"I understand you're worried, but I think everyone is being a little too obvious about it,"

said Petra, commenting on the awkward atmosphere while preparing dinner for everyone inside the Pleiades Watchtower.

Half a day had already passed since their arrival at the tower, and with their limited three-day stay, they couldn't afford to waste any time. Subaru and the others had plunged into the library, frantically searching for the book they needed.

Meanwhile, Petra was busy making dinner for everyone, who would certainly be hungry later, but the atmosphere in the library just ahead was terrible.

"Subaru and Garfiel can't focus on searching for the book at all. Hey, are you listening?"

To Petra's question, Meili nodded absent-mindedly with an "Uh-huh," as she scooped a spoonful from the pot Petra had over the fire and tasted it.

"Mmm, it's delicious. Petra-chan, you've gotten even better at cooking," she said.

"Thank you. But I still have a long way to go to reach Frederica's level. And now that Rem, my strong rival, is back, I have to keep working hard…"

"But isn't Ram’s little sister not remembering anything? Doesn't that mean she's not really your competition in cooking or anything else?"

"You don't know that. She fell in love with him once. It's totally possible she'll fall in love with him again... actually, I already think it's a bit suspicious."

Lowering her voice, Petra suspected the atmosphere between Subaru and Rem.

Petra was happy that Rem, who had been asleep for a long time, had woken up. Both Subaru and Ram had been worried about her constantly, and Petra had taken care of her daily while she was asleep. She understood well how much Rem was cherished.

To be honest, she also felt a bit anxious about not being able to gauge her romantic rival's strength unless she woke up soon.

When she actually met the awakened Rem, conversed with her, and saw her serious and earnest nature, Petra found her likable—but still suspicious. She had heard that there had been considerable friction between Rem and Subaru because of her memory loss, and even now, Rem seemed to treat Subaru relatively coldly and strictly.

"But, it's suspicious."

"Hmm, is that so? But your brother may be like that. Even if I glare at him as hard as I can, somehow it just feels silly."

"That's right, that's how it is. At first, I thought Subaru was strange too... Didn't the way you just said that sound suspicious, Meili?"

"Stop it, you're overthinking things."

Meili stuck her tongue out a little, raised both hands in mock surrender, and pulled a face. Seeing her expression, Petra stared at her with a "hmph" and then withdrew her suspicion.

Even when they returned from the Pleiades Watchtower before heading to the Empire, Meili had said she was overthinking things, but according to Petra, it never hurt to be cautious around Subaru to this extent.

Anyone who spends even a little time with Subaru would understand his good points. Once they realized his good points, the likelihood of that turning into a special fondness would skyrocket.

"Even in the Empire, he made so many good impressions while he was away from us... He probably gained about a thousand new fans."

"That's an exaggeration. No way he could have a thousand people..."

"He did. It was mostly men, so that was okay, but we can't let our guard down!"

Meili, who hadn't seen it herself, laughed it off as a joke, but Petra didn't feel like laughing.

She clenched her fist firmly in determination while stirring the pot to prevent it from boiling over with her other hand. Her heart was always dedicated to keeping Subaru in mind.

If she didn't stay vigilant, it was certain that he would, out of sight of Petra, drift toward someone else who was hurting and devote his heart to them.

—Just like what he was doing now, coming to the tower to help Al look forward.

"So, about that Al guy."

"Oh, you mentioned something about being blatant or whatever. What did you mean?"

"It means exactly what it sounds like. Subaru and Garfiel are way too obvious about keeping an eye on Al..."

"True, those two don't seem suited for keeping an eye on someone. Which one was Al again? The small guy? The one with the helmet?"

"Meili..."

After finishing tasting, Meili moved away from the pot and sat down on her luggage. Petra puffed out her cheeks in response to Meili’s exasperated answer as she propped her chin on her hands on her knees.

Even though it was understandable that she had only joined midway and overheard the events of the empire—

"Don't act like you're finished with work. Meili-chan, you're one of us, so please show some interest."

"Even if you say that, there's no work for me until we head back. You can't expect me not to act like I'm finished when I am. ...And I'm not sure if I'm really one of you anyway."

