Arc 9, Part 32: "A Man Named Clind"

While Aldebaran’s group was being relentlessly pursued by a formidable foe, there were two other locations in the Kingdom where battles of no less intensity were unfolding.

One was the battle of the "Sword Saint," who fought to prevent the world’s destruction by the "Witch of Envy," whose partial manifestation from the sealed shrine threatened to swallow the Augria Sand Dunes. Both the "Witch of Envy" and the "Sword Saint" possessed strength that could end a battle in an instant against any other opponent. However, because they were pitted against each other, the situation remained a stalemate, and the conclusion continued to be deferred. Literally, the battle would likely continue for seven days and seven nights—at the cost of the world’s collapse.

And the other was a battle that, unlike Aldebaran’s group or the "Sword Saint," did not involve physical collision, yet held the potential to greatly influence the outcome of the other two conflicts. Namely, the struggle of those chasing the "Following Star," with Petra Leyte as the key.

Regarding the man named Clind, Petra did not know very much.

He was an ally. Of that, there was no doubt. His mistress, Annerose Miload, was a bright young girl who didn't let her youth or the flaw of being Roswaal’s relative hinder her. She was a powerful supporter of the Emilia Camp and, in Petra’s eyes, someone undeniably charmed by Emilia. Clind, who devotedly supported Annerose and was trusted as an all-purpose steward, had also looked after Petra when she first started working as a maid, teaching her etiquette and manners.

It wasn't just Petra; almost all those associated with the Mathers household, including Frederica and Ram, had received Clind’s tutelage and learned the basics of domestic service. Because of this, Clind stood in a position that could be called the progenitor of the servants connected to the Mathers family. Normally, Petra should have treated him as a teacher or a mentor. However, it was none other than Clind himself who corrected Petra’s perception.

"I have no intention of taking on such a grandiose role as teaching or guiding. Misunderstanding. I am merely passing on what I have heard from my predecessors. It is simply that I have happened to occupy this position for a long time, so the opportunities are many. Refusal."

One could describe Clind’s mindset as an expression of humility or modesty. But Petra sensed that this was Clind’s genuine feelings, as he rarely showed any emotional fluctuation.

"In the end, that man underestimates himself. Because his self-evaluation is low, he claims his work isn't even worth praising... He’s making a fool of people!"

This was the commentary of Frederica, who was unusually harsh only toward Clind. Petra, who believed Frederica was absolutely correct and more wonderful than anyone else in the world, partially agreed with that view, but also held a different opinion.

At first glance, Clind’s attitude certainly seemed like that of someone with low self-esteem. However, Clind rarely showed hesitation or doubt when conveying something to his juniors or subordinates through his words and actions. If he were truly a person with low self-esteem, he would hesitate and doubt more. In Clind’s way of being, there was none of that mundane hesitation. —In that regard, he was the same as Petra.

"I can do anything if I set my mind to it."

If most people heard that, they might laugh it off as arrogance. But the people Petra cared about were not "most people," but those close to her, so it didn't matter. And she believed those close to her believed in her confidence and potential.

Petra was aware that she was a bundle of potential and had the talent to make it bloom. She was aware that she was not just cute, but possessed the talent to walk the path she desired and the grit to continue working hard while believing in that talent—a being gifted with multiple blessings from the heavens.

Speaking as someone with such blessed talent, Clind’s way of being was not that of a person with low self-esteem, but rather one with high self-esteem. Clind was aware that he possessed superior abilities. Furthermore, he did not think it was something to be proud of. That was why, at a glance, he appeared to be a humble and modest person.

"But, I really don't like that."

Regarding the man named Clind, Petra did not know very much.

However, despite not knowing much about him, Petra honestly did not like Clind. This was not unrelated to the fact that Frederica, who was polite and motherly-kind to everyone, showed a special attitude and expression only to Clind, and Petra had a hunch about what kind of emotion that stemmed from. Of course, there was also the fact that Clind had a long association with Roswaal and seemed to be quite close to him. But the biggest reason was something derived from Clind’s own way of being, separate from his relationships with Frederica or Roswaal.

