While the Aldebaran faction continued to be hounded by powerful enemies without respite, there were two places in the kingdom where equally fierce battles raged on.
One was the battle of the Sword Saint, who sought to prevent the world's annihilation at the hands of the
Both the Witch of Envy and the Sword Saint possessed enough power to settle things in an instant against anyone but each other—but because they were each other's opponent, the battle remained deadlocked, its conclusion perpetually postponed.
Literally, the fight would continue for seven days and seven nights—perhaps even at the cost of the world's collapse.
And the second was a battle unlike either the Aldebaran faction's or the Sword Saint's—one that, while involving no physical confrontation, had the potential to greatly influence the trajectory of the other two.
In other words, it was the struggle of those pursuing the Following Star, with Petra Reite as the key.
About the man called Krind, Petra knew far too little.
That he was on their side—of that, there was no doubt.
Annrose Milord, the young mistress he served, was a clever girl who paid no mind to either her youth or the blemish of being Roswaal's relative—one of the
Krind, who supported this Annrose with devotion and was trusted as an all-capable head butler, was someone Petra herself had been indebted to for instruction in manners and etiquette when she first started working as a maid.
This wasn't limited to Petra—virtually all the Mathers household staff, including Frederica and
In that sense, Krind occupied a position that could be called the progenitor of all Mathers household servants, and normally Petra would have regarded him as a teacher or mentor.
However, the one who corrected this perception of Petra's was none other than Krind himself.
"I have no intention of shouldering some grand role as a teacher and guide. A misunderstanding. I am merely passing along what I have heard from my predecessors. It simply so happens that I have occupied this position for a long time, which means more opportunities arise. I must respectfully decline."
Krind's way of thinking could be called a display of humility or modesty.
But Petra had an inkling that it was the unvarnished truth from a man who rarely let any emotional fluctuation show on his face.
"In the end, that man thinks far too little of himself. His self-esteem is so low that he claims his work performance is nothing to be proud of... He's making a fool of everyone!"
This was Frederica's unusually harsh critique, reserved only for Krind—but while Petra believed Frederica was absolutely, unequivocally wonderful and the greatest person in the world, she only partly agreed with this particular assessment.
At a glance, Krind's attitude certainly resembled that of someone with low self-esteem. But on the other hand, when conveying something to juniors or subordinates through his words and actions, Krind rarely showed any hesitation or wavering. Someone truly lacking in self-confidence would have hesitated much more.
Krind's way of being was free of that ordinary kind of doubt. It was the same as Petra.
"I can do anything I put my mind to."
Most people might scoff at that as arrogance, but the people Petra cared about weren't most people—she cared about those closest to her. And she believed those people believed in her confidence and potential.
Petra was aware that she was a bundle of potential, possessing the talent to let it bloom.
She knew she had been blessed not just with a cute appearance but with the talent to walk the path she desired and the tenacity to keep working hard based on faith in that talent—truly, someone given two or three gifts by the heavens.
Speaking as someone blessed with such gifts, Petra would say Krind's way of being was not that of someone with low self-esteem—it was, rather, that of someone with high self-esteem.
Krind was aware that he possessed exceptional ability. But he didn't see it as something to be proud of. That was why, at first glance, he appeared to be a humble and modest person.
"But that's really unpleasant."
About the man called Krind, Petra knew far too little.
And yet, Petra honestly did not like this Krind whom she knew so little about.
This had something to do with the fact that Frederica—who was kind and gentle as a loving mother to everyone—showed Krind a particularly special attitude and expression, and that Petra could guess what kind of feelings motivated that. It also had something to do with the fact that Krind and Roswaal had a long relationship and seemed quite close.
But the biggest reason stemmed from something different from his relationship with Frederica or Roswaal—it stemmed from Krind's own way of being.
The fact that his manner was that of someone who had already risen above it all—that was the foremost reason it clashed directly with Petra's principles.
"I've come back, so lend me your help! You can hear me, right, Brother Krind!"
