[User] “Gosh, you’re hopeless. You’re supposed to hit save before making a choice. Everybody knows that. Life is hard and full of bitterness—just like that cookie!”

[Assistant] “Sorry, I don’t quite follow you. And I don’t think a bitter cookie would taste all that good.” As Puck smiled smugly down at her, Emilia responded with her usual spunk. But it confused her a little—this was more the sort of banter she shared with Subaru, not Puck. Puck was acting like Subaru today.

[User] “Anyway, stop joking around and just give me the key.”

[Assistant] “And make it quick. Everyone in the mansion will start to worry about me.”

[User] “You should be more worried about yourself than them. When you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you…”

[Assistant] “Hyah.”

[User] “Meowww.” Annoyed by Puck’s smugness, Emilia commanded the lesser spirits to blast Puck away on a gust of wind. He slammed against the window and dropped the key, which Emilia slid to catch. Then she went straight to the door to unlock it.

[Assistant] "Come on, Puck, stop messing around and let’s go home. Return to your crystal and— Puck?” Scolding Puck like a child, Emilia turned around to see that Puck was no longer by the window. She frowned. Somehow, he had hidden himself again.

[User] “Seriously! Why are you being such a pain today?” Huffing with anger, Emilia walked out the door.


[Assistant] And there to greet her was a field of grass and, beyond it, a big forest. Emilia was surprised by the unfamiliar scenery, but she still set out toward the woods. And yet…

[User] “No matter how long I walk, I’m not getting any closer to the forest…” She could see it before her eyes, but no amount of fast walking got her any closer to it. That was because she was small now, and as such, the distance she had to travel had gotten much bigger.

[Assistant] “I’m hungry, too… Oh, that’s right.” Emilia suddenly remembered she had a cookie. When she unwrapped it, its sweet aroma tickled her empty stomach, enslaving her mind.

[User] “Thanks for the treat, Mr. Clind.” She spoke a few words of gratitude for the servant of Annerose’s family, the one who had written her the letter. The cookie was soft and freshly baked. The flavors dancing on her tongue made Emilia writhe with glee. And then with reluctance, she popped the rest of the cookie in her mouth all at once and—

[Assistant] “Huh? Huuuuh?” After her sweet treat, she had a look around and noticed the scenery was changing—or rather, her body was getting bigger again, returning to its original size. It was then she understood what the letter had meant by the words in case the little lady’s gift gives you trouble. She knew she had Clind’s thoughtfulness to thank for it.

[User] “Mr. Clind really is great…and now the forest is only a skip away!” Getting bigger had brought the woods within her reach.


[User] It was still very large, even though she was bigger now, but the former anxiety she’d felt over its size had disappeared. Emilia clenched her fist, struck a power pose, stared at the trees up ahead.

[Assistant] “Okay, my adventure begins now!” It was a rather fatal sort of line to say before bounding into a forest.

[User] Her adventure did not end there. It didn’t end, but Emilia’s feet had stopped moving after walking for a while down a path lit only by the help of some lesser spirits.

[Assistant] "Stop right there. Fiends like you are not welcome beyond this point, I suppose.” When yet another voice came from above, Emilia’s eyes darted around, looking for its owner. Then when she spotted a silhouette of someone lying down on a tree branch, her hands leaped to her mouth to suppress a shriek. Atop the branch, lying on her side, was Beatrice, glaring down at Emilia with sleepy eyes. She wore her glamorous dress and sausage-roll curls, and she also puffed and snorted through a pipe coming out of her mouth.

[User] “Look at you, sitting on the dirt. What an ill-mannered girl you are. I wonder what your parents are like.”

[Assistant] “Beatrice, you…”

[User] “Humph. Too late now to notice who I am and realize how rude you’ve been to me. Though, if you repent, I suppose I might forgive you…”

[Assistant] “You’re so young; you shouldn’t smoke! And you shouldn’t smoke even when you grow up! Smoking stunts your growth—Subaru told me so!” Witnessing the underage girl smoking before her, Emilia slammed her with a rational observation.

[User] Beatrice’s mouth opened in surprise, the pipe falling from it. Then she glared at Emilia and growled, “H-how humiliating! Treating Betty like a child—is your head on straight, I wonder?! I am a sophisticated lady! And a pipe is a mark of a sophisticated lady’s good taste!”

[Assistant] “See, trying to act grown-up like that… It’s kind of childish.”

[User] “Skreee! How dare you!” Her face bright red, Beatrice fumed, pounding the branch in frustration.

[Assistant] But as a sensible adult, Emilia couldn’t let Beatrice’s actions slide. Furthermore, Emilia might become the kingdom’s next ruler. She would not yield an inch.


[User] “Whoa there, you two. Leave it at that. You’re scaring the flowers of the forest.” It was then that a mysterious person popped in suddenly to break up their fight. The black-haired boy reached a hand to Emilia and looked up at Beatrice in the tree.

[Assistant] And even from the back, Emilia recognized him easily. "Subaru?"

[User] “Wrong, young lady. I’m not Subaru—I’m Cheshire Subaru!” Cheshire Subaru spun around, held up a thumb, and gleamed his white teeth. He was undoubtedly Subaru. But upon closer glance, he did have cat ears coming out of the top of his head. And since he also had his human ears in their normal location, he had four ears. The effect was a little grotesque.


[User] “Yikes… Why did such a deplorable person have to show his face here, I wonder?”

[Assistant] “If you don’t like me, then back off, Beako. Just FYI, Cheshire Subaru is a phantom who pops up in random places. I can watch you go about your life from one good morning to the next.”

[User] “All day—how deplorable can you be?! You think you’ve won, I wonder? !” With the words “I wonder… I wonder…” echoing behind her, Beatrice skillfully jumped off the tree branch and ran out of sight.


[Assistant] After she was gone, Cheshire Subaru turned to Emilia and said, “Now I’ve gone and needlessly bullied another young girl. It’d be nice to taste defeat just once.”

[User] “But I wasn’t finished scolding Beatrice yet. And those ears are ridiculous—I know you all are playing tricks on me. I’m getting angry.”

[Assistant] “And you’re very pretty when you’re angry— Eek! Ouch, stop pulling! You’ll rip them off!” Taking her anger out on Cheshire Subaru, Emilia yanked on his cat ears. But what she thought were prosthetics were warm, soft, and properly attached to his head. As Emilia recoiled in shock, Cheshire Subaru fell to his knees, his eyes filling with tears.

[User] “Look, I don’t know why you’re so pissed off, but if you keep screeching like that, everyone’ll be scared of you. A girl’s greatest weapon is to smile and playfully say, ‘PWNED!’”

[Assistant] “I didn’t quite understand that last part…but yeah, you’re right.” If she responded only in anger, she would frighten everyone. Hearing the words directed at her made Emilia shrink in self-pity. Seeing this, Cheshire Subaru looked up, drew his brows together, and said, “Okay. Whenever you’re bummed out, you need to party. So I’ll bring you to a tea party!”

[User] “A tea party?”

[Assistant] “You bet. It’s being held in the forest right now. A lively, loud, and mad-headed tea party!” After an oddly worrisome invitation from Cheshire Subaru, Emilia followed him through the forest. A short walk brought them to a clearing with a small cottage. The cottage blended in with the trees, and in its garden, there was a big table set up for a large gathering of people. And the guests waiting there for the tea party were—


[User] “Oh…hi, Cheshire Subaru. So you showed up.”

[Assistant] “Now this isn’t gonna feel like a funeral with just two guys in attendance…” Two very depressed-looking boys—or rather, two Subarus with depressed-looking faces—were seated at the table. Met by the surreal tableau, Emilia forgot her malaise and blurted out in shock,

[User] “Th-three Subarus? Cheshire Subaru, what’s going on?”

[Assistant] “Don’t understand what you’re talking about, Emilia-tan. That’s Hatter Subaru and March Subaru. See the hat and the rabbit ears? That’s how you tell them apart.” Emilia glanced over at the droopy pair, and sure enough, they each had the distinguishing hat and rabbit ears Cheshire Subaru mentioned. And with the cat-eared Subaru among them, it made no sense whatsoever.


[User] Emilia’s eyes swam in confusion,

[Assistant] Cheshire Subaru slinked into a seat and shrugged at the two blank-eyed Subarus beside him. "C’mon, guys, don’t be so bummed. You invited a bunch of people, and nobody showed—that’s totally normal.”

[User] “Yeah, but isn’t it also normal to hope that this time will be different? Maybe they couldn’t call because the connection was bad, and that’s why they’re late to RSVP.”

[Assistant] “Well, we did make it an overnighter that started yesterday. But if somebody did show up, I’d say, It’s okay, you didn’t make us wait—nice guy that I am, March Subaru.”

[User] “Whoa, shut up, sexy.”

[Assistant] “Ooh, I’m totally crushing on me.”

[User] “Is it finally my time? Will I finally get to taste what it’s like to be popular?”

[Assistant] The three Subarus looked up and jabbered nonsense at one another. The funeral-like atmosphere of the party vanished at once, replaced with a lively mood—it was surreal, really. The lively, loud, and mad-headed tea party had objectively earned its title with flying colors.

[User] “Ooh, that’s right! For you poor, sad, pitiful souls, I’ve actually brought you a guest today! It’s okay, clap for my epic play.”

[Assistant] “Who’s the guest? Lemme guess, you got our hopes up only to reveal you brought a bored Beako with you? You can’t fool us. We know you’re useless.”

[User] “Well, Beako’s better than nobody. Okay! Let’s put a buttload of sugar in Beako’s tea and bet on how long she lasts before she blows her top! I bet five minutes!”

[Assistant] “As appealing as that sounds, you’re wrong, my dude. I brought a different, non-Beako girl today. And she’s crazy cute. She’s a walking oasis in the middle of the forest that will soothe our parched hearts—and her name is Emilia-tan!” Bringing his spiel up to a crescendo, Cheshire Subaru pointed toward the forest. Hatter Subaru and March Subaru, their eyes glittering with anticipation, looked in that direction. However—

[User] “Nobody’s there, dumbass! !”

[Assistant] Afraid of getting wrapped up in their madness, Emilia had run away long ago.


[User] “I don’t know why, but I’m really tired…” Emilia liked to think she was used to talking with Subaru…but three Subarus was a bit too much to handle. Though she felt guilty doing so, when she saw a chance to slip away from the tea party, she’d made a beeline for the forest. Luckily, the forest exit was not too far from the Subaru Natsuki Mad Hatter Tea Party, so in a matter of minutes, Emilia’s mind and body were both rejuvenating under the shining sun. “Besides, there’s a landmark that’s been very comforting to see.”

[Assistant] When Emilia got out of the forest, she saw her destination—a tall building that was just ahead. If Emilia wasn’t mistaken, it looked exactly like the castle in Lugunica’s royal capital. Surely, there was somebody there who could help her. By then, Emilia didn’t feel any confusion over why she had fallen down a hole or what a castle was doing there.


[User] All she felt was a mysterious sense of duty and the maternal urge to give Puck a good spanking. "I've arrived! Okay, I need to find someone to ask for help…" Now at the foot of the castle, Emilia gave not even a passing glance to the spray of flowers in the garden surrounding the castle as her eyes darted to and fro in search of a person.

