The bedroom situation at the inn became momentarily awkward. The innkeeper had initially attempted to put Subaru, Emilia, and Felt all in the same bed. Once that was cleared up, Emilia and Subaru were given a luxurious room with a soft bed and a large bathtub. Garfiel and Felt even got a room with two beds, which went a long way toward convincing Felt to let the innkeeper live.
Later that night, while Emilia took a bath, Subaru stood in the dried-out fields some distance outside the inn, trying to control his frustration. A swarm of glowing, colored orbs of light flew around him, their endless chorus echoing in his mind as they praised his greatness.
Why is this always so hard?! I can 't get the spirits to understand anything I want them to do! Even when they do what I want, it seems to be more by luck than any sort of deliberate process.
Why can 't I control these spirits like I did in Girali? If I could control the spirits, then I'd have all the power I could ever need. I'd even be able to face the Archbishops on even footing.
More importantly, I 'd be able to keep Emilia safe . Every fight would end before it began. I won 't need to worry about keeping Emilia away from danger. She won't be in danger no matter what she tries to do.
I need to figure out how to communicate my instructions to the spirits, but I can 't get them to do anything I want!
I 've asked them to make water for me. Some of these spirits are bright blue water spirits! Water is all that they know! Creating water should be a simple trick that they can probably do half-asleep… I mean, if lesser spirits actually do sleep …
But the spirits have gone off in all of these crazy directions! They 've dug trenches for me and started whirlwinds! They've brought me piles of stones like a cat bringing a dead mouse to its master.
When my frustration got the best of me, I felt the spirits start to panic, and they got more exotic in their efforts, hoping to keep me happy.
They grabbed huge dump trucks worth of dirt and then compressed them into boulders, lining them up like offerings.
They 've used the wind to gather huge piles of leaves and drop them at my feet. They even created a perfect life-sized ice sculpture of Emilia.
…I still have no idea how they knew who Emilia was or what she looked like, but it was an amazing job. Too bad it'll melt by morning.
They even started a brush fire! The next thing I know, I 'm desperately trying to beat out the fire before it reaches all that dry grass and engulfs this whole region!
Subaru sat down heavily. Alright. Think. There has to be an explanation. In Girali, I could control the spirits like my own two hands. It was so easy and effortless that I barely needed to think about it.
But why? What was different back then?
…Well, first of all, the Authority had activated, and it took control. That's one. And for two, I was pretty much insane with hate and rage. Yeah… I always seem to be acting my worst whenever the Authority unlocks.
Maybe that 's why all the witches turned into monsters. To harness the magic, you need to tap into your own worst self…
Subaru considered that and then shook his head. No. Something else is missing here. Yes, in Girali, I 'd unlocked the true power of the Authority, and I felt like I could shape and destroy worlds with my bare hands. But I've unlocked the Authority several times now.
I 've had Pridebreaker in my arsenal since before we went to Gusteko. So why did the Authority only start to summon the spirits in Girali? I don't remember it summoning any spirits when I killed the Gusteko princes, but then again, that whole incident is kind of a big blur in my memory.
Subaru thought about it for a moment. If I did summon a dozen or so fire spirits, that might explain why the princes ended up nothing but blackened bones and why so much of the room looked like it had been through a big fire.
Although I 'd assume that fire spirits are pretty scarce in Gusteko.
I don 't know. Maybe it was just a coincidence.
Alright. So, assuming that the unleashed Authority only tried to summon spirits for the first time during my breakdown in Girali, why would that be? What was different about it?
Subaru thought about it, and then his eyes widened. He rummaged around in his satchel and slowly pulled out the golden rod.
When Subaru first retrieved the rod from the mountain temple, it immediately shrunk from an enormous, golden-headed staff to a rod the size of a tennis racket. The golden head at the apex was shaped like a warped trident. It had three prongs rising from its head. The central one was short and ended in a small orb. The outer two were long and tapered like horns, curling over the orb. Three golden rings were wrapped around each outer prong, bouncing and chiming whenever Subaru moved the rod.
Could it be this thing? Subaru wondered. What the hell even is it?
It sort of reminds me of a shakujo, Subaru thought. And maybe that makes sense since I found it in Kararagi. That whole region was heavily influenced by Japanese culture for reasons that I still don 't understand.
But could this be why I was able to control the spirits? I 'd forgotten all about it, but I was holding it when I first summoned the spirits and when I tried to use them to attack Sonas.
Could there be a connection? It seems like sort of a long shot, but …
Subaru lifted the rod and gave it one good, strong shake. The rings chimed musically for a few seconds, then settled back around their prongs.
Subaru waited, seeing what would happen, and then he rolled his eyes with a sigh.
Well, it was worth a try. But all that happened was they made a little noise, and then everything got quiet.
Subaru 's eyes widened. Wait a second. Things really did just get quiet.
Subaru looked up at the spirits. They still surrounded him, but their constant declarations of adoration had ceased. The spirits had even stopped their constant dance around Subaru 's head. The brilliant orbs of light silently hovered in place.
Subaru pursed his lips. Did the staff do that? Maybe, but what exactly did it do?
The spirits aren 't talking to me anymore, but they haven't gone away either. I'm not sure if this is an improvement or a step backward, but at least it's a change!
Now, I just need to figure out what the hell I did.
Subaru stood up. "Can you hear me?" He called out.
The spirits made no answer.
Subaru frowned. Can you hear me? He tried sending the message in his mind, concentrating on the words with all his might.
Again, the spirits gave no response.
Subaru made a face. Alright. This is pretty confusing, but … let's not give up on it yet. The staff clearly did something to the spirits, but the question is, 'What?' What did it actually do?
Was the rod designed to work with Pridebreaker somehow? Or is it just a coincidence? Maybe the staff has a more general purpose. Maybe it amplifies or modifies any Authority power, not just Pride.
Well, I guess I won 't get the answer to that question any time soon. Not unless I want to hand Lye the staff and ask him to play with it and see what happens. And something tells me that would be a very bad idea.
Subaru shook the staff again. The rings chimed, but nothing happened.
Subaru sighed and rubbed his forehead. Naturally. Why should anything ever be easy?
On the other hand, I have to admit that the quiet is wonderful. Listening to all the spirits inside my head, singing and chanting my praises for hours on end, is a lot like having a preschool class stuck in your brain.
So, at least in that sense, this is an improvement. But can I still get the spirits to do anything for me while they 're in this state? Or will they just ignore me completely this time?
Well, that 's easy enough to test.
Subaru sighed and raised his hand. He pointed at a deep hole that the spirits had dug out while gathering dirt and rocks in their desperate efforts to please Subaru. "Alright. Water," Subaru commanded indifferently.
