Arc 8, Chapter 2 - 'Grudges”

Arc 8, Chapter 2 - “Grudges”

――Beatrice was at a loss as to how to handle the little girl known as Louis.

When the Magic Crystal Cannon fired from the Crystal Palace, their relationship allowed them to cooperate in sending it to another space.

Without Louis’s mysterious teleportation ability, it would not have been possible to reach that place. Had they not arrived, many deaths would have occurred on the battlefield, starting with Zikr’s.

This single act alone could not have dispelled the responsibility of Louis being the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony.

And yet――,

Louis: [Aau!]

Beatrice: [Betty can trust that you have no animosity towards Subaru and the others, I suppose.]

Sitting awkwardly on the shaking saddle, although only the size of children, three people aside from the primary rider rode the running red Galewind Horse.

On the back of the Galewind Horse, Beatrice and Louis sat with Subaru between them; unlike Beatrice, who was held in Subaru’s arms, Louis dexterously stood up on the horse behind him, tapping Subaru’s shoulder and pointing in one direction.

――From Beatrice’s point of view, the situation in the Imperial City of Lupugana was a crucible of chaos.

Beginning with the clash between the regular army and the rebels, uncommanded flying dragons, and flying dragons that were, fought each other for the sky; the white world and the red world transgressed the normal one, a giant and a Dragon rampaged, and finally, the dead rose one after another, to ravage the city from the inside out.

Being inclined to isolate herself, not giving support to anyone, there were few occasions in which Beatrice had directly intervened, but this world’s insane and inconsistent way of being reminded her of the chaotic times of four hundred years ago――.

Beatrice: [――Witches.]

Thinking back to those bygone days, Beatrice naturally uttered that word.

If there could have been one thing that symbolized that era of four hundred years ago, it was unmistakably the Witches.

Echidna, Beatrice’s creator, and the one whom she adored as her mother, was also one of those who were labeled as Witches.

Other than that, that era in which there were several Witches bearing the deadly sins; that era when everyone was struggling to survive, was a dark period that was like a child’s nightmare come true.

The current situation in the Imperial Capital was a return of the same thing. ――She wondered what could have triggered it, and her heart skipped a beat.

While Beatrice held those frustrations in her heart――,

Subaru: [――Hang in there, Rem!]

Immediately behind her, she heard Subaru’s panting, yet determined, voice.

Louis, voice sounding like a growl, and Subaru, hurrying the galloping horse in the direction she pointed, had no doubt that there was the waiting girl he was searching for.

As Beatrice thought of the results of the time that Subaru had spent with Louis, separated from her, her chest became a hazy mess, but she understood that there was trust between them.

Beatrice, too, had no doubt that Rem was there, in the direction to which Louis was pointing.

Looking back, Louis had spent a large amount of mana to extinguish the Magic Crystal Cannon and went straight to Subaru to try to save the disappearing Beatrice. She had the power to locate those she was looking for.

Whether that could be anyone, or only someone she knew, was unclear.

Subaru: [A huge mansion!]

Idra: [What do we do, Schwartz!? The walls are high! Do we go around to the front...?]

Subaru: [No, that would be a waste of time! Tanza!]

The exchange took place as they crossed a number of streets ahead of them and approached their intended building.

It was a mansion that took up an imposingly large plot of land in the northern part of the Imperial Capital, and its surroundings indicated that it was the residence of a person of high rank.

Naturally, the walls surrounding the mansion were high to ensure adequate security.

But――,

Tanza: [I do not want to give you the wrong impression.]

Saying that, the deergirl, her voice as emotionless as her face, kicked the ground with the slightest hint of disapproval in her features and mutterings.

Tanza, the young girl plunging straight into the wall in front of her, continued.

Tanza: [I am not Schwartz-sama’s tool for breaking down walls.]

Right after her declaration, Tanza’s thick-soled shoes struck the mansion’s wall, which was likely imbued with the Divine Protection of Earth attributes. This impact caused the wall, which should have enhanced the mansion’s defenses, to cave in, be penetrated, and ultimately collapse.

Accompanied by a booming sound and a gust of wind, the small silhouette of a girl emerged from beyond the wall. As if diving headfirst into the billowing smoke, the Galewind Horse carrying Beatrice and the others leaped onto the property.

And then――,

Louis: [Uau!]

Beatrice: [――Subaru, over there, in fact!]

