Feeling the morning sunlight burning his eyelids, Subaru sat up in the faint darkness.
He seems to have dozed off while thinking, but considering he was lost in thought until late into the night, he was probably only asleep for two or three hours.
"That's unthinkable in my original world. Originally, daylight was the time I was supposed to sleep."
As he spoke, Subaru turned around and glanced around the cathedral, where a few people were awake. The people of Arlam Village noticed Subaru's gaze and waved or gave him a slight nod, before standing up and heading towards the entrance of the cathedral.
As I stepped outside, greeted by the cool early morning breeze, I saw that several residents of the Sanctuary were working with the refugees outside, preparing food for the morning meal.
"Oh, you're awake, Subaru-sama."
"Well, good morning. It's a refreshing morning again today."
"That's true. The wind is cold... and it seems like Subaru-sama was able to get some rest."
The familiar woman who had called out to him chuckled as she gently touched his cheek. Subaru was drawn to it and touched his own cheek, and felt a graze there - a sticky trace of saliva.
"Oh my, how embarrassing."
Why is it that short periods of sleep tend to result in these sloppy parts? Is there some pattern to why abnormal bedhead appears only when you're just napping?
As Subaru was thinking about such pointless things, another woman appeared, this one with short dog ears growing from her head. She handed him a wet cloth, which he accepted, and after a brief thank you, wiped his mouth.
Did it come off? He wiped it off to check, and both women answered in the affirmative. Subaru waved to them and headed to the water area to wash his face while he was there washing the towel he had been given.
As they left, I quietly peeked at the two of them, but there was no sign of any awkwardness or misunderstanding between them as they exchanged words. They were communicating quite naturally between two different species.
Over the past few days - if you include the restart, it's been a week since they last stayed here, but even in this environment, no noticeable friction has arisen between the refugees and the residents of the Sanctuary.
This is likely due to the high morals of the refugees and the sense of security that their lord, Roswaal, is staying in the same place, even though it may be annoying. In fact, in addition to these points, they also trust Subaru, who they share their meals and sleeping quarters with, but Subaru, who underestimates his own influence, does not give this much thought to it.
Contrary to the fishiness of this place, many of the residents of the Sanctuary were talkative, including the animal-eared woman. At the very least, Subaru felt that there was nothing separating humans from half-Japanese apart from their own perceptions.
"So the thing that clearly separates them is the existence of the 'barrier'... I don't know what whoever put it up was thinking, but it was nasty."
If Garfiel was to be believed, this was the "Witch of Greed's Experimental Site." In other words, it was probably the witch who had set up the "barrier" to stop the Half from escaping.
"Echidna...huh. She's also a witch whose motives are unclear."
A monochrome girl with white hair and skin, clad entirely in black mourning-like clothing.
He lost his life 400 years ago, but is still bound to the present world, in a sense a ghost. Although he claims not to interfere with reality, he was present at the Trials and would often interfere with Subaru's actions.
On the other hand, she hides the memories of their relationship in Subaru's mind, and then, as a result of her careless concealment, he remembers them easily――Everything she does is just absurd.
I suspect there must be some deeper reason behind this,
"If this was just some prankster, then there's really nothing we can do. I mean, what on earth can you think of a woman who makes someone she's just met drink her bodily fluids for no reason..."
The unpleasant memories of being forced to drink Donna tea come back to me. That was probably something that happened in the spiritual world, so I'd like to think that I didn't actually absorb any Donna ingredients into my body.
In any case, whatever her intentions, the current situation remains that the Sanctuary is surrounded by a barrier, and the inhabitants inside cannot leave.
"In that case, the biggest obstacle at the moment is... Garfiel."
Whether he spoke to Echidna directly or Subaru took on the Trials, the biggest obstacle was how to deal with Echidna, whose hostility towards him had skyrocketed.
