Arc 5, Chapter 39 – “Knightliness and the Tardy Man”

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All rights belong to Tappei Nagatsuki, the original author of the Re:Zero series. This is an English translation of the free web novel which is available at:

http://ncode.syosetu.com/N2267BE/

Translated by:

• Nanashi-tan
• Phantaminum

Proofread by:

• Phantaminum
• SSCaide

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After reaffirming their determination, Subaru and Anastasia made their way downstairs, toward the reception hall.

Subaru had been lying down on the third floor of the City Hall―― the middle one out of all five floors, which seemed to normally function as a conference room.

Anastasia: [Since the fifth floor was completely destroyed by the dragon’s breath, the fourth floor is technically the top floor now. All of Lust’s victims are gathered and restin’ there.]

Subaru: […What happened to the broadcasting magical device? The top floor burned down…]

Anastasia: [No worries, it’s been removed and put in safekeepin’. The magical device itself’s shaped like a large metal box, so it’s easy to carry around. It seems that the sound’s picked up by the box, and then transmitted by sound-detecting magical devices installed throughout the city.]

An antenna… and perhaps something akin to a loudspeaker?

The metal box and loudspeakers functioned as a pair of magical devices. Whatever the case, the magical device had been recovered safely, along with the hostages. Those were perhaps the only good news Subaru had heard upon waking.

Except for the fact that there were pros and cons in using magical devices, and the fact he did not feel comfortable saying that the hostages were safe.

Subaru: [Did you say that Capella’s victims are gathered on the fourth floor?]

Anastasia: [Even though they’ve been turned into flies and, in one case, a dragon, their minds are still human, so they understand what we’re sayin’ and follow directions… Although I can’t really say if that’s actually a good thing.]

Subaru: […]

Subaru also could not decide whether it was fortunate that the transformed people had retained their human consciousness. To be aware of having become a creature wholly different from a human, and an insect no less, must have come with a saddening, disorienting sense of loss.

However, could it be said that despite having lost their flesh, they had survived, just in another state? Was this also called a loss of self? The answer to this, presumably, would only be known by those who had experienced it.

Anastasia: [They can also move normally. Thankfully, there haven’t been any suicide attempts yet. Things happened too abruptly, and most of ‘em haven’t really had a chance to react yet… In short, if we can fix everythin’ before the dust settles, things should turn out just fine.]

Subaru: [Suicide…?]

Anastasia: [Don’t’cha think it’s a concern?]

Subaru: [————]

That was a question Subaru could not afford to answer rashly. However, this question also meant that, compared to Subaru, Anastasia seemed to be taking this twisted situation calmly.

Anastasia: [As long as there’s life, there’s hope, but without a will to live, that hope’s gonna be destroyed. Just havin’ a breathin’ body ain’t enough, it’s the will to live that we can’t afford to lose.]

Although he could not see Anastasia’s face, facing forward and away from him, he heard the conviction in her voice.

However, Subaru wholeheartedly agreed with her perseverance in regard to life and death.

Living was necessary. And as long as there was life, there was a chance to resist. To that end…

Julius: [Anastasia-sama.]

As Subaru and Anastasia made their way downstairs, the first to notice their reappearance was Julius, who called the name of his master.

Originally, Subaru had barely given the first floor’s reception hall a passing glance. Even so, upon sight, the lobby was so deeply engraved with the traces of a valiant struggle that it was obvious what had passed. Overturned tables and chairs, walls scored with sword slashes and scorched with magic, splatters of blood that had been hurriedly wiped away but were nonetheless present here and there.

Although Julius had been so regretful of Gluttony’s escape, he had evidently not wavered for even a second during their battle.

Julius: [How was your discussion with Subaru?]

Anastasia: [It was a lil’ bit lengthy, but it came to a smooth conclusion. Just like us, Natsuki-kun is very determined not to remain defeated. And so…]

Anastasia nodded in response to Julius’s inquiry. After a brief moment of lightheartedness, she cast her gaze in another direction.

Opposite the stairs Subaru had just descended, Ricardo’s burly form appeared in front of the lobby’s entrance. He recalled that Anastasia had mentioned that Ricardo was outside, looking for survivors.

Anastasia: [Ricardo, welcome back. How’s the situation outside?]