[Assistant] "The trial! The trial is about to start!" Puck yelled loudly, darting across the flower bed. It was Puck’s grand entrance, after his slam against the window and subsequent disappearance. He darted straight into the castle, without noticing Emilia.

[User] "Puck again! And what trial? Ugh…now's no time to play around!" Her cheeks puffed over Puck’s cold shoulder, Emilia darted into the castle after him. The bright white light that met her as soon as she entered made her hands shoot over her face. She timidly peered between her fingers.

[Assistant] "Is this…a court?" It was a spacious room with a ceiling so high that it couldn’t be seen, and bleachers mounted all around the walls. The seats were packed with spectators, whose noisy murmurs took control of the space.

[User] "Off with her head." And in the center of the space was a girl with pink hair, coldly delivering the sentence. She gazed down on the witness stand without a trace of compassion.

[Assistant] "I d-demand a retrial! Is this tyranny, I wonder?! I was framed!" She was tied up, lying on her side, red in the face, and screaming.

[User] "Off with her head."

[Assistant] "Is that the only thing you can say, I wonder?! You must be kidding me!"

[User] She touched her big sister’s shoulder and said, "Um, Sister, couldn’t you at least hear Lady Beatrice’s side of the story? Besides, if it’s the cookies you’re worried about, I can always bake you some more."

[Assistant] "But I was so looking forward to eating the cookies you baked me, Rem. How will she atone for the humiliation I went through when they were stolen from me? I won’t feel even slightly vindicated until I’ve beheaded the thief and used her skull as a cup."

[User] "All over a silly cookie—a bit tyrannical, no?! You demon! You devil! You hell spawn!" With each raging insult, Beatrice only added further crimes to her charge.

[Assistant] "Wait! Now, I don’t care what she’s done—you’re being too hard on her!"

[User] "What’s this? Defending Betty, are we? What audacity!"


[User] "Defying Her Majesty Queen Ram, you conceited little brat. Ha! Ha! Ha!” Puck was the one who answered Emilia’s plea with awfully servile responses.

[Assistant] Given the gavel in his hand, it was probably safe to assume he was the judge. He ordered Emilia to take the stand.

[User] “I don’t understand what’s happened, but Beatrice is not that naughty. Cutting off her head is simply out of the question. What’s come over you, Ram?”

[Assistant] “Impudent girl. How dare you address Ram with such familiarity. And if Lady Beatrice didn’t steal Ram’s cookies, then who did?”

[User] “I don’t know that… But I wonder what that sweet aroma permeating from this girl’s mouth is? That’s the impression I get from her.”

[Assistant] “Beatrice? !”. Still tied up and lying on her side, Beatrice sold Emilia out even though she was trying to defend her on the witness stand.

[User] And in fact, Emilia did recall eating a cookie. She wanted to claim it was a gift from Clind, but the mood in the court immediately turned against her.

[Assistant] “Wait, wait, not so fast! I don’t know why, but I’ve got a really bad feeling about this!”

[User] “Well…I suppose if this girl genuinely is the thief, all she needed to do was sit back quietly and watch Beatrice’s head fly. Yet she came forward… Guilty conscience got the better of you?”

[Assistant] “Won’t you even entertain the possibility I’m not a thief? !” Emilia’s face went pale. At this rate, she would be found guilty. But a hand of mercy reached out to this pitiful defendant—it was the kind little sister who stood behind the icy queen.

[User] “Sister, Sister, I really don’t think that young lady is even capable of crime…”

[Assistant] “I see. Well, if you say so, Rem, then it very well may be true.” Rem’s intercession finally got Ram to accept how irrational her argument was. As Emilia sighed in relief, narrowly escaping her predicament—

[User] “That’s right, it’s pure nonsense—Emilia-tan could never be a criminal!”

[Assistant] “Cuteness is justice! Pretty girls are treasures! Emilia-tan is my waifu!”

[User] “While we’re at it, threaten Beako more and make her cry! Take her to the edge!” One rowdy voice after another shot from the bleachers until all eyes turned to them. And sure enough, there were the three Subarus: cat-eared, rabbit-eared, and hatted. Apparently, the tea party was over.

[Assistant] “Subarus, are you acquainted with this young lady?”

[User] All three flashed their white teeth and said, “Yeah, she’s an acquaintance!”

[Assistant] “She’s our tea-party friend!”

[User] “Let’s just say it’s complicated!”

[Assistant] “Is that so?” Ram gave their three replies a satisfied nod. Then with a glance at Emilia, she smiled lovingly—enough to make a person swoon—and made her decision.

[User] “Off with her head.”

[Assistant] “WHAAAAT? !”

[User] “Very well. Off with her head, then.”

[Assistant] “Hey! Hey, wait a minute! Guys, don’t you think this is crazy?! What’s come over all of you? !” Flustered, Emilia pleaded her innocence, but Queen Ram and Prime Minister Rem ignored her completely.


[User] The gavel loudly pounded on the platform, and a bunch of Pucks dressed as soldiers pushed themselves inside in a solid wall. Look right, look left—nothing but Pucks.

[Assistant] "Ah! Why’re they cute?!" Emilia is surrounded by these strange Pucks—some in armor, some dressed as gardeners, some as playing cards—Emilia tasted a mixture of terror and bliss.

[User] "S-Subaru!"

[Assistant] "I just hope somebody uncovers the truth someday—that’s our earnest wish."

[User] "Subarus, you big dummies!"

[Assistant] "Pehhh!" The three Subarus each stuck out their tongues as the herd of Pucks swallowed Emilia, who had no means of escape.


[User] "lia-tan… Emilia-tan, come on!"

[Assistant] "Mm—mm…" Emilia woke to the sensation of someone shaking her shoulders and calling her name. Her long lashes quivered as she opened her eyes, blinking many times. Then she looked up and finally recognized the familiar face that was almost touching hers.

[User] "…Subaru?"

[Assistant] "That’s right, it’s me. Dang, you scared me there. I went to your room to get you, but you weren’t there. Never thought you’d just fall asleep out here. You must’ve really been exhausted." As Subaru gave a little chuckle, Emilia finally woke all the way up. After a panicked glance at her surroundings revealed she was indeed back at Roswaal Manor, she heaved a sigh of relief.

[User] "Oh, thank goodness…"

[Assistant] "Mm? What’s up? Wait, did you have a nightmare? I get it. Come on, fling yourself into my arms. Glomp me as long as you need to."

[User] "Sorry, I don’t quite follow what you’re saying." Subaru looked hurt, his arms still spread wide, and Emilia was only more confused. She did think she had a dream, but she couldn’t remember what it was about. It just felt like a very stressful dream. So stressful that she truly was relieved to be back in the land of the wakeful.

[Assistant] "Well, anyhoo, I’m glad I found you. Let’s head back. It’s almost suppertime. I won’t tell anybody you ditched your afternoon studies. That’ll be our little secret."

[User] "Er…okay, thanks. I’ll be more careful next time." Subaru helped Emilia to her feet. Then she patted the grass off herself and stood tall. As she did so, she suddenly got the sense she needed to tell Subaru something.

[Assistant] "Subaru…I’ve got something to say."

[User] "Hmm, what is it?" Subaru asked, turning around. After a moment’s thought,

[Assistant] "If you ever throw a tea party…even if nobody else shows up, I promise I’ll come."

[User] "What made you imagine such a sad scenario?!" Subaru cried out. The sight of him made Emilia burst into laughter.

[Assistant] And if anybody asked her why, this is how she would probably answer: I saw you looking lonely in Wonderland, Subaru.


[User] "—I’m sorry. I’m so sorry." A sobbing voice was apologizing. Tormented by sorrow, the voice begged for forgiveness out of an unendurable sense of guilt.

[Assistant] "Why?" she recalled asking the voice.

[User] "—Because I left you all alone."

[Assistant] "You did?"

[User] "—Because all this time, I couldn’t find you."

[Assistant] "But I’m right here?" She wanted to tell that tearful, grieving voice something. She wanted to explain there was no reason to say sorry or be so upset. That’s why, in place of those things, there is something I want you to tell me.

[User] "What’s…your name?"

[Assistant] "My name is…" In the past, she had seen this dream over and over. The end of the dream was swallowed up by light; it was a dream she’d had over and over, time and time again, never hearing what came next— To her, knowing how that dream ended and finding her family was the beginning of everything.


[User] Surrounded by tall trees, Emilia calmly advanced down an almost nonexistent path, carrying an unshakable sense that she’d been here before. Stepping across the carpet of grass, she took care to avoid the flowers hidden in the shadows of the trees as she pressed forward. Feeling the hard soil through the soles of her shoes, Emilia tilted her head in confusion. It was a mystifying feeling. After all, this was the inside of a dream, an imaginary world based on the recollections of a homeland that slept in Emilia’s memories.

[Assistant] "But I can smell the wind here and feel the soil… Somehow, it’s really mysterious, huh?"

[User] "Echidna? Hey, are you listening? …Ah!" Wondering why there was no reply, Emilia looked back to check on the woman. Turning around, she saw a beautiful Witch with voluminous white hair, lagging behind as she struggled to traverse the woods. As the Witch placed a hand on a tree, dragging the hem of her too-long skirt, Emilia rushed toward her.

[Assistant] "I’m sorry, are you all right? Did I walk a little too fast?"

[User] "Do you really think such a transparent display of sympathy would change my opinion of you? How utterly naive." The Witch—Echidna—lifted her face in response, brushing back her snow-white hair as she offered a blunt rebuke.

[Assistant] Emilia puffed up her cheeks, annoyed by the snide attitude. "Hey, is that how you talk to someone who’s just worried about you? If your shoes aren’t good for walking here, it might be better to go barefoot. The forest grass is soft, so you should be fine."

[User] "...Could you be any more mistaken? Your concern is completely unnecessary. I merely entered the dream a tad too deeply.


[User] "Adjusting it should only take a moment—like so.”

[Assistant] “Wow.” Emilia had removed her shoes as a helpful demonstration, but Echidna simply flashed a cold smile.

[User] The Witch touched a nearby tree to show how her hand could now pass right through its thick trunk. In a similar fashion, her feet phased through the grassy ground that had given her such trouble earlier.

[Assistant] Emilia’s eyes went wide at this apparent violation of the laws of nature. “Concerning your earlier, uncouth questions, referring to this as a dream world is nothing more than a figure of speech. To be precise, this is a dimension more accurately described as an alternate plane of existence that resides solely within the mind, replaying the memories of the person undertaking the Trial. Since it reproduces your experiences, is it not natural for this place to have color, shape, and taste?”

[User] “I don’t really get it, but…does that mean if I go on a rampage, the forest will get messed up real bad?”

[Assistant] “That is truly a thought befitting an uncivilized Witch. However, what you are imagining is impossible. Right now, you are a being half a step removed from this world, meaning you are unable to interfere on a level sufficient enough to affect it. Nor can you make contact with the people within the memory. Though, I suppose if you could, it would be a Trial in a different sense.”

[User] “Hmm… And what sense would that be?”

[Assistant] “Instead of asking endless questions, why not try using your own head for a change? Or perhaps that is too much to ask of you, a spoiled child used to getting whatever you desire.” Echidna snorted in a scornful manner as she phased out her presence more and slipped effortlessly through the forest.

