Feeling the morning sun burning against his eyelids, Natsuki Subaru sat up in the dimness.

It seemed he had dozed off while lost in thought. Still, he had plunged into the sea of contemplation late into the night, so he likely had slept for only about two or three hours.

“Can’t imagine this in my old world. The time when the sun rises was my sleeping time back then.”

While saying this, Subaru turned his body and took a quick look around the Cathedral, where some people were already awake. He greeted the residents of Araham Village who noticed his gaze with a wave and a nod, then stood up and headed towards the entrance of the Cathedral.

As he stepped outside, greeted by the refreshing morning breeze, he saw several residents of the ‘Sanctuary’ working together with the refugees to prepare for the morning food distribution.

“Oh, you’re up, Subaru-sama.”

“Yo, good morning! It’s a breezy morning again!”

“Indeed. The wind is chilly… and it appears you had a good rest.”

A familiar woman called out to him while lightly touching her cheek with a playful smile. Subaru touched his own cheek in response, only to realize that it was covered in drool.

“Oh dear, how embarrassing.”

Why was it that a short nap seemed to amplify such slovenly aspects? Perhaps there was some kind of law governing the bizarre bedhead he would wake up with from just a quick snooze.

While Subaru was lost in such useless thoughts, another woman appeared—this one sporting short dog ears atop her head. She handed him a wet cloth, which he accepted with a brief thank you before wiping his mouth.

“Is it gone?” he asked while wiping, and both women nodded affirmatively. Planning to wash the cloth at the water source, Subaru waved goodbye to the two and headed over to freshen up.

Glancing back as he walked away, he observed the two women sharing a few words, without a hint of awkwardness or discomfort between them. They communicated quite naturally despite being of different races.

Over the past few days—his stay lasting a week when including repeat attempts—there were no noticeable conflicts between the refugees and the residents of the ‘Sanctuary’, even in this environment.

It was likely due to the refugees’ high morals, and frustratingly, the comfort of knowing their lord, Roswaal, was in the same place. In truth, along with these factors, there was also some trust towards Subaru, who shared meals and housing with them, but Subaru underestimated his influence and wasn’t considering it.

Despite the suspicion that surrounded this place, many of the residents, including the beast-eared woman from earlier, were quite capable speakers. At the very least, Subaru felt that the only thing separating humans from half-beasts was their own awareness.

“The existence of that ‘Barrier’ clearly delineates things… I can’t make heads or tails of what the one who set it up was thinking. Such a wicked game.”

If we believe Garfiel’s words, this is supposedly the ‘Witch of Greed’s laboratory.’ In other words, the reason for the ‘Barrier’ that keeps half-beasts trapped here is likely the witch’s doing.

“Echidna… huh. She’s a witch whose motives I can’t quite grasp.”

A girl swathed in monochrome—a visage with white hair and skin, draped in something akin to a black mourning dress.

Someone who met her demise four hundred years ago yet remains bound to this world. While claiming not to interfere with reality, she persistently meddles in Subaru’s actions whenever he’s in the ‘Trial.’

Moreover, at times she obscures memories of encounters with him and then brings them back to the surface with her slipshod concealment techniques—everything she does is utterly bizarre.

I can assume there’s a profound reason behind it all, but—

“If she’s just some joy-seeking prankster, that’d screw everything up. I mean, how am I supposed to feel about a woman forcing me to drink bodily fluids without so much as a reason upon our first meeting?”

An unpleasant memory of being forced to drink ‘Dona tea’ resurfaced. I’d like to believe that was just a mental experience and I didn’t actually absorb any ‘Dona’ components.

In any case, whatever her intentions may be, the ‘Sanctuary’ remains cloaked in a barrier that prevents its residents from leaving.

“Consequently, the primary obstacle right now is… Garfiel.”

Whether I directly confront Echidna or challenge the ‘Trial’, the stumbling block would be dealing with Garfiel, whose level of hostility towards Subaru has dramatically increased.

