I don't wanna be here anymore!
I wanna go home! Right now!
What shall we do now?
Everyone, if Wolfram comes home too soon,
could you please buy me a little time?
This must be the magical staff.
The Theban alphabet commonly used by witches.
I'm feeling very nostalgic.
This could be...
No, wait!
"You're horrible, Oscar." ...says Emily.
"I didn't jump on that woman to enjoy her bosom!"
"I have another big scoop."
"That woman smelled of werewolf!"
I'm here to deliver a letter from the Queen.
The Queen's personal horsekeeper...
John Brown.
You must have had quite a long journey, Mr. Brown.
Did you come this whole way on horseback?
Of course not.
I'd never force my beloved horse to walk such terrible roads.
Poor thing. Good horse.
I see. I'm glad you weren't exposed to the werewolf miasma.
Cheers for the concern. Now, where's the earl?
My apologies, but I'm afraid my master is ill at the moment.
You can leave the letter with me.
That won't do. I was asked to deliver it with the message, "Read it at once, dear!"
Well, needs must. Would you kindly read it and confirm the contents?
Me?
It's urgent.
Then I shall be so bold as to do so.
This is...
And so, I have done my duty. I'll be off now.
What?
Watch out for werewolves on your way back.
Cheers for the concern. Take care of his lordship.
Well now.
It seems we can't afford to take our time anymore.
Black Butler
Emerald Witch Arc
Young mistress.
It's dinnertime.
All right.
Wolf, are you sure I can't come with you tomorrow to see them off?
You mustn't. The Werewolves' Forest is dangerous.
But—
Please, be reasonable.
If anything happened to you, the villagers would—
I know!
I know. But...
I want to see the outside world, too. Even if just for a moment.
I want to know more about the world they live in, Wolfram.
That is the one request I can't grant you, young mistress.
It was a mistake to invite them here.
I'll bring you dinner in your room.
Wolf!
Young mistress!
Are you hurt?
I'm fine.
W-Wolf?
I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, young mistress.
I... I...
Wolf, don't cry. I'm sorry.
I won't go anywhere. I'll complete the Ultimate Spell and protect you all.
Ja.
That woke you up, eh?
I'll go take a look. You can stay in bed.
Seba—uh...
U-Um...
Finny, could you please leave for a few minutes?
B-But—
I have to speak with him about something important.
N-No!
Stay away!
Weren't you listening? Please leave.
Please wait! He's still not fully—
H-Hey!
Sebastian, stop!
I asked you to stop! That hurts!
You have cared for our young master very well, but you are no longer needed.
I used my full strength, but he didn't even flinch.
How?
You've received a letter from the Queen.
Also, I'm told we'll be driven from the village tomorrow morning.
I believe you have more pressing duties than wrapping yourself in down bedclothes
and dwelling on regrets and fears.
Now get out of bed.
N-No.
Ah, so you plan to abandon your role as guard dog?
Very well.
Ceasing to be the Queen's guard dog would spare you some painful duties.
No one would reprimand you for hiding in your bed forever,
and I imagine your servants would treat you kindly.
However, abandoning your revenge is a breach of our contract.
Alas.
What a dull ending to our story.
I pity those who have lost their lives for someone so dull.
Well...
I suppose that's of no interest to you.
You're about to disappear, after all.
This isn't the meal I'd been hoping for.
But I suppose it will slake the hunger for a little while.
Ah.
I'm dying, then?
Without getting my vengeance...
Forsaken even by demons...
Have you decided?
To stay here forever?
You're such a fool.
No one asked you to seek vengeance, you know.
I know.
You do? Then why are you trying to get revenge?
And with the power you got by sacrificing me.
The choice you made cost a lot of people their lives.
I...
You wanted me to forgive you?
That's not it.
You wanted to say goodbye to the weak boy you were?
That's not it.
You wanted to own everything?
That's not it!
We know.
You wanted to avenge our deaths, right?
That's not it!
Then why did you sacrifice so much...
and stake your own soul...
to make a pact with me?
I remember why I made a pact with a demon.
The real reason I wanted power great enough to go against anyone...
I'm not virtuous enough to give my life for someone else,
or tolerant enough to let myself be trampled on without consequence.
I'm a hopelessly self-centred and self-righteous person.
That's why...
I took your hand to repay their disgraces against me.
Not for anyone else's sake.
For my own sake!
Sebastian!
You wretch. Let go of me this instant. That's an order!
Curses. I've never had a wake-up call so rotten.
That's not a very nice way to treat your master, Sebastian.
Oh, my.
I apologize.
You were very difficult to wake, you see.
Good morning, my lord.
You were genuinely trying to eat me just now, weren't you?
Not at all. I assure you I was only 90% serious.
In other words, your mind was essentially made up.
Tanaka told me not to take drastic measures, so I watched and waited for a while.
But your infantile tantrum triggered an impulse.
And you think a butler would kill his master on impulse? You hellhound.
Yes. I am one hell of a butler, after all.
And now, may I ask why you took that attitude?
Well...
Call the others here. I'll tell all of you at once.
Of course.
Good grief.
Why, precisely, are you servants listening at the door?
We couldn't hear anythin' any—I mean, we were worried. Finny said you were actin' strangely.
Ow, ow, you're hurting the wounds on my back!
Please don't be angry with us, Sebastian, no!
"So short-tempered." ...says Brontë.
You lot are so noisy, truly.
Young master!
You're back to normal, young master!
And stop.
Do you want to set back his recovery now that he's finally well?
I-I'm sorry!
I caused you trouble, hmm, Finny? I'm all right now.
Right...
Right.
The rest of you come over here, too.
There's something I need to say to you.
I'm sorry.
My reckless behaviour created more work and more worry for you.
Please forgive me.
N-Nonsense, young master!
There's no need to bow to us!
"You're not responsible for the curse." ...says Emily.
She's right, too!
No, however I seemed these past few days, I was still me.
As your master, I swear never to behave so pitifully in front of you again.
So I ask you...
Please be my servants again.
Yes, my lord!
...says Brontë.
You ruined the mood!
Now we sound silly, yes.
By the way...
Here's my first order as your new-again master.
F-Forget how I've acted over these past few days! At once!
That's a tall order, young master.
Th-That behaviour was normal for a boy your age, my lord, yes!
I treasure any and all memories!
I'll make you some more hot milk with plenty of honey!
Honey?
St-Stop! Not another word!
You remember everything from when you were sick, then?
Yes. Although I wish I didn't.
But I wasn't doing those things of my own free will.
Meaning?
Perfectly trivial things seemed terrifying,
and I couldn't control myself.
It's hard to put it into words, but...
Sounds like what happens all the time on the battlefield.
Even the most well-trained of soldiers can panic
if they get wounded on the battlefield in a way they never imagined.
It's pretty common.
So the state you were in wasn't weird or anything.
True, the way you looked while "cursed" was quite shocking.
Though I imagine the psychological impact was part of the objective.
"Objective"? What do you mean?
Here.
What is this?
"C4"... A code?
Since time was of the essence, I took the liberty of sending off some samples.
Leaves from the woods and the potion you were treated with.
I asked the Palace to analyse their contents.
I see. So this is the truth behind the "curse," then.
Yes.
And at the werewolves' request,
Fräulein Sullivan is working to complete an "Ultimate Spell."
Hmm? There's more.
She always asks the unreasonable.
"It would give me great pleasure if the little witch would come to tea with me."