Subaru sat with Rem, Beatrice and Spica in the living room as Emilia set some tea for them and sat down next to Subaru.
Rem: (Emilia-sama doing housework? I thought that at least I could...)
Rem sighed.
Rem: [Spica and I have an invisible rope soaked with the Divine Dragon's Blood. We can bring you back with us... if that's what you want.]
Subaru knew this conversation would come up, and he was hesitant to respond.
Subaru: [I... don't want to live over there. Things are better over here. I have my own business to run. Emilia is very well-liked over here. No one looks at her as if she's a witch and... My family is here and Fortuna and Lyra... I don't want them to be exposed to the dangers of that world.]
Rem: [Subaru-kun...]
Beatrice: [Betty also finds this world to be much better, in fact.]
Rem looked to Emilia.
Emilia: [I agree with Subaru.]
Rem: [Emilia-sama. Your dream is to bring back the elves, and we have waited until you were there to...]
Emilia: [You can do it without me. It doesn't have to be me who unfreezes them. People who were brought under that cause by me are doing it for my sake. That... should be fine.]
Emilia said this, but didn't completely believe it herself. She really did want to be the one to free the elves, but she also didn't want to risk her children.
Rem: [I... see.]
Rem looked down.
Spica: [Papa isn't coming back with us?]
Subaru: [But if it's just to say goodbye, then maybe it'll be okay.]
Emilia: [Subaru?]
Emilia felt reluctant even at that much.
Rem: [Subaru-kun... the geyser's function is to eject things. Using it for the opposite can damage it. If we bring you back, it'll take three years to repair and... another three for it to burst normally.]
Subaru: [Absolutely not.]
Rem: [I understand how you feel, but... everyone wants to see you again.]
Subaru: [Rem. I have responsibilities. I'm a husband. A father. A son. A Brother. A business owner.]
Rem: [A brother?]
Subaru: [I have a little sister now.]
Rem: [I… I see.]
Subaru: [I love the people I've met over there but… that place is too dangerous for me to take my family with me. I can't just throw everything I have in this world away for 6 years in a world that seems to be out to kill me every chance it gets.]
Rem couldn't deny this fact. She herself knew how much danger Subaru had been put through while he was in their world. He faced a World Ending Calamitity only a month before his ejection from their world.
Rem: [I understand if you want to stay here. I do... but there are people waiting for you on the other side. Please consider that first.]
All of those faces flowed through Subaru's mind as the final one was Satella.
Subaru: (I promised to save you... but... I need to keep them safe. Fortuna... Lyra.)
Subaru: [Can we reach a compromise?]
Rem: [Compromise?]
Subaru: [Eliminate the rest of the Witch Cult and maintain some level of peace between the nations. Enough that they won't attack Lugunica. If you can do that, then... maybe it would be okay.]
Rem: [The rest of the Witch Cult...]
Rem grabbed the rope and tugged it in a pattern forming the message.
Rem: [Then we have a month to accomplish that.]
Subaru: [You sent a message?]
Rem nodded.
Subaru: (That should smooth things out.)
Subaru: (In that case, bringing our family there wouldn't be such a bad thing anymore, but... one month to accomplish that? Is that possible? Maybe with everyone working together...)
Rem: [We'll do our best, Subaru-kun.]
Subaru smiled.
Subaru: [I know. I want to see everyone too.]
Subaru smiled softly at Rem.
Subaru: (Still... should I take this chance? I feel like I might end up destroying the happiness I built here.)
Subaru gulped slightly at the thought.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Echidna noticed the message first but let Roswaal explain it.
Roswaal: [It seems our dear Subaru-kuuun is willing to return.]
Many felt happy at this news.
Roswaal: [Oh? It seems his return has conditions.]
Felt: [What're the conditions?]
Roswaal: [The eradication of the Witch Cult and a maintained peace between the four nations to ensure there are no attacks.]
Felt: (Eradication of the Witch Cult. Big bro really made a huge blunder in the past by creating that shitty cult. I understand why he did it and I dont' hold it against him. Especially since he's practically been eradicating them himself since he got sent forward in time.)
Felt: [Alright. Ya ready for this, Reinhard?]
Reinhard: [Of course, Felt-sama.]
Wilhelm: [I shall put my sword towards that goal without issue.]
Anastasia walked into the area.
Anastasia: [My networks should be able to help in this.]
