Chapter 111 - x

Chiming in after Subaru, Al played with the metal fixtures on his helm as he heaved a hearty sigh. Overhearing his murmur, Anastasia put her hands on her hips and closed one eye as she scolded him.

"Come now, don't be like that, Al. I can appreciate how worried you are since your precious princess isn't here."

"Well, not so much worried as scared. She'll definitely be angry that I'm not by her side in a situation like this."

He shook his head in dread. The roster of attendees at the meeting certainly made his fears seem credible.

They were inside a conference room, which was wide enough to accommodate twelve people. Multiple royal-selection candidates, including Anastasia, had assembled, but Al's master—Priscilla—was not among them.

Of course, she hadn't been present when Emilia was whisked away by Regulus, either.

"Come to think of it, my party's way too short on people. Not even Otto or Garfiel are here."

"Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to gather everyone involved in the royal selection. On my end, Mimi hasn't come back since last night, either. Hopefully, Garfiel's with her." Anastasia touched a hand to her cheek, concerned that she didn't know the whereabouts of the girl whom she seemed to treat like a precious daughter.

"If they're together, then there's no need to worry about them running into trouble… Anyway, why meet at this place?" Subaru gestured at the building in general. "Al called this the Witch Cult Disaster Response HQ, and that really does seem to be spot-on. The situation in the city sounds serious enough to warrant it, too… But why is the HQ set up inside the Muse Company?"

Subaru finally asked the question that had been bugging him for a while now.

Indeed, Subaru and the others were currently inside the Muse Company building, which was located on the affluent main boulevard of the city.

He'd visited the magic crystal trading company's main store just a day earlier, and now it was operating as an emergency shelter. The wounded were being treated underground, while refugees were given guest rooms. With the state of his leg, Subaru, too, had been carried underground, where it was so overcrowded that coming up to the conference room had been quite a journey.

"It's a nice, big building, so I get the appeal of using it as a shelter when push comes to shove, but a company's still a company, right? They're not

usually the first choice for setting up a response HQ."

"That's what you'd think at first, right? But there's a good reason. The biggest one is that Kiritaka is on the Council of Ten, which runs Pristella… Really, when you get down to it, he's the leading member of the city's top ten most influential people."

"Are we talking about the same Kiritaka? Seriously?"

Subaru's face tensed up as he recalled the not particularly pleasant run-in he'd had with the man just the day before. Of course, judging from Kiritaka's station and how much everyone seemed to trust him, Subaru figured that he possessed a talent that matched his status.

It was just that his first impression of the man and the latest incident from the day before were difficult to reconcile with this new information.

"—Master Kiritaka is an upstanding and capable man. There's no reason to be concerned, Master Subaru."

Crusch had read his thoughts right as she joined them in the conference room.

Having split off midway up from the underground treatment area to fetch Wilhelm, she'd returned with a freshly dressed Ferris and the Sword Devil in tow.

"Thank you for coming, Crusch. What about Kiritaka?"

"It would seem he is too busy with the evacuation and dispatching of personnel to attend at this time. He said he would join our conference once matters calm down a little."

After hearing Crusch's reply, Anastasia went, "I see, I see," with a nod. Watching the exchange, Wilhelm glanced at Subaru in his seat and the bandage on his leg.

"Sir Subaru, what is the condition of your leg?"

"About as good as it looks. Sorry for the pitiful state I'm in. Wilhelm, you're…"

"I originally came to seek Sir Kiritaka's opinion on how to best allocate the city's forces. Having completed that bit of business, I am currently escorting Lady Crusch. That man is quite accomplished for his age."

"Hnnngh… At this point, that's the only thing I can say…"

With both Crusch and Wilhelm vouching for him, Subaru could only conclude that his doubts about Kiritaka's ability had been misplaced. But if that was true, then just how important was Liliana to Kiritaka if she was able to provoke him that much?

He brushed those pointless thoughts aside when Crusch called his name.

"Master Subaru, it was immediately after hearing the broadcast that Lady Anastasia immediately suggested we relocate here. Thanks to our acquaintance with Sir Kiritaka and this building being designated as a shelter, Ferris has been able to use his abilities where they are most needed."

"The fact that we were able to keep Subawu's leg in one piece was also thanks to that decision."

Apparently, Kiritaka was so reliable that he was the main reason Anastasia had suggested they set up here. Crusch and Ferris both seemed to concur with that assessment. From the way they put it, Subaru had lucked out, given the terrible ordeal he'd been through.

"Worst-case scenario, I could've bit the dust right then and there and taken Beako with me…"

"But that didn't happen. That little girl did everything she could to get ya outta there. You're a lucky dude, Bro."

Subaru managed a smile at Al's lighthearted take on things. If Subaru actually had any luck, he would've made it through the day without dying multiple times.

Sadly, reality was not so accommodating. That was why Subaru didn't trust fortune even a little.

—Subaru Natsuki's good luck dried up in a back alley on the same day he'd been summoned to another world.

"I'm all out of luck, so the only thing I can do is stay steady and work with what I've got."

Even now, it was only thanks to Beatrice's sacrifice that he had any moves to make at all. Subaru had to rise to the occasion.

"Incidentally, is everyone here? Setting aside Crusch's crew for the moment, Anastasia's team seems way more understaffed than usual…" Focusing on the matter at hand, Subaru mentioned the missing faces that he expected to be attending. Otto, who should've been at the Muse Company already for follow-up negotiations, was concerningly absent. Additionally, Julius, Ricardo, and the Iron Fangs, who served as Anastasia's main combat forces, were nowhere to be seen.

On top of all that, neither Felt nor anyone associated with her was anywhere in sight.

"Julius, the big doggy-man, and the Iron Fangs escorted Ferri over here. After that, they left to check on the other shelters."

"They've been instructed to contact Ferris if they happen upon anyone gravely injured in the hopes of saving even one more life."

"Gotcha. That's… Wait, what do you mean, 'contact him'?"

In a world where cell phones weren't widespread or really available at all, there shouldn't have been an easy way to stay in touch remotely. However, Ferris responded to Subaru's doubts by saying, "Look," and raising his hand. In his palm was a folding mirror—or more precisely, a metia that looked like one.

"A conversation mirror?!"

"Heh-heh, that's right. It's the same one we seized after the battle against the Witch Cult a year ago. Lady Anastasia has been keeping it safe, and she let us take it out for a spin."

Ferris winked as he held up the metia that made it possible to communicate with anyone holding its opposite. It really did perform the same role a phone did.

A year ago, this had been part of the spoils of war acquired after the battle with Petelgeuse, the Archbishop of Sloth. Now these metia were apparently seeing use again in another battle against the Witch Cult.

"The ones that can connect with three mirrors at once are rare. It'd be a waste not to break them out at a time like this."

"So the other ones got distributed to the guys out on patrol—gotcha."

It was karma that metia once owned by the Witch Cult would end up being used to fight them. Anastasia was incredibly well prepared to have them on hand, ready to go.

"Okay, all that makes sense. But Otto's not involved in that, is he?"

Subaru asked about Otto, who probably would've been irritated that he was being treated like an afterthought.

It was none other than Subaru who'd proudly refer to Otto as a domestic adviser who could hold his own in a fight, but compared with Julius and Ricardo, he was overwhelmingly outclassed as a warrior.

Subaru figured there was no way he'd be part of the crew that went out on patrol, but his question made Crusch lower her eyes.

"Unfortunately, Master Otto is not here. He was nowhere to be seen by the time we arrived. He might be at one of the nearby shelters…"

"Th-that guy's bad timing is just legendary…"

Subaru cursed Otto's inability to be at the right place at the right time despite the fact that he was already supposed to be at the Muse Company to begin with.

Regardless of where he was or what he was doing, it would be a serious problem if he wasn't safe and sound—

"—I guess there's no need to worry. He's the last person I expect to slip up, so I'll save him for later."

"I-is that really fine? Perhaps you should worry somewhat more…"

"Nah, it's all good. In terms of pure fighting strength, he can't hold a candle to a guy like Wilhelm, but…when it comes to staying alive, Otto's basically second to none."

"…You must…really trust him a great deal."

"It's actually kinda embarrassing, so don't tell him I said that, okay?"

If nothing else, Subaru fully intended to take that secret with him to the grave.

Either way, he decided to trust that the patrolling unit was on the right track and that Otto was safe for the moment. The same went for the absent Garfiel. He'd worry about the lack of combat strength later.

Setting them aside, the concern that suddenly came to mind was—

"Are Patlash and Fulfew still back at the inn? Both of them are sharp, so there's probably nothing to worry about… Come to think of it, Priscilla's one thing since she's staying in a different inn, but where's Felt and her people?"

"We currently don't know the whereabouts of either party. I heard Lady Felt left the inn on some errand, but there is one element of uncertainty."

"And that would be…?"

