NOVEL WEB Chapter 46: Chapter 47
Mimi and Beatrice sat in a freestanding cell in the middle of a long hallway. No other cells were connected to it and no other cells in sight had occupants.
The cell had two crude and poorly stuffed mattresses that sat on rickety cots. Julius had informed them that they were actually lucky. In the general population, the prisoners slept on straw. If they could find any. And Julius had reported that poor Puck sat in a small cage built for a rabbit or some other small animal.
Beatrice sat on her bed, her head bowed, feeling more alone than she had in a long time.
First, Betty lost Subaru. Now, Betty lost Bubby. Betty is all alone again.
Maybe Betty should have never left her library …
Mimi 's cat ear twitched. Then she bolted up and dashed to the cell bars, staring down the hall with anticipation.
Beatrice watched her hyperactive cellmate without much interest but she did glance down the hall.
Julius was approaching their cell.
He walked calmly as if he had nothing in the world to hide but he did quickly glance around to ensure that they were unobserved before drawing close to the cell bars.
"Miss Beatrice. Here," Julius whispered, putting his hand through the bars.
Beatrice frowned but quickly grabbed what he was offering. It was a tiny, dull, pyroxene crystal.
Beatrice looked up at Julius in confusion.
"My family sent me a care package," Julius whispered in explanation. "I give these crystals to my spirit companions as treats. However, I know that you require much more mana than them to sustain yourself, especially with your contractor so far away. I thought that perhaps you could benefit from it more than they could."
Beatrice 's eyes widened and she nodded.
Beatrice held the tiny crystal in her hand and concentrated. The crystal flickered a few times. Normally, draining mana from an object or even a person was as simple for Beatrice as lifting a finger but with the Evil Sealing Stone bracelet around her wrist, she felt as if she was trying to suck a thousand-gallon milkshake through a tiny straw.
Finally, the crystal 's glow faded and Beatrice's aching hunger diminished a degree.
"Were you able to bring one to Bubby?" Beatrice asked.
Julius sighed. "Unfortunately, no, Miss Beatrice. Master Puck is being held inside a laboratory where I have no good excuse to go and where my presence would instantly be challenged. I've had no opportunity to bring him anything. Forgive me."
Beatrice 's face pale. "Julius, Bubby could starve, in fact!" She pleaded.
Julius nodded. "I understand, Miss Beatrice. I will continue to attempt to reach him. I'll try again when I'm on patrol later tonight. Perhaps, I'll have more luck approaching him when most of the guards and researchers have taken to their beds."
Beatrice sighed. "Thank you, Julius," She whispered.
Julius gave a slight bow and then walked away.
Beatrice slumped down against the cell bars and put her head in her hands.
Mimi sat down beside her and put a comforting arm around Beatrice.
That night, as indeed he did most nights, Peepers was watching the road.
His job was to keep an eye out for any passing travelers who might be likely targets for Felton 's Raiders to rob. This was how Peepers had fallen in with the raiders in the first place.
A young owl demi-human with large, golden eyes and hair that grew in feathery tufts around his head, Peepers was barely in his teens.
Peepers had been captured by the raiders years ago. He had no clear recollection of who he 'd been traveling with at the time. Peepers had been wandering aimlessly for as far back as he could remember with no specific destination in mind.
His entire life, Peepers had been traveling with a variety of people, ranging from merchants to mercenaries to traveling performers. He 'd always survived by offering his labor to people who were kind to him or at least tolerated his presence enough to give him a sleeping roll and share some food in exchange for a hard day's work. If any of these people that he'd traveled with had ever been his relatives was unclear to him.
One night, while Peepers was traveling with a merchant caravan and working as a porter in exchange for a single plate of food every day, the raiders captured them all. Peepers made a break for it, running away from the crowd of robbers until a man that he would later come to know as 'Rook' cut off his escape.
Rook was a short, slender man with gray hair. He was completely unassuming but Peepers instinctively knew that he was by far the most dangerous of the raiders and he immediately bolted the other way, even though that meant trying to cut through the entire crowd of raiders.
Peepers was quickly captured along with the others. They waited in chains as the raiders were through their cargo. The raiders had stolen everything of value from the merchants and then discussed selling them as slaves in Kararagi.
A grim-faced man that the raiders called 'Felton' had cut through this babble of conversation. "I have only one question," He said in a gravelly voice that instantly silenced all the raiders.
It took Peepers a moment to even realize that Felton was talking to him. Most people didn 't bother to address him at all, much less anyone important so this was very unusual.
"Why did you run away from Rook?" Felton growled. "You decided to run away from one small man even though it meant that you needed to try to evade twenty more. Why do that?"
Peepers thought about it for a moment. "Because he was the strongest one."
Felton nodded as if this statement had answered all of his questions. "Sell the others," He ordered his men. "'Peepers' here, stays with us."
Thus, Peepers got a new home and a new name. The folks that he 'd traveled with had usually just called him 'boy,' or some nickname connected with birds, or whatever racial slur they fancied. Peepers had no idea what his name really was, assuming that he'd ever even had one, so 'Peepers' served well enough.
The merchant caravan that Peepers had been traveling with cursed him as a traitor as they were all led away in chains.
Peepers had shrugged. What did they want him to do about it? Stage a rescue against all the raiders? It wasn 't like any of those people had ever attempted to be friendly or make Peepers feel welcome in any way.
Peepers just watched with indifference as the merchants were dragged off by slavers, feeling neither guilty nor vindicated.
The raiders in turn never made Peepers feel welcome either but at the same time, they never made him feel unwelcome which was a marked improvement in his life. Felton wanted a tight-knit team and he savagely broke up any fights between his men, always trying to hurt both participants badly in order to inflict a lesson.
Despite his considerable flaws, Felton was a good leader and he punished and rewarded his men without favoritism, never treating Peepers differently than any other man in the group.
The next night, Peepers had been ordered to join Felton and Rook while they watched the road for possible targets.
Rook was Felton 's right-hand man, both for his cool head in combat and because of his Divine Blessing of The Mountain King which granted him enormous strength and physical durability.
The raiders had placed a small platform high up in the trees to keep a sharp eye on the road from out of sight and that was where the trio waited.
That night, another merchant caravan came along. It was guarded but only by a small band of five poorly armed mercenaries whose equipment looked rusty and poorly maintained even from a distance. These guards would be badly outnumbered by the raiders.
"What do you think, Rook?" Felton had grumbled.
Rook scratched his chin. "Seems simple enough. Those mercs might be big and strong but I figure that I can break them in half without too much trouble. And if they've bothered to hire guards then the merchants must be hauling something good."
"Just what I was thinking," Felton agreed.
"Just watch out for her," Peepers had whispered before he could think better of it.
The two bandits looked at Peepers. "Her?!" Rook asked incredulously, pointing at a slender, mousy-looking girl in dirty, ill-fitting clothes. "The camp follower?!"
"What do you mean?" Felton asked.
Peepers bit his lip, wishing that he 'd kept his mouth shut.
