Slowly and silently, we moved away from the settlement. Garfiel followed me with a perpetual expression of suspicion on his sharp face.
I didn't have a prepared speech, nor a subtle way to introduce it. I simply started talking.
"This scenery is truly beautiful, don't you think?" I gestured around. "There are many places like this, but you'll never see them if you stay at the Sanctuary."
"Tsk. I'm not interested in what might be beyond the barrier! Whatever it is... I don't care."
"It scares you, actually. You really don't know anything about the outside world. I understand, I used to think the same. For all the clichés! I just used the 'I used to be like you' trope."
However, it was true. When I was in my own world, I was certain that nothing wonderful awaited me outside my bubble. Perhaps I wasn't wrong, but I would never know if I didn't try, and I certainly wasn't happy to remain in doubt.
The problem was my lack of self-esteem. My insecurities outweighed my desires, reducing any idea to a mere fantasy. I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up writing a fanfic where I was the protagonist, living all sorts of adventures and experiencing new things.
Unfortunately, my lack of motivation prevented me from doing even the simplest things, like writing stories. Every literary project was a failure, not because I wasn't satisfied with the concept, but because I rarely made it past ten chapters.
Looking back, I knew I'd changed quite a bit. This adventure, these people, everything that happened to me... it didn't make me grow up too much, but it helped me get to know myself better, and with that, I discovered I'm more strong (and stupid) than I thought.
"Clinging to the past or fearing the future is why you get stuck. When you decide to abandon that attitude, you'll see that everything starts moving again."
"I said I don't care!" Garfiel snapped defensively. "You think you can tell me how to think just because you beat me?! Fuck you!"
Of course, it wouldn't be easy to convince a stubborn teenager.
"I just want to give you another perspective. We don't even think that differently. I also think the world is a fucking mess."
"Huh?"
"Every day, someone dies. Every day, someone is hurt. Sometimes it happens naturally or by accident, but mostly it's someone else's fault: some heartless son of a bitch, or some fucking idiot who doesn't think about the consequences of his actions." I smiled ironically, because I fit that description myself.
"Why are you suddenly bringing that up?" Garfiel was still flustered, but my argument had piqued his interest.
"Because I want you to understand something: life is a bitch, and you can't avoid its hardships. No matter where you hide, you'll always run into some damn problem. Take this situation as an example. Even though you stayed inside all this time, it didn't stop Roswaal from coming here and endangering everything you know because of his obsession with the witch."
My words made him lower his gaze, taking a moment to consider that logic. He was so lost in thought that he didn't realize where we were going.
"If you're a coward and run from your problems instead of facing them, regret will always haunt you. Do you want to feel like that for the rest of your life, Garfiel?"
"No."
"Did you say something?" I put a hand to my ear, pretending to be deaf. "I didn't hear you."
"No..."
"Is that the best you can do? You sound like a little girl! Where's your spirit?!"
"NO! I DON'T WANT TO FEEL LIKE THIS, DAMN IT!"
"Okay, then take the damn control of yourself and prove you're better than this." I said, pointing at the building in front of us.
Garfiel opened his eyes in surprise when he realized where we were.
"The witch's tomb...?"
"I can't understand how Echidna thinks, so I don't know if she did it intentionally, but the trials were designed in a way that can be seen in two ways: torture or redemption. I choose to believe in the latter."
Perhaps Echidna wasn't 'evil'. It's not easy to make assertions about someone you know so little about. In that sense, I think I'd like to learn more about her.
"You'll take the trial tonight, right before Emilia."
Garfiel swallowed but nodded, gathering his courage.
"I'll get through this!"
Now everything seemed to be going better. That cheered me up a bit.
Later, I went into the tomb and carved some encouraging messages on the walls for when Emilia came to do the tests. I'm not eloquent or sentimental like Subaru, but I tried my best to do something decent. The love I felt, whether real or not, inspired me quite a bit.
Once again, the hunter's memories helped me out of a tight spot, because while I had learned to read and write in this world's language, he had a much more advanced understanding of it. That's how I was able to work more effectively.
After finishing my homework, I returned to Birma's house, just in time for breakfast. It was a somewhat awkward moment, because Rem kept staring intently at me while Emilia was talking, completely oblivious to the tension in the air.
"Did you reach an agreement with Garfiel? That's great!"