"Don't doubt yourself. You got the approval of the Council of Sages in the royal capital, didn't you? Then be confident. Hold your head high, and give us a cute smile."

"Okay, cute smile."

Petra sighed at Meili, who put her hands on her cheeks but didn't even bother to smile.

Meili wasn't inherently a bad person, but she had become so accustomed to pretending to be one that sometimes she couldn't even tell if she was acting or being genuine.

"*Sigh*... There are so many people I need to teach from scratch..."

"Petra-chan, you always look so busy. Don't you ever get tired?"

"And whose fault do you think that is?! Besides..."

"Besides what?"

"I can't afford to say I'm tired. Especially when the person I most wish would take it easy doesn't rest at all. That just makes it harder for me to bring it up."

"――――"

"Oh, and the person I want to rest isn't Otto-san, okay? I want Otto-san to make time for himself and sleep properly. At least six hours a day!"

Unlike Roswaal, who has a body that can cope with less sleep, Otto just pushes himself too hard. As evidence, there are times when, after a big job, he will sleep for more than half a day like the dead.

"He shouldn't try to compete with someone like Roswaal, who has an unfair advantage, but he doesn't listen at all."

"Ha ha... I'm not good at saying this either, but Petra-chan, you really hate the lord, don't you? Aren't you glad we're not in the same group anymore?"

"That is honest. Because of that, I've ended up acting separately from Sister Frederica, but it also means they trust me."

Petra had never before been in charge of a long journey lasting more than ten days with only Petra. During the Western Border Margrave meeting and the journey to the Empire, either Frederica or Ram was always with them. But this time, only Petra was trusted with it.

That alone brings a different level of enthusiasm. She must keep an eye on everyone properly.

"That's why I'm worried about Al too. The man with the helmet..."

"Yes, yes, the conspicuous person. Indeed, he came to the tower for that man, didn't he?"

"That's right. Because there is a 'Book of the Dead' he really wants to read... If reading that can rejuvenate him, then that's fine, but..."

"—? That somehow sounds like a loaded statement. Are you that worried about this Al person?"

"No, I'm more worried about Subaru and Garf over Al."

At Petra's reply, Meili tilted her head, saying, "Our brothers?" More interested in this than the Al topic, Meili furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Petra. Petra continued under Meili's gaze,

"Both of them think too deeply, as if this concerns themselves. You know how when family or friends, important people, are down, you end up sinking together while comforting them?"

"…I don't know? Is that so?"

"I might have been silly to ask Meili-chan..."

Not finding the empathy she sought in Meili, Petra felt as if she were pushing against the wind. Nonetheless, her concerns were divided sixty-forty between Subaru and Garfiel.

Petra had also heard from Subaru and the others about their suspicion that Al's goal in seeking Priscilla's 'Book of the Dead' was to somehow resurrect her.

Petra couldn’t even imagine if it was possible, but she understood why Subaru and the others would watch Al's every move anxiously if it were.

"However, originally, the idea was to let Al read the book, but now having to do exactly the opposite is making my head and heart feel out of sync."

Petra knows that when the head and the heart, reason and emotion, are out of sync, performance dramatically declines. It’s not just Petra—anyone performs better when their sense of purpose and their actual actions are aligned.

Now, can it be said that Subaru and the others are in sync?

――――

"In my opinion, Petra-chan, you're overthinking it too. —Oh?"

As she gazed at the pensive profile of Petra, Meili noticed something and raised her voice. Drawn by that voice, Petra, who said "Huh?", turned her gaze to the person peeking in at the room entrance.

In one of the many rooms on the fourth floor, where Petra and the others were preparing dinner, the person who appeared was exactly whom they had just been discussing—

"Yo, I thought it smelled good, and it's you two girls preparing dinner?"

Saying that, Al raised his hand lightly and lumbered over. To ensure he wasn’t left alone, Flam quietly followed behind him.
Caught by the unexpected pair's entrance, Petra was momentarily at a loss for words,

"That's right, we're preparing dinner... though I'm just watching, and Petra-chan is doing the cooking."

"I was going to say, slacking off so openly, but Meili-chan has already done quite enough work to get us here. I can't say anything too big."

"Exactly. While we're here, no one can defy me."

"No doubt about it, no doubt about it. Much obliged, much obliged~."

