Oh? For what purpose? The village is already dead.]

Subaru: [Partly out of vengeance for the village, but mostly for Beako. I wanted her to pay her respects. She deserved to mourn, too.]

“Roswaal”: [To mourn? It seems you have picked up some new proclivities in your time with the failed knight.]

Subaru: [He’s not a failure.]

“Roswaal”: [Isn’t he, though? Ah, but I should be thankful to him. He brought you back, after allllllll.]

Subaru: [You too, huh?]

He recalled how Echidna had said more or less the same thing regarding Bastian. There was a slight inconsistency between them, though.

Subaru: [Wait, but it seemed like you hated his guts when we first got here.]

“Roswaal”: [He may have done me a favor in bringing you back, but he’s stiiiiiiill an unknown entity. He makes more difficult than it already is.]

Her mentioning of “planning” didn’t sit well with Subaru. He glared at her Tome of Wisdom.

Subaru: [You didn’t answer my question. Does your book say what it was I should’ve done?]

Beatrice: [Subaru…]

Subaru: [It’s alright, Beako. I don’t want that damn thing. I just wanna confirm something.]

He recalled how Beatrice’s Tome of Wisdom had been utterly blank relative to the Gospel that Bastian had swiped off of Petelgeuse. He wanted to know if it were the same for “Roswaal.”

“Roswaal”: [… it used to say many things. It used to tell me the path to my goal, my dearest wish. For months now, though, its pages have been blank. I have felt like a leaf helpless within a violent wind.]

Subaru: [For about three months, right?]

“Roswaal”: [So, you realize your connection in all of this? Ah, you really are astute, aren’t you? If only you had realized what it was you should have done all those months ago.]

Beatrice: [That’s too far!]

Subaru: [It’s alright, Beako. I see what’s going on here now.]

He knew that Beatrice had never been able to read her Tome of Wisdom, as she had questioned why her Mother had given her a blank book meant to tell the reader their future. “Roswaal,” however, had been able to read hers in the past, until Subaru ran away. Presumably, she had been following hers for some time.

Subaru: [Hell, I bet that thing helped you figure out how to stuff your soul into other people’s bodies. Of all the sickening shit…]

“Roswaal”: [Thaaaaat was actually a matter of intensive study on my own part… well, the part of Roswaal A. Mathers, anyway.]

Beatrice: [You completed that technique that long ago… all this time… you were…]

As she was about to break down, she felt a squeeze on her hand. Subaru was there, reminding her she didn’t stand alone in this study.

Subaru: [That long ago… how long?]

“Roswaal”: [400 years. Not too long after my teacher had died. Well, not in the grand scheme of things, anyway.]

This revelation was drenched with poignancy as it escaped “Roswaal’s” lips. The title “teacher” in particular felt so oddly nostalgic. He knew to whom “Roswaal” was referring when he said “teacher.” It was Echidna, the Witch of Greed. After all, she had given him a copy of her Tome of Wisdom, as well. There was just one thing nagging at him now.

Subaru: [Your dearest wish… what was it, “Roswaal?”]

He knew he had her at a disadvantage here. She seemed to have little recourse in shifting the momentum to her side unless she was concealing some power. Given that this was “Roswaal” he was dealing with, he knew he should be more guarded if this were the case. He recalled how the Roswaal he had known was hailed as the most powerful magic user in the kingdom. The ease with which that Roswaal had disposed of countless wolgarm with a single spell.

However, he knew that Roswaal wasn’t this “Roswaal.” If she were, she could have dealt with the Great Rabbit by now. Moreover, she wouldn’t need the likes of Clind or Garfiel to maintain control over Costuul. As such, he felt eerily comfortable pushing his luck here.

“Roswaal”: [You should already know the answer to that question, Natsuki Subaru. The pieces are all already in your hands.]

Subaru: [Tch, you’re as cryptic as your teacher… ah.]

It became obvious to him the second he had mentioned “Roswaal’s” long-dead teacher. The only question was –

Subaru: [How? Were you gonna try planting her soul in someone else?]

“Roswaal”: [No, such vulgar means are beneath her. Besides, soul transference only works so well for me because I use the vessels which possess a high degree of similarity to me. By virtue of our shared blood, Annerose made for a suitable vessel, albeit not as ideal as direct progeny would be. We are only distantly related, of course. Echidna had no such relatives to make this technique optimal. There certainly wasn’t an unrelated peer who could be said to possess such compatibility.]

Beatrice: [Wait, stop! Betty is lost, in fact!]

Subaru felt a pang of guilt in having brought Beatrice into this room. He had thought “Roswaal’s” desire for a one-on-one meant there was a trap in store for him. To preempt this, he had wanted Beatrice by his side. Now that no such threat seemed to truly exist within this room, Beatrice was only being exposed to things he didn’t want her to hear.

“Roswaal”: [Dear Betty, I wish to bring your Mother back to life. I had maneuvered for centuries for just that purpose. I have long known the means of achieving my dream: the blood from the heart of the Divine Dragon. I had the keys to fulfilling my dearest wish all lined up. Ram was to be the weapon to slay the beast once her horn was restored. Emilia was to be the pliable figurehead through whom I could gain access to the Divine Dragon. And then there was you.]

Subaru: [Me? So, I was one of your pawns? Were we all just pawns to you?]

“Roswaal” didn’t dignify this with a response. Subaru felt a piece of his happy past fall away as he learned who “Roswaal” really was and had always been.

“Roswaal”: [You were supposed to carve a path for Emilia to ascend to the throne. And what did you do? You ran. You ran away, throwing my chances of fulfilling my dearest wish into jeopardy, perhaps irrevocably so. It isn’t over yet though. I can still try to correeeeect course.]

Subaru: [“Correct course?” How? You’ve been relying on that book of yours for centuries to tell you what to do. Without it, aren’t you flying blind?]

“Roswaal”: [… I’ve had time to proceeeeeess that fact you so glibly make light of. For a little while, I was content with letting this world end. Annerose had been a contingency of mine for some time now, in case you failed to do what only you could do. I hadn’t actually expected to ever need to employ it, though.]

Her mention of something only Subaru could do made him feel clammy. It reminded him of Echidna’s own want. “Roswaal” surely was his teacher’s pupil.

“Roswaal”: [Without Emilia, I will need a new candidate to back to gain access to the Divine Dragon. Without Ram, I will need a new weapon to kill the Divine Dragon. I have already identified suitable replacements for these two keys, though. I will begin ingratiating myself with them soon, unless --]

Subaru: [So, you think they were so disposable… you make me sick.]

Subaru clenched his free hand into a fist at the thought that Emilia and Ram had been replaceable in “Roswaal’s” eyes. What galled him more was the fact that despite having lost his guide to success, “Roswaal” still had designs. She seemed somewhat lukewarm about actually acting upon these backup designs, however. She spoke with tepid interest in these “replacements.”

“Roswaal”: [If it makes you feel any better, I find you irreplaceable.]

Subaru: [And just how the hell is that supposed to make me feel better, huh?! Like I’m worth more than either of them, or than anyone who was lost?!]

“Roswaal”: [Lost. Yessssss, much was lost when you ran away. But surely you can still undo all of that by doing what only you can do?]

There it was again, that mention of his unique capacity. Here it sounded more like an invitation than an off-handed comment, though. It was an invitation that Subaru had no desire to heed. This aversion was written all over his face. He wanted to change the subject, but he found the flow of conversation was being dictated by the possessed girl sitting at the desk. He had all the advantages, yet her words seemed to bog him down.

“Roswaal”: [Why else do you think things have been so difficult? Costuul was always going to be your trap, Subaru. It was intended to push you to the natural conclusion. Things needed to be as untenable as possible here to force you to do what you must. Why bother wasting time fleshing out a contingency when I could return to the original path?]

Her wording was entirely self-serving, the verbiage embodying a mindset of manipulation. It was as uncanny to Subaru as it was depressing.

“Roswaal”: [You won’t though, will you? After all, you haaaaaave managed to defy my expectations. The Great Rabbit, the assassins… they were meant to force your hand, and yet they seem to have only emboldened you. You need more convincing, it seems. Fortunately, Clind is seeing to that as we speak.]

Subaru: [Clind is…?!]

Just as “Roswaal” had mentioned this, a clatter was heard from downstairs. He had forgotten to take Clind’s capabilities into account. He held a fair amount of sway in the city, though he had chalked that up to him being the trustee of the region’s governor. He hadn’t considered the butler could be an actual threat.

Just as Bastian was a blind spot for “Roswaal,” Clind was blind spot for Subaru. Bastian was still recovering from the effects of lacking the qualifications to enter Echidna’s tomb, as well. Could he be depended upon to help the others in his state? Meili lacked any combat potential without her witch beasts. He didn’t know what Frederica was capable of. This left only Garfiel, who gave off the impression of possessing great strength. Would this strength be sufficient to handle the unknown that was Clind, though? Even he had seemed wary of the butler when they had first met, speaking of him in ominous tones.

Panicking. Subaru was panicking. Was his hand truly about to be forced?

Chapter Text

As Subaru and Beatrice followed Annerose to her study, Garfiel, Frederica, Meili, and Bastian remained in the parlor with Clind. They were apparently to have their own discussion separate from the margrave, or at least that was the assumption in play.

This was not to be.

Clind: [I must say, Lady Annerose has left me with my hands quite full. I expect her sharp tongue will be more than enough to put that young man in check, as bold as he may be.]

Garfiel: [Eh? Th’ ‘ell ya talkin’ ‘bout, Clind?]

Clind: [Silence, beast.]

Garfiel: [Tch! Why you…!]

Garfiel had flippantly inquired about what the blue-haired butler was rambling about, only to be shut down harshly. Of course, his attention was rapidly diverted to the object in Clind’s hands.

He had been holding his hands behind his back in what had seemed to have been a respectful, dutiful pose. Only now did they see he had been concealing something, as he brandished a bullwhip.

The hostile intent became immediately understood by everyone in attendance. Frederica partially transformed on the spot, her delicate hands taking the form of the large golden paws of a leopard. Garfiel took on a fighting stance, though it didn’t seem like one of a traditionally trained fighter. It gave off an almost feral sensation, his fierce countenance serving to reinforce this notion. Bastian placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, though hesitated to draw it. He knew doing so could place those present in peril, especially Meili. Meili herself was frozen in place, though whether this were out of fear or resignation wasn’t readily apparent.

Before anyone could move any further, however –

Clind: [Melancholy.]

The table at the center of the parlor shattered into innumerable splinters on the spot as the butler demonstrated a bizarre ability none of those present seemed to have been privy to. Even Garfiel and Frederica seemed to have been caught off guard. Garfiel, being the closest to the table, had actually received some of those splinters in his arms, which he had instinctively raised as he had rushed to shield his older sister from the shrapnel.

Frederica: [Garf!]

Garifel: [Grrr, I’m fine, dammit! Th’ ‘ell wazzat for, Clind?! What’re ya playin’ at?!]

Clind: [That was merely a warning shot. I do hope that should be sufficient proof as to your poor odds of success here. I do regret having to harm a child, though…]

Clind shifted his attention from Garfiel to Meili in the back of the parlor. He reached out his hand toward her, then clenched it. Bastian’s eyes widened in acknowledgment of the gesture and its probable ill intent.

Clind: [Melancholy.]

The fate of that table surely would have been Meili’s as well, had it not been for the one standing between her and her would-be assailant.

Bastian: [Shinza.]

Not but a fraction of a second after Clind’s bizarre emotionally themed incantation, Bastian had cast a Yang Magic spell to enhance his speed in his sorry state, giving him just enough to close the gap between himself and Meili as he threw out his right arm in a desperate attempt to shield her.

It had succeeded, though calling it a success would feel utterly wrong. While Meili herself was indeed unharmed, Bastian’s sword arm was wrung like a damp rag, twisting in unnatural ways. It was effectively ruined on the spot, though he didn’t so much as wince as Meili looked on in horror. Why had he done this? Didn’t he want her dead not but a couple days ago?

Clind himself stared on with mixed emotions on his face, bearing equal parts irritation and admiration.

Clind: [Ah, I applaud your swift action, you disgrace. Truth be told, I never had any intent to harm the girl, even though she had failed at her appointed task.]

Garfiel: [‘er appointed task? Ya mean you set those assassins on ‘em?!]

Clind: [As a middle man, yes. Lady Annerose was the one who had ordered it, of course.]

Frederica: [You… how can you say as much so calmly before us?!]

Clind: [Because none of you shall leave this room alive, of course. Such is the margrave’s will.]

Meili: [You… never intended to hurt me?]

Clind: [Not yet at least. She could yet prove useful to the margrave. No, I merely wanted to test the resolve of the disgrace who claims to want to take you under his wing. He is also unfortunately an unknown entity whom I know nothing of other than his apparent ability to slay your dear sister.]

Meili’s lower lip quivered as she appeared ready to cry in despair. It was true, she had just been saved by the one responsible from removing her only ally from this world. Her heart and head were split against themselves as she was unable to comprehend the situation at hand. While she shut down in her agonizing, Bastian stood firmly between her and Clind, his right arm dangling limp towards the floor.

Suddenly, one of Ris emerged from the ornate white sheath on his left hip, zipping up to his ear in a frenzy. It seemed to whisper something into his ear, as his eyes widened once again.

Bastian: [I see. So, that’s how it is…]

Clind: [Hmm? What is it, you disgrace? What has your little sprite told you…?]

It was now Clind’s turn to be taken by surprise, as he realized Bastian had more tricks up his sleeves than he seemed to when taken at face value. Of course, it wasn’t merely the communication with his spirits that would trip up the butler.

Bastian: [Gonna have to cut this discussion short, Clind.]

Clind: [What are you --]

Bastian appeared to have remembered something, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say he had realized something. Knowing he couldn’t disadvantage his allies, he had to think of something new to turn the tables. However, he was too ragged to fight for very long against a fresh opponent like Clind. He tried to think outside the box, recontextualizing his abilities as Subaru had while forming the plan to subjugate the Great Rabbit. He recalled how Subaru had questioned the specific facets of his Radiant Dome Spirit Art. In a cascade of analogism, he began to mentally rearrange the pieces that were the facets of his Spirit Arts and put them together. From these pieces emerged a new Spirit Art, one lesser in scale but greater in focus.

Bastian: [Too Bright to See, Too Loud to Hear.]

With this utterance, three more of Ris emerged from the sheath of his Singing Blade, joining the first that had whispered to Bastian. They then flew at Clind with imperceptible speed, with two entering into his eyes and two into his ears. He felt piercing pain in these areas as an intense migraine immediately set in.

Clind: [Ah! My… what did you… what did you do, you wretched disgrace?!]

Clind’s eyes and ears were subsequently bombarded with stimuli. Through Yang Magic, a form of magic typically intended to enhance abilities, Bastian had enhanced Clind’s sight and hearing to such heights that they became deleterious. His eyes were suddenly made preternaturally sensitive to light, as the light from the fireplace became as bright as staring into the sun itself, effectively blinding him. His ears became hypersensitive to sound, so much so that the crackling of the flames were amplified into an uproar, effectively deafening him. Even a pin drop or the light of candle from several meters off would have proven harsh to his senses. His voice was raised not just out of rage, but out of an inability to hear himself. He began drooling a bit as his body readied himself to vomit, no doubt a result of the migraine ravaging his brain.

Bastian didn’t bother wasting the time to try to respond to Clind’s furious questioning. With Shinza still active on himself, he began making a mad dash to the stairs up to the second floor, where Annerose’s study was to be found.

Garfiel: [O-Oi! Where th’ ‘ell do ya think yer goin’?!]

Bastian: [Need to help Subaru. Leaving Clind to you and your sister. Meili, run away from this place. Safer outside.]

Meili hesitantly heeded Bastian’s urgent words as she made a break for the townhouse’s front door. Garfiel and Frederica stood before the blinded and deafened Clind, who began attacking indiscriminately with his bullwhip in his disorientation. The furniture of the parlor was swiftly torn to shreds, though Garfiel and Frederica were able to evade his blind attacks.

Clind: [Tch! It seems nothing is connecting. Very well then. I shall make it so none of you shall be able to strike me!]

He began to spin his whip in a cyclone, making a seemingly impenetrable defense.

Garfiel: [Ya ain’t shit, Clind!]

Garfiel stomped his foot onto the wooden floorboards, manipulating the earth beneath them to punch clean through the floorboards. The parlor was quickly being torn to shreds in this melee.

The earth invoked by Garfiel’s Divine Protection of Earth Spirits punched Clind square in the sternum, knocking the air out of him and interrupting his bullwhip cyclone. He was only made further disoriented in his winded state. In such a state where he could neither see nor hear, his anomalous ability seemed to be useless to him. Without the ability to select a target, he was unable to properly utilize it, whatever it was. This was perfectly fine, as far as Garfiel and Frederica were concerned.

Frederica: [Great work, Garf!]

She was quite proud of her younger brother as she dashed to join the fray, circling around the weakened and defenseless Clind. Clutching her imposing paws together, she swung them in a wrecking ball motion, landing a crushing blow into the base of the butler’s spine. The momentum put into him from the previous blow Garfiel had delivered unto him was sharply reversed as he was sent flying Garfiel’s direction.

It was obvious the Beast Siblings would show the butler no quarter.

***

While Garfiel and Frederica initiated a one-sided beatdown against Clind, Bastian busted down the door to Annerose’s study.

Subaru & Beatrice: [Bastian?!]

Annerose: [You…!]

They were all understandably surprised, some more pleasantly so than others, to see the haggard swordsman barge into the room. His timing from their perspective was impeccable. Subaru himself almost thought that Bastian could be summoned just by mere mention of his name, until he suddenly remembered –

Subaru: [--! The spare Ris! Damn, dude, you still didn’t take it back yet?!]

Bastian: [Disappointed?]

Subaru: [N-No, I’m…]

He stared at the swordsman’s limp right arm.

Subaru: [Bastian, you got yourself hurt again!]

Bastian: [Doesn’t hurt though, remember?]

Beatrice: [That’s beside the point, in fact! What’s going on down there right now?!]

Bastian: [Garfiel and Frederica have it under control. Sent Meili away from here. Lack of witch beasts in the city means she shouldn’t be a threat to anyone out there, and it’s safer for her.]

Subaru: [I gotta say, I’m surprised to hear you going out of your way to consider her safety.]

Subaru could still see the Bastian of that blood-drenched night in his mind’s eye, preparing to turn his sword on a helpless Meili after having disposed of Elsa. It warmed his heart to know his friend had earnestly accepted his choice to take in Meili.

Annerose: [Enough, all of you! You… how is it you stand before me now?!]

Annerose – no, “Roswaal” – was livid. She was just about to force Subaru’s hand to set things right, at least as far as she saw them. Her fury only made Subaru smile.

Subaru: [Isn’t it obvious, Ros? In the battle between our respective unknowns, mine won out! Wait, my unknown would be Clind, since he was the uncertainty from my perspective…]

As Subaru fumbled his gloating, understanding was setting in for “Roswaal” as her outrage was cut clean through by the simple fact Subaru had conveyed: Clind had proven insufficient in handling the unforeseen disgraced Acolyte Knight.

“Roswaal”: [Why… why couldn’t I have just seen this? Why couldn’t you have just shown me, teacher?]

She gripped her Tome of Wisdom with a white-knuckled grip as her eyes began to well up with boiling tears.

Bastian: [Subaru. Can’t really do much else, with half of Ris grappling with Clind’s senses. Will do what I can, but…]

Subaru: [You don’t have to worry about fighting or anything, Bastian. As we’ve just found out, Ros here is no threat without Clind. His magic hasn’t carried over very well into her. I doubt she can cast much that you and Beatrice couldn’t handle.]

Bastian: [I see…]

“Roswaal” continued to stare at her Tome of Wisdom. Her fury had been washed away in the wake of her newfound understanding. She fell backwards into her chair, the book landing in her lap as she stared into space with despair written all over her face. She couldn’t compel Subaru to do that which only he could do. Clind had been her trump card, her final play, and it, too, had been thoroughly dashed by Subaru’s retinue.

Whether it was his planning or the company he kept, Subaru had proven to be too much of an obstacle for this “Roswaal” to overcome. Had she still been Roswaal L. Mathers, she could have found a way to bend Subaru to his will. That Roswaal had been carefully cultivated, the result of generations of selective marriages, technique acquisitions, and intensive training. He was meant to be the last Roswaal, the one who would stand by his teacher’s side once more at the end of the path to his dearest wish.

That dream was gone now, though. The Tome of Wisdom’s pages were barren. She considered that perhaps she had been too hasty in trying to force Subaru’s hand. If she had bided her time, done a better job in concealing her true identity, and thrown in behind Subaru instead of trying to brute force her way back to the original path she had been so fixated upon, then perhaps she could have still found her contingency winding up a success. It didn’t really matter to her what vessel she was in when she resurrected her teacher. All that mattered was the reunion itself.

“Roswaal”: [The reuuuunion itself…]

A hideous smile distorted “Roswaal’s” otherwise adorable face. It was enough to raise the hairs on the back of Subaru’s neck.

Subaru: [What are you going on about now? Give it up, Ros. It’s over! You lost!]

“Roswaal”: [Have I, Subaru? When you stand here, before dear Betty, denying us both that dearest reunion with my teacher, her mother?]

Subaru had hoped that matter was buried and forgotten in the heat of the moment. He had been grateful for Bastian’s sudden intrusion knocking “Roswaal” off-stride, but now it seemed she had recovered. She truly was the same harlequin margrave underneath that petite vessel, possessing a level of mental fortitude and wherewithal one would necessarily need to have made it as far as she had and in the manner she had. She was no stranger to sacrifices, to making regretful decisions, to doing whatever was deemed necessary in the name of her dearest wish.

There was still another straw for her to grasp, the emotional throughline between her and Beatrice. The promise of resurrecting Echidna, the Witch of Greed.

Subaru nervously eyed Beatrice. She appeared deeply troubled by “Roswaal’s” words. It wasn’t just the fact that they were drenched with desperation that dispirited her. It was how grotesquely unfair “Roswaal’s” implied proposal was.

Beatrice: [What you seem to be asking, in fact… it’s too much for Betty’s heart…]

It clearly gnawed at her inside to be so torn. She had her contract with Subaru, someone who demonstrated great promise and had already gone to great lengths on her account. She also had her contract with her mother, one which it felt like she had abandoned in accepting Subaru’s hand. That contract had long preceded her present one, having over 400 years sunken into it.

Beatrice: [… Mother would be rather displeased to see me again, I suppose…]

Subaru: [Beako…]

“Roswaal”: [She may be disappointed in your inability to remain in the Forbidden Library as you had promised, but she could never haaaaaate you. I’m sure you two could patch things up… ah, but Subaru stands in your way, prevennnnting us from realizing this reunion.]

Subaru: [Beako, please! You’re not beholden to your mother’s wishes anymore! You kept your word, didn’t you?! You waited for someone to take you from the Forbidden Library! You made your choice! You’re free!]

Subaru slammed his palm into his chest emphatically as he spoke. He wished to impress upon her that she possessed her own autonomy now. However --

“Roswaal”: [“Free?” In what way is she free now? She is beholden to you, Natsuki Subaru, to your whims. That’s what it means to be a contractor, is it not?]

The lips of the manipulative margrave masquerading as a little girl curled into a warped smile brimming with guile. She sought to twist Subaru’s words and dominate the narrative wherever she could, anything she could manage to win Beatrice over. She didn’t necessarily need Beatrice to like her; she just needed to beat Subaru.

Bastian: [Clearly not a Spirit Arts user. Wonder if anyone in your line ever was. Kinda doubt it, though.]

“Roswaal”: [Ho? And who asked you, failed knight?]

Bastian: [Cast your barbs. They’re blunt and brittle. Spirit contracts aren’t so one-sided as you claim, not some master-servant dynamic. They’re rooted in trust and respect, being one of the highest promises one can make.]

The dull-voiced knight steadily corrected his posture as he began speaking on behalf of Subaru and Beatrice’s contract. He had been slumped over, still recovering from the physical toll he had endured back at the Witch’s Graveyard. His eyes were as cold as usual, though they were sharper than usual, betraying the tone of his voice. He was verging on becoming incensed.

Bastian: [If Beatrice-sama isn’t free as you claim, then Subaru is no less entrapped. Highly doubt he sees it that way, though. If anything, their bond has freed him.]

Subaru was beginning to get choked up hearing his friend speak so passionately in his and Beatrice’s defense. Beatrice, too, appeared moved by the words of someone with whom she usually butted heads. “Roswaal” was not pleased, her smile flattening, her eyes narrowing into a glare not befitting her vessel.

“Roswaal”: [“Freed him?” He is far from free from his guilt. There is much for which he must still answer.]

Subaru: [I know that, dammit! I’m gonna make amends! I also wanna give Beatrice a better life, one rich with pleasant memories she can look back at with a smile! Bastian’s right: she freed me, and I wanna free her in turn!]

“Roswaal”: [If you want her to be so free, if she truly is free already, then why don’t we allow her to decide for herself, then? What would you prefer, Betty: following your own desire of resurrecting your mother, or following Subaru and aiding him in his self-absorbed quest for redemption?]

Beatrice was abhorred by the notion of having to decide. She had already chosen once already. Wasn’t that enough? Why did this world, these people. Demand so much choice of her? It made her wish she were back in the Forbidden Library once more, free from the burden of choice.

She looked to Subaru, whose eyes pleaded with her to choose him once more. She looked to “Roswaal,” the one who supposedly represented the prospect of resurrecting her mother. She wondered if it were truly her desire or one that “Roswaal” had decided for her. Something about this irked her, though she was also disturbed by a growing distance she felt between her and her mother. She still loved her mother. She swore it incessantly in her heart. However, she found she was confronted with a new sensation, one “Roswaal’s” attempt at reassurance had failed to assuage: she was afraid of what might happen to her if her mother returned. She cast her gaze to the floor as she struggled internally.

She recalled the observations made by Subaru and Bastian when they had met back in the Forbidden Library. She had been given a blank Tome of Wisdom, which she now knew was only blank because she had lacked the will to choose. This lack of will could only have been the product of the contract with her mother. Furthermore, she had been told to wait for That Person, yet had never been told anything about them. No name, no description, nothing.

What had been the point of it all? Had it been a cruel joke at her expense? A game? Or maybe an experiment?

She knew her mother was a tinkerer. She poked and prodded at the world to test her hypotheses, all in the name of advancing her own dearest wish: a better, more peaceful, more prosperous world. But where did she figure into her mother’s designs? If she had been another experiment, then to what end?

Her head spiraled as she attempted to touch upon the mind of a Witch of Sin. Then, she felt something that actually did provide her some reassurance. It was Subaru, holding her hand more firmly than before.

“Roswaal”: [Now, now, no interfering. This is her choice, Subaru. Emotional blackmail won’t do.]

Subaru: [Oh, fuck you, Ros! This isn’t some cheap bet or a game here, y’know! Her feelings matter!]

“Roswaal”: [Correeeeect… which is precisely why you should cease your gestures and allow her to decide in as emotionally neutral a state as possible.]

Beatrice: [Betty has just one question, in fact.]

Beatrice suddenly cut through Subaru and “Roswaal’s” bickering with her adamant declaration. Neither of them knew for whom her question was intended.

Beatrice turned to “Roswaal.”

Beatrice: [How exactly do you intend to resurrect Mother if your plan has been so thoroughly derailed, in fact? You callously mentioned having replacements for Emilia and Ram earlier, but it didn’t seem like you had a clear plan as to how to acquire their aid beyond vague mentions of ingratiation.]

“Roswaal”: [… being a contingency for an unforeseeable and undesirable event, I’ll admit there are some details that need to be expounded upon. These may be sorted in time, though, dear Betty.]

Beatrice didn’t appear pleased with “Roswaal’s” answer, though she wasn’t done with her yet.

Beatrice: [Betty isn’t particularly interested in your “contingency,” in fact. Betty is more concerned with your original plan, which you seem so keen on returning to. Something about something only Subaru can do, I suppose?]

Subaru: [Beako, please…!]

He wanted to protest what he thought was about to be a disastrous inquiry. However, Beatrice held her free hand up to him to signal for him to yield. It was the first time she had demonstrated such will before. As much as he wanted to prevent her from discussing this topic any further, he couldn’t help but reflect on Bastian’s words from earlier.

He gulped as he nodded in agreement to her request. He decided to trust his partner’s judgment in this moment.

“Roswaal’s” lips curled into a dissonant smile once more. She felt she might just get her way yet if she could convince Beatrice to compel Subaru. She didn’t even bother to detect the hypocrisy in her thoughts in this moment. Words were but a means to an end, after all; it didn’t matter if they were kept consistent or heartfelt.

“Roswaal”: [Yesssssss. There’s something only he can do that can set the course of events back on track… ah, if only he would commit to it…]

“Roswaal” facetiously lamented Subaru’s lack of willingness to perform that which only he could do. His heart was beginning to pound. He was resisting the urge to shut his eyes. He knew he needed to stand firm by his partner.

Beatrice: [What would this entail, in fact? Would it entail harm?]

“Roswaal” was caught off guard by this follow-up question.

“Roswaal”: [… I’m uncertain as to the precise nature of Subaru’s gift.]

Beatrice: [Then you can’t guarantee that it wouldn’t hurt him, in fact?]

“Roswaal”: […]

Her silence spoke volumes to Beatrice.

Beatrice: [As far as Betty can tell, any mention of this matter brings Subaru much distress, in fact. Whatever this “gift” you’re hinting at is, it doesn’t seem worth using if it causes Betty’s contractor harm, I suppose.]

Subaru: [Beatrice…]

His heart felt lighter hearing these words. He had been delivered from a probable hell in her decision. In stark contrast, “Roswaal’s” heart sank. What appeared to be her final straw to grasp had been revoked, as well. She could go no further.

Beatrice smiled with determination as she looked up to her contractor.

Beatrice: [Betty chooses Subaru, in fact. He will be my number one.]

“Roswaal”: [Your number…? Then this world truly is cursed… what a waste.]

She sank deeper into her seat as despair set in. Her last ditched effort to sway Beatrice to her side had been soundly rebuffed. All that was left was the fight downstairs, which would likely also end unfavorably for the margrave, if the sound emitted from their melee was any indicator.

Subaru looked to “Roswaal,” deeply conflicted. He wanted to try and extend the same mercy to her as he had to Meili. However, after hearing the truth of his and his house’s conspiracy, he felt there was no room for reconciliation. Even if there was, this Roswaal was now unwilling or unable to cooperate. It didn’t matter whether it were due to hopelessness or ire; the result was the same.

He looked to Bastian.

Subaru: [Bastian, this is probably reaching… but could you perform your Rite of Absolution on Ros? Boot out his soul and save Annerose like you had saved me from Petelgeuse?]

Bastian appeared gravely uncertain. The rite had been intended for spirits that had strayed from the path and become corrupted, not for human souls that had been forcefully transplanted within the body of another.

It wouldn’t matter what he thought, though.

“Roswaal”: [Ha! What wishful thinking! Apologies, Subaru, but that is the very definition of impossible.]

Subaru: [Oh? And just why exactly is that?]

“Roswaal”: [In the process of soul transference, the soul of the original host is made forfeit. There is no longer an Annerose to be saved. Only my soul dwells within this vessel now.]

Subaru: [--?! You sick son of a bitch! You mean you did this knowing there could be know undoing it? You willingly trod on all of those lives… your own progeny! And a little girl… I’m… I’m gonna be sick…]

He was so disgusted with the margrave that he felt a familiar burning sensation rise up through his throat, though he tried to resist the urge to vomit. Beatrice placed her free hand to his core, a faint glow undoing the nausea he was experiencing.

“Roswaal”: [… could this be it, perhaps? Could this be what forces your hand? If you reset the world, this, too, could be undone, Subaruuuuu!]

Her eyes appeared frenzied as she placed one last pathetic and brazen bid at returning to the original path to her dearest wish. It was like a death rattle, the last breath of someone with nothing left to lose.

Beatrice: [That’s quite enough of this shameless display, in fact.]

Subaru: [Huh? Beatrice, what are you…?]

Beatrice: [Betty already made herself perfectly clear. Subaru won’t be doing any such thing, in fact. Betty won’t let any harm come to her contractor. However, we can’t just let you go, I suppose…]

Bastian: [Careful, now. Subaru is against hurting kids.]

Subaru: [You say that like it’s a weird thing! I’m not worried about Beatrice hurting anyone like that, anyway.]

Beatrice: [What should we do, in fact?]

Subaru sighed. He was emotionally exhausted once more. The past few weeks had been an emotional slog for him, and this was just a continuation of that. He was profoundly uncomfortable with being the one to call the shots here.

Subaru: [… we’ll detain her. She can’t be allowed to scheme anymore, but I won’t let her be killed.]

“Roswaal” adopted a thoroughly rueful frown as tears flowed once more down her cheeks.

“Roswaal”: [The latter would be more merciful for me…]

Bastian: [Would be too easy. Must make penance.]

Subaru was no less uncomfortable with this decision, though he did offer a nod of agreement to Bastian for his assessment. He somehow doubted “Roswaal” would ever be able to make amends in any meaningful way. Those he had used were mostly dead and gone now. He had betrayed the trust of an entire kingdom, though, and had been conspiring for hundreds of years to slay the Divine Dragon whose protection was critical to the kingdom.

“Roswaal”: [… I won’t give you the satisfaction of prevailing here!]

She frantically opened the drawer on her desk to remove a letter opener from it.

Subaru: [No, don’t!!!]

Beatrice: [Vita!]

A timely spell was cast to prevent the situation from reaching a tragic conclusion. The letter opener instantaneously became too heavy for Annerose’s petite hands and arms to hold. It plummeted to the floor, leaving a sizable indentation in the hardwood.

Beatrice: [Vita!]

“Roswaal”: [Hrk! No! Damn you, Beatrice! You traitorous daughter! To think I believed us to be like kin…]

“Roswaal” became heavier herself as she collapsed to the floor, her tiny legs unable to support her newfound weight. With this, the margrave had been apprehended.

Beatrice: [Betty was never really your sister anyway, Roswaal. As for the former point… that is something Betty will have to grapple with, I suppose…]

Bastian: [Should find some rope. Spell can’t hold forever. Before that, though, should check in on Garfiel and Frederica.]

Subaru: [Ah, crap! Yeah, they’ve been duking it out with Clind this whole time. God, I hope they’re okay…]

Due to the gravity of the situation in the study, Subaru had completely forgotten that there was an active combat zone right under their feet. That said, the sound of roughhousing had subsided. He hoped it meant they had managed to subdue Clind rather than that they were all dead.

***

Descending the stairs to the landing and then making their way to the connecting parlor, the trio were happily relieved to find that their pessimistic worst fears hadn’t come to pass.

Garfiel: [Ah, hey! We jus’ finished up down ‘ere, was gonna join ya upstairs. Guess that ain’t necessary… hol’ up. Where’s the munchkin margrave?]

Garfiel felt free to make such disparaging remarks in light of what had just occurred in the townhouse. Frederica didn’t even bother trying to chastise her brother. Both appeared rather tired, but otherwise unharmed, save for the wooden shrapnel buried in Garfiel’s arms from earlier.

Clind was much less fortunate. He had taken a knee, his face a bloody mess from having been repeatedly pummeled by the siblings for that whole time. He appeared to be barely conscious at all, or perhaps he was in wakeful unconsciousness. Once his defense had been penetrated, there had never been a chance for him to rebound. The siblings had been relentless in their assault. If Subaru didn’t know any better, he might have guessed there was some simmering hostility between them already, and this was just all of that finally coming to a head.

Subaru: [She’s fine. Beako bound her with magic, so she’s not going anywhere.]

Bastian: [Speaking of going anywhere, gonna send out one of Ris to find Meili. Hoping she didn’t run off, though wouldn’t blame her if she did…]

Garfiel: [I dunno man, ya took quite a beatin’ for ‘er sake. Kid oughta be damn grateful.]

Bastian: [It’s not so simple.]

Bastian responded sullenly to Garfiel’s defense of him as he sent one of Ris out into town to find Meili.

Garfiel: [Why’re ya even so concerned ‘bout her? Ya guys told me she tried to kill all o’ ya!]

Bastian: [Need to be better than that… have to be…]

Garfiel: [Eh? You ‘kay there, swordsman?]

Garfiel got up in Bastian’s face after he averted his gaze form the young brawler. He appeared concerned about Bastian, in his own way, though it was characterized by bluntness.

Frederica: [Garf, please… give the man some space.]

Garfiel: [A’right, a’right… guess that’s that, then, eh? If’n that’s the case…]

Garfiel sauntered over before the battered Clind, cracking his knuckles as he smiled his shark-toothed smile. He raised his right fist into the air as a hostile aura began to envelope him. His arm seemed to be growing.

Garfiel: [Guess we should jus’ wrap this up, yeah?]

Subaru: [No! No more!]

Garfiel: [Eh?]

Subaru bellowed at Garfiel imploring an end to the violence.

Subaru: [There’s been enough as of late, hasn’t there? Can’t we just detain him, as well?]

Garfiel: [I mean, I get ya don’t wanna ‘urt Annerose ‘cuz she’s a kid, but Clind ‘ere’s an adult. Fair game, s’far’s I’m concerned!]

Subaru: [Garfiel, please. Enough’s enough. The time for fighting is over. It’s time to heal, instead.]

Subaru placed his hand on Garfiel’s raised fist, which he gently pulled down to the bestial boy’s side.

Garfiel: [… fine. Guess ya know what’s good considerin’ ya masterminded that plan o’ yer’s… I’ll just knock ‘im out.]

He had planned on crushing Clind’s skull with one swift downward hammering of a punch. Instead, he grabbed the butler by the collar and delivered a cathartic head-butt, rendering his target unconscious.

Garfiel: [So, why’d ya go runnin’ up the stairs, Bastian? Doesn’t seem like nothin’ happened to any o’ ya… well, nothin’ that munchkin coulda done, anyway.]

Garfiel remarked on their notably less battle-hardened appearances, though he did give Bastian some grief for the sorry state he was in. His right arm was still dangling helplessly at his side.

Frederica: [I’ll go fetch a sling… and don’t even try to protest it, Bastian-dono!]

Bastian: [… okay.]

Bastian seemed to mope as Frederica made her way around the debris of the now-thoroughly-ruined parlor to wherever a sling might be found within the townhouse. Subaru supposed there might be one in a closet somewhere, reflecting on the seemingly infinite closets of the mansion.

Bastian: [Overheard some of their conversation through Ris. Heard a startling revelation, thought I should make my way to them quickly.]

Garfiel: [What exactly did ya ‘ear?]

Garfiel furrowed his brow as Bastian recounted what had happened form his perspective. He had a bad feeling about what had transpired in the study.

Subaru: [It’s okay, Bastian, I got this. Garfiel, Annerose isn’t really Annerose. She’s Roswaal.]

Subaru tagged his friend on the shoulder as if to say he was giving him an out. It was unclear to Bastian why this was the case, but he wouldn’t step on his friend’s toes. Garfiel, meanwhile, appeared shellshocked.

Garfiel: [… th’ ‘ell ya mean she’s Roswaal?! I… I saw th’ bastard die, a’right?!]

Subaru: [Right, you saw Roswaal L. Mathers die. But Roswaal lived on in Annerose.]

Garfiel: [How th’ fuck’s that possible, huh?!]

Beatrice: [Soul transference, in fact.]

Garfiel: [Eh?!]

Now, Beatrice would lend a hand in the explanation. This was something she was more knowledgeable about, anyway, so Subaru happily acquiesced.

Beatrice: [Roswaal had transplanted his soul within Annerose’s body, in fact. He likely had written the spell in such a way that it activated upon his own death. Ordinarily, the soul would return to Od Laguna. Instead, it was sent to Annerose. It overwrote her own soul in the process, I suppose.]

Subaru: [Before you condemn the margrave’s actions, just know that it does get worse.]

Garfiel: [… that supposed’ta make me feel better? ‘ow the ‘ell could ‘e do that to a kid? What else did ‘e do?]

Subaru: [He had been conspiring for centuries using that soul transference technique to slay the Divine Dragon to resurrect the Witch of Greed.]

It wasn’t something he liked to mention, if only because of how it involved Beatrice by proxy. Still, it was something that would necessarily need to come to light, as far as Subaru was concerned.

Garfiel was aghast at what he heard. He didn’t want to believe what he was hearing. He placed his hand to his forehead in deep confusion and discouragement.

Garfiel: [… th’ fuck… ya guys just blew open a conspiracy… ah shit, who’s gonna run things in th’ domain now?!]

Subaru: [… I dunno.]

Bastian: [Guess it’ll be split between the domains surrounding it, unless someone suitable steps forward or is chosen by the powers that be.]

Garfiel stared at Subaru incredulously for a few moments before letting out a sigh, hanging his head low in the process.

Garfiel: [Man, Big Sis ain’t gonna like this… wait, why’m I worried ‘bout that?!]

The situation surrounding the Mathers Domain seemed rather uncertain. Though a conspiracy had been thwarted, a child was now the vessel of the conspirator. The domain already couldn’t be ruled by child, hence Clind’s role as her trustee. However, he was now known to have been complicit in the margrave’s conspiracy due to his actions against those present in the townhouse. He could no longer act to such a capacity now that this was made evident, meaning a new governor was now needed for the Mathers Domain, a large constituency that would no doubt be under a new name in the future, or perhaps several if it were carved up.

Subaru felt for the people who lived in this domain. The people of Costuul, those who had been displaced from Hanumas and Warwar, they would all suddenly find themselves in under new administration, likely from some noble elite who was detached from their reality.

But what could he do? He was a nobody in this kingdom after all.

***

While the room had fallen silent after the uncertain future of the Mathers Domain became apparent, Frederica returned with a sling she fashioned from some sheets and propped up Bastian’s lame arm within it.

Bastian: [Thank you.]

Frederica: [I should be thanking you, Bastian-dono. Your aid gave us the edge my brother and I needed to succeed.]

Garfiel: [Ha! Still coulda taken th’ blue-haired prick! But, uh… thanks, I guess.]

Garfiel wanted to flex, but a leer from his older sister reminded him of the virtue of humility.

Frederica: [He’s actually grateful, you know. He would try to heal your arm, were it not so damaged…]

Bastian: [S’alright. Know he’s sincere, in his own way.]

He eyed his arm as he commented on his perception of Garfiel’s nature. The comment made Garfiel avert his eyes from them with a haughty huff.

Subaru: [So, Garfiel’s got healing magic, too? But not enough for his arm… probably not enough for his internal injuries, either, then…]

Frederica: [Internal injuries?]

Bastian: [Enough about that. Those’ll heal by the grace of Odglass. The arm probably won’t, though.]

Subaru: [Huh? Why not?]

Bastian: [The regeneration afforded by Odglass only applies to life-threatening injuries. More mundane injuries must heal on their own.]

Garfiel: [Th’ ‘ell? What kinda deal’s that?]

Subaru: [One of tough love… huh, so that’s where you get it from…]

He couldn’t help but draw Bastian’s tendencies back to the Great Spirit he revered so heavily. While the Great Spirit granted him quite the boons, she didn’t seem to extend her mercy unconditionally or without limit.

Subaru: [Guess this helps to narrow down our next destination, though.]

Bastian: [Oh? Where’s that?]

Subaru: [Well, I dunno if they’ll take too kindly to see me again, but… I wanna at least try to go to the Karsten Estate. You need healing, and Crusch’s knight, Ferris, is apparently quite the healer.]

Garfiel: [Heh! “Quite the healer,” he says. Ain’t her knight the Blue? Still, ya got friends in high places, chief. Whaddya mean by ‘em not takin’ too kindly ta seein’ ya again, though?]

Subaru: [Let’s just say I wasn’t a very cooperative patient when I stayed with them last…]

Garfiel: [Haha! Yeah, guess that tracks, don’t it?]

Garfiel heartily slapped Subaru on the back upon hearing the half-hearted explanation. He wasn’t sure he wanted Garfiel to know his connection to the events pervading the kingdom these days, so he opted to downplay and omit. Bastian would’ve narrowed his eyes at the scene, were it not for something distracting him.

Bastian: [She came back…]

At this point, they hear the front door to the townhouse open up. Standing in its frame is Meili, accompanied by one of Ris.

Subaru: [Hey, hey, so she did! Bastian here was afraid you ran off by yourself. Glad he was wrong about that!]

Subaru was elated at her return. It was a win just at a time when he felt he needed one, considering what seemed to loom on the horizon.

Meili: [Well, this annoying spirit wouldn’t leave me alone.~]

Bastian: [Sorry. Found you, wanted to make sure you were safe.]

Meili: [… you’re weird.~]

Meili was unsure of what to make of Bastian, who smiled ever-so-slightly at her return. Was he just protecting her out of a sense of guilt? Was he trying to set things right in his own way? She didn’t know, but she had her reasons for wanting to stay close to the trio of which he was a part.

Meili: [People out there were getting nervous. I explained to them that you all had evvvverything under control.~]

Subaru: [Really? I appreciate the vote of confidence! Glad it didn’t turn into an angry mob situation…]

Garfiel: [Yeah, erryone else woulda gotten in th’ way.]

Subaru: [That’s certainly one way to say innocents would’ve been in harm’s way.]

Garfiel: [Yeah, that too.]

Subaru chuckled nervously as he pointed out Garfiel’s misplaced focus. He hoped to show Garfiel a different perspective. Along with Meili, he had his hands full. He hoped Beatrice and Bastian might be able to cover his blind spots in this regard.

Meili: [They sent a lot of messengers out, too. Ground dragons were sent in every which direction, really. Guess they really want to get the word out.]

Subaru: [Really? Damn, they didn’t waste any time…]

Garfiel: [Well, that’s prolly jus’ the second wave. I ordered ‘em to send out word th’ second we saw you guys returnin’.]

Bastian: [Us returning would be the signal for you?]

Garifel: [Why not? If ya guys came back, it had’ta mean ya succeeded, yeah?]

Subaru: [Oh… you don’t say…]

Subaru was now even more glad they had succeeded. He did have a contingency planned in case they couldn’t defeat the Great Rabbit, but had they used it, he now knew it would certainly have sent the wrong message in more ways than one.

Thinking back to the deed and how eager everyone seemed to spread word of it, he had to wonder –

Subaru: [What does this deed mean for us? Do you think it’d give us the authority to perhaps pick a new governor for these lands instead of having it go to the highest bidder or get carved up?]

The others were attentive to Subaru’s supposition and began to consider for themselves. No doubt, being the ones who had defeated the Great Witch Beast that had paralyzed the kingdom would grant them considerable sway.

Bastian: [… will go tie up our… prisoners. Got any binds?]

Frederica: [Ah, yes. I’ll show you where they’re at. Actually, you’ll need assistance in cuffing these prisoners, won’t you?]

Bastian gazed back to his lame arm and sighed bitterly.

Bastian: [So it goes… yes, that would be nice.]

Apparently something about this topic made Bastian not wish to cast his opinion about. Frederica led him out of the room to retrieve some binds to properly apprehend and subdue their high-profile prisoners.

Garfiel: [Kinda surprised ya don’t wanna try for it yerself…]

Subaru: [Huh?! Why’s that? I’m just… trying to reconnect with old friends. I don’t have the time or the know-how to administer a domain!]

Beatrice: [… you’re lucky Bastian left the room, I suppose…]

Beatrice mumbled this by Subaru’s side, catching him in his white lie to Garfiel. “Reconnecting with old friends” was definitely a euphemism for his true reason for having returned to Lugunica. In fact, Garfiel didn’t even know he had fled in the first place. He wanted to try and keep it this way.

Garfiel: [Huh… more friends like Felix?]

Subaru: [Oh, uh… well, there’s Reinhard --]

Garfiel: [Reinhard?!]

Garfiel stunned Subaru with his sudden exuberance. It seemed to Subaru that Garfiel may have been a fan of Reinhard’s. Beatrice noticeably winced upon hearing the name. Subaru wanted to broach the subject, but though it would probably be best to do so in private. He didn’t wish to potentially cross-contaminate the perceptions of his friend Reinhard especially given how much information he was still keeping away from Garfiel. It was a delicate balancing act.

Subaru: [Y-Yeah? I befriended him a while ago. I haven’t spoken to him in quite some time. I figured I could find him and catch up a bit after Bastian’s injuries get tended to.]

Garfiel: [Can I go with you?]

Subaru: [Eh?]

As Garfiel made this unexpected request, Frederica and Bastian returned. They had Clind and “Roswaal” in binds. Though they were ordinary steel, they were more than enough an unconscious and thoroughly defeated Clind and a childlike “Roswaal.” She, too, appeared to be so disheartened. It was as though all possible zeal for life had abandoned her. It was understandable to Subaru, considering how soundly the margrave had been defeated. Before long, her crimes against the kingdom and her own lineage would come to light.

Subaru: [Guess someone’s gonna have to report their crimes to the Capital too, huh?]

As Subaru wondered aloud to himself, Frederica eyed her younger brother with a look of concern and curiosity.

Frederica: [Garfiel, did I hear you rightly? You wish to leave?]

Garfiel: [Ah, yeah… listen, Big Sis… I gotta… y’know… I can’t…]

The young man stumbled through his words as he struggled to formulate what he was feeling in this moment. Frederica simply smiled softly in response to her brother’s rare display of earnestness.

Frederica: [It’s alright. You wish to become stronger. Staying in a city like this will do you no good in that regard.]

Bastian: [Oh? Won’t the city miss him? Won’t you?]

Frederica: [Of course I’ll miss Garf! However…]

She had responded to Bastian’s query with great conviction, but found that she, too, struggled with her words. Then, unlike her brother, she recovered.

Frederica: [I believe he’s been held back enough. It’s high time he got out there and showed everyone what he’s made of.]

Garfiel: [Big Sis…]

His voice trembled at the sentiment. “Held back?” By whom? By what? He never felt held back, surely.

This was pure denial, of course. Before, it had been Sanctuary holding him back. Then, it had been Costuul. All along, though, his past had held him down. The potential he saw in traveling with Subaru, the one who had solved what he couldn’t, was vast. He saw in it the chance to shed that past in favor of something more befitting of who he thought he should be.

Frederica: [You already showed me, Garf. Now show the kingdom, too.]

Garfiel: [… yeah. Will do. Thanks, Big Sis.]

He beamed at his older sister as he gave her his word. He was going to make something of himself yet, something more than a mere enforcer.

Bastian: [Guessing Haskel and the city guard will see to things from here, then.]

Garfiel: [Yeah, they’ll hold these two creeps under house arrest till they kin be taken inta custody by th’ Royal Army. Not sure why we’re botherin’ with that, though…]

Subaru: [We’re doing what’s right, Garfiel. They may be creeps, as you say, but they still deserve a fair trial.]

Everyone seemed uncomfortable with this decision. Some of them seemed to want to correct him, as though he had misunderstood something important.

Subaru: [What? One day they may be able to rejoin society to a beneficial capacity, rather than plotting against it.]

Bastian: [Wouldn’t take the chance, personally. Got a bigger heart than I realized.]

Garfiel: [Gotta agree with the swordsman. If ya wanna leave it up’ta th’ powers that be, s’fine. Jus’ don’t be su’prised if they disagree…]

Subaru: [… well, the least we can do is try and wrap this up without bloodshed. Honestly, that’s just about the lowest bar imaginable!]

Beatrice: [Betty agrees with Subaru, in fact. We should hold ourselves to a higher standard than the one they subscribed to.]

Subaru sighed deeply, not wishing to discuss this matter any further. As far as he was concerned, this chapter of his life was over. He was free to pursue his promises once more, to Emilia, Rem, Ram, Puck, the people of Irlam, and of course, Beatrice. He had a growing entourage, with Meili and Garfiel joining their fold. It felt like he had a great wind at his back propelling him out of the gloom he had been caught up in for far too long. He wondered where that wind might take him next.

Chapter Text

The streets of Costuul were bustling as usual. It was almost eerie how quickly the events of the Miload townhouse had faded into the background. Everyone was quick to begin putting it in the past now that the truth had been laid bare. The conspiracy surrounding House Mathers had been thoroughly exposed to the public, with a third wave of messengers being sent to spread the word. The city guard took “Roswaal” and Clind into custody as Garfiel had expected, and they would look after the city during this period of power vacuum.

It was in the midst of this uncertain yet hopeful environment that Subaru and his companions were preparing to start the next leg of his return.

Bastian: [Must insist we not use portals.]

Beatrice: [As obstinate as usual, in fact.]

Subaru: [Guys, c’mon! We don’t have to argue right now, do we?]

Subaru had hoped that their recent success would be enough for them to move past their adversarial relationship. He supposed it was possible this was just how they were, but he wanted everyone to get along, regardless. He had to admit he personally found it hard to be fully appreciative of the success, despite all of the adulation they were receiving from the people of Costuul. The victory against “Roswaal” felt pyrrhic to him, having lost part of his former happy past in the process of the revelation. He also pitied the margrave and his butler, who seemed to invite death at this point. It gave him mixed feelings. He was both saddened and frustrated by the notion that anyone would actually want to die.

As such morose thoughts spun quietly within his head –

Garfiel: [No need’ta worry ‘bout it! S’cured a ground dragon carriage fer us. We won’t be walkin’ to the Karsten Estate.]

Garfiel intervened, his face beaming with pride as he provided a solution they could all get behind.

Garfiel: [Know ya ain’t ‘bout to turn down a gift from th’ people, Bastian. ‘sides, yer in no shape’ta be walkin’ all that way.]

Bastian: [S’pose not. Also shouldn’t make Meili do so much walking.]

Meili: [Huuuuuuh? I’ve walked a lot in the past, you know.~]

Meili huffed at the stoic swordsman, whose arm was up in a sling. Subaru privately delighted in the growing concern Bastian showed for their youngest companion. It was still too soon to say for sure, but they seemed to be developing a rapport.

Garfiel: [C’mon, I’ll take us to th’ stables. They’ve been really hoppin’ today, though there’re only so many Eliq’s’ta go ‘round. We get th’ last one in th’ whole city!]

Subaru: [Eliq? What’s that?]

Beatrice: [It’s a type of ground dragon suited for colder temperatures, in fact. The city likely only had a few belonging to merchants who frequented routes to the northern realms and Gusteko, I suppose.]

Arriving at the stables, Garfiel led them over to their carriage. Leading it would be a large, white ground dragon with piercing blue eyes. It seemed to have a feathery mane and downy cuffs that reminded Subaru of certain breeds of horses from his world. It even seemed to stand a lot like a horse, though it had a pronounced beak.

Subaru: [I guess I wouldn’t have seen too many of these until now…]

Subaru reflected on how little time he had spent in the cities back in Gusteko, the only places where such creatures would have been found if only due to attracting trade from Lugunica. The only city he had been to was Eternya, and his time there had been kept deliberately brief due to how often he was being mugged for what little he had. He had spent most of his time in the hinterlands around the Orcos Domain bordering Luginica’s Misère Domain. In such places, he rarely encountered merchants or anyone who owned means of transportation.

Subaru then noticed several ground dragons in the stables that seemed rather fatigued.

Subaru: [The cold weather can’t be good for these ones… poor things…]

Garfiel: [Yeah, used’ta have more’n this within th’ walls. Cold saps th’ strength from ‘em. Sooner we kin deal with this snow, th’ better.]

Beatrice tightened her grip on Subaru’s hand at Garfiel’s mention of dealing with the snow. She had been reluctant to allow anything to happen to the snow due to its ties to Puck. Even now, she could feel her brother’s presence within it.

Subaru: [Beatrice, I know how you feel about the snow. Its melting will be an important part of the kingdom’s recovery, though.]

Bastian: [This is true. Thaw’s right around the corner now that it’s safe for the kingdom’s mages to work on clearing this mana-infused snow. More importantly…]

Beatrice: [Betty’s already acknowledged it’s unhealthy to hold on so much, in fact…]

Beatrice opted to cut Bastian off before he could remind her further. She could tell he only stressed such things out of care, though she found it rather annoying when it was applied to her.

Subaru: [So, guess we gotta pay for this carriage, huh…]

Subaru turned his pockets inside out, half expecting a fly to cartoonishly fly out to embellish his poverty.

Garfiel: [Oh, uh… actually, it’s a gift.]

Subaru: [A gift? From whom?]

Garfiel: [Th’ city pitched in n’ bought it for me… somethin’ ‘bout a farewell gift, I dunno…]

Garfiel scratched his cheek as he blushed thinking about the admiration the people of Costuul seemed to have for him. He seemed to believe it hadn’t really been earned, something Subaru guessed was a symptom of his past. He did manage to smile somewhat before muttering, “honestly.”

As Garfiel was prepping their carriage for departure, people from around town showed up to offer provisions for their travel and bid them safe travels. Among them were the apothecary and his family, who offered a pain relieving concoction to Bastian, not knowing he didn’t feel pain. He didn’t even try to explain this, not wanting to sully the gift-giving spirit. It didn’t help that the gift had been given to him by their kids, Klaus and Lina.

Klaus: [Here ya go, mister! Hope it helps your arm feel better!]

Lina: [Thank you for helping!]

Bastian: […]

Bastian wasn’t good with children. This much was abundantly obvious to Subaru, who nudged him in the rib with his elbow.

Subaru: [Y’know, typically in these situations you smile and say, “thank you!”]

Bastian didn’t want to force a smile and make people uncomfortable. Smiles were rare for him after all, and truthfully, he wasn’t really feeling it after what all had transpired. Seeing Subaru in good enough spirits to crack a joke did allow him to acquiesce with the crack a slight smirk at least.

Bastian: [Thanks, Klaus, Lina.]

Klaus: [Wooooooah, he ‘membered us, Lina!]

Lina: [Come on, Klaus. We don’t want to bother them too much.]

Lina tugged her little brother’s hand in the direction towards their parents, who smiled and waved at the party.

Subaru: [Look at you! Something of a celebrity, eh?]

Bastian: [No more than you and Beatrice-sama. Think they just heard about the injury, thought they’d do what they do best.]

Beatrice: [It’s a shame that medicine is wasted on you, in fact.]

Bastian: [… won’t deny that.]

Bastian sighed as he handed the medicine over to Subaru for stowing in the carriage. He was frequently glancing at his lame arm with faint contempt.

Subaru: [It probably isn’t a total waste. It might still come in handy down the road. Who knows? More importantly, you doing alright? You seem… off.]

Bastian: [Off?]

Bastian cocked his head to the side with a listless expression on his face. It must have seemed like a minor miracle to him that anyone could discern changes in him at all.

Subaru: [Look, I know you did everything in your power back there. I honestly doubt things could’ve gone much better all things considered.]

Bastian: [Still a bother. Only dragging us down with these injuries.]

Beatrice: [If Subaru says it’s okay, then it’s okay, I suppose. Cease your whining, swordsman.]

Beatrice backed up her contractor’s assurances with her own rather coarse remark.

Subaru: [I appreciate the assist, Beatrice, but maybe try to be a little nicer.]

Beatrice huffed as she stood beside Subaru. In a way, he liked the dynamic they had developed, though he did wish they were less adversarial.

Subaru: [Anyway, you won’t be injured for much longer. Remember, our next stop will deal with that while also allowing me to try and make amends with Crusch and company.]

Bastian: [Right…]

Bastian’s voice trailed off as he shifted his attention away from Subaru and towards the bustling city around them. He seemed taken with the heightened cheer about town since their return. This much actually did bring a smile to his face, though there was something about Subaru’s previous statement that made him wonder.

Bastian: [Nervous?]

Subaru: [… yes. I haven’t seen any of them in a while, and the last time I did…]

He paused to ensure Garfiel wasn’t present before proceeding. He still didn’t want Garfiel to know everything about his flight from Lugunica and its repercussions. It was just another reason he was nervous about his next destination. Seeing that Garfiel was now busy saying his goodbyes amongst the crowd, he continued.

Subaru: [… before I ran away, they did little to help me.]

Knowing he was going to return to the Karsten Estate for the first name in months, his mind immediately was taken back to the time he had asked Crusch for help with the preventing the Witch Cult attack. Being thoroughly rebuffed and called out on his true motives stuck into him. Even after his Trials, he was having a hard time processing it.

Bastian: [Still on this?]

Subaru: [I can’t help it! Even though I understand where I went wrong, there’s this part of my mind that can’t let go. I thought the Trials would’ve done more for me, but…]

Bastian patted Subaru’s shoulder with his good hand.

Bastian: [Things like that don’t get fixed in a day. Meeting them again will serve as the true test of your willingness to change, put the past behind you, and move on.]

Subaru didn’t even have the words. He was simply glad to have people in his corner again, even if this one in particular wasn’t afraid to take the gloves off unpredictably.

Garfiel: [Oi, ya guys done pattin’ each other on th’ back? We’re all packed n’ ready’ta go!]

Garfiel came striding back over. He seemed to be happier as of late, no doubt because he was going to be free for the first time in his life to pursue his own goals. Naturally, he was raring to go.

Subaru: [What about you? Say all your goodbyes?]

Garfiel: [Well, if I said bye’ta erryone ‘round ‘ere, we’d be ‘ere forever. Said bye’ta most erryone, though.]

Bastian: [Said by to your sister?]

Garfiel: [‘ll duh, ‘course I said bye’ta my sis. She gave me these as a gift’uv ‘er own.]

Garfiel had been carrying a bundle of cloth that seemed to be concealing something. Untying the bundle revealed two ornate shields akin to bracers. He smiled nostalgically as he showed them off to everyone.

Garfiel: [Big Sis n’ I used’ta play with these when we were kids. ‘sides her, they’re all I got left’uv of those days…]

Subaru: [I’m sure you’ll put them to good use. Right, guys?]

