Chapter 592 — Arc 9, Chapter 5 – “Nine Hundred and Thirty-One Hits”

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――An unusual atmosphere enveloped the rooftop of the great fortress, which stood out with a noticeably strong presence within the Fortified City of Garkla where the aftereffects of the fierce battle with the Great Disaster lingered.

The rooftop had been designed to accommodate a significant number of soldiers for archery in times of emergency, but having such a large number of people―― having over a hundred present at once was beyond any initial expectations.

The sight of these robust men huddling together suggested that they could possibly be subject to some kind of punishment, potentially imposing a gloomy atmosphere both inside and out. However, there was no such sense of despair in their actual expressions; their faces carried a serious and earnest light.

And beyond the gazes of the men numbering over a hundred, there was a vast, open space.

And, in that space――,

???: [――Pthu!]

Was a black-haired boy spitting out the blood that had collected in his mouth onto the floor, its sound wet.

His face was smeared with blood from his nose, his eyelids were swollen, his head was swaying unsteadily back and forth, and his body was in such a battered state that one could tell at a glance the severity of his injuries. It was a wonder that he could even stand, but the boy put his hands on his knees, stepped hard on the ground once more, and looked up.

――A blow smashed squarely into his face, right across the nose, sending the boy flying backward in the most spectacular manner thus far.

Fly and fly he did, then rolled, ending up sprawled out on the ground.

Exhausted, with his arms and legs flung out, it was clear that he could not stand up due to the accumulated damage――,

Boy: [Not… Yet…]

However, what came to betray that perception was none other than the boy sprawled out on the floor.

Slowly sitting up and further dirtying his mouth with the fresh nosebleed that flowed out, the boy yet managed to rise to his feet and exhale deeply.

And then――,

Boy: [――Hk!]

The boy was once again violently struck by his opponent’s raised fist.

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???: [――This is my way of making amends. So please, don’t interfere.]

Had she not been told that beforehand, she would have rushed out immediately.

However, she suppressed that urge, bit her lip, and respected his feelings. That was what Beatrice could do for her partner, Natsuki Subaru, at this moment.

Subaru: [――Hk.]

The sound of a hard impact echoed, and Subaru’s face was knocked to the side, causing him to groan. He steadied his swaying body and, gritting his teeth, faced forward.

The next punch landed on his nose, making him arch backward. Though he reeled back――,

Subaru: [Not… yet…]

With blood dripping from his nose and his eyes bloodshot, Subaru forced these words out.

Hearing this, the man donning a skeleton tattoo, who had been punching Subaru for more than twenty blows―― Weitz, contorted his fierce face and raised his fist again.

And again, blood splattered from Subaru’s nose as he was hit, staining the rooftop of the great fortress.

This had happened multiple times over the past few days, and had been going on for over an hour just today.

Beatrice: [Subaru…]

At first glance, it seemed like a duel between Subaru and Weitz, but such a one-sided beating could not be called a duel. Standing there, Subaru continued to take Weitz’s punches head-on.

And Beatrice was―― nay, Beatrice was not the only one watching.

???: [――――]

Over a hundred people had gathered around the rooftop of the great fortress.

They were all members of the Pleiades Battalion, with whom Natsuki Subaru had allied in this Empire, likewise witnesses of this duel.

Indeed, this ritual where Subaru was taking such a one-sided beating was――,

???: [――Sparka.]

The deergirl, Tanza, muttered beside Beatrice, who was gripping the hem of her skirt.

As they watched the same scene, Beatrice felt a terrible sense of irritation looking at Tanza’s profile and her emotionless, dark eyes.

Because it felt like she was being implicitly told that Tanza understood the feelings of Subaru, who had taken on the ritual called Sparka, better than Beatrice did.

Because, after all,

Beatrice: […Betty doesn’t understand why Subaru has to do this, in fact.]

Subaru had voluntarily imposed this ritual of one-sided beatings on himself.

Being asked to witness it as his way of making amends, Beatrice could only stand there, enduring the pain in her chest, wanting to at least fulfill his wish.

――The death of Priscilla Barielle had become a wound for many who knew her.

Those for whom the wound turned out to be shallow suffered because of the very shallowness of their wound, while conversely, those who had been deeply and painfully gouged were preoccupied with tending to their bleeding and painful wounds.

And sadly, Beatrice was the former, while Subaru was undoubtedly the latter.

Beatrice: [――――]

When starting this Sparka, Subaru had declared that this was to make amends.

Subaru, who had met the gladiators with a shrunken body due to “infantilization”, had lied about his true identity, hiding and deceiving them using the course of events and the calculation of gathering allies as reasons, thus dragging them into the center of this conflict.

Considering the fierceness of that battle and the significant role the Battalion had played, without it, the damage might have been greater, or the Fortified City might have fallen.

So, for the end of saving the Empire, Subaru’s judgment and choices had been correct.

