"There's no point in making a tearful face like that. I've already made up my mind. Once I make up my mind, I won't budge. Don Morakin is as strong as ever, even when pushed."
Looking at Subaru, whose eyes were wide with shock, Garfiel continued speaking.
The conditions he spoke of――Hearing them, Subaru's heart was in a state of shock and confusion. Because,
"And of all people, you're the one to say that...?"
"Huh? You're surprised I'm against it. Just how naive you are, you little fool. Just because we were able to have a little chat, I don't want you to think you understand me."
Garfiel's mouth twists in displeasure at what Subaru says, but Subaru also wants to grumble and complain.
In the first place, the idea that Garfiel had just rejected was based on a suggestion made by that very Garfiel.
In the world before the restart, Garfiel couldn't bear to see Emilia being worn down by taking on the Trials, so he asked Subaru to take them in his place. Subaru was adamant that Emilia must overcome the Trials, so this idea came as a bolt from the blue to him, and he accepted it, thinking that there was more to it than just being right, but...
Subaru: "There are many emotions swirling inside me that I can't swallow… but I'll forget about it for now. Anyway, why are you opposed to it? Even for you, it's not a bad idea to increase the possibility of the liberation of 『Sanctuary』."
"Well, if you completely approve of the old hag's plan, you know it would be more efficient to accept your proposal, you know? ――But, I absolutely don't want to do that."
"What kind of childish talk is that...!"
There is no logic to what Garfiel is saying as he folds his arms and turns his face away. If he is speaking purely emotionally, things will only get more complicated.
As we've learned from our conversation so far, Garfiel is a very moody character - or, to be more precise, his moods are heavily influenced by his own values. Since generalizations are unreliable, he doesn't know what will be effective.
"Lewes..."
Subaru thought there was no point in talking to Garfiel, who had no intention of competing with him, so he called out to the childlike old woman who was silently watching the situation. However, when Subaru pointed the water at Lewes, she waved her loose sleeves, unable to reach her hands,
"With Gar-bo like this, he won't be influenced by my words anymore. It's unfortunate, but there's no one in the Sanctuary who can be coerced into doing what he wants. Why don't you give it a try, Su-bo?"
"I don't have the suicidal habit of challenging someone who can throw a dragon carriage... Shit, what on earth is that?"
Although Lewes doesn't necessarily agree with what Garfiel says, he probably agrees with his opinion deep down, as he doesn't actively scold him.
Lewes also believes that it is Emilia who should overcome the Trials. It is unclear how much respect she has for Roswaal, but fundamentally, she and Roswaal see the same outcome.
Still, I can't help but wish that at least Garfiel was on our side.
"...Subaru."
Looking up at Subaru, who was overwhelmed with emotions he couldn't put into words, Emilia called out to him with a worried look on her face. Her amethyst eyes reflected Subaru's profile,
"I, I'll do my best, so you don't have to push yourself, Subaru. Just… well, it was a bit sudden so I was surprised, if I'd known what was going to happen…"
"No, Emilia-tan, you don't need to push yourself. I'll somehow convince that stubborn bastard. Then there'll be no need for the 'Trials'…"
"Subaru is――"
Emilia is weak-willed and likely to give in to Garfiel's arguments. Subaru tries to encourage her weakness and arm her with arguments. However, as Subaru begins to prepare for the debate in his head, Emilia says,
"Subaru… no, can't you leave Subaru to me too?"
"...picture?"
"I-I think that because I showed my weaknesses, I can't be entrusted with the Trial... That's what you're thinking, so I'll take your place."
"No. That's not it."
"No, I understand why Subaru is worried. Subaru was able to overcome it properly, but far from overcoming it, I can't even make up my mind to face it… A "Past" called a "Trial"…"
Subaru denies it, but Emilia shook her head and refused to accept it.
Negative emotions flashed in her eyes, her lips trembled slightly, and her pale cheeks lost even more color. From the unstable state of her words, it was clear that a "past" called a "trial" was reminiscing in her mind.
--It was something so strong-willed that it easily took her by surprise.
"There's no need to remember――!"
"But if you don't face them, you can't overcome the 'Trials'! That's right... If you don't overcome the 'Trials', if you don't overcome your 'past'... you can't become king. I can't let the people of the village, or the people of the 'Sanctuary', go outside..."