Ricardo: [Does this look like a happy face, miss? It’s pretty bad. It’s prolly worsening with time. Those bastards are experienced at makin’ trouble.]

Ricardo frowned with an annoyed sigh at the results of his inspection.

While rubbing his dog head, he gave a series of instructions to various members of the Iron Fang. A few of them left to stand guard, while others went to rest further down the hall.

Subaru: [What do you mean, the Witch Cult’s making trouble? I mean, I know the current situation’s already as troublesome as it can be, but… is there anything else?]

???: [The broadcast, Captain. It was that goddamn broadcast.]

Garfiel, coming down the stairs, answered Subaru’s puzzled question. As he crunched down with his fangs in frustration, Subaru prompted someone to elaborate.

Subaru: [Broadcast… You mean the one where they stated their requests? Did they say anything else?]

Julius: [It was nothing too exaggerated, they just boasted that they had crushed the force trying to retake the City Hall. But the way that Archbishop of Lust phrased it was poisonous indeed.]

Ricardo: [Thanks to her, the people at the shelters I went to had their fighting spirit broken. It’s difficult to cheer ‘em up with the recapture of the city.]

Julius closed his eyes, and Ricardo wrinkled his nose. After hearing their answer, Subaru immediately understood what they had meant by the Witch Cult causing trouble.

Earlier, Capella had made a broadcast with a list of demands, alongside the information of Subaru’s defeat during the operation to retake the City Hall.

The ordinary citizens, who had no capacity for combat, were completely discouraged by what was thought to be the defeat of those with the capability to stand up and fight. And those who could fight would understand the harsher implications. They would understand what Subaru and the others were thinking by attempting to retake the City Hall so early.

They would realize that a powerful force was needed to achieve that. But the raid operation had failed, despite having said powerful force.

In other words, Capella’s broadcast was an attempt to defang those inside the shelters, stopping them from mounting resistance regardless of their combat ability.

Ricardo: [Thanks to the records in the City Hall, I found the location of all the shelters in the city, and visited the nearby ones one-by-one, but… You can guess how that went.]

Ricardo reaffirmed Subaru’s fears. The problem resided in the hearts of the people. Rather than being a failure to motivate them on Ricardo’s part, the blame could only be placed on the Witch Cult. Those people had bad personalities to the point of being impressive.

Anastasia: [Without determination, we won’t have courage. The next fight’ll be dangerous indeed…]

In contrast to Subaru’s fury, Anastasia was quietly contemplative, drawing her hand to her chin. Hearing her soft voice, Subaru raised his head, and she started with an “Isn’t that right?”

Anastasia: [Even if we fight, we have no chance of winnin’—— puttin’ that thought into everyone’s mind encourages them to give up without a fight. What do ya think’ll happen next?]

Subaru: [They’ll give up to despair and become depressed… is that the answer you want from me?]

Anastasia: [If they just wanna hug their knees and cry, that’d be almost childishly endearin’, don’t’cha think? But that won’t be the case. If ya lose the option to fight, but the will to live doesn’t vanish, what’s left?]

Subaru: […So you’re saying that——]

Subaru understood the essence of what Anastasia wished to convey. Horror struck him. However, the notion that the Witch Cult had deliberately attempted to create this situation meant that an unspeakable amount of disgust accompanied his realization.

As if to encourage the tremor growing within Subaru, Anastasia clapped her hands together. And continued——

Anastasia: [The answer to their salvation’s already been given, in the form of a request, no less. Thus, it makes sense that people would show up, who’d be tryin’ to fulfill those demands out of desperation. That goes for the owners of the Artificial Spirits and the Book of Wisdom. And it wouldn’t be odd if even those “lovers and married couples” started poppin’ up.]

Subaru: [But not everyone would go to those extremes, right!?]

Anastasia: [Certainly not. There are some who would refuse to trade their survival for the lives of others. Those’d instead seek a way to flee the city. No matter what, there’ll be plenty of panic, and we won’t be able to get anythin’ done in the confusion.]

Once the contagion of panic spread, with a single misstep, the already-precarious balance would collapse entirely. It hurt to imagine the city in that state, where the Witch Cult had taken full control through fear. Each of them had been given the ultimate power to destroy everything.