Within the spacious mansion grounds, multiple buildings separated from the main house were lined up, causing them to, momentarily, almost lose their sense of direction. However, looking around just like Subaru, Beatrice opened her round eyes and searched for their target, before noticing a gathering of people.

At that same instant, Louis also looked in the same direction as Beatrice and shouted out, reinforcing her conviction.

Ahead of them, at the entrance of a separate building, there were several figures.

In front of the firmly shut door, all that could be seen was a back sporting the ragged equipment of an Imperial Soldier, and facing it were two figures, one of which Beatrice did not recognize.

――The other was a girl whom Beatrice recognized as well.

Subaru: [――El!]

Beatrice: [Minya!!]

A dull sword was raised, targeting the girl and her companion.

As soon as they noticed it, Beatrice and Subaru, holding hands, raised their opposite hands and chanted magic. The ensuing deep purple arrow captured the back of the pale-faced men, transforming them into crystals.

Enemies: [Gah.]

A bitter cry leaked out, but no further action by the men was allowed.

Accompanied by a high-pitched sound, similar to ice cracking, the men’s figures shattered and crumbled away.

The Galewind Horse reached the girl, who, narrowly escaping death, widened her eyes in surprise as Beatrice and Subaru landed on the ground together, her hand pulled by his.

And there――,

Subaru: [――Kept you waiting, Rem! The real star has stepped on the stage!]

With one eye closed and teeth gleaming, Subaru made a pompous declaration.

Despite his childish appearance, Beatrice looked at her partner from within his arms, proud of his unchanging bravery in scrambling to help someone else.

The eyes of the girl whose life was saved widened as she met the gazes of Beatrice and Subaru.

As it were, the excitement and emotion quivered within her throat――,

Rem: [――Who are you?]

She asked, in a dubious voice, with an atmosphere that was not very friendly.

△▼△▼△▼△

Subaru: [No, it’s me, it’s me! I’m a bit smaller, I’m telling you, it’s me! You can tell, right?]

Rem: [...I’m grateful for the help, but you ring no bells at all.]

Subaru: [No way!]

Subaru waved his arms and sorrowed at that unexpected cold response from Rem.

He felt dejected by this reaction, especially since he thought that, after going through a hopeless experience, then having been saved from a life-threatening predicament, a deeply emotional meeting was surely awaiting him.

Of course, since Subaru, being Subaru, went and got himself shrunk while Rem remained unaware, he thought that asking her to be openly happy would also be unreasonable.

Subaru: [In that sense, setting aside Louis, who already knew me in this state, it’s quite something that Beatrice would just accept it right away...]

Beatrice: [It’s not really that Betty thought nothing of it, I suppose. It’s merely that whether you have shrunk or not, it will not change that you’re Betty’s partner, in fact. More importantly...]

Subaru: [More importantly?]

Lowered to the ground from the arms in which she had been held, Beatrice looked at Subaru and Rem, comparing them. Then, narrowing her peculiarly patterned eyes,

Beatrice: [That attitude is completely different from what Betty had heard from Subaru, I suppose. That girl... Rem was supposed to have been gentle toward Subaru, in fact. Was that a lie, I suppose?]

Subaru: [No, that wasn’t a lie! It’s just that she’s forgotten a lot right now!]

Beatrice: [Forgotten...]

Derived from Rem’s cold treatment, Beatrice was made unnecessarily suspicious.

Likely, it was the doubt about whether Subaru had led everyone who did not remember Rem in her “Sleeping Beauty” state to believe a story that differed from reality.

It was an unthinkable misunderstanding. In the first place, something like lying about Rem’s personality as she slept was beyond blasphemous, and it too also made Subaru miserable.

In response to Subaru’s explanation, Beatrice silently turned back to Rem,

Beatrice: [You don’t remember Betty, in fact?]

Rem: [...No, I believe this is our first meeting.]

Beatrice: [――. I see, I suppose. I understand now, in fact.]

Rem: [It seems that’s persuaded you, but in the end, who are you guys? I appreciate the help, but...]

Tanza’s eyes widened at the answer in regards to the black-haired Crown Princes―― she was the only one who had been told ever since Gladiator Island that Subaru’s claim to be the successor to the Emperor was a lie spread for the purpose of creating a disturbance.

A huge reason why the comrades of the Pleiades Battalion trusted Subaru and were willing to participate in this battle for the Imperial Capital was because they believed that Subaru was the black-haired Crown Prince.

