Arc 10, Part 6: "The Instant Water Heater"

The Prison Tower was in a state of temporary upheaval, with pale-faced guards and officials rushing busily to and fro.

Watching the scene from a distance, Subaru leaned his back against a section of the castle wall further away, hugging his knees.

"————"

Resting his forehead on his knees, Subaru let out a deep breath.

Too many shocking things had happened at once. Witnessing a gruesome corpse without any mental preparation was one thing, but for those remains to actually be—

"—Are you alright?"

A voice called out to his head, which was buried in his knees. Subaru slowly looked up. Standing there was Rem, her expression clouded with concern.

Crouching down beside him, she peered into his face and gently wiped his dejected features with a handkerchief. The slightly dampened cloth was cool, and Subaru let out a sigh of relief, muttering, "Sorry."

"There is no need to apologize. ...I heard you saw something terrible inside."

"Yeah. Part of it was that I didn't want you to meet him, but I’m glad I had you wait outside just in case. I’m glad you didn't have to see that."

"Please do not be so overprotective. I saw many people die in the Vollachian Empire. At this point, a little more..."

"I know. But if you don't have to deal with it, I’d rather you didn't. If you’re trying to save someone and they die because you weren't strong enough, that’s one thing... but that kind of death? There’s nothing good to be gained from witnessing it."

Subaru didn't deny the existence of meaningful deaths, or deaths that resulted from staying true to one's convictions. If he could deny those, he wouldn't have stood by and watched Priscilla go.

However, the death he had just witnessed in the watchtower—the gruesome end of the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, Roy Alphard—was far removed from any sort of nobility. It was ugly and hideous.

There was no sane meaning in taking another's life and then desecrating the corpse to that extent. All that remained there was either a wicked scheme or a rage so intense that it couldn't be satisfied without tormenting even a soul-less husk. While the Sin Archbishop certainly deserved hatred, no one should have to die such a wretched death.

"Dammit..."

Feeling a sickening sensation in his chest, Subaru clicked his tongue in frustration.

It was anger toward the person who had torn Roy apart, and at the same time, the irritation that the solution to the Authority of Gluttony—which had seemed so close—had drifted away once again.

To be honest, the thought crossed his mind: If we had rushed straight to the Royal Capital without detouring after meeting up with Reinhard, Roy might not have died.

And ultimately, Subaru had a way to verify that. In fact, back when his body was small and he had a "Vollachian mentality," he probably would have executed it without hesitation.

But—

"—Al."

Subaru gripped the "Al-sphere" hanging from his neck and bit the inside of his cheek.

Hypothetically, if Subaru were to lose his life now and "Return by Death," the most recent restart point would be at the Pleiades Watchtower, before he had sealed Al away with Al Shamak. While there was a possibility the restart point had shifted, his current intuition told him that was the last one.

And Natsuki Subaru could not go back to that timeline and repeat that moment—the moment where he had to preemptively shut down Al as he tried to take action.

"————"

It wasn't that it was impossible as an option. It wasn't because of the limitations of Al Shamak.

It was simply that Natsuki Subaru lacked the courage to return to that scene and face Al once more. He might fail to stop Al out of a lingering hope that he could change his mind through conversation, only to be sealed away himself.

If that happened, he would be entrusting the cleanup of his own failure to his comrades again. To avoid that, Subaru could not bring himself to envision a reckless "Return by Death."

However, if he didn't, what about Rem? What about the victims of Gluttony? Just as he thought this—

"...There you go again, trying to shoulder everything yourself."

Suddenly, Rem placed her hand over Subaru’s, which was still gripping the Al-sphere.

Subaru caught his breath. Looking him straight in the eye, Rem narrowed her pale blue pupils.

"I will tell you this much: Do not make recovering my 'memories' your obligation. My 'memories' are my problem... It troubles me to have you take them on as if they were your own from start to finish."

"—No, that’s not it. It’s not like that. I have to get your memories back."

"That is exactly where you are wrong. Why are you the one worrying the most about my problem? It is my struggle. It does not belong to you alone."

