Arc 9, Part 36: "The Proposition"

"I’m so sorry! I’ve caused such a terrible scene..."

"No, Petra-san. Seeing you cry so much out of joy for me... it made me as happy as if my sister had done the same. Ah—"

Petra bowed her head repeatedly, apologizing for the unsightly state she had worked herself into. Rem, trying to comfort her, suddenly stiffened her cheeks as if she’d said something taboo and glanced toward Ram.

In response to Rem’s gaze, Ram gave a gentle smile and said, "It’s fine."

"After all, Ram is a pathetic sister who couldn't even maintain her composure during a touching reunion. It can't be helped if Rem goes around telling everyone I’m a crybaby."

"N-No, that wasn't my intention! It’s a misunderstanding that Sister is a crybaby! Besides, I was happy that you cried for me!"

"That’s right, Ram. You finally remembered Rem, after all. Even if you did cry, no one would think you’re a crybaby. Perk up!"

"Rem, Emilia-sama... sob, sob, sob."

Following Rem, Emilia joined in the comforting, and Ram turned her face away, pressing a hand to her eyes. The two grew even more worried at the sight, but from Petra’s perspective, the farce had gone on long enough.

Of course, there was no doubt that Ram was genuinely moved to tears by the situation, but...

"...Ram-nee-sama, I know you’re happy, but you shouldn't tease them too much."

"Eh!?"

"Teasing...?"

Having finally managed to steady her voice, Petra offered her warning, causing Emilia and Rem to widen their eyes. The "wicked" Ram, who had deceived the two innocent girls, stopped her fake crying and shrugged.

"Quite right. Since my memories have safely returned, I simply found myself wanting to see Rem’s various expressions and played a little mean. Will you forgive your bad sister?"

"Sister... honestly, you’re hopeless. Only this once, okay?"

"Yes, thank you. Emilia-sama, is that acceptable to you as well?"

"Geez, if Rem has already forgiven you, I can't stay angry forever. Honestly."

"Wow. She didn't even act humble; she just acted spoiled and got away with it."

Despite an attitude that showed absolutely no sign of reflection, Ram’s tyranny was easily forgiven by Rem and Emilia. Meili, witnessing this, muttered in exasperation. Petra felt exactly the same as Meili. It was very much like Ram, but she was being a bit too flighty.

"I want to hold a victory party for Rem... Rem-nee-sama too, but we’re in the middle of a very difficult time, so Ram-nee-sama, please exercise some self-restraint."

"Self-restraint, is it? That sounds like a sensible opinion on the surface, but what about you, Petra?"

"—? What do you mean? I’m reflecting on what happened earlier, too."

"I’m not intending to scold you for losing your composure. What concerns me is something else. —Specifically, the way you’ve naturally settled yourself between Rem and Emilia-sama."

At Ram’s pointed remark, made with one eye closed, Petra blinked in surprise. She looked to her left and right, seeing the profiles of Emilia and Rem.

The three of them were currently sitting side-by-side on a long sofa, with Petra in the center. Petra was clutching both of their arms tightly, as if she refused to let go.

"Oh?"

"Don't 'oh' me. After you hugged Rem-oneesan, you very naturally pulled yourself over there. And you dragged Emilia-oneesan along with you."

"I-I’m sorry. It seems my affection for both of them just overflowed..."

At Meili’s continued exasperation, Petra looked at herself and reflected. However, since her excuse was exactly the same as Ram’s earlier "spoiled" behavior, Ram simply let out a "Ha!" of laughter.

"It’s alright, Petra-san. I also wanted to properly fill in the gaps that have been empty until now, one by one."

"Rem-nee-sama..."

"Besides, um... I didn't think I was very close with Petra-san and the others back when I lived in the village, so it makes me happy to know I was cared for this much."

While Petra still held her arm, Rem’s cheeks flushed slightly as she gave a bashful smile.

