Re:Zero - The King of Pride

Beatrice was dreaming. Old memories were surfacing.

No. Betty doesn 't want to be back here, in fact, She whimpered.

Beatrice was reading in her library. Dreaming of her library wasn't a bad thing. Beatrice had greatly missed her library ever since she had left.

But the door leading out of the library was closed.

Betty remembers. She sat here for centuries. Years could pass without anyone opening the door to Betty 's library, in fact.

Every morning, Betty would read from the Gospel that her mother had left her.

Every morning the Gospel would say the same thing: "Wait for 'that person.'"

Betty is a good and obedient girl. Her mother ordered her to wait so Betty waited, I suppose.

Sometimes people came to Betty 's library. They came to see Betty or to pursue the knowledge in the library. Some of them even tried to bond with Betty.

Betty would indulge them or ignore them as the mood took her, I suppose.

The years drifted by like falling leaves in autumn or like slowly falling snow. Time and time again, people came to the library and met Betty. And time and time again, Betty watched as these people slowly melted under the advancing years until Betty was left alone again.

All Betty had left was her duty to her mother.

"Wait for 'that person.'"

The person who would care for Betty. Who would complete Betty, I suppose.

The person worthy to inherit Betty 's mother's vast repository of knowledge and wisdom.

Betty watched the world through a window and she watched it flow by without her.

Betty 's heart was weary. At some point, Betty stopped longing for 'that person.'

Betty simply wanted to rest.

Betty crafted a dagger out of magic. A blade that could slay even a Great Spirit.

In effect, Betty had crafted a key. A key that could sever her chains and let her finally escape her misery and loneliness.

For years, Betty stared at the dagger. Dreaming of freedom from this relentless loneliness.

All that held Betty back was her loyalty to her mother and her duty.

But Betty 's weariness grew apace, I suppose. Eventually, Betty stopped caring even about her sacred duty to her mother.

Betty would use the dagger. Betty had the key to her chains and Betty would be free in fact.

But then Betty 's Bubby returned to her…

One day, Betty was sitting in her library, lonely and miserable, when she sensed that her brother had come to the manor.

Exhilarated, Betty rushed out of her library only to discover that her adorable brother was perched on the shoulder of a complete stranger, a lanky boy.

Betty disliked the boy at first glance, thinking that he looked both lazy and dimwitted.

Worse , he was touching Betty's Bubby!

Betty's mind filled with frames.

The boy was talking to Roswaal, the descendant of Mother's prize student. Betty wasn't sure if she'd ever met this Roswaal before or not but it didn't matter. All Roswaals were the same. The boy was also speaking to a red-headed knight. Beatrice didn't recognize him but she could easily sense how dangerous the man was.

Beatrice watched open-mouthed as the boy absently cuddled and petted Betty's Bubby while he talked to the others.

Beatrice was livid. She marched right up to the boy, folding her arms across her chest, and impatiently tapping her foot.

It took the three men a moment to realize that Beatrice was standing there.

"What are you doing, I suppose?!" Beatrice demanded.

The boy looked down at Betty, his face baffled.

"Betty!" Puck had cried, leaping off the boy's shoulder and flying into Beatrice's arms.

Beatrice had held Puck close, cuddling him. Tears ran down her face. After all these years, she wasn't alone anymore.

Beatrice heard someone cough.

Beatrice looked up and saw the boy staring down at her, his expression confused.

"Um, hello," The boy said awkwardly.

Beatrice glowered up at him.

"My name is Subaru," He said, extending his hand.

Beatrice took a step back, holding her brother closer to her as if that hand was implicitly threatening to take her Bubby away again.

"Betty!" Puck said in a song of joy. "I want you to meet my Subaru!"

"Subaru?" Beatrice asked darkly.

"He's the person that I've been waiting for!" Puck said in a tone of wonder. "Subaru, this is my sister, Beatrice!"

Beatrice's jaw dropped and she stared at Puck in complete shock. Then she scowled up at Subaru.

Subaru's face grew pained. "Um. It's a pleasure to meet you, Beatrice. Obviously, any friend of Puck's is a friend of mine."

Puck beamed.

Beatrice glared up at Subaru with clenched teeth.

After that, Subaru and Bubby stayed in the manor.

Betty heard that Subaru had been looking for a way to keep the red knight away from his mean and overbearing father. Once Subaru knew that Bubby and Betty wanted to be together, that settled things.

Roswaal had taken in Subaru and the red knight as house guests and that meant that Bubby and Betty had been able to play together for hours every day.

Sometimes Subaru would come along as well, much to Betty 's frustration.

Betty had been waiting for four hundred years for 'that person' to come. Why did Bubby manage to find the person that he was looking for before Betty could? It just wasn't fair!

Betty could never bring herself to hate Bubby for his good fortune.

But she could hate Subaru.

"So," Subaru said calmly one evening. "Puck tells me that you're looking for someone?"

Puck had already retired to his crystal for the evening and Betty had returned to her reading. Subaru remained in the library after Puck departed, ignoring several broad hints from Beatrice to get lost.

Beatrice sniffed. "Betty isn't looking for 'that person.' 'That person' is looking for Betty, in fact," She replied loftily, not even looking up from her book.

Subaru thought about that for a long moment. "And… how's that strategy working out for you so far?" He mused.

Beatrice stiffened in shock and then glared daggers at Subaru over the top of the book.

Subaru shrugged, completely nonchalant at the Great Spirit's fury. "I'm just saying that maybe it's time for you to get a bit more proactive about this. Why don't Puck and I give you a hand?"

Beatrice frowned, digesting this. "What are you saying, I suppose?"

Subaru shrugged. "I'm just saying, let's hurry up and go find this guy! You've got to be pretty lonely by now. Let's all work together to find 'that person' so that Beako can be happy!"

Beatrice stared at Subaru, quite nearly struck speechless. "What are you…" She trailed off.

Beatrice shook her head, groping for something to say and staring at Subaru who just calmly gazed back at her with a slight smile.

Beatrice finally found her voice. "Many have come to Betty's library over the years, I suppose," Beatrice said slowly. "Many claimed to be 'that person.' Some even offered to become 'that person' for Betty. But no one has ever offered… to help Betty… find that person…"

Subaru shrugged, "Well, that's what I'm offering." Subaru extended his hand. Beatrice stared at his offered palm as if she'd never seen one before. Gingerly, she took it.

