2
“—You useless—!”
When he entered city hall, the first thing Subaru heard was grief-stricken rage. His ears were assaulted by a cracking, agitated voice. It was a familiar voice, but that was the first time he had ever heard such raw emotion in it. The shout was filled with unbearable resentment and accompanied by a sharp, dry slap that filled the room.
“Quit it! What’s the point of tryin’ to pin the blame like this! It’s not any one person’s fault, and you know that as well as any of us!”
A heated argument was taking place in the lobby, fracturing the mood. Seeing that, Subaru bit his lip, feeling pathetic as a twinge of regret hit his chest.
The lobby was big, with a reception counter and a waiting room. There were still signs of the struggle, broken chairs and tables pushed up against the walls, but it had at least been cleaned up some.
And in the very center of the lobby were three people: a teary-eyed Ferris, Ricardo, who had grabbed his arm and whose fangs were showing, and Wilhelm, whose cheek was red after he’d stood there and taken Ferris’s slap to the face.
The old swordsman looked down weakly, his blue eyes remorseful as the other two argued.
“…I have no excuse.”
“Make one up! Tell me there was some reason, any reason why there was no other way! Give me something so I can accept what happened! Apologizing won’t change anything!”
“I get how you feel. We’re all feeling rotten about what happened. But…”
“‘Feeling rotten’…? How is that supposed to help anyone? You’re useless! Spineless cowards! Every last one of you! Why…why didn’t anyone help Lady Crusch…?” Ferris was breathing raggedly as he glared at Wilhelm and Ricardo before falling to his knees.
Neither of them had any response to his tearful reproach. Ferris clawed at the hard floor as they—Subaru and Julius included—could only watch. His beautifully kept nails and fingers warped painfully, almost like he was punishing himself.
“…What’s the point of fame and title if I’m useless in a moment like this…?! Worthless! …Worthless, worthless, worthless!”
Tears poured from his eyes as he cursed himself. It would almost have been easier if he had pointed his rage at any of the people around him, but knowing that his rage was directed at his own powerlessness, no one could do anything to ease his grief. Everyone in the room was already regretting their own weakness, their own failures.
“…You made it back, Bro. And you too, Julius.”
Unable to say anything to Ferris, who was collapsed on the ground, Ricardo called out when he noticed Subaru and Julius standing at the entrance. Subaru nodded slightly and walked over to the three of them.
“Sir Subaru…it’s good to see you safe.”
“You too, Wilhelm. Ricardo. Though it’s not all sunshine…”
“Apologies for such an unseemly scene… Ferris…”
“—I know, I know.”
Nodding to Subaru, Wilhelm called to Ferris. He violently wiped his face with his sleeves and stood up, acting like nothing had happened. He reached his hand out to Subaru’s body, examining him as he stood there, still shocked by the scene he had walked in on. Finally, Ferris peered into Subaru’s eyes.
“…Yeah, you seem fine. Nothing strange or out of order. What’s your name and where are you from?”
“Huh? Oh. The name’s Subaru Natsuki, and I’m from Japan.”
“It must be deep in the countryside, because I’ve never heard of it… Anyway, I’ll be with Lady Crusch.”
Ferris listlessly brushed off Subaru’s answer as a bad joke before turning away and departing from the lobby. Subaru could not think of the words to say as his slender frame moved away.
“Sir Subaru, apologies, but I’ll be taking my leave. I’ll also be with my master,” Wilhelm said before following Ferris.
When the two of them left, the tense air of the lobby softened ever so slightly.
“I got word from Julius that he went out to get you. The lass there and Wilhelm happened to get into an argument, and, well…”
“It’s understandable. Ever since we joined back up, Ferris has been concentrating on healing the wounded and caring for Lady Crusch above all else… Though, it has been a particularly harsh time for Sir Wilhelm,” Julius said as he tapped his conversation mirror in his pocket.
He had used that metia to give Ricardo a heads-up that he was coming back with Subaru while they were on their way. Ferris had come down to check out Subaru, which led to starting that scene.
“Haaah, what a shit show…”
Subaru couldn’t get Ferris’s voice, or the grief and rage he directed at himself and everyone else, out of his head. But he also felt uneasy, wondering what about Crusch’s condition could be that bad.
“By the way, you dropped this, Bro.”
“Hmm? Wait, what?! This is…”
Ricardo tossed something over to Subaru, whose expression had started to cloud. He caught it only to realize it was a shiny black whip—Guilty Whip, his trusted weapon that he thought he’d lost forever.
“You found it for me? Thanks. That gives me a couple more cards I can play if needed, at least.”
“You don’t have to thank me. You were the one who used it to tie the duchess girl and that black dragon together. All I did was just untie it and hold on to it.”
“If I tied the black dragon and Crusch together, then…? What happened…?”
Ricardo’s response just left Subaru with more questions as he hooked the whip back on his hip.