There was a sound like thunder, and Subaru was thrown off his feet as a geyser of water shot up out of the hole. It surged a hundred feet into the air. Then it fell and began to gently rain down over the entire region, drenching hundreds of square feet of bone-dry land.
Subaru stared at the geyser in disbelief. The torrent of water continued to gush out of the shallow hole with incredible force and showed no sign of stopping or running out of water.
Subaru realized that he was now sitting in a rapidly spreading pool of water. The desiccated field wasn 't absorbing the massive rush of water, and Subaru realized he was looking right into the teeth of an emerging flash flood.
In desperation, Subaru swung the staff again. "Stop!" He shouted.
The torrent cut off like a light switch. The last of the water flew up into the sky and then fell as more rain, leaving Subaru sitting in an inexplicable pond in the middle of a dried-up and crumbling field.
Subaru took a few deep breaths as he got back to his feet, his eyes wide with shock.
That was amazing! I 've never been able to control the spirits like this before!
The staff is definitely doing something to them. Like it 's making it so they can understand me! This must be why I could control them in Girali!
Subaru slowly calmed down. Let 's… try this again. Power is awesome, but sometimes, what I really need is control. I asked for water, and they provided it, but definitely not in the way that I intended.
Subaru closed his eyes and concentrated. He imagined the pond that he had accidentally created, drying up and evaporating. He focused on the image with all of his might.
"Dry up," Subaru whispered to the spirits.
Subaru didn 't dare open his eyes for fear of breaking his concentration, but he felt the water receding around him as if it were drying up or drifting away.
Even my clothes feel like they 're getting dry!
When Subaru felt completely dry, he opened his eyes. He once again stood in the same dry terrain that he had started with.
That was amazing! He thought again, a wild smile on his face. I never imagined that I could control their magic like this!
What else can I do?!
Subaru glanced at a tiny brown fern growing out of the ground and chuckled.
Subaru tried not to laugh. This is stupid. This is going to be so stupid!
Subaru approached the fern, which was no more than a foot tall, and he concentrated on it. When Subaru thought that the spirits had finished their task, he grabbed the fern and yanked it out of the ground.
The fern came up in his hands but with more stalk still inexplicably reaching down into the ground as if a vast reservoir of fern stalk was still buried underground.
Subaru grinned and kept pulling the fern hand over hand like he was pulling an enormous rope out of the ground.
Eventually, a full forty feet of fern stalk lay around his feet like some childish cartoon skit before he burst out laughing, and his concentration shattered. The fern roots came out of the ground in his hands, an incongruously enormous plant.
Subaru laughed out loud. "Oh, that was so stupid! But it was awesome! I've got the magic now! I can control my power! I can reshape the whole world around me! The staff must be giving me some kind of shortcut to mastering the Authority!"
I did it. I can do it.
I 've got to show Emilia!
Subaru started to dash off to the inn, but then he paused. He thought for a moment, and then he began to smile.
Emilia 's bath hadn't been as relaxing as she'd hoped. She just had too much on her mind at the moment.
Emilia wore a simple robe as she sat on the bed, brushing her hair with a gloomy look on her face.
Without my magic, I just feel so helpless right now.
Maybe Garfiel was right. Maybe I was talking my frustrations out on Subaru. I can 't really blame him for worrying about me as long as I have this blasted collar around my neck.
There was a knock at the door.
Emilia frowned, wondering who could be calling at this hour. She flitted to the door and listened carefully but heard nothing.
"Who is it?" She called in a guarded tone.
"It's me!" Subaru said in a giggle.
Emilia blinked in confusion, and she opened the door.
Subaru stood outside with a wild grin on his face and his hands held firmly behind his back.
Emilia frowned, looking puzzled. "Subaru, why did you knock?" She asked.
"Because I have a present for you!" Subaru seemed very excited.
Emilia cocked her head. "You… do?" She asked slowly.
Why is Subaru acting so funny?
Subaru brought his hands from behind his back and showed Emilia a huge bouquet of roses in many colors. "For you, Mili," he said grandly, "Because I love you."
Emilia 's face broke into a happy smile, as touched by his words as his gift. "Oh, Subaru," She said fondly, taking the bouquet. "They're beautiful!"
As soon as Emilia took the flowers, she sensed that something was off. The flowers felt hard as stone in Emilia 's hands, so she inspected them more closely. Her eyes widened when she realized that the bouquet she held wasn't made of plants.
The flowers were made of stone. The red petals looked like sculpted rubies, the white roses were diamonds, and the yellow roses were made of what looked like thin shavings of gold. The green stalks that she held in her hand appeared made out of emerald.
Emilia stared at her gift in shock. "Subaru, where did you find this?" She gasped.
The next morning at sunrise, the group had a quick breakfast at the inn before departing.
As they sat at the table in the almost empty pub, everyone took the time to carefully inspect Subaru 's bouquet.
"Well, this is pretty cool!" Garfiel enthused, looking at the gem flowers.
Subaru reclined with his hands behind his back and a smug smile on his face. "I know, right?" He chuckled. "I think that I finally understand how to control the spirits!"
"How the hell did you do this?" Felt muttered, scrutinizing the gem flowers.
Subaru shrugged. "Well, first, I got the spirits to grow me a bouquet of flowers out of the ground, and then I convinced them to turn them all into crystals! It was actually pretty simple when you get right down to it. The spirits didn't seem to even grasp why this should have been hard!"
"No! I mean… how did you even figure out how to communicate with the spirits in the first place? You told us that they couldn't understand you," Felt said.
Subaru made a face. Part of him wanted to hide the truth and take all the credit for his breakthrough, but he realized that his friends deserved better than that, and with a sigh, he pulled out the golden rod from his satchel. "It was this thing," he said.
Emilia studied it without any recognition. "What is it, Subaru?" She asked.
"I have no idea. Whatever it is, it's the thing that Sonas wanted me to get for him," Subaru explained. "I dug it out of some weird temple high up on the volcano."
Emilia looked pensive. "…Do you know anything about it?"
"Aside from the fact that Sonas really wanted it? No. Not really," Subaru admitted. "Sonas said that if I gave the staff to him, he could use it to break the eternal night over Girali. But how he planned to do that and if it would really have worked, I have no clue."
Felt looked worried. "Alright," She sighed. "Well…If this thing could break the eternal night, it seems pretty clear that this thing has something to do with the witches. Especially if it enhances your powers, Subaru."
Subaru frowned. "I don't know if it really enhances my power exactly. It 's more like… Actually, I don't know what to call it. It seems to have an effect on the spirits. They go from chanting my name to being absolutely silent. But while they 're silent, they can at least understand me for some weird reason. I don't really know how that works."
