Chapter 654 — Arc 10, Chapter 4 – “You’re Welcome”

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Subaru: [The invention of a Magic Stone engine, as opposed to a steam engine, couldn’t come sooner.]

Said Subaru, his eyes focused ahead as he sat at the coachman’s seat, reins gripped. Snugly seated atop Subaru’s knees, Beatrice knitted her eyebrows at his words.

Beatrice: […There’s another curiously odd thing you blurted out, in fact. What is a Magic Stone enjin, I suppose?]

Subaru: [A technology that isn’t in this world yet. See, if we could use the energy from Magic Stones to create a system close to a steam engine, then maybe we’d be able to make a locomotive.]

Beatrice: [Lowkomowtiv?]

Subaru: [It’s kind of like a Dragon Carriage that doesn’t need a ground dragon, that can keep on running till its supply of Magic Stones run out. It can only travel across places where there’s railway tracks, so it has less liberty, but on the other hand it would make it possible to come and go from places at a substantially good pace wherever there’s rail connectivity. What do you think?]

Beatrice: [No matter what one may think, it seems to be convenient, in fact. That is, if you can close your eyes to the absurdly nonsensical parts, I suppose.]

Subaru tapered his lips in apparent displeasure at Beatrice, her reply failing to conceal her dismay.

He did think it was a fairly considerable idea, but it truly would be quite difficult to transmit the image in his head to those who had not seen the real thing. Above all, in terms of knowledge pertaining to working locomotives, Subaru was nearly just as lacking as Beatrice. If only he had been more informed about the construction of steam engines, he could have said something with more of a sense of reality.

Patrasche: [――Dodogyuuun.]

Subaru: [Uh-oh, my bad my bad, Patrasche. I didn’t mean any offense, especially not after you came all the way to the Empire to receive me. It was only a right-person-at-the-right-place kinda talk…]

Patrasche: [――Dodogyuuun!]

Beatrice: [Unfortunately, it seems that won’t suffice to swindle her, in fact. The more you upset Patrasche, the less likely she will be to return, I suppose.]

Subaru: [Now that’s a situation I’d like to avoid no matter what… please don’t be ma~d.]

Having failed to share the exact image of a locomotive, he must have transmitted that the role it would perform would intrude upon hers. Scratching his head at the objections of his beloved dragon Patrasche, Subaru adjusted his clutch on the reins once again and narrowed his eyes at the unchanging, unrelenting scenery of sand.

――After shutting down Al’s attempt at the Pleiades Watchtower, Subaru set his course straight for the Royal Capital along with his group, determined to uncover the things he needed to learn no matter what, while carrying the truths that had been brought to light during the loop that had been undone.

The shock of Al’s betrayal was weighty, and in order to digest that as well, the group departed from the tower with enthusiasm crossing into the realm of bravado―― however, the road to the ever important Royal Capital was long.

After all, the journey spanned from the eastern edge to the western edge of the Kingdom of Lugunica, a distance crossing across almost the entire Kingdom.

Even borrowing the power of the energetic and exceptional Patrasche, it appeared to take a substantial number of days, so even though on one hand a part of him braced himself, his vexation amplified on the other.

In this agonizing state of mind, even if Subaru could escape into his mind to explore ideas for new means of travel, he would probably concede them as unsalvageable halfway through.

Subaru: [If a locomotive or train did become a practical reality, I wonder how much travel time would be shortened… it should undoubtedly be able to move faster than a ground dragon without rest.]

He did not have the leisure for it now, but once things calmed down, he would consider discussing it with Roswaal or Otto in a more serious caliber.

As a concept, it was similar to the linked dragon carriages invented in the Empire, but those were based on ground dragons and relied upon the running capacity of each creature, so a Magic Stone-powered device should have a higher level of convenience.

Subaru: [If we could make it happen, I bet it would knock Abel’s socks off. Just imagining him frustratedly asking me to teach him how we did it makes it start to feel more and more worthwhile.]

Beatrice: [If it involves Magic Stones, then Betty may also be able to offer advice, but won’t cooperate if it’s for some worthless objective like getting the better of that Abel, in fact.]

Subaru: [Right. Seeing Abel’s sniveling mug was a worthless motive. Forget it, forget it.]

