Friderica spoke of her brother with downcast eyes.

The emotions contained within were complex, resembling both negative feelings and affection. It may sound like a common bond shared among kin, but it felt deeper than that.

“Even if he can physically break through the barrier, he won’t cross it emotionally… Is that how you see it?”

“Well, he didn’t respond to my call as his elder sister. He followed me right up to the barrier, but in the end, he chose to stay within it and spend time with our grandmother.”

“Grandmother… Are you referring to Ryuzu?”

“That kid has a sharp tongue, but she truly adores our grandmother. Unless her long-cherished wish is fulfilled, it’s unlikely she’ll come out.”

Though she often insulted her, it was evident from the sidelines that Garfiel held a sense of affection that surpassed mere familiarity towards Ryuzu. I once referred to him as tsundere, and it truly fits him.

Nonetheless, discovering this fact didn’t seem to change the situation.

“In the end, it’s still a must to break through the ‘Trial’ to liberate the ‘Sanctuary.’ That’s quite disappointing indeed.”

“I apologize for not meeting your expectations… If there’s anything else you want to ask…”

“Only within the limits of what you can answer, right?”

“I’m sorry, but that is correct.”

Responding with a huff to Friderica’s terse affirmation, Subaru compiled a list of additional questions. However, based on previous trends, it was likely that—

“Is it safe to ask about Roswaal’s true intentions?”

“Master intends to support Emilia and have her become the ruler of Lugnica. I can assert that without a doubt.”

The fact she prefaced her statement with this suggests that even Friderica thinks Roswaal’s recent actions have not aligned with that.

“I won’t deny that he’s choosing indirect and convoluted methods.”

Her expression, steeped in difficulty yet laced with an implicit critique of Roswaal’s actions was evident.

While she took Subaru’s doubts as justifiable, it felt like something was restricting her from revealing the key to all this. In essence,

“Anything past that can’t be discussed without Roswaal’s permission.”

“I’m sorry. But I can assure you this… Master is on your side, Emilia’s and Subaru’s. As long as you both are determined to win the Royal Selection, that much is certain.”

“That phrasing leaves me super curious… But fine, I suppose it’s okay to trust Friderica a little more. With someone like Ram being so enamored with Roswaal, my feelings aside, it complicates judgment.”

As a person, Subaru had a favorable impression of Ram, yet that didn’t equate to absolute trust, making things difficult.

At the very least, as long as her priorities centered wholly around Roswaal, who he couldn’t fully trust, he’d have to reserve judgment on Ram too.

“If you can’t talk about Roswaal’s true intentions… What does it mean that the ‘Sanctuary’ is a testing ground? This was something Garfiel mentioned.”

“A testing ground—really now?”

“They also said it’s like a bottleneck for those without a place to go. Given our previous conversation about subhumans, it’s easy to imagine what that looks like. The fact that Roswaal is often called a fan of subhumans and that he houses half-breeds without a place to go in the ‘Sanctuary’… But.”

The ominous tone surrounding the term testing ground, combined with the notion that Roswaal essentially kidnapped half-breeds for his own purposes, left Subaru puzzled.

If not handled carefully, Emilia might be teaming up with someone she shouldn’t.

“First off, isn’t it a big problem that they’ve been entrusted with a facility related to witches, even if not specifically the Witch of Envy? I’ve heard there are no documents left, but if the truth persists until the grave…”

“The very term ‘witch’ has taken a turn for the worse in meaning. No doubt, people look at the witch connected by contract to Roswaal—the Witch of Greed—with a critical eye. I believe your concerns align with Subaru-sama’s thoughts.”

“It’s a relief to see we share the common understanding that the existence of the ‘Sanctuary’ is problematic. Now, does the notion of it being a testing ground add more weight to that recognition?”

“…Originally that place was a hidden village where the Witch of Greed gathered half-breeds for a particular experiment. The negotiations between the Meisters family, who owned the land at the time, and the witch are unknown, but due to that contract, the Meisters family has managed and maintained the ‘Sanctuary’ ever since.”

Nodding in agreement with Friderica’s carefully articulated explanation, Subaru organized the information within his mind. So far, he had connected the dots from what he’d learned from those in the ‘Sanctuary.’ The real issue centered on—

“What experiments was the witch conducting using half-breeds, and why is Roswaal still adhering to that contract even after the witch’s death…?”

“The reason for the latter is simple. The contract states: ‘Until the ‘Sanctuary’ is liberated, maintain it according to the oaths sworn with the witch.’ The environment of the ‘Sanctuary’ cannot be sustained without regularly bringing in people.”

