20: The Witch of Greed
The atmosphere twisted in an instant.
The vast sky and grassland began to collapse and fall apart.
Cracks spread across the sky, the grassland began to dissolve, and in the quickly crumbling world, only one lonely hill remained — and the chairs upon it, where the two were seated.
Echidna's fathomless black eyes were glowing with a strange light.
That light seemed as if it sought to know everything about Subaru. Her boundless, insatiable curiosity was no longer concealed. That gaze filled with "I'm so curious" made Subaru feel like his entire body was being wrapped in thorny vines.
"Ughhh… even my beautiful cherry blossom-colored memories feel tainted now…" Subaru forced out a voice to ease his tension.
"No need for unnecessary small talk." Echidna cut him off with a clap of her hands, her expression happy.
"Alright then, what do you want to ask? About the Witch of Gluttony, Daphne, who created beasts contrary to the divine order to save the world from starvation? Or perhaps about the Witch of Envy, who made the entire world her enemy by devouring all the other witches as her sustenance? Are you here for that hateful one?"
As Echidna rapidly recited the names of the witches, a strong aura of death radiated from her body.
It was so overwhelming that even a hardened royal guard knight might freeze in terror from the sheer force of it.
"Whoops. Seems I got a little too excited. I've always been like this — once I get going, my mouth won't stop. Witches really are a hassle, aren't we?"
Seeing Subaru remain silent, Echidna, still seated, began to reflect on herself.
"So... is omniscience just this? You don't even know what I want to know?"
"Oh? I see now... Has your despair overcome your fear?"
Echidna seemed surprised, then she smiled. Her black eyes glittered with excitement.
"Wonderful. How delightful. Utter joy. As expected from the embodiment of miracles."
The excited witch's presence grew even stronger.
Subaru braced himself for a long, painful conversation under pressure.
"Now then—hm?"
Suddenly, the pressure disappeared.
Subaru glanced at Echidna — she still looked thrilled. But he quickly dismissed the idea that this was her showing mercy.
"Hmm, faster than I expected. I guess the chosen one really does adapt quickly. You've helped me out a lot."
Subaru immediately connected the dots at her words.
"Just now… was it the tea?"
Echidna smiled contentedly and nodded.
"Exactly. I didn't expect you to be that sharp. That tea strengthened your resistance. Thanks to that, now we can have a proper conversation. Ah, how perfect — it benefits both of us, doesn't it?"
"I see. And what else does your tea do?"
"That… you'll have to discover for yourself. But please don't misunderstand — I didn't have you drink it to harm you. If anything, I really like your existence… Ah, saying that makes me a little shy."
Echidna's cheeks turned slightly red with embarrassment from expressing her affection. It was the kind of reaction Subaru would normally be thrilled by, maybe even daydream over.
But right now, he didn't have the luxury to enjoy it.
"You're rather cold. Oh well, let's continue this conversation properly. So — what do you want?"
Subaru coldly gazed at the girlish Echidna.
"How much do you know about the Witch Cult's Sin Archbishops?"
"Sin Archbishops? Sorry, that term didn't exist when I died.
You probably know more about them than I do.
"That totally flips our positions! You say it so nonchalantly — where does that leave your title of Miss Know-It-All? Besides, we don't exactly have a lot of time to chat here."
Subaru's expectations were casually betrayed, and he looked at the puzzled Echidna with clear disdain.
"Didn't I say so earlier? This is a dream castle. You and I are present here only in spirit. While we're here, we're cut off not just from the outside, but even from time itself. Though I won't say time is completely frozen, its effects outside are negligible. So in reverse, there's very little chance we'll be interrupted from the outside."
"And while I may not be familiar with the present era, I can confidently say that no one knows more about the past than I do. I possess knowledge from over 400 years ago — the true history and magic that's long since eroded from memory... You have the chance to learn it, you know?"
Echidna proudly puffed out her chest.
But Subaru only looked at her coolly and sighed.
"I'm not Julius, that history fanatic. And honestly, I don't care much for witches either. Even if I heard all that, it's just stuff from dead people — it's meaningless. What I need is something to help me deal with the current mess. No — more precisely, I want to know if the Witch of Envy might appear in the outside world."
Subaru recalled that woman — a calamity in human form — and asked decisively.
"The answer's obvious. The one you met was the Witch of Envy. Though compared to the real thing, that fake was far inferior. The flesh used as her vessel wasn't fully matured, and in any case, not even a single seal has been broken yet. In a state without the Witch Factor, she can't manifest her full power."
"So that wasn't even her at full strength... Wait a second — you knew I saw her?"
The vague unease Subaru had felt all along suddenly exploded.
Could you explain in detail?"
"Echidna, just how much do you know about me?"
"If it's knowledge, it's limited to what I already know. If it's curiosity — then I want to know everything about this world."
Echidna's wordplay irritated Subaru, and he slammed both palms onto the table.
"Stop dodging. When I got here, you said my desire was interesting. And you mentioned the Witch of Envy. You're reading my thoughts, aren't you?"
"Not exactly. But this is my dream castle. So yes, I can see your memories."
Echidna finally showed a full smile.
If she could access his memories, then she would have seen it — his Return by Death and all the torment he had experienced.
Subaru stared at the girl before him.
No matter how friendly she acted… No matter how beautiful her smile was… This girl was—
"You really are a witch."
"Mmhmm, that's right. I'm a very bad kind of magic user, you know?"
Echidna said this with a teasing smile as she lightly pushed her finger against Subaru's forehead.
—What a terrible person.
"You're so cruel. I saw every step you've taken. Because I've watched. But that's all I can do — just watch. So if possible, I want to hear it directly from you. Everything you've thought up until now. How you've felt, What burdens you've borne in your heart — I want to know it all. Because—"
Echidna paused.
Then she opened her arms wide and declared with pride:
"—I am the Witch of Greed, Echidna, who desires to know everything in this world."