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Translated By:
- Garcar
Proofread by:
- King_LAO2964
- Eliman7
Art Sources
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――Over and over again, when made to loop through an endless hallway, Aldebaran took a moment to ponder, and then flung open the door he had first entered through.
???: […I have been saying this for a long time now, but I am able to accept any outcome as interesting no matter the result, and I consider having my preconceived expectations overturned an experience that makes my heart throb.]
Aldebaran: [Heh, so then?]
???: [And yet, I wonder why this is? Even though your current actions fulfill both of the prerequisites I raised as examples… I feel somewhat annoyed.]
Aldebaran: [That’s probably because you’re discontent with the fact that I pulled the right answer on my first go!]
As soon as he had opened the door, the Witch made an evidently displeased expression, and then began to prattle on about her mindset; to her, Aldebaran raised his voice in such a manner.
The endless hallway he had been tossed into, a space that continued to loop, to phrase it as the Witch would, it was a place of great intrigue, but――,
Aldebaran: [Sorry, but I tend to pull the right answer on the first try when it’s these sorta rules. Though, from the perspective of a GM, they’d probably want me to step through all the events they’d prepared for me.]
Witch: [――. “Jee Emm”, this is the first time I am hearing that word. May I ask its meaning?]
Aldebaran: [Game master. It refers to the person who has control over the location, events, and the space as a whole… basically, that’s what you are here, Teacher.]
Witch: [I see, I shall remember this. “Jee Emm”, “Jee Emm”… GM, hm?]
Muttering several times so as to familiarize it to her mouth, she immediately got a hold of the pronunciation.
Her ever constant learning ability displayed to him, Aldebaran felt admiration as well as a sense of unease. The knowledge-thirsty Witch had a keen interest in the unknowns being emitted from Aldebaran.
However, the tree bearing fruits of knowledge would eventually dry up, ceasing to supply her with the apples she so dearly coveted.
When that time came, by the Witch, Aldebaran would be――,
Witch: [Why the long face? Is something the matter?]
Aldebaran: [――――]
As Aldebaran suddenly plunged himself into thought, the Witch peered at him from a defenseless proximity.
The smooth fluttering of beautiful white hair, and the black eyes that seemed to be adorned in a blanket of snow from her long lashes; with those refined facial features and thin lips so close, Aldebaran reflexively clasped the other person’s face with both his hands.
The Witch’s cheeks were smooshed in with a “Mmghuu”, and thus made so that he would not feel flustered even at this close range.
Aldebaran: [Phew, that was a close one.]
Witch: [Wait wait wait, is that not strange!? You are handling my face so roughly, and instead of feeling guilty, you are feeling relieved!? ]
Aldebaran: [That’s what’s called a difference in perspective.]
Witch: [Let~go~of~me-.]
With her mysterious air from a moment ago having vanished somewhere, the Witch grabbed the hands of Aldebaran which were clasping her cheeks, and tried to wriggle her way free from this treatment.
But, even with the Witch’s desperate resistance, she was far too weak and feeble.
Aldebaran: [Or maybe, fragile…!]
Witch: [I am curious about which term you would select to best describe me, but for now just get your hands… wah-wah!]
Pitying the excessively weak Witch, the moment he released her, she tumbled over backwards. Promptly supporting her with a “woah there”, he was surprised by how she was lighter than she looked.
Aldebaran: [You’re a woman who seems like she would die easily.]
Witch: [Thanks for the help. But, I find what you said there a bit unexpected. Not to mention, the expression “die easily” is ill-suited to my current self. Would you not agree?]
Aldebaran: [――――]
Witch: [Also, if we are to give points from the perspective of dying easily, you would have me beat by an overwhelmingly high score. I am not referring to your Authority, but to your very way of life.]
As the Witch deliberately and thoroughly added on, Aldebaran became unable to say anything.
Aldebaran: […My bad.]