If the change in his attitude towards Subaru was due to the witch's stench that Subaru himself was unaware of - an adverse effect of ``Return by Death'', then improving this attitude would be an extremely difficult task.
In the case of Juggernaut and the battle with the White Whale, he was able to overcome the situation by using this stench to his advantage.
"Even if I can make it smell worse, I don't know how to get rid of that smell… I don't think it will go away with something like a deodorant. And what about what I just said? Am I filthy, not smelly or anything?"
However, by trying to tell someone about 『Return by Death』, he had consciously intensified the stench. And considering what had happened up until then, it didn't seem like the increased smell would continue to linger at that intensity forever.
It's safe to assume that it will fade over time, just like a normal smell. In other words, there is no other way to make it fade.
"Inevitably, we can't hope for Garfiel to soften his attitude. And, this is something I don't really want to think about... what if I screw up again and 'Return to Death'?"
If he were to die again and restart from within the tomb, Subaru's current scent would be topped off with the witch's stench. Just thinking about how Garfiel would react was terrifying.
Subaru lost his life in the face of the worst possible situation and by starting over, he was able to change the outcome.
Subaru's greed to pick up everything he had hasn't been fully realized to date. There are still some things he has not been able to get back.
But even so, by starting over, Subaru believed he had chosen a better future than the world he was in before he started over. It was hard to be grateful for "Return by Death" itself, but he could think of countless futures in which he would have continued down the worst path without that ability.
but,
"I've tried repeatedly to make it work, but... every time I try again, our relationship gets worse. This is the first time I've ever experienced something so difficult."
For now, Garfiel is able to reason rationally, but the next time they meet, it's unclear whether he'll give them a chance to converse verbally.
At the very least, Rem couldn't trust the foul-smelling Subaru, and came to take his life with an iron ball. Remembering this, the left side of his body suddenly felt lonely.
He remembered the people he had left behind in the mansion, especially the sleeping Rem, and then a noise ran through his thoughts: the jet-black assassin. A pleasure killer who had appeared once again, and the bearer of the deadly blade who had leapt to the top of the Subaru Killing Count in this world.
By the way, a grey cat-type spirit is tied for first place, and it appears that many of the people tied for second place with the highest count are secretly family members who have also ranked in, making for a chaotic scene.
"Looking back, I feel depressed at the number of people I've killed. In this case, maybe the number of people I've been killed by? ...Anyway, it's a countermeasure against Elsa. Even so, there's no way I could win a fistfight, so it basically comes down to a choice between Roswaal and Garfiel."
However, even for Roswaal, his injuries will have an impact, regardless of his magical abilities. The best solution to this problem would be to get Garfiel on your side.
And in order to let him fight Elsa, who is attacking the mansion, it is necessary to break the barrier surrounding the "Sanctuary", and in the end, what becomes important is,
"We'd have to overcome the 'Trials' before the mansion was attacked, liberate the 'Sanctuary', make peace with Garfiel, have him accompany us to the mansion, defeat Elsa, and have a happy ending... right?"
Even as he says this, he frowns at the fact that there are incompatible issues between the two.
In order to reconcile with Garfiel, the "Sanctuary" must be liberated.
In order to free the "Sanctuary", you must overcome Garfiel and challenge the "Trials".
These two things are not, cannot be, compatible.
Perhaps it would be possible if they could make amends through words, but when I think back to last night's conversation and my experiences with him so far, I can't help but feel a chill down my spine at how unlikely that is to ever happen.
For better or worse, Garfiel is straightforward and simple, so it's difficult to get him to change his answer, which has already been decided from the start.
In other words, if Subaru has a chance,
"I'll wait for a chance to sneak into the tomb, contact Echidna and get some other opportunity. Or I'll sneak in at a time when I can take the Trial and pass it."
Subaru washed his face at the water source, came to a decision, and headed off in a different direction from the soup kitchen.