"Why do you think that she's a problem, Peepers?" Felton repeated in a voice that didn't encourage equivocating.
Peepers took a deep breath. "She's powerful."
"Like a mage?" Felton asked.
Peepers shrugged. "I just know that she's dangerous."
Rook blinked. "How do you-"
"Rook," Felton cut him off. "Focus on the girl, just in case Peepers is right."
Rook looked baffled but was smart enough not to argue. "Alright, boss," He said as they slipped away to gather their men and spring the ambush.
The raiders took the caravan completely by surprise and the fight was over quickly. The girl quickly proved Peepers right when she launched an emerald blade of wind magic at two men, who barely avoided being sliced to ribbons by the twisting gale. A moment later, Rook was there and he quickly knocked her out.
The take was significant that night, even ignoring the potential price of the captives in the Kararagi slave market. The merchants wouldn 't be worth much but the mercs and especially the mage might be worth a lot to the Vollachian gladiator schools. The raiders sat around the campfire, feasting and celebrating into the small hours of the morning.
After personally finishing close to a barrel of ale, Rook had finally asked: "Hey, Peepers? How the fuck did you know that the little bitch was a mage?" He slurred.
The raiders all looked closely at Peepers who flushed uncomfortably at all the attention. "Um. I'm not really sure. I just… I know when somebody is dangerous."
Felton took another sip of ale. He didn 't seem inebriated even after all his drinking. Felton never did. "It's a Divine Blessing," He said shortly.
The raiders all stiffened and looked at Peepers with markedly more respect.
"The Divine Blessing of Judgment, I'm guessing," Felton continued in a flat tone. "It lets Peepers know how dangerous a potential target is. He was able to sense Rook's power and that mage's. That's extremely useful to us."
Peepers 's eyes widened as the raiders all crowded around to praise him. They had all slapped his back and called him a 'useful, little bird.'
Peepers had started to cry. This was more acceptance than he 'd ever received in his short, miserable life.
Shortly thereafter, Peepers had taken over lookout duty. His demi-human heritage gave him uncanny night vision and his Divine Blessing allowed him to size up targets and report if it was easy pickings or if the raiders really should just let this one go.
This had even allowed the raiders to avoid several ambushes by the local authorities who would occasionally disguise themselves as merchants to smoke out bandits.
That night, Peepers was perched on a small platform high up in a tree, watching the road. The evening had been quiet. The disturbances with the Witch Cult up north had scattered the merchants and until things quieted down, the raiders couldn 't expect many targets.
This was a problem because Felton still owed Lord Scrofa his cut every month, no matter how lean business was. And when no travelers appeared, said cut was not forthcoming.
Peepers saw someone coming down the road. Two people mounted on a fine riding dragon. They were wearing brown hooded cloaks over their clothing but Peepers was pretty sure that it was a man and a woman.
Peepers examined them carefully. The girl was potent, probably a mage of some kind but he sensed nothing in particular from the male. Mages were usually troublesome to capture but only a single mage was usually manageable as long as Rook got the drop on her.
It was unlikely that they had anything particularly good but a riding dragon was always useful and pair of slaves could pick up a good price on the Kararagi market. A little money now might encourage Scrofa to be more patient and wait for better times before demanding his full cut. Besides, the raiders were becoming more aggressive with one another as the days flew by without either spoils or violence to let the edge off.
Peepers scurried down the tree and ran off to grab Felton.
The raiders were waiting along both sides of the road, hidden in the trees right before a deep river. The river was crossed by a narrow bridge that would be easy for the raiders to block. The raiders had done this many times before and they had the procedure down to a science.
Helpfully, the approaching riders were carrying a lantern which reduced their night vision to almost nonexistent.
When the dragon approached the bridge, men armed with spears stealthily closed in behind the travelers to discourage them from retreating. At the same time, Rook stepped out from behind a tree, blocking the bridge.
The riders and their dragon started. They quickly looked around at the crowd of hard-faced men closing in on them.
The man quickly kicked his heels into the dragon 's sides and it sprang forth. The riders clearly intended to break out of the noose before it closed around them by riding down Rook.
Rook just smirked as the dragon charged straight toward him.
The dragon crashed into Rook and then bounced away with a loud cry of painful surprise, falling down and spilling its riders out across the road.
The pair were shaken but unhurt.
Rook dusted himself off, unmoved by the impact.
The man and woman quickly got to their feet. They were both young, scarcely more than teens.
"Get away from us," The boy ordered in a clear voice.
Felton snorted. "Or what?"
The boy took a deep breath. "You don't want to know," He replied.
All the raiders laughed. Peepers even heard Felton laugh.
Finally, Felton quieted and gave the travelers a smirk. "I think that I'm just going to have to take my chances, pal."
The man took a deep breath and threw himself forward, charging at Felton.
Felton 's eyes widened in surprise but he dodged the boy without much effort, kicking him hard in the back as the boy passed and knocking him to the ground. The boy's fist struck the ground, kicking up a surprisingly large spray of dirt.
The girl raised hands that blazed with light and she conjured up icicles the size of arrows and flung them in all directions. The raiders frantically tried to dodge but a new recruit named Davi caught a frozen shaft through the shoulder and went down, his arm streaming blood.
The girl tried to cast her spell again but by then, Rook was there and he slammed his fist into her stomach, knocking all the wind out of her. He stepped behind her as she gasped for breath and then he pulled both her hands tightly behind her back. The girl struggled and Rook even looked surprised at how strong the slender girl 's mana made her but Rook's strength granted by his Divine Blessing was overwhelming.
The boy was back on his feet and started to charge Felton again but Felton just pointed at the girl. "Think about it, boy," Felton said matter-of-factly. "All kinds of bad things could happen to your friend if you keep fighting…"
The boy bowed his head and didn 't resist as the raiders grabbed him and bound them both in chains.
"I'm sorry!" The girl called out as they were both tied up.
"It's not your fault," The boy said back.
Felton and the other raiders chuckled. "So who are you, boy?" Felton muttered with a smirk.
"We're no one!" He said defiantly.
"Really?" Felton laughed as he pulled the boy's hood down.
Peepers inspected him. The boy had dark hair and eyes. He was still in his late teens and he looked coldly furious. His clothing was nice though. Possibly the son of a nobleman and that meant they might even be able to ransom him.
Next, Felton marched over to the restrained girl.
"Get away from her!" The boy raged.
Felton ignored him and ripped down her hood.
Wolf whistles ran through the raiders. The girl was beautiful, with long, pale hair.
Peepers saw that she was similarly dressed and clearly came from money but it was an open question if it would be more economical to try and ransom her or just sell her off to the slave market. Beautiful girls fetched a high price as pleasure slaves.
The raiders began to crowd around the girl with lecherous smiles.
"Back off!" Felton said flatly. "No touching the goods! Unspoiled slaves fetch a higher price."
The raiders muttered in disappointment but they all stepped back.
