The blue crystal hanging from Emilia's neck started glowing the moment the carriage crossed the Sanctuary's boundary.
Emilia blinked.
"Ah—"
Then she fainted.
Just like that.
Her body slumped against the seat, and the glowing pyroxene slipped into her hand.
Otto pulled on the reins.
"Natsuki-san?!"
The carriage jolted as the ground beneath us shifted slightly.
The crystal kept glowing.
Right. This part.
In canon, Subaru grabbed the crystal.
So I did the same thing.
I reached forward and wrapped my hand around the blue stone.
The instant I touched it—
Everything disappeared.
Cold ground.
Leaves.
Birdsong.
I opened my eyes and sat up.
"…Okay."
First things first.
I checked my hands.
Fine.
Feet.
Fine.
No blood.
No broken bones.
No weird stab wounds.
Good.
I stood up and brushed dirt off my tracksuit.
The carriage was gone.
So were Emilia, Otto, and Patrasche.
I was in a forest.
Dense trees.
Gray mist.
Very familiar.
"…Lost Woods."
Exactly as expected.
The teleportation had separated me from everyone else.
Which meant…
I looked toward the trees.
Hm… I think Subaru yelled Ram after seeing that pink woman.
A little girl peeked out.
Pink hair.
Exactly as I remembered.
Time to shout like a maniac.
"Ram!"
She froze when she saw me.
The girl squeaked and immediately ran deeper into the forest.
"…"
"…That works."
People were usually more cooperative once they started running.
Following someone who knew where they were going was easier than wandering around the forest alone.
The trees were old and twisted, and the canopy blocked most of the light.
Ryuzu stayed just ahead of me.
Every time I almost lost sight of her, she slowed down, looked back to make sure I was still following, and then ran again.
Efficient.
Eventually, the forest opened up.
An old stone building stood in front of me.
Cracked walls.
Moss everywhere.
The Sanctuary's Tomb.
Ryuzu ran inside without saying anything.
I followed.
The stone corridor was dark and quiet.
My footsteps echoed a little.
Then the floor changed under me.
Stone became grass.
I stepped out into sunlight.
YAY! LET'S DRINK BODY FLU- I MEAN TEA!
Blue sky.
Green hills.
One tree.
A white table under a parasol.
Tea.
Of course there was tea.
A woman in a black dress sat at the table with a cup in her hand.
Without turning around, she spoke.
"Oh my."
"What an unusual guest."
"I wasn't expecting anyone today."
She stood up.
White hair.
Dark eyes.
A polite smile.
"My name is Echidna."
She gave a small curtsy.
"Though perhaps it would be simpler if I introduced myself as…"
"The Witch of Greed."
"…I know."
Her smile twitched.
"…You do?"
"I've watched enough anime."
"…Anime?"
"Long story."
I pulled out the empty chair and sat down.
Echidna blinked once.
"…You seem very calm."
"I've dealt with retail management."
"…"
"…"
"I don't know what that means."
"It means you're probably the fourth strangest person I've talked to this month."
"…Fourth?"
"Busy schedule."
For the first time, Echidna looked slightly unsure how to continue.
Then she smiled again.
"…Interesting."
She poured tea into a cup and slid it across the table.
"For our conversation."
I picked it up, drank it, and set the cup back down.
"…Thank you."
She tilted her head.
"…No reaction?"
"You were probably going to tell me it was made from your bodily fluids."
Silence.
"…"
"…How?"
"I had a feeling."
"…"
"…That was going to be my next line."
"I know."
"…"
"…"
"…I suddenly feel less mysterious."
"I wouldn't worry."
"You still made the dramatic entrance."
The tea warmed me up almost immediately.
The headache I'd had since entering the barrier faded.
The pressure in my Gate eased a little too.
Not gone.
Just enough to think clearly.
…Interesting.
Echidna noticed right away.
"You felt it."
"I did."
"The tea stabilized your resistance."
"I figured."
"You figured?"
"It would've been inefficient otherwise."
She rested her cheek on one hand.
"…You're very practical."
"I like staying alive."
"A rare hobby."
She smiled, leaning forward, her eyes flashing with intense intellectual greed.
"So. What is it you wish to ask?"
She spread her arms, her tone growing dramatic and grand.
"Are you asking about the Witch of Gluttony, Daphne, who created beasts to save the world from starvation?"
"Or perhaps about Lust, Carmilla, who tried to bring peace but granted feelings to non-human things?"
