Feeling the morning sunlight burning through his eyelids, Subaru raised his upper body from the dim darkness.
He must have dozed off while lost in thought. Still, having spent deep into the night submerged in a sea of contemplation, he had probably only slept for two or three hours.
"Back in my original world, this would be unthinkable. I mean, the time when the sun was out was basically my sleeping time in the first place."
Speaking aloud, he rotated his body and swept his gaze across the cathedral, where a few people were just starting to stir. Responding with waves and slight bows to the people of
Greeted by the cool, early-morning air as he stepped outside, he found that several residents of the
"Oh my, you're awake, Subaru-sama."
"Mornin'. Good morning. Another fresh one today, huh."
"Indeed. The wind is rather chilly... and it seems you rested well, Subaru-sama."
The familiar-faced woman who had called out to him smiled meaningfully and gently touched her own cheek. Following her cue, Subaru touched his own cheek and felt a sticky sensation — the unmistakable residue of drool smeared across it.
"Oh no, how embarrassing."
Why was it that a short nap tended to bring out these sloppy side effects even more than regular sleep? Was there some kind of law at work, such that only during a brief doze would one end up with an absurdly messy bedhead?
While Subaru was mulling over such pointless thoughts, a second woman — this one with short dog-like ears atop her head — approached. She offered him a damp cloth, which he accepted with a brief word of thanks before wiping his mouth.
Got it? he checked after wiping, and both women confirmed. He waved the two off toward the water basin, intending to return the hand towel after washing it there, and decided to wash his face while he was at it.
He glanced back as he walked away, quietly observing the two, but between them he detected no trace of the awkwardness or crossed signals one might expect. They were communicating with each other in a perfectly natural way, two different species interacting without friction.
Over the past several days — or rather, a full week now if he counted the do-over — even in this kind of environment, there had been no notable friction between the evacuees and the Sanctuary's residents.
The evacuees' high moral standards, the reassuring presence of their lord Roswaal staying in the same location despite being an annoyance, and — though Subaru himself underestimated his own influence and didn't realize it — the trust they placed in him as someone they shared food and sleep with.
As for the Sanctuary's residents, this place's unpleasant origins notwithstanding, there were quite a few people he could hold a decent conversation with, starting with the dog-eared woman from just now. At the very least, in Subaru's estimation, nothing separated humans from half-bloods except the people's own awareness.
"So that's what the 'Barrier' exists to keep clearly divided, huh... I don't know what was going through the mind of whoever set it up, but it's a mean-spirited thing."
If Garfiel's account was to be believed, this was the "
"
A monochrome girl, her white hair and pale skin all wrapped in black, funeral-like attire.
A ghost in every sense — she had lost her life four hundred years ago and yet remained bound to the world of the living. She claimed not to interfere with reality, yet she had been present at the Trial grounds, sticking her nose into Subaru's actions at every turn.
And then, when it suited her, she had hidden memories of her involvement with him inside his head, only for him to recall them almost immediately thanks to her shoddy concealment method. Everything she did was utterly chaotic.
He assumed there had to be some profound reason behind it all, but...
"If it turns out she's just doing it for kicks, I'm seriously going to lose it. I mean, what am I supposed to think about a woman who forces her bodily fluids on someone she just met for no reason..."
The unpleasant memory of being made to drink the Dona tea resurfaced. That had probably taken place in a mental world, so he wanted to believe he hadn't actually absorbed any Dona-related substance into his body.
In any case, no matter what her motives might be, the situation remained the same: the Sanctuary was wrapped in a barrier, and its residents could not leave.
"That means, as always, the biggest obstacle right now is... Garfiel."
Whether he tried to negotiate directly with Echidna or undertook the Trial himself, the bottleneck was how to deal with Garfiel, whose hostility toward Subaru had skyrocketed.
If the change in his attitude was caused by the Witch's foul stench — a byproduct of "Return by Death" — that Subaru himself was unaware of, then improving that perception would be a nearly impossible task.
