Sudden, abrupt, and unexpected encounters flooded my mind with words—

“That eye of yours is impressive for being safe!”

Subaru, pointing at his own right eye—the ruined orb—shot back at Ram, who boldly declared it.

At present, Subaru’s right eye was patched up with torn cloth, resembling an eyepatch in a way that tickled his inner middle schooler’s sensibilities. If it had just been a fashion statement, it would have been a laughing matter later, but for Ram, who was supposed to know Subaru’s plight, it couldn’t be that.

Receiving Subaru’s jab, Ram tilted her head lightly, smoothing her pink hair that had swayed with the motion,

“I’m sorry, but I usually don’t pay that close attention to notice a difference.”

“Thanks for the shocking statement, but did you know that humanoid beings typically have two eyes, two ears, and two nostrils?”

“So, are you saying that right now, Barbles is not a humanoid being, but some sort of bizarre creature?”

“Paradoxically!?”

Subaru, engaging in their usual banter, briefly scanned the surroundings with only his left eye, checking if any hidden figures were present besides Ram. He needed to buy time and pinpoint where to step next.

“Otto, on three, we disperse and flee. You’ll be in charge of making noise to attract the pursuers. I’ll be the one sneakily slipping away. Any objections?”

“I have a ton of problems with that, but more than that, why does it look like you’re super on edge, Natsuki?”

“You idiot, we’ve been tailed. Look at Ram’s eyes. She’s got murder on her mind for both of us. No doubt about it. I see that look every day at the mansion; trust me.”

“What do you expect me to believe from someone who always looks like they’re about to be murdered!?”

As Subaru anxiously tried to devise a plan to escape, it became clear that Otto was not understanding the situation very well. Maybe he should consider running solo and leaving Otto behind, but recalling their previous moments of camaraderie made that decision difficult.

“Damn it, I thought you’d left my shackles behind, but now you’re using friendship as a shackle to tie me down. What do you want from me…!?”

“Natsuki, you need to express what you want clearly if you expect us to have a conversation! Plus, there seems to be a huge misunderstanding here that I’d like to clear up…”

“Can we skip the comedy routine and move on? I mean, let’s get a move on. I don’t have time for this; it’s a waste of time, essentially a waste of life.”

As the two men exchanged blame, Ram stepped forward and cut to the chase. However, Subaru’s remarks weren’t entirely jokes; they were somewhat serious, really, as he was stalling to find an escape route.

“Honestly, I thought you’d just kill me the moment you saw my face.”

“Well, if it were right after you’ve attacked Lord Roswaal, you’d be correct. After some time, the heat of anger has cooled a bit… Thanks to Garf.”

“Even if I’m not being killed here thanks to Garfiel, I don’t see how the way I look could change that guy’s impression of me.”

Keeping his wariness intact while scratching his chin, Subaru noticed that Ram showed no hostility at all in her leisurely steps.

At the very least, it seemed she had no intention to jump him without warning, but that only made Subaru curious about what came next.

“According to Otto, there was supposed to be a certain person meeting us here…”

“Yes, I’m aware.”

“Natsuki, I know it’s hard to believe, but what’s right in front of you is the truth.”

With a hesitant glance towards Otto, who gave a similar confirmation, Subaru crossed his arms and frowned, letting out a “hmm.”

“From what I can see, that would mean you are Otto’s ally… which means you’re the one helping the people of Araham Village escape from the ‘Sanctuary’?”

“That is indeed correct. Garf and Ryuzu are in the middle of Emilia’s ‘Trial’ right now. The main players have gathered at the Graveyard, so we only have this moment.”

Emphasizing there was no time to waste, Ram urged Subaru, but his unease lingered. Raising a hand to stop her, Ram shot him a silent glare. Trying not to be intimidated by her piercing gaze, Subaru said, “Let me ask you this.”

“Why are you willing to help the villagers escape? Even if we assume you’re acting purely out of good will, involving me makes no sense. I mean, just because you’ve cooled down from your anger towards me, you don’t expect to let that slide without any payback, right? My doubts are endless here.”

“You really like piling on the questions, huh. Talkative men aren’t charming, you know, Balus.”

“Not coming from someone who’s got a crush on a guy who talks even more than me; there’s no credibility in that… Answer me, Ram. I find it hard to believe that you’d readily join me in cooperation. If you did show up here, it means—”

Gulping, Subaru hesitated, fearing what his next thoughts might reveal.

If what he suspected was true, then what Subaru would be doing in this moment would be—

Clenching his eyes shut and biting down, he pushed back his fears.

