Ram suddenly froze, her actions ceasing as she stared at the Sin Archbishop of Greed in anger.
The reason was simple. As a member of the Oni clan, possessing an extraordinary sense of smell, she had just realized that the nauseating scent of the Witch had suddenly appeared on herself!
Ram now understood what that stench, which had been moving among the Witch Cultists, truly represented.
She could feel it—two hearts beating within her chest.
One heart was her own, while the other, filled with the heavy stench of the Witch, obviously belonged to the Sin Archbishop of Greed.
Ram extended her sharp claws, intending to gouge out her own heart. With the Oni's life force and Wood's powerful healing magic, she believed she could survive even if she opened a hole in her chest.
But the Sin Archbishop, seeing Ram's resolve, spoke quickly in alarm, "I advise you not to waste your effort. I deliberately placed my heart overlapping with yours.
"If you destroy my heart, your heart will be pierced as well. And at the moment you strike, I can guarantee that my Authority will bring the heart back into my own body. The only person who would die is you."
The Archbishop wasn't trying to be kind; Ram was his only bargaining chip. If she died, there would be no way for him to escape from Wood.
The second ability of the Sin Archbishop's Authority, "Little King," allowed him to transfer his heart into any of his "wives" within his "Kingdom."
The definition of a "wife" was rather vague. Any female the Archbishop personally considered his "wife" would become one.
Ram was undeniably a woman and was within the Archbishop's "Kingdom," making her a valid target for "Little King."
To destroy the Sin Archbishop's "invincible" Authority, "Lion's Heart," one had to destroy the heart hidden in a "wife." But now that the heart resided in Ram, killing Greed meant killing Ram—a dilemma with no clear solution.
"I'm sorry, Sir Wood. This time, Ram has become a burden. I shall atone for this." Ram apologized while raising her hand, preparing to pierce her heart and take the Sin Archbishop with her.
Just as her claws broke through her own pale skin, drawing a few drops of blood, Wood appeared beside her, grabbing her wrist.
"Are you out of your mind? As that bastard said, even if you kill yourself, he can still use his Authority to retrieve the heart. Your death would be meaningless.
"Don't expect me to save you either. If your heart is destroyed, your bodily functions will cease within minutes, and with my current abilities, I can't bring someone back from the dead."
"But if I die, the Sin Archbishop's heart-transfer Authority won't work anymore.
"You are a man, Sir Wood, and thus not a target for his ability. If I die, he won't be able to escape from you." Ram was stubborn, even after Wood's intervention.
"If that's the case, then what was the point of me coming here?
"The Sin Archbishops of Greed and Gluttony aren't my personal enemies. The main reason I am here is because of you."
To Wood, trading Ram's life for the Archbishop's wasn't worth it. Greed's weakness had been exposed, and there would be plenty of chances to kill him later. But Ram was a valuable ally. Losing her to eliminate an opponent he could kill any time was too much of a loss.
"So, you've finally grasped the situation. That's right, if you want to kill me, the Oni girl will die before I do.
"How about we reach a compromise? Let me leave, and once I'm safe, I will take my heart back from this girl."
The Archbishop didn't threaten Ram's life to force Wood into submission or continue fighting.
He couldn't afford to take that risk. He had no idea how much Ram meant to Wood, but he was confident that if Wood's own life was at stake, he wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice the Oni girl.
If he were in Wood's shoes, he would make the same decision.
"Tell me why the Witch Cult has been so active lately, and what kind of person is the Witch of Vainglory, Pandora?"
Hearing Wood's demands, the Sin Archbishop knew this was Wood's condition for letting him go. If he didn't provide the information, Wood might very well forcefully end things right here.
"That half-elf, Emilia, is the perfect vessel for the Witch of Envy's resurrection. She's also the key to reviving Satella.
"We weren't aware of her existence before, but after the Royal Selection in Lugnica, a man named Roswaal came to us and made certain deals…"
Ram's body trembled violently as she heard these words. She had never imagined that her revered Lord Roswaal was involved with the Witch Cult. The attack on Arlam Village had been orchestrated by him.
No... Gluttony and Greed had come because of Roswaal's information. That meant she, left behind as a rear guard, had been a pawn from the beginning—a disposable piece in Roswaal's game.
Ram collapsed to the ground, utterly shattered. The betrayal of the man she loved was a blow that would be difficult for anyone to endure.
Wood didn't doubt the Archbishop's words. He had always found Roswaal suspicious, his motives unclear, and had never seen him as a purely good character.
Roswaal might have decided to get rid of Ram because he sensed her changes and the threat she might pose to his plans after regaining her Oni powers.
Wood even suspected that the Witch Cult was merely a tool for Roswaal to manipulate.
By exposing Emilia, Roswaal could eliminate Ram, who could be an obstacle, and simultaneously force Emilia into Sanctuary.
Aside from the Witch Cult's recent activity and Roswaal's betrayal, the Archbishop had little useful information about Pandora, the Witch of Vainglory.
It wasn't that he didn't want to say more—Pandora was simply too mysterious. Although Greed had worked with her during the attack on the elven village where Emilia grew up, all he knew was that she possessed the power to alter and twist reality. Her true goals and background were a complete mystery.
From various legends and history, combined with Sloth's dying words, Wood had a feeling that the greatest enemy in this world wasn't Satella, the Witch of Envy, whom everyone feared, but rather Pandora, the Witch of Vainglory.
Wood wasn't surprised that the Archbishop knew little about Pandora. If she were the ultimate antagonist, it wouldn't make sense for her identity to be so easily exposed.
With all the information gathered, the Archbishop slowly began backing away, putting more distance between himself and Wood.
The man was cunning. Fearing that Wood might not keep his word, he had ordered his remaining "wives" to leave beforehand while providing the information.
Once he had escaped far enough, and Ram was no longer within his "Kingdom," he could still use the "wives" who had fled to ensure the continued use of "Lion's Heart."
Wood clicked his tongue in annoyance, but in the end, he could only watch as the Sin Archbishop disappeared from view.
To be honest, Wood hadn't intended to keep his promise from the beginning.
Promises were for honorable men. For someone like the Sin Archbishop, Wood had no qualms about breaking his word. Besides, Wood never claimed to be a moral hero.
The Sin Archbishop of Gluttony was dead, Greed had escaped, and Ram was broken. But time hadn't reset, which meant that Subaru still wasn't dead!
"If you have time to feel sad, it's better to hurry and help Subaru and the others.
"If I'm not wrong, Rem and Emilia are already there, and they're up against the White Whale and the Sin Archbishop of Sloth."
Perhaps it was her sisterly bond. Though Ram had been devastated by Roswaal's betrayal, she found new resolve when she heard that Rem was facing such danger.
When Wood and Ram finally reached Subaru and the others, they were surprised to find that the White Whale had already been defeated.
The Sin Archbishop of Sloth was still being attacked by everyone, and had they arrived any later, there wouldn't have even been an opportunity to assist.
Through numerous "Return by Death" loops, Subaru realized Wood must have been dealing with something on his end, explaining his absence.
With Wood missing, Subaru had to make use of whatever he had, and after multiple loops, he had gathered enough information and devised a plan.
In the previous loops, Subaru learned from Crusch that Wilhelm and Julius could defeat the White Whale under normal circumstances. It was only when the Sin Archbishop of Sloth intervened that their plans failed.
Knowing this, Subaru's strategy this time around was simple but effective.
During the final loop, Subaru didn't get lost in the White Whale's fog. Instead, he diverted course and intercepted Sloth before he could assist the White Whale.
Of course, someone like Ricardo wasn't keen to take orders from a weakling like Subaru.
But that was fine. During the previous loops, Subaru learned that Ricardo and his men were terrified of Wood.
So he pointed out that Anastasia, Wood's sister, was in danger, and if they didn't help, Wood would surely not forgive them...
Half threatening them by invoking Wood's name, and half convincing them that helping Anastasia would earn Wood's gratitude, Subaru finally persuaded Ricardo and his men to intercept Sloth.
Subaru was well-prepared. With a full understanding of Sloth's Authority and his ability to see the Invisible Hands, Ricardo was able to buy enough time for Crusch and the others to take down the White Whale.
With the White Whale dead, Crusch's group was able to help against Sloth, resulting in the current scenario.
"See, didn't I tell you? Even if I can't contribute much in battle, my brains and wits are more than enough to help Emilia." Subaru boasted.
Wood didn't undermine him this time. He had to admit, Subaru had done an excellent job.
If Wood were in Subaru's position without his combat skills, he doubted he could have done any better.
In fact, without Subaru, the best-case scenario would have been Wood obtaining some information while Ram ended up losing her memory again.
It had been almost impossible to protect both Ram and gather the information at the same time. In that situation, Ram losing her memory would have been a fortunate outcome.
"How did things go on your side? Did you figure out what was happening?"
Seeing Ram and Wood arrive, Subaru asked anxiously.
Wood didn't hold back and shared everything—his encounters with the Sin Archbishops of Greed and Gluttony, and the intel about Roswaal's betrayal.
Emilia found it hard to believe that Roswaal wanted to kill her. He had taken her in since she awakened. If he wanted her dead, he'd had plenty of chances. Why involve the Witch Cult?
"Roswaal isn't necessarily aligned with the Witch Cult, nor does he want to kill you, but he certainly has his own goals.
"So, what's your plan? Do you want to strike out on your own, free from Roswaal's control, or pretend nothing happened and continue relying on him in the Royal Selection?"