Chapter 626 — Arc 9, Chapter 38 – “Scorched by the Sun”

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???: [――In other words, if this was not a gold coin, but a full-powered attack by Garf, Emilia-sama, who would already know what Garf was going to do, could easily avoid his very obvious attack, then counterattack, and leave him crying and groaning.]

Emilia: [I see, so that’s what you mean… but wait! It would be bad to make Garfiel cry. I would rather find a way to befriend Garfiel instead.]

???: [If so, you would not have to fight back, because if Emilia-sama can just keep a cool facade and effortlessly avoid Garf’s attacks, eventually Garf’s mind would break and the matter would be settled amicably.]

Emilia: [Then that is reassuring… reassuring? Really? Even though it would break his mind?]

Emilia said that with a big question mark over her head as Rem handed her back the gold coin.

At the moment, in her mind, Garfiel was too busy crying like a child, or collapsing to his knees in despair. Rem, who had taken over the role of explaining Aldebaran’s Authority from Ram, was relieved to hear that she had managed to give a brief explanatory overview of Aldebaran’s Authority―― “Turning Back Time”.

Ram: [You’re amazing, Rem. You did a great job of getting Emilia-sama to understand.]

Rem: [Happy to be able to help, Nee-sama. Even though Garf had to be sacrificed.]

Ram: [If all it takes is for him to cry and be depressed to keep things going, Garf would happily endure it. It sounds like he’s sleeping peacefully, so Ram will have to go and visit him later.]

Rem: [Yes, that’s right. Garf would be delighted to have Nee-sama visit him…]

Seeing Ram shrug her thin shoulders dismissively in exasperation, a complicated, bitter feeling ran through Rem’s heart.

Now that Rem had regained her memory, she remembered that she and Garfiel were originally at odds over Ram. From childhood, Rem had disliked Garfiel for the way he dared to nurture feelings for Ram without knowing his place, such that it had resulted in them arguing with each other many times.

However, when she thought back on Garfiel’s efforts in the Empire and the conversations they had on the way home, she felt extremely guilty about the way she had treated and viewed him as she had in the past.

More importantly, Garfiel was unable to fulfill his role of protecting Subaru, Beatrice, and the others. When he finally woke up from his slumber, he would surely be extremely depressed and most likely blame himself.

Rem: [It’s sad to hound Garf like that… but I understand. Rem will have to let it go. Now we need Garf to recover as soon as possible and become a part of our fighting force to help rescue that person.]

Ram: [Right. But there’s nothing wrong with being bound by your possessiveness, Rem. If you don’t want to do it, we can put Garf’s matter off for later, okay?]

Rem: [But, you know full well that I will not ask you not to go, right, Nee-sama?]

Ram: [No clue.]

Rem sighed at the dazzle of Ram, who smiled thinly and responded in a dignified manner.

How much of Ram’s compassion and concern had been idly wasted in the two periods of time she was asleep and without memories?

Of course, Ram was not the only person Rem worried about.

It caused trouble for everyone within the Camp and even those outside of it as well. ――Fortunately, Rem originally did not have any friendships with anyone other than those involved, so the possible damage in that sense was minimal.

Rem: [Rather, it seems that before my memory returned, I was able to interact better with Katya-san, Mizelda-san, and others than I did when I regained it…]

Looking back on the recollection of her life story, Rem had those impressions.

Even though she was transported to the Vollachian Empire by chance and had to survive, it was not surprising that Rem had been more open to establish relationships with people when she had no other choice.

To top it all off, Rem had been entirely unkind to Subaru, always pushing him away when he only was trying to stay close and devoted to her and so on, over and over again; it made her want to strangle herself.

Rem: [If only Subaru-kun had looked Rem in the eye and talked to me directly… ah, but Rem was the one who refused to do so, ugh…]

Some part of Rem wanted to defend herself, saying that it could not be helped because she had no memory, and some part wanted to convince herself that she could have conveyed her sincere feelings if she had managed to face Subaru directly.

Regardless, the fact remained that Rem had caused a great deal of inconvenience to those around her, especially Subaru, so she had to do everything in her power to make up for it.

Rem: [First, Rem will resolve this situation successfully. After that, to show Subaru-kun my gratitude, Rem’s own fingers must be broken… that’s what I have to do.]

???: […If you do that, Subaru won’t be happy, and he might even die from shock, so please don’t do it.]

