Author: This chapter has been revised and condensed to improve pacing. The original 9635-word text has been reduced to 5763 words. Enjoy!
[SUBARU'S POV]
Crusch Karsten's domain was luxurious, cold, and deafeningly silent. A silence that echoed in my head, amplifying the sound of my own thoughts. I was in a guest room, but it felt like a prison.
My hands were trembling, covered in cuts and bruises. The physical pain, treated by Felix, was nothing compared to the internal agony. I had been beaten like a punching bag by that bastard Julius.
Trizz had accepted the duel because of me. I had insulted the knights, acted like a clown, broken my promise to Emilia, and when chaos erupted, Trizz had to pay the price, getting massacred by Julius.
"Why wouldn't you accept being a knight?! We could have helped Emilia! Why were you so selfish?!"
That was what I had screamed at him before he left. Trizz's wounded pride was the only target of my rage. I had poured my fury onto the only person who stood firm, the only person who fought until he vomited blood, and the only person who still defended me.
I was a coward, an idiot. Emilia surely hated me now. Not only had I disgraced her camp in front of all the nobility, but I had forced Trizz to put his life on the line to cover my mistakes. My weakness filled me with impotent rage. I couldn't even properly use "Shamak" to defeat Julius. I was useless, and I deserved to be alone.
But the rage wouldn't die down. It turned towards those who had dared to humiliate us. Julius, the Sages, the Nobles... They had insulted Emilia. They had injured Trizz.
"I had to prove them wrong. I would protect Emilia, even if it meant becoming the most stubborn idiot to do so."
My only comfort was that Trizz and Emilia were safe, away from this manor. I must never be that useless again. Shame and guilt would be my new engine.
The door opened softly, pulling me out of my miserable contemplation. It was Rem. She carried a tray with a bowl of steaming soup, but her face showed a cold urgency.
Rem: "Subaru-kun. I brought you something to eat. Please, you need to regain your strength."
Me: "I'm not hungry, Rem. Go away. I want to be alone."
Rem: "No. I won't leave. I made a promise." She placed her hand over her chest. "I will never betray that promise."
I knew she was talking about Trizz. It only amplified my guilt.
Rem: "Subaru-kun is not weak. I know it."
Me: "How can you say that? I lost in two seconds! I almost got Trizz killed!"
Rem: "Your duel isn't a defeat."
She leaned towards me, her voice dropping to a whisper.
Rem: "I know what you did for Trizz-sama. After the duel... I heard rumors. Trizz-sama won the wager."
My heart skipped a beat.
Rem: "I don't know everything, but Trizz-sama forced Julius to train you as a Knight."
I froze. Trizz had managed all that while I was unconscious?
Rem: "Subaru-kun is Trizz-sama's anchor. He fought so you would have a chance. Trizz-sama risked his life for you. If he did that, it's because he knows you are the only person who can bring him back to his senses when he goes too far. Subaru-kun is his hero."
Rem's words were a balm. Trizz had believed in me.
Rem: "Please, stop hating yourself. Eat and rest. Trizz-sama is waiting for you. He ordered that you not be left alone. You are not a clown. You are our Subaru."
I took the bowl. For the first time in hours, the will to survive returned.
Me: "Thank you, Rem. For... all of this," I murmured. "I'm sorry for being so foolish."
Rem: "There's nothing to apologize for, Subaru-kun. You are our hope. Now, sleep."
(Time jumps...)
I closed my eyes. For the first time since Julius broke me, sleep came without being haunted by shame.
The next day, I woke up at noon. I felt better, but my body was still heavy. Rem was sitting there, a silent sentinel.
Me: "Rem, I think I'll get up."
Rem: "Subaru-kun." Her voice was flat and alert.
She stood up. Standing at the door was Julius.
Me: "What do you want, Julius?! Did you come to make sure the clown is properly down?!"
Julius ignored my rage.
Julius: "I came to honor a debt. The one I contracted with a suicidal and crazy commoner named Trizz."
My heart skipped a beat.
Julius: "My pride blinded me. Trizz demanded that if I defeated him, I would have to train you. I won the duel, but he won the wager. I will respect my oath. You and I, we will train. But first, I have something else to ask."
Me: "What?"
Julius: "I don't know, but did your friend safely return to Roswaal's domain with Emilia-sama? He was grievously injured."
I stumbled. Grievously injured?
Me: "Yes! They left last night. They... they had to return to the manor immediately. Why?"
Julius sighed, running a hand over his forehead.
Julius: "I feared it. I let my emotions take over. After the duel, when Trizz-kun collapsed, his injuries were... catastrophic. He had managed to mortally wound my flank during his final attack."
Rem let out a choked cry.
Rem: "He won by self-destruction, Subaru-kun! He wasn't seeking to defeat, but to break his opponent! Trizz-sama doesn't care about his own life!"
Julius ignored Rem.
