Back in his lodging room.
Natsuki Subaru held the unconscious Emilia. The maiden's silver hair was disheveled and scattered, and fresh tear stains still lingered on her delicate face.
Though he had long anticipated this outcome, seeing Emilia in such pain firsthand, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.
Indeed, for Emilia right now, confronting her painful past memories was still too much to bear.
Gently, he laid Emilia on the bed. Just as Natsuki Subaru was about to let go, Emilia suddenly opened her eyes.
"Emilia?"
"Oh, right… I took the trial, and then…"
Emilia's gaze gradually focused. The memories of the trial surged like a tide, her violet pupils suddenly constricted, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
As if reliving the fear of that moment, Emilia suddenly clutched her own shoulders, her face instantly turning pale, her teeth chattering uncontrollably.
This trembling was not from cold, but from deep-seated fear and resistance within her heart.
Emilia's voice carried a hysterical tremor.
"What's wrong, Emilia? Calm down. Emilia, look at me!"
Natsuki Subaru called out.
However, Emilia ignored his voice, squatting on the floor with her hands covering her face.
Her muffled sobs gradually turned into heart-wrenching wails, her bell-like voice now filled with a crushing sorrow.
Seeing her completely distraught, Natsuki Subaru could only keep comforting her:
"It's okay, it's okay… I'm here with you, I won't leave you alone, it's okay."
Natsuki Subaru tightly embraced the trembling Emilia, warming her with his whole body, one hand continuously stroking her back.
"Subaru…"
Emilia murmured Natsuki Subaru's name, gradually calming down, and closed her eyes, exhausted.
"Lady Emilia has finally calmed down and just lay down to rest." Facing inquiring glances, Ram, who had stepped out of the room, said in a lowered voice.
Her cautious glance back at the door indicated the severity of the situation inside.
Hearing this, Natsuki Subaru felt a slight ease, but his gaze couldn't help but turn towards the closed room door, his eyes full of worry. He then asked Ram, who was beside him:
"Emilia, will she still have nightmares?"
"I added a calming agent to her tea, so Lady Emilia should be able to get a good night's sleep," Ram shook her head, then added, "However, the shadow left by the trial isn't something one dose of medicine can fix."
"I know that."
Honestly, seeing Emilia in such pain, Natsuki Subaru wished he could bear all of it for her.
Although the Sanctuary's trial requires mixed-bloods with a special reaction to the barrier, like the half-elf Emilia, to participate, Natsuki Subaru himself, being a pure human, cannot trigger the trial.
In the original story, Natsuki Subaru could only indirectly intervene in his own trial content through the "ticket" granted by the Witch of Greed, Echidna, but he was powerless concerning Emilia's personal trial.
Furthermore, given the Witch of Greed Echidna's personality, she might be waiting for him to actively request to participate in the trial. At that time, not only might he fail to pass, but he would also be forced to sign a contract with Echidna.
After all, that Witch had always coveted his Return by Death ability.
"No, now isn't the time to deal with that Witch."
In fact, Natsuki Subaru knew very well that the essence of the trial was for Emilia to confront her inner shadows.
The first stage's illusion was precisely for her to break through her psychological barriers. Echidna's designed trial, though cruel, was indeed geared towards Emilia's spiritual growth.
But… anyone would break down when facing past traumas, wouldn't they?
This wasn't weakness, but human nature.
Natsuki Subaru took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing his chaotic thoughts, and turned to Ram beside him:
"Ram, I'm entrusting Emilia to your care."
"That is Ram's duty as a maid, Barusu, you don't need to specifically instruct me."
Ram slightly raised her chin, her pink hair swaying gently with the movement. Then her sharp gaze paused on Natsuki Subaru's face for a moment, and she suddenly frowned.
"But what's with that distressed expression on your face? You're not worrying about Lady Emilia, are you?"
"Huh?" Natsuki Subaru instinctively raised a hand to rub his face, trying to hide his emotions, "Is it that obvious?"
"It's so obvious it's unbearable," Ram couldn't help but scoff, but in her crimson eyes, there was a hint of concern that was hard to hide.
