――In the fortified city of Garkla, even amidst the lingering aftermath of a fierce battle with the "Great Disaster," an unusual atmosphere pervaded the rooftop of the large fortress that dominated the city.

　The rooftop, designed to accommodate a considerable number of soldiers to shoot arrows in times of emergency, was not intended to host such a large crowd—over one hundred people were gathered.

　The sight of burly men shoulder to shoulder gave an impression of them being subjects of some sort of punishment, casting a gloomy air inside and out. Yet, their expressions did not carry any sense of despair; rather, a serious and earnest light shone in their faces.

　And in front of the over one hundred pairs of eyes fixedly staring, there was an open space.

　In that space――,

"――Pleh."

　A boy with black hair spat blood pooled in his mouth onto the floor with a rasping sound.

　His face was dirtied with a nosebleed, his eyelids were swollen, and his head was swaying back and forth unsteadily. In such a battered state that it was a wonder he could even stand, the boy put his hands on his knees, firmly stomped the ground once, and raised his head.

　――At that very moment, a strike landed squarely on his face, crushing his nose and sending him flying farther back than ever before.

　He flew, flew, rolled, and ended up sprawled out in a large X-shape.

　Sprawled out, limbs splayed, it seemed he wouldn't be able to rise again from the accumulated damage up to this point――,

"Not yet..."

　It was none other than the boy lying in a large X-shape who overturned this assumption.

　Slowly raising his upper body, further dirtying his mouth with fresh flowing blood from his nose, the boy still got up on the spot and exhaled deeply.

　And then――,

"――Hah."

　The boy was again struck fiercely by the swinging fist of his opponent.

△▼△▼△▼△

"This is my atonement. So, please, do not intervene."

　Had it not been said in advance, he would have wanted to rush out immediately.

　Yet, suppressing that urge and biting his lip, he respected his feelings. That was what Beatrice could do for her partner, Natsuki Subaru, at that moment.

"――Hah."

A hard impact sound echoed, and Subaru's face was knocked to the side, spilling a painful groan. Holding his ground with his body tilting, Subaru clenched his teeth and faced forward.

The next punch landed squarely on his nose, making him arch back dramatically. Although he arched back—

"N-no, not… yet…"

While blood dripped from his nose, Subaru squeezed out a voice with eyes reddened and bloodshot.

At that voice, Weitz, the man with a skull tattoo who had already punched Subaru more than twenty times, twisted his grim face and raised his fist again.

And once more, blood sprayed from Subaru's nose, soiling the roof floor of the great fortress.

This had been repeated many times over the past few days, and for over an hour just today.

"Subaru…"

At first glance, it looked like a duel between Subaru and Weitz, but it could hardly be called a duel given that it was completely one-sided. A motionless Subaru continued to take Weitz's punches head-on.

And Beatrice—that's not right, she wasn’t the only one watching.

"——"

Over a hundred people had gathered on the roof of the great fortress.

These people were all members of the "Pleiades Battalion" that Natsuki Subaru had assembled in the empire; they were also witnesses to this duel.

Yes, to this ritual where Subaru was continuously beaten—

"—'Sparka'"

Beside Beatrice, who clutched at the hem of her skirt, the deer-girl, Tanza, murmured.

Gazing at the same scene with an unreadable expression in her dark eyes, Beatrice felt intensely irritated by Tanza's side profile.

It felt as if Tanza understood Subaru's feelings, who had challenged this ritual called "Sparka," more than Beatrice did, and was subtly implying it.

Because, why otherwise?

“…Betty doesn't understand why Subaru has to do something like this.”

Subaru, who had willingly imposed this one-sided beating ritual on himself.

He asked Beatrice to witness it as a matter of principle, and while enduring the pain in her chest, she could do nothing but stand there, wanting to at least fulfill his wish.

—The death of Priscilla Barielle had become a wound for many who knew her.

Those with shallow wounds suffered due to the shallowness of their injuries, while those deeply and painfully gouged out were busy dealing with bleeding and complaining of pain.

And sadly, Beatrice was the former, while Subaru was firmly the latter.

"------"

When starting this 'sparka,' Subaru said it was a matter of closure.

