“――Well then, let’s begin.”

With a hint of tension in her profile, Emilia’s beautiful translucent voice resonated within the room.

She spoke to everyone present with that silver bell-like tone—perhaps even to herself—while raising her slender arms.

“――――”

Closing her eyes, Emilia began to concentrate mana into her raised hands.

The immense magical energy swirling and the extreme focus required to manipulate it; either one lacking would prevent her from achieving her goal, a feat only she could accomplish.

“――――”

Numerous gazes fell upon Emilia as she approached the great sorcery with a serious expression. Bated breath, the women and children huddled close watched her every movement.

Some held each other’s hands, while others closed their eyes in prayer, trembling as they shared only their anxiety and hope.

“…It’s tough, isn’t it?”

Subaru quietly observed Emilia, basking in a multitude of complex emotions from the edge of the space.

The location was an underground facility corner in the city of Pristella.

Originally a storage warehouse for emergency supplies, it now appeared in a state befitting its original purpose after mostly releasing its contents. The stone-lined underground felt spacious without anything placed inside, highlighting the dampness and chilly desolation.

Ironically, perhaps it was appropriate for the current purpose precisely because of such a place.

“I’m not saying it’s a good thing, though.”

“Shall you stop murmuring sentimental things? It’s not good for anyone to hear, and it will disrupt Emilia’s concentration.”

In response to Subaru’s unintentional murmur, Beatrice standing right beside him offered her advice.

The girl, gripping Subaru’s left hand while fiddling with her own pigtails with the free hand, stared intently at the white ceremony unfolding before them.

Subaru felt that her pale blue eyes seemed to be holding back some pain as he said,

“Emilia will be fine. Don’t worry so much.”

“…Don’t misunderstand. Betty’s concern is not for Emilia but for Subaru. Is it a bad habit to empathize with anyone and everyone?”

“Is that so?”

The grip on his hand tightened, and Subaru frowned at the girl’s consideration.

He understood what Beatrice wanted to say and the concern behind it. However, the decision he made, even knowing that, was Subaru’s current judgment.

That point cannot be bent. He knows he causes trouble.

“――――”

Ignoring Subaru and Beatrice’s quiet exchange, Emilia’s ritual continued.

Pouring all her focus into the task, Emilia breathed out white mist, thin beads of sweat rising on her forehead. She was pouring her all into the control of the vast mana around her.

A faint bluish light began to envelop the underground space, centered around Emilia’s outstretched hands.

The visibility blurred into a hazy white due to a chilling cold, yet surprisingly, that chill didn’t sting the skin but felt softer, as if cradling an exposed heart.

They say that those suffering hypothermia forget the cold just before death. Extreme cold robs humans of the ability to feel temperature correctly, giving warmth as a final benediction before claiming their lives.

Or perhaps something akin to that existed in this white world, Subaru vaguely pondered, but quickly shook his head, dismissing the thought as being unpleasantly mundane.

The bluish light filled the space, and the cold gathered toward the center of the room.

And within the light’s core――,

“――――”

A black, massive body with folded wings was lying there—a black dragon.

The grotesque sight extended farther; swarming around the black dragon were flies the size of humans, evoking a nightmarish image altogether.

However, Subaru felt no aversion to that view.

―No. To be precise, he consciously kept himself from feeling disgust towards the forms of the black dragon and the human-sized flies.

They were victims, innocent people without any sins.

Victims of the Archbishop of Sin, “Lust,” who bore malice, transformed into creatures from outside humanity.

There was no way, within their current knowledge, to revert their altered bodies back to their original forms. That’s precisely why this plan was being set into motion.

“It may just prolong the inevitable…”

“Having time can also be a form of salvation. When urgency sets in, perspectives narrow, and options that were supposed to be available vanish. Not noticing that or realizing it later… both can be cruel.”

In response to Subaru’s murmur, Beatrice replied as if in monologue.

Within that soft sigh lay insights and sentiments that could only be born from someone who had spent a long, long time in deep thought.

Picking up on her words, Subaru couldn’t say anything to Beatrice, instead simply ruffled her hair in silence.

“…What is it?”

