Arc 10 Chapter 30: Kugelschreiber

Chapter 30: Kugelschreiber

After shedding not only his wig and makeup but also his dress, erasing the last visible traces of the operation, Subaru returned to the hunting lodge's main room just as the others were beginning to gather. The hunting lodge was something of a rustic retreat, far more spacious than its modest designation might suggest, with accommodations sufficient for several people to spend the night. Even so, once all the principal participants in the operation at the Moreau estate assembled under its roof, the room inevitably began to feel crowded. It was among those gathered faces that Subaru noticed an unexpected presence, prompting him to raise an eyebrow.

'Hey, Black Dog's here too? That's unusual. You never bother showing up for these discussions.'

'Kuhahahaha! Don't mistake my presence for enthusiasm or eagerness. I'm neither particularly interested nor especially inclined to participate. Buuut I've had it hammered into my ears, over and over, that I'm supposed to attend meetings about our future plans. Ah, the bitter hardships of serving one's masters!'

The man who answered with that cackling laugh was Black Dog, who sat at the edge of the room with his back against the wall and his legs sprawled across the floor. Like Subaru, who had changed out of his dress, Black Dog had discarded his attendant's uniform and resumed his customary appearance, concealing himself beneath a mask and robe. Personally, Subaru thought the man was handsome enough that he had little reason to hide his face, but tastes and sensibilities differed from one person to another.

'Anyway, hearing a guy who's usually the furthest thing from diligent complain about the hardships of service doesn't exactly move me. If you don't start pulling your weight, White Sheep's gonna end up with a ridiculous amount of work dumped on her.'

'Oi, oi, isn't it about time you did something about that wandering eye of yours? A half-elf, a duchess, that little girl you drag around everywhere—how many women do you plan on collecting, you handsome devil?'

'Subaru being rather easily distracted by women may be true, but your behavior is still intolerable, I suppose. Betty can't help feeling sorry for White Sheep, in fact. Perhaps Betty ought to give her a shoulder massage sometime as a reward.'

'Good idea. Beako's shoulder massages don't actually do anything, but they're so cute they make you feel better anyway.'

As Black Dog offered his sarcastic remarks, he drew a thumb across his throat in an ominous gesture. Subaru and Beatrice responded together, turning their thumbs downward in a resounding display of disapproval.

Taken on their own, the gestures might have seemed rather threatening, but this was, in fact, a form of amicable communication they had cultivated over the preceding two months. Subaru had been the one to teach it to him, though Black Dog seemed to have taken a surprising liking to the exchange.

'Gray Star, Librarian, I'm terribly sorry about Black Dog. I don't think he means any harm… Well, he probably does mean to be unpleasant, but I don't think there's any real malice behind it. Probably. Really.'

White Sheep, acting in something resembling the role of Black Dog's guardian, apologized on his behalf. She held a cup of tea in each hand and offered them to Subaru and Beatrice.
Subaru accepted both cups gratefully, giving her a wry smile.

'No, no, you've got nothing to apologize for, White Sheep. He's a grown man. Let him clean up his own messes. …Oh, hey, this is good. You really know exactly how I like my tea.'

'Thank you for being so considerate! Though I can't take credit for the tea itself. Blue Snake helped prepare it and adjusted the flavor.'

'Hm? Ferri… I mean, Blue Snake did?'

Barely catching himself before speaking Ferris's name aloud, Subaru turned toward the center of the room. A simple low table stood there, and beside it sat Crusch, who had played such a significant role in the operation. Her arms were folded, and her eyes were closed as she rested. When a cup was placed before her, the eye not concealed by her eyepatch opened. Her gaze met that of Ferris, who had set the tea down. Apparently, he had hoped to leave it without being noticed. Realizing that his attempt had failed, Ferris released a resigned sigh.

'…Your tea, Lady Emerald Beauty.'

'Ah. Thank you.'

'How are you feeling?'

'I cannot say that I am in excellent condition, but compared to before, I am becoming less prone to being overwhelmed by my power. I suppose I have little choice but to continue managing it as best I can.'