In Rem’s own self-perception, her relationship with Petra and the others had peaked during the month after Subaru was welcomed into the mansion—around the time the Royal Selection began. Before that, they were merely acquaintances who passed each other by.

Thus, the bashful Rem’s understanding wasn't wrong. The reason Petra held such massive feelings for Rem was less about Petra’s own history and more due to the influence of "Subaru."

Even so, Petra thought:

A smiling, bashful Rem-nee-sama is so precious...

"Petra-chan, your ears are really red. Are you okay?"

"Ah, no! It’s not infidelity... Emilia-nee-sama is number one!"

"Eh? Ah, right. I’m the most important person in the camp, so I have to act the part."

Caught between panic and happiness, Petra blurted out something unnecessary, but Emilia brushed it off like an angel, a goddess, or perhaps a protagonist in a misunderstanding-themed story.

Petra pressed her hand over her racing heart and told herself, My number one is Subaru...! as she stood up. If she stayed sandwiched between Emilia and Rem any longer, her heart felt like it would shatter.

『You’re great, Petra! You endured well!』

"Subaru, be prepared for me to say a lot of nasty things to you later. You philanderer."

『That’s too cruel to say to me when I can't even touch Emilia-tan or Rem!』

Having somehow cut through her unmanly lingering attachments, Petra directed her pent-up frustration toward the "Imaginary Subaru." Petra sighed at the "Subaru" who was dabbing his eyes with a handkerchief and twirling around the drawing room to express his explosion of emotion over Rem’s returned memories.

Then—

"I know I’ve caused a stir regarding myself, but it would be helpful if we could settle down for a moment. —Let’s talk about that person."

"————"

As Rem spoke in a quiet voice, the air in the room visibly tightened.

While not exactly relaxed, the atmosphere had been growing warm despite the dire situation, and Rem herself—the catalyst for that warmth—was the one to dispel it. She was very admirable. Splendid.

"Ram, Rem, have you heard the story from Clind-san?"

"Mostly. We also saw the disastrous state of the Royal Capital. For it to become such a major incident... Barusu really bungled it."

"Ram-nee-sama! That way of putting it is..."

"I’m sorry, let me rephrase. —All of us, Ram included, bungled it."

"————"

Ram’s assessment was heavy, resonating deeply in everyone’s chest.

They had confirmed this with each other even before Ram and Rem joined them, but looking back at the damage caused by Al’s actions, the sheer scale of it was something one wanted to avert their eyes from.

"That said, nothing is gained by excessive self-reproach. Ultimately, the responsibility for the situation lies with the one who caused it. That is our conclusion."

"That may be Ram’s mindset. But things are not so simple. Am I wrong?"

"...You’re a girl not to be underestimated. I wonder where that fooling around from earlier went."

Old Man Rom muttered as he rubbed his bald head, making a sour face at Ram’s inquiry. At the exchange between the two who seemed to understand each other, Rem tilted her head.

"When you say it’s not simple, are you talking about where the responsibility lies?"

"Yes, exactly. It seems Lord Rom wants to speak about the details. I’ll yield to him."

"You just threw the troublesome part at me... well, fine. Just as that girl says, regardless of our mindsets, the current situation is not good for us or for you lot."

Entrusted with the role of explainer by Ram, Old Man Rom pointed his thick finger at himself and then at Emilia. Staring at that large fingertip, Emilia blinked her amethyst eyes.

"We are, of course, in trouble, but Old Man Rom and the others... Felt-chan too?"

"Our Ezzo was at the tower as well. Ezzo was given the duty of managing the tower until a formal national investigation team was dispatched, but he failed to fulfill it. Even Reinhard couldn't stop the helmet guy or the 'Divine Dragon,' and damage was dealt to the Capital."

"But, thanks to Emilia-oneesan, no big stones fell on the city, right? Are you still going to be scolded for that?"

"If you could gain popularity just by crushing stones that were thrown, Reinhard could do the same thing forever. These things, Meili, must be judged fairly based on the process, not just the result."

