Chapter 8-20: “Two Lights”
“—I’ve identified the enemy’s true identity. It’s a failed product of the ‘Witch’ that once wreaked havoc in the kingdom… a monster known as Sphinx.”
At the emergency meeting held once again in the Dragon Carriage, Roswaal, who had hurried back from the battlefield, scanned the assembled individuals and explained.
Sphinx— that was the name of the fake Ryuzu that Subaru and the others had encountered.
And that meant—
“When did this chaos in the kingdom happen?”
“—About forty years ago, during the height of the ‘Subhuman War.'”
“—What?!”
At Roswaal’s answer, Subaru’s eyes widened in shock.
The ‘Subhuman War’ was a frequently mentioned event, but it was primarily about the civil war within the Lugnica Kingdom. That he’d hear about it even in the Volakia Empire was unexpected.
“According to records, Sphinx was considered one of the three most dangerous individuals on the subhuman side during the ‘Subhuman War.’ I heard her expertise in magic escalated the horrors of the ‘Subhuman War’ immensely.”
“I think I came across that name while studying the history of the kingdom. And the name you mentioned, Subaru… Balga Cromwell, that one too, right?”
“—Yes. That name also matches one of the individuals listed as dangerous.”
Emilia and Julius, who had actually faced the fake Ryuzu—Sphinx, mentioned the other name that they had heard before.
From their perspective, Subaru’s sudden mention of that name might have given the impression of a coincidence, but based on Sphinx’s reaction afterwards, it was clear that she and that individual were related.
Of course, Subaru himself was unaware that the name was linked to the events of the ‘Subhuman War.’
“So, the enemy is Sphinx and Balga Cromwell. Are those the same folks who caused a ruckus during the ‘Subhuman War’ and are now wreaking havoc in the Empire too? This makes no sense…”
“That ‘Subhuman War’ was over forty years ago, after all. We studied the history of the kingdom, and I know the claims from the subhuman side during the civil war, but… it feels disconnected from this situation.”
“Exactly. Regardless, I’m just glad Beatrice and the others are safe, but…”
The absurdity of the situation, where Sphinx and Balga, who had caused chaos in the kingdom long ago, were now wreaking havoc in the empire, made both Subaru and Anastasia cock their heads in confusion.
With things heading this way, it seemed likely that the last of the three individuals warned about during the civil war might also be involved with the enemy.
“That’s impossible. The last one… was it Libre Fueurmi’s name that I checked in the Pleiades Watchtower’s library? She’s definitely counted among the deceased.”
Beatrice, who had been keeping close to Subaru, denied his unease.
Having literally flown back with Roswaal, Beatrice seemed determined not to leave Subaru’s side since hearing about the dire situation they were in.
Subaru had a hard time sending her to the battlefield, so he intended to accept Beatrice’s cute determination.
In any case—
“If there’s a Book of the Dead, I can feel a bit reassured… or should I? After all, we’re dealing with zombies; it feels like it should be a given.”
“If that’s the case, it’s a terrifying tale. We’re not just up against regular zombies; there’s a possibility we might encounter historical heroes or cunning individuals.”
“Historical heroes, huh… Are you actually getting excited about this?”
“Unfortunately, since I’ve already faced Reid Astraea, I have to keep my expectations in check.”
Subaru cast a doubtful look at Julius, who shrugged.
After all, when Reid was discussed in the tower, Julius was quite the history geek. It wasn’t like he hadn’t settled things with Reid. He wouldn’t be the type to fall behind, but claiming he could keep his cool facing historical figures felt a bit exaggerated.
“This isn’t a time for jokes. For now, Natsuki’s group managed to prevent one of the enemy’s trump cards, but we’re still not out of the woods. The silver lining is that the formidable Sphinx fell early on…”
“Sorry to say this, Otto, but it’s not quite that simple.”
“Huh?”
