——Searching around blindly would get him nowhere.
Running through the settlement looking for the missing Ryuzu, pushing his cardiovascular system so hard that his lungs ached with every breath, Subaru reached that conclusion.
"Hah… hah… haaah…"
Hands on his knees, shoulders heaving violently, forcing oxygen into his aching lungs.
The mental fatigue of the past few days compounded the heaviness in his limbs, as though lead had been packed into his fingertips. Even breathing was a chore.
"Subaru-san, are you alright? This is a bit much — you're exhausted way too early."
"Sh… shut up… I just remembered — I'm technically still an outpatient, and between all the various problems since I got here, my fatigue is literally at its peak…"
"Fine, fine, I get that you're not one to admit defeat. Why don't you sit down somewhere and rest for a bit? Let your body recover and then put your mind to work. I'll go fetch some water."
Otto, who was only slightly out of breath himself, chided the thoroughly exhausted Subaru. He pointed toward a patch of shade beneath a tree, then headed off toward the water source, leaving those words behind.
Watching that retreating back, Subaru grimaced at his own pathetic state before settling into the shade and focusing on catching his breath.
"……"
After parting ways with Garfiel, Subaru had spent the better part of an hour scouring the
He and Otto had been employing a brute-force search-and-ask strategy, but results so far were nil. They couldn't exactly recruit helpers openly — for the same reason as with the
If word got out that Ryuzu, the representative of the Sanctuary, had abandoned her duties and vanished, neither the residents nor the refugees would take it well. Garfiel was thinking the same thing, which was why he was conducting the search solo.
"As for Emilia…"
Honestly, Subaru was more worried about Emilia's safety than Ryuzu's.
He firmly believed she wouldn't do anything rash, but thinking about how unmoored she must feel, all alone — he wanted nothing more than to rush to her side and be her support.
But the reality, harsh as it was, was that — just as he'd told Otto — Ryuzu took priority. There was no room for Subaru's personal feelings here.
If only
"That would put her a step behind Roswaal, though, wouldn't it."
Ram was, without question, a firm Roswaal partisan. Her reason for joining the Emilia search was concern for Roswaal's future in this world — not loyalty to Subaru's camp. Her actions on Roswaal's behalf just happened to align, right now, with providing backup to Subaru's group.
The ideal outcome would be for Subaru's group to secure Ryuzu first, then naturally secure Emilia afterward. And ideally, Subaru would lead both negotiations himself.
But ideals were ideals. Armchair theorizing. A figment of the imagination.
"At this rate, time's gonna run out without me finding a single one. That's the worst-case scenario — absolutely unacceptable. I've gotta do something…"
Merely fretting wouldn't produce results.
Wouldn't it be faster to just keep combing through the Sanctuary methodically rather than standing here thinking?
That was one thought, but— "If that were going to work, Garfiel would've found her already. It's been the better part of an hour. He can move more than twice as fast as me and Otto combined. The fact that he still hasn't found her means…"
——Ryuzu was evading even Garfiel.
"……"
Following that thought to its conclusion, something snagged in Subaru's mind, and he held his breath.
There was something off. Ryuzu was running from Garfiel too. That much was fine. No — it wasn't fine. Why was Ryuzu running from Garfiel?
Hadn't Ryuzu Θ been hiding because she didn't want contact with Subaru? Because she didn't want to be questioned about what happened when she'd encountered Subaru and challenged the "Trial"? Wasn't she fleeing to run out the clock — that was what Subaru had believed up until now.
But that didn't make sense.
If Θ genuinely wanted to refuse the conversation and keep Subaru away, all she had to do was tell Garfiel. That would be more than enough.
If Garfiel had a clear reason, he wouldn't hesitate to eliminate Subaru. And if Garfiel came at Subaru in earnest, Subaru had no means to resist.
If Θ truly intended to keep her past hidden, she should have sicced Garfiel on Subaru.
She didn't do that. Why not — what was the reason she chose not to?
"Could she be running… because she wants to be chased?"
"No, she's running because she doesn't want to be caught. What are you even saying?"