Erasing away the image of the grimacing mug of Abel that surfaced in his mind with his hand, Subaru set his chin on Beatrice’s temple and let out a short sigh. Beatrice registered the sigh above her head, and the solid sensation at the back of her head―― the black orb hanging from Subaru’s neck.

Beatrice: [Subaru, that forbidden technique――]

Subaru: [It’s something that you brought to light… I’m sorry, but that’s all the explanation I can give.]

Beatrice: [Won’t reproach you or anything, I suppose. What Betty is concerned about is the composition of that magic, and the anomalous precision of its method of target selection… it felt like a glimpse of Mother, in fact.]

Subaru: [Mother… Echidna, huh.]

Beatrice: [I suppose.]

Beatrice nodded as Subaru recalled the Witch of Greed he had encountered in the Sanctuary.

Speaking of her detestable countenance, he would have liked to see her face Sphinx, who had taken on a form alike to hers during the Great Disaster of the Vollachian Empire. In light of the depth and expanse of the scars that Witch of Greed had bequeathed, the credence of their exchanges in the Tomb was lost on Subaru by this point.

Moreover, the existence of the Witch of Greed, in contrast to the scars she had left behind all throughout the world, had been far too inordinately meticulously suppressed.

Not fading away due to the passage of time, it would have been more natural to deem it a purposeful erasure from history. ――That raised a question: who was responsible?

Subaru: [It is true that Echidna ended up dying, so it’s not like she did it herself. But, considering she continued perpetrating evil deeds even after death by entering and exiting people’s dreams, that too becomes dubious.]

Beatrice: [At least that should expectably be impossible, in fact. To freely visit people’s dreams even after death should be unfeasible for even Dream Arts Users who are masters of the Dream Method, I suppose.]

Subaru: [D-Dream Arts Users? Dream Method?]

Beatrice: [Magic that uses dreams as intermediary to meddle with the opponent’s mind, in fact. On top of that, it is a kind of forbidden art, and its users were almost entirely eradicated, I suppose.]

Subaru: [That kinda thing’s definitely still out there somewhere! Interfering with the mind? Maybe the users just planted some convenient memory in people’s minds that they had been eradicated and let themselves slip away.]

Beatrice: [T-that’s way too pessimistic, in fact…! Ahem, anyhow, I suppose. The approach of Mother, whom you and Emilia encountered in the Tomb, may seem to apply the principles of the Dream Method, but strictly speaking, it is something entirely different, so invading the consciousnesses of living beings, like invading dreams should be undoable, in fact.]

Subaru assented to Beatrice’s adorable explanation, her upraised finger waving.

He was unaware of the detailed principles, but the Castle of Dreams that Echidna inhabited exclusively used the special ground known as the Tomb as its nucleus, so it did not stretch to the outside―― or so it seemed.

If that were the case, then the fear of Echidna having done everything by her own power would disappear.

Subaru: [But in that scenario, it’d mean that there would be someone who acceded to Echidna’s will and carried out the concealment, with the most likely candidate being Roswaal…]

Beatrice: [If it is the crime of someone close, there’s no choice but to choke back tears and push him out.]

Subaru: [Like I said, we can’t push him out till the Royal Selection ends, and even after the Royal Selection ends I’d like not to, if possible. Also, the one who plays the part of a pretty girl in front of me, Beatrice, actually making some secret moves in the shadows as Echidna’s apostle is a development that’s convention for entertainment, you know?]

Beatrice: [Betty being the final boss is a plotline that’s been discarded long before, in fact. It doesn’t have a fragment of convincingness or cohesiveness, a trashy idea that’s just fishing for shock value, I suppose.]

Subaru: [I think so too, but you’re really tellin’ em…]

She had no intent to entertain even the idea of her becoming Subaru’s enemy even in jest. That too was evidence of the extent to which she cherished Subaru, nothing more.

All that said, assuming it was neither Roswaal nor Beatrice who went around erasing any traces of Echidna, then――,

Subaru: [――The Witch Cult.]

Beatrice: [――――]

Beatrice faintly twitched and halted her breath. This nervous reaction by Beatrice was proof of her internal agreement with Subaru’s muttering.