With his arms crossed, Garfiel grumbled before Otto, eyes wide in disbelief. Covered in dirt from the battlefield, Garfiel pointed at Beatrice and Roswaal with both hands.
“That Sphinx messed with me and Beatrice before we even showed up. With that face of hers, I was so annoyed I wanted to scream out loud…”
“That’s understandable. She had the same face as Ryuzu. It must have been really tough for Garfiel.”
“But just because the face looks alike doesn’t mean she’s the same grandma. So I had no hesitation in facing off against her. The issue was what happened after.”
“What happened after?”
Garfiel nodded deeply, glancing at Emilia now.
His normally heroic demeanor clouded for once as he sighed heavily before saying,
“—We definitely took down Sphinx. I personally witnessed her turn to dust right in front of me during that ‘Ligiligi’s Collapse.’ The problem is…”
“Was that her actual aim?”
Continuing from Garfiel’s conclusion, Beatrice gripped Subaru’s hand tightly.
The strength of her grip, which turned Subaru’s fingers white, spoke volumes about the shock that Sphinx’s intention had brought upon Beatrice.
Seeing Beatrice’s expression, Roswaal continued, “Let me cut to the chase.”
“Sphinx indeed died before us, and soon after, she also died in front of Subaru and the others. What we can infer from this is simple… Sphinx can die multiple times and resurrect as a zombie each time.”
“N-no way…”
“If we were to take this to the worst-case scenario, the resurrected zombie would be aware of its last death and what brought it about. In other words, it knows Subaru-kun and Lady Halibel were the reasons it’s unable to blow up the Dragon Carriage.”
“———-”
Roswaal’s hypothesis, though labeled as mere conjecture, was chillingly plausible.
There were indeed many aspects that could lead one to agree. Back when that destructive light rained down, Sphinx hadn’t been the slightest bit flustered as she herself was exposed to the annihilating blow.
There are indeed humans who can remain unshaken even in the face of death.
However, if Sphinx remained calm because she did not regard ‘death’ as such, it oddly seemed to resonate with Subaru.
“It’s almost like…”
—“Returning from death,” Subaru thought but kept it to himself.
The fact that she didn’t think of losing her life as a disadvantage, utilizing it as a weapon was a destructive attack. The structural difference was that unlike Subaru’s ‘return from death,’ her dead fact didn’t disappear.
When comparing, it could be argued that it was more similar to Petelgeuse’s ‘possession’ and its troublesome nature than Subaru’s own ‘return from death.’
“No matter how many times we take her down…”
For a split second, Subaru murmured, and his gaze met Julius’s.
Most likely, Julius felt that both Sphinx and Petelgeuse shared the same level of annoyance. Unlike Petelgeuse, who possessed others, we’ll just call Sphinx’s action a ‘death escape’ for now—
“If you can’t take her down no matter how many times, the solution is simple: keep taking her down until she runs out of lives.”
“Lives? Wait, what does that even mean?”
“Meaning how many times she can resurrect. No matter how dangerous the opponent is, there’s no way they can come back infinitely. There’s definitely a limit, right?”
This wasn’t a position to boast about, but lives are bound to run out eventually.
If they manage to keep taking down Sphinx until her lives are exhausted, the calm expression she holds while thinking she’s untouched by ‘death’ would ultimately falter.
“So, there’s no need to stay feeling down. Instead, let’s celebrate the fact that we’ve already broken her pride. Rem! Thank you!”
“—! I-I didn’t do anything that great!”
Suddenly called upon, Rem shook her head vigorously, looking flustered, but claiming she hadn’t done anything grand was typical of her humility.
Immediately after Subaru’s return from ‘death’, he had gotten off the Dragon Carriage with Emilia and Julius, leaving a message for her inside.—To summon the strongest in Kararagi.
“If Rem hadn’t called Lady Halibel, then by now, both Emilia and I, along with Julius and the Dragon Carriage, would have turned to dust. If that were the case, Beatrice would have become a nun mourning for me for eternity.”
