"I'm sorry I couldn't help when it mattered most. I have nothing but regret for my failure."
Drawing the gaze of everyone in the room, Reinhard offered his apology.
The sight of the Sword Saint bowing his head left everyone at a loss for words. It would have been easy to toss out words of denial in response to his apology. But even a perfunctory assurance would have been hard to mean sincerely.
In truth, no matter what anyone said, it didn't change the fact that Reinhard had been conspicuously absent without a trace during these past several hours—their desperate need for fighting strength so dire they could taste it.
If his power had been there during the assault on City Hall, they couldn't help but think…
That was why even hollow words of denial wouldn't come easily from anyone's lips.
Well, almost anyone.
"Seriously, you idiot. Do you have any idea how much trouble we were in without you?"
That is, except for Subaru, who had walked up to the red-haired hero and poked him in the chest.
With a fist pressed against his chest, Reinhard turned an apologetic look toward Subaru. At the sight of him looking so unlike himself—dejected, as though being scolded—Subaru snorted.
"And besides, if you were going to come, you could've shown up fifteen minutes earlier! Because of you, I ended up having to give a speech that didn't suit my character at all. That really should've been your job."
"I'm sorry. …But it was a good speech—very you. Even if I'd been asked to do the same, I could never have delivered a broadcast that stirred so much courage. You were the right person for it."
"I think the kind of speech we're each expected to give is pretty different, though."
Subaru poked Reinhard's chest once more as the hero wore a bitter smile. Then he jabbed a finger toward the nose of the downcast hero.
"Reinhard."
"…What is it?"
"You being here is worth not just a hundred men—a thousand. So I hope you're okay with me expecting that much from you? Because I'm counting on you."
"———"
He was a fighting force equivalent to ten thousand reinforcements. Subaru's assessment of a hundred men, even a thousand, was an understatement.
At Subaru's question, brimming with expectation, Reinhard's blue eyes fluttered. But that moment of hesitation quickly faded, and Reinhard's lips curved into a smile.
"Yes, I want you to count on me. If that's what you wish, I'll deliver."
"Could you maybe stop talking like you're going to make the brooding types happy? …Well, whatever. Anyway—everyone else, say what you need to say to him while you can."
Smiling at Reinhard, whose initial burden of guilt had eased, Subaru turned around. He swept his gaze over the others who had been silent until now, then pointed at Reinhard.
"Trust me, when it comes to this guy, being considerate hurts way more. Besides, how often do you get the chance to chew out a Sword Saint who actually wants to be scolded? Take your shots. Take 'em."
"———"
"And once you've had your fun, let's talk business. About saving everyone."
Subaru declared this with his chest puffed out.
Someone in the room drew a sharp breath at his bravado. Only Garfiel and Otto, however, could be seen breaking into fond smiles at Subaru's familiar bluster.
Well, one or two people who could see through to his real feelings was just about right.
He'd just delivered a speech about how you don't have to carry it all alone.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ Afterward, each person had their own words with Reinhard (the details are omitted), and a fresh round of talks was held for the recapture of the city.
That said, aside from the arrival of Reinhard and Otto, there was no notable improvement. The number of enemies they needed to overcome and the strategy of simultaneously assaulting the control tower remained the same.
"By the way—during all this chaos, where were you and what were you doing, Reinhard?"
Subaru suddenly brought this up as they sat in a circle and prepared to begin their discussion.
Reinhard's expression darkened at the question. That seemed to be the only face he wore today.
"And
"Putting Natsuki-kun's way of putting it aside, I'm curious about that too. I don't think for a second the 'Sword Saint' was hidin' out of fear, but I would like a reason I can accept."
Anastasia chimed in to follow up on Subaru's question. Judging by the way she glanced sideways at him, she too had apparently received a report from Julius.
The account that Reinhard and Felt had made contact with Heinkel just before the disturbance broke out.
The fact that Reinhard's expression had clouded over at this line of questioning was proof enough.
Wilhelm was the same way, but the Astrea family's handling of Heinkel was remarkably awkward. For lack of a better way to put it, their approach was almost like— "…elderly parents who can only treat their shut-in son—a hikikomori for over a decade—as though he were some sort of sore spot."
"I hate to interrupt Natsuki-san's leap into bizarre fantasy, but what shall we do? If it's difficult for Reinhard to speak, I could explain from my end."
Otto raised his hand and cut in while Subaru was busy conjuring mental images of an evening news segment on shut-ins. His concerned gaze was directed at Reinhard, and the way he spoke suggested he was already well-informed on the matter.