Subaru, who had met the sword slaves with his body shrunk due to the 'infantilization,' deceived them by hiding his true identity, using the course of events and the plan to gather allies as reasons, dragging them into the center of this war.

Considering the severity of the battle and the significant role the battle group played in it, without him, the damage would have been greater, and the fortress city might even have fallen.

Therefore, Subaru's decisions and choices were correct for saving the empire.

It was only Subaru himself who couldn't forgive it, and thus sought punishment...

"Eao..."

Beatrice's small hand squeezing her skirt was overlapped by another small hand.

When she glanced over, it was Spica worriedly looking up at her, having reached out her hand. Her large eyes were filled with concern, deeply worrying about Beatrice, who painfully held her hand.

Even making Spica worry about her was pitifully sad for Beatrice.

In this place, the only one like Beatrice and unrelated to the Pleiades battle group was Spica. So she earnestly wished all of Spica's worry and concern could be directed towards Subaru now.

"I'm sorry, Spica, for you——"

"Oh dear. I stopped by seeing many shadows on the rooftop and it turns out to be the boss' 'sparka.' For someone constantly getting beaten up, you're really a man of your word, aren't you?"

"------"

Just as Beatrice squeezed back Spica's hand, a person with a carefree voice and attitude casually placed a foot on the rooftop fence and showed their face in the 'sparka' scene.

Though it seemed as casual as skipping a step on a staircase, it wasn't supposed to be easy to hop onto a fortress rooftop nearly a hundred meters high. Nevertheless, such common sense didn't seem to apply to the kimono-clad swordsman—'The Blue Lightning' Cecilus Segmunt.

"Lord Cecilus."

Balancing on one leg atop the fence, shading his eyes and gazing at "Sparka," Cecilus showed a softened smile at Tanza's call.

"Hello, hello, Miss Tanza. It feels refreshingly odd to see you from a different perspective like this. While this state is my original standard, and my previous childlike form was just a temporary guise, I’ve actually known you longer in that guise, so doesn’t this all feel somewhat strange?"

"Indeed. Even though the physical perspective might have changed, your inner perspective hasn’t, so to be honest, my impression of you hasn’t changed much."

"Hahaha, nice joke!"

Cecilus clapped his hands and laughed at Tanza's curt response, then his gaze shifted around to Beatrice. Seeing his blue-eyed gaze, Beatrice frowned.

"The boss’s partner looks quite displeased."

"...Of course. It's unnecessary for Subaru to be doing this in such a manner."

"Let’s not argue about necessity. If you go to the extreme, you end up in a banal debate about the value of life. Even if it's not necessary, there is a reason. Even if it's not within you, it's certainly within the boss."

"――――"

"Well, in reality, he might be too earnest. Deceiving the whole battalion since the Gladiator Island, and apologizing sincerely until he obtains everyone’s forgiveness. However, given that the battalion members are hot-blooded gladiators, this method of atonement seems fitting."

Speaking fluently and rapidly, Cecilus finally pointed towards the battered Subaru.

Annoying as it might be, Cecilus' point was not wrong. As he said, Subaru being repeatedly punched by Weitz was an act of atonement to the Pleiades Battalion.

The members of the Pleiades Battalion, nine hundred and thirty-one in total – meaning nine hundred and thirty-one cleansing punches.

Receiving those from Weitz, who represented the battalion, was the ritual "Sparka" that Subaru had imposed on himself and had accepted to convince the battalion members.

"Even though you're spreading it over several days, it's still nine hundred punches, right? If I got hit that many times, I'd definitely die, too. Besides, considering the situation of being hit without any defense at all is just impossible... How far along are we now?"

"We're at two hundred and fifty-six punches in total over all the days."

"I see, I see... That's mind-numbing!"

Cecilus said thoughtlessly upon hearing the count from Tanza.

Despite feeling the urge to speak out against such frivolousness, doing so would be useless. Beatrice gave up on mentioning it, grasped Spica's hand in return, and focused on worrying about Subaru.

During this "Sparka", Subaru had forbidden Beatrice from using healing magic on him.

Therefore, as soon as today's "Sparka" ended, she needed to rush over as quickly as possible and gather mana to heal his wounds.