"Well," Garfiel shrugged. "Any way that you look at it, it's nice to have a little more firepower backing us up. I'm seriously getting sick of being chased out of everywhere as soon as we sit down!"
Subaru snorted. " You 're sick of it?! We 've been on the run longer than you have! " He joked.
Garfiel laughed. "Hey, Captain! What do you want from me? Maybe folks just like the shrimp and me more than you. You can't blame me because I'm more lovable than you."
"I'd dispute that," Emilia said calmly.
"Yeah, fleabag. Please, be quiet," Felt said in a pained voice.
"Alright. Alright," Garfiel said apologetically. "Hey, how much farther do we need to go until we get wherever we're going?"
Subaru shrugged. "According to Captain Tob, Vincent is waiting for us somewhere called Puella, which is several days away."
Emilia sighed. "I hate to waste all this time just wandering around in the Empire when Daddy and Beatrice could be in danger," She said pensively. "Who knows how they're being treated in Torgon Tower…"
Subaru gently squeezed her shoulder. "I know exactly how you feel. But there is a benefit to hiding in Vollachia until the kingdom loses track of where we are. We 'll be more likely to be able to slip across the border without being noticed and identified. And now that we have the power of the staff, I bet that I could tear Torgon Tower apart with my bare hands!"
"Alright!" Garfiel clapped his hands together excitedly. "That's what I want to hear! Nobody had better get in our way when we go to save Puck and the little Bit!"
Subaru noticed that Felt and Emilia looked decidedly less enthused by the prospect, but before he could question them further, the door to the inn opened, and Captain Tob walked in.
"Lord Subaru," Tob said. "A moment of your time?"
Subaru frowned. Tob doesn't look happy. I wonder what happened. "What is it, Captain?"
Tob looked pained. "My lord, we… have received distressing news about our path to Puella. It appears that we will be forced to make a detour toward the south."
"How come?" Subaru asked.
Tob hesitated. "We… have heard that the rebels are advancing north and putting pressure on our forces. For your own safety, His Majesty asks that we avoid that area and detour to the south. His Majesty does not desire you to come to any harm from the rebels."
Subaru almost laughed. Let them try! With the staff, I bet I can mow down whole armies! If they try to attack us, I 'll just conjure up a few tornadoes and earthquakes, just like I did in Girali!
Still, there 's no reason that Tob and Vincent need to know about that yet.
Subaru just shrugged. "Well. That's very considerate of him. How long will this delay our arrival in Puella?"
"Not very long," Tob assured him. "Our new plan is to head south to Napoli and, from there, take a ship to Puella. The overall distance traveled is longer, but traveling by sea will result in less time spent overall. In the end, we should arrive more or less at the same time. We should reach Marzol, the provincial capital, sometime this afternoon."
Subaru nodded. "Alright. Sounds fine, then. Are we almost ready to depart?"
"Just as soon as you and your companions are ready, my lord," Tob said with a bow. The Captain turned, and he left the inn.
Subaru made a face. "Well. It sounds like things really aren 't going too well for Vincent. "
"Do we really want to meet with this guy?" Felt questioned. "Tying ourselves to a faltering regime, even by implication, could cause us problems down the line, especially if we're staring straight into the face of a regime change in the Empire. And if Vincent really is on his last legs, then his recognition of us, or lack thereof, probably wouldn't affect whether or not we can hide out in Vollachia."
Subaru shrugged. "I know, but I feel like we're committed to at least having the meeting at this point. But you're right. The more I hear about Vincent's predicament, the more I wonder if he could even conceivably offer us anything of sufficient value to make it worth it for us to climb into bed with him. "
"I… assume that's a metaphor?" Emilia asked uncomfortably.
Subaru chuckled. "Yes, Mili," He said fondly.
The group emerged from the inn and winced at the heat. Yesterday evening, they had left the cooling banks of the Tigracy River behind, and even in the early morning, Vollachia was hot and sweltering. The heat was intense, and they couldn 't feel even the faintest breath of wind.
The group climbed into the carriage.
"Huh. This day promises to be moderately unpleasant," Garfiel muttered, wiping his face with a large hand.
Subaru smirked as they closed the doors behind them. "What makes you say that?"
Subaru reached into his satchel and retrieved the golden staff.
"Pridebreaker!" He shouted.
The intangible wave of energy surged out of him. Somehow, that wave that didn 't even mush Emilia's hair managed to set the staff's rings bouncing and chiming and then slowly stilled.
In seconds, a dozen tiny balls of light shot through the sides of the carriage as if the walls were empty air. Glowing orbs of all colors illuminated the carriage.
"Subaru, what are you doing?" Emilia asked in confusion.
Subaru smirked. He concentrated hard for a moment, then shook the staff again.
The rings chimed, and then the temperature in the carriage dropped like a rock. It was like walking out of the hot summer heat and into an air-conditioned building.
"Whew!" Garfiel said with a grin. "That is a lot more comfortable."
"Subaru," Emilia said critically. "Did you really summon those spirits just to lower to temperature?"
Subaru shrugged. "Hey, what's the point of having power if you can't use it to make yourself a little happier?"
Subaru saw Emilia 's face darken reproachfully.
Subaru winced. "And besides," He hurried on, "We know that the rebels might be in the area! Summoning spirits takes time, and if we get ambushed, we may not have time. It's safer to summon them now so that they're here and ready to act if we need them."
Emilia looked profoundly skeptical at Subaru 's excuse, but she held her tongue as the carriage started to move.
Late that morning, the carriage rolled to a halt.
"Are we stopping for lunch already?" Felt murmured.
Garfiel 's sniffed the air. "I smell smoke."
Subaru 's face darkened, and the quartet poured out of the carriage, expecting the worst.
The carriage and their escort had stopped in front of the smoldering ashes of what had once been a sizable village. Compared to the neat cottages Subaru knew from Arlem, these homes were crude huts. The houses were round, poorly constructed, and had burned like kindling in the fire. The village had clearly been deliberately set aflame, and now that the embers were dying off, the whole area was covered in ashes. There was no sign of any living person in the village.
Captain Tob looked at the village darkly, and his men cautiously spread out and explored the wreckage.
"Captain! What happened here?" Subaru demanded.
Tob looked at Subaru, and his eyes widened as he saw all the spirits shining over his head. "Uh…. Lord Subaru, you should… stay back," He finished awkwardly.
"What happened?" Subaru repeated.
Tob sighed. "We're not sure yet," He admitted. "This place used to be a large kholop village. My men saw the smoke, and we came to investigate. It looks like the rebels came here and…" He trailed off with a shrug.
