"How fitting that the last visitor of the day should be you, my lord."
Despite having her schedule disrupted, Crusch wore a vaguely cheerful expression as she laughed, sinking deep into the parlor chair.
Across from her sat Subaru and
The same place, the same lineup as when he had declared his intent to return to the manor. And this time, the topic Subaru was about to broach was one that promised even more trouble than before.
After all, this wasn't something that could be settled by simply having Subaru and Rem go back to the manor.
"Fortunately, the reason to eat out for dinner is gone. I have time to accompany you until the meal at the manor is ready."
"Normally you can't just get time like this without giving prior notice, so you should be grateful for how generous Crusch-sama is,
"Well, in truth, it just so happens that being turned down by my negotiation partner freed up my schedule."
"Oh my, Crusch-sama is so manly for not even thinking about saving face...!"
While master and servant went through their usual bit, Subaru refined how he would broach the subject in his mind.
Given the time constraint, he couldn't afford to dither. But if his approach was too clumsy, he'd fail to get what he needed.
"Well, I should keep this simple."
Dragging the conversation out with roundabout, verbose remarks would only sour Crusch's mood—especially given her personality.
What needed to be said was already decided. Hesitating would get him nowhere.
Bracing himself, Subaru shifted his expression. In response, Crusch straightened in her seat, prefaced with "Well then," and extended a hand toward him.
"You requested this meeting. I'll leave the opening to you. So—what is it you want?"
What a refreshingly direct conversational partner, Subaru thought.
He licked his dry lips to moisten them, took a deep breath in front of Crusch, and then— "There's a group called the
Without beating around the bush, Subaru laid out the conditions necessary to achieve his goal.
To annihilate the Witch Cult, he needed serious military strength—something that couldn't be expected from within Roswaal's domain, meaning it had to be brought in from elsewhere. And he knew that the force he needed existed under Crusch's command, even if his stay with her had been brief.
Subaru's words prompted separate reactions from the four others in the room.
Wilhelm, who barely moved a brow in response. Ferris, who opened his eyes wide in surprise and glanced worriedly at Crusch's expression. Rem, who sat rigidly beside Subaru, lips pressed into a thin line, her gaze cutting into his profile.
And— "I see — the Witch Cult."
Crusch, her elbow propped on the reception room table and her chin resting on her interlaced fingers, let out a laugh.
It was a charming, radiant smile — one that carried an allure wholly unlike the stern, striking impression Subaru had held of her until now. For him, it offered a glimpse of an entirely new side of the woman.
Either way, the die had been cast.
Having plunged straight into the heart of the matter, there was nothing for it but to press forward without stopping. Subaru steadied his quickening pulse and waited for Crusch's next reaction.
But she showed no sign of uttering anything beyond that initial remark. Puzzled, Subaru furrowed his brow ever so slightly, and Crusch spoke.
"What's the matter? I told you — this is your turn to talk."
"Well, yeah, that's… that's what I meant…"
"Are you suggesting that simply laying a demand on the table is the end of it? You must explain why you are making that demand, what grounds you have for raising it, and what benefit we stand to gain by agreeing to it. Without presenting those, it cannot be called a negotiation."
Subaru choked on his words with a strangled sound, and Crusch fixed him with a half-lidded, bored gaze.
That single gesture alone drove home the difference in their caliber as negotiators. Subaru berated himself for nearly falling into her tempo and pressed on.
"Right, right. My apologies — that was rude of me. I haven't exactly got a lot of experience with this kind of negotiation stuff."
"Recognizing your own inexperience is a necessary step. There is no need to feel ashamed. However, our time is limited to before dinner. Do make sure you do not forget that."
A touch of leniency paired with a reminder of the deadline — she wielded her carrot and stick with practiced ease.
Subaru took a moment to reorganize his thoughts before continuing.
"First, the reason I'm asking to borrow your military strength — it's, well… simply put, we don't have enough fighters. Our numbers are nowhere near enough to match the Witch Cult's. As a result, we can't repel their attacks."