"Cecilus,"

In place of Beatrice, who was lost in these thoughts, a heavy and stern voice called out to Cecilus.

A large man with a fearsome face and four powerful arms crossed, Gustav turned his gaze from Cecilus, who was standing by the fence, to the scenery behind him.

"I don't know if I have the authority to ask a professional, but what about General Arakiya?"

"There's nothing to hide between me and Gustav-san. Soon, someone else will take over as the governor of Sword Slave Island, and you'll take up an important position in the Imperial Capital, right? In that case, as someone who kind of lives in the Imperial Capital, I might see you from time to time. Well, it's a problem figuring out where to live given the current state of the capital, though..."

"——"

"Oh, pardon me, we were talking about Anya. ——She is still struggling to maintain the balance between her heart and body. She's taken in such a huge spirit that her slender body seems ready to burst. Yet, to subdue it, she needs mental stability, and with the death of her sister, her cornerstone, it's a serious problem."

"I can somewhat empathize with that pain and struggle. But the role that only you can fulfill is crucial to the empire's survival. Not just the professionals but all the citizens of the empire are counting on you."

"What are you saying, Gustav-san, don't be so unpleasant."

"Hmm..."

"I am the leading actor in this world. It's an everyday thing for me to shoulder someone's expectations, let alone the empire's. ——And considering Anya's situation, I won't hold back."

Cecilus answered calmly, but the difficulty of the task he mentioned so casually was visibly proven.

—Behind Cecilus, visible from the fortress rooftop to the wide expanse of wilderness beyond the western walls, there were numerous traces of a recent cataclysm.

These traces were evidence that Cecilus, who had arrived calmly, had assisted in dispersing the extraordinary power of Arakiya, who had absorbed the great spirits of the four elements, to prevent a catastrophic outburst.

If left unchecked, this immense power could lead to a second 'Great Calamity.' However, even a mediocre approach wouldn't be enough to stay near Arakiya in his current state.

Therefore, this monumental task could only be entrusted to Cecilus, even throughout the vast empire.

"People cannot stop their stride, whether they wish to or not. Only the dead are allowed to stay still; the living have no choice but to keep moving forward. Anya’s suffering and Boss’s struggles at the core are the same. It’s painful, but it’s something to be welcomed."

"You say it like it doesn’t concern you."

"Referring to it as someone else’s problem is crude. This is Boss’s role and his moment to shine. But… I suppose that’s all for today."

Cecilus, with one eye closed, responded to Beatrice and murmured.

At his words, Beatrice caught her breath with a surprised "Eh," and as she turned around, Weitz's fist struck Subaru down to the floor simultaneously.

"Ha… ha… It's over…"

Weitz, breathing heavily, lowered his blood-stained fist after hitting Subaru. There was no response from Subaru, who had lost consciousness.

"Subaru!" Beatrice rushed to Subaru and quickly performed healing magic. Seeing this, Weitz turned to leave, but

"Wait. Let me heal your hand too."

"No… Prioritize Schwarz over me…"

"That's not acceptable. Spica!"

Upon Beatrice’s call, Spica stood in front of Weitz, arms spread wide.

Since Weitz couldn’t push past the blocking Spica, Beatrice immediately began healing him with her magic. Feeling the gradual healing of his wounds, Weitz glared at her.

However, even a man with a skull tattoo that gives off a vicious impression cannot intimidate the great spirit Beatrice if his expression is twisted in suffering.

“H-Hey, Tanza, how many shots has it been now?”

“It’s been 258 shots, Lord Hiain.”

“And… 673 to go. ...It's a long way ahead.”

Next to Beatrice and her companions, it was the lizardman Hiain who asked Tanza in a trembling voice. Tanza informed him of the count, and bearded Idra shook his head gloomily.

At that moment, Hiain looked around and said, “Hey, isn't it enough already? We've done this much, and we've surely made our point.”

“Say that when you’re asleep, you lizard scum...! If we stop halfway, what do you think I've taken up this role for...?!”

“Why, because you’re the most pissed off, right? I... I’m not that mad!”

At Hiain, who stretched out his long tongue and had his voice cracked, veins stood out on Weitz's forehead. However, as he was about to close in on Hiain, Tanza stopped him by saying, "He's in the middle of treatment."

