Volume 4, 33 [The Pathway Of The Wind]

Volume 4, Chapter 33 [The Pathway Of The Wind]

Casting down her eyes, Frederica said this of her younger brother.

Instilled within those words was something at once affectionate and terribly complicated. Perhaps, this was only a common sentiment to have towards close family members.

[Subaru: He can physically pass through the Barrier, but he won’t do it because of his mental issues...... is that essentially what you’re saying?]

[Frederica: The fact is that he refused when I, his older sister, requested this of him. He had followed me all the way to the edge of the Barrier, but in the end, he chose to stay inside to be with Grandmother rather than to go with me]

[Subaru: Grandmother...... you mean Lewes-san?]

[Frederica: That child may be rude and foul-mouthed, but he genuinely adores Grandmother. As long as her long-cherished dream has not been fulfilled, he will never leave the Sanctuary]

Even though he kept calling her “Old Hag” and “Granny”, Garfiel obviously held an extraordinarily deep affection toward Lewes. Subaru once called him a tsundere, and that description was quite accurate in a way.

In any case, this knowledge wouldn’t help the situation very much.

[Subaru: In the end, it still doesn’t change the fact that passing the Trials and liberating the Sanctuary are the key conditions. It’s about as disappointing as disappointing gets]

[Frederica: I’m sorry I could not meet your expectations....... If there is anything else you wish to ask...]

[Subaru: As long as it’s within your ability to answer, right?]

[Frederica: My apologies]

At Frederica’s concise affirmation, Subaru sighed through his nose and lined up the questions in his mind. But, considering the flow of the conversation so far, most likely,

[Subaru: Would Roswaal’s true intentions be an alright topic to ask?]

[Frederica: The Master intends to support Emilia-sama and make her the next King of Lugnica. That much I can assert without any doubt on the matter]

[Subaru: I was asking for his true intentions. I’m sure even you would agree that many of Roswaal’s actions are going against what you just said?]

[Frederica: His methods are indirect and mysterious. I think neither I nor Ram would deny this]

Saying this with the implication that she and Ram had shared this opinion of Roswaal’s actions between them, Frederica’s face took on a pained expression.

Although she had accepted Subaru’s doubts as only natural, she was nonetheless forbidden to provide him with the key to resolving them. In the end,

[Subaru: You can’t tell me more without permission from Roswaal himself, huh]

[Frederica: I am truly sorry. But only know this...... the Master is Emilia-sama and Subaru-sama’s ally. As long as the two of you possess the intention to prevail in the Royal Selection, that much is assured]

[Subaru: It totally bothers me how you worded that......but it’s fine. Nevermind about Roswaal for now. So far, I feel like I can trust you, Frederica. But if it ever turns out you’ve fallen head over heels for Roswaal like Ram, I’ll have to seriously rethink our relationship]

Subaru liked Ram as an individual, but that did not mean he could place absolute trust in her. It was a complicated relationship. At least, Subaru knew that Roswaal held an unshakable, highest place in her heart, and, since Subaru cannot completely trust Roswaal, at the moment, he had no choice but to withhold his judgment of Ram as well.

[Subaru: If you can’t tell me Roswaal’s true intentions...... can you tell me what it means when they call the Sanctuary the Experimental Grounds? I heard Garfiel calling it that]

[Frederica: Experimental Grounds――is it]

[Subaru: Also a pile of impacted shit for those who have nowhere to go, he called it that too. After our talk about the Demihumans, I can kind of imagine the part about nowhere to go. So Roswaal has a Demihuman fetish or whatever you call that and he’s gathering Half-Bloods who have nowhere to go to live there. But...]

Just the words “Experimental Grounds” gave off a sense of unease, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the gathered Half-Bloods had been kidnapped in a way. Who knows why Roswaal was doing this? In other words, Emilia may have allied herself with someone she shouldn’t have allied with.

[Subaru: To begin with, even if it’s not the Witch of Envy, if people found out his family was in charge of a facility related to a Witch, the consequences could be huge. I heard that there are no surviving records of this, but the fact is, the Tomb is still right there]

[Frederica: The meaning of the word “Witch” has since taken on an ominous connotation. Even the Master’s contractual relationship with the Witch of Greed would certainly not be deemed appropriate by those around him. This concern is precisely in line with Subaru-sama’s considerations, I believe]

[Subaru: I’m glad we can agree that the Sanctuary’s existence is problematic. Now, wouldn’t a title like the “Experimental Grounds” just make that problem even worse?]