Julius: "Felix healed me, but he was adamant about keeping Trizz-kun, citing his regeneration capacity as... a crucial subject of study. He left against everyone's advice. If he reopened his wounds on the way, Emilia-sama's healing mana might not be enough."
Guilt choked me. Trizz, in a critical state, had forced his regeneration to keep his promise to Beatrice and cover my mistake. And he risked being Felix's guinea pig.
Julius: "Listen. I will honor my debt. I will train you, as promised. But we cannot start for three days, the time needed for my strength to return. Until then, I want you to find me the only information that matters: Is Trizz-kun safe and sound?"
Me: "Three days?! But Emilia needs me! Trizz risked his life for me to be ready, I must go now!"
Julius gave me a look of steel.
Julius: "Do you still not understand? If you show up to Emilia in your current state, you will only confirm her doubts. Trizz-kun fought to buy you time. Don't waste it."
Me: "I refuse. I must go. Now."
Rem jumped up, panicked.
Rem: "No, Subaru-kun! Trizz-sama told you to stay! I made a promise! Please!"
Me: "I'm sorry, Rem." I turned to her. "But Trizz sacrificed himself to cover my mistake. I have to prove it was worth it. I can't be a coward anymore."
I quickly got dressed, ignoring Rem's horrified protests and Julius's look of silent disappointment. I had to find Emilia. I had to make up for my mistake.
I rushed out of Crusch's manor. Julius, arms crossed, watched me from the threshold.
Julius: "I will keep my debt, Subaru. But by leaving now, you prove that Trizz-kun was wrong to believe in your intelligence. You are wasting his sacrifice."
Me: "I don't care! I have to rejoin Emilia and Trizz!"
Julius: "Foolish. You're lucky they took the main road. But even that is currently impassable."
I froze dead in my tracks. "Impassable? What are you talking about?"
Julius: "The White Whale. Its fog is enveloping the main road. Only convoys under the wind's blessing can navigate without getting lost. It's not a day's journey, it's a death sentence."
The reality hit me. I had forgotten that monster.
Julius: "You want to be useful to Emilia-sama? You need permission and protection. Talk to Crusch-sama. She manages the convoys. And be quick."
I swallowed my pride and rushed back inside, dragging Rem behind me.
(Time jump...)
I found the meeting room, where Crusch Karsten was sitting at her desk, looking noble, cold, and focused. Next to her, Felix was smiling nervously.
Me: "Crusch-sama! I need your help! I must leave for Roswaal's domain immediately!"
Me: "Crusch-sama! I need your help! I must leave for Roswaal's domain immediately!"
Crusch slowly raised her eyes.
Crusch: "The boy who disgraced Emilia-sama's camp. You ask for my help after the humiliation your friend inflicted on the Knight's Order?"
Me: "This is no time to talk about that. Trizz left grievously injured, heading straight for the manor. They won't survive the journey because of the Fog!"
Crusch: "I won't send a convoy to satisfy the whims of an impulsive commoner." She leaned forward. "I will grant you this. I will lend you a carriage, on one condition. You give us information about your friend Trizz."
Me: "Trizz? No! I won't say anything."
Crusch: "Fine. Then, you stay. Felix!"
Felix, smiling maliciously, turned to me.
Felix: "Nya! Subaru-kyun, you truly are an idiot. After all the work I did to heal those nasty wounds. If you leave now, they'll reopen, and you'll die before reaching the guard post!"
Felix: "If you die, Trizz-kun will be furious. It would be a shame to have to bring him back here, injured, just to bring you back to life so we can discuss his abnormal regeneration ability, wouldn't it?"
His insinuation hit me hard. He knew. Or at least, he suspected the anomaly.
Me: "Crusch-sama. I won't tell you anything about Trizz. But give me that carriage. I'll bring it back."
Crusch stood up, her contempt at its peak.
Crusch: "Very well. I will grant you an escort and a carriage. For Rem. Rem, take this boy towards Roswaal's domain. If you cause any trouble, you will be brought back here by force, Subaru. And I'm keeping an eye on your friend."
I didn't answer. I grabbed Rem and rushed out of the room. Trizz had given me the mission to be strong. I hoped that strength wasn't just stubbornness.
(Time Skip...)
I left Rem and the carriage far behind, exhausted but driven by anxiety. I reached Roswaal's manor and rushed inside.
Emilia was there, sitting in the drawing-room, reading. Ram was polishing a statue. The atmosphere was strangely normal.
Me: "Emilia! Ram! Are you okay? And Beatrice?" I collapsed, relieved.
Emilia looked up, a sad look on her face.
Emilia: "Subaru... You've returned. You broke your promise..." She sighed. "I'm fine. Ram is fine. Puck and Beatrice are upstairs."
Me: "And... Trizz? Where is he?"
Ram put down her cloth, her face displaying a look of bored contempt.
Ram: "Frizz is getting the rest his suicidal behavior earned him. He's sleeping. We agreed he shouldn't be disturbed under any circumstances."
