“It’s been a while since we exchanged words, hasn’t it?”

“Since you vanished… It’s been almost two weeks, after all. I couldn’t stand seeing my master searching around with a sad face.”

Not a sound that trembles the air, but rather a mysterious sensation where words seep directly into the brain. Nevertheless, a serene voice, unchanged from before, could certainly be heard, and Subaru couldn’t help but express his inner indignation in response.

More than feeling joy from a response that met expectations, Subaru found it difficult to grasp this situation filled with frustration, a long-standing conflict too deep to accept at face value.

“It seems you’ve built up quite a lot of anger towards me during the two weeks we couldn’t talk.”

“You know the reason, right? Don’t make me say it.”

“That’s right. Before you stopped coming out… Looking back, what I said in front of that blue-haired girl was terribly insensitive. I’ve really reflected on it.”

“…! That’s not what I’m talking about!”

Digging up issues that Subaru had long since forgotten was insensitive. To top it off, bringing up such topics in a totally unrelated situation was uncalled for.

Pack responded to Subaru’s rage with a pouty tone, “Don’t be so angry…”

“I get it. But I just wanted to apologize before diving into the main topic. If we don’t clear up any bad feelings first, we might have trouble addressing each other. After all, I have a lot to ask of you moving forward.”

“Oh, is that right? If your self-satisfaction is satisfied, then let’s move on to the continuation of the conversation. Let’s get to the real topic you wanted to discuss.”

Putting on a facade of having accepted Pack’s apology while still glaring at the crystal stone, Subaru pushed for the next part of the discussion.

The translucent sheen reflected Subaru’s gaze, glowing a deep green against Emilia’s chest.

Subaru clicked his tongue and said, “In any case, it’s way too inconvenient to talk in this situation. At the very least, come out! We don’t even know when Emilia will wake up. Let’s change locations…”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. —That’s actually one of the main topics.”

Pack shot down Subaru’s suggestion, all the while looking down at Emilia’s sleeping face. For an instant, Subaru made a face like he had just been slapped, before asking,

“‘Not possible’ isn’t the same as ‘no.’ What does ‘can’t’ even mean?”

“It means just that. Right now, I can’t manifest outside the crystal stone… In other words, I can’t materialize in the outside world. Otherwise, there’s no way I would let Ria stay all alone and sad like this, right?”

“——”

In response to Pack’s matter-of-fact tone, Subaru fell silent in thought.

Reflecting on all that had transpired between himself and this spirit, he couldn’t help but harbor a degree of skepticism regarding how credible Pack’s words were.

Yet, regardless of Pack’s tendency to falter at crucial moments, the fundamental aspect remained — his existence was for Emilia, and his feelings toward her were genuine. That point alone was not something he felt he needed to doubt.

So, he concluded, “Something’s keeping you from coming out to the outside world, huh?”

“That’s right. I’ve been unable to even send thoughts like this. So, it was pure luck that you sensed it and decided to call out to the crystal stone. I doubt anyone else would have grabbed this opportunity.”

“Anyone else…?”

“Simple, really. There’s no one but you who would try to get close to Ria while she’s in a state of unconsciousness. Even if someone touches the crystal stone and gets lucky, whether our thoughts connect would depend on compatibility. We confirmed back when we tried in the Royal Capital that a thought link could be established between us.”

“…Come to think of it, that did happen.”

During the second visit to the Royal Capital, when Subaru had a secret discussion with Emilia, he’d managed to communicate with Pack mentally just the same as he did now.

Recreating that moment — in terms of having a secret conversation with Emilia, that was a recollection indeed.

“So, what do we do now?”

“Hmm…?”

“You’ve been timing this specifically so that someone would call out to you at just the right moment, and I did just that in a miraculous turn of events. You were prepared for this once-in-a-lifetime chance, weren’t you? In this short time with limited chances, you had words and hints you wanted to convey.”

“――――”

At Subaru’s words, there was a profound silence. He could easily picture the invisible little kitten spirit sporting a very human-like smile.

Pack laughed, unable to conceal his joy, “I’m glad I expected this of you. It’s quite frustrating to think I have to rely on someone else for Ria, but you’re truly a different case.”

“…Should I tell Emilia what you really think?”

The words of joy turned shadowy in the latter half, and Subaru’s gaze fell with a sense of seriousness. Then, he proposed something that seemed like it could provide comfort, though he had no idea if it would help. Yet, speaking it out loud felt oddly like a brilliant idea.

