3
Everyone in the room was utterly shocked by Otto’s explosive confession.
They weren’t sure such a book even existed, and yet the person in possession of it had just announced himself to them all. Surprise was a natural reaction, but Subaru’s shock was immeasurable because he had been so sure that he had already seen the last of that book—that both copies were burned and gone from the world.
“Wh-why did you?”
“First, I should be clear to prevent misunderstandings. While I did bring the item that would be called the book of knowledge into the city, I am not the one currently in possession of it. And the cultists’ demand was a bolt out of the blue for me as well.”
“That’s a roundabout way of puttin’ it. What exactly do you mean?”
Noticing Subaru’s troubled reaction and Otto’s studiously calm response, Anastasia cocked her head.
“Allow me to explain.” Otto nodded. “I suspect that most of you are not aware of the book of knowledge. Put frankly, it is apparently the origin from which the Gospels that cultists possess are derived—those suspicious magic tomes that record the future of their owner. Its passages are also supposedly far more precise than the Gospels.”
“The origin of the Gospels? When put that way, it makes some sense that they would want it. It is a blasphemous comparison, but I suppose it is similar to the Dragon Tablet?”
“Unfortunately, it’s a bit difficult for me to say, because the book of knowledge was largely burned by the time I obtained it and was little more than charred scraps.”
“Charred scraps…”
Otto’s words also described the fate of the two tomes in Subaru’s memories.
Beatrice’s book had been burned in the fire along with all the rest of the contents of the forbidden archive. Meanwhile, Roswaal’s book had been burned by Ram and lost in the Sanctuary.
As he had told Anastasia before, both of the books had been burned to ash. Which meant that if Otto had picked up the charred remains of one, it was most likely to have been Roswaal’s copy.
“Ah, I think I know what you were after, Otto. The restorer Darts, right?”
“…There’s no hiding anything from you. Yes, that was it precisely.”
Otto nodded in resignation at Anastasia’s quick thinking. And Julius and Reinhard both seemed to understand as well from that exchange.
“Wait up there. Don’t go leaving me behind as the only one not getting it. What’s this ‘restorer’ thing about?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. A specialist in magic who restores items. Darts is particularly well-known for his skill when it comes to this craft. If it’s him, then he could even restore a book from its mere ashes.”
“From its ashes?! Wait, that’s actually possible?!”
“On the strength of that reputation, I secretly requested the restoration of the book of knowledge. So unless he took it during the evacuation, the book is currently being kept in Darts’s workplace,” Otto said, revealing the location of one of the objects the cultists demanded.
“…When did you have time to ask him to do a job like that, Otto?”
“After the negotiations at the Muse Company collapsed and I parted ways with everyone yesterday. Darts is deeply curious about ancient and rare items, and he was quite enthusiastic about taking the job…”
When he had heard the cultists’ demand during the broadcast, Otto had probably been thrown for a loop. And his story explained how the burned book of knowledge could be in the city.
But what Subaru could not understand was what Otto’s real reason for restoring the book had been.
As had been made eminently clear, Subaru did not think highly of the book of knowledge. And considering the pent-up grudge he bore against the Witch who’d made it, he had honestly felt pretty good about its being burned to ashes. So why had Otto wanted to restore that devil’s book?
“I will have to ask that you allow me to leave out how I came to be in possession of it and what my goals were in restoring it. I merely wanted to make clear that the book actually exists and where it is currently. Any further, and it becomes an internal matter.”
“At the very least, one of the factions in the Witch Cult has named the book of knowledge as its goal. Where do you believe that the blame for that lies?” Julius pressed.
“I believe that there is no point in trying to pin responsibility for the actions of the Witch Cult on anyone other than the Witch Cult themselves. If I were to be hounded regarding that, though, then I would have no choice but to respond with similar boorishness,” Otto fired back, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Anastasia.
Between the lines, he was clearly asking whether blame should also be placed on the one who had invited the royal-selection candidates to the city in the first place; whether blame was not to remain solely with the cultists.
Seeing that, Julius shook his head.