“Don’t be scared. Don’t falter. Don’t show weakness. Harden your heart, stand firm.”

—For now, he just needed to be a single steel point, unaffected by his emotions.

“The most convincing reason is that it’s Roswaal’s order. How could someone like him, whom I’ve wronged so brutally, still lend me a hand…? Maybe you know more about that than I do.”

“…”

Ram stayed silent at Subaru’s reasoning.

What floated in Subaru’s mind was Roswaal holding the ‘Gospel,’ and if that prophetic book had always been in his hands, Ram, who was his close aide, shouldn’t be ignorant of that fact.

Of course, she likely didn’t know the details. If she had any idea about the ‘Gospel’s’ content, it would imply she condoned a future where she would abandon Rem.

“—”

But that was just an improbable scenario. Subaru knew it was pure speculation. He understood how Ram would react when losing her sister in a situation without the present peculiarities.

Therefore, he firmly believed she wouldn’t know about the prophecy that could lead her to abandon Rem.

However, that only raised questions about how deeply she was involved in Roswaal’s schemes. With Roswaal’s plot still hidden, just how far had she been drawn in?

“Ram, tell me, why are you helping us? If Roswaal’s narrative is true here, then I’m sorry to say, but from this point onward, it’s just me and Otto. We don’t need you.”

“Wait, Natsuki—!?”

“Shut up, Otto. I don’t have time to explain the details, and if you knew, I can’t guarantee your safety either, so I won’t mention that either. But I am seriously enraged over this! At the very least, I can’t stay calm around anything that bears Roswaal’s name!”

Touching the sting in his right eye beneath the patch, Subaru yelled at Otto, shutting down his attempts to intervene.

The sensation of having lunged at Roswaal and feeling his thin neck in his grasp remained fresh in his memory.

Feeling murderous rage towards others was one thing, but to enact it and have the sensation linger was another matter entirely.

It was an extremely visceral sensation, bringing back vividly profitable memories that induced nausea, headache, and ringing in his ears.

There was no chance he would ever wish to relive that moment. But still…

“I know what I did was wrong, but that doesn’t mean I regret it. He scratched at the parts of me I can’t forgive. Hence, he got a painful lesson.”

“If you say so, then wouldn’t that mean it’d be difficult to justify Ram retaliating against Balus?”

“That’s precisely why the moment I saw you, I was ready to bolt out on the spot! Otto’s sluggishness put me in a difficult position, though.”

“You’re throwing unnecessary insults, but if I went all out to escape, you wouldn’t even catch a glimpse of my backside, Natsuki.”

“Stop whining about butts! Is your only punchline your lowbrow humor, you vocabulary deprived idiot?”

“What!? I feel like I’ve just been insulted without knowing why!”

As Subaru and Otto slipped into their regular banter, Ram coughed to gain attention. Then squinting as she glared at him again, she finally sighed,

“…Rest assured. At least with this undertaking, Lord Roswaal’s will is not involved.”

“Not involved… Roswaal? No, that means…”

Subaru couldn’t hide his astonishment at Ram’s claim denying Roswaal’s involvement.

This meant she was helping out of her own volition. But that wasn’t the only concern at stake.

“If Roswaal’s uninvolved, does that mean it’s not written in the ‘Gospel’… Wait a second. Just what level of accuracy does the Gospel have anyway?”

When the ‘Gospel’ had come up during his conversation with Roswaal, Subaru had lost it instantly and thus couldn’t delve into serious discussions about the book.

But if the so-called complete version of the ‘Gospel’ genuinely laid bare all the future…

“How intricate and vast are the passages contained therein—”

It would be impossible for a single book to contain all occurrences in the world, specifying every potential happening. The human mind and comprehension were far too minuscule for grasping an enormous amount of information.

Thus, Subaru had concluded that the contents inscribed in the ‘Gospel’ were selectively depicting the future’s themes, fitting within the holder’s understanding.

“The incomplete version of the ‘Gospel’ held by Petelgeuse was said to start out with blank pages that filled up with prophecies as they came in… I didn’t see that happening myself, but that’s what I gathered.”

That insipid lunatic possessed a version of the ‘Gospel’ where the latter half had blank pages, which filled up as predictions were made.

There was no doubt that the number of pages was different than when it first ended up in Subaru’s hands versus when they fought Petelgeuse. Afterward, it was too creepy to investigate further without being able to read, especially with intentions to start an investigation under Roswaal’s watch. But in the current situation, that plan didn’t seem plausible.

