Silence.
Complete silence.
The atmosphere felt so thick it was almost tangible, pressing down heavily on everyone present.
This absolute bombshell left everyone frozen in place, their expressions a mix of disbelief and dread.
"...The Witch Cult?" Subaru turned to the voice that broke the stillness. It was Rem, and despite being the one to speak, she was clearly still reeling from the news.
"Yes," he replied, his voice serious and weighty, lacking his usual cheerful demeanor.
"This... This is unexpected," Crusch interjected, recovering from her shock more quickly than expected. It was clear why she was known as the "Iron Duchess".
"I agree," Wilhelm added, nodding in agreement with Crusch. He too struggled to accept the reality of the situation. The Witch Cult attacking? Now of all time?
"Neither can I. I wish this was just a tasteless joke, but it's not," he said, avoiding eye contact and staring off toward the forest that lay beyond the Lifus highway.
"I apologize for my doubt. But how do you know the Witch Cult is actually attacking?" she inquired, her divine protection revealing that the wind around him was steady and unchanging.
He was sincere and believed every word he spoke, but that didn't guarantee her belief.
Subaru met her gaze for a moment, noting the determination in her eyes. With a resigned sigh, he turned back to the direction he had been looking.
"Do you see those two over there?" he asked, gesturing with his fingers.
Rem, Crusch, and the quiet Wilhelm followed Subaru's gaze, scanning the vast plains beyond Flugel's tree, but they saw nothing.
"Rem doesn't see anything?" the oni-made called out, receiving nods of agreement from the others.
"I know they're far away, but focus on the road; you should be able to see them," he urged.
Everyone followed instructions and concentrated on the road ahead. It was quite challenging with the sun beating down on them, but they spotted two dots in the distance.
"Rem can hardly see them," she remarked, squinting to get a clearer view.
"That may be true for you, but I can see them just fine," he replied before turning to the rest of the group.
"There are two people over there. One is a brown-skinned boy with long, messy brown hair and sharp teeth. I don't know who he is, but it's the other one that I recognize," he explained.
"White hair, yellow eyes, pure white clothing, and a nasty smirk. Doesn't that ring a bell for any of you?" he asked the trio.
Rem and Crusch exchanged puzzled looks, unsure of who he meant, but Wilhelm, the seasoned warrior, wore a look of shock.
"Wilhelm? Do you know who he's referring to?" Crusch asked, noticing the serious expression on his face.
"...I think I have an idea, Crusch-sama. And it's a troubling one," he replied, his tone reflecting his concern.
"I believe the person Subaru-dono is talking about is none other than the infamous archbishop of greed, Regulus Corneas."
The revelation hit both of them hard, especially Rem. "An Archbishop?!" she gasped, her initial shock quickly transforming into fury.
The Witch Cult had ravaged her village, taken her parents from her, and now they were here to threaten her home? To harm Emilia-sama and her sister? And even kill Subaru-kun?
She wouldn't let that happen! Not under her watch!
Subaru nodded in agreement with Wilhelm's statement, casting a knowing look at Rem. "Yes, I remember his description from one of the books I read," he said.
Following Rem's attack on him, he decided to research more into the "Witch Cult". Unfortunately, information about them is scarce, as most of their members are largely unknown.
However, there is one outlier, a member who is quite infamous and has been around for quite some time, if the sources are to be believed: the Archbishop of Greed, Regulus Corneas.
He is described as an impatient and intolerable man, responsible for numerous atrocities and attacks across the continent. Reports also suggest that he single-handedly destroyed one of the smaller kingdoms.
A highly dangerous individual, so his unexpected presence here set off alarm bells in Subaru's mind.
Subaru was aware of the cult's connection with the Witch of Envy, a silver-haired half-elf, and there was one person dear to him who fit that description: Emilia.
"I see, this is quite dire," Crusch remarked, fully grasping the gravity of the situation.
"But why would those filth appear now? Subaru-kun just killed the White Whale..." Rem said through gritted teeth, still furious at them.
Subaru paused at Rem's words, then replied, "I think you just said it, Rem,"
"The White Whale was just killed, and coincidentally, an archbishop appears out of nowhere. Since the Witch of Envy is the one who created the Mabeast, it's not far-fetched to believe that they might be linked in some way," he explained.
Wilhelm chimed in with his thoughts, "Your reasoning has some validity, Subaru-dono. I have been tracking the Whale for years, and some of its appearances coincide with confirmed attacks made by the Witch Cult."
"So the White Whale and the Witch are connected? That... would explain a lot," Crusch said, though something was still bothering her.
"In that case, how can you be so certain that the Cult is after Emilia-sama? I understand that the appearance of the archbishop of Greed warrants concern, but so far, it seems to be just the Archbishop alone, and he's not anywhere near Emilia-san."
Subaru glanced at Crusch but remained quiet; it seemed inevitable that he would have to explain everything to her, whether he wanted to or not.