Instead, Idra sighed and turned to face Hiain.

“To be frank, I agree with what you’re saying. Certainly, we were surprised by Schwarz’s true identity, and we felt deceived, but...”

“Schwarz saved us from the island... What more do we need...!”

“S-So, no one wants to do it, right? Then why...”

“That’s something that Natsuki Schwarz—no, Natsuki Subaru himself needs. As long as Tanza and the contracted spirit Beatrice do not stop him, the professionals support this act.”

Idra, Weitz, and Hiain's conversation was interrupted by Gustav, and the heavy, stern words of Gustav caused the surrounding sword slaves to show similar reactions, each in their own gestures and words.

Of course, there were those among them who were angry and could not forgive Subaru’s behavior—but,

“Ugh…”

Beatrice held out her hand, while on the other side, a squatting Spica looked worryingly at Subaru, whose face was swollen and who was completely exhausted.

Looking at the state of the young girls and the sight of Subaru painfully atoning, anyone who felt nothing would not have belonged to the Pleiades Battalion in the first place.

"It is necessary for Lord Schwartz right now. To have proof that he is not standing still. Even if that proof is in the form of pain."

With one phrase from Tanza, the issue that began with Hiain was concluded.

Receiving this, Weitz clenched the fist that had been healed by Beatrice's healing magic and said,

"I will continue... Even if my fist shatters, I'll stay for another six hundred strikes...!"

"Very good, very good indeed. That's how you create a dramatic scene, Weitz."

"――――"

"Huh? What's with this awkward atmosphere?"

For a moment, everyone in the room was taken aback by Cecilus's interruption. Particularly, Weitz, who looked especially caught off guard, stared intently at Cecilus.

"I never thought you would remember my name..."

"It's true that I'm forgetful! But I remember the names of actors worth remembering properly."

"Hmph..."

Weitz snorted at Cecilus who shrugged his shoulders, and then once again, he looked down intently at Subaru who was lying there. Perhaps the impression of the young Subaru burned in his memory overlapped, but it would still take some time for him to clearly combine the two images.

And then――,

"I leave the rest to you..."

Leaving those words, Weitz left the rooftop of the fortress with large strides. Following his back, the other men also left, dragging a reluctant Hiain with them.

Finally, Gustav nodded to Beatrice and the others who remained,

"I’m going too. Natsuki Subaru... Somehow, Schwartz fits better. I leave him to you guys."

"You don't need to tell us that. But just remember this."

"What is it?"

"If Subaru is Schwartz to you, he won't dislike being called that. You don't have to discard a special name among your group out of excessive consideration."

"――I appreciate it."

With a deep nod, Gustav slowly left the scene as well.

As the sword slaves who were witnesses to 'Sparka' all left at once, Beatrice sighed on the now empty rooftop. Then, she glanced up at the girl in a kimono beside her,

"You can go with those guys if you want."

"It's perfectly fine, there's no need for any concern. Unlike everyone else, there's nothing strange about me staying here."

"――. You might also want to worry about your master. She’s suffering as well."

"――――"

That remark, though not intended as sarcasm or harassment, ended up being so, causing Beatrice a moment of regret.

The remark that slightly hardened Tanza's expression was related to her master, Yorna Mishigure, who was another deeply wounded by Priscilla's death. Due to an irrational bind on her soul, Yorna, in one of her many reincarnations, had been Priscilla’s mother.

In other words, Priscilla and Yorna had experienced a complex and painful separation.

"Thank you for your concern, Lady Beatrice. However, Lady Yorna has said she’s fine on her own."

"――――"

"She has said so, therefore――"

Upon hearing Tanza’s downcast response, Beatrice realized she had misunderstood her.

Tanza was not convinced by Yorna’s words. Still, like Beatrice had decided to see Subaru's resolution through to the end, Tanza had decided to respect Yorna’s wishes.

To try and gauge what Yorna truly felt when she claimed to be fine on her own was a difficult task for anyone. However, Beatrice felt she could understand a part of it.

Though not exactly the same as reincarnation, Beatrice too had witnessed countless lives end during her long existence. Before Subaru had taken her out of the Forbidden Library, it was something she had consciously avoided.