"Yeah..."
It was hard not to get anxious when it felt like a predator was stalking me. Rem wasn't exactly subtle either. How angry was she about this morning?
"Now everyone can return to the village. They must be relieved."
"Uh-huh."
By that time, Rem had stopped behind me. My instincts didn't detect any danger, but my stressed mind insisted that she was about to kill me, like some kind of yandere girl.
"You'll take them tomorrow, right?"
That's what I'd said, but it was a ruse. I didn't want to announce when I would make my move, as that would give Roswaal less time to react. The longer it took for him to realize I wasn't at the Sanctuary, the better.
"Exactly." I grabbed my glass, but the nervous trembling in my hand caused the liquid to spill. "Shit."
"I'll take care of it." Rem grabbed the glass and took it from my hand. I jumped, but she just wiped up the spill and poured me more juice. "Here."
"Thank you..."
I was becoming too paranoid. Maybe it was a side effect of playing MiSide so much.
The truth is, the deaths, the enemies, the danger I had to protect others and myself from; all of it was taking its toll. It made sense to be cautious, but if I couldn't trust my allies, I'd never sleep soundly again.
After lunch, I wanted to talk to Rem to find out what was going through her mind, but Ram took her away and gave me a very persuasive warning look. So instead, I took Emilia to the villagers and told them they could leave very soon.
I made sure to summarize everything in a way that didn't reveal the true context of my 'negotiation' with Garfiel, and I also attributed the success of the agreement to the fact that Emilia promised to stay until the Sanctuary residents were freed, and that this finally convinced Garfiel.
As expected, the villagers were very happy and again encouraged Emilia to overcome the trials, knowing that she still had to strive for the local demi-humans.
Between chatting and organizing, the next few hours passed quickly. The sun had already set when we left the cathedral and headed to the witch's tomb. We were a large group, made up of Otto, Garfiel, Rem, Ram, Shima, Birma, Emilia, some villagers, and me.
"I can't believe you convinced him to do this." Otto said incredulously as he watched Garfiel walk ahead.
"Where words fail, violence speaks."
"Wasn't it 'the music'?" Otto raised an eyebrow, correcting my reinterpretation of the original phrase.
"How should I know?" I shrugged.
Garfiel stood before the entrance to the tomb. The two Ryuzus looked at him, silently supporting him. Even Ram stepped forward to be near him during this important moment.
The boy took a deep breath, straightened his back, and lifted his head.
"Here I go."
I didn't pay much attention to what happened next. My mind was wandering between the problem with Rem, the meeting with Elsa, and convincing Betty to come with me.
To everyone's relief, Garfiel passed his test and returned with a small smile that said it all: he was proud to have defeated the ghost of the past and at the same time felt a strange peace that swept away the angry frustration accumulated over the years.
I didn't realize he was approaching me until I felt the firm grip of his hand on my shoulder. When he spoke to me, I could tell he did so with respect and gratitude.
"Thank you for the sermon."
I was almost expecting something like: bangin' sermon, my man. Of course, that would have been strange, but a good reference.
"You're welcome." I nodded. "I'm glad it worked."
"I'll do my best from here. I'm leaving Frederica in your hands, Captain."
"Believe me, she'll be better off in Otto's hands." I gestured to him.
"Huh?" Garfiel frowned and looked at the merchant suspiciously. "What the hell does that mean?"
"What?!" Otto jumped in fright and ran to hide behind Ram. "Wait, it's a misunderstanding! Leandro, tell him you're joking!"
"Why would I do that? I don't think Garfiel cares about being your brother-in-law."
Fortunately for Otto, Ram and the Ryuzu took their turn congratulating Garfiel, making him forget about the matter.
Suddenly, Emilia touched my arm.
"You really enjoy teasing Otto." She said, gently shaking her head, amused and annoyed by my behavior. I noticed her anxiety.
"Friends are supposed to bully each other." I shrugged. "It's part of nature."
I wouldn't feel guilty no matter how much I messed with him. Otto was the kind of person who might throw me out of a carriage to save his life. Well, maybe he would do that to someone he just met, but now we had a closer relationship.
"Is that so?" She mused. "It seems I still have a lot to learn."
"Don't worry: I'll be here to teach you everything you need to know." I winked at her.
Without grasping the double meaning, she smiled nervously and looked so cute it hurt.
