Chapter 656 — Arc 10, Chapter 6 – “Instantaneous Water Heater”

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Pandemonium arose within the Prison Tower for a moment, people with altered expressions restlessly circling about from left to right.

Watching this scene from afar, Subaru rested his spine onto a rampart slightly distant from it all, hugging his knees.

Subaru: [――――]

Setting his forehead onto his curled knees, Subaru released a deep sigh.

Far too many shocking things had happened. That naturally applied to sighting a gruesome corpse without any prior preparedness of his heart, but to think that this cadaver could possibly have been――,

???: [――Are you alright?]

Subaru’s face was buried in his knees when that voice addressed him, making him slowly uplift his head. There, he saw Rem, her expression bedimmed by anxiety.

The girl crouched right beside him, peering at Subaru’s face, and used the handkerchief in her grasp to wipe his dispirited visage. The faintly moist handkerchief felt cool, and a sigh escaped Subaru with a “My bad”, chaperoned by a sense of salvation.

Rem: [There’s no need to apologize… It would seem, you saw something quite terrible inside.]

Subaru: [That’s… right. I also didn’t want you to see him, so there’s that, but I’m glad we kept you waiting outside just in case, Rem. You didn’t need to see something like that, Rem.]

Rem: [Please don’t be so overly protective. I witnessed many casualties in the Vollachian Empire. A few more at this point wouldn’t…]

Subaru: [I get it. But if you don’t absolutely have to come into contact with it then I’d like you to not. If you’re trying to save someone and end up letting them die because of your insufficient strength or something, those kinds of situations can’t be helped… but this kinda stuff, it’s the type of death that absolutely nothing good can come out of coming into contact with.]

Even Subaru would not repudiate the existence of deaths that were meaningful and significant, or deaths as consequence of persisting in one’s convictions.

Would he repudiate even that, then he would not have silently seen off Priscilla.

However, the death in the watchtower that he had witnessed just before―― the gruesome, appalling death plight of Gluttony Roy Alphard, was far removed from any such ilk of nobility; an unsightly and repulsive thing.

There was no decent meaning in plundering the life of another, and furthermore desecrating a corpse to such a degree.

It could have been part of a malevolent scheme, or perhaps a vehement rage that eluded satisfaction unless it tormented even the cadaver bereft of a soul―― he was a Sin Archbishop who would have purchased hatred as a matter of course, but nobody deserved this cruel a manner of death.

Subaru: [Shit… hk.]

Nausea scourging the pit of his stomach, Subaru clicked his tongue in frustration.

It was rage directed toward the one who had ripped Roy’s limbs and torn him apart, and at the same time, chagrin at once again losing the key to the resolution of the Authority of Gluttony, whose solution had finally seemed to be within his grasp.

Quite honestly, he did not wish to ponder it. ――That perhaps if Subaru and Reinhard had not taken a detour after meeting up, and had instead hastened directly to the Royal Capital, they may have found Roy still alive.

And ultimately, Subaru had the power to verify that for certain. In fact, if it had been the Subaru from the Empire, with his mentality from when his body had been shrunken, he surely would have enacted that without any hesitation.

But――,

Subaru: [――Al…]

Clutching the Al-orb which dangled from his neck, Subaru bit down on the inside of his cheek.

Hypothetically, even if Subaru were to lose his life now and Return by Death, his most recent restart point was in the Pleiades Watchtower, just before sealing Al away with Ol Shamak. There was also the possibility that his restart point had shifted forward, but based on his current experience, that was the latest update.

――And, to return once more to that time frame, and to repeat the moment in which it was necessary to preemptively shut down Al before he could set his plan into motion, was not something Natsuki Subaru was capable of.

Subaru: [――――]

It was not that it was not a viable option. Nor was it a restriction on the part of Ol Shamak.

Simply, Natsuki Subaru lacked the courage to return to that scene and face Al once more. If he were to fail in stopping Al, all the while hoping that it might be possible to change his mind through conversation, it might be Subaru who ended up getting sealed all over again.

Were that to happen, Subaru’s failed resolution would end up being entrusted to his allies once more. In order to prevent that, Subaru refrained from manifesting a short-tempered Return by Death.

However, that would mean that Rem, that the victims of Gluttony would―― it happened just when he began to think that.

Rem: […Once again, you’re trying to shoulder all the responsibility on yourself.]