Rem: [Oh, Petra-san…]

When Rem turned around after her secret resolution was heard, she saw Petra with a troubled brow. Thinking that she should not have let her hear that, Rem pointed the palm of her hand at her and said, “No,”

Rem: [Please don’t try to stop me. Rem owes Subaru-kun many apologies. If my unworthiness is not punished, I won’t be able to face Subaru-kun…]

Petra: [So, you’re punishing yourself because you want to feel better, not because you want to apologize to Subaru, Rem-neesama?]

Rem: [That’s not what I mean…]

Petra: [Even if you don’t mean it like that, I’m just saying that’s how it’s going to end up. Okay? What Subaru wants you to do is not to punish yourself for it, but to accept the happiness that you have been missing out on while you were asleep, Rem-neesama.]

Rem: [――――]

As Petra softly lowered the corners of her eyes, Rem’s breath involuntarily caught at the former’s words.

It was a gentle and sweet admonition that sounded similar to the words Subaru had said to Rem when she blamed herself on the morning that the Witchbeast incident had been solved in Arlam Village, the first day that Rem had felt special feelings for Subaru.

For some reason, the Petra before her eyes seemed to overlap with the Subaru from that time, just a little.

Rem: […Surely, that is all the more proof of the influence that person has had on everyone, isn’t it?]

Petra: [Huh? What do you mean, Rem-neesama?]

Rem: [Nothing. Petra-san, your words brought back some very fond and cherished memories of mine. Do you remember when the Witchbeasts attacked Arlam Village?]

Petra: […Um, yeah, yes. I remember.]

At Rem’s question, Petra’s cheeks slightly tensed up. Then, Petra’s gaze flickered towards the girl standing in the corner of the room, Meili.

She apparently had joined the Camp while Rem was asleep and had been serving a role in the Kingdom while Emilia and the others had struggled in the Empire. She seemed vaguely familiar, but why was Petra paying attention to her now?

Petra: [Ahem. Anyway, please don’t do anything that could cause harm to yourself, Rem-neesama. The world would fall into darkness if your precious white and delicate fingers were to get hurt.]

Rem: [Petra-san…]

Petra: [If you absolutely insist on doing it, I’ll take responsibility and break my fingers too!]

Rem: [Petra-san!?]

When Petra suddenly clenched her small hands into fists, Rem’s voice involuntarily pierced a shrill note. Petra smiled mischievously at Rem’s reaction, and she continued, “That’s why”,

Petra: [You mustn’t do such a thing, yes?]

Rem: [――. Yes… understood.]

With that reminder from Petra, Rem nervously gave her a nod.

This was partly because she had succumbed to Petra’s enthusiasm, but it would be more correct to say that the Subaru-like impression she was getting from Petra blocked any room for a counterargument.

She also seemed to have overlapped with Subaru just earlier, but the way she held back Rem now―― the way she had offset Rem’s hastiness by crashing directly into her with her own extremes was very much like him.

Rem: [――――]

Getting a keen sense for the magnitude of Subaru’s influence through Petra, Rem fell silent.

In a way, Petra’s current state seemed to indicate that she understood Subaru better than Rem did, and it would not have been strange for her to harbor jealousy or feelings of envy. But oddly enough, Rem did not feel any such emotions towards Petra whatsoever.

She did not know why that was, but thinking of Subaru just now, another splinter caught in Rem’s heart.

That was――,

Rem: [――Aldebaran-san’s, Authority.]

That which she had just finished explaining to Emilia by using a gold coin, the Authority of “Turning Back Time”.

Thanks to Ram’s very patient explanation, Rem had comprehended just how terrifying such a thing was, but as she thought about it more in order to explain it to Emilia, some suspicions began to simmer within herself.

An Authority to observe the future that laid ahead, and avoid that which was undesirable by turning back the clock――,

Rem: [――That person, as well?]

That spark of suspicion that had faintly sprouted grew quickly within Rem, spreading like an inferno as it burned through the fields of her thoughts. Then, amidst the scorched ashes that remained, there laid a number of embers that had ignited, feeding the flame even more.

For instance, how there was always a thick fragrance of Miasma that hung over Subaru.

For instance, how Miasma would often grow deeper and more intense, as if it was enveloping Subaru.

For instance, how Subaru would read into situations with inexplicable insight, and find a path through to the solution.

For instance, how a multitude of deaths had been averted thanks to Subaru’s presence, with Rem having been one amongst them.