"I'll help you find 'that person' or I'll die trying!" Subaru swore.

"Huh, that's not a lot to go on," Subaru mused.

Subaru and Beatrice sat in the library while Beatrice cuddled Puck. Beatrice had just finished telling Subaru everything that she knew about her contract and about 'that person.' Beatrice was well aware of the fact that she'd told him everything she knew about 'that person' close to three times in an effort to disguise how little she actually knew.

Puck lay in Beatrice's lap with a blissful expression on his face. Puck wasn't really listening to the conversation. He had Subaru and Beatrice with him. Puck didn't care about anything else.

Beatrice sniffed. "Betty doesn't need a lot to go on in fact. Remember, that person is looking for Betty and Betty must remain here and guard the library until they come," Beatrice said. She tried to sound defiant but her voice trailed off into a sigh.

"Maybe not," Subaru disagreed.

Beatrice frowned. "What are you saying, I suppose? Betty's mother-"

"I'm just saying," Subaru interrupted her in a musing tone. "There has to be some reason that your mother gave this task to you. It can't just be to sit here and wait. Anybody could have done that. There must be some reason that she assigned this onerous task to her precious daughter."

Beatrice who had opened her mouth to argue, closed it again.

Yes. There must be.

Please, that must be it. There must be a reason that Mother gave Betty this endless task.

Please. Don 't let it be that Betty was just…

"So I've been wondering," Subaru continued, sounding as if he was just thinking out loud. "What if your mother didn't want you to just wait for 'that person?' What if she wanted you to select 'that person?' Remember, you know your mother better than anyone else in the entire world! So you'd be the perfect person to vet the candidates to continue your mother's work."

Beatrice's eyes widened.

Yes! That must be it! That 's why Betty's Mother left Betty here! There is no other explanation!

Betty was not abandoned or forgotten. She was left with this vital task! To ensure Mother 's legacy!

Betty must select 'that person!'

Betty wasn 't just waiting for 'that person' to come to the library! Betty was waiting for 'that person' to be born!

Or … perhaps to come to this world?!

Beatrice's mouth went dry.

Subaru is very much like Mother. So clever and so determined. He even shares Mother 's dry wit.

Subaru will be King. Subaru will fix the world, he will save this world from itself. He shares Mother 's goals!

Subaru is 'that person!' There is no doubt!

Puck yawned. "Sorry, I must have nodded off. What were we talking about?"

…And he belongs to someone else.

He belongs to Bubby, in fact …

Beatrice wrestled with indecision for days and finally came to one inescapable conclusion.

It 's time for Betty to die.

Betty wants her Bubby to have the best. Betty will die by Subaru 's hand, her duty completed.

Betty trembled as she held out the glowing knife to Subaru, begging him to free her from her hopeless misery.

"Fixing the world is a big job," Subaru mused. "It's going to take serious time and effort but I wonder if you ever realized that Betty is a part of the world. I mean, you've tried to stay out of it for the past few centuries by hiding in the library but Betty is an important part of the world. I can't fix the world if Betty stays broken."

Beatrice's body trembled with indecision. "…Tell Betty that you're Betty's person, in fact."

Subaru shook his head. "No. Everyone else said that and it never once made you happy."

Beatrice looked at him in confusion.

Subaru put a hand over his heart. "Tell Subaru that he is Betty's person, in fact," He said. "Tell Subaru that Betty wants Subaru to be hers. That Betty wants Subaru to make her happy."

Beatrice violently trembled. "You're not being fair, I suppose!" Beatrice exclaimed. "You think that Subaru can wash away four hundred years of solitude just by holding Betty's hand! Betty is tired. She wants to die! She wants Subaru to free her from this pain!"

Subaru hesitated and then he slowly nodded. "Very well then. If that is what you truly want, then we shall make a contract," He said, holding up his hand.

"A contract?"

"For one year," Subaru explained. "You will be my precious one. Subaru's very own sweet little Betty. I will make Beatrice happy," He said with such conviction that Beatrice's mouth parted in wonder. "And one year from today, if Betty feels that I have not made her happy enough, I will release her from her pain. That is my contract."

Beatrice just stared at Subaru.

"I can't take away the pain of four hundred years, Betty. But I can make Betty decide that they were worth it. I can set Betty free of her bonds if Betty will bind me in hers," Subaru said. "Because the truth is, even if he didn't know it, the person Betty picks needs Betty just as much as Betty needs that person."

Beatrice was breathing hard as she slowly lifted her hand and placed it against Subaru's palm.

"I, Beatrice the Great Spirit, hereby form a contract with Subaru Natsuki. In one year he will kill me," Beatrice intoned.

"In one year I will kill you if you ask me to kill you," Subaru corrected her.

Beatrice hesitated then nodded. "Under the terms of this contract, Subaru may not form contracts with any other spirits."

"And under the terms of this contract, Betty must always tell Subaru if she is feeling sad or lonely," Subaru added.

"Beatrice must use her magic to protect and support Subaru," Beatrice continued.

"And Subaru must play games with Beatrice and read her stories and always make her feel loved," Subaru finished.

"The pact is sealed," Beatrice whispered, her lip trembling.

Subaru wrapped his arms around Beatrice and drew her into a tight hug. "Thank you so much for choosing me, Betty," He whispered. "I always wanted to have an adorable little sister to love and cherish, just like you."

Beatrice buried her face in Subaru's chest, weeping as Subaru rubbed her back. "It's OK, Beatrice. I promise you, you'll never be alone again."

"But you're mortal, I suppose," She whispered. "What happens when you die?"

Subaru cradled her. "Good point. I guess I'd better start looking for a girlfriend. I need to have kids at some point to take care of you guys after I'm gone!"

Beatrice crumpled and cried. Not alone. I 'm not alone anymore!

"Betty?"

Beatrice stiffened in Subaru's arms and looked up in horror. Floating in the doorway was Puck, viewing the scene in confusion.

What has Betty done?! Betty has betrayed her Bubby! Betty has tried to take away Bubby 's Subaru!

Beatrice opened her mouth, groping for what to say, how to phrase a suitable apology for her base and selfish act of betrayal but Puck dove into Beatrice's arms, nuzzling her.

"Is it really true, Betty?!" Puck asked excitedly. "Are we both going to stay with Subaru forever?!"