"Come on, boss," Rook whined. Rook had been with Felton the longest and he felt safest questioning his orders. "She's not unspoiled! She was traveling with him! She can't get any more deflowered, can she? What's wrong with passing around a few… perks before this little piggy goes off to the market?"
Peepers didn 't much care for this line of thought but there wasn't anything that he could do about it either. If he objected to raping the girl, his comments would be laughed off if he was lucky or he'd be given a beating if he wasn't. He was just glad that it wasn't his body being offered up for public consumption.
A moment later, a robed and hooded figure emerged from the shadowy forest with a naked sword in hand. "Let them go," the figure demanded coldly. From the sound of the voice, it was a woman.
Peepers looked at the stranger in surprise. He hadn 't noticed any guards or other travelers coming with the pair. He glanced at the prisoners and the expression on their faces told Peepers that they had no idea who this person was either.
Peepers blinked, realizing that the stranger 's sword was made of ice. She must be a mage.
As Peepers focused on her, his jaw dropped.
Peeper 's Divine Blessing was ringing an alarm-bell in his head. This girl might be the single most powerful mage that he had ever encountered.
Peepers frantically tugged on Felton 's sleeve until he got the boss's attention and then he quickly whispered a warning in his ear.
Felton frowned and looked at the new girl speculatively.
Despite his warning, Peepers realized that Felton was considering trying to take the mage anyway. Mages fetched a high price at the Vollachian gladiator schools and this one was outnumbered more than thirty to one. A few of the men would probably die but considering how lean things had been lately, Felton probably thought that culling his own band had some benefits.
Peepers realized with horror that either he had drastically undersold how dangerous this person could be or that Felton had simply assumed he was exaggerating.
"You've got two choices," Felton said in a rough voice. "You can come along quietly or one piece at a time."
The hooded girl did not seem impressed. "And if I choose a third option?" She asked, raising her sword.
Felton smirked and spread his arms to indicate all the raiders. "And I always thought that mages were smart," He mocked. "I'm not sure if you can even count. You might have magic but you're not going to be able to handle all of us."
"I've dealt with worse odds in the past," She said calmly.
The raiders all began to chuckle.
From the dark woods behind the girl, there came a ponderous sigh. A second hooded figure slumped out of the shadows to stand beside her.
"You should all just be really sure that you want to do this," The figure grated, pulling back his hood to reveal a young man with dark hair and dark eyes. "Because I've got her back."
Peepers 's mind went blank as he stared at the boy. Peepers was suddenly reminded of the time that he had been wandering in the forest and had turned around only to be nose to nose with a snarling wolgarm. His Divine Blessing screamed out a warning at him.
"Run!" Peepers cried at the top of his lungs.
Peepers spun around and tore off through the bushes, not even bothering to look back and check if anyone was following him.
The raiders all stiffened. They 'd learned to trust Peepers's insights and so they all bolted after him, crashing through the undergrowth without a word. The terrified riding dragon bolted down the road.
Felton scowled at the newcomers for a moment. He glanced at Rook who was loyal enough to wait for Felton but he was already on the back foot. Felton swore and they darted for the trees. The pair vanished back into the woods.
The tied-up travelers stared up at the pair in terror, uncertain if these newcomers meant rescue or only greater suffering.
Subaru gave Emilia a look of annoyance.
Emilia ignored him. "Let's get you two out of those bonds," She said kindly.
Peepers and the other raiders were back at camp.
Peepers doubled over, panting for breath. He felt like his lungs were going to burst. He didn 't think that he'd ever run that far or that fast in his entire life.
The other raiders were in similar straights, gasping for breath and looking scared.
Felton returned to camp looking unshaken but very angry. "Peepers! What the fuck was that?!"
Peepers struggled to catch his breath. Felton 's lips thinned. Peepers realized that this was a sign of Felton's respect for him that the man hadn't simply started to slap him around to hurry him up. Still, Peepers knew better than to dawdle.
"-Died," Peepers gasped out with what little breath he had.
"What?"
"If we'd stayed there, we would have all died," Peepers clarified.
The raiders all looked at one another and began to murmur nervously.
"What are you talking about, kid?" Rook demanded. "You're acting like that was the Sword Saint or something!"
"Nah. The Sword Saint has red hair. I've seen him," Another raider remarked.
Peepers shook his head. "I don't know what he was. I just know that I've never seen or even… imagined that much power before. "
"How much mana did he have?" One raider whispered.
Peepers shook his head. "It wasn't mana! It was… It was something… different…" He paused. "Can dragons take human form?" He asked suddenly.
"Bullshit!" Rook snorted.
The raiders all began to talk to one another in worried voices.
"Enough!" Felton thundered, silencing them all.
The raiders all stood there silently as Felton folded his arms across his chest and mulled things over.
Finally, he shook his head and snorted. "Alright, whatever! Honestly, that pair had jack shit. It probably wasn't worth a serious fight and losing our own people just to take a pair of slaves and a riding dragon. We got out of that mess with our skin. That's good enough for tonight.
"Peepers, the next time that you alert us to a target, you make damn sure that there aren't any monsters waiting to ambush us!"
Peepers nodded with a sickly expression on his face.
Before Emilia could approach the tied-up pair, Subaru stepped in front of her.
He took a deep, slow breath. "Mili," He said in a tightly controlled voice. "I would like us to talk about these things before you do them. "
Emilia pulled her hood down, revealing a mane of silvery hair. She looked at her lover with palatable annoyance. "As I recall, Subaru, you didn't seem to want to discuss it, " She said in a clipped tone.
"I said that I thought that getting involved in this was a bad idea," He growled.
"Yes, you did," Emilia said in a chill tone, lifting her chin and folding her arms across her chest. "And then you turned around and walked away as if there was nothing further to discuss. But I watched those robbers talk about raping that girl and selling them into slavery. I thought about rescuing them some more and I decided that it was a good idea so I did it!" She said tartly.
Subaru closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His hands made fists as he tried to master his aggravation. "Emilia," He said in a calm, slow voice. "We are trying to hide on this trip. We 're trying to avoid attracting attention."
"We are, Subaru," Emilia said, her voice warring between patience and irritation. "I kept my hood up this whole time. Those bandits have no idea who we are. And robbers certainly aren't going to turn us over to the authorities."
"Yeah? What about them?" Subaru said pointedly, gesturing toward the tied-up teens that they'd rescued.
Emilia flushed slightly. "Well, it's hardly likely that they'd turn us in after we rescued them."
Subaru gave her a skeptical look but Emilia simply lifted her chin and then walked around her fuming lover.
She walked over to the tied-up pair and gave them a reassuring smile. "It's alright," She murmured to them. "You're safe now."
Emilia took her ice sword and began to slowly cut through their bonds.
Subaru walked over to the strangers, grumbling to himself.
"Thank you, dear lady and gallant gentleman," The boy said with clear gratitude, albeit with a wary look at the elf's hair and ears. "My companion and I are eternally in your debt."
"Please don't mention it," The elf assured him. "My husband and I were happy to help."