When taken individually, these elements would seem like nothing more than nitpicking, but when taken with that single rule-breaking factor at its core, an Authority, everything fit together surprisingly well.

But, in the one in ten-thousand chance that Rem’s intuition was correct, the boy known as Natsuki Subaru, despite possessing a nearly unparalleled power――,

Rem: [He only ever uses it for the sake of others… What a selfless person he is.]

If one could start over at any time and revise things to suit their own convenience, nothing would stop them from behaving selfishly, and reshaping the world as they pleased.

However, Subaru did no such thing, nor would he ever employ such methods. ――That was best understood by Rem, who represented someone who had not bent to Subaru’s will.

If Subaru had been utilizing his power to bend people’s minds to his wishes, then Rem would never have managed to break Subaru’s fingers.

In other words, the fact that Subaru’s fingers had been broken was proof of his sincerity.

Rem: [Maybe Rem should also break her fingers to match Subaru-kun’s after all…!]

Petra: [Even though I just got you to give up on doing that!?]

Rem: [You’re mistaken, Petra-san. This time is not for some backwards, negative reason like being unable to face him, but a forwards-facing, positive one like wanting to share the same pain as Subaru-kun…]

Petra: [Whether it’s forward, backward, upward, or downward, that’s a BIG FAT NO!]

With nobody willing to listen to her, Rem’s enthusiasm fell flat.

Anyhow, putting aside the matter of finger-breaking, Rem’s idea that Subaru possessed an Authority of the same type as Aldebaran’s was one that she was only growing more confident in. But, even after hearing the details of “Turning Back Time,” it seemed like Ram, Emilia and the rest had not arrived at the same conclusion that Rem had.

Perhaps it was because Rem harbored a deeper understanding of Subaru―― that was not the case.

Rem: […Rather, it’s the opposite.]

Unlike Rem, the reason why Emilia and the others had not arrived at this notion was because they, continuing to live whilst Rem slumbered, knew just how hard Subaru had been working each day until now.

From what she had been told, during the time Rem had been asleep that lasted greater than a year, Subaru made a Contract with Beatrice, and had worked tirelessly to become a Knight worthy of Emilia. Because they knew of Subaru’s efforts, they would not have harbored any suspicions that any other elements had contributed to his successes.

And though it was so vexing that it felt as if her heart was on the verge of being torn asunder, Rem knew nothing of those efforts. ――That was why there was such a massive gap between her and those who had surrounded him in their perception of what Subaru was capable of.

But, that in no way diminished Subaru’s heroism.

Above all, the fact that Subaru had now fallen into this situation meant that even if he possessed an Authority, it was not omnipotent, and therefore the reality that Subaru had mustered up all of his wisdom and courage to take the hands of others and move forward remained unshakeable.

So even now, there still remained plenty of opportunity for Rem to become Subaru’s strength.

Rem: [Knowing that… Nee-sama!]

The captive Subaru needed their help. ――With that certainty in her own thinking, Rem hastened to share her thoughts with Ram and everyone else, hoping to increase the fuel for their discussion.

It was a theory based on intuition and the Oni’s ability to smell Miasma, so it would be difficult to convince them, but she was sure that Ram, who was very intelligent, and Emilia, who was very accepting, would listen to what she had to say in earnest.

With that thought in mind, Rem was about to speak out to Ram and the rest, the former of whom had turned towards her and asked, “What’s the matter?”――,

???: [――We have now returned. Tardiness.]

It happened at that moment.

In the hall of the Royal Residence, where Rem and the others had gathered, two men appeared as if in the blink of an eye. One was Clind, a handsome man wearing a monocle that gave off an impression of intelligence. And the person Clind had brought alongside him was Rem’s master, whom she had known for a long time, and owed a great debt of gratitude to――,

Emilia: [Roswaal! You came!]

Roswaal: [Yesss~, Clind has informed me of the situation. I’ve now heard about Subaru-kun and Beatrice’s predicament, and of the circumstances that could possibly shake the very foundation of the Royal Selection, but I’m simply too exhausted from our travels to the Empire… I could never affooord~ to say such a thiiing~.]

Emilia: [Hmm, that’s reaaally reassuring. We’ll fill you in on all our discussions right away… but, before that…]

Roswaal: [――?]

Emilia greeted the tall figure that was Roswaal, who had just appeared, and gestured with her hand towards Rem, who had been standing just behind him.