“I don’t even want to think about that, so try not to say such worst-case scenarios! If I died leaving Betty behind, would I seriously become a ‘nun’?”
“Yes, that’s right. Thanks to Rem, we’re able to talk here lively, and Beatrice doesn’t have to turn into a nun. Thank you.”
“…I understand. I will keep that in mind.”
As Rem received the gratitude from Beatrice, who was half in tears, and from the smiling Emilia, she hesitantly accepted the feelings.
With Beatrice, Emilia, and Rem all together, Subaru felt a swell of emotions rise in his chest as he turned his gaze to the tall figure, stating,
“Of course, thank you to Lady Halibel as well. Honestly, I was completely counting on Lady Halibel’s name to figure out how to deal with that monster…”
“Haha, being honest is a good thing. Truth be told, I was surprised the moment I was called out by the little blue-haired child. If I hadn’t known, it could have been my own death, right? I actually feel like I’ve been saved, rather.”
With a playful laugh, Halibel maintained a laid-back tone that lacked tension, yet without him, Subaru’s group would have undoubtedly faced annihilation.
Choosing to call him a second time was Subaru’s prudent decision, but it chilled him to think about what could have happened if Halibel hadn’t been there in the first place.
In that short timeframe, they needed to gather all the warriors who boarded the carriage and find the best course of action. Even then, whether a solution existed remained uncertain, truly showcasing the strength of the city-state.
“While you’re saying that, how did it actually go down?”
“Hmm, both Julius and I worked really hard, but I think we fell just a little short. It was incredibly fortunate that Anastasia got Halibel to be on our side.”
“I see. Then it was worth the hefty sum I spent to pull her in.”
Whispering, Emilia and Anastasia reevaluated Halibel, who seemed to lack tension. Thanks to the efforts of everyone involved, they were able to hold a debrief.
This was the harvest from Subaru’s intense confrontation moments ago—
“That’s the summary of the previous chaos. Simply put, we all managed to keep our lives thanks to hard work. Naturally, there’s something I need to say, right?”
“It was a noble effort.”
“This guy…!”
Upon hearing the Emperor, Abel’s appreciative words after patiently listening to the report up until now, Natsuki Subaru shook his fists with fervent emotion.
Of course, the ‘death escape’ operation initiated by Sphinx, which attacked the Dragon Carriage, was shared among the imperial leadership, who were unwittingly involved in the chaos.
The Dragon Carriage was considered an important asset for the Volakia Empire, so an explanation was necessary since parts of that valuable carriage had been destroyed out of necessity.
Still—
“Even after dealing with such a situation, to have it simply reduced to a noble effort…”
“What will you say, Natsuki-dono! To seek a reward surpassing the commendations from His Excellency! Know shame as a subject of the empire governed by His Excellency!!”
“Goz! Don’t be ridiculous! Subaru is not a subject of the empire but a child of the kingdom like us!”
“Emilia, your voice is getting louder again.”
Unlike the empire soldiers with MAX loyalty, for Subaru, Abel’s mere words of appreciation weren’t enough to satisfy him.
If it were Emilia thanking him, influenced by Goz, perhaps it might have made Subaru’s dissatisfaction decrease.
“Currently, we’re being chased out of the imperial capital and are in the process of reorganizing. Asking for a reward in line with your contributions when it cannot be offered is impractical. Therefore, I have nothing to give beyond mere words.”
“Oh, so you’re shouting that your wallet is empty…! Waaah, Anastasiaaa!”
“Geez, don’t be so down. Don’t worry, I’ll get your fair share for your hard work from the empire.”
“Yay! Please take as much as you can!”
As Subaru rejoiced at Anastasia’s reassurance, Abel sighed with a sour expression and returned to the topic at hand.
“Sphinx, the undead in question… was that the core of this ‘Great Calamity?'”
“At the very least, the magic that has revived this many zombies is likely formulated by her. It’s something that rogue would definitely attempt; a modification and improvement of existing spells.”
