Re:Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu Volume 5 Chapter 39 part1

Note from TranslationChicken:

I originally intended this as an April Fools joke, but I was so tired from the jet lag… >_<

I’ve been bombarded with requests for Arc 5 and this chapter, so here you go, gees, now stop pestering me!!
Just know that I only read what I translate, so I don’t have any idea what’s going on with the plot here except from the wiki summary I read years ago before the anime ended. I literally have no context so please let me know without spoiling me if anything sounds weird.

I’ll work on this chapter when I have time, and I might continue with these if you guys are interested.

Just please be respectful and do not post spoilers or Arc 5 discussion outside of these chapters ❤

********** Translator: TranslationChicken ********** Editor: TranslationChicken ********** ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO TAPPEI NAGATSUKI, THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR OF RE:ZERO, THIS IS A TRANSLATION OF THE FREE JAPANESE WEB NOVEL INTO ENGLISH
JAPANESE WEB NOVEL SOURCE:  ********** ARC 5 THE HISTORY-ENGRAVING STARS Chapter 39 [Knightliness And The Man Who Was Late]

After the conversation in which they renewed their resolve, Subaru and Anastasia headed down the stairs of the City Hall.
The large room where Subaru had been laid down was on the third floor―― exactly halfway up the five-storied building, which apparently, was once a meeting room.

[Anastasia: Since the top floor's been burned up by dragon’s breath, the fourth floor's the top floor now. All the victims of Lust’re assembled and waitin' there]

[Subaru: ……If the top floor has been burned, what happened to the broadcasting device?]

[Anastasia: That thing's safe. It's been taken down and put away. The arcane device itself’s shaped like a big metal box so it can be carried on a mount. Apparently, the sounds collected in the box would get picked up by other devices installed in the city]

Like an antenna, or more like a speaker?
A metal box plus speaker: something like a set-of-two arcane device. The fact that they've safely retrieved both the hostages and the arcane device was some sorely-needed good news.

[Subaru: You said the affected victims are all gathered on the fourth floor, right?]

[Anastasia: Despite bein' turned into fruit flies and dragons, they still retained their human awareness. So they can understand us and follow our instructions. ……Though I can't say if that's a good thing or bad thing]

[Subaru: …………]

Retaining one's awareness through all this, Subaru couldn't say for sure whether he'd consider it fortunate, either.
Consciously being turned into an insect from head to toe and becoming a completely different lifeform isn't something "depressing" could sufficiently describe. Surely, it would entail the loss of one’s "self" as well.
Losing one's body, and continuing on as something else entirely, would it really be possible not to lose one's identity as well? Perhaps, only those who had actually experienced it could answer that question.

[Anastasia: They can still move their bodies. So thankfully, no one’s killed themselves. Everything happened so quickly, there're some who still haven't accepted the situation. ……I'd be glad if we can keep them safe until everything's settled down]

[Subaru: Kill themselves…… you mean suicide? That's……]

[Anastasia: You don't think it's somethin' to worry about?]

[Subaru: ――――]

It wasn't a question Subaru could answer lightly.
It was just that, compared to Subaru, Anastasia seemed to be far more comfortable with calmly considering countermeasures in the face of these extraordinary circumstances.

[Anastasia: There's hope as long as they're alive. Though, even while the body lives, if the heart dies, hope will collapse as well. So just staying alive isn't enough. They must also have the will to live, no matter what]

Keeping his eyes forward as he walked, Subaru heard Anastasia say this without seeing her face.
But, in terms of her resilient view on life and death, Subaru wholeheartedly agreed.
And so, to that end,

[???: Anastasisama]

Downstairs, seeing Subaru and Anastasia walking down to the first floor, Julius, who was the first to notice their arrival, called out the name of his master.
To Subaru, the first-floor reception lobby was just a place he had briefly passed through. But, even to him, the marks of the desperate battle that had been carved into the lobby struck him with such a deep impression that he could vividly sense the fierce struggle that had taken place here.

The desks and chairs, and even the wall were littered with sword strikes and magical spells, while, all over the floor, bloodstains scraped by footprints asserted their existence.
Though regrettably, Julius had let "Gluttony" escape, all these signs showed that it wasn't for a lack of trying.

[Julius: How was the conversation with Subaru?]

[Anastasia: It did drag on a bit, but it ended quite well, I guess. Same as us, Natsuki-kun is pumped full of motivation too, so……]

Playfully nodding to Julius' question, Anastasia turned her gaze to the back of the room.
Opposite from the stairs Subaru and Anastasia had just come down from, at the lobby entrance was Ricardo, heaving his gigantic figure. Just as Anastasia had ordered, he had been outside trying to make contact with other survivors.

[Anastasia: Welcome back, Ricardo. How’s the situation outside?]