As Garfiel’s nostalgia took a downward turn, Subaru gave him some bolstering words. He trusted his comrades would be able to follow his lead.

Bastian: [Certainly will.]

Beatrice: [There’s only one way to find out, I suppose.]

Garfiel seemed uplifted by their words as he flashed his sharp teeth in a smile with a faint chuckle.

Garfiel: [Thanks. Now, ‘nuff yammerin’! Les get goin’ already, yeah?]

Subaru: [Yeah, let’s hit the road!]

Meili: [It’s about tiiiiiiiiime.~]

Meili called out from inside the carriage. While the others had been packing and saying their goodbyes to the people of Costuul, Meili had sequestered herself within the carriage, waiting for them to finish. Evidently, her patience had worn thin.

Bastian: [Sorry to keep you waiting.]

Meili: [Whatever. You’re not really sorry.]

Bastian: [You’re right, I’m not.]

Bastian drolly snarked back at Meili as he approached the carriage. He wanted to just jump inside or pull himself in with one arm but figured he probably shouldn’t exacerbate things any. As such, he just stood there.

Subaru: [Er, need a hand there, Bastian?]

Bastian: [… yes, please.]

Subaru entered ahead of the swordsman, helping Beatrice in first before helping his friend enter last. Garfiel was at the reins, ready to drive them out of the city and onto their next destination. Subaru sat by Beatrice, being contracted with one another, and Bastian sat by Meili, who seemed to have mixed feelings about this arrangement, but didn’t say anything as she stared out the window.

As the party drove out of Costuul, they were sent off with much fanfare as the citizens cheered for them. It was difficult to understate what their deeds as of late had done for these people. Subaru gladly soaked it in. After all he had been through since his flight, it felt gratifying.

***

The trip from Costuul to the Karsten Estate would ordinarily take over two days on foot. However, given the ground dragon Garfiel had been so generously gifted by the people of Costuul, they would be arriving in less than a day. As they drove across the road, Subaru couldn’t help but mentally note the snow. It spread as far as his eyes could see, though he could tell it was thinning out the further away they got from Roswaal’s auxiliary mansion. He privately figured the Capital might only have a dusting by comparison. He only kept these observations to himself out of care for his chief companion, who wistfully looked out the window at the snow herself.

The interior of the carriage was rather quiet. Meili took a cue from Beatrice and stared out the window. Bastian seemed to be meditating with Ris. Subaru alone had nothing to do.

Subaru: [Hey, uh, Bastian… about that Sound Mind Spirit Art of yours…]

Bastian: [What about it?]

Bastian’s eyes had been closed, though now he was fixing his cold eyes on his friend. Were it anyone else, they would have interpreted his gaze as one of mild scorn. Subaru knew better, though. This was juts Bastian’s resting expression.

Subaru: [The other day, just after you used it on me last, I woke up in a frenzy. I, uh… had a nightmare. How come it didn’t work for me then?]

Bastian arched an eyebrow at hearing this, then grunted.

Bastian: [Must’ve been quite a nightmare, then. Should’ve done the trick. That Spirit Art is scalar, though. Greater the discomfort, the more of Ris are required.]

Subaru: [Oh yeah, you had to use several of Ris after that night…]

Bastian cleared his throat rather brusquely to cut Subaru off. It was all the signal he needed to know that this wasn’t the best subject, present company being considered. Meili was still looking out the window beside Bastian, her expression appearing rather bored. Subaru was thankful she hadn’t been really paying him any mind.

Meili: [What, are you getting sick now, too? And of course you had to sit next to me…]

Bastian: [Figured you’d bring that up sooner or later…]

Bastian had began moving past his trepidation regarding Meili. Now, he seemed to be trying to develop a rapport akin to what he had with Beatrice, minus the vestiges of spiritual reverence he had maintained.

While Meili leered at Bastian, who had returned to his meditation with Ris, Subaru privately recalled the fear of having possibly died he had felt in that morning he had just described. He figured it must have been worse than his fear of being blameworthy.

He decided he needed to get his mind off of this dour topic. There were still other matters he was rather curious about. He hadn’t had the time to broach any of his thoughts with the others, and now that he had the time and a captive audience, he figured he may as well try.

Subaru: [Hey Beako… what do you know about Witch Factors?]

Beatrice: [… why are you asking Betty about such a thing, in fact?]

Beatrice seemed slightly alarmed at Subaru’s mention of the topic. He began to wonder if he was right to bring it up at all. Still, if any would know about it, surely it would be the 400-year-old librarian.

Subaru: [Well, remember that Witch’s Tea Party I mentioned?]

Beatrice: [Yes, in fact. You mentioned that Mother gave you some tea to offer you the qualifications to undergo the Trials.]

Subaru: [Yeah… she also said they would stabilize what she called my Sloth Witch Factor.]

Beatrice: [I see… you did mention that Geuse was dead. If you are in possession, then this must mean…]

There was an uncomfortable silence in the carriage as the implication Beatrice had uncovered hung in the air. Subaru’s doubts about sating his curiosity were only continuing to grow.

Subaru: [Beatrice, I’m so sorry…]

Beatrice: [Don’t be, in fact. That Geuse was very different from the Geuse Betty had known, in fact. He lost his way, I suppose. It was good that you defeated him.]

Subaru: [Well, actually, Bastian defeated him. I only acted as a cage of sorts, I guess…]

Beatrice: [I see…]

Beatrice shifted her gaze toward the meditating swordsman. She seemed to be considering thanking him for his part in laying Petelgeuse to rest, but ultimately shrugged it off.

Beatrice: [… at any rate, this means you have the potential to manifest an Authority now. Betty will attend to you closely. If the Witch Factor required stabilization, then it may not be terribly compatible with you, in fact.]

Subaru: [Oh yeah, Echidna did mention the possibility of going slowly insane had it not been stabilized…]

Beatrice: [It wouldn’t be merely possible, Subaru. It would have been inevitable. Mother was quite kind and foreseeing to provide you that assistance, I suppose…]

She smiled softly thinking of how her mother and Subaru had seemingly got along. He didn’t have the heart to tell her just how poorly things wound up between them. He was grateful to Bastian for keeping this to himself, as well, as the Ris he had planted on Subaru had allowed him to be a fly on the wall for his conversations with the Witch of Greed.

Subaru: [So, this Witch Factor… will it manifest into this Authority on its own? What will it be like? What even is an Authority?]

Beatrice: [You’re full of questions all of the sudden, I suppose…]

Subaru: [Sorry! These are all things I’m wildly unfamiliar with. You’re the only person I know who would even know anything about any of it.]

Beatrice: [I-I see… well, in that case, it wouldn’t be too much to instruct you, I suppose…]

Beatrice got timid all of the sudden, likely because of her contractor’s earnest assessment of her knowledge and the trust he seemed to place in her. She cleared her throat to regain composure.

Beatrice: [An Authority is a form of magic that stands alone. It requires neither mana nor spirits to utilize. However, only those who have obtained a Witch Factor that manifests as such would be able to use one. There are only so many Witch Factors, as well. By Betty’s estimation, there are eight total.]

Subaru: [Eight?]

Beatrice: [Yes. There was one for each of the Witches of Sin, and one for the Devil of Melancholy.]

She seemed to become contemptuous as she uttered this last title. Bastian had been stirred from his meditation upon hearing the word “melancholy.”

Bastian: [Was Clind this Devil?]

Beatrice: [Hmph, hardly. Why would you ask such a thing, in fact?]

Bastian: [You mean you weren’t aware? Used a bizarre power against us in the parlor, seemed to require him saying “melancholy” to use it. Caused the injury here.]

He gestured to his lame arm as he recounted the fight against Clind. Beatrice’s eyes widened at this news.

Beatrice: [… Betty is unsure how he came into the Melancholy Witch Factor. He doesn’t seem to have mastered it, though. The Devil of Melancholy never had to utter any incantations.]

Subaru: [You seem to really hate this Devil guy. I’m guessing there’s some history there?]

Beatrice: [That’s… a long story, I suppose.]

Subaru: [It’s fine! We don’t have to talk about that right now. So, there are eight of these Witch factors, and I have one of them…]

As he wondered this aloud, he also wondered silently in parallel. He was beginning to wonder if his Return By Death might just be one of these Witch Factors. He privately recalled how Echidna had said it was a gift from the Witch of Envy. If this were true, then he actually possessed two Witch Factors. For obvious reasons, he knew he couldn’t share this hypothesis with his friends.

Subaru: [Hope it winds up being useful, whatever this Authority of Sloth winds up being…]

Ruminating on Petelgeuse’s own Authority of Sloth, Subaru recalled that he seemed to have many invisible hands. Part of him considered this could be useful to have, the greater part of him wanted little to do with the ability that had hurt those he had cared about.

Wanting to escape such bleak thoughts. He searched his mind for other topics of conversation but found none seemed appropriate.

He thought about asking Bastian about the fight with Clind, but it seemed like it would be a sore subject just looking at his arm in the sling.

He thought about asking what they all thought would happen with “Roswaal” and Clind now that their plot had been exposed, but he recalled Bastian seemed skittish about that subject, as well. He desperately wanted to discuss the situation, though. He had never expected to have shaken things up so much upon his return.

He thought about asking Bastian for his take on the Witch of Greed, as he was the only other one present who had been privy to the conversations that had taken place within the Castle of Dreams. He knew better, though, as Beatrice was right beside him. She could never find out just how poorly things had gone.

Wanting to take his mind off of all of these things he couldn’t talk about, he decided to keep himself busy another way. Reaching into a burlap sack in the floorboard, he found some raw textile materials. They had been given to them likely because they had been valued within Costuul’s walls, and as such must have seemed like subtle gifts to the heroes of the city. Anyone else would look at the gift and consider it useless, or perhaps consider selling it to make some money.

Subaru, though…

Beatrice: [Hm? What are you making there, in fact? Betty didn’t know you could sew.]

Subaru: [Just a talent I picked up as a shut-in. Guess it wasn’t all wasted time, at least so long as I can spin these talents off here…]

In his hands, something was taking form. It was a human figure, a doll. He worked with what he had in the bag. Slowly but surely, the vagueness of the form was being whittled away until its subject became apparent.

Meili: [Hey, that’s Reinhard.]

Subaru: [Good eye! Not sure why I decided to make one of him, though… you want it?]

Meili: [Huh? What for?]

Subaru: [Consider it a gift, welcoming you into our fold.]

He grinned slightly as he continued his delicate stitching. Meili was unsure of what to make of the gesture. Just as he was wrapping it up, he noticed it wasn’t just Meili who had been observing him.

Bastian had been watching intently, perhaps taking mental notes. He wasn’t really sure why a swordsman would be so fascinated, though. Beatrice watched with a pout.

Beatrice: [Betty didn’t get a gift for joining…]

Subaru: [But Beako, our bond is the greatest gift of all!]

He was sure to ham it up as he delivered his quip. Beatrice blushed as she maintained her pout, clearly embarrassed by her contractor’s antics yet again. He chuckled at her expense.

Beatrice: [It’s fine, I suppose. Betty didn’t want that doll, anyway…]

She averted her gaze from the doll in his hands. She seemed somewhat somber at his choice of subject for the doll.

Subaru: [Don’t worry, Beako. I can make one for you, too, of whoever or whatever you want.]

Beatrice: [… that’s acceptable, I suppose.]

She smiled out of Subaru’s view, doing her best to downplay her interest. Subaru could tell this was a front but figured he had teased her enough for the time being. Meili, meanwhile, smiled dolefully at the exchange before her. Something about receiving a doll reminded her of her “sister.” This thought caused her to sharply look out the window. She wouldn’t be won over so easily. Subaru found this less discouraging and more adorable.

They had departed from Costuul late the morning after the showdown with “Roswaal” and Clind. Now, half a day later, as the sun was beginning to set, they arrived at the Karsten Estate. Looking from inside the carriage, he could see the duchess’ mansion for the first time in months, though it felt as though it had been much longer. Aside from the snow on the ground, nothing appeared to have changed. It struck an oddly nostalgic chord within him. He wondered how far the snow had gone the last time Puck had made it snow, and if the Crusch Camp had gotten to enjoy it while it wasn’t ominous.

This made him wonder why that previous snow hadn’t led to disaster instead. He knew the snow was an unapproachable topic given present company, leaving him to consider this on his own. He figured if Puck had intended this snowstorm to freeze over the world, then it must have been laced with significantly more mana than the previous snow. He didn’t doubt Puck put literally all he had into this effort to avenge his fallen daughter, whereas the first snow had been effectively just letting off steam.

He was marginally pleased with his own suppositions. Just as he was, he froze as he saw a familiar face at the door to the mansion. There stood a man who exuded sheer elegance with a gaze sharper than any blade. Subaru was unsure of how to proceed. Should he smile and wave? Should he bow respectfully and contritely? He didn’t know how to be.

Bastian picked up in the internal turmoil Subaru was experiencing. It was hard for anyone present not to, given his shaking hands and thousand yard stare.

Bastian: [Need Sound Mind?]

Subaru: [… no. I shouldn’t.]

Beatrice: [But Subaru, if this is too much for you, in fact…]

Subaru: [I have to do this myself, Beako. You know why.]

Beatrice tugged on his sleeve to implore him to accept Bastian’s aid, but Subaru gently placed his hand overtop of hers to allay her worries. Elaboration was unnecessary for Bastian and Beatrice. They knew precisely which mantra he was implicitly invoking.

Meili looked on bewildered at the trio. She vaguely understood Subaru’s trepidation, fully aware of his flight from Lugunica and its implications. She could assume that facing people from his past might not be easy, but the magnitude felt by Subaru and understood by Bastian and Beatrice was lost on her.

Garfiel: [Oi, we’re ‘ere! Ya guys jus’ gonna stay in th’ there, ‘r we gonna get Bastian some healin’?]

Garfiel’s excitement was turning into impatience. It was clear their stop over at the Karsten Estate was an obstruction to him. He wanted to meet Reinhard yesterday.

Subaru: [Right. Thanks for driving, Garf.]

Garfiel: [Eh? “Garf?” You callin’ me that now, chief?]

Subaru: [Yeah, thought it might help to reduce any homesickness to hear a familiar name. Too soon?]

Garfiel: [… nah, s’fine. Les jus’ get goin’, ‘kay?]

Garfiel dismounted from the driver’s perch and opened the carriage door. Subaru slowly emerged, greeted by the cold air emanating from the snow. It truly seemed to alter the air around them. The sky around them seemed less bleary and dreary than it had been back near Costuul. He helped everyone out of the carriage one at a time, starting with Beatrice, then Bastian. Meili was hesitant to get out, let alone take his hand. In her free hand, she was clutching her new doll. Despite the random textile materials used to make it, the doll looked expertly crafted, not one stitch out of place, not one part out of proportion.

Having exited their carriage, the elegant butler at the door began striding over towards them. He seemed to have a sword on his hip, which wasn’t something Subaru remembered this man always carrying. He was worried what trouble he might be getting his party into now.

Chapter Text

Subaru gulped as the armed butler strode over to their carriage. His nervousness proved to be contagious, as his companions were also on edge.

Garfiel: [If ‘e tries anythin’, I’ll crush ‘im.]

Garfiel must have sensed that Subaru wasn’t much of a fighter. Knowing their main fighter was out of commission, and not knowing what Beatrice was capable of, he offered his own rough brand of reassurance.

Subaru: [Thanks Garf, but that shouldn’t be necessary.]

???: [I appreciate you deescalating the situation, Subaru-dono.]

The butler had come to a stop about a meter away from his party, offering a bow of respect to his mistress’ guests. He was the very picture of diligence and appeared quite sharp despite his age.

Subaru: [It’s good to hear you refer to me like that after all that’s happened, Wilhelm… even if it is only a matter of basic respect.]

Wilhelm gave a subtle look to Subaru, narrowing his eyes minutely. He seemed to be considering the remark deeper than was really warranted.

Wilhelm: [I prefer to reserve my judgment, Subaru-dono. You have returned after so long, having abandoned your contract with Lady Crusch.]

Garfiel: [Eh? Contract? What’s ‘e on about?]

Subaru: [I had been a patient of Ferris’ before, remember? There had been a contract in place with the lady he serves, Crusch. I broke it when I left his care prematurely.]

He interjected as quickly as he could upon hearing Garfiel’s blunt question. He knew he needed to control the narrative as much as he could, using the vaguest phrasing he could muster. He didn’t want Garfiel to find out who had negotiated that contract in the first place, or why he had left Ferris’s care so soon. He appreciated that Wilhelm had left things just open enough for him to massage the truth.

Wilhelm: [No doubt Ferris will be curious how your gate is doing. I would ask why it is you have returned, but the answer appears self-evident.]

Wilhelm shifted his attention from Subaru to the swordsman in his retinue, his right arm up in a sling fashioned from a bed sheet.

Subaru: [Pretty easy to guess, huh? My friend here was injured. It’s a long story. We came here to seek healing for him.]

Wilhelm: [I see. In that case, I shall lead you to the mansion. You and your companions seem rather road weary.]

Subaru: [Yeah… it’s been a rough week.]

Subaru couldn’t help but chuckle as he understated the events of the past week. He had faced a Sin Archbishop, buried everyone he had let down, fought a Great Witch Beast, and unraveled a national conspiracy. He felt he could use a moment to catch his breath. There was just one thing he found odd.

Subaru: [I must admit, when we got here, I wasn’t sure I’d be warmly received. I even thought you were about to turn us away…]

Wilhelm: [Up until recently, that likely would have been the case. However, we received a messenger not long ago regarding your exploits.]

Subaru: [Already? Just how fast can a ground dragon run…?]

He was astounded the word had already made its way from Costuul to the Karsten Estate. He recalled how Garfiel had sent a first wave of messengers the moment he spotted them returning, assuming it to be a sign of their success.

Subaru: [Guessing they arrived yesterday evening, then?]

Wilhelm: [That is correct. It seems you are less familiar with the situation than had been anticipated. The duchess was under the impression you had sent them.]

Garfiel: [Nah, that was me, n’ I didn’t jus’ send ‘em yer way. Sent three waves o’ messengers in all directions’ta spread th’ word.]

Wilhelm: [I see. You must command some respect in Costuul, young master.]

Garfiel: [Eh? “Young master?” Jus’ call me Garfiel, a’right? Formality chafes me…]

Subaru surmised Garfiel only detested formality due to the months he spent acting as the margrave’s enforcer within the walls of Costuul. He didn’t want to bother his new companion too much with that matter, though. Not while he was trying so hard to avoid him learning about his flight from Lugunica and its implications.

Wilhelm: [Understood. At any rate, Lady Crusch would like to speak with you and your companions. She is very grateful.]

Subaru: [I’m sure she is…]

Bastian: [Sarcasm. Not gonna help.]

Subaru: [Yeah, yeah…]

Beatrice: [Betty understands Subaru’s frustration though, I suppose. He begged for their help, only to be turned away. Now they seem to want something from him? It all strikes Betty as rather one-sided.]

Wilhelm was noticeably silent after Beatrice offered her defense of her contractor. Subaru appreciated her support, though felt as though he was walking on needles after how close she had gotten to revealing the truth. He nearly interrupted her, though his trust in her had him holding his tongue. As things were, her statement was still mostly consistent with his story of having personally formed a contract with Crusch to receive healing for his gate from Ferris. Wilhelm’s silence was telling, though.

Entering the mansion, they were greeted by a woman in navy military-style dress with long green hair and –

Garfiel: [Hol’ up, thought Felix was supposed’ta be a guy. Who’s th’ cat girl in th’ frilly dress?]

Subaru: [Garf… that is Ferris.]

Garfiel: [… eh?]

Garfiel did a double take as he looked from Subaru to Ferris back and forth. His face became flush as he realized his error. Subaru recalled how he had been in the same position when he had first met Ferris months ago. He found it much funnier from the outside looking in.

Garfiel: [… gotcha.]

Bastian: [Probably a story behind. Not ours to know.]

Bastian patted Garfiel on the back with his good arm as he walked in after Subaru and Beatrice. Garfiel lingered frozen in the doorway for a few moments before snapping out of it. As he made his approach behind the others, the woman in military dress, the duchess Crusch Karsten, narrowed her eyes at him.

Crusch: [It seems you find yourself in brash company, Natsuki Subaru.]

Subaru: [It’s not his fault. Suffice to say he’s had it rough all his life.]

Crusch: [Is that so? Perhaps he could take cues from your other new companion?]

Her attention shifted from the blonde youth with a frustrated look on his face to the taciturn injured man standing just behind Subaru and Beatrice in the foyer. He didn’t dignify it with a response, save for confused tilt of the head.

Garfiel: [Oi!]

Subaru: [Garf, calm down. Now’s not the time.]

Garfiel begrudgingly simmered down upon hearing Subaru’s plea. He knew they were here on important business but was nonetheless annoyed he was being called out like this. He looked away in a huff.

Ferris: [Wow, what a hot head! Mew certainly have your hands full these days, don’t you Subaru?]

Subaru: [He’s a good guy, really.]

Crusch: [And we are to take you at your word?]

Subaru was surprised to hear such a pointed question. He had almost forgotten what it was like to talk with Crusch. He knew she had her pleasant moments, but she could also make the atmosphere tense in an instant. This was one of those latter moments.

Subaru: [… I get the feeling you’re not just referring to my word on Garfiel here.]

Ferris: [Oh, so perceptive, Subaru! Nyo wonder you’re still alive…]

Crusch: [Ferris.]

Ferris: [Too much?]

Crusch: [Perhaps. That depends on what he has to say. Natsuki Subaru, join me in my office. Alone. There is much we have to discuss.]

Subaru’s jaw felt tight as he heard her urgent request. She seemed to be almost glaring at him with her amber eyes as she had made it. A worry he had thought had been laid to rest back at Roswaal’s auxiliary mansion came back to the fore of his mind.

Her insistence upon privacy left the others uncomfortable, as well, none more so than Beatrice.

Beatrice: [Betty will have to insist upon being allowed to accompany her contractor, in fact.]

Ferris: [Ohhhh? Contractor? Didn’t knyow you were a Spirit Arts user, Subaru. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say mew were competing with Julius.]

Subaru’s grip on Beatrice’s hand tightened hearing that familiar name. It only made Beatrice want to join him in the imminent discussion more. Subaru had mixed feelings, however. He considered it could be wise to have his partner nearby in the event things go sideways, though he couldn’t discount the possibility of him losing his control over the narrative.

He had previously insisted that Beatrice be allowed to accompany him in a similar circumstance, though that had been in a situation where he was certain the other party was a threat. Here, the situation differed. While he wasn’t certain that Crusch wouldn’t pull anything, he was leaning more toward her being benign than malignant.

Ferris: [If Subaru gets to have a plus one, then so should you, Lady Crusch! I don’t trust this guy, no matter what that courier said! He probably just paid them off…]

Subaru: [Do I look like I’m made of money, Ferris? Moreover, what did this courier say?]

Bastian: [Probably what she wants to discuss. Full disclosure: Beatrice-sama is a Great Spirit. If she insists on joining Subaru, should let her.]

Ferris: [A Great Spirit? Contracted with him?]

Bastian: [Do not. Underestimate him.]

The swordsman’s voice took on weight in the face of Ferris’ playful mockery. It sucked the air out of the room. Wilhelm almost misjudged the situation, his hand twitching towards the sword on his hip.

Subaru: [I-It’s fine Bastian, really! No need for the grave tone, man. Geez… sorry about that, Crusch.]

Crusch: [It’s fine. Your companion here is rather convincing. Something has definitely changed about you since we last met. Shall we?]

Gesturing towards her office, Subaru and Beatrice followed. He was still nervous about her joining this discussion, knowing it could easily become complicated. He had considered insisting that she sit this one out, but ultimately opted to trust her while also remaining alert. He firmly believed he would have a headache by the end of this discussion from the stress and constant attentiveness.

Ferris also began to follow, prompting Crusch to pause.

Crusch: [Not you, Ferris. I would like for you and Wilhelm to tend to the others.]

Ferris’ ears folded back in disappointment. He adopted fragile, fraught stature, with his arms close to his chest.

Ferris: [Are you sure about this, Lady Crusch?]

Crusch: [It’s fine, Ferris. I don’t sense any hostile intent from Subaru… for now.]

She eyed Subaru again as she made this remark. The level of suspicion among the mansion’s residents was palpable. He knew full well that “tend to the others” really meant “keep a close eye on them.” It hadn’t escaped his attention that Crusch herself had a sword at her hip.

She then eyed Wilhelm, giving the butler a knowing nod. It seemed to signal something, though it was likely just a gesture of trust.

Wilhelm: [I shall put some tea on for our guests.]

Bastian: [Much obliged.]

Garfiel: [Grrr, I don’t like this…]

Bastian: [S’fine. Just follow to the parlor already.]

While Crusch led Subaru and Beatrice to her office, Ferris and Wilhelm guided the others to the parlor for tea. As the latter group moved, Meili kept close to Bastian, clutching her Reinhard doll closely as she did. She was careful not to look at Bastian as she walked next to him. Garfiel trailed behind, clearly disgruntled. Given the nature of the conversation he was anticipating, Subaru could relate.

***

Crusch’s office was just as he had remembered it. Even though it was far removed from those desperate days, it had that same miserable energy about it. He could practically see himself prostrating on the ground begging for aid. He vividly recalled himself ranting madly about how Crusch had an imperative to kill every last Witch Cultist that would attack the Mathers Domain. He remembered how Crusch had said he had neglected to mention Emilia even once during his pathetic tirade.

He had felt somewhat hungry after being on the road for a while. Now, he had lost his appetite from the nerves.

Crusch: [Please, have a seat.]

She gestured to the chair across from her desk. She turned her back for only a moment to take her seat at her desk.

Crusch: [… is that comfortable?]

Subaru was sat in the chair with Beatrice occupying its left arm. Subaru awkwardly leaned to his right, bracing his elbow against the right arm and his face against his palm.

Subaru: [Of course. This is perfectly normal. So, what was it you wanted to discuss?]

Crusch cleared her throat to cut through the inelegant before her.

Crusch: [Isn’t it obvious? You’ve been absent for several months, having disappeared conspicuously around the same time as the Witch Cult attacked the Mathers Domain.]

Beatrice: [If you suspect him to be a Witch Cultist, you may rest assured, in fact. According to Bastian, he went out of his way to smash the remaining frozen Witch Cultists at Roswaal’s mansion.]

Crusch: [Is that so?]

Beatrice: [Yes it is, in fact, Betty healed his hands from where he had done so.]

Crusch: [You smashed them with your bare hands?]

Subaru held his calloused left hand aloft as he glanced at it. It had been long before the incident they were currently discussing. He looked at it with a moment of weariness in his eyes.

Subaru: [… they had it coming.]

His voice became hoarse as that moment came rushing back to him. He had never experienced such blind fury before in his life.

Subaru: [Wouldn’t have been able to do it without Bastian’s magic bolstering me, though.]

Crusch: [That was the injured man who had put Wilhelm on edge?]

Subaru: [He put us all on edge…]

Crusch: [I wasn’t particularly concerned. I could tell he wasn’t going to try anything, and not just because of his arm. The wind around him was whipped up, certainly, but not going in any which direction. He was simply trying to get a point across. I can respect that.]

Subaru: [Oh yeah, you have that Divine Protection of Wind Indication, don’t you?]

Crusch: [Yes. With it, I can tell that Beatrice’s words ring true, or at the very least, that she is resolute in her belief of them. It does make sense that you wouldn’t be affiliated with them, considering what that courier had said. Is it true? Did you slay the Great Rabbit?]

She had been stern the entire time, but she somehow managed to dial up the seriousness as she leaned forward with her hands folded. It was hard for Subaru to say whether it signified strength and discipline or an earnest hope. He privately supposed these weren’t mutually exclusive as he readied himself to answer.

Subaru: [Yes. I devised a plan to slay the Great Rabbit. Beatrice and Bastian helped me execute it. The Great Rabbit is no more.]

Crusch’s eyes widened upon hearing the news, seeming to shimmer in the light. The sun was setting outside, accentuating their amber hue. It was an oddly stirring sight. Her jaw went slack as she paused a moment to process what she had just been told.

Crusch: [Then it’s true… that blight truly is gone.]

Subaru: [Not gonna claim the courier was paid off?]

Crusch: [Please forgive Ferris for the impertinence. After you left prematurely, he’s had a negative impression of you. Though I only partially considered the possibility, he was far more guarded about it.]

Subaru: [Yeah, no, I… I get it. I understand where Ferris and anyone suspecting me of being a Witch Cultist are coming from. Coincidences like this just leave that as a natural conclusion…]

He was crestfallen as he admitted to the poor optics of his circumstances. Having seemingly disappeared around the time of the attack only to reappear, complicity or even abetment were easy conclusions for most to jump toward.

Crusch: [I have delayed this for far too long since you arrived. Natsuki Subaru, I am so sorry for your loss.]

Her stern gaze softened to one more sympathetic in response to the fatigued, sorrowful atmosphere that hung over him. It brought him a degree of comfort. He hadn’t heard anyone actually offer him condolences since he had returned. He had shared in his mourning with Beatrice and Bastian, the latter of whom had been the first to offer what had been admittedly the token condolences of a complete stranger.

But there had never been anyone to offer him genuine condolences in Costuul, even though “Roswaal” and Clind had been acutely aware of what he had gone through. Meili was aware, as well, and even though she was now a member of his entourage, had not apologized for making light of his loss. Since she was a child with virtually no upbringing, though, he was willing to let that slide. “Roswaal” and Clind, however, could have said something. Clind was simply following his master’s wishes, though, and “Roswaal” was sorrier for the loss of that grand plan than of those who had unwittingly been a part of it.

Here, in this office that had been the stage for a moment of great discomfort for Subaru, he felt genuine gratitude.

Subaru: [… thank you. That really means a lot. I’m… I’m sorry for running off like that, breaking our contract.]

Crusch: [We thought you were dead, you know.]

Subaru winced upon hearing this. It reminded him of one of his earlier conversations with Bastian. He had previously supposed that no one knew that Subaru had left Lugunica entirely, likely because the only one who had known of his intentions died in the Witch Cult attack. He hadn’t considered that those who he had left behind that hadn’t been involved in that tragedy would assume he had died alongside those he had left to die. This notion tore open that still-healing wound in his heart. The anguish was written all over his face.

Crusch: [We thought you had ran off to return to the Mathers Domain. It was obvious you were upset at how matters were between you and Emilia. We assumed you sought some form of reconciliation with her. Then, when we heard of the attack… between that and the White Whale, we figured either one of those perils claimed your life.]

Beatrice: [Then why hadn’t you agreed to help Subaru, in fact?]

The question jolted Subaru from his momentary wallowing. The narrative was in jeopardy.

Crusch: [I’m not sure I follow, Great Spirit. We had been helping per our contract with Emilia.]

Beatrice: [Don’t try to obfuscate, in fact. He had asked your camp’s aid in thwarting the attack, had he not?]

Crusch’s eyes narrowed as she shifted her attention from Beatrice to Subaru.

Crusch: [Is that what you told her?]

Subaru sat frozen in his chair. He had missed his opportunity to wrest control of the narrative. He had been too slow, his mind still reeling from the despairing subject matter of moments ago. Why couldn’t that comfort have stayed a little longer? Why did he have to confront the consequences of his own poor choice in narrative?

Subaru: [… yes. I… tch!]

He was floundering as he sought to regain control. He had considered offering the excuse of having misremembered events, as it had been several months since those days, even if those days had really been part of a failed loop that no one but he would remember. Unfortunately, he remembered Crusch’s Divine Protection of Wind Indication and how it would swiftly put him in his place.

He desperately wanted to avoid appearing like a liar here. He didn’t want to hurt Beatrice. He didn’t want to risk losing Ferris’ help in healing Bastian. His mind chased its own tail. What should he do? What could he do? Every second he spent agonizing was another mark against his credibility, against the trust placed in him.

He sharply exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration with the situation. He knew what his biggest critic would advise him to do.

Subaru: [… I was too prideful to admit that I ran away without a fight, alright? I’m… I’m fucking pathetic…]

He felt worse with each word he uttered. To him, it felt like he was actually lying right now. He had tried to get aid from Crusch in the past, as well as from Priscilla and Anastasia. These attempts belonged to a dead world, though, a world only Subaru could remember by virtue of his Return By Death. Of course, he was now acutely aware of how selfishly he had pursued that aid back then, having admitted as much to himself over the course of his Trials. As such, these self-flagellating words weren’t really untruthful at all.

He hid his face behind the hand that had been bracing his head a moment ago. He felt humiliated and ashamed. Why did he have to be the only one who remembered these lost worlds? He remembered How Echidna had tried to spin his Return By Death as a gift. He simply couldn’t understand how she could possibly consider it as such, having only suffered since he had come to possess it.

Through his fingers, he could see Crusch staring at him, concerned and conflicted. She seemed to be grappling with sympathy and scorn. Beatrice was looking away from him. He couldn’t see her face. He only hoped she wasn’t frowning, or worse.

Crusch: [So, you fled in the middle of the attack?]

Beatrice: [He told me he knew what was coming, in fact…]

Crusch looked from Subaru to Beatrice as she replied in the place of her contractor in a subdued tone. No doubt she hadn’t appreciated him seemingly lying about seeking allies, something he had been careful to add in his defense before. That moment had been a precious for her, being the moment of her liberation from centuries of isolation. Knowing it was now tainted with apparent falsehood left her feeling ambivalent.

Crusch: [And how would you know this for a fact? We just established you aren’t affiliated with the Witch Cult.]

She leaned forward as she folded her hands once again. Her eyes were trained on Subaru with intense focus. She conveyed an air of authority. This was no longer a mere discussion. It was an interrogation.

Subaru: [… previously, I’d been taken hostage by the Witch Cult on my way back to the Mathers Domain. They told me everything they were planning…]

He wasn’t proud of his manipulation of the truth but could think of no other way around the uncanny coincidence implicating him as a potential Witch Cultist. The version of events he was offering was true strictly speaking. Said events had never occurred in this loop, though they had occurred in failed loops. They hadn’t occurred all in the same loop, either. They had been cobbled together to form a coherent narrative. These details hadn’t been mentioned to either Beatrice or Crusch yet. The only question was would either of them believe him?

Crusch: [… I sense no air of falsehood around you, though I must wonder why you didn’t come forth with such information.]

Crusch had sized him up with her Divine Protection. His truth by technicality saved him, if only because these events had happened to him in other worlds more broken than this one. Beatrice remained silent, her gaze still pointed away from him. It kind of stung that she didn’t come to his defense immediately, though he figured he would need to re-earn that from her after being caught in a “lie.”

Subaru: [Who would believe my word after the crap I’d pulled back in the Capital? I figured it would be a waste of time.]

It was a pretty believable excuse. His reputation had certainly been tarnished after his disgraceful display in the first meeting of the Royal Selection. His word already wouldn’t have carried much weight as a mere butler back then, but after his “duel” with Julius, the odds were even further out of his favor.

It helped that his excuse made even too much sense to himself. His excuse had reminded him of how Crusch herself hadn’t believed him when he had tried reporting the impending Witch Cult attack. This colored his testimony, lending it an air of believability it otherwise would have lacked.

Crusch: [I see. I suppose I understand. You and Rem had left for the Mathers Domain, only to get separated when you got captured by Witch Cultists. After hearing what they had planned for the territory, instead of staying to fight, you opted to flee out of fear for your life. Do I have that right?]

Every permutation of those events twisted the knife deeper into him. He couldn’t confirm this, as it would be immediately proven untrue by her Divine Protection. Her recap of the events had highlighted the inconsistencies to him alone. He couldn’t convince himself that this version of events was the truth. Not when it was coming from her.

He couldn’t even offer a waffling response like, “that’s more or less correct,” as it would be immediately suspicious. He felt like he was just digging a hole deeper and deeper for himself. He felt like a damned fool.

This must have come across to Crusch well enough, as she sighed deeply, closing her eyes in disappointment.

Crusch: [Forgive me. I’m pressing you too much, rubbing salt in a relatively fresh wound. We’ve assessed what it is that I’m most interested in as it is. I have confirmed that you aren’t a Witch Cultist and that you did indeed formulate the plan behind the slaying of the Great Rabbit.]

Subaru: [It’s fine. I’ve… had some time to process things since I came back.]

Crusch: [Since you came back? You mean to say you left the kingdom?]

Subaru: [Yes. I realized there was nothing I could do to save anybody, that I was too weak and pathetic on my own. I firmly believed no one would help me. So… I ran away.]

The duchess appeared hurt to hear of such resignation. Could it be she had seen some potential in him prior to his flight? Was this the root of her apparent disappointment? He was too busy staying focused on the conversation to ruminate on such matters. What mattered was that her sympathy seemed to be returning.

Crusch: [I see. Then what the courier had said was true about you traveling with an Acolyte Knight of the Holy Church of Gusteko… though he doesn’t seem to match any description of their order I’ve read about.]

Subaru: [Yeah, he’s pretty unconventional…]

Crusch: [… I get the feeling there’s something more to that, but it likely isn’t your place to comment on it. May I ask why it is you returned to Lugunica?]

It was the first time anyone had actually asked him that since he had returned. He had previously explained his reason for returning to Beatrice without her asking why. Otherwise, the topic had gone largely undisturbed for some time. He realized he would need to get used to explaining himself, since he was now on a tour of amendment.

Subaru: [Honestly, a few weeks ago, I didn’t want to come back. I was too scared of what I’d find, too scared of how I would be treated by those I’d ran out on. Bastian talked some sense into me, though. He could see I was just spinning my wheels aimlessly up there, and he offered to help me mourn and make amends. That’s why I’m here now… or at least, it’s part of why I’m here now.]

Crusch: [You wish to repay his aid by seeking Ferris’ healing? I’ll admit, it is rather bold of you to approach us with such a favor.]

Subaru: [Boldness has nothing to do with it. I really didn’t know where else to turn to. Beatrice can’t heal him due to the contract of sorts he has with the Great Spirit Odglass. He’s got other injuries, as well. Internal ones he suffered while also trying to help me. He needs the best… no, he deserves it.]

He couldn’t help but reflect on how much his friend had put himself on the line for him as of late. Between facing Elsa, helping him fight the Great Rabbit, freeing him from Echidna’s Castle of Dreams, and facing Clind, Bastian had been indispensable to Subaru’s efforts. He was his sworn sword, something who seemed to shelter him from situations that would otherwise prove to be a dead end for him. Much like with Beatrice, he wanted to repay him for that kindness. He wasn’t content with simply being on the receiving end. He didn’t want to be a useless leech.

His rationale appeared to have reached Crusch, as her disposition softened yet again.

Crusch: [You’re truly dedicated to your companions. I understand such dedication myself. I, too, wish I could deliver for my comrades…]

She seemed slightly despondent about something. Subaru couldn’t surmise what this might be but realized right now likely wouldn’t be a good time to ask. Not after narrowly avoiding failure.

Crusch: [Natsuki Subaru, you have done the kingdom a great service. Up until now, my camp and the Anastasia Camp had been desperately trying to tide the people of Costuul over while the Sage Council deliberated on how to handle the Great Rabbit threat. I had previously faced it myself several years ago, but not in such force. It’s as though the snow invigorated it…]

Subaru: [You fought it? Just you?]

Crusch: [I won’t speak of it any further, lest I begin to come off as boasting. No boast I could make in that regard could match what you and your companions have achieved, though. I’m unsure how the Sage Council will reward you for your effort. They certainly will now that word is spreading of your deed. However, I can reward you here and now, and intend to do so.]

Subaru: [Does that mean… you’ll heal my friend?]

Crusch: [Ferris does the healing here, Subaru. You know that.]

Subaru: [Right, I was just speaking generally… ah, why am I being pedantic?]

Crusch: [No, it seems I was the one being pedantic there. My apologies.]

She bowed her head with a smirk on her face. Their rapport had warmed up some since they had managed to navigate the hurdle that was his poor choice of narrative. Subaru himself was smiling with great relief.

Subaru: [Thank you Crusch… and I’m sorry for running out like that.]

Crusch: [You’ve already apologized for that. What’s done is done.]

She rose from her seat, prompting Subaru and Beatrice to do the same. She led the way to the door back to the rest of the mansion.

Crusch: [Once your friend is healed, we may have something more to discuss, should you be interested.]

Subaru: [An offer…?]

He knew what he wanted to do after his tour of amendments was settled: grant Emilia’s greatest wish. He hadn’t really considered how he would accomplish this, though he did figure it would mean involving himself in the Royal Selection once more. This would necessarily mean him choosing a new candidate to join, a choice he wasn’t sure he was ready to make.

Subaru: [… I’ll keep it in mind, but… could we discuss it another time? After Bastian is healed, I’d actually like to make amends with some other people I feel I’ve left in the dark…]

Crusch smiled softly in response to Subaru’s request for a delay in further discussion. She seemed to understand where he was coming from.

Crusch: [Of course. Take as much time as you feel you need to make amends. It is commendable that you are trying to set matters right.]

Subaru: [Thanks. That’s really appreciated, Crusch. More than words can say…]

Crusch: [Your thanks is enough. Despite everything that has transpired, it is good you are okay, Natsuki Subaru]

The duchess continued smiling as she walked out the door. Subaru tried to follow her but felt a tug on his sleeve.

Subaru: [Beako…?]

Beatrice: [Don’t think Betty didn’t catch you in a lie, in fact.]

Subaru: [H-Huh? You mean how I said I tried to seek allies before? Beatrice, I’m really so—]

Beatrice: [Not that, in fact. A different inconsistency in the story you just told to the duchess. Betty’s not sure how you managed to pull one over on her, considering the Divine Protection she possesses.]

Subaru: [What are you —]

Beatrice: [You said you made your way back to the Mathers Domain and were held captive by the Witch Cult. Do you expect Betty to believe Rem wouldn’t have tried to save you?]

Subaru: [… what?]

Beatrice: [You found her body at the mansion, didn’t you? Yet you claim to have been separated from her while en route to the mansion. Do you expect Betty to believe she just left you behind and continued on to the mansion? Betty is aware of how bizarrely attached that girl was to you, in fact.]

Subaru stopped trying to talk back. Something about Beatrice’s phrasing regarding Rem had stung him more than she had likely intended. He wore a dumbfounded, dismal look on his face as those words seared.

Beatrice: [… Betty’s sorry, I suppose…]

Beatrice appeared disappointed in herself, no doubt because she had inadvertently hurt her contractor’s feelings. She lowered her eyes to the floor, unable to look him in the eyes.

Subaru: [No, no… I’m sorry. I never should have claimed what I had back in the library. It was just a bid at protecting my fragile ego. There are parts of my past that I’m still struggling to accept. I know it won’t be getting any easier soon enough… but I’m gonna keep trying.]

Hearing these hopeful words caused Beatrice to look up once more. Her eyes found him half smiling, the most he was able to muster at the moment.

Subaru: [I should’ve come clean about that claim to you sooner, Beako. You’re my partner, my friend. You deserve that much. I’ll do better by you from now on, okay?]

Beatrice: [… Betty will hold you to it, in fact. Betty hopes you understand any offer from that duchess likely means you will be dealing with these sorts of situations more than you would like, I suppose.]

Subaru: [Yeah… I’ll be keeping that in mind for sure. We’ll need to have a strategy meeting here before long.]

Beatrice: [Agreed, in fact. We should rejoin them now that the duchess is satisfied, I suppose.]

Any time she mentioned Crusch, it was always by title and with faint derision. She seemed annoyed by the woman, likely due to having sat through an interrogation. The word “satisfied” had been practically spat out. He wanted to tell her to try and be nice to Crusch and her camp, but he didn’t want to introduce any further undue friction. All of these balancing acts he found himself in made him feel mentally fatigued. He was sure to bear it in mind for a critical decision in the not-too-distant future.

Chapter Text

While Subaru and Beatrice were discussing important matters of trust with Crusch in her office, the parlor was a scene teetering towards agitation. The room itself was still but felt far from serene. Everyone seemed to be isolated amongst each other. No one was conversing. Bastian sat silently sipping tea that Wilhelm had prepared. Wilhelm was watching Bastian warily all the while, if only because of his heavy-handed interjection earlier. Garfiel, in turn, was watching Wilhelm, viewing the butler with a sword on his hip as the most apparent threat in the room. Meili stared into her cup of tea, perhaps at her own reflection, or perhaps through it.

Ferris, meanwhile, sat awkwardly amidst the tension, struggling to think of something to say to cut through it. He had fortunately held his tongue in such a way to prevent any undue conflict from emerging, having said enough earlier. His ears had stood alert upon Bastian’s entreaty to not underestimate Subaru. It got him wondering just what had occurred to get someone to advocate for Subaru to such a degree. Curiosity was getting to the cat.

Ferris: [So… Bastian, was it?]

Bastian: [Yes. What is it?]

Ferris was offput by the terseness of the response. He misread it as impatience or perhaps even smoldering hostility. Had this injured swordsman been offended on Subaru’s behalf earlier? He had made plenty of comments that would ordinarily have gotten a rise out of the Subaru he had known before. His curiosity deepened.

Ferris: [How did mew and Subaru meet? Seems like a lot’s happened for you all.]

Bastian: [“A lot” would be an understatement. As for how we met…]

He had to pause and consider how best to put this. He didn’t want to out himself as a disgraced Acolyte Knight, if only because it could cause problems for Subaru. He instinctively clutched his medallion as he thought of how best to proceed. It was a fidgeting gesture he did often when deep in thought. It didn’t go unnoticed.

Ferris: [Oh? An Acolyte Knight? Odd to see one all the way here in Lugunica.]

Bastian: [… yes, it is.]

Ferris: [I went to Gusteko once, you knyow. To help out a dear friend. Is that why you’re here?]

Bastian: [Could say that.]

Ferris: [Mew’re being awfully cagey…]

Garfiel: [Yeah, ‘n yer bein’ awfully nosy.]

Garfiel took a break from eyeing Wilhelm to come to Bastian’s aid. He seemed annoyed on Bastian’s behalf with Ferris’ prying. He had been annoyed since they had arrived, actually.

Ferris: [Oooh, you’re a scary one!]

Garfiel grimaced at Ferris’ teasing retort. He was still trying to regain his balance from having learned from Subaru that Ferris and Sir Felix Argyle, the Blue, were one in the same. Having been stuck in Sanctuary for most of his life and Costuul for the rest of it up until recently, he had lacked any image of the knight. Even still, Ferris was far from what he had imagined.

Bastian: [He’s just concerned. Thanks, Garfiel.]

Garfiel: [Oi, if yer annoyed by what she… er, he’s sayin’, jus’ say so. At the very least, ya don’t gotta humor ‘em!]

Bastian: [Who’s humoring? Just being a guest. He’s a host. They ask questions, we answer politely.]

Ferris: [There, see? Mew should do what Lady Crusch suggested and take some cues from this guy.]

Garfiel looked away in a huff, returning to his “duty” of keeping an eye on the steely-eyed butler.

Bastian: [Back to your question.]

Ferris: [Yeah! What’s an Acolyte Knight doing so far south of the border? Just so you knyow, anything you say can be verified by Lady Crusch. She’s got an ear for the truth.]

Bastian: [That so?]

The swordsman began to worry for his friend in the office. He knew Subaru occasionally had difficulty with keeping to the truth. He only hoped that if he had to lie, that he could do so convincingly. He had to do the same himself, considering his checkered, obfuscated past. Garfiel being present in the parlor didn’t help much.

Fortunately, Garfiel was training the entirety of his attention on Wilhelm. Being a warrior himself, he could sense the warrior’s aura within the butler. It made the blonde youth as curious as he was cautious. He was just as ready to ask the old man a thousand and one questions as he was to pounce into a fight and find out the answers himself.

Bastian: [Acolyte Knights are known to aid those in need unerringly. Adhere to a code of virtues. Could tell Subaru needed help. Am helping him.]

He kept the details as sparse as he could, allowing only the spirit of the truth to come through. He wasn’t quite sure what Ferris meant by Crusch having “an ear for the truth,” but he wasn’t about to take any chances by being too liberal in what he divulged.

Ferris: [So, mew’re just helping him out of the kindness of your heart, then?]

Bastian: [Helping each other, really.]

Ferris: [Wow, you’re dodgy… if you don’t want to talk, all you had to do was say, you know?]

Meili: [He probably didn’t think he had a choice.~]

Ferris and Bastian paused their conversation – really more of an interrogation with a veneer of friendliness on Ferris’ part – upon hearing the vaguely entertained interjection of the tween to Bastian’s right.

Bastian: [Enjoying this, are you?]

Meili: [It’s fun watching you squirm.~]

Bastian sighed at her response. She leered at him mischievously as she delighted in his discomfort. He was only glad she decided to interrupt Ferris at all. He didn’t enjoy being the one who had to answer for a change. He especially didn’t enjoy going verbally toe to toe with Ferris. He figured that having spent much time around Crusch must have honed his ability to ask probing questions, though the seemingly innocent demeanor he employed while doing so may have come from elsewhere.

Ferris: [There’s too much to unpack there...]

Ferris, looking on at a pitiful crippled swordsman being chided by a little girl, decided to finally relent, not wanting to pry into that particular situation. He sensed there was a lot of context around Subaru and his companions that he was missing. He knew Crusch would disapprove of any conflict under her roof. He also knew he lacked the degree of tact necessary to delicately peel back the layers of context surrounding the circumstances of Subaru’s companions. He sighed out of disappointment, not having been able to have been of more help to his duchess.

Silence returned once more, only to be broken again by a lengthy sip on Bastian’s part. Ferris had to wonder if it were some unspoken form of gloating, having slipped out of his grasp.

Bastian: [Tea’s good.]

Wilhelm: [I am glad to hear it… Bastian-dono.]

Bastian ordinarily would have sided with Garfiel regarding such honorifics, at least in terms of preferring not to have them applied to him. It wasn’t that such lofty titles irked him; rather, he felt like he wasn’t sure he really deserved them anymore. His recent actions had been steps in the right direction, of course, but that indefinite past of his was always waiting in the recesses of his mind to nag at him at the end of the day.

Bastian: [Earlier, heard your name was “Wilhelm.” Would ordinarily chalk it up to coincidence, but… you the Sword Devil, by chance?]

Garfiel: [Eh?! Ya serious?!]

The epithet was alarming to the young man. He had no doubt heard tales of the Sword Devil’s exploits as the Captain of the Royal Guard, and even further back as a soldier fighting in the civil war. It seemed he wasn’t the only person who knew a skilled fighter when he saw one. Those of a certain caliber could read their foes and gauge their skill. Garfiel had considered this to be a talent unique to those with a degree of martial prowess, rather than those with magical aptitude. He wasn’t really sure why he thought those things were mutually exclusive.

Wilhelm: [I have not gone by that title in ages. These days, I am but a humble butler. I will admit, I am surprised to know that tired old title carries such weight for you.]

Bastian: [Anyone who carries the sword knows of the Sword Devil. Was said to be like a blade made flesh. Inspiring.]

Ferris: [Well, well, looks like you got yourself a fan, Old Man Wil!]

Wilhelm grunted with faint amusement. It was as succinct a way he could find to communicate the sentiment of “knock it off.” Of course, he could never say as much to someone who was apparently higher in station to him nowadays. It was a sight that made both Garfiel and Bastian feel oddly hollow inside. Neither of them dared to say it, but they felt pity.

Silence again. Both sides sorely needed their respective heads to return. Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait for too much longer. After their stilted evening tea, they were joined by Crusch, Subaru and Beatrice once more. They didn’t seem particularly at ease, though no one appeared worse for wear, at least.

Crusch: [After a lengthy discussion, we have arrived at an accord. We will no longer hold Subaru or his companions suspect. Ferris, you are to heal Bastian in light of his part in slaying the Great Rabbit.]

Ferris: [Eh?! Then… you confirmed it? It wasn’t just some tall tail?]

Subaru: [Like I said, I’m broke, Ferris. There’s no way I could’ve afforded such a bribe as you describe, even if I’d wanted to.]

Ferris: [Would mew have wanted to?]

Subaru: [No! I wouldn’t!]

He was beginning to get indignant at the lack of trust on display here. Perhaps he had gotten used to the trust the people of Costuul had placed in him. He hated to think of it, but he was beginning to suspect that he would need to start from scratch with just about all of the groups with whom he had previously been friendly. His reputation really had taken a hit, though likely only once it had become known that he hadn’t actually died in that Witch Cult attack months ago.

Subaru: [I’m just gonna have to keep explaining myself everywhere I go, huh? I guess this is what making amends feels like.]

Ferris: [“Making amends?” A simple explanation of your side of the story is the least you owe people.]

Subaru: [There’s nothing “simple” about it!]

Bastian: [Need Sound Mind?]

Subaru: [No! No, I’m… fine. How did you handle sitting in here alone with him, anyway?]

Subaru realized Bastian was a rather patient man in most situations, but even he had to have his limits. How he could manage to put up with Ferris’ tricky personality for so long astounded him. He looked largely unperturbed, cup of tea still in hand.

Bastian: [Wasn’t alone. Tea’s good, too. Should get a cup.]

Crusch: [Funny, you didn’t deny any pestering on Ferris’ part…]

Ferris: [Eep!]

Crusch leveled her gaze on her knight, causing his ears to become alert, his posture to stiffen. Subaru knew this wasn’t an uncommon occurrence, if only due to his own stint here months ago. Crusch didn’t even need to say a word as Ferris turned towards Bastian.

Ferris: [I’m sorry for prying, Bastian…]

Bastian: [S’fine.]

Without one iota of annoyance in his voice, he accepted Ferris’ prompted apology. Though it was brief, his acceptance carried understanding of the circumstances and exuded calmness. He had only really been rattled by Meili’s slight mischief. He went back to enjoying his tea.

Ferris: [… well, that was easy.]

Crusch: [Hopefully this means he’ll make for a cooperative patient.]

Subaru: [I know it’s probably just the present context you’re referring to, but I can’t help but see that as a dig at me…]

Beatrice: [You did run away, I suppose.]

Her own dig against her contractor had lacked just enough detail for it not to be interpreted in full light of the truth. Most everyone was aware he had fled the kingdom, save for Wilhelm, Ferris, and of course, Garfiel. It was something that could be surmised if one thought about it enough, given he had been traveling with a foreigner. Garfiel hadn’t interrogated it much, though. He hadn’t even paid much mind to the Amulet of Odglass around the disgraced knight’s neck, though it was possible he didn’t even know what it signified. He wasn’t the worldliest person in the room. Actually, he was easily the least worldly.

Ferris: [Ran away, huh? Well, he never struck me as a man of action, no matter how often he practiced with Old Man Wil.]

Bastian: [Took up the sword?]

Subaru: [Er, well… sorta…]

Subaru sheepishly looked to the stern butler upon mention of his prior “training.” Really, it had been Subaru wailing against a reactive punching bag that never really got hit nor ever got tired. He, however, was always wiped out after a session of swordplay. He appreciated the fact that Wilhelm didn’t follow up with any comment confirming this. He lived up to his word of reserving his judgment in more ways than he had originally intended.

Ferris: [Well, guess we should purrobably look at that arm of yours, Bastian. Lady Crusch vouches for you all, and she knows what she’s talking about.]

Bastian: [Mentioned she had an “ear for the truth.”]

Crusch: [That’s not entirely accurate. It’s my Divine Protection of Wind Indication that helps me sort fact from fiction.]

Ferris: [Yeah! It’d be purretty difficult to fool her!]

Subaru didn’t even dare to comment, for fear of outing himself. He had only just barely navigated his “discussion” with Crusch, wherein fragments of truth from disparate loops had been patched together to form a cohesive alibi. Ferris’ comment did make him feel guilty for pulling the wool over his semi-ally.

Ferris: [Hey, since I’m already going to be tending to your friend, should I take a look at your gate while I’m at it?]

Ferris only made this suggestion in jest. He was merely offering another jab at Subaru, who had last been here healing his gate after pushing it to the brink while dealing with the wolgarm near Irlam Village. Subaru could only frown at the obviousness of it. He was tired of the taunts.

Crusch: [That would be a good idea. That’s very proactive and generous of you, Ferris.]

Crusch failed to pick up on this obvious mockery, viewing it as an inspired olive branch from her knight to someone she seemed to want to court to her faction, if her mention of a deal had been any indicator. No doubt she had conferred with her knight about this very matter prior to his arrival, maybe even upon learning of his continued existence. Ferris sighed at his candidate’s circumstantial naivete, though he also was glad not to be scolded again.

Her knight was one of the few blind spots in her keen sense of the truth. Subaru recalled how in the first meeting of the Royal Selection, Crusch had confidently declared that they had gathered for a drinking party, a jest passed onto her by her knight. Subaru began to wonder if perhaps framing statements as jokes could act as a loophole for Crusch’s Divine Protection, but then realized nothing he wanted to apply this potential exploit to would work particularly well in a comedic setting. He also felt guilty for trying to find ways to lie to people, especially someone who was now offering to help a good friend of his. Of course, he still wished she had helped him far earlier. This thorn, along with several others, wouldn’t be dislodged from his mind so easily.

Ferris: [Right this way, Bastian. Let’s heal that arm of yours. Hm… and your insides. Geez, how are you standing?]

Subaru: [… it’s that bad?]

Subaru recalled how Bastian had been bleeding out of his eyes and spitting up blood back at the Witch’s Graveyard. The enchantment it possessed had done a number on him, only mitigated by his partial immortality granted to him by the grace of the Great Spirit Odglass. His arm was equally concerning, seeing as it was his sword arm. His insides posed the greater threat to him in the long run, though.

Bastian: [Can’t feel pain. That helps.]

Ferris: [In a situation like this, that actually hampers more than it helps! Pain is your body’s way of saying something’s wrong, you knyow!]

Ferris was quick to lecture the lackadaisical swordsman, who continued to stare blankly at the Blue. The healer took his job very seriously, whereas Bastian was utterly unfazed.

Ferris: [Geez… you and Subaru must be cut from the same cloth. Follow me to your room. We’ll begin immediately.]

Bastian: [Oh. Thanks.]

Monotone and somewhat airy, he offered his gratitude to the one who would be healing him. Ferris was somewhat unnerved by someone who could casually bear wounds like a mangled arm and pervasive hemorrhaging. The two began walking away in the direction of the room Subaru had once stayed in while he had been a patient in Ferris’ care. Before leaving them entirely, Ferris paused, pensively and playfully touching a finger to his mouth.

Ferris: [Still… blocking pain is undeniably something most would want, huh? It’s pawfully convenient. I bet Subaru would’ve loved to have had it when he had been here last.]

Crusch: [Ferris.]

Ferris: [Eep!]

Crusch’s curt reprimand lacked detail, but Ferris didn’t need any to know what he had done wrong. Bastian appeared confused, lacking the full context of what had brought Subaru into the Crusch Camp’s care way back when. As far as he knew, he had only been there for his strained gate, something which wouldn’t start to hurt until it was already too late.

Ferris made no apology this time, hastily ducking out as he grabbed Bastian by his good arm and dragged him to a room to be cared for. This time he may have crossed a line that a mere verbal apology wouldn’t sufficiently cover. Crusch appeared exasperated. That evening had been busy, the sun having touched the horizon by this point.

As for Subaru himself, he knew precisely what Ferris had been hinting at. Once again, the Spirit Knight had been invoked, conjuring memories of a beatdown he would never forget. He winced instinctively. It was another thing he hadn’t really told any of his companions yet. There was a lot he would need to talk about.

Garfiel: [What a noise fer a knight’ta make…]

Crusch: [Much like how Bastian vouches for Subaru, I vouch for Ferris’ abilities. Do not underestimate my knight.]

Garfiel: [… can ‘e even fight, though?]

Crusch: [He doesn’t have to. He was accepted for his unparalleled healing ability.]

Subaru: [So, he’s like a combat medic? Field surgeon?]

Crusch: [More or less. Having someone like him was considered a benefit to the Royal Guard.]

Subaru: [Oh yeah, if something were to happen to the Royal Family, a talented healer would be nice to have in their personal guard, huh?]

Crusch: [… yes, it would.]

His logic had been sound, but it hadn’t quite landed well on the duchess’ ears. He lacked the context for why this seemed to bother her. Nevertheless, he didn’t want to hurt his hostess’ feelings.

Subaru: [Sorry, did I say something wrong?]

Crusch: [No, you’re fine. Please, excuse me.]

Subaru: [Oh, uh… sure.]

Crusch left the group gathered in the parlor next, leaving Subaru with Beatrice, Garfiel, Meili and Wilhelm. He really hoped he hadn’t inadvertently hurt her feelings. She had only just agreed to allow them to stay a while as Bastian received healing. He seriously didn’t want to risk burning any bridges, since he had only just began mending those he had left in disrepair.

Wilhelm: [Do not take it too personally. The Royal Family was of great import to Lady Crusch.]

Subaru: [Really? And I just casually made that remark, too…]

Garfiel: [Oi, ‘e jus’ said not’ta take it too personal-like, yeah?]

Subaru: [Guh!]

He received a hearty pat on the back from the newest member of his retinue. He seemed to have relaxed some after Crusch had announced that they were to be welcomed warmly.

Meili: [He takes everything like that on purpose. I think he’s a masochist…~]

Subaru: [What’s with you and accusing everyone of being masochists?! Honestly, little girls shouldn’t know about that kinda crap…]

Worn out, Subaru finally allowed himself to have a seat again. This time, there was no atmosphere to rob the act of sitting down of its relaxing effects. Beatrice sat on the same couch as him, immediately to his right. She was his right hand, after all. Garfiel remained standing. He had been standing all along, ready for any sudden movements.

Subaru: [You know you can sit down, right? We’re guests here, after all.]