The fact that his way of being—as if he had already "finished" his growth—clashed directly with Petra’s principles was the primary reason.

"I’m back, so help me! You can hear me, can't you, Big Brother Clind!"

Passing through the entrance gate of Milula, the town nearest to the dunes, in the dragon carriage, Petra raised her voice and called out to the man she knew was there. Thanks to Patrasche, who had galloped through the Sand Sea with fierce intensity for a day and a night from the Pleiades Watchtower, there was no doubt that Petra and the others had returned via the shortest route in the shortest time. Even so, they were lagging far behind Al, who had borrowed the wings of the "Divine Dragon." To catch up to that distant back, his power was indispensable.

"Big Brother Clind!"

Pulling the reins to stop the carriage, Petra called out again in the middle of the town square. In response to Petra’s desperate plea, the voice of the man she sought did not return. But, believing that her voice had definitely reached him, Petra scanned her surroundings.

What’s this? There’s no one in town?

Looking out over the same scenery as Petra, Imaginary Subaru spoke. Just as Imaginary Subaru said, despite it being a time when the sun was still high, not a single soul could be seen in the square. No—it wasn't just the square. There was no sign of people in the entire town. Milula had a strong impression of being a desolate post town, but even so, at least a hundred or two hundred residents should have been living there. For not a single one to be seen was strange.

"Maybe... everyone was erased by the helmet mister?"

You’re saying something really scary! He’s not like you or Elsa!

"Meili-chan, don't say scary things. —Subaru, Meili-chan wouldn't do that anymore. It's the result of her education."

The first half was addressed to Meili, and the second half was a lecture for Imaginary Subaru. It would be a lie to say that the worst-case scenario Meili mentioned hadn't crossed her mind for a moment, but that possibility could be dismissed by the fact that the deserted town had not been ransacked. If Al had gone on a rampage with Volcanica, the town would have been more destroyed, and an irreparable tragedy would have spread. The state of this town was less like a violent disaster and more—

"Like they fled in the night." Looks like a night flight.

Petra’s and Imaginary Subaru’s impressions unexpectedly overlapped. Since Imaginary Subaru was a resident of Petra’s mind, it was a natural result, but as a maiden in love, she was a little happy that her thoughts aligned with her beloved’s. And there was another reason she could feel positive.

"—There is a slight nuance, but your assessment is largely correct. Insight."

Saying so, a man stepped forward into the town square where no residents remained. He was a person who maintained a refined atmosphere that stood out amidst the desolate and bleak town scenery. His mysterious presence felt like a single drop of deep blue paint dropped onto a pure white sheet of paper—a strength that wasn't overbearing. Even if this weren't a desolate post town but a crowded street in the Royal Capital, or a packed firework venue where summer fireworks were being launched with great booms, one would surely not miss this man’s presence; it was a natural gift that made one think so.

Wait. I'm currently 'now loading' Petra's knowledge at top speed.

"Big Brother Clind."

Ah, she said it first!

While the Imaginary Subaru of that time, who didn't recognize him yet, acted frustrated at being intercepted, Petra hopped down from the driver’s seat and looked straight at the man. The all-purpose steward, and the person who held the key to changing this situation—Clind.

"—Considering the state of Milula and the turbulence of the Sand Sea, it seems it was the correct decision to cancel your return. Fortuitous."

Adjusting the monocle on his left eye with his hand, Clind narrowed his eyes at the state of the empty town and what lay behind Petra and the others—the murky sky and its cause. And then—

"Let us talk, Petra. It seems we have need of it. Urgent."

"—I see. Deliberation."

After listening to the brief explanation, Clind placed his finger on his slender chin and closed one eye. The contemplation of a man with such sharp beauty possessed a solemnity like a painting, but unfortunately, Petra had no leisure to be enchanted by it, and her aesthetic sense was different anyway. If she simply wanted to see someone beautiful, looking in a mirror or looking at Emilia was the quickest way.

"What is the condition of Garfiel and the one named Ezzo? Confirmation."