It was just that Subaru himself could not forgive it, and thus sought punishment for it――,

???: [Eao…]

On the hand of Beatrice which was gripping her skirt, a small hand was placed.

Upon looking, Beatrice came to notice that the one reaching out her hand was Spica, peering at her with concern. Her large eyes filled with sadness, she anxiously looked at Beatrice, whose hands were painfully clenched.

Beatrice felt pathetic for making even Spica worry about her.

Beatrice and Spica were the only ones present unrelated to the Pleiades Battalion. Beatrice earnestly wished that all of Spica’s concern and worry could be directed toward Subaru instead.

Beatrice: [I’m sorry, I suppose. Spica, your――]

???: [――Oh my. I stopped by because I was wondering why there were so many figures on the rooftop, and it turns out it’s Boss’s Sparka? Despite appearances, he’s quite diligent, isn’t he? To get beaten up every single day.]

Beatrice: [――――]

Just as Beatrice squeezed Spica’s hand back, a person with a nonchalant voice and demeanor casually put a foot on the rooftop fence, showing his face at the Sparka scene.

He made it seem as if it were as easy as skipping most of a staircase with a jump, but hopping up to the rooftop of a near hundred-meter tall fortress was no easy feat. But then again, for the kimono-clad swordsman―― for the Blue Lightning, Cecilus Segmunt, such common sense did not seem to apply.

Tanza: [Cecilus-sama.]

Balancing himself on one leg atop the fence, Cecilus made a visor with his hand as he gazed over the Sparka, and hearing Tanza’s call, he gave a gentle smile,

Cecilus: [Hello hello, Tanza-san. It’s a somewhat fresh and odd feeling for the line of my gaze to differ from Tanza-san’s like this, isn’t it? This current form of mine is the original standard and the child form that I’d had until now was just a temporary state; but since my acquaintance with Tanza-san was longer in that form so it feels quite strange now don’t you think?]

Tanza: [Indeed. Even if the height of your body’s line of sight has changed, the height of your mind’s gaze remains the same, so to be quite frank, my impression of you is quite unchanged.]

Cecilus: [Hahahaha, nice joke!]

Clapping his hands and smiling at Tanza’s blunt response, Cecilus proceeded to shift his gaze towards Beatrice. Receiving those blue eyes, Beatrice frowned, and then,

Cecilus: [Boss’s partner looks to be quite discontent.]

Beatrice: […A matter of course, in fact. There’s no need for Subaru to do this sort of thing, I suppose.]

Cecilus: [Let’s stop talking about whether it’s necessary or not. If we were to switch over to an extreme conversation regarding the value of life or lack thereof, it’s quite possible it could become a conversation that’s not the slightest bit tasteful. Even if this may not be necessary, there is a reason behind it. Even if it can’t be found within yourself, it’s certainly within Boss.]

Beatrice: [――――]

Cecilus: [Well in reality I do think he’s taking it far too seriously. All this to whole-heartedly apologize and gain the forgiveness of all the members of the Battalion who he continued to deceive all the way from the Gladiator Island. That said, the members of the Battalion are all hot-headed gladiators, so this ended up being a suitable method.]

Yapping away fluently at full speed, Cecilus ultimately pointed at the worn-out Subaru.

It was odious, but there was nothing incorrect in what Cecilus had pointed out. ――As he said, Subaru making amends by being punched repeatedly by Weitz was atonement towards the Pleiades Battalion.

The members of the Pleiades Battalion, nine hundred and thirty-one people―― in total, a purification via nine hundred and thirty-one punches.

By embarking on that endeavor under Weitz, who was serving as the representative of the Battalion, this was the rite Subaru had levied upon himself to satisfy the members of the Battalion; it was Sparka.

Cecilus: [Regardless of being split over several days, it’s still nine-hundred hits, isn’t it? If struck that many times, even I’d die. Though, to begin with, I’ve never even considered a situation in which I’d be punched in a defenseless state, so it feels a bit like the premise would never come to fruition… How far along is he now?]

Tanza: [The total over all the days so far is two hundred and fifty-six hits.]

Cecilus: [I see I see… It’s so far away that I might faint!]

Hearing the total count thus far from Tanza, Cecilus declared so without malice.

One might have wanted to speak out against his flippancy, but doing so would result in a meaningless competition. Giving up on rebutting him, Beatrice gripped Spica’s hand, and focused her worry on Subaru.

For the duration of this Sparka, Subaru had forbidden Beatrice from using healing magic on him.

Therefore, she had been heightening her Mana so that as soon as today’s Sparka was over, she could rush over to him as fast as possible and heal his wounds.

???: [Cecilus.]

In Beatrice’s stead as she thought so, a weighty, stern voice called Cecilus’s name.