Passing through the gate of Milura—the nearest town to the sand dunes—in their dragon carriage, Petra raised her voice and called out to the familiar man's presence.
Thanks to
To catch up to that receding figure, his power was indispensable.
"Brother Krind!"
Pulling on the reins to halt the dragon carriage, Petra raised her voice once more in the town's central square.
The man's voice she sought did not return in response to her earnest appeal. But Petra believed with certainty that her voice had reached him, and she cast her gaze around.
"What's this? Nobody in town?"
Imaginary Subaru surveyed the same view as Petra and muttered that.
Just as Imaginary Subaru said, despite it still being broad daylight, not a single soul could be seen in the square. No—it wasn't just the square. The entire town was devoid of any sign of people.
Milura gave the impression of a declining waystation, but even so, hundreds of residents should have been living there. The fact that not a single one could be found was strange.
"...Don't tell me, did the helmet guy make everyone disappear or something?"
"Man, that's a terrifying thing to say! He's not like you or Elsa!"
"Don't say scary things, Meili. —And Subaru, Meili doesn't do that kind of thing anymore. She's been properly educated."
The first half was directed at Meili, and the second half at Imaginary Subaru.
It would be a lie to say that for an instant the worst-case scenario Meili described hadn't crossed her mind—but that possibility could be ruled out by the fact that, while the town was deserted, it showed no signs of having been ransacked.
If Al had gone on a rampage together with
The state of this town was less like brutal devastation and more like— "Looks like they fled in the night."
"Looks like a nighttime bolt."
Petra and Imaginary Subaru's impressions coincided, unexpectedly.
Since Imaginary Subaru was a resident of Petra's mind, this was an inevitable result—but for a girl in love, having her thoughts align with those of her beloved was a little thrilling.
There were also other reasons she could feel optimistic.
"I may be putting this a bit imprecisely, but that assessment is largely correct. Keen insight."
With those words, a man strode into the now-deserted town square.
He was a figure who stood out amid the desolate, barren townscape with an air of refined sophistication. His peculiar presence had an unobtrusive strength to it—like a single drop of deep blue paint on a pristine white sheet of canvas.
It was a natural quality that made one certain his presence would never be overlooked—not here in this faded waystation, nor amid the bustle of the
"Wait a sec. I'm currently downloading Petra's knowledge at full speed."
"Brother Krind."
"Ah—you beat me to it!"
As Imaginary Subaru—who at this point in time still didn't recognize the newcomer—fumed with frustration at having been scooped, Petra hopped lightly down from the driver's seat and looked the man straight in the eye.
The all-capable head butler, and the man who held the key to changing this situation—Krind.
"Ah. Given the state of Milura and the ferocity of that sand sea, it appears canceling our departure was the right decision. A fortunate outcome."
Adjusting the position of his monocle with one hand, Krind narrowed his eyes at the empty town, and then at the sky behind Petra and her companions—its murky, discolored hue—and its cause.
And then— "Let us talk, Petra. It seems we must do so—and urgently."
△▼△▼△▼△ "I see. Let me consider this."
Having listened to Petra's rough summary, Krind placed a finger to his slender chin and closed one eye in thought.
The contemplation of a man with razor-sharp, beautiful features had a solemnity akin to a painting in itself—but unfortunately, Petra had no leisure to be captivated by it, nor were their sensibilities aligned.
If it were just a matter of good looks, she could look in a mirror or at Emilia—that was far simpler.
"How are Garfiel and the one called Ezzo? Confirmation."
"I don't think either Sir Fang or the Sensei are in any mortal danger. I am worried that Sir Fang, who's supposed to be incredibly tough, still won't wake up, though..."
"Yeah, I think Garfi probably shielded Ezzo."
Taking the latter half of Meili's answer, Petra thought of the two laid out in the dragon carriage.
The fact that Garfiel—their foremost powerhouse known for his toughness—had sustained damage as severe as Ezzo, a halfling in a mage's role, was likely because Garfiel had stood in front and shielded Ezzo when the Divine Dragon attacked.