“It’s nothing.”

No matter how much time one takes, it doesn’t guarantee arriving at the right choice.

Sometimes even if one spends time, they might not be able to choose the right option.

Still, they can act in a way that the choice they made becomes the best.

In comparison to Beatrice’s four hundred years, Subaru’s answer was just that.

And he wished for the time brought about by the tragedy in this city to serve a similar purpose.

“――――”

As Subaru’s contemplations and the peak of the chill in the underground converged, a cracking sound like air splitting echoed throughout the space――

“…It’s over without a hitch.”

Emilia exhaled a white breath as she turned around.

Breathing heavily and bowing slightly, behind her——there were lives encased in white crystal, frozen along with their souls.

“――!”

Families crying in despair and lovers gasping sobs.

Instead of gratitude, painful cries erupted, echoing harshly through the underground.

Endless lamentation rang out over the limitlessly painful separation from their loved ones, as if there was no end to the sorrow.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

“For now, it seems Emilia’s proposal went well, so I can breathe easy about that… so I guess that’s what I should think.”

After receiving reports on the discussions held in the assembly hall and the subsequent freezing operation on Emilia’s transformed victims, Otto nodded with a relieved expression.

The location had shifted from the shelter to a private room in a makeshift clinic.

His condition on the cot seemed unchanged, with painful-looking bandages wrapped around both legs. However, he was no longer subjected to the treatment befitting a battle hospital, and suspended legs were a significant improvement.

Originally, Otto had been one of the contributors to the city’s defense, so he should have received better care, but since he didn’t mention anything, Subaru decided not to pry, figuring he was being considerate of those around him.

“Reading between the lines is the essence of Wabi-Sabi.”

“It’s not unreasonable for Natsuki-san not to be present here, but… Emilia, thank you for your hard work.”

Ignoring Subaru’s nod, Otto expressed his gratitude to Emilia, who lowered the corners of her mouth in response.

“No, it’s fine. More than that, I’m sorry for moving forward without consulting you, Otto-kun. But I thought it was something only I could do.”

“Ah, that’s perfectly fine. I’m not angry, and what you’ve done is undoubtedly a noble act. Plus, it has significant value in a calculated sense.”

“Calculated…?”

“I should understand, but if I don’t, then… well, I don’t know how to put it. Honestly, it’s difficult for me to see which is better.”

“Don’t think, just feel. That’s E.M.T.”

Emilia, who seemed oblivious to the implications of her actions, drew a concerned Otto’s bemusement. Subaru, with a genial tone, transitioned to, “More importantly,”

“Will your legs truly not be usable for a while longer?”

“With the situation in Pristella, it’s difficult to provide further treatment. The number of healers in the city can’t keep up with the many injured. Perhaps it would be wiser to get transferred to a clinic in another city, but it seems Kiritaka is sending requests to call in healers from nearby towns. So it may be best to wait here for a healer to arrive or just go home to the mansion.”

Otto chuckled weakly, realizing he’d be off the front lines for a while.

With a wound as deep as Otto’s, it wouldn’t be easily healed without a practitioner skilled in advanced healing magic, like Beatrice from the Forbidden Library or a level of Felix.

“That Felix is by Crusch’s side, and our healing captain is busy flying all around Pristella… The reason is probably that family.”

“Those three—a little brother and sister, plus their mother. That person who looks like a dragon must be their father, which makes it a family of four.”

The healing captain who wasn’t even present here—Garfiel.

Right now, he was buzzing around various places in the city, exerting himself fully on the restoration efforts. Garfiel was inherently a straight-hearted and gentle boy. Even without any attachment to this city, he would lend his strength without hesitation to people in trouble.

However, Garfiel’s level of focus on Pristella was exceptional. Something about it seemed to click for Subaru.

“If he’s not talking to us, there are likely a lot of complicated circumstances.”

“Yeah, true… Oh, by the way, doesn’t Garfiel’s family bear a resemblance in some way? Their hair and eye colors are strikingly similar.”

“Emilia-tan, you’re not changing the subject, are you?”

“Eh!?”

Regardless of Emilia’s astonishment, that was the current state of Garfiel.

