Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu web novel

　After finishing his conversation with Frederica, Subaru found himself standing in the hallway on the third floor of the main building of the mansion, where Roswaal's office was located.

　Your head may feel heavy because of accumulated fatigue, or because your mind is wondering how to deal with the challenges that lie ahead.

"And besides, we'll have no choice but to do it abruptly..."

　Scratching the back of his neck, Subaru grimaced at the poor condition of the cards he held.

　I believe we have much more information now than we did last time, but at first glance it is not clear whether this information is directly relevant to future issues.

　I have to try and fit the invisible pieces of the puzzle together so that they fit into the picture I've put together. A sense of uncertainty about the future hangs over me.

"Subaru-sama. What would you like to do?"

　As Subaru stopped dead, Frederica, who was standing silently beside him, called out to him.

　After finishing their discussion in the common room, Frederica came to accompany Subaru. Subaru nodded vaguely in response to her question, "Yeah."

"Ever since Frederica returned, you haven't met Beatrice even once… right?"

"Yes. To begin with, I didn't get to see your face very often, and now I haven't even seen you once. It's very embarrassing."

"Nnn, in this case, it seems that the other side is playing hide-and-seek too seriously. It's no wonder Frederica can't find them."

　In fact, if they were serious about finding Beatrice, who had vanished to the other side of the "Door Crossing," they would have no choice but to exhaust all doors that could possibly lead to the Forbidden Room. It would be one thing if they could only do that in the mansion, but considering their track record of once connecting them to Arlam Village and the "Sanctuary,"

"The range is so broad, there's no way I could narrow it down. I know this is mean, but this is the kind of riddle that you'll never find the right answer to."

"So, what are you going to do? Subaru-sama, you have something to discuss with Beatrice-sama, correct?"

"If he really was hiding, no one would be able to find the answer. That's a fact."

　Frederica frowned as Subaru repeated his previous words. Subaru cracked his neck at her questioning and raised one finger,

"This is the important part. If he's really hiding then no one will be able to find him. But if he's not really hiding then that's a different story."

"You're not serious, are you?"

"No one plays hide-and-seek without wanting to be found. Everyone plays hide-and-seek while hoping that they'll be found someday. And yet, there may be demons who would like to be found if possible, and that's the tricky part of the human heart."

　As he spoke, Subaru walked a little and made a quick turn to the left. Directly ahead of him as the corridor made a ninety-degree turn and came to a stop was the reference room, next to Roswaal's office. The small room was crammed with papers, and it was a room that Otto had once organized while nearly going mad.

　Putting his hand on the door to that room, Subaru felt a sense of "correct answer" through the doorknob.

"The strange thing is, the moment I open it... No, the moment I think about opening it, I know if it was the right answer or not. But now, I think I was made to understand that."

"Subaru-sama..."

"So, here it is, unveiled."

　With Frederica's concerned voice echoing behind him, Subaru uttered a sound effect as he opened the door. Then, on the other side of the reference room door, he felt the space distort - and the peculiar smell that only old books that have aged for a long time wafted from the room.

　It's the rich scent of paper and ink that can never be brought out with the blandness of paper documents that are intended to be disposed of immediately.

"I don't plan on being late back, but if it gets too dark, don't forget to take Petra back to the village."

　With his hand still on the doorknob, Subaru called out to the surprised Frederica.

　Frederica blinked several times at the call, then picked up the edge of her skirt and bowed,

"We look forward to your return. Have a nice trip."

"That's nice. It almost makes me think that I'm in a superior position."

　After being busily ushered out by the maid, Subaru passed through the door and entered the room. As the door closed behind him, he felt as if he heard the sound of wind that shouldn't have been there, and the space twisted. The connection that should have existed disappeared, and the Forbidden Library was once again isolated from the world.

　and,

"It's finally here, I guess."

　Subaru was greeted with a single, not at all welcoming voice. A wry smile naturally formed on his face, and Subaru raised his hand slightly,

"Hey, Bearko. It's been a while since I last saw you, but you're still as small as ever."

