Arc 9 - Chapter 36: 『Proposition』

Arc 9 - Chapter 36: 『Proposition』

"I'm sorry, I caused you so much trouble..."

"No, Rem was the one who was so happy she cried. It made me just as happy as when my sister did that for me... ah."

Petra repeatedly bowed her head, apologizing for her own disgraceful behavior. Rem, trying to comfort Petra, realized she had said something awkward, and her cheeks stiffened as she glanced at Ram.

Seeing Rem's gaze, Ram gently smiled and said, "It's fine."

"After all, I'm just a pathetic sister who can't even stay calm during an emotional reunion. It's no wonder Rem spreads rumors about me being a crybaby."

"Th-that's not what I meant! It's a misunderstanding to say my sister is a crybaby! Besides, I was happy that you cried for me!"

"That's right, Ram. After all, you finally remembered Rem. Even if you cried because of that, no one would think you're a crybaby. Cheer up!"

"Rem, Lady Emilia... oh dear."

Following Rem, Emilia also joined in comforting Ram, who put her hand to her eyes and turned her face away. The two continued to worry, but from Petra's perspective, it was all too much of a charade.

Of course, it was undoubtedly a situation so joyful that it brought Ram to tears.

"...Ram nee-sama, I understand you're happy, but don't tease the two of them too much."

"What!?"

"Tease...?"

Trying to calm her voice, Petra cautioned, causing Emilia and Rem to widen their eyes. The mischievous Ram, who had deceived the two honest girls, stopped her fake crying and shrugged her shoulders.

"That's right. Since my memory returned safely, I couldn't help but be mean because I wanted to see various faces of Rem. Will you forgive your bad sister?"

"Sister... oh, it can't be helped. Just this once, okay?"

"Yes, thank you. Lady Emilia, is that alright with you too?"

"Well, if Rem has forgiven you, I can't stay mad forever. Really."

"Amazing. Without being humble at all, she just acted spoiled and got away with it."

Despite showing no signs of remorse, Ram's audacity was easily forgiven by Rem and Emilia, and Meili, witnessing this, muttered in disbelief. Petra shared Meili's sentiment. It was typical of Ram, but she was a bit too elated.

"I also want to hold a victory celebration for Rem... Rem nee-sama, but it's a very difficult time now, so please restrain yourself, Ram nee-sama."

"Restrain, huh. It sounds like a reasonable opinion, but what about you, Petra?"

"――? What do you mean? I'm reflecting on what happened earlier too."

"I'm not blaming you for losing your composure. It's something else that concerns me. ――It's the situation where you've naturally settled between Rem and Lady Emilia."

At Ram's pointed remark, Petra widened her eyes in surprise. Then she looked to her left and right, seeing the profiles of Emilia and Rem beside her.

The three of them were now sitting on a long sofa with Petra in the center, each holding one of their arms tightly, as if never to let go.

"Huh?"

"It's not 'huh.' After clinging to Rem, you naturally pulled her over there. Even Lady Emilia too."

"I'm sorry. It seems my affection for the two of you overflowed..."

Continuing to express her disbelief, Meili's words made Petra reflect on herself. However, since her excuse was exactly the same as Ram's earlier indulgence, Ram couldn't help but laugh at her.

"It's alright, it's okay, Petra. Rem also wanted to fill in the blanks one by one that have been left empty until now."

"Rem nee-sama..."

"Besides, I thought I hadn't been able to get along well with you, Petra, and the others living in the village, so I'm happy to know you think of me so dearly."

With Petra holding her arm, Rem blushed slightly and smiled shyly.

In Rem's self-awareness, her relationship with Petra and the others peaked around the time the royal selection began—about a month after Subaru was welcomed into the mansion. Before that, they were merely passing acquaintances.

Therefore, Rem's shy recognition was not wrong. The reason Petra harbored such immense feelings for Rem was largely due to the influence of 'Subaru' rather than Petra's own emotions.

Even so, she thinks to herself.

"Rem nee-sama, smiling shyly, is precious..."

"Petra-chan, your ears are very red. Are you okay?"

"Oh, no, it's not like that. It's not cheating... Emilia nee-sama is number one!"

"Huh? Oh, right. I'm the most important person in the faction, so I have to be proper."

Caught between anxiety and happiness, Petra blurted out unnecessary things, but Emilia, like an angel or goddess, or perhaps a protagonist who misunderstands things, let it slide.

Because of that, Petra suppressed the pounding of her heart through her chest and stood up, telling herself, "My number one is Subaru..."