During the events with the Juggernaut and the fight against the
"The stench can only get stronger, and I have no idea how to get rid of it. It's not like some deodorizer is going to cut it. Also, what the hell did I just say? 'Foul stench' this and 'foul stench' that — am I some kind of waste product?"
That said, he had been deliberately intensifying the foul stench by attempting to tell someone about "Return by Death." And based on the pattern so far, the increased stench didn't seem to persist at full intensity forever.
Like any normal smell, it likely faded over time. In other words, that was the only way to reduce it.
"So naturally, I can't expect Garfiel's attitude to soften on its own. And there's something I don't want to think about, but... if I mess up again and have to 'Return by Death'..."
If he lost his life once more and had to restart from the tomb, Subaru would be layering even more of the Witch's stench on top of what remained. The mere thought of what Garfiel's reaction would become in that case was terrifying.
Up until now, Subaru had changed the outcome by dying at the worst possible moment and starting over.
His greed for picking everything up — his refusal to lose anything — had not yet been fully realized. There were still things he had failed to recover.
But even so, with each do-over, Subaru had chosen a future better than the one before. It was difficult to feel grateful for "Return by Death" itself, but without that ability, he could easily imagine a future where he continued down the worst possible path.
However...
"I've managed to get through by repeating, but... every time I start over, the relationships get worse. That the difficulty goes up each time — that's a first."
Garfiel could still be reasoned with rationally at this point, but if Subaru showed his face again after layering on more of the stench, it was unclear whether he would even be given the chance for verbal dialogue.
After all, when the stench had surrounded him before,
The people he had left behind at the mansion — especially the sleeping Rem — crossed his mind, and what set off the noise in his thoughts next was the pitch-black assassin. The pleasure-killer who had reappeared, now boldly holding the number-one spot on Subaru's personal kill count.
For the record, a gray cat-type Spirit was tied for first place, and among those tied for second with a count of one, there was a suspiciously high number of people from his own circle — a chaotic roster indeed.
"Kill count that makes me want to curl up and brood when I look back on it. Or rather, death count?... Anyway, Elsa's the problem. Even if I say that, I can't exactly win a fistfight against her, so realistically my only options are Roswaal or Garfiel."
But even Roswaal, setting aside his magical prowess, was dealing with the effects of his injuries. As the best solution to this problem, winning Garfiel over was still the way to go.
And to pit him against Elsa in a fight at the mansion, the barrier enveloping the Sanctuary had to be broken. Ultimately, what mattered most was: "Break through the Trial before the mansion raid, free the Sanctuary, reconcile with Garfiel, get him to come along to the mansion, drive Elsa off, and live happily ever after... Right."
Even as he said it, he furrowed his brows at the contradictory problems nested within.
To reconcile with Garfiel, the Sanctuary needed to be freed.
To free the Sanctuary, he needed to defeat Garfiel and take on the Trial.
These two things were mutually exclusive. Impossible.
Perhaps if words alone could mend things, it might work — but recalling last night's conversation and his experiences dealing with Garfiel thus far, the low probability of that happening was enough to make his head ache.
Garfiel was blunt in both good and bad ways, and their confrontation was simple, which meant the conclusion had been laid out from the very start. Changing that answer was going to be difficult.
So if Subaru had any chance at all, it would be: "Sneak into the tomb and try to make contact with Echidna to find some other opportunity. Or slip into the tomb during the window when I can actually attempt the Trial and break through it."
After washing his face at the basin and reaching this conclusion, Subaru set off in a direction away from the food distribution.
He dried his face with a wrung-out towel and headed toward the less-populated edge of the Sanctuary, climbing over a small hill and following a narrow path until — "...I was hoping too hard for a stroke of luck, wasn't I."
There, sitting in the middle of the straight, unobstructed path to the tomb in the same posture as last night, was Garfiel, waiting for him.
