"As expected of Sir Subaru." Wilhelm stroked his mustache, a rare smile of approval appearing on his stern face. "To eliminate a Sin Archbishop of the Witch Cult with your strength alone... that is a feat that surpasses most knights in the kingdom. It is truly admirable."
"That's right, that's right~" Felix bounced over lightly, the pair of cat ears on his head twitching with the movement. "That fight just now was so cool! Ferri-chan was completely captivated by Subaru-kyun~"
"Subaru-kun always creates miracles," said Rem. "But... next time, please be sure to let Rem fight with you. Facing a Sin Archbishop alone is too dangerous."
"Rem is right, Subaru. Even though you won, we were all very worried about you," Emilia nodded in agreement, her amethyst eyes filled with concern.
"Mr. Natsuki, you're truly incredible!" Even the timid Otto, standing to the side, couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes shining with admiration. "First, you subjugated the White Whale, and now you've eliminated a Sin Archbishop. You are practically a hero of the kingdom!"
Mr. Natsuki has saved everyone once again... and I'm still useless... Otto clenched his fists, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him. He's so strong. Against enemies like the Witch Cult, the White Whale, and the Sin Archbishops, I can't help at all... He glanced secretly at Natsuki Subaru, making a silent vow. Next time... even if it's just something small. I swear I will become someone who can be of use to Mr. Natsuki.
Subaru, meanwhile, was dealing with Felix's antics.
"Oh, Subaru-kyun is finally being honest~" Felix clapped happily, then offered his hand. "As a reward, I'll give you special permission to hold Ferri-chan's hand!"
As he shook Felix's hand, Subaru was once again shocked by how slender and soft it was.
This texture, this fair skin... it's the standard for a young girl! Why does such a cute person have to be a boy? It's an absolute waste of heavenly resources, Subaru couldn't help but complain in his head.
"What's wrong? Subaru-kyun~" Felix tilted his head, a mischievous smile on his face. "Don't tell me you've fallen for Ferri-chan?"
"Fallen for you, my foot! I just think your hands are cheating!" Subaru retorted wildly. "Don't you even have the decency for your hands to feel like a boy's? Such a cute appearance paired with such delicate hands is just unfair!"
"Because this is what suits me best. Lady Crusch wishes for me to stay this way, too." When he mentioned Crusch, a deep, unwavering light appeared in Felix's eyes. "This is the way to let my soul shine. I am simply responding to that expectation with all my heart."
"I see," Natsuki Subaru said with a knowing smile. He recalled that as Crusch's personal knight, Felix shared a bond with her that few could understand. Since childhood, they had essentially swapped gender roles, with Felix wearing dresses and Crusch wearing boy's clothes. This promise made in their youth had forged a trust that transcended gender, something most people could never achieve.
Just then, Emilia softly called out to Natsuki Subaru, seeming to hesitate. He noticed her unusual expression. "Emilia-tan? What's wrong?"
"Um... the body of the Sin Archbishop of Sloth... should we... should we bury him?" Emilia lifted her amethyst eyes, which were filled with a complex emotion that even she didn't understand. "I know he was an enemy, but leaving his body exposed in the wilderness... it doesn't feel right."
Strange, why do I... why does looking at this person's body make my heart feel so inexplicably sad? A trace of doubt arose in Emilia's heart.
"Okay," Natsuki Subaru agreed softly, reaching out to gently stroke Emilia's silver hair. "We'll bury him."
If I remember correctly, before Petelgeuse became Sloth, he was Emilia's adoptive father, named Geuse. He was gentle, kind, and quite handsome back then, and he treated the young Emilia as his own daughter. However, due to a series of later events and the influence of the Witch of Vainglory, they both forgot this past.
To be honest, I have no sympathy for the Sin Archbishop, or rather, for the spirit Petelgeuse, Subaru thought to himself. For over a hundred years after becoming the Sin Archbishop, this guy has willfully harmed others, forcing his twisted love onto innocent people. To die so pathetically is a fitting end for him.
Hearing Subaru's agreement, Emilia's eyes widened in surprise. "Is it really okay?"
"Because it's a request from my dear Emilia-tan," Subaru explained with a smile. "Besides, everyone deserves a place to rest when they die."
While digging the grave, Natsuki Subaru noticed that Emilia's movements were exceptionally gentle. As she placed Petelgeuse's mutilated body into the pit, a tear rolled down her cheek uncontrollably.
"Huh?" Emilia touched her wet cheek in confusion. "Why am I crying?"
Even though her memories were sealed by the Witch, does her body still remember this feeling...? Thinking this, Subaru couldn't help but ask, "Emilia-tan, do you want to make a gravestone?"
"No... just let him sleep here quietly." Emilia shook her head, paused for a moment, and then added, "Somehow, I feel that this is the only way he can truly find peace."
When the last shovelful of dirt covered the grave, a gentle breeze rustled by, carrying a few fallen leaves that landed softly on the new mound. Emilia unconsciously clasped her hands in front of her chest, as if in a silent farewell.
After clearing the last of the cultists' bodies from the battlefield and properly dealing with Petelgeuse's twisted corpse, Wilhelm and Felix confirmed there were no other matters to attend to. They bid farewell to Natsuki Subaru and the others and departed for the capital to report to Crusch.
Natsuki Subaru, along with Emilia, Rem, Otto, and some of the villagers who had taken refuge, boarded the dragon carriage for the journey back to Arlam Village.
As the carriage swayed gently, Natsuki Subaru rested his arm on the window frame, staring at the receding scenery, lost in thought.
