――I shouldn’t have listened.

Sweat trickled from my forehead down to my chin, and Natsuki Subaru was once again reminded of his own foolishness—sheesh, how many times was that already?

The ringing in my ears echoed within my skull, somewhere distant, while my pounding heart ached.

“I’m regretting what I heard… is that so?”

Roswaal tilted his head, observing the silent Subaru lying on the bed.

In response to the whimsical question from the jester toying with his indigo hair, Subaru couldn’t immediately muster an answer. He simply focused on calming his breathing and said,

“I was just a bit shocked. I mean… I didn’t expect Emilia to be slightly older than me.”

“Oh? You didn’t know? Lady Emilia, being a half-elf, might not have the longevity of elves, but she’s certainly part of a long-lived race. They say elves won’t die unless they’re killed, after all.”

Roswaal chimed in on Subaru’s attempt to conceal his inner turmoil.

The characteristics of elves he described didn’t stray far from those seen in subcultures. It’s uncertain how much of that would apply to half-elves, but if we were to trust Roswaal’s words about Emilia’s actual age—

“That’s an age gap of at least sixty years… Even for someone like me who loves the older sister character archetype, I’ve never encountered a conquest target with an age difference this large.”

“It’s a bit unclear, but judging from your tone, it sounds like you’ve interacted with other long-lived races besides Lady Emilia?”

“Well, undead beings and vampires are basic tropes in gal games, after all. There’s also the ‘Loli Grandma’ factor to consider with Grandma Ryuzu, so it’s a deep lore, you know?”

Admittedly, Subaru didn’t have much preference for non-human characters or loli grandmas. His sweet spot was strictly the lovely older sister or school senpai type.

So hearing about a sixty-year age difference raised some eyebrows, but—

“But hey, with someone as cute as her, I can overlook anything. No problem! Emilia-tan is still my number one star!”

Additionally, while this kind of setting is common, long-lived races tend to grow slowly, possibly experiencing time differently than humans.

Just like the age difference between animals and humans—where a twenty-year-old human could be equivalent to a two-hundred-year-old elf.

“Thinking of it that way, a ninety-year-old Emilia-tan is still just a young girl… or rather, from an elf’s perspective, a little girl. Seriously, being that gorgeous and sexy yet a little girl? That’s practically a genre unto itself!”

“While I see your imagination is running wild… reality is much harsher than you think, you know. People grow based on the time they’ve lived. Even elves don’t grow mentally slower all the time, you know?”

“You’re trying to build an argument against the harsh truth that I’ve been treated like a child by Emilia-tan all this time, aren’t you…”

Though it’s a hopeful outlook, being swiftly shot down didn’t feel too good. Roswaal continued, seemingly unfazed by Subaru’s resentful glances.

“And trying to sweep your true feelings under the rug to avoid facing them, well, that’s something I don’t quite like, Subaru-kun.”

“――――”

“Are you regretting that you shouldn’t have heard it from my mouth?”

“…You really are a nasty guy.”

With a smirk, Roswaal poked at the emotion Subaru was desperately trying to bury. Having been struck again, Subaru cursed himself anew.

The cross that Emilia had carried on her slender shoulders—he felt the dishonesty of hearing about it from someone else instead of her directly.

“…The ‘Trial’ showed me the past. Surely, it’s showing Emilia her past as well. If that’s the case, what she’s seeing must be—”

“If she’s facing the past she most wants to avoid… then without a doubt, Lady Emilia is reliving the day when the Erior Forest was frozen.”

Roswaal affirmed Subaru’s concerns.

And with that, Subaru began to realize just how terrible a thing he had been forcing upon Emilia.

What’s this about overcoming the past to gain something from it—

“So, can I confront my own past where I froze countless people…?”

The scale of the sins left behind in past experiences was decidedly different between Subaru and Emilia.

Of course, it was true that for Subaru, his feelings towards his parents were monumental enough to need resolution, regardless of the worlds they had crossed over. He wouldn’t allow either himself or his feelings to be diminished.

However, how about Emilia’s burdens?

With parents who loved and supported her, would her past confront her and allow her forgiveness like with Subaru?

Could she accept that and be able to sever ties with her past?

“Is it true that Emilia froze the forest… that elf village? I’ve heard that it hadn’t been tampered with much. It can’t just be a simple misunderstanding…”

“Indeed, the specific details remain unclear. But I have heard the outcome recounted directly from Lady Emilia. She confessed herself that it was she who froze the forest. What other words could fit into that?”

“So, if the actual facts are still unknown, could that not just be due to a misunderstanding… I mean, Emilia isn’t the type to do that…”

“Wrong, you don’t get it… that’s where your thinking goes astray, Subaru-kun.”