He touches her shoulders and calls out to her, but she shakes her head and stubbornly refuses to listen to what Subaru is saying. On the contrary, the more he tries to stop her, the stronger her resolve becomes.
"I can't keep relying on Subaru. I can't. Just a little while ago, Subaru was covered in wounds, and yet he still did his best for me… I'm going to make him shoulder everything again…"
"That's fine. It might sound bad, but we all help each other. Isn't it better to have the right person in the right place? When it comes to this 'Trial', I'm the one with better compatibility. That's all there is to it, there's nothing more to it than that. I think I can do it, so it's faster and more certain if I do it. There aren't that many things I'm able to do. There will be plenty of opportunities from now on for Emilia-tan to work hard, being Emilia-tan."
"Isn't now one of those opportunities? If I keep turning my eyes away from things I don't like and running away... then what will become of me?"
--How great it would have been if I had shouted out that there was nothing wrong with running away.
If running away from unpleasant things, turning a blind eye to painful things, and turning your back on painful things allows you to live peacefully, then that's not a bad way to live. Subaru himself had lived his life doing just that, keeping his distance from hardships as much as possible.
Therefore, I believed, and was able to say, that such a way of life - even if it was a weak way of life - there was no reason for it to be blamed.
And yet, right now. Right now, Subaru, who could understand Emilia's stubborn heart, her restrictive complaints, her weakness, should have been the one to accept it――
"――――"
For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to say the words I was thinking.
As Subaru remained silent, Emilia closed her eyes tightly and looked down. Touching both of her shoulders, Subaru didn't know what to do about the body heat that felt almost hot.
While watching the two of them,
"Hah. You're free to argue and push back and forth like that, but from an outsider's perspective, it sounds like Emilia-sama has the advantage, doesn't it? In reality, the 'Trials' were prepared for Emilia-sama to challenge. And now you're coming in and interrupting…"
"Shut up! You... you still don't know anything..."
"Huh?"
Subaru's anger explodes at Garfiel, who speaks so nonchalantly, without any regard for his own feelings.
But Subaru, unfazed by Garfiel's violent behavior, glared at him,
"Do you understand what the outcome will be if you push them like that? They will be hurt, suffer, worn down, and you can't just stand there and watch that happen? ...I was the one who was wrong."
"...I don't know what you're suddenly talking about."
Subaru: "I'm telling you, you were only thinking about conditions and benefits and such things, and didn't think about Emilia at all. The rewards of overcoming the 'Trials' will be great, but the hurt you'll receive along the way, the tears you'll shed, aren't taken into account… And neither is her own will."
Despite having been the one to witness Emilia's gradual deterioration from up close in the previous world, Subaru never uttered a word to stop her as she grew weaker before the Trials.
He had pushed her, cornered her, until he was completely worn down, believing that it was her, Emilia, who would be able to do it, and only realized it after being admonished by her.
The troublesome nature of the phenomenon known as "Return by Death" had really hit home for Subaru right now.
And in a situation where you only know the facts that will happen in advance, if you blurt out words that are not well-informed and are driven by emotion,
"What… do you know, Subaru?"
"Emilia?"
Feeling a tug on his sleeve, he raised his head to see Emilia looking at him with wide eyes, her amethyst eyes swirling with emotion, drowned out by floating tears.
Emilia shook her head slightly, refusing to accept anything, "No, no…"
"Do you know? Subaru, I, you know my… my 'past'?"
"Wait, let's calm down. Let's take a deep breath. Things haven't been going smoothly so far. So..."
"No, that's not it... I didn't mean to do that... I just... I just-"
Inside the tomb, Emilia returns to the same state she was in immediately after completing the Trial.
Flustered and confused, her words began to become incoherent, and her moist amethyst eyes reflected the Subaru in front of her, but she was not looking.
She stretched out her fingers and pulled the hem of Subaru's clothes towards her,
"Everyone thought of me... and so, Mother thought of me too... but that's not true. It's not true. It was actually different. At that time, I... actually..."
"Emilia, what are you doing..."
Emilia blurted out in a desperate voice, clinging to him. Unable to understand the meaning of her impatience, Subaru could only pray that his meaningless sincerity would reach her.
In front of the helpless Subaru, a shadow suddenly moved.
"ーーRam."