“Roswaal, I get that you don’t like her, but stop using such harsh words.”
In response to Abel, Roswaal chuckled slightly, and Emilia raised her eyebrows faintly.
With a serious gaze, her kind purple-blue eyes scrutinized Roswaal, then she spoke.
“We’re not here for a slanging match, are we? Even if we do something good, if we keep saying nasty things, no one will ever hear our true feelings.”
“—I see. I’ll bear that in mind.”
“Please do.”
Emilia’s smile seemed to bring out a sincere humility in Roswaal, who nodded wistfully.
Subaru felt that although Roswaal’s nature remained kind, Emilia’s way of thinking was becoming more refined. If Roswaal shared that realization, that would be nice too.
While Subaru pondered that, Roswaal returned to the topic at hand.
“I hear Sphinx also rampaged during the kingdom’s civil war. What was the outcome of that?”
“According to records from the kingdom, Sphinx, Balga Cromwell, and Libre Fueurmi were all defeated before the civil war concluded. The loss of these three decisively made the subhuman side’s situation worse… that’s what I remember.”
“I see. —However, there’s no way corpses would rise from the ground without reason. If they’re rising as undead to rampage across the empire, it must be due to the kingdom’s negligence.”
“Oh dear, it seems the esteemed Emperor Vincent Volakia has just made an absurd statement.”
With one eye closed, Abel quirked an eyebrow as Roswaal wore a smile and shrugged.
He directed his hand toward the view outside the window.
“What this foe is thinking is beyond my comprehension, but since it’s bringing calamity to the empire and not the kingdom with memories of defeat, it’s apparent there are different intentions behind this than back then. Considering the forty years of silence, it isn’t realistic to think that the kingdom’s records were wrong.”
After speaking that much, Roswaal returned to motioning outside, lifting a single finger once he returned his hand.
“Should there be someone who directly participated in the ‘Subhuman War’ and had the chance to slay Sphinx but failed, as you said, then I believe they would bear responsibility.”
“That’s ridiculous. There’s no point in debating the position of an old soldier who decided the war when asking for the merits of one who participated in the kingdom’s civil war forty years ago.”
“Well, that’s true. For now, I’m just relieved you’re not the type to make ridiculous demands… Huh? What’s up, Beatrice? You look so displeased?”
“…Is Beatrice ever not adorable?”
Roswaal’s statement that was right on point saw Abel retract any challenging remarks quickly.
It seemed that these kinds of provocations had become a habit, but they should definitely be corrected along the way. As Subaru thought that, he noticed Beatrice had an oddly sullen look on her face.
While it was indeed a fact that she was adorable, it seemed something in their exchange today had rubbed Beatrice the wrong way. Probably, this look was absolutely tied to Roswaal.
“Now, let’s get to the other details. It’s hardly productive to claim grand gestures if they achieve no results.”
“I’ll tell you right now, the ones making grand gestures were not Beatrice and the rest, it was Subaru! But it’s Beatrice’s duty to take responsibility for the grand gestures that Subaru has made.”
“Certainly, although there were indeed some results to speak of. They aren’t quite weaknesses of zombies, but we did discern a few things.”
When Abel asked, Beatrice and Roswaal confidently affirmed.
Hearing their response, Subaru snapped his fingers, declaring,
“So? So? Did you figure out the zombies’ weaknesses? If that’s the case, then if Sphinx pops up again, we don’t have to be afraid!”
“Natsuki, don’t get your hopes up too high. There’s no way that would be the case…”
“You underestimate Beatrice and the rest too much. They’ve certainly figured something out.”
“Whaaat?!”
“Seriously!?”
Beatrice puffed up her chest, presenting a look of delight at his shock, and buoyed by their excitement, she exclaimed, “Of course I did!”
“The hint came from Garfiel’s intuition. Garfiel was the one to stir the pot on the battlefield before us; he pointed out the oddities right off the bat.”