Suddenly, upon Subaru’s hand which clutched the Al-orb, Rem placed her own.

Fixing her gaze straight ahead at Subaru’s face as his breath caught in surprise, Rem narrowed her pale-blue eyes, and,

Rem: [I’ll tell you this now. ――Please, don’t make it your own responsibility to recover my Memories. The matter of my Memories is my own problem… it’s troubling that you take every last thing without exception, and carry it upon your back as if it’s your own problem.]

Subaru: [――Hk, no, that’s not it. You’ve got it all wrong. I have to get your Memories back, no matter what…]

Rem: [Like I said, that’s all wrong. Why is it that for a problem that’s mine, you’re the one who’s going through the most headache? That’s something for me to worry about. It doesn’t belong solely to you.]

Subaru: [That’s…]

Eyes darting about, Subaru lost the ability to say anything before Rem’s gaze.

What flashed through his mind were the chills of that moment in which he had thought his life was over, back when Rem had spoken the words “You are not a hero” to him in the Fortress City. Just like that time, he thought he might end up being deprived of his privilege to struggle for the sake of Rem――,

Rem: […Please, don’t give me that wet puppy dog look.]

Subaru: [Huh?]

Rem: [No, that was too much of an overstatement. A drenched puppy dog would still be cute, so you look more like a wet… a wet flying dragon, or something.]

Subaru: […Though, I’m way more open to being treated as cool rather than something cute.]

Rem: [It was not a compliment. Also, please do not misunderstand.]

With Subaru confused as to what said misunderstanding was, Rem began to collect her words after the passing of a moment. Then, she prefaced with “Alright?”,

Rem: [I have a general grasp on the situation. The person who was being held in this Tower… somebody who had some sort of connection to Spica-chan, would have been the first step to regaining my Memories. But, that person died, causing you to be immensely frustrated… All the while, you are leaving me, the person most affected, off to the side.]

Subaru: [――. When you put it like that, it makes me sound like an incredibly selfish guy.]

Rem: [It seems like you have finally gained awareness of your current position.]

Rem plainly and gently guided Subaru along towards comprehension. As he heeded her words, some leeway returned to Subaru’s respiration, after he had felt backed up against the wall all on his own.

And perhaps having perceived that change in his expression, Rem’s eyes smiled in relief,

Rem: [Even I am in low spirits. Right on the brink of my Memories possibly returning… but, witnessing you there in a state of frustration greater than even my own, I did not have any time to be feeling down.]

Subaru: [Umm, I’m glad that you didn’t have to feel down, Rem.]

Rem: [Hah? Even though you were feeling down instead, and making the rest of us worry?]

Subaru: [I’m terribly sorry~!]

Basking in Rem’s stern gaze, Subaru clutched his head and apologized.

He never would have thought that he would be treated as a thief who stole her right to feel saddened. But, that was also what Subaru truly wished at heart. Subaru believed it would be best if Rem, Emilia, and everyone else never had the time to be in low spirits for the rest of their lives.

Rem: [The fact that it seems like you’re thinking that it would be fine if you were the only one who ever felt down, is unpleasant.]

Subaru: [Rem…]

Rem: [I think you have a bad habit of believing that everything is always only your fault whenever something goes awry. So, you’re also trying to find solutions all by yourself… would you stop it already?]

Subaru: […So what you’re saying is, that I shouldn’t worry about things all by myself?]

Rem: [That is what I have been saying from the start.]

Subaru: [Have you!? Well, I guess you might have. Yeah, you have. You have been saying it. What an idiot I am for not noticing the things you’ve been saying! Stupid, stupid!]

Before Rem, who abruptly averted her gaze, Subaru smacked his own head repeatedly. As he hit himself, he felt a separate sense of guilt welling up in his mind.

After all, Rem had called out to Subaru like this out of pure concern for him. And yet, because Subaru did not face her properly, and failed to receive Rem’s thoughtfulness head-on, he had ended up making her say things that did not need to be said.

Subaru: [I’m sorry. Even though I brought you out here with such enthusiasm, I ended up causing you premature joy.]

Rem: [I don’t find that to be your responsibility. Only…]

Subaru: [Only?]

Rem: [Spica-chan will be forced to carry an unnecessary burden.]

The Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, ones who named themselves so, Ley Batenkaitos and Roy Alphard―― Gourmet and Bizarre Eating, with the demise of this duo, there was only one individual yet subsisting who was endowed with the right over their Authority, that being Spica.