The boy glanced up at the elf's companion. Somehow, I doubt that, The boy thought. Her companion looks angry and disgruntled, to say the least.
"My name is Geoffrey Monmouth," The boy introduced himself with a bow. "And this is my… friend, Celene de Feir."
Celene gave a graceful curtsy. "As my 'friend' said," Celene echoed, her eyes flickering with amusement. "We are eternally in your debt."
The elf 's companion waved off their thanks. "Don't worry about it," He grumbled. "What are you kids doing way out here in the middle of nowhere, anyway?"
Under other circumstances, Geoffrey might have been offended by being called a 'kid' by someone who looked like he might very well be younger than him but something in the stranger's gaze carried a weight that Geoffrey had only seen in his grandfather. Although just a boy, the stranger had a presence that spoke of having been forced to carry a heavy burden that had slowly worn him down. Of an age and weight of experience that came from a lifetime measured in deeds rather than years.
Geoffrey took a deep breath. "I would first ask whom I am speaking with, sir, if it is not too much of a liberty."
Geoffrey saw his rescuers exchange a wary glance. "My name is Petra," The elven girl answered. "This is my husband, Lucas."
Geoffrey 's eyes tightened minutely and he gave Celene a warning glance that he saw her acknowledge. I 'd bet my last copper that those are fake names. None of our business, of course.
Maybe we should come up with some fake names of our own while we 're traveling…
"A pleasure to meet you both," Geoffrey said at once. "Celene and I were traveling toward Picoutatte when we were waylaid by these rogues."
Lucas lifted his head to look down the road behind Geoffrey. "It seems that your dragon has come back," He commented.
"Perceval!" Celene exclaimed, running off to throw her arms around the dragon's neck with a bright smile. She nuzzled the dragon affectionately.
Geoffrey gave Celene a fond smile before turning his attention back to their rescuers. "Celene is very fond of dragons as you can see."
Celene carefully inspected the dragon for signs of injury. "Geoffrey," Celene called. "I'm not sure how much further Perceval can go tonight. We've ridden him hard today."
Geoffrey made a face. "Maybe we should make camp here for the night then."
"Where?" Lucas snorted. "In the same place where you already got jumped by robbers?"
Geoffrey 's face burned. "Ah… Yes. Perhaps that would indeed be foolish," He admitted. "Maybe we can find a safe place further back in the trees."
Lucas and Petra shared a long look.
Geoffrey watched as their faces flickered with over a dozen different expressions. Petra 's expression was insistent, verging into aggravated and Lucas's flickered from exasperated and incredulous to rueful and resigned.
Geoffrey realized that he was witnessing a discussion, perhaps even an argument, held in complete silence.
Rather impressive how they 're so in sync , Geoffrey thought in wonder. They know what each other is thinking without a word exchanged. I wonder if someday Celene and I …
Finally, Lucas sighed. "Why don't you guys come and camp out with us tonight?" Lucas muttered reluctantly. "We're far enough from the road that I doubt the robbers will find us even if they do get brave again. And we'll all be safer together, anyway."
Geoffrey shook off his musings and gave them a broad smile. "Then once again, we are in your debt," He said with a low bow. "We accept with pleasure. Just give me a moment to help Celene with Perceval," He said, walking over to Celene and the dragon.
The group returned to the large clearing where Patrasche waited beside the tent. A small kiln, about the size of a wastebasket, was burning next to the tent.
The kiln was only open to the air from a small panel in its upper half so the light and heat emitted by the kiln shone in only one direction. This meant that their campfire light was largely hidden, a useful feature in the dark forest where any number of predators, both two-legged and four, might be attracted by the glow.
Patrasche immediately stood up when Geoffrey and Celene led the gray earth dragon into the clearing. Perceval seemed pleased with the opportunity to make a new friend but Patrasche immediately sat back down and ignored him with a snort of contempt.
Perceval hung his head with a moan. He looked hurt.
Subaru looked at Patrasche with amusement. "Have you guys eaten today?" Subaru asked the newcomers.
Geoffrey thought about it. "Not since breakfast," He said finally. "How late is it?"
Subaru snorted. "Dawn is just a few hours off. Why don't you guys go and set up your tent? We have some food that we can share with you."
"Thank you very much," Celene said.
The pair led the now glum-looking Perceval off to the other side of the clearing where they began to work at putting up their tent.
As Geoffrey and Celene left, Subaru gave Emilia a cold look.
Emilia is getting you involved in too many messes, A dry voice whispered in Subaru 's mind. You can love her and you can adore her empathy and kindness while still understanding that the two of you have limitations. Courting risk without reward is simply reckless.
Emilia seemed to know what he was thinking. "We're doing the right thing, Subaru," Emilia whispered to him.
Subaru snorted, still feeling aggravated. "Yeah, well if there's a recurring theme to our little misadventure, I'd say it's that doing the 'right thing' doesn't always lead to the best outcome."
"Maybe not," Emilia allowed. "But I'd prefer to always try to do the right thing unless there's clear and convincing evidence that doing so is unwise."
Subaru sighed.
"Subaru, you wouldn't really have let these two be captured and sold as slaves," Emilia said knowingly.
Subaru didn 't respond.
Emilia blinked, her face contorting in shock. " Subaru ! " She gasped.
Before he could reply, Geoffrey and Celene returned to their tent and they sat down beside the small kiln.
Subaru glanced at them. "That was quick," He commented.
Geoffrey flashed Celene a smile. "It's handy having a certified mage around," He murmured. "Makes setting up the tent at night a breeze!"
Celene chuckled.
"Certified?" Emilia asked in confusion. "Mages need to be certified?"
"I am an accredited Circle Mage," Celene explained. "I just finished my training last month."
Geoffrey nodded. "She's been training for six years in the Mages' Circle," He said proudly. "She graduated with highest honors!"
Subaru glanced at Emilia 's thunderstruck expression and had to swallow a laugh.
Subaru carefully hid a smile. I 'm guessing that Emilia is thinking something along the lines of: 'She trained for six years for that amount of magic?! '
"Congratulations," Subaru commented. "So, what brings the two of you all the way out here?"
Geoffrey sighed. "Well, while it might be fun to spend an evening inventing fake names and making up stories about all our backgrounds, can I just assume that we're all more or less in the same boat here?"
Subaru and Emilia both shared a confused look.
"Which boat is that?" Subaru asked finally.
"Fleeing from the capitol," Celene elaborated. She shrugged. "There is no point in playing dumb. We know who you are."
Emilia looked at Subaru with frightened eyes.
Subaru 's eyes widened and he swallowed hard but aside from that he kept his face expressionless and didn't take his eyes off Celene. "And just who are we, exactly? " He asked in an unsteady voice. He felt Emilia's hand slip into his own and he squeezed it.
"You're both members of Subaru Natsuki's faction, just like we are," Geoffrey said matter-of-factly.
Emilia cocked her head in confusion.
Subaru mulled Geoffrey 's statement over before responding. "What makes you think that we have anything to do with Subaru Natsuki?" He asked finally.