"Apparently, she was planning to have a chat with a certain redhead who ruined the mood this morning."

A troubled expression appeared on Anastasia's face. Subaru's was much

the same. However, the one with the most concerning face of all was Wilhelm, who found it difficult to maintain his composure for obvious reasons.

Seeing Wilhelm harden his cheeks as he went silent, Anastasia let out a little sigh.

"That being said, Felt has Reinhard with her, so we shouldn't worry too much… Still, it's scary to not have any idea what that other little princess is up to."

Changing topics, Anastasia pressed a hand to her cheek as she pointedly tried to probe Al for information. Al simply went, "Gimme a break…" as he responded with a throaty voice. "A guy like me can't tell what the princess is thinking. Well, I don't think she's gotten herself in trouble or anything, but my guess is that she ain't gonna just patiently sit and wait this out."

"Come to think of it, Priscilla was with Liliana at the park in the First District. After we split up, I bumped into the guys who turned my leg into a chew toy, so I'm not sure what happened to her after that, but…"

"The princess was in First District? …That ain't too far from here."

Processing the new information that Subaru had offered, Al rubbed his steel helm's jaw and sank into thought. Of course, the proper thing for a retainer to do after learning of his master's location would have been to rush out to her side.

"Well, the princess probably has thoughts of her own. No need to dash off in a panic or anything."

"Are…are you sure?"

"Didn't you say so yourself, Bro? It's all about that trust, man. This is embarrassin', so make sure you don't tell the princess I said that."

Subaru made a face when Al took his words and turned them around on him. Subaru's reservations aside, both of them understood the thought process behind the other's decision.

"All right, sorry for making you bear with me while I took time to figure things out. Let's get to the topic at hand. Since we're in the Witch Cult Disaster Response HQ, tell me—what's the plan?"

"First, we're waiting for word from the unit we dispatched. However, the very fact that the Witch Cult broadcast originated from the government office's metia means…"

"There is no mistaking that the city's four control towers have been seized."

As she said that, Crusch stood by a window and gestured outside with her hand. Following where her fingers pointed, if Subaru squinted, he could make out a stonework tower connected to the city's exterior wall—that must have been one of the control towers.

These structures were administration facilities that regulated the amount of water as well as the flow rate of the city's always-running waterways. They occupied the cardinal directions, with one each in the north, south, east, and west. Only one of them was visible from the conference room, but—

"—What's that flag I see up top?"

In the distance, there was a fluttering banner rising over the tower. Subaru didn't remember seeing one while wandering around the city that morning or the day before. The flag had some kind of strange symbol traced on it using red dye.

The eye pattern pricked at an unpleasant part of Subaru's memories.

"That is the symbol of the Witch Cult. It's rare for them to engage in such public displays, but…"

Like Crusch said, that symbol was the same one that marked the signature black outfits of the Witch Cultists. The robe that Sirius had been wearing sported it as well.

And now it was on a flag flying over the control tower—the message was crystal clear.

"Let me guess: All four control towers have the same flag?"

"That is correct. Now that they have seized the control towers, should they wish it, our enemies can submerge Pristella in water at any moment…

Action must be taken immediately."

Crusch made it obvious what an awful situation the city was currently in.

This was like if a baby was holding the detonator for a nuclear bomb— what made it far worse was that unlike a baby, the Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins understood perfectly well the value of the switch in their hands.

"Are the city's residents panicking? Hearing that the Witch Cult has taken over the control towers can't be good news."

"Thanks to Pristella's extensive preparations for floods, chaos in the city has been kept tamped down to a surprising degree. However, evacuating the city is no simple matter."

One of Lugunica's five largest cities, Pristella had a population of roughly

a hundred thousand. It wasn't impossible, but conducting a major evacuation of that many people without sparking a panic was far from easy.

Factoring in the Witch Cult only made matters even more complicated, since it would be essential to avoid drawing their attention.

"The city's main gate is the only real way in or out of the city, and one of the control towers is very close to it, so the enemy's really got us by the scruff of our necks. Speaking of those guys…"

"—The three Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins, huh?"

Taking Ferris's meaning, Subaru highlighted the reason that the situation was so dire.

Judging by the reactions around the room, everyone else was up to speed.

It certainly wasn't good news, but it wasn't particularly surprising, either. They were simply wary of the threat that the enemy posed.

"There's Wrath, who wounded me along with the other people in the square; Greed, who carried off Emilia; and Lust, who's apparently broadcasting from the municipal offices… An all-star team of assholes."

"You seem unexpectedly calm about this, Natsuki, even though Emilia was kidnapped and everything."

"That's exactly why. If losing my cool and going berserk would get her back, I'd raise enough hell to make it into the history books. But it doesn't work that way, so…"

Subaru had already made one blunder by losing his cool. The price was Emilia's abduction. Beatrice had settled the tab in his stead.

He couldn't afford any more screwups. He needed a heart of steel so that he could take back everything.

"Sir Subaru's feelings are admirable. I shall do everything in my meager power to assist you."

"Thank you so much, Wilhelm. That's super reassuring."

Wilhelm, who was incredibly invested in helping the two troubled lovebirds for personal reasons, had just pledged his support. That was alone was a big comfort. The Sword Devil's strength was indispensable if they wanted to last in a direct fight.

"? What is it, Al?"

It was then that Subaru abruptly noticed that Al had been watching the exchange between him and Wilhelm in silence. But when Subaru posed the question, Al offered a noncommittal "Nothing, really" and shrugged. "I was just thinking that you're pretty twisted in your own way, Bro— Anyway, let's push on to the main topic."

"R-right, suppose we should. Uh, so about that broadcast…"

Even though what Al said bothered him, Subaru turned his attention back to the room as a whole to bring up something that had been bothering him since the initial discussion.

Namely—

"—This Archbishop of Lust called herself Capella Emerada Lugunica? What's up with that?"

3

—Capella Emerada Lugunica. That was the name the Archbishop of Lust had used to introduce herself.

Subaru hadn't personally heard the introduction, but the name alone was more than enough to catch his attention. In particular, he couldn't simply dismiss the Lugunica part.

"The only people with Lugunica as their family name should be in the royal family, right? Why claim that name?"

"Isn't it just to mess with us? The royal family all dyin' of illness is a pretty famous story, y'know?"

"There must be some kind of scheme behind it. I believe it would be hasty of us to dismiss the matter as nothing more than a prank in poor taste."

Al and Crusch aired their respective opinions about the doubt that Subaru harbored.

Given this was the Witch Cult, either explanation was entirely possible and worth considering.

"—One thing does come to mind."

It was then that Wilhelm raised a hand, cutting in with a new perspective.

"And what might that be?"

"While I do not have anything to add about the name Capella…there was most certainly a member of the Lugunica royal family who went by the name of Emerada Lugunica."

"!!"

Everyone blinked in surprise at this unexpected reveal. Wilhelm touched

his chin and half closed his blue eyes as he rummaged through his memories.

"Lady Emerada was alive prior to the Demi-human War…over fifty years ago. I have never met her personally, but records mention that she was a woman of exceptional beauty and wisdom."

"So is this a case of them impersonating someone who actually existed?

Maybe it's an attempt to ruin someone's good name?"

That would be a rather petty and spiteful thing to do, but such an unsavory pastime was far from unthinkable when the Archbishops of the Seven Deadly Sins were involved.

But then Wilhelm retorted with a quick "No," shaking his head at Subaru's remark.

"I do not know the opponent's aim in doing this…but Lady Emerada was not someone who passed away with great deeds to her name. If anything, it is the opposite."

"You mean…"

"Lady Emerada succumbed to illness at a young age. However, not only was her death not mourned by the kingdom, but she was also denied a state funeral, as would be standard. The stated reason was that conditions at the time were too dire to hold a formal ceremony. However, the real reason is

that the kingdom's people had no desire to do any such thing."

Wilhelm's explanation left Subaru with such a disturbing sense of foreboding that he said nothing. Noticing this, Wilhelm let out a tiny sigh.

"Lady Emerada was a terribly beautiful and wise person…but she was also reportedly cruel in the extreme, and constantly shrouded in an unfathomable darkness. As such, though she was part of the royal family, she was branded a heretic, and even news of her passing seemed to have been suppressed for some time."

It must have been painful for Wilhelm to speak in uncertainties that reflected on the dignity of the kingdom he once served with his sword arm. He had sounded increasingly tongue-tied by the latter half of his tale.

In contrast, choosing to go by the name of Emerada seemed to be a comment on the poor character of Lust after this revelation.

"…There's no way it's the real person, so Lust is almost certainly just pretending to be Emerada."

"Claiming the name of a royal who fell victim to illness is most likely an indirect form of harassment aimed at those who knew Emerada. I believe that most who masquerade as a member of the royal family do so to invite suspicion and mistrust."

Wilhelm's conclusion made everyone present sigh with unsettled looks.

