I love time travel the most!

In addition, is the calamity that has disturbed the mainland for four hundred years really so insignificant in his mouth, or is he just pretending?

"Compared to these..."

After Ricardo, who regarded the white whale as an ordinary magical beast, made his outrageous remarks, he grinned slyly, causing Natsuki Subaru, who was being watched, to involuntarily shudder.

"Because we didn't achieve anything in the White Whale Extermination Campaign, we're afraid of being criticized by the young lady, so we need to make a splash at the young master's real target afterwards."

"Do you know what I'm going to do by saying that?"

"The Witch Cult...right?"

The moment those three words appeared, the atmosphere among the group vanished—whether it was joy, sorrow, or sighs—and was replaced by solemnity and a chilling atmosphere.

What's wrong?

Why are you so serious? Your eyes have gotten scary.

Natsuki Subaru rubbed his arms.

But how did Ricardo know that?

"Don't be so surprised. The most important thing for a businessman is the freshness of information. After all, we were hired by the young lady. It's not just about the young man; we've heard a lot of other things as well. We're not just born with big ears."

"Well."

His words left him scratching his head, surprised but also sensing Anastasia's shrewdness and cunning.

Really short of memory.

Have you forgotten the losses you suffered in your last reincarnation?

Ricardo was basically saying that the real show was about to begin.

He took a deep breath, composed himself, and said to the few people around him who were in control of the situation, "In short, let me summarize. Next, we're going to the Mezas Territory, or more precisely, Roswaal's mansion. The Witch Cult will probably, no, it definitely will appear there!"

"The Witch Cult..."

After confirming the name that everyone on the mainland deeply resented, a complex expression appeared on everyone's face.

—They were a terrible bunch of guys.

Aside from Subaru Natsuki and Kobayashi, who are from another world, this is a consensus among almost everyone.

How did Subaru connect the white whale with the Witch Cult?

"Julius asked."

Instead of their relationship deteriorating after their banter, the two became even more easygoing.

Calling him by his name without any politeness is proof.

Natsuki Subaru's feelings were quite complicated, but now was not the time to be conflicted like a little girl; answering the question was more important.

"Although it's an unpleasant memory, I did encounter a witch cult. Not only did a lot of things go wrong, but it was also full of annoying memories. And then, someone let it slip."

Julius didn't ask for details, but instead said thoughtfully, "Hmm...Is that so? It seems the Knights' prediction was correct?"

"It seems that Mr. Wilhelm's records also reached the same conclusion," Phyllis echoed him.

"You already knew this?"

"Similar rumors seemed to have circulated within the Knights, but in the end, they were just treated as gossip and laughed off."

"Natsuki-kun, have you forgotten? I was also looking for Reinhard."

Julius nodded in agreement upon hearing his words.

Their reaction surprised Subaru Natsuki.

Then, reminded by Kobayashi, it dawned on me: during the second reincarnation, when I asked Kobayashi to find Reinhard, I learned that the Witch Cult was active and that the Sword Saint wasn't with the Knights. So that's why!

They made contact immediately.

He slapped his forehead in sudden realization.

Wilhelm sighed and said, "The discovery of the connection was purely accidental. There are too many unnatural overlaps with the records of the Witch Cult's activities, and there is nothing that can be considered definitive evidence."

Just as they needed evidence to subdue the white whale, they also needed evidence to mobilize the Kingdom's Knights.

Reinhard's pursuit of the Witch Cult is already considered the greatest favor he could have received.

no way.

"Although the credibility is low, there must be a connection between the white whale and them. Aren't magical beasts originally created by witches?"

"That's true. But the appearance and existence of magical beasts are very mysterious. Some reproduce like ordinary creatures, while others suddenly appear like beluga whales. In the end, the only exceptions like beluga whales are the black snake and the giant rabbit."

And here we go again, these two intriguing names.

"I'm a little scared, so I'll just jump over it."

After everyone nodded in agreement, Natsuki Subaru cleared his throat and continued, "The Witch Cult's target is Emilia. They plan to burn down the house and the nearby village, so we must get rid of those bastards no matter what!"

"Get out... Heh, Subaru, you're really naive."

Phyllis drew out the last syllable meaningfully, her sharp eyes appearing exceptionally alluring—a seductive gesture that sent chills down one's spine.

However, he is a boy!

Natsuki Subaru, who absolutely did not think "it's okay for boys to be boys," asked with a bewildered expression, "What do you mean by 'naive'?"