"Yup, it's true, buddy," Subaru said in amusement as he wrapped his arms around both spirits. "We're a family and we're going to be together forever."

Beatrice started crying again, trying to hold onto both Puck and Subaru at the same time.

Family … What a wonderful word…

Beatrice was at a grand ball. The Great Spirit was indifferent to who held the ball or why it was being held.

Subaru, Roswaal, the blond thief, and the red knight were standing out on the dance floor talking to people. Puck was perched comfortably on Subaru's shoulder.

Subaru's other shoulder naturally belonged to Beatrice but she wasn't sitting there tonight. Tonight, she was on a mission.

Beatrice walked purposefully across the ballroom floor to where a group of young noblewomen in elegant gowns stood chatting.

Beatrice's target was a pretty young lady with pale blond hair. She looked to be in her late teens and was wearing a green gown.

Beatrice tugged imperiously at the hem of the woman's gown until she looked down.

"Oh!" She said in surprise. "Hello, little girl. What's your name?"

"Beatrice," Beatrice said shortly. She pulled her notebook and a writing quill out of thin air, much to the ladies' shock. "What is your name?"

"Um. My name is Margaritte Chere. Who-"

"How old are you?" Beatrice cut her off.

Margaritte looked at her companions in confusion but they all looked equally baffled. "I'm seventeen," She murmured.

For days, Beatrice had been pumping Subaru for information about what kinds of women he was attracted to, what he looked for in a romantic partner, and what kinds of things that he thought made relationships last. All of these details, she had meticulously written down in her notebook.

Subaru needs a wife. Or at least someone to breed, I suppose, Beatrice mused. Subaru promised to establish a line of descendants to insure that Betty and Bubby would never be alone again.

Subaru needed a mate and so Beatrice would find him one. And Beatrice was determined to carry out this mission with discipline and with thoughtfulness.

Beatrice pulled a measuring tape out of thin air and began to take the startled girl's measurements. She carefully jotted each one down in her notebook.

Margaritte carefully knelt down beside Beatrice. "Um, excuse me, little girl, but -Urk!"

Beatrice grabbed Margaritte's face with both hands and pressed her cheeks inward until her mouth popped open. Beatrice studied her teeth intently, much to the girl's clear discomfort.

"No obvious signs of illness, I suppose. Good," Beatrice noted, letting go of Margaritte's face and taking more notes.

Margaritte stood back up, her expression utterly stupefied.

Beatrice made another note. "How often do you menstruate?" She asked matter-of-factly.

"I-What?!" Margaritte gasped.

"Please be concise, in fact," Beatrice said, tapping her foot impatiently. "Betty needs some metrics for determining your fertility and suitability as the breeding partner for Betty's Subaru."

The young woman gaped at Beatrice.

"Oh!" Subaru shouted, darting over and clapping his hands over Beatrice's mouth. "Beako! I've been looking all over for you!" Subaru said loudly, his face bright red.

Margaritte was also blushing scarlet and staring at Subaru and Beatrice in disbelief.

"Thank you so much for keeping an eye on my Beatrice," Subaru laughed weakly. "Kids say the darnedest things, am I right?"

Beatrice tried to object to the extremely disrespectful term "kid" but her words were muffled by Subaru's hands as he quickly pulled her away.

Beatrice desperately held onto Subaru's cold, clammy hand as he fought for his life.

Subaru was breathing more easily now. The spirits had fought tooth and nail to melt the witch's frost flowers and Subaru's wounds were beginning to mend from where the flowers' roots had bit into him. The trailer was still covered with frost flower blossoms and they showed no signs of melting despite the warm afternoon air.

"He'll be alright, I suppose," Beatrice said, glowering at the witch.

The elven witch bowed her head before the Great Spirit's rage, clearly recognizing that she deserved as much or worse.

Beatrice snarled at her, "Why did the witch hurt Betty's Subaru?!" She demanded, picturing a thousand different ways that she could destroy the witch.

The witch flinched, "I didn't mean to," She said in a small voice.

"Then the witch almost killed Betty's Subaru by accident, I suppose?" Beatrice said sarcastically.

The witch lowered her eyes and nodded.

The witch saw Puck glaring down at her. Her face crumpled and she began to cry.

This witch is pathetic ! Beatrice thought with venom. If this isn 't merely an act to cozen Betty and Bubby then Betty's Subaru was attacked by the most worthless witch to ever walk the face of this world!

Puck growled. "How do we know that you didn't bewitch Subaru into just thinking that you're his friend?" Puck demanded.

"I… I don't know how to do that," The witch whimpered.

"And Betty and Bubby are supposed to take your word for that, I suppose?" Beatrice snapped, holding Subaru's hand and not looking at the witch.

The witch flinched, "Puck would know if I was lying…" She said in a tiny voice.

Betty snorted, completely unconvinced. Bubby 's magic can't penetrate an Authority or even sense the presence of one. If the Witch had an Authority that granted her immunity to mind probing, then the Witch could be lying to us and we'd never know it.

Puck glowered down at the elf girl, "You hurt Subaru," He snarled as if pronouncing her doom, "Betty and I have waited to find Subaru for four hundred years. He is everything to us. If Subaru hadn't committed himself to trying to help you, I would have already turned you into a pile of ashes."

The witch sat there, trembling and crying.

Puck snarled at her, "You live only as long as Subaru doesn't decide that you're an enemy trying to trick him but you have thrown away any trust that Betty and I had for you! If you so much as prick Subaru 's finger then I will come for you myself, witch, and not even Subaru himself pleading with me for mercy will stop me from reducing you to dust ! Are we understood?"

The girl bowed her head and nodded, unable to control her tears.

Puck snorted and drifted back over to Betty and Subaru.

"Betty," Puck grumbled, "I'm going to go find the others and let them know that it's safe to come back to the trailer. We need to keep moving. Keep an eye on the witch for me."

Betty raised an eyebrow. "Betty thinks that this is the most unnecessary thing that her Bubby has ever said," She replied as Puck flew out the window.

The witch walked on wobbly legs through the field of frost flowers that were still growing in the trailer. She sank down on the couch that sat across from Subaru, buried her face in her hands, and cried.

Beatrice looked at the elf with sheer loathing, "Bubby's words were not idle, little witch," Beatrice said in a cold voice while she gently stroked Subaru's face, "Threaten our family again and we will not stay our hand."