Without responding to her brief appeal, Ram slid around behind Emilia. She gently extended her hand and covered Emilia's mouth from behind, and as the silver-haired girl's eyes widened slightly in shock, she quietly said, "Excuse me,"
"...ah"
Suddenly, Emilia's body collapses to the ground as if all her strength has left her.
Subaru quickly reached out his hand to Emilia, who had collapsed in front of him, and caught her as she nearly fell, letting out a soft sigh of relief. Then, he looked up at Ram, who had done so,
"What did you do?"
"A quick way to calm him down. Will Barusu be angry?"
"I'd like to say that it was a bit pushy but... I think it was for the best. Sorry for causing you so much trouble."
"It's odd to apologize to Barusu for Emilia-sama's convenience. Since when have you been handed over as Emilia-sama's guardian by the Great Spirit?"
"That's not what I meant..."
As Subaru tries to say that it isn't, he realizes that his argument is completely unconvincing.
With Puck having not shown up for some reason, Subaru was certainly watching Emilia with even more vigilant eyes than usual. Knowing how worn down she was from taking on the Trials, that feeling was surely intensifying.
And for Emilia, without a reliable Great Spirit by her side, she seemed to feel like she was relying on Subaru more than ever before.
Anyway,
"If I have to protect her, then this is the end of the matter."
Emilia had been forced to sleep by Ram. Seeing Subaru holding her tenderly, Garfiel snorted and spat out the words.
That attitude made Subaru want to raise his voice, but as Emilia in his arms stirred slightly, Subaru instinctively shut his mouth. With no chance to argue, he could only watch as Garfiel turned his back on him.
"Today's Trial will be an exception. From tomorrow onwards, it will be Emilia-sama who will have to undergo the Trial again. I won't allow you to take it."
Baring his teeth, Garfiel leaves Lewes' house. Behind him, a small figure appears - Lewes follows,
"Sorry, Su-bo, but I agree with you. The sooner we liberate the Sanctuary, the better... but it would be better for us if we went along with what Roz-boi had in mind."
"What do you mean, convenience..."
"Even if we are liberated from the 'Sanctuary', it won't change the fact that we will continue to be under Roz's protection as his subjects. In that case, I would like to avoid exceptions that may upset him as much as possible. ...I don't intend to be so selfish as to ask you to think badly of me, though."
Lewes' argument was based on her heartfelt feelings as a resident of the Sanctuary, which left Subaru with no room to argue.
Once Garfiel and Lewes, the two from the Sanctuary, had left the room, it was the members of Roswaal Mansion plus a few others who were left behind.
"So, what does Otto, the alpha, think about this situation?"
"My situation and future prospects are so awful that I'm just trying to let it go in silence, so could you please stop dragging me in?... However, to be honest, after listening to what you've said, I think what Garfiel and the others are saying is correct."
Holding up his finger, Otto nodded several times as he looked at the kneeling Subaru,
"That is what the Margrave is aiming at, and there is also Emilia-sama's position as a candidate for the throne. Certainly, if Natsuki were to conduct the Trials in her stead, that would still be considered an achievement on Emilia-sama's part… but leaving aside the possibility of third parties hearing about it later, do you think you will be able to gain the support of the parties currently staying in this Sanctuary?"
Subaru: "…Even I understand that logic. No matter how you look at it, it would be far more beneficial for Emilia to liberate 『Sanctuary』. However…"
"Emilia-sama, are you unable to overcome the Trials?"
Ram spoke frankly, as if to break through Subaru's hesitation. Subaru looked calmer in response to her refreshingly blunt way of speaking,
Subaru: "From what I've seen, it will be difficult to produce results in such a short time. There's no point in talking about it without knowing specifically what happened in Emilia's past… but we're not in a position to spend that much time on this, you all understand that, right?"
"I would like it to be completed at the very least within the three years until the royal selection is concluded."
"That's a long-winded story in itself."
It was probably just a joke, but he said it with a straight face, so there was no chance he was being serious. And the one who realised the meaning of Subaru's words and nodded was,
"There is the burden of the evacuees, and also the food situation in the Sanctuary. Looking at it from a long-term perspective, I think it's not realistic to continue maintaining this number."
