"Hey, Subaru. What was that ta-ra-ra-ta-ra thing all about?"
"Don't worry about it. It's a greeting from my hometown that's been passed down for ages. It means, 'Your smile is so lovely I just want to lick it.'"
"Then don't say it ever again, okay?"
"Wow, that's harsh!"
A tiny exchange following
Her cool, refreshing smile washed away all the gloom—restlessness, anxiety, all those negative emotions that had been piling up inside Subaru's chest like a flower blooming.
In response, he'd been so flustered by a heart-pounding he couldn't control that he'd tried to compose the softest smile he could manage and say "I'm home," but— "Ta-ra-ra-ta-ra—"
"Huh?"
And that, in a nutshell, was the whole fiasco. He'd tripped over the words again and again.
It was so pathetic and so embarrassing that he couldn't very well tell the truth. He tried to brush it off with a casual joke, only to have Emilia cut through it so cleanly that he felt deflated. Still, Subaru set off to search the mansion with Emilia, looking for
"Oh my, you're back sooner than I expected," said Ram, looking up at Subaru from where she sat on the floor of the entrance hall with terrible posture.
Her unyielding demeanor and regal bearing—ever more like the mistress of the mansion with each passing day—prompted Subaru to let out a soft sigh.
"I gotta admit, even I'm impressed by your go-your-own-way attitude. I like to think I'm plenty selfish myself, but I concede defeat to you outright."
"Winning at anything feels good. Now prostrate yourself, Barusu.—So, did the discussion reach a conclusion?"
The first half was directed at Subaru; the second, at Emilia walking behind him.
At Ram's question, Emilia gave a small nod.
"Subaru gave me the gist of it. —Crusch's subordinates and the people Anastasia hired apparently went to the village. On top of that, Subaru hired some travelling merchants… to prepare an escape route, right?"
"Yeah. The merchants' dragon carriages should have room for every villager, and their cargo has plenty of stuff that'd work as rations during the evacuation. Pretty good idea, wouldn't you say?"
"A decent effort, by Barusu's standards," Ram conceded with genuine praise. "Be grateful."
"How am I supposed to be grateful with a compliment like that?!"
Setting aside Ram's perpetually lofty attitude, the exchange in the previous room had paid off—Emilia was taking Subaru's proposal in stride.
She probably would have wanted to break through the situation with her own hands, but— "Obsessing over that and losing sight of what really matters would be putting the cart before the horse. I'm fine, so there's no need to look at me with such worried eyes."
"I'm not worried. I can feel the trust you have in me through your hand…"
"Oh, sorry—I've been holding on this whole time, haven't I? I was in the way, wasn't I?"
Her offhand remark reminded them both, and the hand that had been connected without any obstacles until now was released. A feeble "Ah" escaped Subaru's lips, but it was too late.
Leaving Subaru staring at his own empty hand lifted in front of his face, regretting his slip of the tongue, Emilia turned to Ram.
"So, Ram. I want to evacuate the villagers, but… where do you think we should head? I know I'm supposed to be the one making the decision, but—"
"Lady Emilia isn't familiar with the area, so I won't push you. If Ram is permitted to offer an opinion… I would suggest going to the
"The Sanctuary… is it safe there?"
"I can't say for certain, but Lord Roswaal is there, and while there are… circumstances, there is also defensive force. It would certainly be more secure than holing up here."
Emilia pressed a finger to her lip in thought. Subaru poked his head out from beside her and addressed Ram.
"Hey, while we're on the subject—where exactly is this Sanctuary that Roz went off to? It keeps popping up alongside names I've heard before, but… if I don't even know where it is, I can't exactly make a judgment, can I?"
"The judgment rests with Lady Emilia. There is no need for Barusu to worry—actually, that's rather cruel of me to say. But Ram doesn't have the authority to tell you, either. Lord Roswaal hasn't granted permission, so all you can do is agonize over it."
"Roz's permission, huh…" Subaru narrowed his eyes, but Ram showed no reaction. Recognizing that he wouldn't get anything more out of her, Subaru called to mind what he'd heard about the Sanctuary so far.
Though in truth, there wasn't much information to go on. It was where Roswaal had gone, where some powerful figure in the domain resided, and—as he'd just heard—a place where defensive forces existed beyond Roswaal himself.
"How about distance, or whether they're friendly toward us? At least those basics are essential for making a decision."