[Ricardo: Ya sure look like yer in pretty good spirits, miss. It's bad as it gets. It'll probably get worse with time, too. Those bastards sure got some talent for messin' with people]

Frowning in disgust, Ricardo snorted at the fruitless result of the search.
He roughly scratched his canine head and gestured to the members of the “Iron Fang” crowding around him, instructing several of them to head out again while telling the others to rest in a corner.

[Subaru: How is the Witch Cult messing with people? No, I mean, I know there's already nothing more messed up than this situation we're in, but are you talking about something else?]

[????: Th'broadcast, gen'ral. Talkin' 'bout those fuckers' broadcasts]

Emerging from the side of the stairs, Garfiel answered Subaru's query.
Listening to Garfiel clacking his fangs in frustration, Subaru asked, [Broadcast?]

[Subaru: You mean the one where they transmitted their demands? Aside from that, did they say anything else?]

[Julius: Nothing over the top. Just announcing that all forces attempting to retake the City Hall have been dealt with. The Sin Archbishop of Lust must be the one making them. Their words were truly despicable]

[Ricardo: Thanks ta her, the people in the few refuge-shelters I showed up at all have barely any spirit left. Won't be easy, convincin' them to rise up t' take back their city]

Julius firmly closed his eyes, while Ricardo scrunched up his nose.
Hearing their answers, Subaru more or less understood what that remark about "messing with people" meant.

Along with her demands, Capella had announced the defeat of Subaru's forces upon occupying the City Hall.
Naturally, for the citizens who couldn't even lift a sword, news of the defeat must have shattered their hopes, while those who did have the strength to fight would soon realize the importance of the assault on the City Hall, and the reason Subaru and the others had committed to this early attack.
At the same time, they would realize that such an assault required considerable forces, and that, even with such forces, it had failed nonetheless.

In other words, regardless of whether the people in the refuge-shelters had any strength to resist or not, Capella’s broadcasts was set to break their spirits.

[Ricardo: From the City Hall records, we already know the location all the refuge-shelters. But still, after visiting the nearby shelters one by one…… well you can guess what the result is]

Ricardo swung out his arms and directly confirmed Subaru's fears.
It was only human nature. There was no point in blaming Ricardo for failing to convince them. When it came to depravity, the Witch Cultists had no equal.

[Anastasia: No strength to fight, no courage to resist. In that case, what comes next’ll be even more dangerous]

Beside the rueful Subaru, Anastasia touched her chin, muttering.
Seeing Subaru raise his head at her voice, Anastasia tilted her head with [Right?]

[Anastasia: "You can't win even if you fight", once a person believes this, they'll lose their will to fight. So then, what do you think people’ll do next?]

[Subaru: Fall into despair and feel scared… that's not the answer you were looking for, is it?]

[Anastasia: Well it'd be cute if they just held their knees crying. But, it won't be like that. Even if they lose the will to fight, they haven't lost the will to live. In that case, what choice is left to them?]

[Subaru: ……You don’t mean]

Subaru was starting to catch the drift of what Anastasia was saying.
At the same time, an unbearable disgust at the Witch Cult's machinations rose up inside him.

As if to confirm the conclusion in Subaru's shuddering mind, Anastasia clapped her hands.
And,

[Anastasia: The conditions for their survival were already presented to them. In the form of a demand, too. So, it stands to reason that there'll be some who'd try to meet those demands out of desperation. The "Artificial Spirits" and the owner of “The Book of Wisdom", even the "Sacrificial lovers and couples" wouldn't be out of the question, you know]

[Subaru: There's no way people could turn that extreme, right!?]

[Anastasia: Maybe not. Maybe there'll be those who refuse to sacrifice others just so they can survive. Or those who'd try to escape the city at all costs…… either way, the ensuing chaos is inevitable]

Once panic is allowed to fester, this precarious balance would come crashing down in an instant.
It was too frightening to imagine what the Witch Cultists would do to this city once that happens. They’d be granted the ultimate authority to erase everything that everyone had worked for.
Like some tyrant's switch that could cast it all to the wind with a finger’s flick.

(The incredible fan art is by @HaruSabin!!)

I originally intended this as an April Fools joke, but I was so tired from the jet lag… >_<

I’ve been bombarded with requests for Arc 5 and this chapter, so here you go, gees, now stop pestering me!!
Just know that I only read what I translate, so I don’t have any idea what’s going on with the plot here except from the wiki summary I read years ago before the anime ended. I literally have no context so please let me know without spoiling me if anything sounds weird.

I’ll work on this chapter when I have time, and I might continue with these if you guys are interested.

Just please be respectful and do not post spoilers or Arc 5 discussion outside of these chapters ❤

-Translationchicken

Chapter end