"Oh…" Elsa hugged the cloak, her fingertips caressing the rough fabric, the smile in her eyes deepening.
"As you command, my… Master."
The last word was drawn out, carrying an unspeakable ambiguity and provocation.
"This one…"
Natsuki Subaru's forehead veins throbbed; he simply couldn't be bothered with Elsa anymore. After all, bringing a powerhouse like Elsa under his command was truly crucial for his future plans.
As Natsuki Subaru was thinking, he heard familiar footsteps behind him.
"Rem."
Natsuki Subaru turned to see Rem and Frederica Baumann approaching. Both had rosy complexions, clearly fully recovered after drinking the Life Potion.
"Subaru…" Rem's gaze first fell on Natsuki Subaru, and only after confirming he was unharmed did she turn to Elsa, who was leisurely putting on the cloak. Her blue eyes were filled with vigilance.
"What's going on?"
"Did Subaru-sama let her go?"
Frederica Baumann also asked, frowning.
Natsuki Subaru sighed, knowing they would ask, and raised a hand to signal them to calm down: "Well, it's a long story… I've brought her under my command, so she won't pose a threat to you."
"Under your command?" Rem stepped forward, a hint of undetectable urgency in her voice. "Subaru, you shouldn't trust her."
After all, they had been sworn enemies just moments ago, and now Elsa had suddenly been brought under Natsuki Subaru's command, which was truly perplexing.
"I know." Natsuki Subaru explained to Rem, "But the situation is special now; keeping her is useful."
"Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on her; she won't be able to stir up trouble."
To reassure them, Natsuki Subaru paused, deciding to reveal more important information to divert their attention: "Right now, besides Elsa, there's something more important I need to tell you."
"Important matter?"
"What is it, Subaru-sama?"
Rem and Frederica Baumann were both puzzled.
"The mastermind who hired Elsa to attack the mansion was actually Roswaal."
Natsuki Subaru said to Rem and the others.
"What?!"
"How could it be Lord Roswaal?!"
Rem and Frederica Baumann both showed expressions of disbelief.
"Little brother, you actually know my employer?"
Elsa, standing nearby, her eyes subtly shifting, looked at Natsuki Subaru with some surprise. She truly hadn't expected Natsuki Subaru to even know that Roswaal was the one who hired her and Meili to attack the mansion.
Elsa's words undoubtedly confirmed Natsuki Subaru's claim, and the shock on Rem and Frederica Baumann's faces deepened.
Natsuki Subaru continued to address them: "Roswaal has something called the Book of Wisdom, and everything he does is according to its instructions."
"The previous attack on Arlam Village by Magic Beasts, including this current dispatch of Elsa to attack the mansion, were all orchestrated by Roswaal himself."
In short, the true mastermind was Roswaal. He had been acting according to the Book of Wisdom in his possession, setting up numerous obstacles for Natsuki Subaru.
This time, he arranged for Elsa to attack the mansion and for himself to summon the Great Rabbit disaster in the Sanctuary, simultaneously setting up a dilemma. His goal was to make Natsuki Subaru unable to handle both sides, hoping to force him to grow through hardship.
However, Roswaal's understanding of growth was built upon sacrifice and abandonment. In his eyes, to protect his cherished goal, he could abandon everything around him, even sacrificing the interests of others. As long as the goal was safe, he considered his objective achieved.
Of course, these inner details were difficult to explain one by one, so Natsuki Subaru only highlighted the key points to Rem and the others: "Roswaal is doing all of this according to the Book of Wisdom he possesses. His aim is probably to make me follow his path."
Natsuki Subaru clearly understood Roswaal's true intention: to make him abandon his naive desire to save everyone, to discard his humanity like Roswaal, and to stop at nothing to achieve his goals. But these words, he couldn't bring himself to say at the moment.
"According to Subaru-sama, all of this was Roswaal's scheme?"
Even though Natsuki Subaru had revealed the truth, Frederica Baumann still found it hard to believe.
After all, Frederica Baumann had been at Roswaal Mansion for too long, accustomed to obeying this eccentric yet imposing lord. Even if she occasionally found Roswaal's instructions a bit unusual, she merely assumed she couldn't understand the considerations of a superior, never imagining he would go so far as to hire assassins to attack his own mansion.