If the captive false Crown Princes were released, the chances of that lie being exposed would increase.

Subaru: [But, that is that and this is this.]

Even though he was aware of Tanza’s concerns, Subaru would not sacrifice human lives to protect a lie.

Of course, one would hope that this act of compassion would be returned, and that the fake Crown Princes would be quietly appreciative of the efforts of Subaru and his friends.

Beatrice: [As expected of Betty’s Subaru, I suppose.]

Beatrice looked at Tanza proudly while tightly holding Subaru’s hand. For a moment, there was a tingle flowing between them again, but Subaru put it aside.

Taking that into account, they faced the detached building’s door.

Subaru: [Does Rem or Flop-san have the keys to the entrance?]

Rem: [N-no, I didn’t know where the key was, so I thought I would pry it open by force.]

Flop: [You can trust in Wife-san’s strength. As you already know, my arms are as meager as they look.]

With Louis attached to Rem at the hip, Flop showed off his feeble biceps. Subaru scratched his cheek at the two’s replies, and pathetically turning to face Tanza,

Subaru: [Would you be the master key once again?]

Tanza: [...I am not sure what a mastur kee is, but I understand what you are trying to say. Schwartz-sama, I would like to reiterate this to you...]

Subaru: [Tanza isn’t a tool for breaking open walls, right? Forgive me.]

Towards Subaru, who meekly bowed his head, Tanza released a deep, deep sigh.

However, it was not just a sigh; with deep compassion Tanza softly spoke, “Please step aside”, to request that Subaru and Rem move away from the front of the door, and she gripped the large padlock hanging from it with both of her hands.

Then, with a sudden and strong jerk of Tanza’s slender hands, the lock twisted off.

It was quite the shocking sight, but Subaru and Idra had grown used to seeing it.

At Tanza’s unbelievable display of superhuman strength, Rem and Flop stared in wonder, and as Subaru saw those reactions to his side, he took a light breath and slowly opened the door to the solitary building.

And then――,

Subaru: [I think that everyone has their own respective circumstances, but, for the time being, why don’t we put away our various grudges, and work together to get out of this place?]

Like that, being careful not to alarm the cautious inhabitants, Subaru entered the solitary building―― Inside of which were lines of narrow jail cells, containing the fake Crown Princes which Subaru had greeted.

Fake Crown Princes: [――――]

At Subaru’s call, the faces of fourteen or fifteen young boys turned towards him.

As they had been called the black-haired Crown Princes, and counting backwards from the current age of the Emperor Vincent=Abel, it was to be expected that they would be around the same age as Subaru was presently.

That said, the sight of the figures of these children that had been hidden from the gaze of the public inside of these jail cells was sickening.

Tanza: [However, each of their cells are spacious, and it looks thoroughly cleaned, so it does not feel like such a poor environment.]

Peeking inside of the solitary building from the side, Tanza added her own opinion on top of Subaru’s impressions.

As she had said, the space was cleaner than just the bare minimum. It seemed that the fake Crown Princes were being properly fed, and any who were suffering extreme weakness could not be found.

Tanza: [More or less, it seems like they were prepared in case one of them was the true Crown Prince.]

Beatrice: [Perhaps they also do not have a taste for taking the trouble to torment children, in fact.]

Rem: [...Given the temperament of the homeowner, it seems like it could be either.]

From Tanza to Beatrice, and then to Rem, each took over to share their impressions of the inside of the solitary building. At that description, Subaru thought that the owner of this large mansion―― Most likely, they were an important figure in the Imperial Capital.

Considering these circumstances, the fact that they had captured so many candidates for the black-haired Crown Prince like this also indicated a rebellious spirit towards the fake Emperor, who understood there was no such thing as a fake Crown Prince.

Subaru: [That fact that his son is a fake, the man in question would know best... Wait a second? Is it possible that the fake Emperor doesn’t know? If Abel was the type of guy to be careless with his relationships with women, then...]

Rem: [I can’t say this for certain, but I can’t imagine that being a side of Abel-san.]

Subaru: [I agree. That guy, doesn’t he consider his own cross-dressed self to be the most beautiful woman in the world?]

Looking back on the time that he had called himself Natsumi Schwartz, Abel as Bianca, and Flop as Flora, Subaru spoke of such reminiscences.

