--This was Subaru's second time returning to Roswaal Mansion from the Sanctuary.
"But the first time, it was a terrible experience..."
Subaru muttered as he scratched his cheek and got off Patrasche's back in front of the gate.
After parting ways with Lewes, the refugees with Subaru were able to safely return to Aram Village. There was no need to worry, though, since Patrasche had already been there before and was someone they had built up trust with.
"The villagers were overjoyed that Otto would be staying behind in the village for a little while, just like last time. To be honest, I wanted Otto to come along as a shield, but…"
He was hesitant to insist that he accompany her back to the mansion. Above all, if there was a real possibility of danger, he shouldn't have Otto accompany him, as he would likely not be able to deal with an emergency situation.
Even if Subaru couldn't beat Otto in a pure fist fight, it didn't mean he was a force to be reckoned with. With the Intestine Hunt approaching, he would rather not have to see his innards.
"Nothing, please don't wake up..."
The last time Subaru had returned to the mansion, it had been six days since the start of the Trial. This time, it was the third day - so compared to before, he had three more days to spare.
Speculation from various perspectives confirms that the attack on the mansion probably took place on the night Subaru was murdered.
"Three more days… In other words, we need to successfully get the story out of Frederica, then make a quick return to Sanctuary, solve the problem there and then make a forced march back to the mansion. If we look at it simply in terms of time, it's not something we can't do…"
It can be said that there are some very strict restrictions on making armchair theory a reality.
The journey between the Sanctuary and the mansion took roughly eight hours one way. It was a journey that would take up almost a whole day just going there and back. If one took into account the lost time in between, Subaru's free time would be even more limited.
"There were several candidates for solving the problem, but... I guess it would be difficult to choose the best, or more precisely, expedient route."
Since he knew of Elsa's attack, the best thing for Subaru to do was to defeat the assassin. And if possible, he wanted a complete victory so that he would no longer have to fear her shadow in the future.
To achieve this, they needed a fighting force that surpassed Elsa's, which would only be possible with either Roswaal or Garfiel. And in the current situation, it was not likely that they would be able to return to the mansion with the two of them.
"In the end, I have no choice but to go for the second best option..."
Subaru was scratching his head and groaning in frustration when Patrasche nuzzled him close. Subaru gave a wry smile as the dragon's face rubbed against his shoulder, and stroked its rock-like neck,
"The reward is worth the risk, but in return it doesn't look like we'll be able to prepare a winning probability that matches the risk. I guess I'll just have to run away and scatter the spider's eggs."
This was the same conclusion that crossed his mind during the battle with the Witch Cult.
Last time, the number of possibilities was based on the number of pieces you had, but this time you have too few cards. It would be a great success if you could detect the expected attack in advance and avoid it.
However, there is a problem with this too.
"The people in the mansion. Rem, Petra, Frederica and... I'm not sure if Beako will cooperate with the evacuation. To be honest, I think Rem could go with me if I carried her on my back and held hands with Petra, but persuading the other two will be a pain."
Of course, ultimately, he was planning to forcefully push them onto the dragon carriage and kidnap them. He didn't think he could compete with either of them in a physical contest, but he believed that if he pushed through and showed what he couldn't give up, something would work. No, he would let them through.
"--Phew."
Subaru sighed softly, realizing the weight of the responsibility that was weighing on his shoulders.
How many people's fates could be affected by my words, actions, and resolve? I was conscious of these feelings on the eve of the battle with the White Whale.
"There's no point in standing there in fear forever. We still don't know what's happening inside. First, we need to see that everyone is safe and sound..."
"After you see it?"
"Then we can think about persuading them. That's right. Since they don't understand, we can just lie and say it was Roswaal's instructions or whatever..."
"Wow, that's bad, Subaru."
"Dirty Wild, you're at the age where you start to admire bad-boy men like that..."
As he spoke, Subaru heard a chuckle and turned around to see a small maid standing in the front garden of the mansion, across the gate - a familiar girl named Petra.
As Subaru raised his eyebrows in surprise, she shook her chestnut hair and tilted her head affectionately,
"Welcome back, Subaru-sama. You've come back earlier than I expected."