Then came the crucial moment. Garfiel had already finished his trial, and Emilia was next.
"It's time." She murmured expressionlessly.
"That's right." I replied while thinking about how I would accomplish everything I had set out to do today.
"Will you be here when I get out?"
Emilia's intuitive question forced me to concentrate in order to give an appropriate answer.
"There are some urgent things I need to take care of. You could say they're my own trials."
"I see..."
She nodded slowly. She asked no questions, complained, or expressed sadness. She simply understood and accepted the circumstances.
"I have to go." Emilia walked toward the entrance of the tomb and stopped to look at me. She wasn't serious or happy, but something in between. "Don't miss me too much."
I had said those same words to her when we said goodbye in the royal capital. The fact that she remembered it brought a smile to my face.
She was acting differently, but I couldn't quite tell what had changed. Was she more confident, more relaxed? In any case, it seemed like a good change.
"I'll try. See you later."
I waited until his figure disappeared inside the tomb, then I approached Otto.
"Prepare the carriage. We're going to the mansion."
***
The little maid wiped the sweat from her forehead with a satisfied expression.
"That's it! Cleaning is complete!"
The west wing of the mansion looked brand new. For Petra, achieving that on her own was quite a feat. In her first days as an employee, it would have been impossible: she would have been exhausted before finishing half the job.
"I'm one step closer to being as good as Rem..."
Secretly, when she wanted to assess how much she had improved, Petra would compare herself to her mentor: such was her admiration for her.
Inevitably, the memory of the blue-haired maid became linked to that of the young butler who had become so familiar in recent months. When she thought of him, Petra felt butterflies in her stomach and automatically put more effort into her work.
"I wonder how they're doing there... I hope they come back soon to the others."
Knowing Leandro, Petra didn't dare doubt that he would solve any problem and return victorious. She trusted him completely.
Because she was so engrossed in her thoughts, Petra didn't realize there was someone in front of her until she bumped into a slender female figure.
"Oh, did you hurt yourself, little one?" The woman asked, in a soft, gentle voice.
"Oh?!" Petra jumped when she saw her. She was a tall young woman, dressed in a somewhat revealing outfit. She had an elegant, and in a way, wild air about her.
The woman's dark eyes fixed on the girl, and her delicate face broke into a faint smile.
"Two maids and a spirit. I think I'll start with you..."
Elsa moved her hand to grab one of her knives, but was interrupted by the arrival of Frederica, who struck her with a brutal swipe, throwing her to the back of the corridor.
"Stay behind me!" The older maid told her junior, without taking her eyes off the enemy.
"That was a very rude greeting." Elsa said, licking the blood from the cuts on her face.
With terrifying speed, the gut-hunter appeared before Frederica and attacked her with her daggers. The blonde stepped back just in time to avoid a slash to her abdomen and launched a kick at Elsa's jaw, which took the full force of the blow, her head twisting upwards.
"Splendid. I can feel the bestial ferocity in each of your attacks."
"Who are you? What is your purpose?"
Instead of responding, Elsa unleashed a barrage of enormous needles. Frederica barely had time to react, shielding Petra with her body and taking dozens of projectiles from behind.
"Cough!" The half-human coughed up blood. Those needles hadn't penetrated deeply, but they had pierced some nerves. "Petra, you have to run away..."
Frederica pointed to the other side of the corridor. The path was clear. She just had to buy time for her junior, and with a bit of luck...
Suddenly, the wall facing the outside exploded. For a moment, the corridor was filled with dust, and when it cleared, the maids saw a blue-haired girl riding a beast resembling a chimera.
"Hi, Petra! It's been a while!" Meili greeted cheerfully.
"Meili?! Why are you...?!"
Petra didn't understand anything that was happening. Frederica, for her part, gritted her teeth in frustration as things worsened. There was no way out anymore, unless she created one.
"Let's play again!" exclaimed Meili. "Since it'll be the last time, I'll make it as fun as I can!"
"What do I do?! This is terrible!" Petra was panicking, but then she remembered what Leandro had told her before they left for the Sanctuary. "Oh, that's it!"
Suddenly, the girl raised her voice, shouting something quite curious.
"Hail Hydra!"
Upon hearing that, Meili raised her eyebrows and Elsa stopped moving.
"That's the code..."