"Your silly remarks are annoying enough that I don't need to listen to them for the rest of my life. Seriously... there's nothing I can do about it."

　Beatrice was sitting on the middle step of a wooden stepladder, clutching a black-bound book to her chest.

　Seeing her like that, Subaru thought to himself that she was always sitting in that spot. There was a desk and chair inside the Forbidden Library. And yet, the girl's usual place to greet visitors was always in that spot. For some reason, something hit him in the chest, and Subaru gritted his teeth.

"I guess I'm going to become even less able to see your weak side. You're free to be hurt or confused, but doing it in front of Betty is unpleasant, so stop doing it immediately."

"How arrogant. Sorry, but there's no reason for me to grant your request. I need to be sure that something decent is in place between you and me."

　Subaru implicitly conveys that he already knows what Beatrice learned from the previous loop. Beatrice, upon hearing this, looks somewhat grim on her face, and mutters to herself, "I wonder if that's how it is..."

"It's fine. I think we can both say that we both have the cards we need to play."

"There are many parts of the cards I have in hand that I'm not sure about, but I'll use my imagination to fill in the gaps and explain."

"Do as you like. In any case..."

　Suddenly, Beatrice's tense expression relaxed.

　The expression that had been plastered with stubbornness peeled away, revealing a gentle smile and a fleeting sparkle in his eyes—and Subaru instinctively fell silent, his throat choking.

　And Beatrice,

Subaru: "The long, long, long time of the contract is coming to an end. ーーWith the end of the end finally over, will Betty finally be freed from her stagnation this time?"

　"So sad," he said.

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

"Let's end the end of the end... right? That's a very poetic way of putting it."

　Seeing Beatrice already fully prepared, Subaru shrugged and warned her off. He glanced over at the black book the girl held in her hands - if Roswaal's words were correct, then it was one half of the only two complete versions of the Gospels in existence in the world.

　While it served as a prophecy, bringing with it information about the future, Subaru felt that it also acted as a directive from the future dictating how the future should be.

　In fact, Petelgeuse of the Witch Cult had acted exactly according to the descriptions in the incomplete gospel, and was eager to do so, believing that there was meaning in doing so. However, since the incomplete version did not record the future end, the madman was defeated by Subaru's hand.

"Is it thanks to that book that you can act like you understand?"

"...I wonder how much you know about this book."

"Roswaal let a lot of information slip out. I think I understand the gist of it…It's similar to the Gospel possessed by the Witch Cult, but it's a superior version. There are only two copies left in the world, and you and Roswaal are sharing them."

"Roswaal is also a man of loose tongues. Given his purpose, you can imagine how happy he was to speak."

　Subaru frowned as Beatrice spat out the words.

　Beatrice's opinion of Roswaal was usually quite mixed, but up until now there had been a certain familiarity to it that came from their close relationship, but there was not the slightest bit of that in the way she spoke now.

　From the bottom of her heart, Beatrice was now voicing her disgust towards Roswaal.

"I don't really understand your relationship with Roswaal. You share the only two books in the world, and you've made a blood contract and let him live in your house."

"What do you mean? Make it clear."

"Then I'll be frank with you: your position is too unclear."

　Beatrice narrowed her eyes, exuding an intimidating presence that was out of keeping with her lovely appearance, and Subaru felt as if he had been hit by a gust of wind.

　As she got to the point, the atmosphere around Beatrice changed drastically.

"I sort of understand where Roswaal stands now. His family made a contract with the Witch of Greed, and he's inherited that position ever since. That's also why he's in charge of managing Sanctuary, although the reasons why he wants Emilia to win the royal selection are still unclear."

"..."

"But I don't see your role there. Roswaal made a contract with the Witch of Greed. In other words, he is an Apostle of Greed."

　From the fact that he insists on calling her Echidna rather than the Witch of Greed, it can be inferred that Roswaal has an extraordinary attachment to her.