Garifel: [S’fine. Sat all th’ way ‘ere, after all.]

Meili: [He’s just playing tough.]

Garifel: [Whaddya say, lil’ brat?!]

Subaru: [Garf, c’mon. That’s no way to talk to a kid. If you want their respect, respect them in kind.]

Meili: [Says the guy who let kids climb all over him in Irlam…]

Subaru: [… too soon, Meili.]

She had meant it as a light-hearted quip, only for it to pierce his heart effortlessly. Having put those very kids into the ground about a week ago, it stung for memories of his bright past to become juxtaposed with that miserable experience. Though it had been a healing experience, it wasn’t one he liked to dwell upon. He knew that dwelling on loss only impeded the completion of the mourning process.

Meili: [… sorry.]

It was just one word, spoken with only barely more than whisper, but it had caught both his and Garfiel’s attention. Neither of them had heard her say something like that in their time traveling together. This progress was almost enough to overshadow the damper on his mood she had just delivered unto him. Almost.

Wilhelm: [I must apologize as well, Subaru-dono.]

Subaru: [Huh? But you didn’t say anything.]

Wilhelm: [It is not about what I said, but rather what I had kept to myself. I must admit, I did not believe you had been capable of such a deed like slaying the Great Rabbit. I sincerely congratulate you and hope you will forgive me for having had my doubts.]

Subaru: [Well, thank you Wilhelm, but you have nothing to be sorry for. I’d done little up to this point not to warrant doubt up until this point…]

Wilhelm: [Lady Crusch will likely wish to get more specifics on how you performed the deed. I, too, would savor the opportunity.]

Wilhelm had a conflicted air about him. He seemed about as severe as he generally was, though he did seem grateful. Moreover, he seemed hopeful. The way he had added his own interest in hearing Subaru share all of the details of how he and his companions had slayed the Great Rabbit carried this sentiment. He was subtle about it, of course. He had never been one to be over-eager, though this was probably the closest he had ever been.

Subaru: [I’m thinking she will, too. She mentioned something about an offer to discuss later, though that’ll have to wait. I have plenty of people I need to make things up to. She’s thankfully been pretty understanding about that.]

Wilhelm: [An offer? Yes, of course. I cannot speak further on that matter, I am afraid. It is not my place to do so. To your point, she can be a very understanding lady.]

Subaru: [Is that so…?]

His mind was again pulled back into the past. He would scarcely describe his past dealings with Crusch as having been from a place of “understanding,” though that was a past lost to all but him. He wanted to hit himself for being unable to let go, unable to pry loose that thorn. He wanted to but knew it would look awfully odd with everyone around him.

Subaru: [Oh yeah, she had also mentioned something about the Sage Council likely rewarding us for our efforts. Anything you might know about that?]

Wilhelm: [I would not deign to claim to understand the minds of the Sages, though they are certain to reward you and your companions for your deed.]

Garfiel: [Eh? Not even a lil’ idea of what they’d offer?]

Subaru: [Garf, it’s fine if he doesn’t wanna speculate.]

He had to walk back his younger ally, trying to set a positive example by distancing himself from the desire for a reward. However, he would have been lying if he had said he wasn’t at all curious. He merely didn’t want to make himself come off as someone who was only out for fortune and glory. He was glad Crusch had left the room since she almost certainly would have seen right through him. He unwittingly looked in the direction she had moved, likely towards her own chambers.

Wilhelm: [Are you still worried about the duchess? How very kind of you, Subaru-dono. She was already due to retire as it was at this late hour.]

Subaru: [Really? So, she’s not hurt or anything?]

Wilhelm: [Certainly not. She is a woman of iron will. Anyone in the kingdom would tell you the same.]

Subaru: [I see…]

He felt faintly better about her departure knowing she was likely to have retired at the point regardless of how their conversation had concluded. Something about it clung to him regardless. It seemed he was terrible at letting go of most anything these days.

Wilhelm: [Regarding Garfiel’s question, I do have some idea of what sorts of honors may be conferred unto you for your efforts.]

Subaru: [… oh?]

He had only been snapped out of his melancholic fixation by the promise of some more specifics regarding what he could expect from the Sage Council. He figured he would need to meet with them at some point in the near future, though he wasn’t looking forward to returning to that throne room. Still, curiosity was a powerful force in him.

Wilhelm: [It is possible they may offer you a knighthood. People have been knighted for far lesser deeds. Similarly, they may offer you a lordship.]

Subaru: [… seriously?]

He didn’t know which possibility was more tantalizing. He recalled how in his Second Trial, he had been Emilia’s knight. Something about earning that title felt awfully poetic to him. It would certainly be something he could tell her proudly when he visited her grave next. Lordship also sounded enticing in its own way. At the very least, he wouldn’t be some nobody anymore. If such offers were potentially on the table, he would almost certainly be elevated to the status of a Hero. It did his heart good to know he was living up to his promise to Rem.

Beatrice: [Betty thinks either would suit you nicely, in fact.]

Subaru: [Beako… thanks.]

He had felt uneasy with how things had been left between them after their meeting with Crusch in her office. It seemed she still held a high opinion of her contractor, despite recently being caught in a lie. He patted her head as he expressed his gratitude. She simply couldn’t find any words to continue, though she did pout timidly.

He looked over at Meili, who had her gaze averted from the display. In truth, she was unused to being part of such a friendly, affectionate outfit. She eyed her Reinhard plush as she reflected on this.

Subaru: [Don’t worry, I got pats for you, too.]

Meili: [H-Huh?! Knock it offfffff!~]

He began patting the two in unison. He loved the idea of having two little sisters to dote upon. He hadn’t had any siblings back home. Having an opportunity to be a role model was something he relished in.

Garfiel looked on nonplussed. He wouldn’t be the only one taken aback by the display.

Ferris: [What, have you become some sort of lolimancer in your time away?]

Subaru: [Eh?]

He had been caught off guard by Ferris unexpected return. He looked to Ferris, then he looked down at the heads he was patting. Both Beatrice and Meili appeared rather displeased all of the sudden, having become accessories to a joke.

Subaru: [Oh c’mon, it’s a harmless headpat!]

Garfiel: [Jus’ don’t let it become a habit, boss…]

Subaru: [Et tu, Garf?!]

Garfiel: [Hah? Yer head busted from ‘barrassment, boss? Yer not makin’ sense all’a th’ sudden.]

Subaru thought he was one to talk about not understanding what the other was saying. In fairness to Garfiel, if Latin had been a dead language in Subaru’s world, it was a nonexistent language here.

Subaru: [What are you doing back so quickly, anyway?! Thought you were healing Bastian up.]

Ferris: [His arm is on the mend as we speak. It was wrenched pretty badly. I’m nyot sure what happened to make it like that, though I’m even more confused by what I’ve sensed within him. All of that internal bleeding… he should have died a while ago, honestly.]

Subaru: [Yeah, well… he’s a tough guy.]

Ferris: [I guess so! Tough though he may be, he’ll need at least another day or so to be good to go. It’s kind of late, so we can save checking in on your gate tomorrow, m’kay?]

Subaru: [Yeah, sure. That’s fine by me. Thank you for healing him, Ferris. It means a lot, really.]

Ferris: [Lady Crusch dropped by earlier to check in on our progress. She said you seem awfully indebted to Bastian.]

Subaru: [That’s… pretty accurate, yeah.]

Ferris: [He said he’s pretty indebted to you, too.]

Subaru: [… he did?]

Ferris: [Yeah, not sure what he’s getting at. Lady Crusch didn’t sense any trace of a lie on his breath, so he must mean it. I may have given mew a lot of grief today, but I’ll admit this: you’re pretty good at attracting people to you.]

Subaru: [Don’t phrase it in such a weird way! Honestly, even when you’re trying to compliment me, it’s just a smokescreen for further teases and taunts…]

Wilhelm: [Much like with Lady Crusch, try not to take it too personally, Subaru-dono. It is simply Ferris’ way.]

Ferris’ ears perked up hearing mention of some prior perceived slight on Subaru’s part, likely because Crusch’s name had been attached to it.

Ferris: [Oh? Did Lady Crusch say something mean to you, Subaru?]

Subaru: [No… I made a foolish remark about the Royal Family earlier is all.]

Ferris: [… is that so.]

Ferris dropped his typical cheerful tone upon hearing Subaru elaborate. It seemed he, too, ascribed a deep personal significance to the Royal Family, who had been wiped out by a mysterious illness over half a year ago.

Wilhelm: [Ferris, he did not say anything insulting towards them.]

Ferris: [He didn’t? Then what exactly did he say?]

Ferris locked eyes on Subaru, as though to demand an explanation from his mouth directly. It set him on edge. His nerves were getting frayed from all of these touch and go moments.

Subaru: [I said it made sense that you would be accepted into the Royal Guard for your healing abilities, since it could be good to have that on hand just in case. I hadn’t known how you entered the Royal Guard before now. I’m sorry.]

Ferris: […]

Such an innocuous observation had cut deeply into both Crusch and Ferris. There was clearly something he was missing here, much like with the reason behind Ferris’ crossdressing. It was as Bastian had suggested upon their arrival: there was likely a story there wasn’t for them to know. All he could do was bow his head as he apologized just in case it really had been a grave slight of some sort. Ferris’ speechlessness hinted towards this being the case.

Ferris: [… yeah, guess it would be nice to have… if it had helped.]

Wilhelm: [Ferris…]

Ferris: [It’s fine, Old Man Wil. He doesn’t know. How could he?]

Ferris turned around to return towards the stairs, presumably to retire to his chambers. Subaru felt bad for making the same slip twice in the same evening. He didn’t like leaving things like this, even though Ferris had been difficult to meet again.

Subaru: [You’re helping now, you know. You’re helping my friend. I wouldn’t be here, were it not for him. I know I said once already, but… thank you. Your talents are appreciated.]

He wanted to try and convey that Ferris’ healing magic still had value despite his apparent failure in the relatively recent past. Being someone who had also been faced by his own past failings, he knew the burden of guilt better than most.

Ferris: [… I’ll do what I can for him, Subaru.]

He didn’t turn to face Subaru as he had been implored to bear in mind the beneficence of his magical prowess. With a softly self-denigrating final word, he took his leave. Subaru was made crestfallen by this development but was comforted by a pat on his back.

Wilhelm: [Fear not, Subaru-dono. If the Blue will do what he can for your friend, he will be healed in totality in a matter of days.]

Subaru: [It isn’t that that I’m really fretting over, though it’s good to have some reassurance on that. I just can’t seem to stop saying stupid things lately…]

First, he had been caught in a lie with Beatrice. Now, he had made the same mistake twice with two separate people. He thought he was supposed to be able to enjoy the fruits of his recent success, but thus far, things hadn’t gotten much easier. It was difficult to keep his good fortune in perspective. He was no longer trapped in a city and was able to pursue the next leg of his quest for redemption. These were undeniably good outcomes. The little thorns along the way were what harassed him, making matters feel less fortunate than they really were.

Wilhelm: [It is late. Shall I escort you all to your chambers for the night?]

Subaru: [Yeah, that’d be good.]

With this, Subaru and his companions followed Wilhelm in the direction Crusch, Ferris and Bastian had gone earlier. He felt somewhat off as he headed off to bed. He hoped Ferris did well by Bastian as he had promised, and that he wouldn’t lose heart in light of that innocuous comment. He hoped Ferris wouldn’t try anything on his friend, recalling how Rem had undone some sort of trickery on the healer’s part way back when.

He hoped Wilhelm was correct in his assessment of Crusch’s resilience. His situation was incredibly tenuous as it was, and he wanted to continue repairing the bridges he had previously left to rust and rot.

He hoped Beatrice had truly forgiven him, and that he would be able to balance the truth more deftly in the future. As much as he wanted her to know everything as he did, he couldn’t be too careful in keeping that knowledge close to his chest. The one time he had let someone know about his Return By Death and it hadn’t hurt him, it had hurt someone else, the one he had held dearest of all. He would hate himself eternally if this happened to his stalwart partner.

He hoped Bastian really would be his usual self again in a day or so. With his sword arm in dispose, it meant they weren’t operating at maximum capacity in terms of offensive and defensive capabilities. Granted, Beatrice and Garfiel were plenty, and even Meili could prove useful, should witch beasts enter the equation. Given the role the taciturn swordsman had played in defeating Petelgeuse, Elsa, the Great Rabbit, and Clind, however, they would be undoubtedly better off with him mended. Strategic considerations aside, the man was a close friend of his now, and like with all of his friends, he wanted to do right by him.

He hoped Garfiel wouldn’t catch onto the fact that he, too, had ran away. So far, pure dumb luck had shielded him from this outcome. He hypothesized nothing good could come from the young man learning this truth. Echoes of his Third Trial stuck with him, yet more thorns.

Hope. He hoped for so very much.

Chapter Text

With everything cleared up between their two parties, Subaru and his companions had been escorted to their respective chambers for the evening. Beatrice stayed with Meili as she had back in the Miload townhouse, preempting Subaru’s request to do so. Garfiel was made to stay in the next room over from the one Bastian was laid up in, just in case. Subaru still recalled a failed loop wherein Ferris had tried something underhanded on him during his own stay of healing. If Rem hadn’t been there, he didn’t know what fate he would have met. He wanted to ensure his companions similarly had someone watching their back.

Thoughts of Rem aside, he was kept up that night. He had a lot bearing down on his mind as of late, and his mind was ill-equipped to process it all alone. All of his prior hopes were swirling within, being more of worries than hopes. It was the anxiety of desperate want that kept him up this night. Ordinarily it was his regrets that kept him up at night, so this was a bizarrely welcome change of pace. It was as though he had escaped a cruel prison and was afraid he would be recaptured.

Subaru: [… I don’t think laying here will do me any good…]

With an exhausted sigh, Subaru decided to get out of bed. It must have been nearly midnight. He worried about wandering beyond his chambers, thinking it might make him appear suspect after having just dispelled his hostess’ suspicions mere hours earlier. At the same time, there wasn’t anything with which to occupy himself within his chambers.

Subaru: [Maybe a walk wouldn’t hurt? Besides, it’s not like I’m with some rival camp anymore. What reason would they have to suspect me at this point?]

Thoughts of Rem had flowed seamlessly into thoughts of the now-defunct Emilia Camp. His face formed a fatigued frown as he sighed once more. This circular mournfulness had been all too common since his return. Even after laying his loved ones to rest, he still found these heavy feelings coming back to him in his quieter moments, whenever there weren’t people around him to keep him distracted.

Wishing to push out such intrusive thoughts, he left his chambers in the hopes that a walk would clear his mind at least somewhat. His memory of the Karsten mansion’s layout was hazy, and he wound up wandering as a result. He haplessly found his way to a terraced room that felt awfully familiar.

Subaru: [… oh yeah. She brought me here once.]

It was a room with a table by windows overlooking the Capital. In a failed loop, Crusch had brought him to this very room, offering him a glass of whiskey. He had declined the whiskey, not being of age to partake in alcohol back in his homeland. She had seemed more approachable during that moment, broaching personal topics like the increased frequency of her receiving marriage proposals. They had been interrupted by Ferris back then, though being all alone at the moment, he somehow doubted this would happen again in such a radically different loop.

It had been warmer back then, too, the windows opened to let in the cool night breeze. The windows were shut closed this time, sealing in the warmth of the mansion. He could still see the lights of the city in the distance, twinkling softly. In the sky above, he saw the moon, not quite full, glowing white as the snow he had been trudging through for far too long.

Subaru: [I never really thought about it, but… it seems so much like the one back home. Guess the cratering’s a bit off, though.]

Home. He hadn’t thought about home in ages. Something about recalling the grounds upon which he refused to drink alcohol and the passing similarity of this world’s moon took his mind there. He was ashamed that he had neglected to consider how his parents were doing, that same frown from before returning to his face.

Subaru: [What would they want me to do? Mom… dad… Emilia… Rem…]

Reflecting upon people he was now irrevocably separated from made him think of others he was similarly unable to ever see again. He reflected on what it is they would want for him in this world. He knew what it was he felt he should do, setting things right with those who yet lived that he had left behind. More than anything, he wanted to grant Emilia’s greatest wish, something that would require more than what he had at this current juncture.

Subaru: [I really am gonna have to get involved in this Royal Selection business all over again, huh? At least I have hindsight to help me out this time…]

He reflected on how much he had learned from his past failings as a party involved with the Royal selection. At the very least he had a better grasp of the kingdom’s institutions and where he stood within them. He knew the importance of promises within these lands, or perhaps they were always more important than he had consciously considered. He knew that people in the world of politics always had an angle they were working, and that self-interest was always something that needed to be kept in mind. The more he thought about returning to this competition, the more weary he felt.

???: [Oh, you’re up.]

Subaru: [Huh? Oh, it’s you, Crusch. Sorry.]

Standing by the sideboard in this terraced room was the duchess herself. She had changed out of her militaristic attire, now wearing a black nightgown accented with a red ribbon. She had a stemmed glass in one hand and a decanter in the other, pouring herself a libation. It must have been a relatively routine ritual of the duchess’, otherwise he couldn’t imagine how it was he had found himself in such a startling similar situation as one that had originally taken place months ago.

Subaru: [Huh… déjà vu.]

Crusch: [Pardon? I’m unfamiliar with that expression…]

She raised an eyebrow at this phrase she had never heard before. Of course, even if he could explain it to her, it wouldn’t make sense contextually. From her perspective, this was the first time any such meeting had happened between them. Of course, he couldn’t just skirt right past it anymore, nor could he lie about what it really meant without being easily caught.

He then figured he might be overthinking things just a bit. After all, some trust had been regained recently. Lying now would only damage his gains. In the interest of making things right, he decided to try being straightforward for a change.

Subaru: [Ah, it’s just a saying from where I’m from. Means something along the lines of “huh, this feels familiar.”]

Crusch: [Odd. What makes you feel that way?]

Subaru: [Well, “déjà vu” is a subconscious phenomenon.]

Figuring Crusch’s Divine Protection of Wind Indication could only detect falsehoods if “wind” were put forth in the first place, he decided to try a lie of omission instead. He left his description of the phenomenon as simple as possible, without any further elaboration.

Fortunately, this much seemed to work, at least in this instance.

Crusch: [Oh, I see. Perhaps you’re confusing this situation for one very similar to it, then.]

Subaru: [It’s possible!]

He responded with just the right measure of enthusiasm, seeing as she had taken an interest in this “saying from where he was from.” He had been careful not to over sell it, as it would blow his cover right away. He then decided he needed to change the subject as quickly as possible, but without it being obvious.

Subaru: [Is that whiskey?]

He pointed to the decanter in her hand. It was filled with an amber liquid, one he imagined would burn a lot going down. He already knew it would, actually, as he knew perfectly well it contained whiskey.

Crusch: [Yes. Just a little something to take the edge off. Would you care for some? I could get you a glass.]

His hand twitched. He almost wanted to take her up on this offer this go around. “Taking the edge off” sounded awfully tempting. His nerves had been terribly frayed for a while due to his lean living in Gusteko and his worries pertaining to failure. However, he knew this would likely be a slippery slope for someone of his disposition.

Subaru: [Ah, no. I, uh… I shouldn’t. Got a lot to consider right now, yeah? I don’t wanna impair myself.]

She squinted her eyes for a moment, seeming to size him up. She then softly smiled. Evidently she had found enough truth on his “wind” to determine he was in the clear. He was privately relieved that she hadn’t judged his statement as being dodgy.

He hadn’t intended on reliving this moment, even if the details were drastically different compared to the original occasion. Some of the broad strokes were retained, but some significant changes had occurred that would prevent this moment from playing out perfectly identically. For one, in that failed loop, her mention of marriage proposals had frightened Subaru, making him worry about people pursuing Emilia’s hand. Crusch had assuaged this concern by mentioning that candidates were forbidden from marrying during the Royal Selection, to mitigate the possibility of factional disputes.

That would be no concern here, for painfully obvious reasons.

Crusch: [It’s rather mature of you to decide to keep a clear head. I hadn’t thought you would be considering my offer so soon. It is best to avoid impairment when deliberating such matters.]

Subaru: [Yeah, well… I think you would be too noble to try and ply me with drink like that.]

He truly believed that she hadn’t even considered using alcohol as a means of making him more malleable. He had only ever known her to be forthwith, not one to rely on subterfuge or underhanded means to get what she wanted.

???: [Awwww, and you were so close too, Lady Crusch!]

Crusch: [Ferris… I wondered why you were lingering behind me. That’s enough, now.]

Sure enough, it was the duchess’ knight, Ferris, behaving as mischievously as usual. This time, it seemed he was teasing his mistress rather than Subaru himself, for which he was quietly grateful. By this point, the limits of his tolerance had been tested quite thoroughly. Why Ferris was teasing Crusch wasn’t readily obvious to him, though.

Ferris began to laugh as he started to take his leave, though not before turning around for one last word.

Ferris: [Mew better not trying anything, you hear? Lady Crusch can really handle her liquor, you know!]

Subaru: [What do you think I am, an idiot?! No, wait, don’t answer that. I don’t wanna know your answer.]

Ferris continued smiling impishly as he took his leave, only after receiving a look of disapproval from the duchess. Both Subaru and Crusch sighed, both rather exasperated with the knight’s behavior that day.

Crusch: [Would you care for a glass of water, then?]

Subaru: [… sure.]

It was really beginning to feel all to familiar to him. He had similarly been offered water when he had previously declined a glass of whiskey, and Ferris had also interrupted with a barb of apparent jealousy, or perhaps it was overprotectiveness. Subaru found it hard to tell, though he did know that the order of events were still off relative to that first instance.

As he ruminated on this vaguely relived moment he had found himself in, Crusch poured some water from a carafe that had been on a nearby sideboard, right next to the decanter of whiskey she had grabbed earlier. He had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn’t even heard her do so before.

Atop the table he was sitting at was a bucket of perfectly clear ice with steel tongs resting within it. He wondered how it was prevented from melting, supposing it perhaps had some mana crystals in the bottom, or that it might be some sort of metia. Refrigeration wasn’t exactly a commonality in this world, as far as he knew, though it certainly seemed like a luxury a duchess could afford. Using the tongs, she plopped a sphere of ice into both of their stemmed glasses.

Crusch: [Ah, but perhaps you don’t want ice in your drink…]

Crusch gazed out the window as she caught herself just too late to ask Subaru for his preference. There was a notable frost silhouetting the window, though not as severe as the largely frozen over cottages back in Irlam. No doubt she thought that an icy beverage likely wouldn’t be welcomed with such weather lingering around the area. Subaru smiled politely, accepting the glass from her hand.

Subaru: [Nah, it’s fine. Thanks.]

He took a sip of the ice-cold water. It was refreshing. His throat had been rather dry earlier as he had been hopelessly lying in bed. Crusch herself took a sip of her whiskey, seeming to savor it. He wasn’t sure how anyone could really enjoy such things, chalking it up to it being an acquired taste.

Crusch: [So, you’re already considering reentering the Royal Selection? I overheard you thinking aloud at the window earlier.]

Subaru: [Oh… yeah. It’s probably the only way I can do what I want… no, what I need to do.]

Crusch was made extra attentive by his self-correction, her hands barely touching her glass as it sat on the table they were sharing.

Crusch: [Would it be too much of an imposition for me to ask what that might be?]

Subaru: [… I wanna grant Emilia’s wish, what she had said that day… you know.]

Crusch: [That day… you mean during the first meeting of the Royal Selection?]

Subaru: [Yeah…]

Crusch: [Forgive me. That must not be an easy memory for you to return to.]

Subaru: [It’s not like it doesn’t pop up announced in my head at random intervals anyway. Don’t worry about it.]

Crusch: [Do you often have such intrusive thoughts?]

Subaru: […]

Crusch: [Forgive me. I didn’t mean to pry.]

Subaru: [It’s fine.]

He half-heartedly attempted to assuage the apologetic duchess’ concern as he continued sipping his water. He figured she was being so mindful due to the offer she had for him, something she wanted him to accept. He figured it could also just be part of her, with such manners being drilled into the nobility from an early age, though whether they adhered to them or not seemed like another matter to him. For her part, he thought she was one of the better nobles he had encountered.

His face was reflected upon his beverage’s surface. He looked rough, though maybe not as rough as he had during his days in Gusteko. Life certainly wasn’t getting any less stressful for him, though. Rather, instead of any qualitative changes in either direction, change seemed to come to him laterally. Magnitude remained the same, but the exact nature of his stressors differed.

Crusch: [Reentering the Royal Selection would necessarily mean backing a candidate. I know you said you preferred to discuss my offer another time, and I wish to respect that.]

Subaru: [Which is why you’re surprised I’m already thinking about it?]

Crusch: [Yes.]

Subaru: [Better sooner than later. I need to talk it over with my friends more first, though. Decisions like this should probably not be made in vacuum.]

Crusch: [That’s quite wise, Subaru. Wisdom like that is precisely why I wish to extend an offer to you.]

Subaru: [Heh, I appreciate the compliment, but flattery will get you nowhere, Crusch.]

The duchess chuckled at his retort. He didn’t believe she was truly trying to advance their discussion on her offer, but he wasn’t about to let anyone else run roughshod over him now. He couched his deflection in humor, his tone seasoned with just the right amount of snark to sell this without coming off as painfully arrogant or needlessly defensive.

Crusch: [Careful now, Subaru. You’re almost making it sound as though I’m attempting to woo you.]

Subaru’s face became flushed as he swiftly began gulping down water to calm his nerves. He chugged the whole glass, exhaling with exaggerated satisfaction upon emptying it.

Subaru: [Gee, that’s some good water! Could I pour myself another?]

Crusch stared at him curiously and somewhat amused, as though to wordlessly ask “are you alright?” She then nodded quietly, taking another sip of her whiskey. She was beginning to get rosy in the cheeks. Subaru was beginning to wonder if what Ferris had said about the duchess’ tolerance was really true, though he did privately suppose she was remaining decently composed. It was a far cry from Emilia, who definitely hadn’t handled her alcohol very well during their snow celebration way back when.

He found himself biting the inside of his cheeks as he walked over to the sideboard for the carafe of water. He hated how easily his mind leapt from seemingly unrelated topics back to Emilia and other loved ones he had lost. He also felt ashamed of himself for having such a flustered response come to him so naturally around someone other than Emilia or Rem. Was this okay? It sure didn’t feel okay. His stomach began knotting inside of him, the guilt coalescing into a dense, white hot ball as it slowly grew. Truthfully, that ball had been there for some time now, though its density and unbearable heat ebbed and flowed.

Pouring himself another glass of water, he felt he needed to fill the silence between himself and his hostess. He didn’t like silence at times like this, his mind wistfully wandering.

Subaru: [So… any word on Bastian’s condition? Ferris told me you checked in on him earlier.]

Crusch: [Per Ferris, he is healing remarkably well. If his last estimate holds true, your friend should be fully healed after tomorrow morning’s healing session.]

Subaru: [I see… good.]

He was relieved to hear such good news. It also helped that turning his attention to the well-being of his comrades distracted him from his melancholic reminiscences.

Subaru: [Is he in any state to talk? Ah, wait, Ferris mentioned you’d talked with him, too…]

Crusch: [Yes, I did. He seems awfully indebted to you.]

Subaru: [Yeah, Ferris had mentioned that, too…]

Crusch: [Do you doubt this is the case?]

Subaru: [I dunno if I doubt it necessarily, but… it confuses me. It feels like the guy’s been carrying me this whole time, going out of his way to help me, often to his own deficit.]

Crusch: [Funny. Emilia had said something similar to me about you when you were first brought here.]

Subaru: […]

Crusch: [… forgive me. I shouldn’t have brought that up.]

Subaru: [No, no… I… I shouldn’t have brought up the Royal Family earlier, either.]

Crusch: [… you couldn’t have known. Even still, don’t worry about it. What’s passed has passed. There’s no sense in dwelling.]

Subaru: [You sound like Bastian right now…]

As he compared Crusch’s words to those Bastian had once said, he couldn’t help but pick up on some tension within the duchess. It felt like she were holding something back, like something within her festered. Her hesitancy to respond to his own contrition had clued him in.

Subaru: [That guy taught me how to mourn. I’d never lost anyone before, you know. Never even been to a funeral. Without his guidance, his help in beginning to process… all of this, I… well, I’d probably still be in Gusteko, miserable as all hell.]

He stared pensively at the ice beginning to crack in his glass as the words flowed out of him seamlessly. Crusch was the first person beyond his companions he had told of his flight to Gusteko. It as becoming easier to talk about now that she had already basically interrogated him hours ago. It was making for decent practice, which he would need considering the Crusch Camp was just his first stop on his tour of amends.

Crusch: [Sounds like you’re both indebted to each other, then. It’s good for you to have a friend like him. Perhaps it’s good for him to have a friend like you, too.]

Subaru looked up from his glass to meet Crusch’s gaze, dumbstruck. He was struggling to believe anyone would need or even want a friend like himself. He looked back to his glass, lost in a reverie.

Subaru: [… you have no idea how good of a friend he’s been to me. Before he even knew me, he saved my life. Bandits had me right where they wanted me, isolated in the frigid forests of Gusteko’s hinterlands. I actually was afraid he’d kill me, too. He acted that swiftly. Instead, though, he helped me back on my feet… literally back then.]

He looked up from his glass once more, a soft, spent smile forming on his lips.

Subaru: [Thanks again for everything, Crusch. I promise I’ll hear you out, just as soon as I’m done making things up to the others I left behind… and deal with some other stuff, too.]

Crusch: [“Some other stuff” better not be referring to an audience with the Sage Council. It’s a solemn occasion, you know.]

Subaru: [I know, I know… I’ll be sure not to take it too lightly…]

He was dreading the idea of returning to the Royal Palace. It had become such a dreadfully unpleasant place to him in such a short amount of time. He doubted time away from it had made him any less averse.

Crusch: [It seems we’re done with our drinks.]

Subaru: [Yeah… guess I’ll be turning in… I might pop in and see how Bastian’s doing.]

Crusch: [He needs his rest. You clearly do, as well.]

He did still appear quite rough. His clothes, which had once been rather high-end, were beginning to become threadbare in places, and he himself looked no less weathered. His eyes still had bags under them, as sleep was something that continued to elude him. His sleep had been improving somewhat since he had formed his contract with Beatrice, though. He at least was able to catch some winks now, as opposed to the nights of constant cognitive intrusions.

Subaru: [I don’t plan on talking to him or anything. Just peeking in, is all.]

Crusch grinned at Subaru’s earnest concern for his comrade. It called back to her prior mention of having similar care for her own comrades, having said she, too, wanted to “deliver for her comrades.” He wondered what exactly it was she was wanting to deliver upon. Was it winning the throne, or was it something more unique to her comrades on an individual level? There wasn’t enough information for him to discern this, and he wasn’t about to pry.

Without another word, they parted ways for the evening. He continued processing the bizarreness of the moment he had vaguely relived, until he was intercepted while on his way to Bastian’s room.

???: [Unable to sleep, I suppose?]

Subaru: [Beako… yeah. Grabbed a glass of water… well, two glasses of water. What about you?]

Beatrice seemed somewhat skittish. No doubt the foreign environment and being surrounded by strangers had her on edge. On top of that –

Beatrice: [Betty could sense you had left your room, in fact.]

Subaru: [Oh… yeah, sorry. I was just talking with Crusch some. Apparently she’s a bit of a night owl.]

Beatrice: [I see…]

Subaru: [Hey, Beako, listen… about earlier…]

Beatrice: [We already apologized, did we not?]

Subaru: [Well, yeah, but… it still bothers me.]

Beatrice: [It’s alright, I suppose. Betty thinks she has pieced it together.]

Subaru: [O-Oh?]

Subaru’s heart jumped into his throat. He realized his partner was rather intelligent, having lived in a library for over 400 years and having had Echidna as her mother. However, he had hoped the nature of his Return By Death would be obscure enough for even her not to be able to figure it out, lest she break that Taboo and cause something terrible to happen. He still hadn’t figured out the limits of the Taboo, what it could do and who it could hurt. It was something he was fine not testing the limits of, if not because it meant bringing harm onto himself, then because it could bring harm unto others. He didn’t know how Roswaal had managed to get as close as he had to figuring him out, though he strongly suspected his Tome of Wisdom had played a role in that.

He really wanted to cut her off there, to stop her from saying another word on the matter. Such avoidance had become nonnegotiable at this juncture, unfortunately. It was a topic that, once broached, refused to return to a resting state.

Beatrice: [Betty wasn’t sure what Roswaal had been talking about, “resetting the world.” Betty thought he had lost his mind, in fact. Learning he had been subsuming the bodies of his descendants for hundreds of years only furthered that hypothesis, I suppose. However, hearing what you had to say in that duchess’ office, Betty believes Roswaal had been correct after all. He did have one of Mother’s books, after all.]

Subaru: [Yeah, guess he did… shit, do you think that book got confiscated by the authorities?]

Beatrice: [Possibly, though Betty doubts they have the keen minds to read it, I suppose.]

Subaru: [Is that how it works…?]

As Subaru had deftly shifted the topic of conversation, he was silently allayed that Beatrice had found an answer that satisfied her without it being the truth. It reminded him of how she had done similarly in his Second Trial back in the Witch’s Graveyard. Such self-sufficiency, coupled with the opacity surrounding his own circumstances, were saving graces for him.

Beatrice: [Betty understands that you technically didn’t lie, I suppose. It was merely an inconsistency born of this anomalous ability of yours. Betty ordinarily would wonder why you hadn’t already invoked this ability as Roswaal had been demanding, but knowing it requires some degree of pain, said pain must be truly unbearable for you to have used it. Betty also supposes you may not have control over this anomalous ability, or that it could be something no one could control. It could be a force outside of anyone’s control, in fact. As such, Betty doesn’t blame you for not trying to use it.]

Subaru: [… thank you, Beako.]

He was surprised how much closer to the truth Beatrice had managed to get relative to Roswaal without the aid of a Tome of Wisdom, all while still managing to avoid it entirely. Of course, her explanation seemed to attempt to exonerate him, something she seemed keen on any time she and Bastian had argued over Subaru’s level of blameworthiness. He was pleased to have someone so unshakably in his corner, but it also twisted a gnarled screw into his heart. While his Return By Death did require at least some pain to activate, it wasn’t the pain itself preventing him from utilizing it. Furthermore, while he lacked perfect understanding of it, he had learned enough about it to consciously use it, betraying Beatrice’s supposition that he couldn’t control it for some reason or another.

Beatrice: [Betty will continue to monitor you, in fact. Along with this Sloth Witch Factor you’ve taken into yourself, this anomalous ability seems like something worthy of observation, for your sake.]

Subaru: [Thanks, Beako. That’s appreciated.]

He wasn’t sure how much he really meant those words of gratitude. He worried how far this observation would or even could go. For now, he was just happy the Taboo remained unbroken.

Subaru: [I was gonna pop my head into Bastian’s room to check in on him. Wanna tag along?]

Beatrice: [Betty’s not sure what all the fuss is about that swordsman, I suppose. He’s just fine.]

Subaru: [Beako, his arm was mangled and his insides warped. It makes me feel bad he did that on my account…]

Beatrice: [… Betty understands that much, at least. Fine, Betty will join you. Aren’t you concerned about leaving Meili unattended, though?]

Subaru: [Oh yeah… she’s currently alone in your shared room, huh? Let’s get her, too. That broken arm of his was actually more on her account than mine, anyway. Bet she feels at least sorta bad about that.]

Beatrice: [Betty thinks you might be overestimating her capacity for concern, I suppose…]

Beatrice gave a sidelong, skeptical glance to her contractor as they made their way to collect Meili. It seemed they would be having a group discussion tonight after all. Seeing as most everyone was going to be in one room, it only made sense.

Swinging by the room Beatrice and Meili shared, they found she had been asleep, clutching her new Reinhard plush preciously. He thought this was quite adorable but spared her the embarrassment of him calling attention to it. She was already disgruntled as it was, having been, as she put it, “so rudely awoken.”

Meili: [This better be good…]

Subaru: [We’re gonna check in on Bastian.]

Meili: [Shouldn’t he be sleeping? For that matter, shouldn’t you, too, big brother?]

Subaru: [“Big brother?”]

Meili: [Don’t make me repeat myself. Let’s just go, I guess.]

Meili reluctantly kicked off her blanket, hesitantly leaving behind her plush. Subaru found her attachment to her toy endearing, though it was starting to make him wonder as to why this was the case. He figured he could always get into that topic with her later, when she was more comfortable in their group.

The three made their way to the room Bastian was laid up. Meili seemed rather unwilling to be going at all, whereas Beatrice had made a complete 180 from earlier. She appeared to softly smile as she held her contractor’s hand, walking through the halls so late.

Opening the door revealed Bastian was already up, reading by candlelight. He supposed the swordsman also struggled with sleep himself, vaguely recalling him having said something to that effect before in their travels. He looked up as the entered the room, silently nodding to recognize their presence.

Subaru: [I was originally planning on checking in on you but figured we could all talk about our next move, since it seems like your healing will be done after tomorrow morning.]

Something about the sight was comforting. His companion didn’t seem hurt at all as he read the book in his possession, holding it up with his good hand. He had probably been told by Ferris to keep it in its sling for the time being, at least.

Then, something about the book caught his attention. It was a black tome that seemed oddly familiar. His eyes gradually widened as the realization of what his friend was holding came to him.

It was Roswaal’s Tome of Wisdom.

***

Subaru: [Bastian! What are you doing with that?!]

In a hushed tone, Subaru demanded to know why his companion was reading the Tome of Wisdom. It was likely contraband, perhaps even evidence of the ex-margrave’s crimes. He hadn’t even noticed that the book had been removed from Annerose’s office back in the Miload townhouse. Thinking back on it, he also hadn’t noticed when Bastian had removed Petelgeuse’s Gospel from his frozen corpse.

Subaru: [What, do you have a penchant for taking books that no one should reasonably have?!]

Bastian: [Was curious.]

Subaru: [That’s your excuse?!]

Bastian kept flicking through the book as Subaru continued to express how troubled this made him. Best case scenario, he felt the book was better left in the possession of the authorities, seeing as it had been the accessory of a 400-year conspiracy. Worst case scenario, he believed the book deserved to be burned.

Bastian: [… the pages… they’re blank.]

Subaru: [Huh?!]

He hesitated to check if this were true. Something about the schemes Roswaal had been coaxing from its pages made him trepidatious to confirm his comrade’s assessment. Furthermore, he was worried about what Beatrice had mentioned about the book prior to gathering Meili.

Subaru: [… Beako. You mentioned something earlier about the authorities likely not having the “keen minds” needed to read the Tome of Wisdom.]

Beatrice: [Yes, that’s right, in fact. Most people don’t.]

Subaru: [What would happen to such a person were they to try? Would the pages just be blank?]

Beatrice: [No. Their minds would be scorched by the sheer volume of information attempting to flow into their mind, in fact.]

Subaru: [Bastian, close that damn thing!]

He was barely keeping his voice within the range of a whisper now. The moment felt too severe, yet he knew who was next door sleeping. If he could avoid any misunderstandings or undue conflicts, he would do so. With a blank stare, Bastian closed the Tome of Wisdom with his good hand, albeit at a slight delay relative to Subaru’s imploring.

Beatrice: [Betty can’t tell if his mind is still intact just by looking at him…]

Subaru: [Yeah, well… he’s always like that.]

Bastian: [Not true. Have smiled before.]

Subaru: [… okay, maybe he’s fine.]

Subaru was as perplexed as he was disconcerted. How long had the swordsman been trying to read it? How was he unaffected? What did this all mean?

Bastian laid the book on his nightstand, then returned his attention to Subaru. He looked at him expectantly, as though to say, “what is it?”

Subaru: [Look, we gotta turn that thing in when we get to the Capital, alright? We can’t keep that thing!]

Meili: [Would it be useful as evidence if the pages are blank, though?]

Beatrice: [Those pages are most assuredly not blank, in fact. It is merely how his mind perceived them. Those sages don’t need to read it, either. A mere description should suffice, I suppose. Though Betty must admit she finds this rather odd…]

Beatrice eyed Bastian curiously. The man seemed to be an aberration to her, having had neither of the outcomes she had thought possible from one reading the Tome of Wisdom. Either one was supposed to be able to read it or their mind was supposed to be reduced to ruin. Bastian exhibited neither outcome.

Bastian: [Why’re you here so late? Should get some sleep.]

Subaru: [Yeah, so everyone keeps telling me… not that they’re wrong. I’ve got too much on my mind to fall asleep right now. I originally wanted to see how you were doing, but since we’re all here, we may as well have a strategy meeting.]

Bastian: [Wish to discuss where we’re going next? Shouldn’t Garfiel be here for that?]

Subaru: [Actually, we’d already decided that, remember? I told him we’d be visiting Reinhard next. I’m not sure where the guy is, though. I’ve only ever seen him in the Capital, but who knows where he is these days…]

With everything that had happened in Lugunica in his absence, he somehow doubted everyone would be right where he left them. The Crusch Camp had been at least somewhat predictable in this regard, being the only camp he had visited before his departure. He had technically visited the Priscilla Camp, but that had been at a temporary lodging in the Capital specifically for the occasion of the first meeting of the Royal Selection rather than any permanent base of operations. The Felt Camp and Anastasia Camp’s whereabouts were similarly unknown to him.

Bastian: [Could probably ask Crusch or one of her subordinates. They might know.]

Subaru: [I might just have to. There’s also the matter of reporting to the Capital.]

Beatrice: [The duchess mentioned that we would need to meet with the Sage Council in our meeting earlier today.]

Beatrice stood confidently by her contractor, likely due to her rationalization of what had previously come off as Subaru being deceitful. Concerns had been settled, and their dynamic had stabilized.

Subaru: [Yeah, they’ll wanna know about Roswaal. He’d been the Court Mage and the lord of a whole domain, after all. There’s some major decisions they’ll likely be the ones to make. They’ll also wanna know about the Great Rabbit no longer being a problem, though it seems the messengers Garfiel sent out might get the ball rolling for us in that regard.]

Subaru was honestly very pleased with how readily Garfiel had lent him and his companions a hand, applauding his decision to send out messengers post haste upon their return to Costuul. It was this more than anything that made him want to make the Felt Camp their next stop, given his young friend’s desire to meet the Sword Saint.

Subaru: [Also… Crusch said she wants to discuss an offer for us. I said it’d have to wait, but… it feels like something that might dictate our direction for some time to come. Of course, that assumes we’re all a unit here…]

He looked around tentatively, trying to gauge the possibility of them remaining in his company potentially well into the future.

Beatrice: [Betty is contracted with you, in fact. There’s nowhere you go that Betty won’t follow.]

The petite spirit posed proudly as she made this sweeping declaration regarding her willingness to stick with Subaru. He knew he could count on her to do so. He supposed so long as he had Beatrice as an ally, he might just be okay.

Bastian: [Promised to help you make amends. Seems that would include helping you grant Emilia’s wish, no?]

Rooted in what felt like technicalities or perhaps a generous stretching of the admittedly vague parameters of their arrangement, the swordsman confirmed his willingness to remain. He smiled almost imperceptibly, a glint of the candlelight dancing in his void-like eyes.

Meili: [Well, I don’t exactly have anywhere better to go… I guess you guys will do.]

Bastian: [Rather stubborn, aren’t you?]

Beatrice & Meili: [You’re one to talk.]

The two were surprised to have responded to Bastian’s snide remark in unison, having similar outlooks on the swordsman. They looked at each other, not quite smiling, though there did seem to be a burgeoning mutual understanding. Was it possible these two had been bonding? Subaru wasn’t certain, but the possibility made him quite pleased.

Subaru: [Oof, shut down, Bastian!]

Bastian: [So it seems.]

All this left was Garfiel, the only one who wasn’t in attendance. Having driven them from Costuul to the Karsten Estate, he felt like he had earned the rest.

Subaru: [I won’t make Garf answer so soon. He may decide to stick with Reinhard after we meet him and his people, assuming they’re still looking for supporters for Felt. Frankly, she could use them…]

Thinking back to the first meeting of the Royal Selection, Subaru believed Felt had made quite a splash upon her being revealed to be the fifth candidate. Perhaps too violent of a splash, however, as the nobles and knights alike seemed to rather dislike her.

Bastian: [The way you’re talking… you’re really considering reentering the contest for the throne?]

Subaru: [Yeah… I’m gonna reserve my judgment until after I’ve finished making my amends, though. I need to find out who will be most compatible moving forward. A lot’s changed since I last saw these people.]

Bastian: [You considering all of the camps? Bit out of the loop regarding Lugunican politics, hate to say.]

Subaru: [Well, all but one. Somehow, I doubt I’d fare well working with the Priscilla Camp…]

Thinking back to his humiliating treatment at Prisicilla’s hands - or rather feet - in a failed loop, Subaru wasn’t in any rush to meet her again. His first impression of her had been no better than his last, as it had been due to her willingly sneaking him into the Royal Palace that a major misunderstanding had been created between him and Emilia. The baroness had claimed him to be her “appa handler,” a servant in her employ. It had cast doubts onto him, introducing the possibility that he was someone not to be trusted, either due to his inability to keep a promise or potentially something even worse like being a turncoat.

Moreover –

Subaru: [Her platform seemed practically diametrically opposed to anything Emilia would’ve wanted. She seemed to think this kingdom is destined to be her plaything. I want nothing to do with that.]

Beatrice: [That seems fair enough, I suppose.]

Bastian: [Sure. Is that all?]

Bastian pressed Subaru for more details, seeking a comprehensive answer to his original query. He supposed this conversation had been framed as a “strategy meeting.”

Subaru: [Well, I guess if I had to say who I’m leaning toward… the Felt Camp? Reinhard had been a good friend to me in the past and Felt and I went through some stuff a couple months before the contest began.]

Beatrice seemed to shrink behind Subaru as he uttered the Sword Saint’s name, just out of his view. It was something that briefly caught Bastian’s attention, but he just as quickly returned his focus to Subaru. He seemed like he wanted to say something about this “stuff” he and Felt had been through, knowing full well it likely referred to the events of the loot house one fateful night many months ago. He knew better than to say anything, though. Bringing up Elsa in relation to that event felt unavoidable, something he didn’t want to talk about for both his and Meili’s sakes.

Bastian: [Is that all? No other camps to consider?]

Subaru: [Well, Crusch may not be as bad as I’d thought, I guess. She seems pretty meritocratic in her leanings. Emilia wanted a more equal and equitable kingdom for all. Besides, Ferris, a demi-human, is her knight. That’s gotta count for something.]

Bastian: [So you’ll consider her offer when the time comes, then. Is that all?]

Subaru: [You keep saying that!]

Meili: [Well, there is one more you haven’t mentioned yet.~]

Subaru: [That’s…]

Subaru froze up. He didn’t want to seriously consider joining the Anastasia Camp. Her knight had undoubtedly played a major role in the events that had ultimately culminated in his flight, or at least, so it seemed from his own perspective. He knew Bastian would be unwilling to let this go. Among the concerns he had relayed to Bastian upon their first meeting, his duel with Julius had been among them, though he had tried to downplay it, opting instead to focus on the factors that had most directly contributed to the tragedy that had befallen the Emilia Camp and Irlam. The swordsman would be unlikely to ignore this, though. Having sworn that he would help Subaru make amends with those he had left behind meant everyone, including the Spirit Knight.

He was glad Garfiel was asleep in the other room. Of all the people present, he was the last person he wanted to learn of anything even tangentially related to his flight from Lugunica. His duel with Julius had been one of the moments prefacing that tragic chapter in his life.

Subaru: [… you mean Anastasia Hoshin, right? I didn’t really care for her platform when she presented it. She seemed to think the kingdom was her piggy bank.]

Bastian: [“Piggy bank?”]

The cartoonish term sounded absurd coming from the stoic swordsman. It didn’t draw any laughs, though. Beatrice and Meili were just as lost.

Subaru: [It’s a ceramic pig-shaped bank for coins. Uh… people from my village used to use them… sorta.]

Just about everyone raised an eyebrow at his strained explanation. He began to get agitated by their collective response. Before he could say something flippant or change the subject, though, Bastian beat him to the punch.

Bastian: [What did she say exactly that gave you that impression?]

Subaru: [She even said she wanted the kingdom, and if that didn’t satisfy her, she would aim even higher! I don’t wanna work under anyone so greedy…]

The word caused differing reactions amongst those who had journeyed with him to the Witch’s Graveyard. Bastian seemed understanding, bowing his head slightly in stern acknowledgment. He had been a proverbial fly on the wall for his final conversation with the Witch of Greed, and it hadn’t been a favorable one. He could accept someone wishing to avoid greedy sorts on principle even without this terrifying experience. Beatrice recoiled about as much as she had upon hearing the Sword Saint’s name, this time clutching Subaru’s sweater in the process.

Subaru: [Huh…? Ah, no, Beako, I didn’t mean it like that…]

Beatrice: [It’s alright, I suppose. Betty has been aware of your complicated feelings about Mother.]

“Complicated” was definitely putting it generously, perhaps for her own good. Deep down, she likely had hoped he and her mother had gotten along better, seeing as they were the two most important people in her life. She herself had complicated feelings about her mother after their confrontation with “Roswaal.”

Meili: [But you knoooooow, that lady owns the Hoshin Company. Word has it she employs a lot of people, many of them being demi-humans.]

Meili was behaving mischievously as she played devil’s advocate to Subaru’s objections over the Anastasia Camp. Subaru wondered exactly how much she knew about what happened between him and that faction. It was possible she had been fed information by her ex-handler, though it was equally possible she had heard rumors of the dishonorable happenings that had occurred within the Royal Palace around that time. Regardless, she was angling for something, and it was drawing Bastian’s attention.

Bastian: [She does, indeed. Her name’s well known even in Gusteko, if only because her company’s the most successful in Kararagi. Still, equity isn’t purely racial. Anyone mention matters of class?]

Subaru: [Felt wants to turn the social hierarchy of Lugunica on its head. She wants to abolish the knights and nobility.]

Bastian’s eyes widened in shock for a moment hearing his description of Felt’s platform. They then narrowed into something approximating a glare.

Bastian: [Good way to start another civil war.]

Subaru: […]

Bastian seemed to be at odds with Subaru’s espoused preference to join the Felt Camp given her platform. He privately supposed that, as a former knight himself, Bastian took exception to the abolition of such a class. It was possible that he had even met some of Lugunica’s knights in the past, maybe even holding them in high regard. He wanted to dig deeper into that but knew better. His disgrace as a knight was the crux of his present circumstances.

Bastian: [What about Crusch?]

Subaru: [Oh… she wants to end the covenant with the Divine Dragon, Volcanica.]

Bastian narrowed his eyes again cynically. Had he once again taken exception to one of the candidates’ platforms? Just what would it take to please this swordsman? Such questions immediately came to Subaru’s mind.

Bastian: [Could cause conflict. Understand a lot of people revere the dragon. Wonder if the kingdom’s fit for such self-sufficiency…]

Subaru: [Well, we kinda already proved that to some degree, didn’t we?]

Bastian: [Referring to the Great Rabbit?]

Subaru: [Yeah. It’s a proof of concept. When the kingdom’s in trouble, we can get ourselves out of it without some dragon.]

Beatrice: [Maybe… but it isn’t foolproof evidence on its own, in fact. It will likely take more of such “proofs of concept” to sway the opinions of the Lugunican people, I suppose.]

Bastian: [Agreed. No doubt Lady Crusch has something already in mind, hence her offer for you.]

Beatrice: [It seems the duchess is a woman who likes those that can deliver results, in fact.]

Subaru felt his ego swell from his partner’s praise. It was certainly true he had devised the plan to subjugate the Great Rabbit, though he hadn’t acted alone.

Subaru: [That was a shared victory, Beako. I’ll want you and Bastian to stand beside me when I inevitably meet with the Sage Council, if not just for the moral support…]

This slip of the tongue was one he didn’t realize until he noticed Beatrice, Meili and Bastian looking at him like he had two heads. Was he just afraid of authority figures? He hadn’t displayed such fears when meeting with “Roswaal” and Clind. Was it something about the palace that had him nervous?

Bastian: [What do you mean by that?]

Subaru: [Oh…]

Though he was nervous, Subaru was still grateful that Garfiel wasn’t there. Otherwise, he would need to choose one of the two paths he saw before him. He could carefully manipulate the story to omit any details that would give away the fact he had ran away, which wouldn’t be easy even without Crusch’s Divine Protection to contend with. He could also just bite the bullet and tell the truth, something he found easier said than done.

All the same, he was uncomfortable discussing this matter. Beatrice tugged on his sleeve, looking at him imploringly. He knew he couldn’t avoid it any longer.

Subaru: [Bastian… when I told you what all had happened to me before I left Lugunica… there was something I’d left out.]

Bastian: [Oh?]

The swordsman raised his bisected eyebrow slightly at this. It felt rather performative, though, and his voice sounded more drolly unamused than usual. He didn’t seem all too surprised at all that Subaru had withheld some information.

Subaru: [Do you recall what Ferris had said earlier today? That offhand remark that Crusch had chastised him for.]

Bastian: [Will need to be more specific. There were a few of those…]

Beatrice: [Betty believes he means the one about him being a Spirit Arts user, in fact.]

Subaru: [Yeah, that’s the one.]

His voice had become awfully glum relative to how he had been discussing the different camps. His mind was beginning to drag as it was being gradually weighed down with the uncomfortable memory of his meeting with Julius.

Bastian: [Right. Ferris had joked about how you seemed to be in competition with someone named Julius.]

Subaru: [Wouldn’t be the first time we’d been in competition…]

Bastian: [… go on.]

The swordsman’s interest had been piqued. Perhaps he wanted to know more about this other Spirit Arts user, as they were apparently rather rare in Lugunica compared to up in Gusteko. However, it seemed more likely he was interested in getting a more complete picture of the story he thought he already knew.

He proceeded to tell them everything about his experience with the Royal Palace. How he had met Julius and became immediately convinced he was out for Emilia’s affections. How he had snuck into the Royal Palace along with Priscilla Barielle and her “knight,” Al. How he had tried to defend Emilia in the face of one of the sages’ bigotry, only to wind up calling himself her knight in the process.

And then there was the duel. A duel he had never had any hope of winning.

Having heard Subaru say his piece, Bastian appeared rather conflicted.

Subaru: [… well?]

Bastian: [… would’ve been gravely insulted in his shoes. Not a knight anymore, though. Less of an issue.]

Subaru shrank a bit at the frank assessment. Bastian evidently had some common ground with Julius in terms of how seriously he had taken his role as a knight.

Subaru: [But I’d done that out of concern for Emilia!]

Bastian: [Even still, doesn’t do to belittle the hard work and dedication that goes into being a knight by simply claiming the title verbally.]

Subaru: [I… I get that now… I’d previously assumed knighthood was purely hereditary or rooted in nepotism. I… didn’t realize they were that hard working and dedicated to their station. Can’t believe I didn’t realize it back then…]

He decided to try leaning into the criticism and own it. There was little else he could do. He knew where deflection and other such tactics got him with Bastian.

Subaru: [… anyway, what does it matter now? I lost, bad. Emilia was so upset with me for breaking my promise to stay at the mansion. But I’d only done it out of concern for her!]

Bastian raised a critical eyebrow again, though this time it was sincere. It reminded him of how he would narrow his eyes at him whenever he knew Subaru was avoiding addressing something important.

Subaru: [What’s that supposed to mean?!]

Beatrice: [Betty believes he means to imply you had less than selfless motives pertaining to the half-elf girl, in fact…]

She glared over at the bed-ridden swordsman, who simply raised his good arm up in response. It was his way of saying relenting, conceding to the Great Spirit’s growing ire.

Subaru: [She and I argued after I came to from that ass-beating. She… she suggested that we break off our arrangement.]

Discomfort permeated the room. Meili found herself surprisingly affected by this, isolating herself from the situation she had played a part in starting with her prodding. Beatrice attentively held her contractor’s hand, looking to him with worry. Subaru himself was despondent and beaten.

Bastian: [… sorry. Opened an old wound. Didn’t need to do that.]

Subaru: [No, no… I think it’d probably be for the best if I stop shying away from the past. Honestly, thought I’d learned that by now… for fuck’s sake…]

He wiped his eyes with his right sleeve, his eyes having gotten slightly misty from remembering his argument with Emilia. He hated that had been the last time he had seen her within this loop, though it was somewhat preferable to another failed loop he had already dwelled upon. Many such memories afflicted him.

Looking down at Beatrice holding his hand with such concern on her face, he managed to crack a tired smile.

Subaru: [Thanks, Beako.]

The moment began to lighten up, if only because he had allowed it. His decision to try to process his past more readily had caused the tension in the air to dissipate. Bastian’s contrition faded back to his typical neutral mask.

Bastian: [Take it we’re heading out late tomorrow morning, after Ferris stops by one last time?]

Subaru: [Yeah. The plan is still to travel to meet with the Felt Camp. I owe it to Garf, after all. I’ll need to ask Crusch or Ferris where we can find Reinhard these days. Maybe Wilhelm know, I dunno.

Bastian: [Must insist our next stop be to see the Anastasia Camp.]

Subaru: [Why would I ever entertain the notion of joining them?]

The second he asked this with such affront, he knew what Bastian was angling for.

Bastian: [Said it yourself just now. Want to stop shying away from your past? Confront it. Reconcile with Julius. Anything we learn about the Anastasia Camp along the way will be incidental.]

Subaru: […]

He didn’t know what to say against this. It was a rather reasonable request, especially considering –

Bastian: [Here to set things right, yes? That duel was clearly an error on both sides. Thus, both sides must reconcile to properly move on.]

Subaru: [… fine. But only after visiting the Felt Camp.]

Bastian nodded in acceptance as Subaru begrudgingly agreed. What else could he do? Arguing against the person who had brought him back, who had helped him lay his loved ones to rest, who had helped him to begin to move on, would be senseless. He had agreed to properly mourn and make amends. He had done the former for the most part, though the sorrow still hit him in waves. Now, he would need to make progress on the latter.

Chapter Text

???: [Shall we begin?]

Subaru: [Sure, I’m not gonna hold back!]

The practice grounds. Knights clad in armor sat in the stands. On one side stood Natsuki Subaru. He had removed the tailed jacket of his butler uniform, brandishing a wooden sword like he would a kendo sword back home. On the other side stood the Finest Knight, Julius Juukulius. He had been wearing his Royal Guard uniform but had changed into a black formal shirt. He wielded his sword in a much different manner. To those in the crowd, stance alone could be used to determine who the real knight was here.

Subaru began to charge straight for Julius to attack him head on.

Subaru: [… no… don’t… you idiot…]

A one-sided beatdown. In reality, it hadn’t lasted for more than a few minutes, though it felt like hours of grueling physical abuse. His face was a bloody, bruised, swollen mess. Julius appeared to have not even broken a sweat.

Subaru: [Damn it… I’ll break… that nose of yours… I’ll crush you…]

Subaru: [… shut up… just… shut up…]

The crowd wasn’t really there anymore as the stands disappeared from his view, isolating the two of them.

Julius: [You are irredeemably powerless. You are not worthy to stand at her side.]

Subaru: [… fuck you…]

The last hit made the world go black.

***

He woke up with very little agitation, though he was quite irritable. He awoke from a recurring nightmare, one that used to shock him awake, leaving him shaking and holding himself, whimpering. Now, any time he had that nightmare, he just felt mostly hollowed. What parts of him that didn’t feel missing only felt loathing, towards both himself and Julius.

He hadn’t had this nightmare in a while. Actually, what few dreams he had been having as of late had been decidedly more pleasant by comparison. He knew precisely what it was that had made this nightmare recur.

Subaru: [… I really don’t wanna see that guy again…]

Bastian had insisted that they meet with the Anastasia Camp. His companion knew there was little chance of Subaru joining her camp due to her platform as a candidate, but he wanted him to bury the hatchet with Julius at the very least. Subaru had agreed, but only on the condition that they make meeting with Reinhard their next destination, which Bastian had accepted. He was beginning to regret agreeing at all.

Suddenly, there was a rap at the door.

Wilhelm: [Subaru-dono, breakfast is now ready.]

Subaru: [Gotcha, Wilhelm. I’ll get the others, so don’t worry about tracking them down.]

Wilhelm: [It is no trouble, Subaru-dono.]

Subaru: [No, no, I… I wanna do this.]

Wilhelm: [As you wish.]

The butler took his leave, acquiescing to Subaru’s insistence to gather his cohort himself. He didn’t want to trouble him with such a trifling matter.

Getting out of bed, Subaru started changing back into his road-worn clothes from the pajamas he was leant as a guest. They reminded him an awful lot of the ones he had worn in Roswaal’s mansion. He was glad to change out of them, having only worn them because they had been so graciously offered to him. He could hardly believe his cold weather garb used to be considered “top quality” by the merchant he had purchased them from. Of course, this had likely never been genuine as was claimed. He recalled Bastian mentioning it was likely he had been ripped off when he bought these more climate-appropriate clothes.

He donned his black pants and sweater, white mantle, and orange scarf. The pants were developing a holes in the knees, and his scarf was fraying at the ends.

Subaru: [I’ll need to touch these up soon… or get new clothes. Whichever comes first.”

He then slipped on his black fur-lined boots, and with that, he set about gathering his people. His first stop was Beatrice, who was still rooming with Meili in the room next to his. He appreciated her doing so without him even asking these days.

Subaru: [Morning, Beako.]

He was still a bit too tired from his nightmare-riddled sleep to muster much enthusiasm. Not before his first cup of coff, at least. He walked in on Beatrice and Meili mid-conversation, or at least that is how it seemed. There were two beds on either side of the room, with Meili sitting on one and Beatrice on another, the two facing each other.

