MTLNOVEL Chapter 221: Chapter 58:Grandma
As Subaru left the detached house accompanied by Lewes and Pico, he noticed that the eastern sky was beginning to lighten, and for the first time he became aware of how sleepy he was.
"Wow, the night is almost over... It was a very eventful night."
Though it wasn't connected in terms of Subaru's experience of time, tonight began with Emilia's first Trial, followed by Subaru's intervention in the Trial, Return by Death, a return to reality, and then a skirmish with Garfiel after the Trial results. After that, he uncovered the location of the facility, and had Lewes tell him at length about its internal affairs.
It was such a dense time that he wasn't even conscious of his speed, but unlike his consciousness, his body continued to function and he couldn't hide the fatigue it caused. The subtle lack of coordination between the mind and body could also be said to be a drawback of "Return by Death," even though it was a little late to say now.
"Honestly, I'd like to just go back to the cathedral and sleep until noon..."
"I don't really mind if you do that. I'll be replaced by Ryuzu next, so I can get some proper rest."
"I'm fine with that enviable work schedule, but I don't have the time. It's not that easy."
Six days later -- No, one day had already passed, so there were only five days left. Considering that it would take a whole day just to travel to and from the mansion, that meant that they had only three days to actually do anything.
He couldn't waste a precious half day here, and even though he was in a position to know the witch and the future he had seen, he hesitated to tell Lewes.
"Right now, we can't be rash in taking any actions that might bring out the Witch of Jealousy..."
As sweat trickled down his forehead, the image of the Shadow Witch drinking up the 『Sanctuary』 flashed through Subaru's mind.
He had a vague realization that the tragedy had been caused by Subaru openly speaking the forbidden contents at Echidna's castle. It was precisely because it was in that place that the witch's intervention was not timely enough to cause such an angry situation.
Therefore, in the real world, where the Witch's hand could reach Subaru directly, it was safe to assume that the penalty would only strike Subaru, as before――
"I don't want you to risk other people's lives to find out."
Subaru, muttering helplessly, looked down at Pico, who was standing there blankly, holding his left hand. When she caught Subaru's gaze, her round eyes widened even more as she stared at him, as if waiting for instructions to come out of her mouth.
Having received an order from Subaru once, Pico seemed to have clearly recognized the transfer of command authority. Now, Pico was as obedient as a baby bird following its mother.
"So, what do you plan to do now, Su-bou?"
"For now, I'll return to the mansion. There's one person I need to talk to… and I also want to meet Frederica. There are a lot of things I need her to explain to me."
"Frederica, huh..."
When he thought of the tall maid, Lewes frowned as she heard her name and called out her name meaningfully, which made Subaru suspicious. It seemed an unusual reaction for her.
"Is there something on your mind, Frederica?"
"...It's nothing big."
"Lewes-san. I don't want to use my command authority if possible. Honestly, I don't want to have to listen to orders from you, Lewes-san."
Subaru shrugged, pleading with an air of pleading. However, contrary to what he said, Subaru's gaze sharpened even more, and he was implicitly asserting loudly that "I'll use it if necessary." Lewes sighed.
"Well, come to think of it, it felt like the gears of 'Sanctuary' started to slip little by little after Frederica left."
"Are the gears starting to slip?"
"Since the way it was created, it's questionable whether it was in a healthy state. But even so... yes, the residents, the clone of Lewes Meyer, and Garbo shouldn't have been as shaken up as they are now."
"..."
"Little Sue, I'm looking forward to it."
Lewes spoke as she looked up at the silent Subaru.
Subaru realized that the word "expectation" had made his heart ache violently. To have someone pour out their feelings to him starting from that word was--
"For a long time, the Sanctuary has barely managed to hang on by clumsily maintaining its lost role. But now, this strain is causing cracks here and there. So, I have high hopes for you, Su-bo."
"What are you doing to me..."
"The witch's delusion, the reason for the existence of the Sanctuary, Lewes Meyer's wish, and for Su-bo to put an end to it in the way everyone desired."
It's relying on others and expecting too much.
Subaru immediately tried to reply with the words, "It's impossible." However, as he looked directly at Lewes' serious gaze, his mouth...
"――――"
He wouldn't say a word.
"That's fine for now. For now, that's fine."
Lewes nodded, seemingly understanding all of Subaru's hesitation and indecision.
Despite her appearance being that of a young girl, Subaru clearly understood, just for that moment, that she possessed values commensurate with the years she had lived.
"Soon, my time is up."
Lew's body began to emit a faint light as he spoke with a tone of regret.
This reminded Subaru of the spirit's appearance just before it vanished, and he instinctively reached out his fingers to her body. However,
"Don't worry. It won't turn back into mana. It will just go into hibernation for a little while to recharge the mana it used up. A replacement will be coming soon."
"Even if they look and talk the same, that doesn't mean they're the same being, right?"
"That's right. I've consciously tried to resemble him in appearance, tone of voice, and even personality, but... we're completely different people. And so, right now, I'm the only one speaking to you like this, Su-bou. Are you lonely?"
"It's not a matter of loneliness or anything like that. Mr. Lews... Mr. Lews, isn't it hard on you? Don't you hate the idea of the four of us having to continue playing the role of one person, Lews Meyer? Have you ever wondered where your own life is..."
As he spoke, Subaru realized that this was an extremely cruel question.
Even if what Lewes herself was thinking, even if in her heart she was feeling pain and sadness over her current situation, what could Subaru do knowing that?
What sense does it have in continuing to reach out to a regretful goal that is out of reach, when you cannot even fathom the principles of magic, the details of mana, or even the surface of a spell formula?
Lewes must have understood the conflict Subaru was feeling. She smiled faintly, her light crimson hair swaying gently in the morning breeze.
"What do you think, Su-bo?"
"--picture?"
"The answer to this question is one of the things I expect from you."
Leaving those words behind, Ryuzu's body fades away like a mist and dissolves into the morning glow.
Even though I was told that this was not the same as vanishing into mist, it was still an incredible, fantastical sight. A person vanished as if melting into the morning sun.
It's hard to believe that it's not a disappearance of existence.
However, after a blink of an eye, a new figure appeared in the place where Ryuzu had disappeared. From his height to his appearance, he was the spitting image of the missing Ryuzu.
She shook her head once, then looked up at Subaru,
"There's no need for me to introduce myself, Su-bo. I've already explained to you what the previous 'me' had talked about."
As if to clear up Subaru's doubts, the new Ryuzu quickly corrected the discrepancy in their values. Then, she finally tilted her head,
"Well then, Su-bou... what should we do first?"
"That's right..."
Look up at the sky.
As I watch from the corner of my eye the morning glow slowly encroaches on the night sky, my consciousness slips between the time that has passed and the time that remains.
Subaru then lowered his gaze and looked at Lewes and Pico,
"First, I want to escape from the Sanctuary. I'll ask Lewes and the others for help."
Yes, that's what I offered.
※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※
Just after dawn, Subaru appeared in front of the dragon carriage shed.
He opened and closed the creaking door as quietly as possible, searching for his partner inside. His jet-black body blended into the dim light, waiting for his master's call at the very back of the hut.
"Sorry for leaving you like that, Patrasche."
When Subaru called out to her, Patrasche stretched her neck and rubbed her nose against him in response. The gesture seemed both affectionate and sulky at being left alone, which made Subaru feel a twinge of emotion even at a time like this.
"Sorry to bother you so suddenly when you first wake up, but I have to go to work. Could you please carry me back to the mansion for a bit?"
When I stroked his face, which was drawn close to me, Patrasche cleared her throat and seemed to say helplessly, "It can't be helped, Subaru-kun..."
Letting out a sigh of relief that he had at least gotten permission, Subaru removed the fence and prepared to take Patrasche outside.
With Patrasche's feet free from any burdens, it would be possible to shorten the journey, which would normally take half a day.
If we left now in the morning, we should be able to arrive at the mansion before evening.
"Well, it's a rough plan that assumes we'll have to start over though..."
