human
#184:  “That voice just now…”
gpt
Emilia:  Emilia touched her hand to her throat.
human
#184:  “—That was the Archbishop of Lust, Capella Emerada Lugunica,” #184 responded coldly. Looking over at her, just an arm’s length away, Emilia saw that all emotion had disappeared from her expression and eyes. Emilia felt both frustration and shame when she saw her emotionless gaze. Just before the broadcast, she had been about to tell Emilia something, but—
gpt
#184:  “As you heard, currently the town is at the mercy of the Witch Cult. They will not hesitate to punish careless actions. I’m sure you understand that, yes?”
human
Emilia:  “Wait… I understand about the Witch Cult, but before I came here, I ran into someone else who called themself an Archbishop. Not Lust though, Wrath…”
gpt
#184:  “Yes. There are multiple Archbishops here in this town currently. Our husband is one as well,” #184 said, averting her eyes. “—Regulus is…an Archbishop.” When she heard that, it all clicked for Emilia. The pressure she had felt from him was similar to what Sirius had radiated when Emilia had encountered the Archbishop of Wrath in front of the time tower. If that was true, then there were at least three Archbishops in Pristella, and they had the ability to control the floodgates. And the broadcast just then as well as the current situation were demonstrations—
human
#184:  “So do you finally understand now what a precarious position you are currently in?”
gpt
Emilia:  “—? My position?”
human
#184:  “…Please recall the four demands that Archbishop Capella mentioned.” Emilia thought back to the broadcast. Setting aside the Witch’s bones and the book of knowledge, which did not ring a bell, she could think of a connection for the artificial spirit. And the other one, which did not make any sense…
gpt
Emilia:  “‘The wedding of the silver-haired maiden’… That one seemed weirder than the others.”
human
#184:  #184 stared at her silently. “—Wait, you don’t mean… Is that last one about me?” Emilia finally realized what that demand might mean and went wide-eyed. She had never been called something like a silver-haired maiden before, and she had no interest in getting married, so she had been slow in realizing she was part of the Witch Cult’s objectives. But if the broadcast’s demands were for the things the Archbishops wanted, then the only person who would be planning a wedding had to be Regulus. And Emilia was the only person to whom he was proposing marriage. So if Emilia ran away without a plan—
gpt
#184:  “—Pristella will be turned into the bottom of a lake.”
human
#184:  “It seems you now understand the situation. Let us take care of your clothes. Fortunately, I took your measurements while you were sleeping. A bridal outfit matching his tastes has already been prepared.” #184 reached out to the blanket Emilia was covering herself with. For a second, she froze, but thinking back to the broadcast, she stopped resisting.