Betty could have killed the elf that day. Bubby certainly would have. But Betty sensed her Subaru 's feelings. Whatever the witchcraft that the elf had wrapped Betty's Subaru in, Betty knew that things had changed. Betty and Bubby just weren't… enough anymore.

Betty 's Subaru wouldn't live for Betty and Bubby alone. If the elf died then… Subaru would try to die…

Why weren 't Betty and Bubby enough anymore?

"Betty!" Mimi called, startling Beatrice out of her dream. "I think that wherever they're taking us, um, we're there now."

Beatrice rubbed her eyes and looked around. It was nighttime. Puck lay on the bench next to her, his expression hopeless.

Beatrice looked up. The tiny cage on wheels was being pulled into a massive stone tower. The tower seemed to pierce the heavens and it absorbed every single inch of space on a small island of land in the middle of a massive gorge. The canyon was so deep that Beatrice couldn't see the bottom. Their cage was being pulled across an enormous drawbridge that forded the canyon.

Betty noticed that Julius was walking nearby. Julius's face was grave as he looked up at the tower.

The prison convoy entered the tower and the drawbridge ponderously raised up behind them, sealing them in.

Felt stared at the ravishing blond woman in disbelief. " Priscilla?! "

Garfiel and Felt stood on the vast, sandy dunes of the Mirulan desert in southeastern Lagunica. Priscilla had flung the wagon driver almost twenty feet out of his wagon and was now stalking toward him, seeming poised to simply beat him into the ground.

Garf and Felt had rushed out of the covered wagon to intercept her.

Priscilla turned to look at Felt with an appraising eye. "Wait a moment. Aren't you Subaru Natsuki's dust rat?"

Felt snarled at her.

"Uh, Shrimp, who the hell is this?" Garfiel asked.

Felt scowled and shook her head. "Her name is Priscilla Barielle," Felt said, struggling to remember her manners and avoid stirring up more trouble for Subaru and his faction, "She's… one of Subaru's rivals."

Priscilla tossed her head. "That shows what you know, dust rat," She said in contempt. "At the moment, I am one of his most powerful allies."

Felt seethed. "Oh, really ?" Felt asked with an insincere smile. "And where exactly was I when this little alliance was formed?"

"Hey, what the hell are you doing way out here, anyway?" Garfiel asked Priscilla in confusion. "Shouldn't you be back in the capitol trying to take advantage of the Captain being kicked out of the selection or something?"

Priscilla gave him a cold look. "And just who might you be? Her porter?"

Garfiel gave Priscilla a low growl.

"This is Garfiel," Felt snapped back. "He's one of our faction's best fighters!"

Garfiel blushed at this introduction, looking at Felt in surprise.

"Very well. Then he's at least of some use," Priscilla admitted. "Yesterday, I was forced to flee from the capitol in haste. I managed to arrange transport with that brute to bring me to Vollachia. He smuggled me out of the city while hidden in a crate. Unfortunately, upon our arrival here, he decided that the very considerable amount of money which I had already given him was not sufficient and he demanded that I offer him 'special compensation,'" She made a disgusted face at the trembling driver that she had sent flying. "As you can see, I made my feeling in this matter clear.

"Honestly, even with my legendary luck, I didn't expect to encounter Subaru's servants so quickly but no matter. Bring me to your master at once."

Felt stared at her. "Hello?! I have absolutely no idea where Subaru is!" She shouted. "I said that yesterday in court! We're out here looking for him ourselves so why don't you just drag yourself back off to whatever perfumed boudoir you came from and let us get back to it!"

Priscilla's eyes flashed. "Now you listen to me, you ignorant little dust rat-" She snapped back.

Garfiel stepped between them. "Wait a sec," Garfiel said in a thoughtful voice. He turned to Felt. "Felt, is she, uh… the 'lucky one' that you told me about?"

Priscilla stared at him in disbelief. "I am Baroness Priscilla Barielle, the Sun Princess, you miserable cur! I am absolutely not 'the lucky one!'" Priscilla declared.

"Yeah. That's her," Felt said, ignoring Priscilla. "What about it?"

"Well," Garfiel said slowly. "I'm just thinking out loud here but… do you remember how I said that the best plan we've come up with so far to find the Captain was just to go door to door, trusting to luck?"

Felt's face turned white. "No!" She shouted.

Priscilla looked confused. "What is this?" She asked.

"No, no, no, no, no!" Felt declared. "This is not happening!"

"What in the world are you babbling about?" Priscilla demanded of Felt.

Garfiel turned to address Priscilla. "So, Priscilla, how exactly do you plan to find the Captain? Do you even have any idea where to look for him?" He asked. "What is your strategy?"

Priscilla snorted. "I don't need strategies, mongrel. I possess vast magical power, strength, beauty, and above all else, good fortune. Failure for me is an impossibility. This entire world exists solely for my benefit."

"So… in other words, you have no idea where to look whatsoever," Garfiel said flatly. "Your plan is literally to hope that you get lucky."

Priscilla flushed. "Need I remind you that my luck has already led me to you two?" She grated.

Garfiel shrugged. "Yeah. But you don't seem to know anything about the Captain, his habits, his goals, or where he's likely to be. As far as I can tell, you don't even have any leads to follow up on now that you're here. If you just run around in random directions, trying to get lucky, you might be looking for a very long time. You'd probably do better if you teamed up with a few folks that already have a few leads and a good working knowledge of the Captain's plans."

Priscilla folded her arms across her chest and sniffed. "I do not require help from anyone!" She declared but her eyes were speculative.

"Ow!" Garfiel yelled. Felt had grabbed Garfiel by the ear and was dragging him away from Priscilla. "Hey, shrimp! Knock it off, already!"

Felt was savagely biting off curses as she dragged him away. "Maybe if I just twist this stupid thing off, " Felt growled. "You'll actually start to listen !"

Felt kept tugging on Garfiel's ear until they had gotten far enough away that they could speak without Priscilla overhearing. "Ears don't work that way, shrimp!" Garfiel protested, finally getting his ear free of her grip.

Felt put her hands on her hips and glared up at him.

Garfiel rubbed his sore ear. "Hey! That hurt!" Garfiel protested, giving her a wounded expression.

"There is no fucking way, that we're teaming up with that bitch, fleabag!" Felt said firmly. "Understand? Not going to happen! Seriously, I think that I'd rather travel with Capella! This bitch is the most entitled, self-absorbed tramp alive! She's like… distilled, concentrated, spoiled noblewoman!" She said helplessly.