The Witch of Greed―― no, not confined to information about only Echidna, but all of the Witches affixed with the deadly sins other than the Witch of Envy, were on the verge of having their entire existence erased down to the last traces.

And when the Sin Archbishops had all simultaneously appeared in the Watergate City of Priestella, they had shoved their respective egotistical demands onto the city for things that they wanted in exchange for the lives of the city’s inhabitants. Back then, there were those like Regulus who were simply seeking to fulfill their own desires, but there were also objects of demand in the mix that would have been difficult to imagine as what the individuals personally desired.

Subaru: [On top of that, I’ve also heard from Otto before. No matter what part of the world, if there’s something that’s happened to be found with a connection to the Witch, then the Witch Cult would come to rob it… that sorta thing.]

In reality, the Fortified City of Garkla, which Subaru and the others had visited in Vollachia, was said to have collapsed into annihilation in the wake of that same Regulus’s sizeable rampage. Forced to reminisce about an enemy he did not wish to recall, he felt a deep sense of revulsion.

Anyhow――,

Subaru: [I feel that the destructive rampage at Priestella does support the rumours Otto had spoken about. If that’s the case, then the group’s rampages aren’t just simple terrorism by a cult group, there’s an entirely separate strategy―― and that’s exactly what’s attempting to erase the Witches from this world, isn’t it?]

The Witch Cult espoused the Witch of Envy, and assented to the offer of worship to that being.

Because this cursory information had been spread as common sense, the fact that they sought to erase all traces of Witches other than the Witch of Envy may have been getting concealed.

Subaru: [Not “if you want to hide a tree, put it in a forest”, but if you want to hide a Witch then put it in the Witch of Envy episode, huh…? But, if that’s the case, then the one who created the Witch Cult would be…]

Beatrice: [――It cannot have been… Mother, in fact.]

Following the same train of thought as Subaru’s, Beatrice anticipated this conclusion and negated it.

Lips sealed shut, Beatrice’s visage as she looked onward was out of Subaru’s sight. However, imbued in her words was something far too brittle to be labelled conviction, a feeble orison.

She must have known that rationally, Subaru’s idea did conform to reason.

But what evermore forbade Beatrice from acknowledging it was the truth of the person in question being Beatrice’s creator, and family whom she had spent an invaluable spell of time with.

Subaru understood that to an aching extent, and simultaneously, it became a source of ire toward Echidna.

Subaru: [To make my adorable Beako go through something so gruelling…]

The Witch who had left Beatrice behind for four hundred years in the Forbidden Library, after commanding her to wait for That Person.

That Echidna’s true intent behind her instruction was the desire to know whom Beatrice would choose as That Person, the reason being a fearsomely wicked curiosity, was something Subaru knew. Naturally, he could not possibly reveal that to Beatrice. Nor did he intend to convey it.

To repudiate the emotions with which Beatrice cherished Echidna and then overwrite them with himself was a vulgar, pathetic thought. Beatrice could continue to cherish Echidna; all Subaru had to do was become something greater than that for her.

Subaru: [Beako, I love you.]

Beatrice: [――!? The flow of conversation changed, I suppose!?]

Love and purpose brimming over, Subaru hugged Beatrice tightly from behind. Upon his embrace, Beatrice’s solemn face turned red. This was it, exactly this.

Not to dismiss this discussion with vague undecidedness――,

Subaru: [We won’t find an answer at this time or place. We need to go to the Royal Capital and… wait, this is where the conversation ends up again? Goddammit, can’t wait for the invention of the Magic Stone engine…!]

Clutching the black orb hanging by his breast, Subaru vented in annoyance.

The itinerary was yet long, the set destination of the Royal Capital yet far away――,

And Subaru’s impatience would be dissolved through rather unanticipated means.

That being――,

???: [――Good grief, got tired of waitin’. You’re finally back.]

Awaiting Subaru and the others in the post town of Mirula that they reached after crossing the sand sea was a bald giant with crossed arms as thick as logs―― Rom-jii’s reception, and the surprise they received from it, was where it began.

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Beatrice: [――It is surprising that there is still a surviving member of the Giants, I suppose. I had thought that just about all of them would have already died out in a similar vein to the Oni Clan, in fact.]

