The information had come from Frederica, Roswaal's head maid. She was a mature demi-human with golden hair.
Frederica had previously served as a maid at the Roswaal mansion. However, with both Ram and Rem heading to the royal capital during the royal selection, Frederica had returned to manage the household in their absence.
According to Frederica, the ones responsible for the attack on Arlam village were two other Sin Archbishops of the Witch Cult—Batenkaitos Ley, the Archbishop of Gluttony, and Regulus Corneas, the Archbishop of Greed.
During their assault on Arlam village, they had crossed paths with Ram, who had been secretly trailing Roswaal back to the mansion, resulting in a fierce battle.
Ram's power had fully returned, earning her the title "Oni God without Horns." She had fought valiantly. However, while trying to protect the villagers and facing an overwhelmingly powerful opponent, Ram had ultimately fallen, losing her memory for reasons unknown!
Thankfully, just as Gluttony and Greed were about to finish Ram off, Roswaal had intervened, forcing the two archbishops to temporarily retreat.
To prevent the villagers of Arlam from being targeted again, Roswaal had led them into a place known as the Sanctuary.
The "Sanctuary" was fully named "Cremaldi's Sanctuary." The Sanctuary was protected by the "Labyrinthine Forest" barrier, which disoriented intruders and prevented mixed-blooded individuals from entering, causing them to lose consciousness, while pure-blooded humans were unaffected.
The Sanctuary had originally been an experimental site created by the Witch of Greed and served as her final resting place. The land had always been managed by the Mathers family, hence under Roswaal's jurisdiction.
Due to the Sanctuary's barrier, mixed-blooded demi-humans were either unable to enter or could not leave once inside. Frederica herself had originated from the Sanctuary and was able to leave only due to the "Shining Stone" Roswaal had provided her.
Once Roswaal brought the villagers into the Sanctuary for refuge, they had essentially ended up as hostages. Garfiel Tinsel, one of the demi-humans leading the inhabitants, used the lives of the human villagers as leverage, demanding that Emilia undergo a trial to release the Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary's barrier was not absolute. It could be lifted by completing a series of three trials.
It was clear that since Roswaal had taken the villagers there, they had now become prisoners. Emilia, true to her kind nature, had no intention of abandoning innocent villagers and had planned to go alone. Fortunately, Rem persuaded her to consult Wood and Subaru first.
With news of the Witch Cult's attack by Gluttony and Greed, Ram's injury and memory loss, and mention of new figures like Garfiel Tinsel and Frederica, a massive wave of names and information hit Wood. All he could think of now was to echo "My brain is trembling!" like Sloth.
With their home in danger, neither Wood nor Subaru had time to argue over credit for the defeat of Sloth and the White Whale. They swiftly left for Roswaal's mansion.
"Where's Ram now? If her full strength had returned, why couldn't she fend off the Witch Cult's attack on Arlam village? Are these Sin Archbishops really that strong?" Wood asked.
From what he had seen of Sloth, his power had been formidable enough to be ranked among the strongest individuals Wood had encountered so far. Still, Wood had expected that Ram, at her peak, would have been capable of handling someone like him.
What concerned Wood more was the fact that Ram had lost her memory.
If there was a way to help her recover her memories, they might be able to gather valuable information from her.
"Big sister is at Roswaal's mansion, but she doesn't even remember me anymore. We've even had Lady Beatrice look her over, and she said there was nothing she could do," Rem replied in a downcast tone.
Wood realized that something serious must have happened to Ram. After all, if she had forgotten her beloved sister Rem, it was unlikely she remembered anything else.
Upon returning to Roswaal's mansion at full speed, they found a tall, blonde maid giving orders to two shorter maids.
Seeing one of the small pink-haired maids deftly performing household chores, Subaru almost dropped his jaw in shock.
As someone who had stayed in the mansion, Subaru knew about the twin Oni sisters. Rem was always known as an "all-purpose maid," while her sister Ram was utterly inept at domestic chores—her only talent being her sharp tongue.
Yet here was the very same Ram, flawlessly handling household duties, and even rivaling Rem in efficiency!
Based on this, Subaru had no doubt—Ram had indeed lost her memory.
To help Ram recover, Wood decided to conduct an examination. Strangely enough, there were no signs of injury or lingering magical effects on her body.
Even after using high-level healing magic under Rem's hopeful gaze, it yielded no results.
"As Beatrice said, Ram wasn't injured. Rather, her memories were taken or devoured. I believe the Sin Archbishop did something to her, given that she still carries a remnant of the Witch's scent, and her soul is damaged," said Puck, who had emerged from behind Emilia. As the most powerful fire spirit, Puck possessed considerable insight, and after listening to Beatrice's earlier assessment, he had already deduced Ram's condition.
"So Ram's injuries or influence stem from her very soul?" Wood frowned deeply. While healing soul-level injuries wasn't impossible, Wood himself didn't have the means to do so.
