Arc 5, Chapter 80 – “Leaving Behind Ripples on the Water’s Surface”

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Translated by :

• Ice (/u/Ice_Occultism)

Proofread by :

• Gracedharperd (/u/Gracedharperd)
• SSCaide

Realigned by:

• SSCaide, based on the comp by Phantaminum

Art Sources

• Pixiv Link

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LL RIGHTS BELONG TO TAPPEI NAGATSUKI, THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR OF RE:ZERO STARTING A LIFE IN A DIFFERENT WORLD FROM ZERO, THIS IS A TRANSLATION OF THE FREE JAPANESE WEB NOVEL INTO ENGLISH

JAPANESE WEB NOVEL SOURCE

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Arc 5 – “Stars What Make History”
Chapter 80 – “Leaving Behind Ripples on the Water’s Surface”

 

???: [――So, let’s start, shall we.]

Emilia let her beautiful, crystal-clear voice echo throughout the room as she tensed her face slightly.

She spoke to everyone in the room with her silver bell-like voice―― Or perhaps she had said it to persuade herself; either way, she raised both of her slender arms.

Emilia: [――――]

Closing her eyes, Emilia began to concentrate her Mana to both of her raised hands.

Great magical power swirled around, and she mustered the utmost concentration to handle it with precision. If she lacked either power or precision, she would be unable to achieve her goal; this was an endeavor which only she could pursue.

Emilia: [――――]

Countless gazes poured down on Emilia who met her great sorcery head-on with a serious expression on her face. The women and children were huddled together, watching over her actions with bated breath.

Some were holding each other’s hands, while others had closed their eyes as if in prayer or wishing; they shared only hope and anxiety as they trembled.

Subaru: […It must be tough on them.]

And, at the tail end of the same room, Subaru was silently observing Emilia, who was being showered in many complex emotions.

The area they were in was a part of the underground facilities of the city of Pristella.

Originally, it had been a cellar that had stored emergency provisions. Its current almost-empty state was ideal for their intended purpose. Nothing was placed in the stone cellar, and its spaciousness seemed to emphasize its bleakness and chilliness.

But, it ought to be suitable for their current purpose, precisely because it was that kind of place.

Subaru: [Though, I wouldn’t say that’s a good thing.]

Beatrice: [Quit muttering sentimentalities, I suppose. It wouldn’t be good if someone heard you, and you’ll also end up messing up Emilia’s concentration, in fact.]

Standing beside Subaru, who had let that mutter accidentally slip out, Beatrice gave him her advice.

The girl, who held Subaru’s left hand with one hand and played with her drill curls with her other, stared at the white ritual that was being held in front of her eyes. Her pale blue eyes seemed like they were holding back pain in some respect to Subaru.

Subaru: [Since it’s Emilia, it will be okay. Don’t worry about it so much.]

Beatrice: […Don’t get the wrong idea, I suppose. Betty is not worried about Emilia, but about Subaru, in fact. Empathizing with the emotions of literally everybody is a bad habit, I suppose.]

Subaru: [I see.]

The strength of her hand holding his grew stronger, and Subaru bent his lips into the shape of an arc at the girl’s concern.

He knew what Beatrice wanted to say, as well as what she was worried about. However, his decision after he had understood that was based off of his current determination.

On that point, he could not yield. Even though he knew that it would just amount to trouble.

Emilia: [――――]

Away from Subaru and Beatrice’s hushed exchange of words, Emilia’s ritual continued on.

Emilia, who was concentrating with all her might, had beads of sweat trickling down her forehead as she panted out misted breaths. She was giving it her everything in mind and body to control the enormous amounts of Mana.

A pale-blue light, originating from in between Emilia’s hands, began to faintly envelop the cellar. Although the cold air was cold enough to fog up his sight, the chill did not pierce into his skin, it was gentle as if it were embracing his exposed heart.

He had heard that people who fell into hypothermia and were on the verge of death forgot about the cold. Extreme cold took away from people the ability to tell the temperature correctly, and granted them warmth as a parting gift before snatching their lives away, this he had learned.

Subaru vaguely thought about whether something akin to that was happening in this white world, but he immediately shook his head, dismissing it as plain stupid.