Rom: [Unfortunately, never’ve I happened ta meet another Giant ‘side from myself. It’s possible that I’m the last of the Giants still kickin’ in this world.]

Subaru: [Seriously? Isn’t that way more severe than simply being on an countdown to extinction?]

As Beatrice stared up at his huge body, the Giant in question, Rom-jii, replied to her. And hearing that, Subaru furrowed his brow at the hopeless situation of the Giants.

After all, if the only survivor still remaining was the ultra elderly Rom-jii, there was no longer any hope for posterity, with extinction an inevitability. If the final survivor of the race had been younger, they might have been able to leave more threads of possibility, but,

Rom: [What, it stands ta reason that a race done servin’ it’s purpose would die out. The Giants ‘n the Oni Clan, there’s no further reason ta keep ‘em alive in the world here ta come. It’s up ta the individuals ta live ‘n perish as they please… that’s just how it goes.]

Subaru: [You know, I really don’t like that sorta fatalistic outlook. Though, even if I say all that now, I guess it’s too late to do anything about it.]

Rom: [Those are some laudable things you’re sayin’. Seems like you’ve also gone ‘n learned a bit of prudence.]

As Subaru poked his tongue against the interior of his cheek in frustration, Rom-jii’s cheeks bent into a smile and he clapped the former on the shoulder with his large palm.

In fact, this was the first time Subaru was getting to properly talk to Rom-jii since the day upon which the start of the Royal Selection was declared, when both of them had taken measures to sneak into the castle.

He had heard that Rom-jii served as the brain of Felt’s operation, but only upon exchanging a few words with him here after a long while did it finally begin to sink in.

Subaru: [Looking back on it, before even Beako, Rom-jii and Felt were some of the first people I met in this world, so it’s somewhat deeply emotional… Though going deeper on that line of thought, I met that unc at the fruit stand before ever meeting Emilia-tan, which is a bit…]

To begin with, if he was going to start talking about the pace of his encounters, he would also have to include Tonchinkan, causing his head to act up.

Either way, sharing a reunion with an old acquaintance was something of great joy to Subaru. All the more when it came to somebody who he had gotten to know on the very first day of his summoning to another world.

Hence――,

Subaru: [――You’re one of those people too, Reinhard.]

???: [Thank goodness. Your conversation with Rom-jii was so lively, I thought that I had been completely forgotten about.]

Subaru: [Being forgotten? You of all people? You ever experienced that sorta thing?]

Reinhard had such a sense of presence that even if his Name were to be devoured by the Authority of Gluttonity, it seemed like it would be impossible to forget him. And in all likelihood, he would never find himself in the situation of having his Name eaten to begin with.

As Subaru pointed that out, Reinhard gave a wry smile as he shrugged his shoulders,

Reinhard: [Fortunately, I have not had the opportunity as of yet. And so, it is not as though I feel no burden. After all, my own actions can never be undone.]

As he spoke, Reinhard’s eyes glanced behind Subaru―― towards Garfiel, standing there with an imposing air about him.

Off to the side from their reunion, Garfiel was silently casting his sharp, emerald-green eyes towards Reinhard. Basking in his gaze, Reinhard softly narrowed his own blue eyes, and,

Reinhard: [You have gotten quite a bit stronger since the last time we met. In such a short time at that, it is an incredible feat.]

Garfiel: [Tch, yer sayin’ that so lightly. Even tho’ for me, it was a matter of levelin’ up after bein’ thrust to the brink of dyin’ countless times, the depth of yer strength keeps gettin’ more ‘n more unfathomable.]

Reinhard: [I wonder, are you not going to challenge me like you did in Pristella anymore?]

Garfiel: [Even if I tried now, there’d be no winnin’. Besides, if my amazin’ self went ‘n lost against ya on my own, that classification’d just end up causin’ trouble for Emilia-sama.]

Turning away as he clicked his tongue, Garfiel firmly held back his own combative spirit.

He was not overthinking it. In reality, since her Knight’s strength was of no match, the one who would be compared to Reinhard was the military officer of the Emilia Camp, Garfiel. If it became known that Garfiel was defeated in a head-on fight against Reinhard, even if that classification was already fully understood by society, it was entirely possible that the Camp would gain an impression of lacking strength.

