Re:Lyra-Starting Life in Another World (Re:Reader-Lyra Edition)

Chapter 71: The Endless Eight - Epilogue

A/N: Hello everyone! This week's chapter is very long, but with it we've also surpassed 400k words! I really had no idea this story would ever get that long, but here we are. I hope you all have enjoyed reading it as much as I have writing it. Please enjoy!

Chapter 71: The Endless Eight - Epilogue

Having convinced the librarian of the need to peer back into Lyra's memories of the events that had unfolded in Saluzzo, Rem laid down next to her on the cold, hard tile floor of the Forbidden Library.
With Rem lifting her hand up to the drill-haired girl standing above them, she sapped the mana from Rem's hand, taking the fuel for this magic, as well as her own payment for this "session." Feeling herself become drowsy from the loss of her energy, Rem let herself be whisked away to slumber.
Soon, Lyra-chan will not need to be the only one who remembers.
Reaching out, Rem's same hand caressed the side of Lyra's as she fell asleep.
Beatrice: How bothersome, these two. But after hearing of such an oddity... Betty unfortunately must help these two figure out what they can ahead of Roswaal.
It was no secret that Beatrice and Roswaal failed to see eye to eye on many things, it was more beneficial to her in the long run if he wasn't in control of such important developments.
But in truth, Beatrice had come to question the character of the current Mathers' to hold residency of the mansion.
Beatrice: Between that half-devil getting her precious gem stolen and there being a famous assassin behind it, a shaman organizing an entire siege of the nearby village, and now the events in the far away city? All too coincidentally related, I suppose.
If Roswaal was truly in the dark on what happened in Saluzzo like he'd said, then it was to Beatrice's interest for Lyra and Rem to be the first to uncover the truth rather than him.
Even if they inform him of any discoveries, they will still be the ones in control of the information, not him. For Betty, that is a large enough inconvenience to him for her.
As Beatrice mulled over her troubling thoughts, Rem was busy lodging her consciousness into Lyra’s memories once more. From here, she was able to get herself situated, and re-familiarize herself with how this experience worked.