At any rate――,

Subaru: [I’m going to open the jail cells now. It’s going to be pretty busy outside, with all of the rumbling and shaking, you know. Let’s throw away our grudges, and all escape together!]

Fake Crown Prince: [...Escape? But all of the cells are locked.]

From inside, among the fake Crown Princes who came from different tribes and had different skin colors, someone said this in response, to which Subaru replied with an “Oh.”

All of them had black hair and black eyes, which was not very common in this world, and so with their physical traits being similar to Subaru, while feeling a certain sense of kinship with them,

Subaru: [Don’t worry about the lock. We have a solution right here.]

Tanza: [Right here indeed.]

Subaru pointed his thumb towards Tanza, and the little girl bowed as she showed the broken lock in her hands to the fake Crown Princes.

All of their faces looked surprised at this, their skeptical expressions disappearing. Instead, a sense of awe was directed towards Tanza, but,

Subaru: [It looks like getting you out won’t be a problem. Tanza over here will break you out... Rem!]

Rem: [Y-yes.]

Subaru: [Where’s that friend you met here that you were talking about just now?]

Rem: [――If you mean Katya-san,]

With her hand placed on Louis’s head, Rem’s expression stiffened as she turned around towards the outside of the detached annex. Judging from Rem’s reaction, this Katya was probably in the main building.

They succeeded in crushing the three zombies in the vicinity of the selfsame annex, but others had likely gotten into the mansion. They had to find a way to somehow get the girl in question out before she was discovered.

Subaru: [Does this Katya person have any distinguishing features?]

Rem: [She has brown, curly hair and deep eyes. And then...]

Subaru: [And then?]

Flop: [Miss Katya has bad legs. Because of that, while Wife-san and I headed here, we had her hide in the other building.]

Subaru: [Her legs are...]

Subaru put his hand on his chin in response to what Flop had answered in Rem’s stead.

Fortunately, since they had the Galewind Horse Subaru and the others had rode in on, it could be said that this was the perfect situation for carrying someone with bad legs. Since their overall mobility would drop considerably anyway by taking the fake Crown Princes along, that would probably not be a problem.

Subaru: [I’m concerned that Tanza is our only decent fighter.]

Beatrice: [The way Betty and Subaru are now, we would not be outdone by that deergirl, I suppose.]

Idra: [Although I’m not on the same level as Weitz or Gustav-dono, I can put up a fight, too.]

Subaru, concerned about their fighting strength, received reassuring answers from Beatrice and Idra.

Of course, they could not be overly reliant on Idra since they needed him to hold the Galewind Horse’s reins, but Subaru’s skill was to make full use of the cards in his hand to optimally adapt to the situation at hand.

Subaru: [If I assume the role of a fake Crown Prince, and at least one person could ride on the horse...]

Rem: [Uhm, I’m worried about Katya-san, so if it’s possible,]

Subaru: [――My bad, that’s right.]

Looking impatient, Rem appealed to Subaru, who was trying to wrack his brain.

Subaru nodded back as he felt the need to quickly clear away the cause of her worries. For the time being, as long as Subaru and Beatrice were there, they could deal with the zombies.

Subaru: [Just in case, Tanza should come along too. In order to reassure this Katya person, if Rem or Flop-san could also come, then――]

Subaru was just about to say that they could get by without causing any unnecessary commotion.

???: [――You don’t need to worry about that. I already got Katya out safely.]

Subaru: [――――]

Like that, Subaru’s words were cut off by a voice from outside the detached annex. ――No, merely being interrupted was not why his words were cut off.

It was because Subaru’s heart was pierced by something cold in that voice he had heard.

Beatrice: [――Subaru?]

Since he held Beatrice’s hand, she noticed something was wrong as his whole body instinctively grew tense.

But without responding to Beatrice’s words, Subaru quickly headed to the entrance of the detached annex before Rem and Flop, who were already standing there, even had a chance to turn around.

To confirm who it was. ――And then, to keep them away from Rem.

The one who was standing there and had called out was――,

???: [I really have to say, this is some peculiar coincidence. How else could we end up in this situation?]

Subaru: [――――]

???: [We probably all have our own respective circumstances, but... for the time being, why don’t we put aside our troublesome grudges, and work together to get out of here?]

Thus, the man repeated Subaru’s statement from just before, as if to ridicule it, and shrugged his shoulders.

――And so, the adversary with whom Subaru grew the most troublesome and fateful bond during his stay in the Empire, Todd Fang.