With an air of leeway, Roswaal reiterated. Subaru, sharp-eyed but tense, was met with a relaxed hand wave from Roswaal.

“What matters right now isn’t the truth of what happened. What’s crucial is that Lady Emilia has solidified in her mind that ‘she was the one who froze the forest.’”

“――――”

“In Lady Emilia’s mind, that’s the truth. And based on that truth, the past is raining down upon her in the graveyard—so, what do you think should be done?”

“You… what are you really thinking?”

Roswaal asked playfully, a sinister undertone in his voice, leaving Subaru baffled.

Why, how, could this guy still muster a smile in the face of such a situation?

“Isn’t it strange? You want Lady Emilia to become a queen, right? That girl is supposed to be your chance to help her become a monarch, right? I get that much. If she overcomes the ‘Trial’ and frees the ‘Sanctuary,’ she might gain support from the residents of the ‘Sanctuary’ and the people of Araham Village… I understand that.”

However,

“Yet while you want her to do this, at the same time you’re pushing her away at a crucial point. How can you remain unperturbed when this gamble could all fall apart?”

“…………”

“Emilia has been saying she needs to become a queen. I want to help make that happen… Do you really have any intention of making her a queen?”

“――Of course, I do.”

Subaru raised his voice, shaking in frustration while hitting Roswaal with an array of emotions. However, after all that, Roswaal’s response to the final question felt like a drenching cold water over Subaru’s heated face.

Before him, Roswaal’s presence remained unchanged—his gaze was fixed firmly on Subaru. Then he said,

“Do I want her to become a queen? Of course, I do. No one craves that for her more than I do. There is no being more motivated than myself, sure, not even Lady Emilia or someone like you could compare to me in this matter.”

“R-Roswaal?”

“To accuse me of not being eager? How terribly amusing. How amusing! You haven’t even made it there yet, have you?”

He spoke in a tone infused with silent rage, one Subaru had never heard before from Roswaal.

Yet even this passion simmered down during his speech, and he concluded with a cryptic remark.

“Subaru-kun. Unfortunately, it ends here for tonight. I’m still recovering from my sickness, you know? I need a little time to rest.”

“Uh… well, fine.”

Subaru saw Roswaal reaching out to end their conversation and instinctively tried to stop him, but he quickly realized the futility of his gesture and withdrew his hand.

With a light-hearted tone, Roswaal declared the end of the discussion, clearly refusing to continue on any deeper subject. And if he genuinely rejected everything, there was no way for Subaru to extract more from someone who lay there.

Shaking his head, Subaru felt a lingering attachment even as he turned his back to the bed.

What needed to be said had been said. The fate of the people of Araham Village remained uncertain, but surely Roswaal’s proposal wouldn’t be rejected by Ryuzu.

If they could overcome this, then it would definitely lead to progress, not stagnation. It was only one of many objectives Subaru had to fulfill.

“――Subaru-kun.”

Suddenly, just as Subaru was about to exit, Roswaal called out to him from behind. Stopping in his tracks, he turned around to find Roswaal, already resting his head on the pillow, not looking at him.

“You’ve gained the qualification, haven’t you?”

“Oh. Yeah, I didn’t mention it. That’s right. I can also take the ‘Trial’. If going through that baptism is a requirement, then maybe you…”

“――No way, that isn’t happening. The graveyard is not going to accept me. I’m self-aware of this rejection I have received.”

Recalling their previous world’s conversation, where Roswaal had seemed exceptionally displeased upon learning that Subaru had gained the qualification to challenge the ‘Trial’, Subaru raised an eyebrow in faint surprise. In contrast, Roswaal now seemed enveloped in a profound sadness that amplified his demeanor.

“…Choose wisely, Subaru-kun.”

“What?”

“In this place, you are the one with the most freedom to move. You’re neither shackled by the ‘Sanctuary’, nor tangled in the constraints of the Royal Selection.”

“――――”

“What you desire, pursue it yourself with all your might. Struggle, suffer, hesitate, and in doing so, you might find… even if you don’t achieve contentment, you’ll at least see some resolution.”

Roswaal’s words, void of his signature theatrical flair, left Subaru stunned, rendering him frozen in place.

After a moment passed, he suddenly realized with disbelief that he’d just received encouragement.

“What… is this? This isn’t like you, Rosu-chan.”

“I just wanted to do something out of character, that’s all. It seems I’m perhaps running short on time, you see.”

The weighty meaning behind his words was difficult to grasp. But before he could investigate further, Roswaal waved his hand to signal him to leave.

Watching this, Subaru exhaled a deep sigh from his nose and said,

“Goodnight.”

And with that, he left the room.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“…I hope I didn’t put too much burden on Roswaal-sama.”

As soon as Subaru stepped out of the bedroom, Ram greeted him with a piercing gaze.