Roswaal turned his head at Emilia’s gesture, and his heterochromatic eyes focused in on Rem. In response, Rem pinched her skirt and performed the proper curtsey,

Rem: [Roswaal-sama, it has been a terribly long leave of absence. Allow for thanks to once again be bestowed for venturing to retrieve us from the Empire. ――Rem has returned to service.]

Roswaal: [――――]

Roswaal’s throat rumbled slightly upon witnessing Rem’s gratitude and return to service. The next moment, his tall body began to stagger as if he were dizzy.

Ram: [Roswaal-sama!]

Roswaal: [Ah, no, I’m fine, I’m fine… It was just so sudden, as if I was about to drown in informaaation~.]

Standing by his side, Ram quickly steadied his body, to which Roswaal responded with a wry smile.

It seemed that because Rem’s Name had been regurgitated, it had caused a resurgence of Memories.

It was disappointing that it had not been through the power of her bond with Subaru, who had zealously polished her iron ball―― the Morningstar, but seeing the place she occupied within others being filled again after such a long vacancy was not a bad feeling. Though, there were some who might have called it tactless.

Either way――,

Roswaal: [――Welcome back, Rem. Once this situation has settled down, why don’t we discuss what has been happening with the mansion in the time you were absent… about Ram, in particulaaar~?]

Rem: [Yes. I look forward to it from the bottom of my heart.]

With great comprehension, Roswaal was able to quickly move on from the shock of remembering Rem. Impressed by the strength of her master’s spirit, Rem tried again to reopen the conversation anew.

However, Rem’s sleeve was tugged firmly from behind――,

Petra: [Master, wasn’t Frederica-neesama with you?]

Roswaal: [Yes, I had Frederica stay in the Barielle Domain. I already agreed to give my help there after all. I also couldn’t bear to leave Schult-kun alone, furthermore, Clind said he would fulfill Frederica’s expected rooole~.]

Petra: [Fulfilling Frederica-neesama’s role? Can Clind-niisama really do that?]

Clind: [Harsh. I must endeavor to dispel those doubts. Strenuous Effort.]

Petra frowned as she confirmed Frederica’s whereabouts, seeing that she did not return with Roswaal and the others, while Clind calmly vowed to make up for her absence.

During this exchange, Rem had turned her head to look at Petra’s profile as she tugged on her sleeve and asked, “Petra-san?”.

Petra had just now clearly interrupted Rem and changed the subject, bringing up a different topic. Of course, the whereabouts of Frederica was another area of concern, but her actions had another meaning of significance.

While Rem pondered this, Emilia introduced Rom-jii to Roswaal and began to talk about which countermeasures they would need to take across Camp boundaries. Seeing this, Petra turned to Rem and gave her a small beckoning gesture.

That was when――,

Petra: […Perhaps you also noticed something about Subaru, Rem-neesama?]

Rem: [――! The way you said that, Petra-san, have you also noticed Subaru-kun has an Authority…?]

Petra: [Don’t say anything more than that… The Witch might hear you.]

Rem: [――――]

Rem could not help but keep silent when Petra put her finger to her own lips in a shushing gesture.

Petra did not explicitly say so, but her words indicated exactly what was on Rem’s mind―― it was evidence enough to prove that Petra also thought that Subaru also had the Authority of “Turning Back Time.” From the words that followed, Rem could guess that Petra had been privy to more information than she was.

It was a bit of a stretch to say that the Witch would hear them, but――,

Rem: [As I already heard that Reinhard-sama is holding back the Witch of Envy at the Augria Sand Dunes, this is not something that I can laugh off as an exaggeration.]

Petra: [Yes, it has to do with that. I’m not absolutely sure that is the case, but I think it’s best if we don’t talk about this subject. ――I don’t want to ever experience that feeling again.]

Petra’s mutterings were filled with an almost frightening level of earnest realism that they carried a weight as if she had personally experienced the consequences from uttering those taboo words.

Naturally, Petra’s quiet appeal made Rem stop speaking and swallow those words into the back of her throat. But that meant missing the opportunity to reveal Subaru’s true accomplishments so far――,

Rem: […That’s not what he would be concerned about, would it?]

Before and after losing her memory, Rem had two opportunities to get to know Subaru.

What she had learned through those two occasions was that Subaru possessed an earnest sincerity, which struck deep into her heart, and that honestly and openly evaluating everything that was revealed to him was secondary.