Without his self-sacrifice, Ezzo might not have survived.
"So Garfiel took a direct hit from the dragon, huh... The fact that this guy's the type to throw himself on the line like that, and the reality that he's fourteen and a second-year middle schooler—I still haven't fully processed either one."
"Technically, Garfi's already fifteen. By the way, I'm almost fourteen myself."
"Time sure flies. No wonder I thought Petra went from a pretty girl to a beautiful woman."
"............"
Once again, it needed to be borne in mind that this was merely the Imaginary Subaru inside Petra's head and not an actual statement from the real Subaru. Though in truth, the real Subaru would absolutely say something like this, and Petra had heard such things before.
Even knowing it was a genuine sentiment rather than flattery, the fact that he could so casually say such things to anyone besides Emilia was... well, a complicated matter.
In any case— "I'm worried about Garfi and the Sensei too, but my biggest concern is Al. Brother Krind, you stayed behind because you felt the same way, right?"
"If by 'the same feeling' you mean something rather different—yes. The reason I remained here was due to a subtle sense of unease I felt when I saw you off. A doubt."
"A subtle... sense of unease?"
"Yes. In fact, I did inform Master Subaru and Lady
At this revelation, which Petra and Meili had known nothing about, Krind's gaze turned somber. Indeed, the very two people he had informed had both fallen victim to Al's hands—his guilt must have been considerable.
Even Imaginary Subaru, who didn't know Krind well, felt a twinge of sympathy for his discomfort, "No, the more I hear about this, the more it's on me and Betty. I mean, Krind reported everything properly, right? And we failed to report back, right? And this is the result... well, I guess that's to be expected..."
"It's not your fault or Betty's. Subaru, be quiet."
"My own self-reflection won't even let me have a say!"
Imaginary Subaru lamented as though he had crashed headlong into something unreasonable, but Petra would tolerate no one speaking carelessly ill of Subaru—even if it was Subaru himself. Moreover, the way she'd put it had dragged Beatrice into it too. Beatrice was cute and courageous; she was innocent.
Her sympathy for the downtrodden left no room for impartiality. Those were the rules of Petra Reite's court, and the ruling of Judge Petra.
"So anyway? What was it that bothered you, Mr. Head Butler?"
"Even then, I was unable to make a specific point. I lacked the capacity. However, now that the situation has moved as it has... in retrospect, I find there was room for doubt in how the circumstances were arranged. A concern."
Prompted by Meili, Krind kept his eyes downcast and gave voice to his impressions.
The "circumstances" that had troubled Krind most likely referred to when he had seen Petra and the others off at Milura.
"It wasn't unnatural per se. The personnel made sense when you heard the reasoning. And yet—it also felt like a combination that required two or three strained justifications to hold together. A contrivance."
"A contrivance..."
At Krind's explanation, Petra turned the word over in her mouth.
Truthfully, the fact that Krind had spoken vaguely and avoided stating it outright—the mistake of who was selected to accompany the group to the Pleiades Watchtower—had always existed in Petra's mind as a self-punishing rationale that gnawed at her.
If Petra, rather than Emilia, Ram, or Otto, hadn't gone with Subaru's group, would this not have been avoided? If Frederica had gone in Petra's place as originally planned, perhaps Al's atrocity could have been prevented.
Meili was indispensable for breaking through the Augria Sand Dunes, and Garfiel was their most reliable fighter for escort duty—both of them were essential members of the expedition.
It was only Petra. Only Petra was an interchangeable member.
"............"
Shouldn't she have pushed harder? To postpone the tower expedition, or to have everyone go together?
Of course, their return from Volachia and the events that had transpired there needed to be reported immediately, and caring for Schult—who had lost his protector—was also a genuine necessity. Because sound judgment had been required, the composition of the current group was not without reason.
But Petra had no confidence that her own subjective, willful desires hadn't slipped in.