Thanking her with a salute using only his right hand, Al bowed to the acting superior Meili. As they interacted, Flam approached Petra, who was stirring the pot,

"Thank you for your hard work. Sorry to leave the meal preparations to you."

"Oh, it’s no problem at all. Even Flam-chan has been taking good care of Ezzo-san until we arrived, right? It's okay to leave it to us for a bit."

"Thank you. Ezzo-sama has an annoying habit of forgetting to eat or sleep and immersing himself in the task at hand."

"I understand how someone like that feels too..."

Flam was speaking earnestly, and Petra nodded deeply in sympathy.

Like Petra, Flam was also in the position of a servant, but she was probably one or two years younger than Petra. Although she came from a family that had served the Astrea household since birth and might have more experience as a servant than Petra—

"Let's work hard together as everyone’s caretaker. Feel free to consult with me about anything," Petra said, thumping her chest and trying to act like a big sister to Flam.

No matter how much she improved her work skills, Petra’s position as the youngest in the camp remained unshaken. No matter how hard she tried, she could never catch up or surpass others in age, which was the downside of being younger.

Of course, there were Beatrice, who was over four hundred years old yet adorable, and Emilia, who was over a hundred years old yet also adorable. But that did not mean she could act like a big sister to them.
Therefore, interactions with clear juniors like Schult in the empire or Utakata were precious opportunities for Petra.

"Thank you very much, Miss Petra. Right away, I have a question."

"Yes, yes, what is it?"

"No matter how many times I tell him, the young master can't stop treating me and my sister as children. What should I do?"

"You're talking about Mr. Reinhard, right?"

Since the first consultation matter was a serious one, Petra was greatly troubled about how to respond. Petra had no direct acquaintance with Reinhard van Astrea, but as a person from the Kingdom of Lugunica, she had heard the knight-of-knights' reputation.

Petra personally thought Subaru was more remarkable as a knight, but she felt uneasy evaluating someone she had never met.
At any rate—

“But I understand the feeling of being treated like a child even though you don't want to be. For now, I think you should make him stop patting your head.”

"My head... As for me, I don't mind so much, but Grassis doesn't seem to dislike having her head patted by the young master. As for me, it's not a big deal."

"I don't dislike it either, to be honest. It's not the act itself that I mind, but the relationship distance it implies that's not great."

Petra herself was trying to correct the stagnation in this relationship. Therefore, her answers to Flam's questions were unusually specific.

Upon hearing Petra's response, as she tightly clenched her fist, Al let out a chuckle.

"Umm, Al-san, what is it?"

"Sorry, sorry. But as advice for young lady Flam, it missed the mark a bit. The vector of feelings between young lady Petra and young lady Flam seems different."

"Huh, is that so? It's not because you like Reinhard-san?"

"I do like him, but as a member of the opposite sex, he fails."

"I-I see. So that's how it is…"

Feeling embarrassed about having jumped to conclusions, Petra stuck out her tongue slightly. Then, she looked at Al, who pointed it out, and continued, "That's surprising."

"Al-san, you understand that kind of thing?"

"Heh, I'm an old man who's seen a lot. I've tasted the sweet and the sour, albeit through others' lives."

"Experiencing it through others isn't something worth boasting about, is it?"

"That's why I'm not boasting. It's self-deprecation, self-deprecation… Oh."

Just then, Al's stomach growled loudly, protesting its hunger. Petra smiled softly and said,

"Please wait a little longer. I'll have it ready soon."

"Ah, sorry for rushing you. That growl wasn't me; it was my stomach."

To Al's light-hearted remark, Petra nodded, responding with a "yes, yes."

As Petra exchanged this light banter with Al, she continued to worry that Subaru and Garfiel's attitudes towards him might still be excessive.

She understood that there were many intertwined conditions and that Subaru and the others were feeling increasingly anxious because of them. But Al, at the very least, was able to put on a semblance of recovery. Truly depressed and sunk individuals wouldn’t even be able to consider the feelings of those around them.

"You eat properly, don't you, old man?"

Although she couldn't have possibly read Petra's mind, Meili said that to Al. In response to her words, Al, while fiddling with the seams of his helmet, replied,

"Of course. If you're hungry, your performance decreases, and that takes you farther away from your goals, don't you think?"