Pale-blue light filled the room, and the cold air converged to its center. And, in the middle of the light, there was――

???: [――――]

A huge black creature, curled up with its wings folded―― A black dragon that was lying down.

The strange creatures did not stop there, there were also flies roughly the size of people gathered around the black dragon. In all, they would give the impression of a nightmarish scene.

However, Subaru did not feel any revulsion at this scene.

――No. To be precise, he was strongly aware that he should not feel revulsion towards the black dragon and the human flies.

They were victims, innocents without any fault. They were victims of the malice of the Sin Archbishop of Lust, victims who had been transformed into inhumanities.

Subaru, and everyone else, currently did not know a way to restore their mutated bodies back to normal. That was why they had chosen this measure.

Subaru: [It may be that we’re just postponing the inevitable, but…]

Beatrice: [It will get us time, and even just that can be a salvation, in fact. Since you’re trying to hurry things up, your outlook is getting narrower, so you can’t see the options that you’d normally be able to. Not being aware of that, or realizing it later… both of those are cruelties, I suppose.]

Beatrice replied with something of a monologue to Subaru’s mutters. Her small, feeble sigh contained an insightfulness and sentimentality which only those who had spent a long, long time thinking could have.

Feeling that at the end of her words, Subaru just silently stroked her head without saying a single word back.

Beatrice: […What is it, in fact.]

Subaru: [It’s nothing.]

No matter how much time they took, they would not necessarily be able to make the right choice. Sometimes, even if time were to be given, there were cases where one would be unable to make the right choice.

Nevertheless, they could act so that the option chosen would be the best one.

The answer which Subaru had produced to Beatrice’s four-hundred years had been like so.

And so, he hoped that the time brought to the tragedy that struck the city, would also be like so.

Subaru: [――――]

The climax of the cold air that filled the cellar overlapped with Subaru’s strong emotions, and finally a sound like the air cracking, or so he thought, resounded throughout――

Emilia: […It ended up going safely.]

Emilia turned around whilst breathing out misted breaths.

She quickly bowed her head at that place, a little out of breath―― behind her, with their whole bodies covered in white crystal, were the lives of all of the souls who had been encased inside of ice.

Subaru: [――Tch.]

The members of their families were weeping, and their significant others were sobbing in tears.

Their sorrowful wails came out before any thanks, and they cruelly echoed throughout the cellar.

For a very, very long time, their wails continued to echo throughout, as if their sorrow had no end to it, being separated from their loved ones until goodness knows when.

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???: [For now, it seems like Emilia-sama’s proposal turned out well… Would I be okay to feel relieved by that?]

Having been informed about the conference at the meeting place, as well as Emilia’s subsequent work to freeze the mutation victims―― Otto nodded, looking relieved.

They were somewhere away from the shelters, in a private room at a hospital, where he had been carried to.

His condition on top of his bed still had not changed, with both of his legs painfully wrapped in bandages. Even so, at least he had managed to leave the field hospital’s treatment, and it was possible to say that his cramping legs looked like they had improved quite a bit.

In fact, Otto’s position was that of one of the valorous people who had contributed to the city’s defense, so it would have been nice if he had gotten higher quality medical treatment. However, Otto had not told them that, so Subaru opted not to say anything, since Otto had probably been considering those around him.

Subaru: [Hospitality that is presumed without saying anything… That’s the true meaning of wabi-sabi.] [1]

Otto: [Although you are here, Natsuki-san, your mind is elsewhere; that’s the same as always, so it is fine, but anyways… Thank you for your hard work, Emilia-sama.]

Disregarding the nodding Subaru, Otto thanked Emilia for her hard work, who had come to visit him. She drew her eyebrows down on hearing his thanks and said,

Emilia: [Nah, it’s alright. More importantly, I’m sorry for going through with it on my own without consulting with Otto-kun. But, it was because I’d thought it was something only I could do.]

Otto: [Ah, it’s fine. I’m not angry since your actions were undoubtedly precious, good deeds. Besides, they were very valuable actions even in a calculating sense.]

Emilia: [Calculating…?]