"—Approximately eight hours by dragon carriage. They're cooperative with Lord Roswaal, so hostility is out of the question. However—"
Ram answered fluently, but there she paused for a beat, and in an uncharacteristic gesture, she lightly bit her lip, revealing a hint of hesitation. Subaru furrowed his brow in puzzlement, but Emilia grasped the meaning behind it even more clearly.
"You're worried that a half-elf might not be welcomed?"
"I hate to add to your burden, Lady Emilia, but that is correct. The Sanctuary is filled with people who have… their own circumstances. I can't say for certain how much being a half-elf would stand out among them, but… I can't make any guarantees."
The issue of prejudice against half-elves rearing its head once more.
No matter where they turned, that wall was there, and Subaru's frustration was reaching its limit. But putting his irritation aside, Emilia tucked her chin slightly and spoke.
"It's something I already know. There's nothing to be done about it. As long as my presence isn't the issue, it sounds like evacuating the villagers to the Sanctuary would work?"
"Lord Roswaal, as lord of the domain, would never wish for the people to be treated carelessly. On that point, Garfiel—the Sanctuary's representative—is certainly trustworthy."
Emilia nodded with a look of satisfaction at that confident reply. Then she gave a small glance toward Subaru, who was clenching his jaw in silent anger.
"Subaru, do you have any other ideas?"
"Let's see. Eight hours to the Sanctuary, and it's safe… I don't think there's any reason to suggest an alternative route."
In the worst case, if they couldn't find a decent evacuation point, he'd considered retreating to the
By dragon carriage at full speed, the Royal Capital was half a day away. With so many women, children, and elderly among them, some time would be lost accounting for that, but even so, it wouldn't take a full day.
It was also possible to rendezvous with the Crusch camp and
"But, well, there are pretty significant risks with that, too."
First, the distance was farther than the Sanctuary.
As long as the unknowns regarding both sides' combat strength remained a concern, long travel times were something to avoid. Between half a day and a quarter day, the latter was the better choice.
Second, greater distance meant more time to return to the Mathers domain. As long as the threat of the Witch Cult remained, they'd have no choice but to escort Emilia's group to safety before turning back. Even if they raced back afterward to hunt down the Witch Cult stragglers, the increased chance of them escaping in the interim couldn't be denied.
And third—was the Lifaus Highway truly safe?
There had been one occasion in a previous loop where Subaru had encountered the White Whale and barely survived. At that time, Otto, the travelling merchant who'd been traveling with him, had thrown Subaru from the dragon carriage and seemingly escaped through the fog.
But in reality, after that, Otto had apparently been attacked by the Witch Cult and lost the life he'd just scraped back. The encounter had taken place just before the Lifaus Highway led into the Mathers domain.
Subaru suspected that the Witch Cult had been lying in wait at the fog's exit.
They hadn't run into them this time, but that was probably because the party's fighting force had exceeded theirs at that point, so they'd been overlooked.
But if Subaru were to return with a large number of noncombatants, how likely was it that they'd be overlooked again? Especially with Emilia—exactly the person they were after—in tow.
"When you put it like that, there's nothing left to think about, is there?"
"So you think Subaru should go to the Sanctuary too?"
"The current situation makes that the best option. If I could talk to Roz, I could probably say something more constructive, and I don't want to burden the villagers with unnecessary travel."
At the very least, they couldn't move forward without a full picture of the domain's situation. Roswaal's stance on the Royal Selection—what kind of approach he intended to take—was still frustratingly vague.
Subaru believed that a lot of the vagueness in Roswaal's way of communicating was responsible for the parts Emilia had been struggling with alone.
"In other words, it all comes down to going to the Sanctuary and giving that pretty boy a good talking-to."
"I thought we were talking about where to evacuate… how did it end up like this?"
"When you try to hammer out all the nitty-gritty details yourself, it's inevitable. Besides, honestly—if the guy had just used slightly clearer language, wouldn't half these problems have been avoided? Smart people, I swear…"
Having a quick mind meant expecting the same computational ability from others. A classic way of thinking for a genius type. Those of us slow-poor mortals can barely keep up as it is.
Anyway— "Destination's decided. Ram knows the location. Once we're ready, we should head out immediately. Will it take long?"
"I don't particularly have anything I need to bring. Ram…"
"I have quite a few teas and precious items I'd like to take along, but the end of greed is usually a sorry affair, so I'll pass. I do have some important documents and clothing packed, and I'm ready to go whenever."
Ram gestured, and Subaru spotted the bag placed beside the staircase. It seemed she'd already finished her packing. Subaru could only marvel at her foresight.
