CHAPTER 96: RED DRAWN AT THE LIPS
Subaru: “Fragments, of the past Garfiel saw...”
Sigma: “Truly, it ern't more than fragments. It's me who ran, carting him outter the tomb as he muttered deliriously, sobbing. I know what the basic story is.”
Swallowing his breath, Subaru faces Sigma. Garfiel's past—not the information he'd been expecting to get from this talk with Sigma, but still a topic Subaru eventually needed to suss out. The chronological order is wonky, but he's got no complaints about gaining new intelligence.
Subaru: “Could you tell me about it? What did the guy... did Garfiel see, and why'd that make him give up on freeing SANCTUARY? Make him oppose the residents leaving so much?”
Sigma: “—What saw wers his mother's goodbye.”
Subaru: “A, goodbye.”
Something feels to gouge Subaru's chest. A goodbye with his mother—not a statement unrelated to Subaru, when it came to the TRIAL. But unlike Subaru, who can look back on it happily, Garfiel's experience lacks any of that. That's why he's so insanely bound to SANCTUARY.
Sigma: “Lil' Su, do yer know about his mother?”
Subaru: “...Sort of, I got a quick version of things from Frederica. Their mother was a normal human, there were some half-bloods and, um... well, stuff happened, and they were born. Then she left them in SANCTUARY, and...”
Sigma: “Cruelly, by herself, she left the place and wers happy... ers about where it'd go.”
As she supplements the parts that Subaru has trouble voicing, a fleeting smile rises on Sigma's face. Sigma's statement is exactly what Frederica had told him about their mother. Alongside saying that their mother's turbulent life was likely the providence of her proportionally poor luck.
Frederica and Garfiel both use their parents' surnames, with Frederica adopting her father's name of Baumann. Garfiel apparently uses their mother's Tinzel.
Subaru: “But then, going from what Frederica said, his goodbye with their mother was back when he was still little... you can say he was shown memories from back then, but just how vivid could they be?”
Sigma: “Thissers a TRIAL arranged by Echidna, who holds the Book of Wisdom, yer? I'm sure that, rather than anything so undependable as unclear memories, it crafts the world off the memories which're closer ter the onset. ...A past diverging not the slightest from what his young self saw should'der unfolded.”
Subaru: “...”
That was a weak basis for attempted argument, rethinks Subaru. Echidna had relied on Subaru's memories and magnificently reconstructed townscapes and school buildings from the old world, impossible to replicate in this universe. If contemplating the idea of 'drawing from the deepest reaches of the challenger's memory', then the concept would be personified by none other than Subaru.
Subaru: “Got it. Agree with that. But, the problem is... how did Garfiel take enough damage, in seeing his goodbye with his mother again, that he broke down crying?”
Sigma: “...”
Subaru: “Dunno how this'll sound, but that goodbye happened when he was little, and he must've spent way more time without his mother than with her. This idea where he's stuck in a rut over something that's come and gone seriously doesn't feel like it fits his charact—”
Sigma: “Do yer think a memory erv being abandoned by yer mother ends with only a shallow wound, Lil' Su?”
Sigma cuts into Subaru's statement, her words equipped with knifepoint keenness. Feeling that his neck has just been sliced with a blade of words, Subaru unwittingly falls silent. Sigma lowers her grieving eyes.
Sigma: “Although, it wersn't that me and his sister Frederica were ignorant ter how large the thorns stabbed inter the boy's heart were. Lil' Gar himself might notter've been aware erv it. But experiencing the TRIAL made that wound come ter fore. ...I think his current exorbitant conservatism ers because erv that.”
Subaru: “...Well then, what exactly? It's not really that he's resisting SANCTUARY's freedom because of the outside world or whatever, it's because of... his negative feelings toward his mother, who abandoned him and chose the outside?”
Sigma: “He must hate it, the outside. The outside that stole his mother, and let him be deserted. Even should he've tried ter follow her, the barrier blocks us, and we can't go with him. It's unbearable and mutually exclusive, fer a boy who cared both fer his mother and fer SANCTUARY's people.”
Subaru: “Maybe he hates his mother? Who left him behind, went to the outside, his mother.”
For a Subaru who has never been disowned by a blood relative, this is a pain he cannot understand. No matter how shameful Subaru was, or how he presented that was worthless, his parents never ever thought of abandoning or giving up on him. Although saved by that felicity, right now, it was tormenting him.
