When people lose something precious, anger and sorrow usually arise together. Anger is directed toward the one who took it away, while sorrow comes from the irreversible loss.
That is how everyone is. Yet, as Roswaal had just said to Subaru—"everything can still be undone; you can go back."
Although Roswaal had always known about Subaru's authority, revealing that knowledge in such a cruel manner—declaring I know your power—was something neither Subaru nor Lillian had expected.
Lillian looked down at Ram's severed body, feeling uneasy. They had not shared many interactions, but perhaps because he had once transferred some of his unique energy into her before his previous death, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity toward her.
That very energy still remained within her, which was why she had felt a similar familiarity upon seeing him again.
"Y-You…"
Subaru was completely shaken by the revelation that his ability had been exposed. He had always believed no one knew about it—so why did Roswaal?
His confusion and shock were so overwhelming that he momentarily forgot Ram's death. But Lillian did not.
Without a doubt, Roswaal was the kind of person who treated everyone else merely as tools to achieve his goals. Emilia was a tool to help him find the Divine Dragon. Ram was a tool to provoke Subaru. And even…
Lillian realized that Elsa and Meili had likely been tools as well. Though, as assassins, accepting commissions and carrying out tasks was part of their duty—was that truly all there was to it?
Roswaal knew that someone capable of changing the world existed at Emilia's side. Thus, he hired assassins to kill Emilia in order to draw that person out.
And the world that person would wish to change must be one in which Emilia was not killed. How could that be achieved? Only by ensuring the assassins' mission failed. In other words, before hiring them, Roswaal had already anticipated the outcome: the assassins would draw out Subaru, who would then use his unknown power to change the world and protect Emilia.
The result would either be the assassins' retreat after failure—or their deaths. Roswaal cared about neither outcome. To him, they were merely tools to lure out Subaru. Once a tool fulfilled its function, why would he care about its fate?
Humans were like that—when an event involved someone connected to you, your attitude toward it changed. If Lillian had never interacted with Elsa, he might have felt nothing about her being used by Roswaal, at most developing a poor impression of him. But since he had interacted with her, from his perspective Roswaal had become an enemy.
"Why—why would you do this?!" Subaru cried, his mind descending into confusion. He could not understand Roswaal's purpose—especially since Roswaal knew about his ability. What meaning could such actions possibly have?
If I die and return by death… what happens now won't remain in Roswaal's memory, will it?
Here's a smooth, detailed English translation of Chapter 376, with Li Lin → Lillian (male) as requested.
While Subaru Natsuki was thinking this, Roswaal calmly took out his Gospel—or more precisely, one of the two superior replicas of the Book of Wisdom, far more advanced than the Gospels held by the other Sin Archbishops.
Rustle…
The pages turned on their own without any wind, filled with incomprehensible characters. Roswaal stared at it, speaking as if addressing the two of them—or perhaps merely talking to himself.
"To realize the future recorded here, I must spare no effort. Even the sacrifice of spirit or life is acceptable. To manifest the future written in this book in the present world—this is something I must accomplish."
As he spoke, his gaze sharpened, an invisible killing intent gathering around him.
"But… a deviation has appeared."
He looked at Lillian.
"Your existence is not recorded anywhere in the book. Why is that? Who are you? What is your purpose in coming here? Guidance from my teacher? Do you think such words could deceive me? Long ago, there was also someone named 'Lillian' who was just like you. What connection exists between you? Is there some special method that allows you to evade the book's records?"
"And you as well," he said sternly, turning to Subaru with the tone of a teacher scolding a student. "You who are meant to change the world—you have done something wrong. Something has gone astray. Next time, do not make the same mistake."
"What the hell is wrong with your head?!"
Subaru could not accept Roswaal's words at all. Unable to comprehend his thinking, he simply roared in fury.
"That snowstorm outside—you caused that too, didn't you?! Why?! What are you trying to do, Roswaal?!"
Roswaal answered plainly:
"I merely wish to make it impossible for the villagers to survive."
Not only Subaru but even Lillian found this difficult to understand, so he did not immediately attack, choosing instead to listen to what might be Roswaal's "final madness."
"With such a heavy snowfall," Roswaal continued, "food and shelter will become impossible to secure. At such a time, what will the villagers think? Whom will they blame? Me, the head of the Mathers family, who has governed this land for generations? Or Emilia-sama, who is currently undergoing the trials in the sanctuary?"
"You… what did you just say…?"
Subaru stared at him in disbelief. Lillian, however, understood immediately.
So that was it. In the end, Roswaal was repeating the same strategy as before—pushing Emilia into despair, then allowing the "one who changes the world," Subaru, to step in and alter the outcome. But what was the meaning of this? What exactly was written in that Book of Wisdom?