What she was saying was correct. To the point that he wished for her to be wrong, it was correct.
Reluctant to have that pointed out once again, Aldebaran turned to face the door behind him, and asked,
Aldebaran: [That hallway, just what was your intention in preparing it?]
Witch: [I thought it might serve to let you take a breather, and serve as training for your ability to think logically. Unfortunately, it was far too short to be a breather, and instead of your logical thinking ability, you surmounted it through intuition.]
Aldebaran: [Good grief, even though it was a work you were so confident in. I guess you could hope for it to be recycled for somebody else one day. Make sure to write down the methodology in a book.]
The grand aspirations of the pen-ready Witch notwithstanding, Aldebaran understood that the space he had so carelessly spoiled was the crystallization of tremendously advanced Yin Magic.
It was neither something fine to create so casually, nor was it something fine to irresponsibly do too often.
Aldebaran: [――The more you know, the depths only get deeper, and the mountains only get higher.]
He only had an understanding of the fact that the time he was spending was luxurious, and was terribly unconfident regarding how much of a true sense actually accompanied those thoughts.
All of those things could only begin to manifest once he had a point of reference outside of himself. And, in Aldebaran’s world, there existed not much other than himself.
In particular, those were the Witch before his eyes, and――,
Witch: [――菜月・昴]
As if to cling to his ears, as if to besmear his eardrums, as if to implant into his brain; each and every time he heard it, those six syllables scratched at Aldebaran’s being, disallowing his composure.
Normally, he would think nothing of each of those six syllables, but only when strung together in that order, did they distort his soul.
Knowing that full well, the Witch who had spoken that name to Aldebaran smiled,
Witch: [Well then, shall we begin, Aldebaran? Yesterday, how long did it take again?]
Aldebaran: [――One hundred times, exactly.]
Witch: [Aldebaran?]
Even though he would never forget that, the Witch who had enquired because she wanted to make Aldebaran say it, was abhorrent.
Abhorrent as she was, the fact that he could not fully hate her was painful, stressful, humiliating, and pathetic.
――If this person abandoned him, just what in the world would he have left? For himself, who by no means would ever be able to be reflected in those amethyst eyes, the eyes he desperately wished would look at him the most, what would be left?
Inclining her head, the Witch peered at Aldebaran.
Despite the black eyes of that Witch and his own black eyes both being the same black, was the reason they did not appear as the same hue perhaps a result of the contrast between himself with the Witch?
If he contrasted them like that, which one would―― ahh, those sorts of things did not matter.
He would fulfill the role desired of him. Rather than being desired by nobody, this was a hundred times better.
That was why――,
Aldebaran: [Ahh, that’s right. It’s starting, Teacher. So that I may be myself.]
Thanks for the tl, will read later!
Confused ungaa bungaa
THE PLOT THICKENS
It’s interesting that Al is discribed as having both arms here
I picked him up on that too! He used both hands to squish her face when she got close….
Yeah I feel like this is before meeting Priscilla
The way he and Echidna talk feels more “friendly” (remember arc 8 when Al thought Sphinx was Echidna?)
He said that he wanted to be with Satella, when in arc 7 was scared as hell just for seeing her (tho maybe he was scared of “The Witch of Envy” and not Satella)
And that he has both arms
This is Echidna training(? him to replace Natsuki Subaru or Subaru’s role (the title is “The days spent chasing that star”) which was Al’s original purpose before meeting Priscilla
Something that always bugged me is that in arc 4, after Subaru’s first trial, Echidna didn’t asked about his world that she created from his memories. Most likely, she already knows alot of stuff, because Aldebaran told her so
Aldebaran: [Ahh, that’s right. It’s starting, Teacher. So that I may be myself.]
Looks like this line is foreshadowing a major spoiler
The more you read about Aldebaran, the less you know about Aldebaran.
Legit lmao
♡
This was fire, thanks for the TL. Are there any other SS in LN 40, maybe the continuation of Tia story or anything else?