"Lady Emilia is much stronger than you think, you don't need to worry so much. Besides…"
Ram paused, looked at Natsuki Subaru, then added,
"If Lady Emilia saw you like this, she would blame herself even more for failing the trial. After all, Lady Emilia always puts others' feelings first."
"Ah… that's true." Natsuki Subaru rubbed his throbbing temples, then revealed a grateful smile, "Thank you for your concern, Ram."
Indeed, this side of Ram is also gentle.
"Hmph!" Ram turned her face away expressionlessly, but the tips of her ears were slightly red. Natsuki Subaru didn't see it because it was nighttime.
"Ram isn't worrying about you; she just doesn't want Lady Emilia to be troubled… If your state affects Lady Emilia's recovery, Ram won't forgive you first."
"Oh… is this 'tsundere' Ram? So cute."
Seeing this, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but tease her.
"What does 'tsundere' mean? Ram doesn't know," Ram glanced at Natsuki Subaru, agreeing with his assessment of herself, and nodded, saying,
"But Ram is already very cute. If I get any cuter, the world would be in danger!"
"Uh… you're quite narcissistic, aren't you?"
Natsuki Subaru's mouth couldn't help but twitch, and a line of black appeared on his forehead.
However, coming from Ram's mouth, these words didn't feel out of place at all.
This was probably Ram's personality: aloof and straightforward, never beating around the bush.
Although Ram and Rem are twins, their personalities are completely different.
Rem is gentle, resilient, and understanding, while Ram is sharp-tongued and cold, but deeply affectionate.
"Ram is merely being truthful about her self-evaluation."
After saying this, Ram quickly turned around, her pink bob drawing a graceful arc in the air.
"Oh, and Lord Roswaal wants to see you."
"Oh, Roswaal wants me…?"
Natsuki Subaru's gaze instantly deepened, and the smile on his lips faded.
What was that old fox plotting now?
Natsuki Subaru cast one last look at Emilia's closed door, took a deep breath, and followed Ram's footsteps.
The candlelight in the corridor stretched their shadows long, disappearing one after the other around the corner.
"Oh my, oh my, oh my! Lady Emilia is alright now, is she?"
Upon reaching the innermost bedroom, Roswaal, lying on the bed, greeted them with his characteristic peculiar tone.
This was a small hut deep within the Sanctuary, originally Ryuzu's residence, now temporarily serving as the lord's place of recovery.
That Roswaal, this fellow, he really knows how to pick a spot to enjoy himself.
Natsuki Subaru grumbled inwardly, but spoke aloud:
"Yes, Emilia is already asleep. Thanks to Ram's spices, she should get a peaceful rest."
"It's just ordinary hypnotic spices," Ram shook the small cloth bag in her hand, clarifying, "Normally they might not be this effective, but right now it's because the Great Spirit isn't beside her."
"Puck isn't here, huh?"
At the mention of Puck, Natsuki Subaru's eyes flickered slightly.
Speaking of which, Puck's absence was indeed too unusual. As the Great Spirit who had formed a contract with Emilia, he should theoretically be by her side at all times.
Especially in a perilous place like the Sanctuary, the Spirit's absence was almost like a declaration of some abnormal situation.
Natsuki Subaru's thoughts raced.
Based on his understanding of contract magic, a Spirit's degree of manifestation is often closely related to the contractor's mental state.
Puck and Emilia's contract relationship is very special; the Spirit's ability to manifest is influenced by the contractor's psychological state.
In a special environment like the Sanctuary, Emilia's inability to confront her past memories led her to unconsciously self-isolate, which directly resulted in Puck being forcibly sealed and unable to manifest.
It's worth noting that Puck's initial contract partner might have been someone else, perhaps Echidna.
The magical power disarray caused by multiple contracts not only led to Puck's fragmented memories, but this influence also spread like ripples to Emilia.
Thinking this, Natsuki Subaru suddenly understood the root cause of Emilia's trial failure.
The problem was far from as simple as it appeared on the surface. Puck, for protective reasons, had long used contract magic to seal Emilia's crucial memories.
And the first stage of the Sanctuary's trial precisely required facing the past.