Celene chuckled. "You are clearly not peasants. Your clothing is too fine and you speak as though you've had more than a bit of education. Not to mention the fact that Miss Petra must have trained her magic in the Circle for many years. I can feel her power. So logically, you must be running for your lives just like the rest of us. "
Subaru scratched his chin. "I think that maybe I'm lagging behind here. Petra and I have been… living way out in the country lately. What exactly are you running from?"
Geoffrey gasped. "Gods! You mean that you don't know?!"
Emilia sighed. "Don't know what ?! " She asked in exasperation.
Geoffrey and Celene swapped a worried look.
Celene hesitated. "I am afraid that Subaru Natsuki has been branded a witch by the Sages' Council," She said gently. "His faction has been disbanded and its leaders arrested."
"What?!" Subaru gasped, bolting to his feet. "Felt?! Reinhard?!"
Geoffrey blinked. "Wait. So, you… know Miss Felt and Sir Reinhard?"
Subaru hesitated. "We've… met…" Subaru said, his head spinning. Emilia grabbed his hand as Subaru slowly sank back down to the ground.
"You must have been much more important in the faction than we were," Celene said wistfully. "We never had a chance to meet Miss Felt or Sir Reinhard, much less Lord Subaru."
Subaru started to breathe a little easier. Alright, so they can 't identify us. That means we're still safe. But what happened to the others?! Felt, Reinhard, the spirits, are they safe?!
"Never mind all of that," Emilia said urgently. "What happened to the faction leaders?"
Geoffrey actually smiled. "Well, right before we fled the capitol, we actually heard some good news for a change. Miss Felt and a demi-human who had helped her lead the rally in the capitol were arrested-"
"How is that good news?!" Subaru demanded.
"Because they managed to escape!" Geoffrey laughed. "They sneaked away right under the Sages' Council's collective noses! There are rumors flying all over the capitol that the Sages' Council tried to assassinate them but Miss Felt and her companion managed to get away. They've been branded fugitives from the kingdom but nobody seems to know where they are."
Subaru fought to take slow, deep breaths. It felt like the whole world was spinning around him.
Oh my God. What have I done? I 've gotten Felt labeled a fugitive. The demi-human that they're talking about must be Garf.
I doubt that Felt would have run away with the twins and most people couldn 't tell at a glance that they're not human anyway.
That means that Felt and Garf are fugitives on the run, just like we are. Where are they now? Are they safe? Do they have the spirits with them or are Beako and Puck trapped and hiding somewhere else?
How did I let all of this happen?!
Subaru felt as though he might start hyperventilating. Emilia tightly squeezed his hand.
"All of this is… just because of what happened in Gusteko?" Subaru asked plaintively.
Geoffrey cocked his head. "Um. I'm sorry, what happened in Gusteko? "
"Oh! So you heard about that as well," Celene said to Subaru in surprise. "You are very well informed, Master Lucas."
Geoffrey gave Celene a perplexed look.
Celene glanced at Geoffrey. "My grandfather told me in a letter that Subaru Natsuki had made an alliance with Princess Kairei of Siros," Celene explained. "Apparently, he singlehandedly rescued the princess from Prince Griest, obliterated an army of her enemies, captured a Sin Archbishop, and restored the Princess to her throne!" She finished excitedly.
Geoffrey 's jaw dropped. "I… I had heard those rumors … but are you telling me that all of those things actually happened?! "
Celene gave him a stern look. "My grandfather would never pass on idle gossip, Geoffrey," She chided. "He would have been certain of his facts before informing me."
"That's amazing! Subaru Natsuki… He's a legend!" Geoffrey said with a fervent grin.
Subaru closed his eyes and sighed.
"I've always found him to be extremely impressive," Emilia agreed calmly, rubbing Subaru's back.
Subaru gave Emilia an annoyed look which she answered with a fond, weary smile.
Geoffrey 's face became tinged with sympathy. "I can only imagine, Miss Petra. A silver-haired half-elf? You must have gambled everything on Subaru Natsuki being able to build a world that would allow you to finally live with respect and dignity."
Subaru 's face twisted in despair. Oh, God. She really did, didn 't she? To save her people, to restore her memories, to protect her… Emilia gambled everything on me. Emilia and Beatrice and even Felt.
They all bet on me and now they 've all lost everything…
Fuck me …
"I think that you're expecting far too much of Subaru Natsuki," Emilia said quickly. "Subaru Natsuki is a great man. The greatest that I have ever met!" She added firmly. "But he's only one man. One man, no matter how great, can not make a new world. That takes everyone working together."
Celene nodded. "Your words are extremely wise, Miss Petra. I would guess that you thought that Subaru Natsuki's reign would allow the two of you to safely be married?"
"Marry?" Geoffrey echoed. "Why can't they get married, Cici? There are no anti-miscegenation laws in Lagunica."
"Do not be foolish, Geoffrey," Celene scolded. "A nobleman and a half-elf? In the current world that we live in, the family would be disgraced! They'd be driven from court and any opportunities for them to earn a living would evaporate. There are more ways to punish a man than by bringing criminal charges against him!"
"Oh," Geoffrey said with an understanding nod. "Right. I understand now." He gave Subaru and Emilia a sympathetic look. "You both must be horribly disappointed about this mess…"
Subaru shook off his despair. "Like I said, we've been out in the country for the past few weeks and we've only heard rumors and gossip. If you two were in the capitol when all this went down, then you probably know the real story. Can you tell us what actually happened?"
Celene nodded. "Of course. Our grandfathers were actually in the court when the trial took place."
"Trial?!" Emilia and Subaru both echoed in shock.
Geoffrey nodded. "My grandfather says that the powers that be had finally become scared enough of Subaru Natsuki to move against him directly. He was threatening to upend their very way of life. After Subaru Natsuki killed the White Whale-"
"Actually, Reinhard did that," Subaru corrected without thinking.
Emilia flicked the tip of Subaru 's ear with a finger. Subaru cast her an annoyed look and she met it with a weary glance.
"I know that," Geoffrey agreed. "But the important thing is that after the Whale Hunt and Lord Subaru's rescue of the people of Arlem and the Sanctuary from the Witch Cult, his coronation became a lock! There was no chance that the people would accept any other king. So the high-ranking nobility needed to disqualify him. And they came up with the absolute dumbest strategy imaginable! My grandfather still can't believe that they even tried it!" Geoffrey laughed.
Emilia looked puzzled. "What did they do?" Emilia asked.
"They accused him of witchcraft!" Celene said, throwing her arms up in disbelief. "They held a sham trial and declared Subaru Natsuki to be a witch under the old laws. As a result, they suspended the royal selection and decreed that Lord Subaru would be hunted down and destroyed!"
Subaru and Emilia shared a horrified look.
Oh, my God, Subaru thought.
Emilia bit her lip. "They must have had… some kind of proof," She said weakly.
Subaru looked at Emilia in concern. I know that expression. Emilia is wondering if it was her presence that convinced the Sages ' Council that they should mark me as a witch.
