“Even if you make a face that looks like you’re about to cry, it’s useless, you know? I’ve already made my decision. Once I’ve decided, I won’t budge. ‘Don Morakin is stuck even when pushed.’ That’s how it is.”

Garfiel continued, gazing at Subaru, who was taken aback, with wide-open eyes.

The conditions he stated—upon hearing them, Subaru’s inner thoughts became a mess of shock and confusion. Why?

“Of all people, you’re the one saying that…?”

“Huh? Is it surprising that I oppose? How naive can you be? Just because we’ve discussed things a little, don’t think you understand me!”

Garfiel twisted his mouth in annoyance at Subaru’s words, but Subaru felt the same urge to complain in a grim face.

The idea that Garfiel had just shot down was based on his own proposal.

In the world before they started over, Garfiel could not stand to see Emilia being worn down by the ‘Trial’ and had suggested that Subaru take the ‘Trial’ in her place. For Subaru, who firmly believed that Emilia must overcome the ‘Trial’ on her own, that idea was a thunderbolt from a clear sky, and he adopted it thinking it had more than a shred of truth.

“I have a whirlwind of emotions that I can’t swallow… but for now, I’ll forget that. More importantly, why do you oppose? It shouldn’t be a bad thing for you to enhance the chances of liberating the ‘Sanctuary’ too!”

“Well, if I were to fully approve of the old lady’s approach, I’d get why it would be efficient to accept your proposal. But absolutely not!”

“What kind of childish retort is that…!”

Arms crossed, Garfiel turned his face away, devoid of reason. Since there was no reasoning, it made things complicated if he was just speaking from emotions.

It had become evident through their discussion that this Garfiel had quite a fickle nature—more precisely, his mood swings were heavily influenced by his own values, making general reasoning unreliable and leaving Subaru uncertain about what actions would be effective.

“Ryuzu-san…”

Realizing this conversation was going nowhere as Garfiel refused to engage, Subaru turned to the elderly woman with a youthful appearance who was quietly observing the situation. When called upon, Ryuzu gently waved her loose sleeves.

“Once Gar-bo has made up his mind, my words won’t sway him either. Unfortunately, there’s no way to force anyone in the ‘Sanctuary’ to listen. How about you challenge it, Subaru?”

“I don’t have a death wish to challenge someone who throws around dragon carts… Damn, what the hell is going on?”

Subaru didn’t exactly agree with Garfiel’s viewpoint, but Ryuzu, who was not actively reprimanding him, must have internally shared Garfiel’s stance.

Ryuzu also believed that it should be Emilia who overcomes the ‘Trial.’ Although it was unclear how much respect she truly held for Roswaal, at a fundamental level, it seemed they shared the same viewpoint when it came to Roswaal.

Still, Subaru couldn’t help but wish that Garfiel would join their side.

“…Subaru.”

Looking up at the Subaru, who was overwhelmed with unexpressed emotions, Emilia softly called out, her deep purplish eyes mirroring his profile.

“I-I’ll do my best, so you don’t need to push yourself too much, okay? It was just… so sudden, and I was surprised, but if I know what will happen…”

“No, Emilia-tan, you don’t have to push yourself either. That stubborn guy will let me convince him somehow. If that happens, the ‘Trial’ will…”

“Subaru—”

Emilia, wavering and almost ready to yield to Garfiel’s remarks, was encouraged by Subaru, who tried to bolster her weak spirit into a proper argument. However, while Subaru was mentally preparing for this debate, Emilia interjected.

“Subaru… umm, can you trust me, please?”

“…Huh?”

“I-I… it’s because I showed an unsightly side of myself that you might think I can’t handle the ‘Trial’… that’s why I wanted to do it instead.”

“That’s not it. It’s not like that at all.”

“No, I can understand your worries. You’ve overcome it, but I’m still struggling… I can’t even muster the resolve to face the ‘Trial’… past is just…”

Subaru tried to deny her, but Emilia shook her head, refusing to accept it.

Heavy emotions flowed in her purple eyes, and her pale cheeks drained of color as her lips trembled. From the instability in her words, it was obvious that memories of the ‘Trial’ she wished to avoid were surfacing.

—These memories were so traumatic they could easily break her strong demeanor.

“Don’t think about it if you don’t want to—!”