That was to say, the expectation to safely regain the Names and Memories eaten by Gluttony that shall not return all the more at this juncture, was set onto Spica’s shoulders.

Rem seemed uneasy about exerting that kind of pressure onto Spica, but――,

Subaru: [I don’t think Spica will find it to be an unnecessary burden… But, let’s contact Abel and ensure that there’s proper security around Spica. Tell Ceci to be vigilant as well. Putting aside whether Ceci will be able to.]

Rem: [――Yes.]

It was a tragedy that had befallen the body of Gluttony. There was no certainty whether or not the same threat would advance toward Spica; Subaru shared the worry and anxiety that Rem harbored and decided to direct this exhort towards Vollachia. He did not wish for any intrusion to impede upon Spica, who remained in Vollachia, having determined what she ought to do.

He must use any means possible to that end, no matter how overly protective he was called.

???: [――Sorry to keep you waiting.]

As Subaru and Rem’s conversation arrived at a brief terminus, approaching them with one hand lightly upraised was Reinhard, exiting the Prison Tower’s interior. Receiving the duo of Reinhard with Beatrice at his side, Subaru hastily stood up as he dusted off his behind.

Subaru: [Reinhard, how’s the inside? That Sirius…]

Reinhard: [Fortunately, if that is the correct thing to say. I was nearly fully certain, but she who is imprisoned in the underground is unharmed. The isolation cells of the Prison Tower are all respectively independent, so it seems she was unaware that Gluttony had even been apprehended in the same tower. And it is not just her. No other prisoners were harmed.]

Subaru: [Sirius is unharmed, and so are the other prisoners… it’s definitely dubious to call it good news, but one thing is clear.]

Upon Reinhard’s report of having completed his check of the interior of the Tower, Subaru nodded with a loathsome facial expression.

This was to say, the aim of the perpetrator of this crime within the Prison Tower was solely――,

Subaru & Reinhard: [――The Sin Archbishop of Gluttony.]

Their answers overlapping, Subaru and Reinhard intersected gazes and nodded.

Based on the situation at the crime scene, that was the only conclusion this circumstance accorded. However, that was not to say this conviction was not shadowed by questions.

Rem: […Based on what Beatrice-chan told me, even that is not something so simple, is it?]

Beatrice: [The inspection is done, I suppose. That perception is unmistaken, in fact.]

Drawing in her jaw toward Rem as she peered at her, Beatrice lined herself up beside Subaru. As she proceeded to gently hold Subaru’s hand, Beatrice enquired about his state,

Beatrice: [Are you feeling a tad fine now, I suppose?]

Subaru: [Not quite fine, but better. Sorry for shoving the whole crime scene inspection onto you.]

Beatrice: [Betty said so herself, in fact. Besides, there is not much that even Betty can do for a corpse, I suppose. What Betty can do is only provide insight from the perspective of a Great Spirit, in fact.]

Reinhard: [Please tell us your view. You see, I am unfamiliar with that regard.]

The gazes of the trio assembled upon Beatrice, as she closed her eyes at Reinhard’s urging. She cleared her throat with a tiny “Ahem” and surveyed the three as though about to give a lecture,

Beatrice: [To begin with, that Gluttony’s body was secured with Yin Magic, I suppose. Betty and Julius had worked together to do it, so it was rigid and solid security, impervious to any meager, measly attempts on it, in fact… That Betty couldn’t develop that advanced form by herself is mortifying, I suppose.]

Reinhard: [I have received confirmation on that end from those in charge of the Prison Tower. That the apprehended Gluttony was completely… suspended, like he had become a slate.]

Beatrice: [A thing impossible to meddle with, of course for the captive person, but also from those on the outside, in fact. Unfastening it would require suitable mastery of Yin Magic, I suppose.]

Subaru: [That’s not all. Even after getting him out of the monolith, you’d then have to go at it against the Roy who’d rush out. Go at it and――]

Rem: [――Take his life. In other words, it would be necessary to overcome these two stages.]

Upon Rem’s concluding remarks, Subaru and the rest were submerged in silence, their expressions troubled.

Understood insofar, in order to kill the monolith-status Roy, it necessitated skill in Yin Magic sufficient to rescind that monolith, and thereafter, the strength capable of killing Roy. Neither of these two things would be achievable in a brief period, nor capable for a person simply idling about without association.