Unlike Subaru and Al, who did not feel any particular allegiance toward the kingdom itself, Crusch and Wilhelm seemed stricken by what was happening.

However, the strongest reaction came from someone besides them.

"—That's unforgivable."

"Ferris?"

Murmuring in a low growl, Ferris was shaking a fist.

Though Ferris usually seemed ever aloof, rarely concerning himself with anything besides Crusch, he currently wore a mask of raw anger. The sight shocked Subaru.

Lust's evil intentions were tantamount to spitting on the faces of the royal family of Lugunica. There was no doubt that to Ferris, a knight of the royal guard, this was a desecration of the highest order.

At the same time, Subaru sensed that there was another reason for Ferris's rage that had nothing to do with fealty for the kingdom.

"—Ah."

As Ferris harbored such deep, silent anger, Crusch moved close, gently taking his hand. Instantly, Ferris gasped and lifted his face, only to be met by Crusch's steady gaze and soft smile.

"I-I'm sorry, Lady Crusch. I shouldn't have lost control like that…"

"It is fine, Ferris. I am the one who should be sorry, for I suspect your anger is largely on my behalf."

 " "

From the way Ferris lowered his head, Crusch's words must have hit the mark. It was probably true that Crusch's lost memories were the source of his aggravation.

That they could not share that burden gnawed at him, undermining the powerful bonds that should have connected the liege and her retainer.

"Yes, yes, let's all simmer down. Getting worked up at every little bit of mayhem our opponents cause would just be playing into their hand."

It was then that Anastasia gathered everyone's attention with a resounding clap. As Subaru had surmised, she was quite accustomed to presiding over meetings with large numbers of people. She looked at everyone in the room before continuing:

"Whatever Lust might be planning doesn't change the fact that she's our enemy. And it doesn't change the fact that she holds the control towers, which means she has us by the scruff of our necks."

"Man, you change up fast… No wonder you're the one Princess pays the most attention to."

"Why, thank you. The way you put it wasn't the most comforting, though."

As Anastasia restored their focus and cleared the air, Al praised her by using his own frame of reference, drawing a troubled smile from Anastasia. Then he twisted his neck and said, "If anything, these Archbishops are so messed up in the head that trying to find the logic in their plans is probably a waste of time. More importantly, what are we gonna do about their demands?"

"Demands? Wait, wait, this is news to me. What demands?"

"Ahh, right, I was just about to bring up the contents of Lust's threat to get you up to speed, Natsuki."

Subaru voiced his surprise at Al's mention of demands, and Anastasia confirmed that an explanation was coming. Her word choice hinted at the menace they were facing.

"The Witch Cult took over the control towers and the city hall, but it would seem their objective is different than, say, destroying the city or massacring the residents. According to Lust, they're searching for something, and threatening the populace is simply a means to that end," Anastasia explained.

"Then…in other words, they've taken the city hostage as some act of terrorism?"

The reason he hadn't ever considered the possibility of the Witch Cult doing this sort of thing was simply because terrorists took hostages as a means of negotiation. Such rational acts of evil didn't match up with Subaru's internal idea of what the Witch Cult stood for and how they operated.

"Natsuki, are you all right? You seem startled."

"Nah, nah, I just didn't see that coming from their crew… Sorry, getting sidetracked. Anyway, what are they looking for?"

It probably wasn't anything decent. There was also the possibility that with Emilia already secured, they had already gotten what they came for, but from the looks of things, that was unlikely.

As Subaru made those deductions, Anastasia gently stroked the white fox scarf around her neck before she replied:

"—The Witch's bones."

"…What?"

That answer was so far beyond Subaru's expectations that his brain was unable to process those words. While he was reeling, Anastasia spoke up again.

"The Witch's bones. That's why they came to this city."

 " "

When that incomprehensible fact was thrust in his face once more, Subaru's words failed him.

Trying to imagine what the Witch's bones were and their significance was a demand far beyond Subaru.

In the first place, the very notion of the Witch having left her bones behind as some sort of relic sounded like a complete hoax. After all—

"The Witch of Jealousy, who swallowed up half the world long ago, was never destroyed and continues to slumber in a land far to the East, still coveting the world—or so goes the tales that have been passed down for generations."

Still holding Ferris's hand, Crusch directly addressed the source of Subaru's agitation. Swallowing, he simply responded with a "yeah" and a nod. "I heard that from Beako, too. The Witch of Jealousy isn't dead; she's just sealed away. But if that's the case, then how would she leave bones behind?"

As he spoke, he couldn't help but remember his fleeting encounter with the Witch of Jealousy in the Sanctuary.

She was a black shadow of a woman who exchanged only several scant words with him in the span of a few moments—but for some reason, Subaru's heart rejected, stubbornly, the notion that she was dead in any way.

He had no choice but to reject it.

Subaru's soul wanted to cry out: It's impossible for her to be dead.

And someday—you will come to kill me, yes?

Yes, those words, which were not a real promise, demanded and begged for him to reject the possibility that the Witch was dead.

"That's right. There's no way that's true. It can't be…" The uneasiness filling Subaru made his breathing uneven.

"—Calm down, Bro. Look, about these Witch's bones… It's not like they have to belong to the infamous Witch of Jealousy, right?"

"—Wha?"

Al grasped his shoulder, speaking those words in an effort to soothe him. Everyone else in the room turned their eyes on Al, though they couldn't see his expression under his steel helm.

"So how about it? Like Bro and the young duchess were sayin', the most famous Witch was sealed away and all, but there were other Witches, too, right?"

"There are beings besides the Witch of Jealousy who we call witches as a term of convenience. During the Demi-human War, magic users cooperating with the Demi-human Alliance were often called witches as well, and they were greatly feared."

"Meaning there's a precedent. Then…"

"Well, it's a little different for this city. If a witch is mentioned here, then it must be about a real one rather than some imitation who's only a witch in name."

Wilhelm had been the first to answer Al, but Anastasia's follow-up confidently drew a conclusion that Subaru found difficult to accept.

"From that manner of speaking…I take it that Lady Anastasia has something in mind?"

"Even I wouldn't be talking like this if I wasn't almost certain. The reason I wanted to meet up with Kiritaka after hearing Lust's broadcast is because of that same hunch, even if it meant going out of my way to make it happen."

Anastasia narrowed her light-blue eyes as she divulged what she'd kept hidden up to that point. She then surveyed everyone's faces all at once.

"Anyone can find this out with a little digging, but does everyone know how this Water Gate City came to be?"

"…I heard that way back, this was originally supposed to be a trap for catching something."

Subaru recalled that upon first arriving in Pristella, Beatrice had given him a history lesson as he admired the beautiful urban landscape. She hadn't elaborated on exactly what was supposed to be trapped, though.

"That's correct," said Anastasia, nodding at Subaru's reply. "Apparently, this city was a trap set for the Witch. The Witch met her end here when the entire place was flooded. According to legend, her bones remain somewhere in this city, even today."

"But the Witch of Jealousy was sealed and…"

The full story about the city's past had been revealed in an unexpected fashion. Still, nothing seemed to add up.

As Subaru began to disagree—

"—Typhon drowned in a flood, right…? So this is where that happened, huh?"

—he was interrupted by a faint, halting murmur that originated from inside a steel helm.

 " "

When Subaru looked over in surprise at the unanticipated mention of a certain name, Al was blithely playing with the metal fixtures of his helmet, having fallen deep into thought. But Subaru had no doubt that he'd just said the name Typhon.

This was the name of the Witch of Pride, one of the six other Witches from the same era as the Witch of Jealousy.

"The answer to your question is simple, Natsuki. There are Witches besides the Witch of Jealousy. There are almost no records remaining, but there certainly are oral legends. And one of them states that in this city…"

"—This is where the bones of the ancient Witch remain."

Neither Anastasia nor Crusch heard Al's murmur as they steadily advanced the conversation. As a result, Subaru missed his chance to investigate deeper into Al's cryptic remark.

Of course, when he took a moment to consider their current priorities, it was obvious this wasn't the time to get sidetracked.

But if what Al murmured under his breath really was true, the Witch of Pride, whom Subaru had encountered at the Sanctuary—the Witch who was a bundle of youthful innocence—had perished in the very city that Subaru currently stood in.

The thought alone made Subaru's chest ache.

"What is the connection between the Witch's bones and Lady Anastasia making haste to meet with Master Kiritaka?"

Returning to the topic at hand, Crusch once again asked about Anastasia's true intentions. Anastasia began her reply by winking.

"The existence of the Witch's bones is a closely held secret in the Water Gate City…and the only people familiar with the legends and supposed whereabouts are on the Council of Ten. I figured I might as well try asking one."

"Meaning only the big shots of the city have any idea… Anastasia, does that mean what I think it means? That you think it's better to give in to Lust's demands?"