[User] Emilia chided herself, because the Witch’s words rang true. If she did nothing but ask questions, it was a sign she couldn’t help but depend on others. She needed to do more thinking for herself—

[Assistant] “I thought about it, but I still don’t understand. Could you tell me the answer?”

[Assistant] “What’s wrong? Does your stomach hurt?”

[User] “What a repulsive attitude… Besides him and my friends, you are probably the only one able to rouse my emotions to this extent, though they are distinctly feelings of displeasure.”

[Assistant] “So even you have friends, Echidna. That’s so nice,” murmured Emilia, full of envy, causing Echidna to click her tongue in irritation. It didn’t seem like she took that as a compliment.

[User] “—The regrets that might surface in the Trial are myriad, so numerous that attempting to classify them would be absurd.”

[Assistant] “Huh? Oh right, got it.”

[User] “There are moments in life that become seeds of regret and take root in a person’s heart. At the same time, they can be the bedrock of a relationship. The way to confront lingering regrets will change depending on such circumstances.


[User] "There are some pasts that cannot be overcome without making connections and talking things over with another.”

[Assistant] “…I see… So that’s how it is.” Emilia took Echidna’s explanation to heart.

[User] "Mm, thank you…for the explanation…and for answering my question even though you hate me.”

[Assistant] “The last thing I want is for you to mistake me for some kind of really good person, as you would put it. Nothing I have ever known before could come close to such humiliation. Answering your question is simply in my nature.”

[User] “Yeah, yeah.”

[Assistant] Emilia was certain that whatever lay ahead was linked to the regrets she continued to harbor.


[User] “Do you remember that your previous Trial ended in a pathetic, agonizing defeat?” Refusing to walk side by side with Emilia, Echidna disparaged her from behind.

[Assistant] “I remember I was so useless that I can’t even deny what you said.”

[User] —Emilia couldn’t actually remember what she had seen in the previous Trial.

[Assistant] “I probably sealed away the memories I don’t want to see. That must be why I can’t remember them on my own. Even now…I’m still not ready to see them.”

[User] “So if you fail again, then it’s just inevitable? What a cowardly thing to say.”

[Assistant] “No, that’s not what I meant. This…is where I start getting myself ready.” Shaking her head in response to Echidna’s condemnation, Emilia firmly refuted the claim that she was looking for an excuse.

[User] Those words made the Witch knit her brow.


[Assistant] Coming within view was a massive tree, larger than anything else in the Great Elior Forest—

[User] “—It’s more than just an oversize tree, right? There’s a door at the roots.


[User] "Is something inside the hollow of the trunk?" Setting her gaze upon that giant tree, Echidna astutely noticed there was something peculiar at the center of the tree’s roots, which rose out of the ground. The hollow at the center of the giant tree was about as large as a decent-size room. The door at the entrance was firmly closed. It had a bolt on it, which could be used to keep it firmly shut from the outside. "It seems as though someone really wants to keep whatever’s inside locked away."

[Assistant] “…Echidna…do you know something?”

[User] “Such a vague question is nothing but a bother. What could you possibly be referring to?” Emilia stared at her with upturned eyes, but Echidna simply shrugged, her face professing ignorance.

[Assistant] "This is the Princess Room—it’s where they always made me play when I was very young.” The moment she described the place aloud, vivid memories resurfaced. This was a special place where Emilia, who was treated like a princess in this forest, could play by herself in safety. She had been brought here many, many times and spent so, so much time here alone.

[User] “Oh, that’s right; I can’t touch the door. Can I just pass right through it?”

[Assistant] “Yes, because of how the world perceives you. Of course, a person lacking flexibility in her thinking might…”

[User] “Wow, it’s true. I passed right through… Coming, Echidna?”"

[Assistant] Echidna narrowed her eyes in silence at the sight of Emilia phasing halfway through the door.


[User] As she entered the interior, she spotted the tree’s occupants in the thin, diaphanous light. “Ah…” Before her were an adult and a child staring at each other, engaged in conversation. The instant she caught sight of their violet eyes, Emilia made a slight sound in her throat.

[Assistant] Drawing in her breath, Emilia finally circled around the figure. Then she looked squarely at the person speaking to her younger self—at an elf with an elegant appearance and ears a little longer than a human being’s.

[User] “I presume that child is you. Even though she knows nothing of what’s to come, her carefree face still makes me want to sigh.”

[Assistant] “Don’t start complaining about my younger self, too. Besides, right now, there’s someone else…”


[User] Re:Zero Even though the woman always described herself as grotesque, Emilia really liked the way she looked. She was gallant and awe-inspiring. Emilia’s memories of her were so striking that it almost hurt. After all, this person was—

[Assistant] "—My mother, Fortuna.”

[User] This was the woman who had lived with Emilia in the Great Elior Forest as her surrogate mother. At the very least, to Emilia, she was family as much as any real mother could be.

[Assistant] "" —That instant, a memory that had been resting in the depths of oblivion gently floated to the surface. It was a memory of what she and her mother had been speaking about in the Princess Room at that time.


[User] "—Emilia, I have something very important I need to do right now, so behave yourself in here, okay?”

[Assistant] Yes, young Emilia was enormously upset over being cooped up in that Princess Room. From time to time, the adults of the elven settlement in the Great Elior Forest would set out to take care of some important business, leaving Emilia behind. The same grown-ups who normally doted on Emilia were absolutely unwilling to compromise on this every time it came up. —It was important to uphold your word, respect others, and honor that which had been decided. These were the precepts that Emilia had been taught by her mother figure, Fortuna. Mother figure was a rather roundabout turn of phrase, but it was none other than Fortuna herself who always described their relationship that way, persistently insisting she was nothing more than a replacement.

[User] “I’m the younger sister of your father, Emilia. My brother…your father, and your mother are very busy, so they can’t be together with you right now. That’s why they trusted me to take good care of you.”

[Assistant] That was how Fortuna had first explained it. The initial impact Emilia felt at the time was difficult to forget. But it wasn’t because she felt hurt or abandoned. In fact, it was the exact opposite—she was ecstatic. Whatever the facts, Fortuna was Emilia’s mother as far as she was concerned. And yet, she supposedly had another mother. Most people lived with one father and just one mother. Emilia had two—it surprised her that something so happy could happen.

[User] “You get your silver hair from my brother, huh. It seems this eye color of ours runs in the family as well… But that gentle face comes from your mother. Everyone on my side of the family has a foul look in their eyes.”

[Assistant] “…But I really like your eyes.”

[User] Fortuna’s eyes were as sharp as a beast’s fang. From time to time, Emilia pushed her over the edge by breaking one rule or another, and those eyes would become even fiercer. Whenever that happened, Emilia trembled with fear. Those stormy moments aside, Emilia thought Fortuna was an ideal mother. She found even that piercing gaze lovely and heartwarming. As a mother, Fortuna was strict but gentle.


[User] “I have plenty I really regret. I should have been kinder to a lot of people. If only I’d thought that way sooner, I probably wouldn’t have relied on my brother to the very end.” When she emphasized the word really by force of habit, a very lonely expression crossed Fortuna’s face.

[Assistant] Returning to the earlier scene, young Emilia had been left behind all alone in the Princess Room.

[User] “Grrr… Boooring.”

[Assistant] “And Mom is the one always telling me it’s wrong to lie and hide things, isn’t she?”

[User] “I want to go outside…” Her muted words were not meant for any other person, she was merely muttering her wish aloud.


[Assistant] “—?” In the corner of the room, a pale glow abruptly floated upward. It was a flickering, fleeting, faint light, and Emilia gaped at its sudden appearance. As the phosphorescent glow stole Emilia’s gaze, it cut across the room, sinking into the wall as it vanished.

[User] “No fair! Wait! Wait!” Youthful jealousy won over surprise. Pattering toward the corner of the room, Emilia gingerly touched the wall that had absorbed the light.

[Assistant] “Ah!” Emilia discovered a little hole in the wall that her arm could easily slip into.

[User] “Ngh—” With her arm still thrust into the hole, Emilia suddenly entertained a rather large worry.


[User] The entrance to the Princess Room had been bolted shut and would absolutely not open until Fortuna returned. In other words, to Emilia, this hole could become her escape route to freedom. However, her mother had told her to wait in the room no matter what. Her heart ferociously swung between her personal curiosity and her mother’s admonition.

[Assistant] “…Well, Mom and the other grown-ups are doing something secret, too, so that makes us even.” In the end, with this one final excuse, Emilia inserted her body into the gap between the tree roots. She was small, but the gap was even smaller. Forcing herself into the tiny space, she got her face and clothes dirty with mud as she somehow managed to crawl her way outside the hollow of the tree.

[User] “—Ah.” As Emilia felt the wind on her cheek, her eyes glimmered with an odd sense of achievement. Even though she’d just broken a rule, she wanted to go straight to Fortuna that very moment and brag, saying, Eh-heh-heh, I did it! Of course, if she did that, the scolding she’d get would be akin to a firestorm, so Emilia stopped herself just short of rushing out. It was a close call. With a light step, Emilia broke into a happy run, leaving the Princess Room in the dust.


[Assistant] To Emilia, this forest was her backyard. Somehow, she simply knew where Fortuna and the other adults were located. In no time at all, Emilia found the adults, who had gathered in a forest glade. Mixed in with the adults was Archi, the next youngest after Emilia. The elven boy, who was much like an older brother to Emilia, was just as guilty as the adults for leaving Emilia out despite being a kid himself. It was practically unforgiveable. But what caught her attention even more than the traitorous Archi was the group of individuals in the clearing wearing black clothing—they were guests unfamiliar to Emilia.

[User] “I’ll be sneaky…” Aware she was doing something bad, Emilia opted to hide and peek from behind cover. To avoid being seen by anyone in the clearing, Emilia selected a large tree, nimbly leaping up and climbing its branches. Tree-climbing was her specialty, something that constantly worried Archi and the others.

[Assistant] “—You always, always do so much to take care of us like this.” Emilia heard a voice at virtually the same moment she lay upon a large tree branch. From her vantage point, she could see all the elves from the settlement had gathered in the glade. Excluding Emilia, the population was around fifty people total. In contrast, the people in black numbered fewer, at around twenty. The representatives from each respective side were discussing something right in the center of the glade. The elven representative, Fortuna, seemed like she was trying to hide something. Having spoken up first, she continued keeping a firm grip on the conversation thereafter.


[User] "These are things that are difficult to obtain in the forest, so everyone is grateful."

[Assistant] "We happily accept your kind words. Indeed, it pains me to say that this is the only way in which we can provide any support. Lady Fortuna, we always place such a burden upon you."

[User] "That goes for both of us, Geuse." With but the tiniest flutter of her long ears, Emilia strained to pick up the pieces of the conversation flitting between Fortuna and the other speaker. Even though she could hear them, she did not really understand the meaning of their words, but somehow, she detected affection in her mother’s pained smile. Her mother’s affection was for the tall man in the black robe, whom she called Geuse. The robe was a loose fit, but Emilia could instantly tell that his physique was supple and honed. Under his coiffed green hair was a watchful face, but his downcast eyes professed the deep humility he held while addressing Fortuna. The sight made Emilia proud. Her mother was incredible enough to make such a large man curry her favor.