"Come to think of it, you and Reinhard showed up together, but were you actually with him the whole time?"
"Not exactly, no? The very last moment was when I reunited with Reinhard-san… Even so, I have a pretty good grasp of the situation."
"Thank you, Otto. But this is my family's problem. The subject is admittedly difficult, but it's only proper that I be the one to speak about it."
Reinhard shook his head, declining Otto's considerate offer.
Then he closed his eyes, and after a brief pause, straightened his posture.
"First, as I've said many times, allow me to apologize once more. I was in a position where I should have been the first to offer my aid, and I am deeply sorry that I was unable to join you for several hours. I have reflected on this deeply."
"On that point, our position is as we conveyed earlier. We cannot simply forgive everything as though nothing happened. But you are needed in the battles ahead. If you truly wish to reflect, we ask that you prove yourself through your deeds in combat."
"I will do just that, Julius. …When the
As he began his account, Reinhard referred to Heinkel in a stiff voice as "Deputy Commander."
That they were father and son was common knowledge. Yet his use of the title rather than "father" was enough to convey that the bond between them was something that couldn't be neatly reduced to a simple parent-child relationship.
"After the way you two parted ways in that fight, it's surprising Felt actually answered the summons."
"I imagine Felt wanted to refuse in her heart of hearts. But once the matter was framed as pertaining to the lord's authority over the Astrea territory, there was no option to refuse. We didn't know what demands would be made, but… Felt took me along and headed to the meeting point."
"So then, how did the meeting go exactly—?"
"I'm sorry, but that touches too closely on the internal affairs of the Royal Selection. I'd appreciate it if you'd allow me to avoid going into detail. I will say, however, that it was far from a smooth discussion."
Reinhard's voice dropped, and the difficulty of the discussion could be inferred from his tone alone.
Even without knowing the details, Felt was already headstrong and brimming with hostility. Combined with Heinkel's despicable character, the meeting devolving into chaos was easy to imagine.
And in the middle of that meeting— "The Witch Cult's first broadcast went out. The moment I heard it, I knew I had to act immediately. In truth, I had already prepared myself to deploy at a moment's notice should an emergency arise. I had also instructed the other retainers on the means to call me if necessary."
Those means of calling him turned out to be the same signal—magic launched into the sky—that they had seen before.
When Sirius had appeared, if Ratchins had fired off the signal, Reinhard had arrived on the scene within about thirty seconds. There was no lie in his words.
And yet, despite hearing the Witch Cult's broadcast—an act of blatant malice—Reinhard had not moved. He had failed to rush to the scene, and moreover, had remained silent for several hours.
Why on earth was that?
"You knew the broadcast was coming from City Hall. At that point, you must have had the option of rushing in. …So why didn't you come?"
"———"
He wasn't trying to blame him. That wasn't his intention—but his voice came out harder than he meant.
At the very least, he couldn't help but wonder. If Reinhard had been present during the brutal battle for City Hall—Crusch wouldn't still be fighting through her suffering. Subaru's right leg might never have been subjected to that incomprehensible change.
Without realizing it, Subaru wasn't the only one whose gaze had grown stern.
Under the weight of everyone's stares, Reinhard fell silent, his eyes lowering once more from the fluency with which he had been speaking.
His lashes cast shadows over eyes that hesitated over the words that were to come.
Still, the hero crushed his inner conflict in a matter of seconds and spoke the rest.
"…Felt was taken hostage by Deputy Commander Heinkel."
"…………"
"It was an irrecoverable failure on my part. Felt's body was restrained, and a blade was pressed to her throat, locking me in place. That is why I could not move."
The reason Reinhard had struggled so much to utter those words was now crystal clear.
The master he was sworn to protect had been taken hostage by none other than his own father.
How much humiliation and shame must have gnawed at Reinhard's heart?
"…So what you're saying is… the deputy commander was a tool of the Witch Cult?"
Muttering as he tried to fathom what must be going through Reinhard's mind, Subaru received the shocking confession.
What a cruel fact this was. He had heard that the Witch Cult lurked within the populace and that you could never tell who was a member. But the idea of one emerging from among your own was something he never wanted to contemplate.
Knowing the true nature of the Sin Archbishops now, beyond Petelgeuse, he felt this even more strongly.
The Witch Cult was rotten to the core—nothing but the dregs of humanity, through and through.
"…And if that were so… what do you suppose my heart was like?"
"What?"