Folding his four burly arms, as the large man who wore a frightening expression―― as Gustav, looked towards Cecilus, who was standing atop the fence, and the scenery behind him,

Gustav: [I do not know if I have the jurisdiction to ask about this in my capacity, but what of General First-Class Arakiya?]

Cecilus: [It’s not really something that I need to keep a secret from you, Gustav-san. The seat of the governor of the Gladiator Island will soon be entrusted to somebody else while you’ll be taking up an important post in the Imperial Capital, isn’t that so? So that should mean you’ll have the chance to meet me every once in a while, since I also generally live in the Imperial Capital. Well, right now the Imperial Capital is in that condition so it’s a bit of a problem to say whether I live there or not, but…]

Gustav: [――――]

Cecilus: [Oya, how rude of me, we were talking about Anya, right? ――As before, she’s still having difficulty maintaining the balance between her mind and body. Even at the best of times, she’s taken in an enormous Spirit that puts her slender body on the verge of bursting. A steady heart’s absolutely essential in order to exorcize that, but since the princess sister who propped her up passed away, she’s been quite unmanageable.]

Gustav: [I can only imagine the heartache and pains. However, the duty which only you are capable of fulfilling is tied to the survival of the Empire. Not only the hopes of me, in my capacity, but the hopes of all citizens of the Empire are being placed upon you.]

Cecilus: [What are you saying, Gustav-san? It’s a tad unpleasant.]

Gustav: [Mh…]

Cecilus: [I’m the leading actor of this world, y’know? Bearing the hopes of somebody, as well as of the entire Empire, is an everyday occurrence for me. ――It’s a matter involving Anya, I’m not gonna cut corners.]

Cecilus was composed as he responded so, but the difficulty of what he had just so casually described was exemplified in a visible format.

――Engraved behind Cecilus, upon the vast wasteland beyond the western rampart visible from the roof of the fortress, were vestiges of a natural disaster that had just occurred.

It was evidence of Cecilus, who had come here wearing a nonchalant expression, suppressing the emission of power from Arakiya to prevent her from exploding, since she had taken in the extraordinary power of a Great Spirit enlisted among the Four Greats.

If left unattended, the swell of power was capable of becoming a second Great Disaster. Having said that, it was difficult for those shallow of heart to remain near Arakiya in her current state.

Therefore, even if the Empire was searched far and wide for that great duty, none but Cecilus would be capable of performing it.

Cecilus: [Regardless of whether it’s desired of them or not, people won’t stop in their tracks. The only people allowed to come to a stop are those who are dead, and the living have no choice but to keep moving forward. At their roots, Anya’s hardship and the struggle of Boss’s purification are the same. They may be painful to witness, but they ought to be welcomed.]

Beatrice: [You’re speaking like it’s somebody else’s problem, in fact.]

Cecilus: [Somebody else’s problem is quite the boorish way of putting it. It’s a matter of this being Boss’s duty, and his climax. Having said that… I guess this is as far as he goes for today.]

Closing one eye, Cecilus muttered in response to Beatrice.

At his words, Beatrice gasped an “Eh”, and as she snapped back around, Weitz’s fist simultaneously knocked Subaru down to the ground.

Weitz: [Haa… Haa… It’s over… Hk.]

While breathing heavily, Weitz lowered the blood-stained fist that had punched Subaru. To those words, the unconscious Subaru gave no response.

Exclaiming “Subaru!”, Beatrice rushed to Subaru’s side, and began to activate healing magic with great haste. Once Weitz made sure of that, he began to turn around, but,

Beatrice: [Wait, I suppose. I will treat your hand as well, in fact.]

Weitz: [Ain’t no need… Prioritize Schwartz over me…]

Beatrice: [I cannot do that, I suppose. Spica.]

Hearing the call, Spica cut around in front of Weitz, and spread her arms open with an “Uu”.

As Weitz could not push Spica out of his way, Beatrice activated healing magic without a moment’s delay; at the sensation of his wounds gradually being healed, Weitz turned around and glared at her.

But, even if he was a man whose skeleton tattoos gave off a fiendish impression, the pained contortions of his face were of no intimidation to the Great Spirit Beatrice.

???: [O-oi, Tanza, how many hits is he at now?]

Tanza: [Two-hundred-and-fifty-eight hits, Hiain-sama.]

???: [So… six-hundred-and-seventy-three remaining…? Still a long way to go, huh.]

Present beside Beatrice and the others, the lizardman enquiring to Tanza with a quavering voice was Hiain. At his question, Tanza informed him of the count, and the bearded Idra shook his head in gloom.

Then, Hiain looked over the surroundings with a “Hey”,

Hiain: [I mean, ain’t it enough already? He’s taken this damn much, and we’ve all fully understood his feelings.]

Weitz: [Go off ‘n mumble that nonsense in yer sleep, lizard bastard…! If I was just gonna quit halfway, then why the fuck do ya think I undertook this duty…!]