"That’s..."

Subaru’s eyes darted around, unable to say anything in the face of Rem's gaze.

What flashed through his mind were the words she had told him back in the Fortified City: "You are not a hero." He remembered the chill he felt in that moment, thinking he was going to die. He feared that, once again, even his right to struggle for Rem's sake was being taken away—

"...Please do not make a face like a soaked puppy."

"Eh?"

"No, that was too kind a comparison. A puppy would still be cute even if it were soaked. Your appearance is more like... a soaked ground dragon, perhaps."

"I’d prefer being called cool over being called cute, but..."

"I was not complimenting you. Also, do not misunderstand."

As Subaru stood bewildered by the correction, Rem took a moment to organize her words. Then, with a "Listen well" as a preface, she continued.

"I understand the general situation. The person held in this tower... someone related to Spica-chan, was the key to recovering my memories. But that person died, and you are very frustrated. ...Even more so than me, the person actually involved."

"—When you put it like that, I sound like a really selfish guy."

"It seems you have finally realized where you are standing."

Rem spoke calmly, carefully paving the path for Subaru to understand. As he listened to her, the air that had been squeezed out of him by his self-imposed pressure began to return.

Seeing the change in his expression, Rem lowered her eyes in relief.

"I am depressed too. It was the moment where my memories might have returned... But seeing you more frustrated than me makes me lose the chance to be depressed myself."

"Uh, well, I’m glad you didn't have to be depressed, Rem."

"Pardon? Instead, you are the one moping and making us worry."

"I am so sorry!"

Under Rem's sharp gaze, Subaru held his head and apologized.

To think he’d be treated like a thief who stole the right to be depressed. But it was Subaru’s honest feeling. He wished that Rem and Emilia would never have a single moment of depression for the rest of their lives.

"I dislike how you seem to think it is fine as long as you are the only one suffering."

"Rem..."

"I think it is a bad habit of yours to think everything is your fault when something goes wrong. That is why you try to find the solution all by yourself... Can we stop that now?"

"...Does that mean, basically, don't worry about things all alone?"

"I have been saying that from the beginning."

"Did you?! Well, maybe you did. Yeah, you did. You definitely did. I’m an idiot for not noticing! Idiot, idiot!"

As Rem turned her face away with a huff, Subaru lightly bonked his own head. As he did, a separate sense of self-reproach began to swell within him.

After all, Rem had been genuinely worried about him and had reached out. Despite that, because Subaru hadn't faced her properly, he hadn't been able to accept her kindness head-on, forcing her to say things she shouldn't have had to say.

"I’m sorry. I dragged you out here with such high hopes, only to give you a hollow joy."

"I do not think you are responsible for what happened. However..."

"However?"

"It places an unnecessary burden on Spica-chan."

With the deaths of Ley Batenkaitos and Roy Alphard—the two who called themselves the Sin Archbishops of Gluttony, "Gourmet" and "Bizarre Eating"—the only one left who held the rights to that Authority was Spica.

This meant that the hope of safely recovering the "Names" and "Memories" eaten by Gluttony now rested entirely on Spica’s shoulders.

Rem looked anxious about placing that pressure on Spica, but—

"Spica probably won't see it as an unnecessary burden. ...But I’ll contact Abel and make sure he keeps a close eye on her. I’ll ask Cessy to stay on guard, too. Though I’m not sure how much guarding Cessy can actually do."

"—Yes."

It was a tragedy that had befallen Gluttony. There was no guarantee the same threat wouldn't target Spica. Subaru shared Rem's concern and decided to reach out to Vollachia. He had determined his next course of action: he didn't want anyone interfering with Spica, who remained in Vollachia.

He had to take whatever measures he could, even if he was called overprotective.

"—Sorry to keep you waiting."

Just as the conversation between Subaru and Rem reached a stopping point, Reinhard approached from the Prison Tower, raising a hand lightly. He was accompanied by Beatrice. Subaru stood up quickly, brushed off his pants, and greeted them.