If Garfiel’s shift in perception towards Subaru is due to the witch’s noxious odor—specifically, the detriments stemming from ‘Return by Death’—then changing that perception is no easy feat.

The previous situations involving the Juggernaut or the White Whale—those times, I’ve managed to turn the tide by leveraging this very disgusting aura.

“While I can manage to make things stink even more, I have no clue how to erase that stench… I don’t think a deodorizer will cut it. Wait, what does that even mean? Stinking like garbage, am I?”

The fact is, I’ve been enhancing the foulness unconsciously by telling others about ‘Return by Death’. And considering the previous instances, it doesn’t seem like the intensified stink would stick around indefinitely.

What I’m beginning to think is that it’s a normal odor that fades over time. Conversely, this is the only method I have to lessen it.

“Thus, there’s no real chance of Garfiel’s attitude softening. Moreover, I’d rather not think this way, but… if I happen to mess up again and ‘Return by Death’…”

If I were to lose my life again and restart from the Graveyard, Subaru would stack yet another layer of that witch’s rancid odor on top of the existing stench. Just thinking about how Garfiel would react is terrifying.

Dying before a worst-case scenario, Subaru has changed the outcomes through retries.

That gluttonous desire to gather it all—Subaru hasn’t fully accomplished that yet. Indeed, there are still things he hasn’t reclaimed.

But even so, through retries, Subaru believes he has chosen a better future compared to before he started. It’s difficult to be grateful for ‘Return by Death’ itself; without that ability, he can imagine a thousand worst futures.

“When I’ve managed to navigate through things repeatedly… every retry seems to sour relationships. The difficulty definitely escalates with every restart, and this is a first.”

While Garfiel can still rationally engage in conversation now, should the next time I meet him pile more odor onto our interaction, I can’t be sure he’ll even provide me the chance for a dialogue.

At the very least, with Subaru emanating a foul stench, Rem sought to take his life through a spherical assault. The nostalgic, sudden emptiness on his left side reminds him.

Recalling the others he left back at the mansion—especially sleeping Rem, his thoughts grew noisy with the memory of the pitch-black assassin. The pleasure killer had returned, making a bold entrance as the top contender for Subaru’s kill count in this world.

By the way, the gray cat spirit just so happens to tie for first place, and notable familiars of the same rank had secretive family entries as well.

“Reflecting on the murder count is indeed a downer. Would that count as the number of lives taken? Anyway, dealing with Elsa is the priority. However, I could never beat her in a brawl, so really, it’s down to Roswaal or Garfiel.”

However, with Roswaal, despite his magical prowess, the injuries he’s suffered remain significant. Thus, partnering with Garfiel to face off against Elsa would indeed be the best option.

To have Garfiel accompany me in battling Elsa at the mansion, I would first need to break the barrier encapsulating the ‘Sanctuary’, making it crucial to—

“Clear the ‘Trial’ before the mansion assault, liberate the ‘Sanctuary’, reconcile with Garfiel, and have him assist in repelling Elsa for a happy ending… That’s the plan.”

As he says this himself, Subaru furrows his brow at the conspicuous contradictions lurking within.

To reconcile with Garfiel, I need to free the ‘Sanctuary’.

To free the ‘Sanctuary’, I must overcome Garfiel and challenge the ‘Trial’.

These two cannot coexist; it simply won’t work.

Perhaps if we could reconcile verbally, it might be doable, but recalling last night’s conversation and all his previous interactions with Garfiel, it’s hard not to despair at those chances.

The straightforward nature of his conversations with Garfiel makes it evident that modifying the conclusions set from the start is tricky.

If there were to be a chance for Subaru, it would be—

“To pick a moment to sneak into the Graveyard and contact Echidna for some other opportunity. Or, sneak in for a time to challenge the ‘Trial’.”

Washing his face at the water source, Subaru arrived at this conclusion and directed his feet towards a place opposite where the food distribution was held.