"I always thought girls' prep took forever, but amazing! Right then—bankbooks, personal seals, nothing forgotten? If it's all good, let's head straight to the village. GO!"
"Choo-choo?"
"Inkan?"
Emilia and Ram both tilted their heads with matching question marks. Subaru registered the double confusion with a small chuckle, then looked up toward the upper floor of the mansion.
The two women followed his gaze. They must have realized what he was looking at. Emilia opened her lips with a slightly awkward expression.
"Sorry, Subaru.
"More precisely, we haven't seen her since the day Lord Roswaal and the others departed for the Royal Capital. She won't answer calls for meals, nor responses to the Great Spirit's calls."
"Beako ignoring even
Receiving the two women's comments, Subaru stroked his chin and considered what to do. But recalling the events of his previous world, he quickly dismissed the brooding as pointless.
He slapped both cheeks with his hands, and the dry sound snapped his focus back to the present.
"I'll go get Beako myself. You two head to the village first.
"You're confident you can find her?"
"Not exactly confident, but… I get the feeling she won't run from me. Probably because she's crazy about me."
"You had the nerve to say that to that difficult woman?" Emilia let out a small laugh, and Ram gave her usual "Hmph" of derision. Subaru shrugged at the two of them and spun around on his heel.
"Well then, I'm off. Let me show you the art of dragging a shutout into the outside world—straight from a former shut-in's personal playbook."
※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "Haah, that's strange!?"
He'd burst out making grand declarations, but the search for Beatrice—confident as he'd started off—was going about as well as one might expect.
Usually, when Subaru went to call Beatrice for meals or whatnot, opening a single door was enough to lead him to the Forbidden Library where she waited. On fast days, he'd even opened the dining hall door on his way to fetch her and found himself in the Forbidden Library.
Beatrice's magic, which she called Door Traversal, was far too advanced for Subaru to understand, but it was apparently a space-transfer spell that made use of Yin magic.
Despite being a young girl, Beatrice was a formidable Yin magic user. By exploiting Door Traversal, she could randomly relocate the Forbidden Library—her personal castle—throughout the mansion, and she would typically only prepare a single correct door. Such a mean-spirited teleportation was her standard practice.
And the one ability that could break through that trait was what Subaru had unilaterally named Door Breaking—the peculiar gift of a person who couldn't read the room but always managed to pull the right door on the first try.
"At this point, it's not even a matter of 'disappointing'—it's straight-up catastrophic. I went and made such a huge show of it in front of Emilia-tan and the others. I can't just come back with 'Oops, couldn't find her' and play dumb. Come on, give me a break—seriously!"
As he spoke, Subaru shoved open door after door in the servants' quarters. He'd already opened every room in the central wing, having wasted a considerable amount of time. This was the first time he'd had to work this hard to find Beatrice, and even as he joked around, he couldn't stop the uncomfortable sweat beading on his forehead.
Still, Subaru wasn't continuing the search without any basis. He was certain that she was still somewhere inside the mansion.
In his previous world, when Subaru had arrived one day late, Beatrice had been in this very place. That time, Subaru had been swept along by the situation himself and barely had enough energy to exchange more than a few words— "This time, with a bit more time on everyone's side, everyone's been a little more relaxed. Beako might listen to me a little more…"
He wanted to believe that, at least. If he didn't say something like that to himself, he couldn't bear to continue this lonely work in silence. After all, if anyone saw him silently wandering through an empty mansion opening and closing doors only to be disappointed each time, they'd think he was the saddest person in the world.
"Damn it, nothing! I'm screwed! I'm out of time! This is no good—should I just give up and run away?! When I think of Emilia-tan's trusting gaze, my conscience hurts, but it can't be helped! I'll tell everyone that Beako got a stomachache and couldn't come out of the bathroom—"
"—Can't you come up with a better excuse than that?!"
The grumbled, hair-scratching mutter was met with a sudden retort from behind the door he'd just opened.
Before him, the room that should have been a bathroom had transformed into a library packed floor to ceiling with books instead of—toilet paper, for lack of a better word.
It was the Forbidden Library, a sight he hadn't seen in a while, and standing in her usual spot at the back of it was the girl who guarded this room—dressed in a sumptuous gown.
He'd entered the door of the room, and straight ahead was a wooden stepladder. Perched on one of its steps, with a thick book spread open on her lap, sat the girl.
"Beako—found you in the bathroom safe and sound. My intuition's not worthless after all."