— Sneak into the tomb first thing in the morning, slipping past Garfiel's watch.
A morning plan worth no more than "bonus points if it works" had been foiled before it even began.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "Rise and shine, huh."
"Don't you go flashing your mug first thing in the damn morning, ya hear? You go out of your way to get my mood all riled up — what's the point in that, huh?"
Subaru gave a casual wave of greeting, and Garfiel, opening one eye, let out a growl in a voice dripping with displeasure. The reaction was exactly as expected. Subaru let his raised hand drop limply, then looked to the small figure standing beside the cross-legged Garfiel.
"I figured Garfiel would be here, but I didn't expect you, Ryuzu. Good morning."
"Good morning to you, too. Taking a morning stroll, Suba-han?"
"A stroll, sure, but not a very enjoyable one, honestly. I came with a sliver of hope, and the rest was to rile up Garfiel."
"You little —"
Standing over him with a finger-pointing kind of downward gaze, Garfiel's forehead was now bulging with veins. Subaru watched this with satisfaction, cheerfully ignoring the outburst, and tilted his head toward Ryuzu.
"So you're out for a stroll too, Ryuzu?"
"Me? Strolling is more of a side reason. I heard that since last night, Gar-han hasn't gone home and has just been sitting on the ground here, so... I came to check on him, more or less."
As she spoke, Ryuzu toyed with a strand of her long, wavy, pale-red hair. In her other hand she held a small bundle, which from its size and shape clearly contained some simple food. Presumably, it was Garfiel's breakfast — since he stubbornly refused to move from this spot.
Glancing at the two of them while resting his chin on his hand, Subaru spoke up.
"So you and Garfiel have known each other for a long time?"
"At least since Gar-han was small... Well, he's still small now, height-wise."
"Hey, old woman. You're the one whose height I surpassed ages ago."
"And yet you haven't grown nearly as much as I'd hoped. In any case, we've known each other since he was even smaller than he is now. This kind of back-and-forth — I'm used to it."
Garfiel spat out the insult, but Ryuzu deflected it lightly, her composure exuding the ease of long experience. She looked like a child but was truly an old woman — a textbook example of the lolibaba phenomenon, and impressively so at that.
However, from what had just been said, something caught Subaru's attention, and he raised an eyebrow.
"So from what you just said... Garfiel, you weren't born in the Sanctuary?"
"Don't go diggin' into stuff that don't concern you. You want a taste of the 'Black Blazing Bark' surprise smackdown?"
"Hey, noted. That doesn't land as a deterrent. So anyway, Ryuzu, the floor is yours."
Ignoring last night's warning entirely, Subaru pressed on. Garfiel's teeth were beginning to grind audibly from irritation, but Subaru barrelled ahead.
Watching the two men interact, Ryuzu let out an exasperated sigh and spoke.
"Gar-han entered the Sanctuary about a dozen years ago. He was still just a toddler, barely able to walk. Roz-ban brought him here along with —"
" — Old woman, that's enough. Don't say anything more."
Garfiel's voice dropped to a low growl, his eyes narrowing.
His words carried a chill that made the ambient temperature seem to drop. Subaru felt a twinge of panic — perhaps he had pushed a little too far — but — "Who do you think you're talking to like that, you fool?"
"Ow!"
Ryuzu closed the distance in an instant and slapped Garfiel's blond, spiky head with an open palm that made a satisfying crack. The arm strength of a child's body, yet it couldn't have been that powerful — yet Garfiel clutched his head and looked up at her with the pallor of someone struck by lightning.
"O-Old woman, what the hell was that for..."
"And you — the nerve, speaking to me like that when I practically raised you. Honestly, it's so pathetic and embarrassing and sad I could almost cry. There, there, there."
"Stop — ow! Geez, people are watching!"
With each "there" Ryuzu pummeled his arm with actions that practically produced comic sound effects. Garfiel barely managed to block her palm, looking thoroughly mortified at having his family shame witnessed.