Wiping his face with a wrung-out towel, he headed towards the increasingly deserted edge of the ‘Sanctuary’. There, he crossed a small hill and proceeded down a path—

“Guess I was expecting too much from convenience.”

In the clear stretch leading to the Graveyard, he spotted Garfiel sitting in the same posture as last night, waiting for him.

—Heading to the Graveyard first thing in the morning to sneak in while avoiding Garfiel’s gaze.

This morning plan that felt like a lucky find came to an abrupt halt.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“You’re quite the morning person.”

“You’re one to talk, showing your face so early. Is there any meaning in purposefully riling me up, huh?”

Raising a hand in greeting, Garfiel grumbled in a clearly displeased voice, having only opened one eye. Subaru, expecting this reaction, slowly withdrew his hand and turned his gaze to a small figure standing beside the seated Garfiel.

“I figured I’d see Garfiel here, but I didn’t expect to find Ryuzu-san. Good morning!”

“Morning to you. It’s a fine day, isn’t it, Subaru-kun?”

“It’s a kind of morning walk, but it’s not much of a grand affair. I came with some expectations, hoping to prod Garfiel a bit.”

“You…”

Garfiel’s brow twitched as Subaru pointed a finger at him in acknowledgment. While observing this, Subaru completely ignored the invitation to call him by a nickname.

“So that means you’re also out for a morning stroll, Ryuzu-san?”

“I suppose it serves as my excuse for a walk. I heard Garfiel hasn’t returned home since last night and has just sat there… so I thought I’d check up on him.”

As she spoke, Ryuzu absentmindedly fiddled with her long, wavy hair. In her opposite hand, she held a small bundle, which looked to be a simple food wrapped up, probably Garfiel’s breakfast considering he wasn’t moving.

Abruptly, Subaru rested a hand on his chin, glancing back and forth between the two.

“So you and Garfiel, you must have a long-standing relationship?”

“At least since Garfiel was a child… though he’s still shorter than most.”

“Hey, hold up, old lady. You’ve already outgrown me by a long stretch.”

“But you haven’t grown nearly as much as expected. In any event, we’ve known each other since he was much younger. I’m quite used to this exchange by now.”

Despite Garfiel’s snappy retorts, Ryuzu’s calmness exudes confidence with a flourish. She looks like a little girl but acts as though she’s an old woman—a true showcase of the qualities of a loli-papa.

However, from their conversation, Subaru picked up on something intriguing and raised an eyebrow.

“From your tone, it seems Garfiel isn’t originally from the ‘Sanctuary,’ is he?”

“…Stop poking your nose into things. Do you want to be the victim of ‘Blackened Bortok’s surprise comeback?'”

“That doesn’t translate well, so it’s failing to serve as a deterrent. So, Ryuzu-san, please enlighten me.”

Garfiel’s frustration was evident as Subaru ignored the counsel from last night, continuing to dig into the subject. While Garfiel eyed Subaru with frustration, Ryuzu let out a weary sigh.

“Garfiel entered the ‘Sanctuary’ around ten-something years ago. When he was still just a toddler learning to walk. Roswaal brought him in with him…”

“—Old lady, don’t say anything unnecessary.”

Garfiel narrowed his eyes and growled under his breath. Feeling the air temperature getting a bit colder, Subaru internally panicked, realizing he had tread too close to a sensitive subject. But—

“Who do you think you’re speaking to, you fool?”

“Ow! That hurt!”

With surprising speed, Ryuzu approached and slapped Garfiel’s tousled blond hair with a crisp sound. It was a childish display of strength. Though it didn’t pack much punch, Garfiel, clutching his head, looked akin to someone struck by lightning as he stared up at her.

“W-What the hell, old lady? What was that for…?”

“You ought to know how to speak to a person who’s practically your foster parent! I’m so ashamed and saddened; it almost brings me to tears. This is just disgraceful!”

“Stop it, that hurts! It’s embarrassing, and people are watching us!”