Thus, speculation was all he had since there were too few samples to work with. But Subaru did harbor doubt about just how reliable the precision of the so-called completed version was.

Taking a hand to her mouth, Ram adopted a pondering posture.

“…I don’t have the authority to speak on that. Even if I know that this situation is not brought about by Lord Roswaal’s will, my heart is still devoted to him.”

“Wow, you’re so head over heels for him, it’s enough to make me nauseous.”

“However…”

Before Subaru could lament that the road to gathering information had closed off, a small voice interrupted.

Ram, appearing suddenly serious, looked up at Subaru.

“It’s a confirmed fact that this situation is not mentioned in the records. That’s exactly why I’m able to be here.”

“…What does that even mean? So, what’s your plan? Are you going to help? And if so, is it truly your intention?”

“I will help with the evacuation. And that is indeed my will. Considering the circumstances, I doubt Lord Roswaal would try to stop this.”

“Considering this situation…?”

While Subaru felt something was off about her phrasing, Ram showed no intention of responding to his questioning voice. In other words, that answer resided beyond what she could articulate.

Having failed to enter the details of the ‘Gospel’ or its accuracy, he [could see] only the faint doubt that even the ‘Gospel’, claimed to be complete, might not perceive everything about the future.

“Well, with that figured, this should give me an edge when it comes time to confront Roswaal.”

Setting that line of questioning aside for now, Subaru forced himself to forge words necessary to resolve the situation. He didn’t want to ponder what his remarks actually implied.

“When it comes to trusting you wholeheartedly, I’ll leave that for later and stick to confirming our arrangements. So, what’s the deal?”

“Since the day after Balus acted foolishly, we’ve set today as the deadline for evacuation. The villagers insisted on confirming Balus’s safety before making a move, so we were forced to waste time looking for you, whose fate was shrouded in ambiguity.”

“Sorry for not being clear and for not being dead. And to think you were prepared to evacuate right after my little stunt…”

After mentally noting how peculiar the timing felt, Subaru listened as Ram and Otto explained the evacuation plan. So in a nutshell,

“The moderates are opening an escape route through Ram. We’ll make a full-speed escape under the cover of darkness by dragon carriage. Otto will take the lead, and my role is to be the mascot to ensure everyone from the village can safely escape the ‘Sanctuary’—is that right?”

“I don’t fully understand what that mascot is, but until everyone confirms Natsuki’s safety, we can’t evacuate. In short, it means neither I nor Ram have established enough trust to guide the evacuation.”

“It seems my accomplishments during the magical beast incident are finally paying off. One can’t predict where life-saving situations might come from, so it’s worth it.”

“From what I know, you’ve been quite the walking disaster with the White Whale, the Witch Cult, and various other craziness. Have you been dodging death left and right?”

Otto’s remarks indicated disbelief towards Subaru’s statement. In response, Subaru shook his head rapidly while saying,

“I’ve had my share of experiences with the world’s malice. By the way, I’ve even skirted death with a certain assassin woman who loves to slice people open for a meat party.”

“People sometimes brag about their painful experiences, but when someone who’s faced so many harrowing moments speaks, it makes the tales of those former braggers sound laughable.”

With a thumbs up, Subaru conveyed his cheerful enthusiasm while Otto produced a weak smile and returned the gesture.

Once Subaru felt their conversation had reached a natural pause, he asked,

“Then, is it time to set things in motion? How much time do you think we have?”

“Assuming it goes as usual, it takes about two hours for Emilia to give up and exit the Graveyard. Given that she’s just started her ‘Trial’, even if we account for a shorter duration, it’ll take at least an hour and a half. Even with thirty minutes to prepare to leave, we should have an hour left.”

“An hour, huh? That’s enough time to slip out of the ‘Sanctuary’ at least.”

Once they bypassed that barrier, there shouldn’t be any hindrance from the ‘Sanctuary’ side.

Avoiding the grasp of the radicals who didn’t seek to liberate the ‘Sanctuary’ and wished to worsen relations with the local people would also be possible. However, there was an unavoidable problem regarding the barrier.

Looking up, Subaru called out to Ram, the pink-haired girl,

“About the barrier, there’s one problem. Even if we pass through, and the radicals won’t be chasing us anymore…”

“Garf, right?”

“…You know him?”

“Being Frederica’s little brother, our histories are quite different. I can’t say I want to, but Garfiel’s been a familiar presence since Ram has been under Lord Roswaal’s care for the past seven years.”