“Even so, it’s possible that Garfiel might have forgotten it if Beatrice hadn’t come through.”
“Honestly, for someone with such superior intuition, it’s quite wasteful for you not to trust your own instincts… oh? I was trying to give a compliment here, but…”
“Compliments or insults don’t make me happy!”
Garfiel pouted at Beatrice’s opposing sentiment, while Roswaal just shrugged at the usual squabbles between them.
Putting aside their typical banter, Beatrice continued.
“The oddity Garfiel noticed was the different durability of the zombies. Some would fall from a single arrow while others were still fine with ten arrows stuck in them. This was the difference.”
“But isn’t that likely just because the ‘zombies’ are stronger? Like, if I’m stronger than Subaru, then differences might explain it?”
“That wasn’t it. Even with differences between Subaru and Anastasia, it was more like distinctions between arrows one and ten.”
“Comparing to me seems pretty unfair for Natsuki, though.”
Chuckling softly, Anastasia glanced over at Subaru. Yet, with Subaru currently shrinking away, he felt he had no room to argue, merely waving off her concern with a hand.
However, the oddity Beatrice mentioned was certainly worth pondering. And it seemed Beatrice and Roswaal had unraveled its truth.
That answer was—
“State the conclusion. What gave rise to the differences among the undead?”
“—Insects.”
“Insects…?”
Subaru frowned at the answer to Abel’s question.
Then, Beatrice shifted her gaze to Roswaal, who nodded slightly. At that signal, Roswaal pulled something from his pocket.
“Everyone, do take caution. I’ve frozen it to stop its movements, but if the ice were to break, a zombie would likely be born right here.”
“What are you saying…whoa, wait, what is that?!”
“Didn’t Beatrice mention it? It’s insects. If I had to give a specific name, it’d be a ‘Core Insect.'”
That said, Roswaal held in his hand a small ice cube with a red, round object nestled within.
Upon closer inspection, one could indeed see that it was a small round insect resembling a caterpillar—
“This Core Insect lies within every one of those zombies. This insect is their lifeline… it can be aptly referred to as the core.”
“The insect is the core, meaning that…?”
“—I see. Therefore, Garfiel’s oddity stemmed from whether the arrow struck the Core Insect within the zombie at different stages.”
Still reeling from the startling implications of insects, Subaru felt his shock fade away as Julius came to this conclusion.
Upon hearing Julius’s words, the others began to grasp the idea too. Naturally, Subaru finally understood the intention behind mentioning that insect—
“So that Core Insect is the zombie’s heart then.”
“The clarification of the magic will proceed from here on out, but this Core Insect acquires information about the subject being turned into a zombie, creates a vessel from the earth, and recreates its original form… that’s our conclusion.”
“That’s it.”
Beatrice nodded in agreement with Roswaal’s conclusion.
However, Subaru couldn’t close his mouth after hearing their verdict.
If the zombies were generated via magic, he could accept it in a fantasy context. Versus the idea of magical bugs creating zombies, the feelings of disgust were overwhelming.
“I used to love catching insects as a kid, and now I’m feeling pathetic…”
“I don’t think that’s an appropriate time for such reflections. —In any case, our people have produced results. What do you think, Your Excellency?”
“At the very least, it has been proven that we are not merely a bunch of loudmouths that leave empty words. I acknowledge that. Noble effort.”
“…That might be something better left unsaid.”
While the people of the empire were fine, the people of the kingdom—including Subaru—knew that flattery was often received poorly.
Still, as Otto pointedly put it, Abel, for all his stubbornness, could not deny the results discovered by Beatrice and the others.
Internally, he must be gnashing his teeth.
“Great job, just like I expect from my Beatrice.”
“Of course, this is the strength of Subaru’s partner. It’s a far cry from the mere deer girl who just shared some hardships with Subaru.”
“Don’t get all huffy and let’s be friends with Tanzer! Didn’t Emilia-chan also say we should avoid saying nasty things!”