A literal dictatorial switch, able to cast everything into the water.

Subaru: [Before that happens… could we somehow visit everyone and motivate them?]

Anastasia: [That’s not very realistic, is it?]

Subaru: [Then the actual problem is that this situation’s too damn pessimistic!]

Panic was a natural consequence of the anxiety in everyone’s hearts. And the only way to fight this inevitable panic was to provide hope.

Subaru: [We are preparing to mount a counteroffensive—— Saying even that much would give the little bit of hope needed to stave off much of the panic, wouldn’t it?]

Anastasia: [I think that we should be prepared for some damage as a result, at least. I don’t think it’s worth the effort, and they’ll get carried away with their antics again.]

Subaru: [Wait, wait, Anastasia-san. That doesn’t sound like what I have in mind.]

Subaru scowled, feeling uncomfortable with the way Anastasia was talking. His attitude prompted a tired sigh from her.

Anastasia: [Natsuki-kun’s ideal of refusin’ to sacrifice anyone—— although admirable, it’s not realistic in the slightest. Our forces took too much damage in the first stage of the battle, and we won’t be able to pull through without takin’ some losses. Isn’t that obvious?]

Subaru: [The first and the second time… Yes, that was indeed the case. But that’s not the same as accepting any future sacrifices… In fact, that’s exactly what we’re trying to avoid!]

Anastasia: [If we were about to launch one final, victorious strike, I’d agree withcha. But that’s not the case. The only people who should be put on the boat are those who still have the will to swim, even if it sinks. Puttin’ those who will drown on board ain’t a winnin’ strategy. They’ll just be deadweight.]

Subaru: [——! Winning or losing——!]

Anastasia: [And if we lose, all of us will drown! If you don’t care about winnin’ or losin’, then let’s talk about livin’ or dyin’! Natsuki-kun, your philosophy of taking no losses is really too naïve!]

Anastasia’s building anger only served to fan the flames of Subaru’s own rage.

Raising a warning arm, Julius stopped Subaru from approaching Anastasia. However, his careful gaze was trained not on Subaru, but on Anastasia, almost as if he were standing on Subaru’s side. He sighed lightly and closed his eyes.

Julius: [Anastasia-sama, I understand your feelings, but I must agree with Subaru. Even if preventing Anastasia-sama’s worries is indeed impossible, I would prefer dealing with them nonetheless. And damaging our morale… that is exactly the Witch Cult’s plan.]

Subaru: [J-Julius!]

Julius’s support of Subaru, even at the expense of defying his own master, tempered Subaru’s anger with surprise, and he even felt a surge of renewed confidence. If Julius, paragon of righteousness, the renowned Finest of Knights, shared Subaru’s opinion, then Subaru himself was not wrong in the least.

However, Anastasia only turned to Julius, caressing her scarf.

Anastasia: [Do you think I enjoy talkin’ so loosely about takin’ losses? I don’t even know for a fact that the other shelters will fall to chaos! Ultimately, it’s just a possibility. Even so, there’s no way we can deal with every troublesome possibility one-by-one!]

Julius: [But…]

Anastasia: [Y’ain’t a lil’ kid anymore, so ya understand, don’t’cha? With how limited our resources are, the only way to handle the Witch Cult effectively’s to put everythin’ into offense. And even then, there’s only so much we can do. If we spread ourselves too thin, there’s no way we can actually do everythin’ we want.]

Anastasia’s words must have sounded cold and relentless to Julius, who bit into his lip resentfully, like a scolded child. At the same time, those words also addressed Subaru’s own reckless idea.

Of course, it was not that Subaru did not understand Anastasia’s perspective perfectly.

The weight of saving even one life was such a heavy burden. To save even one person was endlessly difficult. And the more people sought salvation, the more difficult it would become to save them all. The likelihood of something going wrong would increase. So saving as many people as Subaru wanted to was nigh-impossible.

Of course, even children could draw this conclusion.

The more appas a person had, the more likely they were to slip out of one’s hold. Or, alternatively, the more likely it would be for someone to stumble and fall because they could not see their feet, or for their arm strength to give out.

Anastasia: [We’re talkin’ ‘bout winnin’. We need to compromise as adults, instead of railin’ on like spoiled children. A Knight’s reputation shouldn’t be so cheap as to make ya unable to see the difference, right?]