Subaru: [Well, you two seem to be getting along nicely.]

He smiled warmly and wearily at the notion that his group was bonding so nicely. They stared at him, with Beatrice looking somewhat annoyed and Meili looking at him as though he had brain damage.

Beatrice: [Betty only watches the girl because it’s what you want, in fact.]

Subaru: [Really? I don’t recall asking you to watch her this time.]

Beatrice: [Because you didn’t have to!]

The petite spirit turned her head in haughty huff, averting her gaze from her contractor. He wanted to accuse her of being a tsundere but knew it would either make things more confusing or just make her more annoyed. Probably both.

Meili: [She can take some getting used to, but she’s got a lot of fun stories.]

Subaru: [Oh? What kind of fun stories?]

He was cautious. He knew Meili had her own sense of “fun.”

Meili: [Well, I never knew what things were like from your perspective during that wolgarm business.]

Subaru: [Okay, yep, shutting that down. Would rather not think back on getting mauled by a pack of devil dogs…]

Meili: [So, that did happen.~]

Beatrice: [Of course it did, in fact. What reason would Betty have to lie to you, child?]

Subaru sighed. It was too early for this. All of this. Every last part.

Subaru: [Breakfast is ready. Beako, I know you don’t have to eat, but… it’d be nice to have you with the others. Meili, you gotta be starving, yeah? Paltry provisions were all we had on the road. I’m not letting a child starve on my watch.]

Meili: [My, so noble of you.~]

He pinched his forehead to stave off an incoming headache that her antics weren’t allaying. He needed a cup of coff already.

He turned to leave their room, with Meili wandering off ahead of them. At this point, he wasn’t even really all that concerned about her. She lacked any witch beasts to back her up, after all. How much trouble could one child be?

He was about to follow her, when he felt a tug on his mantle’s sleeve.

Subaru: [Huh? What is it, Beako?]

Beatice: [The doll.]

Subaru: [The doll? Oh, you mean the one I made for Meili?]

Beatrice: [Yes, in fact. Don’t forget your promise to Betty.]

Subaru: [Ah, I did say I’d make you one, huh? Tell you what, I’ll make one on our way to… wherever the Felt Camp is these days. How’s that sound?]

Beatrice: [That will do, I suppose.]

The two began walking through the hallway, navigating their way to gather their next companion. Her hand went from grasping his sleeve to holding his hand, feeding on some of his mana. She couldn’t produce any of her own, so her contract stipulated that she could only absorb mana from him. He supposed this was a sign of her trusting him above all others.

Beatrice: [Betty was thinking… about that anomalous ability of yours.]

Subaru: [Oh? What about it?]

He arched an eyebrow as he looked down towards his partner. He felt uneasy with her still thinking so intently on this subject. He had hoped she would let it rest at least a little while longer before it would inevitably be brought up again.

Beatrice: [Betty suspects it could be a highly advanced form of Yin Magic, in fact.]

Subaru: [Yin Magic? You mean like Shamak?]

His hand unconsciously went to his abdomen as she revealed an addendum to her theory. Mention of his own magical affinity had that effect on him. He wondered if maybe he should take Ferris up on his facetious offer to check on his gate.

Beatrice: [While it would be the same element, it wouldn’t be the same in function, in fact. There are forms of Yin Magic capable of altering the flow of time. Of course, Betty hasn’t read of any examples of turning back time, I suppose… you could be an anomaly in your own right.]

Subaru: [Yeah… something about that doesn’t sound particularly flattering.]

Beatrice looked up at him inquisitively, clearly wondering what it was she had said that could perceived in such a way.

Beatrice: [But… but this could mean you’re quite gifted, Subaru! Granted, such a spell would likely cost an absurd amount of mana… no wonder using it hurts you so…]

She stared at his other hand holding his stomach. No doubt, she was concerned about his gate. Though he hadn’t used any magic after his flight, if this world resetting spell was so costly, it wouldn’t matter how easy he took it.

Subaru: [Guess I should ask Ferris about that checkup after all… hope it’s no trouble. Maybe Bastian being a good patient will leave that cat in a good enough mood to help me out.]

Beatrice: [Don’t rely on that swordsman too much. That healer will help you, I suppose. The duchess made sure of that.]

Subaru: [Oh? Ohhhhhh, yeah she may have made him feel obliged. Wonder why she couldn’t tell he was joking, though?]

Beatrice: [Everyone has their blind spots, I suppose.]

Next, they try to get Garfiel. Try is all they could do, though, as his room next to where Bastian was laid up was empty.

Subaru: [Hm… he wouldn’t just run off for no reason.]

Beatrice: [Maybe he got impatient and went to go seek the Sword Saint on his own. That boy is ill-tempered. Betty wouldn’t put it past him, I suppose.]

Subaru: [You think so? Huh?]

A sound outside distracted him from their postulating. Approaching the window, he could see it was going to be a bright day. The sun was still rising. The grass glistened with dew, and flitting about the lawn, zigging and zagging, was Garfiel. He was practicing some combat maneuvers on a dummy, which Subaru supposed was typically used by Crusch and Wilhelm. Even from there, he could make out noticeable slash marks in the durable wooden dummy.

He was stunned with his younger peer’s physical prowess. His eyes could hardly keep up. Another tug on his sleeve from Beatrice wordlessly reminded him of why he had entered Garfiel’s room in the first place. He opened the window.

Subaru: [Hey, Garf! Breakfast is ready!]

Garfiel halted as he was about to deliver a crushing blow to his “foe.” He looked up to see Subaru waving at him with his free hand, his smile imperceptible to the blonde youth at that distance even with the heightened senses afforded to him by virtue of his quarter-beast blood.

Garfiel: [A’ight! ‘ll be right in!]

Closing the window and turning away from it, Subaru was pleased with Garfiel’s dedication.

Subaru: [Maybe I should give training another go…]

Beatrice: [Would that be wise, in fact?]

Subaru: [Well… back then, I was going about it all wrong. My head wasn’t right, I… my heart was in the wrong place.]

He recalled how Wilhelm had refused to keep training him in a failed loop. The wizened warrior had told him that there was no sense in training someone who had no intention of improving. He frowned slightly as he recalled that painfully accurate criticism. It did make him wonder how much of the criticism he had received back then was deserved.

Subaru: [… at any rate, I felt pretty pathetic back in Costuul. If I’d been on my own, chasing down Meili would’ve been impossible. Plus, Bastian getting put out of commission got me thinking… shouldn’t I be able to fend for myself, just in case?]

Beatrice: [Betty must refute your usefulness in Costuul, in fact. You got through to Bastian before he could do something regrettable.]

Subaru: [Yeah, but that was just talking! If I were in a fight, I’d… I’d get my ass kicked. I’m sure I could get better this time…]

Something about those last few words were especially striking for Beatrice. She had to wonder just what context he meant for “this time.” She wouldn’t pry, though. She was picking up on the discomfort around the subject.

Beatrice: [It is fortunate, then, that every camp has strong warriors in them. Whichever one you choose, Betty is certain you could grow as you describe, I suppose. Barring the camps, there’s always Bastian. Though he moves at a lethargic pace, he had been enough to handle that assassin back in Costuul. Perhaps you could learn from him, in fact?]

Subaru: [Maybe… I dunno. Like you said, I shouldn’t lean on him too much. Besides, something tells me his teaching expertise is rather limited…]

Subaru had a hunch that Bastian was good at exploring matters of the heart and soul. Being a former Acolyte Knight, he knew a thing or two about spirituality and being in tune with one’s emotions. However, when it came to martial matters, he seemed to act almost automatically, as though by instinct. While he knew much about Yang Magic, Spirit Arts, and presumably swordsmanship, he likely wouldn’t be good at conveying how such things were actually done.

Their next stop was to get Bastian, who was right next door receiving his last healing treatment from Ferris. Knocking on the door, they were greeted by the healer’s typical cutesy voice welcoming them in.

Ferris: [Mew’re good to enter, Subaru!]

Opening the door, they saw Ferris tending to Bastian. There was a spherical aura of white light emanating from his hands, which were laid upon Bastian’s torso. The swordsman had always been riddled with scars, making Subaru wonder how he had managed before now.

Ferris: [Mew’re just in time, Subaru. I’m almost done healing your friend. He’s been my easiest patient in memory, if only because he doesn’t make any pained nyoises.]

Bastian: [That supposed to be a compliment?]

Bastian gave his healer the side eye, clearly unamused. His painlessness wasn’t something he relished. It was purely incidental, though it certainly played to his advantage more often than not. He couldn’t deny Ferris’ prior lecture regarding the important role of pain signals, though.

Ferris: [And he’s so fun to poke fun at! Always grumbling and mumbling. Aren’t you, Mister Listless?]

Bastian grimaced at the sudden bequeathal of a nickname. He had never had one before, or at least, none he could remember. He had his epithet of the Sun Knight, one he never went by these days due to his supposed disgraced status. It wasn’t that he was against receiving a nickname. No, it was this particular nickname that he didn’t care for.

Bastian: [Sure hope that doesn’t stick…]

Subaru: [Oh, it will.]

Subaru had an impish smile on his face at Bastian’s expense. He wasn’t the only one who appreciated the new ammunition. Meili was similarly smiling at the swordsman’s expense, silently taking notes.

Subaru: [How’d you know it was me, anyway? It could’ve been Crusch, y’know.]

Ferris: [Oh, she already dropped by earlier. Ferri’s already been at it for about an hour now. This guy’s normal healing is purretty crazy, but I guess that’s part of being an Acolyte Knight, huh?]

Bastian: [Yeah, part of it.]

He grasped his amulet of Odglass with his right hand, which was now free from its makeshift sling Frederica had made for him prior to leaving Costuul.

Subaru: [Wow, it’s like nothing ever happened…]

He recalled how twisted and mangled Bastian’s sword arm had been just yesterday. Now, it was perfectly fine. He could move it without any struggle at all.

Bastian: [Ferris is pretty talented.]

Ferris: [Nyaw, you flatterer, you!]

Bastian: [Ugh.]

Bastian had a low tolerance for annoyance, though he rarely did anything to actually prevent or end it. He would simply make his disgruntlement known with a grumble as the annoyance washed over him.

Ferris: [Right, all done! Nyow, you’re healed up, but don’t go pushing it too much too soon, okay? That goes for both of you!]

Ferris looked sharply over at Subaru, giving him a start. Of course, he knew exactly what the healer was getting at. He began rubbing the back of his neck nervously as he remembered his modest request.

Subaru: [Right, right… say, maybe you could give my gate a look? Just for peace of mind, and all that.]

Ferris: [Sure, sure. I kind of already promised Crusch I’d do so… sometimes I wish she could tell when I’m joking, but it’s usually more funny that she can’t.]

As Bastian covered his torso with the butler’s clothes he had been given by Frederica, Subaru approached Ferris, sticking his arms out as though he were about to have his measurements taken.

Ferris: [Mew don’t have to raise your arms like that, you knyow.]

Subaru: [… I knew that.]

Ferris: [Fufu, you’re lucky Lady Crusch isn’t here. Not that it was a purrticularly high-stake lie… or one anyone couldn’t see through.]

Subaru: [Just check my gate already! Uh… please.]

He got flustered at Ferris’ teasing, only to remember his manners. He was asking for a favor here, after all. Ferris sighed at the display as he placed a hand on Subaru’s core.

Ferris: [Hmm… seems pretty stable to me. I’m guessing mew haven’t cast any magic in a while?]

Subaru: [Yeah. Not since… well, y’know.]

Ferris: [Still a sore subject, huh? Have you told your friends about it yet?]

Beatrice: [Subaru was very forthwith, in fact.]

Bastian: [“Very?”]

Beatrice shot Bastian a look as he buttoned up his silvery grey vest. He quickly looked away, as though the retort had come from elsewhere. Maybe it was just the wind. In truth, he still found it odd to interact with Beatrice as an equal as Subaru wished. She was a Great Spirit after all, deserving of his reverence in accordance with his faith.

Subaru: [… anyway, it’s good to hear my gate is looking good. Since we’re all done here, you all should go get some breakfast. Wilhelm told me it’s ready.]

Ferris: [He was already by earlier, too, Subaru.]

Subaru: [O-Oh, was he?]

He wondered how long he had slept in if the stoic butler had already stopped by this room. Evidently, Crusch, Ferris and Bastian had all been up for at least an hour now. It made him want to try harder, but he was already sleep-deprived as it was. That coff was calling his name.

Subaru: [Well, whatever. Glad Bastian’s good to go. After breakfast, we’ll be heading out… though we still don’t know where Reinhard is these days…]

He scratched his cheek sheepishly, knowing he had gotten ahead of himself a bit. Not knowing their destination yet still declaring they would head out made him feel like a poor planner.

Ferris: [Oh? Mew’re going to pay Rein a visit? He’s in Flanders these days.]

Subaru: [Flanders? Where’s that?]

Ferris looked at Subaru curiously, as though he had asked a question with a very obvious answer.

Ferris: [If Ferri didn’t know better, I’d say you must have hit your head! Flanders is one of the capital cities of the kingdom. It’s steeped in history!]

Subaru: [Wait, “capitals?” Plural?”]

Bastian: [Knew that much at, least… how little do you know of your own kingdom?]

Beatrice: [Betty would kindly remind you that history isn’t something her contractor is chiefly interested in, in fact. He was also illiterate prior to arriving at Roswaal’s mansion.]

Subaru: [Wow, way to sell me out, Beako!]

He was ruffled by Beatrice revealing the fact that he was illiterate, though it wasn’t like the alternative would have made matters much better. In truth, he wasn’t of this world, which perfectly explained his illiteracy, but raised so many more questions he knew he couldn’t contend with, or rather, wouldn’t want to contend with.

Bastian: [Not like you could hide something like that for long. First time you’d need to read sign or a map and you’d sell yourself out.]

Subaru: [I’ve been studying, dammit! The city, Ferris, where is it?!]

Ferris: [Geez, mew’re getting so worked up… it’s due east of here, near the Hyclara Plateau.”

Subaru: […]

These seemingly basic directions went through one ear and right out the other.

Ferris: [Just follow the road straight east of here! No turns needed!]

Now Ferris was getting fed up. Subaru took a deep breath before he allowed himself to continue, knowing he was navigating a delicate tightrope these days. He was only just beginning to reestablish contact with those he had left behind. It wouldn’t do to drive wedges.

Subaru: [Sorry for losing my cool there, Ferris. Thanks for the info. We’ll be coming back at some point to hear Crusch out, okay?]

Ferris: [You better! Lady Crusch’s offer is super important, understand?]

Subaru: [If it’s got to do with the Royal Selection, I’d imagine there’s no way it could be trivial. Rest assured, the importance isn’t lost on me. Now, c’mon. Let’s all go get some breakfast. Bastian, you’ve gotta be starving.]

Bastian’s stomach grumbled as he stared blankly and apathetically at his peers. He didn’t clutch his stomach, but the noise was so loud it made Subaru reach for his own instinctively. He had become well acquainted with the sensation of hunger in his time in Gusteko.

Meili: [Let’s get him fed, if only so we don’t hear that gross noise again…]

Bastian: [Sorry.]

He gave a half-hearted apology as they all made their way out of the room. It seemed he was starting to get used to Meili’s behavior, no longer taking her often harsh words so close to heart.

The dining hall was surprisingly full for a change in the Karsten mansion. On one side of the long table was Crusch, Ferris, and Wilhelm. The other side consisted of Subaru, Beatrice, Bastian, Meili, and Garfiel. Breakfast consisted of a quiche and a variety of pastries that had been baked just that morning. There were freshly poured beverages before everyone’s place at the table. Subaru and Bastian had coff, Garfiel had what looked like orange juice, Meili had milk, and Crusch, Wilhelm, and Ferris all had tea. Beatrice didn’t drink anything, though she did snack on some pastries just because.

It was a spread that almost brought Subaru to tears. Bastian appeared indifferent, having been thoroughly accustomed to roughing it. Meili similarly didn’t give off any impression one way or another. Beatrice was mostly just happy for Subaru, gladly offering him her own plate, as well. Garfiel was the only other person genuinely delighted to see such food before him. Given his upbringing and his time within the quarantined city of Costuul, this made sense.

Crusch: [I hope you wouldn’t mind regaling us with the tale of how you all managed to defeat the Great Rabbit?]

The duchess stared at them intently as she sipped her morning tea. Subaru had figured this breakfast wouldn’t be a quiet one. By now, he had realized Crusch’s propensity for acquiring information whenever, wherever and however she could. She was quite shrewd, which he could respect.

Subaru: [Sure, may as well. How in depth do you want this? Just the general strategy, or everything leading up to the event?]

Crusch: [I would prefer more details over fewer, that I may sort through them myself.]

Ferris: [That’s my lady for you!]

Her knight was glowing with pride at his mistress’ discernibility and keen judgment. Fortunately for Subaru, he wouldn’t need to finagle the truth too much this time.

Subaru: [Well, upon arriving at Costuul, we were chased by the thing. Bastian’s quick thinking got us in. He had Beako use her Yin Magic to make us lighter while he used his Yang Magic to enhance his strength and speed, followed by a Spirit Art to mess with the Rabbit’s perception. He also used a Spirit Art that protected us from the Rabbit’s attacks.]

Ferris: [Ooh, Julius would love to talk with you! He’s done similar things in the past.]

Bastian: [Mm. Look forward to meeting him.]

Subaru cleared his throat at their exchange. He didn’t appreciate them going off topic, though it had more to do with what their new topic was about, or rather, who it pertained to.

Subaru: [Anyway, after seeing how rough things were in the city, we hatched a plan to defeat the Rabbit. We approached Annerose and her trustee, Clind, with this, but they didn’t even hear us out. So, we went behind their backs. Garfiel and his sister, Frederica, covered for us while we snuck outta town to where the Rabbit was holed up: Sanctuary, a cloistered village not far from Roswaal’s auxiliary mansion.]

Crusch: [Hm… I’ve never heard of the place before.]

Beatrice: [No doubt Roswaal had designs on the place, in fact. Discussing that much should probably wait for when we meet with the Sage Council, though, I suppose.]

Crusch nodded in understanding, then looked back to Subaru, implicitly asking him to continue.

Subaru: [Once we were there, we needed to draw the Rabbit out. Apparently, I’m something of a magnet for witch beasts.]

Meili: [Yup, you sure are.~]

Meili leered at him from her end of the table, sitting furthest from Subaru on their side. He cleared his throat again, wanting to skip right over her dart.

Subaru: [… once the Rabbit emerged from the snow, we got set. We allowed them to surround us. I then had Bastian use his Yang Magic and Beatrice use her Yin Magic on everyone. We all held onto Bastian as I told him to jump as high as he could straight into the air. I then had him use that Spirit Art he had used to protect us early, but this time as a trap to be sprung around the Rabbit. He closed it on them, vaporizing them all at once.]

The dining hall fell silent as Subaru finished his tale. The strategy had been laid out. Not one detail had been omitted. Crusch’s hands were folded, breakfast barely touched. She had been listening too intently to distract herself with the food. Wilhelm was equally focused on Subaru, an intense aura emanating from him. Ferris’s eyes bounced back and forth from his side of the table to Subaru’s, trying to gauge the atmosphere. Was this tension? Suspense? Subaru was momentarily ill at ease, wondering what was going through everyone’s heads.

Garfiel: [Woooooah. That’s how ya did it? Damn, boss, yer pretty smart!]

Subaru: [Thanks, Garf. Seriously.]

Garfiel’s bona fide awe in light of how Subaru and company had defeated the Great Rabbit cut the tension like it was nothing.

Ferris: [You mean you didn’t knyow how he’d done it?]

Garfiel: [Nah. Hadn’t been time. Second they got back, they wanted’ta meet with the midget n’ her minion. I figured th’ boss was smart, considerin’ he came back n’ managed’ta best Roswaal n’ all. Knowin’ how ‘e beat that thing, though? S’fuckin’ perfect!]

Subaru: [I appreciate that, Garf, but maybe tone down the language in front of others…]

Crusch: [No offense taken, Subaru. So long as it isn’t directed toward me, what offense could there be?]

Subaru: [Oh… okay. You nobles like to keep me guessing…]

Crusch and Ferris chuckled at Subaru’s earnest uncertainty of how to be around nobility. He had assumed them to be the height of etiquette, yet here was Crusch, allowing his young comrade to swear at his discretion. He chalked this up to what Wilhelm had said about her the evening prior regarding her possessing an iron will, interpreting it to mean that she had a pretty thick skin.

Crusch: [I must agree with your friend, however, Subaru. You seem to have a knack for tactics. It sounds like you utilized the strengths of comrades quite expertly.]

Ferris: [Ferri can tell you have more you would like to discuss, Lady Crusch, but you did say he asked to delay hearing your offer fur later…]

Crusch: [Ah, yes. Thank you, Ferris. I almost launched right into that matter. It is true I promised I would wait until after you finished making your amends.]

She appeared almost startled at Ferris’ preemption, then shifted into a pleasant smile in Subaru’s direction. He was glad she wasn’t going to try and advance the matter. She was a lady of her word.

Wilhelm: [Forgive me if it is imprudent, but I must say, I am surprised to hear your young friend mention that you bested Lord Roswaal. Is this true, Subaru-dono?]

Subaru: [Yeah, it is. Why, did you know Roswaal?]

Wilhelm: [Not him personally, though I have known several of his line. I was one well acquainted with his grandmother, Roswaal J. Mathers.]

Subaru: [Of his line, you say…]

Subaru mulled over a critical point within his mind. He and his companions were now privy to something that only Roswaal and Clind had been aware of, that being the fact that he was reincarnating within the bodies of his descendants, and had been doing so for about 400 years. This meant his grandmother, Roswaal J. Mathers, whom Wilhelm had apparently been acquainted with, had also been that same Roswaal.

This was crucial. Should he reveal this now, or wait for it to be disseminated following his audience with the Sage Council? What if those sages would prefer such information to never see the light of day? He had very little faith in those sages, but he had at least fledgling faith in those present on the other side of the table. He gulped.

Crusch: [Is something the matter, Subaru?]

Ferris: [Ferri’s betting he’s hiding something...]

Subaru let loose a deep breath to calm himself. If he was going to entertain an offer of hers, likely one pertaining to him and his companions joining her camp, then he could at least tell them this much.

Subaru: [Wilhelm… about Roswaal… the one you knew, I mean.]

Wilhelm: [Yes? What of her?]

He sounded almost dismissive of the woman known as Roswaal J. Mathers, as though bringing her up had caused the veteran swordsman to recall a long dormant sense of banal aggravation. Had she been a nuisance to him in the past? Was his mention of being acquainted just his polite way of referring to her?

Subaru: [She and Roswaal… er, that is, Roswaal L. Mathers… well, they’re the same person.]

Silence. Dead silence. Each member of the Crusch Camp stared at Subaru with disbelieving eyes.

Wilhelm: [… what do you mean, Subaru-dono?]

Subaru gulped again. The aura Wilhelm had possessed while listening to Subaru’s tale of the Great Rabbit’s defeat returned in full force. He could tell this was a heavier moment than he had anticipated, and it had already been quite heavy in his imagination. Beatrice fortunately picked up on this.

Beatrice: [Roswaal had been reincarnating for centuries, in fact. The similarity of his soul to those of his progeny, given their blood relation, made them remarkably well-suited for soul transference.]

Ferris: [Soul transference…? Ferri might be sick…]

Crusch: [It’s alright, Ferris. Still, that is very troubling to hear, indeed. How did you ascertain this dour circumstance?]

Subaru: [… he told us himself, from the body of one of his distant relatives, Annerose Miload.]

Ferris became noticeably pale as the discussion of soul transference went on, for reasons which eluded Subaru’s comprehension. He covered his mouth, as though deeply distressed. Crusch placed a comforting hand on her knight’s shoulder. Wilhelm, meanwhile, appeared positively incensed, his fists clenched as they rested on the table.

Wilhelm: [… to think she had been a comrade… damn you, Roswaal.]

The veteran swordsman’s words of ire hung in the air as the room fell silent once more. Crusch furrowed her brow, clearly processing this revlation.

Crusch: [No doubt, the Sage Council will want to know of this. You do realize you cracked quite possibly the worst conspiracy this kingdom will likely ever witness?]

Subaru: [I certainly hope this is as bad as it ever gets… but yeah, I agree. I’ll be sure to relay this. I just… I hope to be able to parlay on Annerose’s behalf.]

Everyone seemed perplexed by this sincere desire he espoused. Their perplexion wasn’t lost on him.

Subaru: [W-What?]

Wilhelm: [Subaru-dono, you just said Lord Roswaal had assumed control over Lady Annerose’s body, yes?]

Subaru: [Yeah, I realize her soul has been irrevocably replaced, alright? I just… it feels wrong to punish a child for such a crime…]

Subaru had a knot growing in his stomach. The crime of conspiracy likely wouldn’t be dealt with very lightly in Lugunica. Being practically a medieval society, he had a hunch the punishment would be severe, possibly even lethal. Though Annerose was now Roswaal, she was still a child. He found it almost impossible to separate that fact from the situation.

Crusch: [That is understandable and admirable, Subaru… but it will ultimately be up to the Sage Council’s discretion.]

Subaru: [… I understand.]

Their breakfast went on unimpeded, albeit rather quiet. The food still tasted great, despite not being fully fresh anymore. It didn’t taste as good as it could have, though. Not after the mood had been brought down with the revelation of the House Mathers Conspiracy.

***

The Crusch Camp gathered outside to see Subaru and company off. They offered forth some provision to aid them in their journey, which were packed into their ground dragon carriage by Wilhelm. The others were loading into the carriage while Subaru said his goodbyes, save for Bastian, who had taken a brief moment to thank Ferris for his services one last time.

Crusch: [I imagine your trip will take until evening. Do you require funds for lodging?]

Subaru: [No, that shouldn’t be necessary. Honestly, the provisions are kindness enough. Thanks for your hospitality Crusch. I promise I’ll be back soon.]

Ferris: [A word once given, Subaru…]

Subaru: [I know, I know… and thank you, too, Ferris, for healing my friend. It means a lot to me.]

Ferris: [Gosh, mew’re getting all sappy all of the sudden… oh, what the heck. You’re welcome, Subaru. Safe travels!]

Subaru: [With Bastian’s sword arm back in working order and with Beatrice by my side, I think I’ll be fine. Hell, I got Garfiel too, at least until we get to the Astrea Estate…]

The three of them looked to the young man tending to his new ground dragon, an Eliq he was still struggling to find a name for. He seemed to be rather chipper, despite how breakfast had shaken out. No doubt it was because of their next destination.

Crusch: [You suspect he’s going to join the Felt Camp?]

Subaru: [Well, it seems like he really idolizes Reinhard. The only reason he joined us was because I mentioned I would be meeting with him. I wouldn’t be surprised if we part ways after visiting with them.]

Ferris: [Gosh, I feel sorry for Rein, then… he’ll have his hands full!]

Crusch: [Indeed. Your friend has a temper to be certain, though ambition to match. He has promise.]

Subaru: [You think so, too? He and his sister beat Clind, y’know. That butler was the one who twisted Bastian’s arm, but they made short work of the guy. I barely recognized him when they were done with him. Ah, he’s still alive, though!]

He was careful to clarify his statement, realizing it could certainly be taken the wrong way. Crusch and Ferris chuckled at his hypervigilant state.

Crusch: [You may relax, Subaru. We know you wouldn’t kill anyone.]

Subaru: [O-Oh? Well, that’s… nice?]

He was unsure what to make of such a statement. Was it supposed to be a compliment? A reassurance? The latter seemed more likely, even if it weren’t technically true. He had been involved in the death of Petelgeuse as well as several of his underlings, who had all been frozen alive in ice. He rationalized these as kills, as the remote possibility of them unthawing could have meant they could return, and he had prevented that possibility entirely in smashing them to bits. It was a stretch, of course, but it was one he couldn’t help. He wanted to be responsible for that act of vengeance, though he hated dwelling on this fact.

Garfiel: [Oi, boss! Erryone’s loaded n’ ready. We gonna hit th’ road ‘r what?]

Subaru: [Patience, Garf! It’s a virtue! I’m on my way!]

He waved goodbye to the others once more before entering the carriage. He had recovered slightly from the gloomy breakfast, which hadn’t even been a total downer, all told. Part of him wished he hadn’t said anything about Roswaal, but the greater part of him felt it had been right. He suspected the Crusch Camp would be allies of his in the future, even if he didn’t accept their offer.

Bastian: [Wait.]

Before Subaru could even open the carriage, Bastian spoke up. There was a wisp of urgency in his voice.

Subaru: [What’s up, Bastian?]

Bastian: [About our next destination… you sure about this?]

Subaru: [What, this again? Look, I’ve already gone over our order of operations here –]

Bastian: [Don’t mean that. Is meeting with Reinhard a good idea?]

Subaru: [Why not? He’s always helped me out in the past, and Garf wants to meet him. We owe Garf for helping us, don’t we?]

Bastian was quiet as he stared at the passengers already gathered within the carriage. He sighed, realizing there was a lesson to be learned, but it wouldn’t be done here.

Bastian: [Never mind. Let’s go.]

Subaru scratched his head as they entered their carriage, setting out for Flanders. He was unsure what exactly his friend was trying to get at, though there was a sneaking suspicion, something on the tip of his tongue that he couldn’t quite articulate. It would come to him in due time, though.

The trip from the Karsten Estate to Flanders would prove about as long as their trip from Costuul had been. While on the road, Subaru got out his sewing materials and began making another doll, per his promise with Beatrice.

Subaru: [You sure you really want a plushie of me? It’ll be difficult for me to remain objective if I’m the subject, y’know!]

Beatrice: [Take whatever liberties you may, I suppose. Betty will be happy regardless, in fact.]

Subaru: [I might wind up jealous of a doll of my own likeness… what is my life?]

Feigning tears, he continued working on the doll for his partner, one in his spitting image. It was sort of surreal. While he worked on the doll, Bastian stared out the window. Meili was clutching her Reinhard doll, looking from it to Bastian. She grinned with clear antagonistic intent.

Meili: [Hey, Mister Listless, what do you make of the Sword Saint?]

Beatrice was fortunately preoccupied watching Subaru work on a doll of himself, not hearing mention of her brother’s slayer. Bastian nonchalantly looked over at Meili, barely acknowledging her query.

Bastian: [Looking for any excuse to use that awful nickname?]

Subaru: [You realize making it known how much you hate it will just encourage her to use it more, right?]

Bastian: [Ugh.]

He grumbled as he returned his attention out the window. Meili pouted at his blatant ignoring.

Meili: [Ruuuuuuude. When someone asks you a question, you should answer, right?~]

Bastian sighed. Though he had been thankful to Ferris for healing him up, bypassing the strictures of his faith in the process, he was less than pleased with the nickname he had introduced.

Bastian: [Don’t know anything about him, other than he’s supposed to be the most powerful warrior in Lugunica. He’s never been to Gusteko. Something about strict limitations on his movements. That’s all. Prefer to reserve judgment until we meet him ourselves.]

Meili: [… well that was a boring answer.]

She frowned in disappointment as she returned her attention to her doll. She seemed to have had the impression that Bastian was wary of the Sword Saint for one reason or another.

About halfway through their trip, Subaru finished his doll for Beatrice. She stared at it starry-eyed for the remainder of the trip, to his own befuddlement. Meanwhile, Meili continued intermittently pestering Bastian. Subaru took this to be some odd form of bonding, like a little sister and older brother. He hoped this was the case, at least, as it seemed Meili was to stay with them indefinitely.

Crusch had been correct in her assessment of how long it would take. Riding across the snow-driven road to Flanders, they had managed to make it as the sun was already setting, bathing the city in warm red-orange light. There were very few people out and about in the streets. Activity was beginning to die down for the day. Being within city limits, they slowed down the pace of their carriage. That was when they began to notice them.

Subaru: [What’s up with all of the posters on the buildings?]

Beatrice: [It seems someone has been canvasing, in fact. Should we investigate?]

Subaru: [Yeah. Hey, Garf!]

Subaru opened the window from the passenger’s cabin to the driver’s seat of the carriage to have a word with their driver.

Garfiel: [Eh? What’s up, boss?]

Subaru: [Let’s stop for a sec. I wanna check out these posters that are all over the place.]

Garfiel: [Ah, ya noticed ‘em too, huh? Thought I saw some familiar faces on ‘em…]

Garfiel had his unnamed Eliq slow down, pulling off out of the way, not that there were many people walking the cobblestone streets at this point. They all exited the carriage as Garfiel dismounted from the driver’s seat with an effortless leap, gathering around one of the countless posters around town.

Subaru: [Is that… us?]

Sure enough, there were three portraits on the poster: Subaru’s, Beatrice’s and Bastian’s. His reading comprehension wasn’t the best, something everyone was now acutely aware of. The format of the poster almost made him panic, as it looked unnervingly like a wanted poster. There was one word that stuck out amongst the dizzying runes, though, one he had read many times in a book of fables: “heroes.”

Garfiel: [Eyyyyyy, boss! Looks like they were pretty flatterin’ in depictin’ ya, huh?]

Garfiel caught him off guard with a pat on the back as he laughed boisterously. Subaru himself was still trying to process the simple message the poster conveyed.

Bastian: [People of Costuul got word out fast. Others have taken that word and ran with it.]

Beatrice: [Indeed. No doubt word has already made it back to the Capital, I suppose.]

Subaru: [“Heroes” …]

Bastian patted Subaru’s shoulder, far more gently than Garfiel had smacked his back. His smile was as gentle as the congratulatory pat.

Bastian: [Well done, “hero.”]

Subaru: [I wanna be happy about this… I dunno. Maybe I am? It’s just… a lot.]

Garfiel: [Hah? Whaddya mean? Seemed fine with th’ fanfare back in Costuul.]

Subaru: [That was different! This… this is on a whole other scale, possibly even national!]

Bastian: [Need Sound Mind? Nerves seem to be getting to you.]

Subaru: [I’m! Ahem. I’m fine. I think it’ll take some time to fully sink in. Thanks, though.]

He glanced up at the sun, shielding his eyes with one hand to gauge its progress in setting. Time was running short. They would either need to find directions to the Astrea Estate or find an inn to stay in.

Subaru: [… I’d prefer getting directions to Reinhard’s place. We don’t have the money to stay at an inn…]

Garfiel: [Could always leverage yer new rep…]

Garfiel made a crass suggestion as he pointed his thumb back at the poster they had just been examining. Meili seemed amenable to this arrangement, though she was mostly just going with the flow at this point. As for the others –

Subaru: [That would make me feel scummy!]

Bastian: [Have to agree. Would sooner camp outside, though would prefer Meili not do so.]

Meili: [Ohhhhhhh? What afraid I might get away?~]

Bastian: [Only a little.]

Bastian wryly smiled in response to Meili’s half-joking accusation. It seemed they were getting a read on each other, as Subaru had hoped.

Beatrice: [Betty defers to Subaru’s judgment. Bastian, Garfiel, you should go get directions, I suppose.]

Garfiel: [Oi, why do we gotta –]

Bastian: [Very well, Beatrice-sama. What will you two be doing?]

Garfiel: [Oi!]

Garfiel raised futile objections as Bastian acquiesced to Beatrice’s guidance for the two of them. Naturally, it was implied that Meili would go with them to seek directions to the Astrea Estate, mostly just to monitor her. It was something she had grown sadly used to.

Beatrice: [Subaru needs new clothes, in fact.]

Subaru: [Huh? My clothes are…]

His clothes were still rather tattered. He had forgotten to tend to them while in the carriage, not that he would have had what he needed to successfully mend them, anyway.

Subaru: [But I don’t have any money! Er, well… I have precious little, anyway.]

He reached into his pockets, pulling out a handful of silver coins with a bear head on one face and a sixteen-pointed sunburst on the other. What he had in his hand was all he had to his name, and it wouldn’t have bought him a single article of clothing in Gusteko.

Subaru: [And it’s Gustekan currency, too! Wouldn’t I need to exchange somewhere? Any banks would be closed!]

Beatrice: [True. We may have to resort to the hot head’s suggestion after all, I suppose.]

Garfiel: [Oi! Will ya knock it off already?!]

Bastian: [Garfiel, please don’t disturb the peace.]

Garfiel: [Tch!]

The blonde beast boy was getting fed up with Beatrice’s treatment of him. She was either dismissive or commanding, it seemed, and that was only when she actually paid him any mind at all.

Subaru: [I… I really don’t…]

Beatrice: [You read the poster, in fact. You’re a hero now. Heroes don’t dress like vagabonds. Betty would have insisted you bought something in Costuul, were it not for their supply line issues and the need to heal the swordsman, I suppose.]

He wanted to argue, but found his partner wasn’t going to budge. She truly wanted him to look the part, or as close to it as he could find in one of the stores in this city. He sighed, ready to cave in.

Subaru: [Alright… but don’t be surprised if any tailors are already closed for the day. It’s getting late, after all. They got families to get back to…]

Beatrice: [Not another word, in fact. We shall find you more fitting clothes. Bastian, Garfiel, best of luck finding directions.]

Bastian silently nodded as he patted an aggravated Garfiel on the shoulder, as though to say, “let it go.” Subaru and Beatrice, meanwhile, began looking around for a tailor.

He hadn’t done any window shopping in ages. Actually, he had only ever “window shopped” online after a certain point, after he had withdrawn socially. Walking around holding his contract spirit’s hand made him feel nostalgic for a time that never really happened to him. It was possible he had always wanted to do something like this with friends or even his family, but he had never said a word about it. He regretted that now, but getting to window shop with Beatrice made up for it.

They walked for some time, passing all sorts of shops. Bakeries, cafés, cobblers, smiths, carpenters. Basically any craft one could imagine, they passed such a shop. Flanders felt like a microcosm of the cosmopolitan, mercantile feel of the Capital. He felt like a tourist, something else he wished he had done in his old home, even if it had just been within Japan proper.

Then, they found a tailor. Unfortunately, like the other shops they had passed, they appeared to be closing.

Beatrice: [Perhaps we could return in the morning, now that we know where it is, at least.]

Subaru: [That makes it sound like we’ll be staying in an inn for the night… just how much will I have to lean on this “hero” business? Makes me feel… bleh.]

He couldn’t articulate the level of disgust he felt relying on his newfound reputation so heavily. It couldn’t be helped, though. His partner insisted he get new clothes. How could he say no? And if his friends couldn’t get any directions to the Astrea Estate, how could he help that, either?

It was as he was slowly spiraling into self-disgust that a man cautiously approached the doorway. The door had been left open for the day’s business, and they were about to close down, until they saw Subaru and Beatrice loitering outside.

The man looked to a poster that had been nailed to their shop’s door, then to the loitering duo. He double took, then a realization dawned on him. Just in time, too, as the two were beginning to walk off to meet back up with the others.

???: [Wait! Stop! Don’t go!]

Subaru froze in place, hesitantly turning around to meet the man. He was middle aged with dull grey hair, a little portly, and his eyes were lost within absurdly bushy eyebrows, his mouth lost within an equally absurdly bushy moustache.

???: [Please, come on in!]

Subaru: [Oh, uh… you sure it isn’t an imposition, mister…?]

Olstein: [Olstein! You can call me Olstein, my boy! And it’s no imposition, I assure you! Come in, come in!]

The jolly tailor ushered them into his shop. Subaru felt bad he was about to ask for clothes for free, even more so since it was someone so kind he would be taking advantage of, or so he saw it.

Olstein: [Reia! Conlan! Come meet our late visitors!]

The man called for his wife and young son to come meet them, these Heroes of Costuul. They emerged from upstairs, presumably living above the shop in an apartment. They were hesitant at first, but once the boy saw who his father had let into the shop –

Conlan: [No way! It’s them! The people from the posters!]

The boy rushed down the stairs like a bolt, stopping right in front of Subaru. He did his best not to recoil from the enthusiastic display, as the boy had been barreling right at him.

Reia: [Goodness, Conlan, give the man some space! My apologies, Subaru-sama. He’s always been a bit over eager. No doubt because of all of those fables he was read when he was younger…]

The tailor’s wife, Reia, appeared to be the very picture of maternity. She wore a dress in similar style to others Subaru had seen in the Capital, which had something of a cowl around the shoulders. It was a deep blue green on the main part of the dress, while the cowl was teal. Her hair was sandy brown, tied up in a bun. Conlan appeared to be no older than Meili, perhaps a little younger. He took more from his mother than his father, having softer features and her green eyes, though his sandy brown hair was coarse like his father’s.

Conlan: [I can’t believe it! Real heroes, here! Hey, where’s the other one? The one who looks bored on the poster?]

Subaru: [Oh, Bastian? He’s out asking for directions to the Astrea Estate for us. We’re, uh… not from around here…]

Reia: [Oh my, of course you have business with the Astreas!]

Conlan: [So cool!]

Subaru was beginning to get frazzled by all of the admiration. He hadn’t been good at taking compliments since he was a kid, and it hadn’t gotten any better as of late. He was struggling to make things right, after all. Any praise he got would always feel undue to him.

Reia: [Did you all split up to ask for directions?]

Olstein: [Why, we could tell you how to get there!]

Subaru: [Oh, that won’t be necessary! Bastian’s already on that. I think if we went off and did what he was supposed to be doing, he’d get kinda disgruntled…]

Beatrice: [Betty doesn’t see the issue, I suppose. If he succeeds, we could keep the information to ourselves. If he fails, we could provide it, in fact.]

Subaru: [Er… fine, fine. That wasn’t even the main reason we were wandering around, though!]

He turned to Olstein abruptly and bowed deeply.

Subaru: [I need new clothes, but I’m broke beyond compare! Sorry!]

There was a brief silence as his awkward interjection settled in the air. Olstein then began laughing heartily, his wife and son joining almost immediately after. He looked up from his bow with uncertainty, wondering if the laughter were indicative of success or failure.

Olstein: [So humble! Of course, I’ll set you up with some new duds, my boy!]

Subaru: [B-But I can’t pay you –]

Conlan: [Oh!]

Conlan then ran past him to the shop’s door. He delicately removed the poster nailed to it. He lacked a hammer to do so, though, so it required much care on the boy’s part. His hands trembled, desperate not to rip his prize. After successfully removing the poster with minimal damage to it, he rushed back over to Subaru and Beatrice.

Conlan: [Would you sign this for me? Would you?]

Subaru: [Huh? An autograph?]

Olstein: [Ha-ha! Why, that would make a fine payment, I think.]

Subaru: [But only Beako and I could sign it… Bastian –]

Beatrice: [We can drag him here before leaving the area, in fact. Betty’s sure he’ll acquiesce.]

Subaru was still uncomfortable with this bargain. He found it unlikely that the poster would appreciate in value over time, overlooking the possibility that it was purely a sentimental in value. Then, there was the matter of Bastian having agreed with his disgust over exploiting his newfound reputation. Would he really agree to be complicit now?

But then, could he really say no to Beatrice?

Subaru: [… okay. If you’re sure.]

Conlan grinned brightly at Subaru’s begrudging acceptance to sign the poster. The fact he would have autographs of all three Heroes of Costuul was even better.

Olstein: [Well then, now that that’s all settled, right this way, my boy!]

The tailor cheerfully guided Subaru over to where he ordinarily took measurements. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a roll of measuring tape.

Olstein: [Now then, Subaru-sama, if you would hold out your arms and stand perfectly still.]

Subaru: [R-Right!]

He hadn’t had his measurements taken in some time. It wasn’t as though they had changed at all in the ensuing months since the previous occasion. The context had been very different, though. Instead of being measured for threads suitable for a “hero,” he had been measured for his butler uniform. Instead of a kindly middle aged tailor, it had been Rem, before she had seen him as her own “hero.”

While Subaru got his measurements taken, he and the tailor got to talking about the Astrea Estate. Beatrice watched the display, being rather amused by the spectacle.

Olstein: [Now then, the Astrea Estate is due north of here. You must have missed the turn off on your way in.]

Subaru: [Ferris…]

He grumbled the name of the one who had given him directions in the first place. He imagined the feline knight making some ditsy gesture in response to this situation. He sighed at his misfortune, supposing he should have asked Crusch or Wilhelm, instead.

Subaru: [Ah well. There’s a silver lining, at least: we found this place.]

Olstein: [Well, thank you kindly, Subaru-sama! You’re much too kind!]

The tailor finished taking Subaru measurements, then eyed him from various angles.

Olstein: [Yes, yes… I think I got just the outfit!]

Olstein then set about feverishly and masterfully producing a fresh set of bespoke clothes for Subaru. New black trousers. A fine black shirt and charcoal grey vest. A white button-up jacket, one fit for travel as well as rubbing elbows in sophisticated functions. Black cuffed leather boots, which he “borrowed” from the cobbler next door. He explained the cobbler was a cousin of his, and that he would understand. Subaru hoped this was the case. He almost made Subaru a new scarf, too. However –

Subaru: [Actually… I think I’m kinda fond of this piece. Besides, you’ve already made so much, and I have no means of paying!]

Olstein: [Oh, please! You don’t owe a thing, Subaru-sama!]

Subaru: [May I ask why you all keep referring to me like that?]

Olstein and his wife looked at each other rather confusedly. Conlan looked back and forth between his mother and father, sharing in their befuddlement. Subaru himself was concerned by their incomprehension. Was there something he was missing?

Beatrice: [Subaru, Betty has the impression that it wasn’t just Costuul arrested by the Great Rabbit, in fact.]

Subaru: [… oh. Oh, I’m an idiot… the kingdom was already economical depressed before the Royal Selection began, wasn’t it?]

He began putting the pieces together immediately after his partner expressed her hypothesis. Recent events had been a whirlwind, so it was understandable that some details would get pushed from the fore of his mind. With the Great Rabbit running rampant in the heart of the kingdom, trade had been thrown into disarray. On top of that, Puck’s snowstorm, which had caused the Great Rabbit to emerge due to the concentration of mana laced within the precipitation, seriously damaged the kingdom’s agricultural sector. It was something he privately postulated before, prior to arriving in Costuul. He was beginning to see how correct he had been.

Olstein: [What you and your companions have achieved… it’s just what this kingdom needed, Subaru-sama.]

Olstein handed him the carefully folded clothes in a silk bag, bowing his head respectfully. It was like a knight being bequeathed a sword. There was a bizarre gravitas as he accepted the gift.

Subaru: [… thank you, Olstein.]

Olstein: [To be thanked after all you’ve done… you truly are a humble one, Subaru-sama!]

The tailor continued to conflate Subaru’s meekness for humility. The “hero” had to wonder how many other people would come to view him this way. He went into a changing room to try on his new clothes. They fit like a glove.

He and Beatrice then signed their names on Conlan’s poster. It felt profoundly dreamlike to him, having memorabilia attributed to him and his friends. He was so lost that he signed his name in kanji instead of the runic script of these lands. Beatrice’s signature was elegant, as he had suspected it would be. He had never seen her writing before. They then presented it to the boy.

Subaru: [Here! We’ll be sure to bring Bastian by at some point, so that way you can have the whole set!]

Conlan: [Thank you!]

The boy stared at his poster with shimmering eyes. His parents appeared quite charmed by the sight. Subaru himself was touched by the moment, smiling like a fool. Even Beatrice was smiling, something typically reserved for moments divorced of strangers.

Reia: [My, they’re so down to earth, aren’t they, dear?]

Olstein: [Indeed! Will you be needing a place to stay this evening?]

Subaru knew they were asking this question for two reasons. First, they were just kind folks. Second, because he had already told them he had insufficient funds. If he couldn’t pay for clothes, what hope did he have for being able to afford a night at an inn? Fortunately, they already knew what they needed to get by.

Subaru: [That’s very kind of you but won’t be necessary! We’re actually here to visit an old friend.]

Conlan: [Reinhard’s an old friend of yours?!]

Subaru: [Yup! He helped me out when I first arrived in the Capital. I just wanted to catch up with him…]

He felt Beatrice’s hand tighten as they further discussed visiting the Sword Saint. He looked at her peripherally, trying to figure out what was the matter without drawing the attention of their benefactors. Then, it began to click.

There had been several times where mentioning Reinhard had made her uncomfortable. Even Bastian had noticed it, having brought it up before they disembarked. He tried to think of what other things might make her uncomfortable, trying to find a causal link here. He knew she was uncomfortable around strangers, but she seemed mostly fine so long as Subaru was around. As such, it didn’t seem to line up with the discomfort pertaining to mentions of Reinhard. Aside from that, only mentions of the snow seemed to make her unhappy.

How was Reinhard connected to the snow? The answer became immediately obvious to him.

Subaru: [We, uh… won’t be staying long, though.]

Beatrice looked up at him hopefully, her butterfly irises seeming to flap their wings from their shimmering. He suspected his answer had been right, though it did throw a major wrench in the future plans he had been strongly considering before. For now, he hoped she could perhaps come to forgive Reinhard for slaying her Bubby.

Subaru: [Thank you for your kindness!]

Olstein: [No, sir, thank you for your service!]

Reia: [Take care, Subaru-sama!]

Conlan: [Say hi to the Sword Saint for me!]

The tailor’s family all bid them farewell as they exited the shop. In the silk bag Subaru’s new clothes had been given to him in were now his old clothes, save for his scarf. He had tucked his slacks into cuffed boots, thinking it might help keep him warmer, like tucking one’s sleeves into their gloves in the winter. He simultaneously appeared refined and well-traveled.

Garfiel: [Woah, boss? Ya got some new duds after all?]

They met back up with their carriage in the square they had split up at earlier. Bastian and Meili emerged, similarly surprised to Garfiel, who dismounted from the carriage to meet Subaru and Beatrice. They all looked Subaru up and down, examining his new threads.

Bastian: [How much do we owe?]

Subaru: [Nothing… though we do need you to stop by this tailor’s shop before we head out at some point.]

Bastian tilted his head at his companion, not comprehending why he would need to go to a tailor. The clothes Frederica had given him from the Miload townhouse were perhaps a little worse for wear after the fight against Clind, but were still fine, for the most part.

Subaru: [You, uh… need to sign his son’s poster.]

Bastian: [Sign his poster? That how you paid…?]

The swordsman looked around to see one of the posters Subaru was talking about. He didn’t have to look hard. The town had evidently taken the good news from Costuul and ran with it. You would almost expect the kingdom to have been flawlessly victorious in a war. He narrowed his eyes at the notion of him signing anything.

Garfiel: [Heh, guess you guys’re becomin’ celebrities, eh? My ‘mazin’ self’ll be joinin’ ya soon ‘nuff!]

Subaru almost mistook his aspirational boast as a declaration of intent to join him and his companions. Of course, he was keenly aware of his young friend’s ambitions. He somehow doubted Garfiel could become “the strongest” under his watch.

Bastian: [Will sign it. At any rate, those clothes suit you.]

Garfiel: [Yeah, looks like ‘e’s goin’ places!]

Meili: [He doesn’t look like a beggar anymore.~]

Beatrice: [He looks like a hero, in fact, though Betty had already thought so before.]

Varying degrees of compliments were heaped onto him. He had been given enough to last him many months as it was. He anxiously wanted to change the subject.

Subaru: [Anyway! Did you guys happen to find out where we’re going?]

Bastian: [Due north. Missed a turn, apparently. Don’t think Ferris intentionally misled us, though.]

Garfiel: [Think yer bein’ a might bit generous to th’ cat, Bastian…]

Bastian: [Healed me. Earned my benefit of the doubt. Besides, how often do you think he traveled out this way? Probably too busy helping Crusch, tending to Royal Guard matters.]

Garfiel groused under his breath, likely still complaining about Ferris. The two hadn’t exactly gotten along in their brief time under the same roof. Subaru, meanwhile, assessed the time. The sun was nearing the horizon. He frowned.

Subaru: [It’s getting late… we need to make our way up to his estate. Let’s get moving, everyone.]

The band loaded into their carriage and departed from Flanders for the time being. They would need to return in order to sign young Conlan’s poster before leaving for the Capital, but it was worth it, as far as Subaru was concerned.

The distance from Flanders to the Astrea Estate wasn’t too far, no further than Roswaal’s main mansion was from Costuul. It was less than an hour away by ground dragon carriage, giving Subaru and his companions some time to unwind yet again. Beatrice was becoming noticeably uncomfortable, clutching her new Subaru doll ever tighter as they got closer to their destination. It didn’t escape Subaru’s notice, though he wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. He was aware of the matter’s delicacy.

Fortunately, he could think of at least one thing to talk about.

Subaru: [Even with all of the messengers Garfiel sent out, it still feels kinda crazy that word has spread this far so quickly. I mean, it’s only been a few days since we beat the Great Rabbit.]

Bastian: [Word probably spread in cascade. Messengers arrived in towns and villages, spreading the news. Then, messengers from those towns and villages dispatched in kind.]

Beatrice: [That sounds plausible, I suppose. If that is the case, then our deed is likely already well-known in the Capital, in fact.]

Subaru: [Being well-known in the Capital… oh boy…]

Given the scene in Flanders, he could only imagine what returning to the Capital would be like. His mind began chasing all of the possibilities. Would his shameful display from months prior be forgotten? Would anyone have even remembered it by now? What would the people there say? How could he expect to be greeted?

Bastian: [Have worries about returning to the Capital? Wouldn’t worry about.]

Subaru: [You make it sound so easy…]

Bastian: [Remember, most people likely never knew you fled. Crusch, a duchess, didn’t know. She’d originally assumed you died. Most probably did, too.]

Beatrice: [Stop saying such mean-spirited things, in fact!]

The petite spirit snapped at the swordsman. She was still his most ardent supporter, warding off any criticism that came his way. She was like a mother who was convinced her child was infallible and angelic. It was touching, though even Subaru felt it was often somewhat misplaced.

Bastian: [Apologies, Beatrice-sama.]

Subaru: [No, he may have a point… honestly, I’m actually kinda hoping he’s right. If that city forgot about me, that’d be for the best. Only thing I was known for there was proclaiming myself to be a knight and getting my ass handed to me by Julius. Being thought of as dead wouldn’t be so bad by comparison…]

Bastian: [Well, anyone who thought you were dead before will know differently know. May prompt them to remember. May not. Only one way to find out.]

Subaru: [… gee, thanks, Bastian.]

Bastian: [Only trying to remain objective, honest.]

Beatrice: [It wouldn’t hurt you to be more considerate in your delivery of your honesty, in fact!]

Subaru: [Wait, guys, c’mon – woah!]

It was as they started arguing that the carriage came to a sudden halt, jarring everyone within. Meili nearly fell out of her seat, only to be braced by Bastian. Beatrice, being light as a feather, actually bounced out of her seat, bumping her tiny-crowned head on the carriage’s ceiling. Subaru began gently patting her head.

Subaru: [You alright, Beako?]

Beatrice: [Betty’s fine, I suppose… what does that razor-toothed fool think he’s doing, in fact?!]

Meili: [Maybe something got him.~]

Bastian: [Have a terrible sense of humor. Besides, get the feeling he wouldn’t go down so easily.]

Suddenly, the window to the driver’s seat opened up.

Garfiel: [Sorry ‘bout that, errybody! Somebody flaggin’ us up ahead. Didn’t wanna run ‘em over.]

Subaru: [Someone’s flagging us down? Out here?]

He didn’t wonder for very long who it could be. Without another word, he opened the door to the carriage and hopped out. The others hopped out with him. Beatrice wanted to stay close to her partner. Bastian wanted to keep an eye on them, ready to act if need be. Meili was last, though even she didn’t know why she bothered. In all of the excitement, she could have made a break for it. No one would have noticed until it was already too late. Only she was aware of this peculiarity as she followed them.

In the distance, a figure could be made out. A man was indeed waving them down. It was now just dark enough for figures so far away from them to be unidentifiable. They had to light lanterns in order to see the roads more easily. Visibility didn’t seem to exist for the man in the distance.

???: [Subaru? Is that you?]

It was a pleasant, familiar voice. Stepping out of the shadow and into the lantern’s light was a man with flaming red hair and piercing blue eyes. Beatrice quickly scuttled behind Subaru, shielding herself from the man, quivering.

Subaru: [… Reinhard.]

Reinhard: [… it really is you, friend.]

The Sword Saint had been slack jawed at the sight of his friend. For his part, Subaru was just as awed. He recalled meeting Reinhard for the first time. It felt as though he were the very definition of “hero.” That sense remained even now, after so long. Reinhard’s surprised expression was swiftly exchanged for a friendly smile.

Reinhard: [It’s so good to see you again!]

Chapter Text

Reinhard: [It’s so good to see you again!]

The Sword Saint beamed at Subaru as he stood about a few meters away on the lantern-lit road. His friendly smile froze Subaru where he stood. It was the first time someone he had known from before his flight from Lugunica had been happy to see him. Where the Crusch Camp had approached him with reservation, the Sword Saint eschewed all hints of suspicion. Actually, to say he eschewed such skepticism wouldn’t be accurate. Reinhard simply didn’t entertain such cynical pragmatism.

Subaru: [I… I’m sorry for, er… being late.]

Subaru had to be mindful of Garfiel’s presence here. The blonde youth was the only one in his party who didn’t know that he had ran away months ago. He kept his words vague while maintaining sincerity, a delicate balancing act that he was becoming unfortunately artful at performing.

Reinhard: [Hm? Yes, it is rather late. You all appear to have been traveling for some time. Please, stay the night at my family’s estate! I’m sure Felt would be pleased to see you again.]

Subaru: [Really? Her too?]

Reinhard: [What, are you surprised there are people who feared what had become of you? That feels oddly like you, though…]

The Sword Saint’s eyes panned down to the Great Spirit shrinking behind Subaru. He could only make out one of her eyes, staring at him warily.

Reinhard: [Subaru, you never told me you were a Spirit Arts user. You really do keep the surprises coming!]

Subaru: [Oh, uh… that’s a fairly recent development, actually.]

He smiled as he turned to pat his contracted spirit’s head. She maneuvered to stay as concealed from Reinhard as possible, like a frightened animal. It gnawed at Subaru internally, knowing all too well now why this was. The sight didn’t escape Reinhard, either, though he lacked the context that only Subaru and Bastian possessed.

Reinhard: [I’m sorry! Spirits tend to get a bit stirred up in my presence. I’m not really sure why…]

Beatrice: [S-Stirred up is quite a way to describe it, in fact!]

Subaru: [Beako…]

Her voice trembled with an undercurrent of scorn in Reinhard’s direction. It shook the knight just a bit, though he was quick to recover. He was rather well-composed, and perceptive, as well.

Reinhard: [It seems I’ve upset her… was it something I said?]

Beatrice: [More like something you did, in fact… Betty will say no more, though…]

Subaru pulled her to his side for a hug, knowing she could use the support right now. Evidently, being around Reinhard was hard on her in more ways than one. As if Reinhard being Puck’s executioner hadn’t been enough, it seemed his very presence held considerable sway over spirits. He recalled that Reinhard’s presence prevented Emilia from using her magic way back during the struggle against Elsa in the Capital’s slums. He knew that the Sword Saint also seemed to be a living area of denial for magic users due to his insane mana pull.

All told, he was every bit the absurd entity that Subaru regarded him to be.

Bastian: [Odd. Not sensing any disarray from Ris. Singing Blade should be vibrating like mad right now if what you say is true.]

Subaru: [Huh?]

Subaru looked to Bastian as he spoke up, noticing that the ornate sword on his hip was indeed quite still. Reinhard similarly looked at Subaru’s companion, a stranger to him. He narrowed his eyes briefly at the Gustekan, then smiled.

Reinhard: [I see. I believe I have the full picture. You have my thanks for helping my friend. Truth be told, I had thought him to be dead.]

Bastian gave a subtle knowing look to Subaru, who sharply looked away. He didn’t want to hear any “I told you so” witticisms from the swordsman, especially not over something so gloomy.

Reinhard: [… at least, I had thought that before recently. A day or so ago, posters began cropping up all over nearby Flanders.]

Garfiel: [Yeah, we already saw ‘em. The boss n’ his pals’re somethin’ else!]

Reinhard: [Yes, they sure are! Seeing Subaru’s face on that poster sure did take me by surprise. To think, he would be one of those responsible for slaying the Great Rabbit that has paralyzed this kingdom for months! One of the Three Great Witch Beasts, which intermittently terrorized the kingdom for centuries! You’re a true hero, my dear friend!]

Subaru: [Oh, uh, I dunno about – hk!]

He was about to protest, but Beatrice kicked him in the leg. She clearly didn’t appreciate her contractor trying to reduce himself to some lower station.

Subaru: [… maybe we should start over. You probably don’t know anyone here, huh?]

Reinhard: [I’m afraid to say I’m at quite the disadvantage!]

The Sword Saint meekly rubbed the back of his neck, his voice radiating humility. Subaru couldn’t help but feel he was in the presence of the protagonist, himself just a side character in own story. Clearing his throat to shake off this bizarre feeling, he proceeded to introduce his companions.

Subaru: [This little cutey here is Beatrice, my contract spirit. Please be patient with her, she doesn’t do well around strangers!]

Beatrice: [S-Subaru!]

The petite spirit huffed at her contractor’s frank assessment of her disposition. She could hardly deny there was a heap of truth to his statement, though it didn’t mesh well with the present context. It did, however, serve to conceal the true source of her ire for the Sword Saint for the time being.

Subaru: [The guy driving the carriage here is Garfiel. He’s a big fan of yours, I think.]

Garfiel: [“Big fan,” huh…]

Garfiel seemed a bit confused as to what Subaru was getting at. Perhaps there was something he had failed to mention to his “boss” in regards to his outlook on the Sword Saint.

Subaru: [The little girl peeking out of the carriage holding a doll in your likeness is Meili.]