"A fair point, and straightforward enough. But wouldn't Lord Mathers be sufficient for that? His capacity for group annihilation is among the finest in all of Lugnica. It's not as if we're talking about a small force."
"If they came as a single cluster, that might hold — but it won't work that way. Roswaal only has one body, so if we're hit in two places at once, we're finished."
At a minimum, the Witch Cult's assault on both the village and the mansion was a certainty. And while it was still speculation, it seemed to Subaru that they had also attempted to ambush a dragon carriage passing through. The word "clearing out the area" had been uttered by Petelgeuse more than once — that was his basis for thinking so.
"I see. I can understand the reasoning to that extent. However, would that not constitute negligence on Lord Mathers' part as a territorial lord? Maintaining military force to protect one's own domain is a lord's obligation. If he grew overconfident in his own power and neglected that duty, his reputation could only suffer."
"That is absolutely and entirely correct. In any case, that's why we can't stand up to the Witch Cult's indiscriminate rampages. What I'm asking for — in terms of sheer numbers — is precisely for that."
If the attack sites could be limited to two, then what they needed was a fighting force capable of defending both simultaneously. Given the possibility of Roswaal's absence, and with Rem and
Subaru glanced toward Wilhelm and turned back to Crusch with an imploring look. If a deal could be struck, Wilhelm was the one asset he most wanted to secure.
Wilhelm, who must have grasped the meaning behind that glance, offered no reaction. Crusch watched Subaru lower his gaze ever so slightly, then waved a hand toward Felix at her side.
"Still — the Witch Cult. It seems they have finally begun to move."
"That's true. Well, considering the Half-elf
Crusch's words drew a nod of agreement from Felix, and Subaru furrowed his brow at the attitude.
But before he could press the matter, what truly seized Subaru's attention was the aftershock of a violent emotion rising from beside him. When he turned his gaze that way, Rem stood silent, lips pressed tight, head bowed.
Looking at that expression—one that deliberately forced those emotions away—you could read with perfect clarity just how stormy her inner world truly was.
The first time Subaru had heard the phrase "Witch Cult" had been, he was fairly sure, from Rem's own lips. The Witch Cult, which seemed to be a loathsome object of abhorrence for her, had now become Subaru's greatest enemy as well. He was probably wearing just as grim a face as she was.
Watching Rem seethe helped Subaru cool his own head. Crusch, who had been observing the scene, let her long green hair cascade down her back, tilted her head with a "So?" and continued: "I've grasped the situation. Next—your reasons for choosing our camp as an ally, and… the basis for it."
"The reason I chose you, Crusch, is that given the current state of affairs, the probability is highest. The fact that you've been taking care of me and Rem like this is part of it, and compared to the other Royal Selection candidates, you're in a position that's easier to work with."
This was the part he'd anticipated being asked about, and he had his answer ready.
That said, if Subaru spoke from the heart, there was another party who would likely be even more willing to cooperate than Crusch. But prioritizing ease of access in the present circumstances, things had simply ended up flowing toward negotiating with her first.
"Easier to work with, huh."
Hearing Subaru's answer, Crusch murmured softly and smiled with hidden meaning. Unable to read the intent behind that smile, Subaru received her raised finger as she said, "Let me make one correction."
"You may have gotten the wrong impression from how we've been treating you as guests, but there's something I'd like you to reconsider."
"…What's that?"
"I am not treating you as enemies. However, the fact remains that Emilia is, to me, already a political adversary. Understand? I am already in opposition to her."
Crusch emphasized those unexpectedly harsh words, making her position crystal clear.
Her attitude caused Subaru to recall his first time in this world— "But then, right now you're taking us in—"
"That's because a contract has been established. Between Emilia and myself—through a proxy, yes—there exists a contract of quid pro quo, and it's precisely because of that contract that I'm welcoming you. Should that agreement disappear, our positions become transparently clear. On matters unrelated to that agreement, we are nothing if not adversaries."
