Volume 5 - CH 81

――A series of “Witch Cult Riots” arose in Pristella, the Watergate City.

The scars of the battle remained throughout the city, along with the tragedy that struck its inhabitants. There were numerous functions of the city that had yet to be fully restored to compensate for the loss of personnel.

Those problems still remained, yet the situation was settling down and beginning to move towards the next story.

For Natsuki Subaru too, the many problems of the city ached his heart.

Nevertheless as he observed the city after the withdrawal of the Witch Cult, he felt that he could presume that perhaps he’d been able to contribute a little to that conclusion.

Subaru: “Although there are still many unresolved problems…”

The scars that were left by the Sin Archbishops, especially amongst those left by “Lust” and “Gluttony”, were enormous.

The inhabitants who’d had their bodies mutated by the Authority of “Lust”. Their bodies had been placed in a “Temporary State of Death” by Emilia and were awaiting the moment to awaken in a shelter deep within the city.

And most of the people who had been attacked by the appetite of “Gluttony” even now found themselves in an endless sleep, and even their bonds with those who would expect their awakening from the bottom of their heart had been snatched away

Emilia’s expression, who had proposed a way of postponing the solution to the problem of the transformed citizens, was painful.

Julius’s anguish, who had lost his place and had suffered with how things were , was beyond imaginable.

And there was no need to mention the wounds in the hearts of the city’s people who were the ones most affected.

Everybody had been hurt.

It was Subaru’s duty to do everything he could to heal those wounds…

And,

Subaru: “There are still problems I have to take care of.”

To solve the final unsolved problem, Subaru nodded.

Only this, was what Subaru had to do.

※※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

Subaru: “Julius will go with us.”

Anastasia: “I see, then I can feel more calm ‘s well.”

After he’d finished with his various discussions, Subaru returned to the conference room and was welcomed by Anastasia.

Anastasia was the only one left at the roundtable in the conference room. The discussion on the main topics had been held there several hours ago.

Some of them had already returned to the inn, and others were preparing to leave Pristella. Even without that, it had been a tiring day. There was no need  to rest on the hard roundtable and spend your time in the darkness of the empty shelter.

Subaru: “――What?”

And yet, she had stayed here, waiting for someone to arrive.

It wasn’t that he had been sure of it. But, Subaru too had vaguely thought  that she would have been here.

After all, right now she shouldn’t have felt comfortable anywhere.

Subaru: “With this, those who are aiming for the Pleiades Watchtower are Emilia, me and Beako. In addition to that, if we add Julius and you, there are five of us in total.”

Anastasia: “Aren’t ‘cha makin’ a mistake in the number of participants? After all, there aren’t five of us, there are six of us. It would be a problem if you forgot my ‘dorable Echidna.”

She unrolled the scarf from around her neck and spread it over the roundtable whilst making her dance. The white fox scarf was obedient towards her master’s harmless game, just like a doll.

She didn’t just look like it, though.

Subaru: “I didn’t forget. ――That is why… we’re five”

Anastasia? : “――――”

As he leaned his back against the door of the conference room, Subaru told that to Anastasia, who was hoisting out her scarf.

Hearing those words, Anastasia’s smile froze. Her elegant smile vanished as if it had melted, and then she tilted her head slowly.

Pulling the scarf to her lips, accompanied by a mystified look on her face,

A̶n̶a̶s̶t̶a̶s̶i̶a̶: “Oh, that’s weird. How did you know I’m not Ana?”

Anastasia’s tone changed completely, so much that it was clearly noticeable.

It was terribly amicable and familiar, but the essential part was completely vacant. Although her voice was the same, it was clearly different.

Subaru: “If you want to hide it, you should do a better act of doing so. Surely, as far as I know, Anastasia is the most rational and realistic of the candidates, but… She doesn’t have an attitude as lacking in humanity as you do, nor is her way of speaking like that.”

Echidna: “I’ve been observing Ana for some time, so I should’ve been able to imitate her, but it didn’t go as well as I had thought. You are the second one to notice.”