Subaru has decided to return to the mansion this time, but unlike the previous times, he does not intend to bring along the refugees from Arlam Village. To put it bluntly, he has decided to eliminate all unnecessary uncertainties and focus on gathering information, with the intention of starting over again.
It is true that after listening to Lewes Meyer's story and forming a friendly relationship with Lewes, it is a pity that
"My relationship with Garfiel was terrible, and I've come across factors that could make things even worse."
The transfer of command authority - originally it had been in Garfiel's hands, and now that it had been transferred to Subaru, it was easy to imagine him frantically searching for someone to hand it over to.
He would reach Subaru soon. He hadn't told Lewes to keep quiet. He had told her in advance that she could answer honestly if asked.
All of this was done with careful consideration.
"--But even so, I still left a note for Emilia, still feeling attached to her."
If we accept that this is a world where we can start over and disappear, then there is no logical reason for us to have difficulty dealing with Emilia in this world.
No matter how much she suffers, how sad she is, or how happy she is, she will be left behind in a world that will disappear.
"There's no logic to this."
Even though he knew it was a world that was disappearing, a world that he would leave behind, Subaru still didn't want Emilia to look sad.
No longer keeping silent would surely cause her deep feelings of pain. With nothing to cling to, she might even lose sight of where she was standing. While he was happy that Emilia was relying on him so much, he also felt pain.
Hoping that this won't happen, and praying that if it does, it won't remain that way, Subaru leaves a letter for Emilia.
Having said that, the contents were nothing but a list of the usual reassuring words. Since he couldn't tell them the truth, all Subaru could do was to put up a false front of relief.
"It's better than nothing... or, perhaps, if Emilia wasn't so dependent on me."
With Puck gone, Emilia's dependency on Subaru was quite strong.
He knew that his current thoughts were just a consolation, and that things probably wouldn't work out that well.
And yet, Subaru leaves Emilia behind and departs the Sanctuary, hardening his heart into the idea that it is a necessary sacrifice in order to rewrite the unsalvageable present into a salvageable future.
"Well then, let's hurry up and get out of here before anyone finds us..."
In the process of taking Patrasche out of the dragon carriage shed, Subaru pulled her out of the carriage, which had been detached from the saddle for directly straddling the earth dragon. He lightly brushed the surface off, and just as he was about to put the saddle on Patrasche's back, something caught the edge of his vision. It was,
"The Gospel of Betelgeuse, huh...?"
The gospels were bound in a thick black cover and hidden in a corner of the carriage.
It was one of Petelgeuse's belongings, and to be honest, she wanted to get rid of it as soon as possible, but she would be troubled if it was mishandled and fell into someone else's hands. More than anything, she had been holding on to it in the hope that it might provide a clue as to the purpose and inner workings of the mysterious group known as the Witch's Cult.
"Now that I think about it, Roswaal's story has really changed my view of him."
Placing his saddle on the seat, Subaru casually picked up the Gospel.
The heavy weight and feel of it brought the image of a blood-soaked madman to my mind.
A man with an excessive obsession with the Gospels, who firmly believed them to be proof of his loyalty to the witches.
It is ironic that to its owner, Betelgeuse, this content appeared to be a hint at future actions.
"Roswaal, Beatrice, even Petelgeuse… each and every one of them, what's wrong with them having books that only they can read…?"
While cursing, he flipped through the pages of the Gospel.
The fingers stopped and a strange groan escaped his throat, the surprise having taken over.
"Yo, Mel?"
Subaru could clearly see the letters written on the white pages of the Gospel.
Although the handwriting was messy, as if it had been scribbled by a child, there were meaningful words written there. And they were written in the form of the "I" letter so that Subaru could read them.
"What's going on... the book recognized me as its owner? But there's nothing special about it..."
As Subaru thought about it, he realized he had a hunch.
The previous times when Subaru had been unable to read the contents of this Gospel were before he set foot in this Sanctuary. This had happened in the Royal Capital, and at the Roswaal Mansion when he had returned from the Royal Capital. Since then he had not had a chance to open the Gospel, so he could not confirm it, but he did not think there was any connection between this and the events in the Sanctuary.