"Or Wrath, Minerva, who healed everyone by hitting them?"
"Or Sloth, Sekhmet, who drove a dragon past the cascade for peace?"
"Or Pride, Typhon, who judged sinners with innocent cruelty?"
"Or maybe about me, Greed, Echidna, who sought all knowledge?"
Her voice dropped to a chilling whisper.
"Or... is it about the Witch of Envy, Satella? The one who destroyed all other witches, consumed them, and turned the whole world against her?"
Silence fell over the meadow.
She watched me, waiting for the terror. Waiting for the miasma to crush my soul.
I stared back.
"None of the above."
Echidna blinked.
"…What?"
"I don't care about lore drops. Question one."
She slowly lowered her arms.
"When exactly does Roswaal create the snowstorm?"
She smiled, recovering her composure.
"When it becomes necessary."
"…Timestamp."
"When destiny requires it."
"…Calendar date."
She sipped her tea.
"I don't think that's the right question."
I took a slow breath.
"Question two."
"The Great Rabbit."
"Exact location."
"It appears where starvation is welcomed."
"…GPS coordinates."
"I don't know what those are."
"…"
Strike one.
"Question three."
"How do I permanently free Beatrice from the library?"
"A contract."
"…Specific wording?"
"A sincere heart."
"…Procedure."
"A choice."
"…"
Strike two.
"Question four."
"How do I convince Garfiel to cooperate?"
"You understand him."
"…Operationally."
"Emotionally."
"…"
Strike three.
I stared at her.
She smiled back.
Perfectly polite.
Perfectly composed.
Completely useless.
"You know all the answers."
"I know many things."
"And somehow every answer comes with philosophy attached."
"I enjoy philosophy."
"I don't."
She giggled.
Actually giggled.
"Knowledge without understanding has little value."
"It has plenty of tactical value."
"Perhaps."
"I don't need a lesson."
"I know."
"I need instructions."
She looked at me for a moment.
"…You are different."
"I've heard."
"No."
She leaned forward slightly.
"You care about outcomes."
"Naturally."
"You rarely ask why."
"I'll ask why after everyone survives."
The meadow went quiet.
The wind moved through the grass.
Then she smiled.
"…An interesting kind of greed."
"…Sure."
A few minutes later, I stood up.
Echidna looked surprised.
"…Leaving already?"
"I've finished my audit."
"But we barely talked."
"I asked questions."
"You didn't like the answers."
"I got answers."
"In the same way technical support gives answers."
"…Technical support?"
"'Have you tried restarting your destiny?'"
"I don't understand."
"Exactly."
I brushed imaginary dust off my tracksuit.
"You're an encyclopedia."
"I was hoping for an instruction manual."
"I got a motivational speaker."
"…"
For probably the first time in a long while, someone had left the Witch of Greed disappointed.
"…Surely…"
She frowned a little.
"…There's nothing else you want to know?"
"I'll figure it out."
"…Really?"
"I've had worse documentation."
She looked offended.
"I am the Witch of Greed."
"I noticed."
"Kings sought my wisdom."
"I'm sure."
"Entire nations wanted audiences with me."
"Congratulations."
"…"
"…"
"…You're very hard to impress."
"I work in customer service."
"…Again…"
"I don't know what that means."
Echidna sighed.
"…Very well."
"If you're determined to leave…"
"I ask only one condition."
"I don't have any money."
"I don't need money."
Her smile returned.
"What happens during this tea party…"
"…stays between us."
"A non-disclosure agreement."
"…A what?"
"NDA."
"…"
"…Close enough."
"I accept."
The world around us shifted.
"And one last gift."
She reached forward and lightly touched my forehead.
"I grant you the qualification to challenge the Sanctuary's Trials."
"…Useful."
"I thought you might say that."
I nodded once.
"Thank you."
She blinked.
"…You're thanking me?"
"You did answer one question."
"Which one?"
"The one I forgot to ask."
She tilted her head.
"I can enter the Trials."
Understanding slowly appeared on her face.
"…I see."
I turned to leave.
Behind me, her quiet laughter followed me across the field.
"…Perhaps…"
"…this tea party wasn't so ordinary after all."
The meadow disappeared.
Light vanished.
Grass became stone again.
Cold air hit my face.
I opened my eyes.
"…Back."
A low growl answered me.
"…Well."
That sounded like a problem.