It was no wonder Frederica Baumann found it hard to believe; after all, a normal person would indeed find it difficult to comprehend Roswaal's twisted way of thinking.
"Rem…"
Natsuki Subaru looked at Rem's serious profile, a warmth rising in his heart. Rem, as expected, continued to give him her unreserved trust.
Natsuki Subaru took a soft breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. The matter concerning Elsa at the mansion finally came to an end.
Although Roswaal's threat still lingered, the situation was at least temporarily stabilized.
"Great Spirit Beatrice…"
Natsuki Subaru looked towards the end of the corridor, which led to the mansion's Forbidden Library, the place he needed to go next. In his mind, he pictured the blonde, tsundere loli who always hugged a book and looked annoyed, remembering her awkward concern, remembering her centuries of loneliness trapped in the Forbidden Library.
Natsuki Subaru clenched his fist, his gaze becoming resolute.
"Next, it's time to resolve Beatrice's inner conflict."
The tsundere spirit who always said, "I don't care about you," yet always offered a helping hand at crucial moments. This time, he would bring that shut-in spirit out of the cage that had confined her for too long.
...
"Listen, Betty, this time I'm taking you out of the Forbidden Library."
When Natsuki Subaru pushed open the Gate of Opportunity and stepped into the Forbidden Library, Beatrice was still sitting on her usual stool, tightly clutching the black tome in her arms.
"Take me out of here…?"
Hearing Natsuki Subaru's sudden declaration, Beatrice tilted her head in confusion. Her pair of playful vertical drill pigtails hung down both sides of her shoulders, and she wore an intricately elaborate ruffled dress, the lace gleaming softly in the dim light.
She looked like a child in her early teens, her features as delicate as a doll, a sight that should inspire affection. Yet, her face habitually held a faint aloofness, her eyes always carrying a hint of indifference towards everything around her.
But Natsuki Subaru knew that layer of coldness was merely a thin shell of ice, beneath which lay a softness afraid of being hurt, a tenderness that was outwardly cold but inwardly warm.
"That's right, I'm here to take you out of the Forbidden Library."
Natsuki Subaru walked up to Beatrice and repeated himself once more.
"Nosy human. Who asked you to do that, I suppose?"
Beatrice glanced up at him, a flicker of an elusive emotion crossing her gaze. Then, she subconsciously hugged the black book in her arms even tighter.
That was the "Book of Wisdom" her mother Echidna had left her. Its pages were supposed to be filled with her future, but now they were only blank, like her life that had long lost its direction.
"I anticipated your reaction." Natsuki Subaru met Beatrice's gaze, his eyes showing no hint of retreat, only undeniable resolve.
"But this isn't up for discussion. I will definitely take you out of here."
He knew full well that Beatrice had been waiting in this Forbidden Library for far too long. Four hundred years—enough time for oceans to turn into fertile lands, for prosperity to become ruins. Yet, day after day, she had guarded this silence, waiting for that person to appear.
But four hundred years had passed, and that person never appeared. The prolonged loneliness coiled around her like a vine, gradually draining all her hopes for the future, leaving only boundless despair.
Bound by her promise to Echidna, Beatrice couldn't even take a single step out of the Forbidden Library on her own.
So Natsuki Subaru had only one goal this time: To bring Beatrice out of this cage, to make her his partner, and to help Beatrice rediscover her purpose in existence.
But Natsuki Subaru also knew that this task was far more difficult than it seemed. Because what now lay hidden beneath Beatrice's aloof exterior was no longer a desire for freedom, but an obsession with finding release through death.
She even hoped that this crisis at the mansion would definitively end her life. This was also why the mansion was attacked by Elsa, and why Beatrice had not intervened.
"What would a mere human like you know, I suppose?" Beatrice suddenly raised her voice, her golden eyelashes fluttering. "This is Betty's home, I suppose. If Betty leaves here, where else can Betty go?"
"To wherever you want to go." Natsuki Subaru didn't back down, looking at Beatrice with gentle eyes as he continued, "Whether you want to see the Royal Capital's prosperity or wander through Lugunica's sea of hydrangeas, as long as you're willing, Betty, I'll be with you wherever you go."
"…Presumptuous human… Leave the Forbidden Library immediately, I suppose."
