9

Subaru's somber mood had affected the whole group. Zarestia didn't object or even ask why they were in such a hurry. Everyone merely started to pack their belongings.

They decided to leave Fusumi as quickly as possible. Something that the employee of the inn reported to the higherup.

That had alarmed the resident of the city who believed that the King had been displeased by his stay.

They had after all been planning a festival to celebrate his victory over the Huntress of the West. The Campione sudden wish for departure was a bad sign.

People had started to panic right there and then after hearing of Subaru's decision.

It had taken Halibel personally going to meet them to reassure the higher up that nothing had been wrong. Who had to in turn assure the population that nothing was amiss.

Still, this had led them to lose a day something that Subaru had been unhappy with.

Beatrice also scowled next to him for a different reason.

She knew that the maid had been considered as someone precious by Subaru but not to the extent that he'd drop everything to reach her.

[ Betty isn't jealous at all I suppose.] The spirit pouted.

Subaru was also annoyed for another reason.

[ That letter must have taken time to reach me, damn it that meant that the situation must have changed. Damn it I'm worried for Rem.] He cursed in his mind.

" Still how did it end up like this..?" He muttered.

" That must have been Roswaal doing I suppose," Beatrice answered.

Subaru turned toward her in surprise something that didn't go unnoticed by her.

" Did you forget about Betty I suppose ?!" The loli asked petulantly.

Currently, the group stayed in their inn room. Tomorrow they would depart for Lugnica.

" I would never forget you, Beako! I was just lost in thought I swear. Forgive me?" He asked the petulant spirit.

" Betty shall generously forgive you, " She replied while huffing.

She then sobered up.

" The Sanctuary is a place where many half-bloods live. They are trapped by the barrier. If they were to traverse it their mind would be broken. This place is directly under Roswal's control, I suppose." The loli elaborated.

Subaru titled his head.

" If they are trapped then why didn't they try to break the barrier earlier? You speak as if they stayed there for centuries or something ?" He demanded.

" The barrier has indeed been standing for centuries. 400 years to be exact. As for the people there they choose to remain trapped to avoid persecution I suppose."

" I see..." He murmured.

[ According to Rem, Roswaal had them evacuated there due to a threat. Still, they had been trapped there for a month and only Emilia could pass these "trials" to free them.] He remembered the letter Rem had sent him pleading for help.

His fists clenched.

" Beako what are the trials?" He asked seriously.

Beatrice hesitated.

Subaru lightly frowned.

" Betty's ... mother tomb lay in the Sanctuary the trials are something she created. Only by passing the three of them would the barrier be shattered I suppose." She answered with a bleak tone.

Subaru approached the loli and lifted her only to hug her.

" I'm sorry, Beako. Thank you for telling me." He thanked the blonde with all his might.

[ Talking about her mother is still difficult for her huh. Aaaah still what a troublesome situation.]

The duo remained in each other's embrace for a long time. To forget the matters that pressured them.

Returning to her mother's tomb perturbed Beatrice, Rem's unexpected call for help weighed on their mind.

Still, as long as they had each other they believed that they would be fine. Regardless of the future that awaited them.

Finally, morning had come.

The group had quickly departed. Even Otto had cut short his business and went with them.

[ I could have gotten so many good deals.] He lamented.

[ I managed to gather a good cargo that should sell pretty well in Lugnica. I'm mostly worried about Natsuki-san. What could have angered him so much?] The merchant thought drifted toward his friend's sudden change of attitude.

[ Aahh well I hope nothing dire happened.]

They had quickly reached the frontier in less than a month. It had barely taken them a week.

People had quickly parted ways upon seeing them arrive.

No one had the gall to impose a check on the pissed-off Campione.

Subaru had gotten more irritated the longer it took to reach their destination.

Beatrice had tried and succeeded in curbing most of his anger.

It reached the point where Zarestia had proposed to carry them through the sky with her wind to reach their destination quicker something Subaru had immediately agreed with.

" Why is Su-san so impatient to reach Lugnica ?" She had asked curiously.