Geoffrey snorted. "No. They didn 't as it turns out. Lady Crusch just dropped some second-hand, hearsay testimony on the floor of the Sages ' council. Apparently, a dead, untitled waiter from Ganaks claimed that Subaru Natsuki was discussing joining the Witch Cult with a Sin Archbishop!"
Subaru 's heart stopped.
Oh my God. I … I didn't even consider…
Someone was eavesdropping on my conversation with Lye! This is damning ! Now everyone knows that I 'm practically a Witch Cultist! There's nowhere in the whole world that we can hide! The entire continent will work together to track us down and burn us out!
"That's some… pretty convincing evidence," Subaru said in an unsteady voice. Emilia squeezed his hand hard, her eyes wide with fear.
Geoffrey just stared at him. "Lord Lucas, what are you even talking about? No, it isn 't ! " Geoffrey said with a baffled expression on his face.
Celene poked him hard in the side. "Geoffrey!" She scolded. "Not everyone has been trained as a jurist and understands the standards of evidence at trial! I did not understand the situation either until you explained it to me! "
Geoffrey winced and then looked somewhat ashamed of himself. "I apologize, Lord Lucas," He said with a seated bow. "I did not mean to speak so disrespectfully."
Emilia shook her head. "Never mind that right now. Why isn't this considered good evidence?" She asked intently.
Geoffrey snorted. "Think about it! The alleged testimony of a dead man who can 't even be questioned or cross-examined?! Not to mention that it was provided by a known rival of the accused!
"Oh! And said evidence arriving just in the nick of time before the trial was scheduled to start, a trial held in absentia, and a trial that had no other evidence being offered whatsoever!" Geoffrey said sarcastically. "It's ludicrous! Nobody believes that the testimony is real!"
"I have heard that even most of the nobles hostile to Lord Subaru think that this trial was farcical," Celene added. "My grandfather told me that the nobility is fragmenting between those who are desperate enough to get rid of Lord Subaru to at least pretend to find this evidence credible and the nobles that are unwilling to throw their own reputations on the rubbish fire in a desperate gambit that is unlikely to work in any case."
Subaru and Emilia shared a puzzled look.
I don 't really know what to make of all this, Subaru thought, his heartbeat starting to steady. I guess … I guess the testimony being considered dubious is good news for us.
I mean, I know that it 's accurate but I don't plan to tell anyone that.
Geoffrey chuckled. "My grandfather thinks that after all this upheaval, Montefort, Pickett, and Zyst are struggling just to keep their factions together," He said with a smile.
"this could not happen to a nicer group of men," Celene observed.
Subaru frowned. I know those names but I can 't place them. I think… maybe Roswaal mentioned them to me as powerful players in the other royal camps.
Actually, come to think of it …
"What are Crusch, Priscilla, and Anastasia doing right now?" Subaru asked.
Celene shrugged. "Rumor has it that Baroness Priscilla and Lady Anastasia both were prepared to cede the election to Lord Subaru."
Subaru 's eyes bugged out. " What ?! " He gasped.
Subaru heard a soft sound beside him. He turned to see Emilia looking at his expression and biting her lip to hold back a laugh.
Subaru shot her an annoyed glance then turned his attention back to Geoffrey and Celene. "They were going to quit?" Subaru asked dubiously.
"Not exactly," Geoffrey said. "Anastasia was hoping to parley her withdrawal into becoming the new King's Lord Chancellor."
Well, that could be reasonable, Subaru thought to himself. Depending on whatever the hell a 'Lord Chancellor' actually is!
"And Priscilla Barielle… well, she had a more personal strategy," Celene snickered.
Subaru sighed. Why do I suspect that it involves my murder?
"And what would that be?" He asked.
"Marriage," Geoffrey and Celene said together with matching smirks.
"Marriage?" Subaru echoed in confusion. "Who is she marrying?"
Celene laughed. "She plans to offer her hand to Lord Subaru so that she can become queen!"
Subaru 's jaw dropped.
A moment later, he felt his hand throbbing painfully. Subaru glanced at Emilia only to find her face twisting in fury.
She shot him a warning look, her eyes blazing and Subaru hastily shook his head.
Wow! I mean, it 's not like I would ever consider being with Priscilla anyway, she might be pretty but living with her would be painful and frustrating, to say the least.
Still … it's actually kind of nice to see that Emilia gets so crazy over the prospect of protecting me from competition. It makes me feel… valued. Loved.
"Is something wrong, Miss Petra?" Celene asked solicitously.
Emilia blinked and quickly composed herself. "No, nothing," Emilia said calmly. "I just… suddenly realized how very much I dislike Priscilla Barielle, " She added in a near growl.
"Most people do," Celene agreed.
Subaru carefully hid a grin. "Uh. What about Crusch?" Subaru asked, hoping to move the conversation along.
"Lady Crusch never made any sign of forfeiting the election," Celene replied after a moment's thought. "She appears to be working closely with Montefort to hunt down Lord Subaru. Her knight even provided the evidence that they used at trial."
"Grandfather told me that he heard a rumor that Lady Crusch did all of this deliberately!" Geoffrey added.
Celene frowned. "I don't follow. Did what deliberately?" Celene asked.
"Provided the evidence," Geoffrey replied.
Celene blinked. "But of course, she did it deliberately. How could she have provided this evidence by accident?"
"No, no," Geoffrey shook his head. "I mean that there's a rumor that she provided deliberately unbelievable evidence. The evidence that she submitted during the trial hurt their case a lot more than it helped it. Rumors are going around the capitol that Lady Crusch made a secret alliance with Lord Subaru. That she's agreed to give him the crown as long as he cleans up the corrupt nobility during his kingship."
Celene digested that. "Do you really think so?" Celene asked dubiously.
Geoffrey shrugged. "My dear, Lady Crusch isn't stupid! All of these blundering, unsupported accusations of witchcraft that she kept making in an effort to discredit Lord Subaru are just too clumsy for her. There has to be some kind of purpose behind them and my grandfather says that the most likely purpose is that she's been Lord Subaru's secret ally the entire time! She's undermining Montefort's faction from within! They've been working together to force the power brokers of the kingdom to come out of the shadows to where they can be confronted directly."
Celene frowned, mulling that over. "Actually, that would make a great deal of sense," She said in surprise.
"Your grandfather agrees with you," Geoffrey added. "The Marquis's only question is that he can't figure out what Lady Crusch gets out of any of this."
"Hm? Well, that's rather obvious, is it not?" Celene replied.
"What's obvious?" He asked.
Celene shrugged. "Lady Crusch gets the throne."
Geoffrey blinked. " What ?! " He said.
"Think!" Celene said patiently. "Lord Subaru has yet to select a queen. One of his biggest stumbling blocks in the selection has always been the conservative faction in the nobility that keeps denouncing him as an untitled foreigner. But if he married Lady Crusch then his children will be the heirs to a Lagunican bloodline that stretches all the way back to the Lion Kings of the ancient world. That would divide the conservative faction and cost them support."