Julius: [————]

Julius closed his eyes after hearing Anastasia’s statement. As he lowered his head, Subaru could see that his fists were clenched behind his back. It was clear that Julius was unwilling to object further. However――

Subaru: [Giving up here means that the pride of a Knight will be sullied.]

Anastasia: […Hey, Natsuki-kun, have ya been listening at all? Aren’tcha actin’ like ya did at that first meetin’ at the Royal Castle? Through whatever twists and turns, you’ve become a Knight too, ya know.]

Subaru: [Yes, I’m also a Knight now. And because I’m a Knight, I’ll never give in!]

The more appas you held, the more likely they were to topple to the floor.

But Subaru and Julius were Knights, and, rather than holding appas, they were holding something far more precious. Rather than holding fruits that could be dropped without consequence, in their hands were human lives.

Lives which screamed and sobbed and were cared for.

Subaru: [This is something that’s mattered to me from the very beginning. I still act at the mercy of that ideal. The morals of this world have not affected me that much yet!]

Anastasia: [You’re sayin’ somethin’ mysterious again… But the fact of the matter is, during the battle against the White Whale, and the battle with the Witch Cult afterward… people died. For sure, there were casualties in those fights. Natsuki-kun, did ya say anything like this regardin’ those fights too?]

Subaru: [Don’t treat me as a fool, Anastasia. Their deaths were tragic, but those people were prepared to die in battle, even if they did not want to die. They understood what they were doing. There’s a big difference between those, who were prepared, and innocent civilians, who are not!]

He understood that this notion was unreasonable, and that it might be completely illogical. However, this was what Subaru believed. That awareness was what mattered to him in a situation of life and death.

Subaru: [The people of this city should not be forced to prepare themselves for death. It is up to them to regard this place as a battlefield. There was never any obligation for them to take up a soldier’s awareness. Leaving them behind is wrong.]

Anastasia: [Even if it’s wrong, people will be attacked even if they’re unprepared. And when that happens, won’t those people have to be prepared?]

Subaru: [No. It’s only logical that those who have prepared themselves for battle will be met by others likewise prepared for battle. That’s what Knights are for, it’s their duty to protect those who aren’t prepared to protect themselves! That’s the kinda Knight I idealize! That’s the dashing Knight I pretended to be, in front of those defenseless village kids!]

Having accepted the accolades of a Knight, Subaru found himself able to live his dream. It was only natural that he would think in this grand way. The village children looked at him with admiration shining in their eyes whenever Subaru said something valiant and dashing. And so, Subaru wanted to do his best for them.

Of course, it helped that Emilia, when she listened in, would look at him with those same bright, shining eyes.

Subaru: [As Emilia’s Knight, I want to fight for Emilia, but that doesn’t mean that no one but Emilia matters. Anastasia-san, as your Knight, Julius fights, above all, for you. But he doesn’t want to stop there. He’s not satisfied with just that. That’s the nature of a Knight, they’ll stop at nothing to look dashing and valiant.]

Anastasia: [————]

Subaru: [Julius especially. He could be on the verge of death and still be putting on that cool act of his, because this bastard is the Finest of Knights. In other words, he wants to look way cooler than anyone else.]

As Anastasia was stunned silent due to his words, Subaru gestured toward Julius with his thumb, who promptly fell into an embarrassed, awkward silence.

A speechless Anastasia and a stunned Julius were so rarely seen that Subaru could not help but grin happily, even though it was not the time nor the place.

Subaru: [Defeating the bad guys is a simple enough goal. But deciding to live with the guilt of making sacrifices is ridiculous. Everyone must be saved, every villain must be defeated. Even if you don’t succeed, you have to set out with that idea, right?]

Choosing the option to accept sacrifices from the start was not the same as failing to stop said sacrifices as a result. Of course, it would be easy to interpret that as a selfish sense of self-satisfaction, but――

???: [——To live for your own satisfaction is the most human way to live. I completely agree with you, bro.]

Subaru: [——!]

As Subaru elaborated upon his naïve ideals, a new voice inserted itself into the scene, one that sympathized with his point of view.

