Re:Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

(Thank you Aaron for helping me catch typos on the Live Draft! <>

ARC 4 THE EVERLASTING COVENANT Chapter 92 [Lie]

{Puck: Feels like it"s been ages since we talked like this}

{Subaru: Well it has been…… right, almost two weeks since you"ve gone missing. Your owner"s been worried sick looking all over for you, and you were nowhere to be found}

It was a strange sensation, hearing the words steep directly into his skull instead of vibrating through the air. Nevertheless, listening to Puck"s voice, still as carefree as ever, Subaru was struggling to keep his inner rage from seeping into his reply.
More infuriated than elated to get his expected―― or rather, hoped-for reaction, it was too much for Subaru to take lying down.

{Puck: It seems, over the two weeks we haven"t talked…… you"ve built up quite a bit of resentment towards me}

{Subaru: You know why that is…… right? Don"t make me spell it out for you}

{Puck: Right. The things I said in front of the blue-haired girl before I stopped coming out…… now that I think about it, it was pretty thoughtless of me. I really did reflect on it}

{Subaru: ……! That"s not what we"re talking about!}

What was thoughtless was digging up something Subaru had already forgotten he was angry about. And to top it off, it completely derailed the conversation from what they ought to be discussing.
{Don"t get so angry……}, Puck pouted at Subaru"s outburst,

{Puck: I know that. I just wanted to apologize. If we don"t clear up some of the bad blood between us before moving onto the main topic, we wouldn"t be having a real heart-to-heart, now would we? …….Especially now that I"m in a position where there is so much I"ll need to ask of you}

{Subaru: Okay, you good? If you"re done stroking your self-satisfaction, let"s get on with the conversation. You know, the one you want to have, about the main topic}

Acknowledging Puck"s apology with some perfunctory acceptance, Subaru glared at the crystal as he pushed the conversation forward.
Reflecting Subaru"s gaze in its translucent gleam, the stone at Emilia"s chest was glowing with a dark-green luminescence.
Subaru clicked his tongue, and,

{Subaru: Anyway, this isn"t a good place to talk. For now, let"s go outside. We don"t know when Emilia"ll wake up. Better change locations befor……]

{Puck: I am sorry, but I can"t. ――And that would count as a part of our main topic as well}

While gazing at the sleeping Emilia, Subaru heard his proposal shot down by Puck"s telepathic words. For a moment, Subaru made an expression as if his nose had been pinched,

{Subaru: That wasn"t a "Don"t wanna" kind of rejection… You can"t? What"s that supposed to mean?}

{Puck: Only what it sounds like. In my present state, going outside the crystal…… or basically, manifesting in the external world is currently impossible for me. If it weren"t, did you really think I would ever let Lia feel this sad and alone?]

{Subaru: ――――}

Hearing Puck say this as if were a matter of course, Subaru"s mind fell into silence.
The fact is, considering everything that"s happened between Subaru and this spirit up to now, Subaru honestly felt like doubting the credibility of Puck"s words.
But aside from Puck"s tendency to always show up late when it actually matters, fundamentally―― he exists solely for Emilia"s sake, and his feelings for Emilia were genuine. Subaru considered these points to be beyond any doubt.
Which means,

{Subaru: Some circ.u.mstance, or some reason…… is preventing you from coming outside?}

{Puck: That"s right. I haven"t even been able to reach out through thoughts like this. And so it was very fortunate that you suspected this and called to me in the crystal. I doubt anyone else could have secured such an opportunity}

{Subaru: Anyone else……?}

{Puck: It"s very simple, the only one who could be this close to Lia while she"s unconscious would be you. Besides, even if by chance someone did touch the crystal, there was the problem of whether our affinity would allow us to communicate through thoughts. But we"ve done this before, so I knew I could speak to you this way}

{Subaru: ……Now that you mention it, we did, didn"t we? So, what is it you want from me?}

{Puck: Hm……?}

{Subaru: Now that someone has finally met these preconditions and, by some divine chance, called out to you… You must"ve been prepared to not let this million-to-one chance slip away. So, with the short time that we have, what do you have to tell me?}

{Puck: ――――}

Subaru"s words were met with a meaningful silence. In his mind, he could almost imagine the unseen cat-spirit smiling a wide and human-ish grin.
Without betraying Subaru"s imaginings, Puck laughed, his voice unable to conceal his delight.

{Puck: So I was right to expect great things from you after all… though it pains me to think that I would have to entrust Lia to someone other than myself}

{Subaru: ……I can pa.s.s on what you"re thinking to Emilia, if you want}

The latter part of Puck"s joyful words became laced with gloom. Sensing this change about him, Subaru lowered his eyes. His suggestion had been no more than a consoling thought. But, having said it, it might actually be a good idea.
After losing Puck, who had been holding up the core of her heart, Emilia was in an unsettled state. She was enduring it for now, but as the pa.s.sage of time and her repeated failures in the Trials abrade away her body and mind, her weakness will begin to show through. If that"s how it will turn out, then maybe offering her some relief here would――

{Puck: Better not. If she learns that I"ve been talking to someone behind her back, in the worst case, Lia"s mind could break}

But, before Subaru could go any further with that thought, he was stopped by Puck"s dejected voice. Trying to take in the meaning of those words, "Hhaa…", Subaru expelled a dry sigh in the physical world,

{Subaru: And…… what"s that supposed to mean?}

{Puck: It means exactly what it sounds like. If you act as an intermediary and convey my words to Lia, she will find out that I am not truly asleep inside the crystal. If she realizes that despite keeping me from manifesting and preventing me from contacting anyone I am not actually silenced, it would likely cause her precarious mental balance to collapse}

{Subaru: Wai, wait a minute――!}

Subaru shook his head, calling for Puck"s piling words to stop.
Since he had no body, with only the crystal"s sheen for Subaru to look on, Puck"s expression was imperceptible. But, at least from Puck"s voice, Subaru judged that this was no attempt at deception.

{Subaru: Do you… realize what you"re saying? Just now… it"s like you"re saying that it"s Emilia herself who"s preventing you from coming outside…}

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I haven"t read the rest of this chapter yet >_

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Chicken is in Ottawa!
I"ll post some pictures soon I promise ❤

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Let me know if you see any typos!

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Chapter 92 Live Draft: