Volume 4 - CH 58.2

Subaru arrived at the stable just after the break of dawn.

[Subaru: Sorry for cooping you up in here, Patrasche]

Hearing Subaru’s voice, Patrasche reached out her head and nudged him with her nose. Her gesture was at once filled with affection and carrying a tinge of complaint at being left aside for so long, prompting a ticklish feeling inside Subaru’s heart.

[Subaru: I know you just woke up, but I need your help. Can you take me back to the Mansion?]

Holding her face up to Subaru’s palms, Patrasche snorted, as if to say “What ‘am I going to do with you, Subaru-kun……”.

Sighing with relief that at least his dragon was on board with his plan, Subaru untied Patrasche’s reins from the stable and prepared to bring her outside.

Without other encumbrances weighing her down, the usual half a day’s ride might be completed in even less.

If they set out in the morning like this, they should reach the Mansion just before dusk.

[Subaru: Just a messy plan assuming I’ll start over anyway……]

This time, Subaru was determined to return to the Mansion, and, unlike the loops before this, he wasn’t going to bring the villagers. Frankly, it was because he was convinced that he would be doing it all again, and had resolved to eliminate all unnecessary variables aside from the goal of gathering information.

The loss of the friendship he had struck up with Lewes would be regrettable, but,

[Subaru: My relationship with Garfiel is already as horrible as can be, and I’m just about to make it even worse…]

Having transferred the command authority to himself―― Subaru could just imagine Garfiel seething with bloodshot eyes, looking for whoever took it.

It probably wouldn’t take long before he finds him. After all, Subaru didn’t order Lewes to keep it a secret, and Lewes herself would tell the truth if she was asked.

All this was within Subaru’s considerations.

[Subaru: ――Still, can’t help but worry about leaving Emilia with just a note]

If this world was only a sacrifice to be erased as soon as it was rewound, then logically, his concerns for Emilia in this world shouldn’t even exist.

No matter how much she suffers, grieves, or otherwise rejoices, all of it will be lost along with the world itself. But, even though his mind understood this,

[Subaru: It’s still no excuse at all…]

Even knowing that this was a soon-to-be-abandoned world, Subaru still didn’t want to make Emilia cry.

Finding out that he had left without a word would likely bring her more pain than she could bear. Losing the only support she could lean on, she probably wouldn’t know what to do with herself. While a part of him was glad that Emilia relied on him like this, it still hurt all the same.

In order to make sure that doesn’t happen, or at least hoping that it wouldn’t last too long if it did, Subaru left her a note.

That said, there was nothing special written inside, only an assortment of run-of-the mill words of consolation. Since he couldn’t tell her the truth, it was all he could do to try to keep her from worrying.

[Subaru: It’s better than nothing…… wait, what if Emilia doesn’t actually need me that much?]

Ever since Puck went missing, Emilia had been relying on Subaru more than ever before.

So that thought was only wishful thinking, and he knew it couldn’t be as simple as that.

In any case, Subaru must leave the Sanctuary and leave Emilia behind. In order to rewrite the unsalvageable present with a future that could yet be saved, he would have to harden his heart and make the necessary sacrifices.

[Subaru: Before anyone notices, let’s…… oh?]

While leading Patrasche out of the stables, Subaru picked up the saddle he had stored away in the carriage. Giving it a light pat, he threw it over Patrasche, when he caught something in the corner of his vision. It was,

[Subaru: Petelgeuse’ Gospel……?]

A thick book in black binding, hidden away in the corner of the carriage.

Once belonging to Petelgeuse, honestly, Subaru had wanted to get rid of it, but he couldn’t exactly hand it off to other people. Besides, he figured it might reveal some useful information about the obscure Witch Cult, and so ended up keeping it.

[Subaru: Come to think of it, that view’s kinda changed after what Roswaal said]

After fitting on the saddle, Subaru casually picked up the Gospel.

Feeling its dense weight in his palm, the image of the blood-drenched madman surfaced in his mind.

A man with an overzealous devotion to the Gospel, believing that it was his only way to express his loyalty to the Witch.

Inside, like some poor parody, its pages hinted at its owner Petelgeuse’ future actions.

[Subaru: Roswaal, Beatrice, and Petelgeuse…… why’re they so convinced that only they could read this thing……?]

Grumbling, he casually flipped through its pages.

But suddenly, his fingers froze, as a strange, strangled noise escaped his throat――

[Subaru: I can, read it?]