If she had stayed sandwiched between Emilia and Rem like this, her heart might have fallen apart.

『Great job, Petra! You held on well!』

"Subaru, be prepared to hear a lot of sarcastic remarks from me later. Cheater."

『It's too cruel for me who can't even touch Emilia-tan or Rem!』

Petra, having somehow cut off her lingering regrets, directs her pent-up anger towards the imaginary Subaru. Holding a handkerchief, she wiped her tears and sighed at 'Subaru,' who was expressing his emotional explosion towards the memory-restored Rem by twirling around the reception room.

Then—,

"I understand that Rem's situation is causing a stir, but it would help if we could settle things here for now. —Let's talk about that person."

"――――"

With Rem's quiet voice, the atmosphere in the room noticeably tightened.

Even if it wasn't completely relaxed, the situation was heating up in contrast to the pressing circumstances, and Rem herself, who was the catalyst, dispelled it. Very commendable. Admirable.

"Did Clind-san tell you about Ram and Rem?"

"For the most part. And we also saw the devastation in the royal capital. To think it would become such a significant matter... Barusu really messed up."

"Ram nee-sama, that way of saying it..."

"I'm sorry, let me rephrase. —All of us, including Ram, messed up."

"――――"

Ram's perspective was heavy, resonating deeply in everyone's hearts.

It was something they had confirmed with each other before Ram and Rem joined, but once again, the damage caused by Al's actions was so immense that it was hard to look at.

"That said, there's nothing to gain from excessive self-blame. Ultimately, the responsibility for the situation lies with the one who caused it. That's our conclusion."

"That's how Ram and the others feel, isn't it? But the matter isn't that simple. Is it?"

"...A formidable girl. What was all that fooling around earlier?"

Old Man Rom muttered as he stroked his bald head, making a sour face at Ram's probing. In the exchange between the two who understood each other, Rem tilted her head and said, "Nee-sama."

"Are you talking about the issue of responsibility when you say it's not simple?"

"Yes, exactly. Old Man Rom is eager to discuss the details. I'll let him take over."

"You've thrown the troublesome task my way... well, fine. As that girl said, regardless of our intentions, the current situation is unfavorable for both us and you."

Old Man Rom, entrusted with the explanation by Ram, pointed his thick finger at himself and then at Emilia. As Emilia blinked her violet eyes while staring at his large fingertip,

"Of course, it's true for us, but does that include you, Old Man Rom... and Felt-chan too?"

"Our Ezzo was also at the tower. Ezzo was given the role of managing the tower until an official national investigation team could be dispatched, but he failed to fulfill it. Even Reinhard, the Helmet Guy, and the 『Divine Dragon』 couldn't be stopped, resulting in damage to the royal capital."

"But thanks to you, Emilia-neesan, the big stones didn't fall on the city, right? And yet, you're still getting scolded?"

"If breaking the thrown stones could gain popularity, Reinhard could do the same endlessly. In matters like this, Meili, not only the results but also the process must be fairly evaluated."

Meili pouted her lips at Old Man Rom, who shook his large head slowly with a difficult expression.

Behind Meili's attitude of dissatisfaction was the hidden frustration that Emilia's significant achievement wasn't being properly recognized. Understanding this, Emilia smiled and said "Thank you" to Meili, causing the pouting girl to turn away even more.

"At the very least, we must discuss what we absolutely need to ensure. First, we must stop the man who calls himself Aldebaran, the Helmet Guy, with our own hands. We can't leave it to anyone else or the kingdom. Only after we manage that can we talk about recovering from our setbacks."

"Why does it have to be us? Of course, it's natural for us to try our best, but if we can stop Al before he does something terrible..."

"You don't understand, Emilia. It's no longer just about Aldebaran alone. He has the 『Divine Dragon』 with him. This is a serious matter that shakes the foundation of the royal selection... To overturn it, the 『Divine Dragon』 must be brought back by the dragon priestess, the royal selection candidates. If that can't be done..."

"—The royal selection itself might be nullified?"

Emilia voiced the decisive possibility, and Old Man Rom nodded gravely. Having listened to this point, Petra also caught up with the sense of crisis belatedly.

The royal selection to decide the next king of the Kingdom of Lugnica is fundamentally based on the covenant with the dragon and the prophecy of the dragon stone necessary to maintain it. In other words, it is a ceremony relying on the immense power of the 『Divine Dragon』 Volcanica, and without the 『Divine Dragon』, the royal selection cannot proceed.