"We should look for survivors!" Garfiel said.
"Good idea," Subaru agreed, pulling his staff out of the satchel. "Maybe we can help. But let's be careful and stay together and be careful. The fires might still be burning in places, and we don't know if whoever set the fires might still be around."
"Lord Subaru! I must insist that you stay…" Tob's voice trailed off as he watched Subaru and his friends rush past him without paying any attention.
Exploring the village was like walking through a fireplace. The ground underfoot was a dense carpet of ashes. Each step sent more choking dust and ash flying into the air. At one point, Garfiel took a step, and his foot sank through the ashes.
Fire flared up around his foot. Garfiel had leaped backward as the still scorching embers beneath the ashes were given enough air to burst into flame. But their fuel was nearly gone, and the flames died again in seconds.
The village was completely dead. A few charred bodies lay scattered about, mercifully they were all too badly burned for any features to be distinguishable.
Subaru felt sick. What happened here? I know that the village was burned, but why? These people didn 't have anything of value. They couldn't have been important to either side's war effort. What was the point of killing them all?
For that matter, where is everybody? There 's not nearly enough bodies for a village of this size. Did the rebels take them? Where and why?
Subaru saw a mangy, underfed dog whimpering as it knelt between three badly charred corpses. The dog was clearly pleading with its masters to get up again.
Most of the bodies were lying in the doorways as if the people had been trying to flee, but something had pushed them back into the flames.
Subaru felt something soft under his foot, and he looked down to find a cloth doll still smoldering in the ashes. A small and badly burned body lay lifeless a few feet away.
Subaru swallowed hard, and he turned his face away.
"Captain," Garfiel muttered, pointing at the center of the village. Another huge effigy of the Horned Witch lay there as if carelessly dropped on the ground. It had been spared the worst of the flames, but the robe was still charred.
Left as a token? Subaru wondered. As a warning?
Subaru saw that Emilia was nearly in tears from the devastation, and he quickly took her hand. "Let's just… get out of here," He said to the others. "We're too late. There's nothing that we can do here."
Felt 's face was dark as she nodded. Garfiel just looked sick.
The group hurried back to the carriage where Tob waited, his expression grim.
"Did you find any survivors?" Subaru asked.
Tob shook his head, "No."
"What was the point of all this?" Subaru asked. "Why would the rebels burn this little village?"
Tob sighed. "According to the rumors, the rebels are suffering from a manpower shortage…"
"So what?" Subaru asked incredulously. "They go from village to village, demanding that new recruits sign up or they'll burn the village to the ground? That doesn't even make sense! The peasants don't have weapons, and they don't know how to fight! Trying to conscript people like this is a waste of time and resources."
Tob looked pained. "Lord Subaru, the rebels aren't looking for recruits. They're… looking for corpses . "
The blood drained from Subaru 's face. "What did you say?"
Tob sighed. "You're right that the kholops don't know how to fight, and they'd only be marginally effective in combat. But their corpses can provide new undead for new campaigns."
"That's sick!" Garfiel protested.
Tob nodded awkwardly. "According to Imperial intelligence, the rebels are roaming the countryside, killing all the kholops and carrying away their strongest bodies to be reanimated. The rest of the kholops are burned with the village."
Felt frowned. "But… if that's their plan…Why not take all the bodies? What 's the point of being selective? If you're going through all this trouble, you might as well grab every corpse you can find."
"I don't know," Tob admitted.
Subaru realized that Emilia was softly crying.
"Let's… just get out of her," Subaru said, gently rubbing Emilia's back. "There's nothing that we can do here."
The carriage was quiet after leaving the burned-up village. After a long night working with the spirits, Subaru slept through most of the journey. He slept for several hours and was awoken early that afternoon by a terrible commotion outside.
"What's going on?" Subaru said, trying to clear the cobwebs from his tired mind.
Emilia was peering out the window. "I think that there's going to be a battle!"
Subaru opened the carriage door. "Shit! Do people do anything around here but fight?! "
The group spilled out of the carriage and found themselves in an enormous courtyard. They were in a town even larger than Ivida which Subaru assumed was Marzol, the provincial capital. Two armies, each comprised of several hundred people, faced each other across the courtyard, and they seemed poised to start fighting at any moment.
The larger group of soldiers was gathered behind a man in full armor. The other group of soldiers stood behind an old bearded man with a deeply lined face who wore a long blue robe. Despite having fewer soldiers, his forces were also surrounded by plain-clothed civilians who carried crude weapons and seemed equally ready to throw down.
Subaru looked around for Captain Tob and found him standing near the carriage with his men. The Captain was studying the situation, but from his expression, he clearly had no idea what to do about it.
"You guys stay here!" Subaru shouted to Emilia and the others.
"Subaru! Wait!" Emilia shouted, but Subaru was already moving, and the swarm of radiant spirits followed after him.
Subaru bolted over to Captain Tob. "Captain, what's going on?" He demanded.
Tob looked at him in consternation. "Lord Subaru, you should wait in the carriage!"
"What's going on, Captain?" He grated.
Tob hesitated. "Proconsul Xerces is being removed from his position by General Canae."
Subaru studied the old man surrounded by his soldiers and even local civilians. "Doesn't look like that's an altogether popular decision. Why is he being removed?"
"Treason."
Subaru 's eyes widened. "Really? What did he do?"
Tob looked pained. "It seems that Rupgana believes that Proconsul Xerces has been deliberately ineffectual in suppressing the rebellion and the unrest in the West. He's being replaced before things get any worse."
Subaru squinted at him. "Captain, how is being ineffectual equal to a charge of 'treason?'"
Tob stared at him uncomprehendingly.
Subaru shook his head. "Never mind. I need to head this off before it really gets out of hand, " He pushed past Tob.
"Lord Subaru! Please stay back!"
"Out of my way, Tob," Subaru ignored him.
Subaru rushed to the center of the courtyard, which was poised to become a war zone any second.
Subaru pulled the golden staff out of his satchel, and as if in response to his wishes, it instantly grew to full size.
Before Subaru could do anything, he heard the larger group of soldiers give a war cry, and then they all charged forward with weapons drawn. The smaller group of soldiers held their ground, bracing for impact.
Shit! I need to stop this before it goes completely out of hand!
Subaru raised his staff. "Hurricane!" He shouted.
The spirits flew into action, flying over the courtyard where the two armies would collide. They all spun in a tight circle, glowing brighter and brighter.
And then both armies were staggered by a deafening clap of thunder. The soldiers stopped charging and braced themselves as a wind of incredible force swept up out of nowhere.
The cloudless sky had been replaced with clouds as black as pitch. The clouds opened up, and dozens of lightning bolts came slashing down, striking at the courtyard stones and blasting them up into the air.