Now, she regrets that her avoidance had been such an insincere attitude towards those who had tried to face her. Unlike Beatrice, who had not learned this without being taught, Yorna might have known and learned it through her own experiences.

Even so――,

"…Ugh"

"Uwau!"

"Spica…? Ah, huh, I…"

Suddenly, Subaru's eyelids trembled, and his dark eyes slowly opened. Spica, seeing this, jumped in excitement, causing Subaru to blink repeatedly on the spot.

Noting this, Beatrice sighed, realizing Subaru had no memory of events before he lost consciousness,

"Those guys are probably gone now. I was just in the middle of casting a healing spell on you."

"Ah, ah, I see! I see, I see, I'm sorry! It's that, as always, I'm still causing you to worry, Beako. Without you, I'd be completely hopeless!"

Catching up with Beatrice's explanation, Subaru slapped both sides of his face hard with his hands. With the dry sound echoing, Subaru jumped up on the spot with a "shh."

His momentum was so strong that he almost toppled forward――,

"Uu-oo-oo!"

"Oops, sorry, sorry, Spica... I mean, thanks for sticking it out as a witness. You really held back from flying off the handle. Now that I think about it, it feels like it was a real tightrope walk to stop you from accidentally giving Weitz a smack."

"Auu-oo, uu-au"

"Tanza was way more involved? Now that you mention it, that's true! After all, Tanza really cares about me a lot. Weitz might have been in danger from multiple fronts."

Saying that, Subaru took Spica's hand, who had supported him when he was about to fall, and began to twirl around and dance with her on the spot.

While most of the swelling on his face had subsided thanks to healing magic, his lips were still cut and his eyes were still slightly swollen. Beatrice's honest wish was to continue the treatment a bit longer.

"Please do not say such things that would tarnish my honor, Natsuki Subaru-sama."

With a sigh, Tanza poked at Subaru, who was dancing with Spica. Subaru then made a grim face and said,

"Don't your words seem to lack any sting now that I'm back to my original size? Also, it actually hurts quite a bit when you call me anything other than Schwarz-sama, so I'd appreciate it if you could stop."

"I apologize, Natsuki Subaru-sama. As I have been informed, you are a guest of honor from the kingdom, so I cannot behave so rudely, Natsuki Subaru-sama."

"Tanza～"

With an answer from a distant-hearted Tanza, Subaru, who was holding Spica, made a sad face. His foolishly bright, normal demeanor was something that Beatrice found very difficult to watch.

Demonstrating resolution against the Pleiades combat corps, he acted cheerfully in front of Beatrice and those he was close to. It was all probably to keep everyone from worrying, but――,

"...Is it counterproductive?"

He acted brightly when he wanted to cry, and tried to make everyone laugh when he was suffering.

Beatrice loves Subaru's personality, but only when his capacity for tears and suffering does not exceed his limits.

No matter who it is, one shouldn't cover up their own desire to cry or their suffering in such a manner.

"Beako? What's up with that cute face of yours?"

“—. Betty is always adorable, you know. Anyway, I’m still in the middle of treatment, so could you sit still?”

“I’d like to say that you don’t need to be putting in all that effort... but if we don’t make sure, we’ve still only climbed halfway up the mountain. Alright, bring it on.”

Subaru nodded, sat down on the spot, and placed Spica on his lap with a determined look.

Beatrice resumed the healing magic treatment on Subaru and glanced at Tanza. However, Tanza silently shook her head, unsure of what to say to Subaru at that moment.

Then—

"Boss, boss, can I have a moment?"

Completely unaware of the tension among those worried about Subaru, Cecilus, who had been watching the proceedings, called out to Subaru.

At that call, Subaru looked up at Cecilus on the fence and said,

"Oh, it's just you, big Ceci. Seriously, you look exactly the same, no surprises here."

"I'd like to say the same for you, boss, but it seems like your gaze has become more intense as you grew. It was endearing when you were younger, but now it’s simply weaponized."

"You're saying whatever you want... Are you alone? What about your partner?"