" Rem needs me." Subaru declared with determination.

Tia nodded hearing this.

Later she had asked Beatrice who this Rem was.

" That one Subaru's lover I suppose." The loli had answered.

" Why did he not take her with him then?" Tia questioned.

" Betty's Subaru needed space after he became a Campione and the blue maid would not have left her sister behind."

" He should just have taken both sisters with him then, Su-san is too kind at times. A Campione should just take what he wants." Zarestia nodded.

" Betty agrees Subaru is far too kind in fact he shouldn't return to that place." She murmured darkly.

Beatrice had yet to forget that the people of the mansion had killed her contractor many times.

Even the blue Oni had done so.

And yet Subaru had forgiven them.

During his travels, he had decided to leave the bygone gone.

He would not forget the previous slights he had received at the hands of his tormentors. As long they did not act against him again he would not seek vengeance.

[ Do no harm, but take no shit.] Subaru had decided to live by this saying.

He had acquired quite the vengeful streak.

Though Puck and Roswaal remained on his shit list along with Priscilla. He had at least taken some form of revenge against Anastasia.

Julius, he had forgiven after he helped him. That and the only time he killed him was when he was asked to.

[ What was Roswaal thinking; taking Emilia-tan to that place !] Subaru cursed the clown.

[ Damn it I hope I'll arrive in time!]

In the Sanctuary patience was running thin.

People were starting to come to blows.

The land of Sanctuary was almost barren; few things grew there. Thus rations were rare and had almost run out.

Even with Rem and Ram bringing food through carriage it had not been enough.

Most villagers of Arlam were trapped there all they were told was that if they were to traverse the barrier their minds would break.

Only those sure of their family line could exit the Sanctuary. Or so they were told that was why the twin oni could leave as they please.

Only Emilia could pass the trials.

Something that had not reassured anyone.

People had been hopeful at the beginning, they wanted to believe that they would be freed quickly. Yet they remained here for months.

Truly the half-elf was not one you could put your trust in; these thoughts traversed their minds.

After Natsuki Subaru had departed the Mathers mansion in a hurry; rumors had run wild.

Most believed that the young Campione had been charmed by the half-witch to make him obedient.

The Half-witch had needed a champion to lead her campaign.

The hero she had enchanted had taken down both the White whale and the archbishop of Sloth before slaying a God.

After ascending the man had found himself freed from her charm or so it was believed.

The fact that the man had immediately left the country for Kararagi had cemented this opinion.

Yet people still feared retribution, most did not want to bring a Campione's wrath upon themselves if they were to harm the half-elf.

After all, the third Campione had not taken any action against her or denounced her in any way.

The people of Arlam knew that Subaru did not hate Emilia. Yet they could not bring themselves to trust her.

Seeing the situation get progressively worse Rem had sent a letter in secret. Pleading Subaru to come to free them.

She believed in her Hero's ability to perform a miracle.

Roswaal's gospel no longer functioned.

Yet in a fit of madness, he had chosen to follow the instruction he had remembered.

This had led him to force the people of Arlam into the Sanctuary and trap Emilia there.

Roswaal was now bedridden waiting for the main character to make an appearance.

[ Teacher won't discard me. Surely, Subaru will appear to save the puppet. And then this time I will succeed in chaining him.] He thought desperately.

His eyes shined with madness.

Something that anyone would have realized had the man chosen to voice his thoughts.

To try to chain a Campione was after all seen as the height of folly.

Emilia was looking at the wall before her. She was resting in a small house far away from the village after having once again failed to conquer the trials.

Her eyes were empty, she was feeling utterly lost.

Since she had entered this place Puck had not answered her call.

She had desperately tried time and time again to reach him in vain.

She was now utterly alone.

The villager hated her. Roswaal looked at her with barely hidden contempt.

Ram and Rem were distant.

No one asked how she was.

No one ...

She was utterly alone for the first time in a long time.

Her mind drifted toward her friend.

One of the few people who treated her like a normal girl and not a walking calamity.

