Holding a steaming cup, Subaru listened to Frederica’s words.

“Do you know about the Subhuman War, Subaru-sama? What kind of conflict it was in the first place?”

“As I said earlier, I haven’t asked about the detailed content. But… it’s not like I can’t imagine it from the surface and historical background.”

“Oh, how interesting. Could you share what you think?”

In response to her question, Subaru smiled while hiding her mouth.

Hiding her mouth with her teeth exposed was a habit that had become second nature to her. It’s a sight he often sees.

Despite laughing so much, it seemed she didn’t want to show her smile to others.

Closing his eyes and scratching his cheek with his finger, Subaru prefaced, “Well then…”

“I don’t know how long ago that war was, but I can imagine it wasn’t unrelated to the ‘Witch of Envy.’ I’m aware of Emilia being treated like a pariah in the Royal Castle and that half-elves are disliked by many.”

The absolute evil symbol known as the ‘Witch of Envy,’ which is said to be featured in picture books and regarded as non-existent. Emilia is unfairly treated only because she bears the resemblance of a silver-haired half-elf. Hence, Subaru could imagine that the aftermath of such an incident—trivial matters triggering disputes—was indeed possible.

“A half-elf is essentially a child born from a human and an elf, right? If a disdain for half-elves arises… it wouldn’t be surprising for prejudice against all hybrids born between different species to develop in the first place.”

“…Please, go on.”

“It’s merely hypothetical, but that trend of rejecting half-elves could lead to a hate for all hybrids. And more extremely, there might be folks who find the existence of subhuman creatures—who might potentially give rise to hybrids—terrifying. I can imagine that as well.”

From what Subaru knows, humans are indeed the majority race in this world. While elves and beastfolk like the beast girl triplets exist, his experience during a few days in the Royal Capital indicated that the absolute number of subhuman races was smaller than humans.

And being the majority means that their mere existence can constitute a sort of justice.

“I don’t think everyone thinks that way, but it’s the loudest voices in any place that stand out, right? And their hatred is really… a fear of subhumans, I suppose. Amidst all that dissatisfaction bubbling up…”

“Conflicts broke out between humans and subhumans. The smoldering embers eventually grew stronger, spreading throughout the entire Lugnica.”

Frederica echoed Subaru’s words in a melancholic tone.

Watching her, who was squinting one eye and slightly bowing her head, Subaru noticed Frederica nod once before looking up at him.

“It was a quite unchallengeable supposition, requiring almost no additional explanation… Have you really never heard the detailed content?”

“Not at all. If most of this is accurate, it’s either a victory of my imagination or my experience in reading… conflicts between different races are common in light novels.”

Even so, it was a fact that Subaru had never consciously pondered such issues.

In his original world, there was something called racism, but to Subaru, that seemed like a story from a distant world, no different from problems in another world.

Thinking, “I am me, others are others,” could be called correct, but one might say that, in reality, he had been turning a blind eye.

“However, even if my imagination can keep up with the emergence of problems, it’s impossible to scratch my head over a resolution. But since we’re talking in the past tense, at least the subhuman war itself has been settled, right?”

“Yes, in theory. Even so, the scars of war run deep, and the seeds of prejudice against children born of subhumans and humans remain deeply rooted.”

Maybe because she herself was born into a family that faced such prejudice, Frederica’s words carried a weight not easily held by those only hearing about it from the outside.

Subaru hesitated to ask what came next, but Frederica seemed to read his intentions and sighed.

“I apologize for causing you concern. Now, regarding the continuation of the story…”

“I want to say there’s no need to force it, but since this topic directly connects to what I’m curious about, I can’t just say that. Please go on and be as exhaustive as you need.”

“Oh dear. Subaru-sama, you’re quite skilled at motivating others.”

Interpreting Subaru’s selfish comment positively, Frederica tilted her cup and wet her tongue.

“The Subhuman War began about fifty years ago. It continued for nearly a decade… and is noted to have ended forty years ago.”