Old Man Rom shook his large head slowly, his face grim, causing Meili to pout. Behind Meili’s dissatisfied attitude was a hidden frustration that Emilia’s great role wasn't being properly evaluated. Understanding this, Emilia smiled and said "Thank you" to Meili, which only made the girl turn her head away further.

"At the very least, I will tell you what we must ensure. First, the helmet guy... the man calling himself Aldebaran, must be stopped by our hands. We cannot leave it to anyone else or the Kingdom. Only after that is done can we talk about making up for our failures."

"Why does it have to be us? Of course, it’s natural that we’ll try our hardest, but if Al can be stopped before he does something terrible..."

"You don't understand, Emilia. It’s no longer a matter of Aldebaran as an individual. He has the 'Divine Dragon' with him. That is a grave matter that shakes the very foundation of the Royal Selection... To overturn this, there is no choice but for a Dragon Maiden, a Royal Selection candidate, to bring the 'Divine Dragon' back. If that cannot be done..."

"—The Royal Selection itself will be treated as if it never happened?"

As Emilia voiced the definitive possibility, Old Man Rom pulled back his chin with a grave expression. Having heard that much, Petra finally caught up to the sense of crisis.

To begin with, the Royal Selection to decide the next King of the Lugunica Kingdom was built upon the covenant with the Dragon and the prophecies of the Dragon Ledger required to maintain it. In other words, it was a ritual that relied on the mighty power of the "Divine Dragon" Volcanica; without the "Divine Dragon," the Royal Selection could not stand.

"Therefore, it is essential. A conclusion where the Royal Selection candidates themselves stopped Aldebaran, who led the 'Divine Dragon' astray."

That was the prerequisite for settling this great incident and continuing the Royal Selection. The words of the wise man of the Felt camp, the old giant who had watched the world for a long time, carried a persuasiveness that no one else could argue with.

They had to prevent the world from being destroyed by Al’s hand. However, it wasn't as if everything else would be fine as long as the world wasn't destroyed. After the battle was over, there had to be—

"We have to leave a place for Subaru-kun to properly come home to."

"Rem..."

Emilia stared at Rem, who had whispered those words after hearing Old Man Rom. Rem met her gaze, her pale blue eyes filled with a sense of mission. "Because, that’s how it should be, right?" she responded.

"That person did that for me. My room in the mansion was kept exactly as it was... Because Subaru-kun thought of me so strongly, I was able to remember what I had forgotten. Thanks to this morningstar that Subaru-kun polished every day...!"

Rem spoke with strength, holding her spiked iron ball—the morningstar. Overwhelmed by the valiant rattling of the chain and Rem’s momentum, Emilia tilted her head.

"...Thanks to the morningstar?"

"Yes. It might surprise you, but it was the moment I touched this morningstar. My memories came flooding back... I thought it was just his obsessive fixation, but I was mistaken. ...I have so many things I want to apologize for."

Rem lowered her eyes as if ashamed of herself and began to tell the story of how her memories returned. Emilia was flustered by Rem’s passionate plea, her eyes darting around and her hands waving in distress.

It was likely a matter of timing. —Whatever the "Gluttony" that Al took from the prison tower did was probably related to the restoration of Rem’s "Memories" and "Name." And that happened at the same time Rem touched the morningstar at the mansion. Therefore, Rem was convinced that the morningstar had awakened her.

"Um, Rem, I want you to listen calmly..."

"Please rest assured, Emilia-sama. With this morningstar, I will surely become a strength to take Subaru-kun back. After that, I would like to talk about what happened in the Empire and what comes next..."

Rem tightened her fist, her attitude full of resolve, while Emilia’s troubled expression continued. Beside them, Meili looked at Ram and asked, "Aren't you going to stop her?"

"It can't be helped. Even Ram didn't expect this. —To think that Barusu’s nonsense about polishing that thing every day would actually be useful."

"...I really don't think it’s a good thing that I’m the most common-sense person here."