[Assistant] "Also, as I must confirm each time…is the seal intact?" Emilia had puffed her chest in a strange sense of pride, but the man’s next words blew that all away. She could sense the weighty, complex emotions brimming in the man’s voice.

[User] "I’d like to joke that you worry too much, but I don’t really feel like laughing. It’s all right, though; the seal is holding firm with no change whatsoever. No matter what happens, I can’t let it be lifted for even a moment—I would never be able to look my brother or sister in the eye otherwise."

[Assistant] "About your older brother and his spouse…"

[User] "It’s fine. I understand. It’s just…I will absolutely never forget the weight of the responsibility entrusted to me. I don’t intend to ever abandon it, nor fulfill it half-heartedly. The same goes for you, right?"

[Assistant] "I… This is the only thing I have. My sense of duty and responsibility surely differs from yours, Lady Fortuna. Compulsion, lingering regrets… I cling to them almost obsessively. That is all."

[User] When Geuse flashed an empty smile, Fortuna lowered her eyes, her expression pained. Behind the pair, the other adults were working to unload some baggage from the wagons that the black robes had apparently brought with them. From a distance, the cargo appeared to be clothing, foodstuffs, books, and so forth. Everything that was hard to find in a forest.

[Assistant] "Thanks to the blessings of the spirits, the changing of the seasons has little effect upon this forest, but even so, getting clothes and books is a really big help. We’re grateful as always."

[User] "By rights, your people deserve far better than this. It is not proper that you have been forced to live in such an inconvenient place like this."

[Assistant] "Come on—don’t talk like that.


[User] "We love the forest, you know.” Fortuna softly smiled as she spoke those words with a joking tone. Her kind expression carved a thin smile onto Geuse’s lips.

[Assistant] For a while, a gentle atmosphere seemed to surround the pair.

[User] "—Lady Fortuna, the unloading is complete. I would like to thank all the disciples.”

[Assistant] “Yes, thank you, Archi.”

[User] Bowing once to Fortuna, this young elf, who was clad in a white garment, turned to face Geuse. "Lord Archbishop, on behalf of everyone in the forest, you have our thanks for always supporting us.”

[Assistant] “This is the least I could do. I see that you have become a bit more reliable, Master Archi.”

[User] “The next Guardian cannot let himself be treated as a child forever.”

[Assistant] Their exchange contained respect but also envy. The pair didn’t seem very friendly, considering how distantly they addressed each other. “Do remain in good health, for the sake of the forest, the seal, yourself, and your family as well.” Using these words as Archi’s send-off, Geuse reluctantly gave the glade one final glance and bowed. Those dressed in black followed suit.

[User] Archi, Fortuna, and all the other adults touched a hand to their chests and closed their eyes, an elven gesture that conveyed their respect.


[Assistant] As the black-clothed visitors began to lead the wagons out of the glade— “Right, one last thing—is Lady Emilia in good health?” Geuse, on the verge of leaving, paused to ask a question that practically brought Emilia’s heart to a stop.

[User] She’d never imagined her name would suddenly appear at a time like this. She hurriedly covered her mouth, holding back a yelp.

[Assistant] “Don’t worry. Emilia is a lively kid, and she’s growing up to be a really good girl. Such a good girl is almost wasted on us… But I’m sorry. I cannot allow her to meet you yet.”

[User] “It is fine. I wish for nothing more. If Lady Emilia is being raised well, that is enough. A sinner such as I cannot hope for anything greater than this.” This was not merely a show of humility. It was obvious the man’s voice carried a deep sense of shame and self-reproach toward himself. As Geuse lowered his eyes, Fortuna did not offer any cheap words of consolation.

[Assistant] He nodded, as if her silence was a form of salvation.

[User] “—Lord Archbishop Romanée-Conti, are you ready?” Addressed by a single man at the very end of the train of departing wagons.

[Assistant] “Yes, this is sufficient. Now, let us grave sinners depart. Lady Fortuna, I shall see you again soon.”

[User] “…Even if no one else says it, we are grateful to all of you.


[User] "I really mean it.”

[Assistant] “Surely, it is for those words alone that I have given myself over to a century of anguish.” Leaving after one last pleasant smile, Geuse set off from the glade.

[User] Watching them go until they were no longer in sight, Fortuna closed her eyes but once, exhaling deeply.

[Assistant] “Lady Fortuna, are you tired? If this is hard on you, we can handle the rest from…”

[User] “…How cheeky of you. Don’t go treating me like an old woman just yet. I may be older than someone like you, who’s young through and through, but I’m still very much in my prime.”

[Assistant] “I—I wouldn’t dare! It’s simply that the role of Guardian must be very arduous…” Archi flew into a panic, his face going pale at the thought that his attempt to be considerate might have been misunderstood.

[User] However, once Fortuna burst into laughter, even the young boy realized she was just making fun of him. "No matter how capable you are, you’re so gullible that I’m worried you might not cut it as Guardian. You have to be really dependable if I’m going to entrust my precious treasure to you.”

[Assistant] “P-please do not joke about that, Lady Fortuna…”

[User] “Yes, yes, sorry. But can I take you up on your offer and leave this to you? I’m rather certain I have a very bored princess who I need to let out soon.”


[Assistant] “—? !” The various questions Emilia had been mulling over up to that point were all blown away by Fortuna’s words. Emilia almost tumbled down as she leaped from the tree, hurrying back to the Princess Room. Somehow, she used the same gap she’d escaped from to roll her way into the room. All good, she thought as she rose, but she immediately despaired when she realized her entire outfit was all muddy, like that of a child who’d been playing outside. “What should I do, what should I do, what should I do…? !” Initially, she thought she might be forgiven if she apologized. However, now that she’d eavesdropped on the conversation in the glade, she no longer thought it was possible. She was almost certain Fortuna hadn’t wanted her to hear that conversation. If Fortuna came to hate her, Emilia would be ruined. It would be the end of the world. If she didn’t at least hide the scrapes on her body, Fortuna would realize right away. She was afraid of even sinking into the bath with all these scratches. “Eh…?” If I don’t do something soon… Her mind was racing, but then Emilia saw something that interrupted her frantic thoughts; the pale, phosphorescent glow had come once more. This was the same light that had masterminded Emilia’s escape plan. Emilia was perplexed when it flickered and swayed as it moved closer. Then the light’s luminosity gradually grew stronger—

[User] “—Amazing.” When Emilia touched the pale light, she felt warm as the scrapes on her body were healed.


[User] In several seconds, the marks were gone without a trace. Now, if she could only do something about the muddy clothes, she’d be all right. Turning over a pot filled with ink for drawing, she thoroughly marred the clothes she wore, staining them black. Her clothes were so dirty that even a wash wouldn’t clean them completely; if she smeared her clothes so that the mud was no longer obvious, then—

[Assistant] "—Emilia, are you awake?"

[User] "Myauh! I-I’m awake! I’m awake, Mom! B-but…"

[Assistant] "Hmm? Why are you in such a hurry…? Huh?" The bolt opened audibly outside, after which Fortuna poked her head in through the open door. Fortuna had a gentle smile on her face, but she grimaced the moment she entered the room. "It really smells of ink in here… What happened?"

[User] "Errr…I-I’m sorry! I spilled the pot for drawing all over the place…"

[Assistant] "This is a mess, all right…" Fortuna put a hand to her forehead at the inky scent filling the room and the spilled pot, which had rolled onto its side. However, though first seemingly at a loss, she eventually smiled at Emilia. "Well, there’s no use crying about it now. We need to get you out of that outfit and wash the ink off you. As for a change of clothes…ahhh, here we are. If I didn’t find any, I’d have to take a naked Emilia back home with me."

[User] "Um, Mom, I…"

[Assistant] "Oh, you’re such a worrywart, Emilia. You don’t have to be so scared. It’s not like you did it on purpose, so of course I’m not angry with you. More importantly, you’re not hurt, are you?" Walking over, Fortuna stripped away all the dirty clothes off Emilia. Then, after confirming her daughter had no noticeable injuries, the mother embraced her beloved daughter.

[User] "Mom?"

[Assistant] "Mm, it’s nothing. It’s just, I really…wanted to see you, Emilia." Fortuna continued to embrace Emilia like that as she brought her cheek close. Normally, Fortuna never said such things that would make herself blush, which Emilia found so rare; she thought her mother seemed very forlorn. Hence—

[User] “…How cheeky.” Fortuna opened her eyes a crack and murmured as Emilia, who was in her embrace, stroked her short silver hair. However, she did not tell her to stop. The mother quietly accepted the feeling of her daughter’s palm stroking her. Gently, gently, Emilia continued stroking the head of her beloved mother. "Hey, Emilia."

[Assistant] “…Mm?”

[User] "—I love you."


[Assistant] There were many things she wanted to ask, many things she wanted to know. —But at that moment, the young Emilia thought hearing that one phrase from her mother was plenty.

[User] "I imagine your memories and the emotional scenes that had been locked away at the bottom of your heart are starting to overlap with each other little by little, yes?" Echidna spoke in this manner as she gazed at the mother-and-daughter pair embracing each other in the center of the Princess Room.


[User] "I’m so surprised. I thought for sure you’d say much pricklier things about my younger self and my mother."

[Assistant] "…Even if one thinks such things, ’tis not recommended to actually convey them to others. As it is, my already low opinion of you is about to plunge even further."

[User] "Ah, that’s all right. Don’t worry. I wouldn’t say anything like this to anyone but you, Echidna."

[Assistant] "…For better or worse, you seem to be gradually getting influenced ever more strongly by him."

[User] "Really? Thank you." Echidna was twisting her lips in disgust.

[Assistant] "—Then again, your impudence seems more an issue of your nature than anything you might have picked up from that boy. I have become quite sure of this after watching the actions your younger self was so proud of."

[User] "That’s… I kind of can’t excuse the way I behaved, either, but…" Echidna’s assertion made Emilia reflect on her younger self with the benefit of hindsight. She’d broken a rule, slipped out of the room, eavesdropped on a conversation between adults, and had even contrived a trick to cover up the deed.

[Assistant] "The vulgarity of your character has such incredibly deep roots. Even with a fine mother showering you with love, you were incorrigible."

[User] "…Thank you for half of that."

[Assistant] She was glad to hear Fortuna being praised as a good mother. Yes, Mom was splendid. Emilia revered her, simultaneously recalling those feelings of love while despairing over her own obvious shortcomings. And those weren’t the only things she remembered.

[User] "Geuse and Fairy…" Lowering her eyes, Emilia murmured the two names that had played such key roles in her past.

[Assistant] "The lesser spirit of healing that taught you about the gap in the wall… How ironic that you called it a fairy." Echidna’s teasing statement also seemed to express pity that she called the lesser spirit a fairy. That was a term for an evil spirit. No spirit would be pleased to be referred to as a detestable, abominable fairy.

[User] "There was a story about that in a book I read in this room. The book said fairies weren’t bad but were actually good. I can’t remember the details, though."

[Assistant] She was sure she remembered a book conveying a fairy tale from another land. At present, she could remember neither the title nor the contents of the tome, but it had left a strong impression of fairies as being gentle, reliable creatures.

[User] "So you have remembered your mother, an acquaintance, and this fairy. Is this the past you wished to see?"

[Assistant] "No, not yet."