But to the conclusion Subaru had reached—the reasoning that had satisfied roughly half those present—Reinhard responded with words that held something back.
Subaru frowned at his attitude. But the other half—Anastasia, Julius, and Otto—wore expressions that suggested they had reached a different conclusion.
"The deputy commander is not affiliated with the Witch Cult. …At least, nothing in his words or behavior from the moment he restrained Felt suggested as much."
"What? No way. Well, fine, maybe not impossible… but then why? Why take Felt hostage? What's the point of doing that—"
He was about to continue "…is there any?" when he caught himself.
Reinhard's somber expression and the helpless looks on Otto and the others' faces—he caught all of it from the corner of his eye, and the conclusion forming in his mind was one he wanted to laugh off.
But he couldn't laugh it off. It was beyond saving. In that case, Heinkel's actions were— "Could it be… he wanted to keep you pinned to that spot?"
"———"
"He heard the Witch Cult's broadcast and knew the city was in danger… So to protect himself as quickly as possible, he wanted to keep the strongest fighter right by his side?"
"…The deputy commander said something to that effect. He said, 'Your beloved master and your father are right here. Will you really abandon us and run off to people whose faces you don't even know?'"
"That's what a father says to his son?!"
Boiling over, Subaru slammed his fist into the floor.
All day long, from morning onward, he had been repeatedly confronted with this same surge of fury. But he never imagined he'd feel this level of anger toward someone who had nothing to do with the Witch Cult.
"She had no words to fire back with. Of course, Felt called it a bluff. She told him to forget about her and go help the others. …But staying behind was my own decision. I'm the one who deserves the blame."
"How does that make any sense! Everyone here knows perfectly well who's in the wrong!"
"Even so, the one who chose was me."
No matter how Subaru shouted, Reinhard refused to yield his sense of responsibility.
The stubborn Reinhard clearly had no intention of bending on this point no matter what anyone said. Subaru clicked his tongue in irritation and forcibly calmed himself down.
"In any case, we reached a stalemate. Nothing of note happened after that. We were unable to respond to any of the subsequent broadcasts… and I received quite a harsh scolding from Felt."
"Where'd Felt-chan end up if she's not here with you?"
Anastasia asked, regarding Reinhard's wry smile.
She toyed with her scarf, her unreadable expression betraying no emotion as she inquired about Felt's whereabouts.
"She must've been through quite the mental exhaustion after being held hostage for that long. The fact that you're here like this, Reinhard-kun, tells me the problem's been sorted out, though."
"Yes, that's right. Felt has been reunited with her retainers at the evacuation shelter. The deputy commander has also been restrained, and she has people watching over him."
"Restrained… you caught him?"
"He accepted that much willingly enough. Though I don't think it would have been achievable without Otto's help."
"So Otto's name comes up here of all places?"
Subaru furrowed his brow at the unexpected mention of Otto's name. As for Otto himself, he cleared his throat lightly at his cue and drew everyone's attention.
"That's how it was. Mind you, my arriving at that scene was the result of one coincidence piled on another. But I was already aware of the relationships between the three of you, so I was able to grasp the gist of the situation just by looking at the scene."
The Astrea family's issues, and Felt's territorial affairs.
On top of that, he had witnessed the scene of Heinkel using Felt as a hostage to keep Reinhard in place. Even someone as slow on the uptake as Otto could understand what kind of situation that was.
"I understood that being unable to call on Reinhard-san's strength against the Witch Cult was the worst possible situation. My blood ran cold, and at the same time I knew I had to do something."
"So Otto created a distraction and somehow got Felt freed. That let Reinhard move, and it led us to here and now… Is that about right?"
"Fortunately, thanks to Natsuki-san's grand speech, we didn't have to worry about where to rendezvous. I wish I could have acted sooner, but there were quite a few things on my end as well."
Though brief, this account earned a nod of acknowledgment from even Reinhard for Otto's contribution.
Once again, Otto had performed quietly in the shadows, unappreciated by most—a hidden gem through and through.
"Seriously, though—what were you up to until now, bro Otto? Honestly, walkin' around this city with only your kinda strength is basically askin' for suicide."
"There were quite a few twists and turns regarding that, but… actually, no. Let me tell you."
Otto cleared his throat and pointed toward the outside of City Hall.
"As planned this morning, I went alone to the Muse Company. The purpose was to formally request that Kiritaka reopen negotiations. They'd had a night to cool down, so it seemed like I'd be able to secure an agreement to renegotiate without much trouble… But…"
"But…?"