Though the pink-haired girl should have been half a head shorter than Subaru, her imposing demeanor regarding Roswaal made her seem nearly twice his size. In other words, it felt like being shrunk under a massive pressure.

“I just had a calm, rational conversation. We weren’t tussling or anything, so you needn’t worry.”

“That’s quite optimistic. You know how severe Roswaal-sama was when he faced rejection in the graveyard… It’s easy for you to say such things.”

With a click of her tongue and a clear display of displeasure, Ram’s attitude made Subaru chuckle despite himself.

“Well, I was just thrown out because he wanted to rest… I think we’ve had the necessary discussion, so I don’t see an issue there.”

“I see… At the very least, if Roswaal-sama makes a request, Ryuzu-sama will accept it. Garf is… still hard to predict.”

“If he still has issues with it, I’m counting on you to employ your charm to help. If you can act cute and sweet when asking, maybe it’ll work… is that something you can even do?”

“Are you saying that I’m not cute?”

“No, I think you’re super cute just by looking at you…”

After all, apart from the different hair color, she looked almost exactly like Rem, so it was impossible not to be affectionate towards her. The real issue was Ram’s refreshingly blunt personality, which overshadowed her endearing qualities.

“Even while being around you, Garfie’s taste in women isn’t the best. It’s just that it’s hard to tell based on appearances… You’re like a pufferfish, Ram, it hurts!”

“I understand that you’re not genuinely complimenting me, so that’s how I’ll react, Balus.”

With a vicious stomp on Subaru’s foot, making him tear up, Ram huffed before stepping in front of Roswaal’s sleeping room and announced,

“Ram will change Lord Roswaal’s bandages, then rest. Balus will sleep in the Cathedral like yesterday. Even you should remember where it is, right?”

“Believe it or not, I have decent directional sense! Plus, it’s the biggest building around here. How could I miss it? The lack of light is a hassle, though.”

The ‘Sanctuary’ relied solely on starlight for illumination. Yet on clear nights, the brilliance of the sky made it less dark than one might expect. However, tonight was unfortunately overcast.

Peeking outside from within the building, aside from the faint lights of distant homes, it was nearly complete darkness.

A twinge of fear about the return journey flickered in his heart, but—

“If I casually wander into the forest and unexpectedly encounter a monster, ending up with a BAD END—that’s not gonna happen! I’m good, I’m good.”

“Something that shouldn’t happen might just happen, but that’s fine. Balus, after you exit, head straight right toward the Cathedral.”

“I already know. It’s the side you hold chopsticks with! Though I doubt that culture exists in this world.”

In this world, meals were primarily enjoyed with silverware like knives and forks rather than chopsticks, so Ram seemed unable to grasp Subaru’s comment. Perhaps he’d take a chance one day to carve out some chopsticks from wood.

“For now, I’ll return to the Cathedral… it’s uncertain if I can even return to the village, so it’s probably best not to get everyone’s hopes up over the liberation mention.”

“I think that’s a safe bet. I suspect I won’t be able to discuss it until at least tomorrow, if not the day after. In the meantime, you should think about how to face Echidna’s graveyard.”

“――――”

Just before exiting the building, Subaru halted suddenly, causing Ram to knit her brows in surprise. Her expression deepened into one of confusion upon glancing back at Subaru, and then she asked,

“…What did you just say?”

Her hoarse query made Subaru flash back to what he had just said, and Ram, unable to shake off her disbelief, engaged in a moment of recollection.

“You said to consider how to face the graveyard.”

“Wrong. A little earlier than that.”

“You asked if I wasn’t cute?”

“Got it, that was kind of a leap! …You mentioned the graveyard of Echidna, right?”

He sensed that two misfires had nearly occurred before he finally arrived at the right conclusion and led himself directly to the answer as Ram reluctantly nodded in acknowledgment.

Placing a hand on his forehead, Subaru felt the swift surge of memories flooding back at him.

“Echidna.”

The name of the Witch of Greed, a silver-haired girl clad in a mourning dress, a self-proclaimed embodiment of knowledge, and a rare specimen of the “boyish” type in this other world. And then—

“What were you planning… messing with my memories?”

She was also a being who altered Subaru’s memories to keep his secrets safe from others.

At the end of the tea party, and during their farewell from the ‘Trial’, she had imposed a contract upon Subaru. If that contract was the price for gaining the qualifications to take on ‘Trials’, then he would humbly accept it.

“It was either incomplete or insignificant… in any case, the prohibition has been lifted!”

The constraints Echidna had placed upon Subaru unraveled, and memories were unleashed.

He recalled meeting the witches at the tea party, and the time he faced Echidna wearing a school uniform within the walls of his old world—all encompassing memories resurfaced. Thinking like this sparked a possible solution for breaking through the situation at hand, though it was more akin to a forbidden technique—

“If the Cathedral holds chopsticks, then the graveyard holds bowls—!”