"Well, that's how it is. It's already stressful to suddenly be living in evacuation shelters, and if the food there isn't enough to satisfy people, their discontent will explode in no time. For the people at the 'Sanctuary', there's no point in continuing to keep the hostages if it means their own food standards are lowered. --At least, all of them."
"Are you saying Garf might cull the villagers?"
Ram asked, speaking rather emphatically.
Subaru was surprised by her reaction and raised his eyebrows, but perhaps she also felt uneasy about her own attitude, and to hide it, she stroked her own bangs with her fingers,
"It's not something I really want to think about, but with Garf's personality it's possible. When it comes to the last minute, he won't hesitate to follow his own priorities."
"That's something you're similar to. I agree with you. …That's why I would like to propose that we release the hostages from the 'Sanctuary' before it gets to that point."
Last time, the proposal was accepted because of a secret condition that "Subaru would undergo a trial." Since that condition has not worked this time, the same proposal is likely to face considerable difficulties in negotiations. Nevertheless, I believe that we will be able to win concessions in the end,
"In any case, if the people at Sanctuary are going to insist that Emilia take the Trial, I wish they'd at least spare her the trouble it brings."
"...That's surprising. I thought Barusu would be more opposed than that, like a disobedient child."
Ram expressed her thoughts succinctly in response to Subaru's attempt to remove Emilia's concerns about undergoing the Trial. Subaru nodded in response and prefaced his response with "Hmm,"
"It's frustrating and annoying, but... it makes the most sense to go along with Roswaal's plan. Ah, that's right. If I can ignore the fact that Emilia might get hurt, then it's definitely better to continue like this."
"You know it's going to hurt you, but you still let him walk. You've become a demon."
"I guess I've changed a lot since a demon told me that. But... no, it's fine."
Subaru started to speak, but stopped short and shook his head. Ram frowned at his uncertain attitude, but had no intention of speaking any further.
Subaru picked up Emilia, still in his arms, careful not to wake her. She was light. They say that an unconscious person feels heavier than usual, but even so, her body was as light as a feather.
Just how much can this tiny, slender body hold?
"Ram. After I put Emilia to bed in her room, I want to talk to Roswaal. Can I come?"
"Lord Roswaal is currently recuperating. He said he won't let anyone in for a while..."
"I want to talk about the Trials. This is something that can't be solved by people with low ranks like you and I discussing alone. We need the opinion of an intelligent person."
If he uses the Trial as bait like this, Roswaal will have no choice but to remove the sign prohibiting visitors and face Subaru. He had already experienced this in the previous loop.
Ram closed her eyes for a while, as if considering Subaru's words, but then she sighed tiredly and,
"I'll go and ask Roswaal-sama. Barusu, please make sure Emilia-sama is on her bed... and that she doesn't do anything strange."
Subaru: "What a thing to say to me when I'm in serious mode. I hadn't even thought of that, but now that you've brought it up, I'm directly feeling Emilia-tan's softness and my knees are shaking, what are you going to do about it?"
"Otto, keep an eye on me."
"I got it!"
Ram brushed off Subaru's nonsense, gave Otto a quick order, and left the house. Two men and one beautiful girl were left behind. In this situation, Otto, still in his salute, glanced in Subaru's direction, and said,
"Now, Lady Emilia, please head to the bed. I'll help you if you like."
Subaru: "More importantly, what's with that submissive attitude you're showing towards Ram…"
"Well, look, Ram-san is under the direct control of the Margrave, isn't he? If you think about it, wouldn't it be more promising for your relationship with the Margrave to curry favor with Ram-san, rather than Natsuki-san, whose heart is completely dependent on Emilia-sama, hehe."
"You've gone from being the capable merchant you were initially, to being a sly little ruffian. Can't you do something about that? You'll soon be treated like a nuisance and slaughtered in the darkness."
Commenting on Otto's change of heart, Subaru sighed as he carried Emilia into the bedroom. He lightly adjusted the disheveled sheets and gently laid her down there. And,
"oh..."
Just as he was about to pull the sheets over his shoulders and leave, he noticed that her fingertips were gripping the hem of his clothes. Feeling a deep affection for the feel of her weak-looking fingertips, Subaru gently removed them. Then he wrapped his hands around her freed fingertips,
"Wait for me, Emilia."
"――――"
"I'll do something about it soon. I'll make sure that you don't have to cry or suffer any more."