A voice poured cold water on Subaru's muttered speculation as he touched his chin. Looking up, he saw Otto — looking exasperated, water jug in hand — offering him a drink.
"I understand you've got a lot on your mind and it's all tangled up. I went four days without sleep or rest once, running between trade negotiations and merchant errands, and by the last day I was pretty delirious myself."
"Save those war stories for tea time. I'm not delirious. …At least, I don't think I am."
"Your confidence really isn't inspiring."
Subaru took the offered water and gulped from the jug's spout. Savoring the cool sensation as it slid down his throat, he organized the jumbled thoughts in his head.
"What do you think is the real reason Ryuzu-san disappeared?"
"…Well, isn't it because she doesn't want to be forced into an awkward conversation? Today, if she runs into you, she'll have to talk about it whether she likes it or not. Although, considering the circumstances that keep her from leaving the settlement, it does feel like a stopgap measure."
"Yeah, a stopgap. But if she genuinely wanted to solve the root problem, there's a simple method available to Ryuzu-san, right?"
"…Garfiel."
Otto arrived at the conclusion Subaru had reached after much deliberation — guided only by a hint. He furrowed his brows and crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"That does follow. So — Ryuzu-san doesn't want Garfiel to know she's butted heads with you?"
"Even so, Garfiel already has a pretty good idea we're connected. Honestly, in the current Sanctuary, if anything out of the ordinary happens, the flag's been raised by us — I couldn't keep my mouth shut at his explanation."
It was a thought that struck right at the heart of the matter.
In any case, whatever had prompted Ryuzu to vanish was being obstructed by Garfiel. Ryuzu wasn't the kind of person who wouldn't consider how her actions would affect Garfiel's thinking.
"That leaves two possibilities."
"She genuinely believes she shouldn't meet either you or Garfiel, and is earnestly hiding. Or…"
"She's letting herself be found, knowing full well we're searching… right?"
If it was the former, Subaru's side was probably out of luck. If the diminutive Ryuzu was seriously trying to hide, she could easily buy half a day. The only one with a chance of finding her would be Garfiel — the one with the keen nose and the initiative.
If it was the latter, then Subaru and Garfiel's odds were even.
But for that to work, Ryuzu would have to be the one orchestrating it.
——If there was a way to find her other than aimlessly, methodically searching every corner.
"We should look for a place that has some connection to Ryuzu-san."
"But she wasn't at her house… and her family home — Emilia-sama is missing too, which makes things even more complicated."
"Right. She's probably not at Roswaal's place, and the trial ground… that's probably the first place Garfiel would've checked. So…"
A place where both Subaru and Garfiel had an equal chance, but not the first place Garfiel would look — rather, a place Θ would choose for herself. A place like that.
——If such a place existed.
"…Otto, I think I might have figured it out."
"R-really? From just that little exchange? Isn't it just a gut feeling?"
"I don't know why you led with disbelief, but I'm pretty confident. Besides, if she's not there, we're basically out of options."
Subaru nodded at the stunned Otto, then downed the remaining water in the jug in one gulp. He wiped his mouth, stood up, and turned to face the direction that matched his "hunch."
If Θ was there, then she hadn't been running away. She was simply waiting at a place suitable for a conversation.
Waiting for Subaru. Or perhaps for Garfiel.
"I hope you figure it out too, Garfiel. —Because I'm going to have the parent-teacher conference first."
--- "I have something important to tell you, so stay here and wait for me, okay?"
"Okay, Mother
Fortuna led Emilia to the princess room and instructed her to wait. Emilia gave her an honest reply.
Watching Emilia with a smile as she was sent off, Fortuna's eyes widened just slightly. Then she stroked Emilia's long silver hair and let out a languid sigh.
Until now, whenever Emilia had been left in the princess room, she'd always worn a deeply displeased expression. She thought she was hiding it well, but puffing her cheeks and turning away with flushed red cheeks — anyone could tell a young girl was sulking.
Since that predictably easy-to-read Emilia hadn't appeared in a while, Fortuna's suspicion was only natural.
"…Emilia."
"What is it?"