Subaru: “The second?”

Echidna: “Al-kun also noticed. He called me a “Witch”, how could he do such a cruel thing?”

Subaru: “That’s……”

That was quite the fitting term, Subaru felt admiration for Al.

Anastasia’s Echidna and the “Witch” Echidna were essentially different, but it was impossible that they were not related, there was no doubt in that.

Perhaps it had been Al’s insight, something only he could have noticed.

He was someone summoned to this other world, just like Subaru. If the power of the “Witch of Envy” was connected to the other world summons, Al could also be related to the “Witch”.

Usually, he would have talked to him more about it, but――,

Subaru: “Anyway, that doesn’t matter now. The most important problem is you, who hijacked Anastasia’s body and tried to make it yours.”

Echidna: “Saying “hijacked” sounds pretty drastic. At a glimpse, the current situation is bad, that appears to be a fact, but I must say that it is unfortunate that you misinterpret it that way. Seriously, it’s painful.”

Subaru: “That way, you make it sound like it’s not the case.”

Echidna: “In actuality, it’s not true, even if you can’t see it. I only borrowed Ana’s body, it was inevitable. If I hadn’t, it would have been the end for the both of us. After that, I continued to use Ana as a vessel, not out of my free will.”

Subaru: “Too long. In summary?”

Echidna: “It was fine to borrow her body, but I can’t get out…”

I see, this is Scarfdona――On this occasion, he’d put it as Eridna, but he’d never thought that Eridna had been unrelated to Echidna, yet in their interaction now he’d sensed no clear traces of Echidna.

Even though the way she lengthened things was the same as the original.

Subaru: “For now, I’ll try to listen to your story.”

Moving his back away from the door, Subaru positioned himself to talk with Eridna.

Now that he had uncovered her identity she couldn’t leave him alive, it seemed safe to assume that the danger of her setting that trap had gone.

Subaru sat on the other side of the roundtable, facing Eridna.

Subaru: “To begin with, borrowing her body? What kind of situation is that?”

Echidna: “To put it simply, I overwrite my existence in Ana’s Od, and I borrow her freely, that’s the situation. In this state, I can control Ana’s body at will, I can also manipulate Ana’s gate, which is defective from the start, and use magic.”

Subaru: “What do you mean it is defective from the start?”

Echidna: “You’re quite curious, aren’t you? I understand the greed of wanting to know something so I won’t blame you, but wanting to know so much about another girl and another spirit, won’t it make your Emilia-sama and your Beatrice jealous?”

Subaru: “I don’t need your concern, even if they get jealous, they’d be cute anyways, so that’s fine. Stop stretching things out and tell me.”

When Subaru tried to slam the roundtable with his fingers in displeasure, Eridna shrugged. Then, she folded the removed scarf carefully and said “Ana is…”

Echidna: “A girl who was born with a defective Gate. I think you already know that the Gate is an organ that absorbs mana from the atmosphere and emits the mana into the body, but the ability to absorb mana doesn’t work quite well in Anastasia. She’s someone who suffers from chronic mana deficiency. There is a person who has this defect of not being able to release mana, although you should already have an idea of who I am talking about.”

Subaru: “I don’t know if that’s bad or not, and I don’t know who you’re referring to either.”

Echidna: “Oh really? That is unexpected. By the way, the one who has the deficiency of not being able to release mana is the descendant of the “Sword Saint”. Although in his case, the amount he absorbs is unusual, and it adds to his physical ability apparently, so there is no real harm.”

Subaru: “Reinhardt?”

Subaru raised his eyebrows in surprise at the words of Eridna. But, on second thought, he also felt that Reinhardt had said something like that somewhere before.

Reinhardt couldn’t use magic, only in that aspect was he inferior.

But instead the power of his Gate to absorb was strong――I see, so that was the reason why it was bad for him to approach spirits, including Beatrice.