Wishing Subaru to be praised and rewarded for all of his actions and intentions was merely a reflection of Rem’s own values.

Petra: [Rem-neesama, there is one thing I want to ask you.]

Petra asked Rem, who swallowed her own prayers and the aftertaste of her lingering sentimentality.

It was not a particularly hushed voice, but to Rem, it seemed as if Petra had asked her question with great care, so that only she could hear it.

When Rem nodded her head slightly, she felt the seriousness of the situation, a feeling which reminded her of Subaru’s earnestness, then,

Petra: [Rem-neesama, would you do anything to help Subaru?]

Behind this question, Rem sensed that Petra was expressing her belief that she could, and would do it.

There was no sense of rivalry with it. But, her deliberation lasted less than a second.

Rem: [Yes, of course. ――I am Subaru-kun’s Rem, after all.]

That was an answer that required no hesitation on Rem’s part.

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――His exhaustion continued to accumulate with every passing moment, something Aldebaran felt keenly.

Aldebaran: [I’m fine with procuring food locally, same with getting water by freezing the atmosphere and licking the ice, but… the fact that our sleeping hours are being curtailed is seriously draining.]

They continued to face relentless sabotage, an endless torment for the Aldebaran Party.

The majority of the damage inflicted by those disturbances was nothing so major that left them wounded or pressed them to retreat from the war front, but rather, nasty tricks that just kept them in a state of exhaustion. And whenever he would think along such lines, they would be hit with an attack of the same class as the falling boulder that had been the first maneuver used against them at the quarry, highlighting the underhandedness of the techniques which did not allow them to relax their vigilance whatsoever.

The greatest problem at hand, was that they possessed no means to perfectly defend against this.

Aldebaran: [Military-Grade Internal Affairs Minister… Military-Grade Internal Affairs Minister, huh? The violent way it sounds ain’t just for show, eh?]

The Internal Affairs Minister of the Emilia Camp, Otto Suwen, was a man who often appeared meek and feeble.

His role within the Camp was that of cushioning, someone often reduced to the butt of a joke, and while his position might have been necessary for their everyday operations, he was not an individual who necessitated vigilance during the most crucial of moments. ――That perception had been completely mistaken.

The fact that he could converse with any living thing was something Aldebaran had underestimated, overwhelmingly so. The price for that, was something he was paying with an unbelievable amount of vigor and resources.

Aldebaran: [Moreover, the problems don’t end with just that devious Internal Affairs Minister… there’s also trouble stirring between the old man and Felt-chan.]

In addition to the ongoing sabotage, what troubled Aldebaran’s mind even further was the friction that had arisen between his own party members; the budding of a seed of trouble he could not overlook.

Aldebaran had not originally planned on Felt being among them, but having needed to bring her along to maintain his relationship with “Aldebaran”, her presence had been a huge blow.

That, was the matter of Felt having touched upon the crux of that which stirred up Heinkel’s emotions.

It seemed as if Felt had touched upon almost everything that Heinkel did not wish to be touched upon.

While his son, Reinhard, was containing the Witch of Envy at the Augria Sand Dunes, with his own hands had Heinkel stabbed his father, Wilhelm, for getting in the way. The price for carelessly disrupting his mental state on the verge of collapse, was something Felt had almost ended up paying with her life. ――No, in reality, she had ended up paying with her life many times.

If Aldebaran had not reset things with his Territory, Felt’s death would have been set in stone.

That would have then invoked “Aldebaran’s” ire, and Heinkel would have been driven into a corner. As it stood, the Divine Dragon’s consciousness was in the unnatural state of being overwritten by Aldebaran. If something that considerably roused the Dragon’s instincts were to be brought upon it, it was quite possible that the magic of the Book of the Dead would come undone.

Hence, Aldebaran had forcibly cut off the conversation between Heinkel and Felt, but――,

Aldebaran: [It’s nothing but a bandaid fix. If I ever carelessly leave the old man alone with Felt-chan, I can easily see things getting bloody again. Having said that, it’d be impossible to leave anybody but Yae to handle restraining that Roy bastard… shit, I’m not doing a quiz about getting a wolf and a goat to the other side of a river on a boat. I ain’t good at those any which way.]

Though it was one of those so-called logic puzzles, he had been placed in a somewhat similar situation.