Under normal circumstances, he himself should have been suffering from significant injuries, yet there was no indication that he needed to rest thanks to the “Earth Spirit’s Protection” and his endless stamina.

And in addition, Mimimi’s persistent presence only added to the chaos as she nagged him, reopening his wounds and causing trouble for her brothers.

“Well, it won’t be long before Garfiel accidentally spills his true intentions one of these days. There’s no need for us to pry for them. More importantly…”

“Yeah?”

“Oh, no, I wasn’t going to say anything since you both haven’t touched it at all, but why is Beatrice sulking so much?”

Otto leaned toward the corner of the clinic where Beatrice was puffing her red cheeks, visibly displeased, and swaying her head side to side.

In response to this question, Subaru nodded along, “Ah.”

“That’s because of you, isn’t it? You went to the restoration mage, Darts, on your errand and got turned away, and now you’re sulking… Looking at it from a broader angle, doesn’t that place some blame on you?”

“No, that might be a bit much to say… Hey, Emilia.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Taking care of your own spirit is a duty as a contractor. So cheering up Beatrice is something Subaru needs to handle.”

“You just said ‘cheering up,’ and if I were to refer back to that, I don’t really have many memories of you taking care of Pack.”

“Don’t nitpick! And I did plenty when you weren’t watching. Brushed him up, polished his claws, even cuddled him to sleep…”

While it was questionable whether this was an exemplary way of dealing with spirits, Emilia spoke of Pack with a bright expression.

Until now, her face had been permeated with sorrowful feelings from their abrupt parting in the “Sanctuary.” It seemed that cloud had been lifted.

―On Emilia’s chest lay a crystal crafted from a perfectly clear magic stone.

It shared the same design she had worn closely before parting from Pack, and paired with the brightness of her expression, Emilia’s identity seemed to have returned.

Touching the crystal with her slender fingers, she said,

“Right now, I still lack the power for Pack to come back… but our contract hasn’t been severed, so once I’ve gathered enough mana to manifest him, we will meet again. Just a little longer to endure, okay?”

“That’s thanks to you, Beako… well, also thanks to Kiritaka’s goodwill.”

Originally, the reason Subaru and company traveled to Pristella was to acquire a large magic stone.

They were supposed to engage in negotiations that would lead to concessions, but after a series of unexpected negotiations, they ended up getting what they came for, and were thoroughly satisfied.

“So Beako, you should also lift your mood.”

“I’m not sulking at all. It’s Subaru’s misunderstanding. Tch.”

“Ahh, Beatrice is so cute…”

Equipped with a clear SE, Beatrice turned away from Subaru who was attempting to cheer her up. Subaru felt a kinship with Emilia, who was adoring Beatrice from behind, but being adorable and the ability to negotiate were separate matters altogether.

“It seems Darts is quite the craftsman. I can understand why he won’t leave a job half-finished.”

“But seriously, being overly conscious about his profession strikes me as excessive. It’s been said that he’s been working in his workshop the whole time during the commotion.”

“That’s the essence of a craftsman, right?”

“That’s the essence of a craftsman, huh?”

Subaru found it puzzling why Otto seemed so proud of the comment, but at some point, it felt reasonable based on being a boy and thinking craftsmanship was so cool.

Nevertheless, as Subaru and Otto nodded in agreement, Beatrice shot them an irritated look.

“But still, that doesn’t justify ignoring the client’s words. Even though I told him I’d pay double, he wouldn’t respond at all.”

“It doesn’t seem likely that an eight-year-old could make someone comply just by slapping them with money. You should tell Emilia-tan that.”

“That’s not the way to think, Beatrice. If you waste your money, then your allowance is getting cut.”

“How rude! Such a shocking treatment to both of us!”

In indignation, Beatrice grabbed the curtain and dove behind it.

Then Emilia couldn’t hold back anymore and rushed in, hugging Beatrice inside the curtain, and a scream pierced through, “Ginyaaaaa!”

While that lovely little interlude played out, Subaru could understand Beatrice’s feelings.