"Is that all—the only thing that's improved is that you've become too pathetic to give up? For Betty's sake, I'd hate to have you spreading bizarre rumors about me."
"Don't worry about it! Everyone poops, and there are times when your stomach's in emergency mode and you don't want to answer! I'm sorry for saying such insensitive things while you were clenching—truly, my apologies!"
"Wasn't your outburst just now the most insensitive thing anyone has ever said in the history of the world?!"
Beatrice stood up from the stepladder, fuming with indignation, her ringlets quivering with fury. Subaru waved his hands dismissively, grinning.
"Set that aside—it's been a while. You wouldn't open up to me at all, so I ended up having to search the entire mansion."
"…This is Door Traversal at its full power—when I'm not letting my guard down. You wouldn't have been able to get in here normally either, would you?"
"The fact that you let me in kind of undermines that argument! Classic tsundere!"
"I only let you in because I was worried you'd start spreading some sort of blackmail-worthy scandal! Not that I care!"
After the outburst, Beatrice immediately looked uncomfortable, seemingly regretful of her own words. Subaru watched her rapidly shifting expressions with the corner of his mouth quirking up, and walked over to her.
"Either way, I'm glad we met. Sorry to rush you, but could you get ready to go out? Leaving you in the mansion any longer would be a problem…"
"Betty is not going."
"Huh?"
Beatrice's immediate refusal stopped Subaru in his tracks.
He looked up, and she gazed back at his stunned expression with a soft exhale.
"I said Betty is not going. I have no intention of leaving this Forbidden Library, let alone the mansion. Just remember that, and then be on your way."
"Wait—you're just not seeing the full picture. Staying here isn't safe. Come with me. I'll explain everything from the start!"
"Even without an explanation, I understand roughly what's going on. Also, stop treating me like a child."
Beatrice glared sharply at Subaru, then reached toward a bookshelf and pulled out an encyclopedia so large it was comical in her hands. Clutching it in the usual fashion, she returned to the stepladder. She sat down and opened it on her lap as though nothing had happened, looking as though she had absolutely no intention of evacuating.
"Hey, hey—we're not done talking! Don't just decide the conversation's over on your own!"
"I have nothing more to say. You're the only one who wants to keep going, and even if you do, Betty's conclusion won't change. You can't afford to waste time—neither can I, can I?"
"Ngh… if you understand that much, then cooperate with me. I'm taking you with me. You're coming with me. Okay?"
"I refuse. No matter who asks, it changes nothing. —Yes, no matter who it is, I will not let a single soul set foot in this Forbidden Library."
Without looking up from her book, Beatrice spoke in a quiet but unwavering tone.
Subaru scratched his head at her stubborn attitude and let out a long sigh.
"Listen—it's not just annoying people like me or Ram coming by with food. I hate to say it, but the Witch Cult is coming. Their ruthlessness is beyond compare. If you're still here in the mansion…"
"You've already seen what Door Traversal can do. If there are still those who would push their way in… Betty won't show any mercy."
"—!"
For an instant, a murderous aura leaked from Beatrice, and it ran an icy hand down Subaru's spine.
He caught his breath and realized it was the aftershock of the magical power that had erupted from her entire body.
The sheer torrent of mana—even for Subaru, who had brushed up against magic-wielding people—was staggeringly immense.
"…Even so, I'm taking you with me."
"You're still saying that…"
"This isn't about whether you're strong or weak! You're a girl. You're small. That alone is reason enough! I don't need any other excuse for not wanting to leave you behind in a dangerous place!"
Even as his voice trembled under the pressure, Subaru stomped the library floor and shouted.
Seeing him step forward, still insisting, Beatrice's eyes went wide with surprise. Then, as if enduring some pain, she closed them.
Subaru's brow creased, and just as he moved to close the distance— "Betty is not going with you. Please stop trying to mislead me any further."
"I'm not wrong. You are. —That's my final answer."
"How stubborn… —It's that part of you that I hate."
Beatrice murmured something barely audible. Subaru opened his mouth to ask her to repeat it, but before he could, Beatrice stood up from the stepladder.
"You win, I suppose. I'll do as you say."
"R-really? Great, then we're set! For a second there, I thought you were about to stand up and blast me with magic!"
"If Betty wanted to, reducing you to nothing but a shadow and erasing you from this world would be easy enough… but I'm not cruel enough to actually do it."