“So this has resulted in treating it as a haven for half-breeds. Hearing that makes it sound like Roswaal’s actions are almost humanitarian.”

Given that discrimination undeniably exists, providing a safe haven for them is necessary. If Roswaal is fulfilling that role, Subaru would need to reevaluate his perception of him. However,

“It seems not everyone wishes to stay in that place. Many have followed Ryuzu wanting to liberate the ‘Sanctuary,’ which implies something about that situation.”

“…Prejudice against subhuman tribes has considerably diminished. For my brother and I, it was less about this bloodline and more about having nowhere else to go, which was the primary reason for coming into the ‘Sanctuary.’ The liberation of the ‘Sanctuary’ shall come. —That’s why I…”

Friderica shut her eyes tightly, pausing as she spoke. Subaru fell silent, then hesitantly broke it after a moment.

“Maybe I’m just overthinking, but… Did you leave the ‘Sanctuary’ with future liberation in mind?”

“…Why do you think that?”

“Well, it’s just, you look so sad when talking about the ‘Sanctuary,’ yet you still chose to leave it behind—it has to be either for your own sake or someone else’s. Then there’s…”

He scratched his cheek, his mind conjuring an image of a strong-looking young man with short blond hair. The kind-hearted woman before him and the blunt figure were strikingly similar at the mouth.

“If Garfiel hiding his true feelings is a trait you share with him, then it wouldn’t be surprising if your intentions were overflowing with caring and warmth. You’re… aiming to create a place for those who emerge when the ‘Sanctuary’ is liberated, aren’t you? You’re not just here out of gratitude to Roswaal—there’s more to it, isn’t there? …I’m just thinking that way.”

Growing aware that his train of thought had spiraled out, Subaru felt embarrassed but took a sideways glance at Friderica. If he had completely missed the mark and she laughed it off, it’d merely reflect his overly passionate tendencies, but—

“When the new world finally opens… I wished to ensure I could guide them there.”

With that quiet admission, a smile appeared on Friderica’s face.

It held no hint of sarcasm for Subaru’s misguided assumptions. Instead, it was purely an open expression reflecting her inner thoughts and the relief of sharing them.

“I was raised in that place, yet I want to create an environment where thoughts of those who emerge from there can grow. If I can contribute even a little to that environment, there must be meaning behind my existence, even if I was… an unwelcomed birth.”

“You shouldn’t say such…”

“I don’t need comforting words. Given the circumstances, I can’t believe my mother ever genuinely wanted me. Truth is, she discarded both me and my brother in the ‘Sanctuary.’ That’s the answer… But I didn’t want to end the discussion with just that, so now I’m here.”

This was a problem for which she had already found an answer within herself.

As such, Subaru’s sympathy, which stemmed solely from a surface understanding, would fail to resonate with her. More than anything, she was making choices that went beyond simply accepting the answer she had given herself.

—How strong, he thought directly. It was resolute conviction that made him almost envious.

“…Does Garfiel know about your true feelings? If he does and still chose not to follow you, then…”

“I’ve told him everything I carry. If he didn’t come with me, that was his choice. He opted to protect what is easily lost rather than pursuing something precious. The paths of brother and sister separate; that’s all it boils down to.”

“Protecting… right. Given his appearance, it’s hard to believe he’d make that kind of choice. But then again, you can’t read people’s hearts from the outside.”

Subaru touched his chin, gulping down the tea cup all at once, suppressing a belch. He lightly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and continued, “So to circle back, let’s address the term ‘testing ground.’ Can you talk about what kind of experiments took place… or do you even know the details?”

“Regrettably, I do not know the content or its purpose. Frankly, after the Witch of Greed passed away, it became impossible to continue the experiments. Only the facility remains; the Meisters family maintains it.”

“Thinking about it, it sounds utterly pointless. I understand the importance of keeping promises, but what’s the point of upholding one that’s been around for four hundred years from someone who’s already dead?”

“At the very least, if Master and his family hadn’t continued to uphold that promise, my brother’s and my peace in our early years wouldn’t have existed.”

“Ugh… That’s my bad for not considering that enough. I’m sorry.”

Friderica chuckled softly at Subaru’s sincere apology.

Afterward, she emptied her cup as well, then collected the cup Subaru had finished and stood up.

“Our conversation has drawn on for long enough. Let’s wrap it up for now. What of your plans moving forward, Subaru-sama?”