"Anya is laid out in a crater. Her durability increased with the power of 'Stone Chunk,' so I killed her about a hundred times. She won’t be getting up for a while. But more importantly—"

As he spoke, Cecilus jumped down from the fence and stood in front of Subaru. Subaru and Spica tilted their heads at the same angle, greeting him.

Seeing their reaction, Cecilus grinned and said—

"You all will be returning to the kingdom soon, right? Before you do, could you show me just once where you smack his highness across the face?"

"I've brought the Boss to His Excellency! The Boss was all fired up about beating the daylights out of His Excellency after everything that happened on the Gladiator Island, so I definitely wanted to witness that scene!"

"Be gone, quickly."

Cecilus, who had burst in with a salute and a smile, was curtly dismissed by Vincent, who appeared to be engrossed in his paperwork.

As the busy Emperor, it was a perfectly reasonable reaction. But even so, Cecilus, likely the most headstrong person in the Empire, did not back down.

He pursed his lips in discontent and boldly perched himself on the Emperor's desk, which was in use.

"Isn't this working too much, no matter how you look at it? I do understand that while military officers only have duties during times of crisis, civil officers have to work continuously both during and outside of crises!"

"And you think you are persuading me with this talk? If I were to be swayed by your sweet words and stop my work, what do you propose I do then?"

"I propose you get punched by the Boss!"

"Disappear, quickly."

"Aw, but Your Excellency is such a workaholic! Don't you think so too, Your Majesty the Empress?"

"Me?"

In response to Vincent's merciless reply, Cecilus called for backup while still seated on the desk. The one who responded to his voice was Medium, who had been playing with Spica on the couch in the study.

While combing Spica’s long blonde hair, she pondered with a "Hmm,"

"I also think Abel-chan is working too hard, but I understand that the work he's doing is important, so I can't really complain. Besides, I don't want to see Abel-chan and Subaru-chan fighting."

"It's not exactly a fight; His Excellency would be getting hit one-sidedly... In a way, you could call it a 'Sparka'!"

"Remove your rear, quickly."

As Cecilus clenched his fist with enthusiasm and inflated with excitement, Vincent, attempting to pull out documents from under Cecilus’s seat, squinted one eye and sighed.

Then, turning his dark eye toward the room’s entrance, he said,

“How long do you plan on standing there? You’re an eyesore.”

"Ugh... that is, well..."

"Subaru-chan, right this way with Beatrice!"

Contrasting Vincent’s cold voice, Medium’s warm invitation prompted Subaru, who had been standing awkwardly, to take a seat on the sofa directly in front of Medium. Holding hands with Subaru, Beatrice also took a seat, and Medium gently placed tea in front of them.

"Here, it's just some plain tea."

"Though even if it's temporary, this is my office. Are you serving plain tea to the Emperor?"

"Big brother taught me it's good manners! I don't really understand manners that well, so I'm trying my best!"

While saying this, Medium poured a refill of tea into the cup on Vincent's desk. Vincent showed no particular dissatisfaction with the rising steam, and Beatrice confirmed with her own taste that there was nothing wrong with the brewed tea.

Next to Beatrice doing this, Subaru frowned and said,

"I mean, it really seems like Abel and Medium are going to become a couple."

"Umiu!"

"What's with that sound?"

"U-um, that sound is still a bit embarrassing for me."

Medium, her face red and making a small whinnying sound, seemed confused by her situation but did not appear to outright reject it from the bottom of her heart, as Beatrice observed.

Honestly, Beatrice didn't know much about Vincent's character.

However, because Subaru had criticized his personality so harshly, paradoxically, she thought that he was probably a person with many redeeming qualities, much like Otto and Julius.

"Otherwise, I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving Medium with him."

"That's true. It's not like Flop to be blinded by money and status."

"Oh dear, Lord, they've got you there. Boss seems to be implying that aside from your position, honor, and wealth as the Emperor of Vollachia, you have no redeeming qualities."

"Is everyone trying to anger me into stopping my work and destroying the Empire?"

If that were the case, he had to admit their attempt was currently successful.

With all this conversation and the physical interference with his documents, Vincent's work had no choice but to come to a halt.

Resigning to this, Vincent gave up trying to extract the documents from under Cecilus and instead fixed Subaru with his black gaze.

