"So—did things go smoothly all the way to forming a contract?"
After launching his final bid and giving Roswaal an earful before storming out of the building, Subaru met up with Otto a short walk later. Now the two of them were tucked in a corner of the cathedral, exchanging reports on their respective outcomes.
Otto's question elicited a nod from Subaru.
"Yeah, it went well. My only worry was if he'd given up completely and refused to take the bet, but... it looks like the lopsided conditions on my end carried the day."
"That makes sense. When someone pushes you into a one-sided contest where all the conditions favor them, and on top of that they've already got a blueprint for how they won't lose—backing out is the only sane move. Of course, it's also possible that your silver tongue played no small part, or that he might have stopped short of an actual contract."
"But you're saying... you didn't think he'd stop short of a contract?"
"Mm, that's right."
Crossing his arms, Otto affirmed this with the nonchalance of someone stating the obvious. The sheer audacity of pulling one over on Roswaal—even temporarily—was something even Subaru had to marvel at.
Subaru stared, and Otto gave a wry smile.
"When merchants exchange agreements that go beyond a certain threshold of conditions, they use written documents... but seasoned mages tend to use contracts instead. And since the other party is the foremost magic practitioner in the country... I figured there was an eight or nine in ten chance we could reel him in."
"By the way, can contracts secretly implant different terms or something? Like, you say one thing out loud, but you're actually bound to something else entirely?"
If that were the case, Subaru would have no way of verifying it.
Even if the contract that changed based on the outcome of their wager was, in reality, something like 'you die after one day of breathing,' Subaru would be none the wiser.
He grimaced at his own imagination, but Otto waved a hand dismissively.
"That sort of trickery is made impossible by the contract itself. Didn't Count Roswaal say something about it when you entered? That it's inscribed upon the soul. A contract only takes effect once both parties give consent and agree on the terms. Binding Subaru to a contract he doesn't actually understand would be nearly impossible unless the other party is exceptionally eloquent."
"That sounds like you're admitting it's still possible if someone's smooth enough to fool you."
"...This is just between us, but back before laws were properly established, when things were a lot messier all around, contract-based fraud was supposedly rampant. If the mark is a small-time crook, fine—but imagine being targeted by a skilled mage with a rotten personality. The kind of damage doesn't bear thinking about."
Otto gave a little shudder, and Subaru mirrored it with a shrug.
On that front, Roswaal was at least a passing grade as a contract partner. He was unquestionably powerful and his personality was rotten, but his obsession with his goal and his methods were straightforward—purely evil in a clean, uncomplicated way. He had no intention of abusing the contract to irreparably fall out with Subaru, and that much could be assumed.
If Roswaal did try to pull something like that—well, with the privilege of infinite retries, Subaru would stop at nothing to utterly destroy Roswaal's heart until nothing remained.
For both their sakes, he wanted to maintain at least a minimal level of trust that something like that wouldn't happen.
"Anyway, that's how things went on my end. How about yours?"
"How...should I put it? Honestly, it's hard to say I felt much of a positive response. It was a gamble from the start, after all. ...And the opportunity won't come around that many times, either."
While Subaru had been negotiating with Roswaal, Otto had been handling a separate task—and his expression showed it hadn't gone well. As he'd said, the assignment Subaru had given him was something far more likely to fail than succeed. But if by some chance it worked out, it would bring their victory conditions significantly closer.
The problem was they didn't know how many more chances they'd get within the five days.
"I'll keep an eye on how that develops, then. Alright—let's go over what we actually need to get done in the time we have left."
"The most urgent matters are Lady
"That's the thing, yeah. ...Emilia, wanting to do it herself—that's a noble feeling, and now that I've lost the qualifications, there's no stepping in for her."
And yet, honestly, even if Emilia continued to challenge the 'Trial' as she had been, the odds of her clearing it by the fifth day were slim. As long as Subaru didn't leave the
She needed some kind of change—one that came from Subaru's side.
"—It means I've got to finally face this head-on, doesn't it."
"......"
