Hearing Emilia's tearful words, Subaru was overcome with a piercing feeling of regret. He was stabbed by the guilt of having forced Emilia to dig up sad memories and even bring tears to her eyes.
From Emilia's broken words, one could sense her affection and gratitude for the people she had spent time with in Elior Forest. However, that changed completely after the snowy day, and her memories shifted to those of hatred and resentment.
It is unclear what they were thinking as they remained frozen inside the ice. However, the warm and happy times that Emilia must have had are now coldly and cruelly trapped inside the thick ice, which still shows no signs of melting.
"…Why did those people say such things to Emilia? Considering what I've just heard, it makes sense that it was... Emilia who covered the forest in ice. But did you, at such a young age, have the power to cause such an absurd phenomenon?"
"--I don't know. Back then I was much more naive than I am now, and I didn't know what I could or couldn't do, so I just relied on everyone's kindness. But... even now I don't have the power to freeze a forest by myself, without relying on Puck."
"Can we do it if Puck is there?"
"――――"
Subaru asked more questions in response to her uneasy words, and Emilia silently nodded her chin.
His reluctant affirmation was likely due to his fear that Subaru would misunderstand and think that he was the one who froze the forest.
This is not a matter of partiality for the government, but purely a matter of order.
"You don't have to look so worried, I wouldn't be mistaken. The time when Emilia met Puck was long after the Great Forest was frozen over... that was a hundred years later, right? Ice, Puck, and Emilia, the order is reversed."
"Uh, yeah... that's right, but..."
"I understand," Subaru had declared in advance, and Emilia nodded, her expression too stiff to be called relieved.
Resisting the urge to frown at her reaction, Subaru forced his facial muscles to remain calm and clasped his hands in front of Emilia.
--He had felt a slight sense of discomfort before when he had heard Emilia blurt out words. But right now, at this very moment, he had never felt such an intense sense of discomfort before.
Of course. Up until this moment, Natsuki Subaru had never once delved into Emilia's inner self or her past, and had only admired the surface of her humanity, feeling pleased with her.
And so this, that he must begin from here, is a "trial" for Subaru.
This was a Trial to see if Subaru, who had lost his qualifications to take the Trial at the Tomb, was worthy to be in front of Emilia, beside her, at her side.
"I understand what Emilia saw during the Trial at the Tomb. …So, conversely, how do you think Emilia can overcome it?"
"That's... hmmm."
Emilia's gaze wanders. It's not that she's unsure how to answer, but rather that she can't find a clear name or shape for the vague answer.
Emilia doesn't have a clear vision for how to overcome the Trials. It's still her first attempt, and from her perspective, a problem that has been bothering her for years has suddenly been brought to her attention, and she is being asked to provide a complete answer to it.
Originally, the first "Trial" of the Tomb was something that could be overcome by showing one's own answer to the past that one was avoiding facing - Echidna had said that.
The breakthrough is to come up with either an affirmative or negative answer.
Emilia holds the reality that she was rejected by people she was close to as a sad memory. Is overcoming that a prerequisite for passing the first Trial?
Letting go of the things you've left behind in the past - how can you clear them?
Subaru cannot give Emilia a clear answer. But there is something that Subaru understands, having overcome the first Trial, and having come into contact with the second Trial. There is something that Subaru understands, having come into contact, even if only briefly, with the personality of Echidna.
--Perhaps a "trial" does not present an insurmountable problem to those who challenge it.
This was only natural, considering Echidna's purpose in forcing them to undergo the Trials.
What Echidna desires is the treasure of results that satisfy her curiosity, and this shines brightest when she overcomes the Trials. At least, that's what the Witch must think.
The result will simply be answered by the challenger either in the affirmative or negative.
In other words, Emilia meets the conditions to clear the Tomb's "Trial." If she can find out what those conditions are and draw upon them to draw out her past, that should be the answer.
For that reason, if there was a problem, it wasn't with the Trials themselves――
"If you try to tackle it without finding some kind of answer, it'll probably end up the same."