'I see. I've let the tea cool a little.'

'Have you? I have never been fond of very hot drinks. That is helpful.'

'I know.'

'I see.'

Crusch acknowledged him with a small inclination of her head before raising the cup to her lips.

Ferris, meanwhile, took the seat farthest from her on the opposite side of the table and rested his cheek upon one hand.

—It had been an utterly ordinary exchange.

And yet the tension had been almost unbearable.

'Th-that was close. I nearly forgot how to breathe…'

'Rather, Subaru actually stopped breathing, I suppose. Betty nearly suffocated along with you, in fact. Isn't there something we can do about those two?'

'I've been trying to figure that out for the past two months…'

There was no shortage of concerns weighing upon them, but among those closest at hand, none was more immediately troubling than the strained relationship between Crusch and Ferris, so painfully evident in the exchange they had just witnessed.

Subaru knew only the bare outlines of what had caused the fracture between master and servant. He had been groping for some means of repairing it, uncertain how much help a third party could truly offer when the wounds belonged to two other people.

—What was needed, perhaps, was someone capable of playing the role Otto had played in the Sanctuary, when he had helped reconcile Subaru and Emilia.

'I'm only saying this because he's not around to hear me praise him, but man, Otto can be seriously amazing sometimes. How the hell do you even begin to imagine a way to put a relationship this messed up back together?'

'Betty doubts that simply locking those two in a box would solve matters the way it did with Subaru and Emilia, I suppose.'

'Yeah, if we shoved those two into a box right now, I feel like they'd just sit there in painfully awkward silence…'

Not that Subaru and Emilia had reconciled merely because they had been shut inside a box in the first place. Naturally, Subaru had made efforts of his own. He had tried involving Crusch and Ferris in conversations simultaneously, and had looked for opportunities to arrange situations where they might spend time together, hoping to encourage the restoration of their relationship. Yet those attempts had repeatedly failed.

Either their exchanges became conversations mediated entirely through Subaru, who found himself trapped between them, or their coordination was so practiced and instinctive that they could accomplish whatever needed doing without exchanging a single word. Even during the most recent operation, Subaru had initially proposed that Ferris, rather than himself, take the role of Crusch's wife.

However—

'He absolutely refused, insisting that he would not wear a dress under any circumstances, I suppose.'

'Yeah. Seriously, if Natsumi hadn't been available, who knows what would've happened to the plan? Rachins aside, there's no way Black Dog could ever pull off wearing a dress.'

'…There wasn't actually a rule saying someone absolutely had to dress as a woman, I suppose.'

'Sure, but it caught the fake viscount completely off guard, and we could hide Beako inside the petticoat. That's not just killing two birds with one stone—it's three birds, and the results speak for themselves. Besides, the method's already been proven in the Empire. There's literally no reason not to use it. —Q.E.D.'

'Betty feels as though she's just been forcibly talked into accepting some rather questionable logic…'

Beatrice pursed her lips, wearing the troubled expression of a girl burdened by the difficulties of her age. Subaru gently stroked her head. It was then that Russell and the others, who had apparently been discussing something in another room, arrived.

'My apologies for interrupting your conversation. Let us return to the matter of our plans from here onward.'

As he spoke, Russell accepted a cup of tea from White Sheep. Behind him came Rachins, looking thoroughly exhausted. Subaru nudged him in the side with an elbow.

'Hey. What were you guys talking about? Getting together for another round of your friendly little schemes?'

'Friendly? Are your eyes just decorative, you bastard? All that happened was that I got another heap of fiddly, annoying jobs dumped on me. That asshole's starting to think I'm his damn slave or something.'

'Well, if we're talking about letting someone hold the power of life and death over us, I guess you could say you, me, and Beako are all Russell's slaves.'

'Then how come I'm the one getting stuck with all the damn work!? You bastards oughta do your share of—ah, forget it. Letting you lot handle things would worry me even more.'

'Yeah, I think that right there might be your problem.'

'Hah?'