Subaru : “Well, even without magic, it’s not that he doesn’t have ways of attacking from a long distance, to begin with, in his case it wouldn’t be surprising if he defeated his opponents with the pressure of his sword, so it doesn’t seem like a disadvantage at all. But, let’s talk about Anastasia…”

Echidna: “I’m not trying to pretend, but it’s my habit to want to talk about what I know. So, the conversation… Right, it was about Ana’s constitution. When it comes to Ana’s Gate, its function to draw in is underdeveloped and doesn’t work well.. Therefore, she can only use magic by absorbing the mana that was initially in her body. If she’s exhausted, she would have to use her Od, which is the source of life. I can’t let her commit such madness, can I? That’s why Ana can’t use magic.”

Subaru: “But, that you can use magic after borrowing her body makes no sense. The fact that the mana that originally was in her body was scarce doesn’t change. Or is it that you can use the minute amounts of Mana?”

Echidna: “――――”

Subaru: “Don’t be quiet, answer.”

Echidna: “I couldn’t save her life in the first place without cutting down her life, I had no choice. However, the discussion between Ana and me on this matter is over. Someone like you, who has nothing to do with it, has no right to say anything about it. You wouldn’t want me to say anything about your contract with Beatrice either, would you?”

She’d hit the mark.

Subaru and Beatrice’s relationship, along with their contract, belonged only to them.

He didn’t want others to intervene in that, and even if they did, he would reject them.

If Anastasia and Eridna claimed the same condition, Subaru couldn’t say anything.

That was an absolute connection between the contractor and the spirit that must not be disturbed by others.

Echidna: “On this occasion, I borrowed her body out of Ana’s own will, it was an emergency after all. You know that a Sin Archbishop came to the City Hall, right? To drive her away, it was necessary for Al-kun and me to use all our strength. It was necessary to make a decision under pressure.”

Subaru: “And what’s that about you not being able to get out?”

Echidna: “Yes, there’s the current problem…”

At Subaru’s words of concern, Eridna clapped her hands and smiled. Although her appearance was that of Anastasia’s, her smile clearly showed that her contents were different.

What a strange thing, Subaru thought, but he immediately put that sentiment behind.

At last, their talk was about to cover the main question.

In front of Subaru, Eridna touched Anastasia’s thin chest.

Echidna: “This is not the first time I’ve borrowed Ana’s body this way. It hasn’t been many times, though. Ana and I don’t have an official contract. That’s also because of the problem with her Gate, I didn’t want to put a constant burden on Ana. Although even among spirits, I pride myself for being someone who consumes little energy. When it comes to just being there, I don’t need mana from a contractor.”

Subaru: “I see. My Beako wants to hold my hand three times a day.”

Echidna: “Two of the times is just because she wants to take your hand, probably. It’s all about intimacy―― So, about our talk, there weren’t many occasions where I borrowed Ana’s body in such circumstances. At most, this must be the fourth or fifth time. My relationship with her has lasted for almost eleven years now, so it’s not so surprising, is it?

Subaru: “Well, who knows? Considering that you say it’s at a pace of once every two years, isn’t that as low as the rate you catch flu at?”

Echidna: “That’s harsh.”

Eridna let out some stifled laughter, her laughter was the same as that of the Witch Subaru knew. In that moment, he’d become scared that Anastasia’s figure seemed like a double of Echidna’s.

Echidna’s existence left a weight inside Subaru that wouldn’t disappear. If possible, he never wanted to see her again because of Beatrice.

In addition to that, it would hurt Julius a lot to know that the real Anastasia had disappeared. He also wanted to avoid that.

Subaru: “Then, what happened, Echidna-san, who’s as annoying as a flu?”

Echidna: “I don’t know what that flu is you’re referring to, but in any case, I don’t have much experience. So, without any precedent, I don’t know why this happened either… I can’t separate my consciousness from Ana’s body. As a result, Ana is sleeping deep within her Od.”

Eridna spoke as she touched her chest, as if the Od were inside her, and then she looked at her scarf lying limp on the roundtable.