"--What do you think, Subaru?"
"..."
"What do you think after hearing what I've just said... about the Trials and my past? Do you have any ideas about what I should do? What should I do..."
She must have been asking herself this question over and over for a long time, probably even after the Trial ended and they returned to their temporary lodgings last night, eating away at her sleep.
The thoughts were so draining that I nearly fainted, losing consciousness.
"Emilia, you said earlier that you wanted to melt the ice to express your gratitude to everyone, right?"
"Yeah"
"Why do you think that?"
Emilia had surely been treated cruelly by those who were close to her.
How will Emilia find meaning in rescuing these men and women who have sunk beneath the ice?
"The last memory that will remain with you is the memory of being rejected by those people, right? They hurled cruel words at you, they hurled hateful messages at you... so why do you think you want to help them?"
"--Subaru, if you say such terrible things to me here, won't you stop trying to help me?"
"――――"
I couldn't help but stutter.
Emilia's amethyst eyes stared back at Subaru with sincerity. All the hesitation and weakness had vanished from her answering eyes.
"It's true that being with everyone and the feelings I had at the end were painful... but that final moment didn't erase the time I'd spent with everyone up until then. I also had a lot of good memories with everyone."
"..."
"I can't just forget about it and deny everything, saying that everyone only has painful memories. I want to rescue everyone, and laugh together again... it may be selfish, but that's what I think."
After speaking, Emilia covers her mouth with her hand and watches Subaru's expression.
To Subaru, the expression on his face was as if he was afraid of accidentally letting out his ugly ambition and being scorned for it.
Seeing Emilia looking so anxious, Subaru thought.
--Is her way of life one that makes people think that her wish is greedy?
Subaru: "ーーSubaru?"
"Well, I thought so. Honestly, Emilia was right."
Even if the last time we were together I felt like I was going to be killed, the bonds and memories we'd built up up until then hadn't vanished.
Even after being nearly killed by Rem and Ram, Subaru ran around desperately wanting to rescue them. Even in the loop that began in the royal capital, he continued running with the same thought.
Just as Subaru thought so, Emilia thought so too—that was all.
"――――"
And just after feeling this sense of relief, Subaru noticed the biggest strangeness he had ever felt.
I was so shocked that I wondered why I hadn't noticed this oversight before.
Subaru: "ーーSubaru?"
Subaru looked at him with a stiff face, and Emilia's eyes wavered with confusion. Even though he knew he was making her feel uneasy, Subaru found it difficult to regain his composure. Because,
--Emilia had already found the answer to the events of the past.
"――――"
The Elven clan she had spent her days with were asleep in the ice of Elior Forest. Emilia reminisced about the day when the forest was covered in snow, and despite the malice directed at her by the people she trusted, she declared that she wanted to rescue them and convey her gratitude.
It is a definitive answer to a past that we want to turn away from.
If Subaru's decision to admit his past foolishness and say goodbye to his parents was deemed to have met the conditions for overcoming the first Trial, then Emilia's decision should also be considered a noble one.
And yet, the Trial refuses to recognize her as having met its conditions.
She wondered if it was because Subaru had woken her up and interrupted the Trial, but even in the past loops since the first day - even aside from the times when Subaru had interrupted Emilia's Trial, there had never been an instance where she had been able to pass the Trial.
Was Emilia's answer to the Trial that had been presented to her inappropriate?
"But that's..."
If Echidna is the one who hands down the judgement on the Trials, then perhaps it's up to the witch to decide whether she likes the answer she gets. However, Echidna's stance is one that places importance on getting an answer, rather than on what kind of answer is given.
Whatever the case, it was unlike her to reject the answer given by the challenger. It was unlike her, but - hypothetically - if it was possible that Echidna was refusing to accept Emilia's answer, Subaru could think of something.
But it was painful to admit it.
To admit this would be to establish the assumption that "Emilia alone" would absolutely not be able to pass this "Trial".