Emilia, in her current state, was lost without the core support that Pack provided, and she was trembling on shaky ground. While she could still manage for now, as time passed and the trials wore down on her, her mind and body would inevitably show signs of weakness. If that were to happen, it would be better to offer her some sort of salvation here and now…

“You shouldn’t do that. If she discovers that my words can reach someone else, it might very well shatter Ria’s already fragile heart.”

However, just as Subaru was trying to press on, Pack’s melancholy voice stopped him. Grasping the meaning of those words, Subaru exhaled dryly, “What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said. Transmitting my message to Ria through you would mean she discovers I’m not sleeping within the crystal stone. For Ria, who’s trying her best to prevent me from coming out and making contact with anyone, realizing my mouth isn’t sealed could very well disrupt the delicate balance of her heart.”

“Wait, hold on—!”

Subaru shook his head in exasperation, trying to halt Pack’s barrage of words.

With only the crystalline shimmer within his sight, Subaru couldn’t see Pack’s expression. However, the tone of his voice held no intent to deceive.

“You just said that Emilia is the one keeping you from coming out. How does that work?”

“…………”

“You said she’s sealing your mouth… What’s that even supposed to imply? Emilia’s been calling for you, begging for help, tears streaming down her face… How could you possibly say this?”

“…Ah, I see. You feel frustrated, don’t you, Subaru, at the thought of Ria not relying on you.”

“———!!”

Subaru was momentarily silenced, as though his words had been twisted, but the truthfulness of what was said struck a core within him.

It was true; he wanted to be primary in Emilia’s life. But now laid the undeniable truth that he was not her number one.

The existence that occupied that number one spot, which should have possessed far greater power than Subaru, had declared that his own top priority was Emilia yet did nothing to act on her behalf. It was maddeningly loathsome.

That’s why hearing someone say that the reason for that truth lied not with him or Pack, but with Emilia herself, was incomprehensible to Subaru.

“So, what? Are you saying that Emilia is acting as if she’s suffering through the trials all alone, struggling on her own, and smiling while remembering a sorrowful past — that all of it was just an elaborate charade? — There’s no way I could believe that!”

If those tears, that voice, that wailing were all just performances to deceive those around her, then Emilia’s acting skills would truly be divine. She should aim to be a great actress instead of seeking a throne.

If she had such talents or reasons to deceive them, it should’ve been obvious.

“There’s no way that’s true… Rather than deceiving everyone, she feels guilt even for the slightest lie. Emilia isn’t that kind of person…”

“Calm down, Subaru. I’m not saying anything so wicked about Ria as your worst fears might suggest. So calm down.”

“Worst fears…? What do you mean by that? Don’t go peeking into my mind! That matter is totally unrelated. No matter what happens from here on, I’ll never let Emilia end up like that…”

“—Natsuki Subaru!”

Pack’s sharp voice cut through Subaru’s tumultuous emotions.

At the weight of that brief call, Subaru briefly trembled and froze. When he cautiously turned his gaze, there was still no sign of the little kitten, only the lifeless glimmer settled quietly against Emilia’s chest. Yet,

“…Have you calmed down?”

“You can actually produce such a strong voice? I thought you were always so fluffy and unconcerned about the severity of the situation.”

“I don’t raise my voice too easily. But when it comes to Ria… or scolding stubborn children, I can raise my voice.”

“Stubborn children, huh?”

At that relentless comment, Subaru let out a small sigh.

He couldn’t deny Pack’s words, as he recognized that his earlier inappropriate behavior had contributed to the situation.

This was supposed to be a long-awaited opportunity for dialogue, yet Subaru had struggled to maintain his composure multiple times. Pack’s chiding had been a repeated theme in their back-and-forth.

Feeling ashamed of his lack of control over himself, he realized he lacked that ironwill to possess the resolve to pursue what he so earnestly desired.

“Still, your emotional response to Ria, to this degree, is surprisingly appreciated by me. You must be giving her considerable strength.”

“—Huh?”

“No one else has ever delved this deeply into Ria’s mind. Even Roswaal, who took Ria out of the forest due to the Royal Selection, kept a hands-off approach towards her innermost feelings. His wishes likely lie outside of what Ria does as queen.”

“—You know Roswaal’s goals?”

“Following the scriptures, I suppose? It may be somewhat reminiscent of Betelgeuse. Being in and out of sight, you could say they’re similar yet different.”

Pack seemed to be well-informed regarding both Roswaal and Beatrice’s stances. While it was doubtful that such knowledge extended to Emilia, his consideration of it piqued Subaru’s curiosity.

