After finishing my business with Puck, I left the dorm to arrange a meeting with Garfiel. I needed to remove any obstacles to this plan's success, and I couldn't fulfill that requirement while he still had me in his sights.
Last night, I could have allayed his doubts by including him in the meeting, but I didn't because I didn't think I could handle Garfiel, Rem, and Ram's reactions all at once. With the sisters, my approach was almost entirely verbal. Unlike them, the tiger boy wasn't so docile.
Along the way, I reflected on my doppelganger's memories. When Echidna kissed me, it caused those memories to uncover themselves, cluttering my mind with fragmented memories of a life other than my current one.
In that parallel life, I was an expert hunter. I traded in mabeasts, both alive and dead, whole and in pieces. Constant exposure to the wild allowed me to develop skills worthy of a predator: my senses heightened, and I learned to use very useful techniques.
One of the highlights of that story was that I married Elsa Granhiert and adopted Meili Portroute. That was quite a feat in itself, but the most interesting part was my relationship with the mysterious Witch of Vanity.
"What the hell does all this mean?" I sighed. I couldn't remember everything, but I knew now that this wasn't my first time in this world. There was a previous timeline, or something like that. I assume at some point I made a contract with Pandora and became her follower.
Was I really such a fool as to make a pact with her? What if she brainwashed me, and everything I do is the result of her manipulation? I hated being completely disoriented, surrounded by darkness as if Satella had me trapped in her shadow garden.
I found Garfiel outside the house, talking to Ram at a suspiciously low volume and looking around carefully. I quickly hid and strained my ears to listen to the conversation.
"He's a strange guy." Garfiel said.
"I know." Ram nodded. "He has a twisted personality and gets excited when you insult him."
"What the hell are those two talking about?"
"I don't understand why Rem cares so much about him. He reminds me of you with Roswaal."
"Please don't compare Leandoor to Master Roswaal. It'll make me throw up."
"THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT ME! AND THEY'RE NOT SAYING NICE THINGS! Well, that makes sense."
I shook my head reflexively. I never worked hard to have a good reputation, and this was the result. Still, I wanted to punch Ram for insinuating that I was much worse than Roswaal. I may be lazy, gluttonous, otaku, neo-Nazi, pedophile, and many other things, but I would never wear jester makeup.
Garfiel gave a mocking chuckle.
"Well, it seems to me that they are both the same."
"WE ARE NOT!"
"They aren't." For once, Ram and I agreed, though for different reasons.
"Whatever you say." Garfiel put his hands on the back of his head. "But Rem should be careful with that guy. Who knows what his true intentions are..."
Ironically, Garfiel saw me the way I saw Roswaal. Ram also grasped the irony: her face was a poem as she listened to the tiger boy's boasts.
"That's true." Ram admitted. "I'm sure Leandoor wants to sleep with Rem."
"I'm not going to deny it."
"Uh... I meant something more like an evil plan."
"Taking advantage of my sister isn't an evil plan for you?" Ram frowned.
"That's not what I meant!" Garfiel grew nervous and tried to defend himself. "I'm just saying he might have something else in mind. I'm worried about having someone that dangerous inside the Sanctuary."
"If you're worried that Leandoor is a threat to the Sanctuary, you're barking up the wrong tree."
Garfiel raised his eyebrows and muttered something I couldn't hear. I was about to lean closer to hear better, but someone tapped me on the shoulder and I jumped like boiling milk.
"Rem!" I whispered. "You almost scared me to death!"
"What are you doing here?" She looked normal. Her face showed no signs of the emotions she'd suffered the night before.
"I'm eavesdropping on a conversation."
"Very bad!" She reproved my behavior. "You shouldn't do that."
In fact, my behavior could be justified to a certain extent, but I didn't want to start a debate with Rem. I was glad to see that the truth about Roswaal didn't hit her as hard as I thought it would.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, why do you ask?" Rem tilted her head.
"You look fine. I thought what happened yesterday would affect you more."
"It was a big surprise. I felt pretty bad, but then I had a good talk with my sister. Thanks to that, I'm perfectly fine now."
"That's great." I commented cheerfully. If she were unstable, Roswaal might find out everything, and that would ruin my plans.