Healing something of that magnitude would require a "divine" level of magic. Even with the power of the "Heart of God," the highest Wood could manage was "imperial" level.
"If Beatrice says this, she's likely correct. And if even she's helpless, then the only way for Ram to recover is to defeat the Sin Archbishop responsible," Puck continued.
His words left everyone silent. Whether or not they could defeat an enigmatic and formidable Sin Archbishop, their current challenge was even finding the person.
The Witch Cult's Sin Archbishops had evaded capture for years not only due to their formidable strength but also because of their elusive behavior.
"In fact, there is another option besides defeating the Archbishop who targeted Ram," Wood said, suddenly glancing at Subaru beside him.
Subaru was no fool. Seeing Wood's gaze, a sinking feeling settled in his stomach.
Before he could attempt to slip away, Wood had already grabbed him by the back of his collar.
"I need to have a word with Natsuki Subaru. We'll be back soon," Wood said before disappearing into the mansion's courtyard with Subaru.
"You don't even need to say it; I know what you're thinking!" Subaru blurted out as soon as they were alone. "You want to use my ability to reset time to before Ram got attacked! But do you even consider my feelings? My ability triggers through death! Do you really expect me to die just for the chance to help Ram remember? It's too much!"
Subaru slumped onto the ground, refusing to cooperate. Sure, he had a power that ensured he wouldn't truly die, but that didn't mean he enjoyed dying.
"Stop whining already. Are you doing it yourself, or do I need to help you? You won't actually die anyway. What's the point of having a power like that if you don't use it?" Wood snapped. "Plus, isn't your goal to help Emilia win the royal selection? Ram could hold vital information that helps us."
As much as he wanted to slice Subaru with his sword and be done with it, Wood had to restrain himself. He was an unknown entity in this world, and if Subaru truly died, he feared that his ability might not activate. Thus, he decided to try persuading Subaru instead.
"Easy for you to say! You're not the one dying. I always end up dying, and no one even knows what I've gone through for them! It's so unfair!" Subaru's frustration finally burst out.
Being an unsung hero might have its charm, but that role certainly didn't suit Subaru. After all, what did he want most from being in another world? Winning the hearts of the otherworldly girls!
The unsung hero who silently protected everyone was never going to get the girl's favor—because none of them even knew what he had done.
"Oh, so that's what's bothering you?" Wood paused, and a sly smile crossed his face. "How about this—if you use your power to reset the timeline for Ram, I'll make sure Venomous Thorn and the others spread stories of your heroics during the White Whale subjugation. I'll even make sure Emilia hears about your bravery."
"Deal!" Subaru agreed almost instantly, jumping up from the ground and shaking Wood's hand in excitement.
It was clear that Subaru had played him. Even if Wood hadn't made that offer, Subaru would likely have relented in the end.
Still, Wood decided it was better this way. Subaru's power was invaluable, and rewarding him with some recognition would make it easier to rely on him in the future.
"You always go overboard when you do things. Sure, I have to die, but I'd rather not make it more painful than necessary. I'll do it myself!" Subaru declared when he saw Wood draw his sword, offering to assist.
Subaru had witnessed Wood's battles firsthand. He knew exactly how powerful the monster before him was.
On one hand, he feared that if Wood hit too hard, he'd turn into paste. Would he still be able to revive from that?
On the other, Subaru simply didn't want the pain. If he had to die, he preferred a less painful method.
"I can… Return… by Death!"
As Subaru uttered the words, he could feel a slender hand clutching his heart. Despite the overwhelming discomfort, he forced himself to say his ability's name out loud.
And as he did, the unseen hand crushed his heart.
Wood sensed a powerful presence surrounding Subaru as he spoke the words "Return by Death." It was incredibly strong—enough to make even Wood feel threatened.
It was the second time Wood had experienced such a sensation since coming to this world—the first being his encounter with the Sword Saint, Reinhard.
Before he could observe the powerful aura more closely, a familiar dizziness overwhelmed him, and he blacked out.
When Wood opened his eyes again, the scenery had changed. He was now on a rural road—presumably on the way to the White Whale subjugation.
This meant that Subaru's checkpoint was set before they confronted the White Whale.
After a brief moment of consideration, Wood made up his mind to change his plan. Instead of rushing to Anastasia's aid, he would head straight for Arlam village.
If he followed the original timeline, nothing would change, and Subaru's sacrifice would be in vain.
The village was far from his current position, but if Wood ignored the magic and stamina consumption, he could make it there within half a day.
With time running out, Wood used wind magic for acceleration, while employing "Soru" for faster travel. However, just as he neared the border of Roswaal's domain, the familiar dizziness returned, clouding his mind.
Subaru must have died again…
Considering Subaru knew that Wood was on his way to provide backup, it was unlikely he had taken his own life. It was more probable that the White Whale or Sloth had killed him instead.
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Don't forget to give Power Stone
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