"Even if you make that face like you're about to cry, it ain't gonna change nothin', y'know? I already made up my mind. Once I decide somethin', I don't budge. 'Donmorakin stands firm even when pushed'—that's how it goes, right?"
Watching Subaru's eyes go wide in shock, Garfiel pressed on with his words.
The condition he'd just laid out — hearing that, Subaru's mind could only be reduced to a mess of astonishment and confusion. Because— "Of all people, why the hell would *you* be the one saying that...?"
"Hah? Surprised I'm against it? How dense can you be, man? Just 'cause we had a little chat, don't go thinkin' you've got me all figured out."
At Subaru's words, Garfiel twisted his lip in displeasure, but the one wearing a sour expression and wanting to air his grievances was Subaru just as much.
For starters, the idea that Garfiel had just shot down was originally built upon a proposal that same Garfiel himself had made.
In the world before the reset, unable to bear watching
"Well, sure, if you're gonna fully endorse the hag's policy, then yeah, I can see why acceptin' your proposal would be more efficient. —But I absolutely refuse."
"What kind of childish reasoning is that...!"
Arms crossed, face turned away — there was no logic to Garfiel's words. And precisely because there was no logic, if he was running purely on emotion, then the situation was going to get messy.
From everything they'd talked about so far, Subaru knew this: the person called Garfiel was quite the mood-driven type — or, more accurately, his moods swung heavily based on how his own values aligned with things. General principles couldn't be relied upon, so there was no telling what approach would be effective.
"Ryuzu-san..."
Seeing that trying to get through to Garfiel was a lost cause, Subaru turned to the young-looking old woman who'd been silently observing the situation. But when Ryuzu had Subaru's gaze directed at her way, she merely waved her billowy sleeves — those tips still sticking out — and said: "When Garfy's like this, even my words won't move him. It's a shame, but there's no one in the Sanctuary who could force him to listen by strength alone. Why don't you try challenging him yourself, Suu-kun?"
"I don't have a death wish enough to pick a fight with a guy who throws dragon carriages. ...Dammit, what the hell..."
Though not affirming Garfiel's stance outright, Ryuzu also wasn't actively restraining him — she was likely in agreement with his position deep down.
She too, after all, believed that Emilia was the one who should break through the Trial. Regardless of how much respect she held toward Roswaal, it was fair to assume that at the fundamental level, she and Roswaal had arrived at the same place.
And yet, he couldn't help but wish — if only Garfiel had been on their side.
"...Subaru."
Looking up at the man at a loss for words he couldn't articulate, it was Emilia who called to him with concern in her voice. Reflecting Subaru's profile in those amethyst eyes of hers— "I, I'll try my best, so you don't have to push yourself, Subaru. It's just... yes, it was a little sudden and caught me off guard, but if I'd known what was coming..."
"No, no, Emilia-tan, you're the one who shouldn't push yourself. I'll figure out how to convince that stubborn bastard. If I can do that, the Trial won't be—"
"Subaru is—"
Emilia was looking like she might cave to Garfiel's position with her weak resolve. Trying to bolster her flagging spirits, Subaru began racking his brain to arm himself with arguments. But as he prepared for the debate in his mind, Emilia— "Subaru... no, Subaru too, can you not leave it to me?"
"...Huh?"
"Because I showed how hopeless I am... you think you can't entrust the Trial to me, don't you...? So instead—"
"That's not it. That's not what I mean."
"No, I understand why you're worried. You managed to overcome it, Subaru, but I can't even... I can't even bring myself to face it... to face the 'past' with that thing called a 'Trial'..."
Subaru denied it, but Emilia shook her head, refusing to accept his words. Negative emotions surfaced in her eyes, her lips trembled faintly, and the color drained even further from her pale cheeks. Her speech grew increasingly unstable, making it clear that the so-called "past" within the Trial was replaying in her mind.
—Something that could so easily shake even the normally composed her.
"You don't have to remember—!"
"But I have to face it, or I can't overcome the Trial! That's right, that's right... I have to overcome the Trial, overcome the 'past'... Otherwise, I can't become King. I can't let the villagers out, I can't let the people of the Sanctuary go outside..."