Subaru fought down the urge to burst out laughing at their exchange.
"I can objectively gauge the length and depth of your bond now. ...Garfiel, do you seriously intend to sit here the whole time?"
"I ain't movin' from here for nothin' short of a bathroom break. There's no guaranteein' some bastard won't try to slip in the second I take my eyes off the place."
Even through this exhausting exchange, Garfiel's vigilance against intrusion hadn't wavered in the slightest. Subaru was somewhat disappointed, though not entirely — if Garfiel had reversed his stance after only half a day, Subaru would have needed to reassess his opinion of him entirely.
In any case, moving the stubborn Garfiel remained just as difficult.
"But the Trial only works at night, right? Slipping in during daylight wouldn't do me any good. Your sitting here all day would be pointless too."
"You think gettin' me to leave is gonna work? If I let you inside during the day and you just wait till night, you'll meet the conditions just fine once I can't get in. You ain't the only one playin' the long game here. Don't underestimate me?"
"Tch, caught."
Both hands went up in a shrugging gesture of defeat. Garfiel snorted and made his feelings known, then glanced up at Ryuzu.
"That's why I ain't movin' from here for a while. Old woman. Food."
"Bringing it all the way out here and still putting on that attitude — how ungrateful. Here."
Despite her complaints, Ryuzu handed over the bundle. Garfiel unwrapped it and wolfed down the dumpling-like food inside.
With Ryuzu cooperating like this, the standoff was going to be a drawn-out one.
"Can't do much about the situation, huh... Fine, I'll head out."
"I told you, you don't need to go. I ain't lettin' you in, I ain't lettin' you do nothin', and I ain't makin' any exceptions. Just stay there and keep quiet — that's all you need to do."
As Subaru turned to leave, Garfiel fired off a parting jab while licking his fingers clean. Subaru waved over his shoulder without turning back, and Ryuzu fell into step beside him.
"Feeding time for Gar-han is done. I wouldn't mind having a chat with you too, Suba-han."
"What a coincidence. I had some things I wanted to ask you too, Ryuzu. Honestly, I was hoping to check on
He glanced up briefly at the sky, where the sun had only just begun its ascent.
He remembered that the morning after the first day's Trial, Emilia's awakening had been close to midday. The urge to see her sleeping face was tempting, but this was the time to pursue a different objective.
He glanced sideways at Ryuzu, observing the child-bodied old woman with her long, pale-red hair swaying with each step.
With a drowsy, dreamy expression, she matched his pace with small, quick steps. Knowing full well she was a lolibaba didn't stop him from finding it oddly endearing.
"Want me to carry you?"
"...And just when I was wondering why you suddenly looked at me with such gentle eyes. Don't tell me you're the type to be attracted to young girls, Suba-han? That's even worse than Roz-ban."
"Grabbing me and accusing me of being a lolicon — that's a false accusation of the highest order. When I buy gal games, the character filter is whether the heroine has a senpai or big-sister type. The one I'm desperately trying to win over right now is also big-sister material... Although I recently found out she's genuinely much older than I thought, but that doesn't change anything. That's the kind of guy I am."
"I was about to ask 'what kind of guy,' but never mind. I don't need to be carried. If I don't walk properly, my legs and back will weaken."
"What a gap between appearance and substance — again!"
She was only a child in appearance, but since she was genuinely an old woman on the inside, the remark carried real weight. Skin age might be young, but internal organs could be falling apart for all he knew. Being a lolibaba was surprisingly tough.
"You're making that face again — the one that says you're thinking about something pointless."
"Huh, seriously? I was trying hard not to let it show. I even practiced my poker face."
"It was the same face Gar-han makes when he's been caught sneaking snacks he hid. Children's habits don't change no matter which child it is."
"Old woman, quit reinforcing the old-woman image with every other sentence."
Setting aside Ryuzu's aggressive age-bragging, Subaru tilted his head as they walked.