Volume 40 is not due out until March 25 as far as I understand it (approximate date) and at least 2 side stories have already been confirmed. “No stella no life 2” and the other one of the continuation of Louise, Arakiya and Cecilus by Vollachia; on that date hopefully the friends of WCT will bring it to us.
Now I’m even more convinced Al is made by Dream Castle Echidna using perhaps Subaru’s soul or is being modeled after him. Maybe to result in her freedom via Omega?
I wonder if this is the past or he straight up has sentient Echidna in his heart and all of this are the dreams he is having.
Aldebaran has both hands here so its most likely a backstory
Wait… what? How echidna knows about subaru name, the trials arent even complete and aldebaran has both arms. More questions every time something new about Al appears.
Even so, man this is pure fire, loving it.
I think the answer to your question can have multiples answers depending of how it works, but the most obvious , not for that the real one, is that, subaru has been in the past, or more likely, Al himself is Subaru, or a version of him thats why he feels kinda upset for listening a name hes trying to leave behind. Obviously, only a guess, but it fits.
Clone Theory Strengthens.
Aldebaran is most probably a clone of Subaru with his memories intact, which messes his feelings up. He’s unsure about which are his own feelings and which of them he feels due to the influence of the memories.
He only had an understanding of the fact that the time he was spending was luxurious, and was terribly unconfident regarding how much of a true sense actually accompanied those thoughts.
Al also feels conflicted about being called Natsuki Subaru and thus Echidna gave him a different name – Aldebaran, the Following Star, chasing after Subaru.
Continued in reply as character limit reached.
Incidentally, notice how Echidna did not call Al “Aldebaran” in this chapter until after calling him Natsuki Subaru, either checking his reaction, reminding him of his feeling or merely Echidna being Echidna.
BTW, can the translator please tell me whether or not Echidna uses “Boku” as her pronoun while interacting with Aldebaran. Tappei said that Echidna uses “Boku” mostly only in front of Subaru.
Thanks for the TL.
I took it differently, Echidna doesn’t call him Natsuki Subaru, but says that Natsuki Subaru is here with them?
All of those things could only begin to manifest once he had a point of reference outside of himself. And, in Aldebaran’s world, there existed not much other than himself.
In particular, those were the Witch before his eyes, andーー,
Witch: [ーー菜月Natsuki・昴Subaru]
Here Aldebaran is thinking of the people that are with him, he names Echidna, and she names Natsuki Subaru. While your interpretation could be correct, the narration makes it sound like Subaru is in this world with the one way or another, or at least part of Aldebaran’s world, but she doesn’t seem to call him “Natsuki Subaru” directly.
At least that’s how it looked to me.
AGREED
I might be wrong and you might be correct, it’s frustrating how Tappei intentionally teases with wordplay. BTW, my theory is also supported by the fact that Echidna always calls Subaru by full name when not using a pronoun for him.
Once again, either of us may be correct. Only time and Tappei can tell.
>Aldebaran: [Sorry, but I tend to pull the right answer on the first try when it’s these sorta rules. Though, from the perspective of a GM, they’d probably want me to step through all the events they’d prepared for me.]
This sounds similar to what Subaru said to Betty back in arc 2 when he escaped her looping hallway, but if I remember correctly, he said he could “make game master cry” so it’s not exactly the same. Still interesting
>He only had an understanding of the fact that the time he was spending was luxurious, and was terribly unconfident regarding how much of a true sense actually accompanied those thoughts.
All of those things could only begin to manifest once he had a point of reference outside of himself. And, in Aldebaran’s world, there existed not much other than himself.