　Though not as powerful, his position could be said to be that of an apostle of "Greed" just like Subaru's. Although, Subaru was taken care of by Echidna, and Roswaal probably inherited it in the same way as the family head.

"The Gospels... I don't know if the ones the Witch Cult has are of the same origin as the finished versions you and Roswaal have. My guess is that they are probably made by different people. And while I have no idea who is making the Witch Cult's Gospels, I can imagine what the two finished versions are."

"...I wonder who it is."

"--It's Echidna."

　The moment he spoke that name, Subaru noticed that Beatrice's breath had stopped.

　And that her current name means nothing to Beatrice.

　In Echidna's dream castle, Subaru saw an artifact Echidna possessed called the "Book of Wisdom", a power comparable to omniscience and omnipotence.

　The Book of Wisdom's true nature is different from that of the Gospel, but it does have the same binding and is a magical book beyond human understanding. And if you connect it to the "Sanctuary" where the person who possesses it and those related to it gather, the answer is presented naturally.

"The Gospels you and Roswaal possess were made by Echidna. Roswaal's is likely a copy that has been passed down through the Mathers family. So how did you get the Gospel you have?"

"..."

"Now, I have one question. It's about your journey through the Doors."

　Subaru holds up one finger, killing the previous momentum and bringing up a different topic.

　Beatrice blinked at Subaru's eloquence and braced herself for what he might say.

　Subaru asked her a question.

"--The range of effect of your Door Walker. In this case, what kind of range can you choose as a target?"

"...I don't know what to do when I hear that."

"If what I hear is as I imagined, then my imagination will be confirmed."

　Subaru puffed out his chest as Beatrice folded her arms and kept silent.

　Beatrice hesitated, her lips trembling, then she closed her eyes as if resigned to her situation.

"Betty's door crossing connects spaces within the same building. Or nearby, familiar places. I don't think it can connect very far distances."

"Isn't there one more condition?"

"Do you really think Betty would have a reason to say that so openly?"

"Then I'll guess. Even if the distance is great, I can connect you to a place that you have a deep connection with. How's that?"

"――――"

　Beatrice gasped and opened her eyes wide.

　That reaction confirmed the idea that Subaru had in his mind.

"If your concentration is disturbed, but you still want to perform the door crossing, how will you choose who to connect to?"

"... Stop it."

"In an emergency, anyone can act or say what is natural to them. When it comes to something like door-crossing, it's not surprising that you would remember something that you have a strong emotional attachment to."

"...I wonder."

"You, who have received the Gospel created by Echidna, will use the Door Crossing to connect the location of the Sanctuary to the Archives. ――That means."

"--I want you to stop now!"

　The girl, shaking from the ladder, stood up and looked at Subaru with a pleading expression. Beatrice bit her lip tight and her eyes welled up.

　I'm sure I've just invaded an area of ​​her body that she doesn't want me to touch with my dirty hands.

　Feeling a painful, itchy sensation running through his chest, Subaru shook his head and said, "No."

"I won't stop. I know that a certain place in the Sanctuary is connected to here by a Doorwalk. And the reason why that happens is the answer you just frantically denied."

"..."

"Beatrice. You're also connected to the 『Sanctuary』, aren't you? What is your relationship with Echidna?"

　Although he knew that this was intruding on the reluctant girl's heart, Subaru suppressed his hesitation and overwhelmed Beatrice with questions.

　Subaru was sent through a door to the Sanctuary, a facility conducting experiments on immortality.

　The fact that the space that opened up in that sudden situation led there meant that that place was one that Beatrice had a strong attachment to.

　As a spirit, she had strong memories of the facility where Lewes Meyer's cloning was taking place. And considering that she had been given the Gospel by Echidna――

"Beatrice...who is your spirit contracted with?"

「――――!!」

"I asked Puck about it before. About the principles of a spirit contract. I'll skip the details, but basically, it's an equal contract between the contractor and the spirit. You once said that you were bound by a contract to protect the Forbidden Library. Who's that contract with?"