He reached for her shoulders and called out desperately, but Emilia stubbornly refused to listen, shaking her head. The more he tried to stop her, the more resolute she became.
"I can't just keep relying on Subaru. I can't. Just a little while ago, Subaru was covered in wounds but still fought his way through for me... and now I'm ready to dump everything on Subaru again..."
"That's fine. I know it might sound harsh, but we help each other. Wouldn't it be better to play to each person's strengths? When it comes to this Trial, I'm just more compatible with it, that's all. There's no deeper meaning. It's just that I can do it, so I'd be more reliable and faster doing it. It's not like I get chances to do things I'm actually good at all that often. There'll be plenty of opportunities for you to shine as yourself, Emilia-tan — they'll come again and again."
"And isn't one of those important opportunities right now? Turning away from things I don't want to face, running away from them... and then what becomes of me?"
—If only he could shout: *What's wrong with running away?* Running from things you don't want to face, looking away from things that are painful, turning your back on suffering — if that let you live in peace, then that was just one more way to live, and there was nothing wrong with it. Subaru himself had lived precisely that way, keeping as much distance as he could from the countless hardships.
That was why he believed — even if it was a weak way to live, there was no justification for condemning it. He could say as much.
And yet, now. Now of all times, Subaru — the one person who understood her stubbornness, her frustrated weakness, her frailty — should have been the one to affirm her.
"Why...?"
For some reason, the words he knew he should be saying wouldn't come out of his mouth.
At Subaru's silence, Emilia squeezed her eyes shut and looked down. Still touching her shoulders, Subaru could feel the heat of her body and didn't know what to do.
Watching the two of them,— "Hah. Go ahead and bicker and shove at each other all you want, but from where I'm standing, it sounds like Lady Emilia's got the right of it. The Trial was prepared for her to challenge in the first place. And then you come barging in from the side..."
"Shut up! You... you still don't know anything...!"
"Hah?"
Blowing up at Garfiel, who was cheerfully running his mouth without any understanding of how Subaru felt. Subaru's fury was met with a dangerous aura emanating from Garfiel.
But Subaru glared back without flinching at Garfiel's hostile demeanor— "You pushing it on her — do you even know how that ends? She gets hurt, she suffers, she wears herself down — can you watch that happen and stay calm? ...I was the one in the wrong."
"...The hell are you suddenly going on about?"
"I'm saying that I was only thinking about conditions and benefits, and never once actually considered how Emilia herself felt. Sure, the results you get from overcoming the Trial are huge. But the wounds she'd sustain along the way, the tears she'd shed — those don't factor into the equation. ...Her own will doesn't either."
In the previous world, even though Subaru had been there watching Emilia deteriorate from the closest vantage point, he had never once uttered the words to stop her from the Trial.
He'd been so sure she'd pull through — so sure that if anyone could do it, Emilia could — and he'd driven her harder, pushed her to the brink, shoved her until she was worn completely thin. Only when someone pointed that out did he finally realize it. The frustration of having nowhere to put that useless emotion — no outlet to return it to the person who had opened his eyes — was suffocating.
The cruel nature of the "Return by Death" phenomenon pierced deep into Subaru's heart right now.
And knowing in advance what was going to happen — armed with nothing but insufficient information and inadequate words, if he let emotion run ahead and spoke— "What... do you know, Subaru?"
"Emilia?"
Feeling a tug on his sleeve, he looked up to see Emilia staring at him with wide eyes. Those amethyst irises were swirling with emotion, drowning in the tears that welled up within them.
Emilia shook her head faintly, murmuring "no, no..." as if refusing something— "Do you know? Subaru, my... my 'past' — do you know about it?"
"Wait, let's calm down. Take a deep breath. Things have been going off track since a while ago, so—"
"No, that's not... I didn't mean... I just... just..."
Back inside the burial chamber, Emilia had returned to the same state she'd been in right after completing the Trial.
Frantic, confused, her words growing increasingly incoherent, her glistening amethyst eyes fixed on Subaru yet not really seeing him.
She reached out, grasping at the hem of his shirt and pulling— "Everyone, I... that's why, Mother also... but that's not right. It really isn't. It wasn't like that. Back then, I... actually..."