Wiping my face with a wrung-out towel, I head towards the edge of the Sanctuary, where people are starting to thin out. Heading in that direction, I pass through a small hill and follow a straight road――
"...I guess I expected too much from the convenience."
In the middle of the clear, straight road leading to the tomb, I saw Garfiel sitting in the same position as last night, waiting for me.
--Head to the tomb first thing in the morning and sneak in without Garfiel noticing.
My morning plan, which would have been a profitable venture if I could find it, had fallen through for the time being.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
"I feel energized in the morning"
"You're the one who shouldn't show your face so early in the morning. Is there any point in going out of your way to anger me, huh?"
When he raised his hand lightly in greeting, Garfiel opened one eye and growled in a tone of pure displeasure. Subaru, seeing the expected reaction, weakly withdrew his raised hand and turned his attention to the small figure standing next to him, sitting cross-legged,
"I knew Garfiel would be here, but I didn't expect to see Lewes here. Good morning."
"Hmm, what a nice morning. Is Su-bo going for a walk too?"
"It was a walk, but it wasn't that great. I came here with the hope that maybe, and to provoke Garfiel."
"You..."
Garfiel looked down at him, pointing, veins bulging from his forehead. Subaru watched as this unfolded, refreshingly ignoring the call, and tilting his head towards Lewes,
"Me too, so Lewes-san, are you going for a walk?"
"I was just going for a walk. I heard that Gar-bou hadn't come home since last night and was just sitting on the ground... well, I thought I'd go and see what was going on."
As he spoke, Lewes played with his long, wavy hair. In the hand opposite the one playing with the light red hair, he held a small package, the size and shape of which suggested it contained a simple meal. It was probably breakfast for Garfiel, who stubbornly refused to move.
Suddenly, Subaru looked at the two of them, touching his chin.
"Have Garfiel and Lewes been together for a long time?"
"At least when Garbo was little... though he's still short now."
"Hey, you old hag. I've already surpassed you in height."
"But it hasn't grown as much as I expected. Anyway, we've been friends since we were younger. I'm used to this kind of interaction."
Garfiel speaks nasty words to her, but Lewes brushes them off with ease and dignity. She looks like a young girl, but inside she's an old woman. She's an excellent example of the loli-baba traits that she fully displays.
However, Subaru noticed something about what they had just said that concerned him, and he raised his eyebrows.
"From the way you just spoke... hasn't Garfiel been in the Sanctuary since he was born?"
"...Don't pry too much into my affairs. Is this a 'surprise counterattack by the Black Boatock'?"
"Yes, it doesn't get through to them so it can't be a deterrent. So, Lewes, please answer."
Garfiel's teeth were beginning to chatter in irritation at Subaru's complete disregard for last night's warning, but Subaru continued digging regardless.
Glancing at the men's exchange, Lewes sighed tiredly and,
"It's been a few years since Gar-bou entered the Sanctuary. Gar-bou was still just a toddler at the time. Rozu-bou brought them both home..."
"--Old hag, don't say anything more unnecessary than that."
Garfiel narrowed his eyes and growled in a low voice.
His words made Subaru feel a slight chill in his temperature, and he felt anxious inside, wondering if he had overstepped the line a little too carelessly. However,
"Who the hell are you talking to, you idiot?"
"Ouch!"
Lewes strode over to him with a furious slap on Garfiel's spiky blonde head, making a satisfying sound. Such was the strength of a young girl. It probably wasn't much force, but Garfiel, clutching his head, looked up at her with a look on his face as if he'd been struck by lightning.
"What the hell are you doing all of a sudden, old hag..."
"You are the one who should speak to me like you've practically been my foster parent. I feel so pathetic, embarrassed, and sad that I could hardly stop crying. You you you you."
"Stop, that hurts, ahh, look, you're looking at me!"
In an action that sounds like it would make a popping sound effect, Lewes puts her arm around him, and Garfiel somehow manages to hold her back with his palm, looking as if he has been shamed by his family.