"I don't think we need to worry about the lives of either the Fangs Big Brother or the Sensei-san. I'm worried that the Fangs Big Brother, who's supposed to be super sturdy, isn't waking up though..."

"Yeah, I think Garf-san probably shielded Ezzo-san."

Taking over the latter half of Meili’s answer, Petra thought of the two lying in the dragon carriage. The reason Garfiel, whose selling point was his sturdiness, took as much damage as Ezzo, who was a demi-human and a magic-user, was likely because Garfiel stood in front to shield Ezzo when they were hit by the "Divine Dragon’s" attack. Without that sacrifice, Ezzo might not have survived.

So, Garfiel took a direct hit from the Dragon, huh... I still haven't fully processed that he's the kind of guy who'd put his life on the line like that, or the fact that he's a fourteen-year-old with eighth-grader syndrome.

"Actually, Garf-san is already fifteen. By the way, I'm almost fourteen too."

Time flies. No wonder I thought Petra went from a cute girl to a beauty.

"————"

Again, she needed to keep in mind that this was merely the Imaginary Subaru in her head, not the real Subaru’s statement. However, even the real Subaru would say things like this quite naturally, and she had heard them before. Even though she knew it was his sincere heart and not flattery, the way he could say such things so casually to someone other than Emilia was... well, it was a troubling point in many ways. Anyway—

"I'm worried about Garf-san and Sensei-san too, but the biggest worry is Al-san. You waited for us because you felt the same way, didn't you, Big Brother Clind?"

"To say I feel the same way is slightly different. The reason I remained in this land was because of a slight sense of wrongness I felt when I saw you off. Doubt."

"A slight... sense of wrongness?"

"Yes. In fact, I did mention it to Subaru-sama and Beatrice-sama. Recollection."

Clind lowered his eyes gloomily at the story Petra and Meili hadn't known. Given that the two he had told had both fallen at Al’s hands, Clind’s self-reproach must be considerable. Seeing that awkwardness, even the Imaginary Subaru who didn't know Clind felt somewhat sympathetic.

No, the more I hear, the more it sounds like it's me and Beatrice who were in the wrong. I mean, Clind-san did his due diligence with the 'Report-Update-Consult' thing, right? And we didn't. This is the result, so it's only natural...

"It's not like Subaru and Beatrice-chan were in the wrong. Subaru, be quiet."

My will can't even intervene in my own apology!

Subaru lamented as if he had hit an unreasonable wall, but Petra would not forgive anyone who carelessly disparaged Subaru, even if it was Subaru himself. Furthermore, the way he said it dragged Beatrice into it too. Beatrice was cute and devoted, so she was innocent. She would not hesitate for a second to show the kind of favoritism that would make any normal person tremble. That was the rule of Petra Leyte’s courtroom and the ruling of Judge Petra.

"So? What was it that the steward was worried about?"

"Even then, I could not point to anything specific. Inadequacy. However, thinking about it now that the situation has moved... there was room for doubt in the 'setting of the situation.' Concern."

Prompted by Meili, Clind put his impressions into words while keeping his eyes lowered. The "setting of the situation" Clind was concerned about likely referred to when he saw Petra and the others off at Milula.

"It was not so much that it was unnatural. It was a group of people that made sense when you heard the reasoning. —However, it felt like a combination that would only come together if two or three layers of logic were forced through with effort. Artifice."

"Artifice..."

Petra chewed on that word in her mouth at Clind’s explanation. To be honest, the fact that Clind had avoided stating clearly—the mistake in selecting the members to go to the Pleiades Watchtower—had always existed in Petra’s mind as a self-punishing logic that tormented her. If the ones who went with Subaru hadn't been Petra, but Emilia, Ram, or Otto, would this have happened? If Frederica had gone instead of Petra as originally planned, perhaps Al’s atrocity could have been prevented.

Meili was indispensable for crossing the Augria Sand Dunes, and Garfiel was the most reliable combat force in the camp; these two were essential members. It was only Petra. Only Petra was a replaceable member.