Reinhard: [And that is to say nothing of their success in slipping through the network of vigilance to trespass into the Prison Tower. Yin Magic, mighty strength, covertness; to fulfill these three conditions is not something so simple.]

Subaru: [Taking into account all of my various grudges, I’d want to cling to the conclusion that Olbart-san is the perpetrator…]

Regrettably, even the Vicious Old Man would fail to meet the condition of being a Yin Magic user.

Although he would almost not be surprised to learn that among the shinobi techniques, there was something that exhibited similar strength, and that Olbart had been stealthily wielding it.

Reinhard: [It is without doubt that Vollachia is a belligerent nation, but they would not go so far as to choose impetuously risking diplomatic relations, given the country’s present situation. To begin with, I have heard that the arrival of Emilia-sama and the others at the Royal Capital is not unrelated to the matter of Vollachia.]

Subaru: […You’re right. I’d like to trust the flow that the wolves of that country have become a bit more sorted, rather than suspect Vollachia’s desire for suicide. But, I’m sorry for the whole mess, Reinhard.]

Reinhard: [Sorry? What ever happened for you to apologize?]

Subaru: [I had you take a detour just to have Rem tag along, and on top of that, you must’ve brokered our entry into the Prison Tower. And yet, in the end, this is how it turns out… ah.]

Rem: [――Stare.]

As Subaru was about to apologize for the pointless errand, he noticed Rem’s frigid gaze fixed onto him.

So, this was another link in Subaru’s vice of thinking everything was his fault.

However, that this thought had come to him was a fact, and withdrawing it would not sit right with him.

Beatrice: [It is unfortunate that the result was unfavorable, in fact. But, thank you for exhausting your efforts, I suppose.]

Subaru: [That’s it! As expected of my Beako! R-right, Rem-san?]

Rem: [Sigh…]

Subaru: [A sigh!]

Rem’s glacial gaze was replaced by her sigh, to which Subaru covered his face with his hands. Observing these affairs, Reinhard’s lips cleft into a tiny smile.

Subsequently, with his smile brimming, he declared.

Reinhard: [Come now, it was nothing. ――You’re welcome.]

He said.

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???: […I see, Gluttony was… It’s kind of frustrating when things didn’t quite go right.]

Within a room of the Royal Residence, having received the report on the happenings at the Prison Tower, Emilia slanted her well-shaped eyebrows, muttering so with a conspicuously pallid complexion upon her face.

Her current state, bleared by fatigue, was a seldom sight for the ever-cheerful Emilia. Regardless, bearing the self-consciousness that one fragment of her fatigue came from his own weight, Subaru knew this was a disappointing show from him.

――Having parted ways with Reinhard, who had returned for Felt, Subaru was accompanied by Rem and Beatrice as they headed toward Emilia’s sojourn, the Royal Residence. There, he rendezvoused with everyone who had arrived before him.

Apart from Roswaal and Frederica, who were making for the Barielle Domain with Schult in tow, roughly everyone from the Emilia Camp was present at the Royal Residence.

In other words――,

???: [In spite of whipping these tired bodies to come running to the Royal Capital, it was a pointless errand, it would seem. How dare you spur such premature joy, Barusu.]

Subaru: [Just so you know, everyone aside from nee-sama is also disappointed, and even within that, my dismay is of the top class. I might just start crying tears of blood.]

Ram: [Hah! Tears of blood? That would just be the bursted blood vessels around your eyeballs. Ram can assist you in crying right this instant, in fact.]

Subaru: [Scary! Just because it was a shock, your ferociousness is showing a bit too much!]

Even Ram, albeit more aggressive than usual, was thus present as well.

Naturally, when Subaru had explained why he was bringing Rem to the Royal Capital, Ram had insisted in no uncertain terms that she would be coming too. Subaru understood her sisterly conviction that there was no way she could fail to be present when Rem’s Memories returned, and since he himself had wanted Ram there, he had agreed.

Still, the burden of the past several months, from their challenge of the Pleiades Watchtower to their forcible incursion into the Empire, must have been tremendous. Ram had managed to hold herself together through sheer force of will, but now that this whole affair had ended in a complete miss, the strings which held her taut had finally snapped. Even as she kept flinging barbed remarks, she had basically gone groggy.

In the end, just after delivering that final jab to Subaru, she was escorted off by Rem and Petra straight to a bedroom, and it looked like she would be nursed there for a while.