Sigma: “Who could really say...”
Sigma avoids making any immediate assertions.
She putters her gaze about, searching in uncertainty for the words, then giving a small sigh.
Sigma: “I've never been able ter inquire him what he truly, sincerely thinks erv his mother. I wers a coward, yer see. It feels like hearing it would bring back memories of back then... of him in the tomb, cantankerous, so I've never been capable erv asking him.”
Subaru: “Sigma-san...”
Sigma: “But still, even though he knows his past, he introduces himself as Garfiel Tinzel. He introduces himself with his mother's surname attached ter his fore. My thinking is that surely, he's doing it so not ter forget.”
Subaru: “So not to forget...”
Nodding as Subaru speaks, Sigma gazes over this shoddy shack—this failure of a shack which Garfiel put great effort into making—her eyes affectionate.
Sigma: “So not ter forget the emotion, that seeing his past gave him. —Whether that was fury, er grief, even now I'm still unsure.”
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Otto: “You look terrible, Natsuki-san. Do you realise that?”
Says Otto out the gate with a wry smile, upon reconvening with Subaru in the middle of the village. Subaru shrugs as he gazes at Otto.
Subaru: “Well what about you, you sure managed to get filthy in just half a day of not seeing you. Going traipsing around in forests at your age, how about growing up a little?”
Otto: “Not that anybody would come to look as though they've been frolicking in mud because they wanted to, but sure!”
Subaru: “Stop shouting, it's rattling my sleep-deprived brain. And speaking of sleep deprivation, you've got some pretty crazy dark circles going too. Using your precious sleeping hours to go mud-frolicking... man, were you hit with a compulsion to finish up in this limited timespan everything you were ruing about?”
Otto: “Could you please stop with this plotline which sounds like a once-popular mass-consumed microfiction!?”
Going from Otto's yelling, apparently there was a time in this world where some patient stricken with incurable disease spun tales about his scant few remaining days, composed it into some kind of performance or media, and it caught on. Subaru's useless knowledge compounds.
Seems like it'd pay to import some stories over from the previous world, once everything's cleaned up, thinks Subaru.
Subaru: “Anyway,” Subaru: “Calling the joking around as over about here... how're things actually looking?” Otto: “I can't deny that there were some efforts because of your absence... but, I myself would still think it safe to call it a success. You're welcome to praise me.” Subaru: “You amazing guy, you're my only hope, super duper you can do it.” Otto: “Some overwhelmingly blank encouragements, those! I could feel the air going leaden!” Otto swings his arms from up to down, Subaru watching over the overreaction, his gratitude for
Otto's assistance secretly infinite. But since saying so would be embarrassing, Subaru figures to never ever mention it and take it to his grave. Subaru: “Anyway, great to hear your preparations're chugging ahead. How're things progressing for the other one, by the way? Looking usable?”
Otto: “That one is... there's tricky parts for that one, with the short time limit. There simply isn't enough time. If I cut into my sleeping hours I might be able to make it on the day after tomorrow... would perhaps be it.”
Subaru: “You're cutting down your sleeping hours for me? You're so hardworking I'm speechless.” Otto: “Nnghaah! A can of worms!” Otto clutches his head, lamenting his misspeech. But, even had Subaru not insisted it on him, he probably would've chosen to sacrifice his sleeping hours to make up the missing time by his own judgement. Subaru, as a FRIEND, had faith in that abounding sincerity of his.
Unaware of Subaru's gratitude, which shows not an inch on his face or in his attitude, Otto dispels his anguished expression before turning back to Subaru.
Otto: “Now,” Otto: “Has the stage been set on your end, Natsuki-san? In all honesty, considering the trouble with Emilia-sama, I'd been questioning for a moment whether to pack my bags and commit a runner.”
Subaru: “I'm confident I'm steadily gathering up the missing pieces. Still have that disconcerting thing where the finished image's indefinite though.”
Otto: “A-are we going to be all right. There isn't any time left...” Subaru: “If I'm not done with the puzzle before we hit time, we'll compensate for the missing pieces with love and courage and friendship. Going off the stories I know, that'll manage something.”
Otto: “Well alright so, Natsuki-san. While I did say 'with disregard to chances of success', to bet in a proper contest on the side with zero probability of winning is, rather than simple idiocy, something closer to suicide-seeking, and...”