Great holes were blown in the streets and the courtyard by lightning strikes, and both sets of soldiers quickly retreated. The battle was forgotten as both sides ran for cover.
Subaru struggled to maintain control of the storm as the elemental fury he had unleashed threatened to tear loose from his grip.
"Holy shit!" Garfiel cried out as the storm's fury lashed at the now-empty courtyard.
"What the hell is Subaru doing?!" Felt demanded.
"He's stopping the battle!" Garfiel cheered.
"That's not all he's doing, look!" Felt pointed at one of the nearby houses whose roof had been set ablaze by an errant lightning strike.
Emilia watched in horror as a large stone building was struck by lightning. Part of the stone wall gave way and started to fall. A family huddled underneath desperately scrambled for safety, narrowly avoiding being crushed by falling debris.
Subaru fought to control the storm. The force that he 'd unleashed seemed to fight back with savage fury. Even the spirits felt like they were resisting.
I told the spirits to conjure a storm. But a storm is a force of nature, Subaru realized. It can 't be contained and isolated to a small area like this. The spirits are trying to let the storm build and surge because that's what storms do. I'm actually fighting against them because they're doing what I said!
I 'm not sure how much longer I can hold this storm here. But if it breaks free, it could level the town!
When Subaru was certain he had everyone 's undivided attention, he ordered the spirits to halt their magic.
The storm clouds faded away like a bad dream.
The soldiers all looked up in disbelief. The skies overhead were blue, and the day was calm.
Subaru panted for breath, but he did his best to hide it, worrying that it would be taken as a sign of weakness.
Everyone on both sides was silent. Their attention was fixated on Subaru, and their expressions were stunned.
Subaru drew himself erect beneath the golden staff. The radiant halo of the dozens of spirits shining above him gave him an eerie, otherworldly mien.
Subaru kept his expression calm and superior. "That's enough," He said flatly. "I am Subaru Natsuki. And I am here to resolve this matter. I want to speak to the two leaders right now," He pointed to a spot directly in front of him.
The soldiers in both armies began to murmur to each other. "Subaru Natsuki? The Fire Witch? The Destroyer of Cities?"
That 's a new title…
The General and the Proconsul stared at Subaru for a long moment, and then exchanged a long, wary look.
Subaru didn 't move. He just waited.
The first step is forcing them both to come to me. If I 'm going to maintain control of this situation, then I need to establish my dominance right from the get-go.
…Of course, establishing dominance is much easier to do when you can conjure up hurricanes and lightning storms out of thin air.
The General and the Proconsul slowly approached Subaru.
"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Subaru said politely. "I am Subaru Natsuki."
The General pursed his lips. "General Canae," He said shortly. His expression revealed that he was evaluating Subaru as a potential ally. "Welcome to the Empire, Lord Subaru. I'd heard that you were here as the Emperor's guest. We're grateful for your assistance in resolving this matter."
"What is the problem at issue?" Subaru said in a loud enough voice to be heard by both crowds.
"Proconsul Xerces is to be arrested for treason," Canae said shortly. "He's planning to desert his post and join the rebels."
"That is a lie!" Xerces shouted back.
Subaru put up both hands. "One at a time, please," He said firmly. He pointed at the General. "What was Xerces's crime?"
Canae snorted. "He's failed to stop the flow of deserters leaving the Westfold and joining the rebels in the Gandahar Jungle."
Subaru scratched his chin. "Is 'failure' actually a charge in the Empire?"
"He's clearly conspiring with the Witch, Lord Subaru," The General said bluntly. "If he weren't a traitor, he would have stopped his people from deserting their posts and fleeing their lands."
Xerces was visibly snarling at Canae, but he held his tongue. He looked at Subaru with trepidation.
Subaru mulled that over and then turned to Xerces. "Proconsul, is this true?" Subaru asked mildly.
"It is not!" He hissed. "My people are abandoning their homes because of the drought! This land is dead, and there is no food! They join the rebels simply because the rebels will feed them! My forces continue to dwindle as the situation in the West grows ever more desperate, and my men desert! And all the while, the Emperor and the Senate do nothing! I have no resources left to suppress anything!"
"Publicly speaking out against the Emperor is treason!" Canae shouted.
"Canae," Subaru cautioned him, "I wish to hear from Xerces now."
Canae looked at Subaru as if he 'd just been slapped, but the General gave the spirits a worried look, and he grumblingly backed down.
Subaru frowned. The drought? I know that Frederich and Tiberius mentioned the drought, but I haven 't seen many signs of it. Then again, until yesterday, we were following the Tigracy pretty closely. So there wouldn't be a water shortage in any of those areas.
Subaru studied the trees and bushes around him. The courtyard was barren of plant life except in carefully cultivated gardens, but even here, Subaru noticed that all the vegetation looked sallow and unhealthy. The vibrant greens of summer had faded to autumn browns. The grass was discolored, and many trees were stripped of their leaves.
These are decorative gardens and little parks in the provincial capital. If these plants are dying, imagine how bad would most of the crops be …
Subaru turned back to Xerces. "Tell me, what is being done to preserve the crumbling western province?" He asked. "What is the plan to help the West endure the drought?"
Xerces eyes lit up as he sensed that he might have actually found someone who would listen to him. "Nothing, Lord. There is nothing we can do. Our crops are dead, and there is no food. No water. We 've petitioned the Senate for relocation and have been denied. The Senate asks us to simply sit here and starve ! How can I blame my people for fleeing into the wilds in their desperation? "
"The Emperor wants results, not excuses, Xerces," Canae sneered.
"I've already ordered you to be quiet once, Canae," Subaru said, his face deep in thought, "If you speak without permission again, you will never speak thereafter."
Canae stared at Subaru in shock.
Subaru mulled over a few things in his mind, pacing back and forth. Xerces and Canae both watched him carefully, afraid to speak again without permission.
I don 't understand the political situation here. And maybe I don't really care.
I 'm not here to address all the socio-political issues in the Empire. But if people are fighting over food and water… then maybe I can do something about that.
Finally, he stopped pacing and looked at the men. "I have an idea for a compromise. I want to ask each of you a simple 'yes' or 'no' question. And I expect complete silence from the other. "
Subaru waited a moment to see if either would object, but neither did.
Subaru looked at Xerces, "Proconsul, if the drought ended and the land was made fertile and bountiful once again, would the people of your province return to work and renew their oaths of loyalty to the Empire?"
Xerces looked baffled. "I… Of course. We do not wish to fight our homeland."
Canae grumbled something skeptical, but Subaru ignored him.