"As you might not know, my eyes are... Special," he said, his gaze subtly glowing brighter. Crusch felt an inexplicable sensation in her stomach.
"I have enhanced perception, which makes me see things from a great distance, including things that are usually invisible to the naked eye," he elaborated.
"I just discovered this, but it appears that those archbishops have something within them. I think that those who have it are related to the cult," he continued, narrowing his eyes at Greed.
It was the same repulsive, disgusting substance he had encountered before during the royal selection—a vile, black, tar-like material that clung to the Od. The same one His Six Eyes couldn't comprehend.
And it wasn't just the Greed archbishop; the brown-haired boy beside him seemed to have it too. If he had to guess, that boy was likely another archbishop. What sin he represented was anyone's guess.
'Based on his teeth and his condition, Gluttony seems the most likely choice, but I could be wrong.' That uncertainty was what frustrated him the most.
He despised not having all the cards at his disposal. A lack of knowledge could lead to deadly consequences, which he preferred to avoid.
That's why he always relied on his Six Eyes; it was always better to better than sorry
Having the ability to understand everything but choosing not to utilize it was negligence, and negligence could be fatal.
He had learned that lesson the hard way.
He forcibly pulled himself out of that spiraling rabbit hole; he couldn't afford to dwell on it.
"This is why I know Emilia is in danger; I can see that one of them is in Roswaal's land, especially close to the mansion where Emilia lives," he explained fully.
'Tch, so you really have come here to destroy Rem's home, filthy witch cultists! Rem won't let any of you harm her family!' she vowed silently.
Crusch exchanged a glance with Wilhelm and nodded at him, her divine protection confirming that he was speaking the truth.
"Your divine protection is telling you i'm telling the truth, right?" Subaru's words caused Crusch to flinch hard. How did he know this?
"Like I said, my eyes are special. I can see the unseen, including your divine protection and how it works." He gave her a playful wink, accompanied by a slight smirk.
Crusch opened her mouth to respond but then fell silent. She was at a loss for words. He can see her divine protection? Just how does that make any sense? And how does it even work?
"Natsuki Subaru, you truly are full of surprises," Crusch remarked, her voice genuine. Wilhelm nodded in agreement beside her.
"Of course, we're talking about Rem's hero," Rem chimed in, her earlier anger dissipating at the mention of her hero.
Subaru's lips curled into a smile, "Thanks, I'll take that as a complement. Now, would you lend us a hand?"
Crusch placed her hand on her chest and nodded, "Absolutely, as I mentioned before, I keep my promises."
She then addressed the sword demon. "Wilhelm, please instruct the men to gather their weapons and prepare themselves; we're heading to the Mather's territory at once."
Wilhelm bowed in response to his lady's command, "As you wish, Crusch-sama."
Turning to Subaru, who looked pleased, she added, "My men will assist you and your lady in the upcoming battle, Subaru."
He acknowledged her with a nod, "Great. Before we fight them, there's a village near the mansion called 'Arlam' that I want you to evacuate first."
Crusch hesitated for a moment, "And how many people live in that village?"
Subaru pondered for a moment, unsure of the exact number. "About a few hundred? I can't say for sure."
Rem, however, had the answer ready, "Three hundred and forty-five, Subaru-kun."
Subaru blinked at Rem, "How do you know the exact number?"
"Rem occasionally helps Roswaal-sama with his administrative tasks," she replied.
"Huh, talk about convenient. So Crusch, can you do it?" He looked at the duchess.
She frowned slightly, "...Unfortunately, no. We lost half of our carriages during the initial whale attack. I can only evacuate a maximum of two hundred."
Subaru went thin-lipped at this. This could lead to several issues, having half of them leave while the other stay would split their forces in half, and of course, there would be chaos if not everyone is able to evacuate. Not to mention tha families that would be split apart for the near future.
It would be a disaster, and the Iron Fang had already left, so he can't even negotiate for their involvement.
But, luckily for him, he spotted something in the distance.
"I think I have the solution for our problem" he said, eying the travelling caravan.
---------------------------------
And those were the events that transpired just hours earlier.
He and Rem had taken it upon themselves to negotiate with the caravan for assistance in the evacuation. Naturally, they were weary, suspecting them to be involved in human trafficking.
Subaru told them true intentions and the looming threat, but the moment they heard the "Witch Cult" they refused instantly. It wasn't until Subaru mentioned his employer's name and presented a bag of coins that their stance changed.
Merchants and their greed always go hand in hand, but he had no complaints about that.
Thus, they struck a deal. In exchange for helping evacuate the villagers, Subaru would purchase all their goods at market value and secure an endorsement from Roswaal.
He wasn't entirely sure why an endorsement from Roswaal, a court mage, was so important to them, but it didn't concern him.
By the time they arrived at Flugel's tree, most of the army was prepared and ready to move.