[User] "There’s still… I haven’t remembered enough yet.” Shaking her head, Emilia replied to Echidna’s question as she left the cavity under the giant tree. She was walking not to a scene that lived in her memories but deeper into the forest, to a path barred by countless trees. There rested something that she had to remember. Ahead lay—

[Assistant] “What’s there?”

[User] “—The seal.”


[Assistant] "There we go! Yay! It worked this time, too!” Hmm-hmm, Emilia went, puffing out her chest, her hair full of leaves as she spoke with satisfaction. She had escaped the Princess Room from where she exited her lifeline to freedom.

[User] “Lately, Archi’s really been a worrywart, so I’ve got to be careful.” Warily surveying her surroundings, Emilia exercised prudence in confirming that Archi, her watcher, was not around.

[Assistant] I absolutely can’t let my guard down, she thought, clenching her fists tightly. “Okay, come out, Fairy.” Confirming the enemy’s absence, Emilia called out to the phosphorescent glow floating overhead.

[User] “I wonder if Geuse and the others are coming today, too…” Emilia hammered out her plan of action from that point forward as she plucked leaves off her head.

[Assistant] “I thought Mom and the others were hiding something a lot more fun and exciting.”


[User] “Not that they talk about it much, but… Up! We! Go!” Her scheme kept missing the mark, but she remained undaunted, climbing the tree and taking her usual position once more. Below her was the now familiar scene of the adults in the glade. Fortuna and Geuse were there, too. At a distance, the pair seemed engaged in pleasant chat, but she felt Fortuna’s expression looked particularly relaxed.

[Assistant] “Lately, Emilia has been really energetic. She always comes back with mud on her clothes. I wash them and wash them day after day, but I just can’t seem to catch up.”

[User] “If she is in good health, all is well and good. I have brought as many changes of clothes as I could. Beyond the forest, the winter season is finally ending, so many of these garments may prove unnecessary.”

[Assistant] “I’m sorry; even though we rely on you for so much already, I always seem to ask for more… Are there clothes for adults, too?”

[User] “Yes, of course. Surely, there are some that suit you nicely as well, Lady Fortuna.” Right in the middle of their discussion about Emilia, Geuse replied to her question with a soft expression that made Fortuna go rigid, as if he had slipped through a gap in her armor. After that, she seemed rather blushy as she glared at Geuse with upturned eyes.

[Assistant] “…Goodness. We’ve known each other this long, but I never realized you were the sort to make those kinds of jokes.”

[User] “—? I merely intended to speak my mind. Did I say something odd?”

[Assistant] “…I know you are a man without guile. That makes it even worse, you know.” As Geuse cocked his head in confusion, Fortuna averted her eyes with an exasperated air.

[User] The gesture brought a look of consternation to Geuse’s face, whereupon he gently reached his hand out toward Fortuna’s forehead. His palm touched her brow.

[Assistant] “…Geuse, what are you doing?”

[User] “No, ah, come to mention it, once quite some time ago, Lady Fortuna, you were speaking sourly to me when you had a fever… It seems you do not at the moment.”

[Assistant] “How many decades ago was that? Goodness, you really do treat me like such a child.” Fortuna pouted at his misplaced concern. However, the corners of her lips were smiling, making it obvious that she did not find their exchange unpleasant. No, far from it—Fortuna was clearly enjoying her time with Geuse.

[User] “…Muu.” Somehow, Emilia did not find the sight of her mother like that very amusing at all. The impression she had of Fortuna was that she was sharp-eyed, gallant, and strict to others. Her gentle, caring face was supposed to be her beloved daughter Emilia’s exclusive privilege.

[Assistant] “Hmph, stupid Geuse. And Archi’s stupid, too.” She took out her anger on the acquaintance who had never met her and on the boy helping unpack the cargo.


[User] Emilia decided in her heart that if this day, too, proved fruitless, she would let Geuse have a taste of her wrath. I’ll clog up the wagon wheels with cloth and spill oil all over them, Emilia thought, tracing out the ingenious, devilish revenge plot in her mind.

[Assistant] "—So is the seal still in place?" Lowering the volume of his voice, Geuse raised what Emilia now recognized as a customary question.

[User] "Same as always. You really do make sure to check each and every time, don’t you?"

[Assistant] "Such is my duty… Besides, though I do not wish to impart unnecessary concern, this time, there is some kind of suspicious air outside the forest. Perhaps it is needless anxiety on my part, but do keep this in mind."

[User] "…Understood. I, the Guardian, will keep watch over everything here, seal and Key included. Please take care of the outside."

[Assistant] "I leave it in your hands—for Lady Emilia’s sake and for those two as well." Geuse bent his hips.

[User] Fortuna nodded back with a serious look on her face. "…Seal."

[Assistant] As the pair’s conversation made her ears tremble, Emilia murmured a single word to herself.

[User] "Seal…" The word seal came out without fail at the end of Fortuna and Geuse’s conversations. Up until then, she had little interest in the word. But this day was different. The seal and Emilia had been mentioned in the same breath. Besides, she was also curious about the words Geuse had spoken at the end. —Maybe, just maybe, those two referred to Emilia’s father and mother?

[Assistant] "Seal…" Uttering the word once more, Emilia returned to the Princess Room, tumbling into the cavity, Emilia moved with great haste, busily creating evidence that she’d been spending time in that room. In a short while, she made a drawing, changed the clothes on the dolls, and helped herself to a variety of snacks. With that job finished, she was just wiping the sweat off her brow when she heard Fortuna’s voice calling to her from outside.


[User] "Emilia, sorry for the wait. Have you been a good girl today, too?"

[Assistant] "Ugh… I-I’ve been a good girl? I was good. Mm, yes, I was a good girl." ""

[User] "Wh-what is it, Mom? Don’t look at me like that; I haven’t done anything. I ate snacks, I drew pictures, and I played with my dolls, too. I really haven’t been outside or anything."

[Assistant] "…I see. That’s good, then…" It seemed like Emilia’s acting ability had all but fooled Fortuna’s eyes. A sense of guilt weighed upon Emilia, but she powered through, telling herself she could not falter there. What she’d overheard in the glade today absolutely needed to stay secret. In particular, the seal was very important. Emilia was sure she remembered that a seal meant a hidden place of some sort.


[User] "—Please, ’kay?” Closing one eye, Emilia coaxed the phosphorescent glow she had befriended to search the forest for her.

[Assistant] Something seemed to be guiding Emilia’s feet as she and Echidna advanced deeper into the forest.

[User] She made full use of being disconnected from the world, walking straight through an awful path that was better described as a dense thicket.

[Assistant] The muddy ground, the large, tightly packed trees—after overcoming these obstacles, Emilia beheld a scene of white.

[User] "—A door. A curious sight indeed.”

[Assistant] "This is the seal." As Echidna questioningly set her gaze upon the door, Emilia spoke to her.

[User] "But if this is the seal, what…?”

[Assistant] "—It seems the answer has arrived.” Emilia placed her hand to her forehead as a wave of nausea hit her.

[User] Echidna quietly let a soft sigh trickle out as she stood behind Emilia. Emilia turned around.


[User] Ahead of her, a faint, phosphorescent glow leisurely floated by, and past it—

[Assistant] "This is the seal?" She beheld the sight of her younger self, tilting her head with an innocent face as she gazed upon the door.

[User] Young Emilia blinked her wide-open eyes repeatedly at the mysterious door standing right before her. She’d finally ascertained the location of the seal that Fortuna and the others had been hiding. Even together with Fairy, it had been quite an ordeal to haphazardly search a large forest. But—

[Assistant] "Thanks to everyone, we cracked the case. Yay!" Emilia grinned broadly at the phosphorescent lights twirling around her.

[User] "Why isn’t it falling down with a fwomp?" The seal, which had been successfully located with the fairies’ cooperation, wouldn’t budge no matter how much she pushed or pulled.

[Assistant] "I don’t really get any of it…but we sure did find it. Clap, clap, clap." Hoping in her heart that her parents were hidden within the seal, she’d just gotten her first tangible lead. However, after satisfying her curiosity once, she was absolutely not content with stopping here. She’d expose what everyone was hiding by working with the fairies. There was still much to be done.

[User] "Hmph. It’s Mom and everyone else’s fault. Geuse’s fault, too." Thinking of the tall man dressed in the black habit and not currently present, Emilia stuck out her tongue.

[Assistant] "I’ll surprise Geuse with Fairy and, while he’s in a big panic, stomp on his foot. I’ll stomp on both his feet, and with my heels, too! …That seems like it would hurt a lot, so I’ll keep it to just his toes." Even in her most heartless scheme, she didn’t neglect to add some measure of kindness. She needed to treasure her bonds with the fairies.

[User] "Okay, let’s head home."


[User] "For today’s masterpiece, I feel like doing a red sky and a snow-white forest!” Having achieved her latest objective, Emilia raced down the path home in a patter together with the fairies. It was a fairly treacherous path, but the nimble Emilia hopped right over any obstacles. Really, Fortuna had told her she was forbidden from entering that area. That was what kept her from discovering the seal for so long. Mom is too shrewd. "But we got one up on her, didn’t we…? What’s wrong?"

[Assistant] In the middle of treading down a poor and unfamiliar path, Emilia abruptly halted her feet as the fairies signaled her. They were blinking in and out in an irregular pattern, darting across her field of vision before drifting into a thicket off to the side. “Mm? Mmmm? This…this smells like an adventure!”

[User] The fairies’ state reminded Emilia of when she’d first met them in the Princess Room. That had laid the foundation for Emilia’s strong relationship with them. This time probably held some kind of meaning, too. “Yahoo!” Chasing after the fairies, Emilia energetically leaped into the underbrush. Pushing her way through the tall grass, she resolutely advanced along an animal trail, her silver hair getting snagged by branches several times along the way.


[Assistant] And then—

[User] "This is quite worrisome… She has strayed from the promised hour.”

[Assistant] “—Ah!” Just when she was coming out of the thicket, she happened upon a black back standing in the forest. Letting out a voice of surprise, Emilia hurriedly covered her mouth and hid in the thicket. But it was too late.

[User] “Oh my? To whom does this adorable rump belong to?” A familiar voice addressed Emilia as she hid in the thicket with her butt in plain sight. The voice made Emilia twitch and tremble. He did not know her, but she knew him, the accursed villain.

[Assistant] “I—I request gentle treatment as your prisoner…” Resigning herself that there was no fooling him, Emilia spoke words of surrender that she barely understood.

[User] As she raised a white flag, a smile came over the man—over Geuse. “My, my, a rather adorable young lady has come to vi… Eh?” The child’s adorable resistance put a relaxed expression on him, but in the next instant, that expression froze over. Cutting off his words in shock, his tranquil face stiffened and went rigid.

[Assistant] Seeing Geuse’s eyes wide-open startled Emilia, too; the pair faced off as a wave of complex emotions sloshed between them.

[User] “Y-young lady… No, you could not be…” Geuse’s voice trembled as he shook his head, seemingly in disbelief at what he was seeing.

[Assistant] Looking up nervously, Emilia felt concern plucking at her tiny chest. The man she saw was frail and forlorn, like a child who’d lost his way but been found by a parent, like a traveler always walking in darkness who had found the light, with an expression that was a mixture of fear and expectation. —Someone had to speak to him.