"Well," Garfiel hesitated. "I mean if Priscilla really is lucky…"

Felt face-palmed. "Fleabag, would you please stop staring at her tits. It's really embarrassing," Felt sighed.

"I wasn't!"

"Seriously, how can you be a breast-man and still be in love with Ram?" Felt shook her head.

Garfiel looked offended. "Wait a second. You really think that I'm that superficial?"

"Let's just hurry up and get out of here, fleabag. We don't need her 'help'" Felt sniffed.

"Uh, we don't?" Garfiel asked skeptically.

Felt rolled her eyes. "Come on, Garf. We aren't that desperate-"

"Oh yes, we are, shrimp!" Garfiel cut her off. "We absolutely are! It's just the two of us against the Sin Archbishops, the Witch Cult, Roswaal, and the entire Dragon Kingdom! The twins are gone, Reinhard has taken off to do his own thing-"

Felt flinched violently.

"-And we've already lost the spirits! Nobody else has offered to help us except maybe this old friend of your Grandpa's. How much more desperate could we be?! Frankly, I'm not inclined to turn down anyone's offer of help right now."

Felt closed her eyes and moaned. "I really hate it when you decide to make sense…" She said mournfully, rubbing her forehead.

Garfiel grinned at her. "Well, I-"

"Why in the world should I even consider working with this dust rat?" Priscilla demanded loudly of Garfiel as she marched over to the pair. Her face was impatient but her question wasn't sarcastic. She sounded as if she was asking what seemed to her to be a completely reasonable query.

Garfiel's face darkened and he got up in Priscilla's face. " Don 't call her that," He growled.

Anyone else would have instinctively taken a step back from the hulking demi-human with his mouthful of sharp teeth but Priscilla merely looked annoyed. "You two reprobates have already admitted that you don't know where Subaru Natsuki is. What could you possibly offer me?" Priscilla scoffed.

Garfiel ground his teeth and his voice fell to a whisper. "Unlike you, we have got a solid lead on the Captain. Following this lead is going to be seriously dangerous and you 'll need more than just luck to be able to chase it down safely. You weren 't invited to this little shindig. If you show up there alone, no matter how lucky you think you are, you'll absolutely either get yourself killed or you'll have to fight your way out. Either way, you're not getting any useful information.

"The person that we're going to see does not fuck around. If you want to find the Captain then you're going to need Felt. You might think that your luck is the perfect solution to every possible problem but so far, all it's done is to get you dumped into the middle of the Mirulan desert with no money and no idea what to do next. You can work with us or we can leave you stumbling around, lost in the desert. Your choice."

Priscilla scowled. "Don't forget yourself, vermin! I don't need either of you!"

Garfiel scowled. " Fine . Then hurry up and go get lost on a sand dune somewhere and let us take care of business."

Felt sighed. "Well. There goes our ride," She muttered.

Priscilla and Garfiel looked up and saw that the driver had gotten back in the wagon and was desperately flogging his dragons.

Garfiel quickly stepped in front of the wagon and bared his teeth in a snarl. The four-legged earth dragons quickly skidded to a halt, much to the driver's consternation.

"What are you doing?!" The driver cried out at the dragons. "Go!"

The dragons just looked up at him incredulously. They pulled wagons for food, they didn't fight angry demi-humans.

"Hey! We paid you for a ride!" Garfiel snapped.

The driver gave him a sickly smile.

The passengers in the back of the wagon looked out at Garfiel with worried expressions, wondering if whatever was going on was also going to impact them.

Felt marched back into the covered wagon, followed by Garfiel. All of the other passengers nervously looked away from them as they passed.

"So much for not attracting attention on this trip, fleabag," Felt sighed.

Garfiel gave a weak chuckle.

There was a sound from the front. Garfiel looked and saw that Priscilla had reentered the wagon and was having a pointed conversation with the driver. Garfiel couldn't hear what she was saying but the driver was pale and trembling.

Felt sighed and shook her head "There. You see what you've done by inviting her along?" She murmured as they reached the rear of the wagon.

"You're not taking this very well, shrimp," Garfiel observed.

"Don't crowd it, fleabag!" Felt snapped. Felt took a deep breath and slowly managed to master her irritation as they sat down on the tail-board with their legs hanging out the back.

"Garf, the only good part of me being made a fugitive was the fact that I no longer had to put up with all of the fat cows in pretty dresses that make up the nobility. Now, you've gone and shackled me to the absolute worst alpha bitch in the entire world. And you're proposing to drag her with us on a journey that might take us clear across the continent for all I know! I am bitterly disappointed in you, Garf, and it's altogether possible that I'll never forgive you for this!"

Garfiel hid a smile as the wagon started moving and the city of Mirula receded in the distance.

Felt pulled a knee to her chest and rested her head on it, staring back at Mirula with a morose and somber expression.

Red … Why couldn't you believe me?

Garfiel saw the sadness on her face and gently rubbed her shoulder. "Don't worry, shrimp. We'll find the Captain," Garfiel said reassuringly.

Felt was startled out of her reverie. "Er. Right. Subaru," She muttered awkwardly. "Yeah, we'll definitely find him."

They heard footsteps behind them.

They turned and saw Priscilla standing there in her brown robe with her hood pulled up. She leaned against the wagon frame, her face expressionless.

Garfiel raised an eyebrow. "Well. If nothing else, this is certainly going to be educational," He said to nobody.

Felt seethed up at Priscilla.

Priscilla folded her arms across her chest. "So what is this 'lead' that you have?" She grumbled.

Felt gave a ponderous sigh. "You'll find out when we get there," She grumbled.

"I want more than that," Priscilla said flatly.

"Yeah. Somehow I'm not exactly shocked by the fact that you're demanding 'more,'" Felt muttered.

"Listen, dust rat, I am not going to play your cat's paw!" Priscilla snapped. "If you want to make an alliance then start talking. Otherwise, I'm just wasting my time here."

Felt didn't reply immediately. This is a golden opportunity. Seriously, after everything that I 've been through lately, watching Priscilla throw a tantrum and storm off into the desert would be the best thing that's happened to me in weeks.

Unfortunately, much as I 'd sometimes like to pretend otherwise, I'm not stupid. Like it or not, Garf was completely right about how desperate we are for allies right now. Priscilla may be on the run now herself but she could also be a powerful asset. She's a strong fighter and she's extremely influential. And that's not even including her legendary luck.

