Chapter 396. Two Different Pairs of Master and Disciple
"A touching bond between master and disciple... is it?"
Atop the towering roof, amidst the biting cold wind, a flicker of emotion crossed Roswaal's eyes as he murmured in a low voice. Watching Shaula—who, after four hundred years, cried like a little child because she finally met her Master—he felt his own grievances nearly bubbling to the surface.
If there was anyone in this world who could truly empathize with Shaula, then aside from Beatrice, he was the only one left.
To resurrect his teacher, to see a living teacher once more, he had become a madman; he had disowned his kin, become cold and ruthless, and turned into a clown dancing upon the fate woven by the Tome of Wisdom. He had done all of it willingly.
If it would bring his teacher back, he was willing to destroy the world.
But it was a preposterous hoax. The one controlling the Tome of Wisdom was no longer his teacher, and it had long since been impossible for his teacher to reappear.
For lurking beneath the cold corpse of his teacher, flourishing within the tomb of the Sanctuary, was not his teacher's soul at all, but merely a monster named Echidna who had usurped her place!
Grievance turned to fury; pain transformed into the firewood for a new wish, helping this brand-new dream take flight.
"Beatrice."
The firm-eyed Roswaal suddenly spoke, "I understand. Seeing this girl, I finally understand... I don't want to die. I cannot die."
"Even after entrusting you to Hikigaya Hachiman, I still cannot die. I must have my revenge. I will declare war on that monster Echidna who disguised herself as my teacher. Until I see her soul scattered with my own eyes, I don't think my teacher will be able to rest in peace."
"Consider it atonement for the mistakes I've committed all these years... I must kill that monster with my own hands!"
Greeting this rejuvenated Roswaal was Beatrice's gratified gaze.
"You've finally woken up... But the task of killing Echidna cannot be left to you. The bastard who profaned Mother's existence, that criminal so heinous they deserve to be torn into ten thousand pieces—Betty will execute her personally!"
Having reached a consensus, Roswaal and Beatrice were etched with an incomparable hatred for Echidna.
At the same time, they felt an immense closeness toward Shaula, far away in the Sage's Tower. For Roswaal and Beatrice, who could profoundly understand Shaula, she was their natural ally.
"However, Betty supports Hachiman's way of doing things."
Refusing to play the role of 'that person,' refusing to be that 'Master'—that is Hikigaya Hachiman; that is the true Hikigaya Hachiman.
Shaula would have a hard time, but Beatrice knew.
"Because it is Hachiman, it is okay—if it's Hachiman, he will surely, surely think of a way to satisfy both sides. It might just take a little time, so..."
Wait to welcome your happiness, Shaula.
"Just like Betty. Just like Roswaal."
Beatrice silently sent out her blessings, entrusting them to the breeze to be carried to the scorpion-tailed girl in the distant Sage's Tower.
"The theft of Sir Hachiman's existence has, by some twist of fate, become the beginning of Sir Hachiman truly understanding Shaula?"
Inside the Karsten Mansion, Crusch expressed her surprise.
Previously, it wasn't that Sir Hachiman couldn't see the four hundred years of heartache Shaula had accumulated, but rather that he chose to ignore it.
Because he felt he simply couldn't understand what kind of mental state Shaula was in. He couldn't imagine what it would feel like to wait four hundred years only to have someone like him arrive.
Back during the Sanctuary arc, he initially refused to persuade Beatrice for the same reason.
In fact, with Sir Hachiman's eloquence, persuading Beatrice or comforting Shaula would have been easy. Yet, he refused to do it.
Because if he couldn't truly understand, he felt his words would be too empty and hypocritical. Even if Beatrice and Shaula were willing to accept it—even if they were eagerly waiting for him to persuade and comfort them—he himself could not tolerate being so fake.
Not until he was assimilated by Satella and witnessed Beatrice's memories firsthand. Not until his existence was swallowed by the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony and he experienced Shaula's reality for himself.
Only after encountering these things and truly understanding these two people was he willing to take action.
Crusch's eyes were slightly misty, the skin of this beauty in military uniform flushing with heat. "Sir Hachiman was right; he does indeed have a selfish, self-centered side. These actions are proof of that."
However, the essence beneath this selfishness was a tenderness that made one's heart race.
Comfort offered out of social obligation, persuasion without empathy—there is an infinite supply of such things, and plenty of people to give them.
But Sir Hachiman's was different. When he chose to speak—even if his words didn't match one's psychological expectations—that sincerity born of clear, shared understanding was ten thousand times better than hundreds of fake comforts and hypocritical persuasions.
"So, Shaula will not be sad! Shaula will not be hurt by this!"
On the balcony of the Sage's Tower, Shaula bit her lower lip, her chest heaving violently. In the end, she couldn't hold back her tears again—these were happy tears, tears of joy.
"Master... waaaah..."
If it were someone he disliked or didn't care about, Hikigaya Hachiman wouldn't go to the trouble of sharing so many of his inner thoughts.
With the likes of Roswaal or Regulus, he was only willing to show his loathing and his lethal resolve; as for their opinions, unless necessary, he was too stingy to waste a single extra word on them.
The fact that Hikigaya Hachiman was sharing his heart proved that he now cared quite a bit about Shaula.
"I am ve~ry happy that child can be saved, but if possible, I still wish Hachiman didn't have to go through the experience of having his memories and existence stolen."
On the streets of the Royal Capital, Emilia's worry ultimately outweighed her joy.
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「After a good cry, Shaula felt immensely satisfied. After crying for over ten minutes, she finally broke into a smile through her tears.」
「Jumping down from her Master's back, Shaula patted her chest: "Even if Master doesn't admit it, I'm still Master's Shaula! Don't worry, if they come—be it Gluttony Ley or Roy—I'll help Master beat them to death and take back the things they stole from Master!"」
「"...Sigh."」
「Hachiman let out a deep sigh. "Two Sin Archbishop of Gluttony... I truly do need your help. I really am a thick-skinned, shameless bastard."」
「"If Master is a shameless bastard, then Shaula is the new bastard who inherited Master's shamelessness! Oh yeah!"」
「An optimist to the core, following her Master's every lead, Shaula gave a giggling military salute. Hachiman couldn't help but let out a small smile; though he masked it immediately, it was still noticed.」
「"Master, Master, where are we going?"」
「"To find Reid—and don't call me Master, I'm not your Master! Also, don't faint just because you hear Reid's name! Hey, don't faint on me!!"」
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