With several playful slaps, Ryuzu continued to strike him. Garfiel pressed down on her hand, trying to stop her while wearing a face that appeared truly mortified at being watched.

Subaru could hardly suppress the urge to laugh at the antics between the pair.

“Well, the length and depth of your relationship are clear now. So Garfiel, you truly intend to just sit here all day?”

“I’ll stay put except for necessary business. Can’t take my eyes off anyone who might try to pull something while I’m not looking.”

On guard against any sneaky attempts, Garfiel remained focused despite their distracting banter. Subaru didn’t feel overly disappointed by this reality; even just half a day of changing his mind would require him to reevaluate how he viewed Garfiel.

In any case, Garfiel was notoriously stubborn, and it would be difficult to move him from his spot.

“But if the ‘Trial’ only takes place overnight, then it’d be rather pointless to sneak in during the day, right? Why are you wasting your time in such a way?”

“Even if you think you’re clever with that, it’s useless. If I were to enter the Graveyard during the day and wait until night, while I can’t enter, the conditions would still hold. Don’t underestimate me.”

“Tch, he’s got me there.”

Lifting both hands as a sign of surrender, Subaru shrugged in defeat. Noticing this, Garfiel snorted in disdain and then glared up at Ryuzu.

“That’s why I can’t move from here for a while. Old lady, food.”

“After having made the trip to bring it here, such an attitude is depressing. Here.”

Ryuzu complained while handing over the provisions. Garfiel opened the bundle to eat the dumpling-like food inside.

If Ryuzu was collaborating in this manner, it seemed like this standoff could last a while.

“Figuring out how to resolve this situation proves difficult… I suppose I should just come again later.”

“No need to bother! I’m not letting you pass, nor will I allow you to do anything! Just shrink down to nothing and be quiet.”

Licking his fingers clean after finishing, Garfiel turned his back on Subaru. Subaru waved goodbye over his shoulder, prepared to leave. Ryuzu walked beside him.

“Now that I’ve fed Garfiel, I’d like to discuss a few things with you, Subaru.”

“What a coincidence. I actually wanted to ask Ryuzu-san a couple of questions myself. I hoped to catch a glimpse of Emilia’s face first, but…”

Glimpsing up at the sky, he noted the sun had only just begun to rise.

The memory of Emilia waking up hungover on the morning after the first ‘Trial’ sprung to mind; her eyes had been so bleary it felt like it would be midday before she woke. While the temptation to see her sleeping face weighed on him, he felt it was better to advance some other events.

Glancing sideways at Ryuzu, the old woman with long, pale red hair was keeping pace beside him, a sleepy look adorning her face as she matched her steps with his.

“Should I offer to carry you on my back?”

“…Why such a kind view suddenly? Could it be that you, Subaru, have a thing for young girls? That would make this worse than anything Roswaal has done.”

“I don’t think I deserve to be accused of being a lolicon. The criterion for me buying a gal game depends on whether it features a senior or sister character among its heroines. Right now, I’m desperately trying to get the attention of someone who’s more mature… just recently discovered she’s significantly older, but changing my mind about that is out of the question.”

“I want to ask what kind of person that makes you, but I suppose that’s fine. I don’t want any carrying; I wouldn’t want my legs to weaken.”

“That’s such a shocking statement coming from someone who appears younger!”

The contrast between her youthful appearance and her real age grounded her words with drive. Just because her skin looked young didn’t guarantee her insides were in good shape; being a loli-papa could be surprisingly tough.

“What are you thinking with that silly face of yours?”

“Eh, what? Really? I thought I was carefully trying to maintain a cool expression, showing no emotions at all.”

“You had the same face as when Garfiel stole and snacked on hidden sweets. What children do remains unchanged.”

“This old lady keeps pushing the narrative of her own birthdate.”

As Ryuzu persistently promoted her age, Subaru suddenly tilted his head in confusion.