"Ah, I'm back… Thank you for welcoming me, and seeing glimpses of Frederica's gifted education here and there."
Subaru's cheeks relaxed in relief as she bowed, picking up the edge of her skirt, and he relaxed as he put his hands on the gate and went inside. Following her, he turned his head in the direction of Patrasche to lead her into the stables for the earth dragons, and looked down at Petra, who was standing next to him.
"--?"
As Subaru stares at her, she gives him a puzzled look, then hurriedly turns her back on him and starts fixing her hair and clothes with her hands. Once she's satisfied with that, she turns to Subaru with a nod of approval and says, "Okay."
"What's the matter, Subaru-sama?"
She smiled, even more brightly and lovely than her previous smile.
She had a girlish cuteness combined with good looks that suggested a bright future, and her smile was filled with the bewitching quality that captivated men of her age.
A perfect smile, calculated with a thorough understanding of how he would appear to others. Seeing such a thing directed at him, Subaru himself took a small breath, and
"Oh, come on! You're so cute!"
"Wha-wha?!"
Without even a glimpse of the true meaning behind her smile, he followed his emotions and embraced the girl, caressing her head with a complex hand gesture that was both unreserved and loving. Petra cried out in confusion at his sudden action, but...
"He just stands there without knowing how other people felt. Damn him! Ah, damn him!"
"Wh-what, what is this?! Wait a second, Subaru… it's too early…"
"Really, damn it."
Subaru:
Petra, who had been blushing and thrashing about in his arms, changed her expression. Still completely contained in Subaru's arms, she looked up at his face as he lowered his voice, and the color that had been showing up until then of embarrassment and joy disappeared,
"Does anything hurt...?"
The worried girl gently reached out her fingertips to touch Subaru's trembling cheek. She gently pressed the fingers down with her palm and Subaru shook his head, saying, "No."
Take a breath in through your nose and hold it for a moment. Then, open your eyes.
"I'm just truly relieved, from the bottom of my heart. --I'm back, Petra."
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Subaru returned to the mansion after returning Patrasche to the stables and holding hands with Petra, who wanted to hold his hand. Fortunately, according to Petra, no noticeable changes had occurred since Subaru and the others left the mansion.
"Right now, Frederica is out checking the mountain barrier, so we might have to wait a bit until she comes back..."
When Petra tells Subaru that the head maid is absent, he remembers the mountain's barrier - that is, the magic formula that sealed Juggernaut away. Juggernaut was supposed to have been eradicated in the mountain, but the barrier seems to still be in effect.
It seems that the barrier has the ability to keep out even harmful beasts, such as Juggernauts, and maintaining it is the job of Aram village and its caretakers, Roswaal's camp.
"Once everyone in the village has returned, I think you'll be able to resume your job of checking the barrier for any flaws, but right now not everyone has returned so Frederica is doing it."
"That constant calling you Big Sister tells me that the relationship between the two of you has deepened without me even realizing, and it's a nice, slightly creepy feeling. Also, everyone from the village has returned."
"Really?"
When I raised my finger and pointed towards the village, Petra's eyes lit up and her voice boomed.
Her whole family had evacuated to the royal capital, so her parents should have returned safely to the village, but they were still separated from their closest friends. Petra clapped her hands joyfully upon hearing that they were safe.
"Come on out later. I'm sure she'll be happy if I just show her your maid uniform."
"Yes. I'll get permission from Sister Frederica, then I'll get changed and come back!"
"No, you don't have to change your clothes... you're so cute, why don't you show it to everyone..."
"Ehehe, cute? Cute?"
"So cute, so cute. So to everyone..."
"Yeah! I'll get changed and be back!"
No matter how many times I chose "No," it was drowned out by the sound of thunder.
Petra's response was unwavering, as if there was something she couldn't compromise on, and Subaru gave up on making any further suggestions.
Subaru cracked his neck, then took a deep breath and said, "Well then," before stopping in his tracks.