[Frederica:......Originally, that place was a hidden village where Half-Bloods are gathered so the Witch of Greed may conduct a certain experiment. It is unclear what negotiations took place at the time between the Witch and the owner of the land, the House of Mathers, but because of that contract, succeeding generations of the House of Mathers have managed and maintained the Sanctuary]

Nodding his head, Subaru took in the contents of Frederica’s words and sorted the information in his mind. He had already gathered as much from connecting the pieces of information implied by the various people in the Sanctuary. Then, the question would be,

[Subaru: What kind of experiments was the Witch running with Half-Bloods, and why is Roswaal continuing to keep the contract even after the Witch’s death......?]

[Frederica: The reason for the latter should be simple. The contract most likely contains the clause: “Until the time of the release of the Sanctuary, to adhere to the Oath to the Witch”. Unless people are periodically brought into the Sanctuary, the preconditions for the contract’s fulfillment would not exist]

[Subaru: So then, he’s now turning that around to create a hidden refuge for Half-Bloods? By the sound of that, one might even get the impression that Roswaal was running some kind of charity project]

Since discrimination against Half-Bloods was still a fact, it was necessary to ensure that there was a place where they could live in peace. If Roswaal was indeed fulfilling that role, then Subaru may have to revise his evaluation of him. But,

[Subaru: It doesn’t seem like all of the Half-Bloods want to stay there. In fact, the ones following Lewes-san who want the Sanctuary to be liberated are in the majority, aren’t they?]

[Frederica:......The general prejudice against Demihumans has indeed greatly faded. Compared to our blood, the reason my brother and I entered the Sanctuary was more because we simply had nowhere else to live. One day, the Sanctuary will be released. ――That is why, I...]

Firmly closing her eyes, Frederica cut off her words. Watching her, Subaru fell silent, and only after some time had passed, did he hesitatingly speak again,

[Subaru: I might just be imagining this.....but, was the reason why Frederica left the Sanctuary because of your concerns about what comes after the Sanctuary is released?]

[Frederica: ......What makes you think so?]

[Subaru: If you ask me why... your face always seems a little saddened when you talk about the Sanctuary. But you left your home in spite of this, whether it was for yourself or for others. Then...]

Scratching his cheek, Subaru saw in the back of his mind the tough facade of the golden short haired youth. Like the kindhearted girl in front of his eyes, that man was all words and wouldn’t reveal his true feelings at all.

[Subaru: If you’re anything like your little brother when it comes to hiding your true feelings, I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some embarrassing reason behind why you left. I’m guessing you...... probably left to create some place for the people to go once the Sanctuary is liberated, somewhere they wouldn’t have to be afraid, am I right? Of course, you’re working here to repay your debt of gratitude to Roswaal, but that’s not all, is it? ......That’s kinda what I’m guessing]

Realizing that he was taking huge leaps of logic in his rapid-fire speculation, Subaru held back his embarrassment and stole a glance at Frederica. If she laughed it off, then it would’ve just been Subaru getting way ahead of himself, but,

[Frederica: When the time comes for the New World to open its doors to them......I hope to be the one to guide them through it]

Muttering this quietly, a smile rose onto Frederica’s face.

It was not a mocking smile at an outlandish guess, but a smile of a sense of liberation of having unburdened her heart to another after having seen clearly into herself.

[Frederica: I was raised by that place, but now I want to forge an environment that will foster a desire in the others to leave that place. If I can help even just a little in creating such an environment, then my...... undesired birth must have had meaning]

[Subaru: Undesired, that’s...]

[Frederica: There is no need to console me. It is as it is. I cannot imagine that my mother grew heavy with me while desiring to do so. The fact is, mother abandoned my little brother and me in the Sanctuary and left. That was her answer......but I do not wish my story to end with only that answer, and that is the reason I am here now]

It was a question to which Frederica had already reached an answer.

Having only glimpsed the surface, Subaru could not possibly affect her with his sympathy. Embracing the answer she had arrived at herself, she would face the endless choices to come with only that answer as her guide.

――“She is strong”, he sincerely thought. It was a conviction strong enough to be admired.

[Subaru:......Does Garfiel know how you truly feel? If he knows and still didn’t come with you, then...]