Subaru turned his attention to Canae. "General, if the people do return to their homes and renew their loyalty to the Empire, will the Emperor accept the outcome and consider the matter closed, not seeking any further retribution or punishment? "
Canae looked conflicted. "Crimes can not be simply ignored , " He grumbled.
"No, but sometimes they can be mitigated by circumstances," Subaru countered. "Yes or no, General. If the people forswear any rebellion and return to their homes, is the matter settled?"
Canae made a face and hemmed and hawed for a moment. "Very well," He said reluctantly.
"Lord Subaru," Xerces broke in, "How can you possibly expect to end the drought?"
Subaru closed his eyes and bowed his head.
I need to concentrate, Subaru thought. I need to focus on exactly what I want to see happen. I 'm speculating, but after what happened last night, I feel like the more detailed I imagine what I want to see happen, the more powerfully the spirits will respond. That means I need to focus on the end result. Not just to create water but to undo the drought.
Subaru concentrated, and then he raised the staff high above his head. The golden head shone in the sunlight as he brought the staff down hard on the pavement, making the chimes ring out across the square.
Subaru 's eyes slowly fluttered open as he heard a rumble overhead.
The previously clear sky had once again been replaced by thick clouds as black as ink.
This time, there was no tearing wind or thunder. Just dense clouds fat with rain.
Subaru concentrated with all his might, trying to bring rain and, more importantly, to heal the damage to the land, but he found himself … thwarted.
What 's going on? Whatever the undead have drained from the land, I should be able to put back, right?
Magic in, magic out. And the undead certainly can 't have any power stronger than an Authority! Or even anything stronger than a few dozen spirits working in concert.
So why is this so hard? I 'm just trying to fix whatever is broken, but the weight of it… it feels like I'm trying to shift a mountain. The drought has sunk deep roots throughout the region.
Maybe the undead aren 't directly responsible for the drought after all…
Subaru fought with all his might to overcome the inertia of the drought. The spirits trembled and strained. It felt like trying to dig a tunnel in a sandy hill. No matter how much you dug, more sand fell downhill and filled the hole.
Subaru fought until his vision swam, and his head threatened to split open. Just as he was about to give up entirely, the heavens rumbled again, and they began to weep.
A patter of rain fell on the city.
"Is it… raining?" A civilian in a mortar-splattered apron asked in disbelief.
The rain fell, a steady, drenching downpour.
"It's a miracle!" A woman cried out in relief.
It 's not a miracle yet. I need to see one more thing . The spirits understood rain, but did they understand the rest of my instructions …
Subaru studied the small courtyard gardens around him where the parched earth was slowly being watered by the rain.
As Subaru watched, the rain not only moistened the the dirt but made the dry and sandy soil turn dark, rich, and fertile. Even the brown and lifeless plants in the baked and blasted ground began to slowly turn green under the spirits ' influence. Their leaves opened and straightened as if the magical rainstorm was healing their wounds.
Subaru swayed in near exhaustion. Perfect, He smiled. That 's one problem that we don't need to worry about anymore.
I don 't know how much territory the drought affected. It seems unlikely that this 'spell' or whatever you call it will clean up all the parched regions in the Empire, but it 's a start.
And it might also give me something else to bargain with when I meet with Vincent. I really don 't want to get bogged down in Vollachia's civil war, but if I can end the drought, that would give me something of value to trade right there.
Both armies seemed flabbergasted as the dead and dying plant life around them simply came back to life, but the civilians were crying out in sheer delight and celebrating.
"Hurray!" "We're saved!" "It's a miracle! A gift from the Gods!"
Subaru smiled as the people celebrated.
He turned back to Canae and Xerces, who stared at him in shock and disbelief.
"So, gentlemen," Subaru said with amusement, "Does that wrap up everything?"
Canae and Xerces were startled back into motion by Subaru 's question.
"Yes!" Xerces said, grabbing Subaru's hand and shaking it thoroughly. "Thank you so much, Lord Subaru! My people will be eternally grateful to you for their salvation! I can assure you that the flow of rebels into the jungle will stop immediately!"
Canae looked much more ambivalent about the situation. "Thank you, Lord Subaru, I'll be sure to mention your… 'actions' to the Emperor," He growled.
What is he so upset about? Everything is fixed, and he didn 't even need to fight a war. What's his problem?
"Lord Subaru!" Xerces said, "I was to have the honor of hosting you and your party this evening. Please stay to join us. We'll have an immense feast to celebrate your kindness!"
"That's most gracious of you, Proconsul," Subaru said, hiding a smile.
Xerces hesitated. "Forgive me, Lord Subaru, but this magic of yours, how long will it last?"
Subaru frowned. Actually, that 's a fair question, He realized.
What I did here … I didn't break a curse. Or change the fundamental reality of the land. I just used magic to bypass the natural order here. And that should last only as long as the local spirits believe that this new state is the natural order that they need to preserve. But given the lifespan and attention spans of lesser spirits, I wouldn 't be surprised if this spell faded in a few years. Or maybe even sooner. That's a problem.
That 's not a problem, a cold voice whispered to him . It 's an opportunity . If your blessing on this land lasted forever, they 'd have no further need of you.
Now, they must carefully depend on your goodwill to ensure the fertility of their lands and their crops. In a few years, they will beg you to return and renew the blessing, and you can naturally ask for suitable compensation. You will wield great power over them unchecked by any responsibility, which is always the sweetest form of power.
Subaru carefully hid a smile. Actually, yeah. That is probably for the best. It would only take a little bit of effort to make me absolutely indispensable to Vollachia or even to the whole world.
Forget about everybody hunting me down. They 'd all beg me to come to their countries and promise me mountains of treasure as long as I solved their problems.
A hurricane or a flood could be wished away with ease! I can create a paradise on this world, and everybody will love me for it.
"The blessing is temporary," Subaru said, putting a note of apology in his voice, "I'll have to come back and renew it in a few years or so. But I doubt that will be any trouble."
"Oh! Splendid, Lord Subaru! Please, gather your party! We'll go to my mansion, and we'll feast!"
Sounds great. But there 's one more thing I should do to tidy up here. I should try to help these people put the bad feelings behind them.
Subaru turned to General Canae. "You'll join us, won't you, General? A nice shared meal and celebration to bury the hatchet?" Subaru asked in his friendliest voice.
Canae scowled, possibly thinking that Subaru was making sport of him, but he didn 't dare object. "Of course, my lord, I'd be delighted," He grated.
Subaru glanced at Xerces and saw that the Proconsul didn 't look too pleased either.
Huh. Maybe I should have thought my way through that one a little more. Oh well, nothing to do about it now.
Hopefully, during the banquet, folks will start to kiss and make up. It 'd be a real shame if these guys resumed trying to kill each other just as soon as I vanished down the road.