“A decade… That’s long. Back in my hometown, there was a hundred years’ war and a thirty years’ war in history as well.”

Subaru didn’t have deep knowledge of historical novels, so those examples only came from glancing at names in textbooks. Yet, with names like that, it meant those wars must have continued for at least that long.

Just the thought of hating someone and fighting for three decades or a century feels quite terrifying indeed.

For Subaru, he had only been in this alternate world for merely about two months now.

“Even so, being exhausted to this extent… I can’t keep fighting with someone for decades.”

“Anyway, the war initiated between one subhuman village and humans was supposed to be resolved right there… but due to an incident that followed, the fervor for war escalated rapidly, leading to a horrific struggle marked by bloodshed across many regions.”

“And that incident afterwards?”

“Immediately following the initial conflict, the then-King of Lugnica, seeing the gravity of the matter, sent envoys for peace. The subhuman factions were to gather multiple tribes’ leaders for negotiations, expecting to resolve matters…”

Frederica trailed off, and in silence, Subaru inclined his head, wanting her to continue. Closing her eyes, she sighed and resumed.

“Those who attended the meeting—the envoys from the Royal Castle and the chiefs—were all slaughtered on the spot.”

“Slaughtered…? By whom, for what reason?”

“The culprit remains unknown even now. However, it seems both the humans and subhumans at the time concluded it was the other side’s scheme. As a result, a small spark turned into a large fire, one that took ten years to quench.”

“What on earth were they thinking? Couldn’t they have discussed things properly…? Is that just an idealistic notion?”

Considering the feelings of the people at that time, it was too much a view from God’s perspective.

The king’s envoy dispatched from the Royal Castle. To think of the honor of the one killed at the meeting, backing down with the perpetrator unknown would have affected their esteem. On the other hand, the subhumans also had their chiefs viciously killed. It’s a grim tale to count lives like numbers, but if evaluated purely, the damages were greater on this side.

Especially when there lay the underlying grievances caused by the existence of the ‘Witch of Envy’ between the two races.

It would be quite difficult to begin mending those ties, and as they hesitated, delays in addressing issues that sprang next likely invited tragedy.

“The Subhuman War ultimately ended in the surrender of the subhumans. That said, it was not that the subhumans admitted to being complicit in the meeting; rather, they simply recognized the futility of continuing to fight.”

“Personally, I believe it’s smarter to be the first to yield in a hopeless fight. Besides, wasn’t it kind of akin to a civil war? The country gains nothing from this.”

“That is indeed true; while Lugnica was preoccupied with the Subhuman War, it significantly diminished its national power. Fortunately, the situations with neighboring countries weren’t stable at the time, or else Lugnica might have been replaced by another country.”

One could say that this was a blessing in disguise, as the three countries besides Lugnica, too, were occupied with their own issues during that era, preventing Lugnica from being stabbed in the back.

Yet, now they faced a critical situation comparable to those past crises.

“But still, it’s quite a feat to have made the decision to end such a prolonged war. That must have taken considerable courage, especially considering the hardliners’ resentment.”

“…Well, the presence of an overwhelming figure among humans at that time led the hard-liners to break down. The Sword Saint of that era, Tereshia van Astraea-sama, dazzled everyone of the subhuman races into bowing their heads before her extraordinary swordsmanship… What is the matter?”

“No, I was just surprised to suddenly hear a name I recognize. It’s a small world, isn’t it?”

Tereshia was indeed the name of Wilhelm’s wife, if Subaru recalled correctly.

She must have been from the generation before Reinhardt, the current Sword Saint. When one hears that such a woman single-handedly brought a war lasting a decade to an end, it indeed makes one understand the incredible nature of the Sword Saint.

“Well then, I’ve grasped the flow of the Subhuman War. And I can roughly imagine a few of the problems that might arise from it.”

“With your earlier hypotheses, it’s nearly without error. You appear to be more insightful than anticipated, and I’m quite surprised.”

“Taking that compliment positively, if I continue on, while the Subhuman War may have ended, the prejudice against subhumans won’t easily diminish. Of course, in public, such resentments likely don’t manifest openly.”