The desire to not be apart from Subaru for even a moment after their long separation, and the selfish ambition to be of use to him. In a place without Emilia or
And so, she had been unable to even notice the sense of unease that Krind had picked up on.
"Petra, that's way too much overthinking."
As Petra's hands clenched tight on the hem of her skirt, Imaginary Subaru's intangible hands overlaid hers, and his gentle voice whispered in her ear.
But Petra could not honestly find comfort in those words.
"Look, I hate to say this myself, but it's totally possible that some small part of you wanted to stay with me—that kind of ulterior motive wasn't zero. But that's not a bad thing. And even if there was a tiny bit of that feeling, it was maybe one percent. The other ninety-nine percent is Petra's kindness, and I know that for sure."
"Don't say that... and besides, I'm the one making the Subaru in my head say those things..."
"If you say that, I can't say anything anymore, can I?! That's a forbidden card!"
The thought of having admitted aloud that she wanted to stay with him must have been embarrassing, but seeing Imaginary Subaru's face flush faintly as he protested, Petra let out a long breath.
She truly hated how easily she was moved by his consideration. She thought it wasn't that she was a cheap girl—it was that Subaru's words carried too much power.
"Also, I'm betting there's a real chance that Petra's suffering isn't actually her fault at all."
"You mean... is that connected to Al being too strong?"
"Well, I've never actually seen Al fight with a sword, so maybe I'm off-base here... but I do know about Reinhard."
Even if Al's true power remained an unknown, the strength of this world's pinnacle—Reinhard—was well known.
Both Garfiel and Ezzo were formidable fighters, seemingly beyond Petra's reach. Having defeated both of them, it was only natural to assume Al was even stronger.
But no matter how powerful Al was, he couldn't hope to match Reinhard.
"First time I saw him at the Loot House, I didn't really get how this world worked yet, so... but even by this world's standards, that guy's a monster."
"Yeah. But Al managed to deal with Reinhard too. Flam called Reinhard using his divine blessing, and there's no doubt about that..."
"At the very least, he wasn't instantly killed by Reinhard. And that's something even having a Divine Dragon as a cheat character can't easily accomplish—that's the common understanding, right?"
"Does that have anything to do with the composition of our group?"
"Maybe. I just feel like raw strength alone doesn't explain a lot of things."
The misgiving that escaped Imaginary Subaru's lips gave Petra pause as she carefully considered things.
Indeed, once you stood against Reinhard, all forms of strength lost their meaning. You couldn't evade Reinhard through sheer power and accomplish your goals.
In other words, there was something beyond strength that made Al frightening.
"Honestly, the way things have kept going in Al's favor—it's just too convenient."
"But people who are always lucky have a reason beyond just luck."
"That's the thing."
She couldn't grasp the core of it, but Petra felt this point was worth holding onto.
By searching for other possibilities, her directionless guilt eased somewhat. Perhaps this was what Subaru had really meant, after all.
"Petra? You're spacing out—are you alright?"
"Ah. Sorry, Meili, I'm fine. And—Brother Krind."
"Yes? Confirmation."
"I think your suspicion is correct, Brother Krind. I don't know the reason yet, but without understanding what you sensed, no one will be able to stop Al."
"............"
"It's only us. Only we can stop Al. We have to stop him, and then bring Subaru and Betty back."
Placing a hand against her own chest, Petra made her impassioned appeal to Krind.
It had taken considerable courage for Petra to hold everything in and finally let out that last breath.
"............"
Arms crossed, Imaginary Subaru gazed at Petra's profile with a complicated expression. Without turning to look at him, Petra held to her inner conclusion without wavering. She believed it through and through.
Petra had read the Book of the Dead. In the worst-case scenario, Al might have killed both Subaru and Beatrice, erasing them from this world entirely. The existence of
"But my Subaru isn't ordinary."
She had said "my" without thinking, but it was the truth. The fact that he was extraordinary—that was the truth.