"All the things I've been putting off—it's come back to haunt me. I think I kept avoiding it because hearing all of this would force me to acknowledge that there's something between Emilia and me that can't be bridged. I used Emilia not bringing it up as an excuse, and Emilia probably did the same with me not asking."
"I...think it's important to share what's truly in your heart. If I'd just kept messing around with you in good humor, who knows where we'd be five days from now."
Otto's gentle words, meant to comfort the self-reflecting Subaru, earned him a silent thanks as Subaru scratched his cheek. There was something unexpectedly nice about Otto not blaming him for all the times Subaru's weakness had made him look away.
"I mean, if you haven't even gotten that close, what were you even doing falling in love? What a joke. Give the whole 'pure and innocent' act a rest already."
"You—!"
The banter with Otto, whose teasing had gotten the better of his embarrassment, made Subaru's mouth twist. But he couldn't retort, because Otto's words were dead right.
Subaru's fundamentally cowardly disposition had led to that extra missing step in all sorts of situations.
But running away like this—well, that had its limits too.
"With Emilia, it'll be rough and I'll probably stumble, but I'll try to lay everything on the table. I don't think there's anything I can't do that she can't."
"...Well, I'll trust your judgment on that one. I'd really rather not still be stuck in the Sanctuary five days from now when the
Subaru's words prompted a look that said Otto wanted to add something, but he held back and averted his gaze. Then he shifted topics, saying, "Well then—on to the other one."
"So, how do you plan to tackle Garfiel?"
"The hint is that he's 'afraid of the outside.' I think it has to do with the past he saw during his 'Trial' inside the tomb. If I could learn more about that..."
"We can't exactly ask the man directly. He's not the type to sit quietly while someone digs into his emotional wounds."
"If he beat me up in a blind rage, one hit and it'd be snap goes the neck for both of us. What a hopelessly defenseless pair we are..."
Subaru was a complete layman, of course, and Otto was at best a road-hardened merchant. Neither could be described as combat-oriented by any stretch, and when it came to the martial hierarchy inside the Sanctuary, they'd be counting up from the bottom rather than down from the top.
"That's exactly why we genuinely need someone in a purely martial role. With Roswaal, Emilia,
He hadn't counted
And even though he'd decided he'd bring her back someday, he knew it was his own selfishness not wanting to put her on a battlefield again.
"I want to win Garfiel over by talking circles around him and bring him into the fold. For that, we need to eliminate whatever trauma he's carrying. The missing piece for that is..."
"The missing piece...?"
"Since we can't ask him directly, we'll have to pull it from someone else. Ryuzu, or Ram. Both seem like they'd be tight-lipped, but still."
It would be worth trying, if only to find out which side those two would choose if Subaru and Roswaal came to blows.
After wolfing down breakfast and rising with a swat to his rear, Subaru cracked his neck.
"Alright, let's get moving. I'm going to go talk to Ryuzu first..."
"And I'll handle the usual arrangements. I'll let the others know, but I'd really rather not have to go through with it if we can avoid it."
"I don't really want to think about it either. I don't want to—but somehow, it feels like it'd come in handy about seventy or eighty percent of the time..."
"That's awfully high... I can't exactly deny it, though."
They exchanged glances and sighed, then Subaru shook his head to reset.
He raised a hand to the still-weary-looking Otto.
"Either way, we've just got to do it. If everything works out beautifully in the end, we'll have a big celebration then."
He spread his palm and held it up for Otto to see. Otto paused for a beat, looking puzzled, then caught on and mirrored the gesture.
"Yes—on behalf of my bright future as well, I'd very much like to pull this off."
"Keep telling yourself that."
They grinned at each other mischievously and slapped their palms together.
The sharp sound echoed through the cathedral's air. Amid the startled gazes of villagers turning to look, Subaru and Otto walked off in opposite directions.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "Ryuzu? You in here? I need to talk."
Subaru leaped across uneven ground and pushed through rooms reeking of mildew. As he noted with resignation that he'd gotten used to the stench, he spotted the glow of a blue crystal beyond a pile of debris.
Inside the crystal, as always, the unclothed girl remained trapped in her unending sleep. He ran his palm across the crystal's surface, felt the disappointment anew when nothing changed, and looked around the room.