The casually terrifying remark made, Beatrice returned the book she'd pulled out to the shelf. Watching her movements, Subaru suddenly noticed something and raised his eyebrows. Perhaps it was because the relief of hearing she'd come with him had made him relax. On a whim— "Come to think of it, there are tons of books in here. Are you by any chance the type who's fluent in scripts beyond the basic script?"
"What is this about all of a sudden… You mean basic script—the character set? An expert would scold you for calling it that."
"My bad, my bad. Sorry. Anyway, the real question is…"
With Beatrice glaring at him with dead-eyed disapproval, Subaru gave a sheepish smile, dug around in his coat, and produced a book. It had a black cover, and its contents were— "I've got this book, and the writing inside doesn't ring any bells. I figured if anyone would know, it might be you…"
"—Why are you holding that right now?"
Suddenly, a hard voice cut him off.
Beatrice's enormous eyes had gone even wider, and she was staring intently at the Gospel in Subaru's hand.
Her abrupt change in demeanor startled Subaru, who'd approached the topic so casually.
"Why do you have that? Answer me."
"What do you mean, why—I took it from some Witch Cult idiot. The guy was clutching it like it was the most precious thing in the world, so I figured there might be some useful information in it."
"You took it? From the Witch Cult? And it was you, of all people…?"
Beatrice pressed a hand to her forehead, her shoulders trembling almost imperceptibly. The color drained from her already pale face, and her gaze began to wander. Alarmed by a change that looked as though she might collapse at any moment, Subaru instinctively reached out.
"H-hey—are you okay? If you're feeling sick, don't push yourself…"
"Betty can't… handle this. But if he's been carrying it around… Don't tell me Roswaal has all along…"
"Hel-lo? Sorry to interrupt you looking all serious, but are you lis-ten-ning?"
"Give me a moment to think. Just wait."
Beatrice silenced the worried Subaru with a single glare. He clamped his mouth shut and observed her as she closed her eyes, her expression shifting.
After a while with no response, Subaru absentmindedly flipped open the Gospel in his hands and leafed through the still-incomprehensible pages.
And then he noticed something.
"This book—the second half is all blank pages. …Wait, was this page here before?"
The fact that the content was written in an unreadable script and that the back half was missing as though pages had been torn out—that was the same as before. But it felt like there was an additional line of writing on the last printed page that hadn't been there a moment ago.
It was a book with content he couldn't read. It was probably just his imagination, he told himself.
"—What do you want to do with that book?"
The sudden question came from Beatrice, who had been silent in contemplation.
With her hand resting on her lips, Beatrice seemed to have reached some conclusion in her thoughts, and she posed the question to Subaru. He took it in, and after a pause, said, "What do I want to do with it…?"
"Decipher the contents… Though I'm not really interested in the Witch Cult's doctrine or anything. I just want to know if there's any genuinely useful information in it. If there isn't, I don't want to be carrying around some creepy book that belonged to a creepy owner."
"…At the very least, Betty can't read what's in it. But if you don't want to carry it, I could hold on to it for you, I suppose."
"Hold on to it?"
"It's a book of unknown nature, with an unknown owner who treasured it. If you're resistant to having it on you, Betty will take it off your hands."
Hesitantly, Beatrice extended her hand toward him.
Her gesture made it clear that at the very least, she didn't desire the book for herself. There was no hint of thinking about resale or profiting.
It was a善意 offer. And based on what she'd said earlier, she clearly understood that this was at least a Gospel. Therefore— "Sorry, but I'm rejecting that proposal."
Subaru gently pressed down on her outstretched hand from above and delivered the verdict.
Beatrice blinked once, then immediately hardened her usually adorable features.
"W-why? Even you should have some instinct that this is a bad thing. At the very least, you should know it doesn't attract anything good. If that's the case, it would be better to let Betty take it rather than keep it yourself…"
"I'm the type where, once someone shows they want something that badly, I suddenly want to give it to them even if I don't need it. That's my cover story, anyway. The real reason is this—"
This book, this Gospel, held enormous meaning for the Witch Cult's followers. And the owner of this particular Gospel had been none other than Petelgeuse, one of the Cult's archbishops.
The memory of how obsessively that man had clung to this book was still fresh. Even now, with Petelgeuse restrained and stripped of any means to resist, the wariness remained.
"It's the kind of book where some creepy old man might come drooling to take it back. Having it makes me uneasy, sure—but handing it off to a little girl? What kind of guy does that make me?"
"—!"
"If it's dangerous, I'll keep it on me. I came here to get you to safety, remember? Going out of my way to put you in danger would be putting the cart before the horse. Seriously, don't make me look like the bad guy."