Natsuki Subaru possessed a power called Return by Death—something agonizingly painful, unbearably cruel, and that only a truly kind person could wield properly. Petra surmised that those past experiences of Subaru dying might be what she had seen in that one volume.
Because— "After I read that book, did Subaru really manage to get through everything without dying even once?"
"That's some negative trust right there. But the stuff Petra knows about... the simultaneous appearance of the Archbishops of Sin, the Pleiades Watchtower adventure, the hell that was the Volachia Empire... the idea that I got through all of that without a single mistake seems pretty hard to believe, even to me."
"......Yeah."
When Petra learned that Subaru's seemingly brilliant achievements—considered the results of ordeals he had already endured—were in fact an even greater hellscape than she had imagined, rather than feeling disappointed in Subaru, she was shattered by the depth of his dedication.
And at the same time, she realized—the depth of the wound in Subaru's heart, from having let Priscilla die.
Subaru had been wounded deeply—so deeply that no one could imagine how deep. That was precisely why, believing it was his own fault, he had shouldered that burden and resolved to do anything for Al.
Al had betrayed all of that—Subaru's feelings, and his resolve to help everyone even if it meant dying, something no one else could replicate. If he had killed Subaru and Beatrice, then even tearing Al's body, heart, and soul to shreds would not be enough for Petra to call it revenge.
"Petra, about Onii-chan and Betty..."
"They're alive. Absolutely."
"...That's right. Both of them—especially Onii-chan—are nothing if not stubborn."
Murmuring in a quiet voice, Meili gently rested her head on Petra's shoulder.
Even the not-so-straightforward Meili was genuinely worried about Subaru and Beatrice. The fact that she could make those around her feel that was the result of the footsteps Subaru had left behind.
"Betty, Meili... what kind of stuff did the me that I don't know end up doing?"
Imaginary Subaru murmured with exasperation at his own unknown deeds. Petra's lips softened at the sight, and she turned once more to face Krind.
She had already conveyed her will and purpose. All that remained was to await his response.
Meeting Petra's gaze head-on, Krind let out a quiet breath from his thin lips, and said— "Something only you can do? That's some spirited talk. And yet—the passion behind it is something worth seeing. Impressive."
"............"
"Truthfully, when the Witch began to move at the edge of the world like that, creating a situation that only the Sword Saint could stop—I had more or less resigned myself to the fact that this was beyond remedy. A lapse in judgment. But if you and the others are willing to burn with that determination—"
"Wait, Brother Krind."
Petra cut Krind off mid-sentence as he began to speak.
It wasn't because the speech seemed like it would run long, or out of fear of tangling off-topic. It was the kind of thing Krind might describe as a nagging, inarticulate unease. But precisely because he was a man who regretted having overlooked such an unease before, Petra could not afford to overlook this one either.
What Petra had latched onto was Krind's choice of words.
"I said 'we.' And 'we' includes you too, Brother Krind. Don't talk as though it's someone else's problem."
"That is... hesitation."
"I know this is a tense moment, but I'm going to say it. Brother Krind, you've always been with us while looking as though you're standing outside the circle. I hated that."
If he was stepping back and interacting with the Emilia camp as an adult, from the position he occupied—that she could understand.
But Krind was different. He was the same with everyone.
The same with Annrose, whom he served as his mistress and whose devoted butler he was. The same with Roswaal, whom he treated almost like an old friend. The same with Frederica, who couldn't shut him out of her life.
"That kind of attitude won't be tolerated in Lady Emilia's ideal kingdom."
"............"
"There's no such thing as someone else's problem. When you're alive—when you're meeting people, talking to them, looking them in the face—then all the good and bad that comes from that is non-negotiable. Trying to take only the little bit, or pick only the good parts... you can't do that, and you shouldn't."
"Petra..."
"If you keep doing that, someday everything precious to you will turn its back on you!"
Sensing Meili's touch against her sleeve, Petra spoke with such force that it left her breathless.
Somewhere along the way, she lost track of whether she was even saying what she meant to say—whether her message had been properly conveyed. It must have been the influence of the Book of the Dead's Subaru.
