The semi-harmonious negotiations with Beatrice came to an end, and Subaru had successfully secured her cooperation.
It's hard to deny that I relied heavily on her kindness, but I'll put off lamenting my own lack of ability in that regard for now.
Achieve your goal and then reflect on it. If you start thinking about what could have been while you're in the middle of it, there'll just be no end to it.
Suddenly, Subaru becomes concerned about the time and touches his chin.
The inside of the Forbidden Library is completely isolated from the outside world, and there is no way to know the time from inside. There aren't even any crystal stones to serve as a clock, and in that sense, they seem to live quite a free life, I thought as I looked at the girl who guarded the library.
Judging from the stubble on his chin, it must have been around seventeen hours since he started grooming, probably around 10 p.m.
Considering that Emilia had only started fast asleep on his lap in the early afternoon, that was a pretty ridiculous amount of oversleeping.
He was so boastful about not being able to waste a single second, yet this is what happened, and the more I think about it, the more hopeless it seems.
Once the self-loathing begins, there's no end to it, so Subaru gets to the point with Beatrice, whose dissatisfaction gauge seems to be building up.
How much can I explain to her without getting into the nitty gritty?
I will remain vigilant against the black mist and resolve each of my questions one by one.
"...Want to know more about sorcerers?"
"Yeah. I know that there are people who use this kind of thing, unlike wizards or spirit users, but I don't know anything more than that."
"He's got a strange appetite for questions. I don't see what good comes from knowing about these people."
Just like when he'd only just mentioned it before, his expression wasn't bright when he spoke about Beatrice's hexes. He had made it clear that he didn't like the way she dealt with mana, but this time he needed to delve deeper.
"If I remember correctly, it's basically something that can only be used to cause trouble to others, right? I heard it was popular in the northern countries or something."
"If you know that much, I don't think you need it. --The curses can inflict disease on the target, or restrict certain actions, or simply take the target's life...it's a nasty type of curse."
"Well, it's true that things depend on how you use them, but if it's that one-sided, I can't see any other way to use it other than to trip up others."
That's why it's called sorcery. It's also called a "curse."
The supernatural power to belittle others is probably a vice that can arise in any culture or society. However, I think that this world is the only place where it has the power to actually affect others.
Depending on how you look at it, practices like Ushinoku Mairi could be considered a form of sorcery.
Thinking about this, Subaru leaned forward to get the tongue-tied Beatrice to speak,
"So, I want to ask... how can you prevent curses?"
Intercepting a sorcerer is difficult unless you can figure out the enemy's true identity, but the advantage Subaru has in this situation is that he knows there will be an attack.
Even if we don't know the true identity of the sorcerer, we know that they use "sorcery," so it's obvious and logical to take measures to prevent that. I think it's a great idea.
but,
"There isn't."
"--teeth?"
"Once a hex is cast, there is no way to stop it. The hex will not disappear until it has taken effect and the curse on the target has been fulfilled."
"Is it possible to nullify instant death resistance...?"
Beatrice's words, stated so matter-of-factly, had already nearly broken Subaru's heart.
A surprise attack with a spell to nullify instant-death resistance---just thinking about it is a battle condition that is sure to invite a mountain of criticism.
"And on top of that, the incantation starts at the same time as the battle begins. I have no way to resist. This is screwed. I'm screwed. This is a shitty game at best."
He scratched his head and realized once again how bad the situation he was in was.
The glimmer of hope that had appeared earlier was now shattered into pieces, and Subaru's brain boiled with the need to find an alternative solution.
Subaru was in the same state as Baron Ashura, with half his face blue in despair and the other half red with a competitive spirit.
"However, this only applies to the curse that was activated."
He said, relaxing his lips, as if he was revealing a secret.
"Huh?" Subaru took a breath and looked up to see Beatrice's smug face. The girl's expression said she'd been fooled, but Subaru's heart was completely frozen.
Beatrice's eyes widened slightly at the incredible temperature difference that had occurred at this point,
"...I don't think you need to be so angry."
"I, Shinken, will not come next."
He finally replied in broken English, suppressing all emotion as much as possible.
Although his heart was raging with insults and abuse directed at Beatrice, he wanted to avoid letting it all out and getting into a fight with her right now.
After all, it looks like there are finally signs of something bright to see.
Beatrice raised her finger as if to regain her composure, and spoke as if lecturing,
"As I said before, I wonder if there is a way to prevent a curse once it has been activated. However, it is possible to disrupt a curse before it is activated. Before it is activated, it is not a curse but merely a spell, so I think it should be easy to dispel if you are a being with a certain level of ability."
"for example?"
"In this mansion, first Betty. Of course Nicha. And then Roswaal... I don't think I can handle the three little girls. Ah, you can't either."
"I know that from personal experience..."
Thank you very much for your help the first and second time.
But, leaving that aside, Subaru approached Beatrice,
"How can you tell the spell formula before it's activated? Or rather, does a curse need to be prepared before it can be activated?"
"That's only natural. The more powerful a magic formula you use, the greater the burden it places on you. It's the same with anything, I guess. Hex magic is especially strong in that respect. Considering the effect it has on people, I guess you could say it's a natural price to pay."