“But if I don’t face it, I can’t overcome the ‘Trial’! Yes, yes! If I don’t overcome the ‘Trial’ and my past, I can’t become the king. I can’t help the villagers or the people from the ‘Sanctuary’ get out…”

While holding her shoulders desperately, Subaru prompted her, but Emilia stubbornly shook her head, refusing to accept his words. In fact, the more he tried to intervene, the stronger her resolve became.

“I can’t keep relying on Subaru anymore! I can’t! Just a little while ago, you were so injured, yet you still tried so hard for me… and now I’m trying to make you bear everything once again…”

“It’s fine, just like that. The way I say it may sound wrong, but we support each other. It would be better to match the right person to the right position. For this ‘Trial,’ I’m more suited to it. That’s all it is, and there’s no further meaning. If it seems like something I can do, it’s definitely more certain and faster for me to do it. There will be ample opportunities for you, Emilia-tan, to face challenges in the future.”

“The important opportunity is right now, isn’t it? If I keep turning a blind eye and running away from what I don’t want to face… then what will happen to me?”

—How wonderful it would have been to shout that there’s nothing wrong with escaping!

If escaping from the unpleasant, turning away from the painful, and avoiding the difficult made one live safely, that wouldn’t necessarily be a bad way to live. Subaru had done his best to keep a distance from hardships throughout his life.

Thus, he believed that this way of living—even if it’s perceived as weak—had no reason to be blamed and could be said as much.

Yet, now. Right now, he should have been the one to affirm Emilia’s feelings and understand her stubbornness and weakness—he, who had been under a heavy heart.

“——–”

For some reason, he couldn’t voice the words he thought of.

Subaru fell silent, and Emilia closed her eyes tightly, looking down. His hand resting on her shoulders felt the warmth of her body, and he didn’t know what to do.

While the two of them stood as they were, Garfiel suddenly interjected.

“Ha! You can argue back and forth all you want, but from the outside, it sounds like Emilia-sama has the upper hand. I mean, the ‘Trial’ is prepared for Emilia-sama to challenge, right? To sidestep from the side…”

“Shut up! You… you don’t know anything yet…”

“Huh?”

As Garfiel casually spoke, seemingly unaware of their feelings, anger erupted from Subaru. Garfiel, sensing the tension, drew back slightly.

But Subaru, undaunted by Garfiel’s dangerous aura, glared at him.

“Do you even know what will happen with your demands? Watching someone get hurt, suffer, and wear down—can you really stand to see that? …I must have been crazy.”

“…What are you even saying all of a sudden?”

“What I’m saying is that all these conditions and benefits you’ve been thinking about while neglecting Emilia’s feelings… The outcomes gained by overcoming the ‘Trial’ might be significant. But the wounds we bear and the tears we shed in the process don’t get counted… nor does the person’s will.”

In the world before, Subaru had been closest to Emilia as she wore down under the ‘Trial,’ yet, he had never voiced a stop to her suffering.

He had believed that Emilia would be able to do it, and in doing so, he relentlessly pressured her until she wore herself down completely, only to realize his mistake when it was too late. He felt the futility of having to retaliate against the one who had opened his eyes to this realization.

The troublesome nature of the ‘Return By Death’ phenomenon stabbed at Subaru harshly.

And now, knowing the facts that will happen ahead of him, he realized that with so little awareness to express feelings, if he let emotions lead the charge, he would only—

“What do you know, Subaru?”

“Emilia?”

As he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve and lifted his face, he found Emilia staring at him, eyes wide.

Her purplish eyes swirled with emotion, which disappeared from view as teardrops formed.

Emilia shook her head softly. “No, no…”

“Do you know? Subaru, my… my ‘past’?”

“Wait! Let’s calm down. Let’s take a deep breath. The flow of conversation has gone wrong, so…”

“N-no, that’s not it… I didn’t mean it that way… I just… just…”

In the graveyard, Emilia returned to the same state as right after the ‘Trial.’

Flustered and confused, her words became jumbled, her shimmering purple eyes gazing through Subaru, yet not seeing him.

She reached out, clawing at the hem of Subaru’s clothes.

“Everyone… they… even mother… but no. It’s not true. It really isn’t. Back then, I… it was really…”

“Emilia, what are you…?”