Meili lamented the situation where even Ram was overestimating the power of the morningstar.

Regardless, they needed to share the details about the "Gluttony" matter with Rem and the others, including the parts that were still speculation. Petra decided to leave that to Emilia, and while keeping the "dream team" of Emilia and Rem in her peripheral vision, she turned back to Old Man Rom.

And then—

"Clind-niisama hasn't brought Master and the others back yet... but we don't have time. We and you lot are in a cooperative relationship, right?"

"—Mm, no mistake. Continuing the Royal Selection is our collective will."

"Then, please tell me. What Old Man Rom noticed about Al-san."

Old Man Rom, who had joined them on the plains and accompanied them to the Capital. Due to the constraints of Clind’s "Compression," he had chosen to act separately from Ton, Chin, and Kan. He had laid the groundwork, saying he had crucial information about Al that he’d grasped during their brief clash.

Through their discussion so far, the Emilia camp and the Felt camp were already in the same boat. Petra demanded that Old Man Rom finally open up.

In response to Petra’s request, Old Man Rom patted his bald head.

"This story is going to be quite outlandish and nonsensical. I didn't withhold it to be pretentious, but because of the issue of credibility."

"It’s okay. I believe you, Old Man Rom. Seriously, probably more than you’d be surprised to know."

"...You’re a quite unusual girl yourself, Petra."

Perhaps thinking it was lip service, Old Man Rom muttered with a slight smile.

But there was no lie in Petra’s words. Petra trusted Old Man Rom. Because she knew he was a man of fatherly affection who cherished Felt—who had been taken hostage by Al and the others—and would unhesitatingly throw away his life for her sake.

Therefore, the hurdle of trust that Old Man Rom was worried about had been cleared from the start. Old Man Rom, unaware of Petra’s circumstances, glanced at Emilia and Rem as they continued to align their understandings.

"This is something I’ll tell Emilia and the others later as well... but that Aldebaran fellow is likely using a foul play called an Authority."

『—Authority.』

At Old Man Rom’s carefully chosen words, "Subaru" reacted before Petra did. "Subaru," who had stopped circling in the air, stiffened his face and stared intently at Old Man Rom. The reaction of the Imaginary Subaru was natural. They had just heard the word from Clind, but both Petra and "Subaru" knew the word "Authority" in a much more sinister context.

It was a word used by the Sin Archbishop of "Sloth" and the "Witch of Greed" who slept in the Sanctuary. A mighty right or power that interferes with the way the world is, overturns concepts, and rewrites laws at will.

The reason Old Man Rom judged that Al was using such a thing was—

"—It seems he can go back in time once it has passed. Though it doesn't seem to be for a very long duration."

—In the end, what is it that I have to do?

That "Proposition," which she had been dealing with since she was small and weak, followed Felt around with a casual air even now, while she was being dragged along by Aldebaran’s group.

"Seriously, it’s annoying as hell."

Felt scratched her head in irritation and spat out the frustration building up deep in her gut. Felt knew that feelings of helplessness or resignation were useless for survival. Yet, despite not quenching thirst or filling the stomach, these feelings tried to fill a person’s body using every trick in the book, surging up and getting in the way.

"—Tch."

Clicking her tongue, Felt bit into the dried meat she’d been given for dinner and tore a piece off. She felt a clear dissatisfaction with the overly salty taste and was amazed at how pampered she’d become. It had only been two and a half days since she was separated, yet she already missed the meals made by Flam and Graces.

Even the heavily seasoned "man-food" that Ezzo and Rachins occasionally put on the table was much better than portable rations. They didn't let Reinhard cook because Flam and the others would get angry about "the right person for the right job," but when he was secretly allowed to make sweets, he was actually quite skilled.

Unfortunately, the cooking skills of Felt and Old Man Rom were catastrophic; it was a wonder they hadn't died of food poisoning during the nearly ten years they spent frequenting the Loot Cellar. Perhaps the reason Felt’s growth was lacking compared to others her age was due to that.