When those deliberately hidden cruel truths were suddenly revealed before Emilia, this cognitive shock was enough to shatter anyone's psychological defenses.
Speaking of which, that Roswaal fellow most likely already knew there were certain special clauses in Emilia's contract that could, under certain conditions, limit Puck's interference.
Natsuki Subaru thought to himself.
"What is it, Subaru-kun? Did something come to mind—?"
Roswaal's voice suddenly rang out, interrupting Natsuki Subaru's thoughts. His heterochromatic eyes flickered with an inscrutable light in the candlelight, and a discomfiting smile still hung on his lips.
"Nothing," Natsuki Subaru quickly composed himself and said calmly, "Just thinking about how to help Emilia pass the trial."
At this moment, Ram stood by Roswaal's bedside, and the room had clearly become a one-on-one situation.
Although Ram was present, other relevant individuals were deliberately sent away.
"Speaking of which, when we all arrived in the Sanctuary, although Garfiel complained incessantly, Miss Ryuzu is very reasonable."
Seeing Roswaal's gaze sweep over, Natsuki Subaru changed the subject.
"She is an elder, after all, isn't she~" Roswaal responded in his unique tone, "She can be reasoned with. She understands better than Garfiel that if she doesn't assist us, our goals cannot be achieved—hehe."
"If someone is willing to free the Sanctuary, they'll help too, right? Their position is quite complicated, isn't it?"
Natsuki Subaru glanced at Roswaal, saying meaningfully.
In fact, half of the people in the Sanctuary still supported Emilia passing the trial to free the Sanctuary.
"When Lady Emilia appears, the conflicting interests will naturally align. The other party won't be as stubborn as before—oh." Then, Roswaal suddenly changed the subject.
"I hear Subaru-kun brought a companion with him?"
"A companion… Oh, you mean Otto, right?" Natsuki Subaru looked at Roswaal and continued,
"That guy will be sleeping in the Great Sanctuary tonight. He only came to the Sanctuary because he said he wanted to see you. But what we're about to discuss are internal matters of our faction, and I don't want him, an outsider, to get too deeply involved."
"I see, very clever. You don't want your friend getting into trouble, that's how it is—right?"
Roswaal nodded in understanding.
"It's true that he's a friend, but Otto is indeed my partner." Seeing that Roswaal already understood, Natsuki Subaru didn't offer further explanation and promptly cut to the chase,
"Speaking of which, Roswaal, did you specifically call me here for something?"
"During the days I was away, Subaru-kun achieved incredible feats—hehe~ He led the subjugation of one of the Three Great Calamity Beasts, the White Whale, defeated the White Whale, repelled the Archbishop of Greed, and at the same time repelled the Witch Cult's attacks on the Royal Capital and the village, and also eliminated the Archbishop of Sloth."
Roswaal slowly straightened his body, his heterochromatic eyes flickering with an unusual brilliance in the candlelight.
"And he even formed an alliance with Lady Crusch—returning triumphantly with all these great achievements~"
Roswaal's tone suddenly became exceptionally serious. Deep lines etched into the corners of his eyes, and a smile utterly unlike his usual one spread across his lips.
That smile was mixed with excitement, anticipation, and even a hint of fanaticism.
What he was saying was the information Natsuki Subaru had proactively shared during the internal faction meeting this morning—the full details of the fierce battles that occurred while Roswaal was away.
"Speaking of which, these experiences were both dangers and opportunities."
Natsuki Subaru thought inwardly.
After these events, his strength had already become incomparably stronger.
His System player level had leaped from Level 15 to a top-tier expert at Level 60, even completing a high-tier class transfer to Shadow Monarch.
The current Natsuki Subaru, even against a Roswaal at his peak, might not be at a disadvantage.
Precisely because of this, even when he saw through Roswaal's machinations in the Sanctuary, Natsuki Subaru remained calm and unhurried.
This wasn't underestimating Roswaal, but rather confidence in his own formidable strength!
In summary, Roswaal still acted according to the prophecies of the Book of Wisdom, while Natsuki Subaru, relying on his memories of the original story, secretly laid out his plans.
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