Even in the Royal Capital, he noted humans and subhumans brushing shoulders on the bustling Main Street among the fruit vendors. Though the hardships to reach this commonplace scene are unknown, while there are places where such coexistence has become everyday, there will always be places that have yet to build that normality, existing in the shadows.

“In closing, if there’s a secluded village with few inhabitants and no outsiders, if someone with a bit of a problem exists there, I can imagine they’ll receive concentrated fire.”

“My brother and I were indeed in such an environment.”

Frederica furrowed her brow, recalling the painful past, as she first genuinely referred to her brother—Garfiel—with a faraway gaze.

“My brother and I are half-siblings with different fathers. The reason our family name differs is that I take my father’s name while he takes my mother’s name.”

“You mean, Frederica is… Baumann?”

“Yes. And my brother should go by Tinzel. My mother… well, she was quite incompetent, or at least, she seemed to have bad luck.”

Frederica, struggling to find the right words, her expression betrayed her confusion. Not grasping her intent, Subaru showed his ignorance, prompting her to preface with, “It’s rather embarrassing, but…”

“My mother was almost sold off because of debt, but was then captured by a band of thieves from the subhuman races targeting that slave merchant… and it was there she met my father.”

“Wait a minute! Hold on! I don’t think I’m ready to hear something like that!”

“However, she soon became widowed, and while she desperately wandered with me, just a baby, she was captured by another subhuman group. Once again, she met Garfiel’s father there…”

“Wait! Wait! I’m sorry! I didn’t expect the story to take such a heavy turn!”

“So please, let’s keep it light. Anyway, it was there that Garfiel was born, but she could no longer stay with his father, and we were left in despair, eventually picked up by the Meauser family.”

Frederica easily divulged her heavy past, sighing with nostalgia in her eyes. She then caressed the armrest of her chair.

“At that time, the head of the Meauser family was still in his early teens… Lord Roswaal had just succeeded. For my brother and me, he is truly a benefactor. I feel honored to be able to care for him in this way.”

“So you two were placed in the ‘Sanctuary’ and lived there… by the way, I hesitate to ask, but what happened to your mother?”

From what he’d heard about their origins, their mother seemed to be a pure human. That would mean she would technically be able to leave the ‘Sanctuary’ normally. Yet, he hadn’t seen her presence either in the ‘Sanctuary’ or the mansion.

Subaru dreaded the worst, but Frederica shook her head.

“Although it seems concerning, fear not. After leaving us with Lord Roswaal, my mother vanished, and we haven’t tracked her whereabouts since. I just hope she’s safe…”

“――――”

Frederica’s nonchalant demeanor left Subaru speechless. For him, the worst imagined outcome was a death, but the reality was much harsher, betraying both of them.

Yet, finding out these circumstances stirred deeper questions in Subaru. That was…

“That mother, despite parting that way, Garfiel still carries her name. Frederica, you go by your father’s, right?”

“There’s no record or anything left, so relying on my mother’s memories is a rather unreliable means. Yet, my brother assumes her name… since he doesn’t know her, he has a strong sentiment despite acting tough.”

“Strong sentiment…”

Subaru thought about Garfiel, trying to pinpoint his character.

He was quick to act instead of think, had a sharp tongue and little decorum, but he followed his principles and wasn’t impossible to communicate with. Though he thought himself foolish, he didn’t stop thinking. The image he had of Garfiel was that of a classic delinquent who retained the impression of the old ways.

Grading him on having principles, one cannot deny that he might be a good fellow with a strong sense of loyalty.

“Subaru-sama. Do you know how the ‘Sanctuary’ barrier picks its targets?”

Frederica’s sudden question jolted Subaru from his thoughts.

Taken aback, he delayed in responding, looking back at her with a confused expression, and uncertainly said, “Honestly, I have no idea. I know the barrier exists, but I’ve never sensed it myself. I think it must be checking for humans or something magical…”

“The barrier searches for the bloodlines of the beings passing through. It detects both human blood and subhuman blood. Its essence is to reject those it can distinctly confirm as having either.”