"...ah"

"Until now, I had assumed that this contract was made with Roswaal. I live in this mansion, and I manage the archives within the mansion, so I suppose that's the natural way to think about it… but now I'm wondering if that's really the case."

　Subaru had been lashing out in rapid succession, and Beatrice had been unable to respond properly, letting out weak sighs from her trembling lips.

　Her small body becomes even smaller, and her arms, needing something to rely on, tighten as if to confirm the weight of the Gospels she is holding. Her posture is all too fragile, as if she is enduring something unbearable.

　Despite seeing it all, despite seeing it all, Subaru spoke.

"--You're the spirit who made a contract with Echidna, right?"

　--That was the beginning of the end of the end.

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

　--The moment he asked that question, Beatrice collapsed like a doll with its strings cut.

"Bear――?!"

　The girl dropped from her knees to the floor. There was a hard thud, the sound of paper spreading, and the contents of the Gospels scattered from Beatrice's hands as they were dropped to the floor.

　It seems that the book's durability had long since been reached, having been constantly carried around, opened again and again, traced with fingers, and so on. The impact of the fall caused the spine to separate from the main text, and the pages scattered across the floor like a white carpet.

"The Gospels...huh?"

　Seeing several pages fly down to Subaru's feet, he bends down and picks them up without thinking. The image that flashes through his mind is of the Gospel that Betelgeuse once possessed. He remembers the book, whose pages were filled with tiny letters, writhing about as if the words were infected by the owner's madness.

　Subaru was reminiscing about this as he looked at the page he had picked up, but that recollection was blown away when he saw the page unfold before his eyes.

"What...huh? A blank sheet...?"

　There was nothing written on the front or back of the page Subaru picked up.

　I hastily picked up another page at my feet, but there was nothing written on it either. I wondered if it was just a random page from the latter half of the book, which was still blank, that had been jumped out, but...

"No, that's ridiculous."

　Crouched down, Subaru glanced at the pages scattered around Beatrice and noticed something.

　All around her, there were pages, none of which had any writing on them.

　With no less than a hundred pages scattered about, what were the chances that all of them were blank on the back side?

"It's a gospel, but... nothing is written in it?"

　Rather than believing in a miracle that all the pages show a blank side, it seems more reasonable to assume that all the pages are missing and filled with blank spaces.

　And when we follow that rational thinking, we are struck by the fact that it is irrational.

"Why don't the two completed volumes record the future? Is it some kind of gimmick where only the owner can read the text? Is Petelgeuse's not useful?"

　If we're talking about complete and incomplete, the gospel Subaru is using as reference is the incomplete version. Its contents could be read by anyone other than its owner, and now that it has lost its owner, it is in Subaru's custody. Fortunately, there has been no increase in the amount of written text since Petelgeuse's death.

　Therefore, Subaru had assumed that no matter who the owner of the Gospel was, its contents would be visible to everyone.

"It's been quite a while already."

"--picture?"

"It's been years since the Gospels showed Betty any future..."

　Slumped on the floor, face down, Beatrice spoke in a faint voice.

　Somehow restraining the urge to ask what she meant, Subaru waited for Beatrice to speak without rushing.

　Beatrice looked down and grabbed the scattered pages in her hands, crumpling them up. Her fingertips were trembling, and there were even hints of tears in her voice.

"The role I gave to Betty is to maintain the Archive of Knowledge. To continue protecting this place until we meet again someday... I think."

"The Library of Knowledge... is that this one?"

　Standing up, Subaru looked around the room at the numerous bookshelves that filled it. The numerous books inserted inside, some of which Subaru had even reached into, were what he had assumed to be books belonging to the Mathers family, but...

"So all the books here are Echidna's too?"

"He was someone who loved collecting knowledge."

"That must be the case, considering she calls herself a witch."

　She calls herself the embodiment of greed. She boasts that she wants to know everything in the world, and I think that's a sign of her greed. The large number of books that fill her shelves are the result of her collecting knowledge.

　Beatrice was the librarian in charge of Echidna's Knowledge Camp.

"From the way you talk... it seems that you have entered the tomb."