She cut down Subaru's grasping voice with a sharp finality, refusing to budge on that line.
Even in his first life, she had declared open opposition when Subaru broke the contract. One could call that honesty, or one could call it inflexibility.
In other words— "There's no chance you'll join hands with us? Is that what you're saying?"
"That matter and this matter are entirely unrelated. I already told you, didn't I, Natsuki Subaru? If this is a negotiation, then present benefits that both sides can agree to and accept. So far, we've only confirmed the reasons and the prerequisite conditions. You need to give me the basis—the genuine advantage of lending your fighting force to our side."
That said, she added after a pause, "On the matter of a basis, one could say it isn't necessary. The moment Emilia's background became known to the public, it was entirely expected that the Witch Cult would make its move. Whether the information came from a reliable source or was born of speculation, either way, there's something close to certainty."
Crusch appeared to harbor no doubts whatsoever about the premise of the negotiation—that the Witch Cult had indeed mobilized. It seemed to be a kind of common understanding unique to this world, shared by all who lived in it, which was a small mercy for Subaru as he stumbled through this amateur negotiation.
The fact that the Witch Cult's activities were so widely known, however, was frankly disgusting on a level beyond mere revulsion.
"So then, what the negotiation requires is a mutual benefit. In your case, by borrowing my family's strength, you can eliminate the threat of the Witch Cult. Very well—then what would my family stand to gain by lending you a hand? I'd like to hear that."
"W-Well, purely something like helping people…"
"What a delightful joke. It's so delightful that it makes me want to tell Wilhelm to draw his sword as a punchline."
The two people carrying swords on their person here were Wilhelm and Ferris, yet the fact that she would order Wilhelm rather than her own First Knight spoke volumes about the power balance.
Regardless, this was not a situation where quips could serve as an escape. Subaru spun his brain at full speed and— "A-All right, so, let's say… by helping us out of this mess, you'd be creating a huge debt of gratitude on our side, and—"
"——If you were to accept that proposal, it would mean Emilia's withdrawal from the Royal Selection. Are you making that statement with full awareness of that?"
"Huh?"
His words cut off, Subaru's mouth hung open at the sharp retort that had been thrust at him. But Crusch's gaze as she regarded him carried an edge as keen as a blade.
"That much should be obvious, shouldn't it? Entrusting the crisis in one's own territory to another lord is a matter that comes before even the question of whether one has the qualities of a king. If you cannot protect your people and command their loyalty, how could you ever hope to stand bearing the weight of an entire nation? Natsuki Subaru—let me correct one more misconception of yours."
Raising a finger, Crusch directed it at the silenced Subaru as though it could pierce him.
"You are conducting this negotiation carrying the weight of Emilia's camp on your shoulders. Every word you speak—whether right or wrong—falls upon her. Your words are, in essence, Emilia's weight. You must not make judgments lightly, nor can you easily retract what you have said."
"Ah, I… I see…"
"With that established, let me ask you once more.——If you create a debt of gratitude through this matter, it signifies the defeat of Emilia's camp. Is that acceptable to you?"
It wasn't acceptable. Not at all.
For the first time, Subaru was beginning to understand exactly where he was standing.
This was no casual discussion forum where he bore no responsibility whatsoever. A single word from him could shake the positions of countless people and even sway the trajectory of the kingdom.
The stage Subaru had voluntarily stepped onto was precisely one where such crushing weight was inevitable.
"But still, even so…"
Buckling under the weight pressing down on both shoulders, Subaru bit down on his lip and made his voice tremble.
Just as Crusch had said—if he borrowed her strength under the current terms, it would mean Emilia was granting her a deficit so great it could never be repaid.
How much of a comeback could she possibly make in the Royal Selection when she was already this far behind at the very outset?
If he took that proposal to Crusch, then Emilia's Royal Selection was over right then and there.
But if he couldn't borrow her strength, then all that awaited Roswaal's domain was devastation at the hands of the Witch Cult's fanatics.