The location was the second floor of the mansion - Subaru's shoes slipped on the carpet, he looked up and glared at the door. Petra, who had been holding his hand, unhooked it sadly. She was a clever girl who could read the mood.
"I'm sorry, Petra. Just let us be alone for a moment."
"Yeah, I know. I'll be in the West Wing continuing cleaning, so call me if you need anything."
As if she had known before hearing Subaru's words, Petra discarded her girlish image and assumed a more maid-like appearance, then gave a small bow and left the place.
Subaru was taking advantage of her kindness, but he lightly patted himself on the head, thinking that he had urgent matters to attend to.
I poked him, but still――
"When we talk about what should come first... we end up here."
Pushing the door open, Subaru slowly stepped inside.
A room where time does not move. A bed is placed in a simple room - a girl is lying on it. The girl has taken off her familiar waitress uniform and is now dressed in a pale blue nightgown.
With her eyes closed, she couldn't even hear the faint sound of her breathing. But her heart was still beating quietly, a modest proof that she was still alive.
"...Rem."
Who could understand the whirlpool of emotions Subaru was feeling when he spoke that name? An unstoppable torrent of emotions directed towards just one person in the world.
I was determined to be strong, to make my heart steel, and to face any difficulties without wavering. To do that, I decided not to rely on anyone, and to keep my head up high.
--That resolve and determination vanished the moment he stood before her.
Subaru had told Emilia to leave it to him, had pulled away and acted strong, saying he would somehow manage it, but the facade of that resolve had fallen away the moment he stood before her.
"How pathetic... I really am weak."
The moment he stood before Rem, Subaru reverted to the weak Natsuki Subaru he was before.
Rem's devotion to me has affirmed my worth, and I'm taken back to the time when I first stood up.
Slowly, he reached out to her sleeping face, brushing her bangs with his fingers. Her expression didn't change, and there was still no sign of her returning from being "devoured."
But still, if we leave it here like this without doing anything, it's certain that even the vessel itself will be lost.
"You may not have the intention, but thanks to you I'm ready."
I can feel the weak, fragile, peeling surface of my heart being covered with new steel.
The sight of Rem sleeping, her steady heartbeat, the mere fact that she was there, took Natsuki Subaru back to that time. To that moment, the feeling of being reborn.
"You told me it was okay for me to be weak, and you told me to get stronger… so I'll do anything, and I can get back up no matter how many times I want."
No matter how much pain, difficulty, or hardship, or how many unpleasant things await him, her whole-hearted love heals him, and his desire to respond to that motivates him to move forward.
"You, Petra, and everyone else... I'll get everyone out safely."
I stroke her forehead gently, suppressing the urge to stay in her touch even longer as she sleeps. So, in the windy room, I sit in a chair beside the bed and stay by her side in silence.
Pouring all of that time, all of the time he had to spare, onto her was the best way Subaru could show his heart to her right now.
How much time had passed like that?
Suddenly, the sound of a knock brought Subaru, who had been staring blankly at Rem, back to reality. He raised his head, turned to the door and called out, "Yes,"
"Excuse me. --I'm glad you returned safely, Subaru-sama."
The door quietly pushed open and a tall waitress entered the room.
A woman with long, flowing golden hair and an elegant demeanor that suited her body perfectly - Frederica.
She looked at Subaru, who was beside the sleeping Rem, and bowed slightly,
"There are many things I would like to ask you… but I'm sure you feel the same way, Subaru-sama. Let's move to another location. Even though you're asleep, I'm sure you don't want to be asked too many questions."
"It's helpful that you got the conversation going quickly... Do you have any idea what I want to talk about?"
"Probably."
Receiving this modest response, Subaru let out a small sigh and raised his hips. He touched Rem's sleeping face one last time, clenched his fist as if to cut off any lingering attachment, and,
"Your violent and foul-mouthed younger brother, and the gap between her loli appearance and her old hag personality are adorable. Then there's the Sanctuary, the experiment site, and Roswaal's plans. I'm looking forward to seeing how many of them you can answer."
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"The fact that you haven't returned means that the 'trial' isn't over yet."
The two of them moved from Rem's bedroom to the living room.