With a light smile, Subaru tucked the Gospel into his coat, shielding it from Beatrice's gaze. Watching the whole sequence, Beatrice seemed to be thinking something.
She blinked once, then opened her mouth as if to say something—and— "—gh."
In the end, she couldn't form any words, and closed her mouth, turning her face away.
Sensing something unnatural in her demeanor but unable to press further against that profile that clearly refused scrutiny, Subaru rolled his neck and changed the subject.
"Ah, well, whatever. Anyway, since the decision's been made, let's get moving. It'd be a pain if you brought too much luggage, but a couple of important books would be fine. And you should probably bring a change or two from that unnecessarily fancy dress of yours."
"…The library comes with it when Betty moves. More importantly—were you able to convince the other two in the mansion?"
"Turns out that's insanely convenient.—And yes, the other two are all set. You're the last one. Let's all head to the Sanctuary where Roswaal is."
"Roswaal, is it… What about the maid's sister who went with you?"
Suddenly, Beatrice brought up Rem.
Subaru was surprised to hear Rem's name come from her, and raised his eyebrows slightly. Then, thinking it might be a positive sign, he relaxed.
"Rem's back in the Royal Capital right now, holding down the fort. On her way back, she caught a seriously huge fish. Too huge, actually—so she's having it properly prepared for a lavish feast. Once everything's sorted out, we'll all dig in together."
"You sound awfully happy talking about her. —Did something happen?"
"Uh…"
The name Rem had made Subaru react a bit too eagerly, and his words came out a touch too fast. Beatrice's keen observation had hit the mark, and he choked up, whistling as he turned his face away.
"N-no, nothing at all?"
"If you've been treated that warmly by someone, it'd be strange not to develop any feelings. Betty won't tell anyone, so do as you please."
"I-I'm not trying to hide anything! It's just that, well, it takes a certain amount of courage to suddenly announce it to Emilia-tan and her sister… Call it a strategic retreat…"
Mumbling and pressing his index fingers together, Subaru turned his back to Beatrice in embarrassment.
The situation played a large part, and the truth was he genuinely didn't have the courage to blurt it out. Emilia would be blindsided too, if he suddenly declared, "I'm going to have both you and Rem!" Even though he'd already made up his mind.
"It's good to aim high. It gives you motivation. I don't particularly dislike working hard. I just never had a goal to work toward until now—!"
The mouth that kept rationalizing and trying to conceal its own excitement stopped abruptly at an unexpected sensation.
From behind, he felt warmth pressing against his back—arms wrapping around his waist from behind in an embrace. Small, slender arms reaching around toward his stomach, and there was no mistaking who it was.
It was Beatrice.
"Oh, Beako—don't sneak up on me like that, seriously."
"That reaction is genuinely infuriating.—But it's enough."
"Huh?"
Before he could tilt his head in confusion at her unexpected words, a brilliant light seared his eyelids.
Before he could even register that the entrance door had opened on its own— "Goodbye—"
"Wh—oah!?"
The arms wrapped around him released, and a powerful force from behind shoved him forward. He couldn't resist. His body pitched forward, stumbling— And then, as though being pulled in, he was drawn into the doorway— "Beatrice—!"
"Betty… can't go with you."
He twisted around and, just before passing through the doorway, cast his gaze back into the room.
The girl he could barely make out in his field of vision had large tears brimming in her eyes.
"————!"
No words came. His vision warped. Space twisted, his body was swept along a path that shouldn't exist, and the connection to the Forbidden Library severed.
And then Subaru's body was ejected from the space of the Forbidden Library and vanished into the distance.
"…Master."
Watching him disappear, Beatrice slowly closed the door she'd left ajar.
The sound of the air being cut off echoed, and a deep, heavy silence descended once more upon the Forbidden Library.
"…Mother."
In a small, tearful voice, Beatrice called out that name.
The large tears had already vanished from her eyes, but her expression remained unchanged.
"How much longer… does Betty have to…"
On the verge of collapsing into sobs, Beatrice walked to the stepladder and leaned against it as though letting it bear her weight. Then she reached out and, from the opposite step—the one across from where she usually sat—pulled the book she'd placed there and clutched it to her chest.
"Mother… Mother… Mother…!"
Clutching the book to her chest like a lost child clinging to salvation, Beatrice's voice continued to echo through the silent Forbidden Library in ragged sobs.
The black-bound book held in her arms offered her no answer.