Subaru couldn't help but laugh at the exchange between the two, but he held back.
"I can now objectively gauge the length and depth of our relationship. Garfiel, are you seriously planning to sit there forever?"
"I'll be here except for when I need to relieve myself. You never know who might take advantage when I'm not looking."
Garfiel was cautious about sneaking in, and even though they had such a disheartening exchange, he was thorough in that respect. Subaru, too, only had moderate expectations, and was not disappointed. If anything, if he had gone back on his word after only half a day, it would have been necessary for him to revise his opinion of him.
In any case, it remains difficult to get him to move.
"But the Trials only last at night, right? There's no point in me sneaking in during daylight. It's a waste of you staying here, you know?"
"It's no use trying to get me out of here like that. If you enter the tomb during the day and wait until night, you can take advantage of the fact that I can't enter and make the conditions come true. I'm not the only one who can't prepare for a long-term battle. Don't underestimate me, okay?"
"Tch, have they found out?"
Subaru raised both hands and shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of giving up. Garfiel snorted at Subaru's gesture, expressing his feelings, then he looked up at Lewes,
"That's why I can't move from here for a while. Hag, eat."
"It's deplorable how you act like that after having someone take the trouble to bring it to you. Here you go."
Although he complains, Ryuzu hands over the gift. Garfiel unwraps the package and stuffs the dumpling-like food inside into his stomach.
With Ryuzu also cooperating in this way, it looked like the battle would be a long one.
"It's difficult to do anything about the current situation... I guess. I guess there's no other way, I'll try again."
「I told you you don't have to. I won't let you through, I won't let you do it, and I won't forgive you. It's fine for you, so just stay quiet and be small, that's all that matters」
Licking his fingers after finishing his meal, Subaru tries to turn away, but Garfiel stops him. Subaru waves his hand over his shoulder as he leaves. Ryuzu stands next to him,
"I've finished feeding Gar-bou. I'd like to talk to Su-bou for a bit."
"What a coincidence. There's something I've been wanting to talk to you about for a while now, Lewes-san. I actually wanted to wait until I saw Emilia's face, but..."
I glance up at the sky and think of the sun, which has only just begun to rise.
I remember that the morning after the first day's Trial, a tired Emilia woke up close to noon. It would be nice to follow my desire to see her sleeping face, but I think it would be better to proceed with another event here.
Glancing sideways at Ryuzu who was walking next to her, she observed the girlish old woman with long, light red hair swaying in the wind.
With a drowsy, sleepy look on her face, she takes small, hesitant steps to match my speed. Even though I know her true identity as a loli granny, there's something about her that tickles my heart.
"Shall I give you a piggyback ride?"
"...I wonder why you suddenly looked at me with such gentle eyes. Could it be that Su-bou is attracted to young girls? This is even more hopeless than Rozu-bou."
"They caught me and accused me of being a lolicon, but that's a total false accusation. When I buy a dating game, the thing I look for is whether the heroine I'm trying to win over is a senior character or an older sister character. Right now, the girl I'm desperately trying to win over is also an older sister type... I only just found out recently that she's actually a lot older than me, but there's no way I'm going to change my mind. That's just who I am, you know?"
"I was about to ask what kind of guy he was, but it's alright. I don't need to be carried on your back. If you don't walk properly, your legs will get weak."
"Another statement that shows a huge gap between your appearance and your personality!"
She looks young, but she's really an old woman inside, so she feels real. Her skin may be young, but her internal organs may be out of whack. Being a loli-baba is surprisingly tough.
"What's with you? You look like you're thinking about nonsense again."
"What, you're kidding, seriously? I was trying really hard to make sure it didn't show on my face."
"You had the same look on your face as when you stole some of the sweets that Garbo had hidden. What a child does is the same no matter what other children do."
"This old hag, stop showing off your old hag side."