Rem nodded, but looked at me suspiciously.
"You look like you haven't slept a wink."
"It's because I didn't sleep a wink." I admitted.
"Curious. Lady Emilia didn't rest properly either."
"Yep."
"And you spent the night with her."
"Sure– oh wait, I get it now."
Rem was accusing me like I was a fucking casanova.
"We didn't do anything inappropriate. If something had happened, I'd be grinning from ear to ear."
That wasn't smart. Now she was angry.
"Pervert."
"A man has needs!"
"That doesn't give you the right to chase women."
"I don't chase them, I just go in the same direction they do... when they're running away from me." I laughed at my own joke, but Rem didn't find it funny at all. "Hey, sorry, I guess I shouldn't talk about this stuff with you."
Rem probably disliked having a companion with lustful thoughts. She had also been a victim of my tricks, the most recent being the trick I pulled with my authority in the carriage.
Rem sighed and said something very interesting.
"If you're going to be like that, at least decide on one of us..."
"You say that as if it makes any difference." I laughed. "Will you accept me if I choose you?"
I wasn't expecting a positive answer, not even a "maybe". That's why I was stunned when Rem hugged me around the waist, resting her cheek against my chest.
"Why don't you try to find out?" She whispered.
My heart went crazy and began to race. However, I remembered experiencing similar scenes with Rem and knew this was just a tease. This time, I would be the one playing with her.
"Then let me kiss you." I challenged her. "If you do, I'll forget about Emilia."
I gently held her chin and tilted it up, forcing her to look at me. Her shy expression was beautifully rendered, even with a slight blush on her skin. I must say, she's an excellent actress.
As my face approached her, I began to feel her heartbeat racing through her chest. She looked down at my lips, her breathing becoming ragged.
"Leandro..."
"Don't say my name at a time like this! That's cheating!"
She'd doubled the bet, leaving me with no choice but to go all the way. I gathered my courage and began to close the gap of a few inches that separated us.
Incredibly, Rem didn't pull away, but closed her eyes, as if she were ready to kiss me.
"Really? Okay, if you're going to be so stubborn, you can't blame me for going through with it."
I closed my eyes and prepared to take his lips. In retrospect, I should have done it faster.
"Heh, you don't waste time, do you?" Garfiel commented, looking at me with a mocking smile. He probably noticed our presence through his sense of smell. Did he have to show up right now?
"Hate. This. Damn. Cliché."
I was so close! One more second and I would have made it.
Rem immediately backed away from me, trying to hide her embarrassment at being caught in an embarrassing situation. A second later, Ram appeared and stood next to Garfiel.
"What's going on here?" Seeing Rem's noticeable blush, her pink eyes fixed on me.
"Ask them." The tiger boy threw the hot potato at us without hesitation.
"I came to tell him about the plan." I lied quickly, nodding at Garfiel. "He has to know, or there could be a big misunderstanding."
With that, I managed to shift the main focus to our conflict with Roswaal. Ram didn't take her eyes off me, but she didn't press the issue. Garfiel's expression changed completely.
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"We're plotting." I smiled. "To protect the Sanctuary."
"What a coincidence." Garfiel approached, exuding a menacing aura. "That happens to be my job."
"I know, that's why I want your approval." I nodded, using the right words to sweeten his ear and keep him under control. "Are you willing to hear what I have to say?"
***
"That bastard Roswaal! I'm going to rip his fucking head off!"
"You'll have to wait in line..."
Garfiel paced back and forth like a caged beast. The veins popped out almost all over his body from the tension caused by his suppressed rage. However, he was calmer now than before, because at first he had become so furious that I was forced to restrict his movements to prevent him from rushing to kill Roswaal.
"I can't believe that clown has been making me look like an idiot this whole time!"
"At least you haven't been working for him."
I played with the cup of tea I'd already drunk, twirling it in the air with authority. A little girl with pink hair and white clothes sat next to me, alternating her gaze between Garfiel and me.
Considering the tiger boy's mood, I decided to focus on the "girl."
"What do you think about this, Shima?"