Rachins's indignant response suggested a man entirely unaware of his own tendency to work himself into the ground. Yet Subaru had little doubt that this very disposition was the reason Russell entrusted him with so many responsibilities. For all his rough language, Rachins was probably the sort of diligent administrative official who took his duties rather seriously. Subaru had never heard the full story, but perhaps it had something to do with the surprising fact that Rachins was apparently descended from a distinguished family.

In any case—

'—We have received word from Pink Rabbit. It seems there may be a significant development in our struggle against the Beloved Children.'

At Russell's announcement, delivered with his hands resting upon the low table, the atmosphere in the room abruptly tightened. Subaru took his seat with Beatrice settled upon his lap, and Russell watched with satisfaction as the others gathered around the table. Only Black Dog remained sitting on the floor.

'After accompanying us for some time, Emerald Beauty and the others should now have a sufficient understanding of the danger posed by the Beloved Children. Unless we eliminate them at their roots, the kingdom's collapse will be inevitable.'

'Yeah, and it's not just what happened tonight. With these Replacement Puppets popping up all over the place, you can't even give somebody a hug without worrying about what they really are.'

'For Betty, that is a matter of life and death, I suppose.'

Subaru exchanged a solemn nod with Beatrice, who occupied her customary place upon his lap. He bit the inside of his cheek as he contemplated the reach of the Beloved Children's sinister influence, which had penetrated the kingdom far more deeply than he had ever imagined. Unless this problem was resolved, even if Emilia succeeded in claiming the crown, she could never hope to build the nation she envisioned. This was a dark cloud Subaru had to dispel, both as a person who lived within the kingdom and, more importantly, as the knight of a Royal Selection candidate.

'So, Pink Rabbit, was it? What did she find out? Did she get hold of a list of the Beloved Children, or figure out where their headquarters are?'

'I understand what you're hoping for, but I doubt such a list exists. The only one who possesses all their information is their mother… Keeping them isolated and preventing them from sharing information with one another is part of her method of controlling them, isn't that right?'

'Um… yes. That was the sort of person she was.'

The mention of memories that must have been painful to revisit caused White Sheep's brows to droop slightly. It only gave Subaru still more reason to despise the one who stood at the head of the Beloved Children—the Archbishop of Lust, Capella. Nevertheless, Ferris's hopes had not been so different from Subaru's own.

If their struggle against the Beloved Children was finally about to make progress, then naturally they wanted to seize upon any possibility of capturing the entire organization in a single stroke.

'But if it isn't anything like that, what kind of information did she actually uncover?'

'—Information suggesting that it may be possible to restore those who have fallen victim to the Authority of Lust, including the victims of the Replacement Puppets, to their original state.'

'—!'

A chair scraped loudly across the floor. Ferris had risen so abruptly that the noise rang through the room. Planting his hands upon the table, he stared at Russell with eyes wide open and lips trembling.

'Restore them…? You mean they can be healed? All of those people?'

'It is only a possibility, a potential lead. Calm yourself, Blue Snake.'

'How am I supposed to calm down!? If something like that really exists, then…'

Ferris lowered his head before he could finish. Subaru knew what the rest of those words would have been. If such a method existed, we would never have needed to turn to the Divine Dragon Church. And if we had never relied upon the Divine Dragon Church, Crusch would still be…

But—

'Regretting the past serves only to remind us of our powerlessness. Reflection is worthwhile, but I cannot believe that allowing oneself to remain shackled to regret will ever produce a favorable outcome.'

The one who rejected Ferris's remorse was none other than Crusch herself.
Ferris's face tightened painfully. Subaru glanced toward Crusch, but she had closed even the eye left uncovered by her eyepatch, offering no indication that the answer Subaru wanted might be forthcoming.

'As I said, the information we have obtained is merely a potential path toward a solution. At the very least, it may contribute to understanding the principles behind the Authority of Lust. Once those principles are known, a method of counteracting them may become apparent.'

'At present, my Divine Protection of Wind Indication allows me to distinguish truth from falsehood, but it cannot save those who have fallen victim to an Authority. Considering my own circumstances, one cannot say there are no possible means of treatment, but—'

'—Frankly, I would prefer that we avoid relying upon the Divine Dragon Church's Sacraments wherever possible.'