"————"

Should she have spoken up more? To postpone the trip to the tower, or for everyone to go together. Of course, the return from Vollachia and the events that occurred in that country had to be reported immediately, and it was true that the mental care of Schult, who had lost his place, could not be neglected. It was certain that the current members were chosen because such sound judgments were deemed necessary.

But she wasn't confident that her own subjective, arbitrary wishes hadn't been inserted there. The desire not to be apart for even a moment from Subaru, from whom she had been separated for so long, and the selfish desire for fame in wanting to be useful to him. In a place where Emilia and Rem weren't present, hadn't she hoped that her own strength and presence could support Subaru? That was why she hadn't even had the room to notice the "wrongness" that Clind had caught on to—

—Petra, you're overthinking it, no matter how you look at it.

Imaginary Subaru’s untouchable hand overlapped Petra’s hand, which was tightly gripping the hem of her skirt, and a gentle voice whispered in her ear. But Petra couldn't be simply saved by those words of Subaru’s.

It's kind of awkward for me to say this, but it's perfectly possible that you had a little bit of an ulterior motive, like wanting to be with me. But that's not a bad thing. And even if that feeling was there a tiny bit, it was only one percent. I know for sure that the other ninety-nine percent was Petra’s kindness.

"I hate this... I'm making the Subaru in my head say that to me myself..."

If you say that, I can't say anything anymore! That's a forbidden card!

At the sight of Imaginary Subaru, whose face turned slightly red as he protested—even though it must have been embarrassing for him to say he wanted to be with her—Petra let out a long breath. Really, she hated herself for being so easily swayed by that thoughtfulness. It probably wasn't that Petra was a "cheap" girl, but that Subaru’s words had too much power.

Besides, I suspect there's a possibility that the fact that Petra is suffering isn't actually Petra’s fault.

"Does that... have something to do with Al-san being too strong?"

Well, I've never actually seen Al fight with a sword, so I might be saying something completely off the mark... but I do know about Reinhard.

Even if Al’s strength was an unknown, she knew the strength of the world’s peak—Reinhard. Both Garfiel and Ezzo were skilled experts far beyond Petra’s reach. Since he had defeated those two, it was natural to think Al was even stronger. But no matter how strong Al was, he was no match for Reinhard.

When I first saw him at the loot cellar, I didn't really understand the common sense of this world, so it was one thing... but even by this world's standards, that guy is a total monster.

"Yeah. But Al-san did something about that Reinhard-san. Flam-chan definitely called Reinhard-san with her Divine Protection..."

At the very least, he wasn't instantly killed by Reinhard. It's a common consensus that even with a 'helper character' like the Divine Dragon, that's not something easily done, right?

"Does that have something to do with our combination?"

Maybe. I feel like there are many things that can't be explained just by him being strong.

Petra also carefully considered the point Imaginary Subaru had raised. Certainly, at the point of facing Reinhard, all strength ceased to have meaning. Through the strength of power alone, one could not evade Reinhard and fulfill their own objectives. In other words, there was a reason for Al’s fearsomeness other than strength.

Honestly, up until now, things have been going too luckily and conveniently for Al.

"But for people who are always lucky, there's usually a reason other than luck."

Exactly.

She couldn't grasp the core of it, but Petra thought it was worth keeping that point in mind. By searching for other possibilities, her inescapable sense of self-reproach eased somewhat. She thought that perhaps this had been Subaru’s real intention.

"Petra-chan? Are you okay? You're spacing out."

"—. Sorry, Meili-chan, I'm fine. And, Big Brother Clind."

"What is it? Confirmation."

"I think the 'wrongness' you felt wasn't a mistake. I don't know the reason yet, but if we don't understand that wrongness, no one will be able to stop Al-san."

"————"

"It's only us. Only we can stop Al-san. —We have to stop him, and then get Subaru and Beatrice-chan back."

Placing her hand on her chest, Petra made a strong appeal to Clind. It took a great deal of courage for Petra to bottle it up and then release that final breath.

————

Imaginary Subaru, with his arms crossed, watched Petra’s profile with a complex expression. Without turning her gaze toward him, Petra believed in her own conclusion without wavering. She would believe in it to the end.