"Reinhard, what about inside? That Sirius woman..."

"Fortunately—if I can call it that—my suspicions were confirmed. She was safe in her underground cell. The cells in the Prison Tower are isolated from one another; she apparently didn't even know Gluttony was being held in the same tower. And it wasn't just her. None of the other prisoners were harmed."

"Sirius and the other prisoners are safe... Well, regardless of whether we can call it good news, one thing is clear."

Subaru nodded bitterly at Reinhard's report after his check of the tower.

Namely, the culprit who committed the crime in the Prison Tower had only one target—

""—The Sin Archbishop of Gluttony.""

Subaru and Reinhard’s answers overlapped. They met each other's eyes and nodded.

Given the state of the scene, there was no other way to interpret the situation. However, that certainty wasn't without its questions.

"...According to Beatrice-chan, that wasn't an easy task, was it?"

"I’ve finished the investigation, I suppose. That understanding is correct, in fact."

Beatrice gave a small nod to Rem, who had glanced her way, and stood beside Subaru. Gently taking his hand, she peered at his face.

"Do you feel a bit better, I suppose?"

"Not 'good,' but better. Sorry for leaving the scene investigation to you."

"Betty said she would do it herself, in fact. Besides, there’s nothing Betty can do for the dead, I suppose. What Betty can offer is strictly from the perspective of a Great Spirit."

"I’d very much like to hear that opinion. I’m not well-versed in these matters," Reinhard encouraged.

The three of them turned their attention to Beatrice, who closed one eye. She gave a small "Ahem" to clear her throat and looked over the three of them like a lecturer.

"Originally, that Gluttony’s body was encased in Yin magic, I suppose. Since Betty and Julius worked together on it, it was a rock-solid security measure that couldn't be broken easily, in fact. ...It’s frustrating that I couldn't think of that advanced form on my own, I suppose."

"I’ve confirmed that with the officials in charge of the Prison Tower. The captured Gluttony was completely... stopped, as if he had become a single stone slab."

"It was a masterpiece that neither the prisoner nor anyone from the outside could tamper with, in fact. To undo it, one would need a corresponding mastery of Yin magic, I suppose."

"Not just that. Even if you could get him out of the monolith, you’d then have to fight the Roy who jumped out. Fight him and—"

"—Take his life. In other words, two steps were required."

At Rem's conclusion, Subaru and the others fell silent with grim expressions.

As they now understood, killing Roy in his monolith state required both the Yin magic skill to undo the seal and the combat strength to kill him afterward. Neither was a skill one could acquire overnight, nor were such individuals common.

"Furthermore, they managed to infiltrate while bypassing the Prison Tower's security net. Combining Yin magic, combat prowess, and stealth is no easy feat."

"With all the grudges involved, I almost want to cling to the conclusion that Olbart-san is the culprit."

Unfortunately, even the "Vile Old Man" likely didn't meet the requirement of being a Yin magic user. Though, if someone told him that a Shinobi technique could produce a similar effect and Olbart had done it secretly, he wouldn't be that surprised given the man's skill.

"Vollachia certainly has a bellicose national character, but I doubt they would choose to recklessly jeopardize diplomatic relations given the country's current state. Besides, I heard that Emilia-sama and the others coming to the Royal Capital is not unrelated to the Vollachian matter."

"...True. I’d rather believe the wolves of that country have become a bit more sensible than suspect Vollachia of having a suicide wish. Still, everything went wrong. Sorry, Reinhard."

"Sorry? Is there something you need to apologize for?"

"You went out of your way to take a detour just so I could bring Rem along, and you pulled all those strings to get us into the Prison Tower. And yet, it ended like this... ah."

"—Stare."

Just as he was about to apologize for the wasted effort, Subaru noticed Rem's cold gaze fixed on him.

This was another instance of his bad habit of thinking everything was his fault. However, since it was how he felt, it felt awkward to take it back.

"The result was disappointing, I suppose. But we thank you for doing everything you could, in fact."