Me: "Sleeping? But he was gravely injured! I want to see him!"
Emilia placed her hand on my shoulder, her expression gentle and firm.
Emilia: "Trizz asked me to let him rest. He pushed his body... he just needs silence. Go take care of your wounds, Subaru. Please."
This calmness, this acceptance of Trizz's condition, confused me. I was about to insist when Ram motioned for me to follow her, moving toward the hallway.
Ram: "Come, Barusu. We need to talk."
Ram stopped in a dark corridor, making sure Emilia couldn't hear us. Her tone was biting and devoid of all emotion.
Ram: "I'll be clear, Barusu. Frizz has not returned."
My heart skipped a beat. "What?!"
Ram: "That's what I told everyone. Frizz left the Capital with Emilia-sama. But he is not at the Manor. I have no idea where that suicidal idiot who uses self-mutilation to move his little chess pieces is. He must have passed out in a ditch, disgusted by his own smell of blood."
She pointed toward the drawing-room with a tilt of her chin.
Ram: "Emilia-sama is already distraught by the humiliation at the Capital and by your... pathetic performance. If she learns that the man she considers her only loyal friend is still missing, she might collapse. So, we maintain the masquerade."
Me: "But... Where is he? He would never leave without saying anything!"
Ram: "His madness exceeds logic." She came closer, her eyes injecting with a strange glow, the only sign of her worry. "You asked where he was. Now, stay here, Barusu. Do not try to find him. Do not leave the Manor. I am giving you an order from the oldest employee of the Roswaal Household."
She looked at me with a look of smug disgust. I knew that, despite her insults, she was panicked by Trizz's absence.
But the idea struck me "Trizz wasn't asleep; he wasn't lost. He was in danger... or doing something stupid, alone."
I nodded, but I had already made up my mind. I had to find him.
(Time Skip...)
I waited for Ram to return to the drawing-room. I sneaked out of the Manor, my heart pounding in my chest, and ran toward Arlam Village. It was the only possible explanation Trizz had an imperative reason to disappear.
I reached the clearing. The village was there, frozen. Empty. Not a soul. No footsteps, no children's laughter, no smoke. Only abandoned, slamming doors, and a total solitude. The air was heavy, thick, and left a metallic taste on my tongue.
"What's going on? Where are the villagers?"
Ram's warning about the Witch Cult came back to me. Had Trizz managed to evacuate the village?
I followed a vague intuition that guided me toward the forest. I had to find a piece of evidence, a clue as to where Trizz might have gone.
I plunged into the clammy thickness of the forest. The air was even heavier there. I had only taken a few steps when I saw something of unimaginable horror.
At the foot of a massive tree, in a pool of wet earth and mud, lay the silhouette of a young girl. It was Meili. She was there, neatly sliced. Her body was cut in two, the lower abdomen and legs separated from the torso.
Her organs were spread on the earth, black and red. Her liver seemed to have been crushed, and her entrails stretched out like snakes, in a vision of unbearable, bestial violence. Her face still held an expression of total shock, her eyes wide open, staring at the sky.
The smell of blood, bile, and death tore a violent retch from me. I collapsed to my knees, vomiting my soup.
But the nausea was cut short by fear. Twelve cultists, with bloodshot eyes and torn robes, erupted from the shadows. They were there, looking at me, but not moving. They weren't attacking.
I got up, my body shaking with pure adrenaline and horror, and I ran. I plunged deeper into the forest, the cultists watching me leave without taking a single step.
I ran until I was out of breath. The Fog. The Cult. Trizz was right. The Cult is attacking the village.
I finally collapsed, completely exhausted, my body ravaged by fear and fatigue.
A silhouette stood before me. It was a woman, thin, with a predator's smile on her face. Elsa Granhiert.
She looked at me, then rushed toward me, her gaze lighting up with a sudden, disappointed fervor.
Elsa: "Ah, Trizz-kun! Here you are at last! I thought Sloth had..."
She stopped abruptly. Her smile faded, replaced by cold, sharp rage and disappointment.
Elsa: "No. You're not him. You don't have the smell of his fresh blood. You are weak. Where is he? Where did that charming young man who fights so well go? He escaped me!"
She clicked her cuti-like butcher knife blade, the sound sharp in the silence. Her eyes shone with a joyful madness.
Elsa: "You know what, little lamb? You smell like your friend. You'll serve to warm me up, in the meantime. Don't worry, your belly is just as beautiful to look at as the one I was expecting. Let me show you a beautiful opening!"
She struck.
The pain was an incandescent blade tearing through my abdomen. For a split second, I felt the cold of the steel, followed by a brutal heat, and I saw blood spurt, covering my vision with a crimson tint.
I gasped, breathless, my spine shattering under the impact. My hands went up, helpless, grasping in the void as my consciousness faded. Elsa's face was the last thing I saw, distorted by a perverse disappointment.
"Trizz... I messed everything up..."
Then, darkness swallowed me, fast, emotionless, like the madness of the world.