"I hear you have been repeatedly engaging in odd behavior with the runaway slaves from the Gladiatorial Island under the pretext of settling matters."

"...I knew you'd say it was pointless. But never mind that, I can't let the term 'runaway slaves' slide. The people on that island..."

"They were originally sent to Ginunhive for a reason. Correctly put, they were escaped convicts. They took advantage of the chaos in the empire, broke out, and then ran wild as they pleased, wielding their martial prowess."

"So, what are you planning to do with everyone?"

With a tense expression, Subaru glared back at Vincent, who had spoken in a menacing manner. For a moment, tense air crackled between them.

However, Medium cut through the tension between the two with her hand, saying, "Abel-chan, if you say it like that, Subaru-chan will misunderstand."

“–. The escaped convicts on the island will be granted amnesty for their actions this time. This has also been petitioned by Gustav Morello, the governor of the Sword-slave Island.”

Prompted by Medium, Vincent informed them of the fate of the Pleiades Battalion in a calm voice.

The sudden plight of the Battalion—initially brought to Vincent—was also taken up by Vincent, causing a rollercoaster of emotions.

In fact, Subaru, trembling with anger, glared at Vincent and said, "Is it fun for you to toy with people over problems that have already been solved…!"

“Ah, I understand! Your Excellency has that habit, right? Come to think of it, I remember Chisha being subjected to such mean tricks often, so is this something that smart people usually do?”

"Speaking of past matters, if Cecilus's grudge against the Emperor he's been talking about means anything, Subaru has already dealt with it himself."

"What!?"

Cecilus's surprise was met with Beatrice sticking out her tongue. It seemed she finally managed to disrupt this arrogant individual's rhythm, which was quite satisfying.

Nevertheless, as if accepting the situation, Cecilus wondered aloud, "Though the shock of missing such an interesting show will later be healed by hearing it in detail, it's puzzling. If that's the case, why did the boss let me bring him to His Excellency? He could have easily shaken me off like Tanza-san did, right?"

"That is..."

Subaru, at a loss for an answer to Cecilus's question, glanced worriedly at Vincent.

Without even looking at his reaction, Beatrice could see right through Subaru's feelings. Over the past few days, Subaru had been actively engaging with Beatrice and the Pleiades Battalion, but there were some people he just couldn't bring himself to face.

—Those people were Vincent, Yorna, and the members of Priscilla's camp.

Considering Subaru's excessive sense of responsibility, it was only natural for him to feel this way towards these individuals. Still, Subaru did not think it was acceptable to leave things as they were.

Therefore, it was convenient for him to be forcibly brought along by Cecilus.

That way—

"You finally show your face in front of me," Vincent said.

"Abel..." Subaru murmured.

All of Subaru's dilemmas, hesitations, and various feelings—

Apparently, Vincent Vollachia, known as the "Wise Emperor," saw right through them. Subaru was certainly overwhelmed by his piercing gaze.

However, feeling the strength in Beatrice's hand that he was holding, Subaru resolved to confront this pressure head-on and opened his mouth.

"Abel, I—"

"Earlier, you disrespected me over an issue that's already resolved," Vincent cut in.

"What..."

"But if you ask me, it's you who keeps dragging out this resolved issue."

Subaru blinked at being cut off and said that.

For a moment, his face couldn’t catch up with the meaning of those words. But the moment he understood their meaning, Subaru's expression changed dramatically.

It was a mix of anger and sadness, a true surge of emotions.

"Resolved issue... What the hell are you talking about!"

"Most of the issues you're entangled with right now. The penance towards the sword slaves, your attitude towards Yorna Mishigure and me, and above all—"

"Stop it!!"

Vincent tried to continue, but Subaru stood up from the sofa and furiously attempted to confront him.

However, someone stepped in front of Subaru. It was Cecilus.

Cecilus, who had gotten off the desk, stepped in between Subaru and the emperor of Vollachia, blocking his advance.

"Don't get in my way, Ceci! You wanted to see me hit Abel, didn't you?"

"Yes, that's right. But what we're talking about is wanting to see the 'Sparka' between the Boss and His Excellency, not some impulsive and dull card."