Russell's tone was quiet, yet possessed an authority that discouraged argument. Subaru could not help recoiling slightly.

'I appreciate you being straightforward about it, but why? I mean, we know the Sacraments actually work. There's, uh… well, you know.'

'The effectiveness of those Sacraments has been demonstrated by my own body. —Filore's Sacrament healed me. Of course, whether the Authority of Lust and the affliction that had been consuming my body can truly be regarded as the same phenomenon remains uncertain.'

Crusch supplied the explanation herself, taking over where Subaru had hesitated. Russell stroked his beard thoughtfully before glancing toward White Sheep. Receiving that look, she nodded faintly.

'I know Filore as well. Whether or not that girl is suited to becoming a Royal Selection candidate is another matter, but there is no question that the Divine Dragon Church is an organization we cannot trust completely. …When I was one of the Beloved Children, I was also a member of the Church. I'm sure there are others…'

'So the Beloved Children have infiltrated the Church, too… Well, considering that they already got to important people in the castle, I guess that shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Besides…'

'—Tiga Rauleon. That man appeared to be cooperating with the enemy as well.'

Crusch nodded at the glance Subaru directed toward her and supplied Tiga's name. Tiga had fought Crusch at Miklotov's mansion. Afterward, he had apparently reported that not only Crusch but Subaru, who had fled alongside her, was an accomplice in Miklotov's assassination. Given the circumstances, the likelihood that Tiga was cooperating with the Beloved Children was considerable.

—It was even possible that he was one of them himself.

'Man, I really thought I could've been friends with that guy… But there's no point regretting that now. Anyway, the Divine Dragon Church isn't a united organization, and there's definitely no doubt the Beloved Children have infiltrated it. So we can't just carelessly rely on its Sacraments. That's what you're saying, right?'
'————'

'Huh? White Sheep?'

'Ah! I'm sorry! I was spacing out for a moment!'

White Sheep hurriedly answered Subaru's repeated call. Yet something about her expression troubled him. Rather than simply having lost herself in thought, she had looked almost as though she were enduring some hidden pain, or contemplating something terribly distant. Subaru was on the verge of questioning her further when Russell cleared his throat.

'Even setting that matter aside, I consider it healthiest for the royal castle and the Divine Dragon Church to maintain a certain distance from one another. Regardless of the intentions of this new Royal Selection candidate, I have no desire to take measures that would allow the Church's influence to grow excessively powerful.'

'Hah! You seriously think we're in a position to be so damn picky about our methods? If the kingdom collapses while you're busy choosing which options are respectable enough, Six Tongues will have made an even bigger disgrace of itself.'

'Naturally, I have no intention of confusing our priorities. If no alternatives remain, we may have no choice but to rely upon the Divine Dragon Church's Sacraments. Though unless we can identify the enemies concealed within the Church itself, I would hesitate to call even that a realistic proposal.'

'—Right, then, what about this and that and all the rest of it? Why don't you tell us what this wonderfully realistic and achievable proposal of yours actually is?'

It was Black Dog who interrupted Russell after he had taken over White Sheep's explanation. Still seated with his long legs stretched out across the floor, Black Dog grinned at the eyes turning toward him.

'What? What's the matter? I've just gotten sick of a conversation that keeps wandering around without getting anywhere, that's aaall. Come on, then! Talk! Speak your mind! Lay your guts out on the table! Otherwise… I'm about ready to run out of both patience and wakefulness!'

'—As I was explaining, if we can uncover the principles behind the Authority of Lust, we may be able to establish a means of counteracting it without relying upon Sacraments. However, doing so will require a certain body of knowledge.'

'A certain body of knowledge?'

'Indeed. Which brings me to a matter I would like to discuss with you, Gray Star.'

Although Russell appeared less than pleased at having been prodded forward by Black Dog, he continued nonetheless. Subaru pointed toward himself and tilted his head. What could Russell possibly need to consult him about at this stage of the conversation?

