Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu web novel

"So, were you able to successfully close the deal?"

　Having challenged Roswaal to a final duel, Subaru leaves the building and walks a short distance before meeting up with Otto, and the two of them now stand in a corner of the cathedral reporting their accomplishments to each other.

　Subaru nodded in response to Otto's question.

"Yeah, it went well. I was worried that he would get totally desperate and not take the gamble... but it seems we were able to overcome that thanks to the unfavorable conditions on our side."

"That's true. After being challenged to a fight with conditions so one-sidedly favorable to me… on top of that, if there was even a blueprint to ensure I wouldn't lose, it would be ridiculous for me to back down. Of course, I could have considered the possibility that Natsuki-san's eloquence would be extremely poor, or that she wouldn't even propose a contract."

"But it won't go as far as a contract... you didn't think that, did you?"

"Yes, that's right."

　Otto crosses his arms as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and gives an affirmative response. Otto's actions seem to have Roswaal under his thumb, even if only for a moment. Subaru can't help but stare in amazement.

　Otto gave a wry smile at Subaru,

"When making an agreement that includes certain conditions, a merchant would use a letter, but… experienced magicians often use a contract. Moreover, the other party is a leading magician representing the country, so… I thought there was a good chance I could get a hold of him."

"By the way, is it possible to secretly implant a different contract? Even if they say it like this, in reality they were forced to sign a different contract?"

　If that was the case, Subaru had no way of verifying it.

　The contract would change the future of their union depending on the outcome of the bet, but in reality, Subaru didn't understand that the contract might state that if he continued breathing he would die in a day.

　Subaru was horrified at his own imagination, but Otto waved his hand,

"That kind of deception won't work. Didn't Earl Roswaal say something when we were making the contract? Something about it being engraved into one's soul. The contract can only be established once both parties have agreed to the contents and have consented. There's no way someone would make you sign a contract that goes against your understanding, Natsuki, unless they're extremely eloquent."

"With some exceptions, it sounds like there may be cases where people are deceived by clever words."

"...Just between you and me, before the laws were put in place, when the world was more chaotic overall, it seems that scams using contracts were rampant. It's fine if the other party is a minor villain, but if a nasty, skilled wizard or some other person sets his sights on you, I don't even want to think about the damage that could happen."

　Otto shrugged his shoulders, saying he was scared, and Subaru shrugged in agreement.

　In that respect, Roswaal is a passable candidate for a contract. There's no doubt that he's a skilled and evil person, but his obsession with his goal and his methods are purely evil. You can rest assured that he won't abuse the contract and cause a definitive rift between him and Subaru.

　If he were to plot against Subaru in such a way - then Subaru would surely use his power to repeatedly do so to completely destroy Roswaal's heart.

　I just wanted to have at least a minimum amount of trust that something like that wouldn't happen to either of us.

"Anyway, that was my situation, but how was it for you?"

"Well, I wonder. To be honest, it's hard to say that I felt any sense of accomplishment. It was a bit of a gamble to begin with, after all… I don't think I'll get many opportunities either."

　While Subaru was negotiating with Roswaal, Otto, who was in charge of a different role, did not look very happy. As he had said, what Subaru had asked Otto to do was a gamble that had a much higher chance of not working out. On the other hand, if it went well, it would bring them much closer to achieving the conditions for victory.

　The problem is, we don't know how many more chances we'll have in the five days.

"We'll have to monitor the progress. Now then, let's go over what we need to do in the limited time we have."

"The most urgent matters are Lady Emilia and Garfiel. In particular, I cannot offer any help to Lady Emilia in overcoming her Trials. You could say that it's all up to you, Natsuki."

Subaru: "That's it… I think it's admirable that Emilia wants to do it herself, but now that she's lost her qualifications, I can't do it in her place."

　Still, even if Emilia continues to take on the Trials as she has done up until now, I have to say that she probably has a low chance of clearing them by the fifth day. If Subaru doesn't leave the Sanctuary, I don't think Emilia's spirit will be broken, but she will inevitably be worn down by not being able to clear them.

　She needed some kind of change - something that Subaru had to influence.

"---It's about time we got serious about this."

"..."

Subaru: "It's the result of putting off a lot of things. I think I ran away because I didn't want to hear about it and realize that there was something between me and Emilia that couldn't be filled. Taking advantage of the fact that Emilia wouldn't say anything, I'm sure Emilia took advantage of the fact that I wasn't listening."