"——No, it's nothing."
Running her fingers through her daughter's hair, Fortuna started to ask something but shook her head, then left a gentle smile for Emilia, who was gazing up at her with innocent eyes.
There were things that didn't quite add up, but this hassle-free situation was something to be welcomed. She was keeping someone waiting, so Fortuna seemed to accept it for now with that understanding.
Waving goodbye and watching Fortuna leave, Emilia heard the sound of the latch falling on the other side of the closed door. The door locked firmly, and now Emilia was alone in the princess room.
——No, that hadn't been the case lately.
"Okay, you can come out now."
After waiting about a minute and confirming that Fortuna hadn't returned, Emilia turned around and called out in a hushed voice.
Of course, the only human shadow in the room was her own, and there was no one who could respond — but suddenly, a pale phosphorescent light drifted across the brightly lit room.
Gazing at the faintly glowing form, Emilia's dark purple eyes trembled with delight.
During her time in the princess room, she had gradually become able to consciously interact with these mysterious beings — she called them the "fairy folk," though calling the minor spirits by that term was a slight mismatch, even if they were close.
In any case, the minor spirits never rebuked the young Emilia for her mild discourtesy.
"Fairy folk, fairy folk, thank you again today."
The girl expressed her gratitude for not being left alone, and in response, the light scattered into dancing motes on the spot, affirming its will.
"……"
Watching the dancing minor spirits, Emilia had been particularly reinforcing her awareness that these beings of light were good allies.
They rushed to the places where she felt lonely and alone. And they helped her wishes to the best of their ability. When Emilia wasn't cautious enough and nearly got spotted while wandering outside, they would subtly alert her.
——The escapes from the princess room had been repeated many times since that first one.
The gap in the tree roots at the back of the hollow that led outside apparently hadn't been discovered by anyone, and Emilia could slip out through it whenever she pleased. At first she'd forced herself through and scraped her clothes and skin, but now that she'd learned the trick, that was no longer a concern.
She'd used the excuse of ruining her clothes two or three times in a row — Fortuna might catch on any day now. That was a close call.
"I'm sure Mother was really suspicious of me. But it's all fine now. Heheh."
Emilia puffed out her chest, proud of her progress. Blue light danced around her head as if praising her. It was dazzling, and made her a bit dizzy.
Even so, despite being a regular escapee, Emilia's adventures outside were rather quaint — peeking in on adult conversations or eavesdropping, just like the first time, or sneaking bites of fruit growing on trees without permission, or playing little pranks like rearranging things inside someone's house. That was the extent of it.
However, that sense of mischief had a tendency to gradually escalate, and even a naive girl like Emilia was no exception.
"Alright. I guess I should head out for today too."
"……"
The wavering light seemed to agree, and bolstered by this encouraging ally, Emilia boldly escaped the princess room.
The gap she'd squeezed through so many times had loosened considerably. She widened it, threaded her small body through, and pulled herself out of the hollow. The moment she emerged, she rolled — and a cushion of fallen leaves she'd prepared caught her softly.
She'd learned to make this after tumbling out so many times. Emilia had prepared this escape apparatus herself.
"What should I do today?"
As she brushed leaves from her hair, Emilia addressed the light beside her. She knew it wouldn't answer, but its fluctuating brightness served as a response, and she felt the comfort of not being alone.
She was outside, but — as always — she had nothing particular to do. Her pranks, after being carried out so many times, might be discovered as Emilia's handiwork. Worse, they might figure out she was escaping from the princess room. If the hole got sealed up, that would be a problem.
"I've got to lie low until things cool down."
Muttering to herself as though she were a cunning mastermind, Emilia headed into the settlement without any particular destination. The adults were probably in the central clearing of the forest again today, holding their usual meetings with the black-robed group. The black-robed people brought gifts, and the forest's adults received them.
During those meetings, Fortuna was talking with the tall man. After seeing his face many times, Emilia noticed he was called "Romaji Conti" or "Juice," and she'd taken to calling him "Juice" in her own mind.