With a desperate voice, Emilia clutched at him, desperately trying to convey her franticness. Subaru could not comprehend the significance of her anxiety and could only hope for his sincere earnestness to reach her.

Before this Subaru, a shadow suddenly moved.

“—Ram.”

Without responding to the short call, Rama glided around to Emilia’s back. With a gentle touch, she covered Emilia’s mouth from behind, and with a small voice, she said, “I’m sorry for the intrusion.”

“…ah.”

Emilia’s body suddenly slumped as though losing all strength.

Subaru instinctively reached out and caught her as she began to fall, exhaling a breath of relief. Then he looked up at Ram, who had executed the action.

“What did you do?”

“A quick method to calm her down. Would Balus be angry?”

“I’d like to object that it was rather forceful… but I believe it was the best thing to do. Sorry for bothering you.”

“Apologizing to Balus on behalf of Emilia-sama is a strange thing. Since when did you take over the role of her guardian from the Great Spirit?”

“I didn’t mean…”

Trying to say that but realizing his argument held no weight, Subaru paused.

With Pack not present for some reason, it was evident that Subaru was unusually on edge while looking after Emilia. Knowing from the ‘Trial’ how worn down she was enhanced this disposition.

And for Emilia, without a trusted Great Spirit by her side, it seemed that her reliance on Subaru had only grown stronger.

In any case,

“If I have to protect her, then we’ll end the conversation here.”

Having forced Emilia to sleep, Subaru gently cradled her, and Garfiel snorted dismissively.

Just as he was about to raise his voice in protest, he noticed Emilia stir slightly and fell silent. With that, he offered no more rebuttal as he watched Garfiel turn his back and leave.

“Today’s ‘Trial’ shall be considered an exception. Starting tomorrow, it’s Emilia-sama who will undergo the ‘Trial.’ You’re not participating; I won’t allow it.”

With gritted teeth, Garfiel proclaimed and exited the Ryuzu’s home. Following behind was a small silhouette—Ryuzu, who also trailed.

“I’m sorry, Subaru. But I share the same opinion. The sooner we can liberate the ‘Sanctuary,’ the better… but it would be more convenient for us to proceed according to Roswaal’s intentions.”

“What do you mean by convenient?”

“Even after the liberation from the ‘Sanctuary,’ it won’t change the fact that we will continue to be under Roswaal’s protection as his subjects. Hence, we want to avoid any exceptions that could risk souring his mood… I can’t even bring myself to say that it’s selfish.”

Ryuzu’s statement, imbued with a deep concern as one living in the ‘Sanctuary,’ further subdued Subaru’s chance to argue.

After Garfiel and Ryuzu left the room, what remained were the members of Roswaal’s mansion and an unexpected presence.

“So, how do you, Otto, perceive this situation as the ‘α’?”

“Could you stop pulling me into this silence that feels overwhelmingly uncomfortable and bleak? …But, if I must express my impression that I’ve been listening to the talk genuinely, I do think that what Garfiel and the others are saying is the rational approach.”

Raising his finger, Otto nodded a few times while looking at the kneeling Subaru.

“The intentions of the Border Marquis are also pertinent, plus there’s Emilia-sama’s standing as a candidate for the Royal Selection. It’s true that even if Natsuki-san acts as a stand-in for the ‘Trial,’ it could still be considered a significant achievement for Emilia-sama. Yet… can we gain the understanding, that is, the support of the parties involved staying in this ‘Sanctuary’?”

“I… I get the logic behind it. No matter how I look at it, Emilia liberating the ‘Sanctuary’ is a far better situation in terms of benefits. But…”

“Is it that Emilia-sama can’t overcome the ‘Trial’?”

As if to puncture Subaru’s hesitation, Ram bluntly stated this. Her utterly refreshing honesty caught Subaru off guard and caused him to settle with a serious look on his face.

“I think, based on what I’ve seen, that it’s tough to achieve results in a short period. It’s pointless to talk about what happened in Emilia’s past without knowing specifically what it was. But you all understand that we don’t have enough time for that, right?”

“At least, I hope we can finish it within three years, which is when the Royal Selection reaches its conclusion.”

“That’s still a bit too long for my taste.”

Perhaps it was a way of cracking a joke, yet said with a serious face so it created more tension. As soon as they realized the meaning behind Subaru’s words, they nodded in understanding.