"Hmm. According to what you told us, Roswaal won't act until you leave the Sanctuary." She said, to which I nodded in confirmation. "So, your plan is to go to the mansion to stop the mercenaries while the rest of us stay here, waiting for him to cast his spell to neutralize him when he's weak."
"Exactly."
"How do you know exactly what he'll do?" Shima pressed me with the obvious question.
"I told you. I have an ability similar to his Gospel."
"And how did you get it?"
"You can feel the miasma surrounding me, right? That's Satella's personal brand. In that way, she's marked me as her favorite. My ability is a gift from her."
"What did you say?"
Garfiel growled and tensed. I had to choose my next words carefully so as not to step on a landmine.
"Before you go crazy, I want to clarify that I have nothing to do with those damn cultists. The witch sought me out on her own and gave me special treatment I never asked for. However, I'm grateful to her, as this power helped save my life and the lives of others."
"Feeling gratitude for the Witch of Envy... That's a dangerous stance, Leandro Lagostena."
Ryuzu Shima warned me in a solemn tone. Her words didn't bother me at all. In fact, if I had the chance, I'd express my gratitude to the goth/yandere Emilia in every way possible. I mean sexual things, obviously.
"It doesn't mean I want to resurrect her or anything. I just don't hate her, but I don't worship her like her followers do either. Getting back to the other topic, I'd like to know what you think of my plan."
"Wouldn't it be less risky to try to stop Roswaal before he gathers all that mana? If we let him cast the spell, we'll have to deal with the Great Rabbit."
"But that's exactly what I want. If the Great Rabbit comes here, I'll erase it once and for all, just like I did with the White Whale. It would kill two birds with one stone."
"You want to thwart the plans of Lugunica's most powerful wizard and exterminate another of the three great mabeasts in one fell swoop. Wow, you must have a lot of confidence in your abilities to make such a claim. Either that, or you're letting hubris get the better of you."
"I admit I have some hubris, but my decision is based on confidence."
"I refuse." Garfiel interrupted, pointing his finger in my direction. "You're an outsider. It's not your place to choose what's best for the Sanctuary."
"What do you suggest, then?"
"I think we should kill that bastard right now!" Garfiel punched the wooden wall, leaving a small dent in it.
"Someone of Roswaal's level won't lose easily." I shook my head. "Especially if you don't wear him down first. Even if we defeat him, he'll take a few lives with him."
"That's true." Shima said. "But the plan with the Great Rabbit would put all of our lives at risk."
"I assure you I won't let anyone die." I replied. "After all, my life depends on making sure everything goes right."
Shima looked at me curiously. Although my proposal was far-fetched, the conviction I displayed made the woman question her own judgment.
"Tsk. Is there really no other option?"
The tiger boy clicked his tongue in frustration. Seeing him like that, I felt like I'd won the argument. Shima had fallen silent, and Garfiel couldn't refute my argument.
The only option left was to liberate the Sanctuary myself and draw out the villagers to thwart Roswaal's plan, but I knew Garfiel would never suggest that, as he had no desire to breach the barrier. However, there was one thing I overlooked.
"In that case... I just have to stop you."
Garfiel muttered those words in a stiff tone. When he raised his face to look at me, I saw that he had an almost demented expression.
"What?"
"Roswaal won't do anything if you stay in the Sanctuary... So I'll break your bones so you can't leave!"
"Are you crazy?!"
But he meant it. He advanced in my direction, his signature red aura emanating from his body.
"You jerk! Frederica will die if I don't go to the mansion!"
"Don't worry about it! When I'm done with you, I'll do something about it!"
Garfiel took a run-up and threw a punch at me.
"Shit!" I jumped to the side to dodge the attack, which continued on and split the table. "Can't you make less impulsive decisions?"
"I'd rather strike first than hesitate like a coward!"
"That's not even relevant!"
I gritted my teeth. I hadn't expected this kind of outcome. If I had to fight Garfiel, I couldn't hold back or let my guard down.
"I'll give you one last chance to think things over! Don't make me do this!"
"Heh! Your threats don't scare me! You can resist if you want, but it'll hurt twice as much!"
That ruled out the possibility of a peaceful solution. I took a deep breath to calm my emotions. Adrenaline was already coursing through my veins.
"Okay. It'll be the hard way."