The dim chamber drew its only light from the crystal's faint blue glow. When he thought about it calmly—the fact that not a single rat or insect could be found in what was essentially a cesspit of foul odors made it seem like a remarkably unhealthy place, and he began to worry about his own condition.
"Hey, if even bugs and rats won't live here—could this be, like, some kind of severe air pollution?"
"No need for such odd concerns, it ain't that. It's just that there's too much of the
A voice from behind dispelled Subaru's unease as he hugged himself with a shiver. The familiar, childlike voice carried a tone far older than its owner.
Subaru turned to find Ryuzu walking toward him, long hair trailing behind her.
She came to stand beside him, in front of the crystal at the center of the room, then looked up at Subaru with eyes the same color as her hair.
"Well now, Suba-kun. Coming all the way out here... I take it you already know about my origins?"
"Since the person in charge here explained it to me firsthand, yeah. She glossed over the handover details but still filled me in, so I think I've got the gist."
"So that's why Roswaal-kun's been acting strangely since this morning.—He's failed again, hasn't he."
Ryuzu lowered her gaze, her expression tinged with sorrow. Subaru raised an eyebrow at her words.
"I was actually about to ask about something I just overheard, believe it or not... Ryuzu, did you by chance know about Roswaal's schemes?"
"To some extent, yes. There needs to be someone in the loop who understands the situation, otherwise you can't make sense of Roswaal-kun's incomprehensible actions.—Of course, that's probably why Garfiel-kun ended up angry with you."
"Some extent—how far does that go?"
"Suba-kun?"
Lowering his voice, Subaru took a step closer.
Ryuzu's eyes widened—she'd sensed the shift in his demeanor. Subaru bent his knees to bring himself to her eye level.
"Tell me, Ryuzu. How much of Roswaal's plan have you been told? Depending on your answer, I might..."
"Suba-kun..."
If Ryuzu knew everything—about Roswaal orchestrating the mansion attack by Elsa to follow the Gospel's script, about sealing the Sanctuary in snow to summon the Great Rabbit, about killing everyone involved and isolating Subaru to strip him of his heart.
If she knew all of it and had stood by without lifting a finger, complicit all the way— "I don't want to think less of you, Ryuzu. So please, tell me. How much did you know? How far have you been working with Roswaal?"
"...What I know is that Roswaal-kun possesses a Gospel he inherited from the Witch, and that he's been correcting history in accordance with its contents. The Sanctuary's continued existence is recorded in the Gospel as well. Without that, our protection would have been lost long ago."
"...That's all?"
"That's all. I swear it on everything I am. I was born under a contract that makes it impossible for me to lie."
Ryuzu looked back at Subaru steadily, her youthful face earnest and sincere. Her contract—the inability to lie—along with the conviction in her words, Subaru chose to believe.
Instantly, the tension drained from his shoulders, and he let out a sigh of relief.
"Good. That's a relief. If even you had been thinking the same way as Roswaal this whole time, I would've had to smack you around after everything was settled. Smacking a loli-looking Ryuzu—now that would be the worst image imaginable."
"I truly feel bad for worrying you, but hearing you put it that way really kills whatever guilt I had."
Subaru, who'd consciously lightened the mood with some levity, had Ryuzu play along.
She rested her chin on her hand and continued, "So? From the mood just now, this is no small matter. What kind of fight did you have with Roswaal-kun?"
"Fight' might be a bit generous for it... Right now, I'm in the middle of a contest with him. I think objectively speaking, things work out best if I win—and I'd like your help, Ryuzu."
"From the sound of it, this has to do with the Sanctuary's future as well. What exactly are you and Roswaal-kun planning...? Without knowing that, I can't very well agree blindly."
"Fair point. Alright, where do I start..."
Subaru tilted his head, genuinely struggling with how much to reveal. He'd briefed Otto beforehand, but judging from Ryuzu's behavior up to now, she didn't come across as being entirely on Roswaal's side. If anything, it seemed like her cooperation with Roswaal was born of necessity rather than loyalty.