[User] "—Geuse, are you all right?" Emilia completely forgot all about the grudge she’d harbored for so long.

[Assistant] "—?! Ah, aah, ah, aaaah…!" His expression, his emotions, broke down, and he fell to his knees, his back trembling. A flood of tears coursed from his eyes as he gazed at Emilia with rapt attention.

[User] As if it was a prayer, a plea, simply giving thanks. "All right… Yes, yes! I am indeed all right. There is no problem. After all, I… I, now, just now, have never known a greater sense of salvation than this…!"

[Assistant] "Really…? If that’s true, then why are you crying?"

[User] "I am not…weeping out of sadness… My tears are from joy, from jubilation, from happiness… They are tears of warmth because I cannot contain such happiness. This is for no other reason than…how y-you…how your people have saved me… That’s why I—!"

[Assistant] Listening to Geuse’s weeping voice, Emilia held his hand, firmly clenching it in return.

[User] Geuse sobbed over and over, what he had described as tears of happiness flowed without end.

[Assistant] "Crying because you’re happy…" As Geuse continued to weep, Emilia somehow understood. "It’s all right, Geuse. It’s all right. It’s okay." Consoling him, Emilia stroked Geuse’s head with her free hand. When Geuse went rigid at the first touch, Emilia embraced his head against her tiny chest.


[User] "—!" For an instant, the torrent of resurrected memories made Emilia feel incredibly dizzy. She blinked several times over and got her breathing back under control. The impact had left her heart thumping hard against her chest. By reliving memories as seen through her younger self’s eyes, Emilia had regained her precious past.

[Assistant] "I can’t believe I forgot so many things that’d happened…" Emilia found no joy in those gaps getting filled. Rather, she felt remorse as she realized just how much she had taken for granted. They were warm, precious memories—enough that she felt deep and sharp regret for having forgotten them in the first place.

[User] "But…I probably wouldn’t have been able to accept it all until very recently." The journey toward those lost memories was linked to the regret that ate away at Emilia’s heart. If she’d come unprepared to face her past, she probably would have never recovered.


[Assistant] "—I’m scared, but I won’t cower."

[User] "Could you keep your decisions from sounding like they come from the disagreeable, weepy, clinging to a man whom I substitute as a father figure woman you are?" When Emilia voiced her feelings toward the Trial, Echidna, standing behind her, simply poured on scorn.

[Assistant] "I’m sure Subaru will forgive me for that…but I don’t want him to lose faith in me, nor do I want to lose faith in myself.


[User] "I’m weak, but I don’t want to dig in my heels and stay that way.” Besides— “I don’t want to turn all the words Subaru wrote for me into lies." He’d carved numerous cheers and countless feelings into the stone walls of the tomb for her sake, as she was challenging the Trial. It was receiving these words, and being sent off by them, that had brought Emilia that far. “I trust Subaru. That’s why I want to be a girl who will not bring shame to those feelings.”

[Assistant] "—Do as you please. All I’m doing here is gloating over your anguish.”

[User] No matter how much malice Echidna might pile on, Emilia’s current mindset could not be swayed with words. Perhaps realizing as much from the exchanges between them on their shared journey through her memories, Echidna lowered her shoulders and withdrew her poison. Emilia understood what the Witch’s demeanor meant. “The preliminaries are over, aren’t they?”

[Assistant] “Indeed, they are— The opening skirmishes are over. This time, the Trial that broke you will truly begin.”

[User] Echidna’s words made Emilia nod—and instantly, the scenery around them changed.


[Assistant] That’s why—” —Emilia had to accept in full the Trial that yet awaited.

[User] "—Please wait, Lady Emilia. Running around like that is dangerous…!"

[Assistant] “It’s not dangerous, not one little bit. You’re the one who keeps falling and scraping his knees, Geuse.”

[User] “No matter how injured I may become, I care not. Lady Emilia’s body comes first. If your jewellike skin was to be damaged, even if I died, it would not be death enough!”

[Assistant] “Geuse, somehow, that way of speaking sounds really indecent.” Emilia was jumping around the woodland trail recklessly, while making fun of Geuse like he was a very frail child stumbling around—sights that brought a pained smile over Fortuna as she pointed out how strange he sounded.

[User] "N-no, no. I was not even thinking such insolence! I am purely concerned for Lady Emilia… Ahhh, Lady Emilia! You must not go that way!” He hastily shook his head.

[Assistant] “Well, I wanna! Come and catch me if you can—!” As Geuse frantically switched from trying to defend himself to being overprotective, Emilia leaped into a thicket in high spirits. Seeing Geuse at his wits’ end made Fortuna burst into laughter.


[User] "My, my, I knew it. That girl’s mischief is a handful even for us."

[Assistant] "It is good that she is energetic. However, I would prefer if she avoids danger as much as possible… If she could live healthily inside the house, bathed in the light of the sun, she can leap around, then, without concern of breaking anything…"

[User] "Geuse…that’s a really strict way to live…"

[Assistant] "Mnhhh… Is—is that so? But if it is for Lady Emilia’s sake, I—I…!" Trapped between parental love and concern, Geuse gravely clutched his head. Seeing his reaction deepened Fortuna’s troubled smile, but it was parental love and envy that rested in her narrowed eyes. It was as if that very instant, the scene made her feel a sense of happiness that should not be possible.

[User] "Sheesh!! Mom, Geuse! Why won’t you chase after me?!" It was then that Emilia returned, tumbling out of the thicket as she reached the limits of her patience. Emilia’s young cheeks were red and puffed up as she accused the two lazy adults one after the other. "This isn’t the time, okay?! We were in the middle of a chase!"

[Assistant] "Ahhh, I am very sorry! I shall regret this blunder for the rest of my days…!"

[User] "Geuse, you mustn’t spoil her like that… Emilia, come over here for a moment."

[Assistant] "Whaaat, Mom…? Sheesh, Mom’s such a softie… Grrr!" Despite Emilia’s angry face, she walked over when Fortuna beckoned her by hand.

[User] "Awww, too bad. Emilia’s been caught by Mom." Just as she came close, Fortuna easily scooped her up.

[Assistant] "Ah, no fair! You can’t do that, Mom! This doesn’t count! You cheated! You should think about what you did!"

[User] "Oh my, if you’ve thought that far, maybe you should also take some time to think on what I told you, hmm? I wonder, why are Mom and Geuse chasing little Emilia?"

[Assistant] "Fwah!" This poke at her sore spot made Emilia cover her mouth with her hands. "Y-you’re wrong, Mom. Fairy wanted to go outside, and then…"

[User] "Your mother hates girls who blame fairies for the things they do. Understand, Emilia?" Fortuna spoke to her daughter in her arms with eyes both gentle and strict.

[Assistant] "I’m sorry, Mom. Since I became friends with Geuse, I wanted to tell you about it…and also that Geuse is a big crybaby so someone has to help him." Emilia, squirming under those words and that gaze, hung her head.

[User] "Those feelings are really important. That’s very good of you, Emilia. But in the first place, you became friends with Geuse because you went somewhere I made you promise not to go to, didn’t you?"

[Assistant] "Y-yes…I did…"

[User] "And that was really naughty, Emilia." Fortuna lowered Emilia, whose eyes were still focusing on the ground, before cupping her daughter’s cheeks with both hands. She brought Emilia’s face up to meet her own; their violet eyes reflected in each other’s. "You mustn’t break your promises. Keeping them is very important."


[User] "A promise is an expression of trust, so you mustn’t break them and betray the feelings of trust someone placed in you." Fortuna spoke gravely yet gently to Emilia, who was nearly in tears. "Emilia, I want you to promise Mom right now. Promise you’ll always keep your promises.”

[Assistant] “Yeah… Yes, I will keep them. I’m sorry, Mom.”

[User] “Good. Then everything’s fine.” After hearing Emilia’s teary-eyed vow, Fortuna embraced her beloved daughter in both arms, squeezing her daughter close and tight, she stroked Emilia’s hair as teary sobs escaped from the girl.

[Assistant] “So, Geuse, are you all right?”

[User] “I—I am…so overwhelmed by this d-dazzling sight, I cannot restrain my t-tears…!"

[Assistant] As Fortuna regarded him with an exasperated face, Geuse squatted in the shadow of a tree, using his sleeve to hide his own weeping. He seemed to have been deeply moved at seeing the exchange between mother and daughter up close. She really couldn’t refute Emilia’s appraisal of him as a crybaby. Setting this aside for the moment, Fortuna turned her head back toward Emilia. "Besides all that, Emilia. You spoke of a fairy…”

[User] “Ah, yeah. The fairies have been helping me since a while back… Come on out.” Not realizing that Fortuna was concerned about her having invisible friends, Emilia gently called out to them. That very moment, countless lights flooded in all around Emilia, causing Fortuna and Geuse to gaze in wonder.

[Assistant] “It can’t be… Lesser spirits…? And in such numbers…?”

[User] “I am most surprised that she is served by so many lesser spirits at such a young age. It would seem Lady Emilia is a naturally talented spirit mage.”

[Assistant] “Spi…rit? Spirit…mage?” The pair’s reaction and the unfamiliar terms made Emilia blink hard and tilt her head in apparent confusion.

[User] Geuse nodded deeply at Emilia. "Lady Emilia, the beings you call fairies are actually lesser spirits. They exist everywhere throughout the world. A spirit mage is one who can convey their heart to them, borrowing the spirits’ power through forming a pact.”

[Assistant] “And I can become one?”

[User] “If you grow up healthy and remain beloved by the spirits like this, Lady Emilia, then surely…” Geuse’s words made Emilia’s face visibly brighten. If a spirit mage means someone who gets along nicely with the fairies, then I wanna be one, thought Emilia with a spring in her chest.

[Assistant] “Hold on, Geuse. You mustn’t put strange notions into her head. Just because she can commune with lesser spirits doesn’t mean she can be a spirit mage… It isn’t something this girl needs.”

[User] “Lady Fortuna, Lady Emilia shall not remain young forever, either. The time will come when she cannot stay confined to the hollow of a great tree. There will surely be times when she cannot be kept from standing alongside Lady Fortuna and everyone else.


[User] “When that time comes, the spirits shall lend Lady Emilia their strength.”

[Assistant] “But I don’t want to subject my sweet Emilia to something that could be so dangerous…”

[User] The issue of Emilia’s education had shifted into an argument between the pair. Upon seeing this, Emilia swiftly circled behind Geuse and stuck her tongue out at Fortuna.

[Assistant] “I’m on Geuse’s side today! I’m definitely gonna become whatever a spirit mage is!”

[User] “Now look—you’ve gotten her all worked up about this. Geuse, how are you going to take responsibility?”

[Assistant] “Ah. What should…? Um…well, this has gotten rather serious…”

[User] Emilia was headstrong; meanwhile, Fortuna was wiping her hands of the whole thing. Caught between the pair, Geuse seemed overwhelmed, a sight that made Emilia go “hmm?” as she narrowed her eyes.

[Assistant] “Somehow, Mom and Geuse seem like a mom and dad…”

[User] “Wha—? !” Action: When Emilia spoke those words with a guileless face, her statement made Fortuna’s face flush beet red. Nervously waving a hand, the woman then stroked Emilia’s head seemingly at random.