Hiain: [Whaddya mean “why”, ain’t’cha the one who’s most worn out over all this? I-I haven’t gone that far!]

Extending his long tongue, Hiain’s voice quavered, and a vein began to bulge out on Weitz’s forehead. However, as he tried to press Hiain, Tanza stopped him, saying “You are undergoing treatment”.

Instead, Idra took a deep breath and looked towards Hiain.

Idra: [To be frank, I agree with your point. Certainly, I was shocked by the reveal of Schwartz’s identity, and I did feel somewhat deceived, but…]

Weitz: [Schwartz rescued all of us from the Island… What else do ya fucking need…!]

Hiain: [T-then, then nobody wants to do it! So then why…]

Gustav: [That is because it is something called for by Natsuki Schwartz―― nay, by Natsuki Subaru himself. So long as Tanza or the contracted spirit do not put a stop to it, I approve of this conduct, as the official.]

As Gustav interjected into the conversation between Idra, Weitz, and Hiain, his words weighty and stern; the gladiators in the surroundings each responded with gestures and words that were close in their sense of heat.

Of course, among them were likely people who were enraged and unable to forgive Subaru’s conduct, but――,

Spica: [Uau…]

Crouched down opposite Beatrice, Spica was worriedly looking at Subaru with his swollen face and languid demeanor.

If one could look at the state of those girls, and at the figure of Subaru pitifully throwing himself into atonement, without thinking anything of it, they would not have even been able to enlist in the Pleiades Battalion to begin with.

Tanza: [Right now, it is necessary for Schwartz-sama. He needs to prove to himself that he has not come to a standstill. Even if that happens to be through pain.]

At Tanza’s comment, a conclusion was given to the problem initially raised by Hiain.

Receiving that, Weitz clenched the fist that had been healed by Beatrice, and,

Weitz: [I’m gonna continue… Even if it breaks my fist, I’ll follow him for the remaining six-hundred punches…!]

Cecilus: [Wonderful, how truly wonderful. That’s precisely how you’re supposed to use your time in the spotlight, Weitz-san.]

Weitz: [――――]

Cecilus: [Huh? What’s with this odd atmosphere?]

For a moment, everybody present widened their eyes at Cecilus’s interjection. Weitz, who had been especially caught off guard, stared at Cecilus, and,

Weitz: [I never woulda thought that ya’d remember my name…]

Cecilus: [It certainly is true that I’m quite forgetful! But, I do at least remember the names of actors who’re worth remembering.]

Weitz: [Hmph…]

Weitz snorted at Cecilus as the latter shrugged his shoulders, and then, once again, looked down at the fallen Subaru. He looked at the face that, while likely overlapping with the impression of the young Subaru seared into his memories, would still take some time to clearly fully merge together.

And then――,

Weitz: [I leave the rest to ya…]

With those words, Weitz departed from the rooftop with large strides. Following him, the other men, as well as Idra, who was dragging the reluctant Hiain along with him, also exited from the rooftop.

Finally, Gustav nodded at Beatrice and the rest who still remained there, and,

Gustav: [In my capacity, I shall also be on my way. Natsuki Subaru… In the end, the name Schwartz feels more fitting. I entrust him to you.]

Beatrice: [That goes without saying, in fact. Only, you ought to remember, I suppose.]

Gustav: [And what might that be?]

Beatrice: [If Subaru is Schwartz to you, then he won’t be upset if you keep calling him that, in fact. There’s no need for the special nickname between you all to be lost out of unnecessary concern, I suppose.]

Gustav: [――You have my thanks.]

Giving a deep nod, Gustav slowly departed.

With that, the gladiators who had been ascertaining the Sparka simultaneously took their leave, and Beatrice breathed a sigh upon the rooftop that had instantly become deserted. Then, glancing up at the kimono-clad girl to her side,

Beatrice: [It’s fine for you to also go along with that bunch, in fact.]

Tanza: [Even without your concern, I am quite fine as is. Unlike everybody else, it is no strange matter for me to remain here.]

Beatrice: [――. You also have the worry regarding your master, I suppose. She’s also suffering, in fact.]

Tanza: [――――]

That comment had not been made in the vein of sarcasm or harassment, but for a moment, Beatrice regretted that it had ultimately ended up coming across that way.

The comment had caused Tanza’s cheeks to slightly stiffen; her master, Yorna Mishigure, was one of the people who had sustained a grave wound at the death of Priscilla―― through an absurd binding on her soul, among many reincarnations, a past version of herself had been the mother of the deceased Priscilla.

In other words, the parent-child duo of Yorna and Priscilla, had each experienced complex bereavement.

Tanza: [Thank you for your concern, Beatrice-sama… However, Yorna-sama is fine on her own, that is…]

Beatrice: [――――]

Tanza: [That is, what she said, so――]

As Tanza cast her eyes down, Beatrice realized that she had misjudged her.