That means that whether I like it or not, there 's only one sound decision here…

"Alright," Felt sighed, gesturing for Priscilla to come closer so that the other passengers couldn't overhear them.

Priscilla reluctantly moved closer and sat down on the tail-board beside Felt.

"We're going to meet with a woman named Sphinx," Felt whispered. "She's an old acquaintance of my grandpa."

Priscilla's face twisted in disgust. "Do you mean to tell me that we're going through all of this effort just to meet up with some old friend of your grandpa ?!"

Felt scowled. "Watch it, 'Lucky!' My Gramps was one of the Alliance's top fighters during the Demi-Human War! He worked closely with the Demi-Human Ruling Council. And Sphinx is the last surviving member of that council. She's now the head of the Demi-Human Alliance."

Priscilla's eyes bulged. "And meeting with them seems like a sensible idea to you?! They're terrorists!" She whispered incredulously. "What does Subaru Natsuki have to do with the Demi-Human Alliance?"

"Nothing. Yet," Felt added. "But the Alliance says that they know where he is and that they want to talk to us. I'm guessing that they're interested in making some kind of arrangement with him."

Priscilla digested that. "I suppose the Alliance could be a powerful ally in our quest for the throne," She admitted.

"'Our?'" Garfiel echoed skeptically.

Felt raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that there will be a serious price tag attached to any offer that they make, right?" Felt asked pointedly.

Priscilla gave Felt a stony look. "Of course, I realize that. I'm not a fool," She said flatly. "Barters and trades are a key part of any political alliance. And it's not hard to imagine what they want."

Felt made a face. "Luckily, I don't think that we'll have to make a deal right now," Felt mused to Garfiel. "The Alliance is going to know that we don't have that authority to make any deals on Subaru's behalf-"

"Yes, you do," Priscilla said pointedly, folding her arms across her chest.

Felt squinted at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Subaru Natsuki already declared you his executrix, you little dope," Priscilla said mockingly. "Legally, you do have full authority to speak on his behalf and to agree to any deals."

Felt's face paled and she swallowed hard. "Well. Maybe they haven't heard about that…"

Priscilla laughed. "Oh, yes! That seems very likely!"

Felt sighed. "Look, I'll just tell them that agreements of this… size aren't something that I have the authority to make without permission. They'll need to talk to Subaru directly to form an alliance. Hopefully that way, I can get them to help us find him so that they can start negotiating."

Priscilla mulled that over. "I suppose that makes sense," She said finally. "After all, you're an executrix, not a plenipotentiary. I doubt that they could find fault with you claiming that major political alliances are out of your purview. And regardless, they'll likely be inclined to help you in some trifling way as a means of earning Subaru Natsuki's goodwill."

"Yeah. Once we find Subaru, deciding how to handle the Alliance becomes his problem," Felt said smugly.

Priscilla actually snickered. "Where are we meeting with these people anyway?" She asked.

"Abiate."

Priscilla's face darkened. "That… is not a pleasant place to be. It's part of General Brendig's barony and he runs it like a police state."

Felt nodded. "Yeah, I've heard. But we should be in and out. In theory, anyway."

Priscilla folded her arms across her chest. "I wonder why the Alliance sought this meeting. Could it have something to do with the capitol bombing?" She murmured to herself.

Felt blinked. "What? What does the bombing have to do with anything?"

"Before I left the city, the Sages' Council put forth a proclamation stating that they had uncovered evidence that the Demi-Human Alliance were the ones who bombed your rally," Priscilla informed her.

Felt's jaw dropped. "That's ridiculous!" Felt exclaimed loudly.

A group of passengers looked at them and Felt bit her lip, lowering her voice. "That's a complete lie! We saw the bombers," Felt hissed. "They were Witch Cultists! Hell, most of them weren't even demi-humans!"

"Well, that's the story that the Sages' Council is putting out right now," Priscilla said grimly.

Felt and Priscilla shared a grim look that, for once, was devoid of hostility.

"Uh, Why?" Garfiel asked in confusion. "I mean, why would the Sages' Council want to run interference for the Witch Cult?"

Garfiel found himself being stared at by two blond, red-eyed women who wore near identical expressions of disbelief.

Garfiel bristled and then threw his hands up in the air in defeat. "Fine! Enlighten me! Tell the big, stupid demi-human what he's missing."

"You nailed it," Felt said intently. "Demi-humans."

Garfiel frowned. "I don't get it," Garfiel replied.

Priscilla rolled her eyes. "Subaru Natsuki's coronation would be the best thing to happen to Lagunican demi-humans since before the breaking of the world," Priscilla murmured. "I've heard that there have been protests and even riots in six different cities since the Sages' Council accused him of witchcraft."

Felt nodded fervently. "I'd never really thought about it before but Subaru's campaign for the throne has probably poured oil on the Demi-Human Alliance's fire. I bet that now they're all fired up about what's been going on in the capitol. They've got to be livid about what the nobles are trying to do to Subaru! And now, the council wants everyone to think that the Alliance did the bombing."

"I still don't get it," Garfiel admitted. "Wouldn't being able to blame the bombing on the Witch Cult do them more good? I mean, they are accusing the Captain of witchcraft, right?"

Priscilla gave a ponderous sigh. "First of all," She said as if speaking to a child, "That wouldn't add up. Even the stupidest, most ill-informed peasant is going to ask questions about why the Witch Cult is attacking Subaru Natsuki if he's supposedly one of them."

"And two," Felt picked up the explanation, "Maybe the Sages' Council just needs some good dirt to rub on the Demi-Human Alliance right now before they can start recruiting again."

Garfiel frowned and rubbed his chin. "Shrimp, what is this alliance-thing anyway?"

Felt's face was grim. "They're a faction of demi-human radicals. They believe in demi-human equality by any means necessary."

"That… actually doesn't sound all that radical to me, shrimp," Garfiel said patiently. "I've been noticing some seriously ugly shit out here ever since I left the Sanctuary. Believe me, the demi-humans in this country are treated really badly."

Felt nodded. "No argument. So-"

"You know, Felt," Garfiel cut her off. "When I spoke at the rally, I wasn't lying about all the crap that people have said to me since I left the Sanctuary. And if people treat me like that, just imagine how they treat all the demi-humans that look like they can't fight back," Garfiel growled, looking off into the distance, his eyes blazing.