Well, either way, things around here should be quiet for the moment, Subaru thought smugly as he walked back toward the carriage where Emilia and the others waited.
Garfiel was laughing, looking up at the rain like a little kid.
Felt and Emilia were both staring at Subaru, their expressions unreadable.
Subaru spread his arms wide to indicate the falling rain. "So. What do you think?" He asked with a broad smile.
"It's amazing, Captain!" Garfiel yelled in delight. "It's not only raining, but the magic is bringing the soil and the plants back to life! This is unbelievable!"
Subaru grinned at him. "Well, if nothing else, it should convince Vincent to step around us a little more carefully when we finally meet him."
Felt hesitated. "That's good," She admitted finally.
Subaru turned to Emilia, "Anyway, we're headed to the Proconsul's mansion. He's putting us up for the night, and apparently, we're going to have a big party."
The banquet at Xerces mansion became complicated almost immediately. At Felt 's insistence, Subaru had reluctantly dismissed the spirits before they arrived to avoid frightening everyone in sight.
The foursome entered the hall. Two maids waiting there curtsied to them and began leading the group to their seats.
"Wait a second, what's going on?" Subaru's voice brought the maids to a halt when he realized that they were being separated. One maid was leading Emilia and Felt to a smaller table in the corner.
"Is something wrong, my lord?" One of the maids asked in confusion.
"Why aren't we all sitting together?" Subaru asked.
The maids looked at Subaru as if the question made no sense.
"Lord Subaru," Xerces murmured, coming over quickly. "Is something wrong?"
Subaru frowned. Oh. Right. Vollachians apparently segregate themselves this way. I guess in Ivida, they were already prepared to accommodate us, but Xerces probably doesn 't deal with many foreigners and he doesn't know how we expect to be treated.
It 's a dumb custom, but I guess it's not really his fault. We'll just clarify our expectations.
"My friends and I would like to all sit together if you don't mind," Subaru said politely.
Xerces frowned in confusion. "You… Really?" He asked incredulously.
Subaru 's face grew flat. "Yes. Really. We'd all like to sit together," He said, speaking more firmly.
Xerces looked faintly scandalized, but he nodded. "Of course. Excuse us. Please bring two more seats to the high table."
"Thank you, Proconsul," Subaru bowed his head. "It is most appreciated."
Xerces chuckled. "Please, Lord Subaru. Nothing is too good for our savor. "
Xerces personally led the group to the high table, which was round and large enough to seat twenty. Subaru was given a seat at Xerces 's right hand. Emilia and Felt sat beside him, and Garfiel sat at the end.
General Canae sat directly across from Xerces.
Subaru pulled out Emilia 's chair so she could sit down, and she gave him a fond smile as she did, remembering the days when they'd done this all the time at court.
Garfiel watched Subaru pull out Emilia 's chair, but if he briefly considered replicating the effort for Felt, he immediately chickened out. Felt's face was sour as a lemon after nearly being dismissed to the "woman's table," and Garfiel knew that she was in no mood tonight to play games.
Subaru sat down beside Emilia. I get the funny impression that we 're not going to have much fun tonight.
They didn 't. As the banquet went on, all the guests outdid themselves to wax extravagant praise of Subaru, and even Garfiel got some.
Emilia and Felt, on the other hand, were regularly dismissed, and any compliments toward them were limited to wishing them happy marriages and many children. Emilia and Felt had occasionally experienced similar dismissals in the Lagunican court, but never so many and never so blatant.
As the dinner wore on, Emilia 's expression grew frustrated, and Felt's became angry.
Garfiel looked conflicted, wondering if the right thing to do was to sit there and suck up the disrespect being thrown at his friends or if he should say something.
Subaru 's patience was rapidly evaporating, but he struggled to control himself.
"The western desert has been expanding for many years," One of Xerces officials at the table, a stringy man named Flavius, noted, "Each year, it wipes out thousands of acres of farmland and makes life in the west almost impossible. You've done the impossible and managed to push back the desert. This is a great day for the Empire."
Emilia perked up. "While we were traveling across the desert, we encountered a Vollachian professor named Frederich," She said. "He was in Kararagi studying the effects of the desertification of the land. He claimed that the only reason these lands were fertile to begin with was because of an ancient enchantment that had been placed on the land. And now, after all these centuries, that blessing is starting to fade away.
"Worse, he suggested the same thing would happen across a huge stretch of Kararagi and Vollachia if the process weren't arrested. He said that unless we found a way to contain the damage, the desert would destroy millions of acres of farmland, leading to famine and plague across the continent."
Flavius chuckled. "Please, don't trouble your mind about it, my dear. Such concerns will only wrinkle your pretty face. These matters are best left to the men."
The men at the table all shared a chuckle.
Subaru and Emilia 's jaws both dropped.
Felt snorted. "You know, maybe leaving things 'to the men' is why your whole country is falling apart," She snapped waspishly.
The table sat in stunned silence except for a few men who chuckled and murmured appreciatively for Felt 's spunk.
Flavius looked mortally offended. "Forgive me for saying this, Lord Subaru," He murmured, glaring at Felt. "But perhaps you need to better train your women to hold their tongues." He sipped his wine.
Subaru 's eyes narrowed. "If I'm going to train anyone here how to behave, it's going to be you , " He said to Flavius in a deadly whisper.
Flavius started, and he looked at Subaru in surprise. Flavius 's eyes widened as he realized Subaru's face was mottled with rage at the disrespect shown to Emilia and Felt.
Subaru took a deep breath. "I may not be able to control how you treat the women in your own country, but I expect everyone to treat my friends with the exact same respect they show me," Subaru said in a voice that carried to every corner of the room. "If anyone has a problem with that, I'll be happy to fight them: right here and right now."
Flavius stared at Subaru in disbelief. "Lord Subaru, this is outrageous! You can't expect us to-"
"I ended the drought," Subaru said in a hiss, "I saved your province. I restored your farmlands. And I can take it all away just as easily."
A gasp ran around the room.
"You will not disrespect my friends again," Subaru grated. "Or I promise you; you'll spend the rest of your short, miserable lives in a desolate wasteland, eating rocks and drinking sand. I'm the only thing keeping your land from complete ruin. If I command it, the entire room will bow to these women. Understand?"
A frightened murmur raced through the room.
Xerces stood up. "We are immensely grateful for your efforts, Lord Subaru," Xerces thundered in a voice that immediately silenced all discussion. "And, of course, you are assured of any reasonable assistance we can offer. The idea of you being unsatisfied with any of our behavior after you've willingly become our savior would be repugnant to us."