“Exactly what it sounds like. The black dragon that sped out of the top floor flew you and Lady Crusch away from Lust. The duchess was unconscious, so you tied her to the dragon using your whip to keep her from falling.”
“And then, after managing that final act, I ended up falling myself? If she ended up okay in the end, I’d call it a pretty clutch play if I do say so myself, but…”
“ ” Julius paused slightly before affirming Subaru’s suspicion. “Ferris has been trying everything he can, but the duchess’s condition remains poor.”
Crusch had been bathed in Capella’s blood, just like Subaru—remembering the fleshy black pattern on his right leg, Subaru felt his mouth dry out.
“Can you be a bit more specific?”
“…I’m sure it has to do with something Lust did. A foreign substance has taken to Lady Crusch’s body and is afflicting her. Ferris’s lack of composure is the result of her current state. It is unbearable to see.” Julius’s tone dropped.
Judging from that, Crusch’s condition was very serious. Subaru had experienced the terror of something foreign eating away at him right after he was splashed with Capella’s blood. It was not just pain or distress—it was repulsive on an entirely different level. If Crusch was suffering the same torment that Subaru had felt in that moment, then…
“—Right! Dragon blood! Capella said something about dragon blood!”
“Dragon blood? You mean the Holy Dragon’s blood passed down in the kingdom?” Julius asked, furrowing his brow.
“I don’t know if it’s anything as showy as some sacred dragon or whatever. Did Crusch say anything herself?”
“No, the duchess has yet to regain consciousness, so I’m sure Ferris has not heard anything about it.”
“So she hasn’t woken up… Do you think the blood thing might at least give us a clue?”
“I could not begin to say, but Ferris might be able to figure something out, so we should let him know as soon as possible.”
“Ah, yeah, that’s right. I’ll hurry…”
“—Hold up, Bro. I’ll go for you.”
“ ”
It was something that might be able to change the situation. Subaru leaped at the mere possibility, but Ricardo stopped him short. The massive dog-faced man who was like the dictionary definition of a kindhearted person had folded his arms with a rather gentle look on his face, shaking his head with a depth of consideration fitting for a man of his age.
“You haven’t seen her yet. Better off stayin’ that way.”
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said… She’s a beautiful lass, which makes seein’ her like that all the harder.”
It was an answer that not only fanned Subaru’s unease but actively made him imagine an even worse situation—but Ricardo was not trying to hide anything, either. He was simply telling Subaru to accept and understand the situation.
He was a nice guy, but he was not trying to protect some youngster’s heart from everything bad in the world. In that sense, his was a fittingly wild way of living that respected strength. He did not treat Subaru like a child. He had an adult’s thoughtfulness, but he made it clear he was not going to always watch over him like that, either.
“I’ll take care of this. You take him to see my boss.” Ricardo scratched his head before grabbing Julius’s shoulder with his big hand. “—And this ain’t like you. Straighten up, ya blockhead.”
“—My apologies. I’ll leave Ferris to you.” Julius furrowed his brow in self-reflection.
“See ya later, Bro. I’m glad you made it out okay,” Ricardo said before heading deeper into the building.
“We are using a large room upstairs as an infirmary. Lady Beatrice and Mimi, Hetaro, and TB are there, too, naturally. But Duchess Crusch is…”
“In a different room, right…? Do you agree it’d be better for me not to see her?”
“…Unless the duchess herself desires it.”
In other words, he agreed with Ricardo. Honestly, Subaru wanted to confirm with his own two eyes that Crusch was really okay. Even if his comrades were all advising against it. But that was Subaru’s ego talking—no one wanted him to go see her in her current state.
“Over here. You should speak with Lady Anastasia.”
In the end, Julius brought him to the center of the building without his being able to say anything.
As they left the battered lobby, the walls and floor of the hallway they walked down still showed traces of meaningless destruction. It was clear just what sort of acts the Witch Cult had committed while in control of the building.
Naturally, this was not the only building hit, either. Similar destruction had been visited on several other important structures, but Lust and Gluttony had gone wild on city hall in particular.
—Lust and Gluttony. Thinking of them again caused feelings of shame to well up in Subaru’s breast.
“Julius, about Gluttony…”
“…Both sides suffered casualties, but there was no decisive blow. Like the battle on the ground, the chaos of the black dragon’s appearance and the flood made escape possible.”
“I see…,” Subaru murmured faintly.
From the fact that it had not come up yet at all, it had seemed the hope of actually defeating Gluttony was pretty slim, but hearing confirmation that Gluttony had gotten away was unexpectedly depressing.
In just a single day, he had crossed paths with four Archbishops, but Gluttony—the one who had sent Rem into a slumber from which she could not wake, the very person who had removed all memory of her from the world—was special.
Honestly, if nothing else, Subaru wanted to tear Gluttony limb from limb with his own two hands.