In particular, those were the Witch before his eyes, andーー,
Witch: [ーー菜月Natsuki・昴Subaru]
This section is extremely interesting. If I’m not mistaken, Aldebaran is naming the people that are in “Aldebaran’s world” which include Echidna and Natsuki Subaru. This has two interpretations. Either Subaru is somehow here with them, as in this world, or Subaru has that big of an influence on Aldebaran. It also sounds like Aldebaran has no experience outside this dream world, and in “No Stella No Life 1” Aldebaran implied he knew Echidna since his birth
I think it strengthens the clone theory, and that Aldebaran was born here and has never been out.
Additionally, this is pretty much confirmation that Al isn’t Japanese. Subaru’s name is spelled in Kanji, while Aldebaran’s name is in this world’s language. I can’t think of another conclusion.
>ーーIf this person abandoned him, just what in the world would he have left? For himself, who by no means would ever be able to be reflected in those amethyst eyes, the eyes he desperately wished would look at him the most, what would be left?
Satella? Sounds like Aldebaran wants Satella to look at him, but she won’t do it. Why does he want her attention so much? If she’s looking at Subaru and he’s a clone who has feelings of love leftover, then that would explain it. This increases the likelihood of clone theory for me
In any case, as usual, these Aldebaran sections are incredible interesting. Heard No Stella No Life 2 is coming out soon so I can’t wait for that.
I know this is gonna sound crazy but in marvel there dream walking what if the greed if subaru dreamed walked but in different way what If his soul overwrite the soul of stride and greed subaru over took his soul and body maybe that’s why al said stride name to reinhard
Al was just trolling Reinhard when he named himself Stride, as to mock the culture of giving your opponent your name.
Also, Aldebaran mentions that he has regrets from 400 years ago, but Greed baru wasn’t alive 400 years ago, so it can’t be him.
Why do you hate him so much Aldebaran? It is a little bit still not understandable the reason of his hatred but more and more that the novel progresses the author is giving us much more emphasis on that main objective given by the witch and the hatred he always had for Natsuki Subaru.
It seems many people here support the clone theory.
I think Echidna took a random black haired kid born in ReZero world, implanted part of Subaru’s soul/ memories into and overridden whatever memories/identity that kid had. Now she is grooming him to remove Subaru from ReZero world. Al does it to either replace Subaru or to become the person he used to be before Echidna implanted Subaru inside him. Thoughts?
Aldebaran lost his arm on Gladiator Island, Omega told Garfiel that a man with one arm was coming to her. On Gladiator Island, Aldebaran remembered Omega. In one of the side stories, Aldebaran mentioned that he was being summoned to the Castle of Dreams over and over again. Apparently, his soul was summoned while he was on Gladiator Island. Remembering the interactions between the witches and Subaru in Arc 4, as well as the witches with each other, it seems to me that Al is being deceived very much. They seemed to sincerely wish him well. But there is a sense of contempt for Al. The plan is not to kill Subaru, Aldebaran will win, but Subaru will survive, something else will happen.
The version that Al is a clone seems very logical, but it does not add up. Omega despises Al, as he despises himself, for the fact that Aldebaran could not save Satella 400 years ago. This has been mentioned many times. It’s possible, but unlikely, that Al is simply transferring his attitude towards Subaru’s sins. Especially considering how different he is towards Subaru. And how could Omega create a human out of flesh and blood when he was just a soul trapped in a tomb? I think that Al did live 400 years ago, but he was someone else, and then Omega turned him into a Subaru double. She imposed Subaru’s appearance and thoughts on him, and gave him the Authority of Pride.
This would explain why his Authority is like that, and why it disappeared after Olbart’s attack. Al’s deepest desire for pride is to catch up with Subaru, and the Authority became an analogue of the part of Satella’s power that she shares with Subaru. It came artificially in adulthood. As a child, such a desire was not part of Al’s psyche, so the witch factor did not manifest itself in the usual way.
So is Al jealous of Subaru? It said that he wishes for those amethyst eyes to look back to him, it seems like he wants satella to love him instead so that’s why he’s trying to get rid of subaru
Damn. I want to squish echidna’s face.