“Considering the burdens on the evacuees and the food situation in the ‘Sanctuary’, it’s not realistic to keep up this number of people in the long run.”

“Yeah, that’s right. It’s tough to start evacuating like this, and if the food supply also deteriorates, the people will quickly explode with discontent. The folks in the ‘Sanctuary’ wouldn’t find it meaningful to continue keeping hostages at the cost of their own meal standards… Not at least, all of them.”

“Are you saying that Garf could even weed out some villagers?”

With increased intensity, Ram questioned Subaru.

Feeling her unexpected reaction, Subaru raised an eyebrow in surprise, but Ram, aware of her tone, smoothed her bangs with her finger.

“I don’t want to think about it, but given Garf’s personality, it’s possible. He wouldn’t hesitate to shift priorities when push comes to shove.”

“Seems like you share that similarity. I agree too. …That’s why I want to propose releasing the hostages from the ‘Sanctuary’ before it gets to that.”

Previously, the proposal had succeeded due to the secretly exchanged condition of ‘Subaru taking the Trial.’ This time, with that option no longer in effect, even the same proposal would face significant hurdles in negotiations. However, Subaru ultimately believed they would be able to negotiate concessions.

“In any case, if the folks from the ‘Sanctuary’ insist on forcing Emilia to undergo the ‘Trial’, I’d like to avoid obstacles to that as much as possible.”

“…Unexpected. I thought Balus would oppose more like a stubborn child.”

Ram voiced this succinct comment regarding Subaru’s intentions to eliminate the concerns surrounding Emilia’s participation in the ‘Trial.’ Nodding along, Subaru prefaced.

“It’s frustrating and disappointing, but riding along with Roswaal’s intentions is the most rational choice. Yeah, that’s right. If I could overlook Emilia getting hurt, then it’s obviously better to go through with it.”

“To make her walk, knowing well it’ll hurt her. You’ve turned into a demon!”

“To be called that by a demon makes me realize how much I’ve changed. But… no, never mind.”

He began to speak but shook his head, silencing himself. Ram frowned at his indecisiveness, but he had no intention of elaborating further.

Subaru continued to hold Emilia close, careful not to wake her. Light. It’s said that the bodies of unconscious individuals feel heavier, yet hers felt as light as a feather.

One has to wonder how much she has to bear within that tiny, delicate frame.

“Ram. After I lay Emilia down in her room, I want to talk to Roswaal. Can we do that?”

“Roswaal is currently resting. He has instructed that no one is to enter for a while…”

“I need to discuss the ‘Trial.’ It’s essential; we can’t reach conclusions just by the likes of us with lower roles like you and me. We need the input from someone intelligent.”

If he used the ‘Trial’ as bait, Roswaal would have no choice but to drop the ‘no entry’ sign and face Subaru. He had experienced that during the previous loop.

Ram paused for a moment, her eyes closed as if considering Subaru’s words. Eventually, she sighed tiredly.

“I’ll check with Roswaal. Balus is in charge of Emilia-sama, and please make sure not to do anything strange.”

“How dare you assume I’m serious! It was entirely your suggestion, and now I’m awkwardly aware of how soft Emilia-tan’s body feels, and it’s making my knees tremble. What now?”

“Otto, keep watch.”

“Understood!”

Ram dismissed Subaru’s antics smoothly, giving Otto a brief command before leaving the house. With two men and one beautiful girl left behind, Otto looked over while still in a salute position.

“Now, let’s get Emilia-sama to bed. I can help if you need it.”

“Before that, what’s with your obedient demeanor toward Ram…?”

“Well, you see, since Ram is directly under the Border Marquis, considering that, it seems better to flatter her than to the Natsuki-san who’s enamored with Emilia-sama to cultivate a better relationship with the Border Marquis, right? Hehe.”

“How did you tumble from being the impression of a capable merchant to becoming a cunning little villain on your own? You’re gonna be treated like a nuisance and sent off into the shadows at this rate!”

While bringing up Otto’s cash match changes, Subaru let out an exasperated sigh as he carried Emilia into the bedroom. He lightly adjusted the rumpled sheets, slowly laying her down. Just as he was about to pull away after tucking her in to her shoulders…

“Oh…”

As he felt her fingers clutch at his shirt, Subaru noticed her delicate grip. With a surge of affection, he gently extricated her fingers, enveloping them with both his hands.

