By the time they returned to the mansion, forty minutes had passed. Along the way, Puck had talked extensively about events from four hundred years ago, and Lillian had gained a certain understanding of that period of history.
However, when Lillian asked about another crucial issue—the Divine Dragon—Puck admitted he didn't know. Very few people knew what had happened when the three great heroes—the Sword Saint, the Sage, and the Divine Dragon—sealed the Witch of Envy. Perhaps only those directly involved knew the truth.
Lillian felt that after sealing the Witch of Envy, the three heroes could have simply tracked down Vainglory and Melancholy and dealt with them the same way, which might have prevented many of the present troubles.
Of course, it was also possible the three either lacked sufficient knowledge or the ability to resolve the matter. For instance, the Sage Flugel disappeared not long after sealing the Witch of Envy—perhaps Vainglory and Melancholy had used some special method.
In short, the key issues were shrouded in mystery, and they were not things a single artificial spirit like Puck could fully understand. Although he was powerful, he did not rank among the very strongest, and there were many who could defeat him with ease.
It was inevitable to feel a little regret, but Lillian had never expected to learn the whole truth so easily, so he wasn't particularly disappointed. It just meant that if he wanted to understand more, he would have to find a way to uncover it himself.
"We're here."
Arriving at the mansion gates, Lillian was somewhat surprised. The once quiet and empty estate now had many more servants.
He clearly remembered that after Ram and Rem went to the Sanctuary, only Frederica and Beatrice had remained in the mansion. But now, at a glance, he could see four or five young girls cleaning the courtyard.
At that moment, one of the girls noticed Lillian at the gate and immediately ran over with a broom in hand.
"Hello, are you here to visit Roswaal-sama?" the maid asked politely, bowing slightly through the iron gate. "I'm sorry, but Roswaal-sama is not currently in the mansion."
"No, I'm here to see… Frederica."
He had originally intended to say Beatrice, but these new maids probably had never even met her, so mentioning her would likely mean nothing.
"Oh, you're looking for the head maid? She's here—I'll inform her right away."
"No need. I can already see the fellow."
A clear voice rang out. Both of them turned to look. The tall, blonde beastwoman maid was walking toward them from a distance, her expression less than pleased. When she bared her teeth, her sharp fangs were especially striking.
"Yes…"
The maid who had spoken retreated. Frederica walked over and asked, "What are you doing here again?"
"I'm not here for you. I need to see Beatrice."
"Beatrice-sama? Then—huh?!" She suddenly noticed Puck crouching on Lillian's shoulder. "Isn't this Puck-sama? Aren't you supposed to be by Emilia-sama's side?"
"Ah, I have something to discuss with my sister. Hurry and open the gate!"
"Oh! Right away!"
Frederica immediately unlatched the iron gate from the inside and pulled it open. After entering, Lillian said nothing and headed straight for the house. Time was limited—he had no leisure to exchange pleasantries with Frederica.
He ran directly to the second floor and casually pushed open a door. At once, he saw the twin-tailed great spirit seated at a round table, holding a book as she read.
"You again—… Bubby?"
Beatrice had looked impatient upon seeing Lillian, but when she noticed Puck with him, she froze slightly in surprise.
"Betty, meow~"
Puck leapt straight into her arms. Beatrice affectionately lowered her head and rubbed her face against him. Only when facing him did she abandon her usual cold and distant demeanor.
"Bubby, why have you come back? And with… him."
Beatrice clearly cared about this matter. Puck glanced at her, then at Lillian, and said, "Lillian, could you wait outside for a moment? I'll explain everything to her."
"Alright."
Compared to the two of them, Lillian was merely an outsider. If he remained present, the situation might become harder to resolve. So he promptly left the room and gently closed the door behind him.
---
"Did you come back from the Sanctuary?"
Frederica had followed him at some point and was now standing by the staircase in the corridor, asking Lillian, who had just shut the door.
"Did you see my foolish younger brother?"
"…Yes."
Lillian thought to himself that not only had he seen him—he had nearly beaten him to death.