“Originally, I was just here to accompany the folks from Araham Village back. If I’ve gathered what I need, I’ll head back promptly… although it seems today might be too tight, so it will have to be tomorrow morning.”

“Is that so? Then tonight and tomorrow morning, Petra will be all fired up. Although it’s hard to say if that’s truly a good thing, considering how scatterbrained she might become.”

“It’s great to hear Petra’s education is going so well. Where is Petra right now?”

“She should be back in the village, giving the returned folks some familiar faces. I instructed her to do so.”

No need for him to communicate his intentions, Friderica had already picked up on it.

Watching her back as she clattered the cups away, Subaru also got up from his seat, counting off what remained to be done on his fingers.

What he had gathered from Friderica amounted to about half of all he wished to know. Nevertheless, he felt he had gained enough information to make reasonable conjectures.

Now he only needed to seek out one last person who seemed well-informed about the situation.

“It’ll take time, but for now, I’ll just comb through the mansion bit by bit…”

Subaru slumped his shoulders at the heavy labor looming ahead.

As she left the room, Friderica murmured softly, “Content and purpose still unknown… but known results of the testing ground. What will happen when that is revealed…?”

That whisper reached Subaru, lost in thought, completely unnoticed.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

Subaru realized the trouble of Beatrice’s “Door Crossing” only after returning from the Royal Capital.

When given multiple choices, his instinct—which was, in essence, just a gut feeling—was one of the few things Subaru could boast about.

With a no-hint choice question, Subaru’s trait of pulling the correct answer without reason had been exceedingly unpopular as a skill—often labeled as “not reading the air”—but had been beneficial in terms of increasing his encounters with Beatrice in this world.

However, that instinct had been failing him since his return from the Royal Capital.

“This is weird. I should have checked all the doors in the mansion by now…”

This was the last hope as he opened the bathroom stall door, expressing his disappointment at the unmet objective through a frustrated sigh and tilting his head.

By this point after returning, his total score from the Beatrice hit-or-miss quiz was one win and a crushing defeat. Given that his record prior was almost perfect, this slump could hardly be described with mere words. At this stage, Subaru had no option but to acknowledge his lack of success.

“That little rascal seems to be genuinely avoiding me now.”

It was a saying from Ram that no one could defeat Beatrice’s “Door Crossing” when she put her mind to it, yet Subaru had consistently overturned that notion. And somehow, a sense of superiority over Beatrice lingered within him—this was less about besting “Door Crossing” and more about having an advantage over her compared to everyone else in the mansion.

“Given our last parting, she didn’t need to go to such lengths to hide. …If she doesn’t show her face, there’s neither a fight nor an apology to be made.”

He didn’t know what words of his had led her to choose such outright rejection at that time. He didn’t know, but remaining physically distant left questions unanswered, and that annoyed him.

Even beyond that urgent reason to draw her out, Subaru simply wanted to converse with Beatrice.

Even if it was backhanded banter. Even if she looked down on him from above. The everyday life that had been lost was still there. Subaru couldn’t bear to see such normalcy vanish again in front of him. Even this thought was selfish; he was fully aware of that.

“Pack and Beatrice avoid being there just when I need to speak with them. What a terrible joke, like calling on the divine.”

But this was not the time for indulging in sentimentality. With the obvious threat of Elsa looming over the mansion, securing the safety of those within took top priority.

Surely Elsa wouldn’t extend her deadly reach all the way to Araham Village, which had no ties to the mansion. That’s why ensuring the safety of the mansion’s occupants was of utmost importance to Subaru.

It wouldn’t be hard to take Rem and Petra out. He could coax Friderica into action by appealing to her sense of duty. The only problem was Beatrice, who seemed nearly impossible to encounter.

Previously, during the loop that started in the Royal Capital, Subaru had failed to extract her from the mansion. Even then, leaving while knowing that the witch cult posed a threat had been feasible because he knew they weren’t aimed directly at the mansion.

This time was different. Elsa had infiltrated the mansion and wouldn’t hesitate to unleash her blade. Regardless of Emilia’s absence, her blade was intent on slicing through whoever remained within.

Subaru could not ascertain Beatrice’s true potential in battle. He could only guess she possessed a strength capable of combating enemies like Elsa, who had shown evenly matched skills against Pack, someone under contract to Emilia, not to mention possibly even Wilhelm.

If it came to a direct confrontation, Subaru couldn’t imagine a scenario where Beatrice emerged victorious against Elsa.

“Maybe I’m just too deeply ingrained with my fears regarding her. It’s only natural given I’ve died three times.”

