Volume 4 - Chapter 89.1

Chapter 89.1
ARC 4THE EVERLASTING COVENANTChapter 89 [Memories Of Snow]

――After concluding his secret talk with Lewes, Subaru walked through the forest alone .
He told her that he needed to think and left her behind with the crystal . To be standing there before a girl with the same face as her own―― her original, no less . How pensive a thing .
While Subaru’s interest in all this was inexhaustible, he wasn’t sure how far he wanted to delve into this topic . But, in any case, the Lewes he just spoke to was on his side .
Of those four Lewes replicants:
Judging by Lewes’ words, two of them had been inside the Tomb . That is to say, two Leweses had taken the Trial .
As such, Subaru suspected that the one filling Garfiel with these ideas would be one of those two Leweses who had taken the Trial .
Seeing how there were four of them, it’s possible that not all of their opinions were uniform .
Subaru’s assumption that, since they all played the same character, all four of them must be the same person, had backfired . While those four were indeed playing the same person, they were each individual existences with their own thoughts and ideals .
And so, it wouldn’t be too strange if one Lewes had experienced something the others hadn’t that caused her thinking to diverge from the rest’s .
For convenience’s sake, Subaru decided to label the four Leweses Alpha, Beta, Theta, and Sigma . Leweses Alpha and Beta do not know about the Trial, while Leweses Theta and Sigma do .
What he actually wanted to do was the German “Eins”, “Zwei”, “Drei”, but he couldn’t remember the fourth one so that had to be scrapped .
Anyway,
[Subaru: Problem is, meeting with Theta and Sigma will be at least two days from now……]
The timing of the Great Rabbit’s attack on the Sanctuary―― or, strictly speaking, the large-scale magic spawning the great snowstorm that will lure the Great Rabbit here, will be five days from now .
Assuming he probably couldn’t come up with a counter-plan immediately after talking with those Leweses, the remaining three days will offer very little leeway .
In the end, Garfiel would massacre every last villager if it meant preventing the Sanctuary’s liberation .
If they were the ones who convinced him to do this, Leweses Theta and Sigma will not be easily swayed . Considering the prospects of persuading them, the road ahead was indeed looking dark .
[Subaru: But in exchange for the mounting obstacles…… there’s now an opening for dealing with Garfiel, huh . If I can just persuade the two interfering Leweses, then the problem’s solved…]
If Theta and Sigma were the ones inciting Garfiel to violence, persuading them would be the equivalent of clearing the Garfiel route . Since Subaru could see no way of working things out with Garfiel directly, this was certainly a glimmer of hope, albeit a fragile and feeble one .
Right now, Garfiel’s power was not limited to himself but extended to the twenty-odd non-representative Leweses―― that is, the empty copies without wills of their own .
Without regard for their own individual lives, each copy was an almost mechanical fighting force, and there was not much Subaru could do should Garfiel choose to use them .
Whichever way you look at it, Subaru’s situation was beyond unforgiving .
But leaving sentimentalities aside, Subaru would rather avoid coming into conflict with Garfiel .
It was all too clear that neutralizing Garfiel with force would be impossible .
If Subaru really had to take on Garfiel, spurred on by Theta and Sigma and with those girls at his command, Subaru’s already slim chances would just drop even lower .
[Subaru: After the flashy way I sealed that contract with Roswaal, I can’t fail . Not planning to, either . Nevermind whether the insurance’ll work or not, I still need to put my foot down when I have to]
Subaru tightened his cheeks just as they were beginning to falter, and shook his head, reminding himself .
Then, looking straight ahead once more,
[Subaru: Either way, I’ll have to wing it when dealing with Theta and Sigma . Could also try taking a shot with Garfiel and feel him out early, but…… maybe later]
Coming out of the forest, Subaru returned to the center of the Sanctuary .
The sun had completely risen, and the residents and the Arlam villagers had begun setting about their daily activities around the settlement .
Giving them glances as he passed, answering the occasional hellos with waves of his hand, Subaru’s legs carried him straight towards a place separated from the bustle .
To a place a little further away from the Cathedral and the village center .
――The place where Emilia was sleeping .
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
===