Otto goes on muttering, but Subaru ignores him and starts walking. Otto follows to match Subaru's step, reluctantly. Feeling no chastisement for fanning Otto's anxiety, Subaru continues heading for the building where Roswaal is waiting—it's not essential, but he's bringing along the story of how matters have proceeded thus far.
His conversation with Lewes Sigma now over, Subaru has come to learn some fragments of Garfiel's past. Sigma didn't possess any further information, but she did inform that her lack of proactiveness about freeing SANCTUARY was because of Garfiel's bearing as he rejected his past, and because Theta's attitude as she pushed the tomb situation onto Sigma was just that unstable.
Going off the duplicates' rotation, Theta is scheduled to show up tomorrow. What did Theta see during the TRIAL? Probably it was a memory from Lewes Meyer's interactions with Echidna, but what did she see that made her oppose leaving SANCTUARY? Once that is illuminated, Subaru should then get opportunity to unravel Theta's stubborn heart. If that's possible, then it should erase the presence which is suggesting things to Garfiel, and give Subaru chance to speak with violence-avowed Garfiel.
Garfiel strongly presents his roughness and recklessness, but his nature is not so simplistic that he unquestionably approves all unruly behaviour. Or at least, such was Subaru's impression. If he truly was simplistic, and judged it okay to solve all problems violently with his own strength, then all he had to do was remove every single thing which could possibly threaten SANCTUARY.
Unless you're Emilia with Puck or omnipotent Roswaal, there was surely nobody quantifiable as Garfiel's opponent in combat strength. Garfiel is unmistakably the most powerful person in SANCTUARY right now, and should he bare his claws and fangs to attack, by that alone would he solve every single problem.
That he's not doing it is because despite his looks, his nature is one which seeks rational solutions.
Subaru: “And so we're riding off that softnesss of his and planning secretly behind the scenes... say that, and it makes us sound like the villains.”
Otto: “I'm not adverse to these methods of utilising whatever we can of whatever's around. But, well, I agree that this isn't exactly like the protagonist of a play or fairytale.”
Hearing Subaru's mutterings, Roguish Villain B tilts his shoulders as he assists with these roguish unprotagonisty plans. Roguish Villain A can only think that well if B's motivated for it then good.
Either way, Garfiel's problems are essentially the finisher for lots of the driving forces behind the problems surrounding SANCTUARY. If they can succeed in persuading him, that's tantamount to cleaning up Big Problem B. And as for Big Problem A, the TRIAL—otherwise said, Emilia:
Subaru: “I'll go see her one more time, after this.”
It's already well into the evening, with nighttime lights lit all across SANCTUARY. The sun has sunken halfway down the western sky, colouring the world in sunset shades of orange and purple. Night will come soon, and provided nothing happens, swiftly arriving should be the hour for challenging the TRIAL.
But Subaru has yet to be reported of Emilia's awakening. Even assuming she wakes up in time to make the TRIAL, considering the time she'll need to get her mind in order, the TRIAL seems like it will have to be missed for tonight.
Potentially, worst-case scenario, even the TRIAL for Subaru's Big Day, which is Tomorrow, could be in danger. Not even Puck himself, trigger for her present mental problems, had been able to estimate how much time she would need to come to grips with the shock.
Subaru: “I know it depends on how well I support her after she wakes up, but... being that we don't know how much damage she's taken, seriously feels I'm just letting it lie there.”
Otto: “Do you think you'll be able to persuade Emilia-sama, or rather not persuade her, but do something similar? Although, I only heard about Emilia-sama's state after the fact, so it isn't as though I'm in a place to say anything.”
Subaru: “For the moment what's definite is she's so muddled she can't determine who it is who's around her. I've never seen her have such a childlike row before, either. If you're asking if I can or not... the only option's to do it, is my honest answer.”
Otto: “So everything is still on the tightrope, then...”
Otto sighs at Subaru's undependable answer, but nonetheless shows no signs of fleeing. His awareness that he is making Otto participate in a battle with poor chances of winning leads Subaru to feel overwhelmingly apologetic. But that said, Otto's stance as he makes no attempt at abandoning Subaru is truly a grace for him.
Otto: “If that's the status for Emilia-sama, how is the Garfiel situation? Have you acquired any bargaining materials we could use to mollify him a slight?”