"Therefore, it is essential. The resolution that the royal selection candidate themselves stopped Aldebaran, who confused the 『Divine Dragon』, with their own hands."

That is the fundamental premise to resolve this major issue and continue the royal selection.

The words of the wise old giant of the Felt camp, who had seen the world for a long time, carried a persuasive power that no one could refute.

The world being destroyed by Al's hands must be prevented. However, it's not a matter of being indifferent to what happens as long as the world isn't destroyed.

After the battle is over, there must be—

"We must ensure there's a place for Subaru-kun to return to."

"Rem..."

Emilia gazed at Rem, who murmured this after listening to Old Man Rom's talk. Rem met her gaze, filling her pale blue eyes with a sense of duty, and responded, "Because, isn't that right?"

"That person did that for me. The room of Rem in the mansion remained just as it was before... because Subaru-kun held strong feelings, Rem was able to remember what she had forgotten. Thanks to this morning star that Subaru-kun polished every day...!"

With that, Rem passionately explained, holding a spiked iron ball—a morning star—in her hand. Overwhelmed by the sound of the chain clinking vigorously and Rem's enthusiasm, Emilia tilted her head.

"...Thanks to the morning star?"

"Yes. It might be surprising, but it was the moment I touched this morning star. All my memories came rushing back... I thought it was just that person's obsessive fixation, but I was mistaken. There are so many things I want to apologize for..."

Lowering her eyes in shame, Rem began to recount how her memories returned. Emilia, bewildered by Rem's fervent plea, was flustered, her eyes darting back and forth.

Perhaps it was a matter of timing. —The 'Gluttony' that Al took out from the prison tower, whatever it did, is likely related to the restoration of Rem's 'memory' and 'name.' And that coincided with the moment Rem touched the morning star in the mansion.

That's why Rem is convinced that the morning star awakened her.

"Listen, Rem, I want you to calm down and hear me out..."

"Please don't worry, Lady Emilia. With this morning star, I will definitely become the strength to bring Subaru-kun back. After that, I would like to discuss various things about the Empire and the future..."

With her fist clenched tightly, Rem's determined attitude left Emilia still troubled. Meanwhile, Meili looked at Ram and asked, "Aren't you going to stop her?"

"It can't be helped. Even Ram didn't expect this. —Who would have thought that the tall tales about polishing that thing every day would actually be useful?"

"...I really don't think it's good that I'm the one closest to being sensible here."

Even Ram, who usually wouldn't overestimate the power of the morning star, was lamented by Meili.

In any case, regarding the matter of 'Gluttony,' including the speculative aspects, it is necessary to share it with Rem and the others. It would be best to leave that to Emilia, Petra thought, as she kept the dream collaboration of Emilia and Rem in her peripheral vision and turned to Old Man Rom.

And then—

"Although Brother Clind hasn't brought back the masters yet... we don't have time. We and Old Man Rom are allies, right?"

"—. Yes, that's right. Continuing the royal selection is our consensus."

"Then, please tell me. What Old Man Rom noticed about Al."

Old Man Rom, who joined them on the plains and accompanied them flying to the royal capital, had chosen to act separately from Gaston due to Clind's 'Compression.' He had hinted that he had obtained significant information about Al during a clash while cooperating with Emilia and the others.

With the discussions so far, the Emilia faction and the Felt faction were already in the same boat. Petra urged Old Man Rom that it was time to open up to each other.

In response to Petra's request, Old Man Rom patted his bald head repeatedly,

"This story is going to be quite outlandish and unconventional. I kept it to myself not to be secretive, but because of its reliability."

"It's okay. I trust you, Old Man Rom. I'm sure when you find out, you'll be really surprised, genuinely."

"...You too have become quite an unusual girl, Petra."

Old Man Rom, with his eyebrows lowered, muttered in disbelief, thinking it was just lip service.

However, Petra's words were sincere. She trusted Old Man Rom. She knew that he cherished Felt, who had been taken hostage by Aldebaran and his group, and that he possessed a fatherly nature that would allow him to sacrifice his life without hesitation for Felt's sake.

Therefore, the trust hurdle that Old Man Rom was concerned about had been cleared from the start.

Unaware of Petra's circumstances, Old Man Rom, while noting that Emilia and Rem were still aligning their perceptions, said,

"This is something I should tell Emilia and the others later... but Aldebaran is likely using a cheat ability called an Authority."

"――Authority."

At Old Man Rom's carefully chosen words, 『Subaru』 reacted before Petra did.