As long as Scarfdona’s consciousness was inside of Anastasia, her scarf should truly just be a fox pelt, but…

Echidna: “I was able to do pretty well as a puppeteer in the conference room, wasn’t it?”

Subaru: “There were many people who were deceived by the impact of your appearance. Though, there were also several people besides me who thought it was strange…”

Or so he thought.

Perhaps only Subaru, who was familiar with Artificial Spirits, had felt that strange sensation.

Subaru: “Even if you didn’t notice it in that place, people who are deeply related to her will immediately realize that you’re not Anastasia.”

Echidna: “And yet, only people with a superficial relationship like you and Al-kun could tell. Doesn’t that mean that my imitation of Ana went well?”

Subaru: “Right now, Ricardo and the kittens are busy with their own problems. Julius too.”

Echidna: “――――”

At those words, Scarfdona narrowed her eyes.

In response to her reaction, Subaru made a suspicious face, but Scarfdona sighed immediately,

Echidna: “After all, Julius is Ana’s Knight? From the flow of the conversation in the conference room, I thought it was most likely, but… the Authority of “Gluttony” is terrifying. It could even steal my memories, and I am supposed to be an existence that’s outside the norm.”

Subaru: “You… What do you want to do with Anastasia?”

Echidna: “――?”

Subaru: “On the question of whether or not you intended to hijack Anastasia’s body, honestly, even if we talk on this, nothing can be done about it, so I won’t hound you. I will say it clearly, even if you say it’s not like that, I have no basis to believe you, but…”

That she could not return Anastasia’s body… was unacceptable.

For the “Finest Knight”, it meant losing one of his hopes.

The spiritual death of a candidate ――He did not want to use that in the battle for the Royal Selection.

Subaru: “I won’t give up on bringing that person back to normal, Echidna.”

Echidna: “You can rest assured. I am not so arrogant to think that I can take over Ana’s body and live in her place.”

Faced with the enraged Subaru who moved forward with determination, Scarfdona said that with pessimism. With a sad expression, she embraced Anastasia’s small, thin body.

Echidna: “Y’know, I like Ana. The more than ten years I spent by her side without a contract weren’t mere observation cravings. I don’t know if these are the right feelings, but I have feelings similar to that of a guardian or family, I’m aware of that. If possible, I want her to be well, and more than anything, to be happy.”

Subaru: “――――”

Scarfdona spoke fluently and indifferently as always, but in her appearance as she spoke and touched Anastasia’s delicate body in which she now found herself, there seemed to be affection.

Just as Puck felt love and affection for Emilia, and Beatrice for Subaru, Scarfdona may’ve felt the same for Anastasia.

If so,

Subaru: “So, that’s your real reason for wanting to meet the Sage.”

Echidna: “That’s very perceptive of you. I don’t care about the people that had their names eaten by “Gluttony”. I just want to know a way to return this body back to Ana. That’s why for that I will make use of you all as well.”

Subaru: “Is there even a guarantee that the Sage knows a way for that.”

Echidna: “There’s no guarantee. But, when it comes to the Sage which is said to see everything, and know everything, there’s a chance. I’ll wager on the chance that they can is the most likely, that is all.”

No words of immediate rebuttal came out from Subaru to Scarfdona’s words, full of iron-clad determination.

Without a doubt, it was a terribly egocentric, selfish conclusion she came to. However, Scarfdona was acting to attain her goal in her own Scarfdona-like way.

Thus, what Subaru needed to confirm was…

Subaru: “Do you really know a way of reaching the Sage in the Pleiades Watchtower?”

Echidna: “Of course.”

Subaru: “You ought’ve had a character description saying I have no memories of the past. Why does someone like you know a way to get to the Watchtower that no one else knows? It makes no sense.”

Echidna: “I know only what I know. It’s bothersome that you ask me for a basis for that, but it’s like so. If you want to adorn those words, then it’s because getting there is fate, I guess.”