"Emilia, what are you—"
Speaking in a desperate, clinging voice. Subaru couldn't grasp the meaning behind her anguish, and could only hope that his own clumsy sincerity would somehow reach her tongue and find its way to her.
And then, before the helpless Subaru, a shadow suddenly moved. It was— "—
Without responding to the short call, Ram glided behind Emilia. Gently extending her hand, she covered Emilia's mouth from behind. While the silver-haired girl's eyes widened slightly in surprise, Ram whispered only "Pardon me" in a small voice, and— "...Ah."
Softly, as if all strength had left her body, Emilia collapsed on the spot.
Reacting instantly, Subaru reached out to catch the falling girl, drawing her into his arms. He let out a quiet sigh of relief, then looked up at Ram.
"What did you do?"
"A quick method to calm her down. Are you upset, Barusu?"
"I'd want to lodge a complaint about how forceful that was... but I think it was the best option. Sorry for the trouble."
"How strange, to have Barusu apologize on Lady Emilia's behalf. Since when did the Great Spirit entrust Lady Emilia's guardianship to you?"
"I wasn't trying to—"
As he started to say he had no such intention, Subaru realized his denial carried zero conviction.
Given that
And on Emilia's side, too, with the Great Spirit she could rely on not by her side, she seemed to be leaning on Subaru more than ever before.
In any case— "If you gotta play her bodyguard, then that wraps things up here."
Looking at Subaru gently cradling the unconscious Emilia, Ram had forced her to sleep. Seeing this, Garfiel snorted his nose and spat out those words.
His tone nearly drew an angry retort from Subaru, but feeling Emilia stir faintly in his arms, Subaru bit back his words. And just like that, having missed his chance to argue, he could only watch Garfiel turn his back and walk away.
"I'll let today's Trial slide as an exception. Starting tomorrow, Lady Emilia's the one takin' the Trial again. You takin' it instead — that ain't somethin' I'll ever accept."
Baring his teeth as he declared this, Garfiel left Ryuzu's house. Following behind him was a small silhouette — Ryuzu herself— "Sorry, Suu-kun. But I share the same view. The sooner the Sanctuary is liberated, the better, but... it's more convenient for us if things proceed according to Roswa-kun's plans."
"Convenient, how exactly...?"
"When the time comes for liberation from the Sanctuary, we'll still be Roswa-kun's vassals under his protection. In that case, we'd like to avoid exceptions that might sour his mood as much as possible... I won't go so far as to call it selfish, but please don't think too poorly of us."
Ryuzu's words carried the earnest plea of a Sanctuary resident, and it robbed Subaru of any remaining room for rebuttal even further.
Once Garfiel and Ryuzu — the two representative voices of the Sanctuary — had left the room, those left behind were, by no design of their own, the members of the Roswaal mansion plus one.
"So, the plus-one — Otto — what's your take on this situation?"
"I was trying to sit quietly and let this uncomfortable, dead-end conversation blow over, so would you mind not dragging me into it? ...That said, if I'm being honest about my impressions from listening, I think Garfiel and the others do have a point."
Raising a finger and having been put on the spot, Otto looked down at Subaru, who was kneeling, and nodded several times.
"There's the Margrave's agenda, and Lady Emilia's standing as a royal selection candidate. Sure, if Natsuki-kun took the Trial in her place, it could still count as Lady Emilia's achievement in some sense... but whether or not the third parties who hear about it later can be convinced, the real question is whether the people currently staying here in the Sanctuary — the principal parties — can accept it, and by extension, give their support?"
"...I understand all that reasoning. No matter how you look at it, Emilia liberating the Sanctuary makes far more sense strategically. But..."
"Lady Emilia — can she overcome the Trial?"
Without hesitation, Ram cut straight through Subaru's hesitation. Her almost refreshingly blunt manner of putting it, paradoxically, brought a composed look to Subaru's face.
"From what I've seen, pulling off results in a short timeframe is going to be rough. I don't know the specifics of what happened in Emilia's past, so talking without that context is kind of pointless... but you all understand that we don't have the luxury of unlimited time, right?"
"At the very least, I'd like to see it settled within the three years it'll take for the royal selection to conclude."
"That's an awfully long timeline."