Molly started to calm Beatrice, after which Subaru promised a hundred pats to make it up, then looked again towards Abel.
Meeting Abel’s gaze, Subaru puffed out his chest and declared,
“These are my reliable comrades. It’s worth the effort to boast about.”
“I acknowledge the feats preventing the previous attack on the Dragon Carriage. Yet why do you need to seem victorious before me? I am clearly aware of the results by mere observation.”
“Well, anything you say sounds like excuses to me. I’m feeling good right now, so it’s all good.”
Subaru let out a satisfied snort in response to Abel’s displeased retort. Emilia scolded him with a “stop it,” but he couldn’t hide his true feelings.
Suddenly, recognizing their achievements caused a stir among the imperial leadership, with Belstets and Selena whispering something to one another before turning to Abel.
“Your Excellency，our friends, the Baron Meisars, have demonstrated such remarkable results that it would be remiss for us to not provide valuable information in turn, wouldn’t it?”
“Lord Dracroy, is there something amusing about this?”
“Amusing, you say? I sincerely apologize, Your Excellency. I was completely unaware of such a perception, but perhaps, as an imperial noble, there’s a feeling of being tested on the pride that requires us to demonstrate the empire’s prestige.”
“—”
By placing her hand over her ample bosom, Selena’s pale scars twisted, but while her expression didn’t reflect amusement, the tone of her voice and the spark in her eyes revealed her undeniable cheerfulness.
Under precarious circumstances, speaking to the emperor with that attitude took a level of fortitude beyond the ordinary.
“Could it be that Selena is quite the character?”
“Not sure if she’s a character or not, but she’s a friend of Roswaal’s.”
“Ah.”
When asked for intel about Selena, the initial bombshell tossed coupled with the initial context was sufficient to obliterate the wall of disbelief.
Yet, suggesting to either Roswaal or Selena to choose their friendships seemed delicate. After all, it was apparent that their friendships stretched across borders, influencing Emilia and the others’ backgrounds as well as their search for Subaru.
“Now that I think about it, Roswaal was rather audacious during the Royal Selection.”
If Selena is a friend of someone who held that attitude against Abel, it makes sense to find a connection of sorts.
“With the benefit of hindsight, that must have revised Natsuki’s own choices too, huh?”
“I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you…”
As Subaru covered his ears to escape an unpleasant past, a warm yet reproachful gaze came from the very individual who was preaching “the past can’t be erased.”
While still directed at the emperor, Selena continued her persuasion of the subject at hand.
“In any case, I believe Your Excellency would find it useful. That’s precisely why I’m inclined to keep such close company.”
“Enough without such devious language; I too understand well at this point.”
With a laughing snort, Abel dismissed Selena’s gaze that sought to critique.
After a moments’ thought, he turned a serious expression to reveal something that had been brought forth by Selena.
“—In addressing the ‘Great Calamity,’ there may be those who possess information worthy of discussion. Before arriving at the castle city, it’s necessary to hear their story.”
“Well now, it seems we’re finally in a groove where you’ll listen to what I have to propose? If so, that brings me joy, Your Excellency.”
In a rigorously locked carriage room, the person who had been practically under house arrest greeted Abel with a smile that could only be described as sweet.
However, given his harsh treatment under confinement, there was no way such a smile could be genuine.
After all, he was entirely bound up in chains that tied him firmly to a chair, a setup impeccably designed so that he could no longer escape.
“Hey, hey Abel, this is going a bit far…”
“Necessary measures. Good or bad, losing this man would represent a significant loss for us. Make no mistake, if released from such bonds, he would quickly seek a path to death.”
“A path to death is, most definitely, not the case! You see, I’ve simply been exerting energy to end this ‘Great Calamity’… and I wouldn’t even flinch at giving my life if it meant stopping it!”
“Oh ho…”
While grinning broadly, the man tied up on the chair swayed back and forth.