Subaru: “Fate? Fate decided by whom?”

Echidna: “My Creator, perhaps.”

Scarfdona’s reply was lofty, but as far as Subaru was concerned, it was the worst kind of reply.

If the Creator she spoke of was Echidna, then the one who’d scorched the way to the Watchtower into the Spirit’s memories could only have been Echidna.

That meant that there was something related to Echidna in the Pleiades Watchtower.

For sure, that gave him a bad presentiment and a certain expectation towards the Sage’s knowledge.

Echidna: “I wonder, did that convince you?”

Scarfdona enquired this of Subaru, who’d remained silent, having come to that one conclusion.

Whilst hesitating on whether to agree immediately, Subaru let out a long, deep sigh.

Subaru: “Not that I’m extremely convinced, but at least I do understand. You have your own goals and things you need to do, and it doesn’t interfere with our own goals.”

Echidna: “Indeed. We both have things we want to ask to the Sage. That’s why we will cooperate in getting down to them. There’s nothing strange about that.”

Subaru: “Stop it. You became sketchy as soon as you said that.”

Echidna: “That’s rather harsh.”

It seemed like he’d go crazy if he kept talking with Scarfdona with Anastasia’s form for any longer.

In any case, they’d end up having plenty of time to keep each other company whilst they headed off to the Pleiades Watchtower. The Augria Sand Dunes, where the Watchtower was, were at eastern end of the world map―― It was a long journey.

Subaru: “I’m slowly getting used to you, so give me a bit more time.”

Echidna: “It’s a’ight, even if ya don’ like this. Really though, Natsuki-kun is too cold aroun’ such cute girls. You’ve hurt my feelin’s. Jeeeez.”

Wrapping the scarf around her neck, Scarfdona mimicked Anastasia’s behaviour.

Indeed, it was a performance well done, but…

Subaru: “Your intonation of “I” is wrong. Also, your Kansai dialect is too smooth. Compared with the people that I know from Kararagi, it lacks authenticity.”

Echidna: “Authenticity?”

It was an extremely small difference. Scarfdona rightfully croaked out those words to confirm what Subaru had told her, and eventually let out a sigh as if she’d given up.

From Subaru’s side, there was nothing he needed to confirm to Scarfdona. And, concerning returning Anastasia’s body back to her, that would depend on the Sage of the Pleiades Watchtower’s attitude.

However,

Subaru: “Don’t tell Julius….. or any of the others about the fact that you’re borrowing Anastasia’s body.”

Echidna: “……I don’ mind, but Natsuki-kun’s request is unexpected.”

Subaru: “I don’t want to cause an unnecessary uproar in this situation that is already enough of a mess. Also, if they find out it was really you, and not Anastasia, that proposed this idea,  Ricardo, and some of the others, may oppose it immediately. It’ll be a bother for me too if we can’t go to the Watchtower. Albeit the selfishness of it.”

There was a chance that Ricardo, Mimi and the others would be anxious about Anastasia’s body and stop her.

In that case, they may be forced to give up their journey to the Watchtower, even if it was an excellent solution to their problems. That would be a problem for Subaru and his group as well, as they wanted to save the victims of the authorities.

Subaru: “It would be great if the victims of “Gluttony”, “Lust”, and of course, the issue with you and Anastasia could be solved by the Sage. If all goes well, then Ricardo and the others wouldn’t be able to complain afterwards. No, even if they do complain, I won’t listen to them.”

Echidna: “Like Hoshin’s saying, “The account books are balanced in the end.””

Subaru: “I agree with Hoshin-san on that.”

As expected of Hoshin, who may have come from the same place as he did, saying fine things.

Subaru: “Well then.”

On that note, their discussion was over for now.

In the worst case, if Scarfdona had intended to exploit Anastasia’s body, there would’ve been the chance that last battle in Pristella would have unfolded here; that it didn’t happen made him relieved.

It was for that reason alone that that question came at the time which Subaru had let his guard down.