Geoffrey frowned, mulling his way through that. "But do you really think that Lady Crusch would settle for just being a king's consort?" He asked skeptically.
Celene laughed. "Geoffrey, I love you dearly but you really can be dense sometimes."
"I am aware of that," Geoffrey twitted.
"There is more to power than what title you bear, no?" Celene continued. "Lady Crusch is the 'Goddess of War.' She is a living legend to the soldiers of Lagunica. I have no doubt that she would wield influence and authority second only to the King himself. It's actually a brilliant plan! The two of them united would be an unbeatable combination."
Geoffrey thought about it for a long moment and then his eyes widened. "You know, I think you've hit the nail on the head, Cici," Geoffrey said finally. He laughed. "Just imagine! All of those enemies have been dancing in the palm of Lord Subaru and Lady Crusch's hands! They've blundered into the trap with their eyes wide open and now there's nothing that they can do about it!"
Subaru 's jaw was on the floor. He and Emilia could only stare incredulously at the young nobles, struggling to even follow their bizarre analysis of the past few weeks.
Damn, Subaru thought sarcastically. That is a seriously brilliant plan.
I mean, it 's nothing that I was even considering and if Crusch ever finds out that these two are shipping us, she'll probably skewer them but still, brilliant plan!
"Hey. Back up a minute, OK?" Subaru said. "What exactly is going on in the capitol right now?"
Geoffrey shrugged. "Politics, what else? It's getting ugly and will probably just get worse."
"As they say, 'he who grabs a dragon by the tail, dare not let it go,'" Celene quoted.
"I don't understand," Emilia murmured.
Geoffrey took a moment to put his thoughts into words. "She means… his foes went all in on this plan of action, to declare Subaru Natsuki a witch. And, whether they like it or not, they're committed now. They don't have any other ways to undermine him. If this plan fizzles out then nobody will sign on to the next plan. Unfortunately for them, it isn't going very well. The public at large just doesn't believe this story! I've heard rumors of riots and protests in seven cities across the kingdom in the past two weeks, mostly organized by peasants and demi-humans who refuse to let their hero be dragged before a kangaroo court. I've even heard that after fifty years of silence, the Demi-Human Alliance is starting to emerge from the shadows.
"Rumor has it that the merchant class hasn't committed to either side yet but that simple indecision makes it clear that they won't be willing to follow the nobles' lead if they think that it will lead the kingdom straight into a civil war. Even the nobility are starting to get cold feet about this mess. Unfortunately, that means that the Triumvirate is resorting to more forceful measures."
"What's the Triumvirate?" Subaru asked.
Celene spoke up. "According to my grandfather, they are three men who essentially control the Royal Assembly and consequentially, the kingdom at large. Grand Duke Montefort controls the largest faction of the nobility. Guildmaster Willard Picket has a monopoly on all kinds of commerce as well as serving as the merchant guilds' representative at court. And Lord Zyst controls the Mages' Circles. So far, they are forcing the other nobles and assemblymen to go along with them and cracking down on anyone who steps out of line. That's why we ran."
Geoffrey nodded. "Our grandfathers knew that the Triumvirate were going to start arresting members of Lord Subaru's camp on spurious charges to make examples of them and to force their parents and older siblings to stay in line. So Grandfather suggested that we get out of the Kingdom for a while. My Grandfather and the Marquis de Feir sent me south to Abiate to get Cici from the Circle. We're going to pick up some funds that my family has in Picoutatte and then make a dash across the border together. I have friends down in Vollachia near Garkla who can help us get settled while we wait out this mess."
"You have exquisite timing as always, Geoffrey," Celene mused. "A few days before you came for me, General Brendig came back to Abiate."
"Brendig?" Subaru said in surprise.
Celene nodded. "He was severely reprimanded by the royal assembly for letting Subaru Natsuki escape from Ganaks. As well as for his attempt on Sir Julius Juukulius's life-"
"Don't be ridiculous, Cici," Geoffrey scoffed. "He wasn't punished for attempting to murder Sir Julius. He was punished because he failed!"
Celene gave him a look of faint amusement before continuing. "Brendig has lost the governorship of Ganaks and has returned to his home in Abiate in disgrace. I expected that we were going to see a brutal crackdown on demi-humans in Abiate over the next few weeks if only to make General Brendig feel better about himself," She sneered. "I was very glad that I would not be there to see it but then Brendig disappeared! "
"Disappeared?" Geoffrey asked.
Celene nodded. "He just up and vanished along with most of his staff. Nobody seems to know where they went."
Emilia shook her head. "Excuse me. Your grandfathers are sending you both out of the country?" Emilia asked, trying to follow this meandering conversation.
Celene nodded. "Yes. Just as a precaution, of course, until they can see which way the wind is blowing. Honestly, I don't mind at all. We don't get to spend much time alone together these days," She smiled, her hand slipping into Geoffrey's.
Subaru scratched his chin. "Are you two… courting?" Subaru asked.
They smiled. "Yes," Celene replied. "But please keep that to yourselves."
"Why? Would your grandfathers not approve?" Subaru asked.
Celene and Geoffrey shared a pained look. "No," Geoffrey said slowly. "We know that they would…"
"Then what's the problem?" Subaru asked.
Geoffrey looked pained. "We just… don't really want them involved right now."
"This is our courtship," Celene said firmly. "Our romance and our love. We would rather not have the family analyzing the political and economic benefits of our union. We will tell them when we are ready to be married. Until then, we don't want our families involved."
Subaru bit his lip to hide a smile. "Wow," Subaru said slowly. "It's real lucky that your grandfathers told you two to flee together. Even though they didn 't know that you were romantically involved. "
"I know, isn't it?" Geoffrey said cheerfully.
Subaru glanced beside him and saw a similarly bemused expression on Emilia 's face.
I wonder if we ever this dumb, He thought.
…Yeah, we probably were.
I suppose it makes sense that anyone advocating for actually putting me on a throne wouldn 't be a genius or anything but seriously, these two are pushing it…
"What happened to Julius?" Subaru asked, changing the subject.
Celene shrugged. "I heard that during the trial, Sir Julius gave a brilliant defense of Subaru Natsuki and Princess Kairei that left the Sages' Council's case in tatters."
Subaru 's eyebrows climbed to his hairline. Julius defended me?
Celene was continuing, "Then he was sent away to guard Subaru Natsuki's spirits as a punishment."
"Guard them?!" Emilia asked in a suddenly terrified voice. "What do you mean?! Are they not with Felt?!"
Celene blinked at the force of this reaction. "No," Celene murmured. "The last that I heard, they were made prisoners while Miss Felt managed to escape."
"Where are they?!" Subaru demanded. "Where are they being held?!"
"I'm sorry," Geoffrey said slowly. "I really don't know."
Subaru 's face fell into his hands. Emilia grabbed his shoulder.