Otto: [It probably would have been better if you understood what I meant, but if you do not, even if you do not… No, how can I put it? Regarding that, honestly, it’s really difficult for me to decide which would be better.]

Subaru: [Don’t think about it, feel it. That is EMT.]

Emilia was not quite aware of the result of her own actions. With some magic words, Subaru serenely brushed Otto aside, who lay perplexed at Emilia’s attitude. He then continued by saying “More importantly”,

Subaru: [Your legs, they seem like they won’t be usable for a while, right?]

Otto: [With Pristella’s current state, it will be difficult to treat them more than this, right? The number of Healing Arts Users in the city is not enough to take care of all the injured. I think it may be better to move to a hospital in another city, but it seems that Kiritaka-san sent out as many messengers as he could to the neighboring cities, and requested for Healing Arts Users. That is why quietly waiting here for healers from one of those places to come by, would perhaps be more prudent than going back to the mansion.]

Laughing weakly with a “Haha”, Otto would be forced to withdraw from the frontlines for a while.

Wounds as severe as Otto’s could not be so easily cured without a mage fairly proficient in the use of healing magic. They had to be at Ferris-level, or Beatrice’s when she was in the Forbidden Library.

Subaru: [Ferris is constantly tending to Crusch, and our Healing Special Attack Corps Leader is going around Pristella… The reason being is that family of course.]

Emilia: [Those three, the mother and two siblings, right? That person who had the form of a dragon is the father, so it was a family of four, I think.]

Their Special Attack Corps Leader was not present, right now―― No, he should not refer to him like that, Garfiel is what he meant.

Currently, he was going around the city which was short of working hands, and working as hard as he could on the repair work. By nature, Garfiel was a kind, well-put-together young man. Even if he felt nothing for the city, if there were people in need, he would end up helping them without hesitation.

But, even so, his commitment to Pristella was second to none. And Subaru could more or less imagine the reason why.

Subaru: [That he didn’t tell us must mean that there are various complex circumstances, I guess.]

Emilia: [Yeah, that has to be it… Indeed, changing the subject, but don’t you think that Garfiel and that family resemble each other a bit? Their hair color and eye color are completely identical.]

Subaru: [Emilia-tan, you know that the subject hasn’t changed right?]

Emilia: [Eh!?]

Putting the surprised Emilia to one side, Garfiel was in such a condition.

Under normal circumstances, he himself should have sustained damage that would not be possible to call minor throughout his body, but due to his Divine Protection of Earth Spirits and his boundless physical strength, he had no intention of resting.

In addition, Mimi, who had been a pain to her little brothers with her wounds reopening and what-not, was also tagging along with him, so there had not been any ruckus around.

Otto: [Well, in regards to Garfiel’s true feelings, I would imagine one day he will reveal them on his own. We do not need to try and pry it out of him. More importantly…]

Emilia: [Hmm?]

Otto: [Ah, no, since both of you did not mention it at all, I did not say anything either, but why does Beatrice-san look so moody?]

Inclining the top half of his body, Otto turned the flow of conversation to a corner of the hospital room―― Beatrice was there, puffing out her red cheeks, visibly shaking her head from left to right with a sullen look in her eyes.

Subaru nodded and responded with an “Ah” to that question.

Subaru: [It’s because of that, you know. She’s in a bad mood because we went to the Restoration Master on your errand and ended up being turned away… When you look at it from multiple perspectives, wouldn’t that be your fault?]

Otto: [No! You are going too far there… Right, Emilia-sama?]

Emilia: [Mhm, you’re right. It’s a Contractor’s natural obligation to take care of their Spirit. So, the one who needs to cheer Beatrice up has to be Subaru.]

Subaru: [You mentioned cheering up, but even when you say that, I don’t have many memories of Emilia-tan taking care of Puck.]

Emilia: [Don’t nitpick with that! Besides, I’ve done tons of stuff when Subaru wasn’t there to see. Like grooming his fur, cleaning his claws, cuddling him to sleep…]

It was doubtful whether that could be referenced as a format on the way of associating with Spirits, but Emilia’s expression when talking about Puck had turned cheerful.