Felt looked to Reinhard.
Felt: (Bring people back feels so dangerous while the Cult is still active. Makes me hesitate to do things. Reinhard. Once they're dealt with, we're definitely going to wake up your mom. Until then, she's safer while she's asleep.)
Roswaal: [We were already searching for the Cult to eliminate them regardless, so this is quite the favourable condition for us to meet.]
Julius: [Indeed.]
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Emilia and Rem were together as the others were in the playroom.
Rem: [Emilia-sama... I noticed your hostility toward me recently. I understand that you are Subaru-kun's wife, but... Rem doesn't intend on giving up on her feelings.]
Emilia: [I'm not mad about that.]
Rem: [But...]
Emilia: [I'm not mad about that!]
Rem: [Emilia-sama. Then why... are you looking at me like that?]
Emilia grabbed Rem's hand and pulled her towards the front door.
Rem: [Emilia-sama?]
Emilia: [Shh!]
They stepped outside.
Emilia: [This is something Subaru doesn't want you to know. He hasn't even told his parents yet, and it's been three years.]
Rem: [Something... Subaru-kun doesn't want Rem to know?]
Emilia: [You're aware of Suabru's looping ability, right?]
Rem: [Oh! Of course.]
Emilia: [Have you ever considered how much he has looped?]
Rem: [Surely not that many times.]
Emilia: [Over a thousand.]
Rem's face drained of colour as she fell to her knees.
Rem: (Then he's... died that many times?)
Rem was shaken to her very core.
Rem: [I... don't understand...]
Emilia: [Most of it was during his time in Vollachia. He lost count.]
Rem: [Vollachia...]
Emilia: [But it's not the number that's important, but the reason for his loops.]
Rem: [Emilia-sama...]
Emilia: [He looped three times to help me get my insignia back. At the mansion... he looped because of you.]
Rem: [What?]
Emilia: [You saw him being affected by the Curse, and he says that you attempted to end his suffering. I honestly don't believe that for a second. Subaru believes it, so he wasn't lying, but the truth is different.]
Rem: [I would never...]
Emilia: [Then in the next loop. You tortured him because you thought he was a Witch Cultist.]
Rem: [I what...?]
Emilia: [Do you think Subaru would lie about such things?]
Rem: [I... it can't be...]
Rem looked like she was going to have a mental breakdown.
Emilia: [Even if you don't remember, I can't accept that you are free of guilt! Do you understand now? Why I can't stand you?]
Rem: [I... I understand.]
Emilia: [The only reason. The only reason that I'd let you anywhere near him is because... uou helped him learn to love himself. If you ever do anything to hurt him again...]
There was a cold air that invaded the space, but the words leaving Rem's lips escaped even before that.
Rem: [I won't! I love Subaru-kun!]
Rem: (I'm so selfish to think this way. After what I've done…)
Emilia: [Then don't hurt him. I can tell that you think you're not worthy of him. I don't disagree, but if you stay away, it'll hurt him. I want Subaru to be happy. No matter what. Even if I have to put up with you.]
Rem: [Emilia-sama I...]
Emilia: [Get up already. Subaru has carried our burdens long enough. He's finally gotten a few years to be at peace, but that's not a reason to thrust our burdens on him again. We can't do that again. We have to focus on making him happy. So stand up!]
Rem slowly stood up.
Rem: [Emilia-sama... Should we talk to Subaru-kun about this?]
Emilia: [That's up to you.]
Rem nodded as her face was still a bit haunted at the thought that she killed Subaru.
Emilia: [I've caused my own share of trouble for him. It was hard to process that we were so incompetent, but... that's not an excuse to run away. When your incompetence hurts the people you care about, the only thing you can do is become more competent.]
Rem: (Emilia-sama... is so different now. She's become much wiser.)
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Subaru noticed Rem's expression as she came back inside.
Subaru: (She seems... out of whack? It looks like she feels guilty? But for what?)
Subaru walked up to her, but before that, the doorbell rang, and Kenichi and Naoko were standing outside with Natsumi.
Natsumi: [Oni-chan!]
Subaru: [Hey, have you been a good girl for Mom and Dad?]
Natsumi nodded as Subaru patted her head.
Rem: [Is this… your little sister?]
Subaru: [Yes, this is my little sister. Natsumi Natsuki.]
Rem: [Natsumi? As in Miss Natsumi?]