Rather than the incident at Sanctuary, a more direct cause comes to mind.
it is,
"Did that Echidna do something to me...?"
Just as Echidna had undergone the Trials at the Tomb, it was highly likely that she was interfering with Subaru's body in some way. He couldn't help but feel that it had something to do with the tea Echidna served at the discussion, which they called the Tea Ceremony.
Echidna had joked about it being bodily fluids, but it could be something else entirely.
It was as if it would drastically change Subaru's body from how it was before.
"Actually, I don't know if that's the reason, but the changes last time were bigger than ever."
Perhaps revealing the power of "Return by Death" to Echidna was not the only reason behind the tyranny of the "Witch of Envy."
Subaru was disappointed that he didn't have the time to question her right away.
"...But maybe that doesn't mean I'm the new owner."
Being recognized in the Gospel held by the Witch's Cult was a horrifying thought, but as Subaru scanned the contents, he determined that it was not a message for Subaru, but rather that he was merely able to read the contents that had been conveyed to Petelgeuse.
Since there is no date written on the first page, we don't know when the events on the first page occurred. However, the gospel continues to describe the events for many pages, and we can imagine Betelgeuse eliminating them one by one.
Basically, it only tells them where to go and what to do, but doesn't go into detail about how it will lead to any concrete results. Perhaps Petelgeuse was trying to make himself believe that all of his actions would be good for the Witch Cult, regardless of whether or not there were any results.
Then I skim through it until I reach the very end of the description.
There were still pages left, but beyond them were just blank pages. On the last page, Subaru had written the word "The End" in large, dark red letters.
The original Gospel account reads as follows:
"A trial for a silver-haired half-demon in the Mathers territory... huh? I don't get it."
Since we don't know the contents of the Trial, this description doesn't provide any more information than that Petelgeuse was going to attack Emilia.
However, all Subaru had gained was the certainty that the violent acts of Betelgeuse that he knew of were caused by the descriptions in this gospel.
"...Ah, sorry, sorry. I'll be there soon."
Subaru was leaning his back against the carriage when an impatient Patrasche pressed his nose against him. Subaru gave a wry smile at the gesture and returned the Gospel to its original place in the carriage.
While keeping in mind what you have just seen, shift your attention to another problem.
In other words, escaping from the 『Sanctuary』 and returning to the mansion.
"We'll leave as quietly and stealthily as possible without causing any trouble within the 'Sanctuary'. Please act quietly and stealthily."
「――――!!」
Subaru straddled the horse's back, which he had put the saddle on, and clung to it, begging, while Patrasche neighed loudly, as if to say, leave it to him.
Feeling grateful for his partner, who didn't understand a thing, Subaru calmed down the excited Patrasche and set off on a course outside of the Sanctuary.
In the eastern sky, the sun was already beginning to show its full body, its rays illuminating the tops of the trees in the forest. If we didn't hurry, the early risers would wake up and it would be more difficult to run through the night.
Urging Patrasche, Subaru got a taste of the power of the initial acceleration before Patrasche took off. The earth dragon's body immediately came under the effect of the ``Wind Protection'', and the swaying and wind no longer reached Subaru's body.
Then he left the Sanctuary and entered the forest. Patrasche sprinted without hesitation along a path resembling an animal trail, heading in the direction of the mansion. From previous events, even without Subaru taking the reins, he knew that Patrasche would choose what was best for Subaru of her own volition.
Though he felt a little lonely, it was wise to leave it to Patrasche, given his abilities. Subaru only held the reins as a token, clinging to her tough skin with his whole body, and became one with Patrasche as they raced through the forest. If nothing had gotten in their way, they would have made it through the forest and escaped from the Sanctuary in less than an hour. However,
"Wait a second...wait a second, hey!!"
The heel of the dragon swung down from the sky and spun, piercing the ground in its path and shattering the earth.
Patrasche slammed on the brakes in the face of the raging dust and tree splinters, her feet pointing to the side and digging into the ground, slowing her speed. In order not to throw Subaru off her back, Patrasche maintained her body's center axis with a godlike sense of balance, and glared ahead.
