Chapter 482: "Tit for Tat"

"Sure enough, it really was just my imagination or some kind of mistake, huh…"

Pressing his hand against the crystal before him and confirming that he could sense no sign from it whatsoever, Subaru leaned his forehead against the cold, hard crystal and lamented aloud.

The girl sleeping inside—the original Ryuzu Meyer—offered no response to Subaru's despair. She was already in eternal slumber, so it would be odd for her to answer his calls, but that was beside the point. The reaction that *should* have occurred simply wasn't happening.

In other words— "It's because I lost the qualifications. Even if I touch the crystal, the authority to command Ryuzu's clones isn't being transferred to me…"

Command authority over Ryuzu Meyer's clones was a privilege held only by the Apostle of Greed.

Subaru, who had rejected Echidna and been stripped of his right to challenge the tomb's "Trial," had apparently been judged unworthy of that role.

Standing in a facility suffused with an atmosphere that made his stomach turn, Subaru clutched his head as the sense of a light that should have been within reach receded further away.

At worst—truly at worst—he could have told himself that before confirming this, his reluctance to step into the tomb was merely trauma from being shown the second "Trial." If that were the case, the problem would have been Subaru's state of mind alone. Through brute force, he could have challenged it again and again, grinding his weak heart into submission.

But if the matter had fallen outside Subaru's control, he was utterly helpless.

Not being able to enter the tomb meant he couldn't even go directly to Echidna to negotiate for regaining his qualifications.

Before that even—the witches who had parted ways this way, would they ever appear before Subaru again? He understood instinctively that they wouldn't.

And to understand that meant Subaru's chance of clearing the "Trial" had vanished, and the "liberation of the Sanctuary" would have to be entrusted to hands other than his own.

In other words— "You want me to…let Emilia do it?"

Having voiced the scenario he feared most, Subaru wanted to hurl every curse imaginable at the sheer wickedness of Echidna's machinations.

Echidna had been able to read Subaru's memories. She alone should have been able to observe the world Subaru had been repeating in exactly the same way. So Echidna should have known that Emilia, left to tackle the Trial alone, would be crushed—would have her spirit broken.

She should have known how desperately Subaru had thrown himself into avoiding that.

And yet, would the Witch of Greed still inflict hardship on Subaru and Emilia?

"What do I do, what do I do, what do I do—what do I do, what do I do, what do I do, what do I do—"

Burning through his thoughts, white-hot with brainpower, Subaru searched for a way out. But even as he taxed his brain to the point where his synapses felt like they were searing, the glimpse of hope he'd just caught unraveled, and no secondary plan surfaced.

The situation was deteriorating by the minute, and the number of people he could rely on was dwindling.

Someone who, knowing the full picture, would listen to Subaru's words with genuine understanding.

Someone who could swallow all the information Subaru couldn't reveal, and still hold a conversation.

Thinking alone wouldn't uncover anything. He couldn't rely on Echidna anymore.

If that were the case, there was only one person Subaru could think of who might share this burden with him.

※※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ "Well, well—I never imagined you'd come calling this late at night."

"For a guy who says that, you sure look ready and waiting. Doesn't exactly look like you were about to go to sleep—more like you just swapped out the candle."

"Ahaha, how harsh. Well, you're not wrong, though."

Propping a pillow against the headboard and sitting up in bed, Roswaal welcomed Subaru with a loosened smile. The main light in his bedroom had been extinguished, but the candle on the small table beside his bed had just been replaced, its orange glow flickering as it bathed the room in warm light.

The eerie, dancing firelight cast sinister shadows across Roswaal's unnaturally pale face. Watching this sight head-on, Subaru swallowed a small breath and tried to compose himself for conversation.

If Subaru's knowledge was correct, his conversation with Roswaal would be— "So then? You went out of your way to sneak into my room in the dead of night. You wouldn't happen to have some sweet nothings that might pique my interest, would you?"

"The…seducing-you part isn't wrong, I'll give you that. Roswaal—is there a way out of the Sanctuary that doesn't involve the Trials?"