"Of course not. Complying with someone who threatens people to get what they want will only end with you being taken advantage of every single time. Anyway, I just wanted to confirm the current location of the bones… There's no guarantee that one of the Council of Ten won't do something stupid and tell Lust where they are, right?"

"…I suppose that's true."

Unlike Subaru's shallow mindset, Anastasia's assessments were swift and accurate.

Negotiating with terrorists often did make things worse. In their current situation, the Archbishops would almost certainly flood the city the instant they recovered the Witch's bones.

That was how assured Subaru was about their deceitful character.

"See, I was looking into the details of this while you were asleep, Natsuki. When Kiritaka makes it up here, we can talk about these bones in more detail. Then we can decide on a proper response."

"By 'response,' you mean…"

"—Whether to fight or to flee, of course."

There was quiet determination in Anastasia's low voice. It was as if an angry blue flame had been lit within her.

"I'm the one who called all the royal-selection candidates here to Pristella. Of course I feel responsible for the way things have turned out… I need to extract some compensation from these unexpected visitors after all they've done."

Anastasia was the owner of a major company who didn't have any notable ability in combat worth speaking of. And yet her soft-spoken pronouncement made Subaru feel like a great beast had just clamped its fangs down on his neck.

This was a sharp reminder that Anastasia Hoshin was one of the last people he wanted as an enemy.

"—Ahh, wait, wait. The conversation mirror's responding! It must be

Julius and the others."

Just as the conversation reached a lull, Ferris raised a hand with a look of surprise. He was holding the metia up, showing how the mirror's surface glowed white in search of a response.

Setting it down on the round table so that everyone could see, Ferris gently touched the surface of the mirror with his hand.

"—It seems that Ferris and…everyone else is over there. I take it you can see me?"

A tall, handsome man with purple hair rose to the mirror's surface. It was Julius Juukulius, who had gone out into the city to save lives.

As soon as it was clear that Julius was on the other end, Anastasia rushed to place herself in front of the mirror with a rapid patter of feet.

"Julius, I was getting worried after you didn't get in touch for a while. How's it looking outside?"

"I am very sorry to have troubled you. The situation in the city is chaotic. The residents are becoming increasingly enraged by the Witch Cult… More importantly, there is something I must urgently convey without delay."

Quickly cutting his reunion with Anastasia short, Julius instantly vanished from the mirror's surface. Displayed in the mirror in the stead of the tall, handsome man was a little cat-person wearing a monocle—TB.

It turned out that he, one of the three sibling lieutenants of the Iron Fangs, had been accompanying Julius.

"TB? What's wrong? You seem upset…"

"L-Lady Anastasia, this is very, very bad. Has my older sister returned yet?"

Interrupting Anastasia, TB asked a frantic question. Bewildered by his disheveled appearance, Anastasia answered with a quick no, shaking her head.

"Mimi hasn't been back. I was worried about her, too…TB?"

A profound sense of dread could be felt from the other side of the mirror. However, there was still more to come. Suddenly, what looked like a ripple glided across the conversation mirror's glass surface.

"Excuse me! Is Lady Anastasia there?! This is bad! Hetaro says that Mimi's in trouble!"

An instant later, the third of the linked conversation mirrors connected to the call. Displayed on the mirror's surface was the dog-man Ricardo, staring into the mirror with his mouth wide open. But as soon as the image became clear, Ricardo's head was immediately pushed aside by a teary-eyed kittyperson.

"Lady! Lady!! Big Sis is— She's…!!"

The one pleading in a tearful voice was Hetaro, TB's almost identicallooking brother. While the boy normally wore a meek expression, his face now was twisted up in abject sorrow.

"Hetaro, calm down. What happened? Speak slowly and clearly."

"Th-the effects of our blessing— It's flowing from Big Sis and into us!

Sh-she must've gotten hurt really bad… At this rate, Big Sis won't…!"

"'Blessing'… You mean the blessing of thirds, yes? In other words, Mimi got injured at some point, and it's affecting Hetaro and TB, too? Do I have it right so far?"

Hetaro and TB nodded simultaneously to confirm Anastasia's deductions.

Listening to the conversation from behind, Subaru recalled hearing from Mimi that the blessing of thirds—the one that tied the three siblings together —made them share wounds and fatigue.

Once upon a time back at the Roswaal Manor, a sudden change came over Ram when Rem had been in danger. This was similar to what Mimi and her brothers had—which meant Mimi was currently in trouble.

Urgency raced through everyone present, including on the other ends of the conversation mirrors, as they grasped this new development. Just as they processed the striking revelation that one of their own was clearly in mortal danger—

"Yoo-hoo, yoo-hoo-hoo, yahoo-hoo!"

—a brash voice that seemed to not care about the situation at all reverberated throughout the city.

"What the…?"

Subaru, unsure how to react to this abrupt announcement, instinctively turned his face toward the ceiling. The voice was coming from somewhere above. Not from the ceiling, but quite literally from the sky itself.

This was the work of a metia that reached every corner of the city—and the one using the municipal office's facilities to make this broadcast was the same Archbishop of Lust who had come up in conversation several times already.

"To all you meatbags in the city: Are you having fun? Have you gotten hammered and horny from hearing my lovely voice for the umpteenth time today? Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

It was a high-pitched, grating laugh. That haughty voice paid no heed to the feelings of those who were forced to listen. This was an assault on the ears of every person in the city.

It had only taken Subaru moments to come to a realization—the person making this broadcast had a vicious, ugly character.

"So this is Lust… Man, does she have perfect timing or what?!"

"Now then, all you meatbags who can't help but get hot and heavy at the sound of a beautiful girl's voice, I have a very important announcement from your oh-so-gentle and merciful broadcaster! So listen up! Pay attention! Cleaned out your ears yet?!"

In contrast to Subaru, who was unable to conceal his restlessness, those hearing this kind of broadcast for the second time displayed a variety of reactions. Wariness, anger, hatred—in any case, they were not nearly as shaken while waiting for the words that were bound to follow.

What was the owner of this maddening, agonizing voice going to tell them?

"Soooo it turns out that even though I asked you so, so nicely, a couple of people who clearly didn't get the message decided to target the municipal offices… This upsets me so much! Really, I can't exaggerate what complete and total morons you ignorant meatbags are!"

"…We're not putting up with this anymore. Ricardo, Julius, listen closely: Go back to the municipal offices with Hetaro and TB and have them find out where Mimi wen—"

As the broadcast continued, Anastasia decided to address the most pressing issue. She gave orders to her knight and her loyal hound through the conversation mirrors to try and secure Mimi's safety.

However, even as Anastasia strove to maintain her calm, the change in the situation made sport of even her.

—And this came in what was, to all concerned, the worst of all possible forms.

"—Who goes there?!"

Abruptly, Wilhelm shouted sharply toward the entrance to the conference room. As the Sword Devil readied his now-drawn blade, Subaru and the others turned in the same direction.

An instant later, the door practically burst open as a lone figure raced into the conference room.

For a moment, the sudden appearance of an intruder startled Subaru and the others, but the first to shed his surprise and raise his voice was none other than Subaru himself.

"Garfiel?!"

The familiar voice made Garfiel, out of breath and slick with sweat, lift his face.

Noticing Subaru's presence, he drew near with a tottering, uncertain gait. Subaru only belatedly realized the cause of this uncharacteristic behavior and the strange atmosphere that had befallen the room.

Garfiel was carrying something in his arms.

No one was able to speak a word as Garfiel stopped before Subaru. Once he got that far, Garfiel crumpled to his knees, lowering his head as if clinging to Subaru.

Then when he presented what lay in his bloodied arms, his throat trembled.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, General!! I'm…! I'm useless! Worthless…!!" There was a shriek. Garfiel howled in grief.

Cradled in his bloodied arms was Mimi, who was visibly at death's door.

CHAPTER 4

GORGEOUS TIGER

1

Rewinding time to the day before Garfiel raced into the shelter—

 " "

As he walked along a city street at dusk, Garfiel's breath caught when he abruptly noticed someone's gaze on him.

Standing at a street corner on the other side of a crowd was a black silhouette of a woman. Her reflection swayed gently on the water's surface.

She was a familiar figure whom he saw at the edges of his vision from time to time—though Garfiel knew full well this was not a real person, but the phantom of a woman who had once existed.

He could not smell her.

Given Garfiel's nose, it was impossible for him to miss picking up the scent of someone within eyeshot—never mind the scent of blood that had hung around that woman, so poignant that it was ingrained in his nostrils, never fading no matter how much time passed.

That was why Garfiel could speak with certainty: This woman was a phantom.

Besides, he had also been the one who killed her—Elsa Gramhilde—with his very own hands.

 " "

But all that time later, the woman's phantom continued to stare at Garfiel.

Her smile had been so blackish red, like the darkest blood, that he could almost swear that he smelled the colors. Those lips made his chest ache to this day.

The first time he'd noticed the wraith was about two months after leaving the Sanctuary.