Otto: [Though, to be fair, Ram-san is not the only one barely hanging on. All of us are. There was the trouble involving Natsuki-san and the others, then the murder in the Prison Tower, and now the appearance of the Church of the Divine Dragon, plus the upheaval in the Royal Selection caused by the individual at the center of it all.]

As they watched Ram leave the room, Otto muttered that with his brows drooping.

He had accompanied the party that had gone ahead to the Royal Capital with Emilia, and he was supposed to deliver a full report at the Royal Castle on the Great Disaster in the Vollachian Empire, including the news of Priscilla’s death. Amongst the matters on the agenda was also the question of the future accord between the Empire and the Kingdom that Abel had entrusted them with, an important duty both for their camp and for the Kingdom itself, or so he had surely believed.

And then, out of nowhere, they got blindsided from a completely unexpected angle, thrown into a situation no amount of preparation could have readied them for. Even Subaru could not bring himself to tease Otto over it.

In the middle of all that, just as Subaru was agonizing over where they should even begin――,

Emilia: [――Will you talk to us about Al?]

As if she had seen straight through Subaru’s hesitation, Emilia chose that topic as the first item on the agenda.

Flam, Felt’s attendant, possessed a Divine Protection that allowed information to be transmitted between the twin sisters regardless of distance. Borrowing that power, they had already sent Emilia’s group a rough outline of what had happened to Subaru and the others at the Pleiades Watchtower. But, that had only been a simple summary. The details were another matter.

Having understood how anxious Emilia and the others must have been, Subaru explained everything as thoroughly as he could.

How they had gone to the Pleiades Watchtower in search of a Book of the Dead. How, that night, Al had betrayed them and attempted to do them harm, only for them to get the drop on him and contain him first. How he had not been granted any leeway to talk through the root of the reason that had driven Al to such violence.

And finally, that Subaru had no intention of letting his relationship with Al end there, without knowing any of those reasons.

Emilia: [――Yes, I feel the same way Subaru does… I think that’s the best thing to do.]

After hearing him out and spending some time thinking it over, Emilia gave her approval to Subaru’s conclusion, delighting him. Her amethyst eyes swayed with complicated emotions, but even so, she quietly gazed at the Al-orb hanging from Subaru’s neck and nodded.

He had already told Beatrice and Petra his thoughts while they were on the way back. So among those present, the ones forming a new opinion based on Subaru’s explanation were Emilia, who had just answered him that way; Otto, who looked like he had just bitten into an unripe persimmon; as well as――,

Rem: [――Al-san loved Priscilla-san. I cannot speak more on the matter.]

It was Rem, who had laid Ram down in the bedroom, and had now returned to the sitting room with Petra.

And so, for the time being, the Emilia Camp’s stance toward Al’s actions was decided. Perhaps because he did not want to spoil the atmosphere, Otto kept his thoughts to himself, for now. Subaru figured he could make him vent those thoughts later, together with Garfiel. With that in mind, Subaru slapped both cheeks with his hands.

Whether it was about Al, or about the Prison Tower, there was nothing they could do for either of those matters right now. Which meant that if there was anything they could discuss at present, the remaining topic was――,

Subaru: [――Let’s talk about this Filóre, from the Church of the Divine Dragon.]

About Filóre, whose existence could shake the very foundations of the Royal Selection.

Everyone: [――――]

The moment that subject came up, the air in the sitting room changed completely. But rather than becoming taut with tension or strain, it was filled with a much broader sense of bewilderment and confusion.

In truth, Subaru included, every last one of them was at a considerable loss over the situation.

Subaru: [To begin with, what kind of discussion is even happening at the Castle right now? The whole premise was that the Church of the Divine Dragon wouldn’t involve itself in the political core of things, right? And then suddenly, there’s talk of a sixth person who can make the insignia shine, and on top of that, she’s using the same name as the princess who vanished fifteen years ago? All of that came totally out of nowhere for everyone, didn’t it?]

Emilia: [Well, it sounds like they’re in the middle of discussing all of that right now. But, the Church broke its own rules this time because they wanted to save the people who were hurt in Pristella, right? Nobody can really say that’s wrong, and actually…]

Subaru: [――They healed Crusch-san’s body. Emilia-tan, you and Otto saw it too, right?]

Emilia: [Yes, we did see it. Right, Otto-kun?]

Otto: [I could not exactly stare a lady down so blatantly, but at the very least, the convulsive-looking black marks that had been visible have disappeared.]