『Subaru』 stopped its aerial rotation, tensed its face, and stared intently at Old Man Rom. This reaction from the imaginary Subaru was only natural. Just recently, they had heard it from Clind, but both Petra and 『Subaru』 had a more sinister association with the term Authority.

It was a term used by the Archbishop of 『Sloth』 and the 『Witch of Greed』 who rested in the tomb.

A powerful right that interferes with the nature of this world, overturns concepts, and whimsically rewrites the laws—Manifestation.

The reason Old Man Rom judged that Aldebaran was using it was――,

"――It seems he can turn back time that has already passed. Though it doesn't seem to be for a long period."

△▼△▼△▼△

"――In the end, what is it that I have to do?"

That 『Proposition』, which has been with her since she was small and weak, continues to cling to Felt even now as she is dragged around by Aldebaran's group.

"Damn, it's so annoying."

Scratching her head in frustration, Felt spat out the resentment that had accumulated deep in her gut.

Felt knew that feelings of powerlessness and resignation were of no use in life. Yet, these emotions, which neither quenched her thirst nor filled her stomach, kept rising up in various ways to fill her body and get in the way.

"――Tch."

Clicking her tongue, Felt bit into the dried meat she had been given for dinner, tearing it apart. The overly salty taste clearly dissatisfied her, and she was exasperated at how spoiled she had become.

Only two and a half days since being separated, and already she missed the meals from Flamm and Glacies.

The hearty meals occasionally prepared by Ezzo and Rachins were much better than portable food. Although Reinhard was not allowed to cook because Flamm and the others insisted on the right person for the right job, when he was secretly allowed to make sweets, he was surprisingly skilled.

Unfortunately, both Felt and Old Man Rom's cooking skills were disastrous, and it was a wonder that in nearly ten years of frequenting the stolen goods storehouse, they hadn't died from food poisoning. Perhaps Felt's lack of growth compared to her peers was due to this.

Regardless of the cooking situation in her camp――,

"I can't cook. So, what can I do?"

Lightly licking the salt grains off her fingertips with her tongue, Felt's thoughts returned to the same 『Proposition』 as before, her red eyes narrowing.

Currently, Aldebaran's group was moving from one base to another, focusing on recovering from the exhaustion Aldebaran and the 『Divine Dragon』 suffered in the royal capital. Initially, Felt thought that Aldebaran and his group, having escaped the royal capital, would head straight to their destination, the Great Mogoredo Crater. However, it seemed that simply reaching the location wasn't the goal; they were waiting for the right timing.

However, the rest they needed while waiting for that timing was far from smooth—relentlessly disrupted by Otto Suwen, a ruthless pursuer.

"He's not just someone who can talk to bugs; his divine protection is insanely dangerous. Or rather, it's not the divine protection that's dangerous, but that bug-talking guy himself is the real threat."

Otto, with his laid-back and absent-minded demeanor, was apparently a person of extreme caution.

Ultimately, any divine protection is merely a tool. No matter how splendid a sword one is given, if they lack the strength to wield it, the opportunity and willingness to learn how to use it, and the courage to swing it when necessary, the sword is nothing more than a fine ornament.

Otto had the strength, opportunity, willingness, and courage. —And Felt had to prove that she possessed these qualities too, even without a sword.

"That guy's strategy is all about wearing us down... he's got some nasty ideas."

Thanks to Otto, who seemed to have allied insects, birds, and fish through the 『Divine Protection of Speech』, Aldebaran's group was never allowed a moment of peace and was constantly forced to deal with threats.

The buzzing of insects, the howling of beasts, contaminated water, and tainted food—all these indirect attacks were numerous, making it difficult to secure sleep, causing Felt to have a headache.

However, Felt had already factored in this level of collateral damage as minor. If possible, Felt wanted to use her position accompanying the enemy to mercilessly support Otto's strategy.

"Just holding back the 『Divine Dragon』 is meaningful in its own way, I suppose..."

But that alone wasn't enough, as was made clear by the battle between the 『Divine Dragon』 and the 『Sword Demon』 in the royal capital.

Even if Felt's presence could reduce the 『Divine Dragon』's power by ten percent, the remaining ninety percent was more than enough to unleash disaster-level power—this was the true nature of the 『Divine Dragon』 Volcanica. Considering the possibility that Old Man Rom, who had been defeated once, might challenge Aldebaran's group again, the current situation was insufficient.

This was the 『Proposition』 that the captive Felt had to resist.