“Balus—?”

“I’ll stay up late tonight! Don’t tire out someone recovering from illness like me!”

Responding to Ram’s call from behind him, Subaru barreled out of the building, dashing into the night. His destination? Not the Cathedral, which was supposed to be his rest, but instead, back toward the graveyard he had just left two hours ago.

Timing-wise, it was unlikely that any insights he’d think of could be confirmed right now, but he couldn’t just sit still. At the very least, he wanted a result confirming that it was a bad idea.

“After undergoing the first ‘Trial’, I’ve got a million thoughts swirling in my head. I’ll get invited back to the tea party, Witch… no, Echidna!”

Racing through the streets, guided only by the scant natural light available, Subaru pressed forward through the ‘Sanctuary’.

The cold wind, damp earth, sweat on his brow, and labored breath—he felt it all, pushing through the lingering fatigue in his body as he reached the spot he aimed for.

“Yo… I thought you wouldn’t show up.”

Garfiel, the young man with golden short hair, was standing watch over the graveyard, blocking Subaru’s path.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“Running in the dead of night? Pretty admirable. Being born a man, it’s only right to strive toward strength. ‘Wimblebrook has qualifications for warriors,’ or so they say.”

Garfiel stood arms wide open on the nighttime path, showing off his fang-baring grin while trying to intimidate Subaru. Feeling goosebumps all over, Subaru replied,

“Ah, sorry, but I’m not out for any rigorous exercise right now. I don’t plan to waste time chatting with you. I mean, there’s no time limit, but it’s best if I hurry…”

“You don’t get it, huh?”

A sharp sound—the sound was Garfiel breaking the ground beneath him at a speed the eye couldn’t track.

Dirt flew up, and as solid ground was gouged out in the shape of Garfiel’s boots, Subaru widened his eyes. With clenched jaws, Garfiel spat out,

“If you’re thinking of turning back now, I’ll chalk this up to your late-night run being a failure!”

“Seriously, to be treated like I know nothing in such a short time… am I that far behind in conversation?”

“Who knows? But at the very least, it’s clear you’re oblivious to your surroundings.”

Subaru tried to ease the tension in the air with his words. However, Garfiel’s eyes sparkled with hostility and didn’t seem to catch on.

Touching the white scar across his forehead, Garfiel continued,

“Beyond here lies only the graveyard. Please tell me you’re not wanting to steal away to have a pee at the witches’ hades, right?”

“What, do you want me to take a piss next to the witch’s grave? Just thinking about it makes me fear what vengeance might come my way!”

Given what Subaru knew of Echidna, she likely wouldn’t get angry but rather find it wildly entertaining. Nevertheless, Garfiel wasn’t loosening his wary stance as he continued, aiming to keep the conversation going.

“I can’t believe you’re thinking of taking on another ‘Trial’ just the same night you passed the first one. Now that’s pushing it, don’t you think?”

“I’m not considering anything so outrageous. Just plotting out another approach.”

“-A wicked scheme, is it?”

“Yep, a wicked scheme!”

Call it a workaround, a forbidden move, or whatever you like. It was dark as pitch, and without a way to shine a light through this darkness, if there was even the slightest possibility of illuminating a path ahead, he’d cling to it, draining every last drop of it.

“So get out of my way, Garfiel. Let me into the graveyard. Maybe I’ll think of a brilliant solution to get through all of this…”

“Sorry, but I’m definitely refusing. You are not entering the graveyard, not now or ever.”

However, Garfiel stood his ground firmly against Subaru’s determination.

Subaru felt frustration morph into anger regarding why this specific guy was blocking his way.

“You had to have thought the same way. Why did you go and— after all that?”

“Quit talking nonsense. Once I decide, I stick to it. I won’t let you pass in matters concerning the ‘Sanctuary.'”

“How can you say that… what do you find so unacceptable about me?!!”

Unlike the first day, and clearly different from the previous loop, Garfiel’s attitude felt markedly altered. Subaru raised his voice, seeking the real reason behind Garfiel’s irrational response.

At his exclamation, Garfiel scrunched his nose into a fierce snarl resembling that of a beast and said,

“—It’s your stench.”

“—Huh?”

Subaru found himself questioning that with a groan.

In response, Garfiel pressed his hand to his nose and said clearly,

“Ever since you came out from the graveyard, your body reeks of the witch’s miasma. —You expect me to trust you, a witch stinker and a half-demon? That’s simply impossible!!”

Raising both hands, showing his fangs, Garfiel unleashed his anger as he declared,

“This is the ‘Sanctuary’! The testing grounds of the Witch of Greed! A mess of outcasts and misfits without a direction to go—a damned blockage!!”