Right after an incident involving him as well as Subaru and Otto in a certain town, Garfiel started seeing her flickering into the edges of his vision every so often.

Somehow, he understood the cause—this echo reflected the weakness in Garfiel's heart.

Garfiel had never properly put that incident behind him. Even though he saw himself as nothing but a coward, Subaru and the others kept saying over and over again that Garfiel had done well.

When he thought back on it, he realized they'd always done that. His companions always overlooked his faults.

But Garfiel had not forgotten everything he had done to the people who were now his comrades.

One wrong step, and he surely would have ripped into Subaru and Otto with the very claws that he used to protect them. Even if he lacked the courage to do so, it would have become all too easy if he had fallen into despair.

That was why Garfiel could not forgive his own weakness or his cowardice.

Accordingly, Garfiel had accepted that he was seeing Elsa—the first life he had ever taken—because she was the manifestation of his weakness.

The phantom's blood-colored smile mocked Garfiel the instant his heart foundered—

"Hey, Garf, are you listening? Right now, Mimi's talking about some really good things! Mimi really is!"

A bubbly grin entered his view, blocking off that blood-colored smile in the distance. If this girl brought her beaming face any closer, he'd be able to feel her breath. Garfiel recoiled.

"…Uh, right, I'm listening."

"Good! Anyway, Hetaro and TB are such spoiled kids. It's really hard on me as their big sister!"

Garfiel's reply was listless, but judging by her cackling laugh, the girl hadn't noticed.

She had orange fur and round eyes that were overflowing with innocence.

For whatever reason, the cat-person Mimi, a member of a rival camp, kept hanging around Garfiel every chance she got.

At present, Garfiel and Mimi were taking an evening stroll through Pristella together.

Garfiel would have preferred to be alone, but he'd blundered by letting Mimi find him and tag along. There was no way she had the ability to pick up on subtle social cues.

Somehow, ever since arriving in Pristella— No, ever since their first meeting at Roswaal Manor, she'd been particularly fond of him. At first, he'd assumed this was a vigilant investigation of a rival candidate's combat strength, but the way she talked and acted had made his initial suspicions fade. At this point, he assumed she'd simply taken a liking to him.

Without any idea of why she might think that, he usually agreed to go along with most of her whims.

"Grrr! Garf, you're making a weird face! Did something funny happen?"

"Does this look like a happy face to you…? I don't wanna talk about it, and I got no obligation to."

"You shouldn't use hard words like obligation and courtesy the way Joshua does, okay? Mimi thinks it's good to use regular words. Plus, smiling like an idiot like you always do is way cooler, Garf!"

"The hell did you just say to my face?!"

Perhaps she was sincerely trying to praise him, but Garfiel just got irritated and bared his fangs at her. The girl cried out with a "Waaah!" and smiled as she broke into a run. After going a short distance, Mimi came to a stop, grinning as she waited for him to catch up—and the phantom who had surely been there earlier was nowhere to be seen.

Garfiel had rushed out of the Water Raiment that evening because of the lingering effects of his interaction with Reinhard the Sword Saint.

The current Sword Saint was known as the strongest not only in the Kingdom of Lugunica, but in all four of the great nations.

Not only had Garfiel heard the run-of-the-mill rumors, but he'd also heard about the man directly from Subaru, who had met the living legend. That was why Garfiel had been longing for a chance to meet him in person someday.

He'd firmly believed that this was a necessary rite of passage for him to become the strongest.

To Garfiel, being called the strongest held a special meaning.

He was sure that anyone who was born a man must have dreamed of being the strongest at least once. And everyone who had that dream forgot about it at some point over the course of a long life, yearning for that which they had abandoned. Garfiel did not want to forget that dream.

That title was an absolute necessity for the cowardly Garfiel to protect the things that were most important to him. With that thought in mind, he chased after it without rest.

That was why the fact that he had subconsciously backed down the instant he was face-to-face with the strongest was currently driving him to despair.

He'd lived for a scant fifteen years, yet Garfiel had spent the majority of his life in training. He poured all his effort into mastering the martial arts, proving he could uphold his oath to protect what was precious to him with his own two hands.

The instant he yielded ground in the face of real strength, it felt like he had betrayed his oath.

Before he could make the Sword Saint draw his sword, before he could make the man brush away his honed fist, Garfiel had already lost.

Garfiel, worries or not, you're damn strong.

That was how Subaru tried to console Garfiel as he struggled in the quagmire of defeat. Those words ate at him so much that he thought it was an achievement he wasn't wailing pathetically that very moment.

Provoked by those feelings, which were swirling in his chest with no outlet, she became visible—the woman he had slain. Unable to ignore her presence, he'd raced into the Water Gate City at dusk all by himself.

That had been the plan anyway.

"Garf! Garf! Look, look! Hey, you can really see the sunset on the water

—it's so red! That's amazing! Look! So pretty!"

Running around all excited, Mimi tugged on Garfiel's sleeve, pulled on his hair, and even leaped onto his back. His self-styled companion seemed not to know the meaning of thoughtfulness or mercy.

Thanks to her, he couldn't even find a moment to wallow on his own.

"Hey, simmer down already! Don't you get that I'm down in the dumps?!"

"Hmm, nooope!"

"Who answers right away to a question like that?!"

Grabbing onto his arm, Mimi kept on tugging him along, forcing Garfiel to accompany her wherever she pleased.

He could have flung her away and fled if he was of a mind to, but that would only end with her chasing him through the city. He wanted to avoid causing trouble for Subaru and the others.

Ram and Frederica had also given him a strict warning before the group had set off for Pristella. He was to make sure his eccentricities bothered no one save Otto, who was an expert in cleaning up other people's messes.

"Mm? What's with the gloomy face, Garf? Some kind of anvie…anpie… anmiety?"

"Are you tryin' to say anxiety?"

"That's right, anxiety! So what is it? Tell me, tell me!"

Then and there, Mimi went, "Mm! Mm-hmm!" as she thrust a fist out to emphasize her request. Seeing the girl so eager for conversation made Garfiel clack his fangs, feeling like all the bitterness had simply drained away.

Garfiel turned his gaze toward the waterway, narrowing his jade eyes.

"…I guess the scenery is nice, eh?"

"Yeah, for sure! It's amazing! It's super amazing! I wish the young lady could see it, too!"

He only half listened to her rambling, but the sight of the sinking red sun reflected on the waterway was undeniably beautiful.

With the sunset drenching the world in cinnabar red, its rays left vivid patches of yellow and white on the water's surface, burning that sweet, dazzling scenery into the hearts of all who laid eyes upon it.

 " "

As that scene mesmerized him, Garfiel realized that his heart had become oddly peaceful.

He should have been all alone, wallowing in the feelings of helplessness oozing out of him due to his disheartening defeat, but the sunniness of the girl by his side had kept Garfiel from sinking into a pit of despair.

"Hmm, hmm, hmm."

Standing next to Garfiel was Mimi, the girl in question, humming in high spirits. She tugged on Garfiel's loincloth as she swayed her head back and forth, clearly enjoying herself.

All of a sudden, he realized that her hair and tail were the color of a vivid sunset. When he unwittingly reached a hand out and stroked her head, Mimi stretched her body up in apparent delight.

"Fluffy, huh? Our lady does that a lot, too. She says it has heawing properties!"

"Ahh, the general talks about healing properties and stuff, too. I feel like

I kinda get what he means now."

"Hey, Garf. Is feeling up Mimi's fluffiness good for you?"

"Hold on, you made it sound really wrong just now!"

Mimi only went, "Huh?" and innocently tilted her head, causing Garfiel to burst into laughter.

The exchange made what negative emotions were still swirling in his chest dissolve and go away. He could tell that his competitive spirit, presumably dampened by humiliation and a sense of defeat, had defiantly rebounded.

"…No one becomes the strongest overnight. Me, I'm still in the middle of climbin'."

"Oooh, that hill to become the strongest sounds really, really tall!"

"Heh, you understand surprisingly well, don't ya? Yeah, that's right. That's what the road to becoming the strongest is like."

When Mimi thrust a fist upward, Garfiel touched the white scar on his brow and clacked his fangs.

He hated to admit it, but he'd regained his competitive spirit thanks to Mimi. If he'd brooded over things all by himself, who knew how long it would have taken for him to reach the same conclusion?

"—Ah! Garf, over there!"

Right as he realized he felt grateful and couldn't bring himself to openly admit it, Mimi tugged hard on his sleeve. Her gaze was trained on a waterway that was glimmering bright red. When he looked over there, Garfiel saw it, too.

A boat was moving by itself in the Great Waterway, which cut through the city. Some rope that had been keeping it moored to the opposite shore must have come undone. But that wasn't the real problem.

"Those kiddies!"

Mimi shouted in alarm at the vessel sitting in the path of the small boat that was running adrift. Five children were playing on the moored craft, unaware of the approaching boat.