The current circumstances of allocating his mental resources to a futile battle of wits was undesirable, but with that said――,

???: [――If you just cast away Heinkel-sama or Felt-sama as you please, it’ll become much easier, y’know?]

Aldebaran: [――. How many times do I have to tell you, I ain’t gonna do that.]

As a lighthearted voice suddenly interjected with that proposal, Aldebaran clicked his tongue before responding.

With hands joined behind her back, Yae walked towards him with a spring in her step, as if performing a dance. Seeing her by herself, Aldebaran narrowed his eyes within his helmet.

Aldebaran: [Oi, why are you alone? You oughta be with someone…]

Yae: [Felt-sama is with Vol-sama, the Sin Archbishop is strung up, and Heinkel-sama is bound tight. For the time being, things have settled down.]

Aldebaran: […Even so, that doesn’t mean we don’t have any holes.]

Yae: [That would be correct. But but, it currently seems like Al-sama has the potential to become our biggest hole, y’know~?]

As she spoke, Yae hugged one of her knees as she crouched down before Aldebaran. As her cat-like red eyes peered into him, Aldebaran experienced a taste of discomfort.

No matter how bluntly he answered, her judgement was correct. ――Without a doubt, the one most clearly exhausted among their members was none other than Aldebaran.

Aldebaran: [But, that’s a matter of course. The goals I’m aiming to accomplish are the biggest and most numerous. Hence, it’s natural that I have to shoulder the difficulties…]

Yae: [As a result, if Al-sama were to be crushed halfway through, wouldn’t it be unbearable to watch?]

Aldebaran: […What is it you wanna say?]

Yae: [Like~ I’ve~ been~ saying, that which Yae-chan wants to say is the same as it’s always been. Before you get crushed like a bug, Al-sama, you should reign in your conditions for victory.]

Aldebaran: [I told you already, that’s…!]

Yae: [――Why is it that you must cling to such clean methods, Al-sama?]

Resting her chin in the arm upon her folded knee, Yae posed a sharp question.

Yae’s eyes, narrowed to a thread’s breadth, faintly opened, and sensing that the playfulness of her voice had vanished, Aldebaran was unable to muster any immediate response.

And taking advantage of that silence of Aldebaran’s, Yae resumed.

Yae: [Our opponents will come at you with reckless abandon. It’s only natural. After all, Al-sama, you robbed them of their companions, wounded them, and at the end of it all, put the fate of the world on the line. After all that, of course they’re going to be willing to risk their lives~. They won’t hesitate to use methods that go against the righteous road, fair and square.]

Aldebaran: […I know that I’m causing you a lot of trouble. Not only are you being endlessly harassed, but you even ended up clashing with the Sword Demon in the Royal Capital.]

Yae: [You’re mistaken. It’s not that I want to complain… No, in a sense, this might just very well undoubtedly be a complaint though~.]

Aldebaran: [What are――]

You trying to say; he had been unable to finish his words.

Without dodging Yae’s hand as it suddenly reached out, it pushed down on Aldebaran’s forehead, causing him to fall backwards. Then, as Aldebaran blinked his eyes, Yae glided on top of him after pushing him down.

Aldebaran: [――――]

At that close proximity, Aldebaran and Yae crossed gazes.

That instant, Aldebaran immediately poked the drug package prepared behind his molar with his tongue, intending to commit suicide so that he could redo this moment――,

Yae: [――The Madam has passed away, Al-sama.]

Aldebaran: [――Hk.]

Yae: [She passed away. Haven’t you said it yourself many times now?]

Just before Aldebaran could swallow the poison, Yae spoke thus to him at such a close distance that he could feel her breath on him, causing his throat to seize up.

He need not be told. Priscilla Barielle had died. That was the basis for everything. The reason why Aldebaran had taken the leap for this decision, the genesis, and the final shackle.

Because she was no longer among them, Aldebaran was released from all the chains that had bound him; and so, while fully aware that it would make him the enemy of all beings, that it would plunge the world into chaos, he had started this.

Yae: [Is that true?]

Aldebaran: [Ah…?]

Yae: [Is that truly the case? The Madam is no longer among us. That’s why nothing matters to you anymore. No matter who you betray, what you destroy, or how you might be perceived, you’re completely fine with it. ――Is that true?]

At the repeated question, Aldebaran froze.

Even now, he could make it so this moment never happened with a single movement of his tongue. With that as insurance―― no, even if he lacked that insurance, Aldebaran would likely not have moved.

