(Thank you Kizarat, Roanz, Rodolfo, Nero, Thomas, Bagel, Lucky, Ben, Relaxing Gaming, Chris, Fox, Moose, Wolverine for helping me with proofreading on the Live Draft! <3)
********** ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO TAPPEI NAGATSUKI, THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR OF RE:ZERO, THIS IS A TRANSLATION OF THE FREE JAPANESE WEB NOVEL INTO ENGLISH JAPANESE WEB NOVEL SOURCE:
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[Subaru: At the end of the end of the end……huh. That's quite a poetic expression]
Seeing how Beatrice seemed to be ready for what was to come, Subaru shrugged and tossed in that feint. Briefly looking her over, his gaze landed on the black-bound book in her arms――if what Roswaal said was true, this would be one of the two perfect Gospels in existence.
A book which foretells the future. While there is a prophetic aspect to it, Subaru felt that it was closer to "A book which instructs on the future".
Convinced of the Gospel's significance, Petelgeuse of the Witch Cult had followed its incomplete entries to the point of fanaticism. And it was precisely because the incomplete version failed to record the outcomes, that the madman was ultimately slain by Subaru.
[Subaru: That know-it-all expression of yours… is it also thanks to that book?]
[Beatrice: ……I should be asking you. Just how much do you know about this book, I suppose]
[Subaru: Roswaal ran his mouth over all sorts of things, you know. I think I got the basics, more or less. ……It's similar to the ones the Witch Cultists have, but better. The only two left in the world are split between you and Roswaal]
[Beatrice: That blabbermouth Roswaal. I can just imagine him happily yammering away the moment you gave him an excuse, I suppose]
Sensing Beatrice's scorn in those words, Subaru's brows furrowed.
Even though Beatrice was often critical of Roswaal in their day to day life, Subaru had always put it off as a sign of their amicable relationship. But her words just now did not carry even a hint of that affection.
Instead, it was a statement of Beatrice's sincere and genuine disgust towards Roswaal.
[Subaru: I still don't know what kind of relationship you have with Roswaal. But you two share the only two copies of the Gospel between you, and you've sealed a contract with his bloodline forcing you to live inside his Mansion]
[Beatrice: Whatever are you trying to say, just say it]
[Subaru: Then I'll cut right to the chase. The position you're in is way too murky]
Beatrice narrowed her eyes. An intimidating presence quite unbecoming of her adorable appearance emanated from her body, giving Subaru the illusion that he was being swept by a violent wind.
The moment they cut into the main topic, the atmosphere surrounding Beatrice rapidly changed.
[Subaru: I mean, I can kind of see where Roswaal is at. Being the descendant of a family contracted with the Witch of Greed, he's inherited its obligations along with it. Managing the Sanctuary is just a natural part of that, though I guess his reason for supporting Emilia in the Royal Selection is a bit less clear]
[Beatrice: …………]
[Subaru: On the other hand, I don't see where you'd fit in all this. Roswaal is contracted with the Witch of Greed. In other words, he's an Apostle of Greed]
The fact that Roswaal refused to call her "Witch of Greed" and stubbornly insisted on calling her "Echidona" was just a testament to his extraordinary devotion to the Witch.
His position was clear, and there was no doubt that he was an Apostle of Greed, just like Subaru. Although, whereas Echidona made Subaru an Apostle without asking his permission, Roswaal inherited it along with his position as the head of his family.
[Subaru: I'm not sure if the Gospels…… used by the Witch Cultists have the same origins as yours. But I imagine they were made by different creators. And while I have no idea who created the Witch Cultists' Gospels, I think I have an idea who the creator of the two complete Gospels might be]
[Beatrice: ……and who is that, I suppose]
[Subaru: ――It's Echidona, right?]
The moment the name escaped his lips, Subaru could sense Beatrice's breath halting.
To her, the name he had just uttered clearly held no small significance.
Inside Echidona's dream Citadel, Subaru had seen her artifact of near-omniscience, the so-called "Book of Wisdom".
Though the nature of the Book of Wisdom was different from that of the Gospels, they were alike in that they were both magical guidebooks that contained information beyond the reach of human knowledge. And when all the individuals involved were connected to the Sanctuary, it was as if everything was pointing to the answer.