Otto had asked the restoration mage, Darts, to retrieve the damaged “Book of Wisdom.” The owner, Roswaal, had previously used it to try and interfere with Subaru’s future very early on, so of course, they held interest in its contents.

“Even if the obstacles reduce, it’s still a slippery situation since he’s still hanging around.”

Even though Roswaal’s misdeeds had been exposed, his outward demeanor remained unchanged.

Naturally, he was wary, given everything he was concocting under such a casual facade, but it was also true that there was an air of less venom in their dealings.

However, from a bystander’s point of view, it wasn’t enough to consider it truly cooperative.

“If only we could see the contents of the ‘Book of Wisdom’…”

Even if Roswaal truly has no ulterior motives, regardless of what happened in the past, knowing that they could walk the path ahead together would bring about a good influence on the alliance’s future.

“That’s what I want to advocate.”

“You don’t have to defend yourself so earnestly. Both Emilia-sama and I generally agree with Natsuki-san’s opinion. Garfiel, on the other hand… well, he might not change his attitude even if the truths are revealed.”

The personal grudge in question could either relate to the “Sanctuary” or to Ram’s predicament.

Not touching on that, Subaru observed Emilia and Beatrice playfully tussling.

“Beatrice can’t be indifferent about the Book either. I think she wants to confirm it if possible. Being able to take it out from the Forbidden Library and having put the past behind doesn’t solve the issue here.”

“A few times, I thought of bringing it up.”

“I’m not blaming you.”

Subaru understood that Otto’s motivations were based on his own perception of affection.

And fundamentally, Otto nearly never miscalculated his consideration. He certainly wasn’t someone who acted out of self-interest.

“You’re really not suited for being a merchant…”

“Can you stop stating the obvious!? More importantly, what about Darts?”

“He said it might be the most significant work he’s done so far. He’s okay with keeping the price unchanged but asked to be allowed to finish neatly.”

Though there were concerns due to the lack of a set deadline, he didn’t want to push it too hard with the other party since he trusted that the craftsman’s demeanor would not involve any delays.

“So, in conclusion, regarding the retrieval of the ‘Book of Wisdom,’ it seems it’s pretty much settled that I’ll stay in Pristella.”

“I intend to have Garfiel stay back for restoration work and city defense as well. So far, we’ve managed to scare them off, but you can’t be sure that they won’t pull a feint and assault again. Those guys are real pests.”

They seemed the sort to gleefully rope together malicious schemes.

It appeared that this wasn’t merely Subaru’s perception, as everyone involved remained on alert. They wanted to avoid putting their entire guard down in this potential trap.

“Bringing that up gets us nowhere.”

“In any case, I think watching the progress is necessary. Once my leg is in proper shape, I intend to investigate various things as well. But…”

While discussing the course of action, Otto suddenly paused mid-sentence.

He forcibly raised his upper body from the bed and looked up at Subaru, narrowing one eye, and then tapped his temple with a finger.

“Let me make this clear; I’m against it.”

“…Well, I expected you would.”

Subaru smiled wryly at Otto’s declaration.

It was a perfectly predictable stance for him to take.

After all, Otto Suwen accurately evaluated Natsuki Subaru.

No one felt the weight of Subaru’s powerlessness more than Subaru himself, but relatively few grasped Subaru’s insufficiency well enough.

At best, there were Beatrice and Otto. Perhaps Felix could also fit in that category, although he was currently busy with other matters.

That said, Subaru expected resistance from both Beatrice and Otto within their faction. He wouldn’t be surprised if Patrasche felt similarly if they could communicate.

Only—

“If you understand me so well, then you should understand my answer too.”

“…The fact that Beatrice’s sulking isn’t solely about Darts, is it?”

“Well, who knows? Even I don’t know what’s buried deep in Beako’s heart.”

Shrugging, Subaru smirked, and Otto regarded him with a look of exasperation.

Of course, being perceptive, he would surely lack no knowledge about the tales and rumors. He also knew full well how dangerous Subaru’s choice could be.

With this understanding, Subaru prefaced with an “I’m sorry,” then declared,

“I’m going to meet with that so-called wise man guided by the white fox.”

With that, he smiled.

 

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