However, when it came to questioning what response he would receive, Subaru had a nagging feeling about it.

“You aren’t initiating action because it doesn’t concern Emilia… is that it?”

“I’d like to do something about Beatrice if possible. However, with the matter involving Roswaal, as that one concerns Ria, I must inevitably take action on that front.”

“You’ve been putting it off, despite knowing things, huh?”

“It’s hard to argue against that. I feel bad for dragging you into my mistakes.”

Whether malicious or not, it was clear that he had a strong inclination to prioritize anything other than Emilia. If this indecisiveness had paved the way for the hardships Emilia faced today, it would be too significant of a fault to merely brush it off as a minor mistake.

“I’ll deal with Roswaal’s purpose for now, that’s not an issue. As for Beatrice… I don’t plan on leaving that to you either. The only thing I’m collaborating with you for is Emilia.”

“That’s fine. As of now, I hardly have the resources to spare elsewhere. Focusing energy on something that isn’t the main issue might end up causing me to overlook what’s most important.”

“Tell me. What does it mean that Emilia isn’t trying to let you out? I can’t possibly accept the idea that she’s deceiving me or anyone else.”

Still driven by his emotions, Subaru spoke with fervor, but his conviction remained unchanged. He knew there was no way he could see into Emilia’s innermost feelings, yet he could never believe that she was plotting against her companions or neglecting their kindness.

In response to Subaru’s convictions, Pack sent a mental sigh laden with relief.

“You shouldn’t feel entirely at ease. Ria is the one refusing to let me out, but… it’s not that she’s trying to keep me confined.”

“…I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

“It’s difficult to explain. It’s true that Ria is calling for my help and reaching out to the crystal stone, and it’s also true that she can’t hear my voice. She fears being all alone and trembling without support. But—”

“———”

“In her subconscious, Ria is refusing my embodiment and communication. She’s not unanimous in her feelings when it comes to her heart.”

The expression “the front and the back of her heart” made Subaru gasp.

He suspected it didn’t mean anything close to a split personality, but Subaru had shared experiences where his heart betrayed him.

If Emilia found herself in a similar predicament now…

“Is there no way for you to reach out to Emilia yourself?”

“It’s difficult. The influence of her subconscious is stronger than that of her conscious mind. The idea that my being out presents a problem for her heart is undoubtedly the case.”

“Is there anything specific you’re aware of that would seriously trouble her heart, should you appear? Like, what could happen if you came out…”

“Don’t you have a good idea already?”

He caught the tail end of Subaru’s statement, and there was a teasing note in Pack’s voice. Subaru fell silent for a beat, then lowered his gaze.

“—But it’s just a guess.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Share it with me. You’ve already said it. I’m counting on you, Subaru.”

With that prompt from Pack, the spirit seemed far less impressed than he had earlier. However, his tone conveyed some degree of encouragement as Subaru took the plunge,

“If you’re around, Emilia will have to confront some uncomfortable aspects of her past.”

“Uh-huh.”

“That’s why Emilia subconsciously rejects any situation where you can weigh in.”

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“———”

Pack accepted Subaru’s thoughts through silence without dismissing or laughing them off.

If the unseen kitten spirit had been present at this moment, he might well have remained utterly calm, maintaining a relaxed expression as he swung his long tail from side to side.

“That’s amazing, Subaru. That was an answer beyond my expectations.”

After a brief silence, Pack expressed his admiration for Subaru’s words.

Subaru exhaled through his nose in response to Pack’s attitude.

“Even being praised, honestly, I’m not happy about it at all.”

“It’s genuine praise. For the amount of information provided, you connected the dots remarkably well just from inference. You seem to understand quite well how Ria feels.”

Pack, filled with a heartwarming sentiment, seemed to gaze at the slumbering Emilia. Following his voice, Subaru’s gaze fell back upon her peaceful face.

Emilia was in a deep sleep, unable to dream either good or bad. Her heart, worn down and cornered by the trials, was intertwined with a painful past.

Yet, Subaru was increasingly skeptical about how thoroughly that past’s representation was ‘accurately tracing the original truth.’

What he had shaken off in the trials was exemplified by the burden of his separation from his own parents, due to deep-rooted regrets concerning his family. Naturally, that memory had taken the form of a significant event. For Subaru, the true past he needed to sever wasn’t just a singular moment but the sluggish period spent leading up to that environment.