"That! As expected of my Beako! So, how about it, Rem-san?"

"Sigh..."

"A sigh?!"

Subaru covered his face with his hands as Rem went from a cold stare to a sigh. Watching them, Reinhard’s lips curved into a small smile.

Then, still smiling, he spoke.

"Think nothing of it. —You are welcome."

"...I see, Gluttony is... It’s frustrating that things aren't going well."

In a room in the Royal Villa, Emilia, having received the report of the events at the Prison Tower, furrowed her beautiful brows, her face noticeably pale.

The fatigue showing on her face was a rare sight for the usually energetic Emilia. Subaru felt inadequate, knowing he was partly responsible for that exhaustion.

After parting with Reinhard, who returned to Felt’s side, Subaru had gone to the Royal Villa where Emilia and the others were staying, accompanied by Rem and Beatrice. There, they reunited with the members who had arrived earlier.

Almost the entire Emilia Camp was gathered at the villa, with the exception of Roswaal and Frederica, who had taken Schult to the Barielle estate.

Which meant—

"Even though I whipped my tired body to rush to the Royal Capital, it was a wasted trip. You certainly gave us a hollow joy, Barusu."

"Just so you know, everyone besides you is disappointed too, and my own regret is top-class. I almost cried tears of blood."

"Hah! Tears of blood? That’s just the blood vessels around your eyeballs bursting. Ram could make them flow for you right now."

"Scary! You’re being way too aggressive just because you’re shocked!"

As expected, Ram, who was even more prickly than usual, was present.

Naturally, when she heard the reason for bringing Rem to the capital, Ram had insisted on coming along. Subaru understood her sisterly heart—the idea of not being there when Rem's memories returned was unthinkable—and he had agreed.

However, the burden of the journey over the past few months—from the challenge of the Pleiades Watchtower to the forced entry into the Empire—must have been immense. Ram, who had been keeping herself going through sheer willpower, finally saw her tension snap when this lead turned out to be a dead end. Despite her sharp tongue, she was clearly exhausted.

In the end, after finishing her jab at Subaru, she was taken to her bedroom by Rem and Petra to be looked after for a while.

"Actually, it’s not just Ram-san who is in a bind; it’s all of us. Between Natsuki-san’s troubles, the murder at the Prison Tower, the appearance of the 'Dragon Church,' and the chaos in the Royal Selection caused by the person at its center..."

Once Ram had left the room, Otto muttered with a troubled expression.

As part of the group that had preceded Emilia to the capital, he was supposed to report in detail to the Royal Castle about the "Great Disaster" in the Vollachian Empire, including the news of Priscilla’s death. Those topics included the future agreements between the Empire and the Kingdom entrusted to him by Abel, a task he had taken pride in as a major role for both the camp and the kingdom.

Instead, he had been blindsided by an unexpected development, leaving him completely unprepared. Even Subaru couldn't find the words to tease him.

Amidst all this, Subaru wondered what they should talk about first—

"—Will you tell us about Al?"

As if seeing through Subaru’s hesitation, Emilia chose that as the first topic.

Flam, Felt’s attendant, could send information to her twin sister regardless of distance thanks to her Divine Protection. With that help, a brief summary of what happened to Subaru and the others at the Pleiades Watchtower had been conveyed. However, it was only a summary; the details were another matter.

Understanding the anxiety Emilia and the others must have felt, Subaru explained everything in detail.

Going to the Pleiades Watchtower to find the "Books of the Dead." Al’s betrayal that night and his attempt to harm them, which Subaru had preemptively stopped. The fact that he hadn't been given the chance to discuss the fundamental reasons that drove Al to such extremes.

But also, that he had no intention of ending his relationship with Al without knowing those things.

"—Mm, I feel the same way as Subaru. I think that’s for the best."

After hearing the story, Emilia thought for a moment and then affirmed Subaru’s thoughts, which made him happy. Though her amethyst eyes wavered with complex emotions, she quietly looked at the Al-sphere at Subaru’s neck and nodded.