Upon hearing Mimi's voice, people in the vicinity of the waterway quickly recognized the danger of a collision. The nearby boat owner hastily ran toward the children, but he wouldn't make it in time. Noticing the ruckus, the children's faces went pale as they finally saw the approaching ship as well.

At this rate, mere seconds remained until disaster—

"—Hey, runts. You better thank that big sister over there for bein' the first to notice."

"Garf!"

Clearing the waterway in a single bound, Garf landed in the vessel that the children were aboard. The children's eyes went round with amazement at how Garfiel had appeared on a vessel in the water almost without making it sway at all.

Taking advantage of their surprise, Garfiel scooped up all five children in one go, leaping once more to escape. Hardly a moment later, the two ships collided and foundered in the waterway.

"There we go!!"

Caught up in the capsizing of the two vessels, other boats began tipping over like dominoes. Having dropped the children off by the bankside, Garfiel grabbed hold of the rope connecting the remaining ships to the docks and pulled on it hard to right them by force.

"Well, that's that!"

As the force of the waves lessened, Garfiel meticulously retied the slackened ropes and flashed a smile at the children, who were now safe and sound. Afterward, he helped recover the two capsized vessels, and the boat owner bowed his head several times over in gratitude for Garfiel's strength and for keeping the damage to a bare minimum.

Patting the shoulder of the unlucky boat owner, Garfiel paused to take a breath. It was then that—

"M-mister, thank you very much!"

—the children he saved spoke words of thanks all at once. When Garfiel looked over, he found that their gazes no longer contained surprise—they were filled with awe.

It was as Garfiel was having his moment with those children that applause began pouring down from all around.

Enduring this with an embarrassed look, Garfiel lightly rubbed the scar on his forehead.

"Don't even mention it. It was just coincidence I happened to… The damp evenin' wind told me, that's all. If someone in this Water Gate City started cryin', these waterways would overflow!"

The sounds of applause suddenly dwindled when Garfiel responded with pride.

For some reason, the voices of acclaim became distant, and the cheering became sparse and awkward. But unlike the other people around them, the reactions of the children remained just as dramatic.

"Th-that was crazy!" "So cool!" "No retreat! No surrender!"

"Ohh, that's a good one! Just like The holy lady's fist splits the ground asunder!"

"Mister, what's your name? What should we call you?"

As Garfiel puffed out his chest, one of the children posed that question.

Instantly, Garfiel bared his sharp fangs, revealing a ferocious smile.

"I'm no one important enough to be givin' out my name. If ya gotta call me somethin', then… Me, I'm a tiger. Yeah, a golden tiger. So people call me—

Gorgeous Tiger!"

"Gorgeous!" "Tiger!!"

When Garfiel struck a pose, stretching both arms up at an angle toward the heavens, the children got even more worked up, and they all imitated Garfiel.

"Garf, that's amazing! Super cool!!"

It was then that Mimi, running a roundabout route about the waterway, met up with Garfiel and the children at last. Her eyes glimmered like the rest of the group as she joined in, making the same mysterious pose.

"Gorgeous!" "Gorgeous!" "Gorgeous Tiger!!"

With all applause and cheering long gone, the boat owner was the only other person still on the waterway, his cheek twitching as he observed in silence.

2

After quickly taking a shine to the children, Garfiel ended up buying them food at a nearby stall. Then he stood tall and triumphant as he strutted around the city.

"And then I said this: 'I've seen through your evil deeds, third-raters.

Your wickedness and wicked faces ain't gettin' by my general and my bro!'" "Wow! That's so cool!" "Whoa! I got goosebumps!"

As the fast-approaching night began to color Pristella's sky, Mimi and a blond boy cheered Garfiel on as he spun his tale. The latter was only six or seven, and he was one of the children whom Garfiel had saved on the waterway.

The story that Garfiel was telling at the time was the cursed-goddessstatue incident, the one that had left the deepest impression upon him out of everything that had happened in the last year.

At any rate, the trio of Subaru, Otto, and Garfiel had soon gotten deeply involved, and as a matter of course, they encountered the owner of a metia. Needless to say, a great deal of trouble ensued.

Garfiel clacked his fangs cheerfully at having an audience so happy to listen to his stories. All three were currently on the way to the blond boy's residence; they were escorting him home.

After taking the children to a food stall, Garfiel had a responsibility as the eldest person present to safely return them home. He'd already delivered the other four safe and sound. This child was the last.

"Gotta say, for little runts, you kids sure went a long way from home."

"Errr… Actually, we went to the park in the First District to hear the

Songstress…"

"The Songstress, huh? Accordin' to the general, she's got one hell of a singin' voice…"

Garfiel crinkled his nose at the innocent admiration coming out of the boy's mouth.

The boy was talking about Liliana, the famous Songstress of Pristella. It had been brief, but Garfiel had met the real deal at the Muse Company. To be blunt, she seemed like an extremely willful person, and he felt like she had fatal flaws irreconcilable with the rumors that she was a songstress of uncommon talent.

"Garf, you haven't heard the Songstress sing? What a shame! Somehow, she's reaaally good!"

"What, you actually got a good listen?"

"Yeah! I didn't fall asleep till the very end! That's a huuuge achievement!

Mimi's incredible, right? Praise me!"

When Mimi presented her head, Garfiel gave her a perfunctory pat. Mimi went, "Yaaay!" anyway, racing forward with great delight as Garfiel turned toward the boy.

"So did ya get to meet this Songstress you admire?"

"Nah, seems we were a little too late… I wonder if my sister will be upset."

"Sister? Why would she be upset?"

"…Because I…left without telling anyone."

"Ahh—"

From the boy's sullen face, it appeared that the plan was to keep his promise with his friends a secret from his family. But because he would be returning home later than expected, he couldn't help but be afraid of how his family would react, particularly this older sister of his.

Garfiel understood that feeling painfully well. Older sisters were powerful creatures. He might even go as far as to say they were formidable walls that little brothers could never surpass. That's how it was for him when he finally reunited with his own sister even after spending ten years honing his body. One look at the young boy they were escorting home, and it was obvious that even contests of strength were hopeless. There was a despairing difference in power between older sisters and their younger brothers.

"Got it. Just leave it to me."

Though worried, the boy blinked hard when Garfiel reassuringly patted his own chest.

"I know how scary big sisters can be, y'see. Me, I got a big sis, too, and the woman I love has a younger sister too. Kid, if your sister is upset, I'll listen to her lecture with you."

"Gorgeous Tiger!"

Deeply moved, the boy hugged Garfiel tightly. Garfiel hugged the boy back, only for Mimi to latch onto him from behind as well.

Thus, with cargo hanging from the front and back, Garfiel pressed on toward the boy's house with wobbly steps and newfound resolve.

"Gorgeous Tiger, huh?"

The fact that the boy had called him that just then made Garfiel clench his fangs.

The feelings of powerlessness that had driven him from the inn had not completely vanished by any means. He still lacked the confidence that he could bump into Reinhard at the ryokan and maintain his composure.

Even so, the female phantom who was dressed in black and symbolized his sense of weakness was nowhere to be seen.

This was probably thanks to the children who now revered him as Gorgeous Tiger, and the incomprehensible energy Mimi had instilled within him—

"—Fred!"

Right as Garfiel was beginning to dive into sentimentality, his ears shuddered when he heard that sharp, high-pitched voice.

When he lifted his face, he saw a small figure racing toward him. Her long, blond hair flapped about as the stranger closed in on them like a comet.

She came straight in, charging toward the boy, who was hugging onto Garfield.

"Ah, Big Si… Gwah!"

"Just how much were you trying to make me worry about you?!!"

The boy had been clinging to Garfiel—right up until his sister's kick sent him flying. Garfiel found himself admiring her kicking form and the impressive way she landed.

That instant, the girl swiftly turned about, driving her heel into Garfiel's foot as she howled:

"You shady goon! What were you doing with my Fred?!"

"That hur… Well, I guess it don't actually hurt, but could you get off my foot, runt?"

He'd already had his fill of runts, but Garfiel called the girl that nonetheless.

From her silent reaction, the girl was a little taken aback that her preemptive strike had been ineffective. Perhaps looking at Garfiel's face up close made her suspect that she'd picked a fight with a violent person.

Garfiel was similarly taken by surprise. To think that there existed another older sister besides Frederica who'd attack her younger brother without so much as a warning the moment they were reunited.

Incidentally, Mimi leaped to catch the flying boy with a "Pwah!" and both of them ending up rolling to a stop, unharmed. All the same, Garfiel felt compelled to comment.

"Can't really compliment a big sis kickin' her own little bro!"

"Argh… W-well, sorry about that, but what's your deal anyway?! Just so you know, I won't let you lay one finger on Fred or me! I'm scary when I get angry!!"

Garfiel's choice of words made the girl clench her teeth as she acknowledged the error of her own ways.