"How can I admit something like that... Please, Echidna."
"Subaru, what's wrong? I'm doing something strange again..."
"No, that's not Emilia's problem. If there is a problem, it's with the person who asked the question. ...You said you wanted to melt the ice to save everyone, but were you unable to melt the ice? You were living in the forest with Puck until Roswaal took you away, right? You should have had plenty of time to try."
Subaru spoke, knowing it was a cruel question.
Letting her do this after hearing about Emilia's past was nothing less than a choice to break the ice seal with her own hands, and once again shower Emilia with the hatred of the people she had freed.
Emilia herself must have experienced this anguish many times. She lowered her eyes, her nails leaving marks on the arm she was holding.
"I asked Pac for help many times, but... he couldn't melt the ice."
"Was it a mental problem that caused you to not be able to melt it? Or was it a physical problem..."
If it was a mental issue, Subaru had no intention of blaming her.
It's not easy for anyone to take action knowing that it will hurt someone's feelings.
However, Emilia weakly responded to Subaru's question with, "It's a physical problem, I guess."
"That ice was special ice... it wasn't something that could be melted even if we tried hard from the outside. We needed to do something about the ice user who had frozen it, or come up with a more incredible method... so I went along with Roswaal's suggestion..."
"suggestion...?"
"a..."
Subaru responded with a frown, and Emilia covered her mouth with her hand, as if she had said something she shouldn't have.
However, as Subaru continued to gaze upon her in silence, Emilia immediately slumped her shoulders.
"Roswaal... made a promise to me."
"――――"
"He brought the badge, had me hold it... and after he confirmed that the jewel was glowing red, he talked about the Royal Selection, and then... he said this."
Was it also written in the gospel that Emilia, whose badge was shining in the forest and who was qualified to be a candidate for the royal selection, was there?
In her imagination, Roswaal's bewitching smile comes to mind - as he holds out his hand to Emilia, she says.
"---If you can obtain the throne, you will also be able to melt the ice in this forest."
"...Did you believe that?"
"I was clinging to him. I wasn't told the details of how to dissolve him, but... I accepted his suggestion and left the forest with Roswaal. Puck... didn't object to what I did, so he came with me without saying a word."
"So that's why Emilia decided to take part in the royal selection... the selfish reason you mentioned before for taking part in the royal selection... is that it?"
Unlike the other candidates, Emilia had said that she had decided to participate in the royal selection for selfish reasons. I had avoided hearing the details up until now, but the meaning of her words at that time finally made sense.
"...You despise me, right?"
As I was pondering this idea in my heart, Emilia suddenly muttered.
When he raised his head, Emilia gazed timidly at Subaru, her lips trembling.
"Everyone else... everyone has set admirable goals and resolved to run for the throne, but my reasons are very, very personal..."
"I think the desire to help everyone in the village is very important too. The amount of people you save doesn't make what you do any less noble. Besides... what you said in the Royal Selection Hall wasn't a lie, right?"
"What I said in the Royal Selection Hall..."
"I want to be treated equally. I don't think there was any lie in those words."
At the beginning, she may have been seeking a solution to an unresolved situation within herself. However, by learning about the outside world, the magnitude of a century, and the current state of the world, Emilia must have had the opportunity to change her mind.
Subaru did not sense that the words she had spoken in the Royal Selection Hall were insincere or merely superficial.
If those feelings were genuine, and his desire to win the royal election was still the same, Subaru didn't think that would be a reason to belittle it.
Subaru: "So, there's no need to look so worried. I'm on your side, Emilia, and my feelings about you leaning on me haven't changed since last night. Even if you refuse to borrow my shoulder and tell me it's fine."
"Um... well, about yesterday..."
Subaru: "Don't apologize, it'll just make you feel miserable. Well, what I can say is that I'm always in a position where Emilia-tan can lean on me, so please use me wisely. I think it's good that Emilia is strong and can stand on her own, but I don't mind if you become a little weaker."