“Just to chat… is fine, but where are we headed? I mean, this is way too late, but where does Ryuzu-san, who’s letting Emilia bunk with her, actually stay? Sleeping outdoors?”

“To lend out my own home and then be without a place to sleep? I can’t imagine how you forgot I’m technically the chief of this place. Of course, I have people I can crash with for a few days.”

“That’s true. It’s just surprising how nice everyone seems to be around here.”

Thinking back to the moments he’d shared not only during the food distribution but also throughout his time in the ‘Sanctuary’, Subaru raised his brows at Garfiel’s claims of significant tension existing here.

As the slightly brooding Subaru fell silent, Ryuzu nodded, “Hmmm.”

“Did something confuse you?”

“No, it’s just… it feels different than I expected. Since Emilia the half-elf was treated well at the Royal Castle, I thought half-beasts would be treated similarly everywhere. And if so, wouldn’t they feel complicated emotions towards pure-blooded beings?”

Among the people held captive in this so-called ‘Experimental Facility’ known as the ‘Sanctuary,’ it was odd that such underlying resentments hadn’t surfaced in the residents. Naturally, some likely felt annoyed internally, but Subaru had never witnessed any negative feelings being openly expressed.

Though Garfiel, who never shied away from expressing his feelings, voiced his sentiments, it was evident that even his anger came from a sense of duty rather than a personal grievance against others.

In this hostile environment, the people of the ‘Sanctuary’ displayed a morality that felt unusually high, teetering on the edge of the inexplicable.

Noticing the question hanging in the air, Ryuzu looked at Subaru with surprising widening eyes.

“Wow, Subaru-kun appears to have more thoughts than I’d originally assumed.”

“Is ‘more than assumed’ really necessary? At the very least, I’m confident I look smarter than Garfiel! Then again, since I can’t quite think straight, that’s a given.”

“It’s quite respectable that you’re aware of your own shortcomings. Some people are rather shameless even when they know they’re lacking… Anyway, this way.”

As they came upon a fork in the road, Ryuzu skillfully guided Subaru, who seemed unsure of which path to take. Unlike the direction of the Cathedral or Roswaal’s temporary home, they veered towards the outskirts of the village—there, Ryuzu led to a solitary shelter.

This was odd, as it stood apart from other scattered homes, creating a strangely isolated vibe. Naturally, a word sprung to Subaru’s mind.

“Isn’t this a bit too lonely? Why are you settling down here?”

“Can’t be helped. Right now, it’s the only building with no residents within the ‘Sanctuary.’ It’s a bit far from the town gathering, but spacious and quite useful.”

“What happened to your claim of having friends to share the space with? Why are you back here alone on your chosen bed? It’s too heartbreaking to imagine a lonely old woman passing away all by herself; I’ve never seen something so sad.”

“I can’t tell whether you’re concerned or mocking me. Hurry up and get in. I’ll serve you some tea, though I’m not as skilled as Rem.”

“You don’t have to bother with the tea. Anything with leaves tastes like leaves, anyway.”

“Perhaps you should watch what you say, don’t you think?”

With a sigh, Ryuzu beckoned Subaru as he pushed open the door and stepped inside the modest abode. It was about half the size of Roswaal’s temporary residence. Still, in contrast to that place being too roomy for one to use, this three-room building provided plenty of space.

Plopping down onto a nearby chair and surveying his surroundings, he noted that the small room was simply furnished yet meticulously maintained. Ryuzu had said no one lived there, yet—

“There’s a vibe that suggests a few people have frequented this uninhabited house. The bed’s fluffiness is good enough making me a ranking judge of sheets… no way is Ryuzu-san the one keeping this tidy.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Do you believe I’d just come here every time I felt like being alone, waiting around to let things cool down?”

“You had quite the obscure and elaborate expression earlier!”

Seeming to take offense, Ryuzu quickly demurred. Although joking about a lonely demise wasn’t serious, it was hard to shake the subtle point that she indeed might look like a lonely old woman with no relatives.