Beside the nodding Emilia, Otto answered in such a way, his gaze flicking for a moment toward Subaru’s leg.

Was he implying that if the same conditions were met, Subaru’s leg could be healed too? To be honest, it did not inconvenience him that much, but every time they all bathed together, Otto and Garfiel might have felt awkward about it, so if it could be healed, he would not mind getting that taken care of.

Subaru: [But, it’s kind of terrifying, becoming indebted to the Church of the Divine Dragon for that… ah!]

Meili: [Ee~w, Onii-san, what are you getting all scaredy like that fo~r?]

Subaru: [No, I was just thinking that this might be another one of those “you put yourself last” situations I’ll get scolded for…]

Rem: [If you are aware of that, then please carry yourself with a little more dignity.]

Meili poked at him, and Rem sounded exasperated too. Still, if he had spoken out loud that this was a case with no actual harm involved, and that he did not want to make a disadvantageous position for the camp over it, he would probably get chewed out, so Subaru could only try to fumble past the issue with a fake little “ahem-ahem”.

Not that he was trying to bail Subaru out, but the one who spoke up then with a coarse “Hey” was Garfiel, seated on the window frame of the room.

Scratching his head roughly, he hesitated for a moment before saying,

Garfiel: [There’s prolly all sortsa complicated crap tied up to this. So, what my amazin’ self’s ‘bout ta say, that’s just how my amazin’ self feels, got it?]

Emilia: [Garfiel… hm, tell us. What is it?]

Garfiel: [――. If they can heal the folks in Pristella, then my amazin’ self wants ‘em to be healed right away, ‘n to get those guys to do the healin’. Between the black dragon ‘n the flies ‘n all the rest, ain’t there already been nothin’ but drainin’ crap?]

Curled up with one knee hugged close, half of his body exposed to the sunlight, Garfiel’s plea was earnest.

There was a family in Pristella Garfiel had grown close to. During that battle, the father of that family had fallen into the clutches of Lust, and was turned into a black dragon, having even been used once as a decoy. Even now, that transformed black dragon body remained unchanged, and by Emilia’s hand, he was being kept frozen, like the other victims, slumbering in a corner of the city.

If people in such a position could be cured, Garfiel was saying, then whom one had to rely on should be secondary.

Subaru: [And, I agree with him. There are people suffering, people in pain, and if there’s a way to save them, then it doesn’t matter who does it. That’s what I think.]

Petra: [Hmm, so Subaru gets to say that sort of thing? Even though you were the one insisting that it had to be you to wake up Rem-neesama, throwing yourself into danger over it?]

Subaru: [Now that you mention it, maybe I did say something like that, but man, you really remembered that well, Petra!]

Petra: [That’s not something I can forget. It kind of shocked me, after all. Part of me thought Rem-neesama was unfair, and part of me thought, wow, even after hearing that, I’m still the kind of girl who won’t give up.]

At Petra, who puckered her lips mischievously, Subaru could only scratch his head in total surrender.

In truth, before Rem woke up, while he had said that it would be fine no matter who awakened her, so long as she woke, he had absolutely also declared that he wanted to be the one to do it. In truth, he was a little too scared to look over and see what kind of face Rem was making upon hearing that.

Be that as it may――,

Subaru: [Putting aside what I’ve said in the past, let’s look to the future… No matter how the discussion at the Castle gets wrapped up, now that it’s been proven that the Church of the Divine Dragon has a way to heal them, the people of Pristella are going to be treated… right?]

Otto: [Yes. No matter which way the heated debate turns, I do not think there will be any hesitation on that point. The real issue will be whether it is treated as merely a debt owed to the Church of the Divine Dragon, or as something more than that.]

Subaru: [The sixth qualified candidate for Dragon Priestess, huh…]

Ultimately, how that individual’s standing would be handled was not something Subaru and the others had any control over.

Depending on how the people at the Royal Castle, or more precisely, the Council of Wise Men, chose to define those matters, this camp centered around Emilia would decide its own stance as well.

But when Subaru thought about it that way, the one still weighing on his mind was Filóre herself.

Subaru: [Emilia-tan, you actually met her in person, right? What kind of person was she?]

Emilia: [Let’s see… I thought she was a reaaally earnest girl. A good girl.]

Subaru: [I see. And what do you think of Meili?]