"Well, yes. But isn't there also the option of not drinking, eating, or sleeping? You only have three days, after all."

"Meili..."

"No, no, it's fine. I'm aware of the time limit, and it's only natural to think, 'Are you really serious about this if you're taking it so slow?'"

Waving his hand lightly, Al does not reprimand Meili for her overly direct words. Then he places the hand he waved on his head, taps his helmet with his nails, and continues,

"But I'm the princess's jester. Going all out like a madman... that doesn't quite suit me."

"Al..."

"Moreover, even though there's a three-day limit, well, it's not like anyone's timing us with an hourglass, right? Don't you think if I begged and pleaded, we could maybe extend it by half a day?"

"—Pfft."

Just when she thought he was speaking seriously, Al suddenly brought up such a convenient idea that Petra couldn't help but burst out laughing. Indeed, if Al were to cry, scream, and cling to them in earnest, they might extend their stay by half a day. But—

"There's no such convenient chance. Drink your water, eat your meals, and make time to sleep. Manage it that way."

If he counted on that from the start, setting a deadline would be meaningless. More than anything, it was Petra's role here to say the things that kind Subaru and the others couldn't bring themselves to. Even if she knew, in the end, it might not hold up.

"During these three days, I will help you just like Subaru and the others. —Here, it's done."

"Strict, aren't you? Ouch."

Saying that, Petra scooped the contents of the pot into a bowl and gently offered it to Al for tasting. Al took the bowl, lifted the bottom of his helmet, and brought it to his mouth,

"Hot. ...But, it's delicious."

He murmured in a soft voice, satisfying Petra's sense of accomplishment.

"Perhaps, except for the 'Sage' who created this great library, I might be the person who has read the most 'Books of the Dead' in the world. Allow me to share my insights. I believe the ultimate characteristic of this archive lies in the re-experiencing of vanished history."

After finishing dinner, Subaru and the others entered the 'Taigeta' library once again. While helping Al search for the desired book and simultaneously keeping an eye on Al's movements, Ezzo lectured them, despite their distracted state. Inside the high-ceilinged library, Ezzo's voice, which was lower than his appearance suggested, carried well. Despite being from a different faction and not sharing the same objectives, his willingness to accompany them like this was commendable. However, it was possible that his desire to talk was exploding, given that Flam wouldn't engage in such conversations with him.

Nonetheless, the talk was interesting, so it didn't feel annoying to listen.

"Even so, 're-experiencing vanished history' sure sounds grand. I know that the 'Book of the Dead' lets you glimpse into a person's life, but isn't this on a different scale?"

"Strictly speaking, Miss Beatrice's understanding is adequate. However, that's a view limited to a single book. When it comes to stories spanning multiple books, the circumstances change."

Due to the division of labor in checking the bookshelves, their voices naturally grew louder even while conversing, carrying a mild sense of sinful pleasure akin to speaking loudly in a school library. In this manner, while conversing across the bookshelves, Subaru tilted his head at Ezzo's response.

"Come to think of it, Ezzo-san, you've read more than ten books, haven't you? ...The 'Books of the Dead' should only let you read books of people you know, so isn't your success rate quite high?"

"Even if holed up, that's about right. I've been looking for more than half a day now but haven't come across a single known name yet."

"That's excessively low in success rate. ...I might come across known names now and then. But, it's a different matter from finding names of acquaintances."

Beatrice, holding Subaru's hand and gazing at the same bookshelf, muttered quietly.

In fact, as a knowledgeable Beatrice who has lived for four hundred years, it seems she occasionally comes across familiar names. Out of consideration, she doesn’t specifically mention it, but every time she finds one, there's a reaction in the hand she's holding, so she can't hide it from Subaru.

Subaru didn't think of asking her about the people she didn’t mention.

"I don't think Mr. Ezzo is conceited enough to lie just to brag about being a 'lucky boy.' If there's some secret to his luck, could he please share it with me?”

"I'm sorry to disappoint, but the secret is not luck, Mr. Al. Mr. Natsuki and the others should be more flexible and start by questioning their assumptions."

"Questioning"
"Assumptions?"