Echidna: “By the way, Natsuki-kun”

Subaru: “Hmm?”

Subaru turned around just as he’d put his hand on the door to try and leave the conference room.

Still leaning on the roundtable chair, Scarfdona cutely tilted her head like Anastasia would towards Subaru.

Echidna: “――There’s someone else, isn’t there? Someone else, who you want to ask the Sage about a way of getting them back.”

Subaru: “――――”

Echidna: “One way or another, in Pristella there are people with similar symptoms, right? It’s best to take around about one person along who exhibits those symptoms so to inquire on how to get them back to normal.”

With his hand still on the doorknob, Subaru’s throat, Subaru’s breathing, froze.

Scarf-dona, in the end, continued to look on indifferently at Subaru, whose expression had stiffened, his eyes wide open.

Echidna: “What would’cha like ta do? This depends entirely on ya, Natsuki-kun.”

Subaru: “I……”

Echidna: “In any case, we’re stoppin’ by the Margrave Mathers’ Mansion, right? If we don’ prepare for the trek across the Augria Sand Dunes, we won’ get the approval ta be able ta go to the Watchtower. When we do that, your sleepin’ beauty oughta be there.”

Subaru: “――――”

Echidna: “I don’ think it’s a bad thing. We’ll save everyone, it’s just about who’ll be the first amongst ‘em……..It’ll be okay if Natsuki-kun allows this sorta’ luxury.”

Scarfdona’s indifferent voice, for some reason, seemed like a terribly demonic temptation for Subaru.

He understood what she was trying to say. And though, without a doubt, he wanted to follow with what she’d said, he wasn’t able to reply back to her immediately.

Surely that was because――,

???: “Subaru!”

Subaru: “――hk!”

On hearing his name being called out, Subaru looked up in surprise.

Emilia and Beatrice stood in front of Subaru, whose breath had caught inside his throat. The two of them widened their eyes at Subaru’s reaction, and Emilia tilted her head and asked him, “What’s the matter?”

Emilia: “You said you would go and see Julius-san……You said that, but since you weren’t at the hospital ward, I ended up getting worried. What have you been doing?”

Subaru: “No, nothing really…… You know, with that guy, he was pulling such a long face that I couldn’t bear to see him for long. So, it wasn’t a change of atmosphere, but a change of view.”

Emilia: “Really? I think Julius has a handsome face though……”

Subaru: “Emilia-tan thinks that too?”

Emilia: “Ah, but, Subaru’s face is great too, I think it’s a fine face. You know, the kind where the more you look at it, the more you like it, or, yeah, I think that sort of thing.”

Subaru: “That follow-up is so painful!”

Emilia fretfully corrected herself, but the way she said it was an issue too. With a bitter smile, Subaru dropped his shoulders. This time, Beatrice, who stood silently by Emilia’s side, had something on her mind.

Beatrice kept looking behind Subaru, towards the shelter behind him. Just as if she had an inkling about the conversation that he’d had there.

Beatrice: “Subaru, if you’re going to do something dangerous, you should call Betty, I suppose. If I were to leave you alone and it got dangerous, Betty would be beside herself, in fact.”

Subaru: “That’s the same affection I always feel for you. Since you’re so cute, I get uneasy thinking about how long it will be before you are carried off by a kidnapper who was looking to steal some candy.”

Beatrice: “Betty is not such a cheap-looking spirit, I suppose! Don’t make fun of me!”

Getting rather angry, Beatrice approached up to him to slap him over and over again. As she did, Subaru hoisted Beatrice up into his arms, who let out a surprised “Fwaaaah”, and walked towards where Emilia was.

Beatrice: “Re-release me, put me down, I suppose!  Ah, but, put me down without scooting off, in fact.”

Subaru: “That’s pretty difficult, so you’ll have to stay like this for now.”

Beatrice’s body was light, but strangely warm. It was the prevailing view that children have higher body temperatures, but with Beatrice being a little girl, was she also like that? Even though she was a spirit.