Smacking her chest and relaxing the corners of her mouth, Emilia suddenly sighed in relief. Instantly, that relief seemed to spread throughout her body, and she began to stagger.
"Somehow, just when I felt relieved, suddenly..."
"I just had a bad dream and couldn't fall asleep. Don't push yourself, you can sleep a little. I'll just watch over you and not do anything."
"I'm really curious about the part about not doing anything though..."
Worried about that unnecessary remark, Emilia still resisted the allure of sleepiness, her silver hair shaking. Subaru placed his fingers on her forehead and lightly pressed down on her slender body.
"Ahh..."
"It's fine, just go to sleep."
With Emilia lying on her back on the bed, he pointed his finger at her, giving her no choice but to accept it.
Subaru draped the towel blanket over her slender body, then pulled the chair he was sitting on even closer to the bed, and sat down in a position where he could see Emilia's sleeping face.
Subaru: "Let's talk a lot, make sense of it in our heads, and if what I said has put you at ease a little… let's get some rest. When night comes, it'll be time to work hard again."
"...Is it okay for me to be so spoiled like that?"
"It's okay. Just keep on being spoiled. I'll spoil you so much that you end up with lots of cavities."
Subaru shrugged, and Emilia in bed laughed softly. Then, Emilia stared fixedly at Subaru, slowly reaching her hand out from under the towel blanket,
"--hand"
"Yeah?"
"If you're going to spoil me, would you…hold my hand? Just until I go to sleep, is that okay?"
"Oh, leave it to me."
Taking the slender, small hand that Subaru offered to her, she smiled as she felt its delicate, smooth texture against her palm. Emilia smiled back at Subaru's smile, then gently closed her eyes as if following Subaru's words.
It didn't take long before a soft snoring could be heard.
"...I hope you have some good dreams."
As he watched Emilia sleep peacefully in bed, Subaru brushed the silver hair off her forehead with his fingers and dropped his gaze to his hands, which were still tied together.
It would be good if this awareness of the presence of others could free her from the loneliness of her dream, even if only just a little. Having to suffer alone in her room, tormented by repeated nightmares, is an extremely cruel treatment.
"Even so... I've heard a lot."
Sitting back in his chair with his hands still clasped, Subaru mulled over the contents of the conversation he had just had.
Emilia's past and why she challenged the Royal Selection. Roswaal's proposal that took her away, and Emilia's situation of being cornered to the point where she had no choice but to accept the proposal.
And above all else, the true nature of the Trial that had befallen Emilia, and that Trial that refused to forgive her even though she should have found the answerーー with all of this left in an incomplete form, Subaru had now put Emilia to bed, and now he was here.
"――――"
Gently, I gazed at Emilia's sleeping face.
It wasn't that he'd put off the situation because he felt saddened by her exhausted state - there was a reason why he'd put off the answer he needed to give, almost forcing her to rest like this.
The reason he'd come to that conclusion was just too outrageous - because he didn't think he could do it with Emilia awake and next to her.
"However, considering the situation... I can't think of any other way."
The past loop, the things that had caught his attention, and other circumstantial evidence had made Subaru aware of this. There was only one way to find out, and it could be done easily now.
And if this thinking was correct, then it would undoubtedly be a ray of hope that could resolve the current situation.
Take a breath and hold it.
Listening to the loud sound of his heartbeat through his blood, Subaru reaches out his hand to see if his thoughts are correct.
His left hand, opposite the one holding Emilia's right hand, went to the neck of the peacefully sleeping Emilia - reaching out to that pale, slender neck, and.
"--You're not actually asleep, are you?"
A cold, hard feeling on your fingertips.
Subaru spoke, feeling the tension in his voice.
There was a moment of silence, and just as Subaru's heart was beginning to burn with frustration―― suddenly,
『You noticed, didn't you? ――I'm happy, Subaru.』
From within the green crystal that Subaru touched, the androgynous voice of a spirit resonated directly inside his skull.