His remarks triggered an unsettling sense of madness, making it hard for even Subaru to dismiss Abel’s words as exaggeration.
But there’s no doubt he felt dubious regarding his sincerity—
“And you, uh, Ubiruku, the ‘Star Reader’… this person is reliable, correct?”
“Oh my, to think I’d be doubted… but really, looking closely, isn’t that you, the ‘Star Reader’ from the kingdom who passed by at the Chaos Frame?”
“Entirely different. Oh! Wait a second, was it you who blabbed that I was a ‘Star Reader’ to him? Thanks to you, I ended up having to brawl with this guy!”
The man, initially cheering with joy—the charismatic Ubiruku—was met with Subaru’s frustration.
Subaru felt his role was being subjected to an obscure classification that was nothing short of a nuisance. While he understood the implications surrounding “Star Readers” being akin to prophetic figures, considering the risks that entailed with someone who ‘returns from death,’ it was undeniably bothersome.
Nonetheless—
“You and I are not the same. Let’s keep that clear.”
“What? Oh, you’re saying you’re not a member of the same group, huh? If that’s the case, I’d have to say you might just be underestimating yourself.”
“Is that from the stars? In which case, Abel, we need to take this person’s word with suspicion.”
For an entity that may provide misleading guidance, he wished to avoid that sort of unreliable source.
What’s most critical now is having someone who could provide even the minutest semblance of concrete information. Vague, ambiguous predictions were absolutely unwelcome.
So, Subaru was about to turn away quickly—
“Wait, wait, please hold on! I understand! You’re not the ‘Star Reader’! I’m fine with that!”
“That sounds like baiting with words, but even when you correct that, it won’t restore faith…”
“Honestly, I’d be fine with being locked in as I am. Just please, hear the things I’ve gathered through my stargazing! That’s all I ask!”
“———”
Ubiruku twisted his body in a desperate bid, his eyes gleaming fervently in hopes of being heard. The intensity of his appeal forced the chains digging into his flesh raw, creating little trails of blood.
Without regard for pain, it seemed he desperately wished to share whatever intelligence he acquired as a ‘Star Reader.’ By that light, even his life itself might not matter.
“Abel, those ‘Star Readers’ are…”
“Discard any sentiment. If it’s worthy of consideration, I will be the judge after hearing it.”
His overwhelming fixation on the stars left Subaru with an unpleasant sense of déjà vu. Yet, Abel was impervious to Subaru’s unspoken thoughts, keeping his eyes fixed on the fervent Ubiruku.
Once Abel gave him audience, Ubiruku ceased twisting in impatience, substituting it with a placid smile.
“Your Excellency, rest assured! No matter how great the ‘Great Calamity’ may be, you’ll always have the stars beside you!”
“Regardless of which Vincent Volakia remains, may the stars grant us the wisdom not to mistake them. Don’t make me laugh. —Speak. What have you come to share?”
“There are two.”
At Abel’s inquiry, Ubiruku succinctly responded.
With Subaru quietly muttering “Two” under his breath, Abel wordlessly prompted him to continue.
While Subaru felt dubious over whether this would be beneficial, at least `the Star Reader`, who supposedly hinted at the arrival of the ‘Great Calamity,’ now had something to impart that would serve the trembling empire.
What he stated was—
“Two lights to counter the wrath of the ‘Great Calamity.’ One is the girl, who cannot communicate with the boy she travels with—the ‘Star Reader’… or not.”
“…What?”
As Ubiruku threw in that statement, wordlessly gleaming to meet his gaze, Subaru opened wide his eyes, shocked.
Not trusting Ubiruku’s claim outright was a sensible hesitation. However, he had an underlying belief that there was good reason he ought to believe this.
Because there was only one existing person who matched the distant description given.
And just when that shocking revelation started to settle in, Ubiruku elaborated.
With the same lips that spoke of one of the two lights, he addressed the remaining one.
That light was—
“—The beastman, one of the nine peaks most acquainted with curses, within this empire.”