“Wait for me, Emilia.”

“——-”

“I’ll make sure to handle this. So you won’t have to cry or suffer like this any longer. I promise.”

With that vow silently made, Subaru released Emilia’s hand.

Standing up, he turned and headed for the door. —To confront Roswaal.

There were far too many things he needed to draw out from that archmage.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“—Now I understand the situation, quite well.”

With a hand on his chin, Roswaal calmly nodded as he listened to Subaru’s extensive explanation.

They were in a room of the house where Roswaal was recuperating, and only Subaru and Roswaal occupied the space. Subaru shot a fierce gaze at Roswaal, who was reclining on the bed, propping himself up to look at him.

“So, if we’re looking to incorporate the opinions from the ‘Sanctuary’ side as much as possible, I think that would be the best compromise.”

“Well, it’s true that once Emilia-sama stepped into the ‘Sanctuary’, Garfiel and the others achieved their objectives. To get Emilia-sama herself to leave the ‘Sanctuary’, overcoming the ‘Trial’ is essential as well. If the hostages merely consume resources without serving as insurance, it’s only logical to let them go… that’s the gist of it, right?”

“I believe that argument holds.” Subaru stated, “We’re not abandoning the ‘Sanctuary’ issues nor delaying them. I’m just saying that everything besides what’s strictly necessary should be trimmed down.”

“That’s a rather neat way to put it. But don’t you have concerns about this? If the likelihood of liberating the ‘Sanctuary’ dims or if Emilia-sama’s spirit falters under the pressure of the ‘Trial’, the hostages could become tools for threatening her. If that’s the case, let’s dispose of those worries early on… something like that, right?”

With one eye closed, Roswaal gazed at Subaru with his yellow eyes. Absorbing this information, Subaru crossed his arms and nodded in agreement.

“Well, I’m sorry, but I hadn’t thought that far. The fact that such a frightening thought comes to mind so quickly is kind of shocking.”

“Did you perhaps worry too much? Excuse my rudeness. However, it’s true that this way of thinking is also valid.”

Roswaal laughed softly, avoiding a deeper concern as Subaru stared at him with a frown, unable to believe that Garfiel would actually go that far.

While Garfiel exhibited some stubbornness and inflexibility, he didn’t indulge in illogical or unethical actions.

It had only been a few days of interaction, but Subaru held that perspective of Garfiel.

“That being said, what is it that you, Subaru-kun, want from me?”

“If possible, I’d like you to solicit the current matter rather than face it myself. It seems like allotting the discussions to me will lead to disagreements this time.”

“Well now, what may be troubling you?”

“It seems Garfiel has taken quite the disliking to me. I’m not giving up on persuading him, but I can tell it’s going to be tough to settle things in a day or two.”

He recalled the sharp glare Garfiel had given him at parting.

It was a look filled with animosity and revulsion as if he were gazing at the killer of his parents—without any reason Subaru could understand. Either he had committed an offense that wouldn’t be forgiven by Garfiel or had said something that blatantly contradicted his faith. In either case,

“That emotional guy might flat-out refuse my opinion simply because it’s mine. And it’s likely that Ryuzu will become passive if Garfiel suggests it. If there’s a chance of that happening, I’d like to mitigate that risk.”

“And thus, this is where I come into play. Well, very well. I can have a word with Ryuzu-baa-san and Garfiel. It’s also true that Garfiel dislikes me, so I’m not sure how quickly it will be resolved.”

In light of Subaru’s suggestion, Roswaal accepted it leisurely.

His reassuring response brought a sigh of relief from Subaru. For now, one worry seemed to be headed toward resolution. The remaining problem was:

“Now then. There’s still one crucial conversation we haven’t started.”

The most vital topic had yet to unfold.

Roswaal tilted his head, trailing his long hair behind him as he closed one eye. Perhaps this was his usual habit; under the scrutiny of those yellow eyes, Subaru straightened his back.

“And regarding the ‘Trial’ in the graveyard, it’s showing Emilia her ‘past.’ Do you have any inkling of what that ‘past’ might be?”

Subaru probed about the ‘past’ Emilia had desperately tried to cloak.