Thus, Garfiel had considered all of that by himself, and held back.

Subaru: [Garfiel… you’ve grown up so much…!]

Garfiel: [Ahh!? Th’ fuck, Captain, don’t pat my head! I just said some pathetic shit ‘bout how I can’t win right now! There ain’t no reason to be praisin’ me!]

Subaru: [There is, there is, there is, there is, one thousand percent yes there is. Oi, everyone, let’s all praise Garfiel!]

Garfiel: [R-roar!]

As Garfiel’s face shyly flushed red in embarrassment, he was surrounded by Subaru, Beatrice, Petra, and Meili as they commended him “Good, good”.

It was a reverse pattern to when they had comforted Subaru in the Pleiades Watchtower just a short while ago.

And after they finished thoroughly doting on Garfiel in such a manner――,

Petra: [――So then, what business might two members belonging to Felt-sama’s Camp have with us?]

Indeed, the one to properly broach the matter at hand, was the most reliable member of their group, Petra.

With her hands on her hips, Petra’s small form was eager to play the negotiator of the Camp, giving Subaru an unanticipated sense of reliability, and filling his heart with ardent emotion.

Unexpectedly, he felt as if he sensed a glimpse of the loop that had been lost, in which she had endeavored to an unknowable extent in order to take back Subaru in the battle against Al.

Beatrice: [W-what’s with that heartrending expression, in fact, Subaru?]

Subaru: [It’s nothing, I’m just easily moved to tears lately. Beako, could you give me a hug?]

Beatrice: [T-there’s no helping it, I suppose, you require much attention, in fact.]

With a reluctant face, Beatrice switched from holding Subaru’s hand to a stance of clinging to his waist. With that, Subaru refocused on the conversation playing out before his eyes.

The reason why Reinhard and Rom had come all the way out here to wait for Subaru and the others――,

Reinhard: [Of course, we came to pick you up. ――There are urgent circumstances transpiring in the Royal Capital. Emilia-sama was feeling rather uneasy, so Felt-sama ordered that I come here.]

Petra: [Emilia-neesama? But then why would Felt-sama…]

Reinhard: [The two of them became friends. And so, she said she would lend a hand to help her friend out.]

Meili: [O~h my, Felt-chan was played by Emilia-oneesan, wa~sn’t she now. I know the fee~ling. I might also be able to get along with Felt-cha~n.]

Hearing Reinhard’s reply to Petra’s suspicion, Meili smiled mischievously. But, from the way she spoke, it was an admission that she too had been moved by Emilia’s kindness, but it was unclear if Meili herself was aware of that. Subaru kept his mouth shut.

Moreover, Subaru was also surprised. Of course, he did not have any impression that Emilia and Felt had a poor relationship, but to think that Felt would take action for the sake of Emilia.

Subaru: [It would’ve been unimaginable back when she had first stolen her insignia…]

Rom: [I’ll tell ya this now, young’un, but spillin’ that story ta the public’d be a real trouble. If y’all were ta go spreadin’ that poor reputation, we’d also be forced ta make some plays.]

Subaru: [It’d be one thing if I had no memory of it, but that would just be suffering the consequences of my actions… though, you guys wouldn’t be the only ones in trouble if the details of that incident were to come to light…]

As Rom-jii gave that warning just as a precaution, Subaru shrugged his shoulders.

The disruption of the insignia robbery in the Royal Capital was actually linked to the schemes of Roswaal who commissioned Elsa behind the scenes. Furthermore, Elsa was also entangled with Meili, so all those things falling under greater scrutiny would be more of a pain for the Emilia Camp.

To begin with, it was unthinkable that Emilia would bring up the fact that Felt had stolen her insignia at this stage. All the more if they had become friends.

Subaru: [If anything, there’s also a chance that Emilia-tan has forgotten the fact that Felt previously stole her insignia… though I doubt she would’ve, right?]

Reinhard: [From my perspective, Emilia-sama has overcome that past to seek friendship with Felt-sama. That is what I believe.]

Subaru: [Right. I also prefer Emilia-tan that way. But…]

The problem was the fact that Emilia had been driven into a situation of feeling uneasy.