"――"

The two returned to their original heights, glaring at each other no longer as children, but as adults.

However, in this confrontation between Subaru and Cecilus, Beatrice did not feel her usual inclination to side with Subaru. Rather, she found herself leaning towards Cecilus's—no, Vincent's stance, who was confronting Subaru head-on.

Although his words were harsh, and there were surely other ways he could have expressed them, he chose words that deliberately inflicted pain and suffering—something she despised but—

"—Priscilla is already past her death."

"Abel—!!"

At that declaration, Subaru raised his voice in strong anger, glaring at Vincent. However, Vincent did not flinch under Subaru's intense gaze through Cecilus.

It was the women, Beatrice, Spica, and Medium, who inadvertently tightened their expressions at Subaru's pained look.

"Priscilla is… your sister. And yet, you..."

"Yes, she is my sister. She was clever and cheeky from a young age, and she died without ever correcting that nature... Just like with Chisha, losing Priscilla has certainly caused pain within me. I won't hide it."

Vincent placed his hand on his chest and slowly shook his head, letting those words slip out.

It was clear that behind Vincent's imperial pride was a concealed anguish and mourning for his lost sister.

Subaru regretted causing that pain in Vincent, and because of that, he didn't know what to say or how to face him.

However—

"This is my business. There is no room for your involvement."

"――"

"It's between Priscilla and me. Do you wish to even intrude upon that as well?"

"N-no… it's not like that. It's not, but…"

Vincent's sharp words poured cold water over Subaru's prior anger, leaving him at a loss for words, his gaze wandering.

Yet even as Subaru was like this, Vincent did not cease speaking.

Perhaps it was something that could not have been pursued without the time Subaru and Vincent had cultivated in the Empire, unknown to Beatrice and the others.

Vincent continued quietly. That is――

"Subaru Natsuki.――What were Priscilla's last words to you?"

"――――"

"If they were words of curse, I will take upon myself all that remains within you. However, if they were not... then that is the fruition of what existed between you and Priscilla.”

"――――"

"Accept the parting gift from my sister and make it your own flesh and blood.――This is the solution to that problem."

What words would be appropriate? What should be done to atone?

These various questions and doubts, the urgency of not being able to stop, the self-punitive thought that one must suffer, form the core of Subaru's actions these past few days.

And Vincent declared that the very origin of that core was fundamentally misunderstood.

"Priscilla, she..."

"What was it?"

"...... She said, I am a true knight."

"Then that is everything Priscilla gave to you.――You have done well, Subaru Natsuki."

"――――"

With those words, Subaru's expression crumbled.

Anger and sadness, those overwhelming emotions that had dominated him, were washed away, replaced by an uncontrollable torrent of boiling emotions, like water spilling over from a bubbling pot.

It was likely something he had deliberately avoided facing since the morning he witnessed Priscilla's death.

"Subaru..."

"Bea, trice... I, I am..."

"It's alright. Betty, and also Emilia, we all understand properly."

Standing next to the rooted Subaru, Beatrice grasped his hand and nodded. Hearing her words, Subaru's face contorted as he couldn't hold back his overflowing tears.

And finally, for the first time, Beatrice was sure that from that morning, her voice had finally reached Subaru.

"It's alright, you know."

It was just after Subaru suddenly fell to his knees.

Subaru, on his knees, hugged Beatrice from the front. Feeling the weak yet desperate strength of his embrace, Beatrice gently hugged him back.

"――This is different from Your Excellency being struck, but it was still a good scene to witness."

"Perhaps it's better not to say such things."

"My apologies."

With that, Cecilus made a gesture of closing his lips with his fingers and winked. Behind him, Medium, embracing Spica, was crying in sympathy with Subaru's tears.

And Subaru, who was sobbing with his head buried in Beatrice's chest, couldn't see what Beatrice was seeing.

"――――"

The Emperor of Vollachia, who had broken Subaru down, had slightly lowered the corners of his eyes.

Even Beatrice, who hadn't known him long, could understand. ――That was likely a face that this 'Sage Emperor' Vincent Vollachia rarely, if ever, showed to anyone.

It was an expression that venerated someone who shed tears in his stead at his beloved sister's end.