The air in the room was the same, the smell of wood and tea identical—it was a nightmare scenario he had already experienced.
Petelgeuse's brutality, the helplessness, the cold grip of death... it was all fresh in his mind.
"Petelgeuse," Subaru whispered.
His intervention in Arlam had precipitated his arrival, a cruel reminder that knowledge of the future did not guarantee victory.
Petelgeuse was in the garden, he had tracked Subaru by the witch's stench, and he was too powerful for a direct confrontation.
His Danger Sense was calm, which meant he still had a few moments before the nightmare repeated itself.
He needed a plan, one that used everything he had learned, he needed Roswaal. He hated relying on him, but Petelgeuse was a threat that transcended personal grudges.
He broke his routine, instead of going to the kitchen, he headed straight for Roswaal's study. He knocked on the study door with more urgency than etiquette allowed.
"Come in," echoed from inside, in Roswaal's peculiar theatrical tone.
He entered and found him sitting at his desk, already immersed in his papers. Ram was standing to one side, polishing a candlestick to a flawless shine.
"Mr. Roswaal, Ram, I need to talk to you," his voice as serious and urgent as possible.
There was no time for beating around the bush. "It's about the Witch Cult. They're here. In the mansion."
Ram let out a skeptical "Hmph." "Barusu, your imagination is as vivid as your incompetence."
Roswaal, however, raised an eyebrow, his mismatched eyes fixed on Subaru. His smile did not fade, but the sharpness of his gaze could be felt.
"Oh, and what makes you think so, young Subaru? Another one of your 'hunches'?"
"It's not a hunch, Mr. Roswaal. It's a fact," he asserted.
"I just sensed an imminent threat. A member of the Witch Cult has... infiltrated the mansion. He's in the garden, he's an Archbishop of Sin: Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti."
The name struck the room like lightning. Roswaal's smile tightened, an almost imperceptible crack in his mask.
Ram, who never showed emotion, dropped the candlestick with a metallic clang. Disbelief and horror painted her face.
"Petelgeuse?! Impossible!" Ram exclaimed, her voice broken with alarm for the first time.
"He... he is a danger of catastrophic proportions. No one has seen him in years."
"I know. And I detected him just now," he said.
"He's in the gardens. We need to act now, before the rest of his 'fingers' arrive and the mansion is destroyed."
Roswaal rose from his seat, his posture suddenly erect, all theatricality gone. His gaze was cold, calculating.
"Young Subaru, how do you know that name? And how can you be so sure of its presence? My own defenses did not detect a threat of such magnitude."
"My senses are... unusual, Mr. Roswaal, as you yourself have said," he said calmly.
His eyes fell on Ram. "Ram, do you remember the stench in the village? The same stench. But here it is much stronger."
Ram, who had regained her composure, sniffed the air subtly. Her eyes widened, a horrible realization crossing her face.
"I smell... the stench. It's subtle, but it's here. It's not the same as in the village, it's... older. Deeper."
Ram's knowledge, combined with her "intuition," was the proof he needed.
Roswaal watched the interaction between Ram and Subaru, his mind processing the information at breakneck speed.
"Very well," said Roswaal, his voice now grave and authoritative. "If what you say is true, there is no time to waste. Ram, alert Rem. Prepare the mansion for an assault. And Subaru-kun..."
His eyes locked with Subaru's. "...show us the way. And don't lie, everyone's life in this mansion depends on it."
Subaru felt a small sense of relief. He had finally managed to convince Roswaal with evidence and logic, gaining his help.
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Hey guys, yeah, I lost it, I didn't upload a chapter but nobody reminded me LOL. Jokes aside, I was focusing on my other fanfics and I picked this one up again, although I don't know if I should continue or restart the story from before.