"--I think it's important for us to talk about what's on our minds. If I just continued to date Natsuki like that, there's no way I would know what would have happened in five days."

　Otto spoke as if to comfort the self-reflecting Subaru, and Subaru silently thanked him while scratching his cheek. He was somehow glad that Otto had been considerate enough to not blame the weak Subaru for continuing to look away.

"I mean, how can you possibly like or fall in love with someone without even getting that close to each other? That's just ridiculous. Stop trying to act pure-hearted."

"--- you."

　As the embarrassment got the better of them, Subaru frowned at Otto's quick-tongued teasing. However, he couldn't say anything back because he knew exactly what he was saying.

　Subaru's fundamentally weak nature results in him falling just short in many situations.

　But I guess I've reached my limit of running away like that.

"As for Emilia, she may be abrupt at times, but I'll try to be honest with her somehow. I don't think she can't do what I could do."

"…Well, I'll trust your judgement on that, Natsuki-san. I don't really want to remain in the 'Sanctuary' until the Great Rabbit arrives five days later, though."

　Otto looked as if he wanted to say something to Subaru's words, but he simply averted his gaze and suppressed it. He then changed the topic, saying, "So, what about the other one?"

"Garfiel, how do you plan to conquer him?"

"The hint is that he is 'afraid of the outside world'. I think it has something to do with the past he saw when he underwent the 'trial' inside the tomb. If we could find out more details about that…"

"I can't ask him directly. I don't think he's the kind of person who would just turn a blind eye to something that directly touches his emotional wounds."

"If he lets his anger get the better of him and punches me, I'll lose both our necks in one hit. Really, this is a duo that leaves me with nothing but fear when it comes to military power..."

　Subaru was a complete amateur, and even Otto was merely a traveling merchant who was used to fighting. They wouldn't even call themselves militants, and it would be easier to count them both from the bottom of the military hierarchy within Sanctuary.

"Even if you think about it in that sense, I do want a purely military position. With Roswaal, Emilia, Ram, and even Frederica, if those are the only people who can fight, it would be too problematic for a faction. Garfiel is necessary for the camp."

　Perhaps the reason Rem wasn't counted is because her current state is a result of the battle.

　He had resolved to get her back someday, but he knew it was selfish of Subaru to not want her on the battlefield again.

"I'll use my smooth talk and sleight of hand to persuade Garfiel and get him to join the team. To do that, I'll have to get rid of his trauma. The missing piece to achieve that is..."

"What's missing...?"

"If we can't ask the person directly, we'll have to find someone else to ask. Maybe Lewes-san or Ram. Though, both of them seem to be pretty tight-lipped."

　Who will those two side with if Subaru and Roswaal come into conflict? It will be worth a shot to find out.

　Subaru shoveled his breakfast into his mouth, shook his head and stood up, cracking his neck.

"Well, then let's get moving. I'll check on Lewes first..."

"As for me, it's the aforementioned arrangement… I'll talk to the others about it, but it would be best if we could avoid using it if possible."

"I don't really want to think about it either. I don't want to think about it, but... somehow or other, it feels like I can rely on it about 70, 80% of the time..."

"It's expensive... I can't deny it."

　They looked at each other and sighed, then Subaru shook his head to pull himself together.

　Then, Otto, who still looked exhausted, raised his hand.

"Anyway, we have no choice but to do it. When everything wraps up nicely, let's have a big celebration."

　Subaru said, opening his palm and showing it to Otto. For a moment, Otto looked confused, but then he guessed what Subaru meant and raised his hand in the same way.

"Yes, for the sake of my own bright future, I really want to do well."

"Just tell me."

　They laugh maliciously at each other and clap their palms together.

　A dry sound echoed through the air of the cathedral, and as the shocked villagers turned to look at them, Subaru and Otto turned their backs to each other and set off.

※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※※ ※

"Lewes-san, are you there? I have something to talk to you about."

　I jumped over the unstable ground and passed through a room that smelled of stale food. I was getting used to the stench, and then I stepped over some rubble and saw the glow of a blue crystal.

　Inside the crystal, the naked girl was still in an unawakened slumber. Stroking the surface of the crystal with his palm, Subaru was once again disappointed to see that nothing had changed, and looked around the room.