With that promise, Subaru releases Emilia's hand.
I stood up, turned around and headed towards the exit of the house - towards Roswaal.
There were far too many things that needed to be found out from that demon.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
"---I see, I understand the situation."
Roswaal, who had been listening to Subaru's long story in silence, hand on his chin, nodded.
The location was a room in Roswaal's house where he was resting, and only Subaru and Roswaal were present. Roswaal was lying on the bed, sitting up and looking in his direction, and Subaru gave him a stern look.
"For that reason, if we are to include as many opinions from the 'Sanctuary' side as possible, I think that would be the best compromise."
"Well, it's true that the moment Emilia-sama entered the barrier of the Sanctuary, Garfiel and his group's plan was practically accomplished. Emilia-sama herself needs to overcome the Trials in order to leave the Sanctuary. If the hostages used as insurance are just a burden that wastes food, then it makes sense to let them go... that's how it goes."
"I think it's a logical argument. It's not like we're abandoning or postponing the issue of the 'Sanctuary'. It's just that we should cut out everything that isn't strictly necessary."
"That's not a very good way to put it. Don't you have these concerns? If the liberation of the Sanctuary becomes uncertain, or if Emilia-sama's heart gets too carried away and she is unable to endure the Trials, then the hostages could become a means of blackmailing her. Let's get rid of those worries first... something like that."
Roswaal closed one eye and looked at Subaru with yellow eyes. Taking in what he said, Subaru crossed his arms, nodded, and said,
"No, sorry, I hadn't thought that far. I mean, the fact that such a horrible idea popped into your head so quickly is a bit off-putting."
"What? Did you overthink it, or rather, were you overthinking it? That's rude. I mean, it's possible to think like that."
Roswaal laughs, trying to hide his excessive pessimism. Subaru looks at Garfiel with a blank look, not expecting him to go that far.
Although he can be somewhat stubborn, inflexible, and difficult to reason with, he never does anything illogical or unethical.
Though they had only known each other for a few days, Subaru had this impression of Garfiel.
Anyway,
"So? What do you want me to do, Subaru-kun?"
"I'd prefer it if Roswaal was the one to bring up this issue, rather than me. This time, it seems like things wouldn't go so well if it was me."
"Then what's the matter?"
"It seems that that bastard Garfiel really doesn't like me. I'm not giving up on persuading him, but I know it's going to be tough to come to an end in a day or two."
He remembers the sharp look Garfiel gave Subaru as they parted ways.
He looked at me with such hostility and loathing, as if I were glaring at the sworn enemy of my parents, that I had no idea why he was looking at me like that. Had I done something unforgivable in his way of doing things, or had I said something that went against his beliefs? Either way,
"When he gets emotional, he might just flatly reject my opinion. What's more, Lewes-san might be reluctant to accept it if Garfiel brings it up. If there's any chance of that happening, I'd like to leave that possibility out of the picture."
"That's where I come in. Well, that's fine. I'll talk to Grandma Lewes and Garfiel. Garfiel dislikes me too, so I don't know if we'll be able to come to an agreement right away, though."
After hearing Subaru's proposal, Roswaal readily accepts.
Subaru breathed a sigh of relief at the reassuring response. For now, this would resolve one of his concerns. If there was one remaining problem, it was,
"Well then. Is that the end of your business with me?"
"No, not yet. --We haven't talked about the most important thing yet."
The most important thing I'd come to say hadn't even begun.
Roswaal tilted his head, ran his hands over his back, and closed one eye. As if it had become a habit, Subaru straightened his back as those yellow eyes stared at him.
and,
"The Trial in the Tomb shows Emilia her 'past'. Do you have any idea what 'past' she is seeing and is suffering from?"
Subaru spoke out, cutting into the 『past』 that Emilia was desperately trying to hide.
Upon hearing the question, Roswaal closed his yellow eyes and tilted his chin slightly in thought. Silence fell on the room for a moment, and Subaru waited, hearing only the sounds of his impatience burning within the soundless world. And then,
"Don't you think it's a bit cowardly to ask me about that without asking Lady Emilia directly?"
Subaru: "You can call me underhanded and cowardly if you want. I too would like to know everything about Emilia from her own mouth if I could. But."
There was no way Subaru could get her to reveal the truth directly from her, even though she was so teary-eyed and looked so distressed, and yet was trying to hide it.
