Time flows back and forth, yet only you remain by my side: Chapter 58: You Have Already Done Well
[What are you thinking about?]
Ei's question pulled her back from where she had been staring out the window.
"Nothing... just thinking about something..."
[About who attacked the convoy?]
Sensing her hesitation, Ei finished the latter half of her sentence for her.
"Mm... I still can't figure it out. Why would they attack the convoy? Was it for the White Whale's corpse?"
Her brows furrowed slightly as she raised her hand, pressing her palm against the cool glass. Her fair, delicate hand was as white as snow, and the slender fingers only accentuated the gentle grace of her feminine form.
[What's done is done. There's no point thinking about it now, is there?]
Reflected in the window was Ei's figure. She lifted her hand in the same gesture, aligning it perfectly with hers, their mirrored palms touching through the glass.
[Are you blaming yourself?]
Her other hand rested higher on the pane, exactly where her cheek was reflected.
"Haa... I suppose. If only I had noticed sooner—"
[Shogun...]
Ei softly interrupted her, as if she already knew the self-reproach that would follow.
"..."
She obediently fell silent.
[Shogun... you've already done very well. You saved them.]
Not just the soldiers—she had even revived Crusch, whose heart had already stopped. After accomplishing that, what was there left to feel guilty about?
"..."
She avoided her mother's gaze and looked elsewhere.
[Do you think it still wasn't enough?]
Ei looked at her with heartache, her voice gentle.
"...No. I don't think that."
She shook her head, casting those thoughts aside, and stepped away from the window. The moment she left, Ei's reflection vanished as well.
It wasn't as though she was someone who would save anyone she met. What happened tonight was simply... she felt they did not deserve such an end.
She slowly sat down at the edge of the bed. The softness of the mattress made her relax unconsciously. Crossing one leg elegantly over the other, she leaned back little by little until she was lying down. In that posture, her crossed legs extended slightly forward, making her already slender figure appear even more graceful.
She intended to close her eyes and rest for a while, but—
Knock, knock.
An unhurried knocking sound entered her ears.
"...Who is it?"
She called out.
"...Lady Raiden, it's me... Crusch."
Though it was Crusch's voice, it no longer carried the heroic firmness it once had. Instead, there was confusion, unease, and even a hint of fragility—completely unlike before.
"..."
Hearing this, she frowned slightly, aware of the other woman's condition. Rising, she walked to the door.
Click~
She opened it.
Standing there was the dark-green-haired girl, already dressed in home attire. Her hair was loose, the ends tied into a small knot.
"Um... am I disturbing you?"
The amnesiac Crusch seemed flustered upon seeing her and asked carefully.
"...Not at all."
Seeing her like this, the Shogun's expression grew complicated. She shook her head.
"That's good... haa..."
Crusch was visibly nervous.
"It's my first time seeing you like this..."
The Shogun sighed softly.
"Mm... I'm sorry... I'm a little..."
Crusch smiled at her awkwardly, even her hands trembling slightly from the anxiety of memory loss—just like Rem back then.
"It's fine... as long as you're alive. How is your body?"
After closing the door behind her, she stepped into the corridor and asked with concern.
"Mm... thanks to you, I'm fine. Haa... um... I heard that you are my great benefactor. I've apparently offended you before, and I deeply apologize. And... thank you very much."
Crusch bowed to her solemnly.
"There's no need for such formality."
She stepped forward and gently helped the now timid girl upright. She even brushed aside a strand of hair at her temple.
"...///!"
Crusch's face flushed involuntarily at the gesture.
"You have many things to remember now. I hope you can endure this and become your former self again. All right?"
She asked softly.
The one most suited to become king.
"...Mm. I will. I won't disappoint you. I won't disappoint everyone."
Crusch nodded firmly, no longer quite as fragile as before.
She hadn't come merely to exchange pleasantries. She had something to discuss—more precisely, she wished to invite her to the hall for a meeting with everyone. It should have been Felix who came, but out of gratitude toward her benefactor, Crusch insisted on coming personally despite his objections.
Thus, she followed Crusch to the hall where everyone was gathered—
The room layout was as familiar as ever. Warm-toned chandeliers bathed the interior in a gentle glow. Yet despite the cozy lighting, the atmosphere felt entirely different.