Meili: [I didn’t ask for this specific doll, you know.~]

Subaru: [Well, I wanted you to feel at ease in our group. I figured if anyone would have a calming effect in doll form, it’d be Reinhard.]

Reinhard: [You’re much too kind, Subaru!]

The knight smiled nervously at the rationale behind the doll in Meili’s hands. Despite her protestation, she was clutching it close to her. She didn’t seem to be starstruck by his presence, though. Subaru privately supposed it was probably just the thought behind the doll that made it precious to her.

Subaru: [And that just leaves this guy here, Bastian. I came up with the plan to defeat the Great Rabbit, but if it weren’t for his Spirit Arts, I wouldn’t have been able to pull it off.]

Bastian: [Maybe. Maybe not.]

Reinhard: [You’re an awfully long way from Gusteko, Sir Bastian. What brings you an Acolyte Knight to Lugunica?]

Garfiel: [Hol’ up. “Sir Bastian?” “Acolyte Knight?”]

Garfiel spoke up. He had been ruminating on how Subaru had introduced him to Reinhard, only for Reinhard’s words to wreck his train of thought.

Reinhard: [You mean you haven’t noticed? The medallion around his neck. It denotes him as one of that Holy Order.]

Garfiel: [… oh. So that’s what that Odglass business was ‘bout…]

Garfiel felt a wash of shame as he smacked his forehead. He had failed to even pay the ornament around his ally’s neck any heed since they had met. He had even missed a more explicit mention of Bastian’s knighthood back at Crusch’s mansion, having been too preoccupied with keeping an eye on Wilhelm in the parlor. Most explicitly of all was Bastian’s mention of his oath with Odglass preventing him from receiving healing from other spirits. He felt foolish, but this was quickly replaced with feelings of suspicion.

Garfiel: [Yeah, what does bring a Gustekan ‘ere anyway?]

Bastian glanced over at Subaru in his peripheral vision. His companion’s eyes were wincing a bit, clearly indicating discomfort with the present situation. It was obvious to the disgraced knight that his friend wished to keep the truth concealed, though for how much longer it could be avoided was uncertain. He only knew he wouldn’t be the one to force his friend’s hand. Not yet at least.

Bastian: [… met him in my travels. Decided to help him mourn, make amends.]

He tried to keep things vague, leaving room for interpretation. He wouldn’t be the one to sell out his friend. Unfortunately, as previously stated, the Sword Saint was quite perceptive.

Reinhard: [Hm? Subaru, you traveled to Gusteko?]

The flame-haired knight looked over at Subaru. He became a deer in headlights. Evidently, Reinhard had chosen to interpret Bastian’s mention of meeting him in his travels as having occurred in Gusteko. He had correctly ascertained that an Acolyte Knight never strays from the borders of their holy homeland unless ordered to do so by the Holy King himself, he who was effectively the voice of the kingmaker Odglass.

He couldn’t lie to his friend. Not after having been treated so kindly. He briefly considered leaning into Beatrice’s rationalization of his inconsistencies, but found it wouldn’t fit neatly in this situation, as the present concern was spatial in nature, not temporal. It wasn’t quite the catch all he needed it to be. The only thread he could grasp on in that regard would be how he had tried to seek Reinhard’s aid during those tumultuous, tragic days, but he had been away tending to a courtesy call. Bringing up such a thing would only devastate his friend, though, the only friend from before who had been happy to see him again from the outset, no warming up required.

He looked over at Bastian, who appeared faintly contrite. He had tried, though his friend wasn’t much for lying or bending the truth. He had even mentioned a distaste for lying early in their travels together, noting that it was easier living through the truth. He felt a pang of guilt as he realized his friend had compromised his ideals on his account.

Subaru: [… yes. I… I ran away from Lugunica to Gusteko several months ago. I’m so sorry.]

He bowed his head in deep penitence. Beatrice grasped his jacket, trying to get him to stand up straight again. She didn’t want her contractor, a hero, to appear so ashamed. Garfiel looked on, at a loss for words. Out of everyone’s view, Subaru’s face was contorted by deep anguish. He felt his tear ducts would betray him yet again. Like with the Crusch Camp, he had some explaining to do.

Subaru: [… there was nothing I could do to save them. The Witch Cult… the White Whale… there was no one who could or would help me. So, I just ran.]

Beatrice loosened her grip on his jacket as he gave his brief, sad story. The version she had heard was more robust and circuitous due to what she believed to be some form of grand Yin Magic on Subaru’s part. She wouldn’t offer up a single word of that story, though. As much as she wanted to defend him at this moment, when he himself was seeming to refuse to do so, it was a story that would remain between her and her contractor.

For his part, Subaru also wanted to keep this tale to a minimum. He was beginning to believe he had pushed his luck with Beatrice’s rationalization. He began to figure that minimizing the number of people who were aware of this story would be for the best.

Having offered his sorry, truncated tale, Subaru began to sniffle. Then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked at the hand resting on his shoulder, stupefied. Sure enough, it was Reinhard’s black gloved hand. It had scarcely registered that the knight was wearing his “casual” clothes.

Reinhard: [If you say there was nothing you could do, then there is no shame in abandoning a hopeless situation. Honestly, I’m just glad you’re okay, friend!]

There was that word again. Friend. The fragile dam holding back Subaru’s emotions failed on the spot as he began weeping.

Subaru: [You’re… too kind… impossibly kind…]

It was a touching sight, the two friends reuniting, one comforting the other. Bastian was certainly glad about it, as he watched them the same way he had watched Subaru and Beatrice as they had walked away from the ruins of Roswaal’s mansion. He smiled faintly. “Progress,” he must have thought to himself. He had been neutral on the Sword Saint earlier but was now warming up to him.

Meili was still peeking from the carriage, feeling somewhat guilty for doing so. She had been growing fonder of her “big brother” as of late. It no longer felt good to watch him suffer. Had she lost her taste for such overt emotional sadism? It did seem more sour to her at this moment as she glanced down at the doll he had made for her.

Even Beatrice was warmed by the sight, though she had retreated behind Bastian due to Reinhard’s proximity to her contractor. It made her feel cowardly and ashamed to not remain by her contractor’s side at this moment. Fortunately, Bastian was too absorbed by the scene, otherwise he wouldn’t know what to do with the sudden blessing of a Great Spirit recognizing him as a worthy hiding place.

Garfiel was the only one whose heart was not warmed by the sight. He instead averted his gaze from the scene of friendship, staring at the ground, puzzling. This unexpected development had disturbed him, but he wouldn’t start anything here, in front of the Sword Saint. Hot head though he was, he recognized the importance of timing.

Reinhard: [Come now, Subaru. It’s late. You and your friends should spend the night. We were actually about to have dinner. Later than usual, I should note. Lady Felt is as rambunctious as ever…]

Subaru: [Yeah… I don’t doubt it…]

He replied in between sniffles as he stood up straight once more.

Reinhard: [I’ll sit up front with Garfiel as we make our back to my family’s estate. I don’t want to make your contracted spirit any more uncomfortable than I already have.]

Subaru: [Yeah… that’s appreciated.]

He almost apologized on Beatrice’s behalf, but caught himself before doing so. He was glad he did. There was nothing for which his partner had to feel sorry about. He knew how difficult this situation was for her. It had actually proven more difficult than anticipated, as Reinhard’s spiritual pull had Beatrice in a tug of war between it and her contract with Subaru. It likely felt grossly unfair to the petite spirit to be pulled in such a fashion by Reinhard of all people.

The situation thusly resolved more or less favorably, as far as Subaru could tell. Reinhard took his seat by Garfiel as the others returned to their seats within the carriage’s cabin. They rode off toward the Astrea Estate, where another reunion awaited them.

***

Though not quite as grand as Roswaal’s mansions, the Astrea Estate was certainly one of the finer mansions in the kingdom. Given its connection to the bloodline of the Sword Saints, it only made sense for such heroes to possess such an abode. Subaru considered it better than Roswaal’s mansions, if only because of the negative associations he had developed for the former margrave.

As dark out as it was, with the sun no longer even on the horizon, it was surprisingly bright at the Astrea Estate. Lights illuminated virtually all of the windows. Subaru somehow doubted these lights were mere candles, suspecting crystals lamps were instead the source of the dazzlingly lit mansion.

Standing at the stairs to the mansion’s front door was a gentleman with short white hair. He was in a butler uniform, not too different from the one Wilhelm sported. As Garfiel slowed the carriage to a stop, the butler approached to open the door to the cabin, to assist the passengers on their way out.

Subaru: [Oh, uh, thanks, mister…?]

Reinhard: [Oh, that’s Grimm. He doesn’t talk much, I’m afraid, but don’t take it personally!]

Subaru: [Don’t take it…? Oh.]

Upon closer inspection, he saw that the butler named Grimm had a scar running along his neck. It was clearly well healed, though impossible to overlook. Subaru then looked up from the butler’s neck to the man’s face. He was smiling pleasantly, despite Subaru’s gawking.

Subaru: [I’m so sorry!]

Grimm shook his head gingerly, his smile seeming to communicate that no offense had been taken. It was entirely possible he was used to this, implying that the scar had been incurred quite some time ago.

Meili: [Wow, he could give you a run for your money, huh, Mister Listless?]

Bastian: [Have some tact.]

Meili stuck her tongue out at the disgraced swordsman as she accepted Grimm’s help out of the carriage. The butler’s smile took a discomforted turn, as though to say, “kids say the darnedest things.” He also seemed to be accustomed to mischievous children. Bastian felt dearly for the man, then began to ponder if the same fate was to be his someday. He shuddered as he accepted Grimm’s hand.

Bastian: [Much obliged, sir.]

Grimm nodded as the discomfort faded from his smile. He was such a cheerful elderly gentleman, standing in stark contrast to the head butler of the Crusch Camp.

Subaru opted to help Beatrice out of the carriage’s cabin himself. Grimm seemed somewhat confused by this display, looking to Reinhard for some sort of confirmation.

Reinhard: [She’s his contract spirit, Grimm. Don’t take it personally.]

Grimm nodded in acknowledgement, his confusion immediately dissipating as his cheer returned to him.

Garfiel deftly leapt from the driver’s seat, clearly showing off in front of the Sword Saint. He looked back to see if Reinhard had paid it any attention, but it didn’t seem to have been noticed at all, to the young man’s chagrin.

Grimm then led them into the foyer of the mansion, where they were greeted by a flurry of activity. There was a well-dressed older woman walking with two young girls, one with peach hair and the other with pink hair. There was a kid, or perhaps a very, very short man scurrying about in fine robes, clearly curious about the new arrivals. They seemed vaguely familiar to Subaru, though much had happened to him in the last few months. He could be forgiven for forgetting someone he had met only once. One face stood out amidst the strangers as immediately recognizable, though.

???: [Hm? Well, I’ll be damned! How ya doin’, kid?]

Subaru: [Old Man Rom! Man, it’s been ages since I saw you last!]

Rom: [Believe last time ya saw me, I was bein’ tackled by a buncha knights.]

Subaru: [Heh-heh, yeah, that certainly did happen…]

He felt awkward. He had forgotten about the giant’s infiltration of the first meeting of the Royal Selection.

Subaru: [Had it not been for that startling event, Felt would’ve dropped out of the race.]

Rom: [Yeah, she’s really shaped up since then, though. Think that earnin’ our camp some clout in dealin’ with that rampagin’ spirit prob’ly helped a lot.]

Subaru: [… yeah, I’m… I’m sure it did.]

He felt Beatrice’s grip on his hand tighten. He had hoped mentions of the slaying of Puck could be avoided, but it was plain to see that this hope was in vain. Defeating Puck and ending the relentless blizzard was the chief feather in the Felt Camp’s cap, with the Crusch, Anastasia, and Priscilla Camps stepping up to alleviate the burdens imposed by the Great Rabbit situation that had followed in the wake of that mana-laden snow. It could be said that the Felt Camp had redeemed itself somewhat from their first impressions, as Felt’s radical platform had originally shaken the nobility and knights to their core. Rankings were still up in the air, though this concern was far from Subaru’s mind at the moment.

Rom: [You okay kid?]

Bastian: [Best to avoid that subject around him and his contract spirit.]

Rom: [Hm?]

Rom seemed to size up Bastian for a moment. The blank stare of the swordsman’s soulless eyes didn’t tell the giant much, though. He decided changing the subject may be for the best.

Rom: [Anyway, ya look rough, kid. When was the last time you slept?]

Despite his new attire, he looked rather rough in the face. He still had bags under his eyes, which he doubted would ever leave him for good. He had a scar near his hairline where he had been struck by a pyroxene crystal. His cheeks were still rather gaunt, though had filled in somewhat since his return to Lugunica. He was improving ever so slowly, but he was still a shadow of his old self.

Subaru: [I wish I could call that an exaggeration on your part… meanwhile, you’ve changed a lot, yourself. Kinda odd seeing you in such official clothes…]

Rom was certainly a far cry from the thug he had appeared to have been months ago. He still looked like he could rip a man’s head off with his bear hands, but he was dressed in more dapper attire than he had previously worn. It was a bit dissonant to Subaru’s eyes. He also imagined that the tailor bill must have been pricey, given the amount of cloth and labor such clothes must have entailed.

Rom: [Ha! You should see the three goons if ya find it so amusin’.]

Subaru: [“Three goons?” No way, you mean Tonchinkan’s here, too?!]

Tonchinkan. A ham-fisted portmanteau of the nicknames of the three thugs who had tried to mug Subaru several times in several loops. Ton, short for Gaston; Chin, short for Rachins; and Kan, short for Camberly. Two humans and a dwarf. Subaru had mixed feelings about the hapless trio. They had killed him on several occasions, but they were easily warded off when confronted by bigger fish. He found it frankly astonishing the three had joined a political faction, until he remembered who it was they had joined. He figured they probably stood much to gain from turning the established order on its head.

The energy in the foyer was palpable. Were it not for the tension between Reinhard and Beatrice, he honestly could see himself thriving in such an environment, even with Tonchinkan in the mix.

???: [Hey! C’mon, everyone! Dinner’s ready already! I swear… hm?]

The voice of an impatient, feisty young woman tore through the air. Subaru remembered that voice well from his first day in this world, demanding that everyone get out of her way. He had thought back then that she was going to save him from Tonchinkan, only to be utterly let down as she swiftly abandoned him.

Of course, things ended up more amicably between him and Felt since then.

Felt: [Hey, big bro! Rein and I thought you were dead!]

He was somewhat happy to be so well-received, even if she so off-handedly brought up that dour supposition he so loathed. Her referring to him as “big bro” was a pleasant change of pace. He had never had any siblings back home.

While she was as keyed up and spirited as usual, much like her surrogate grandfather, her attire had changed from how he remembered it. Her midriff was still exposed, but she had otherwise opted to dress up more. Subaru wondered if this was Reinhard’s way of being protective of his candidate, or if this had been of her own volition. She wore a vest and a long sleeved black shirt. She still wore shorts but had black tights underneath. Previously, she had worn something similar, albeit asymmetrical, with one leg looking almost like spats from his world. Of course, her trademark red scarf was still around her neck, as was the black bandana in her short golden blonde hair. He would say she still appeared roguish on the whole, though less rough around the edges as she had appeared prior to the first meeting of the Royal Selection. Somehow, he knew all along she would eschew that dress she had been forced into at the first opportunity she could find.

Subaru: [You’re way too chipper in saying such things, y’know…]

He peered over at Bastian again. Fortunately, he wasn’t going to belabor the point. He knew Subaru knew he had been right in his guess. People really did think he had died.

Felt: [Well, what’re you doing standing around for? C’mon! Dinner’s been ready for a bit already. Carol did the cooking, so you’re in for a treat!]

Subaru: [Carol? Who’s that?]

Felt: [She’s the lady with the twins following her around. She’s married to Ol’ Grimm over there. Apparently she used to serve the previous Sword Saint or something, I dunno.]

She spoke as flippantly as ever. It was clear she did respect Carol for her cooking skills at least, though had little regard for her ties to the Sword Saint. No doubt her one-sidedly standoffish dynamic with Reinhard had been projected onto the station of Sword Saint as a whole, as well.

Felt: [C’mon, enough about that stuff! I wanna catch up. It’s been a while, y’know?]

Subaru: [Yeah, a lot’s certainly happened.]

They all made their way to the dining hall. It was perhaps a little bigger than the one back at the Karsten Estate, though not by much. It had a surprisingly cozy feel for such a large room, something granted to it from the rustic appearance of the table setting. No table clothes or placemats were in sight. It was a wooden table, plain and simple. No doubt Felt had done away with such unnecessary adornments. Only the fine silver cutlery remained, though Subaru suspected she would have done away with that too if she could, perhaps swapping them for wooden utensils.

The food Carol had prepared was a fine roast of falo, something he hadn’t eaten in some time. Seasoned with complimentary herbs and accompanied by a variety of hearty vegetables.

Subaru: [I heard somewhere that falo were once referred to as “grim oxen.” That true?]

Bastian: [Ages ago, sure. Please don’t make any ill-advised jokes.]

Subaru: [Eh? Why would I… oh wow, you totally preempted me.]

The sheer coincidence of their former name of their dinner and the name of their chief butler for the evening didn’t escape him, though Bastian had surprisingly connected those dots first. The taciturn swordsman was becoming less humorless over time, a welcome change in Subaru’s book.

Gathered at the table was the entirety of the Felt Camp, including the servants. This stood in stark contrast with the Crusch Camp as far as Subaru could tell. Wilhelm felt like a special exception if only due to the warrior’s aura he gave off. Otherwise, servants didn’t join them at the table back at the Karsten Estate. He figured there were other key players in the Crusch Camp, but they must have been too busy planning their next move. The Crusch Camp seemed to always be planning something. Meanwhile, the Felt Camp had everyone at the table, not a single person unaccounted for, no one engrossed in matters of business or strategy. It was more laidback than strict, more casual than professional, more diffuse than stratified.

Grimm sat next to Carol. The two really did seem like a doting old married couple, though Grimm seemed younger relative to his wife. Next to them were the twins, who sat across from Beatrice and Meili. He understood their names to be Flam and Grassis, and that they shared a surname with Carol. He was unsure if this meant that Grimm had taken his wife’s name upon their marriage, or who the twins’ parents were. They didn’t appear to be present on the manor’s grounds.

Beatrice sat as far from the head of the table as possible, putting as much distance between her and Reinhard as she could. Of course, he had abdicated the head of the table, giving the seat to Felt. He was always doing such things, much to her annoyance. Garfiel sat by Meili, and next to him was Bastian.

This put Subaru between the Sword Saint and the disgraced Acolyte Knight, a fact they were doing well to conceal, certainly better than Subaru’s flight. Opposite of Reinhard at Felt’s left hand was Rom. The short, boyish man in the fine robes, a mage named Ezzo, sat left of the Remendis Twins. He seemed to be observing the new arrivals very closely. To the left of him were Ton, Chin, and Kan, respectively. They unknowingly borrowed a page from Beatrice’s book, sitting themselves as far from Subaru as possible. They seemed wary of him.

Subaru: [Hey Rein, what’s up with them?]

Reinhard: [Hm… they do seem awfully spooked to see you. Should I say something to them? Perhaps remind them of their manners?]

The Sword Saint had said this with the utmost politeness, but the three former thugs recoiled all the same. Reinhard was confused at their reaction.

Subaru: [Oh no, that won’t be necessary! I’m sure they’re just surprised to see me, is all. They probably thought I was dead, too.]

He looked over at them with his weary sanpakugan eyes. He thought he looked tired in a mellow way, but their reaction betrayed this perception. The brand of tiredness they saw was of the “don’t test me” variety. They were sweating bullets.

Bastian: [Could also be our deed that’s got them nervous of you.]

Subaru: [Oh? But everyone else has been relieved up until this point…]

Bastian: [Yeah. Sounds like you all have some history, though. Wouldn’t doubt if they see you as someone who is powerful, to be feared.]

Subaru: [… I don’t like that, though. I don’t wanna be feared. Well, not by them, at least.]

He certainly didn’t mind if Roswaal feared him anymore, or Clind for that matter. Then there was the matter of the Witch Cult. He definitely didn’t mind if they feared him anymore.

Felt: [Hey, hey! Are you gonna just chat amongst yourselves, or are you gonna catch us up to speed here?]

The former thief was as demanding as ever. She wanted to know the same story Crusch had wanted to know just about a day ago at this point. It was understandable, and he had known he would need to explain himself to Felt and company, even if they hadn’t framed it as an interrogation as Crusch had. Despite knowing full well what he would have to do, he still dreaded dredging up the past before his friends and strangers.

Subaru was lucky to have Reinhard as a friend. He picked up on his friend’s trepidation, and intervened.

Reinhard: [From what he told me, Lady Felt, he had faced great adversity around the time the White Whale was terrorizing the Lifaus Highway. It prevented him from helping Emilia. With no allies available to him, he opted to flee the country.]

Felt: [Flee the…? Did you really do that, big bro?]

Subaru: [… there was nothing I could to save them. I was never gonna make it back in time, and I feared the Witch Cult would be upset about leaving the job undone. So… I ran away.]

The table fell silent. Everyone ceased eating and chatting among themselves. His admission sucked the air out of the dining hall.

Felt: [… I wish I could say I’d have helped you, but… back then, there wasn’t really much I could’ve done without this jerk.]

Felt expressed her sincere regret for not having been in a position to help Subaru while simultaneously finding space to fit in a dig against her knight. The Sword Saint could only sigh at his lady’s attitude.

Felt: [Still… looks like you’ve done well to take care of yourself, at least. You’re still breathing, yeah? Living strong.]

“Live strong.” It was a common mantra in the Capital’s slums. She herself was convinced no one there actually lived up to it, though. Nevertheless, she herself would adhere to that philosophy, believing that Subaru had done his best to live up to himself.

Subaru: [Yeah, well… truth be told, I was barely scraping by up in Gusteko.]

Felt: [Wait, you ran away to Gusteko?!]

Reinhard: [Oh my, did I not mention that?]

Felt: [No, Mister Hero, you didn’t!]

For whatever reason that title had come off as denigratory. It certainly did cause a brief spate of sadness in the Sword Saint’s disposition. The reason why escaped Subaru and his party, though Grimm and Carol did seem to understand it themselves.

Felt: [Why the hell didn’t you run somewhere more pleasant? I hear Kararagi’s kinda nice, I guess.]

She stopped just short of actually complimenting the homeland of one of her competitors. Of course Subaru had considered it back then. It had even been the first choice on his mind. This option had been swiftly cut down as he severed his bond with Rem in that cobblestone forum, however. Though he had relived that moment in his First Trial back in the Witch’s Graveyard, making better decisions than he had back then, he still found thinking back on that cruel day to be painful. He gulped as he proceeded.

Subaru: [I… couldn’t go there. Not after how I handled things with Rem.]

Felt: [Rem? Who’s that?]

Subaru: [She was the head maid under Roswaal’s employ. She was also very dear to me.]

Felt: [Oh… sorry.]

Felt was both confused and compunctious. She knew bringing up this “Rem” was clearly hard on her friend, but she could have sworn he had been head over heels for Emilia back then. She decided not to dive deeper into that subject, though. Matters of the heart were decidedly not her strongest suit.

Subaru: [I tried to get her to run away with me to Kararagi, but she refused to leave. She tried to convince me to say. She couldn’t grasp how hopeless the Emilia Camp’s situation was. So… I left her behind. I went somewhere where I knew I wouldn’t be reminded of what could’ve been, the only place left to run.]

Silence again. He always hated it when silence followed something he said. It made him paranoid of what the others were thinking, leaving him to stew in his insecurity.

Subaru: [You all probably think I’m terrible, huh? I wouldn’t blame you…]

Reinhard: [I won’t think any less of you, Subaru. You tried to reason with her. It was all you could do.]

Subaru bit his lip. He knew his friend was trying to comfort him, but his words had unintentionally backfired in that aim. “It was all you could do.” He used to tell himself that a lot a while back. Then, he learned how wrong that sentiment had been. Now, any time he heard it or anything approximating it, he could only feel terrible.

Felt: [Rein’s right! Besides, you came back, didn’t you?]

Subaru: [Well… only because this guy convinced me to.]

All eyes shifted from Subaru to Bastian as he hesitantly gestured to his right.

Reinhard: [I suspected as much. I’m very grateful to you, Bastian.]

Bastian: [Already said that earlier. No need to stress it too much.]

He raised his hand dismissively, as though to say it were no big deal or that there were nothing to worry about.

Felt: [How’d he convince you to come back, exactly?]

Subaru: [He mentioned properly mourning and making amends, things I had let fall by the wayside. I… I had been too scared to do such things alone. He said he’d help, though… first person to offer me any help in a long time at that point.]

Subaru began to settle down as the worst of the story had been told. All of his cowardice had been aired out.

Felt: [Well… thanks for helping him out, then, Bastian.]

Bastian silently nodded as he continued cutting into his roast. He’d been the only one really eating. Felt tilted her head in confoundment.

Felt: [He doesn’t talk much, does he?]

Meili: [That’s Mister Listless for you.~]

Felt: [Ha! Yeah, that’s a fitting name!]

Bastian: [Not another one…]

The swordsman grumbled as it seemed a third person had taken to the nickname that irked him so. He gulped down some wine that Grimm had poured for them earlier. He believed he would need it, though unfortunately for him, he had high tolerance.

The sight of them joking did lighten Subaru’s mood somewhat, enabling him to keep talking. Though the worst part was done, nothing about discussing his mourning was pleasant.

Subaru: [Anyway, that’s why I came back. I’ve already been to Roswaal’s mansion… er, the auxiliary one, anyway. I… buried them. Everyone. I couldn’t stand the thought of them just laying there in the cold, out in the open. No one else was gonna do it… no one else should’ve done it, either. It… had to be me.]

Reinhard: [I’m so sorry for your loss, Subaru.]

Felt: [Yeah… sorry.]

Reinhard’s face appeared sincere and sympathetic as he rested his hand one Subaru’s shoulder once more. Felt, struggling once again with such weighty emotional matters, muttered out a brief condolence of her own. She didn’t have any better words to offer, and it was obviously frustrating her. She glared down at her food, lost in thought, wondering why talking about such things had to be so hard.

While Subaru had been telling everyone the story of his flight and return to Lugunica, Garfiel was becoming agitated. His arms were folded, his foot tapping audibly. He was chomping at the bit, though to what end was unclear to everyone. His shark-like teeth were bared.

Felt: [Hm? What’s up with you, huh?]

His short-fused nature hadn’t escaped someone with a similar disposition to him. Evidently, the noise he was making agitated her in turn. Garfiel looked up as she called him out. He looked from her to Subaru, then back down at his plate. Something about the conversation was getting under his skin, but he couldn’t air this out now. He hadn’t been mindful of his physical mannerisms, but he knew better than to make a scene here and now. For the time being, he would wait.

Garfiel: [… s’nothin’.]

Felt: [… okay? Anyway, what brought you all to Costuul, anyway? Did you not even know the Great Rabbit was prowling out that way?]

Garfiel: [Nah, they didn’t. He ran away, ‘member?]

Garfiel sounded bitter as he reminded Felt of this unforgettable fact. This fact alone didn’t really explain much, though. Subaru hadn’t known of the Great Rabbit’s existence until it was already bearing down on him and his companions. Beatrice hadn’t known of its whereabouts due to having been sequestered within her Forbidden Library. Bastian hadn’t known of its whereabouts by virtue of being a Gustekan. Still, Garfiel’s words did imply what everyone knew: only someone actively in the know about Lugunica’s circumstances would have known.

Subaru: [… we were looking for Roswaal. I wanted answers, thinking he could’ve and should’ve done something to avert this whole mess. He was the court mage, after all, the best magic user in the kingdom. I thought surely if anyone stood a chance in dealing with this mess, it would’ve been him.]

Reinhard: [Obviously this was not the case… though why?]

Subaru: [Well, as it turns out…]

Relaying the truth behind House Mathers left the whole room in a state of shock, none more so than Grimm and Carol.

Carol: [Goodness, Grimm…]

Her husband nodded in affirmation of her tone, which spoke to a feeling of betrayal, bewilderment, and sadness. Evidently, these two had also been acquainted with a different Roswaal.

Subaru: [Were you two also comrades of… what was it… Roswaal J. Mathers?]

Carol: [You’re far too young to know her, though I suppose it wouldn’t be out of line entirely for you to know of her.]

Subaru: [Well, I didn’t really know of her, either. Crusch’s head butler told me about her.]

The older couple looked to each other in astonishment, then back to Subaru.

Carol: [So, you’re acquainted with Wilhelm, then?]

Subaru: [Oh? You know him, too?]

Carol: [We knew him. Once. The man’s long since forgotten what matters most…]

Carol was beginning to get upset regarding something Wilhelm had evidently forgotten or perhaps even forsaken. The only thing to sooth her was Grimm’s hand gently eclipsing hers on the dinner table. She looked at him sheepishly as he smiled sweetly at her, though it appeared a bit strained. It was as though he were wordlessly conveying to her the need to let it rest for her own sake.

It was only then that he noticed in his peripheral vision that Reinhard was frowning ever so slightly.

Subaru: [… sorry. I… I didn’t realize that was a sore subject.]

Reinhard: [It’s fine, Subaru. I’m glad that you are acquainted with my grandfather.]

Subaru: [… your grandfather?]

Bastian: [Of course. Sword Devil fought the previous Sword Saint to take over her station. Didn’t like his love having to bear such responsibility. The two wed not long after. Naturally, he and Reinhard are kin.]

Subaru stared incredulously at the swordsman who was staring pensively into his glass of wine, now nearly empty. It took him a second to notice that he was once more being stared at by most everyone.

Bastian: [… it’s a good story.]

Carol: [For a while, it certainly was. I won’t forgive that man for walking out on his family.]

Subaru: [Walking out…? No, no! This isn’t my place. I’m not gonna pry into something so… private.]

He felt disgusted with himself for having even nearly asked further questions about House Astrea’s apparent divide. He regretted having brought up Roswaal at all. He wondered if he could have avoided it, or if it would have always been necessary to properly recount the events of Costuul to his hosts. At any rate, the mood had been undeniably tarnished.

Felt: [C’mon now! Enough of this heavy stuff! Can’t we all just celebrate the fact that the Great Rabbit’s gone for good? Yeah?]

Felt shot up from her seat, slamming her hands onto the table and startling everyone in the process. She swiftly raised a glass of wine, splashing a bit out. It seemed highly inappropriate to Subaru, until he remembered that the drinking age was 15 in Lugunica and abroad. He guessed she must have been judged to have been of age by her knight, otherwise a glass wouldn’t have been poured for her at all. That said, she still looked like a kid to Subaru’s eyes, a judgment not helped by her being vertically challenged.

Everyone looked among themselves. Some shrugs were had and countenances softened. Before long, they were all raising glasses to toast.

Felt: [To the Heroes of Costuul!]

Felt Camp: [Cheers!]

Her entire camp clinked glasses with their neighbors as they offered their gratitude. Even Tonchinkan got in on it, despite their wariness around Subaru. Meili and the Remendis Twins clinked glasses of spring water instead of wine. Rom quickly knocked back his glass, holding the stemmed glass delicately between his index finger and thumb. It was like a shot of wine for the giant. Carol and Grimm seemed to savor theirs responsibly, truly the adults of the table. Bastian lamented his glass was empty, staring at it with the faintest hint of disappointment. The carafe was too far from him, and he couldn’t be bothered to ask for assistance. Felt took a sip of hers, only to wince. Her distaste for alcohol was palpable. Alcohol was an acquired taste, he supposed.

Subaru himself felt awkward. No one had asked him whether he had wanted wine or not. He covertly slid his glass over to Bastian, who took one subtle look at his comrade before silently yet graciously accepting it. As if the wine hadn’t been enough, the adulation all around him made him feel so oddly out of place. “Who are they giving cheers to here? Me? What for?” Such thoughts were abound in his mind as they continued their feast, not helped by the occasional leering glance from Garfiel. He didn’t know what it was he had said to upset his younger compatriot, but he knew ire when he saw it.

Despite that, he saw people getting along and enjoying themselves. It was a jovial, cozy atmosphere, one he hadn’t experienced since the snow festival after party way back when.

Bastian: [Should try talking with those girls, Meili.]

Meili: [Hmmmmm? Why ever should I do that, Mister Listless?]

Bastian: [Look to be about your age. Should try being more… normal.]

Meili: [Pfft, normal is overrated… though I guess it’s important to keep up appearances. Fiiiiiiiine.~]

Subaru was comforted to see Bastian take an interest in Meili’s life. He watched her like a proud parent as she began talking with Flam and Grassis. The Remendis Twins seemed about as unemotive as Bastian, something he found unnerving for children.

Subaru: [Y’know, with those matching dresses, it’s almost like they were straight out of a horror movie…]

Felt: [Did you always pay so much attention to what young girls wore? Creepy…]

Subaru: [C-Creepy?! No way, it’s not like that! It was an innocent remark!]

Bastian: [Subaru, please.]

The swordsman covered his left ear as Subaru began to get flustered. The outburst attracted Beatrice’s attention in kind. She began looking over at her contractor curiously, all while trying to avoid Reinhard’s gaze. She was rather subdued, being so far from her contractor. Since he was sat next to Reinhard, though, it couldn’t be helped. If it weren’t for the other side of the table being entirely occupied by members of the Felt Camp, she would’ve sat to the left of Kan to put even more distance between her and the Sword Saint.

Felt: [Pretty sure you were holding that blonde girl’s hand on your way in…]

Subaru: [Contract spirit! She’s my contract spirit!]

Beatrice: [Of course Betty’s your contracted partner, in fact. Please stop freaking out, I suppose.]

Beatrice let a bit of her old, standoffish self peek through for a moment as she glared over at her contractor making a bit of a scene. She looked like she had a migraine, possibly from resisting the preternatural pull of the Sword Saint.

Felt: [Ha! You two are kinda like siblings. Or, well, how I’d imagine them to be, anyway.]

Bastian: [Only child?]

Felt: [Orphan.]

Bastian: [Mm. Can relate.]

Bastian had inserted himself into the scene as it began to settle down. He had slowed his drinking now that Meili was talking with the Remendis Twins. Subaru was beginning to doubt the sincerity of his companion’s earlier effort to encourage her to socialize. He found it difficult to be critical of him at the moment, though.

Subaru: [Wait, you never told me you were an orphan, Bastian.]

The swordsman nodded wordlessly. There was a tinge of sadness on his face, though it was a muted sadness, one weathered by time.

Bastian: [Was taken into the Holy Church as an infant. Never knew my parents.]

Felt: [Rom took me in as a baby. I never knew my parents, either… but with family like that old man, I don’t need anyone else.]

She smiled as she looked over at Rom, who was cleaning his plate. It was clear they had a strong bond, though Subaru had known that since day one. On the topic of orphanhood, he began to feel like one himself. Being so irrevocably separated from his parents, he may as well have been an orphan. The thought made him feel a sudden hollowness inside. Fortunately, it would be short-lived.

Felt: [Aw, enough of that corny stuff, though! Tell me big bro, are you gonna respond to the summons?]

Subaru: [Summons?]

He stared blankly at Felt, her question washing over him but remaining incomprehensible.

Bastian: [The posters, Subaru. They weren’t just to announce our deed. They were official, made for us.]

Subaru: [Yeah, guess they did look professionally done. And to have so many made up at such short notice? The government had to have been involved. So, they really are summoning us, then?]

Felt: [Well, duh! Those old farts in the Capital wanna talk to you about the slaying of the Great Rabbit!]

Subaru: [I mean, I figured they’d wanna meet, but I didn’t think they’d reach out to us! I thought we’d have to seek an audience with them!]

This had been the way Crusch had framed things the previous day, so it was understandable that Subaru would have arrived at this conclusion. Evidently, events were transpiring faster than even a member of the nobility and candidate for the throne could keep up with. The posters had yet to make their way out west to the Karsten Estate, let alone the beleaguered Mathers Domain.

Bastian: [Makes sense they’d want to get the word to the Capital first. Biggest city, the most people, seat of government.]

Subaru: [Damn, that’s well coordinated. Did Garf do that…?]

He looked back over at Garfiel, who was the only one not making cheerfully with the others. He was poking his fork at his roast, staring at it with a disgruntled look, occasionally looking up at Subaru, and curiously, Reinhard. Something about the aura of malcontent surrounding his young friend caused him to uneasily look away. He had a feeling there was something unpleasant on the horizon.

On top of the more immediate concern of Garfiel’s disgruntlement, there was also the looming summons they would need to heed.

Bastian: [Should make our way to the Capital next. Need to answer their call.]

Subaru: [I’m not sure I wanna go back there… last time I was in that castle went so incredibly poorly. All I remember of the Sage Council was the one with the bushy eyebrows saying awful things about Emilia...]

His fists became clenched without him even thinking of it as he recalled the vile bigotry one of the Sages had spouted at Emilia that day. It had been enough to spur him to intervene on her behalf back then, since no one else would do so. Not even Roswaal had said much in her defense, and he had been her sponsor. Only Subaru had given a spirited defense in her honor, and it hadn’t been well-received. The heart had been there, but the tact had been thrown out the window.

Reinhard: [Lord Miklotov seemed to have a decent impression of you, at least. He praised Emilia by virtue of her attendant, that being you, remember?]

Subaru: [Miklotov? I guess that was the one with he really long beard and even bushier eyebrows?]

Bastian: [Good thing we have time to practice…]

Bastian sighed at his friend’s nonchalant descriptions of some of the Sage Council members.

Subaru: [I just… I dunno how I’m gonna be able to handle this.]

Reinhard: [I’m confident you’ll be fine. If they’ve summoned you, in light of the current circumstances, it can only be for a good reason.]

Subaru: [Maybe you’re right, Rein. Guess we’ll head there in the morning.]

Garfiel: [You serious?]

Subaru: [O-Oh, Garf? You wanted to talk with Reinhard, too, huh?]

Garfiel finally spoke up again. He had been fuming between Bastian and Meili. His irritation was becoming apparent to everyone at the table. Subaru began to wonder if there was some truth to the supposedly facetious worry Ferris had voiced prior to their departure from the Karsten Estate.

Garfiel: [“Talk?” Th’ ‘ell made ya think I wanted’ta talk?]

Subaru: [… why else would you want to tag along? I thought you had a great deal of respect for him, that maybe you wanted some pointers or something…]

Garfiel: [“Pointers?” ‘ell no! I wanna fight ‘im!]

The atmosphere took a sharp shift from light and joyous to heavy and tense.

Felt: [What gives, Subaru?! Why’s your pal picking a fight with my knight, huh?!]

Reinhard: [Your knight, Lady Felt? That may be the first time you’ve ever said as much. I’m deeply honored!]

Felt: [Shut it, Rein! I’m getting answers here.]

Reinhard: [But of course.]

Despite her abrasive demeanor, Reinhard kept smiling after she claimed him as “her knight.” She was staring daggers into Subaru, waiting for him to spill out the answer she was seeking.

Subaru: [Why the hell would I know that?! He just said he wanted to come along with us, he never really said why!]

Bastian: [In hindsight, probably should’ve asked him…]

Subaru: [Not now, Bastian, dammit!]

Garfiel then pounded the table with a fist, causing his plate to jump several centimeters off of it, landing with a clatter. It was certainly an effective way to get everyone’s attention.

Garifel: [Ya wanna know why I wanna fight yer knight, lil’ miss?]

Felt: [“Lil’ miss?!” Why you…!]

Felt was beginning to get annoyed with Garfiel. Her height was a sore subject. Subaru was personally surprised she wasn’t drinking more milk to attempt to rectify her shortness while she was still fairly young, if it really bothered her so much.

Garfiel: [Th’ reason’s real simple: I wanna test my strength ‘gainst th’ Sword Saint.]

Reinhard: [I see.]

Reinhard’s calm response cut clean through the atmosphere of the room, absorbing everyone’s attention in the process. He didn’t seem the slightest bit disturbed by the sudden challenge imposing upon their night of camaraderie.

Reinhard: [Very well, Garfiel. I accept your challenge.]

Subaru: [W-Woah, Reinhard, you don’t have to –]

Reinhard: [Don’t worry, Subaru. Neither of us will do anything rash. Isn’t that right, Garfiel?]

Garfiel: [Rash, huh? S’pose not, though that don’t mean I’ll be holdin’ back too much, y’hear?]

Garfiel was finally smiling for the first time since they had met Reinhard along the road to the Astrea Estate. It was obvious to everyone here now that he had been itching for a fight from the moment he laid his eyes on the Sword Saint, desperate to prove his strength.

Felt: [Well… alright, so long as neither of you idiots get carried away. Guess most of us are done with dinner, anyway. Good stuff as always, Carol.]

Felt offered a thumbs up of genuine approval to Carol, who smiled pleasantly. Felt then clapped her hands in preparation for a declaration.

Felt: [Alright, everybody to the courtyard! If these idiots wanna duke it out, then we’ll watch them duke it out.]

At Felt’s acquiescence, everyone began to shuffle out of the dining hall and outside into the courtyard. Hardly anyone there was prepared for the spectacle that would follow.

***

The two stood at the center of the courtyard, preparing for a spar. Few present had actually seen the Sword Saint in action, and Garfiel was a young upstart who seemed to have something he wanted to prove. Though no one had been keen on the prospect of a spar that evening, no one could deny the matchup seemed oddly poetic.

Bastian leaned over to Subaru, who was on edge. Something about this spar didn’t sit well with him.

Bastian: [Seems like Reinhard’s just humoring the boy…]

Subaru found it hard to disagree with eh swordsman on that count. Reinhard didn’t seem to actually be excited for the spar, his disposition entirely unchanged. Garfiel was the only one restless with anticipation.

Beatrice: [Betty would have to agree, I suppose. Betty hopes Garfiel can wipe that smug grin off the knight’s face.]

Subaru was once more holding Beatrice’s hand. Since Reinhard was no longer right next to Subaru, she felt she could reclaim her contractor. He felt awful that there was seemingly no room for reconciliation between two of his closest friends.

As he fretted over a lost cause, he felt a tug on his left sleeve.

???: [Er, excuse me…]

A squeaky voice came from his left, made squeakier by the fact that they were trying to whisper. They were trying to be inconspicuous but weren’t terribly good at it.

Subaru: [Hm? Oh, you’re Ezzo, yeah?]

Ezzo: [Yes! Ahem! Yes. I, uh, have some questions for you.]

The pint-sized mage seemed skittish around Subaru. Much like Garfiel, he, too, was chomping at the bit.

Subaru: [… what kind of questions, exactly?]

Ezzo: [It’s, uh… regarding Lord Roswaal. Is what you said in there really true? About the conspiracy and everything?]

Subaru glanced down at the ground as he was forced to relive that revelation again. He still found it difficult to let go of the happy past he had under the margrave’s employ, knowing it had all been part of a selfish plot in which everyone he cared about were mere pawns to be exploited.

Subaru: [… yes. I’ll be taking this information to the Sage Council when we head out tomorrow, along with details regarding the subjugation of the Great Rabbit.]

Ezzo: [I knew it! I always suspected there was something amiss about that mage!]

Subaru: [Yeah, yeah, I remember…]

Subaru reflected back on the time he had first met Ezzo, a chapter of his happy past that got lost in the shuffle. He had tried to steal Roswaal’s title as the court mage for himself, believing himself to rightly be the best mage in the kingdom, despite signs to the contrary. To test the harlequin margrave, he had planned to trap his rival within a special metia, only to trap Subaru and Rem instead. Subaru had been disguised as Roswaal at the time, as the court mage had been infinite steps ahead of Ezzo. It was only now that he knew just how this had been achieved.

Subaru: [You really were right to suspect him. Guess the title’s up for grabs now, huh?]

Ezzo: [Yes, I suppose it is! Although…]

Subaru: [Although…?]

Ezzo: [Seeing as you bested him, it would make sense for you to take his stead, no?]

Subaru: [Is that your way of saying we’re destined to become rivals?]

He smiled nervously as he cracked wise in light of Ezzo’s sincere supposition. Something about taking such a lofty position terrified him, mostly because he himself was terrible at magic.

Beatrice: [Subaru is quite a gifted Yin Magic user, a rarity in this world, in fact. He’s also contracted with Betty, a Great Spirit, in fact. Do think carefully before declaring any challenges.]

Beatrice menaced over at Ezzo from behind Subaru’s right side. She laid out her intentions with no room for uncertainty: rivals would not be tolerated.

Ezzo: [I-I-I wasn’t implying that! At any rate, Roswaal didn’t deserve such a grand title, wasting his talents to such vile ends! You’ve at least proven your worth! It’s as you say, Great Spirit, he should be the next court mage!]

Subaru couldn’t disagree with the dwarf mage’s judgment regarding Roswaal’s multitudinous misdeeds. He wanted to say he couldn’t fathom why anyone would do such a thing, though having lost Emilia and Rem, he could understand the rationale. He wasn’t sure how Echidna would handle someone going to such callous lengths to revive her, but he knew Emilia and Rem would despise him for it if he were in Roswaal’s shoes. He wouldn’t be the “good boy” or “hero” either of them had known anymore.

Subaru: [… all I did was talk to Roswaal. Even then, I had help. As for the Great Rabbit, I came up with the plan, sure, but it was mostly Beatrice and Bastian who executed it.]

Ezzo looked back at Beatrice. She had briefly turned her attention to Subaru, appearing concerned for her contractor’s self-esteem. Upon noticing Ezzo staring at her, however, she began glaring his way again.

Ezzo: [Eep! So, uh… this Bastian fellow… could I talk with him?]

Subaru: [Knock yourself out… is what I’d like to say. Looks like he’s got his hands full, though…]

He had turned to where Bastian had previously been a moment ago when they were discussing the impending spar, but found he was no longer there. While Ezzo had been talking to him, Bastian had been dragged off by Meili, Flam and Grassis. They were poking at the swordsman with sticks like children tampering with an ant hill. He looked miserable.

Subaru: [On the plus side, Meili’s made some new friends. Seems like she might be a bad influence on them, though.]

Ezzo: [Hmm… perhaps I can pick his brain at a later date, then. So long, Subaru.]

Subaru: [Yeah… see ya.]

He wasn’t sure he really liked Ezzo all that much. He struck him as someone too absorbed in matters of reputation, as someone rather petty in his pursuit of it. Still, he was generally well-mannered and inoffensive enough.

Beatrice: [Betty wishes you would stop putting yourself down so much, in fact…]

Subaru: [… sorry. I just… need more time.]

Felt: [Alright, everybody! We’ve settled on some ground rules. Can’t have the mansion get busted up too bad. No weapons! No Divine Protections! No punching below the belt! No wounding! Just a straightforward brawl. If anyone gets hurt, we got Ezzo here who can heal them up. He’s pretty god with Water Magic.]

Ezzo: [I-I can stabilize them if necessary! Please don’t injury anyone too seriously!]

The dwarf mage was careful to clarify his capabilities. Evidently he was unused to the application of Water Magic for healing purposes. He could apply water mana in such manner if push came to shove, but it was obvious to everyone he preferred this not to be the case. It only drove the point home to Subaru that Ezzo had never really been cut out to be a court mage, his ambition far outstripping his ability.

Felt: [Right, you two ready?]

Felt acknowledged both Reinhard and Garfiel. She seemed to relish her role as the one coordinating and announcing this fight. Subaru privately supposed she was a bit on the tomboyish side, something he attributed to being raised by Rom.

Reinhard: [I’m ready, Lady Felt.]

Garfiel: [I’ve been ready for days now!]

Garfiel’s excitement was mixed with some pinned up frustration. His eagerness for the fight was beyond all doubt.

Felt: [Alright, then… begin!]

Felt dropped her scarf to the ground to denote the beginning of the spar, conjuring images of a street race in Subaru’s mind. A pit formed in his stomach as it barely touched the ground. It all happened so fast.

Chapter Text

Ever since the ill-fated day he had dared to attempt the Trials of the Witch’s Graveyard, Garfiel Tinsel had felt a profound lack. He knew he had to be stronger to protect the people of Sanctuary, and though he refused to acknowledge it, to protect himself. The stronger he was, the less the world could hurt him and those he held dear. After his older sister had left the village to pursue a career for reasons he couldn’t or refused to understand, he decided it was entirely up to him to keep the people safe.

He had trained extensively as a child, studying from an old book purporting to detail Reid Astrea’s own regimen and techniques. He honed himself through that text and its teachings, shaping himself into a being disproportionately mighty for one so young. He had become the protector of his village, one who would keep the outside out and keep anyone from ever stepping foot within that graveyard ever again.

This all had changed the day the margrave came.

Garfiel: [Ya wanna enter the tomb?!]

Roswaal: [Yes. I wiiiiiiiish to see the one who lies within it. It seems this may be last chance to do so.]

Garfiel: [Yer last chance? Ta see a witch…?]

He had been in no position to resist the lord of the land. He begrudgingly acquiesced as the margrave attempted the Trials, ruining his body in the process. Garfiel could scarcely understand what it was compelling this clownish lord to throw himself headlong into a wall like this. The margrave had been laid up in bed, staring out the window of Ryuzu Shima’s shack despondently. Clouds were gathering outside. Most in the village didn’t pay this development any mind. Only Garfiel and Ryuzu were unnerved by those gathering clouds. They felt ominous, even more so as the margrave just watched them building, his mind clearly elsewhere.

Roswaal: [… he truly isn’t coming, then.]

Garfiel: [Who ain’t comin’?]

Garfiel had sat in the room, watching the margrave warily. The clown had demanded he use healing magic on him to accelerate his return to the tomb.

Roswaal: [No one you would know. You may stop healing me now. I’ll soon be needed elsewhere, as will you.]

Garfiel: [… okay?]

He ceased casting his healing magic on the margrave, the blue-white glow dissipating from his hands. Roswaal sat up, letting out a disappointed sigh. It was as he sighed that Garfiel heard Ryuzu Shima note something she saw outside of the window of her hut.

Ryuzu: [Snow?]

Garfiel: [What, again? Th’ ‘ell’s goin’ on lately?]

It wasn’t the first time unseasonable snow had occurred this far south in Lugunica as of late. Roughly a month or two before, there had been a lighter snow than that which fell that day. He opened the window they were looking out to catch a flake in his bare palm. It was a wet, packing snow, in more ways than one. The mana within it was immediately more noticeable than that which had fallen before. The concentration was markedly higher.The snow was collecting on the ground rapidly. He had a bad feeling brewing within his gut.

Garfiel: [Oi, Roswaal! Ya know anythin’ ‘bout this snow? Seems magical. Roswaal?]

Closing the window, he had turned to face Roswaal’s bed, only to find the margrave was no longer in bed. The window next to his bed was wide open.

Garfiel: [Why’s ‘e slippin’ out at a time like this, huh?! Dumb fuckin’ clown… prolly went back to th’ graveyard.]

Ryuzu: [Where are you going, Young Gar?]

Garfiel: [Where d’ya think? Someone’s gotta drag that damn clown back to ‘is bed after ‘e winds up gettin’ fucked up again.]

Ryuzu: [You shouldn’t go out alone. I have a terrible feeling…]

Garfiel: [You too, eh? Think it’s got somethin’ta do with that half-elf in th’ mansion?]

Ryuzu: [No… this feels different. Don’t you agree?]

Garfiel: [True… got more mana in it. Huh?]

He noticed the snow was beginning to differ even further from that which had occurred a couple months back. It was picking up, very rapidly. Before long –

Garfiel: [It’s a goddamn blizzard! Ol’ hag, c’mon! We need’ta get answers from that fuckin’ clown!]

The wind was howling as the two ran as fast as they could to the Witch’s Graveyard. They found Roswaal there, standing before the stairs to the tomb’s entrance. He was just standing there, staring at the tomb wistfully.

Roswaal: [I regret that I’m not suited to enter, teacher. To see your face one more time… I’ll do what I must, even if it isn’t here and now.]

Garfiel: [Roswaal! Th’ fuck’re ya playin’ at?]

Roswaal: [Whatever do you meeeeean?]

Roswaal turned around slowly to face Garfiel and Ryuzu. He was still dressed in bandages from his shoulders down to his legs. He hadn’t had any time to get dressed before slipping out of Ryuzu Shima’s remote shack. It was difficult to tell in the blizzard from where Garfiel and Ryuzu were standing, but he seemed to be disconsolate. His voice was had become dull, save for his bizarre intonational tick.

Garfiel: [This snow’s gotta be yer doin’! Yer the damn court mage, after all!]

Roswaal: [True, though I can’t even cast a simple healing spell. Titles aren’t everything, you know.]

Garfiel: [Fuck off with that shit! Answer me straight!]

Even in the blizzard, Garfiel could see Roswaal glaring back at him. It was a glare of impatience and annoyance.

Roswaal: [This snow is not my doing, though I did intend to utilize weather altering magic in the near future. It seems something has gone horribly awryyyyyyy.]

Garfiel: [Th’ fuck’re ya talkin’ ‘bout?!]

Roswaal: [He’s not coming. He won’t be coming. He has failed, it seems.]

Garfiel: [Dammit, with this again! Who th’ fuck’s this person yer talkin’ about?! Who failed what?!]

Roswaal paid Garfiel little heed as he returned his attention to the tomb, staring at it wistfully once more.

Roswaal: [For you, it no longer matters. This place’s faaaaaaate has been sealed. If everything must end, I shall end it closer to her.]

Garfiel: [Th’ ‘ell?!]

Roswaal began absently walking up the stairs to the tomb’s entrance. In his rough shape, were he to enter it again, he would surely die before long.

Garfiel: [Hol’ up, I ain’t lettin’ ya –]

Ryuzu: [Young Gar, we are not alone!]

Garfiel: [Hah?!]

He needed more answers from the margrave, but his surrogate grandmother had drawn his attention to her. She pointed to the tree line, where gleaming red eyes could be seen. Horror came over him. Why was everything falling apart so suddenly, so simultaneously, so totally, so irrevocably?

As one of the creatures with red gleaming eyes hopped out of the tree line, he knew immediately what they were dealing with.

Garfiel: [… th’ Great Rabbit… no way…]

He had never suspected a monster of such an innumerable scope would arrive in his home.

He looked in the direction of the village of Sanctuary. If the Great Rabbit had already made it here –

Garfiel: [I gotta get back to th’ village!]

Ryuzu: [We don’t have time, Young Gar! You must run!]

Garfiel: [Run?! Be serious, ol’ hag! I ain’t runnin’!]

He knew he couldn’t just leave the village behind like this. He had trained for years and with great intensity for just such an occasion, yet the precipitous deterioration of circumstances was making this all for naught. He knew he couldn’t hope to defeat such a foe, being so thoroughly outnumbered. He also knew there was no way anyone but him could escape Sanctuary, not while the barrier around it remained.

Roswaal had entered the tomb but would never be able to succeed in completing the Trials that acted as the locks keeping said barrier in place. Only Garfiel could hope to complete these Trials, but time would not allow for them to be completed in a timely manner. By the time he could complete them, everyone he sought to protect would already have been eaten alive.

Ryuzu Shima had spoken truthfully. Running was all the young man could hope to do now.

Garfiel: [I… I can’t jus’ leave ya like this granny…]

Ryuzu hugged her surrogate grandson as he began to weep helplessly. As strong as he had become, he was still a boy merely on the cusp of adulthood by the laws of these lands. As she tried to comfort him, the Great Rabbit was beginning to encroach upon the graveyard.

Ryuzu: [You must live, Young Gar. Please. Live on, for everyone’s sakes.]

“Everyone’s sakes.” Those words carried a lot of weight. For whose sakes, precisely, would he be living? His older sister, who had left them? His mother, who had died pointlessly? The villagers, for whom he had sacrificed his childhood to grow stronger, that he might protect them? Was it perhaps Ryuzu herself, wanting her surrogate grandson, the closest thing to family she had ever known, to make something of himself?

Perhaps it was more dour. Perhaps he was meant to live on as a symbol, the sole representative of this community that was to be snuffed in the snow. It didn’t matter to him what Ryuzu Shima had meant. It was all a horrible compromise of the person he had wanted to be. He hated this moment viscerally.

And yet, what alternative was there?

He ran. The choice hadn’t come easily to him. It had been no choice at all. His path of escape was cut off multiple times. He only narrowly avoided being cornered by the white horde. All the while, he ran with Ryuzu on his back. He knew he couldn’t take her with him. Being half-blooded herself, the barrier would swipe the soul right out of her upon crossing that threshold.

Ryuzu: [Young Gar, please… you mustn’t waste any more time!]

Garfiel: [Dammit, I know! I know…]

Against his surrogate grandmother’s wishes, he had returned to her remote shack. He knew he couldn’t stay. He knew she couldn’t come with him. So he would sequester her within her shack in a desperate attempt to keep her safe until the Great Rabbit could be dealt with somehow. Being an Apostle of Greed since the day he had attempted the Trials, he was aware of her being a clone of one Ryuzu Meyer, a being of mana molded around a core of od. She wouldn’t succumb to hunger or thirst. So long as he could ensure that shack was safe, she could be safe.

At least, that had been his futile hope. Before he left, he made sure to grab the shields he and his older sister had played with as children. He figured he would need them in the cruel outside world.

Garfiel: [… I’ll come back for ya, granny. I swear it!]

Ryuzu: [Young Gar… take care of yourself.]

Those words of care were the last he would hear from her. They would ebb and flow within his mind every day thereafter.

***

The Sword Saint and his challenger stood at the center of the courtyard. Everyone gave them a wide birth, knowing this spar had the potential to become quite messy quite quickly, even with ground rules in place. Reinhard stood there, the legendary Dragon Sword Reid sheathed on his left hip. He wouldn’t be allowed to draw it due to Felt’s ground rules for the spar.

Subaru: [Wonder if he could draw it at all, though…]

Subaru was forced to recall once more the brawl that had occurred in the loot house. Reinhard had been unable to draw his sword against Elsa, the sword itself judging her to be an unworthy opponent. Given that weapons were forbidden for this spar, he would never know for sure if Reid would see Garfiel as worthy. Somehow, he had his doubts.

Garfiel himself was well aware of this limitation of the Dragon Sword. He hated that weapons had been forbidden. He wanted to know where he stood as an opponent, but would need to find out through other, more direct means. He seemed anxious as the spar was called to begin. The second Felt’s scarf hit the snow-covered cobblestone of the courtyard, he leapt forward with great force and speed. Ordinarily, this spectacle would have been very impressive, especially given Garfiel’s age. However, this was quickly overshadowed by the sheer immovability Reinhard displayed.

The Sword Saint didn’t need to move one step in any direction to seamlessly avoid Garfiel’s attacks. He never even had to block any of the oncoming attacks. All he had to do was lean one way or another. The young man attacked Reinhard from every conceivable angle with as much ferocity as he could muster, seemingly operating on pure instinct supplemented by what felt to onlookers as blind rage. Most other foes would have been intimidated by the spectacle. Ton, Chin, and Kan were all wordless as they cowered on the sidelines. Felt was also speechless, wondering if maybe this whole spar had been a bad idea.

Subaru himself was utterly captivated by the one-sided display. It all felt too familiar to him. His eyes wanted to wince, but he found he couldn’t close them or look away. Carol, Grimm and Rom could, though, and they purposelessly avoided watching the fight. They clearly were more familiar with the nature of the Sword Saint than any of the others that were present.

Bastian was too preoccupied with Remendis Twins and Meili pestering him, along with Ezzo badgering him for information on recent events. Had he been able to watch, he likely would have similarly ceased watching not long after the fight had started.

Subaru continued to watch, though. His empathy for Garfiel was growing by the second. While he had also been on the receiving end of a one-sided duel, he had to admit his younger comrade was far more talented than he had been or likely ever would be. Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but identify with the struggle of facing an insurmountable foe.

Frustration began to mount for the wild youth. Though the pace of his assault was relentless, he wasn’t making any progress at all. While Reinhard wasn’t fatiguing at all, Garfiel was beginning to drag. Before long, a window of opportunity opened up for the Sword Saint. His opponent was coming in for an overhead strike, leaving his abdomen wide open.

Reinhard: [I’m sorry, Garfiel.]

One swift jab was all it took to send the young demi-human flying backwards in the opposite direction. The air had been knocked out of him as he crashed into the snow. That white blanket only barely softened his landing. As he struggled to catch his breath from the blow to his sternum and his hard landing, he stared mindlessly at the night sky.

Reinhard: [You’re quite skilled, Garfiel. But you have much room for improvement.]

Reinhard offered his commendation, but it felt rather empty. How much room for improvement did Garfiel have exactly? What exactly did he need to improve upon? There was nothing else offered up by the Sword Saint, no elaboration that could provide the insight needed for any improvement to truly begin. This much was clear to most of those present, as was the disparity between the two fighters. It had become obvious very early in the rather brief fight that Garfiel had never stood a chance. Only Subaru and his group were aware that Garfiel had likely never had to fight someone stronger than him before now, by virtue of him being isolated to Sanctuary his whole life.

Garfiel knew what his comrades could only suspect. As he laid on his back, he felt as though he had just ran headlong into a wall. Something about this felt familiar to him, though he couldn’t express why he felt this way. He was still reeling from his defeat.

Reinhard looked down at the young man, briefly raising a hand as though to indicate a desire to help him up. He stared at his hand for a moment, the same one he had used to jab Garfiel in the process. He frowned, then began walking away through the snow without another word. Felt watched as her knight walked away from the scene she had facilitated. She had never seen him look so troubled before. She slowly made her way over to Garfiel.

Felt: [Maybe I should talk to him later… hey, tiger boy. You need a hand?]

Garfiel diverted his attention from the stars in the sky to Felt. She was offering him her hand to help him up.

Garfiel: [… nah.]

Felt: [… you sure? You gonna be okay?]

Garfiel: [Yeah. S’fine.]

