Chapter 9.4
Pretending to change the topic, Subaru pronounced the vital question . On hearing Subaru’s question, the first to react was Ram . But, it was not an answer he had hoped for .
When the name entered her ears, Ram angled her head as if she had heard an entirely unfamiliar term . As Subaru’s hopes dropped, Roswaal quietly mumbled the name over again in his mouth .
[Subaru: ……Well?]
[Roswaal: Omu . Sorry, but it doesn’t sound too fami~liar . I get the feeling it sounds similar to Ram’s name but, ma~ybe if it was mispronounced] ***fami~liar . >_<
[Subaru: Is……that so . No, that’s all . If you don’t remember, there’s nothing . Nothing you can do]
Turning his head to the side, Subaru accepted that answer .
Ram and Roswaal’s reply had shattered the faint expectation in Subaru’s heart . To Rem, they had been the two people whom she had spent the longest time with, for whom she would have given her life, and whom she had admired and loved . And they had forgotten her .
Taking in the reality of this fact, the air within Subaru’s heart settled . And he soberly acknowledged it .
――That in this world, the only one who could remember her, was himself .
[Emilia: Subaru, are you alright?]
With a worried voice, Emilia softly touched the end of Subaru’s sleeve . Savoring the gentleness of the tip of her finger, Subaru, not wanting to let her see the darkness on his face, closed his eyes, then forcibly lifted his head .
[Subaru: I’m alright . It’s not like I had any special expectations . I more or less knew it would be like this . ――What I must do, one way or another, I already have that resolve]
[Emilia: En . Let’s find a way . I will help too]
Emilia nodded at Subaru’s determination, and pledged her unreserved support . As the heart that had been shattered recovered in her gentle regard, Subaru shrugged up his shoulders .
[Subaru: When Rem wakes up… my love won’t be wholeheartedly directed at Emilia-tan anymore… won’t you get jealous?]
[Emilia: Subaru’s feelings for me, if it diminishes, then maybe… But it won’t be like that, right? My share and Rem-san’s share, you’ve already said you have them all properly planned out and everything…]
In response to Subaru’s flirty banter, Emilia made an unexpected retaliation . Scared witless by that retort, Subaru couldn’t utter another word out of his mouth, and her face only slightly blushed, and said with a soft smile,
[Emilia: Let’s go, Subaru . I want to let Ram meet Rem-san soon too]
[Subaru: A, aah, yeah . En, that’s right]
Even if Ram could not remember, it would be a reunion with her twin sister . Would that reunion call back memories, or send some shock-waves to the lost love they once had for each other .
Even such a fragile hope, he will cling onto it so long as there was still meaning .
[Ram: Barusu]
As Emilia followed Garfiel out of the room and Subaru turned to follow as well, he was stopped by a call from behind .
Looking over, it was Ram who quickly approached him . While taking into her hands the replacement bandages for Roswaal’s wounds, she came close to Subaru’s side .
[Subaru: What is it? If you’re planning on some Bandage-Play, after we leave you can have Roswaal all to yourself……]
[Ram: Only Emilia-sama is to enter the Tomb . Burusu must never enter]
Ignoring his joke, Ram’s incisive tone crushed Subaru’s attitude aside .
Ram’s voice was lowered, and had told him in a volume that even Roswaal could not hear . Seeing Subaru’s furrowed brows, just in case, she said it once more .
[Ram: ――If you do not wish to be ensnared by the deranged will of a Witch, do not, under any circumstances, enter the Tomb]
She repeated it once again .
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
――The air inside the Tomb was frigid and clear, and, quite literally, a cool otherworldliness accompanied the atmosphere that greeted Subaru .
A step, every step he took rang out an echo from the soles of his shoes, and, regardless of whether he had wanted to or not, asserted his presence in this place . But even so, the sound of these footsteps gave him an unexpected sense of calmness .
――Because in the darkness which did not even allow him to see a few meters ahead, in the miasma in which his very own existence was in called into doubt, even this sound had become a consolation to him .
Unaware of where he was, the walls which had been his only source of reference had long disappeared . Walking on and on, had he almost reached the end of his path? Subaru felt the illusion as if he had stopped still .
But the sound of his footsteps refuted this . Within the certainty of the resonance of these footfalls was Subaru’s existence: the reality of his steps were guaranteed, and relying on just this small consolation, he continued onward .
How much time had passed, it was impossible to tell in the darkness . Even his thoughts became vague, and his throat, which had already given up on calling out, froze . Walking on like this, exhaustion did not come to him, but because of this, the sensation of his limbs began to blur as well .
Regardless, he walked on . He must walk on . He must not give up .
He forbid himself to stop . Walk, continue walking . Even crushed under the weight of his baggage, he must clench his teeth and walk on .
Otherwise, how would he ever face her―― .
[???: ――I see, so that is your core . Very interesting indeed]
A sudden voice rang out, and just as abruptly ended, to be lost forever into the falling of the curtains .
The unimaginable darkness which stretched on no matter which way he turned, in an instant, became bright as day, and the narrow stone corridor transformed – to be wider than the ends of the world . The earth piled beneath his soles snuffed out the sound of his steps, and an air of filth which, above anything, brought nausea to his chest, sprawled throughout .
Completely different from the world up to now, was an ancient ruin befitting of reality―― a scene which he felt he might have seen before he entered the Tomb, panned out, and Subaru lost his words .
In front of him, someone suddenly approached . That is――
[???: Apologies for such a ludicrous welcome . I didn’t intend it to be like this, but no matter what, this body is a thing of Greed, after all . The desire to know is… impossible to escape]
Pure white, like a field of the first virgin snow, was the white impression of that girl .
The long hair draping over her back shone like the reflection of snow in a daydream of pristine white, and the few patches of skin that were showing were just as translucent, and beautiful . A radiance of wisdom lighted up her eyes; she wore on her body a simple ink-black dress, and the display of the two colors adorned the polar extremes of her beauty .
Anyone who had eyes would probably be captivated by such beauty―― but instead, what gripped Subaru’s entire body was an overwhelming horror that he had never felt before .
Even the sense of pressure he had felt on his first encounter with the White Whale, could not compare to this .
Before the speechless Subaru, the girl shook her white hair, and narrowed her eyes, and then, as if understanding him, nodded lightly .
[???: Excuse my rudeness . I haven’t even introduced myself . It was so very rude of me, please accept my apologies . It’s because I haven’t interacted with anyone for a very long time, I haven’t recovered my voice, it seems]
Unlike the tone of her voice, the girl’s expression barely changed as she softly shook her head .
Then, looking at Subaru, who had been frightened into silence, the girl held a hand over her chest in a sign for him to calm down .
[Echidona: My name is Echidona . The one called the Witch of Greed, do you understand?]