Judging from the way Otto trailed off, Subaru assumed that was when the broadcast came in.
However, Otto shook his head.
"The Witch Cult… a Sin Archbishop showed up in the Third Ward main plaza, where the Muse Company is located. When that individual caused a disturbance, it exposed the Witch Cult's attack."
"A Sin Archbishop…?! Before the broadcast, you mean?"
"Yes. That's right—before the broadcast."
Otto nodded as Subaru leaned forward in shock.
But now that he thought about it, it wasn't an impossible turn of events. When it came to Sin Archbishops who had been active before the broadcast, the same could be said of Sirius and Regulus.
Aside from Capella, who was presumably attacking City Hall, the other unoccupied Sin Archbishops could have been operating somewhere in
"———"
At Subaru's lowered voice, Otto's gaze took on a pained hue.
His concerned expression confirmed the image that had formed in Subaru's mind.
It couldn't have been Sirius or Regulus—the two of them had already encountered Subaru's group. Capella was also presumably taking part in the City Hall assault.
If so, there was only one candidate for the Sin Archbishop who had appeared before Otto.
"The one you ran into was the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony?"
"…Yes. That's what he called himself. There was no reason for him to lie, and I believe it was the truth. The Sin Archbishop who announced himself in the plaza still looked like a child to me."
Otto's testimony matched what Subaru had seen of
He didn't want to know what the criteria for becoming a Sin Archbishop were, but Gluttony was, at least on the surface, a child. A filthy, ragged child. A child who smiled in the most unsettling way.
"First, a nearby person tried to reprimand him for being an insolent child. He was on security detail for the Muse Company, so I think he was one of the
"…………"
"When one man was flattened like that, you had no choice but to believe it was real. The White Dragon's Scales immediately mobilized and surrounded him, but it was no use."
Otto, his face pale, recounted the carnage in clipped tones.
Gluttony mowed down the mercenaries who charged at him as though dancing—a casual, effortless motion. Even more terrifying was Gluttony's sense of smell—the instinct to never let prey escape.
"In that situation, the people in the street tried to flee one after another. But he wouldn't allow it. Honestly, I'm not sure what he did. But Gluttony's attacks reached people even from a distance. Inside buildings too."
"What was the purpose?"
After blurting it out, Subaru realized it was a meaningless question.
There was no consistency to the Witch Cult's actions, no logic to their aims. In truth, Otto had no answer to Subaru's question either, and shook his head.
"Who knows what it was. In any case, it was dire. You couldn't even run—turn your back for an instant and an attack would reach you. It was a genuine life-or-death situation. …If it hadn't been for Kiritaka, I don't think I'd be here."
"Kiritaka saved you?"
"He must have been cautious by nature. In the Muse Company president's office, there was a hidden passage from inside the building that led down to the underground waterways. I escaped through there on a small boat. As I was fleeing, I saw Kiritaka's back get slashed."
"———"
"From there, I fled the Third Ward in a wretched state, crawling on all fours. After that, the Witch Cult's broadcast went out, and I couldn't move about the city without risking danger, so I made my way through the streets as carefully as I could. That was how I eventually stumbled upon that scene you saw earlier."
So this was around the time Reinhard had been pinned in place.
The pieces of the story fell into place, and Subaru understood that Otto, too, had somehow managed to survive his own ordeal.
However, what had caught his attention in the account was— "Why did Kiritaka go that far? From what you're saying, he sacrificed himself to let you escape. That's how I heard it."
"…Yes, that's right. Kiritaka put his own body on the line to help me escape. The final blow he took was because he pushed me under the floor and shielded me."
"Why would he go that far…"
In Subaru's mind, he had almost no impression of Kiritaka. The little he did have was firmly fixed on the image of him turning blue, his voice cracking in panic as he threw a magic ore at him. Of course, he didn't think that was the entirety of the man.
He had never seemed like the kind of man strong enough to put his body on the line for someone else.
"There may have been some professional pride as a merchant in protecting a guest he'd invited into his company, but I'm certain the real reason was something else. Something simpler."
"A simpler reason?"
"You don't know? It's you, Natsuki-san."
With Subaru looking bewildered, Otto stated his answer clearly and firmly.
Subaru faltered at the sudden mention of his own name.
At Subaru's reaction, Otto lowered his eyes with a trace of frustration, and— "I can only imagine what must have been going through Kiritaka's mind as he watched his subordinates being cut down before a Sin Archbishop. But I think he also felt a simultaneous sense of duty to do something. And the hope he latched onto was you, Natsuki-san."