Even though I successfully killed the Sin Archbishop of Sloth, the Witch Cult's malice towards silver-haired half-elves hasn't diminished in the slightest.
This fanatical organization, which holds the advent of the Witch as its highest creed, will frantically attack any existence they deem taboo.
Emilia's iconic silver hair and her face, which is a mirror image of the Witch of Envy, are an unforgivable original sin in the twisted perception of the Witch Cult. This deep-seated prejudice makes their hatred for Emilia like boiling magma that will never cool.
They will definitely come for her again. Sloth was just the beginning. Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Lust... so many Sin Archbishops are still lurking in the shadows. The road ahead is still long.
He glanced over at Emilia, who was tending to the villagers.
Sloth was just the beginning...
"Ahaha, my defeating the Sin Archbishop of Sloth this time was all thanks to everyone's support," Subaru said, scratching his head sheepishly.
"Subaru-kyun, you're being too modest~" Felix said with a wink. "You're the one who eliminated the Sin Archbishop all by yourself!"
"No, I'm not!" Subaru rolled his eyes at Felix, then became serious. "But this time, I'm truly grateful to all of you. Without you first taking care of Petelgeuse's 'Finger' vessels, it would have been impossible for me to deal with him so easily." He turned to Wilhelm and solemnly extended his hand. "I especially want to thank you, Mr. Wilhelm."
"Sir Subaru, you're too kind." Wilhelm firmly shook Subaru's hand. "This was the result of our combined efforts."
Subaru then turned to Felix, extending his hand with sincere gratitude in his eyes. Felix, however, suddenly put his hands behind his back, tilting his head with a sly smile. "Ehhh~ Is Subaru-kyun's thanks this simple? At the very least, you should say, 'Ferri-chan is the best,' that's how it should be, nyan~"
"Hey, you..." Subaru shook his head helplessly, but then said seriously, "But honestly, having a top-tier healer like you providing support during a battle is a huge relief."
"Well..." Subaru let out a long sigh, rubbing his throbbing temples. "Thinking about it now won't help. First, let's see the rewards for completing the emergency quest."
As the thought crossed his mind, a light blue system screen unfolded before his eyes.
[NOTICE: EMERGENCY QUEST]
[QUEST REQUIREMENT: Enemies with killing intent towards the player are present. Eliminate all enemies to ensure your own safety.]
[WARNING: Failure to complete this quest will result in a corresponding penalty.]
[ENEMIES ELIMINATED: 1/1]
[QUEST STATUS: COMPLETE]
Next, Subaru's gaze quickly scanned the rewards section:
[QUEST REWARDS]
1. Full Status Recovery
2. Attribute Points +10
3. Skill: [Stealth]
"Status recovery and 10 attribute points are pretty standard rewards, same as the last emergency quest, nothing new..." Subaru's lip twitched, but his eyes were locked on the final reward. "The skill, [Stealth]?"
[Stealth]
Mana Cost: 100 MP
Duration: 1 minute
Effect: Completely conceals your form, sound, and scent. The effect is broken if you are attacked or detected.
"A one-minute complete invisibility skill... that's enough to change the tide of battle," Natsuki Subaru mused, stroking his chin. This skill is quite practical. It can be used for infiltrating enemy camps, reconnaissance, or escaping desperate situations. It'll be a trump card for turning things around.
"However, it has its drawbacks. It deactivates immediately if I'm attacked or detected by a special skill." Natsuki Subaru stared at the last line of the system description, his brow furrowing slightly. This meant that even while using [Stealth], he couldn't let his guard down. If the opponent had wide-area attacks, or was a powerful mage like Roswaal who could unleash large-scale magical bombardments, the effectiveness of [Stealth] would be greatly diminished. After all, against such indiscriminate, wide-area magic, the skill seemed completely meaningless. No matter where you hid, you would likely be caught in the overwhelming magical attack, with nowhere to run.
Still, for certain specific purposes, the [Stealth] skill was incredibly powerful.
"Speaking of which, my own strength has improved quite a bit this time."
As he said this, Natsuki Subaru gently stroked his chin, his gaze shifting to his status window.
Host: Natsuki Subaru
Level: 40
Class: None
Title: Wolf Slayer
Spirit: 172
Strength: 212
Agility: 176
Stamina: 163
Health: 3200 / 3200
Mana: 20000 / 20000
Experience: 1,123,466 / 8,000,000
Available Points: 0
Skills:
Life Resilience (Passive)
Advanced Dagger Arts (Passive)
Dagger Throw (Active)
Blessing of the Great Shaman Kandiaru (Active)
Sprint (Active)
Killing Intent (Active)
Discipline (Active)
"I actually leveled up three times..." Natsuki Subaru looked at the system panel, inwardly amazed, and couldn't help but mutter to himself, "I didn't expect the experience points from Petelgeuse to be so generous. It's almost on par with the experience I gained from eliminating the White Whale."
Thinking about it, the result made sense. As a spirit who had lived for hundreds of years, Petelgeuse's strength was not to be underestimated.
Although in Subaru's eyes, his Unseen Hand Authority had been seen through and was no longer a threat, for a warrior like Wilhelm, Petelgeuse was an extremely dangerous existence. After all, they could neither perceive the Unseen Hand's attacks nor did they know about his ability to resurrect through parasitic "Fingers." Thinking of this, Natsuki Subaru couldn't help but sigh.
For hundreds of years, countless heroes and subjugation teams must have met their bitter end against this seemingly unsolvable cycle, with no one ever managing to completely destroy the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishop, Petelgeuse.
_____
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