But even the adult conversations, which had initially fascinated her, had lost their novelty through repeated eavesdropping, and Emilia was gradually growing bored.
Most of what Fortuna and Juice discussed was still beyond the young Emilia's comprehension. Still, she kept diligently listening in, hoping — just as she had from the very first time — that her father and mother's names might come up, and she might learn something about where they were and how they were doing.
Unfortunately, Emilia's little scheme had yet to bear fruit.
"Maybe I should…"
Sneak into that wagon that Juice and his group brought?
That covered wagon — if she slipped her small body behind the cargo, she could be carried right out of the forest. From what she'd observed so far, Juice's group never inspected the wagon when leaving the forest.
With the fairy folk's help, slipping in undetected would be easy.
"…Hmm."
She considered it, then immediately gave up, knowing it was impossible.
After all, leaving the forest directly violated the most important promise she'd had with Mother Fortuna.
——She was strictly forbidden from ever leaving the forest. Outside, there were many frightening things, and it was too dangerous until she grew up — she'd been told this firmly.
She was already in the middle of breaking one rule. She couldn't be so selfish as to tear up all her other promises at the same time. That was the virtue of this young girl named Emilia.
And so, the plan to escape by hiding in the wagon was discarded at the proposal stage. As for her parents' whereabouts, she'd have to think of some other method.
"Heave… ho…"
Lost in thought, she arrived at the meeting place between the adults and Juice's group. Emilia nimbly climbed a nearby tree, lay flat on a branch, and strained her ears.
As usual, while goods were being exchanged, Fortuna and Juice were chatting amiably. But today, Fortuna's expression was particularly soft.
"Emilia's been getting brighter lately — she's so full of energy. The only trouble is she gets covered in mud and ruins her clothes right away."
"My, my… it's good to hear she's in good health. If you'd like, I can provide a change of clothes. Winter dormancy season is approaching outside the forest, so there will be plenty of garments being retired."
"I'm sorry for imposing — it sounds like I'm nagging. …Do they have adult clothes too?"
"Of course. I think they'd suit Fortuna-sama very well."
Juice said this with a gentle expression, and a complicated look crossed Fortuna's face. She scratched her cheek shyly.
"…Where did you learn to say things like that? We've known each other a long time, but when did you become capable of making jokes like that?"
"It was merely an honest observation. Did I say something strange?"
"That's what makes you impossible to deal with — I can tell you're never lying…."
Fortuna placed a hand on her forehead, exasperated. But the smile lingering at the corners of her lips was proof that this exchange was anything but unpleasant.
No — on the contrary, Fortuna seemed to be rather enjoying it.
"…Hmph."
Seeing her mother like that made Emilia feel vaguely irritated.
That expression — the one that made Fortuna's usually stern face look so unexpectedly soft — was something she shared with her fellow forest dwellers to a small degree, and with Emilia to a large one.
It made Emilia feel as though someone had taken something precious from her mother. It left a sour taste.
"Hmph! Stupid Juice!"
She threw the words like a tantrum at someone she'd only ever seen from afar. Puffing her cheeks, Emilia resolved that if Juice didn't say anything interesting today, she'd pull a prank on his wagon.
Maybe stuff a cloth in the wheel, or spill oil on the wagon bed.
Emilia harbored that petty revenge in her heart — but the revenge drama never played out.
"——So, is the seal holding steady?"
Juice lowered his voice and posed the customary question to Fortuna. Fortuna nodded.
"As ever. They're remarkably diligent about it."
"That's what the role requires. And with the season being what it is — there are cyclical concerns, but this year the moonless nights have been especially frequent, and mana circulation has been insufficient. I worry about the seal deep in the forest…"
"The moon… that explains it. The minor spirits in the forest haven't been acting right lately — that must be why. …Understood. The seal could have loosened, so I'll verify it with my own eyes later."
"I appreciate it."
Fortuna nodded gravely at Juice, who bowed at the waist.
Emilia, eavesdropping on the whole exchange, whispered to herself: "The deep part of the forest…"
She had thoroughly explored the elf settlement. The forest, too — up to the areas Fortuna permitted — was practically her domain. She thought of it as her own backyard, though she'd never said so aloud.