"Well, there's one more thing."

Muttering this, Felt turned her gaze to another 『Proposition』 she faced from her position.

"――――"

Across the crackling campfire in front of her sat a man. —No, it wasn't exactly correct to say he was facing her. After all, he kept his face down, not even glancing her way.

Holding a sheathed sword to his chest, he crouched quietly as if dead, exuding an aura of gloom from every part of his being. This red-haired man was Heinkel.

At the entrance of a naturally formed cave in the rocks, Felt and Heinkel were alone, waiting for their companions who had gone to ensure safety and eliminate threats, sharing a gloomy time together.

Supposedly, Heinkel was assigned to monitor Felt, but judging by who was watching whom, it was unclear who was really the observer. His thorough rejection of the outside world, refusing even dried meat for dinner or water, continued to grate on Felt's nerves.

"――――"

Felt declared that she held no measure of good or bad regarding Heinkel's actions. That was no lie, and her opinion hadn't changed—but she did have a measure of like or dislike.

At the very least, having an attitude like a hollow while being alive was something she absolutely detested.

"Hey, if you're not gonna eat that jerky, give it to me."

"――――"

"You can hear me, right? Don't ignore me... hey, whoa."

From the start, Felt tried to use the jerky as a conversation starter, but it was thrown at her as if to say "shut up." Felt hurriedly caught it, but Heinkel didn't even look her way.

Suddenly, it felt ridiculous to have opened her fist, and Felt again called out, "Hey..."

"Why did you butt in back there?"

Bluntly, Felt boldly addressed the reason Heinkel was crouching.

"――――"

Heinkel remained silent, but since he had thrown the jerky, he hadn't completely shut out the outside world. Taking that into account, Felt snorted softly...

"Your old man... it's hard to say. It was a fight between Reinhard's grandfather and the 『Divine Dragon』. I'm not exactly a warrior, so I can't tell who was winning in detail. But you were supposed to be on the 『Divine Dragon』's side, right?"

"――――"

"The fact that you intervened means the 『Divine Dragon』 was in trouble. That's an incredible story in itself, but there's something odd. ――If your goal was the 'Dragon's Blood', it should have been the perfect opportunity when your grandfather seemed likely to win."

"――――"

"Even though you might have gotten the blood if the dragon died, you interfered. Why?"

Taking advantage of the lack of rebuttal, Felt bluntly laid out her words.

As she had said, Heinkel's interference in the battle between the 『Divine Dragon』 and the 『Sword Demon』 was extremely unnatural considering his objectives. Although she considered the possibility of a strong grudge against his father as a motive, Heinkel had asked the dragon to heal Wilhelm, whom he had stabbed, just before flying off with the 『Divine Dragon』.

In other words, Heinkel didn't wish for the death of either the 『Divine Dragon』 or the 『Sword Demon』 in that battle.

"It's too inconsistent. What exactly are you――"

It was at that moment when she was about to continue with "thinking." ――In an instant, she was pinned to the hard ground, and a drawn blade was placed against Felt's neck.

"You're talking too much, kid."

Right in front of her, Heinkel's bloodshot blue eyes were glaring. The smell of blood from his breath, perhaps from biting his mouth, made Felt grimace. Even as she did, Heinkel continued to threaten Felt by sliding the blade,

"If you don't want to get hurt, keep your mouth――gah!?"

Taking advantage of the gap in his threat, Felt unhesitatingly twisted her fist and punched Heinkel in the nose.

"Ugh, ah?" Surprised more by the punch than from the pain, Heinkel's eyes went wide. Felt kicked up at his chest as she got up, looking down at Heinkel who had fallen on his backside.

"There's no way I'd be scared of you now."

Saying that, Felt picked up Heinkel's sword that had fallen nearby. For a moment, Heinkel stiffened, but Felt sighed and tossed the sword back to him. Heinkel, who caught the sword reflexively, widened his eyes, but Felt just shrugged.

He might have wondered why she returned the sword, but for Felt, it was an obvious decision.

Even if Felt fought here, she couldn't beat Heinkel, and if by any chance Heinkel accidentally cut Felt, Yae would be overjoyed, that's for sure. In the first place, leaving Felt and Heinkel alone here made Yae's intentions clear.

If possible, Yae wanted to cut off both Felt and Heinkel. To avoid playing into her schemes, causing a ruckus here wasn't wise. —Not that it's a matter of logic, but Felt also believed it was not her role to beat up Heinkel.