Subaru had already shared his thoughts with Beatrice and Petra during the journey. So, the ones forming a new opinion based on Subaru’s explanation were Emilia, Otto (who looked like he had just eaten a sour persimmon), and—

"—Al-san loved Priscilla-san. I cannot say much more than that."

It was Rem, who had returned to the parlor with Petra after settling Ram in her bedroom.

With that, the Emilia Camp’s stance toward Al’s actions was temporarily settled. Perhaps to avoid ruining the mood, Otto kept his inner thoughts to himself—Subaru figured he’d let him vent with Garfiel later—and Subaru slapped both his cheeks with his hands.

There was nothing they could do about Al or the Prison Tower right now. If there was anything left to discuss, the remaining topic was—

"—Let’s talk about that Philore person from the 'Dragon Church.'"

It was about Philore, a presence that could shake the very foundations of the Royal Selection.

"————"

The moment that topic was raised, the atmosphere in the parlor changed. It wasn't so much a tightening of tension as it was a thick cloud of general bewilderment and confusion.

In fact, like Subaru, everyone was deeply perplexed by the situation.

"First off, what’s the talk at the castle? The premise was that the 'Dragon Church' wouldn't get involved in the center of politics. Now, a sixth person who can make the insignia glow has appeared, and she’s using the same name as the princess who disappeared fifteen years ago. All of this is a total bolt from the blue, right?"

"U-um, it seems like all of that is currently being discussed... But the reason the Church broke the 'rules' this time was because they wanted to help the people who suffered in Pristella, right? No one can say that’s a bad thing, and in fact..."

"—They healed Crusch-san’s body. Emilia-tan and Otto saw it too, right?"

"Yes, we saw it clearly. Right, Otto-kun?"

"I couldn't exactly stare at a lady, but at the very least, the black, scarred patches that were visible seemed to have vanished."

Beside the nodding Emilia, Otto’s gaze flickered toward Subaru’s leg.

He was likely wondering if Subaru’s leg could be healed under the same conditions. To be honest, it didn't cause much inconvenience, but he might have been making Otto and Garfiel feel awkward every time they took a bath together, so if it could be healed, he wanted it healed.

"But getting indebted to the 'Dragon Church' for that is also scary... hah!"

"Oh my, look at Big Brother getting all twitchy. What’s wrong?"

"No, I just thought this might be another case of me getting scolded for putting myself last..."

"If you know that, then please carry yourself with more dignity."

Meili poked him, and Rem looked at him with exasperation. However, Subaru didn't want to make a disadvantageous deal for the camp for something that wasn't causing actual harm. Fearing he’d be scolded if he said that out loud, he could only try to hide it with a series of "Ahem, ahem" coughs.

Not that he was trying to assist Subaru, but Garfiel, who was sitting on the window frame, spoke up.

"There’s all sorts of messy circumstances, I get it. So, what I’m gonna say is just how I feel."

"Garfiel... Mm, tell us. What is it?"

"—If they can heal the folks from Pristella, I want 'em healed as soon as possible. Black dragons, flies... it’s been nothin' but painful shit for 'em."

Hugging one knee, Garfiel’s plea, half-exposed to the sunlight, was earnest.

Garfiel had a family he had become close to in Pristella. The father of that family had been turned into a black dragon by the hand of "Lust" during that battle and had even been used as a decoy. Even now, his body remained that of a black dragon, kept in a frozen sleep by Emilia’s hand along with the other victims in a corner of the city.

Garfiel was saying that if such people could be healed, who they relied on should be secondary.

"And I agree with that. If there are people suffering and in pain, and there’s a way to help them, it doesn't matter who does the helping. That’s what I think."

"Hmm, Subaru says that? Even though you used to say you had to be the one to wake up Rem-姉様, and you kept jumping into dangerous places yourself."

"I might have said something like that, but you sure remember well, Petra!"

"I won't forget. Because I was actually pretty shocked. I thought Rem-姉様 was lucky, and then I realized I’m the kind of girl who doesn't give up even after hearing that."