Hmmm, yes. Rem remembers this feeling...
Feeling her non-existent body take form. Her vision was filled with darkness. Reaching for what she remembered as a large tome, her "fingers" tapped out in front of her, sensing for the cover and the pages that it held inside them.
Ahh!
Taking a hold, Rem felt around it. Just like last time, the sensation was the same.
Rem will start from the beginning.
Flipping open what felt like the tome's leather bound cover, Rem thumbed to the first "page" and let her vision be replaced from what Lyra saw.
Like the opening of a curtain, Rem's vision was first introduced to a scene of Lyra and Subaru riding on the drivers bench of the carriage. Looking at the scene around them, it appeared as if they had just managed to arrive in Costuul.
This is as far back as Rem can go... Beatrice-sama did say at one point around a month is only as far as this reaches... That means Lyra-chan and Subaru-kun have been experiencing this loop for at least a month... possibly more...
Without any cues to gauge if she was in the midst of a loop or not, Rem had no other choice but to continue to watch and clue herself in.
Having arrived at the inn, Lyra and Subaru acted completely like neither of them had been there before.
Lyra-chan isn't faking her reactions to Subaru-kun... Rem can tell. She is definitely at least not in a loop where she remembers anything.
While she was unable to smell anything because of these senses not being her own, Rem was unable to judge if a return had already happened or not.
Knowing her time was ultimately limited though, Rem decided to jump ahead to a scene with more things happening. From there, she could make the most of their time. Watching further, Rem saw the four of them set out in search of dinner from the inn, and in doing so, got caught in a sudden rainstorm, just like her and Lyra did.
Being rushed into a random tavern on Subaru's suggestion, Rem watched as the four went to sit, completely soaked with rain. As they awaited, Rem caught an interaction between her and Lyra.
Lyra held [Rem's] cold, damp hand at the crowded table. Rem could feel her own hand through Lyra's memory. But, feeling a warmth grow in her abdomen, right where her own gate would be, Rem suddenly felt that heat transferred to her hand, the same one that held [Rem's] hand.
Rem was somewhat shocked to realize that Lyra was passing her own mana to [Rem.]
When did Lyra-chan learn to do this? Rem has never seen her do that before…
With Emilia noticing the same, there was a bit of back and forth on the matter before Lyra had volunteered to go check on the status of their order. With the wait being long enough for even Rem to flip past, she knew they must have been waiting awhile by now.
As Lyra departed the table, Rem saw her enter into a darker section of the tavern. Stepping through the imaginary threshold she could even feel in the secondary, Rem's own hairs seemed to stand on end as Lyra moved to the side to let another patron by.
But stopping as she moved past, a man, with a dark cloak, hidden face, and deathly aura turned to her. Reaching into his cloak with a disgusting green hand that was heavily scabbed and and ended in chewed on fingernails, he pulled out a black book.
?: Tell me... Are you familiar with her love ?
That's—! No! It cannot be!
Stopping her replay of looking on in the memory, Rem's non-existent mouth was left agape.
Lyra had just been approached by none other than a Witch Cultist, and she had just been offered a Gospel.
Rem could only stare in disbelief. Nowhere before had Lyra ever mentioned such a man. But as she regained her focus, Rem hesitated to go further.
What if... What if the next thing Rem sees is...
What Rem feared now, more than anything she had ever come across in any of his memories now was—
What will Rem do... if she takes it?
Rem kept her hands still on the tome that controlled the memory's progression. She genuinely feared the possibility to look further ahead, lest she see the one thing she never would want to see.
No... Rem must choose...
Knowing it was either forever living in ignorance, or knowing the truth, Rem debated in her mind. But as she thought more, one thing remained upfront in her own memories.
Our promises... Rem's own promise, as well...
Rem recalled her promise to always trust her hero. And trusting her hero meant—
Rem is foolish for having any fear of what could never happen. Lyra-chan knows what that would mean to her Rem. Rem will not doubt her! She never will!
Firmly grasping a page, Rem proceeded onward.
Holding up her hand, Lura politely declined the offered Gospel.
Lyrq: I-I'm not interested. Thank you, though.
'Thank you, though?'
Rem mulled over why Lyra would show even a spec of respectfulness to the vile man before her. With only one trailing statement of "Pride" and "Sloth," the man cloaked in black departed, leaving Lyra.
Does... Does Lyra-chan  truly not know what had just occurred?
To Rem, this raised many questions. Why had they never run into this man before in their endeavors? And why had Lyra acted so oblivious to the danger before her?
This... This must be an early loop, or an isolated event... Rem cannot say for certain...
Rem saw Lyra regain her composure. After some fretting, she took a seat at the bar, trying to get an answer for the question that had brought her there.
Being belittled by the barkeep, Lyrq was then subjected to the person she had taken a seat next to. Dressed like some kind of mercenary or adventurer, the demi-human with bleach blonde hair and tail like a tanuki took an all too keen interest in Lyra.
It's her again... Isabella.
Seeing this woman so haphazardly touch Lyra’s face, Rem almost instantaneously forgot her moral quandary with the Cultist and what it had all meant. Without the power to directly intervene, all Rem could do was watch this woman continue to pressure her Lyra.
After several lust-filled requests being denied, Isabella seemed all too motivated. Using her muscular arm, she held it over her, forcing her back to the wall.
No—! This... This cannot be happening! This woman... Rem wishes she could do something!
With a fear growing in her heart that Lyra might have experienced something truly terrible in a long forgotten loop, Rem was unsure if she could continue to watch.
Lyra-chan wouldn't let herself be overpowered like this... Nothing worse could happen, then...
Right?
Rem let it play out. Isabella seemingly sniffed Lyra and took great pleasure in doing so, but as she had paused to do that, a voice Rem recognized was heard.
[Rem]: Only one person may smell her Lyra-chan.
With Isabella having been interrupted, her and [Rem] had some back and forth arguments, notably over Lyra. But, at an impasse, the demi-human returned her gaze to her.
Seeing the sick, twisted look in her eyes as if she were looking at some plaything, Rem desperately wished to reach out, grab that arm, and prevent it from soiling Lyra.
And to her satisfaction, [she] did.
Having grabbed the muscular arm, [Rem] halted Isabella's advance to steal Lyra's innocence from her.
Recoiling back, an altercation nearly broke out, only to be stopped by the barkeep, Dan. But as Lyra and him argued over the details, [Rem] had taken a clear notice of something else. Smelling the drink that had been poured for Lyra on the request of the demi-human, Rem accused the barkeep of knowingly trying to sabotage Lyra's condition.
Ultimately, using this as leverage, [Rem] used this as a condition to get the group their meal.
Being promised their goods post-haste, Lyra  was quickly led out of the bar area. However, instead of being led back to their table, [Rem] had chosen a different location. Out of the way, she was clearly emotional at this moment, and questioned him on something she hadn't expected.
With Rem having asked if she had died, Lyra denied it. But upon denying it, [Rem] had conveyed how she knew when to show up when she did, and why [she] had very emotionally concluded that a Reset had happened.
But then where did the Witch's scent come from...
Knowing her memory counterpart had definitely smelled it, Rem was lost as to where it had come from.
Watching further, [Rem] had also confided the smell, at that moment, had vanished.
Lyra-chan never tried confessing to anyone... Nor did she die... And Rem is certain the scent does not go away so quickly...
Having seen his memories, Rem knew that was an absolute fact. Somehow, Lyra had started to smell more for no reason, and that had instantly lost it.
No... Unless—!?
Trying to recall what she had seen recently, only one memory came to mind.
That man! No, that Witch Cultist .
Without a doubt, Rem concluded where she had smelled the Witch's scent from.
It was the scent of that fiend !
Utterly disgusted that [she], and Lyra for that matter had been in such close contact with a Witch Cultist, Rem could feel her non-existent gag reflex.
But, letting the memory play through more though, Rem saw herself and Lyra have a very touching moment.
Seeing as there was nothing of significance to have in these parts of Lyra's memories, Rem searched further ahead, but as she did, she thought back to what had happened, and how it had unfolded.
Rem hates to admit it, but had that Cultist failed to be in attendance at that tavern and left when he did, Rem might have never smelled the Scent, and had she not, Lyra-chan could have been taken advantage of... Rem is glad she did not need to see Lyra-chan getf traumatized.
Feeling a troubled emotion, it mixed with relief as well. In truth, as she indexed further ahead, Rem's own emotions remained in limbo.