Leaving aside Ryuzu's insistence on showing off her age, Subaru suddenly tilted his head and said, "Huh?"
"Let's talk for a bit... okay, but where are we going? I know this is a bit late, but where is Lewes-san, who is lending his bed to Emilia-tan, staying? In the fields?"
"Renting out your house and then immediately treating you as homeless… that comment makes me think you've forgotten that my title is that of the head of this place. I do have acquaintances who would let me stay overnight for a few days."
"Well, that's true. It's only been a few days, but the people here are surprisingly nice."
Remembering the residents of the Sanctuary, whom he had had many opportunities to interact with, not just at the soup kitchen, Subaru frowned, wondering if Garfiel's words about the friction had been exaggerated.
Glancing at Subaru, who had chosen to remain silent for a moment, Lewes nodded and said, "Hmm."
"Is there something that doesn't make sense to you?"
"Well, I know this sounds weird to say, but... how should I put it, I thought it was different from what I imagined. Emilia, the half-elf, was treated pretty well in the royal castle, so I thought maybe half-elves are treated like this everywhere. So I thought maybe half-elves would have complicated feelings towards a pure-blooded person."
At the very least, the inhabitants of this place do not express such dark feelings, despite being confined in a "sanctuary" called an "experimental field." Of course, there are probably some who secretly find it unpleasant, but Subaru has not seen such negative feelings being displayed openly.
Though Garfiel, who is not picky with his words and emotions, is speaking for them, his personal feelings are more like righteous indignation than anger. Anger for others, rather than for himself.
Even in this hostile environment, the people of the Sanctuary have such high morals that it's more than just mysterious, it's inexplicable.
When Subaru wondered about this, Lewes widened her eyes in surprise,
"Well, Su-bou seems to have more in mind than meets the eye."
"Isn't "more than appearance" a bit unnecessary? I'm confident that I look at least more intelligent than Garfiel, right? Well, I guess I'm lacking in a lot of things if I don't use my head."
"It's good to be aware of your shortcomings. There are some people who know they're lacking but are resigned to it. ...But then there's this one."
Approaching a fork in the road, Subaru is unsure of where to go, and Lewes leads the way. It's a different direction from the cathedral or Roswaal's temporary residence. On the outskirts of the village, diagonally opposite the tomb - there, Lewes leads him to the isolated temporary lodgings.
Unlike the previous areas where houses were scattered sparsely, this one house had somehow made its base in a separate location. A word naturally came to Subaru's mind,
"You're so lonely. Why are you sleeping in a place like this?"
"It can't be helped. Right now, this is the only building in the Sanctuary that has no residents. It's a bit far from the meeting place, but it's spacious and useful."
"Where did the acquaintance who let me stay go? Why is she alone in the bed she chose? I've never seen a loli-baba die alone, and even though I know a lot of loli-babas, it's so sad."
"Let me see whether you're worried or mocking me. Here, pour it in. I'll make you some tea. I don't make tea as well as rum, though."
"No matter what kind of tea you drink, you'll only taste the leaves, so don't worry."
"You should be more careful about what you say."
With a sigh, Lewes beckons me, pushing open the door and entering the house. The building is about half the size of Roswaal's temporary residence. However, that building was simply too large for one person to use, and this building, with its three rooms, is more than enough space.
I sat down on a nearby chair and looked around the room. The interior of the small room was simple, but well-maintained. Lewes had said that there was no one living there, but...
"Despite it being an uninhabited house, it feels like someone is constantly hanging out here. The softness of the bed is also above average, even for a first-class sheet craftsman like me...could that be, Lewes?"
"What? You look like the kind of person who comes here whenever I want to be alone, killing time and waiting for the heat to die down."
"My face was pretty specific and complicated!"
Perhaps it was something he had in mind, but the sight of Ryuzu trying to explain himself quickly was all the more pitiful. The part about dying alone earlier was a joke, but the fact that he was a lonely old man with no relatives was a weak point of denial.