Tanza was not satisfied with Yorna’s words. Even so, just like how Beatrice had decided to watch over Subaru’s act of making amends, she had decided to respect Yorna’s wishes.

It would have been difficult for outsiders to surmise Yorna’s emotions while insisting that she would be alright by herself. ――However, Beatrice felt like she understood at least a part of it.

Though different from reincarnation, amidst the long time Beatrice had lived, she had seen many lives pass on. Before Subaru had taken her out of the Forbidden Library, it was something she had come to instinctively avoid.

Because of that, Beatrice had responded with a very insincere attitude to those who had attempted to face her, something that she had now regretted. Unlike Beatrice, who had never learned from that, Yorna might have come to know and learn that through her own experiences.

Even so――,

Subaru: […Ugh.]

Spica: [Uau!]

Subaru: [Spi… ca…? Ah, huh, I’m…]

Suddenly, Subaru’s eyelids quivered, and his black eyes slowly opened. Spica’s eyes lit up upon observing this and pounced on him, causing Subaru to blink several times in response.

Seeing this, Beatrice sighed, noting that his memories before he fainted seemed to be missing,

Beatrice: [Those guys aren’t here anymore, I suppose. I’m in the middle of casting healing magic, in fact.]

Subaru: [Ah, ahhh, right! I see, yeah, I’m so~ sorry! My bad, Beako, I always end up making you worry! I really am useless without you!]

Finally understanding Beatrice’s explanation, Subaru slapped his face with both hands. As the sound echoed, Subaru sprang up to his feet.

However, his momentum caused him to nearly stumble forward――,

Spica: [Uuuh!]

Subaru: [Oops, sorry, Spica… Thanks for being a witness. You did a good job, not rushing in. I thought you would punch Weitz without thinking. Now that I think about it, it was quite a tightrope walk.]

Spica: [Auuu, uau.]

Subaru: [The real danger was Tanza? Now that you mention it, that’s true! Tanza cares a lot about me. From that perspective, Weitz could’ve been in real trouble.]

As he spoke, Subaru took Spica’s hand, who had supported him when he nearly fell, and began to dance with her on the spot.

Although the swelling on his face had reduced considerably thanks to the healing magic, his lips were still cut, and his slightly swollen eyes were still a concern for Beatrice, who would have liked to continue treating him a little longer.

Tanza: [My honor is at stake, so please do not make such arbitrary comments, Natsuki Subaru-sama.]

With a sigh, Tanza prodded Subaru, who was dancing with Spica. Subaru made a sour face and replied,

Subaru: [Haven’t your words become thornier since I returned to my original size? And it actually stings quite a bit when you call me something other than Schwartz-sama, so please stop.]

Tanza: [I apologize, Natsuki Subaru-sama. Natsuki Subaru-sama is a guest from the Kingdom, so I cannot afford to be disrespectful, Natsuki Subaru-sama.]

Subaru: [Tanzaaa~]

Subaru, holding Spica, looked saddened by Tanza’s distant response. ――Beatrice found it hard to watch his overly cheerful demeanor, which was meant to hide his true feelings.

Seeking to make amends to the Pleiades Battalion, Subaru would act cheerfully in front of Beatrice and his close companions. It was likely all to avoid worrying those around him, but――,

Beatrice: […It might be counterproductive, I suppose.]

Trying to be cheerful when he wanted to cry and making everyone laugh when he was hurting.

Beatrice loved that aspect of Subaru, but only when his sadness and pain didn’t exceed his tolerance.

No one should bottle up their need to cry or their pain like this.

Subaru: [Beako? Why the cute face?]

Beatrice: [――. Betty is always cute, in fact. More importantly, since the treatment is still ongoing, why don’t you sit still, I suppose?]

Subaru: [I’d like to say I don’t want to trouble you… but I need to be in tip-top shape, and I haven’t even climbed half the mountain yet. Alright, bring it on!]

Nodding, Subaru sat down cross-legged with Spica on his lap, his face full of determination.

Beatrice resumed her healing magic on Subaru, glancing at Tanza, who only shook her head silently.

She too was unsure of what to say to Subaru.

Then――,

Cecilus: [Boss, Boss, can I have a moment?]

Cecilus, who had been watching the proceedings, called out to Subaru without any regard for the tension among those concerned about him.

Hearing him, Subaru looked up at Cecilus perched on the fence,

Subaru: [Oh, if it isn’t big Ceci. You’ve seriously just grown bigger without looking awkward at all.]

Cecilus: [I could say the same for you, Boss, but your growth has only made your fierce eyes look more prominent. It was cute when you were looking young, but now it’s simply a deadly weapon.]

Subaru: [You say whatever you want… You’re alone? She’s not with you?]