Maybe because Ezzo was a good speaker, Subaru and Garfiel frowned at the question posed. On the other hand, as if pleased by their reaction, Ezzo's tone brightened,

"Just as Mr. Natsuki says, to fully utilize the function of the 'Books of the Dead,' one must be familiar with the person the book pertains to. There are several reasons why such a restriction might exist, but since they are mostly speculations, let's set them aside for now. The important thing is, with that assumption in place, it becomes difficult to relive experiences from much older deceased persons... for example, from the era of the 'Witches.'"

"Even if I could see that, I wouldn't really want to... That assumption, you say?"

"What? You mean, we could actually see things of people we aren't familiar with?"

"If such a cheat existed, Ezzo wouldn’t be limited to having read only twelve books."

"Hahaha, it tickles my pride to have my inquisitiveness acknowledged in such a way!"

Despite it not seeming like a compliment, Ezzo became upbeat at Beatrice's words. Ezzo, who seemed suited for a teaching position, made Subaru think seriously about his words, but no immediate answers came to mind. Instead—

"I've come up with a possible guess, but it might be a bit out there."

"Oh, wonderful! Would you mind sharing what possibility you came up with?"

"The premise is essentially that you can only read the books of someone you know. Because of that, you can't read the books of people who died long ago. ―But, if you know that person from long ago, you can read them."

"Yeah, but isn't the issue that we can't do that?"

"Is that so? Here, we can do that, can't we?"

Saying that, Al made a gesture as if to look around the library of 'Taigeta'. Subaru was momentarily slow to understand those words of Al and fell into deep thought.
However, with the idea of breaking the premise and Al’s current way of speaking, he arrived at a certain idea.
In other words――,

"If you read someone's 'Book of the Dead', you can relive their life. Which means that before reading a single book, the number of people you know increases. Then..."

"By repeatedly reliving experiences, increasing the number of people you know, the amount of people you can observe and the time you can go back will increase too. Have you finally understood what Ezzo was saying?"

"Re-experiencing lost history...!"

Picking up on Al’s speculation, Subaru and Beatrice discovered such a method in the utilization of the 'Books of the Dead' and looked towards Ezzo.

Seeing their gazes, he emerged from the shadows of the bookshelves, spreading his arms and nodding.

"Magnificent. It is delightful to witness the moment young people resolve a complex problem with their own thinking. As someone older than you, my heart beats faster."

"Ah, sorry, but I’m actually older than you, Mr. Ezzo."

"And Betty is also offended by being treated like a youngster. Could it be that you're underestimating the Great Spirit who has lived for four hundred years?"

"Ahem, my apologies! However, Natsuki-dono and Garfiel-dono are young, right? Seeing the look on their faces when they finally understand..."

"Grr..."

Ezzo, full of enthusiasm, was stopped by Garfiel’s uneasy expression.

Counting something on his fingers, Garfiel showed confusion in his emerald eyes, trying hard to digest Subaru and the others' conversation, yet short-circuited.

"Reading books increases the number of people you know? Increases, then, the books you can read decrease? Increase? I don’t get it..."

"...It’s okay, Garfiel. Right now, it’s not something we need to worry about, and it's not something you have to understand."

Subaru, consoling Garfiel who had a lot of question marks floating around his head, gave a wry smile.

In any case, he understood why Ezzo could read as many as twelve volumes of the “Books of the Dead.” It wasn’t because he was exceptionally lucky to draw readable books; rather, he dealt with it by using a daring technique to increase the number of readable books—by re-experiencing the “Books of the Dead” and increasing his acquaintance with the deceased.

And as Ezzo speculated, if he repeated this process, he would be able to trace history back a hundred, two hundred years, and even take a peek at the era of the “Witches” four hundred years ago that he mentioned as an example.

Unfortunately, Subaru had no interest in that era, but—

“—Satella.”

A name brushed across his mind for a moment, and Subaru closed his eyes to shake off the wicked thoughts.

He said he wasn’t interested in four hundred years ago, but there was one name that piqued his curiosity. However, the person with that name wasn’t dead but was said to be sealed.

Therefore, her book doesn’t exist in this library, and even if it did, Subaru wasn’t sure if he could read it. To be precise, he had no means to confirm it, and his honest feeling was that he didn’t want to confirm it.