　The dimly lit room was only illuminated by the pale blue glow of the crystals. Despite the foul smell, there wasn't a single mouse or insect in sight, and thinking about it objectively, it seemed like a very unhealthy place, and I began to worry about my own health.

"Even insects and mice can't live there. Maybe the air is really polluted?"

"There's no need to worry about such strange things. However, there are still too many vestiges of the witch's presence here... so the animals will instinctively sense that and won't come near, that's all."

　As Subaru hugged her shoulders and shivered, a voice came from behind him, denying his anxieties.

　A familiar voice with a mature tone. Subaru turns around to see Lewes, who is walking along, nearly dragging her long hair.

　She came to the center of the room, next to Subaru, who was standing in front of the crystal, and looked up at him with eyes the same color as her hair,

"Now then, Su-bo. Since you've come all the way here... you must already know who I am, right?"

"I received an explanation directly from the person in charge here. He also gave me a vague idea about the handover, so I think I know the gist of it."

"Is that so? So that's the reason why Rozu-bo has been acting strange since this morning. --Rozu-bo has failed again."

　Lewes lowered her eyes, a pained expression on her face. Subaru raised his eyebrows at her words.

"Unexpectedly, I managed to ask part of what I wanted to ask... Lewes, do you know about Roswaal's plan?"

"Only to a certain extent, though. Unless there is someone who is somewhat familiar with the situation, it would be difficult to come up with a convincing explanation for Rozubo's strange behavior... Although, that's probably why he's incurring Garbo's wrath."

"How far is "partial"?"

"Boss Su?"

　Subaru lowered his voice and took a step closer to Lewes.

　Perhaps sensing the change in Subaru's mood, Lewes looked up at him, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes. Subaru bent his knees, bringing himself up to eye level with Lewes,

"Tell me, Lewes. How much of Roswaal's plan have you heard? It depends on that, I..."

"Boss Sue..."

　What if Ryuzu was part of Roswaal's plan - to move the world forward in the way the Gospels describe, having Elsa attack the mansion, sealing off the Sanctuary with snow to invite the Great Rabbit, and ultimately killing everyone involved, isolating Subaru and causing him to lose his mind?

　If you knew all that and were complicit without trying to stop him,

"I don't want to look down on you, Lewes. So please tell me. How much do you know? To what extent are you cooperating with Roswaal?"

"...What I know is that Rozu-bou has the Gospel that he inherited from the Witch, and he is revising history according to its contents. The existence of the 'Sanctuary' is only possible because it is written in the Gospel. Without it, our protection would have been lost a long time ago."

"...That's all?"

"That's all. I can swear to you that I was born with a contract that means I can never lie."

　Staring back at Subaru, Lewes had a serious expression on her childish face. Subaru decided to believe her words, including the fact that she could not lie as per her contract.

　Instantly, the tension in his shoulders relaxed, and Subaru let out a sigh of relief.

"I see, that's a relief. If even Lewes had the same devilish thinking as Roswaal, then I would have had to smack her after resolving everything. Smacking Lewes, who looks like a loli, would have been the worst scene ever."

"I honestly feel bad for making you worry, but hearing that from Su-bou makes me feel bad. Maybe it's just my imagination, or maybe it's just me."

　Subaru was trying to dispel the heavy atmosphere by making a silly remark, and Lewes joined in.

　She put her hand to her chin and continued to speak to Subaru, "So,"

"Judging from the atmosphere just now, something's not right. Su-bo, what kind of fight did you and Rozu-bo have?"

"Whether this is a cute exchange or not is a bit of a fight... but we're in the middle of a fight right now. Objectively speaking, I think it would be a happy ending if I won, so I'd like you to cooperate, Lewes."

"Looking at the flow of things, it seems like this is something that will have a bearing on the future of the Sanctuary. First of all, what are Su-bo and Rozu-bo thinking?... If you don't know that, then it's not something you can just carelessly agree with."

"That's true. That's right, where did I start explaining that..."

　Subaru tilts his head in confusion, seriously pondering how much information he should give out. He's had a meeting with Otto beforehand, but looking at Lewes's attitude so far, he doesn't get the sense that she is completely on Roswaal's side. Rather, he can't help but feel that she is cooperating with Roswaal out of necessity.

