CHAPTER 4
FIVE OBSTACLES
1
—Demon beasts were converging on the watchtower.
Everyone tensed, and a grave look crossed all of their faces when they heard Julius’s report.
It was impossible not to be shaken, learning that the faint rumble they could feel reverberating throughout the entire tower came from a horde of demon beasts stampeding toward them.
“I don’t have much more than a fuzzy feel for how huge this desert is, but…”
“Auguria is a breeding ground for demon beasts. The danger from demon beasts hiding in the sand and targeting people was always a graver danger than the harsh climate,” Julius elaborated.
“The story goes that there was once a grand plan to assemble an army to slay all the demon beasts in the sands,” Echidna added. “You can probably guess how it went, based on the rumbling.”
In other words, Subaru’s hope that the rumble was all bark and no bite and that there was only maybe a zoo’s worth of enemies coming at them was badly misplaced. Apparently, there really was a savannah’s worth of demon beasts out there.
It was certainly a despair-inducing problem, but…
“—So you came to get me, then?” Meili fiddled with her braided hair.
She was the only one who didn’t show any sign of unease when she heard that demon beasts were coming, and fast. Not because she didn’t find it strange. But because she didn’t consider demon beasts dangerous.
“Though it is shameful, that is correct. I would ask you to lend us your strength.” Julius nodded with a strained expression.
Use Meili, with her ability to give orders to demon beasts, to deal with the stampede of demon beasts charging at them. It was the right answer. And one that wasn’t an option last time.
“Subaru? What is it? You have an odd look on your face?”
“…Unfortunately, I was born with this face.”
“It’s just your naturally scary eyes, I suppose.”
Beatrice noticed Subaru’s bitter look and was looking up at him with concern. He took a deep breath.
“Did you notice something, Subaru?”
“Spare me the rapid-fire questions. Though it’s my fault for making that all-knowing sort of look. So in addition to apologizing, I have something else to add. An exclusive scoop I picked up from the book of the dead.”
Julius waited with bated breath, and the others’ eyes widened. Honestly, he could guess the reaction to what he was about to say, but he couldn’t explain the situation without it.
The reason for the sudden change, for all the demon beasts rushing at the tower…
“It’s Gluttony. The Archbishop of Gluttony is sending all the demon beasts at the tower.”
“—! Why?”
“That’s probably my fault. In Reid’s book of the dead, I met one part of Gluttony. Or more precisely, I met her again. Apparently, I met her last night, too. That’s…”
“That is why you lost your memories.”
Subaru nodded at Julius.
It was weird to say that it was just as he’d hoped, but Julius was good at picking up on things. He quickly connected Gluttony’s name and ability and reached the conclusion Subaru had wanted him to find.
“It seems like they’ve known where we are since last night. So a half day’s travel…with pets in tow.”
“Considering normal movement speed, it is difficult to imagine reaching this tower in only half a day. Particularly accounting for any obstructions from demon beasts along the way. However…”
“However?”
“If, unlike our rough trip, Gluttony has some way of controlling the demon beasts…then it would purely be a question of how fast they can move.”
Subaru frowned and crossed his arms at Echidna’s comment.
“What do you mean by that?”
“—Even if it takes time traveling along the ground, it’s a different story through the air.”
“Through the air…!” Subaru’s black eyes widened at that unexpected angle. “Right, I was just assuming flying wasn’t an option…but it’s normal to fly if you have magic!”
“That’s not true at all. Flying through the air is a composite technique. Ordinarily, it isn’t done because it is dangerous. Only a fool or a genius would use it. Or else a foolish genius, I suppose.”
“Marquis Mathers is famous for arriving at the castle through the air…”
“And he is a foolish genius.”
Subaru looked at Beatrice as she sulked adorably. I guess she’s not a fan of this unknown marquis.
But he cocked his head a bit in learning that flying by using magic wasn’t normal.
“If it’s not magic, then a giant bird…ah, a dragon! What about riding on a flying dragon?!”
“The technique of controlling flying dragons is a secret passed down in the Volakian Empire to the south. The empire has jealously guarded the technique, but considering Gluttony’s methods, it would be a relatively simple matter to steal that.”
“They could just ask someone who knows. Take a big bite out of their memories.”
The thought made Subaru realize just how powerful their enemy was when it came to the information war.
Just eat someone’s memories, and they would instantly learn whatever they knew. Eating their name would erase that first act and even that person from everyone else’s mind.
—“Memories make the man.” What an elegant way of putting it.
“ ”
Subaru believed a person’s worth and their being were engraved in memories and history. He felt it all the more strongly now, which made him despise Gluttony’s cowardly power from the bottom of his heart.
Gluttony’s ability to steal people’s memories was a malicious blight that profaned everything it touched. Claiming it was for their own well-being, using it in the pursuit of happiness—what a stupid idea. They were warping fate in a way that went against the natural order…
—Is that something someone who returns from the dead should say, mister?
“—!”
Subaru bit the inside of his cheek to block out the unpleasant face that flashed through the back of his mind.
I’m not going to put myself up on a pedestal. I’m not going to get sucked into her tempo. I don’t want to let her take anything more.
“I’d love to make her howl, but…her brothers come first.”
“I was aware of there being multiple Archbishops of Gluttony, but have you learned something more?”
“It’s really hard to be sure, because of her weird pronoun tic, but there are probably three Gluttonies. The one rambling away inside the book of the dead, and I think she has two older brothers.”
If he took Louis’s words at face value, there was dear brother and brother dearest.
“We can’t take her words at face value, but she didn’t seem like the type to rely on trickery, either. Not that I’m one to talk, since I almost fell for her trap.”
What would have happened if I played right into her hands and strangled her? If it hadn’t been for her voice, I would have…
“…Looks like we can’t afford to just keep chatting.”
A large tremor reached even the shelves of Taygeta. Sensing the impending situation, Subaru grabbed Beatrice and stood.
“So it would seem. Let’s continue after reinforcing Ms. Shaula. Ms. Meili?”
“Yes, I can go whenever. I love to work… You know that’s sarcasm, right?”
“Yeah, I could tell without you saying. Anyway, let’s hurry! Time to turn this around!”
Only Subaru could understand the true meaning of that. It was something only Subaru, who had experienced the disaster assaulting this tower multiple times, really grasped.
But everyone nodded, answering his call.
“—Ooooooh!!!”
And so Subaru Natsuki’s—or rather, Subaru Natsuki’s and his friends’—battle began once more.
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