"————"

With just that single sentence, Subaru felt the quality of Roswaal's smile shift to something that sent a chill through him.

Indeed, the clown's smile split wider, his lips stretching further to the sides. Roswaal stroked his own blue hair, nodding repeatedly, and fixed his yellow eyes on Subaru— "Subaru-kun. —How many times is this now, I wonder?"

That question served as a checkmate of sorts—a reminder that each of them knew the other's surface-level information.

Roswaal learned that Subaru had "returned by death," and Subaru confirmed that Roswaal was in a position to know it. Each acquired their respective piece of intelligence.

From there, Subaru had to reshape the information Roswaal held while drawing out concessions.

He exhaled a short breath, then deliberately gave an exaggerated shrug.

"Sorry, but it's such a stupid number I've lost count. Doing this whole mind-reading game with you—I've done it so many times I can't even remember anymore."

"Is that so… Hmm, I see. The fact that you're speaking to me with such a cleanly cut edge… Am I to take that to mean… it's that kind of situation?"

"Well, who knows."

Subaru averted his gaze, playing at keeping Roswaal in suspense.

But in the midst of the conversation, Subaru hadn't missed how Roswaal's cheek had stiffened at his words. And that the opening move had been his to seize.

—Roswaal knew the fact that Subaru was looping, but unlike Subaru, he couldn't carry over his memories of each loop.

That was what Subaru had learned in the loop where he'd discovered Roswaal knew about "Return by Death." He had also learned of Roswaal's incomprehensible obsession—pursuing the result he desired through Subaru's "Return by Death," even while understanding his own death and its finality.

Even now, Subaru couldn't suppress the disgust and rejection he felt toward that way of thinking, but— "I'm still in the middle of various trial-and-error efforts at the moment. I'd appreciate your cooperation as well."

That cavalier attitude toward his own well-being—it was precisely what gave Subaru the idea to put on a performance that would make Roswaal believe Subaru was dancing to his tune.

At this stage, there was no denying that Roswaal's knowledge of the Sanctuary's inner workings surpassed Subaru's. As for what events would unfold going forward, it was unclear how much of it the "Gospel" Roswaal possessed had recorded, making it difficult to cross-reference, but remembering Roswaal's muttering upon seeing the Great Rabbit, Subaru suspected the details weren't described that thoroughly.

In other words, as long as he didn't choose his words poorly, Subaru could very likely deceive Roswaal while extracting information.

"So that trial-and-error is about finding a way out of the Sanctuary without challenging the Trials? If that's the case, isn't that rather timid? With the authority you hold, you should be able to overcome any obstacle through infinite attempts. I don't know how many times you've tried, but…giving up and searching for another method—that sounds like a lack of resolve, doesn't it?"

"I don't think stubbornly fixating on clearing the Trials is the only smart play. If there's a more elegant way to do it, you pick that. That's all there is to it. Getting hung up on form and missing the substance is foolish. All that ultimately matters is the fact and achievement of having escaped this place being granted to Emilia…Isn't that right, Roswaal?"

Maintaining a surface of cold detachment and calm, Subaru checked each of his own statements for mistakes in real time. Scrutinizing words the instant before he placed them on his tongue and weaving them out was nerve-shredding work, but if he didn't wear himself down that much, deceiving Roswaal was impossible.

Cruel detachment—perhaps this was exactly the posture Roswaal wanted to see from Subaru.

There was no doubt that Roswaal wanted Emilia to become queen, and that he wanted Subaru to be the one to make it happen. The more the method involved Subaru sacrificing himself, the more favorable Roswaal would evaluate it—that much Subaru could imagine.

And, just as expected.

"Oh my, I see… That's certainly an answer to my liking."

At Subaru's response, Roswaal smiled with satisfaction.

The clown-painted white face, now tinged with something sinister—Subaru managed to hold his gaze by biting the inside of his cheek to maintain his composure.