"So, if you're asking if that's Reinhard's role, I have my doubts about that too."

"――"

At the mention of Reinhard's name, Heinkel flinched exaggeratedly again.

It's incredibly unsightly for a man more than twice Felt's age to be so jittery and scared of her words. However, Felt wanted to understand the reason for this unsightliness.

Even if it brought a terribly bitter taste to Felt, she wanted to know.

"You don't have to answer like before. I'll just talk on my own and pick up what I want."

Brushing off the dirt from her clothes after being pushed down, Felt looked up at the sky without waiting for a response. The night sky was peeking through the gaps in the rocks and was filled with inappropriately bright twinkling stars.

Glaring at the ironically beautiful sky, Felt began, "In reality, what bothers me about the fight between 『Divine Dragon』 and Grandpa is everything we talked about earlier. You want the 'Dragon's Blood,' but what you're doing seems inconsistent. And there's another thing that seems inconsistent. ――『Gluttony』."

"――――"

"Let's ignore the fact that he's got the worst personality and a mouth that never stops. Even without that, there's no way to welcome a scumbag like an Archbishop of Sin... but if there's a reason to hate that bastard, you've got way more than I do, don't you?"

Heinkel remained silent, not answering, but his reaction was obvious. Felt narrowed her eyes at Heinkel, who was easy to read even without words.

Released from the prison tower, Roy Alphard, whom Aldebaran deemed necessary for the plan, accompanied the group. The Archbishop of Sin, who had caused countless tragedies, had infinite reasons to be hated and despised, but Heinkel should have had a more clear, absolute reason for hostility.

Because the victimization of Luanna Astrea, Reinhard's mother and Heinkel's wife, was remarkably similar to the victims of 『Gluttony』.

"I've talked about it before, but I know about your... Reinhard's family situation. I know your wife has been asleep for over ten years, and there's no way to wake her up. Well, if you had the 'Dragon's Blood,' that would be solved... but what about settling the score?"

"――――"

"How are you going to settle the score with the bastard who's kept your wife asleep for over ten years?"

After the Crusch Karsten Duke assault incident and the Watergate City Priestella battle, the powers of 『Gluttony』 were revealed, and the existence of the 『Sleeping Beauty』—discovered in a state of sleep that no one around knew about, unable to wake, severed from all connections—was found to be a victim of the Witch Cult.

Naturally, Heinkel should have heard about this. Yet, Heinkel had never shown any interest in 『Gluttony』, who might be the cause of his wife's slumber.

――Is it because obtaining the 'Dragon's Blood' and waking his wife is the top priority?

――Or is it because the shock of stabbing his father with his own hands and being drenched in his blood leaves no room for anything else?

Or perhaps――,

"If you seriously don't have that bastard in your sights, then why?"

"Wa, wait... what are you..."

"I don't need an answer. I told you. I'll just talk on my own and pick up what I want."

Heinkel's hand trembled as he gripped his sword, his face ashen as he looked at Felt. Meeting the gaze of those blue eyes inherited from the Astrea family with his own red eyes, Felt was certain.

In the depths of Heinkel's eyes, there was a feeble yet persistent ember. — It was probably the same kind of passion that resided in Old Man Rom's eyes when he looked at Felt.

"――――"

Heinkel Astrea appeared to be a man who was reckless, self-centered, selfish, ignorant of his own limitations, and utterly contemptible with no redeeming qualities. — Yet, if that faint glimpse of passion at his core was always part of his actions.

"You don't even look at 『Gluttony』 because you know it has nothing to do with your wife falling asleep. You know it's misguided, so you don't point your sword at it. But."

— The case of Luanna Astrea's 『Sleeping Beauty』 is fundamentally different from other 『Sleeping Beauties』.

Unlike other 『Sleeping Beauties』 who are severed from all connections worldwide, Reinhard, Heinkel, and everyone related to Luanna remember her and lament her sleep.

In other words, it's different. Luanna Astrea is not a victim of 『Gluttony』. And Heinkel, knowing this fact, had not communicated it to anyone.

Why? Because it must not be known. — The cause that put Luanna to sleep.

And that cause is —,

"— Reinhard."

"――――"

The widened eyes, the expression that had lost its voice, the breath devoid of life, all became a more eloquent answer than words, reinforcing Felt's conviction.

What she must do. — To know is Felt's current 『Proposition』.

The bitter truth revealed by the resolve and certainty to face that 『Proposition』 is —,

"— Was it Reinhard who put his own mother to sleep?"