Yae’s words and gaze harbored a power to bind him far greater than that of any steel thread.

Is that true; so she had asked. Just what answer did she want from him?

Is that true; so she had asked. Of course it’s true. What else could he possibly say?

Is that true; so she had asked. Of the certainty of Aldebaran’s resolve, she inquired.

Yae: [The results might be questionable. The damages brought about might even be outrageous. But, here’s what I also think. ――Your way of doing things is way, way too clean.]

Aldebaran: [Clean…?]

Yae: [You confront your opponents head-on, surpassing and surmounting their strategies, and you take advantage of their weaknesses when your military prospects are lacking, but you don’t allow there to be any casualties. Your resolve is clean, Al-sama. That’s why, you’ve ended up being so terribly cornered like this.]

Aldebaran: [――――]

Yae: [――Al-sama, how about you quit yearning for the sun?]

As Yae smoothly reached out her arms, she grabbed both sides of Aldebaran’s helmet. Her hands made no attempt to remove the helmet, but rather, they locked his line of sight onto herself, refusing to let him look away.

That gesture combined with the whispering of her words fettered Aldebaran’s soul, preventing any and all movement.

――To stop yearning, for the sun.

Yae: [Crawl on the ground, cover yourself in mud, stop looking up to the sky, and bathe in the blood. It’s alright. I’m already covered in filth, so I won’t balk at basking in the blood and the mud alongside you.]

Aldebaran: [――. No matter what you say, I’m…]

Yae: [You’ve no need to give up that which you aren’t willing to. But, if that’s what you wish, then please don’t try to be clean. If you would just give up on being clean, then――]

Pausing there, Yae’s lips curved into a gentle half-moon.

That smile of Yae’s, tinged with the hue of blood, was terribly transient, overlapping with the smile of someone else.

Yae: [――Nobody, would be able to defeat my Al-sama.]

――That was the smile of someone engraved into his soul, the one who had molded Aldebaran.

Aldebaran: [――――]

With a bloody smile, as Yae spoke in a manner as if clinging to him, as if cherishing him, as if lamenting him, as if pleading with him, as if threatening him, as if despairing of him, Aldebaran heaved a long sigh.

Then――,

Aldebaran: [――Expand Territory, Matrix Redefinition.]

In order to not relinquish that which was truly difficult to let go of, he thought that just maybe, he ought to cover himself in mud and blood.

△▼△▼△▼△

???: [——Urgh.]

A strong, throbbing pain gouged into his brain, causing Otto to let out a small groan.

Already, twenty hours had passed since he threw open his Divine Protection of the Soul of Language. During that time, he had not been continuously checking the opened channels, but even if he did not speak through them at all times, he did not fail to collect every single scrap of incoming information.

Consequently, maintaining his Divine Protection in a half-open state, Otto ate and slept sparingly as he continued his endless solitary battle.

Otto: [Emilia-sama, I see that you have joined up with the Margrave and the others.]

Although he did not exercise as much power as he did tracking Aldebaran’s group, he managed to confirm the movements of his allies as Otto sent out animals in both directions as scouts.

He had not been in active contact with Emilia and the others, as he did not want his concentration to break, but beyond that the main reason was that Otto did not want his recklessness to be constrained.

No matter how one looked at it, if they knew that Otto’s nose had bled enough to fill up a cup, Emilia and the others would undoubtedly stop him.

Otto: [However, it is necessary.]

Soon, Aldebaran’s group would arrive at the Kararagi City-States’ Grand Mogolade Geyser, where they would attempt to fulfill their goal. Most likely, that would be the time limit.

In the end, these were just Otto’s instincts, but he was convinced that not stopping their foes here would be their losing condition; this was surely their last chance to retrieve Natsuki Subaru and Beatrice.

Therefore, it must be prevented. But, the deciding factor did not lie with Otto.

Always, the one that held the decisive factor, was someone other than Otto.

All that Otto Suwen could do, was support someone else. ——And so, in that support, he would wring out every drop of blood and energy in his body.

???: [Laddie, please don’t die.]

Otto: […At least, you are not telling me to not be reckless.]

???: [Laddie, doesn’t it seem like being reckless is a hobby for you? I know it’s something you wouldn’t stop doing even if I told you to, so I won’t waste my breath. Hence, please don’t die.]

And at the supportive expression of his loving dragon Frufoo, Otto bitterly chuckled.