Regardless of the camp’s culinary situation—

"I can't cook. So, what can I do?"

Felt licked a stray grain of salt from her fingertip, her red eyes narrowing as her thoughts returned to the original "Proposition."

Currently, Aldebaran’s group was moving from base to base, striving to recover from the exhaustion Aldebaran and the "Divine Dragon" suffered at the Capital. Initially, Felt thought Aldebaran and the others would head straight for their destination, the Mogroade Great Fissure, after escaping the Capital. However, it seemed it wasn't just a matter of reaching the site; there were signs they were choosing the right timing.

However, the rest they took while waiting for that timing was by no means smooth—they were facing persistent sabotage from a ruthless pursuer, Otto Suwen.

"He doesn't just talk to bugs; that’s a terrifyingly dangerous Divine Protection. ...Or rather, it’s not the Protection that’s dangerous, it’s that Zodda-bug-bro who’s the dangerous one."

Otto had a mild, goofy face, but his true nature seemed to be that of a person to be extremely wary of. Ultimately, any Divine Protection is just a type of tool. No matter how magnificent a sword one is given, if they don't have the strength to swing it, the opportunity and will to learn how to use it, and the courage to wield it when the time comes, the sword is just a magnificent decoration.

Otto had the strength, the opportunity, the will, and the courage. —And Felt had to prove, even without a sword, that she had those things too.

"That bro’s policy is pure attrition... he thinks of such nasty things."

Thanks to Otto, who seemed to have bugs, birds, and fish as allies through the "Divine Protection of Soul Language," Aldebaran’s group wasn't allowed a moment of peace and was constantly forced to deal with threats. From the buzzing of insects to the howling of beasts, contaminated water, and tainted food, his indirect methods were diverse. Because they could barely secure sleep, Felt, who was caught in the middle, also had a headache.

However, Felt had already factored in this level of collateral damage as a minor sacrifice. If possible, she wanted to use her position as a captive traveling with the enemy to ruthlessly contribute to Otto’s plan.

"Just being the one to suppress the 'Divine Dragon' has some meaning, I guess..."

But that wasn't enough; she realized that during the battle between the "Divine Dragon" and the "Sword Demon" at the Capital. Even if Felt’s presence could shave off ten percent of the "Divine Dragon’s" power, the true essence of the "Divine Dragon" Volcanica was that it could still exert disaster-level power with the remaining ninety percent. Considering the possibility that Old Man Rom, who had been defeated once, would challenge Aldebaran and the others to a rematch, the current situation wasn't enough.

For now, that was the "Proposition" that the captive Felt had to fight against.

"No, there’s one more, isn't there?"

Muttering that, Felt looked toward another "Proposition" that faced her from her current position.

"————"

In front of her, across the crackling campfire, sat a man facing Felt. —No, "facing" wasn't quite right. After all, the other party had his head down and hadn't spared her a single glance.

Crouching as silently as if he were dead, clutching a sheathed sword to his chest, was a red-haired man who radiated gloom in all directions—Heinkel.

At the entrance of a cave naturally formed in the rocky area, Felt and Heinkel were alone, waiting for the others who had gone to check the surroundings and eliminate interference, sharing a somber time together.

Technically, Heinkel was supposed to be Felt’s guard, but in terms of who was watching whom, it was hard to tell. His complete rejection of the outside world—not even touching water, let alone the dried meat for dinner—continued to rub Felt’s nerves the wrong way.

"————"

Felt had declared that she didn't have a yardstick of "good or bad" for Heinkel’s actions. She wasn't lying, and she wouldn't change her opinion—but she did have a yardstick for "like or dislike."

At the very least, acting like a Hollow while still alive was a "hate" judgment.

"Hey, if you’re not gonna eat it, give me that dried meat."

"————"

"I know you can hear me. Don't ignore me... whoops."