“But even knowing that method, reading twelve volumes is a suicidal act. I can’t believe he managed to do it.”

“Of course, even with the technique to calm the mind, it’s not easy. After reading each volume, separating the original me from the flowed-in information becomes necessary. For safety, at least two days of rest would be required.”

Though Ezzo was continuing quite a reckless endeavor, Subaru felt a little relieved to understand that even his recklessness was well thought out. Nevertheless, given that he was tackling the books every other day, it was a bit questionable whether the pace aligned with having read through twelve volumes.

In any case—

“It might sound a bit off to call it interesting, but it was an intriguing story. Thank you.”

“Interest and enjoyment are two sides of the same coin. As long as you handle how you express it carefully, there’s no need to take issue with how you feel. Thank you for listening.”

“Thank you very much.”

Upon hearing those words and observing Al attentively responding to Ezzo's explanation, Subaru felt that Al was gradually regaining his composure.

Initially, when Al had rashly reached out for the "Book of the Dead" right away, it seemed perilous. However, even though they still hadn't found Priscilla's book which was their objective, the dangerous aura that seemed to envelop Al had significantly diminished.

Although Al still made slightly self-deprecating remarks at times, Subaru was honestly relieved to slowly begin hearing Al's typical banter.

"Having to continuously suspect someone is mentally exhausting."

Subaru's mind flashed back to the early days in the Vollachian Empire. Those times, when he had to live in constant fear of who could be trusted or not, while knowing no familiar faces, were mentally draining. In the end, the Pleiades Battalion from the Gladiator Island and eventually Emilia and the others joined him, which alleviated those anxieties.

As Subaru lowered his guard slightly, reminiscing, he pulled himself together and looked at the bookshelf.

—He found a "Book of the Dead" titled "Natsuki Subaru."

Holding his breath, Subaru stared intently at that "Book of the Dead."

Given what happened previously, it was natural for a "Book of the Dead" of Subaru to exist in the library, and reading it was the key for the amnesiac Natsuki Subaru to return to being Natsuki Subaru.

Yet, faced with it again, a heavy feeling settled deep in his gut. Immediately, he thought of averting his gaze from that "Book of the Dead" and leaving the spot.

"No..."

Wait, Subaru internally halted himself.

It was one thing for Subaru's "Book of the Dead" to be here, but it's dangerous to ignore it and leave it as it is. —Al, like Subaru, had been summoned to this world from another. Although the book's title is written in kanji as "Natsuki Subaru," Al might be able to read it. If Al were to carelessly open the "Natsuki Subaru" book, it could lead to a very complicated situation.

The fact that Al learned about Subaru's extraordinary life in another world that started from zero is still acceptable. The problem is that no one knows what kind of malfunctions will occur if that overlaps with the penalty of his 'Return by Death.'

"――――"

Subaru cannot deny that Satella, the 'Witch of Envy,' who seemingly granted him the power of 'Return by Death,' does not bear any ill will towards him. However, it's also true that he cannot trust the 'Witch' to the extent that he would believe she would ease up on the penalties.

Shouldn't he hide the book to avoid any careless mistakes from happening?

"Subaru? Why are you fidgeting like that? Do you need to go to the bathroom?"

"No, it's not that... Well, actually, I found a rather inconvenient 'Book of the Dead,' and I would like to move it to a more obscure place if possible."

"An inconvenient... Could it be that you found Priscilla's book?"

"Of course, that’s what anyone would think. But that's not it."

In response to Beatrice's question, Subaru shook his head from side to side. Beatrice was also someone who must not be told about 'Return by Death,' and until now, he had been managing to avoid explanations with the power of their bond. But this was a tricky situation.

Of course, Beatrice could not read Kanji, so she couldn't read the title 'Natsuki Subaru.' However, just hiding the book with vague excuses was also insincere.
Therefore――,

"Beako, this is a book you must absolutely not read. If you do something reckless, the 'Witch of Envy' might reach out from the shrine again."

"Y-you're suddenly bringing up something outrageous...! If that happens again, it’ll be a repeat of when you were sent flying to the Empire. I absolutely refuse to let that happen!"