[ Subaru... Where is Subaru now?] She wondered.

If Subaru had been here then surely everything would have been alright.

[ Subaru ... Subaru ... Will Subaru comes to help me again ?]

[ Even if it was my fault? Even if I was the one who threw him away?]

Frost and snow thawed at her mind. The temperature around her drastically lowered.

Once again scenes that she never lived through filtered in her mind.

[ No no no I don't want to remember. I don't want to remember.] She yelled in her mind while holding her head.

" Remember ... Remember. What am I trying to remember again? " She muttered to no one.

The mental block had once again surged to prevent her from remembering and to protect Emilia's mind from shattering.

She had taken the first trial so many times that she could not remember the first time she entered the tomb.

She had tried over one hundred times.

To the point that Ryuzu and even Garfiel, had started to pity her.

In the beginning, Garfield had tried to stop her from reaching the tomb he was against the liberation of the Sanctuary, after her many failures, he stopped.

Rather he started to escort her toward the tomb to prevent people from attacking her.

The people's resentment, Puck abandoning her, was too much for the half-elf to support.

Her mind was on the verge of breaking.

It was only thanks to Rem's intervention that she was able to stay this long without snapping.

The maid told her that she had sent a letter requesting Subaru for help.

Hope had surged within Emilia after hearing this.

Surely, Subaru would come to save them.

He'd succeed compared to her. After all, he did the impossible so many times already.

The barrier would not be able to block a Godslayer.

Soon they would be freed.

She just needed to hold on a little longer.

Just a little longer.

[ Soon, soon it'll be over...] She thought desperately. Her eyes remained empty.

Meanwhile, Subaru and his companions had finally crossed the frontier.

They were now within Lugnica territory.

It had merely taken Subaru's unleashed mana to pass the outpost.

No one wished to put themselves between a Campione and their target. People who did that tended to die within the minute.

An alert had been sent to the Sage council via a communication mirror that the Third Campione had returned from Kararagi pissed off.

This led to an emergency meeting where once again the Sage council could not come to a decision.

They had been wishing for Subaru to remain in Kararagi.

That would have saved them from the headache.

Reinhard had been sent to greet Subaru and determine his intention.

These two shared a friendly relation thus sending the Sword saint to meet the Third Campione had been voted at the unanimity.

It was upon starting to set their encampment for the night that Subaru noticed.

Subaru looked at Halibel and blinked.

[ Wait a minute...? Shouldn't Hal-san remain in Kararagi? What is he doing here?]

Halibel noticed Subaru staring at him.

" Is something wrong?" He asked the bewildered Campione.

" Why are you still here, we're in Lugnica now ?" He blurted out.

Halibel scratched his head.

" Well even if my mission is finished I'd rather continue to follow you if you may Subaru-sama." He explained.

Subaru stared blankly at him.

Before shaking his head.

" I don't mind but are you sure? Staying with me is dangerous ya know?" He answered dryly.

" Then I'll live through interesting times at least." The ninja joked.

" Aaaaaah if it's like that then..." He sighed in defeat.

" Welcome to the party Halibel !" Subaru declared.

" I'm glad to be here," Halibel answered jokingly.

People around them smiled.

They failed to notice the green merchant's face darkening slightly.

[ I should come to a decision soon too...] Otto sighed.

Even after they crossed the frontier Zarestia continued to carry them through the sky.

Something that had alarmed those who had seen them.

This led to the local knight approaching them each time they landed to rest for the night.

A look at the pissed-off Campione had them bowing in apologies and leaving immediately.

A brave soul had asked Melty where they were going.

Since she was a nun of the Holy Dragon Church and a fellow Lugnican she was seen as someone reliable

Between the two Great spirits and the legendary ninja, only the Hime Miko was seen as approachable among Subaru's companions.

Once again Otto had been overlooked.

She had with Beatrice's permission told them of their lord's wish to reach the Mathers territory the fastest possible.

After that, no one bothered them.

After a week the group had finally reached the Sanctuary.