Beatrice. Where are you? What are they doing to you? I thought that Felt was looking after you and that meant that I didn 't have to worry as much but now…
Geoffrey and Celene both looked confused. "Are you both planning to cross the border as well?" Celene asked, trying to move the conversation past an awkward point.
Subaru didn 't answer. He shook his head and moaned.
Emilia took a deep breath. "We're not certain yet," She said in an unsteady voice. "We're headed toward Picoutatte to get… the latest word and then we'll make our next decision then."
"That seems very sensible," Celene approved. "We are headed that way too. Perhaps we should travel together for mutual protection?"
"That sounds wise," Emilia agreed as Subaru slowly lifted his head, his expression absolutely miserable.
Emilia squeezed his hand.
"Tell me," Subaru sighed. "Have you heard any word about Siros?"
"Nothing very specific," Geoffrey said after a moment's thought. "For a while, Lagunica considered declaring war on Siros as a haven for witches-"
Subaru and Emilia both gasped.
"-But after Princess Kairei denounced Lord Subaru, that impetus appears to have faded. The Sages' Council has bigger problems right now. Instead of attacking Siros directly, they're working with the other houses of Gusteko and the city-states in Kararagi to declare an embargo and starve out Siros and Sanshi. The Sages' Council is hoping that by denying Siros and Sanshi supplies, the other Houses can finish them off without Lagunica needing to get personally involved."
Celene nodded. "I have heard that Kararagi does not wish to be involved in what amounts to Lagunican internal politics but the Kingdom is threatening trade sanctions and in the end, the Kararagi city-states will probably agree, " She added.
Subaru rubbed his forehead. We didn 't even let Anri get new supplies…
Emilia bit her lip, giving Subaru a worried look. Trying to think of a distraction, she reached into one of their bags and pulled some biscuits out. "I believe that we promised you food," She said, handing them to Celene and Geoffrey.
"Thank you very much," Geoffrey said as they devoured the biscuits.
"Strange," Celene murmured. "A few days ago, I would have turned up my nose at trail rations and stale biscuits. Now it tastes like a banquet."
Subaru shook his head. "Hunger is the best sauce," Subaru muttered absently.
Emilia looked at Subaru with concern. "How close are we to Picoutatte?" She asked Geoffrey.
"We'll probably get there by tomorrow evening," Geoffrey replied. "After that, you're welcome to come to Garkla with us if you'd like."
Subaru took a deep breath. "We need to get to Picoutatte and figure out a few things before we make any more plans," He replied in a shaky voice.
"Thank you for your kind offer," Emilia added.
Celene nodded. "I would suggest that we all try to get some sleep. Dawn isn't far off."
Subaru nodded. "Yeah, that's probably a good idea," He said in a dead voice.
Celene and Geoffrey stood up and walked back to their tent as Subaru stumbled into his own tent and lay down, staring up at the ceiling.
Emilia bit her lip. She got up to follow Subaru and briefly considered bringing the kiln inside but this close to Lagunica 's southern border, the evening was warm and balmy so bringing the kiln into the tent would have probably made it uncomfortably hot. So, she left the kiln to burn down where it was and slipped into the tent, laying down beside Subaru.
"Subaru, are you alright?" She murmured.
Subaru sighed. "Not really," He admitted, covering his eyes. "I'm so worried about Beatrice… I promised her that we'd be together forever! I lost her after less than a month! And now, she's a prisoner and I have no idea where she is or how she's being treated!" Subaru said in a voice close to tears.
Emilia wrapped her arms around him. "I know how you feel, Subaru," She whispered. "I'm terribly worried about Puck…"
No, you aren 't! A vicious part of Subaru snapped. You don 't know anything about how much I miss Beako! You don't miss Puck because he doesn't remember you! You even admitted in the forest that you were glad that he was gone!
Subaru swallowed the hateful words. That 's not fair to Mili. Mili is desperate to get Puck back. But for her, getting him back means not just rescuing him but also restoring his memories of her.
"Mili," He whispered. "I think that we need to change our plans."
"What do you mean?"
Subaru sighed. "The spirits might be in real danger right now. That has to trump finding the Book. We need to go and rescue them. "
Emilia hesitated. "Subaru, I think that we need to focus on finding the Book right now."
"Fuck the Book!" Subaru hissed. "It won't even solve our problems anymore! You heard Geoffrey and Celene. I've been declared a witch! We were acting like once everyone's memories were fixed that the Lagunican authorities would just hand us the spirits and everything would go back to normal but they won't believe any evidence now! They're looking for excuses to kill us! We'll have to fight to save the spirits one way or the other so we might as well go save them now!"
Emilia thought it over. "Subaru, without the Book to restore his memories, I don't know how Daddy will react to seeing me again…" Emilia whispered.
Subaru shifted uncomfortably. "By now, he's probably realized that he was wrong. Especially after we tell him about everything that happened in Gusteko. He won't be cruel to you anymore…"
"Really?" Emilia asked skeptically.
Subaru looked pained and then he sighed. "Mili. The spirits could be in real danger right now. That has to be our only concern! We need to go and rescue them."
"And where are we going?" Emilia asked.
"To wherever the spirits are!"
"And where is that?" Emilia asked gently. "If you know something that I don't, shouldn't you share it with me?"
Subaru hesitated for a long moment. "Fuck!" He howled, slamming his fist into the tent floor and bursting into tears.
Emilia held him close. "Subaru, right now we have no idea where Beatrice and Daddy are. And we can't just randomly roam around the kingdom searching for them."
"They're probably in the capitol," Subaru said suddenly. "I'm guessing the castle dungeon."
Emilia blinked. "Why there?"
"Because they're hostages! You have to keep hostages close so that you can threaten them when your enemies get too close to you!"
Emilia looked pained. "Subaru, you're just guessing."
"Well, we have to start somewhere!" Subaru said defiantly.
Emilia sighed. "Subaru, we can't just go to Arlem or the capitol and start snooping around while the entire kingdom is hunting for us. It's too dangerous! I don't think that we'd even get close to either place before we were discovered and that would put Reinhard on our trail again. We need to find allies before we try to go back to save the spirits."
Subaru frowned. "Allies…" He whispered. "Hey! What about Anastasia?" He asked suddenly.
Emilia cocked her head, not following. "What about her?"
"Anastasia and I always got along well," Subaru said excitedly. "And Julius admitted that he owes us a favor! He even apparently spoke up for us in the capitol! We could send them a letter and ask them to help us find the spirits!"
Emilia winced. "Subaru," She said in a pained voice. "I don't think that you've thought this all the way through…"
"What?" Subaru scoffed, "The worst thing that she can do is say 'no!'"
Emilia sighed. "Alright. And… assuming that she does know where the spirits are hidden and assuming that she is willing to help us, where exactly would we ask her to send that information? "
Subaru hesitated and then his face fell. "God damn it…"
Emilia squeezed him tight. "It's alright, Subaru," She soothed. "We'll get them back. We'll get through this together. We just need to stay the course. You don't have to do everything all by yourself. I'm always here to help you. Remember, as long as we're together, we can do anything."