Feeling lonely as she went about her work in silence making tea, Subaru's eyes wandered around, searching for an opportunity to somehow change the topic.
A neatly organized room. A slightly cloudy dressing table and a wardrobe. A vase with no flowers and an iron shield hanging on the wall. -- A shield?
"Why are there shields in a place like this? Two pairs, too."
"These belong to Garbo. He uses this place as a warehouse."
"So that's the guy who hangs out here too. It certainly does look like a hangout for delinquents, but... surely it's not him who keeps everything meticulous and clean."
"It doesn't suit the character," Subaru muttered to himself as he examined the shield that was said to belong to Garfiel.
In manga and other media, crossed swords are often displayed on the walls of aristocrats' mansions, and this shield is displayed at a similar angle. However, it is too worn to be called a decoration, and there are scratches and dents that cannot be repaired with care, so it does not seem to be an antique that has never experienced actual combat.
"Even if that's the case, what kind of combat can you do with just a shield?"
"In the old days, we used to have shield-fights in the grass outside this house. We would each have a shield and go round and round hitting each other."
"That's too dangerous to be just messing around. May I ask who is involved with Garfiel?"
During his time in the Sanctuary, he has never seen anyone who behaves in such a friendly manner towards Garfiel. Of course, he is the leader of the area, and he shows up at soup kitchens, so he knows he has good relationships with the residents, but if he has anyone he is close to aside from that, no specific names come up.
If I had to say, it would be Lewes, but the image of her holding a shield and fighting Garfiel is quite dangerous.
Subaru's skeptical answer left Lewes speechless for a while. She then came over with two teacups on a tray, and offered one to Subaru before sitting down on the bed. He took it and brought the hot teacup to his mouth to moisten his thirst.
"As expected, it only tastes of leaves."
"It's not worth brewing. Well, that's why I used cheap leaves... Tea leaves are quite valuable here after all."
Such valuables and luxury items are apparently brought in about once a month through Roswaal's arrangement. Impressed by how flexible he is, it's typical of that cunning man, we sip tea in silence for a while.
And after a period of quiet silence,
"--Frederica."
Subaru muttered a word, and Lewes' shoulders shook slightly.
She raised her eyes from the teacup and looked at Subaru. Seeing the slight agitation on her face, Subaru once again
"The person who was fighting with Garfiel in a shield battle was named Frederica, right?"
"...Did you hear it from Garbo?"
"Nnn. I just pieced together a few fragmented stories and somehow it seemed like that was it. I kind of knew that Garfiel and Frederica had a complicated relationship."
At the Roswaal Mansion, Frederica names Garfiel as a person to watch out for in the Sanctuary.
Garfiel's expression changed when he heard Frederica's name. He had also been trying to find out about her recent situation, so it would be impossible not to suspect a connection.
And the best part is,
"Their fangs are too similar. Even Buddha would never forgive them for being unrelated."
"...Ah, indeed. On that point, I can't think of any words to deny it."
This was the decisive piece of information, and Lewes sighed in resignation before bursting out.
The biggest similarity between Garfiel and Frederica was their extremely sharp canines and ferocious smile. It was enough to show that their relationship was not a romantic one.
Somehow, there was something that seemed to apply to their relationshipーー,
"Brother and sister... No, it seems more like brother and sister. If anything, Frederica is more of an older sister type."
"Well, it's amazing... if you can figure that out with just intuition, that's pretty impressive."
Lewes was simply amazed at Subaru's remark.
Then she nodded in resignation, put the rest of the tea back on the tray, and sat up straight.
"Just as Su-bou had imagined, the owners of the shield are siblings Frederica and Garfiel. Frederica Baumann, who has now left the Sanctuary, and Garfiel Tinsel are blood family."
Confirming Subaru's guess, Lewes let out a melancholy sigh,
"--But now we've passed each other and gone our separate ways."