As he thought about just what might have happened in the Royal Capital, Subaru suddenly realized that the cause of Emilia’s current feelings might lie within himself.

That maybe, it was the effect of the “report” he had entrusted to Flam before departing the Pleiades Watchtower――,

Reinhard: [No, I have also heard about Priscilla-sama, and the matter concerning Al-dono. It had caused Emilia-sama great heartache, but it was rather you all that she was worried about, Subaru. Hence, that was not the immediate cause.]

Subaru: [Is that, so? That’s a reli… well it isn’t a relief, but I understand. But, if it’s not that, then what else happened?]

Rom: [――Circumstances that’re shakin’ the very bedrock of the Royal Selection, one could say.]

Everyone: [――!]

Hearing Rom-jii’s grave tone, Subaru and the others all shifted their expressions.

Circumstances that shook the foundation of the Royal Selection: to hear of such a thing was a great emergency, and the fact that Reinhard did not deny it, was proof that there was no mistake in that perception.

It was unclear whether that was because of the dropping out a Royal Candidate as the result of Priscilla’s death, or whether there was some other factor at play, but――,

Reinhard: [Concerning this issue, it is necessary for all Camps to come together to discuss. Hence, I went to pick up Rom-dono who was residing in our domain, and from there came here to pick up all of you, Subaru.]

Subaru: [Then, you must be wanting to go reconvene with Felt back in the Royal Capital as soon as possible…]

Reinhard: [Rachins and the others are also in the Royal Capital. In this situation, it was more pertinent for me to follow Felt-sama’s orders. In truth, I had wished to go pick you up at the Tower, but I wished to avoid heading into the Augria Sand Dunes without Meili’s abilities, and risk passing you by.]

Rom: [‘N so, we decided ta wait for y’all’s arrival in this town.]

And hearing Rom-jii bring it to a finish, the questions that had arisen within Subaru’s mind were settled.

Under such circumstances, Reinhard and Rom-jii were waiting for the arrival of Subaru and the others in Mirula. While he was grateful for that, he also grew frightened of what sort of issue had driven them to go to such lengths.

However――,

Subaru: [I can’t afford not to ask, but time is of the essence. Let’s talk as we move.]

Reinhard: [Indeed, let us do so. There are also many things I wish to ask you, Subaru. After we parted in Pristella, the events that transpired in the Empire, to the extent of what you can say.]

Subaru: [There isn’t really anything I can’t tell you about. I’ll spill it all. I’ve also got plenty of things I wanna ask the guy with as huge a reputation as the Sword Saint.]

Reinhard: [――. As long as they are things I can answer, then by all means.]

Nodding to each other, a consensus was reached between Subaru and Reinhard.

For Subaru, who had yearned for a non-existent locomotive due to how tantalizing transportation felt, being able to borrow Reinhard’s power here was no mere lifeboat, it was nothing short of the Millenium Falcon itself.

And then, before they reembarked for the Royal Capital――,

Subaru: [Oh yeah, Reinhard.]

Reinhard: [Hm? What is it?]

Subaru: [I think you probably won’t understand what I mean, but hear me out. ――Thank you.]

At Subaru’s words of gratitude, as had been prefaced, Reinhard seemingly did not understand what he meant, and raised his eyebrows in surprise. And while Subaru’s lips curved into a smile at the fact that he had taken the Sword Saint by surprise,

Subaru: [I don’t really know all the details either, but I’m at least convinced that you had to go through extreme toil. So, thank you.]

Reinhard: [Nothing really comes to mind, so I wonder how I should respond.]

Subaru: [In that case, you can just say you’re welcome.]

Reinhard: [Understood. ――You’re welcome.]

Subaru: [That pronunciation’s way too good.]

As Reinhard responded so to such unexpected gratitude, Subaru thanked him again and pat Beatrice on the head as she clung to his waist before commencing the preparations for their trip.

Since Reinhard would be hastening them in one go across a distance that would normally take several days, it would likely be some absolutely outrageous transport method. He had to brace his heart.

Reinhard: [――――]

As he proceeded with preparations to depart with his allies, Subaru did not notice that watching over his back, as if to evaluate him, were Reinhard’s two eyes, hand placed over the hilt of the sword at his waist.