Even Emilia had no idea which place they meant by "the deep part of the forest." She assumed it was the forbidden depths — but the fact that she was being kept in the dark only stoked her frustration.
At this point, Emilia had accumulated a mountain of grievances.
She still had zero information about her parents. The princess room escape — which had been fresh and exciting — had grown stale. And on top of all that, despite how emphatically the adults had told her not to leave, they themselves were riddled with lies and secrets — she now had abundant evidence of that, piled up in a short span.
——I'll cause just a little trouble for everyone.
Who could blame Emilia for that thought?
In that moment, the seed of mischief that sprouted in Emilia's heart swelled unchecked — no one would rebuke or fault her for it — and it hastened the arrival of "that moment."
And so, in later years, the one who would bear the blame for this was Emilia herself. She would excoriate her own foolishness with unmatched severity, piling guilt upon herself and still finding it insufficient.
——But that far-reaching regret was something the young Emilia of this moment would never know.
Just as Emilia was getting worked up over some misguided plan, Fortuna's meeting concluded as well. The goods exchange finished without incident, and Juice's group bowed and withdrew as the adults saluted their departure.
Confirming this, Emilia leaped lightly from the branch and dashed back to the princess room at full speed. Squeezing through the gap in the tree roots and back into the hollow, she hurriedly staged her alibi.
Quickly finished some crayon drawings, dressed up her dolls, and scattered candy wrappers around.
Just as she finished and wiped the sweat from her forehead, she heard Fortuna's voice from outside.
"Emilia, sorry to keep you waiting. Were you a good girl today?"
"I… y-yes, I was a good girl. I was. Yep, I was."
"……"
With a triumphant look, Emilia was satisfied that her performance had been convincing. Fortuna, meanwhile, was gazing at her daughter with narrowed, quiet eyes.
Despite the discomfort brought by that sharp scrutiny, Emilia knew that acting strange now would only deepen suspicion.
"Wh-what is it, Mother Fortuna? Even if you look at me like that, I didn't do anything. I ate candy, drew pictures, and played with my dolls. I never went outside. Really!"
"…If that's true, then that's fine."
Fortuna had been completely taken in by Emilia's performance. Feeling a pang of guilt for deceiving her mother, Emilia chided herself — she couldn't afford to dwell on it — and began plotting her merciless revenge.
Fortuna and the others had been talking about something called a "seal" deep in the forest. A seal — that meant a place where something was hidden, as Emilia understood it.
In other words, something was hidden out there that they didn't want found.
——Inside Emilia, the plan for her revenge on Fortuna crystallized.
She would find that hidden place — the seal deep in the forest — and use it as a bargaining chip the next time she got scolded by Fortuna and the others.
She would leverage the location of the forest seal as her trump card when her escapes from the princess room were discovered.
The irony — doing something even more forbidden to escape punishment for something forbidden — never occurred to Emilia as her eyes shone with pride in her own brilliant idea.
Mother led her by the hand out of the princess room. After escorting Emilia home, Fortuna said she had some errands. Based on her earlier conversation with Juice, she was probably heading to inspect the "seal."
So— "——Please."
Emilia asked the pale phosphorescent light to follow her mother with a whispered plea, and closed one eye in a tiny wink.
Years later, when her limbs had grown long, the faint glimmer of the beauty that could captivate anyone with just a smile had already begun to bloom in this young girl's features.
--- This was the second time Subaru had visited this place, though the first in this loop.
A building standing alone on a small hill. It wasn't especially shabby or run-down — just an unremarkable, ordinary house with no distinguishing features.
Inside, it consisted of two rooms: a bedroom and a living area. The living space had a simple cooking setup — an arrangement like an apartment in his old world. Not cramped for one person, but probably tight for one adult and two children living together.
Only now did Subaru grasp the significance of this building, and the thought brought a wave of emotion.
He stood before the door and knocked from outside. After a moment of silence, a voice from within said, "Come in," and Subaru felt relief that his hunch had been correct.