However, even though Subaru felt a pang of conscience about uncovering the secret she was going to such lengths to hide, he did not hesitate.
"I want to know more about her, and I have to know more about her. I'll grab at any straw I can find to help me achieve that."
"I've been told a lot of things by people around me up until now, but being treated like a straw is a first for me. ...Now then."
After laughing softly, Roswaal's expression suddenly disappeared.
He let out a short breath, then stopped breathing and reflected Subaru in his different colored eyes. As he bathed Subaru in those different colored gazes, Roswaal raised his hand and touched his forehead,
"That Emilia-sama is a half-elf. And that half-elves are subject to horrible discrimination due to the influence of the 'Witch of Envy'. These are things that even you, the wise man, already know, right?"
"...Yeah. If you look at the way she behaved at the royal castle, you can see that Emilia has been treated unfairly because of that. She's also had to come face to face with some disgusting people."
The image of the Witch Cult's wickedness came to Subaru's mind. Subaru shook his head to drive the image away, and Roswaal continued, "That's it,"
"It's true that the half-elves were the ones who suffered the most severe oppression, but… that's not all. Subaru-kun, have you ever seen any elves in the royal capital?"
"An elf? Isn't she half-elf? ...No, I don't think she's seen it."
Placing his hand on his chin, Subaru recalled all his memories of the world up until now. However, in all the worlds he had been to, Subaru had no memory of ever seeing an elf - a popular race characterized by their beautiful appearance and slightly long ears.
To Subaru's answer, Roswaal simply replied, "That's true, isn't it?"
"Half-elves weren't the only ones who suffered severe oppression all over the world. Elves were also the target of this oppression, as they were one of the reasons why half-elves were born."
"...! No, no matter how you look at it, that's too reckless. And if you go by that logic..."
"You mean we have to exterminate the humans as well? That's unfortunate, but in this world, there are far more humans than demi-humans, and their nations are much larger. The gap between the demi-humans and humans widened too much, which resulted in the 'Demi-human War', but that's not relevant for now."
"So what's the big deal about the elves' past of being oppressed?"
Subaru was intrigued by the phrase he'd never heard before, "Demi-human war," but he wanted to bring the conversation back to the main topic before it strayed from the main topic. Roswaal pulled his chin in and shook his head from side to side, "Two tidy."
"Not only are half-elves unable to show their faces in a place like the royal capital, but their parent race, the elves, also find it difficult to show their faces in public. That's probably a big factor in why you never see any elves in the royal capital."
"That makes sense... but how does it all fit together?"
Subaru asks, seeking a conclusion. Roswaal leans his back pretentiously against the pillow, feeling the softness pushing back against him, and looks up slightly,
"As an extension of discrimination against half-elves, elves have also been subject to oppression in many places. In that case, where will the elves be able to live?"
"Well, elves... if I had to guess, I would imagine them living in settlements in the middle of forests. They live in forests where humans don't go, quietly hunting and such."
「I don't know where you learned it, but that's roughly how it is. Elves were chased out of town, and began to live quietly in the depths of the forest. ーーThe Great Elior Forest, that place was one of the homes of such elves.」
Subaru's shoulders tremble as he suddenly notices the change in the tone of Roswaal's voice.
Naturally, it even felt as if the temperature in the room had suddenly dropped, creating a chill. The reason for this was the presence of Roswaal in front of him, and the ineffable power of his words.
And the name of the place he mentioned sounded familiar.
--Eriol Forest, a name that had come up many times during the discussions at Crusch Mansion, a land under Roswaal's control that was rich in magical ores.
"It's frozen right now, and no one can get close..."
"According to records, the freezing of Elior Forest began and spread over 90 years ago. It was a world of absolute zero, freezing everything, freezing every living thing. --She was living alone in that world."
As if to confirm Subaru's unease, Roswaal spoke, his usual light tone gone from his voice.
Ninety years. A long time. And a person who was there. Given the story Subaru had asked about, there was only one possible answer.
And then, to Subaru, who was at a loss for words, Roswaal spoke clearly.
"---Deep in the Great Elior Forest, the elves who lived there have been frozen into their villages, and time has stopped there even now."
"――――"
"Except for that one person, the half-elf girl who made that mistake..."