Cecilus: [If you mean Anya, she’s lying in a crater. Thanks to the Stone’s power, she became incredibly tough, so I had to suppress her a hundred times or so. She won’t be getting up anytime soon. But more importantly…]

As he spoke, Cecilus jumped off the fence and landed in front of Subaru. Greeting him, Subaru and Spica tilted their heads at the same angle.

Seeing their reactions, Cecilus grinned――,

Cecilus: [You’re heading back to the Kingdom soon, right? Before that, how about showing us a good punch to His Excellency’s face?]

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???: [So, I took Boss here to see His Excellency! Boss was so excited about wanting to beat up His Excellency all the way back at Gladiator Island so I wanted to be present to witness it!]

???: [Be gone at once.]

Cecilus raised his hand and smiled as he entered, but Vincent, busy with his affairs, dismissed him while looking down at his paperwork.

It was a natural response for the busy Emperor, but Cecilus, perhaps the most stubborn man in the Empire, would not back down regardless.

He pouted his lips in dissatisfaction with a “Eh~”, proudly sitting his behind on the Emperor’s desk while the latter was working,

Cecilus: [Don’t you think you’re working too much? Of course I understand that the work of military officers is to be done in emergencies whereas the work of civilian officers is to be done in emergencies and non-emergencies alike with no breaks!]

Vincent: [So you intend to persuade me? If I were to take you up on your sweet talk, what would you expect me to do as I excuse myself from my work?]

Cecilus: [Please let Boss beat you up!]

Vincent: [Be gone at once.]

Cecilus: [Boo~! His Excellency is a workaholic! Don’t you think so, Most Honorable Empress Consort?]

???: [Meee?]

At Vincent’s curt answer, Cecilus, leaning back on the desk, called for reinforcements. The one who responded to his call was Medium, who was playing with Spica on the office’s couch.

She brushed Spica’s long blonde hair as she groaned, “Mmmm”,

Medium: [I also think that Abel-chin’s working too much, but I know that the work he’s doing is important, so I can’t say much. Also, I don’t wanna see Abel-chin and Subaru-chin fighting.]

Cecilus: [It wouldn’t be a fight so much as a one-sided beating of His Excellency… isn’t that Sparka in a sense!?]

Vincent: [Remove your rear at once.]

Cecilus clenched his fists, his excitement brimming over. Vincent closed one eye, sighing as he tried to pull out the papers lying under Cecilus’s behind.

Then, turning his black eyes towards the entrance of the room,

Vincent: [You, how long do you intend to stand there? You are an eyesore.]

???: [Geh… that’s, well…]

Medium: [Subaru-chin, bring Beatrice-chan and come sit in front of me!]

Subaru, invited by Vincent’s cold voice and Medium’s contrasting warm voice, awkwardly sat down on a couch in front of Medium, in the middle of the room. Beatrice, holding Subaru’s hand, sat down with him, and Medium gently placed a cup of tea on the table.

Medium: [Heeere you go, coarse tea.]

Vincent: [Albeit temporary, this still is my office. You, are you serving coarse tea to the Emperor?]

Medium: [Big bro taught me that it’s all about courtesy! I dunno anything about etiquette myself, so I’m just trying my best to be polite~!]

Saying this, Medium poured another cup of tea for Vincent, who had one on his desk as well. Vincent did not particularly complain about the rising steam, and Beatrice was able to confirm by her own taste that there was nothing wrong with the tea she had brewed.

Next to Beatrice, Subaru frowned as he began,

Subaru: [Man, how should I put it, Abel and Medium-san are really going to be a married couple.]

Medium: [Eek!]

Subaru: [What was that squeal just now?]

Medium: [Umm, umm~, I’m still a little embarrassed by how that sounds.]

Medium’s face flushed and she gave a small whine, but Beatrice could see that although she was confused about the situation she found herself in, she did not reject it wholeheartedly.

In all honesty, Beatrice was not very familiar with Vincent’s personality.

However, since Subaru had been lambasting him so often, paradoxically, he was likely someone like Otto or Julius, both of whom had many commendable aspects.

Beatrice: [Otherwise, I wouldn’t feel comfortable leaving Medium in your care, in fact.]

Subaru: [That’s true. Flop-san being tempted by money and status is so unlike him.]

Cecilus: [Oh dear, they’re really dissing you, Your Excellency. It sounds like Boss‘s saying there’s nothing good about you besides your position, honor, and wealth as the Emperor of Vollachia.]

Vincent: [Are you all trying to anger me and stop my work, thereby destroying the Empire?]

If so, it had to be said that their efforts were succeeding.

With so many interruptions and physical hindrances to his paperwork, Vincent had no choice but to halt progress on his tasks.

Then, giving up on retrieving the documents from under Cecilus’s rear end, Vincent instead fixed his dark eyes sharply on Subaru,

Vincent: [I have heard of your repeated eccentric behavior with the escaped prisoners from the Gladiator Island under the pretext of making amends.]