"I think so too, and actually, it might not be a joke. That's why..."

Saying this, Subaru pulled out the problematic book 'Natsuki Subaru' from the shelf. Being careful not to accidentally open it and experience it himself, he quietly whispered to Beatrice.

Hearing that, Beatrice frowned and nodded,

At that moment, Beatrice's shadow magic was activated, and Subaru's body became as light as a feather. Thus freed from the shackles of gravity, Subaru lightly leaped onto the bookshelf and decided to quietly hide the book he had just taken there.

"It's like he's seriously behaving like a mischievous kid at the library..."

It's a method that would trouble the librarian by not returning the book to its proper place. Such an act, in front of Beatrice, who had served as the librarian of the Forbidden Library for many years, was reckless, but there was no other way.

Before leaving the tower with Al in three days, Subaru must remember to return it to its original place.

"If Ezzo's curiosity finds it and someone reads it, we'll be in real trouble. ...Actually, it would be dangerous if anyone read it. Maybe we should dispose of it?"

"Dispose what, bro?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!"

After hiding the book and returning to Beatrice's place, Subaru was troubled by figuring out how to handle the book of "Natsuki Subaru," when he was suddenly spoken to from behind, causing him to scream.

The scream echoed through the library, and as Subaru turned around, he found Al standing there, looking startled by Subaru's exaggerated reaction.

"Hey, hey, you're too jumpy. I just started a casual conversation."

"Oh, sorry for startling you. My voice came out way louder than I thought."

"Well, I'm not that scared, but isn't there a bigger problem?"

"Problem?"

When Subaru looked in the direction Al was pointing, he saw Beatrice. She was squatting down with teary eyes and holding her ears with both hands.

"What a loud voice...! Betty's ears are ringing, they're ringing!"

"Sorry! I didn't mean to! I love you!"

"I can't hear you! Say it louder!"

"Beako, you're lovely! Beako, you're pretty!"

As Beatrice approached him, half crying, Subaru desperately expressed his love. Beatrice, with her cheeks puffed out, fell silent for a moment at Subaru's words and then let out a long sigh.
And then,

"Well, for the sake of your love for Betty, I'll forgive you. You should be grateful for my generosity."

"Thank you, thank you, many thanks, I always love you. —So, um..."

While patting Beatrice's head, who had quickly tucked away her tears, Subaru turned to face Al once again. Al, who had been watching Subaru and Beatrice's affectionate behavior, fiddled with the seam of his helmet with his fingers and prefaced with, "Ah, are you done?"

"You're always so cozy with your spirit, brother. Sorry to interrupt your honeymoon."

"Don't worry about it now. Putting off the time to spend with Emilia-tan and the others after coming back from the Empire is... No, sorry!"

Subaru, attempting to respond in his usual manner to Al's casual teasing, realized that his remark was too thoughtless and covered his mouth with his hand. However, in front of Subaru, who regretted his statement, Al showed signs of a wry smile.

"No, you're not wrong. You're right, brother. Rather, let me thank you again. Taking time out for me, even just for three days, must have been tough."

Subaru couldn't find a suitable reply to Al's gratitude. It was none other than Al himself who had proposed a three-day stay at the Pleiades Watchtower on their journey to seek the "Book of the Dead." Of course, he wanted Subaru and the others to accompany him to ensure he could definitely reach the tower.

However, Subaru also thought that it showed Al couldn't be that selfish.

"Sorry for dragging Beako along too, brother. Thanks for coming with me."

"—. It's only natural for Betty to be with Subaru. Also, Betty isn't kind enough to give the same warning repeatedly. Make sure to correct yourself."

"Got it, got it. Your kid is so kind."

"Yeah, that's right. Beako is filled to the brim with kindness and adorableness, wrapped up in this fluffy cotton candy-like light body."

Subaru answered Al's whisper with that, and he held Beatrice's hand again. Beatrice turned her face away, seemingly embarrassed, muttering "Hmph" in response to their back-and-forth.

Seeing Beatrice's endearing reaction softened Subaru's lips as he exhaled and asked,

"Al, how's the library?"

"—. As you can see, there’s been no progress. I thought three days would be enough, but I was naive. The number of these books is overwhelming. It's seriously like looking for a needle in a desert, isn't it?"