"So a chat is fine, but where are we headed? Also, it's a bit late to be asking, but where do you actually sleep, Ryuzu? You lent your bed to Emilia-tan, so do you just crash in a field somewhere?"
"Lend out my home and then be treated as homeless right after... It seems you've forgotten that I'm nominally the leader of this place. I have acquaintances who let me stay over for a few days."
"Yeah, fair point. The people here are actually pretty decent, once you get to know them."
Beyond the food distribution scene, he had encountered Sanctuary residents frequently enough. He furrowed his brow, thinking that the tension Garfiel had described seemed exaggerated.
Ryuzu, noticing Subaru's brief silence, nodded.
"Is something troubling you?"
"Well, I know this might sound odd, but... it's just different from what I imagined. Emilia, as a half-elf, was treated pretty roughly at the Royal Castle, so I was wondering if half-bloods were treated the same way everywhere. And if so, I thought maybe the half-bloods' own feelings toward the pure-bloods would be complicated too."
At the very least, for people trapped in a place called an "experimental grounds," the residents didn't seem to be displaying any dark emotions on the surface. Of course, some of them must have felt unhappy deep down, but Subaru hadn't seen any of those negative feelings made overt.
Garfiel, who spared no words or emotions in expressing himself, served as a kind of spokesperson — but even his personal anger was closer to righteous indignation than selfish resentment. His fury was on behalf of others more than himself.
Despite these wretched conditions, the people of the Sanctuary maintained an almost too-high level of moral composure. It wasn't just unusual — it was almost incomprehensible.
Sensing Subaru's puzzlement, Ryuzu opened her eyes slightly in surprise.
"My, Suba-han, you think about all sorts of things, don't you? More than your appearance would suggest."
"More than my appearance — is that really necessary? I'd like to think I at least look smarter than Garfiel. But yeah, when I don't use my brain, I'm pretty lacking."
"Well, it's a good start to recognize your shortcomings. There are some who are lacking but refuse to admit it, after all. ...Oh, this way."
They reached a fork in the path. As Subaru hesitated, Ryuzu took the lead. In a direction opposite to both the cathedral and Roswaal's temporary lodgings — on the far side of the village, diagonally across from the tomb — Ryuzu guided him to a solitary house standing apart from everything else.
Unlike the scattered homes he'd seen so far, this one sat alone in its own little patch of distance from everything else. A natural word surfaced in Subaru's mind.
"That's lonely. Why are you staying somewhere like this?"
"What can you do? Right now, it's the only building in the Sanctuary without a permanent resident. It's a bit far from the gatherings, but it's spacious and comes in handy."
"What happened to the 'acquaintances' who let you stay? Why end up alone again at a place you chose? Even someone like me who knows plenty of lolibabas — I've never seen one die alone. That's too sad."
"Are you worried about me or making fun of me? Make it clear. Here, come in. I'll at least make you tea. I can't brew it as well as
"I've yet to meet tea with leaves in it that tastes like anything other than leaves, so please, don't trouble yourself."
"You might want to watch your own words a little more carefully."
Invited in with a sigh, Subaru stepped through the half-open door. The building was roughly half the size of Roswaal's temporary residence — though that was only because the manor was far too large for one person. This place, with its three rooms, offered more than enough space.
He sat in the nearest chair and looked around. The compact interior was simple yet clearly well-maintained. Ryuzu had said no one lived here, but — "For an empty house, it really feels like someone's been hanging out here regularly. The bed's fluffiness easily passes muster in my expert opinion as a first-class sheet craftsman. Could it be, Ryuzu..."
"Why do you look at me as though I come here every time I want to be alone, killing time in a daze until the awkwardness fades? That's an awfully specific and complicated face you're making."
"My face really was that specific and complicated?!"
Perhaps hitting a little too close to home, Ryuzu launched into a rapid-fire denial that was almost pitiful. The death-aloneness comment had been a joke, but the part about being a solitary old person with no family was hard to refute.
