RE: The Return of the Wise [Remake] [ English Version ]

Arco 01: The Wise 03: The Problem

Arco 01: The Wise 03: The Problem

Outside of Subaru's mind, two days had passed since everyone recovered their memories and the revelation that he was the Wise had been made. Subaru remained unconscious, and the only ones permitted to see him were Volcanica, Undine, and Shaula, by Volcanica's own order. She didn't want anything bad to happen to him while he was unconscious, as she and Undine were the only ones who knew the reason he hadn't woken up. Presently, in the audience room, the five candidates and their respective camps, along with the elders, were gathered. Volcanica wanted to discuss the imprisonment and treatment her great friend had received because there were several issues in that story that didn't make sense, and she intended to investigate and deliver the appropriate punishments. Meanwhile, some were fearing for their lives, while others simply accepted whatever punishment would come.

Volcanica sighed and looked at Reinhard.

- "You are an Astrea, aren't you?" she asked, holding a sort of file with some personal information. Next to Volcanica were several files on everyone present. The red-haired man stepped forward, placing himself in front of the dragon with a serious expression, and answered the question.

- "Yes, Volcanica-sama, I am Reinhard Van Astrea, the current Sword Saint." He spoke with a serious demeanor, knowing what she was about to ask and ready to accept whatever punishment it might be. As Volcanica looked at the file, she noticed his blessings, but one in particular caught her attention. Returning her gaze to Reinhard, she asked,

- "It says here that you have a blessing that allows you to tell when someone is lying. Is that true?" she inquired with a serious expression, as if that were true, he would have a lot to explain. Just as Reinhard was about to respond, one of the elders interrupted, making excuses and trying to push the blame for everything onto the Witch Cult. This was starting to irritate Volcanica, as she was tired of the same old story. She pointed one of her fingers at the elder, sending a small burst of light that exploded his head, and with a terrifying glare, she asked,

- "Is anyone else going to interrupt?" The look on her face left everyone shocked and surprised by the elder's death, and everyone remained silent. Volcanica then asked Reinhard to continue with what he was about to say before being interrupted.

- "I truly have that ability, Volcanica-sama," he said, looking at her while pondering the possible reasons he hadn't used that ability. Even though he was without memories, he had something that could have prevented Subaru from being treated that way. With a disappointed look, knowing that if Reid saw this, he would feel disappointment, she looked at Reinhard and asked,

- "If you have that ability, why didn't you use it to prevent an innocent from being tortured?" Volcanica could see that Reinhard seemed disappointed in himself. He knew he could have prevented it if he had wanted to. So he replied,

- "I was ordered to leave the interrogation in the hands of someone else, and I obeyed that order." He explained, feeling a heavy guilt as he knew he could have acted. Volcanica wondered how that kingdom was still standing with such situations happening and a Sword Saint who preferred to follow orders rather than act when necessary. Looking at Reinhard, Volcanica said,

- "If Reid were here, he would surely be very disappointed in you, for you have these abilities and they seem to be mere decorations." Her words felt like heavy blows to him, and those who had some closeness to him felt bad for him. Just as she was about to move on to the next topic, Rem interrupted her and asked,

- "Excuse me, Volcanica-sama, but I would like to know how Subaru-kun is doing?" All eyes turned to her, wondering if she had lost her mind to interrupt. Ram tried to pull her sister back, but Rem wanted to know how her beloved hero was. Looking at the blue-haired girl, Volcanica sighed and said,

- "He is fine, just still unconscious, but his wounds are better." Rem felt relieved to know her beloved was okay but became worried about the fact that he was still asleep. Noticing her concern and that of some others present, Volcanica continued, "He will remain unconscious until he recovers all his memories, and that may take some time. So I allow you to visit him." Rem thanked Volcanica for letting her visit Subaru, and just as she was about to continue with the meeting, one of the guards entered in a panic and said,

- "VOLCANICA-SAMA, THE BLACK SERPENT HAS BEEN SIGHTED HEADING IN OUR DIRECTION!" The guard shouted in despair, causing concern among everyone present except Volcanica, Shaula, and Undine, who knew what it was about. The dragon asked how many days away the creature was from the capital. A bit calmer, the guard replied,

- "Exactly six days away." Everyone felt somewhat relieved to have time to prepare, and they were comforted knowing Volcanica was by their side. However, she appeared irritated by the fact of how problematic the situation really was. Looking at Shaula, she said,

- "It seems that girl will arrive sooner than we thought. We need to find a way to protect the citizens because she will do everything to reach Subaru without caring who gets in her way." Shaula agreed, sighing as she knew the situation would be complicated and wishing for her master to wake up soon, as he was the only one who could stop her.

Seeing Volcanica, Shaula, and the nymph conversing among themselves, as if they knew something more about the situation, Reinhard, curious and worried, asked,

- "Excuse me, Volcanica-sama, but from what you said, it seems there is someone behind this attack. Who would that be?" The dragon seemed reluctant to answer, but she knew she would need their help to avoid a possible catastrophe, at least until Subaru woke up. With a serious look, Volcanica said,

- "Yes, I know. The person behind this is the Witch of Vanity, PANDORA..."

TO BE CONTINUED...