She may have been the boy's older sister, but the girl was only about ten years old herself, give or take—right around the age when kids got too big for their britches. Taking Garfiel for a street punk based on appearances alone, she'd challenged him while wringing out all her courage with tears in her eyes. She was probably doing her best to divert attention away from her little brother.

However, things were not going to go according to plan.

"G-Gorgeous Tiger…please don't eat my sister…"

The younger brother wedged himself between the tiger and his teary-eyed older sister. The pleading boy's words made the shielding girl open her eyes wide. However, the girl clenched her teeth and stood firm at her younger brother's side.

Garfiel wasn't exactly sure what was happening, but this brother and sister had a beautiful, caring relationship.

"Not that I approve of ya treatin' me like the villain here!"

"Bad, bad! Garf, you can't be a bad guy! You're Garf! You're Gorgeous

Tiger!"

Joining back in after a short dash, Mimi bounded up and poked Garfiel in the forehead. It didn't hurt, but he felt like he shouldn't just ignore it, either.

As Garfiel mulled over how to clear his name— "—Dear? Did you find Fred?"

It was the sound of someone entirely unexpected that shattered the stalemate.

It was the soft, gentle voice of a woman. The instant he heard it, he thought the sister and brother before his eyes might glance at each other's faces, but instead, they broke out running toward it in great haste.

"The hell?"

Right as Garfiel blinked in a daze at their sudden vigor, a new figure appeared from across the way. When the individual rounded a corner and came into sight, the siblings leaped into her arms.

"Mommy!" "Mom, there's a scary stranger!! That Gorgeous something or other was holding Fred, and I…!"

Catching the two as they tearfully clung to her was a casually dressed woman with long, blond hair. Going by what the siblings said, this was their mother, but Garfiel dearly hoped the mother didn't go by their words and assume he was someone suspicious. It would probably become incredibly complicated if she took her daughter at her word.

Either way, having an adult capable of rational conversation come out was a huge help. Garfiel stepped forward, wanting to explain the situation before someone called the city guards—

"—Huh?"

With the children still clinging to her, the small smile she turned toward him stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Garf?"

Garfiel's jerky movement made Mimi look at him with a mystified face.

However, Garfiel could not respond to Mimi's call. He was too preoccupied. His heart and eyes were filled with bewilderment.

He was a storm of emotions, and his thoughts had fallen into utter chaos. Of course that was what happened. It was only natural.

"Um, it seems that you were looking after my children. If you like, could we speak more at our house? It's very close by."

Gently, the woman spoke with a tone that harbored no misgivings whatsoever.

When the unguarded woman closed the distance, Garfiel widened his eyes at the sight of her. His sharp fangs refused to line up. The woman tilted her head curiously at the clattering sound of his teeth.

That expression, that demeanor, that voice—they shook Garfiel to the very core of his being.

After all, standing there was—

"—Mom?"

That raspy voice was all that he managed to spill out from his throat for a reunion that should never have happened.

3

"I am so sorry. I didn't think we would have guests, so I didn't have a chance to tidy up very much."

"Aww, don't worry about that! It's all right! Compared with Mimi's room, it's waaaay cleaner!"

"My my, you are a girl, so that simply will not do. You must keep your own room clean."

The woman gently stroked Mimi's head as the latter sat on a sofa, waving her feet around. Mimi purred happily and seemed to immediately relax.

Garfiel kept his mouth shut tight as he gazed at the pair.

The woman had long, luscious blond hair, fair skin, and a delicate physique. Her face was gentle, and there was softness in her jade eyes— which, up close, greatly resembled those of Garfiel's older sister. From her youthful appearance, she looked like she was in her twenties, but her actual age had to be in the latter half of her thirties.

After all, fifteen years had already passed since then. In spite of that, her appearance had changed little since he last saw her—a fact that tore at Garfiel's heart with frightful intensity.

"Mr., um, Gorgeous Tiger? Are you not fond of tea? I'm sorry. I went and prepared some without asking what you prefer…"

As Garfiel held his silence, the woman—a woman claiming the name of Liara Thompson—lowered her eyes with a troubled expression. Garfiel replied with "Nah, that's not it" as he hastily raised his cup. "It ain't anythin' like that. I was just a little…surprised at how big this place is."

"My, so that was it? True, our home is quite large. It is very much a chore to clean it every day and takes a fair bit of time… But it's strange, really."

"…What is?"

"I always ask guests what leaves they prefer, but this time, I just went ahead and picked this."

How odd, Liara's smile seemed to say as she pressed a hand to her cheek. Garfiel brought the cup to his lips without a word. The taste and the temperature were exactly to his liking.

Deeply disturbed by this, Garfiel searched for any disparities between Liara before him and the woman from his memories.

Liara's attire and behavior suited someone living in a stately mansion. The woman in Garfiel's memories was a simple person who wore simple clothes and gave off the impression of naivete, knowing little of the world around her. This was one area in which they differed immensely.

And yet everything about her presence—that smiling face, that gentle voice, the tiniest of gestures—led Garfiel astray.

 " "

She had to be someone else. He was sure this was a different person. Liara treated Garfiel like she would with any acquaintance of her children. Furthermore, his mother wasn't such a skilled actress that she could pull this off.

In his own mind, Garfiel desperately came to the conclusion that Liara Thompson was someone other than his mother—Lisha Tinzel. This woman only looked identical.

Garfiel was still nursing when he last saw his mother. The reason his memories of his mother were so vivid despite that was, regardless of how he felt about it, because the Sanctuary's Trial had shown him the past in normally unknowable detail.

Thanks to that, Garfiel remembered his mother's face, voice—and love.

And that was how Garfiel learned of his mother's unfortunate death, which occurred right after she had separated from her own children.

Therefore, a reunion with his mother was a wish that Garfiel would never see granted. This was just a different person who greatly resembled her.

But if she was a different person, then why was her scent so familiar?

"Mimi, the fur around your ears looks very fluffy. I wonder… May I touch it?"

"Of course!"

When Mimi offered her head, Liara happily patted it, savoring the comforting sensation of her fur.

Her innocent, doe-like smile, the way she didn't know how to doubt others, and the unguarded way she'd invite a suspicious-looking man and a kitty-girl into her own home were really quite something.

Everything about her behavior made Garfiel suspect that this Liara really might be his mother.

—Lisha, the mother of Garfiel and Frederica, was an unlucky woman.

When her family was suffering under a crushing debt, she'd been sold to an illegal slave trader at a young age. After this slave trader was raided by demi-human bandits, she became the slave of beast people instead.

Several years later, the bandits readily abandoned Lisha when she became pregnant with Frederica. Afterward, following one twist after another, she gave birth to Frederica while she was the captive of a different group of bandits.

Garfiel had heard from his older sister, Frederica, that her first memories were of her time with the bandits. His sister had not spoken of what happened during that time, but judging from how they up and disappeared the instant Lisha became pregnant with Garfiel, it could not have been a wholesome environment at all.

Spending her time with one misfortune rolling in after another, Lisha, with a young daughter in tow and a swelling belly, finally entered the care of Roswaal in the peaceful land of the Sanctuary.

Your mother… Lisha, was it? I had few opportunities to exchange words with her, you seeee. She was quite a mysterious woman. Or rather, should I describe her as incoooomprehensible, perhaps? She is a woman who seemed to keep happiness very close to her. I believe she motivated herself by living for tomorrow since she was very young… Ahh, yes. I must have been jealous. This is probably why I—

Those were the uncharacteristic words that Roswaal used to describe Garfiel's mother.

It was the first night that Otto had convinced Garfiel to try alcohol. That same night, Garfiel had gone to visit Roswaal in a drunken stupor. As Garfiel snapped at him with even more venom than usual, Roswaal abruptly spoke about his impressions of the young boy's mother.

Garfiel thought he'd die from his hangover the next morning, but he hadn't lost the memories of the night before. Therefore, his recollection of Roswaal speaking about his mother was still fresh. Garfiel was more than a little grateful to the alcohol for leaving him with that much.

At any rate, looking at the big picture, his mother was apparently an airhead whose brain had probably been permanently set to feel happiness. Had that not been the case, why would she have ever left a place of such peace in search of Garfiel's father, of whom Garfiel had nothing but painful memories?

In the end, she'd ended up dying almost immediately after setting off. What in the world had she been thinking?

—Even after all that time later, he'd still never found the answer to where his mother's happiness had come from.

"Mom, I'm getting hungry."

It was then that the siblings returned hand in hand from their room after getting a new change of clothes.

The older sister looked over the heads of their guests to call out to her mother and promptly hurried over to her side, sternly glaring at Garfiel with her jade eyes all the while.

"Hey, Mom. It's suppertime already, so shouldn't our guests head on home?"

"Oh, how can you say that? Mr. Gorgeous and Ms. Mimi helped Fred out, after all. He was apparently in danger of drowning while playing on a boat."