Ever since his sudden parting back at the Sanctuary had stabbed her, she had had a strong expression of grief whenever she recalled Puck, but it seemed that stage had passed too.

――A crystal stone made of colorless, great magic ore adorned Emilia’s chest.

The same design that she always wore before she was separated from Puck, combined with the beauty of her expression; she had gone back to looking like the same old Emilia.

She traced the crystal stone with one of her slender fingers, and said,

Emilia: [I still don’t have enough power to bring Puck back right now, but… Mine and Puck’s Contract hasn’t been severed, so we can meet again when I accumulate enough Mana so that he can manifest. So, just a little bit more patience, eh.]

Subaru: [That, too, was thanks to one of Beako’s achievements, and… Well, thanks to Kiritaka’s kindness.]

The reason why Subaru and the others had come to the city of Pristella in the first place had been to obtain a great magic stone.

The reality should have been that he would turn it over or not after some negotiation, but the negotiations had ended up taking an inconceivable detour. In any case, they had received one at present, and were very satisfied.

Subaru: [So you cheer up too, Beako.]

Beatrice: [I’m not moody, I suppose. It’s your misunderstanding, in fact. Hmph.]

Emilia: [Oh, Beatrice, how adorable…]

Going all the way to letting out an easy-to-understand sound effect, Beatrice turned her face away from Subaru who was trying to get her to cheer up. Subaru was in agreement with Emilia, who was feeling the butterflies behind him; however, whether they could talk about her cuteness or not was yet another matter.

Otto: [It seems that Master Darts is a person with a craftsman’s temperament, doesn’t it? He cannot leave a job half-done once undertaken, I understand that sort of thing.]

Subaru: [But, still, let’s think about how his professionalism has been taken to too much of an extreme. It seems like this guy was working in his workshop all throughout the chaos, doesn’t it? He’s too much of a workaholic.]

Otto: [That is the craftsman in him, you see.]

Subaru: [The craftsman in him, huh?]

He really did not know why Otto seemed to be proud, but when he said that, it seemed to make him feel good; boys were such simple creatures. A craftsman’s temperament was cool.

However, Beatrice directed an angered look at the nodding Otto and Subaru, and said,

Beatrice: [Yes, but that doesn’t mean he should completely ignore his client’s words, I suppose. Even when I said I’d pay him double, he didn’t say a single word, in fact.]

Subaru: [Giving any indication of listening to what a little girl is saying as she slaps your cheeks with a roll of bills would only work as a reward for those who aren’t professionals well-versed in their trade. You tell her too, Emilia-tan.]

Emilia: [Yeah, you shouldn’t think like this, Beatrice. If you’re going to waste money, I’m going to have to end up confiscating your pocket money.]

Beatrice: [What rude treatment I’m getting from both of you, I suppose!]

The indignant Beatrice grabbed one of the curtains, wrapped herself in it and hid herself behind it.

Following that, Emilia could not resist anymore, and hugged Beako IN the curtain, making her yell out, “GNNNYYYA, IN FACT!”

Putting aside their cheerful intermezzo, it was not like he did not understand Beatrice’s feelings.

That which Otto had commissioned to the Restoration Master Darts, and Subaru and the others had tried to recover, was the damaged Book of Wisdom. It was the origin as to why its owner, Roswaal, had tried so hard to interfere with the future ahead of Subaru―― It was natural to be interested in its contents.

Subaru: [Although his interference’s subtle, the slippery nature of that guy goes hand-in-hand.]

Even though his act of sabotage had been discovered, Roswaal’s attitude on the surface had not changed from before. Of course, since he had schemed behind that easygoing attitude, remaining alert was essential. However, it was also true that he had an air to him that seemed like the poisonousness had slipped out.

Nonetheless, it was not the same, he would not go as far as being able to call him a collaborative ally who would take the role of a bystander.

Subaru: [If we can at least see what’s lying ahead with the Book of Wisdom…]

If they were able to hold belief that Roswaal was not planning anything, regardless of the past, it would be safe to walk the road ahead together. It would probably also have a bit more of a positive effect for the future of the Camp.

Subaru: [That’s why I want to insist on it.]