Felt hesitated. "OK… OK. So maybe the Alliance's goals aren 't radical but their methods are . Fifty years ago, they fought a civil war in Lagunica trying to force the kingdom to grant them equal rights and they failed. Since then, they've been driven into the shadows and they operate as less of an army and more of a terrorist group. Their movement has been hollowed out for decades but this mess is likely to breathe new life into the Alliance. That ridiculous trial that the Sages' Council held for Subaru is going to piss off demi-humans and the peasants all over the kingdom! I see riots and maybe even revolts in Lagunica's future."

Garfiel snorted. "Works for me, shrimp. From what I've seen so far, I can't stand the people who run this place. A revolution couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of folks."

"You're an idiot," Priscilla said flatly.

Garfiel's eyes narrowed and he gave a muted growl.

Felt whirled on Priscilla with flames in her eyes. "Don't push your luck, bitch!" Felt snapped. "Don't insult Garf again! Not if you want to have any possibility of making a deal with Subaru!"

Priscilla sniffed. "I have no interest in you whatsoever, dust rat. I intend to bring my offer directly to your master. He'll listen to me," She said dismissively.

Felt's eyes burned and her voice grew intense. "Subaru will also listen to the advice of his executrix and one of his best fighters! You may not have noticed this before, Priscilla, but Subaru has a really high opinion of us! He also has a high opinion of team-building and folks who work well together. He 's turned down plenty of enticing offers if he decided that the person doing the offering was a jackass who would disrupt the harmony of the team so you might want to bear that in mind."

Priscilla stared Felt down. "Dust rat, do you simply not realize that I can break both of you in half with no effort at all?" Priscilla asked pleasantly.

"Go ahead!" Felt smiled. "Good luck keeping that a secret from Subaru! He'll find out sooner or later. And good luck keeping him from breaking you in half just as soon as he finds out."

Priscilla's eyes narrowed but she didn't say anything.

Garfiel thought that maybe she might have looked just slightly impressed.

"Let's… get back on topic," Garfiel suggested softly. "Frankly, I don't really care about the nobility or the current Lagunican government. If the Alliance wants to burn them both down, more power to them."

"I heard you the first time," Priscilla said, still glaring directly at Felt. "And that's why I already called you a fool."

"Not all of us are part of the ruling class, Lucky," Felt grated. "The nobility's suffering doesn't bring any tears to my eyes."

"Him being a fool has nothing to do with my rank, dust rat," Priscilla spat. "Have either of you cretins ever lived through a civil war?"

"No," Garfiel admitted.

Priscilla glared at them both. "I have," Priscilla whispered. "In Vollachia they are as common as the changing of the seasons. Whenever the Emperor becomes weak and enfeebled or some lesser noble thinks that he can get away with it, everyone lunges for the crown. When my father grew sick, the entire country went into convulsions."

"Aw. Were your scrambled eggs late one morning?" Felt asked in mock sympathy.

Priscilla didn't take her eyes off Felt for an instant. "They were," Priscilla replied in a cold voice. "But I also watched as maids and servants were butchered in the palace hallways for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time or for daring to seek employment with masters who were out of political favor. I saw whole crops and even whole villages burned just to reduce the resources available to their masters by a scintilla. While the nobles were fighting their grand battles, roaming gangs of thieves and bandits pillaged the countryside, robbing, raping, and burning everything that they came across.

"Fools like you two always assume that a revolution will punish the nobility. That the nobility will be humbled by the upheaval but the righteous peasantry will keep their heads down and endure the fighting without trouble. But the reality is that during a civil war, it's the powerful who come through the violence intact. We have the money and the resources to wait out the storm. We won't be the ones going hungry when food shipments are disrupted. We aren't the ones that the sheriffs and guards refuse to help when the whole countryside becomes wracked by violence. The people who suffer the most in a civil war are the same people who were suffering the most before. If you want a better society, get up off your lazy posteriors and fix it! Don't just knock everything down and hope that what replaces it will, by sheer luck, be better!"

Felt's face flushed. As little as I like to admit it, the spoiled bitch might actually have a point there.

Felt took a deep breath. "Look, this argument isn't getting us anywhere. How about we just all retreat to our respective corners until we reach Abiate."

Priscilla snorted and then walked away. She found a more comfortable seat near the front of the wagon and sat down. The other passengers all moved aside to give her a wide berth.

Felt shook her head and stared out the back of the wagon. "Oh, yeah," Felt grumbled. "She's going to be a hell of a traveling companion."

"Maybe we can find a way to use her as bait," Garfiel suggested.

Felt chuckled.

The pair were silent for a moment.

"I didn't know that your Gramps was so into demi-human rights," Garfiel commented.

Felt shrugged. "Well… He's not. Not these days, anyway. He says that he watched too many people die for the cause when he was young and it didn't ultimately make anything better. It just made things worse. He even lost Libre during the war and Gramps says she was like a mother to him."

Garfiel grimaced. "I know how he feels," He sighed.

Felt took a deep breath. "I'm worried about what the Alliance's angle is in all of this. I might actually have to negotiate in Subaru's place and I don't know what they're scheming…"

"I'd bet you anything that they're looking to bring in the Captain on their side of this little war that they're cooking up," Garfiel murmured.

Felt bit her lip. "You really think that they want another civil war?"

"Hell yeah," Garfiel said quietly. "I've been talking to the other demi-humans in the capitol. They're angry. They've all been through a lifetime of neglect and abuse. I'm guessing that if the Alliance blows the trumpet, they'll have an army ready to fight for them pretty quick."

"Seriously?" Felt asked skeptically. "Are they that mad? The demi-humans in the slums have no weapons and they don't even know how to fight!"

Garfiel gave Felt a steady look. "Look, Felt, I get that you're from the slums but you really don't know how raw a deal a lot of these demi-humans got."

"Hey!" Felt whispered, sounding offended. "Some of my best friends are demi-humans!"

"Did you ever ask them to talk about it?" Garfiel said pointedly. "Did you ever ask any of them what it was like being not only poor but a poor, second-class citizen that the authorities consider barely human?"

Felt hesitated.