"Those guys, meow, why not just take them all out with one slash? Based on the records so far, that's the right way to deal with them."

His clear eyes were veiled in a layer of bright red.

Apart from the stunned Natsuki Subaru, no one else reacted to such bloodthirstiness, as if they had long been accustomed to it.

Thinking about it carefully, wasn't I being too naive?

He had wanted to kill them so many times in the past, to make them die without a burial place, yet now he was saying such naive things. He was startled by the change in his mindset.

Presumably, it's because the most important thing in his heart has changed.

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."

Kobayashi patted Natsuki Subaru's shoulder.

His words resonated with everyone else, even Natsuki Subaru was stirred to his fury, remembering the suffering he had endured, and suddenly became enraged.

"Alright, in that case, prioritize protecting the Earl's mansion and those guys in the village. As for the rest of the Witch Cult, whether you shoot them down or kill them, that's fine!"

"Alright, alright, I know you're very hostile towards the Witch Cult."

Phyllis waved her hand, then leaned forward and asked, "The question is, who is leading the Witch Cult and targeting Lady Emilia?"

"It must be the Archbishop of Sin."

"Huh? You guys know that name too!"

Ricardo agreed with Phyllis's words, and then the word he uttered caught Subaru Natsuki's attention.

The Archbishop of Sin, that was the title Bertrugius Romani-Conti had assigned him, and in addition, he was also called upon to be responsible for sloth.

"Is the Archbishop of Sin of the Witch Cult very famous?"

"I just know that there is such a group of people. I've heard people gossip about it before, saying that there were witches before the jealous witch turned the world upside down."

Pride, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust—six witches branded with the names of great sins.

Then, everyone's existence was devoured by the Witch of Envy, Satella.

When people mention witches in this world, they are basically referring to the witch of jealousy. Witches associated with other great sins have almost disappeared.

They are just the leaders of the Witch Cult... I don't know if it's appropriate to say it like this, but I've heard that they are the ones who replaced those vanished witches and took on the title of Archbishop of Sin.

Jealousy is a symbol of their faith.

In other words, the other six people were six high priests.

"six people……"

After hearing the explanation, the Witch Cult became even more mysterious in Natsuki Subaru's mind.

When Bertrugius Romani-Conti introduced himself as sloth and gave his name, he already foresaw that he would be given other major sins.

When it comes to the Seven Deadly Sins, those are words that Subaru has been exposed to through subcultures and are full of chuunibyou (delusional) elements.

However, compared to this word that could make him feel a little excited, the impression that indolence actually left on him was extremely bad.

Even Lord Jesta (High Priest of the Axis Cult), who can do anything, is many times stronger than him.

"Natsuki-kun, please feel free to say what you want to say. Your gaze is quite rude."

"Feel sorry."

Natsuki Subaru curled his lips.

If Phyllis and old man Wilhelm knew that the high priest of their goddess was like that, they would be devastated... Just kidding.

That's just a fictional character; how could there possibly be such a bizarre person in reality?

However, the white whale that was supposed to be gluttonous has been defeated, and the other archbishops of sin should not come to Mezas territory. This is a good opportunity to deal a heavy blow to the Witch Cult in one fell swoop!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

the other side.

On their way back to the capital, Kurshu and Rem were already locked in a fierce battle.

The person fighting the two women was a person without any distinguishing features.

He was neither fat nor thin, neither tall nor short, with naturally white hair that was neither too long nor too short. The white clothes he wore with his hair were neither luxurious nor shabby, and his face had no particular features.

In short, he's an ordinary-looking man.

But when it actually hit the man's earth dragon, it was cut in two while maintaining its running momentum. Fortunately, Rem, who was driving the dragon chariot, jumped off in time with Kurshu in her arms, thus avoiding injury.

What's most puzzling is not the man's indifference to the horrific scene, but that he simply stood still after the dragon carriage was smashed.

He did nothing, he was just standing there, and the oncoming carriage was smashed to pieces.

"Seriously, please don't do this. I didn't do anything, yet you want to crush me. This is really too much. It's not something a decent person would do."

The voice was as calm as a leisurely stroll in a park in the afternoon, but the scene was described amidst splattering blood and a shattered dragon carriage.

"How dare you do such a cruel thing to my subordinates? Who exactly are you?"

Kurshu's sharp eyes held a fighting spirit as he questioned the man in a stern voice.