Previously, the information gathered within the mansion was revealed by Garf basically effortlessly.

Though Subaru let out a sigh from feeling taken aback, he also felt relief knowing they shared the same understanding. Looking at Ram’s composed face, he asked,

“When Garf realizes I’ve gotten away from the place I was being held captive, he will definitely pursue. Given how suspicious he’s been with me, the escape commotion will prompt him to act. I don’t think he’ll hesitate to the point of holding back this time. Whether we breach the barrier depends entirely on how he feels about it.”

“What’s your basis for believing Garf will come after you? He should respect Ryuzu’s intention and thus fall into the moderates. He acted to confine Balus but as it stands, he belongs to neither side.”

“The reason he targets me is…”

Garfiel’s seemingly murderous intent towards Subaru derived from—

Unquestionably, it stemmed from the residual ‘Witch’ scent emanating from Subaru’s being.

Every time he returned from “Death”, the scent intensified, leading Garf to harbor an indescribable wariness and hostility towards Subaru. Now, it manifested itself in active hostility, resulting in today’s mess. However, even so, Garfiel’s inclination to keep the nearly-dead Subaru alive showed a glimpse of his irrational yet rational behavior.

As Subaru came to grips with this conclusion in his mind, he hesitated whether to vocalize it.

While it seemed self-evident, the first one to bring up Subaru’s lingering ‘Witch’ scent had been Rem, and from those few words, Subaru construed Rem’s intense hatred for the Witch Cult and Ram’s relations with it.

In other words, the Witch Cult was not unrelated to Ram either. Just hearing about it caused Rem to lose her composure. What did this fact represent for Ram?

“—Balus?”

“Huh, oh yeah.”

Ram’s abrupt silence drew Subaru’s attention.

“What’s wrong? You already have a lackluster face, and with the added cluelessness and ineptitude, there’s nothing attractive left.”

“Your unabashed honesty is almost refreshing, you know? Anyway, about why Garf targets me— well, it’s because I was violent with Roswaal.”

Shifting his gaze away, Subaru steered clear of directly addressing Ram about the ‘Witch’ scent. Instead, he recounted the incident where he unilaterally attacked Roswaal.

“If Roswaal gets knocked out, that ends up meaning trouble for the ‘Sanctuary.’ I can’t see him helping me—”

“…To be blunt, that’s a tedious diversion, but I’ll let it slide. Given you’re withholding something you can’t say, forcing yourself to drag out my conclusion seems unfair.”

“Is it really that you can’t talk about me without nipping at my heels? Hey, Otto.”

“Well, having Natsuki question me is a bit perplexing, honestly.”

Otto shot Subaru a long-suffering stare at his request for agreement. In response to that ambiguous look, Subaru shrugged.

Just then, Ram looked up at the sky, squinting her eyes in the moonlight while she murmured quietly,

“—A pale blue moon, a mad moon. It was the same moonlit night.”

As soon as they took action, everything would swiftly fall into place afterward.

Originally, the evacuation plan was already under works without Subaru, who only became necessary at the last stage to kickstart things.

With the villagers swiftly boarding the dragon carriages, alignment between drivers was smoothly set up, and while they anticipated taking thirty minutes to get moving, the whole process wrapped up in fifteen minutes, leaving Subaru amazed.

“Honestly, we could have cut it down to even shorter than fifteen minutes. Probably—”

Given the villagers’ alertness, it was clear they could have sped this up even more. Ironically enough, it was Subaru himself who brought things to a halt.

Upon merging with the villagers from Araham and gearing up to evacuate, Subaru’s conspicuous missing right eye immediately became noticeable to all.

As the villagers simmered with anger over retribution for Subaru’s deprived eye, Subaru soothingly reassured them that he wasn’t blinded and was under treatment instead—managing to earn their acceptance of this escape plan gradually.

“Honestly, it didn’t feel so bad being worried about.”

Though Subaru was truly astonished at how many were so concerned about his injuries, the reality remained hard to grasp.

Natsuki Subaru, as a person, had always been isolated, self-sufficient, and negligible, utterly inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, leaving no mark on anyone’s emotions.

So when had he collected such a multitude of anger on his behalf without even realizing it?

His notable achievements during the beast incident were worth mentioning, sure, but what Subaru accomplished barely rated as big news.

It had been Rem who saved the children who’d ventured into the forest, and Rem had also been the one who hunted most of the Urgalm in the Forest of Magical Beasts.

It was Roswaal who dealt the finishing blow, and Subaru had seemingly never carved out a moment where he had clearly shone.