"Hey, isn't that also part of the cheating you just talked about?"
Imaginary Subaru said this with a wry tilt of his brows, but Petra consciously ignored it for now. What mattered more was Krind's reaction— "To have everything precious to you turn its back on you... I feel that keenly."
At those words from Krind, Petra drew a small breath.
It was partly because the heartrendingly painful emotion packed into Krind's hushed voice had struck her chest. But even more than that, it was Krind's expression.
"............"
Krind rarely let such emotions show on his face. Petra couldn't recall him ever smiling, showing anger, or appearing sad—whatever the emotion, he always expressed it through a blank face.
But on Krind's face, there was a change. It was grief.
A heartrending voice and a grief-stricken expression—when both overlapped, one might describe it as forlorn.
At this moment, Krind wore a forlorn, wistful expression as he reminisced about the past.
"I already have, you see. Nostalgia."
"Brother Krind..."
"I have already turned my back on all of it once before, Petra. Self-mockery."
Hearing him put it into words, Petra recalled her own statement just moments ago and felt a pang of shame.
She had spoken with false authority about emotions she had only just begun to taste herself. Krind had already known that feeling, and it was precisely on top of that knowledge that he had built his present self.
But even with that shame, Petra still had to speak.
"Even so..."
"Yes, even so. Astonishing."
"Huh?"
"Once before, I let go of everything. Even if it is a fact that I was left empty, the path I have walked since then has had its own gains and accomplishments. Self-reflection. —Petra, my relationship with you all was one of those things. An epiphany."
Having said that, Krind closed his eyes and looked up at the sky.
At a sky in which tattered clouds were being torn away—the sky that barely held the world's end at bay on the other side—what was it that he saw?
"The reason I stayed here—without being ordered to do so, on the basis of a mere sense of unease—was because I, too, found it unbearable to simply let things pass by as they were. An epiphany."
"...Um, Brother Krind, does that mean..."
"So basically, you're saying Petra was right and you're sorry?"
"Meili!"
"Whoa, Senior Meili, don't say that!"
Next to the bewildered Petra, she was startled by Meili's blunt declaration. Though the detail of Meili calling Subaru himself a "senpai" had no memory attached to it for Imaginary Subaru, the reaction itself felt very much like Subaru.
Setting aside Petra's confusion, Krind gave a small "hmph" and smiled, "I apologize for lacking a sense of involvement and causing you worry. An apology. And with that, Petra—I thank you. A great kindness. —I, too, would like to cooperate proactively."
"Brother Krind..."
At those words and Krind's formal bow, Petra's eyes lit up.
But as if to pour cold water on Petra's elation, Meili followed up with "Actually—"
"The head butler wasn't planning to get in our way or refuse to cooperate or anything, was he? Weren't you just overthinking it, Petra?"
"Th-that may be true, but..."
"No, that's not quite right, Meili. Correction. Having a sense of involvement means that I, too, will take the initiative in proposing solutions. It is vastly different from being a bystander. A different person."
"A 'different person' is going a bit too far!"
"But we can expect that much from you, right? Then—using your mysterious power, Brother Krind, you can take us all to where everyone is..."
Leaning eagerly forward, Petra was fired up to make full use of Krind's power.
In fact, the power Petra was counting on most in this situation was Krind's teleportation. His ability to erase the distance to a destination in an instant would be indispensable for pursuing Al, who had departed somewhere with the Divine Dragon.
Al's destination was unknown, but he was traveling with a Divine Dragon that was impossible to miss.
With the cooperation of Emilia, Ram—and, frankly though unpleasant to admit, Roswaal—identifying his destination and catching up should be entirely possible.
So fired up, Petra's pulse quickened with anticipation—but: "I'm afraid my transportation technique cannot be used without limit. If anything, in terms of restrictions, it is an exceedingly inflexible power. Regrettable."
"Brother Krind, you liar! You traitor!"
"Don't get our hopes up like that! False hope courtesy of Brother Krind!"