Emilia: [Huh? Meili? I think Meili is a reaaally hard-working girl who cares about her friends. A good girl.]

Meili: [I get what Subaru-oniisan is trying to sa~y, but don’t use me as your prop, oka~y?]

It was not that Subaru doubted Emilia’s eye for people, but when filtered through Emilia, there was always the danger that anyone at all might be judged as a serious, sincere, hard-working, good person. That said, Subaru’s own assessment of Meili was not all that different, so it would be wrong to question Emilia’s discernment based on that alone.

At this rate, it might have actually been more useful to ask Abel what he thought.

Subaru: [What about you, Otto? Even if you only caught a glimpse of her for a moment, what did you think?]

Otto: [I did not exchange many words with her, but my impression was that she was a devout believer of the Church of the Divine Dragon. Someone sincere, who believed that serving others was the highest good, and…]

Subaru: [And?]

Otto: [She seems to have a somewhat reckless streak. From what I have heard, this whole affair was Filóre-san acting on her own, disregarding the Church’s intentions.]

Subaru: [On her own? You mean healing Crusch-san, and making the insignia shine?]

Otto: [The former, yes. The latter was apparently the result of how events unfolded. But given the circumstances, I can not help thinking the Church of the Divine Dragon wanted to keep her existence hidden.]

Subaru: [Well, that’s…]

As for Subaru’s question of why, no one there had an answer.

Was Filóre truly the princess who had disappeared fifteen years ago, or not? What was with her appearance, bearing the traits said to belong to Lugunica’s Royal Family; and what was the truth behind that name? Why had the Church of the Divine Dragon kept her hidden, allowing the Royal Selection to begin and continue in ignorance of her existence?

The mysteries were simply too many. And because they were――,

Subaru: [Hey, Emilia-tan――]

Emilia: [Look, Subaru――]

Subaru, lifting his face to voice an idea, and Emilia, overlapping with him, spoke. Startled, the two looked at each other with rounded eyes. Then, feeling as though they could read the same thought in each other’s gaze, they laughed together.

Apparently, Emilia had arrived at the very same conclusion.

That was to say――,

Subaru: [――Don’t you think we should try meeting this Filóre person and talking to her directly?]

△▼△▼△▼△

――If he were to think back on it, Subaru did not possess a particularly strong grasp on the overall picture of the Royal Capital of Lugunica.

Near the fountain in the Commoner District where he had been so grandly summoned to another world, the Commercial District with its fruit stand, whose shop owner he had met several times, the headquarters of each Candidate from whom he had received a series of blows following his terrible fight and parting with Emilia, and finally the loot house in the Slums: although he held emotional attachments regarding each of those places, they were merely a small portion of the Royal Capital’s vastness.

Consequently, to Subaru, the place of worship for the Church of the Divine Dragon, which was inconspicuously nestled in a corner of the Royal Capital’s Commoner District, seemed to be a case of it being the darkest at the foot of the lighthouse, as if it had been built right on the edge of his awareness. [1]

Subaru: [I had no clue there was such an obvious church…]

Emilia: [It’s reaaally surprising. But, if we’re talking about a church… didn’t you know, you even saw one in Pristella, where the wedding between Regulus and me was about to happen.]

Subaru: [You mean where I busted down that door! Now that you mention it, was that also one of the Church of the Divine Dragon’s?]

Due to that ironclad association of churches and weddings, his sense of duty to rescue Emilia no matter what had taken over, allowing him no leeway to even consider the setting. But, in retrospect, it had indeed been a church, and if it was a church within the Kingdom, which possessed no custom of belief in gods, it was inevitable that it would be connected to the Church of the Divine Dragon.

Subaru: [In that case, while wedding Emilia-tan was a sight for sore eyes, that incident itself is a detestable memory for me, so my impression of the Church of the Divine Dragon is off to a negative start.]

???: [Betty wasn’t there, but as expected, a Sin Archbishop would hardly do something respectable, I suppose. But, tarnishing your impression of the Church of the Divine Dragon over that would be a false accusation, in fact.]

???: [Well, this wouldn’t be the first time this guy said something so frivolously.]

Subaru: [Beako and Rem are both booing at me… do girls really still yearn for wedding dresses? So, does my bad-mouthing of the Church give me a bad image?]

In response to Subaru’s timid question, Beatrice and Rem looked at each other, then shrugged their shoulders in unison. Subaru’s own shoulders fell in dejection at their response, and putting her hand over her mouth with a giggle, Emilia smiled, putting him at ease.