—Petra had read the "Book of the Dead." In the worst case, there was a possibility that Al had killed Subaru and Beatrice and erased them from this world. It was natural to think that the existence of Natsuki Subaru’s "Book of the Dead" meant exactly that.

"But, my Subaru isn't 'natural'."

She had accidentally said "my," but it was a fact. The part that wasn't "natural" was the fact. Natsuki Subaru had the power of "Return by Death"—a power so incredibly painful and bitter that only a kind person could handle it correctly. Petra surmised that the book she had seen might have been one of Subaru’s past experiences of dying. Because—

"After the book I saw, did Subaru really manage to get this far without dying even once?"

That feels like 'negative trust.' But, from what Petra knows... the simultaneous appearance of the Sin Archbishops, the adventure at the Pleiades Watchtower, the hellish Vollachian Empire... even I find it hard to believe I cut through all that with zero mistakes.

"...Yeah."

The brilliant achievements Subaru had built up, which were thought to be the results of already difficult trials—when she realized they were a collection of hells beyond her imagination, Petra wasn't disappointed in Subaru; rather, her heart was shattered by his devotion. And at the same time, she realized. —The depth of the wound in Subaru’s heart from letting Priscilla die.

Subaru was deeply, deeply wounded—deeper than anyone could imagine. That was why he surely took it all upon himself as his own fault and resolved to do anything for Al. Al had betrayed all of Subaru’s feelings, and his resolution—which no one else could mimic—to "save everyone even if I die." If he had killed Subaru and Beatrice after that, Petra could not achieve her revenge even if she tore Al’s body, heart, and soul into eight pieces.

"Petra-chan, Big Brother and Beatrice-chan are..."

"They're alive. Definitely."

"...I suppose so. Both of them, especially Big Brother, are quite stubborn."

Muttering in a thin voice, Meili softly rested her head on Petra’s shoulder. Even the blunt Meili was sincerely worried about Subaru and Beatrice. Making those around him feel that way was the result of the footprints Subaru had left behind.

Be it Beatrice or Meili, I wonder what the 'me' I don't know has been up to.

Imaginary Subaru muttered in an amazed tone, as if his own deeds were unknown to him. Petra’s lips softened at Imaginary Subaru’s reaction, and she turned back to Clind once more. She had already conveyed her will and purpose. All that remained was to wait for his response. Receiving Petra’s gaze head-on, Clind quietly let out a breath from his thin lips.

"Only you can do it, is it? You say bold things. However, that spirit is something worth seeing. Admiration."

"————"

"To be honest, when the 'Witch' began to move at the edge of the world and brought about a situation that only the 'Sword Saint' could stop, I had half-resigned myself to it being irreparable. Reflection. But, if you are going to kindle that spirit—"

"Wait, Big Brother Clind."

Petra interrupted Clind as he began to speak. It wasn't because she thought the story would be long or because she feared a tangent. —To put it in Clind’s terms, it was a kind of "wrongness" she couldn't clearly define. But precisely because he regretted overlooking that wrongness, Petra could not overlook this one. What Petra caught on to was Clind’s way of speaking.

"I said 'we.' And in that 'we,' you're included too, Big Brother Clind. Please don't speak as if it's someone else's business, saying 'you' all."

"That is... Hesitation."

"It's a time like this, but I'll say it. Big Brother Clind, you've always been with us with a look on your face like you're outside the circle. I hated that."

If he were interacting with Petra and the others in the Emilia Camp from a step back, as an adult or as someone required to be in that position, she could understand. But Clind was different. He was the same with everyone. He was the same with Annerose, whom he served as master; with Roswaal, with whom he had a relationship like old friends; and with Frederica, who couldn't shut him out of her life.

"That kind of way of spending time won't be allowed in Big Sister Emilia’s ideal kingdom."

"————"

"There's no such thing as 'someone else's business.' If you're living, meeting people, talking, and seeing their faces, then the good and bad things born there are mandatory. You can't just take a little bit, or just the good parts—you can't and shouldn't cheat like that."

"Petra-chan..."

"If you act like that, someday everything important will turn its back on you!"