――When he realized that he could read the words written on the Gospel’s white pages.

Although the letters were something like a child’s scrawling, they lined up to form words that carried meaning. What was more, those words were in the form of “Yi” glyphs that Subaru could understand.

[Subaru: How could…… unless, it’s recognized me as its owner? But I didn’t do anything to……]

At that thought, Subaru suddenly noticed something.

The last time he tried and failed to read this Gospel’s contents was before he came to the Sanctuary. It had been in the Capital, and after returning to Roswaal’s Mansion. Since then, he hadn’t had a chance to open the Gospel to check, but it could only be related to something that took place in the Sanctuary.

Although, the direct cause might be something that didn’t exactly happen in the Sanctuary.

[Subaru: What the hell did Echidona do to me……?]

Just like the Trials inside the Tomb, there was a good chance that Echidona had tampered with his physical body in some way. He had a feeling that it had something to do with the tea Echidona gave him at her so-called tea party.

Echidona was joking about it being her bodily fluids, but what if it was something else?

Something that drastically changed Subaru’s body from before.

[Subaru: Actually, I don’t know if that’s the reason, considering all that’s happened last loop]

It could have just as easily been caused by the Witch of Envy’s wrath after he revealed Return by Death to Echidona.

Subaru hated the fact that he couldn’t go there and ask her this very moment.

[Subaru: ……Then again, it might not have accepted me as its owner after all]

Being recognized by a Gospel belonging to the Witch Cult doesn’t exactly put one’s mind at ease, but, after quickly scanning over its contents, Subaru determined that all the messages were meant for Petelgeuse.

Since it was undated, Subaru couldn’t tell when the events of the first entry took place. But from the Gospel’s page after page of scribbled accounts, a picture of Petelgeuse’ activities began to take shape.

The entries were basically “where to go” and “what to do”, but contained no description of what would happen as a result. Perhaps Petelgeuse had no interest in the outcomes, and merely improvised the rest by doing whatever he thought benefited the Witch Cult.

Reading on like this, he came to the final entry.

Though there were more pages after it, they were all blank after this point. On the final page, there were still the crimson words “THE END” which Subaru had scrawled in blood.

Before that, was the Gospel’s last original entry:

[Subaru: “Go to Mathers Domain, put silver-haired Half-Witch to Trial”……huh. What’s that supposed to mean?]

Without knowing what the “Trial” would entail, Subaru could gather no information aside from that Petelgeuse was to attack Emilia.

Nonetheless, Subaru had managed to confirm that Petelgeuse’ atrocities were indeed committed in accordance to the Gospel’s instructions.

[Subaru: ……Right, my bad my bad. Let’s get going]

Watching Subaru lean against the carriage, Patrasche gave him a few impatient nudges with her snout. Giving her a wry smile, Subaru placed the Gospel back in its original spot in the carriage.

Consigning what he had just witnessed into memory, his mind began drifting onto other concerns.

Specifically, escaping the Sanctuary and returning to the Mansion.

[Subaru: Hopefully we can get out without causing a stir in the Sanctuary. So take it nice and quiet, ok?]

[Patrasce: ――――NGHH!!]

As Subaru climbed onto her saddle, Patrasche let out a high-spirited neigh in response to her master’s request.

Getting the feeling that his partner didn’t understand his request at all, Subaru calmed the overexcited Patrasche and set the course straight for the edge of the Sanctuary.

He could already begin to see the sun’s true form in the distant, eastern sky, showering its light upon the tops of the forest canopy. If he doesn’t hurry, the early risers will soon be up, making his flight far more difficult without the cover of night.

Just as Subaru tried to carefully give Patrasche a signal to accelerate, Patrasche broke into a sprint. The Divine Protection of Wind Evasion activated around the ground dragon’s body, shielding Subaru from the turbulence and the wind.

Shooting out of the Sanctuary, they entered the forest. Following paths no wider than animal trails, Patrasche unhesitatingly galloped in the direction of the Mansion. Same as always, though Subaru was holding the reins, Patrasche navigated by her own volition, choosing the paths she believed to be best for her master.

Though it made him feel a tinge of loneliness, there was nothing else to do except to leave it to Patrasche’s discretion. Grasping tightly onto the reins, contracting the muscles of his body, they merged into a single shadow speeding through the forest. If nothing stands in the way, they should come out of the forest within an hour, leaving the bounds of the Sanctuary behind them. But,

[Garfiel: JUST…… HOLD’ON A GODDAMN MINUTE, OY!!]