“Apologies, that was wrongheaded of me. Naturally, I did not mean to blame you. Their crimes are their own, of course, and they are the ones who must atone for those crimes.”
“I agree.” Otto nodded.
Then, faced with Subaru’s doubts, Otto looked him in the eye and said, “We can discuss it later.”
He meant he would reveal his true goal in due time. That meant he was asking Subaru to set aside his doubts for the moment and come back to the topic later in private.
“Either way, it is clear that the book of knowledge actually does exist. In which case, we should assume for the sake of our planning at least that the artificial spirit also exists,” Reinhard said, shifting to a new topic with the previous one more or less settled.
And that meant the topic that Subaru had started to bring up before Otto’s unexpected confession.
“On that note, Anastasia, I was thinking of telling them…”
“Mm. Yeah, I guess we should.”
“?”
Anastasia’s gaze seemed distant for a moment. Feeling odd about her reaction, Subaru clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention.
“Can I have your attention? Sorry for always talking, but I’ve got something to say about the artificial spirit.”
“Are you sure, Mr. Natsuki?” Otto checked, realizing what Subaru was going to say.
It was a topic that touched on Beatrice’s origin, so he probably judged it to be a delicate subject, but Subaru had decided that it was necessary to explain. Everyone in the room was an ally, and the conflicts among different camps could be set aside for the moment.
“I’m not going to hold anything back here. The artificial spirit they’re after is my partner Beako—Beatrice. Right now, she’s recuperating with the injured.”
“Lady Beatrice? I see. That makes sense…” Julius nodded in acceptance.
“Makes sense?” Subaru cocked his head.
“Ah.” Julius touched his hair. “I knew that Lady Beatrice was a powerful spirit, but I felt a somewhat mysterious signal coming from her. Upon my learning that she is not a natural spirit, it makes sense.”
“…Is that just something that any decent spirit user would recognize?”
“I’m not sure what you are getting… Ahhh, you are worried about her. I see.”
“If they could tell at a glance, or by getting close to her, that would be a problem.”
Currently, the cultists had demanded an artificial spirit, but they had not named Beatrice specifically, so it was unclear just how much information they really had about the artificial spirit.
If the enemy did not know what she looked like or her name, then they could simply keep Beatrice’s true identity a secret and not let anyone else find out. But if the enemy had a way of checking, then it would be a lot harder for Subaru to leave Beatrice’s side.
“You need not worry,” Julius said to put Subaru at ease. “The reason I felt an oddity was because I have been blessed with so many opportunities to interact with spirits due to my blessing. It would be safe to assume that most people would not be able to notice under normal circumstances.”
“I see… Gotcha. That’s…yeah, that’s a relief.”
Hearing that, Subaru exhaled the weight that had built up in his lungs. Reinhard and everyone else nodded, indicating that they had not noticed Beatrice was a special spirit in that regard. At least Subaru would not have to worry about her drawing all sorts of dangerous attention.
“Still, though, that crazy book, and the spirit thing, too—basically everything comes back to your place.”
“…You don’t have to tell me that. I’m starting to despair for the world. Maybe I got cursed somewhere along the line or something.”
“Despair for the world? That’s a riot!”
Ricardo opened his mouth wide, and his booming laugh shattered the mood building in the room. That unrestrained laughter helped Subaru right himself just a bit.
“ ”
The truth was just like he said, though. The cultists were coming straight for Emilia’s faction with their demands. Otto and Julius’s back-and-forth had ended with an agreement that no one was to blame for what the Witch Cult did other than the Witch Cult itself, but with so many things overlapping, it was entirely possible that the others would start to turn a cold eye on Emilia’s camp. But by making a point of saying it like that, Ricardo nipped the friction in the bud. He rarely fussed about the details, or perhaps was just plain careless, but as expected of the leader of the Iron Fangs, Ricardo could read the room and set the mood like the best of them.
Although—
“If anything, I’m almost startin’ to wonder if you’re actually human yourself! You lived through gettin’ washed away by the flood, after all. You hidin’ anything from us?”
“You are reading the room, right? That was intentional, right? It’s starting to feel like that was just natural, which is a scary thought.”