With one hand on his aching belly, Subaru paused as he walked down the hallway. Before him stood the most elaborately decorated door in the mansion—the central study of Roswaal, located at the highest level.

Understanding it was etiquette breach to enter without permission, even while the master was absent,

“Speaking of which, there’s something I need to confirm in here too.”

Muttering that, he leisurely placed his hand on the door and stepped inside.

Upon entering the study, the scenery had, unsurprisingly, not changed one bit since his previous door-hopping. The disorderly paperwork piled around the room remained untouched since Roswaal had yet to return—subaru felt a sense of cleanliness as Otto had tidied up the mess with meticulous care.

Casting a cautious glance around, his attention shifted towards the back of the room, where two bookshelves stood beside a black ebony desk.

“There’s a hidden passage behind this bookshelf.”

This hidden passage, confirmed twice before, was presumably intended as an escape route. Yet, the means by which it activated and where it led remained an unknown detail for Subaru.

“It opened during the previous attack by Elsa, so I figured I could escape through it, but last time I passed, I ended up freezing to death midway.”

A memory of being turned to ice while seemingly incurring Pack’s wrath resurfaced. Although that gruesome recollection didn’t bring overwhelming distress due to its vague and painless nature, he nonetheless held no intention of treating death lightly. Regardless,

“If only I knew where the escape route leads, then I could proceed with worst-case scenarios in mind. Or alternatively, I could trace it back to re-enter the mansion… though I doubt such a situation would arise.”

Given that safety was the utmost priority, clarifying the escape route was essential. It’s presumed it leads to some remote mountain area behind the mansion. Ideally, surprising though it may seem, it would be best to find provisions for emergencies along the way.

“First, I need to confirm the escape route… but what does it take to trigger it?”

Subaru laid his hands on the bookshelf to push with all his might, only for the well-filled shelves to remain impervious to his strength. He might be able to shift it by removing the contents, but…

“There’s no time to be leisurely during an urgent evacuation, so there must be a switch or something to enable movement.”

Thinking this, he rifled through the space behind the desk and deep within the bookshelves but uncovered no noticeable mechanisms. He did stumble upon a drawer with a false bottom containing some jewels, which he discreetly chose to ignore.

“I’m at my wit’s end. There’s even a chance that thing isn’t even in this room.”

“What isn’t in the room?”

“Naturally, it would be a concealed switch. I’m trying to peek behind the bookshelf, but if I can’t find it, we’ll never make progress.”

“Ah, so you’re talking about the escape route. The mechanism is this statue here.”

Pulling Subaru’s sleeve gently was Petra, tilting her head in curiosity. He followed her finger to see her pointing at a statue in the corner of the room.

The statue, small enough to fit atop the desk, depicted a seated human figure. In the empty study, its presence felt oddly prominent, yet Petra approached the statue without hesitation.

“Here I go.”

She cheerfully called out as she twisted the statue’s head.

With a sound reminiscent of bones cracking, the statue’s head turned fully around. Subaru winced, like witnessing a person falling limp, but immediately after, a heavy sound echoed around the room.

The bookshelf shifted, sliding smoothly left and right, revealing a dark opening large enough for a person to slip through.

The desired escape route had revealed itself, and Subaru clenched his fist in a small victory, “This is it! I’ve been looking for this, thank you!”

“Fufu, aren’t you impressed? I learned this from Friderica-onee-sama. It’s good to remember a way to escape in case of an emergency.”

“Thanks a lot! Now let’s quickly… Wait, when did you get here, Petra?!”

“When did I?! You should be asking when did you realize!?”

The revelation came too easily, and as Subaru had been lost in his thoughts, he had completely overlooked her presence. Displeased with his lack of awareness, Petra pouted adorably.

“After rushing back to help, I think you’re being a little harsh, Subaru-sama.”

“Hey, I was in my head wondering who I was talking to! My joy over the successful completion of my goal totally overshadowed it!”

The girl huffed, looking away in an adorable sulk. Subaru couldn’t help but gently pat her head while shifting focus back to the hidden passage.

“By the way, Petra, do you know where this leads?”

“Yes! Friderica-onee-sama said it leads to a small hut partway up the mountain behind the mansion. There’s another barrier against beasts, one that’s hidden so outsiders wouldn’t notice.”

“I see. That’s definitely a hidden path. But to confirm, we have to see it for ourselves.”

Knowing it would be useful for both escaping and infiltrating, Subaru rolled up his sleeves and wore a spirited expression as he stepped toward the entrance. Just then, he heard small footsteps padding up behind him as Petra followed suit.