[Subaru: Yours and Roswaal's Gospels were made by Echidona, weren't they. Roswaal's must have been passed down through the generations. But, how did you get your hands on yours?]
[Beatrice: …………]
[Subaru: So now I have a question for you… about your "Door Crossing"]
Raising a single finger, Subaru changed directions and threw out an entirely different topic.
Beatrice blinked at Subaru's rhetorical shift, before righting herself again in preparation for his next words.
Seeing this, Subaru pronounced his question.
[Subaru: ――What is the effective range of your Door Crossing? Or in this case, the range in which you can select destinations?]
[Beatrice: ……I don't see what you could possibly do with this information]
[Subaru: If the answer is what I think it is, then that'll confirm a few of my theories]
Crossing his arms, Subaru puffed his chest in front of the silent Beatrice.
For a moment, Beatrice hesitated as her lips trembled. Then, as if in resignation, she closed her eyes,
[Beatrice: Betty's Door Crossing can link spaces within the same building. Or nearby places, or places I know. As for distance…… it cannot link to places that are too far away]
[Subaru: There's still another condition, isn't there?]
[Beatrice: You think Betty has any reason to tell you?]
[Subaru: Then, how about I guess? ――Even if a place is far away, you can still link to it if it has some deep connection to your existence. Isn't that right?]
[Beatrice: ――――]
Breathless, Beatrice's eyes widened.
Watching her reaction, Subaru was convinced of his assumption.
[Subaru: Say if you need to activate Door Crossing when your concentration is thrown off, what'll decide which door you link to?]
[Beatrice: ……stop]
[Subaru: Under pressure, anyone would resort to the most familiar words and actions. When applied to something like Door Crossing, I wouldn't be surprised if the first place that comes to mind is the one that holds the strongest bonds of memories]
[Beatrice: ……stop it, I suppose]
[Subaru: Putting together the fact that you've received Echidona's Gospel, and that you can link the Library to the Sanctuary with Door Crossing. ――That could only mean…]
[Beatrice: ――I told you to stop!]
The girl stood up from the wobbling step ladder, and looked to Subaru almost as if she was pleading. Beatrice bit into her lips, and her eyes began to tear.
There was no doubt that Subaru had trespassed into a realm she did not wish to be stained.
Gripped by that wretched sensation in his chest, [No], Subaru shook his head,
[Subaru: I won't stop. I know that Door Crossing connects this place to somewhere in the Sanctuary. As for why that is, your desperate denials just now had already given me the answer]
[Beatrice: …………]
[Subaru: Beatrice. You have something to do the Sanctuary, don't you. What's your relationship to Echidona?]
Despite knowing that he was trampling on a girl's heart, Subaru nonetheless stifled his hesitation and crushed Beatrice with his question.
Through Door Crossing, she had sent him to the site of the immortality-experiment in the Sanctuary.
In her state of distress, that was the place she chose to send him, which could only mean that that place held the strongest memories in her mind.
How was it, that as a spirit, her deepest memories were linked to a facility which produces replicas of Lewes Meyer? And considering that Echidona had given her a Gospel――
[Subaru: Beatrice…… who's the person that you're contracted with?]
[Beatrice: ――――hH!]
[Subaru: I once asked Puck about it. How spirit contracts work. I won't go into details here, but apparently the terms of the contract have to be equal between the contractor and the spirit. You said you were bound by the contract to be the Keeper of the Forbidden Library. So, who're you contracted with?]
[Beatrice: …………a]
[Subaru: All this time, I just assumed that your contract was with Roswaal. Seeing how you're living in his house, managing his library, it was only natural to think that…… but now, I'm not so sure]
Faced with Subaru's relentless questioning, Beatrice couldn't utter a sound in defense, but merely spilled a feeble sigh from her quivering lips.
Her tiny body seemed to be even tinier, and, as if seeking a harbor, she tightened her arms around the Gospel against her chest. As if she was enduring something unbearable, her figure seemed ephemeral and fragile.
He could see it. But, even though he could see, he chose to say it.
[Subaru: ――You are a spirit contracted with Echidona, aren't you?]
――And so began the end of the end.
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Subaru’s such a bully >_<
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Let me know if you find any missing words ❤
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