Keeping that in mind, Subaru thought carefully and said: "If I had to put it simply...it's about what happens to the Sanctuary after the barrier is lifted."
"After the barrier is lifted."
"I caught a bit from Garfiel, but the Sanctuary's residents are split on this, aren't they? Those who want to leave, and those who don't."
The pro-leaving faction was, by and large, the majority, with the opposition in the minority. But there was a dangerous subset of the hardline opposition who might sabotage Emilia or Subaru as they attempted the 'Trial' to free the Sanctuary.
Having spent nearly twenty days in the Sanctuary, Subaru suspected that the most vocal figure in the opposition was Garfiel. Ryuzu was said to be the leader of the pro-leaving faction—he wondered what she thought of that divide.
As Subaru continued down this train of thought— "Split? No, that shouldn't be the case."
"Huh?"
"Whether to leave this land or stay after the barrier falls is left to each individual's discretion. Most wish to follow Roswaal-kun and go outside... and those who stay will stay, with their resolve to be buried here. There shouldn't be any division."
"W-well... but..."
Ryuzu's answer hit Subaru like a thunderbolt. The factional conflict between pro-leaving and anti-leaving within the Sanctuary—the opposition, the stances on the Sanctuary's liberation—he'd been building his plan to win Garfiel over by leveraging that very divide.
"If there's no opposition to begin with..."
"......"
"Then that whole thing was fabricated by Garfiel himself?! The anti-leaving faction was never real—it was set up to put me on guard and make it seem natural when sabotage inevitably happened?!"
If that was the case, Subaru thought, it was uncharacteristically clever of him.
To avoid direct suspicion, Garfiel had preemptively warned Subaru about possible sabotage—thereby deflecting suspicion from himself.
In Subaru's case, having looped through the Sanctuary's endgame countless times, he knew that the most egregious sabotage came from Garfiel's own rampage—so the warning had been almost entirely pointless.
"All that just to stop the Sanctuary from being freed... That's not even like you."
"...That's Garfiel-kun we're talking about."
Ryuzu caught Subaru's muttering and seemed to know exactly who he meant.
Her expression grew even more shadowed, and she lowered her eyes.
"That boy doesn't want to go outside... and that's because we've been inadequate."
"Inadequate?"
"Exactly. We've lived here since the day we were born. We know nothing of the outside world. And because we know nothing, we're weak. For Garfiel-kun, that's... almost unbearable."
"......"
Subaru could more or less grasp what Ryuzu was saying.
For the Sanctuary's residents—people who had lived their entire lives in a narrow, sealed-off world—the connection to the world beyond the barrier was something entirely new and unknown.
The mixture of hope and fear toward the unknown; the longer one had lived in this place, the stronger that fear would naturally be. Having one's unchanging daily life torn apart—that carried an enormous weight.
"So Garfiel doesn't want the Sanctuary freed because he can't stand seeing people get hurt by the sudden upheaval...? That doesn't suit him at all... but."
If that was truly the reason Garfiel was so desperately trying to prevent the Sanctuary's liberation, then his way of thinking was—identical to Subaru's own, when he'd tried to keep Emilia away from hardship.
Was Garfiel, like Subaru, disregarding the opinions of Ryuzu and the others, insisting on his own way of protecting them? If so, then maybe—like with Subaru—the solution was giving him a proper chance to talk things through with Ryuzu and the other residents.
"No, it's not that simple."
Subaru and Garfiel might want the same thing, but they were in fundamentally different positions. For Subaru, lacking power had been the decisive factor in his failures.
But Garfiel was different. Garfiel had the strength to prevent the Sanctuary from being freed. If he killed Subaru and Emilia and wiped out anyone qualified to take on the 'Trial,' his wish would be granted. The problem was that even if he shut himself inside the Sanctuary, he couldn't escape the Great Rabbit's assault.
But that was a fact Garfiel didn't know—and even if someone told him, he probably wouldn't believe it. The situation was too different from what he'd laid out for Otto.
"In terms of purely finding a compromise point... it feels like this isn't enough. But something's still bugging me."
"Suba-kun?"