“Huh, so you’re coming with me, Petra?”

“Is that a problem?”

“It’s not a problem, but it’ll probably be unexciting! I’m just curious to see where it leads, and I’ll come right back.”

“Since it’s break time, I’m free to join! It’s okay, right?”

Petra tugged at the hem of his clothing, looking up at him with wide, puppy-like eyes. When she relied on him this much, he couldn’t bear to push her away, and as he let out a sigh, a smile crept onto his face.

“It’s really just a quick look, but you’re such a curious one, Petra.”

“If I wasn’t curious, I wouldn’t be here… and I’m glad to be.”

In response to Subaru’s comment, Petra replied, though he couldn’t quite gather her meaning. Still, he offered a smile, took her hand, and ventured into the hidden path.

The darkening hidden passage twisted like a spiral staircase, with walls glowing faintly bluish-white. He wouldn’t lose sight of the path until they reached below, but knowing it led down to the underground, Subaru glanced behind him.

“Just a heads up, the stairs are long and dark, so let’s avoid any slips, okay?”

“If I slip, will you help me?”

“I’ll just end up tumbling down with you, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t. If I end up unresponsive, that would not be a pretty sight.”

“In that case, I’ll take care of Subaru-sama forever!”

“That’s nice, but the path sounds terrifying!”

As they exchanged playful banter, they began descending the staircase, with the chilly air from below wafting up, sending shivers down Subaru’s spine at the thought of Pack, who should be long since gone.

Imagining a future of frozen death was unsettling enough, yet he resolved,

“Silence isn’t the most entertaining, so let’s chat a bit to ease the potential anxiety Petra might feel.”

“Subaru-sama, you seem to have a bit of sweat on your palms.”

“I’m saying we should try chatting to prevent you from feeling scared! How was everyone in the village?”

In his determination to remain conscious of the younger girl’s perceptions, Petra looked at him with a loving expression while she engaged happily in conversation. Thus, they continued to chat enough to prevent complete silence as they descended the stairs for several minutes—until the stairs ended and they reached a narrow passage that Subaru recognized.

After progressing several steps down this passage, they reached a doorway they had never encountered before.

“Going by my previous sense of direction, we’re now just underneath the mansion. If this passage continues towards the mountains behind, then this tunnel must extend rather far.”

“Seems like the names are quite confusing, calling it an escape route or pathway or tunnel.”

“True, just like winds renowned in Mexico, we could call it Santanna.”

“Oh watch your step there, there’s a bump ahead.”

Subaru’s whims fell into oblivion as Petra gracefully disregarded his whims. As he pleasantly watched the development of her skills against his own, he couldn’t shake off a tinge of loneliness.

As they pushed on down the passageway, they eventually arrived at a slightly larger space. Directly ahead, he could see a door hovering in shadow—the confirmation they had entered a small room where, in the prior timeline, it had been filled with the ice statues created by the witch cult. This time however, there were obviously no remains; he sighed with relief.

“Not surprisingly, I was able to avoid feeling trigger-heads from my traumas. For now, would you say we’re one-third the way to the mountain hut?”

“The wind is quite chilly… It must be on the other side of that door.”

While Subaru’s relief was apparent, Petra couldn’t hide her expectations that this door would lead to another stage. Subaru nodded,

“Last time I touched the door, I was met with instant regret. We’re proceeding to uncharted territory from this point on, but let’s just follow the trail and see.”

And then, without further delay, Subaru placed his hand on the door.

As it swung open, a rush of cold air violently rushed into the small room, hitting his face—

“Wha—?”

In that instant, Subaru felt something collide against his belly.

Looking down, he noticed something that resembled a spear protruding from his left abdomen, currently shuddering as if it had just penetrated him.

—He watched as blood began to seep through the fabric of his clothing, and felt his throat freeze up.

“Ah—!?”

In place of Subaru’s voice, it was Petra who let out an ear-piercing scream upon noticing the same injury. Her desperate cry echoed through the narrow passage, violently crashing against Subaru’s eardrums.

In the fleeting moment before pain surged through him, he had no idea what had transpired, instead focusing entirely on what he must do next, desperately spinning his mind.

The sound of Petra’s scream faded, drowned out by a resounding silence, with only her voice remaining in the void. It was impossible for him to hear what shouldn’t even exist, yet he distinctly registered.

Footsteps and the sound of a blade being drawn from its sheath—

“Now then, let’s fulfill our promise—”

With a moistening of her lips by a red tongue, the voice of a murderer trembled with the premonition of slaughter.