Roswaal's unsettling stare was that of someone who had judged Subaru to be his own kind. In other words, Roswaal had determined that Subaru had ascended to the same stage as himself—his incomparable counterpart. —An instinctive revulsion welled up from deep inside.

Even being aware of his own twisted nature, Subaru still couldn't fathom where the difference lay that Roswaal seemed to see.

"I'm delighted by the change in your perspective, but the answer to my question is a tricky one. There's no precedent, you see. The barrier has never been broken since it was erected. Not once have I even considered whether there might be a flaw, and given who created it, I should abandon any optimistic notion of negligence."

"Echidna's barrier…"

"Precisely. The Sanctuary's tomb is her gravestone, and the barrier was built to prevent the half-elf subjects of her experiments from escaping. …You've no doubt already looked into this much."

"Well, obviously. And for the record, I know about the Ryuzu Meyer in the forest facility, too. The clones, and the fact that Garfiel holds the command authority."

"Ahaha, aren't you thorough."

As Roswaal disclosed information piece by piece, Subaru too carefully laid his cards on the table in response. Roswaal closed his eyes, adopting a contemplative posture as he let out a breath.

"The liberation of the Sanctuary is essential as an achievement to make Emilia-sama queen. Without it, you'll never convince the Sanctuary's residents—or the villagers of Arlam."

"If we can get out, there are plenty of ways to smooth that over. And before that—this isn't the only chance to make a name for ourselves. If the timing's bad, we could wait for a different opportunity and—"

"A different opportunity? Now why on earth would you say that?"

At Roswaal's wide-eyed, innocent look of puzzlement, Subaru realized his slip.

The Subaru of now—the one who could redo things endlessly, who had steeled himself to sacrifice his own well-being. That was the persona he was performing.

With that ruthless mindset, if there was an achievement sitting right in front of him, there would be no reason not to seize it.

Before regret showed on his face, and before Roswaal's suspicion could deepen, Subaru said, "Think about it," and— "As you're well aware, I can hustle all day to make Emilia queen. I can study all the future information and bring it back with me, no problem. To be honest, the liberation of the Sanctuary is a minor event with few people involved. We should be pouring our energy into bigger plays—the White Whale, the Witch Cult. This…isn't a stage worth going all out for."

"No—the liberation of the Sanctuary is non-negotiable. That is where I draw the line. I'm afraid I remain skeptical about your abilities."

"Skeptical…?"

At the unexpected turn, Subaru cocked his head, and Roswaal nodded.

"After all, I can't verify your power to redo things with my own eyes. It's entirely possible I'm being taken in by your sweet talk. Of course, if you produce results, I'll be convinced whether I like it or not."

"………………"

"I'll state this plainly: for Emilia-sama to become queen, my assistance—the Mathers family's support—is absolutely indispensable. By liberating the Sanctuary, you prove to me that your power to aid Emilia-sama is genuine, and I hope that will lead to a good relationship going forward…"

At Roswaal's unassailable logic, Subaru was rendered speechless.

Everything Roswaal said was true, and Subaru couldn't muster a single effective rebuttal.

To put forward Emilia—a royal candidate—on the stage of the Selection, a patron was essential, and no one other than Roswaal seemed capable of filling that role among those around them. The content Subaru was currently struggling with was nothing more than what the present situation demanded, and there was no follow-through.

Following your patron's lead without riling him was the correct course of action. Considering the legitimacy of Roswaal's argument and the urgency of the situation, it was almost too correct.

But even as Subaru was tossed about by these waves of logic, he sensed something off.

Roswaal seemed too fixated on the liberation of the Sanctuary itself.

"I know this changes the subject a bit, but…"

"Oh? What might that be?"

Subaru raised a finger to grab Roswaal's attention, and Roswaal tilted his head.

Looking straight at him with mismatched eyes, Subaru spoke.

"Do you have a particular reason for wanting to liberate the Sanctuary so badly?"

"————"

At the question, Roswaal said nothing.

Silently, his smile deepened slowly, his yellow gaze piercing through Subaru.

—Once again, Subaru felt the shift in atmosphere in his very skin.