Fundamentally, Otto was moving separately from the rest of the Camp, and his means of transportation was the being with whom he would speak to whenever push came to shove—— in case his Divine Protection of the Soul of Language steeped him too deeply in the thoughts of other living creatures and he had to avoid becoming unable to return, he made sure to always travel with at least Frufoo by his side.

As expected, since Frufoo had known him since childhood, she seemed to be able to read Otto’s mind, and had often saved him with her dependability.

This was especially true when they were alone in the mountains, far from human habitation.

Frufoo: [I don’t know if this will help, but why don’t you get some sleep? As you said earlier, that group is currently resting… Now you don’t have to worry about losing sight of them, why don’t you take a break?]

Otto: [What are you talking about? If he is resting, then he is not being hindered. Instead, right now is the greatest time for profit.]

Frufoo: [Treating this situation as a time for reaping profits, your bad habit is slipping out, laddie.]

Frufoo shook her large head in exasperation, her tone and demeanour carefree; considering the current situation, one would think she was too easygoing, but Otto knew that this easygoingness was intentional so that he did not become anxious, so that he could not get irritated.

Actually, while talking to Frufoo, his willpower had steadily recovered. ――Thanks to this, it seemed he would be able to hold out a little longer.

Frufoo: [That’s not what I was trying to do, you know?]

Otto: [Even if you did not mean to, you are helping me. My Frufoo is really the best partner.]

Frufoo: [You really have a way with words laddie!]

A low groan of dissatisfaction rumbled from Frufoo as she smiled, while Otto took a deep breath. Then, once again he drew his consciousness to his channels, towards the birds, insects, and schools of fish that he had entrusted with tracking Aldebaran’s group trying to figure out as much of the enemy’s movements as possible.

Of course, since he needed to exchange information with the animals, Otto’s pursuit of Aldebaran was just slightly delayed, and there was some amount of lag.

Still, that he had not lost sight of Aldebaran’s group, and he had been able to continue chasing them without loosening his grip, was due to the great power of the Zodda bugs. Most animals were frightened by the presence of the Divine Dragon that accompanied them, and no matter how earnestly he begged them, they refused to go beyond a certain point.

However, Zodda bugs were different. Rather than the individual, they were more concerned with the survival of the swarm, and so they could fearlessly draw close to the Divine Dragon, making them terrific for reconnaissance. Once this was over, including the peaceful place that he had promised to them, they needed to be treated as kindly as possible.

Frufoo: [If you’re too supportive of the Zodda bugs, Miss Frederica, Miss Petra, and the others will be even more grossed out.]

Otto: [I know that for some reason, a lot of women hate Zodda bugs. But, if they become aware of their contributions this time, maybe that will change their perception.]

Though, Otto understood that there was very little hope of that.

It was not just the women’s side; after Otto’s battle in the Sanctuary, Garfiel had also seemed to develop some reluctance towards them. Subaru and Beatrice, too; once they were safely broken free and heard about the work the Zodda bugs had put in, what kind of face would they make――?

Otto: [At the very least, they should convey their gratitude to the head of the swarm directly――]

???: [Well, that will be a little difficult don’t you think~?]

Otto: [――――]

Just then, caressing Otto’s ear, was a voice that did not belong to the insects, nor the small animals, nor Frufoo. Immediately after he gasped, Otto’s body suddenly shot into the air.

Frufoo: [Laddie!!]

There was no dragon carriage, so as Otto’s weight which had been straddling her back suddenly disappeared, Frufoo let out a desperate cry.

Frufoo’s cries were in vain, as Otto was hanging from one of the trees on the mountain, kicking his legs as his hands and neck were constricted by something that felt thin.

Just barely, he had managed to get his fingers in front of his neck and escaped being asphyxiated――,

Otto: [Ku, ugh….]

???: [You don’t seem like a fighter, but it was amazing that you reacted immediately. Is this what they call always being prepared for battle? Onii-san, you would be a great shinobi, you know?]

As Otto was hanging, dangling and shaking, a slender shadow appeared from beneath his feet. A girl with crimson hair and a maid dress with wasou elements―― all the features matched.

She was one of the people in Aldebaran’s group, an enemy that Otto must eliminate――,

???: [See, didn’t I tell you, Al-sama? ――There’s nobody, who can defeat you.]

――The crimson shinobi, Yae Tenzen, as her cheeks blushed red, looked up at the hanging Otto.