Beatrice avoided Natsuki Subaru's overly sincere gaze, the lines of her profile taut, her voice carrying a faint, undetectable tremor, as if she was trying hard to suppress something.
"Anyway, arguing with you about this is a waste of time." Seeing her reaction, Natsuki Subaru sighed helplessly inwardly. He didn't mention that he had already defeated Elsa; instead, he deliberately emphasized the seriousness of the situation, saying, "Do you know how chaotic things are outside right now? A formidable assassin is on a rampage, and things are completely out of control at the Sanctuary, even trickier than here. Honestly, without help from a Great Spirit like you, I'm afraid we might not make it through tonight."
Natsuki Subaru knew that Beatrice seemed stubborn and prickly, like a porcupine bristling its quills, but deep down, she was a kind-hearted person who couldn't bear to see others in trouble. No matter how much she complained, when push came to shove, she always couldn't help but offer assistance.
But this time, Beatrice seemed determined, letting out a cold huff and turning her head away: "Hmph, humans should solve their own problems, I suppose. What does that have to do with Betty? Betty won't go out."
...
Natsuki Subaru's gaze darkened. He could vaguely guess the reason for Beatrice's attitude.
In truth, Beatrice had already learned everything from Roswaal's plan. Including the order for Elsa to attack the mansion, and the intention to take her life hidden within that chaos. And all of this was precisely the outcome Beatrice herself had quietly longed for during her long wait.
Four hundred years of loneliness had swept over her life like a tide. That blank Book of Wisdom had long since drained all her expectations for the future. Perhaps, in her view, this attack orchestrated by Roswaal was, in fact, a form of release.
"If you dislike holding hands, then I can carry you on my back, or hold you." Natsuki Subaru pretended not to hear, taking two steps forward, his tone slightly coaxing, "While it might be a bit rude, I'm willing to make this sacrifice to save people. Take your pick. I'm telling you upfront, I absolutely will not back down."
"How many times do you want Betty to say it, I suppose?!" Beatrice suddenly looked up, her eyes slightly red-rimmed, her voice filled with suppressed anger, but it sounded more like she was trying to hide her vulnerability.
"Betty doesn't need your help at all!"
Beatrice softly refused the approaching Natsuki Subaru, while turning her head, gesturing to the huge Forbidden Library around them, her voice suddenly rising: "This is Betty's Great Spirit Forbidden Library, controlled by Betty and isolated from the real world, I suppose! No matter what threats are outside, they have nothing to do with here! Your worries are just groundless fears!"
"No, it's not that simple." Natsuki Subaru slowly shook his head, continuing to explain to Beatrice, "Your Forbidden Library is indeed very powerful, but it hides a fatal flaw, and that opponent happens to know this point perfectly well."
"What nonsense are you spouting, I suppose?!"
Having the source of her confidence, the Gate of Opportunity, denied, Beatrice unhappily raised an eyebrow. The Forbidden Library indeed had unparalleled advantages in terms of stealth and hiding, but that advantage wasn't foolproof.
"Your Gate of Opportunity only works when all doors are tightly closed." Natsuki Subaru met Beatrice's clear gaze, paused, and continued, "So, if someone opens all the doors in the mansion and explores their way through the passages, they'll inevitably find their way to the Forbidden Library."
In the original work, Elsa used this trick to break in. The Forbidden Library was by no means an absolutely safe fortress. Of course, he didn't mention that Elsa had already been dealt with by him. For now, he absolutely needed Beatrice to see the danger of the situation.
"Is that so… How would the enemy know this flaw, I suppose?"
At this moment, Beatrice's voice suddenly dropped a few notes, her golden eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath her eyes, as if a hidden secret had been touched upon.
"Roswaal taught them… didn't he, I suppose?"
Before Natsuki Subaru could reply, Beatrice herself reached this conclusion.
"The mansion attack was originally Roswaal's arrangement. To achieve his goal, he naturally had to first break my Gate of Opportunity."
Saying this, Beatrice slowly lowered her eyelids, her slender fingers unconsciously caressing the cover of the book in her arms.
"And the reason he could do this… was nothing more than— "
"His Book of Wisdom wrote Betty's death date, didn't it, I suppose?"
As she spoke these words, Beatrice let out a soft sigh, that breath carrying a near-liberated calmness, as if she were speaking of an ordinary matter completely unrelated to herself.
______
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