Subaru: […I thought you’d say it was pointless. But calling them escaped prisoners doesn’t sit right with me. All of them are…]

Vincent: [They were sent to Ginunhive for a reason. They are considered escaped prisoners, and rightfully so. They took advantage of the Empire’s chaos to break out and wield their military power to wreak havoc.]

Subaru: [So, what do you plan to do with them?]

Subaru stiffened his cheeks at Vincent’s threatening words and glared back at him. For a moment, a sharp tension filled the space between them.

However, Medium cut through their stares with a hand chop, telling them to stop,

Medium: [Abel-chin, if you say something mean like that, Subaru-chin will misunderstand.]

Vincent: [――. The escaped prisoners from the Island shall be granted amnesty for their hard work regarding this incident. This was also petitioned by Gustav Morello, governor of the Gladiator Island.]

Prompted by Medium, Vincent quietly announced the fate of the Pleiades Battalion.

The sudden crisis of the Battalion―― initially brought up by Vincent, was directly handled by the latter, leading to intense emotional fluctuations.

Subaru, trembling with anger, glared at Vincent,

Subaru: [Y-you sure enjoy toying with people over already resolved issues…!]

Cecilus: [Ah, I feel you, I feel you deeply! His Excellency has that tendency. Now that I think about it, Chisha also used to do such mean things often. Is this just something that intelligent people commonly do?]

Beatrice: [Speaking of resolved issues, you spoke of getting back at the Emperor, Cecilus, but Subaru has already handled that on his own a while ago, I suppose.]

Cecilus: [Whaaat!?]

Cecilus’s voice cracked, and Beatrice stuck out her tongue in response. It felt refreshing to finally break his arrogant pace.

However, Cecilus then pondered,

Cecilus: [I’ll have to hear the details later to soothe my shock at missing such an interesting event, but now I’m curious. If that’s the case, why did you let me bring you to His Excellency, Boss? You could’ve just brushed me off like Tanza-san did, so why?]

Subaru: [Well…]

In response to Cecilus’s question, Subaru hesitated to answer, glancing at Vincent.

Even without seeing his reaction, Beatrice could tell what Subaru was thinking. Over the past few days, Subaru had been actively interacting with Beatrice and the Pleiades Battalion, but there were a few people he could not bring himself to face.

――Vincent, Yorna, and the members of the Priscilla Camp.

Given Subaru’s excessive sense of responsibility, it was only natural that he would feel this way about them. However, Subaru did not think it was acceptable to leave things as they were.

Therefore, it was convenient for him to be brought here by Cecilus under the pretense of being forced to.

Because this way――,

Vincent: [You’ve finally shown yourself before me… No, before me.]

Subaru: [Abel…]

Subaru’s dilemma, his hesitation, and his various emotions.

They were apparently all too clear to Vincent Vollachia, known as the Wise Emperor. Subaru was certainly overwhelmed by his sharp gaze.

However, funneling strength into the hand he had linked with Beatrice’s, Subaru resolved himself to clash directly against that pressure, and opened his mouth.

Subaru: [Abel, I’m sor――]

Vincent: [――A moment ago, you had chastised me over bringing up a resolved issue.]

Subaru: [Huh…]

Vincent: [But, if you were to ask me, it is you who continues to touch upon resolved issues.]

After having the wind knocked out of his sails, Subaru blinked upon being told thus.

For a moment, he struggled to comprehend the meaning behind those words. However, the instant he understood them, Subaru’s expression underwent a sudden upheaval.

It became a jumble of anger and sorrow; to be precise, it was fury.

Subaru: [A resolved issue… What, what the hell do you think you’re saying!?]

Vincent: [Currently, that is the bulk of the problem that weighs upon you. If such is the case for your atonement towards the gladiators, then the same applies to your attitude concerning myself and Yorna Mishigure. More than anything――]

Subaru: [STOP!!]

As Vincent attempted to continue, Subaru stood up from the sofa, and tried to fiercely approach him to make him cease his words.

But, in front of Subaru as he tried to do so, a third party intervened. ――It was Cecilus.

Having removed his buttocks from the desk, he stepped in front of Subaru as the latter tried to approach the Vollachian Emperor, and hindered his advance.

Subaru: [Don’t get in my way, Ceci! Didn’t you want to see me punch Abel!?]

Cecilus: [Indeed yes, that’s right. But that was a matter of wanting to see a Sparka between Boss and His Excellency, I’m not interested in seeing a dull, impulsive match.]

Subaru: [――Hk.]

Both had returned to their original heights, and they confronted each other in positions that were no longer that of children.

But, in this standoff between Subaru and Cecilus, Beatrice did not experience her usual feeling of wanting to take Subaru’s side. Rather, she supported Cecilus―― no, she supported Vincent, who met Subaru head-on with words that he needed to hear.