"Ah, Lady Raiden..."
Upon seeing her, Felix immediately stood to greet her, with Wilhelm rising to follow behind him.
"Shogun..."
Emilia, who was already seated in the living room, smiled at her arrival.
"Mm."
After nodding to each of them in turn, she took a seat on the sofa beside Emilia.
"Lady Crusch, I'm sorry for making you come in person."
Felix apologized to his lord.
"It's all right, Mr. Felix."
Crusch addressed him politely.
"Umm... it's Ferris, you know? We've known each other for so long, and suddenly calling me 'Mr. Felix' makes me sad, meow~!"
Ferris puffed out his cheeks in correction.
Facing her amnesiac master, he devoted himself wholeheartedly, intending to tell her everything he knew.
"I'm sorry... I may not be the same as before, but I'll try my best, Ferris."
Crusch changed her wording as he wished, though her tone still lacked its former strength.
"Haa..."
Ferris let out a sigh of relief, his fluffy ears drooping slightly.
"Since Lady Raiden and Lady Crusch are both here, let us begin the meeting."
Wilhelm announced in his deep voice.
"First... aside from Crusch, are there any other soldiers showing the same symptoms?"
The Shogun spoke first, voicing her concern.
She still did not understand why Crusch had lost her memory. She knew the reason for Rem's amnesia, but what about Crusch? Surely it wasn't because of the electric shock erasing her memories? That would be absurd.
"There are—and quite a few. Although everyone was saved by Lady Raiden's magic, their memories are gone."
Ferris immediately answered, understanding her concern.
"...Why would that happen?"
She asked, puzzled.
"That is the Authority of the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony."
Hummm~
In the next moment, Puck materialized from the crystal at Emilia's neck and answered her question, drawing everyone's attention.
"Gluttony?! Huh? Another one?"
Emilia was the first to react, staring at Puck in shock.
"That's right. Gluttony. I wouldn't mistake this kind of 'amnesia.' It's the existence that devours a person's name and memories."
Puck crossed his arms and nodded. Despite discussing a serious matter, his tone remained as casual as ever, almost as if he were joking.
"Explain in more detail."
The Shogun spoke, prompting him to clarify.
"Mmm—simply put, the Authority of 'Gluttony' is the power of devouring. You understand what devouring means, right?"
Puck glanced at the others.
They nodded.
"It can devour a person's name, erase the related memories others have of them, or take away the individual's own memories. If both the name and the memories are taken, then nothing remains—just an empty shell."
As he said this, Puck deliberately looked at Crusch, a trace of relief in his expression.
"So that means—"
Felix shuddered at the thought.
"That's right. Miss Crusch is actually fortunate. Her 'name' wasn't devoured. Memories can slowly be recovered. But if her name had been taken too, then truly nothing would remain."
Puck's voice finally grew serious, and everyone understood the gravity of the situation.
"..." ×N
Silence fell over the room.
In the stillness, the sound of the pendulum clock struck their ears like a hammer against the heart. The second hand advanced steadily, producing a crisp tick-tock, tick-tock.
"How can the victims recover their memories? Or their names?"
In the next second, the Shogun's cool voice broke the silence.
"This... I'm not sure either... It might be—"
"Would killing him be enough?"
She cut him off, a dangerous violet gleam flashing in her eyes.
"It might work—but only might. There's no guarantee."
Perhaps only 'Gluttony' himself held the solution. If he died, the chance to reverse it might vanish forever.
"I see... what a pity."
She exhaled softly, abandoning the thought. If that were the answer, she would have gone to cut him down immediately—provided she knew his location.
Turning her gaze toward the night sky beyond the window, she watched the full moon cast a snowy glow over the castle, coating it in silver frost. Perhaps because of the warm lighting indoors, that frost did not seem as bleak as usual.
"According to the soldier who was fortunate enough not to have his memory devoured, there was someone else present besides 'Gluttony.' He called himself the Sin Archbishop of Greed."
Wilhelm, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
"What? There's more?"
Felix groaned in exhaustion.
"Any concrete information?"