Subaru: “Pretty sure I got the trigger for the bargaining, yeah. Problem is that the preparations to get him to the negotiating table're still looking behind schedule.”
Subaru's methods for interacting with Garfiel will shift depending on how the conversation goes with Theta. What will come out of tomorrow's talk with Theta? Subaru cannot discern the initial clues for Garfiel's Route until then. That his only possible methods for these negotiations is to unconfidently spout out his accumulated information is painful.
Say that he's walking a tightrope every single time, and yes, he is.
Subaru: “—And, we're here. I'll be getting you in on the conversation too, this time.”
Says Subaru to the Otto beside him as they arrive at the building where Roswaal is waiting. Otto scrunches his face in displeasure.
Otto: “Yes, well, understood. Unlike last time, there's no reason for me to stay outside. I'll nicely accompany you... aauhg, am I truly declaring myself as an enemy to the Margrave? Once this is all safely over, my neck's still going through the occupational wringer.”
Subaru: “Relax. If your neck's out of a job, then my neck's out of job or is rabbit food. I'm never gonna let you die alone!”
Otto: “Absolutely nothing about that is reassuring at all!”
Subaru flashes Otto a thumbs up. Otto wails. While they go on joking around outside the building's doorway, the door opens from inside, pushing out—and from the room's interior there appears a maid, her gaze cold.
Ram: “What are you chattering so loudly about, directly outside the door so late in the night? People will come to doubt the integrity of Roswaal-sama, your master. Hold yourself with more dignity.”
Subaru: “Sorry... or actually, what the heck, you're here? Emilia's alone?”
Apologizing to the disappointed Ram, Subaru points out the strangeness of her being present. Ram gives a small sigh, shrugging in affected astonishment.
Ram: “Your worries are needless, I'm returning immediately. Yourselves were to visit Roswaal¬sama, and I was called here for preparations. —Truly nuisances you are, placing this burden on Emilia-sama.”
Subaru: “Spinning it back to be out faults, really? ...But Roswaal's preparations're what exactly. He's stuck in bed so it'd have to be nothing, right?”
While Subaru knows that Roswaal is actually healthy enough to get out of bed and kick Garfiel's head to pieces, Subaru fudges that by pretending that he doesn't know. Ram closes one eye as she looks at Subaru, giving an annoyed “Enough,” before passing through the space between Subaru and Otto.
Ram: “Roswaal-sama awaits you, so do enter quickly. Take caution so as not to protract the discussion and trouble him. ...Once that's done, I'll be taking place at Emilia-sama's side instead.”
Subaru: “Busy lady. You're seriously that worried about a basically-ordinary Roswaal? Would kinda want you to prioritize Emilia right now. If she's alone when she wakes up, she'll...”
Ram: “I cannot be the one present at her side when she awakes. Do you not understand even that?”
Ram leaves a blanching Subaru with that statement, her expression one of observing an idiot. Subaru silently watches her go when Otto jabs him in the side with his shoulder. Otto: “If that wasn't you attempting to provoke her, that exchange would've been rather terrible.” Subaru: “...Yeah I know. I was really wondering too, while I was saying it.”
Otto: “If you knew, then that secures my impression of you secretly having a rather unkind side.” Sweeping Otto's elbow away, Subaru enters the building through the open door. Otto follows behind. Subaru heads for the backmost room with Otto alongside, to lightly knock on the door
Subaru: “Roswaal, it's me. Okay to come in?” Roswaal: “Oooohoh, you're here. Dooooo come in, dooooo come in.” The clown's voice comes through the door—his tone that of his previous demeanour, surprising
Subaru a little as he opens the door. Where— Subaru: “Ah, so that's what it was.” Seeing Roswaal on the bed, Subaru gives a nod of agreement.
Finally, he understands what those PREPARATIONS Ram mentioned were. Otto yelps beside the comprehending Subaru, his surprise peeking through in his expression. Oh yeah actually, this is the first time Otto's seen this.
Roswaal: “Puuuuuuurposefully coming to report your progress, hoooooooow laudable that is. That iiiiiiiiiiiiis an aspect of yours I'm foooooooooond of.” Roswaal speaks in his drawn-out, buffoonish voice, snickering, his clown make-up finally back on. Speaks with arms spread, in welcome of the two.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login