“You’re best off not thinking too hard about it. By and large, he’s not thinking anything at all when he does that.”
Subaru was starting to regret his admiration for Ricardo’s rude act, which seemed less and less like an act, but Anastasia just shrugged it off before continuing.
“Anyway, the artificial spirit definitely exists, too. Naturally, just like with what Otto was sayin’, we aren’t gonna give ’em anything they want. Right, Natsuki?”
“Damn straight. I’m not giving up Beako until I die of old age. And I’m gonna cuddle up with her to sleep even when I’m an old man. So there’s no way in hell I’m gonna let the likes of them get their hands on her.”
Seeing Subaru’s unyielding determination not to give in to the cultists’ demands, Reinhard nodded firmly.
“Understood. We cannot afford to accept even one of their demands. Depending on the situation, the wedding ceremony could perhaps have been overlooked, but—”
“No! That’s a hard-and-fast nay! Because the person that white-haired asshole is trying to marry is my Emilia-tan!”
“—?! I had a bad feeling about it, but it really was Lady Emilia, then! I had assumed her not being here was because she had taken shelter…!”
Reinhard stared in wonder, and Otto turned pale in shock. Seeing that, Subaru apologized for not explaining sooner.
“I’m ashamed to admit it, but she was taken away right before my eyes. That ‘silver-haired maiden’ is Emilia. But I’m not going to let that happen. I’m the one who’s gonna marry Emilia.” Subaru pounded his chest with an eruption of righteous indignation and love.
“ ”
Otto clutched his head at Subaru’s out-and-out proclamation, and Reinhard’s eyes widened.
“…Huh? Did I say something weird?”
“Not weird so much as… I’m surprised to hear you actually say it out loud. I was astonished by your performance over the metia earlier as well, but I just felt it again now. You’re a real man’s man, ain’t ya, Natsuki?”
“What’s with that tepid response?! I really did say something weird, didn’t I?!”
Anastasia shook her head no as Ricardo obviously snickered. And Garfiel’s nodding with arms crossed and Otto’s slumping were just the usual responses.
“Even you’re looking at me weird, Reinhard.”
“I was surprised—and astonished like Lady Anastasia—I suppose. I had, to some extent, sensed how you felt, but I would not have expected you to express your feelings toward Lady Emilia so explicitly and confidently.”
The surprise fading, Reinhard’s cheeks softened, and from the look in his eyes he appeared to be genuinely moved. Subaru could hardly believe he was getting teased by someone as honest and forthright as him.
Which would mean Julius, that paragon of knightly chivalry, must be pretty annoyed—
“ ”
“Julius?”
However, when Subaru nervously turned around, Julius’s reaction was nothing like what he’d expected. Julius’s golden eyes were narrowed, watching Subaru with what almost felt like jealousy. An earnest yearning that stirred the depths of his heart.
“ ” Julius returned to his senses after a moment. “Apologies. I was just thinking about something. Did you need something?”
“No, it’s fine… Ah! Anyway, moving on!” Realizing he had lost track of the conversation for a moment, Subaru spun around to take in the room. “I’m going to get Emilia back with my own two hands, and I’ll kick Greed’s ass to do it. There’s no room for negotiation on that.”
“Very well, then that’s what we shall do. If that is how it is, then he is not someone who can be overlooked or forgiven.”
As he agreed with Subaru’s determination, Reinhard’s eagerness for battle welled up. Getting goose bumps from that, Subaru continued, “Also, it looks like you’re feeling pessimistic, Otto, but it isn’t all bad. Even after she was caught, Emilia-tan didn’t just sit around waiting for us to make our move, either. She managed to get in contact with Al once and pass us some info on the enemy.”
“Lady Emilia did something that sophisticated?! Is she all right?!”
“You could at least comment on how dangerous that must have been, man… Anyway, can you fill them in on what she told you, Al?”
It was clear from his reaction just what Otto had expected of Emilia, but Subaru lobbed the conversation to the man leaning against the wall in the corner of the room.
“ ”
Al slowly raised his head and stepped away from the wall sluggishly.