Frederica spoke these words as she placed a cup of steaming tea in front of Subaru and sat down opposite him. Subaru, who was stirring the tea he had received with a spoon, nodded and said, "Yes."
"You're being really quick with your talk. Though I do feel like I want to say something about the fact that you sent me off without giving me much information, even though you knew so much about the situation."
"I won't make any excuses. It's true that I haven't told you everything about the Sanctuary, the Trials, and my unworthy younger brother."
Frederica's tone of voice as she spoke this matter-of-factly contained no guilt or emotion. However, that doesn't mean she doesn't feel any remorse. It's hard to say she's suppressing her emotions, she pretends to be emotionless so as not to let the other person know what she's really thinking.
In terms of type, she is the same type as Ram - although, considering the length of their relationship, her level of difficulty is considerably higher.
"As I said in the previous room, I have a few questions I want to ask you... can I expect to get all of them answered?"
"…I believe I cannot meet those expectations. As long as the Sanctuary has not been liberated, the contract between me and Master remains concluded. As long as I follow that contract, the truths I can tell you, Subaru-sama, will be limited."
"Another contract...every single one of them."
Subaru put his hand to his forehead and bit his lip in frustration.
He wanted to raise his voice and tell them to interpret such a contract however they saw fit, but since he had sworn to Emilia that he would keep his promise, he felt guilty about forcing it on others.
Is it okay if I ask you some details about the contract?
"No. It is a contract between me and Roswaal-sama, and as long as it exists, the information I can disclose is limited. That's all I can say about this."
"We haven't gained any new information. Damn, that guy is pulling some strings. I honestly think he's the one who's turning against us this time."
Subaru clicked his tongue at the reality that wasn't going his way and at the important person, then he took a sip of the tea to pull himself together. It still only tasted of leaves, but after sipping it over and over again, he was beginning to be able to tell the difference between expensive leaves and non-expensive ones. --His tongue said, this was an expensive leaf.
"This is not the time to be saying that... Is the information that Frederica is from the Sanctuary and is Garfiel's older sister correct? Or can you not answer this question as well?"
"That's not a problem. As for the content... to be precise, I shouldn't say that I was born in Sanctuary, but that I was raised there. I was living in Sanctuary from the time I became aware of things, so you could say that it's mostly true."
"I'm not from there...Come to think of it, Lewes-san also said something like that. Apparently Roswaal brings half-Japanese people from other places to live there."
These were the words of Lewes, who accompanied us on the return journey in the dragon carriage.
At the time, however, Ryuzu had rejected him, so he was unable to get to the bottom of his true intentions.
"Half-breeds can't pass through the barrier, so bringing a half-breed from another place there means trapping them. Why would you do something like that... and besides, the people there are trapped."
It seemed like everyone was living peacefully and didn't have any major complaints.
At the very least, that life seemed free from any feelings of claustrophobia, such as the anger that one might have felt as a result of being forced into that place from somewhere else.
In other words, it can be assumed that the people who were brought here from other places have also accepted life in that "sanctuary." --What is the point?
"Subaru-sama, do you know about the Demi-human War?"
"...Demi-human war. I feel like I've heard the name somewhere before."
If he dug back his memories, all the way to the very beginning, he thought he had heard that word two or three times. More than anything, the word itself had the power to clearly communicate to Subaru what had happened.
Hearing Subaru's unreliable answer, Frederica gently ran her fingers through his long blonde hair, and gently pressed against his mouth, revealing his sharp fangs,
"To understand the reason for the existence of that 'Sanctuary' and Lord Roswaal's thoughts on it, I must first tell you a little about the 'Demi-human War'."
Saying this, she stood up and headed towards the back of the reception room. As Subaru followed her gaze, she picked up a box that had been placed on the table at the back, and,
"There's no need to be so wary, it's just a snack."
With a small smile on her face, she returned and presented a box in front of Subaru.
A sweet unique to this world that can be enjoyed on extremely rare occasions at Roswaal Mansion.
Subaru glanced over at the item being offered to him as a snack and then at Frederica's face.
"This is going to be a long and boring story. Please sit back and relax."