Otto: [Even when I don’t endeavor to make such excuses, I and Emilia-sama have more or less the same opinions as Natsuki-kun, so on that point we’re fine. Just Garfiel, well… He has his personal enmities, so even if he knows the facts, his attitude may not change.]

By personal enmities, was he really referring to the Sanctuary, or Ram?

Without touching that subject, Subaru gazed over at Emilia and Beatrice, messing about…

Subaru: [That book is no stranger to Beatrice either. So, I think I would like to confirm it if it’s even possible. Taking her out from the Forbidden Library and leaving the past behind are different problems.]

Otto: [Did you know that on many occasions, I thought about trying to consult with you?]

Subaru: [I’m not blaming you for that, y’know.]

He thought that recovering the Book of Wisdom, and attempting to restore it back to normal, while doing all this on his own, was a good judgment on Otto’s part.

And fundamentally, it was hardly ever that Otto’s considerations failed. He was fully aware that he was not a person who acted in self-interest.

Subaru: [You really aren’t suited to be a merchant…]

Otto: [Could you leave me alone!? More importantly, what about Master Darts?]

Subaru: [“It may be my greatest job yet”, he said. “You can defer the fee, so I would like you to let me work on this properly until the end”, he said.]

It was worrying that the deadline had not expired, but that guy was a craftsman, so he could not possibly say it was impossible.

He wanted to believe that he was not the type of craftsman who would grumble even after the deadline passed.

Otto: [So in the end, I will also have to collect the Book of Wisdom, I feel like me staying behind in Pristella has already been decided, right?]

Subaru: [Garfiel also plans to stay for a while for the reconstruction work and the city defense. Them having been driven away is settled, but what if that’s a feint for them attacking again! Since they never quit, those shits.]

They looked like the sort of guys that would make the same mischief over and over.

It seemed like Subaru was not the only one who had recognized that, everyone who was involved had not let their guard down either. It was also possible that their aims were to force unnecessary feelings of tension to torment them.

Subaru: [Even if I bring that up, nothing more can be done about it.]

Otto: [In any case, I think we need to wait and see how things go. As soon as my legs are in a better state, I will go around to check up on various things. However…]

Otto broke his words off there, as he discussed his future plans.

He strenuously lifted the upper part of his body up from the bed, and looked up at Subaru, who had closed one of his eyes. And, as he struck his temple with one of his fingers, he said,

Otto: [I shall say this clearly, I am against this.]

Subaru: […Well, I thought you’d say that.]

Subaru gave a wry smile at Otto’s declaration. That he would say that and be against it, was an attitude which Subaru had predicted.

After all, Otto Suwen had evaluated Natsuki Subaru correctly.

Subaru himself was more aware than anyone of his own helplessness, but there were not many who clearly understood his shortcomings.

At best, those were Beatrice and Otto. Perhaps Patrasche a bit. And although now was not the time for him, Ferris mayhaps too.

Therefore, he had anticipated that Beatrice and Otto, from their Camp, would be against it. He believed if Patrasche could speak, then she would have probably been similarly against it. However,

Subaru: [If you know me that much, then you should know my answer.]

Otto: […In truth, Beatrice-san’s moodiness isn’t only because of Master Darts, right?]

Subaru: [Weeeell~, I’m not so sure. As you might expect, even I don’t understand what’s in the depths of Beako’s heart.]

When Subaru feigned his innocence with a shrug of his shoulders, Otto’s face turned into one of exasperation.

Of course, when it came to him and his sharp hearing, he should not be lacking in knowledge of legends nor rumors. He must know all too well the riskiness of Subaru’s choice.

Adding onto what he had said, Subaru prefaced what he was going to say to Otto with an “I’m sorry”,

Subaru: [I will go to see that Sage or whatever they are, with that white fox guide for a little while.]

He smiled as he said that.

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???: [――Come in.]

When he knocked on the door as a courtesy, just in case, a calm voice replied to him from the inside.

It was a familiar voice, but one that lacked in spirit. Subaru felt excessively annoyed at it.

???: [Is that you, Subaru?]

Subaru: [Is it bad that it’s me?]

???: [It is strange, now when I see your face, I feel terribly relieved.]