"Um, the price of a curse... do you have any idea?"
Grasping at straws, Beatrice closed one eye at the question, thought for a moment, then licked her lips,
"The details change depending on what kind of spell you're trying to use. But are there any rules you absolutely can't break?"
"It's a rule that can't be broken..."
Taking a breath, Beatrice urged him on as she stopped speaking.
In response to Subaru's pleading gaze, Beatrice gently tilted her chin back,
"--Contacting the subject on whom you wish to perform the hex is a necessary condition."
He said.
The moment this information entered his mind, Subaru's brain began to spin wildly. To perform a hex, contact between the caster and the target is necessary. This meant that both the first and second times, Subaru himself would be facing the hex caster. -- He searched his memory, trying to remember who that person was, but...
"Apart from the family of the mansion..."
Ignoring those who could be the targets of the curse, Subaru reminisced about the first eight days.
Living his life as a servant in the mansion, he had almost no opportunities to interact with anyone other than those connected to the mansion. During that time, the only outsiders that Subaru may have come into contact with were-
"--The village at the foot of the mountain."
Subaru had visited that village both the first and second times.
Thinking back, both times they went to the village it was during the day on the crucial fourth day. The pattern that crossed his mind was that they would be cursed by the sorcerer in the village, then go back to the mansion and have the curse activated - leading to their deaths.
If there is a sorcerer staying in the village, it makes sense that Rem was the target of a sorcery on the fourth loop.
It was just that she was the one who went to the village on that trip and was chosen as the sorcerer's target. Depending on the circumstances, it could have been Ram, but if he had just made the trip to the village, it probably would have been Subaru.
Connected. Connected. Everything is connected.
"Bearko, do you know how many people live in the nearest village from this mansion?"
Beatrice frowned in confusion as he suddenly brought up a different topic, but Subaru's expression was probably too serious. Without pointing that out, she shook her head,
"I don't know. Sorry, but I don't think Betty knows much about the inside of the mansion apart from this Forbidden Library."
"I see. No, it's fine. That's a bit much to ask. Besides, if you ask Roswaal about that, we can sort it out somehow... the rest."
Is there a sorcerer among the residents, or among the sojourners?
If it's the latter, finding out isn't that difficult. Simply ask the villagers about it and expose the magician. On the other hand, if it's the former, finding out is an extremely difficult task. If it's so well-prepared, then I'm at a loss.
"But the chances of that happening are slim."
If we can conclude that this incident is related to the royal selection, then the end of the royal line due to an infectious disease only occurred about six months ago.
Considering the time it took for Emilia's name to be raised as a candidate for king and for the royal selection framework to be created, the current situation should have been a fresh battlefield that had only just been created in about three or four months.
It is hard to imagine that there would be anyone among the villagers with the foresight to take measures such as hiding a sorcerer in advance. If there was, the only thing we can think of is that they were either precognitive or knew in advance that the Royal Selection would take place.
If you think about it like that,
"The sorcerer is an outsider. And finding him isn't that difficult...!"
Saying this aloud, Subaru begins to search for holes in his thinking.
Although there are some points to be corrected, the general reasoning is not bad. From the perspective of the sorcerer, this is the situation before he has taken any action. Only a god or a demon could know that his existence has been revealed at this point.
I turn my head and my eyes wander to see the clock, but it's not there.
He clicked his tongue, but then remembered measuring the stubble timer earlier, and reflected upon the fact that it was still the "second night."
There is still one day to go before the fourth day, when things start to get worse.
This also means that it becomes possible for us to launch a surprise attack on the sorcerer.
「I got you by the tail, dammit…! Date killed me once, and nearly killed me once, dammit!」
There was a light at the end of the tunnel. Things would change.
As despair opened up and hope seemed to shine through on the other side, Subaru instinctively clenched his fists and cried out in joy.
While Subaru was happy about the turnaround, Beatrice, who had been left behind midway, looked dissatisfied.
She blushed her pretty cheeks, pouted her lips in displeasure,
"After asking for people's help, what kind of attitude is that? If what I just said was helpful, then you must have something to say to Betty."
"Yeah, that's right! You saved me, I could see the light thanks to you! I love you so much, Bearko!"
「Wha――?!」
Jumping onto her, Subaru reached under her armpits and lifted her light body, lifting her above his head and spinning her around.
Despite the extravagant dress, the girl's body was as light as a feather. Subaru was also in high spirits, and the combined effect of these two factors made the speed of his spinning double.
"Hmm... I guess I'll put it down!"
"Hahaha, it looks like I can fly in the sky now. No, why don't we just fly together, Bearko?! I can fly! You can fly!"
"Don't get carried away, you know――!"
"JAMPRO!?"
Magic power was unleashed from directly above at close range, hitting him directly and sending him slamming into the ground in an incomprehensible position.
The impact entered through his head, traveled down his body, and came out straight through his butt. He fell on his bottom, and the torrent of mana raging inside his body made him dizzy.
Meanwhile, Beatrice, having done so, was freed from Subaru's grip and flew off in a magnificent parabola, her small body flying.