The Shogun asked.
"No... that's all. As for their strength, we have no clear understanding. The soldiers couldn't even see how he attacked. He merely stood there, and they were annihilated."
Wilhelm frowned, recalling the trembling account of the survivor.
"Damn it... we just dealt with Sloth, and now two even more troublesome ones show up. What are we supposed to do?"
Felix slumped over the table, clutching his head in despair.
"So it can be understood as the Witch Cult's 'good work,' correct?"
Wilhelm's voice turned cold.
"But why? Why target us?"
Crusch rested her chin on her hand, puzzled.
"..."
The Shogun had already understood. Her eyes shifted meaningfully toward Emilia beside her.
As expected, Emilia's face was filled with turmoil. She bit her lip in silence, her hands clenching unconsciously, trembling.
"Probably... because of me."
At last, the girl spoke.
"?" ×N
Everyone turned to her.
"Ah... now that you mention it, that makes sense. Ever since Lady Emilia entered the royal selection, trouble has followed nonstop."
Felix suddenly realized.
"Mm... the reason they're stirring up chaos is because of me. To eliminate me... this half-elf."
Emilia answered softly. Her bangs shadowed her eyes, concealing her expression—but the Shogun could guess it was filled with pain and sorrow. She knew her well.
The incident at the mansion before had likely been the same... all to capture Emilia, or even kill her.
This might only be the tip of the iceberg. There could be greater terrorist attacks ahead, more people dragged into it. Today, the Shogun had managed to save them in time—but what about next time?
This couldn't continue...
"Everyone... Lady Crusch, I believe we should dissolve our alliance."
She spoke.
"Huh?" ×3
The three of them showed visible surprise.
"..."
The Shogun remained as calm as ever. She understood what Emilia was thinking—she feared dragging others down with her. In truth, she thought the same. Forming alliances at a time like this only increased the danger.
"Wait—why?"
Felix asked, confused.
"Because of me, you've already been implicated. Lady Crusch nearly lost her life, and you've suffered heavy losses among your soldiers. The Witch Cult may launch even worse attacks in the future. I don't want to see what happened today happen again. So... let's go our separate ways. I'm truly sorry... all of you."
Emilia stood and bowed deeply.
"Thank you—for your full support before, Lady Crusch."
"Wait, Lady Emilia!"
Felix stood to stop her, but—
"Felix, you don't want Crusch to be put in danger again, do you?"
It wasn't Emilia who said that, but the Shogun.
"!" ×4
All eyes turned to her. Emilia, in particular, looked surprised—then relieved.
"Well... that's true... but without our help, won't you be in even more danger? Forgive my bluntness, but your camp has only a handful of people. At this rate, sooner or later you'll be—"
"It's all right. Our forces may be small, but everyone is exceptional. Right, Shogun?"
Emilia smiled reassuringly and glanced at her for support.
"That's true."
She agreed.
This was no exaggeration. She alone could rival an army—and that was a conservative estimate. Let those Archbishops come; she did not fear them. Besides, she had Natsuki Subaru—the human save point. Even if they failed, they could simply start over. There was nothing to fear.
"But... but, Lady Raiden... I've always wanted to repay you for saving Lady Crusch. Ending the alliance like this... I'm not satisfied."
Felix's eyes reddened, glistening with tears as he looked at her.
"Haa... there's no need. What I did before was only what I ought to do. I don't seek repayment. I only wish for your safety."
She rose and looked at them.
"If you insist on feeling uneasy, consider it repayment for letting us stay here earlier. How about that?"
She turned to Felix.
"Hmph... how sly of you, Lady Raiden~"
He puffed out his cheeks in complaint.
"I understand."
The next second, Crusch stood and walked before them, extending her hand to shake hers.
"Since this is your decision, we have no right to interfere. However... the Karsten family will remember your great kindness. We may no longer be allies, but our friendship shall endure. If you ever require assistance, do not hesitate to inform us."
Though she had lost her memory, the young woman's bearing in that moment resembled her former self as she spoke to them.
"Mm... we understand. If that time comes... we won't be polite."
The Shogun nodded.
"I certainly hope so..."
Crusch smiled as well.