'Sure, if there's anything I can do to help, I'm all ears. What's the problem?'

'—I would like to establish contact with Roswaal. We require his knowledge. Therefore, I was hoping you might know of some means by which we could communicate with him while he remains in hiding.'

'With Roswaal, I suppose?'

At the mention of that name, Beatrice frowned suspiciously. Just as Emilia and the others had been confined within the royal castle, and Rem and her companions had fled the capital, Roswaal had also disappeared. He had vanished alongside Frederica, Ryuzu and her copy sisters known as the Meyers, Sylphy, and the others who had been staying at Roswaal's mansion. According to what Subaru had heard, Roswaal had refused a summons to appear at the royal castle and simply gone into hiding. His position was now, for all practical purposes, that of a wanted fugitive.

—Which meant that every member of their camp had somehow ended up on the kingdom's list of wanted criminals.

'But we don't know where anybody is, apart from Emilia and Ram, who are supposed to be in the castle. That includes Roswaal. You already know that, don't you, Russ… I mean, Silver Fox?'

'Indeed. That is what I was told. At least, according to the reports submitted to me.'

'—So you're suggesting Betty and the others might have some secret method of contacting Roswaal and the rest without letting you know about it, I suppose.'

'Such caution and preparation would be entirely understandable. I would not condemn you for it.'

'If you're such good friends with Roswaal, it wouldn't be surprising if you had a method or two of contacting him yourself, I suppose.'

'Unfortunately, it seems that three or four such methods have already been rendered useless. We were never able to station members of Six Tongues in Roswaal's immediate circle to begin with, so his whereabouts truly are unknown.'

Russell shrugged, while Beatrice continued to regard him sternly. From Subaru's perspective, however, the argument was pointless. After all, Subaru and Beatrice were no more capable of contacting Roswaal than Russell was. The man's excessive suspicion was simply one of his bad habits. Perhaps it came with the profession.

'By the way, what exactly do you need Roswaal's knowledge for?'

Depending on the nature of the question, they might be able to find an answer without consulting Roswaal at all. Naturally, Russell had probably considered the matter thoroughly before concluding that Roswaal was the person best suited to help. Still, asking cost nothing. At Subaru's question, Russell narrowed his eyes slightly.

'—Research concerning the Witches.'

'Eh…?'

The word struck Subaru with unexpected force. His eyes widened, and his breath caught in his throat. Russell, paying little attention to Subaru's reaction, gave a measured nod.

'Apparently, one of the Witches conducted research into the transformation of souls. We would like to investigate the knowledge associated with that research. —Of course, if you know someone else with expertise in that particular field, there is no absolute necessity for that person to be Roswaal.'

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　                                   　△▼△▼△▼△


—Research conducted by a Witch might prove to be the key to counteracting the Authority of Lust.

'Now that's a blind spot I never saw coming. Actually, considering we're dealing with the Witch Cult, it's pretty weird that hearing the word ‘Witch’ comes as a surprise in the first place. Those bastards hardly ever talk about Witches at all.'

Through some peculiar twist of fate, Subaru had encountered the holders of every seat among the Sin Archbishops—of which there were apparently six—with the sole exception of Pride. Yet Petelgeuse had been about the only one who constantly spoke of the Witch. Subaru could scarcely remember the others mentioning her at all.

'No, wait, I think Sirius said something about her too. Though if I remember right, that was more like her complaining about someone stealing Petelgeuse away from her…'

'Whatever the case, nothing good can come of it, I suppose. Just imagining those people speaking about the Witch—about Mother—makes Betty shudder, in fact.'

Something in the weakness of Beatrice's voice, and the distracted unease accompanying her reply, troubled Subaru. He sat down beside her on the bed, gently drew her head toward him, and gathered her into his arms. They had concluded their discussion in the main room and withdrawn to one of the hunting lodge's bedrooms. Rather luxuriously, the room had been reserved for Subaru and Beatrice alone, which meant they could speak openly here without worrying about anyone overhearing them.

