The sun is well past set when the last of the enemy wyverns finally flee Paris. But they do in fact flee, and so after a few moments spent waiting to counter a possible false retreat, we move to regroup at City Hall. I'm mentally and physically exhausted, my leg is sore from that [Emergency Evade] earlier, and above all my ears are still ringing thanks to a certain self-proclaimed idol's singing.
Still, I'm pretty satisfied. We saw Carmilla go down, and Edward's absence when we got to the south gate means that he must have gotten Dracula to Notre Dame like he was supposed to. With those guys down…
I switch my communicator channel. "Merry, how are you two holding up over there?"
"...Nothing really to report," the girl replies. "We fought a few wyverns a little after noon, but that's all."
"Did any get away?" I ask.
"Y-yes. One got away. Sorry, Monsieur Subaru," she says, cringing.
"I won't say it's fine, but it can't be helped at this point." I close my eyes for a moment. "They know where you are now, though. Still, we've already avoided the worst case - Dark Jeanne wasn't smart enough to commit everything to stopping Napoleon's landing. His absence here means… probably, she's sent Chlodovech alone after you guys."
In theory, that's a move no different from sending everything in its final result. Napoleon won't be arriving for days, and the [Quinotaur] should be able to wreck his boat with ease when it does arrive. Siegfried can't stand up to [Fleur de Lys], so they'll be annihilated… is probably what Dark Jeanne has assumed.
"-Anyway, just steal his axe with your Noble Phantasm and kick his ass, Merry." I say with a shrug. "To be honest, I'd prefer you take him alive if you could. I don't really want you absorbing his spirit origin."
"Um- right!" She nods hesitantly.
"And contact us when you see him, okay? The moment we get confirmation he's all the way over there, we can move in and take Orleans," I continue with a grin.
That's right, the entire trump card that is Napoleon is just another trap for you to fall in, Dark Jeanne! That's why you don't send newborn tsukumogami to match wits against genius tacticians!
Kongming really is unbeatable!
***
Kongming, you bastaaaard!
"Edward's gone!?" I shout. "Just like that!?"
What part of this is a perfect victory!? You shitty fake strategist, let me summon you again so I can kick your ass!
"...He seemed satisfied, at the end," Jeanne says, a small smile on her face.
"That's…" I grimace. So what if he was satisfied? Rem was satisfied dying for me, once upon a time. To hell with that! "If I had planned better, I'm sure he could have lived-!"
But what if I couldn't have? What if it was impossible? Even in Kongming's plan, the Black Prince was sacrificed. It might be that there was no other way forward.
I can't die for him. I already know that. A man I barely knew, renowned for his brutality, one of the instigators of the war that led to Jeanne being burned alive - as if I could possibly die for him. I'd wager my reset point has already moved forward anyway. He's going to disappear at the end of the singularity anyway. His [Innocent Monster] skill meant he was living in agony anyway. I have plenty of excuses.
With that accounted for, I have to wonder. I have to wonder if that, too, was part of Kongming's plan.
"Servants are transient existences, Subaru," Jeanne says. "I know it's difficult to understand, but-"
"It's not." I say through gritted teeth. "I get it, okay! I get it! It's been drilled into my head over and over! But, even so-!"
Even so, you didn't have to go this far, Kongming!
Yeah, I get it. This is the 'optimal path'. A way to slowly accustom me to sacrifice by throwing away someone I wouldn't ever return for. He's been way more clever about it than Roswaal was.
I'm tempted to die again just to thumb my nose at him.
"-I won't accept it," I mutter. "Above all, Natsuki Subaru must not become someone who accepts sacrifice to achieve his goals. Because I-!"
"Alright, okay, that's quite enough of that," Mozart says - and then, seizing me by the collar of my shirt, he drags me back to the entrance-
"Hey, let go! Where-!" I protest, struggling.
"You shut up," He raps my forehead with his conductor's baton as we reach the doors. "We're just going to have a private talk, be right back everyone!"
The door slams shut behind us.
***
I spend a few moments more struggling before realization finally dawns on me.
I've seen this movie before.
"This is the part where you punch me, isn't it?" I ask with a sigh, and he finally releases me. "And then I learn some important moral lesson?"
"Since you recognize it already, I'll forego the beatdown. I'm not very good at fighting, anyway." Mozart says, and as I turn I can see a wide grin on his face. "And I'm a garbage person, so I won't be imparting any kind of moral message either!"
"Then why the hell did you drag me all the way out here!?" I retort.
"I can't give moral lessons - but I can give aesthetic ones." He says, face growing serious. "That is to say, Edward's passing was a pretty beautiful moment, so quit pissing on it."
"That's-!" Seriously!? Just because it looked nice-
"Natsuki Subaru, don't tell me you're the kind of moron who thinks that death is the worst thing that can happen to a person." Mozart says, and I stop short.
"Death is… horrible," I mutter.
"It is," he responds simply, "but Edward knew that, I think. Poor man died of dysentery the first time around, can't have been fun."
"...And?" I ask. "Just because he knew what he was getting into, does that make it better?"
"A little bit, probably." The composer gives a noncommittal answer. "But even putting that aside, I think he preferred dying defending France to disappearing after defending it. He was never punished for his crimes against this country in life - and I think he wanted that."
"...Punishment, huh?" I ask. "Do you think this clears his name?"
"Who knows?" He says. "I think you and I both know that at the very least there's no bottom to man's self-loathing."
"I…" I can't really respond to his accusation.
"That brings me to my next point, though," He continues. "I won't bother moaning about unrealistic standards, since I've got them too. But don't set standards like that and then whine about not meeting them. Not where others can see, in any case."
"Seriously…?" I mutter. "Your advice is seriously twisted."
"Like I said, this is just about aesthetics!" He chuckles - and then, growing serious. "You were putting a pretty miserable look on Mash's face. That girl admires you a lot, you know? Not to mention, Elizabeth and Gareth really don't know you well enough yet to hear you spilling your guts like that. Maria and me too, for that matter, but we're both unreasonable people, so we can handle it."
"So… what, just put a fake smile on-?"
"No, idiot!" He raps my head again with his conductors' baton. "Just be appropriately sad. Have a little self-control, that's all I'm asking. If you've really got to cry and complain, don't do it where the girls can see you."
I feel my cheeks heat up. I get it now. It's totally superficial, but I get what he's saying. "I've made a fool of myself, huh?"
"Just a little. And only because it was some guy you barely knew. If you get me killed you better put on a display at least that dramatic, or I'll haunt you." He says.
"You asshole!" I laugh.
***
"-So, the gist is, I haven't really changed any of my feelings, but I'll try to look cooler in the future! Sorry, everyone!" I say with a bow.
"Um, Senpai, that's…" Mash mutters. "Well, I prefer the senpai who doesn't accept sacrifices, I think, but-!"
"Fishie, you already failed at being cool in your apology…" Elizabeth says.
"I feel like an important lesson was missed out on…" Jeanne says.
"Okay, Amadeus, your turn!" Marie says, dragging him away by the ear.