　With that in mind, Subaru pondered,

"To put it simply... it's about how to handle the 'Sanctuary' after the barrier is released, I guess."

"Treatment after release"

"I heard a bit about it from Garfiel, but it seems like opinions are divided even within the Sanctuary, right? There are those in favor of going outside and those against."

　Basically, the majority were in favor, and the minority were against. However, there was concern that some of the more radical opponents might try to sabotage Emilia and Subaru as they attempted the Trials to liberate the Sanctuary.

　Having already spent nearly twenty days in the Sanctuary, Subaru suspects that Garfiel is the leader of the small minority of opponents. Lewes is said to be at the head of the supporters, but what do he think about the differences of opinion there?

　And just as Subaru was thinking of continuing the conversation in that way,

"Opinions are divided...? No, that can't be the case."

"picture?"

"After liberation, it's up to each individual to decide whether to leave or stay on this land. The majority want to follow Rozu-bo and leave… and those who are staying are going to stay, and want to spend the rest of their lives here. There's no way we'll be divided in our opinions, right?"

"Uh, yeah... no, but..."

　After hearing Lewes's reply, Subaru was so shocked by what he had heard that was unexpected that he couldn't think straight.

　The struggle between those in favor and those against Sanctuary. The resulting conflicts and stance on liberating Sanctuary. I had intended to break the ice and make arrangements to win Garfiel over to my side.

"That means there is no conflict in the first place..."

"――――"

"So in the first place, was that all just something he came up with? Was he planning on telling me off by pretending there were opponents, so that I would think that acts of disruption were a natural thing to happen?"

　If that was the case, Subaru thought, it was an uncharacteristic turn of events.

　To avoid direct suspicion, he removed himself as a suspect by warning of possible acts of sabotage in advance.

　In the end, it meant little to Subaru, who had seen the end of Sanctuary on repeat and seen it over and over again, and knew that Garfiel's rampage was the biggest obstacle.

"You want to hinder the liberation of the Sanctuary by doing something so unbecoming..."

"...It's about Garbo."

　Hearing Subaru mutter, Lewes seemed to have guessed who he was talking about.

　Her expression became darker and she lowered her eyes.

"The reason she doesn't want to go outside is probably because we're useless..."

"Pathetic?"

"That's exactly what I said. We have lived in this place ever since we were born. Therefore, we know nothing of the outside world. And because we don't know, we are weak. For you, Garbo, this must be unbearably painful."

"――――"

　Subaru somehow understood what Lewes was saying.

　For the inhabitants of the Sanctuary, who have lived in a small, closed-off world, the connection to the world after the barrier is opened is something completely unknown and new.

　Of the two, it's only natural that those who have lived in the area for a long time will feel more of the latter, as the disruption of the unchanging everyday life they've been living through has such a profound impact.

"Garfiel doesn't want the Sanctuary to be liberated because he doesn't want to see people hurt by the sudden change in their environment...? It doesn't really fit his character... though."

　If that was really the reason why Garfiel was so desperately trying to impede the liberation of Sanctuary, then his way of thinking was exactly the same as Subaru's, who had tried to keep Emilia away from hardship.

　Is Garfiel also trying to implement his own way of protecting without listening to the opinions of Lewes and the other residents? If so, would the problem be solved if he were given a chance to talk things over with Lewes and the other residents, just like Subaru did?

"No, it's not that simple."

　Subaru and Garfiel may have the same desire for what they want, but they are in different positions. Subaru's lack of power in pursuit of his wish was the decisive factor in his failure.

　But Garfiel is different. Garfiel has the power to prevent the release of Sanctuary. If he can harm Subaru and Emilia, and eradicate those who are qualified to take the Trials that will free Sanctuary, then his wish will be fulfilled. The problem is that even if he shuts himself away in Sanctuary, he will not be able to escape the subsequent attack by the Great Rabbit.

　But that was a fact that Garfiel didn't know, and even if he had told him, he probably wouldn't have believed him. The situation was very different from the explanation he had given to Otto.

"In terms of simply finding a compromise, this still doesn't seem to be enough... but it's strange."

"Boss Su?"

"In the first place, why didn't he… choose the quickest way to prevent the liberation of 'Sanctuary', which would be to kill me and Emilia first?"