He responded weakly to her concern. He wasn’t fooling anyone present, but no one else was going to press the matter. The group began to disperse. The atmosphere felt terribly uncomfortable. No one really knew what to say. Only Subaru would approach Garfiel as he laid in the snow.

Like Felt before him, he offered his hand to the blonde youth. This time, however, it was sluggishly slapped away. Garfiel was displeased at this offer of aid. Subaru had suspected it might not be accepted, and he knew why aid from him would especially be rejected. The rejection stung all the same.

Beatrice was still by her contractor’s side as this happened. Her disposition soured. Her free hand became balled into a fist as she glared at the defeated young man.

Garfiel: [Gonna do somethin’? Do it. I don’t care…]

Subaru: [No.]

Beatrice looked up at Subaru as he protested any action being taken against Garfiel for his slight. Her glare turned into a nervous stare.

Subaru: [It’s okay, Beako. I think he and I need to talk some things out. Give Bastian a hand, would you? He looks like he could use the help.]

Beatrice: [Are you sure, in fact?]

Subaru: [Yeah. You all can head back inside without us. I’ll be fine.]

Beatrice: [… if you say so…]

Subaru: [Don’t be too down, now. We’ll rejoin you all in a bit.]

Beatrice hesitantly let go of her contractor’s hand as she moved over to where Bastian was still struggling with the Remendis Twins and Meili. Naturally, Ezzo was still talking his ears off, completely oblivious to the situation at hand.

Subaru: [Right then. There’s a lot we need to talk about, huh, Garf?]

Garfiel: [Don’t… fuckin’ call me that…]

Garfiel was still trying to catch his breath as he laid panting in the snow. His words were highly vitriolic. Subaru was the last person he wanted to talk to right then. He would certainly have his work cut out for him.

***

He was faintly surprised that Beatrice had managed to convince Meili to relent in her pestering of Bastian, supposing their bond truly had advanced due to rooming together so often as of late. Meili had in turn convinced her new acquaintances to stand down with her. The Remendis Twins seemed to be rather passive young girls, though their strength was absurd for their age and size. Bastian had struggled against them in vain, knowing he couldn’t muster any further strength to shake them off without causing an undo provocation. The fact they were children – of a friendly party, no less – only further dissuaded him from resisting, despite the great annoyance they had rendered unto him.

Beatrice had even managed to convince Ezzo to lay off with the incessant questioning of her companion. Subaru didn’t hear what she had said to convince the dwarf mage, but he seemed somewhat frightened of her, standing down almost immediately.

He was quite pleased with his partner’s ability to defuse the situation, though he couldn’t take pride in this for too long. As the remaining people returned inside of the mansion, only Subaru and Garfiel remained out in the cold. Garfiel stared up at Subaru with his rage-filled emerald eyes, his fangs bared in anger.

Garfiel: [… got… somethin’ta say?]

The defeated warrior put on a tough front, though he was still catching his breath from his spar with Reinhard. He was fooling no one right now, not even himself.

Subaru: [We need to talk about what happened at Roswaal’s mansion. The one close to Sanctuary.]

Garfiel’s eyes widened as Subaru declared his intended topic of conversation.

Garfiel: [… ya beat me to th’ punch, huh? Fine… but I gotta get some things off my chest ‘fore I ‘ear yer side of th’ story.]

Subaru: [Alright, I’m all ears.]

Garfiel slowly and shakily sat himself up, his back red from the snow and the impact against the cobblestone of the courtyard. He barely shivered, a testament to his hardiness in spite of his loss. He refused to stand up just yet though. Something about being on the ground felt deserved at the moment.

Garfiel: [First, I wanna say that I’m glad th’… that monster’s dead. Its death avenged my village.]

He once more caught himself before he could mention the Great Rabbit by its name. The very name of that Great Witch Beast held great sway over his psyche, practically paralyzing him. Subaru was hearing nothing but good things, though. Garfiel admitted he was glad the deed had been done.

Garfiel: [… I hate it wasn’t cuz’a me, though. I hate it was you, Subaru. I didn’t care at th’ time, but now… now I know. Ya ran away, just ahead o’ th’ attack on Roswaal’s mansion.]

If the slapping away of his hand had stung Subaru, having his cowardice thrown back into his face from his younger comrade seared him. He made a pained expression, but quickly shook it off. He knew he couldn’t afford to be locked down in self-loathing right now.

Garfiel: [Ord’narily, I’d suspect ya of bein’ connected with th’ Witch Cult due to th’ timin’, but killin’ th’ Great Rabbit don’t seem’ta fit that well. I dunno what’ta make of ya now. I jus’ wanna know one thing.]

Subaru: [… and that would be…?]

Garfiel: [If ya hadn’t ran away… would Ram still be alive?]

He hadn’t expected to hear that name come from Garfiel’s mouth. He had no idea how this young man knew Ram, but it seemed they had been close to some extent. At the very least, her death had affected Garfiel deeply. He honestly didn’t know the answer to that question. He supposed he had seen her alive within his Second Trial, some alternate reality wherein he had succeeded against the White Whale and the Witch Cult. But with an alternate reality came the logical question of just how many alternate realities there could have been surrounding that event. It could have gone down so many different, with so many of them resulting in Ram and everyone else living or dying.

Garfiel: [Sup’rised? Truth be told, I didn’t know it fer sure. Jus’ had a bad feelin’, y’know? Errythin’ else had gone’ta shit, may as well lose ‘er too, right?]

The young man spoke bitterly about loss. A touch of defeatism tainted his words, a sentiment with which Subaru had become all too familiar in the recent past. He wanted to sympathize, were it not for the fact he was presently in something of a standoff.

Garfiel: [But now I know. Ya came back to mourn, yeah? n’ ya worked at that mansion, didn’tcha? Ya don’t gotta be th’ Great Sage’ta put it all together.]

Subaru: [… I’m sorry, Garfiel.]

The young demi-human glared in consternation at Subaru. He hadn’t wanted an apology. Such words were wasted on him. He clearly wanted something else.

Garfiel: [It doesn’t make any damn sense. How could ya come up with that plan o’ yers, but not come up with some way’ta deal with th’ Witch Cult?]

Subaru: [… I tried to recruit allies but failed. I –]

He was going to elaborate upon why he had failed, to highlight that he was aware of his failings and had grown as a person since then. He wouldn’t get that chance, though.

Garfiel: [“Failed?” How th’ ‘ell didja fail if yer able to get crazy results?!]

Subaru: [Those aren’t comparable at all!]

Garfiel: [Aren’t they? People like people who kin get results, yeah?]

Subaru bit his lower lip. He didn’t want to lose control of the situation to Garfiel. He knew the young man was only lashing out like this out of the shame he felt. No doubt he could sense the parallels between them, as well. Surely some understanding could be reached?

Garfiel: [Could ya’ve saved Ram ‘r not?!]

Subaru: [I… I don’t know.]

Garfiel: [Bullshit, ya don’t know! Surely ya got some idea as’ta whether ya coulda saved ‘er ‘r not!]

He was pushing it. Subaru was beginning to feel attacked, and he didn’t appreciate it. Hadn’t he avenged this boy’s people? Hadn’t he made up for his prior failing? What was the point of ire at this juncture? What purpose could it serve, other than to tear them apart?

Subaru: [And just what the hell was I supposed to do all alone, huh?! I was as powerless to prevent that attack as you were to prevent what happened to Sanctuary!]

Garfiel’s eyes became sharp and intense as he swiftly rose to his feet, burying his fist in Subaru’s stomach. It punched up and under his ribs, causing his core to burn and his ribs to creak. He fell to his knees, dry heaving from the blow.

Garfiel: [If you hadn’ta failed, then Sanctuary would be fine right now!]

Subaru: [You… shouldn’t blame… your failures… on others!]

The hypocrisy wasn’t lost on him. He realized he had just thrown an all-too-accurate criticism of himself Garfiel’s way. He had previously leaned heavily on the notion that he had sought aid only to be denied, trying to push the blame elsewhere. He had even sought Roswaal originally just for answers as to why he hadn’t done anything to prevent the attack himself, another attempt to avoid at least part of the blame. After his talks with Bastian and the Trials of the Witch’s Graveyard, he knew this all too well.

Old habits would need to die hard, however. He and Garfiel seemed to have too much in common for either of them to be kind to each other. Garfiel answered Subaru’s hypocritical retort with a pointed kick to the gut, hammering the area he had already injured even further. If it hadn’t been for a split second decision to flex his aching core, he likely would have suffered far more. He was sent flying by the kick, landing in a heap in the snow about five meters away from where he had just been.

Garfiel: [I wanted’ta believe you were a hero after what ya did for Costuul! Now though? I hate ya, Natsuki Subaru!]

The furious youth let those words hang in the air, as though it were enough. Subaru could sense he was holding something back, however. He decided to borrow some of the tough love his friend had shown him, to keep pushing. There was something more to pry loose from the young man.

Subaru: [W-Why? Why… do you hate… me?]

Garfiel: [What? Like lettin’ erryone die wasn’t ‘nuff’uv a reason’ta hate ya?!]

Subaru: [There’s… something more… isn’t there? Something you’re hiding…]

Garfiel clenched his fists ever tighter. His knuckles whitened. If he clenched them any tighter, his nails surely would have broken the skin of his palms. His breathing was deep and furious, with gouts of visible breath emerging from his mouth like dragon’s breath with each exhalation.

Garfiel: [Dammit… I hate you cuz’ yer just like me!]

A chill shocked through Subaru’s entire system as he stared up slack jawed at Garfiel. The words that had spilled out of the raging youth’s mouth were all too familiar to Subaru. The Witch of Greed had granted him the ability to remember everything that had occurred within her Castle of Dreams, as well as the events of all of his Trials. The Third Trial had been easily his least favorite of the whole ordeal. He had only barely been able to overcome it by virtue of his memory of those for whom he was now living. He had heard much in that Trial that disparaged him. He hadn’t recognized the voices of most of those who had spoken, save for a crying Beatrice. Now, he could put a name to one of those voices. This offered him no solace, however.

Garfiel: [Ya ran away, just like me… I wanted’ta think you were better somehow. Ya had to be, if ya succeeded where I failed. But no! Ya ran away, too!]

Subaru recalled what Frederica had told him of her brother’s circumstances.  He knew Garfiel had ran away from Sanctuary only at the behest of his surrogate grandmother. Again, the parallels were there, but the accuracy wasn’t one-to-one. Where Garfiel had to be compelled to run, Subaru had chosen it himself. He had even firmly resisted the only person who had tried to convince him to stay.

He wanted to shut down. He was beat, both physically and emotionally. His failures just kept pelting him like hail. He was tired of this weathering process, but he would need to endure. It wasn’t just his own goals he was living for now.

Subaru: [Why… do you think I came back in the first place?]

He slowly stood himself back up. His core ached so much that he was unable to stand up straight, hunching over out of pain. He grimaced, but stood his ground as he stared back defiantly at Garfiel.

Garfiel: [Came back’ta mourn n’ make amends, yeah? Only cuz’a Bastian. If it weren’t fer someone else, ya’d never’ve come back at all!]

Subaru: [Well, I’m here now, aren’t I?!]

It was his turn to roar at the young man, turning the tables. His anger had been more tepid compared to Garfiel’s, whose angst had clearly been building for some time. The directionality of it was the only thing that had really changed, as it had previously been pointing inward. Now, it was pointed firmly at Subaru.

Subaru’s own anger was beginning to reach those same levels. He had also loathed himself for some time. He was only beginning to learn how to forgive himself, something he would need to teach Garfiel, too. It couldn’t be done in a single conversation, though. He knew if he were going to achieve this, Garfiel would need to remain with him and his companions. For now, he just needed to reach him, to convince him to remain in his fold.

Subaru: [I’m here. I’m trying to make things right. That’s all I can do now, Garfiel!]

Garfiel allowed these words brimming with determination to wash over him. He had expected this wannabe hero to crumple before him, but here Subaru was, standing his ground. He stared back up at the night sky. It was so familiar, so static. A quiet moment overtook him.

Garfiel: [… I never shoulda come ‘ere…]

His voice wavered as he looked up at those twinkling stars. He must have felt like they were taunting him somehow, so far out of reach, so brilliant.

Subaru: [Do you regret facing off against Reinhard?]

Garfiel remained silent at this piercing question. He was still looking up, trying to keep his face out of view. It was an attempt in vain, however, as Subaru could still make out a look of anguish on the youth’s face. It said everything Garfiel refused to say.

Subaru: [… so far as I can see, you have several options. You could return to Costuul if you regret it so much. The people there seem to respect you a lot, and your sister’s there. Of course, you’d never know what you’re capable of in doing so.]

The silence remained as Garfiel’s face contorted further, his eyes almost squinted shut.

Subaru: [You could also stay here, facing Reinhard as much as you want. Not sure how far you’ll get throwing yourself at wall again and again, though.]

The wording. Subaru’s phrasing was too precise. It made Garfiel’s eyes shoot open, drawing his attention down from the stars and to his “opponent” once more. Could this guy read his mind? How could he possibly know?

Subaru: [There is another option, though. A middle path, if you will.]

Garfiel: [… oh yeah? n’ just what th’ ‘ell’s that?]

Subaru: [You could join me.]

Garfiel: [… what?]

Disbelief and cold anger characterized his response to Subaru’s seemingly baseless proposition. It was galling to Garfiel that he would even think such a thing, much less let it escape his mouth. Why would he ever take pointers from a fellow runaway?

Subaru: [Well, the way things seem to be going for me now, I don’t doubt that I’ll be facing some strong opponents along the way. That’d allow for more gradual growth of your strength.]

That incredulity had been soundly challenged. His “opponent” spoke with reason. His anger had been buried in favor of a level head. Even still, Subaru’s eyes betrayed any notion of calm. His sanpakugan eyes appeared bold and hellbent. He wasn’t going to yield, even if Garfiel resorted to violence. Violence was all he knew, though. He had steeped himself in it through his training, attempting to fashion himself into an impassable wall for his people. Of course, that attempt had failed, forcing him to slowly begin to question his methods.

A younger Garfiel may not have listened to Subaru at all. A younger Garfiel, even if only a few months younger, would certainly have beaten him senseless for daring to make such audacious claims or for trying to turn a battle of fists into a battle of words. Not this Garfiel. Not this young man, seasoned by profound loss.

Even with this erosion of his former edge, though, Garfiel remained frustrated by the options laid out before him. None of them were really appealing to him. The notion of conceding defeat and returning back to his new home with his figurative tail between his legs infuriated him. The notion of struggling hopelessly against the Sword Saint made him feel like he had nowhere else to turn. One would think Subaru’s offer would have become more appealing to him, were it not for who it was coming from. That lie of omission, that house of cards that had been existing on borrowed time, grated on him terribly. A foundation of trust built upon “crazy results” had been called into question. Could this truly be allowed to slide?

Subaru: [I understand you wanna jump straight to the part where you’ve attained your wildest dreams. Believe me, no one else is as hopeless of a dreamer as yours truly. I’ve learned the hard way that things just don’t happen that way. For people who aren’t insanely blessed like Rein, it requires a lot of work and dedication.]

Garfiel: [n’ jus’ what th’ ‘ell d’ya know ‘bout that shit, hah?! Ya think I haven’t busted my ass?! Ya think I’m lazy ‘r somethin’?!]

Subaru: [It’ll take even more than just work and dedication, though! Frankly that’s just the starting line. Breadth of experience is important, too. If you only know one way to be, that leaves you inflexible. If you can’t change, you’ll just get left behind…]

It felt to him like he were simultaneously lecturing himself as well as Garfiel as these ideas came to him. He realized he was imperfect, that he too had room for growth. Perhaps he was in no place to lecture at all. Maybe it wasn’t really a lecture so much as sharing what he had learned through his own hardships. He wasn’t trying to condescend to his younger comrade. He knew their parallels were rough, but they couldn’t be denied. He knew that. He hoped Garfiel did, too.

Subaru: [I’m sorry I couldn’t be stronger. I’m… I’m trying to become stronger, to become a better person. Someone who can grant Emilia’s greatest wish.]

He extended his hand to him, this time not an offer of aid. It was an offer of alliance.

Subaru: [Maybe we can become stronger together?]

Garfiel stared cautiously at Subaru’s hand. He didn’t know what to make of it. The words he was hearing sounded genuine, but the person saying them had already lied to him once before. It hadn’t been directly, but it was a roundabout lie, which somehow was worse in his eyes. It was more cowardly to beat around the bush, he thought, a magnification of something already cowardly.

Still, those words, those genuine words. Subaru had a cause to which he was dedicated. It was more than Garfiel could say at that moment. His cause, if it could be so called, was to become “the strongest.” He had aimed for this lofty target since he was a mere child, that he may repel anything which may harm his people. He failed, though. He hadn’t been strong enough. He hadn’t even been able to demonstrate his strength before the foe that had taken everything from him. For what reason did he continue to chase that goal?

The closest thing to a community he had left these days was the city of Costuul. He supposed he could dedicate himself to that, but then he would lose. Could there be another reason for which he would need to be “the strongest?” For whom could he be a shield? The faces of his sister, the citizens of Costuul, those who had fallen, all came to the fore of his mind.

He would fight on. He had to.

Garfiel: [… can’t deny you’ve crossed paths with some powerful foes. Th’ Rabbit. Th’ clown. ‘ell, wouldn’t doubt it if ya’d faced somethin’ else ‘fore comin’ta Costuul.]

Subaru: [Well, there was a Sin Archbishop. Ah, but he was frozen at the time, and was all alone! Meanwhile, I just acted as a cage for the bastard while Bastian roasted his miserable ass…]

He felt he had to be more honest with Garfiel. He was careful to qualify his follow-up, a move that would prove rather unnecessary, though wouldn’t go unappreciated on at least some level.

Garfiel: [… whaddya mean ya “acted as a cage?” What, like ya grappled th’ fuckin’ freak?]

Subaru: [No, nothing physical like that. He was a spirit. He tried to possess me.]

Garfiel: [n’ ya jus’ let that happen?]

Subaru: [Well, someone had to hold him in place!]

Garfiel: [… heh. Heh-heh-heh! Ha-ha-ha-ha!]

Garfiel began laughing as he heard Subaru’s odd logic behind a course of action that exemplified bravery teetering on insanity. Subaru looked on uncomfortably, uncertain of what this laughter was meant to signify. Had he made progress, or was he about to be ridiculed? He braced himself for whichever would be the case.

Garfiel: [I swear, I got no idea what’ta make’uv ya! Yer ‘bout as predictable as a slug from th’ Eight Arms!]

Subaru: [H-Huh? I don’t follow…]

A bizarre figure of speech knocked Subaru off-stride. Garfiel spoke as though he were exasperated, he laughed as though he were exhausted. As his laughter settled down, he again looked at Subaru’s hand. With a heavy sigh, he reluctantly accept it.

Garfiel: [We better face some powerful foes, y’hear?]

Subaru: [Over the course of trying to grant Emilia’s wish, I kinda doubt this won’t be the case.]

Garfiel: [A’ight, then. I’ll join ya. I jus’ wanna make one thing painfully clear, though.]

Subaru: [O-Oh?]

He had hoped the tension would have been released with their handshake. However, Garfiel’s tone sharply shifted from spent slap-happiness to grim-faced seriousness. His grip tightened on Subaru’s hand.

Garfiel: [I ain’t ever gonna forget what happened to Ram, got that?]

Subaru: [… no, I won’t forget it, either…]

Subaru cast his gaze downward as he shared in that regretful remembrance. The look could hardly escape Garfiel’s notice. He privately supposed the guilt Subaru carried with him was punishment enough. All he could do now was make his dead loved ones proud. In that regard, their truly was a parallel between them, no needed for any qualifiers. The two staggered back to the mansion, arms slung around each other’s shoulders, bracing each other like enervated competitors.

Chapter Text

The next morning started out rough. It couldn’t be ignored that Subaru and Garfiel had gotten into a fight the night prior. The former had woken up somewhat worse for wear, groaning loudly due to the soreness of his abdomen. Beatrice was rooming right next door with Meili. She barged in without even knocking.

Beatrice: [Subaru, are you alright, in fact?]

Subaru: [I’m fine…]

Beatrice: [You hardly sound fine, in fact. Your stomach seems to be bothering you. Was it that old woman’s cooking? Though no one else has had any issues…]

Subaru: [No, it’s not last night’s dinner…]

Beatrice: [It was that beast child, wasn’t it?]

Subaru: [Yeah… we, uh, got into a fight. But I smoothed things over! Ugh…]

He moved too suddenly as he tried to reassure his contract spirit, causing something to pull in his core. Beatrice could only sigh as she approached her contractor.

Beatrice: [Here.]

A soft blue light radiated from her hand as she held it before his torso. The soreness faded away rapidly.

Beatrice: [Bruised ribs and muscle tissue… are you sure he should continue to accompany us, in fact?]

Subaru: [He needs to. I’m gonna help him, and he’ll help us all in turn. Please try to understand, Beako. He’s been through hell, maybe more than I have.]

Beatrice: [That’s awfully nice of you, I suppose… though don’t undersell your own suffering.]

Subaru: [… you’re right. At any rate, it won’t do to compare myself to others. It probably isn’t right to compare suffering in general, either.]

Beatrice stared curiously at him as he finished his reasoning. It made him nervous.

Subaru: [… what? Did I say something stupid?]

Beatrice: [No. If anything, it seems you’re maturing nicely. Shall we join the others, I suppose?]

Subaru: [Yeah. Better grab a bite before we hit the road again. Ah, and we gotta stop by that tailor’s shop in Flanders before we leave the area! Bastian’s got a promise to keep.]

Beatrice: [Betty recalls you made that promise for him, in fact.]

Subaru: [Did I?]

He tried to recall events that had occurred not even a day ago. The events of the prior night had been so packed that his sense of time was askew.

Subaru: [Oh yeah, guess I did. He didn’t seem annoyed, did he?]

Beatrice: [Betty doubts he would be annoyed, especially since it is a request of a child.]

The two departed from the room as they made their way to the dining hall of the Astrea Manor. Having gotten in so late, Subaru had opted to sleep in his new clothes. He wasn’t really thinking too much about his appearance for the day ahead of him. Fortunately, his clothes didn’t appear too wrinkled, and he had managed to sneak in a bath before retiring the night prior, so he wouldn’t reek. There was little he could do about his tired, gaunt face, though.

Subaru: [Think he’s got a soft spot for children?]

Beatrice: [After last night, Betty can confirm as much. Were it anyone else in his position, those children would’ve been thrown across the courtyard, I suppose. His patience with the witch beast girl is getting better, too.]

Subaru: [Why do you always refer to people by anything but their name?]

Beatrice: [Betty calls you by your name, in fact.]

Subaru: [Well, yes, but you referred to Meili as “the witch beast girl.” I thought you two had been bonding fairly well.]

Beatrice: [Bonding? Don’t be ridiculous, in fact.]

Subaru: [Really? You sure you two weren’t playing together with your new dolls? Wonder what scenarios Chibibaru and Chibirein get up to…]

Beatrice: [Chibibaru gets up to nothing with that cur, in fact!]

Subaru: [Huh, didn’t deny the name I gave your doll…]

Beatrice: [It’s a fine name, I suppose!]

She had been clutching her doll of Subaru, now apparently dubbed Chibibaru, that whole time. She clutched it tighter as he speculated as to what games she and Meili played. Her strong disdain for Reinhard was impossible to ignore, even within the cutesy context of playing with dolls.

Beatrice: [Betty’s just glad we’ll be leaving soon, I suppose…]

Subaru: [Yeah… I’m sorry. I had no idea Reinhard had that kind of effect on spirits, though even without that… I’m sorry.]

Beatrice: [It’s okay, I suppose. Betty understands you wanted to reconnect with old friends. Betty just hopes the next leg of this journey of ours is more amenable for everyone.]

Subaru: [Yeah… that’d sure be great…]

It was difficult for him to imagine the next leg of his journey would be more amenable for him, at least. Once they left this mansion, he would be returning to the Capital for the first time since he had ran away. Once there, he would have to meet with the Sage Council in the Royal Palace. He wasn’t looking forward to having to deliver such an official report or discuss such weighty matters like the fates of Roswaal, Clind, and the former Mathers Domain. He didn’t want to see those old men again.

The Capital would also mean meeting with the Anastasia Camp. At Bastian’s behest, he had agreed to attempt to reconcile with Julius. Everything in his immediate future seemed so dreadful.

Meanwhile, he had been looking forward to his reunion with Reinhard and Felt. He had been looking forward to it a bit too much, otherwise he would have been more mindful of what such a reunion would imply for those in his posse. The meeting itself had been a mixed bag and rather brief on the whole. It didn’t feel fair, but fairness had never been in the equation. He decided not to fixate on this too much.

Breakfast wasn’t as festive as the dinner they had shared the night before. Not everyone was gathered this time, at least not all at once. People came and went asynchronously. It was almost certainly a byproduct of the rough conclusion to the previous night’s festivities. Garfiel found it hard to look Reinhard in the eyes, and vice versa. Beatrice once again sat as far from Reinhard as she could.

Bastian and Meili were fine, if only because Meili was too busy showing off her Reinhard doll – that is, Chibi Rein – to the Remendis Twins. Bastian savored a cup of tea made by Carol while eating a hash prepared by Grimm, relishing the peace. It seemed that even Bastian wouldn’t fare well in the Felt Camp, as Meili and the Remendis Twins would have definitely worn on his nerves.

Tonchinkan didn’t make an appearance, likely avoiding Subaru still. This didn’t bother him as much as it had the previous night. Ezzo was also absent, apparently having gotten all the answers from him and his party that he had wanted. With no further need to pry, the dwarf mage made no further attempt to cozy up to them.

Rom was there, having his morning drink. Subaru had thought that such a habit might have been reined in after joining a political faction. He figured it must have been somewhat grating on the others. He definitely saw Carol give the giant some nasty looks. Grimm was left following his wife around, trying to redirect her and keep her calm. It seemed the Felt Camp wasn’t free from friction.

Felt herself was the only one in her camp aside from the Remendis Twins bearing a chipper demeanor.

Felt: [Morning, big bro! You n’ your people sleep well?]

Subaru: [Morning, Felt. Yeah, yeah… for the most part.]

He placed his hand on his gut as he responded tepidly. His core wasn’t sore anymore thanks to Beatrice’s healing magic, but he still remembered the sensation of the two blows he had received from Garfiel. He had learned at least one thing last night: he didn’t want to ever be on Garfiel’s bad side again.

Felt: [Hm? You hungry? Ol’ Grimm made some grub, so treat yourself! Not sure if you like coff or tea, but we got that stuff, too.]

She seemed far less enthusiastic about the beverages than she was about the food. Coupled with her distaste for wine, Subaru suspected she had no liking for anything that most would consider to be “acquired tastes.” She sat down with a glass of milk. He wanted to crack wise about this beverage choice given her diminutive stature. Only Ezzo and the Remendis Twins were shorter than her within her faction.

Subaru: [I’ll grab a cup of coff, actually.]

Felt: [Really? Wow, so mature…]

Subaru: [What? I’m older than you, Felt!]

He almost spilled as he poured from a carafe of coff into the mug sitting at his seat at the table. He had allowed himself to become agitated by Felt’s precocious quip, only to realize he was only proving her point in doing so. He sighed so he could move past it, deciding to be the adult in their exchange as he began to gently blow on his coff. It was still piping hot. The warmth, coupled with the quasi-caffeine content, made this beverage one of the few dependable joys in his life as of late.

Reinhard: [I must agree with Lady Felt, though, Subaru. I’m surprised you drink such a bitter drink. You seem like someone who would prefer sweeter things.]

Subaru: [I certainly used to, but… drinking it black is less of a hassle. No need for additional prep or getting hung up on there not being any milk or sugar.]

Felt: [I dunno, even with milk and sugar, that stuff’s nasty…]

Subaru: [Try revisiting in a few years. It may surprise you.]

Felt: [Yeah, maybe…]

Felt seemed antsy as she took a sip of her milk. She clearly had something else she wanted to say but was struggling to get the words out.

Reinhard: [Is everything alright, Lady Felt?]

Felt: [Ahhhhh, everything’s fine, Rein! I just… always suck at this stuff…]

Subaru: [Huh? Suck at what stuff? Basic small talk?]

Felt: [That’s –!]

Reinhard: [Oh, she means asking for help. Specifically, I believe she wants you to join her camp.]

Felt: [Rein, dammit! Stop using Divine Protections to read me like that!]

Subaru: [He can do that…?]

As far as Subaru had known, Reinhard only possessed the one Divine Protection, that of the Sword Saint. Of course, he did seem preternaturally fortunate. He recalled how a thrown kukri from Elsa dramatically curved away from him. He wondered if this had been some other Divine Protection he had also possessed. He wanted to inquire further, but he felt he was missing the point.

Subaru: [Wait, you want me to join you, Felt? Me and my friends?]

Felt: [… well, yeah. Is that so surprising?]

Felt looked at him as though he had said something rather foolish, as though her favor of him and his group were patently obvious. She had been friendly from the get go, so his surprise was perhaps unfounded in this case. He simply found it vexing that anyone would want him in their fold after revealing the truth of his circumstances.

It wasn’t just a surprise catching him here, though. He was being put on the spot. He wasn’t ready to make any decisions just yet, or at least this was his first reaction. A mere moment of thought made him realize this particular decision wasn’t as difficult as it seemed on the surface. Considering how Beatrice, Garfiel, and even Bastian to a minute degree would fare poorly in the Felt Camp, he realized it would be entirely unfair for him to agree to join her faction.

While Garfiel at least could always just return to Costuul, he had already made a promise to him. Somehow he doubted he would face truly strong opponents with Reinhard around, or rather, that he would have a chance to even do anything about them. He would only have that wall to throw himself against, stymying his continued growth.

Bastian, meanwhile, was something of a sworn sword to Subaru now, unable or just stubbornly unwilling to deviate from this path. He would follow Subaru wherever he went, even if it meant subjecting himself to the incessant pestering Meili and her new acquaintances would surely bring.

Then there was Beatrice, his contract spirit. They were inseparable now. Him joining the same faction as the one who killed her brother would be the height of callousness and cruelty. He felt ill just thinking about it. Even if the others would have been fine within the Felt Camp, Beatrice never could be. It was a hard stop.

He had an answer. The only question was how he should deliver it. He needed to be delicate, sure, but the precise words proved difficult to arrange. He choked it out to the best of his ability, though his words shook on their way out.

Subaru: [… I’m sorry Felt, but… I’m afraid I can’t do that…]

His words got quieter as his answer wilted. He glanced over at Beatrice. She had been watching him talk, only to quickly look away the second he looked back over. No doubt she was too devoted to voice her unwillingness to be here any longer. She didn’t want her contractor to think they weren’t on the same page.

Reinhard: [I understand, friend. Truth be told, I had a feeling that would be the case.]

Felt: [Eh?! Understand what?! I don’t get it…]

Felt was definitely not on the same page as her knight. She clearly lacked the perspective and perception needed to comprehend Subaru’s delicate situation. She had been to happy to see her old friend again to pay much mind to the undercurrents Reinhard had picked up on.

Reinhard: [Don’t worry, Lady Felt. I can explain it to you later. For now, understand that it isn’t anything personal. Isn’t that right, Subaru?]

Subaru: [Of course not! I mean, there’s no grudge here or anything. How could there be?]

As those words escaped his mouth, he briefly flashed back to when Felt had ran right past him on his first day in Lugunica, in that very first loop. It made him cringe just a bit. He was generally pretty good at not holding onto things, or at least, he had been back then. His empathy used to be so much better, now that he thought about it. He chalked his present difficulties up to becoming hard-hearted through his time up in Gusteko.

Felt: [Well… if you say so. Hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for out there, big bro.]

Subaru: [Thanks, Felt. Despite me not joining your camp, I still wish you the best of luck moving forward, okay?]

He extended his hand to her across the table with a weary smile. Truthfully, most of his smiles were weary these days. The most energetic smile he had worn as of late had been in the wake of the Great Rabbit’s slaying, such a euphoric, adrenaline-rich moment it had been.

Still, weary or not, this smile was no less genuine. Felt shook his hand, reciprocating the friendly gesture.

Felt: [Guess you and your friends will be heading out soon, huh?]

Subaru: [Yeah. We gotta get to the Capital and face the music…]

Reinhard: [Hm, I’m unfamiliar with that phrase. It sounds awfully dour, though. Take heart, Subaru. I’m certain you’ll be welcomed with much fanfare.]

Subaru: [Honestly, that’s partially what I’m worried about…]

He still had images of the adulation in the streets of Costuul the morning after their confrontation with Roswaal and Clind. It had been encouraging, but also made him anxious. He wasn’t used to being the center of attention or being on the receiving end of such overwhelming praise. The Capital, meanwhile, was an even larger city than Costuul. He had butterflies in his stomach just imagining what would be awaiting him and his party upon their arrival.

Then, there was the main matter at hand: his meeting with the Sage Council. Granted, they weren’t just meeting with him. They were meeting with the Heroes of Costuul. He wouldn’t be standing in that throne room alone this time, with no one to back him up. He took comfort in the fact he would have Beatrice and Bastian standing beside him. All the same, he dreaded seeing those sages again, standing within that throne room once more.

After breakfast, Subaru and his companions began packing into their carriage once more. Bastian accompanied Beatrice and Meili inside. He was tired of putting up with children treating him like playground equipment, hanging from and tugging on his arms like he were a giant toy. Beatrice was just happy to have the Sword Saint out of her line of sight, though she could still feel his discomforting presence.

At this point, everyone else in the Felt Camp was off doing their own thing. Felt, in her own words, believed she had “already said goodbye, though” when asked to accompany her knight in seeing them off. Subaru and Reinhard suspected she may have felt somewhat conflicted about the former’s decision.

Reinhard: [I’m sure she’ll come to terms soon enough. Upon hearing of your survival and deed, she had hoped you would join us. I understand you have your reasons.]

Subaru: [Thanks, Rein. It’s much appreciated, truly.]

As Reinhard offered his words of understanding, he looked over to the carriage. He knew all too well it was for his companions’ sakes that they were going to look elsewhere. He also wouldn’t have blamed Subaru for bowing out of politics entirely if the opportunity afforded itself. After all his friend had been through, he believed peace was long overdue.

While Subaru’s companions filed into the carriage, Garfiel took the driver’s seat once again. He didn’t really have much in the way of parting words for Reinhard. He did glare at the Sword Saint in a curious way. It was as though he wanted to wordlessly communicate his intent to surpass him. Reinhard smiled with a slightly dismayed look on his face.

Reinhard: [I hope I haven’t done him any harm…]

Subaru: [Maybe his pride, but he’ll be fine. He hasn’t lost his resolve in the slightest.]

Reinhard: [I see. That’s a relief! I wish you safety in your travels, Subaru. I also share Lady Felt’s hope that you find what you’re seeking.]

Subaru: [Thanks, Rein. No matter what happens from here on out, I want us to remain friends, okay?]

Reinhard looked surprised for a moment as Subaru offered him a handshake in farewell. His surprise quickly morphed into a pleasant smile as he accepted that handshake.

Reinhard: [Absolutely. The day we find ourselves foes would be a grim day indeed!]

Subaru: [Man, don’t even joke about that! Against a real hero like you, I’d be hopeless…]

The mere possibility of ever being on the opposing side in a conflict against Reinhard made him feel defeatist. Any such conflict would surely end poorly for him. At least, that’s how he saw it.

Reinhard paused again. There was the briefest flicker of hurt that flashed across his face. He recovered almost as soon as it had occurred, but it hadn’t escaped all notice. Subaru had seen something, though he wasn’t quite sure what. As vague as this perception was, he felt disconcerted, nonetheless.

Subaru: [… you okay, Rein?]

Reinhard: [Hm? Yes, sorry! Perhaps I shouldn’t make such jokes, as you say.]

Subaru: [Well, of course not! A world where we’re not friends is one I want no part in. I’ll see you later, Rein!]

Sensing he was keeping his companions waiting, Subaru waved goodbye as he walked over to the carriage to begin the next leg of his tour of amends. Reinhard wordlessly but cheerfully waved back. With this, Subaru and company were on the road once again. They needed to return to Flanders before officially beginning this next leg. There was a young boy there whose poster of the Heroes of Costuul needed one final signature for the complete set. Stopping off in that tailor’s shop once more, Bastian fulfilled that very obligation, to Conlan’s delight. His parents were almost equally pleased as the boy jumped with joy.

They didn’t linger in Flanders for long, explaining to Olstein and Reia that they were due for the Capital to heed the Sage Council’s summons advertised on the posters. They offered some provisions at the very least, which Subaru found difficult to turn down. To his credit, he did try to kindly refuse, but was denied at every turn. They wound up leaving with warm sweet potatoes and small loaves of bread, the least they could do, so said the tailor and his wife.

Bastian: [Odd.]

Subaru: [What? The fact that we’re walking away from a tailor’s shop with armfuls of potatoes and bread? Kinda.]

Bastian: [No. You’re signature. Never seen runes like those before.]

Subaru: [Runes like…? Oh, uh… it’s a different system from my village. It was pretty remote, so…]

He trailed off as he began to feel he wasn’t convincing anyone, not even himself. Despite this, no one in attendance questioned him further. He wanted to inquire as to why this was, but then figured this world must be large enough that such a possibility wasn’t unheard of.

With their obligations in the area settled, they were officially on their way to the Capital, where the Heroes of Costuul had impending prospects.

***

Subaru’s foot was tapping like mad as they rode from Flanders to the Capital. The window separating the driver’s seat from the carriage’s interior was opened so he could get some fresh air. It had been opened for a while at that point. Before long, a curious smell entered that air. It was a tangy, malty scent, one not entirely pleasant or unpleasant to Subaru’s nose.

Beatrice: [We must be near Bonobo, in fact.]

Subaru: [Eh?]

Beatrice: [The smell. It’s that of a distillery, I suppose. Bonobo is known for their whiskey, in fact.]

Subaru: [Oh…]

Subaru seemed distracted as Beatrice recited her knowledge. Actually, “distracted” would be putting it lightly. He was deeply worried about this trip. No amount of reassurance from his friends was really working to sooth him. His concern hadn’t escaped Beatrice’s notice.

Beatrice: [You seem to be a bundle of nerves, I suppose. Are you alright?]

Subaru: [Yeah, well… you know why, I’m sure.]

Beatrice: [You’ll have Bastian and I at your side the whole time, in fact. We won’t let them do anything to you.]

Subaru: [I don’t want any trouble, Beako…]

He had no doubts that either of his fellow Heroes would come to his defense if any threat were to come to him. Given what they had accomplished thus far, he also had no doubt that they could make short work of any such threats. He didn’t want conflict, though, not even verbally. He was tired.

Bastian: [Think she means we’ll back you up regardless of what happens. Sword Saint seemed optimistic about this summons, at any rate.]

Subaru: [He has a generally bright outlook, though… except when referring to himself.]

He was careful to remember Reinhard’s propensity for putting himself down in most circumstances. If the Sword Saint could be said to have any flaws in Subaru’s eyes, this inexplicable low self-esteem had to be it.

Garfiel: [You’ll prolly be welcomed like ‘eroes, jus’ like back in Costuul. Not sure why yer so jittery ‘bout it. Live it up, boss!]

Subaru: [Ah, you don’t get it! I’ve never been good at… this kinda stuff.]

Bastian: [Did seem bashful back in Costuul.]

Beatrice: [Betty’s contractor is humble to a fault, in fact.]

Beatrice proudly clutched Chibibaru. Subaru almost wanted to point out the fine line between humility and low self-esteem but didn’t have the heart to correct his contract spirit.

Bastian: [Better hope we get welcomed as heroes. Will be sleeping in the streets, otherwise…]

He glanced over at Meili, who was napping as they rode out. Evidently she hadn’t really slept much the night prior. They had been up awfully late due to Reinhard and Garfiel’s spar. That she was napping at this moment was a testament to the swift progress of her trust with their group. His glance was one of fretfulness. He didn’t like the idea of a child sleeping in the streets. He seemed to be trying to be better towards Meili as of late, like a big brother in his own right. Even her and the Remendis Twins’ pestering hadn’t hampered this development, something which gave Subaru hope.

Subaru: [Come to think of it, I didn’t really think about living arrangements. We’ve just been hopping from mansion to mansion as of late…]

The Miload townhouse. The Karsten Estate. The Astrea Estate. Everywhere they had stayed over the last week and some change had been someone else’s ostentatious property. This time, however, they had nowhere else to go.

Well, nowhere Subaru cared to consider, anyway.

Bastian: [If push comes to shove, could always seek to stay the night at the Juukulius Estate, assuming it’s close by.]

Subaru: [T-That’s –!]

He wanted to shut down that notion outright, but then he saw Meili napping. He looked at Beatrice, who stared up at him inquisitively. He had promised he would make it up to her for their rough time in Costuul after having promised to write a better story together. Sleeping in the streets was hardly a move toward that goal.

Bastian arched an eyebrow at Subaru’s minute outburst. He was clearly awaiting elaboration.

Subaru: [… we’ll only do that if we absolutely have to.]

Bastian sighed upon receiving what he had been waiting for. He had low tolerance for his companion’s stubbornness.

The journey from the Flanders to the Capital took marginally less time than the trip from the Karsten Estate to Flanders had taken. Having left that morning, they arrived in the late afternoon, later than they had arrived at the Karsten Estate, but earlier than they had arrived in Flanders.

The sight of the city’s walls from afar was simultaneously nostalgic and sobering for Subaru. The last time he had seen the Capital from such a perspective had been before the first meeting of the Royal Selection. In the time since his flight, he had often wondered what would have happened had he just kept his promise to Emilia to stay put and receive his healing. His imagination struggled to fill in those blanks, though.

Arriving within the city’s walls, Garfiel slowed the carriage down for a speed more suited for the urban environment. It gave them the opportunity to notice the people noticing them. They could see people whispering to one another, double-checking posters just as the tailor had back in Flanders. Those posters were plastered somehow even more than they had been in Flanders. The walls of some buildings had half a dozen or more of them slapdashedly arranged upon them.

Garfiel: [Damn, they really wanted’ta make sure ya guys got th’ word, huh?]

Bastian: [Makes sense. They want details, just like the others.]

Bastian lazily referred to the Crusch and Felt Camps as “the others” in describing the Sage Council’s intentions. The explanation made some sense but didn’t perfectly satisfy Subaru.

Subaru: [At least in their case they knew me from before. I’ve barely said much at all to those old farts…]

Bastian: [Understand they must have said or done something to earn your ire. Still, please be mindful when we’re there.]

Subaru: [I’m not stupid, okay?!]

His outburst wound up waking up a napping Meili. She seemed somewhat irked by the commotion.

Meili: [It’s too early for this.]

Bastian: [Sun’s actually just beginning to set.]

Meili: [No one asked you, Mister Listless.]

Bastian: [Ugh.]

Meili looked out the window to see where they were.

Meili: [Ohhhh, we’re in the Capital now, huh?]

Subaru: [Yeah. I’d like to say we could find an inn, but…]

Meili: [You’re broke.~]

Subaru: [… well, yeah. But there’s also the matter of those posters. They give me the impression that we really can’t afford any detours or breaks. Garf, take us to the Royal Palace.]

Garfiel: [Ya got it, boss.]

Garfiel responded drolly as he began finding his way to that crown jewel of the city. Subaru could scarcely believe he had just given that order. Even uttering the name of that site made him tense up. It was as he felt such tension that Beatrice patted one of his clenched fists.

Beatrice: [Remember, you won’t be in there alone, in fact. Betty and Bastian will back you up every step of the way. Right, Bastian?]

Bastian had been resting his elbow against the window, staring out of it with his chin braced on his palm. Her mention of his name caused him to look in her direction, though only with his eyes. His head remained frozen in place, using as little energy as possible.

Bastian: [Will do.]

His response was somewhat tepid even for him, earning a glare from Beatrice. Subaru knew precisely what his response was getting at, though. He had known for a while now that Bastian disapproved of his propensity to rationalize as a means of displacing his own share of the blame for the tragedy that had befallen his loved ones.

He had learned some hard lessons as of late, though. The Trials of the Witch’s Graveyard. His interrogation at the hands of Crusch. His “heart to heart” with Garfiel. He had learned that he had nothing to gain from continuing to dance around the issue of his own blameworthiness. He had also long since learned that getting bogged down by that guilt was equally unproductive.

Balance. He needed to strike a balance.

Subaru: [It’s alright, Beako. I get it. This summons could get a bit hairy. I’ll deal with it. You two just being there is already enough for me.]

Beatrice: [Subaru…]

His contract spirit smiled softly as he demonstrated his growth. Even Mister Listless was grinning ever-so-slightly. His fellow heroes knew it. He was ready for this, or as ready as one could reasonably expect to be under such circumstances.

It was fortunate that he was beginning to shake his nerves. Each second brought him closer to that place that only held bad memories. He hoped he wouldn’t happen across that forum where he had argued with Rem. It was a place he had only just tolerated within his First Trial. Being back there in reality would likely hurt far more, especially since there could be no Rem there waiting for him.

Arriving at the guard station outside of the castle gates only brought back more bad memories. The first time he had met Julius. He could have sworn back then that the suave knight was trying to charm Emilia. The kiss to her hand had been all the proof that less mature Subaru had needed to jump to this conclusion. Even now, having become more hardened and with the padding of time between him and that moment, that gesture still didn’t sit well with him. He cracked his knuckles unconsciously as their carriage came to a halt.

A couple of guardsmen began approaching their carriage cautiously, their hands on their hilts ready to draw. One was older, clearly a veteran of the city’s guard. The other was younger, an obvious rookie likely even younger than Subaru was. Only when the doors to the carriage opened and Subaru and his companions began emerging from it did they become less apprehensive. They were too gob-smacked to remain so guarded.

Veteran Guardsman: [They’re here! Alert the attendants of the sages!]

Rookie Guardsman: [R-Right!]

With a shaky salute, the rookie almost began bolting away before being grabbed by the arm by his senior.

Veteran Guardsman: [The metia, boy! Use the metia!]

Rookie: [R-Right!]

The rookie once more saluted his superior, though it was more like a karate chop to his forehead due to how quickly and forcefully he performed it. The young man was clearly under duress as he returned to the guard station to retrieve the aforementioned metia, though precisely what kind eluded Subaru. He could only surmise it was one that allowed for remote communication.

Veteran Guardsman: [My sincere apologies…]

Subaru: [I-It’s fine, don’t even worry about it!]

Veteran Guardsman: [That’s very kind of you… erm… sir?]

The veteran floundered for a moment as he addressed Subaru. He seemed to be unsure of how best to refer to him for reasons Subaru couldn’t quite grasp.

Rookie Guardsman: [The attendants have been alerted, sir! They say that they may be escorted in now!]

Veteran Guardsman: [Very well then. Right this way, sirs… and young misses.]

Beatrice: [Betty is no “young miss,” in fact. Betty’s been alive longer than your entire family line likely has, I suppose.]

Veteran Guardsman: [… is that so?]

The senior guardsman glanced over at Subaru for some form of confirmation.

Subaru: [She’s my contract spirit. Trust me, she’s definitely not lying.]

Beatrice: [What, and Betty’s word alone isn’t sufficient, in fact?]

Subaru: [It’s fine, it’s fine! C’mon, everyone…]

Beatrice and Bastian flanked Subaru since they would be entering the palace’s throne room together. Meili and Garfiel trailed just behind them, being flanked by the two guards. Garfiel seemed rather antsy himself now. It was plain to see this atmosphere was chafing on him. Moreover –

Garfiel: [Why’re they escortin’ us, huh?]

The blonde youth gave a surly look to the rookie standing next to him. The rookie appeared to be regretting his place in their formation. He likely hoped he could swap places with his superior next to Meili, someone he believed would be easier to keep watch over.

Veteran Guardsman: [The posters only advertised the impending arrival of three heroes. Neither of you are mentioned at all.]

Meili: [Really?~ But I was there for the bunny’s slaying, too.]

Garfiel: [N’ what exactly did ya do?]

Meili: [… meanie.]

Meili cast her gaze downward as Garfiel reminded her of her inaction back during the subjugation of the Great Rabbit. Of course, she knew there was nothing she could do in that situation. There was also the matter of her only having been dragged along with the three heroes because they didn’t want to leave someone behind who could be questioned by Roswaal and Clind. Bastian had also fretted over her safety back then, but it was undeniable that everyone in their party leaving the city had been to their benefit at the time.

Garfiel: [Eh?]

Bastian: [Apologize.]

Garfiel: [Eh?!]

Without even turning around, Bastian reprimanded his younger comrade. Garfiel had a look on his face of utter perplexion. He had no idea what he had said that was so out of line. He decided not to press this. Somehow he doubted causing trouble in the Royal Palace would end well for him. At the very least, it would make matters more difficult for everyone else. For now, he would swallow his pride.

Garfiel: [… sorry, kid.]

Meili: [I have name, you know.~]

Garfiel: [She ain’t even ‘urt. Figures…]

Garfiel looked forward at the swordsman. He had to wonder how and why he had put up with the pestering back at the Felt Camp, and how much more he was willing to endure.

The castle’s interior was still as grandiose as Subaru remembered. Even having been to several extravagant locales as of late but this one beat them all by far in both scale and ornamentation. Being the center of the nation’s predominant capital city, it only made sense that no other building would upstage it.

After several minutes of being escorted through the winding halls, they arrived at a familiar, oversized door, beyond which the throne room awaited them.

Veteran Guardsmen: [You two must remain behind here in the antechamber. Only the Heroes of Costuul are permitted entry for this summons.]

Garfiel: [Guess I dunno what I was expectin’…]

Part of this didn’t feel fair to the young warrior, as though he were being discounted. Of course, he knew why he wasn’t allowed in. He hadn’t directly participated in the subjugation of the Great Rabbit. The closest claim he could make in that regard was keeping attention away from Subaru and his companions so they could slip out of the city undetected by Roswaal and Clind. He had been a supporting player, not one of the primary actors involved. He cast his eyes to the floor, the fanciest he had ever stood upon. Intricate marble and fine red carpets with golden accents. He felt like he didn’t belong.

Bastian: [Garfiel.]

Garfiel: [Eh?]

He looked up upon hearing his name being spoken in that familiar monotone. He wasn’t terribly enthusiastic about what Bastian had to say. The two had a quarrelsome dynamic these days, despite the good first impression the swordsman had made on him upon arriving in Costuul.

Bastian: [Keep an eye on Meili. Please.]

Garfiel: […]

He wanted to be annoyed that he was being delegated as a glorified babysitter. However, there was a look of sincerity on Bastian’s face. There was trust on display, perhaps even respect.

Garfiel: [… yeah, sure. Jus’ try not’ta take too long in there, yeah?]

Subaru: [That much isn’t up to him alone, I’m afraid. It mostly depends on how much they’ve got to say to us. I’m also hoping this’ll be over with shortly…]

He eyed Bastian’s medallion for a moment before allowing himself to approach the door to the throne room. He then locked eyes with the swordsman, who proceeded to tuck the medallion under his collar, concealing it under his shirt. Though not a word had been uttered between them, the understanding was tacit. It seemed best to conceal the fact that he was an Acolyte Knight, let alone a disgraced one. He hated making his friend hide things like this, but they had to play it safe.

???: [Whenever you three are ready.]

Standing vigilant at the door to the throne room was a familiar face to Subaru, though he hadn’t really spoken much to them before. They were a mountain of a man with green hair shorn into a flat, well-defined crop top. He had a face like stone, as utterly unemotive as Bastian even.

Subaru: [I believe we are, sir…?]

Marcos: [Sir Marcos. Captain of the Royal Guard. Please, no outbursts this time.]

Beatrice tensed her grip on her contractor’s hand at what she perceived to be a slight against him. Subaru realized he had only so many choices as to how he could respond. He could always let it shut him down, but he wouldn’t be so easily bowed today. He could always get angry, but he failed to see what good this would do for him. He could always just ignore the captain, sauntering past him on into the throne room, though he felt this would be perhaps too arrogant.

That said, he wasn’t above arrogance entirely.

Subaru: [I’ll make no promises. C’mon, you guys. Let’s hear what they’ve gotta say.]

Beatrice looked up hopefully at Subaru. He was smiling defiantly, an air of boldness hanging about him. Was it an act or was it the genuine article? There was only one way to find out.

***

The throne room. It was as spacious and elegant as Subaru had remembered. He felt clammy as he crossed the threshold into that room. Unlike the first time he had entered this chamber, there weren’t very many people within it. Previously, they had Lugunica’s knights and the nobility present on either side of the room. Now, it was just the sages, seated near the vacant throne. Being on such short notice, there was no way the knights and nobles could all be assembled as readily as they had been that fateful day.

He saw two more familiar faces as they made their way across the red carpet. One was a bald man with dark, bushy eyebrows and a stern countenance. The mere visage of this man caused Subaru’s blood to begin to simmer. The other was an older man who had a receding hair line and long white hair with a long white beard to match. Their beard almost concealed their mouth, and their eyes were much softer compared to the younger sage, giving impressions of kindness and wisdom.

Bordeaux Zellgef and Miklotov McMahon. One had slandered Emilia before the entire audience that had been gathered that day. The other had complimented her by virtue of the her attendant and her swift reprimand of him, saying she was clearly “not one to be feared.” Those words had never really sat well with him. Of course Emilia was one to be admired rather than feared. To him, that much was patently obvious.

There were others who sat among these two sages, but he hadn’t ever heard any of their names, nor had any of them ever spoken up during the first meeting of the Royal Selection. It was obvious to Subaru that it was Miklotov and Bordeaux who called the shots on the Sage Council. The former was definitely the wisest one present, as he had seen Puck’s introduction in that first meeting as the power play on Roswaal’s part that it truly was. The latter was certainly the most outspoken of the Sages, having been the only one to denounce Emilia’s involvement in the competition.

Miklotov: [Please, come closer, you three.]

Bordeaux: [So, he really is still alive…]

Subaru: [What was that? I couldn’t hear you from all the way over here. Honestly, did we have to meet here? I mean, look at all of this empty space…]

Subaru hadn’t quite caught what Bordeaux had said, but figured it was probably a put down. He decided to reply to derision with some gripes of his own. It was clear neither of them were happy to see each other.

Miklotov: [It seemed fitting that we meet here again since this was where we last met. You are a difficult man to track down, Natsuki Subaru. I am glad the posters caught your attention.]

Subaru: [Yeah, well it’s pretty difficult to ignore posters with my face on them, let alone that many of them…]

Bordeaux snorted at this response. He appeared unamused, almost angry to see Subaru standing in this hallowed room once more.

Bordeaux: [That almost comes off as narcissism...]

Bastian: [He thought they were wanted posters at first glance.]

Despite his lukewarm agreement with Beatrice earlier in the carriage, Bastian was quick to support Subaru, to both his and Beatrice’s surprise. Beatrice had been a mere moment away from letting loose, having already been glaring at the Sage.

Bordeaux: [And you must be the Gustekan.]

Subaru tensed up. How could they have known? The posters made no mention of Gusteko, otherwise Beatrice and Bastian would have pointed out the problem it potentially posed. They hadn’t broadly advertised his origins, and those they had told couldn’t possibly have already gotten the word out. It had only been a couple of days since they had been at the Karsten Estate, and they had only just been at the Astrea Estate the day prior.

For that matter, none of them had mentioned anything about sending out additional messengers that might spread such information. He found it rather unlikely that any of them would do so without saying so to them first.

Bordeaux: [Confused? Suffice it to say that I have my sources.]

The sage smugly sneered at the three of them, Subaru in particular. Subaru’s glare only intensified, as did Beatrice’s. Only Bastian remained unaffected by this revelation as he reached into his collar to reveal his medallion.

Subaru: [… guess it’s easier living through the truth, huh?]

Bastian nodded silently to his companion’s recollection. Subaru and Beatrice gathered themselves as they decided to adapt their strategy. Deception was no longer viable, so they would use the truth as their weapon and shield.

Bordeaux reciprocated their glare now. He didn’t care for the determination and composure they were demonstrating. It was likely he had intended to knock them off-stride from the beginning, only for them to recover as though nothing had happened. He fully intended to double down on his hand, however.

Bordeaux: [What is a foreign agent doing within Lugunica’s borders unannounced?]

Miklotov: [I must admit, I am rather curious of that myself.]

Miklotov sat forward in his seat, making it clear that his interest had been piqued. Bordeaux, meanwhile, had his arms crossed, a sign of displeasure and suspicion.

Bastian was about to answer, until Subaru placed his hand on his shoulder, offering his friend a grin. Once more, the meaning was implied and carried seamlessly. He would answer in his friend’s stead.

Subaru: [He’s here to help me. He brought me back from Gusteko.]

Bordeaux: [So, you admit to having fled? The timing is rather damning, you can’t possibly deny that.]

Subaru: [Oh, believe me, no one’s more aware of the optics of my situation than I am. I ran away because I knew what was coming.]

Bordeaux: [To admit such a thing without a hint of shame!]

Subaru: [Shame? Let me tell you a thing or two about shame, old man!]

Bastian sighed as his friend began his outburst. Subaru was proud of himself, really. He had maintained his composure for about five minutes of this audience with the Sage Council. There was no one here to rein him in this time, or at least, no one who would dare. Bastian seemed to stare through Bordeaux as Subaru let loose the hell within him, complicit in the torrent that would soon follow. Beatrice held her contractor’s hand, steadfastly supporting his outrage.

Subaru: [Don’t you dare get all high and mighty with me! I bet you were delighted to hear that the half-elf was out of the running for the thrown! You made your feelings painfully obvious that day, you bald-headed prick! You didn’t care about her, or Rem, or Ram, or the people of Irlam! They were nobody to you!]

Bordeaux stared aghast at the tirade being directed toward him. Subaru’s pupils were constricted with righteous fury, magnifying the intimidating appearance of his sanpakugan.

Subaru: [You think I feel no shame? I’ve carried guilt and shame in me ever since the day I left! It burned a hole in me, left me hollow for so, so long! It was only after coming back that I began to heal. After I put my loved ones in the frozen ground. After I found a new purpose, a new promise to keep!]

He then sharply pointed at Bastian, all the while maintaining his fierce eye contact with Bordeaux.

Subaru: [You wanna know why he’s here? He brought me back to help me heal, and he’s gonna help me keep my promise to Emilia!]

The sages began murmuring amongst themselves as Subaru delivered what he had intended as the quietus. Bordeaux frowned, having found his next foothold. He scoffed.

Bordeaux: [So, even after abandoning her, you still claim to be that half-elf’s knight? Have you learned nothing?]

Subaru lowered his pointed finger to his side, wincing at the mention of abandonment. The sage had twisted the screw further in his mention of Subaru’s prior declaration of knighthood.

Sensing his distress, Beatrice’s grasp tightened on Subaru’s hand. When she had said she was going to support him, he had half-expected her to let loose in her own way. He was pleasantly surprised that she was going to help to stand on his own merits, giving him a shoulder to lean upon in this moment.

Bastian followed this up by patting his friend on the back, a gesture of comfort and reassurance. Subaru wasn’t alone in taking notice of the reinforcement on display. The disgraced Acolyte Knight locked his cold eyes on Bordeaux, a gesture just as severe as anyone else’s glare would ordinarily be coming from him.

Miklotov: [That is quite the camaraderie you have developed. You must inspire something within them.]

Subaru looked from Beatrice to Bastian and then back to the sages. His companions were unshaken.

Subaru: [Well, I’m not sure what that could be. I’m just glad to have them by my side under such unpleasant circumstances…]

He made sure to home in on Bordeaux as he finished his reply to Miklotov’s observation. He wanted to ensure that his angst toward the sage was understood. Bordeaux narrowed his eyes in ire.

Subaru: [Do I claim to be a knight? No. I’ve long since learned that can’t possibly be the case…]

He was forced to recall his Second Trial once again, how he had been Emilia’s knight in a better world. He wished he could have been that Subaru instead. Even now, he desperately wished he knew how that Subaru had defeated the White Whale and thwarted the Witch Cult attack against his loved ones. Still, there was no sense in dwelling on what could never be. All he had was now.

Subaru: [Do I maintain my devotion to her? Yes. At her grave, I swore I would grant her greatest wish. You may have discounted her outright, Bordeaux, but surely you remember the platform she espoused that day?]

The short-tempered sage was silent, stubbornly refusing to answer Subaru’s guiding question. Bordeaux knew he had been had.

Subaru: [Not gonna play nice? Fine, I’ll give you the refresher. She said she wanted to make Lugunica a kingdom where everyone is equal. I’ll grant her that wish, even if she’ll never get to see it.]

His confidence faltered as he uttered those last few words. His bold smile withered into a pained expression, one that bore the burden of blame. He wasn’t running from his past now. He was affirming the future he sought.

Bordeaux: [You… you remain faithful to that… that…]

Bordeaux looked as though he were about to burst a blood vessel, until Miklotov raised his hand just within his view.

Bordeaux: [… Master Miklotov?]

Miklotov: [I believe that will be quite enough, Master Bordeaux. The young man has certainly demonstrated his resolve, has he not? It is best that we let the matter between you rest, to prevent this meeting from becoming bogged down.]

Bordeaux: [… you’re right. I’ll bury this… for now.]

The sage made his position plain to see. He wasn’t about to give up haranguing Subaru for his allegiance to Emilia, his cowardice for having ran away, or his willingness to collude with a foreign agent. Bordeaux railed against him from various angles, but none of them would stick this day.

Miklotov: [I still believe you are a fine attendant, Natsuki Subaru. Fleeing to Gusteko in itself is not what disturbs me about the circumstances surrounding you. After all, you have returned, something no mere coward would consider. You have even subjugated the Great Rabbit, a feat any candidate for the throne could take pride in.]