"The Sanctuary, which has remained peaceful for years, suddenly experiences unseasonal snowfall after Emilia-sama's arrival," Roswaal said with a smile, revealing his plan without hesitation. "Combined with her bloodline and appearance—both detested by the world—surely you can imagine the villagers' reaction."
"Rejection and isolation are inevitable. Then, when Emilia-sama is exhausted in body and spirit, Subaru, you—the 'hero'—will make your entrance. As the only one who supports her, she will place her complete trust in you. In that way…"
He did not finish the sentence, but Lillian could guess the rest. If things proceeded as planned and Subaru received her emotional "response," he would surely devote himself even more wholeheartedly to helping Emilia win the royal selection. After all, at present, Emilia still regarded Subaru merely as a friend—nothing more passionate or profound.
However, judging by the current situation, this original plan had already failed. Subaru now knew everything.
"This should have gone smoothly. Why did it not?"
Roswaal turned his gaze to Lillian.
"Is it because of you? You… this 'variable.'"
The space around him distorted as enormous amounts of mana gathered. "Perhaps it would have been better if I had killed you earlier."
Boom—!
A blast of mana obliterated half the courtyard. When the dust cleared, Roswaal looked surprised to see Lillian standing unharmed in the distance.
"Roswaal! You bas—!"
Subaru, consumed by rage after being toyed with, threw a straightforward punch. The attack, however, was utterly meaningless. In the next instant, Roswaal pinned him underfoot and crushed the bones of his arm.
"AAAAAAAH!"
A horrific scream echoed through the air.
Roswaal spoke rapidly.
"Can you not invoke 'Return' again? Must you continue enduring such pain? Or perhaps it has already been activated, and I simply failed to notice?"
Because Roswaal did not know the exact conditions for Subaru's ability, he dared not kill him casually—fearing that death might prevent the power from activating. Lillian, however, paid no attention to such concerns. Without holding back, he unleashed all of his unseen hands against Roswaal.
"The scent of a witch."
Though unable to see the attack, Roswaal sensed it and formed a massive, radiant mana shield before him. The invisible blows struck it repeatedly with loud impacts, drawing mild surprise from him.
"This is Sekhmet's power… Are you her apostle? Or merely someone who obtained the Sloth factor by chance? Judging by the number of hands, your body possesses remarkable compatibility with the factor…"
Having sustained himself for centuries through the forbidden technique of soul transfer, Roswaal naturally possessed deep knowledge of the witches' secrets. Recognizing the origin of Lillian's authority at a glance was no surprise. Still, the power posed little threat to him—it could not penetrate his magical barrier.
"If their number were doubled, it might be troublesome," he remarked.
Lillian had to admit that this man—hailed as the kingdom's greatest court mage—was extraordinarily powerful. At his current level, Lillian could not defeat him using his authority alone. Even employing golden mana would yield only the slimmest chance of victory.
That left only one course of action: survival.
More precisely, he needed to stay alive until Subaru triggered his Return by Death.
If Roswaal killed him before the reset occurred, it would mean wasting an opportunity. Subaru's ability might restore lost limbs—but could it remove the restrictions on Lillian's power? Probably not, since those limitations had been imposed by a "goddess."
"…Roswaal, you really are insane…" Subaru, still pinned beneath his foot, endured the pain and forced himself to speak. "Even… even if things reset, you…"
"I would not retain my current memories. More precisely, I would no longer be this version of myself—correct?"
Roswaal's calm response stunned him. He accepted the fact without hesitation.
"But what of it? No matter which version of me exists, my purpose remains the same—to realize the future written in the book. For that goal, even if tens of thousands of me must die, it matters not. As long as the final 'me' witnesses that future, it is enough."
Subaru could not comprehend such twisted fanaticism, but Lillian understood Roswaal's mindset clearly. People who pursued their goals without hesitation—ruthless toward others and themselves alike—often came closest to success. But when two such individuals stood opposed, the outcome became far less certain.
"The one with more information wins, Roswaal," Lillian suddenly said.
Roswaal narrowed his eyes slightly, puzzled.
At that moment, a rustling sound interrupted their strange conversation, the heavy breathing, and everything else—until only the eerie murmuring noises remained.
Lillian turned his head.
At some unknown point, an overwhelming tide of white rabbits was charging toward them from afar. Their fur was whiter than snow itself, their crimson eyes starkly vivid, their starving stomachs seeking something to devour.
"Oh…" Roswaal observed calmly. "Is that not the Great Rabbit?"
One of the Three Great Mabeasts—the creature often mistranslated as the singular "Great Rabbit," but in truth a countless swarm—was surging forward through the falling snow.