While casting a glance upon that smile, Subaru took that rare opportunity to regain his composure.

Subaru: [At any rate, although there’s a lot of circumstances that led up to our outing, having Emilia-tan and me, plus Beako and Rem… going in this combination is like, a dream party in a sense, isn’t it?]

Beatrice: [Whether it’s dreamy is uncertain, but it’s certainly quite unusual, I suppose.]

Emilia: [Yeah, now that you mention it. Until Subaru brought you out of the Forbidden Library, you wouldn’t really join us on outings, Beatrice. I’m sure it was the same for Rem, before she fell asleep.]

Rem: [I have no recollection of such things, but I’m sure you’re right. I’m also having fun walking around with Emilia-san and Beatrice-chan.]

Subaru: [Heeey, you left me out on purpose just now. I’m so looonely, I’m so miiiserable.]

Even saying that, this was an unusual yet delightful combination, so Subaru remained unbothered.

For the time being, these members comprised the team that was going to visit Filóre of the Church of the Divine Dragon, the lineup tasked with the mission of scouting out the enemy.

Presently, they were at last approaching the place of worship where the involved party from the aforementioned Church of the Divine Dragon was, but under what pretext could they summon Filóre―― then, it happened at that moment.

???: [――Ehhh, you can’t keep on branding others as liars! Alright, allow me to show you. This is the proof that I went up to the Castle!]

And then, an energetic voice could be heard from the premises of a large building enclosed by stone walls―― judging from its roof and the ambiance of its structure, it was most likely a church, the steeple of which was in view.

As soon as they blinked their eyes in confusion, Subaru and the others saw it. ――On the other side of the stone wall, a red light faintly swelled, asserting its existence.

Subaru: [That… could it be…]

???: [Wah! Amazing, amazing!]

???: [It really glowed! What did you do? What did you do?]

???: [You finally stole something! You thief!]

???: [First you call me a liar, and now you say I’m a thief!? You, just who do you think I am!? I am a nun! One who bears the Sacraments! On the verge of becoming a Saintess!]

It was the boisterously merry voices of children, and the voice of a girl who seemed to be playing with them. Subaru and the others looked at each other in response to what they had heard, before hurriedly navigating around the stone wall.

And then, upon reaching a break in the stone wall, the front entrance to the church grounds――,

???: [Now, behold. This is the brilliance of our Divine Dragon, who reduces those with wicked hearts to ashes! This too, is in the scriptures. “Man is born of the earth, and the Dragon descendeth from the heavens. He that forgets to revere the heavens and foolishly trusts that he hath wings upon his own back shall not realize his sin before his fall”!]

???: [Kyaaa!]

???: [Waaah!]

???: [Ugyaaah!]

They bore witness to the figure of a nun brazenly declaring such things, with red light glistening from within her hand held aloft―― the Dragon Gem on the insignia radiating, she chased after the squealing children who ran around erratically.

She had not noticed her visitors, and pursuing the fleeing children with an “Ooh hoh hoh hoh!” while the insignia glowed behind them,

Nun: [Now, who will repent amidst the blinding light of the high and exalted Dragon… huh?]

Subaru & Company: [――――]

Stopping dead in her tracks, the nun swiveled around as if making a creaking noise. There, she discovered Subaru and the rest observing the scene, and her mouth fell agape.

Upon seeing the reaction of the golden-haired, crimson-eyed nun, Subaru was at a loss for words. However, at Subaru’s side, Emilia rustled around in her pocket,

Emilia: [Look, look, I can do the same thing!]

And, as the produced insignia glowed red, just like the nun’s―― just like Filóre’s had, with angelic innocence, lacking any ill intent, Emilia followed up by saying she was also the same.

Immediately afterwards, Subaru saw with his own eyes as Filóre’s pale skin, from her neck to her face to her ears, all turned red with shame in a single instant, and Subaru faintly thought that she seemed like an instantaneous water heater. [2]

Translation Notes:

[1] – It being darkest at the foot of the lighthouse is a Japanese idiom that means sometimes you can’t see what is right under your nose.

[2] – An instantaneous water heater (also known as a tankless water heater) directly heats water rather than storing hot water in a tank. They are much more common in Japan and elsewhere in the world than in North America, so we figured a translation note would be useful for those readers where they are uncommon.