Subaru: [Blaaargh.]

He walked into the room, wrapping up the reproachful words that he had exchanged at the start with that action.

Even while he showed that attitude, there was consideration in the way Subaru closed the door behind him. Closing the door without making a sound was the minimum amount of courtesy for those who slept inside.

???: [If they would wake up because of the noise, that would be so much better.]

Subaru: [If that happened, would you give me a round of applause or something? That’d be a priceless scene. Gluttony, who was let to be at large, would get more and more pissed off.]

???: [Hmph.]

Giving a relaxed smile, Subaru inclined his head without meeting his eyes. Then he looked around the room and narrowed his eyes at the row of beds.

A simple bed and a thin blanket; that was all the charity given to the people who slept there. And Subaru knew that more than that was not even necessary.

The people who slept here were forgotten from memory, cut loose from daily life, and only remained left behind as imperfect beings that just were not dead.

Subaru: [Julius. I’m not one to talk, but you shouldn’t spend so much time here.]

Julius: [――――]

Subaru: [Even if you keep looking at them, you can’t remember that which you can’t remember. That applies to both a beloved little sister, as well as someone who is truly like your other half.]

Subaru called out to the young man―― Julius, without using any words of comfort.

He was sitting at a corner of the bed rows, at one of the bedsides located the furthest away. He lifted his face up, still full of sorrow which he was unable to conceal from his handsome features,

Julius: [Knowing that in my head and knowing that with my heart are completely different things. I do not mean to be conceited, but so far, I had never thought of myself as an emotionally-driven, big-headed person. Me not realizing that until this happened is a lack in my self-awareness.]

Subaru: [――――]

Whilst he spoke, Julius looked down at the bed right next to him.

Naturally, one of the victims of appetite who had lost their Name was sleeping there as well, and their consciousness and memories had been completely cut away from the world.

That was why Julius Juukulius did not remember this person―― The slender-faced young man with long purple hair, who was his own little brother, Joshua Juukulius.

Julius: [Joshua, eh?]

He could call his little brother’s name because Subaru had told him his name, and the relation he had to him.

The victims of the Authority of Gluttony―― When it had been reported that many unidentifiable, comatose people had been found, Subaru had been convinced that they had suffered the same damage as Rem.

And he himself may have not forgotten those forgotten. Relying only on that slim hope, he had gone to the hospital room and discovered the sleeping Joshua.

Julius: [It is strange. Although there is enough in common to be able to conclude he is definitely a blood relative after listening to your story, within me there lies not a single memory of my little brother.]

Julius closed his eyes without showing any emotion on his face.

Joshua was the only one he knew amongst the victims of Gluttony. He could not find the other thirty-plus victims even in his memory, and thus they continued to sleep without anyone even mourning for them, or worrying about their well-being.

If one gave it some thought, it was possible to say that Joshua, who had his big brother worrying about him, was one of the lucky ones.

Even in these circumstances, where he was forgotten by the big brother he loved so dearly, said big brother had gone to the hospital room to cling onto his brotherly love in name only, and called out to his little brother without true emotion.

Even if he were forgotten, even if he had forgotten him, even if he was not there in his memories, even if there were just facts, it was just heart-wrenching.

Subaru: […Fucking hell.]

He should have known. He really should have.

That the Authority of the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony was the most despicable evil in this world.

Along with Wrath, who twisted people’s emotions at will. Along with Lust, who broke people’s dignity as well as their form, before then trampling over them. Along with Greed, who denied everything besides himself, imposing his egocentric sense of omnipotence. Along with Sloth, who indulged himself in using the word “diligence” to paint over the lives of others with his selfish love.

They were the worst evil without doubt, not a single one of them deserved to live. How could he stand those beings that profaned the lives of absolutely everyone like Gluttony did?

Subaru: [――Staying here will only make you feel depressed. Don’t make me keep saying it.]

Only unpleasant things passed through his mind.

He had put that irritation into words, and called out to Julius. When he heard those words, Julius stood up, and touched his forgotten little brother’s slender chest, and said,

Julius: [He is… breathing. He is alive. It is strange.]