There was a long silence, and then conversation slowly resumed around the many tables. The room slowly calmed down, and from now on, whenever Felt or Emilia felt it necessary to say something, everyone at the table listened respectfully and with rap attention.
Subaru smiled smugly, and he glanced at his friends.
Garfiel looked almost gleeful at the way Subaru had stopped all the bullying.
Emilia and Felt 's faces were more pensive. Whenever they glanced at Subaru, their eyes were troubled.
Emilia looked off into the distance. I 'm grateful that Subaru stood up for us. But at the same time, I'm worried. He didn't have to be confrontational to the point of threatening to let the whole province starve.
I know that the only thing that Vollachians respect is strength, but they may also fear and envy it. Subaru could inadvertently turn allies into enemies if he doesn 't think carefully before showing off his power.
Felt sat there, moodily chasing her food around her plate. She would have been astounded to learn that she and Emilia were thinking the same thing. It 's great that Subaru put these assholes in their place. But I can't help but remember that night in Girali.
I love Subaru. I mean, I really, really like him in that way that people love their close friends, but I 'm not like Garfiel. I know that Subaru has flaws, and one of the biggest ones is his love for power and control.
It 's not always a bad thing. He wants to keep everyone safe. But sometimes, that same urge can be twisted and brought to a much darker place. Like the night when he thought that Emilia died…
And now Subaru has real power. The kind of power that could change the world. I can 't help but worry about what Subaru did the last time that he had this kind of power and had a horde of people cheering him on…
The remainder of the banquet was cold. Everyone modified their behavior as Subaru demanded, but it was clear that they all resented it.
When the banquet ended, Xerces announced that a carriage had been prepared to take them to their inn.
Subaru knew that under normal circumstances, Xerces would have offered to put them up in one of any number of rooms in his luxurious estate. Subaru realized that Xerces was subtly rebuking him for offending and embarrassing his people during dinner.
Subaru found that he didn 't care very much.
Honestly, it 's probably better if we spend the night at the inn anyway. I don't want to act like I'm playing favorites in the Empire.
And Xerces can shun me as much as he wants. He 'll still come looking for me on bent knee when he needs the enchantment I placed on his land renewed.
And maybe I 'll help him, and maybe I won't.
"…And soon, the whole region will be green again!" Subaru cheered, staring out across the landscape from their bedroom balcony at the inn.
Emilia sat on the bed behind him, listening carefully, but her expression remained pensive.
Subaru continued, "On top of that, we could do the exact same thing to the whole Kararagi desert! That should make it trivial to get a pardon from the Assembly of Cities. They'll see the proof firsthand here in Vollachia that I can do what I promise. We'll just send them a message with an offer: They pardon us and guarantee our safety, and we'll heal that entire wasteland and make it green farmland. Why would they even hesitate to make that sort of deal? We'll be able to have a safe home, and we'll have all the wealth and influence we could ever need!"
Subaru turned around exuberantly to see what Emilia thought.
Emilia considered what he 'd said carefully as she got up off the bed. "It's not a bad idea," She said. "You'd be helping millions of people as well as keeping us safe."
Subaru beamed.
Emilia slowly walked out to the balcony. She leaned over the railing, staring at the now green and verdant region in front of them. "You did something amazing here, Subaru," Emilia murmured. "You saved all those people's lives. The land is green, and their crops are healthy again. You saved a whole province from starvation and death."
Subaru noticed Emilia 's hesitant tone and gave her a quizzical look. "Is something wrong, Mili?"
Emilia sighed and shook her head. "I'm just worried, Subaru," She admitted, pulling him into a hug and resting her head on her shoulder.
"About what?"
Emilia didn 't answer.
Subaru sighed. "About the Authority," He answered his own question.
Emilia nodded. "Subaru, I know that you didn't grow up in this world. But ever since Daddy thawed me out of the ice, I've heard nothing but about how dangerous and wicked the witches were. And I've seen firsthand how bad the Archbishops are."
Subaru made a face. "They are a piece of work, " He admitted.
"But were they always that bad?" Emilia suddenly asked.
"What do you mean?"
Emilia sighed. "Subaru, the Archbishops are all terrible, vile, truly awful people. That means that either their Authorities specifically sought out individuals who were already that rotten or …" She trailed off.
Subaru suppressed his annoyance as he realized where she was going with this. "Or their Authorities corrupted them," He finished reluctantly.
"That thought scares me, Subaru," Emilia murmured. "I've seen you lose control in the past, and it's… it's frightening…"
Subaru winced, remembering the night at Girali when he 'd lost all control and personally burned hundreds of people alive.
And Emilia doesn 't even know that happened! If she knew that I'd already gone crazy once under the Authority's influence, she'd have even more reason to be worried about me!
Subaru struggled to come up with a response to her fear. "I've… made mistakes," He admitted.
"We've all made mistakes, Subaru," Emilia agreed. "And I've certainly made the worst mistakes of us all."
"That's not true, Mili," Subaru murmured.
Emilia sighed and held him close. "Subaru, I just want you to promise me that you'll be careful. I know that you're doing these things for all the right reasons, but… power like this isn't always easy to control. I just don't want you to lose yourself."
Subaru checked his irritation. "Mili, you're not going to lose me."
"Subaru," Emilia murmured. "I know what it's like to have magic that you can't control. I lost control. I cursed the forest, my friends, and my family. And I've spent my whole life trying to make up for that crime."
"Mili," Subaru sighed.
"I just don't want you to make the same mistake I did," Emilia pressed. "There's no way to take back some actions, and there's no atoning for some mistakes. Subaru, we know so little about the Authority. What if all the power that it gives you has a price?"
Subaru shrugged. "I've been using it for months now, Mili. I don't really think I've changed all that much."
Emilia struggled for a moment. "Are you sure?" She asked delicately.
"What do you mean?"
Emilia hesitated. "Subaru, tonight when the Vollachians were being disrespectful to Felt and me," She said carefully. "You threatened to kill them…"
Subaru looked incredulous. "They were being assholes to the people who had just rescued them! So I reminded them that making us angry could have consequences. "
"But is that what you them to see you as?" Emilia asked somberly. "A person they need to fear rather than respect? Power attracts fear and envy, and the Vollachians could just as easily start to view us as a threat rather than an asset."
Subaru didn 't know what to say to that.
Emilia sighed. "Please, Subaru. Just promise me that you'll be careful. You're… you're all that I have left…" She whispered in a broken voice.
Subaru held her close, wondering how to respond. "Mili, I finally have the power to keep us safe. This power could even help us break the curse on the Elior Forest. Trust me, I can handle this."
Emilia didn 't answer. She just swallowed hard and held him tighter.