Thinking a confrontational tone from the start might be bad, she used the dried meat as a conversation starter, only for it to be thrown at her as if to tell her to shut up. She caught it in a hurry, but Heinkel still wasn't looking at her.

Suddenly, she felt stupid for trying to be civil. Felt called out "Hey" again.

"Why did you interfere back there?"

Bluntly, Felt dove straight into the reason Heinkel was sulking.

"————"

Heinkel remained silent, but since he had thrown the dried meat, he hadn't completely rejected the outside world. Based on that, Felt gave a small snort.

"It was a fight between your old man... that’s hard to say. A fight between Reinhard’s grandfather and the 'Divine Dragon.' I’m not exactly a warrior, so I don't know the fine details of who had the upper hand. But you’re supposed to be on the 'Divine Dragon’s' side, right?"

"————"

"The fact that you jumped in means the 'Divine Dragon' was in trouble. That’s incredible in itself, but something’s weird. —If your goal is the 'Dragon’s Blood,' then the fact that the old man was about to win should have been the perfect opportunity."

"————"

"If the Dragon died, you might have gotten the blood. But you got in the way. Why?"

Taking advantage of the lack of rebuttal, Felt laid out her words shamelessly. As she said, interfering in the battle between the "Divine Dragon" and the "Sword Demon" was extremely unnatural given Heinkel’s goal. She had also suspected the possibility that a strong hatred for his father was the motive, but Heinkel had asked the Dragon to treat Wilhelm, whom he had stabbed, just before flying off with the "Divine Dragon."

In other words, Heinkel didn't want the "Divine Dragon" to die, nor did he want the "Sword Demon" to die in that battle.

"It’s too inconsistent. What on earth are you—"

Thinking, she was about to continue. —In an instant, she was pinned to the hard ground, and a drawn blade was pressed against her neck.

"You talk too much, brat."

Right in front of her were Heinkel’s bloodshot blue eyes. She was hit with breath that smelled of blood, as if he had bitten the inside of his mouth, and Felt grimaced. Even then, Heinkel slid the blade as if to intimidate her further.

"If you don't want to feel pain, keep your mouth—gaff!?"

In the gap of that intimidation, Felt unhesitatingly drove her fist into Heinkel’s nose. "U-ah?" Heinkel’s eyes widened more in surprise at being punched than in pain. Using the momentum of getting up, she kicked him in the chest, and Felt looked down at Heinkel, who had unintentionally fallen on his backside.

"You think I’d be scared of you now?"

Saying that, Felt picked up Heinkel’s sword, which had fallen nearby. For a moment, Heinkel stiffened in fear, but Felt sighed and tossed the sword back to him. Heinkel caught the sword reflexively and stared in shock, but Felt just shrugged.

He probably wondered why she returned the sword, but from Felt’s perspective, it was a natural judgment. Even if Felt went wild here, she couldn't beat Heinkel, and in the unlikely event that Heinkel accidentally cut Felt, it was obvious that Yae would be delighted. In the first place, Yae’s aim in leaving Felt and Heinkel alone here was clear.

Yae wanted to discard both Felt and Heinkel if the opportunity arose. To avoid falling into her schemes, going wild here wasn't a good move. —Even without such logic, it wasn't Felt’s job to beat Heinkel down.

"Then, if you ask if that’s Reinhard’s job, I have my doubts about that too."

"—!"

At the mention of Reinhard’s name, Heinkel flinched exaggeratedly once again. It was incredibly unsightly for a man more than twice her age to be trembling at Felt’s words and actions. However, Felt wanted to know the reason for that unsightliness. Even if it brought a terribly bitter taste to Felt herself.

"You don't have to answer, same as before. I’ll just talk on my own and pick up the pieces on my own."

Brushing the hem of her clothes that had gotten dirty when she was pinned down, Felt looked up at the sky without waiting for a response. In the night sky visible through the gaps in the rocks, several stars were twinkling with an out-of-place brightness. Glaring at the ironic beauty of the sky, Felt began with "Actually."