His phrasing was nothing but harsh, and even though there were plenty of other ways to put it, deliberately choosing words that went along with blood and pain was loathsome, but――,

Vincent: [――Priscilla’s death, is already a matter of the past.]

Subaru: [ABEL――!!]

At that assertion, Subaru’s voice became potent with rage, and he glared at Vincent. But, receiving the gaze from beyond Cecilus, Vincent made not even the slightest of movements.

The ones to stiffen their expressions at Subaru’s pitifulness, were those of the female faction, Beatrice, Spica, and Medium.

Subaru: [Priscilla was your… She was your sister, wasn’t she? And yet, you’re…]

Vincent: [Indeed. She was my sister. Clever and impudent since our younger years, she ultimately lost her life without ever having remedied those aspects of her personality… Just like Chisha’s, Priscilla’s loss has certainly borne a wound within myself. I shan’t hide it.]

Slowly shaking his head, Vincent placed his hand over his chest as he spilled those words.

Thereupon, behind his pride as Emperor, it was clear that Vincent had concealed his own worry towards his sister, and anguish regarding her passing.

Subaru lamented the fact that he had yielded such things within Vincent, and that was exactly why he had not shown his face until now, not knowing what he ought to say.

However――,

Vincent: [――This is something that belongs to me. There is no room for your involvement.]

Subaru: [――――]

Vincent: [They are things between me and Priscilla. Do you seek the right to place your fingers upon even that?]

Subaru: [N-no… That’s, that’s wrong. That isn’t the case. It isn’t the case, but…]

At Vincent’s eloquence, Subaru’s anger was doused as if with water, and, unable to find the right words to say, his gaze began to wander.

As Subaru did so, Vincent still did not halt his speech.

Likely, that was a questioning that could not have taken form without the time cultivated between Subaru and Vincent within the Empire, time unbeknownst to Beatrice and the others.

Vincent quietly continued with the following. That was――,

Vincent: [Natsuki Subaru. ――In the end, what words did Priscilla speak to you?]

Subaru: [――――]

Vincent: [If they were words of malediction, then I shall undertake that which was left within you. However, if that is not so… then, they are the fruits of the relationship between you and Priscilla.]

Subaru: [――――]

Vincent: [Take the parting gift bestowed onto you by my sister, and make it into your very flesh and blood. ――That, is the resolution to the issue.]

What words ought he to say? What ought he do to atone?

Such various questions and misgivings, the impatience of being unable to remain at a standstill, and the self-punishing thoughts of needing to suffer were the foundation of Subaru’s actions over these past few days.

And, Vincent declared that the very genesis of that foundation was conflicting.

Subaru: [Priscilla, said…]

Vincent: [She said?]

Subaru: […She said, that I was a true Knight.]

Vincent: [In that case, that is the entirety of what Priscilla has bestowed upon you. ――It was a great service, Natsuki Subaru.]

Subaru: [――――]

At that phrase, Subaru’s expression crumbled.

The expression dominated by indignation and sorrow was washed away, and sprouting out from behind were emotions of vigor akin to water ceaselessly overflowing from a boiling pot.

Emotions that he had deliberately not been facing ever since the dawn in which he had witnessed Priscilla’s death.

Beatrice: [Subaru…]

Subaru: [Bea… trice… I’m, I’m…]

Beatrice: [It’s alright, in fact. Betty fully… Betty and Emilia, and everybody else fully understand, I suppose.]

Nestling close to Subaru’s side as he stood stock still, Beatrice grabbed him by the hand and nodded. At Beatrice’s words, Subaru could not bear the overflowing tears as his face contorted.

And then at last, for the first time since that morning, Beatrice was confident that her voice had finally reached Subaru.

Beatrice: [I’m sorry, in fact.]

Suddenly, immediately after witnessing Subaru fall to his knees.

The kneeling Subaru embraced Beatrice from the front. At the frail strength of that clinging embrace, Beatrice gently hugged Subaru in return.

Cecilus: [――Now it may be different than punching His Excellency but with this I got to see a fine climax.]

Beatrice: [Some things are better left unsaid, I suppose.]

Cecilus: [Apologies.]

After speaking that unnecessary comment, Cecilus made a gesture of shutting his mouth with his finger, and winked. In the back, Medium, who was hugging Spica, was moved by Subaru’s tears and also began to cry.

Then, as Subaru buried his face into Beatrice’s chest as he sobbed, he was unable to see something that Beatrice witnessed.

Vincent: [――――]

The figure of the Vollachian Emperor, who had caused Subaru to collapse, wearing a slightly pleased look on his face.

Beatrice, who had only been acquainted with him for a short while, also understood. ――This was a face that Vincent Vollachia, known as the Wise Emperor, seldom showed to anybody.

Esteeming the person who shed tears in his stead during his dearest sister’s final moments, such was the kind of expression it was.