"Yeah, I did. I had a terrible experience and it was a tough time, but now I think it was a good thing that I joined. Echidna is a double-edged sword as an advisor, though."

　She is a valuable person to confide in for "Return by Death," but carrying it out will result in summoning the Witch of "Jealousy." Since it is a pattern that requires dying once, the truth is that she would like to avoid it if possible. But if necessary, she will do it again.

"...You said earlier that the Gospels haven't told us the future for years."

"It's true."

"I don't doubt it or anything. No, I still doubt it. Because, isn't that right? Otherwise you wouldn't have...written anything in the Gospels."

　--After all, she had helped Subaru many times.

　In the previous loop, Subaru and Beatrice were separated. This came as a great shock to Subaru, as he had first learned of the existence of the Gospel in Beatrice's possession.

　Beatrice's actions and thoughts up until now had all been recorded in the Gospels, and she was almost led to believe that there was no room for her own thoughts or feelings.

　And so, even though Subaru was faced with the devastated girl before his eyes, he felt a sense of relief deep within himself that he could clearly sense.

　Subaru feels a sense of security knowing that Beatrice's actions up until now are a reflection of her heart, but he doesn't know why this brings him so much relief.

　However, even without understanding the fundamental reason behind it, Subaru thought this way.

　Subaru wanted Beatrice to have fond feelings for him for no apparent reason, though he didn't know what it was that made him feel that way about her.

"Why did you... help me? It wasn't written in the Gospels, was it? You just left me alone."

　It was a roundabout, nasty-sounding question that I knew I had to ask.

　Subaru seemed to be leaving the answer up to Beatrice, and understood what he wanted. Even though he understood, he hated his own cowardice for choosing to say it in such a way.

　Subaru really just wanted to ask Beatrice a simple question.

　--You're not my ally, are you?

"Betty... helped you..."

"Yeah. You've helped me in so many ways. Like when I was cursed by Juggernaut, and when you healed me when I was close to death. You also told me the truth when I was supposed to die from the curse."

　In other scenes as well, Subaru has been saved by Beatrice countless times.

　During the loop that began in that mansion, Subaru was murdered by Rem and was no longer able to trust any of the other residents of the mansion, but Beatrice and Emilia were the only ones who saved him.

　Subaru had never forgotten how Beatrice had protected him at that time, when he had been tormented by loneliness and fear. That was an unforgettable, certain bond that no longer existed in this world, but remained only inside of him.

　that's why,

"You have nothing to do with the Gospel or anything like that..."

"--That's what he said at the end."

　Perhaps Beatrice would cast all her problems aside and side with Subaru.

　Someone he could place his complete trust in - for Subaru, who had lost Rem and could no longer show his weakness to Emilia, Beatrice could be that person.

　It was, in a way, an overly selfish wish.

　and,

"Someday, that person will visit Betty's library. I'm to protect the library until then."

"...that person?"

"I guess that's what she was told. The role given to Betty is to protect the Forbidden Library until 'that person' arrives. Betty doesn't know whether you are 'that person' or not."

　Subaru had been looking at Beatrice with heated eyes, but his face turned pale when he heard her dejected tone, and his brow furrowed at the ominous outlook.

　I didn't know what Beatrice was trying to say. I didn't know. I didn't know, but――I felt like I shouldn't let her say any more.

"Betty doesn't know if you are 'the one' or not... but..."

"Wait, Beatrice. You and I are both being a bit too impatient. Please calm down a bit…"

"Whether you're 'that person' or not... I think that's okay."

　Beatrice, who had been looking down, raised her face.

　Her two curls swayed in sync with the movement of her head. Wandering, confused, they seemed to reflect her heart, and Subaru's.

　A bad feeling tightens in my chest. I can't shake that feeling.

"It doesn't matter if you're not 'the one' anymore. So."

"Bear--"

"I want you to kill Betty and end this contract. End the end of the end and put Betty at ease."

　Beatrice's eyes were moist and her lips were in a weak smile.

"You become that person--"