"――――"

With one hand, Al gestured around the library. His words were not entirely wrong.
In this world—no, since this grand library, Pleiades, was established, no one knows how many have lost their lives. The task of confirming each one, book by book, is mind-numbingly enormous.
Moreover, as Ezzo mentioned, books are increasing not just daily, but every second.

"But don't give up. We'll lend a hand, too."

"Brother..."

"That's right. Even though we're taking such a detour before returning to the mansion, we won't tolerate giving up because our spirits have broken from not finding it. So, don't give up."

"------"

Listening to the successive words of Subaru and Beatrice, Al quietly looked down. Subaru saw Al's lowered right hand clenching and unclenching, detecting hesitation.
Subaru had been—he realized it might sound callous—but he had been hoping for a reaction akin to this from Al.

Al had come to the Pleiades Watchtower to read Priscilla's 'Book of the Dead.'

However, upon witnessing the actual library and engaging in the work of coming to terms with Priscilla’s death, he had found a measure of calm without having to read the books.

As proof, Al’s reckless statements had noticeably decreased, and his demeanor had softened.

Subaru also understood that Al would feel guilty for coming to terms in such a way.
So, he added,

"Al, when Beako and I say ‘don’t give up,’ we’re not talking about finding the book. We mean don’t give up on finding your own peace."

"Peace...?"

"Yes. Not because it became unbearable, or because you ran out of time, but because you come to a conclusion on your own terms. That’s what I mean by peace."

If he couldn’t convey this properly, Subaru felt it would come off as incredibly insensitive.

Depending on how it was taken, it might seem like he was persuading Al to accept Priscilla's death. But that’s not what Subaru meant. Rather, it's not about Priscilla's life or death, but about thoroughly coming to terms with Priscilla’s death itself.

To mourn her, to think of her, and at some point, to find closure. —That is necessary.
For that purpose—

"Let's give it our all for three days. I, we, will be there with you all the way."

"But that doesn't mean we should do something unhealthy like going without sleep or rest. You'll end up like Otto."

Beatrice added this while winking, in response to Subaru's powerful appeal. Hearing their words, Al slightly gasped, then slowly lifted his helmet upwards and exhaled. It was a long, long sigh, as if letting go of a huge burden.

"Three days, huh?"

"That's right. There won't be any extensions. Well... if someone really begs, I might reconsider, but don't count on it from the start!"

"If we return later than planned, we'll get an earful from Emilia."

"Emilia-tan scolding us! ...Well, that would be cute in its own way and worth seeing too."

Emilia would undoubtedly be so cute it would almost blind you, no matter her emotions, expression, or angle. They had already caused her plenty of worry. Ideally, from now on, he wanted to see her smiling, blushing, and only positive expressions.

"Well, no matter what face she makes, E.M.T (Emilia-tan is the best) won't change at all..."

Saying this, Subaru shrugged to the exasperated Beatrice and turned to look at Al. Receiving Subaru's gaze head-on, Al nodded, and then—

"—Ol Shamak"

In the next instant, Natsuki Subaru's world went dark.

△▼△▼△▼△

"Three days. If you have three days, you’d be wary of something happening on the third day."

With a high-pitched click, something fell onto the floor of the 'Taigeta' library and rolled, but was stopped by a toe to prevent it from escaping.

"As a result, the night of the first day is when the most vigilance drops after having a good conversation."

Squatting down at that spot, he picked up the black sphere pressed by his toe. It felt cold and hard like a marble, but it wasn't fragile. It couldn't afford to be, as it was a prison that could hold even a 'Witch.'

"I understand, brother... no, Natsuki Subaru. I won’t kill you."

No matter what happened, someone had desperately tried to kill Natsuki Subaru, but they didn't understand. Doing so would have no meaning at all.

If you do that, it's Natsuki Subaru's battlefield.

You must not fight Natsuki Subaru on his battlefield.
That is to say――,

"I'm starting, Sensei.――For me to be myself."

Priscilla Barielle is nowhere to be found anymore.

Therefore, Al――Aldebaran began to act for the original purpose he once abandoned.

――To fight to remove Natsuki Subaru from this world.