[Frederica: My little brother is the only person to whom I have told everything. But even so, he would not come with me......for that was the choice he had made. Rather than leaving to procure something difficult to obtain, my little brother chose to remain to protect something easy to lose. We siblings have each chosen a separate path... the story is simply that]

[Subaru: Protect......protect, huh. Just by his outer appearance, I’d never have guessed he was the kind of character who’d make that choice. Well, it’s not like people’s hearts can be understood by just looking from the outside anyway]

Rubbing his jaw, Subaru tilted his cup and drank down all the tea inside in a single gulp before holding back a hiccup. Wiping his lips with the back of his hand, he began again with [Come to think of it],

[Subaru: We seem to have wandered off-topic, so let’s get back to it. About the name “Experimental Grounds”. Can you talk about what kind of experiments they were running?......Or, do you know its contents?]

[Frederica: Unfortunately, I know neither their contents nor their purpose. In fact, from the moment the Witch of Greed died, the continuation of the experiments became impossible. Only the facility remains, and the House of Mathers merely maintains it]

[Subaru: That’s even more incomprehensible. I personally understand now how important it is to keep promises, but what’s even the point of continuing to keep it when the other side has already been dead for 400 years?]

[Frederica: At least, if it weren’t for the Master’s family upholding that promise, I doubt my brother and I would have passed our childhoods in peace]

It was a little statue of a person seated in a chair, small enough to be placed on a table. To see something like this in an otherwise unadorned room was indeed somewhat peculiar, but Petra bravely walked up to it without any signs of fear, and,

“Tykh”

With a small sound, the statue’s head twisted.

Like it was going to be detached, the statue’s head turned a hundred and eighty degrees. Watching the man’s neckbone being brutally snapped, Subaru winced his brows. And, the next moment,

“Ooo, ooo, ooo――”

The sound of a heavy object sliding across the floor reverberated throughout the room. Turning around, Subaru saw the bookshelves parting, revealing a pitch black entrance wide enough for a single person to pass through.

Seeing the mission-objective escape path making its appearance at last, Subaru lightly balled up his fists and struck out a victory pose.

[Subaru: That’s it that’s it that’s it! That’s what I’m looking for! I’m saved!]

[Petra: Huhuu~, I helped, didn’t I~. Big-sister-sama Frederica told me about this before, it’s an escape path in case of emergencies, told me to remember it and all]

[Subaru: Oho, thank you thank you. Now I’ll just...... Petra, when did you get here!?]

[Petra: You just noticed now!?]

Petra blended into the flow of things so perfectly that it took a while before the contemplative Subaru noticed that she was there. At Subaru’s unacceptable response, Petra pouted up her lips,

[Petra: After I ran all the way back, and even helped you out......Subaru-sama, I think that was kinda mean]

[Subaru: No no, I only noticed halfway through that I was talking with someone when I’m supposed to be alone. And then I was too excited to see the OBJECTIVE COMPLETE and that’s why I was a bit late to notice you. Sorrysorry]

The little girl turned her face away as if stating that she was still angry, and Subaru lightly patted her head while apologizing. Then, turning his eyes to the escape passage again,

[Subaru: By the way, Petra, did Frederica ever tell you where this thing leads?]

[Petra: Yep. Big-sister-sama Frederica said it leads to a small cabin in the mountains in the back. There’s another barrier there that’s different from the Boundaries against the Mabeasts, so it can’t be found from the outside]

[Subaru: I see. So it’s a hidden passage after all. But I better go check it out with my own eyes]

Then it was confirmed that the passageway came out in the mountains, but that would also mean that the tunnel could serve as both an escape route and an invasion route. Subaru rolled up his sleeves, and, pumping himself full of spirit, stepped towards the entrance. And Petra’s quiet footsteps followed behind him.

[Subaru: Oh, you’re coming too, Petra?]

[Petra: Can’t I?]

[Subaru: It’s not that you can’t, but there’s probably not going to be anything interesting, you know. I’m only going in since I’m curious where it leads to, and after that I’ll be coming right back]

[Petra: It’s my break time right now, so I’m free to do what I want. So you won’t mind if I come?]

Tugging on the hems of his shirt, Petra looked up at Subaru with puppy-like eyes. Not having the heart to leave her behind like this, Subaru sighed and gave out a wry smile, and,

[Subaru: We really are just going there and coming right back, you know. You sure are curious, Petra]

[Petra: If I wasn’t curious I wouldn’t be here, so...... I’m glad I’m curious]

Hearing Petra’s reply, he wasn’t really sure what she was trying to say. Nonetheless, smoothing it over with a smile, Subaru took her outstretched hand and stepped into the passageway.