　If he was serious about doing whatever it took, and was just as determined to achieve one goal as Roswaal, Garfiel should have taken the lives of Subaru and Emilia sooner rather than later.

　However, in reality, he has never directly harmed Emilia. Even when he attacks Subaru, he doesn't move until Subaru makes some major move.

　It is still unclear what prompted Garfiel to try to kill Subaru. There is no doubt that he intends to prevent the liberation of the Sanctuary by killing Subaru. However, it is still unclear what prompted him to do so.

"There must have been a trigger... But, when I think about all the times you've been attacked by Garfiel, was there anything that you all had in common...?"

　The only times Subaru had been attacked by Garfiel were when he had flung himself at Roswaal in a rage, and when he had led the villagers away from the Sanctuary—ultimately, that was all.

　In the case of Roswaal, if one looks at the scene objectively, it would be natural to judge Subaru, who pounced on the injured man, as evil.

　If there was a problem, it was the next opportunity she had to try and kill Subaru again after failing to do so once.

　Garfiel transformed into a great tiger in order to kill Subaru, and he put Ram, the villagers, and even Patrasche, who stood in his way to save Subaru, to his claws and fangs. In the end, Subaru only managed to avoid death, but having survived that massacre, Subaru's hatred for Garfiel has not yet disappeared.

　But how much determination must he have had to have had to do something like that? There must have been some trigger that made him do so.

　And looking back, it doesn't seem like the catalyst was on Subaru's side.

　In other words, the trigger for the massacre could have come from Garfiel, not Subaru.

"Lewes-san, Garfiel may look rough and violent, but he's not the kind of guy to resort to violence lightly... is that okay to understand?"

"That child is a kind person at heart. By putting on a tough-looking shell and barking first, she tries to protect herself and those around her. ...The power she has acquired is probably for that purpose as well."

"I see, then... there's only one answer."

"--?"

　Subaru rubbed his nose with his fingers and turned to face Lewes, who tilted his head.

　Then, he placed his hand on the crystal beside him, feeling the cool sensation on his palm.

"Someone must have been giving Garfiel some advice. It was that person's actions that caused Garfiel to suddenly take part in this demonstration."

　His many uncharacteristic actions make sense if you think that someone was instructing Garfiel to do so. On that basis, the most likely ally of Garfiel is,

"Roswaal, Ram, Ryuzu-san, or perhaps some unseen malice..."

　Either possibility would drive Garfiel to commit a crime.

　He needed to find out, and only then would he be able to have a real chance to talk to Garfiel.

"For reference, Lewes-san, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm, what is it?"

"--Do you know the details of the 'trial' Garfiel underwent at the tomb, Lewes?"

"...No, I don't know. Unfortunately, that's not something I can know."

　Lewes shook her head. Since she was restricted from lying, what she said must have been the truth. Subaru replied, "I see," and nodded his chin.

"Let me ask this question in a different way. Do any other Lewes know the details of the 'trial' Garfiel underwent at the tomb?"

"――――"

"Silence in this case can only mean affirmation."

　Subaru told Lewes, who remained silent, and gently tilted his head up.

　There are multiple Ryuzus who are replicas of Ryuzu Meyer and represent the Sanctuary. The system in which a different Ryuzu plays a different role each day creates the problem that the memories and experiences of each individual are not completely shared.

　There are four of them, clones of the representative Ryuzu. If we were to distinguish them as A, B, C, and D, it goes without saying that all of A's memories and experiences from the days she is active are not passed on to B, C, and D.

　On the day in question when Garfiel attempted the Trial, failed, and was taken away by Lewes -- the Lewes who saved Garfiel at that time was not the same Lewes in front of him.

"...Lewes, who knows about the Trials, when will the next one appear?"

"――――"

"Yesterday, when I was talking to Lewes in front of the tomb, she said that she had taken the Trial. If the rule that doesn't allow lies applies, then that must be true. If the rotation is on a daily basis... then the next one will appear in three days, right?"

　You want to avoid having a date that is the furthest away when you're in a tight spot for time.

　Subaru asked, hoping for that, and Lewes, who had kept her mouth shut until then, suddenly loosened her lips and let out a sigh,

"No, the next time I'll be leaving after taking Gar-bou out of the tomb is in two days. There will be two of us in turn, one who has been inside before and one who hasn't."

　", he said with a somewhat tired look on his face.