They were probably meant as light quips, but given that Ram said it with a straight face, Subaru shut down any possibility that it was a joke. And it was Otto who caught the weight of Subaru's words and nodded— "There are the displaced people's burden, and the Sanctuary's food supply situation to consider as well. From a long-term perspective, I don't think sustaining this many people is realistic."
"Right, exactly that. People who are already stressed from sudden refugee life — the moment the food situation gets bad, people's dissatisfaction blows up fast. The Sanctuary's residents aren't going to see the point of keeping hostages if it means their own food and water standards drop. ...At least, not all of them."
"Garf — you think he might cull the villagers?"
Ram asked, her tone sharpening slightly. Subaru raised an eyebrow at the unexpected intensity of her reaction, but she too seemed to catch the oddness of her own attitude, running a finger through her bangs to cover it.
"It's not a pleasant thing to consider, but with Garf's personality, it's possible. He's the type who won't hesitate to follow his own priorities once things reach a breaking point."
"That's... got some of you in it, actually. I agree. ...So, before that happens, I want to propose releasing the hostages from the Sanctuary."
In the previous loop, that proposal had been accepted against the backdrop of a secret condition — that Subaru would take the Trial. Since that wasn't in play this time, the same proposal was likely to face much tougher negotiations. Even so, he believed they could ultimately secure a concession— "In any case, if the Sanctuary crowd is going to force Emilia into taking the Trial no matter what, then at the very least, I want to eliminate one of the risks that comes with that."
"How unexpected. I thought you'd oppose it more — like a child who can't be reasoned with."
Ram offered that blunt assessment of Subaru's willingness to remove the concern around Emilia taking the Trial. He nodded at it, prefacing with "Well,"— "It's frustrating and humiliating, but... going along with Roswaal's plans is the most logical path. Ah, right. If it means keeping Emilia from getting hurt, then going through with it this way is obviously the better choice."
"Knowing she'll be hurt, and still pushing her forward. You've become quite the demon, haven't you."
"Coming from you, that's something. ...No, wait, it's fine."
He started to say something, then closed his mouth and shook his head. Ram frowned at his evasive manner but didn't press further.
Careful not to wake the Emilia in his arms, Subaru stood and carried her. She was light. They say unconscious people feel heavier than usual, but even so, her body was light as a feather.
Just how much was this small, delicate frame shouldering?
"Ram. Once you've put Emilia to bed in her room, I want to talk to Roswaal. Can you arrange that?"
"Lord Roswaal is resting. He's not seeing anyone for a while..."
"I want to talk about the Trial. That's not something people with low-ranking positions like you and me can hash out among ourselves. I need his brain on this."
Using the Trial as bait would force Roswaal to drop his no-visitors policy and face Subaru. He'd already experienced this in the previous loop.
Ram closed her eyes for a moment, weighing Subaru's words, then let out a weary sigh— "I'll go ask Lord Roswaal. Put Lady Emilia on the bed, Barusu... and don't do anything strange."
"Look at me in serious mode and you say that? I wasn't even thinking about it until you mentioned it, and now I'm hyper-aware of Emilia-tan's softness pressing against me and my knees are shaking — how are you going to take responsibility for that?"
"Otto, keep watch."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Brushing off Subaru's banter smoothly, Ram gave Otto a brief order and left the house. Two men and one beautiful girl remained behind. In that situation, Otto held his salute pose, glancing sidelong at Subaru— "Go on, please, take Lady Emilia to the bed. If you'd like, I can help—"
"Before that, what's with your obsequious attitude toward Ram...?"
"Well, you see, Ram-san is the Margrave's direct subordinate, isn't she? When you think about it, sucking up to Ram-san a bit — rather than to Natsuki-san, who's thoroughly devoted to Lady Emilia — might actually look better for my relationship with the Margrave, you know? Heh heh."
"How did you shift from a capable businessman's first impression to a scheming little weasel all on your own? Before long you'll be treated as an obstacle and silenced in the dark."
Commenting on Otto's shamelessly pragmatic flexibility with a sigh, Subaru carried Emilia into the bedroom. He smoothed the rumpled sheets and gently laid her down. Just as he pulled the covers to her shoulders and was about to leave— "Oh..."