The dark hidden-passage gave way to a spiraling staircase, while the materials of the walls themselves glowed with a pale blue light. Although they wouldn’t be losing sight of the path downstairs, seeing that the tunnel was leading underground, Subaru looked back,

[Subaru: This stairway is pretty long and dark, be careful not to slip]

[Petra: If I slip will you save me?]

[Subaru: I’ll have to hug you while tumbling all the way down the stairs, you know...... if I end up in a coma and can never walk again that’ll be a way too miserable sight]

[Petra: If that happens, I’ll take care of Subaru-sama for the rest of your whole life]

[Subaru: I’m glad, but the process is way too terrifying!]

With this exchange, Subaru took the lead as the two of them began heading down the stairs. A cold wind swept up from below, sending thoughts of a non-existent Puck into Subaru’s mind as a chill ran up his spine.

It was not that he was afraid of the non-existent future of a frozen death, but,

[Subaru: It’s no fun being so quiet while going down, and Petra might be getting scared, so let’s talk about something]

[Petra: Subaru-sama, you know your palm is getting kind of sweaty?]

[Subaru: Petra must be getting scared so let’s talk about something! How was everyone at the village!?]

Seeing Subaru intent on sticking to the concerned-for-a-little-girl narrative, Petra cast him a compassionate gaze and went along with it. And so, carrying on the miscellaneous conversation this way to keep the silence at bay, they continued down the stairs for several more minutes――when the staircase ended, and they arrived at the familiar narrow passage.

Further down the passage, there will be a door, and beyond that door would be an un-experienced zone to Subaru.

[Subaru: Just by the feels of it, we should still be right underneath the Mansion. If this path leads all the way to the back mountains, it must be a quite a long tunnel]

[Petra: Escape route, escape path, tunnel, can’t we call it one thing?]

[Subaru: You’re right... Then, since the wind might as well be coming all the way from Mexico, let’s call it SANTUNNEL]

[Petra: Ah, careful don’t trip, there’s a bump there]

Just like this, Petra beautifully ignored Subaru’s random comment. Seeing her Anti-Subaru capabilities improve so much in such a short period of time, Subaru felt both pleased and a little lonely.

Maintaining this nostalgic sentiment as they continued through the passageway, they soon arrived at a slightly wider area. Straight ahead, a door emerged out of the darkness, confirming that this was the room. Back then, it was here that the frozen figures of the Witch Cultists lined up in this claustrophobic space, but naturally, there was no trace of that this time. Confirming this, Subaru spilled a quiet sigh of relief.

[Subaru: This should go without saying, but, it’s good that no TRAUMA SWITCHES got triggered, huh. Anyways, so far we should be about a third of the way to the mountain cabin, right?]

[Petra: The wind’s so cold...... it must be from the other side of the door]

While Subaru was busy feeling relieved, beside him, Petra was eagerly waiting with anticipation for the NEW STAGE on the opposite side of the door. With [Yeah], Subaru nodded in agreement,

[Subaru: Last time I touched the door I got an instant GAME OVER. So everything after that point is still completely unknown...... well, guess we’ll make it up as we go]

Having made up this resolve, Subaru unceremoniously placed his hand on the door.

And then, pushing it open, he felt an icy wind washing over his face, flooding into the small room――

[Subaru: ――ah?]

Simultaneous with that quiet sound, Subaru noticed that something had struck his belly.

Looking down, he stared at the left side of his waist that had taken the impact. Some kind of skewer was sticking out of it, and to prove that this had happened recently, the butt-end of it was still quivering.

――Watching, as little by little blood seeped into his clothes, Subaru’s throat froze.

[Petra: Yyaa――h!?]

In place of the choked-up Subaru, Petra, who noticed the same wound, shrieked at the top of her voice. Its high-pitched sound echoed through the corridor, lashing upon Subaru’s eardrums.

In the instant the pain caught up, still not understanding what had happened, Subaru’s mind swam with all its might, trying to think of something to do.

Petra’s shriek trailed off. The echoing corridor was deprived of sound, until only her noise could be heard. In a world where he should not be hearing anything, Subaru heard that sound.

Of footsteps, and a knife being pulled out of its sheath――

[Elsa: Now, let’s fulfill that promise――]

Licking her lips with a red tongue, it was the voice of a murdering monster trembling at the premonition of slaughter.

-=Chapter 33 End=-