Subaru: [Yeah, that’s right. But he doesn’t eat, nor does he need to go to the bathroom. He also doesn’t need to take a bath… He doesn’t laugh either.]

Julius: [He does not feel the sorrow of being forgotten, either―― That may be a blessing.]

Subaru: [A blessing…?]

Subaru raised his eyebrows in response to the word that spilled out from Julius.

Looking back at him, Julius slightly curved the crooks of his lips up, and whilst giving a weak smile, he said,

Julius: [If you do not realize you have been forgotten, you need not fear the anxiety of being left behind. It is really hard to bear having what should have been close relationships with people… being cut off one-sidedly.]

Subaru: [――――]

Julius: [Subaru. Being forgotten, and forgetting… I wonder, which of those is the most painful?]

Subaru: [How…]

Subaru’s throat clogged up at that question.

It did not clog up due to the answer. The answer had been readied in an instant. So what had obstructed Subaru’s words had not been bewilderment. It had been fury.

Subaru glared at Julius, who had a cynical smile on his face.

Subaru: [How would I know? Don’t mess about, stop absorbing yourself in these things.]

Julius: […Subaru?]

Subaru: [Forgetting, being forgotten, TO HELL WITH BOTH! Don’t try and order such painful things, are you that negative!? Making that damn face, like you’re the most unfortunate person in the whole world. Want to try and compare your misfortunes with mine so far? Whatever the case, I would win!?]

Julius: [――――]

Julius became speechless at the sudden change that took over Subaru, who had raised his voice, jabbing his finger at him.

Opening his eyes wide in surprise, he could not say anything to this Subaru, who had suddenly become enraged. And as he looked Julius keeping his silence, Subaru lowered his finger and shrugged his shoulders,

Subaru: [Don’t make such a despairing face. I know you’re suffering, and I know that you were forgotten and you have nowhere left to go… But, I’m sorry, but I won’t let you show your weak side.]

Julius: [――――]

Subaru: [Have you forgotten, Julius? ――No, do not forget, Julius.]

Subaru glared at Julius whilst he bit his lips in frustration. He placed his hand on his chest, and once again made a declaration like the ones he had done.

Subaru: [My eyes know your strength. My shame knows it. Even if everyone has forgotten.]

Julius: [――――]

He could not breathe, the feeling of his blood going up to his head had yet to vanish.

Really, how long had it been since he had gotten this pissed off? Since Regulus. He was astonished that not even half a day had passed since then.

How much had this turmoil in Pristella burdened his heart and lungs? And then,

Julius: [Ha, haha…]

Subaru: [Huh?]

Julius: [Haha… No, you truly are a one-of-a-kind man. I have realized that once more…]

Getting rid of the startled face he had had up until now, Julius suddenly bent over in laughter. Giving in to the urge to laugh, Julius continued to laugh before the disgruntled Subaru. And when the urge gradually settled, Julius let out a long sigh.

Julius: [I see, you are right. It does not mean that absolutely everything was left behind, right?]

Subaru: [Rather than saying “left behind”, I’d say you’re in front by around three horse lengths.]

Julius: [Is three horse lengths enough?]

Subaru: [I’m gonna fucking beat your ass! With me and Beako as a team, it’ll be completely different from before!]

He flipped him his middle finger, and spat at Julius who was starting to get back to his usual manner. Julius gracefully dodged his spit, and gave him a bow, whilst saying “I see”,

Julius: [Then, I will try to have faith in those big words.]

Subaru: […Mhm, do so. As much as you can, too, do great deeds, so that you surprise everyone when their memories come back.]

This time, at that haughty attitude, Subaru raised his thumb up and then turned it down in provocation. Faced with that coarse gesture, the Finest of Knights that only Subaru knew smiled gracefully,

Julius: [――So, first of all, more so than anyone else, I will try to strive to surprise you. You, who remembers me.]

Saying that, he fortified his intent of accompanying him to the Pleiades Watchtower that awaited them.

Translation Notes:

[1] – Wabi-sabi, written “侘寂”, is a world view, part of traditional Japanese aesthetics, whose principles include simplicity, economy, austerity and modesty, among others. For more details, see here.