"…………"
"The day before, during your encounter, Kiritaka learned that Natsuki-san was staying in the city. He also knew of your feat in defeating 'Sloth.' Naturally, hope would connect to that. Most importantly, the reason he sent me ahead was because he was counting on me to be the one to reach you."
Otto's explanation was logical, and it sank straight into Subaru's chest.
But that was all it was—a matter of reason and logic.
He understood it in his head. The resolve to bear that weight—that, too, was undeniably his.
But once again… was everyone placing that expectation on him?
Were they pinning the fate of the city on a small-time good-for-nothing?
"Natsuki-san, don't get the wrong idea, okay?"
Just as a cynical smile began to form on Subaru's face, those words stopped him cold.
Otto was looking straight at him, peering into his face. Seeing Subaru's expression stiffen, he gave a shrug and— "Kiritaka is in a leadership position in the city, so I'm sure he was thinking on multiple levels. And Natsuki-san, I understand why you'd hesitate at bearing the fate of the city and all that. But I'm sure what Kiritaka expected from you was something much simpler."
"…Such as?"
"That's obvious. This city is home to the woman Kiritaka-san cares about. Before anything about protecting the city, what he expected from you, Natsuki-san, was simply the safety of the woman he loves."
"———"
"That's what he told me as he pushed me under the floor."
In essence, Otto was trying to tell Subaru that he was putting too much pressure on himself.
He was saying this because he couldn't stand watching Subaru stagger under a self-imposed burden of the city's fate. And it struck closer to home than Subaru had expected, piercing through his inflated sense of responsibility.
His face flushed hot, and Subaru felt a deep sense of embarrassment.
The fate of the city—hopes and expectations of the masses—how absurd.
The folly of feeling compelled to shoulder something as abstract and shapeless as "the city."
What Subaru needed to protect wasn't some hollow, hard-sounding phrase, but the individuals who made it up. One life, and then another.
And each of those lives had someone precious to them, and it was those connections that needed saving.
"Does it feel lighter when you think of it as carrying countless small things instead of one big one?"
"That's incredible. It's just a different way of thinking, but somehow it actually clicks."
Otto's advisory skills were simply too good. Subaru truly had to tip his hat to him.
Subaru's face, which had been hanging low, tilted upward at last, and Otto seemed satisfied with the result.
"My, my, looks like quite the bond between you two. It's almost enviable to watch."
Noticing a natural pause in the conversation, Anastasia teased them in that manner. Subaru and Otto, who had been sitting in a circle but practically face-to-face, felt a twinge of self-consciousness.
Then, as they all regrouped, Anastasia tilted her head.
"Still, based on what you just said… things aren't looking good for the Muse Company, are they?"
"Honestly, I don't know. I did see Kiritaka get slashed, but whether that wound was life-threatening—I can't say."
"Is it pointless to even speculate on Gluttony's objective? I simply cannot accept that he committed those atrocities for no reason at all."
It was Julius who interjected, his expression severe.
There was something about his unusually definitive tone that nagged at Subaru.
"You're awfully convinced about that. Do you have some kind of proof?"
"…No, I can't say there's a clear-cut reason. But based on the impression I got crossing swords with him at City Hall, I believe he shouldn't be dismissed as a mere thrill-seeker."
Subaru agreed with that assessment. The man wasn't merely a thrill-seeker—he was a malicious one.
Though the impression Subaru had formed likely led to a different conclusion than the one Julius was reaching.
"According to the broadcast, Gluttony's demand was for an artificial spirit, right? Could it be that he was looking for one?"
"That's possible. But if there's a bigger issue, it's whether we should question the very existence of this so-called 'artificial spirit.' Does something like that actually exist?"
Reinhard responded to the motive Subaru had proposed.
His doubt was probably one shared by everyone who had heard the demands in that broadcast.
Only two people present had the answer to that—Subaru and Anastasia. Subaru couldn't help but glance at Anastasia's face, but she, as expected, maintained her practiced mask. Was that her way of saying she had no intention of revealing it?
"—Excuse me, just one thing."
Before the indecisive Subaru could weigh his options, Otto raised his hand and drew attention.
A trace of anxiety crept into his expression as he let out a resigned sigh.
And then— "Regarding the artificial spirit, I'm afraid I don't have an answer either. But there was a different demand—one related to the request made by 'Wrath'—the 'Book of Wisdom'…"
He paused for a moment, hesitated briefly, and then said— "I'm sorry. …The one who brought it into this city was me."