Her silent back, already turned to the task of brewing tea, looked lonely. Subaru searched desperately for a topic change, letting his gaze wander.
Neatly organized interior. A slightly clouded vanity mirror and a wardrobe. A vase with no flowers, and a metal shield hanging on the wall. — A shield?
"Why is there a shield here? And two of them."
"Those are Gar-han's things. He uses this place as a kind of storage room."
"He hangs out here too? A hangout for delinquents — yeah, I guess that fits. But no way he's the one who keeps every detail this clean. That's way too out of character."
Muttering to himself that this didn't fit Garfiel's image at all, Subaru examined the shields that supposedly belonged to him.
In manga and such, noble mansions often had crossed swords or the like mounted on the wall, and these shields were displayed in a similar fashion, propped at an angle. But they were no mere decorations — the dents and gouges on each showed signs of real use, far beyond what cleaning could account for. These were definitely not the kind of antiques that had never seen a real fight.
"But even so, what kind of real combat can you do with just shields?"
"Back in the day, they used to bang shields together out in the meadow behind this house all the time. Each holding a shield, clashing and running around in circles."
"That sounds way too rough for 'play-fighting.' ...Mind if I ask who Garfiel was doing that with?"
During his time in the Sanctuary, he had never once seen anyone on close terms with Garfiel in that way. Garfiel was a local figure of authority who showed up at food distributions, so his decent relationship with the residents was well-established — but if Subaru tried to identify a specific person who was genuinely close to him beyond that, no name came to mind.
If forced to choose, it would be Ryuzu — but the image of her holding a shield and clashing with Garfiel was rather terrifying.
Ryuzu was silent for a moment in response to Subaru's implied question. Then she brought over a tray with two cups of tea, set one in front of Subaru, and took a seat on the bed. He accepted it, brought the warm cup to his lips, and moistened his throat.
"It's still just leaves. Only leaves."
"Can't win with you, can I? Well, I used cheap leaves on purpose. ...Tea leaves are somewhat precious around here, after all."
Apparently, luxuries like these were transported in roughly once a month through Roswaal's arrangements. Impressed at how the manipulator managed to stay so generous while pulling the strings, Subaru sat in silence for a while, sipping tea with Ryuzu.
And after a measure of quiet had passed — " — Frederica."
The word slipped from Subaru's lips, and Ryuzu's shoulder trembled slightly.
She looked up from her cup, meeting Subaru's gaze. With that flicker of composure now gone from her face, Subaru spoke again.
"The name of the person who used to clash shields with Garfiel — Frederica, right?"
"...Did Gar-han tell you?"
"Nope. Just pieced it together from a few fragments. I had a feeling something complicated was going on between Garfiel and Frederica."
At
And Frederica's name had made Garfiel's expression change. There were also signs that he had been trying to learn about her recent situation. It was impossible not to suspect a connection.
And the clincher: "The fangs are too similar. Even Buddha wouldn't forgive me for saying they're unrelated."
"...Indeed. On that point, I can't find the words to deny it either."
With that final piece of evidence, Ryuzu let out a resigned sigh and then chuckled.
The most striking similarity between Garfiel and Frederica. Overly sharp canines and a fiercely bared grin — that was enough. From this, one could also tell that their relationship wasn't anything romantic like lovers.
It was just a hunch, but the best fit for their relationship would be — "Siblings... no, more like brother and sister. If anything, Frederica strikes me as the older-sister type."
"Well my... to be able to discern that from pure instinct alone is quite impressive."
At Subaru's remark, Ryuzu could only marvel.
Then, as if conceding the point, she nodded, set her tea back on the tray, straightened her posture, and spoke.
"As you imagine, Suba-han — the shield's owners are siblings.
She confirmed Subaru's theory, but Ryuzu's voice carried a wistful heaviness.
"— But now they've drifted apart, and gone down different paths."