“…Ah, so that’s how it is.”

Once Subaru pondered this deeper, he inadvertently confronted a reality he’d kept bottled up.

Due to the ‘Gluttony’s’ power, Rem’s existence—her memory—was devoured, vanishing from the world.

What remained of her existence was only lodged within Subaru, while the world was left with naught but an empty vessel.

All evidence of her involvement, physical tokens, and memories were evaporating and fading away.

So what would become of the matters stemming from her actions?

—Perhaps all her deeds would be chalked up to others’ contributions, correcting external perceptions to reflect the least resistance in those moments.

“So, it’s the people saved through Rem’s actions, whose gratitude they direct towards me?”

Looking back, it seemed that Petra’s unwavering affection for Subaru derived from the fact he had forcefully dragged her from the Forest of Magical Beasts, a detail she had likely been mentally imprinted into the system.

Otherwise, how could a foreigner, met only briefly who looked questionable and came from an uncertain birthright, have gained such profound trust otherwise?

Essentially, Subaru had unconsciously relied on Rem’s influence once more and basked in what he considered the usual.

“…I feel downright sick at this, being such a fool.”

Spitting it out, Subaru recognized that everything he had was the result of her accomplishments.

Still leaving behind warmth within his chest was the blue-haired girl he held dear. Even if the world forgot her existence, she would unconditionally continue to devote herself to him.

Though it was possible that it was merely Subaru’s overly sentimental delusions.

“—”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m fine. …You’re such a good kid, too good for me.”

With a worried glance, Patrasche turned back to him. To avoid interrupting her master’s thoughts, despite galloping swiftly, her movements were graceful.

It had been a week since they’d last met without the burden of carrying anything, facing the tumultuous events involving the White Whale and the Witch Cult.

Perhaps feeling pent-up frustration over the heavy burdens he’d put her through, Patrasche now carried only Subaru on her back, and she seemed to be running lighter.

However, even she had initially worried over Subaru being reduced to an eyeless state, lapping him with her rough, gentle tongue.

Recalling his reunion with Patrasche, Subaru cast a glance behind.

The stealth evacuation involved six dragon carriages. The creaking and noise from the vehicles could not be obscured entirely, leaving the operation far from quiet. Yet, when it came to covering their tracks, they were preparing to move with careful determination.

Most of the drivers were contracted not to get tangled in this mess, hired primarily to escort villagers away from the Witch Cult. Thus, there were surely many among the crew who felt disgruntled.

However, gauging by their focused expressions maintaining tight grip on the reins, it became apparent those worries were unfounded.

At least, they weren’t the kinds of people to let emotions run high and cause issues in such a tense situation.

—In the midst of this,

“Natsuki! Natsuki!”

Just as that thought crossed his mind, he suddenly heard calling from the lead carriage. Turning toward the sound, Subaru saw Otto coaxing his dragon, Fluff, with careful gestures to signal him.

“What’s up? I thought things were going smoothly.”

“Yes, they are—perhaps even too smoothly. But we’ve got a problem.”

Lowering his voice, Otto bent close to Subaru to whisper beside the carriage. Putting a hand to his mouth, he discreetly concealed himself so others wouldn’t see as he murmured,

“Natsuki, you need to listen closely.”

“Hm?”

“The forest is stirring. Something ‘unimaginable’ is coming.”

The vague and nebulous description left Subaru frowning. Yet he couldn’t dismiss Otto’s serious expression—it was far from something to laugh at.

Subaru inhaled sharply, glancing back and forth between Otto and behind him.

“Is this ‘unimaginable’ thing going to arrive soon?”

“While the trees often speak ambiguously, if they stay on this course, the chance of collision rises. We should speed up a bit…!”

Otto, glistening with a cold sweat, suggested this. Feeling the urgency in his demeanor, Subaru resolved to direct Patrasche to quicken their pace.

If they marched at full speed to bridge the gap to the barrier, the rest of the situation would—

“—Hey. A big gathering out on a stroll late at night, huh? Exclusion sure sucks, huh?”

Just as Subaru intended to make their escape, that voice sliced through the quiet forest, sending shivers down their spines.

Patrasche ground to a halt, her claws scraping the terrain as the black Earth Dragon lowered its head, baring its fangs at a looming figure, who stood before them, raising an equal measure of hostility.

The moment Garfiel made his entrance, that presence cast an ominous shadow.

With malicious intent glimmering, the guardian of the ‘Sanctuary’ stood ready to confront them.