For some reason, he had been like that ever since Subaru’s speech. Between that and the intense exchange before the speech, everything about him seemed very different from usual. It was really starting to bother Subaru. But Al just nodded listlessly as Subaru focused a concerned gaze on him.
“Yeah… That little lady wasn’t discouraged at all about being behind enemy lines. Maybe she was confident she wouldn’t be killed since Greed wanted to marry her.”
“Yeah…I’m not so sure about that part.”
Subaru tilted his head as Al scratched at the seam of his helm.
It was not that unreasonable a thought, but in Emilia’s case, Subaru suspected she would have done basically the same thing even if the situation had been drastically different. For better or worse, she always prioritized others over herself. That side of her made Subaru happy, but it was also incredibly worrying at times. He had wanted more information about her and wanted her to be safe while she was captured, so even just knowing that much was fortunate, but…
“…Emilia let us know which control tower is controlled by Greed and which one is controlled by Lust. And from Otto’s story, we can be fairly confident which tower contains Gluttony, right?”
“Correct, it was the control tower in the second district. And from Emilia’s timely intelligence report, we know Lust is in the first district and Greed is in the third district, which makes the fourth district Wrath by process of elimination. That’s valuable enough information to merit her doing something rash,” Anastasia summarized.
“So there you have it,” Subaru said with a light snap and a wink. Greeted with wry smiles, Subaru, undiscouraged, turned his finger to Al.
“And we’re grateful to you for bringing this information back, too…so what are you sulking about, Al? Is it just ’cause I didn’t listen to your warning…?”
“I ain’t sulking. An old guy like me gettin’ bent out of a shape like that wouldn’t be cute anyway.”
“Cute’s got nothing to do with it… I don’t really want to admit it, but we got our asses kicked pretty hard the last go-round, and I don’t want to fall into the same trap as before.” Subaru spread his fingers, holding out his hand to Al.
Al looked down at the hand through his visor and then looked back at Subaru dubiously.
“I want you to help us out this time. Fight the good fight so I can save my love.”
Subaru papered over his more earnest feelings with a joke as he waited for Al’s response, trusting that in the end he would just crack wise and give in.
But—
“—If that’s really how you feel, then I’m not against helping out.”
There was no intimacy in Al’s voice as he brushed Subaru’s hand away in seeming annoyance.
“ ”
“Uh…”
Subaru felt a chill down his spine. The tone that was so clearly different from normal and the gaze he could not read behind the pitch-black helm caught him off guard. In that moment, Al pointed a wild, frayed rage right at Subaru. Subaru recognized that mysterious, almost violently aggressive feeling as something he had encountered before. But he could not remember where he had sensed it or the form it had taken then. He simply couldn’t connect the two.
And while he continued struggling to make sense of it all, their awkward stare-down continued—
“Hark. Please lend me thine ears— Thine eyes evoke a heated, racing heart.”
“Ugh—?!”
“Eep?!”
Totally caught off guard by the sudden interjection, Subaru spun around, sending the newcomer flying with a shocked gasp. She went rolling backward for some distance before dramatically crashing into the spare tables lining the wall.
“Ugyah! My elbows! My knees! The pain of every bone in my body breaking! All six of my ribs just snapped! I’m sure of it!”
The small figure curled up under the tables, writhing in pain with an earsplitting scream. Subaru’s eyes widened as he turned around and caught his breath. The girl rolling around on the floor, unleashing every last bit of her quirky personality, was—
“Liliana?! Wait, if you’re here, then that means…”
“—Naturally, I brought her here myself, commoner.”
“Oh.”
Right after confirming Liliana’s presence, the owner of that voice, the walking embodiment of arrogance, stepped into the room. Footsteps rang out, luxuriously and magnificently, emphasizing the overwhelming aura of the brilliantly red woman. Her bloody crimson eyes lorded over the occupants as she pulled a fan from her voluptuous cleavage.
“The actors have all gathered. I suppose I should praise your prudence in waiting for the guest of honor to assume her seat. Be sure to maintain that diligent attitude going forward.”
Smiling and apparently in a very good mood, the crimson beauty Priscilla Bariel joined the fray.
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