The searing pain of Elsa's blade vanished, replaced by the familiar, oppressive feeling of the bedsheet. I gasped, my heart hammering against my chest like a drum. I sat up suddenly.
I was in the guest room. The wooden ceiling. The soft bed. The door through which Julius was about to enter... Elsa's death. The forest. Meili's body.
This was my save point. I had returned.
"Trizz..." The word escaped me, a ragged whisper.
Rem was sitting near the armchair, reading peacefully. She looked up at me, her expression of pure serenity turning to total panic at my state.
Rem: "Subaru-kun! What's wrong? You're covered in sweat! Have your wounds reopened?"
I jumped out of bed, ignoring the painful protests from my ribs. I rushed toward the door, my mind racing. If I leave, I fail. The village is empty. The Cult is coming.
Me: "No, no! I can't go there! I mustn't go there!"
Rem: "Subaru-kun, stop! What are you talking about? Trizz-sama told you to rest!"
Me: "False! He hasn't returned! He's not in the manor! The village is empty! The Cult attacks in a few days! I have to warn someone!"
I shook my head, trying to calm down. The training. Julius. I needed the training, but I also needed an army.
Rem caught up with me, gripping my arm with a strength I hadn't known she possessed. Her face was distraught with fear.
Rem: "You're hallucinating! Last night, you had your soup and fell asleep! You haven't spoken to anyone! Julius hasn't even come to see you yet!"
The shock froze me. Julius hadn't come yet? I had gained precious time.
Me: "You're right, Rem. I... I'm sorry. I had a bad dream." I forced myself to regain my composure. "Rem, I need to go see Crusch-sama. Immediately."
I rushed into the corridors and found the meeting room. Crusch was still there. Felix stood by her side.
Me: "Crusch-sama! I have vital information! The Witch Cult is on the move!"
Crusch slowly raised her head, her green eyes darkening with a glacial suspicion.
Crusch: "The Witch Cult? How can a commoner with no connection to military intelligence know such a thing?"
Me: "I can't tell you! But they are attacking the Roswaal Manor and Arlam Village. We must intercept the Witch Cult!"
Felix: (Annoyed smile) "Nya, Subaru-kyun, Archbishops don't show up like that! Be honest, Nya!"
Me: "I swear I'm telling the truth! They attack the village the day after tomorrow, at high noon!"
Crusch stood up, her voice becoming a cold roar of authority.
Crusch: "Enough! My spies have reported nothing. You state the date and time with impossible precision! And you do this right after your friend, Trizz-kun, mutilated himself to create a distraction at the Capital."
Crusch: "Tell me, Subaru, how could a mere commoner force the Knight Julius to honor a duel? And more importantly, how does a man capable of surviving such injuries, as Felix reported, know the exact date and time of a Cult attack? Where does Trizz get all this information that you now possess?"
My brain overheated. I couldn't talk about Return by Death.
Me: "Trizz is just... very skilled. He warned me. He put a plan in place. Please, help him!"
Crusch: "Very well. I won't believe you. But I will grant you a moment." She turned to Felix. "Felix. We will do what Trizz demanded of Julius. Train Subaru. That is an order."
Crusch: "You have two days to train. If your information is true, my scouts will have confirmed something by then. Now, leave."
Disappointment and rage washed over me. I had failed to get immediate help. But I had two days to train with Julius.
(Time Skip...)
The training wasn't training; it was torture. Julius hadn't taught me swordsmanship; he had taught me humiliation.
Julius: "Focus, Subaru. A knight must be the spear and the shield. So far, you are just a sack of flour flailing about."
Me: "I'm doing my best, you idiot! I don't have time for this comedy!"
Julius didn't respond with words, but with action. His invisible hand struck my stomach.
Julius: "Trizz-kun achieved the impossible: he coerced me. He forced an outcome by sacrificing his own life. You are squandering that opportunity with your anger."
Every blow was a lesson in my own weakness. I collapsed onto the ground, drenched in sweat.
Julius: "Very well. End of the first session. You are still a puppet, but at least you didn't run away."
Moments later, Rem came running.
Rem: "Subaru-kun! You're injured! I knew this was a bad idea!"
She gently pulled me toward her, cradling me against her.
Rem: "Don't listen to him, Subaru-kun. Trizz-sama gave you a mission. He knows you can't remain weak."
Me: "But I am weak, Rem. I can't even touch Julius. I'm the idiot who forces Trizz to do the dirty work."
Rem: "No. You are... you are our strength." She stroked my hair gently. "Trizz-sama is like a violent flame. But you are the light that calls him back. You are the anchor that stops him from becoming a demon. You are my hero, Subaru-kun."
Just as Rem's warmth enveloped my guilt, a voice spoke.
"Oh, look at that! Barusu is getting cuddled by his maid. Did you get beaten up again? You look more disgusting than ever."
I raised my head. He stood there, in the doorway of the yard.
Trizz.