Feeling Meili’s presence as she touched her sleeve, Petra spoke out so strongly she ran out of breath. Halfway through, she wasn't sure if she was saying what she wanted to say, or if she had conveyed what she wanted to convey. It was surely the influence of the Subaru from the "Book of the Dead."

Hey, hey, isn't what you just said also part of that 'cheating'?

Imaginary Subaru said with lowered eyebrows, but she consciously ignored him for now. More importantly, what she needed to focus on was Clind’s reaction—

"Everything important... turning its back on me, is it... Poignancy."

Petra took a small breath at Clind’s murmur. It was partly because the deeply poignant emotion contained in Clind’s whispering voice echoed painfully in her chest. But more than that, it was Clind’s expression that caused it.

"————"

Clind rarely showed his emotions. Smiles, anger—Petra couldn't recall him ever being sad—but regardless, Clind expressed all of them with a blank face. In that expression of Clind’s, there was a change. —It was sorrow.

A poignant voice and a sorrowful expression. When those two overlap, people describe it as "fleeting." At this moment, Clind looked fleeting and pained, with a face that reminisced about the past.

"It has already happened. Nostalgia."

"Big Brother... Clind."

"I have already had everything turn its back on me once, Petra. Self-derision."

Being told that, Petra remembered her own statement from just a moment ago and felt ashamed. She had spoken grandly about emotions she had only just tasted as if she knew everything. Even though Clind already knew that feeling and had been acting based on that knowledge until now. However, even though she felt that shame, Petra still wanted to speak.

"Even so...!"

"—Yes, even so. Wonder."

"Eh?"

"Once, I let go of everything. Even if it is a fact that I became empty because of it, there are things I have gained and built up on the path I have walked since then. Self-reflection. —Petra, my relationship with you all was one of them. Revelation."

After saying that, Clind closed his eyes and looked up at the sky. What did he see in that sky, where clouds were being torn apart in patches, barely holding back the end of the world on the other side?

"Why did I remain in this place, not because I was ordered to, but because of a faint sense of wrongness? It must be because I, too, found it unbearable to let things pass as they were. Resolution."

"...Um, Big Brother Clind, does that mean..."

"Does that mean, 'It was just as Petra-chan said, I'm sorry'?"

"Meili-chan!" Whoa, Meili-paisen, you said it.

Beside the bewildered Petra, she was surprised by Meili, who said it so clearly. Beside the wide-eyed Petra, Subaru, looking impressed, called Meili "Paisen," which made her think it was a very Subaru-like reaction even if he didn't have his memories. And, setting aside Petra’s confusion, Clind gave a small laugh.

"I apologize for making you anxious with my lack of a sense of involvement. Apology. Furthermore, Petra, I thank you. Great Debt. —I, too, wish to cooperate proactively."

"Big Brother Clind...!"

Petra’s eyes sparkled at Clind, who gave a formal bow. However, as if to throw cold water on Petra’s excitement, Meili continued, "I mean..."

"It's not like the steward was planning to get in our way or say he wouldn't cooperate, right? Weren't you just worrying too much, Petra-chan?"

"T-That might be true, but...!"

"No, that is incorrect, Meili. Correction. Having a sense of involvement means that I will also take the lead in proposing plans for a solution. It is vastly different from being a bystander. A different person."

Calling yourself a 'different person' is a bit much!

"But, that means I can expect that much, right? Then! With Big Brother Clind’s mysterious power, take us to where everyone is..."

Leaning forward, Petra was eager to use Clind’s power to the fullest. In fact, what Petra relied on most in this situation was Clind’s power of "Teleportation." His teleportation, which could eliminate the distance to a destination in an instant, would be an indispensable power for chasing Al, who had headed somewhere with the "Divine Dragon."

Al’s destination was unknown, but he was with the "Divine Dragon," which stood out immensely. With the cooperation of Emilia, Ram, and—honestly, she hated it, but—Roswaal and the others, it should be perfectly possible to identify where he was headed and catch up. However, as Petra breathed heavily with excitement—

"Regrettably, my movement technique is not something that can be used without limit. Rather, in terms of restrictions, it is a power that is quite inflexible. Regret."