'Not that we've actually been hiding anything from the others in the first place…'

Unfortunately, Russell, at least, did not seem to appreciate that distinction. For whatever reason, the man appeared to believe that Subaru, as a knight of Emilia's camp, was some formidable schemer, tirelessly weaving elaborate plots and concealing a multitude of secret advantages up his sleeves. Admittedly, Subaru's negotiations with Crusch and Anastasia during the preparations for the White Whale subjugation had probably contributed to that misunderstanding. It would therefore be rather convenient to insist that he bore absolutely no responsibility for Russell's mistaken impression. In any case, Subaru had secured some time by telling Russell that he would investigate possible means of contacting Roswaal. He had then arranged this private discussion with Beatrice. And naturally, there was only one subject they needed to address.

'—A Witch who researched the transformation of souls, huh?'

'…Does Subaru think that means Mother too, I suppose?'

'Well, if we're talking about your mother, that'd be Echidna. The one with close ties to you and Roswaal.'

'Indeed, I suppose.'

Beatrice nodded against his chest. Subaru let out a thoughtful hum.

The Witch of Greed had repeatedly brought confusion and complications into Subaru's life in this other world, and it seemed this occasion would be no exception. Once again, she was entangling herself in events in a particularly troublesome fashion.

'There's the Echidna I know, the Echidna who's your mother, then there's Scarf-Dona hanging around Anastasia, and Sphinx, who we ran into in the Empire… Seriously, is there some kind of bargain sale on Echidnas going on?'

'As far as Betty is concerned, the Witch of Greed that Subaru and Emilia know is nothing more than an inferior counterfeit, I suppose. Mother was never such a spiteful, wicked person, in fact.'

'Well, from everything I've heard, the one I know definitely sounds like the more evil Echidna…'

The Echidna Beatrice spoke of had been the woman responsible for creating the Sanctuary.

More importantly, she was the one who had brought Beatrice into the world, and for that alone Subaru could feel nothing but gratitude. That woman's existence was beyond dispute, demonstrated by the corpse preserved within the coffin concealed in the deepest reaches of the Sanctuary's tomb. Subaru himself had seen the Echidna resting within that coffin, so there could be no mistake.

However—

'They've got the same features, but they're definitely different people. …The Echidna you knew looks a little more mature, I guess. More like an older sister—or a mother. Maybe we should call her Mama-Dona or Parent-Dona…'

'W-what sort of names are those, I suppose!? Even if it's Subaru, Betty will not permit anyone to speak of Mother with such disrespect…!'

'No, no, sorry! I get it! I understand how you feel! I do, but I'm trying to figure out how to explain the difference.'

As it happened, Subaru had a hypothesis that might resolve the contradiction.

—The Echidna he had encountered within the tomb might have been the younger version of the woman Beatrice remembered.

Perhaps, having grown older and acquired the judgment and composure of adulthood, that younger Echidna had eventually become the maternal figure Beatrice knew as her mother. If that were true, then the Echidna within the tomb might have reverted to a younger state as a soul, losing all the maturity and good sense she had so painstakingly acquired.

'Actually, that'd explain why the one I met was such a sadistic witch… Maybe. Either way, I guess it's not something you'd want to think about, Beako.'

'Betty doesn't believe Subaru is lying, I suppose. But that doesn't make it any easier to accept, in fact. And besides, Betty has doubts about Russell's theory as well.'

'Doubts? You don't mean you're questioning whether his information could help us deal with Lust, do you?'

'No, I suppose. —Even if Mother's research provides a clue, Betty never encountered a book related to such research in the Forbidden Library. Not even a single volume, in fact.'

As Beatrice lowered her eyes, Subaru found himself overcome by complicated feelings he could not easily put into words. The four hundred years Beatrice had spent in the Forbidden Library had been both a duty entrusted to her by her mother and a sentence of loneliness far too prolonged for anyone to endure. During those four centuries, Beatrice had read every book contained within the library. And among all those countless volumes, she had never encountered anything concerning the soul of the sort Russell was now seeking.

However—

'Still, there's absolutely no question that Echidna researched souls.'