He wore a smug, sneering grin.
Trizz: "You look like a clown. I leave you for a few hours, and you're already messing things up. I had to rush back to put a leash on you."
My heart tightened with brutal relief. He had returned!
Me: "Trizz! You're here! But... Ram told me that..."
Trizz: (Interrupting, the smile chilling) "Ram? She told you I was asleep? What a shame. It was a cover in case I needed to remain invisible. But my body healed faster than expected."
Trizz: "If I hadn't sacrificed myself, you'd be even more humiliated. I left to give you a chance, and you wasted my time getting beaten up by the most prideful Knight in the kingdom."
Trizz: "Looks like this training didn't help you. You still have that bad habit of getting soundly thrashed. Next time, try to be a bit more consistent with your rage."
He winked at me, and I knew. He had a plan.
Trizz walked away. I stood up, ignoring Rem's panic. Trizz was alive.
Me: "Frizz! You ha..."
Trizz: "Frizz? I see Ram has found a suitable nickname for my character. Come on, Barusu. On to one of the things to do. I was starting to get bored. It's time to put my plan into action, without the help of your noble friends."
Trizz motioned toward a stone bench in the shade.
Trizz: "Sit down, Barusu. I lost the loop. Tell me what happened. I ran out of time, and that's my fault."
Me: "Listen, Frizz. You can't just disappear like that. Everything went wrong."
Trizz: (Frustrated) "No, no. My plan worked, except the end. I had Ram evacuate the village. I secured Beatrice. The only thing I couldn't do... was kill the Archbishop." He leaned in. "Tell me, Barusu. I came back from a quick, violent death in the forest. Where was the save point?"
Me: "My save point was here, after the soup and before Julius came."
Trizz: "Interesting. I bought time. Good. Now, tell me who killed you, and especially where. I need to know what made the first phase of my plan fail."
Me: "It's the forest, Frizz. I went to the village. It was empty. But going into the forest... I found a body."
Me: "It was Meili. Cut in half. Her... her organs were on the ground. A real bloodbath."
Trizz straightened abruptly. "Meili is dead? So Elsa betrayed me! I knew I shouldn't have trusted her!"
Me: "What? You had an alliance with her? You told me Elsa was dangerous! You promised me..."
Trizz: (Sharp and final) "I adapted to the situation. Meili is a Mabeast Master. Elsa is a killer. I used the tools available to execute the Cult. It was a calculated risk. Continue."
Me: "The Cultists let me flee. But afterwards, I ran into... Elsa."
Trizz: "Elsa killed you? I see. So she survived the Sloth attack."
Me: "She said I had your scent. She sliced my belly. But... Frizz, why was she there? Why did you trust those people?"
Trizz: "Elsa is a psychopath, but she's not stupid. She was supposed to be my armed wing. Her death is a strategic loss. Barusu, you're right. I was too arrogant. The Cult is faster than expected, and the Archbishop escaped me."
Just then, two familiar figures approached the yard. Julius and Felix arrived.
Julius: "Trizz-kun. You returned quickly. I see your regeneration is indeed... remarkable."
Trizz: "Remarkable, huh? You look disappointed, Felix-sama. Were you hoping I'd die in a ditch so you could open me up and see if my body had a hidden mana stone inside?"
Felix: "Nya? What are you saying, Trizz-kun? I just wanted to help heal you! It is a knight-doctor's duty to be interested in regeneration!"
Trizz: "My regeneration? My body is my body. And I have no intention of being a guinea pig for an overly curious kitten, no matter his healing talents." He turned to Julius. "Your knight-doctor spread rumors about my mortal wounds. I suppose he was hoping for an autopsy."
Julius: "Trizz-kun, enough. Felix is honorable."
Trizz: "Oh, that's honor? Threatening a commoner with dissection? Interesting."
I watched this sterile confrontation. Trizz was arrogant, Julius was rigid, and Felix was petty. Help wouldn't come from here. But there was another person in the Capital. A person who loved spectacle and Trizz's
unpredictable power.
Me: "I have an idea!"
Trizz: "Calm down, Barusu. Your ideas cost us lives."
Me: "No, listen! If you made such an impression, there's one person in the Capital who hates Crusch and Julius, and who loves the spectacle and the unpredictable."
Me: "Priscilla Barielle! She called you her 'toy'! If she sees this as a spectacle, she might give us the army we need!"
Trizz looked at me with disgust.
Trizz: "Priscilla? Are you serious? She's worse than Julius's pride! She'll never listen to me!"
Me: "She said you entertained her! That's your only asset! We tell her we're going to offer her the greatest show: the defeat of the Cult, without any knights to help her!"
Trizz sighed.
Trizz: "Barusu, your idea is stupid, insane, and makes me want to vomit bile. But... But I don't have time to wait for Crusch's agreement. Very well. We'll do this."
Trizz: (Towards Julius and Felix) "I believe your knight training will have to wait. Barusu and I are going to seek much more... entertaining help."