He noticed that her fingertip was grasping the hem of his shirt. Feeling a pang of tenderness at the helplessness of that delicate touch, he gently removed it. Then he cupped that fingertip between both hands— "Wait for me, Emilia."
"—!"
"I'll figure something out soon. So you'll never have to cry or suffer again. I promise."
With just that vow, Subaru released her hand.
He stood, turned, and headed for the exit — to Roswaal's side.
There was far too much he needed to extract from that demon.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "—I've grasped the situation, I t-hink."
Touching his chin, Roswaal nodded after silently listening to Subaru's lengthy account.
The location was a room in the house where Roswaal was resting. Only Subaru and Roswaal were inside. Lying on his bed with only his upper body propped up, Roswaal met Subaru's hard gaze— "So that's the situation. If we want to incorporate the Sanctuary's perspective as much as possible, I think that's the best compromise we can aim for."
"Well, sure, once Lady Emilia stepped inside the Sanctuary's barrier, Garfiel and the others' goals were essentially accomplished. For Lady Emilia herself to leave the Sanctuary, she needs to overcome the Trial. If the hostages meant as insurance are just becoming burdens that waste food, then it's only reasonable to let them go... that's the gist of it."
"I think that reasoning holds up. I'm not dumping the Sanctuary's problems onto anyone or kicking the can down the road. I'm just saying we should cut everything beyond what's truly necessary."
"A smooth way to put it, isn't it? But perhaps there's another concern lurking inside you? That if the prospects for liberating the Sanctuary fall through, or if Lady Emilia's heart breaks before she can endure the Trial, the hostages could become leverage — a form of coercion against her. You might want to preemptively sweep away that worry... something like that?"
Roswaal opened one eye, fixing Subaru with his yellow gaze. Taking in those words, Subaru crossed his arms and nodded— "No, sorry, I hadn't gone that far. Actually, the fact that you came up with something that terrifying on the spot kind of freaks me out."
"Oh m-y, have I overth — rather, overstepped? My apologies. It's just that... such thoughts are also possible, aren't they?"
Laughing off his own excessive pessimism, Roswaal wore that maddening smile. Subaru regarded it with a deadpan expression, but even he didn't think Garfiel would go that far.
Stubborn, inflexible, somewhat unreasonable at times — but he was the type who wouldn't stoop to unconscionable acts or ethical violations. At least, that was Subaru's assessment from their brief few days together.
In any case— "So, Subaru-kun? What would you like me to do for you?"
"I'd like you to make the proposal — from your side rather than mine, if possible. This time around... it feels like my approach would just lead to a standoff."
"Oh? What h-appened?"
"That Garfiel guy seems to really have it out for me. I haven't given up on persuading him, but I know it's not realistic to get through to him by tomorrow or the day after."
He remembered the sharpness of Garfiel's glare when they'd parted.
A look brimming with hostility and contempt — like staring down a parent's murderer. Subaru couldn't pinpoint why he'd been on the receiving end of that. Had he done something impermissible by Garfiel's code, or made a careless remark that went directly against his convictions? Either way— "When he's this emotional, he might dismiss my arguments out of hand just because they're mine. On top of that, Ryuzu-san would probably passively go along with whatever Garfiel says. If I can see that possibility, I'd like to prevent it."
"So that's where I come in. Sure, why not. I'll talk to Grandma Ryuzu and Garfiel myself. I'm not exactly beloved by Garfiel either, so I can't promise it'll go smoothly, but—"
Accepting Subaru's proposal, Roswaal took it on with an easy manner.
At that reassuring answer, Subaru let out a sigh of relief. At least one of his worries was heading toward resolution. The remaining problem, if any— "Now then. Is that all you needed from me?"
"No, there's more. —The important thing, the *really* important thing, I haven't even brought up yet."
The most crucial topic — the real reason he'd come here — hadn't even begun.
Roswaal tilted his head, letting his long hair fall behind him with a brush of his hand, and closed one eye. Whether it was habit or not, being watched by that yellow eye made Subaru straighten his spine.
Then— "The Trial in the burial chamber shows Emilia her 'past.' Do you have any idea what that 'past' she's been seeing and suffering through might be?"