Thus the trials crafted an entirely new form of time for Subaru, prompting him to confront his regrets and urging him to part ways with the comforting moments he once shared with his parents.

“The past doesn’t accurately mirror the real world. It reconstructs a fitting layout based on the challenger’s psychological landscape and several other conditions.”

After completing the trials, Echidna explained the basic mechanics behind them to Subaru. It was a fabricated ‘intricately designed false world,’ pieced together from both elements he had explicitly remembered and even from those he had been unaware of.

Subaru had to accept that his parting from his parents was not authentic but a reflection of his own self-satisfaction.

—But now, he felt as if he was saying nothing of consequence.

“The past one beholds in the graveyard is a counterfeit that dresses itself as the real deal. The wicked individual orchestrating these trials cleverly sets up questions that allow challengers to arrive at their ‘most comfortable answers.’”

While he hadn’t directly stated as much, Subaru held confidence that Echidna would engage in such practices. She had shown glimpses of her twisted nature sufficiently for Subaru to grasp it.

For that reason,

“The past Emilia sees contains both correct and incorrect aspects. That disparity… you know something crucial that radically skews the past, which is why she instinctively turns away from you.”

“…I wonder why that is. If I were there, Ria could see the true and real past. Why, knowing that, does her true self reject me?”

“That’s simple…”

He had intended to say that, but Subaru hesitated to articulate the next thought.

The reason for his hesitation was instinctively clear. To imply the following would mean exposing the truth about Emilia’s past. And to think that the cruel, agonizing moments she wanted to forget — wrapped under a veil, Emilia’s heart was hiding the truth.

“Ria’s true time that she desperately wishes to forget is much more unforgiving than the counterfeit time she describes.”

Pack seemed to take the answer Subaru could not speak aloud, forming it into words.

As Subaru allowed himself to be aware of that which had previously escaped his thoughts, he grimaced in anguish as he gazed at Emilia.

The people with whom he had shared friendly, gentle moments — she was met instead with malice and hatred from them and greeted a prolonged farewell within icy loneliness.

Merely contemplating her past was enough to break both body and soul, and now it would instead serve as a tender cradle to conceal the brutally cruel truth haunting Emilia.

“Do you know what Emilia truly witnessed?”

“…Unfortunately, I don’t know that either. I met Ria only after she had been frozen in ice in the forest. So I am clueless regarding what it is about my existence that she fears. I cannot comprehend how I could define her past.”

Pack sighed genuinely regretfully, and Subaru bit his lip.

Emilia’s true past — That said, thanks to this, he had captured the glimmer of a part of the answer about why she couldn’t overcome the trials.

Emilia was being shown a past that diverges from the real one in every trial. She wished for the counterfeit past to be true.

Unless she could confront that original past, overcoming the trials would forever be impossible. As long as Emilia was deceived by her own heart, that past would continue to slice into her soul with a sweet edge.

“What can we do?”

“I don’t know.”

“I want to help Emilia. I want to be a source of strength for her.”

“I feel the same. I exist solely for her. If I cannot be of assistance to her, then I have no reason to exist.”

“I want to support what she wishes to do, and I want to stand by her side.”

“———”

Before Subaru’s impassioned plea, Pack fell silent, deep in contemplation. Subaru simply waited earnestly for the spirit’s response. At last, Pack spoke with a voice imbued with decision.

“Subaru. —There’s one possibility.”

“Possibility…?”

“It’s a method I would never have considered for myself, and I still feel strong reluctance even now while saying this. I don’t think I would have even mentioned such a suggestion under normal circumstances.”

Feeling tense at Pack’s insistence, Subaru braced himself for whatever was about to be said. After all, this was the first time he had heard Pack’s earnest voice aiming at something other than Emilia.

“What do you want me to do?”

“That’ll be on me. But afterward, I’ll expect you to clean up the mess.”

“…That sounds terrifying, like you’re about to toss something outrageous at me.”

“I never thought I would have to ask anyone else to do such a thing. But, well… I feel like with you, I could even stake my life on it for Ria.”

Something extraordinary glimmered in Pack’s words, and Subaru inhaled softly.

The feelings Pack had for Subaru — those were undeniably real. Natsuki Subaru would place his life on the line for Emilia without hesitation.

Therefore, with no words needed, Subaru silently conveyed his agreement to Pack, and he nodded firmly within the crystal.

And then, in a quiet voice, Pack said,

“Tomorrow morning, I will let Ria break our contract. —If the bond between Ria and me is severed, I wonder how you will comfort her when she’s crying her eyes out.”