He grabbed my arm. Our mission had just changed.
(jumps through time...)
We were back in the Royal Capital, having used Crusch's carriage to the nearest town, then paying for quick transport. We stood before Priscilla Barielle's opulent manor.
Trizz was strangely silent. He was still arrogant, but the failure of the loop, Meili's death, and the necessity of asking Priscilla for help visibly gnawed at him. His pride was shattered by the need to humble himself.
Me: "That's karma, Frizz."
Trizz: (Frowning, his crimson eyes darkening) "Karma? Don't lecture me on Eastern philosophy."
Me: "Yes, karma. You made an alliance with Elsa, the gut hunter. You told me she was dangerous, but you hired her!" I pointed to his eye, my voice rising. "You risked your life, you manipulated everyone, and for what? So your allies would kill each other in the dark and I'd get sliced in half by the crazy woman you hired!"
Trizz let out a sigh of exasperation, hands on his hips, his mask of calm slipping.
Trizz: "Yes, Barusu. The plan was flawed. I overestimated my ability to control psychopaths. And yes, I died. But that's a difference between you and me. ,I came back with experience, you with a new trauma. Now, go inside. The longer we linger, the closer the Archbishop gets."
Me: "If she rejects you, you deserve to be alone."
Trizz: "You are my only burden, Barusu. Let's go."
We were quickly led into an incredibly decorated reception room of gold and red, typical of Priscilla's opulence. She was seated on a sofa, wearing a flamboyant scarlet dress, radiating an air of supreme majesty. Her loyal knight, Al, stood beside her, helmeted as always.
Priscilla looked at us, and a slow, predatory smile spread across her lips
Priscilla looked at us, and a slow, predatory smile spread across her lips.
Priscilla: "Oh, the egoist and the puppet. What a pathetic spectacle. I was expecting you, Trizz. I had a feeling the world was too boring without your stupidity."
Me: "Priscilla-sama, we have come to ask for your help."
Priscilla: "Silence. I did not give you permission to speak, commoner with the smell of despair." Her eyes, the same color as my friend's, stopped on Trizz. "You, on the other hand, my dear little Trizz-kun. You survived your duel, even if you had to break yourself for it to have meaning. It's admirable."
She pointed to a spot on the floor in front of her with a manicured finger.
Priscilla: "If you weren't here, Trizz-kun, I would have ordered Al to put down this dog just for the pleasure of seeing its blood. But you are here. Why do you continue to follow this poor fellow? He is a plague, a burden that forces you to destroy yourself."
Trizz: (His arrogance returning, to hide his wounded pride) "Because the chaos he brings is entertaining, and the world is better when he's with me. And I don't like arrogant nobles stealing my toys."
Priscilla laughed, a rich, scornful sound.
Priscilla: "Magnificent. Truly magnificent, Trizz-kun. But let's get down to business. Why did you come to me, instead of going to beg Crusch's kitten?"
Me: "The Witch Cult is marching toward the Roswaal Manor! They are attacking Arlam Village! We need your military aid, your soldiers, now!"
Priscilla raised a hand, and the air grew colder, charged with her authority.
Priscilla: "Silence. You do not command my subjects. And a begging dog is a disgusting sight. I do not listen to prayers. I only act when it serves my own fulfillment."
She leaned in, her gaze igniting with a crazy intensity.
Priscilla: "If this Witch Cult is really that powerful, let it show! If la demi-devil camp is destroyed, it means she doesn' t deserve to be Queen. That is the nature of the world. The alliance of mediocrity must collapse."
Me: "Are you serious?! People are going to die!"
Priscilla: "So what? The world revolves around me. I refuse." She straightened up, playing with one of her long red hairs. "But I have an offer, Trizz-kun."
She pointed at me.
Priscilla: "You, the puppet. You are a disgrace. And you lost. If the camp of the half-devil is annihilated, I will come and take your friend by force. He is too amusing to be wasted on a half-elf witch and a mere commoner. Trizz-kun will be my toy, and I will use his suicidal determination for much more interesting purposes."
Me: "You don't have the right!"
Priscilla: "I have every right. I am the most beautiful. My will is the law of the world. Leave. And tell the half-devil she should thank her stars that she didn't choose me as an enemy."
Trizz nodded to me, a look of dark resignation on his face. He turned toward the door.
Trizz: "Let's go, Barusu. Plan B."
We left the manor, leaving behind the missed opportunity for an alliance, and Priscilla's terrifying warning: if we failed, Trizz would be torn from Emilia's camp to become her slave.
(jumps through time...)
We were walking through the busy streets of the Capital, the tension between the two of us palpable. I was frustrated at having been rejected by Priscilla, but Trizz was even more so at having had to lower himself to ask for help.
Trizz: "Look what you did, Barusu! Going to beg that crazy woman! It was the stupidest idea you've had since you challenged Julius!"