"Hmph, are you sure about that? Wasn't it really this Gorgeous guy who probably rocked the boat in the first place? I bet he was probably planning on coming here to try and milk us for lots of money."

"That's enough, young lady… But now that you mention it, he did save Fred. We should show him our thanks, so maybe offering some money would be the most proper."

"Mom!!"

Apparently, the girl felt like she had to do everything she could to protect her family. Unfortunately, her fervent efforts weren't quite clicking with her mother; Garfiel couldn't help but feel that she was flailing in the air.

But the heartwarming exchange between parent and child bitterly pained Garfiel, like he was walking barefoot over a path of thorns. It was so agonizing that he could barely stand staying there any longer.

"…Seems like we ain't all that welcome, so maybe we should head on out."

"Ehhh, whyyy? Let's hang out just a little bit more!"

"No way. This is like sculpting the Kokran, damn it."

Mimi protested when Garfiel attempted to leave, but Garfiel wouldn't brook any objections as he tried to forcibly drag the girl out with him. Liara made a sad face at Garfiel's assertion, whereas her daughter took the opportunity to stick her tongue out at him as she watched him go. As for the little brother—

"Don't go, Gorgeous Tiger!"

Grabbing onto Garfiel's sleeve, he tried to bar Garfiel's path.

Instantly, Garfiel hesitated to shake off those tiny fingers. He wasn't sure why he paused, but…

"Sorry, kid. I got people waitin' for me. They'll be worried if I'm late.

That's why I'm goin', okay?"

Still unable to figure out why he froze for a moment, Garfiel put a hand on the boy's head as he explained.

He'd been welcomed in, yet here he was, making his escape. If this was how it was going to be, he should never have accepted the invitation to begin with.

Regret, regret, regret—the only thing left throbbing deep in his chest was regret.

"Fred, I know you're sad, but you have to let go of Mr. Gorgeous's clothing."

Heeding Garfiel's words, Liara gently removed her son's fingers. Garfiel was relieved to have his sleeve free again.

"We must not cause our guests distress by forcing them to stay. As the saying goes, For guests, hospitality, and a Sowarie."

And then Liara's next words cut deep into Garfiel's defenseless soul.

He had let his guard down after that initial wave of relief, only for that single phrase to shear through them, dredging up his memories.

His sense of defeat toward Reinhard, his sense of powerlessness at having betrayed his own dream, his shock the instant he first set eyes upon Liara—compared with that phrase, those were almost inconsequential.

It was enough that he almost thought that his body was being torn asunder

—

"Garf, let's go."

It was then that Mimi, who had been so reluctant to leave, gently pulled on Garfiel's arm. When she proceeded toward the door, Garfiel silently followed along.

Right as the two of them were headed to the entrance— "I'm home… Oh, we have guests?"

—the door ahead of them opened, and a gentlemanly man sporting a full beard raised his eyebrows at the unexpected sight.

He wore finely tailored clothes and had a lively air about him. His face looked like that of a capable man who was calm inside the home. His position was clear even before the children reacted to his return.

"Errr, I don't believe we've met. Who might you be?"

"Dad, this is Gorgeous Tiger!"

"A shady person!"

"Ehhh?"

The starkly contrasting descriptions delivered by his son and daughter left the man—their father—rather confused. In search of rescue, he shifted his gaze to Liara, who was standing beside the children.

The man's warm gaze caused Liara to loosen her cheeks slightly. That was unmistakably love on her face.

Garfiel had hit his limit.

"We're nobody. Nothin' to worry about. Time for us to be headin' out."

Garfiel swiftly said his good-byes, continuing to hold Mimi's hand as he left the room with her in tow. Pushing past the man, who hastily gave way, Garfiel raced out, fleeing the house.

"Gorgeous Tiger!"

From behind, the boy called out to Garfiel in a sad voice. However, Garfiel had nothing left in him to muster a reply— No, he just wasn't worthy.

—When he glanced over, he saw a black phantom encroaching on the edges of his vision. Smiling at him mockingly was a woman who was surely dead.

Gorgeous? Tiger? Where was the golden tiger in him now?

A tiger was strong. A tiger was mighty. Nothing ever shook a tiger.

What part of him was a tiger just then?

Would a real tiger be broken up over something like this?!!

"Garf! Stop already!"

"!"

Just as his thoughts were clouded in a crimson haze, one voice brought him back to his senses.

When he turned, Garfiel realized that he'd been half dragging Mimi along. She had pleaded in pain. Looking closer, he could see that the girl's slender wrist had gone blue from the grip of his hand.

"S-sorry… I didn't mean to…"

"Garf, are you all right? You've been reaaally weird since earlier. Does your tummy hurt?"

When Garfiel tried to apologize in a shaky voice, Mimi peered at him with concern. This was not a look of resentment over her wrist injury, but one of pure consideration alone.

This pushed Garfiel's already sinking heart to even lower depths.

An awkward silence fell over the two as a damp nighttime breeze blew over them. The sun had already set, and the city streets under the night sky were dotted by magic lamps. As the light of the magic fixtures reflected that of the setting sun, the waterway took on a tranquil, mysterious beauty, but Garfiel had no room left in his heart to enjoy the sight.

"Pardon me, both of you!"

It was then that the voice of an out-of-breath man drew near the pair that was standing on the street at night.

When they looked over, they saw the man from earlier illuminated under the magic lamps. With his coat stripped off, he had finally reached the pair, his breath ragged as he rested his hands on his knees.

"Haaah! Haaah! I managed to catch up with you. This really will not do… I had plenty of physical energy back in the day, but I've wasted away since I started doing nothing but desk work…"

"…What is it? You got business with us or somethin'?"

There was a barb in his voice when Garfiel addressed the man who'd caught up with them.

It wasn't to the extent of Liara and the siblings, but there was no mistaking that he, too, was poison so far as Garfiel was concerned. Garfiel didn't intend to converse for long. He wanted to get out of there as fast as he possibly could.

Seeing Garfiel's attitude, the man seemed to pick up that he was not being welcomed with open arms.

"I heard the story from my wife. You two saved my son, didn't you? And yet I let you leave without speaking a single word of thanks. The height of impropriety."

"…Ain't no big deal. Exaggeratin' stuff like that just ends up being a pain in the butt for me."

"Everything about my children is very important to me. Please allow me to thank you. I am Galek Thompson, one of the officials in charge of running this city. If there is anything I can do for you…"

"There really ain't anythin'…"

When Garfiel tried to rebuff the tenacious man, Galek, his words got stuck in his throat.

Suddenly, he had a thought—he, Liara's husband, might know who she really was.

"There's just one thing I wanna ask ya."

"Yes, by all means. If it is something my position allows me to answer, I shall."

Galek nodded toward Garfiel with an amicable smile.

It was the same for Liara and for his son, Fred. Galek included, the Thompson family was far too fond of people. That daughter was the only one with a proper level of wariness in the bunch.

—That was how outside threats like Garfiel were able to take advantage of them.

"Your wife… Is Liara her real name?"

 " "

Instantly, the atmosphere changed.

When Garfiel posed his question, Galek dropped the smile he'd worn to that point. Both his voice and expression were quiet as he rolled Garfiel's question over his tongue.

"I wonder—what do you mean by that?"

"I mean what I said. Reid always faced his challengers head-on. I don't like roundabout stuff. Your wife… Is Liara her real name or not?"

When Garfiel cut right to the point, the expression coming over Galek was one of clear consternation. He opened and closed his mouth several times, breathing hard in search of air and words.

"You… Are you saying you know something about my wife?"

"I'm the one who wants to know about her."

Garfiel replied sincerely to Galek's wavering question.

Detecting the genuine emotion at the core of that reply, Galek went silent, sinking into thought. As Garfiel waited for the words that would follow, he felt Mimi grasp his hand with her opposite hand from earlier.

When he shifted his gaze in her direction, Mimi simply went, "Heh-heh —" with a bubbly smile.

"…It would seem I should speak truthfully with you." Breaking the silence, Galek uttered those words with a sigh.

A deep weariness infused that voice, along with an unconcealable sense of guilt, causing Garfiel to narrow his brows.

Then as Garfiel maintained his silence, Galek began to speak.

"My wife, Liara…has no memories from before I met her fifteen years ago."

"! No memories, ya say?"

"It was a stormy night. I was just another merchant returning from a business deal when I came across the site of a large landslide. My future

wife was caught up in that disaster and had been buried alive."

The terms that Galek relayed—landslide, buried alive—made Garfiel's breath come to a halt.

Bubbling up in his mind was the glimpse into the past he'd seen in the Sanctuary. An unsalvageable past, in which his mother had left Garfiel and Frederica behind, setting off from the settlement only to become engulfed in a landslide and lose her life—

—But had his mother really died? He'd never even considered other possibilities.

 " "