The scales tipped, and pain and grinding friction visited Natsuki Subaru's brain without cease.
As those thoughts assaulted every corner of his mind like noise, Subaru clenched his teeth and arrived at his conclusion— "I still want you to lend me your hand."
"...Even if it means withdrawing from the Royal Selection?"
"As long as I'm alive, it's better than the alternative. —Because once you're dead, it's all over."
Shoulders slumping, Subaru answered without any attempt to hide his dejection and disappointment.
If you died, it was over. The horrific state of that village, and Rem's far too wretched death right beside him—he didn't have the courage to witness either of those things with his own eyes one more time.
If swallowing his pride, enduring the humiliation, would buy him his life, then that was what he should do.
And Crusch, receiving Subaru's answer, said "Understood" with a sharp nod— "—In that case, the Karsten family will not be lending you any of our fighting strength whatsoever."
With that, she delivered her decisive verdict.
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ —for an instant, Subaru's world froze as he couldn't fathom what Crusch had just said.
"...Huh?"
The sound that escaped carried a question mark, but it was nothing more than noise devoid of meaning, born from a complete failure to comprehend. Yet Crusch received it, crossed her long, slender legs, and— "Let me repeat. My household will not be lending military forces to your request for aid to the Mathers domain—nor, by extension, to Emilia."
Once more, she spelled it out in even clearer, simpler terms.
That composed, orderly manner of speaking only made Subaru, who was struggling to process it all, feel even more belittled— "You've gotta be—!"
In the next instant, as he tried to spit the surging fury off his tongue, Subaru caught himself from that rash impulse at the very last moment.
Raising his voice, shouting on pure emotion—things had never once turned out better because of it. And his opponent here was far more experienced and composed than he was.
Slapping his knee to set a rhythm, he forced that aggressive momentum to ease— "Why... would it come to that...?"
He squeezed out a question that seemed only natural to ask.
Before appealing to emotions, he would hear the other side out first. Then seek a compromise, polish it, and present it as the answer. That was the foundation of negotiation, something he couldn't just throw away.
Natsuki Subaru's judgment carried the weight of Petelgeuse's slaughter—or rather, the survival of an entire village.
To Subaru's low probing, Crusch held up two fingers and prefaced her response with "First,"
"The offer you presented as my benefit—Emilia's withdrawal from the Royal Selection, which you reluctantly swallowed... that holds no cards in this negotiation. Do you understand?"
"Wh-why not? Losing a rival is a perfectly sufficient return from your side—"
That was precisely why he couldn't exchange it for his life. That was why he had placed it on the opposite end of the scale—heavy enough to serve as a counterweight to lives.
Knowing that Emilia would aim for the throne, yet weighing that against countless lives on the scales.
Subaru gnashed his teeth and clung to his position, but Crusch shook her head.
"Don't you realize it as you say it? Regarding Emilia's withdrawal, that is something that will occur regardless of whether I get involved or not."
"What are you—"
He realized, mid-retort, what she meant.
And as Subaru's face stiffened in shock at that realization, Crusch nodded.
"Just as you said, without anyone's aid, Emilia cannot protect her domain. That, in turn, means her withdrawal from the Royal Selection. I don't even need to lift a finger."
If anything, she continued, waving the fingers she still held up, "If I carelessly involve myself and my camp becomes known to the other factions as having played a role in Emilia's withdrawal—that would be the bigger problem. As you well know, my family currently holds the most advantageous position in this Royal Selection. I have no intention of prematurely stomping out one of the other factions and painting a target on my back for all of them to gang up on."
If she simply sat back and watched, she would obtain exactly the advantage Subaru had proposed without lifting a finger. There was no need to take unnecessary risks and pull chestnuts out of the fire.
But if that were the case, then— "Are you going to just stand by and let those villagers in Roswaal's domain—people in that village—be slaughtered by the Witch Cult!?"
"Correct your misunderstanding. And don't try to change the subject, Natsuki Subaru."