Subaru watched the de facto head of the sages warily. His words were sidewinding, refusing to commit to a favorable or unfavorable impression. The sage was angling towards something, and he had a feeling as to what.

Subaru: [You’re concerned about how I knew about the Witch Cult attack.]

Miklotov: [… impressive. You have aptly discerned my precise concern.]

Subaru: [Well, there’s also probably lingering concern about why I hadn’t even tried to return to the mansion. I’m sure you are all aware I had been in the Capital at the time, yeah?]

Bordeaux: [Yes, we have it on good authority that you had been miles away while your loved ones were being slaughtered.]

Subaru bit his lip, causing it to bleed. While the sage who had previously slandered Emilia had agreed to relent on pursuing any angles, he hadn’t agreed to hold back other tangential, petty snipes.

Miklotov gave one blank look to his fellow sage. Bordeaux was quick to notice, closing his eyes and raising one hand in a gesture of supposed blamelessness. He would now hold back such pettiness for the sake of continued discussion.

Miklotov: [While I do not hold the same sentiments as Master Bordeaux, the bare meaning of his words ring true. We are aware you had been in the Capital.]

Subaru: [I’m sure you also all recall that the White Whale had been stalking around the Lifaus Highway? Y’know, the quickest route back to Roswaal’s mansion near Irlam Village?]

Miklotov: [I see. So you knew you would not have enough time to return in time to aid your loved ones. That still leaves the matter of how you knew of the attack in advance in the first place.]

Subaru looked towards Beatrice out of the corner of his eye. Her sidelong gaze met his, followed by a faint, confident smile. She had been the only other person in the room when he had delivered his alibi to Crusch during his interrogation. She knew his story and how it was possible. In meeting his gaze, he could tell she approved of him reiterating it here. His bond with his companions was in rare form today.

Subaru: [I had been previously taken hostage by the Witch Cult. They told me everything they were planning, though I’m not sure why. The only thing I can surmise is that they were trying to make me despair. I managed to escape.]

Bordeaux: [You were taken captive by the Witch Cult and given advanced knowledge of their plot, yet didn’t come forward with it?]

Subaru: [Like you would have believed me?]

A brisk silence swept over them. Bordeaux could hardly refute this supposition. His previous encounter with Subaru had been him bearing witness to a butler brazenly declaring himself to be a knight in a room full of Lugunica’s knights. He and many others had thoroughly written Subaru off as a mere fool. All the sage could do is grunt out of frustration, once more failing to land a decisive blow against Subaru.

Miklotov: [I see. Given your prior established reputation, you feared anyone you would take this information to would immediately dismiss you. Did this truly necessitate you fleeing the country, though?]

Subaru: [What, implying that if I’d stayed, I could’ve done something all on my own? If I hadn’t ran away, I’d have never met Bastian. He had been instrumental in the subjugation of the Great Rabbit. He also convinced me to return, allowing me to forge a contract with Beako here.]

Bordeaux: [“Beako?”]

Bastian: [Beatrice-sama. She is a Great Spirit. Tread lightly.]

Bordeaux balked at the nerve of the foreigner staring icy daggers into him. Who was this man, curiously dressed like a butler, to issue such a command? He stared Bastian down for a moment, but the swordsman’s disposition didn’t waver, his cold, bleak eyes beginning to unnerve the sage. He suspected a fly could land on that swordsman’s open eye and he wouldn’t so much as wince.

Miklotov: [It seems you attract similarly brash company, though you have also demonstrated an ability to achieve lofty aims.]

Beatrice: [Subjugating the Great Rabbit is merely Subaru’s first move, in fact. You would do well to watch him closely.]

Subaru: [Beako…]

Bordeaux: [Oh, we’ll watch him closely, alright…]

The cantankerous sage grumbled out a response to Beatrice’s grand boast.

Subaru: [Yeah, well maybe you all should’ve been watching Roswaal more closely.]

The sages all stared at Subaru in confusion as he namedropped the supposedly late court mage.

Miklotov: [What do you mean by this, exactly?]

Subaru proceeded to relay the same news that had rocked the Felt Camp the previous night. The sages were split many ways. Some were dismayed. Others were outraged. One in particular was actually shaken.

Bordeaux: […]

Beatrice: [He’s exhibiting a similar reaction to that of that old lady and old man back at the Astrea Estate, in fact.]

Bordeaux: [… you’ve met them? How… how is Grimm these days? It’s… been ages.]

Subaru frowned. He had only ever known Bordeaux as a bigot. He didn’t like that this old man being deeply affected regarding news of Roswaal’s conspiracy was making him feel sympathy for the man.

Subaru: [He seems like he’s doing well, happy with his wife. I take it you were all acquainted in the past?]

Bordeaux: [I was Grimm’s commander during the Demi-Human War. I became acquainted with Roswaal J. Mathers back then. To think she… he… had done such a thing…]

Subaru: [You mean you actually believe me?]

Bordeaux: [I don’t like you, boy. But… I can’t deny you have achieved things no one else in this kingdom has been able to. This kingdom was already struggling after the White Whale choked up our most critical trade artery. The Great Rabbit and the snowstorm that came ahead of it… they just about crippled us. Having achieved what you have… who am I to cast aspersions of falsehood?]

Beatrice: [Hmph! So, he draws the line at calling you a liar, I suppose.]

Subaru: [I mean, I can’t exactly deny his previous accusations… not that all of them are truly as negative as he tries to make them out to be.]

Subaru couldn’t refute Bordeaux’s prior accusations. He had been a coward in fleeing Lugunica. He was devoted to Emilia, something he personally didn’t find problematic in the slightest. He was working with a foreign national, though Bastian wasn’t the spy the sage seemed to be implying he might be.

Setting those accusations and differences in perspective aside, Subaru returned his attention to Bordeaux, who was clearly affected by the revelation of Roswaal’s conspiracy.

Subaru: [… I’m sorry you had to find out like this.]

Bordeaux: [No… no… it’s good this has come to light. Shall we take it that Roswaal is in custody?]

Bastian: [Both the margrave and his butler are held, yes.]

Miklotov: [Well, he won’t be going by the title of margrave much longer… clearly there is much to discuss. Another meeting is in order. Are we all in agreement?]

Subaru: [Eh? Another meeting? What for? Didn’t you just want to confirm the Great Rabbit’s subjugation?]

Subaru was blindsided by this sudden proposal of there being another meeting. He didn’t like this, as it would necessarily mean he would need to stay within or near the city for longer than a day. Regardless of his own situation, the sages were all nodding in agreement with their de facto head.

Miklotov: [Indeed that had been the reason you had been summoned. However, this revelation requires action. It could serve as a fitting examination of our candidates. It would be beneficial for the relief of Costuul to be discussed amongst them since they had been largely responsible for pursuing that endeavor up until your return. Moreover, there is the matter of your reward to be discussed, though this should wait for the time being.]

Subaru: [I guess it would serve as a case study of sorts for… wait, “reward?”]

Bordeaux: [What? You think us to be ungrateful, boy?]

Bastian: [Some are more grateful than others.]

Bastian’s droll retort made Subaru snort a little. It was immensely gratifying for him to have his chief critic – aside from himself – criticize someone else for a change.

Miklotov: [You will indeed be rewarded for your efforts. This much has already been discussed in a strictly hypothetical sense amongst this council. However, that matter will need to wait. The matter of a treasonous court mage is far more pressing. I hope you understand.]

Subaru: [Yeah, that… that makes sense.]

The severity with which Miklotov referred to Roswaal made Subaru uneasy. He had come to loathe the harlequin margrave, but didn’t want anything bad to come to them. This was much less the case now that Roswaal had subsumed the body of Annerose.

Miklotov: [For now, I must say I am impressed by your remorse and resolve, young man. As your contract spirit had impressed upon us earlier, we shall indeed be watching you with much anticipation. I knew there was something about you back then…]

Subaru: [Back then…]

The first meeting of the Royal Selection was undoubtedly the occasion to which Miklotov referred. He wasn’t sure of what this “something” was the sage had seen in him back then, however. He wasn’t about to ask for any elaboration, though. He had been in this environment long enough. He could still picture where he had been standing as he bowed before the Sage Council in introduction, the knights raising their swords in indignation.

This in turn forced him to remember his present quandary, namely that he and his companions would need lodging in or near the Capital long enough for the remaining candidates for the throne to arrive for a meeting to discuss the situation surrounding Costuul and Roswaal’s conspiracy.

Subaru: [Guess we’ll be taking our leave for today, then.]

With a half-hearted bow, he directed his fellow heroes out toward the door back to the antechamber where Meili and Garfiel waited. This meeting had dragged on for roughly an hour. He was tired of always leaving his companions waiting like this.

Beatrice didn’t bother curtsying on her way out, as such an act was simply beneath her, being a Great Spirit. Bastian didn’t bow either, a move even his own companions appeared somewhat confused by. Being out of earshot of the sages now, he felt they were free to talk.

Subaru: [Thought a knight would bow before the governing body of a neighboring nation.]

Bastian: [Guess I’ve only disgraced myself further. Oh well.]

Subaru: [Try not to trivialize that, okay? You’re doing well to make up for that. You’re helping me become better, at least.]

Bastian: [Couldn’t help but notice you hadn’t mentioned seeking any aid from the other candidates.]

Subaru: [O-Oh, yeah?]

Beatrice: [It’s quite alright, Bastian. Subaru is special, you see.]

Bastian: [Special…]

The swordsman ruminated on Beatrice’s admittedly vague explanation for why Subaru hadn’t mentioned seeking aid from Crusch, Anastasia, or Priscilla. He appeared rather perturbed by Subaru’s lie of omission, a change in the story he had been told way back when, one he had thought was the same account Beatrice had been given. Evidently, Beatrice had a clearer picture of Subaru’s past than he did, a matter which proved surprisingly troubling.

Bastian: [Could it be there was some truth to Roswaal’s words? “Something only you can do,” was it?]

Subaru: [Er, well… yes.]

They stopped just ahead of the massive door back to the antechamber. Subaru was becoming uncomfortable, being certain that he was in for some scathing critique now that the sages were behind them.

Bastian: [… well, whatever that is, notion of you employing it seemed to make Beatrice-sama unhappy back then. If she doesn’t want you using it, won’t dwell on it.]

Subaru: [Wait, that’s what makes this okay…?]

Bastian: [Should defer to the spirits in such matters. Have faith in their wisdom.]

Beatrice: [Ha! Well, you speak soundly every so often, I suppose.]

Beatrice placed her free hand on her hip in a haughty posture, clearly relishing the praise she had previously abhorred. It pleased Subaru to see them getting along much better than they had previously.

Bastian: [Of course, still hurts to be left out of the loop like that.]

There was a subtle twinge of hurt in the disgraced Acolyte Knight’s voice, and he frowned almost imperceptibly. Subaru had become quite good at reading his friend, though. These microexpressions came across far stronger to him than they would for anyone else.

Subaru: [Right… sorry…]

Bastian: [S’fine. Let’s go. Unwise to keep Meili and Garfiel waiting.]

Subaru: [Yeah, no kidding!]

Matters seemed settled for the time being, though the next conference was just on the horizon. Meanwhile, there was still the issue of their need for lodging. Rejoining Meili and Garfiel in the antechamber, they set about discussing this very issue on their way out of the castle.

Garfiel: [Eh? They want another meetin’? Must be important…]

Subaru: [Yeah, unfortunately we’re gonna be in this city for a little longer than I’d have liked.]

Meili: [Couldn’t we just leverage your reputation to get a room in some inn, big brother?~]

Subaru: [… such things sound so wrong coming from a child. You’re too precocious, y’know that?]

Meili had turned up the innocent charm in her attempt to push Subaru to rely on his hero status once more. He still felt somewhat off about doing so back in Flanders, but at least back then he had given someone something they wanted in exchange for the clothes he needed. Such an arrangement couldn’t be guaranteed this time, and he didn’t feel comfortable offering his autograph in exchange. The last time this had happened, the autograph hadn’t even been his idea; rather, it was the tailor’s son who had proposed the lopsided arrangement.

Subaru: [No, I’d really rather not keep relying on that. Makes me feel scummy…]

Garfiel: [Yer a better man than I in that regard, boss.]

Bastian: [Hope you realize this leaves one option?]

Subaru grimaced. He knew what Bastian was getting at. While it would solve their immediate concern, he didn’t want to be beholden to Julius.

Subaru: [Of course, I did agree to try and make amends with that bastard, huh? Ugh, fine! Let’s find our way to the Juukulius Estate…]

Bastian seemed quite pleased with this decision, or at least as pleased as his usual countenance would allow. As they all loaded up in their carriage, their next destination was set. Once again, it was one he dreaded.

Chapter Text

The sun had already been just beginning to set upon arriving at the Capital. Navigating to the Royal Palace from the city’s limits had taken additional time, as had being ushered into the palace and to the throne room for their meeting with the Sage Council. As such, the sun was now well and truly setting. Subaru and his companions would need a place to stay for the night, especially since the sages had called for a larger follow-up meeting in the coming days, one involving the candidates for the Royal Selection.

They had no money, and being unwilling to leverage his reputation so pettily, Subaru realized he had only one option.

Subaru: [I guess if we have to inconvenience anyone, I’m glad it’s Julius.]

Bastian: [Not sure you’re taking the right attitude toward this.]

Subaru and his companions were presently en route to the Juukulius Estate, having received directions from the guardsmen that had been escorting them earlier. He sat in their carriage with his companions as they rode through the streets to their destination, crossing his arms and impatiently tapping a finger. His nerves just never left him alone these days.

Subaru: [What? You realize this is gonna suck for me, right?]

Bastian: [Said that about the meeting with the sages, too.]

Subaru: [Yeah… but they hadn’t beaten me to a bloody pulp before a crowd…]

Subaru was genuinely distressed at the notion of seeing Julius again. The Finest Knight had made his disdain for Subaru well known that day, outperforming and denigrating him at every turn. Of course, from most everyone else’s perspective, Julius had been acting out of righteous indignation on behalf of his fellow knights, upholding the sanctity of their station. From Subaru’s perspective, though, the knight had been a malicious, pompous actor.

Beatrice: [Betty won’t let this knight do such a thing to you ever again, in fact.]

Beatrice declared her intent firmly, squeezing Chibibaru as she clutched it tightly to her. She had a stern glare, one of a protector. Subaru didn’t doubt she would do her best to rebuff anyone who would intend to bring harm to him. He had already known this since their encounter with Elsa back in Costuul, when she had made it plain to see what lengths she would go to for him.

Subaru: [That’s appreciated, Beako, really. I just hope it won’t come to another fight…]

Bastian: [Should really approach this less combatively. Trying to make amends, remember?]

Subaru: [I… I know. Of all the things to let go of, though, this one may be the hardest for me. It’s hard not to see it as the point where everything began going wrong for me…]

Bastian: [Understood. Feel there’s something we’re missing here, though. Also, recall that you’re not the only one needing to make amends here. He should be, too.]

Subaru: [… feel like he should be the only one making amends here…]

Bastian: [Subaru.]

He had tried to mumble his grievance out of earshot from the subdued swordsman. This was always a hopeless endeavor, as the swordsman’s senses were sharp, if only because of his spirits.

Subaru: [Look, Bastian, I get what you’re going for here, but… I don’t think this is gonna go the way you think it will.]

Bastian: [Were it just the two of you talking together, would agree. Won’t be alone, though.]

Subaru: [Well, it’s good to hear you’re in my corner here!]

Bastian stared blankly at Subaru as he reached what was evidently the wrong conclusion, and rather confidently, to boot.

Subaru: [What? You’re gonna back me up here, right? Like in the throne room?]

Bastian: [No. Will be a mediator, instead. Besides, Beatrice-sama is all the support you need.]

Garfiel: [Like in the throne room, eh? Th’ ‘ell’m I s’posed’ta do while yer doin’ that?]

Garfiel spoke up from the driver’s seat. The window separating him from the carriage’s cabin was opened again at Subaru’s behest. The fresh air helped him somewhat. Garfiel seemed pretty agitated, likely a hangover of his wait in the throne room’s antechamber.

Subaru: [I know you’re itching to get started, Garf. Believe me, if I could skip this, I’d do so gladly. But… I made a promise.]

He tried not to sound too resigned, trying to be a good influence on his younger friend. He wasn’t sure how well acquainted Garfiel was with the importance of keeping promises, though he figured it couldn’t hurt to reinforce it at any turn. At the very least, it made it easier to hold himself accountable if he thought others were watching.

Garfiel: [A word once given, eh? Fine. Jus’ don’t let th’ guy get’ta ya, got it?]

Subaru: [Garfiel…]

Subaru was astounded. He could have sworn he heard something akin to respect in the young man’s voice. He could tell he had a ways to go before that respect could be expressed in earnest. He would need to earn it.

He almost declared as much, too. Though their “conversation” at the Astrea Estate had been solely between the two of them, he believed it wouldn’t hurt to bring up some details from it around the others. They were a unit now, after all. Why bother hiding such things? The better they understood one another, the better they could operate.

Yes, he almost declared his intent to earn Garfiel’s respect. Until the latter’s stomach growled. It was so loud that everyone inside of the carriage could hear it, even over the sound of the carriage’s wheels against the cobblestone streets.

Garfiel: [… can some one pass me some bread ‘r one’a those potatoes?]

Subaru: [Uh, sure… the potatoes are cold now, though. We probably should’ve eaten them when we got them…]

Garfiel: [Kin we expect dinner at this next place?]

He likely hadn’t meant for this question to come off as pointed as it had, but that’s how it had been received. It got Subaru thinking just what kind of hospitality they could expect at the Juukulius Estate.

Subaru: [Well… we are gonna be basically throwing ourselves on their mercy… shit.]

Beatrice: [Subaru?]

Subaru: [… we’re gonna be throwing ourselves on their mercy.]

Bastian: [Only just realized that?]

Subaru facepalmed. He had realized this framing of their circumstances already. It had been precisely why he had been so vehemently against this arrangement from the outset. Saying it out loud let the reality settle onto him in a way that it hadn’t before.

Subaru: [That smug prick is gonna rub it in, too, I just know it. “Oh-ho-ho, poor pathetic Subaru, can’t even take care of himself, let alone his friends. Here, enjoy our disgusting excess!”]

Subaru slouched in his seat, his arms still folded from before. Beatrice would have held his hand to comfort him, had he left one of his hands free to do so. She instead hugged Chibibaru, perhaps hoping on an unconscious level that it would somehow transfer onto her contractor like a voodoo doll of comfort.

Meili: [You really don’t like this guy, huh?~]

Bastian: [Meili, please don’t stoke that matter.]

Meili: [Hm? Why not, Mister Listless?]

Meili looked up at Bastian with a look of feigned curiosity, playing coy with the swordsman. He was still for a moment, then sighed.

Bastian: [Shouldn’t have to explain why… he needs to put his past with Julius behind him, and vice versa. Will be harder if he goes in with a negative mindset.]

Meili: [Oh… not sure how that affects me, though!~]

Subaru: [Some little sister…]

He groused as Meili made it clear that she had no cares whatsoever, offering her “big brother” little more than a smug shrug for his trouble.

Bastian: [Hope you understand that his enemies become our enemies, too. Would you wish to contend with a knight?]

Meili faltered. She had an answer, of course. She was certain she wouldn’t have to face such a threat alone, that none of those present here – save for maybe Garfiel, if only due to their lack of rapport up to that point – would allow it. She couldn’t advertise this feeling of hers, though. She couldn’t lower her guard too much. Not yet.

Instead, she fell silent, staring at Chibirein. She wondered what it must have been like for her late “elder sister” to face such a foe way back when.

Subaru: [Huh… would you look at that. Seems like you have a pretty good insight on her lately.]

Meili was quick to deride this observation of Subaru’s, sticking out her tongue at him in disgust, then sharply looking out the carriage window.

Bastian: [Not sure of that.]

Garfiel: [Oi! Someone pass me some food already! I’m starvin’]

Subaru: [Sorry, Garf! Here, a small loaf of bread’s probably more appetizing than a cold potato.]

He tossed his young friend some bread. It was akin to a miniature baguette. Garfiel caught it without looking, then tore into it heartily. Crumbs flew about every which direction.

Subaru: [Guess it wouldn’t hurt to have a snack… the less of their food we gotta eat, the better.]

He began handing out food to his comrades, starting with Meili, since she was a child. Even Beatrice ate a little, if only because Subaru was. Bastian stared at the cold potato he held in his hand.

Subaru: [Yeah, that looks pretty disappointing… here, have some —]

He was going to offer Bastian some bread instead, but didn’t get the chance do so before Bastian began biting into the potato.

Bastian: [Wouldn’t make a difference if it were warm. Couldn’t feel it anyway.]

Subaru: [Oh… yeah, never thought about that before. Man, all of these warm meals we’ve been having lately have been missing an entire dimension for you!]

Bastian shrugged. Apparently he had never known a warm meal before. Subaru’s mind began to wander. What other wonderful things had the disgraced Acolyte Knight been deprived of by virtue of his Divine Protection of Insulation?

He figured he could rule out warm baths or hot springs. He could also rule out the comfort a warm drink brought in these wintery environs. Conversely, he could rule out the refreshing sensation of a cool drink on a hot day or the cooling effect of a calm breeze, though this had likely also been ruled out by virtue having been born in Gusteko. He began to feel pity for the swordsman in a way he hadn’t felt since he had first learned of his friend’s alleged disgrace not long after they had met.

Garfiel: [Oi, boss! We’re ‘ere.]

Subaru: [Oh? Oh…]

His subordinate’s call had snapped him out of his pitying rumination. He looked out the window, only to see another grand mansion. He couldn’t help but reflect on all of the resplendent locales he had visited since he had returned to Lugunica.

Technically, even the snowed-over ruins of Roswaal’s auxiliary mansion had still felt august to him in a bittersweet, “faded glory” kind of way. He had even gotten to see it in its prime through his Second Trial, an experience he still cherished despite the events that had surrounded it.

He counted the Miload townhouse among those ranks, as it had been tantamount to a mansion in his mind. Having grown up in a modest suburban house, it didn’t take much to impress him.

Then there had been the Karsten and Astrea Estates, both magnificent in their own rights. He found it difficult to praise one higher than the other. Of course, both paled in comparison to the Royal Palace, a castle without a king.

Compared to all of these opulent places, the Juukulius Estate fell somewhere between the Miload townhouse and the Karsten and Astrea Estates both in terms of scale and adornments. He could hardly say it wasn’t a mansion, though it wasn’t as impressive to him as those others he had visited. This impression could have been born from a critical eye for mansions he had been developing as of late. It also could have been born from his ire for the knight who resided here.

Subaru: [Yep… it’s a mansion.]

Bastian: [Don’t have to be impressed, but also don’t have to belittle.]

Subaru: [Oh, well far be it from me to “belittle” the “courageous” nobility.]

Bastian: [How much do you really know of him?]

Subaru: […]

He didn’t have much of a rebuttal. Truthfully, he hadn’t had many meaningful conversations with Julius. The only conversations they had held pertained to matters of honor and always resulted in conflict between them. This was partially due to his own guardedness and hostility, a mode of operation he had used in Julius’ presence ever since the knight had “brazenly” kissed Emilia’s hand outside of the Royal Palace.

He wanted to tell Bastian that he knew enough about Julius to know they would never peacefully coexist. However, he was swiftly reminded that he needed to enter this impending meeting with as neutral of a disposition as he could muster. He owed this much to his friend, who had gone to great lengths for him as of late. He had been avoiding looking Bastian in the eyes as that question had been asked. He found they lingered on the swordsman’s sword arm, which had been a gnarled mess just days ago.

He wanted to say, “let’s just get this over with,” but knew that this, too, wouldn’t be the right mindset with which to approach this meeting. Neutrality. He needed to be mindful of that.

It was just asking so much of him.

Their carriage came to a halt as they reached the mansion’s horseshoe-shaped landing. Standing upon the stairs to the front entrance were two figures. One was dignified, the spitting image of Julius, albeit shorter. They had a monocle and wore a fine suit with a long scarf coiled around them to conceal their mouth, a natural choice considering the stubborn cold. They appeared to be the very image of a noble youth, despite their shivering.

The other was a hulking, bestial presence, a wolfman. He had swooping brown hair, sharp eyes, and a sharp-toothed grin. Even from their carriage, the grip of a large blade could be seen behind his back. Unlike the other figure, he didn’t shiver at all.

Garfiel: [‘e looks like a challenge…]

Bastian: [Not here to fight. Only if the situation goes completely awry.]

Garfiel sighed, disappointed. He had hoped to test his mettle again, perhaps to redeem himself after his miserable defeat at the hands of the Sword Saint.

Subaru: [Bastian’s right. We’re here to bury the hatchet… or to try to, at least.]

Beatrice: [All you can do is try, in fact.]

Beatrice spoke in an assuring tone, attempting to soften the possibility of diplomatic failure. Subaru felt that Bastian was certainly correct in his prior assessment of her.

They began to emerge from their carriage, prompting the two figures to begin to approach them.

???: [Who are you, with such lack of manners as to show up on our doorstep unannounced?]

???: [Hold up. Don’t they look sorta familiar, Joshua?]

Joshua: [Familiar? I’m sure I’ve never met them before in my life.]

The scrawnier of the two figures, evidently a young man named Joshua, was dismissive of his larger companion’s suggestion. He had a prickly demeanor, at least where strangers were concerned. He seemed rather sheltered and reserved. His arms were folded not just out of shivering, but out of standoffishness, as well.

???: [Don’t have to meet people to be familiar with their appearance. Posters have been put up all over the place lately. I’m seein’ some familiar faces here…]

Subaru: [We’re the ones who have slain the Great Rabbit.]

Joshua: [Yes, yes, I’ve seen the posters.]

The monocled young man seemed to be feigning being unimpressed with Subaru’s claim. He fidgeted with his monocle, perhaps trying to distract himself or misdirect.

Subaru: [Um… yeah? That was us. My name’s Subaru, and I came up with the plan. Bastian and Beatrice here were the one’s who carried it out.]

Joshua narrowed his eyes in a glare of contestation. He seemed to be sizing them all up. Hearing Bastian’s name first, he turned his attention to the butleresque swordsman.

Joshua: [Do you believe yourself to be a better Spirit Arts user than my most esteemed elder brother?]

???: [Joshua, c’mon now…]

Joshua: [Not now, Ricardo. I’m asking this scarred man a question.]

Joshua was quick to dismiss the wolfman’s attempt to deescalate. That wolfman, apparently named Ricardo, sighed. He was clearly not used to trying to keep the haughty noble youth in line. It likely wasn’t his place to even do so, as he appeared like a mercenary.

Bastian cocked his head to the side, unsure as to what the young man was getting at.

Bastian: [Couldn’t possibly know such a thing. Never met him.]

Joshua: [My most esteemed elder brother is renowned in the kingdom for his prowess with Spirit Arts. Knowing him personally is of no import.]

Joshua then turned his attention to Subaru, undeterred by Bastian’s cop out of a response.

Joshua: [What about you? I suppose you believe yourself to be greater than Julius, being contracted with a Great Spirit such as her.]

Subaru: [You know she’s my contract spirit? Guess the posters probably mentioned that, though I’m not sure how the people who wrote them up could’ve known.]

Joshua: [It’s a simple observation.]

Joshua pointed at Subaru’s hand, which was holding Beatrice’s. He hadn’t even noticed he had been holding her hand ever since they had emerged from their carriage. As for how Joshua had known Beatrice was a Great Spirit, it likely stemmed from the fact that she didn’t appear as a mere mote of light like the other spirits he had seen himself. He figured Joshua’s exposure to spirits had to have been similar to his own.

Joshua: [Quit dodging the question. Do you or do you not believe yourself to be superior to –]

???: [Joshua, that will be quite enough.]

A familiar voice intervened, one which made the hairs on the back of Subaru’s neck stand on end. He could practically feel the bruises and fractures all over again.

Subaru: [… Julius.]

His voice was low, only barely not seething, if only because he knew why he was here. Succumbing to his anger and allowing himself to become immersed within that grudge would be a direct betrayal of the promise he had made to his friend.

Julius: [Subaru… you really have returned.]

Subaru: […]

He wasn’t sure how far to read into Julius’ choice of words. He couldn’t begin to discern how the knight could have known of his flight from Lugunica. The Sage Council had only just been informed themselves. He opted to let that vagueness hang in the air. He figured he would elaborate upon it himself in the imminent future.

Julius: [Joshua, please prepare some refreshments for our guests, would you? They have clearly traveled long and far.]

Joshua: [Yes, brother. My apologies, brother.]

Julius: [It’s quite alright, Joshua.]

Julius spoke gingerly to his younger brother, who bowed profusely following his older brother’s intervention. He was clearly very reverent toward Julius, perhaps too much so. Julius, meanwhile, seemed unfortunately accustomed to reining in his younger brother like this. Joshua took his leave of the group gathered at the front entrance, though not before leering at Subaru.

Subaru: [I guess it’s only natural for the younger sibling to think the world of their older sibling.]

Garfiel: [Ya think so, boss?]

Subaru: [What, you don’t respect Frederica?]

Garfiel: [I didn’t say that… don’t go puttin’ words in my mouth.]

Garfiel got annoyed at Subaru bringing his older sister into the discussion. He still felt a little guilty leaving her back in Costuul.

Julius: [I apologize for his behavior. He’s only behaving this way out of a perceived need to defend me following a… relatively recent event. Please, forgive him.]

Julius was quite contrite on his younger brother’s behalf. The “relatively recent event” was simultaneously unmistakable yet lacking in detail. There was something Subaru was missing, but what little he had picked up on only agitated him further. He wouldn’t be so cooperative, at last not for the time being.

Bastian: [S’fine. He means well.]

Bastian opted for a diplomatic approach, earning Beatrice’s chagrin in the process. She delivered a swift, gossamer kick to his leg. It always would have been a futile effort. Even if her featherweight frame had been capable of delivering a true kick, his Divine Protection always would have sheltered him from it.

Ricardo: [Guess I’ll get back inside… bet my subordinates are waitin’ in the foyer, just itchin’ to know what’s goin’ on. Haven’t had visitors in a while, or at least, none that weren’t merchants reportin’ in from deliveries to Costuul.]

Julius: [Indeed. Please, come in. It won’t do to leave our guests waiting here in the cold.]

Julius gestured for them to follow. It seemed like there was more that he wanted to say, but he decided to let it wait for the time being, whatever it was.

The doors were opened, and the party followed Julius and Ricardo inside. As Ricardo had predicted, immediately after they all entered the mansion, they were beset by a trio of tiny demi-humans. One was a girl, two were boys. One of the boys had a monocle, appearing rather proud and intelligent. The other looked meek and reserved, shrinking behind the sister. Subaru surmised this sister had to be the one named Mimi that Ricardo had mentioned earlier.

All were cat humans with orange ears, orange hair, and aqua eyes. It was clear they were the Pearlbaton triplets Ricardo had referenced earlier.

Mimi: [Hey, hey! You look awfully familiar, mister! Are you from the posters?]

???: [Of course it’s them, sister. The real question is why are they here? Shouldn’t they be heeding the Sage Council’s summons?]

The brother with the monocle adjusted it, doing his best to appear sharp and inquisitive.

Mimi: [Oh, Oh! Good point Tivey! Mimi also wants to know why they’re here! Skipping out on the Sage Council seems like a bad idea to Mimi!]

Garfiel: [They already went to see th’ sages, ya midget.]

Subaru: [Garf, c’mon man!]

Subaru was surprised to hear Garfiel speak up on his behalf, even more so to hear him hurl what sure sounded like an insult at one of their hosts. As much as he hated the notion of throwing themselves on Julius and Anastasia’s mercy for some lodging until the next meeting with he sages could be held, he didn’t want anything to sink their chances. He desperately didn’t want to sleep in the streets or camp out in the outskirts of the city, at least for Beatrice and Meili’s sakes.

Mimi: [Ooooh, look at that scar! How’d you get that scar, Garf?]

Mimi zipped up before Garfiel, staring at the X-shaped scar on his forehead. Her other brother was close behind, wary of the object of her interest.

Garfiel: [Eh? Callin’ me “Garf” already? Awful sudden…]

To everyone’s bemusement, Mimi skipped right past Garfiel’s remark on her height. Either it went right over her head, or she didn’t mind it at all. Her attention seemed to flit about like a hummingbird, so it was plausible she had ignored the slight in favor of whatever it was that had captured her fancy.

This wasn’t to say everyone was fine with the situation, though. The monocled brother, evidently named Tivey, seemed mildly annoyed with Garfiel, and the other brother was glaring at him from behind Mimi’s back. It hadn’t escaped Garfiel’s notice, though hearing Subaru’s protestation, he opted to let it slide. This didn’t ease the other brother’s ire one bit. If anything, they seemed to double down, perhaps feeling as though he’d been dismissed.

Mimi: [Hm? Hey, what’s wrong, Hetaro? That’s an ugly look you got on your face right now!]

The other brother, named Hetaro, was caught off guard by his sister. She had only just noticed him hiding behind her, and that is when she saw his glare.

Hetaro: [H-He said mean things to you, sis!]

Mimi: [Mimi thinks Garf is a bit gruff, but Mimi doesn’t hate that!]

Bright and cheery as all get out. Subaru hadn’t been in the presence of someone like this in a long time. It was only then that he realized he remembered Mimi from when he had met with Anastasia in a failed loop. He vaguely recalled her mentioning she was one of Anastasia’s vice captains, something which still surprised him.

Hetaro seemed slightly wounded to hear Mimi so favorable towards Garfiel, someone she had only just met. He seemed awfully fretful over his sister.

Mimi then rushed over to Julius, tugging on his sleeve.

Mimi: [Hey, hey, you never told Mimi why they were here!]

Julius: [That much has yet to be determined…]

He looked over at Subaru with as much curiosity as a knight was wont to express. Subaru gritted his teeth. What was this guy talking about? Wasn’t his reason for being their obvious?

***

Julius Juukulius. The Spirit Knight. The Finest Knight. It had been several months since Subaru had last seen him. Back then, he had possessed a haughty air of refinement Subaru believed to be inherent to the kingdom’s upper crust. He had spoken with high-horse riding derision towards Subaru as he challenged the latter to that fateful duel, and later as he had been engaged in that duel.

Something seemed off with Julius now. He seemed pained to even see Subaru here, standing frozen in the foyer. The reaction was one that most present didn’t readily comprehend, least of all Joshua, who had returned from the kitchen. The tea was steeping as they spoke.

Joshua: [Dear brother, are you alright? You seem pale… though that must be rich coming from me…]

His little brother commented on his complexion, only to be reminded of his own ill appearance. It went beyond appearances for Joshua, though. He was a sickly young man, and rarely left his family’s estate because of it.

Julius: [I’m… fine.]

He hesitated to answer his younger brother. He was acting rather distracted.

Julius: [Subaru… you seem… well.]

Subaru: [I know I look pretty rough, alright? No need to sugarcoat it…]

Julius didn’t bother refuting Subaru’s retort. Despite his change of attire, he appeared haggard. He managed to lock eyes with the knight, and the knight could only begin see what all Subaru had suffered since they had last met.

An awkward silence permeated the foyer.

Joshua: [… the tea is probably ready. Perhaps you would like to have this… reunion in your study? I’ll tend to the others in the parlor.]

Joshua struggled to utter the word “reunion,” though had ultimately decided to facilitate what he was coming to understand to be a reconciliation. He walked off to the kitchen once more to fetch the tea for the other guests, who were to be entertained while his brother had his discussion with Subaru. He would do whatever he could to help his brother.

Ricardo: [We’ll, uh, give you all space.]

Mimi: [Ohhhhh, is this a serious talk? They both look awful serious…]

Tivey: [I believe we should take Ricardo’s hint, sister. Come on…]

Tivey began guiding Mimi out of the room, pushing her from the back. It took a surprising amount of effort on his part to do so, indicating Mimi was the stronger of the two of them. If she had been serious about staying put, she probably could have overpowered Tivey. Hetaro fretfully followed after them.

Garfiel: [Guessin’ this ain’t somethin’ fer me to be privy to. Jus’ remember what I said boss, m’kay?]

Meili: [Guess I’ll leave, too…]

Garfiel waved as he left the room, not looking back as he did so. Meili followed behind, sullenly clutching her Chibirein. She clearly disliked being treated like a second-tier member of their party. Subaru hoped Mimi and her brothers might strike up conversation with her, being the closest to her in age.

Julius: [Will they be staying, then?]

Julius referenced Beatrice and Bastian as he looked at the three of them collectively. He felt he was at a disadvantage.

Subaru: [Beatrice is my contract spirit. She goes where I go. As for Bastian…]

Bastian: [Will mediate this discussion.]

Julius sighed. Between Subaru apparently being a Spirit Arts user now and Bastian perceiving a need for their to be a mediating presence, he was struggling to keep up already.

Julius: [… it seems there is much to discuss. Please, follow me to the study.]

He guided them upstairs to where his study was located. On their way, the silence from earlier clung to them uncomfortably. Whereas Beatrice and Bastian were content with silence regardless of its nature, and whereas Julius was struggling to get his bearings in the wake of Subaru’s sudden arrival at his doorstep, Subaru was not one to let such stillness remain unperturbed.

Subaru: [So… where’s Anastasia?]

Julius: [Were you intending to meet with her, as well?]

Subaru: [Er, not necessarily… I was just curious.]

Julius: [I see… I suppose that’s just as well, then. Even on a slow day such as this, she keeps remarkably busy. Between administrating her company and organizing relief efforts for Costuul, she has had scarcely a moment to breathe.]

Bastian: [Can breathe easier now.]

Bastian chimed in, something Subaru found faintly intriguing. He supposed his companion could sense his discomfort and sought to help him keep the conversation flowing. It was appreciated, considering that the swordsman soon wouldn’t be strictly in his corner, playing a more neutral role.

Julius: [Indeed. With the disruption wrought by the Witch Cult attack against the Mathers Domain, the sudden widespread snowstorm, and seemingly consequential incursion of the Great Rabbit throughout the kingdoms heartland, times have been… trying.]

Julius turned his attention to Subaru and his companions. He had been leading them to his study, with them trailing behind him. However, he felt the need to pause just before entering their destination. There appeared to be something important he sought to express.

Julius: [Forgive me. Your arrival was so unexpected, it slipped my mind entirely… you have my sincere congratulations for what you have achieved, Subaru. You and your friends.]

Julius sounded almost envious as he mentioned Subaru’s friends. His face, usually made somewhat over-serious by his sharp eyes, appeared to soften as he expressed his gratitude. It was apparently Subaru’s turn to be knocked off balance.

Subaru: [T-Thanks…]

It was a mumbled acceptance of the good graces he had just been given by his “rival.” He wore his scorn for the knight on his sleeve, avoiding eye contact as he made his response. Julius winced almost imperceptibly, being one generally well-versed in maintaining his composure.

Julius: [… you still harbor resentment toward me, I see.]

Subaru: [… yes.]

The tension was set there and then as Subaru responded in a low almost-growl. Compared to Julius, he was only barely containing himself. Nevertheless, he was trying his hardest to control himself.

He then felt Bastian place his hand on his shoulder. Ordinarily it was a sign of support, an unspoken means of assuring him that the lackadaisical swordsman had his back. Here, a different unspoken sentiment was contained therein, the very mantra to which he had been introduced while still en route to Lugunica, one of those which had seen him through his Third Trial.

It was a gentle yet firm reminder. This wasn’t going to be easy. There was no way it ever could have been.

Julius’ study was roughly the same size as Annerose’s back in the Miload townhouse. The lighting was cozier in here, though. It looked like his desk may have doubled as a pillow from time to time, spending restless nights in here. Subaru took his seat in the chair directly across from Julius’ desk. Beatrice sat on the left arm of the chair. Bastian, being the mediator, opted not to stand beside Subaru; rather, he leaned against Julius desk, placing himself between the two parties.

Julius: [So…]

Subaru: [So…]

Julius: [You are a Spirit Arts user?]

Beatrice: [He is, in fact.]

Beatrice squinted her eyes. She held a hand to one of her temples.

Subaru: [You okay, Beako?]

Beatrice: [Something about this knight… it feels as though he is exerting some force upon Betty, in fact…]

Subaru grimaced, turning his attention back to Julius.

Julius: [My apologies… my Divine Protection of Gathering Spirits draws spirits to me.]

Subaru: [Tch, first Emilia, and now this…]

Julius: [Pardon?]

Julius hadn’t quite heard Subaru as he grumbled in a low pitch. He was still angry about the moment Emilia had first met Julius in the Capital that pivotal day. With that kiss to her hand, Subaru had thought the suave knight was trying to steal her away from him. Now, it seemed even his contract spirit wasn’t safe from the man.

Bastian: [Odd… Singing Blade’s still. Again…]

Julius: [I’m afraid I don’t understand what that means… Bastian, was it?]

Bastian: [Yes. Singing Blade is both weapon and vessel for Ris, collective of eight Yang quasi spirits. Were they perturbed as you say, blade would be rattling in its sheath. It is still.]

Julius: [Then you must possess considerable affinity with your spirits. I was unaware I was in the presence of not one, but two Spirit Arts users.]

Subaru: [What’s the matter? Feeling less special than usual?]

Subaru was still grimacing at Julius. Though the knight couldn’t help the influence he was exerting over Beatrice, Subaru still didn’t appreciate it all the same. He was beginning to have his misgivings with having come here for more than his own petty reasons now.

Bastian stared with his usual mute countenance at Subaru, clearly unamused with his jab against Julius. The look said it all: how was this conducive to making amends? Subaru sighed, willing to move past this.

Subaru: [Whatever. I… I didn’t come here to make you feel bad.]

Julius: [I appreciate that. Truth be told, I have felt bad enough as of late as it is…]

Subaru: [… oh?]

The knight didn’t seem like himself, or at least, not the same as Subaru had known him. His voice seemed less confident. He appeared distressed, possibly just because of Subaru’s presence. He seemed like a haunted man who was coming to terms with that which haunted him.

Julius: [Back then, that duel… it had been foolish. No one emerged victorious that day.]

Subaru: [Pretty sure you did…]

Subaru grumbled once again, this time within earshot of Julius. The knight seemed disappointed that Subaru saw their duel this way.

Julius: [I received punishment for that duel. I accepted it willingly. I had sullied my station by challenging you, even further in my relentlessness against a commoner.]

Subaru continued to scowl. Being called a commoner gnawed at his fragile ego, though he knew it was true. Back then, he had only been a butler, not even officially the attendant of a Royal Selection Candidate. He couldn’t argue against any of this, but he refused to accept it so readily.

Bastian: [Interesting. Never knew of this. Subaru, what do you make of this?]

Bastian embraced his role, or at least as much as the quiet swordsman was given to doing. He looked from Julius to Subaru as he moderated.

Subaru: [… what kind of punishment?]

Bastian: [Does knowing that really help at all?]

The pointed question shut Subaru down. It brought him right back to when they had first met, when Bastian had been almost merciless in his questioning of him. He was tapping into that font of tough love again here. Beatrice took notice, turning her strained glare to the swordsman. It practically said, “whose side do you think you’re on, in fact?”

Bastian then turned his attention again to Julius.

Bastian: [Why did you challenge a commoner in the first place? Seems you knew that move would be beneath you.]

Julius winced hearing this, hesitating to offer an answer. Bastian took that space between to press further.

Bastian: [Had you lost your head? No. Don’t give off that impression. Would likely take much more to get a rise from you.]

Subaru: [How can you be so sure about that?]

Bastian: [Can read people well. Anyone wishing to dedicate themselves to the sword must be willing, able to read others. Can use what you read to find weakness, exploit it.]

Julius: [That is a rather blunt assessment, though it isn’t incorrect…]

The two knights compared their perspectives on reading opponents, a skill Bastian was presently employing to peer deeper into Julius’ character. Part of Subaru felt he had much to learn, though the greater part of him was deeply annoyed to feel like the odd man out. At the very least, he could take some pleasure in seeing Julius be off-kilter. Bastian’s assessment had proven fairly accurate.

Julius: [… my fellow knights that day were far more incensed than I had truly been. They wanted blood, I could feel it. Had I not intervened, you would have faced far worse, I can assure you.]

Subaru felt numb and dumbfounded in equal measure. He could scarcely believe what he was hearing. Julius’ explanation washed over him, and he struggled to take it in.

Subaru: [You mean to say that you did me a favor by beating me to a pulp?!]

Bastian: [Subaru.]

An icy glare, which only rubbed salt in the wound. He had nearly risen out of his seat in his anger towards Julius, but Bastian’s reaction forced him back down. He hadn’t been on the receiving end of such a look from his companion before. It quieted him, forcing him to listen to Julius.

Julius: [It was a clumsy improvisation on my part, I will readily admit. There was no better course of action that came to me in that moment. Perhaps I’m lacking in creativity or intellect… at any rate, challenging you to a duel on behalf of my fellow knights was the solution I arrived at. I would not let them lynch you.]

Subaru: [… lynch me?]

The choice of words had been very sharp and effective. It painted a clear, medieval picture of what the other knights would have done to him had Julius remained silent. Per Julius’ explanation, he had read the room and decided to be the first to act, so that Subaru’s fate would be in more merciful hands by comparison. There was something key to this scenario that Subaru failed to understand.

Subaru: [You claim you were being so merciful… why? Why did you “intervene?”]

Though he wanted to understand, he couldn’t help from coloring his words with thick pigments of sarcasm and snark. He truly did wish to understand where Julius was coming from now, though letting go of his angst wasn’t coming naturally to him.

Julius: [Your dedication to Lady Emilia had been obvious to me even from our first meeting. I couldn’t help but respect it. As a knight dedicated to his own candidate, I understood your anger all too well in that throne room that day. I also understood my fellow knights, being more dedicated to their station than to anyone one person, would fail to sympathize.]

Subaru: [So, you were aware of how I felt about Emilia… but that kiss…!]

He found he couldn’t elaborate further, too flustered to continue. He was beginning to think he had made a terrible misunderstanding, but his ego was preventing him from accepting it.

Julius: [Kiss…? You mean when I met Lady Emilia at the gate?]

Bastian: [Never mentioned a kiss before, Subaru… surely a knight wouldn’t be so brazen. Unless this “kiss” is something else.]

Subaru: [Something else? What the hell else could a kiss be?!]

Julius: [A greeting.]

Subaru: [G-Greeting?!]

Subaru felt a cold sweat of shame on his brow. He liked to think he was pretty good at reading a situation. Perhaps it had been a difference of culture to blame? Or had he been too blinded by his feelings for Emilia? He privately supposed these weren’t mutually exclusive. He would never admit either to Julius, though. Both possibilities spoke to deficiency or excess in his character.

Bastian: [Rather old-fashioned of you, Sir Julius. Thought chivalry was dead…]

Julius: [Ferris has said similar things to me in the past. I’m well aware of the optics. However, I believe such standards ought to be preserved.]

Julius spoke with a faint air of pride and a weary smile as he described the type of knight he sought to be. The very picture of chivalry. One who maintains the honor of his station. One who shields the commonfolk. One who is willing to sully himself if it means achieving these aims.

Subaru was left feeling painfully foolish as Julius’ side of things all fell into place. Recognizing Subaru as someone who dedicated themselves to a Royal Selection candidate who no doubt cared for him in turn, Julius had been in a tough spot. How could he defend the honor of his station while also sparing this well-meaning but prideful fool?

Bastian: [Well, Subaru? Seems he had good intentions, was forced to use unsavory means by the situation. What do you make of this?]

Subaru felt like Bastian wasn’t being perfectly neutral anymore. No doubt he sympathized with a fellow knight in disgrace, though his own potential disgrace far outweighed Julius’. Of course, neither he, Beatrice, or Bastian had been aware of Julius’ perception of his and Subaru’s duel before now.

He felt trapped. He didn’t want to admit Julius hadn’t been anything other than purely antagonistic towards him way back when. He wanted to say everything Julius had said was a lie or at least a reframing of the truth, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Deep down, he realized this would be the same petty move that foolish butler who claimed to be knight would have made in this situation. He didn’t want to be that person anymore, if only because it hadn’t gotten him anywhere.

Subaru: [… dammit.]

Julius: [Is something the matter?]

Subaru: [Gah, even when you express concern, it sounds condescending! All the same… I’m sorry.]

Julius: [You’re sorry? I should be the one to apologize for having acted so shamefully and excessively.]

Subaru: [Oh, don’t get me wrong. I still hate your guts.]

Bastian: [Subaru.]

Subaru held a single finger up to stay Bastian, wordlessly telling him he wasn’t finished.

Subaru: [You beat me before a whole crowd. That’s gonna be hard to forget. Hell, I may never forget it. But… it only came to that point because I was an idiot. I didn’t know how knighthood worked and jumped to conclusions in my ignorance. The title is clearly far more important than I’d given it credit. So… sorry I foolishly forced you to beat me.]

It was a profoundly clumsy apology, one which still managed to cast barbs dipped in guilt. Still, he acknowledged his own fault in that unfortunate event.

Julius: [I see.. I suppose these wounds will take more time to properly heal, then. Still, it is encouraging that you came here. Perhaps we may bury the hatchet deeper some day?]

Subaru: [Don’t go pressing your luck!]

Subaru crossed his arms in a huff. He hated his frigid ire for the knight was beginning to thaw. It had been a long-held sentiment in him. He had carried that weight to Gusteko and back. It almost felt like an extension of him. In a confounding way, it felt like he was losing part of himself.

It also disgusted him, to think disdain would be an integral part of him. He wanted to cut it out of himself like a tumor. He was of two minds.

Bastian: [Isn’t there something else, Subaru?]

Subaru: [Something else?]

Bastian slowly tilted his head downward, his eyes still locked on Subaru’s. His companion’s stern gaze made him remember Julius’ earlier vague phrasing, specifically in his use of the word “returned.”

Julius: [There is something else for which I wish to express.]

Subaru: [Oh? And just what would that be?]

He arched a skeptical eyebrow as Julius preempted him. Despite having arrived at something resembling an understanding of each other, he was still rather uncertain of normalizing relations with the knight.

Julius bowed his head, placing his hand over his heart as he did so. The gesture was sorrowful and solemn in equal measure.

Julius: [I must offer my sincere condolences for the fate that had befallen your friends in the Emilia Camp.]

Cold stillness had found them once again. Julius’ words rang with integrity, but that did little to assuage Subaru. Hearing such healing words from Julius paradoxically wounded him, stunning him silent. Julius observed this change in Subaru. He appeared unsure of how to proceed.

Julius: [… I had heard of the attack on the mansion… knowing of your dedication to Emilia, I assumed you had fled there. I knew you had been in Ferris’ care back then, but I also suspected you wouldn’t stay in his care. I suspected you would escape, that you would…]

Julius trailed off as he began to explain his side of things. He noticed Subaru’s face, tired and melancholic, as he spoke.

Julius: [… my apologies. You have heard all of this already, haven’t you?]

Subaru: [… more or less, yes.]

Julius: [Then you probably already know what questions I have been grappling with pertaining to your whereabouts and well-being. I shall spare you those, as well.]

Subaru: [No, no, it’s… fine. It’s only fair that I explain my side to you. You explained your side to me, so… it’s only fair… I guess.]

He tried to meet Julius in the middle, though found he kept pulling back. It was like a tug-of-war, the opponent wasn’t clear. Was he struggling against Julius, or himself?

Julius, meanwhile, sat patiently at his desk, wearing a troubled, sympathetic expression. His intention was clear: he would listen to every word Subaru had to say.

Subaru looked to Bastian before beginning his tale of woe. The lusterless knight nodded slowly in affirmation. He gave the impression of being pleased with the direction of this reconciliation thus far, despite how shaky it had been.

Subaru: [I take it you’ve probably noticed Bastian’s medallion by now?]

Julius: [I have, yes. I was unsure of how best to broach this. Had it not been for those posters the Sage Council had commissioned, I would have likely taken him before them myself. The sages seem more curious about him than suspicious, however, so I decided to wait and see, so to speak.]

Subaru: [Then you can guess what him being in my company implies, right?]

Julius sat quietly at his desk. The guiding question Subaru had provided didn’t need to be followed very far to its logical conclusion. Julius was again unsure of how to proceed, though he knew what Subaru was hinting toward.

Subaru: [Guess you had me all figured out after all, huh? I was a coward all along. All talk. The second I hit an obstacle I couldn’t overcome by myself, I folded.]

Julius: [Subaru… why didn’t you come to us? We could have offered aid.]

Subaru: [Oh, I’m sure… for the right price.]

One step forward, one step back. Maybe even two. This remark cut unexpectedly deep into Julius. He knew it wasn’t intended for him.

Julius: [… after having just stated our shared sense of dedication… you would still say such a thing?]

Subaru: [Can you deny that Anastasia wouldn’t have asked for something in exchange for helping to protect my loved ones? If it makes you feel any better, I know Crusch wouldn’t have been any better.]

Julius: [You know this…?]

Julius wanted to probe further, but he could something burgeoning within Subaru’s weary eyes. They were certainly the eyes of someone who knew, someone who had learned the hard way.

Subaru: [If you want something, you must appeal to the needs and wants of others. Nothing comes for free in this world. Appeals to morality just don’t get you anywhere. Bastian told me that, though I should’ve learned that much sooner...]

Julius remained quiet, allowing Subaru’s hard-learned lessons wash over. It was a different spin on his experiences than he had provided to everyone else he had met thus far. He decided to stay as far from anything relating to his Return By Death as possible. Framing things this way was more expedient for him.

Beatrice wouldn’t contradict him here, likely remembering the tension that had arisen when she had done so back in Crusch’s office. She remained quiet, allowing her contractor to handle the situation. She knew deep down her presence was reassurance enough for him, though she was curious as to why he had selected this approach.

Simultaneously, Subaru’s mind wandered again to the headspace he had been in during his Second Trial. He wondered how this alternate Subaru could have been so successful at forging alliances, what specific wants or needs he had appealed to in order to achieve such a swimming success relative to the world he found himself within presently.

The reality was plain for both Subaru and Julius to see: Subaru was someone who was trying to put the pieces back together, trying desperately to salvage the mess he had unwittingly taken a part in making.

Bastian continued to observe, ready to intervene at a moment’s notice. He still appeared mostly content with how this reconciliation was proceeding, though his face bore a look of diffidence that implied he was less than thrilled with the route Subaru had chosen in his pursuit. Perhaps his tone was just a bit too dour or critical?

Julius: [… I’m terribly sorry, Subaru.]

Subaru: [What’s it for this time?]

Julius: [For claiming you could have come to us for help. Of course, I would like to view our faction as approachable for those in need. Truthfully, you never would have been so inclined to approach me or Lady Anastasia for aid. I had made sure of that…]

Julius verbally self-flagellated, placing his palm across his face as this realization came to him. It was only natural Subaru would have avoided anything to do with Julius following their duel. From Julius’ point of view, this would have only left the other factions for Subaru to have turned to back then.

Julius: [I can understand why you wouldn’t have reached out to our faction. And though I regret to admit it, you speak truly of the unfortunate prevalence of self-interest.]

Subaru: [It gets even worse when you know that the White Whale had been between everyone in the Capital and the Mathers Domain. It never would’ve been so easy as just getting allies and saving my loved ones. That damned whale would always have been there, waiting along the Lifaus Highway.]

Julius: [That’s true… you would have needed more than just one ally to solve this. However, you did seem to be rather amicable with both Felt and her knight, Reinhard. Surely he –]

Subaru: [You seriously think I didn’t consider asking him for help?]

Julius was shut down, though Subaru hadn’t employed much in the way of tone or angst to do so. His tone was actually subdued, not even smoldering. He sounded more sapped than anything. Beatrice held his hand to keep him comforted. Reliving the failure and loss was never easy. It never would be.

Subaru: [Asking for his help was the first thing I’d considered. He’s the Sword Saint, after all. If anyone could cut down the White Whale, it’d be him. Asking around, though, I found out he was away tending to a courtesy call. Sure, Felt and I were and still are on good terms… but there’s nothing she could’ve done to help me without her knight.]

His voice wavered and cracked as he managed to deliver his explanation. He had covered all of those bases. Of course, he knew now that he had done so poorly. Learning from hindsight was the best he could hope for.

Julius: [I see… I hadn’t been aware of that. I’m sorry for having even suggested it. I feel so foolish, retroactively advising someone who has lost so much… I’m –]

Subaru: [Please, please, please stop saying you’re sorry! I can’t take much more of this…]

Bastian: [Doing very well, Subaru. Bit abrasive for a moment there, but it’s understandable. Been through a lot. Likely been thinking of this moment for some time. Take your time.]

Bastian’s monotone voice took on a soothing quality as he offered Subaru his assurances. He then turned to view Julius. The Spirit Knight appeared very pained.

Bastian: [Doing your best, as well, Sir Julius. Can tell you’ve dreaded this moment, too. Both of you hold on too much in many respects. At the same time, realize that it’d be asking too much to let it all go all at once, so soon. Will require steps.]

Subaru: [You’re only just now acting like an actual mediator…]

Subaru looked somewhat let down by Bastian’s performance as a mediator for this reconciliation. After being largely silent through most of it, the swordsman launched himself into the role.

Bastian: [Was trying to get the full picture. Can now better bridge your perspectives, offer a compromise.]

Julius: [Do you have prior experience in conflict resolution, Sir Bastian?]

A flicker of discomfort flashed across Bastian’s face. Julius only barely perceived it. Subaru, by comparison, had become accustomed to detecting such microexpressions.

Subaru: [He, uh… isn’t really able to go by that title while he’s helping me here. It reduces the risk of a diplomatic incident this way.]

He had to think quickly to cover for his friend’s reaction to Julius’ innocent slip. He didn’t want Bastian’s circumstances to become widely known. It seemed Bordeaux was already trying to find whatever he could on the disgraced Acolyte Knight. He didn’t need anyone else suspecting him, not while he was making an earnest attempt to make up for a tragedy he may not have even been responsible for.

Julius: [I see. Yes, foregoing the title would lend some degree of plausible deniability for his order, even more so without him donning their uniform… not that I believe you are intending any harm to Lugunica, of course.]

Bastian: [Appreciate the vote of confidence.]

The two Spirit Knights both respectfully bowed to one another. It was possible there was a mutual understanding between the two. They could have been described as kindred spirits.

Subaru: [Well, glad you two get along so well…]

Beatrice: [Such treachery, in fact.]

Subaru and Beatrice leered at the Gustekan as he exchanged this show of esteem with the Finest Knight. They had known going in their companion wasn’t going to show favor to Subaru. All the same, they had to make light where they could, even if it were at their friend’s expense. The conversation had been so dismal through most of its duration.

Bastian: [Not being very cooperative all of the sudden.]

Subaru sighed. He couldn’t disagree that he had disengaged a bit from the discussion at hand. Beatrice being unwaveringly in his corner had only reinforced this.

Subaru: [Alright then, what’s this “compromise” of yours?]

Julius: [If I may…]

Julius interjected, raising a hand to draw the attention of the other party and their mediator.

Subaru: [What? Got something to say?]

Julius: [I have a question to ask, actually. It’s about this “help” you mentioned a moment ago. Precisely what is Bastian doing to help you? Beyond aiding in the subjugation of the Great Rabbit, that is.]

Subaru: [Well, for one, he convinced me to return to Lugunica in the first place, on the grounds of properly mourning and making amends with those I’d left behind. That’s what I’ve been trying to do since I came back. That’s what I’m gonna keep doing.]

Something appeared to be dawning upon Julius as Subaru gave his simple explanation for Bastian’s role in his endeavors. Subaru felt he was eking out something resembling a win in this moment, and he pressed that advance.

Subaru: [You mentioned how we’re both men of dedication? Well, I’m still dedicated. I’ve sworn to grant Emilia’s greatest wish. The path towards that admittedly lofty aim isn’t clear, but I’ll find it. Because I have to.]

Julius: [I wouldn’t deign to call your dedication into question.]

Subaru: [Even in light of me running away?]

Julius: [Forgive me, this may come off as insulting.]

Subaru: [What a surprise.]

Bastian: [Subaru.]

The mediator did his best to reduce the sniping from Subaru’s end. Subaru had become calloused and worn down through his time in Gusteko and his recent emotional tribulations. By comparison, Julius hadn’t had the time or the opportunities to develop such a thick skin that would allow him to take this situation so blithely.

Julius: [… I had born witness to your capabilities back then. They may have grown since then –]

Beatrice: [More than you could know, in fact.]

Bastian: [Beatrice-sama, please.]

The mediator beseeched Subaru’s support to also be more respectful, as well. He had considerably less sway with the Great Spirit.

Julius: [… however, back then, your capabilities had been rather… mediocre.]

Subaru: […]

He had struggled to keep his anger contained this whole time, only for it to begin to simmer. Hearing Julius comment on his performance in their duel brought it all back yet again. He had relived that moment far too many times by this point. He lacked words to respond to Julius’ frank assessment. He could scarcely argue against it. There were many people stronger, smarter, and more talented than he had been back then. In many respects, this was still fairly accurate.

Beatrice ordinarily would have spoken up in her contractor’s defense, but she knew what he knew: there was little arguing that could be done here. Back then, Beatrice would have to have agreed with Julius’ assessment of Subaru’s abilities, if only because she hadn’t really seen much of what he could do. As far as she had known back then, his sole talent was being a glutton for punishment, having been mauled by a horde of wolgarm. For this reason, she opted to silently hold Subaru’s hand. It was all she could really do.

Julius: [Knowing this, it would have been suicide for you to try anything against such foes as the White Whale or the Witch Cult. I can hardly begrudge you for fleeing.]