Within the tomb, Echidna had told Subaru that she had pursued research intended to achieve immortality. And Sphinx, a failed product of an approach involving the transfer of souls into different vessels, unquestionably existed. Thus, the Witch who had investigated the nature and transformation of souls could only have been Echidna. The problem was that not a single record of that research had been kept in the Forbidden Library.

According to Subaru's hypothesis, the Echidna Beatrice revered as her mother was the future incarnation of the Echidna he himself knew. And if anyone had conducted such inhumane research, surely it would have been the twisted, morally dubious version he had encountered—the younger, earlier Echidna. For the maternal Echidna, therefore, it would have been research undertaken by her former self. In that case, it would have seemed only natural for the Forbidden Library she entrusted to Beatrice to contain records of it.

'…Betty's head is getting all tangled up, I suppose. But it's difficult to believe that any Witch other than Mother could have studied such matters more deeply than she did, in fact.'

'Yeah, none of the other Witches I know ever gave me that impression either.'

Thinking back upon the Witches of Sin he had encountered besides Echidna, Subaru found it difficult to imagine any of them possessing the disposition of a researcher. Minerva, Sekhmet, Daphne, Carmilla, and Typhon all seemed utterly removed from such scholarly pursuits.

—And Satella, of course, hardly seemed to belong in that category either.

'…So Echidna did the research, but there was some reason she didn't leave the records in the Forbidden Library. Maybe they weren't forbidden enough to count as forbidden books?'

'Even though it was called the Forbidden Library, not every book inside it was forbidden, I suppose. There was even a recipe book for the meat pie Ryuzu taught Mother how to make, in fact.'

'Well, if it was a secret family recipe, I guess that'd qualify as forbidden knowledge—'

Subaru had been speaking with a wry smile when he suddenly stopped, his breath catching in his throat.

'Subaru?'

Beatrice looked up at him with her large, round eyes. A possibility had flashed through his mind. It was something he could scarcely imagine from the impression left by the younger. Echidna he remembered. Yet considering the maternal Echidna Beatrice had described, it was not entirely inconceivable. Perhaps the reason she had kept certain forbidden knowledge out of Beatrice's library was—

'—Could it have been because of Ryuzu?'

'…Because of Ryuzu, I suppose?'

'Yeah. And I don't mean the Grandma Ryuzu who's still helping us out with her wisdom. I mean your… your very first friend, Beako.'

'————'

Beatrice's eyes widened. The distinctive patterns within her pupils trembled with profound emotion. Subaru remembered what she had once told him about a friend from the days of the Sanctuary.

Ryuzu Meyer.

The original girl from whom the present-day Ryuzu copies had been created. She had been sacrificed to establish the Sanctuary's system. She had also been Beatrice's very first friend, and their separation had profoundly influenced Beatrice's eventual decision to embrace solitude. Moreover, Subaru had heard that the Sanctuary's system had been developed from the Witch of Greed's research into immortality. In other words, it had been an application of her studies involving souls.

—And that was what had led him to the thought.

'Maybe your mother didn't want to leave those records somewhere you'd see them, because she didn't want you to be reminded of what happened.'

'Mother…?'

'—!'

It was scarcely worthy of being called a hypothesis. He had piled conjecture upon conjecture until the whole thing had become little more than a fantasy. And now, faced with Beatrice's eyes growing moist at the suggestion, Subaru began to panic. Her feelings for her mother, and the memories she treasured of her, were precious things kept within the innermost treasure chest of her heart.

Had he carelessly trampled upon them?

He searched desperately for words with which to soften what he had said. But Beatrice merely pressed her head more firmly against his chest.

'If that were true… Betty would be happy, I suppose.'

'Beatrice…'

'Betty doesn't know anymore who the person Mother told her to wait for was supposed to be, in fact. Nor does Betty know what Mother was thinking when she entrusted that duty to her… But if Mother had thought something like that before leaving the Forbidden Library in Betty's care, then Betty would be happy, I suppose.'

'…I see. Yeah. You're right. I'm sure that's how it was.'