Her back turned in silence as she busied herself preparing tea, leaving Subaru searching for a topic to shift gears with.

The room was organized and tidy, with a slightly cloudy mirror and a costume box. A bare vase and iron shield hung against the wall. —A shield?

“Why is there a shield here? And two of them no less?”

“They belong to Garfiel. He uses this place as a makeshift storage.”

“Wait, he hangs out here too? It fits the description of a delinquent’s hideout, but… no way does he keep it this clean.”

Muttering inwardly while pondering the shield that belonged to Garfiel, Subaru considered how often depictions in manga featured hallowed halls adorned with crossed swords, and in this case, the shields leaned at an angle against the wall. However, far from being ornamental, they bore considerable wear and tear, showcasing that they had been through real battles.

“But what kind of combat can you engage in with just shields?”

“In the past, we often clashed our shields together outside of the house. Each holding a shield, we’d strike at one another as we circled around and around.”

“That’s a pretty rough game to play. Mind if I ask who was he playing with?”

During his time in the ‘Sanctuary,’ Subaru hadn’t witnessed anyone interacting with Garfiel in a friendly manner. Sure, Garfiel had been a prominent figure due to his role and often collaborated with the residents during distributions, but whether he truly had anyone close outside of that?

Perhaps it could be said that Ryuzu was that someone, but picturing the idea of her clashing shields with Garfiel seemed otherwise precarious.

For a moment, Subaru’s suspicion lingered, prompting Ryuzu to fall silent. Then she approached with two teacups resting on a tray, handing one to Subaru before taking a seat on the bed.

Accepting the cup and moistening his throat, he remarked on the taste.

“Yep, it still tastes like leaves.”

“How disappointing. I thought you’d enjoy it since I opted for cheaper leaves… After all, tea leaves are somewhat precious here.”

Apparently, those costly items and delicacies were shipped in once a month, courtesy of Roswaal. Feeling impressed by the way he so liberally exploits the system, they shared a moment of silence, sipping their tea.

And after a peaceful lull passed for a while—

“—Frederica.”

At Subaru’s soft utterance, Ryuzu’s shoulder trembled slightly.

Lifting her gaze from her teacup to meet Subaru’s, she appeared somewhat agitated.

“Frederica is the name of the one Garfiel practiced with using the shields, right?”

“…Did Garfiel tell you that?”

“Nah, just pieced that together from a few fragmented stories. I sensed there was some complicated relationship between Garfiel and Frederica.”

At Roswaal’s residence, Frederica was mentioned among potential threats within the ‘Sanctuary,’ and Garfiel’s demeanor shifted noticeably upon hearing her name. Additionally, he had shown signs of wishing to learn about her recent affairs, so it was undeniably suspicious.

The icing on the cake was—

“Those canines are too similar. With those parallels, it’d be impossible for them not to be relatives.”

“…Ah, absolutely. I can’t dismiss that point at all.”

Underneath that undeniable observation, Ryuzu sighed hopelessly, then allowed herself to burst into laughter.

The biggest resemblance between Garfiel and Frederica was the sharpness of their fangs and their aggressive smiles—enough to reveal they couldn’t have simply been friends.

Somehow, it felt like the nature of their bond hinted at—

“Siblinghood… No, I get the impression Frederica is more the older sister type.”

“How very telling… That you could decipher so much with just intuition is impressive enough.”

Ryuzu was taken aback by Subaru’s reasoning.

She nodded in acceptance and placed her remaining tea back on the tray, sitting up to assertively declare:

“Just as you imagined, the shield’s owner is indeed Frederica, Garfiel’s sister. Though now, Frederica Baumann has left the ‘Sanctuary,’ Garfiel Tinsel remains family by blood.”

Confirming Subaru’s conclusions, Ryuzu let out a wistful sigh and interjected:

“—But right now, they’re merely strangers, having gone their separate ways.”