Subaru cut straight into the past that Emilia had been so desperately trying to hide.
Roswaal closed the lid of his open yellow eye, drew his chin down slightly, and appeared to think. Silence filled the room for a moment, and Subaru waited, listening to nothing but the sound of his own impatience burning inside him. Then— "Rather than asking Lady Emilia directly, you're asking me instead — don't you think that's rather cowardly?"
"Call me underhanded and spineless all you want, I don't care. If I could, I'd want to hear everything about Emilia straight from her own mouth. But—"
Getting the truth directly from her — from someone who'd been so desperate to hide it, who'd been in so much pain — was something Subaru simply couldn't bring himself to do.
Still, he hadn't hesitated to dig into the secret she was trying so hard to conceal. He felt the sting of conscience over it, but that didn't stop him.
"I want to know about her, and there are things I need to know. For that, I'll grab at whatever I can — a straw, anything."
"I've been called many things by various people, but being treated as a straw is a first for me. ...Well then."
Chuckling softly, Roswaal's expression suddenly vanished.
He exhaled a short breath, then held it, fixing Subaru with both mismatched eyes. Meeting that dual-colored gaze, Roswaal raised a hand to his forehead and— "Lady Emilia is a half-elf. And the existence of half-elves is subject to severe prejudice due to the influence of the '
"...Yeah. You can tell just from how Emilia was treated at the royal palace — the disgusting lot she had to face."
The
"An elf? Not a half — a full elf? ...No, I don't think I have."
Resting his chin on his hand, Subaru sifted through every memory he had of the world. But across all the loops he'd lived through, he couldn't recall ever spotting an elf — that popular race known for their beauty and slightly elongated ears.
At Subaru's answer, Roswaal gave a short "That's right"— "The harsh persecution didn't target only half-elves worldwide. The elves — one half of the equation from which half-elves are born — also became targets."
"...! No matter how you look at it, that's way too indiscriminate. And by that logic, shouldn't humans also—"
"Be exterminated? Unfortunately, in this world, humans far outnumber demi-humans, and their nations are far larger. The gap between demi-humans and humans widening too much led to the 'Demi-Human War,' but that's a separate issue for now."
"So what does the persecution of elves have to do with anything?"
Though intrigued by the unfamiliar phrase "Demi-Human War," Subaru steered the conversation back on track before it went off course. Roswaal drew his chin back and swayed his head left and right— "In a place like the royal capital, not only can half-elves not show their faces — their parent race, the elves, can hardly appear anywhere either. The reason you never saw an elf in the royal capital is largely because of that."
"...That makes sense. But how does it connect?"
At Subaru's request for a conclusion, Roswaal leaned back against the pillow with deliberate nonchalance, feeling its soft push-back, and tilted his gaze slightly upward— "Half-elf discrimination extended to elves, who were also subjected to persecution everywhere. And so, where should the elves go to live? That became the question."
"Elves, I mean... if we're talking convention, they'd probably form settlements in a forest, right? Deep in some woods where people don't tread, hunting and living quietly."
"Don't know where you learned that, but that's roughly the right idea. The elves were driven from towns and ended up living deep in the forests. —The
Roswaal's voice suddenly shifted in tone, and Subaru felt his shoulders tense.
Naturally, a chill crept over him, as if the room's temperature had plummeted. The reason lay in the man before him — in the inexplicable force carried by his words.
And the place name he'd spoken. It rang a bell.
—The Elior Forest. A name that had come up repeatedly during the discussions at the Crusch mansion. Land rich in magical ore, under Roswaal's control. And— "It's frozen over now, and nobody can get close...?"
"The freezing of the Elior Forest began — and spread — over ninety years ago, according to records. An absolute-zero world that froze everything solid, killing every living creature. —She lived in that world, all alone, for a very long time."
As if confirming Subaru's fears, Roswaal spoke without his usual light tone.
Ninety years. Far too long. And the person who'd been there. Given the direction Subaru had been probing, only one answer came to mind.
And Roswaal delivered it clearly to the speechless Subaru.
"Deep in the Elior Forest, the entire elven settlement was frozen in ice, their time stopped to this day."
"—!"
"With one single exception — the half-elf girl who committed that sin... namely, her."