Once again, the knight had been speaking sincerely, yet his word choice betrayed this notion. He was offering unintentionally backhanded assuagements with startling frequency. He likely found it difficult to match Subaru’s irreverence. Such things would likely not come easily to the Finest Knight.

Subaru hated being written off like this, but he once more found he couldn’t disagree with Julius. He had seen for himself what he could do alone against such insurmountable obstacles. He had seen enough of that to last him a lifetime.

Julius: [In the past, I would have believed your words on dedication a moment ago to have been an empty boast. Seeing you now, though, I can tell you are truly diligent in your endeavor to set things right. I cannot bear resentment towards someone making such earnest efforts.]

The knight placed his hand over his heart as he reached the summit of his end of the reconciliation. He made it clear he bore no ill will towards Subaru. Coupled with the rationale behind their duel, it was becoming increasingly difficult to claim Julius was anything but amenable towards Subaru.

Bastian: [Seems your old enemy is not as he had previously seemed, Subaru.]

Julius: [Please, I wish to move past this notion of us being enemies. I would actually like for us to be friends, if and whenever you are ready, that is.]

The knight had an uneasy smile on his face. Subaru hadn’t known Julius very well prior to his flight from Lugunica. Even still, he never would have thought of him as being someone so vulnerable. Recent events had likely coaxed this quality out of the man.

Subaru: [I dunno… you’re not just playing nice so your faction can recruit me, are you? Trying to bolster your roster with the Heroes of Costuul?]

He felt scummy referencing his and his friends’ newfound reputation as heroes of the kingdom. They had removed a great threat from the kingdom, one which effectively had the nation in a stranglehold. They were widely revered already for the deed, word of which had spread like wildfire. It was abundantly obvious, therefore, that whichever faction received them as members would doubtlessly see a boost in popularity amongst the populace, while also gaining considerable talent on top of that boon.

Julius: [It hurts to be suspected of something so transactional and superficial, Subaru. Please understand I have wanted us to become more favorable to one another long before your subjugation of the Great Rabbit.]

He spoke beseechingly and with an undercurrent of hurt as he turned Subaru’s suspicion on its head. If Julius were to be believed, and he had given no reason for him to be distrusted thus far, he truly did want to call Subaru his friend.

Bastian: [His suspicion is understandable. Anyone in his position is now in a position to be manipulated, taken advantage of. That said, suspicion can be taken too far. Won’t do to become paranoid, Subaru.]

Subaru: [Paranoid…?]

Subaru looked from Bastian to Julius. The Finest Knight did seem wounded as a result of having been suspected of such lowly conduct. He was a man of integrity, after all, perhaps even a paragon of this virtue even among his fellow knights.

Subaru: [… sorry, Julius. That was uncalled for.]

He timidly offered his apology. There was no sense in being so abrasively guarded, pushing away someone who wished to offer an olive branch.

Subaru: [Regarding the possibility of friendship between us… it’s as you said earlier. It’ll take some time for me to fully get over this. Still, talking with you today… it’s been a good step in that direction, I think.]

Both Julius and Bastian appeared pleased with this response. While Julius had been more enthusiastic in his end of the reconciliation, Subaru had reached his side of that summit more cautiously. The best he could do is offer a compromise, likely the very one Bastian had in mind before Julius had interjected earlier. This notion was reinforced by his faint smile, the very same he had would offer whenever Subaru achieved some measure of growth.

The atmosphere in the study lightened up following this compromise, as the two parties shook hands. The hatchet had been buried, albeit shallowly. It was the best outcome either party could reasonably expect or accept at that time.

Chapter Text

Those that had been gathered in Julius’ study emerged, emotionally fatigued. Of course, the brunt of that wear was worn by Subaru and Julius, those who had been at the center of the reconciliation. They even looked tired. Emotional and mental duress can often translate into physicality, after all.

Beatrice, having been Subaru’s primary support in that process, hadn’t weathered much of that emotionality. Of course, she had felt her contractor’s feelings throughout it. Even if only by proxy, the wear had been worn.

Bastian himself was also worn out, though he didn’t show it. He had placed himself in the middle of those two, acting as their mediator and seeking to help them reach a compromise. The compromise was ultimately decided by Subaru himself, though it was precisely what the disgraced Acolyte Knight had in mind.

It was all too unrealistic for anyone to expect a perfect reconciliation between the two in a single sitting. A first step in that direction had been decided instead, dialing back hostilities and pronouncing intent to improve relations between both parties. Of course, Julius had been more enthusiastic about this direction than Subaru. He would undoubtedly require the most effort.

Fortunately, he was about to have ample opportunities to begin normalizing relations between him and his former rival. A conference was to be held in the coming days, one involving the candidates of the Royal Selection pertaining to the matters of the Great Rabbit and the conspiracy surrounding House Mathers. Gathering these parties would take time, however.

Crusch’s faction resided in her domain to the west, with the breadth of the Lifaus Plains between them and the Capital. Felt’s faction resided near Flanders, and was the second closest in proximity to the Capital aside from Anastasia’s faction. Said faction resided just outside of the Capital at the Juukulius Estate, a comparatively modest estate when accounting for all of the others. Priscilla’s faction resided in her domain far to the south near the Vollachian border. It would take easily the longest for word to reach them of the conference and for their transit to it.

As such, it was announced that a grand conference – the second such conference since the initiation of the Royal Selection – was to be held in a week’s time to allow a sufficient amount of time for all parties to gather in the Capital. Evidently a parade was also to be held following the conference, in honor of the end of the Great Rabbit’s reign of terror in the kingdom’s heartland. This aspect of the announcement had Subaru nervous.

Subaru: [If the parade is about the subjugation of the Great Rabbit… they aren’t gonna make us take part, are they?]

The party had all gathered in the lounge. There was a table in the center with small couches surrounding it on three sides. The only side that wasn’t was across from the fire place. By this point, dinner had already been served, the others having eaten without them. Subaru could hardly begrudge them for this, recalling how hungry Garfiel had been prior to their arrival. Much like Bastian, he also didn’t like the idea of a child going hungry even for only a day, so he was glad Meili was not going to be deprived.

All of the others had turned in for the evening. The sun had already been setting while they were making their way to the Juukulius Estate. Now, it was nighttime. The lounge was lit by a comforting fire. It was a cozy setting. It reminded Subaru of the night they had been accosted by Elsa and Meili, or at least the aftermath of it. There had been a bizarre calm that had settled over them back then, knowing a threat had been put behind them. This occasion was far more pleasant than that one had been, though it would be difficult for it not to have been.

Julius: [You seem oddly reluctant to take part in the festivities surrounding your group’s achievement. Most would be quite excited to be at the center of such an occasion.]

Subaru: [Yeah, well… I’m not.]

Subaru sank into his seat, looking away from Julius and into the fire directly across from him on the other side of the center table. Such a comforting sight and sensation it was for him. He couldn’t believe he used to take such things for granted before he had ran away. There were many things he would never take for granted again these days.

Beatrice: [As per usual, you will not be alone, in fact. You will always have Betty to stand by you. Oh, and Bastian will be there too, I suppose.]

Beatrice gave a sidelong glance at the laconic swordsman, who could only frown in response. She still bore some scorn for him for not having been solidly in Subaru’s corner during the reconciliation meeting. His role there had been necessary, of course, and he was always going to assume such a role. He had always made his feelings on Subaru’s less respectable qualities well known, continually seeking to attack those qualities and break him down, only to try and build him back up stronger than he had found him. The intent was clear, but the methods were far from amenable to Beatrice.

Bastian: [Forgive me, Beatrice-sama…]

Beatrice: [Betty will consider it, I suppose… if only because Betty’s contractor would prefer us to get along.]

Subaru smiled at her understanding of his wishes. More and more, he could count on the her being in sync with him.

Julius: [You needn’t worry too much about the parade for now.]

Subaru: [Right, it’s a week away…]

Julius: [Will you be needing lodging for the time being? You and your companions may stay here as long as is necessary.]

Subaru: [… thanks.]

He was only glad he didn’t have to ask. Despite his more upscale clothing, he was as broke beyond compare now as he had been the day he had arrived in Lugunica. He was sure Julius was aware of this. Some part of him wanted to view this gesture as one borne from pity, but considering the meeting they had just emerged from, he was willing to give the benefit of the doubt for once.

???: [Oh my, ya didn’t say we were havin’ guests, Julius.]

An unmistakable Kansai accent. Julius was at attention hearing his name in that voice, as was Subaru hearing a voice he hadn’t heard in some time.

Julius: [Lady Anastasia. You’re still awake?]

Anastasia: [Well, duh! As you can see, I’m still up ‘n at it!]

Anastasia pertly placed her hands on her hips. She had entered the room with yawn but was more lively now that meeting with guests was apparently on the agenda.

Anastasia: [‘nuff about me, though. Y’all seem to be getting along… better than expected.]

She had an opportunistic smile as she observed her knight and the Heroes of Costuul sitting together by the fire. Julius was the first to pick up on this and was quick to raise a tempering hand of caution.

Julius: [Forgive me. This isn’t a recruitment, my lady. They merely need a place to stay until the upcoming conference, is all.]

Anastasia: [Oh, I see… so you’re sayin’ there’s still a chance…]

Julius: [My lady, please...]

The Finest Knight seemed like one who was generally unflappable, perhaps second only behind Mister Listless. Here, he showed where his deference lied. It took a surprising amount of effort for him to try and temper his candidate’s expectations.

Anastasia: [Relax, relax. I’m not gonna go tryin’ to convincin’ ya to join us. Though I won’t try to dissuade ya, either…]

Subaru sighed at the flagrant greed on display. There were only a couple people he knew who demonstrated a greater degree of greed than her. The Witch of Greed was undeniably worse than Anastasia, as was the witch’s pupil, Roswaal. It actually felt unfair towards the Kararagian mogul to be compared against such people. As far as Subaru was concerned, she was a very distant third place for “greediest person he had ever met.”

Anastasia: [So, what have y’all been up to? I gotta say, I’m still surprised you’re even sittin’ in the same room as each other.]

Subaru: [Yeah, well… we came here to patch things up.]

Anastasia: [Oh, really? Was that your idea?]

Her eyes drifted from Subaru, with whom she was passingly familiar, to Beatrice and Bastian, with whom she wasn’t.

Beatrice: [Betty’s contractor made a promise to his dear friend here. You may be impressed by his honor and trustworthiness, in fact.]

Subaru: [Beako, please…]

It was rather embarrassing for him to have Beatrice hype him up like this. He couldn’t say he hadn’t behaved honorably in upholding his promise to Bastian, though he hadn’t done so entirely out of honor. Guilt had also played a sizable role in his decision to come here.

Anastasia: [Oh, “contractor,” huh? Is this lil’ miss here a spirit?]

Beatrice: [Is it not obvious, in fact?]

Anastasia: [She’s got some fire… I like her.]

Beatrice was standoffish response to Anastasia, one of those people her contractor had asked for aid in another life. It was understandable, to her and Subaru at least, that she would be rather guarded in her dealings with the petite mogul. Despite this attitude, Anastasia found respect for the even more petite dollish spirit.

Anastasia: [Guess that makes you a Spirit Arts user then, huh? Wouldn’t’ve guessed…]

Bastian: [Potential can manifest at any age. Usually appears sooner, though.]

This prompted her to pay more mind to the pale man dressed in butler fashion sitting across from Julius.

Anastasia: [Hmm… you some sorta mercenary? Ya look like you’d fit in nicely with Ricardo ‘n his crew.]

Bastian: [Will take that as a compliment. He seemed quite capable.]

Anastasia: [Huh, that almost sounded like a joke, but your tone… does he always sound like that?]

Subaru: [Yeah. That’s how he earned his nickname, “Mister Listless.” He loves it.]

Bastian: [False.]

Subaru jeered at his friend, pushing his buttons if only because Meili wasn’t here to do so. Like the others, she had already retired for the evening. He briefly worried that someone should be keeping an eye on her, considering how it was they had been reunited in the first place. He then remembered Garfiel had also gone to the parlor with her and the rest of Anastasia’s people. He hoped his younger comrade would elect to keep an eye on her without needing Bastian to plead with him to do so.

Julius: [As you can tell from his medallion, my lady, he is an Acolyte Knight of the Holy Church of Gusteko. No mere mercenary, I can assure you.]

Anastasia: [A knight, huh? Sorry for slanderin’ ya, then!]

Bastian: [Took your words as a compliment. No harm done.]

Anastasia: [Heh, he’s like Julius here… only he sounds verrrrrry bored. Mister Listless is pretty on point!]

Bastian softly sighed, almost casting his gaze downward until he noticed Subaru stifling a laugh.

Bastian: [You’ve converted another one. Happy?]

Subaru: [Yes. Very.]

The circle had been closed as Anastasia came to the same conclusion as Felt. It was highly likely the Remendis Twins had also become “converts,” though he couldn’t confirm this. He couldn’t recall hearing either Flam or Grassis having spoken. He imagined Meili did most of the talking amongst them back at the Astrea Estate.

Anastasia: [Maybe it’s a bit hypocritical of me to say, bein’ from Kararagi ‘n all, but I gotta say it’s kinda odd to see a Gustekan here in Lugunica. A knight, no less.]

Julius: [Subaru told me he brought him back from Gusteko in order to properly mourn his losses and make amends.]

Anastasia: [“Brought him back?” So he ran away, huh…?]

She shifted her gaze back to Subaru. He felt he should have been accustomed to the sensation of being judged for his flight from Lugunica by now. While the sting had become lesser in magnitude with time, it never went away entirely. He now suspected it never would leave him.

Subaru: [… there was nothing I could do alone. After my shameful display in the Royal Palace, I figured no one would help me or buy anything I have to say.]

Anastasia: [Hmm… yeah, guess that makes sense.]

She hesitated in her response to Subaru’s explanation behind his flight. He had told more or less the same story he had to Julius, though since the matter of his apparent foreknowledge of the Witch Cult attack hadn’t been brought up, he elected not to do so himself. Despite this, she hesitated. She seemed to have a judgment she was opting to keep to herself, likely because she hadn’t abandoned hopes of potentially nabbing the Heroes of Costuul for her faction’s benefit. She was a shrewd young woman, willing to eschew her own heated opinions if it meant getting closer to a favorable arrangement.

Anastasia: [I’m guessin’ Mister Listless here made some sorta oath? Sounds like somethin’ a knight would do.]

Julius: [That was precisely my assumption, my lady… though it hasn’t been confirmed yet.]

Julius looked from Anastasia to Subaru, and then to Bastian. He was clearly wondering which one would make the confirmation he sought.

Subaru: [No, no, that’s accurate.]

Once again, he decided to lie on behalf of his friend, though it was more of a lie of omission this time. An oath had been made the night they had met in the forest between Eternya and Inorandum, this much was undeniably true. He was careful to continue to skirt past his friend’s possible state of disgrace, his potential responsibility for the destruction of a remote village and the deaths of some of his fellow Acolyte Knights. It was only a matter of time before he could contain this secret no longer. Still, for his friend’s sake, and perhaps his own reputation as well, he would continue to try.

The issue of Bastian’s supposed disgrace, something neither of them could prove nor disprove, was something that he had shelved in a seldom visited corner of his mind. Back when he had met Bastian, he wasn’t in any position to turn away anyone offering to help him. The more he interacted with those he had known from before his flight, though, the more this issue began to emerge from that corner of his mind. He worried what his old acquaintances would make of someone associated with such an ignoble act, even if only allegedly.

He wanted to get away from this line of thought as soon as he could.

Subaru: [I take it you’re up so late because of work? Julius tells me you’ve been keeping busy in recent months.]

Anastasia found this sudden shift in topic curious, arching an eyebrow for a moment. She decided to play along for the time being, sighing as she allowed her prior exhaustion to catch up to her.

Anastasia: [Yeah, it’s been rough for some time now. Y’know how hard it is to maintain trade when there’s a horde of monsters on the loose? Or how hard the snow’s been on the agricultural sector? The economy’s been limpin’ for months now! I’ve been coordinatin’ relief caravans to keep the flow of trade afloat, but that was always gonna be untenable in the long run. Somethin’ had to be done about that Great Rabbit. Seriously, y’all have my thanks!]

She bowed as she expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the Heroes of Costuul. It was the most genuine Subaru had heard her act since he had known her. Her appreciation had caught him off guard, though considering it was tied to matters of commerce, he felt he really shouldn’t have been surprised. It made him realize that trade had likely similarly been disrupted while the White Whale had been terrorizing the Lifaus Highway.

Subaru: [Guess trade’s been rough for at least as long as the beginning of the Royal Selection, then…]

Anastasia: [Oh, certainly. Before the Great Rabbit was runnin’ amuck, the White Whale was a major thorn in my side. I lost a lot of contacts because of that monster. Wish I could remember them…]

The words taken at face value might have seemed heartless, if it weren’t for the sincere distress she wore on her face. She was truly saddened by her inability to remember those business connections she had lost in attacks from the White Whale.

Bastian: [How do you know the White Whale’s to blame for their fates?]

Anastasia: [Ah, not one well versed in business affairs, eh? Business is conducted via contracts, not unlike a Spirit Arts user. ‘Course, those contracts are verbal. In matters of business, there’s always a paper trail. Now, I’m a meticulous file keeper. I have a system, you see. When you begin to notice pages that should have writin’ on them turnin’ up blank all of the sudden, it makes ya wonder why.]

Subaru: [Let me guess: the only thing connecting these missing contacts of yours was travel across the Lifaus Highway during the time the White Whale was prowling around it?]

Anastasia: [My thoughts exactly. ‘Course, even if I hadn’t lost any valued business connections from that monster prowlin’ around, it still posed an obstacle to trade. As a candidate for the throne seekin’ to improve Lugunica’s already slumpin’ economy, this was very vexin’.]

Subaru was unsure for how long exactly the White Whale had been stalking the Lifaus Highway preying on merchants. He had only just learned about it a day or so after the Royal Selection had officially begun. For all he knew, it had continued to terrorize the heartland for some time after his flight, perhaps even contemporaneously with the Great Rabbit. He shuddered at the thought.

Subaru: [Whatever happened with that beast, anyway? We crossed the Lifaus Plain on our way from Crusch’s mansion to Flanders without any disturbances whatsoever.]

He had been much too elated after the events of Costuul to bother thinking about the White Whale’s conspicuous absence. In hindsight, it was something he should have been dreading. He felt as though he and his friends had lucked out and then some.

Anastasia: [That’s he worst part! No one even knows what happened to the thing. It just up ‘n left, almost as quickly as it’d arrived. No one knows where it went or why it left. A lot of people are murmurin’ that it could come back some day. My understandin’ is that the last time it showed up in the kingdom was about a decade ago, though, so who knows?]

Bastian: [Sounds like it’s a matter of when, not if…]

Bastian succinctly summed up the precise fear that Anastasia had articulated, one that was apparently shared by many of Lugunica’s people. It unnerved Subaru to think that it could return, though oddly enough, it also lit something up inside of him. It was a delicate, wary flame, but a flame, nonetheless.

It was as this conversational thread had reached its frayed end that a grandfather clock in the corner of the room chimed.

Anastasia: [My, it’s later than I thought! Guess I’m goin’ to bed without dinner again…]

Julius: [You worked through dinner again, my lady? Please, you must remember to make time for yourself.]

Anastasia: [Your care is awful sweet, Julius, but it’s somethin’ I’m not unused to.]

Something about this off-hand statement from Anastasia struck Subaru more than he would have expected. When he had met her in the throne room the day the Royal Selection began, he believed her to be a spoiled rich girl. At face value, her words could have been viewed as little more than lip service hinting towards a rigorous work ethic. Something about the conviction and matter-of-factness with which she had spoken prevented him from viewing those words in such a superficial, dismissive manner, though. It was a side to this candidate he hadn’t recognized before. He felt a little guilty for having thought so ill of her before. He couldn’t deny that she and Crusch both had stepped up during the chaos imposed by the Great Rabbit’s incursion. He wondered what else he had been wrong about back then.

Subaru: [We’ll be following suit, I think. We at least managed to snack a bit on the way here, so our stomach’s aren’t empty, at least. The youngest members of our entourage have been fed. That’s fine by me.]

Anastasia: [Well, look at you, actin’ all admirable. Guess ya really gotta step up to match people’s expectations of ya, seein’ as y’all are heroes now.]

Julius: [My lady, I don’t believe it’s anything so performative…]

Julius seemed subtly dismayed by his candidate’s reaction to Subaru’s earnest care for Meili and Garfiel. She smiled back playfully at her knight.

Anastasia: [I was only kiddin’, Julius! I’m sure our friend here was bein’ perfectly candid about his and his own. I actually respect people who look after their people quite a bit.]

Subaru: [Oh… thanks.]

He appreciated the sentiment she was getting at, though it came off as a backhanded compliment with her mention of “people who look after their people.” His mind was inexorably drawn back to the Emilia Camp and the people of Irlam, “his people” whom he had thoroughly let down. He found it impossible not to think of that failure at almost every opportunity where it was even a tenuously related to the topic at hand. When would the processing end?

Julius: [Forgive me, my lady, but… we aren’t exactly friends just yet. For now, we have begun to thaw relations.]

Anastasia: [Oh?]

She turned from her knight to Subaru upon hearing this clarification. Apparently when Subaru had mentioned his and his party’s reason for visiting, she had been given the impression that such a wonderful outcome had actually been perfectly achieved. Knowing there was work to be done only seemed to encourage her more, though. Her opportunistic smile returned.

Anastasia: [Well, we’ll see what we can do to change that while you’re here, won’t we?]

She delivered her challenge – for lack of a better word – there and then, returning her attention from Subaru to her knight as she sought confirmation of support from him. Julius seemed uneasy at the request for all of a second before acquiescing wordlessly with a slight bow, placing his hand over his heart as he lowered his head.

As Anastasia and Julius departed from the lounge ahead of Subaru and his companions, he became unexpectedly trepidatious of the days to come. Just what did the Anastasia Camp have in store for him in these days of waiting?

***

The next morning saw Subaru reluctant to get out of bed. His guest lodgings were rather nice. Perhaps not as nice as those offered by House Karsten or House Astrea, but they were still better than the guesthouse back in Costuul. He had found it generally pretty difficult to want to get out of bed for some time, only occasionally being roused by the promise of things turning around for him. This had been the case the morning he and his party had set out to slay the Great Rabbit.

Today, there was no such motivation to leave the warmth of his borrowed bed. In fact, he was more motivated than usual to remain in bed due to just where he was staying.

This day marked the beginning of his first full day staying at the Juukulius Estate, one of several to come before the conference could be held at the Royal Palace. He found Anastasia’s parting remark the night prior had left him on edge. He knew she was angling to convince him and his people to stay. He wasn’t sure he could do so.

For that matter, he doubted Beatrice could do so, either. Much like with Reinhard, she had been thoroughly tested by Julius’ Divine Protection of Gathering Spirits. Garfiel had been monitoring Meili the night prior, meaning their typical arrangement of Beatrice rooming with Meili and keeping an eye on her had been unnecessary this time. Instead, she roomed with her contractor, which she described as “healing.”

Subaru: [Is being around Julius really so hard on you? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I totally get it, but…]

Beatrice: [Betty has constant migraines around the man, in fact… it’s taking everything Betty has to rebuff his unconscious advances.]

Subaru: [I don’t really like the guy too much either, but there’s no need to make it sound so scandalous! Geez…]

Subaru almost kicked off his blanket, nearly offended on his former rival’s behalf. He had previously thought the knight to have acted so scandalously regarding Emilia when they had first met. Having learned the error of his perception back then, though, he couldn’t help but correct himself now.

Beatrice: [It is more or less what the knight is doing, though, in fact. It may be divorced of any will of his own, but that Divine Protection of his constantly trying to tempt Betty away from you, in fact. Trying to breach our contract…]

Beatrice nervously twiddled her tiny thumbs in her bed. She placed much importance on their contract, likely above all else. For someone to try even unintentionally to get her to turn her back on such an important thing was perhaps the highest affront she could endure.

Subaru: [I see… this week’s gonna be rough, then. We can’t exactly avoid Julius, since we just began patching things up between us. I couldn’t ask you to keep your distance from me, either.]

Beatrice: [Betty appreciates that, I suppose.]

She mumbled this into her blanket, which she held to her mouth, concealing half of her face. Her butterfly eyes were all Subaru could see. As adorable as he found this, he decided to read the room and continue on planning out their approach toward Julius.

Subaru: [Is there anything I can do to make this more comfortable for you, Beako?]

Beatrice was unsure how to respond to her contractor’s concerned question. Neither of them had a method to counter Julius’ Divine Protection during their stay, nor could they avoid him or ask him to keep his distance in light of their recent meeting. He felt he couldn’t afford to lose the progress they had made towards properly reconciling.

Subaru: [Oh! Maybe Bastian’s got an idea that can help!]

Beatrice: [… what could he do, in fact? Keep the knight occupied?]

Subaru: [Well, I guess he could do that, though that’d definitely fly in the face of our intent here… no, I’m thinking about what he said about his sword yesterday and the other day before that.]

Beatrice looked hopefully at her contractor. He seemed to have observed something that held promise for their situation. She waited a moment for Subaru to elaborate.

Subaru: [Reinhard and Julius both drove you up a wall, right?]

Beatrice: [Yes, in fact, though one more so than the other, I suppose…]

He had briefly overlooked the emotional aspect of Beatrice’s aversion to Reinhard when they had been under his roof. Though he had a bizarre influence on spirits, it was probably more so his role in her brother’s demise that made her wish to avoid the Sword Saint.

Subaru: [Er, yeah… well, Bastian mentioned both when we met Reinhard and when we first arrived here yesterday that his sword wasn’t ringing or something. His spirits were perfectly still in their vessel.]

Beatrice: [And you think Bastian has some kind of secret to achieving this, I suppose?]

Subaru: [He is a Gustekan. Those guys are all about spirits. I wouldn’t doubt it if he has something that could help. The least we can do is ask, yeah?]

Beatrice was quiet for a moment as she pondered. Though she generally appreciated the aid the swordsman had given Subaru, she found him difficult to get along with at times. Still, he was easier to deal with than the other knights they had met up until this point.

Beatrice: [… okay. Let us ask him for aid, I suppose.]

Subaru smiled at his partner’s response. He had his motivation to get out of bed today.

After changing from the pajamas he had borrowed, which only happened after he asked Beatrice to wait for him outside, being too embarrassed to change in front of anyone at all, the two sought out Bastian. The swordsman had roomed alone, affording them a degree of privacy to broach this subject without making Julius feel bad. His bedroom had been between the one Garfiel and Meili stayed in and the one Subaru and Beatrice had stayed in, all of which were in the guest wing of the “modest” mansion.

Subaru knocked on the door, minding his manners.

Bastian: [Come in.]

The door was unlocked. The lackadaisical swordsman evidently trusted their hosts quite well. Opening the door, they found him meditating with Ris, all eight motes of white light dancing in a circle around his head.

Bastian: [What is it?]

The swordsman’s tone was as dull as ever. Were it anyone other than Subaru and Beatrice, they would likely feel as though they had inadvertently struck a nerve in the man. These two knew better, though. In fact, he was actually being casually cordial.

Upon starting to talk with his comrades, his spirits disappeared, returning to the sheathed ornate sword leaning against his borrowed nightstand. His midnight eyes opened, though he didn’t move any other muscles, remaining in a cross-legged sitting posture on his bed. He was wearing the same style of pajamas that Subaru had been wearing.

Subaru: [We need your help with Julius. His Divine Protection is giving Beako constant migraines. Ris doesn’t seem to be affected by his influence, though. Do you have some sorta secret or something?]

Bastian was hesitant to respond. It was almost as though he, too, was confounded by his spirits’ lack of response to Julius’ Divine Protection or Reinhard’s bizarre influence. He was trying to think of something else, some other way he could help his friends.

Then, his eyes widened ever so slightly. He had caught a brainwave.

Bastian: [There is something that could help keep her calm, at least for this short stay. An offering to spirits.]

Subaru: [Huh? An offering? What kind of offering?]

Bastian: [A type of sweet made in Gusteko called morsel. Infused with mana, makes communing with them easier, makes them calm. Haven’t made it in a while. It takes… a lot.]

Subaru: [Oh? Wonder if they’d have all the stuff to make that here… guess there’s only one way to find out.]

Bastian: [Going to ask them what they have in the kitchen? As a guest?]

Subaru: [It’s for a good reason, isn’t it? Beako’s my contract spirit, and she’s on edge here. I’d be remiss if I did nothing to assuage her.]

Beatrice, who had been holding his hand since they had left their room for Bastian’s, looked up at her contractor, who looked down at her in turn. She was clearly grateful for the care being shown to her.

Bastian, meanwhile, had been convinced. All it took was Subaru tapping into their shared experience as contractors. He nodded his head solemnly as he uncrossed his legs, pivoting to the side of the bed to get up for the day. Subaru’s motivation had become his own.

They made their way to the kitchen. Breakfast had already been served, and the maids of the mansion were doing their washing up. They were surprised to see Subaru, a young man in noble dress, enter the kitchen.

Maid: [Oh! Sir, why are you not eating with the others in the dining hall? Your breakfast will surely be cold!]

Subaru: [Eh, I’ve had my fair share of cold meals over the last few months. One more isn’t gonna kill me.]

Maid: [O-Oh, I see…]

Subaru: [Would you mind if my friends and I make use of the kitchen this morning? My contract spirit here is feeling unwell, and I’d like to whip something up for her.]

Maid: [Food? For a spirit? Sir Julius never mentioned such a thing…]

Bastian: [Could be a difference of culture. How sad…]

The Acolyte Knight clutched his medallion of Odglass reflexively. He seemed to feel a degree of pity for the spirits contracted to Julius.

Subaru: [My friend here’s from Gusteko. Up there, they apparently have a sweet treat intended for spirits. It could be just what Beako needs.]

Maid: [Beako? What a cute name!]

The maids began fawning over Beatrice, who seemed somewhat chagrined by this development.

Beatrice: [Subaru… this isn’t helping, in fact…]

Subaru: [Ah, sorry ladies! She’s a bit shy. Do we, uh… have your permission to use the kitchen?]

The maids all looked amongst themselves, seeking consensus. It was apparently an unorthodox request.

Maid: [Well… I suppose it would be fine. But please, don’t be too long, sir.]

Subaru: [I’ll try not to!]

With this, the maids vacated the kitchen. It had been a little while since he had cooked, much longer still since he had been given access to such generous stores of ingredients. It conjured up warm memories of his time as a butler. It almost felt like Rem and Ram were in there with him.

The morsel dough was an intensive process. It took a great quantity of potato flour, eggs, sugar, yeast, and oil. Most of these weren’t uncommon ingredients, but it was a stroke of luck that they had potato flour on hand.

Bastian: [Kneading this much dough is always a pain…]

Subaru: [Yeah, no kidding! How much does this recipe make, anyway?]

Bastian: […]

Subaru: [Bastian?]

Bastian: [May’ve forgotten… recipe’s intended to be offering enough for a village.]

Subaru: [… damn it, Bastian.]

The two continued to knead and knead well into the morning. Eventually, some began to wonder where the Heroes of Costuul were at.

Mimi: [Hey, hey! Meili, I found them! They’re making something!]

Meili: [Mister Listless? Big brother? What are you two doing?]

Mimi and Meili, who evidently had been spending time together in the absence of the core of their party, entered the kitchen, the former bombastically, the latter more meekly. Meili seemed subdued, perhaps worn out by Mimi’s unrelenting enthusiasm.

Beatrice: [These two are making an offering for Betty, in fact.]

Meili: [Whaaaaaat? Just for you, Betty? Where’s the fairness in that, huh?~]

Mimi: [Ooh, ooh! Mimi wants a snack, too!]

Meili approached Bastian, protesting the supposed exclusivity of the morsel that was to be prepared. Mimi ran up to Subaru, hopping up and down. She wasn’t really feeling the injustice Meili felt, though. She just wanted sweets.

Subaru: [Neither of you have to worry about that. Bastian here quoted me a recipe fit for a village… there will be plenty to go around, I assure you.]

He griped as he continued to knead the dough. He didn’t know which was worse: the constant kneading, or the waiting it aimed to replace. They were in a holding pattern until the conference would open in the Capital. Today, and all the interceding days, were to be spent rather idly. He had become so accustomed to planning out his next moves that, when confronted with this degree of free time, he didn’t really know what to do with himself.

Kneading a monstrous blob of dough wasn’t something he had imagined doing, though.

Mimi: [Hmm… how about we help?]

Subaru: [… yeah. Yeah, why not? If this is offering enough for a village, it may just take a village to knead this dough…]

Mimi: [Mimi will go get help! Mimi knows just the guy!]

Mimi took off before anyone could say anything more to her, to seek out more help.

Subaru: [Of course, we may wind up with too many cooks in the kitchen…]

Bastian: [Too late now…]

Garfiel: [Would ya quit pushin’ me, ya midget?! Eh? Boss? Bastian? Beatrice? Meili? What’s goin’ on ‘ere?]

Garfiel had been hastily ushered into the room by Mimi. Apparently she had also bonded some with Garfiel the previous evening, as she was quick to select him as her go-to.

Subaru: [So, when you said you knew just the guy… yeah, Garf could probably knead the hell out of this dough!]

Garfiel: [Oi, boss! You didn’t say what’s goin’ on. Why’re you two beatin’ the crap outta that blob?]

Subaru: [It’s dough, Garf. We’re making something for… well, everyone, but it was originally with Beako in mind. Something to ease her mind a bit.]

Garfiel: [“Ease ‘er mind,” eh?]

He eyed the blob his two friends were wailing on. His sharp teeth formed a smile.

Garfiel: [Could stand’ta ease my mind some, too! This’ll make fer a good punchin’ bag!]

Considering how his fight with Reinhard had gone down, it was understandable he had some frustration to work off. Having been talked down upon seeing Ricardo when they had arrived yesterday evening, he had been sorely lacking an outlet. This dough would be a perfect source of catharsis.

Garfiel let into the blob. Merciless jabs were executed with phenomenal precision. He was being mindful of the countertop they had been kneading upon, careful not to damage with his physical onslaught. What would ordinarily have taken a village to knead over the course of an afternoon was accomplished in a few minutes by this single person.

Subaru: [… I’d like to say we softened it up for him, but…]

Bastian: [Agreed. At any rate, kneading’s done. Time to divvy this up, knot the morsels up, get it all baking. After that, you’ll provide the final touch.]

Subaru: [Oh? Oh, right… the mana infusion. Beako can only take in my mana, so it’d have to be mine that goes into this… wait, is this even safe for the others to eat?]

Bastian: [Perfectly safe. Mana is all around us, all the time. Touches all things. Ties us to the world. Morsel’s an acknowledgment of that great tie, that great gift.]

It was one of the more profound things he had said in the time Subaru had known him. It was a window into the dominant faith up north, into the station Bastian had once held. He spoke so reverently of this culinary ritual. It didn’t come off as proselytizing to Subaru’s ears, though. It was personal devotion.

While they still were preparing the morsel, people would come peeking through the kitchen door from time to time.

There was Tivey and Hetaro, checking in on their sister. Tivey wanted to ensure she wasn’t making her presence excessive, while Hetaro wanted to keep an eye on her relative to Garfiel, someone he was deeply wary of.

There was Joshua, who had heard the commotion they were making in the kitchen. He almost wanted to barge in and demand they be more quiet, but he stayed his tongue. He knew he would only be viewed as a killjoy, something his elder brother would likely frown upon, especially if directed towards their guests, and especially these guests in particular. He knew there had been a serious discussion the prior evening between his brother and these Heroes of Costuul. His brother had seemed happier today, telling Joshua something about that meeting had gone well. He didn’t wish to sully that progress for his brother, so he took his leave.

There was Julius himself, who had begun to think Subaru and his friends were purposefully avoiding him, despite the progress they had made the prior evening. Finding them mirthfully baking in the kitchen, however, he realized his fears were unfounded. He wasn’t sure what precisely they were baking or why, but he was relieved all the same. He left them to their activity.

There was Anastasia, checking in on the progress her agent was making. Yes, Mimi was a plant of hers, though one who took her role very seriously… or at least, as seriously as Mimi could take something. The mogul was pleased to see her agent was getting along well with Subaru and his friends, bridging the gap between their two parties. She was a devious one like that. She walked away from the kitchen, quietly yet haughtily laughing in self-affirmation as she did so.

By early afternoon, the morsel was done baking. All that remained was the final touch: the mana infusion.

Subaru: [Right, so… how do I do this?]

Bastian: [Extend your hands over the morsels.]

Beatrice: [Hey now! Betty will instruct her contractor how to infuse mana, in fact!]

Bastian: [… yes, of course. Apologies, Beatrice-sama.]

Bastian bowed his head contritely, prompting a look of disappointment from Meili.

Meili: [Geez, Mister Listless, you can be a real pushover sometimes.]

Bastian: [It’s respect, Meili. Respect.]

Meili: [You can tell yourself that all you like.~]

She patted the swordsman’s back in playful feigned sympathy. He could only sigh, though this had been the dynamic he had come to tacitly accept.

Beatrice then cleared her throat, gaining control of the floor.

Beatrice: [Now then, as the swordsman said, extend your hands over the morsels, in fact.]

Subaru: [R-Right…]

He had already been doing since his friend had told him to do so, something his contract spirit refused to acknowledge.

Beatrice: [Now, focus your mana into your hands. Visualize your gate, a spiral within you, gently flowing mana through your system like blood through your arteries or impulses along your nerves. Can you do that, in fact?]

Subaru closed his eyes, trying to imagine what Beatrice was describing. He was a bit nervous. He hadn’t practiced any magic since before his flight. In fact, it hadn’t been since the day he dueled Julius and lost spectacularly. His gate had been strained back then, though having given it plenty of rest from a lack of magic use over the ensuing months, his gate had been allowed to recover.

It likely wasn’t perfectly healed, though. Not practicing magic was only one part of the healing process for his gate. He also needed to take it easier in general, as the gate was an integral part of his system. Physical health translated onto it, and he hadn’t been taking it easy in that regard, not since the day he ran away. His calloused hands and gaunt face were evidence of that.

Still, he wanted to try. He only hoped he didn’t flood the room with mana as he had any time he tried casting Shamak. He continued trying to picture what Beatrice described. He could visualize a human form, the branches of veins and nerves throughout. He could picture some nebulous energy flowing along them like electricity through a wire, coalescing at the hands. As he did –

Subaru: [W-Woah!]

A gentle aura began to emanate from his hands. Pure mana, flowing gently and freely, falling upon the freshly baked morsels. Bastian smiled as he looked on at the process. Subaru had been awed initially, only to start smiling brightly.

Subaru: [Look at that! I can do magic, Beako!]

Beatrice: [Well, of course, you can, in fact! My goodness…]

To her, this was an unwarranted reaction on her contractor’s part. Of course he was magically gifted. How else could he do what only he could do? She decided not to broach this right here and now. She was unsure if he wanted Garfiel and Meili to be privy to this knowledge yet, and she still considered Mimi a foreign element despite the eased tensions between her contractor and Anastasia’s knight.

The finishing touches had been put on morsels. They glistened from the imbuement of mana. They had been twisted into elegant knots and had risen quite well in the oven.

Subaru: [Let’s get these on trays. May as well share them with the others, yeah?]

Bastian: [Nice overture. Truly in the spirit of reconciliation.]

Subaru: [Yeah, well… that’s what I was thinking, too.]

He was clearly putting on a front as he agreed with Bastian’s assessment.

Mimi: [Mimi’s real happy you made snacks for her friends! Let’s get them plated! Mimi will give some to the boss lady!]

Garfiel: [“Boss lady?” Y’mean Anastasia?]

Mimi: [Yup! You call Subaru “boss” too, don’t you?]

Garfiel: [Er, yeah, well… that’s diff’rent…]

Meili: [Hmm, the men of this group sure do come off unconvincing a lot of the time, don’t they, Betty?]

Beatrice: [They certainly can, I suppose.]

Garfiel: [Tch! Whatever, y’runts! Oi, b- er, Subaru.]

Meili: [Ooooh, that definitely didn’t sound convincing…]

Garfiel caught himself about to call Subaru “boss” again. It had become old hat for him at this point, but in light of Meili’s taunt, he found he couldn’t commit to that nickname here. He doubled back to trying Subaru’s name, but it sounded forced and unnatural in a causal setting like this. He scowled in Meili’s direction. Subaru sensed it might be best to step in, lest he approach Meili the way he had the morsel dough.

Subaru: [What’s up, Garf?]

Garfiel: [Why don’t we jus’ set this all up in th’ dinin’ hall? Gather erryone there.]

Mimi: [Ooh, ooh, that sounds fun! Mimi will go get everyone!]

Once again, without another word edgewise, Mimi bolted from the kitchen. She could be said to be “goal-oriented.”

Subaru: [I bet these would go well with tea, too…]

Bastian: [Not uncommon for them to be served with ceremonial teas during festival seasons. Peasants would make poor man’s coff instead.]

Subaru: [Oh… that stuff…]

The potent taste of licorice returned to his palette with just the mere mention of this concoction. He hadn’t had any since they returned to Lugunica. He hoped to never have to again. Real coff or even tea were far more amenable to his tastes.

Subaru: [Did you grow up drinking that stuff, Bastian?]

Bastian: [No. Grew up in the Church. Was well taken care of.]

He spoke more coldly than usual as he offered his typical laconicism. Something about his tone seemed at odds with his words. If he had been “well taken care of,” why hadn’t he sounded happier, or perhaps nostalgic? Instead, he sounded almost completely disinterested.

Subaru: [I see… well, wanna help me make some tea?]

Meili: [I can do that much, at least.]

Subaru: [You can?]

Meili: [I used to make teas all the time. Well, poison teas, but –]

Subaru: [Okay, nope. Bastian, you make it.]

Bastian: [Will do.]

Meili: [Hey now!]

She had been shut down rather promptly, and understandably so. The only experience she had with brewing anything was poisons. She had been an assassin, after all. Her fighting prowess was likely lackluster compared to her late “sister,” so she had to make up for it wherever she could. Her control over hornless witch beasts was one thing, certainly her primary method of attacking a target. Brewing poisons was something she had picked up on the side, perhaps even taught to her by Elsa.

Meili: [I’m very good at brewing normal teas, too! Herbal teas from all sorts of plants you can find in the wild!]

Subaru: [That just sounds like poor man’s coff…]

Bastian: [That drink is a sort of tea, actually. Made from bitter roots from hardy trees indigenous to Gusteko.]

Meili: [I clearly won’t be making any of that, then! Lugunica doesn’t have those kinds of trees, save for maybe the border territories. Just let me work my magic, okay?~]

Subaru: [I dunno…]

He felt Bastian place his hand on his shoulder. Looking in the swordsman’s direction, he saw him give a quiet, imploring nod. It seemed he could tell this was important to her, though neither could confirm the reason why.

She set about raiding the pantry for herbs and spices, as well as cheesecloth to fashion sachets. From there, she set about making a unique blend on the fly. She would taste the ingredients individually, then in tandem in various combinations, occasionally cleansing her palette with some water. Eventually, she seemed satisfied with a blend, then divvied them up into sachets. From there, all that was left was boiling the water. Bastian lit the fire for the stove top for her to get a kettle going.

As the water boiled, Mimi came running back into the room.

Mimi: [Mimi’s back! Everyone’s in the dining hall, just like Garf suggested!]

Garfiel: [Yer still callin’ me that, eh?]

Mimi: [Do you not like it when Mimi calls you “Garf?”]

She tiled her head to the side, her ears flicking as she did so. She was the very picture of curiosity. Garfiel didn’t like being put on the spot like this. Such pointed questions weren’t his forte.

Garfiel: [… guess not.]

He rubbed the back of his neck as he rolled his eyes, breaking eye contact with Mimi. She was still staring at him curiously, clearly finding his response intriguing. She wasn’t the only one paying close attention to the young man’s reaction, though no one would voice their observations here. Not even Meili, though she was too busy prepping saucers and cups for tea, resting sachets in the bottom of each.

Subaru: [Okay, I’ll admit, I’m pretty surprised. I guess you made teas that weren’t deadly in your spare time?]

Meili: [Well, duh! We had to stay warm, too…]

She became crestfallen as she trailed off into a reminiscence. Evidently, she really had made tea for her and Elsa while out in the field. Subaru suddenly understood why Bastian had been so quietly imploring earlier.

Mimi: [Hm? Did you say “deadly?”]

Subaru: [Ah, just a joke! Poor man’s coff is so gross, you might think it’s poison!]

Mimi: [Ohhhhhh… okay!]

Mimi then scurried off once more, presumably to join the rest of her people in the dining hall. Subaru breathed a sigh of relief. Meili’s former role as an assassin wasn’t very well known. Between her background and Bastian’s, he had a lot to juggle now. At least he wasn’t hiding as much anymore, lightening his mental load a bit.

Garfiel: [Guess we should get this stuff out there, yeah?]

Garfiel took a tray of morsels in each hand, then approached the exit. He nearly kicked the door open, but remembered at the last second that he was a guest here. Bastian held the door for him without another word from either of them.

Beatrice: [Wait a second, in fact! Betty hasn’t gotten one yet! Don’t tell Betty you’re expecting her to eat it in there with him…]

Subaru chuckled a bit, prompting her to look her contractor’s direction.

Subaru: [This was originally for your comfort, after all! Here, saved the best one for you.]

Having conducted some sleight of hand, he had nabbed one of the morsels off of one of the trays prior to Garfiel heading out of the kitchen. Beatrice wasn’t sure what made this particular morsel “the best,” but she appreciated the sentiment and gesture of him having saved it for her.

She took a bite of the morsel. It was a soft, knotted, bun-like pastry. It was sweet by nature, as it had sugar in it, but it was even sweeter for Beatrice due to the mana that had been infused within it. She certainly sounded happy as she ate it, and she looked the part, too. She held her free hand to her left cheek as she chewed, savoring every second of it.

Subaru: [Heh, guess we did a pretty good job! How long does it take for the morsel to calm a spirit down, Bastian?]

Bastian: [Can’t you tell? Effect’s immediate. Rather fleeting, though.]

They looked on as their comrade relished the morsel she had been given. Once she was all done, she approached the two of them.

Beatrice: [Thank you very much, you two. It was delicious, in fact.]

Subaru: [… it’s like night and day.]

Beatrice was unsure what her contractor meant by this. Her composure had been swiftly converted back to her usual self after the roughly one minute altered state she had been in while eating the morsel.

Bastian: [Mana makes the difference. Spirits love it, more than we do, even.]

Subaru: [Huh… it’s like catnip to them, I guess…]

He was suddenly thankful no one else present in the mansion were spirits, save for Julius and Bastian’s respective spirits.

Subaru: [Come to think of it, I didn’t even know Julius was a Spirit Arts user until yesterday… where are his spirits, anyway? Does he keep them in his sword like you, you think?]

Bastian: [Possible, though doubt it. Singing Blade’s a unique vessel for spirits. Made of an alloy of Yang Magic crystals and steel sanctified by the Church. He probably houses his spirit, or spirits, in appropriate crystals.]

Subaru: [Maybe we’ll see them in the dining hall… let’s get going. Meili, those tea cups ready?]

He turned to face her, only to find she had already loaded trays with saucers and tea cups, sachets of tea already beginning to steep.

Meili: [You guys talk a looooooooot. Take these trays. They’re too heavy for me.]

Subaru: [Alright, alright… guess I’m reprising my old role today, huh?]

Beatrice: [Betty refuses to view you as a mere butler, in fact. Besides, Bastian’s the one dressed like one, in fact.]

Bastian: [Matter of coincidence. Only clothes available at the townhouse, remember?]

Subaru smirked at their back and forth as he carried his tray of tea out of the kitchen. Beatrice held the door for him, as Bastian’s hands were also occupied with a tray of tea cups, and Meili was preoccupied returning the herbs and spices she had used to produce her tea. Her mindfulness of their guest status gave him hope that she was acclimating well to not being an assassin. What got him slightly more was Beatrice using Bastian’s actual name to refer to him, instead of referring to him as “the swordsman.” She had only occasionally done so in the past, and he hoped she would do so more in general with other people. His name was the only one she would ever use typically, which he figured must be tied to their partnership in some way. Perhaps she wanted to keep it special, he thought. Beatrice followed the two of them out the door, while Meili trailed behind following her clean up.

Arriving in the dining hall, the members of the Anastasia Camp were all standing around and socializing, eating morsels. Julius was the first to see Subaru and Bastian arrive with the tea.

Julius: [This is a pleasant surprise. I feel I must ask though… what is the occasion?]

As Subaru placed the tray down on the dining room table, he froze. He felt it would be in bad taste to say it was Julius’ fault that he had to make something to calm his contract spirit down. He supposed he could always lie and say it was an overture of peace and cooperation as Bastian had said earlier, but that was only incidentally the case, a byproduct of the real reason. He sighed, hoping his explanation wouldn’t damage the progress he had made, mostly for his friend’s sake than for his own or Julius’.

Subaru: [Well, you see… it’s your Divine Protection. It’s not your fault or anything, but… it gives Beako migraines. So, I asked Bastian if he had some way to help her, since his spirits are fine in your presence. He came up with these pastries from his homeland. They’re usually offered to spirits for sake of communion, or something…]

Julius: [Oh, I see… then in keeping with your wishes from yesterday evening, I won’t apologize any further. You say these are intended for spirits?]

Bastian: [It’s for everyone, really. Brings spirits and people together.]

Bastian placed his tray of tea down next to Subaru’s as he elaborated upon Subaru’s explanation. After doing so, he grabbed one of the morsels from the platter, holding it atop his open palm. He then tapped the ornate sheath of his Singing Blade, calling upon Ris to emerge for the offering. The eight motes of white light flocked to the morsel, and to Subaru’s astonishment –

Subaru: [They really do eat… I feel like I’m watching you feed ducks right now.]

Bastian: [Spirits can eat as we do. Simply choose not to in general. Beatrice-sama is the same, sure you’ve noticed.]

Subaru: [Yeah, guess she only eats with us to feel more a part of the group.]

Beatrice: [You share meals with people you care about, in fact.]

Subaru: [Cute.]

Beatrice: [D-Don’t say that around so many people, in fact! It’s rather embarrassing for Betty…]

She pulled her hair drills close to her face in an attempt to conceal her flustered blushing. Her contractor lacked mindfulness at times, it seemed.

Anastasia: [Ha! The lil’ lady wants to keep your praise all to herself, huh? Hey Julius, you should feed your buds, too.]

Julius: [Yes, indeed I should. Ia. Kua. Alo. Ake. In. Nes.]

He held his palm out, and six motes of light appeared, dancing in a circle not unlike Ris when Bastian mediated, though their orbit was far tighter. Another thing differentiating them were their unique colors. Ia was red. Kua was blue. Alo was green. Ake was yellow. In was white. Nes was black. Their different names told Subaru that, unlike Ris, they weren’t a collective of spirits, but rather individuals.

Subaru: [Bastian’s are all white, but yours are all sorts of colors… are they all different elements?]

Julius: [Indeed, they are. Each one represents one of the elemental affinities of magic. Actually, I find Bastian’s multitude of Yang Spirits rather interesting…]

Bastian: [Have a natural affinity for Yang Magic. Makes it easier to commune with that type of spirit.]

Julius: [I see… perhaps we could compare techniques some time? Verbally, of course.]

Julius was quick to qualify his proposal, realizing the question on its own could potentially be viewed as a request for a duel. The very concept of dueling had lost what little luster it had for the Finest Knight. It used to be something honorable, though perhaps an unnecessary relic of a practice. Now, he saw no honor in it. It allowed too much room for temperance to falter, for bonds to be severed, and for hurt of all kinds to manifest.

Bastian: [Wouldn’t mind it. Subaru could sit in. Only recently became a Spirit Arts user. Could be beneficial.]

Beatrice: [Are you saying Betty’s contractor lacks talent, I suppose?]

Beatrice stomped her tiny foot on Bastian’s. It didn’t hurt, nor could it ever have hurt him. It did scuff his shoe, though.

Bastian: [Beatrice-sama, please… these shoes were a gift.]

Beatrice: [That is not Betty’s concern, in fact. Apologize to Subaru.]

Subaru: [Beako, he’s got a point, though… I really haven’t done anything that would qualify as Spirit Arts. I’ve kinda just been relying on your superior casting ability.]

Beatrice fell quiet as she slowly removed her foot from Bastian’s.

Beatrice: [… sorry, in fact.]

Bastian: [S’fine. Can buff that out with polish later.]

Subaru: [To Bastian’s point, Julius… yeah, I think I’ll sit in on that talk. I’ve been meaning to improve in… well, a lot of ways, actually. This is as good a place to start as any.]

Julius seemed astonished for moment, though it soon settled into a pleasant smile. He was glad to see this next step in their reconciliation be accepted less reluctantly than the first had. Everyone else in his faction took notice of this, as well, none more so than Anastasia who had that opportunistic smile on her face again as she sipped her tea.

***

The ensuing days were perfectly calm, to the surprise of both parties. The abundance of morsels allowed Beatrice to remain calm in the continued presence of Julius’ Divine Protection. She was able to remain calm even when directly in the Finest Knight’s presence, a testament to the efficacy of the Gustekan offering.

Subaru, Julius, and Bastian did have some chats regarding the use and development of Spirit Arts. The latter two to enjoyed comparing notes, marveling at each other’s respective techniques. Subaru, meanwhile, took notes of his own. He had a feeling things would level off soon enough, and with this newfound peace, he planned on taking time experimenting with crafting some Spirit Arts of his own with Beatrice. He knew he would need to become better to secure what progress he had made in this world. He knew he wouldn’t be able to rely upon others to be his strength forever.

Mimi had taken to chasing Garfiel around the mansion, with her brothers following not far behind. Tivey did so to call her off, while Hetaro did so to keep her away from Garfiel. These goals weren’t mutually exclusive, of course. For his part, Garfiel was unsure how he felt about this turn of events. At the very least, it was keeping him on his toes. After having been on the road intermittently for days now, he really needed the activity. Perhaps he didn’t mind it too much.

Garfiel even got to spar a bit with Ricardo, an opponent far closer to him in caliber than the Sword Saint. Where fighting Reinhard had felt like running headlong into a brick wall, Ricardo was just strong enough to offer a challenge without completely overwhelming the young man. It was engaging, exhilarating. He hoped to tell Frederica about it some time. He also hoped to find new challengers soon.

Even Joshua got in on the bonding. Subaru had remembered hearing an off-hand remark from Joshua when they had arrived that first day, commenting on his brother’s pale complexion at the time, only to self-deprecate. Joshua was a sickly young man, as Julius explained to Subaru. Knowing Meili to be capable of brewing herbal teas, he wondered if anything she could brew was medicinal, as well.

Subaru didn’t deign to attempt to cure the young man, who incidentally was actually his own age, though his powerful admiration of his older brother did lend him an air of youthful naivete. No, he merely wanted to see if she could brew something to ease his symptoms some.

Joshua ran out of stamina very easily, lacking in constitution since he was little. It had kept him cooped up most of the time. He became quite a bookworm as a result, something which Subaru also sought to capitalize upon along with Beatrice, someone else he believed was something of a kindred spirit. He always knew precisely where he would find Julius’ younger brother: the library, the quietest room in the mansion, with many shelves of books.

Several times that week, he snuck into the library while Joshua was there reading. He would set a cup of tea by him, then find a book, find a seat, and read with Beatrice. The first few times, he was ignored as he made his delivery, and ignored while he and Beatrice read. He wanted to fume over this intrusion, but he knew his brother would frown upon it. So, the three would read in silence. The tea would go on ignored, becoming lukewarm, then cold. After his reading session, Subaru would pick up the undrunk tea, fetch Beatrice, and wordlessly leave the library. This was the procedure for several days.

One day, however, Joshua sighed during their reading session, feeling more tired than usual. He eyed the cup of tea beside him, frowned, then picked up the cup and sipped from it. The sound pricked Subaru’s ears, though he didn’t want to let on too much. He hid his face behind the book he was reading. He smiled, knowing his little scheme to ease tensions with the only holdout in the Anastasia Camp was starting to work.

The tea was good. He hadn’t partaken of it or the morsel that first full day Subaru’s entourage had been staying as guests. He had claimed a lack of appetite, something believable for him. He felt bad lying like this. Not to their guests, of course, but rather to his brother. He just didn’t want anything to do with those who, from his perspective, implicitly claimed to be better than Julius.

But the tea was good. Slightly minty, lemony, a hint of honey. It was soothing, yet also invigorating. He had been losing his place on the page more than he liked that day, but within less than an hour of drinking this tea, he felt like he could concentrate better. That day, he left he library first. He gently reshelved his book, then picked up the teacup he usually would ignore. Before leaving the library, he paused.

Joshua: [… thank you.]

Subaru didn’t want to sully the moment. Somehow, remaining quiet felt like the appropriate response. All the same, he was pleased to have made a little more progress.

Subaru: [Y’know what, Beako.]

Beatrice: [Yes, in fact?]

Subaru: [Burying the hatchet… isn’t too bad.]

Beatrice: [… I guess not, I suppose.]

Beatrice still didn’t think her contractor owed that boy any such kindness. At the same time, she found his capacity for kindness – one that had been growing as of late – very gratifying. It was like watching a plant gradually grow.

That had been the last day he was to spend at the Juukulius Estate before the conference in the Capital. That night, he stared out the window of the lounge, reflecting. Beatrice had already retired for the evening. Even with the morsel mediating her symptoms, she was fatigued by resisting the pull of Julius’ Divine Protection by the end of the day. She once again roomed with Meili. Garfiel shifted to rooming with Bastian, a first for the both of them. It was just him up that night.

At first.

Anastasia: [Are ya broodin’ or somethin’]

Subaru: [Eh? Oh, Anastasia…]

He was slightly startled to hear someone’s voice cut through the stillness of that night. Anastasia stood in the doorway of the lounge, holding a decanter in one had and two glasses in the other.

Subaru: [… déjà vu… no wait, this is jamais vu, isn’t it?]

He almost thought this was too familiar, despite having never been in this situation before. He immediately thought back to when he was staying at the Karsten Estate while Bastian was receiving healing. One of those nights had seen a similar circumstance occur between him and Crusch. Back then, he had written off the possibility of her attempting to ply him with liquor. He was somewhat doubtful this wasn’t the case here, though.

Anastasia: [I dunno either of those funny things ya just said.]

Subaru: [You can ask Crusch tomorrow. We’ll all be in the same room again for that conference.]

Anastasia walked over to him as he offered his response to her confusion. She offered him a glass, just as Crusch had.

Subaru: [Sorry, I don’t drink.]

Anastasia: [Aw… drinkin’ ain’t as fun when you’re the only one doin’ it.]

Subaru: [I’m actually kinda surprised you drink.]

Anastasia: [What? Can’t a girl enjoy the finer things in life?]

Subaru: [Okay, that makes sense.]

Anastasia smirked at Subaru’s quip, sitting down on one of the couches they had been sitting on that first night. She stared at him expectantly, and he sighed.

Subaru: [Y’know, Julius could get the wrong idea if he sees us sitting here alone together.]

Anastasia: [Hm? Ya think Julius to be the jealous type?]

Subaru: [I’d rather not find out…]

He sat down across from her, the moon still visible from where he was sitting. It was a sharp crescent that night. The passing familiarity of that moon still seemed uncanny to him.

Anastasia: [Do you have jitters or somethin’?]

Subaru: [Yeah, though less than I had going into the meeting with the sages or seeing Julius again.]

Anastasia: [My, it was really so hard to see him again?]

Subaru: [Yes.]

A moment of silence came over them following his blunt return. His eyes shifted to one corner of his vision, lost in thought. He was beginning to think these nerves had all been self-imposed this whole time, as though he could have consciously dispelled them had he been more mindful and brave. He felt retroactively stupid for having worried so much, punishing himself mentally for having struggled so much with meeting these people, especially Julius. He could see now Julius was far kinder than he had ever given him credit for before.

Subaru: [… I think he and I have turned a corner, though.]

Anastasia: [Well, that’s good to hear!]

Subaru: [That doesn’t mean I’m joining your faction, y’know. I’m reserving my judgment for tomorrow.]

Anastasia: [Oh? Tomorrow’s the day, then?]

Subaru: [It makes sense, I think. All the candidates will be present. It’d only be fair for them to know where we all stand.]

Anastasia: [“Fair,” huh? I guess…]

Subaru: [You think it isn’t?]

Anastasia: [I didn’t say that, now did I? I just find it kinda interestin’, is all. It’s a mindset I wouldn’t’ve expected from ya.]

Subaru: [I’m gonna choose to see that as a compliment.]

Anastasia: [I guess you ‘n that swordsman of yours are similar in that regard.]

Subaru: [“Swordsman of mine?” He isn’t contracted to me or anything.]

He shifted in his seat, perching a foot on the opposite knee. He found her phrasing to be awfully specific.

Anastasia: [Well, it’s kinda similar to your spirit contract, ain’t it? I don’t doubt there’s no written contract, but there was probably an oath, no?]

Subaru: [Guess there was, yeah…]

Anastasia: [Besides, I get the impression he’ll follow ya through hell if it came to it. Same goes for the lil’ miss.]

Subaru: [They’re my friends. I’d do the same for them.]

Anastasia smiled at the sentiment, taking a sip of her liquor. It was a golden brown. He thought it may have been whiskey, though it could also have been brandy. He didn’t know if rum existed in this world. He would have asked if he were truly curious, though when it came to liquor, he didn’t care too much.

Anastasia: [Hold onto that, Subaru. It’ll serve ya well. Take it from someone who knows.]