"Big Brother Clind, you liar! Traitor!" Don't give us hope like that! Big Brother Clind’s false joy!

"Y-You're saying too much, Petra-chan. I don't think the steward meant any harm."

The light she had seen suddenly vanished behind clouds, and Petra got angry along with Imaginary Subaru. Only half of that anger reached Clind and Meili, but it was a fact that she had been given false hope. In the first place, it was a power whose mechanism she didn't understand, but if the "Teleportation" she was counting on couldn't be used, it was just a story about a handsome guy following them proactively.

"Strictly speaking, that is not 'Teleportation,' but 'Compression' of space and time. Explanation. Originally, it 'compresses' the distance that should be traveled and the time required. However, because it can greatly affect the state of the world, it requires the 'oversight' of Od Lagna. Expediency."

Od Lagna? What's that?

"The source of mana and such. In Subaru’s knowledge, it's like a god without consciousness... probably."

While explaining to Imaginary Subaru, who tilted his head at the sudden word Clind used, Petra wasn't entirely sure of her own understanding either. Petra, who was studying under Roswaal and learning magic, had received a general lecture on Od Lagna, but it was debatable whether she understood it properly. Roswaal had also said it was hard to say he understood Od Lagna perfectly.

However, Od Lagna was an incredibly large mass of power, and in a sense, it was something in a different, exceptional position even compared to the peak of powerful beings like the "Sword Saint," the "Divine Dragon," or the "Witch of Envy."

"So, what happens if you can't deceive Od Lagna?"

"It is unknown. The very fact that it is unknown is terrifying. Trepidation."

Clind slowly shook his head in response to Meili’s question. She didn't feel any intent to deceive or evade in his answer. In other words, Clind, who seemed to know everything, held the same view as Roswaal. But if that were the case—

"Big Brother Clind, you've done it for us several times before, haven't you? Based on what you just said, that means you were able to deceive Od Lagna... What do we need to do?"

"Petra..."

"Since there's a way, you were able to use your power, Big Brother Clind. What do we need? For example... magic needs mana. Taming a spirit needs a contract. Then, does getting Od Lagna to do something also require a price?"

"—. I am truly surprised by a child like you. Hats off."

Clind’s reaction confirmed that Petra’s guess was correct. Namely, by offering a price to Od Lagna, one could receive permission to use Clind’s extraordinary power. According to Clind’s way of speaking, one could get them to "overlook" it.

So it's like a bribe or a kickback, huh... For a god, he's quite worldly.

Petra completely agreed with Imaginary Subaru, who muttered with a grimace. But on the other hand, she felt that a god who demanded a price was more trustworthy than a god who gave charity for nothing. Above all, Petra knew "to death" that the world was not set to "Easy" difficulty enough for one to get what they wanted without sacrifice. That was why—

"Tell me what is needed, Big Brother Clind. I will definitely prepare it, no matter what it is. It's for Subaru, Beatrice-chan, and everyone."

"Oh, Petra-chan, you're being funny. You said it yourself just now—it's not 'me,' it's 'us'."

"—. Sorry, sorry. But, thanks."

Petra smiled at Meili, who had spoken while hugging Petra’s arm as she made her resolution. Come to think of it, she never thought she could have this kind of relationship with Meili. When Meili was imprisoned in the mansion’s jail, Petra’s frequent visits were for the calculated purpose of making her susceptible to emotion so she would no longer be a dangerous presence. She never imagined Meili would stand by her like this when she made a resolution alone.

And she had received all of this from him.

"—It is 'possibility.' Answer."

Before Petra and Meili, Clind spoke after a pause. There was no hesitation or doubt, nor was there any wavering or anguish about telling this to young girls. Clind had accepted the situation as his own and recognized Petra and the others, who were facing the same problem, as true comrades. And then, he continued.

"The influence and 'possibility' that would be brought to the world and Od Lagna—that is the price. That is the condition for using the Authority of the Witch Factor of 'Melancholy' that I possess. —Confession."