However, just as the girl seemed about to go flying in no direction, she suddenly came to a sudden halt in mid-air. She turned around gently, her skirt fluttering, and landed lightly and gracefully on the floor of the library.
She looked down at Subaru, who was still shaking his head on the ground in an unsightly manner, and snorted in a familiar manner,
"If you get carried away and act so carefree, you'll end up suffering."
"That's not all I saw though. It was white."
"--!? I'll take it!"
"Don't do that!?"
The second shot hit Subaru squarely in the jaw, easily sending him flying deep into the library. He rolled and crashed into a stepladder, then was crushed by the falling wood. He was hit by sharp points here and there, and his eyes were tearing up from the extraordinary pain.
"I pushed the affection gauge a bit too far and got this when I got a super special move! Tell me what you were unhappy about!"
"You hugged me, you lifted me up like a child, you shook me around, you looked at my underwear, and you spoke empty words of love - it's all of it! I wonder if you're already irritated by my existence!"
"It's sad to deny my existence, so stop it! It reminds me of my time as a hikikomori, but it wasn't that long ago anymore."
When I think about it, it feels like those days of social isolation are long gone.
In fact, in terms of distance, it feels like we have come so far that it is no longer possible to calculate it, but I hope you are all doing well.
Anyway,
"I've calmed down now and the situation has improved considerably....Tonight will be tough, but I'll go to the village tomorrow."
He decides to find out the sorcerer's true identity.
He probably won't be able to go alone, so he'll likely be accompanied by either Ram or Rem. Also, considering that he might have to face off against a sorcerer there, it seemed like a must that two of them, who excel in combat, accompany him.
If all goes well, the sorcerer will be defeated, and if all goes well, it will be revealed that Subaru has no connection with the sorcerer at all, and that will be the end of the matter.
Mission 2, "Capture Roswaal Mansion," has been completed.
"Compared to Mission 1, it was seriously much more difficult."
I'm pretty sure mission 1 was to 'Defeat the thugs', so now that I think about it, I've come a long way.
He recalls the battles with the thugs, which suddenly seem like a very long time ago, and then thinks back on his days at the mansion.
I know it's still too early to say this, but the dead end that I was stuck in is finally starting to open up. I'd like to be allowed to feel a little elated.
Subaru didn't neglect to check where he was standing, wondering if there was anything else that needed to be resolved.
Because the situation is starting to improve, I can't help but suspect that there is a trap there. I'm cautious because I'm timid, but suddenly, there was a word that got caught in my watchful net.
"The witch's lingering scent..."
"Something."
"That's right. A witch. And Rem too..."
Just by saying that word, numerous scenes come back to mind.
The word "witch" appeared everywhere, but Subaru still didn't understand the true meaning of that word.
The witches of this world that Subaru knows are merely one episode in a very short fairy tale called "The Silent Witch."
However, thinking back to the first day of the summoning loop, and even during this time in the mansion, that name had popped up a few times.
Subaru raised his head and looked at Beatrice, who was frowning suspiciously.
He was slightly worried about whether she would answer him. After all, the last time he had said this, Ram had cut him off, and it had even been used as motivation to attack Rem.
Even Emilia seemed to be somewhat resistant to it.
"Bearko. --Do you know what a witch is?"
"――――"
However, there was no immediate reply to the question.
Beatrice closed her eyes at the words that vibrated her eardrums, and fell silent as if to confirm those words.
Subaru, too, was emotionally disturbed by her reaction and could only wait.
Perhaps that one word had once again struck a chord with her.
"The one who drinks up the world. The queen of the castle of shadows. -- The Witch of Jealousy."
Subaru gasped and widened his eyes at the suddenly muttered words.
Without noticing Subaru's reaction, Beatrice let out a melancholy sigh, and,
"In this world, the word 'witch' refers to only one entity. And that entity is one that is forbidden to even mention."
"Everyone fears her, everyone is in awe of her, and no one can resist her."
"Yes, that's it. Rather, the question of whether she knew is more puzzling. Surely there's no way she wouldn't know. In this world, after the names of the parents and other family members, the witch's name is usually known to you."
"That's an exaggeration..."
He tried to laugh it off, but he couldn't see even a trace of humor in Beatrice's expression and swallowed his words.
If what he had just said was not a joke, then it was without a doubt an abhorrent symbol to the world――
"The Witch of Envy, Satella. She devoured all six witches who bore the names of the deadly sins that once existed, and destroyed half the world. She is the worst calamity."
Speaking in a voice frozen with emotion, Beatrice closed her eyes.
Hearing that familiar name, Subaru let out a short sigh, "Ha," and the weight of the name slamming into him stopped him even moving.
"They say she rules the night. They say she cannot understand human words. They say she is jealous of everything in this world. They say that no one has ever seen her face and survived. They say that her body will never decay, fade, or end. They say that even if she was sealed away with the powers of dragons, heroes, and sages, she could not be destroyed."
Beatrice spoke without giving Subaru any room to interject.
Then, as if to conclude the information he had listed, he added the final preface, "It is said."
"---The person in question was a silver-haired half-elf."