Petra pouted playfully, and Subaru scratched his head, unable to find a comeback.

Indeed, before Rem woke up, he had said that as long as she woke up, it didn't matter who did it, while also boasting that he wanted to be the one. He was a bit too scared to look at Rem’s face to see how she was reacting to that.

Anyway—

"Setting aside my past comments, let’s look to the future. ...No matter how the discussions at the castle turn out, now that it’s been proven the 'Dragon Church' has a way to heal them, the treatment for the people of Pristella will happen... right?"

"Yes. No matter which way the heated debate leans, I don't think they will hesitate on that point. The focus will be whether to view it as a simple debt to the 'Dragon Church' or something more."

"The sixth candidate for the Priestess... huh."

Ultimately, how that person’s position would be handled was not something Subaru and the others could control.

Depending on how the people at the Royal Castle—or more specifically, the Council of Sages—defined it, this camp centered around Emilia would have to decide its stance.

Thinking about that, Subaru’s concern turned to the person in question, Philore.

"Emilia-tan, you met her directly, right? What kind of person was she?"

"Let’s see... I thought she was a very hard-working, good girl."

"I see. What do you think of Meili?"

"Eh? Meili? I think Meili is a very hard-working girl who cares about her friends and is a good girl."

"I know what Subaru-お兄さん is trying to say, but please stop using me as a benchmark."

It wasn't that he doubted Emilia’s judgment, but in her eyes, everyone risked being judged as a serious, sincere, and hard-working "good person." That said, Subaru had a similar evaluation of Meili, so it would be wrong to doubt Emilia’s insight based on that alone.

Perhaps it would have been more accurate to ask for Abel’s evaluation.

"What about Otto? If you even caught a glimpse, what did you think?"

"I didn't exchange many words with her, but she gave the impression of a devout believer of the 'Dragon Church.' She seemed to sincerely believe that serving others was the best course of action, and..."

"And?"

"She seems to be a bit thoughtless. From what I heard, this whole incident was Philore-san’s own decision, ignoring the Church’s intentions."

"Her own decision? Healing Crusch-san and making the insignia glow?"

"The former is a yes, and the latter was apparently a consequence of the situation. From the circumstances, it really seems like the 'Dragon Church' wanted to keep her existence a secret."

"That’s..."

No one in the room had an answer to Subaru’s "Why?"

Was Philore’s true identity really the princess who disappeared fifteen years ago, or not? What was the deal with her appearance, which supposedly showed the characteristics of the Lugunican Royal Family, or her name? Why did the "Dragon Church" keep her existence hidden while the Royal Selection began and proceeded?

There were too many mysteries. And because there were so many—

"Hey, Emilia-tan—" "Hey, Subaru, actually—"

Subaru and Emilia both looked up and spoke at the same time. Their eyes widened as they looked at each other, and feeling like their thoughts had connected through their gaze, they laughed together.

It seemed Emilia was thinking the same thing.

Namely—

"—Don't you want to meet that Philore person and talk to her directly?"

Come to think of it, Subaru didn't have a complete grasp of the layout of the Royal Capital, Lugunica.

There was the area near the fountain in the commoner's district where his grand isekai summoning took place; the commercial district with the fruit shop owner he often saw; the various candidates' bases where he had a miserable time after his disastrous fight and breakup with Emilia; and the slums where the loot cellar was located. He had memories of various places, but they were only a small part of the vast capital.

Therefore, the "Dragon Church" chapel, tucked away quietly in a corner of the commoner's district, had been a blind spot for Subaru—something built outside his awareness.

"I didn't know there was such an obvious church here..."

"I was very surprised too. But a church... look, even in Pristella, we saw one where my wedding with Regulus was about to be held, right?"

"The place where I smashed the door down! Come to think of it, that was a 'Dragon Church' chapel too?"