At the same time, Subaru, who was standing behind Patrasche and enduring the shock, saw the same thing Patrasche was glaring at.
"You bastard...what on earth were you thinking, what on earth were you planning to do, ah, hey!"
Garfiel kicked the ground with an expression of rage and indignation.
Garfiel wrinkled his nose in irritation and displeasure, and bared his fangs at Subaru, who was looking down at him from above Patrasche's back.
「Don't look down on me, get off. Let's talk at eye level. Let's start from there. I'll crush you, you bastard...」
"I had some idea that you'd get in the way, Garfiel."
"I never thought for a second that you'd make such a fool of yourself! You think you'd turn tail between your legs and run away now? Don't mess with me! You too! This Sanctuary! The half-demon and Roswaal! Everyone, we're all in this together! I'm not leaving here until the Trial is over..."
"That's your pretense, isn't it?"
"――――"
Garfiel's expression, which had been furious, changed at Subaru's brief question.
His eyes, which had become sharp to the point of being pointed, had subsided, and the heat of rage had disappeared, and the only sound that could be heard was the quiet breathing and the clicking of his fangs, which could be heard intermittently.
"Garfiel, you keep us trapped in this Sanctuary, and act like you want us to complete the Trial, but... that's not what you really think, is it?"
"Well, what does that mean, hey?"
Subaru: "That doesn't mean anything. If you truly wish for the liberation of the 'Sanctuary', then you should overlook my actions. The fact that you don't, or can't, means that there are some troublesome motives involved. Am I right?"
"Hah, don't be stupid. I just don't like the idea of someone like you wandering around, reeking of a witch..."
"Do you really smell like a witch on me?"
Once again, Subaru's barrage of questions left Garfiel at a loss for words.
Garfiel's eyes wandered and his lips quirked. Subaru found himself grinning bitterly at just the reaction of this man, realizing that he was not one to pull pranks.
"The moment that really caught my attention was when I left the tomb last night. To be honest, I've never been more prepared for you to kill me than I was at that moment."
"...Huh? What are you talking about?"
"You don't understand what I'm saying, so I'm wondering if you're lying when you say you have a good nose."
He died right after "Return by Death", and what's more, the reason for his death was contact with a witch.
Subaru was surely exuding a strong witch scent, but Garfiel treated him just as he had before they entered the tomb. Then, after they parted ways, he called Subaru out as if he'd just remembered, and they exchanged the same words from the previous night. --It was all too unnatural.
"I did consider the possibility that you pretended not to notice at the time in order to avoid complicating things… but judging by how impulsive you were, I decided that wasn't the case."
"You're saying whatever you want. You're lying about me being able to smell the witch's scent on you? Ha, how stupid! What's the point of telling a lie like that, hey? There's no point in it at all..."
"I guess it does have a purpose. If you say something like that and make them more wary of you... then it will distract them from the important thing, the person who has a really good nose."
"――――"
Garfiel's statement likely hit the nail on the head.
The moment Garfiel heard this, his expression truly changed.
Until now, they have been trying to resolve issues through discussion, but now they have become more shortsighted and willing to resort to violence to resolve issues.
Garfiel's arms swell up a size larger. Golden animal fur begins to cover his exposed skin, and his hunched posture rounds even further, until he's more like a crawling position than a leaning forward position.
"I'm not going to listen to you anymore. It seems you've learned something you shouldn't have known. I didn't want to do it, but I can't let you live."
"Don't say that, Garfiel. You should listen to what I have to say a bit more. Otherwise, I won't know where your intentions have come from."
"My intention...?"
Garfiel questions, glaring at him.
In order to dispel his distrust, Subaru placed his hands on Patrasche's back, raised them to the sky, and snapped his fingers.
"ah?"
Garfiel clears his throat, unable to believe his eyes at the sight before him.
Appearing one after the other, before his eyes and surrounding the earth dragon, were twenty-one copies of Lewes Meyer, who had gathered according to Subaru's instructions.
Subaru recreated the familiar scene with his own hands and pointed his finger at Garfiel,
"If you look at this situation, you can see where I stand now, right?"