Emilia, who was by his side, stared at Subaru’s face from the side, who was smiling wryly in that manner. As she watched him with upturned eyes, Subaru asked her, “What’s up?”

Subaru: “Is it so unusual that me and Beako are playing?”

Emilia: “No. In this last year, it’s no longer unusual at all, but…..I think the current you is making a disconcerted face that was pretty unusual for this last year.”

Subaru: “――. Is that so? Although I can’t say that everything is MUY BIEN, most of the problems have been resolved, and for me now, my facial muscles have relaxed well enough, or so I think.”

Emilia: “If you say so, I’ll believe you, but…..”

Emilia cast her long-eyelashed eyes down at Subaru who was moulding his cheeks into shape as if they were like rubber. Then, she slowly continued her words that she’d cut off.

Emilia: “When you decide what to do, absolutely let me know. And, if you don’t find the answer no matter what, make sure to consult with me, okay? It would be nice if you promised me just that.”

Subaru: “A promise, huh?”

Emilia: “Yes, a promise that Subaru is not good at keeping. You are good at making them, don’t you think?”

Subaru: “Woah, that’s unusually venomous for Emilia-tan.”

He received a scathing evaluation from Emilia due to the results of his past promises up until now.

Then, Emilia, with a faint grin on her face, held out her pinky finger. Seeing that, Subaru instantly slung Beatrice across his shoulder, and joined his own pinky finger with her’s as Beatrice screamed out, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING, I SUPPOSE!”

Subaru: “Pinky promise, Cross my heart and hope to die. Stick a 1000 needles in my eye.”

Emilia: “Cross my heart and hope to die.”

(TL Note: So, I’ve anglicised this part a bit more, because Pinky Promises are slightly different in Japanese. In Japanese, the literal thing Subaru said was: Finger cut-off, ten thousand fist-punches, whoever lies has to swallow a thousand needles. And Emilia replies with Finger cut-off. Obviously this would sound like nonsense in English, hence the localisation. )

Their fingers separated from each other’s.

Whilst sticking out her finger, Emilia grinned at Subaru,

Emilia: “Subaru, how many needles will it be in total with this?”

Subaru: “Well, I don’t think it reaches up to 10,000.”

Emilia: “In which case, make sure you really don’t get up to 10,000 of them, okay?”

Subaru replied with a curt “Yeah” to Emilia’s prayer-like words.

With that answer, she’d feel an absolute sense of security――Such a thing for Emilia would probably be impossible. She hadn’t even planned to make the promise in the first place.

That’s why her promise now was a warning to Subaru.

Echidna: “――It’ll be okay if Natsuki-kun allows this sorta’ luxury”

Scarfdona’s final temptation floated back into his mind.

Could Subaru allow this sort of luxury, could he really allow it?

Who would allow that to him? To him, who depended on such things.

Subaru: “I will have an answer. ――By the time I return to the mansion, I definitely will.”

Even so, it is what you would expect from someone who had the same name as that “Witch”.

In truth, taking advantage of the weakest parts in people was her forte.

Subaru: “Truly, how odious…..”

Beatrice: “You said something right now, I suppose?”

Subaru: “No, with the way I am carrying you, I can touch or slap Beako’s bum as much as I want.”

Beatrice: “KYAAA, IN FACT! L-let go of me, I suppose! Put me down, in fact! Slowly and gently, like you were admiring a flower, I suppose!”

Subaru: “Hahahaha”

Beatrice: “Stop slapping my buttocks whilst laughing, in fact――!!”

With Beatrice kicking up a fuss over his shoulder, Subaru set out after the slender back who’d gone up ahead of him. Turning her face back every so often, Emilia seemed like she wanted to join them.

Although he had been blessed, although he had been saved.

If only she was here, he thought, marvelling at his own “Greed”.

The curtain fell on Natsuki Subaru’s battle in the Watergate City.

――And now, it silently turned to the next story that led to the Tower of Sand.