"Lord Roswaal, what do you mean by 'The Witch's Tomb'?" Emilia asked, her amethyst eyes fixed on him as she slowly regained her composure.
"It means exactly what it sounds like. This is the final resting place of the being once known as the Witch of Greed—the Witch Echidna."
For a rare moment, Roswaal dropped all his theatrical expressions. His painted face became incredibly serious. His voice was frighteningly calm, yet it filled everyone in the room with an indescribable sense of oppression. It was a feeling like countless tiny claws scratching at one's heart, a thick, cloying emotion that was impossible to escape. This was completely different from his usual flamboyant, clownish demeanor; his words held a pain that seemed to be etched into his very bones.
Especially in the moment he spoke the name "Echidna," the first truly genuine expression appeared on his face. A near-devout light flashed in his mismatched eyes, only to be quickly replaced by a bottomless obsession.
The Witch of Greed, Echidna, Subaru thought, silently repeating the name.
He knew all too well that the story of the Sanctuary revolved around this Witch. Four hundred years ago, a young Roswaal L. Mathers, then a brilliant magic prodigy, had met the legendary Witch and been taken in as her disciple. From that moment on, his life was irrevocably changed, and he fell into a deep obsession from which he could never escape. After Echidna's death, Roswaal used soul-transference magic learned from the Forbidden Library to achieve a form of immortality, continually moving his soul to the bodies of his descendants. Each new body carried his unchanging obsession, and each reincarnation took him further from his humanity.
The current Roswaal was the fourth reincarnation, hailed as the most perfect vessel. With his inherited talent and centuries of accumulated power, his strength was terrifying, enough to take on an entire army or even fight one of the Beasts of the End, Puck, head-on. And yet, for all that power, the only thing that sustained him was that twisted obsession: to resurrect his beloved teacher.
In short, Subaru couldn't help but complain in his head, Roswaal is the ultimate lapdog for the Witch of Greed. After 400 years of living as both a man and a woman, his mind has long since become unhinged.
"But beyond that..." Emilia sighed, her eyes still locked on Roswaal. "If this is a Witch's final resting place, then why are you the one managing it? What is your relationship... with the Witch?"
"It's quite simple, really," Roswaal said, the corner of his lips curling slightly. "This land has been passed down and managed by my Mathers family for generations. And whoever inherits the name Roswaal also inherits the duty of guarding the Sanctuary."
"Please, when you speak of her, use that name. Echidna," Roswaal's voice was unusually gentle, yet held an unyielding insistence. "The title 'Witch of Greed'... it sounds too harsh, doesn't it? And it's quite a mouthful, too."
Roswaal really is hopelessly devoted to Echidna, Subaru thought, glancing at Emilia. But he decided to continue playing along with Roswaal's performance. He hadn't forgotten his true purpose for coming here: to have Emilia pass the trials and to rescue the trapped villagers. Crushing him with my level 60 Shadow Monarch power would be easy, he analyzed calmly. But the problem is, that madman Roswaal is still useful to Emilia. His magical knowledge and political resources are indispensable for her path to the throne. Besides, simple brute force won't work on a mentally twisted freak like him.
"Alright, Roswaal," Subaru interjected, feigning ignorance. "You still haven't explained how you got all those injuries."
"Ah, right!" Emilia exclaimed. "What exactly is the situation in the Sanctuary? What happened here?"
"My, my, you're asking about thiiis?" Roswaal drew out his words, his clown makeup looking particularly grotesque in the candlelight. "The reason we are trapped in the Sanctuary is related to the barrier. As for my injuries... I have the barrier to thank for them as well."
"Shouldn't you find it strange, Lady Emilia?" Ram suddenly spoke up. "The fact that the evacuated villagers, myself, and Lord Roswaal have all remained here instead of returning to the mansion."
"Don't tell me... your injuries are related to that as well..." Emilia's face paled as the pieces connected. An enemy capable of severely injuring Roswaal and imprisoning everyone... the situation was far worse than she had imagined.
"It's not quite like that," Subaru said, gently patting her shoulder. "As Garfiel mentioned, this situation only affects those of mixed blood, like you. Which means..." he trailed off, letting her connect the dots.
"You mean, it's the people affected by the barrier who are preventing the humans from leaving?" A flash of understanding crossed Emilia's face.
Just as Roswaal was about to speak, the door was thrown open. "Oi, are you done with your long-winded chat yet?!" Garfiel's rough voice broke the tension.
Emilia turned to him, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. "The imprisonment, Roswaal's injuries... was it you?"
"Tch, don't get it twisted," Garfiel scoffed, his sharp teeth glinting. "His injuries are the result of being rejected by the trial."
"Trial?" Emilia asked, confused. "What trial?"
"This lady has already experienced what it's like to touch the barrier, right?" Garfiel jerked his chin toward Roswaal with a schadenfreude-filled grin. "And any mixed-bloods who enter under those circumstances can't get out again. So now, you can't leave either, Lady Emilia."
"That's right. The barrier doesn't affect pure humans," Garfiel continued. "To get out of the Sanctuary, to lift the barrier, you, Lady Emilia, must challenge the trial of the tomb. Until the barrier is lifted, none of those villagers are going anywhere."
"So only Emilia can take the trial?" Subaru asked, feigning curiosity.
"That's right. Only mixed-bloods can take the trial," Garfiel confirmed, then shot a mocking glance at the bandaged Roswaal. "If anyone else tries... well, they end up half-dead like that guy."
With that, Emilia finally understood the full scope of their predicament.
"I've gathered all the villagers," Garfiel announced loudly. "As long as they don't cause a riot, my Great Self won't touch them. They'll get three meals a day. But I have one demand—" He stared directly at Emilia. "Challenge the trial and lift the barrier of this Sanctuary."
"My, my, it seems you've grown remarkably, Subaru-kun and Lady Emilia," Roswaal said with a pleased look. "It seems my decision to let you fend for yourselves has borne fruit."
"We'll have a long talk about you 'letting us fend for ourselves' later," Subaru said, cracking his knuckles. "Don't think my fists will get any lighter just because you're injured." He then turned serious. "But first, the barrier. From your reaction, it's clear this is the reason for the imprisonment, right?"
"Not entirely correct~" Roswaal shook his head with a light laugh. "But it is true that we are all... including you who have just arrived... imprisoned."
"What?!" Subaru and Emilia exclaimed in feigned shock.
So it begins, Subaru thought, a cold smile touching his lips. The curtain rises on the old fox's script.
____
Unfortunately, two of our stories were removed... so I created a new account to post them: MikuDayo.
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