"Why... how did you get to that place?"
"I sacrificed my regret and pain to summon the truth. And it's still my turn."
With his palm facing up, Subaru looks down at the confused Garfiel from atop the dragon.
Garfiel choked under his gaze, and Subaru, intoxicated by the sensation of slamming the truth he had uncovered into him,
"Command has been handed over to me. I have instructed you to continue carrying out and following Garfiel's orders as before for the night so that you won't notice."
"--ah"
"That disguise ends here. Listen, Garfiel. I'm leaving the Sanctuary now and returning to the mansion. There's something I must do. To that end, I can't allow you to get in my way."
Garfiel's expression crumbles as he vaguely realises what Subaru is ordering him to do.
His expression, which had been painted with firm resolve until a moment ago, now melted, and he looked confused and weak, like a lost child.
The beast-like transformation of his body also stopped, and his bloated build returned to its original small size.
"Don't chase after me, Garfiel. There's a mountain of things I want to ask you, but I'll put that off for now. There's just too many things I need to ask you, including about command authority."
「Seriously… Are you kidding me? You think I'm going to give up just because of something like that…」
"You'll stop. You're a softie at heart."
Subaru's provocative words made Garfiel roar and leap into the air. He bared his fangs and was about to crush Subaru, who was on top of Patrasche, along with the earth dragon. But then a small figure cut in.
It was a duplicate. Garfiel raised his arm to knock it away and secure his path. However, just before his arm could make contact,
"--Gabo."
"--!?"
Garfiel's expression changed when he heard his nickname being called, and the arm that was supposed to strike cut through the air. Just like that, Garfiel's body, which had been swimming in mid-air, was grabbed by multiple arms reaching out from behind him, and he was pinned to the ground, helpless.
The duplicates reached all over Garfiel's body and restrained him. And standing at the front, looking down at Garfiel with a sad face, was
"That should be enough to hold them back, right Su-bo?"
"Yes, thank goodness. I thought Garfiel would never come up with something like this."
In his battle with the Witch of Jealousy, Garfiel mercilessly used the clones as pawns in his fight. However, there was surely not a single willing Lewes Meyer present. At the time, Lewes, who was in an active state, was quickly consumed by the witch's shadow, but Subaru suspected there was another reason.
In a sense, this plan is more cruel than cruel.
"I cannot treat Lewes, who I consider to be my family, the same as other clones. If there is a difference between you and me in how we use our command authority, that is the reason."
"Y-youttttttttt!"
"You're not capable of destroying the clone of Lewes Meyer with your own hands, are you? Just be quiet and let me go this time. I won't do anything to you."
"How could it get any worse than this? Don't mess with me, don't mess with me!"
A howl could be heard in the distance, but Subaru consciously ignored it and slapped Patrasche on the back. The earth dragon, realizing Subaru's intentions, let out a small cry and turned its back on Garfiel, who was being held down, heading towards the exit of the forest.
Before taking off, Subaru turned to look at Lewes.
"Sorry for making you do this unpleasant task."
"I decided that it was necessary. You can't resist even if you don't want to. There's no need for you to be considerate towards me."
"Still, I'm sorry."
Leaving an apology to Lewes, who looks sympathetically at Garfiel, Subaru takes it as a farewell and sends Patrasche off.
Once again, the ``Windbreak Protection'' was deployed, leaving sound and wind behind.
「Wait! Wait a sec! You're kidding, hey!!」
The receding voice chased after Subaru.
Shaking it off, Subaru accelerated and passed through the forest, out of the Sanctuary.
「Let go! I can't let that guy out… Why, why?! Is this old hag on his side rather than mine? Wh, why…」
"――――"
"Grandma――!!"
Voices of anguish, voices of loved ones betrayed, echoed through the forest.
As if leaving all of that behind, Subaru ran straight through the forest.
Necessary sacrifices, necessary sorrow, all of which are the foundation for the future.
Biting the corner of his lip and feeling the blood trickling, Subaru accepted Garfiel's grief at this moment as a sacrifice for the sake of the grand finale.