At Subaru’s inquiry, Roswaal closed his yellow eyes and slightly lowered his chin as if considering the question. Then, shortly after, silence hovered over the room as an anxious sound echoed in the mute atmosphere, and Subaru waited. Then,

“Isn’t it rather cowardly to ask me about this without directly inquiring with Emilia-sama?”

“Feel free to call me deceptive or underhanded if you’d like. If I could, I wouldn’t mind knowing everything about Emilia from her mouth. But…”

There was no way he could extract directly the contents she so painfully endured, especially when she wore such an expression of misery.

Simply put, even with the pain weighing on his conscience, Subaru didn’t hesitate to step through the door to unveil the secrets she tried to keep.

“Aside from my desire to know about her, I also must know. If I can utilize anything available, I’ll latch onto it, even if it’s a straw.”

“It’s rather rude to be treated as a mere straw at this point. …Now then.”

After chuckling quietly, a sudden seriousness washed over Roswaal’s expression.

He exhaled softly before holding his breath, fixing his different-colored eyes on Subaru.

“Emilia-sama is a half-elf. Furthermore, because of the influence of the ‘Witch of Envy’, half-elves are heavily discriminated against. This is a tale that you must already know.”

“…Yeah. I understand that Emilia has suffered unjustly due to that, just from seeing her behavior at the royal castle. I’ve encountered some truly despicable people.”

Visions of the malicious members of the Witch Cult surfaced in his mind. Shaking his head, Subaru dispelled such images, and Roswaal continued, “However…”

“Indeed, half-elves suffered particularly severe oppression, but the matter does not end there. Have you seen elves in the royal capital, Subaru-kun?”

“Elves? Not half-elves? …No, I don’t think I have.”

While resting his chin on his hand, Subaru racked his brain, trying to recall all of his past experiences. However, throughout the countless iterations of his life, he had never encountered any elves—those beautiful creatures characterized by slightly elongated ears.

To Subaru’s response, Roswaal replied, “That’s as I suspected.”

“The rigorous oppression faced was not exclusive to half-elves. The origins of the half-elves, too, were directed toward elves.”

“…! No way! That sounds far too indiscriminate! If that’s how it is, then…”

“Are you suggesting we should eradicate humans too? Unfortunately, in this world, humans significantly outnumber the subhumans in both quantity and state. The widening rift between the subhumans and humans is the precursor to the ‘Subhuman War,’ but that’s a story unrelated to our current discussion.”

“So what does the history of the oppression of elves have to do with anything?”

Hearing the term ‘Subhuman War,’ something unfamiliar ignited curiosity in Subaru, but he quickly returned to the main topic before diverging.

Roswaal nodded, swaying his head left and right, before finishing his thought.

“In places like the royal capital, not only can half-elves not show their faces, but members of their parent race, the elves, also have difficulties appearing in public. For you to not see any elves in the royal capital speaks volumes in this regard.”

“That makes sense… but how does this link to Emilia?”

“Elves… often create settlements deep in the forests, far from human interference. Humans tend not to enter such hidden places, where they quietly live and hunt.”

“Where you learned that, I don’t know, but that’s about the accurate notion. The elves were shunned from towns and subsequently began to live quietly in the depths of the forests. —Erior Forest was one of those places where the elves once settled.”

Suddenly, Subaru trembled at the shift in Roswaal’s tone.

It felt as if the room’s temperature had dropped sharply, bringing a chill to his skin. The reason for this eerie sensation lay within Roswaal himself, as his words wielded an undeniable power.

And then, the name of the location he mentioned was one Subaru recognized.

—Erior Forest, a name that emerged multiple times during the discussions at Crusch’s mansion about the abundant magic stones under Roswaal’s control.

“And now it’s frozen over, so nobody can approach…”

“The commencement and subsequent spread of the frost over Erior Forest were recorded to have happened over ninety years ago. An absolute zero world that freezes everything, causing all living beings to perish in winter’s grip. —She lived alone in such a world.”

With those words, Roswaal affirmed Subaru’s fears.

Ninety years. An insufferably long time. And a person who was present there. Given the flow of the tale he sought, only one answer was returning to him.

And Roswaal clearly stated to the speechless Subaru,

“—Deep within Erior Forest, the elf tribe residing there has been encased in ice and remains frozen in time.”

“——”

“Only one, the half-elf girl who made that mistake, has survived…”