"In the first place, why didn't he go for the most direct approach—killing me or Emilia—to prevent the Sanctuary's liberation?"
If Garfiel were truly serious, throwing all caution to the wind, marching toward a single goal like Roswaal—he should have taken Subaru and Emilia's lives the moment he could.
But in reality, not once had Garfiel made a direct move against Emilia. Even when he attacked Subaru, he wouldn't lift a finger until Subaru did something drastic.
The trigger for Garfiel trying to kill Subaru still wasn't clear. He was undoubtedly trying to prevent the Sanctuary's liberation by killing Subaru—what remained unknown was what would prompt him to decide to do it.
"There has to be a trigger. ...But thinking back over every time Garfiel attacked me—was there ever anything they had in common?"
Garfiel had attacked Subaru when he lunged at Roswaal in a fury, and when he tried to escape the Sanctuary with the villagers—that was essentially it.
With the Roswaal incident, any outside observer would have deemed Subaru the aggressor for jumping at an injured person. Nothing suspicious there.
If there was a problem, it was the second occasion—when Garfiel tried to finish off the Subaru he'd failed to kill the first time.
Garfiel, turned into a great tiger to kill Subaru, had torn into not just Subaru, but Ram, the villagers, and even
Still—for Garfiel to carry out such a thing, how much resolve must it have taken? There had to be something that pushed him to that extreme.
And looking back, that trigger didn't seem to come from Subaru's side.
Which meant the catalyst for that massacre had come from Garfiel's side.
"Ryuzu. Garfiel comes across as rough and violent, but he's not really the type to use violence recklessly... is it fair for me to think that?"
"That boy is kind at his core. He wraps himself in a tough shell and barks first to protect himself and those around him. ...The strength he gained was probably for that very purpose."
"Right... then there's only one answer."
"Hm?"
Subaru rubbed his nose and turned to face the tilting-head Ryuzu.
Then he placed his hand on the nearby crystal, feeling its cold surface against his palm.
"Someone's been filling Garfiel's head with ideas. Whatever that person did is the trigger—that's what sets Garfiel off on his sudden displays of force."
The uncharacteristic behavior all made sense if someone else was feeding him instructions. And as a likely collaborator...
"Roswaal, Ram, Ryuzu—or some other malice I haven't encountered yet..."
Any one of them could be driving Garfiel to violence.
He needed to pin that down. Only once he did would he likely have a genuine opportunity to talk with Garfiel.
"Ryuzu, just for reference—could I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"—Do you know what the 'Trial' was that Garfiel took inside the tomb?"
"...No, I don't. Regrettably, that's beyond my knowledge."
Ryuzu shook her head. Given her contract—the inability to lie—her words had to be true. Subaru accepted this and nodded.
"Let me rephrase. —Do any of the other Ryuzus know what Garfiel's 'Trial' inside the tomb was?"
"......"
"In this context, your silence can only mean one thing."
He told this to the silent Ryuzu and tilted his face slightly upward.
Ryuzu Meyer's clones—the representatives of the Sanctuary—existed in multiples. The system of rotating them daily had created a problem: the memories and experiences of each individual were not fully shared among the others.
There were four of them—the representative Ryuzu clones. If you labeled them A, B, C, and D, then naturally, all of A's memories and experiences on the days she was active would not be inherited by B, C, or D.
On the day Garfiel attempted the 'Trial,' failed, and was brought out by Ryuzu—it wasn't the Ryuzu standing before him who had helped him.
"...Which Ryuzu knows about the 'Trial,' and when does she appear next?"
"......"
"The Ryuzu I talked to yesterday in front of the tomb said she'd taken a 'Trial' before. If the no-lying rule was in effect, then that had to be true. If the rotation is one day per person... then she'd appear three days from now?"
Under time pressure, the worst-case scenario would be the most distant date. Even as Subaru hoped otherwise, the Ryuzu who had been silent until now finally loosened her lips and let out a breath.
"No. The one who led Garfiel-kun out of the tomb—she appears two days from now. There are two of us who've been inside and two who haven't, and we rotate in pairs."
She delivered this with a somewhat weary look on her face.