“…What do you mean?”

With sudden clarity about how the barrier operates, Subaru could not decipher its meaning. Lowering his voice, he returned the question to Frederica, and she nodded once softly.

“Do you understand why I passed through the barrier and am outside the ‘Sanctuary’?”

“…No, honestly, I don’t. Hearing the conditions of the barrier doesn’t help clarify things. I saw Ryuzu getting sick near the barrier on our way back, which confirms its effects when entering the ‘Sanctuary.'”

Just before his intense first encounter with Garfiel, Emilia had collapsed after crossing the barrier. Knowing that strength, it seemed foolish to doubt its existence.

“—Wait, why is that?”

At that moment, a jolt of realization struck Subaru.

It was from his return route with Ryuzu, leading the evacuees. As they passed through the forest, exiting the barrier toward the ‘Sanctuary,’ he noticed a feeling of discomfort when he parted from Ryuzu, who was standing close to the barrier.

That discomfort held the answer. While observing Ryuzu, who seemed reluctant to distance himself from the barrier, something had tickled his mind.

“If the conditions are the same… then why is it that Garfiel, who was close to the barrier, is still going about so lively?”

Garfield, who had ambushed Subaru and showed off some impressive performance, throwing his wagon along with Patrasche. It was definitely true that he hadn’t gone all out at that point, but considering that Emilia lost her senses upon crossing the barrier and Ryuzu seemed to be struggling just being close to it, the stark contrast in Garfiel’s actions baffled him.

—As if his body wasn’t affected by the barrier at all.

“Due to the characteristics of reverting to an ancestor, my brother appears to possess a strong semblance of subhuman blood, but in reality, it’s not as much as it seems. Just like me.”

“If the intensity of the blood matters for how the barrier distinguishes between hybrids and non-hybrids… then one side must be diluted enough for it to slip past that condition?”

“My brother and I have different fathers, but neither is a pure subhuman. Both are hybrids, and when mingled with a human mother, what is born is a hybrid with only a quarter of their subhuman blood.”

“A quarter… That’s the reason you weren’t rejected by the barrier.”

Since the barrier excludes hybrids, it won’t reject a quarter. While it feels somewhat like a clever riddle’s twist, Subaru understood that some of his doubts had been confirmed.

Concerning Frederica’s escape from the ‘Sanctuary,’ the vagueness she maintained when discussing was interpreted as her being an exception, and now, he could grasp Ryuzu’s intentions stemming from that.

Yet that also triggered a new concern. That was…

“Wait. So, does that mean Garfiel can also leave the ‘Sanctuary’? He can come out without regard for the success or failure of the ‘Trial’?”

If that were true, it would indeed be surprising but also a welcome situation.

Removing the assumption that the barrier would hinder him from leaving the ‘Sanctuary,’ might show openings for when they needed Garfiel’s strength during the assault by Elsa.

Already, they deemed the potential for thwarting Elsa had nearly vanished, and he’d been focused on ways to lead the remaining mansion residents outside—until…

“If that guy can get out, then that means…”

“Indeed, my brother, just like me, can exit the ‘Sanctuary.’ He accompanied me right to the barrier when I was leaving. However…”

Frederica paused, looking into Subaru’s eyes as she scanned for any bright prospects. Yet the emotions reflected in her dual irises were far too deep, causing Subaru to feel his excitement wane. As if she was dimming his flame, she said:

“My brother stayed behind in the ‘Sanctuary.’ As long as the ‘Sanctuary’ remains sealed, I believe it’s absolutely impossible for Garfiel to emerge. He has a strong sentiment, being a gentle child.”

“Strong sentiment… what do you mean?”

Subaru raised an eyebrow as the implications dawned on him, confirming Frederica’s astonishment similarly.

“To leave the residents trapped in the ‘Sanctuary’ behind? He’s definitely not that kind of kid. He is straightforward, whether good or bad… He’s a troublesome brother.”