Back then, his sense of mission to save Emilia at all costs—the classic combination of a church and a wedding—had taken precedence, leaving him no room to consider the background. But indeed, thinking about it now, that was a church, and in a kingdom without a habit of worshipping a god, a church would naturally be linked to the "Dragon Church."

"In that case, while Wedding Emilia-tan was a sight for sore eyes, the event itself is a hateful memory for me, so my impression of the 'Dragon Church' starts at a negative."

"Betty wasn't there, but as expected, a Sin Archbishop never does anything good, I suppose. However, lowering your impression of the 'Dragon Church' because of that is just a groundless complaint, in fact."

"Well, this person’s glib remarks are nothing new."

"Boos from both Beako and Rem... Do girls really dream of wedding dresses? Is that why bad-mouthing a church gives a bad impression?"

At Subaru’s hesitant question, Beatrice and Rem looked at each other and then shrugged in unison. When Subaru’s shoulders slumped in defeat, Emilia, who had her hand over her mouth as she giggled, smiled to comfort him.

Glancing at that smile, Subaru took the opportunity to reset his mood.

"Anyway, even though there were various reasons for this outing, me and Emilia-tan, plus Beako and Rem... isn't this combination kind of a dream party?"

"I don't know about 'dreamy,' but it’s certainly rare, I suppose."

"Now that you mention it, you’re right. Until Subaru took her out of the Forbidden Library, Beatrice didn't go out with us much. I’m sure the Rem from before she fell asleep was the same."

"I don't remember that, but I’m sure it was. I’m having fun walking around with Emilia-san and Beatrice-chan too."

"Hey, you purposely left me out just now. I’m lonely, I’m sad!"

Despite his words, it was a rare and happy combination, so Subaru was perfectly fine.

For now, this group was the "Let’s visit Philore of the Dragon Church" team, a group tasked with scouting the enemy.

Now, as they approached the chapel where the "Dragon Church" officials were likely to be—Subaru wondered what excuse they should use to call Philore out—when it happened.

"—Honestly, stop calling people liars! Fine, I’ll show you. This is the proof that I went to the castle!"

A spirited voice echoed from within the grounds of a large building surrounded by a stone wall—judging by the roof and structure, it was likely the church.

Before they could even blink in surprise, Subaru and the others saw it—a faint, reddish light swelling up behind the stone wall, asserting its presence.

"Is that, maybe..."

"Wow! Amazing, amazing!" "It really glowed! What did you do? What did you do?" "She finally stole it! Thief!"

"First a liar, now a thief?! What do you think I am?! I am a nun! A bearer of the sacraments! Practically a saint!"

The voices of chattering children and the voice of a woman who seemed to be dealing with them. Hearing the content, Subaru and the others looked at each other and hurried around the stone wall.

And as the stone wall ended and they reached the main entrance to the church grounds—

"Now, look! This is the radiance of our 'Holy Dragon' that burns away those with wicked hearts! The scriptures say: 'Man is born of the earth, and the Dragon descends from the heavens. Those who forget to look up to the sky and overconfidently believe they have wings on their backs shall know their sin through their fall!'"

"Kyaa!" "Waaa!" "Ugyaa!"

They witnessed a nun shouting those words, holding up a glowing red light—the Dragon Gem of the insignia—and chasing around a group of screaming, fleeing children.

She didn't notice the visitors and continued chasing the children with the glowing insignia, laughing, "O-ho-ho-ho!"

"Now, who shall repent before the dazzling height of the most noble 'Dragon'... oh?"

"————"

The nun came to a sudden halt and turned around with a mechanical stiffness. Discovering Subaru and the others watching the scene, her mouth fell wide open.

Seeing the reaction of the blonde, red-eyed nun, Subaru didn't know what to say. However, beside him, Emilia fumbled in her pocket—

"Look, look, I can do the same thing."

She took out her insignia and made it glow red, just like the nun—Philore—and innocently followed up like an angel, showing they were the same.

Immediately after, Subaru watched as Philore’s white skin—from her neck to her face to her ears—turned a deep, burning red with shame. He thought to himself that she was just like an instant water heater.