Me: "It was your idea to put us in danger! And if I had listened to Rem and Julius, we would have wasted too much time! At least I tried!"
Trizz: "You tried to use the most selfish woman in the kingdom as a bargaining chip! I was sure she was going to demand me, but challenging her..." He sighed heavily. "In the end, you're still you , a jerk who thinks heart trumps strategy."
Me: "So what's the strategy, Frizz? Wait for the town to empty?"
Trizz: "Actually, I had a Plan B before you even suggested your charade. That's why my presence here is legitimate, beyond your stupid escape." He pulled out a sealed envelope. "I received this this morning. An official invitation from... Anastasia Hoshin."
Me: "Anastasia? The merchant candidate? Why her?"
Trizz: "She is smart, she is ambitious, and she is bored. She likes novelty and challenges. And most importantly, she is not obsessed with knight's honor like Julius or Priscilla's pride. She only thinks about business."
A few minutes later, we arrived at the restaurant, the Crispy Crab. The atmosphere was strange, with customers in white hoods.
The atmosphere was strange, with customers in white hoods
Upon entering, the atmosphere was strange. A few customers were there, all wearing white hoods, sitting at tables, motionless. My heart tightened at the sight of that color. But Trizz didn't react.
We were led to a table where Anastasia was sitting, elegant and smiling. Next to her, Mimi, the small, energetic beast-human, twitched her ears.
Anastasia: "Oh dear! Look who we have here! Roswaal's famous duo! Trizz-kun, you're much handsomer in person, even after being almost mutilated by an angry knight!" She chuckled lightly, her voice a soft chime.
Mimi: (Waving frantically) "Trizz-sama! And the other ugly gentleman! Looks like you got beat up! Mimi likes strong people, Trizz-sama!"
Trizz: "Good evening, Anastasia-sama. And Mimi. I'm here for business, not for compliments."
Anastasia: "Calm down, my little genius of self-destruction! We take time to enjoy life! Besides, Julius-kun needed five days of rest after your duel, but he was forced to honor his debt to you. You have a certain talent for turning victory into strategic defeat. I like that; it's good for business."
Me: "Anastasia-sama, we don't have time. I need to talk to you about the Witch Cult."
Anastasia: "The Cult? Ah, the silly rumor that scares merchants. I'm listening to you, Subaru-kun. But be quick. Trizz-kun's jokes about dissecting Felix are more entertaining than your whining."
I took a deep breath and explained the situation the imminent attack on Roswaal Manor, the threat of the Archbishop of Sloth, and the danger to Emilia and the villagers.
Anastasia: "Hmm. Interesting. The Cult attacking a candidate... It's risky. But it's excellent publicity for whoever defeats them." She rested her elbow on the table, looking thoughtful.
Anastasia: "Listen, I am a businesswoman. I don't do anything for free. But I need reliable information. Crusch Karsten is my main rival for the throne. She has alliances and military secrets that I don't know."
Anastasia: "I'll make you an offer, Subaru-kun. Give me the codes, the positions, or Crusch-sama's next strategy. Write it on this paper. In exchange, I will give you my private army, the Iron Fangs, to go defend your manor. It's a fair price."
She handed me a sheet and a pen. My blood was boiling. This was the chance. An army!
Me: "Very well. It's a deal."
As the pen touched the paper, Trizz grabbed my hand.
Trizz: "Stop that, Barusu."
Me: "What?! It's our only chance, Frizz! You made alliances with weird people! I can certainly betray Crusch!"
Trizz: "You betray Crusch, and you betray the kingdom. You are stupid, but I am not a traitor. And that's not what's important here."
He turned to Anastasia, his gaze lighting up with a flash of danger.
Trizz: "I find this fascinating, Anastasia-sama. Your offer is generous, but it is not what you are looking for." He gestured toward the hooded customers. "You don't need an army. You already have mercenaries from head to toe, sitting quietly in your restaurant."
Anastasia didn't flinch, but a very, very thin smile appeared on her lips.
Trizz: "Furthermore, you are a businesswoman. You are not asking for classic military information. You are asking for something precious to you that Crusch is hiding. And above all..."
Trizz leaned toward her.
Trizz: "... Those people in the white hoods are your personal bodyguards. Aren't they? The color is provocative. You want us to think they are customers? To put us off. You are using the Cult's panic for your own little business strategies."
Mimi: (Laughing loudly) "Trizz-sama is too strong! He saw everything!"
Anastasia applauded softly, a dry, cold sound.
Anastasia: "Congratulations, Trizz-kun. Your visual acuity and your ability to guess intentions are extraordinary. That's why I invited you. Your friend, on the other hand, is pathetic."
She looked at me with deep disdain.
Anastasia: "You have nothing to offer me, Subaru-kun. You don't understand the game. If you were smarter, you would have understood that the current situation is the best publicity for me."
Me: "What? But..."
Anastasia: "If I help you, I gain the loyalty of a territory that is not mine. That's good. But if I wait. If Emilia and Crusch's camp is in trouble... I can intervene as the nation's savior and double my power. Why would I help you for free?"