Then, immediately steeling himself, he grasped the doorknob and opened the door.
The faint scent of old wood brushed his nostrils. Feeling the lukewarm air on his skin, he stepped inside.
"Seems you took longer than expected."
A figure sat on the simple bed at the back of the room. They appeared to be in the middle of refilling their tea, pouring hot water into a cup.
The warm breeze drifting from the room was probably caused by that. Subaru confirmed there were three cups on the table — though only one was filled — and said: "Am I the first guest to arrive?"
"That you are. Su-kun is first. The tea is brewed on the strong side — hope that's alright."
"Doesn't matter. Strong or weak, it's all leaf-flavored."
"What a thing to say. No wonder Ram was grumbling."
θ pulled the empty cup toward her at Subaru's flippant reply, pouring hot water over the tea leaves and sliding it toward him.
"Here — you must be parched. A welcoming cup first."
"If I chug this down in one go, my remaining HP is probably going to send me straight to the church. That said — thank you for the tea."
Subaru blew on the cup to cool it, then brought it to his lips. The rich taste of leaves passed over his tongue and down his throat.
No matter how many times, what kind, or whose hands brewed it — tea was tea.
"I couldn't even get used to
"I didn't even need to ask — your expression says it all. Good. I'm never brewing you another cup."
θ glared at Subaru as he grimaced and stuck out his tongue, then drained her own tea in one gulp. She smoothed her long hair, tugged at her hem, and settled back onto the bed, facing Subaru directly.
"Was supposed to relax before the talk, and instead an unexpected rift has sprung up."
"Let's not bring side-story content into the main narrative — readers who missed that will be confused later. Let's switch gears and get talking."
"Easy for the one doing the talking…"
θ sighed with an exasperated expression, then stared down at her own small palm. Her gaze passed through Subaru, seeming to look beyond the door at something outside.
"All the same… it was you who came, Su-kun. I rather thought so. More likely you'd come alone than Gar-kun, or neither of you would find me and time would run out."
"…You really stacked the odds against Garfiel there. If he heard that, he'd have plenty to complain about."
"If he complains, if he rages — that would be fine. But I'm imagining a more serious reaction… If Gar-kun had come here, that worry would have been dispelled."
θ smiled sadly and glanced at the living room wall.
Subaru followed her gaze. Mounted on the wall were two silver metal shields — crossed in a pattern he'd seen before.
The shields that Garfiel and his elder sister Frederica had once clashed together in play during childhood — keepsakes. In other words, this was the Baumann family home.
Subaru didn't know why Θ had chosen this place for their final conversation.
But from the previous loop, he remembered that this was a place of special significance for both Ryuzu and Garfiel.
Relying on that memory, he'd made his way here — and Θ was waiting, just as he'd hoped.
"It's good that you came alone, Su-kun. This isn't exactly the kind of story I'd want others to overhearing."
"Yeah, I left Otto behind. He wouldn't be able to follow what comes next."
The words came out sounding like he was abandoning a powerless fighter — unintentionally. He hadn't meant it that way. It was simply that Ryuzu's past inevitably touched on "the
He'd assigned Otto a different task for now.
"You're one of the Ryuzus who went inside the tomb — Θ, right?"
"Theta?"
"Ah, sorry. I was using those names for convenience. Yesterday's was Sigma-san, and the other two are Alpha and Beta. I figured you wouldn't like it, so I'll stop…"
"…No, it's fine. So that's what you meant. Ah, I see, I see… Not bad, actually."
θ murmured "Theta, Theta" a few times to herself, then smiled, cheeks flushing slightly. She closed her eyes quietly, and after a few seconds opened them again.
"What I'm about to tell you is, as far as I've witnessed, the origins of the 'Sanctuary'… and part of the events leading up to Ryuzu Meyer being sealed away in that crystal."
"…Yeah."
"And depending on what you think after hearing it, and what questions you choose to ask me… as one of the four Ryuzus who serve as the Sanctuary's representatives, I'll be entrusting my fate to your judgment."
Having said something weighty, Θ smiled at the breathless Subaru.
"I hope you'll face it with resolve."