They appeared eager to assist, as shown by their encouraging words, which relieved him since he had feared they might be reluctant to fight after their close call with the White Whale.
And without any further ado, they set off, with Subaru keeping an eye on the black tar from a distance, monitoring its movements.
If the archbishop got too close to the village or the mansion, he would have to teleport and kill him, which would complicate the evacuation process, since his presence is important.
Fortunately, that didn't happen, and the archbishop remained in his place. However, as he approached the mansion, he sensed more and more cultists scattered in the forest around the mansion and the village.
There were dozens, perhaps even a hundred or two. This made him grateful for the army he had brought along.
He also sent Rem to the mansion to inform everyone about the impending attack and the arrival of reinforcements. It would be problematic if any fighting broke out because of the sudden appearance of an army.
Now, here he stood in the heart of Arlamm village, right in the central plaza by the village well. Surrounding him were the villagers of Arlam, looking at him with a mix of alarm and confusion.
Behind him were Crusch and her knight, Felix. Overseeing the announcement that he was about to make.
On the outskirts, soldiers headed by Wilhelm patrolled the perimeter, ensuring everyone's safety and keeping an eye out for any cultists.
On the side, empty carriages stood ready to transport everyone away.
"Listen up, everyone," he called out, raising his voice to cut through the murmurs and draw their attention.
He paused briefly to let his words sink in before continuing. "As much as I wish I could say this is just a poorly timed joke, it's not. What i'm about tell you is something so important, your safety is at stake here,"
Concern began to ripple through the crowd. Why did the one who had easily killed an entire pack of Mabeasts sound so grim? And what does he mean by their lives are at stake? Are they under attack?
"Due to some unforeseen development, this village could be targeted by the Witch Cult,"
His statement triggered an immediate reaction. Whispers of shock, fear, and anxiety spread among the villagers, their faces reflecting disbelief and dread.
They were all too aware of the terrifying cult and the gruesome fate that awaited its victims. Why would the Witch Cult choose to target a small, seemingly inconsequential village like theirs?
Then, to some of them, the reason for this calamity struck like lightning—it was because of—
The sound of heavy stomping and cracking stones stole their attention, silencing the crowd entirely.
"At a time like this, assigning blame will not help," Subaru declared, his sharp gaze sweeping over the villagers. "It won't change the situation, nor will it protect you from what's coming."
His words landed heavily. Some villagers averted their eyes, looking down in shame. He could see it—the realization creeping in. They knew the danger came to their doorsteps because of Emilia, the silver-haired half-elf whose resemblance to the Witch of Envy had made her a target of the Witch's Cult.
And if panic took hold, if fear dictated their actions, Emilia would be blamed. He wouldn't let that happen.
They had doubted her before, but she had worked tirelessly to earn their trust. Subaru refused to see that trust dissolve in a single moment of fear.
"I know you're scared. I understand it very well," he said, his voice softer now. "But I give you my word—none of you will be harmed. Leave your stuff behind and board the carriages. We will get you to safety while we take care of the threat."
He paused, letting his words settle.
"When you return, this village will be just as you left it. So, will you trust me?"
The crowd fell silent, and Subaru hoped they would support him. He couldn't let the situation spiral out of control.
"We... We trust you, Subaru-san!" one man from the crowd spoke up.
"Y-yeah! you rescued my son from those mabeasts a month ago!"
"And my daughter!"
"You helped me set up my stall!"
"You watched my kids when I was busy!"
"You took us to that amazing ice castle!"
One by one, the villagers shared their stories of how Subaru had helped them during his visits to the village.
Subaru felt relieved by the faith they placed in him. 'Thank goodness, this might go more smoothly than I expected,' he thought.
Eventually, the villagers were being escorted to the carriages for evacuation, while Subaru stood to the side, on guard for any signs of movement in the forest. Tracking every Od he can see with his Six Eyes.
I'm surprised. They seem to trust you deeply. I expected there to be a panic." the duchess remarked from nearby.
"That's right! Mew thinks you handled it quite well, Subawu-kyun!" Felix added as well
"Well, it's not that big of a deal. There is a famous saying back home: 'What goes around, comes around.' Even if they're just normal villagers, helping them brings its own rewards," he replied.
"I see. Those are some wise words, Subaru," she said, and he smiled at her.
"I'll keep an eye out for any movements. Can you get a map from the village leader so we can plan our next steps?" he asked.
"Of course, come along, Ferris. We have some planning to do."
Now alone, Subaru observed the scene. Once the villagers were safely in the carriages, they would depart under the protection of most of the army, while those remaining would stay back to fight the Archbishop.
'I don't know who you are, or who you think you are, but you've picked the wrong house, fool,' he thought with a scowl on his face.
The Archbishop had no idea what was coming.
But then, he heard the feminine sound of Silver bells ring behind him.
"Subaru..."