Crusch pinned Subaru with a cold gaze, a sharp edge settling into her expression.
"The one who lacks the strength to protect her domain is Emilia, and the one who will lose her people through her own incompetence is Emilia. It is decidedly not me."
Powerless. Incompetent. Those words struck Subaru like a brutal blow to the head.
He wanted to rebut Crusch's argument. But all that surfaced were childish emotional appeals, and no strength to resist her logic came.
"It seems you're done saying what you wanted to say."
At Subaru's habit of opening and closing his mouth without managing to get any words out, Crusch closed one eye and murmured. Without shifting position, she glanced at the sky outside the room's window with her remaining open eye, "It will soon be the Earth Hour — time for supper. Right on schedule."
Having cut the conversation short like that, Crusch moved to rise from her seat.
At her utterly dismissive attitude, Subaru grew frantic, "W-wait!"
He reached out a hand to stop her as she began to stand. Having half-lifted himself from his seat, Subaru moistened his lips and racked his brain desperately, trying to continue negotiating with Crusch.
"Are you seriously going to abandon us? The villagers haven't done anything wrong — there's no reason for this!"
Yet all that came from Subaru's mouth was nothing more than a string of spineless words, as though clinging to the other party's mercy. Hearing this, a faint trace of disappointment surfaced in Crusch's eyes, "I already told you. The one who's lacking in power is not me..."
"You know that and you're still going to abandon them?! How is that not evil?! If you have the power, if they can be saved, then why won't you save them?! What's wrong with saving them?! If it were some other territory, you'd just ignore it since it has nothing to do with your vote count?!"
He cut her off, screaming his fury despite knowing he was being rude.
Subaru's fierce tirade made Crusch furrow her brow, and his outrageously insolent attitude made Ferris's eyes flush with anger as he stepped forward, saying "Hey, now—" But— "Ferris, it's fine."
"But, Lady Crusch... no matter how you look at it, that was—"
"It's raw conviction. If I don't respond, I'll lose standing."
Ferris let out a disgruntled growl but obeyed Crusch's command and withdrew quietly. Keeping an eye on him from her periphery, Crusch settled back into her chair, "Letting them go, watching them die — is that not evil?"
She repeated Subaru's words in a low voice, letting out a deep sigh as she turned them over.
Seizing on that attitude as a foothold, clinging to it as his last hope, Subaru pressed on— "That's right! You're aiming to be the next king, aren't you?! You're saying you'll shoulder the entire country! Then how can you call yourself a king while abandoning a single village?!"
He shot to his feet in a huff, spitting with fury and clenching his fists as he drove his point home.
At the barrage of Subaru's words, Crusch closed her eyes as if in deep thought, and then slowly, "Let me correct one thing."
She said, holding up two fingers and fixing Subaru with a piercing gaze.
Subaru flinched at the sharpness of that stare, but as he scowled at the mismatch between her words and her gesture, Crusch allowed a small, provocative smile to curve her lips, "That was the second of the two reasons I mentioned earlier. That should clear up most of your questions, Your Excellency."
The earlier reason—meaning, the reason Crusch would not help Emilia. That reason was: "My answer is—your story simply lacks the credibility to move the Karsten family."
Those words struck Subaru like a blow that turned everything he had said, every assumption he held, completely on its head.
With a single phrase—lacks credibility—all of their back-and-forth was cast aside.
"Huh?"
"The Witch Cult. Yes, I can see why that would warrant action. Their doctrine and their track record make that abundantly clear. But the problem lies beyond that."
"Beyond that…?"
"It's a simple question. Can you, Your Excellency, identify where they will strike next?"
She kept her raised finger pointed straight at Subaru, her voice and gaze cutting into him as she continued: "Their inscrutability is thorough to the point of being incomprehensible. The fact that they have survived for nearly four hundred years without being eradicated is proof enough. How could you possibly know what their next act of folly will be?"