Everyone was surprised to hear that voice, and turned their faces to the entrance of the City Hall. Having caught everyone’s attention, the man there looked back and forth, seemingly unhappy.

???: [Hey, looking at me with such enthusiasm is a little off-putting. I know that my seductiveness isn’t exactly at its prime, so I don’t know how well I’d meet all your expectations.]

Subaru: [——Al.]

It was Al, one of Subaru’s acquaintances who had disappeared after he had left the hotel this morning. He seemed unharmed, speaking with lighthearted jests and no trace of hostility.

Without moving from his location, he glanced back and forth at the people crowding the room again.

Al: [Are these the only familiar faces at the City Hall? Weren’t there more this morning?]

Subaru: […They’re upstairs with Crusch-san. Why are you here?]

Al: [Well, when the commotion started, I decided to turn ass and find a place to hide for a bit. When things started settling down, I took a peek outside, and heard the broadcast. So I decided to come to the City Hall. My first thought was that you were probably involved, and, if not, I’d at least be able to find someone who knows what’s going on.]

He spoke his usual absurd optimism while playing with the seams of his helmet, making a metallic sound. However, everyone but Subaru felt more than a little displeased at his answer.

After all, he was one of the few people who was capable of fighting, yet had chosen to prioritize his own safety.

Al: [C’mon, don’t look at me like that. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there, but it’s just that the stars didn’t align properly. Besides, I don’t think the results would have changed based on my presence alone.]

Garfiel: [Oy, captain. Is this bastard tryin’ to provoke us or somethin’?]

Garfiel was the first to reach the limits of his patience. Al’s casual demeanor had infuriated Garfiel.

Thinking back on it, Al and Garfiel had never met. When Priscilla crashed the nice breakfast at the hotel, Garfiel had been absent. From his point of view, Al was a strange and potentially dangerous man.

Subaru: [Wait, wait, Garfiel. He’s Al, the Knight of Priscilla, one of the candidates of the Royal Selection, although he hasn’t officially met you yet. I didn’t tell you, but all five candidates are in the city right now…]

Al: [Technically I’m just the Princess’s subordinate, and not actually a Knight, bro. I don’t expect much of myself to be able to call myself a Knight. Oh, by the way, I don’t mean anything rude about you, bro.]

Although Subaru had stopped Garfiel from overreacting, Al responded to his introduction with a note of irony. His attitude had Garfiel gnash his fangs together in rage again.

Anastasia: [Alright, enough, enough! Shush! You’re all being seriously too annoyin’.]

With a loud clap, Anastasia diffused the swiftly escalating tension. Her round eyes fixed themselves on Al――

Anastasia: [Aren’tcha just like your master, appearin’ so suddenly and makin’ a mess of the atmosphere? What a terrible personality. Causin’ a fight’ll rub people the wrong way, so how about you drop it for now?]

Al: [Wow, such hurtful advice. Unfortunately, this is just the way I am. Everyone says that I tick people off and disrupt their rhythms. Well, it works as a survival technique.]

Al stuck a finger into the gap between his head and his helmet, scratching the nape of his neck sheepishly. Anastasia turned to Subaru with a small sigh.

Anastasia: [Although things seem to have gotten even more complicated, my plans won’t change. If the path to victory requires sacrifices, then I’ll make a plan with those in mind. If Natsuki-kun refuses to take any losses, then work hard and think of a plan. I’d also like to avoid any sacrifices, if at all possible.]

Subaru: [Then, you won’t stop me from visiting all the other shelters?]

Anastasia: […If ya got time to spare, then go ahead. Anyway, we do need more combat power. If ya find anyone at all who can fight, try to recruit them.]

Reluctantly, Anastasia withdrew her opposition of Subaru’s idea. Convincing her to change her mind entirely would have been impossible. As such, Subaru would not complain about the leeway he had been granted.

Anastasia: [Take a Conversation Mirror. For the time bein’, let’s set your time limit to six hours, so return before that. After that, we can’t screw up anymore, so keep that in mind.]

Subaru: [Time limit… Right, I haven’t asked yet. What’s the deadline for the requests?]

Julius: [The deadline was set to tonight, at the time the date changes―― That’s only nine hours from now.]

This time, Julius was the one to supply the information in Anastasia’s stead.