"T-that's a bit much, Petra. I don't think the head butler meant any harm."
The light of hope that had appeared suddenly vanished behind clouds, and Petra and Imaginary Subaru fumed in tandem. Only half their anger reached Krind and Meili, but the fact remained that they had been given false hope.
Then again, for a power whose mechanics were opaque, having the teleportation she'd counted on turn out to be unusable meant the only gain was a handsome man joining them with a positive attitude.
"That is not, strictly speaking, 'teleportation'—it is a 'compression' of space and time. An explanation. It compresses the distance that would normally need to be traveled and the time that would normally be required. However, because it could significantly affect the way the world is structured, the tacit permission of Od Laguna is necessary. An accommodation."
"Od Laguna? What in the world is that?"
"The source of things like Mana—in Subaru's understanding, something like a god without consciousness... probably."
While explaining to Imaginary Subaru, who tilted his head at Krind's unexpected vocabulary, Petra herself wasn't entirely confident in her understanding either.
Petra, who studied under Roswaal and received magical instruction, had been given a surface-level lecture on Od Laguna as well, but whether she truly understood it was another matter. Roswaal had even said something to the effect that he himself didn't perfectly understand Od Laguna.
What she did know was that Od Laguna was an impossibly vast mass of power, and that in a sense, it occupied a tier above even the pinnacle beings—the Sword Saint, the Divine Dragon, and the Witch of Envy.
"So, if you can't get Od Laguna to turn a blind eye, what happens?"
"It is unknown. That fact itself—the fact that it is unknown—is what is terrifying. Horrifying."
Responding to Meili's question, Krind slowly shook his head from side to side.
There was no intent to gloss over or deflect in his answer. In other words, Krind—the man who seemed to know everything—shared Roswaal's level of understanding.
But if that was the case— "But Brother Krind, you've done it several times before, haven't you? If I'm understanding what you said correctly, that means you got Od Laguna to look the other way... How did you do that?"
"Petra..."
"If that method existed, then that's how Brother Krind was able to use his power. What does it take? For example... you need Mana to cast magic. You need a contract to command Spirits. So does using Od Laguna also require something in return?"
"...You never cease to amaze me. Hats off."
Krind's reaction confirmed that Petra's speculation was correct.
In other words, by offering a price to Od Laguna, Krind received permission to use his extraordinary power—by his own account, a blind eye turned in his favor.
"Bribes and backhanded payments, huh... How incredibly mundane for a god."
Petra entirely agreed with Imaginary Subaru's sour expression. But on the other hand, a god who asked for something in return seemed more trustworthy than one who gave out gifts for free.
Above all, Petra knew better than anyone—she knew it "to death"—that the world was not so easy as to give you what you wanted without any sacrifice.
So— "Tell me what you need, Brother Krind. No matter what it is, I'll get it ready. For Subaru, for Betty, and for everyone."
"Oh my, Petra, you're doing it again. You just said it yourself—it's not 'I' but 'we.'"
"Ah. Sorry, sorry. But thank you."
Petra smiled at Meili, who had taken her resolute arm and said those words.
Looking back, she never would have imagined she could have this kind of relationship with Meili. When Meili had been confined in the mansion's underground cell, Petra's frequent visits had been motivated by the calculated hope that Meili might be swayed by emotion and cease to be a dangerous presence.
She had never imagined Meili would stand beside her like this as she steeled her resolve.
And it was all thanks to him—Subaru—that she had this.
"...A possibility. An answer."
Before Petra and Meili, Krind paused for a beat, and then spoke.
What was there was not hesitation or vacillation—not the wavering or anguish of telling this to young girls—none of that kind of negative feeling.
Krind had taken the situation as his own problem and recognized Petra and the others as true companions facing the same challenge. With that as his foundation, he continued: "The effect, the possibility that I would bring to the world and to Od Laguna—I would make that my price. That is the condition for using the Authority of the Witch Factor of Melancholy that I possess. —A confession."