Me: "People are going to die!"
Anastasia: "Chaos is part of business." She stood up, signaling the end of the meeting with absolute coldness.
Anastasia: "Here is my only offer, and it only concerns Trizz-kun." She handed him a gold business card.
Anastasia: "If the half-elf's camp is destroyed, Trizz-kun, don't hesitate for a second. Come see me. I will give you an empire where you can self-destruct at your leisure. You are too talented to be reduced to dust by an Archbishop of Sloth. But as for you, Subaru-kun..."
She gave me a final, icy look.
Anastasia: "Your failure is assured. The world will not forgive you for this stupidity."
We left the restaurant without getting any military aid, but with confirmation that Trizz's death (and therefore the loop's death) was their only real concern.
(jumping through time...)
Back at the Karsten Manor, we were greeted by Rem.
Me: "They won't help us, Rem. No one will help us. Time is running out."
Trizz: "The idiot is right. There are no more options. We're going, Rem. Prepare the carriage."
Rem: "No! The Fog is dangerous! Trizz-sama, you were gravely injured!"
Trizz: "My body is fine. It's a matter of hours now."
Me: "I'm going, Rem. If you don't come, I'll go alone. It's my fault."
Reluctantly, Rem agreed. Crusch and Felix arrived just as we started to move away.
Felix: "Nya! Subaru-kun, you are incorrigible! Julius's training is your only chance!"
Crusch: "This is a suicide mission! Your camp's honor isn't worth your life!"
Trizz: "I seek victory, whatever the price. This is goodbye, isn't it, Julius?"
After two hours on the main road, the mist began to thicken. It was a white wall, cold and disorienting.
Rem: "The Fog! We must stop!"
Me: "No! We must continue! We don't have time!"
I pulled out my old flip phone. The moment I turned on the screen, a giant yellow eye was staring at us. The White Whale.
I dropped my phone, screaming.
Before he could finish, an intense pressure struck the carriage.
Rem: "She found us!" Without a word, Rem jumped out of the carriage. She drew her flail. "I'll slow her down! Go!"
Me: "REM! NO!"
(Time jump...)
I opened my eyes. I was lying on a bed, at Roswaal's Manor. I sat up.
A gentle voice echoed next to me.
Emilia: "Subaru? Oh, you finally woke up. You slept for a long time."
Me: "Emilia! Are you okay! Where is Trizz? And Rem? Is she okay?"
Emilia: (Confused) "Trizz? He's sleeping in his room with Beatrice. He needs rest. But... Rem? Who is Rem, Subaru?"
My blood ran cold. Horror gripped me.
Me: "Rem... The blue-haired maid! She was with me! Don't you remember? Your housemaid!"
Emilia: "I'm sorry, Subaru. I have only one maid, Ram. I don't know a Rem. Is she a friend?"
The White Whale. Its fog. It had erased Rem from existence, from Emilia's memory. I had lost Rem forever.
An explosion shook the Manor. Silhouettes in black robes were flooding the garden. The Witch Cult was here.
I rushed out of the room. Around the corner of the hallway, he was there. An emaciated man, with bloodshot eyes and a contorted body: Betelgeuse Romanee-Conti.
Betelgeuse: "Ah! The scent of Pride! It is you! The Archbishop of Pride! But... you are weak! You are a fake! Your Authority is empty!" He screamed. "My Brain trembles! THIS IS DILIGENCE!"
Emilia arrived behind me, worried.
Emilia: "Subaru, what's going on?"
Me: "Emilia! Go!"
Emilia: "No! Who are you? Leave him alone!"
One of the Invisible Hands shot out from Petelgeuse's body. It wrapped around Emilia's neck.
CRACK.
Her neck twisted at a horrible angle. Her eyes emptied of light, and she collapsed.
Me: "EMILIAAAAAAAAA!" My scream tore through the air.
Then, a cold, terrifying power invaded the corridor.
A dark, feline mass appeared above Emilia's lifeless body. The air became icy, condensing into frost. It was Puck, his face distorted by cosmic rage.
Puck: "You... You dared... YOU KILLED MY DAUGHTER!"
The floor and walls were covered in ice. Petelgeuse screamed in pain and fury.
Petelgeuse: "THE SPIRIT! The Great Spirit! NO! It's impossible!"
But it was too late. The atmosphere thickened, the temperature dropped dizzyingly. The world froze.
I felt an agonizing pain, my body covering with ice. The cold was a liquid bite, infiltrating my bones, transforming my blood into glass needles. My lungs contracted violently, the air no longer able to pass, replaced by a sensation of suffocation by shards of ice. Panic melted into total numbness, my nerve endings screaming one last time before freezing.
I am... dead.
The last sound I heard was Puck's cry of rage, the beginning of the Great Freezing, before the cold snatched my consciousness, announcing a new return.
END OF CHAPTER V