“…My apologies, I failed to accomplish the task you entrusted to me.”
“Stop it. If you keep apologizing for everything, it’ll turn into a habit. Ricardo already mentioned that you’re not yourself lately. Don’t make me call you a blockhead, too.”
“ ”
“We all screwed up here, so all of us are going to have to work together to fix it—or is the Finest Knight going to call it quits after one little blemish on his record?”
Julius’s eyes opened wide as Subaru shrugged provocatively. Julius’s lips quivered.
“…You really don’t hold back. Talking so big even in a situation like this… You really don’t know the meaning of fear, do you?”
“I know the meaning of fear. I know the scariest thing there is in this world. I’ve experienced it, too. Which is why I’m always struggling so hard to avoid going through it again.”
Subaru was painfully aware of what had gone wrong. He blamed himself, too. He was reflecting on his own failures. Which was exactly why he could not stop moving forward. The scariest thing in the world was losing the connections he shared with someone precious. No longer being able to wish for the shared blessings that should have been. To have that possibility cut off for all eternity.
And that most terrifying of possibilities was currently threatening every person in the city. So—
“There are still things we can do.”
Putting his renewed determination into words, Subaru nodded to Julius.
If you mess up, then make up for it by taking action. You aren’t the only one who’s frustrated.
Before the threat was broadcast, Julius’s brother Joshua had left the inn in order to gather information about Gluttony. From the fact that his name had not come up since, it was safe to assume his whereabouts were unknown. In a way, that gave Julius and the rest of them a strong connection with Gluttony, too—
“—Well, you look better than I expected. That’s a relief.”
As Subaru was thinking about that, a voice called out from the other end of the hallway. Looking up suddenly, he breathed a sigh of relief on seeing the woman at the other end. The beautiful woman with a soft, gentle face—the woman Julius had sworn to serve, Anastasia.
“What, were you listening? That’s not very nice.”
“I was walking around a bit to clear my head when I happened to hear your voice. I thought it’d be rude to interrupt y’all in the middle of such an important conversation.” Anastasia elegantly touched her hand to her cheek before turning her pale-aqua eyes to Julius and thanking him for his service.
“It’s good you managed to bring Natsuki back. Now Garfiel will finally be able to calm down and talk some when he gets back.”
“From the sound of that, I guess Garfiel isn’t here.”
“He’s running all over the place out there, hardly taking a break at all. Checking the situation at nearby shelters, hunting down those odd brutes who appeared in the center of the town…and more than anything, searching for his precious general.”
“He was looking for me…?”
It was obvious once he thought about it. Subaru had gotten swallowed up by the flood and gone missing in the middle of the fight. There was no way Garfiel would be able to sit still in that kind of situation. He would definitely try to use his nose to go looking for Subaru, so it was not strange at all that he would be rushing all around the city.
“But with the situation being what is, even Ricardo said the scent was gone or too muddled together with everything else. It’s funny that Julius was the one to find you when he was originally just going to the Muse Company.”
“So then Garfiel’s still running around town without knowing anything?”
“I told him to come back and check in here once every hour to be sure, so the next time he comes back, you should be able to see him. But more importantly…”
Anastasia slipped into a deep silence as she looked Subaru over. Subaru instinctively straightened his posture, feeling like his body was being appraised by her intellectual gaze. Anastasia’s expression suddenly softened a bit when she saw his reaction.
“Yeah, it doesn’t look like you’re forcing yourself. There’s no hiding from my eyes.”
“I’m not trying to hide anything. So now that you’ve decided I’m healthy, what of it?”
Anastasia stepped closer to Subaru.
“—I was kinda hopin’ to have an important conversation with ya, Natsuki,” she said quietly.
Subaru lightly deflected both the close range and the pressure behind her voice with a simple “What kind of important conversation?”
“You heard it, too, right? Before she left the tower, the Archbishop of Lust changed the deal and added a bunch more demands— You aren’t planning to just give in to them, right?”
“Damn straight. I’m pretty pissed. About ready to snap, even.”
When he realized she was referring to the unacceptable marriage demand, a vein practically popped out on Subaru’s forehead. Hearing that, Anastasia nodded, satisfied.
“Julius, I’m going to have an important conversation with Natsuki now. Can you manage things while I’m doing that?”
“If those are your orders. However, what might be the nature of this important conversation?”
“You don’t have to worry; I won’t do anything bad to him—honest.”
A not-very-cute, impenetrable smile crossed Anastasia’s face as she puffed out her chest.
Acknowledging his master’s clear-cut orders, Julius did not question her any further. Looking away from her knight, Anastasia turned back to Subaru. She smiled as he caught his breath, lost in her pale-aqua eyes.
“So then, let’s have a little chat. This is a big one, since it’ll affect the fate of this city.” Anastasia casually stated this as she put a hand to her white fox scarf.
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