"That's… but you yourself were just saying—"
"The darkness of their intelligence network is a matter of historical record. If you have obtained information, then show me your basis for it. If you cannot, then there is only one reason you could know what you claim to know."
In place of the silenced Subaru, Crusch spoke slowly, savoring each word: "That you, too, are a member of the Witch Cult."
"Don't be ridicul—!"
This time, a scream of pure rage surged up his throat, ready to explode. But once again, it was stopped just short of release.
This time, it was not the result of his own conscience or self-restraint.
"————"
It was the dense, almost otherworldly aura emanating from Rem, who had been silently watching the exchange between Subaru and Crusch this entire time.
At Subaru's side, Rem sat upright in her chair with her hands resting on her knees. Yet despite her expressionless face, a pressure overflowed from her so intense it seemed to warp the very air around her—and it was crystal clear that it stemmed from the conversation just moments ago.
"Lady Crusch, I must ask you to cease your jesting."
Bathed in the stares of everyone in the room, Rem's voice remained as calm as ever as she tilted her head politely toward Crusch.
"The idea that Subaru-kun is part of the Witch Cult—is that not simply impossible?"
"Is it? Considering Natsuki Subaru's statements, if you cannot provide a reason for how you obtained this information, then that is the only conclusion to draw. Your Excellency, does anything come to mind?"
"—No, there isn't."
Would Crusch have noticed the momentary hesitation?
Only Rem, who could sense the
In any case, "In either event, those two reasons are not enough for my camp to lend aid to Emilia. —More to the point, you were never granted the authority to act as a negotiator, were you?"
"—Ugh."
"I did threaten you earlier, saying that Emilia's fate rested on your shoulders, but that's a separate issue entirely. There is nothing for you to bear in this place."
Running off on his own, trying to protect everything on his own, and selfishly failing every time.
Crusch's words carved into Subaru's exposed heart with cold precision, slicing it apart.
His fury dissipated, and what filled Subaru's chest began to shift from something hot to something cold. His mouth opened and shut gaspingly, like a fish desperate for air.
Crusch looked down at Subaru with something close to pity.
"You do not have the power to move me now. You would do well to accept that you are being protected."
"————!"
Those were words that had been hurled at him again, and again, and again.
They forced Subaru to acknowledge his own powerlessness, to accept his own ignorance, to swallow his own inadequacy, to be mocked for his reckless, pathetic attempts — a rotten brand of pity.
Nothing was going his way, and Subaru was consumed by humiliation.
Why — why would no one, not a single person, let him accomplish what he set out to do? What was he doing wrong? He was trying to do the right thing. He believed he was doing the right thing, believed he could be helped, and acted on that belief.
"The Witch Cult is going to go insane! They're going to slaughter every last person in the village...!"
Subaru pleaded with anger so fierce it felt like his throat would tear apart, choked with grief.
He had seen it. He had touched death.
People he was close to, precious existences — everything would freeze over and transform into white crystals.
It was something that would truly happen. If left alone, it was a merciless reality that would inevitably come to pass.
Why couldn't anyone understand that? Why wouldn't anyone let him stop it? Why would no one simply get out of his way and let him twist fate back into shape?
"Just kill them — kill them! The Witch Cult bastards, all of them, just kill every last one of them! If I do that, everything will be settled! You get that, right!? Those people shouldn't be alive — I have to kill them, lend me the power, just let me kill them!"
He sank to his knees, prostrating himself on the ground, and begged.
If rubbing his forehead against the floor and begging would earn him even a shred of pity in someone's eyes as they looked down on him, then he'd play the fool or anything else — if only they would lend him their power.
He'd act like a dog, take on the role of a beast, anything at all. If that would make this killing intent come true — then — "— So that is the wellspring of your actions."
But this display that didn't hesitate to bare Subaru's shame — "— It is hatred of the Witch Cult. Is that why you drew close to Emilia?"
— could not elicit even a sliver of compassion from a person of power who refused to mix personal feeling into their judgment.