Volume 4 - CH 89.1

――After concluding his secret talk with Lewes, Subaru walked through the forest alone.

He told her that he needed to think and left her behind with the crystal. To be standing there before a girl with the same face as her own―― her original, no less. How pensive a thing.

While Subaru’s interest in all this was inexhaustible, he wasn’t sure how far he wanted to delve into this topic. But, in any case, the Lewes he just spoke to was on his side.

Of those four Lewes replicants:

Judging by Lewes’ words, two of them had been inside the Tomb. That is to say, two Leweses had taken the Trial.

Seeing how there were four of them, it’s possible that not all of their opinions were uniform.

Subaru’s assumption that, since they all played the same character, all four of them must be the same person, had backfired. While those four were indeed playing the same person, they were each individual existences with their own thoughts and ideals.

And so, it wouldn’t be too strange if one Lewes had experienced something the others hadn’t that caused her thinking to diverge from the rest’s.

For convenience’s sake, Subaru decided to label the four Leweses Alpha, Beta, Theta, and Sigma. Leweses Alpha and Beta do not know about the Trial, while Leweses Theta and Sigma do.

What he actually wanted to do was the German “Eins”, “Zwei”, “Drei”, but he couldn’t remember the fourth one so that had to be scrapped.

Anyway,

[Subaru: Problem is, meeting with Theta and Sigma will be at least two days from now……]

The timing of the Great Rabbit’s attack on the Sanctuary―― or, strictly speaking, the large-scale magic spawning the great snowstorm that will lure the Great Rabbit here, will be five days from now.

Assuming he probably couldn’t come up with a counter-plan immediately after talking with those Leweses, the remaining three days will offer very little leeway.

In the end, Garfiel would massacre every last villager if it meant preventing the Sanctuary’s liberation.

If they were the ones who convinced him to do this, Leweses Theta and Sigma will not be easily swayed. Considering the prospects of persuading them, the road ahead was indeed looking dark.

[Subaru: But in exchange for the mounting obstacles…… there’s now an opening for dealing with Garfiel, huh. If I can just persuade the two interfering Leweses, then the problem’s solved…]

If Theta and Sigma were the ones inciting Garfiel to violence, persuading them would be the equivalent of clearing the Garfiel route. Since Subaru could see no way of working things out with Garfiel directly, this was certainly a glimmer of hope, albeit a fragile and feeble one.

Right now, Garfiel’s power was not limited to himself but extended to the twenty-odd non-representative Leweses―― that is, the empty copies without wills of their own.

Without regard for their own individual lives, each copy was an almost mechanical fighting force, and there was not much Subaru could do should Garfiel choose to use them.

Whichever way you look at it, Subaru’s situation was beyond unforgiving.

But leaving sentimentalities aside, Subaru would rather avoid coming into conflict with Garfiel.

It was all too clear that neutralizing Garfiel with force would be impossible.

If Subaru really had to take on Garfiel, spurred on by Theta and Sigma and with those girls at his command, Subaru’s already slim chances would just drop even lower.

[Subaru: After the flashy way I sealed that contract with Roswaal, I can’t fail. Not planning to, either. Nevermind whether the insurance’ll work or not, I still need to put my foot down when I have to]

Subaru tightened his cheeks just as they were beginning to falter, and shook his head, reminding himself.

Then, looking straight ahead once more,

[Subaru: Either way, I’ll have to wing it when dealing with Theta and Sigma. Could also try taking a shot with Garfiel and feel him out early, but…… maybe later]

Coming out of the forest, Subaru returned to the center of the Sanctuary.

Giving them glances as he passed, answering the occasional hellos with waves of his hand, Subaru’s legs carried him straight towards a place separated from the bustle.

To a place a little further away from the Cathedral and the village center.

――The place where Emilia was sleeping.

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