---
Inside the Forbidden Library.
Only the siblings remained in the room. Puck slipped free from Beatrice's embrace and floated before her.
"Bubby, you must have something to tell me—don't you?" Beatrice had already guessed that Puck had come specifically to see her. Otherwise, he would never have left Emilia's side.
"Beatrice, I've regained my memories."
"…!"
Beatrice's expression changed slightly. "I… see."
Unlike Puck, who had lost the memories of his creation, Beatrice had always retained hers. However, she had never told Puck that their shared "mother" was Echidna.
"Because that child Lia challenged the Sanctuary's trials, I recovered my memories," Puck said. "So now, I must leave as well."
"Bubby…" Beatrice looked at him sadly. "You… you're going to…"
"Don't worry, Betty. I won't die. I'll simply fall into a period of slumber. In the future, my daughter Lia will awaken me—I'm completely certain of that," Puck said gently. "However, I didn't come only to say farewell. There's something extremely important—something very, very important—that I must tell you."
"Something extremely important… what is it?"
---
Outside the room, Frederica and Lillian stood by a window in the corridor. Unable to restrain herself, she asked, "How is the Sanctuary now?"
"It's the same as before. But a crisis may soon erupt."
"A crisis?!" The word instantly agitated her. "What do you mean? What crisis?!"
"Do you know about the Multiple Rabbits—or rather, the Great Rabbit? One of the three great mabeasts. They may already be near the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary's residents are all half-bloods, and their strong bodies and vigorous life force make them especially attractive to those rabbits that know nothing but devouring. If that happens…"
Before Lillian could finish, he saw Frederica's green eyes turn faintly red, and the soft, fine fur on her cheeks began to bristle.
"You're not about to transform, are you?"
"…I'm going there right now!"
Frederica turned to leave immediately, but Lillian grabbed her arm.
"There's no need to rush. I'll be heading back later too—we can go together."
"Who wants to go with you?!" The maid shook off his hand. "If I arrive too late…"
"Whether you arrive late or not honestly won't make much difference. You don't seriously think you have the power to eliminate the Great Rabbit and change the outcome of the battle, do you?"
Lillian had personally witnessed the terrifying might of that overwhelming swarm of rabbits. A man as powerful as Roswaal had been devoured completely in just a few seconds. Of course, Roswaal had sought death on his own—if he had wanted to escape, he could have done so. But expecting him to wipe out the entire swarm of Great Rabbits would hardly be an easy task.
Frederica pressed her thin lips together when she heard this. "At the very least, I can die alongside them!"
"…."
Lillian hadn't expected the girl to be so stubborn, and curiosity arose in him. "If you care about them so much, then why did you leave the Sanctuary in the first place? Why come here to work as a maid?"
"I…" The maid's expression became complicated when faced with the question. The determination in her eyes wavered slightly. "I only wanted to free everyone in my own way, but now…"
"It's actually not too late even now. If everything goes smoothly, clearing the third trial when we return should remove the barrier."
Lillian thought that if the Great Rabbit could be dealt with, that would be ideal. But if it couldn't, then as long as the third trial was cleared before their arrival, all the Sanctuary's residents could evacuate in advance.
As long as their initial safety was ensured, the remaining mess of the Great Rabbit could simply be left to the Sword Saint Reinhard to handle. His strong sense of justice and responsibility would undoubtedly compel him to deal with it, and with his strength, eliminating those rabbits would be entirely feasible.
Thinking this way couldn't be helped. Lillian also wanted to deal with the rabbits himself, but his insufficient strength was a fundamental obstacle. As for forces he could rely on—Roswaal was unreliable. Ram might be willing to help, but her strength wasn't enough either. Emilia had yet to fully awaken… Did that mean they would have to rely on Subaru's time reversal again? Lillian would rather avoid that—it would mean repeating everything all over again.
Besides, another rewind might bring about even more unforeseen complications. If that happened…
Creaaak—
A door suddenly opened, and Puck stuck his head out. "Lillian, come here. It's time for you to serve your purpose."