Her words were halting, uncertain, yet Beatrice was unmistakably expressing her desire to believe in the possibility of her mother's love. Subaru gently stroked her back. And as he did, he recalled the utterly rotten sentiment the younger Echidna had once expressed—that she simply wanted to discover whom Beatrice would choose as that person. He discarded that malicious little notion as yet another attempt by the Witch to torment him.

No.

Simply discarding it was not enough. He imagined grinding it beneath his heel for good measure. That was enough to bring Beatrice some comfort, and Subaru felt a measure of satisfaction himself.

'Still, even if we settle the mystery of why those books weren't in the Forbidden Library with that nice, heartwarming explanation, it doesn't actually solve our problem.'

Even if the information capable of counteracting the Authority of Lust lay within the results of Echidna's research, they were no better off than when they started if they had no means of obtaining those results. At least, that was what Subaru thought.

But—

'Actually, Betty might know something about that, I suppose. …No, that's not quite right. Betty didn't have an idea before, but she's only just thought of one now, in fact.'

'W-what do you mean? I don't understand a damn thing except that you're adorable.'

'Betty isn't going to praise you for understanding something so obvious, I suppose. —It's quite simple, in fact. If the books containing Mother's research aren't in the Forbidden Library, that only means they must be somewhere else.'

'Wait, so… you actually have an idea where that somewhere else might be!?'

Subaru stared in astonishment.  Beatrice lifted her face from his chest and rubbed her eyes firmly with the back of her hand. Then, wearing an expression of triumphant self-confidence, she gave an adorable little nod.

'It's the place where Betty and Mother used to live, I suppose. Whenever we went to the Sanctuary or anywhere else, we generally passed through that place first, in fact.'

'So, basically… you're talking about your childhood home, Beako?'

'Childhood home… Yes, perhaps that would be an appropriate way of describing it, I suppose.'

The unexpected revelation left Subaru blinking in bewilderment. For some reason, he had always vaguely imagined that Beatrice herself had originated from the Sanctuary. Yet upon considering the matter properly, he realized that somewhere one visited to spend time with friends was not necessarily somewhere one lived. And Beatrice, it seemed, had possessed a home of her own quite apart from the Sanctuary. The thought came as a strangely fresh surprise.

'So we're talking about an actual Witch's house, right? Where exactly is it?'

'It cannot be reached through ordinary means, I suppose. That place was arranged so that it could only be accessed through Door Crossing from certain designated locations, in fact.'

'D-Door Crossing! Haven't heard that one in ages…! But yeah, I guess that kind of security makes perfect sense!'

It was, indeed, a security system thoroughly befitting a Witch. Without the proper conditions being satisfied, the place might remain undisturbed for hundreds of years. And Beatrice, it seemed, was capable of overcoming those protections—

'So you know where those designated locations are too, Beako?'

'Of course, I suppose. But the world has changed considerably since those days, so we would need to choose a portal point from which Door Crossing would still be certain to work. And if that's the case…'

'If that's the case?'

'—Flugel's Great Tree.'

'…Huh?'

Beatrice had placed a hand against her mouth, considering the matter with utmost seriousness, before finally naming the location that came to mind. Subaru blinked several times. Then he raised a finger.

'One more time.'

'What was that?'

'Flugel's Great Tree, I said. Because it's such a conspicuous landmark, it's the perfect place to conceal a portal, I suppose. —A portal leading to Kugelschreiber Castle.'

'————'

Beatrice raised a finger of her own, mirroring Subaru's gesture as she made her confident declaration.

Subaru fell silent.

He had just received two separate shocks, and for several moments he could do nothing but sit there attempting to process them.

Flugel's Great Tree, as everyone knew, had been broken. That particular incident could arguably be considered Subaru's doing, so they would first need to confirm whether the portal remained functional. But there was another, entirely separate problem.

'Kugelschreiber means ballpoint pen in German, you know.'

And so Subaru found himself confronting the utterly baffling question of who, in the world, had decided to give Beatrice's childhood home such a ridiculous name—and what they could possibly have been thinking.

— AshTLs