Garfiel sighed. "I didn't know either, shrimp," Garfiel admitted. "Most of my life, I was safe in the Sanctuary. There weren't all that many people coming and going from the Sanctuary because of the barrier. A few of them told me how rough it could be for demi-humans out here but honestly, I never took it all that seriously. I just figured that they were exaggerating. Talking up how hard their lives in the outside world were because they knew that I'd never been out of the Sanctuary."

Garfiel shook his head and looked off into the distance with a moody expression.

Felt frowned. "Hey, how did your sister get out of the Sanctuary anyway?" Felt asked. "How could Fredericka have escaped while the barrier was still up?"

Garfiel sighed. "I don't know, shrimp. Grams would never talk about it. All I know is that Roswaal was involved somehow and that the whole incident seemed to make Grams uneasy. She just woke me up one day and told me that Fredericka was gone…"

Felt smirked. "Your reunion was pretty funny," Felt chuckled. "I'd never seen you so shocked. The very first thing that Fredericka did was check to make sure that you'd been washing behind your ears since she left."

Garfield flashed her a grin. "Shut up, shrimp," Garfiel chuckled.

They were both silent for a moment.

"You know, after we got to the capitol, I got to meet a few of the Captain's demi-human supporters," Garfiel remembered.

"They must have been really excited to meet you," Felt chuckled.

Felt expected him to smile but Garfiel's face was grim. "You don't know the half of it, shrimp," Garfiel sighed. "They fell all over themselves. One family of ratkin actually begged me to come back to their house for dinner."

"Wait, was that the Mousekewitz family?" Felt said excitedly. "I know them! I've got no clue how the hell you fit into their house, though. The place is the size of a closet. I actually grew up with Basil. Well, sort of. Ratkin demi-humans grow up pretty fast. I think that Basil even has a family."

Garfiel nodded. "Yeah, they told me they don't live much past their late twenties," He sighed. "I met Basil. He has six kids now."

Felt's eyes were huge. "Damn…"

Garfiel shook his head. "I joined them for dinner, Felt. They each barely had a handful of rice to eat. I begged them not to give me anything because I could eat when I went back to Reinhard's place. All that they wanted was to hear stories about the Captain. You can't… imagine how they reacted when I told them what he was really like. Grandma Mousekewitz was literally crying …"

Felt squinted at him. "Uh… Why?" Felt asked in confusion.

Garfiel sighed. "Because of how damn desperate they are, shrimp. Because of just how badly they wanted to believe that the Captain wasn 't just blowing smoke about trying to make their lives better. I mean, the Captain talked a lot about demi-human rights and shit but there weren't any demi-humans in his inner circle until I showed up. It was just you and Red and the spirits. So, when I told them about how the Captain acted around me and Grams and all the other demi-humans in the Sanctuary…" He trailed off.

Felt waited patiently.

Garfiel shook his head. "I don't even know how to describe it to you. It was like… It was like they'd already taken a huge leap of faith on the Captain and I 'd just convinced them that they weren't going to fall. The relief and gratitude on all their little faces, it was all so… so naked …" He whispered uncomfortably.

Felt shifted uncomfortably.

He shook his head. "They also told me how every few months, some folks would come into demi-human communities near the capitol with bows and arrows so that they can literally play 'hunt the demi-human.'"

"Shut up!" Felt gasped.

Garfiel nodded. "Oh, yeah. I thought that they were bullshitting me too but I heard that story from lots of different people. Some even showed me the scars…"

Felt frowned. "But… Subaru can't be the first person who treated them all right, could he? I mean, they have to know some… good humans, right?"

Garfiel shrugged. "Sure. But a 'good' human is just someone who doesn't go out of their way to hurt you. The idea of a human going out of their way to help the demi-humans is something foreign to most of these people. That 's why they believe in the Captain so much. That's why we need to get him back before this whole thing spirals out of control. And that's why, if the Sages' Council really does railroad the Captain, they'll be staring into the teeth of a civil war faster than you can blink," He finished grimly.

Felt looked up at Garfiel with a guilty expression. "I can't believe… that I didn't know about any of this. I always thought that I saw all the angles…"

Garfiel gently patted her hand. "Nobody can see all of the angles, shrimp. Not even the Captain. That's why we're all in this together! So that we can help each other."

Felt bowed her head. "I seem to be missing a lot of stuff these days," Felt sighed.

Garfiel gave her a worried look. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and hurried the conversation along. "Come on, Felt! You're one of the good ones! You're my girl! You're the best friend I ever had!"

Felt gave him a wry smile. Then her expression grew grave as she thought more about the situation. "Garf," She said slowly. "Where do you stand in all this?"

"Where do I stand in all what?"

Felt hesitated and choose her words carefully. "If the Alliance does try to start a war-"

"Will I join them?" Garfiel said grimly. He thought it over for a long time and finally, he shrugged. "Maybe," He admitted.

"Garf-" Felt shook her head.

"Our priority is to find the Captain," Garfiel waved her words off. "I get that. Once we get the Captain back, we'll be solid again. He always knows what to do. He'll know just how to defuse the war or use the war or lead the war to make sure that the kingdom is a better place once the dust settles."

"I sure hope that you're right, fleabag," Felt sighed. "But I'm worried about all the innocent bystanders who'll get killed before that dust settles. War doesn't discriminate between soldiers and civilians. Gramps fought in the last Demi-Human war. The stories that he told me…" She trailed off.

Garfiel nodded. "Yeah… That's why our first priority is to get the Captain back. But I'm still worried about this old contact of your Grandpa's. They've got to want something from us…"

Felt made a face. "I'd bet all of the money in my pouch that what they want is to make some kind of alliance with Subaru. I'm guessing that they want to send him a message and that they're using us as couriers."

"Maybe," Garfiel allowed. "But what if they're actually looking to take hostages so that they can get leverage over the Captain?"

"Yeah, that's possible too," Felt admitted. "But honestly, I kind of doubt it. Roswaal thought he could hold a knife to Subaru's throat by taking all of us hostage. It didn't work out too well for him."

Garfiel chuckled. "Good point. Hopefully, the Alliance heard about that incident too."

"My guess is that they want to extend Subaru an offer and they want us to deliver it so that he'll think that it's on the level. That means that they need to help us find him. So it's win-win."

Garfiel made a face. "I sure hope that you're right, shrimp," He yawned wide enough to completely swallow Felt's head, then laid back on the wagon floor and started snoring.

Felt sat there, staring out into the waste. "I hope that I'm right too…"