"The thing that’s bothering me about the fight between the 'Divine Dragon' and the old man is everything I just said. You want the 'Dragon’s Blood,' but what you’re doing looks inconsistent. And there’s one more thing that looks inconsistent. —'Gluttony'."

"————"

"Ignore for a moment that he’s a guy with the worst personality and a big mouth. Even without that, there’s no way a piece of trash like a Sin Archbishop would be welcome... but you have far more reason to hate that guy than I do, right?"

Heinkel, remaining silent and answering nothing, caught his breath at that question. Even without answering in words, Heinkel was far too easy to read through his reaction, and Felt narrowed her eyes.

Roy Alphard, whom Aldebaran had released from the prison tower and brought along because he was necessary for the plan—there were infinite reasons why a Sin Archbishop who had caused so many tragedies would be hated and loathed, but Heinkel should have a more specific, absolute reason for hostility.

Because the victimhood of the woman who was Reinhard’s mother and Heinkel’s wife—the ever-sleeping Luanna Astrea—was remarkably similar to the victims of "Gluttony."

"I talked about it once, but I know about your... Reinhard’s family circumstances. That the old man’s wife has been sleeping for over ten years, and that no way to wake her has been found. Well, I guess that would be settled if you had the 'Dragon’s Blood'... but what about the settlement?"

"————"

"What are you going to do about the settlement with the guy who kept your wife sleeping for over ten years?"

After the attack on Duchess Crusch Karsten and the battle for the Watergate City of Pristella, the damage caused by "Gluttony’s" Authority became clear. "Sleeping Beauties"—tragic existences found in a state of sleep from which they would never wake, with everyone around them having no memory of their existence, all connections severed. It was discovered that those people were none other than victims of the Witch Cult.

Naturally, that must have reached Heinkel’s ears as well. Despite that, Heinkel had never shown any interest in "Gluttony," who might be the cause of his wife’s sleep.

—Is it because getting the "Dragon’s Blood" and waking his wife is the top priority? —Is he not in a state to care because of the shock of stabbing his father with his own hands and being covered in his blood?

Or—

"If he’s really not in your sight, why is that?"

"W-Wait... what are you..."

"I don't need an answer. I told you. I’ll talk on my own and pick up the pieces on my own."

With his hand gripping the sword trembling, Heinkel looked at Felt with a deathly pale face. Clashing her red eyes with those blue eyes derived from the Astrea family, Felt gained conviction. Deep in Heinkel’s eyes was a terribly fragile, yet unextinguished ember. —It was likely the same kind of heat that resided in Old Man Rom’s eyes when he looked at Felt.

"————"

Heinkel Astrea appeared to be a despicable man who was self-destructive, self-centered, selfish, presumptuous, and whose core was so shaky he was beyond help. —If the heat glimpsed ever so slightly in his depths was always a part of this man’s actions.

"The reason you don't even look at 'Gluttony' is because you know that 'Gluttony' has nothing to do with your wife falling asleep. You know it’s the wrong person, so you don't even point your sword at him. But—"

—Luanna Astrea’s "Sleeping Beauty" condition was decisively different from other "Sleeping Beauties." Unlike the "Sleeping Beauties" who had all connections to the world severed, Reinhard, Heinkel, and all of her relatives remembered Luanna and lamented her sleep.

In other words, it was different. Luanna Astrea was not a victim of "Gluttony." And Heinkel knew that fact, yet he hadn't told anyone.

Why? Because it must not be known. —The cause that put Luanna to sleep. That cause was—

"—Reinhard."

"————"

The frozen, wide-eyed gaze, the expression that lost its voice, the breath that lost its life—they became an answer more eloquent than words, backing up Felt’s conviction.

What she had to do. —To know was Felt’s current "Proposition." The truth of a terribly bitter taste, derived from the resolve and conviction to face that "Proposition," was—

"—Was it that Reinhard guy who put Reinhard’s mother to sleep?"