[Assistant] “N-now, just a minute, Emilia, don’t say strange things like that. Geuse and I have known each other a long time already, that’s all. We don’t have a relationship that could be described in those words, all right?”

[User] “That’s correct, Lady Emilia. Lady Fortuna and I have both lived long…… To one as long-lived as I, even Lady Fortuna is like a little child to me.”

[Assistant] “Hmph…”

[User] Geuse gently covered for the rapidly speaking Fortuna. However, Emilia could tell that for some reason, his words had put Fortuna in a sour mood. Geuse didn’t notice.

[Assistant] “No matter how you slice it, little child is excessive. Do you even know how old I am right now?”

[User] “Er, ah, it was a figure of speech. Of course I have a firm and accurate grasp of your age, and Lady Fortuna has grown too tall and beautiful to be called a young child, but…”

[Assistant] “Hmmmm… Very well, then. I forgive you. But you should really reflect on it.”

[User] “Haaa…” Action: As Geuse inclined his head, Fortuna folded her arms and pressed him to reflect on his actions. But Emilia realized that Fortuna had brightened again. Geuse really wasn’t keeping up. And still wearing a face that showed no clear understanding, Geuse nodded Emilia’s way.

[Assistant] “The topic strayed somewhat, but Lady Fortuna and I have been acquaintances for quite a long time now. Indeed, ever since the time Lady Emilia’s father and mother were in good health…”

[User] “—Geuse!”

[Assistant] “…I am so sorry.” Action: When Geuse tried to return to a gentler topic, the color of Fortuna’s face changed as she scolded him. The peaceful exchange from just before had vanished. Geuse’s expression became pained in reaction to his own slip of the tongue.

[User] “Father and Mother…?”

[Assistant] “I’m sorry, Emilia. We’ll speak about that another time… More importantly, it’s time for you to return to your room."


[User] "You haven’t finished reflecting on your behavior, after all.”

[Assistant] "Another time… Will you really, though?” Emilia puffed up her cheeks, making plain her dissatisfaction at the conversation ending partway.

[User] Fortuna pressed a finger to one of Emilia’s cheeks, making the air leak out with a puu. “Be a good girl and wait patiently, ’kay? You’ll have other chances to meet Geuse again. I’ll…make sure of it…”

[Assistant] “Really, really? You promise? You will, right?”

[User] “Oh, this girl. I wonder where she learned how to quibble like this?” Fortuna reluctantly flashed a troubled smile, embracing Emilia.

[Assistant] “Yes, it’s a promise. It’s a really important promise between Mom and Emilia.”

[User] “…Mm. All right. I’ll go back to my room, then.”

[Assistant] Emilia nodded, trusting in Fortuna’s promise. Emilia then raced over to Geuse. As Geuse watched her, Emilia extended a hand, smiling. “See you later, Geuse. You mustn’t cry so much, so……promise until we meet next?”

[User] “—Yes. We shall most certainly meet again. I look forward to it.” Taking the tiny hand extended to him, Geuse made a small smile as the two exchanged a handshake.


[Assistant] Just as Emilia was about to proceed back to the Princess Room—

[User] “—It seems he has come.”

[Assistant] The murmur from Echidna drew Emilia’s attention, too.

[User] Emilia immediately realized what Echidna’s words meant.

[Assistant] “…Who are you? !” Both Fortuna and Geuse instantly noticed his strange presence. Fortuna immediately pulled Emilia close, extremely wary of the boy who had appeared without warning.

[User] Sensing this, the boy slipped out of the forest with a calm gait, stroking his own white hair.


[User] "When you wish to ask someone’s name, is it not polite to first state yours?" The reply made Fortuna’s emotions chill over all at once, amplifying her wariness even more.

[Assistant] The boy lowered his shoulders, regarding with exasperation the wind of enmity blowing toward him. "My reply just now was nothing short of clichéd, but that said, I think anyone can appreciate the temptation to react that way in this kind of situation. Even though we are meeting each other for the first time and we stand on completely equal ground, why must you arbitrarily look down upon me and demand my name like this? Do you even realize the fact that you have subconsciously, inconsiderately, carelessly, and one-sidedly classified me as inferior?"

[User] “…For a man, you certainly like long-winded speeches.”

[Assistant] "Stating for a man is nothing less than comparing me with the men you know simply based upon my outward appearance alone. In the first place, the creatures known as men are innumerable throughout the world, so by what standard can you judge me? That attitude… I just can’t let it go. It is excessively lacking in manners. It flies in the face of my individuality, my rights." In contrast to Fortuna’s concise sentences, the madness in the boy’s rambling gradually increased as he spoke.

[User] Sensing danger from his words, his actions, and more importantly, his attitude, Fortuna put Emilia behind her and shielded her, sternly glaring at the boy "Enough with your self-centered babbling! Who are you?!" Lending no ear to the boy’s words, Fortuna asked him for his name once more.

[Assistant] His face blanched at the interruption in the conversation, yet his cheeks, so unenthusiastic before, slowly drew back in a gloomy smile— Then, addressing the Emilias frozen in both past and present, he spoke. "I am a member of the Witch Cult, the Archbishop of the Seven Deadly Sins who has been entrusted with Greed—Regulus Corneas."


[User] Garfiel, half-naked sighed at Subaru, who was cowering as if the very world were coming to an end.

[Assistant] "l broke a promise to write my love out, but it got seen by someone else first… I’m done for…"

[User] "No matter how ya cut it, you’re bein’ way too far in the dumps. Man up already, geez. Gotta get it together."

[Assistant] Subaru had plenty he wanted to say toward the culprit’s undaunted attitude, but the ultimate cause was Subaru’s own lack of caution. His only option was to endure the shame of it.

[User] "But I never thought Garfiel would head in to settle his stuff first…"

[Assistant] "Goodness, for someone who normally tries to sweet-talk her all the time in broad daylight, what is this embarrassment over putting your feelings in text? Mr. Natsuki, is your sense of shame not rather misplaced?"

[User] "Usually, I’m mentally prepared for her to brush it all off, so when she actually does that, I’m fine! But this time, I was serious! And this is literally a love letter I wrote in the deep of night…the most embarrassing kind of all!" Subaru ruefully covered his red face with both hands

[Assistant] Otto lowered his shoulders with a weary look.

[User] "Don’t worry ’bout it, General. It’s not like ya did anythin’ weird. If anythin’, it makes me wanna do somethin’ like that. Love for the Lingdon man is first come, first served and all."

[Assistant] "Whether you intend it or not, hearing that from the culprit only makes it worse!"


[User] Though the Trial had broken her heart once already and reduced her to tears, they believed she would surely overcome it this time.

[Assistant] “When it was Garfiel, it took around an hour. Wonder if it’ll take the same time.”

[User] “In the case of success, I would imagine so… Ow?! And ow again? !”

[Assistant] “—Read the mood a little, would you?” Subaru drove an elbow into the insensitive Otto.

[User] Ram had also come over to pile onto the poor man, flicking Otto’s forehead and coldly narrowing her eyes. “You are so dense when it comes to understanding others… Are you really a merchant?”

[Assistant] “The way you said that hurts more than anything else…” After a taste of those sharp words, Otto was stunned from both mental and physical pain.

[User] “Incidentally,” Ram glanced at his pathetic face before turning back toward Subaru, “Lady Ryuzu…or rather, Miss Shima, because that is what she herself wishes to be called, wanted to speak with you, Barusu. It would seem she wishes to continue last night’s conversation.”

[Assistant] “Last night’s conversation, huh…?” As he listened to Ram, Subaru folded his arms and furrowed his brow.

[User] “Come to think of it…I never got a chance to ask about the details. What ’n’ how much did General and Grandm…the old hag end up talking about last night?”

[Assistant] “Whether you correct yourself or not, everyone can still tell you’re one hell of a granny’s boy… Mostly, I asked about what you were like before going into the tomb. You were on my mind a lot yesterday.”

[User] “…That so…?” Garfiel turned away with an awkward look on his face.

[Assistant] “Anyway, my hands were full with planning yesterday on how I should go after you. That’s why I got Shima to promise me to save the important conversation until after I give Garfiel his spanking.”

[User] “The now-spanked Garf seems dissatisfied, but what is it you postponed exactly?”

[Assistant] “—An unavoidable conversation if this Sanctuary is to be liberated.” The one who picked up where Subaru trailed off was Shima, speaking in a low voice as she approached. Her expression was hard, and her labored breathing sounded quite weary.

[User] “I believe you were told, Young Su. Just like spirits, our bodies are constantly depleting.”

[Assistant] “…Ahhh, I see. Ryuzu has three people to swap places with, but Shima’s been kicked out of the rotation, so there’s no substitute for her. That’s why she’s this tired, huh…”

[User] “Normally, sleeping and rising at a set schedule keeps me from deteriorating too much…but I have little confidence I can last until Lady Emilia returns.


[User] “As such, we should speak while we can.” Even while leaning on Ryuzu’s shoulders, Shima lifted her face and nodded toward Subaru with determination.

[Assistant] “Wait. Ya don’t need to do anythin’ reckless. Just have a healthy old hag take the old hag’s place and—”

[User] “It’s impossible to tell who you’re talking about, so let’s call them Granny Shi and Granny Ryu from now on. Besides, we can’t swap them around like that. This is something we can only hear from Shima’s lips.” Garfiel seemed to snap out of familial concern that Shima was forcing herself to speak.

[Assistant] Subaru wanted to respect his opinion, too, since it was sensible. But he could not say that here. What Shima wanted to talk about was the Sanctuary’s past. These were things that only Shima and the people directly related to the Sanctuary’s creation could know, and that was because—

[User] “—Only I, who entered the tomb and took the Trial, can speak of this.”

[Assistant] “Ah…” Bewildered by that fact, Garfiel let out a breath of realization.

[User] Subaru thinks, Previously, when young Garfiel had gone into the tomb, it was none other than Shima who had gone in after to bring him back. As a result, Shima had seen the past there. Namely—

[Assistant] “The memories of the ancestor of all us replicas… Ryuzu Meyer.”

[User] Subaru thinks, —she’d seen the girl who was hidden in the replication facility in the forest, continuing to sleep within a crystal. She was Ryuzu Meyer, the original upon which Shima and the other replicas were based. In the tomb, Shima, the replica, had experienced the memories of Ryuzu Meyer while she still lived. Consequently, the story she would share was about the regrets Ryuzu Meyer harbored about her past, memories related to the creation of the Sanctuary itself—

[Assistant] “They concern the cherished hope harbored by Young Ros’s family, the Matherses; the existence and objective of Her Lady the Witch, who created the Sanctuary—and they concern her daughter, Ryuzu Meyer’s one and only friend.”

[User] “The Witch’s daughter…?” The implications of what Ryuzu had shared made Subaru alone raise his eyebrows, for he was the only one who sensed a special meaning behind her words. Neither Garfiel nor Ryuzu, nor Ram nor Otto, understood; only Subaru had a suspicion that turned out to be true, a reference toward which, like it or not, he felt a longing aching in his heart.

[Assistant] While Subaru was still reeling from his most recent realization, Shima softened her voice, speaking as if telling a fairy tale to a child. “It all began here, before this place was called the Sanctuary.” Her eyes held distant hope as she began to speak of memories that would surely arrive at regret—

[User] —and yet, her gaze was filled with a longing, tender love.