Subaru: [Um... yes. My parents named her that after I went missing.]
Rem: [I see.]
Natsumi: [Oni-chan, who is this pretty lady?]
Rem looked surprised for a second.
Naoko: [Now don't embarrass her like that, Natsumi. It's not good to tease adults.]
Kenichi: [Seems like everything is going well.]
Subaru: [I'd like to properly introduce these two. Rem and Spica.]
Kenichi: [Maybe your gramps is right. Maybe you are a ladies' man.]
Subaru: [Hey!]
Subaru sighed.
Spica looked to Naoko as she walked closer. Naoko kneeled down and gave the girl a hug.
Naoko: [I know you were taught bad things and lived badly. I'm glad you've changed your ways.]
Spica was surprised at this warmth, even though this was their first time meeting.
Naoko: [So do you love Subaru a lot?]
Spica nodded her head enthusiastically.
Spica: [Spica loves Papa!]
Naoko smiled slightly at this.
Naoko: [You're a good girl.]
Naoko patted her head.
Kenichi: [She's a cutie. Can't believe you andher were enemies, Subaru.]
Subaru: [Yeah, I know. It's hard for me to think of her that way anymore.]
Subaru then looked to kenichi and Naoko seriously.
Subaru: [I want to have a serious conversation with you guys. Why don't the kids go to the other room and play together?]
Natsumi and Spica went to the playroom where Fortuna and Lyra were. Everyone else sat down in the living room.
Subaru: [Rem and Spica came to give me the choice of either staying here or going back.]
Naoko: [You're not going anywhere.]
Subaru: [Relax. I don't intend to go back on my own. I'd rather take everyone here with me.]
Kenichi: [Is my son offering his old man an Isekai adventure?]
Subaru: [Absolutely not. There will be no adventuring. In fact, no one is going anywhere unless the people on the other side deal with all the threats and are able to create a somewhat peaceful balance between the nations.]
Kenichi: [Ah, yeah, I get it.]
Subaru: [I've made some friends here, the people over there are special to me. They helped me through my worst days. I didn't get the chance to even say goodbye.]
Naoko: [Subaru. I don't like this idea.]
Subaru: [Nothing is ready yet, and they only have a month to do the things I asked of them.]
Kenichi: [Only a month?]
Subaru: [That's how long before the method of return isn't possible anymore.]
Kenichi: [Isnt possible anymore?]
Rem: [Spica and Rem are currently netted to our world by an invisible rope. Anyone who is in contact with us can return with us, but it will only last a month. After that, it will snap and leave us stranded here. The Geyser that brought us here would then take another three years to burst again.]
Kenichi: [So you got one day less than a month, huh? You got a specific number?]
Rem: [With a month being 30 days, we have 29 days.]
Kenichi: [That's not actually a lot of time to deal with all the threats… hold on!]
Kenichi turned to Subaru.
Kenichi: [Didn't you deal with pretty much all of them already? Who were the last two? There was… Capulla and that other girl.]
Subaru: [Capella. Yeah, she was the last Witch Cultist. Mili said that they managed to kill Roy and deal with the Black Serpent. They don't actually have that much to do on that front. The problem is actually finding her. That's always the problem.]
Emilia: [The other one is Pandora.]
Subaru took some time thinking about it.
Subaru: [Every time the Witch Cult attacks, it's due to three reasons. Either personal reasons, the revival of the Witch Of Envy or the erasure of the history of a Witch Of Sin.]
Rem's eyes widened.
Subaru: [The only flaw in that logic is perhaps the Oni Clan's destruction. Sorry to bring it up.]
Rem shook her head.
Subaru: [Sloth attacked because they wanted Emilia to be a vessel. The incident in the Watchtower was a coincidence. The attack on Pristella was an attempt to recover the remains of the Witch of Pride.]
Emilia: [Pandora attacked Ellior because they wanted me to open a seal.]
Subaru: [Maybe something to do with Witches is in there. It would make sense.]
Emilia thought about it and agreed with the conclusion. She was a Witch's Daughter after all.
Subaru: [My idea would be to bait them. I'm sure Anastasia and Crusch should be able to come up with the rest of the strategy.]
Rem nodded. She began sending the messages via the invisible rope to the other side.
Subaru: [All that's left now is to wait.]
Everyone agreed.
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To Be Continued
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Rating Out Of 10 For This Part:
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