If there were six hours to go until the strategy meeting, then Subaru would only have around three hours after he returned. Before that, he had to somehow come up with an idea that would sway Anastasia.

On top of that, before the time limit, he also needed to find a way to defeat the Witch Cult and actually make it come to fruition. Only then would the city be saved… but no, even that was not enough.

Rescuing Emilia. Retrieving Rem’s memories from Gluttony. Restoring those who had been mutated by Lust to their original forms. Only by achieving all these goals could he say that they had claimed complete victory.

Subaru: [There’s not much time left, do you have a map of where the shelters are?]

Anastasia: [Yup, we’ve got several. Here’s a map of where Ricardo and the children from the Iron Fang have gone, and where they are goin’ now.]

Ricardo’s map was given to Subaru, where the shelters the beastman had visited were marked. Comparing it to another map, it seemed that the Iron Fang had set out for the farthest shelters. Conveniently, this left the nearby shelters to Subaru, who had to travel by foot.

It was almost as if someone had expected him to do this.

Julius: [Subaru, allow me to accompany you.]

Subaru: [Julius? No, you shouldn’t. You’d be a huge help, but we’d be in trouble if we didn’t leave enough fighters in the City Hall.]

Julius offered himself as a escort, but Subaru refused the proposal, citing lack of strength as the reason.

Ricardo had been stationed to patrol outside, and Subaru intended to take Garfiel with him as well. Although Wilhelm was upstairs, giving him the responsibility of defending the entire City Hall would be too heavy a burden. And even if that were not the case, the Crusch Camp was currently entrenched in gloom.

Upon hearing Subaru’s reply, Julius nodded, albeit reluctantly. He seemed to be far less calm than usual, and his impulsiveness was a rare sight indeed. Subaru gave his shoulder a light pat, then pointed to Garfiel with his chin.

Subaru: [Garfiel, come with me. We’ll go visit the other shelters and look for people who can fight. We have to find a way to end this prolonged restlessness.]

Garfiel: […Right, got it. Leave it to my amazin’ self.]

Even though Garfiel’s response to Subaru’s request came a beat late, he nodded in consent. With that, Subaru examined the map in his hand, thinking on which direction he should start exploring Pristella, starting out from the area around the City Hall

His top priority was securing combat power—— in that case, locating Reinhard would be his best course of action.

Al: [Maybe go to the shelter nearest the hotel first? I don’t think the Princess would’ve wandered far from there.]

Subaru: [In that case, if we follow this path… Wait a second.]

Subaru halted, seeing Al’s finger pointing to a place on the map. He had inserted his own plans into Subaru’s quite frankly. Tilting his head inquisitively, Subaru asked,

Subaru: [You’re… coming along too?]

Al: [Yep. After all, going alone would mean trouble, and not finding the Princess would also mean trouble. If I had known this’d happen, I wouldn’t have left her alone even if she told me to go away. In a mess like this, I’m afraid of what’ll happen to her if I don’t look for her.]

Subaru: […What a picture-perfect master-servant relationship, oy.]

Although the situation gave him a somewhat odd feeling, Subaru was grateful for the increase in manpower. Garfiel, on the other hand, was very visibly disgusted upon hearing that Al would accompany them. After all, at this critical juncture, he would certainly keep one eye open around unfamiliar people.

However, although Al was somewhat annoying, he did seem to genuinely want to find Priscilla.

Subaru: [Speaking of Priscilla, I last saw her in the park on First Street fifteen minutes before the attacks happened. If she didn’t leave the vicinity, she should be in a shelter near there.]

Al: [Really? That’s super-helpful info, bro. Then let’s start from there.]

Delighted at this news, Al pounded Subaru’s back several times. Then Subaru, with a pleased Al and a frowning Garfiel in tow, left the City Hall for the nearby shelters.

And, seeing them off was——

Echidna: [Ouch, you were totally treated like the bad guy there, were you not?]

Anastasia: [Quiet, ya scarf fox. It’s not like I haven’t worked it out already. If Natsuki-kun’s still able to speak with such conviction when he returns, then he’s really bad at learnin’.]

Anastasia spoke with a slightly helpless expression, and the scarf rustled slightly on her neck.

No one else noticed that this short conversation was taking place.