[User] She had creamy hair, as if light had been dissolved, and her skin was so white, you could almost see right through her. Her round eyes were a pale blue; if her appearance exemplified one word, it was lovely. Her hair was parted in two large, long twirls, and the flaring dress she wore made her look like a princess out of a picture book. As a matter of fact, the position she occupied was not that far off in terms of esteem. When this girl turned such keen eyes toward her, Ryuzu wilted completely. Though it was presumptuous to even compare the two, the girl before her eyes was far classier than she. Ryuzu was deficient in appearance and attire both, and their apparent ages being similar only invited greater embarrassment.

[Assistant] "Hmph. Silent again. Are you a boring, cowardly girl, I wonder?" The girl gave a snort of dissatisfaction to Ryuzu, who was squirming with her face cast downward. This sour demeanor clashed with her adorable appearance, but her words still thrust into Ryuzu’s heart like needles. It was not the abuse that pained her but the disappointment. Ryuzu could hardly breathe.

[User] "Beatrice, what is with that attitude? Did I teach you to behave like that?" The gentle tone of his voice made the girl’s expression stiffen.

[Assistant] Aah, went Ryuzu as she let go of the breath she was holding.


[User] Coming out of a hut in the back of the settlement was a woman who exuded a pure-white aura. She had long, glossy, naturally white hair and skin that seemed untouched by light. Only her eyes, lips, and the long-hemmed dress she wore barely managed to add color to her, yet she possessed beauty requiring nothing more than that.

[Assistant] "Lady Echidna." Ryuzu hastily bowed her head as she spoke the name of her patron Witch—Echidna.

[User] Glancing at Ryuzu, the girl named Beatrice turned around in great haste. "Ah, er…y-you’re wrong, Mom! Betty didn’t do anything… But this girl, she—!"

[Assistant] "If you are guilty of nothing, there is no need to be all flustered. You need only accurately convey the facts. If you truly did nothing wrong, it would not be necessary to hesitate, would it? Am I mistaken?"

[User] "Perhaps that’s true…"

[Assistant] Echidna was not emotional, but she was quiet, firm, and strict. Ryuzu would have interpreted this as being hard on her daughter at first, but the pouty look on Beatrice’s face made her believe otherwise.

[User] "Betty was quietly waiting outside, just like you asked, Mom. And then this girl was watching Betty from afar…so Betty called her over, wondering if she had any business with Betty."

[Assistant] "I see. So, you there, what do you have to say?"

[User] "Eh…! Um, er, yes, I have no excuse. I behaved most rudely…" Beatrice’s childish explanation was the truth.


[User] When Ryuzu saw Beatrice at the edge of the settlement, she stared at the girl in a daze.

[Assistant] Beatrice took issue with that, which was what led to the current situation. "I was smitten with the sight of Lady Beatrice in the twilight… I am sorry."

[User] "Smitten, is it…?"

[Assistant] "Beatrice, do you acknowledge Ryuzu’s version of the story?"

[User] "Ummmm…"

[Assistant] "It would not be proper to tell you, a child, to behave more like an adult, but your attitude is lacking in tolerance. You are indeed special, but that is not for the sake of looking down upon others. I seem to be saying this a lot." Upon receiving Ryuzu’s reply, Echidna sent some sort of stern admonition Beatrice’s way. Though Beatrice seemed quite crestfallen, Ryuzu was in too great a panic to notice. —

[User] She’d never thought that the great Witch Lady Echidna would personally remember her name. Ryuzu lived in a tiny village, but her existence was the tiniest of all. As an apostle, she felt the joy of having the Witch of Greed herself remembering her name send a tremor running through her heart.

[Assistant] "I shall leave things to Geuse from here. I am sure he will work hard to give you proper guidance."

[User] "…Betty does not like Geuse very much."

[Assistant] "Considering his role, being disliked by you is exactly the appraisal I wished and hoped for." Smiling at Beatrice’s disgusted face, Echidna then turned to Ryuzu. This made Ryuzu’s heart leap. She always let opportunities to speak slip and kept finding some suitable reason to distance herself from such places out of hesitation, so Echidna paying any attention to her once again was a surprise. "That must have come as quite a shock for you, yes, Ryuzu? This girl, Beatrice, is my… She is like a daughter to me. As you can see, she has yet to learn proper manners, I am embarrassed to say."

[User] "I am not like a daughter—I am your daughter!"

[Assistant] "Well, it is something like that. I believe I shall be coming here with her more frequently hereafter. Both of you will likely see each other more often, so I would like the two of you to get along nicely."

[User] "Y-yes. Leave it to me, Lady Echidna…!" Honored to receive a request from the Witch, Ryuzu nodded, her eyes sparkling with delight.

[Assistant] Ryuzu’s acceptance elicited a satisfied nod from Echidna.

[User] From behind, Beatrice murmured ruefully in a tiny voice. "…Is Betty not completely fine even when all alone, I wonder?"


[Assistant] Ryuzu was carrying a laundry basket when the inquirer called out, bringing her feet to a halt. When she slowly turned around, she set eyes on the one who had called her to a stop.

[User] "You there, girl. I am sorry; Lady Echidna was supposed to be here, but I do not see her anywhere."

[Assistant] "Yes?"

[User] "Wah!" she went, eyes bulging. Out of surprise, she unwittingly slackened the strength in her arms, and she almost dropped the laundry basket then and there.


[User] "There you go."

[Assistant] "Whoa… Aah, I-I’m very sorry!" Ryuzu bowed her head to the boy, who had closed the distance with one long-legged stride and put his hand under the laundry basket.

[User] Flashing a troubled smile at the sight, the youth with blue-colored hair shook his head. "Think nothing of it. I am sorry for speaking to you in the middle of your work. It was inconsiderate."

[Assistant] "Not at all…! You are too kind, Master Mathers!"

[User] "One must not forget to be kind to ladies, regardless of our respective positions… If I may ask one thing of you, I do not particularly like being called by my family name. Could you address me as Roswaal?" After speaking to the apologetic Ryuzu, the boy—Roswaal—gave her a wink.

[Assistant] "So, erm, as for Lady Echidna…I have yet to see her today. Beatrice does not seem to have come to her usual place, either."

[User] "I see; their arrival may well have been delayed. Setting Lady Echidna aside, I find it difficult to believe Beatrice would not have come here to meet you."

[Assistant] "Errr… Beatrice only comes to speak to me once in a while…"

[User] "You say once in a while only because that is what Beatrice insists on calling it, no?" Roswaal barely containing his laughter over Ryuzu’s reply.

[Assistant] "Beatrice is not an honest girl, you see. It is good that you do not think of her as difficult to deal with…"

[User] "Perish the thought. She treats even someone like me extremely well. In fact, I am always making Lady Beatrice angry…enough that I was worried that she might come to hate me."

[Assistant] "Then you have nothing to be concerned about. Beatrice’s ‘hate’ carries no credibility whatsoever. If she genuinely hated you, she would not create all these excuses to spend time with you." Faced with Roswaal’s toothy grin, Ryuzu half believed him and half not.


[User] This was far softer than what Ryuzu knew as rejection, but in contrast, Ryuzu thought Beatrice had made unmistakable displays of hate. “I hope that at some point, you might pick up on that girl’s true feelings as well.”

[Assistant] Seeing that Ryuzu had been pressed into silence, Roswaal murmured a comment, somehow sounding forlorn as he did. His smile became ever so slightly pained, and this caused Ryuzu’s chest to tighten. However, quicker than she could apologize over it, Roswaal’s expression became one of realization. “Teacher! I heard that you were here today, so I flew right over!” Roswaal’s eyes brightened and glimmered, his face like that of a child as he broke out into a run. With his grown-up impression thoroughly erased, the boy raced toward Echidna, the Witch in question, who sighed at the sight.

[User] “Roswaal… I do not recall permitting you to address me as Teacher.”

[Assistant] “This is not a day I may call you anything less. I have gained a complete comprehension of the homework you spoke of previously, Teacher. By focusing mana of the four colors at a uniform rate, one makes them into magical energy without elemental attributes. At that point, by adding the remaining two colors, one arrives at a rainbow-colored attribute—how is that?”

[User] “I am certain I assigned only the four colors as homework. So you have arrived at six colors through self-study? What terrifying learning speed and desire to grow…or more accurately, obsessiveness? Goodness, you have surprised me.” Echidna was praising him, a fact that made Ryuzu’s eyes bulge. Echidna was a Witch through and through; something exceeding Echidna’s imagination was far beyond Ryuzu’s own. Hence, she could not help but smile at Roswaal’s proud look over such an accomplishment. Even to Ryuzu’s eyes, it was plain that Roswaal was very fond of Echidna. Even Echidna seemed overwhelmed by the love and respect her self-described apprentice showered onto her.

[Assistant] “And just what are you standing around in a daze for, I wonder? As always, you are quite a lax girl.” Beatrice peered in from the side. Beatrice folded her arms, snorting at Ryuzu’s surprise with the grimacing face that Ryuzu was accustomed to.

[User] “Ah… Lady Beatrice…” Ryuzu was so used to this scowl that she didn’t even apologize for causing it.

[Assistant] “Do Mom and Roswaal have something to discuss, I wonder? The two of them no longer have time to mind the likes of you. Also, that laundry basket is annoying, so shouldn’t you return to work promptly, I wonder?”

[User] “Y-yes, I shall do just that. Then if you will excuse me.” Cringing and bowing her head to the acrimonious Beatrice, Ryuzu departed in a hurry. Roswaal may have said Beatrice did not truly hate her, but Ryuzu found it a little hard to believe. Then she had a sudden realization. “Um, Lady Beatrice?”

[Assistant] “I’m not here for any particular reason.


[User] "Merely killing time, I wonder?” Ryuzu resumed carrying the laundry basket as Beatrice followed right behind her. She responded to Ryuzu’s obvious confusion with a composed look on her face, and when Ryuzu resumed walking, Beatrice indeed followed suit. Ryuzu thought about it a little. Then she decided to firmly believe in Roswaal’s words. “Lady Beatrice, if you like, could you assist me in folding up the laundry?”

[Assistant] “…Hah?” Beatrice was taken aback by Ryuzu’s gracious proposal that she assist in doing the chores.

[User] Her reaction made Ryuzu regret having relied upon Roswaal. “—If it is too much for your hands alone, then there’s no other choice. Betty shall assist you.”

[Assistant] “Eh?”

[User] “Should Betty say it again, I wonder? Now, move already. Are you going to just stand around all day, I wonder?” Beatrice overtook Ryuzu, who had unwittingly frozen in place, rushing right past her.

[Assistant] The instant Beatrice passed by, Ryuzu saw her expression was half-exasperated and half another entirely different emotion. “—Ah.” Flushing, Ryuzu felt the inside of her chest heat and something well up in her eyes. Somehow holding that emotion back, Ryuzu broke into a little run, coming up alongside Beatrice and peering at her face. “Um! …If it is all right with you, could I leave the laundry with you for a brief moment?”

[User] “Don’t get too full of yourself—I could for a little while, I suppose.” With these words, Beatrice extended her hands toward the laundry with a reluctant look on her face.